bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimized Decellularization Protocol for Large Peripheral Nerve Segments: Towards Personalized Nerve Bioengineering
Authors: Hopf Alois , Al-Bayati Lina , Schaefer Dirk J. , Kalbermatten Daniel F. , Guzman Raphael , Madduri Srinivas
Published: August 2022

Nerve injuries remain clinically challenging, and allografts showed great promise. Decellularized nerve allografts possess excellent biocompatibility and biological activity. However, the vast majority of decellularization protocols were established for small-size rodent nerves and are not suitable for clinical application. We aimed at developing a new method of decellularizing large-diameter nerves suitable for human transplantation. Repeated rounds of optimization to remove immunogenic material and preserve the extracellular structure were applied to the porcine sciatic nerve. Following optimization, extensive in vitro analysis of the acellular grafts via immunocytochemistry, immunohistology, proteomics and cell transplantation studies were performed. Large segments (up to 8 cm) of the porcine sciatic nerve were efficiently decellularized and histology, microscopy and proteomics analysis showed sufficient preservation of the extracellular matrix, with simultaneous consistent removal of immunogenic material such as myelin, DNA and axons, and axonal growth inhibitory molecules. Cell studies also demonstrated the suitability of these acellular grafts for 3D cell culture studies and translation to future large animal studies and clinical trials. By using non-human donors for peripheral nerve transplantation, significant drawbacks associated with the gold standard can be eliminated while simultaneously preserving the beneficial features of the extracellular matrix.
Rational Design of Porous Poly(ethylene glycol) Films as a Matrix for ssDNA Immobilization and Hybridization
Authors: Zhao Zhiyong , Das Saunak , Zharnikov Michael
Published: August 2022

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) films, fabricated by thermally induced crosslinking of amine- and epoxy-terminated four-arm STAR-PEG precursors, were used as porous and bioinert matrix for single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) immobilization and hybridization. The immobilization relied on the reaction between the amine groups in the films and N-hydroxy succinimide (NHS) ester groups of the NHS-ester-decorated ssDNA. Whereas the amount of reactive amine groups in the films with the standard 1:1 composition of the precursors turned out to be too low for efficient immobilization, it could be increased noticeably using an excess (2:1) concentration of the amine-terminated precursor. The respective films retained the bioinertness of the 1:1 prototype and could be successfully decorated with probe ssDNA, resulting in porous, 3D PEG-ssDNA sensing assemblies. These assemblies exhibited high selectivity with respect to the target ssDNA strands, with a hybridization efficiency of 78–89% for the matching sequences and full inertness for non-complementary strands. The respective strategy can be applied to the fabrication of DNA microarrays and DNA sensors. As a suitable transduction technique, requiring no ssDNA labeling and showing high sensitivity in the PEG-ssDNA case, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is suggested.
Learning Hyperbolic Embedding for Phylogenetic Tree Placement and Updates
Authors: Jiang Yueyu , Tabaghi Puoya , Mirarab Siavash
Published: August 2022

Phylogenetic placement, used widely in ecological analyses, seeks to add a new species to an existing tree. A deep learning approach was previously proposed to estimate the distance between query and backbone species by building a map from gene sequences to a high-dimensional space that preserves species tree distances. They then use a distance-based placement method to place the queries on that species tree. In this paper, we examine the appropriate geometry for faithfully representing tree distances while embedding gene sequences. Theory predicts that hyperbolic spaces should provide a drastic reduction in distance distortion compared to the conventional Euclidean space. Nevertheless, hyperbolic embedding imposes its own unique challenges related to arithmetic operations, exponentially-growing functions, and limited bit precision, and we address these challenges. Our results confirm that hyperbolic embeddings have substantially lower distance errors than Euclidean space. However, these better-estimated distances do not always lead to better phylogenetic placement. We then show that the deep learning framework can be used not just to place on a backbone tree but to update it to obtain a fully resolved tree. With our hyperbolic embedding framework, species trees can be updated remarkably accurately with only a handful of genes.
Pharmacological Inhibition of Inositol Hexakisphosphate Kinase 1 Protects Mice against Obesity-Induced Bone Loss
Authors: Boregowda Siddaraju V. , Nanjappa Manjunatha K. , Booker Cori N. , Strivelli Jacqueline , Supper Valentina M. , Cooke Paul S. , Phinney Donald G.
Published: August 2022

Obesity and type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are prominent risk factors for secondary osteoporosis due to the negative impacts of hyperglycemia and excessive body fat on bone metabolism. While the armamentarium of anti-diabetic drugs is expanding, their negative or unknown impacts on bone metabolism limits effectiveness. The inactivation of inositol hexakisphosphate kinase 1 (IP6K1) protects mice from high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obesity (DIO) and insulin resistance by enhancing thermogenic energy expenditure, but the role of this kinase and the consequences of its inhibition on bone metabolism are unknown. To determine if IP6K1 inhibition in obese mice affords protection against obesity-induced metabolic derangements and bone loss, we maintained 2-month-old mice on a normal chow control diet or HFD under thermal neutral conditions for 100 d. Beginning on day 40, HFD-fed mice were divided into two groups and administered daily injections of vehicle or the pan-IP6K inhibitor TNP [N2-(m-Trifluorobenzyl), N6-(p-nitrobenzyl) purine]. HFD-fed mice developed obesity, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and secondary osteoporosis, while TNP administration protected mice against HFD-induced metabolic and lipid derangements and preserved bone mass, mineral density, and trabecular microarchitecture, which correlated with reduced serum leptin levels, reduced marrow adiposity, and preservation of marrow resident skeletal stem/progenitor cells (SSPCs). TNP also exhibited hypotensive activity, an unrealized benefit of the drug, and its prolonged administration had no adverse impacts on spermatogenesis. Together, these data indicate that the inhibition of IP6K1 using selective inhibitors, such as TNP, may provide an effective strategy to manage obesity and T2DM due to its bone sparing effects.
Middle Miocene lotus (Nelumbonaceae, Nelumbo) from the Qaidam Basin, Northern Tibet Plateau
Authors: Luo Mingyue , Jia Hui , Li Qijia , Meng Xiangning , Ferguson David K. , Liu Ping , Han Zhuochen , Wang Junjie , Quan Cheng
Published: August 2022

The Neogene environment and paleovegetation of today’s semi-arid and arid Central Asia remain elusive. Little is known about the effect of paleoclimatic change on the distribution and ecological response mechanisms of aquatic plants, especially on the Tibetan Plateau. Here, we report a new species of Nelumbo Adanson, including leaves, receptacles, and fruits, namely Nelumbo delinghaensis sp. nov., from the Upper Youshashan Formation of the upper Middle Miocene in the northern Qaidam Basin on the Tibetan Plateau. The new species comprises centrally peltate leaves with 12–15 actinodromous primary veins and a receptacle embedded with ca. 15–30 fruits, with an unlobed central disc. Megafossils of lotus from northwest China broaden the geographical and stratigraphic ranges of Nelumbo. Our findings suggest that a large freshwater lake body surrounded by temperate forests and grassland developed in the Qaidam Basin during the late Middle Miocene, in sharp contrast to the present desert vegetation. The climate used to be sufficiently warm and moist enough to support a forest-steppe ecosystem with abundant freshwater bodies.
Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Properties of a Natural Peptide from Vespa mandarinia Venom and Its Synthetic Analogues as a Possible Route to Defeat Drug-Resistant Microbes
Authors: Zhang Jin , Sun Ruize , Chen Zhiwei , Zhou Chunyuan , Ma Chengbang , Zhou Mei , Chen Xiaoling , Chen Tianbao , Shaw Chris , Wang Lei
Published: August 2022

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from wasp venom have a good track record and potential for drug development as tools against development of antimicrobial resistance. Herein, the biological function and activity profile of peptide VM, which was discovered in the venom of the wasp, Vespamandarinia, and several of its third-position substituted analogues, were investigated. VM had potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and biofilm, and all modified peptides achieved the significant enhancement of these capacities. The various physicochemical properties of amino acids substituted in analogues, generated the different mechanisms of action of bacterial membrane disruption. VM-3K showed a maximum 8-fold enhancement of antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and also presented microbicidal properties against Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. This peptide also exhibited a high killing efficiency at low concentration and had a comparable selectivity index to VM. Furthermore, VM-3K produced a 90% survival of S. aureus-infected waxworms at a concentration of 5.656 mg/kg, at which concentration the natural template peptide only achieved 50% survival. This peptide also lacked short-term resistance generation. Thus, peptide VM-3K could be a promising broad-spectrum antimicrobial candidate for addressing the current antibiotic-resistant infection crisis. It is worth mentioning that this investigation on the relationship between peptide structure and mechanism of action could become an important aspect of drug research on short peptides.
Enhancing the Efficacy of the Subcritical Water-Based Alkali Lignin Depolymerization by Optimizing the Reaction Conditions and Using Heterogeneous Catalysts
Authors: Jadhav Balawanthrao , Roy Ranen , Rahman Md Sajjadur , Amit Tanvir A. , Subedi Shiksha , Hummel Matthew , Gu Zhengrong , Raynie Douglas E.
Published: August 2022

The catalytic depolymerization of alkali lignin into phenolic monomers was studied using subcritical water. In this study, subcritical water was used as the greener solvent with heterogeneous catalysts. The goal of this study was to screen for the best catalyst for the depolymerization, to optimize the reaction conditions, and to increase the yield of the phenolic monomers. The depolymerization reactions were performed at 200 and 240 °C for 5, 10, and 15 min, using subcritical water as the solvent with different catalysts. The treatment of the lignin sample with Ni-Graphene catalyst in subcritical water at 240 °C for 10 min resulted in the highest total yield of phenolic monomers, which was 41.16 ± 0.27 mg/g of alkali lignin. The catalysts also resulted the highest yield for each of the phenolic monomers guaiacol (G), vanillin (G), and homovanillic acid (G) compared to other catalysts studied. The optimized method proved to be an excellent approach to depolymerize alkali lignin.
Gait Symmetry Is Unaffected When Completing a Motor Dexterity Task While Using a Walking Workstation in Healthy, Young Adults
Authors: Vanderhoof Heather R. , Chavez Emily A. , Eggleston Jeffrey D.
Published: August 2022

Walking workstations may counteract sedentarism in working adults; however, performing dual-task walking may affect gait or work performance. The purpose of this study was to examine gait symmetry parameters and work performance while completing a fine motor dexterity task during walking workstation use. Gait function, quantified as gait symmetry, was used to identify attentional resource allocation of the co-occurring tasks during the dual-task conditions. Eighteen college-aged students performed the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT) with left and right hands separately while using a walking workstation at a self-selected speed. Gait symmetry indices were computed on stride length and lower extremity angular joint positions and were analyzed for a comparison of the baseline and PPT dual-task conditions. No asymmetries were found in stride length or lower extremity angular joint positions at any sub-phase of gait during walking workstation use. PPT scores decreased significantly in the walking condition compared to the seated and standing conditions. Overall, gait symmetry did not change at any lower extremity angular joint position at any sub-phase; however, there was a decrease in PPT performance, which may relate to decreased work performance. However, increased exposure to the PPT task while using a walking workstation may improve work performance over time.
Flow-Through Acetylcholinesterase Sensor with Replaceable Enzyme Reactor
Authors: Ivanov Alexey , Stoikov Dmitry , Shafigullina Insiya , Shurpik Dmitry , Stoikov Ivan , Evtugyn Gennady
Published: August 2022

Fast and reliable determination of enzyme inhibitors are of great importance in environmental monitoring and biomedicine because of the high biological activity and toxicity of such species and the necessity of their reliable assessment in many media. In this work, a flow-through biosensor has been developed and produced by 3D printing from poly(lactic acid). Acetylcholinesterase from an electric eel was immobilized on the inner walls of the reactor cell. The concentration of thiocholine formed in enzymatic hydrolysis of the substrate was monitored amperometrically with a screen-printed carbon electrode modified with carbon black particles, pillar[5]arene, electropolymerized Methylene blue and thionine. In the presence of thiocholine, the cathodic current at −0.25 V decreased because of an alternative chemical reaction of the macrocycle. The conditions of enzyme immobilization and signal measurements were optimized and the performance of the biosensor was assessed in the determination of reversible (donepezil, berberine) and irreversible (carbofuran) inhibitors. In the optimal conditions, the flow-through biosensor made it possible to determine 1.0 nM–1.0 μM donepezil, 1.0 μM–1.0 mM berberine and 10 nM to 0.1 μM carbofuran. The AChE biosensor was tested on spiked samples of artificial urine for drugs and peanuts for carbofuran. Possible interference of the sample components was eliminated by dilution of the samples with phosphate buffer. Easy mounting, low cost of replaceable parts of the cell and satisfactory analytical and metrological characteristics made the biosensor a promising future application as a point-of-care or point-of-demand device outside of a chemical laboratory.
Progress and Challenges of Point-of-Need Photonic Biosensors for the Diagnosis of COVID-19 Infections and Immunity
Authors: Liu Juanjuan , Wachsmann-Hogiu Sebastian
Published: August 2022

The new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, continues to affect the world and after more than two years of the pandemic, approximately half a billion people are reported to have been infected. Due to its high contagiousness, our life has changed dramatically, with consequences that remain to be seen. To prevent the transmission of the virus, it is crucial to diagnose COVID-19 accurately, such that the infected cases can be rapidly identified and managed. Currently, the gold standard of testing is polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which provides the highest accuracy. However, the reliance on centralized rapid testing modalities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has made access to timely diagnosis inconsistent and inefficient. Recent advancements in photonic biosensors with respect to cost-effectiveness, analytical performance, and portability have shown the potential for such platforms to enable the delivery of preventative and diagnostic care beyond clinics and into point-of-need (PON) settings. Herein, we review photonic technologies that have become commercially relevant throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as emerging research in the field of photonic biosensors, shedding light on prospective technologies for responding to future health outbreaks. Therefore, in this article, we provide a review of recent progress and challenges of photonic biosensors that are developed for the testing of COVID-19, consisting of their working fundamentals and implementation for COVID-19 testing in practice with emphasis on the challenges that are faced in different development stages towards commercialization. In addition, we also present the characteristics of a biosensor both from technical and clinical perspectives. We present an estimate of the impact of testing on disease burden (in terms of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), and Quality-Adjusted Life Days (QALDs)) and how improvements in cost can lower the economic impact and lead to reduced or averted DALYs. While COVID19 is the main focus of these technologies, similar concepts and approaches can be used and developed for future outbreaks of other infectious diseases.
The Intranigral Infusion of Human-Alpha Synuclein Oligomers Induces a Cognitive Impairment in Rats Associated with Changes in Neuronal Firing and Neuroinflammation in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex
Authors: Palmas Maria Francesca , Etzi Michela , Pisanu Augusta , Camoglio Chiara , Sagheddu Claudia , Santoni Michele , Manchinu Maria Francesca , Pala Mauro , Fusco Giuliana , De Simone Alfonso , Picci Luca , Mulas Giovanna , Spiga Saturnino , Scherma Maria , Fadda Paola , Pistis Marco , Simola Nicola , Carboni Ezio , Carta Anna R.
Published: August 2022

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex pathology causing a plethora of non-motor symptoms besides classical motor impairments, including cognitive disturbances. Recent studies in the PD human brain have reported microgliosis in limbic and neocortical structures, suggesting a role for neuroinflammation in the development of cognitive decline. Yet, the mechanism underlying the cognitive pathology is under investigated, mainly for the lack of a valid preclinical neuropathological model reproducing the disease’s motor and non-motor aspects. Here, we show that the bilateral intracerebral infusion of pre-formed human alpha synuclein oligomers (H-αSynOs) within the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) offers a valid model for studying the cognitive symptoms of PD, which adds to the classical motor aspects previously described in the same model. Indeed, H-αSynOs-infused rats displayed memory deficits in the two-trial recognition task in a Y maze and the novel object recognition (NOR) test performed three months after the oligomer infusion. In the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of H-αSynOs-infused rats the in vivo electrophysiological activity was altered and the expression of the neuron-specific immediate early gene (IEG) Npas4 (Neuronal PAS domain protein 4) and the AMPA receptor subunit GluR1 were decreased. The histological analysis of the brain of cognitively impaired rats showed a neuroinflammatory response in cognition-related regions such as the ACC and discrete subareas of the hippocampus, in the absence of any evident neuronal loss, supporting a role of neuroinflammation in cognitive decline. We found an increased GFAP reactivity and the acquisition of a proinflammatory phenotype by microglia, as indicated by the increased levels of microglial Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α) as compared to vehicle-infused rats. Moreover, diffused deposits of phospho-alpha synuclein (p-αSyn) and Lewy neurite-like aggregates were found in the SNpc and striatum, suggesting the spreading of toxic protein within anatomically interconnected areas. Altogether, we present a neuropathological rat model of PD that is relevant for the study of cognitive dysfunction featuring the disease. The intranigral infusion of toxic oligomeric species of alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) induced spreading and neuroinflammation in distant cognition-relevant regions, which may drive the altered neuronal activity underlying cognitive deficits.
Genome-Wide Expression Profiling and Networking Reveals an Imperative Role of IMF-Associated Novel CircRNAs as ceRNA in Pigs
Authors: Yousuf Salsabeel , Li Ai , Feng Hui , Lui Tianyi , Huang Wanlong , Zhang Xiuxiu , Xie Lingli , Miao Xiangyang
Published: August 2022

Intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition is a biological process that has a strong impact on the nutritional and sensorial properties of meat, with relevant consequences on human health. Pork loins determine the effects of marbling on the sensory attributes and meat quality properties, which differ among various pig breeds. This study explores the crosstalk of non-coding RNAs with mRNAs and analyzes the potential pathogenic role of IMF-associated competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) in IMF tissues, which offer a framework for the functional validation of key/potential genes. A high-throughput whole-genome transcriptome analysis of IMF tissues from longissimus dorsi muscles of Large White (D_JN) and Laiwu (L_JN) pigs resulted in the identification of 283 differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs), including two key circRNAs (circRNA-23437, circRNA-08840) with potential binding sites for multiple miRNAs regulating the whole network. The potential ceRNA mechanism identified the DEC target miRNAs-mRNAs involved in lipid metabolism, fat deposition, meat quality, and metabolic syndrome via the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network, concluding that ssc-mir-370 is the most important target miRNA shared by both key circRNAs. TGM2, SLC5A6, ECI1, FASN, PER1, SLC25A34, SOD1, and COL5A3 were identified as hub genes through an intensive protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis of target genes acquired from the ceRNA regulatory network. Functional enrichments, pathway examinations, and qRT-PCR analyses infer their implications in fat/cholesterol metabolism, insulin secretion, and fatty acid biosynthesis. Here, circRNAs and miRNA sequencing accompanied by computational techniques were performed to analyze their expressions in IMF tissues from the longissimus dorsi muscles of two pig breeds. Their target gene evolutionary trajectories, expression profiling, functional enrichments, subcellular localizations, and structural advances with high-throughput protein modeling, following genomic organizations, will provide new insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms of adipocyte differentiation and IMF deposition and a much-needed qualitative framework for future research to improve meat quality and its role as a biomarker to treat lipid metabolic syndromes.
Unexplained Hypoxemia in School-Age Child: Do Not Forget the Double Superior Vena Cava
Authors: Pecoraro Luca , Boninsegna Enrico , Simonini Emilio , Francia Paolo , Colopi Stefano , Pietrobelli Angelo
Published: August 2022

Persistent left superior vena cava (SVC) is a rare congenital malformation of the thoracic venous system. We report a case involving a 7-year-old boy, who was admitted to our CT scanning room because of an incidental discovery of low blood-oxygen levels (90–94% in good health). A persistent left SVC was depicted, with drainage in the left atrium and a resultant right-to-left shunt;right SVC was present, draining to the right atrium. A small bridging vein was depicted. A comprehensive cardiological assessment with echocardiography was performed, but no other anomalies were found. He was successfully treated with a percutaneous endovascular approach and vascular plug deployment. A complete occlusion of the left SVC was obtained, with normalization of the oxygen saturation. Persistent left SVC is a rare vascular anomaly, often incidentally detected. Physicians should be aware because it may have significant clinical implications, especially during catheterization procedures or when associated with other cardiac malformations.
Artmaking in Elementary School Art Therapy: Associations with Pre-Treatment Behavioral Problems and Therapy Outcomes
Authors: Snir Sharon
Published: August 2022

Engaging in artmaking is one of the key components of art therapy. Theoretical conceptualizations posit that artmaking is not only influenced by the mental state of the artmaker, but can also modify it. The quantitative longitudinal study reported here examined these assumptions in the context of school art therapy. Seventy-seven elementary school students in art therapy in Israel completed the Art Based Intervention Questionnaire (ABI) three times during the therapy year. Their parents and homeroom teachers reported on the students’ behavioral and emotional problems on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL for parents, and TRF version for teachers). The results indicated an inverse correlation between the students’ externalizing and mixed problems before starting treatment and these clients’ experiences of artmaking during the first month of therapy. A regression model for predicting gain scores on the TRF internalizing problem indices was significant, whereas the significant regression predictor was the students’ experience of artmaking at T1. These findings provide initial support for an association between the experience of artmaking and mental state, and an improvement in mental state, and are discussed in relation to the context of school art therapy.
Neurocognitive Consequences in Children with Sleep Disordered Breathing: Who Is at Risk?
Authors: Brockmann Pablo , Gozal David
Published: August 2022

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a prevalent disease in children characterized by snoring and narrowing of the upper airway leading to gas exchange abnormalities during sleep as well as sleep fragmentation. SDB has been consistently associated with problematic behaviors and adverse neurocognitive consequences in children but causality and determinants of susceptibility remain incompletely defined. Since the 1990s several studies have enlightened these associations and consistently reported poorer academic performance, lower scores on neurocognitive tests, and behavioral abnormalities in children suffering from SDB. However, not all children with SDB develop such consequences, and severity of SDB based on standard diagnostic indices has often failed to discriminate among those children with or without neurocognitive risk. Accordingly, a search for discovery of markers and clinically useful tools that can detect those children at risk for developing cognitive and behavioral deficits has been ongoing. Here, we review the advances in this field and the search for possible detection approaches and unique phenotypes of children with SDB who are at greater risk of developing neurocognitive consequences.
MiR-942-3p as a Potential Prognostic Marker of Gastric Cancer Associated with AR and MAPK/ERK Signaling Pathway
Authors: Liu Wenjia , Ying Nanjiao , Rao Xin , Chen Xiaodong
Published: August 2022

Gastric cancer is a common tumor with high morbidity and mortality. MicroRNA (miRNA) can regulate gene expression at the translation level and various tumorigenesis processes, playing an important role in tumor occurrence and prognosis. This study aims to screen miRNA associated with gastric cancer prognosis as biomarkers and explore the regulatory genes and related signaling pathways. In this work, R language was used for the standardization and differential analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression profiles. Samples were randomly divided into a testing group and a training group. Subsequently, we built the five miRNAs (has-miR-9-3p, has-miR-135b-3p, has-miR-143-5p, has-miR-942-3p, has-miR-196-3p) prognostic modules, verified and evaluated their prediction ability by the Cox regression analysis. They can be used as an independent factor in the prognosis of gastric cancer. By predicting and analyzing potential biological functions of the miRNA target genes, this study found that the AR gene was not only a hub gene in the PPI network, but also associated with excessive survival of patients. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that hsa-miR-942-3p could be a potential prognostic marker of gastric cancer associated with the AR and MAPK/ERK signaling pathways. The results of this study provide insights into the occurrence and development of gastric cancer.
Towards a Unified Framework for Project Success Score Computation in Construction Projects
Authors: Lamprou Athanasios , Vagiona Dimitra G.
Published: August 2022

The discussion of project success has expanded beyond project management and success criteria. The main cause of the failure to evaluate project performance in construction projects is the absence of a shared definition and a common set of criteria for project success. The aim of this paper is to develop a framework which includes certain success criteria to assess construction projects and allows for the calculation of a Project Success Score (PSS). The Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) approach is adopted and modified appropriately, providing a framework that combines primary and secondary success criteria to compute a comprehensive Project Success Score (PSS). Seventeen (17) success criteria are included in the framework, and their corresponding thresholds are formulated to determine the limits of failure of a project. The final PSS consists of five distinct classes, which range from the level of absolute success (PSS in the range of 9361 to 13,500) to the level of absolute failure (13 to 384). Finally, a web application that simulates the PSS framework is developed. The web application was tested by an end-user, in order to assess its applicability and ease of use, and the facilitation of the whole computation process of PSS was ensured. This paper provides a rational framework through which construction projects can be rapidly assessed, with the aim of highlighting the potential unsuccessful criteria in each project and increasing the probability of more effective project outcomes.
Improvement of Onsite Wastewater Systems Performance: Experimental and Numerical Investigation
Authors: Hasan Md Sazadul , Trapp Joshua , Geza Mengistu
Published: August 2022

Population growth and the associated increase in the use of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS) in the Black Hills have been a reason for interest in nitrate contamination within the public water supply over the past few years. The main concern for the Black Hills is the presence of karst formation that all OWTS for wastewater travel faster, limiting the natural attenuation of wastewater contaminants. The treatment performance of common soils in the Black Hills and wood-based media was evaluated using soil column experiments and a numerical model, HYDRUS 2D. Nitrate treatment performances were evaluated using alluvial and cedar soils collected from the Black Hills, sand, woodchips (loose and dense), and biochar. This research investigated hydraulic and reaction parameters through a combination of experimental and inverse modeling approaches. A good agreement was obtained between the measured and model-predicted soil moisture content, with R2 values ranging from 0.57 to 0.99. The model was calibrated using flow data and nitrate concentration data measured from leachate collected at the bottom of the experimental columns. Nitrate removal rates varied from 32.3% to 70%, with the highest removal rate in loose woodchips, followed by dense woodchip and biochar, and the lowest removal rate in alluvial materials. The biochar and loose woodchips removed an additional 20% compared to common soils, attributable to the enhanced denitrification rate due to higher water content and organic content. The use of woodchips and biochar should be implemented in OWTS, where there are known karst formations.
Structural Modifications of Sodium Polyacrylate-Polyacrylamide to Enhance Its Water Absorption Rate
Authors: Xu Ting , Zhu Wenxiang , Sun Jian
Published: August 2022

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) can absorb a large amount of water and find broad applications in various industries. There are many reports on the synthesis and structural modification techniques to improve the water absorption property of SAPs. However, we see few studies on the comparison and integration of these techniques. In this study, three structurally modified SAPs were synthesized and are evaluated for the effects of surface cross-linking, foaming, and the integration of the two modifications to improve the absorption rate and capacity of a conventional SAP. First, sodium polyacrylate-polyacrylamide was prepared as the base polymer by the aqueous solution polymerization method. Second, the base polymer was modified with surface cross-linking to enhance absorption, and a surface cross-linked SAP was obtained. Third, the base polymer was modified with foaming to obtain a foamed SAP. Lastly, the foamed SAP was modified further with surface cross-linking to obtain a foamed and surface cross-linked SAP. In comparison with the base polymer, the three synthesized SAPs were evaluated for their absorption performance. Results show that their absorption performance could be improved by the three modification processes. Specifically, the surface cross-linked SAP had the best absorption capacity under load, the foamed SAP had the highest absorption capacity of 1954 g/g, and the foamed and surface cross-linked SAP had the fastest absorption rate with an initial swelling rate of Kis = 21.94.
Fatigue Properties of Aluminum Alloy Sheet Treated with Shot-Peen Forming in Salt-Spray Environment
Authors: Qiao Jingzhen , Fu Xuesong , Gai Pengtao , Chen Guoqing , Zhou Wenlong
Published: August 2022

The effects of shot-peen forming on the fatigue properties of aluminum alloy samples were measured with a mechanical testing & simulation (MTS) tester in atmospheric and salt-spray environments. After shot-peen forming, the fatigue performance of the aluminum alloy sheet was significantly improved in both the atmospheric and the salt spray environment. Compared with the detail fatigue rating (DFR) value in the atmospheric environment, in the salt-spray environment, the DFR value of the original samples decreased to 110.82 MPa, decreasing by 4.47%. The DFR value of the shot-peen-forming samples decreased to 151.03 MPa, decreasing by 11.40%. Fatigue fracture characteristics demonstrate that the number of crack sources decreased after shot peening. However, the corrosion rate test in a neutral saline environment showed that the corrosion resistance of the aluminum alloy sheet decreased after shot peening. In the salt-spray environment, surface residual-stress analysis showed that there was about 30 MPa tensile stress on the original sample, and 100 MPa compressive stress on the shot-peened sample. Therefore, the improvement in the fatigue resistance of the aluminum alloy sheet after shot peening was largely due to the residual compressive stress introduced on the surface of the aluminum alloy.
The Potential Role of Growth Differentiation Factor 15 in COVID-19: A Corollary Subjective Effect or Not?
Authors: Babalghith Ahmad O. , Al-kuraishy Hayder M. , Al-Gareeb Ali I. , De Waard Michel , Sabatier Jean-Marc , Saad Hebatallah M. , Batiha Gaber El-Saber
Published: August 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is primarily caused by various forms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. COVID-19 is characterized by hyperinflammation, oxidative stress, multi-organ injury (MOI)-like acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Different biomarkers are used in the assessment of COVID-19 severity including D-dimer, ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Interestingly, growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) has recently become a potential biomarker correlated with the COVID-19 severity. Thus, this critical review aimed to determine the critical association between GDF15 and COVID-19. The perfect function of GDF15 remains not well-recognized; nevertheless, it plays a vital role in controlling cell growth, apoptosis and inflammatory activation. Furthermore, GDF15 may act as anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory signaling in diverse cardiovascular complications. Furthermore, the release of GDF15 is activated by various growth factors and cytokines including macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), angiotensin II (AngII) and p53. Therefore, higher expression of GDF15 in COVID-19 might a compensatory mechanism to stabilize and counteract dysregulated inflammatory reactions. In conclusion, GDF15 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that could be associated with the COVID-19 severity. Increased GDF15 could be a compensatory mechanism against hyperinflammation and exaggerated immune response in the COVID-19. Experimental, preclinical and large-scale clinical studies are warranted in this regard.
Risk-Based UAV Corridor Capacity Analysis above a Populated Area
Authors: Kim Younsil , Bae Joongwon
Published: August 2022

To integrate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into the national airspace in a safe manner, a risk-based approach to the regulation of UAVs is adopted in many countries. Thus, the capacity to permit UAVs in urban airspace also needs to be evaluated in a risk-based sense. In this regard, this paper proposes a methodology to analyze the capacity of UAV corridors on the basis of third-party risk on the ground. By linking the collision rate of the corridor and the failure rates of UAVs with the number of fatalities on the ground, the capacity of the UAV corridor is derived to satisfy the target level of safety. To model the collision rate of UAVs in the corridor, the Reich collision risk model is utilized. Moreover, a ground risk map is generated to compute the third-party risk on the ground using the databases for Seoul, Korea. The results show that the failure rate of UAVs is the dominant factor for determining the capacity of the corridor, even if the number of corridors increases. The proposed methodology could be useful to manage the number of flights for applications where the UAV corridor is fixed and flight continues, such as package delivery.
Blockchain-Based Cloud-Enabled Security Monitoring Using Internet of Things in Smart Agriculture
Authors: Chaganti Rajasekhar , Varadarajan Vijayakumar , Gorantla Venkata Subbarao , Gadekallu Thippa Reddy , Ravi Vinayakumar
Published: August 2022

The Internet of Things (IoT) has rapidly progressed in recent years and immensely influenced many industries in how they operate. Consequently, IoT technology has improved productivity in many sectors, and smart farming has also hugely benefited from the IoT. Smart farming enables precision agriculture, high crop yield, and the efficient utilization of natural resources to sustain for a longer time. Smart farming includes sensing capabilities, communication technologies to transmit the collected data from the sensors, and data analytics to extract meaningful information from the collected data. These modules will enable farmers to make intelligent decisions and gain profits. However, incorporating new technologies includes inheriting security and privacy consequences if they are not implemented in a secure manner, and smart farming is not an exception. Therefore, security monitoring is an essential component to be implemented for smart farming. In this paper, we propose a cloud-enabled smart-farm security monitoring framework to monitor device status and sensor anomalies effectively and mitigate security attacks using behavioral patterns. Additionally, a blockchain-based smart-contract application was implemented to securely store security-anomaly information and proactively mitigate similar attacks targeting other farms in the community. We implemented the security-monitoring-framework prototype for smart farms using Arduino Sensor Kit, ESP32, AWS cloud, and the smart contract on the Ethereum Rinkeby Test Network and evaluated network latency to monitor and respond to security events. The performance evaluation of the proposed framework showed that our solution could detect security anomalies within real-time processing time and update the other farm nodes to be aware of the situation.
Alterations in Microbiota and Metabolites Related to Spontaneous Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes in Rhesus Macaques
Authors: Jiang Cong , Pan Xuan , Luo Jinxia , Liu Xu , Zhang Lin , Liu Yun , Lei Guanglun , Hu Gang , Li Jing
Published: August 2022

Spontaneous type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) macaques are valuable resources for our understanding the pathological mechanism of T2DM. Based on one month’s fasting blood glucose survey, we identified seven spontaneous T2DM macaques and five impaired glucose regulation (IGR) macaques from 1408 captive individuals. FPG, HbA1c, FPI and IR values were significant higher in T2DM and IGR than in controls. 16S rRNA sequencing of fecal microbes showed the significantly greater abundance of Oribacterium, bacteria inhibiting the production of secondary bile acids, and Phascolarctobacterium, bacteria producing short-chain fatty acids was significantly lower in T2DM macaques. In addition, several opportunistic pathogens, such as Mogibacterium and Kocuria were significantly more abundant in both T2DM and IGR macaques. Fecal metabolites analysis based on UHPLC-MS identified 50 differential metabolites (DMs) between T2DM and controls, and 26 DMs between IGR and controls. The DMs were significantly enriched in the bile acids metabolism, fatty acids metabolism and amino acids metabolism pathways. Combining results from physiochemical parameters, microbiota and metabolomics, we demonstrate that the imbalance of gut microbial community leading to the dysfunction of glucose, bile acids, fatty acids and amino acids metabolism may contribute to the hyperglycaemia in macaques, and suggest several microbes and metabolites are potential biomarkers for T2DM and IGR macaques.
Transgenic Expression of Nrf2 Induces a Pro-Reductive Stress and Adaptive Cardiac Remodeling in the Mouse
Authors: Jyothidasan Arun , Sunny Sini , Murugesan Saravanakumar , Quiles Justin M. , Challa Anil Kumar , Dalley Brian , Cinghu Senthil Kumar , Nanda Vivek , Rajasekaran Namakkal-Soorappan
Published: August 2022

Nuclear factor, erythroid 2 like 2 (Nfe2l2 or Nrf2), is a transcription factor that protects cells by maintaining a homeostatic redox state during stress. The constitutive expression of Nrf2 (CaNrf2-TG) was previously shown to be pathological to the heart over time. We tested a hypothesis that the cardiac-specific expression of full length Nrf2 (mNrf2-TG) would moderately increase the basal antioxidant defense, triggering a pro-reductive environment leading to adaptive cardiac remodeling. Transgenic and non-transgenic (NTG) mice at 7–8 months of age were used to analyze the myocardial transcriptome, structure, and function. Next generation sequencing (NGS) for RNA profiling and qPCR-based validation of the NGS data, myocardial redox levels, and imaging (echocardiography) were performed. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that out of 14,665 identified mRNAs, 680 were differently expressed (DEG) in TG hearts. Of 680 DEGs, 429 were upregulated and 251 were downregulated significantly (FC > 2.0, p < 0.05). Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that the top altered pathways were (a) Nrf2 signaling, (b) glutathione metabolism and (c) ROS scavenging. A comparative analysis of the glutathione redox state in the hearts demonstrated significant differences between pro-reductive vs. hyper-reductive conditions (233 ± 36.7 and 380 ± 68.7 vs. 139 ± 8.6 µM/mg protein in mNrf2-TG and CaNrf2-TG vs. NTG). Genes involved in fetal development, hypertrophy, cytoskeletal rearrangement, histone deacetylases (HDACs), and GATA transcription factors were moderately increased in mNrf2-TG compared to CaNrf2-TG. Non-invasive echocardiography analysis revealed an increase in systolic function (ejection fraction) in mNrf2-TG, suggesting an adaptation, as opposed to pathological remodeling in CaNrf2-TG mice experiencing a hyper-reductive stress, leading to reduced survival (40% at 60 weeks). The effects of excess Nrf2-driven antioxidant transcriptome revealed a pro-reductive condition in the myocardium leading to an adaptive cardiac remodeling. While pre-conditioning the myocardial redox with excess antioxidants (i.e., pro-reductive state) could be beneficial against oxidative stress, a chronic pro-reductive environment in the myocardium might transition the adaptation to pathological remodeling.
Inverted Landforms of the Western Caucasus: Implications for Geoheritage, Geotourism, and Geobranding
Authors: Ruban Dmitry A. , Mikhailenko Anna V. , Ermolaev Vladimir A.
Published: August 2022

Relief inversion is the result of an unusual interplay between landform evolution and peculiarities of geological settings. Recent fieldwork in Mountainous Adygeya in the western part of the Greater Caucasus mountains has enabled the identification of several inverted landforms. The Gud and Gudok mountains constitute a “classical” inverted landform with the top corresponding to the syncline’s core, which consists of relatively hard Middle Jurassic crinoid limestones. The Kabanya mountain, with the nearby branch of the Skalisty range, has a similar geological setting, although the hard Upper Jurassic carbonates that form the monocline and overlie the syncline also contribute to the preservation of the topographical high above the structural low. The northwestern segment of the Skazhenny range is formed of relatively soft Lower–Middle Jurassic shales, and its inversion results from the protection of the syncline’s core by capping Upper Jurassic carbonates. These landforms represent progressive, transitional, and regressive inversion, respectively. Their relative diversity and significance in local topography allow them to be classified as geomorphosites, i.e., important elements of the geoheritage of Mountainous Adygeya. Each of these has certain touristic potential, and a geotouristic route allowing the comprehension of these geomorphosites from several viewpoints is proposed. Climbing these mountains for closer examination may combine geotourism and adventure tourism. Additionally, the Gud and Gudok landform “symbolizing” the geodiversity of the study area can be used for branding local food products such as cheese, which is popular among visitors.
The New Green Challenge in Urban Planning: The Right Genetics in the Right Place
Authors: Farinati Silvia , Betto Angelo , Palumbo Fabio , Scariolo Francesco , Vannozzi Alessandro , Barcaccia Gianni
Published: August 2022

The creation of green areas within urban centers was born as a response to profoundly different problems, such as the demographic increase and the progressive urbanization of landscapes. Moreover, up to date, the genetics of plants has not been considered for urban contexts. The purpose of this review is to discuss the state of the art and the advantages in planning genetic improvement for plants for urban destinations, also providing technical information, that may contribute in a concrete way. Firstly, recent genomic sources and their potential contribution to breeding programs are discussed. Then, dividing the urban scenarios into four macro areas (i.e., urban/metropolitan parks, urban gardens, road verges and roofs/terraces/balconies), we described the role of genetics in the adaptability and sustainability of plants in these different contexts. In addition, we analyzed the genetic traits plants need to provide services for a city environment and population (e.g., pollution reduction, biodiversity conservation, soil stability, and food production).