bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the Impact of Selected Parameters of Tractor-Semitrailer Set on the Braking Safety Indicators
Authors: Radzajewski Paweł , Guzek Marek
Published: April 2023

With the continuous development of road transport of goods, the issue of safety risks related to the movement of trucks and road trains remains an essential element of the overall road safety system. One of the persistent problems is the braking of such kits, especially in emergencies on the road. The work aims to show how typical changes in operating conditions can affect the basic indicators illustrating the safety of braking (effectiveness indicators, stability symptoms). A simulation method was applied for the analysis, which used a relatively simple (quasi-static) model of the tractor-semitrailer set’s rectilinear motion and models of the braking system and the longitudinal forces in the tyre-road surface contact. Calculations were made for the selected truck-trailer set in nominal condition and for several deviations from the nominal state, such as loading the trailer (load value, location of the semi-trailer’s centre of gravity), reduced surface adhesion, and selected faults of the semitrailer braking system. The results were compared for several qualitative and quantitative criteria for the evaluation of braking safety. Attention was drawn to the problem of the forces in the coupling (which determine the possibility of jack-knifing phenomena), the order of axle locking, and the braking distance. The presented results show that the change of operating conditions as above compared to the nominal condition visibly deteriorates the effectiveness of the braking process. The greatest threat, both related to the braking efficiency and the increase in the force in the coupling, is associated with the lack of braking of the semitrailer axle or a significant reduction in its load. The weight and location of the load’s centre of gravity considerably impact braking safety. In addition to the negative impact on the braking distance or increase in the horizontal force in the coupling, it changes the order of locking the axle. ABS reduces the risk associated with braking safety but does not eliminate it. At the same time, it has been shown that using relatively simple calculation tools makes it possible to indicate the risks related to the braking safety of such articulated vehicles.
Study of Physicochemical and Gelation Properties of Fish Gelatin from Different Sources
Authors: Wu Jintao , Xiao Jing , Zhu Mingyao , Yang Haichuan , Liu Jingjing , Liu Yang
Published: April 2023

Fish gelatin has been increasingly used as a safe alternative to cattle and pig gelatin due to its similar structure, avoiding the health and socio-cultural issues associated with the use of materials of mammalian origin. Fish gelatin can be produced from processed fish products to achieve a high yield at a low cost. Recent studies show that although fish gelatin comes from a wide range of sources, the protein content and amino acid composition of fish gelatin from different sources are different, and some fish gelatin is soft and unstable transglutaminase (TGase) can catalyze the γ-amide group of glutamine residues and the ε-amino group of lysine residues in proteins to form covalent bonds to form a stable protein network structure, improve the strength of the gel so that it can be applied in a more special environment. In this experiment, after screening the raw materials of cold-water fish gelatin M06 and M08, warm-water fish gelatin M03 and M04, a strong fish gelatin was successfully prepared by catalytic modification of cold-water fish gelatin by transglutaminase (TGase), and the excellent performance of TG enzyme-catalyzed modified gelatin was proved through the application effect of chicken salt soluble protein. In this experiment, the protein content of cold-water fish M08 was the highest, which was up to 99.9%, 1.09 times that of warm-water fish. The gelatin content of cold-water fish M08 was the highest of the four kinds of fish gelatin, with a wide proportion of components and rich amino acid composition. Cold-water fish M08 gelatin-derived gel had the highest strength of 253 ± 1 g/cm at 4 °C. It was found that fish gelatin with protein molecular weight distribution and rich amino acid composition had higher gel strength. M08 gelatin is cross-linked by transglutaminase (TGase), which increases the strength of enzyme gels by approximately 200% compared to self-assembled gels. Fish gelatin catalyzed by the TG enzyme improves the gel strength of raw material and makes it more applicable. M08 gelatin also showed good application performance at low temperatures in compound chicken salt-soluble protein gel, with a water retention rate of 95.84% and gel strength of 198.5 g/cm. This study expanded the application range of fish gelatin by TG enzyme and improved the application potential of fish gelatin.
Hot Rolling of ZK60 Magnesium Alloy with Isotropic Tensile Properties from Tubing Made by Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE)
Authors: Frazier William E. , Overman Nicole , Schuessler Benjamin , Niverty Sridhar , Roosendaal Timothy , Whalen Scott , Joshi Vineet V.
Published: April 2023

In the present work, we utilized Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE), a solid-phase processing technique, to extrude hollow tubes of ZK60 Mg alloy. Hot rolling was performed on these as-extruded tubes (after slitting them longitudinally) to thickness reductions of 37%, 68%, and 93% to investigate their viability as rolling feedstock material. EBSD analysis showed the formation of twinned grains in the ShAPE processed material and a gradual re-orientation of the basal texture parallel to the extrusion direction with each rolling step. Moreover, an equiaxed grain size of 5.15 ± 3.39 μm was obtained in the ShAPE extruded material, and the microstructure was retained even after 93% rolling reduction. The rolled sheets also showed excellent tensile strengths and no mechanical anisotropy, a critical characteristic for formability. The unique microstructures developed and their excellent mechanical properties, combined with the ease of scalability of the process, make ShAPE a promising alternative to existing methods for producing rolling feedstock material.
Projections of Cause-Specific Mortality and Demographic Changes under Climate Change in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area: A Modelling Framework
Authors: Rodrigues Mónica
Published: April 2023

Climate change and related events, such as rising temperatures and extreme weather, threaten population health and well-being. This study quantified the impact of climate change on temperature-related, cause-specific mortality while considering adaptations and future demographic changes in Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal. A distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was applied to quantify the burden of temperature-related mortality during the present (or reference, 1986–2005) scenario and a future scenario (2046–2065). There was an increase of 0.33% in temperature-related excess mortality (95% CI: 0.02 to 0.59) and significantly lower all-cause deaths in the future. These measurements were attributable to extreme cold and considered an adaptation threshold of 1 °C with no population changes, resulting in an estimated net difference of −0.15% (95% CI: −0.26 to −0.02), a threshold of 1 °C with a high population scenario of −0.15% (95% CI: −0.26 to −0.01), and a threshold of 1 °C with a low population scenario of −0.15% (95% CI: −0.26 to −0.01). Moderate cold exposure under a threshold of 1 °C and a high population scenario reduced future temperature-related deaths and diabetes mellitus (−1.32, 95% CI: −2.65 to 0.23). Similarly, moderate heat exposure under a threshold of 4 °C and a high population scenario had the highest increase in net changes (6.75, 95% CI: −5.06 to 15.32). The net difference in AF% was due to ischemic heart disease, which was the highest for moderate heat exposure with an adaptation threshold of 4 °C only. It decreased slightly with increasing adaptation levels. The most significant increase in net differences for temperature-related excess deaths occurred in respiratory diseases and was associated with heat. A significant decline in net differences was also observed in excess cold-related deaths due to respiratory disease. These findings contribute to the discussion of how climate change impacts human health. Furthermore, they can help guide and monitor adaptation policies in response to climate change.
An Analytic Solution for 2D Heat Conduction Problems with General Dirichlet Boundary Conditions
Authors: Hsu Heng-Pin , Tu Te-Wen , Chang Jer-Rong
Published: April 2023

This paper proposed a closed-form solution for the 2D transient heat conduction in a rectangular cross-section of an infinite bar with the general Dirichlet boundary conditions. The boundary conditions at the four edges of the rectangular region are specified as the general case of space–time dependence. First, the physical system is decomposed into two one-dimensional subsystems, each of which can be solved by combining the proposed shifting function method with the eigenfunction expansion theorem. Therefore, through the superposition of the solutions of the two subsystems, the complete solution in the form of series can be obtained. Two numerical examples are used to investigate the analytic solution of the 2D heat conduction problems with space–time-dependent boundary conditions. The considered space–time-dependent functions are separable in the space–time domain for convenience. The space-dependent function is specified as a sine function and/or a parabolic function, and the time-dependent function is specified as an exponential function and/or a cosine function. In order to verify the correctness of the proposed method, the case of the space-dependent sinusoidal function and time-dependent exponential function is studied, and the consistency between the derived solution and the literature solution is verified. The parameter influence of the time-dependent function of the boundary conditions on the temperature variation is also investigated, and the time-dependent function includes harmonic type and exponential type.
Inference for Partially Accelerated Life Test from a Bathtub-Shaped Lifetime Distribution with Progressive Censoring
Authors: Niu Yingzi , Wang Liang , Tripathi Yogesh Mani , Liu Jia
Published: April 2023

The analysis of the constant-stress partially accelerated life test was considered under progressive Type-II censoring when the lifetime of the products follows a two-parameter bathtub-shaped distribution. The maximum likelihood estimates of the unknown parameters were established, where the expectation–maximization iterative solution is proposed for the estimation. The approximate confidence intervals were also constructed based on asymptotic theory via the Fisher information matrix. For comparison purposes, the bootstrap (i.e., Studentized-t and percentile) confidence intervals of the unknown parameters were also obtained. Finally, simulation studies and a real-life data example are presented to examine the performance of the different results.
A Comparative Event-Related Potentials Study between Alcohol Use Disorder, Gambling Disorder and Healthy Control Subjects through a Contextual Go/NoGo Task
Authors: Dubuson Macha , Noël Xavier , Kornreich Charles , Hanak Catherine , Saeremans Mélanie , Campanella Salvatore
Published: April 2023

(1) Background: Inhibitory and rewarding processes that mediate attentional biases to addiction-related cues may slightly differ between patients suffering from alcohol use (AUD) or gambling (GD) disorder. (2) Methods: 23 AUD inpatients, 19 GD patients, and 22 healthy controls performed four separate Go/NoGo tasks, in, respectively, an alcohol, gambling, food, and neutral long-lasting cueing context during the recording of event-related potentials (ERPs). (3) Results: AUD patients showed a poorer inhibitory performance than controls (slower response latencies, lower N2d, and delayed P3d components). In addition, AUD patients showed a preserved inhibitory performance in the alcohol-related context (but a more disrupted one in the food-related context), while GD patients showed a specific inhibitory deficit in the game-related context, both indexed by N2d amplitude modulations. (4) Conclusions: Despite sharing common addiction-related mechanisms, AUD and GD patients showed different patterns of response to (non-)rewarding cues that should be taken into account in the therapeutic context.
Identification of Prominent Genes between 3D Glioblastoma Models and Clinical Samples via GEO/TCGA/CGGA Data Analysis
Authors: Phon Brandon Wee Siang , Bhuvanendran Saatheeyavaane , Ayub Qasim , Radhakrishnan Ammu Kutty , Kamarudin Muhamad Noor Alfarizal
Published: April 2023

A paradigm shift in preclinical evaluations of new anticancer GBM drugs should occur in favour of 3D cultures. This study leveraged the vast genomic data banks to investigate the suitability of 3D cultures as cell-based models for GBM. We hypothesised that correlating genes that are highly upregulated in 3D GBM models will have an impact in GBM patients, which will support 3D cultures as more reliable preclinical models for GBM. Using clinical samples of brain tissue from healthy individuals and GBM patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA), and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases, several genes related to pathways such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes (CD44, TWIST1, SNAI1, CDH2, FN1, VIM), angiogenesis/migration-related genes (MMP1, MMP2, MMP9, VEGFA), hypoxia-related genes (HIF1A, PLAT), stemness-related genes (SOX2, PROM1, NES, FOS), and genes involved in the Wnt signalling pathway (DKK1, FZD7) were found to be upregulated in brain samples from GBM patients, and the expression of these genes were also enhanced in 3D GBM cells. Additionally, EMT-related genes were upregulated in GBM archetypes (wild-type IDH1R132 ) that historically have poorer treatment responses, with said genes being significant predictors of poorer survival in the TCGA cohort. These findings reinforced the hypothesis that 3D GBM cultures can be used as reliable models to study increased epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions in clinical GBM samples.
Structural and Biochemical Characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Zinc SufU-SufS Complex
Authors: Elchennawi Ingie , Carpentier Philippe , Caux Christelle , Ponge Marine , Ollagnier de Choudens Sandrine
Published: April 2023

Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are inorganic prosthetic groups in proteins composed exclusively of iron and inorganic sulfide. These cofactors are required in a wide range of critical cellular pathways. Iron-sulfur clusters do not form spontaneously in vivo; several proteins are required to mobilize sulfur and iron, assemble and traffic-nascent clusters. Bacteria have developed several Fe-S assembly systems, such as the ISC, NIF, and SUF systems. Interestingly, in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), the SUF machinery is the primary Fe-S biogenesis system. This operon is essential for the viability of Mtb under normal growth conditions, and the genes it contains are known to be vulnerable, revealing the Mtb SUF system as an interesting target in the fight against tuberculosis. In the present study, two proteins of the Mtb SUF system were characterized for the first time: Rv1464(sufS) and Rv1465(sufU). The results presented reveal how these two proteins work together and thus provide insights into Fe-S biogenesis/metabolism by this pathogen. Combining biochemistry and structural approaches, we showed that Rv1464 is a type II cysteine-desulfurase enzyme and that Rv1465 is a zinc-dependent protein interacting with Rv1464. Endowed with a sulfurtransferase activity, Rv1465 significantly enhances the cysteine-desulfurase activity of Rv1464 by transferring the sulfur atom from persulfide on Rv1464 to its conserved Cys40 residue. The zinc ion is important for the sulfur transfer reaction between SufS and SufU, and His354 in SufS plays an essential role in this reaction. Finally, we showed that Mtb SufS-SufU is more resistant to oxidative stress than E. coli SufS-SufE and that the presence of zinc in SufU is likely responsible for this improved resistance. This study on Rv1464 and Rv1465 will help guide the design of future anti-tuberculosis agents.
Role of Sirtuin 3 in Degenerative Diseases of the Central Nervous System
Authors: Zhang Haofuzi , Dai Shuhui , Yang Yuefan , Wei Jialiang , Li Xin , Luo Peng , Jiang Xiaofan
Published: April 2023

An NAD+-dependent deacetylase called Sirtuin 3 (Sirt3) is involved in the metabolic processes of the mitochondria, including energy generation, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and oxidative stress. Sirt3 activation can slow down or prevent mitochondrial dysfunction in response to neurodegenerative disorders, demonstrating a strong neuroprotective impact. The mechanism of Sirt3 in neurodegenerative illnesses has been elucidated over time; it is essential for neuron, astrocyte, and microglial function, and its primary regulatory factors include antiapoptosis, oxidative stress, and the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis. Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and multiple sclerosis (MS), may benefit from a thorough and in-depth investigation of Sirt3. In this review, we primarily cover Sirt3’s role and its regulation in the nerve cells and the connection between Sirt3 and neurodegenerative disorders.
Epigenetic and Tumor Microenvironment for Prognosis of Patients with Gastric Cancer
Authors: Wu Zenghong , Wang Weijun , Zhang Kun , Fan Mengke , Lin Rong
Published: April 2023

Background: Epigenetics studies heritable or inheritable mechanisms that regulate gene expression rather than altering the DNA sequence. However, no research has investigated the link between TME-related genes (TRGs) and epigenetic-related genes (ERGs) in GC. Methods: A complete review of genomic data was performed to investigate the relationship between the epigenesis tumor microenvironment (TME) and machine learning algorithms in GC. Results: Firstly, TME-related differential expression of genes (DEGs) performed non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) clustering analysis and determined two clusters (C1 and C2). Then, Kaplan–Meier curves for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates suggested that cluster C1 predicted a poorer prognosis. The Cox–LASSO regression analysis identified eight hub genes (SRMS, MET, OLFML2B, KIF24, CLDN9, RNF43, NETO2, and PRSS21) to build the TRG prognostic model and nine hub genes (TMPO, SLC25A15, SCRG1, ISL1, SOD3, GAD1, LOXL4, AKR1C2, and MAGEA3) to build the ERG prognostic model. Additionally, the signature’s area under curve (AUC) values, survival rates, C-index scores, and mean squared error (RMS) curves were evaluated against those of previously published signatures, which revealed that the signature identified in this study performed comparably. Meanwhile, based on the IMvigor210 cohort, a statistically significant difference in OS between immunotherapy and risk scores was observed. It was followed by LASSO regression analysis which identified 17 key DEGs and a support vector machine (SVM) model identified 40 significant DEGs, and based on the Venn diagram, eight co-expression genes (ENPP6, VMP1, LY6E, SHISA6, TMEM158, SYT4, IL11, and KLK8) were discovered. Conclusion: The study identified some hub genes that could be useful in predicting prognosis and management in GC.
Epitope-Specific Anti-SerpinB3 Antibodies for SerpinB3 Recognition and Biological Activity Inhibition
Authors: Biasiolo Alessandra , Sandre Michele , Ferro Stefania , Quarta Santina , Ruvoletto Mariagrazia , Villano Gianmarco , Turato Cristian , Guido Maria , Marin Oriano , Pontisso Patrizia
Published: April 2023

SerpinB3 is a serine protease inhibitor that plays a relevant role in disease progression and cancer by increasing fibrosis, cell proliferation, and invasion, besides conferring resistance to apoptosis. The mechanisms underlying these biological activities are not yet fully understood. The aim of this study was to generate antibodies directed against different SerpinB3 epitopes to better investigate their biological role. Five exposed epitopes were identified using the software DNASTAR Lasergene and the corresponding synthetic peptides were used for NZW rabbit immunization. Anti-P#2 and anti-P#4 antibodies were able to recognize both SerpinB3 and SerpinB4 by ELISA. Anti-P#5 antibody, produced against the reactive site loop of SerpinB3, showed the greatest specific reactivity for human SerpinB3. This antibody was able to recognize SerpinB3 at nuclear level, while anti-P#3 antibody recognized SerpinB3 only at cytoplasmic level, both by immunofluorescence and by immunohistochemistry. The biological activity of each antibody preparation was assessed in HepG2 cells overexpressing SerpinB3 and anti-P#5 antibody reduced proliferation by 12% cell and cell invasion by 75%, while trivial results were obtained with the other antibody preparations. These findings indicate that the reactive site loop of SerpinB3 is essential for the invasiveness features induced by this serpin and it could become a novel druggable target.
Trametinib-Induced Epidermal Thinning Accelerates a Mouse Model of Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa
Authors: Tartaglia Grace , Park Pyung Hun , Alexander Michael H. , Nyström Alexander , Rosenbloom Joel , South Andrew P.
Published: April 2023

Junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) patients experience skin and epithelial fragility due to a pathological deficiency in genes associated with epidermal adhesion. Disease severity ranges from post-natal lethality to localized skin involvement with persistent blistering followed by granulation tissue formation and atrophic scarring. We evaluated the potential of utilizing Trametinib, an MEK inhibitor previously shown to target fibrosis, with and without the documented EB-anti-fibrotic Losartan for reducing disease severity in a mouse model of JEB; Lamc2jeb mice. We found that Trametinib treatment accelerated disease onset and decreased epidermal thickness, which was in large part ameliorated by Losartan treatment. Interestingly, a range of disease severity was observed in Trametinib-treated animals that tracked with epidermal thickness; those animals grouped with higher disease severity had thinner epidermis. To examine if the difference in severity was related to inflammation, we conducted immunohistochemistry for the immune cell markers CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD45 as well as the fibrotic marker αSMA in mouse ears. We used a positive pixel algorithm to analyze the resulting images and demonstrated that Trametinib caused a non-significant reduction in CD4 expression that inversely tracked with increased fibrotic severity. With the addition of Losartan to Trametinib, CD4 expression was similar to control. Together, these data suggest that Trametinib causes a reduction in both epidermal proliferation and immune cell infiltration/proliferation, with concurrent acceleration of skin fragility, while Losartan counteracts Trametinib’s adverse effects in a mouse model of JEB.
New Anti-Hypoxic Metabolites from Co-Culture of Marine-Derived Fungi Aspergillus carneus KMM 4638 and Amphichorda sp. KMM 4639
Authors: Belousova Elena B. , Zhuravleva Olesya I. , Yurchenko Ekaterina A. , Oleynikova Galina K. , Antonov Alexandr S. , Kirichuk Natalya N. , Chausova Viktoria E. , Khudyakova Yuliya V. , Menshov Alexander S. , Popov Roman S. , Menchinskaya Ekaterina S. , Pislyagin Evgeny A. , Mikhailov Valery V. , Yurchenko Anton N.
Published: April 2023

The KMM 4639 strain was identified as Amphichorda sp. based on two molecular genetic markers: ITS and β-tubulin regions. Chemical investigation of co-culture marine-derived fungi Amphichorda sp. KMM 4639 and Aspergillus carneus KMM 4638 led to the identification of five new quinazolinone alkaloids felicarnezolines A–E (1–5), a new highly oxygenated chromene derivative oxirapentyn M (6) and five previously reported related compounds. Their structures were established using spectroscopic methods and by comparison with related known compounds. The isolated compounds showed low cytotoxicity against human prostate and breast cancer cells but felicarnezoline B (2) protected rat cardiomyocytes H9c2 and human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells against CoCl2-induced damage.
Social Withdrawal in Preschool Age: A Clinical Case in Intensive Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
Authors: Ranieri Fiorenzo , Loscalzo Yura
Published: April 2023

In this work, we suggest that children’s social withdrawal might be a precursor of Hikikomori, a phenomenon observed among adolescents and young adults. Hence, psychotherapy interventions with preschool children showing signs of social withdrawal might play a critical role in Hikikomori prevention. This paper presents the case of a five-year-old child treated with intensive psychoanalytic psychotherapy who began therapy due to his refusing to go to school and exhibiting isolating behavior from other children. Among other symptoms were regression, emotional tension, nightmares, and nocturnal and diurnal enuresis. Moreover, the relationship in the family was difficult, both between the parents and between the parent and the child. The intensive psychoanalytic treatment involved three weekly sessions for about a year, followed by six months with one weekly session. Besides illustrating the therapeutic process through clinical vignettes taken from the sessions, this paper also provides clues on how early social withdrawal can contribute to the construction of internal personality organizations that lead to social withdrawal up to self-reclusion (or Hikikomori).
Unified Flexural Resistance Design Method and Evaluation Frame for the B-Regions of RC Flexural Members—Theory and Application
Authors: Zheng Yuguo , Liao Yuqi , Kang Bin , Chen Minghang
Published: April 2023

The load and resistance factor design (LRFD) method is normally used to design B-regions of reinforced concrete (RC) flexural members. The design includes many checks corresponding to different limit states. The LRFD method requires many loop calculation steps in the design, demonstrating its relative inefficiency. It cannot be applied to compare limit states directly and quantitatively. Different design limit states are separated and isolated. How to improve the analytical calculation efficiency of the LRFD method and to realize direct and quantitative comparisons between limit states are very important problems in structural engineering. This paper presents an innovative unified flexural resistance design (UFRD) method and a unified flexural resistance evaluation (UFRE) frame to solve these problems to some extent. The main contents include the unified flexural resistance (UFR) principles, formulas for the unified flexural resistance design (UFRD) method, the operation procedure to facilitate its usage, the UFRE framework to compare limit states, and three examples. The results show that the UFRD method can provide the same design outcomes as the LRFD one. However, UFRD calculations are simpler, requiring at most 20% of the calculation steps of the LRFD method. The UFRE frame can make different limit states compare with each other directly and quantitatively, which cannot be realized by the LRFD method. It helps expose some potential and insufficient flexural resistance hazards for some limit states, such as the only 10% relative strength reservation of one example. Thus, the UFRD method and the UFRE frame supplement and develop the LRFD method to some degree. The simplicity and practicality of the approach and the frame make them appropriate for many applications.
Tuning Electrochemical Hydrogen-Evolution Activity of CoMoO4 through Zn Incorporation
Authors: Chamani Sanaz , Sadeghi Ebrahim , Unal Ugur , Peighambardoust Naeimeh Sadat , Aydemir Umut
Published: April 2023

Designing cheap, efficient, and durable electrocatalysts on three-dimensional (3D) substrates such as nickel foam (NF) for the hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) is in high demand for the practical application of electrochemical water splitting. In this work, we adopted a simple one-step hydrothermal method to realize the incorporation of Zn into the lattice of CoMoO4 with various atomic concentrations—Co1-xZnxMoO4 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7). The morphological studies demonstrated that parent CoMoO4 consists of nanoflowers and nanorods. However, as the concentration of Zn increases within the host CoMoO4, the portion of nanoflowers decreases and simultaneously the portion of nanorods increases. Moreover, the substitution of Zn2+ in place of Co2+/Co3+ creates oxygen vacancies in the host structure, especially in the case of Co0.5Zn0.5MoO4, giving rise to lower charge-transfer resistance and a higher electrochemically active surface area. Therefore, among the prepared samples, Co0.5Zn0.5MoO4 on NF showed an improved HER performance, reaching 10 mA cm−2 at an overpotential as low as 204 mV in a 1.0 M KOH medium. Finally, the Co0.5Zn0.5MoO4 electrode exhibited robust long-term stability at an applied current density of 10 mA cm−2 for 20 h. The Faradaic efficiency determined by a gas chromatograph found that the hydrogen-production efficiency varied from 94% to 84%.
Influence of Cu/Al Ratio on the Performance of Carbon-Supported Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 Catalysts for CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol
Authors: Xie Zhong , Hei Jinpei , Cheng Lei , Li Jing , Yin Xiaojie , Meng Sugang
Published: April 2023

CO2 hydrogenation to methanol was conducted using a set of activated carbon-supported Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalysts (CCZA) prepared by an incipient wetness impregnation approach. The effect of the Cu/Al ratio on the physicochemical properties of the catalysts, as well as their catalytic performance, were investigated. As Cu/Al ratio increased, the metallic Cu surface area displayed a reducing trend from 6.88 to 4.18 m2∙gcat−1, while the CO2 adsorption capacity exhibited an increasing trend. Meanwhile, aluminum content will have an important effect on the catalysts’ reducibility and, thus, on their catalytic performance. The CCZA-2.7-de catalyst demonstrated the highest selectivity to methanol at 83.75% due to the excellent distribution and synergistic effect of copper and zinc. Although the CO2 conversion of CCZA-2.2-de and CCZA-3.5-de exceeded 10%, the CH3OH selectivity was less than 60%, which may be attributed to the larger particle sizes of ZnO and poor interactions in Cu–Zn. The present study offers a novel approach to increase the number of active sites, optimize the activated carbon-aided Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst’s composition, and finally elucidate the mechanism for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol.
Animal Models of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy as Tools for Deciphering the Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacoresistance and Discovering More Effective Treatments
Authors: Löscher Wolfgang , White H. Steve
Published: April 2023

In the last 30 years, over 20 new anti-seizure medicines (ASMs) have been introduced into the market for the treatment of epilepsy using well-established preclinical seizure and epilepsy models. Despite this success, approximately 20–30% of patients with epilepsy have drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). The current approach to ASM discovery for DRE relies largely on drug testing in various preclinical model systems that display varying degrees of ASM drug resistance. In recent years, attempts have been made to include more etiologically relevant models in the preclinical evaluation of a new investigational drug. Such models have played an important role in advancing a greater understanding of DRE at a mechanistic level and for hypothesis testing as new experimental evidence becomes available. This review provides a critical discussion of the pharmacology of models of adult focal epilepsy that allow for the selection of ASM responders and nonresponders and those models that display a pharmacoresistance per se to two or more ASMs. In addition, the pharmacology of animal models of major genetic epilepsies is discussed. Importantly, in addition to testing chemical compounds, several of the models discussed here can be used to evaluate other potential therapies for epilepsy such as neurostimulation, dietary treatments, gene therapy, or cell transplantation. This review also discusses the challenges associated with identifying novel therapies in the absence of a greater understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to DRE. Finally, this review discusses the lessons learned from the profile of the recently approved highly efficacious and broad-spectrum ASM cenobamate.
The Role of Ryanodine Receptors in Regulating Neuronal Activity and Its Connection to the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Chiantia Giuseppe , Hidisoglu Enis , Marcantoni Andrea
Published: April 2023

Research into the early impacts of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) on synapse function is one of the most promising approaches to finding a treatment. In this context, we have recently demonstrated that the Abeta42 peptide, which builds up in the brain during the processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), targets the ryanodine receptors (RyRs) of mouse hippocampal neurons and potentiates calcium (Ca2+) release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The uncontrolled increase in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), leading to the development of Ca2+ dysregulation events and related excitable and synaptic dysfunctions, is a consolidated hallmark of AD onset and possibly other neurodegenerative diseases. Since RyRs contribute to increasing [Ca2+]i and are thought to be a promising target for AD treatment, the goal of this review is to summarize the current level of knowledge regarding the involvement of RyRs in governing neuronal function both in physiological conditions and during the onset of AD.
Redefining Autoimmune Disorders’ Pathoetiology: Implications for Mood and Psychotic Disorders’ Association with Neurodegenerative and Classical Autoimmune Disorders
Authors: Anderson George , Almulla Abbas F. , Reiter Russel J. , Maes Michael
Published: April 2023

Although previously restricted to a limited number of medical conditions, there is a growing appreciation that ‘autoimmune’ (or immune-mediated) processes are important aspects of a wide array of diverse medical conditions, including cancers, neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders. All of these classes of medical conditions are associated with alterations in mitochondrial function across an array of diverse cell types. Accumulating data indicate the presence of the mitochondrial melatonergic pathway in possibly all body cells, with important consequences for pathways crucial in driving CD8+ T cell and B-cell ‘autoimmune’-linked processes. Melatonin suppression coupled with the upregulation of oxidative stress suppress PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1)/parkin-driven mitophagy, raising the levels of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-1, which underpins the chemoattraction of CD8+ T cells and the activation of antibody-producing B-cells. Many factors and processes closely associated with autoimmunity, including gut microbiome/permeability, circadian rhythms, aging, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB) all interact with the mitochondrial melatonergic pathway. A number of future research directions and novel treatment implications are indicated for this wide collection of poorly conceptualized and treated medical presentations. It is proposed that the etiology of many ‘autoimmune’/‘immune-mediated’ disorders should be conceptualized as significantly determined by mitochondrial dysregulation, with alterations in the mitochondrial melatonergic pathway being an important aspect of these pathoetiologies.
A Knowledge Representation System for the Indian Stock Market
Authors: Bhuyan Bikram Pratim , Jaiswal Vaishnavi , Cherif Amar Ramdane
Published: April 2023

Investors at well-known firms are increasingly becoming interested in stock forecasting as they seek more effective methods to predict market behavior using behavioral finance tools. Accordingly, studies aimed at predicting stock performance are gaining popularity in both academic and business circles. This research aims to develop a knowledge graph-based model for representing stock price movements using fundamental ratios of well-known corporations in India. The paper uses data from 15 ratios taken from the top 50 companies according to market capitalization in India. The data were processed, and different algorithms were used to extract tuples of knowledge from the data. Our technique involves guiding a domain expert through the process of building a knowledge graph. The scripts of the proposed knowledge representation and data could be found here: GitHub. The work can be integrated with a deep learning model for explainable forecasting of stock price.
Electrochemical Properties and Perspectives of Nickel(II) and Cobalt(II) Coordination Polymers-Aspects and an Application in Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Methanol
Authors: Škugor Rončević Ivana , Buzuk Marijo , Kukovec Boris-Marko , Sokol Vesna , Buljac Maša , Vladislavić Nives
Published: April 2023

The electrochemical sensing potential of two isostructural one-dimensional nickel(II) and cobalt(II) coordination polymers with 4,4′-bipyridine (4,4′-bpy) and 6-oxonicotinate (6-Onic), namely, {[Ni(4,4′-bpy)(H2O)4](6-Onic)2×2H2O}n and {[Co(4,4′-bpy)(H2O)4](6-Onic)2×2H2O}n, was investigated along with the polymers’ potential applications in the catalytic oxidation of methanol. The highly oxidative species from redox pairs Ni(II)/Ni(III) and Co(II)/Co(III) in these compounds represent catalytically active centres for oxidation of small molecules. A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a Ni polymer showed stability and reproducibility in 0.1 M NaOH, while the oxidation current inc 2reased with the increasing methanol concentration, suggesting that the Ni-polymer-modified electrode possess good sensing ability with respect to methanol. The GC electrode modified with the Co polymer is not reproducible and cannot be used for electroanalytical purposes under these experimental conditions. The GC electrode modified with the Ni polymer was successfully applied in the determination of methanol. This method showed favourable linear concentration dependence with a good sensitivity of 2.65 and 11.0 mA mM−1, a wide concentration range (0.001–4 mM), and a detection limit of 0.8 μM, which indicates its excellent application potential for methanol oxidation and thus its determination.
Correlations between Histopathological and Confocal Reflectance Microscopy Aspects in a Patient with Bowenoid Papulosis
Authors: Cozma Elena Codruta , Celarel Ana Maria , Stoenica Ioana-Valentina , Lupu Mihai , Banciu Laura Madalina , Voiculescu Vlad Mihai
Published: April 2023

Bowenoid papulosis is a cutaneous disease that is part of the spectrum of genital in situ carcinomas, caused primarily by infection with oncogenic strains of the HPV virus. The potential to transform into squamous cell carcinoma requires the diagnosis and treatment of the lesions. We present the case of a 34-year-old non-smoker without medical history who presented to our clinic for the appearance of multiple, asymptomatic, well-defined, flat, pigmented violaceous papules at the root of the penis in evolution for a year. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) suggested the diagnosis of bowenoid papulosis, which was confirmed by histopathological examination. The treatment with Imiquimod 5% (3 times/week) and Isoprinosine (4 g/day) was initiated, followed by monitoring of the lesions by repeated RCM examination. The evolution of the patient at 6 weeks of therapy was favourable, with clinical remission of lesions and improvement in RCM aspects of the evaluated skin. In conclusion, RCM represents a useful noninvasive examination method that allows not only the diagnosis but also the follow-up of the treatment response in order to decide the appropriate length of therapy.
Federated Learning for Medical Image Analysis with Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Nazir Sajid , Kaleem Mohammad
Published: April 2023

Medical image analysis using deep neural networks (DNN) has demonstrated state-of-the-art performance in image classification and segmentation tasks, aiding disease diagnosis. The accuracy of the DNN is largely governed by the quality and quantity of the data used to train the model. However, for the medical images, the critical security and privacy concerns regarding sharing of local medical data across medical establishments precludes exploiting the full DNN potential for clinical diagnosis. The federated learning (FL) approach enables the use of local model’s parameters to train a global model, while ensuring data privacy and security. In this paper, we review the federated learning applications in medical image analysis with DNNs, highlight the security concerns, cover some efforts to improve FL model performance, and describe the challenges and future research directions.
Thoracic UltrasONOgraphy Reporting: The TUONO Consensus
Authors: Calamai Italo , Greco Massimiliano , Savi Marzia , Vitiello Gaia , Garbero Elena , Spina Rosario , Pisani Luigi , Mongodi Silvia , Finazzi Stefano ,   on behalf of the TUONO Study Investigators
Published: April 2023

The widespread use of the lung ultrasound (LUS) has not been followed by the development of a comprehensive standardized tool for its reporting in the intensive care unit (ICU) which could be useful to promote consistency and reproducibility during clinical examination. This work aims to define the essential features to be included in a standardized reporting tool and provides a structured model form to fully express the diagnostic potential of LUS and facilitate intensivists in the use of a LUS in everyday clinical ICU examination. We conducted a modified Delphi process to build consensus on the items to be integrated in a standardized report form and on its structure. A committee of 19 critical care physicians from 19 participating ICUs in Italy was formed, including intensivists experienced in ultrasound from both teaching hospitals and referral hospitals, and internationally renowned experts on the LUS. The consensus for 31 statements out of 33 was reached at the third Delphi round. A structured model form was developed based on the approved statements. The development of a standardized model as a backbone to report a LUS may facilitate the guidelines’ application in clinical practice and increase inter-operator agreement. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effects of standardized reports in critically ill patients.
Pancreatic Juice Cytology Evaluations Using Synthetic Secretin and Serial Pancreatic Juice Aspiration Cytological Examination for the Diagnosis of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Takeda Yohei , Matsumoto Kazuya , Onoyama Takumi , Yamashita Taro , Koda Hiroki , Hamamoto Wataru , Sakamoto Yuri , Shimosaka Takuya , Kawahara Shiho , Seki Yuta , Kurumi Hiroki , Horie Yasushi , Isomoto Hajime , Yamaguchi Naoyuki
Published: April 2023

Pathological examination by endoscopic ultrasound–fine needle aspiration is not possible in approximately 10% of pancreatic tumor cases. Pancreatic juice cytology (PJC) is considered an alternative diagnostic method. However, its diagnostic capability is insufficient, and PJC has been repeatedly redevised. Serial pancreatic juice aspiration cytological examination (SPACE) and secretin-loaded PJC (S-PJC) have been recently introduced as alternative diagnostic methods. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic capacity and safety of SPACE and S-PJC using a propensity score-matched analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 75.0%, 100%, and 92.3% for S-PJC, respectively, and 71.4%, 100%, and 92.3% for SPACE, respectively, meaning that there was no significant difference between the groups. Four patients (15.4%) each in the S-PJC and SPACE groups experienced complications, including postendoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, pancreatitis, and cholangitis. Overall, there was no difference in efficacy and safety between the SPACE and S-PJC groups.
Cardiorenal Syndrome: Ebony and Ivory
Authors: Florens Nans
Published: April 2023

The kidney and cardiovascular systems are closely interconnected and interact continuously in both physiological and pathological conditions [...]
Relations among and Predictive Effects of Anxiety, Enjoyment and Self-Efficacy on Chinese Interpreting Majors’ Self-Rated Interpreting Competence
Authors: Xu Ying , Liu Meihua
Published: April 2023

It is generally acknowledged that emotions play important roles in second/foreign language learning. Nevertheless, though interpreting is highly stressful, not much research on emotions has been conducted is this area. Hence, this research investigated foreign language anxiety and enjoyment in interpreting class and self-efficacy in learning interpreting among Chinese university majors of interpreting. Analyses of 67 mixed-form questionnaires revealed the following major findings: (a) More than half of the participants felt anxious in the interpreting class, (highly) enjoyed the interpreting class and had (great) self-efficacy in learning interpreting well; (b) Interpreting classroom anxiety, enjoyment and self-efficacy were significantly related to one another and students’ self-rated interpreting competence; (c) Interpreting classroom anxiety negatively predicted students’ self-rated Chinese–English interpreting competence, while social enjoyment positively predicted students’ self-rated English–Chinese interpreting competence; and (d) A number of factors were reported for students’ anxiety and enjoyment in interpreting class and self-efficacy in learning interpreting. Based on these findings, some implications were discussed.
AAJS: An Anti-Malicious Attack Graphic Similarity Judgment System in Cloud Computing Environments
Authors: Liu Xin , Liu Xiaomeng , Xiong Neal , Luo Dan , Xu Gang , Chen Xiubo
Published: April 2023

With the rapid development of cloud computing and other modern technologies, collaborative computing between data is increasing, and privacy protection and secure multi-party computation are also attracting more attention. The emergence of cloud computing provides new options for data holders to perform complex computing problems and to store images; however, data privacy issues cannot be ignored. If a graphic is encrypted and stored in the cloud, the cloud server will perform confidential similar matching when the user searches. At present, most research on searchable encryption is focused on text search, with few schemes researched on how to finish the graphic search. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a secure search protocol based on graph shape under the semi-honest model. Using the cut-choose method and zero-knowledge proof, further designs of the anti-malicious attack graphic similarity judgment system (AAJS) based on the Paillier encryption algorithm, can achieve the secure search and matching of the graph while resisting malicious adversary attacks. The proposed protocol’s security is proved by the real/ideal model paradigm. This paper conducts performance analysis and experimental simulation on the existing scheme and the experiments demonstrate that the system achieves high execution efficiency.