bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modelling the Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Impact of a Newborn Screening Program for Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
Authors: Shih Sophy T. F. , Keller Elena , Wiley Veronica , Farrar Michelle A. , Wong Melanie , Chambers Georgina M.
Published: July 2022

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) are rare, inherited genetic disorders with severe mortality and morbidity. The benefits of early diagnosis and initiation of treatment are now increasingly recognized, with the most benefits in patients treated prior to symptom onset. The aim of the economic evaluation was to investigate the costs and outcomes associated with the introduction of universal newborn screening (NBS) for SCID and SMA, by generating measures of cost-effectiveness and budget impact. A stepwise approach to the cost-effectiveness analyses by decision analytical models nested with Markov simulations for SMA and SCID were conducted from the government perspective. Over a 60-year time horizon, screening every newborn in the population and treating diagnosed SCID by early hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and SMA by gene therapy, would result in 95 QALYs gained per 100,000 newborns, and result in cost savings of USD 8.6 million. Sensitivity analysis indicates 97% of simulated results are considered cost-effective against commonly used willingness-to-pay thresholds. The introduction of combined NBS for SCID and SMA is good value for money from the long-term clinical and economic perspectives, representing a cost saving to governments in the long-term, as well as improving and saving lives.
Sustained Virological Response Is the Most Effective in Preventing Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence after Curative Treatment in Hepatitis C Virus-Positive Patients: A Study Using Decision Tree Analysis
Authors: Imai Kenji , Takai Koji , Unome Shinji , Miwa Takao , Maeda Toshihide , Hanai Tatsunori , Shirakami Yohei , Suetsugu Atsushi , Shimizu Masahito
Published: July 2022

This study evaluated the factors that affect the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive patients, who had received curative treatment for initial HCC, using decision tree analysis in 111 curative cases. The enrolled patients were divided into three groups by the decision tree analysis as follows: Patients who achieved sustained virological response (SVR) after curative treatment belonged to Group 1 (n = 33), those who did not achieve SVR and with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels < 11 ng/mL belonged to Group 2 (n = 30), and those who did not achieve SVR and with AFP levels ≥ 11 ng/mL belonged to Group 3 (n = 48). The Kaplan–Meier method revealed that Group 1 had significantly longer recurrence-free survival than Group 2 or 3 (p = 0.004). Moreover, there was no significant difference between patients achieving SVR with direct-acting antivirals and interferon therapy (p = 0.251). Group 3 had significantly poorer recurrence-free survival than Group 2 (p < 0.001). The Cox proportional hazards model demonstrated that SVR achievement was the only independent factor associated with low HCC recurrence (p = 0.005). In conclusion, patients who achieved SVR were the least prone to HCC recurrence, whereas those who did not achieve SVR and had AFP levels ≥ 11 ng/mL were the most prone to HCC recurrence.
StainCUT: Stain Normalization with Contrastive Learning
Authors: Gutiérrez Pérez José Carlos , Otero Baguer Daniel , Maass Peter
Published: July 2022

In recent years, numerous deep-learning approaches have been developed for the analysis of histopathology Whole Slide Images (WSI). A recurrent issue is the lack of generalization ability of a model that has been trained with images of one laboratory and then used to analyze images of a different laboratory. This occurs mainly due to the use of different scanners, laboratory procedures, and staining variations. This can produce strong color differences, which change not only the characteristics of the image, such as the contrast, brightness, and saturation, but also create more complex style variations. In this paper, we present a deep-learning solution based on contrastive learning to transfer from one staining style to another: StainCUT. This method eliminates the need to choose a reference frame and does not need paired images with different staining to learn the mapping between the stain distributions. Additionally, it does not rely on the CycleGAN approach, which makes the method efficient in terms of memory consumption and running time. We evaluate the model using two datasets that consist of the same specimens digitized with two different scanners. We also apply it as a preprocessing step for the semantic segmentation of metastases in lymph nodes. The model was trained on data from one of the laboratories and evaluated on data from another. The results validate the hypothesis that stain normalization indeed improves the performance of the model. Finally, we also investigate and compare the application of the stain normalization step during the training of the model and at inference.
A K-Nearest Neighbors Algorithm in Python for Visualizing the 3D Stratigraphic Architecture of the Llobregat River Delta in NE Spain
Authors: Bullejos Manuel , Cabezas David , Martín-Martín Manuel , Alcalá Francisco Javier
Published: July 2022

The k-nearest neighbors (KNN) algorithm is a non-parametric supervised machine learning classifier; which uses proximity and similarity to make classifications or predictions about the grouping of an individual data point. This ability makes the KNN algorithm ideal for classifying datasets of geological variables and parameters prior to 3D visualization. This paper introduces a machine learning KNN algorithm and Python libraries for visualizing the 3D stratigraphic architecture of sedimentary porous media in the Quaternary onshore Llobregat River Delta (LRD) in northeastern Spain. A first HTML model showed a consecutive 5 m-equispaced set of horizontal sections of the granulometry classes created with the KNN algorithm from 0 to 120 m below sea level in the onshore LRD. A second HTML model showed the 3D mapping of the main Quaternary gravel and coarse sand sedimentary bodies (lithosomes) and the basement (Pliocene and older rocks) top surface created with Python libraries. These results reproduce well the complex sedimentary structure of the LRD reported in recent scientific publications and proves the suitability of the KNN algorithm and Python libraries for visualizing the 3D stratigraphic structure of sedimentary porous media, which is a crucial stage in making decisions in different environmental and economic geology disciplines.
Exploring the Impact of Climatic Variables on Arecanut Fruit Rot Epidemic by Understanding the Disease Dynamics in Relation to Space and Time
Authors: Patil Balanagouda , Hegde Vinayaka , Sridhara Shankarappa , Narayanaswamy Hanumappa , Naik Manjunatha K. , Patil Kiran Kumar R. , Rajashekara Hosahatti , Mishra Ajay Kumar
Published: July 2022

To understand the spatio-temporal dynamics and the effect of climate on fruit rot occurrence in arecanut plantations, we evaluated the intensity of fruit rot in three major growing regions of Karnataka, India for two consecutive years (2018 and 2019). A total of 27 sampling sites from the selected regions were monitored and the percentage disease intensity (PDI) was assessed on 50 randomly selected palms. Spatial interpolation technique, ordinary kriging (OK) was employed to predict the disease occurrence at unsampled locations. OK resulted in aggregated spatial maps, where the disease intensity was substantial (40.25–72.45%) at sampling sites of the Malnad and coastal regions. Further, Moran’s I spatial autocorrelation test confirmed the presence of significant spatial clusters (p ≤ 0.01) across the regions studied. Temporal analysis indicated the initiation of disease on different weeks dependent on the sampling sites and evaluated years with significant variation in PDI, which ranged from 9.25% to 72.45%. The occurrence of disease over time revealed that the epidemic was initiated early in the season (July) at the Malnad and coastal regions in contrary to the Maidan region where the occurrence was delayed up to the end of the season (September). Correlations between environmental variables and PDI revealed that, the estimated temperature (T), relative humidity (RH) and total rainfall (TRF) significantly positively associated (p = 0.01) with disease occurrence. Regression model analysis revealed that the association between Tmax, RH1 and TRF with PDI statistically significant and the coefficients for the predictors Tmax, RH1 and TRF are 1.731, 1.330 and 0.541, respectively. The information generated in the present study will provide a scientific decision support system, to generate forecasting models and a better surveillance system to develop adequate strategies to curtail the fruit rot of arecanut.
Yeast Genomics and Its Applications in Biotechnological Processes: What Is Our Present and Near Future?
Authors: Tullio Vivian
Published: July 2022

Since molecular biology and advanced genetic techniques have become important tools in a variety of fields of interest, including taxonomy, identification, classification, possible production of substances and proteins, applications in pharmacology, medicine, and the food industry, there has been significant progress in studying the yeast genome and its potential applications. Because of this potential, as well as their manageability, safety, ease of cultivation, and reproduction, yeasts are now being extensively researched in order to evaluate a growing number of natural and sustainable applications to provide many benefits to humans. This review will describe what yeasts are, how they are classified, and attempt to provide a rapid overview of the many current and future applications of yeasts. The review will then discuss how yeasts—including those molecularly modified—are used to produce biofuels, proteins such as insulin, vaccines, probiotics, beverage preparations, and food additives and how yeasts could be used in environmental bioremediation and biocontrol for plant infections. This review does not delve into the issues raised during studies and research, but rather presents the positive outcomes that have enabled several industrial, clinical, and agricultural applications in the past and future, including the most recent on cow-free milk.
Behavioral Patterns beyond Posting Negative Reviews Online: An Empirical View
Authors: Sun Menghan , Zhao Jichang
Published: July 2022

Negative reviews on e-commerce platforms are posted to express complaints about unsatisfactory experiences. However, the exact knowledge of how online consumers post negative reviews still remains unknown. To obtain an in-depth understanding of how users post negative reviews on e-commerce platforms, a big-data-driven approach with text mining and sentiment analysis is employed to detect various behavioral patterns. Specifically, using 1,450,000 negative reviews from JD.com, the largest B2C platform in China, the posting patterns from temporal, perceptional and emotional perspectives are comprehensively explored. A massive amount of consumers across four sectors in recent 10 years is split into five levels to reveal group discrepancies at a fine resolution. The circadian rhythms of negative reviewing after making purchases are found, suggesting stable habits in online consumption. Consumers from lower levels express more intensive negative feelings, especially on product pricing and customer service attitudes, while those from upper levels demonstrate a stronger momentum of negative emotion. The value of negative reviews from higher-level consumers is thus unexpectedly highlighted because of less emotionalization and less biased narration, while the longer-lasting characteristic of these consumers’ negative responses also stresses the need for more attention from sellers. Our results shed light on implementing distinguished proactive strategies in different buyer groups to help mitigate the negative impact due to negative reviews.
Landscape and Vegetation Patterns Zoning Is a Methodological Tool for Management Costs Implications Due to Xylella fastidiosa Invasion
Authors: Bozzo Francesco , Frem Michel , Fucilli Vincenzo , Cardone Gianluigi , Garofoli Paolo Francesco , Geronimo Stefania , Petrontino Alessandro
Published: July 2022

Philaenus spumarius (Linnaeus 1758, hereafter Ps) is considered one of the main insect vectors responsible for the spread of an alien biota, Xylella fastidiosa (Wells 1987, hereafter Xf), in the Salento area, Apulia region (Southern Italy). Effective management of this biological invader depends on the continuous surveillance and monitoring of its insect vector. As such, this research elicits the invasion drivers (i.e., landscape and vegetation indicators) that influence the abundance and the dynamics of this vector and, consequently, the spatial spread of this bacterium in this Italian region. For this purpose, a spatial pattern clustering methodological approach is considered. The results reveal that spatial variation and territorial differentiation may differ from zone to zone in the same invaded area, for which effective management and monitoring planning should be addressed. Further, six agro-ecosystems zones have been identified with respect to five indicators: (i) vegetation index, (ii) intensity of cultivation, (iii) cultural diversity, (iv) density of agricultural landscape elements, and (v) altitude. This paper has public implications and contributes to an understanding of how zoning of an infected area, by an alien biota, into homogenous zones may impact its effective management costs. This approach could also be applied in other countries affected or potentially affected by the phenomenon of Xf invasion.
Geographical Data and Metadata on Land Administration in Spain
Authors: Mora-Navarro Gaspar , Femenia-Ribera Carmen , Velilla Torres Joan Manuel , Martinez-Llario Jose
Published: July 2022

Spain has a tax-oriented cadastre with legal data about properties (ownership, rights, liens, charges, and restrictions) recorded in a separate property rights registry (henceforth called land registry). This paper describes the Spanish cadastre and land registry by focusing on the new coordination system set by Law 13/2015. Since Law 13/2015 came into force in Spain, cadastral cartography is the basis for knowing where land registry units are located. The new coordination system sets a procedure to update the cadastral parcel boundary of a property when it does not match with reality. In these cases, the free-profession land surveyor sends the new property boundary through the Internet in order to update the corresponding cadastral parcel boundary. Currently, neither the cadastre nor the land registry has considered storing geographical metadata for each property boundary in a standardised way. As boundaries show the limits of individual properties, boundary metadata denote the accuracy with which such ownership rights are indicated. We propose that, for these boundary update cases, the Spanish cadastre also allows the upload of qualitative and quantitative instances of the data quality class of the Spanish Metadata Core standard, and this information be available for users, for example in an XML file. These metadata provide justified information about how the boundary has been obtained and its accuracy. Software has been developed to manage this metadata of each property boundary, in order to allow us to evaluate whether or not this information is useful. We present the conclusions about some real-life tests of property delimitations.
Knowledge Mapping on Nepal’s Protected Areas Using CiteSpace and VOSviewer
Authors: Chang Liang , Watanabe Teiji , Xu Hanlin , Han Jiho
Published: July 2022

Protected areas (PAs) play a vital role in environmental conservation, particularly in Asian countries. Numerous studies were conducted on PAs in Nepal. We analyzed 864 papers from the Web of Science database using two visualization tools: VOSviewer and CiteSpace. This study identified the most influential journals, institutions, countries, and regions. In addition, we investigated the changing trend of research hotspots on PAs in Nepal. Keyword mapping was conducted for each type of PA and their differences were compared. We found that the research hotspots are changing with the shifting of conservation policies in Nepal. We suggest conducting more predictive studies on the future development of PAs. Currently, PA research is mainly conducted in traditional disciplines, but with the impact of climate change and the consequent increase in its negative impacts, academic contributions from other disciplines are expected to increase much more. We found that there was a shift in research power in countries and regions. We also detected an imbalanced distribution in which “protected areas” and “national parks” have been studied the most. Only 12 publications were about the hunting reserve, despite its importance to snow leopard conservation and economic significance to the buffer zone communities.
rel-2-[4-Chloro-2-[(5R,6R,7S)-6-[5-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-(2-naphthyl)-3,4-dihydropyrazole-2-carbonyl]-5-methyl-2-oxo-3,5,6,7-tetrahydrothiopyrano[2,3-d]thiazol-7-yl]phenoxy]acetic Acid
Authors: Yushyn Ihor , Holota Serhii , Ivantsiv Oksana , Lesyk Roman
Published: July 2022

The hetero-Diels–Alder reaction is the main synthetic tool for obtaining pharmacological agents with a thiopyrano[2,3-d]thiazole motif. In the present work, an efficient method for the synthesis of pyrazoline-containing thiopyrano[2,3-d]thiazole is described. The pyrazoline-bearing dienophile was proposed and used as effective building block for the synthesis of the title compound. The structure of the synthesized rel-2-[4-chloro-2-[(5R,6R,7S)-6-[5-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-(2-naphthyl)-3,4-dihydropyrazole-2-carbonyl]-5-methyl-2-oxo-3,5,6,7-tetrahydrothiopyrano[2,3-d]thiazol-7-yl]phenoxy]acetic acid (3) was confirmed by 1H, 13C, 2D NMR, and LC-MS spectra. Anticancer activity in “60 lines screening” (NCI DTP protocol) was studied in vitro for the title compound.
Methods of Preparation and Performance Evaluation of ABS/Mineral Microsphere Composites Produced through FDM and Compression Molding
Authors: Angelopoulos Panagiotis M. , Vrithias Nikolaos Rafael , Viskadourakis Zacharias , Tsakiridis Petros , Vasilopoulos Konstantinos C. , Peppas Antonis , Asimakopoulos Georgios , Spyrou Anastasia V. , Karakassides Michael A. , Taxiarchou Maria , Kenanakis George
Published: July 2022

The use of amorphous microspheres as filler in composites is promising due to their light weight, low cost, incombustibility, and the ability to alter relevant properties of the final composite. Contrary to glass spheres, perlite microspheres are much cheaper and can be tailor-made to facilitate purpose-oriented alteration of the final composite. We report the use of perlite microspheres for the preparation of: (1) composites, through a compression molding (hot pressing) technique; and (2) composite filaments, in a single screw extruder, as well as their use for sample printing through Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). Proper characterization of the produced composites allows for their evaluation in terms of physical, thermal, and mechanical properties and with regards to the manufacturing technique, the filler fraction, and size. Composite samples of acceptable quality in terms of filler survival and dispersion as well as mechanical properties were produced through compression molding using fine expanded perlite microspheres (<90 μm) up to an infill ratio of 40 vol.%. Fine fillers (<90 μm) performed well in FDM, allowing printing of composite dogbone samples with a higher Young’s modulus and elongation and similar ultimate tensile strength compared to benchmark, up to an infill ratio of 20 vol.%. Composite samples present a slightly lower burning rate compared to those produced solely by ABS. Perlite microspheres present good workability in both applications, possessing satisfactory performance as filler in the composites, and can thus be assumed a promising multifunctional filler for various thermoplastics considering their low price, environmental impact, and fire rating.
Microstructure Evolution Mechanism of Ultra-Thin Dual Phase Magnesium–Lithium Alloy during Asymmetric Warm Rolling
Authors: An Shuang , Shang Deli , Chen Ming , Ma Cong , Lu Yanqing , Hu Xiaodong
Published: July 2022

Magnesium–lithium alloy is the lightest metal alloy material so far, and the ultra-thin plate is also one of the main trends in the future development of Mg-Li alloy. In order to explore how to prepare LZ91 ultra-thin Mg-Li alloy, this topic adopts the combination of the finite element method (FEM) and visco-plastic self-consistent (VPSC) calculation, electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) and tensile experiment, and uses the asymmetric warm rolling process to realize the processing of ultra-thin LZ91 Mg-Li alloy plate with a thickness of 0.25 mm. The experimental results show that the maximum basal texture strengths of 1 mm initial plate and 0.25 mm ultra-thin rolled plate are 36.02 mud and 29.19 mud, respectively. The asymmetric warm rolling process not only reduces the basal texture strength but also significantly refines the grains. The tensile strength and yield strength of 0.25 mm ultra-thin rolled plate along the rolling direction reached 206.8 MPa and 138.4 MPa, respectively. This has a positive effect on the mechanical properties of subsequent materials. VPSC results show that the base slip is the main factor in Mg-Li alloy asymmetric warm rolling, and a large number of tensile twinning are initiated due to the coordinated deformation of the body-centered cubic (BCC) phase, which is beneficial to improve the plastic deformation capacity of Mg-Li alloy.
Study on Characteristics for Reaming Titanium Alloy Ti6Al4V with Two Kinds of Cemented-Carbide Groove Reamers
Authors: Zhang Yongqiang , Wang Yongguo , Han Zhanlong
Published: July 2022

Titanium alloys have been extensively used in practical machining owing to their outstanding mechanical properties, high specific strength and low thermal deformation. In this study, the cutting experiments are carried out on Ti6Al4V material with right-hand and straight cemented-carbide groove reamers. The experimental results show that the cutting force with the right-hand reamer is smaller compared to straight groove reamer due to the groove structure. The main tool wear forms are micro-chipping, adhesive wear, abrasive wear, and coating falling off on the right-hand reamer, while there is a built-up edge and serious damage failure on the cutting edge of the straight groove reamer. Notch wear and pitting on the surface of the hole wall are mainly caused by chip adhesion and tool wear. The surface-roughness value is the lowest as the cutting speed is 60 m/min and the feed rate is 0.4 mm/rev. The holes machined by the right-hand reamer have a low hole diameter deviation with various cutting parameters. The geometric accuracy of cylindricity is higher as the feed rate is 0.4 mm/rev and the cutting speed is 40 m/min for both kinds of reamers, and the cylindricity is better with the right-hand reamer.
A Novel Decomposed Optical Architecture for Satellite Terrestrial Network Edge Computing
Authors: Guo Xiaotao , Zhang Ying , Jiang Yu , Wu Shenggang , Li Hengnian
Published: July 2022

Aiming at providing a high-performance terrestrial network for edge computing in satellite networks, we experimentally demonstrate a high bandwidth and low latency decomposed optical computing architecture based on distributed Nanoseconds Optical Switches (NOS). Experimental validation of the decomposed computing network prototype employs a four-port NOS to interconnect four processor/memory cubes. The SOA-based optical gates provide an ON/OFF ratio greater than 60 dB, enabling none-error transmission at a Bit Error Rate (BER) of 1 × 10−9. An end-to-end access latency of 122.3 ns and zero packet loss are obtained in the experimental assessment. Scalability and physical performance considering signal impairments when increasing the NOS port count are also investigated. An output OSNR of up to 30.5 dB and an none-error transmission with 1.5 dB penalty is obtained when scaling the NOS port count to 64. Moreover, exploiting the experimentally measured parameters, the network performance of NOS-based decomposed computing architecture is numerically assessed under larger network scales. The results indicate that, under a 4096-cube network scale, the NOS-based decomposed computing architecture achieves 148.5 ns end-to-end latency inside the same rack and zero packet loss at a link bandwidth of 40 Gb/s.
Enzymatic and Cellular Degradation of Carbon-Based Biconcave Nanodisks
Authors: Wei Zhiyong , Mu Qingxin , Wang Hui , Lin Guanyou , Zhang Miqin
Published: July 2022

The assessment of the biodegradability of nanomaterials is of pragmatic importance for understanding the interactions between nanomaterials and biological systems and for the determination of ultimate fate of these materials as well as their potential use. We recently developed carbon-based biconcave nanodisks (CBBNs) serving as a versatile nanocarrier for enhanced accumulation in tumors and combined photothermal-chemotherapy. Here, we investigate both the enzymatic and cellular degradation of CBBNs by monitoring their cellular response with electron microscopy, near-infrared absorbance spectroscopy, and cell viability and oxidative stress assessments. Our results show that CBBNs underwent significant degradation in solutions catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), or in the presence of macrophage cells. The ability of CBBNs to be degraded in biological systems provides suitability for their future biomedical applications.
Conidial Emulsion Formulation and Thermal Storability of Metarhizium anisopliae against Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorusferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae)
Authors: Lei Cheong Jia , Halim Najihah Abdul , Asib Norhayu , Zakaria Azlina , Azmi Wahizatul Afzan
Published: July 2022

Industrial crops including coconut palm and other palm species are seriously infested by red palm weevil (RPW), resulting in significant economic damage globally. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a mycoinsecticide utilizing conidia of Metarhizium anisopliae to control RPW and sought to investigate a new emulsion formulation for the influences of storage temperature and heat stress on conidia germination in an oil-in-glycerol emulsion system. The mycoinsecticide is an emulsion formulation which comprises an oil carrier, non-ionic surfactants, water, and glycerol, which was optimized by premixing the oil and non-ionic surfactant in different weight ratios (1:0, 9:1, 8:2, 7:3, 6:4, 5:5, 4: 6, 3: 7, 2:8, 1:9, and 0:1). From three selected oil-in-glycerol formulations, F25 was more stable in storage and had a smaller particle size (between 154.3 and 236.4 nm in diameter) and stable zeta potential (above + 30 mV) with low surface tension (29.83 ± 0.24 mN/m to 30.72 ± 0.11 mN/m at room temperature. Extended conidial viability was observed at 4 °C overall; the emulsion formulation maintained 12–15% conidial viability until the eighth week at room temperature. Heat of over 30 °C showed an inhibitory effect on conidial germination. This study revealed that the oil-in-glycerol formulation was stable and able to prolong conidial shelf life as compared to non-formulated conidia.
Hesperidin Functions as an Ergogenic Aid by Increasing Endothelial Function and Decreasing Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress and Inflammation, Thereby Contributing to Improved Exercise Performance
Authors: Imperatrice Maria , Cuijpers Iris , Troost Freddy J. , Sthijns Mireille M. J. P. E.
Published: July 2022

The regulation of blood flow to peripheral muscles is crucial for proper skeletal muscle functioning and exercise performance. During exercise, increased mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation leads to increased electron leakage and consequently induces an increase in ROS formation, contributing to DNA, lipid, and protein damage. Moreover, exercise may increase blood- and intramuscular inflammatory factors leading to a deterioration in endurance performance. The aim of this review is to investigate the potential mechanisms through which the polyphenol hesperidin could lead to enhanced exercise performance, namely improved endothelial function, reduced exercise-induced oxidative stress, and inflammation. We selected in vivo RCTs, animal studies, and in vitro studies in which hesperidin, its aglycone form hesperetin, hesperetin-metabolites, or orange juice are supplemented at any dosage and where the parameters related to endothelial function, oxidative stress, and/or inflammation have been measured. The results collected in this review show that hesperidin improves endothelial function (via increased NO availability), inhibits ROS production, decreases production and plasma levels of pro-inflammatory markers, and improves anaerobic exercise outcomes (e.g., power, speed, energy). For elite and recreational athletes, hesperidin could be used as an ergogenic aid to enhance muscle recovery between training sessions, optimize oxygen and nutrient supplies to the muscles, and improve anaerobic performance.
Nutritional Factors during and after Cancer: Impacts on Survival and Quality of Life
Authors: Salas Sébastien , Cottet Vanessa , Dossus Laure , Fassier Philippine , Ginhac Julie , Latino-Martel Paule , Romieu Isabelle , Schneider Stéphane , Srour Bernard , Touillaud Marina , Touvier Mathilde , Ancellin Raphaëlle
Published: July 2022

The French National Cancer Institute conducted a collective expertise study with researchers and clinical experts from the French Network for Nutrition And Cancer Research (NACRe Network). The objective was to update the state of knowledge on the impacts of nutritional factors on clinical endpoints during or after cancer. Data from 150 meta-analyses, pooled analyses or intervention trials and 93 cohort studies were examined; they concerned 8 nutritional factors, 6 clinical events and 20 cancer locations. This report shows that some nutritional factors have impacts on mortality and on the risks of recurrence or second primary cancer in cancer patients. Therefore, high-risk nutritional conditions can be encountered for certain cancer sites: from the diagnosis and throughout the health care pathways, weight loss (lung and esophageal cancers), malnutrition (lung, esophageal, colorectal, pancreatic, gastric and liver cancers), weight gain (colorectal, breast and kidney cancers) and alcohol consumption (upper aerodigestive cancers) should be monitored; and after cancer treatments, excess weight should be detected (colorectal, breast and kidney cancers). These situations require nutritional assessments, and even support or management by health care professionals, in the context of tertiary prevention. This report also highlights some limitations regarding the existing literature and some needs for future research.
The Ultra-Processed Food Content of School Meals and Packed Lunches in the United Kingdom
Authors: Parnham Jennie C. , Chang Kiara , Rauber Fernanda , Levy Renata B. , Millett Christopher , Laverty Anthony A. , von Hinke Stephanie , Vamos Eszter P.
Published: July 2022

British children have the highest levels of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption in Europe. Schools are posited as a positive setting for impacting dietary intake, but the level of UPFs consumed in schools is currently unknown. This study determined the UPF content of school food in the UK. We conducted a pooled cross-sectional analysis of primary (4–11 years, n = 1895) and secondary schoolchildren (11–18 years, n = 1408) from the UK’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2008–2017). Multivariable quantile regression models determined the association between meal-type (school meal or packed lunch) and lunchtime UPF intake (NOVA food classification system). We showed that on average, UPF intake was high in both primary (72.6% total lunch Kcal) and secondary schoolchildren (77.8% total lunch Kcal). Higher UPF intakes were observed in packed lunch consumers, secondary schoolchildren, and those in lower income households. This study highlights the need for a renewed focus on school food. Better guidance and policies that consider levels of industrial processing in food served in schools are needed to ensure the dual benefit of encouraging school meal uptake and equitably improving children’s diets.
Investigation of Patient-Centric 3D-Printed Orodispersible Films Containing Amorphous Aripiprazole
Authors: Lee Ju-Hyun , Park Chulhun , Song In-OK , Lee Beom-Jin , Kang Chin-Yang , Park Jun-Bom
Published: July 2022

The objective of this study was to design and evaluate an orodispersible film (ODF) composed of aripiprazole (ARP), prepared using a conventional solvent casting technique, and to fuse a three-dimensional (3D) printing technique with a hot-melt extrusion (HME) filament. Klucel® LF (hydroxypropyl cellulose, HPC) and PE-05JPS® (polyvinyl alcohol, PVA) were used as backbone polymers for 3D printing and solvent casting. HPC-, PVA-, and ARP-loaded filaments were applied for 3D printing using HME. The physicochemical and mechanical properties of the 3D printing filaments and films were optimized based on the composition of the polymers and the processing parameters. The crystalline states of drug and drug-loaded formulations were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The dissolution and disintegration of the 3D-printed films were faster than those of solvent-cast films. HPC-3D printed film was fully disintegrated within 45 ± 3.5 s. The dissolution rate of HPC films reached 80% within 30 min at pH 1.2 and pH 4.0 USP buffer. There was a difference in the dissolution rate of about 5 to 10% compared to PVA films at the same sampling time. The root mean square of the roughness (Rq) values of each sample were evaluated using atomic force microscopy. The higher the Rq value, the rougher the surface, and the larger the surface area, the more salivary fluid penetrated the film, resulting in faster drug release and disintegration. Specifically, The HPC 3D-printed film showed the highest Rq value (102.868 nm) and average surface roughness (85.007 nm). The puncture strength of 3D-printed films had desirable strength with HPC (0.65 ± 0.27 N/mm2) and PVA (0.93 ± 0.15 N/mm2) to prevent deformation compared to those of marketed film products (over 0.34 N/mm2). In conclusion, combining polymer selection and 3D printing technology could innovatively design ODFs composed of ARP to solve the unmet medical needs of psychiatric patients.
Development of a Mucoadhesive Vehicle Based on Lyophilized Liposomes for Drug Delivery through the Sublingual Mucosa
Authors: De Jesús Valle María José , Zarzuelo Castañeda Aranzazu , Maderuelo Cristina , Cencerrado Treviño Alejandro , Loureiro Jorge , Coutinho Paula , Sánchez Navarro Amparo
Published: July 2022

A pharmaceutical vehicle based on lyophilized liposomes is proposed for the buccal administration of drugs aimed at systemic delivery through the sublingual mucosa. Liposomes made of egg phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol (7/3 molar ratio) were prepared and lyophilized in the presence of different additive mixtures with mucoadhesive and taste-masking properties. Palatability was assayed on healthy volunteers. The lyophilization cycle was optimized, and the lyophilized product was compressed to obtain round and capsule-shaped tables that were evaluated in healthy volunteers. Tablets were also assayed regarding weight and thickness uniformities, swelling index and liposome release. The results proved that lyophilized liposomes in unidirectional round tablets have palatability, small size, comfortability and buccal retention adequate for sublingual administration. In contact with water fluids, the tablets swelled, and rehydrated liposomes were released at a slower rate than permeation efficiency determined using a biomimetic membrane. Permeability efficiency values of 0.72 ± 0.34 µg/cm2/min and 4.18 ± 0.95 µg/cm2/min were obtained for the liposomes with and without additives, respectively. Altogether, the results point to the vehicle proposed as a liposomal formulation suitable for systemic drug delivery through the sublingual mucosa.
Efficacy and Safety of Topical Morphine: A Narrative Review
Authors: Nosek Krzysztof , Leppert Wojciech , Puchała Łukasz , Łoń Krzysztof
Published: July 2022

Background. Opioids are the cornerstone of the therapy used in both acute and chronic pain syndromes to treat pain of moderate to severe intensity. The knowledge that opioid receptors also occur in other tissues outside the central nervous system has created a possibility for the topical use of opioids. Thus, local analgesia may be obtained without systemic adverse effects. Methods. A narrative review of scientific papers discussing the topical use of morphine was conducted. For this purpose, the PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and Mendeley databases were searched. Results. The current knowledge on topical morphine does not allow for its recommended use in everyday medical practice, but suggests it may be effective, particularly in the treatment of ulcers and erosions of inflammatory etiology and painful skin lesions including persistent post-mastectomy pain due to breast cancer. Conclusions. Topical morphine has its place beside other analgesics. An important issue is the practical possibility to meet the demand for topical formulations, which is limited by technical difficulties.
A Guide to a Pharmacist-Led Pharmacogenetic Testing and Counselling Service in an Interprofessional Healthcare Setting
Authors: Stäuble Céline K. , Jeiziner Chiara , Bollinger Anna , Wiss Florine M. , Hatzinger Martin , Hersberger Kurt E. , Ihde Thomas , Lampert Markus L. , Mikoteit Thorsten , Meyer zu Schwabedissen Henriette E. , Allemann Samuel S.
Published: July 2022

Genetic predisposition is one factor influencing interindividual drug response. Pharmacogenetic information can be used to guide the selection and dosing of certain drugs. However, the implementation of pharmacogenetics (PGx) in clinical practice remains challenging. Defining a formal structure, as well as concrete procedures and clearly defined responsibilities, may facilitate and increase the use of PGx in clinical practice. Over 140 patient cases from an observational study in Switzerland formed the basis for the design and refinement of a pharmacist-led pharmacogenetics testing and counselling service (PGx service) in an interprofessional setting. Herein, we defined a six-step approach, including: (1) patient referral; (2) pre-test-counselling; (3) PGx testing; (4) medication review; (5) counselling; (6) follow-up. The six-step approach supports the importance of an interprofessional collaboration and the role of pharmacists in PGx testing and counselling across healthcare settings.
Mechanical Characteristics of Lime-Treated Subgrade Soil Improved by Polypropylene Fiber and Class F Fly Ash
Authors: Wang Wei , Lv Beifeng , Zhang Chen , Li Na , Pu Shaoyun
Published: July 2022

To improve the limitations of lime-treated subgrade soil (LS), a series of unconsolidated and undrained triaxial tests were conducted to investigate the improvement effect of fiber modified lime-treated soil (PLS) and fly ash modified lime-treated soil (FLS). The test results showed that (1) The deviatoric stress-strain curves of LS, PLS, and FLS were basically of the softening type. (2) The addition of fiber and fly ash improved the ductility and stiffness of LS. The ductility of PLS increased by 134% compared with LS, while the mechanical strength of FLS increased by 53%. (3) The microscopic tests showed that a denser skeleton structure was generated inside LS with the addition of fiber and fly ash. (4) The deviatoric stress-strain curves of LS, PLS, and FLS under different confining pressures were better characterized with the CES curve model. The above results indicate that fiber and fly ash can effectively improve the mechanical characteristics of lime-treated subgrade soil.
Deleterious Effects of Heat Stress on Poultry Production: Unveiling the Benefits of Betaine and Polyphenols
Authors: Shakeri Majid , Le Hieu Huu
Published: July 2022

Managing and controlling environmental temperature conditions using practical strategies is crucial to avoid the negative impacts of high environmental temperature, improving poultry production and welfare. High environmental temperature is one of the significant factors challenging poultry production during hot seasons or in tropical areas causing heat stress (HS). The detrimental effects of HS on broilers range from reduced growth performance to impaired poultry meat quality. HS impairs physiological responses caused by alteration in blood parameters, which could lead to impaired product quality by reducing moisture content and altering the production of antioxidant enzymes resulting in increased oxidative stress. There has been a focus on the use of nutritional supplements as a cost effective HS amelioration strategy, such as betaine and polyphenols. Supplementing broiler chicken’s diets with polyphenols aims to enhance growth performance via reduced levels of oxidative stress in tissues under HS conditions. Furthermore, using betaine as an osmolyte aims to protect tissues during osmotic stress conditions. The current review reveals that betaine and polyphenols are essential under crucial conditions such as HS to protect tissues from oxidative damage.
Correction: Troncoso et al. Incentive Policies for Scientific Publications in the State Universities of Chile. Publications 2022, 10, 20
Authors: Troncoso Elizabeth , Ganga-Contreras Francisco , Briceño Margarita
Published: July 2022

Missing Acknowledgments [...]
Integrated Validation of Coarse Remotely Sensed Evapotranspiration Products over Heterogeneous Land Surfaces
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Liu Shaomin , Song Lisheng , Li Xiang , Jia Zhenzhen , Xu Tongren , Xu Ziwei , Ma Yanfei , Zhou Ji , Yang Xiaofan , He Xinlei , Yao Yunjun , Hu Guangcheng
Published: July 2022

Validation of remotely sensed evapotranspiration (RS_ET) products is important because their accuracy is critical for various scientific applications. In this study, an integrated validation framework was proposed for evaluating RS_ET products with coarse spatial resolution extending from homogenous to heterogeneous land surfaces. This framework was applied at the pixel and river basin scales, using direct and indirect validation methods with multisource validation datasets, which solved the spatial mismatch between ground measurements and remotely sensed products. The accuracy, rationality of spatiotemporal variations, and error sources of RS_ET products and uncertainties during the validation process were the focuses in the framework. The application of this framework is exemplified by validating five widely used RS_ET products (i.e., GLEAM, DTD, MOD16, ETMonitor, and GLASS) in the Heihe River Basin from 2012 to 2016. Combined with the results from direct (as the priority method) and indirect validation (as the auxiliary method), DTD showed the highest accuracy (1-MAPE) in the vegetation growing season (75%), followed by ETMonitor (71%), GLASS (68%), GLEAM (54%), and MOD16 (44%). Each product reasonably reflected the spatiotemporal variations in the validation dataset. ETMonitor exhibited the highest consistency with the ground truth ET at the basin scale (ETMap) (R = 0.69), followed by GLASS (0.65), DTD (0.63), MOD16 (0.62), and GLEAM (0.57). Error sources of these RS_ET products were mainly due to the limitations of the algorithms and the coarse spatial resolution of the input data, while the uncertainties in the validation process amounted to 15–28%. This work is proposed to effectively validate and improve the RS_ET products over heterogeneous land surfaces.
DU-CG-STAP Method Based on Sparse Recovery and Unsupervised Learning for Airborne Radar Clutter Suppression
Authors: Zou Bo , Wang Xin , Feng Weike , Zhu Hangui , Lu Fuyu
Published: July 2022

With a small number of training range cells, sparse recovery (SR)-based space–time adaptive processing (STAP) methods can help to suppress clutter and detect targets effectively for airborne radar. However, SR algorithms usually have problems of high computational complexity and parameter-setting difficulties. More importantly, non-ideal factors in practice will lead to the degraded clutter suppression performance of SR-STAP methods. Based on the idea of deep unfolding (DU), a space–time two-dimensional (2D)-decoupled SR network, namely 2DMA-Net, is constructed in this paper to achieve a fast clutter spectrum estimation without complicated parameter tuning. For 2DMA-Net, without using labeled data, a self-supervised training method based on raw radar data is implemented. Then, to filter out the interferences caused by non-ideal factors, a cycle-consistent adversarial network (CycleGAN) is used as the image enhancement process for the clutter spectrum obtained using 2DMA-Net. For CycleGAN, an unsupervised training method based on unpaired data is implemented. Finally, 2DMA-Net and CycleGAN are cascaded to achieve a fast and accurate estimation of the clutter spectrum, resulting in the DU-CG-STAP method with unsupervised learning, as demonstrated in this paper. The simulation results show that, compared to existing typical SR-STAP methods, the proposed method can simultaneously improve clutter suppression performance and reduce computational complexity.
Boosting Quantum Battery-Based IoT Gadgets via RF-Enabled Energy Harvesting
Authors: Gautam Sumit , Solanki Sourabh , Sharma Shree Krishna , Chatzinotas Symeon , Ottersten Björn
Published: July 2022

The search for a highly portable and efficient supply of energy to run small-scale wireless gadgets has captivated the human race for the past few years. As a part of this quest, the idea of realizing a Quantum battery (QB) seems promising. Like any other practically tractable system, the design of QBs also involve several critical challenges. The main problem in this context is to ensure a lossless environment pertaining to the closed-system design of the QB, which is extremely difficult to realize in practice. Herein, we model and optimize various aspects of a Radio-Frequency (RF) Energy Harvesting (EH)-assisted, QB-enabled Internet-of-Things (IoT) system. Several RF-EH modules (in the form of micro- or nano-meter-sized integrated circuits (ICs)) are placed in parallel at the IoT receiver device, and the overall correspondingly harvested energy helps the involved Quantum sources achieve the so-called quasi-stable state. Concretely, the Quantum sources absorb the energy of photons that are emitted by a photon-emitting device controlled by a micro-controller, which also manages the overall harvested energy from the RF-EH ICs. To investigate the considered framework, we first minimize the total transmit power under the constraints on overall harvested energy and the number of RF-EH ICs at the QB-enabled wireless IoT device. Next, we optimize the number of RF-EH ICs, subject to the constraints on total transmit power and overall harvested energy. Correspondingly, we obtain suitable analytical solutions to the above-mentioned problems, respectively, and also cross-validate them using a non-linear program solver. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is reported in the form of numerical results, which are both theoretical and simulations based, by taking a range of operating system parameters into account.