bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of an Eddy Current Test Configuration for Welded Carbon Steel Pipes under the Change in Physical Properties
Authors: Berkache Azouaou , Lee Jinyi , Wang Dabin , Park Duck-Gun
Published: December 2021

Carbon steel pipe is used in various industries, including nuclear power plants. Due to the daily cyclic operation of the pipe over time, environmental influences, and extreme working conditions, the probability of developing small fine cracks in the welded areas of the pipes increases. For that reason, it requires earlier assessment, and providing adequate inspection and evaluation of the weld area of the pipes used in such an installation is crucial to increase the safety level. In this paper, two different probe configurations were used to assess the integrity of the girth weld of the SA106 carbon steel pipe welded by gas tungsten arc welding. The conventional eddy current probe was initially used, but as it had some limitations, a new probe configuration was proposed to overcome these constraints. Numerical simulations using the finite element method were performed, based on the real measurement of the physical properties of the specimen, to complement the experimental data. In addition, the experimental results were successfully reproduced by the simulations. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed probe configuration allows adequate inspection.
Tailored Magnetic Linear Birefringence in Wedge-Shaped Co Nanocluster Assemblies
Authors: Arranz Miguel A. , Sánchez Elena H. , Ruiz-Díez Víctor , Sánchez-Rojas José L. , Colino José M.
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this paper is to present an experimental method to induce strong magnetic linear birefringence in two-dimensional assemblies of Co nanoclusters grown on glass plates. Additionally, we have also correlated the magnitude and characteristics of that nonlinear magneto-optical effect with the thickness and profile of those disordered nanostructures. For those aims, we have grown Co nanocluster assemblies on amorphous substrates, by means of pulsed laser ablation in off-axis geometry. This approach enabled us to obtain magnetic media with an intended and pronounced thickness profile, i.e., wedge-shaped assembly, to investigate the orientation and behavior of surface magnetization regarding both the thickness gradient direction and in-plane magnetic field. That study was accomplished by measuring the magneto-optical effects in reflection and transmission configurations, unveiling an out-of-plane magnetization whose magnitude depends closely on the thickness gradient direction. That component, arising from a graded magnetic anisotropy along the wedged nanostructure, adds a reversal mechanism to the surface magnetization, thus being responsible for the magnetic linear birefringence in our ultrathin Co assemblies.
Autonomous Multiple Tramp Materials Detection in Raw Coal Using Single-Shot Feature Fusion Detector
Authors: Li Dongjun , Meng Guoying , Sun Zhiyuan , Xu Lili
Published: December 2021

In the coal mining process, various types of tramp materials will be mixed into the raw coal, which will affect the quality of the coal and endanger the normal operation of the equipment. Automatic detection of tramp materials objects is an important process and basis for efficient coal sorting. However, previous research has focused on the detection of gangue, ignoring the detection of other types of tramp materials, especially small targets. Because the initial Single Shot MultiBox Detector (SSD) lacks the efficient use of feature maps, it is difficult to obtain stable results when detecting tramp materials objects. In this article, an object detection algorithm based on feature fusion and dense convolutional network is proposed, which is called tramp materials in raw coal single-shot detector (TMRC-SSD), to detect five types of tramp materials such as gangue, bolt, stick, iron sheet, and iron chain. In this algorithm, a modified DenseNet is first designed and a four-stage feature extractor is used to down-sample the feature map stably. After that, we use the dilation convolution and multi-branch structure to enrich the receptive field. Finally, in the feature fusion module, we designed cross-layer feature fusion and attention fusion modules to realize the semantic interaction of feature maps. The experiments show that the module we designed is effective. This method is better than the existing model. When the input image is 300 × 300 pixels, it can reach 96.12% MAP and 24FPS. Especially in the detection of small objects, the detection accuracy has increased by 4.1 to 95.57%. The experimental results show that this method can be applied to the actual detection of tramp materials objects in raw coal.
Isotopic Characterization of Gaseous Mercury and Particulate Water-Soluble Organic Carbon Emitted from Open Grass Field Burning in Aso, Japan
Authors: Irei Satoshi
Published: December 2021

Biomass burning is one of the major emitters of airborne particulate matter (PM) and gaseous mercury. In order to apply the isotopic fingerprinting method to process identification and source apportionment studies, isotopic characterizations of targeted substances at emission are indispensable. Here, we report the stable isotopic composition of total gaseous mercury (TGM) and the stable and radiocarbon isotopic composition of low-volatile water-soluble nitrogen (LV-WSN) and organic carbon (LV-WSOC) in PM emitted from open grass field burning in the Aso region of Japan. The measurement results showed that TGM concentrations in the air increased during the open field burning events, indicating the presence of TGM emissions. The results of LV-WSN analysis showed very low concentrations; therefore, the stable nitrogen isotope ratios could not be measured. The stable mercury isotope ratios exhibited lighter composition than those observed during non-biomass-burning days. The analysis of LV-WSOC revealed heavy stable carbon isotope ratios (average ± SD, −18 ± 2‰), suggesting a substantial contribution from C4 plant carbon. The 14C analysis showed that more than 98% of the LV-WSOC was modern carbon, indicating the contribution of plant carbon to PM emitted from biomass burning. The findings here provide reference isotope compositions of TGM and particulate LV-WSOC from biomass burning in this region.
Effects of Task Demands on Postural Control in Children of Different Ages: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Ghanbarzadeh Asiyeh , Azadian Elaheh , Majlesi Mahdi , Jafarnezhadgero Amir Ali , Akrami Mohammad
Published: December 2021

This study evaluates the effect of dual tasks on balance during manipulation of visual information, the base of support, and cognitive tasks in 7–12-year-old children and adults. An equal number of girls (210) and boys (210) were selected from the schools by the cluster random sampling method (within the 7–12 age groups). Twenty young adults were also selected. Postural sway (PS) was measured in the anterior–posterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions using a force plate in eight standing positions, including standing with closed eyes versus standing with open eyes and standing with feet together versus on a single limb, under the interference of cognitive dual tasks (DT) or a single task (ST). PS was found to decrease with advancing age. PS was also greater in men than women in both AP and ML directions (p < 0.05). PS was greater in the 7–12-year-old participants compared to adults under the manipulation of the base of support (p < 0.05). However, PS increased in all participants regardless of their age while manipulating both the base of support and visual information (p < 0.05). Children (within the 9–12 years age range) and adults could keep their balance while performing basic tasks; however, children had difficulty in maintaining their balance with higher task demands.
Experimental Approach for the Failure Mode of Small Laminated Rubber Bearings for Seismic Isolation of Nuclear Components
Authors: Ma Sang-Jin , Shin Tae-Myung , Ryu Ju-Seung , Lee Jin-Hyeong , Koo Gyeong-Hoi
Published: December 2021

Response characteristics of small-sized laminated rubber bearings (LRBs) with partial damage and total failure were investigated. For nuclear component seismic isolation, ultimate response characteristics are mainly reviewed using a beyond design basis earthquake (BDBE). Static tests, 3D shaking table tests, and verification analyses were performed using optional LRB design prototypes. During the static test, the hysteresis curve behavior from buckling to potential damage was observed by applying excessive shear deformation. The damaged rubber surface of the laminated section inside the LRB was checked through water jet cutting. A stress review by response spectrum analysis was performed to simulate the dynamic tests and predict seismic inputs’ intensity level that triggers LRB damage. Shaking table tests were executed to determine seismic response characteristics with partial damage and to confirm the stability of the superstructure when the supporting LRBs completely fail. Shear buckling in LRBs by high levels of BDBE may be quickly initiated via partial damage or total failure by the addition of torsional or rotational behavior caused by a change in the dynamic characteristics. Furthermore, the maximum seismic displacement can be limited within the range of the design interface due to the successive slip behavior, even during total LRB failure.
Explaining Deep Learning Models for Tabular Data Using Layer-Wise Relevance Propagation
Authors: Ullah Ihsan , Rios Andre , Gala Vaibhav , Mckeever Susan
Published: December 2021

Trust and credibility in machine learning models are bolstered by the ability of a model to explain its decisions. While explainability of deep learning models is a well-known challenge, a further challenge is clarity of the explanation itself for relevant stakeholders of the model. Layer-wise Relevance Propagation (LRP), an established explainability technique developed for deep models in computer vision, provides intuitive human-readable heat maps of input images. We present the novel application of LRP with tabular datasets containing mixed data (categorical and numerical) using a deep neural network (1D-CNN), for Credit Card Fraud detection and Telecom Customer Churn prediction use cases. We show how LRP is more effective than traditional explainability concepts of Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) and Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) for explainability. This effectiveness is both local to a sample level and holistic over the whole testing set. We also discuss the significant computational time advantage of LRP (1–2 s) over LIME (22 s) and SHAP (108 s) on the same laptop, and thus its potential for real time application scenarios. In addition, our validation of LRP has highlighted features for enhancing model performance, thus opening up a new area of research of using XAI as an approach for feature subset selection.
Potential of Energy Savings in the Public Housing Stock of Comunitat Valenciana Region by Applying the MedZEB Cost-Optimal Methodology
Authors: Jareño Escudero Cristina Isabel , Navarro Escudero Miriam , Mifsut García César Damián , Flores Fillol María , Salmerón Lissen José Manuel
Published: December 2021

Improving energy efficiency in buildings has a key role to play in achieving the ambitious goal of EU-wide climate neutrality by 2050, set out in the European Green Deal. This paper describes a cost-optimal analysis of residential buildings of Valencian Community, Spain. Thus, an assessment of the contribution of total primary energy savings per year (MW/h) of the social dwellings managed by EVha, Entitat Valenciana d’Habitatge i Sòl (eng. Valencian entity for dwelling and ground) towards the national contribution is presented in this paper. To assess it, the MedZEB cost-optimal methodology has been applied to optimise the performance of the building’s envelope. This means that Optimal Renovation Strategies through Life-Cycle Analysis have been applied to obtain the Packages of Optimal Solutions of the different reference buildings in a reference climate. First, the renovation scenario with 100% of the building stock being renovated has been calculated. Then, the renovation scenario of 1%, being the current European rate of renovation and, finally the renovation scenario of 2%, given that the objective of the Renovation Wave is to at least double the annual energy renovation rate of residential and non-residential buildings by 2030 and to foster deep energy renovations.
The Algebraic Surfaces of the Enneper Family of Maximal Surfaces in Three Dimensional Minkowski Space
Authors: Güler Erhan
Published: December 2021

We consider the Enneper family of real maximal surfaces via Weierstrass data (1,ζm) for ζ∈C, m∈Z≥1. We obtain the irreducible surfaces of the family in the three dimensional Minkowski space E2,1. Moreover, we propose that the family has degree (2m+1)2 (resp., class 2m(2m+1)) in the cartesian coordinates x,y,z (resp., in the inhomogeneous tangential coordinates a,b,c).
Pyrazole-Based Water-Soluble Dendrimer Nanoparticles as a Potential New Agent against Staphylococci
Authors: Alfei Silvana , Brullo Chiara , Caviglia Debora , Piatti Gabriella , Zorzoli Alessia , Marimpietri Danilo , Zuccari Guendalina , Schito Anna Maria
Published: December 2021

Although the antimicrobial potency of the pyrazole nucleus is widely reported, the antimicrobial effects of the 2-(4-bromo-3,5-diphenyl-pyrazol-1-yl)-ethanol (BBB4), found to be active against several other conditions, have never been investigated. Considering the worldwide need for new antimicrobial agents, we thought it noteworthy to assess the minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) of BBB4 but, due to its scarce water-solubility, unequivocal determinations were tricky. To obtain more reliable MICs and to obtain a substance also potentially applicable in vivo, we recently prepared water-soluble, BBB4-loaded dendrimer nanoparticles (BBB4-G4K NPs), which proved to have physicochemical properties suitable for clinical application. Here, with the aim of developing a new antibacterial agent based on BBB4, the BBB4-G4K NPs were tested on several strains of different species of the Staphylococcus genus. Very low MICs (1.5–3.0 µM), 15.5–124.3-fold lower than those of the free BBB4, were observed against several isolates of S. aureus and S. epidermidis, the most pathogenic species of this genus, regardless of their resistance patterns to antibiotics. Aiming at hypothesizing a clinical use of BBB4-G4K NPs for staphylococcal skin infections, cytotoxicity experiments on human keratinocytes were performed; it was found that the nano-manipulated BBB4 released from BBB4-G4K NPs (LD50 138.6 µM) was 2.5-fold less cytotoxic than the untreated BBB4 (55.9 µM). Due to its physicochemical and biological properties, BBB4-G4K NPs could be considered as a promising novel therapeutic option against the very frequent staphylococcal skin infections.
Muscular and Tendon Degeneration after Achilles Rupture: New Insights into Future Repair Strategies
Authors: Gil-Melgosa Lara , Grasa Jorge , Urbiola Ainhoa , Llombart Rafael , Susaeta Ruiz Miguel , Montiel Verónica , Ederra Cristina , Calvo Begoña , Ariz Mikel , Ripalda-Cemborain Purificación , Prosper Felipe , Ortiz-de-Solórzano Carlos , Pons-Villanueva Juan , Pérez Ruiz Ana
Published: December 2021

Achilles tendon rupture is a frequent injury with an increasing incidence. After clinical surgical repair, aimed at suturing the tendon stumps back into their original position, the repaired Achilles tendon is often plastically deformed and mechanically less strong than the pre-injured tissue, with muscle fatty degeneration contributing to function loss. Despite clinical outcomes, pre-clinical research has mainly focused on tendon structural repair, with a lack of knowledge regarding injury progression from tendon to muscle and its consequences on muscle degenerative/regenerative processes and function. Here, we characterize the morphological changes in the tendon, the myotendinous junction and muscle belly in a mouse model of Achilles tendon complete rupture, finding cellular and fatty infiltration, fibrotic tissue accumulation, muscle stem cell decline and collagen fiber disorganization. We use novel imaging technologies to accurately relate structural alterations in tendon fibers to pathological changes, which further explain the loss of muscle mechanical function after tendon rupture. The treatment of tendon injuries remains a challenge for orthopedics. Thus, the main goal of this study is to bridge the gap between clinicians’ knowledge and research to address the underlying pathophysiology of ruptured Achilles tendon and its consequences in the gastrocnemius. Such studies are necessary if current practices in regenerative medicine for Achilles tendon ruptures are to be improved.
Amyloid Precursor Protein A713T Mutation in Calabrian Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Population Genomics Approach to Estimate Inheritance from a Common Ancestor
Authors: Abondio Paolo , Sarno Stefania , Giuliani Cristina , Laganà Valentina , Maletta Raffaele , Bernardi Livia , Bruno Francesco , Colao Rosanna , Puccio Gianfranco , Frangipane Francesca , Borroni Barbara , Van Broeckhoven Christine , Luiselli Donata , Bruni Amalia
Published: December 2021

Mutation A713T in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) has been linked to cases of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and cerebrovascular disease. Despite its rarity, it has been observed in several families from the same geographical area, in the Calabria region in Southern Italy. Genotyping of 720,000 genome-wide SNPs with the HumanOmniExpress BeadChip was performed for six patients that were representative of apparently unrelated Calabrian families, as well as a Belgian subject of Italian descent (all with the same A713T mutation and disease). Their genomic structure and genetic relationships were analyzed. Demographic reconstruction and coalescent theory were applied to estimate the time of the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) among patients. Results show that all A713T carriers fell into the genetic variability of Southern Italy and were not more closely related to each other than to any other healthy Calabrian individual. However, five out of seven patients shared a 1.7 Mbp-long DNA segment centered on the A713T mutation, making it possible to estimate a tMRCA for its common origin in the Calabrian region dating back over 1000 years. The analysis of affected individuals with methodologies based on human population genomics thus provides informative insights in support of clinical observations and biomedical research.
Evidence for Two Modes of Binding of the Negative Allosteric Modulator SB269,652 to the Dopamine D2 Receptor
Authors: Ågren Richard , Sahlholm Kristoffer
Published: December 2021

SB269,652 has been described as the first negative allosteric modulator (NAM) of the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R), however, the binding mode and allosteric mechanism of action of this ligand remain incompletely understood. SB269,652 comprises an orthosteric, primary pharmacophore and a secondary (or allosteric) pharmacophore joined by a hydrophilic cyclohexyl linker and is known to form corresponding interactions with the orthosteric binding site (OBS) and the secondary binding pocket (SBP) in the D2R. Here, we observed a surprisingly low potency of SB269,652 to negatively modulate the D2R-mediated activation of G protein-coupled inward-rectifier potassium channels (GIRK) and decided to perform a more detailed investigation of the interaction between dopamine and SB269,652. The results indicated that the SB269,652 inhibitory potency is increased 6.6-fold upon ligand pre-incubation, compared to the simultaneous co-application with dopamine. Mutagenesis experiments implicated both S193 in the OBS and E95 in the SBP in the effect of pre-application. The present findings extend previous knowledge about how SB269,652 competes with dopamine at the D2R and may be useful for the development of novel D2R ligands, such as antipsychotic drug candidates.
Discovery Potent of Thiazolidinedione Derivatives as Antioxidant, α-Amylase Inhibitor, and Antidiabetic Agent
Authors: Sameeh Manal Y. , Khowdiary Manal M. , Nassar Hisham S. , Abdelall Mahmoud M. , Alderhami Suliman A. , Elhenawy Ahmed A.
Published: December 2021

This work aimed to synthesize safe antihyperglycemic derivatives bearing thiazolidinedione fragment based on spectral data. The DFT theory discussed the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), chemical reactivity of compounds, and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) to explain interaction between thiazolidinediones and the biological receptor. α-amylase is known as the initiator-hydrolysis of the of polysaccharides; therefore, developing α-amylase inhibitors can open the way for a potential diabetes mellitus drug. The molecular docking simulation was performed into the active site of PPAR-γ and α-amylase. We evaluated in vitro α-amylase’s potency and radical scavenging ability. The compound 6 has the highest potency against α-amylase and radical scavenging compared to the reference drug and other members. They have been applied against anti-diabetic and anti-hyperlipidemic activity (in vivo) based on an alloxan-induced diabetic rat model during a 30-day treatment protocol. The most potent anti hyperglycemic members are 6 and 11 with reduction percentage of blood glucose level by 69.55% and 66.95%, respectively; compared with the normal control. Other members exhibited moderate to low anti-diabetic potency. All compounds showed a normal value against the tested biochemical parameters (CH, LDL, and HDL). The ADMET profile showed good oral bioavailability without any observed carcinogenesis effect.
Unveiling Metabolic Vulnerability and Plasticity of Human Osteosarcoma Stem and Differentiated Cells to Improve Cancer Therapy
Authors: Della Sala Gerardo , Pacelli Consiglia , Agriesti Francesca , Laurenzana Ilaria , Tucci Francesco , Tamma Mirko , Capitanio Nazzareno , Piccoli Claudia
Published: December 2021

Defining the metabolic phenotypes of cancer-initiating cells or cancer stem cells and of their differentiated counterparts might provide fundamental knowledge for improving or developing more effective therapies. In this context we extensively characterized the metabolic profiles of two osteosarcoma-derived cell lines, the 3AB-OS cancer stem cells and the parental MG-63 cells. To this aim Seahorse methodology-based metabolic flux analysis under a variety of conditions complemented with real time monitoring of cell growth by impedentiometric technique and confocal imaging were carried out. The results attained by selective substrate deprivation or metabolic pathway inhibition clearly show reliance of 3AB-OS on glycolysis and of MG-63 on glutamine oxidation. Treatment of the osteosarcoma cell lines with cisplatin resulted in additive inhibitory effects in MG-63 cells depleted of glutamine whereas it antagonized under selective withdrawal of glucose in 3AB-OS cells thereby manifesting a paradoxical pro-survival, cell-cycle arrest in S phase and antioxidant outcome. All together the results of this study highlight that the efficacy of specific metabolite starvation combined with chemotherapeutic drugs depends on the cancer compartment and suggest cautions in using it as a generalizable curative strategy.
A Critical Review of the Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Opioid Medications Used in Avian Patients
Authors: Aliansyah Evelyn , Chng Hui Ting , Xie Shangzhe
Published: December 2021

Opioid drugs are used to manage moderate to severe pain in mammals and avian species. In dosing opioids for a particular species, it is optimal to use dosing regimens based on pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics studies conducted in the same species as variability in the physiology among different species may result in differences in drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Unfortunately, dosing regimens are typically extrapolated from closely related avian species or even mammals, which is unideal. Therefore, this critical review aims to collate and evaluate the dosing regimens of selected opioids: tramadol, hydromorphone, buprenorphine, butorphanol, and fentanyl, in avian species and its related safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetic data. Our review found specific dosing regimens not described in the Exotic Animal Formulary for tramadol used in Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus), Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata) and Hispaniolan Parrot (Amazona ventralis); hydromorphone used in Orange-winged Parrot (Amazona amazonica); buprenorphine used in Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus), American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) and Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus); and butorphanol used in Hispaniolan Parrot (Amazona ventralis), Broiler Chicken and Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus). Cockatiel appeared to not experience analgesic effects for hydromorphone and buprenorphine, and American Kestrel exhibited sex-dependent responses to opioids. The selected opioids were observed to be generally safe, with adverse effects being dose-dependent.
Detection of Marker Associated with CTC in Colorectal Cancer in Mononuclear Cells of Patients with Benign Inflammatory Intestinal Diseases
Authors: Born Johanna , Hendricks Alexander , Hauser Charlotte , Egberts Jan-Hendrik , Becker Thomas , Röder Christian , Sebens Susanne
Published: December 2021

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) belongs to the most common tumor entities in western countries. Circulating tumor cells (CTC) in blood of CRC patients are a powerful prognostic and predictive biomarker. However, whether CTC-associated markers can also be used for early CRC detection and discrimination from benign diseases is not known. This study investigated the presence of CTC-associated markers CK20, PLS3, LAD1, and DEFA5 in blood of patients with benign inflammatory intestinal disease (IID) and their correlation with malignancy. The detection rate of CK20 and DEFA5 significantly differed between diseased patients and healthy controls. LAD1 and PLS3 were detected in all samples with clear differences in gene expression. DEFA5 expression was higher in CRC and IID patients compared to healthy donors, while CK20 and PLS3 were lower in CRC compared to IID patients or healthy controls. Overall, all CTC-associated markers were detectable in blood of IID patients, but not correlating with inflammation severity. Finally, PLS3 emerged as a suitable marker for differentiation between malignant and non-malignant intestinal diseases or healthy controls, however its suitability for early CRC detection needs to be further validated.
Differential Spatial Distribution of TSPO or Amino Acid PET Signal and MRI Contrast Enhancement in Gliomas
Authors: Kaiser Lena , Holzgreve Adrien , Quach Stefanie , Ingrisch Michael , Unterrainer Marcus , Dekorsy Franziska J. , Lindner Simon , Ruf Viktoria , Brosch-Lenz Julia , Delker Astrid , Böning Guido , Suchorska Bogdana , Niyazi Maximilian , Wetzel Christian H. , Riemenschneider Markus J. , Stöcklein Sophia , Brendel Matthias , Rupprecht Rainer , Thon Niklas , von Baumgarten Louisa , Tonn Jörg-Christian , Bartenstein Peter , Ziegler Sibylle , Albert Nathalie L.
Published: December 2021

In this study, dual PET and contrast enhanced MRI were combined to investigate their correlation per voxel in patients at initial diagnosis with suspected glioblastoma. Correlation with contrast enhancement (CE) as an indicator of BBB leakage was further used to evaluate whether PET signal is likely caused by BBB disruption alone, or rather attributable to specific binding after BBB passage. PET images with [18F]GE180 and the amino acid [18F]FET were acquired and normalized to healthy background (tumor-to-background ratio, TBR). Contrast enhanced images were normalized voxel by voxel with the pre-contrast T1-weighted MRI to generate relative CE values (rCE). Voxel-wise analysis revealed a high PET signal even within the sub-volumes without detectable CE. No to moderate correlation of rCE with TBR voxel-values and a small overlap as well as a larger distance of the hotspots delineated in rCE and TBR-PET images were detected. In contrast, voxel-wise correlation between both PET modalities was strong for most patients and hotspots showed a moderate overlap and distance. The high PET signal in tumor sub-volumes without CE observed in voxel-wise analysis as well as the discordant hotspots emphasize the specificity of the PET signals and the relevance of combined differential information from dual PET and MRI images.
Advances in Lung Cancer Imaging and Therapy
Authors: Lopci Egesta , Morbelli Silvia
Published: December 2021

This series of eight papers (five original articles, two reviews and one meta-analysis) is presented by international leaders covering various aspects of lung cancer management, starting with diagnostic imaging and analyzing the novel perspectives of therapy [...]
Spontaneous Physical Activity in Obese Condition Favours Antitumour Immunity Leading to Decreased Tumour Growth in a Syngeneic Mouse Model of Carcinogenesis
Authors: Le Guennec Delphine , Goepp Marie , Farges Marie-Chantal , Rougé Stéphanie , Vasson Marie-Paule , Caldefie-Chezet Florence , Rossary Adrien
Published: December 2021

Our goal was to evaluate the effect of spontaneous physical activity on tumour immunity during aging. Elderly (n = 10/group, 33 weeks) ovariectomized C57BL/6J mice fed a hyperlipidic diet were housed in standard (SE) or enriched (EE) environments. After 4 weeks, orthotopic implantation of syngeneic mammary cancer EO771 cells was performed to explore the immune phenotyping in the immune organs and the tumours, as well as the cytokines in the tumour and the plasma. EE lowered circulating myostatin, IL-6 and slowed down tumour growth. Spleen and inguinal lymph node weights reduced in relation to SE. Within the tumours, EE induced a lower content of lymphoid cells with a decrease in Th2, Treg and MDCS; and, conversely, a greater quantity of Tc and TAMs. While no change in tumour NKs cells occurred, granzyme A and B expression increased as did that of perforin 1. Spontaneous physical activity in obese conditions slowed tumour growth by decreasing low-grade inflammation, modulating immune recruitment and efficacy within the tumour.
Peritoneal Metastasis: Current Status and Treatment Options
Authors: Roth Lilian , Russo Linda , Ulugoel Sima , Freire dos Santos Rafael , Breuer Eva , Gupta Anurag , Lehmann Kuno
Published: December 2021

Peritoneal metastasis (PM) originating from gastrointestinal cancer was considered a terminal disease until recently. The advent of better systemic treatment, a better understanding of prognostic factors, and finally, the advent of novel loco-regional therapies, has opened the door for the multimodal treatment of PM. These strategies, including radical surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) showed surprisingly good results, leading to the prolonged survival of patients with peritoneal metastasis. This has triggered a significant body of research, leading to the molecular characterization of PM, which may further help in the development of novel treatments. This review summarizes current evidence on peritoneal metastasis and explores potential novel mechanisms and therapeutic approaches to treat patients with peritoneal metastasis.
Bacterial Lymphatic Metastasis in Infection and Immunity
Authors: Siggins Matthew K. , Sriskandan Shiranee
Published: December 2021

Lymphatic vessels permeate tissues around the body, returning fluid from interstitial spaces back to the blood after passage through the lymph nodes, which are important sites for adaptive responses to all types of pathogens. Involvement of the lymphatics in the pathogenesis of bacterial infections is not well studied. Despite offering an obvious conduit for pathogen spread, the lymphatic system has long been regarded to bar the onward progression of most bacteria. There is little direct data on live virulent bacteria, instead understanding is largely inferred from studies investigating immune responses to viruses or antigens in lymph nodes. Recently, we have demonstrated that extracellular bacterial lymphatic metastasis of virulent strains of Streptococcus pyogenes drives systemic infection. Accordingly, it is timely to reconsider the role of lymph nodes as absolute barriers to bacterial dissemination in the lymphatics. Here, we summarise the routes and mechanisms by which an increasing variety of bacteria are acknowledged to transit through the lymphatic system, including those that do not necessarily require internalisation by host cells. We discuss the anatomy of the lymphatics and other factors that influence bacterial dissemination, as well as the consequences of underappreciated bacterial lymphatic metastasis on disease and immunity.
Neurologic Complications in Adult and Pediatric Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: Howard Kendall , Williams Taylor , Fitch Elizabeth , Ots Heather , Pototskiy Esther , Hawkshead Jay , Ghersin Zelda , Musto Alberto E.
Published: December 2021

SARS-CoV-2 has an impact on the nervous system as a result of pathological cellular and molecular events at the level of vascular and neural tissue. Severe neurologic manifestations including stroke, ataxia, seizure, and depressed level of consciousness are prevalent in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although the mechanism is still unclear, SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with the pathogenesis of intravascular coagulation and angiotensin-converting enzyme-I, both exacerbating systemic inflammation and contributing to hypercoagulation or blood–brain barrier leakage, resulting in ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. On the other hand, the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in neural tissue and within the cerebrospinal fluid may induce neural dysfunction, resulting in neuroinflammation, which is exacerbated by peripheral and neural hypercytokinemia that can lead to neuronal damage and subsequent neuroinflammation. A deeper understanding of the fundamental biological mechanisms of neurologic manifestations in SARS-CoV-2 infection can pave the way to identifying a single biomarker or network of biomarkers to help target neuroprotective therapy in patients at risk for developing neurological complications.
Improving Taxonomic Practices and Enhancing Its Extensibility—An Example from Araneology
Authors: Bond Jason E. , Godwin Rebecca L. , Colby Jordan D. , Newton Lacie G. , Zahnle Xavier J. , Agnarsson Ingi , Hamilton Chris A. , Kuntner Matjaž
Published: December 2021

Planetary extinction of biodiversity underscores the need for taxonomy. Here, we scrutinize spider taxonomy over the last decade (2008–2018), compiling 2083 published accounts of newly described species. We evaluated what type of data were used to delineate species, whether data were made freely available, whether an explicit species hypothesis was stated, what types of media were used, the sample sizes, and the degree to which species constructs were integrative. The findings we report reveal that taxonomy remains largely descriptive, not integrative, and provides no explicit conceptual framework. Less than 4% of accounts explicitly stated a species concept and over one-third of all new species described were based on 1–2 specimens or only one sex. Only ~5% of studies made data freely available, and only ~14% of all newly described species employed more than one line of evidence, with molecular data used in ~6% of the studies. These same trends have been discovered in other animal groups, and therefore we find it logical that taxonomists face an uphill challenge when justifying the scientific rigor of their field and securing the needed resources. To move taxonomy forward, we make recommendations that, if implemented, will enhance its rigor, repeatability, and scientific standards.
Using the Kriging Response Surface Method for the Estimation of Failure Values of Carbon-Fibre-Epoxy Subsea Composite Flowlines under the Influence of Stochastic Processes
Authors: Xing Yihan , Xu Wenxin , Buratti Valentina
Published: December 2021

This paper investigates the use of the Kriging response surface method to estimate failure values in carbon-fibre-epoxy composite flow-lines under the influence of stochastic processes. A case study of a 125 mm flow-line was investigated. The maximum stress, Tsai-Wu and Hashin failure criteria was used to assess the burst design under combined loading with axial forces, torsion and bending moments. An extensive set of measured values was generated using Monte Carlo simulation and used as the base case population to which the results from the response surfaces was compared. The response surfaces were evaluated in detail in their ability to reproduce the statistical moments, probability and cumulative distributions and failure values at low probabilities of failure. In addition, the optimisation of the response surface calculation was investigated in terms of reducing the number of input parameters and size of the response surface. Finally, a decision chart that can be used to build a response surface to calculate failures in a carbon fibre-epoxy-composite (CFEC) flow-line was proposed based on the findings obtained. The results show that the response surface method is suitable and can calculate failure values close to that calculated using a large set of measured values. The results from this paper provide an analytical framework for identifying the principal design parameters, response surface generation, and failure prediction for CFEC flow-lines.
A Qualitative Exploration of Existing Reflective Practices Used by Undergraduate Dental Students in Paediatric Dentistry
Authors: Campbell Faith , Jack Kirsten , Rogers Helen
Published: December 2021

Background: Reflection is increasingly significant for dental students and professionals and is a continuing requirement of dental regulatory bodies. There is a paucity of evidence regarding how best to facilitate deep reflection for dental students. This study explored whether the use of clinical logbooks in undergraduate clinical attachments in Paediatric Dentistry was facilitating deep reflection. Methods: This qualitative study used individual interviews for data collection. This was conducted at the University of Sheffield with third year undergraduate dental students and clinical teaching staff. Interviews were immediately transcribed verbatim. A reflexive approach to thematic analysis was used to co-constitute the data, enabling the development of the thematic framework. Results: The sample compromised 10 students and 4 educators. Thematic analysis generated 4 key themes: understanding of reflection, preparation for reflection, importance of learning through experience, and suggestions for development. The findings indicated that students perceived that they were not being supported in engaging in deep reflection by the use of a clinical logbook and that greater preparation for reflection would be beneficial. Conclusions: The current study revealed that using clinical logbooks during clinical attachments in Paediatric Dentistry was not facilitating deep reflection. Further research is required to explore how deep reflection can be facilitated for undergraduate dental students undertaking clinical learning.
Econometric Approach to Assessing the Transfer Fees and Values of Professional Football Players
Authors: Poli Raffaele , Besson Roger , Ravenel Loïc
Published: December 2021

Billions of euros are invested every year by professional football clubs for the recruitment of players. How do market actors decide prices? This paper presents an econometric model unveiling the key factors coming into play in determining fees on the transfer market for professional football (soccer) players. The statistical technique used to build the model is multiple linear regression (MLR), with fees paid by clubs as an independent variable. The sample comprises over 2000 transactions of players transferred for money from clubs in the five major European leagues during the period stretching from July 2012 to November 2021. This paper notably highlights the importance of taking into consideration the remaining duration of contracts binding players with the club to which they belong, a factor often neglected in the existing literature. It also shows that a statistical model can explain over 80% of the differences in the transfer fees paid for players. This paper reveals various applications of the approach developed for the football industry to both assess and predict football players’ transfer fees and values: transfer negotiations, club sales or purchases, bank credit, fund raising, financial planning and communication, legal disputes, etc.
Contextual Information Aided Generative Adversarial Network for Low-Light Image Enhancement
Authors: Hu Shiyong , Yan Jia , Deng Dexiang
Published: December 2021

Low-light image enhancement has been gradually becoming a hot research topic in recent years due to its wide usage as an important pre-processing step in computer vision tasks. Although numerous methods have achieved promising results, some of them still generate results with detail loss and local distortion. In this paper, we propose an improved generative adversarial network based on contextual information. Specifically, residual dense blocks are adopted in the generator to promote hierarchical feature interaction across multiple layers and enhance features at multiple depths in the network. Then, an attention module integrating multi-scale contextual information is introduced to refine and highlight discriminative features. A hybrid loss function containing perceptual and color component is utilized in the training phase to ensure the overall visual quality. Qualitative and quantitative experimental results on several benchmark datasets demonstrate that our model achieves relatively good results and has good generalization capacity compared to other state-of-the-art low-light enhancement algorithms.
Diagnostic Evaluation of Policy-Gradient-Based Ranking
Authors: Yu Hai-Tao , Huang Degen , Ren Fuji , Li Lishuang
Published: December 2021

Learning-to-rank has been intensively studied and has shown significantly increasing values in a wide range of domains, such as web search, recommender systems, dialogue systems, machine translation, and even computational biology, to name a few. In light of recent advances in neural networks, there has been a strong and continuing interest in exploring how to deploy popular techniques, such as reinforcement learning and adversarial learning, to solve ranking problems. However, armed with the aforesaid popular techniques, most studies tend to show how effective a new method is. A comprehensive comparison between techniques and an in-depth analysis of their deficiencies are somehow overlooked. This paper is motivated by the observation that recent ranking methods based on either reinforcement learning or adversarial learning boil down to policy-gradient-based optimization. Based on the widely used benchmark collections with complete information (where relevance labels are known for all items), such as MSLRWEB30K and Yahoo-Set1, we thoroughly investigate the extent to which policy-gradient-based ranking methods are effective. On one hand, we analytically identify the pitfalls of policy-gradient-based ranking. On the other hand, we experimentally compare a wide range of representative methods. The experimental results echo our analysis and show that policy-gradient-based ranking methods are, by a large margin, inferior to many conventional ranking methods. Regardless of whether we use reinforcement learning or adversarial learning, the failures are largely attributable to the gradient estimation based on sampled rankings, which significantly diverge from ideal rankings. In particular, the larger the number of documents per query and the more fine-grained the ground-truth labels, the greater the impact policy-gradient-based ranking suffers. Careful examination of this weakness is highly recommended for developing enhanced methods based on policy gradient.
Design Space Exploration on High-Order QAM Demodulation Circuits: Algorithms, Arithmetic and Approximation Techniques
Authors: Stratakos Ioannis , Leon Vasileios , Armeniakos Giorgos , Lentaris George , Soudris Dimitrios
Published: December 2021

Every new generation of wireless communication standard aims to improve the overall performance and quality of service (QoS), compared to the previous generations. Increased data rates, numbers and capabilities of connected devices, new applications, and higher data volume transfers are some of the key parameters that are of interest. To satisfy these increased requirements, the synergy between wireless technologies and optical transport will dominate the 5G network topologies. This work focuses on a fundamental digital function in an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) baseband transceiver architecture and aims at improving the throughput and circuit complexity of this function. Specifically, we consider the high-order QAM demodulation and apply approximation techniques to achieve our goals. We adopt approximate computing as a design strategy to exploit the error resiliency of the QAM function and deliver significant gains in terms of critical performance metrics. Particularly, we take into consideration and explore four demodulation algorithms and develop accurate floating- and fixed-point circuits in VHDL. In addition, we further explore the effects of introducing approximate arithmetic components. For our test case, we consider 64-QAM demodulators, and the results suggest that the most promising design provides bit error rates (BER) ranging from 10−1 to 10−4 for SNR 0–14 dB in terms of accuracy. Targeting a Xilinx Zynq Ultrascale+ ZCU106 (XCZU7EV) FPGA device, the approximate circuits achieve up to 98% reduction in LUT utilization, compared to the accurate floating-point model of the same algorithm, and up to a 122% increase in operating frequency. In terms of power consumption, our most efficient circuit configurations consume 0.6–1.1 W when operating at their maximum clock frequency. Our results show that if the objective is to achieve high accuracy in terms of BER, the prevailing solution is the approximate LLR algorithm configured with fixed-point arithmetic and 8-bit truncation, providing 81% decrease in LUTs and 13% increase in frequency and sustains a throughput of 323 Msamples/s.
Circuit Techniques in GaN Technology for High-Temperature Environments
Authors: Hassan Ahmad , Noël Jean-Paul , Savaria Yvon , Sawan Mohamad
Published: December 2021

As a wide bandgap semiconductor, Gallium Nitride (GaN) device proves itself as a suitable candidate to implement high temperature (HT) integrated circuits. GaN500 is a technology available from the National Research Council of Canada to serve RF applications. However, this technology has the potential to boost HT electronics to higher ranges of operating temperatures and to higher levels of integration. This paper summarizes the outcome of five years of research investigating the implementation of GaN500-based circuits to support HT applications such as aerospace missions and deep earth drilling. More than 15 integrated circuits were implemented and tested. We performed the HT characterization of passive elements integrated in GaN500 including resistors, capacitors, and inductors up to 600 °C. Moreover, we developed for the first time several digital circuits based on GaN500 technology, including logic gates (NOT, NAND, NOR), ring oscillators, D Flip-Flop, Delay circuits, and voltage reference circuits. The tested circuits are fabricated on a 4 mm × 4 mm chip to validate their functionality over a wide range of temperatures. The logic gates show functionality at HT over 400 °C, while the voltage reference circuits remain stable up to 550 °C.