bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High Safety Risk Assessment in the Time of Uncertainties (COVID-19): An Industrial Context
Authors: Zhang Yuantian , Abdullah M. Ridhuan Tony Lim , Khan Nor Hafizah bt Abd Latiff , Javaid Muhammad Umair , Nazri Mohammad , Shah Muhammad Umair
Published: April 2022

Background

The complexities of the workplace environment in the downstream oil and gas industry contain several safety-risk factors. In particular, instituting stringent safety standards and management procedures are considered insufficient to address workplace safety risks. Most accident cases attribute to unsafe actions and human behaviors on the job, which raises serious concerns for safety professionals from physical to psychological particularly when the world is facing a life-threatening Pandemic situation, i.e., COVID-19. It is imperative to re-examine the safety management of facilities and employees’ well-being in the downstream oil and gas production sector to establish a sustainable governance system. Understanding the inherent factors better that contribute to safety behavior management could significantly improve workplace safety features.

Objective

This study investigates employees’ safety behavior management model for the downstream oil and gas industry to consolidate the safety, health and wellbeing of employees in times of COVID-19.

Methods

Nominal Group Technique (NGT) was first employed to screen primary behavioral factors from 10 workplace health and safety experts from Malaysia’s downstream oil and gas industry. Consequently, 18 significant factors were identified for further inquiry. Next, the interpretive structural modeling technique was used to ascertain the complex interrelationships between these factors and proposed a Safety Behavioral Management Model for cleaner production.

Results

This model shows that management commitment, employee knowledge and training, leadership, and regulations contribute significantly to several latent factors. Our findings support the Social Cognitive Theory, where employees, their environment, and their behaviors are related reciprocally.

Conclusion

It is postulated that identifying safety factors and utilizing the proposed model guides various stakeholder groups in this industry, including practitioners and policymakers, for achieving long-term sustainability.
Psychiatric Sequelae Following Whiplash Injury: A Systematic Review
Authors: Al-Khazali Haidar Muhsen , Ashina Håkan , Iljazi Afrim , Al-Sayegh Zainab , Lipton Richard B. , Ashina Messoud , Ashina Sait , Schytz Henrik W.
Published: April 2022

Background

Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and sleep disturbance are reported following whiplash injury. However, the prevalence of these condition varies among studies. In this review, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and sleep disturbance will be referred as psychiatric outcomes.

Methods

We performed a systematic literature search on PubMed and Embase (from database inception until March 20, 2021) to identify studies reporting on the relative frequency of these psychiatric outcomes. Three independent investigators screened titles, abstracts and full-texts. Studies including patients with whiplash injury and where the number of patients with whiplash and anxiety, depression, PTSD, or sleep disturbances could be extrapolated, were included. Furthermore, to be included, studies had to defined psychiatric outcomes in accordance with diagnostic criteria [i.e., Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)] or by use of a validated instrument with cut-off scores for assessing psychiatric symptoms. Quality rating was done using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) on the included studies. A protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021232037).

Results

The literature search identified 5,068 citations, of which five articles were eligible for inclusion. The relative frequency of depressive symptoms following whiplash injury was 32.8% at 6 months, and 34.0% at 6–12 months. The relative frequency of PTSD symptoms after whiplash injury was 9.0–22.3% at 3 months, 15.8% at 6 months and 14.6–17.1% at 12 months. No studies evaluating the relative frequency of anxiety and sleep disturbances were eligible for inclusion.

Discussion and Conclusion

Our results suggest that there are persistent psychiatric outcomes following whiplash trauma. However, we found considerable heterogeneity among the studies. Thus, we have focused on the most notable limitations of the included studies: 1) small sample sizes, 2) differences in enrollment criteria, 3) lack of control groups, 4) considerable variation in the method used for outcome assessment, 5) directionality of association is difficult to determine and 6) incomplete assessment of compensation factors. We highlight these methodological limitations and outline recommendations for future research. Since psychiatric outcomes are potentially modifiable, future studies should optimize and address the identified methodological limitations so psychiatric sequelae following whiplash injury may be prevented.
Leveraging Twitter and its Unique #HashTag Capability: A Novel Social Media Resource From the European Hernia Society
Authors: Gök Hakan , Jensen Kristian K. , Pawlak Maciej , East Barbora , Pendar Enis , Towfigh Shirin , Brady Richard , de Beaux Andrew
Published: April 2022

Background: Digital and Social Media (#SoMe) platforms have revolutionized the way information is shared, classified and accessed among medical professionals worldwide. The aim of this study was to review the hashtags used on Twitter by @EuroHerniaS to provide a practical roadmap for easier social media utilization for hernia surgery stakeholders.

Methods: The hashtags used in tweets and retweets of the @EuroHerniaS Twitter feed were collated since its foundation in November 2016.

Results: The first hashtag used was #HerniaSurgery. Since foundation to July 2021, the @EuroHerniaS Twitter feed has used 90 separate hashtags. The number of new hashtags per year was increasing leading to the development of an online library. The increasing diversity of hernia related hashtags allows for the more detailed posting and searching of hernia related information on the #SoMe platform Twitter.

Conclusion: The more detailed use of hashtags on Twitter is to be encouraged. Hernia surgeons can make use of them both when posting and reviewing posts to aid the categorization of posts.
YOLO-Based Object Detection for Separate Collection of Recyclables and Capacity Monitoring of Trash Bins
Authors: Wahyutama Aria Bisma , Hwang Mintae
Published: April 2022

This study describes the development of a smart trash bin that separates and collects recyclables using a webcam and You Only Look Once (YOLO) real-time object detection in Raspberry Pi, to detect and classify these recyclables into their correct categories. The classification result rotates the trash bin lid and reveals the correct trash bin compartment for the user to throw away trash. The performance of the YOLO model was evaluated to measure its accuracy, which was 91% under an optimal computing environment and 75% when deployed in Raspberry Pi. Several Internet of Things hardware, such as ultrasonic sensors for measuring trash bin capacity and GPS for locating trash bin coordinates, are implemented to provide capacity monitoring controlled by Arduino Uno. The capacity and GPS information are uploaded to Firebase Database via theESP8266 Wi-Fi module. To deliver the capacity monitoring feature, the uploaded trash bin capacity information is displayed on the mobile application in the form of a bar level developed in the MIT App Inventor for the user to quickly take action if required. The system proposed in this study is intended to be implemented in a rural area, where it can potentially solve the recyclable waste separation problem.
Free Vibrations of Flexoelectric FGM Conical Nanoshells with Piezoelectric Layers: Modeling and Analysis
Authors: Khorshidi Siros , Chakouvari Samad , Askari Hassan , Cveticanin Livija
Published: April 2022

Flexoelectric and piezoelectric effects have attracted the attention of researchers, owing to their applications in sensing systems and actuators. In this paper, the vibration of functionally graded material (FGM) conical nanoshell is studied, taking into account both piezoelectricity and flexoelectricity. The nanoshell has a sandwich-type structure with a FGM core and two layers of piezoelectric materials on its top and bottom. With the combination of the first order shear deformation and Eringen’s nonlocal theories, the vibration equation of the nanoshell is developed. In order to study the governing equations and the frequency of vibrations of nanoshell, the generalized differential quadrature method is implemented. Based on the developed numerical solution procedure, the effect of different parameters, such as flexoelectricity, piezoelectricity, nonlocal term and Pasternak foundation, are shown on the vibrations of conical nanoshell. The presented analysis provides a better insight into the behavior of conical nanoshells, which are highly applicable in bio-sensing and optical devices.
Numerical Investigations of Combustion—An Overview
Authors: Ayoobi Mohsen , Resende Pedro R. , Afonso Alexandre M.
Published: April 2022

With the recent advancements in computational capacities and the widespread applications of machine learning in engineering problems, the role of numerical methods has been becoming more and more important to improve existing models or develop new models that can help researchers to better understand the underlying physics of combustion, their interaction with other physical phenomena such as turbulence, and their impacts on the performance of the related applications at both fundamental and practical levels [...]
Thermal Design of a Biohydrogen Production System Driven by Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Waste Heat Using Dynamic Simulation
Authors: Fakhrulrezza Mohammad , Ahn Joon , Lee Hyun-Jin
Published: April 2022

Utilizing biological processes for hydrogen production via gasification is a promising alternative method to coal gasification. The present study proposes a dynamic simulation model that uses a one-dimensional heat-transfer analysis method to simulate a biohydrogen production system. The proposed model is based on an existing experimental design setup. It is used to simulate a biohydrogen production system driven by the waste heat from an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant equipped with carbon capture and storage technologies. The data from the simulated results are compared with the experimental measurement data to validate the developed model’s reliability. The results show good agreement between the experimental data and the developed model. The relative root-mean-square error for the heat storage, feed-mixing, and bioreactor tanks is 1.26%, 3.59%, and 1.78%, respectively. After the developed model’s reliability is confirmed, it is used to simulate and optimize the biohydrogen production system inside the IGCC power plant. The bioreactor tank’s time constant can be improved when reducing the operating volume of the feed-mixing tank by the scale factors of 0.75 and 0.50, leading to a 15.76% and 31.54% faster time constant, respectively, when compared with the existing design.
Dehydrogenation of Metal Hydride Reactor-Phase Change Materials Coupled with Light-Duty Fuel Cell Vehicles
Authors: Nyamsi Serge Nyallang , Tolj Ivan , Gęca Michał Jan
Published: April 2022

The popularity of using phase change materials (PCMs) for heat storage and recovery of metal hydrides’ reaction has grown tremendously. However, a fundamental study of the coupling of such a system with a low-temperature PEM (polymer electrolyte membrane) fuel cell is still lacking. This work presents a numerical investigation of the dehydrogenation performance of a metal hydride reactor (MHR)-PCM system coupled with a fuel cell. It is shown that to supply the fuel cell with a constant H2 flow rate, the PCM properties need to be in an optimized range. The effects of some design parameters (PCM freezing point, the initial desorption temperature, the nature and the size of the PCM) on the dehydrogenation performance of MHR-PCM system are discussed in detail. The results showed that the MHR-PCM could supply hydrogen at 12 NL/min only for 20 min maximum due to the significant endothermic effect occurring in the MHR. However, reducing the requested H2 flowrate to 5.5 NL/min, the hydrogen desorption to a fuel cell is prolonged to 79 min. Moreover, this system can accommodate different PCMs such as paraffin and salt hydrates for comparable performance. This study demonstrates the ability of MHR-PCM systems to be used as range extenders in light-duty fuel cell vehicles.
Identification of High-Quality Transverse Transport Layer Based on Adobe Photoshop Quantification (PSQ) of Reservoir Bitumen: A Case Study of the Lower Cambrian in Bachu-Keping Area, Tarim Basin, China
Authors: Bian Lihao , Liu Xianfeng , Wu Nan , Wang Jian , Liang Yilin , Ni Xueer
Published: April 2022

The Lower Paleozoic carbonate reservoir in the Tarim Basin is a hotspot area for deep oil and gas exploration in China. Although the Lower Cambrian of the Bachu Uplift has not encountered industrial oil flow, rich bitumen has been found there. As the most direct trace of petroleum migration, the effective identification of bitumen is the key to studying the hydrocarbon transportation path. In this study, the Adobe Photoshop quantification (PSQ) method is used to identify the bitumen content in the Xiaoerblak Formation in Well Shutan 1, and, combined with the bitumen characteristics of the Shihuiyao section, a high-quality petroleum transverse transport layer is determined. The results indicate the following: (1) In Well Shutan 1, bitumen is mainly concentrated in the middle and upper parts of the Xiaoerblak Formation with high porosity and high permeability. (2) The shale of the Yuertus Formation in the Shihuiyao section has low hydrocarbon generation potential. However, the overlying Xiaoerblak Formation has developed multistage bituminous veins and bitumen-encapsulated gravels, which is the result of multiple instances of horizontal hydrocarbon migration. (3) After combining the bitumen characteristics of Well Shutan 1 and the Shihuiyao section, it is confirmed that there are high-quality lateral transport conductors in the middle and upper parts of the Xiaoerblak Formation, and the Subsalt Cambrian dolomite reservoir has great exploration potential.
An Experimental and a Kinetic Modelling Study of Ethanol/Acetone/Ethyl Acetate Mixtures
Authors: Liu Yangxun , Liu Weinan , Liao Huihong , Ashan Hasier , Zhou Wenhua , Xu Cangsu
Published: April 2022

With the world’s energy resources decreasing, ethanol/acetone/ethyl acetate mixed fuel has the potential as a fossil fuel alternative or oxygenated fuel additive. In this work, the burning characteristics of ethanol/acetone/ethyl acetate mixed fuels including 3 pure fuels, 9 binary fuels, and 7 ternary fuels were studied at a temperature of 358 K, the pressure of 1 bar, and the equivalence ratios of 0.7 to 1.4 in the constant volume combustion chamber (CVCC). The burning velocities of the ternary fuels were compared at ϕ = 0.8, 1.0, and 1.4. The results show that the laminar burning velocities of the mixed fuels are affected by the contents of ethanol, acetone, and ethyl acetate. The Markstein length, Markstein number, and burning flux were also analyzed in this paper. Furthermore, a detailed chemical mechanism comprising 506 species and 2809 reactions was reduced to a skeletal mechanism including 98 species and 642 reactions, using the directed relation graph with error propagation (DRGEP). The experimental and the simulated laminar burning velocities were compared. The results of laminar burning velocities show that the relative deviation of ETEAAC 112 is approximately 17.5%. The sensitivity coefficients, flame structure, and reaction paths of ethyl acetate were investigated with the skeletal and the detailed mechanisms. It is found that the key reaction path is retained in the skeletal mechanism.
Ethanol-Assisted Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Poplar Using Fe-Co/Al2O3 as Catalyst
Authors: Wu Haijun , Shakeel Usama , Zhang Quan , Zhang Kai , Xu Xia , Xu Jian
Published: April 2022

Although the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into bio-oil with high yield/quality through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is promising, it still faces many challenges. In this study, a Fex-Co(1-x)/Al2O3 catalyst was prepared with the coprecipitation method and low-content ethanol was used as the cosolvent for the HTL of poplar. The results showed that the Fex-Co(1-x)/Al2O3 catalyst significantly promoted the yield and energy recovery rate (ERR) of bio-oil compared with the control (10% ethanol content). At 260 °C for 30 min, 60Fe-40Co/Al2O3 had the best catalytic effect, achieving the highest bio-oil yield (67.35%) and ERR (93.07%). As a multifunctional bimetallic catalyst, Fex-Co(1-x)/Al2O3 could not only increase the degree of hydrogenation deoxidization of the product but also promote the diversity of phenolic compounds gained from lignin. The bio-oil obtained from HTL with Fex-Co(1-x)/Al2O3 as catalyst contained lower heterocyclic nitrogen, promoting the transfer of more bio-oil components to substances with lower boiling point.
Update on Glycosphingolipids Abundance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Byrne Frances L. , Olzomer Ellen M. , Lolies Nina , Hoehn Kyle L. , Wegner Marthe-Susanna
Published: April 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent type of primary liver cancer. Low numbers of HCC patients being suitable for liver resection or transplantation and multidrug resistance development during pharmacotherapy leads to high death rates for HCC patients. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of HCC etiology may contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for prevention and treatment of HCC. UDP-glucose ceramide glycosyltransferase (UGCG), a key enzyme in glycosphingolipid metabolism, generates glucosylceramide (GlcCer), which is the precursor for all glycosphingolipids (GSLs). Since UGCG gene expression is altered in 0.8% of HCC tumors, GSLs may play a role in cellular processes in liver cancer cells. Here, we discuss the current literature about GSLs and their abundance in normal liver cells, Gaucher disease and HCC. Furthermore, we review the involvement of UGCG/GlcCer in multidrug resistance development, globosides as a potential prognostic marker for HCC, gangliosides as a potential liver cancer stem cell marker, and the role of sulfatides in tumor metastasis. Only a limited number of molecular mechanisms executed by GSLs in HCC are known, which we summarize here briefly. Overall, the role GSLs play in HCC progression and their ability to serve as biomarkers or prognostic indicators for HCC, requires further investigation.
Effects of Low-Intensity and Long-Term Aerobic Exercise on the Psoas Muscle of mdx Mice: An Experimental Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: Sigoli Emilly , Antão Rosangela Aline , Guerreiro Maria Paula , de Araújo Tatiana Oliveira Passos , Santos Patty Karina dos , da Roza Daiane Leite , Rassier Dilson E. , Cornachione Anabelle Silva
Published: April 2022

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a muscle disease characterized by the absence of the protein dystrophin, which causes a loss of sarcolemma integrity, determining recurrent muscle injuries, decrease in muscle function, and progressive degeneration. Currently, there is a need for therapeutic treatments to improve the quality of life of DMD patients. Here, we investigated the effects of a low-intensity aerobic training (37 sessions) on satellite cells, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator (PGC)-1α protein (PGC-1α), and different types of fibers of the psoas muscle from mdx mice (DMD experimental model). Wildtype and mdx mice were randomly divided into sedentary and trained groups (n = 24). Trained animals were subjected to 37 sessions of low-intensity running on a motorized treadmill. Subsequently, the psoas muscle was excised and analyzed by immunofluorescence for dystrophin, satellite cells, myosin heavy chain (MHC), and PGC-1α content. The minimal Feret’s diameters of the fibers were measured, and light microscopy was applied to observe general morphological features of the muscles. The training (37 sessions) improved morphological features in muscles from mdx mice and caused an increase in the number of quiescent/activated satellite cells. It also increased the content of PGC-1α in the mdx group. We concluded that low-intensity aerobic exercise (37 sessions) was able to reverse deleterious changes determined by DMD.
Molecular Methodologies for Improved Polymicrobial Sepsis Diagnosis
Authors: Doualeh Mariam , Payne Matthew , Litton Edward , Raby Edward , Currie Andrew
Published: April 2022

Polymicrobial sepsis is associated with worse patient outcomes than monomicrobial sepsis. Routinely used culture-dependent microbiological diagnostic techniques have low sensitivity, often leading to missed identification of all causative organisms. To overcome these limitations, culture-independent methods incorporating advanced molecular technologies have recently been explored. However, contamination, assay inhibition and interference from host DNA are issues that must be addressed before these methods can be relied on for routine clinical use. While the host component of the complex sepsis host–pathogen interplay is well described, less is known about the pathogen’s role, including pathogen–pathogen interactions in polymicrobial sepsis. This review highlights the clinical significance of polymicrobial sepsis and addresses how promising alternative molecular microbiology methods can be improved to detect polymicrobial infections. It also discusses how the application of shotgun metagenomics can be used to uncover pathogen/pathogen interactions in polymicrobial sepsis cases and their potential role in the clinical course of this condition.
Alginate: Enhancement Strategies for Advanced Applications
Authors: Hurtado Alejandro , Aljabali Alaa A. A. , Mishra Vijay , Tambuwala Murtaza M. , Serrano-Aroca Ángel
Published: April 2022

Alginate is an excellent biodegradable and renewable material that is already used for a broad range of industrial applications, including advanced fields, such as biomedicine and bioengineering, due to its excellent biodegradable and biocompatible properties. This biopolymer can be produced from brown algae or a microorganism culture. This review presents the principles, chemical structures, gelation properties, chemical interactions, production, sterilization, purification, types, and alginate-based hydrogels developed so far. We present all of the advanced strategies used to remarkably enhance this biopolymer’s physicochemical and biological characteristics in various forms, such as injectable gels, fibers, films, hydrogels, and scaffolds. Thus, we present here all of the material engineering enhancement approaches achieved so far in this biopolymer in terms of mechanical reinforcement, thermal and electrical performance, wettability, water sorption and diffusion, antimicrobial activity, in vivo and in vitro biological behavior, including toxicity, cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, immunological response, biodegradation, porosity, and its use as scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. These improvements to overcome the drawbacks of the alginate biopolymer could exponentially increase the significant number of alginate applications that go from the paper industry to the bioprinting of organs.
Overexpression of Nucleolin and Associated Genes in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Firlej Virginie , Soyeux Pascale , Nourieh Maya , Huet Eric , Semprez Fannie , Allory Yves , Londono-Vallejo Arturo , de la Taille Alexandre , Vacherot Francis , Destouches Damien
Published: April 2022

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death in men worldwide. If local PCa presents a favorable prognosis, available treatments for advanced PCa display limiting benefits due to therapeutic resistances. Nucleolin (NCL) is a ubiquitous protein involved in numerous cell processes, such as ribosome biogenesis, cell cycles, or angiogenesis. NCL is overexpressed in several tumor types in which it has been proposed as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. In PCa, NCL has mainly been studied as a target for new therapeutic agents. Nevertheless, little data are available concerning its expression in patient tissues. Here, we investigated the expression of NCL using a new cohort from Mondor Hospital and data from published cohorts. Results were then compared with NCL expression using in vitro models. NCL was overexpressed in PCa tissues compared to the normal tissues, but no prognostic values were demonstrated. Nine genes were highly co-expressed with NCL in patient tissues and tumor prostate cell lines. Our data demonstrate that NCL is an interesting diagnostic biomarker and propose a signature of genes co-expressed with NCL.
Novel Multifaceted Roles for RNF213 Protein
Authors: Pollaci Giuliana , Gorla Gemma , Potenza Antonella , Carrozzini Tatiana , Canavero Isabella , Bersano Anna , Gatti Laura
Published: April 2022

Ring Finger Protein 213 (RNF213), also known as Mysterin, is the major susceptibility factor for Moyamoya Arteriopathy (MA), a progressive cerebrovascular disorder that often leads to brain stroke in adults and children. Although several rare RNF213 polymorphisms have been reported, no major susceptibility variant has been identified to date in Caucasian patients, thus frustrating the attempts to identify putative therapeutic targets for MA treatment. For these reasons, the investigation of novel biochemical functions, substrates and unknown partners of RNF213 will help to unravel the pathogenic mechanisms of MA and will facilitate variant interpretations in a diagnostic context in the future. The aim of the present review is to discuss novel perspectives regarding emerging RNF213 roles in light of recent literature updates and dissect their relevance for understanding MA and for the design of future research studies. Since its identification, RNF213 involvement in angiogenesis and vasculogenesis has strengthened, together with its role in inflammatory signals and proliferation pathways. Most recent studies have been increasingly focused on its relevance in antimicrobial activity and lipid metabolism, highlighting new intriguing perspectives. The last area could suggest the main role of RNF213 in the proteasome pathway, thus reinforcing the hypotheses already previously formulated that depict the protein as an important regulator of the stability of client proteins involved in angiogenesis. We believe that the novel evidence reviewed here may contribute to untangling the complex and still obscure pathogenesis of MA that is reflected in the lack of therapies able to slow down or halt disease progression and severity.
Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis of CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated ARC-Knockout HEK293 Cells
Authors: Wang Yu-Yuan , Hsu Shih-Hsin , Tsai Hsin-Yao , Cheng Fu-Yu , Cheng Min-Chih
Published: April 2022

Arc/Arg3.1 (activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (ARC)) is a critical regulator of long-term synaptic plasticity and is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The functions and mechanisms of human ARC action are poorly understood and worthy of further investigation. To investigate the function of the ARC gene in vitro, we generated an ARC-knockout (KO) HEK293 cell line via CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing and conducted RNA sequencing and label-free LC-MS/MS analysis to identify the differentially expressed genes and proteins in isogenic ARC-KO HEK293 cells. Furthermore, we used bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assays to detect interactions between the ARC protein and differentially expressed proteins. Genetic deletion of ARC disturbed multiple genes involved in the extracellular matrix and synaptic membrane. Seven proteins (HSPA1A, ENO1, VCP, HMGCS1, ALDH1B1, FSCN1, and HINT2) were found to be differentially expressed between ARC-KO cells and ARC wild-type cells. BRET assay results showed that ARC interacted with PSD95 and HSPA1A. Overall, we found that ARC regulates the differential expression of genes involved in the extracellular matrix, synaptic membrane, and heat shock protein family. The transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of ARC-KO HEK293 cells presented here provide new evidence for the mechanisms underlying the effects of ARC and molecular pathways involved in schizophrenia pathophysiology.
Alchemical Design of Pharmacological Chaperones with Higher Affinity for Phenylalanine Hydroxylase
Authors: Conde-Giménez María , Galano-Frutos Juan José , Galiana-Cameo María , Mahía Alejandro , Victor Bruno L. , Salillas Sandra , Velázquez-Campoy Adrián , Brito Rui M. M. , Gálvez José Antonio , Díaz-de-Villegas María D. , Sancho Javier
Published: April 2022

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare metabolic disease caused by variations in a human gene, PAH, encoding phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), and the enzyme converting the essential amino acid phenylalanine into tyrosine. Many PKU-causing variations compromise the conformational stability of the encoded enzyme, decreasing or abolishing its catalytic activity, and leading to an elevated concentration of phenylalanine in the blood, which is neurotoxic. Several therapeutic approaches have been developed to treat the more severe manifestations of the disorder, but they are either not entirely effective or difficult to adhere to throughout life. In a search for novel pharmacological chaperones to treat PKU, a lead compound was discovered (compound IV) that exhibited promising in vitro and in vivo chaperoning activity on PAH. The structure of the PAH-IV complex has been reported. Here, using alchemical free energy calculations (AFEC) on the structure of the PAH-IV complex, we design a new generation of compound IV-analogues with a higher affinity for the enzyme. Seventeen novel analogues were synthesized, and thermal shift and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) assays were performed to experimentally evaluate their stabilizing effect and their affinity for the enzyme. Most of the new derivatives bind to PAH tighter than lead compound IV and induce a greater thermostabilization of the enzyme upon binding. Importantly, the correspondence between the calculated alchemical binding free energies and the experimentally determined ΔΔGb values is excellent, which supports the use of AFEC to design pharmacological chaperones to treat PKU using the X-ray structure of their complexes with the target PAH enzyme.
The Multifaceted Role of GPCRs in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A New Therapeutic Perspective?
Authors: Bassani Davide , Pavan Matteo , Federico Stephanie , Spalluto Giampiero , Sturlese Mattia , Moro Stefano
Published: April 2022

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerating disease involving the motor neurons, which causes a progressive loss of movement ability, usually leading to death within 2 to 5 years from the diagnosis. Much effort has been put into research for an effective therapy for its eradication, but still, no cure is available. The only two drugs approved for this pathology, Riluzole and Edaravone, are onlyable to slow down the inevitable disease progression. As assessed in the literature, drug targets such as protein kinases have already been extensively examined as potential drug targets for ALS, with some molecules already in clinical trials. Here, we focus on the involvement of another very important and studied class of biological entities, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), in the onset and progression of ALS. This workaimsto give an overview of what has been already discovered on the topic, providing useful information and insights that can be used by scientists all around the world who are putting efforts into the fight against this very important neurodegenerating disease.
Placental Transcription Profiling in 6–23 Weeks’ Gestation Reveals Differential Transcript Usage in Early Development
Authors: Bogias Konstantinos J. , Pederson Stephen M. , Leemaqz Shalem , Smith Melanie D. , McAninch Dale , Jankovic-Karasoulos Tanja , McCullough Dylan , Wan Qianhui , Bianco-Miotto Tina , Breen James , Roberts Claire T.
Published: April 2022

The human placenta is a rapidly developing transient organ that is key to pregnancy success. Early development of the conceptus occurs in a low oxygen environment before oxygenated maternal blood begins to flow into the placenta at ~10–12 weeks’ gestation. This process is likely to substantially affect overall placental gene expression. Transcript variability underlying gene expression has yet to be profiled. In this study, accurate transcript expression profiles were identified for 84 human placental chorionic villus tissue samples collected across 6–23 weeks’ gestation. Differential gene expression (DGE), differential transcript expression (DTE) and differential transcript usage (DTU) between 6–10 weeks’ and 11–23 weeks’ gestation groups were assessed. In total, 229 genes had significant DTE yet no significant DGE. Integration of DGE and DTE analyses found that differential expression patterns of individual transcripts were commonly masked upon aggregation to the gene-level. Of the 611 genes that exhibited DTU, 534 had no significant DGE or DTE. The four most significant DTU genes ADAM10, VMP1, GPR126, and ASAH1, were associated with hypoxia-responsive pathways. Transcript usage is a likely regulatory mechanism in early placentation. Identification of functional roles will facilitate new insight in understanding the origins of pregnancy complications.
Morphometric and Nanomechanical Features of Erythrocytes Characteristic of Early Pregnancy Loss
Authors: Langari Ariana , Strijkova Velichka , Komsa-Penkova Regina , Danailova Avgustina , Krumova Sashka , Taneva Stefka G. , Giosheva Ina , Gartchev Emil , Kercheva Kamelia , Savov Alexey , Todinova Svetla
Published: April 2022

Early pregnancy loss (EPL) is estimated to be between 15 and 20% of all adverse pregnancies. Approximately, half of EPL cases have no identifiable cause. Herein, we apply atomic force microscopy to evaluate the alteration of morphology and nanomechanics of erythrocytes from women with EPL with unknown etiology, as compared to healthy pregnant (PC) and nonpregnant women (NPC). Freshly isolated erythrocytes from women with EPL differ in both the roughness value (4.6 ± 0.3 nm, p < 0.05), and Young’s modulus (2.54 ± 0.6 MPa, p < 0.01) compared to the values for NPC (3.8 ± 0.4 nm and 0.94 ± 0.2 MPa, respectively) and PC (3.3 ± 0.2 nm and 1.12 ± 0.3 MPa, respectively). Moreover, we find a time-dependent trend for the reduction of the cells’ morphometric parameters (cells size and surface roughness) and the membrane elasticity—much faster for EPL than for the two control groups. The accelerated aging of EPL erythrocytes is expressed in faster morphological shape transformation and earlier occurrence of spiculated and spherical-shaped cells, reduced membrane roughness and elasticity with aging evolution. Oxidative stress in vitro contributed to the morphological cells’ changes observed for EPL senescent erythrocytes. The ultrastructural characteristics of cells derived from women with miscarriages show potential as a supplementary mark for a pathological state.
Macrophage Dysfunction in Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases and Atherosclerosis
Authors: Gerasimova Elena V. , Popkova Tatiana V. , Gerasimova Daria A. , Kirichenko Tatiana V.
Published: April 2022

One of the problems of modern medical science is cardiovascular pathology caused by atherosclerotic vascular lesions in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs). The similarity between the mechanisms of the immunopathogenesis of ARD and chronic low-grade inflammation in atherosclerosis draws attention. According to modern concepts, chronic inflammation associated with uncontrolled activation of both innate and acquired immunity plays a fundamental role in all stages of ARDs and atherosclerotic processes. Macrophage monocytes play an important role among the numerous immune cells and mediators involved in the immunopathogenesis of both ARDs and atherosclerosis. An imbalance between M1-like and M2-like macrophages is considered one of the causes of ARDs. The study of a key pathogenetic factor in the development of autoimmune and atherosclerotic inflammation-activated monocyte/macrophages will deepen the knowledge of chronic inflammation pathogenesis.
Global 5mC and 5hmC DNA Levels in Human Sperm Subpopulations with Differentially Protaminated Chromatin in Normo- and Oligoasthenozoospermic Males
Authors: Olszewska Marta , Kordyl Oliwia , Kamieniczna Marzena , Fraczek Monika , Jędrzejczak Piotr , Kurpisz Maciej
Published: April 2022

Epigenetic modifications play a special role in the male infertility aetiology. Published data indicate the link between sperm quality and sperm chromatin protamination. This study aimed to determine the relationship between methylation (5mC) and hydroxymethylation (5hmC) in sperm DNA, with respect to sperm chromatin protamination in three subpopulations of fertile normozoospermic controls and infertile patients with oligo-/oligoasthenozoospermia. For the first time, a sequential staining protocol was applied, which allowed researchers to analyse 5mC/5hmC levels by immunofluorescence staining, with a previously determined chromatin protamination status (aniline blue staining), using the same spermatozoa. TUNEL assay determined the sperm DNA fragmentation level. The 5mC/5hmC levels were diversified with respect to chromatin protamination status in both studied groups of males, with the highest values observed in protaminated spermatozoa. The linkage between chromatin protamination and 5mC/5hmC levels in control males disappeared in patients with deteriorated semen parameters. A relationship between 5mC/5hmC and sperm motility/morphology was identified in the patient group. Measuring the 5mC/5hmC status of sperm DNA according to sperm chromatin integrity provides evidence of correct spermatogenesis, and its disruption may represent a prognostic marker for reproductive failure.
Computationally Efficient Implementation of Joint Detection and Parameters Estimation of Signals with Dispersive Distortions on a GPU
Authors: Lipatkin Vladislav I. , Lobov Evgeniy M. , Kandaurov Nikolai A.
Published: April 2022

The detector is an integral part of the device for receiving and processing radio signals. Signals that have passed through the ionospheric channel acquire an unknown Doppler shift and are subject to dispersion distortions. It is necessary to carry out joint detection and parameter estimation to improve reception quality and detection accuracy. Modern hardware base developing makes it possible to implement a device for joint detection and evaluation of signals based on standard processors (CPU) and graphic processors (GPU). The article discusses the implementation of a signal detector that allows for real-time operation. A comparison of implementations of algorithms for estimating the Doppler frequency shift through multiplication by a complex exponent and the fast Fourier transform (FFT) is performed. A comparison of computational costs and execution speed on the CPU and GPU is considered.
LightEyes: A Lightweight Fundus Segmentation Network for Mobile Edge Computing
Authors: Guo Song
Published: April 2022

Fundus is the only structure that can be observed without trauma to the human body. By analyzing color fundus images, the diagnosis basis for various diseases can be obtained. Recently, fundus image segmentation has witnessed vast progress with the development of deep learning. However, the improvement of segmentation accuracy comes with the complexity of deep models. As a result, these models show low inference speeds and high memory usages when deploying to mobile edges. To promote the deployment of deep fundus segmentation models to mobile devices, we aim to design a lightweight fundus segmentation network. Our observation comes from the fact that high-resolution representations could boost the segmentation of tiny fundus structures, and the classification of small fundus structures depends more on local features. To this end, we propose a lightweight segmentation model called LightEyes. We first design a high-resolution backbone network to learn high-resolution representations, so that the spatial relationship between feature maps can be always retained. Meanwhile, considering high-resolution features means high memory usage; for each layer, we use at most 16 convolutional filters to reduce memory usage and decrease training difficulty. LightEyes has been verified on three kinds of fundus segmentation tasks, including the hard exudate, the microaneurysm, and the vessel, on five publicly available datasets. Experimental results show that LightEyes achieves highly competitive segmentation accuracy and segmentation speed compared with state-of-the-art fundus segmentation models, while running at 1.6 images/s Cambricon-1A speed and 51.3 images/s GPU speed with only 36k parameters.
An Automated Image-Based Multivariant Concrete Defect Recognition Using a Convolutional Neural Network with an Integrated Pooling Module
Authors: Kim Bubryur , Choi Se-Woon , Hu Gang , Lee Dong-Eun , Serfa Juan Ronnie O.
Published: April 2022

Buildings and infrastructure in congested metropolitan areas are continuously deteriorating. Various structural flaws such as surface cracks, spalling, delamination, and other defects are found, and keep on progressing. Traditionally, the assessment and inspection is conducted by humans; however, due to human physiology, the assessment limits the accuracy of image evaluation, making it more subjective rather than objective. Thus, in this study, a multivariant defect recognition technique was developed to efficiently assess the various structural health issues of concrete. The image dataset used was comprised of 3650 different types of concrete defects, including surface cracks, delamination, spalling, and non-crack concretes. The proposed scheme of this paper is the development of an automated image-based concrete condition recognition technique to categorize, not only non-defective concrete into defective concrete, but also multivariant defects such as surface cracks, delamination, and spalling. The developed convolution-based model multivariant defect recognition neural network can recognize different types of defects on concretes. The trained model observed a 98.8% defect detection accuracy. In addition, the proposed system can promote the development of various defect detection and recognition methods, which can accelerate the evaluation of the conditions of existing structures.
Twisted Few-Mode Optical Fiber with Improved Height of Quasi-Step Refractive Index Profile
Authors: Bourdine Anton V. , Demidov Vladimir V. , Kuznetsov Artem A. , Vasilets Alexander A. , Ter-Nersesyants Egishe V. , Khokhlov Alexander V. , Matrosova Alexandra S. , Pchelkin Grigori A. , Dashkov Michael V. , Zaitseva Elena S. , Gizatulin Azat R. , Meshkov Ivan K. , Sakhabutdinov Airat Zh. , Dmitriev Eugeniy V. , Morozov Oleg G. , Burdin Vladimir A. , Dukelskii Konstantin V. , Ismail Yaseera , Petruccione Francesco , Singh Ghanshyam , Tiwari Manish , Yin Juan
Published: April 2022

This work presents designed and fabricated silica few-mode optical fiber (FMF) with induced twisting 10 and 66 revolutions per meter, core diameter 11 µm, typical “telecommunication” cladding diameter 125 µm, improved height of quasi-step refractive index profile and numerical aperture 0.22. Proposed FMF supports 4 guided modes over “C”-band. We discussed selection of specified optical fiber parameters to provide desired limited mode number over mentioned wavelength range. Some results of tests, performed with pilot samples of manufactured FMF, are represented, including experimentally measured spectral responses of laser-excited optical signals, that comprise researches and analysis of few-mode effects, occurring after fiber Bragg grating writing.
Diagnostic Classification of Cases of Canine Leishmaniasis Using Machine Learning
Authors: Ferreira Tiago S. , Santana Ewaldo E. C. , Jacob Junior Antônio F. L. , Silva Junior Paulo F. , Bastos Luciana S. , Silva Ana L. A. , Melo Solange A. , Cruz Carlos A. M. , Aquino Vivianne S. , Castro Luís S. O. , Lima Guilherme O. , Freire Raimundo C. S.
Published: April 2022

Proposal techniques that reduce financial costs in the diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases are welcome. This work uses some machine learning techniques to classify whether or not cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis are present by physical examinations. For validation of the method, four machine learning models were chosen: K-nearest neighbor, Naïve Bayes, support vector machine and logistic regression models. The tests were performed on three hundred and forty dogs, using eighteen characteristics of the animal and the ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) serological test as validation. Logistic regression achieved the best metrics: Accuracy of 75%, sensitivity of 84%, specificity of 67%, a positive likelihood ratio of 2.53 and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.23, showing a positive relationship in the evaluation between the true positives and rejecting the cases of false negatives.
Communication of EU public servants in the digital environment during the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Dreshpak Valerii M. , Kovalov Viktor G. , Kritenko Olena O. , Shevchenko Nataliia I. , Babachenko Nataliіa V.
Published: April 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adaptation processes of digitalization in virtually all spheres of public life. The emergence of new e-government platforms and open data, which are currently being actively implemented in many countries worldwide, undoubtedly need to be improved and adjusted. The aim of the article was to conduct a comparative study of the best practices of the leading "digital" EU countries in the field of regulating digital public services and enhancing the communicative competencies of public servants. The key methodological tools applied in the research were the methods of observation and comparative legal analysis. The study showed that the pandemic identified the essential issues of digitalization within the framework of e-government. It was concluded that the rapid introduction of innovations in the area under analysis is associated in the EU with the emergence of adaptive problems, among which the leading ones are corruption, bureaucracy, low digital competence of public servants and minimal digital literacy of the residents. The research perspective is a comparative analysis of the gradual implementation of the e-government reform updated models by the Member States.
Does social stories intervention improve social skills among children with ASD?: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Alhwaiti Mohammed
Published: April 2022

The aim of this review was to provide up-to-date information about Social Store research, focusing on its effectiveness on social skills. Electronic databases were searched. These mainly included: ERIC, Google Scholar, WoS, and PubMed, and Scopus indexed journals. The author extracted the data needed. He made a data form with the following information to be extracted: authors' names, year of publication, type of children, number of participants, gender, age, country, study design, and findings. The participants were all children with ASD. They were of both sexes (men and women). All were of young age (> 13 years old). They were from different countries, and hence from different cultures. Most research studies (four studies: 66.6%) used pre- post design. While two studies (33.3%) used multiple baseline design across subjects. Findings indicated the effectiveness of the social stories intervention employed in improving the target skills and behaviours.