bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and Prognosis of 8p11.23-Amplified Squamous Lung Carcinomas
Authors: Voutsadakis Ioannis A.
Published: February 2023

Background: Copy number alterations are common genetic lesions in cancer. In squamous non-small cell lung carcinomas, the most common copy-number-altered loci are at chromosomes 3q26-27 and 8p11.23. The genes that may be drivers in squamous lung cancers with 8p11.23 amplifications are unclear. Methods: Data pertaining to copy number alterations, mRNA expression and protein expression of genes located in the 8p11.23 amplified region were extracted from various sources including The Cancer Genome Atlas, the Human Protein Atlas and the Kaplan Meier Plotter. Genomic data were analyzed using the cBioportal platform. Survival analysis of cases with amplifications compared to nonamplified cases was performed using the Kaplan Meier Plotter platform. Results: The 8p11.23 locus is amplified in 11.5% to 17.7% of squamous lung carcinomas. The most frequently amplified genes include NSD3, FGFR1 and LETM2. Only some of the amplified genes present concomitant overexpression at the mRNA level. These include NSD3, PLPP5, DDHD2, LSM1 and ASH2L, while other genes display lower levels of correlation, and still, some genes in the locus show no mRNA overexpression compared with copy-neutral samples. The protein products of most locus genes are expressed in squamous lung cancers. No significant difference in overall survival in 8p11.23-amplified squamous cell lung cancers versus nonamplified cancers is observed. In addition, there is no adverse effect of mRNA overexpression for relapse-free survival of any of the amplified genes. Conclusion: Several genes that are part of the commonly amplified locus 8p11.23 in squamous lung carcinomas are putative oncogenic candidates. A subset of genes of the centromeric part of the locus, which is amplified more commonly than the telomeric part, show high concomitant mRNA expression.
Current Understanding and New Advances in the Surgical Management of Reparable Rotator Cuff Tears: A Scoping Review
Authors: Eckers Franziska , Loske Stefan , Ek Eugene T. , Müller Andreas M.
Published: February 2023

Rotator cuff (RC) tears are among the most common musculoskeletal disorders and can be associated with pain, weakness, and shoulder dysfunction. In recent years, there have been significant advances with regard to the understanding of rotator cuff disease and its management. With technological improvements and advanced diagnostic modalities, there has been much progress as to improved understanding of the pathology. Similarly, with advanced implant designs and instrumentation, operative techniques have evolved. Furthermore, refinements in postoperative rehabilitation protocols have improved patient outcomes. In this scoping review, we aim to provide an overview of the current knowledge on the treatment of rotator cuff disorders and to highlight recent advances in its management.
Adaptation of the Brain to Hyponatremia and Its Clinical Implications
Authors: Gankam Kengne Fabrice
Published: February 2023

Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder, occurring in up to 25% of hospitalized patients. Hypo-osmotic hyponatremia when severe and left untreated invariably results in cell swelling, which can lead to fatal consequences, especially in the central nervous system. The brain is particularly vulnerable to the consequences of decreased extracellular osmolarity; because of being encased in the rigid skull, it cannot withstand persistent swelling. Moreover, serum sodium is the major determinant of extracellular ionic balance, which in turn governs crucial brain functions such as the excitability of neurons. For these reasons, the human brain has developed specific ways to adapt to hyponatremia and prevent brain edema. On the other hand, it is well known that rapid correction of chronic and severe hyponatremia can lead to brain demyelination, a condition known as osmotic demyelination syndrome. In this paper, we will discuss the mechanisms of brain adaptation to acute and chronic hyponatremia and the neurological symptoms of these conditions as well as the pathophysiology and prevention of osmotic demyelination syndrome.
MPC-Based Collaborative Control of Sail and Rudder for Unmanned Sailboat
Authors: Liu Shuo , Yu Zijing , Wang Tao , Chen Yifan , Zhang Yu , Cai Yong
Published: February 2023

In the traditional motion control method of an unmanned sailboat, the sail and rudder are divided into two independent controllers. The sail is used to obtain the thrust and the rudder is used to adjust the yaw angle. The traditional control method does not consider the synergy between the two controllers and ignores the influence of the roll angle on sailing. It is easy for these methods to cause an excessive roll angle and large yaw angle error, which will weaken the safe navigation and accurate path tracking of an unmanned sailboat. This paper presents a collaborative control method of sail and rudder based on model predictive control. A four-degree-of-freedom kinematics and dynamics model of the unmanned sailboat considering roll angle was established, with the yaw angle and roll angle as the control objectives at the same time. The collaborative control method outputs sail angle and rudder angle simultaneously. By comparing the motion of this method and the separation control of sail and rudder under the same wind field conditions, it is verified that the collaborative control has better effects of yaw angle control and roll angle limitation and can obtain a more accurate path tracking effect.
Identification of miRNAs Involved in Maize-Induced Systemic Resistance Primed by Trichoderma harzianum T28 against Cochliobolus heterostrophus
Authors: Wang Shaoqing , Wang Xinhua , Chen Jie
Published: February 2023

microRNAs (miRNAs) are known to play important roles in the immune response to pathogen infection in different plants. Further, Trichoderma strains are able to activate plant defense responses against pathogen attacks. However, little is known about the involvement of miRNAs in the defense response primed by Trichoderma strains. To explore the miRNAs sensitive to priming by Trichoderma, we studied the small RNAs and transcriptome changes in maize leaves that were systemically induced by seed treatment with Trichoderma harzianum (strain T28) against Cochliobolus heterostrophus (C. heterostrophus) infection in leaves. Through analysis of the sequencing data, 38 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and 824 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. GO and KEGG analyses of DEGs demonstrated that genes involved in the plant hormone signal transduction pathway and oxidation-reduction process were significantly enriched. In addition, 15 miRNA–mRNA interaction pairs were identified through the combined analysis of DEMs and DEGs. These pairs were supposed to play roles in the maize resistance primed by T. harzianum T28 to C. heterostrophus, in which miR390, miR169j, miR408b, miR395a/p, and novel miRNA (miRn5231) were more involved in the induction of maize resistance. This study provided valuable information for understanding the regulatory role of miRNA in the T. harzianum primed defense response.
Menstrual Cycle, Glucose Control and Insulin Sensitivity in Type 1 Diabetes: A Systematic Review
Authors: Gamarra Elena , Trimboli Pierpaolo
Published: February 2023

The correlation between the menstrual cycle and glucose control in type 1 diabetes has been the focus of several studies since the 1920s, but a few critical aspects made it particularly challenging to reach conclusive evidence. The aim of this systematic review is to reveal more solid information about the impact of the menstrual cycle on glycaemic outcomes and insulin sensitivity in type 1 diabetes and highlight the less researched areas. The literature was searched by two authors independently using PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase and Scopus (last search on 2 November 2022). The retrieved data did not allow us to perform a meta-analysis. We included 14 studies published between 1990 and 2022, with sample sizes from 4 to 124 patients. We found a wide heterogeneity in the definition of the menstrual cycle phases, glucose metrics, techniques for determining insulin sensitivity, hormonal assessment and other interfering factors considered, with an overall high risk of bias. There is no conclusive evidence, and published data do not allow us to achieve quantitative results. In a subset of patients, a possible worsening of insulin sensitivity and hyperglycaemia in the luteal phase could be observed. From the clinical standpoint, a cautious strategy based on patient-specific patterns can be considered until new, solid evidence is obtained.
Are There Aspectless Tensed Clauses in Turkish?
Authors: Demirok Ömer , Sağ Yağmur
Published: February 2023

Turkish allows finite verb forms that carry tense marking but no overt aspect marking. Unlike those that contain both tense and aspect marking, aspectless forms also lack an auxiliary copula. This is a key difference that Kelepir takes as evidence that aspectless forms derive from clausal structures that lack an aspect projection. However, syntax-morphology mapping is not always isomorphic. Therefore, we also evaluate this proposal from a semantic point of view, raising both empirical and theoretical questions: (1) Is there any aspectual inference associated with morphologically aspectless verbs? (2) Are structures where tense directly combines with a VP compositionally interpretable? While Kelepir’s proposal seems to face challenges in both directions, we argue that the semantic considerations are, in fact, consistent with the clausal structure Kelepir argues for, with broader implications for clause structure and compositional interpretation.
Altered Language-Related Effective Connectivity in Patients with Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes
Authors: Yang Fei , Tan Juan , Huang Yue , Xiao Ruhui , Wang Xiaoming , Han Yanbing
Published: February 2023

Benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) is one of the most common childhood epilepsy syndromes and may be associated with language deficits. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected from a total of 78 children: 52 patients with BECTS (28 drug-naïve and 24 medicated) and 26 healthy controls (HC). Granger causality analysis (GCA) was used to investigate alterations in effective connectivity (EC) between the language network core node (Broca’s area) and the whole brain. EC from Broca’s area to the left Heschl’s gyrus (HG), right putamen, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was significantly increased, while EC from the bilateral putamen and left ACC to Broca’s area was significantly decreased in BECTS. Moreover, altered EC of Broca’s area to the right putamen was significantly positively correlated with verbal IQ (VIQ), while altered EC of Broca’s area to the ACC showed significantly negative correlations with the frequency of seizures. Altered EC from the left putamen to Broca’s area was also significantly negatively correlated with performance IQ (PIQ) and full-scale IQ (FSIQ) in the drug-naïve group. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the EC of Broca’s area to the left HG and the number of seizures, as well as between the EC of Broca’s area to the right putamen and the age at onset in the medicated group. These findings suggest abnormal causal effects on the language network related to Broca’s area in children with BECTS. Longitudinal investigation of language network development and further follow-up may be needed to illuminate the changes in organization and rebalancing over time.
Foliar Fertilizer Application Alters the Effect of Girdling on the Nutrient Contents and Yield of Camellia oleifera
Authors: Xie Shuangling , Li Dongmei , Liu Zhouying , Wang Yuman , Ren Zhihua , Li Cheng , Cheng Qinhua , Liu Juan , Zhang Ling , Zhang Linping , Hu Dongnan
Published: February 2023

Improving the economic benefits of Camellia oleifera is a major problem for C. oleifera growers, and girdling and foliar fertilizer have significant effects on improving the economic benefits of plants. This study explains the effects of girdling, girdling + foliar fertilizer on nutrient distribution, and the economic benefits of C. oleifera at different times. It also explains the N, P, and K contents of roots, leaves, fruits, and flower buds (sampled in March, May, August, and October 2021) and their economic benefits. The results showed girdling promoted the accumulation of N and K in leaves in March 2021 (before spring shoot emergence) but inhibited the accumulation of P, which led to the accumulation of P in roots and that of N in fruits in August 2021 (fruit expansion period). Foliar fertilizer application after girdling replenished the P content of leaves in March 2021, and P continued to accumulate in large quantities at the subsequent sampling time points. The N and P contents of the root system decreased in March. In October (fruit ripening stage), girdled shrubs showed higher contents of N and K in fruits and flower buds, and consequently lower relative contents of N and K in roots and leaves but higher content of P in leaves. Foliar fertilizer application slowed down the effects of girdling on nutrient accumulation in fruits and flower buds. Spraying foliar fertilizer decreased the N:P ratio in the flower buds and fruits of girdled plants. Thus, foliar fertilizer spray weakened the effects of girdling on the nutrient content and economic benefits of C. oleifera. In conclusion, girdling changed the nutrient accumulation pattern in various organs of C. oleifera at different stages, increased leaf N:K ratio before shoot emergence, reduced root K content at the fruit expansion stage and the N:K ratio of mature fruit, and promoted economic benefits.
Varicella-Zoster Virus Prevalence among Pregnant Women: A European Epidemiological Review
Authors: Bertelli Anna , Carta Valentina , Mangeri Lucia , Caruso Arnaldo , De Francesco Maria Antonia
Published: February 2023

Europe has faced a massive spread of the varicella-zoster virus through the years. Since the introduction of an effective vaccine, complications and severe forms of chickenpox have been restricted. Nevertheless, among the population, some categories need specific care, such as pregnant women, who present one of the most fragile conditions facing this infection, both for the mother and the fetus. In this review, we highlight how the varicella-zoster virus can be dangerous during pregnancy, underlining the problem of treatment and vaccination, and collect information about the European epidemiology among this particular category of women.
Helixor-M Suppresses Immunostimulatory Activity through TLR4-Dependent NF-κB Pathway in RAW 264.7 Cells
Authors: Park Doil , Ko Hyun Min , Jee Wona , Park So Mi , Park Ye Rin , Jung Ji Hoon , Kim Hyung Suk , Chung Won Seok , Kim Sang Ki , Chung Jong Sup , Jang Hyeung Jin
Published: February 2023

Inflammation causes a protective immune response, which can be observed by examining the inflammatory responses of macrophages. Macrophages release various immunostimulatory factors when destroying external pathogens. We induced lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in RAW 264.7 cells, a macrophage cell line, to determine whether Helixor-M can cause immuno-suppression. Helixor-M is known to have anticancer and immune effects. However, an indicator that regulates immunity has not been clearly confirmed. To this end, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was conducted to confirm Helixor-M was not cytotoxic. Western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed the anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, immunofluorescence assay confirmed the translocation of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) p65, a representative inflammatory pathway. Helixor-M was found to be non-cytotoxic, induce the NF-κB pathway, and reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). We found Helixor-M affected the PI3K/AKT/JNK pathway. Therefore, we confirmed Helixor-M acts as an anti-inflammatory agent through NF-κB, TLR4 and PI3K inhibition and that it could be an effective immunosuppressive drug.
Determination of Heterogeneous Proteomic and Metabolomic Response in anti-TNF and anti-IL-6 Treatment of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Stepanov Alexander A. , Malsagova Kristina A. , Kopylov Arthur T. , Rudnev Vladimir R. , Karateev Dmitry E. , Markelova Evgenia I. , Luchikhina Elena L. , Borisova Elena E. , Kaysheva Anna L.
Published: February 2023

Reduction in tumor necrosis factor (αTNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) activities is a widely utilized strategy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with a high success rate. Despite both schemes targeting the deprivation of inflammatory reactions caused by the excessive activity of cytokines, their mechanisms of action and the final output are still unequal. This was a comparative longitudinal study that lasted for 24 weeks and aimed to find the answer to why the two schemes of therapy can pass out of proportion in attitude of their efficiency. What are the differences in metabolic and proteomic responses among patients who were being treated by either the anti-TNF or anti-IL-6 strategy? We found increased levels of immunoglobulins A and G (more than 2-fold in anti-IL-6 and more than 4-5-fold in anti-TNF groups) at the final stage (24 weeks) of monitoring but the most profound increase was determined for µ-chains of immunoglobulins in both groups of study. Metabolomic changes displayed main alterations with regard to arginine metabolism and collagen maintenance, where arginine increased 8.86-fold (p < 0.001) in anti-TNF and 5.71-fold (p < 0.05) in anti-IL-6 groups but patients treated by the anti-TNF scheme suffered a higher depletion of arginine before the start of therapy. Some indicators of matrix and bone tissue degradation also increased 4-hydroxyproline (4-HP) more than 6-fold (p < 0.001) in anti-TNF and more than 2-fold (p < 0.05) in the anti-IL-6 group, but the growth dynamics in the anti-IL6 group was delayed (gradually raised at week 24) compared to the anti-TNF group (raised at week 12) following a smooth reduction. The ELISA analysis of IL-6 and TNFα concentration in the study population supported proteomic and metabolomic data. A positive correlation between ΔCDAI and ΔDAS28 indicators and ESR and CRP was established for the majority of patients after 24 weeks of treatment where ESR and CRP reduced by 20% and 40% finally, respectively. A regression model using the Forest Plot was estimated to elucidate the impact of the most significant clinical, biochemical, and anthropometric indicators for the evaluation of differences between considered anti-TNF and anti-IL-6 schemes of therapy.
Tribocorrosion-Resistant Surface for TiO2 as a Function of Load and Sliding Speed
Authors: Bautista-Ruiz Jorge , Aperador Willian , Sánchez-Molina Jorge
Published: February 2023

The applications projected in the coatings are in implants with the lower extremities since they require a great load capacity and are essential for walking. Therefore, the use of devices or implants is necessary for recovery, osteosynthesis, and fixation. The tribocorrosive behavior of nanostructured compounds based on titanium oxide with an intermediate layer of gold deposited on titanium substrates was determined. These coatings were obtained using the reactive magnetron sputtering technique. Tribocorrosive properties were evaluated at sliding speeds of 3500 mm/min, 4500 mm/min, 6000 mm/min, 7500 mm/min, and 9000 mm/min with loads of 1 N, 2 N, 3 N, 4 N, and 5 N. The coatings were characterized by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, and the surface roughness was analyzed by atomic force microscopy. The dual mechanical and electrochemical wear tests were carried out with a potentiostat coupled to a pin on the disk system. The system was in contact with a hanks solution (37 °C), which acted as a lubricant. Structural characterization made it possible to identify the TiO2 compound. In the morphological characterization, it was found that the substrate influenced the surface properties of the coatings. The tribological behavior estimated by the wear rates showed less wear at higher load and sliding speeds. It was shown that it is possible to obtain coatings with better electrochemical and tribological performance by controlling the applied load and slip speed variables. In this study, a significant decrease corresponding to 64% was obtained, specifically in the speed of deterioration, and especially for a load of 5 N, depending on the sliding speed that went from 0.2831 mpy (Mils penetration per year) to 3500 mm/min compared to 0.1045 mpy at 9000 mm/min, which is explained by the mechanical blockage induced by the coating.
Optical and Structural Properties of Composites Based on Poly(urethane) and TiO2 Nanowires
Authors: Stroe Malvina , Burlanescu Teodora , Paraschiv Mirela , Lőrinczi Adam , Matei Elena , Ciobanu Romeo , Baibarac Mihaela
Published: February 2023

This article’s objective is the synthesis of new composites based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and TiO2 nanowires (NWs) as free-standing films, highlighting their structural and optical properties. The free-standing TPU–TiO2 NW films were prepared by a wet chemical method accompanied by a thermal treatment at 100 °C for 1 h, followed by air-drying for 2 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies indicated that the starting commercial TiO2 NW sample contains TiO2 tetragonal anatase (A), cubic Ti0.91O (C), and orthorhombic Ti2O3 (OR), as well as monoclinic H2Ti3O7 (M). In the presence of TPU, an increase in the ratio between the intensities of the diffraction peaks at 43.4° and 48° belonging to the C and A phases of titanium dioxide, respectively, is reported. The increase in the intensity of the peak at 43.4° is explained to be a consequence of the interaction of TiO2 NWs with PTU, which occurs when the formation of suboxides takes place. The variation in the ratio of the absorbance of the IR bands peaked at 765–771 cm−1 and 3304–3315 cm−1 from 4.68 to 4.21 and 3.83 for TPU and the TPU–TiO2 NW composites, respectively, with TiO2 NW concentration equal to 2 wt.% and 17 wt.%, indicated a decrease in the higher-order aggregates of TPU with a simultaneous increase in the hydrogen bonds established between the amide groups of TPU and the oxygen atoms of TiO2 NWs. The decrease in the ratio of the intensity of the Raman lines peaked at 658 cm−1 and 635 cm−1, which were assigned to the vibrational modes Eg in TiO2 A and Eg in H2Ti3O7 (ITiO2-A/IH2Ti3O7), respectively, from 3.45 in TiO2 NWs to 0.94–0.96 in the TPU–TiO2 NW composites, which indicates that the adsorption of TPU onto TiO2 NWs involves an exchange reaction of TPU in the presence of TiO2 NWs, followed by the formation of new hydrogen bonds between the -NH- of the amide group and the oxygen atoms of TixO2x-mn, Ti2O3, and Ti0.91O. Photoluminescence (PL) studies highlighted a gradual decrease in the intensity of the TPU emission band, which is situated in the spectral range 380–650 nm, in the presence of TiO2 NW. After increasing the TiO2 NW concentration in the TPU–TiO2 NW composite mass from 0 wt.% to 2 wt.% and 17 wt.%, respectively, a change in the binding angle of the TPU onto the TiO2 NW surface from 12.6° to 32° and 45.9°, respectively, took place.
Fabrication of Hybrid Electrodes by Laser-Induced Forward Transfer for the Detection of Cu2+ Ions
Authors: Bonciu Anca Florina , Andrei Florin , Palla-Papavlu Alexandra
Published: February 2023

Composites based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)—graphene oxide (GO) are increasingly considered for sensing applications. In this work we aim at patterning and prototyping microscale geometries of PEDOT:PSS: GO composites for the modification of commercially available electrochemical sensors. Here, we demonstrate the laser-induced forward transfer of PEDOT:PSS: GO composites, a remarkably simple procedure that allows for the fast and clean transfer of materials with high resolution for a wide range of laser fluences (450–750 mJ/cm2). We show that it is possible to transfer PEDOT:PSS: GO composites at different ratios (i.e., 25:75 %wt and 50:50 %wt) onto flexible screen-printed electrodes. Furthermore, when testing the functionality of the PEDOT:PSS: GO modified electrodes via LIFT, we could see that both the PEDOT:PSS: GO ratio as well as the addition of an intermediate release layer in the LIFT process plays an important role in the electrochemical response. In particular, the ratio of the oxidation peak current to the reduction peak current is almost twice as high for the sensor with a 50:50 %et PEDOT:PSS: GO pixel. This direct transfer methodology provides a path forward for the prototyping and production of polymer: graphene oxide composite based devices.
Study on the Removal of Oxide Scale Formed on 300 M Steel Special-Shaped Hot Forging Surfaces during Heating at Elevated Temperature by a High-Pressure Water Descaling Process
Authors: Gongye Fanjiao , Zhou Jie , Peng Jie , Zhang Haicheng , Peng Shixin , Li Shishan , Deng Heping
Published: February 2023

Numerical simulations and experiments were utilized to study the removal of oxide scale formed on 300 M steel special-shaped hot forging surfaces during heating at elevated temperature by a high-pressure water descaling process. Specifically, the experimental setup of the special-shaped hot forging was designed and manufactured according to the descaling parameters and simulation results obtained from the hot rolling process. The force states of three typical hot forging surfaces impinged by high-pressure water jets were analyzed. Moreover, the mechanism of the high-pressure water descaling process was proposed based on the research results. The numerical simulations and experimental results revealed that the velocity distribution of the high-pressure water jets is relatively different in various areas of the special-shaped hot forging surfaces. Therefore, the descaling performance is synergistically influenced by the velocity of the high-pressure water jet and the shape of the special-shaped hot forging. Given a certain spray pressure, the value of impact force Fi plays a significant role in the descaling of the typical hot forging. The larger the value of Fi on the typical hot forging surface, the easier it is to remove the oxide scale, and vice versa. Accordingly, the difficulty of removing the oxide scale formed on the 300 M steel special-shaped hot forging surfaces during heating at elevated temperature by a high-pressure water descaling process is in the following order: plane surface < convex surface < concave surface. Additionally, only the inner-layer FeO of the oxide scale remained after the high-pressure water descaling process due to the appearance of FeO-Fe2SiO4 eutectic in the FeO layer.
Synthesis and Characterization of Electrospun Carbon Nanofibers from Polyacrylonitrile and Graphite Nanoplatelets
Authors: Albetran Hani Manssor
Published: February 2023

Sol-gel electrospinning process was used to prepare electrospun carbon nanofibers (ECNFs) from polyacrylonitrile and graphite nanoplatelets. The nanofibers of as-electrospun carbon were calcinated in argon from room temperature to 500 °C for 1h. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) were used to characterize the synthesized ECNFs. The smooth ECNFs with a diameter of 129 ± 43 nm comprised conical platelets of 30–200 µm length. The plane-layered nanofibers contained crystallites along the long fiber axis and were mainly parallel.
Characterization of Ruddlesden-Popper La2−xBaxNiO4±δ Nickelates as Potential Electrocatalysts for Solid Oxide Cells
Authors: Zakharchuk Kiryl , Kovalevsky Andrei , Yaremchenko Aleksey
Published: February 2023

Ruddlesden-Popper La2−xBaxNiO4±δ (x = 0–1.1) nickelates were prepared by a glycine-nitrate combustion route combined with high-temperature processing and evaluated for potential application as electrocatalysts for solid oxide cells and electrochemical NOx elimination. The characterization included structural, microstructural and dilatometric studies, determination of oxygen nonstoichiometry, measurements of electrical conductivity and oxygen permeability, and assessment of chemical compatibility with other materials. The formation range of phase-pure solid solutions was found to be limited to x = 0.5. Exceeding this limit leads to the co-existence of the main nickelate phase with low-melting Ba- and Ni-based secondary phases responsible for a strong reactivity with Pt components in experimental cells. Acceptor-type substitution of lanthanum by barium in La2−xBaxNiO4+δ is charge-compensated by decreasing oxygen excess, from δ ≈ 0.1 for x = 0 to nearly oxygen-stoichiometric state for x = 0.5 at 800 °C in air, and generation of electron-holes (formation of Ni3+). This leads to an increase in p-type electronic conductivity (up to ~80 S/cm for highly porous La1.5Ba0.5NiO4+δ ceramics at 450–900 °C) and a decline of oxygen-ionic transport. La2−xBaxNiO4+δ (x = 0–0.5) ceramics exhibit moderate thermal expansion coefficients, 13.8–14.3 ppm/K at 25–1000 °C in air. These ceramic materials react with yttria-stabilized zirconia at 700 °C with the formation of an insulating La2Zr2O7 phase but show good chemical compatibility with BaZr0.85Y0.15O3−δ solid electrolyte.
Fracture Behavior of AA7075-AA6061 and AA7075-Cu Friction-Stir Welded Joints Containing Blunt V-Notches under Opening-Mode Loading
Authors: Torabi Ali Reza , Mirzavand Moslem , Saboori Behnam , Cicero Sergio
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this study is to predict the load-bearing capacity (LBC) of fracture specimens containing V-notched friction-stir welded (FSWed) joints of AA7075-Cu and AA7075-AA6061 materials and subjected to mode I loading conditions. Due to the resulting elastic-plastic behavior and the corresponding development of significant plastic deformations, the fracture analysis of the FSWed alloys requires elastic-plastic fracture criteria, which are complex and time-consuming. Thus, in this study, the equivalent material concept (EMC) is applied, equating the actual AA7075-AA6061 and AA7075-Cu materials to equivalent virtual brittle materials. Then, two brittle fracture criteria, the maximum tangential stress (MTS) and mean stress (MS), are utilized to estimate the LBC of the V-notched FSWed parts. The comparison between the experimental results and the theoretical predictions reveals that both fracture criteria, in combination with EMC, can accurately predict the LBC in the analyzed components.
Remarks on the “Onsager Singularity Theorem” for Leray–Hopf Weak Solutions: The Hölder Continuous Case
Authors: Berselli Luigi C.
Published: February 2023

In this paper, we first present an overview of the results related to energy conservation in spaces of Hölder-continuous functions for weak solutions to the Euler and Navier–Stokes equations. We then consider families of weak solutions to the Navier–Stokes equations with Hölder-continuous velocities with norms uniformly bound in terms of viscosity. We finally provide the proofs of our original results that extend the range of allowed exponents for inviscid limits producing solutions to the Euler equations satisfying the energy equality, and improve the so-called “Onsager singularity” theorem.
A Differential Flatness-Based Model Predictive Control Strategy for a Nonlinear Quarter-Car Active Suspension System
Authors: Rodriguez-Guevara Daniel , Favela-Contreras Antonio , Beltran-Carbajal Francisco , Sotelo Carlos , Sotelo David
Published: February 2023

Controlling an automotive suspension system using an actuator is a complex nonlinear problem that requires both fast and precise solutions in order to achieve optimal performance. In this work, the nonlinear model of a quarter-car active suspension is expressed in terms of a flat output and its derivatives in order to embed the nonlinearities of the system in the flat output. Afterward, a Model Predictive Controller based on the differential flatness derivation (MPC-DF) of the quarter-car is proposed in order to achieve optimal control performance in both passenger comfort and road holding without diminishing the lifespan of the wheel. This formulation results in a linear optimization problem while maintaining the nonlinear behavior of the active suspension system. Afterward, the optimization problem is solved by means of Quadratic Programming (QP), enabling real-time implementation. Simulation results are presented using a realistic road disturbance to show the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.
Energy Consumption Forecasts by Gradient Boosting Regression Trees
Authors: Di Persio Luca , Fraccarolo Nicola
Published: February 2023

Recent years have seen an increasing interest in developing robust, accurate and possibly fast forecasting methods for both energy production and consumption. Traditional approaches based on linear architectures are not able to fully model the relationships between variables, particularly when dealing with many features. We propose a Gradient-Boosting–Machine-based framework to forecast the demand of mixed customers of an energy dispatching company, aggregated according to their location within the seven Italian electricity market zones. The main challenge is to provide precise one-day-ahead predictions, despite the most recent data being two months old. This requires exogenous regressors, e.g., as historical features of part of the customers and air temperature, to be incorporated in the scheme and tailored to the specific case. Numerical simulations are conducted, resulting in a MAPE of 5–15% according to the market zone. The Gradient Boosting performs significantly better when compared to classical statistical models for time series, such as ARMA, unable to capture holidays.
Predictive Values of Hematological Parameters for Determining Imminent Brain Death: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Çevikkalp Eralp , Taşkapılıoğlu Mevlüt Özgür
Published: February 2023

Background and Objectives: The inflammatory cells released after intracranial hemorrhage, such as monocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils, activate the inflammatory system. These parameters can be used to evaluate the clinical course of diseases. This study aims to evaluate these parameters as possible predictors for evaluating the development of brain death. Materials and Methods: Patients with a Glasgow coma scale score below 7 were assigned to Group BD (patients with brain death) and Group ICH (intracranial hemorrhage). The neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet, monocyte counts, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet-to-neutrophil ratio (PNR) were measured at admission. Results: A high WBC count, neutrophil count, NLR, and PLR and a low lymphocyte count, LMR, and PNR were found to be significant for determining brain death. The area under the curve (AUC) values of NLR, PNR, PLR, and LMR to discriminate brain death were 0.63, 0.61, 0.56, and 0.61, respectively. Conclusion: NLR, PNR, PLR, and LMR are easily accessible and reliable parameters that can be used to predict the development of brain death and can be estimated by a simple complete blood count test.
Research on Membranes and Their Associated Processes at the Université Paris-Est Créteil: Progress Report, Perspectives, and National and International Collaborations
Authors: Baklouti Lassaad , Larchet Christian , Hamdi Abdelwaheb , Hamdi Naceur , Baraket Leila , Dammak Lasâad
Published: February 2023

Research on membranes and their associated processes was initiated in 1970 at the University of Paris XII/IUT de Créteil, which became in 2010 the University Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC). This research initially focused on the development and applications of pervaporation membranes, then concerned the metrology of ion-exchange membranes, then expanded to dialysis processes using these membranes, and recently opened to composite membranes and their applications in production or purification processes. Both experimental and fundamental aspects have been developed in parallel. This evolution has been reinforced by an opening to the French and European industries, and to the international scene, especially to the Krasnodar Membrane Institute (Kuban State University—Russia) and to the Department of Chemistry, (Qassim University—Saudi Arabia). Here, we first presented the history of this research activity, then developed the main research axes carried out at UPEC over the 2012–2022 period; then, we gave the main results obtained, and finally, showed the cross contribution of the developed collaborations. We avoided a chronological presentation of these activities and grouped them by theme: composite membranes and ion-exchange membranes. For composite membranes, we have detailed three applications: highly selective lithium-ion extraction, bleach production, and water and industrial effluent treatments. For ion-exchange membranes, we focused on their characterization methods, their use in Neutralization Dialysis for brackish water demineralization, and their fouling and antifouling processes. It appears that the research activities on membranes within UPEC are very dynamic and fruitful, and benefit from scientific exchanges with our Russian partners, which contributed to the development of strong membrane activity on water treatment within Qassim University. Finally, four main perspectives of this research activity were given: the design of autonomous and energy self-sufficient processes, refinement of characterization by Electrochemical Scanning Microscopy, functional membrane separators, and green membrane preparation and use.
Surface Modification of UiO-66 on Hollow Fibre Membrane for Membrane Distillation
Authors: Yusof Noor Fadilah , Raffi Amirul Afiat , Yahaya Nur Zhatul Shima , Abas Khairul Hamimah , Othman Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan , Jaafar Juhana , Rahman Mukhlis A.
Published: February 2023

The hydrophobicity of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is critical in enhancing the separation process in membrane distillation. Herein, a new superhydrophobic University of Oslo 66 (UiO-66) MOFs was successfully constructed on the top of alumina hollow fibre (AHF) membrane for desalination purposes. The fabrication methodology of the membrane involved in situ growth of pure crystalline UiO-66 on top of AHF and post-synthetic modification by fluorosilane grafting. The resultant membrane was characterised to study the physicochemical properties of the pristine and modified membrane. A superhydrophobic UiO-66 with a contact angle of 163.6° and high liquid entry pressure was obtained by introducing a highly branched fluorocarbon chain while maintaining its crystallinity. As a result, the modified membrane achieved 14.95 L/m2∙h water flux and 99.9% NaCl rejection with low energy consumption in the direct contact membrane distillation process. Furthermore, the high surface energy contributed by UiO-66 is maximised to produce the maximum number of accessible sites for the grafting process. The synergistic effect of surface hydrophobicity and porous UiO-66 membrane in trapping water vapour shows great potential for desalination application.
A Novel Two-Stage Method of Co-Leaching of Manganese–Silver Ore and Silver-Bearing Pyrite Based on Successive Chemical and Bio Treatments: Optimization and Mechanism Study
Authors: Sun Jianzhi , Shang He , Zhang Qidong , Liu Xue , Cai Liulu , Wen Jiankang , Yang Han
Published: February 2023

In this work, bio-hydrometallurgy technology was employed and a novel two-stage method based on successive chemical and bio treatments was proposed to collaboratively utilize manganese–silver ore and silver-bearing pyrite. In the optimization research of the chemical leaching stage, the sensitive factors for the Mn leaching efficiency were screened by Plackett–Burman design, and central compound design was performed to settle the optimized parameters. A mixed strain of bacteria containing Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans, At. caldus and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans was applied in the bioleaching stage. A conventional cyanidation process carried out with the Mn leaching residuals suggested an efficient recovery of Ag. Applying a two-stage method with the optimum conditions, the leaching efficiency of 95.3% (Mn) and 96.3% (Ag) were obtained with 284.94 kg/t silver-bearing pyrite addition and 277.44 kg/t sulfuric acid consumption with a temperature at 77.73 °C and stirring speed at 287.76 rpm. Mineral behaviors were investigated with XRD and SEM/EDS analysis, and it was revealed that the oxidation of sulfur is the crux in reducing the usage of reagents, and the presence of leaching bacteria enhanced the oxidation efficiently. Through optimization and mechanism study, this paper provides an opportunity to co-leach the manganese–silver ore and silver-bearing pyrite process in a more economical and environmental way.
Modeling Analysis of Heavy Metal Evaluation in Complex Geological Soil Based on Nemerow Index Method
Authors: Wei Jing , Zheng Xiaogang , Liu Jintong
Published: February 2023

To accurately understand soil environmental quality and improve the problem of the traditional method, which is that it has a single evaluation factor and cannot reflect the overall condition of the soil, a complex geological soil heavy metal evaluation modeling method based on the Nemerow index method is proposed. Index evaluation methods, ArcGIS technology, and a human health risk assessment were carried out to obtain the spatial distribution of heavy metals in the soil and the current status of pollution accumulation. The comprehensive pollution index (CPI) method, geo-accumulation index (GAI) method, and potential ecological hazard (PEH) index were adopted to analyze the pollution degree of soil heavy metals. On this basis, the Nemerow index method was used to establish a complex geological soil heavy metal evaluation model, and the standard Nemerow index was calculated to complete the evaluation of heavy metal pollution in complex geological soils. The research results showed that this method could make the evaluation factors obtain reasonable scores and obtain more reasonable soil evaluation results.
Quantification of Mesoscale Deformation-Induced Surface Roughness in α-Titanium
Authors: Romanova Varvara , Emelianova Evgeniya , Pisarev Maxim , Zinovieva Olga , Balokhonov Ruslan
Published: February 2023

The phenomenon of mesoscale deformation-induced surface roughening in titanium polycrystals is examined experimentally and numerically. The evolution of the surface morphology under uniaxial tension is analyzed in terms of the standard and ad hoc roughness parameters and the fractal dimension. The statistical estimates are compared to the grain-scale stress-strain fields in order to reveal an interrelation between the in-plane plastic strains and out-of-plane surface displacements. A strong correlation with a determination coefficient of 0.99 is revealed between the dimensionless roughness parameter Rd and the corresponding in-plane plastic strain. The standard roughness parameters Ra and RRMS are shown to correlate linearly with the in-plane strains, but only for moderate tensile deformation, which is due to filtering out low-frequency components in the surface profiles. The fractal dimension DF changes with the subsection strains in a sawtooth fashion, with an abrupt drop in the neck region. The descent portions of the DF dependences are supposedly related to the appearance of low-frequency components in the structure of the surface profiles.
Development of an Untargeted Metabolomics Strategy to Study the Metabolic Rewiring of Dendritic Cells upon Lipopolysaccharide Activation
Authors: Michieletto Jessica , Delvaux Aurélie , Chu-Van Emeline , Junot Christophe , Fenaille François , Castelli Florence A.
Published: February 2023

Dendritic cells (DCs) are essential immune cells for defense against external pathogens. Upon activation, DCs undergo profound metabolic alterations whose precise nature remains poorly studied at a large scale and is thus far from being fully understood. The goal of the present work was to develop a reliable and accurate untargeted metabolomics workflow to get a deeper insight into the metabolism of DCs when exposed to an infectious agent (lipopolysaccharide, LPS, was used to mimic bacterial infection). As DCs transition rapidly from a non-adherent to an adherent state upon LPS exposure, one of the leading analytical challenges was to implement a single protocol suitable for getting comparable metabolomic snapshots of those two cellular states. Thus, a thoroughly optimized and robust sample preparation method consisting of a one-pot solvent-assisted method for the simultaneous cell lysis/metabolism quenching and metabolite extraction was first implemented to measure intracellular DC metabolites in an unbiased manner. We also placed special emphasis on metabolome coverage and annotation by using a combination of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and reverse phase columns coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry in conjunction with an in-house developed spectral database to identify metabolites at a high confidence level. Overall, we were able to characterize up to 171 unique meaningful metabolites in DCs. We then preliminarily compared the metabolic profiles of DCs derived from monocytes of 12 healthy donors upon in vitro LPS activation in a time-course experiment. Interestingly, the resulting data revealed differential and time-dependent activation of some particular metabolic pathways, the most impacted being nucleotides, nucleotide sugars, polyamines pathways, the TCA cycle, and to a lesser extent, the arginine pathway.
MAD HATTER Correctly Annotates 98% of Small Molecule Tandem Mass Spectra Searching in PubChem
Authors: Hoffmann Martin , Kretschmer Fleming , Ludwig Marcus , Böcker Sebastian
Published: February 2023

Metabolites provide a direct functional signature of cellular state. Untargeted metabolomics usually relies on mass spectrometry, a technology capable of detecting thousands of compounds in a biological sample. Metabolite annotation is executed using tandem mass spectrometry. Spectral library search is far from comprehensive, and numerous compounds remain unannotated. So-called in silico methods allow us to overcome the restrictions of spectral libraries, by searching in much larger molecular structure databases. Yet, after more than a decade of method development, in silico methods still do not reach the correct annotation rates that users would wish for. Here, we present a novel computational method called Mad Hatter for this task. Mad Hatter combines CSI:FingerID results with information from the searched structure database via a metascore. Compound information includes the melting point, and the number of words in the compound description starting with the letter ‘u’. We then show that Mad Hatter reaches a stunning 97.6% correct annotations when searching PubChem, one of the largest and most comprehensive molecular structure databases. Unfortunately, Mad Hatter is not a real method. Rather, we developed Mad Hatter solely for the purpose of demonstrating common issues in computational method development and evaluation. We explain what evaluation glitches were necessary for Mad Hatter to reach this annotation level, what is wrong with similar metascores in general, and why metascores may screw up not only method evaluations but also the analysis of biological experiments. This paper may serve as an example of problems in the development and evaluation of machine learning models for metabolite annotation.