bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theoretical analysis of expanded porphyrins: Aromaticity, stability, and optoelectronic properties
Authors: Wei Wei , Zhao Zeng-Xia , Xia Bao-Hui , Li Wei
Published: September 2022

Expanded porphyrin systems are capable of binding a variety of substrates due to their increased cavity size and aromatic nature, holding important applications as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents and as sensitizers for photodynamic therapy. It is there of fundamental interest to know the photoelectrical properties of expanded porphyrins using quantum chemistry calculations. In this work, we theoretically designed and screened a series of expanded porphyrins by incorporating terthiophene (TTH) and dithienothiophene (DTT) moieties. Our calculations showed that all the designed molecules exhibit excellent optoelectronic performance than the reference molecule. It is suggested that the porphyrin molecule with TTH moiety has better stability than the one with DTT moiety. Finally, we demonstrated that molecule 2 features with TTH moiety and the inverted selenophene ring outperform other molecules because it exhibits increased HOMO-LUMO gap, planar geometry, and strengthened aromaticity. We expect that this work can provide theoretical guidelines for the design of novel porphyrin materials.
Terpenoids from Kiwi endophytic fungus Bipolaris sp. and their antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae
Authors: Yu Jun-Jie , Wei Wen-Ke , Zhang Yu , Cox Russell J. , He Juan , Liu Ji-Kai , Feng Tao
Published: September 2022

A chemical investigation on the kiwi endophytic fungus Bipolaris sp. Resulted in the isolation of eight new terpenoids (1–8) and five known analogues (9–13). Compounds 1–5 are novel sativene sesquiterpenoids containing three additional skeletal carbons, while compounds 4 and 5 are rare dimers. Compounds 6–8 and 13 are sesterterpenoids that have been identified from this species for the first time. Compounds 4 and 5 showed antibacterial activity against kiwifruit canker pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. Actinidiae (Psa) with MIC values of 32 and 64 μg/ml, respectively.
Landslide risk reduction through close partnership between research, industry, and public entities in Norway: Pilots and case studies
Authors: Solheim Anders , Kalsnes Bjørn , Strout James , Piciullo Luca , Heyerdahl Håkon , Eidsvig Unni , Lohne Jardar
Published: September 2022

Cross-sectorial and cross-disciplinary collaboration, as well as public-private partnerships are necessary to handle the complexity of climate adaptation. The Research Council of Norway has established the Centres for Research-based Innovation (CRI) in which research- and education organizations, public entities and private enterprises join forces in 8-year long collaborations. CRI-Klima 2050 focuses on climate adaptation of buildings and infrastructure and runs several pilot projects to innovate new solutions for building resilience, stormwater- and landslide risk management. Several of the major infrastructure owners in Norway are partners in the centre. Norway is increasingly affected by precipitation triggered landslides. Klima 2050 pilot projects on landslide risk reduction include a web-based toolbox for prioritizing and choosing optimal mitigation measures, including Nature-Based Solutions, improved early warning systems and mitigation measures for slope instability, and improved local warning for hazardous weather systems, all developed in close collaboration between centre partners from different sectors and disciplines. The results of these projects can all be upscaled and are transferable to other infrastructure elements.
Dynamic downscaling ensemble forecast of an extreme rainstorm event in South China by COSMO EPS
Authors: Ji Luying , Zhi Xiefei , Schalge Bernd , Stephan Klaus , Wu Zhifang , Wu Chong , Simmer Clemens , Zhu Shoupeng
Published: September 2022

In this study, the high-resolution ensemble prediction system COSMO (Consortium for Small Scale) EPS is used to predict the extreme rainstorm that occurred from 27 to 31 August 2018 in Guangdong Province, China, which leads to intensities exceeding historical extreme values. COSMO EPS is run with a 2.8-km grid spacing, allowing for an explicit treatment of deep convection, and 24 members of the EPS are initialized and laterally driven by the ICON (ICOsahedral Nonhydrostatic) global model. We compare the predictions of COSMO EPS against observations derived from the global precipitation measurement (GPM) and with ensemble forecasts of both mesoscale EPS and global EPS provided by GRAPES (Global and Regional Assimilation and PrEdiction System), and with the deterministic forecasts of global models ICON and ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts). Model performances are evaluated both by gridpoint-based scores, such as the equitable threat score (ETS), and by the Method for Object-based Diagnostic Evaluation (MODE) for spatial verification. According to our results, COSMO EPS could perform better forecasts for the rainstorms taken place in eastern Guangdong than other models. However, the location and coverage area of its predicted rainstorm is eastward and smaller in contrast with the observations. Therefore, COSMO EPS exhibits relative high performance by object-based spatial evaluations, while it could not display evident superiority in terms of the gridpoint-based scores. The cause analysis of this extreme rainstorm shows that Guangdong Province of China is mainly affected by monsoon depression. Southwesterly and southerly winds continuously transport water vapor from the South China Sea to Guangdong Province. The southwest monsoon low-level jet advances northward over time, which promotes the occurrence and development of continuous heavy precipitation in the coastal areas of Guangdong. In an additional experiment, we investigate the benefit of assimilation of radar data, by applying the latent heat nudging (LHN) approach based on surface-based radar observations to the COSMO EPS. Subsequently, the prediction by assimilation of radar data more reasonably reproduces the spatial distribution of precipitation observations, while the coverage and intensity of the rainstorm in eastern Guangdong are still not reflected satisfactorily.
Coalbed methane reservoir dynamic simulation comparisons using the actual steeply inclined model and ideal steeply inclined model
Authors: Qin Quanling , Li Xin , Peng Rendong , Peng Shiqi , Liu Yipan , Zhou Xiang , Yang Jingwen
Published: September 2022

Numerical simulation is an efficient method to quantitatively describe the reservoir dynamics of coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs. The ideal steeply inclined model (ISIM), assumed to be a steeply inclined plate, has been widely applied in steep coalbed methane reservoir modeling, although the ISIM cannot accurately reflect the actual reservoir geological conditions. In this paper, the dynamics of CBM production and reservoirs using the ISIM and actual steeply inclined model (ASIM) were compared, taking the steep coal in the Fukang mining area located in northwestern China as an example, with the purpose of revealing the differences and applicability of the ASIM and ISIM. The ASIM and ISIM were established by Petrel software, and CBM production was matched and predicted by Eclipse software. Data reflecting reservoir dynamics, such as water saturation, reservoir pressure, and gas content, were extracted. The dynamic changes in the reservoir physical properties of the ASIM and ISIM were also compared. The results showed that: 1) multiple gas production peaks occurred in both ASIM and ISIM. The maximum daily gas production of ASIM occurred earlier than the maximum daily gas production of ISIM. The peak gas production and cumulative gas production of ASIM were both greater than the peak gas production and cumulative gas production of ISIM. 2) Due to the variations in grid shape and dip angle with each grid in the ASIM, the production effect of the ASIM was better than the production effect of the ISIM in the third stage (4–10 years) of drainage. 3) In the third stage (4–10 years) of drainage, the decrease rate of reservoir pressure of ASIM was larger than the decrease rate of reservoir pressure of ISIM because of the relatively better production performance of ASIM. 4) Differentiation of gas and water dominated the variation trend of gas content, and in the third stage (4–10 years) of drainage, the ASIM has higher recovery efficiency compared with ISIM. Compared with ISIM proposed by previous scholars, the ASIM was more helpful to monitor the dynamic behavior of coal reservoirs, and ASIM can provide a more reliable basis for guiding coalbed methane development.
Tunisian hypersaline sediments to set up suitable halotolerant microbial bioanodes for electrostimulated biodegradation of thiabendazole
Authors: Saidi Nesrine , Erable Benjamin , Saadaoui Sirine , Driouech Rim , Zaouak Amira , Jelassi Haikel , Neifar Mohamed , Masmoudi Ahmed Slaheddine , Cherif Ameur , Chouchane Habib
Published: September 2022

This study investigated for the first time the performance of microbial halotolerant bioanodes designed from two Tunisian Hypersaline Sediments (THS) for simultaneous electrostimulated biodegradation of synthetic fruit packaging wastewater containing thiabendazole (TBZ), and recovery of an anodic current signal. Halotolerant bioanodes formation has been conducted on 6 cm2 carbon felt electrodes polarized at −0.1Vvs Saturated Calomel Electrode (SCE), inoculated with 80% (v:v) of synthetic wastewater containing 50 ppm of irradiated or not irradiated TBZ and 20% (v:v) of THS for a period of 7 days. Microbial bioanodes, and the corresponding anolytes, i.e., synthetic wastewater, were studied comparatively by electrochemical, microscopic, spectroscopic, molecular and microbial ecology tools. Despite the low maximum current densities recorded in the 50 ppm TBZ runs (3.66 mA/m2), more than 80% of the TBZ was degraded when non-irradiated TBZ (nTBZ) was used as the sole carbon energy by the microorganisms. Nevertheless, the degradation in the presence of irradiated TBZ (iTBZ) was greatly reduced by increasing the irradiation dose with maximum current density of 0.95 mA/m2 and a degradation rate less than 50% of iTBZ. In addition, chemical changes were observed in TBZ as a result of gamma irradiation and bioelectrochemical degradation. FT-IR and UV-Vis techniques confirmed the degradation of TBZ structural bonds producing novel functional groups. Culture-dependent approach and 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing demonstrated that bacterial community of halotolerant bioanodes formed with nTBZ were dominated by Proteobacteria (75%) and Firmicutes (25%). At species level, enrichment of Halomonas smyrnensis, Halomonas halophila, Halomonas salina, Halomonasor ganivorans and Halomonas koreensis on carbon felt electrodes were correlated with maximal current production and nTBZ degradation. As a result, THS halotolerant bacteria, and specifically those from Chott El Djerid (CJ) site certainly have well established application for the electrostimulated microbial biodegradation of fungicide in the real fruit and vegetable processing industries.
Simulation study of neutron multiplicity of plutonium samples of different shapes
Authors: Lu Yunfeng , Zhang Quanhu , Yao Qingxu , Wang Yu
Published: September 2022

In this paper, an optimized boron-coated straw tube neutron multiplicity counter is used to simulate neutron multiplicity for six different shapes of weapons-grade plutonium samples. It was found that under the point model equation, the mass simulation results for samples of different shapes showed different degrees of negative deviations with increasing mass, and the deviations increased with increasing mass. On this basis, the reasons for the deviation are analyzed and a multilayer perceptron is introduced, and three counting rates and preset qualities of samples of different qualities under six shapes are trained. The results showed that the multi-layer perceptron could better fit the relationship between the counting rates of different shapes and the preset quality. The sparrow search algorithm was introduced to optimize the initial weights and thresholds of the multilayer perceptron, and the optimized model was used to predict another four samples of different shapes. The results show that the optimized multilayer perceptron can better fit the relationship between the counting rate and the mass of samples with different shapes. When the sample mass is less than 3 kg, the relative deviation of the three counting rates for samples with four shapes to the sample mass prediction is less than 2%, which meets the requirements of neutron multiplicity measurement.
The relationship between innovative performance and environmental regulations: Evidences from Jiangsu Province, China
Authors: Duan Jingjing , Xia Shiliang
Published: September 2022

With the endless constraints brought about by limited resources and increased pollution, practices that aim for sustainable and innovative development is often seen as the thing of the future. Despite this collective shift towards sustainability, the relationship between regional innovation and environmental protection still vastly differs between different geographic units. This paper takes the Jiangsu province, a pioneering economic zone in East China, as a study object, and uses its thirteen cities’ panel data from 2006 to 2020 to check human capital input, foreign direct investment, research and development fund input, environmental pollution, and other independent variables that influence its innovation output. The study finds a strong positive relationship between R&D investment of enterprises, human capital input, local loans scaled for technical innovation, environmental regulation and innovative output. while the same is untrue between research and development fund input from government and innovative output. There are also negative contribution from the openness of cities and foreign direct investment, which indicates that presently more innovative achievements in Jiangsu come from independent research and development rather than relying on technology spillovers from foreign direct investments. Finally, future policies about enhancing the research and development input scale, encouraging local human capital, executing more fiscal and direct capital supporting tools, and upholding liberal trade policies as high-quality international export-oriented economy are suggested.
The behavioral strategies of multiple stakeholders in environmental nimby conflicts: An evolutionary game theoretical research
Authors: Long Zhaoyang , Wang Sisi , Sohail Muhammad Tayyab
Published: September 2022

“Chinese-style Nimby” is a thorny issue in China’s current public governance. Generally speaking, there is a game relationship between multiple stakeholders in the environmental NIMBY conflicts. Given this, the study constructs the tripartite evolutionary game model of the government, construction enterprises and the surrounding residents, and uses MATLAB to numerically simulate the evolutionary system. The results show: 1) The effect of government negotiations in resolving environmental conflicts is better than environmental compensation, with the increase in the degree of civil resistance, the probability of the government choosing negotiation strategies will increase; 2) Reducing the cost of negotiations in enterprises, or the taxation index when selecting considering public’s demands, or improving additional benefits of the corporate, which can effectively improve the positivity of enterprises to consider people’s appeals; 3) The higher the compensation and the extra benefits of people’s cooperative participation are, the faster the system will evolute to people’s cooperative participation. Finally, based on the research findings, this paper provides reference and countermeasures for the construction of multiple co-governance mechanisms of environmental NIMBY conflicts.
On the establishment of reference values of clouds of electromyography interference pattern by linear regression method and percentile method and comparison of sensitivity and specificity of both methods
Authors: Wang Dan , Liu Lei , Xue Ruohong , Li Zhongming , Gao Yuqi , Wang Ting , Kang Yanfang , Wang Jingjing , Yin Qiuye , Li Najuan , Han Yanbing
Published: September 2022

Objective

Turn-amplitude clouds were widely used in automatic electromyography (EMG) interference pattern analysis. Earlier works employed the intercept ± 2SD (standard deviation) of the linear regression equation as the upper and lower boundaries of the clouds. The goal of this study was to employ the linear regression method and percentile method to calculate the reference value of turn-amplitude clouds, identify the determining criteria in accordance with the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC), and analyze the sensitivity and specificity of the linear regression cloud, percentile cloud, and quantitative assessment of the motor unit potential (QMUP).

Methods

First, we explore what factors affect the number of turns per second and the mean amplitude. Then, their logarithms were taken for the normal test. All muscle data were used to calculate the reference values of percentile clouds. However, the reference values of the linear regression clouds were obtained for the muscles with a bivariate normal distribution, homogeneous variances and a linear correlation. We calculated the prediction interval with the standard errors of the intercept and slope of the linear regression equation, which can determine the upper and lower boundaries of the linear regression clouds. Furthermore, we obtained ROCs of these clouds, which were used as the determining criteria to determine the optimum cut-off values. Finally, our study analyzed the sensitivity and specificity of the linear regression cloud, percentile cloud, and QMUP.

Results

We here presented the reference values and ROCs of the linear regression clouds and percentile clouds. We suggest the determining criteria be based on ROCs. The areas under the curve (AUC) of both clouds are larger than 0.8, revealing that they have significant diagnostic value. Our results display that the specificities of the linear regression clouds, percentile clouds, and QMUP are almost identical to each other, whereas the sensitivity of percentile cloud is higher than those of QMUP and linear regression clouds.

Conclusion

According to ROCs, the researchers determine the determining criteria of the linear regression clouds and percentile clouds. Our findings suggest that the percentile clouds possess a wide application range and significant diagnostic value, therefore it may be the optimum for automatic EMG interference pattern analysis.
Solve the post-operative subdural pneumatosis of chronic subdural hematoma: A novel active bone hole drainage system
Authors: Zhang Sheng , Zhang Xin , Ding Jian
Published: September 2022

Background

Post-operative subdural pneumatosis (PSP) is commonly encountered after the chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) surgery which currently lacks effective methods to avoid the condition. This study invented an active bone hole drainage system to change the venting technique with the aim of comparing post-operative efficacy and prognosis to traditional drilling and drainage.

Methods

We conducted a randomized controlled trial between January 2020 and January 2021. A total of 86 patients undergoing surgery were assessed for eligibility, with 50 patients randomly assigned to the control group (received drilling and drainage) and 36 patients to the test group (received modified surgery). The 6-month follow-up was done after surgery. CSDH recurrence and post-operative hematoma re-increasement were the primary endpoints. The data from the two groups were compared and analyzed. This study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trials Register (ChiCTR2200057158), and had ethics committee approval and patient consent.

Results

The incidence of PSP in the test group (0%, 0/30)was lower than the control group (93.88%, 46/49) (P < 0.001). The brain non-expansion rates 3 days/weeks/months after surgery of the test group were 59.25 [49.62, 76.97], 52.10 [42.88, 72.45], and 29.45 [23.40, 36.95] respectively, which were lower than the control group which were 78.60 [69.50, 94.70], 73.10 [60.70, 87.40], and 61.70 [51.50, 78.30], respectively (P < 0.001). The ADL scores a week/month/3/6 months after surgery of the test group were 100.00 [60.00, 100.00], 100.00 [85.00, 100.00], 100.00 [100.00, 100.00], 100.00 [100.00, 100.00], which were better than the control group's 60.00 [60.00, 80.00], 75.00 [60.00, 100.00], 100.00 [60.00, 100.00], 100.00 [60.00, 100.00] (P < 0.05). The incidence of primary endpoints in the test group (10%, 3/30) was lower than the control group (34.69%, 17/49) (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Compared to drilling and drainage, the modified surgery with the active bone hole drainage system significantly reduced the incidence of PSP and primary endpoints and improved the post-operative efficacy and prognosis.

Clinical trial registration

Identifier: ChiCTR2200057158.
N-Net: A novel dense fully convolutional neural network for thyroid nodule segmentation
Authors: Nie Xingqing , Zhou Xiaogen , Tong Tong , Lin Xingtao , Wang Luoyan , Zheng Haonan , Li Jing , Xue Ensheng , Chen Shun , Zheng Meijuan , Chen Cong , Du Min
Published: September 2022

Medical image segmentation is an essential component of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems. Thyroid nodule segmentation using ultrasound images is a necessary step for the early diagnosis of thyroid diseases. An encoder-decoder based deep convolutional neural network (DCNN), like U-Net architecture and its variants, has been extensively used to deal with medical image segmentation tasks. In this article, we propose a novel N-shape dense fully convolutional neural network for medical image segmentation, referred to as N-Net. The proposed framework is composed of three major components: a multi-scale input layer, an attention guidance module, and an innovative stackable dilated convolution (SDC) block. First, we apply the multi-scale input layer to construct an image pyramid, which achieves multi-level receiver field sizes and obtains rich feature representation. After that, the U-shape convolutional network is employed as the backbone structure. Moreover, we use the attention guidance module to filter the features before several skip connections, which can transfer structural information from previous feature maps to the following layers. This module can also remove noise and reduce the negative impact of the background. Finally, we propose a stackable dilated convolution (SDC) block, which is able to capture deep semantic features that may be lost in bilinear upsampling. We have evaluated the proposed N-Net framework on a thyroid nodule ultrasound image dataset (called the TNUI-2021 dataset) and the DDTI publicly available dataset. The experimental results show that our N-Net model outperforms several state-of-the-art methods in the thyroid nodule segmentation tasks.
Asymmetric visual capture of virtual sound sources in the distance dimension
Authors: Zahorik Pavel
Published: September 2022

Visual capture describes the tendency of a sound to be mislocalized to the location of a plausible visual target. This effect, also known as the ventriloquist effect, has been extensively studied in humans, but primarily for mismatches in the angular direction between auditory and visual targets. Here, visual capture was examined in the distance dimension using a single visual target (an un-energized loudspeaker) and invisible virtual sound sources presented over headphones. The sound sources were synthesized from binaural impulse-response measurements at distances ranging from 1 to 5 m (0.25 m steps) in the semi-reverberant room (7.7 × 4.2 × 2.7 m3) in which the experiment was conducted. Listeners (n = 11) were asked whether or not the auditory target appeared to be at the same distance as the visual target. Within a block of trials, the visual target was placed at a fixed distance of 1.5, 3, or 4.5 m, and the auditory target varied randomly from trial-to-trial over the sample of measurement distances. The resulting psychometric functions were generally consistent with visual capture in distance, but the capture was asymmetric: Sound sources behind the visual target were more strongly captured than sources in front of the visual target. This asymmetry is consistent with previous reports in the literature, and is shown here to be well predicted by a simple model of sensory integration and decision in which perceived auditory space is compressed logarithmically in distance and has lower resolution than perceived visual space.
An experimental study of triggers and needs of threats in critical adversity situations in a student sample
Authors: Rynek Mona , Ellwart Thomas
Published: September 2022

Emergency teams facing critical adversity situations (CAS) often feel questioned in their professional roles as conscientious rescuers, leading to feelings of threats as a kind of stress experience. According to the stress-as-offence-to-self theory, perceptions of insufficiency and disrespect trigger threats by frustrating underlying needs. In this study, we explored threats in the context of a CAS by investigating the activation of threat triggers during the action and postaction phases of teamwork, and evaluating the mediating role of needs. In a multitask experiment, student teams (N = 60 dyads) experienced a controllable mission (non-CAS), followed by a CAS mission in a computer simulation task. After the CAS, teams received negative feedback (situation-nonspecific feedback; situation-specific feedback; no feedback). We measured threats, the activation of insufficiency and disrespect triggers, and the frustration of needs. While insufficiency triggers were activated in the CAS but not in the non-CAS, disrespect triggers were activated by situation-nonspecific and situation-specific feedback but not by no feedback. Furthermore, the results of mediation models indicated the presence of the postulated need-based mechanism between triggers and threats. Our study highlights that the action and postaction phases of a CAS pose a variety of risks for experiencing threats. As individuals cope with these risks, needs are important mediators.
The impact of bio-label on the decision-making behavior
Authors: Šola Hedda Martina , Gajdoš Kljusurić Jasenka , Rončević Ivana
Published: September 2022

Unlike traditional research methods used for investigating consumer responses to different stimuli such as surveys, interviews or focus groups, recently, the autonomic neuropsychological measures have been implemented within the neuromarketing field to obtain subconscious preferences from the consumer's brain. In the current study, the webcam-based eye-tracking technology is used to analyze both visual and emotional reflects of the consumer green purchasing behavior, which has grown notably in the last decade. The main interest was to assess whether the color packaging affects the BIO label and if such a label is essential for consumers' purchasing behavior. The packaging designs of the two well-known products from one of Croatia's most prominent food processing companies were manipulated in packaging color and the BIO label placement. The results have shown that regardless of the package design and the placement of the BIO label, participants elicited higher intensities of negative emotion. The eye-tracking metrics showed that for both products the color of the packaging and the BIO label placement matter.
Non-traumatic scapholunate dissociation in a 10-year-old female: A case report
Authors: Bandinelli Diletta , Pagnotta Alessia , Pieracci Edoardo Maria , Basiglini Luca , Aulisa Angelo Gabriele
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Severe or minor repetitive trauma, inflammation, infection, tumors, and congenital ligamentous laxity have been etiologically implicated in scapholunate dissociation (SLD). While a few cases of patients with asymptomatic SLD have been reported in the literature, despite radiographically demonstrated widened scapholunate angles and rotatory subluxation of the scaphoid bone, these patients experienced only mild or no pain and no dorsal intercalated segment instability deformity. Here, we report the case of a monolateral non-traumatic SLD in a young 10-year-old girl that led to an important range of motion impairment with no wrist pain. The case represents a rarity for no previous history of trauma, young age, and no pain.

Main symptoms and important clinical findings

In our patient, an examination revealed a reduced range of motion in the left wrist and no pain during passive or active mobilization. The X-ray showed a 16 mm scapholunate gap in the anteroposterior roentgenogram. In this case, we suggested that congenital or developmental ligamentous laxity may be the cause of SLD. The diagnostic assessment was completed with a wrist MRI and CT.

Therapeutic interventions and outcomes

The patient underwent an open dorsal surgery: we directly reduced the dislocated bones and fixed them with five percutaneous 1 mm k-wires. Finally, the scapholunate ligaments were repaired using bone-absorbable anchor sutures. The wrist was immobilized in a volar cast for 8 weeks. The patient was able to resume her daily life activities (included sport) within 12 months.

Conclusion

Carpus injuries are rare in children, and treatment, especially for young-age patients, is fraught with risks and remains controversial. Our case demonstrates that the patient has had a good clinical outcome. The physio-rehabilitation program for this patient has been of long duration. Most previous studies have shown excellent clinical results after an average of 2.4 years.
Case report: A giant lung leiomyosarcoma: From an accurate diagnosis to a successful surgery. A rare case and brief literature review
Authors: Sicolo Elisa , Mastromarino Maria Giovanna , Rabazzi Giacomo , Bacchin Diana , Ali Greta , Aprile Vittorio , Lucchi Marco
Published: September 2022

Primary pulmonary leiomyosarcomas (PPLs) are incredibly rare tumors, characterized by an often-aggressive clinical behavior. Diagnosis is frequently incidental. Whenever present, symptoms are nonspecific, thus PPLs are usually misdiagnosed as other more common respiratory diseases or lung cancer subtypes. Surgery is the best treatment choice and in the therapeutic strategy, timeliness and radicality are of major importance. We report the case of a huge left PPL, successfully treated with salvage surgery after a careful multidisciplinary preoperative assessment, which permitted a prompt diagnostic path and surgery.
The Association Between Sexual Harassment and Mental Health Among Chinese College Students: Do Gender and Social Support Matter?
Authors: Wang Sasa , Eklund Lisa , Yang Xueyan
Published: September 2022

Objectives: This study examined the association between sexual harassment (SH) and college students’ mental health in the Chinese context and its gender differences, exploring the moderating role of social support.

Methods: Data were from the Third Survey of Chinese Women’s Social Status and included 5,032 college students. We employed the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models with interaction terms to report the moderating effects of gender and social support on the association between SH and mental health.

Results: Gender harassment and unwelcome sexual attention were negatively associated with mental health among all students, with no observed gender difference. Financial and large-scale emotional support moderated the association between unwelcome sexual attention and women’s mental health but were not buffer factors for men. Learning support aggravated the adverse association between gender harassment and men’s mental health.

Conclusion: SH is a significant trigger for men’s and women’s mental health problems. When they are subjected to SH, financial and emotional support are protective resources for women, but learning support is risky for men.
Effect of Ripening on the Phenolic and Sugar Contents in the Meso- and Epicarp of Olive Fruits (Olea europaea L.) Cultivar ‘Leccino’
Authors: Ivancic Tea , Jakopic Jerneja , Veberic Robert , Vesel Viljanka , Hudina Metka
Published: September 2022

The study was conducted during the harvest season in the year 2020 to identify and quantify primary and secondary metabolites in olive fruit of the ‘Leccino’ cultivar during ripening. Sugars, individual phenolic compounds, total phenolic content and total tannin content were measured separately for the first time in the skin and pulp. Most of the studied metabolites were higher in the skin. Five sugars were identified, the most important being glucose in both tissues, although its content decreased during ripening. The highest total phenolic content was observed in the skin at the last stage of ripening, because of the accumulation of anthocyanins. Individual phenolic compounds were measured by high performance liquid chromatography with-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and confirmed by mass spectrometry. Thirty phenolic compounds were characterized and quantified. The main individual phenolic compound in the skin and pulp was oleuropein, which decreased during ripening. Two previously unreported anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-O-diglucoside and cyanidin-3,5-O-sophoroside, were identified for the first time in olive skin. These results will allow us to better understand the synthesis, distribution and storage of some primary and secondary metabolites in different tissues of olive fruits during ripening.
Enhancing Smallholder Wheat Yield Prediction through Sensor Fusion and Phenology with Machine Learning and Deep Learning Methods
Authors: Tesfaye Andualem Aklilu , Awoke Berhan Gessesse , Sida Tesfaye Shiferaw , Osgood Daniel E.
Published: September 2022

Field-scale prediction methods that use remote sensing are significant in many global projects; however, the existing methods have several limitations. In particular, the characteristics of smallholder systems pose a unique challenge in the development of reliable prediction methods. Therefore, in this study, a fast and reproducible new approach to wheat prediction is developed by combining predictors derived from optical (Sentinel-2) and radar (Sentinel-1) sensors using a diverse set of machine learning and deep learning methods under a small dataset domain. This study takes place in the wheat belt region of Ethiopia and evaluates forty-two predictors that represent the major vegetation index categories of green, water, chlorophyll, dry biomass, and VH polarization SAR indices. The study also applies field-collected agronomic data from 165 farm fields for training and validation. According to results, compared to other methods, a combined automated machine learning (AutoML) approach with a generalized linear model (GLM) showed higher performance. AutoML, which reduces training time, delivered ten influential parameters. For the combined approach, the mean RMSE of wheat yield was from 0.84 to 0.98 ton/ha using ten predictors from the test dataset, achieving a 99% confidence interval. It also showed a correlation coefficient as high as 0.69 between the estimated yield and measured yield, and it was less sensitive to the small datasets used for model training and validation. A deep neural network with three hidden layers using the ten influential parameters was the second model. For this model, the mean RMSE of wheat yield was between 1.31 and 1.36 ton/ha on the test dataset, achieving a 99% confidence interval. This model used 55 neurons with respective values of 0.1, 0.5, and 1 × 10−4 for the hidden dropout ratio, input dropout ratio, and l2 regularization. The approaches implemented in this study are fast and reproducible and beneficial to predict yield at scale. These approaches could be adapted to predict grain yields of other cereal crops grown under smallholder systems in similar global production systems.
Differential Responses of Nitrate/Ammonium Use to Bicarbonate Supply in Two Brassicaceae Species under Simulated Karst Habitat
Authors: Xia Antong , Wu Yanyou
Published: September 2022

In the karst habitats with nitrate-abundant and ammonium-rare soil, the bicarbonate supply plays a crucial role in both inorganic carbon and nitrogen assimilation in various plant species. Consequently, two carbon sources, carbon dioxide (CO2) and bicarbonate (HCO3−), and two nitrogen sources, namely nitrate (NO3−) and ammonium (NH4+) are available for plants. However, variations in the absorption and utilization of nitrate, ammonium, and inorganic carbon during bicarbonate supply in different plants are not well-depicted. In this study, we evaluated the nitrate/ammonium use efficiency and their contributions to the total nitrogen assimilation/utilization capacity at different bicarbonate levels using a bidirectional stable nitrogen isotope tracer approach. The inorganic carbon assimilation, such as the photosynthesis, carbon/nitrogen enzymatic activities, carbon/nitrogen content, nitrogen assimilation/utilization capacity, and nitrate/ammonium contributions to plant growth, were also evaluated to decipher the responses of both carbon and nitrogen metabolism to bicarbonate supply in karst habitats. With the increasing bicarbonate level, Orychophragmus violaceus (Ov) was found to be more available for nitrate to total nitrogen assimilation and utilization than Bn (Brassica napus). Further, it enhanced the contributions of nitrate and nitrogen accumulation/utilization capacity and inorganic carbon assimilation, increasing photosynthesis, carbon/nitrogen enzymatic activities, and carbon accumulation, and promoted the growth in Ov. Though the highest bicarbonate level was conducive to ammonium utilization and water use efficiency in both Ov and Bn, it inhibited total inorganic carbon and nitrogen assimilation, leading to growth suppression in Bn compared to Ov. Moreover, considering the optimistic responses of both carbon and nitrogen assimilation to the high bicarbonate supply in nitrate-abundant, as well as ammonium-rare, environments, we conclude that Ov was more adaptable to the karst habitats. This study provides a novel approach to elucidate the responses of nitrate/ammonium utilization and inorganic carbon assimilation to bicarbonate. Furthermore, the current study reveals the complex interactions among different carbon–nitrogen metabolism pathways in various plants and their adaptations to karst habitats.
Antibacterial Mechanism of Action of Two Types of Honey against Escherichia coli through Interfering with Bacterial Membrane Permeability, Inhibiting Proteins, and Inducing Bacterial DNA Damage
Authors: Al-Sayaghi Asma Mohammed , Al-Kabsi Abdelkodose Mohammed , Abduh Maisa Siddiq , Saghir Sultan Ayesh Mohammed , Alshawsh Mohammed Abdullah
Published: September 2022

Honey is a sweet natural food produced by bees from flower nectar or some part of plant secretions that exhibit antimicrobial activity against many microorganisms. It has been used as traditional therapy for skin infections. Antibiotics play an essential role in managing wound infection; however, some pathogenic bacteria have begun to possess resistance against them, which may cause chronic infections and severe adverse effects. This study investigates the antibacterial activities and mechanism of action of Yemeni Sidr honey (SH) and Manuka honey (MH) against Escherichia coli. The inhibitory effects of SH and MH using the disk diffusion method on bacterial growth were remarkable at 700 mg/disk. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were similar for both kinds of honey. However, MH showed a better bactericidal effect (30%) than SH (50%). The antimicrobial mechanism of action showed that SH substantially impacted the bacterial membrane’s permeability and increased the potassium and protein leakage rate. On the contrary, MH demonstrated remarkable inhibition of bacterial protein synthesis, while both kinds of honey caused bacterial DNA damage. These data reveal that SH and MH could be used as a remedy for skin infections and might be further developed as a promising dressing for bacterial wound infections.
Integrated Transcriptome and 16S rDNA Analyses Reveal That Transport Stress Induces Oxidative Stress and Immune and Metabolic Disorders in the Intestine of Hybrid Yellow Catfish (Tachysurus fulvidraco♀ × Pseudobagrus vachellii♂)
Authors: Zheng Tao , Tao Yifan , Lu Siqi , Qiang Jun , Xu Pao
Published: September 2022

Live fish are often transported in aquaculture. To explore the effects of transport stress, hybrid yellow catfish (Tachysurus fulvidraco♀ × Pseudobagrus vachellii♂) were subjected to simulated transport treatments (0–16 h) with 96 h of recovery after the 16-h transport treatment, and intestinal biochemical parameters, the transcriptome, and gut microbiota were analyzed. Transportation affected the number of mucus cells and led to oxidative stress in the intestine, which activated immune responses. Changes in lipid metabolism reflected metabolic adaptation to oxidative stress. Toll-like receptor signaling, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling, and steroid biosynthesis pathways were involved in the transport stress response. Gene expression analyses indicated that transport-induced local immune damage was reversible, whereas disordered metabolism recovered more slowly. A 16S rDNA analysis revealed that transport stress decreased the alpha diversity of the gut microbiota and disrupted its homeostasis. The dominant phyla (Fusobacteria, Bacteroidetes) and genera (Cetobacterium, Barnesiellaceae) were involved in the antioxidant, immune, and metabolic responses of the host to transportation stress. Correlation analyses suggested that gut microbes participate in the transport stress response and the host–microbiota interaction may trigger multiple events in antioxidant, immune, and metabolic pathways. Our results will be useful for optimizing transport processes.
ARION: A Digital eLearning Educational Tool Library for Synchronization Composition & Orchestration of Learning Session Data
Authors: Papadakis Alexandros , Barianos Anastasios , Kalogiannakis Michail , Papadakis Stamatios , Vidakis Nikolas
Published: September 2022

In the last decade, there has been increased use of eLearning tools. Platforms and ecosystems supporting digital learning generate a vast amount of data and information in various forms and formats. Digital repositories emerge, such as video, audio, emotional data, and data triplets of various events’ educational activities, making data management and orchestration extremely difficult. This results in evaluating learning sessions’ generated knowledge to remain unexploited. In other disciplines, such as law enforcement, various tools produce valuable data that help solve problems or improve situations by synchronizing several modalities. The data generated in educational learning sessions is an untapped treasure trove of information that can contribute to the production of essential conclusions that would be extremely difficult or impossible to produce with conventional methods and without the use of digital tools. ARION combines learning data into simple and understandable forms of information that will lead the teacher to a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of students, the lesson, the educational process, and himself by providing a critical look at available data aimed at a substantial improvement of all components of the learning path.
Special Issue on Advances in High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete
Authors: Tang Chao-Wei
Published: September 2022

With the advancement of science and technology, scholars have developed a cement composite material with tensile strain hardening, called high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (HPFRC) [...]
Trustworthy Transaction Spreading Using Node Reliability Estimation in IoT Blockchain Networks
Authors: Kim Juyeon , Kim Jae-Hoon
Published: September 2022

Blockchain network architecture is a promising technology for constructing highly secure Internet of Things (IoT) networks. IoT networks typically comprise various sensors and actuators. Blockchain network technology can be applied to secure control robots in smart factories or reliable drone deliveries in smart cities. The wide spread of transactions and shared smart contracts across blockchain networks guarantees ultimate network security. A typical wired blockchain network maintains sufficient redundancy within a stable configuration. However, IoT blockchain networks exhibit unavoidable instability. The dynamic configuration changes caused by flexible node membership make it impossible to achieve the same level of redundancy as a stable network. A trustworthy transaction spreading method provides practical transaction sharing for dynamic IoT networks. We propose a Q-learning framework and a graph convergence network (GCN) to search for the proper spreading path of each transaction. The proposed Q-learning framework determines the next spreading hop using node features. The GCN determines the reliable area based on the Q-learning results. The discovered reliable area guides the proper spreading path of transactions to the destination node. In addition, the proposed trustworthy transaction spreading was implemented over an InterPlanetary File system (IPFS). The IPFS-powered experiments confirmed the practicability of the proposed transaction spreading mechanism.
Photocatalytic Cementitious Material for Eco-Efficient Construction—A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Hamdany Abdul Halim , Satyanaga Alfrendo , Zhang Dichuan , Kim Yongmin , Kim Jong R.
Published: September 2022

Photoinduced processes governed by light activated TiO2 have been studied in many ways. One of the most active areas is the development of TiO2 photocatalysis technologies on their application for reducing environmental impacts. The immobilization of TiO2 on solid support, such as cementitious materials, greatly enhances its use in practical applications. In this review, a wide range of applications for achieving eco-efficient building using cementitious composite materials containing TiO2 photocatalyst was presented. The basic mechanism of photocatalysis, such as electron excitation, charge transfer process, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and its role to oxidize the pollutant and microorganisms were extensively discussed. Unlike self-cleaning and air purification systems, the study on the antibacterial function of a cement-based surface containing TiO2 is very limited. In photocatalytic cementitious materials, the key element affecting the photocatalytic performance is the accessible active surface area. However, microstructure of cementitious materials changes with age due to hydration and surface carbonation. Hence, surface area reduction and mass transfer limitation become the main drawbacks of incorporating TiO2 in cementitious materials. This review, therefore, provides the state of the art in photocatalytic cement-based composite materials and identifies the areas in which future improvement is needed.
Study for Longitudinal Deformation of Shield Tunnel in Side of Foundation Pit Based on Virtual Image Technique
Authors: Wang Zhe , Guo Binglai , Wei Gang , Yao Donghui , Hu Chengbao
Published: September 2022

A prediction model of enclosure structure deformation caused by the excavation of foundation pit is established. Based on the virtual image technique, the soil deformation caused by sidewall deformation is calculated. Meanwhile, the deformation model considering rotating and staggering of shield tunnel is used to establish a calculation method of longitudinal deformation of adjacent shield tunnel. The result suggests that: (a) The horizontal displacement of adjacent shield tunnel is normally distributed. (b) With increasing retaining structure deformation, it is obvious that deformation value and range of adjacent shield tunnel also increase. (c) As the distance between the adjacent shield tunnel and the enclosure structure increases, the horizontal displacement of the side shield tunnel decreases nonlinearly. (d) The shield tunnel with shallow buried depth is greatly affect by the excavation of adjacent foundation pit. As the depth of the tunnel increases, the impact gradually decreases.