bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A New Design Method of Shield Tunnel Based on the Concept of Minimum Bending Moment
Authors: Huang Dawei , Jiang Hao , Xu Changjie , Tu Wenbo , Li Xue , Wang Wei
Published: January 2022

As the soil-resistance coefficient in a soft soil area is small, overlarge bending moment may cause exceeding transverse deformation for the shield tunnel and cause structural diseases and waterproof failure at the longitudinal segment joints. Hence, a new idea of cross-section design for a minimum bending moment shield tunnel was proposed. This article has first put forward the concept of a zero bending moment shield tunnel. Then, based on rational and feasible hypotheses, a structural mechanical model and an analytical expression of axis for the cross-section of the zero bending moment shield tunnel was obtained, and computational formulas of internal force and key geometry parameters were given. Based on the case of the metro shield tunnel constructed in the Shanghai soft soil area, the zero bending moment shield tunnel was designed, and its characteristics were analyzed. Considering only one cross-section of shield tunnel can be adopted in one metro line, the design method and procedure of the minimum bending moment shield tunnel were put forward. Finally, taking one of the Shanghai metro lines as an example, a cross-section of a minimum bending moment shield tunnel was designed, and its bending moment was compared with the bending moment of a circular section shield tunnel, which had the same horizontal diameter. The comparison revealed that the cross-section of the minimum bending moment can significantly reduce the bending moment of shield tunnel.
The Spec-Radiation Method for Layered Fluid Media
Authors: Schmelt Andreas Sebastian , Twiefel Jens
Published: January 2022

The real-time evaluation for non-destructive air-coupled ultrasonic testing of panel materials is a big task for several industries. To make these tests more and more accurate, efficient and reliable calculation methods from ultrasonic holography are essential. In the past, we presented the spec-radiation method as a fast and accurate method for such tasks. The spec-radiation method calculates the sound field utilizing data from a measurement plane at another parallel or tilted plane, especially the sound field at the surface of a panel. This can be used to detect flaws. There is a limitation of the current method: using the data on the panel surface limits the accuracy of the detected flaws. A big step forward could be expected if the sound field in the material were known. As a first step, we developed the spec-radiation method forward to consider multiple material layers. For now, we made the major assumption that all layers have fluid-like properties. Hence, transversal waves were neglected. This extension of the spec-radiation method was validated utilizing an experiment. We present that flaws in the panel material can be detected with higher accuracy at a similar speed compared to our former approach.
Neural Models for Measuring Confidence on Interactive Machine Translation Systems
Authors: Navarro Ángel , Casacuberta Francisco
Published: January 2022

Reducing the human effort performed with the use of interactive-predictive neural machine translation (IPNMT) systems is one of the main goals in this sub-field of machine translation (MT). Prior works have focused on changing the human–machine interaction method and simplifying the feedback performed. Applying confidence measures (CM) to an IPNMT system helps decrease the number of words that the user has to check through the translation session, reducing the human effort needed, although this supposes losing a few points in the quality of the translations. The effort reduction comes from decreasing the number of words that the translator has to review—it only has to check the ones with a score lower than the threshold set. In this paper, we studied the performance of four confidence measures based on the most used metrics on MT. We trained four recurrent neural network (RNN) models to approximate the scores from the metrics: Bleu, Meteor, Chr-f, and TER. In the experiments, we simulated the user interaction with the system to obtain and compare the quality of the translations generated with the effort reduction. We also compare the performance of the four models between them to see which of them obtains the best results. The results achieved showed a reduction of 48% with a Bleu score of 70 points—a significant effort reduction to translations almost perfect.
Heterocyclic Crown Ethers with Potential Biological and Pharmacological Properties: From Synthesis to Applications
Authors: Ullah Faiz , Khan Taskin Aman , Iltaf Jawaria , Anwar Saleha , Khan Muhammad Farhan Ali , Khan Muhammad Rizwan , Ullah Sami , Fayyaz ur Rehman Muhammad , Mustaqeem Muhammad , Kotwica-Mojzych Katarzyna , Mojzych Mariusz
Published: January 2022

Cyclic organic compounds with several ether linkages in their structure are of much concern in our daily life applications. Crown ethers (CEs) are generally heterocyclic and extremely versatile compounds exhibiting higher binding affinity. In recent years, due to their unique structure, crown ethers are widely used in drug delivery, solvent extraction, cosmetics manufacturing, material studies, catalysis, separation, and organic synthesis. Beyond their conventional place in chemistry, this review article summarizes the synthesis, biological, and potential pharmacological activities of CEs. We have emphasized the prospects of CEs as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal agents and have explored their amyloid genesis inhibitory activity, electrochemical, and potential metric sensing properties. The central feature of these compounds is their ability to form selective and stable complexes with various organic and inorganic cations. Therefore, CEs can be used in gas chromatography as the stationary phase and are also valuable for cation chromatographic to determine and separate alkali and alkaline-earth cations.
Underestimation of Dry Matter of Anaerobic Media with High Bicarbonate Concentration
Authors: Ribeiro Thierry , André Laura , Liu Xiaojun , Mercier-Huat Maël , Fayolle Joseph , Grosmaître Jean-Marie , Pauss André
Published: January 2022

In the anaerobic digestion world, the dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) contents of the samples are major data for the design, handling, and maintenance of the processing of biogas plants. Volatile compounds, such as volatile fatty acids and ammonia, are likely to volatilize during drying at 105 °C and, thus, distort DM values; they have been described at length in the literature. On the other hand, the partial decomposition of bicarbonate, present in the digestion media, has been little described in the scientific literature. In this work, it appears that, in accordance with the stoichiometry of the partial decomposition of bicarbonate into CO2 and H2O, about 37% is volatilized as early as 70 °C and a fortiori at 105 °C, whether in aqueous solutions of pure bicarbonate or in different real digester media. With freeze-drying, no degradation of bicarbonate was observed, confirming the thermo-dependence of this reaction. This decomposition leads to an underestimation of DM measurements and some erroneous DM mass balances. It also led to an indirect overestimation of the OM, when expressed as a percentage of the DM.
Complexation of Amino Acids with Cadmium and Their Application for Cadmium-Contaminated Soil Remediation
Authors: Yao Wenbin , Yang Zhihui , Huang Lei , Su Changqing
Published: January 2022

The interaction of amino acids with toxic heavy metals influences their immobilization and bioavailability in soils. However, the complexation ability of amino acids with Cd has not been well studied. The complexes of amino acids and cadmium were investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) analyses. The complex structures were found to be [COc, COc] for fatty amino-cadmium and PheCd2+, [COc, COc, COs] for GluCd2+ and ThrCd2+, respectively. The complex energy of these conformers followed the order PheCd2+> AlaCd2+ > LeuCd2+ > GluCd2+ > GlyCd2+ > ThrCd2+. Importantly, all of the complex energy values were less than zero, indicating that these complexes could be easily dissolved in water. The Cd2+ concentration decreased with increasing amino acid concentration in aqueous solution. The complex stability constants (logβ) followed the order PheCd2+> AlaCd2+ > LeuCd2+ > GluCd2+ > GlyCd2+ > ThrCd2+, consistent with the order of the calculated complex energy values. The Cd removal efficiencies by Thr, Glu, Gly, Ala, Leu, and Phe were 38.88%, 37.47%, 35.5%, 34.72%, 34.04%, and 31.99%, respectively. In soil batch tests, the total Cd concentration in soil decreased in the presence of amino acids, while the Cd concentration in water increased from 231.97 μg/L to 652.94~793.51 μg/L. The results of sequential extraction showed that the acid-extractable fraction and the reducible fraction of Cd sharply decreased. Consequently, the significant features of amino acids along with their biocompatibility make them potentially applicable chelators in Cd-contaminated soil remediation processes.
Usological Turn in Archiving, Curating and Educating: The Case of Arte Útil
Authors: Saviotti Alessandra , Medina Estupiñán Gemma
Published: January 2022

Since its inception in 2013, the Arte Útil archive has become a collective steadily expanding as a tool for research and a resource for social practitioners. The archive is available for consultation at the website and consists of a growing database of around three hundred case studies that use art as a tool for societal change. It provides artistic strategies, a historical perspective, and a nexus between theory and praxis, besides being a platform to connect artistic projects and “users” from different geographies and contexts. Overall, it has become a nomadic pedagogical device able to trigger the discussion and the analysis of socially engaged art practice, its nature and its context involving not just artists but social agents and communities. As co-curators of the archive and educators, we interrogated ourselves regarding if curating as a social practice could expand the notion of education. Could we embrace the methodology of social practice to curate and generate pedagogical conditions fostering sustainability? Could we go beyond the conventional spaces and dynamics of academia? Could we integrate concepts like co-authorship and co-curating to cross from the arts to collective learning environments? How do we relate with the archive in other local contexts? In the last five years, we have implemented an evolving methodology that addresses all these questions, activating the Arte Útil archive as a pedagogical catalyst. The archive allowed collective experimentation and became a tool to infiltrate social practice both in the academic domain and galleries and museums’ educational ecosystems. In this article, we will analyse two different examples as case studies: from a research and artistic environment, a conversation with Onur Yıldız and Naz Kocadere, co-authors of “Art in use: case studies in Turkey” in May 2018, from a two-day workshop organised in collaboration with the Office of Useful Art at SALT Galata, Istanbul (TR); and from an educational perspective, the recent curriculum developed as part of the International Master Artists Educator (iMAE) in ArtEZ, Armhen (NL).
Wander of a Gaussian-Beam Wave Propagating through Kolmogorov and Non-Kolmogorov Turbulence along Laser-Satellite Communication Uplink
Authors: Wang Fazhi , Du Wenhe , Yuan Qi , Liu Daosen , Feng Shuang
Published: January 2022

It is accepted that there exists two kinds of atmospheric turbulence in the Earth’s aerosphere—Kolmogorov and non-Kolmogorov turbulence; therefore, it is important to research their combined impacts on laser-satellite communications. In this paper, the exponential power spectra of refractive-index fluctuations for non-Kolmogorov turbulence in the free troposphere and stratosphere are proposed, respectively. Based on these two spectra, using the Markov approximation, beam wander displacement variances of a Gaussian-beam wave are derived, respectively, which are valid under weak turbulent fluctuations condition. On this basis, using a three-layer altitude-dependent turbulent spectrum model for vertical/slant path, the combined influence of a three-layer atmospheric turbulence on wander of a Gaussian-beam wave as the carrier wave in laser-satellite communication is studied. This three-layer spectrum is more accurate than a two-layer model. Moreover, the variations of beam wander displacement with beam radius, zenith angles, and nominal value of the refractive-index structure parameter on the ground are estimated. The theory of optical wave propagation through non-Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence is further enriched and a theoretical model of a three-layer atmospheric turbulence beam wander for a satellite-ground laser communication uplink is established.
Sensitivity of Pollutant Concentrations to the Turbulence Schemes of a Dispersion Modelling Chain over Complex Orography
Authors: Bellini Annachiara , Golzio Alessio , Magri Tiziana , Ferrarese Silvia , Pession Giordano , Manfrin Massimiliano
Published: January 2022

Atmospheric circulation over mountainous regions is more complex than over flat terrain due to the interaction of flows on various scales: synoptic-scale flows, thermally-driven mesoscale winds and turbulent fluxes. In order to faithfully reconstruct the circulation affecting the dispersion and deposition of pollutants in mountainous areas, meteorological models should have a sub-kilometer grid spacing, where turbulent motions are partially resolved and the parametrizations of the sub-grid scale fluxes need to be evaluated. In this study, a modelling chain based on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the chemical transport model Flexible Air Quality Regional Model (FARM) is applied to estimate the pollutant concentrations at a 0.5 km horizontal resolution over the Aosta Valley, a mountainous region of the northwestern Alps. Two pollution episodes that occurred in this region are reconstructed: one summer episode dominated by thermally-driven winds, and one winter episode dominated by synoptic-scale flows. Three WRF configurations with specific planetary boundary layer and surface layer schemes are tested, and the numerical results are compared with the surface measurements of meteorological variables at twenty-four stations. For each WRF configuration, two different FARM runs are performed, with turbulence-related quantities provided by the SURface-atmosphere interFace PROcessor or directly by WRF. The chemical concentrations resulting from the different FARM runs are compared with the surface measurements of particulate matter of less than 10 µm in diameter and nitrogen dioxide taken at five air quality stations. Furthermore, these results are compared with the outputs of the modelling chain employed routinely by the Aosta Valley Environmental Protection Agency, based on FARM driven by COSMO-I2 (COnsortium for Small-scale MOdelling) at 2.8 km horizontal grid spacing. The pollution events are underestimated by the modelling chain, but the bias between simulated and measured surface concentrations is reduced using the configuration based on WRF turbulence parametrizations, which imply a reduced dispersion.
Influence of Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) Parameterizations in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model on the Retrieval of Surface Meteorological Variables over the Kenyan Highlands
Authors: Njuki Sammy M. , Mannaerts Chris M. , Su Zhongbo
Published: January 2022

Regional climate models (RCMs) are crucial for climate studies and may be an alternative source of meteorological data in data-scarce regions. However, the effectiveness of the numerical weather prediction (NWP) models applied in RCMs is hampered by the parameterization of unresolved physical processes in the model. A major source of uncertainties in NWP models is the parameterization of the planetary boundary layer (PBL). This study evaluates the influence of seven PBL parameterization schemes in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model on the retrieval of four meteorological variables over the Kenyan highlands. The seven PBL schemes consist of four local schemes: the Mellor-Yamada-Janjic (MYJ), Mellor-Yamada-Nakanishi-Niino (MYNN), Bougeault-Lacarrere (BouLac), quasinormal scale elimination (QNSE), and three nonlocal schemes: asymmetrical convective model version 2 (ACM2), Shin and Hong (SHIN) and Yonsei University (YSU). The forcing data for the WRF model was obtained from the fifth generation of the European ReAnalysis (ERA5) dataset. The results were validated against observational data from the Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory (TAHMO). WRF was found to simulate surface meteorological variables with spatial details coherent with the complex topography within the Kenyan highlands, irrespective of the PBL scheme. A comparison between 2-meter temperature (T2) derived from the YSU scheme and T2 from the land component of ERA5 (ERA5-Land) indicates that surface meteorological variables derived from WRF are better suited for applications over the Kenyan highlands. The choice of the PBL scheme was found to primarily influence the simulation of the 10-meter wind speed (WS10) and rainfall as opposed to T2 and the 2-meter relative humidity (RH2). The insensitivity of the 2-meter variables to the choice of the PBL scheme is attributed to the influence of the surface layer parameterization near the surface. Results from the rainfall simulation indicate that the YSU scheme provides a more realistic depiction of PBL dynamics within the study area. Hence, the YSU scheme is best suited for simulating surface meteorological variables over the Kenyan highlands.
Context-Aware Explainable Recommendation Based on Domain Knowledge Graph
Authors: Syed Muzamil Hussain , Huy Tran Quoc Bao , Chung Sun-Tae
Published: January 2022

With the rapid growth of internet data, knowledge graphs (KGs) are considered as efficient form of knowledge representation that captures the semantics of web objects. In recent years, reasoning over KG for various artificial intelligence tasks have received a great deal of research interest. Providing recommendations based on users’ natural language queries is an equally difficult undertaking. In this paper, we propose a novel, context-aware recommender system, based on domain KG, to respond to user-defined natural queries. The proposed recommender system consists of three stages. First, we generate incomplete triples from user queries, which are then segmented using logical conjunction (∧) and disjunction (∨) operations. Then, we generate candidates by utilizing a KGE-based framework (Query2Box) for reasoning over segmented logical triples, with ∧, ∨, and ∃ operators; finally, the generated candidates are re-ranked using neural collaborative filtering (NCF) model by exploiting contextual (auxiliary) information from GraphSAGE embedding. Our approach demonstrates to be simple, yet efficient, at providing explainable recommendations on user’s queries, while leveraging user-item contextual information. Furthermore, our framework has shown to be capable of handling logical complex queries by transforming them into a disjunctive normal form (DNF) of simple queries. In this work, we focus on the restaurant domain as an application domain and use the Yelp dataset to evaluate the system. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed recommender system generalizes well on candidate generation from logical queries and effectively re-ranks those candidates, compared to the matrix factorization model.
Macrophage C/EBPδ Drives Gemcitabine, but Not 5-FU or Paclitaxel, Resistance of Pancreatic Cancer Cells in a Deoxycytidine-Dependent Manner
Authors: Spek C. Arnold , Aberson Hella L. , Duitman JanWillem
Published: January 2022

Treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a dismal disease with poor survival rates, is hampered by the high prevalence of chemotherapy resistance. Resistance is accompanied by macrophage infiltration into the tumor microenvironment, and infiltrated macrophages are key players in chemotherapy resistance. In the current manuscript, we identify CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta (C/EBPδ) as an important transcription factor driving macrophage-dependent gemcitabine resistance. We show that conditioned medium obtained from wild type macrophages largely diminishes gemcitabine-induced cytotoxicity of PDAC cells, whereas conditioned medium obtained from C/EBPδ-deficient macrophages only minimally affects gemcitabine-induced PDAC cell death. Subsequent analysis of RNA-Seq data identified the pyrimidine metabolism pathway amongst the most significant pathways down-regulated in C/EBPδ-deficient macrophages and size filtration experiments indeed showed that the low molecular weight and free metabolite fraction most effectively induced gemcitabine resistance. In line with a role for pyrimidines, we next show that supplementing macrophage conditioned medium with deoxycytidine overruled the effect of macrophage conditioned media on gemcitabine resistance. Consistently, macrophage C/EBPδ-dependent resistance is specific for gemcitabine and does not affect paclitaxel or 5-FU-induced cytotoxicity. Overall, we thus show that C/EBPδ-dependent deoxycytidine biosynthesis in macrophages induces gemcitabine resistance of pancreatic cancer cells.
In Vitro Study of the Recruitment and Expansion of Mesenchymal Stem Cells at the Interface of a Cu-Doped PCL-Bioglass Scaffold
Authors: Malekahmadi Behnaz , Esfahanian Vahid , Ejeian Fatemeh , Dastgurdi Maziar Ebrahimi , Agheb Maria , Kaveian Faranak , Rafienia Mohammad , Nasr-Esfahani Mohammad Hossein
Published: January 2022

Developing new barrier membranes with improved biomechanical characteristics has acquired much interest owing to their crucial role in the field of periodontal tissue regeneration. In this regard, we enriched the electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL)/gelatin (Gel) membranes by adding bioglass (BG) or Cu-doped bioglass (CuBG) and examined their cellular adhesion and proliferation potential in the presence of alveolar bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (aBMSCs). The membranes were fabricated and characterized using mechanical strength, SEM, FTIR, EDX, and ICP assay. Besides, aBMSCs were isolated, characterized, and seeded with a density of 35,000 cells in each experimental group. Next, the cellular morphology, cell adhesion capacity, proliferation rate, and membrane antibacterial activity were assessed. The results displayed a significant improvement in the wettability, pore size, and Young’s modulus of the PCL membrane following the incorporation of gelatin and CuBG particles. Moreover, all scaffolds exhibited reasonable biocompatibility and bioactivity in physiological conditions. Although the PCL/Gel/CuBG membrane revealed the lowest primary cell attachment, cells were grown properly and reached the confluent state after seven days. In conclusion, we found a reasonable level of attachment and proliferation of aBMSCs on all modified membranes. Meanwhile, a trace amount of Cu provided superiority for PCL/Gel/CuBG in periodontal tissue regeneration.
Locus Coeruleus in Non-Mammalian Vertebrates
Authors: Wang Sijia , Wang Zhirong , Mu Yu
Published: January 2022

The locus coeruleus (LC) is a vertebrate-specific nucleus and the primary source of norepinephrine (NE) in the brain. This nucleus has conserved properties across species: highly homogeneous cell types, a small number of cells but extensive axonal projections, and potent influence on brain states. Comparative studies on LC benefit greatly from its homogeneity in cell types and modularity in projection patterns, and thoroughly understanding the LC-NE system could shed new light on the organization principles of other more complex modulatory systems. Although studies on LC are mainly focused on mammals, many of the fundamental properties and functions of LC are readily observable in other vertebrate models and could inform mammalian studies. Here, we summarize anatomical and functional studies of LC in non-mammalian vertebrate classes, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds, on topics including axonal projections, gene expressions, homeostatic control, and modulation of sensorimotor transformation. Thus, this review complements mammalian studies on the role of LC in the brain.
Self-Conscious Emotions and the Right Fronto-Temporal and Right Temporal Parietal Junction
Authors: LaVarco Adriana , Ahmad Nathira , Archer Qiana , Pardillo Matthew , Nunez Castaneda Ray , Minervini Anthony , Keenan Julian Paul
Published: January 2022

For more than two decades, research focusing on both clinical and non-clinical populations has suggested a key role for specific regions in the regulation of self-conscious emotions. It is speculated that both the expression and the interpretation of self-conscious emotions are critical in humans for action planning and response, communication, learning, parenting, and most social encounters. Empathy, Guilt, Jealousy, Shame, and Pride are all categorized as self-conscious emotions, all of which are crucial components to one’s sense of self. There has been an abundance of evidence pointing to the right Fronto-Temporal involvement in the integration of cognitive processes underlying the expression of these emotions. Numerous regions within the right hemisphere have been identified including the right temporal parietal junction (rTPJ), the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and the inferior parietal lobule (IPL). In this review, we aim to investigate patient cases, in addition to clinical and non-clinical studies. We also aim to highlight these specific brain regions pivotal to the right hemispheric dominance observed in the neural correlates of such self-conscious emotions and provide the potential role that self-conscious emotions play in evolution.
Utilizing Cognitive Training to Improve Working Memory, Attention, and Impulsivity in School-Aged Children with ADHD and SLD
Authors: Wiest Grahamm M. , Rosales Kevin P. , Looney Lisa , Wong Eugene H. , Wiest Dudley J.
Published: January 2022

Students’ use of working memory (WM) is a key to academic success, as many subject areas and various tasks school-aged children encounter require the ability to attend to, work with, and recall information. Children with poor WM ability typically struggle with academic work compared to similar-aged peers without WM deficits. Further, WM has been shown to be significantly correlated with inattention and disorganization in those with ADHD, and WM deficits have also been identified as a potential underpinning of specific learning disorder (SLD). As an intervention technique, the use of computerized cognitive training has demonstrated improved attention and working memory skills in children with WM deficits, and children that have completed cognitive training protocols have demonstrated performance improvements in reading and math. The current study aimed to examine the effectiveness of cognitive training (conducted in a clinical setting) for students diagnosed with ADHD and SLD. Using paired-samples t-tests and a psychometric network modeling technique, results from data obtained from a sample of 43 school-aged children showed (1) that attention and working memory improved following cognitive training and (2) that cognitive training might be related to cognitive structural changes found pre- to post-training among the variables being measured. Implications for clinical practice and school-based interventions are discussed.
External Sulphate Attack on Alkali-Activated Slag and Slag/Fly Ash Concrete
Authors: Bondar Dali , Nanukuttan Sreejith
Published: January 2022

Two types of alkali-activated material (AAM) concretes were exposed to various sulphate bearing-solutions for over two years. Physical changes to the concrete specimen and chemical changes in the exposure liquid were studied in an attempt to understand how sulphate attack occurs in such binders and the role the mix variables play in offering resistance against such attack. The mix variables of alkali-activated slag concrete (AASC) included water-to-binder ratio, percentage of alkali, and the SiO2/Na2O ratio (silica modulus, Ms); for alkali-activated slag/fly ash (AA-S/F) concrete, the mix variables included slag/fly ash ratio and the SiO2/Na2O ratio. The exposure solutions included water, magnesium sulphate (5%), sodium sulphate (5%), calcium sulphate (0.2%), and two concentrations of sulphuric acid solutions, pH 3 and pH 1. The physical changes studied were length and mass change, visual appearance, and change in compressive strength. The exposure liquids were analysed for change in pH and ionic composition. Findings show that the AA-S/F blend performs better than AASC in sulphate environments, based on strength and change in length. Exposure to water resulted in the most expansion/shrinkage in all mixes studied. An empirical model was proposed for predicting the change in compressive strength for AAS&AA-S/F concretes based on mass gain. Further, a simple performance criterion was put forward for mixes in sulphate environments based on mass gain.
Clash Detection Using Building Information Modeling (BIM) Technology in the Republic of Kazakhstan
Authors: Akhmetzhanova Botagoz , Nadeem Abid , Hossain Md Aslam , Kim Jong R.
Published: January 2022

Research on the digital built environment in the context of identifying and minimizing clashes is a critical area to investigate owing to the significant influence of clashes on the construction process. This research aims to identify the current state of building information modeling (BIM) enabled clash detection in the architecture, engineering, and construction and operation (AECO) industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It further identifies the main reasons for clash occurrence, methods, and practices used to decrease the workload on BIM project teams. It also recognizes the existence of BIM departments (their type and functionalities). It aims to answer whether the transition from clash detection to clash avoidance is possible in a country where BIM technology has just penetrated. This research conducted a literature review and review of current regulatory documents regarding BIM technology, interviews with industry professionals, and a survey among construction companies and design organizations. Although the AECO industry of Kazakhstan has just entered the BIM environment, this research has shown that BIM-enabled clash detection and resolution processes are trying to evolve in parallel. It was concluded that the transition is difficult in a country where document assistance with clash detection and resolution is not well developed.
Neoadjuvant Treatment with HER2-Targeted Therapies in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis
Authors: Gunasekara Agampodi Danushi M. , Anothaisintawee Thunyarat , Youngkong Sitaporn , Ha Nguyen T. , McKay Gareth J. , Attia John , Thakkinstian Ammarin
Published: January 2022

This systematic review aimed to identify neoadjuvant anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) therapies with the best balance between efficacy and safety. Methods: A network meta-analysis was applied to estimate the risk ratios along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for pathological complete response (pCR) and serious adverse events (SAE). A mixed-effect parametric survival analysis was conducted to assess the disease-free survival (DFS) between treatments. Results: Twenty-one RCTs with eleven regimens of neoadjuvant anti-HER2 therapy (i.e., trastuzumab + chemotherapy (TC), lapatinib + chemotherapy (LC), pertuzumab + chemotherapy (PC), pertuzumab + trastuzumab (PT), trastuzumab emtansine + pertuzumab (T-DM1P), pertuzumab + trastuzumab + chemotherapy (PTC), lapatinib + trastuzumab + chemotherapy (LTC), trastuzumab emtansine + lapatinib + chemotherapy (T-DM1LC), trastuzumab emtansine + pertuzumab + chemotherapy(T-DM1PC), PTC followed by T-DM1P (PTC_T-DM1P), and trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1)) and chemotherapy alone were included. When compared to TC, only PTC had a significantly higher DFS with a hazard ratio (95% CI) of 0.54 (0.32–0.91). The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) suggested that T-DM1LC (91.9%) was ranked first in achieving pCR, followed by the PTC_T-DM1P (90.5%), PTC (74.8%), and T-DM1PC (73.5%) regimens. For SAEs, LTC, LC, and T-DM1LC presented with the highest risks (SUCRA = 10.7%, 16.8%, and 20.8%), while PT (99.2%), T-DM1P (88%), and T-DM1 (83.9%) were the safest regimens. The T-DM1PC (73.5% vs. 71.6%), T-DM1 (70.5% vs. 83.9%), and PTC_T-DM1P (90.5% vs. 47.3%) regimens offered the optimal balance between pCR and SAE. Conclusions: The T-DM1PC, T-DM1, and PTC_T-DM1P regimens had the optimal balance between efficacy and safety, while DFS was highest for the PTC regimen. However, these results were based on a small number of studies, and additional RCTs assessing the efficacy of regimens with T-DM1 are still needed to confirm these findings.
Organocatalysis for the Asymmetric Michael Addition of Aldehydes and α,β-Unsaturated Nitroalkenes
Authors: Shim Jae Ho , Cheun Seok Hyun , Kim Hyeon Soo , Ha Deok-Chan
Published: January 2022

Michael addition is an important reaction because it can be used to synthesize a wide range of natural products or complex compounds that exhibit biological activities. In this study, a mirror image of an aldehyde and α,β-unsaturated nitroalkene were reacted in the presence of (R,R)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine (DPEN). Herein, thiourea was introduced as an organic catalyst, and a selective Michael addition reaction was carried out. The primary amine moiety of DPEN reacts with aldehydes to form enamines, which is activated by the hydrogen bond formation between the nitro groups of α,β-unsaturated nitroalkenes and thiourea. Our aim was to obtain an asymmetric Michael product by adding 1,4-enamine to an alkene to form a new carbon–carbon bond. As a result, the primary amine of the chiral diamine was converted to an enamine. The reaction proceeded with a relatively high degree of enantioselectivity, which was achieved using double activation via hydrogen bonding of the nitro group and thiourea. Michael products with a high degree of enantioselectivity (97–99% synee) and diastereoselectivity (syn/anti = 9/1) were obtained in yields ranging from 94–99% depending on the aldehydes.
Study of Influence Factors in the Evaluation of the Performance of a Photocatalytic Fibre Reactor (TiO2/SiO2) for the Removal of Organic Pollutants from Water
Authors: García-Prieto Juan C. , González-Burciaga Luis A. , Proal-Nájera José B. , García-Roig Manuel
Published: January 2022

The performance of a photocatalytic fibre reactor (UBE Chemical Europe), made of cartridges of fine particles of TiO2 dispersed within silicon fibres and irradiated by ultraviolet light, for the removal of organic pollutants from synthetic waters was evaluated. In the sensitivity analysis carried out, the factors catalytic surface area, fibre state, temperature and initial substrate concentration were studied using 4-chlorophenol as a test compound. The percentage of titanium in the fibre remained practically invariable after a series of experiments and cleaning procedures. Furthermore, the kinetics of removal of pyrene, phenol, 4-chlorophenol and bisphenol A (BPA) from water were evaluated by means of HPLC, UV-absorption and fluorescence techniques. Kinetic operational parameters were determined from a mathematical model proposed by Langmuir–Hinshelwood. Results show that catalytic surface, initial substrate concentration and temperature directly affect the degradation rate of organic compounds, whereas fibre state does not have a significant effect on that. It is proposed that removal of organic compounds from water mainly depends on the adsorption of the specific pollutant on the photocatalytic fibre and on the physical diffusion of the substrate towards the photocatalytic TiO2 active sites on the fibre, with the heterogeneous phase reaction prevailing over the homogeneous phase reaction.
Hydrogen-Rich Gas Production from Two-Stage Catalytic Pyrolysis of Pine Sawdust with Calcined Dolomite
Authors: Xu Tao , Xu Jue , Wu Yongping
Published: January 2022

The potential of catalytic pyrolysis of biomass for hydrogen and bio-oil production has drawn great attention due to the concern of clean energy utilization and decarbonization. In this paper, the catalytic pyrolysis of pine sawdust with calcined dolomite was carried out in a novel moving bed reactor with a two-stage screw feeder. The effects of pyrolysis temperature (700–900 °C) and catalytic temperature (500–800 °C) on pyrolysis performance were investigated in product distribution, gas composition, and gas properties. The results showed that with the temperature increased, pyrolysis gas yield increased, but the yield of solid and liquid products decreased. With the increase in temperature, the CO and H2 content increased significantly, while the CO2 and CH4 decreased correspondingly. The calcined dolomite can remove the tar by 44% and increased syngas yield by 52.9%. With the increasing catalytic temperature, the catalytic effect of calcined dolomite was also enhanced.
Legume Lectins with Different Specificities as Potential Glycan Probes for Pathogenic Enveloped Viruses
Authors: Barre Annick , Van Damme Els J. M. , Klonjkowski Bernard , Simplicien Mathias , Sudor Jan , Benoist Hervé , Rougé Pierre
Published: January 2022

Pathogenic enveloped viruses are covered with a glycan shield that provides a dual function: the glycan structures contribute to virus protection as well as host cell recognition. The three classical types of N-glycans, in particular complex glycans, high-mannose glycans, and hybrid glycans, together with some O-glycans, participate in the glycan shield of the Ebola virus, influenza virus, human cytomegalovirus, herpes virus, human immunodeficiency virus, Lassa virus, and MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2, which are responsible for respiratory syndromes. The glycans are linked to glycoproteins that occur as metastable prefusion glycoproteins on the surface of infectious virions such as gp120 of HIV, hemagglutinin of influenza, or spike proteins of beta-coronaviruses. Plant lectins with different carbohydrate-binding specificities and, especially, mannose-specific lectins from the Vicieae tribe, such as pea lectin and lentil lectin, can be used as glycan probes for targeting the glycan shield because of their specific interaction with the α1,6-fucosylated core Man3GlcNAc2, which predominantly occurs in complex and hybrid glycans. Other plant lectins with Neu5Ac specificity or GalNAc/T/Tn specificity can also serve as potential glycan probes for the often sialylated complex glycans and truncated O-glycans, respectively, which are abundantly distributed in the glycan shield of enveloped viruses. The biomedical and therapeutical potential of plant lectins as antiviral drugs is discussed.
Environmental and Circadian Regulation Combine to Shape the Rhythmic Selenoproteome
Authors: Kay Holly , Taylor Harry , van Ooijen Gerben
Published: January 2022

The circadian clock orchestrates an organism’s endogenous processes with environmental 24 h cycles. Redox homeostasis and the circadian clock regulate one another to negate the potential effects of our planet’s light/dark cycle on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and attain homeostasis. Selenoproteins are an important class of redox-related enzymes that have a selenocysteine residue in the active site. This study reports functional understanding of how environmental and endogenous circadian rhythms integrate to shape the selenoproteome in a model eukaryotic cell. We mined quantitative proteomic data for the 24 selenoproteins of the picoeukaryote Ostreococcus tauri across time series, under environmentally rhythmic entrained conditions of light/dark (LD) cycles, compared to constant circadian conditions of constant light (LL). We found an overrepresentation of selenoproteins among rhythmic proteins under LL, but an underrepresentation under LD conditions. Rhythmic selenoproteins under LL that reach peak abundance later in the day showed a greater relative amplitude of oscillations than those that peak early in the day. Under LD, amplitude did not correlate with peak phase; however, we identified high-amplitude selenium uptake rhythms under LD but not LL conditions. Selenium deprivation induced strong qualitative defects in clock gene expression under LD but not LL conditions. Overall, the clear conclusion is that the circadian and environmental cycles exert differential effects on the selenoproteome, and that the combination of the two enables homeostasis. Selenoproteins may therefore play an important role in the cellular response to reactive oxygen species that form as a consequence of the transitions between light and dark.
In-Cell Labeling Coupled to Direct Analysis of Extracellular Vesicles in the Conditioned Medium to Study Extracellular Vesicles Secretion with Minimum Sample Processing and Particle Loss
Authors: Viveiros Anissa , Kadam Vaibhavi , Monyror John , Morales Luis Carlos , Pink Desmond , Rieger Aja M. , Sipione Simonetta , Posse de Chaves Elena
Published: January 2022

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved in a multitude of physiological functions and play important roles in health and disease. The largest proportion of studies on EVs is based on the analysis and characterization of EVs secreted in the cell culture medium. These studies remain challenging due to the small size of the EV particles, a lack of universal EV markers, and sample loss or technical artifacts that are often associated with EV labeling for single particle tracking and/or separation techniques. To address these problems, we characterized and validated a method for in-cell EV labeling with fluorescent lipids coupled with direct analysis of lipid-labeled EVs in the conditioned medium by imaging flow cytometry (IFC). This approach significantly reduces sample processing and loss compared to established methods for EV separation and labeling in vitro, resulting in improved detection of quantitative changes in EV secretion and subpopulations compared to protocols that rely on EV separation by size-exclusion chromatography and ultracentrifugation. Our optimized protocol for in-cell EV labeling and analysis of the conditioned medium reduces EV sample processing and loss, and is well-suited for cell biology studies that focus on modulation of EV secretion by cells in culture.
Functional Coordination among the Golgi Complex, the Centrosome and the Microtubule Cytoskeleton during the Cell Cycle
Authors: Mascanzoni Fabiola , Iannitti Roberta , Colanzi Antonino
Published: January 2022

The Golgi complex of mammalian cells is organized in a ribbon-like structure often closely associated with the centrosome during interphase. Conversely, the Golgi complex assumes a fragmented and dispersed configuration away from the centrosome during mitosis. The structure of the Golgi complex and the relative position to the centrosome are dynamically regulated by microtubules. Many pieces of evidence reveal that this microtubule-mediated dynamic association between the Golgi complex and centrosome is of functional significance in cell polarization and division. Here, we summarize findings indicating how the Golgi complex and the centrosome cooperate in organizing the microtubule network for the directional protein transport and centrosome positioning required for cell polarization and regulating fundamental cell division processes.
Interconnections between Inflammageing and Immunosenescence during Ageing
Authors: Teissier Thibault , Boulanger Eric , Cox Lynne S.
Published: January 2022

Acute inflammation is a physiological response to injury or infection, with a cascade of steps that ultimately lead to the recruitment of immune cells to clear invading pathogens and heal wounds. However, chronic inflammation arising from the continued presence of the initial trigger, or the dysfunction of signalling and/or effector pathways, is harmful to health. While successful ageing in older adults, including centenarians, is associated with low levels of inflammation, elevated inflammation increases the risk of poor health and death. Hence inflammation has been described as one of seven pillars of ageing. Age-associated sterile, chronic, and low-grade inflammation is commonly termed inflammageing—it is not simply a consequence of increasing chronological age, but is also a marker of biological ageing, multimorbidity, and mortality risk. While inflammageing was initially thought to be caused by “continuous antigenic load and stress”, reports from the last two decades describe a much more complex phenomenon also involving cellular senescence and the ageing of the immune system. In this review, we explore some of the main sources and consequences of inflammageing in the context of immunosenescence and highlight potential interventions. In particular, we assess the contribution of cellular senescence to age-associated inflammation, identify patterns of pro- and anti-inflammatory markers characteristic of inflammageing, describe alterations in the ageing immune system that lead to elevated inflammation, and finally assess the ways that diet, exercise, and pharmacological interventions can reduce inflammageing and thus, improve later life health.
Weakly-Interacting Bose–Bose Mixtures from the Functional Renormalisation Group
Authors: Isaule Felipe , Morera Ivan
Published: January 2022

We provide a detailed presentation of the functional renormalisation group (FRG) approach for weakly-interacting Bose–Bose mixtures, including a complete discussion on the RG equations. To test this approach, we examine thermodynamic properties of balanced three-dimensional Bose–Bose gases at zero and finite temperatures and find a good agreement with related works. We also study ground-state energies of repulsive Bose polarons by examining mixtures in the limit of infinite population imbalance. Finally, we discuss future applications of the FRG to novel problems in Bose–Bose mixtures and related systems.
Superconductivity and the Jahn–Teller Polaron
Authors: Bussmann-Holder Annette , Keller Hugo
Published: January 2022

In this article, we review the essential properties of high-temperature superconducting cuprates, which are unconventional isotope effects, heterogeneity, and lattice responses. Since their discovery was based on ideas stemming from Jahn–Teller polarons, their special role, together with the Jahn–Teller effect itself, is discussed in greater detail. We conclude that the underlying physics of cuprates cannot stem from purely electronic mechanisms, but that the intricate interaction between lattice and charge is at its origin.
Study of New Infrared Non-Linear Optical Crystal BaGa4Se7 Based on First Principle
Authors: Huang Xie , Dai Rong , Zhang Lei , Ning Jing , Zhang Fuchun , Yan Junfeng
Published: January 2022

The electronic structure and optical properties of BaGa4Se7 crystals were studied by generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and Heyd–Scuseria–Ernzerhof (HSE). The electronic structure results showed that BaGa4Se7 is a nonlinear optical crystal with a direct wide band gap. The band gap was calculated to be 2.36 eV using the HSE06 method, which is basically equal to the experimental value. The band structure showed that the top of the valence band was largely contributed by Ga 4s, 4p and Se 4p states, while the bottom of the conduction band was mainly comprised of Ga 4s, 4p, Se 4p, and Ba 5d states. The optical properties showed strong absorption and reflection in the ultraviolet region and strong transmittance in the infrared region. The average static refractive index of BaGa4Se7 was 2.73, and the static birefractive index was 0.04. These values indicate that the material has a good phase-matching ability and a wide laser damage threshold. The above results indicate that BaGa4Se7 is a potential infrared nonlinear optical crystal material.