bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research-driven education: An introductory course to systems and synthetic biology
Authors: Smith Robert W. , Garcia-Morales Luis , Martins dos Santos Vitor A. P. , Saccenti Edoardo
Published: September 2022

Systems and Synthetic Biology are complementary fields emerging side-by-side into mainstream scientific research. Whilst systems biologists focus on understanding natural systems, synthetic biologists wish to modify, adapt and re-purpose biological systems towards certain desired goals, for example enhancing efficiency and robustness of desired biological traits. In both fields, data analysis, predictive mathematical modelling, experimental design, and controlled experimentation are crucial to obtain reproducible results and understand how applications can be scaled to larger systems and processes. As such, students from Life Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics backgrounds must be taught fundamentals in biological systems, experimental techniques, mathematics, and data analysis/statistics. In addition, students must be trained for future multidisciplinary careers, where the interaction and communication between experimental and modelling researchers is fundamental. With the acceleration of technological developments (both computational and experimental) continuing unabated, educators need to bridge the increasing gap between fundamentally-required knowledge and skills that students need to pursue future academic or industrial research projects. In this paper, we will discuss how we have re-designed an introductory course in Systems and Synthetic Biology at Wageningen University and Research (Netherlands) that is targeted simultaneously to mathematical/computational students with an interest in biology and experimental methods, and to Life Science students interested in learning how biological systems can be mathematically analysed and modelled. The course highlights the links between fundamental methodologies and recently developed technologies within the Systems and Synthetic Biology fields. The course was re-designed for the 2021/22 academic year, we report that students from biology and biotechnology programmes graded their satisfaction of the course as 4.4 out of 5. We discuss how the course can act as a gateway to advanced courses in Systems Biology-oriented curricula (comprising: data infrastructure, modelling, and experimental synthetic biology), and towards future research projects.
A duplex fluorescent quantitative PCR assay to distinguish the genotype I and II strains of African swine fever virus in Chinese epidemic strains
Authors: Cao Shinuo , Lu Huipeng , Wu Zhi , Zhu Shanyuan
Published: September 2022

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease that affects domestic and wild pigs. A recent study reported that both ASF virus (ASFV) genotypes I and II have invaded farm-raised pigs in China, causing chronic infection and morbidity. To develop a duplex fluorescent quantitative PCR method to distinguish the ASFV genotypes I and II in Chinese epidemic strains, the probes and primers were designed based on the B646L sequences of genotypes I and II listed in the GenBank database. After optimizing the system, a duplex fluorescent quantitative PCR method for simultaneous detection of ASFV genotypes I and II B646L genes was successfully established. This method had no cross-reaction with Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), Pseudorabies virus (PRV), or Porcine Parvovirus (PPV), indicating that it has strong specificity. The sensitivity results indicated that the minimum detection limit of ASFV genotypes I and II B646L was 10 copies/Rxn. The inter- and intra-group coefficients of variation were both <3%, indicating that the method was highly reproducible. Therefore, the established duplex fluorescent quantitative PCR assay is important for the differential detection and epidemiological investigation of ASFV.
Organic Rankine Cycle as the Waste Heat Recovery Unit of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell: A Novel System Design for the Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Using Batteries as a Backup/Storage Unit
Authors: Pourrahmani Hossein , Xu Chengzhang , Van herle Jan
Published: September 2022

The novelty of this study is to suggest a novel design for electric vehicle charging stations using fuel cell technology. The proposed system benefits from the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) to utilize the exhaust energy of the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) stacks in addition to the Lithium-Ion battery to improve the efficiency by partial-load operation of the stacks at night. The study is supported by the thermodynamic analysis to obtain the characteristics of the system in each state point. To analyze the operation of the system during the partial-load operation, the dynamic performance of the system was developed during the day. Furthermore, the environmental impacts of the system were evaluated considering eighteen parameters using a life-cycle assessment (LCA). LCA results also revealed the effects of different fuels and working fluids for the SOFC stacks and ORC, respectively. Results show that the combination of SOFC and ORC units can generate 264.02 kWh with the respective overall energy and exergy efficiencies of 48.96% and 48.51%. The suggested 264.02 kWh contributes to global warming (kg CO2 eq) by 5.17 × 105, 8.36 × 104, 2.5 × 105, 1.98 × 105, and 6.79 × 104 using methane, bio-methanol, natural gas, biogas, and hydrogen as the fuel of the SOFC stacks.
Single Cell RNA Sequencing: A New Frontier in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Bou Zerdan Maroun , Shatila Malek , Sarwal Dhruv , Bouferraa Youssef , Bou Zerdan Morgan , Allam Sabine , Ramovic Merima , Graziano Stephen
Published: September 2022

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a malignancy with a high mortality rate. It exhibits significant heterogeneity in metabolic pathways which are associated with its progression. In this review, we discuss the role of single cell RNA sequencing in unraveling the metabolic and clinical features of these highly malignant tumors.
The Role of Biomarkers in the Management of Colorectal Liver Metastases
Authors: Hewitt Daniel Brock , Brown Zachary J. , Pawlik Timothy M.
Published: September 2022

Surgical management combined with improved systemic therapies have extended 5-year overall survival beyond 50% among patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). Furthermore, a multitude of liver-directed therapies has improved local disease control for patients with unresectable CRLM. Unfortunately, a significant portion of patients treated with curative-intent hepatectomy develops disease recurrence. Traditional markers fail to risk-stratify and prognosticate patients with CRLM appropriately. Over the last few decades, advances in molecular sequencing technology have greatly expanded our knowledge of the pathophysiology and tumor microenvironment characteristics of CRLM. These investigations have revealed biomarkers with the potential to better inform management decisions in patients with CRLM. Actionable biomarkers such as RAS and BRAF mutations, microsatellite instability/mismatch repair status, and tumor mutational burden have been incorporated into national and societal guidelines. Other biomarkers, including circulating tumor DNA and radiomic features, are under active investigation to evaluate their clinical utility. Given the plethora of therapeutic modalities and lack of evidence on timing and sequence, reliable biomarkers are needed to assist clinicians with the development of patient-tailored management plans. In this review, we discuss the current evidence regarding biomarkers for patients with CRLM.
Change of the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio during Treatment: A Potential Prognostic Biomarker in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Treated with Radium-223 Dichloride
Authors: Kaulanjan Kevin , Dahan Johanna , Charrois-Durand Cédric , Saad Fred , Brureau Laurent , Delouya Guila , Taussky Daniel , Auclin Edouard
Published: September 2022

The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) at baseline has been shown to have prognostic value in metastatic prostate cancer. Little is known about the importance of a change in the NLR during treatment in patients treated with Radium-223 (223Ra). We investigated the prognostic value of the NLR at baseline and during therapy in patients with metastatic prostate cancer treated with 223Ra and also in patients treated with Docetaxel. We reviewed all patients treated with 223Ra in our center and randomly chosen patients treated with Docetaxel. Patients were stratified according to NLR ≤ 5 and >5 at baseline and at 12 weeks of therapy. The relationship between NLR measured at baseline and at 12 weeks and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. A total of 149 patients treated with 223Ra and 170 with Docetaxel were evaluated. For patients treated with 223Ra, overall survival was significantly better in patients that had both an NLR ≤ 5 at baseline and at 12 weeks. No such effect of NLR was found in patients treated with Docetaxel. In the present study, NLR at baseline and after 12 weeks of therapy was found to be prognostic factor in patients treated with 223Ra but not in those treated with Docetaxel.
Impacts of Income Inequality and Economic Growth on CO2 Emissions: Comparing the Gini Coefficient and the Top Income Share in OECD Countries
Authors: Kang Hyunsoo
Published: September 2022

This study investigates the nexus of income inequality, economic growth, and CO2 emissions based on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for 38 OECD countries during 1990–2015. The indices of income inequality include the Gini coefficient and the top income share. The main objective of this study is to re-examine the effects of income inequality and economic growth on CO2 emissions based on the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. The panel analysis for OECD countries is examined using country fixed effects and Granger causality including pre-tests for unit root, cointegration, and stationarity. The main findings of this study are as follows. First, the effects of economic growth on CO2 emissions have an inverted U-shaped relationship, and the effects of income inequality on CO2 emission also have an inverted U-shaped relationship. Second, the Gini coefficient and the top income share represented by the income inequality index are well-defined tools for analyzing the relationship between income inequality and environmental degradation. Third, the increase in trade dependency and renewable energy consumption has contributed to the decrease in CO2 emissions, but the increase in energy use has led to an increase in CO2 emissions. Finally, economic growth and income inequality have Granger causality for CO2 emissions, and economic growth bi-directionally causes Granger causality for income inequality. Therefore, this study suggests that resolving income inequality is crucial and another important environmental policy that affects CO2 emissions.
Differentially Methylated DNA Regions and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in African Americans: A HyperGEN Study
Authors: Jones Alana C. , Patki Amit , Claas Steven A. , Tiwari Hemant K. , Chaudhary Ninad S. , Absher Devin M. , Lange Leslie A. , Lange Ethan M. , Zhao Wei , Ratliff Scott M. , Kardia Sharon L. R. , Smith Jennifer A. , Irvin Marguerite R. , Arnett Donna K.
Published: September 2022

Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and African Americans experience a disparate high risk of LVH. Genetic studies have identified potential candidate genes and variants related to the condition. Epigenetic modifications may continue to help unravel disease mechanisms. We used methylation and echocardiography data from 636 African Americans selected from the Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network (HyperGEN) to identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs) associated with LVH. DNA extracted from whole blood was assayed on Illumina Methyl450 arrays. We fit linear mixed models to examine associations between co-methylated regions and LV traits, and we then conducted single CpG analyses within significant DMRs. We identified associations between DMRs and ejection fraction (XKR6), LV internal diastolic dimension (TRAK1), LV mass index (GSE1, RPS15 A, PSMD7), and relative wall thickness (DNHD1). In single CpG analysis, CpG sites annotated to TRAK1 and DNHD1 were significant. These CpGs were not associated with LV traits in replication cohorts but the direction of effect for DNHD1 was consistent across cohorts. Of note, DNHD1, GSE1, and PSMD7 may contribute to cardiac structural function. Future studies should evaluate relationships between regional DNA methylation patterns and the development of LVH.
Incidental Findings in Study Participants: What Is the Researcher’s Obligation?
Authors: Schaare Donna , Ward Linda D. , Boccuto Luigi
Published: September 2022

Background: As technology advances and genomic testing becomes commonplace, incidental findings, or the discovery of unrelated results, have increased. The American College of Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) established recommendations for the return of pathologic variants in 78 genes in the clinical setting based on medically actionable conditions from genes linked with preventable or treatable diseases. However, the lack of policy in the research setting poses a serious ethical dilemma for researchers, potentially threatening the participant’s trust and willingness to contribute to a process with more significant risk than benefit. Purpose: Our goal was to determine the preferred ethical approach to handling incidental research findings and suggest a new standard for investigators and participants. Methods: By employing Wueste’s IAJD Framework of ethical evaluation, the current research policy, as well as a proposed policy, were analyzed, and then a policy analysis was employed to ascertain feasibility. Results and Discussion: The current policy of leaving the decision of returning incidental findings up to the researcher’s discretion is an ethical failure from the consequential, deontological, and intellectual freedom perspectives. However, the proposed policy of implementing the ACMG guidance for researchers to satisfy ethical demands reinforces its moral fortitude. In a period of increasing public awareness, the community, which is the prospective research pool, has increased demands for autonomy and less paternalistic behavior from medicine and science. This paper synthesizes recommendations by numerous organizations to establish a mutually beneficial policy that will ensure the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) goal, stated in the 2014 Joint Rule, of making participants “partners” in research a reality.
Rare Disease Education Outside of the Classroom and Clinic: Evaluation of the RARE Compassion Program for Undergraduate Medical Students
Authors: Morgenthau Ari , Margus Colton , Mackley Michael P. , Miller Ashley P.
Published: September 2022

Launched in 2014, the RARE Compassion Program is the first international educational program to pair medical students with rare disease patients in order to enhance exposure to and comfort with rare diseases. As part of ongoing quality improvement, this study retrospectively reviewed four years of participant registration data to conduct a program evaluation of the RARE Compassion Program between 2014–2018. During the study period, there were 334 student participants, representing 67.3% of Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) member medical schools, and 5389 rare disease volunteers. Despite not requiring in-person interaction, 90.64% of student–volunteer interactions were in-person, while only 5.89% and 3.46% were by video messaging or email correspondence, respectively (p = 0.0002). In a limited post participation survey, 91.7% of students, who matched to 19 out of 27 residency specialities, indicated they would recommend the program to their peers. These findings suggest that the RARE Compassion Program, designed to increase medical student engagement with rare disease patients, has broad appeal. It serves as a novel case study of how extracurricular initiatives supported by non-profit organizations can augment the medical training experience and improve understanding of important and often neglected perspectives.
Coupling Coordination and Interactive Response Analysis of Ecological Environment and Urban Resilience in the Yangtze River Economic Belt
Authors: Yang Mei , Jiao Mengyun , Zhang Jinyu
Published: September 2022

There is a complex dynamic coupling interaction process between the ecological environment and urban resilience. It is important to clarify the coordination relationship and interactive response mechanism between them for sustainable development construction of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The coupling coordination degree model and the panel vector autoregressive model (PVAR) were adopted to quantitatively examine the dynamic coordination and interactive response of the ecological environment and urban resilience in the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2000 to 2019. Our study’s results are the following: (1) The ecological environment index and urban resilience index have a generally positive trend of fluctuation and increase during the study period but show significant regional differentiation. (2) The coupling coordination degree of ecological environment and urban resilience in the Yangtze River Economic Belt increased steadily, forming a spatial distribution pattern of “strong in the east and weak in the west”, with cities in the region mainly at the basic coordination level and generally lagging behind in development. (3) Both the ecological environment and urban resilience systems in the Yangtze River Economic Belt have significant self-reinforcing mechanisms, but the reinforcing effect is gradually decreasing, and the two positively promote each other, with urban resilience showing a more obvious promoting effect on the ecological environment.
Economic Evaluation of Pharmacist-Led Digital Health Interventions: A Systematic Review
Authors: Park Taehwan , Kim Hyemin , Song Seunghyun , Griggs Scott K.
Published: September 2022

There has been growing interest in integrating digital technologies in healthcare. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the economic value of pharmacist-led digital interventions. PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane databases were searched to select studies that had conducted economic evaluations of digital interventions by pharmacists for the period from January 2001 to February 2022. Economic evidence from 14 selected studies was synthesized in our analysis. Pharmacists used telephones, computers, web-based interventions, videotapes, smartphones, and multiple technologies for their digital interventions. Prior studies have reported the results of telephone-based interventions to be cost-effective. Alternatively, these interventions were found to be cost-effective when reevaluated with recently cited willingness-to-pay thresholds. In addition, pharmacist-led interventions based on computers, web-based interventions, smartphones, and multiple technologies have been reported to be cost-effective in previous studies. However, videotape-based intervention was found cost-ineffective because there was no significant difference in outcomes between the intervention and the usual care groups. If this intervention had been intensive enough to improve outcomes in the intervention group, favorable cost-effectiveness results could have been obtained. The economic evidence in the previous studies represented short-term economic values. Economic evaluations of the long-term value of digital interventions are warranted in future studies.
“I Was Given Three Marks and Told to Buy a Porsche”—Supervisors’ Experiences of Leading Psychosocial Safety Climate and Team Psychological Safety in a Remote Academic Setting
Authors: Sjöblom Kirsi , Mäkiniemi Jaana-Piia , Mäkikangas Anne
Published: September 2022

This study examines leading psychosocial safety climate (PSC) within the organization and psychological safety in teams in remote work conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These topical working life phenomena have an essential role in health, well-being and productivity in today’s working life, but they have rarely been studied in remote work context. A total of 26 supervisors and leaders at three Finnish universities participated in semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, resulting in four main categories: supportive and challenging aspects of leading psychological safety and well-being, supportive and challenging aspects of organizational psychosocial safety climate leadership, support for working as a supervisor, and characteristics specific to working in academia. The results indicate that leading psychological safety remotely requires more time, deliberation and intentionality than when working face to face, and that the role of remote interaction is underlined in it. As to PSC, it is important to improve the cohesion in leading psychological safety and health in academic organizations. How PSC is led in the organizations affects not only the general psychosocial working conditions, but also the possibilities for good leadership of psychological safety in smaller units in the organization. The study makes a novel contribution especially in understanding (1) leadership of PSC and psychological safety in remote work conditions, and (2) the reciprocal relations between leading psychological safety and well-being at the organizational level and the team level.
Effectiveness of Nitrate Intake on Recovery from Exercise-Related Fatigue: A Systematic Review
Authors: Gamonales José M. , Rojas-Valverde Daniel , Muñoz-Jiménez Jesús , Serrano-Moreno Walter , Ibáñez Sergio J.
Published: September 2022

Background: Recovery between efforts is critical to achieving optimal physical and sports performance. In this sense, many nutritional supplements that have been proven to improve recovery and physical and physiological performance are widely used. Supplements such as nitrates (NO3−), including organic foods such as beets, promote muscle recovery and relieve fatigue. This study aimed to comprehensively summarise the available literature on the effect of NO3− consumption on exercise-related fatigue and muscle damage. Methods: A systematic search was carried out based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) using electronic databases (e.g., PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science). From a total of 1634 studies identified, 15 studies were included in this review. Results: Based on the review, NO3− intake provokes physiological and metabolic responses that could potentially boost exercise-related recovery. NO3− could improve recovery indicators related to strength, pain, inflammation, and muscle damage. Conclusions: Despite the relative proven effectiveness of NO3− on recovery after aerobic and anaerobic efforts, based on the heterogeneity of the procedures (e.g., dosage, chronic vs. acute intake, participants’ characteristics, variables and outcomes), it could be premature to suggest its extended use in sports.
COVID-19 Awareness among Undergraduate Medical Students in Trinidad: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Umakanthan Srikanth , Ramlagan Aalia , Ramlal Celine , Ramlal Pavitra , Ramlochan Diva , Ramlogan Anagha-Devi , Ramnarace Priya , Ramnarine Tanisha , Ramnath Aderlene
Published: September 2022

Background: The urgency for heightened levels of the Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) awareness is due to their estimated face-to-face participation in the COVID-19 pandemic and similar pandemics. The unavailability of updated pandemic information is a significant challenge. There is no available data or previous studies undertaken to investigate the level of pandemic awareness of medical students in Trinidad, Tobago, or the wider Caribbean. Methods: A cross-sectional study of medical students, years one to five, at the University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine campus, Faculty of Medical Sciences, was conducted using random sampling. Data was collected using a 20-item questionnaire structured to test awareness. Chi-square analysis was done using SPSS version 28.0.1.0 (142). Results: Of the 137 participants, 100% claimed to be aware of the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly via social media and the Ministry of Health press conferences. Though all claimed to be aware, 98.5% were aware of COVID-19 being a viral infection, whilst 87.6% were aware of the modes of transmission. Less than half of the population (45.3%) stated they were prepared to be a frontline worker exposed to and treating COVID-19 patients, while the majority (76.6%) were worried about exposure to the virus. Conclusions: The data collected in this research indicated that the level of awareness increases with higher levels of education, whereas age has no effect. Additionally, it was determined that undergraduate medical students had an average knowledge base of COVID-19 but would need training programs to increase their preparedness as future healthcare professionals. Lastly, it was discovered that the two top sources of information were social media and press conferences held by the government.
A Novel Terahertz Detector Based on Asymmetrical FET Array in 55-nm Standard CMOS Process
Authors: Liu Yaxuan , Zhang Xin , Sun Jingye , Tong Ling , Kong Lingbing , Deng Tao
Published: September 2022

This paper reports a novel, one-dimensional dense array of asymmetrical metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor (MOSFET) THz detector, which has been fabricated in GlobalFoundries 55-nm CMOS technology. Compared with other technologies, the Si-based complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) dominates in industrial applications, owing to its easier integration and lower cost. However, as the frequency increases, the return loss between the antenna and detector will increase. The proposed THz detector has a short-period grating structure formed by MOSFET fingers in the array, which can serve as an effective antenna to couple incident THz radiation into the FET channels. It not only solved the problem of return loss effectively, but also greatly reduced the detector area. Meanwhile, since the THz signal is rectified at both the source and drain electrodes to generate two current signals with equal amplitude but opposite directions, the source drain voltage is not provided to reduce the power consumption. This leads to a poor performance of the THz detector. Therefore, by using an asymmetric structure for the gate fingers position to replace the source drain voltage, the performance of the detector in the case of zero power consumption can be effectively improved. Compared with the symmetrical MOSFET THz detector, Rv is increased by 183.3% and NEP is decreased by 67.7%.
Crash Performance of Strength Gradient Tube Induced by Selective Laser Patterning
Authors: Kim HyungGyu , Trinh NamHoai , Kwon JunBeom , Hong SukJoon , Park SungHyuk , Yoon JongHun
Published: September 2022

This paper presents an investigation of the performance of a 22 MnB5 tube after local heat treatment according to a patterning shape under dynamic crash test conditions to propose the patterning shape with the best energy absorption efficiency. Numerical simulations support experimental results to validate the deformation mode during dynamic crash test as well as the strain distribution of the specimen. The helical patterning not only demonstrates the highest axial loading force and energy absorbance in both static and dynamic crash tests, but also can be easily fabricated in a short time. The helical pattern can optimize different pitch sizes according to the thickness and diameter of the cylindrical tube, and it has the highest energy absorption rate with 83.0% in dynamic conditions.
Photonic Nano-/Microstructured Diatom Based Biosilica in Metal Modification and Removal—A Review
Authors: Roychoudhury Piya , Bose Rahul , Dąbek Przemysław , Witkowski Andrzej
Published: September 2022

The siliceous exoskeletal shells of diatoms, commonly known as frustules, have drawn attention because of their photoluminescence property and high volume to surface area. Photonic biosilica can also enhance the plasmonic sensitivity of nanoparticles. Because of this, researchers have studied the effectiveness of various metal particles after combining with biosilica. Additionally, naturally occurring diatom-based biosilica has excellent adsorption and absorption capabilities, which have already been exploited for wastewater treatment. Moreover, the nanoporous, ultra-hydrophilic frustules can easily accumulate more molecules on their surfaces. As a consequence, it becomes easier to conjugate noble metals with silica, making them more stable and effective. The main focus of this review is to agglomerate the utility of biocompatible diatom frustules, which is a no-cost natural resource of biosilica, in metal modification and removal.
Impact of a Prenatal Vitamin D Supplementation Program on Vitamin D Deficiency, Rickets and Early Childhood Caries in an Alaska Native Population
Authors: Singleton Rosalyn J. , Day Gretchen M. , Thomas Timothy K. , Klejka Joseph A. , Desnoyers Christine A. , McIntyre Melanie N. P. , Compton David M. , Thummel Kenneth E. , Schroth Robert J. , Ward Leanne M. , Lenaker Dane C. , Lescher Rachel K. , McLaughlin Joseph B.
Published: September 2022

Background: Early childhood rickets increased in Alaska Native children after decreases in vitamin D-rich subsistence diet in childbearing-aged women. We evaluated the impact of routine prenatal vitamin D supplementation initiated in Alaska’s Yukon Kuskokwim Delta in Fall 2016. Methods: We queried electronic health records of prenatal women with 25(OH) vitamin D testing during the period 2015–2019. We evaluated 25(OH)D concentrations, vitamin D3 supplement refills, and decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) scores and rickets in offspring. Results: Mean 25(OH)D concentrations increased 36.5% from pre- to post-supplementation; the percentage with deficient 25(OH)D decreased by 66.4%. Women with ≥ 60 vitamin D3 refill days had higher late pregnancy 25(OH)D concentrations than those with no refill days (p < 0.0001). Women with late pregnancy insufficient 25(OH)D concentrations had offspring with higher dmft scores than those with sufficient 25(OH)D (RR 1.3, p < 0.0001). Three children were diagnosed with nutritional rickets during the period 2001–2021, and none after 2017. Conclusions: These findings suggest that prenatal vitamin D supplementation can improve childhood outcomes in high-risk populations with high rates of rickets.
Biomimetic Nanovesicles—Sources, Design, Production Methods, and Applications
Authors: Mougenot Marcel Franco , Pereira Vanessa Sousa , Costa Ana Letícia Rodrigues , Lancellotti Marcelo , Porcionatto Marimelia Aparecida , da Silveira Juliano Coelho , de la Torre Lucimara Gaziola
Published: September 2022

Despite all the progress in the field of liposomes and nanoparticles for applications as drug and gene delivery systems, the specific targeting and immune system escape capabilities of these systems are still limited. Biomimetic nanovesicles emerged as a strategy to overcome these and other limitations associated with synthetic carriers, such as short circulation time, cytotoxicity, and difficulty in crossing biological barriers, since many of the desirable abilities of drug delivery systems are innate characteristics of biological vesicles. Thus, the question arises: would biomimetic nanovesicles be responsible for addressing these advances? It is currently known that biomimetic nanovesicles (BNV) can combine the intrinsic advantages of natural materials with the well-known production methods and controllability of synthetic systems. Besides, the development of the biotechnology and nanotechnology fields has provided a better understanding of the functionalities of biological vesicles and the means for the design and production of biomimetic nanovesicles (BNV). Based on this, this work will focus on tracking the main research on biomimetic nanovesicles (BNV) applied as drug and gene delivery systems, and for vaccines applications. In addition, it will describe the different sources of natural vesicles, the technical perspectives on obtaining them, and the possibility of their hybridization with synthetic liposomes.
Medication Non-Adherence among Patients with Chronic Diseases in Makkah Region
Authors: Algarni Majed A. , Althobiti Meznah S. , Alghamdi Sarah A. , Alotaibi Huriyyah A. , Almalki Ohoud S. , Alharbi Adnan , Alzahrani Mohammad S.
Published: September 2022

Background: The Makkah region is the most populated region in Saudi Arabia. Studying medication adherence levels may help to improve general health outcomes and decrease overall health care expenditures. Methods: We used the ARMS scale to assess medication adherence. Bivariable analysis of medication non-adherence was performed. Simple and multiple logistic regression models were built to identify factors associated with medication non-adherence. Results: Participants from the Makkah region were more than two times more likely to be non-adherent to their medications compared to other regions (adjusted OR = 2.58, 95% CI: 1.49–4.46). Patients who dispensed their prescriptions at their own expense were two times more likely to be non-adherents (adjusted OR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.11–4.98). Patients who had a monthly income ≤6000 SR were almost two times more likely to be non-adherents (unadjusted OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.05–2.84). Conclusion: Medication adherence is one of the most important factors to help managing the disease. We found that Makkah chronic patients are more likely to be non-adherent with their medications compared to other regions’ patients. Moreover, we found that lower monthly incomes and paying for medications out-of-pocket were significant predictors of medication non-adherence.
Glycolytic Inhibitors Potentiated the Activity of Paclitaxel and Their Nanoencapsulation Increased Their Delivery in a Lung Cancer Model
Authors: Cunha Andrea , Rocha Ana Catarina , Barbosa Flávia , Baião Ana , Silva Patrícia , Sarmento Bruno , Queirós Odília
Published: September 2022

Antiglycolytic agents inhibit cell metabolism and modify the tumor’s microenvironment, affecting chemotherapy resistance mechanisms. In this work, we studied the effect of the glycolytic inhibitors 3-bromopyruvate (3BP), dichloroacetate (DCA) and 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) on cancer cell properties and on the multidrug resistance phenotype, using lung cancer cells as a model. All compounds led to the loss of cell viability, with different effects on the cell metabolism, migration and proliferation, depending on the drug and cell line assayed. DCA was the most promising compound, presenting the highest inhibitory effect on cell metabolism and proliferation. DCA treatment led to decreased glucose consumption and ATP and lactate production in both A549 and NCI-H460 cell lines. Furthermore, the DCA pretreatment sensitized the cancer cells to Paclitaxel (PTX), a conventional chemotherapeutic drug, with a 2.7-fold and a 10-fold decrease in PTX IC50 values in A549 and NCI-H460 cell lines, respectively. To increase the intracellular concentration of DCA, thereby potentiating its effect, DCA-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles were produced. At higher DCA concentrations, encapsulation was found to increase its toxicity. These results may help find a new treatment strategy through combined therapy, which could open doors to new treatment approaches.
Effect of Nitrogen Gas Post-Curing and Printer Type on the Mechanical Properties of 3D-Printed Hard Occlusal Splint Material
Authors: Wada Junichiro , Wada Kanae , Gibreel Mona , Wakabayashi Noriyuki , Iwamoto Tsutomu , Vallittu Pekka K. , Lassila Lippo
Published: September 2022

Although three-dimensional (3D) printing is clinically convenient to fabricate occlusal splints, it is still unclear how the post-curing method and the printer type can affect 3D-printed splints. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of stroboscopic post-curing at a nitrogen gas (N2) atmosphere versus post-curing in an air atmosphere, as well as the printer type (liquid crystal display (LCD) and digital light processing (DLP)) on the mechanical properties of a 3D-printed hard-type occlusal splint material. Flexural strength, flexural modulus, Vickers hardness number (VHN), fracture toughness, degree of double bond conversion (DC), 3D microlayer structure, water sorption, and water solubility were evaluated. The post-curing method significantly affected all evaluated properties except fracture toughness and 3D microlayer structure, while the printer type significantly affected all evaluated properties except flexural strength and flexural modulus. VHN and DC were significantly higher, and the smoother surface was noticeably obtained when printed by LCD printer and post-cured at an N2 atmosphere. The current results suggested that the post-curing method and the printer type would play a role in the mechanical properties of the evaluated material and that the combination of post-curing at an N2 atmosphere and LCD printer could enhance its mechanical properties and surface smoothness.
Correlation between Antioxidant and Anti-Osteoporotic Activities of Shilajit Loaded into Chitosan Nanoparticles and Their Effects on Osteoporosis in Rats
Authors: Alshubaily Fawzia A. , Jambi Ebtihaj J.
Published: September 2022

Various therapies for osteoporosis successfully reduce bone loss and fractures, but they mostly do not contribute to new bone structures and adversely affect patients. Shilajit is a natural mineral substance comprised of multi-components, with proved efficacy to improve immunity, antioxidant activity, and disease resistance. In the present study, various effects of shilajit water extract (SWE) on bone development and its management were determined in experimental glucocorticoid-induced osteoporotic rats. The fabrication of nanochitosan (NCT) and NCT conjugation with SWE were conducted and evaluated as enhanced formulations for treating osteoporosis. NCT and SWE/NCT had mean particle diameters of 196.4 and 248.4 nm, respectively, with high positivity charging and stability. The biochemical and anti-osteoporotic effects of SWE and SWE/NCT conjugates were investigated on different groups of compromised rats. Five groups each including six adult albino female rats were formed and treated for a duration of eight weeks with SWE and SWE/NCT conjugate. Significantly improved serum calcium, phosphorus, osteocalcin, and calcitonin levels but decreased hydrogen peroxide, IL-6, and antioxidant biomarkers were recorded in all SWE- and SWE/NCT-treated groups; the SWE/NCT treatment was most effectual treatment. These results suggest that SWE and SWE/NCT may cause anti-osteoporotic activity by reducing oxidative stress, IL-6, and H2O2 while restoring antioxidant levels. The conjugation of SWE onto NCT is highly recommended for augmenting their activities.
Children of Kubaba: Serious Games, Ritual Toys, and Divination at Iron Age Carchemish
Authors: Gilibert Alessandra
Published: September 2022

This paper presents an analysis of a ritual event memorialised on stone reliefs at the ancient city of Carchemish around 800 BC. It is argued that the reliefs represent a ceremony of investiture, in which boys of royal lineage are handed out toys as oracular instruments to elicit favourable omens for the heir apparent. The inclusion of boys and their toys in the visual commemoration of a political ritual has bearings on three levels of meaning. First, it testifies to a hitherto unrecognised cult practice, involving grouping boys in age classes and harnessing their ludic practices for ritual purposes. Second, it reflects local political preoccupations connected with dynastic controversies, in an attempt to silence counternarratives through the emphatic staging of children. Finally, the chosen imagery conveys complex philosophical ideas about life, education, and individual destiny, connecting with issues of material religion and childhood studies. The study integrates interpretive perspectives from visual semiotics, architectural analysis, and ancient studies to show how, upon specific occasions, marginal groups and everyday material items, such as children and their toys, may play critical roles in collective ritual events.
Integrated Radar and Communications Waveform Design Based on Multi-Symbol OFDM
Authors: Rong Juan , Liu Feifeng , Miao Yingjie
Published: September 2022

Integrated radar and communications (IRC) technology has become very important for civil and military applications in recent years, and IRC waveform design is a major challenge for IRC development. In this paper, we focus on the IRC waveform design based on the multi-symbol orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technique. In view of the defects resulting from high peak-to-mean envelope power ratios (PMEPRs) and high range sidelobes in IRC systems, an intelligent and effective IRC waveform design method jointly optimized with the PMEPR and peak-to-sidelobe ratio (PSLR) is proposed. Firstly, a flexible tone reservation (TR)-based IRC waveform structure is applied in both temporal and frequency domains, i.e., multi-symbol OFDM waveform. Secondly, the optimization problem considering PMEPR and PSLR and extending them to the Lp-norm form is reformulated. Then, the conjugate gradient of the objective function is analytically derived and the conjugate gradient algorithm (CGA) is presented to simultaneously improve the PMEPR and PSLR. Finally, the simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can efficiently generate IRC waveforms with an excellent PMEPR, PSLR, radar signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and bit error rate (BER) performance.
An Automatic Drift-Measurement-Data-Processing Method with Digital Ionosondes
Authors: Ma Xiaoya , Gong Zhaoqian , Zhang Feng , Wang Shun , Liu Xiaojun , Fang Guangyou
Published: September 2022

Drift detection is one of the important detection modes in a digital ionosonde system. In this paper, a new data processing method is presented for boosting the automatic and high-quality drift measurement, which is helpful for long-term ionospheric observation, and has been successfully applied to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Digital Ionosonde (CAS-DIS). Based on Doppler interferometry principle, this method can be successively divided into four constraint steps: extracting the stable echo data; restricting the ionospheric detection region; extracting the reliable reflection cluster, including Doppler filtering and coarse clustering analysis; and calculating the drift velocity. Ordinary wave (O-wave) data extraction, complementary code pulse compression and other data preprocessing techniques are used to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of echo data. For the purpose of eliminating multiple echoes, the ionospheric region is determined by combining the optimal height range and detection frequencies obtained from the ionogram. Successively, Doppler filtering and coarse clustering analysis extract reliable reflection clusters. Finally, the weighting factor is brought in, and then weighted least-squares (WLS) is used to fit the drift velocity. The entire data processing process can be implemented automatically without constantly changing parameter settings due to changes in external conditions. This is the first time coarse clustering analysis has been used to extract the paracentral reflection cluster to eliminate scattered reflection points and outer reflection clusters, which further reduces the impacts of external conditions on parameter settings and improves the ability of automatic drift measurement. Compared with the previous method possessed by Digisonde Protable Sounder 4D (DPS4D), the new method can achieve comparable drift detection precision and results even with fewer reflection points. In 2021–2022, several experiments on F region drift detection were carried out in Hainan, China. Results indicate that drift velocities fitted by the new method have diurnal variation and change more gently; the trends of drift velocities fitted by the new method and the previous method are semblable; and this new method can be widely applied to digital ionosondes.
A Comprehensive Operation Status Evaluation Method for Mining XLPE Cables
Authors: Wang Yanwen , Chen Peng , Sun Yanying , Feng Chen
Published: September 2022

At present, the online insulation monitoring and fault diagnosis of mining cables are extensively discussed, while their operation status assessment has not been deeply studied. Considering that mining cables are closely related to the safe and stable operation of coal mine power supply systems, a comprehensive evaluation method including the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the membership cloud theory, and the D-S evidence theory is proposed in this paper in order to accurately assess the operation status of the mining XLPE cable. Firstly, the membership cloud is introduced to solve the index membership degree and the weights are calculated by an improved weight vector calculation method. Secondly, the conversion from the base layer indicator membership degree to the target layer trust degree is realized based on the D-S evidence theory. Then, the cable operation status is judged via the trust degree maximum and the distribution of conflict coefficients is further analyzed to warn the indicators with a bad status in the base layer. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed evaluation method is verified by a sufficient and detailed case analysis.
The Evolution of Green Port Research: A Knowledge Mapping Analysis
Authors: Lin Chun-Yu , Dai Gui-Lin , Wang Su , Fu Xiu-Mei
Published: September 2022

Green port research integrates numerous theoretical and empirical studies of topics of important concern over the years, involving comprehensive scientific analyses. Learning about the global evolution of research on green ports can improve the understanding and evaluation of green ports by scholars and practitioners. In this paper, a total of 1051 papers from the Web of Science core collection for the period during 1992–2021 are collected as sample data. Based on the database, an analysis is conducted with CiteSpace software to map the knowledge regarding the field of green ports and explore the current research trends; the cooperation networks among countries (regions), institutions, and authors; and the evolution and mutation of keywords. The results indicate that the overall number of green port papers has increased over time. The countries with the highest numbers of papers published and the greatest influence are China and the United States, respectively. Additionally, the cooperative networks among authors, institutions, and countries are not mature enough and need to be strengthened further. Existing studies focus on the environmental impacts, evaluation, and construction of green ports. Recent trends indicate that researchers have become increasingly focused on reducing emissions, optimizing operations, evaluating policies, and identifying post-pandemic health issues associated with green ports. This study contributes to knowledge by assessing the state of the most significant studies published in the field of green port research, and the results contribute to a better understanding of green port research, which can further provide directions for the sustainable development of green ports.