bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the Plumage Condition of Non-Beak-Trimmed Rhode ISLAND-Type Pedigree Hens in Cages and Alternative Pens
Authors: Szász Sándor , Milisits Gábor , Orbán Attila , Farkas Tamás Péter , Pető Lilla , Mezőszentgyörgyi Dávid , Garamvölgyi Erik , Horn Péter , Sütő Zoltán
Published: April 2023

The extent of the feathers covering a bird’s body and the condition of the plumage largely determine the bird’s well-being and aesthetic condition. This investigation aimed to compare changes in the plumage status of laying hens in dissimilar housing systems in the egg-laying period. The experiment was carried out with 1460 non-beak-trimmed laying hens, provided by Bábolna TETRA Ltd., representing a part of the Rhode-type elite lines (Rhode Island Red (RIR) and Rhode Island White (RIW)) used for breeding brown layer hybrids. Hens were kept in the closed experimental laying house of MATE University (Kaposvár Campus), where the RIR and RIW hens were placed into three types of housing systems: EU standard furnished cage (EU) (7560 cm2; 10 hens/cage; 756 cm2/hen); Alternative pen (A) (5.52 m2, floor and litter combination, 53 hens/pen; 1040 cm2/hen); and Conventional cage (C) (3780 cm2; 6 hens/cage; 630 cm2/hen). The feathering status of the hens was examined at five body parts: neck, breast, wings, back and tail at 33, 45 and 61 weeks of age, which was evaluated on a four-grade scale by the same experienced scorer, and the cumulated plumage point (5–20) was calculated for each hen. The RIW genotype had a better plumage condition than RIR at each of the examined times (at the 33rd week: 19.0, 18.3; at the 45th week: 18.4, 17.4; at the 61st week: 17.2, 15.5). The status of the plumage of the RIR hens had deteriorated to a greater extent. As age progressed, the plumage condition of both genotypes significantly deteriorated in all the three housing technologies. The relatively high level of deterioration can be partly explained by the fact that the animals were non-beak-trimmed. At all test times, the total feather score of the birds in the alternative cage housing was significantly better (at the 33rd week: EU: 18.4, A: 19.1, C: 18.5; at the 45th week: EU: 17.6, A: 18.6, C: 17.4; at the 61st week: EU: 15.9, A: 16.9; C: 16.1). The condition of the neck plumage was better in group RIW than in RIR, and the best in the alternative housing at each test time. At the end, the high decomposition results were striking, since at the beginning there were values close to the maximum (3.98; 3.99). It can be concluded that the reason for the dominantly favorable aviary results is that the hens in this type of housing have to come into contact with fewer mechanical factors, their companions do not jump on their backs when changing places, they do not have to stick their heads out of the grid to collect feed, etc. In addition to all this, they also had a littered scratching area and a nest lined with artificial grass, where they could scratch and take a dust bath.
Mechanical Properties and Constitutive Relationship of Cretaceous Frozen Sandstone under Low Temperature
Authors: Shu Siyuan , Yao Zhishu , Xu Yongjie , Wang Chen , Hu Kun
Published: April 2023

During the construction of coal mine shafts through Cretaceous water-rich stratum using the freezing method, the frozen shaft lining can break and lose stability. Hence, it is necessary to examine the mechanical properties and constitutive relationship of Cretaceous water-rich sandstone under the effect of surrounding rocks. To this end, in this work, the mechanical properties of red sandstone at different confining pressures and freezing temperatures were examined by using a ZTCR-2000 low-temperature triaxial testing system, wherein the 415–418 m deep red sandstone in the Lijiagou air-return shaft of Wenjiapo Mine was taken as the research object. The test results indicated that the stress–strain curves of rock under triaxial compression and uniaxial compression presented four stages: pore compaction, elastic compression, plastic yield, and post-peak deformation. The difference between the two cases was that the post-peak curve of the former was abrupt, while the latter exhibited a post-peak strain softening section. As the freezing temperature was constant, with the raise in the confining pressure, the elastic modulus and peak strength of the rock rose linearly, while the Poisson’s ratio decreased quadratically. As the control confining pressure was constant, the elastic modulus and rock’s peak strength increased with the decrease in the temperature, and under the condition of negative temperature, the two parameters were linearly correlated with the temperature, while the Poisson’s ratio showed the opposite trend. The two-part Hooke’s model and the statistical damage model based on Drucker–Prager (D-P) yield criterion were used to establish the stress–strain relationship models before and after the rock yield point, optimize the model parameters, and optimize the junction of the two models. The results revealed that the optimized model curve was in good agreement with the experimental curve, which suggests that the proposed model can accurately describe the stress–strain characteristics of rock under three-dimensional stress. This verified the feasibility and rationality of the proposed model for examining the constitutive relationship of rocks.
Zero-Inflated Patent Data Analysis Using Compound Poisson Models
Authors: Park Sangsung , Jun Sunghae
Published: April 2023

A large part of big data consists of text documents such as papers, patents or articles. To analyze text data, we have to preprocess the text documents and build a structured data based on a document-word matrix using various text mining techniques. This is because statistics and machine learning algorithms used in text analysis require structured train data. The row and column of the matrix are document and word, respectively. The element of the matrix represents the frequency value of the word occurring in each document. In general, because the number of words is much larger than the number of documents, most elements have zero values. Due to the sparsity problem caused by inflated zeros, the performance of the predictive model has decreased. In this paper, we propose a method to solve the sparsity problem and improve the model performance in text data analysis. We perform compound Poisson linear modeling to make the proposed method. To show the performance of our proposed method, we collect and analyze the patent documents from patent databases. In our experimental results, we compared the value of the Akaike information criterion (AIC) of the proposed model with traditional models, such as linear model, generalized linear model and zero-inflated Poisson model. Additionally, we illustrated that the AIC value of our proposed model is smaller than others. Therefore, we verify the validity of this paper.
Personality Types and Traits—Examining and Leveraging the Relationship between Different Personality Models for Mutual Prediction
Authors: Radisavljević Dušan , Rzepka Rafal , Araki Kenji
Published: April 2023

The popularity of social media services has led to an increase of personality-relevant data in online spaces. While the majority of people who use these services tend to express their personality through measures offered by the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), another personality model known as the Big Five has been a dominant paradigm in academic works that deal with personality research. In this paper, we seek to bridge the gap between the MBTI, Big Five and another personality model known as the Enneagram of Personality, with the goal of increasing the amount of resources for the Big Five model. We further explore the relationship that was previously reported between the MBTI types and certain Big Five traits as well as test for the presence of a similar relationship between Enneagram and Big Five measures. We propose a new method relying on psycholingusitc features selected based on their relationship with the MBTI model. This approach showed the best performance through our experiments and led to an increase of up to 3% in automatic personality recognition for Big Five traits on the per-trait level. Our detailed experimentation offers further insight into the nature of personality and into how well it translates between different personality models.
Feasibility Study of Integrated Precision Abrasive Machining of Shaped Surfaces
Authors: Jaskólski Piotr , Chaciński Tomasz , Zawadka Wojciech , Nadolny Krzysztof
Published: April 2023

The use of CNC equipment that integrates several machining operations allows the elimination of downtime resulting from setup changeovers and the clamping of workpieces in several different machine tools. More and more CNC machines and tools that allow the integration of several machining operations are appearing on the market, but there are only a few examples of these and many solutions that allow such integration for more complex operations are still missing. The aforementioned factors motivated the research work described in this paper. The purpose of the present study was to develop an innovative grinding head with different functional features for use in the process of shaped surfaces face grinding, the use of which will enable complete abrasive machining in a single mounting. The conducted tests of the grinding process showed a reduction in the values of the roughness parameters Sa (5.30, 1.12, 0.63 μm), St (31.8, 14.4, 6.72 μm), Sq (6.39, 1.46, 0.81 μm) and Spk (6.16, 0.77, 0.33 μm) and an increase in the value of the parameter Sds (393, 563, 1203 pks/mm2) on the surface after machining in two stages, first for rough grinding and then for finishing relative to the surface after the shaped milling process.
CO2 Diffusion and Carbonation in OPC/γ-2CaO·SiO2 Composite
Authors: Kang Seung-Min , Moon Kwang-Kyun , Lee Woong-Geol , Song Myong-Shin
Published: April 2023

Gamma dicalcium silicate (γ-2CaO∙SiO2, abbreviated as γ-C2S) is considered a potential candidate as a construction material owing to its high carbonation reactivity and consequent CO2 absorption. This study investigates the diffusion of CO2, a physical process, into hardened cement paste and the resulting carbonation, a chemical process. CO2 diffuses from a region of high concentration to one of a lower concentration, which is the inner core of the hardened cement. This study aimed to examine whether the diffusion of CO2 into the ordinary Portland cement (OPC)/γ-C2S composite paste followed the conventional laws of diffusion. We also studied the diffusion of CaCO3 to determine if carbonation products were formed in the pores and examined the capture of CO2. The paste specimens were prepared and subjected to CO2 in the carbonation chambers for varying periods. The results showed that the CaCO3 deposited in the pores affected the rate of diffusion of CO2 in the mortars and pastes, resulting in the densification of such bodies and a decreased rate of diffusion, leading to the shutdown of diffusion. The diffusion of CO2 in hardened cement pastes made from OPC and γ-C2S follows Fick’s second law, wherein there is a change in the concentration of CO2 diffusing at a particular distance with time.
Flood Modelling and Risk Analysis of Cinan Feizuo Flood Protection Area, Huaihe River Basin
Authors: Farooq Umar , Taha Bakheit Taha Abubakr , Tian Fuchang , Yuan Ximin , Ajmal Muhammad , Ullah Irfan , Ahmad Mahmood
Published: April 2023

This study evaluated multiple aspects of flood risks and effects on the Cinan Feizuo flood protection area in the Huaihe River basin. Flooding remains a leading problem for infrastructure, especially in urban, residential areas of the region. Effective flood modeling for urbanized floodplains is challenging, but MIKE (ID-2D) is paramount for analyzing and quantifying the risk in the vulnerable region. The Saint-Venant equation and a one-dimensional (1D) MIKE 11 model were used to understand the flood dynamics in the Huaihe River, and a two-dimensional (2D) MIKE 21 model was applied to assess the risk in the Cinan Feizuo flood protection area. The finite volume method (FVM) was used for discrete grid problems, and the models were coupled through the weir equation to find the flow volume from the 1D domain to the 2D domain to investigate water level changes. Flood inundation maps were generated for the flood protection area. The maximum discharge, velocity, and submerged depth for 50- and 100-year flood events were assessed with flood risk. Chenbei indicated a high flood risk level in 50 to 100 years in which the water level exceeds a high level and inundates the maximum area with minimum time. Conversely, the 100-year flood inundation in the flood protection area was comparatively higher than the 50-year flood, with a lower time step. The risk analysis identified significant damage caused by the flood over the target regions. The findings of this study provide technical support for flood risk analysis and loss assessment within the flood protection area and have important reference values for regional flood control, disaster reduction decision making, and constructive planning.
Cyanide Molecular Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy with Current Databases
Authors: Parigger Christian G.
Published: April 2023

This work discusses diatomic molecular spectroscopy of laser-induced plasma and analysis of data records, specifically signatures of cyanide, CN. Line strength data from various databases are compared for simulation of the CN, B2Σ+⟶X2Σ+, Δv=0 sequence. Of interest are recent predictions using an astrophysical database, i.e., ExoMol, a laser-induced fluorescence database, i.e., LIFBASE, and a program for simulating rotational, vibrational, and electronic spectra, i.e., PGOPHER. Cyanide spectra that are predicted from these databases are compared with line-strength data that have been in use by the author for the last three decades in the analysis of laser–plasma emission spectra. Comparisons with experimental laser–plasma records are communicated as well for spectral resolutions of 33 and 110 picometer. The accuracy of the CN line-strength data is better than one picometer. Laboratory experiments utilize 308 nm, 35 picosecond bursts within an overall 1 nanosecond pulse-width, and 1064 nm, 6 ns pulse-width radiation. Experimental results are compared with predictions. Differences of the databases are elaborated for equilibrium of rotational and vibrational modes and at an internal, molecular temperature of the order of 8,000 Kelvin. Applications of accurate CN data include, for example, combustion diagnosis, chemistry, and supersonic and hypersonic expansion diagnosis. The cyanide molecule is also of interest in the study of astrophysical phenomena.
Join Operation for Semantic Data Enrichment of Asynchronous Time Series Data
Authors: Garcia Eloi , Peyman Mohammad , Serrat Carles , Xhafa Fatos
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we present a novel framework for enriching time series data in smart cities by supplementing it with information from external sources via semantic data enrichment. Our methodology effectively merges multiple data sources into a uniform time series, while addressing difficulties such as data quality, contextual information, and time lapses. We demonstrate the efficacy of our method through a case study in Barcelona, which permitted the use of advanced analysis methods such as windowed cross-correlation and peak picking. The resulting time series data can be used to determine traffic patterns and has potential uses in other smart city sectors, such as air quality, energy efficiency, and public safety. Interactive dashboards enable stakeholders to visualize and summarize key insights and patterns.
Fast Ion Transfer Associated with Dehydration and Modulation of Hydration Structure in Electric Double-Layer Capacitors Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Experiments
Authors: Hasumi Shunsuke , Iwakami Sogo , Sasaki Yuto , Faraezi Sharifa , Khan Md Sharif , Ohba Tomonori
Published: April 2023

Carbon materials, such as graphite and activated carbon, have been widely used as electrodes in batteries and electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). Graphene, which has an extremely thin sheet-like structure, is considered as a fundamental carbon material. However, it was less investigated as an electrode material than graphite and activated carbons. This is because graphene is a relatively new material and is difficult to handle. However, using graphene electrodes can enhance the performance of nanodevices. Here, the performance of EDLCs based on single-layer and bilayer graphene electrodes in LiCl, NaCl, and KCl aqueous electrolyte solutions was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry, and the charging mechanism was evaluated using molecular dynamics simulations. KCl aqueous solution provided the highest capacitance compared to LiCl and NaCl aqueous solutions in the case of single-layer graphene electrodes. In contrast, the dependence of the capacitance on the ion species was hardly observed in the case of bilayer graphene. This indicates that Li and Na ions also contributed to the capacitances. The high EDLC performance can be attributed to the fast ion transfer promoted by the dehydration and modification of the second hydration shell on the bilayer graphene because of the relatively strong interaction of ions with the bilayer graphene.
Switched Discharge Device for Enhanced Energy Extraction from Li-Ion 18650
Authors: Surducan Vasile , Bruj Olivia-Ramona
Published: April 2023

All autonomous electrically powered devices require a continuous power supply from batteries. Increasing the discharge performance is the top priority in the Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery field and pulsed discharge is proving numerous advantages. In this paper, the maximum efficiency of pulsed discharge method on a constant load while the cells are alternately switched with dead-time is thoroughly studied. Therefore, a novel Li-Ion charge/discharge and measurement device (SWD) using fast switching MOSFET was designed and fabricated. The device can alternately switch up to 8.3 kHz two Li-Ion 18650 batteries, generating continuous power to the programmable load and monitor the parameters that impact the capacity of the battery. An EIS (Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy) analysis is employed to evaluate the impedance and the behavior of the cells at frequencies up to 10 kHz. Experimental results reveal that a maximum discharge time is determined when two cells are switched at a frequency of 5.8 kHz. As a consequence, the total capacity of two switched batteries in a single discharge cycle is increased by 16.6%. Pulsed discharge efficiency is visible starting from 70% State of Charge (SOC) and is correlated with the rest time, reduced heat loss and inductance, respectively.
Further Investigations of Nitroheterocyclic Compounds as Potential Antikinetoplastid Drug Candidates
Authors: García-Estrada Carlos , Pérez-Pertejo Yolanda , Domínguez-Asenjo Bárbara , Holanda Vanderlan Nogueira , Murugesan Sankaranarayanan , Martínez-Valladares María , Balaña-Fouce Rafael , Reguera Rosa M.
Published: April 2023

Due to the lack of specific vaccines, management of the trypanosomatid-caused neglected tropical diseases (sleeping sickness, Chagas disease and leishmaniasis) relies exclusively on pharmacological treatments. Current drugs against them are scarce, old and exhibit disadvantages, such as adverse effects, parenteral administration, chemical instability and high costs which are often unaffordable for endemic low-income countries. Discoveries of new pharmacological entities for the treatment of these diseases are scarce, since most of the big pharmaceutical companies find this market unattractive. In order to fill the pipeline of compounds and replace existing ones, highly translatable drug screening platforms have been developed in the last two decades. Thousands of molecules have been tested, including nitroheterocyclic compounds, such as benznidazole and nifurtimox, which had already provided potent and effective effects against Chagas disease. More recently, fexinidazole has been added as a new drug against African trypanosomiasis. Despite the success of nitroheterocycles, they had been discarded from drug discovery campaigns due to their mutagenic potential, but now they represent a promising source of inspiration for oral drugs that can replace those currently on the market. The examples provided by the trypanocidal activity of fexinidazole and the promising efficacy of the derivative DNDi-0690 against leishmaniasis seem to open a new window of opportunity for these compounds that were discovered in the 1960s. In this review, we show the current uses of nitroheterocycles and the novel derived molecules that are being synthesized against these neglected diseases.
Transcription by the Three RNA Polymerases under the Control of the TOR Signaling Pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Gutiérrez-Santiago Francisco , Navarro Francisco
Published: April 2023

Ribosomes are the basis for protein production, whose biogenesis is essential for cells to drive growth and proliferation. Ribosome biogenesis is highly regulated in accordance with cellular energy status and stress signals. In eukaryotic cells, response to stress signals and the production of newly-synthesized ribosomes require elements to be transcribed by the three RNA polymerases (RNA pols). Thus, cells need the tight coordination of RNA pols to adjust adequate components production for ribosome biogenesis which depends on environmental cues. This complex coordination probably occurs through a signaling pathway that links nutrient availability with transcription. Several pieces of evidence strongly support that the Target of Rapamycin (TOR) pathway, conserved among eukaryotes, influences the transcription of RNA pols through different mechanisms to ensure proper ribosome components production. This review summarizes the connection between TOR and regulatory elements for the transcription of each RNA pol in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It also focuses on how TOR regulates transcription depending on external cues. Finally, it discusses the simultaneous coordination of the three RNA pols through common factors regulated by TOR and summarizes the most important similarities and differences between S. cerevisiae and mammals.
A Simple, Efficient Method for an Automatic Adjustment of the Lumbar Curvature Alignment in an MBS Model of the Spine
Authors: Kramer Ivanna , Bauer Sabine , Keppler Valentin
Published: April 2023

In many fields of spinal health care, efforts have been made to offer individualized products and therapy tailored to the patient. Therefore, the prevailing alignment of the spine must be considered, which varies from person to person and depends on the movement and loading situation. With the help of patient-specific simulation models of the spine, the geometrical parameters in a specific body position can be analyzed, and the load situation of the spinal structures during dynamic processes can be assessed. However, to enable the future usability of such simulation models in medical reality, as many patient-specific conditions as possible need to be considered. Another critical requirement is that simulation models must be quickly and easily created for use in clinical routine. Building new or adapting existing spine multibody simulation (MBS) models is time-consuming due to their complex structure. To overcome this limitation, we developed a simple, efficient method by which to automatically adjust the lumbar curvature orientation of the spine model. The method extracts a new 3D lordosis curve from patient-specific data in the preprocessing step. Then the vertebrae and all linked spinal structures of an existing spinal simulation model are transformed so that the lumbar lordosis follows the curve obtained in the first part of the method. To validate the proposed approach, three independent experts measured the Cobb angle in the source and the generated spine alignments. We calculated a mean absolute error of 1.29° between the generated samples and the corresponded ground truth. Furthermore, the minor deviation in the root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.0012 m2 between the areas under the alignment curves in the original and target lordosis curvatures indicated the accuracy of the proposed method. The proposed method demonstrated that a new patient-specific simulation model can be generated in a short time from any suitable data source.
Exploring Pro-Inflammatory Immunological Mediators: Unraveling the Mechanisms of Neuroinflammation in Lysosomal Storage Diseases
Authors: Pandey Manoj Kumar
Published: April 2023

Lysosomal storage diseases are a group of rare and ultra-rare genetic disorders caused by defects in specific genes that result in the accumulation of toxic substances in the lysosome. This excess accumulation of such cellular materials stimulates the activation of immune and neurological cells, leading to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Examples of lysosomal storage diseases include Gaucher, Fabry, Tay–Sachs, Sandhoff, and Wolman diseases. These diseases are characterized by the accumulation of various substrates, such as glucosylceramide, globotriaosylceramide, ganglioside GM2, sphingomyelin, ceramide, and triglycerides, in the affected cells. The resulting pro-inflammatory environment leads to the generation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and several components of complement cascades, which contribute to the progressive neurodegeneration seen in these diseases. In this study, we provide an overview of the genetic defects associated with lysosomal storage diseases and their impact on the induction of neuro-immune inflammation. By understanding the underlying mechanisms behind these diseases, we aim to provide new insights into potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for monitoring and managing the severity of these diseases. In conclusion, lysosomal storage diseases present a complex challenge for patients and clinicians, but this study offers a comprehensive overview of the impact of these diseases on the central and peripheral nervous systems and provides a foundation for further research into potential treatments.
Scrotal Pain after Varicocelectomy: A Narrative Review
Authors: Lai Chien-Zhi , Chen Szu-Ju , Huang Chi-Ping , Chen Huey-Yi , Tsai Ming-Yen , Liu Po-Len , Chen Yung-Hsiang , Chen Wen-Chi
Published: April 2023

Varicocele is a frequently encountered urological disorder, which has a prevalence rate of 8 to 15% among healthy men. However, the incidence is higher in male patients with primary or secondary infertility, with up to 35 to 80% of varicocele cases occurring in this population. The clinical manifestations of varicocele typically include the presence of an asymptomatic mass that feels like a “bag of worms”, chronic scrotal pain, and infertility. Most patients with varicocele only undergo varicocelectomy after conservative treatments have failed. Unfortunately, some patients may still experience persistent scrotal pain due to a recurrence of varicocele, the development of hydrocele, neuralgia, referred pain, ureteral lesions, or nutcracker syndrome. Therefore, clinicians should consider these conditions as potential causes of postoperative scrotal pain, and take measures to address them. Several factors can assist in predicting surgical outcomes for patients with varicocele. Clinicians should consider these factors when deciding whether to perform surgery and what type of surgical intervention to use. By doing so, they can increase the likelihood of a successful surgical outcome and minimize the risk of complications such as postoperative scrotal pain.
Light Alcohol Consumption Promotes Early Neurogenesis Following Ischemic Stroke in Adult C57BL/6J Mice
Authors: Li Jiyu , Li Chun , Subedi Pushpa , Tian Xinli , Lu Xiaohong , Miriyala Sumitra , Panchatcharam Manikandan , Sun Hong
Published: April 2023

Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Neurogenesis plays a crucial role in postischemic functional recovery. Alcohol dose-dependently affects the prognosis of ischemic stroke. We investigated the impact of light alcohol consumption (LAC) on neurogenesis under physiological conditions and following ischemic stroke. C57BL/6J mice (three months old) were fed with 0.7 g/kg/day ethanol (designed as LAC) or volume-matched water (designed as control) daily for eight weeks. To evaluate neurogenesis, the numbers of 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU)+/doublecortin (DCX)+ and BrdU+/NeuN+ neurons were assessed in the subventricular zone (SVZ), dentate gyrus (DG), ischemic cortex, and ischemic striatum. The locomotor activity was determined by the accelerating rotarod and open field tests. LAC significantly increased BrdU+/DCX+ and BrdU+/NeuN+ cells in the SVZ under physiological conditions. Ischemic stroke dramatically increased BrdU+/DCX+ and BrdU+/NeuN+ cells in the DG, SVZ, ischemic cortex, and ischemic striatum. The increase in BrdU+/DCX+ cells was significantly greater in LAC mice compared to the control mice. In addition, LAC significantly increased BrdU+/NeuN+ cells by about three folds in the DG, SVZ, and ischemic cortex. Furthermore, LAC reduced ischemic brain damage and improved locomotor activity. Therefore, LAC may protect the brain against ischemic stroke by promoting neurogenesis.
The Role of Genetic Polymorphisms in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: A 2023 Update
Authors: Tiucă Robert Aurelian , Tiucă Oana Mirela , Pașcanu Ionela Maria
Published: April 2023

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy, with an increasing trend in the past decades. It has a variety of different histological subtypes, the most frequent one being differentiated thyroid cancer, which refers to papillary carcinoma, the most common histological type, followed by follicular carcinoma. Associations between genetic polymorphisms and thyroid cancer have been investigated over the years and are an intriguing topic for the scientific world. To date, the results of associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms, the most common genetic variations in the genome, with thyroid cancer have been inconsistent, but many promising results could potentially influence future research toward developing new targeted therapies and new prognostic biomarkers, thus consolidating a more personalized management for these patients. This review focuses on emphasizing the existing literature data regarding genetic polymorphisms investigated for their potential association with differentiated thyroid cancer and highlights the opportunity of using genetic variations as biomarkers of diagnosis and prognosis for thyroid cancer patients.
Effect of Various Protocols of Pre-Emptive Pulpal Laser Analgesia on Enamel Surface Morphology Using Scanning Electron Microscopy: An Ex Vivo Study
Authors: Belcheva Ani , Veneva Elitsa , Hanna Reem
Published: April 2023

Achieving local anaesthesia for various clinical dental applications is a challenge that we encounter in our daily practice. Pre-emptive pulpal laser analgesia (PPLA) treatment strategy could be a promising non-pharmacological modality. Hence, our ex vivo laboratory study is aimed at evaluating the changes in enamel surface morphology when irradiated with various published PPLA protocols using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). To do so, 24 extracted healthy human permanent premolar teeth were collected, and each tooth was divided into equal halves randomised into six groups. The following laser parameter protocols based on published protocols of clinical Er:YAG laser-induced PPLA were randomly assigned for each group: 0.2 W/10 Hz/3 J/cm2 (Group A—100% water spray; Group B—no water); 0.6 W/15 Hz/10 J/cm2 (Group C—100% water spray; Group D—no water); 0.75 W/15 Hz/12 J/cm2 (Group E—100% water spray; Group F—no water); 1 W/20 Hz/17 J/cm2 (Group G—100% water spray; Group H—no water). Each sample was irradiated at an angle of 90° to the dental pulp, with a sweeping speed of 2 mm/s for a 30 s exposure time. Our results have shown, for the first time, no alteration to the mineralised tooth structure when irradiated with the following protocols: 0.2 W/10 Hz/3 J/cm2 with 100% water spray or without water spray with an irradiated area fixed at a 10 mm tip-to-tissue distance, sweeping motion with 2 mm/s speed of movement; average power output of 0.6 W/15 Hz/10 J/cm2, maximum water cooling of 100%, tip-to-tooth distance fixed at 10 mm, 30 s exposure time, sweeping motion with 2 mm/s speed of movement. The authors concluded that the current available proposed PPLA protocols in the literature might cause an alteration to the enamel surface. Hence, future clinical studies are warranted to validate our study’s PPLA protocols.
Sequence Motif Analysis of PRDM9 and Short Inverted Repeats Suggests Their Contribution to Human Microdeletion and Microduplication Syndromes
Authors: Ladias Paris , Markopoulos Georgios S. , Kostoulas Charilaos , Bouba Ioanna , Georgiou Agis , Markoula Sofia , Georgiou Ioannis
Published: April 2023

Holliday junctions are the first recognized templates of legitimate recombination. Their prime physiological role is meiotic homologous recombination, resulting in rearrangements of the genetic material. In humans, recombination hotspots follow a distinct epigenetic pattern designated by the presence of PR domain-containing protein 9 (PRDM9). Repetitive DNA elements can replicate in the genome and can pair with short inverted repeats (SIRs) that form Holliday junctions in a significantly high frequency in vitro. Remarkably, PRDM9 and SIR sequence motifs, which may have the potential to act as recombination primers associated with transposable elements (TEs) and their presence, may lead to gradual spreading of recombination events in human genomes. Microdeletion and microduplication syndromes (MMSs) constitute a significant entity of genetic abnormalities, almost equal in frequency to aneuploidies. Based on our custom database, which includes all MMSs shorter than 5 Mbs in length which is the cut-off point for the standard cytogenetic resolution, we found that the majority of MMSs were present in sequences shorter than 0.5 Mbs. A high probability of TE-associated and non-TE-associated PRDM9/SIR sequence motifs was found in short and long MMSs. Significantly, following the Reactome pathway analysis, a number of affected genes have been associated with the pathophysiological pathways linked to MMSs. In conclusion, PRDM9 or SIR sequence motifs in regions spanning MMSs hotspots underlie a potential functional mechanism for MMS occurrences during recombination.
Using Machine Learning to Classify Human Fetal Health and Analyze Feature Importance
Authors: Yin Yiqiao , Bingi Yash
Published: April 2023

The reduction of childhood mortality is an ongoing struggle and a commonly used factor in determining progress in the medical field. The under-5 mortality number is around 5 million around the world, with many of the deaths being preventable. In light of this issue, cardiotocograms (CTGs) have emerged as a leading tool to determine fetal health. By using ultrasound pulses and reading the responses, CTGs help healthcare professionals assess the overall health of the fetus to determine the risk of child mortality. However, interpreting the results of the CTGs is time consuming and inefficient, especially in underdeveloped areas where an expert obstetrician is hard to come by. Using a support vector machine (SVM) and oversampling, this paper proposes a model that classifies fetal health with an accuracy of 99.59%. To further explain the CTG measurements, an algorithm based off of RISE (Randomized Input Sampling for Explanation of Black-box Models) was created, called Feature Alteration for explanation of Black Box Models (FAB). The findings of this novel algorithm were compared to SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and Local Interpretable Model Agnostic Explanations (LIME). Overall, this technology allows doctors and medical professionals to classify fetal health with high accuracy and determine which features were most influential in the process.
Research on Interdisciplinary Design Thinking and Methods Based on Programmable Mechanical Metamaterials
Authors: Liu Chenyang , Qiu Song , Zhang Xi , Chen Zibin
Published: April 2023

Interdisciplinary design thinking and methods are developed based on interdisciplinary research backgrounds. Through cross-integration with other disciplines, it can realize the design’s interdisciplinary collaborative innovation and development. At the same time, with the increasing interdisciplinary research interest in programmable mechanical metamaterials, design urgently needs to produce an interdisciplinary design thinking and method model to guide the development of related design research activities. Based on this, this research uses interdisciplinary research methods (mainly grafts method) to transplant the construction methods and related contents of programmable mechanical metamaterials into the research of design thinking and methods to propose a set of interdisciplinary design thinking based on programmable mechanical metamaterials (IDTPMMs). At the same time, under the guidance of IDTPMM, an interdisciplinary design method based on programmable mechanical metamaterials (IDMPMMs) is proposed. The thinking and method take the IDTPMM and IDMPMM process models as the concrete manifestation forms. Subsequently, this study selected two architecture design cases to analyze the rationality of IDTPMM and IDMPMM. This study believes that the proposal of IDTPMM and IDMPMM can narrow the focus of design research from the traditional macro scale to the micro scale of material research and development, which can drive design innovation with material innovation. Meanwhile, it can also change the design research from passive use of existing material mechanical properties to active programming control of material mechanical properties according to demand, which will greatly enhance the programmability, adjustability, controllability, and flexibility of design research with materials as carriers and objects. Additionally, this will have an essential impact on broadening the field of design interdisciplinary research and innovating design thinking and methods. In addition, IDTPMM and IDMPMM will also provide systematic theoretical guidance for designers to conduct interdisciplinary research on design and material science. Its scientific features will also make design research more rigorous, solid, and reliable.
Evaluation of Material Composition on the Shear Performance of Asphalt Mixtures under Different Test Conditions
Authors: Qian Guoping , Luo Xinyue , Yu Huanan , Shi Changyun , Zhang Chao , Li Ping
Published: April 2023

Although shear strength plays an important role in the performance of asphalt mixtures, it is still not adopted as a control index in traditional asphalt pavement structure design. Among most shear strength tests, the shape of specimen damage in the uniaxial penetration test and circle shear test proved to be more accurate in reflecting the practical asphalt pavement damage shape. To explore the impact of material composition on the shear performance of asphalt mixtures under different test conditions, uniaxial penetration tests, circle shear tests, and unconfined compressive strength tests were conducted to evaluate shear strength with considerations of asphalt mixture composition (asphalt binders, aggregate, and mineral powder). Experimental results demonstrate that the SBS-modified asphalt mixtures have a higher shear strength than conventional 70# asphalt mixtures, and the shear performance of mixtures is positively correlated with softening point of asphalt binder. For the same gradation, the shear strength of asphalt mixtures increases with the asphalt-aggregate ratio first, then decreases with the ratio increases. The shear performance of mixtures can be increased by properly increasing the maximum nominal aggregate size and reasonably adjusting the aggregate gradation. Mineral powder replaced by 20% cement or 10% PSP (phosphorus slag powder) can also satisfy the requirement. Both coarse aggregate and fine aggregate containing silt impact the shear performance of mixtures; it is recommended that the silt content of coarse aggregates is controlled within 3%, and that of fine aggregate should be within 1%.
Bearing Capacity of Steel Trusses with Local Damage Considering the Exclusion Time
Authors: Tusnin Alexander , Berger Maria
Published: April 2023

To ensure the safety of buildings and structures, they must maintain their bearing capacity in case of local damage. The article is devoted to the study of the robustness of damaged steel trusses, as well as the time during which local destruction of the trusses occurs. Finding a solution to this problem is one of the key stages in the development of a practical methodology for calculating steel trusses’ resistance to the local destruction of elements. The time from the beginning of destruction to the complete failure of the element is proposed to be called the exclusion time. Based on the performed theoretical and numerical studies, for the quasi-static calculation it is recommended to use the values of the dynamic coefficient for the considered steel trusses. In the numerical formulation, the work of steel trusses as part of the building frame was investigated along with local destruction of individual elements of the truss. Numerical studies have shown that the shorter the failure time of the truss element, the greater the dynamic forces arising in the structure. The frame of the building is considered as a spatial system. A numerical dynamic analysis of the spatial coverage is carried out, taking into account the local failure of one of the truss elements. The distribution of the dynamic coefficient over the steel trusses is obtained. This made it possible to study the effect of local failure on the intact load-bearing structures. The article presents the results of a series of experimental studies of flat trusses aimed at determining the time of failure of a steel truss element. Based on the results obtained, the failure time of the damaged rod and the redistribution of efforts to the neighboring elements of the truss were calculated. In accordance with the calculated failure time, recommendations were formulated to reduce the value of the dynamic coefficient used in the static calculation, depending on the types of damage to the truss.
An Efficient Model for the Coupling Beam Using Damping Devices in Coupled Shear Wall Structures under Earthquake Loads
Authors: Pham Thu-Hien , Nguyen Hai-Quang , Nguyen Tien-Chuong , Nguyen Anh-Dung
Published: April 2023

This paper proposes a new element for modeling the energy-dissipation coupling beam to analyze the coupled shear wall structure under seismic loading. The new beam element includes 2 rigid beams and an energy dissipation device in the middle. The element stiffness matrix is derived based on principles of nonlinear mechanics. A procedure of the incremental-iterative solution is built using the Newmark method and adopted for solving the nonlinear equation of motion. A computer program using Matlab is developed to analyze the behavior of frame analogy which is modeled from the couped shear wall structure. Several numerical examples are presented to verify the developed program with the commercial finite element package SAP2000. The numerical results proved that the proposed program is efficient and reliable. The proposed element and program are then applied to analyze a 30-story coupled shear wall structure with energy dissipation devices. As a result, the locations of the device that provide effective seismic resistance for a 30-story coupled shear wall structure are in the region from the 5th to the 15th floor or assigned on all floors.
Damage Estimation of Full-Scale Infilled RC Frames under Pseudo-Dynamic Excitation by Means of Output-Only Modal Identification
Authors: Lubrano Lobianco Alessandro , Del Zoppo Marta , Rainieri Carlo , Fabbrocino Giovanni , Di Ludovico Marco
Published: April 2023

To assess the health condition of structures and infrastructure during their service lives, continuous vibration-based monitoring represents a viable and cost-effective solution. Model updating and digital twins are increasingly adopted for damage detection. However, significant gaps and uncertainties in damage quantification still arise. This work presents original data from output-only modal identification tests on full-scale, two-storey reinforced concrete (RC) frames subjected to pseudo-dynamic loading to simulate seismic damage. The frames are tested with two masonry infill wall configurations with three-sided and four-sided boundary conditions, and the observed seismic damage is correlated to a damage scale. Output-only modal identification tests are performed before and after testing to catch variations in modal properties due to observed damage. Experimental data are used to build a refined finite element model able to reliably simulate the static and dynamic performance of the infilled RC frames before and after damage. The model allowed for the further assessment of the variation in natural frequencies of tested specimens at different earthquake intensities, the correlation of such variations to damage levels, and identification of the contribution of structural and non-structural components to the overall frequency variation.
The Role of Fungal Fuel Cells in Energy Production and the Removal of Pollutants from Wastewater
Authors: Umar Aisha , Smółka Łukasz , Gancarz Marek
Published: April 2023

Pure water, i.e., a sign of life, continuously circulates and is contaminated by different discharges. This emerging environmental problem has been attracting the attention of scientists searching for methods for the treatment of wastewater contaminated by multiple recalcitrant compounds. Various physical and chemical methods are used to degrade contaminants from water bodies. Traditional methods have certain limitations and complexities for bioenergy production, which motivates the search for new ways of sustainable bioenergy production and wastewater treatment. Biological strategies have opened new avenues to the treatment of wastewater using oxidoreductase enzymes for the degradation of pollutants. Fungal-based fuel cells (FFCs), with their catalysts, have gained considerable attention among scientists worldwide. They are a new, ecofriendly, and alternative approach to nonchemical methods due to easy handling. FFCs are efficiently used in wastewater treatment and the production of electricity for power generation. This article also highlights the construction of fungal catalytic cells and the enzymatic performance of different fungal species in energy production and the treatment of wastewater.
Organocatalytic Transformations from Sulfur Ylides
Authors: Hayashi Marcio , Burtoloso Antonio C. B.
Published: April 2023

Sulfur ylides are an important class of organic compounds due to their ability to perform many different transformations that can give diverse and interesting products with a high degree of complexity. Although metal-catalyzed transformations are frequent in this class of compounds, organocatalyzed transformations remain scarce. From initial works, this review aims to show organocatalyzed transformations from sulfur ylides, involving cyclopropanation and formal N–H, S–H, and C–H insertion reactions, including enantioselective versions. The proposed mechanisms and the modes of activation of these organocatalysts will be covered. Furthermore, advances in this area and potential challenges to be circumvented in the near future will also be discussed.