bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Alternative Parallel Mechanism for Horizontal Positioning of a Nozzle in an FDM 3D Printer
Authors: Idà Edoardo , Nanetti Federico , Mottola Giovanni
Published: July 2022

In 3D printer design, special care must be taken when choosing the print head positioning mechanism. Indeed, this choice has a significant influence on the manufacturing accuracy, printing speed, workspace characteristics, and total cost of the printer. Considering 3D printers with layer-based processes, many designs include two stages: a planar mechanism for positioning the nozzle on a horizontal plane and a linear mechanism for the vertical build–plate motion. From the literature, two designs are usually applied for horizontal motion, commercially known as “CoreXY” and “H-bot”. Their load distribution characteristics are compared here: it is found that both have significant drawbacks. Therefore, an alternative architecture, called “CoreH-bot,” is introduced to overcome such limitations; this mechanism is both fully planar, which greatly simplifies its design and assembly phases while increasing part life, and has low unbalanced torques during motion, which increases the maximum speed for the given accuracy. The CoreH-bot kinematic equations are analyzed to define the Jacobian matrix and the corresponding workspace. The static and dynamic analyses are also performed. A prototype with this architecture has been designed that shows interesting capabilities in terms of print speed, while being both simple and cost-effective to assemble.
Influence of a Constant Magnetic Field on the Mechanism of Adrenaline Oxidation
Authors: Kazin Vyacheslav N. , Guzov Evgenii A. , Moshareva Valentina A. , Pliss Evgenii M.
Published: July 2022

In order to establish the role of the magnetic effect in the key stages of the autoxidation and initiated oxidation radical-chain reactions, the experimental data and kinetic analysis of the influence of a magnetic field on the oxidative transformations of adrenaline are presented in this work. In the case of autoxidation, the process is being controlled by the rate of adrenaline consumption in the gross process of quinoid oxidation. The analysis of the obtained results is estimative and is based on the assumption of the leading role of superoxide radical during the autoxidation. Superoxide radical concentration increases with the increase in the applied magnetic field strength, which leads to the decrease in the rate of initiation of the quinoid process. In the case of initiated oxidation, the results obtained are based on the known radical-chain mechanism, and they were interpreted using the theory of radical pairs. The observed magnetic effect is explained by the influence of a constant magnetic field on the mechanism of chain termination of radical-chain oxidation and/or initiation of the autoxidation process.
A Network Model for Electroosmotic and Pressure-Driven Flow in Porous Microfluidic Channels
Authors: García-Ros Gonzalo , Sánchez-Pérez Juan Francisco , Valenzuela Julio , Conesa Manuel , Cánovas Manuel
Published: July 2022

In this work, the network simulation method is presented as a tool for the numerical resolution of the electroosmotic and pressure-driven flow problem in microchannels with rectangular and cylindrical geometries. Based on the Brinkman equation for steady flow and constant porosity, the network model is designed using spatial discretization. An equivalent electrical circuit is obtained by establishing an analogy between the physical variable fluid velocity and electric potential. The network model is solved quickly and easily employing an electrical circuit resolution code, providing solutions for the velocity profile in the channel cross-section and the total circulating flow. After simulating two practical cases, the suitability of the grid is discussed, relating the relative errors made in the variables of interest with the number of cells used. Finally, two other applications, one for rectangular geometries and the other for cylindrical channels, show the effects the main parameters controlling the flow in these types of channels have on velocities and total flow: the zeta potential of the soil pores, applied potential and pressure gradients, and the boundary condition modified by the zeta potential in the walls of the channel.
Improving Motor Imagery EEG Classification Based on Channel Selection Using a Deep Learning Architecture
Authors: Mwata-Velu Tat’y , Avina-Cervantes Juan Gabriel , Ruiz-Pinales Jose , Garcia-Calva Tomas Alberto , González-Barbosa Erick-Alejandro , Hurtado-Ramos Juan B. , González-Barbosa José-Joel
Published: July 2022

Recently, motor imagery EEG signals have been widely applied in Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCI). These signals are typically observed in the first motor cortex of the brain, resulting from the imagination of body limb movements. For non-invasive BCI systems, it is not apparent how to locate the electrodes, optimizing the accuracy for a given task. This study proposes a comparative analysis of channel signals exploiting the Deep Learning (DL) technique and a public dataset to locate the most discriminant channels. EEG channels are usually selected based on the function and nomenclature of electrode location from international standards. Instead, the most suitable configuration for a given paradigm must be determined by analyzing the proper selection of the channels. Therefore, an EEGNet network was implemented to classify signals from different channel location using the accuracy metric. Achieved results were then contrasted with results from the state-of-the-art. As a result, the proposed method improved BCI classification accuracy.
On the Finite Group Which Is a Product of Two Subnormal Supersolvable Subgroups
Authors: Li Yangming , Lv Yubo , Xu Xiangyang
Published: July 2022

Let G be a finite group that is a product of two subnormal ( normal) supersolvable subgroups. The following are interesting topics in the study of the structure of G: obtaining the conditions in addition to guarantee that G is supersolvable and giving the detailed structure of G when G is non-supersolvable. In this paper, we obtain a characteristic property of G being non-supersolvable and two new sufficient conditions for G being a supersolvable group.
Dynamic Surgical Waiting List Methodology: A Networking Approach
Authors: Silva-Aravena Fabián , Morales Jenny
Published: July 2022

In Chile and the world, the supply of medical hours to provide care has been reduced due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19. As of December 2021, the outlook has been critical in Chile, both in medical and surgical care, where 1.7 million people wait for care, and the wait for surgery has risen from 348 to 525 days on average. This occurs mainly when the demand for care exceeds the supply available in the public system, which has caused serious problems in patients who will remain on hold and health teams have implemented management measures through prioritization measures so that patients are treated on time. In this paper, we propose a methodology to work in net for predicting the prioritization of patients on surgical waiting lists (SWL) embodied with a machine learning scheme for a high complexity hospital (HCH) in Chile. That is linked to the risk of each waiting patient. The work presents the following contributions; The first contribution is a network method that predicts the priority order of anonymous patients entering the SWL. The second contribution is a dynamic quantification of the risk of waiting patients. The third contribution is a patient selection protocol based on a dynamic update of the SWL based on the components of prioritization, risk, and clinical criteria. The optimization of the process was measured by a simulation of the total times of the system in HCH. The prioritization strategy proposed savings of medical hours allowing 20% additional surgeries to be performed, thus reducing SWL by 10%. The risk of waiting patients could drop by up to 8% annually. We hope to implement this methodology in real health care units.
Efficient Long-Term Simulation of the Heat Equation with Application in Geothermal Energy Storage
Authors: Bähr Martin , Breuß Michael
Published: July 2022

Long-term evolutions of parabolic partial differential equations, such as the heat equation, are the subject of interest in many applications. There are several numerical solvers marking the state-of-the-art in diverse scientific fields that may be used with benefit for the numerical simulation of such long-term scenarios. We show how to adapt some of the currently most efficient numerical approaches for solving the fundamental problem of long-term linear heat evolution with internal and external boundary conditions as well as source terms. Such long-term simulations are required for the optimal dimensioning of geothermal energy storages and their profitability assessment, for which we provide a comprehensive analytical and numerical model. Implicit methods are usually considered the best choice for resolving long-term simulations of linear parabolic problems; however, in practice the efficiency of such schemes in terms of the combination of computational load and obtained accuracy may be a delicate issue, as it depends very much on the properties of the underlying model. For example, one of the challenges in long-term simulation may arise by the presence of time-dependent boundary conditions, as in our application. In order to provide both a computationally efficient and accurate enough simulation, we give a thorough discussion of the various numerical solvers along with many technical details and own adaptations. By our investigation, we focus on two largely competitive approaches for our application, namely the fast explicit diffusion method originating in image processing and an adaptation of the Krylov subspace model order reduction method. We validate our numerical findings via several experiments using synthetic and real-world data. We show that we can obtain fast and accurate long-term simulations of typical geothermal energy storage facilities. We conjecture that our techniques can be highly useful for tackling long-term heat evolution in many applications.
Multimodal Image Aesthetic Prediction with Missing Modality
Authors: Zhang Xiaodan , Song Qiao , Liu Gang
Published: July 2022

With the increasing growth of multimedia data on the Internet, multimodal image aesthetic assessment has attracted a great deal of attention in the image processing community. However, traditional multimodal methods often have the following two problems: (1) Existing multimodal image aesthetic methods are based on the assumption that full modalities are available in all samples, which is unapplicable in most cases since textual information is more difficult to obtain. (2) They only fuse multimodal information at a single level and ignore their interaction at different levels. To address these two challenges, we proposed a novel framework termed Missing-Modility-Multimodal-Bert networks (MMMB). To achieve the completeness, we first generate the missing textual modality conditioned on the available visual modality. We then project the image features to the token space of the text, and use the transformer’s self-attention mechanism to make the two different modalities information interact at different levels for earlier and more fine-grained fusion, rather than only at the final layer. A large number of experiments on two large benchmark datasets in the field of image aesthetic quality evaluation: AVA and Photo.net demonstrate that the proposed model significantly improves image aesthetic assessment performance under both textual missing modality condition and full-modality condition.
Multiple q-Integral and Records from Geometrically Distributed Sequences
Authors: López-Blázquez Fernando , Salamanca-Miño Begoña
Published: July 2022

We study the distribution theory of some statistics related to records from a sequence of geometrically distributed random variables. The main novelty in this study is the introduction of q-calculus techniques. We obtain representations for the probability functions of some variables of interest, such as, for instance, record times, number of records, inter-record times, record indicators, etc., in terms of multiple q-integrals. It is remarkable to note that the expressions thus obtained are q-analogues of the corresponding well-known results in the absolutely continuous case. We also explore a duality between the results in the case of weak and ordinary records.
Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Mathematics Achievement? A Case Study of University Students in Social Sciences
Authors: Žnidaršič Anja , Brezavšček Alenka , Rus Gregor , Jerebic Janja
Published: July 2022

This study examines the effects of COVID-19-related measures on the mathematics achievement of university students in social sciences in Slovenia. Our particular concern was to compare two student populations (pre-pandemic and pandemic) in terms of factors affecting student performance in mathematics courses. Data were collected over nine consecutive academic years (from 2013–2014 to 2020–2021) and analyzed using two-stage structural equation modelling (SEM). The analyses confirmed that the conceptual model developed before the pandemic was applicable during the pandemic period. For both populations (pre-pandemic and pandemic), mathematics confidence, perceived level of math anxiety, background knowledge from secondary school, and self-engagement in mathematics courses at university were confirmed as factors influencing mathematics achievement. Moreover, both populations perceived the effects of the factors in the same way, and the magnitude of the effects is comparable. The rather high values of determination coefficient for mathematics achievement (greater than 0.66 for both student populations) indicate that the variables “Perceived Level of Math Anxiety” and “Self-Engagement in Mathematics Course at University” together explain a significant proportion of the total variance before and during the pandemic. Consequently, the results of our case study indicated that pandemic measures did not have a significant impact on our students’ mathematics achievement. Although a more in-depth study of a broader sample of academic courses would be needed to confirm our findings, our experience indicates that mathematics courses at the tertiary level of education can be successfully delivered online.
RETRACTED: Computational Analysis of Variational Inequalities Using Mean Extra-Gradient Approach
Authors: Cai Tingting , Yu Dongmin , Liu Huanan , Gao Fengkai
Published: July 2022

An improved variational inequality strategy for dealing with variational inequality in a Hilbert space is proposed in this article as an alternative; if Hilbert space is used as the domain of interest, the original extra-gradient method is proposed for resolving variational inequality. This improved variational inequality strategy can be used as a substitute for the original extra-gradient method in some situations. Mann’s mean value method, coupled with the widely used sub-gradient extra-gradient strategy, makes it possible to update all of the previous iterations in a single step, thus saving time and effort. All of this is made feasible via the use of Mann’s mean value technique in conjunction with the convex hull of all prior iterations of the algorithm. It is guaranteed that the mean value iteration will result in an acceptable resolution of a variational inequality issue as long as one or more of the criteria for the averaging matrix are fulfilled. Numerous experiments were performed in order to demonstrate the correctness of the theoretical conclusion obtained.
Economic-Statistical Performance of Auxiliary Information-Based Maximum EWMA Charts for Monitoring Manufacturing Processes
Authors: Chen Jen-Hsiang , Lu Shin-Li
Published: July 2022

An auxiliary information-based maximum exponentially weighted moving average chart, namely, the AIB-MaxEWMA chart, is superior to the existing MaxEWMA chart in detecting small process mean and/or variability shifts. To date, AIB-MaxEWMA chart was designed based on the statistical perspective, which ignores the cost of process monitoring. The economic-statistical performance of the AIB-MaxEWMA chart for monitoring process shifts is investigated. The Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to determine the optimal decision variables, such as sample size, sampling interval, control limit constant, and smoothing constant, by minimizing the expected cost function under the statistical constraints. Numerical simulations indicate that when an auxiliary variable is highly related to the study variable, AIB-MaxEWMA charts not only have better statistical performance, but also have lower expected costs than MaxEWMA charts. Sensitivity analyses also show that a larger expected time to sample an auxiliary variable results in larger optimal expected costs and lower optimal sample size and sampling interval. The relationship between optimal decision variables and minimal costs is valuable for reference by researchers or process engineers.
Quantile-Wavelet Nonparametric Estimates for Time-Varying Coefficient Models
Authors: Zhou Xingcai , Yang Guang , Xiang Yu
Published: July 2022

The paper considers quantile-wavelet estimation for time-varying coefficients by embedding a wavelet kernel into quantile regression. Our methodology is quite general in the sense that we do not require the unknown time-varying coefficients to be smooth curves of a common degree or the errors to be independently distributed. Quantile-wavelet estimation is robust to outliers or heavy-tailed data. The model is a dynamic time-varying model of nonlinear time series. A strong Bahadur order O2mn3/4(logn)1/2 for the estimation is obtained under mild conditions. As applications, the rate of uniform strong convergence and the asymptotic normality are derived.
Bilateral Feedback in Oscillator Model Is Required to Explain the Coupling Dynamics of Hes1 with the Cell Cycle
Authors: Rowntree Andrew , Sabherwal Nitin , Papalopulu Nancy
Published: July 2022

Biological processes are governed by the expression of proteins, and for some proteins, their level of expression can fluctuate periodically over time (i.e., they oscillate). Many oscillatory proteins (e.g., cell cycle proteins and those from the HES family of transcription factors) are connected in complex ways, often within large networks. This complexity can be elucidated by developing intuitive mathematical models that describe the underlying critical aspects of the relationships between these processes. Here, we provide a mathematical explanation of a recently discovered biological phenomenon: the phasic position of the gene Hes1’s oscillatory expression at the beginning of the cell cycle of an individual human breast cancer stem cell can have a predictive value on how long that cell will take to complete a cell cycle. We use a two-component model of coupled oscillators to represent Hes1 and the cell cycle in the same cell with minimal assumptions. Inputting only the initial phase angles, we show that this model is capable of predicting the dynamic mitosis to mitosis behaviour of Hes1 and predicting cell cycle length patterns as found in real-world experimental data. Moreover, we discover that bidirectional coupling between Hes1 and the cell cycle is critical within the system for the data to be reproduced and that nonfixed asymmetry in the interactions between the oscillators is required. The phase dynamics we present here capture the complex interplay between Hes1 and the cell cycle, helping to explain nongenetic cell cycle variability, which has critical implications in cancer treatment contexts.
Efficiency-Oriented MPC: Using Nested Structure to Realize Optimal Operation and Control
Authors: Xu Jiahong , Xu Lihong
Published: July 2022

Optimal operation and control, which can result in the global optimal operation performance of industrial processes, has been a hot topic in recent control strategy designs. However, existing control strategies, such as real-time optimization (RTO), dynamic real-time optimization (DRTO), and economic model predictive control (EMPC), have their own limitations, and they can only generate sub-optimal operation performance. In order to further improve online global operation performance, a new kind of control strategy named efficiency-oriented model predictive control (EfiMPC) is proposed in this paper. The aim of the EfiMPC is discussed first, and then, the ideal EfiMPC strategy with a nested structure is proposed, where the inner layer is the offline construction of an efficiency-oriented terminal region, and the outer layer is the direct optimization of the transient operation performance. This efficiency-oriented terminal region can guarantee a dynamic operation performance in the closed-loop perspective, and a better global operation performance can thus be obtained. A practical EfiMPC strategy, which replaces the offline construction of the efficiency-oriented terminal region with the online optimization of the average dynamic operation performance in the inner layer, is also proposed, and the recursive feasibility as well as the closed-loop stability of practical EfiMPC are discussed. Finally, a CSTR application was used to test the superiority of the proposed EfiMPC strategy, and the simulation results show that EfiMPC can obtain the best global operation performance compared with the other three control strategies; thus, the effectiveness of EfiMPC is demonstrated.
An Evidential Software Risk Evaluation Model
Authors: Chen Xingyuan , Deng Yong
Published: July 2022

Software risk management is an important factor in ensuring software quality. Therefore, software risk assessment has become a significant and challenging research area. The aim of this study is to establish a data-driven software risk assessment model named DDERM. In the proposed model, experts’ risk assessments of probability and severity can be transformed into basic probability assignments (BPAs). Deng entropy was used to measure the uncertainty of the evaluation and to calculate the criteria weights given by experts. In addition, the adjusted BPAs were fused using the rules of Dempster–Shafer evidence theory (DST). Finally, a risk matrix was used to get the risk priority. A case application demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method. The proposed risk modeling framework is a novel approach that provides a rational assessment structure for imprecision in software risk and is applicable to solving similar risk management problems in other domains.
Quantitative Mean Square Exponential Stability and Stabilization of Linear Itô Stochastic Markovian Jump Systems Driven by Both Brownian and Poisson Noises
Authors: Chang Gaizhen , Sun Tingkun , Yan Zhiguo , Zhang Min , Zhou Xiaomin
Published: July 2022

In this paper, quantitative mean square exponential stability and stabilization of Itô-type linear stochastic Markovian jump systems with Brownian and Poisson noises are investigated. First, the definition of quantitative mean square exponential stability, which takes into account the transient and steady behaviors of the system, is presented. Second, the relationship between general finite-time mean square stability, finite-time stochastic stability, and quantitative mean square exponential stability is proposed. Subsequently, some sufficient conditions for the existence of state feedback and observer-based controllers are derived, and an algorithm is offered to solve the matrix inequalities resulting from quantitative mean square exponential stabilization. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed results is illustrated with the numerical example and the practical example.
Measuring Productivities for the 38 OECD Member Countries: An Input-Output Modelling Approach
Authors: Bragoudakis Zacharias , Kasimati Evangelia , Pierros Christos , Rodousakis Nikolaos , Soklis George
Published: July 2022

Using a multisectoral model and the latest data from the OECD Input-Output Tables (IOTs-2021 ed.), this article estimates labour and capital productivities of the 38 OECD member countries. As measures of the productivity of labour, we consider the inverse of the vertically integrated labour coefficients, while Perron–Frobenius theorems are employed so as to measure capital productivity. In this respect, the productive technologies and the intersectoral relationships of each economy are taken into account. We further investigate the relationship between productivity, economic efficiency and living standards. Findings indicate that the impact of capital productivity on higher living standards depends on the evolutionary and institutional background of the economy at hand.
Bioinspired Intelligent Algorithms for Optimization, Modeling and Control: Theory and Applications
Authors: Alanis Alma Y.
Published: July 2022

This book contains the successful invited submissions [...]
Delegated Proof of Accessibility (DPoAC): A Novel Consensus Protocol for Blockchain Systems
Authors: Kaur Manpreet , Gupta Shikha , Kumar Deepak , Verma Chaman , Neagu Bogdan-Constantin , Raboaca Maria Simona
Published: July 2022

As the backbone of every blockchain application, the consensus protocol is impacted by numerous risks, namely resource requirements and energy consumption, which limit the usage of blockchain. Applications such as IoT/IIoT cannot use these high-cost consensus methods due to limited resources. Therefore, we introduce Delegated Proof of Accessibility (DPoAC), a new consensus technique that employs secret sharing, PoS with random selection, and an interplanetary file system (IPFS).DPoAC is decomposed into two stages. During the initial stage, a secret is generated by a randomly chosen super node and divided into n shares. These shares are encrypted and stored in different n nodes on the IPFS network. The nodes will compete to access these shareholders to reconstruct the secret. The winning node will be awarded block generation rights. PoS with random selection is used in the second stage to compute the appropriate hash value and construct a block with valid transactions. In this novel approach, a node with few computational resources and small stakes can still obtain block generation rights by providing access to secret shares and reconstructing the secret, making the system reasonably fair. We qualitatively analyze and compare our scheme based on performance parameters against existing mainstream consensus protocols in the context of IoT/IIoT networks.
Reclassification of Treatment Strategy with Fractional Flow Reserve in Cancer Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Kim Jin Wan , Dayah Tariq J. , Javaid Awad , Monlezun Dominique J. , Balanescu Dinu V. , Donisan Teodora , Karimzad Kaveh , Hakeem Abdul , Boone David L. , Palaskas Nicolas , Lopez-Mattei Juan , Kim Peter Y. , Durand Jean-Bernard , Song Juhee , Balanescu Serban M. , Yang Eric H. , Herrmann Joerg , Marmagkiolis Konstantinos , Toutouzas Konstantinos , Johnson Nils P. , Iliescu Cezar A.
Published: July 2022

Background and Objectives: Cancer and coronary artery disease (CAD) often coexist. Compared to quantitative coronary angiography (QCA), fractional flow reserve (FFR) has emerged as a more reliable method of identifying significant coronary stenoses. We aimed to assess the specific management, safety and outcomes of FFR-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in cancer patients with stable CAD. Materials and Methods: FFR was used to assess cancer patients that underwent coronary angiography for stable CAD between September 2008 and May 2016, and were found to have ≥50% stenosis by QCA. Patients with lesions with an FFR > 0.75 received medical therapy alone, while those with FFR ≤ 0.75 were revascularized. Procedure-related complications, all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or urgent revascularizations were analyzed. Results: Fifty-seven patients with stable CAD underwent FFR on 57 lesions. Out of 31 patients with ≥70% stenosis as measured by QCA, 14 (45.1%) had an FFR ≥ 0.75 and lesions were reclassified as moderate and did not receive PCI nor DAPT. Out of 26 patients with <70% stenosis as measured by QCA, 6 (23%) had an FFR < 0.75 and were reclassified as severe and were treated with PCI and associated DAPT. No periprocedural complications, urgent revascularization, acute coronary syndromes, or cardiovascular deaths were noted. There was a 22.8% mortality at 1 year, all cancer related. Patients who received a stent by FFR assessment showed a significant association with decreased risk of all-cause death (HR: 0.37, 95% CI 0.15–0.90, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Further studies are needed to define the optimal therapeutic approach for cancer patients with CAD. Using an FFR cut-off point of 0.75 to guide PCI translates into fewer interventions and can facilitate cancer care. There was an overall reduction in mortality in patients that received a stent, suggesting increased resilience to cancer therapy and progression.
Gender and Advanced Urothelial Cancer: Outcome, Efficacy and Toxicity following Chemotherapy
Authors: Becattini Lucrezia , Saieva Calogero , Doni Laura , Roviello Giandomenico , Spatafora Pietro , Catalano Martina , Sessa Francesco , Galli Ilaria Camilla , Bisegna Claudio , Conte Francesco Lupo , Zaccaro Claudia , Santi Raffaella , Serni Sergio , Nesi Gabriella , Villari Donata
Published: July 2022

Background and Objectives: The incidence of urothelial cancer in males is higher than in females; however, females have a higher risk of recurrence and progression. The aim of our study was to report the effect of gender on the oncological outcome in advanced urothelial cancer. Materials and Methods: In our retrospective study, all patients had undergone primary surgical treatment for urothelial cancer and were affected by stage IV disease at the time of chemotherapy. Response to therapy and toxicity were evaluated. Subgroups were analyzed for tumour presentation, first- and second-line treatment response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results. Seventy-five patients, 18 (24%) females and 57 (76%) males, were considered. Investigation into the distribution of individual characteristics according to gender revealed a significant difference only for smoking, with a prevalence of smokers in women (p = 0.029). At the end of follow-up, OS was higher in females (27.5% vs. 17.4%; p = 0.047). Smoking did not significantly influence OS (p = 0.055), while univariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that males had a higher risk of death (HR = 2.28, 95% CI 0.99–129 5.25), with borderline statistical significance (p = 0.053). Men showed higher PFS than women both after first-line (p = 0.051) and second-line chemotherapy (p = 0.018), with a lower risk of progression (HR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.10–0.86; p = 0.026). No differences were found between genders with regard to toxicity. Conclusions. In our series, PFS rates following first- and second-line therapies for advanced urothelial carcinoma confirmed that females have a greater risk of progression than males.
Moisturizer in Patients with Inflammatory Skin Diseases
Authors: Kang Seok-Young , Um Ji-Young , Chung Bo-Young , Lee So-Yeon , Park Jin-Seo , Kim Jin-Cheol , Park Chun-Wook , Kim Hye-One
Published: July 2022

As interest in skin increases, the cosmetic market is also growing. It is difficult to choose between the numerous types of basic cosmetics on the market. This article aims to provide advice and guidance on which products to recommend according to a patient’s skin condition. Appropriate application of a moisturizer attempts not only to improve the dryness, but also improve the skin’s natural barrier function to protect the skin from internal and external irritants to keep the skin healthy. Moisturizers consist of various ingredients, including occlusive agents, emollients, humectants, lipid mixture, emulsifiers, and preservatives. Pathophysiology of dry skin is also discussed to provide readers with the background they need to choose the right moisturizer for themselves. As moisturizers play an important role as adjuvant in the treatment of common skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, acne and rosacea, which type of moisturizer is appropriate for each disease was also dealt with. Basic cosmetics, especially moisturizers, should be recommended in consideration of the ingredients, effectiveness and safety of each product, and the skin condition of each patient.
Circulating Omentin-1, Sustained Inflammation and Hyperphosphatemia at the Interface of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients on Chronic Renal Replacement Therapy
Authors: Bolignano Davide , Greco Marta , Arcidiacono Valentina , Presta Pierangela , Caglioti Alfredo , Andreucci Michele , Dragone Francesco , Foti Daniela Patrizia , Coppolino Giuseppe
Published: July 2022

Background and Objectives: Subclinical atherosclerosis, reflected by abnormal carotid intima–media thickness (cIMT), is pervasive among chronic kidney disease patients on chronic renal replacement therapy (RRT), being mostly influenced by uremia-related rather than traditional risk factors. Materials and Methods: In this pilot study, we measured circulating levels of Omentin-1, a recently discovered adipokine with strong anti-atherogenic properties, in a heterogeneous cohort of 77 asymptomatic RRT individuals (40 chronic kidney transplant recipients, Ktx; and 37 chronic hemodialysis patients, HD) and in 30 age-matched controls. Results: Omentin-1 was increased in RRT individuals as compared with controls (p = 0.03). When stratifying for renal replacement modality, we found Ktx patients to have significantly lower Omentin-1 than HD patients (p = 0.01). Lower Omentin-1 levels were also found among RRT individuals with pathological cIMT (168.7 [51.1–457.8] vs. 474.9 [197.2–1432.1]; p = 0.004). Our multivariate correlations analysis revealed Omentin-1 as the most robust independent predictor of carotid atherosclerosis (β-0.687; p = 0.03), even more than total cholesterol, diastolic BP and age, and this adipokine was at the crossroad of a complex interplay with sustained inflammation (high CRP and ferritin) and hyperphosphatemia in predicting higher cIMT values. Conclusion: The findings reported extend to renal patients with advanced disease, with the possible involvement of Omentin-1 in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. This may set the stage for future interventional studies of Omentin-1 replacement to retard atherosclerosis progression, as it is currently being investigated in other disease settings.
Extraction of Rare-Earth Elements from Silicate-Based Ore through Hydrometallurgical Route
Authors: Botelho Junior Amilton Barbosa , Espinosa Denise Crocce Romano , Vaughan James , Tenório Jorge Alberto Soares
Published: July 2022

The European Union and several countries/regions classified the rare-earth elements (REEs), such as lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, and scandium, as critical due to the risk of supply interruption. For this reason, the growing demand for REEs has resulted in forgotten reserves receiving economic interest. So, the search for new sources and the development of chemical process is important, such as silicate-based ore. Since there is almost no literature on the extraction of REEs from this source, a new approach was developed in the present study. Direct leaching and acid baking were studied using sulfuric acid. The effect of the acid concentration, temperature, solid-liquid ratio, oxidizing/reducing medium, and acid dosage were studied. Results showed that the extraction of REEs achieved up to 80% at 90 °C in oxidizing medium, and scandium and iron achieved 13.5% and 65.0%, respectively. For the acid baking experiments, the results were better than direct leaching for REEs at over 85%. The scandium leaching rate was lower than direct leaching. On the other hand, the extraction of iron was lower in acid baking than direct leaching. The iron and scandium extraction rates were higher in lower temperatures (<200 °C) and acid dosages, achieving 50% and 6.3%, respectively. Future studies should explore thermal treatment before acid leaching.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Sn58Bi Components Prepared by Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion
Authors: Yang Chuan , Ding Ding , Sun Kaihua , Sun Mingyan , Chen Jie , Wang Yingying , Zhang Yonghao , Zhan Bowen
Published: July 2022

As a low melting point alloy, Sn58Bi alloy plays a unique role in many fields. However, the brittleness of Sn58Bi alloy is a limitation that has to be addressed for wider applications. According to previous studies, third element addition is favorable for improved ductility, which is attributable to structure refinement. Therefore, laser beam powder bed fusion technology was adopted to prepare Sn58Bi alloy components. Additionally, the as-printed specimens presented more refined structures compared to the as-cast specimen, so they showed better plasticity. The Sn58Bi alloy showed excellent formability when specimens were prepared by LBPBF between 40–80 W. The density of specimens nearly remained stable above laser power higher than 40 W, and CT scanning could not detect internal defects, so the Sn58Bi alloy specimen was likely to be well fabricated at high laser power. Within the laser power range of 40–80 W, with the variation of laser power or scanning velocity, the laser energy density changed accordingly, and the mechanical strength of specimens was improved with the increase of laser power density. This strength change was probably related to the microstructure evolution and internal residual stress in the printing process.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Molecular Characterization of Escherichia coli Recovered from Milk and Related Samples
Authors: Adzitey Frederick , Yussif Saniyatu , Ayamga Roland , Zuberu Sumaila , Addy Francis , Adu-Bonsu Gideon , Huda Nurul , Kobun Rovina
Published: July 2022

There is a rising concern about illnesses resulting from milk consumption due to contamination by pathogenic microorganisms including Escherichia coli. This study examined the occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli isolated from cow milk and related samples. Furthermore, partial sequencing was done to ascertain the genetic relatedness and possible cross contamination among the samples. In all, 250 samples, that is, 50 each of raw milk, cow teat, milkers’ hands, milking utensils, and fecal matter of cows, were cultured for the identification of E. coli. E. coli was detected in 101/250 samples (40.4%). Milk and fecal samples recorded the highest percentages of 68.0% and 66.0%, respectively. Forty-two (42) E. coli strains examined for antimicrobial resistance showed an overall 25.5% resistance, 15.0% intermediate resistance, and 59.5% susceptibility. The isolates had a high level of resistance to teicoplanin (100.0%), but were susceptible to chloramphenicol (95.2%) and azithromycin (92.9%). The Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index pattern ranged from 0.1 to 0.5, and 40.5% exhibited multiple drug resistance. The E. coli strains formed 11 haplotypes, and a phylogenic tree analysis showed relatedness among the isolates in other African countries. This observation is an indication of cross contamination among the milk and its related samples.
Co-Occurrence Relationship and Stochastic Processes Affect Sedimentary Archaeal and Bacterial Community Assembly in Estuarine–Coastal Margins
Authors: Yue Yihong , Tang Yi , Cai Ling , Yang Zhihong , Chen Xueping , Ouyang Yurong , Dai Juanjuan , Yang Ming
Published: July 2022

Sedimentary microorganisms play crucial roles in maintaining the functional stability of aquatic ecosystems. However, their taxonomic composition and assembly processes are not well known in estuarine–coastal margins because of their complex environment. We investigated microbial communities, co-occurrence relationships, and underlying mechanisms in 33 surface sediment samples collected in the Jiulong River Estuary and the Taiwan Strait to reveal their composition dynamics. The abundance, diversity, and composition of microorganisms demonstrated obvious spatial variables. Methanobacterium and Methanosarcina, as well as Candidatus_Nitrosopumilus and Nitrososphaeraceae were the main methanogenic and ammonia-oxidizing archaea, with an average abundance of more than 5.91% and 4.27%, respectively. Along with a salinity gradient increase, the relative abundance of methanogenic archaea (from 42.9% to 16.6%) contrasted with the trend of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (from 6.04% to 18.7%). The number of methanogenic archaea gradually decreased with increasing geographic distance (p < 0.05), whereas ammonia-oxidizing archaea showed no significant change (p > 0.05). In co-occurrence patterns, closer inter-taxa connections were observed among archaea–archaea and bacteria–bacteria than in archaea–bacteria, which indicated that coexistence within the same kingdom was greater than interaction between different kingdoms in shaping the community structure along the salinity gradient. Furthermore, null model analyses of the microbial community showed that undominated was the most prominent process, explaining over 44.9% of community variation, followed by heterogeneous selection and dispersal limitation, which contributed to 27.7% and 16.3%, respectively. We demonstrated that stochasticity, rather than determinism, regulates community assembly. These results further highlight that intra-kingdom co-occurrence and stochastic processes shape the structure and assembly of microbial communities in estuarine–coastal margins.
Rickettsia felis and Other Rickettsia Species in Chigger Mites Collected from Wild Rodents in North Carolina, USA
Authors: Ponnusamy Loganathan , Garshong Reuben , McLean Bryan S. , Wasserberg Gideon , Durden Lance A. , Crossley Dac , Apperson Charles S. , Roe R. Michael
Published: July 2022

Chiggers are vectors of rickettsial pathogenic bacteria, Orientia spp., that cause the human disease, scrub typhus, in the Asian–Pacific area and northern Australia (known as the Tsutsugamushi Triangle). More recently, reports of scrub typhus in Africa, southern Chile, and the Middle East have reshaped our understanding of the epidemiology of this disease, indicating it has a broad geographical distribution. Despite the growing number of studies and discoveries of chigger-borne human disease outside of the Tsutsugamushi Triangle, rickettsial pathogens in chigger mites in the US are still undetermined. The aim of our study was to investigate possible Rickettsia DNA in chiggers collected from rodents in North Carolina, USA. Of 46 chiggers tested, 47.8% tested positive for amplicons of the 23S-5S gene, 36.9% tested positive for 17 kDa, and 15.2% tested positive for gltA. Nucleotide sequence analyses of the Rickettsia-specific 23S-5S intergenic spacer (IGS), 17 kDa, and gltA gene fragments indicated that the amplicons from these chiggers were closely related to those in R. felis, R. conorii, R. typhi, and unidentified Rickettsia species. In this study, we provide the first evidence of Rickettsia infection in chiggers collected from rodents within the continental USA. In North Carolina, a US state with the highest annual cases of spotted fever rickettsioses, these results suggest chigger bites could pose a risk to public health, warranting further study.
Host Microbiota Balance in Teenagers with Gum Hypertrophy Concomitant with Acne Vulgaris: Role of Oral Hygiene Associated with Topical Probiotics
Authors: Mosaico Giovanna , Artuso Giulia , Pinna Mara , Denotti Gloria , Orrù Germano , Casu Cinzia
Published: July 2022

Gum hypertrophy is a very frequent condition linked to orthodontic treatment, especially in teenagers, and the same time, about 80% of young adults are affected by acne vulgaris, a chronic inflammatory skin disease, typically treated with antibacterial therapy. The use of probiotics has gained popularity in the medical field, and many studies have demonstrated its effectiveness, such as the positive effects of some bacterial strains belonging to Lactobacillus species. The aim of this study is to document the effect of Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) on facial skin that was randomly observed in two orthodontic patients. We present two case reports of a 14-year-old female patient and a 15-year-old male patient suffering from acne vulgaris who, during fixed orthodontic treatment, showed clinical signs of gingivitis with high values of Full Mouth Plaque Score (FMPS) and Bleeding on Probing (BOP). The patients were treated first with professional oral hygiene sessions and Scaling and Root Planing (SRP) procedures, and then with the administration of a formulate containing L. reuteri as a probiotic. The follow-up was made at four weeks. During the follow-up analysis, both patients showed a significant clinical remission for gum hypertrophy and skin acne vulgaris.
Chromian Spinels from Kazanian-Stage Placers in the Southern Pre-Urals, Bashkiria, Russia: Morphological and Chemical Features and Evidence for Provenance
Authors: Rakhimov Ildar R. , Saveliev Dmitri E. , Rassomakhin Mikhail A. , Samigullin Aidar A.
Published: July 2022

Six minor alluvial chromite placers (Kolkhoznyi Prud, Verkhne-Yaushevo, Sukhoy Izyak, Bazilevo, Novomikhaylovka, Kiryushkino) and one major littoral placer (Sabantuy) were found in sandy sediments of the Kazanian stage of the Permian System (Late Roadian and Wordian Stages) in the Southern Pre-Urals. It is shown that the morphological features of chromian spinels are diverse, which is not evidence of the heterogeneity of the source. The bulk chemical composition of chromian spinels from all placers is similar and generally correlates with compositions of chromian spinels from the Kraka ophiolitic complex in the Southern Urals. The morphological diversity of grains, varied chemical composition and presence of melt inclusions in Ti-high octahedral grains of chromian spinels comply with the ophiolitic nature of the source. Thus, there is no need to refer to other sources for chromite ores but ophiolitic. The new placers expand the dissemination area of chromite-bearing deposits on the east edge of the East-European Platform and offer a prospect to discover new placers.
Governance in state-owned companies: an empirical analysis with sectoral effects
Authors: Smotritskaya I. I. , Frolova N. D.
Published: July 2022

The article presents the results of empirical research of governance quality in joint-stock companies with state participation. A comprehensive approach to assessing the quality of governance which involves estimating specific indices of corporate governance quality characterizing the activities of key elements of the existing management system is used. An econometric assessment of the impact of private indices on the companies' EBITDA performance was carried out, also taking into account the companies' sectoral affiliation factor. The research sample consisted of 99 largest Russian companies from various industries. A comparative analysis was made of the results of corporate governance quality assessment in companies with state participation and in private companies. Based on the results of the study the most acute problems of corporate governance systems in companies with state participation, which should be considered when developing principles for reforming the existing model of governance to adapt to the new economic reality.
Research and development of changes in the management of the information economy of the organization
Authors: Astafeva N. S.
Published: July 2022

The emergence of new information technologies and resources creates the need to manage the phenomenon of information. In the management activity of any organization, information management has become an extremely important management process. The information management process of the organization includes a subprocess of information economy management. The investigation of the specified subprocess implies fixing the state of the subprocess at the current time, identifying problems and contradictions existing in the subprocess, making proposals for their elimination or minimization. To achieve this goal, the necessary methodological tools have been identified to achieve the results of the proposals put forward.