bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-AGV Scheduling under Limited Buffer Capacity and Battery Charging Using Simulation Techniques
Authors: Park Jin-Sung , Kim Jun-Woo
Published: January 2024

In recent years, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have been widely adopted to automate material handling procedures in manufacturing shopfloors and distribution centers. AGV scheduling is the procedure of allocating a transportation task to an AGV, which has large impacts on the efficiency of an AGV system with multiple AGVs. In order to optimize the operations of multi-AGV systems, AGV scheduling decisions should be made with consideration of practical issues such as buffer space limitations and battery charging. However, previous studies have often overlooked those issues. To fill this gap, this paper proposes a simulation-based multi-AGV scheduling procedure for practical shopfloors with limited buffer capacity and battery charging. Furthermore, we propose three kinds of rules: job selection rules, AGV selection rules, and charging station selection rules, for AGV scheduling in practical shopfloors. The performance of the rules is evaluated through multi-scenario simulation experiments. The FlexSim software v.2022 is used to develop a simulation model for the experiments, and the experimental findings indicate that the job selection rules have larger impacts on the average waiting time than the other kinds of rules.
Study on Corrosion Monitoring of Reinforced Concrete Based on Longitudinal Guided Ultrasonic Waves
Authors: Qian Ji , Zhang Peiyun , Wu Yongqiang , Jia Ruixin , Yang Jipeng
Published: January 2024

The corrosion of reinforced concrete (RC) is one of the most serious durability problems in civil engineering structures, and the corrosion detection of internal reinforcements is an important basis for structural durability assessment. In this paper, the appropriate frequency required to cause excitation signals in the specimen is first analyzed by means of frequency dispersion curves. Subsequently, the effectiveness of five damage indexes (DIs) is discussed using random corrosion in finite elements. Finally, guided ultrasonic wave (GUW) tests are conducted on reinforcement and RC specimens at different corrosion degrees, and the test results are verified using a theoretical corrosion model. The results show that the larger the covered thickness is at the same frequency, the higher the modal order of the GUW in the frequency dispersion curve is, and the smaller the group velocity is. The SAD is the most sensitive to the corrosion state of the reinforcement compared with the other DIs, and it shows a linear increasing trend with the increase in the corrosion degree of the reinforcement. The SAD values of the RC specimens showed a three-stage change with the increase in the corrosion time, and the time until the appearance of corrosion cracks was increased with the increase in the covered thickness. It can be seen that increasing the covered thickness is an effective method to delay the time until the appearance of corrosion cracks in RC specimens.
Evaluation of Five Reanalysis Products over France: Implications for Agro-Climatic Studies
Authors: Er-Rondi Mariam , Troin Magali , Coly Sylvain , Buisson Emmanuel , Serlet Laurent , Azzaoui Nourddine
Published: January 2024

Agro-climatic indicators (AgcIs) provide a suitable tool to evaluate the implications of climate change on agriculture by simplifying plant–climate interactions. However, developing reliable AgcIs requires high-quality historical climate datasets. Consequently, reanalysis products (RPs) are frequently used as a potential reference dataset for observed climate in agricultural studies. This study aims to compare five RPs (ERA5, ERA5-Land, SCOPE Climate, FYRE Climate, and RFHR) at reproducing observed AgcIs over France. The RPs are evaluated against the SYNOP meteorological data over the 1996–2012 period, focusing on six AgcIs specific to apple, maize, and vine crops. The findings show that RPs perform well in reproducing temperature-based AgcIs, with some slight discrepancies in areas with complex topography. However, all RPs tend to overestimate precipitation amounts and to underestimate dry days, leading to a poor performance in reproducing precipitation-based AgcIs. This study emphasizes the need for a thorough evaluation of the RPs in developing both temperature-based and precipitation-based AgcIs, especially if findings are intended to support operational agricultural decision-making.
CRAS: Curriculum Regularization and Adaptive Semi-Supervised Learning with Noisy Labels
Authors: Higashimoto Ryota , Yoshida Soh , Muneyasu Mitsuji
Published: January 2024

This paper addresses the performance degradation of deep neural networks caused by learning with noisy labels. Recent research on this topic has exploited the memorization effect: networks fit data with clean labels during the early stages of learning and eventually memorize data with noisy labels. This property allows for the separation of clean and noisy samples from a loss distribution. In recent years, semi-supervised learning, which divides training data into a set of labeled clean samples and a set of unlabeled noisy samples, has achieved impressive results. However, this strategy has two significant problems: (1) the accuracy of dividing the data into clean and noisy samples depends strongly on the network’s performance, and (2) if the divided data are biased towards the unlabeled samples, there are few labeled samples, causing the network to overfit to the labels and leading to a poor generalization performance. To solve these problems, we propose the curriculum regularization and adaptive semi-supervised learning (CRAS) method. Its key ideas are (1) to train the network with robust regularization techniques as a warm-up before dividing the data, and (2) to control the strength of the regularization using loss weights that adaptively respond to data bias, which varies with each split at each training epoch. We evaluated the performance of CRAS on benchmark image classification datasets, CIFAR-10 and CIFAR-100, and real-world datasets, mini-WebVision and Clothing1M. The findings demonstrate that CRAS excels in handling noisy labels, resulting in a superior generalization and robustness to a range of noise rates, compared with the existing method.
Efficacy of Cold Atmospheric Plasma on Pathogenicity of Oral Microcosm Biofilms
Authors: Kim Hee-Eun
Published: January 2024

This study aimed to compare the longitudinal efficacy between chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX; 0.12%) and cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) in reducing oral biofilm pathogenicity, utilizing a quantitative light-induced fluorescence-digital (QLF-D) camera. Oral microcosm biofilms were developed for 2 days on 57 hydroxyapatite disks. These biofilms were treated with distilled water for 1 min, CHX for 1 min, and CAP for 2 min over the course of 6 days. The red fluorescence intensities of the biofilms were measured using a QLF-D and expressed as pre- and post-treatment red/green ratios (RatioR/G). The bacterial viability (ratio of the green-stained area to the total stained area, RatioG/G+R) was calculated using live/dead bacterial staining; the total and aciduric bacterial counts were determined. A significant intergroup difference was found between RatioR/G changes according to the treatment period (p < 0.001). The RatioR/G observed within the CAP-treated group was significantly lower compared with the CHX-treated group at every interval of measurement (p < 0.001). The CAP-treated group also exhibited a lower RatioG/G+R and more weakened bacterial aggregation compared with the CHX-treated group (p < 0.05). In the group treated with CAP, the counts of both total and aciduric bacteria were substantially reduced compared with the DW group, with a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.001). Therefore, CAP may be more effective in minimizing oral microcosm biofilm pathogenicity than 0.12% CHX.
Molecular Study on Conformational Changes in Trypsin Inhibitors in Multidirectional Electrostatic Fields
Authors: Hou Mingyan , Zheng Kai , Chu Fenghong , Jiang Youhua , Yang Chuankai , Jiang Chao , Xue Liang
Published: January 2024

Proteins undergo a series of conformational changes when affected by the applied electric field, which changes their functions and properties. The conformational changes in proteins in various electric fields are different due to their internal structures. This study simulates the molecular dynamics of proteins in different amounts and directions of electric fields with gromacs software. According to the root mean square deviation, hydrogen bond, dipole moment, and solvent accessible surface area, it is proved that the conformation change in proteins is more drastic under the simultaneous action of multiple electric fields under various directions, and different fragments unfold with divergent electric fields combined, which is of great importance to control protein function, improve biochemical research and production efficiency in the food and drug safety field.
Convergence and Stability Improvement of Quasi-Newton Methods by Full-Rank Update of the Jacobian Approximates
Authors: Berzi Peter
Published: January 2024

A system of simultaneous multi-variable nonlinear equations can be solved by Newton’s method with local q-quadratic convergence if the Jacobian is analytically available. If this is not the case, then quasi-Newton methods with local q-superlinear convergence give solutions by approximating the Jacobian in some way. Unfortunately, the quasi-Newton condition (Secant equation) does not completely specify the Jacobian approximate in multi-dimensional cases, so its full-rank update is not possible with classic variants of the method. The suggested new iteration strategy (“T-Secant”) allows for a full-rank update of the Jacobian approximate in each iteration by determining two independent approximates for the solution. They are used to generate a set of new independent trial approximates; then, the Jacobian approximate can be fully updated. It is shown that the T-Secant approximate is in the vicinity of the classic quasi-Newton approximate, providing that the solution is evenly surrounded by the new trial approximates. The suggested procedure increases the superlinear convergence of the Secant method φS=1.618… to super-quadratic φT=φS+1=2.618… and the quadratic convergence of the Newton method φN=2 to cubic φT=φN+1=3 in one-dimensional cases. In multi-dimensional cases, the Broyden-type efficiency (mean convergence rate) of the suggested method is an order higher than the efficiency of other classic low-rank-update quasi-Newton methods, as shown by numerical examples on a Rosenbrock-type test function with up to 1000 variables. The geometrical representation (hyperbolic approximation) in single-variable cases helps explain the basic operations, and a vector-space description is also given in multi-variable cases.
The Impact of In-Water vs. In-Feed Chlortetracycline and Tiamulin Administration in Piglets on the Fecal Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Salmonella
Authors: Ishengoma Victor L. , Amachawadi Raghavendra G. , Tokach Mike D. , Kang Qing , Goodband Robert D. , DeRouchey Joel , Woodworth Jason , Nagaraja Tiruvoor G.
Published: January 2024

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in bacteria is a growing public health concern in the US and around the world threatening the continual use of antimicrobials. In pigs, the oral route, either in-feed or in-water, is by far the most common route of administration of antimicrobials. Because the distribution of the antibiotic in the gut and the dosages are different, the impact of in-feed vs. in-water administration of antibiotics on the prevalence of pathogens, such as Salmonella, and the development of AMR are likely to be different. Therefore, a study was conducted to compare in-feed vs. in-water administrations of chlortetracycline (CTC) and/or tiamulin on the fecal prevalence and AMR profiles of Salmonella in nursery piglets. A total of 1296 weaned piglets, housed in 48 pens (27 piglets per pen), were assigned randomly to six treatment groups: Control (no antibiotic), in-feed CTC, in-water CTC, in-feed tiamulin, in-water tiamulin, or in-feed CTC and tiamulin. Fecal samples (n = 1440) were collected randomly from five piglets from each pen during the pre-treatment (days 7, 0), treatment (days 7, 14), and post-treatment (days 21, 28) phases. Salmonella enterica isolation and identification were completed by culture and PCR methods. The microbroth dilution method with SensititreTM (ThermoFisher Scientific, Lenexa, KS, USA) plates was used to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance of Salmonella strains. The susceptibility and resistance were interpreted based on the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. The overall prevalence of Salmonella was 3.0% (43/1440). All isolates belonged to Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium. Salmonella isolates were susceptible to azithromycin and resistant (100%) to ampicillin, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, tiamulin, and tetracycline. Neither antibiotic, CTC or tiamulin, nor the route of administration, in-feed or in-water, had an effect (p > 0.05) on the occurrence of resistant Salmonella in the feces of piglets.
An Experiment in Transdisciplinary Systems Mapping: Architecture and the Water–Energy–Sanitation Nexus in Brazil
Authors: Castro Marco Aurélio Soares de , Valencio Norma , Iossifova Deljana , Santiago Cristine Diniz , Ziglio Luciana , Valencio Arthur , Pugliesi Erica , Gonçalves Juliano Costa , Cheung Eric , Sengupta Ulysses
Published: January 2024

Urban environments contain and are part of a wide range of interconnected complex systems, including infrastructures and services. Rapid and often uncontrolled urbanization triggers distributive inequities and environmental injustices, posing urgent and interconnected challenges that demand inter- and transdisciplinary solutions. Despite architecture’s commitment to ‘sustainability’, its central role in urban systems and their dynamics as well as the discipline’s intersections with other disciplines remain relatively little explored. In this contribution, we focus on the water–energy–sanitation (WES) nexus in Brazil, drawing from transdisciplinary workshops, scoping reviews, and systems mapping. We propose a framework for the analysis of urban nexuses. This framework builds on transdisciplinary systems mapping for the identification of nexus components, nodes, and their interconnections. Our findings indicate that a nexus perspective allows us to identify challenges in urban nexuses, productive intersections with the knowledge and approaches from other disciplines, and possible solutions in collaboration with non-academic stakeholders. We advocate for an expanded professional field and a redefined sense of responsibility within the discipline.
Elevating Academic Advising: Natural Language Processing of Student Reviews
Authors: Iatrellis Omiros , Samaras Nicholas , Kokkinos Konstantinos , Xenakis Apostolis
Published: January 2024

Academic advising is often pivotal in shaping students’ educational experiences and choices. This study leverages natural language processing to quantitatively evaluate reviews of academic advisors, aiming to provide actionable insights on key feedback phrases and demographic factors for enhancing advising services. This analysis encompassed a comprehensive evaluation of 1151 reviews of undergraduate students for academic advisors, which were collected within a European University alliance consisting of five universities, offering a diverse pool of feedback from a wide range of academic interactions. Employing sentiment analysis powered by artificial intelligence, we computed compound sentiment scores for each academic advisor’s reviews. Subsequently, statistical analyses were conducted to provide insights into how demographic factors may or may not influence students’ sentiment and evaluations of academic advisory services. The results indicated that advisor’s gender had no substantial influence on the sentiment of the reviews. On the contrary, the academic advisors’ age showed a notable impact, with younger advisors surprisingly receiving more favorable evaluations. Word frequency analyses, both for positive and negative expressions, were also performed to contextualize the language used in describing academic advisors. The prevalent word combinations in reviews of highly rated academic advisors emphasized attributes like empathy, approachability, and effectiveness in guiding students towards achieving their academic goals. Conversely, advisors with less favorable reviews were often perceived as inadequate in addressing students’ concerns related to their academic journey, revealing persistent challenges in the student–advisor interaction that impacted their evaluation. This analysis of academic advisor reviews contributes to the body of literature by highlighting the significance of managing student expectations and enhancing advisor skills and qualities to foster positive interactions and academic success.
Representing Ozone Formation from Volatile Chemical Products (VCP) in Carbon Bond (CB) Chemical Mechanisms
Authors: Yarwood Greg , Tuite Katie
Published: January 2024

Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions to the atmosphere cause air pollution associated with adverse health outcomes. Volatile chemical products (VCPs) have emerged as a VOC emission category that is poorly characterized by air pollution models. VCPs are present throughout developed economies in manufactured products that include paints, cleaning agents, printing inks, adhesives and pesticides. Air quality models must accurately represent the atmospheric chemistry of VCPs to develop reliable air quality plans. We develop a chemical mechanism for oxidant formation by VCP compounds that is compatible with version 6 of the Carbon Bond (CB6) mechanism. We analyzed a recent U.S. VCP emission inventory and found that ~67% of the emissions mass can be well-represented by existing CB6 mechanism species but ~33% could be better represented by adding 16 emitted VCP species including alcohols, ethers, esters, alkanes and siloxanes. For larger alkanes, an important VCP category, our mechanism explicitly represents temperature-dependent organic nitrate formation and autoxidation via 1,6 H-shift reactions consistent with current knowledge. We characterized the ozone forming potential of each added VCP species and compared it to the current practice of representing VCP species by surrogate species. Nine of the sixteen added VCP species are less reactive than the current practice, namely i-propanol, dimethyl ether, methyl formate, ethyl formate, methyl acetate, larger esters, i-butane, large alkanes and siloxanes. These less reactive VCP species are characterized by having OH-reactions that form un-reactive products. A total of 7 of the 16 VCP species are more reactive than current practice, namely n-propanol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, larger alcohols, diethyl ether, larger ethers and ethyl acetate. These more reactive VCP species are characterized as containing functional groups that promote faster OH-reaction. The VCP chemical mechanism for CB6 can improve how VCP impacts to oxidants are represented and will be incorporated to CB7. Changes in oxidant formation resulting from the mechanism update will depend on how VCP emissions are speciated for modeling, which is uncertain, and impacts may go in opposite directions for specific categories of VCP emissions that have unique chemical speciation characteristics. We provide guidance to help modelers implement the VCP mechanism update.
Particulate Matter Emission and Air Pollution Reduction by Applying Variable Systems in Tribologically Optimized Diesel Engines for Vehicles in Road Traffic
Authors: Milojević Saša , Glišović Jasna , Savić Slobodan , Bošković Goran , Bukvić Milan , Stojanović Blaža
Published: January 2024

Regardless of the increasingly intensive application of vehicles with electric drives, internal combustion engines are still dominant as power units of mobile systems in various sectors of the economy. In order to reduce the emission of exhaust gases and satisfy legal regulations, as a temporary solution, hybrid drives with optimized internal combustion engines and their associated systems are increasingly being used. Application of the variable compression ratio and diesel fuel injection timing, as well as the tribological optimization of parts, contribute to the reduction in fuel consumption, partly due to the reduction in mechanical losses, which, according to test results, also results in the reduction in emissions. This manuscript presents the results of diesel engine testing on a test bench in laboratory conditions at different operating modes (compression ratio, fuel injection timing, engine speed, and load), which were processed using a zero-dimensional model of the combustion process. The test results should contribute to the optimization of the combustion process from the aspect of minimal particulate matter emission. As a special contribution, the results of tribological tests of materials for strengthening the sliding surface of the aluminum alloy piston and cylinder of the internal combustion engine and air compressors, which were obtained using a tribometer, are presented. In this way, tribological optimization should also contribute to the reduction in particulate matter emissions due to the reduction in fuel consumption, and thus emissions due to the reduction in friction, as well as the recorded reduction in the wear of materials that are in sliding contact. In this way, it contributes to the reduction in harmful gases in the air.
Instrumental Assessment and Pharmacological Treatment of Migraine-Related Vertigo in Pediatric Age
Authors: Viola Pasquale , Scarpa Alfonso , Chiarella Giuseppe , Pisani Davide , Astorina Alessia , Ricciardiello Filippo , De Luca Pietro , Re Massimo , Gioacchini Federico Maria
Published: January 2024

Background: The most frequent form of vertigo in pediatric age is represented by vertigo linked to migraine, with a prevalence of 32.7%. This group of pathologies has received a redefinition of the diagnostic criteria to adapt them to the pediatric age with a new classification of the clinical pictures. We have several kinds of problems with these conditions that often have a significant impact on patients’ and parents’ quality of life: the diagnostic approach involves different tools for the different age groups contained in the pediatric range; the treatment of this type of vertigo is not consolidated due to the limited availability of trials carried out on pediatric patients. Focusing on this topic, the aim of this review was to provide an update on the more recent clinical advances in the diagnosis and treatment of Vestibular Migraine (VM) in children. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases for articles published in English from January 2015 to April 2023. The secondary search included articles from reference lists, identified by the primary search. Records were first screened by title/abstract, and then full-text articles were retrieved for eligibility evaluation. The searches combined a range of key terms (“Pediatric” AND “Childhood” AND “dizziness” OR “vertigo” AND “vestibular”). Results: Migraine-related vertigo, in its most recent definitions and classifications, is the most frequent group of balance pathologies in pediatric age. The results from the various experiences present in the literature suggest a clinical approach to be integrated with the use of instrumental tests selected according to the age of the patient and the reliability of the results. Conclusion: Knowing the timeline of the applicability of vestibular tests and the information that can be obtained from them is fundamental for diagnostic accuracy. Therapy is strongly conditioned by the limited availability of pediatric trials and by the wide range it includes, from very young children to adolescents.
A Clinical Infrared Video-Oculoscopy Suppression Head Impulse (IR-cSHIMP) Test
Authors: Marcelli Vincenzo , Giannoni Beatrice
Published: January 2024

Background: We propose a Suppression Head IMPulse (SHIMP) test method that provides for equipment only through the use of InfraRed Video-OculoScopy (IR-VOS) and allows horizontal and vertical semicircular canal function evaluation in bedside mode. We therefore named the test InfraRed clinical SHIMP (IR-cSHIMP). Methods: To check IR-cSHIMP diagnostic efficiency, we studied 22 normal subjects, 18 patients with unilateral, and 6 with bilateral deficient vestibulopathy. Each subject first underwent a vestibular examination and, only later, an IRc-SHIMP test. Results: When the IR-cSHIMP test was performed in the horizontal plane, all normal subjects showed anti-compensatory saccades. When the vertical semicircular canal function was evaluated, the same result was obtained in all normal subjects except three, which were considered false positives. In patients with vestibular deficits, the test performed in the horizontal and vertical planes were always pathological, with 100% agreement between clinical and instrumental tests. Conclusions: Our bedside method proved to be fast, simple, and effective in discriminating between healthy and pathological subjects. It required only the same skill as the better-known cHIT. For these reasons, we believe that the IR-cSHIMP should be part of daily clinical practice as a useful tool in the selection of patients to undergo more sophisticated investigations.
A Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer-Based Multi-Hop Uneven Clustering Routing Protocol for EH-Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks
Authors: Wang Jihong , Wang Zhuo , Zhang Lidong
Published: January 2024

Clustering protocols and simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) technology can solve the issue of imbalanced energy consumption among nodes in energy harvesting-cognitive radio sensor networks (EH-CRSNs). However, dynamic energy changes caused by EH/SWIPT and dynamic spectrum availability prevent existing clustering routing protocols from fully leveraging the advantages of EH and SWIPT. Therefore, a multi-hop uneven clustering routing protocol is proposed for EH-CRSNs utilizing SWIPT technology in this paper. Specifically, an EH-based energy state function is proposed to accurately track the dynamic energy variations in nodes. Utilizing this function, dynamic spectrum availability, neighbor count, and other information are integrated to design the criteria for selecting high-quality cluster heads (CHs) and relays, thereby facilitating effective data transfer to the sink. Intra-cluster and inter-cluster SWIPT mechanisms are incorporated to allow for the immediate energy replenishment for CHs or relays with insufficient energy while transmitting data, thereby preventing data transmission failures due to energy depletion. An energy status control mechanism is introduced to avoid the energy waste caused by excessive activation of the SWIPT mechanism. Simulation results indicate that the proposed protocol markedly improves the balance of energy consumption among nodes and enhances network surveillance capabilities when compared to existing clustering routing protocols.
Fair-CMNB: Advancing Fairness-Aware Stream Learning with Naïve Bayes and Multi-Objective Optimization
Authors: Badar Maryam , Fisichella Marco
Published: January 2024

Fairness-aware mining of data streams is a challenging concern in the contemporary domain of machine learning. Many stream learning algorithms are used to replace humans in critical decision-making processes, e.g., hiring staff, assessing credit risk, etc. This calls for handling massive amounts of incoming information with minimal response delay while ensuring fair and high-quality decisions. Although deep learning has achieved success in various domains, its computational complexity may hinder real-time processing, making traditional algorithms more suitable. In this context, we propose a novel adaptation of Naïve Bayes to mitigate discrimination embedded in the streams while maintaining high predictive performance through multi-objective optimization (MOO). Class imbalance is an inherent problem in discrimination-aware learning paradigms. To deal with class imbalance, we propose a dynamic instance weighting module that gives more importance to new instances and less importance to obsolete instances based on their membership in a minority or majority class. We have conducted experiments on a range of streaming and static datasets and concluded that our proposed methodology outperforms existing state-of-the-art (SoTA) fairness-aware methods in terms of both discrimination score and balanced accuracy.
Development and Verification of a Novel Three-Dimensional Aqueous Outflow Model for High-Throughput Drug Screening
Authors: Fung Matthew , Armstrong James J. , Zhang Richard , Vinokurtseva Anastasiya , Liu Hong , Hutnik Cindy
Published: January 2024

Distal outflow bleb-forming procedures in ophthalmic surgery expose subconjunctival tissue to inflammatory cytokines present in the aqueous humor, resulting in impaired outflow and, consequently, increased intraocular pressure. Clinically, this manifests as an increased risk of surgical failure often necessitating revision. This study (1) introduces a novel high-throughput screening platform for testing potential anti-fibrotic compounds and (2) assesses the clinical viability of modulating the transforming growth factor beta-SMAD2/3 pathway as a key contributor to post-operative outflow reduction, using the signal transduction inhibitor verteporfin. Human Tenon’s capsule fibroblasts (HTCFs) were cultured within a 3D collagen matrix in a microfluidic system modelling aqueous humor drainage. The perfusate was augmented with transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1), and afferent pressure to the tissue-mimetic was continuously monitored to detect treatment-related pressure elevations. Co-treatment with verteporfin was employed to evaluate its capacity to counteract TGFβ1 induced pressure changes. Immunofluorescent studies were conducted on the tissue-mimetic to corroborate the pressure data with cellular changes. Introduction of TGFβ1 induced treatment-related afferent pressure increase in the tissue-mimetic. HTCFs treated with TGFβ1 displayed visibly enlarged cytoskeletons and stress fiber formation, consistent with myofibroblast transformation. Importantly, verteporfin effectively mitigated these changes, reducing both afferent pressure increases and cytoskeletal alterations. In summary, this study models the pathological filtration bleb response to TGFβ1, while demonstrating verteporfin’s effectiveness in ameliorating both functional and cellular changes caused by TGFβ1. These demonstrate modulation of the aforementioned pathway as a potential avenue for addressing post-operative changes and reductions in filtration bleb outflow capacity. Furthermore, the establishment of a high-throughput screening platform offers a valuable pre-animal testing tool for investigating potential compounds to facilitate surgical wound healing.
Physical Interventions Restore Physical Frailty and the Expression of CXCL-10 and IL-1β Inflammatory Biomarkers in Old Individuals and Mice
Authors: Marcos-Pérez Diego , Cruces-Salguero Sara , García-Domínguez Esther , Araúzo-Bravo Marcos J. , Gómez-Cabrera Mari Carmen , Viña José , Vergara Itziar , Matheu Ander
Published: January 2024

Background: Frailty is a geriatric syndrome associated with negative health outcomes that represents a dynamic condition with a potential of reversibility after physical exercise interventions. Typically, inflammatory and senescence markers are increased in frail individuals. However, the impact that physical exercise exerts on inflammatory and senescence biomarkers remains unknown. We assessed the effect of physical intervention in old individuals and mice and determined the expression of inflammatory and senescence markers. Methods: Twelve elderly individuals were enrolled from a primary care setting to a 3-month intervention. Frailty was measured by SPPB and the expression of biomarkers by cytokine array and RT-qPCR. In addition, 12 aged C57BL/6 mice completed an intervention, and inflammation and senescence markers were studied. Results: The physical intervention improved the SPPB score, reducing frail and pre-frail individuals. This was correlated with a reduction in several pro-inflammatory biomarkers such as IL-6, CXCL-1, CXCL-10, IL-1β, IL-7, GM-CSF as well as p16INK4a and p21CIP1 senescence markers. Otherwise, the levels of anti-inflammatory biomarker IL-4 were significantly increased. Moreover, the physical intervention in mice also improved their functional capacity and restored the expression of inflammatory (Il-1β, Cxcl-10, Il-6, and Cxcl-1) and senescence (p21Cip1) markers. Additionally, PLSDA and ROC curve analysis revealed CXCL-10 and IL-1β to be the biomarkers of functional improvement in both cohorts. Conclusions: Our results showed that a physical intervention improves physical frailty, and reverses inflammation and senescence biomarkers comprising CXCL-10 and IL-1β.
Exploratory Review of the Takotsubo Syndrome and the Possible Role of the Psychosocial Stress Response and Inflammaging
Authors: Frank Niklas , Herrmann Martin J. , Lauer Martin , Förster Carola Y.
Published: January 2024

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a cardiomyopathy that clinically presents as a transient and reversible left ventricular wall motion abnormality (LVWMA). Recovery can occur spontaneously within hours or weeks. Studies have shown that it mainly affects older people. In particular, there is a higher prevalence in postmenopausal women. Physical and emotional stress factors are widely discussed and generally recognized triggers. In addition, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the associated glucocorticoid-dependent negative feedback play an important role in the resulting immune response. This review aims to highlight the unstudied aspects of the trigger factors of TTS. The focus is on emotional stress/chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), which is influenced by estrogen concentration and noradrenaline, for example, and can lead to changes in the behavioral, hormonal, and autonomic systems. Age- and gender-specific aspects, as well as psychological effects, must also be considered. We hypothesize that this leads to a stronger corticosteroid response and altered feedback of the HPA axis. This may trigger proinflammatory markers and thus immunosuppression, inflammaging, and sympathetic overactivation, which contributes significantly to the development of TTS. The aim is to highlight the importance of CUMS and psychological triggers as risk factors and to make an exploratory proposal based on the new knowledge. Based on the imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is presented as a possible new therapeutic approach.
Advancing Cancer Treatment: Enhanced Combination Therapy through Functionalized Porous Nanoparticles
Authors: Kim Kibeom , Park Myoung-Hwan
Published: January 2024

Cancer remains a major global health challenge, necessitating the development of innovative treatment strategies. This review focuses on the functionalization of porous nanoparticles for combination therapy, a promising approach to enhance cancer treatment efficacy while mitigating the limitations associated with conventional methods. Combination therapy, integrating multiple treatment modalities such as chemotherapy, phototherapy, immunotherapy, and others, has emerged as an effective strategy to address the shortcomings of individual treatments. The unique properties of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) and other porous materials, like nanoparticles coated with mesoporous silica (NP@MS), metal–organic frameworks (MOF), mesoporous platinum nanoparticles (mesoPt), and carbon dots (CDs), are being explored for drug solubility, bioavailability, targeted delivery, and controlled drug release. Recent advancements in the functionalization of mesoporous nanoparticles with ligands, biomaterials, and polymers are reviewed here, highlighting their role in enhancing the efficacy of combination therapy. Various research has demonstrated the effectiveness of these nanoparticles in co-delivering drugs and photosensitizers, achieving targeted delivery, and responding to multiple stimuli for controlled drug release. This review introduces the synthesis and functionalization methods of these porous nanoparticles, along with their applications in combination therapy.
Treatment-Related Risk Factors for Adverse Outcomes of COVID-19 in Patients Treated for Lymphoid Malignancies in the Pre-Omicron Era—A Study of KroHem, the Croatian Group for Hematologic Diseases
Authors: Aurer Igor , Jakšić Ozren , Bašić-Kinda Sandra , Mrđenović Stefan , Ostojić-Kolonić Slobodanka , Lozić Dominik , Holik Hrvoje , Novaković-Coha Sabina , Berneš Petra , Krečak Ivan , Morić-Perić Martina , Narančić Marino , Mitrović Zdravko , Valković Toni
Published: January 2024

Patients with lymphoid malignancies are at increased risk of death or prolonged infection due to COVID-19. Data on the influence of different antineoplastic treatment modalities on outcomes are conflicting. Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies increase the risk of prolonged infection. It is unclear whether this risk is affected by the choice of the antibody (rituximab vs. obinutuzumab). To elucidate the role of antineoplastic therapy on COVID-19 outcomes, KroHem collected data on patients with lymphoid malignancies diagnosed with COVID-19 between October 2020 and April 2021. A total of 314 patients were identified, 75 untreated, 61 off treatment and 178 on treatment. The mortality rate in untreated and off-treatment patients was 15% and 16%; 9% and 10% had prolonged infection. In the on-treatment group, 3% were still prolonged positive at time of data collection, 62% recovered and 35% died; 42% had prolonged infection. Disease type, use of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, prior autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) and line of treatment did not significantly affect mortality. Mortality was higher in older patients (p = 0.0078) and those treated with purine analogues (p = 0.012). Prolonged COVID-19 was significantly more frequent in patients treated with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (p = 0.012), especially obinutuzumab, and purine analogues (p = 0.012). Age, prior ASCT and treatment line did not significantly affect risk of prolonged infection. These data suggest that increased age and use of purine analogues are main risk factors for increased mortality of COVID-19 in patients with lymphoid malignancies. Obinutuzumab further increases the risk of prolonged disease, but not of death, in comparison to rituximab. Epidemiological considerations should be taken into account when choosing the appropriate antineoplastic therapy for patients with lymphoid malignancies.
Bioinspired Whisker Sensor for 3D Mapping of Underground Mining Environments
Authors: Gomez Virgilio , Remmas Walid , Hernando Miguel , Ristolainen Asko , Rossi Claudio
Published: January 2024

Traversing through challenging, unstructured environments, particularly in mining scenarios characterized by dust concentration, darkness, and lack of communication presents formidable obstacles for traditional sensing technologies. Drawing inspiration from naked mole rats, characterized as being skilled subterranean navigators that depend heavily on touch to navigate their environment, this study introduces a new whisker-sensing disk designed for 3D mapping in unstructured environments. The disk comprises a circular array of 32 whisker sensors, each featuring a slender flexible plastic rod attached to a compliant base housing a 3D Hall-effect sensor. The whisker sensor is modeled using both analytical and data-driven approaches to predict rotation angles based on magnetic field measurements. The validation and comparison of both models are performed by evaluating data from other whisker sensors. Additionally, a series of experiments demonstrates the whisker disk’s capability in performing 3D-mapping tasks, along with successful implementation on diverse robotic platforms, highlighting its future potential for effective 3D mapping in complex and unstructured subterranean environments.
Online Inverse Optimal Control for Time-Varying Cost Weights
Authors: Cao Sheng , Luo Zhiwei , Quan Changqin
Published: January 2024

Inverse optimal control is a method for recovering the cost function used in an optimal control problem in expert demonstrations. Most studies on inverse optimal control have focused on building the unknown cost function through the linear combination of given features with unknown cost weights, which are generally considered to be constant. However, in many real-world applications, the cost weights may vary over time. In this study, we propose an adaptive online inverse optimal control approach based on a neural-network approximation to address the challenge of recovering time-varying cost weights. We conduct a well-posedness analysis of the problem and suggest a condition for the adaptive goal, under which the weights of the neural network generated to achieve this adaptive goal are unique to the corresponding inverse optimal control problem. Furthermore, we propose an updating law for the weights of the neural network to ensure the stability of the convergence of the solutions. Finally, simulation results for an example linear system are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. The proposed method is applicable to a wide range of problems requiring real-time inverse optimal control calculations.
Analytical Determination of Serotonin Exocytosis in Human Platelets with BDD-on-Quartz MEA Devices
Authors: González Brito Rosalía , Montenegro Pablo , Méndez Alicia , Shabgahi Ramtin E. , Pasquarelli Alberto , Borges Ricardo
Published: January 2024

Amperometry is arguably the most widely used technique for studying the exocytosis of biological amines. However, the scarcity of human tissues, particularly in the context of neurological diseases, poses a challenge for exocytosis research. Human platelets, which accumulate 90% of blood serotonin, release it through exocytosis. Nevertheless, single-cell amperometry with encapsulated carbon fibers is impractical due to the small size of platelets and the limited number of secretory granules on each platelet. The recent technological improvements in amperometric multi-electrode array (MEA) devices allow simultaneous recordings from several high-performance electrodes. In this paper, we present a comparison of three MEA boron-doped diamond (BDD) devices for studying serotonin exocytosis in human platelets: (i) the BDD-on-glass MEA, (ii) the BDD-on-silicon MEA, and (iii) the BDD on amorphous quartz MEA (BDD-on-quartz MEA). Transparent electrodes offer several advantages for observing living cells, and in the case of platelets, they control activation/aggregation. BDD-on-quartz offers the advantage over previous materials of combining excellent electrochemical properties with transparency for microscopic observation. These devices are opening exciting perspectives for clinical applications.
Mental Workload Classification and Tasks Detection in Multitasking: Deep Learning Insights from EEG Study
Authors: Pušica Miloš , Kartali Aneta , Bojović Luka , Gligorijević Ivan , Jovanović Jelena , Leva Maria Chiara , Mijović Bogdan
Published: January 2024

While the term task load (TL) refers to external task demands, the amount of work, or the number of tasks to be performed, mental workload (MWL) refers to the individual’s effort, mental capacity, or cognitive resources utilized while performing a task. MWL in multitasking scenarios is often closely linked with the quantity of tasks a person is handling within a given timeframe. In this study, we challenge this hypothesis from the perspective of electroencephalography (EEG) using a deep learning approach. We conducted an EEG experiment with 50 participants performing NASA Multi-Attribute Task Battery II (MATB-II) under 4 different task load levels. We designed a convolutional neural network (CNN) to help with two distinct classification tasks. In one setting, the CNN was used to classify EEG segments based on their task load level. In another setting, the same CNN architecture was trained again to detect the presence of individual MATB-II subtasks. Results show that, while the model successfully learns to detect whether a particular subtask is active in a given segment (i.e., to differentiate between different subtasks-related EEG patterns), it struggles to differentiate between the two highest levels of task load (i.e., to distinguish MWL-related EEG patterns). We speculate that the challenge comes from two factors: first, the experiment was designed in a way that these two highest levels differed only in the quantity of work within a given timeframe; and second, the participants’ effective adaptation to increased task demands, as evidenced by low error rates. Consequently, this indicates that under such conditions in multitasking, EEG may not reflect distinct enough patterns to differentiate higher levels of task load.
Recalibrating the Why and Whom of Animal Models in Parkinson Disease: A Clinician’s Perspective
Authors: Sturchio Andrea , Rocha Emily M. , Kauffman Marcelo A. , Marsili Luca , Mahajan Abhimanyu , Saraf Ameya A. , Vizcarra Joaquin A. , Guo Ziyuan , Espay Alberto J.
Published: January 2024

Animal models have been used to gain pathophysiologic insights into Parkinson’s disease (PD) and aid in the translational efforts of interventions with therapeutic potential in human clinical trials. However, no disease-modifying therapy for PD has successfully emerged from model predictions. These translational disappointments warrant a reappraisal of the types of preclinical questions asked of animal models. Besides the limitations of experimental designs, the one-size convergence and oversimplification yielded by a model cannot recapitulate the molecular diversity within and between PD patients. Here, we compare the strengths and pitfalls of different models, review the discrepancies between animal and human data on similar pathologic and molecular mechanisms, assess the potential of organoids as novel modeling tools, and evaluate the types of questions for which models can guide and misguide. We propose that animal models may be of greatest utility in the evaluation of molecular mechanisms, neural pathways, drug toxicity, and safety but can be unreliable or misleading when used to generate pathophysiologic hypotheses or predict therapeutic efficacy for compounds with potential neuroprotective effects in humans. To enhance the translational disease-modification potential, the modeling must reflect the biology not of a diseased population but of subtypes of diseased humans to distinguish What data are relevant and to Whom.
Preoperative High C-Reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio Predicts Short- and Long-Term Postoperative Outcomes in Elderly Gastric Cancer Patients
Authors: Takemoto Yuki , Tanabe Kazuaki , Chikuie Emi , Saeki Yoshihiro , Ota Hiroshi , Karakuchi Nozomi , Kohata Akihiro , Ohdan Hideki
Published: January 2024

Individualized preoperative assessment of the general condition of elderly patients with gastric cancer is necessary for appropriate surgical treatment planning. This study investigated the efficacy of preoperative markers that could be easily calculated from preoperative peripheral blood to predict the short- and long-term postoperative outcomes of gastrectomy. In total, 571 patients who underwent R0 surgical resection for gastric cancer were enrolled. In the elderly patient group (≥65 years old), univariate analyses revealed that the incidence of postoperative complications was associated with poor performance status (p = 0.012), more comorbidities (p = 0.020), high C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR, p = 0.003), total gastrectomy (p = 0.003), open approach (p = 0.034), blood transfusion (p = 0.002), and advanced cancer (p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis showed that a high CAR was associated with a high incidence of postoperative complications (p = 0.046). High CAR was also associated with poor OS (p = 0.015) and RFS (p = 0.035). However, these trends were not observed among younger patients (<65 years old). Preoperative CAR may play a significant role in predicting short- and long-term surgical outcomes, particularly in elderly patients with gastric cancer.