bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrophysiological Correlates of Romantic Love: A Review of EEG and ERP Studies with Beloved-Related Stimuli
Authors: Langeslag Sandra
Published: April 2022

Science is starting to unravel the neural basis of romantic love. The goal of this literature review was to identify and interpret the electrophysiological correlates of romantic love. Electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potential (ERP) studies with a design that elicits romantic love feelings were included. The methods of previous EEG studies are too heterogeneous to draw conclusions. Multiple ERP studies, however, have shown that beloved stimuli elicit an enhanced late positive potential (LPP/P3/P300), which is not due to familiarity, positive valence, or objective beauty. This effect occurs in Western and Eastern cultures and for pictorial and verbal information, and results from bottom-up rather than top-down factors. Studies have also shown that beloved stimuli elicit an early posterior negativity (EPN), which also does not seem to be due to familiarity or positive valence. Data on earlier ERP components (P1, N1, P2, N170/VPP, N2) is scarce and mixed. Of course, the enhanced LPP and EPN are not specific to romantic love. Instead, they suggest that the beloved captures early attention, within 200–300 ms after stimulus onset that is relatively resource-independent, and subsequently receives sustained motivated attention. Future research would benefit from employing cognitive tasks and testing participants who are in love regardless of relationship status.
How Real Estate Shocks Affect Manufacturing Value Chain Upgrading: Evidence from China
Authors: Yin Yanzhao , Zeng Xiaoming , Zhong Shihu , Liu Youjin
Published: April 2022

Contrary to the conventional viewpoint that “high housing price promotes industrial upgrading”, this study finds that increasingly high housing prices are a pivotal factor that obstructs industrial value chain upgrading. Based on city-level data, micro-level data for Chinese industrial enterprises, and data for listed Chinese enterprises, this study examines the impacts of urban housing prices on value chain upgrading. We find that soaring housing prices in China since 2004 stunted industrial value chain upgrading, as indicated by the value-added rate. When housing prices increase by 100%, the enterprise value-added rate decreases by 12.4%. Intermediary mechanism analysis shows that housing price increases lead to innovation input suppression effects and resource misallocation effects, which in turn obstruct industrial value chain upgrading. Further analysis demonstrates that the impacts of housing price increases on industrial value chain upgrading, presenting an inverted-U shape, are varied in terms of time and region. Enterprises’ value chain upgrading also showcases different degrees of sensitivity to housing price increases, due to their respective features. The conclusions of this study carry significant policy implications for the sound development of the real estate market and industrial upgrading in China, as well as in developing countries at large.
Seismic Analysis of Baffle-Reinforced Elevated Storage Tank Using Finite Element Method
Authors: Baghban Mohammad Hajmohammadian , Razavi Tosee Seyed Vahid , Valerievich Kiyanets A. , Najafi Leila , Faridmehr Iman
Published: April 2022

The sloshing phenomenon is an important field of fluid dynamics in liquid storage tanks under earthquake excitation. When the sloshing frequency gets close to the liquid tank’s natural frequency, the resulting resonance could lead to instability and even damage to structures, followed by catastrophic economic losses and environmental damages. As passive control devices, baffles are a place for liquid energy dissipation. This study uses annular and horizontal baffles to evaluate the baffles’ relative effectiveness on the elevated storage tanks’ dynamic response. The analysis results are compared with those of elevated storage tanks with no baffles. The flexible and rigid storage tank analysis is examined here, where half of the tank height is filled with liquid. The structural interaction between the liquid, the (horizontal and annular) baffle, and the elevated storage tank affected by seismic action are investigated using Abaqus software. The results confirm that using the baffles, the maximum base shear force in flexible and rigid elevated storage tanks decreases as much as 26.43% and 31.90%, respectively, and the maximum hydrodynamic pressure reduction in the tank is 50.1%.
Prediction of Breast Cancer Histological Outcome by Radiomics and Artificial Intelligence Analysis in Contrast-Enhanced Mammography
Authors: Petrillo Antonella , Fusco Roberta , Di Bernardo Elio , Petrosino Teresa , Barretta Maria Luisa , Porto Annamaria , Granata Vincenza , Di Bonito Maurizio , Fanizzi Annarita , Massafra Raffaella , Petruzzellis Nicole , Arezzo Francesca , Boldrini Luca , La Forgia Daniele
Published: April 2022

Purpose: To evaluate radiomics features in order to: differentiate malignant versus benign lesions; predict low versus moderate and high grading; identify positive or negative hormone receptors; and discriminate positive versus negative human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 related to breast cancer. Methods: A total of 182 patients with known breast lesions and that underwent Contrast-Enhanced Mammography were enrolled in this retrospective study. The reference standard was pathology (118 malignant lesions and 64 benign lesions). A total of 837 textural metrics were extracted by manually segmenting the region of interest from both craniocaudally (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) views. Non-parametric Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test, receiver operating characteristic, logistic regression and tree-based machine learning algorithms were used. The Adaptive Synthetic Sampling balancing approach was used and a feature selection process was implemented. Results: In univariate analysis, the classification of malignant versus benign lesions achieved the best performance when considering the original_gldm_DependenceNonUniformity feature extracted on CC view (accuracy of 88.98%). An accuracy of 83.65% was reached in the classification of grading, whereas a slightly lower value of accuracy (81.65%) was found in the classification of the presence of the hormone receptor; the features extracted were the original_glrlm_RunEntropy and the original_gldm_DependenceNonUniformity, respectively. The results of multivariate analysis achieved the best performances when using two or more features as predictors for classifying malignant versus benign lesions from CC view images (max test accuracy of 95.83% with a non-regularized logistic regression). Considering the features extracted from MLO view images, the best test accuracy (91.67%) was obtained when predicting the grading using a classification-tree algorithm. Combinations of only two features, extracted from both CC and MLO views, always showed test accuracy values greater than or equal to 90.00%, with the only exception being the prediction of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, where the best performance (test accuracy of 89.29%) was obtained with the random forest algorithm. Conclusions: The results confirm that the identification of malignant breast lesions and the differentiation of histological outcomes and some molecular subtypes of tumors (mainly positive hormone receptor tumors) can be obtained with satisfactory accuracy through both univariate and multivariate analysis of textural features extracted from Contrast-Enhanced Mammography images.
The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Fbxo4 Functions as a Tumor Suppressor: Its Biological Importance and Therapeutic Perspectives
Authors: Qie Shuo
Published: April 2022

Fbxo4, also known as Fbx4, belongs to the F-box protein family with a conserved F-box domain. Fbxo4 can form a complex with S-phase kinase-associated protein 1 and Cullin1 to perform its biological functions. Several proteins are identified as Fbxo4 substrates, including cyclin D1, Trf1/Pin2, p53, Fxr1, Mcl-1, ICAM-1, and PPARγ. Those factors can regulate cell cycle progression, cell proliferation, survival/apoptosis, and migration/invasion, highlighting their oncogenic or oncogene-like activities. Therefore, Fbxo4 is defined as a tumor suppressor. The biological functions of Fbxo4 make it a potential candidate for developing new targeted therapies. This review summarizes the gene and protein structure of Fbxo4, the mechanisms of how its expression and activity are regulated, and its substrates, biological functions, and clinicopathological importance in human cancers.
Impact of Levetiracetam Treatment on 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Fluorescence Expression in IDH1 Wild-Type Glioblastoma
Authors: Wach Johannes , Güresir Ági , Hamed Motaz , Vatter Hartmut , Herrlinger Ulrich , Güresir Erdem
Published: April 2022

The amino acid 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is the most established neurosurgical fluorescent dye and facilitates the achievement of gross total resection. In vitro studies raised concerns that antiepileptic drugs (AED) reduce the quality of fluorescence. Between 2013 and 2018, 175 IDH1 wild-type glioblastoma (GB) patients underwent 5-ALA guided surgery. Patients’ data were retrospectively reviewed regarding demographics, comorbidities, medications, tumor morphology, neuropathological characteristics, and their association with intraoperative 5-ALA fluorescence. The fluorescence of 5-ALA was graded in a three point scaling system (grade 0 = no; grade 1 = weak; grade 2 = strong). Univariable analysis shows that the intake of dexamethasone or levetiracetam, and larger preoperative tumor area significantly reduce the intraoperative fluorescence activity (fluorescence grade: 0 + 1). Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis demonstrates the preoperative intake of levetiracetam (adjusted odds ratio: 12.05, 95% confidence interval: 3.91–37.16, p = 0.001) as the only independent and significant risk factor for reduced fluorescence quality. Preoperative levetiracetam intake significantly reduced intraoperative fluorescence. The indication for levetiracetam in suspected GB should be carefully reviewed and prophylactic treatment avoided for this tumor entity. Future comparative trials of neurosurgical fluorescent dyes need a special focus on the influence of levetiracetam on fluorescence intensity. Further trials must validate our findings.
Immunotherapy for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Clinical Evidence and Future Perspectives
Authors: Agostinetto Elisa , Montemurro Filippo , Puglisi Fabio , Criscitiello Carmen , Bianchini Giampaolo , Del Mastro Lucia , Introna Martino , Tondini Carlo , Santoro Armando , Zambelli Alberto
Published: April 2022

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women worldwide, and HER2-positive breast cancer accounts for approximately 15% of all breast cancer diagnoses. The advent of HER2-targeting therapies has dramatically improved the survival of these patients, significantly reducing their risk of recurrence and death. However, as a significant proportion of patients ultimately develop resistance to these therapies, it is extremely important to identify new treatments to further improve their clinical outcomes. Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment and history of several cancer types, and it has already been approved as a standard of care for patients with triple-negative breast cancer. Based on a strong preclinical rationale, immunotherapy in HER2-positive breast cancer represents an intriguing field that is currently under clinical investigation. There is a close interplay between HER2-targeting therapies (both approved and under investigation) and the immune system, and several new immunotherapeutic strategies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cells and therapeutic vaccines, are being studied in this disease. In this narrative review, we discuss the clinical evidence and the future perspectives of immunotherapy for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.
Prognostic Significance of HER3 Expression in Patients with Cervical Cancer
Authors: Chang Chi-Son , Shim Jung In , Byeon Sun-Ju , Lee Eun Jin , Lee Yoo-Young , Kim Tae-Joong , Lee Jeong-Won , Kim Byoung-Gie , Choi Chel Hun
Published: April 2022

HER3 has been recognized to have an oncogenic role in various types of cancer. However, its prognostic significance has not been elucidated in cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of HER3 expression in cervical cancer using immunohistochemistry (IHC). HER3 immunohistochemical staining was performed on the tumor tissue samples of 336 cervical cancer patients. The association between the clinicopathological characteristics and patient survival analysis was assessed according to HER3 expression. HER3 IHC staining was positive in 31.0% (104/336) of the cervical cancer patients. A higher proportion of adeno-/adenosquamous carcinoma was observed in the HER3-positive group (34.6%) than in the HER3-negative group (18.8%). In survival analysis, HER3 expression was significantly associated with poorer disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). Multivariate analysis also indicated that HER3 expression was an independent prognostic factor for DFS (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.58, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.42–4.67, p = 0.002) and OS (HR = 3.21, 95% CI, 1.26–8.14, p = 0.014). HER3 protein expression was a poor prognostic factor of survival in patients with cervical cancer. This finding could help to provide individualized management for these patients.
Companion Diagnostics and Predictive Biomarkers for MET-Targeted Therapy in NSCLC
Authors: Jørgensen Jan Trøst , Mollerup Jens
Published: April 2022

Dysregulation of the MET tyrosine kinase receptor is a known oncogenic driver, and multiple genetic alterations can lead to a clinically relevant oncogenesis. Currently, a number of drugs targeting MET are under development as potential therapeutics for different cancer indications, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, relatively few of these drugs have shown sufficient clinical activity and obtained regulatory approval. One of the reasons for this could be the lack of effective predictive biomarkers to select the right patient populations for treatment. So far, capmatinib is the only MET-targeted drug approved with a companion diagnostic (CDx) assay, which is indicated for the treatment of metastatic NSCLC in patients having a mutation resulting in MET exon 14 skipping. An alternative predictive biomarker for MET therapy is MET amplification, which has been identified as a resistance mechanism in patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC. Results obtained from different clinical trials seem to indicate that the MET/CEP7 ratio detected by FISH possesses the best predictive properties, likely because this method excludes MET amplification caused by polysomy. In this article, the concept of CDx assays will be discussed, with a focus on the currently FDA-approved MET targeted therapies for the treatment of NSCLC.
Role of Amino Acid Transporter SNAT1/SLC38A1 in Human Melanoma
Authors: Böhme-Schäfer Ines , Lörentz Sandra , Bosserhoff Anja Katrin
Published: April 2022

The tumor metabolism is an important driver of cancer cell survival and growth, as rapidly dividing tumor cells exhibit a high demand for energetic sources and must adapt to microenvironmental changes. Therefore, metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells and the associated deregulation of nutrient transporters are a hallmark of cancer cells. Amino acids are essential for cancer cells to synthesize the necessary amount of protein, DNA, and RNA. Although cancer cells can synthesize glutamine de novo, most cancer cells show an increased uptake of glutamine from the tumor microenvironment. Especially SNAT1/SLC38A1, a member of the sodium neutral amino acid transporter (SNAT) family, plays an essential role during major net import of glutamine. In this study, we revealed a significant upregulation of SNAT1 expression in human melanoma tissue in comparison to healthy epidermis and an increased SNAT1 expression level in human melanoma cell lines when compared to normal human melanocytes (NHEMs). We demonstrated that functional inhibition of SNAT1 with α-(methylamino) isobutyric acid (MeAIB), as well as siRNA-mediated downregulation reduces cancer cell growth, cellular migration, invasion, and leads to induction of senescence in melanoma cells. Consequently, these results demonstrate that the amino acid transporter SNAT1 is essential for cancer growth, and indicates a potential target for cancer chemotherapy.
Study of the Relationship between Metal–Support Interactions and the Electrocatalytic Performance of Pt/Ti4O7 with Different Loadings
Authors: Sun Xiuyu , Wang Zhenwei , Yan Wei , Zhou Chuangan
Published: April 2022

The application potential of Pt/Ti4O7 has been reported, but the lack of research on the relationship between Pt loading, MSI, and catalytic activity hinders further development. Micron-sized Ti4O7 powders synthesized by a thermal reduction method under an H2 atmosphere were used as a support material for Pt-based catalysts. Using a modified polyol method, Pt/Ti4O7-5, Pt/Ti4O7-10, and Pt/Ti4O7-20 with different mass ratios (Pt to Pt/Ti4O7 is 0.05, 0.1, 0.2) were successfully synthesized. Uniformly dispersed platinum nanoparticles exhibit disparate morphologies, rod-like for Pt/Ti4O7-5 and approximately spherical for Pt/Ti4O7-10 and Pt/Ti4O7-20. Small-angle deflections and lattice reconstruction induced by strong metal–support interactions were observed in Pt/Ti4O7-5, which indicated the formation of a new phase at the interface. However, lattice distortions and dislocations for higher loading samples imply the existence of weak metal–support interactions. A possible mechanism is proposed to explain the different morphologies and varying metal–support interactions (MSI). With X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, spectrums of Pt and Ti display apparent shifts in binding energy compared with commercial Pt-C and non-platinized Ti4O7, which can properly explain the changes in absorption ability and oxygen reduction reaction activity, as described in the electrochemical results. The synthetic method, Pt loading, and surface coverage of the support play an important role in the adjustment of MSI, which gives significant guidance for better utilizing MSI to prepare the target catalyst.
Generation of Isogenic hiPSCs with Targeted Edits at Multiple Intronic SNPs to Study the Effects of the Type 2 Diabetes Associated KCNQ1 Locus in American Indians
Authors: Nair Anup K. , Traurig Michael , Sutherland Jeff R. , Muller Yunhua L. , Grellinger Emma D. , Saporito Lucas , Nelson Robert G. , Bogardus Clifton , Baier Leslie J.
Published: April 2022

The top genetic association signal for type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Southwestern American Indians maps to intron 15 of KCNQ1, an imprinted gene. We aim to understand the biology whereby variation at this locus affects T2D specifically in this genomic background. To do so, we obtained human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) derived from American Indians. Using these iPSCs, we show that imprinting of KCNQ1 and CDKN1C during pancreatic islet-like cell generation from iPSCs is consistent with known imprinting patterns in fetal pancreas and adult islets and therefore is an ideal model system to study this locus. In this report, we detail the use of allele-specific guide RNAs and CRISPR to generate isogenic hiPSCs that differ only at multiple T2D associated intronic SNPs at this locus which can be used to elucidate their functional effects. Characterization of these isogenic hiPSCs identified a few aberrant cell lines; namely cell lines with large hemizygous deletions in the putative functional region of KCNQ1 and cell lines hypomethylated at the KCNQ1OT1 promoter. Comparison of an isogenic cell line with a hemizygous deletion to the parental cell line identified CDKN1C and H19 as differentially expressed during the endocrine progenitor stage of pancreatic-islet development.
IL-3-Induced Immediate Expression of c-fos and c-jun Is Modulated by the IKK2-JNK Axis
Authors: Fujita Hirotaka , Fujita Toshitsugu , Fujii Hodaka
Published: April 2022

Interleukin (IL)-3 is a pleiotropic cytokine that regulates the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of hematopoietic cells. The binding of IL-3 to its receptor activates intracellular signaling, inducing transcription of immediate early genes (IEGs) such as c-fos, c-jun, and c-myc; however, transcriptional regulation under IL-3 signaling is not fully understood. This study assessed the role of the inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB kinases (IKKs) in inducing IL-3-mediated expression of IEGs. We show that IKK1 and IKK2 are required for the IL-3-induced immediate expression of c-fos and c-jun in murine hematopoietic Ba/F3 cells. Although IKK2 is well-known for its pivotal role as a regulator of the canonical nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway, activation of IKKs did not induce the nuclear translocation of the NF-κB transcription factor. We further revealed the important role of IKK2 in the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), which mediates the IL-3-induced expression of c-fos and c-jun. These findings indicate that the IKK2-JNK axis modulates the IL-3-induced expression of IEGs in a canonical NF-κB-independent manner.
How CAR T Cells Breathe
Authors: Forcados Christopher , Joaquina Sandy , Casey Nicholas Paul , Caulier Benjamin , Wälchli Sébastien
Published: April 2022

The manufacture of efficacious CAR T cells represents a major challenge in cellular therapy. An important aspect of their quality concerns energy production and consumption, known as metabolism. T cells tend to adopt diverse metabolic profiles depending on their differentiation state and their stimulation level. It is therefore expected that the introduction of a synthetic molecule such as CAR, activating endogenous signaling pathways, will affect metabolism. In addition, upon patient treatment, the tumor microenvironment might influence the CAR T cell metabolism by compromising the energy resources. The access to novel technology with higher throughput and reduced cost has led to an increased interest in studying metabolism. Indeed, methods to quantify glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration have been available for decades but were rarely applied in the context of CAR T cell therapy before the release of the Seahorse XF apparatus. The present review will focus on the use of this instrument in the context of studies describing the impact of CAR on T cell metabolism and the strategies to render of CAR T cells more metabolically fit.
Functionality Investigations of Dry-Lubricated Molybdenum Trioxide Cylindrical Roller Thrust Bearings
Authors: Konopka Dennis , Pape Florian , Heimes Norman , Behrens Bernd-Arno , Möhwald Kai , Poll Gerhard
Published: April 2022

In addition to using conventional lubricants, such as oil and grease, rolling bearings can also be used with a dry lubricant. For example, the use of dry lubricant systems is necessary when the application of oils or greases is not possible (e.g., at high temperatures or in aerospace applications). The requirements of a solid lubricant are to reduce friction and wear of mechanical contact partners. In this work, a molybdenum-based coating system was applied by means of physical vapor deposition (PVD). The coating system consists of a molybdenum (Mo) reservoir with molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) as the top layer. The MoO3, which is particularly important for the run-in and the lubricating effect, is intended to continuously regenerate from the reservoir via tribo-oxidation. To determine the friction and wear behavior, cylindrical roller thrust bearings were used. Experiments demonstrated that the lubrication system is effective and that the frictional behavior has been improved. On the one hand, the frictional torque of the rolling bearings has been considerably reduced and, on the other, significantly extended operating times have been determined compared to unlubricated reference experiments. Simultaneously, material analyses have been carried out by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The investigations showed that the MoO3 was transferred to uncoated bearing components. This improved the tribological behavior and reduced abrasive and adhesive wear.
Facile Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Aqueous Leaf Extract of Origanum majorana with Potential Bioactivity against Multidrug Resistant Bacterial Strains
Authors: Yassin Mohamed Taha , Mostafa Ashraf Abdel-Fattah , Al-Askar Abdulaziz Abdulrahman , Al-Otibi Fatimah O.
Published: April 2022

The high prevalence of nosocomial bacterial resistance contributes to significant mortality and morbidity around the world; thus, finding novel antibacterial agents is of vital concern. Accordingly, the present study attempted to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using a green approach. Aqueous leaf extract of Origanum majorana was used to synthesize AgNPs and the antibacterial efficiency against multidrug resistant bacterial strains was detected. Characterization of the biogenic AgNPs was performed using ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis, and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The disc diffusion method was used to detect the antibacterial activity of AgNPs against three nosocomial multidrug-resistant strains. Preliminary UV-Vis analysis revealed the biosynthesis of AgNPs due to peak formation at 374 nm, corresponding to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of biogenic AgNPs. TEM micrographs detected the synthesis of small AgNPs with an average particle size of 26.63 nm. EDX analysis revealed the presence of the following elements: oxygen (3.69%), carbon (2.93%), aluminum (1.29), silicon (2.83%), chloride (17.89%), and silver (71.37%). Furthermore, XRD analysis revealed the presence of diffraction peaks at 2 theta (θ) degrees of 38.18°, 44.36°, 64.35°, and 77.54°, assigned to the planes of silver crystals (111), (200), (220), and (311), respectively. Collectively, these findings affirm the synthesis of biogenic AgNPs with potential physicochemical characteristics. The antimicrobial efficiency of the biogenic AgNPs indicated that Klebsiella pneumoniae strain was the most susceptible strain at concentrations of 50 and 100 µg/disk, with inhibitory zones of 21.57 and 24.56 mm, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of AgNPs against Klebsiella pneumoniae strain was found to be 10 µg/mL, while the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was found to be 20 µg/mL. In conclusion, aqueous leaf extract of O. majorana mediated synthesis of small sized AgNPs, with potential antimicrobial effectiveness against multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens.
Influence Mechanism of a New-Style Resonator on Band Gap of Locally Resonant Phononic Crystal Double Panel Structure
Authors: Xiang Yujia , Chen Molin , Qian Denghui , Shi Zhiyu
Published: April 2022

Based on the previous studies on the stubbed-on locally resonant phononic crystal (LRPC) double panel structure (DPS) made of a two-dimensional periodic array of a two-component cylindrical LR pillar connected between the upper and lower plates, the stubbed-on LRPC DPS with soft shell surrounded and simplified model with additional springs surrounded are proposed. According to the changes in structural form, the wider band gap is opened, and the novel formation mechanism of the band gap is revealed. Finite element method (FEM) is applied to calculate the band structures. Numerical results and further analysis demonstrate that the soft shell only affects the bands corresponding to symmetric vibration mode and makes the bands shift up. In addition, the influences of density and Poisson’s ratio of soft shell on the band gap can be ignored, but the starting frequency keeps still, and band gap width increases first and then keeps constant with the increase of elasticity modulus. All the results provide a theoretical basis for the study of vibration and noise resistance in engineering.
Homogenization of Complex Lattices for Metamaterials: Open Problems and Conjectures
Authors: Mariano Paolo Maria
Published: April 2022

Based on concrete examples dealing with one-level periodic and quasi-periodic, and two-level periodic lattices, we show that the homogenization of complex lattices generically requires a multi-field continuum approach. We do not present results for specific cases, rather we discuss some related open problems and formulate pertinent conjectures. In this way, we suggest in essence a possible research program addressed towards the design of metamaterials.
Bio-Synthesized Tin Oxide Nanoparticles: Structural, Optical, and Biological Studies
Authors: Din Salah Ud , Kiani Sabah Hanif , Haq Sirajul , Ahmad Pervaiz , Khandaker Mayeen Uddin , Faruque Mohammad Rashed Iqbal , Idris Abubakr M. , Sayyed M. I.
Published: April 2022

This research was planned to synthesize a biological potent nanomaterials via an eco-friendly process to combat the diseases causing bacteria and the free radicals generated inside the body. For this purpose, a green synthesis process was employed to prepare SnO2 nanoparticles by utilizing leaf extract of Populus ciliate, and they were characterized via different physico-chemical techniques. The crystallite size of SnO2 nanoparticles was found to be 58.5 nm. The calculated band gap energy of SnO2 nanoparticles was 3.36 eV. The SnO2 nanoparticles showed 38, 49, 57, and 72% antioxidant activity at concentrations of 100, 200, 300, and 400 L with 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonicacid) (ABTS) assays. The antibacterial effects of prepared SnO2 nanoparticles were studied using the agar well diffusion method against Gram-positive bacteria (S. pyogene and S. aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (K. pneumoniae and E. coli). Both the antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity were seen to increase with increasing the concentration of the nanoparticles.
Evolution of the Surgical Management of Lung Cancer Invading the Spine: A Single Center Experience
Authors: Drevet Gabrielle , Broussolle Théo , Belaroussi Yanis , Duponchelle Lucie , Maury Jean , Grima Renaud , Vaz Gualter , Silvestre Clément , Tronc François
Published: April 2022

For patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer invading the spine, induction chemoradiotherapy combined with radical en bloc resection is the key to obtaining long-term survival. With time, our operative technique evolved to a two-step surgery as we experienced numerous perioperative complications during one step surgery. The aim of our study was to assess postoperative morbimortality and long-term survival of both techniques. We retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent en bloc resection for lung cancer invading the spine between October 2012 and June 2020. Every patient underwent induction therapy. Sixteen patients were included: nine patients were operated on with one step surgery, seven patients were operated on with two step interventions. Twenty-five percent of patients had major perioperative complications and 56.2% of patients had major post-operative complications. Patients in the “one step” group tended to have more perioperative complications whereas patients in the “two step” group tended to have more post-operative complications. Overall 3-year survival was 40% in the one-step and 86% in the two-step surgery group. Although our practice has been improved by two-step interventions, post-operative morbidity remains significant. As long term survivals are encouraging, this type of treatment should still be proposed for highly selected patients, in specialized centers.
Microglena antarctica sp. nov. a New Antarctic Green Alga from Inexpressible Island (Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea) Revealed through an Integrative Approach
Authors: Trentin Riccardo , Negrisolo Enrico , Moschin Emanuela , Veronese Davide , Cecchetto Matteo , Moro Isabella
Published: April 2022

One of the aims of the XXXIV Italian Antarctic Expedition is the study of the photosynthetic biodiversity of the Ross Sea. To achieve this goal, sea-ice samples were collected from Inexpressible Island and a strain of a green microalga (IMA076A) was isolated for morphological and molecular investigations. Combining: (1) phylogenetic analyses of the small subunit rDNA (18S rDNA) and of the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS-2) sequences; (2) species delimitation methods; (3) comparative analyses of the secondary structures of ITS-2 and compensatory base changes; (4) morphological, ultrastructural and ecological features, we described the strain IMA076A and its relatives as the new species Microglena antarctica sp. nov. The discovery of a new species of Chlorophyceae highlights that the biological diversity of Antarctic microalgae is more extensive than previously thought and that molecular phylogeny together with compensatory base changes (CBCs) approach are pivotal in the identification of cryptic microalgae.
Diagnostic Challenges in Neonatal Respiratory Distress—Congenital Surfactant Metabolism Dysfunction Caused by ABCA3 Mutation
Authors: Rogulska Justyna , Wróblewska-Seniuk Katarzyna , Śmigiel Robert , Szydłowski Jarosław , Szczapa Tomasz
Published: April 2022

Surfactant is a complex of phospholipids and proteins produced in type II pneumocytes. Its deficiency frequently occurs in preterm infants and causes respiratory distress syndrome. In full-term newborns, its absence results from mutations in the SFTPC, SFTPB, NKX2-1, or ABCA3 genes involved in the surfactant metabolism. ABCA3 encodes ATP-binding cassette, which is responsible for transporting phospholipids in type II pneumocytes. We present a case of a male late preterm newborn with inherited surfactant deficiency in whom we identified the likely pathogenic c.604G>A variant in one allele and splice region/intron variant c.4036-3C>G of uncertain significance in the second allele of ABCA3. These variants were observed in trans configuration. We discuss the diagnostic challenges and the management options. Although invasive treatment was introduced, only temporary improvement was observed. We want to raise awareness about congenital surfactant deficiency as a rare cause of respiratory failure in term newborns.
Prediction of Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow Effects on Entropy Generation in a Monolithic Catalytic Converter Using Large-Eddy Simulation
Authors: Li Yongxiang , Rico Cortes Luis Felipe , Hamel Hardy , Nishad Kaushal , Biondo Luigi , Ries Florian
Published: April 2022

In the present work, heat transfer and fluid flow and their effects on entropy generation in a realistic catalytic converter of a Lada Niva 21214 vehicle are studied using large eddy simulation. At first, the pressure drop over the catalytic converter is measured for dry air at constant temperature (T=298 K), different volumetric flow rates, and extrapolated to large volumetric flow rates for dry air (T=298 K) and for the exhaust gas under realistic engine conditions (T=900 K) using the Darcy–Forchheimer relation. Then, coupled heat and fluid flow phenomena inside the catalytic converter are analyzed for nonreacting isothermal conditions and nonreacting conditions with conjugate heat transfer by using the large-eddy simulation. The predicted pressure drop agrees well with the measured and extrapolated data. Based on the obtained numerical results, the characteristic flow features are identified, namely: the impinging flow with stagnation, recirculation, flow separation and laminarization within the fine ducts of the monolith, which depends on the heat transfer through temperature-dependent thermophysical properties of exhaust gas. Moreover, due to high-velocity gradients at the wall of the narrow ducts in the monolith, entropy production by viscous dissipation is observed predominantly in the monolith region. In contrast, entropy production due to heat transport is relatively small in the monolith region, while it overwhelms viscous dissipation effects in the pipe regions.
Belief Entropy Tree and Random Forest: Learning from Data with Continuous Attributes and Evidential Labels
Authors: Gao Kangkai , Wang Yong , Ma Liyao
Published: April 2022

As well-known machine learning methods, decision trees are widely applied in classification and recognition areas. In this paper, with the uncertainty of labels handled by belief functions, a new decision tree method based on belief entropy is proposed and then extended to random forest. With the Gaussian mixture model, this tree method is able to deal with continuous attribute values directly, without pretreatment of discretization. Specifically, the tree method adopts belief entropy, a kind of uncertainty measurement based on the basic belief assignment, as a new attribute selection tool. To improve the classification performance, we constructed a random forest based on the basic trees and discuss different prediction combination strategies. Some numerical experiments on UCI machine learning data set were conducted, which indicate the good classification accuracy of the proposed method in different situations, especially on data with huge uncertainty.
Digital Image Compression Using Approximate Addition
Authors: Balasubramanian Padmanabhan , Nayar Raunaq , Maskell Douglas L.
Published: April 2022

This paper analyzes the usefulness of approximate addition for digital image compression. Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) is an important operation in digital image compression. We used accurate addition and approximate addition individually while calculating the DCT to perform image compression. Accurate addition was performed using the accurate adder and approximate addition was performed using different approximate adders individually. The accurate adder and approximate adders were implemented in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)-type design environment using a 32–28 nm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) standard cell library and in a field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based design environment using a Xilinx Artix-7 device. Error analysis was performed to calculate the error parameters of various approximate adders by applying one million random input vectors. It is observed that the approximate adders help to better reduce the file size of compressed images than the accurate adder. Simultaneously, the approximate adders enable reductions in design parameters compared to the accurate adder. For an ASIC-type implementation using standard cells, an optimum approximate adder achieved 27.1% reduction in delay, 46.4% reduction in area, and 50.3% reduction in power compared to a high-speed accurate carry look-ahead adder. With respect to an FPGA-based implementation, an optimum approximate adder achieved 8% reduction in delay and 19.7% reduction in power while requiring 47.6% fewer look-up tables (LUTs) and 42.2% fewer flip-flops compared to the native accurate FPGA adder.
Resource-Efficient Hardware Implementation of Perspective Transformation Based on Central Projection
Authors: Li Zeying , Wang Weijiang , Xue Chengbo , Jiang Rongkun
Published: April 2022

Perspective correction of images is an important preprocessing task in computer vision applications, which can resolve distortions caused by shooting angles, etc. This paper proposes a hardware implementation of perspective transformation based on central projection, which is simpler than the homography transformation method. In particular, it does not need to solve complex equations, thus no software assistance is required. The design can be flexibly configured with different degrees of parallelism to meet different speed requirements. Implemented on the Xilinx Zynq-7000 platform, 2893 Look-up Tables (LUTs) are required when the parallelism is one, and it can process a 20 Hz video with a resolution of 640 × 480 in real time. When the parallelism is eight, it can process 157 Hz video and requires 11,223 LUTs. The proposed design can well meet the actual needs.
Part-Aware Refinement Network for Occlusion Vehicle Detection
Authors: Wang Qifan , Xu Ning , Huang Baojin , Wang Guangcheng
Published: April 2022

Traditional machine learning approaches are susceptible to factors such as object scale, occlusion, leading to low detection efficiency and poor versatility in vehicle detection applications. To tackle this issue, we propose a part-aware refinement network, which combines multi-scale training and component confidence generation strategies in vehicle detection. Specifically, we divide the original single-valued prediction confidence and adopt the confidence of the visible part of the vehicle to correct the absolute detection confidence of the vehicle. That reduces the impact of occlusion on the detection effect. Simultaneously, we relabel the KITTI data, adding the detailed occlusion information of the vehicles. Then, the deep neural network model is trained and tested using the new images. Our proposed method can automatically extract the vehicle features and solve larger error problems when locating vehicles in traditional approaches. Extensive experimental results on KITTI datasets show that our method significantly outperforms the state-of-the-arts while maintaining the detection time.
Low Computing Leakage, Wide-Swing Output Compensation Circuit for Linearity Improvement in SRAM Multi-Row Read Computing-in-Memory
Authors: Gu Zupei , Zhao Huidong , Wang Xiaoqin , Qiao Shushan , Zhou Yumei
Published: April 2022

To increase the throughput of computing-in-memory (CIM) designs, multi-row read methods have been adopted to increase computation in the analog region. However, the nonlinearity created by doing so degrades the precision of the results obtained. The results of CIM computation need to be precise in order for CIM designs to be used in machine learning circumstances involving complex algorithms and big data sets. In this study, a low computing leakage, wide-swing output compensation circuit is proposed for linearity improvement in such circumstances. The proposed compensation circuit is composed of a current competition circuit (as dynamic feedback of the bitline discharge current), a current mirror (to separate the result capacitor and provide charge current), and an additional pull-down circuit (for better precision in high voltage results). Measurements show that by applying our method, an almost full-swing output with 51.2% nonlinearity decrement compared with no compensation can be achieved. Power consumption is reduced by 36% per round on average and the computing leakage current, after wordlines are deactivated for 1 ns, is reduced to 55% of that when using conventional methods. A figure of merit (FOM) is proposed for analog computing module evaluation, presenting a comprehensive indicator for the computation precision of such designs.
Suitability Evaluation of Different Measured Variables to Assess the Occupancy Patterns of a Building: Analysis of a Classroom of a School in Madrid during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Sánchez María Nuria , Giancola Emanuela , Soutullo Silvia , Gamarra Ana Rosa , Olmedo Rafael , Ferrer José Antonio , Jiménez María José
Published: April 2022

Building occupancy is one of the relevant variables to understand the energy performance of buildings and to reduce the current gap between simulation-based and actual energy performance. In this study, the occupancy of a classroom in an educational center monitored over a full year was experimentally assessed. The classroom had different occupancy levels during the school year, with a theoretical minimum of eleven students, and no occupancy during vacations and weekends. Different variables such as indoor air temperature, relative humidity, CO2 concentration, overall electrical energy consumption of the educational center, electrical energy consumption of the building in which the monitored classroom is located, and heating energy consumption were recorded. We analyzed which of these variables were possible indicators of classroom occupancy, using the school timetable as a theoretical reference value for the validation of the results. Based on previous studies, one-hour moving averages are used to better identify the occupancy patterns by smoothing the fluctuations that are not a consequence of a change in the classroom occupancy. Histograms of each variable are used to identify the variable ranges associated within the occupancy: occupied or empty. The concentration of CO2 and electric measurements, identified in previous works as suitable to assess the occupancy patterns of rooms like offices with lower levels of occupancy, are recognized as potential occupancy indicators. It is therefore concluded that a higher level of space occupancy does not affect the result, and the same variables are identified as potential occupancy indicators.
Deep-Learning-Based Pitch Controller for Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Systems with Compensation for Delay of Hydraulic Actuators
Authors: Roh Chan
Published: April 2022

The pitch controller of a floating offshore wind power system has an important influence on the power generation and movement of the floating body. It drives the turbine blade pitch using a hydraulic actuator, whose inherent characteristics cause a delay in response, which increases with the system capacity. As a result, the power generation is reduced, and the pitch motion of the floating body is increased. This paper proposes an advanced pitch controller designed to compensate for the delay in the hydraulic actuator response. The proposed pitch controller applies an artificial-intelligence-based deep learning algorithm to predict the delay time in the hydraulic actuator. This delay is compensated for by preferentially predicting the blade pitch control angle even if a delay occurs in the hydraulic actuator. The performance of the proposed pitch controller was analyzed using the Fatigue, Aerodynamics, Structures, and Turbulence (FAST) v8 model developed by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory and was compared against that of the ideal pitch controller and the pitch controller that reflects the response delay. Compared with the latter, the proposed method increased the average power generation by approximately 5% and reduced the standard deviation of the floating body’s pitch motion by approximately 50%.
The Efficiency Prediction of the Laser Charging Based on GA-BP
Authors: Wang Chengmin , Li Guangji , Ali Imran , Zhang Hongchao , Tian Han , Lu Jian
Published: April 2022

In IoT applications, energy supply, especially wireless power transfer (WPT), has attracted the most attention in the relevant literature. In this paper, we present a new approach to laser irradiance solar cell panels and predicting energy transfer efficiency. From the previous experimental datasets, it has been discovered that in the laser charging (LC) process, temperature has a great impact on the efficiency, which is highly correlated with the laser intensity. Then, based on artificial neural network (ANN), we set the above temperature and laser intensity as inputs, and the efficiency as output through back propagation (BP) algorithm, and use neural network and BP to train and modify the network parameters to approach the real efficiency value. We also propose the genetic algorithm (GA) to optimize the learning rate of the BP, which achieved slightly superior results. The results of the experiment indicate that the prediction method reaches a high accuracy of about 99.4%. The research results in this paper provide an improved solution for the LC application, particularly the energy supply of IoT devices or small electronic devices through WPT.