bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimates of Dust Emissions and Organic Carbon Losses Induced by Wind Erosion in Farmland Worldwide from 2017 to 2021
Authors: Liu Yongxiang , Zhao Hongmei , Zhao Guangying , Cao Xinyuan , Zhang Xuelei , Xiu Aijun
Published: March 2023

Wind erosion can cause high dust emissions from agricultural land and can lead to a significant loss of carbon and nutrients from the soil. The carbon balance of farmland soil is an integral part of the carbon cycle, especially under the current drive to develop carbon-neutral practices. However, the amount of global carbon lost due to the wind erosion of farmland is unknown. In this study, global farmland dust emissions were estimated from a dust emission inventory (0.1° × 0.1°, daily) built using the improved Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System–FENGSHA (CMAQ-FENGSHA), and global farmland organic carbon losses were estimated by combining this with global soil organic carbon concentration data. The average global annual dust emissions from agricultural land from 2017 to 2021 were 1.75 × 109 g/s. Global dust emissions from agricultural land are concentrated in the UK, Ukraine, and Russia in Europe; in southern Canada and the central US in North America; in the area around Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, in South America; and in northeast China in Asia. The global average annual organic carbon loss from agricultural land was 2970 Gg for 2017–2021. The spatial distribution of emissions is roughly consistent with that of dust emissions, which are mainly concentrated in the world’s four major black soil regions. These estimates of dust and organic carbon losses from agricultural land are essential references that can inform the global responses to the carbon cycle, dust emissions, and black soil conservation.
Response of a Human Lens Epithelial Cell Line to Hyperglycemic and Oxidative Stress: The Role of Aldose Reductase
Authors: Sardelli Gemma , Scali Viola , Signore Giovanni , Balestri Francesco , Cappiello Mario , Mura Umberto , Del Corso Antonella , Moschini Roberta
Published: March 2023

A common feature of different types of diabetes is the high blood glucose levels, which are known to induce a series of metabolic alterations, leading to damaging events in different tissues. Among these alterations, both increased polyol pathway flux and oxidative stress are considered to play relevant roles in the response of different cells. In this work, the effect on a human lens epithelial cell line of stress conditions, consisting of exposure to either high glucose levels or to the lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, is reported. The occurrence of osmotic imbalance, alterations of glutathione levels, and expression of inflammatory markers was monitored. A common feature of the two stress conditions was the expression of COX-2, which, only in the case of hyperglycemic stress, occurred through NF-κB activation. In our cell model, aldose reductase activity, which is confirmed as the only activity responsible for the osmotic imbalance occurring in hyperglycemic conditions, seemed to have no role in controlling the onset of the inflammatory phenomena. However, it played a relevant role in cellular detoxification against lipid peroxidation products. These results, in confirming the multifactorial nature of the inflammatory phenomena, highlight the dual role of aldose reductase as having both damaging but also protecting activity, depending on stress conditions.
Understanding the Role of Chemerin in the Pathophysiology of Pre-Eclampsia
Authors: Pankiewicz Katarzyna , Issat Tadeusz
Published: March 2023

Chemerin is a multifaceted adipokine that is involved in multiple biological processes, including inflammation, angiogenesis, adipogenesis, and energy metabolism, as well as oxidative stress. There is a vast body of evidence for a crucial role of chemerin in the development of different cardiovascular diseases. Blood chemerin levels, as well as its placental expression, are elevated in patients with pre-eclampsia (PE) and correlate positively with the severity of the disease. This narrative review summarizes the current knowledge about the potential role of chemerin during PE development, with a particular focus on its involvement in oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction.
A Lyapunov-Optimized Dynamic Task Offloading Strategy for Satellite Edge Computing
Authors: Hu Yifei , Gong Wenbin , Zhou Fangming
Published: March 2023

Satellite edge computing (SEC) has garnered significant attention for its potential to deliver services directly to users. However, the uneven distribution of receiving tasks among satellites in the constellation can lead to uneven utilization of computing resources. This paper proposes a task offloading strategy for SEC that aims to minimize the average delay and energy consumption of tasks by assigning them to appropriate satellite nodes. The approach uses Lyapunov optimization to convert the long-term optimization problem with task queue length constraints into an assignment problem within a single time slot and solve it based on the Hungarian algorithm. Experimental simulations have shown that the proposed algorithm performs better than other baseline algorithms.
From Maps to 3D Models: Reconstructing the Urban Landscape of San Cristóbal de La Laguna in the 16th Century
Authors: Pérez Nava Fernando , Sánchez Berriel Isabel , Pérez Morera Jesús , Martín Dorta Norena , Meier Cecile , Hernández Rodríguez Jorge
Published: March 2023

The use of 3D visualization technologies offers a unique opportunity to reconstruct historical cities that no longer exist or have been substantially modified. In this paper, we use the oldest preserved map of the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, created in 1588 by the engineer Leonardo Torriani, as the basis for its 3D virtual recreation. This map shows the first non-fortified Spanish colonial city whose plan provided a model for the colonial cities in America. These distinct features made San Cristóbal de La Laguna a UNESCO world heritage site. In our work, we present a map-based workflow for 3D reconstruction that balances fidelity to the original map with the integration of other historical sources and the current status of the city. This leads to the development of several 3D models from those distinct sources whose integration provides the 3D reconstruction of the city in the 16th century. The results of this project can be applied to other similar maps that were created in Europe at that time.
High-Speed Railways Interference Signal Characteristics and Multiple Remote References Denoising of Magnetotelluric Data in Jizhong Depression, China
Authors: Wang Gang , Wang Dayong , Meng Yinsheng , Li Yongbo , Wang Wenguo , Zhu Wei , Cui Aiming , Zhao Yi
Published: March 2023

In the economically developed Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, magnetotelluric data are susceptible to contamination from cultural noise, which can be caused, for example, by urban stray currents, high-speed railways, or high-voltage lines. The multiple remote references method is an effective tool that can be used to suppress interference and improve signal-to-noise ratios. Therefore, this paper first introduces the basic principles of multiple remote references and then takes high-speed railway noise as an example. The characteristics of the time domain and frequency domain of the high-speed railway noise signals are analyzed. Then, we use two remote reference stations (with a single remote reference and multiple remote references) to process the data interfering with the high-speed railway and compare the results. Finally, the multiple remote references method is used to process the data for the entire section. Coupled with the known geological and seismic data, the inversion results well-reflect the deep underground geological structure.
Predicting Natural Gas Pipeline Failures Caused by Natural Forces: An Artificial Intelligence Classification Approach
Authors: Awuku Bright , Huang Ying , Yodo Nita
Published: March 2023

Pipeline networks are a crucial component of energy infrastructure, and natural force damage is an inevitable and unpredictable cause of pipeline failures. Such incidents can result in catastrophic losses, including harm to operators, communities, and the environment. Understanding the causes and impact of these failures is critical to preventing future incidents. This study investigates artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to predict natural gas pipeline failures caused by natural forces, using climate change data that are incorporated into pipeline incident data. The AI algorithms were applied to the publicly available Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) dataset from 2010 to 2022 for predicting future patterns. After data pre-processing and feature selection, the proposed model achieved a high prediction accuracy of 92.3% for natural gas pipeline damage caused by natural forces. The AI models can help identify high-risk pipelines and prioritize inspection and maintenance activities, leading to cost savings and improved safety. The predictive capabilities of the models can be leveraged by transportation agencies responsible for pipeline management to prevent pipeline damage, reduce environmental damage, and effectively allocate resources. This study highlights the potential of machine learning techniques in predicting pipeline damage caused by natural forces and underscores the need for further research to enhance our understanding of the complex interactions between climate change and pipeline infrastructure monitoring and maintenance.
Annotation of Potential Vaccine Targets and Designing of mRNA-Based Multi-Epitope Vaccine against Lumpy Skin Disease Virus via Reverse Vaccinology and Agent-Based Modeling
Authors: Kakakhel Sehrish , Ahmad Abbas , Mahdi Wael A. , Alshehri Sultan , Aiman Sara , Begum Sara , Shams Sulaiman , Kamal Mehnaz , Imran Mohd. , Shakeel Faiyaz , Khan Asifullah
Published: March 2023

Lumpy skin disease is a fatal emerging disease of cattle, which has started to gain extensive attention due to its rapid incursions across the globe. The disease epidemic causes economic loss and cattle morbidity. Currently, there are no specific treatments and safe vaccines against the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) to halt the spread of the disease. The current study uses genome-scan vaccinomics analyses to prioritize promiscuous vaccine candidate proteins of the LSDV. These proteins were subjected to top-ranked B- and T-cell epitope prediction based on their antigenicity, allergenicity, and toxicity values. The shortlisted epitopes were connected using appropriate linkers and adjuvant sequences to design multi-epitope vaccine constructs. Three vaccine constructs were prioritized based on their immunological and physicochemical properties. The model constructs were back-translated to nucleotide sequences and codons were optimized. The Kozak sequence with a start codon along with MITD, tPA, Goblin 5′, 3′ UTRs, and a poly(A) tail sequences were added to design a stable and highly immunogenic mRNA vaccine. Molecular docking followed by MD simulation analysis predicted significant binding affinity and stability of LSDV-V2 construct within bovine immune receptors and predicted it to be the top-ranked candidate to stimulate the humeral and cellular immunogenic responses. Furthermore, in silico restriction cloning predicted feasible gene expression of the LSDV-V2 construct in a bacterial expression vector. It could prove worthwhile to validate the predicted vaccine models experimentally and clinically against LSDV.
Endochitinase and Chitobiosidase Production by Marine Aeromonas caviae CHZ306: Establishment of Nitrogen Supplementation
Authors: Cardozo Flavio , Feitosa Valker , Pillaca-Pullo Omar , Pessoa Adalberto
Published: March 2023

Aeromonas caviae CHZ306, a marine-derived bacterium isolated from zooplankton, can use chitin (a polymer of a β-(1,4)-linked N-acetyl-D-glucosamine) as a carbon source. The chitin is hydrolyzed by chitinolytic enzymes, namely endochitinases and exochitinases (chitobiosidase and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase). Indeed, the chitinolytic pathway is initiated by the coexpression of the enzymes endochitinase (EnCh) and chitobiosidase (ChB); however, few studies, including biotechnological production of these enzymes, have been reported, although chitosaccharide are helpful in several industries, such as cosmetics. This study demonstrates the potential to maximize the simultaneous EnCh and ChB production by nitrogen supplementation on culture media. Twelve different nitrogen supplementation sources (inorganic and organic) previously analyzed in elemental composition (carbon and nitrogen) were tested and evaluated in the Erlenmeyer flask culture of A. caviae CHZ306 for EnCh and ChB expression. None of the nutrients inhibited bacterial growth, and the maximum activity in both EnCh and ChB was observed at 12 h, using corn-steep solids and peptone A. Corn-steep solids and peptone A were then combined at three ratios (1:1, 1:2, and 2:1) to maximize the production. The high activities for EnCh (30.1 U.L−1) and ChB (21.3 U.L−1) were obtained with 2:1 corn-steep solids and peptone A, corresponding to more than 5- and 3-fold enhancement, respectively, compared to the control condition.
Influence of Dairy Manure as Inoculum Source on Anaerobic Digestion of Swine Manure
Authors: Wi Jisoo , Lee Seunghun , Ahn Heekwon
Published: March 2023

Inoculation is a widely used method to improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion (AD) with a high organic load. This study was conducted to prove the potential of dairy manure as an inoculum source for AD of swine manure. Furthermore, an appropriate inoculum-to-substrate (I/S) ratio was determined to improve methane yield and reduce the required time of AD. We carried out 176 days of anaerobic digestion for five different I/S ratios (3, 1, and 0.3 on a volatile solid basis, dairy manure alone, and swine manure alone) of manure, using solid container submerged lab-scale reactors in mesophilic conditions. As a result, solid-state swine manure inoculated with dairy manure could be digested without inhibition caused by ammonia and volatile fatty acid accumulation. The highest methane yield potential was observed in I/S ratios 1 and 0.3, as 133 and 145 mL CH4·g−1-VS, respectively. The lag phase of swine manure alone was more extended, 41 to 47 days, than other treatments containing dairy manure, directly related to tardy startup. These results revealed that dairy manure can be used as an inoculum source for AD of swine manure. The proper I/S ratios leading to successful AD of swine manure were 1 and 0.3.
Endothelial Function and Hypoxic–Hyperoxic Preconditioning in Coronary Surgery with a Cardiopulmonary Bypass: Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Mandel Irina A. , Podoksenov Yuriy K. , Mikheev Sergey L. , Suhodolo Irina V. , Svirko Yulia S. , Shipulin Vladimir M. , Ivanova Anastasia V. , Yavorovskiy Andrey G. , Yaroshetskiy Andrey I.
Published: March 2023

A hypoxic–hyperoxic preconditioning (HHP) may be associated with cardioprotection by reducing endothelial damage and a beneficial effect on postoperative outcome in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Patients (n = 120) were randomly assigned to an HHP and a control group. A safe, inhaled oxygen fraction for the hypoxic preconditioning phase (10–14% oxygen for 10 min) was determined by measuring the anaerobic threshold. At the hyperoxic phase, a 75–80% oxygen fraction was used for 30 min. The cumulative frequency of postoperative complications was 14 (23.3%) in the HHP vs. 23 (41.1%), p = 0.041. The nitrate decreased after surgery by up to 20% in the HHP group and up to 38% in the control group. Endothelin-1 and nitric oxide metabolites were stable in HHP but remained low for more than 24 h in the control group. The endothelial damage markers appeared to be predictors of postoperative complications. The HHP with individual parameters based on the anaerobic threshold is a safe procedure, and it can reduce the frequency of postoperative complications. The endothelial damage markers appeared to be predictors of postoperative complications.
3D Spheroid Cultivation Alters the Extent and Progression of Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells Compared to 2D Cultivation
Authors: Wolff Anne , Frank Marcus , Staehlke Susanne , Springer Armin , Hahn Olga , Meyer Juliane , Peters Kirsten
Published: March 2023

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) are capable of progenitor cell fraction renewal or tissue-specific differentiation. These properties are maintained during in vitro cultivation, making them an interesting model system for testing biological and pharmacological compounds. Cell cultivation in 2D is commonly used to study cellular responses, but the 2D environment does not reflect the structural situation of most cell types. Therefore, 3D culture systems have been developed to provide a more accurate physiological environment in terms of cell–cell interactions. Since knowledge about the effects of 3D culture on specific differentiation processes is limited, we studied the effects on osteogenic differentiation and the release of factors affecting bone metabolism for up to 35 days and compared them with the effects in 2D culture. We demonstrated that the selected 3D model allowed the rapid and reliable formation of spheroids that were stable over several weeks and both accelerated and enhanced osteogenic differentiation compared with the 2D culture. Thus, our experiments provide new insights into the effects of cell arrangement of MSC in 2D and 3D. However, due to the different culture dimensions, various detection methods had to be chosen, which in principle limits the explanatory power of the comparison between 2D and 3D cultures.
Biomimetic Electrochemical Sensors Based on Core-Shell Imprinted Polymers for Targeted Sunset Yellow Estimation in Environmental Samples
Authors: Malik Sumeet , Khan Adnan , Khan Hamayun , Rahman Gul , Ali Nauman , Khan Sabir , Sotomayor Maria Del Pilar Taboada
Published: March 2023

Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) contain the predesigned specialized recognition capability that can be chosen to build credible functional materials, that are easy to handle and have a good degree of specificity. Hence, the given piece of work is intended to design a novel electrochemical sensor incorporating magnetite-based molecularly imprinted polymers. The building materials consisted of a cross-linker (EGDMA), reaction-initiator (AIBN), monomer (methylene succinic acid-MSA), and template molecule (Sunset Yellow-SY dye). MMIPs exhibited a diameter of 57 nm with an irregular shape due to the presence of cavities based on SEM analysis. XRD patterns exhibited crystallinity, as well as amorphous peaks that are attributed to polymeric and non-polymeric frameworks of MMIPs. The crystallite size of the MMIPs from XRD analysis was found to be 16.28 nm based on the Debye-Scherrer’s equation. Meanwhile, the FTIR bands showed the synthesis of MMIPs using monomer and methylene succinic acid. The sorption data at the optimized operating conditions (pH 2, sorbent dosage 3 mg, time 18 min) showed the highest sorption capacity of 40 mg/g. The obtained data best fitted to the Langmuir sorption isotherm and followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics. The magneto-sensors were applied for ultrasensitive, rapid, and simple sensing of SY dye. The electrochemical experiments were run at the operating condition range of (scan rate 10–50 mV/s, tads 0–120 s, pH 5–9, potential range 1–1.5 V for CV and 1–1.3 V for SWAdASV). The linear range of detection was set to 1.51 × 10−6 M to 1.51 × 10−6 M posing LOD and LOQ values of 8.6242 × 10−5 M and 0.0002874 M, respectively. The regression analysis value for the calibration was found to be 0.950. Additionally, high adsorption efficiency, selectivity, reusability, and strong structural stability of the magneto-sensors showed potential use for SY detection in real samples. These characteristics make MMIPs a viable electrochemical substrate for the detection of chemical contaminants in the environment and in health-related products.
Development of an Enzymatic Biosensor Using Glutamate Oxidase on Organic–Inorganic-Structured, Electrospun Nanofiber-Modified Electrodes for Monosodium Glutamate Detection
Authors: Atilgan Hamdiye , Unal Betul , Yalcinkaya Esra Evrim , Evren Gizem , Atik Gozde , Ozturk Kirbay Fatma , Kilic Nur Melis , Odaci Dilek
Published: March 2023

Herein, dendrimer-modified montmorillonite (Mt)-decorated poly-Ɛ-caprolactone (PCL) and chitosan (CHIT)-based nanofibers were prepared. Mt was modified with a poly(amidoamine) generation 1 (PAMAMG1) dendrimer, and the obtained PAMAMG1–Mt was incorporated into the PCL–CHIT nanofiber’s structure. The PCL–CHIT/PAMAMG1–Mt nanofibers were conjugated with glutamate oxidase (GluOx) to design a bio-based detection system for monosodium glutamate (MSG). PAMAMG1–Mt was added to the PCL–CHIT backbone to provide a multipoint binding side to immobilize GluOx via covalent bonds. After the characterization of PCL–CHIT/PAMAMG1–Mt/GluOx, it was calibrated for MSG. The linear ranges were determined from 0.025 to 0.25 mM MSG using PCL–CHIT/Mt/GluOx and from 0.0025 to 0.175 mM MSG using PCL–CHIT/PAMAMG1–Mt/GluOx (with a detection limit of 7.019 µM for PCL–CHIT/Mt/GluOx and 1.045 µM for PCL–CHIT/PAMAMG1–Mt/GluOx). Finally, PCL–CHIT/PAMAMG1–Mt/GluOx was applied to analyze MSG content in tomato soup without interfering with the sample matrix, giving a recovery percentage of 103.125%. Hence, the nanofiber modification with dendrimer-intercalated Mt and GluOx conjugation onto the formed nanocomposite structures was performed, and the PCL–CHIT/PAMAMG1–Mt/GluOx system was successfully developed for MSG detection.
Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Executive Functions in College Students: Evidence from Different Doses
Authors: Wang Xiaomei , Liu Zhigang , Zhang Huanyu , Ji Chaoxin
Published: March 2023

Background: Different doses of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may affect individuals’ executive functions (EF). In this study, low-dose HIIT and moderate-dose HIIT were used to explore different doses of HIIT in terms of the impact on the EF of college students. Methods: All the participants were randomly divided into three groups. One group was not assigned any HIIT, which was called the control group. One group was assigned one session of HIIT/week, which was called the low-dose group. The last group was assigned wo sessions of HIIT/week, which was called the moderate-dose group. All groups were subjected to EF measurements. The first measurement comprised an EF a baseline measurement (Time 1) before the experiment began; the second measurement was taken (Time 2) after 6 weeks; the third measurement was taken (Time 3) after 12 weeks. Results: Time 1: We found that there was no significant difference in EF among the groups (p > 0.05). Time 2: The moderate-dose group and low-dose group improved in terms of EF. However, the improvement effect was different, and the improvement effect of the moderate-dose group EF was better than that of the low-dose group. The second measurement, EF was better for all exercise groups than for the control group. Inhibition test (reaction time: 3.97–8.24%, p < 0.05, effect size: 0.413); cognitive flexibility (accuracy: 6.66–7.32%, p < 0.05, effect size: 0.203; reaction time: 5.55–7.49%, p < 0.05, effect size: 0.521); working memory (accuracy: 4.05–4.69%, p < 0.05, effect size: 0.515; reaction time: 2.73–5.42%, p < 0.05, effect size: 0.430). Time 3: the moderate-dose group and low-dose group showed a downward trend in terms of EF. Conclusion: Low-dose HIIT and moderate-dose HIIT improved the EF in college students, but moderate-dose HIIT was better. This study suggests that moderate-dose HIIT should be adopted to improve the EF in college students.
Comparing Clustering Methods Applied to Tinnitus within a Bootstrapped and Diagnostic-Driven Semi-Supervised Framework
Authors: Guillard Robin , Hessas Adam , Korczowski Louis , Londero Alain , Congedo Marco , Loche Vincent
Published: March 2023

The understanding of tinnitus has always been elusive and is largely prevented by its intrinsic heterogeneity. To address this issue, scientific research has aimed at defining stable and easily identifiable subphenotypes of tinnitus. This would allow better disentangling the multiple underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of tinnitus. In this study, three-dimensionality reduction techniques and two clustering methods were benchmarked on a database of 2772 tinnitus patients in order to obtain a reliable segmentation of subphenotypes. In this database, tinnitus patients’ endotypes (i.e., parts of a population with a condition with distinct underlying mechanisms) are reported when diagnosed by an ENT expert in tinnitus management. This partial labeling of the dataset enabled the design of an original semi-supervised framework. The objective was to perform a benchmark of different clustering methods to get as close as possible to the initial ENT expert endotypes. To do so, two metrics were used: a primary one, the quality of the separation of the endotypes already identified in the database, as well as a secondary one, the stability of the obtained clusterings. The relevance of the results was finally reviewed by two ENT experts in tinnitus management. A 20-cluster clustering was selected as the best-performing, the most-clinically relevant, and the most-stable through bootstrapping. This clustering used a T-SNE method as the dimensionality reduction technique and a k-means algorithm as the clustering method. The characteristics of this clustering are presented in this article.
Transcriptional Profile Changes after Noise-Induced Tinnitus in Rats
Authors: Liu Peng , Xue Xinmiao , Zhang Chi , Zhou Hanwen , Ding Zhiwei , Wang Li , Jiang Yuke , Shen Weidong , Yang Shiming , Wang Fangyuan
Published: March 2023

Tinnitus is an unpleasant symptom characterized by detective hearing without the actual sound input. Despite numerous studies elucidating a variety of pathomechanisms inducing tinnitus, the pathophysiology of tinnitus is not fully understood. The genes that are closely associated with this subtype of the auditory hallucination that could be utilized as potential treatment targets are still unknown. In this study, we explored the transcriptional profile changes of the auditory cortex after noise-induced tinnitus in rats using high throughput sequencing and verification of the detected genes using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Tinnitus models were established by analyzing startle behaviors through gap pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle. Two hundred and fifty-nine differential genes were identified, of which 162 genes were up-regulated and 97 genes were down-regulated. Analysis of the pathway enrichment indicated that the tinnitus group exhibited increased gene expression related to neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington’s disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Based on the identified genes, networks of protein–protein interaction were established and five hub genes were identified through degree rank, including Fos, Nr4a1, Nr4a3, Egr2, and Egr3. Therein, the Fos gene ranked first with the highest degree after noise exposure, and may be a potential target for the modulation of noise-induced tinnitus.
Neural Processing of Odors with Different Well-Being Associations—Findings from Two Consecutive Neuroimaging Studies
Authors: Joshi Akshita , Hornstein Henriette , Thaploo Divesh , Faria Vanda , Warr Jonathan , Hummel Thomas
Published: March 2023

Much is known about the effect of odors on mood, cognition and behavior, but little is known about the relationship between odors and well-being. We investigated the neural processing of odors with different degrees of association with well-being (WB) through two large independent datasets. The study encompassed pre-testing and fMRI. During pre-testing, 100 and 80 (studies 1 and 2) young, healthy subjects participated, rating intensity, valence, and WB association for 14 (study 1) and 8 (study 2) different odors. Pre-testing resulted in the selection of two odors with high WB association (WB-associated) and two odors with lower WB association (neutral odors) for each study. Odors were delivered intranasally to the subjects who underwent fMRI scanning (44 and 41 subjects, respectively, for studies 1 and 2). We assessed brain activity for subjects when they experienced WB-associated versus neutral odors. In study 1, WB-associated odors showed increased activation in the right angular gyrus whereas in study 2, increased activity in the left angular gyrus existed, together with increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and posterior orbitofrontal cortex. The increased activity of higher-order cognitive and emotional regions during the processing of WB-associated odors in the two independent studies suggests a role of odors in influencing individual well-being. Moreover, the consistent activation of the angular gyrus might suggest its key role in shifting attention toward relevant emotional stimuli.
The Making of Smart Campus: A Review and Conceptual Framework
Authors: Polin Ken , Yigitcanlar Tan , Limb Mark , Washington Tracy
Published: March 2023

Smart campus is an emerging concept enabled by digital transformation opportunities in higher education. Smart campuses are often perceived as miniature replicas of smart cities and serve as living labs for smart technology research, development, and adoption, along with their traditional teaching, learning and research functions. There is currently a limited understanding of how the smart campus is conceptualized and practiced. This paper addresses this gap by using a systematic literature review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach. The study uses four major domains of the smart campus, i.e., society, economy, environment, and governance, to classify existing research. These domains are each aligned to the central smart campus concepts of digital technology and big data. The analysis found little evidence of a comprehensive real-world application of the smart campus towards addressing all four domains. This highlights the infancy of the current conceptualization and practice. The findings contribute to the development of a new conceptual foundation and research directions for the smart campus notion and informs its practice through a conceptual framework. The findings reported in this paper offer a firm basis for comprehensive smart campus conceptualization, and also provide directions for future research and development of smart campuses.
Multi-Objective Taguchi Optimization of Cement Concrete Incorporating Recycled Mixed Plastic Fine Aggregate Using Modified Fuller’s Equation
Authors: Lee Kevin Jia Le , Wong Sook Fun
Published: March 2023

Motivated by the multiple benefits of recycling plastic ingredients in cementitious materials, the present study focuses on the design of sustainable cement concrete incorporating recycled mixed plastic fine aggregate (MPFA) as a partial replacement of natural sand (NS). The MPFA produced in this work is composed of a combination of polymer types with similar concoctions to those observed in the postconsumer waste streams. This study approach is vastly different from past reported studies on the use of sorted, highly purified single-type recycled plastic aggregate in cement concrete. A multi-criteria decision-making technique, Best-Worst Method (BWM), was integrated with the Taguchi method to maximize the quality of MPFA concrete based on the Fuller–Thompson theory. More specifically, an L9 (34) Taguchi orthogonal array with four three-level design factors was adopted to optimize the fresh, durability, and mechanical properties of MPFA concrete. The results showed that MPFA concrete produced with 400 kg/m3 cement content, 0.43 water/cement ratio, 0.43 fine aggregate/total aggregate ratio, and 10 vol% MPFA content exhibited the highest quality. Findings from the present work also revealed that MPFA concrete produced with tailored particle size distribution of MPFA NS fine aggregate system achieved superior, if not comparable, qualities to those of conventional concrete.
Analysis of Energy-Saving Transport Conditions of Light-Particle Slurry
Authors: Wang Xiaochun , Wang Fan , Li Jun , Zhang Ye , Zhao Lianjin
Published: March 2023

Ice slurry, as a new environmentally friendly cold storage medium, is widely used in the field of cold storage and air conditioning because of its excellent flow and heat transfer characteristics. Based on experimental data of slurry flow, the rheological properties of light-particle slurries composed of polyethylene particles and water were analyzed using the response surface method. Using the yield stress and viscosity as the responses and considering three key influencing factors (solid-phase content, particle size, and pipe diameter) simultaneously, the order and law influencing the rheological factors were found. This was a new attempt to find energy-saving conditions for light slurry particle transport using the response surface method. The results showed that the response surface method can select the minimum working condition of mixed slurry viscosity and yield stress to ensure the safe and energy-saving transport of slurry. Moreover, it was also found that the main factor influencing slurry yield stress is the pipe diameter, and the yield stress increases with increasing pipe diameter. The main factor influencing slurry viscosity is particle size, and the viscosity increases with increasing particle size.
BI-D1870 Induces Mitotic Dysfunction and Apoptosis in Neuroblastoma by Regulating the PI3K-Akt-mTORC1 Signal Axis
Authors: Jin Liming , Mi Tao , Wu Xin , Wang Zhang , Zhang Zhaoxia , Liu Jiayan , Wang Zhaoying , Wang Jinkui , Li Mujie , Ren Chunnian , Guo Peng , He Dawei
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most common extracranial solid malignant tumors in children. The 5-year survival rate of high-risk or refractory NB is less than 50%. Therefore, developing new effective therapeutics for NB remains an urgent challenge. Materials and Methods: Based on the NB dataset TARGET-NBL in the TCGA database, the prognosis-related genes were analyzed using univariate cox regression (p < 0.01). The protein network interaction of prognostic genes was analyzed using STRING to obtain 150 hub genes with HR > 1 and 150 hub genes with HR < 1. The Connectivity Map database was used to predict a therapeutic drug: BI-D1870, a ribosomal S6 kinase inhibitor. The inhibitory effect of BI-D1870 on NB was investigated through in vivo and in vitro experiments, and its inhibitory mechanism was explored. Results: Both the in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that BI-D1870 could inhibit tumor proliferation and induce tumor apoptosis. Furthermore, we proved that BI-D1870 caused G2/M phase arrest and mitosis damage in cells. RNA-seq of cells showed that BI-D1870 may inhibit the growth of NB by inhibiting the PI3K-Akt-mTOR axis. Western blot and immunofluorescence testing showed that BI-D1870 inhibited the PI3K-Akt-mTORC1 signal pathway to regulate the phosphorylation of RPS6 and 4E BP1 proteins, inhibit protein translation, and inhibit microtubule formation, thus preventing mitotic proliferation and inducing apoptosis. Conclusions: This study provides strong support that BI-D1870 may be a potential adjuvant therapy for NB.
A CRISPR/Cas9-Based Assay for High-Throughput Studies of Cancer-Induced Innervation
Authors: Galappaththi Sapthala Loku , Katz Brenna , Howze Patrick H. , Hoover Gregory , Grelet Simon
Published: March 2023

The aggressive nature of certain cancers and their adverse effects on patient outcomes have been linked to cancer innervation, where neurons infiltrate and differentiate within the cancer stroma. Recently we demonstrated how cancer plasticity and TGFβ signaling could promote breast cancer innervation that is associated with increased cancer aggressivity. Despite the promising potential of cancer innervation as a target for anti-cancer therapies, there is currently a significant lack of effective methods to study cancer-induced neuronal differentiation, hindering the development of high-throughput approaches for identifying new targets or pharmacological inhibitors against cancer innervation. To overcome this challenge, we used CRISPR-based endogenous labeling of the neuronal marker β3-tubulin in neuronal precursors to investigate cancer-induced neuronal differentiation in nerve-cancer cocultures and provide a tool that allows for better standardization and reproducibility of studies about cancer-induced innervation. Our approach demonstrated that β3-tubulin gene editing did not affect neuronal behavior and enabled accurate reporting of cancer-induced neuronal differentiation dynamics in high-throughput settings, which makes this approach suitable for screening large cohorts of cells or testing various biological contexts. In a more context-based approach, by combining this method with a cell model of breast cancer epithelial-mesenchymal transition, we revealed the role of cancer cell plasticity in promoting neuronal differentiation, suggesting that cancer innervation represents an underexplored path for epithelial-mesenchymal transition-mediated cancer aggressivity.
Manganese Salan Complexes as Catalysts for Hydrosilylation of Aldehydes and Ketones
Authors: Almutairi Nora , Vijjamarri Srikanth , Du Guodong
Published: March 2023

Manganese has attracted significant recent attention due to its abundance, low toxicity, and versatility in catalysis. In the present study, a series of manganese (III) complexes supported by salan ligands have been synthesized and characterized, and their activity as catalysts in the hydrosilylation of carbonyl compounds was examined. While manganese (III) chloride complexes exhibited minimal catalytic efficacy without activation of silver perchlorate, manganese (III) azide complexes showed good activity in the hydrosilylation of carbonyl compounds. Under optimized reaction conditions, several types of aldehydes and ketones could be reduced with good yields and tolerance to a variety of functional groups. The possible mechanisms of silane activation and hydrosilylation were discussed in light of relevant experimental observations.
Ten-Year Differences in Nutritional Status and Obesity-Related Risk Factors in Polish Preschool Children
Authors: Zembura Marcela , Lula Paweł , Matusik Paweł
Published: March 2023

The aim of this study was to assess ten-year differences in nutritional statuses and obesity prevalences between populations of preschool children from Katowice, Poland, examined in 2007 and 2017, and to determine factors associated with overweight and obesity in preschool children. A cross-sectional questionnaire was conducted among parents and legal guardians of 276 preschool children in 2007 and 259 preschool children in 2017. Basic anthropometric measurements were performed. Overall, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among our sample of Polish preschool children (median age 5.25 year) was 16.82%, whereas 4.49% of children were obese. No significant differences in the number of overweight and obese children were observed when comparing the years 2017 to 2007. Overall body mass index (BMI) z-score was significantly lower in this group of children from 2017. However, median values of the BMI z-score were higher in two of the weight categories (overweight and obesity) in 2017. The child’s BMI z-score was positively correlated with birth weight (r = 0.1, p < 0.05). The BMI z-score was positively correlated with maternal BMI, paternal BMI, and maternal pregnancy weight gain, r = 0.24 p < 0.01; r = 0.16 p < 0.01; r = 0.12 p < 0.05, respectively. A decrease in overweight and obesity prevalence over the past decade and higher median values of BMI z-scores in the group of children with excessive weight in 2017 were observed. Birth weight, maternal BMI, paternal BMI, and maternal pregnancy weight gain all correlate positively with a child’s BMI z-score.
Experiences of Caregivers and At-Risk Children Enrolled in a Prospective Pregnancy-Birth Cohort Study into the Causes of Type 1 Diabetes: The ENDIA Study
Authors: McGorm Kelly J. , Brown James D. , Roberts Alison G. , Greenbank Susan , Brasacchio Daniella , Sawyer Alyssa C. P. , Oakey Helena , Colman Peter G. , Craig Maria E. , Davis Elizabeth A. , Soldatos Georgia , Thomson Rebecca L. , Wentworth John M. , Couper Jennifer J. , Penno Megan A. S. ,   on behalf of The ENDIA Study Group
Published: March 2023

Background: We sought research experiences of caregivers and their children were enrolled in the Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) study. Methods: ENDIA is a pregnancy–birth cohort investigating early-life causes of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Surveys were sent to 1090 families between June 2021 and March 2022 with a median participation of >5 years. Caregivers completed a 12-item survey. Children ≥ 3 years completed a four-item survey. Results: The surveys were completed by 550/1090 families (50.5%) and 324/847 children (38.3%). The research experience was rated as either “excellent” or “good” by 95% of caregivers, and 81% of children were either “ok”, “happy” or “very happy”. The caregivers were motivated by contributing to research and monitoring their children for T1D. Relationships with the research staff influenced the experience. The children most liked virtual reality headsets, toys, and “helping”. Blood tests were least liked by the children and were the foremost reason that 23.4% of the caregivers considered withdrawing. The children valued gifts more than their caregivers. Only 5.9% of responses indicated dissatisfaction with some aspects of the protocol. The self-collection of samples in regional areas, or during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, were accepted. Conclusions: This evaluation identified modifiable protocol elements and was conducted to further improve satisfaction. What was important to the children was distinct from their caregivers.
Microbial Organisms in the Lower Respiratory Tract Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Cross-Sectional Study in Northern Ghana
Authors: Deberu Oliver Nangkuu , Acheampong Godfred , Nkrumah Bernard , Ayisi-Boateng Nana Kwame , Afriyie Stephen Opoku , Agyapong Francis Opoku , Owusu Dorcas Ohui , Mutocheluh Mohamed , Abdul-Karim Abass , El-Duah Philip , Sylverken Augustina Angelina , Owusu Michael
Published: March 2023

Colonization of SARS-CoV-2 with specific bacteria may either protect or increase the risk of disease severity. This study aimed to identify microbial organisms in the lower respiratory tract and their association with SARS-CoV-2 infection. This was a cross-sectional study conducted between May 2020 and August 2021 at the Tamale Public Health Laboratory in the Northern part of Ghana. RT-PCRs for SARS-CoV-2 and bacteriological cultures were performed on sputum samples collected from suspected COVID-19 patients. Biochemical identification and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed on the bacterial isolates. A total of 380 participants were recruited into the study. Most participants were within the 21–30 years age group (29.6%). RT-PCR testing detected SARS-CoV-2 in 118 (31.1%) patients. Headache was found to be associated with SARS-CoV-2 (p = 0.033). Sputum cultures yielded 187 (49.2%) positive bacteria growths. Klebsiella spp. (20.5%), Moraxella catarrhalis (7.9%), and Pseudomonas spp. (6.3%) were the most commonly isolated bacteria. M. catarrhalis, Serratia spp., and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Most of the isolates were resistant to 3rd generation cephalosporins. This study has demonstrated the association between specific bacteria and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Clinicians should investigate possible bacterial co-infections in the management of COVID-19 cases.
The Effect of Interatomic Potentials on the Nature of Nanohole Propagation in Single-Crystal Nickel: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study
Authors: Qin Xinmao , Liang Yilong , Gu Jiabao , Peng Guigui
Published: March 2023

Based on a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, we investigated the nanohole propagation behaviors of single-crystal nickel (Ni) under different styles of Ni–Ni interatomic potentials. The results show that the MEAM (the modified embedded atom method potential) potential is best suited to describe the brittle propagation behavior of nanoholes in single-crystal Ni. The EAM/FS (embedded atom method potential developed by Finnis and Sinclair) potential, meanwhile, is effective at characterizing the plastic growth behavior of nanoholes in single-crystal Ni. Furthermore, the results show the difference between the different styles of interatomic potentials in characterizing nanohole propagation in single-crystal Ni and provide a theoretical basis for the selection of interatomic potentials in the MD simulation of Ni crystals.
Automatic Classification of Histopathology Images across Multiple Cancers Based on Heterogeneous Transfer Learning
Authors: Sun Kai , Chen Yushi , Bai Bingqian , Gao Yanhua , Xiao Jiaying , Yu Gang
Published: March 2023

Background: Current artificial intelligence (AI) in histopathology typically specializes on a single task, resulting in a heavy workload of collecting and labeling a sufficient number of images for each type of cancer. Heterogeneous transfer learning (HTL) is expected to alleviate the data bottlenecks and establish models with performance comparable to supervised learning (SL). Methods: An accurate source domain model was trained using 28,634 colorectal patches. Additionally, 1000 sentinel lymph node patches and 1008 breast patches were used to train two target domain models. The feature distribution difference between sentinel lymph node metastasis or breast cancer and CRC was reduced by heterogeneous domain adaptation, and the maximum mean difference between subdomains was used for knowledge transfer to achieve accurate classification across multiple cancers. Result: HTL on 1000 sentinel lymph node patches (L-HTL-1000) outperforms SL on 1000 sentinel lymph node patches (L-SL-1-1000) (average area under the curve (AUC) and standard deviation of L-HTL-1000 vs. L-SL-1-1000: 0.949 ± 0.004 vs. 0.931 ± 0.008, p value = 0.008). There is no significant difference between L-HTL-1000 and SL on 7104 patches (L-SL-2-7104) (0.949 ± 0.004 vs. 0.948 ± 0.008, p value = 0.742). Similar results are observed for breast cancer. B-HTL-1008 vs. B-SL-1-1008: 0.962 ± 0.017 vs. 0.943 ± 0.018, p value = 0.008; B-HTL-1008 vs. B-SL-2-5232: 0.962 ± 0.017 vs. 0.951 ± 0.023, p value = 0.148. Conclusions: HTL is capable of building accurate AI models for similar cancers using a small amount of data based on a large dataset for a certain type of cancer. HTL holds great promise for accelerating the development of AI in histopathology.