bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exogenous Arachidonic Acid Affects Fucoxanthin Biosynthesis and Photoprotection in Phaeodactylum tricornutum
Authors: Zhu Shuaiqi , Bin Song , Wang Wenda , Lu Shan , Yang Wenqiang
Published: October 2022

Fucoxanthin is an oxygenated carotenoid component that has been reported to play important roles in anti-oxidation, anti-obesity and anti-cancer in the human body. Fucoxanthin-chlorophyll protein (FCP) complexes participate in light harvesting and photoprotection in diatom. In order to better understand the change of fucoxanthin content and its role in photoprotection, the growth, fucoxanthin biosynthesis and photosynthetic phenotypes were studied in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum under the treatment of exogenous arachidonic acid (AA). Our results demonstrated that even low concentration of AA at 0.1 mg/L strongly induced fucoxanthin accumulation in algal cells to a maximum of 1.1 mg/g dry weight (DW), which was 36.6% higher than that in the untreated ones. By principal component analysis (PCA), we also identified a close correlation between fucoxanthin accumulation and the expression of genes involved in fucoxanthin biosynthesis, especially phytoene synthase (PSY), suggesting that AA change the metabolism of fucoxanthin by inducing carotenoid metabolic enzymes at the transcriptional level. Furthermore, we found that the exogenous application of AA affected non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and photoinhibition, which resulted from the changed diadinoxanthin (DD) and diatoxanthin (DT) cycle, and thus played an important role in photoprotection.
Application Value of Systemic Inflammatory Indexes in the Clinical Evaluation of Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF)
Authors: Wang Ruxin , Wu Juan , Ye Haowen , Zhang Xiaofang , Wang Lihong
Published: October 2022

Background: In areas where medical resources are scarce, an economical and convenient way to assess patients’ condition so that treatment plans can be adjusted in a timely manner makes sense. The clinical value of systemic inflammatory indexes (SII) such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), albumin-to-gamma-glutamyl-transferase ratio (AGR), white-blood-cell-count-to-mean-platelet-volume ratio (WMR), high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol-to-C-reactive-protein ratio (HCR), etc. were explored in heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) because of their easy availability and clinical value in the diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. Methods: 189 inpatients (including 48 patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) I in the control group, and 141 patients with NYHA II-IV in the study group) from The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, during the period July 2018 to March 2022, were included by retrieving electronic medical records. Logistic regression analysis, Spearman’s correlation coefficient, operating characteristic curve, etc. were used to analyze the data. Results: In patients with HFpEF, LMR (OR = 0.463, 95% CI 0.348–0.617, p = 0.000), NLR and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were independent predictors for the presence of HF, and LMR (OR = 2.630, 95% CI 2.016–3.435, p = 0.000), NLR, FAG, MHR, AGR and NT-proBNP were independent predictors for increased NYHA functional classification. There were good correlations (r > 0.4) between LMR (r = −0.667, p = 0.000), NLR, WMR, HCR, NT-proBNP (r = −0.681, p = 0.000) and NYHA functional classification, and LMR (AUC = 0.803, 95% CI 0.729–0.849, p = 0.0001), NLR and NT-proBNP (AUC = 0.805, 95% CI 0.738–0.861, p = 0.0001) had good diagnostic values (AUC > 0.7) for HF in patients with HFpEF. In addition, there were certain correlations between LMR, NT-proBNP and echocardiography indicators of cardiac structural. Conclusions: SII have a potential application value in the clinical evaluation of patients with HFpEF in the follow-up, especially in areas with limited medical resources, as they are more convenient and cost effective. Among different SII, LMR is probably the most promising metric. However, large-scale clinical trials are needed in the future to confirm these findings.
An Update on the Current and Emerging Use of Thiazolidinediones for Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Giglio Rosaria Vincenza , Papanas Nikolaos , Rizvi Ali Abbas , Ciaccio Marcello , Patti Angelo Maria , Ilias Ioannis , Pantea Stoian Anca , Sahebkar Amirhossein , Janez Andrej , Rizzo Manfredi
Published: October 2022

Guidelines have increasingly stressed the concept that adequate glycemic control is required to prevent or decrease the macro- and microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). PPAR-gamma agonists (“glitazones”) are no longer prioritized due to their effects on heart failure. However, the association between these drugs and innovative therapies could be a valuable tool to attenuate the risk factors of the metabolic syndrome. Glitazones are used for the treatment of diabetes and associated comorbidities. There is substantial scientific evidence demonstrating the effect of glitazones at a cardiometabolic level, as well as on hematological and neurological pathologies that point to their usefulness. The use of glitazones has always been controversial both for the type of patients who must take these drugs and for the side effects associated with them. Unfortunately, the recent guidelines do not include them among the preferred drugs for the treatment of hyperglycemia and rosiglitazone is out of the market in many countries due to an adverse cardiovascular risk profile. Even though real-life studies have proven otherwise, and their pleiotropic effects have been highlighted, they have been unable to achieve primacy in the choice of antihyperglycemic drugs. It would be appropriate to demonstrate the usefulness of pioglitazone and its therapeutic benefit with further cardiovascular safety studies.
Derivation, Functionalization of (S)-Goniothalamin from Goniothalamus wightii and Their Derivative Targets SARS-CoV-2 MPro, SPro, and RdRp: A Pharmacological Perspective
Authors: Palani Vino , Chinnaraj Santhosh , Shanmugasundaram Murugesh , Malaisamy Arunkumar , Maluventhen Viji , Arumugam Vijaya Anand , Rengasamy Kannan R. R. , Balasubramanian Balamuralikrishnan , Liu Wen-Chao , Arumugam Maruthupandian
Published: October 2022

The tracing of an alternative drug, Phytochemicals is a promising approach to the viral threats that have emerged over the past two years. Across the world, herbal medicine is a better solution against anti-viral diseases during pandemic periods. Goniothalamus wightii is an herbal plant, which has diverse bioactive compounds with anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-viral properties. The aim of the study was to isolate the compound by chromatography studies and functionalization by FT-IR, LC-MS, and NMR (C-NMR, H-NMR). As a result, the current work focuses on whether (S)-Goniathalamin and its analogue could act as natural anti-viral molecules for multiple target proteins viz., MPro, RdRp, and SPro, which are required for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Overall, 954 compounds were examined and the molecular-docking studies were performed on the maestro platform of Schrodinger software. Molecular-dynamics simulation studies were performed on two complex major compounds to confirm their affinity across 150 simulations. This research suggests that plant-based drugs have high levels of antiviral properties against coronavirus. However, more research is needed to verify its antiviral properties.
Highly Dispersed Vanadia Anchored on Protonated g-C3N4 as an Efficient and Selective Catalyst for the Hydroxylation of Benzene into Phenol
Authors: Liu Juanjuan , Yin Haoyong , Nie Qiulin , Zou Shihui
Published: October 2022

The direct hydroxylation of benzene is a green and economical-efficient alternative to the existing cumene process for phenol production. However, the undesired phenol selectivity at high benzene conversion hinders its wide application. Here, we develop a one-pot synthesis of protonated g-C3N4 supporting vanadia catalysts (V-pg-C3N4) for the efficient and selective hydroxylation of benzene. Characterizations suggest that protonating g-C3N4 in diluted HCl can boost the generation of amino groups (NH/NH2) without changing the bulk structure. The content of surface amino groups, which determines the dispersion of vanadia, can be easily regulated by the amount of HCl added in the preparation. Increasing the content of surface amino groups benefits the dispersion of vanadia, which eventually leads to improved H2O2 activation and benzene hydroxylation. The optimal catalyst, V-pg-C3N4-0.46, achieves 60% benzene conversion and 99.7% phenol selectivity at 60 oC with H2O2 as the oxidant.
Metal Coordination Effects on the Photophysics of Dipyrrinato Photosensitizers
Authors: Teeuwen Paula C. P. , Melissari Zoi , Senge Mathias O. , Williams René M.
Published: October 2022

Within this work, we review the metal coordination effect on the photophysics of metal dipyrrinato complexes. Dipyrrinato complexes are promising candidates in the search for alternative transition metal photosensitizers for application in photodynamic therapy (PDT). These complexes can be activated by irradiation with light of a specific wavelength, after which, cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated. The metal coordination allows for the use of the heavy atom effect, which can enhance the triplet generation necessary for generation of ROS. Additionally, the flexibility of these complexes for metal ions, substitutions and ligands allows the possibility to tune their photophysical properties. A general overview of the mechanism of photodynamic therapy and the properties of the triplet photosensitizers is given, followed by further details of dipyrrinato complexes described in the literature that show relevance as photosensitizers for PDT. In particular, the photophysical properties of Re(I), Ru(II), Rh(III), Ir(III), Zn(II), Pd(II), Pt(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Ga(III), In(III) and Al(III) dipyrrinato complexes are discussed. The potential for future development in the field of (dipyrrinato)metal complexes is addressed, and several new research topics are suggested throughout this work. We propose that significant advances could be made for heteroleptic bis(dipyrrinato)zinc(II) and homoleptic bis(dipyrrinato)palladium(II) complexes and their application as photosensitizers for PDT.
Not Just Anticoagulation—New and Old Applications of Heparin
Authors: Zang Lixuan , Zhu Haomiao , Wang Kun , Liu Yonghui , Yu Fan , Zhao Wei
Published: October 2022

In recent decades, heparin, as the most important anticoagulant drug, has been widely used in clinical settings to prevent and treat thrombosis in a variety of diseases. However, with in-depth research, the therapeutic potential of heparin is being explored beyond anticoagulation. To date, heparin and its derivatives have been tested in the protection against and repair of inflammatory, antitumor, and cardiovascular diseases. It has also been explored as an antiangiogenic, preventive, and antiviral agent for atherosclerosis. This review focused on the new and old applications of heparin and discussed the potential mechanisms explaining the biological diversity of heparin.
Coinage Metal-Catalyzed Asymmetric Reactions of ortho-Alkynylaryl and Heteroaryl Aldehydes and Ketones
Authors: Melot Romain , Michelet Véronique
Published: October 2022

Coinage metals have become the metal of choice due to their excellent catalytic activity in organic transformation processes. Combining various chiral ligands and coinage metals became a productive area of research and access to heterocyclic derivatives according to an efficient and sustainable manner. This review was devoted to the various recently developed coinage metal-catalyzed domino processes of ortho-alkynylaryl and heteroaryl aldehydes and ketones leading to functionalized heterocycles. Various gold chiral complexes were presented, and methods of preparations of chromenes along with indoles were covered. Ag-chiral complexes are also prone to interesting activities such as cyclization followed by reduction and functionalization with enolizable ketones or (diazomethyl)phosphonate. Asymmetric Cu-catalyzed domino cyclization and asymmetric transfer hydrogenation reactions efficiently led to functionalized chromenes. Some remarkable examples involving copper associated with ruthenium in the context of a cyclization and asymmetric hydrogenation process were also presented.
Resveratrol Analogues as Selective Estrogen Signaling Pathway Modulators: Structure–Activity Relationship
Authors: Kobylka Paulina , Kucinska Malgorzata , Kujawski Jacek , Lazewski Dawid , Wierzchowski Marcin , Murias Marek
Published: October 2022

Resveratrol is a plant-derived phytoalexin found in grapes, red wine and many other plants used in Asian folk medicine. It is extensively studied for pleiotropic biological activity. The most crucial are anticancer and chemopreventive properties. Resveratrol has also been reported to be an antioxidant and phytoestrogen. The phytoestrogenic activity of resveratrol was assayed in different in vitro and in vivo models. Although these works brought some, on the first look, conflicting results, it is commonly accepted that resveratrol interacts with estrogen receptors and functions as a mixed agonist/antagonist. It is widely accepted that the hydroxyl groups are crucial for resveratrol’s cytotoxic and antioxidative activity and are responsible for binding estrogen receptors. In this work, we assayed 11 resveratrol analogues, seven barring methoxy groups and six hydroxylated analogues in different combinations at positions 3, 4, 5 and 3′,4′,5′. For this purpose, recombined estrogen receptors and estrogen-dependent MCF-7 and Ishikawa cells were used. Our study was supported by in silico docking studies. We have shown that, resveratrol and 3,4,4′5′-tetrahydroxystilbene, 3,3′,4,5,5′-pentahydroxystilbene and 3,3′,4,4′,5,5′-hexahydroxystilbene may act as selective estrogen receptor modulators.
Magnetic, Electronic, and Optical Studies of Gd-Doped WO3: A First Principle Study
Authors: Bahadur Ali , Anjum Tehseen Ali , Roosh Mah , Iqbal Shahid , Alrbyawi Hamad , Qayyum Muhammad Abdul , Ahmad Zaheer , Al-Anazy Murefah Mana , Elkaeed Eslam B. , Pashameah Rami Adel , Alzahrani Eman , Farouk Abd-ElAziem
Published: October 2022

Tungsten trioxide (WO3) is mainly studied as an electrochromic material and received attention due to N-type oxide-based semiconductors. The magnetic, structural, and optical behavior of pristine WO3 and gadolinium (Gd)-doped WO3 are being investigated using density functional theory. For exchange-correlation potential energy, generalized gradient approximation (GGA+U) is used in our calculations, where U is the Hubbard potential. The estimated bandgap of pure WO3 is 2.5 eV. After the doping of Gd, some states cross the Fermi level, and WO3 acts as a degenerate semiconductor with a 2 eV bandgap. Spin-polarized calculations show that the system is antiferromagnetic in its ground state. The WO3 material is a semiconductor, as there is a bandgap of 2.5 eV between the valence and conduction bands. The Gd-doped WO3’s band structure shows few states across the Fermi level, which means that the material is metal or semimetal. After the doping of Gd, WO3 becomes the degenerate semiconductor with a bandgap of 2 eV. The energy difference between ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) configurations is negative, so the Gd-doped WO3 system is AFM. The pure WO3 is nonmagnetic, where the magnetic moment in the system after doping Gd is 9.5599575 μB.
Synthesis and Anticancer Activity of 1,3,4-Thiadiazoles with 3-Methoxyphenyl Substituent
Authors: Janowska Sara , Khylyuk Dmytro , Gornowicz Agnieszka , Bielawska Anna , Janowski Michał , Czarnomysy Robert , Bielawski Krzysztof , Wujec Monika
Published: October 2022

Based on the results of previous work, we designed and synthesized 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives. The cytotoxic activity of the obtained compounds was then determined in biological studies using MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and a normal cell line (fibroblasts). The results showed that all compounds displayed weak anticancer activity towards two breast cancer lines: an estrogen-dependent cell line (MCF-7) and an estrogen-independent cell line (MDA-MB-231). The compound most active towards MCF-7 breast cancer cells was SCT-4, which decreased DNA biosynthesis to 70% ± 3 at 100 µM. The mechanism of the anticancer action of 1,3,4-thiadiazole was also investigated. We choose a set of the most investigated proteins, which are attractive anticancer targets. In silico studies demonstrated a possible multitarget mode of action for the synthesized compounds but the most likely mechanism of action for the new compounds is connected with the activity of caspase 8.
The Effect of Storage Conditions on the Content of Molecules in Malus domestica ‘Chopin’ cv. and Their In Vitro Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Ponder Alicja , Jariené Elvyra , Hallmann Ewelina
Published: October 2022

The apple fruit is one of the most widely cultivated temperate fruits and a rich source of bioactive compounds. Since a growing number of consumers are increasingly seeking safe and healthy food production, organic apple production provides this possibility. In this study, the content of bioactive compounds in organic apples depending on temperature and storage time were determined. ‘Chopin’ apples were stored for 7, 14 and 21 days at 5 °C and 20 °C. All analyses were performed using the HPLC method. The control samples of fresh apples contained the highest content of vitamin C (21.87 mg/100 g FW), L-ascorbic (11.50 mg/100 g FW), DHA (10.37 mg/100 g FW), total carotenoids (2.82 mg/100 g FW), β-carotene (0.21 mg/100 g FW) and lutein (2.41 mg/100 g FW). Samples stored at 20 °C had the highest content of total carotenoids and lutein, but samples stored at 5 °C contained the most β-carotene and zeaxanthin. Apples stored at 20 °C contained significantly more chlorophyll a (0.05 g/100 g FW). The samples stored at 5 °C contained the most total polyphenols. Samples stored for 14 days were characterized by the highest content of total flavonoids. Samples stored for 21 days were characterized by the highest content of epigallocatechin and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, but the highest content of quercetin and kaempferol was found in control samples. The highest content of total flavonoids was found in apples stored at 5 °C.
Fatty Acid and Tocopherol Composition of Pomace and Seed Oil from Five Grape Varieties Southern Spain
Authors: Carmona-Jiménez Yolanda , Igartuburu Jose M. , Guillén-Sánchez Dominico A. , García-Moreno M. Valme
Published: October 2022

Grape pomace and seeds are important winemaking by-products. Their oils are rich in bioactive compounds such as fatty acids and tocopherols. We have characterized oils from both by-products from five Spanish grape varieties (Palomino Fino, Pedro Ximénez, Muscat of Alexandria, Tempranillo and Tintilla de Rota). A high content of UFAs was found in all the analyzed samples. Grape pomace oils generally had the same oleic acid (PUFAω-6) content as seed oils, and lower PUFA contents; they also had a markedly higher linolenic acid (PUFAω-3) content, improving the PUFAω-6/PUFAω-3 ratio. All the oil studied show good indicators of nutritional quality: low values of the atherogenicity (0.112–0.157 for pomace, 0.097–0.112 for seed) and thrombogenicity indices (0.30–0.35 for pomace, 0.28–0.31 for seed) and high values of the relationship between hypo- and hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (6.93–9.45 for pomace, 9.11–10.54 for seed). Three tocopherols were determined: α-, γ- and δ-tocopherol. Pomace oils have higher relative contents of α- and δ-tocopherol, whereas seed oils have higher relative contents of γ-tocopherol. A significantly higher content of total tocopherols has been found in pomace oil; it is higher in the oils from red varieties of pomace (628.2 and 706.6 mg/kg by-product), and in the oils from pomace containing stems (1686.4 mg/kg by-product). All the oils obtained can be considered as a source of vitamin E, and their consumption is beneficial for health.
Ir-Catalyzed Chemo-, Regio-, and Enantioselective Allylic Enolization of 6,6-Dimethyl-3-((trimethylsilyl)oxy)cyclohex-2-en-1-one Involving Keto-Enol Isomerization
Authors: Wang Xiao-Lin , Chen Ji-Teng , Zheng Sheng-Cai , Zhao Xiao-Ming
Published: October 2022

The utilization of 6,6-dimethyl-3-((trimethylsilyl)oxy)cyclohex-2-en-1-one made from an unsymmetrical 4,4-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione in iridium-catalyzed allylic enolization involving keto-enol isomerization is accomplished under mild conditions. The chemoselectivity, regioselectivity, and enantioselectivity are facilitated by the quaternary carbon and adjusting the reaction conditions. This method provides the substituted 2-(but-3-en-2-yl)-3-hydroxy-6,6-dimethylcyclohex-2-en-1-ones in good to high yields with high level of chemo-, regio-, and enantioselectivities. The chiral carbon-fluorine bond formation is induced by an adjacent chiral carbon center of the allylated 3-hydroxy-6,6-dimethylcyclohex-2-en-1-one, as well.
Enhanced Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Activity by Fe(Ш)-Doped Graphitic C3N4
Authors: Lu Zhao , Song Wulin , Liu Minghao
Published: October 2022

Fe(Ш)-doped graphitic carbon nitride (Fe(Ш)-CN) photocatalysts with various Fe(Ш) ions content were prepared via ultrasonic method. Detailed physical characterization indicated that Fe(Ш) ions had been successfully doped into the frame of g-C3N4. The photocatalytic activities were investigated, and methyl orange (MO) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) were used as the targeted pollutants. The as-prepared Fe(Ш)-CN materials exhibited higher photocatalytic activities than those of the pure g-C3N4. Specifically, the degradation rate of 2Fe(Ш)-CN under visible light was 2.06 times higher for MO and 2.65 times higher for TC than that of g-C3N4. The increased photocatalytic activities of Fe(Ш)-CN were mainly attributed to the enhanced light absorption ability and the rapid separation of photogenerated carriers. Moreover, the importance of active species during the reaction process was also explored, and the results indicated that •O2− is the main active species.
Sex Differences of Cardiolipin in Tissue Distribution Based on Targeted Lipidomic Analysis by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS
Authors: Lin Yuqi , Li Xugui , Dai Mengxiang , Li Qiaoyu , Shi Qingxin , Zhang Lijun , Huang Rongzeng , Song Chengwu , Jin Shuna
Published: October 2022

Cardiolipins (CLs) are involved in ATP production, mitochondria biogenesis, apoptosis and mitophagy. Their tissue distribution can provide insight into the function of mitochondria and related diseases. However, the reports on tissue distribution of CLs remain limited. In this research, CLs were identified from heart, liver, kidney, spleen, lung, skeletal muscle, and brain using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS). Then, the distribution and sex difference of CLs in seven tissues were compared by a targeted lipidomic approach. A total of 88 CLs were identified, of which 58, 51, 57, 58, 50, 61 and 52 CLs were found in heart, liver, kidney, spleen, lung, skeletal muscle, and brain, respectively. Compared with the distribution of CLs in heart, liver, kidney, and skeletal muscle, the CLs in spleen, lung, and brain showed significant differences. Moreover, the results indicated that there were sex differences of CLs in liver and kidney. A total of 16 CLs in liver tissue and 21 CLs in kidney tissue, with significant sex differences, were screened. Our findings in the targeted lipidomic analysis demonstrated that tissue distribution of CLs was essential in the dynamic states and sex differences of CLs, which might provide evidence for the mitochondrial-related mechanism under physiological and pathological conditions.
The Australian Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (OzFITS) 2021: Highlights and Future Directions
Authors: Netting Merryn J. , Moumin Najma A. , Makrides Maria , Green Tim J.
Published: October 2022

The 2021 Australian Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (OzFITS 2021) is the first nationwide survey of the feeding practices of children under 2 years. Key Findings: Nearly half of the infants were exclusively breastfed to 4 months, and breastfeeding duration was long, with 68% of infants breastfed to 6 months and 44% breastfed into their second year. Infants were introduced to complementary foods at the appropriate time, between 4 and 6 months. We found a mismatch between the number of recommended servings from each food group in the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the dietary intake of toddlers in our study. Toddlers consumed twice as many fruit servings as recommended, and nearly all consumed discretionary foods despite no allowance for these foods. While most toddlers consumed the recommended dairy serves, they consumed half the recommended servings for other food groups—meats and alternatives, grains, and vegetables. The modeling that informed the Australian Dietary Guidelines did not include an allowance for breastmilk; this needs to be addressed, as a quarter of toddlers in OzFITS 2021 received 30% or more energy from breastmilk. Infants and toddlers met their requirements for most nutrients. One exception was iron, where 90% of older infants and 25% of toddlers had inadequate intakes. Excessive sodium intake was also of concern, with 1 in 3 toddlers exceeding the upper limit of 1000 mg/day. Here, we discuss additional findings, study limitations, gaps in the evidence base, and future directions.
Prevalence of Vitamin D and Calcium Deficiency and Insufficiency in Women of Childbearing Age and Associated Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: da Silveira Erika Aparecida , Moura Letícia de Almeida Nogueira e , Castro Maria Clara Rezende , Kac Gilberto , Hadler Maria Claret Costa Monteiro , Noll Priscilla Rayanne E. Silva , Noll Matias , Rezende Andréa Toledo de Oliveira , Delpino Felipe Mendes , Oliveira Cesar de
Published: October 2022

Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency as well as low serum calcium levels can trigger negative health outcomes in women of childbearing age. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of serum vitamin D and calcium deficiencies and insufficiencies and associated risk factors in Brazilian women of childbearing age and to assess whether there are differences in prevalence according to regions of the country and the presence or absence of pregnancy. The systematic literature review was performed using the following databases: PubMed, LILACS, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science. Cross-sectional, cohort, and intervention studies were included. Among pregnant women, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency ranged from 0% to 27% and of vitamin D insufficiency from 33.9% to 70.4%. Among non-pregnant women, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency ranged from 0% to 41.7% and of vitamin D insufficiency from 38.5% to 69.3%. We found a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in women of childbearing age, with insufficiency affecting more than half of these women. The highest prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency was observed in the South region. It was not possible to assess the prevalence and factors associated with calcium deficiency.
Vitamin D and the Central Nervous System: Causative and Preventative Mechanisms in Brain Disorders
Authors: Cui Xiaoying , Eyles Darryl W.
Published: October 2022

Twenty of the last one hundred years of vitamin D research have involved investigations of the brain as a target organ for this hormone. Our group was one of the first to investigate brain outcomes resulting from primarily restricting dietary vitamin D during brain development. With the advent of new molecular and neurochemical techniques in neuroscience, there has been increasing interest in the potential neuroprotective actions of vitamin D in response to a variety of adverse exposures and how this hormone could affect brain development and function. Rather than provide an exhaustive summary of this data and a listing of neurological or psychiatric conditions that vitamin D deficiency has been associated with, here, we provide an update on the actions of this vitamin in the brain and cellular processes vitamin D may be targeting in psychiatry and neurology.
Microstructural Properties of Brain White Matter Tracts in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study
Authors: Bukkieva Tatyana , Pospelova Maria , Efimtsev Aleksandr , Fionik Olga , Alekseeva Tatyana , Samochernykh Konstantin , Gorbunova Elena , Krasnikova Varvara , Makhanova Albina , Nikolaeva Aleksandra , Tonyan Samvel , Lepekhina Anna , Levchuk Anatoliy , Trufanov Gennadiy , Akshulakov Serik , Shevtsov Maxim
Published: October 2022

Complex breast cancer (BC) treatment can cause various neurological and psychiatric complications, such as postmastectomy pain syndrome, vestibulocerebellar ataxia, and depression, which can lead to microstructural damage of the white matter tracts of the brain. The purpose of the study is to assess microstructural changes in the white matter tracts of the brain in BC survivors using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Single DTI scans were performed on patients (n = 84) after complex BC treatment (i.e., surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy) and on the control group (n = 40). According to the results, a decrease in the quantitative anisotropy (FDR ≤ 0.05) was revealed in the bilateral corticospinal tracts, cerebellar tracts, corpus callosum, fornix, left superior corticostriatal and left corticopontine parietal in patients after BC treatment in comparison to the control group. A decrease in the quantitative anisotropy (FDR ≤ 0.05) was also revealed in the corpus callosum and right cerebellar tracts in patients after BC treatment with the presence of postmastectomy pain syndrome and vestibulocerebellar ataxia. The use of DTI in patients after BC treatment reveals microstructural properties of the white matter tracts in the brain. The results will allow for the improvement of treatment and rehabilitation approaches in patients receiving treatment for breast cancer.
Tunable Microwave Pulse Generation Based on an Actively Mode-Locked Optoelectronic Oscillator
Authors: Zhang Jin , Zhang Depei , Zhang Maolong , Zheng Daikun , Wang Anle , Liu Xiaotong , Hu Lei , Peng Xiaoniu , Wang Yalan
Published: October 2022

A tunable microwave-pulse-generation scheme is proposed and demonstrated by employing an actively mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) based on a microwave photonic filter (MPF). The MPF mainly consists of a phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating (PS-FBG) and a phase modulator. The microwave pulse trains with variable repetition rates are achieved by injecting an external signal, of which the frequencies are equal to an integer multiple of the free spectrum range (FSR) of the OEO. The multi-mode oscillation mechanism is discussed in detail theoretically and experimentally. A microwave pulse train with a central frequency of 9.25 GHz and repetition rate of 1.68 MHz is demonstrated by setting the injecting signal frequency to be the same with the FSR of the OEO. A tunable center frequency of the microwave pulses from 5.47 GHz to 18.91 GHz can be easily generated by tuning the laser frequency benefit from adopting the MPF. Furthermore, the microwave pulses with different pulse periods of 297.62 ns, 198.69 ns, and 148.81 ns are also realized by harmonic mode-locking. The proposed tunable microwave-pulse-generation method has potential applications in the pulse Doppler radar and communications.
Recent Progress in Processing Cellulose Using Ionic Liquids as Solvents
Authors: Taokaew Siriporn , Kriangkrai Worawut
Published: October 2022

Cellulose-based materials have attracted great attention due to the demand for eco-friendly materials and renewable energy alternatives. An increase in the use of these materials is expected in the coming years due to progressive decline in the supply of petrochemicals. Based on the limitations of cellulose in terms of dissolution/processing, and focused on green chemistry, new cellulose production techniques are emerging, such as dissolution and functionalization in ionic liquids which are known as green solvents. This review summarizes the recent ionic liquids used in processing cellulose, including pretreatment, hydrolysis, functionalization, and conversion into bio-based platform chemicals. The recent literatures investigating the progress that ILs have made in their transition from academia to commercial application of cellulosic biomass are also reviewed.
Swing Steadiness Regulation of Electric Vehicles with Improved Neural Network PID Algorithm
Authors: Song Dongfang , Ji Hong , Li Kang
Published: October 2022

With the intensification of global environmental pollution and the energy crisis, the new energy EV industry is developing rapidly, and FWID-EV is a popular direction for future vehicle development. For the sake of improving the swing regulate steadiness and safety of EV, the study uses a particle swarm algorithm to optimize and improve the BP neural network PID, and designs an EV steering regulator to regulate the transverse swing torque and slip rate of EV to improve the safety and steadiness of EV steering. The research results display that the maximum value of the transverse swing angular velocity of the regulation algorithm is 0.156 rad/s, that the car slip rate is controlled within 0.046, and the steadiness is high, and that the maximum values of the car torque under the double shift line and snake conditions are 100 N-m and 179.4 N-m, respectively, which can effectively avoid the danger caused by steering. This demonstrates that the improved neural network PID regulator can effectively distribute the steering torque of the EV and improve the steering steadiness and safety of the EV while maintaining the driving dynamics. The use of the improved neural network PID algorithm to achieve the steering steadiness regulation of EV is of great significance to improve the safety of new energy EV, and helps to promote the widespread use of new energy EV.
Shallow Sea Topography Detection from Multi-Source SAR Satellites: A Case Study of Dazhou Island in China
Authors: Huang Longyu , Meng Junmin , Fan Chenqing , Zhang Jie , Yang Jingsong
Published: October 2022

Accurate measurement of underwater topography in the coastal zone is essential for human marine activities, and the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) presents a completely new solution. However, underwater topography detection using a single SAR image is vulnerable to the interference of sea state and sensor noise, which reduces the detection accuracy. A new underwater topography detection method based on multi-source SAR (MSSTD) was proposed in this study to improve the detection precision. GF-3, Sentinel-1, ALOS PALSAR, and ENVISAT ASAR data were used to verify the sea area of Dazhou Island. The detection result was in good agreement with the chart data (MAE of 2.9 m and correlation coefficient of 0.93), and the detection accuracy was improved over that of a single SAR image. GF-3 image with 3 m spatial resolution performed best in bathymetry among the four SAR images. Additionally, the resolution of the SAR image had greater influence on bathymetry compared with polarization and radar band. The ability of MSSTD has been proved in our work. Collaborative multi-source satellite observation is a feasible and effective scheme in marine research, but its application potential in underwater topography detection still requires further exploration.
A Method to Estimate Clear-Sky Albedo of Paddy Rice Fields
Authors: Sun Tao , Fang Hongliang , Chen Liding , Sun Ranhao
Published: October 2022

As a major crop type in the global agroecosystem, paddy rice fields contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions. Surface albedo plays a vital role in estimating carbon emissions. However, it is difficult to find a broadband albedo estimation over paddy rice fields. The objective of this study was to derive an applicable method to improve albedo estimation over a paddy rice field. Field multiangle reflectance and surface albedo were collected throughout the growing season. A physically based model (AMBRALS) was utilized to reconstruct the directional reflectance into the spectral albedo. Multiple spectral albedos (at the wavelengths of 470, 550, 660, 850, 1243, 1640 and 2151 nm) were calculated, and new narrowband to broadband conversion coefficients were derived between the observed spectral albedo and broadband albedo. The conversion schemes showed high consistency with the field albedo observations in the shortwave (285–3000 nm), infrared (700–3000 nm), and visible (400–700 nm) bands. This method can help improve albedo estimation in partially submerged environments.
Detection of the New Class of Hypersonic Targets under Emerging Hyperspectral Sample Streams: An Unsupervised Isolation Forest Solution
Authors: Yuan Shurong , Shi Lei , Yao Bo , Zhai Yutong , Li Fangyan , Du Yuefan
Published: October 2022

Rapid detection of the new class of hypersonic targets (HTs) presenting unknown military threats in space-based surveillance will guarantee aerospace security. This paper proposes an unsupervised subclass definition and an efficient isolation forest based on an anomalous hyperspectral feature selection (USD-EiForest) algorithm to detect the new class of never-before-seen HTs under emerging hyperspectral sample streams. First, we reveal that the hyperspectral features (HFs) of the new class of HTs have no anomaly characteristics when compared to the globally observed samples while having prominent anomaly characteristics when compared to the subclasses of observed samples. Second, an unsupervised subclass definition method adapted to HTs is utilized to classify the observed samples into several subclasses. Then, an efficient isolation forest is designed to determine whether the data stream sample in each subclass indicates anomaly features that mark the detection of the new class of hypersonic targets (DNHT). Finally, we experiment on the simulated hyperspectral HTs data sets considering the RAM-C II HT as the observed samples and the HTV-2 HT as the unknown samples. The results suggest that the performance of our proposal has competitive advantages in terms of accuracy and detection efficiency.
The Evolution of Irrigation Effects on Agricultural Drought Mitigation in North China
Authors: Yan Nana , Wu Bingfang , Zhu Weiwei , Ma Zonghan , Zhang Xiwang , Bulgan Davdai
Published: October 2022

Drought is one of the most common natural threats to agricultural production worldwide. Few studies have studied the effects of agricultural practices on drought mitigation at a regional scale over a long period. This paper analyzes the spatiotemporal characteristics in the agricultural drought-affected area change index (ADAC), which was developed to assess the drought mitigation. The linear regression method was used to investigate the impact factors on the change of ADAC in the three main winter wheat provinces of northern China. The results showed that the average ADAC during the main growing season in the study area was approximately −61.5% over the past 38 years, which indicated a great decrease of the agricultural drought-affected area. The significant decreasing trends of ADAC values across the study area during 1981–2000 could be explained by the area percentage equipped for irrigation (APEI) by 49.2–89.7%. There was a lack of pronounced change trends of ADAC during 2001–2018, implying that the positive effects of irrigation infrastructure in the plain area might reach a plateau under the constraints of available water resources, and other agricultural practices need to be investigated in the future. This research provides helpful decision information on drought adaptation management and water conservation project planning.
A New Exospheric Temperature Model Based on CHAMP and GRACE Measurements
Authors: Yang Xu , Zhu Xiaoqian , Weng Libin , Yang Shenggao
Published: October 2022

In this study, the effective exospheric temperature, derived from CHAMP and GRACE density measurements during 2002–2010, was utilized to develop a new exospheric temperature model (ETM) with the aid of the NRLMSIS 2.0 empirical model. We characterized the dominant modes of global exospheric temperature using the principal component analysis (PCA) method, and the first five derived empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) captured 98.2% of the total variability. The obtained mean field, first five EOFs and the corresponding amplitudes were applied to build ETM using the polynomial method. The ETM and NRLMSIS 2.0 models were independently validated by the SWARM-C and GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO) density measurements. ETM can reproduce thermospheric density much better than the NRLMSIS 2.0 model, and the Root Mean Square Errors (RMSE) of ETM predictions were approximately 26.45% and 26.17% for the SWARM-C and GRACE-FO tests, respectively, while they were 39.52% and 44.41% for the NRLMSIS 2.0 model. In addition, ETM can accurately capture the equatorial thermospheric anomaly feature, seasonal variation and hemispheric asymmetry in the thermosphere.
Blind Deblurring of Remote-Sensing Single Images Based on Feature Alignment
Authors: Zhu Baoyu , Lv Qunbo , Yang Yuanbo , Sui Xuefu , Zhang Yu , Tang Yinhui , Tan Zheng
Published: October 2022

Motion blur recovery is a common method in the field of remote sensing image processing that can effectively improve the accuracy of detection and recognition. Among the existing motion blur recovery methods, the algorithms based on deep learning do not rely on a priori knowledge and, thus, have better generalizability. However, the existing deep learning algorithms usually suffer from feature misalignment, resulting in a high probability of missing details or errors in the recovered images. This paper proposes an end-to-end generative adversarial network (SDD-GAN) for single-image motion deblurring to address this problem and to optimize the recovery of blurred remote sensing images. Firstly, this paper applies a feature alignment module (FAFM) in the generator to learn the offset between feature maps to adjust the position of each sample in the convolution kernel and to align the feature maps according to the context; secondly, a feature importance selection module is introduced in the generator to adaptively filter the feature maps in the spatial and channel domains, preserving reliable details in the feature maps and improving the performance of the algorithm. In addition, this paper constructs a self-constructed remote sensing dataset (RSDATA) based on the mechanism of image blurring caused by the high-speed orbital motion of satellites. Comparative experiments are conducted on self-built remote sensing datasets and public datasets as well as on real remote sensing blurred images taken by an in-orbit satellite (CX-6(02)). The results show that the algorithm in this paper outperforms the comparison algorithm in terms of both quantitative evaluation and visual effects.
Optical Sensors Technology and Applications
Authors: Lepore Maria , Delfino Ines
Published: October 2022

Optical methods are non-invasive tools, and their use in various fields, including sensing applications, is continuously increasing, which is thanks to the continuous development of innovative low-cost sources and detectors [...]
An Automatic Defect Detection System for Petrochemical Pipeline Based on Cycle-GAN and YOLO v5
Authors: Chen Kun , Li Hongtao , Li Chunshu , Zhao Xinyue , Wu Shujie , Duan Yuxiao , Wang Jinshen
Published: October 2022

Defect detection of petrochemical pipelines is an important task for industrial production safety. At present, pipeline defect detection mainly relies on closed circuit television method (CCTV) to take video of the pipeline inner wall and then detect the defective area manually, so the detection is very time-consuming and has a high rate of false and missed detections. To solve the above issues, we proposed an automatic defect detection system for petrochemical pipeline based on Cycle-GAN and improved YOLO v5. Firstly, in order to create the pipeline defect dataset, the original pipeline videos need pre-processing, which includes frame extraction, unfolding, illumination balancing, and image stitching to create coherent and tiled pipeline inner wall images. Secondly, aiming at the problems of small amount of samples and the imbalance of defect and non-defect classes, a sample enhancement strategy based on Cycle-GAN is proposed to generate defect images and expand the data set. Finally, in order to detect defective areas on the pipeline and improve the detection accuracy, a robust defect detection model based on improved YOLO v5 and Transformer attention mechanism is proposed, with the average precision and recall as 93.10% and 90.96%, and the F1-score as 0.920 on the test set. The proposed system can provide reference for operators in pipeline health inspection, improving the efficiency and accuracy of detection.
Ordinal Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel Testing and Nonparametric Analysis of Variance: Competing Methodologies
Authors: Rayner J. C. W. , Livingston G. C.
Published: October 2022

The Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) and nonparametric analysis of variance (NP ANOVA) methodologies are both sets of tests for categorical response data. The latter are competitor tests for the ordinal CMH tests in which the response variable is necessarily ordinal; the treatment variable may be either ordinal or nominal. The CMH mean score test seeks to detect mean treatment differences, while the CMH correlation test assesses ordinary or (1, 1) generalized correlation. Since the corresponding nonparametric ANOVA tests assess arbitrary univariate and bivariate moments, the ordinal CMH tests have been extended to enable a fuller comparison. The CMH tests are conditional tests, assuming that certain marginal totals in the data table are known. They have been extended to have unconditional analogues. The NP ANOVA tests are unconditional. Here, we give a brief overview of both methodologies to address the question “which methodology is preferable?”.