bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MRI Brain Tumor Image Classification Using a Combined Feature and Image-Based Classifier
Authors: Veeramuthu A. , Meenakshi S. , Mathivanan G. , Kotecha Ketan , Saini Jatinderkumar R. , Vijayakumar V. , Subramaniyaswamy V.
Published: March 2022

Brain tumor classification plays a niche role in medical prognosis and effective treatment process. We have proposed a combined feature and image-based classifier (CFIC) for brain tumor image classification in this study. Carious deep neural network and deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN)-based architectures are proposed for image classification, namely, actual image feature-based classifier (AIFC), segmented image feature-based classifier (SIFC), actual and segmented image feature-based classifier (ASIFC), actual image-based classifier (AIC), segmented image-based classifier (SIC), actual and segmented image-based classifier (ASIC), and finally, CFIC. The Kaggle Brain Tumor Detection 2020 dataset has been used to train and test the proposed classifiers. Among the various classifiers proposed, the CFIC performs better than all other proposed methods. The proposed CFIC method gives significantly better results in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy with 98.86, 97.14, and 98.97%, respectively, compared with the existing classification methods.
The Use of Mobile Games in the Management of Patients With Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder: A Scoping Review
Authors: Jiang Haowen , Natarajan Rohit , Shuy Yao Kang , Rong Lim , Zhang Melvyn Weibin , Vallabhajosyula Ranganath
Published: March 2022

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder associated with significant morbidity. Current treatment approaches consist of a mixture of pharmacological and psychological approaches. The emergence of digital technology, and mobile gaming applications, represents a promising novel method in potentially augmenting existing interventions for ADHD. In this review, we will map out the use of mobile gaming applications in the management of ADHD and evaluate the effectiveness of these technologies and any areas for future research. Four electronic databases were searched for relevant articles. All articles were screened for abstract and full text by two independent reviewers, and data extracted onto a common data extraction sheet. The data was narratively synthesized and reported in line with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A total of 19 studies were included. Studies mostly evaluated the effectiveness of games on male children with ADHD. Most games were focused on the treatment of ADHD, while a minority were focused on the diagnosis and monitoring of ADHD. Some of the common gaming mechanisms employed in games included having participants responding to cures, remembering details, and making associations between different entities. The studies generally showed an improvement in performance of children as they played the games, but evidence for the effectiveness of these modalities remains scarce and mixed. While it is exciting that there is such a wide variety of games available currently in the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of ADHD, many of the games lack clinical evidence to prove their effectiveness. Furthermore, most studies contain several limitations including small sample size, limited ages of participants, lack of control group, and lack of comprehensive outcomes. To promote the application of these games to clinical practice, robust clinical trials, collaboration between stakeholders and using a comprehensive set of outcome measurements is essential.
An Instrumental Measure of Hand and Facial Movement Abnormalities in Patients With Schizophrenia
Authors: Wang Shu-Mei , Ouyang Wen-Chen , Hsu Hsiao-Man , Hsu Li-Ta
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Movement disorders have been suggested to be a cardinal component of schizophrenia. With increased research interests in this area, instrumental measures are needed. This study was to examine if the motion capture system was reliable in measuring hand and facial bradykinesia and dyskinesia and more sensitive to detecting movement differences between schizophrenia patients and healthy people than traditional rating scales.

Methods

Sixteen schizophrenia patients and 20 control subjects were recruited. Hand and facial bradykinesia and dyskinesia were measured using the motion capture system and rated using the Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale and the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale.

Results

The system showed strong test–retest reliability and generated larger effect sizes of group differences than did the rating scales.

Conclusions

The results may support researchers and clinical practitioners to apply the system to sensitively measuring the hand and facial movement symptoms in schizophrenia patients, which contributes to gaining a deep understanding of movement issues in schizophrenia.
Trends in the Incidence and DALYs of Urolithiasis From 1990 to 2019: Results From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Authors: Li Shasha , Huang Xueying , Liu Jie , Yue Suru , Hou Xuefei , Hu Liren , Wu Jiayuan
Published: March 2022

Objectives

To provide a comprehensive assessment of the estimated burden and trend of urolithiasis at the global, regional, and national levels.

Methods

The age-standardized rates (ASRs) of the incidence and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of urolithiasis from 1990 to 2019 were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 database. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) were calculated to quantify the temporal trends in urolithiasis burden.

Results

In 2019, the ASRs of the incidence and DALYs were 1,394.03/100,000 and 7.35/100,000, respectively. The ASRs of the incidence and DALYs of urolithiasis decreased from 1990 to 2019 with EAPCs of −0.83 and −1.77, respectively. Males had a higher burden of urolithiasis than females. In 2019, the highest burden of urolithiasis was observed in regions with high–middle sociodemographic index (SDI), particularly in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. The burden of urolithiasis increased in most countries or territories. The burden of urolithiasis and SDI had a non-linear relationship, and the estimated value of urolithiasis burden was the highest when the SDI value was ~0.7.

Conclusion

Globally, the ASRs of the incidence and DALYs of urolithiasis decreased from 1990 to 2019, but an increasing trend was observed among many countries. More effective and appropriate medical and health policies are needed to prevent and early intervene in urolithiasis.
Providers' Shift to Telerehabilitation at the U.S. Veterans Health Administration During COVID-19: Practical Applications
Authors: Kreider Consuelo M. , Hale-Gallardo Jennifer , Kramer John C. , Mburu Sharon , Slamka Mackenzi R. , Findley Kimberly E. , Myers Keith J. , Romero Sergio
Published: March 2022

Telerehabilitation provides Veteran patients with necessary rehabilitation treatment. It enhances care continuity and reduces travel time for Veterans who face long distances to receive care at a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical facility. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a sudden shift to telehealth–including telerehabilitation, where a paucity of data-driven guidelines exist that are specific to the practicalities entailed in telerehabilitation implementation. This paper explicates gains in practical knowledge for implementing telerehabilitation that were accelerated during the rapid shift of VHA healthcare from out-patient rehabilitation services to telerehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Group and individual interviews with 12 VHA rehabilitation providers were conducted to examine, in-depth, the providers' implementation of telerehabilitation. Thematic analysis yielded nine themes: (i) Willingness to Give Telerehabilitation a Chance: A Key Ingredient; (ii) Creativity and Adaptability: Critical Attributes for Telerehabilitation Providers; (iii) Adapting Assessments; (iv) Adapting Interventions; (v) Role and Workflow Adaptations; (vi) Appraising for Self the Feasibility of the Telerehabilitation Modality; (vii) Availability of Informal, In-Person Support Improves Feasibility of Telerehabilitation; (viii) Shifts in the Expectations by the Patients and by the Provider; and (ix) Benefit and Anticipated Future of Telerehabilitation. This paper contributes an in-depth understanding of clinical reasoning considerations, supportive strategies, and practical approaches for engaging Veterans in telerehabilitation.
Assessing the Spatiotemporal Spread Pattern of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia
Authors: Cheong Yoon Ling , Ghazali Sumarni Mohd , Che Ibrahim Mohd Khairuddin bin , Kee Chee Cheong , Md Iderus Nuur Hafizah , Ruslan Qistina binti , Gill Balvinder Singh , Lee Florence Chi Hiong , Lim Kuang Hock
Published: March 2022

Introduction

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected human health and socioeconomic backgrounds. This study examined the spatiotemporal spread pattern of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia from the index case to 291,774 cases in 13 months, emphasizing on the spatial autocorrelation of the high-risk cluster events and the spatial scan clustering pattern of transmission.

Methodology

We obtained the confirmed cases and deaths of COVID-19 in Malaysia from the official GitHub repository of Malaysia's Ministry of Health from January 25, 2020 to February 24, 2021, 1 day before the national vaccination program was initiated. All analyses were based on the daily cumulated cases, which are derived from the sum of retrospective 7 days and the current day for smoothing purposes. We examined the daily global, local spatial autocorrelation and scan statistics of COVID-19 cases at district level using Moran's I and SaTScan™.

Results

At the initial stage of the outbreak, Moran's I index > 0.5 (p < 0.05) was observed. Local Moran's I depicted the high-high cluster risk expanded from west to east of Malaysia. The cases surged exponentially after September 2020, with the high-high cluster in Sabah, from Kinabatangan on September 1 (cumulative cases = 9,354; Moran's I = 0.34; p < 0.05), to 11 districts on October 19 (cumulative cases = 21,363, Moran's I = 0.52, p < 0.05). The most likely cluster identified from space-time scanning was centered in Jasin, Melaka (RR = 11.93; p < 0.001) which encompassed 36 districts with a radius of 178.8 km, from November 24, 2020 to February 24, 2021, followed by the Sabah cluster.

Discussion and Conclusion

Both analyses complemented each other in depicting underlying spatiotemporal clustering risk, giving detailed space-time spread information at district level. This daily analysis could be valuable insight into real-time reporting of transmission intensity, and alert for the public to avoid visiting the high-risk areas during the pandemic. The spatiotemporal transmission risk pattern could be used to monitor the spread of the pandemic.
The Urban-Rural Disparities and Associated Factors of Health Care Utilization Among Cancer Patients in China
Authors: Wang Haipeng , Hua Xingxing , Yao Nengliang , Zhang Nan , Wang Jialin , Anderson Roger , Sun Xiaojie
Published: March 2022

Objective

This study aimed to examine the urban-rural disparities and associated factors of health care utilization among cancer patients in China.

Methods

This study used the data collected from a cross-sectional survey conducted in China. A total of 1,570 cancer survivors from three urban districts and five rural counties were selected by using a multistage stratified random sampling method. We measured health care utilization with the way of cancer diagnosis, the number of hospitals visited, and receiving alternative therapies. Chi-square test was used to examine the differences between urban and rural cancer patients. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the determinants of health care utilization.

Results

Among 1,570 participants, 84.1% were diagnosed with cancer after developing symptoms, 55.6% had visited two and above hospitals, and 5.7% had received alternative therapies. Compared with urban cancer patients, rural ones were more likely to be diagnosed with cancer after developing symptoms (χ2 = 40.04, p < 0.001), while they were less likely to visit more than one hospital (χ2 = 27.14, p < 0.001). Residence area (urban/rural), health insurance type, household income, age at diagnosis, tumor site, stage of tumor, and survival years were significantly associated with health care utilization of cancer patients (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Health care utilization was suboptimal among cancers patients in China. Rural cancer patients had less health care utilization including screenings and treatments than urban ones. Policymakers should implement specific strategies to ensure equitable utilization of cancer care. More attention should be paid to the disadvantaged groups and rural cancer patients. Prioritizing health resources allocation is needed to prevent, screen, and treat cancers in rural areas.
The Relationship Between Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Fall Prevention for Childhood in Shanghai, China
Authors: Liu Wen-Yi , Tung Tao-Hsin , Zhou Yi , Gu Dan Tong , Chen Han Yi
Published: March 2022

Background

Early childhood fall is a pressing global public health problem and one of the leading causes of child injury. China has a high proportion of children and a high burden of illness from falls. Therefore, educational interventions to prevent childhood fall would be beneficial.

Methods

We used the outcome of knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire, which was conducted by Pudong New District of Shanghai Municipal Government, to summarize demographic and baseline characteristics grouped by intervention or not, and analyzed descriptive statistics of continuous and categorical variables. A logistic stepwise function model was established to study the influence of different covariables on the degree of injury, and AIC/BIC/AICC was used to select the optimal model. Finally, we carried out single-factor analysis and established a multifactor model by the stepwise function method.

Results

Attitude and actual behavior scores had significant differences. The intervention and control groups had 20.79 ± 3.20 and 20.39 ± 2.89 attitude scores, respectively. Compared to the control group (5.97 ± 1.32), the intervention group had higher actual behavior scores (5.75 ± 1.50). In the univariate analysis results, fathers' education level, mothers' education level, actual behavior and what cares for children had a significant influence on whether children got injured. In multivariate analysis, attitude had a positive influence on whether injured [odds ratio: 1.13 (1.05–1.21), P < 0.001].

Conclusion

Educational intervention for children and their guardians can effectively reduce the risk of childhood falls, and changes in behavior and attitude are the result of educational influence. Education of childhood fall prevention can be used as a public health intervention to improve children's health.
Uterine Fibroids (Leiomyomata) and Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Authors: Uimari Outi , Subramaniam Kavita S. , Vollenhoven Beverley , Tapmeier Thomas T.
Published: March 2022

Uterine Fibroids, or leiomyomata, affect millions of women world-wide, with a high incidence of 75% within women of reproductive age. In ~30% of patients, uterine fibroids cause menorrhagia, or heavy menstrual bleeding, and more than half of the patients experience symptoms such as heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, or infertility. Treatment is symptomatic with limited options including hysterectomy as the most radical solution. The genetic foundations of uterine fibroid growth have been traced to somatic driver mutations (MED12, HMGA2, FH−/−, and COL4A5-A6). These also lead to downstream expression of angiogenic factors including IGF-1 and IGF-2, as opposed to the VEGF-driven mechanism found in the angiogenesis of hypoxic tumors. The resulting vasculature supplying the fibroid with nutrients and oxygen is highly irregular. Of particular interest is the formation of a pseudocapsule around intramural fibroids, a unique structure within tumor angiogenesis. These aberrations in vascular architecture and network could explain the heavy menstrual bleeding observed. However, other theories have been proposed such as venous trunks, or venous lakes caused by the blocking of normal blood flow by uterine fibroids, or the increased local action of vasoactive growth factors. Here, we review and discuss the evidence for the various hypotheses proposed.
Differences in Peak Impact Accelerations Among Foot Strike Patterns in Recreational Runners
Authors: Napier Christopher , Fridman Lauren , Blazey Paul , Tran Nicholas , Michie Tom V. , Schneeberg Amy
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Running-related injuries (RRIs) occur from a combination of training load errors and aberrant biomechanics. Impact loading, measured by peak acceleration, is an important measure of running biomechanics that is related to RRI. Foot strike patterns may moderate the magnitude of impact load in runners. The effect of foot strike pattern on peak acceleration has been measured using tibia-mounted inertial measurement units (IMUs), but not commercially available insole-embedded IMUs. The aim of this study was to compare the peak acceleration signal associated with rearfoot (RFS), midfoot (MFS), and forefoot (FFS) strike patterns when measured with an insole-embedded IMU.

Materials and Methods

Healthy runners ran on a treadmill for 1 min at three different speeds with their habitual foot strike pattern. An insole-embedded IMU was placed inside standardized neutral cushioned shoes to measure the peak resultant, vertical, and anteroposterior accelerations at impact. The Foot strike pattern was determined by two experienced observers and evaluated using high-speed video. Linear effect mixed-effect models were used to quantify the relationship between foot strike pattern and peak resultant, vertical, and anteroposterior acceleration.

Results

A total of 81% of the 187 participants exhibited an RFS pattern. An RFS pattern was associated with a higher peak resultant (0.29 SDs; p = 0.029) and vertical (1.19 SD; p < 0.001) acceleration when compared with an FFS running pattern, when controlling for speed and limb, respectively. However, an MFS was associated with the highest peak accelerations in the resultant direction (0.91 SD vs. FFS; p = 0.002 and 0.17 SD vs. RFS; p = 0.091). An FFS pattern was associated with the lowest peak accelerations in both the resultant and vertical directions. An RFS was also associated with a significantly greater peak acceleration in the anteroposterior direction (0.28 SD; p = 0.033) than an FFS pattern, while there was no difference between MFS and FFS patterns.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that runners should be grouped by RFS, MFS, and FFS when comparing peak acceleration, rather than the common practice of grouping MFS and FFS together as non-RFS runners. Future studies should aim to determine the risk of RRI associated with peak accelerations from an insole-embedded IMU to understand whether the small observed differences in this study are clinically meaningful.
Tests and Procedures for Measuring Endurance, Strength, and Power in Climbing—A Mini-Review
Authors: Stien Nicolay , Saeterbakken Atle Hole , Andersen Vidar
Published: March 2022

The interest in climbing is rapidly growing among professional and recreational athletes and will for the first time be included in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The sport has also gained increased scientific attention in the past decades. Still, recommendations for testing procedures to predict climbing performance and measure training effects are limited. Therefore, the aim of this mini-review is to provide an overview of the climbing-specific tests, procedures and outcomes used to examine climbing performance. The available literature presents a variety of tests and procedures. While the reliability of some tests has been examined, measures of validity are scarce, especially for climbing-specific endurance tests. Moreover, considering the possible combinations of climbing performance levels, disciplines, and tests, substantial gaps in the literature exist. Vague descriptions of the participants in many studies (e.g., not specifying preferred discipline, performance level, experience, and regular climbing and training volume) further limit the current knowledge and challenge comparisons across studies. Regarding contraction types, dynamic strength- and power-tests are underrepresented in the literature compared to isometric tests. Studies exploring and reporting the validity and reliability of climbing-specific tests are warranted, and researchers should strive to provide a detailed description of the study populations in future research.
Soybean vs. Pea Bean in the Diet of Medium-Growing Broiler Chickens Raised under Semi-Intensive Conditions of Inner Mediterranean Areas: Growth Performance and Environmental Impact
Authors: Fatica Antonella , Fantuz Francesco , Wu Mengjun , Tavaniello Siria , Maiorano Giuseppe , Salimei Elisabetta
Published: March 2022

The effects of Glycine max L. (SOY) vs. Pisum sativum L. (PEA) in the diet were investigated on in vivo performance of two medium-growing broiler genotypes and on environmental impact. Sixty Kabir Red Plus and sixty New Red chickens were randomly allocated in 20 pens (n = 6 birds per pen). Each pen, i.e., experimental unit, received 1.18 kg dry matter (DM) including soybean (3.39%) in SOY, or pea bean (6.78%) in PEA groups. DM intake, DM refusals and bodyweight (BW) were recorded on pen basis, and average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion rate (FCR) were calculated. Data on in vivo performance were processed by ANOVA General Linear Model followed by Student–Newman–Keuls post hoc test. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were evaluated on a year basis by GLEAM-i software. The diet did not affect (p > 0.05) DM intake and DM refusals, BW, ADG and FCR. Diet x genotypes affected (p < 0.05) DM intake and DM refusals. PEA diet, cheaper than SOY diet, allowed the reduction in total GHG and CO2, and of meat emission intensity. However, an increase in total CH4 and N2O emissions was observed. The replacement of soybean with pea bean can represent a possible management strategy to reach trade-off between good farming practices and environmental protection on small-scale poultry farms of inner Mediterranean areas.
Reactive Oxygen Species Induced Pathways in Heart Failure Pathogenesis and Potential Therapeutic Strategies
Authors: Mongirdienė Aušra , Skrodenis Laurynas , Varoneckaitė Leila , Mierkytė Gerda , Gerulis Justinas
Published: March 2022

With respect to structural and functional cardiac disorders, heart failure (HF) is divided into HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Oxidative stress contributes to the development of both HFrEF and HFpEF. Identification of a broad spectrum of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced pathways in preclinical models has provided new insights about the importance of ROS in HFrEF and HFpEF development. While current treatment strategies mostly concern neuroendocrine inhibition, recent data on ROS-induced metabolic pathways in cardiomyocytes may offer additional treatment strategies and targets for both of the HF forms. The purpose of this article is to summarize the results achieved in the fields of: (1) ROS importance in HFrEF and HFpEF pathophysiology, and (2) treatments for inhibiting ROS-induced pathways in HFrEF and HFpEF patients. ROS-producing pathways in cardiomyocytes, ROS-activated pathways in different HF forms, and treatment options to inhibit their action are also discussed.
A Three-Dimensional Box-Counting Method to Study the Fractal Characteristics of Urban Areas in Shenyang, Northeast China
Authors: Liu Shengjun , Chen Yijing
Published: March 2022

Modern expansion and three-dimensional growth are rapidly altering the morphological features of traditional cities. This morphological phenomenon fully reflects the internal organization mode and composition rules of modern cities. This study draws on the research method of three-dimensional fractal, focusing on the situation where there is less research on the fractal form at the block scale, and conducts a fractal research on the three-dimensional form of a city at the meso and micro scales, in order to reveal the fractal characteristics of modern urban density. Based on fractal theory, the urban form of Shenyang, Northeast China, was quantitatively analyzed using the box-counting (Minkowski–Bouligand) method to calculate the two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) box dimensions of urban areas. Next, by analyzing the correlations between morphological indicators and 2D and 3D fractal dimensions, this study proposes cluster features of the correlation between the 3D fractal dimension and floor-area ratio. Then, this study summarizes the fractal characteristics of Shenyang’s urban form, based on the cluster analysis and spatial features of various urban areas within the city. The analysis results show the fractal dimension of Shenyang’s urban form to have characteristic expected values; fractal dimension clusters reflect spatial differences in the forms of different urban areas. The 3D D value of architectural morphology fractal in urban areas of Shenyang is between 2.41 and 2.70. From this, the representative characteristics of Shenyang’s urban form were obtained: first, it has the fractal characteristics of morphological hierarchy and system embeddedness; second, under unified and standardized management, its basic urban form structure displays the fractal characteristics of morphological similarity and system hierarchy; and third, its 3D urban form characteristics include the spatial accumulation of clusters and morphological patches, creating a patchwork of different building heights and densities, with the spatial clustering of density form highly correlated with the fractal dimension. The results of this research will provide reference samples for the morphological identification, design control, and design review of modern cities, and enrich the research results of the application of fractal theory to urban morphology at the meso and micro scales.
Comprehensive Metabolic Profiling of MYC-Amplified Medulloblastoma Tumors Reveals Key Dependencies on Amino Acid, Tricarboxylic Acid and Hexosamine Pathways
Authors: Pham Khoa , Hanaford Allison R. , Poore Brad A. , Maxwell Micah J. , Sweeney Heather , Parthasarathy Akhila , Alt Jesse , Rais Rana , Slusher Barbara S. , Eberhart Charles G. , Raabe Eric H.
Published: March 2022

Reprograming of cellular metabolism is a hallmark of cancer. Altering metabolism allows cancer cells to overcome unfavorable microenvironment conditions and to proliferate and invade. Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor of children. Genomic amplification of MYC defines a subset of poor-prognosis medulloblastoma. We performed comprehensive metabolic studies of human MYC-amplified medulloblastoma by comparing the metabolic profiles of tumor cells in three different conditions—in vitro, in flank xenografts and in orthotopic xenografts in the cerebellum. Principal component analysis showed that the metabolic profiles of brain and flank high-MYC medulloblastoma tumors clustered closely together and separated away from normal brain and in vitro MYC-amplified cells. Compared to normal brain, MYC-amplified medulloblastoma orthotopic xenograft tumors showed upregulation of the TCA cycle as well as the synthesis of nucleotides, hexosamines, amino acids and glutathione. There was significantly higher glucose uptake and usage in orthotopic xenograft tumors compared to flank xenograft tumors and cells in culture. In orthotopic tumors, glucose was the main carbon source for the de novo synthesis of glutamate, glutamine and glutathione through the TCA cycle. In vivo, the glutaminase II pathway was the main pathway utilizing glutamine. Glutathione was the most abundant upregulated metabolite in orthotopic tumors compared to normal brain. Glutamine-derived glutathione was synthesized through the glutamine transaminase K (GTK) enzyme in vivo. In conclusion, high MYC medulloblastoma cells have different metabolic profiles in vitro compared to in vivo, and key vulnerabilities may be missed by not performing in vivo metabolic analyses.
Modulation of Cell-Cycle Progression by Hydrogen Peroxide-Mediated Cross-Linking and Degradation of Cell-Adhesive Hydrogels
Authors: Mubarok Wildan , Elvitigala Kelum Chamara Manoj Lakmal , Nakahata Masaki , Kojima Masaru , Sakai Shinji
Published: March 2022

The cell cycle is known to be regulated by features such as the mechanical properties of the surrounding environment and interaction of cells with the adhering substrates. Here, we investigated the possibility of regulating cell-cycle progression of the cells on gelatin/hyaluronic acid composite hydrogels obtained through hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-mediated cross-linking and degradation of the polymers by varying the exposure time to H2O2 contained in the air. The stiffness of the hydrogel varied with the exposure time. Human cervical cancer cells (HeLa) and mouse mammary gland epithelial cells (NMuMG) expressing cell-cycle reporter Fucci2 showed the exposure-time-dependent different cell-cycle progressions on the hydrogels. Although HeLa/Fucci2 cells cultured on the soft hydrogel (Young’s modulus: 0.20 and 0.40 kPa) obtained through 15 min and 120 min of the H2O2 exposure showed a G2/M-phase arrest, NMuMG cells showed a G1-phase arrest. Additionally, the cell-cycle progression of NMuMG cells was not only governed by the hydrogel stiffness, but also by the low-molecular-weight HA resulting from H2O2-mediated degradation. These results indicate that H2O2-mediated cross-linking and degradation of gelatin/hyaluronic acid composite hydrogel could be used to control the cell adhesion and cell-cycle progression.
Adipocyte Phenotype Flexibility and Lipid Dysregulation
Authors: Preston Kyle J. , Scalia Rosario G. , Autieri Michael V.
Published: March 2022

The prevalence of obesity and associated cardiometabolic diseases continues to rise, despite efforts to improve global health. The adipose tissue is now regarded as an endocrine organ since its multitude of secretions, lipids chief among them, regulate systemic functions. The loss of normal adipose tissue phenotypic flexibility, especially related to lipid homeostasis, appears to trigger cardiometabolic pathogenesis. The goal of this manuscript is to review lipid balance maintenance by the lean adipose tissue’s propensity for phenotype switching, obese adipose tissue’s narrower range of phenotype flexibility, and what initial factors account for the waning lipid regulatory capacity. Metabolic, hypoxic, and inflammatory factors contribute to the adipose tissue phenotype being made rigid. A better grasp of normal adipose tissue function provides the necessary context for recognizing the extent of obese adipose tissue dysfunction and gaining insight into how pathogenesis evolves.
Deformable MEMS with Fringing Field: Models, Uniqueness Conditions and Membrane Profile Recovering
Authors: Versaci Mario , Di Barba Paolo
Published: March 2022

A particular 1D II-order differential semi-linear elliptic model for electrostatic membrane MEMS devices, which is well-known in the literature, considers the amplitude of the electric field locally proportional to the membrane’s geometric curvature, which contains a term involving the fringing field according to Pelesko and Driscoll’s theory. Thus, in this paper, we will begin from this elliptical model, of which the uniqueness condition for the solution does not depend on the electromechanical properties of the membrane’s constituent material. In particular, after analyzing the model’s advantages and disadvantages, we present a new uniqueness condition for the solution depending on the properties listed above, which appears to be more important than the existence condition of the solution that is well-known in literature. Therefore, once the fringing field’s mode of action on the electrostatic force acting on the membrane is evaluated, suitable numerical techniques are used and compared to recover the membrane profile without ghost solutions and to propose an innovative criterion for selecting the membrane material, which depends on the electrical operative parameters and vice-versa. Finally, the possible industrial uses of the studied device are evaluated.
Effect of Bipolar Plate Material on Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance
Authors: Wilberforce Tabbi , Ijaodola Oluwatosin , Baroutaji Ahmad , Ogungbemi Emmanuel , Olabi Abdul Ghani
Published: March 2022

Commercialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells can only materials provided its performance is closely related to existing technologies useful in commercial application. Other critical parameters like the utilization of cheaper materials should be taken into account during the manufacturing of the cell. A key component in the cell that has direct correlation to the cell performance is the flow plate. The weight coupled with cost of the cell revolves around the flow plate used in the manufacturing of the cell. This study explores materials ideal for the manufacturing of fuel cells in order to improve the overall cell performance. The investigation highlights the critical impact of varying materials used in the manufacturing of flow plates for PEM fuel cells. Stainless steel (SS), aluminium (Al) and copper (Cu) were the materials considered. The flow plate designs considered were serpentine and open pore cellular foam channel. Machine learning using python for the validation of the results with Linear regression, Ridge regression and Polynomial regression algorithm was carried out. The performance of both flow field channels was compared using different bipolar plate materials. The results show that metal foam flow channels overall performance was better than serpentine flow channels with all the various bipolar plate material used and Al material outperformed Cu and SS material. There is a direct correlation in terms of the outcome of the study and literature based on the data generated experimentally. It can however be concluded that molecules of hydrogen are stable on aluminium plates compared to copper and stainless steel.
Effect of the Hot Streak on the Overall Cooling Performance of a Coated Rotor Blade
Authors: Shi Li , Lu Yuanfeng , Huang Hanze
Published: March 2022

The influence of the HS (hot streak) and unsteady wake on the overall cooling performance of a rotor blade was studied in this paper. The results show that: (1) Both the magnitude and temperature of the HS gradually drops down as it passes downstream of the vane passage. (2) Within one stator period, the highest cooling performance of the blade can be observed at the initial time points, when the LE (leading edge) of the blade turns towards the trailing edge of the vane. (3) The lowest cooling performance of the blade can be observed at the time point 0.5 T, when the LE of the blade turns towards the center of the vane passage. (4) Surface temperatures in areas with unfavorable local heat flow are usually higher than the temperature of the coolant. The additional TBCs may exert adverse effects on heat dissipation from the substrate metal to the mainstream, which has a negative effect on the improvement of the overall cooling effectiveness of the coated blade. (5) Within a stator period, a relatively higher overall cooling effectiveness increment due to the coating can be observed at the relative location with lower cooling performance. Consequently, the additional TBCs are beneficial for decreasing the surface temperature difference and thus controlling the thermal stress under the HS inlet condition.
Treatment of Severe Caries and Molar Incisor Hypomineralization and Its Influence on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Children: A Comparative Study
Authors: Altner Sarra , Ebel Markus , Ritschl Valentin , Stamm Tanja , Hirsch Christian , Bekes Katrin
Published: March 2022

Background: Treatment of oral diseases can have a long-lasting impact on a child’s life well beyond its childhood years. The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of treatment on the oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children with severe caries and severe molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH). Methods: A total of 210 children (mean age 9 years; 49% female) with severe caries (inner third of dentin) and severe MIH (post-eruptive breakdown, crown destruction) were included in the study. Both groups were matched according to age, gender, and social status. The German version of the Child Perception Questionnaire for 8–10-year-olds (CPQ-G8–10) was used before and after treatment to analyze the impact on OHRQoL. Results: Patients with severe MIH showed a significantly higher total CPQ score (17.8 (±10.6)) before treatment compared to the caries group (13.8 (±14.3)). The mean CPQ score in all subdomains decreased significantly after therapy in the MIH group. Children with severe carious lesions had similar results except in the domain “functional limitations”, as treatment led to only minor changes (2.9 (±3.6) to 2.2 (±2.6)). Conclusions: Despite a narrower treatment spectrum, patients with severe MIH experienced a greater overall improvement in OHRQoL compared to the caries group.
Impact of Air Pollution in Airway Diseases: Role of the Epithelial Cells (Cell Models and Biomarkers)
Authors: Albano Giusy Daniela , Montalbano Angela Marina , Gagliardo Rosalia , Anzalone Giulia , Profita Mirella
Published: March 2022

Biomedical research is multidisciplinary and often uses integrated approaches performing different experimental models with complementary functions. This approach is important to understand the pathogenetic mechanisms concerning the effects of environmental pollution on human health. The biological activity of the substances is investigated at least to three levels using molecular, cellular, and human tissue models. Each of these is able to give specific answers to experimental problems. A scientific approach, using biological methods (wet lab), cell cultures (cell lines or primary), isolated organs (three-dimensional cell cultures of primary epithelial cells), and animal organisms, including the human body, aimed to understand the effects of air pollution on the onset of diseases of the respiratory system. Biological methods are divided into three complementary models: in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. In vitro experiments do not require the use of whole organisms (in vivo study), while ex vivo experiments use isolated organs or parts of organs. The concept of complementarity and the informatic support are useful tools to organize, analyze, and interpret experimental data, with the aim of discussing scientific notions with objectivity and rationality in biology and medicine. In this scenario, the integrated and complementary use of different experimental models is important to obtain useful and global information that allows us to identify the effect of inhaled pollutants on the incidence of respiratory diseases in the exposed population. In this review, we focused our attention on the impact of air pollution in airway diseases with a rapid and descriptive analysis on the role of epithelium and on the experimental cell models useful to study the effect of toxicants on epithelial cells.
Role of Nuclear Receptors in Controlling Erythropoiesis
Authors: Pastori Valentina , Pozzi Serena , Labedz Agata , Ahmed Sajeela , Ronchi Antonella Ellena
Published: March 2022

Nuclear receptors (NRs), are a wide family of ligand-regulated transcription factors sharing a common modular structure composed by an N-terminal domain and a ligand-binding domain connected by a short hinge linker to a DNA-binding domain. NRs are involved in many physiological processes, including metabolism, reproduction and development. Most of them respond to small lipophilic ligands, such as steroids, retinoids, and phospholipids, which act as conformational switches. Some NRs are still “orphan” and the search for their ligands is still ongoing. Upon DNA binding, NRs can act both as transcriptional activators or repressors of their target genes. Theoretically, the possibility to modulate NRs activity with small molecules makes them ideal therapeutic targets, although the complexity of their signaling makes drug design challenging. In this review, we discuss the role of NRs in erythropoiesis, in both homeostatic and stress conditions. This knowledge is important in view of modulating red blood cells production in disease conditions, such as anemias, and for the expansion of erythroid cells in culture for research purposes and for reaching the long-term goal of cultured blood for transfusion.
Personalized Risk Schemes and Machine Learning to Empower Genomic Prognostication Models in Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Authors: Awada Hussein , Gurnari Carmelo , Durmaz Arda , Awada Hassan , Pagliuca Simona , Visconte Valeria
Published: March 2022

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are characterized by variable clinical manifestations and outcomes. Several prognostic systems relying on clinical factors and cytogenetic abnormalities have been developed to help stratify MDS patients into different risk categories of distinct prognoses and therapeutic implications. The current abundance of molecular information poses the challenges of precisely defining patients’ molecular profiles and their incorporation in clinically established diagnostic and prognostic schemes. Perhaps the prognostic power of the current systems can be boosted by incorporating molecular features. Machine learning (ML) algorithms can be helpful in developing more precise prognostication models that integrate complex genomic interactions at a higher dimensional level. These techniques can potentially generate automated diagnostic and prognostic models and assist in advancing personalized therapies. This review highlights the current prognostication models used in MDS while shedding light on the latest achievements in ML-based research.
miRNAs in Cancer (Review of Literature)
Authors: Smolarz Beata , Durczyński Adam , Romanowicz Hanna , Szyłło Krzysztof , Hogendorf Piotr
Published: March 2022

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, noncoding, single-stranded RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by binding to mRNAs. miRNAs affect the course of processes of fundamental importance for the proper functioning of the organism. These processes include cell division, proliferation, differentiation, cell apoptosis and the formation of blood vessels. Altered expression of individual miRNAs has been shown in numerous cancers, which may indicate the oncogenic or suppressor potential of the molecules in question. This paper discusses the current knowledge about the possibility of using miRNA as a diagnostic marker and a potential target in modern anticancer therapies.
Toward Optimal Learning of the Gesture in Laparoscopic Surgery: Methodology and Performance
Authors: Cau Marine , Sandoval Juan , Arguel Amaël , Breque Cyril , Huet Nathalie , Cau Jerome , Laribi Med Amine
Published: March 2022

Classical surgical education has to face both a forensic reality and a technical issue: to train a learner in more complex techniques in an increasingly short time. Moreover, surgical training is still based on an empirical hierarchical relationship in which learners must reproduce a sequence of actions in a situation of strong emotional pressure. However, the effectiveness of learning and its quality are linked to the emotional states in which learners find themselves. Among these emotions, epistemic confusion can be found that arises in complex learning situations where there is a cognitive imbalance related to the comprehension of the task, and which results from a rupture between the pre-established patterns of the learner and the new learning task. Although one knows that confusion can have a beneficial or a negative impact on learning, depending on whether it is well regulated or not, the factors that can influence it positively are still poorly understood. Thus, the objective of this experiment is to assess the impact of confusion on the learning of a surgical procedure in an augmented reality context and to determine if this impact varies according to the feedback given to the learners and according to the occurrence of disruptive events. Medical externs were recruited (N = 15) who were required to perform a suturing task on a simulator and whose performance was measured using a Motion Capture (MoCap) system. Even though the statistical analyzes did not allow a conclusion to be reached, the protocol already established makes it possible to consider a longer-term study that will allow (by increasing the number of sessions and the number of participants) more significant results to be obtained in order to develop new surgical learning protocols. This preliminary study opens a new field of research on the influence of epistemic emotions, and more particularly of confusion, which is likely to upset traditional surgical teaching, and is based on negative conditioning and strong emotions with negative valence as well as stress and coercion.
Analyzing the Land Leasing Behavior of the Government of Beijing, China, via the Multinomial Logit Model
Authors: Cheng Jing , Luo Xiaowei
Published: March 2022

In this paper, the government behavior of leasing different land use rights in Beijing, China, is analyzed using data analysis based on the multinomial logit model. The factors that lead the government to lease different land use rights are considered from the aspects of the land features, geographical location of the land, district economic development, government finance and political tenure of the district head, etc. Considering the factors as the variables, the multinomial logit model is presented to analyze the factors that affect the district government behavior on leasing different land use rights. The data of the variables are obtained in Beijing at the district level from 2004 to 2015. From the results, we can see that the area and price of the land, gross domestic product, foreign direct investment, distance of the land from airport, distance of the land from city center, distance of the land from the nearest industrial park, government fiscal deficit and tenure of the district head all influence the district government behavior on leasing land. Finally, the policy implications are proposed. The results and implications can be referenced by other metropolises in China and other developing countries with public ownership of land.