bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Climate Mitigation in the Swedish Single-Family Homes Industry and Potentials for LCA as Decision Support
Authors: Brismark Johanna , Malmqvist Tove , Borgström Sara
Published: May 2022

Decision support tools for incentivizing environmentally sound decisions in building design, such as LCA (life cycle assessment), have been highlighted as an essential feature for enhancing the realization of more sustainable buildings. Nevertheless, the use of LCA to support decisions in building design is still limited in practice. A better understanding of the social dynamics and detailed contexts of the decisions leading up to a final building design is therefore critical for better integration of LCA-based information in the decision-making processes. This paper reports a qualitative, semi-structured interview study of single-family home producers in Sweden and their decision-making in relation to climate mitigation, with a particular focus on embodied carbon mitigation. By studying a specific branch of the building and construction sector, a more in-depth record can be obtained of the particularities of implementation contexts and decision-making situations in which LCA may, or may not, have a role in driving climate mitigation. Four primary decision contexts in which LCA may have an influential role to drive embodied carbon reduction include: (1) the development of building systems, (2) development and offering of house models, (3) the selection of construction products for the building system as well as for the offer of add-on products to customers, and (4) the dialogues in the individual house-buyer projects. Decision-making that affects sustainable outcomes in this part of the sector is very much dependent on a supporting regulatory context. Over the years, using building LCA in early design stages, for optimization towards low-impact final buildings, has been a repeatedly promoted recommendation both in academia and practice. This study, however, reveals that such a conclusion is too simplistic. The different overarching decision contexts identified for this particular branch display the variety of needs for life cycle-based information.
Numerical Simulations on the Flexural Responses of Rubberised Concrete
Authors: Al-Balhawi Ali , Muhammed Nura Jasim , Mushatat Haider Amer , Al-Maliki Hadi Naser Ghadhban , Zhang Binsheng
Published: May 2022

The increase in world population has led to a significant increase in the numbers of cars and used tyres. These tyres must be disposed of on an ongoing basis as a result of their consumption or deterioration. This can result in negative effects on the environment that must be preserved, especially from those materials, i.e., these waste materials are difficult to dispose of without special treatments. Hence, extensive experimental investigations and numerical simulations need to be conducted to use and recycle these wastes by exploring the possibility of using them as alternative ingredients in construction materials. For example, waste rubber pieces can be used as one of the main components of concrete. In this study, the main aim was to numerically simulate the flexural behaviours of rubberised concrete under the influence of an applied vertical loading with different contents of added rubbers by using the commercial finite element software ANSYS. The obtained numerical results were compared with the experimental results of a previous study and showed a good agreement with the deflections and moduli of rupture, with the variances from 2–7% in the deflections. However, the differences in the moduli of rupture varied between 5% and 9%. Finally, the statistical analyses indicated that these numerical mean values and standard deviations were acceptable and were very close to the experimental values.
The Role of Hypofractionation in Proton Therapy
Authors: Santos Alexandre , Penfold Scott , Gorayski Peter , Le Hien
Published: May 2022

Hypofractionated radiotherapy is an attractive approach for minimizing patient burden and treatment cost. Technological advancements in external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) delivery and image guidance have resulted in improved targeting and conformality of the absorbed dose to the disease and a reduction in dose to healthy tissue. These advances in EBRT have led to an increasing adoption and interest in hypofractionation. Furthermore, for many treatment sites, proton beam therapy (PBT) provides an improved absorbed dose distribution compared to X-ray (photon) EBRT. In the past 10 years there has been a notable increase in reported clinical data involving hypofractionation with PBT, reflecting the interest in this treatment approach. This review will discuss the reported clinical data and radiobiology of hypofractionated PBT. Over 50 published manuscripts reporting clinical results involving hypofractionation and PBT were included in this review, ~90% of which were published since 2010. The most common treatment regions reported were prostate, lung and liver, making over 70% of the reported results. Many of the reported clinical data indicate that hypofractionated PBT can be well tolerated, however future clinical trials are still needed to determine the optimal fractionation regime.
Medical Communication during the Transition to Palliative Care in Pediatric Oncology in Hungary—The Parents’ Perspective
Authors: Földesi Enikő , Zörgő Szilvia , Nyirő Judit , Péter György , Ottóffy Gábor , Hauser Peter , Hegedűs Katalin
Published: May 2022

The transition to palliative care (PC) is a critical aspect of pediatric oncology, and it requires a high level of communication skills from doctors, which could be best judged by the parents of children who have died from cancer. Our aim was to explore the parents’ perspectives regarding the timing of the consultation on the implementation of PC, as well as facets of verbal and nonverbal communication in Hungary. Semistructured interviews were conducted with parents who had lost a child to cancer within the past 1–5 years. Interview transcripts (n = 23) were scrutinized with interpretative phenomenological analysis. The parents frequently associated palliation with end-of-life care and they clearly delimited the transition to PC after curative treatments had been exhausted. The parents were ambivalent with regard to the use of the word “death” during this consultation, and they often did not receive information on what to expect (e.g., regarding symptoms) or on who to turn to for further information or support (e.g., concerning bereavement). Although significant progress could be observed in the organization of pediatric palliative care in Hungary, there is still no widely accepted communication method for the transition to sole PC. There is a need for a culturally sensitive approach to refining the recommendations on the word use and communication protocol in pediatric PC in Hungary.
Investigations on the Microstructure of an Aluminium Nitride Layer and Its Interface with the Aluminium Substrate (Part I)
Authors: Buchwalder Anja , Böcker Jan , Hegelmann Eugen , Klemm Volker
Published: May 2022

In principle, the plasma nitriding of Al based substrates is a well-known process, though it remains extremely challenging from both the technological point of view and the aspect of stress loading conditions. In order to improve the latter, a duplex treatment consisting of plasma nitriding and subsequent surface remelting using electron beam technology was employed. The focus of this paper (part I) was on the characterisation of the initial microstructure after plasma nitriding. This should create the basis for a better understanding of the processes taking place or changes in the subsequent duplex treatment. This was done with the help of high-resolution imaging and analysis tools in the scanning and transmission electron microscope as well as XPS analyses. Special attention was paid to the nitriding mechanism at the interface as a function of the local microstructural constituents of the hypereutectic Al alloy substrate (Al solid solution, primary silicon, and intermetallic phases). While the main part of the nitride layer formed consisted of AlN and small fractions of pure Al in the diffusion paths, other nitrides and oxides could also be detected in the area of the interface.
Formation and Performance of Diamond (111)/Cu Interface from First-Principles Calculation
Authors: Zhao Yongsheng , Yan Fengyun , An Yi
Published: May 2022

The interface formation and properties of composite materials are very important for the preparation of composite materials, and the bonding state and charge transfer between atoms in the interface have a particularly significant effect on the interface formation. In this work, the first-principles calculation method was used to study the adsorption behavior and molecular dynamics of copper atoms on the (111) surface of H-terminated diamond, and the adsorption energy and adhesion work of Cu atoms were calculated. The results show that the adsorption of copper atoms is not sensitive to the diamond (111) surface, the adsorption work is very small at the four high symmetry positions, and the adhesion work is the largest at the T4 position and is 0.6106 J/m2. Furthermore, according to the electron localization function (ELF) analysis, there is no compound formation between Cu and H atoms; only a small amount of charge transfer exists, which belongs to physical adsorption. The diamond–copper interface formed by the growth of adsorption sites is a metastable structure without energy stability. This work provides an important theoretical reference for understanding the formation mechanism of copper-based diamond composites.
Research on Failure Mechanism of Abrasive Belt and Effect on Sanding of Medium-Density Fiberboard (MDF)
Authors: Du Yao , Sun Xinmiao , Luo Bin , Li Li , Liu Hongguang
Published: May 2022

Sanding is a very important process in MDF production. In this study, abrasive belts (P60 and P120) and MDF were used to conduct sanding experiments, and mass variation, surface morphology, and surface roughness of the abrasive belts were measured to analyze the failure process of the utilized abrasive belts. It is found that the mass of the abrasive belt mainly increased in the sanding process. The increase range of P60 is mainly within the scope of 0~0.02 g, while for P120, the mass change mostly fluctuates within 0~0.01 g. The surface roughness (Sa and Sku) of abrasive belts presents a down-and-up trend as sanding times increase, and Sa and Sku of P60 are both larger than those of P120. Wood fibers with adhesive blocked the space among grits and led to a “grits gathering” phenomenon. When the area of “grits gathering” is larger, it forms an abrasive belt “blocking”. Grit wear (dropping-off, fracture) and “blocking” constitute the two predominant patterns of the failure mechanism. This study is helpful to further improve wood-material-sanding theories, provide insights to investigate wear forms of other abrasive belts, and determine and extend the life of abrasive belts.
PRAME Expression as Helpful Immunohistochemical Marker in Rhabdoid Melanoma
Authors: Glutsch Valerie , Wobser Marion , Schilling Bastian , Gesierich Anja , Goebeler Matthias , Kneitz Hermann
Published: May 2022

Background: Rhabdoid melanoma is a rare variant of malignant melanoma with characteristic cytomorphologic features. Due to the potential loss of conventional melanocytic markers, histopathologic diagnosis is often challenging. We hypothesize that immunostaining for PReferentially expressed Antigen in MElanoma (PRAME) might have the potential to uncover the melanocytic origin of these dedifferentiated tumors. Methods: Four cases of rhabdoid primary melanomas were assessed by immunohistochemistry for expression of PRAME and conventional melanocytic markers. Immunohistochemical expression patterns were analyzed in the rhabdoid primaries and, if available, associated metastases. Results: All four cases of rhabdoid primary melanomas showed a strong nuclear positivity for PRAME, while the expression of conventional melanocytic markers S100, MART-1, SOX-10 and HMB-45 was variable between the analyzed cases. Conclusions: In summary, we report four cases of rhabdoid primary melanoma with high to intermediate expression of PRAME despite the partial and variable loss of other melanocytic markers. Hence, PRAME might facilitate the recognition of this highly aggressive entity to avoid misdiagnosis due to histopathologic pitfalls.
Subjective Information and Survival in a Simulated Biological System
Authors: Barker Tyler S. , Pierobon Massimiliano , Thomas Peter J.
Published: May 2022

Information transmission and storage have gained traction as unifying concepts to characterize biological systems and their chances of survival and evolution at multiple scales. Despite the potential for an information-based mathematical framework to offer new insights into life processes and ways to interact with and control them, the main legacy is that of Shannon’s, where a purely syntactic characterization of information scores systems on the basis of their maximum information efficiency. The latter metrics seem not entirely suitable for biological systems, where transmission and storage of different pieces of information (carrying different semantics) can result in different chances of survival. Based on an abstract mathematical model able to capture the parameters and behaviors of a population of single-celled organisms whose survival is correlated to information retrieval from the environment, this paper explores the aforementioned disconnect between classical information theory and biology. In this paper, we present a model, specified as a computational state machine, which is then utilized in a simulation framework constructed specifically to reveal emergence of a “subjective information”, i.e., trade-off between a living system’s capability to maximize the acquisition of information from the environment, and the maximization of its growth and survival over time. Simulations clearly show that a strategy that maximizes information efficiency results in a lower growth rate with respect to the strategy that gains less information but contains a higher meaning for survival.
Regional Disparities in National Education: Origins, Governance, and Consequences (Special Issue)
Authors: Nikolai Rita , Kriesi Irene , Leemann Regula Julia
Published: May 2022

Research about regional disparities in education within nation-states and their consequences for equity and inequality has a long tradition in education sciences [...]
A Survey of NFV Network Acceleration from ETSI Perspective
Authors: Huang Yong-Xuan , Chou Jerry
Published: May 2022

Network function virtualization (NFV) enables network operators to save costs and flexibility by replacing dedicated hardware with software network functions running on commodity servers. There is a high need for network acceleration to achieve performance comparable to hardware, which is vital for the implementation of NFV. The necessity of NFV acceleration stems from the lengthy packet delivery path following virtualization and the unavailability of generic operating system designs to serve network-specific scenarios. Therefore, the software approach alters the operating system’s processing architecture through Kernel Bypass or offload packet processing to hardware. A typical classification scheme divides it into two main categories based on technology with software and hardware. Only these two categories can be utilized to rapidly and easily establish a classification system. However, it is difficult to suggest the specifics and peculiarities of any acceleration approach during real-world operation. For a more comprehensive classification of NFV acceleration, we refer to the ETSI NFV architectural framework in this research. As the framework clearly illustrates, the technical infrastructure layer of NFV and the corresponding management roles provides a comprehensive and intuitive view of the differences between these acceleration technologies, solutions, and initiatives. Additionally, we conducted an analysis to identify opportunities for improvement in existing solutions and propose new research programs. We expect that NFV will increasingly rely on cloud services in the future. Since cloud services do not offer a choice of hardware, our acceleration method will be primarily software-based.
Scenario Analysis of the GHG Emissions in the Electricity Sector through 2030 in South Korea Considering Updated NDC
Authors: Jeong Woo-Cheol , Lee Da-Han , Roh Jae Hyung , Park Jong-Bae
Published: May 2022

South Korea announced an energy transition roadmap, CO2 roadmap, and national greenhouse gas reduction target of nationally determined contribution (NDC) for the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, the government has also set a goal of reducing its CO2 emissions to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Additionally, the Korean government submitted an enhanced update of the first NDC at the end of 2021. In the electricity sector, the updated NDC proposed the GHG emissions target of 149.9 million tons in 2030. In this study, we model eight scenarios based on future energy mix and demand forecast considering the government’s latest plans to evaluate the possible emission reduction and impacts in the electricity sector. The scenario-based analysis is conducted to check whether it can satisfy the CO2 reduction target by using PLEXOS, a production simulation model. The results show that emission reduction targets are difficult to accomplish in the short term and can lead to significant changes in the operation of generators and increased costs to realize the decarbonization pathway.
A Condition-Monitoring Approach for Diesel Engines Based on an Adaptive VMD and Sparse Representation Theory
Authors: Yang Xiao , Bi Fengrong , Jing Yabing , Li Xin , Zhang Guichang
Published: May 2022

This paper presents a novel method for condition monitoring using the RMS residual of vibration signal reconstruction based on trained dictionaries through sparse representation theory. Measured signals were firstly decomposed into intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) for training the initial dictionary. In this step, an adaptive variational mode decomposition (VMD) was proposed for providing information with higher accuracy, and the decompositions were used as discriminative atoms for sparse representation. Then, the overcomplete dictionary for sparse coding was learned from IMFs to reserve the highlight feature of the signals. As the dictionaries were trained, newly measured signals could be directly reconstructed without any signal decompositions or dictionary learning. This meant errors likely introduced by signal process techniques, such as VMD, EMD, etc., could be excluded from the condition monitoring. Moreover, the efficiency of the fault diagnosis was greatly improved, as the reconstruction was fast, which showed a great potential in online diagnosis. The RMS of the residuals between the reconstructed and measured signals was extracted as a feature of condition. A case study on operating condition identification of a diesel engine was carried out experimentally based on vibration accelerations, which validated the availability of the proposed feature extraction and condition-monitoring approach. The presented results showed that the proposed method resulted in a great improvement in the fault feature extraction and condition monitoring, and is a promising approach for future research.
Health and Safety Issues in Romanian Forests: Findings from FSC Certification Audits
Authors: Hălălișan Aureliu Florin , Popa Bogdan , Borz Stelian Alexandru , Abrudan Ioan Vasile
Published: May 2022

In a wider context of attempting to minimise forestry related occupational hazards, this paper aimed to evaluate the ability of FSC forest management certification to contribute to identifying, describing, and reducing health and safety issues in forest management in Romania. By extracting and analysing the health and safety related non-conformities from auditing reports issued for Romanian forest management operations between 2013 and 2018, the study reveals that the most important risk factors are organizational factors, followed by equipment-related factors. The correlation of the results with other findings in the forest operations literature indicates that forest management certification is a suitable tool to identify and describe the health and safety aspects of forest management related activities, especially for forest operations. The analysis also indicates some possible causes of the high rate of work accidents in Romanian forestry: obsolete and less mechanised technology, low concern for providing and using specific safety equipment, low wages in forest operations, lack of proper training etc. All these aspects point to the need for improving safe organisational culture.
Kidney Stones, Proteinuria and Renal Tubular Metabolic Acidosis: What Is the Link?
Authors: Ilzkovitz Maxime , Kayembe Elikyah Esther , Geers Caroline , Pozdzik Agnieszka
Published: May 2022

Kidney stone disease represents a rare cause of chronic kidney disease (2–3%) but has severe clinical consequences. Type 1 renal tubular acidosis is a strong lithogenic condition mainly related to primary Sjögren syndrome. This study aimed to illustrate an unusual presentation of Sjögren syndrome to improve the knowledge about rare kidney stone diseases, and to provide clues for the diagnostic approach in this specific condition. We report the case of a 35-year-old Indian woman with severe nephrocalcinosis and chronic kidney disease with tubular proteinuria who presented for metabolic assessment. We found advanced chronic kidney disease, low serum bicarbonate, permanent alkaline urine with pH at ~7.1, and severe hypocitraturia corresponding to type 1 renal tubular acidosis. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was high. Serological screening for HAV, HBV, HCV, HIV, EBV was negative and complement was normal. Autoimmune screening showed antinuclear antibodies (>1/1.280) with anti-SSA, anti-SSA/Ro52 and anti-SSB antibodies. Genetic testing excluded an inherited cause of renal tubular acidosis. A renal biopsy showed moderate chronic tubulo-interstitial nephritis without any glomerular involvement. Primary Sjögren syndrome with significant renal involvement was considered, and corticosteroids were then subsequently initiated in combination with potassium citrate with vitamin D substitution. Only partial improvement was observed in electrolytes disturbance. After 15 months, her renal function remained stable. In conclusion, nephrocalcinosis could be the first manifestation of severely impacting diseases such as primary Sjögren syndrome. Chronic kidney disease, bilateral nephrocalcinosis, and metabolic acidosis can be linked through type 1 renal tubular acidosis. Therefore, autoimmune screening for Sjögren syndrome should be considered in such cases.
The Effect of Low-Growing Rootstocks on the Adaptability and Productivity of Sour Cherry Varieties (Prunus cerasus L.) in Arid Conditions
Authors: Solonkin Andrey , Nikolskaya Olga , Seminchenko Elena
Published: May 2022

Sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.), having a rich composition of biologically active connections and antioxidants, is gaining increasing popularity among agricultural producers. Increasing the production of sour cherry fruits requires the introduction of modern technology, one of the elements of which is low-growing rootstocks. For many cultures, the use of low-growing rootstocks has been widely studied, but there is very little information on their use in cherry plantations. We studied new varieties and rootstocks of cherries in the conditions of the dry steppe zone, where this issue had not been studied before. Sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) varieties—Toy, Memory of Zhukova, and Loznovskaya—are the most adapted to the conditions in which the experiments were conducted. Russian breeding forms (Krymsk, Krasnodar region), which were taken as rootstocks, are widely used for sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.), but are practically never used for sour cherries (Prunus cerasus L.). The influence of rootstocks on such parameters as drought resistance, heat resistance, winter hardiness, and productivity was studied in variety–rootstock combinations. The study showed that they had the greatest drought resistance, and accordingly affected the grafted variety with rootstock, in the pedigree of which there are wild species. These rootstocks were of the VSL and RVL series. The study of the productivity of variety–rootstock combinations showed that in the grafted varieties the most rapid entry into the fruiting season and the greatest increase in the yield was facilitated by the rootstock forms of VSL-1 and VSL-2 (K5) which made it possible to obtain a yield of 5.8–8.1 kg/tree, depending on the variety grafted onto them. However, it is necessary to continue the research that has been started in order to fully determine the possible qualitative and quantitative parameters of the studied variety–rootstock combinations and to identify the most promising ones for further introduction into industrial production. This work was carried out within the framework of the topic of the state task of the Scientific Research Center of Agroecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences No. 0713-2019-0009: “Theoretical foundations, creation of new competitive biotypes of agricultural crops with high productivity, quality, sustainability and varietal technologies based on the latest methods and technological solutions in a changing climate, including seed breeding and nursery breeding”.
Disease Severity and Comorbidities among Healthcare Worker COVID-19 Admissions in South Africa: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Ratshikhopha Edith , Muvhali Munyadziwa , Naicker Nisha , Tlotleng Nonhlanhla , Jassat Waasila , Singh Tanusha
Published: May 2022

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are among the most vulnerable in regard to contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Comorbidities are reported to increase the risk for more severe COVID-19 outcomes, often requiring hospitalization. However, the evidence on disease severity and comorbidities among South African HCWs is lacking. This retrospective study analyzed the prevalence of comorbidities among HCW hospitalized with COVID-19 and its association with the severity of outcomes. Data from public and private hospitals in nine provinces of South Africa were extracted from the national hospital surveillance database for COVID-19 admissions. A total of 10,149 COVID-19 HCWs admissions were reported from 5 March 2020 to 31 December 2021. The risk of disease severity among HCWs increased with age, with those older (≥60 years) having seven times the odds of disease severity (aOR 7.0; 95% CI 4.2–11.8) compared to HCWs in the younger age (20–29 years) group. The most commonly reported comorbidity was hypertension (36.3%), followed by diabetes (23.3%) and obesity (16.7%). Hypertension (aOR 1.3; 95% CI 1.0–1.6), diabetes (aOR 1.6; 95% CI 1.3–2.0), and HIV (aOR 1.6; 95% CI 1.2–2.1) were significantly associated with disease severity. In conclusion, age, gender, and existing comorbidities were strong predictors of the prognosis of severe COVID-19 among HCWs in South Africa. The information is important in the development of occupational health policies and vulnerability risk assessments for HCWs in light of future COVID-19 waves or similar outbreaks.
Implications of a Carbon Tax Mechanism in Remanufacturing Outsourcing on Carbon Neutrality
Authors: Deng Jie , Luo Xuwei , Hu Mengsi
Published: May 2022

Many governments have imposed methods such as a carbon tax that aim to even out the negative effects of carbon emissions. The taxes levied on different agents lead to different make–buy decisions for production structures and different environmental outcomes. Some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) outsource remanufacturing to independent remanufacturers (IRs). Thus, a question arises: What are the implications of carbon taxes levied on different agents on remanufacturing outsourcing decisions? To answer this question, we developed two models: (1) acting as common brand owners, OEMs can be taxed for both new and remanufactured products, or (2) acting as different emitters for production and remanufacturing, OEMs are taxed for new products; however, all carbon taxes related to remanufacturing are levied on IRs. Our analysis reveals that, regarding economic performance, firms should undertake a carbon emission tax on their own initiative because this allows the taxpayer to choose more units for its preferred products and leaves its rivals at a huge disadvantage. Moreover, regarding environmental sustainability, carbon emission taxes indeed lead to mitigating the effects of carbon emissions per unit; however, environmental agencies should also pay attention to reducing the total carbon emissions by limiting the volume effects.
Hydrogen Sulfide Alleviates Manganese Stress in Arabidopsis
Authors: Hou Lixia , Wang Zhaoxia , Gong Guangxia , Zhu Ying , Ye Qing , Lu Songchong , Liu Xin
Published: May 2022

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been shown to participate in various stress responses in plants, including drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, osmotic stress, and heavy metal stress. Manganese (Mn), as a necessary nutrient for plant growth, plays an important role in photosynthesis, growth, development, and enzymatic activation of plants. However, excessive Mn2+ in the soil can critically affect plant growth, particularly in acidic soil. In this study, the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana was used to explore the mechanism of H2S participation and alleviation of Mn stress. First, using wild-type Arabidopsis with excessive Mn2+ treatment, the following factors were increased: H2S content, the main H2S synthetase L-cysteine desulfhydrase enzyme (AtLCD) activity, and the expression level of the AtLCD gene. Further, using the wild-type, AtLCD deletion mutant (lcd) and overexpression lines (OE5 and OE32) as materials, the phenotype of Arabidopsis seedlings was observed by exogenous application of hydrogen sulfide donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) and scavenger hypotaurine (HT) under excessive Mn2+ treatment. The results showed that NaHS can significantly alleviate the stress caused by Mn2+, whereas HT aggravates this stress. The lcd mutant is more sensitive to Mn stress than the wild type, and the overexpression lines are more resistant. Moreover, the mechanism of H2S alleviating Mn stress was determined. The Mn2+ content and the expression of the Mn transporter gene in the mutant were significantly higher than those of the wild-type and overexpression lines. The accumulation of reactive oxygen species was significantly reduced in NaHS-treated Arabidopsis seedlings and AtLCD overexpression lines, and the activities of various antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT, APX) also significantly increased. In summary, H2S is involved in the response of Arabidopsis to Mn stress and may alleviate the inhibition of Mn stress on Arabidopsis seedling growth by reducing Mn2+ content, reducing reactive oxygen species content, and enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity. This study provides an important basis for further study of plant resistance to heavy metal stress.
Does a Vagal Response Indicate Cardiac Autonomic Modulation and Improve the Therapeutic Effect of Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation? Insights from Cryoballoon Ablation
Authors: Kiedrowicz Radoslaw M. , Wielusinski Maciej , Zakrzewski Marcin , Kazmierczak Jaroslaw
Published: May 2022

Background: The incidence and influence of vagal response (VR) observed during cryoballoon-based pulmonary vein isolation (CBA-based PVI) on the cardiac autonomic nervous system (CANS) and ablation outcomes in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) remain unknown. Methods: 296 patients were treated with a 28 mm second-generation cryoballoon (Medtronic). A total of 74 patients without structural heart disease and concomitant diseases were chosen for a detailed CANS assessment with a heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. All patients were screened over a 2-year post-ablation period. Results: VR was detected in 30% of patients and included sinus arrest (64%) or severe sinus bradycardia (46%). The presence of VR was not related to PV ostial dimension, patient clinical characteristics or intraprocedural ablation details. CANS modulation, manifesting as increased median HR and decreased HRV parameters with intact sympatho-vagal balance occurred independently of VR presence or absence and sustained for at least 12 months following ablation. VR was not related with more intensive CANS modulation and did not translate into better ablation outcomes when compared to the non-VR group (74% vs. 71% at 12 months and 69% vs. 65% at 24 months respectively). Conclusions: VR is frequent during CBA-based PVI for PAF and unrelated to any additional clinical benefit.
Child–Pugh Score and ABCG2-rs2231142 Genotype Independently Predict Survival in Advanced Hepatoma Patients Treated with Sorafenib
Authors: Huang Po-Han , Yu Jen , Chu Yin-Yi , Lin Yang-Hsiang , Yeh Chau-Ting
Published: May 2022

Patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are treated by immunotherapy and/or targeted agents, such as sorafenib. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and clinical scores have been proposed as prognostic markers in HCC patients treated with sorafenib. This study aimed to validate the prognostic values of these markers in a tertiary referral medical center. Two independent cohorts (cohort-1 [n = 97] and cohort-2 [n = 60]) of advanced HCC patients treated with sorafenib monotherapy were enrolled. Univariate followed by multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis identified Child–Pugh (CP) score (p < 0.001) and renal insufficiency during treatment (p < 0.001) as independent predictors in cohort-1 patients. The same analytic method revealed ascites (p = 0.000), CP score (p = 0.001), infection during treatment (p < 0.001), and ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2)-rs2231142 genotype (p = 0.003) as independent predictors in cohort-2 patients. ABCG2-rs2231142 genotype “CC” was associated with unfavorable overall survival in sorafenib-treated HCC patients. In conclusion, the CP score and ABCG2-rs2231142 genotype served as independent survival predictors for advanced HCC patients receiving sorafenib treatment.
Increased Markers of Oxidative Stress and Positive Correlation Low-Grade Inflammation with Positive Symptoms in the First Episode of Schizophrenia in Drug-Naïve Patients
Authors: Dudzińska Ewa , Szymona Kinga , Bogucki Jacek , Koch Wojciech , Cholewińska Ewelina , Sitarz Robert , Ognik Katarzyna
Published: May 2022

Schizophrenia is a severe and chronic mental illness usually diagnosed in adolescents and young adults. Many studies indicate that oxidative stress causes membrane dysfunction and cell damage, which is implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The purpose of our study was to evaluate oxidative stress markers (the main primary products of lipid peroxidation, lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), and end products of lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma (FRAP)) in the plasma of patients with the first episode of schizophrenia in drug-naïve patients (22 men and 12 women aged 17–29). The control group (Ctrl) comprised 26 healthy subjects (19 men and 7 women, aged 18–30 years). The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was applied to evaluate psychotic symptoms. Analyses of the oxidative stress variables revealed an increased level of SOD (U/mL) in subjects with schizophrenia versus control group. In addition, lipid damage measured as LOOHs µ (mol/L) and MDA was significantly higher in patients with schizophrenia in comparison to control subjects. There was a positive correlation between MDA µmol/L and PANSS P and a positive correlation between C-reactive protein (CRP) and the PANSS P scale. The elevated level of superoxide dismutase in patients with the first episode of schizophrenia can be explained by compensatory mechanisms to counteract oxidative stress. Malondialdehyde can be used as a simple biomarker of low-grade systemic inflammation associated with oxidative stress. A positive correlation between CRP and PANSS P scale and MDA and PANSS P scale may indicate a significant relationship between the development of low-grade inflammation and damage associated with oxidative stress in the development of the first symptoms of schizophrenia.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (TRAIL) in Patients after Acute Stroke: Relation to Stroke Severity, Myocardial Injury, and Impact on Prognosis
Authors: Mihalovic Michal , Mikulenka Petr , Línková Hana , Neuberg Marek , Štětkářová Ivana , Peisker Tomáš , Lauer David , Tousek Petr
Published: May 2022

Background: Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is known to be associated with poor prognosis after cardiovascular events. We aimed to assess the dynamic changes in TRAIL levels and the relation of TRAIL level to stroke severity, its impact on the short-term outcomes, and its association with markers of cardiac injury in patients after acute stroke. Methods: Between August 2020 and August 2021, 120 consecutive patients, 104 after acute ischemic stroke (AIS), 76 receiving reperfusion therapy, and 16 patients after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) were enrolled in our study. Blood samples were obtained from patients at the time of admission, 24 h later, and 48 h later to determine the plasma level of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and high-sensitive Troponin I (hs-TnI). Twelve-lead ECGs were obtained at the time of admission, 24 h later, 48 h later, and at the release of the patients. Evaluations were performed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at the time of admission and using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 90 days following the patient’s discharge from the hospital. Results: We observed a connection between lower TRAIL levels and stroke severity evaluated using the NIHSS (p = 0.044) on the first day. Lower TRAIL showed an association with severe disability and death as evaluated using the mRS at 90 days, both after 24 (p = 0.0022) and 48 h (p = 0.044) of hospitalization. Moreover, we observed an association between lower TRAIL and NT-proBNP elevation at the time of admission (p = 0.039), after 24 (p = 0.043), and after 48 h (p = 0.023) of hospitalization. In the ECG analysis, lower TRAIL levels were associated with the occurrence of premature ventricular extrasystoles (p = 0.043), and there was an association with prolonged QTc interval (p = 0.052). Conclusions: The results show that lower TRAIL is associated with stroke severity, unfavorable functional outcome, and short-term mortality in patients after acute ischemic stroke. Moreover, we described the association with markers of cardiac injury and ECG changes.
Association between Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Severe Acute Pancreatitis in Pregnancy and Postpartum
Authors: Mocan Mihaela , Szabo Robert , Constantinescu Cătălin , Cucoreanu Ciprian , Chira Romeo Ioan
Published: May 2022

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) affects the respiratory system but is not limited to it. The gastrointestinal symptoms are polymorphic, including diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and even acute pancreatitis (AP). Pregnant women are more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection and have a higher risk of severe outcomes of COVID-19. Case report: We present a case report of a 31-year-old primigravid patient at 30 weeks of gestation, unvaccinated, with a medical history of thrombophilia, chronic nephropathy of unknown origin, hypertension, and optic neuropathy with left eye hemianopsia. She was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 and respiratory failure, with indication for cesarean section. Postpartum, she developed severe acute pancreatitis, complicated by peripancreatic and supradiaphragmatic abscesses. After 3 months of hospitalization and eight surgical interventions, the patient was discharged. A short mini-review of the literature is introduced. Conclusion: Pregnant women with cardiovascular comorbidities are prone to severe complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Clinicians should be aware of the association of SARS-CoV-2 and AP in pregnant women.
Factors Associated with Deterioration of Primary Angle Closure after Lens Extraction
Authors: Song Min Kyung , Shin Joong Won , Sung Kyung Rim
Published: May 2022

The purpose of the study was to explore factors associated with glaucomatous deterioration in eyes with primary angle closure (PAC) after lens extraction, including PAC suspect (PACS), PAC, and PAC glaucoma (PACG). We retrospectively analyzed data of 77 eyes with PACS, PAC, and PACG that underwent lens extraction with more than 2 years postoperative follow-up. Postoperative glaucoma progression was analyzed by either structural (optic disc/retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) photographs or optical coherent tomography (OCT)) or functional (visual field (VF)) criterion. Cox proportional hazard analysis (hazard ratio (HR)) was used to determine risk factors for progression using uni-and multivariate analysis. The analysis was conducted in groups with or without glaucomatous optic neuropathy (PACS/PAC vs. PACG). Forty-one eyes with PACS/PAC and 36 eyes with PACG were included. The mean postoperative follow-up period was 3.5 ± 1.4 years. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was reduced postoperatively from 23.1 ± 14.4 to 13.4 ± 2.1 mmHg. In the PACS/PAC group, seven eyes (17.0%) showed structural progression, but none showed progression in VF. Preoperative RNFL thickness was the only risk factor for structural progression (HR = 0.928, p = 0.002) in the PACS/PAC group. In the PACG group, 24 eyes (66.7%) showed structural progression and 12 eyes (33.3%) showed VF progression. Thinner preoperative RNFL thickness (HR = 0.964, p = 0.043) and high postoperative IOP fluctuation (HR = 1.296, p = 0.011) were significantly associated with VF progression; none of the factors were associated with structural progression. Angle closure eyes with thinner baseline RNFL thickness and higher postoperative IOP fluctuation may require careful follow-up for glaucoma progression after lens extraction.
Characteristics of Economic and Environmental Benefits of Shore Power Use by Container-Ship Size
Authors: Kim Kyunghwan
Published: May 2022

To combat climate change, efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are being made in all industries. The shipping sector is also one of the industries that emits GHG, including carbon. One way to reduce GHG emissions in the shipping sector is to use shore power (SP) rather than auxiliary engines during berthing. Port authorities are actively expanding SP facilities because it is possible to achieve the long-term goals of environmental benefits and green ports. However, the low economic feasibility of SP is a stumbling block for ship operators. Therefore, in this study, an economic analysis of SP use was conducted by container-ship size from the perspective of ship operators in consideration of benefits from differences in fuel oil and electricity prices, benefits through carbon emission reduction, and incentives from the port authorities. The result of the analysis showed that the benefit from the price of oil as well as the converted benefit from carbon emission reduction increased according to the size of the vessels. The economic analysis of a single port confirmed that small ships providing feeder services presented economic feasibility due to low installation costs and increased number of calls, while insufficient economic feasibility was presented for large ships above the old Panamax class due to the increased costs for installation. However, economic feasibility differs widely depending on whether port incentives are provided, and it was estimated that even large ships will be able to secure the economic feasibility of using SP if additional calls are made to ports that provide similar policy advantages.
Data Collection for Dilute Protein Solutions via a Neutron Backscattering Spectrometer
Authors: Tominaga Taiki , Nakagawa Hiroshi , Sahara Masae , Oda Takashi , Inoue Rintaro , Sugiyama Masaaki
Published: May 2022

Understanding protein functions requires not only static but also dynamic structural information. Incoherent quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS), which utilizes the highly incoherent scattering ability of hydrogen, is a powerful technique for revealing the dynamics of proteins in deuterium oxide (D2O) buffer solutions. The background scattering of sample cells suitable for aqueous protein solution samples, conducted with a neutron backscattering spectrometer, was evaluated. It was found that the scattering intensity of an aluminum sample cell coated with boehmite using D2O was lower than that of a sample cell coated with regular water (H2O). The D2O-Boehmite coated cell was used for the QENS measurement of a 0.8 wt.% aqueous solution of an intrinsically disordered protein in an intrinsically disordered region of a helicase-associated endonuclease for a fork-structured type of DNA. The cell was inert against aqueous samples at 283–363 K. In addition, meticulous attention to cells with small individual weight differences and the positional reproducibility of the sample cell relative to the spectrometer neutron beam position enabled the accurate subtraction of the scattering profiles of the D2O buffer and the sample container. Consequently, high-quality information on protein dynamics could be extracted from dilute protein solutions.
Determination of the Tool–Chip Contact Length for the Cutting Processes
Authors: Storchak Michael , Drewle Konstantin , Menze Christian , Stehle Thomas , Möhring Hans-Christian
Published: May 2022

The thermomechanical interaction of the tool with the chip in the most loaded secondary cutting zone depends on the contact length of the tool rake face with the chip. Experimental studies of the dependency of the contact length on the cutting speed, the undeformed chip thickness, and the tool rake angle, performed by the optical method, are used for comparison with the contact length obtained by the FE modeling of the orthogonal cutting process. To determine the parameters of the constitutive Johnson–Cook equation, which serves as a material model of the FE cutting model that has a predominant influence on the contact length, a software-implemented algorithm was developed. This algorithm is based on determining the generalized parameters of the constitutive equation through finding the intersection of these parameter sets. The plurality intersection of the parameter sets of the constitutive equation is determined by means of the design of experiments and refined by subsequent multiple iterations. The comparison of the contact length values, obtained by simulating the cutting process using the generalized parameters of the constitutive equation as a material model with their experimental values, does not exceed 12% for a wide range of cutting speeds and depths of cut, as well as for the tool rake angle.
Finite-Time Stability in Nonhomogeneous Delay Differential Equations of Fractional Hilfer Type
Authors: Salem Ahmed , Babusail Rawia
Published: May 2022

In the current contribution, integral representations of the solutions of homogeneous and nonhomogeneous delay differential equation of a fractional Hilfer derivative are established in terms of the delayed Mittag-Leffler-type matrix function of two parameters. By using the method of variation of constants, the solution representations are represented. Finite-time stability of the solutions is examined with provision of appropriate sufficient conditions. Finally, an illustrated numerical example is introduced to apply the theoretical results.