bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real-World Data on Newly Diagnosed BRCA-Mutated High-Grade Epithelial Ovarian Cancers: The French National Multicenter ESME Database
Authors: Bini Marta , Quesada Stanislas , Meeus Pierre , Rodrigues Manuel , Leblanc Eric , Floquet Anne , Pautier Patricia , Marchal Frédéric , Provansal Magali , Campion Loïc , Causeret Sylvain , Gourgou Sophie , Ray-Coquard Isabelle , Classe Jean-Marc , Pomel Christophe , De La Motte Rouge Thibault , Barranger Emmanuel , Savoye Aude Marie , Guillemet Cécile , Gladieff Laurence , Demarchi Martin , Rouzier Roman , Courtinard C , Romeo Clémence , Joly Florence
Published: August 2022

Background: In spite of the frequency and clinical impact of BRCA1/2 alterations in high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer (HGEOC), real-world information based on robust data warehouse has been scarce to date. Methods: Consecutive patients with BRCA-mutated HGEOC treated between 2011 and 2016 within French comprehensive cancer centers from the Unicancer network were extracted from the ESME database. The main objective of the study was the assessment of clinicopathological and treatments parameters. Results: Out of the 8021 patients included in the ESME database, 266 patients matching the selection criteria were included. BRCA1 mutation was found in 191 (71.8%) patients, while 75 (28.2%) had a BRCA2 mutation only; 95.5% of patients received a cytoreductive surgery. All patients received a taxane/platinum-based chemotherapy (median = six cycles). Complete and partial response were obtained in 53.3% and 20.4% of the cases, respectively. Maintenance therapy was administered in 55.3% of the cases, bevacizumab being the most common agent. After a median follow up of 51.7 months, a median progression-free survival of 28.6 months (95% confidence interval (CI) [26.5; 32.7]) and an estimated 5-year median overall survival of 69.2% (95% CI [61.6; 70.3]) were reported. Notably, BRCA1- and BRCA2-mutated cases exhibited a trend towards different median progression-free survivals, with 28.0 (95% CI [24.4; 32.3]) and 33.3 months (95% CI [26.7; 46.1]), respectively (p-value = 0.053). Furthermore, five-year OS for BRCA1-mutated patients was 64.5% (95% CI [59.7; 69.2]), while it was 82.5% (95% CI [76.6; 88.5]) for BRCA2-mutated ones (p-value = 0.029). Conclusions: This study reports the largest French multicenter cohort of BRCA-mutated HGEOCs based on robust data from the ESME, exhibiting relevant real-world data regarding this specific population.
Could 18-FDG PET-CT Radiomic Features Predict the Locoregional Progression-Free Survival in Inoperable or Unresectable Oesophageal Cancer?
Authors: De Bari Berardino , Lefevre Loriane , Henriques Julie , Gatta Roberto , Falcoz Antoine , Mathieu Pierre , Borg Christophe , Dinapoli Nicola , Boulahdour Hatem , Boldrini Luca , Valentini Vincenzo , Vernerey Dewi
Published: August 2022

Background: We evaluated the value of pre-treatment positron-emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT)-based radiomic features in predicting the locoregional progression-free survival (LR-PFS) of patients with inoperable or unresectable oesophageal cancer. Material and Methods: Forty-six patients were included and 230 radiomic parameters were extracted. After a principal component analysis (PCA), we identified the more robust radiomic parameters, and we used them to develop a heatmap. Finally, we correlated these radiomic features with LR-PFS. Results: The median follow-up time was 17 months. The two-year LR-PFS and PFS rates were 35.9% (95% CI: 18.9–53.3) and 21.6% (95%CI: 10.0–36.2), respectively. After the correlation analysis, we identified 55 radiomic parameters that were included in the heatmap. According to the results of the hierarchical clustering, we identified two groups of patients presenting statistically different median LR-PFSs (22.8 months vs. 9.9 months; HR = 2.64; 95% CI 0.97–7.15; p = 0.0573). We also identified two radiomic features (“F_rlm_rl_entr_per” and “F_rlm_2_5D_rl_entr”) significantly associated with LR-PFS. Patients expressing a “F_rlm_2_5D_rl_entr” of <3.3 had a better median LR- PFS (29.4 months vs. 8.2 months; p = 0.0343). Patients presenting a “F_rlm_rl_entr_per” of <4.7 had a better median LR-PFS (50.4 months vs. 9.9 months; p = 0.0132). Conclusion: We identified two radiomic signatures associated with a lower risk of locoregional relapse after CRT.
Opioid-Induced Sexual Dysfunction in Cancer Patients
Authors: Salata Bartłomiej , Kluczna Agnieszka , Dzierżanowski Tomasz
Published: August 2022

Sexual dysfunction is common in patients with advanced cancer, although it is frequently belittled, and thus consistently underdiagnosed and untreated. Opioid analgesics remain fundamental and are widely used in cancer pain treatment. However, they affect sexual functions primarily due to their action on the hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal axis. Other mechanisms such as the impact on the central and peripheral nervous systems are also possible. The opioid-induced sexual dysfunction includes erectile dysfunction, lack of desire and arousal, orgasmic disorder, and lowered overall sexual satisfaction. Around half of the individuals taking opioids chronically may be affected by sexual dysfunction. The relative risk of sexual dysfunction in patients on chronic opioid therapy and opioid addicts increased two-fold in a large meta-analysis. Opioids differ in their potential to induce sexual dysfunctions. Partial agonists and short-acting opioids may likely cause sexual dysfunction to a lesser extent. Few pharmaceutical therapies proved effective: testosterone replacement therapy, PDE5 inhibitors, bupropion, trazodone, opioid antagonists, and plant-derived medicines such as Rosa damascena and ginseng. Non-pharmacological options, such as psychosexual or physical therapies, should also be considered. However, the evidence is scarce and projected primarily from non-cancer populations, including opioid addicts. Further research is necessary to explore the problem of sexuality in cancer patients and the role of opioids in inducing sexual dysfunction.
Neuroendocrine Tumors: Treatment and Management
Authors: Imperiale Alessio
Published: August 2022

This Topical Collection consists of a series of articles presented by a panel of internationally recognized experts and compiles several clinical accomplishments in the field of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) [...]
Recent Advances in Metal-Based Molecular Photosensitizers for Artificial Photosynthesis
Authors: Wang Lei
Published: August 2022

Artificial photosynthesis (AP) has been extensively applied in energy conversion and environment pollutants treatment. Considering the urgent demand for clean energy for human society, many researchers have endeavored to develop materials for AP. Among the materials for AP, photosensitizers play a critical role in light absorption and charge separation. Due to the fact of their excellent tunability and performance, metal-based complexes stand out from many photocatalysis photosensitizers. In this review, the evaluation parameters for photosensitizers are first summarized and then the recent developments in molecular photosensitizers based on transition metal complexes are presented. The photosensitizers in this review are divided into two categories: noble-metal-based and noble-metal-free complexes. The subcategories for each type of photosensitizer in this review are organized by element, focusing first on ruthenium, iridium, and rhenium and then on manganese, iron, and copper. Various examples of recently developed photosensitizers are also presented.
Pd-Supported Co3O4/C Catalysts as Promising Electrocatalytic Materials for Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Kepenienė Virginija , Stagniūnaitė Raminta , Rafique Sidra , Vaičiūnienė Jūratė , Jasulaitiene Vitalija , Pakštas Vidas , Sukackienė Zita , Vilkauskaite Rasa , Tamašauskaitė-Tamašiūnaitė Loreta , Norkus Eugenijus
Published: August 2022

This paper describes the activity of PdCo3O4/C obtained by wet impregnation towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). For this purpose, the Co3O4/C substrate was synthesized using the microwave irradiation heating method with further annealing of the substrate at 400 °C for 3 h (Co3O4/C-T). Then, the initial Co3O4/C substrate was impregnated with palladium chloride (Pd-Cl2-Co3O4/C), and then part of the obtained Pd-Cl2-Co3O4/C catalyst was annealed at 400 °C for 3 h (PdOCo3O4/C). The electrocatalytic activity of the prepared catalysts was investigated for the oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media and compared with the commercial Pt/C (Tanaka wt. 46.6% Pt) catalyst. It was found that the annealed PdOCo3O4/C catalyst showed the largest ORR current density value of −11.27 mA cm−2 compared with Pd-Cl2-Co3O4/C (−7.39 mA cm−2) and commercial Pt/C (−5.25 mA cm−2).
Development of New Amphiphilic Catalytic Steam Additives for Hydrothermal Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques
Authors: Aliev Firdavs , Ali Akhunov Amirjon , Mirzaev Oybek , Vakhin Alexey
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we propose the synthesis of green amphiphilic catalysts based on two metals: Ni and Al. The amphiphilic characteristics of the obtained catalyst were provided by alkylbenzenesulfonic acid (ABSA). The end product was thoroughly characterized by the FTIR analysis method. The efficiency of both catalysts was tested by modeling the catalytic hydrothermal upgrading of heavy-oil samples from Ashal’cha field (Russia) in a high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) reactor with a stirrer at a temperature of 250 °C. The physical and chemical properties of the heavy oils and their fractions were studied before and after the catalytic hydrothermal upgrading by analytical procedures such as SARA analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, GC–MS, elemental analysis, gas chromatography, etc. The results showed that both catalysts had a different influence on the viscosity-reduction degree. It was revealed that the contribution of Al ABSA to the viscosity reduction was the highest: more than 80% in contrast to the initial crude oil sample. The Al-based catalyst showed the best activity in hydrogenation and decarbonization, and hence the H/C ratio of the upgraded oil was at a maximum in the presence of Al ABSA.
Olive Mill Wastewater Remediation: From Conventional Approaches to Photocatalytic Processes by Easily Recoverable Materials
Authors: Galloni Melissa G. , Ferrara Elena , Falletta Ermelinda , Bianchi Claudia L.
Published: August 2022

Olive oil production in Mediterranean countries represents a crucial market, especially for Spain, Italy, and Greece. However, although this sector plays a significant role in the European economy, it also leads to dramatic environmental consequences. Waste generated from olive oil production processes can be divided into solid waste and olive mill wastewaters (OMWW). These latter are characterized by high levels of organic compounds (i.e., polyphenols) that have been efficiently removed because of their hazardous environmental effects. Over the years, in this regard, several strategies have been primarily investigated, but all of them are characterized by advantages and weaknesses, which need to be overcome. Moreover, in recent years, each country has developed national legislation to regulate this type of waste, in line with the EU legislation. In this scenario, the present review provides an insight into the different methods used for treating olive mill wastewaters paying particular attention to the recent advances related to the development of more efficient photocatalytic approaches. In this regard, the most advanced photocatalysts should also be easily recoverable and considered valid alternatives to the currently used conventional systems. In this context, the optimization of innovative systems is today’s object of hard work by the research community due to the profound potential they can offer in real applications. This review provides an overview of OMWW treatment methods, highlighting advantages and disadvantages and discussing the still unresolved critical issues.
A Reusable FeCl3∙6H2O/Cationic 2,2′-Bipyridyl Catalytic System for Reduction of Nitroarenes in Water
Authors: Hung Tsai-Yu , Peng Wen-Sheng , Tang Jing-Wen , Tsai Fu-Yu
Published: August 2022

The association of a commercially-available iron (III) chloride hexahydrate (FeCl3∙6H2O) with cationic 2,2′-bipyridyl in water was proven to be an operationally simple and reusable catalytic system for the highly-selective reduction of nitroarenes to anilines. This procedure was conducted under air using 1–2 mol% of catalyst in the presence of nitroarenes and 4 equiv of hydrazine monohydrate (H2NNH2∙H2O) in neat water at 100 °C for 12 h, and provided high to excellent yields of aniline derivatives. After separation of the aqueous catalytic system from the organic product, the residual aqueous solution could be applied for subsequent reuse, without any catalyst retreatment or regeneration, for several runs with only a slight decrease in activity, proving this process eco-friendly.
High-Temperature Reaction Mechanism of Molybdenum Metal in Direct Coal Liquefaction Residue
Authors: Wu Chunling , Ma Linge , Zhu Yufei , Guo Xuqiang , Wu Yongli , Wu Zhen , Zhang Xian , Hou Lihua
Published: August 2022

In this paper, the extraction residue of direct coal liquefaction residue-DCLR(ER) was used as raw material. The high-temperature reaction mechanism of Mo compound in DCLR(ER) was investigated using a synchronous thermal analyzer and the Factsage database. The high temperature reaction of DCLR(ER)-MoO3 in an oxygen atmosphere consists of pyrolysis of organic components at 400–600 °C, molybdenum trioxide sublimation at 747–1200 °C, and a stable stage at 600–747 °C. The thermal reaction process of the DCLR(ER)-MoS2 system in the oxygen atmosphere involves the pyrolysis of unreacted coal and asphaltene, the oxidation of molybdenum sulfide at 349–606/666 °C, the diffusion of MoO3 at 606/666–85 °C, and the sublimation reaction process of MoO3 at 854–1200 °C. The results show that the lower heating rate can promote the oxidation of the Mo compound and the sublimation of molybdenum trioxide. On the other hand, the oxides of aluminum, calcium, and iron in DCLR(ER) can inhibit the oxidative pyrolysis efficiency of the DCLR(ER)-MoS2 system.
Cellular Therapy Using Epitope-Imprinted Composite Nanoparticles to Remove α-Synuclein from an In Vitro Model
Authors: Lee Mei-Hwa , Jan Jeng-Shiung , Thomas James L. , Shih Yuan-Pin , Li Jin-An , Lin Chien-Yu , Ooya Tooru , Barna Lilla , Mészáros Mária , Harazin András , Porkoláb Gergő , Veszelka Szilvia , Deli Maria A. , Lin Hung-Yin
Published: August 2022

Several degenerative disorders of the central nervous system, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), are related to the pathological aggregation of proteins. Antibodies against toxic disease proteins, such as α-synuclein (SNCA), are therefore being developed as possible therapeutics. In this work, one peptide (YVGSKTKEGVVHGVA) from SNCA was used as the epitope to construct magnetic molecularly imprinted composite nanoparticles (MMIPs). These composite nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) analysis. Finally, the viability of brain endothelial cells that were treated with MMIPs was measured, and the extraction of SNCA from CRISPR/dCas9a-activated HEK293T cells from the in vitro model system was demonstrated for the therapeutic application of MMIPs.
Transcriptional Response of Blood Mononuclear Cells from Patients with Inflammatory and Autoimmune Disorders Exposed to “Krakow Smog”
Authors: Gałuszka-Bulaga Adrianna , Hajto Jacek , Borczyk Małgorzata , Gołda Sławomir , Piechota Marcin , Korostyński Michał , Rutkowska-Zapała Magdalena , Latacz Paweł , Guła Zofia , Korkosz Mariusz , Pera Joanna , Słowik Agnieszka , Siedlar Maciej , Baran Jarek
Published: August 2022

Despite the general awareness of the need to reduce air pollution, the efforts were undertaken in Poland to eliminate the pollutants and their harmful effect on human health seem to be insufficient. Moreover, the latest data indicate that the city of Krakow is at the forefront of the most polluted cities worldwide. Hence, in this report, we investigated the impact of particulate matter isolated from the air of Krakow (PM KRK) on the gene expression profile of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in healthy donors (HD) and patients with atherosclerosis (AS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and multiple sclerosis (MS), after in vitro exposure. Blood samples were collected in two seasons, differing in the concentration of PM in the air (below or above a daily limit of 50 µg/m3 for PM 10). Data show that PBMCs exposed in vitro to PM KRK upregulated the expression of genes involved, among others, in pro-inflammatory response, cell motility, and regulation of cell metabolism. The transcriptional effects were observed predominantly in the group of patients with AS and MS. The observed changes seem to be dependent on the seasonal concentration of PM in the air of Krakow and may suggest their important role in the progression of AS, MS, and RA in the residents of Krakow.
Induced Human Regulatory T Cells Express the Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor
Authors: Rode Anna K. O. , Buus Terkild Brink , Mraz Veronika , Al-Jaberi Fatima Abdul Hassan , Lopez Daniel Villalba , Ford Shayne L. , Hennen Stephanie , Eliasen Ina Primon , Klewe Ib Vestergaard , Gharehdaghi Leila , Dragan Adrian , Rosenkilde Mette M. , Woetmann Anders , Skov Lone , Ødum Niels , Bonefeld Charlotte M. , Kongsbak-Wismann Martin , Geisler Carsten
Published: August 2022

The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) plays a key role in metabolism and is an important therapeutic target in diabetes and obesity. Recent studies in experimental animals have shown that certain subsets of T cells express functional GLP-1R, indicating an immune regulatory role of GLP-1. In contrast, less is known about the expression and function of the GLP-1R in human T cells. Here, we provide evidence that activated human T cells express GLP-1R. The expressed GLP-1R was functional, as stimulation with a GLP-1R agonist triggered an increase in intracellular cAMP, which was abrogated by a GLP-1R antagonist. Analysis of CD4+ T cells activated under T helper (Th) 1, Th2, Th17 and regulatory T (Treg) cell differentiation conditions indicated that GLP-1R expression was most pronounced in induced Treg (iTreg) cells. Through multimodal single-cell CITE- and TCR-sequencing, we detected GLP-1R expression in 29–34% of the FoxP3+CD25+CD127- iTreg cells. GLP-1R+ cells showed no difference in their TCR-gene usage nor CDR3 lengths. Finally, we demonstrated the presence of GLP-1R+CD4+ T cells in skin from patients with allergic contact dermatitis. Taken together, the present data demonstrate that T cell activation triggers the expression of functional GLP-1R in human CD4+ T cells. Given the high induction of GLP-1R in human iTreg cells, we hypothesize that GLP-1R+ iTreg cells play a key role in the anti-inflammatory effects ascribed to GLP-1R agonists in humans.
Transcriptome Profiling Reveals Differential Expression of Circadian Behavior Genes in Peripheral Blood of Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Semenova Ekaterina I. , Vlasov Ivan N. , Partevian Suzanna A. , Rosinskaya Anna V. , Rybolovlev Ivan N. , Slominsky Petr A. , Shadrina Maria I. , Alieva Anelya Kh.
Published: August 2022

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases. Investigating individuals with the most identical genetic background is optimal for minimizing the genetic contribution to gene expression. These individuals include monozygotic twins discordant for PD. Monozygotic twins have the same genetic background, age, sex, and often similar environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to carry out a transcriptome analysis of the peripheral blood of three pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for PD. We identified the metabolic process “circadian behavior” as a priority process for further study. Different expression of genes included in the term “circadian behavior” confirms that this process is involved in PD pathogenesis. We found increased expression of three genes associated with circadian behavior, i.e., PTGDS, ADORA2A, and MTA1, in twins with PD. These genes can be considered as potential candidate genes for this disease.
Sympathetic Innervation Modulates Mucosal Immune Homeostasis and Epithelial Host Defense
Authors: Mallesh Shilpashree , Ten Hove Anne S. , Schneider Reiner , Schneiker Bianca , Efferz Patrik , Kalff Jörg C. , de Jonge Wouter J. , Wehner Sven
Published: August 2022

Intestinal mucosal cells, such as resident macrophages and epithelial cells, express adrenergic receptors and are receptive to norepinephrine, the primary neurotransmitter of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). It has been suggested that the SNS affects intestinal immune activity in conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease; however, the underlying mechanisms remain ambiguous. Here, we investigated the effect of SNS on mucosal immune and epithelial cell functions. We employed 6-OHDA-induced sympathetic denervation (cSTX) to characterize muscularis-free mucosal transcriptomes by RNA-seq and qPCR, and quantified mucosal immune cells by flow cytometry. The role of norepinephrine and cytokines on epithelial functions was studied using small intestinal organoids. cSTX increased the presence of activated CD68+CD86+ macrophages and monocytes in the mucosa. In addition, through transcriptional profiling, the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, TNF-α, and IFN-γ were induced, while Arg-1 and CD163 expression was reduced. Further, cSTX increased intestinal permeability in vivo and induced genes involved in barrier integrity and antimicrobial defense. In intestinal organoids, similar alterations were observed after treatment with proinflammatory cytokines, but not norepinephrine. We conclude that a loss in sympathetic input induces a proinflammatory mucosal state, leading to reduced epithelial barrier functioning and enhanced antimicrobial defense. This implies that the SNS might be required to maintain intestinal immune functions during homeostasis.
Recent Advances in the Modulation of Pain by the Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors
Authors: Mazzitelli Mariacristina , Presto Peyton , Antenucci Nico , Meltan Shakira , Neugebauer Volker
Published: August 2022

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR or mGlu) are G-protein coupled receptors activated by the binding of glutamate, the main classical neurotransmitter of the nervous system. Eight different mGluR subtypes (mGluR1-8) have been cloned and are classified in three groups based on their molecular, pharmacological and signaling properties. mGluRs mediate several physiological functions such as neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity, but they have also been implicated in numerous pathological conditions including pain. The availability of new and more selective allosteric modulators together with the canonical orthosteric ligands and transgenic technologies has led to significant advances in our knowledge about the role of the specific mGluR subtypes in the pathophysiological mechanisms of various diseases. Although development of successful compounds acting on mGluRs for clinical use has been scarce, the subtype-specific-pharmacological manipulation might be a compelling approach for the treatment of several disorders in humans, including pain; this review aims to summarize and update on preclinical evidence for the roles of different mGluRs in the pain system and discusses knowledge gaps regarding mGluR-related sex differences and neuroimmune signaling in pain.
Chronic Olfactory Dysfunction in Children with Long COVID: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Buonsenso Danilo , Martino Laura , Morello Rosa , De Rose Cristina , Valentini Piero
Published: August 2022

Olfactory dysfunction is one of the long-term consequences of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults. This study aims to analyze the prevalence of chronic anosmia among COVID-19 children and to bring to light its impact on their families’ quality of life and wellbeing. Children younger than 18 years old, who were detected as being COVID-19-positive by RT-PCR and were assessed in a pediatric post-COVID outpatient clinic at least 28 days after the onset of the acute infection, were included in the study. The patients suffering from persisting smell disorders were asked to answer a questionnaire about their symptoms and how they influence their daily life. Out of the 784 children evaluated, 13 (1.7%) presented olfactory impairment at a mean follow-up since the acute infection of more than three months. Parents’ answers showed that they were worried about their children’s health, in particular they wanted to know if and when they would recover and if these disorders would have long-term consequences. They also wanted to share their experiences, in order to help other people who are experiencing the same disorders in everyday life. Our study highlights that smell disorders can significantly upset children’s eating habits and everyday activities. Furthermore, these findings suggest that future research should try to better understand the mechanisms causing loss of smell in COVID-19 patients and find the most appropriate treatment.
Neonatal Mortality and Education Related Inequality in Cesarean Births in Sub-Saharan Africa: Multi-Country Propensity Score Matching and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Olukade Tawa O. , Uthman Olalekan A.
Published: August 2022

Background: Sub-Saharan African (SSA) newborns are ten times more likely to die in the first month than a neonate born in a high-income country. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between educational attainment and neonatal mortality (NM) among women with cesarean section (CS) deliveries in SSA countries. Methods: Using data from recent demographic and health surveys from 33 countries in SSA, we applied propensity score matching to estimate the effect of education attainment on post-CS neonatal mortality using a propensity-matched cohort where being educated was defined as completing at least primary school education Results: The number of reported CS births ranged from 186 in Niger to 1695 in Kenya. The odds of neonatal mortality between uneducated and educated women ranged from as low as 2.31 in Senegal to 35.5 in Zimbabwe, with a pooled overall risk for NM from all of the countries of OR 2.54 (95% CI: 1.72–3.74) and aOR 1.7 (95% CI: 1.12–2.57). From the 17,220 respondents, we successfully matched 11,162 educated respondents with 2146 uneducated respondents. Uneducated women had a 6% risk compared to a 2.9% risk among educated women for neonatal mortality, with an overall risk of 3.4%; babies from uneducated women were twice as likely to die compared to babies from educated women, RR 2.1 (95% CI, 1.69–2.52). Conclusion: Neonates from uneducated women were twice as likely to die following CS delivery than neonates from educated women. This evidence suggests that a means of achieving Sustainable Development Goal target 3.2 to lower newborn and child mortality is ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality care with efforts made at ensuring education for all and improving socio-economic conditions.
Assessing 48 SNPs in Hypertensive Paediatric Patients and Young Adults with Review of Genetic Background of Essential Hypertension
Authors: Močnik Mirjam , Zagradišnik Boris , Marčun Varda Nataša
Published: August 2022

Essential hypertension in paediatric patients and young adults is rising, mostly on account of obesity-related hypertension. Clinically, the difference between obese hypertensive and non-obese hypertensive individuals is evident; yet, the pathophysiology of essential and obesity-related hypertension is multifactorial, complex and not fully understood. The aim of our study was to obtain a comprehensive view of the clinical differences between obesity-related hypertension and hypertension in non-obese paediatric patients and young adults and to do genetic tests to possibly highlight some of the pathophysiological differences with a review of their genetic backgrounds. Four hundred and thirty-six hypertensive paediatric patients and young adults were included in the study, and a study of 48 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, using Kompetitive allele specific PCR, was conducted. The subjects were divided into 243 non-obese participants with hypertension and 193 obese participants with hypertension. The data for the clinical comparison of both groups were collected as well. The differences in some clinical and biochemical parameters were confirmed. Genetic tests showed a significant difference in one allele frequency between both groups in five SNPs: rs6232, rs6235, rs12145833, rs59744560 and rs9568856. In rs6235 and rs59744560, a direct effect of different allele states could be implied. Obesity-related hypertension at a young age differs from essential hypertension in those non-obese. The reported genetic differences could be important in understanding the complex pathophysiology of early-onset obesity-related hypertension and should be further evaluated.
Usefulness of Procalcitonin in the Diagnosis of Bacterial Infection in Immunocompetent Children
Authors: Park Hae Na , Kim Su Yeong , Lee Na Mi , Yi Dae Yong , Yun Sin Weon , Chae Soo Ahn , Lim In Seok , Lim Yong Kwan , Park Ji Young
Published: August 2022

Bacterial infections (BIs) need to be differentiated from non-BIs (NBIs) to enable prompt administration of antibiotics. Therefore, inflammatory biomarkers are needed as they can accurately identify BIs. This study evaluated the usefulness of procalcitonin (PCT) in the diagnosis of BI in immunocompetent children. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients <18 years who underwent PCT measurements between July 2012 and June 2019. In total, 474 patients were enrolled and divided into the BI (n = 205) and NBI groups (n = 269). The BI group was subcategorized into the invasive BI (IBI; n = 94), mucosal BI (MBI; n = 31), toxigenic BI (TBI; n = 23), and localized BI (LBI; n = 57) subgroups. The NBI group was further subcategorized into the viral infection (VI; n = 118) and inflammatory disease groups (ID; n = 151). PCT was compared with the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell (WBC), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Between the BI and NBI groups, PCT (4.2 ± 16.9 vs. 1.1 ± 2.5 ng/mL; p = 0.008) and ESR (39.1 ± 32.4 vs. 54.8 ± 28.2 mm/h; p < 0.001) were significantly different. Between the IBI and other groups, WBC (14,797 ± 7148 vs. 12,622 ± 5770 × 106/L; p = 0.007), ESR (35.3 ± 30.3 vs. 51.5 ± 30.3 mm/h; p < 0.001), and PCT (8.1 ± 23.8 vs. 1.0 ± 3.4 ng/mL; p = 0.005) were significantly different. However, none of the biomarkers were useful in differentiating BI from NBI. While WBC (area under curve (AUC) = 0.615, p = 0.003) and PCT (AUC = 0.640, p < 0.001) were useful, they fared poorly in differentiating IBI from other groups. Thus, additional studies are needed to identify more accurate biomarkers capable of differentiating BIs, especially IBIs.
Genetically Engineered Hepatitis C Virus-like Particles (HCV-LPs) Tagged with SP94 Peptide to Acquire Selectivity to Liver Cancer Cells via Grp78
Authors: Mofed Dina , Wahba Mohamed A. , Salem Tamer Z.
Published: August 2022

Targeted cancer therapy is a challenging area that includes multiple chemical and biological vehicles. Virus-like particles (VLPs) combine safety and efficacy in their roles as potential vaccines and drug delivery vehicles. In this study, we propose a novel drug delivery system based on HCV-LPs engineered with SP94 and RGD peptides mediated by a specific molecular chaperone (Grp78) associated with cancer drug resistance. The PCR primers were designed for engineering two constructs, SP94-EGFP-CORE-HIS and RGD-EGFP-CORE-HIS, by sequential PCR reactions. The two fragments were cloned into pFastBac Dual under the polyhedrin promoter and then used to produce two recombinant baculoviruses (AcSP94 and AcRGD). The VLP’s expression was optimized by recombinant virus infection with different MOIs, ranging from 1 to 20 MOI. Recombinant VLP2 were purified by Ni-NTA and their sizes and shapes were confirmed with TEM. They were incubated with different types of cells prior to examination using the fluorescence microscope to test the binding specificity. The effect of the overexpression of the Grp78 on the binding affinity of the engineered VLPs was tested in HepG2 and HeLa cells. The protocol optimization revealed that MOI 10 produced the highest fluorescence intensities after 72 h for the two recombinant proteins (SP94-core and RGD-core). Moreover, the binding assay tested on different types of mammalian cells (HeLa, HEK-293T, and HepG2 cells) showed green fluorescence on the periphery of all tested cell lines when using the RGD-core protein; while, the SP94-core protein showed green fluorescence only with the liver cancer cells, HepG2 and HuH7. Overexpression of Grp78 in HepG2 and HeLa cells enhanced the binding efficiency of the engineered VLPs. We confirmed that the SP94 peptide can be specifically used to target liver cancer cells, while the RGD peptide is sufficiently functional for most types of cancer cells. The overexpression of the Grp78 improved the binding capacity of both SP94 and RGD peptides. It is worth noting that the SP94 peptide can function properly as a recombinant peptide, and not only as a chemically conjugated peptide, as heretofore commonly used.
Evaluation of the CMIP6 Performance in Simulating Precipitation in the Amazon River Basin
Authors: Monteverde Corrie , De Sales Fernando , Jones Charles
Published: August 2022

The Brazilian Amazon provides important hydrological cycle functions, including precipitation regimes that bring water to the people and environment and are critical to moisture recycling and transport, and represents an important variable for climate models to simulate accurately. This paper evaluates the performance of 13 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models. This is done by discussing results from spatial pattern mapping, Taylor diagram analysis and Taylor skill score, annual climatology comparison, cumulative distribution analysis, and empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. Precipitation analysis shows: (1) This region displays higher rainfall in the north-northwest and drier conditions in the south. Models tend to underestimate northern values or overestimate the central to northwest averages. (2) The southern Amazon has a more defined dry season (June, July, and August) and wet season (December, January, and February) and models simulate this well. The northern Amazon dry season tends to occur in August, September, and October and the wet season occurs in March, April, and May, and models are not able to capture the climatology as well. Models tend to produce too much rainfall at the start of the wet season and tend to either over- or under-estimate the dry season, although ensemble means typically display the overall pattern more precisely. (3) Models struggle to capture extreme values of precipitation except when precipitation values are close to 0. (4) EOF analysis shows that models capture the dominant mode of variability, which was the annual cycle or South American Monsoon System. (5) When all evaluation metrics are considered, the models that perform best are CESM2, MIROC6, MRIESM20, SAM0UNICON, and the ensemble mean. This paper supports research in determining the most up-to-date CMIP6 model performance of precipitation regime for 1981–2014 for the Brazilian Amazon. Results will aid in understanding future projections of precipitation for the selected subset of global climate models and allow scientists to construct reliable model ensembles, as precipitation plays a role in many sectors of the economy, including the ecosystem, agriculture, energy, and water security.
Efficient Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells Using Ultra-Convenient Substrates Based on Self-Assembled Hollow MnO2 Nanoparticles
Authors: Li Rui , Wang Yuankun , Long Tengfei
Published: August 2022

An efficient and active sorting platform of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is still a challenge in clinical research. In this paper, we design a novel system based on hollow MnO2 nanoparticles for the capture and release of CTCs. Using the self-assembly method, we prepared rough MnO2 nanomaterial substrates that provide more binding sites for antibody grafting, increase the contact probability between cells and materials and improve the capture efficiency. The highest capture efficiency was 83.2% under the incubation time of 120 min. The MnO2 nanosubstrate was dissolved by employing a 2 × 10−3 M concentration of oxalic acid to release the captured cells. The cell release efficiency was up to 91.46% with a reaction time of 60 s. The released cells had a strong ability to proliferate after being collected and re-cultured for 24 h. Identifying and counting CTCs from the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients through the three-color immunocytochemistry method proved the effectiveness of our design platform. Such a simple and economical approach provides a promising platform for the capture and release of cells in clinical research.
Erosive Wear Behavior of High-Chromium Cast Iron: Combined Effect of Erodent Powders and Destabilization Heat Treatments
Authors: Fortini Annalisa , Suman Alessio , Zanini Nicola , Cruciani Giuseppe
Published: August 2022

High-chromium cast irons are frequently used in high-demanding applications, where low production costs and wear performance are key factors. The excellent abrasive resistance of these alloys results from the overall microstructural features, i.e., type, morphology, and distribution of hard primary and secondary carbides, along with the matrix constituents. Such a microstructure is the result of the chemical composition and solidification process, even though it could be further tuned by heat treatments. These latter are usually performed to destabilize the austenite and to induce the precipitation of secondary carbides. The present study investigates the combined effect of destabilization heat treatment route and erodent powder type on the erosive wear behavior of two commercial hypereutectic white cast irons. The as-received and the heat-treated materials were analyzed through optical and scanning electron microscopy, hardness tests, and X-ray diffraction to determine the relationship between microstructural variations and applied heat treatment. The erosive resistance was evaluated per the ASTM G76 standard in a purpose-built air blast test rig. Experiments were performed considering a raw meal powder, commonly used in cement factories, and Al2O3 as erodent powders. The adopted heat treatments were effective in increasing the overall hardness of the material, but this was not directly related to the erosion resistance. By contrast, the relative hardness ratio, i.e., erodent/target hardness, affects the erosion rate and different behaviors in relation to the softer/harder erodent particles were found.
Effect of Groove Width on Micromachine Groove Texture Tribology Characteristics of 0Cr17Ni7Al
Authors: Yang Liguang , Ma Wensuo , Gao Fei , Xi Shiping
Published: August 2022

Friction and wear are the main forms of material surface failure. Surface modification is very effective in friction reduction and wear resistance systems. Therefore, as a method of surface modification to improve the tribological properties of materials, surface texture has been widely loved by scholars. However, most scholars use laser and other processing methods to prepare the surface texture. Although these processing methods have a high preparation efficiency, they cannot obtain a surface texture with high dimensional accuracy due to their non-contact processing characteristics. Moreover, previous studies on different surface texture preparation methods are insufficient. Scholars have not fully studied the size parameters of surface modification. Micromachining is a contact machining method. It has high dimensional accuracy. Therefore, the surface groove texture of 0Cr17Ni7Al material commonly used in sliding bearings was prepared by micromachining in this paper. Under dry friction conditions, the effects of different groove widths on the tribological properties of surface texture were studied. The results show that the friction coefficient at the 0.6 mm-wide groove texture is the lowest, σ = 0.632. The minimum wear rate is ω = 3.351 × 10−4 mm3/(N·mm). The friction coefficient and wear rate of all groove textures are lower than those of untextured surfaces. It can be judged that the groove texture prepared by micromachining has good friction reduction and wear resistance under the same load, time, and linear speed. With the increase of the groove width, the friction coefficient and wear rate of groove texture decrease first and then increase.
A Study on Sample Size Sensitivity of Factory Manufacturing Dataset for CNN-Based Defective Product Classification
Authors: Kim Dongbock , Seo Sat Byul , Yoo Nam Hyun , Shin Gisu
Published: August 2022

In many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), defective products are still manually verified in the manufacturing process. Recently, image classification applying deep learning technology has been successful in classifying images of defective and intact products, although there are few cases of utilizing it in practice. SMEs have limited resources; therefore, it is crucial to make careful decisions when applying new methods. We investigated sample size sensitivity to determine the stable performance of deep learning models when applied to the real world. A simple sequential model was constructed, and the dataset was reconstructed into several sizes. For each case, we observed its statistical indicators, such as accuracy, recall, precision, and F1 score, on the same test dataset. Additionally, the loss, accuracy, and AUROC values for the validation dataset were investigated during training. As a result of the conducted research, we were able to confirm that, with 1000 data points or more, the accuracy exceeded 97%. However, more than 5000 cases were required to achieve stability in the model, which had little possibility of overfitting.
UXO-AID: A New UXO Classification Application Based on Augmented Reality to Assist Deminers
Authors: Hameed Qabas A. , Hussein Harith A. , Ahmed Mohamed A. , Salih Mahmood M. , Ismael Reem D. , Omar Mohammed Basim
Published: August 2022

Unexploded ordnance (UXO) is a worldwide problem and a long-term hazard because of its ability to harm humanity by remaining active and destructive decades after a conflict has concluded. In addition, the current UXO clearance methods mainly involve manual clearance and depend on the deminer’s experience. However, this approach has a high misclassification rate, which increases the likelihood of an explosion ending the deminer’s life. This study proposes a new approach to identifying the UXO based on augmented reality technology. The methodology is presented based on two phases. Firstly, a new dataset of UXO samples is created by printing 3D samples and building a 3D model of the object data file with accurate data for 3D printed samples. Secondly, the development of the UXO-AID mobile application prototype, which is based on augmented reality technology, is provided. The proposed prototype was evaluated and tested with different methods. The prototype’s performance was measured at different light intensities and distances for testing. The testing results revealed that the application could successfully perform in excellent and moderate lighting with a distance of 10 to 30 cm. As for recognition accuracy, the overall recognition success rate of reached 82.5%, as the disparity in the number of features of each object affected the accuracy of object recognition. Additionally, the application’s ability to support deminers was assessed through a usability questionnaire submitted by 20 deminers. The questionnaire was based on three factors: satisfaction, effectiveness, and efficiency. The proposed UXO-AID mobile application prototype supports deminers to classify the UXO accurately and in real time, reducing the cognitive load of complex tasks. UXO-AID is simple to use, requires no prior training, and takes advantage of the wide availability of mobile devices.
Interpretable Lightweight Ensemble Classification of Normal versus Leukemic Cells
Authors: de Sant’Anna Yúri Faro Dantas , de Oliveira José Elwyslan Maurício , Dantas Daniel Oliveira
Published: August 2022

The lymphocyte classification problem is usually solved by deep learning approaches based on convolutional neural networks with multiple layers. However, these techniques require specific hardware and long training times. This work proposes a lightweight image classification system capable of discriminating between healthy and cancerous lymphocytes of leukemia patients using image processing and feature-based machine learning techniques that require less training time and can run on a standard CPU. The features are composed of statistical, morphological, textural, frequency, and contour features extracted from each image and used to train a set of lightweight algorithms that classify the lymphocytes into malignant or healthy. After the training, these classifiers were combined into an ensemble classifier to improve the results. The proposed method has a lower computational cost than most deep learning approaches in learning time and neural network size. Our results contribute to the leukemia classification system, showing that high performance can be achieved by classifiers trained with a rich set of features. This study extends a previous work by combining simple classifiers into a single ensemble solution. With principal component analysis, it is possible to reduce the number of features used while maintaining a high accuracy.
Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of Cu–Al–Ag Shape Memory Alloys Processed by Accumulative Roll Bonding and Subsequent Annealing
Authors: Seifollahzadeh Parinaz , Alizadeh Morteza , Szabó Ábel , Gubicza Jenő , El-Tahawy Moustafa
Published: August 2022

Ultrafine-grained Cu/Al/Ag composites were processed by an accumulative roll bonding (ARB) technique from pure copper and aluminum sheets and a silver powder. The Al content was fixed to 11 wt.% while the silver concentration was 1, 2, or 3 in wt.%. The ARB-processed samples were heat treated at different temperatures between 750 and 1050 °C for 60 min and then quenched to room temperature (RT) for producing Cu–Al–Ag alloys. The effect of the addition of different Ag contents and various heat treatment temperatures on the structural evolution was investigated. The ARB-processed samples were composed of Cu and Al layers with high dislocation density and fine grain size (a few microns). During heat treatment of the ARB-processed samples, new intermetallic phases formed. For the lowest Ag content (1 wt.%), the main phase was a brittle simple cubic Al4Cu9, while for higher Ag concentrations (2 and 3 wt.%), the quenched samples contain mainly an orthorhombic β1-AlCu3 martensite phase. The martensite phase consisted of very fine lamellas with a thickness of one micron or less. The heat treatment increased the microhardness and the strength of the samples at RT due to the formation of a fine-grained hard martensite phase. For 2 and 3% Ag, the highest martensite phase content was achieved at 850 and 950 °C, respectively. The annealed and quenched samples exhibited good shape memory behavior at RT.