bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forms of Bacterial Survival in Model Biofilms
Authors: Pankratov Timofei A. , Nikolaev Yuri A. , Yushina Yulia K. , Tikhonova Ekaterina N. , El-Registan Galina I.
Published: December 2022

Bacterial survival upon sharp fluctuations of environmental parameters and exposure to lethal doses of stressors (antibiotics, disinfectants, heat shock, and others) is ensured by the use of different strategies of resistance, an important place among which is occupied by the forms with reduced or stopped metabolism, antibiotic tolerant (AT) persister (P) cells, anabiotic dormant forms (DFs), and viable but non-culturable (VBNC) cells. Elucidating the role of these forms of bacterial resistance to an impact of chemical and biological toxicants and physical stressors is of great fundamental and practical interest. The aim of this research was to study the dynamics of the resistance forms in bacteria developing in biofilms and, for comparison in liquid media, upon exposure to lethal doses of antibiotics and heat shock (80 °C, 15 min). In the trials, the experimental model of the development of monospecies and binary forms of bacterial biofilms including contaminants of meat products (eight strains of genera Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, and Kocuria) on the fiberglass filters was used. It was established that survival of populations in the presence of lethal doses of antibiotics and upon heating was ensured by persister cells forming in bacterial populations and, at the late stages of the development of biofilm or planktonic cultures (28 days of incubation), by anabiotic DFs. With that, the number of thermoresistant (TR) DFs (103–104 CFU/mL) in dying biofilms (28 days) developing in the standard conditions (composition and volume of a medium, pH, growth temperature) weakly depended on the bacterial taxonomic status. This study demonstrates the heterogeneity of DF populations of biofilm bacterial cultures in terms of the depth of dormancy, as a result of which the number of thermoresistant DFs after heating can exceed their total number before heating (due to the effect of DF revival, resuscitation). When studying the dynamics of TR cells and P cells in bacterial biofilm and planktonic cultures, it was found that their number (CFU/mL) in populations decreased up to the absence of TR cells and P cells on the 21st day of growth and was restored on the 28th day of growth. The revealed phenomenon can be explained only by cardinal changes in the ultrastructural organization of cells, namely, cytoplasm vitrification due to a sharp decrease in an amount of free water in a cell, which, according to the results obtained, occurs in the period between the 21st and 28th days of incubation. A high degree of correlation between the number of AT cells and TR cells (0.5–0.92) confirms the hypothesis that regards P cells as precursors of DFs.
Interfacial Properties of Pea Protein Hydrolysate: The Effect of Ionic Strength
Authors: Sarigiannidou Krystalia , Odelli Davide , Jessen Flemming , Mohammadifar Mohammad Amin , Ajalloueian Fatemeh , Vall-llosera Mar , de Carvalho Antonio Fernandes , Casanova Federico
Published: December 2022

The effect of a tryptic hydrolysis as well as the effect of ionic strength (0–0.4 M NaCl) was investigated on the oil/water interfacial properties of soluble pea protein hydrolysate (SPPH) at neutral pH and room temperature (20 ± 0.01 °C). SEC-MALS and SDS-Page analysis showed that tryptic hydrolysis created a lower molecular weight polypeptide mixture, whereas FTIR analysis and DSC thermograms demonstrated a more disordered and flexible structure. The bulk properties of SPPH were studied in terms of hydrodynamic diameter and turbidity, where higher particle size (+ ~13 nm) and turbidity were observed at 0.4 M NaCl. Regarding the interfacial properties, the surface activity of SPPH improved by increasing ionic strength, with maximum interfacial pressure (14.28 mN/m) at 0.4 M NaCl. Nevertheless, the addition of NaCl negatively affected the elasticity and strength of the interfacial film, where the sample without salt exhibited the highest dilatational and shear storage modulus in all the frequencies considered.
Human Fall Detection Using 3D Multi-Stream Convolutional Neural Networks with Fusion
Authors: Alanazi Thamer , Muhammad Ghulam
Published: December 2022

Human falls, especially for elderly people, can cause serious injuries that might lead to permanent disability. Approximately 20–30% of the aged people in the United States who experienced fall accidents suffer from head trauma, injuries, or bruises. Fall detection is becoming an important public healthcare problem. Timely and accurate fall incident detection could enable the instant delivery of medical services to the injured. New advances in vision-based technologies, including deep learning, have shown significant results in action recognition, where some focus on the detection of fall actions. In this paper, we propose an automatic human fall detection system using multi-stream convolutional neural networks with fusion. The system is based on a multi-level image-fusion approach of every 16 frames of an input video to highlight movement differences within this range. This results of four consecutive preprocessed images are fed to a new proposed and efficient lightweight multi-stream CNN model that is based on a four-branch architecture (4S-3DCNN) that classifies whether there is an incident of a human fall. The evaluation included the use of more than 6392 generated sequences from the Le2i fall detection dataset, which is a publicly available fall video dataset. The proposed method, using three-fold cross-validation to validate generalization and susceptibility to overfitting, achieved a 99.03%, 99.00%, 99.68%, and 99.00% accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and precision, respectively. The experimental results prove that the proposed model outperforms state-of-the-art models, including GoogleNet, SqueezeNet, ResNet18, and DarkNet19, for fall incident detection.
“Double Cross Sign” Could Be an Indicator of an Adequate Amount of Bone Cement in Kyphoplasty with the SpineJack System: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Chang Chao-Jui , Hong Chih-Kai , Hsu Che-Chia
Published: December 2022

Kyphoplasty with the SpineJack system was able to restore vertebral height and stabilize the vertebra with an injection of bone cement. The goal of this study was to seek a reliable assessing method during the surgery in determining the minimum amount of bone cement required for the SpineJack system to restore vertebral height and stabilize the vertebra. We defined the “double cross sign” as bone cement that expanded vertically along the bilateral SpineJack system, and spread across the midline of the vertebral body as viewed in the anteroposterior (AP) view of the radiographic image. Sixty-five patients aged 74.5 ± 8.5 years with vertebral compression fracture were included in the study. Patients with a positive double cross sign had better ODI score than those without the double cross sign (20.0 ± 6.9 vs. 32.3 ± 8.2; p < 0.001). Postoperative regional kyphotic and local kyphotic angle were significantly better in the positive double cross sign group (11 ± 8.8 degrees vs. 5.3 ± 3.2 degrees; p = 0.001/11.7 ± 6.2 degrees vs. 6.6 ± 4.1 degrees; p = 0.001, respectively). The more stable construct was built once the double cross sign was achieved during surgery. In this study, a convenient and intuitive method in identifying the minimum but sufficient quantity of injected cement during the SpineJack procedure was developed.
Evaluation of Macular Thickness Changes after Uncomplicated Phacoemulsification Surgery in Healthy Subjects and Diabetic Patients without Retinopathy by Spectral Domain OCT
Authors: García Gómez de Segura Mikel , Martín-Arroyuelos Ana , Pinilla Isabel , Araiz Javier
Published: December 2022

Purpose: To assess differences in the evolution of macular thickness after uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery between non-diabetic subjects and patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) without diabetic retinopathy (DR), using Spectral Domain OCT (SD-OCT). Methods: We performed a unicentric prospective study including one hundred and thirty-one eyes of 70 patients divided into two groups—34 well-controlled DM patients without DR and 36 non-diabetic subjects—who underwent phacoemulsification for cataract surgery. Eyes that developed pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (PCME) were excluded from the study, leaving us with 64 patients. Macular thickness was analyzed using Cirrus HD-OCT (Macular Cube 512 × 128 protocol) preoperatively and on postoperative days 7, 30, 90, and 180. For cases with information available for both eyes, one eye was randomly selected for analysis. Results: A total of 64 eyes from 64 patients were analyzed in this study. The mean value of HbA1c in the diabetic group was 7%. After uncomplicated cataract surgery, patients showed no increase of the foveal, parafoveal, and perifoveal retinal thickness on postoperative day 7. However, thickness values increased on days 30, 90, and 180 after surgery in both groups, and peak at 90 days. There was no difference in macular thickness before or after surgery between DM and non-diabetic patients (p = 0.540). Conclusion: Macular thickness increases up to 6 months after uncomplicated cataract surgery in both DM patients without DR and non-diabetic subjects, with no differences between increases in both groups.
Automated Detection Method to Extract Pedicularis Based on UAV Images
Authors: Wang Wuhua , Tang Jiakui , Zhang Na , Xu Xuefeng , Zhang Anan , Wang Yanjiao
Published: December 2022

Pedicularis has adverse effects on vegetation growth and ecological functions, causing serious harm to animal husbandry. In this paper, an automated detection method is proposed to extract Pedicularis and reveal the spatial distribution. Based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images, this paper adopts logistic regression, support vector machine (SVM), and random forest classifiers for multi-class classification. One-class SVM (OCSVM), isolation forest, and positive and unlabeled learning (PUL) algorithms are used for one-class classification. The results are as follows: (1) The accuracy of multi-class classifiers is better than that of one-class classifiers, but it requires all classes that occur in the image to be exhaustively assigned labels. Among the one-class classifiers that only need to label positive or positive and labeled data, the PUL has the highest F score of 0.9878. (2) PUL performs the most robustly to change features in one-class classifiers. All one-class classifiers prove that the green band is essential for extracting Pedicularis. (3) The parameters of the PUL are easy to tune, and the training time is easy to control. Therefore, PUL is a promising one-class classification method for Pedicularis extraction, which can accurately identify the distribution range of Pedicularis to promote grassland administration.
The Therapist’s Intuition and Responsiveness: What Makes the Difference between Expert and in Training Gestalt Psychotherapists
Authors: Spagnuolo Lobb Margherita , Sciacca Federica , Iacono Isidoro Serena , Di Nuovo Santo
Published: December 2022

This study aims to investigate the presence of intuition and responsiveness in early students and in experienced students and psychotherapists, which is understood as the ability to integrate bodily sensitivity and cognition of what is experienced with the patient (aesthetic relational knowing—ARK). The study compares how the therapist’s felt sense of the phenomenological intersubjective field and aesthetic relational competence differs between a group of experienced students and psychotherapists and a group of beginners. The sample consisted of 128 participants (20 M; 108 F), finally divided into two groups: “experienced students and psychotherapists” and “beginners”. The Aesthetic Relational Knowledge Scale (ARKS), a questionnaire consisting of 58 items targeting three factors (empathy, body awareness, and resonance), was administered. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess (i) differences between the two groups (through Student’s t and Cohen’s d for effect sizes), (ii) the influence of the level of training for each ARK factor using analyses of covariance for testing the possible influence of demographic variables, and (iii) logistic regressions to compare the influence of the three factors of the ARK model on the group variable with groups as a categorical variable. Significant differences between the two groups were found in body awareness and resonance. Body awareness was found to be the variable best discriminating between the beginners and the experienced students and psychotherapists. Despite being non-significant, there is a tendency suggesting that empathy appears more relevant at the beginning of training. The study shows the importance of training for the development of the therapist’s intuition and responsiveness, especially in the factors of body awareness and resonance. The results indicate the importance of assessing and supporting the aesthetic and field resonance of therapists in training, increasing quality and depth of the therapist’s responsiveness. This study is limited by a correlational design using self-report and on a limited sample, but it shows that the ARKS can monitor the effectiveness of training related to Gestalt therapeutic competencies.
Land Use Efficiency and Value Capture
Authors: Botticini Francesco , Auzins Armands
Published: December 2022

This article aims to relate intrinsic aspects of urban planning that are becoming increasingly important both within the international scientific debate and within urban planning tools. These aspects are land consumption and land value capture. Their centrality is given by the growing importance that in recent years have assumed the aspects related to the sustainable development of settlements. This article aims to summarize the main theories regarding the relationship between the efficiency of land use and the policies of capturing public value. The reference scenario is dictated by sustainable development policies that, if contextualized in the sphere of urban development, imply a rational use of resources to ensure the formation of resilient, safe, and inclusive settlements. This aspect introduces the existing link between urban form and sustainability. It is therefore understood how the achievement of the targets set at the international level are implemented in local urban policies. For this reason, many scholars have argued that the challenge of adapting to new pressures, such as climate change, necessarily means creating efficient urban settlements. The question becomes: which land use can be considered more efficient than the others? This article intends to answer this question by investigating the main theories that have tried to define the mechanisms and methods of comparison of different urban development scenarios. The article goes on to reconstruct the steps that have helped to evaluate urban development according to purely fiscal aspects up to the introduction of qualitative aspects related to public value. To do so, it analyzes the terms and tools related to the concepts of public value and the capture of public value and attempts to synthesize the main theories and research in the sector.
Optimization of Solid-State Fermentation of Switchgrass Using White-Rot Fungi for Biofuel Production
Authors: Onu Olughu Onu , Tabil Lope G. , Dumonceaux Tim , Mupondwa Edmund , Cree Duncan
Published: December 2022

Biological delignification using white-rot fungi is a possible approach in the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass. Despite the considerable promise of this low-input, environmentally-friendly pretreatment strategy, its large-scale application is still limited. Therefore, understanding the best combination of factors which affect biological pretreatment and its impact on enzymatic hydrolysis is essential for its commercialization. The present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of fungal pretreatment on the enzymatic digestibility of switchgrass under solid-state fermentation (SSF) using Phanerochaete chrysosporium (PC), Trametes versicolor 52J (Tv 52J), and a mutant strain of Trametes versicolor that is cellobiose dehydrogenase-deficient (Tv m4D). Response surface methodology and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to ascertain the optimum pretreatment conditions and the effects of pretreatment factors on delignification, cellulose loss, and total available carbohydrate (TAC). Pretreatment with Tv m4D gave the highest TAC (73.4%), while the highest delignification (23.6%) was observed in the PC-treated sample. Fermentation temperature significantly affected the response variables for the wild-type fungal strains, while fermentation time was the main significant factor for Tv m4D. The result of enzymatic hydrolysis with fungus-treated switchgrass at optimum pretreatment conditions showed that pretreatment with the white-rot fungi enhanced enzymatic digestibility with wild-type T. versicolor (52J)-treated switchgrass, yielding approximately 64.9% and 74% more total reducing sugar before and after densification, respectively, than the untreated switchgrass sample. Pretreatment using PC and Tv 52J at low severity positively contributed to enzymatic digestibility but resulted in switchgrass pellets with low unit density and tensile strength compared to the pellets from the untreated switchgrass.
Mapping with Macro X-ray Fluorescence Scanning of Raffaello’s Portrait of Leo X
Authors: Mazzinghi Anna , Ruberto Chiara , Giuntini Lorenzo , Mandò Pier Andrea , Taccetti Francesco , Castelli Lisa
Published: December 2022

Raffaello is renowned as one of the Old Renaissance Masters and his paintings and painting technique are famous for the details and naturality of the characters. Raffaello is famous in particular for the then-new technique of oil painting, which he mastered and perfected. On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the death of Raffaello (2020), there was a large exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome, where many paintings and drawings by the Old Master were on show. One of these paintings was the portrait of Leo X with two cardinals belonging to the collection of the Uffizi galleries in Florence. Before going to Rome, the painting underwent conservation treatments at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, where a comprehensive diagnostic campaign was carried out with the aim of understanding the painting materials and technique of the Old Master. In this paper, the results of macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) analysis, carried out exploiting the instrument developed by INFN-CHNet, are shown. Among the results, “bismuth black” and the likely use of glass powders in lakes are discussed.
Asymmetric Method of Heat Transfer Intensification in Radial Channels of Gas Turbine Blades
Authors: Osipov Sergey , Rogalev Andrey , Rogalev Nikolay , Shevchenko Igor , Vegera Andrey
Published: December 2022

Loop and semi-loop cooling schemes are widely used for the high-temperature gas turbine blades. In such schemes, the mid-chord airfoil parts are traditionally cooled by radial channels with ribbed walls. The blades with a small specific span, or “short” blades, have different heat flux amounts on pressure and suction sides, which results in a temperature difference in these sides of 100–150 °K. This difference causes thermal stresses and reduces the long-term strength margins. This paper presents a new method of heat transfer intensification in the ribbed radial cooling channels. The method is based on air streams’ injection through holes in the ribs that split channels. The streams are directed along the walls into the stagnation zones behind the ribs. The results of a 3D coolant flow simulation with ANSYS CFX code show the influence of the geometry parameters upon the channel heat transfer asymmetry. In the Reynolds number within a range of 6000–20,000, the method provides the heat transfer augmentation difference by up to 40% on the opposite channel walls. Test results presented in the criteria relations form allow for the calculation of mean the heat transfer coefficient along the channel length.
Acoustic Response of a Vibrating Elongated Cylinder in a Hydrodynamic Turbulent Flow
Authors: Rismondo Giacomo , Cianferra Marta , Armenio Vincenzo
Published: December 2022

The present paper contains the results of the numerical analysis of the interaction between a Newtonian incompressible turbulent flow and a linear elastic slender body, together with the influence of the fluid–structure interaction (FSI) on the noise generation and propagation. The purpose is to evaluate the differences in term of acoustic pressure between the case where the solid body is rigid (infinite stiffness) and the case where it is elastic (finite stiffness). A partitioned and implicit algorithm with the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian method (ALE) is used for the interaction between the fluid and solid. For the evaluation of the turbulent fluid motion, we use a large eddy simulation (LES) with the Smagorinsky subgrid scale model. The equation for the solid is solved through the Lagrangian description of the momentum equation and the second Piola–Kirchoff stress tensor. In addition, the acoustic analogy of Lighthill is used to characterize the acoustic source (the slender body) by directly using the fluid dynamic fields. In particular, we use the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (FW-H) equation for the evaluation of the acoustic pressure in the fluid medium. As a first numerical experiment, we analyze a square cylinder immersed in a turbulent flow characterized by two different values of stiffness: one infinite (rigid case) and one finite (elastic case). In the latter case, the body stiffness and mean flow velocity are such that they induce the lock-in phenomenon. Finally, we evaluate the differences in terms of acoustic pressure between the two different cases.
Prognostic Impact of Different Types of Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias Stratified by Underlying Cardiac Disease
Authors: Schupp Tobias , Rusnak Jonas , Weidner Kathrin , Bertsch Thomas , Mashayekhi Kambis , Tajti Péter , Akin Ibrahim , Behnes Michael
Published: December 2022

Limited data regarding the outcome of patients with different types of ventricular tachyarrhythmias is available. This study sought to assess the prognostic impact of different types of ventricular tachyarrhythmias stratified by underlying cardiac disease. A large retrospective registry was used including all consecutive patients presenting with ventricular tachycardia (VT) and fibrillation (VF) on admission from 2002 to 2016. Patients with non-sustained VT (ns-VT), sustained VT (s-VT) and VF were compared using uni- and multivariable Cox regression models. Risk stratification was performed after stratification by underlying cardiac disease (i.e., acute myocardial infarction (AMI), ischemic heart disease (IHD), non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) and patients considered as lower-risk for ventricular tachyarrhythmias). The primary endpoint was defined as all-cause mortality at 2.5 years. Secondary endpoints were cardiac death at 24 h, all-cause mortality at 5 years, cardiac rehospitalization and a composite arrhythmic endpoint at 2.5 years. In 2422 consecutive patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias, most patients were admitted with VF (44%), followed by ns-VT (30%) and s-VT (26%). Patients with VF suffered most commonly from AMI (42%), whereas heart failure was more common in s-VT patients (32%). In patients with AMI (HR = 1.146; 95% CI 0.751–1.750; p = 0.527) and in the lower-risk group (HR = 1.357; 95% CI 0.702–2.625; p = 0.364), the risk of all-cause mortality did not differ in VF and s-VT patients. In IHD patients, VF was associated with impaired prognosis compared to s-VT (HR = 2.502; 95% CI 1.936–3.235; p = 0.001). In conclusion, VF was associated with worse long-term prognosis compared to s-VT in IHD patients, whereas the risk of all-cause mortality among VF and s-VT patients did not differ in patients with AMI, NICM and in patients considered at lower risk for ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
The Road ahead on Implementing Non-Invasive Genetic Monitoring of Multispecies in the Carpathians
Authors: Ilinca Elisabeth , Fedorca Ancuta , Baciu Iulia , Fedorca Mihai , Ionescu Georgeta
Published: December 2022

Genetic monitoring represents a valuable tool for natural resource managers in managing and conserving wild populations of plants and animals. Even though there is a clear need to establish genetic monitoring programmes urgently, several barriers could occur depending on the region, such as lack of funding, gaps in national strategies, poor international collaboration, and transboundary issues. This review aims to analyze the genetic and non-genetic variables used in previous studies and projects to reveal the premises for conducting genetic studies on multispecies using existing knowledge. However, we found that sex marker, the number of samples per individual per year, and the rate of non-invasive samples were correlated with each other, as well as the number of sample types used and monitoring time. We show that developing nations are indeed challenged by the cost of large-scale and temporal coverage of the genetic studies. In contrast, high amounts of funds, complex methods, and national genetic monitoring programs are concentrated in well-developed countries, and the results are providing powerful tools for both species management and long-term conservation.
An Innovative Layout Design and Storage Assignment Method for Manual Order Picking with Respect to Ergonomic Criteria
Authors: Kapou Vasiliki , Ponis Stavros T. , Plakas George , Aretoulaki Eleni
Published: December 2022

Background: This paper aims to improve the overall performance of manual warehouse Order Picking (OP) processes by proposing an innovative method for designing a picking area layout, and introducing a storage assignment strategy with respect to ergonomics and workers’ physical fatigue. Methods: The proposed method categorizes the available picking slots based on size and ABC analysis. Ιt takes into consideration a set of ergonomic constraints pertinent to the rack heights and travel distance restrictions for each slot type, leading to the assignment of a location to each slot type based on its individual characteristics. In doing so, the proposed method introduces an innovative ‘flame-shape’ aisle layout. Finally, the products are assigned to their optimal locations, targeting OP time minimization, balanced workload allocation, and ergonomics optimization through a ranking system measuring the ‘difficulty’ of retrieving the products based on their weight, popularity, and slot location. Results: The proposed method led to a productivity rise of 14.9% along with a significant decrease of the ‘difficulty’ index, by 31%. Conclusions: The results prove that a prominent performance improvement can be achieved when both travel distance and manual workload minimization are targeted for determining the picking area layout and storage design.
A Review of Xyloglucan: Self-Aggregation, Hydrogel Formation, Mucoadhesion and Uses in Medical Devices
Authors: Esquena-Moret J.
Published: December 2022

The present paper reviews the self-aggregation, gel-forming and adsorption properties of xyloglucan (XG), and its main applications as a medical device for wound dressings, mucosal protection and ocular lubrication, as well as its uses as an excipient. XG is a branched polysaccharide composed of a central backbone of D-glucose units linked by β(1→4)-glycosidic bonds, decorated with D-xylose units through α(1→6) glycosidic bonds, and with some D-galactose units anchored to these D-xylose units via β(1→2) bonds. XG forms self-aggregates with a hierarchically ordered morphology in aqueous solutions, leading to the formation of nanofibers. Consequently, XG is a hydrogel-forming polymer able to retain large amounts of water. Inside the human digestive tract, XG is enzymatically degalactosylated, but the backbone with xylose side chains remains stable until excretion. Degalactosylated XG undergoes a fully reversible sol–gel transition, forming hydrogels between upper and lower critical temperatures. XG adsorbs on intestinal mucosa and creates a diffusion barrier that reduces permeability and also prevents bacterial infections by reducing their infiltration. Therefore, orally administered XG is considered a mucosa protectant.
An Explainable Deep Learning Framework for Detecting and Localising Smoke and Fire Incidents: Evaluation of Grad-CAM++ and LIME
Authors: Apostolopoulos Ioannis D. , Athanasoula Ifigeneia , Tzani Mpesi , Groumpos Peter P.
Published: December 2022

Climate change is expected to increase fire events and activity with multiple impacts on human lives. Large grids of forest and city monitoring devices can assist in incident detection, accelerating human intervention in extinguishing fires before they get out of control. Artificial Intelligence promises to automate the detection of fire-related incidents. This study enrols 53,585 fire/smoke and normal images and benchmarks seventeen state-of-the-art Convolutional Neural Networks for distinguishing between the two classes. The Xception network proves to be superior to the rest of the CNNs, obtaining very high accuracy. Grad-CAM++ and LIME algorithms improve the post hoc explainability of Xception and verify that it is learning features found in the critical locations of the image. Both methods agree on the suggested locations, strengthening the abovementioned outcome.
Changes in Trunk Muscle Activity during Unilateral Weight Bearing and Abnormal Postural Gait in Healthy Individuals
Authors: Paek Sungwoo , Kang Jungjoong , Shin Bokyung , Jung Jiyoon , Rim Hanee , Yoon Mijeong , Lee Kyoungbo , Yoo Yeunjie , Hong Boyoung , Lim Seonghoon , Kim Joonsung
Published: December 2022

Background and Objectives: Many people tend to carry their bags or baggage on only one side of their body. Due to smartphone use, people also tend to walk bent forward in a kyphotic posture. In this study, we aimed to assess trunk muscle activity changes due to weight-bearing, carried in the left or right hand, and using three different gait postures. Materials and Methods: We recruited 27 healthy participants (aged 19–75 years) with no history of LBP within the last 6 months before study participation. Electromyographic activities of the lower back and the abdominal muscles of the participants were evaluated using four-channel surface electromyography (EMG). Surface EMG recordings were obtained from four trunk muscles, including the flexor (rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO)) and extensor muscles (lumbar erector spinae (LE), and the superficial lumbar multifidus (LM)), during unilateral weight-bearing tasks and with different gait postures (normal gait, with a sway back, and thoracic kyphosis). Results: In the “unilateral weight-bearing task”, there was a significant difference in the activity of all the trunk muscles between the weight-bearing limb side and the opposite side (p < 0.05). The activation of the left trunk muscle was greater than that of the right trunk muscle when the dumbbell was lifted using the right hand. The other side showed the same result. In the “gait posture task” performed by the participants using a sway-back posture, the RA and EO had a higher level of activity in the stance and swing phases compared with that in a neutral gait (p < 0.05). Moreover, in the participants with a thoracic kyphosis posture, the LE and LM had a higher level of activity compared with that in a neutral gait (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our results indicate that abnormal gait posture and unilateral weight-bearing tasks may impair the balance of trunk muscles, increasing the incidence of LBP. However, further large-scale, prospective, controlled studies are warranted to corroborate our results.
Comparative RNA-Sequencing Analysis Reveals High Complexity and Heterogeneity of Transcriptomic and Immune Profiles in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tumors of Viral (HBV, HCV) and Non-Viral Etiology
Authors: Paslaru Liliana , Bindea Gabriela , Nastase Anca , Sorop Andrei , Zimbru Cristian , Herlea Vlad , Hrehoret Doina , Brasoveanu Vlad , Zamfir Radu , Dima Simona , Popescu Irinel
Published: December 2022

Background and Objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of primary liver cancer, is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. It arises and progresses against fibrotic or cirrhotic backgrounds mainly due to infection with hepatitis viruses B (HBV) or C (HCV) or non-viral causes that lead to chronic inflammation and genomic changes. A better understanding of molecular and immune mechanisms in HCC subtypes is needed. Materials and Methods: To identify transcriptional changes in primary HCC tumors with or without hepatitis viral etiology, we analyzed the transcriptomes of 24 patients by next-generation sequencing. Results: We identified common and unique differentially expressed genes for each etiological tumor group and analyzed the expression of SLC, ATP binding cassette, cytochrome 450, cancer testis, and heat shock protein genes. Metascape functional enrichment analysis showed mainly upregulated cell-cycle pathways in HBV and HCV and upregulated cell response to stress in non-viral infection. GeneWalk analysis identified regulator, hub, and moonlighting genes and highlighted CCNB1, ACTN2, BRCA1, IGF1, CDK1, AURKA, AURKB, and TOP2A in the HCV group and HSF1, HSPA1A, HSP90AA1, HSPB1, HSPA5, PTK2, and AURKB in the group without viral infection as hub genes. Immune infiltrate analysis showed that T cell, cytotoxic, and natural killer cell markers were significantly more highly expressed in HCV than in non-viral tumors. Genes associated with monocyte activation had the highest expression levels in HBV, while high expression of genes involved in primary adaptive immune response and complement receptor activity characterized tumors without viral infection. Conclusions: Our comprehensive study underlines the high degree of complexity of immune profiles in the analyzed groups, which adds to the heterogeneous HCC genomic landscape. The biomarkers identified in each HCC group might serve as therapeutic targets.
Ultrafiltration Membranes System: A Proposal to Remove Emerging Pollutants in Urban Wastewater
Authors: Lozano Avilés Ana Belén , Del Cerro Velázquez Francisco , Lozano Rivas Fernando
Published: December 2022

Considering the important role that wastewater reuse plays in the water cycle and in the current water scenario immersed in a severe drought, the search for technologies that allow obtaining quality water for reuse is increasingly relevant. In this sense, the membrane biological reactor (MBR) is an alternative to traditional activated sludge systems, in which the separation of biomass and treatment water is carried out by membrane filtration instead of decantation. This study made it possible to confirm the presence of emerging pollutants in the wastewater entering the WWTPs under study, to study the behavior and performance of MBR systems with hollow fiber membranes and flat membranes in obtaining reclaimed wastewater for subsequent reuse, and to compare it with the degree of elimination obtained in conventional biological treatment. It has been demonstrated that this technology is almost 100% effective in the elimination of nutrients, organic matter, pathogens, organic micropollutants, metals, etc., and has achieved different percentages of success in eliminating emerging pollutants depending on their nature: 35% in insecticides and herbicides, 45% in anxiolytics, psychiatric drugs, and industrial disinfectants, 75% in antibiotics, and around 100% in analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and hormones. It has also contributed to the establishment of monitoring protocols for emerging pollutants in the WWTPs under study and to the evaluation of their risks, as well as the development and implementation of advanced regeneration systems that are economically favorable for increasing the quality of WWTP effluents for their reuse.
Current–Voltage Characteristics and Solvent Dissociation of Bipolar Membranes in Organic Solvents
Authors: Onishi Nobuyuki , Minagawa Mie , Tanioka Akihiko , Matsumoto Hidetoshi
Published: December 2022

In this work, the chronopotentiometric responses, pH changes, and current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of bipolar membrane (BPM)/LiCl–organic solvent systems were measured and compared with those of the BPM/LiCl–water system. Monohydric alcohols, polyhydric alcohols, and amides were used as organic solvents. The chronopotentiograms and pH changes supported that the organic solvents can dissociate into cations and anions at the BPM interface. It is found that amides cannot dissociate easily at the BPM compared with alcohols. The I–V characteristics showed that both the viscosity and acid–base property of organic solvents substantially influences the dissociation behaviors in addition to the autoprotolysis constant and relative permittivity of the solvents.
Effect of Uphill Quenching on Microstructure and Residual Stress Reduction of AZ31B Magnesium Alloy Plate
Authors: Ji Pengfei , Zhang Jin , Yang Jinghan , Zhao Yongle , Lian Yong , Yuan Xiaomin , Sun Chaoyang , Dou Shitao
Published: December 2022

Residual stress may be generated during the deformation process; cold and hot treatments on magnesium alloy, causing deformation; cracking; and other effects. Reducing the residual stress of magnesium alloys is of great significance for its size stability and quality. In this paper, the residual stress in the AZ31B plate was compared with different uphill quenching processes: no uphill quenching (NUQ), liquid nitrogen–boiling water (100 °C) (LNB), liquid nitrogen–hot air (160 °C) (LNHA) and liquid nitrogen–water (25 °C) (LNR). Residual stresses with and without treatment were measured by X-ray diffraction. The effect of uphill quenching on hardness was discussed. The microstructure and diffraction pattern of the samples treated with different uphill quenching processes was investigated by EBSD and XRD. The results showed that the microstructure of magnesium alloy rolling plate was refined by the uphill quenching treatment, which can reduce the residual stress without decreasing the mechanical properties. The largest residual stress reduction rate was obtained by the liquid nitrogen–boiling water process. This treatment process can not only reduce the residual stress of the magnesium alloy rolling plates by 56% but also increase the hardness by 29%.
Alteration of Autophagy and Glial Activity in Nilotinib-Treated Huntington’s Disease Patients
Authors: Anderson Karen E. , Stevenson Max , Varghese Rency , Hebron Michaeline L. , Koppel Erin , McCartin Mara , Kuprewicz Robin , Matar Sara , Ferrante Dalila , Moussa Charbel
Published: December 2022

Nilotinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is safe and tolerated in neurodegeneration, it achieves CSF concentration that is adequate to inhibit discoidin domain receptor (DDR)-1. Nilotinib significantly affects dopamine metabolites, including Homovanillic acid (HVA), resulting in an increase in brain dopamine. HD is a hereditary disease caused by mutations in the Huntingtin’s (HTT) gene and characterized by neurodegeneration and motor and behavioral symptoms that are associated with activation of dopamine receptors. We explored the effects of a low dose of nilotinib (150 mg) on behavioral changes and motor symptoms in manifest HD patients and examined the effects of nilotinib on several brain mechanisms, including dopamine transmission and gene expression via cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) miRNA sequencing. Nilotinib, 150 mg, did not result in any behavioral changes, although it significantly attenuated HVA levels, suggesting reduction of dopamine catabolism. There was no significant change in HTT, phosphorylated neuro-filament and inflammatory markers in the CSF and plasma via immunoassays. Whole miRNA genome sequencing of the CSF revealed significant longitudinal changes in miRNAs that control specific genes associated with autophagy, inflammation, microglial activity and basal ganglia neurotransmitters, including dopamine and serotonin.
Lipidomics and Transcriptomics Differ Liposarcoma Differentiation Characteristics That Can Be Altered by Pentose Phosphate Pathway Intervention
Authors: Song Zhengqing , Wang Shuaikang , Lu Lili , Xu Jingshen , Zhou Qiwen , Lu Weiqi , Tong Hanxing , Zhang Yong , Liu Wenshuai , Wang Zhiming , Li Wei , You Yang , Zhang Chenlu , Guo Xi , Luo Rongkui , Hou Yingyong , Wang Chunmeng , Wang Yuexiang , Sun Lei , Huang He , Zhou Yuhong
Published: December 2022

Liposarcoma (LPS) is a rare and heterogeneous malignancy of adipocytic origin. Well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS) and dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) are two of the most common subtypes, showing similar genetic characterizations but distinct biological behaviors and clinical prognosis. Compared to WDLPS, DDLPS is more aggressive and has the potential of metastasis, as the malignant adipocytic tumor’s metabolic changes may have taken place during the tumorigenesis of LPSs. Therefore, to investigate the lipid alterations between the two subtypes, high-resolution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) based untargeted lipidomic analysis was performed onto LPS tissues from 6 WDLPS and 7 DDLPS patients. The lipidomic analysis showed the upregulated phosphatidylcholines and phosphoethanolamines in DDLPS, and the upregulated triglycerides and diglycerides in WDLPS, which might be due to the uncompleted adipocytic dedifferentiation leading to such tumorigenesis. Such a finding was also confirmed by the similarity comparison of two LPS subtypes to the transcriptome of stromal vascular fraction at different differentiation stages. Transcriptomic analysis also demonstrated that metabolic pathways including the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) were upregulated in WDLPS compared to DDLPS. Therefore, the cell line LPS853 was treated with the PPP inhibitor 6-aminonicotinamide ex vivo and the proliferation and invasion of LPS853 was significantly promoted by PPP inhibition, suggesting the potential role of PPP in the development and differentiation of LPS. In conclusion, this study described the altered lipid profiles of WDLPS and DDLPS for the first time, revealing the different differentiation stages of the two subtypes and providing a potential metabolic target for LPS treatment.
Optimization of Methane Feed and N:C Ratio for Biomass and Polyhydroxybutyrate Production by the Alphaproteobacterial Methanotroph Methylocystis sp. Rockwell
Authors: Sharma Hem K. , Sauvageau Dominic , Stein Lisa Y.
Published: December 2022

The consumption of methane and the production of biodegradable polymers using alphaproteobacterial methanotrophs offers a promising strategy to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and reduce non-biodegradable plastic pollution. This study identified an ideal amount of added methane and N:C ratio in 100 mL batch cultures of the alphaproteobacterial methanotroph Methylocystis sp. Rockwell growing in 1-L sealed bottles using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to achieve both high biomass and high polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production. RSM analysis showed achievement of optimal biomass at 474.7 ± 10.1 mg/L in nitrate mineral salts (NMS) medium and 480.0 ± 65.5 mg/L biomass in ammonium mineral salts (AMS) medium with 8 mmol of methane and an N:C ratio of 0.022. However, optimal PHB concentration was achieved with 6 mmol methane at N:C ratios of 0.012 in NMS medium (149.7 ± 16.1 mg/L) and 0.022 in AMS medium (200.3 ± 5.1 mg/L). A multi-objective RSM analysis projected maxima in PHB production and %PHB cell content (based on dry weight) when using 4.88 mmol methane and N:C ratio of 0.016 in NMS cultures, and 6.28 mmol methane and the 0.016 N:C ratio in AMS cultures. Cultures grown under these projected conditions produced 173.7 mg PHB/L with 46.8% PHB cell content in NMS and 196.9 mg/L with 53.1% PHB cell content in AMS. Taken together, these analyses predicted the optimal conditions for growth and PHB production in batch cultures of Methylocystis sp. Rockwell and confirmed a preference for ammonium as the N-source for PHB production. This information is valuable for media formulation in industrial scale-up of Methylocystis sp. Rockwell in PHB production.
Selective Recovery of Copper from Acid Leaching Solution through Slow Release Sulfide Precipitant
Authors: Luo Xianping , Yang Zhizhao , Zhou Hepeng , Zhang Yongbing , Sun Wei , Han Haisheng
Published: December 2022

A new kind of sulfide precipitant, namely, slow release sulfide precipitant (SRSP), was developed and prepared first to realize the selective recovery of copper from an acid leaching solution. The experimental results indicated that SRSP as a precipitant could selectively and efficiently recover copper and the high purity of copper sulfide slag with a Cu grade of 48.16%, and a Cu recovery rate of 97.84% could be obtained. Moreover, copper in leaching solution could be recovered more efficiently and selectively by SRSP compared with Na2S. The results of H2S gas release, chemical reaction energy calculation, and SEM image analyses illustrated that realizing the selective recovery of copper mainly depended on the ions of S2− and HS− produced by the dissolution of SRSP. Moreover, the concentrations of S2− and HS− should always be kept at a low level in the process of selective recovery of copper; this is the biggest difference from the traditional precipitant and the key to preventing the escape of H2S gas in the copper recovery process. More pivotally, SRSP provides an alternative sulfide precipitant for the selective recovery of copper from the acid leaching solution of copper smelting dust.
Petrogenesis of Early Cenozoic Sarıcakaya–Nallıhan Volcanism in NW Turkey: Implications for the Geodynamic Setting and Source Characterization of the Balkanatolia Magmatic Realm
Authors: Göçmengil Gönenç , Gülmez Fatma , Karacik Zekiye , Aysal Namık
Published: December 2022

Sarıcakaya–Nallıhan Volcanism was generated within the Balkanatolia Magmatic Realm between 48 and 44 Ma (by 40Ar–39Ar age determination) and is represented by three different volcanic units all displaying subduction-related geochemical signatures, such as depletion in HFSE and enrichment in LREE and LILE. The first unit (V1) consists of nepheline-normative, olivine basalts with OIB-like affinity. The second (V2) and third (V3) units are represented by more evolved compositions such as basaltic-andesitic, andesitic, and dacitic-rhyolitic lavas. Even the most basic lavas have elevated Mg# values (62–69), and they are far from representing the true mantle melts. Source characterization of Sarıcakaya–Nallıhan Volcanism reveals that there might be two possible mantle sources for the primary melts of the lavas: (i) metasomatized peridotitic mantle fluxed by sedimentary melts, or (ii) accreted mélange. The direct melting of the mélange-like lithologies is a more favorable mechanism for the Middle Eocene (44–40 Ma) magmatism in Balkanatolia since the Hf–Nd trace element, Nd isotopic systematics and petrological modelling efforts supported the latter. Overall, Early Cenozoic magmatism within this realm was characterized, first (58–44 Ma) by contractional and later (44–40 Ma) by extensional tectonics and the late-stage magmatic phase in the area was possibly controlled by melting of accreted mélange-like lithologies. The presented data indicate that mélange melting might be much more common than envisaged for the magmatism in the Alpine–Himalayan orogenic belt.