bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unbalanced IDO1/IDO2 Endothelial Expression and Skewed Keynurenine Pathway in the Pathogenesis of COVID-19 and Post-COVID-19 Pneumonia
Authors: Chilosi Marco , Doglioni Claudio , Ravaglia Claudia , Martignoni Guido , Salvagno Gian Luca , Pizzolo Giovanni , Bronte Vincenzo , Poletti Venerino
Published: June 2022

Despite intense investigation, the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and the newly defined long COVID-19 syndrome are not fully understood. Increasing evidence has been provided of metabolic alterations characterizing this group of disorders, with particular relevance of an activated tryptophan/kynurenine pathway as described in this review. Recent histological studies have documented that, in COVID-19 patients, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) enzymes are differentially expressed in the pulmonary blood vessels, i.e., IDO1 prevails in early/mild pneumonia and in lung tissues from patients suffering from long COVID-19, whereas IDO2 is predominant in severe/fatal cases. We hypothesize that IDO1 is necessary for a correct control of the vascular tone of pulmonary vessels, and its deficiency in COVID-19 might be related to the syndrome’s evolution toward vascular dysfunction. The complexity of this scenario is discussed in light of possible therapeutic manipulations of the tryptophan/kynurenine pathway in COVID-19 and post-acute COVID-19 syndromes.
Angiopoietin-2 Inhibition of Thrombomodulin-Mediated Anticoagulation—A Novel Mechanism That May Contribute to Hypercoagulation in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Hultström Michael , Fromell Karin , Larsson Anders , Persson Barbro , Nilsson Bo , Quaggin Susan E. , Betsholtz Christer , Frithiof Robert , Lipcsey Miklos , Jeansson Marie
Published: June 2022

Hypercoagulation and endothelial dysfunction play central roles in severe forms of COVID-19 infections, but the molecular mechanisms involved are unclear. Increased plasma levels of the inflammatory cytokine and TIE2 receptor antagonist Angiopoietin-2 were reported in severely ill COVID-19 patients. In vitro experiments suggest that Angiopoietin-2 bind and inhibits thrombomodulin. Thrombomodulin is expressed on the luminal surface of endothelial cells where it is an important member of the intrinsic anticoagulant pathway through activation of protein C. Using clinical data, mouse models, and in vitro assays, we tested if Angiopoietin-2 plays a causal role in COVID-19-associated hypercoagulation through direct inhibition of thrombin/thrombomodulin-mediated physiological anticoagulation. Angiopoietin-2 was measured in 61 patients at admission, and after 10 days in the 40 patients remaining in the ICU. We found that Angiopoietin-2 levels were increased in COVID-19 patients in correlation with disease severity, hypercoagulation, and mortality. In support of a direct effect of Angiopoietin-2 on coagulation, we found that injected Angiopoietin-2 in mice associated to thrombomodulin and resulted in a shortened tail bleeding time, decreased circulating levels of activated protein C, and increased plasma thrombin/antithrombin complexes. Conversely, bleeding time was increased in endothelial-specific Angiopoietin-2 knockout mice, while knockout of Tie2 had no effect on tail bleeding. Using in vitro assays, we found that Angiopoietin-2 inhibited thrombomodulin-mediated anticoagulation and protein C activation in human donor plasma. Our data suggest a novel in vivo mechanism for Angiopoietin-2 in COVID-19-associated hypercoagulation, implicating that Angiopoietin-2 inhibitors may be effective in the treatment of hypercoagulation in severe COVID-19 infection.
Deletion of Toxoplasma Rhoptry Protein 38 (PruΔrop38) as a Vaccine Candidate for Toxoplasmosis in a Murine Model
Authors: Wu Yayun , Zhou Zihui , Ying Zhu , Xu Ying , Liu Jing , Liu Qun
Published: June 2022

Toxoplasmosis is a serious zoonotic disease that threatens human and animal health. Here, we evaluated the vaccine potential of the deletion of Toxoplasma rhoptry protein 38 (PruΔrop38) through its pathogenicity and immunoprotective efficacy in mice. Mice inoculated intraperitoneally with 1 × 103, 2 × 103, or 4 × 103 PruΔrop38 showed no visible signs, whereas mice inoculated with 1 × 103 parental Pru strain showed obvious wasting and bow-back, suggesting a significantly lower pathogenicity of PruΔrop38 in mice. Vaccination with 1 × 102 PruΔrop38 triggered a mixed Th1/Th2 response (Th1 response predominant), with higher IgG, IgG2a, and IgG1 levels in serum from week 3 to week 12, and a significant increase in IFN-γ, IL-12, and IL-10 in suspensions of splenocytes at 30 or 60 days post-immunization. All vaccinated mice survived when infected intraperitoneally with tachyzoites (RH, Pru, VEG, or TgcatBJ1) or when infected orally with cysts (Pru or ME49). The brain parasite burden during Pru tachyzoite, Pru cyst and ME49 cyst challenges were significantly reduced in vaccinated mice. The duration of immunization showed that vaccination with PruΔrop38 could protect mice from challenge with different varied genotypes of Toxoplasma strains against different routes of infection. Collectively, these findings indicate that PruΔrop38 is an attenuated strain that provides long-term protective efficacy against acute or chronic toxoplasmosis in mice.
Time Perception in Cocaine-Dependent Patients
Authors: Mioni Giovanna , Sanguin Naomi , Madeo Graziella , Cardullo Stefano
Published: June 2022

The involvement of the dopamine system in modulating time perception has been widely reported. Clinical conditions (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, addictions) that alter dopaminergic signaling have been shown to affect motor timing and perceived duration. The present study aimed at investigating whether the effects of chronic stimulant use on temporal processing are time-interval dependent. All participants performed two different time bisection tasks (480/1920 ms and 1200/2640 ms) in which we analysed the proportion of long responses for each stimulus duration as well as an index of perceived duration and one of sensitivity. Regarding the proportion of long responses, we found no differences between groups in either time bisection task but patients had more variable results than controls did in both tasks. This study provides new insight into temporal processing in stimulant-dependent patients. Regardless of the time interval tested, the results showed comparable temporal ability in patients and controls, but higher temporal variability in patients. This finding is consistent with impairment of frontally-mediated cognitive functions involved in time perception rather than impairment in time processing per se.
An Exploratory Study of Consumers’ Perceptions of Product Types and Factors Affecting Purchase Intentions in the Subscription Economy: 99 Subscription Business Cases
Authors: Baek Hyehyeon , Kim Kilsun
Published: June 2022

This study examined changes in consumer perceptions of product types and purchase intentions when a subscription model is introduced for products normally sold on a one-time basis. It then proposed product types likely to affect consumers’ purchasing intentions in the subscription economy and product categories best suited for the subscription economy. To this end, an experimental study was conducted with experts and general consumers using 99 subscription business cases. It was found that a regular delivery of products on a subscription basis gradually changes consumer perceptions of the products from utilitarian to hedonic and from search to experience ones. It was also found that consumption motivation is an important predictor of consumer purchase intentions in the subscription economy. In addition, experience-utilitarian and search-utilitarian products were associated with the highest purchase intentions among experts and general consumers, respectively. This suggests that a company’s strategy should be adjusted in line with consumers’ understanding of the subscription model. Therefore, suppliers need to understand the full implications of the new model, such as changed consumer perceptions and purchasing intentions, and strive to design a subscription model that is suitable for the target segments and product selections.
Progress in Preparation and Application of Titanium Sub-Oxides Electrode in Electrocatalytic Degradation for Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Guo Siyuan , Xu Zhicheng , Hu Wenyu , Yang Duowen , Wang Xue , Xu Hao , Xu Xing , Long Zhi , Yan Wei
Published: June 2022

To achieve low-carbon and sustainable development it is imperative to explore water treatment technologies in a carbon-neutral model. Because of its advantages of high efficiency, low consumption, and no secondary pollution, electrocatalytic oxidation technology has attracted increasing attention in tackling the challenges of organic wastewater treatment. The performance of an electrocatalytic oxidation system depends mainly on the properties of electrodes materials. Compared with the instability of graphite electrodes, the high expenditure of noble metal electrodes and boron-doped diamond electrodes, and the hidden dangers of titanium-based metal oxide electrodes, a titanium sub-oxide material has been characterized as an ideal choice of anode material due to its unique crystal and electronic structure, including high conductivity, decent catalytic activity, intense physical and chemical stability, corrosion resistance, low cost, and long service life, etc. This paper systematically reviews the electrode preparation technology of Magnéli phase titanium sub-oxide and its research progress in the electrochemical advanced oxidation treatment of organic wastewater in recent years, with technical difficulties highlighted. Future research directions are further proposed in process optimization, material modification, and application expansion. It is worth noting that Magnéli phase titanium sub-oxides have played very important roles in organic degradation. There is no doubt that titanium sub-oxides will become indispensable materials in the future.
Quantitative Study of the Enhanced Content and Chemical Stability of Functional Groups in Mesoporous Silica by In-Situ Co-condensation Synthesis
Authors: Zha Hao , Zhou Tongxiao , Gan Fengli , Wang Bangda , Dai Zhongde , Jiang Xia
Published: June 2022

The chemical stability and content of organic functional groups significantly affect the application of materials in the field of adsorption. In this study, we quantitatively studied the effect of in-situ co-condensation and post grafting on the physico-chemical properties and sorption properties of modified mesoporous silica. The results showed that the grafting method changed the morphology of mesoporous silica while the in-situ method kept the spherical morphology well, and the amino groups were both successfully introduced into the materials. Besides, the amino content of the material prepared by in-situ method (ami-MSN) was 2.71 mmol/g, which was significantly higher than the 0.98 mmol/g of the grafting method (ami-g-MS). Moreover, the chemical stability of functional groups in ami-MSN was much better than ami-g-MS. Furthermore, ami-MSN showed better capability in removing toxic metals of Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cu, and the removal efficiency of Pb reached 98.80%. Besides, ami-MSN exhibited higher dynamic CO2 adsorption of 0.78 mmol/g than ami-g-MS of 0.34 mmol/g. This study revealed the relationship between modification methods and the modification efficiency, functional groups stability, and sorption properties through quantitative comparative studies, which provided a reference for preparing modified mesoporous silica materials with high sorption properties.
Novel and Green Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Cohered Fe3O4 Nanoparticles with Rich Oxygen Vacancies and Its Application
Authors: Cao Xinxiang , Zhu Huijie , Jang Ben W.-L. , Mirjalili Arash , Yang Chunlai , Jiang Luoqing , Tang Siye , Zhang Junjie , Qin Juanjuan , Zhang Long
Published: June 2022

A one-pot and green synthesis methodology was successfully designed to prepare nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) cohered Fe3O4 nanoparticles with rich oxygen vacancies (Fe3O4-OVs/NC). The preparation was achieved via cold-atmospheric-pressure air plasma using Fe2O3 nanoparticles as the only precursor, and pyridine as the carbon and nitrogen source. Systematic characterization results of the as-prepared Fe3O4-OVs/NC confirmed the transition from Fe2O3 to Fe3O4, along with the generation of oxygen vacancies, while preserving the original needle-like morphology of Fe2O3. Moreover, the results indicated the formation of the NC attaching to the surface of the formed Fe3O4 nanoparticles with a weight percent of ~13.6%. The synthesized nanocomposite was further employed as a heterogeneous Fenton catalyst to remove phenol from an aqueous solution. The material has shown excellent catalytic activity and stability, demonstrating a promising application for wastewater treatment.
High Expression of a Cancer Stemness-Related Gene, Chromobox 8 (CBX8), in Normal Tissue Adjacent to the Tumor (NAT) Is Associated with Poor Prognosis of Colorectal Cancer Patients
Authors: Ng Lui , Li Hung-Sing , Man Abraham Tak-Ka , Chow Ariel Ka-Man , Foo Dominic Chi-Chung , Lo Oswens Siu-Hung , Pang Roberta Wen-Chi , Law Wai-Lun
Published: June 2022

Background: Several studies have demonstrated that the molecular profile of normal tissue adjacent to the tumor (NAT) is prognostic for recurrence in patients with different cancers. This study investigated the clinical significance of CBX8 gene expression, a cancer stemness-related gene, in tumor and NAT tissue of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Methods: The gene level of CBX8 in paired CRC and NAT specimens from 95 patients was determined by quantitative PCR. CBX8 protein level in CRC and NAT specimens from 66 patients was determined by immunohistochemistry. CBX8 gene and protein levels were correlated with the patients’ clinicopathological parameters and circulatory immune cell profiles. The association between CBX8 and pluripotency-associated genes was analyzed using the TCGA database. Results: NAT CBX8 gene level positively correlated with TNM stage, tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis, indicating its association with tumor progression and metastasis. There was no correlation between NAT CBX8 protein level and clinicopathological parameters. Moreover, a high level of CBX8 gene and protein in NAT both correlated with poor DFS and OS. There was an inverse correlation between CBX8 gene level and post-operative platelet counts and platelet to lymphocyte level, suggesting its association with systematic inflammation. Finally, TCGA analysis showed that CBX8 level was correlated with a couple of pluripotency-associated genes, supporting its association with cancer stemness. Conclusions: High NAT CBX8 is a poor prognostic factor for tumor progression and survival in CRC patients.
p66Shc in Cardiovascular Pathology
Authors: Haslem Landon , Hays Jennifer M. , Hays Franklin A.
Published: June 2022

p66Shc is a widely expressed protein that governs a variety of cardiovascular pathologies by generating, and exacerbating, pro-apoptotic ROS signals. Here, we review p66Shc’s connections to reactive oxygen species, expression, localization, and discuss p66Shc signaling and mitochondrial functions. Emphasis is placed on recent p66Shc mitochondrial function discoveries including structure/function relationships, ROS identity and regulation, mechanistic insights, and how p66Shc-cyt c interactions can influence p66Shc mitochondrial function. Based on recent findings, a new p66Shc mitochondrial function model is also put forth wherein p66Shc acts as a rheostat that can promote or antagonize apoptosis. A discussion of how the revised p66Shc model fits previous findings in p66Shc-mediated cardiovascular pathology follows.
The Evolution and the Impact of Refractive Errors on Academic Performance: A Pilot Study of Portuguese School-Aged Children
Authors: Martinez-Perez Clara , Alvarez-Peregrina Cristina , Brito Rita , Sánchez-Tena Miguel ,   Grupo de Investigação Optovisão ISEC Lisboa
Published: June 2022

The relationship between vision and academic performance has been discussed for a long time, with special emphasis on visual factors associated with learning problems. The objective of this pilot study is to obtain an initial idea about the evolution and the impact of refractive errors on school-aged children. A visual examination was performed on 252 children between the ages of 6 and 11 years, which consisted of objective refraction, subjective refraction, and accommodative and binocular tests. No significant differences were observed regarding the refractive state when taking academic performance into account (p > 0.05). However, it was determined that academic performance was better among children with a negative spherical equivalent. Studies with a larger sample size must be conducted to verify the results that were attained in this present pilot study, and these must likewise look at possible ways in which strategies can be implemented in schools to reduce myopia progression.
Noble Infrared Optical Thickness Monitoring System Based on the Algorithm of Phase-Locked Output Current–Reflectivity Coefficient
Authors: Dong Suotao , Fu Xiuhua , Li Cheng
Published: June 2022

With the rapid development of modern science and technology, the application of infrared (IR) optical thin films is increasingly widespread, including in aerospace, autonomous driving, military development, and the fight against Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), in which thin film devices play an important role. Similarly, with the improvement of user requirements, the precision requirements for the preparation of optical films are also developing and improving. In this paper, the IR optical thickness monitoring system is studied with the noble algorithm introducing the phase-locked amplifier current and single film reflectivity coefficient. An optical control system is developed to monitor the IR thin film accurately, which aids the IR narrow-band filter film research.
Research on the Effect of Tip Surface Coatings on High-Speed Spindles’ Noise
Authors: Yu Hechun , Li Wenchao , Wang Jin , Zhang Suxiang , Cao Xiucheng , Wang Renzong , Zhang Guoqing , Yin Xiaolong
Published: June 2022

The contact interface between the stator and the rotor tip of the spindle could be destructed when the spindle is rotating continually at high speed, which will cause strong noise and severe vibration. In order to reduce the sound pressure level of the noise generated by the rotating spindle, three different coating materials, that is, Al-Ti-Cr-C, Ti-C and DLC, were applied to the rotor tip surface of the spindle. The effects of the coating materials on the sound pressure levels of the rotating spindles were studied by using the treated spindles and the untreated spindles. Results showed that compared with Coating Al-Ti-Cr-C, the Coating Ti-C containing only the two main elements of Ti and C produces the smallest sound pressure level in the experiment speed range; the surface roughness of Coating DLC is smaller, but the sound pressure level of the entire spindle becomes larger than Coating Ti-C; the sound pressure level of the spindles with surface coating treatment is obviously lower than that of the spindles without coating treatment. The research results can provide basic data for the design and production of noiseless spinning spindles.
The Influence of Thin Gold Electrodes on the High-Temperature Impedance of Oxide Glasses
Authors: Wójcik Natalia Anna , Barczyński Ryszard Jan
Published: June 2022

The influence of thin gold electrodes on the electrical measurements of glasses at high temperatures was studied using impedance spectroscopy. The impedance was measured several times over a wide frequency range from 10 mHz to 1 MHz and the temperature ranged from 213 to 673 K under air and nitrogen atmospheres. The results showed a drop in the conductivity of more than an order of magnitude at a temperature around 603 K during heating. An additional relaxation process was found at the low-frequency region. The occurred process was correlated with the thermal disintegration of the gold nano-layer used as an improvement in the electrical contact. The possible ambiguous interpretation of high-temperature impedance spectra was presented as a consequence of performing the electrical measurements only during heating or cooling while using unstable thin gold electrodes. Moreover, a possible solution to this problem was proposed.
Lidocaine Pharmaceutical Multicomponent Forms: A Story about the Role of Chloride Ions on Their Stability
Authors: Verdugo-Escamilla Cristóbal , Alarcón-Payer Carolina , Acebedo-Martínez Francisco Javier , Fernández-Penas Raquel , Domínguez-Martín Alicia , Choquesillo-Lazarte Duane
Published: June 2022

In this investigation, three new crystal forms of lidocaine, and another three of lidocaine hydrochloride with hydroquinone, resorcinol, and pyrogallol were synthetised. All the new forms were characterised using multiple techniques, PXRD, SC-XRD, DSC, and FTIR. The stability of the forms was studied, and, for the more stable forms, i.e., (lidhcl) forms, the solubility was determined through FTIR analysis. The new crystalline forms obtained with (lidhcl) and the three coformers showed an interesting steric stabilisation mechanism of the oxidation of hydroxybenzenes and showed good physicochemical properties with respect to (lidhcl), constituting a mechanism of modulation of the physicochemical properties.
The Phylogeny of Rays and Skates (Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii) Based on Morphological Characters Revisited
Authors: Villalobos-Segura Eduardo , Marramà Giuseppe , Carnevale Giorgio , Claeson Kerin M. , Underwood Charlie J. , Naylor Gavin J. P. , Kriwet Jürgen
Published: June 2022

Elasmobranchii are relatively well-studied. However, numerous phylogenetic uncertainties about their relationships remain. Here, we revisit the phylogenetic evidence based on a detailed morphological re-evaluation of all the major extant batomorph clades (skates and rays), including several holomorphic fossil taxa from the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic, and an extensive outgroup sampling, which includes sharks, chimaeras and several other fossil chondrichthyans. The parsimony and maximum-likelihood analyses found more resolved but contrasting topologies, with the Bayesian inference tree neither supporting nor disfavouring any of them. Overall, the analyses result in similar clade compositions and topologies, with the Jurassic batomorphs forming the sister clade to all the other batomorphs, whilst all the Cretaceous batomorphs are nested within the remaining main clades. The disparate arrangements recovered under the different criteria suggest that a detailed study of Jurassic taxa is of utmost importance to present a more consistent topology in the deeper nodes, as issues continue to be present when analysing those clades previously recognized only by molecular analyses (e.g., Rhinopristiformes and Torpediniformes). The consistent placement of fossil taxa within specific groups by the different phylogenetic criteria is promising and indicates that the inclusion of more fossil taxa in the present matrix will likely not cause loss of resolution, therefore suggesting that a strong phylogenetic signal can be recovered from fossil taxa.
The Complete Mitochondrial Genome of a Neglected Breed, the Peruvian Creole Cattle (Bos taurus), and Its Phylogenetic Analysis
Authors: Arbizu Carlos I. , Ferro-Mauricio Rubén D. , Chávez-Galarza Julio C. , Vásquez Héctor V. , Maicelo Jorge L. , Poemape Carlos , Gonzales Jhony , Quilcate Carlos , Corredor Flor-Anita
Published: June 2022

Cattle spread throughout the American continent during the colonization years, originating creole breeds that adapted to a wide range of climate conditions. The population of creole cattle in Peru is decreasing mainly due to the introduction of more productive breeds in recent years. During the last 15 years, there has been significant progress in cattle genomics. However, little is known about the genetics of the Peruvian creole cattle (PCC) despite its importance to (i) improving productivity in the Andean region, (ii) agricultural labor, and (iii) cultural traditions. In addition, the origin and phylogenetic relationship of the PCC are still unclear. In order to promote the conservation of the PCC, we sequenced the mitochondrial genome of a creole bull, which also possessed exceptional fighting skills and was employed for agricultural tasks, from the highlands of Arequipa for the first time. The total mitochondrial genome sequence is 16,339 bp in length with the base composition of 31.43% A, 28.64% T, 26.81% C, and 13.12% G. It contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a control region. Among the 37 genes, 28 were positioned on the H-strand and 9 were positioned on the L-strand. The most frequently used codons were CUA (leucine), AUA (isoleucine), AUU (isoleucine), AUC (isoleucine), and ACA (threonine). Maximum likelihood reconstruction using complete mitochondrial genome sequences showed that the PCC is related to native African breeds. The annotated mitochondrial genome of PCC will serve as an important genetic data set for further breeding work and conservation strategies.
Diagnosis and Challenges in Perinatal Health
Authors: Riquelme-Gallego Blanca , Caparros-Gonzalez Rafael A.
Published: June 2022

Perinatal health is a primary objective for health systems [...]
Deep-Learning-Based Thrombus Localization and Segmentation in Patients with Posterior Circulation Stroke
Authors: Zoetmulder Riaan , Bruggeman Agnetha , Išgum Ivana , Gavves Efstratios , Majoie Charles , Beenen Ludo , Dippel Diederik , Boodt Nikkie , den Hartog Sanne , van Doormaal Pieter , Cornelissen Sandra , Roos Yvo , Brouwer Josje , Schonewille Wouter , Pirson Anne , van Zwam Wim , van der Leij Christiaan , Brans Rutger , van Es Adriaan , Marquering Henk
Published: June 2022

Thrombus volume in posterior circulation stroke (PCS) has been associated with outcome, through recanalization. Manual thrombus segmentation is impractical for large scale analysis of image characteristics. Hence, in this study we develop the first automatic method for thrombus localization and segmentation on CT in patients with PCS. In this multi-center retrospective study, 187 patients with PCS from the MR CLEAN Registry were included. We developed a convolutional neural network (CNN) that segments thrombi and restricts the volume-of-interest (VOI) to the brainstem (Polar-UNet). Furthermore, we reduced false positive localization by removing small-volume objects, referred to as volume-based removal (VBR). Polar-UNet is benchmarked against a CNN that does not restrict the VOI (BL-UNet). Performance metrics included the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) between automated and manually segmented thrombus volumes, the thrombus localization precision and recall, and the Dice coefficient. The majority of the thrombi were localized. Without VBR, Polar-UNet achieved a thrombus localization recall of 0.82, versus 0.78 achieved by BL-UNet. This high recall was accompanied by a low precision of 0.14 and 0.09. VBR improved precision to 0.65 and 0.56 for Polar-UNet and BL-UNet, respectively, with a small reduction in recall to 0.75 and 0.69. The Dice coefficient achieved by Polar-UNet was 0.44, versus 0.38 achieved by BL-UNet with VBR. Both methods achieved ICCs of 0.41 (95% CI: 0.27–0.54). Restricting the VOI to the brainstem improved the thrombus localization precision, recall, and segmentation overlap compared to the benchmark. VBR improved thrombus localization precision but lowered recall.
Diagnostic Performance for Differential Diagnosis of Atypical Parkinsonian Syndromes from Parkinson’s Disease Using Quantitative Indices of 18F-FP-CIT PET/CT
Authors: Cheon Miju , Kim Seung Min , Ha Sang-Won , Kang Min Ju , Yang Hea-Eun , Yoo Jang
Published: June 2022

We are aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performances of quantitative indices obtained from dual-phase 18F-FP-CIT PET/CT for differential diagnosis of atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS) from Parkinson’s disease (PD). We analyzed 172 subjects, including 105 non-Parkinsonism, 26 PD, 8 PSP, 1 CBD, 8 MSA-P, 9 MSA-C, and 15 DLB retrospectively. Two sequential PET/CT scans were acquired at 5 min and 3 h. We compared subregional binding potentials, putamen-to-caudate nucleus ratio of the binding potential, asymmetry index, and degree of washout. To differentiate APS, all BPs in both early and late phases (except late BPbrainstem) and all factors of the percent change except for putamen in APS significantly differed from PD. When a cut-off for early BPcerebellum was set as 0.79, the sensitivity, specificity (SP), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy for differentiating APS 73.2%, 91.7%, 93.8%, 66.7%, and 80.0%. The early BPcerebellum showed significantly greater SP and PPV than the late quantitative indices. Combined criteria regarding both early and late indices exhibited only greater NPV. The quantitative indices showed high diagnostic performances in differentiating APS from PD. Our findings provide the dual-phase 18F-FP-CIT PET/CT would be useful for differentiating APS from PD.
Emerging Targets for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis: New Investigational Methods to Identify Neo-Vessels as Possible Targets for Embolization
Authors: Talaie Reza , Torkian Pooya , Clayton Alexander , Wallace Stephanie , Cheung Hoiwan , Chalian Majid , Golzarian Jafar
Published: June 2022

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the major cause of disability, affecting over 30 million US adults. Continued research into the role of neovascularization and inflammation related to osteoarthritis in large-animal models and human clinical trials is paramount. Recent literature on the pathogenetic model of OA has refocused on low-level inflammation, resulting in joint remodeling. As a result, this has redirected osteoarthritis research toward limiting or treating joint changes associated with persistent synovitis. The overall goal of this review is to better understand the cellular and tissue-specific mechanisms of inflammation in relation to a novel OA treatment modality, Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE). This article also assesses the utility and mechanism of periarticular neovascular embolization for the treatment of OA with a particular emphasis on the balance between pro-angiogenic and anti-angiogenic cytokines, inflammatory biomarkers, and imaging changes.
Artificial Intelligence-Based Prediction of Oroantral Communication after Tooth Extraction Utilizing Preoperative Panoramic Radiography
Authors: Vollmer Andreas , Saravi Babak , Vollmer Michael , Lang Gernot Michael , Straub Anton , Brands Roman C. , Kübler Alexander , Gubik Sebastian , Hartmann Stefan
Published: June 2022

Oroantral communication (OAC) is a common complication after tooth extraction of upper molars. Profound preoperative panoramic radiography analysis might potentially help predict OAC following tooth extraction. In this exploratory study, we evaluated n = 300 consecutive cases (100 OAC and 200 controls) and trained five machine learning algorithms (VGG16, InceptionV3, MobileNetV2, EfficientNet, and ResNet50) to predict OAC versus non-OAC (binary classification task) from the input images. Further, four oral and maxillofacial experts evaluated the respective panoramic radiography and determined performance metrics (accuracy, area under the curve (AUC), precision, recall, F1-score, and receiver operating characteristics curve) of all diagnostic approaches. Cohen’s kappa was used to evaluate the agreement between expert evaluations. The deep learning algorithms reached high specificity (highest specificity 100% for InceptionV3) but low sensitivity (highest sensitivity 42.86% for MobileNetV2). The AUCs from VGG16, InceptionV3, MobileNetV2, EfficientNet, and ResNet50 were 0.53, 0.60, 0.67, 0.51, and 0.56, respectively. Expert 1–4 reached an AUC of 0.550, 0.629, 0.500, and 0.579, respectively. The specificity of the expert evaluations ranged from 51.74% to 95.02%, whereas sensitivity ranged from 14.14% to 59.60%. Cohen’s kappa revealed a poor agreement for the oral and maxillofacial expert evaluations (Cohen’s kappa: 0.1285). Overall, present data indicate that OAC cannot be sufficiently predicted from preoperative panoramic radiography. The false-negative rate, i.e., the rate of positive cases (OAC) missed by the deep learning algorithms, ranged from 57.14% to 95.24%. Surgeons should not solely rely on panoramic radiography when evaluating the probability of OAC occurrence. Clinical testing of OAC is warranted after each upper-molar tooth extraction.
Model and Validation Study for Optimizing Students’ Positions in Classrooms to Limit the Spread of Infectious Diseases Such as COVID
Authors: Miguel Molina-Jordá José
Published: June 2022

Classrooms at any educational institution have become high-risk sites for contagion during past and present pandemic periods caused by the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) viral siege, given the prolonged time educators and students spend in joint activity. Among the several strategies employed by educational institutions to minimize the outbreak of contagion are regulating classroom capacity and studying the optimal spatial arrangement of students. The architectural features of each classroom, which include corridors, ventilation components, total volume, and maximum capacity, among other factors, have a direct impact on the risk of human contagion. This work is a proposal to optimize the spatial arrangement of students to minimize the risk of contagion, considering not only the distance between them, but also the different architectural features in the classrooms. The analyses conducted in the different scenarios conclude with a comparison of risk in terms of the arrangement of students that various educators would have used at different education levels in their classrooms based solely on intuitive criteria. The results indicate that in some situations, the locations chosen by educators can double the risk of infection compared to optimal arrangements.
The Enhanced Energy Density of rGO/TiO2 Based Nanocomposite as Electrode Material for Supercapacitor
Authors: Anandhi Palani , Harikrishnan Santhanam , Senthil Kumar Veerabadran Jawahar , Lai Wen-Cheng , Mahmoud Alaa El Din
Published: June 2022

TiO2 electrode material is a poor choice for supercapacitor electrodes because it has low conductivity, poor cyclic stability, and a low capacitance value. It is inevitable to enhance electrode materials of this kind by increasing the surface area and combining high electronic conductivity materials. In the current research work, it was proposed to combine reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as it might provide a large surface area for intercalation and deintercalation, and also, it could establish the shorter paths to ion transfer, leading to a reduction in ionic resistance. The size, surface morphology, and crystalline structure of as-prepared rGO/TiO2 nanocomposites were studied using HRTEM, FESEM, and XRD, respectively. Using an electrochemical workstation, the capacitive behaviors of the rGO/TiO2 electrode materials were assessed with respect to scan rate and current density. The capacitances obtained through cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge techniques were found to be higher when compared to TiO2 alone. Furthermore, the as-synthesized nanocomposites were able to achieve a higher energy density and better cycle stability.
A Fusion Decision-Making Architecture for COVID-19 Crisis Analysis and Management
Authors: Hu Kuang-Hua , Dong Chengjie , Chen Fu-Hsiang , Lin Sin-Jin , Hung Ming-Chin
Published: June 2022

The COVID-19 outbreak has had considerably harsh impacts on the global economy, such as shutting down and paralyzing industrial production capacity and increasing the unemployment rate. For enterprises, relying on past experiences and strategies to respond to such an unforeseen financial crisis is not appropriate or sufficient. Thus, there is an urgent requirement to reexamine and revise an enterprise’s inherent crisis management architecture so as to help it recover sooner after having encountered extremely negative economic effects. To fulfill this need, the present paper introduces a fusion architecture that integrates artificial intelligence and multiple criteria decision making to exploit essential risk factors and identify the intertwined relations between dimensions/criteria for managers to prioritize improvement plans and deploy resources to key areas without any waste. The result indicated the accurate improvement priorities, which ran in the order of financial sustainability (A), customer and stakeholders (B), enablers’ learning and growth (D), and internal business process (C) based on the measurement of the impact. The method herein will help to effectively and efficiently support crisis management for an organization confronting COVID-19. Among all the criteria, maintaining fixed reserves was the most successful factor regarding crisis management.
Low-Phase-Noise CMOS Relaxation Oscillators for On-Chip Timing of IoT Sensing Platforms
Authors: Gagliardi Francesco , Manfredini Giuseppe , Ria Andrea , Piotto Massimo , Bruschi Paolo
Published: June 2022

The design of low-phase-noise fully integrated frequency references is often a critical aspect in the development of low-cost integrated circuits for communication interfaces, sensing platforms, and biomedical applications. This work first discusses relaxation oscillator topologies and design approaches aimed at minimizing the phase noise; then, a single-comparator low-phase-noise RC relaxation oscillator is proposed, featuring a novel comparator self-threshold-adjustment technique. The oscillator was designed for a 10 MHz oscillation frequency. Electrical simulations performed on a 0.18 μm CMOS design confirmed that the proposed technique effectively rejects the flicker component of the comparator noise, allowing for a 152 dBc/Hz figure of merit at a 1 kHz offset frequency. The standard deviation of the jitter accumulated across 10k oscillation cycles is lower than 4 ns. The simulated current consumption of the circuit is equal to 50.8 μA with a 1.8 V supply voltage. The temperature sensitivity of the oscillation frequency is also notably low, as its worst-case value across process corners is equal to −20.8 ppm/°C from −55 °C to 125 °C.
A Review on Different State of Battery Charge Estimation Techniques and Management Systems for EV Applications
Authors: T Girijaprasanna , C Dhanamjayulu
Published: June 2022

Electric vehicles (EVs) have acquired significant popularity in recent decades due to their performance and efficiency. EVs are already largely acknowledged as the most promising solutions to global environmental challenges and CO2 emissions. Li-ion batteries are most frequently employed in EVs due to their various benefits. An effective Battery Management System (BMS) is essential to improve the battery performance, including charging–discharging control, precise monitoring, heat management, battery safety, and protection, and also an accurate estimation of the State of Charge (SOC). The SOC is required to provide the driver with a precise indication of the remaining range. At present, different types of estimation algorithms are available, but they still have several challenges due to their performance degradation, complex electrochemical reactions, and inaccuracy. The estimating techniques, average error, advantages, and disadvantages were examined methodically and independently for this paper. The article presents advanced SOC estimating techniques, such as LSTM, GRU, and CNN-LSMT, and hybrid techniques to estimate the average error of the SOC. A detailed comparison is presented with merits and demerits, which helped the researchers in the implementation of EV applications. This research also identified several factors, challenges, and potential recommendations for an enhanced BMS and efficient estimating approaches for future sustainable EV applications.
Band Bending and Trap Distribution along the Channel of Organic Field-Effect Transistors from Frequency-Resolved Scanning Photocurrent Microscopy
Authors: Kalemai Gion , Vagenas Nikolaos , Giannopoulou Athina , Kounavis Panagiotis
Published: June 2022

The scanning photocurrent microscopy (SPCM) method is applied to pentacene field-effect transistors (FETs). In this technique, a modulated laser beam is focused and scanned along the channel of the transistors. The resulting spatial photocurrent profile is attributed to extra free holes generated from the dissociation of light-created excitons after their interaction with trapped holes. The trapped holes result from the local upward band bending in the accumulation layer depending on the applied voltages. Thus, the photocurrent profile along the conducting channel of the transistors reflects the pattern of the trapped holes and upward band bending under the various operating conditions of the transistor. Moreover, it is found here that the frequency-resolved SPCM (FR-SPCM) is related to the interaction of free holes via trapping and thermal release from active probed traps of the first pentacene monolayers in the accumulation layer. The active probed traps are selected by the modulation frequency of the laser beam so that the FR-SPCM can be applied as a spectroscopic technique to determine the energy distribution of the traps along the transistor channel. In addition, a crossover is found in the FR-SPCM spectra that signifies the transition from empty to partially empty probed trapping states near the corresponding trap quasi-Fermi level. From the frequency of this crossover, the energy gap from the quasi-Fermi Etp level to the corresponding local valence band edge Ev, which is bent up by the gate voltage, can be estimated. This allows us to spatially determine the magnitude of the band bending under different operation conditions along the channel of the organic transistors.
Measuring the Energy and Performance of Scientific Workflows on Low-Power Clusters
Authors: Warade Mehul , Schneider Jean-Guy , Lee Kevin
Published: June 2022

Scientific problems can be formulated as workflows to allow them to take advantage of cluster computing resources. Generally, the assumption is that the greater the resources dedicated to completing these tasks the better. This assumption does not take into account the energy cost of performing the computation and the specific characteristics of each workflow. In this paper, we present a unique approach to evaluating the energy consumption of scientific workflows on compute clusters. Two workflows from different domains, Astronomy and Bioinformatics, are presented and their execution is analyzed on a cluster of low powered small board computers. The paper presents a theoretical analysis of an energy-aware execution of workflows that can reduce the energy consumption of workflows by up to 68% compared to normal execution. We demonstrate that there are limitations to the benefits of increasing cluster sizes and there are trade-offs when considering energy vs. performance of the workflows and that the performance and energy consumption of any scientific workflow is heavily dependent on its underlying structure. The study concludes that the energy consumption of workflows can be optimized to improve both aspects of the workflow and motivates the development of an energy-aware scheduler.
Model for Health Risk Assessment in Portuguese Housing Spaces
Authors: Pinto Manuel , Pastorinho M. Ramiro , Lanzinha João , Monteiro Marisa
Published: June 2022

Currently, people spend most of their time inside their homes. However, poor conditions in terms of comfort and quality of the indoor environment can pose high risks to the inhabitants’ health. Therefore, a good quality environment is essential, since, in addition to the hazards present in indoor air (e.g., particles, (S)VOCs, CO, radon and tobacco smoke), extreme temperatures, relative humidity levels, pests (e.g., mold, dust mites and bioaerosols), noise, airborne infectious agents (e.g., SARS-CoV-2) and contamination through water and soil can cause physical injuries, respiratory diseases, damage to multiple organ systems as well as harmful effects on the mental health of the occupants. Faced with this requirement, housing evaluation models were studied together with the main types of risk that could affect the health of the inhabitants, with the objective of proposing a new evaluation model for housing health and safety risks, fitted to the occupants, and especially suitable for Portuguese dwellings, although applicable in other geographical contexts. As a result of this analysis, this article proposes a new model for evaluating health and safety risks in housing, applicable in Portugal, supported by an inspection form and, as the main difference from the existing models, parameter measurements, providing complementary data for the evaluation. This model was created based on a set of functional and regulatory requirements that were identified for the healthy use of living spaces. Twenty-eight hazards were identified, and the respective risk factors were assessed using different processes and target demographics, including visual inspection, parameter measurements, occupants’ age and location and age of housing. In order to validate the model and determine its usefulness, it was applied to a set of houses with different construction dates, locations and occupants. This exercise enabled the identification of hazard classes and the calibration and fine tuning of the model application. Finally, proposals for future work are presented in order to create a base of evolution for the model.
Changes in Flavor- and Aroma-Related Fermentation Metabolites and Antioxidant Activity of Glutinous Rice Wine Supplemented with Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollissima Blume)
Authors: Zou Jing , Ge Yinan , Zhang Yue , Ding Min , Li Kuo , Lin Yinglan , Chang Xuedong , Cao Fei , Qian Yunkai
Published: June 2022

Traditional glutinous rice wine (TGRW) has been fermented in China for over 9000 years. Recently, an innovative regional variation of TGRW, chestnut rice wine, banli mijiu (BLMJ), was developed by adding Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima Blume) into the fermentation brew. The objective of this study was to characterize the effects of chestnut on the nutritional, aromatic, and antioxidant properties of TGRW. To compare the aromatic sensory profiles between TGRW and BLMJ, the free amino acids and ethyl carbamate, phenolic, and flavonoid contents were determined. In addition, the antioxidant properties, including reducing power, metal chelation, and free radical scavenging activities, were also compared. A total of 98 distinct flavor components were identified in BLMJ, among which 38 were detected by sniffing instrument, compared to 77 distinct flavor components in TGRW. BLMJ thus contains a wider range of flavor components, but similar alcohol, acid and reducing sugar profiles compared with TGRW. Twenty-five free amino acids were detected in both wines, with lower contents of each in BLMJ compared with TGRW. BLMJ also exhibited stronger antioxidant properties than TGRW. The findings of this study suggest that chestnut can increase the diversity of aromatic components and improve antioxidant qualities of traditional rice wine.