bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Management of borderline ovarian tumors: A tertiary referral center experience in Egypt
Authors: Gaballa Khaled , Abdelkhalek Mohamed , Fathi Adel , Refky Basel , Belal Khaled , elaraby Moustafa , Zuhdy Mohammad
Published: September 2022

Background

In this retrospective study, we discuss our experience as a large tertiary referral center in Egypt in the management and follow-up of borderline tumors

Patients and methods

This is a retrospective cohort study where all patients diagnosed with a borderline ovarian tumor at Oncology Center Mansoura University from November 2014 to June 2020 were included. Demographics, preoperative, operative, postoperative, pathologic, and oncologic follow-up data were retrieved from a prospectively maintained electronic database. The included patients were followed until April 2022.

Results

We included 27 patients with borderline ovarian tumors. The mean age of the study patients was 47.67 ± 16.39 years. The median CA 125 was 33 (6–304 U/ml). Frozen section examination was utilized in 13 patients (48.14%), where a diagnosis of borderline ovarian tumors was revealed in 8 patients. Recurrence was reported in one patient with serous type after approximately 26 months. The most common pathological type in our cohort was the mucinous borderline type reported in 14 patients (51.9%), followed by the serous type reported in 11 patients (40.7%), and the seromucinous type in 1 patient only. Patients with mucinous borderline type were significantly younger (40.083 ± 18.47 vs. 53.73 ± 11.91 years, p = 0.028). Interestingly, Cancer Antigen 125 levels were significantly higher in mucinous than serous and seromucinous types [67(16–304) vs. 20(6–294.6) U/ml, p = 0.027]. On the other hand, the radiological tumor size of serous and seromucinous types was larger than that of the mucinous type [23(19–31) cm vs. 8(5–20) cm, p = 0.001]. Over a median follow-up period of 58.66 (54.16–63.16) months, only one postoperative mortality was reported, while only one recurrence was reported.

Conclusion

Borderline ovarian tumors still represent a dilemma either in diagnosis or management. A frozen section examination could help to reach a preliminary diagnosis. Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy are the cornerstone of surgical management; however, fertility-sparing surgery could be a valid option for women desiring fertility.
The Influence of Listeners’ Mood on Equalization-Based Listening Experience
Authors: Dourou Nefeli , Bruschi Valeria , Spinsante Susanna , Cecchi Stefania
Published: September 2022

Using equalization to improve sound listening experience is a well-established topic among the audio society. Finding a general equalization curve is a difficult task because of spectral content influenced by the reproduction system (loudspeakers and room environment) and personal preference diversity. Listeners’ mood is said to be a factor that affects the individual equalization preference. In this study, the effect of a listener’s mood on equalization preference is tried to be investigated. Starting from an experiment with fifty-two listeners, considering five predefined equalization curves and a database of ten music excerpts, the relationship between listeners’ mood and preferred sound equalization has been studied. The main findings of this study showed that the “High-frequency boosting” equalization was the most preferred among participants. However, the “High-frequency boosting” preference of low-aroused people was slightly lower than the high aroused listeners, increasing the preference of the “Low-frequency boosting”.
Cutting Mechanical Properties of Pumpkin Grafted Seedling Investigated by Finite Element Simulation and Experiment
Authors: Lu Daipeng , Wang Wei , Bao Encai , Wang Shilin , Wu Xue , Bai Zongchun , Tang Yuxin
Published: September 2022

The cutting device in the seedling grafting process was studied, which provided a reference for optimizing the structural parameters and working parameters of important shearing components in the seedling grafting line, thereby improving the performance of the cutting device. The dynamic cutting process of the cutting device was numerically simulated. The effects of four factors, the average cutting speed (X1), the sliding angle (X2), the cutting edge angle (X3), and the cutter clearance (X4) on the cutting force, were studied. The optimal combination of structural parameters and working parameters of the cutting device was determined. The simulation results showed that the sliding angle (X2) and the cutting edge angle (X3) affect the ultimate cutting stress. The average cutting speed (X1) and the cutter clearance (X4) affect the ultimate cutting force. When X1, X2, X3, and X4 are 579 mm/s, 39°, 25°, and 1.4 mm, respectively, it is the better combination parameter, and the ultimate cutting equivalent stress of the cutting device is 0.32 Mpa. A high-speed cutting device for grafted seedlings was built, and the cutting experiment was carried out. The experiment results showed that the simulated values fit well with the experimental data. Under the optimal combination of cutting parameters, the cutting stress of the cutting device was smaller. The finite element simulation of the seedling grafting cutting device reduces the experiment cost and provides a reference for developing the seedling grafting line.
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Mechanisms Underlying Differential Seed Vigor in Two Contrasting Peanut Genotypes
Authors: Li Shengyu , Zeng Jiali , Zheng Zhao , Zhou Qi , Chen Shaona , Zheng Yixiong , Wan Xiaorong , Yang Bin
Published: September 2022

Seed vigor is an important agronomic trait, and wide variation exists among peanut accessions. However, the detailed regulatory mechanisms underlying differences in seed vigor between varieties are not known in peanut yet. Here, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis of germinating seeds in two contrasting peanut accessions, namely A86 (high-vigor variety) and A279 (low-vigor variety). A total of 583 and 860 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at two imbibition stages between A86 and A279, respectively. Pathway enrichment tests highlighted the cell wall remodeling-, hormone signaling-, transcriptional regulation-, and oxidative stress-related DEGs, which may explain to a certain extent the difference in seed vigor between the two cultivars. Among them, the largest number of cell wall remodeling-related DEGs were extensions followed by cellulose synthases, fasciclin-like arabinogalactan proteins, polygalacturonases, expansins, and pectinesterases and the hormone signaling-related DEGs belonged mainly to the auxin and ethylene signaling pathway. The majority of transcriptional regulation-related DEGs were MYB, FAR1, and bHLH transcription factors, and the oxidative stress-related DEGs were mainly peroxidases. Further physiological analyses indicated that differences in seed vigor between A86 and A279 may be associated with differences in the ROS-scavenging abilities mediated by peroxidases. Moreover, we identified 16 DEGs homologous to known Arabidopsis regulators of seed dormancy and germination, suggesting that these DEGs would play similar functional roles during peanut seed germination. Our results not only provide important insights into the difference in seed vigor between varieties, but offer candidate genes that are worth investigating in future studies.
Mathematical Modeling of Heat and Mass Transfer during Moisture–Heat Treatment of Castor Beans to Improve the Quality of Vegetable Oil
Authors: Sorokova Natalia , Didur Vladimir , Variny Miroslav
Published: September 2022

An important process in the technology of plant oil production by mechanical pressing is the wet–heat treatment of crushed oilseeds, in which the oilseed (compressed seed) is exposed to saturated vapor and a conductive heat supply. Optimal mode selection of wet–heat treatment based on a detailed study of the physical processes taking place in the compressed seed increases oil release, improves its quality indicators, and decreases energy consumption. Mathematical modeling is an advanced method for studying the dynamics of humidification and frying in the compressed seed. The article introduces a mathematical model and a numerical method for calculating heat-and-mass transformation and phase conversion in the process of the humidification and frying of compressed seeds of the castor plant in a continuous multi-stage heating kettle. This study provides equations for calculating the intensity of phase transformation on the inner and outer surfaces of the wet layer. Data verification indicates the adequacy of the mathematical model, effectiveness of the numerical method, and possibility of their use in optimizing the modes of wet–heat treatment for compressed seed raw material.
Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Soil Microbial Functional Diversity and Extracellular Enzyme Activities in Greenhouse Cucumber Cultivation
Authors: Wang Zhen , Wang Shuang , Bian Ting , Song Qiaobo , Wu Guorui , Awais Muhammad , Liu Yufeng , Fu Hongdan , Sun Zhouping
Published: September 2022

Greenhouses, commonly used for vegetable production, are experiencing large nitrogen (N) inputs in North China, which leads to soil acidification, increases soil N availability, and affects microbial community structure and composition. However, it remains unclear how N enrichment influences soil microbial functional activities in this region. In this study, we conducted a two-year pot experiment in a greenhouse to evaluate the effects of four different rates of N addition (0, 334, 668, and 1002 kg N ha−1 year−1) on cucumber soil properties, extracellular enzyme activities, and community level physiological profiles (CLPP). We found that high-N addition (1002 kg N ha−1) caused a massive accumulation of inorganic nitrogen and soil acidification, which was not beneficial to soil microbial activities. The color development (AWCD) values for the metabolism of microbial carbon sources and the activities of soil extracellular enzymes also showed a significant decrease in high N(N3) treatment. Additionally, the activity of leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) of N3 decreased by 36% and 50% compared to the N0 and could be a good predictor for microbial functional diversity and microbial biomass carbon (MBC). Structural equation modeling (SEM) confirmed that the reduction of microbial functional diversity is mainly coregulated by the decline of soil pH and the change of cucumber BGB (belowground biomass) resulting from soil C and N imbalance. Overall, excessive N-fertilizer amendment can be more dangerous to microbial community functional diversity, especially for carbohydrate utilization which adversely affects cucumber yield in current intensive management.
Population Growth Changes in Major Stored Product Insects on Rice Fortified with Spearmint and Basil
Authors: Agrafioti Paraskevi , Lampiri Evagelia , Igoumenidis Panagiotis E. , Karathanos Vaios T. , Perdikaris Antonis , Athanassiou Christos G.
Published: September 2022

Rice is the most important durable food product for more than half of the world’s population, as it is very nutritious food in terms of carbohydrate containment and can meet a large part of human caloric needs on a daily basis. The sensitivity of a rice product fortified with spearmint or basil was evaluated for three stored product insect species: Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae) and Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae). Five different containments of fortified rice were used (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the total rice quantity), and the population growth of the above species was examined after 65 days. We found that fortification generally reduced the infestation level of the species tested and reduced their population growth, as compared with the control rice. In some of the treatments, there were some differences between the application of spearmint and basil. There was higher frass production in the rice that had been fortified with basil than that with spearmint, indicating different infestation patterns. For S. oryzae, with the gradual increase in fortification, the number of insect-damaged kernels and weight of damaged kernels reduced, and significant differences were recorded between the fortification with spearmint and that with basil. The results of the present study are certainly encouraging for further utilization of the characteristics of fortified rice for stored product insect control.
Spatiotemporal Variations of Grassland Ecosystem Service Value and Its Influencing Factors in Inner Mongolia, China
Authors: Cheng Wei , Shen Beibei , Xin Xiaoping , Gu Qian , Guo Tao
Published: September 2022

The services provided by grassland ecosystems are important and irreplaceable in maintaining the balance and stability of ecosystems. The spatiotemporal variations of grassland ecosystem service value (ESV) and its influencing factors in Inner Mongolia from 2000 to 2019 were studied in this paper. Based on the socio-economic data, remote sensing data, geographic data, and meteorological data, a dynamic ESV assessment method based on the equivalent factors was used to calculate the grassland ESV for each year. The spatiotemporal dynamic variation and future trend of grassland ESV were studied by coefficient of variation index (CV), Theil–Sen median trend analysis, Mann–Kendall test, and Hurst index, and the Geodetector was used to determine the main factors affecting the distribution of ESV. The results indicated that (1) the annual average grassland ESV of Inner Mongolia was higher in the northeast than in southwest, the average ESV was 2.0794 million CNY/km2, and the pixels were concentrated from 1 to 3 million CNY/km2, accounting for 75.46% of the study area; (2) during the study period, the average grassland ESV increased slowly with time at an annual growth rate of 0.2, and the total ESV decreased first and then increased with the change in grassland area; (3) the average volatility was 0.16, and pixels with CV values between 0.1 and 0.2 accounted for 69.2% of the study area, indicating the fluctuation of ESV was relatively stable during the study period; (4) 37.16% of the grassland ESV in Inner Mongolia decreased slightly and 41.77% increased slightly during these years, and the two parts showed opposite trends in the future; and (5) the single factor influencing the spatial distribution of grassland ESV was mainly normalized vegetation index (NDVI) and precipitation, and the multi-factor interactions were NDVI∩slope and NDVI∩precipitation. All influencing factors exhibited a stronger impact through the two-factor interaction. This study can provide reference values for the policymaking of natural resource conservation or restoration.
Applying Spatial Statistical Analysis to Ordinal Data for Soybean Iron Deficiency Chlorosis
Authors: Xu Zhanyou , Cannon Steven B. , Beavis William D.
Published: September 2022

Accounting for field variation patterns plays a crucial role in interpreting phenotype data and, thus, in plant breeding. Several spatial models have been developed to account for field variation. Spatial analyses show that spatial models can successfully increase the quality of phenotype measurements and subsequent selection accuracy for continuous data types such as grain yield and plant height. The phenotypic data for stress traits are usually recorded in ordinal data scores but are traditionally treated as numerical values with normal distribution, such as iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC). The effectiveness of spatial adjustment for ordinal data has not been systematically compared. The research objective described here is to evaluate methods for spatial adjustment of ordinal data, using soybean IDC as an example. Comparisons of adjustment effectiveness for spatial autocorrelation were conducted among eight different models. The models were divided into three groups: Group I, moving average grid adjustment; group II, geospatial autoregressive regression (SAR) models; and Group III, tensor product penalized P-splines. Results from the model comparison show that the effectiveness of the models depends on the severity of field variation, the irregularity of the variation pattern, and the model used. The geospatial SAR models outperform the other models for ordinal IDC data. Prediction accuracy for the lines planted in the IDC high-pressure area is 11.9% higher than those planted in low-IDC-pressure regions. The relative efficiency of the mixed SAR model is 175%, relative to the baseline ordinary least squares model. Even though the geospatial SAR model is the best among all the compared models, the efficiency is not as good for ordinal data types as for numeric data.
Classification Method of Significant Rice Pests Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Li Zhiyong , Jiang Xueqin , Jia Xinyu , Duan Xuliang , Wang Yuchao , Mu Jiong
Published: September 2022

Rice pests are one of the main factors affecting rice yield. The accurate identification of pests facilitates timely preventive measures to avoid economic losses. Some existing open source datasets related to rice pest identification mostly include only a small number of samples, or suffer from inter-class and intra-class variance and data imbalance challenges, which limit the application of deep learning techniques in the field of rice pest identification. In this paper, based on the IP102 dataset, we first reorganized a large-scale dataset for rice pest identification by Web crawler technique and manual screening. This dataset was given the name IP_RicePests. Specifically, the dataset includes 8248 images belonging to 14 categories. The IP_RicePests dataset was then expanded to include 14,000 images via ARGAN data augmentation technique to address the difficulties in obtaining large samples of rice pests. Finally, the parameters trained on the public image ImageNet dataset using VGGNet, ResNet and MobileNet networks were used as the initial values of the target data training network to achieve image classification in the field of rice pests. The experimental results show that all three classification networks combined with transfer learning have good recognition accuracy, among which the highest classification accuracy can be obtained on the IP_RicePests dataset via fine-tuning the parameters of the VGG16 network. In addition, following ARGAN data augmentation the dataset demonstrates high accuracy improvements in all three models, and fine-tuning the VGG16 network parameters obtains the highest accuracy in the augmented IP_RicePests dataset. It is demonstrated that CNN combined with transfer learning can employ the ARGAN data augmentation technique to overcome difficulties in obtaining large sample sizes and improve the efficiency of rice pest identification. This study provides foundational data and technical support for rice pest identification.
Selection Factors Influencing Eventual Owner Satisfaction about Pet Dog Adoption
Authors: Dinwoodie Ian R. , Zottola Vivian , Kubitz Karla , Dodman Nicholas H.
Published: September 2022

Personal likes, experience, and deep-rooted interests to satisfy emotional needs such as companionship, affection, empathy, and security are some of the underlying human motivations for acquiring a pet companion. In this study, we asked how long the owner took to decide whether to adopt a dog, who their dog was adopted from, their primary motivation for adoption, a ranking of characteristics considered during the adoption process, and how satisfied they were with the eventual outcome. Participants (n = 933) to this Center for Canine Behavior Studies survey completed an online questionnaire with responses representing 1537 dog/owner pairs. A majority of participants reported satisfaction with at least one of their adopted dogs. Odds of eventual satisfaction are higher for participants who spent less than a week considering an adoption or were seeking a pet to provide companionship and affection. Participants that prioritized personality as an adoption criteria were more likely to be satisfied with their adopted dogs. A mast majority (91%) of participants reported they would consider adopting another dog in the future. Selection criteria rankings that participants indicated they would employ for future adoptions tended to shift away from physical to behavior characteristics when compared to selection criteria priorities of prior adoptions.
Effect of the Inclusion of Bacillus spp. in Growing–Finishing Pigs’ Diets: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Gonzalez-Ronquillo Manuel , Villegas-Estrada Daniela , Robles-Jimenez Lizbeth E. , Garcia Herrera Ricardo A , Villegas-Vázquez Vanessa L. , Vargas-Bello-Pérez Einar
Published: September 2022

This meta-analysis determined the effect of Bacillus spp. on growth performance of growing–finishing pigs and then assessed causes for the heterogeneity of responses detected using meta-regression. A database of 22 articles published from 2000 to 2020 was identified, and 9 articles fitted the selection criteria and were integrated in the final database. Statistical analysis was performed to analyze the effect size for ADG, average daily feed intake (ADFI), and F:G ratio using a standardized means difference (SMD) at a 95% confidence interval. A meta-regression analysis was used to investigate the cause of heterogeneity, using the individual SMD for each study assessment as the outcome and the associated SE as the measure of variance. Dietary Bacillus spp. supplementation had no effect on ADFI (SMD: −0.052, p = 0.138) and numerically increased ADG (SMD: 0.113, p = 0.081) and reduced the F:G ratio SMD: −0.127, p < 0.001). Meta-regression outcomes suggested that the number of animals per group was an essential component promoting heterogeneity in ADG. Overall, the inclusion of Bacillus spp. (median 486 mg/d) in growing–finishing pigs can increase ADG and can decrease the F:G ratio.
Research on Spatial and Temporal Evolution Trends and Driving Factors of Green Residences in China Based on Weighted Standard Deviational Ellipse and Panel Tobit Model
Authors: Guo Ke , Yuan Yongbo
Published: September 2022

The development of green residences is crucial to reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions of the construction industry. However, the study on the spatial distribution characteristics of green residences and its influencing factors has not attracted enough attention in the academic circles. Base on the panel database on the number of each star green residences and their driving factors at the municipal level from 2008 to 2016, this paper employed the Weighted Standard Deviational Ellipse model to reveal the spatial and temporal evolution features of green residences in China, creatively introduced an improved Gini coefficient (G′-score) to measure the green residences development in each city, and utilized the panel Tobit model and average marginal effect to identify the driving mechanisms and key factors of green residences from economy, society, the real estate market, policy and climate. The main conclusions show that: (1) China has formed a relatively stable and clear temporal and spatial evolution path since 2011, such as the center of gravity and coverage having moved to the west, and the direction of development trend having weakened; (2) China’s green residence is mainly distributed in the central and eastern regions, and the main direction layout is northeast–southwest; (3) the development of green residences is the result of the interaction of various factors, and the driving force of each factor varies greatly under the single action and the interaction; (4) the driving effects of the same factor on green residences with different star ratings are inconsistent in sign, magnitude, and significance, the same as for each factor under the same star rating.
Minimizing Maximum Feature Space Deviation for Visible-Infrared Person Re-Identification
Authors: Wu Zhixiong , Wen Tingxi
Published: September 2022

Visible-infrared person re-identification (VIPR) has great potential for intelligent video surveillance systems at night, but it is challenging due to the huge modal gap between visible and infrared modalities. For that, this paper proposes a minimizing maximum feature space deviation (MMFSD) method for VIPR. First, this paper calculates visible and infrared feature centers of each identity. Second, this paper defines feature space deviations based on these feature centers to measure the modal gap between visible and infrared modalities. Third, this paper minimizes the maximum feature space deviation to significantly reduce the modal gap between visible and infrared modalities. Experimental results show the superiority of the proposed method, e.g., on the RegDB dataset, the rank-1 accuracy reaches 92.19%.
Mechanical Model and Seismic Response Analysis of a Track Type Combined Isolation Device
Authors: Kong Guanjie , Wang Ziyu , Yang Youfa
Published: September 2022

In view of the weak isolation and shock absorption effect of ordinary isolation bearings at present, a new track damping negative-stiffness device was designed based on the principle of negative stiffness. The principle of negative stiffness was applied to base isolation, and a new isolation system was proposed in which the track-type NSD device and the common isolation layer were connected in parallel. The track-type NSD had the characteristics of clear force transmission, simple structure, and self-resetting ability. The theoretical model of orbital NSD was established, and its hysteretic performance was simulated. The seismic response of a six-story reinforced-concrete-frame isolation structure system with a new track-type-damping negative-stiffness device was analyzed. The seismic responses of the traditional lead rubber bearing isolation model (LRB), the new track-type negative stiffness and lead rubber bearing combined isolation model (NSD), and the new track-type-damping negative stiffness and lead rubber bearing combined isolation model (DNSD) were compared. The results show that, in the same case, compared with the LRB model and NSD model, the DNSD model will further reduce the superstructure acceleration response and displacement response of the isolation system, and the greater the peak value of the input seismic wave, the more obvious the isolation effect of the structural system. The new track damping negative-stiffness device enhances the energy dissipation capacity of the structural system and plays a role in controlling the displacement of the isolation layer. The displacement response of the isolation layer and the ground motion response of the superstructure are reduced at the same time, and the isolation efficiency is improved.
An Evolutionary Algorithmic Approach for Improving the Success Rate of Selective Assembly through a Novel EAUB Method
Authors: Mahalingam Siva Kumar , Nagarajan Lenin , Velu Chandran , Kumar Dharmaraj Vignesh , Salunkhe Sachin , Hussein Hussein Mohamed Abdelmoneam
Published: September 2022

This work addresses an evolutionary algorithmic approach to reduce the surplus pieces in selective assembly to increase success rates. A novel equal area amidst unequal bin numbers (EAUB) method is proposed for classifying the parts of the ball bearing assembly by considering the various tolerance ranges of parts. The L16 orthogonal array is used for identifying the effectiveness of the proposed EAUB method through varying the number of bins of the parts of an assembly. Because of qualities such as minimal setting parameters, ease of understanding and implementation, and rapid convergence, the moth–flame optimization (MFO) algorithm is put forward in this work for identifying the optimal combination of bins of the parts of an assembly toward maximizing the percentage of the success rate of making assemblies. Computational results showed a 5.78% improvement in the success rate through the proposed approach compared with the past literature. The usage of the MFO algorithm is justified by comparing the computational results with the harmony search algorithm.
From Word Embeddings to Pre-Trained Language Models: A State-of-the-Art Walkthrough
Authors: Mars Mourad
Published: September 2022

With the recent advances in deep learning, different approaches to improving pre-trained language models (PLMs) have been proposed. PLMs have advanced state-of-the-art (SOTA) performance on various natural language processing (NLP) tasks such as machine translation, text classification, question answering, text summarization, information retrieval, recommendation systems, named entity recognition, etc. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review of prior embedding models as well as current breakthroughs in the field of PLMs. Then, we analyse and contrast the various models and provide an analysis of the way they have been built (number of parameters, compression techniques, etc.). Finally, we discuss the major issues and future directions for each of the main points.
Multi-Scale Convolutional Network for Space-Based ADS-B Signal Separation with Single Antenna
Authors: Bi Yan , Li Chuankun
Published: September 2022

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signals are very vital in air traffic control. However, the space-based ADS-B signals are easily overlapped and their message cannot be correctly received. It is challenge to separate overlapped signals especially for a single antenna. The existing methods have a low decoding accuracy for small power difference, carrier frequency difference and relative time delay between overlapped signals. In order to solve these problems, we apply the deep learning method to single antenna ADS-B signal separation. A multi-scale Conv-TasNet (MConv-TasNet) is proposed to capture long temporal information of the ADS-B signal. In MConv-TasNet, a multi-scale convolutional separation (MCS) network is proposed to fuse different scale temporal features extracted from overlapping ADS-B signals and generate an effective separation mask to separate signals. Moreover, a large dataset is created by using the real ADS-B data. In addition, the proposed method has been evaluated on the dataset. The average decoding accuracy on the test set is 90.34%. It has achieved the state-of-the-art results.
The Potential of Antibody Technology and Silver Nanoparticles for Enhancing Photodynamic Therapy for Melanoma
Authors: Malindi Zaria , Barth Stefan , Abrahamse Heidi
Published: September 2022

Melanoma is highly aggressive and is known to be efficient at resisting drug-induced apoptotic signals. Resection is currently the gold standard for melanoma management, but it only offers local control of the early stage of the disease. Metastatic melanoma is prone to recurrence, and has a poor prognosis and treatment response. Thus, the need for advanced theranostic alternatives is evident. Photodynamic therapy has been increasingly studied for melanoma treatment; however, it relies on passive drug accumulation, leading to off-target effects. Nanoparticles enhance drug biodistribution, uptake and intra-tumoural concentration and can be functionalised with monoclonal antibodies that offer selective biorecognition. Antibody–drug conjugates reduce passive drug accumulation and off-target effects. Nonetheless, one limitation of monoclonal antibodies and antibody–drug conjugates is their lack of versatility, given cancer’s heterogeneity. Monoclonal antibodies suffer several additional limitations that make recombinant antibody fragments more desirable. SNAP-tag is a modified version of the human DNA-repair enzyme, O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase. It reacts in an autocatalytic and covalent manner with benzylguanine-modified substrates, providing a simple protein labelling system. SNAP-tag can be genetically fused with antibody fragments, creating fusion proteins that can be easily labelled with benzylguanine-modified payloads for site-directed delivery. This review aims to highlight the benefits and limitations of the abovementioned approaches and to outline how their combination could enhance photodynamic therapy for melanoma.
Matrin3 (MATR3) Expression Is Associated with Hemophagocytosis
Authors: Yang Wen-Chi , Lin Sheng-Fung , Wu Shih-Chi , Shu Chih-Wen
Published: September 2022

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening hyperinflammatory syndrome characterized by prolonged fever, cytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly, and hemophagocytosis. This occurs as a result of activated macrophages and impaired function of natural killer cells and/or cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The NF-κB pathway plays a crucial role in hyperinflammation. Matrin3 (MATR3) is a nuclear RNA/DNA-binding protein that plays multiple roles in the regulation of gene expression. We enroll 62 patients diagnosed with secondary HLH and hemophagocytosis. Peripheral blood (PB) from 25 patients and 30 healthy volunteers and good quality bone marrow (BM) samples from 47 patients are collected and used for analysis. Clinical parameters, including age, sex, etiology, ferritin, fibrinogen, triglyceride, and viral infection status, had no association with survival prediction. Patients with downregulation of NF-κB and MATR3mRNA expression in the BM had a higher mortality rate. MATR3mRNA expression in PB was lower in patients compared to that in healthy volunteers. We use shRNA-MATR3-KD-THP1 cells to determine the efficacy of phagocytosis. We note that shRNA-MATR3-KD-THP1 cells had a higher phagocytic effect on necrotic Jurkat E6 cells and carboxylate modified polystyrene latex beads. Herein, we provide evidence of a new marker for clinical translation that can serve as a potential treatment target for secondary HLH.
Immunological Effects of Cold Atmospheric Plasma-Treated Cells in Comparison with Those of Cells Treated with Lactaptin-Based Anticancer Drugs
Authors: Troitskaya Olga , Novak Diana , Varlamov Mikhail , Biryukov Mikhail , Nushtaeva Anna , Kochneva Galina , Zakrevsky Dmitriy , Schweigert Irina , Richter Vladimir , Koval Olga
Published: September 2022

The ability of dying cancer cells to induce an anticancer immune response can increase the effectiveness of anticancer therapies, and such type of death is termed immunogenic cell death (ICD). Cells can die along the ICD pathway when exposed not only to chemo- and immunotherapeutics, but also to various types of radiation, such as ionizing radiation and cold atmospheric plasma jets (CAP). We have previously shown that CAP, lactaptin, and a recombinant vaccinia virus encoding lactaptin induce in vitro molecular changes typical of ICD in cancer cells. In the current work, we treated MX-7 rhabdomyosarcoma cells with CAP and lactaptin-based anticancer drugs and evaluated the immunological effects of the treated cells. We showed that dendritic cells (DCs) captured cells treated with various ICD inducers with different efficiency. CAP-treated cells were weakly potent in inducing the maturation of DCs according to MHC II externalization. Moreover, CAP-treated cells were worse in the stimulation of IFN-α release in vitro and were poorly captured by spleen DCs in vivo. Under the irradiation conditions used, CAP was not capable of activating a significant immunological anti-tumor effect in vivo. It is possible that modifications of the CAP irradiation regimen will enhance the activation of the immune system.
Dynamic Response of Anisotropic Multilayered Road Structures Induced by Moving Loads Based on a Novel Spectral Element Method
Authors: Wang Yan , Lin Gao , Li Zhiyuan
Published: September 2022

This contribution is devoted to the analysis of three-dimensional elastodynamic problems in multilayered road systems caused by moving loads with static and dynamic components. For this purpose, a novel spectral element method (SEM) is derived to model the layers of a road and the half-space. To reduce the order of wave equations, a state vector is introduced, and then a state transition matrix is derived for the upper and lower boundaries of a layer. Based on the use of a precise integration algorithm (PIA), very accurate numerical solutions can be obtained. The proposed method was derived within 3D Cartesian coordinates, which facilitate the analysis of complex loads or road structures. The stiffness matrix does not depend on tedious and lengthy analytical solutions, which is conducive to the analysis of anisotropic materials. Numerical examples are presented and compared with those of previous studies to show the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed SEM. Additionally, this model is further refined by examining the effects of moving load speed and the properties of the road on the displacement and stress field of a stratified flexible pavement.
The Effects of White versus Coloured Light in Waiting Rooms on People’s Emotions
Authors: Zhang Zhihui , Fort Mir Josep Maria , Mateu Lluis Gimenez
Published: September 2022

Lighting ambience in architecture is one of the important factors affecting the emotions of people, and the study of the psychological needs of architectural lighting may provide more rational guidelines for architectural design. There are many previous studies on the emotional impact of lighting in architecture, but most of them use a dimensional model of emotion to analyse emotions, which is difficult for the reader to understand. In this study, we used the dimensional model of emotion to analyse emotions and converted it into easily understood basic emotions through the PAD model. Participants (n = 32) were divided into three groups and subjected to three scenes with different colour combinations. The analysis showed that the arousal and dominance of the participants were significantly affected from white to coloured light. No effect on comfort was observed between white and coloured light. Our study suggests that the use of coloured lighting instead of white lights in a non-clinic windowless waiting room may not improve negative mood.
Hemp FRRP Confined Lightweight Aggregate Concrete (LWAC) Circular Columns: Experimental and Analytical Study
Authors: Suparp Suniti , Chaiyasarn Krisada , Ali Nazam , Gadagamma Chaitanya Krishna , Al Zand Ahmed W. , Yooprasertchai Ekkachai , Hussain Qudeer , Joyklad Panuwat , Javid Muhammad Ashraf
Published: September 2022

Intrinsically, lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) suffers from the low compressive strength and deformation capacity. This restricts the use of LWAC mainly to non-structural applications. Several studies have highlighted the potential of synthetic fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) jackets for improving the substandard properties of the LWAC. However, the high costs associated with FRP jackets are generally a concern. This study identifies hemp fiber-reinforced rope polymer (FRRP) wraps as a potential alternative to the synthetic FRP jackets. The salient features of hemp FRRP include its low cost and easy availability. Therefore, the main question that needs to be answered is: can hemp FRRP strengthen LWAC as a low-cost alternative to synthetic FRP jackets? To quantitatively explain the effects of lightweight aggregates on concrete compressive strength, 24 concrete cylinders were tested in three groups. Group 1, 2, and 3 cylinders comprised 0, 50, and 100% of lightweight aggregates as natural aggregate replacements. The peak stress of the concrete was reduced by 34% and 49% in the presence of 50% and 100% lightweight aggregates, respectively. It was concluded that a single layer of hemp FRRP on Group 2 cylinders (i.e., 50% aggregate replacement) was sufficient to enhance the peak stress to the same level as that of the control cylinder in Group 1 (i.e., fabricated using natural aggregates only). At the same time, it took two layers of external FRRP on Group 3 cylinders to achieve the same strength. A positive correlation between the peak stress of the LWAC and the number of hemp FRRP layers was observed. Nonetheless, Group 1 and 3 cylinders formed the upper and lower bounds in terms of peak stress for the same level of confinement. Further to the interest, three layers of hemp FRRP shifted brittle compressive stress–strain response to a bi-linear response for all amounts of lightweight aggregates. Several existing analytical peak stress models were assessed in predicting the experimental results. From the results, it was inferred that none of these models predicted the compressive strength of all three groups of cylinders consistently.
Rational Design of a Calcium-Independent Trypsin Variant
Authors: Simon Andreas H. , Liebscher Sandra , Kattner Ariunkhur , Kattner Christof , Bordusa Frank
Published: September 2022

Trypsin is a long-known serine protease widely used in biochemical, analytical, biotechnological, or biocatalytic applications. The high biotechnological potential is based on its high catalytic activity, substrate specificity, and catalytic robustness in non-physiological reaction conditions. The latter is mainly due to its stable protein fold, to which six intramolecular disulfide bridges make a significant contribution. Although trypsin does not depend on cofactors, it essentially requires the binding of calcium ions to its calcium-binding site to obtain complete enzymatic activity and stability. This behavior is inevitably associated with a limitation of the enzyme’s applicability. To make trypsin intrinsically calcium-independent, we removed the native calcium-binding site and replaced it with another disulfide bridge. The resulting stabilized apo-trypsin (aTn) retains full catalytic activity as proven by enzyme kinetics. Studies using Ellmann’s reagent further prove that the two inserted cysteines at positions Glu70 and Glu80 are in their oxidized state, creating the desired functional disulfide bond. Furthermore, aTn is independent of calcium ions, possesses increased thermal and functional stability, and significantly reduced autolysis compared to wildtype trypsin. Finally, we confirmed our experimental data by solving the X-ray crystal structure of aTn.
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Alternates Peroxisomal Contents in Response to Trophic Conditions
Authors: Kato Naohiro , McCuiston Clayton , Szuska Kimberly A. , Lauersen Kyle J. , Nelson Gabela , Strain Alexis
Published: September 2022

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a model green microalga capable of heterotrophic growth on acetic acid but not fatty acids, despite containing a full complement of genes for β-oxidation. Recent reports indicate that the alga preferentially sequesters, rather than breaks down, lipid acyl chains as a means to rebuild its membranes rapidly. Here, we assemble a list of potential Chlamydomonas peroxins (PEXs) required for peroxisomal biogenesis to suggest that C. reinhardtii has a complete set of peroxisome biogenesis factors. To determine involvements of the peroxisomes in the metabolism of exogenously added fatty acids, we examined transgenic C. reinhardtii expressing fluorescent proteins fused to N- or C-terminal peptide of peroxisomal proteins, concomitantly with fluorescently labeled palmitic acid under different trophic conditions. We used confocal microscopy to track the populations of the peroxisomes in illuminated and dark conditions, with and without acetic acid as a carbon source. In the cells, four major populations of compartments were identified, containing: (1) a glyoxylate cycle enzyme marker and a protein containing peroxisomal targeting signal 1 (PTS1) tripeptide but lacking the fatty acid marker, (2) the fatty acid marker alone, (3) the glyoxylate cycle enzyme marker alone, and (4) the PTS1 marker alone. Less than 5% of the compartments contained both fatty acid and peroxisomal markers. Statistical analysis on optically sectioned images found that C. reinhardtii simultaneously carries diverse populations of the peroxisomes in the cell and modulates peroxisomal contents based on light conditions. On the other hand, the ratio of the compartment containing both fatty acid and peroxisomal markers did not change significantly regardless of the culture conditions. The result indicates that β-oxidation may be only a minor occurrence in the peroxisomal population in C. reinhardtii, which supports the idea that lipid biosynthesis and not β-oxidation is the primary metabolic preference of fatty acids in the alga.
Spectrophotometric Characterization of Thin Semi-Transparent Aluminum Films Prepared by Electron Beam Evaporation and Magnetron Sputtering
Authors: Wilbrandt Steffen , Stenzel Olaf , Liaf Abrar , Munzert Peter , Schwinde Stefan , Stempfhuber Sven , Felde Nadja , Trost Marcus , Seifert Tina , Schröder Sven
Published: September 2022

Aluminum thin films with thicknesses between approximately 10 and 60 nm have been deposited by evaporation and sputtering techniques. Layer characterization focused on reflectance, optical constants, and surface quality. Reflectance fits have been performed using a merger of three standard dispersion models, namely the Drude model, the Lorentzian oscillator model, and the beta-distributed oscillator model. A thickness dependence of the optical constants could be established in the investigated thickness range.
Corrosion and Wear Properties of Cr Coating and ZrO2/Cr Bilayer Coating on Zr-4 Alloy
Authors: Pan Xiaolong , Qiu Longshi , Hu Xiaogang , Jiang Haixia
Published: September 2022

In this study, duplex surface treatments were used to prepare a ZrO2/Cr bilayer coating on zirconium alloy cladding for enhancing the wear and corrosion behaviors. The surface and cross-section morphology of coated Zr-4 alloy was characterized; the results show that the Cr- and ZrO2/Cr-coated samples had similar morphology, and more obvious surface undulates could be observed on the ZrO2/Cr coating than the pure Cr coating owing to the rough surface of the plasma electrolytic oxidation coating. Wear and electrochemical behavior in 1200 mg/L H3BO3 and 2.2 mg/L LiOH solutions of original and coated Zr-4 alloy were investigated. The electrochemical corrosion test indicated the coated Zr-4 alloy exhibited better corrosion resistance behavior than the original Zr-4 alloy. The potentiodynamic polarization curves and corrosion morphology suggest the pitting corrosion occurred on the surface of the original and coated Zr-4 alloy. The ZrO2/Cr-coated Zr-4 alloy had better corrosion resistance due to the dual protection of the PEO layer and Cr coating. The wear behavior of the original and coated Zr-4 alloy was also investigated under a constant load of 5 N. The results reveal that the coated Zr-4 alloy had better wear resistance, and the PEO layer was found to significantly enhance the wear resistance of the Zr-4 alloy.
Joint COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Malaria Reactive Case Detection as Efficient Strategies for Disease Control
Authors: Aidoo Ebenezer Krampah , Squire Daniel Sai , Atuahene Obed Ohene-Djan , Badu Kingsley , Botchway Felix Abekah , Osei-Adjei George , Sakyi Samuel Asamoah , Amoah Linda , Appiah Michael , Duku-Takyi Ruth , Asmah Richard Harry , Lawson Bernard Walter , Krogfelt Karen Angeliki
Published: September 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) contact tracing and malaria reactive case detection (RACD) are effective strategies for disease control. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global attention COVID-19 has received in the recent past and present has hampered malaria control efforts. Among these are difficulties in finding and treating malaria-infected individuals in hypoendemic settings in the community, due to lockdown restrictions by countries. It is common knowledge that malaria cases that cannot be identified remain untreated. To sustain the gains made in malaria control, we proposed a two-pronged hybrid approach for COVID-19 contact tracing and malaria RACD in communities with COVID-19 and malaria coinfections. Such an approach would equally factor the burden of malaria cases and COVID-19 to support an effective strategy for responding to current and future pandemics.