bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comprehending scientific metaphors in the bilingual brain: Evidence from event-related potentials
Authors: Shen Lexian , Li Xiaoguang , Huang Shaojuan , Huang Yanhong , Gao Xinyu , You Ziqing , Mao Zirun , Tang Xuemei
Published: December 2022

While the processing mechanisms of novel and conventional metaphors were widely investigated in previous monolingual studies, little attention has been devoted to how metaphoric utterances are processed by the bilingual brain as well as how scientific context might modulate such processes. Using event-related potentials (ERPs), this paper investigates the way in which scientific metaphors are electrophysiologically processed in Chinese (L1) and English (L2), with the aim of investigating the different mechanisms for understanding metaphorical language in first (L1) and second (L2) languages. By time-locking the N400 and later LPC time windows, the research show how meaning integration differs between L1 and L2 at different stages when comprehending figurative language. We found that compared with Chinese scientific metaphors, English scientific metaphors elicited greater N400, smaller late positive component (LPC), and greater late negativity, and English literals elicited greater late negativity. Our findings suggest that the dynamics of processing figurative meaning in bilingual brains over time show a complex pattern, with language, context, inference and salience jointly modulating temporal dynamics and possible cerebral asymmetries, supporting the revised hierarchical model.
Supporting the inclusion and retention of autistic students: Exploring teachers' and paraeducators' use of evidence-based practices in public elementary schools
Authors: Locke Jill , Hernandez Alyssa M. , Joshi Mahima , Hugh Maria L. , Bravo Alice , Osuna Anthony , Pullmann Michael David
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Educators in public schools are required to serve students in their least restrictive environment. While many evidence-based practices (EBPs), defined as practices and strategies shown by research to have meaningful effectson outcomes for autistic students are documented in the literature, less is known about EBP use among educators in public schools.

Methods

Eighty-six general and special education teachers and para educators completed a survey about familiarity, training, and EBP use for included autistic children.

Results

Across roles, educators reported familiarity (98.8%), use (97.7%), and training (83.7%) in reinforcement. They reported the least familiarity with behavioral momentum (29.1%), training in both video modeling and peer-mediated instruction and intervention (18.6%), and use of video modeling (14.0%). Follow-up interviews (n = 80) highlighted mixed understanding of EBP definitions and use.

Discussion

Implications for inclusive education are discussed including autism-specific EBP training within pre-service teacher preparation programs.
Segmental abnormalities of superior longitudinal fasciculus microstructure in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: An automated fiber quantification tractography study
Authors: Xu Feiyu , Jin Chengliang , Zuo Tiantian , Wang Ruzhan , Yang Ying , Wang Kangcheng
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) is a white matter (WM) tract that connects the frontal, parietal and temporal lobes. SLF integrity has been widely assessed in neuroimaging studies of psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, prior studies have revealed inconsistent findings and comparisons across disorders have not been fully examined.

Methods

Here, we obtained data for 113 patients (38 patients with SZ, 40 with BD, 35 with ADHD) and 94 healthy controls from the UCLA Consortium for Neuropsychiatric Phenomic LA5c dataset. We assessed the integrity of 20 major WM tracts with a novel segmentation method by automating fiber tract quantification (AFQ). The AFQ divides each tract into 100 equal parts along the direction of travel, with fractional anisotropy (FA) of each part taken as a characteristic. Differences in FA among the four groups were examined.

Results

Compared to healthy controls, patients with SZ showed significantly lower FA in the second half (51–100 parts) of the SLF. No differences were found between BD and healthy controls, nor between ADHD and healthy controls. Results also demonstrated that patients with SZ showed FA reduction in the second half of the SLF relative to patients with BP. Moreover, greater FA in patients in SLF was positively correlated with the manic-hostility score of the Brief Psychiatry Rating scale.

Discussion

These findings indicated that differences in focal changes in SLF might be a key neurobiological abnormality contributing to characterization of these psychiatric disorders.
The effect of malaria on childhood anemia in a quasi-experimental study of 7,384 twins from 23 Sub-Saharan African countries
Authors: Starck Tim , Dambach Peter , Rouamba Toussaint , Tinto Halidou , Osier Faith , Oldenburg Catherine E. , Adam Maya , Bärnighausen Till , Jaenisch Thomas , Bulstra Caroline A.
Published: December 2022

Background

Young children in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly those from resource-limited settings, are heavily burdened by anemia and malaria. While malaria infected children frequently become anemic (hemoglobin < 110 g/L), anemia is a strongly multifactorial disease with many other risk factors than malaria. Due to the complex and often overlapping contributors to anemia, it remains challenging to isolate the true impact of malaria on population level hemoglobin concentrations.

Methods

We quantified the malaria-induced effect on hemoglobin levels in children under 5 years of age, leveraging data from 7,384 twins and other multiples, aged 6 to 59 months, from 57 nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys (DHSs) from 23 SSA countries from 2006 to 2019. The quasi-experimental twin fixed-effect design let us minimize the impact of potential confounders that do not vary between twins.

Results

Our analyses of twins revealed a malaria-induced hemoglobin decrease in infected twins of 9 g/L (95% CI -10; -7, p<0.001). The relative risk of severe anemia was higher (RR = 3.01, 95% CI 1.79; 5.1, p<0.001) among malaria positive children, compared to malaria negative children. Conversely, malaria positive children are only half as likely to be non-anemic (RR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.43; 0.61, p<0.001).

Conclusion

Even after rigorous control for confounding through a twin fixed-effects study design, malaria substantially decreased hemoglobin levels among SSA twins, rendering them much more susceptible to severe anemia. This effect reflects the population-level effect of malaria on anemia.
Improving Initial Medication Adherence to cardiovascular disease and diabetes treatments in primary care: Pilot trial of a complex intervention
Authors: Corral-Partearroyo Carmen , Sánchez-Viñas Alba , Gil-Girbau Montserrat , Peñarrubia-María María Teresa , Aznar-Lou Ignacio , Serrano-Blanco Antoni , Carbonell-Duacastella Cristina , Gallardo-González Carmen , Olmos-Palenzuela Maria del Carmen , Rubio-Valera Maria
Published: December 2022

Introduction

The Initial Medication Adherence (IMA) intervention is a multidisciplinary and shared decision-making intervention to improve initial medication adherence addressed to patients in need of new treatments for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in primary care (PC). This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the IMA intervention and the feasibility of a cluster-RCT to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the intervention.

Methods

A 3-month pilot trial with an embedded process evaluation was conducted in five PC centers in Catalonia (Spain). Electronic health data were descriptively analyzed to test the availability and quality of records of the trial outcomes (initiation, implementation, clinical parameters and use of services). Recruitment and retention rates of professionals were analyzed. Twenty-nine semi-structured interviews with professionals (general practitioners, nurses, and community pharmacists) and patients were conducted to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Three discussion groups with a total of fifteen patients were performed to review and redesign the intervention decision aids. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed.

Results

A total of 901 new treatments were prescribed to 604 patients. The proportion of missing data in the electronic health records was up to 30% for use of services and around 70% for clinical parameters 5 months before and after a new prescription. Primary and secondary outcomes were within plausible ranges and outliers were barely detected. The IMA intervention and its implementation strategy were considered feasible and acceptable by pilot-study participants. Low recruitment and retention rates, understanding of shared decision-making by professionals, and format and content of decision aids were the main barriers to the feasibility of the IMA intervention.

Discussion

Involving patients in the decision-making process is crucial to achieving better clinical outcomes. The IMA intervention is feasible and showed good acceptability among professionals and patients. However, we identified barriers and facilitators to implementing the intervention and adapting it to a context affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that should be considered before launching a cluster-RCT. This pilot study identified opportunities for refining the intervention and improving the design of the definitive cluster-RCT to evaluate its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

Clinical trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT05094986.
Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review
Authors: García-Iglesias Juan Jesús , Gómez-Salgado Juan , Fernández-Carrasco Francisco Javier , Rodríguez-Díaz Luciano , Vázquez-Lara Juana María , Prieto-Callejero Blanca , Allande-Cussó Regina
Published: December 2022

Background

COVID-19 has caused a series of economic, social, personal, and occupational consequences that may affect the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs), with the consequent risk of developing suicidal ideation and behaviors.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to identify the main risk factors that may predispose HCWs to suicidal ideation and suicide attempts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A systematic review of studies published between January 2020 and August 2022 was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines in the following electronic databases: Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Methodological quality was assessed using the critical appraisal tools for non-randomized studies of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). The followed protocol is listed in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) with code CRD42022340732.

Results

A total of 34 studies were included in this review. There are a number of underlying factors such as higher rates of depression, anxiety, pre-pandemic lifetime mental disorders or previous lifetime suicide attempt, living alone, having problems with alcohol and/or other drugs, etc. that favor the emergence of suicidal tendencies and ideation in times of COVID-19. Similarly, the pandemic may have precipitated a series of factors such as economic concerns, assessing one's working conditions as poor, having family members or friends infected, changes in services or functions, and feeling discriminated against or stigmatized by society. Other factors such as age, sex, or type of healthcare worker show differences between studies.

Conclusion

Organizations should ensure the adoption of strategies and programmes for early detection of suicides as well as increased attention to the mental health of professions with a high workload.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO, identifier CRD42022340732.
A Mask-Based Adversarial Defense Scheme
Authors: Xu Weizhen , Zhang Chenyi , Zhao Fangzhen , Fang Liangda
Published: December 2022

Adversarial attacks hamper the functionality and accuracy of deep neural networks (DNNs) by meddling with subtle perturbations to their inputs. In this work, we propose a new mask-based adversarial defense scheme (MAD) for DNNs to mitigate the negative effect from adversarial attacks. Our method preprocesses multiple copies of a potential adversarial image by applying random masking, before the outputs of the DNN on all the randomly masked images are combined. As a result, the combined final output becomes more tolerant to minor perturbations on the original input. Compared with existing adversarial defense techniques, our method does not need any additional denoising structure or any change to a DNN’s architectural design. We have tested this approach on a collection of DNN models for a variety of datasets, and the experimental results confirm that the proposed method can effectively improve the defense abilities of the DNNs against all of the tested adversarial attack methods. In certain scenarios, the DNN models trained with MAD can improve classification accuracy by as much as 90% compared to the original models when given adversarial inputs.
Entrepreneurial Education at Universities: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Dissanayake Hiranya , Iddagoda Anuradha , Popescu Catalin
Published: December 2022

This study aims to identify the primary topics and present dynamics in the field of entrepreneurship education at universities and to make recommendations for future research directions. We conduct a bibliometric analysis on a selection of 447 studies from the Web of Science database to determine the extent of research on entrepreneurship education at universities between 2004 and 2022. In this study, researchers identify the most influential articles and writers based on their citations, publications, and geographical location. Additionally, they assess existing themes, identify bottlenecks to growth in the literature, and recommend future study options. While research on entrepreneurship education at universities happens globally, there is a dearth of collaboration across national borders, particularly between writers from developed and developing countries. Most of the research on entrepreneurship education at universities focuses on a quantitative approach in the analysis of entrepreneurship. Lastly, we conclude by proposing possible avenues for future research.
Seed Meals from Allelopathic Crops as a Potential Bio-Based Herbicide on Herbicide-Susceptible and -Resistant Biotypes of Wild Oat (Avena fatua L.)
Authors: Pytlarz Elżbieta , Gala-Czekaj Dorota
Published: December 2022

Wild oat is a nuisance monocot weed mainly in cereal canopies. The increasing problem of herbicide resistance and the implementation of integrated pest management includes the use of seed meals from species with allelopathic potential. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of seed meals as an environmentally friendly alternative for the control of herbicide-susceptible (S) and -resistant (R) wild oat biotypes. A pot experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions at the Swojczyce Research and Training Station in Wrocław (Poland) to determine the impact of seed meals from Fagopyrum esculentum, Lupinus luteus, Ornithopus sativus, Phacelia tanacetifolia, Raphanus sativus var. oleiformis and Sinapis alba at two concentrations—1 and 3%. The lowest percentage of seedling emergence was recorded after the application of S. alba seed meal. Seed meals from S. alba reduced the emergence of both S and R biotypes by approximately 82 and 61 percentage points, respectively, and limited the initial growth of both biotypes. F. esculentum, O. sativus and R. sativus seed meals generally did not decrease the number of seedlings. Almost all the seed meals inhibited the growth of the aboveground parts of the susceptible biotype of wild oat to a greater extent than the herbicide treatment.
Effects of Starch Overload and Cecal Buffering on Fecal Microbiota of Horses
Authors: Bustamante Caio C. , de Paula Vanessa B. , Rabelo Isabela P. , Fernandes Camila C. , Kishi Luciano T. , Canola Paulo A. , Lemos Eliana Gertrudes de M. , Valadão Carlos Augusto A.
Published: December 2022

Starch overload in horses causes gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders that are associated with microbiota changes. Therefore, we identified the fecal microbiota and hypothesized that intracecal injection of alkaline solution (buffer; Mg(OH)2 + Al(OH)3) could stabilize these microbiota and clinical changes in horses submitted to corn starch overload. Ten crossbred horses (females and geldings) were allocated to group I (water–saline and starch–buffer treatments) and group II (water–buffer and starch–saline treatments). Clinical signs, gross analysis of the feces, and fecal microbiota were evaluated through 72 h (T0; T8; T12; T24; T48; T72). Corn starch or water were administrated by nasogastric tube at T0, and the buffer injected into the cecum at T8 in starch–buffer and water–buffer treatments. Starch overload reduced the richness (p < 0.001) and diversity (p = 0.001) of the fecal microbiota. However, the starch–buffer treatment showed greater increase in amylolytic bacteria (Bifidobacterium 0.0% to 5.6%; Lactobacillus 0.1% to 7.4%; p < 0.05) and decrease in fibrolytic bacteria (Lachnospiraceae 10.2% to 5.0%; Ruminococcaceae 11.7% to 4.2%; p < 0.05) than starch–saline treatment. Additionally, animals that received starch–buffer treatment showed more signs of abdominal discomfort and lameness associated with dysbiosis (amylolytic r > 0.5; fribolytic r < 0.1; p < 0.05), showing that cecal infusion of buffer did not prevent, but intensified intestinal disturbances and the risk of laminitis.
Training Effects on the Stress Predictors for Young Lusitano Horses Used in Dressage
Authors: Coelho Clarisse S. , Silva Ana Sofia B. A. , Santos Catarina M. R. , Santos Ana Margarida R. , Vintem Carolina M. B. L. , Leite Anderson G. , Fonseca Joana M. C. , Prazeres José M. C. S. , Souza Vinicius R. C. , Siqueira Renata F. , Manso Filho Helio C. , Simões Joana S. A.
Published: December 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate stressful responses during a 6-week training protocol in young Lusitano horses used for dressage. The hypothesis was that the proposed training protocol would improve fitness and ensure the welfare of the animals by reducing stress predictors. Nine 4-year-old horses were evaluated before (M1) and six weeks after (M2) beginning a training protocol. The training program was performed six times per week and included 40–80 min of individually intensity-adjusted preparatory exercises for dressage. For both moments, the horses were examined before (T0) and after (T1) dressage simulation tests (DST), and at 30 (T2) and 240 min (T3) during the recovery period. Blood samples were taken to determine the horses’ cortisol levels, total WBC, and neutrophil and lymphocyte counts. All variables were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey tests, with p ≤ 0.05. After training, there was a significant reduction in cortisol (p = 0.0133), HR (p = 0.0283), total WBC (p < 0.0001), and neutrophil (p < 0.0001) and lymphocyte (p = 0.0341) counts. Other findings included an increase in HRV parameters related to a cardiac vagal modulation. In conclusion, the chosen training protocol led to better fitness as the horses worked more intensively with lower cardiovascular requirements, and they showed blunted cortisol responses at M2. Such data can be used to evaluate performance, but also to predict the welfare of athletic horses.
Flunixin Meglumine Is Superior to Meloxicam for Providing Analgesia after Surgical Castration in 2-Month-Old Goats
Authors: Brusin Victor , Ceballos Maria Camila , Trindade Pedro Henrique Esteves , Rocha Góis Karen Camille , Conde Gabriel , Tessarine Barbosa Virginia , Rosa Gustavo dos Santos , Paranhos da Costa Mateus Jose Rodrigues
Published: December 2022

Farm animals are exposed to various painful procedures during their productive lives, making it necessary to implement anesthetic and analgesic protocols. However, there are few studies evaluating the effectiveness of these drugs. Our objective was to compare the analgesic effects of two nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): meloxicam (MEL) and flunixin meglumine (FLU), in goat kids subjected to surgical castration under local anesthesia. Anglo-Nubian goat kids (60 days old) were allocated into two groups: MEL (n = 9), and FLU (n = 8), each administered 5 min before starting castration. All had been previously subjected to local anesthesia with lidocaine, injected bilaterally into the testes, plus subcutaneous in the scrotal raphe. Pain sensitivity was evaluated using the von Frey monofilaments test. Reactions were recorded before castration (M0), immediately after castration (M1), and once-daily for three consecutive days post-castration (M2, M3, and M4, respectively). Pain assessments were conducted in three body regions: at four points of the scrotum (dorsal and ventral; left and right lateral; R1); medial region of the pelvic limb, gracilis muscle (R2); and hypogastric region of the abdomen (R3). MEL goats had considerably greater pain reaction in R1 and R2 over time, mainly in M2; therefore, FLU was a more effective analgesic than MEL, resulting in less pain reaction.
A Low-Latency Fair-Arbiter Architecture for Network-on-Chip Switches
Authors: Luo Jifeng , Wu Wenqi , Xing Qianjian , Xue Meiting , Yu Feng , Ma Zhenguo
Published: December 2022

As semiconductor technology evolves, computing platforms attempt to integrate hundreds of processing cores and associated interconnects into a single chip. Network-on-chip (NoC) technology has been widely used for data exchange centers in recent years. As the core element of the NoC, the round-robin arbiter provides fair and fast arbitration, which is essential to ensure the high performance of each module on the chip. In this paper, we propose a low-latency fair switch arbiter (FSA) architecture based on the tree structure search algorithm. The FSA uses a feedback-based parallel priority update mechanism to complete the arbitration within the leaf nodes and a lock-based round-robin search algorithm to guarantee global fairness. To reduce latency, the FSA keeps the lock structure only at the leaf node so that the complexity of the critical path does not increase. Meanwhile, the FSA achieves a critical path with only O(log4N) delay by using four input nodes in parallel. The latency of the proposed circuit is on average 22.2% better than the existing fair structures and 8.1% better than the fastest arbiter, according to the synthesis results. The proposed architecture is well suited for high-speed network-on-chip switches and has better scalability for switches with large numbers of ports.
Baby Food Purees Obtained from Ten Different Apple Cultivars and Vegetable Mixtures: Product Development and Quality Control
Authors: Mateescu Alexandra Mădălina , Mureșan Andruța Elena , Pușcaș Andreea , Mureșan Vlad , Sestras Radu E. , Muste Sevastița
Published: December 2022

As is well known, apples are the most complex fruit in terms of nutritional compounds, with a high content of fiber, vitamins (vitamins C, A, B3), and minerals. Both fruits and vegetables are important sources of nutrients for infants’ nutrition and healthy development. The purpose of this study was to develop and analyze baby food purees obtained from apples and vegetables. Ten types of baby purees were obtained from the most-consumed varieties of apples from Romania, along with purees of carrots, pumpkin and celery. The resulting samples were analyzed in terms of moisture, ash content, titratable acidity, and vitamin C content. The total polyphenol content was assessed by the Folin–Ciocalteu method, while total antioxidant capacity was determined by the DPPH method; moreover, the color parameters and textural properties were also assessed. Following the results obtained, the purees can be introduced into the diet of infants and children, providing them with the necessary vitamins and minerals for optimal development. The analyses performed on both fresh and sterilized products highlighted the effects of heat treatment on the components of the product. The most important changes were observed in the vitamin C content, which was decreased by 50–70% in all ten purees. Total polyphenol content (TPC) increased in sterilized samples up to 70 mg GAE/100 g. Antioxidant capacity (AC) almost doubled its value in some samples after the thermal process application. Regarding the adhesiveness and deformation at hardness, which represented the main parameters for baby’s food, the value increased in the sterilized product, making the product more suitable for infants. This survey provides a detailed description of the development of baby food purees, showing the conveniences of developing purees for children based on fruits and vegetables.
Quasi-Static Sliding Wear Analysis of 3D Rough Surface Considering Changes in the Point of Contact
Authors: Kim Yunji , Suh Junho , Lee Bora , Chun Yondo , Park Keejun , Yu Yonghun
Published: December 2022

This study analyzed adhesive wear in periodic sliding motion using a quasi-static deterministic wear model that considered changes in the point of contact of asperities as well as changes in the surface and statistical parameters. The contact pressure was calculated using the semi-analytical method (SAM) based on the periodic properties of the rough surface, and the wear was analyzed by obtaining the wear depth for each node using the Archard wear model. We took into account that the sliding distances of the upper moving surface and the lower stationary surface are different according to the actual size of the two objects. We compared the results of the quasi-static wear analysis with the truncation model and the deterministic fixed model, which did not consider the change in the asperity contact point. In the truncation model, an error in the estimation of the radius occurred in the process of fitting the tip of asperities with a sphere. As the asperities became flatter by wear, this error accumulated, which revealed a difference in the deterministic wear analysis results. As a result of the wear analysis on the periodic surface, the RMS roughness of the positively skewed surface decreased the fastest, the skewness increased in the negative direction, and the kurtosis initially decreased and then increased. In addition, wear scars occurred due to the difference in wear depth between the lower stationary surface and the upper moving surface.
Relation of Mid-High-Latitude Eurasian ISO to Ural Blocking Frequency and Their Co-Effect on Extreme Hot Events during Boreal Summer
Authors: Yang Shuangyan , Wen Xinsheng , Gao Mingxiang
Published: December 2022

Based on NCEP reanalysis daily data during 1979–2018, the spatiotemporal evolution of the 10–30-day atmospheric intraseasonal oscillations (ISO) at mid-high-latitude Eurasia and its effect on the Ural blocking frequency are investigated. The co-effect of the blocking and ISO on extreme hot event frequency is also investigated. The ISO exhibits two modes of eastward and westward propagation. During the eastward (westward) propagating mode, the northwest–southeast tilted quadrupole (east–west dipole) quasi-barotropic geopotential height anomaly coupled with the air temperature anomaly at the troposphere propagates southeastward (westward). The phase composite shows that, during both modes, the mid-high-latitude low-frequency Rossby wave trains significantly affect the frequency of the European blocking during the propagating journey. The most frequent European blocking appears in phase 2 during both the eastward- and westward- propagating mode. Compared with the situation without the Ural blocking, the blocking activity results in the positive geopotential height anomalies throughout Europe and north of 60° N in the Ural Mountains and the negative geopotential height anomalies in the south of 60° N in the Ural Mountains and north of the Japan Sea. The occurrence of Ural blocking is conducive to the occurrence of extreme high-temperature events in Europe and the high latitudes of the Ural Mountains, and a reduced frequency of extreme high-temperature events in the mid-latitudes of the Ural Mountains and north of the Japan Sea. Therefore, the Ural blocking activities significantly regulate the effect of the two propagating ISO modes on the extreme hot events over the middle and high latitudes of Eurasia.
Traffic Density and Air Pollution: Spatial and Seasonal Variations of Nitrogen Dioxide and Ozone in Jamaica, New York
Authors: Guaman Mayra , Roberts-Semple Dawn , Aime Christopher , Shin Jin , Akinremi Ayodele
Published: December 2022

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ground-level ozone (O3) pose significant public health concerns in urban areas. This study assessed the safety level of NO2 and described spatial and seasonal variations of NO2 and O3 in Jamaica Center, New York, using low-cost diffusion tubes at six high-traffic (HT) and three low-traffic (LT) sites over two-week intervals in summer, winter, and fall of 2019. When annualized, the highest NO2 level (33.90 μg/m3) was below the safety threshold (99.6 μg/m3). Mean concentrations of NO2 samples were significantly higher at HT sites (35.79 μg/m3; 95%CI: 32.81–38.77) compared to LT sites (25.29 μg/m3; 95%CI: 11.73–28.85), p = 0.002, and during fall (38.14 μg/m3; 95%CI: 31.18–45.11) compared to winter (25.53 μg/m3; 95%CI: 20.84–30.22). There was no significant difference in O3 levels between the fall (51.68 μg/m3; 95%CI: 44.70–58.67) and summer (46.43 μg/m3; 95%CI: 35.25–57.61), p = 0.37, and between HT sites (48.51 μg/m3; 95%CI: 40.39–56.63) and LT sites (50.14 μg/m3; 95%CI: 43.98–56.30), p = 0.79. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of low-cost air monitoring and the need for emission control policies along major corridors mainly in fall and summer, especially with the rapid commercial and economic development underway in Jamaica Center.
Modified Adomian Method through Efficient Inverse Integral Operators to Solve Nonlinear Initial-Value Problems for Ordinary Differential Equations
Authors: AL-Mazmumy Mariam , Alsulami Aishah A. , Bakodah Huda O. , Alzaid Nawal
Published: December 2022

The present manuscript examines different forms of Initial-Value Problems (IVPs) featuring various types of Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) by proposing a proficient modification to the famous standard Adomian decomposition method (ADM). The present paper collected different forms of inverse integral operators and further successfully demonstrated their applicability on dissimilar nonlinear singular and nonsingular ODEs. Furthermore, we surveyed most cases in this very new method, and it was found to have a fast convergence rate and, on the other hand, have high precision whenever exact analytical solutions are reachable.
Polysorbate 21 Can Modulate the Antibacterial Potential of Two Pyrazol Derivatives
Authors: Aonofriesei Florin
Published: December 2022

The combination of two compounds with known antimicrobial activity may, in some cases, be an effective way to limit the resistance to antibiotics of specific pathogens. Molecules carrying pyrazole moiety are well known for their bioactive properties and have wide applicability in the medical and pharmaceutical field. Surfactants have, among other useful properties, the ability to affect the growth of microorganisms. The paper reports on the effect of the combination of two pyrazole derivatives, (1H-pyrazol-1-yl) methanol 1-hydroxymethylpyrazole (SAM1) and 1,1′methandiylbis (1H–pyrazol) (AM1), with sorbitan monolaurate (polysorbate 21, Tween 21, T21) on the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The results demonstrated a different ability of this combination to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. T21 intensified the inhibitory activity of the pyrazoles to a greater extent in the Gram-negative bacteria compared to the Gram-positive ones, a fact confirmed by time-kill experiments. The experimental data showed that the association of T21 with the pyrazoles led to the increased release of intracellular material and a more intense uptake of crystal violet, which indicates that the potentiation of the antibacterial effect was based on the modification of the normal permeability of bacterial cells. T21 acted as a modulating factor and increased the permeability of the membrane, allowing the accelerated penetration of the pyrazoles inside the bacterial cells. This fact is important in controlling the global increase in microbial resistance to antibiotics and antimicrobials and finding viable solutions to overcome the antibiotic crisis. The paper highlights the possibility of using non-toxic surfactant molecules in antimicrobial combinations with practical applications. This could widen the range of adjuvants in applications which would be useful in the control of resistant microorganisms.
Pharmacological Inhibition of Lipid Import and Transport Proteins in Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Lemberger Lisa , Wagner Renate , Heller Gerwin , Pils Dietmar , Grunt Thomas W.
Published: December 2022

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal gynecological malignancy with a 5-year survival rate of 49%. This is caused by late diagnosis when cells have already metastasized into the peritoneal cavity and to the omentum. OC progression is dependent on the availability of high-energy lipids/fatty acids (FA) provided by endogenous de novo biosynthesis and/or through import from the microenvironment. The blockade of these processes may thus represent powerful strategies against OC. While this has already been shown for inhibition of FA/lipid biosynthesis, evidence of the role of FA/lipid import/transport is still sparse. Therefore, we treated A2780 and SKOV3 OC cells with inhibitors of the lipid uptake proteins fatty acid translocase/cluster of differentiation 36 (FAT/CD36) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (LDLR), as well as intracellular lipid transporters of the fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) family, fatty acid transport protein-2 (FATP2/SLC27A2), and ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6), which are overexpressed in OC. Proliferation was determined by formazan dye labeling/photometry and cell counting. Cell cycle analysis was performed by propidium iodide (PI) staining, and apoptosis was examined by annexin V/PI and active caspase 3 labeling and flow cytometry. RNA-seq data revealed altered stress and metabolism pathways. Overall, the small molecule inhibitors of lipid handling proteins BMS309403, HTS01037, NAV2729, SB-FI-26, and sulfosuccinimidyl oleate (SSO) caused a drug-specific, dose-/time-dependent inhibition of FA/LDL uptake, associated with reduced proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. Our findings indicate that OC cells are very sensitive to lipid deficiency. This dependency should be exploited for development of novel strategies against OC.
The Emerging Role of NK Cells in Immune Checkpoint Blockade
Authors: Martinez-Perez Alejandra , Aguilar-Garcia Candelaria , Gonzalez Segundo
Published: December 2022

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate cytotoxic immune cells that play a fundamental role in anti-tumor immunity, particularly in hematological cancers, disseminated cancers, and metastasis [...]
Wnt Signaling in the Development of Bone Metastasis
Authors: Ben-Ghedalia-Peled Noa , Vago Razi
Published: December 2022

Wnt signaling occurs through evolutionarily conserved pathways that affect cellular proliferation and fate decisions during development and tissue maintenance. Alterations in these highly regulated pathways, however, play pivotal roles in various malignancies, promoting cancer initiation, growth and metastasis and the development of drug resistance. The ability of cancer cells to metastasize is the primary cause of cancer mortality. Bone is one of the most frequent sites of metastases that generally arise from breast, prostate, lung, melanoma or kidney cancer. Upon their arrival to the bone, cancer cells can enter a long-term dormancy period, from which they can be reactivated, but can rarely be cured. The activation of Wnt signaling during the bone metastasis process was found to enhance proliferation, induce the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, promote the modulation of the extracellular matrix, enhance angiogenesis and immune tolerance and metastasize and thrive in the bone. Due to the complexity of Wnt pathways and of the landscape of this mineralized tissue, Wnt function during metastatic progression within bone is not yet fully understood. Therefore, we believe that a better understanding of these pathways and their roles in the development of bone metastasis could improve our understanding of the disease and may constitute fertile ground for potential therapeutics.
The Corrosion Behavior of Al-Cu-Li Alloy in NaCl Solution
Authors: Wang Ziyu , Zhang Peng , Zhao Xinsheng , Rao Sixian
Published: December 2022

Al-Cu-Li alloys are widely used in aerospace due to their excellent mechanical properties. However, the surface of Al-Cu-Li alloy components is prone to localized corrosion, when it serves in humid environments such as the ocean, due to the action of moisture in the air and Cl− in the atmosphere. Therefore, it is significant to study the corrosion performance of typical third-generation Al-Cu-Li alloys in a marine environment. The corrosion tests of the experimental materials are carried out in different concentrations of NaCl solution, and their morphology and maximum corrosion depth are characterized to evaluate their corrosion resistance at a particular time. The corrosion behavior of the third generation typical Al-Cu-Li alloys (2A97-T3, 2A97-T6, 2060-T8, and 2099-T83) and high-strength Al alloy 2024-T4 in solution containing Cl− is investigated using correlative immersion testing. The results show that 2A97-T3 possesses the best corrosion resistance performance of all under the same concentration of NaCl solution and soaking time. The corrosion resistance performance of 2024-T4 is respectively stronger than that of 2060-T8 and 2099-T83, but weaker than that of 2A97 (T3, T6). The corrosion morphologies of 2060-T8 and 2099-T83 are characterized by deep pits and large areas of exfoliation corrosion, while the corrosion morphology of 2099-T83 is the worst, indicating that its corrosion resistance is the weakest of all. The local corrosion preferentially occurred in the boundary region between intermetallic compounds or precipitates and alloy matrix in NaCl solution, and the lithium is selectively dissolved during the dissolution process, which brings about the enrichment of copper-containing residues. Subsequently, the copper-rich residue serves as the cathodic relative to the Al matrix, which leads to the anodic dissolution of the peripheral Al matrix occurs.
Active Packaging Film Based on Poly Lactide-Poly (Butylene Adipate-Co-Terephthalate) Blends Incorporated with Tannic Acid and Gallic Acid for the Prolonged Shelf Life of Cherry Tomato
Authors: Sharma Shubham , Perera Kalpani Y. , Pradhan Dileswar , Duffy Brendan , Jaiswal Amit K. , Jaiswal Swarna
Published: December 2022

The antimicrobial property is the key feature of active packaging. Biological macromolecules such as tannic and gallic acids are naturally found in plants such as tea, fruits, berries, and grapes. The incorporation of tannic acid (TA) and gallic acid (GA) in the biodegradable polymer blend Poly Lactide-Poly (Butylene Adipate-Co-Terephthalate) (PLA-PBAT) was used in this study to assess the potential of active packaging. TA and GA (10 wt%) composite films showed a 65%–66% increase in the UV barrier property. The tensile strength value increased after the incorporation of TA and GA (10 wt%), respectively. Overall, 1.67 and 2.2 log reductions in E. coli and L. monocytogenes growth were observed, respectively, in the presence of TA (10 wt%) composite film. In addition, TA composite film was able to maintain and enhance the quality of cherry tomatoes for up to 20 days of storage at room temperature. For cherry tomatoes packed in PLA-PBAT-TA10 (wt%), TSS decreased by 6.3%, pH was 4.3, and a microbial reduction of 2.70 log CFU/mL was observed. In conclusion, TA composite film had confirmed significant UV blocking properties, surface hydrophobicity, and antibacterial properties, which show its potential as an active packaging film.
SARS-CoV-2 Lineage P.4 Detection in Southeast Brazil: A Retrospective Genomic and Clinical Overview
Authors: Poleti Mirele Daiana , Lesbon Jéssika Cristina Chagas , de Mattos Oliveira Elisângela Chicaroni , Patané José Salvatore Leister , Clemente Luan Gaspar , Viala Vincent Louis , Ribeiro Gabriela , Pinheiro Jéssica Fernanda Perissato , Giovanetti Marta , Alcantara Luiz Carlos Junior , de Lima Loyze Paola Oliveira , Martins Antonio Jorge , dos Santos Barros Claudia Renata , Marqueze Elaine Cristina , de Souza Todão Bernardino Jardelina , Moretti Debora Botequio , Brassaloti Ricardo Augusto , de Lello Rocha Campos Cassano Raquel , Mariani Pilar Drummond Sampaio Corrêa , Slavov Svetoslav Nanev , dos Santos Bezerra Rafael , Rodrigues Evandra Strazza , Santos Elaine Vieira , Borges Josiane Serrano , de La Roque Debora Glenda Lima , Kitajima João Paulo , Santos Bibiana , Assato Patrícia Akemi , da Silva da Costa Felipe Allan , Banho Cecília Ártico , Sacchetto Lívia , de Carvalho Marques Beatriz , Grotto Rejane Maria Tommasini , Souza-Neto Jayme A. , Nogueira Maurício Lacerda , Coutinho Luiz Lehmann , Calado Rodrigo Tocantins , Neto Raul Machado , Covas Dimas Tadeu , Kashima Simone , Elias Maria Carolina , Sampaio Sandra Coccuzzo , Fukumasu Heidge
Published: December 2022

São Paulo state has been the epicenter of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Brazil, ranking first by state with over six million reported cases. In February 2021, the P.4 lineage was reported in 21 cities across the state by public health authorities due to the L452R mutation. Here, by analyzing 17,304 genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 sampled between February and August of 2021 in 476 distinct cities in São Paulo, we assess the transmission dynamics of the P.4 lineage and other SARS-CoV-2 variants that were, at the time of the study, co-circulating in the state. Additionally, clinical parameters from the city of Araras, São Paulo (N = 251) were considered to estimate the potential risk and mortality rate associated with the P.4 lineage since its higher prevalence was observed in that city. Our data suggest a low frequency (0.55%) of the P.4 lineage across the state, with the gamma variant being the dominant form in all regions (90%) at that time. Furthermore, no evidence of increased transmissibility and disease severity related to the P.4 lineage was observed. The displacement through the time of different lineages in São Paulo highlights how challenging genomic surveillance appears to track the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 lineages, which could better guide the implementation of control measures.
Development of a Prediction Model for Positive Surgical Margin in Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Hao Ying , Zhang Qing , Hang Junke , Xu Linfeng , Zhang Shiwei , Guo Hongqian
Published: December 2022

A positive surgical margin (PSM) is reported to have some connection to the occurrence of biochemical recurrence and tumor metastasis in prostate cancer after the operation. There are no clinically usable models and the study is to predict the probability of PSM after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) based on preoperative examinations. It is a retrospective cohort from a single center. The Lasso method was applied for variable screening; logistic regression was employed to establish the final model; the strengthened bootstrap method was adopted for model internal verification; the nomogram and web calculator were used to visualize the model. All the statistical analyses were based on the R-4.1.2. The main outcome was a pathologically confirmed PSM. There were 151 PSMs in the 903 patients, for an overall positive rate of 151/903 = 16.7%; 0.727 was the adjusted C statistic, and the Brier value was 0.126. Hence, we have developed and validated a predictive model for PSM after RALP for prostate cancer that can be used in clinical practice. In the meantime, we observed that the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) score, Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) score, and Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) were the independent risk factors for PSM.
Ensemble Learning-Enabled Security Anomaly Identification for IoT Cyber–Physical Power Systems
Authors: Zhao Hongjun , Li Changjun , Yin Xin , Li Xiujun , Zhou Rui , Fu Rong
Published: December 2022

The public network access to smart grids has a great impact on the system‘s safe operation. With the rapid increase in Internet of Things (IoT) applications, cyber-attacks caused by multiple sources and flexible loads continue to rise, which results in equipment maloperation and security hazard problems. In this paper, a novel ensemble learning algorithm (ELA)-enabled security anomaly identification technique is proposed. Firstly, the propagation process of typical cyber-attacks was analyzed to illustrate the impact on message transmission and power operation. Then, a feature matching identification method was designed according to the sequence sets under different situations. The classification rate of these abnormal attack behaviors was acquired thereafter, which could aid in the listing of the ranking of the consequences of abnormal attack behaviors. Moreover, the weights of training samples can be further updated according to the performance of weak learning error rates. Through a joint hardware platform, numerical results show that the proposed technique is effective and performs well in terms of situation anomaly identification.
Review of Closed SCO2 and Semi-Closed Oxy–Fuel Combustion Power Cycles for Multi-Scale Power Generation in Terms of Energy, Ecology and Economic Efficiency
Authors: Rogalev Nikolay , Rogalev Andrey , Kindra Vladimir , Zlyvko Olga , Bryzgunov Pavel
Published: December 2022

Today, with the increases in organic fuel prices and growing legislative restrictions aimed at increasing environmental safety and reducing our carbon footprint, the task of increasing thermal power plant efficiency is becoming more and more topical. Transforming combusting fuel thermal energy into electric power more efficiently will allow the reduction of the fuel cost fraction in the cost structure and decrease harmful emissions, especially greenhouse gases, as less fuel will be consumed. There are traditional ways of improving thermal power plant energy efficiency: increasing turbine inlet temperature and utilizing exhaust heat. An alternative way to improve energy efficiency is the use of supercritical CO2 power cycles, which have a number of advantages over traditional ones due to carbon dioxide’s thermophysical properties. In particular, the use of carbon dioxide allows increasing efficiency by reducing compression and friction losses in the wheel spaces of the turbines; in addition, it is known that CO2 turbomachinery has smaller dimensions compared to traditional steam and gas turbines of similar capacity. Furthermore, semi-closed oxy–fuel combustion power cycles can reduce greenhouse gases emissions by many times; at the same time, they have characteristics of efficiency and specific capital costs comparable with traditional cycles. Given the high volatility of fuel prices, as well as the rising prices of carbon dioxide emission allowances, changes in efficiency, capital costs and specific greenhouse gas emissions can lead to a change in the cost of electricity generation. In this paper, key closed and semi-closed supercritical CO2 combustion power cycles and their promising modifications are considered from the point of view of energy, economic and environmental efficiency; the cycles that are optimal in terms of technical and economic characteristics are identified among those considered.