bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Trees in Winter Air Purification on Children’s Routes to School
Authors: Hoppa Adrian , Sikorska Daria , Przybysz Arkadiusz , Melon Marta , Sikorski Piotr
Published: January 2022

Air pollution is now considered to be the world’s largest environmental health threat, accounting for millions of deaths globally each year. The social group that is particularly exposed to the harmful effects of air pollution is children. Their vulnerability results from higher breathing frequency and being subject to concentration peaks just above the ground. The negative effects of ambient particulate matter also depend on the time of exposure. A daily route to school can constitute an important component of children’s physical activity, but air pollution can pose a threat to their health. Numerous studies have proved that high loads of PM can be effectively reduced by vegetation. Little is known, however, on whether vegetation can also reduce PM during leaf dormancy. In this study we investigated the role of trees in air purification during the leafless period in children’s routes to selected schools located in Warsaw during winter. The results obtained show a weak impact of the tree canopy in winter.
Agroforestry: Opportunities and Challenges in Timor-Leste
Authors: Paudel Shyam , Baral Himlal , Rojario Adelino , Bhatta Kishor Prasad , Artati Yustina
Published: January 2022

Agro forestry is a land management system that integrates trees, agriculture crops, and animal farming in order to provide a diverse range of ecosystem services. Timor-Leste, the newest country and one of the least developed counties, has faced multidimensional challenges on land use management, including deforestation, land degradation, and poverty. The agroforestry system is recognized as one of the viable options for balancing the socio-economic needs and ecological functions of the lands in Timor-Leste. The system has been practiced traditionally by farmers in the country; however, the lack of knowledge and experience, limited institutional capacity, and lack of funding have impeded the wider implantation of the agroforestry system in Timor-Leste. The Strategic Development Plan of Timor-Leste has recommended sustainable agriculture and natural resources management in the rural areas of the country to generate income and create employment for the youths. The paper presents the initiatives, challenges, and opportunities of agroforestry application in Timor-Leste to support sustainable forest management and livelihood improvement. Learning from existing initiatives, capacity building, market access, and financial incentives could promote the agroforestry system in the country.
Rapid Static Positioning Using a Four System GNSS Receivers in the Forest Environment
Authors: Brach Michał
Published: January 2022

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are crucial elements used in forest inventories. Forest metrics modeling efficacy depends on the accuracy of determining sample plot locations by GNSS. As of 2021, the GNSS consists of 120 active satellites, ostensibly improving position acquisition in forest conditions. The main idea of this article was to evaluate GIS-class and geodetic class GNSS receivers on 33 control points located in the forest. The main assumptions were operating on four GNSS systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou), keeping a continuous online connection to the network of reference stations, maintaining occupation time-limited to 60 epochs, and repeating all the measurements three times. Rapid static positioning was tested, as it compares the true performance of the four GNSS systems receivers. Statistical differences between the receivers were confirmed. The GIS-class receiver achieved an accuracy of 1.38 m and a precision of 1.29 m, while the geodetic class receiver reached 0.74 m and 0.91 m respectively. Even though the research was conducted under the same data capture conditions, the large variability of positioning results were found to be caused by cycle slips and the multipath effect.
Integrated Segmentation Approach with Machine Learning Classifier in Detecting and Mapping Post Selective Logging Impacts Using UAV Imagery
Authors: Kamarulzaman Aisyah Marliza Muhmad , Wan Mohd Jaafar Wan Shafrina , Abdul Maulud Khairul Nizam , Saad Siti Nor Maizah , Omar Hamdan , Mohan Midhun
Published: January 2022

Selective logging can cause significant impacts on the residual stands, affecting biodiversity and leading to environmental changes. Proper monitoring and mapping of the impacts from logging activities, such as the stumps, felled logs, roads, skid trails, and forest canopy gaps, are crucial for sustainable forest management operations. The purpose of this study is to assess the indicators of selective logging impacts by detecting the individual stumps as the main indicators, evaluating the performance of classification methods to assess the impacts and identifying forest gaps from selective logging activities. The combination of forest inventory field plots and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) RGB and overlapped imaged were used in this study to assess these impacts. The study area is located in Ulu Jelai Forest Reserve in the central part of Peninsular Malaysia, covering an experimental study area of 48 ha. The study involved the integration of template matching (TM), object-based image analysis (OBIA), and machine learning classification—support vector machine (SVM) and artificial neural network (ANN). Forest features and tree stumps were classified, and the canopy height model was used for detecting forest canopy gaps in the post selective logging region. Stump detection using the integration of TM and OBIA produced an accuracy of 75.8% when compared with the ground data. Forest classification using SVM and ANN methods were adopted to extract other impacts from logging activities such as skid trails, felled logs, roads and forest canopy gaps. These methods provided an overall accuracy of 85% and kappa coefficient value of 0.74 when compared with conventional classifier. The logging operation also caused an 18.6% loss of canopy cover. The result derived from this study highlights the potential use of UAVs for efficient post logging impact analysis and can be used to complement conventional forest inventory practices.
Can Forest-Related Adaptive Capacity Reduce Landslide Risk Attributable to Climate Change?—Case of Republic of Korea
Authors: Lim Chul-Hee , Kim Hyun-Jun
Published: January 2022

Recent cases of climate disasters such as the European floods in 2021 and Korea’s longest rainy season in 2020 strongly imply the importance of adaptation to climate change. In this study, we performed a numerical prediction on how much climate change adaptation factors related to forest policy can reduce climate disasters such as landslides. We focused on the landslide in Korea and applied a machine learning model reflecting adaptive indicators in the representative concentration pathway 8.5 climate scenario. The changes in the landslide probability were estimated using the Random Forest model, which estimated the landslide probability in the baseline period (2011) with excellent performance, and the spatial adaptation indicators used in this study contributed approximately 20%. The future landslide risk predicting indicated a significant increase in the Very High and High risk areas, especially in 2092. The application of the forest-related adaptation indices based on the policy scenario showed that in 2050, the effect was not pronounced, but in 2092, when the risk of landslides was much higher, the effect increased significantly. In particular, the effect was remarkable in the Seoul metropolitan and southern coastal regions. Even with the same adaptive capacity, it exerted a larger effect on the enhanced disasters. Our results suggest that the enhancement of adaptive capacity can reduce landslide risk up to 70% in a Very High risk region. In conclusion, it implies an importance to respond to the intensifying climate disasters, and abundant follow-up studies are expected to appear in the future.
Expansion of Planted Forests: The Risk of Pesticides Mixtures
Authors: Barroso Gabriela Madureira , Duque Tayna Sousa , Custódio Isabela Goulart , Leite Maehssa Leonor Franco , Corrêa Juliano Miari , Silva Daniel Valadão , Júnior Aurélio Paes Barros , da Silva Francisca Daniele , dos Santos José Barbosa
Published: January 2022

Planted forests include forests established through human planting or deliberate seeding. They are systems that offer us timber and non-timber forest products and ecosystem services, such as wildlife protection, carbon sequestration, soil, and watershed maintenance. Brazil has 7.6 million hectares of planted forests, with 72% of the total area occupied by Eucalyptus spp. A favorable climate and management and genetic improvement research are the main factors responsible for high productivity. In recent years, the expansion of planted areas has been accompanied by the commercial release of several pesticides, mainly herbicides. A recent change in the Brazilian legislation allows mixing phytosanitary products in a spray tank, having a new approach to managing pests, diseases, and weeds. Antagonism is the main risk of tank mixes, and to reduce the dangers associated with this practice, we review all products registered for growing Eucalyptus. This literature review aims to identify the effects of product mixtures registered for Eucalyptus reported for other crops. In addition, environmental and social risk assessment has been widely adopted to export wood and cellulose, making the results of this review an indispensable tool in identifying the nature and degree of risks associated with pesticides. The results classify the effects of the mixtures as an additive, antagonistic or synergistic. The use of pesticide tank mixtures has the potential for expansion. However, there are still challenges regarding variations in the effects and applications in different climatic conditions. Therefore, studies that prove efficient mixtures for the forest sector are essential and the training of human resources.
Functional Identification of ICE Transcription Factors in Rubber Tree
Authors: Li Yan , Quan Caihong , Yang Shuguang , Wu Shaohua , Shi Minjing , Wang Jun , Tian Weimin
Published: January 2022

ICE (inducer of CBF expression) is a positive regulator of cold signaling pathway in plants. Identification of ICE transcription factors is important for the sustainable development of the natural rubber planting industry in nontraditional regions where sudden cold waves often occur. In this study, five ICE genes were isolated from genome of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) for analysing tolerance to cold stress. They shared an ICE-specific region in the highly conserved bHLH-ZIP domain and were localized in the nucleus. The HbICEs were different in transcript abundance and expression patterns in response to cold and drought stresses and among different rubber tree clones. Generally, the expression level of HbICEs was significantly higher in the cold-tolerant rubber tree clones than that in the cold-sensitive rubber tree clones. Overexpression of HbICE1, HbICE2, and HbICE4 significantly enhanced the cold tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis and tobacco, which showed a significant increase in chlorophyll content and decrease in relative water content and conductivity at the early stage of cold stress in comparison with wild-type plants. Furthermore, overexpression of HbICE2 and HbICE4, but also HbICE1 enhanced drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. The cold tolerance of rubber tree clones is positively controlled by the expression level of HbICE1, HbICE2, and HbICE4.
Impacts of Social Trust on Rural Households’ Attitudes Towards Ecological Conservation—Example of the Giant Panda Nature Reserves in China
Authors: Duan Wei , Su Nan , Jiang Yicheng , Shen Jinyu
Published: January 2022

Understanding rural households’ conservation attitudes is crucial to achieving biodiversity conservation effectiveness, and one underlying predictor of household conservation attitudes is social trust. This study examined the impact of rural households’ social trust on their ecological protection attitudes based on 922 rural household data around 13 giant panda nature reserves in Shaanxi Province and Sichuan Province, China. The results show that: (1) Social trust has a significant positive impact on rural households’ conservation attitudes. (2) Males’ ecological conservation attitudes are influenced by all the social trust variables, whereas females’ attitudes are influenced mainly by interpersonal trust (trust in neighbors and villagers). The conservation attitudes of households with higher education levels and higher family incomes are mainly affected by trust in government, while those with lower education levels and lower family incomes are more significantly affected by the trust in villagers and village cadres. The above conclusions are helpful to understand the influencing mechanism of rural households’ conservation attitudes and improve the protection effects of nature reserves.
Numerical Analysis of the Primary Gas Boundary Layer Flow Structure in Laser Fusion Cutting in Context to the Striation Characteristics of Cut Edges
Authors: Borkmann Madlen , Mahrle Achim
Published: January 2022

In cutting metals with solid-state lasers, a characteristic cutting edge structure is generated whose formation mechanisms still elude a consistent explanation. Several studies suggest a major contribution of the pressurized gas flow. Particular emphasis must be devoted to the gas boundary layer and its developing flow characteristics, since they determine the heat and momentum exchange between the cutting gas and the highly heated melt surface and thus the expulsion of the molten material from the kerf. The present study applies a CFD simulation model to analyze the gas flow during laser cutting with appropriate boundary conditions. Specifically, the gas boundary layer development is considered with a high spatial discretization of this zone in combination with a transition turbulence model. The results of the calculation reveal for the first time that the boundary layer is characterized by a quasi-stationary vortex structure composed of nearly horizontal geometry- and shock-induced separation zones and vertical vortices, which contribute to the transition to turbulent flow. Comparison of the results with the striation structure of experimental cut edges reveals a high agreement of the location, orientation, and size of the characteristic vortices with particular features of the striation structure of cut edges.
Innovative Extraction Technologies for Development of Functional Ingredients Based on Polyphenols from Olive Leaves
Authors: Clodoveo Maria Lisa , Crupi Pasquale , Annunziato Alessandro , Corbo Filomena
Published: January 2022

Olive tree (Olea europea L.) leaves represent around 10% of the total weight of olives arriving at any given mill, which are generally discarded, causing economic and environmental issues. However, these are rich sources of natural bioactive compounds (i.e., polyphenols), which have health-promoting potential. Thus, the valorization of olive leaves by recovering and reusing their components should be a must for food sustainability and circular economy. This review provides an insight into the principal polyphenols present in olive leaves, together with agronomic variables influencing their content. It also summarizes the recent advances in the application of novel extraction technologies that have shown promising extraction efficacy, reducing the volume of extraction solvent and saving time and cost. Moreover, potential industrial uses and international patents filed in the pharmaceutic, food, and cosmetic sectors are discussed.
On the Topological Structure of Nonlocal Continuum Field Theories
Authors: Mikki Said
Published: January 2022

An alternative to conventional spacetime is proposed and rigorously formulated for nonlocal continuum field theories through the deployment of a fiber bundle-based superspace extension method. We develop, in increasing complexity, the concept of nonlocality starting from general considerations, going through spatial dispersion, and ending up with a broad formulation that unveils the link between general topology and nonlocality in generic material media. It is shown that nonlocality naturally leads to a Banach (vector) bundle structure serving as an enlarged space (superspace) inside which physical processes, such as the electromagnetic ones, take place. The added structures, essentially fibered spaces, model the topological microdomains of physics-based nonlocality and provide a fine-grained geometrical picture of field–matter interactions in nonlocal metamaterials. We utilize standard techniques in the theory of smooth manifolds to construct the Banach bundle structure by paying careful attention to the relevant physics. The electromagnetic response tensor is then reformulated as a superspace bundle homomorphism and the various tools needed to proceed from the local topology of microdomains to global domains are developed. For concreteness and simplicity, our presentations of both the fundamental theory and the examples given to illustrate the mathematics all emphasize the case of electromagnetic field theory, but the superspace formalism developed here is quite general and can be easily extended to other types of nonlocal continuum field theories. An application to fundamental theory is given, which consists of utilizing the proposed superspace theory of nonlocal metamaterials in order to explain why nonlocal electromagnetic materials often require additional boundary conditions or extra input from microscopic theory relative to local electromagnetism, where in the latter case such extra input is not needed. Real-life case studies quantitatively illustrating the microdomain structure in nonlocal semiconductors are provided. Moreover, in a series of connected appendices, we outline a new broad view of the emerging field of nonlocal electromagnetism in material domains, which, together with the main superspace formalism introduced in the main text, may be considered a new unified general introduction to the physics and methods of nonlocal metamaterials.
The Combination of Nucleotide Analog Therapy and Steroid Pulse Therapy for Acute HBV Infection Effectively Promotes HBV Clearance
Authors: Goya Takeshi , Kurashige Tomoyuki , Kurokawa Miho , Tanaka Masatake , Aoyagi Tomomi , Takahashi Motoi , Imoto Koji , Tashiro Shigeki , Suzuki Hideo , Kato Masaki , Kohjima Motoyuki , Ogawa Yoshihiro
Published: January 2022

Acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection occasionally progresses to acute liver failure, often with poor prognosis. The appropriate pharmacological approach is yet to be established. Although nucleotide analogs (NA) and corticosteroids are candidates for the treatment of acute HBV infection, their therapeutic effects, especially their effect on HBV clearance, remain unclear. To clarify effects on the HBV clearance of combination therapy of NA and steroid pulse therapy (SPT) for acute HBV infection, we first analyze the effectiveness of this therapy in patients with HBV infection compared with NA monotherapy (NAM). Of the 57 consecutive patients with acute hepatitis B infection from May 2007 to December 2018, we have included 25 patients for this study, whom we followed up until HBV clearance. According to the administration of NA and SPT, we divided patients into two groups (NAM group and NA + SPT group) and compared their results. Of the 25 patients, 10 received NAM, whereas 15 received NA + SPT. There were no appreciable adverse effects related to SPT. The time required for the clearance of HBsAg (76 (43–116) days vs. 26 (14–51) days, p = 0.0418) and HBV-DNA (NAM group vs. NA + SPT group: 180 (83.5–220) vs. 69 (43–136) days, p = 0.0420) was significantly shorter in the NA + SPT group than in the NAM group. The hazard ratio of NA + SPT for the clearance of HBsAg and HBV-DNA were 0.45 (0.19–1.09) and 0.35 (0.14–0.89), respectively. In conclusion, we showed that NA + SPT promoted HBV elimination. These findings support the use of the NA + SPT combination for acute HBV infection without the concern of persistent HBV infection.
Characterization of the Chitinase Gene Family in Mulberry (Morus notabilis) and MnChi18 Involved in Resistance to Botrytis cinerea
Authors: Xin Youchao , Wang Donghao , Han Shengmei , Li Suxia , Gong Na , Fan Yiting , Ji Xianling
Published: January 2022

Chitinase is a hydrolase that uses chitin as a substrate. It plays an important role in plant resistance to fungal pathogens by degrading chitin. Here, we conducted bioinformatics analysis and transcriptome data analysis of the mulberry (Morus notabilis) chitinase gene family to determine its role in the resistance to Botrytis cinerea. A total of 26 chitinase genes were identified, belonging to the GH18 and GH19 families. Among them, six chitinase genes were differentially expressed under the infection of B. cinerea. MnChi18, which significantly responded to B. cinerea, was heterologously expressed in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The resistance of MnChi18 transgenic Arabidopsis to B. cinerea was significantly enhanced, and after inoculation with B. cinerea, the activity of catalase (CAT) increased and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased. This shows that overexpression of MnChi18 can protect cells from damage. In addition, our study also indicated that MnChi18 may be involved in B. cinerea resistance through other resistance-related genes. This study provides an important basis for further understanding the function of mulberry chitinase.
Development of Disease-Resistance-Associated Microsatellite DNA Markers for Selective Breeding of Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) Farmed in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Che-Chun , Huang Chang-Wen , Lin Chung-Yen , Ho Chia-Hui , Pham Hong Nhat , Hsu Te-Hua , Lin Tzu-Tang , Chen Rong-Hwa , Yang Shuenn-Der , Chang Chin-I. , Gong Hong-Yi
Published: January 2022

There are numerous means to improve the tilapia aquaculture industry, and one is to develop disease resistance through selective breeding using molecular markers. In this study, 11 disease-resistance-associated microsatellite markers including 3 markers linked to hamp2, 4 linked to hamp1, 1 linked to pgrn2, 2 linked to pgrn1, and 1 linked to piscidin 4 (TP4) genes were established for tilapia strains farmed in Taiwan after challenge with Streptococcus inae. The correlation analysis of genotypes and survival revealed a total of 55 genotypes related to survival by the chi-square and Z-test. Although fewer markers were found in B and N2 strains compared with A strain, they performed well in terms of disease resistance. It suggested that this may be due to the low potency of some genotypes and the combinatorial arrangement between them. Therefore, a predictive model was built by the genotypes of the parental generation and the mortality rate of different combinations was calculated. The results show the same trend of predicted mortality in the offspring of three new disease-resistant strains as in the challenge experiment. The present findings is a nonkilling method without requiring the selection by challenge with bacteria or viruses and might increase the possibility of utilization of selective breeding using SSR markers in farms.
Genome Chaos, Information Creation, and Cancer Emergence: Searching for New Frameworks on the 50th Anniversary of the “War on Cancer”
Authors: Heng Julie , Heng Henry H.
Published: January 2022

The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the National Cancer Act, signed by President Nixon, which declared a national “war on cancer.” Powered by enormous financial support, this past half-century has witnessed remarkable progress in understanding the individual molecular mechanisms of cancer, primarily through the characterization of cancer genes and the phenotypes associated with their pathways. Despite millions of publications and the overwhelming volume data generated from the Cancer Genome Project, clinical benefits are still lacking. In fact, the massive, diverse data also unexpectedly challenge the current somatic gene mutation theory of cancer, as well as the initial rationales behind sequencing so many cancer samples. Therefore, what should we do next? Should we continue to sequence more samples and push for further molecular characterizations, or should we take a moment to pause and think about the biological meaning of the data we have, integrating new ideas in cancer biology? On this special anniversary, we implore that it is time for the latter. We review the Genome Architecture Theory, an alternative conceptual framework that departs from gene-based theories. Specifically, we discuss the relationship between genes, genomes, and information-based platforms for future cancer research. This discussion will reinforce some newly proposed concepts that are essential for advancing cancer research, including two-phased cancer evolution (which reconciles evolutionary contributions from karyotypes and genes), stress-induced genome chaos (which creates new system information essential for macroevolution), the evolutionary mechanism of cancer (which unifies diverse molecular mechanisms to create new karyotype coding during evolution), and cellular adaptation and cancer emergence (which explains why cancer exists in the first place). We hope that these ideas will usher in new genomic and evolutionary conceptual frameworks and strategies for the next 50 years of cancer research.
Perceptions of Practicing Physicians and Members of the Public on the Attributes of a “Good Doctor”
Authors: Dopelt Keren , Bachner Yaacov G. , Urkin Jacob , Yahav Zehava , Davidovitch Nadav , Barach Paul
Published: January 2022

Since physician–patient relationships are a central part of the medical practice, it is essential to understand whether physicians and the general public share the same perspective on traits defining a “good doctor”. Our study compared the perceptions of physicians and members of the public on the essential traits of a “good doctor.” We conducted parallel surveys of 1000 practicing specialist-physicians, and 500 members of the public in Israel. Respondents were asked about the two most important attributes of a “good doctor” and whether they thought the physicians’ role was to reduce health disparities. Many physicians (56%) and members of the public (48%) reported that the role of physicians includes helping to reduce health disparities. Physicians emphasized the importance of non-technical skills such as humaneness and concern for patients as important traits of a “good doctor,” while the public emphasized professional and technical skills. Internal medicine physicians were more likely than surgeons to emphasize humaneness, empathy, and professionalism. Future research should focus on actionable approaches to bridge the gap in the perceptions between the groups, and that may support the formation of caring physicians embedded in a complex array of relationships within clinical and community contexts.
Effect of Paprika Xanthophyll Supplementation on Cognitive Improvement in a Multitasking Exercise: A Pilot Study for Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Authors: Shirai Asako , Wadazumi Tsuyoshi
Published: January 2022

Ingestion of paprika xanthophyll supplement (PX), which has antioxidant effects, has been recently reported to maintain red blood cell deformability and improve oxygen delivery efficiency. Therefore, we hypothesized that the brain activation induced by multitasking exercise in middle-aged and older participants along with the improved erythrocyte oxygen-carrying efficiency induced by PX supplementation would show a synergistic effect, increasing oxygen supply to the brain and improving cognitive function more effectively. In study 1, cerebral blood flow measurements were conducted during the multitasking exercise and cognitive function tests to verify their effect on cognitive function. The results confirmed that cerebral blood flow increased during the exercise and cognitive function improved after the exercise. In study 2, we compared the effects of the multitasking exercise on cognitive function before and after PX supplementation in middle-aged and older participants to evaluate the effects of PX supplementation. The results suggested that PX supplementation enhanced the effects of active multitasking exercise on cognitive function. We speculate that the improvement of oxygen transport efficiency by PX resulted in more effective oxygen supply, allowing the multitasking exercise to occur more effectively, which was reflected as an improvement in the cognitive function.
Together in Care: An Enhanced Meals on Wheels Intervention Designed to Reduce Rehospitalizations among Older Adults with Cardiopulmonary Disease—Preliminary Findings
Authors: Galiatsatos Panagis , Ajayi Adejoke , Maygers Joyce , Archer Smith Stephanie , Theilheimer Lucy , Golden Sherita H. , Bennett Richard G. , Hale William Daniel
Published: January 2022

Rehospitalizations in the Medicare population may be influenced by many diverse social factors, such as, but not limited to, access to food, social isolation, and housing safety. Rehospitalizations result in significant cost in this population, with an expected increase as Medicare enrollment grows. We designed a pilot study based upon a partnership between a hospital and a local Meals on Wheels agency to support patients following an incident hospitalization to assess impact on hospital utilization. Patients from an urban medical center who were 60 years or older, had a prior hospitalization in the past 12 months, and had a diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were recruited. Meals on Wheels provided interventions over 3 months of the patient’s transition to home: food delivery, home safety inspection, social engagement, and medical supply allocation. Primary outcome was reduction of hospital expenditure. In regard to the results, 84 participants were included in the pilot cohort, with the majority (54) having COPD. Mean age was 74.9 ± 10.5 years; 33 (39.3%) were female; 62 (73.8%) resided in extreme socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Total hospital expenditures while the cohort was enrolled in the transition program were $435,258 ± 113,423, a decrease as compared to $1,445,637 ± 325,433 (p < 0.01) of the cohort’s cost during the three months prior to enrollment. In conclusion, the initiative for patients with advanced chronic diseases resulted in a significant reduction of hospitalization expenditures. Further investigations are necessary to define the impact of this intervention on a larger cohort of patients as well as its generalizability across diverse geographic regions.
A Novel Deep Learning Approach Using Contextual Embeddings for Toponym Resolution
Authors: Cardoso Ana Bárbara , Martins Bruno , Estima Jacinto
Published: January 2022

This article describes a novel approach for toponym resolution with deep neural networks. The proposed approach does not involve matching references in the text against entries in a gazetteer, instead directly predicting geo-spatial coordinates. Multiple inputs are considered in the neural network architecture (e.g., the surrounding words are considered in combination with the toponym to disambiguate), using pre-trained contextual word embeddings (i.e., ELMo or BERT) as well as bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory units, which are both regularly used for modeling textual data. The intermediate representations are then used to predict a probability distribution over possible geo-spatial regions, and finally to predict the coordinates for the input toponym. The proposed model was tested on three datasets used on previous toponym resolution studies, specifically the (i) War of the Rebellion, (ii) Local–Global Lexicon, and (iii) SpatialML corpora. Moreover, we evaluated the effect of using (i) geophysical terrain properties as external information, including information on elevation or terrain development, among others, and (ii) additional data collected from Wikipedia articles, to further help with the training of the model. The obtained results show improvements using the proposed method, when compared to previous approaches, and specifically when BERT embeddings and additional data are involved.
Ganglioside GD2 Enhances the Malignant Phenotypes of Melanoma Cells by Cooperating with Integrins
Authors: Yesmin Farhana , Bhuiyan Robiul H. , Ohmi Yuhsuke , Yamamoto Satoko , Kaneko Kei , Ohkawa Yuki , Zhang Pu , Hamamura Kazunori , Cheung Nai-Kong V. , Kotani Norihiro , Honke Koichi , Okajima Tetsuya , Kambe Mariko , Tajima Orie , Furukawa Keiko , Furukawa Koichi
Published: January 2022

Gangliosides have been considered to modulate cell signals in the microdomain of the cell membrane, lipid/rafts, or glycolipid-enriched microdomain/rafts (GEM/rafts). In particular, cancer-associated gangliosides were reported to enhance the malignant properties of cancer cells. In fact, GD2-positive (GD2+) cells showed increased proliferation, invasion, and adhesion, compared with GD2-negative (GD2−) cells. However, the precise mechanisms by which gangliosides regulate cell signaling in GEM/rafts are not well understood. In order to analyze the roles of ganglioside GD2 in the malignant properties of melanoma cells, we searched for GD2-associating molecules on the cell membrane using the enzyme-mediated activation of radical sources combined with mass spectrometry, and integrin β1 was identified as a representative GD2-associating molecule. Then, we showed the physical association of GD2 and integrin β1 by immunoprecipitation/immunoblotting. Close localization was also shown by immuno-cytostaining and the proximity ligation assay. During cell adhesion, GD2+ cells showed multiple phospho-tyrosine bands, i.e., the epithelial growth factor receptor and focal adhesion kinase. The knockdown of integrin β1 revealed that the increased malignant phenotypes in GD2+ cells were clearly cancelled. Furthermore, the phosphor-tyrosine bands detected during the adhesion of GD2+ cells almost completely disappeared after the knockdown of integrin β1. Finally, immunoblotting to examine the intracellular distribution of integrins during cell adhesion revealed that large amounts of integrin β1 were localized in GEM/raft fractions in GD2+ cells before and just after cell adhesion, with the majority being localized in the non-raft fractions in GD2− cells. All these results suggest that GD2 and integrin β1 cooperate in GEM/rafts, leading to enhanced malignant phenotypes of melanomas.
Telomere Shortening and Its Association with Cell Dysfunction in Lung Diseases
Authors: Ruiz Andy , Flores-Gonzalez Julio , Buendia-Roldan Ivette , Chavez-Galan Leslie
Published: January 2022

Telomeres are localized at the end of chromosomes to provide genome stability; however, the telomere length tends to be shortened with each cell division inducing a progressive telomere shortening (TS). In addition to age, other factors, such as exposure to pollutants, diet, stress, and disruptions in the shelterin protein complex or genes associated with telomerase induce TS. This phenomenon favors cellular senescence and genotoxic stress, which increases the risk of the development and progression of lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, SARS-CoV-2 infection, and lung cancer. In an infectious environment, immune cells that exhibit TS are associated with severe lymphopenia and death, whereas in a noninfectious context, naïve T cells that exhibit TS are related to cancer progression and enhanced inflammatory processes. In this review, we discuss how TS modifies the function of the immune system cells, making them inefficient in maintaining homeostasis in the lung. Finally, we discuss the advances in drug and gene therapy for lung diseases where TS could be used as a target for future treatments.
Translocation of Tebuconazole between Bee Matrices and Its Potential Threat on Honey Bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) Queens
Authors: Raimets Risto , Naudi Sigmar , Mänd Marika , Bartkevičs Vadims , Smagghe Guy , Karise Reet
Published: January 2022

Various pesticide residues can be found in different bee colony components. The queen larvae of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) receive non-contaminated food from nurse bees. However, there is little knowledge about how pesticide residues affect developing bees. Additionally, little is known about the migration of lipophilic pesticides between bee matrices. While wax, royal jelly (RJ), and bee larvae are chemically distinct, they all contain lipids and we expected the lipophilic fungicide tebuconazole to be absorbed by different contacting materials. Our aim was to analyze the translocation of tebuconazole residues from queen cell wax to RJ, queen larvae, and newly emerged queens and to evaluate its potential risk to queens. We demonstrated the potential for the migration of tebuconazole from wax to RJ, with a strong dilution effect from the original contamination source. No residues were detected in queen bee larvae and newly emerged queens, indicating that the migration of tebuconazole probably did not directly endanger the queen bee, but there was some risk that tebuconazole might still affect the homeostasis of developing bees.
How Did Seal Lice Turn into the Only Truly Marine Insects?
Authors: Leonardi María Soledad , Crespo José E. , Soto Florencia , Lazzari Claudio R.
Published: January 2022

Insects are the most evolutionarily and ecologically successful group of living animals, being present in almost all possible mainland habitats; however, they are virtually absent in the ocean, which constitutes more than 99% of the Earth’s biosphere. Only a few insect species can be found in the sea but they remain at the surface, in salt marshes, estuaries, or shallow waters. Remarkably, a group of 13 species manages to endure long immersion periods in the open sea, as well as deep dives, i.e., seal lice. Sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura) are ectoparasites of mammals, living while attached to the hosts’ skin, into their fur, or among their hairs. Among them, the family Echinophthiriidae is peculiar because it infests amphibious hosts, such as pinnipeds and otters, who make deep dives and spend from weeks to months in the open sea. During the evolutionary transition of pinnipeds from land to the ocean, echinophthiriid lice had to manage the gradual change to an amphibian lifestyle along with their hosts, some of which may spend more than 80% of the time submerged and performing extreme dives, some beyond 2000 m under the surface. These obligate and permanent ectoparasites have adapted to cope with hypoxia, high salinity, low temperature, and, in particular, conditions of huge hydrostatic pressures. We will discuss some of these adaptations allowing seal lice to cope with their hosts’ amphibious habits and how they can help us understand why insects are so rare in the ocean.
Updates in Clinical and Translational Glaucoma Research
Authors: García-Medina José Javier , Pinazo-Durán Maria Dolores
Published: January 2022

Glaucoma is a sight-threatening disease and the primum mobile of irreversible blindness worldwide [...]
Mildly Impaired Foot Control in Long-Term Treated Patients with Wilson’s Disease
Authors: Samadzadeh Sara , Hefter Harald , Tezayak Osman , Rosenthal Dietmar
Published: January 2022

Abnormal gait is a common initial symptom of Wilson’s disease, which responds well to therapy, but has not been analyzed in detail so far. In a pilot study, a mild gait disturbance could be detected in long-term treated Wilson patients. The question still is what the underlying functional deficit of this gait disturbance is and how this functional deficit correlates with further clinical and laboratory findings. In 30 long-term treated Wilson patients, the vertical component of foot ground reaction forces (GRF-curves) was analyzed during free walking without aid at the preferred gait speed over a distance of 40 m. An Infotronic® gait analysis system, consisting of soft tissue shoes with solid, but flexible plates containing eight force transducers, was used to record the pressure of the feet on the floor. Parameters of the GRF-curves were correlated with clinical scores as well as laboratory findings. The results of Wilson patients were compared to those of an age- and sex-matched control group. In 24 out of 30 Wilson patients and all controls, two peaks could be distinguished: the first “heel-on” and the second “push-off” peak. The heights of these peaks above the midstance valley were significantly reduced in the patients (p < 0.05). The time differences between peaks 1 or 2 and midstance valley were significantly negatively correlated with the total impairment score (p < 0.05). Gait speed was significantly correlated with the height of the “push-off” peak above the midstance valley (p < 0.045). The GRF-curves of free walking, long-term treated patients with Wilson’s disease showed a reduced “push-off” peak as an underlying deficit to push the center of mass of the body to the contralateral side with the forefoot, explaining the reduction in gait speed during walking.
A Novel Real Time PCR Method for the Detection and Quantification of Didymella pinodella in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Plant Hosts
Authors: Šišić Adnan , Oberhänsli Thomas , Baćanović-Šišić Jelena , Hohmann Pierre , Finckh Maria Renate
Published: January 2022

Didymella pinodella is the major pathogen of the pea root rot complex in Europe. This wide host range pathogen often asymptomatically colonizes its hosts, making the control strategies challenging. We developed a real-time PCR assay for the detection and quantification of D. pinodella based on the TEF-1 alpha gene sequence alignments. The assay was tested for specificity on a 54-isolate panel representing 35 fungal species and further validated in symptomatic and asymptomatic pea and wheat roots from greenhouse tests. The assay was highly consistent across separate qPCR reactions and had a quantification/detection limit of 3.1 pg of target DNA per reaction in plant tissue. Cross-reactions were observed with DNA extracts of five Didymella species. The risk of cross contamination, however, is low as the non-targets have not been associated with pea previously and they were amplified with at least 1000-fold lower sensitivity. Greenhouse inoculation tests revealed a high correlation between the pathogen DNA quantities in pea roots and pea root rot severity and biomass reduction. The assay also detected D. pinodella in asymptomatic wheat roots, which, despite the absence of visible root rot symptoms, caused wheat biomass reduction. This study provides new insights into the complex life style of D. pinodella and can assist in better understanding the pathogen survival and spread in the environment.
A Multivariate Approach to Evaluate Reduced Tillage Systems and Cover Crop Sustainability
Authors: Sartori Felice , Piccoli Ilaria , Polese Riccardo , Berti Antonio
Published: January 2022

The evaluation of the effects of conservation agriculture during the transition from conventional tillage to no-tillage requires numerous indicators to be considered. For this purpose, we monitored changes in a multi-parameter dataset during a three-year experiment that combined three tillage intensities (conventional tillage—CT; minimum tillage—MT; and no tillage—NT) with three soil covering managements (tillage radish cover crop, winter wheat cover crop and bare soil). Using a multivariate analysis, we developed a Relative Sustainability Index (RSI) based on 11 physical (e.g., bulk density and penetration resistance), chemical (e.g., soil organic carbon and pH) and biological soil properties (e.g., earthworm density) to evaluate cropping systems sustainability. The RSI was most affected by tillage intensity showing higher RSI values (i.e., better performances) in reduced tillage systems. Specifically, the RSI under NT was 42% greater than that of CT and 13% greater than that of MT. Soil covering had little impact on the RSI. Among the tested parameters, the RSI was increased most by saturated hydraulic conductivity (+193%) and earthworm density (+339%) across CT and NT treatments. Our results suggest that conservation agriculture and, particularly, reduced tillage systems, have the potential to increase farm environmental and agronomic sustainability.
Superionic Solid Electrolyte Li7La3Zr2O12 Synthesis and Thermodynamics for Application in All-Solid-State Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Aleksandrov Daniil , Novikov Pavel , Popovich Anatoliy , Wang Qingsheng
Published: January 2022

Solid-state reaction was used for Li7La3Zr2O12 material synthesis from Li2CO3, La2O3 and ZrO2 powders. Phase investigation of Li7La3Zr2O12 was carried out by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) methods. The thermodynamic characteristics were investigated by calorimetry measurements. The molar heat capacity (Cp,m), the standard enthalpy of formation from binary compounds (ΔoxHLLZO) and from elements (ΔfHLLZO), entropy (S0298), the Gibbs free energy of the Li7La3Zr2O12 formation (∆f G0298) and the Gibbs free energy of the LLZO reaction with metallic Li (∆rGLLZO/Li) were determined. The corresponding values are Cp,m = 518.135 + 0.599 × T − 8.339 × T−2, (temperature range is 298–800 K), ΔoxHLLZO = −186.4 kJ·mol−1, ΔfHLLZO = −9327.65 ± 7.9 kJ·mol−1, S0298 = 362.3 J·mol−1·K−1, ∆f G0298 = −9435.6 kJ·mol−1, and ∆rGLLZO/Li = 8.2 kJ·mol−1, respectively. Thermodynamic performance shows the possibility of Li7La3Zr2O12 usage in lithium-ion batteries.
Particle-Based Numerical Simulation Study of Solid Particle Erosion of Ductile Materials Leading to an Erosion Model, Including the Particle Shape Effect
Authors: Mohseni-Mofidi Shoya , Drescher Eric , Kruggel-Emden Harald , Teschner Matthias , Bierwisch Claas
Published: January 2022

Solid particle erosion inevitably occurs if a gas–solid or liquid–solid mixture is in contact with a surface, e.g., in pneumatic conveyors. Having a good understanding of this complex phenomenon enables one to reduce the maintenance costs in several industrial applications by designing components that have longer lifetimes. In this paper, we propose a methodology to numerically investigate erosion behavior of ductile materials. We employ smoothed particle hydrodynamics that can easily deal with large deformations and fractures as a truly meshless method. In addition, a new contact model was developed in order to robustly handle contacts around sharp corners of the solid particles. The numerical predictions of erosion are compared with experiments for stainless steel AISI 304, showing that we are able to properly predict the erosion behavior as a function of impact angle. We present a powerful tool to conveniently study the effect of important parameters, such as solid particle shapes, which are not simple to study in experiments. Using the methodology, we study the effect of a solid particle shape and conclude that, in addition to angularity, aspect ratio also plays an important role by increasing the probability of the solid particles to rotate after impact. Finally, we are able to extend a widely used erosion model by a term that considers a solid particle shape.
A Nanoindentation Approach for Time-Dependent Evaluation of Surface Free Energy in Micro- and Nano-Structured Titanium
Authors: De Santis Serena , Rossi Edoardo , Sebastiani Marco , Sennato Simona , Bemporad Edoardo , Orsini Monica
Published: January 2022

Surface free energy (SFE) of titanium surfaces plays a significant role in tissue engineering, as it affects the effectiveness and long-term stability of both active coatings and functionalization and the establishment of strong bonds to the newly growing bone. A new contact–mechanics methodology based on high-resolution non-destructive elastic contacting nanoindentation is applied here to study SFE of micro- and nano-structured titanium surfaces, right after their preparation and as a function of exposure to air. The effectiveness of different surface treatments in enhancing SFE is assessed. A time-dependent decay of SFE within a few hours is observed, with kinetics related to the sample preparation. The fast, non-destructive method adopted allowed for SFE measurements in very hydrophilic conditions, establishing a reliable comparison between surfaces with different properties.