bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Redesigning a Foreign Language Learning Task Using Mobile Devices: A Comparative Analysis between the Digital and Paper-Based Outcomes
Authors: Isla-Montes José-Luis , Berns Anke , Palomo-Duarte Manuel , Dodero Juan-Manuel
Published: June 2022

The introduction of mobile devices such as smartphones provides new opportunities to enhance the teaching–learning process of a foreign language. However, its use can affect not only the students’ type and form of writing but also their ability to achieve the academic competencies targeted. Thus, aspects such as the development of linguistic and communicative competencies could be affected. In this paper, a comparative analysis of two different versions (a paper and a digital version) of the same learning task is carried out in order to analyze the impact of each on the development of students’ linguistic and communicative competencies. The study is conducted with undergraduate students enrolled in a course called German II. Modern Language I (level A1.2, Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). The results obtained illustrate, on the one hand, the advantages of the paper version for developing students’ linguistic competence and, on the other hand, that the digital version, despite facilitating students’ interaction amongst each other, does not seem to be more suitable for developing students’ communicative competence. Future studies will, therefore, focus on identifying those features that might increase the potential of the digital version for fostering the targeted competencies.
Development and Integration of Metocean Data Interoperability for Intelligent Operations and Automation Using Machine Learning: A Review
Authors: Danyaro Kamaluddeen Usman , Hussain Haizatul Hafizah , Abdullahi Mujaheed , Liew M. S. , Shawn Lim Eu , Abubakar Mustapha Yusuf
Published: June 2022

The current oil industry is moving towards digitalization, which is a good opportunity that will bring value to all its stakeholders. The digitalization of oil and gas discovery, which are production-based industries, is driven by enabling technologies which include machine learning (ML) and big data analytics. However, the existing Metocean system generates data manually using sensors such as the wave buoy, anemometer, and acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP). Additionally, these data which appear in ASCII format to the Metocean system are also manual and silos. This slows down provisioning, while the monitoring element of the Metocean data path is partial. In this paper, we demonstrate the capabilities of ML for the development of Metocean data integration interoperability based on intelligent operations and automation. A comprehensive review of several research studies, which explore the needs of ML in oil and gas industries by investigating the in-depth integration of Metocean data interoperability for intelligent operations and automation using an ML-based approach, is presented. A new model integrated with the existing Metocean data system using ML algorithms to monitor and interoperate with maximum performance is proposed. The study reveals that ML is one of the crucial and key enabling tools that the oil and gas industries are now focused on for implementing digital transformation, which allows the industry to automate, enhance production, and have less human capacity. Lastly, user recommendations for potential future investigations are offered.
A Quantitative Method for Determining Underground Garage Parking Comfort and Development of a BIM Based Analysis Program
Authors: Wang Dejiang , Liu Chang
Published: June 2022

The current parking space design only considers whether the parking space size meets the requirements of the specification, but because of people’s parking habits, parking technology is different and its requirements for parking comfort are different, and so our parking space design should be people-oriented to meet people’s requirements for parking comfort. At present, the main dilemma faced by designers considering the comfort of parking is that it is difficult to quantify the comfort of parking. At the same time, the number of parking spaces in underground garages is large, so manual calculation of the comfort of parking is a huge task. Therefore, in this paper, we put forward the concept of parking comfort and put forward a calculation model that can quantify the parking comfort. Considering the position coordinates of the collision-prone parts in the whole process of vehicle parking, the collision position coordinates and site obstacle coordinates are established together to form the vehicle collision constraint relationship in the process of parking, so as to quantify parking comfort into specific values. At the same time, based on the calculation model and BIM secondary development technology, we develop a program for automatic calculation and detection of parking comfort based on the BIM model, so as to automatically evaluate the parking comfort of each parking space in the whole underground garage effectively, quickly, and accurately.
Wavelet-Based Multi-Class Seizure Type Classification System
Authors: Albaqami Hezam , Hassan Ghulam Mubashar , Datta Amitava
Published: June 2022

Epilepsy is one of the most common brain diseases that affects more than 1% of the world’s population. It is characterized by recurrent seizures, which come in different types and are treated differently. Electroencephalography (EEG) is commonly used in medical services to diagnose seizures and their types. The accurate identification of seizures helps to provide optimal treatment and accurate information to the patient. However, the manual diagnostic procedures of epileptic seizures are laborious and require professional skills. This paper presents a novel automatic technique that involves the extraction of specific features from epileptic seizures’ EEG signals using dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT) and classifying them into one of the seven types of seizures, including absence, complex-partial, focal non-specific, generalized non-specific, simple-partial, tonic-clonic, and tonic seizures. We evaluated the proposed technique on the TUH EEG Seizure Corpus (TUSZ) ver.1.5.2 dataset and compared the performance with the existing state-of-the-art techniques using the overall F1-score due to class imbalance of seizure types. Our proposed technique achieved the best results of a weighted F1-score of 99.1% and 74.7% for seizure-wise and patient-wise classification, respectively, thereby setting new benchmark results for this dataset.
Anti-Tumour Activities from Secondary Metabolites and Their Derivatives in Bryophytes: A Brief Review
Authors: Cianciullo Piergiorgio , Cimmino Francesca , Maresca Viviana , Sorbo Sergio , Bontempo Paola , Basile Adriana
Published: June 2022

Bryophytes are a poorly studied group of land plants that have been used in traditional medicine as a multipurpose remedy for centuries. Due to their peculiar morphology and physiology, bryophytes synthesise a multitude of secondary metabolites with a wide range of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical activities. Research has highlighted that secondary metabolites in bryophytes can also act as antitumour agents. Several studies have shown that bryophyte extracts and pure metabolites are cytotoxic against many cancer cell lines. Interestingly, some of these molecules and their derivatives are capable of acting on a specific target in cancer cells. Some macrocyclic(bis)bibenzyls from bryophytes can inhibit P-glycoprotein, reverting multidrug resistant cancer cell phenotypes, induce depolymerization of tubulin, stimulate apoptotic pathways, and inhibit angiogenesis. This brief review aims to collect recent knowledge on secondary metabolites of bryophytes and their derivatives, which have demonstrated an interaction with different molecular processes in cancer cells.
Ozone Pollution in Chinese Cities: Spatiotemporal Variations and Their Relationships with Meteorological and Other Pollution Factors (2016–2020)
Authors: Ge Qiang , Zhang Xusheng , Cai Kun , Liu Yang
Published: June 2022

With the acceleration of urbanization, ozone (O3) pollution has become increasingly serious in many Chinese cities. This study analyzes the temporal and spatial characteristics of O3 based on monitoring and meteorological data for 366 cities and national weather stations throughout China from 2016 to 2020. Least squares linear regression and Spearman’s correlation coefficient were computed to investigate the relationships of O3 with various pollution factors and meteorological conditions. Global Moran’s I and the Getis–Ord index Gi* were adopted to reveal the spatial agglomeration of O3 pollution in Chinese cities and characterize the temporal and spatial characteristics of hot and cold spots. The results show that the national proportion of cities with an annual concentration exceeding 160 μg·m−3 increased from 21.6% in 2016 to 50.9% in 2018 but dropped to 21.5% in 2020; these cities are concentrated mainly in Central China (CC) and East China (EC). Throughout most of China, the highest seasonal O3 concentrations occur in summer, while the highest values in South China (SC) and Southwest China (SWC) occur in autumn and spring, respectively. The highest monthly O3 concentration reached 200 μg·m−3 in North China (NC) in June, while the lowest value was 60 μg·m−3 in Northeast China (NEC) in December. O3 is positively correlated with the ground surface temperature (GST) and sunshine duration (SSD) and negatively correlated with pressure (PRS) and relative humidity (RHU). Wind speed (WIN) and precipitation (PRE) were positively correlated in all regions except SC. O3 concentrations are significantly differentiated in space: O3 pollution is high in CC and EC and relatively low in the western and northeastern regions. The concentration of O3 exhibits obvious agglomeration characteristics, with hot spots being concentrated mainly in NC, CC and EC.
Bioaerosol Seasonal Variation and Contribution to Airborne Particulate Matter in Huangshi City of Central China
Authors: Zhang Lili , Liu Ting , Zhang Jiaquan , Zhu Bo , Xiang Dong , Zhao Xude , Liu Xianli
Published: June 2022

Ambient bioaerosols affect ecosystems and public health, but their seasonal variations and their contributions to aerosol particles are limitedly understood. Ambient bioaerosols in PM2.5 and PM10 samples were measured in Huangshi City, Hubei Province of China from April 2018 to December 2018. Bioaerosols were measured using a fluorescence microscope after staining with 4′, 6-diamino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI) following a direct staining technique. The bioaerosol number concentrations ranged from 0.12 to 15.69 # cm−3 for PM2.5 and 0.22 to 18.20 # cm−3 for PM10, with averages of 2.79 # cm−3 and 4.66 # cm−3, respectively. The bioaerosol concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 varied significantly by seasons and were arranged in the following descending order: spring > fall > winter > summer. Bioaerosol numbers were dominated by fine particles of 0.37–2.5 μm diameter, while the spring bioaerosol particles were detected at the peak concentration of 0.56–1 μm diameter. Bioaerosol fractions accounted for 18.3 ± 10.6% PM10 mass and 13.7 ± 12.5% PM2.5 mass. Bioaerosol concentrations were increased during the haze event, but the increased amounts were not as large as those of the dust event, and higher bioaerosol contributions to PM were observed in the dust event than in the haze event. As enhanced emission controls have reduced PM concentrations in China, bioaerosols can be important contributors to PM mass.
Application of Aspartic Acid Racemization for Age Estimation in a Spanish Sample
Authors: C. Zapico Sara , Ubelaker Douglas H.
Published: June 2022

Correct age-at-death estimation in adult individuals is one of the challenges of forensic investigation. Forensic anthropology macroscopic techniques are non-invasive methods for this purpose. However, several methods need to be applied to accurately estimate age, and the difference between chronological and predictive age may still be around ±10 years. New research trends are focused on the inherent process of aging, which produces changes in tissues and organs at different biochemical levels. One of the oldest and most studied approaches in this field is aspartic acid racemization. The accuracy of this technique in age estimation has been widely demonstrated. However, only a few studies have assessed its accuracy in different populations. The aim of this research was to assess the accuracy of aspartic acid racemization in a Spanish sample and its applicability to forensic cases. Dentin from fifteen third molars from two Spanish populations (ages 19–70 years old) was isolated and D and L forms of aspartic acid were detected through GC/MS, according to a previous published protocol. D/L ratios were calculated and after the application of a regression analysis, a formula for age estimation was developed. The results were similar to previous studies, obtaining an R = 0.91 between racemization ratios and age and a mean absolute error (MAE) between chronological and predictive age of 5 years. These results were ratified by leave-one-out cross-validation, as well as the application of the formula to five teeth of a known age. Despite these promising results, this technique is not exempt from drawbacks; thus, further studies are required to apply this methodology to forensic cases and to combine it with forensic anthropology findings.
Intraovarian Injection of Recombinant Human Follicle-Stimulating Hormone for Luteal-Phase Ovarian Stimulation during Oocyte Retrieval Is Effective in Women with Impending Ovarian Failure and Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Authors: Hsu Chao-Chin , Hsu Isabel , Lee Li-Hsuan , Hsueh Yuan-Shuo , Lin Chih-Ying , Chang Hui Hua
Published: June 2022

It is a challenge to obtain sufficient eggs during in vitro fertilization (IVF) in women with impending ovarian failure (IOF)/diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). Although studies have suggested that more than one wave of follicle growth exists, the efficacy of controlled ovulation stimulation (COS) in both follicular and luteal phases of the same ovarian cycle (DuoStim) is not established in women with IOF/DOR. We investigated the efficacy of DuoStim using the intraovarian injection of recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (rhFSH) during oocyte retrieval in women with DOR. For luteal-phase stimulation, intraovarian (Group A, N = 28) or superficial subcutaneous (Group B, N = 18) injection of 300 IU rhFSH immediately after oocyte retrieval was administered as the first dose, and intermittent superficial subcutaneous addition of gonadotropins was employed accordingly for further COS in both groups. In Group A, significantly lower Gn doses, a shorter duration of COS, a greater number of antral follicle counts, and an increased number of retrieved mature and total oocytes were noted. Compared with the clinical outcomes of luteal-phase COS, the average daily doses of rhFSH used in Group A were significantly lower. In summary, the novel approach using intraovarian rhFSH injection provides an efficient treatment regimen in women with IOF/DOR.
Hormonal and Genetic Regulatory Events in Breast Cancer and Its Therapeutics: Importance of the Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein
Authors: Manna Pulak R. , Ahmed Ahsen U. , Molehin Deborah , Narasimhan Madhusudhanan , Pruitt Kevin , Reddy P. Hemachandra
Published: June 2022

Estrogen promotes the development and survival of the majority of breast cancers (BCs). Aromatase is the rate-limiting enzyme in estrogen biosynthesis, and it is immensely expressed in both cancerous and non-cancerous breast tissues. Endocrine therapy based on estrogen blockade, by aromatase inhibitors, has been the mainstay of BC treatment in post-menopausal women; however, resistance to hormone therapy is the leading cause of cancer death. An improved understanding of the molecular underpinnings is the key to develop therapeutic strategies for countering the most prevalent hormone receptor positive BCs. Of note, cholesterol is the precursor of all steroid hormones that are synthesized in a variety of tissues and play crucial roles in diverse processes, ranging from organogenesis to homeostasis to carcinogenesis. The rate-limiting step in steroid biosynthesis is the transport of cholesterol from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane, a process that is primarily mediated by the steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein. Advances in genomic and proteomic technologies have revealed a dynamic link between histone deacetylases (HDACs) and StAR, aromatase, and estrogen regulation. We were the first to report that StAR is abundantly expressed, along with large amounts of 17β-estradiol (E2), in hormone-dependent, but not hormone-independent, BCs, in which StAR was also identified as a novel acetylated protein. Our in-silico analyses of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets, for StAR and steroidogenic enzyme genes, revealed an inverse correlation between the amplification of the StAR gene and the poor survival of BC patients. Additionally, we reported that a number of HDAC inhibitors, by altering StAR acetylation patterns, repress E2 synthesis in hormone-sensitive BC cells. This review highlights the current understanding of molecular pathogenesis of BCs, especially for luminal subtypes, and their therapeutics, underlining that StAR could serve not only as a prognostic marker, but also as a therapeutic candidate, in the prevention and treatment of this life-threatening disease.
Rottlerin Stimulates Exosome/Microvesicle Release Via the Increase of Ceramide Levels Mediated by Ampk in an In Vitro Model of Intracellular Lipid Accumulation
Authors: Molina Yessenia L. , García-Seisdedos David , Babiy Bohdan , Lerma Milagros , Martínez-Botas Javier , Casarejos María J. , Vallejo María T. , Gómez-Coronado Diego , Lasunción Miguel A. , Pastor Óscar , Busto Rebeca
Published: June 2022

Exosomes/microvesicles originate from multivesicular bodies that allow the secretion of endolysosome components out of the cell. In the present work, we investigated the effects of rottlerin, a polyphenol, on exosome/microvesicle secretion in a model of intracellular lipid trafficking impairment, and elucidated the mechanism of action. In a model of lipid trafficking impairment in C6 glia cells, rottlerin increased ceramide levels, while decreasing hexosylceramide content. This was accompanied by increased exosome/microvesicle secretion, thereby reducing the concentration of lipids in the endolysosomal compartment. The reduction of hexosylceramide levels by rottlerin was attributed to the increase of β-glucosidase (glucosylceramidase) activity, and the effects of rottlerin were abrogated by β-glucosidase inhibitors such as isofagomine D-tartrate and AMP-deoxynojirimycin. Moreover, treatment with ML-266, a potent activator of the β-glucosidase enzyme, recapitulated the effects of rottlerin on the sphingolipid profile and exosome/microvesicle secretion. Finally, inhibition of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) using compound C prevented both exosome/microvesicle secretion and the elimination of endolysosome lipids, which were promoted by rottlerin. The results showed that the decrease in intracellular lipid deposition induced by rottlerin was mediated by β-glucosidase activation and exosome/microvesicle release via the AMPK pathway. Rottlerin consumption could represent an additional health benefit in lysosomal deposition diseases.
Bio-Doped Microbial Nanosilica as Optosensing Biomaterial for Visual Quantitation of Nitrite in Cured Meats
Authors: Mohd Zuki Siti Nur Syazni , Goh Choo Ta , Kassim Mohammad B. , Tan Ling Ling
Published: June 2022

A microbial optosensor for nitrite was constructed based on biomimetic silica nanoparticles, which were doped with R5, a polypeptide component of silaffin, as a robust biosilica immobilization matrix entrapped with Raoultella planticola and NAD(P)H cofactor during the in vitro biosilicification process of silica nanoparticles. Ruthenium(II)(bipy)2(phenanthroline-benzoylthiourea), the chromophoric pH probe, was physically adsorbed on the resulting biogenic nanosilica. Optical quantitation of the nitrite concentration was performed via reflectance transduction of the bio-doped microbial nanosilica at a maximum reflectance of 608 nm, due to the deprotonation of phen-BT ligands in the ruthenium complex, while the intracellular enzyme expression system catalyzed the enzymatic reduction of nitrite. Reflectance enhancement of the microbial optosensor was linearly proportional to the nitrite concentration from 1–100 mg L−1, with a 0.25 mg L−1 limit of detection and a rapid response time of 4 min. The proposed microbial optosensor showed good stability of >2 weeks, great repeatability for 5 repetitive assays (relative standard deviation, (RSD) = 0.2–1.4%), high reproducibility (RSD = 2.5%), and a negligible response to common interferents found in processed meats, such as NO3−, NH4+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ ions, was observed. The microbial biosensor demonstrated an excellent capacity to provide an accurate estimation of nitrite in several cured meat samples via validation using a standard UV-vis spectrophotometric Griess assay.
Impaired Arithmetic Fact Retrieval in an Adult with Developmental Dyscalculia: Evidence from Behavioral and Functional Brain Imaging Data
Authors: Göbel Silke M. , Terry Rebecca , Klein Elise , Hymers Mark , Kaufmann Liane
Published: June 2022

Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a developmental disorder characterized by arithmetic difficulties. Recently, it has been suggested that the neural networks supporting procedure-based calculation (e.g., in subtraction) and left-hemispheric verbal arithmetic fact retrieval (e.g., in multiplication) are partially distinct. Here we compared the neurofunctional correlates of subtraction and multiplication in a 19-year-old student (RM) with DD to 18 age-matched controls. Behaviorally, RM performed significantly worse than controls in multiplication, while subtraction was unaffected. Neurofunctional differences were most pronounced regarding multiplication: RM showed significantly stronger activation than controls not only in left angular gyrus but also in a fronto-parietal network (including left intraparietal sulcus and inferior frontal gyrus) typically activated during procedure-based calculation. Region-of-interest analyses indicated group differences in multiplication only, which, however, did not survive correction for multiple comparisons. Our results are consistent with dissociable and processing-specific, but not operation-specific neurofunctional networks. Procedure-based calculation is not only associated with subtraction but also with (untrained) multiplication facts. Only after rote learning, facts can be retrieved quasi automatically from memory. We suggest that this learning process and the associated shift in activation patterns has not fully occurred in RM, as reflected in her need to resort to procedure-based strategies to solve multiplication facts.
People, Professionals, and Profit Centers: The Connection between Lawyer Well-Being and Employer Values
Authors: Krill Patrick R. , Degeneffe Nikki , Ochocki Kelly , Anker Justin J.
Published: June 2022

Concerns about the well-being of lawyers are rising against the backdrop of a transforming legal profession, one which many observe to be operating more like a business in recent decades. However, aspects of this change, such as lawyers perceiving that their employers value financial performance and productivity above all else, could be associated with unhealthy work practices detrimental to lawyer well-being. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the perceived values of employers were differentially associated with lawyer well-being, stress, and work overcommitment. To this end, 1959 participants from a random sample of attorneys completed a survey designed to assess well-being. Participants were separated into one of three groups based on what they perceived their employer to value most about them: (1) Professionalism/Individual (professionalism and skills), (2) Financial Worth/Availability (revenue generation and availability), and (3) No Value/No Feedback (feeling unvalued or lacking feedback) and compared on measures of mental and physical health (SF-12), stress (Perceived Stress Scale), and work over commitment (Effort–Reward Imbalance Questionnaire). MANOVA results indicated that mental health, stress, and work overcommitment significantly differed between groups in the following rank order: Professionalism/Individual > Financial Worth/Availability > No Value/No Feedback. Overall, our findings paint a compelling picture of a health hierarchy within legal work environments, one that appears to be linked to employer values.
Cervical Cancer Prevention in El Salvador: Gains to Date and Challenges for the Future
Authors: Alfaro Karla , Soler Montserrat , Maza Mauricio , Flores Mauricio , López Leticia , Rauda Juan , Chacón Andrea , Erazo Patricia , Villatoro Nora , Mumenthaler Eveline , Masch Rachel , Conzuelo Gabriel , Felix Juan , Cremer Miriam
Published: June 2022

Cervical cancer is preventable through vaccination, early detection, and the treatment of pre-cancerous lesions. However, global inequalities mean that the disease remains a leading cause of cancer death around the world, with over 80% of new cases and 90% of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In El Salvador, joint efforts between the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the non-profit organization Basic Health International (BHI) have been in place since 2008, with the goal of reducing the country’s disease burden. While the World Health Organization’s (WHO) call to action to eliminate cervical cancer provided worldwide momentum to implement new public health initiatives, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted ongoing programs and jeopardized plans for the future. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the progress that El Salvador has achieved in improving cervical cancer prevention, the impact of the pandemic on current strategies, and potential solutions that can help the country meet the WHO’s strategic targets by 2030 to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer.
Direct Conversion of CO2 into Hydrocarbon Solar Fuels by a Synergistic Photothermal Catalysis
Authors: Tian Jindan , Han Ru , Guo Qiangsheng , Zhao Zhe , Sha Na
Published: June 2022

Photothermal coupling catalysis technology has been widely studied in recent years and may be a promising method for CO2 reduction. Photothermal coupling catalysis can improve chemical reaction rates and realize the controllability of reaction pathways and products, even in a relatively moderate reaction condition. It has inestimable value in the current energy and global environmental crisis. This review describes the application of photothermal catalysis in CO2 reduction from different aspects. Firstly, the definition and advantages of photothermal catalysis are briefly described. Then, different photothermal catalytic reductions of CO2 products and catalysts are introduced. Finally, several strategies to improve the activity of photothermal catalytic reduction of CO2 are described and we present our views on the future development and challenges of photothermal coupling. Ultimately, the purpose of this review is to bring more researchers’ attention to this promising technology and promote this technology in solar fuels and chemicals production, to realize the value of the technology and provide a better path for its development.
Polymeric Nanocapsule Enhances the Peroxidase-like Activity of Fe3O4 Nanozyme for Removing Organic Dyes
Authors: Zha Junqi , Wu Wugao , Xie Peng , Han Honghua , Fang Zheng , Chen Yantao , Jia Zhongfan
Published: June 2022

Peroxidase-like nanozymes are nanoscale materials that can closely mimic the activity of natural peroxidase for a range of oxidation reactions. Surface coating with polymer nanogels has been considered to prevent the aggregation of nanozymes. For a long time, the understanding of polymer coating has been largely limited to its stabilization effect on the nanozyme in aqueous media, while little is known about how polymer coating plays a role in interaction with substrates and primary oxidants to dictate the catalytic process. This work reported a facile sequential modification of Fe3O4 nanoparticles to polyacrylamide coated nanozymes, and as low as 112 mg/L samples with only 5 mg/L Fe3O4 could nearly quantitatively (99%) remove a library of organic dyes with either H2O2 or Na2S2O8 as primary oxidants. The catalytic results and molecular simulation provide both experimental and computational evidence that the hydrogen bonding interaction between the reactant and nanozymes is key for the high local concentration hence catalytic efficiency. We envision that this work, for the first time, provides some insights into the role of polymer coating in enhancing the catalytic activity of nanozyme apart from the well-known water dispersity effect.
Extracellular Vesicles from Adipose Tissue Could Promote Metabolic Adaptation through PI3K/Akt/mTOR
Authors: Delgadillo-Velázquez Jaime , Mendivil-Alvarado Herminia , Coronado-Alvarado Carlos Daniel , Astiazaran-Garcia Humberto
Published: June 2022

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoparticles secreted by cells under physiological and pathological conditions, such as metabolic diseases. In this context, EVs are considered potential key mediators in the physiopathology of obesity. It has been reported that EVs derived from adipose tissue (ADEVs) contribute to the development of a local inflammatory response that leads to adipose tissue dysfunction. In addition, it has been proposed that EVs are associated with the onset and progression of several obesity-related metabolic diseases such as insulin resistance. In particular, characterizing the molecular fingerprint of obesity-related ADEVs can provide a bigger picture that better reflects metabolic adaptation though PI3K/Akt/mTOR. Hence, in this review we describe the possible crosstalk communication of ADEVs with metabolically active organs and the intracellular response in the insulin signaling pathway.
Distinct Motifs in ATAD5 C-Terminal Domain Modulate PCNA Unloading Process
Authors: Ryu Eunjin , Ha Na Young , Jung Woojae , Yoo Juyeong , Myung Kyungjae , Kang Sukhyun
Published: June 2022

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a DNA clamp that functions in key roles for DNA replication and repair. After the completion of DNA synthesis, PCNA should be unloaded from DNA in a timely way. The ATAD5-RFC-Like Complex (ATAD5-RLC) unloads PCNA from DNA. However, the mechanism of the PCNA-unloading process remains unclear. In this study, we determined the minimal PCNA-unloading domain (ULD) of ATAD5. We identified several motifs in the ATAD5 ULD that are essential in the PCNA-unloading process. The C-terminus of ULD is required for the stable association of RFC2-5 for active RLC formation. The N-terminus of ULD participates in the opening of the PCNA ring. ATAD5-RLC was more robustly bound to open-liable PCNA compared to the wild type. These results suggest that distinct motifs of the ATAD5 ULD participate in each step of the PCNA-unloading process.
The Influence of Family Multi-Institutional Involvement on Children’s Health Management Practices
Authors: Paik Leslie
Published: June 2022

Given the increasing prevalence of youths with chronic medical conditions and the racial, gender, and class disparities in health in the U.S., it is important to understand how families manage their youths’ health condition during the transitional time of adolescence when parents and youths are renegotiating their respective roles and responsibilities related to that condition. This paper explores a relatively understudied factor to this fraught and often confusing process: family involvement in multiple institutions for both health and non-health related issues. Based on qualitative fieldwork with 33 families in New York City whose youths have chronic health conditions (e.g., diabetes, asthma, obesity), the paper shows how family multi-institutional involvement can sap family resources in often unexpected ways. This type of institutional involvement has greater implications for poor and minority families who are more likely to be compelled to participate in these organizations with less influence to shape their cases as opposed to middle class and white families. In sum, this paper provides a more nuanced perspective of parental involvement in youths’ health management practices as a fluid evolving process shaped in part by family involvement in other institutions.
Low-Frequency Broadband Absorbing Coatings Based on MOFs: Design, Fabrication, Microstructure and Properties
Authors: Si Wei , Liao Qingwei , Hou Wei , Chen Liyin , Li Xiaolu , Zhang Zhiwei , Sun Minna , Song Yujun , Qin Lei
Published: June 2022

Although most microwave absorbing materials (MAMs) have good absorption ability above 8 GHz, they perform poorly in the low-frequency range (1–8 GHz). Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) derived carbon-based composites have been highly sought after in electromagnetic materials and functional devices, due to their high specific area, high porosity, high thermal stability, low reflection loss, and adjustable composition. In this review, we first introduce the three loss types of MAMs and argue that composite materials are effective ways to achieve broadband absorption. Secondly, the absorbing properties of traditional materials and MOF materials in the literature are compared, followed by a discussion of the promising strategies for designing MAMs with broadband absorption in low frequencies based on the recent progress. Finally, the main problems, fabrication methods, and applications are discussed for their future prospects.
Performance and Application of Geocell Reinforced Sand Embankment under Static and Cyclic Loading
Authors: Gao Ang , Zhang Mengxi
Published: June 2022

As reinforcement material, geocells are widely used in various types of embankment reinforcement. A lot of practical experience shows that geocell reinforced embankment has good reinforcement effect, but the theoretical research lags behind the engineering practice, and the reinforcement mechanism under cyclic loading under various reinforcement conditions needs to be further studied. In this paper, the reasonable reinforcement condition of geocell reinforced embankment under static and cyclic loading is proposed by using a physical model and numerical simulation comparative analysis method. The research findings include: under cyclic loading, the inhibition effect of the number of reinforced layers on the vertical cumulative settlement is better than that under static loading, but the effect of two-layer reinforcement and three-layer reinforcement is relatively close, and both can reduce the vertical settlement by more than 40%. The inhibition effect of the increase of geocell height on the horizontal deformation of slope surface is better than that of the decrease of welding spacing under cyclic loading, and the reinforcement effect of the middle and upper part of embankment is better. Increasing the height of geocell and reducing the welding spacing can improve the limit bearing capacity of embankment, and the former is better. The optimal reinforcement condition of sandy soil embankment under cyclic loading obtained from the comparative analysis is case 3, that is, the reinforced layers is 2, the geocell height is 10 mm, and the welding distance is 50 mm.
A High-Efficiency Technology for Manufacturing Aircraft Carbon Brake Discs with Stable Friction Performance
Authors: Zhao Daming , Cui Hong , Liu Jilin , Cheng Hao , Guo Qiaoqin , Gao Peihu , Li Rui , Li Qiao , Hou Weiquan
Published: June 2022

A binary C/C brake disc (i.e., the test brake disc) was prepared with a C/C (pyrolytic carbon/resin carbon) matrix using modified natural gas as the carbon source through the isothermal chemical vapor infiltration (ICVI) process with a directed flow and the pressure impregnation carbonization (PIC) process with liquid-phase furfural acetone resin. The microstructural, mechanical, thermal, friction and wear properties of the test brake disc were comprehensively analyzed and compared with commercial ones. The results showed that the production efficiency of the test brake disc was 36% higher than that of the commercial ones, which were manufactured through a thermal-gradient chemical vapor infiltration (TCVI) process. The favorable mechanical and thermal properties of the test brake disc were comparable to the commercial ones. While the test brake disc had a more consistently rough laminar microstructure on the worn surface of the brake disc than the commercial ones, this avoided the annular grinding grooves on the worn surface after the braking tests. In addition, the test brake disc had a stable friction coefficient with a low dispersion coefficient of 3.90%, which would improve the friction stability of C/C brake discs used in aircrafts.
Diagnostic Significance of FNAB miRNA Expression in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Laukienė Romena , Ambrozaityte Laima , Cimbalistienė Loreta , Utkus Algirdas , Tamosiunas Algirdas Edvardas
Published: June 2022

The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of specific miRNAs in the preoperative assessment of thyroid nodules. One hundred and sixty thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) samples with suspected thyroid carcinoma were collected. To detect the levels of miRNA expression in FNAB, next generation small RNA sequencing was performed in 60 samples. Based on the results obtained, three miRNAs (miR125A, miR200B, miR4324) were selected for further analysis. Based on the most frequently reported miRNAs in the literature associated with thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC), two more miRNA (miR146B, miR221) were selected for further validation, using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 36 benign and 64 PTC samples. Expression of miR125A, miR146B, miR221, and miR4324 was significantly higher in patients with PTC compared with benign thyroid nodules (p ˂ 0.05). miR125A and miR4324 were also significantly more highly expressed in patients with extrathyroidal tumor extension compared to those without extrathyroidal PTC extension (p < 0.001). We also found a significantly higher expression of miR221 (p = 0.043) in patients with multifocal carcinomas compared to patients with single foci carcinomas. This prospective study showed that the expression analysis of four miRNAs (miR125A, miR146B, miR221, and miR4324) improve accuracy of FNAB, which could allow a better pre-operative diagnostic and prognostic assessment of thyroid malignancies.
Reliability of Gradient-Echo Magnetic Resonance Elastography of Lumbar Muscles: Phantom and Clinical Studies
Authors: Hsieh Tsyh-Jyi , Chou Ming-Chung , Chen Yi-Chu , Chou Yi-Chen , Lin Chien-Hung , Chen Clement Kuen-Huang
Published: June 2022

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) has been used to successfully characterize the mechanical behavior of healthy and diseased muscles, but no study has been performed to investigate the reliability of MRE on lumbar muscles. The objective of this work was to determine the reliability of MRE techniques on lumbar muscles in both ex vivo phantom and in vivo human studies. In this study, fresh porcine leg muscles were used in the phantom study, and 80 healthy adults (38.6 ± 11.2 years, 40 women) were recruited in the human study. Five repeated stiffness maps were obtained from both the phantom and human muscles by using a gradient-echo MRE sequence with a pneumatic vibration on a 1.5 T MR scanner. The technical failure rate, coefficient of variation (CV), and quality score were assessed to evaluate the reliability of MRE, respectively. Analysis of variance was performed to compare the stiffness between different lumbar muscles, and the difference was significant if p < 0.05 after Bonferroni correction. The results showed that the MRE achieved a zero technical failure rate and a low CV of stiffness (6.24 ± 1.41%) in the phantom muscles. However, in the human study, the MRE exhibited high CVs of stiffness (21.57%–25.24%) in the lumbar muscles, and the technical failure rate was higher in psoas muscles (60.0–66.3% in) than in paraspinal muscles (0.0–2.5%). Further, higher quality scores were noticed in paraspinal muscles (7.31–7.71) than those in psoas muscles (1.83–2.06). In conclusion, the MRE was a reliable technique to investigate the mechanical property of lumbar muscles, but it was less reliable to assess stiffness in psoas muscles than paraspinal muscles.
Preschool Classroom Libraries in Turkey: Are They Used to Support Early Mathematics Skills?
Authors: Stites Michele L. , Gursoy Hatice , Cosgun Aysegul Akinci , Sonnenschein Susan
Published: June 2022

The two studies in this paper considered the use of the classroom library as a means of socializing mathematics development in Turkish preschoolers. Study 1 (n = 80) documented whether classes had a library, its contents, and whether/how teachers encouraged children to use the library. Study 2 (n = 47) investigated the teachers’ confidence in teaching mathematics and the means that they used. Both studies used online surveys that were distributed via social media sites. There were four noteworthy findings. One, the Turkish preschool teachers reported viewing mathematics instruction as important to the development of children and were confident in their abilities to teach their students mathematics. However, they relied upon their general knowledge of children and their general pedagogical knowledge, rather than on their knowledge of mathematics, to do so. Two, the preschool teachers in Turkey had classroom libraries that they encouraged their students to use by having a set library time each day and by modeling how to sit and read in the library. They also encouraged family involvement in reading. However, these classroom libraries had fewer mathematics books than other types of texts. Three, while libraries were consistently present in Turkish preschool classrooms, they were not seen as venues for children’s mathematics development. Four, preschool mathematics instruction in Turkey appears typically to use whole groups and explicit instruction, and particularly during circle time/the morning meeting.
Introduction to the Special Issue on Cyberbullying and Cybervictimization
Authors: Ruiz-Esteban Cecilia , Méndez Inmaculada , Fernández-Sogorb Aitana
Published: June 2022

Nowadays, the Internet is commonly used by students for both social activities and the academic field [...]
A Novel Approach for the Implementation of Fast Frequency Control in Low-Inertia Power Systems Based on Local Measurements and Provision Costs
Authors: Stojković Jelena , Stefanov Predrag
Published: June 2022

Transitioning towards carbon-free energy has brought severe difficulties related to reduced inertia in electric power systems. Regarding frequency stability, low-inertia systems are more sensitive to disturbance, and traditional frequency control is becoming insufficient to maintain frequency within acceptable limits. Consequently, there is a necessity for faster frequency support that can be activated before the primary frequency control and that can decelerate further frequency decay. This paper proposes a local control strategy for a multi-stage fast frequency response (FFR) provided as an ancillary service that considers the location of the disturbance and the distribution of system inertia. The novelty of the presented control strategy is the ranking of FFR resources by price, which takes the economic component into consideration. The proposed control is simple, based only on RoCoF measurements that trigger the activation of FFR resources. Its advantage over other methods is the ability to adapt the FFR resource response to the disturbance without complex calculations and the ability to ensure a bigger response closer to the disturbance, as well as in low-inertia parts of the system. In that way, there is a bigger activation of resources in the parts of the system that are more endangered by disturbances, which, as a result, minimizes the propagation of the disturbance’s impact on system stability. The applicability of the presented method is demonstrated in a simple 3-area power system and IEEE 68-bus system implemented in MATLAB/Simulink. The results show that the proposed control enables the largest response closer to the disturbance, thus mitigating the propagation of the disturbance. Furthermore, the results confirm that the proposed control enables lower provision costs and more support in low-inertia areas that are more vulnerable to disturbances.
Research on the SDIF Failure Principle for RF Stealth Radar Signal Design
Authors: Jia Jinwei , Han Zhuangzhi , Liu Limin , Xie Hui , Lv Meng
Published: June 2022

Radio frequency (RF) stealth is one of the essential research hotspots in the radar field. The anti-sorting signal is an important direction of the RF stealth signal. Theoretically speaking, the anti-sorting signal design is based on the failure principle of the radar signal sorting algorithm, and the SDIF algorithm is a core sorting algorithm widely used in engineering. Thus, in this paper, the SDIF algorithm is first analyzed in detail. It is pointed out that the threshold function of the SDIF algorithm will fail when the signal pulse repetition interval (PRI) value obeys the interval distribution whose length is 20 times larger than the minimum interval of PRI. Secondly, the correctness of the failure principle of SDIF threshold separation is proved by the formula. Finally, the correctness is further verified by the signal design case. The principle of SDIF sorting threshold failure provides theoretical support for anti-sorting RF stealth signal design. It also complements the shortcoming of the casual design for the anti-sorting signal. Furthermore, the principle of SDIF sorting threshold failure helps improve anti-sorting signal design efficiency. Compared with the Dwell & Switch (D&S) signal and jitter signal, the anti-sorting ability of the signal designed by using the sorting failure principle is notably enhanced through simulation and experimentation.
Improvement of Robustness of MPC Adding Repetitive Behavior for the DFIG Current Control
Authors: Duque Eliomar R. Conde , Lunardi Angelo , Solís-Chaves Juan S. , Paiva Tiago dos S. , Fernandes Darlan A. , Sguarezi Filho Alfeu J.
Published: June 2022

This paper shows an increase in the robustness of a DFIG-based wind energy system when a predictive-repetitive controller in the dq reference frame is used for the control of the rotor current. This designing approach proposes a model predictive control with a receding horizon technique that uses the frequency decomposition of the reference signal as a filter. Furthermore, an augmented space-state model from the original plant model is obtained, and its implementation is addressed from the perspective of normal operating conditions of DFIG in wind energy systems. Additionally, this repetitive controller increases the robustness of the predictive control when a mismatch in machine parameters is considered. Experimental results presented in this paper endorse the advantages of this controller.
Distributed Voltage Optimization Control of BESS in AC Distribution Networks with High PV Penetration
Authors: Li Zhenming , Yan Yunfeng , Qi Donglian , Yan Shuo , Wang Minghao
Published: June 2022

Large-scale integration of PV generators in distribution grids will impair the voltage stability due to the stochastic and fluctuated PV power generation. To tame the volatile PV power generation, battery energy storage systems (BESS) are deployed as an effective yet expensive power buffering mechanism. In this paper, a dual ascent-based voltage optimization control is proposed to achieve the concurrent regulation of battery State-of-Charge (SoC), nodal voltages, and distribution loss. This control features the limited dependence on the communication network with information interaction between neighboring nodes. Besides, it can achieve the optimal power flow minimizing the distribution loss while maintaining the BESS SoC within a healthy range. The derivation of the control framework is provided, and comparative simulations in the IEEE 37-node distribution system are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm.