bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Efficiencies of Spectral Isolation for Intelligent Wear Monitoring of Micro Drill Bit Automatic Regrinding In-Line Systems
Authors: Akpudo Ugochukwu Ejike , Hur Jang-Wook
Published: June 2022

Despite the increasing digitalization of equipment diagnostic/condition monitoring systems, it remains a challenge to accurately harness discriminant information from multiple sensors with unique spectral (and transient) behaviors. High-precision systems such as the automatic regrinding in-line equipment provide intelligent regrinding of micro drill bits; however, immediate monitoring of the grinder during the grinding process has become necessary because ignoring it directly affects the drill bit’s life and the equipment’s overall utility. Vibration signals from the frame and the high-speed grinding wheels reflect the different health stages of the grinding wheel and can be exploited for intelligent condition monitoring. The spectral isolation technique as a preprocessing tool ensures that only the critical spectral segments of the inputs are retained for improved diagnostic accuracy at reduced computational costs. This study explores artificial intelligence-based models for learning the discriminant spectral information stored in the vibration signals and considers the accuracy and cost implications of spectral isolation of the critical spectral segments of the signals for accurate equipment monitoring. Results from one-dimensional convolutional neural networks (1D-CNN) and multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural networks, respectively, reveal that spectral isolation offers a higher condition monitoring accuracy at reduced computational costs. Experimental results using different 1D-CNN and MLP architectures reveal 4.6% and 7.5% improved diagnostic accuracy by the 1D-CNNs and MLPs, respectively, at about 1.3% and 5.71% reduced computational costs, respectively.
Insects as Feed for Companion and Exotic Pets: A Current Trend
Authors: Valdés Fabrizzio , Villanueva Valeria , Durán Emerson , Campos Francisca , Avendaño Constanza , Sánchez Manuel , Domingoz-Araujo Chaneta , Valenzuela Carolina
Published: June 2022

The objective of this review was to carry out a comprehensive investigation of the benefits of incorporating insects as a pet food ingredient and the implications this can have in determining a market demand for insect-based pet foods. Black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens), mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) and adult house crickets (Acheta domesticus) are currently used in pet food. These insects are widely fed to exotic pets, mainly in whole, live or dehydrated formats. They are also incorporated as meal or fat and are offered to cats and dogs as dry or wet food and treats. Scientific studies about the use of insects for dog and cat feed are scarce. Most studies are in dogs. Research shows that insect nutrients, mainly amino acids, have high digestibility, are beneficial to health, do not have any detrimental effect on the gut microbiota and are accepted by dogs. In several countries, insects are approved for use in pet food and commercialization has spread throughout the world. Pet owners are willing to try foods made with insect meal for their pets. In conclusion, the use of insects in pet food is a reality that is taking on more and more prominence.
Grading Systems for Canine Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder: A Comparative Overview
Authors: Brambilla Eleonora , Govoni Veronica M. , Cavalca Alexandre Matheus Baesso , Laufer-Amorim Renée , Fonseca-Alves Carlos Eduardo , Grieco Valeria
Published: June 2022

The relationship between tumor morphology and clinical behavior is a key point in oncology. In this scenario, pathologists and clinicians play a pivotal role in the identification and testing of reliable grading systems based on standardized parameters to predict patient prognosis. Dogs with bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC) were recently proposed as a “large animal” model for the study of human BUCs due to the similar morphology and metastasis locations. BUC grading systems are consolidated in human medicine, while in veterinary medicine, the BUC grading systems that have been proposed for canine tumors are not yet applied in routine diagnostics. These latter systems have been proposed, decade by decade, over the last thirty years, and the reason for their scarce application is mainly related to a lack of specific cutoff values and studies assessing their prognostic relevance. However, for any prognostic study, reliable grading is necessary. The aim of the present article was to give an overview of the BUC grading systems available in both human and veterinary pathology and provide an extensive description and a critical evaluation to support veterinary researchers in the choice of possible grading systems to apply in future studies on canine BUCs.
Identification of the Key Genes Associated with Different Hair Types in the Inner Mongolia Cashmere Goat
Authors: Gong Gao , Fan Yixing , Li Wenze , Yan Xiaochun , Yan Xiaomin , Zhang Ludan , Wang Na , Chen Oljibilig , Zhang Yanjun , Wang Ruijun , Liu Zhihong , Jiang Wei , Li Jinquan , Wang Zhiying , Lv Qi , Su Rui
Published: June 2022

The Inner Mongolia cashmere goat is an excellent local breed in China. According to the characteristics of wool quilts, the Inner Mongolia cashmere goat can be divided into three types: a long-hair type (hair length of >22 cm), a short-hair type (hair length of ≤13 cm), and an intermediate type (hair length of >13 cm and ≤22 cm). It is found that hair length has a certain reference value for the indirect selection of other important economic traits of cashmere. In order to explore the molecular mechanisms and related regulatory genes of the different hair types, a weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was carried out on the gene expression data and phenotypic data of 12-month-old Inner Mongolia cashmere goats with a long-hair type (LHG) and a short-hair type (SHG) to explore the coexpression modules related to different coat types and nine candidate genes, and detect the relative expression of key candidate genes. The results showed that the WGCNA divided these genes into 19 coexpression modules and found that there was a strong correlation between one module and different hair types. The expression trends of this module’s genes were different in the two hair types, with high expression in the LHG and low expression in the SHG. GO functions are mainly concentrated in cellular components, including intermediate filaments (GO:0005882), intermediate filament cytoskeletons (GO:0045111), and cytoskeletal parts (GO:0044430). The KEGG pathway is mainly enriched in arginine as well as proline metabolism (chx00330) and the MAPK signaling pathway (chx04010). The candidate genes of the different hair types, including the KRT39, KRT74, LOC100861184, LOC102177231, LOC102178767, LOC102179881, LOC106503203, LOC108638293, and LOC108638298 genes, were screened. Through qRT-PCR, it was found that there were significant differences in these candidate genes between the two hair types, and most of them had a significant positive correlation with hair length. It was preliminarily inferred that these candidate genes could regulate the different hair types of cashmere goats and provide molecular markers for hair growth.
The Effect of Baby Schema in Cats on Length of Stay in an Irish Animal Shelter
Authors: Jack Sam , Carroll Grace A.
Published: June 2022

Several factors may influence cats’ length of stay (LoS) within the shelter environment. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential influence that baby schema (characteristic facial features of infants, related to perceived ‘cuteness’) has on cats’ length of stay (LoS) in an animal shelter. Other factors such as paired-homing requirements, adoption profile (adverts to encourage the adoption of a specific animal) wording, coat colour, sex and age were also explored. Objective ‘cuteness’ scores were created by measuring specific facial features of 165 shelter cats. Several proportions of the cats’ faces were explored to identify the best objective measure of cuteness, including elements which have been found to associate with cuteness in cats and humans and new exploratory eye measurements. Subjective cuteness scores were developed by participants rating the ‘cuteness’ of the cat from ‘1-Not very cute’ to ‘5-Extremely cute’ through two online surveys; survey 1 investigated the cats’ social nature as well as cuteness while the second only looked at cuteness. The subjective cuteness scores were used to validate the objective cuteness scores. The analysis found that subjective cuteness in survey 1 was the only variable of influence on LoS. A novel objective cuteness measurement was developed which reflects the eye shape associated with subjective cuteness scores. The current study found that cuteness may not be as influential on cats’ LoS in shelters as hypothesised. This research looks to understand factors which influence LoS to help identify potential methods to reduce time spent in shelters and improve the welfare of cats within these environments.
An Instrumented Golden Eagle’s (Aquila chrysaetos) Long-Distance Flight Behavior
Authors: Garstang Michael , Greco Steven , Emmitt George D. , Miller Tricia A. , Lanzone Michael
Published: June 2022

One-second-processed three-dimensional position observations transmitted from an instrumented golden eagle were used to determine the detailed long-range flight behavior of the bird. Once elevated from the surface, the eagle systematically used atmospheric gravity waves, first to gain altitude, and then, in multiple sequential glides, to cover over 100 km with a minimum expenditure of its metabolic energy.
pruR and PA0065 Genes Are Responsible for Decreasing Antibiotic Tolerance by Autoinducer Analog-1 (AIA-1) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Pahlevi Muhammad Reza , Murakami Keiji , Hiroshima Yuka , Murakami Akikazu , Fujii Hideki
Published: June 2022

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection is considered a high-risk nosocomial infection and is very difficult to eradicate because of its tolerance to antibiotic treatment. A new compound, autoinducer analog-1 (AIA-1), has been demonstrated to reduce antibiotic tolerance, but its mechanisms remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of AIA-1 in the antibiotic tolerance of P. aeruginosa. A transposon mutant library was constructed using miniTn5pro, and screening was performed to isolate high tolerant mutants upon exposure to biapenem and AIA-1. We constructed a deletion mutant and complementation strain of the genes detected in transposon insertion site determination, pruR and PA0066-65-64, and performed killing assays with antibiotics and AIA-1. Gene expression upon exposure to biapenem and AIA-1 and their relationship to stress response genes were analyzed. High antibiotic tolerance was observed in Tn5-pruR and Tn5-PA0065 transposon mutants and their deletion mutants, ΔpruR and ΔPA0066-65-64. Complemented strains of pruR and PA0066-65-64 with their respective deletion mutants exhibited suppressed antibiotic tolerance. It was determined that deletion of PA0066-65-64 increased rpoS expression, and PA0066-65-64 affects antibiotic tolerance via the rpoS pathway. Additionally, antibiotics and AIA-1 were found to inhibit pruR and PA0066-65-64. This study proposed that pruR and PA0066-65-64 are members of the antibiotic tolerance suppressors.
How We Can Change Clinical Practice Using Antioxidant Molecules?
Authors: Favero Gaia , Rezzani Rita
Published: June 2022

The collection of studies in this Special Issue, “The Role of Antioxidant Molecules and Melatonin in Cellular Protection”, published in Antioxidants (accessed on 30 April 2021; https://www [...]
Body Composition and Determination of Somatotype of the Spanish Elite Female Futsal Players
Authors: Castillo Mónica , Sospedra Isabel , González-Rodríguez Estela , Hurtado-Sánchez José Antonio , Lozano-Casanova Mar , Jiménez-Alfageme Rubén , Martínez-Sanz José Miguel
Published: June 2022

Background: In any sport, it is of the utmost importance to identify variables capable of positively influencing scores. Futsal is a sport of intermittent high-intensity intervals that requires the athletes’ physical, technical, and tactical skills. There are no specific recommendations on anthropometry–body composition for this sport. The aim of this study was to describe the somatotype and the anthropometric characteristics, body composition, and somatotype of a group of Spanish elite female futsal players of the first-division league. Methods: Eighty-eight players (24 ± 4.94 years) from 14 teams of the first women’s division of the Spanish Futsal League were evaluated. Measurements were taken according to the anthropometric protocol of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK). Body composition (BC) and somatotype were calculated according to the 4-component model and Heath-Carter, respectively. Results: Pivot and goalkeeper positions were most different from the rest. Both were the heaviest positions and presented the largest mesomorphic data (4.13 ± 1.29 and 3.67 ± 0.95), kg of bone mass (10.60 ± 1.00 and 10.37 ± 1.08), and kg of lean mass (29.80 ± 1.25 and 29.12 ± 2.12), for the pivot and goalkeeper, respectively. Conclusion: The evaluation and evolution of the somatotype and BC is an assessment tool that could be a useful guide for technical and medical staff.
Geospatial Simulation System of Mountain Area Black Ice Accidents
Authors: Lee Jae-Kang , Huh Yong , Park Jisoo
Published: June 2022

As the development of mountain areas has recently increased in Korea, existing roads are being renovated, and new highways are being constructed, which increases driving speeds in mountainous areas. However, the mountainous region in northeastern Korea is more likely to form black ice due to higher humidity, frequent fog, and hillshade, depending on the terrain, which can cause serious traffic pileups. In this study, therefore, we present a method to build a more effective black ice prediction and warning system by linking spatial information to the existing road management system that estimates the road surface temperature based on real-time weather information. The spatial information enabled a prediction to be made of the risk level of black ice formation for each time zone by simulating changes in the shadow area based on precise 3D terrain information. Moreover, this information also presented slope and curvature information of the road to estimate the risk zone. The spatial information was integrated with weather data to predict road surface temperature. The proposed system was tested in two mountainous regions with weather data accumulated from 2017 to 2018. As a result, the proposed system anticipated 71% of traffic accidents caused by black ice during the testing period. The results show that the system can contribute significantly to preventing black-ice-related traffic accidents by providing reasonable predictions.
Unjumbling Procedure in the Algorithmic Analysis of Biomechanical Torques Induced by Electrical Stimulation: Case Study of the Lower Limb
Authors: Taylor Matthew J. , Fornusek Ché , de Chazal Philip , Ruys Andrew J.
Published: June 2022

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) uses electrical pulses to cause muscles to contract synthetically. When muscles contract due to stimulation, torques are produced around joints attached to the muscle. It is important to understand torques being produced, for reasons such as safety and indirect fatigue measurement. Given the translatability of FES devices into the home for therapy, having ways to non-invasively measure muscle responses to stimulation is essential for understanding and diagnosing the biomechanical response of the human body. Here, we present data from a stimulation experiment examining knee joint torques (KJTs) arising when quadriceps are subjected to electrical stimulation. A novel algorithm for computing and summarizing KJT data into a series of simplified parameters was developed using MATLAB software. From this, we draw some conclusions about the effect of changing the stimulation duty cycle on the resultant KJT. We believe this method will provide researchers with a tool to measure torque in a semi-automated, convenient fashion.
A New Approach to Predict Dynamic Loads Considering Highway Alignment Using Data Mining Techniques
Authors: Lin Miao , Hu Changbin , Easa Said M. , Jiang Zhenliang
Published: June 2022

Premature damage to heavy-duty pavement has been found to be significantly caused by the vehicle–highway alignment interaction, especially in mountainous regions. This phenomenon was further verified by field pavement damage investigations and field tests. In order to elucidate the potential mechanism of this interaction, it is important to address the vehicle dynamic loads generated by the interaction between vehicle and pavement. Based on this, the paper realizes a new method of vehicle dynamic load prediction using data mining techniques, namely artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM)). The data, including dynamic loads and highway geometric characteristics, were collected by a wheel force transducer (WFT) and global positioning system (GPS), respectively. The coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE) were used to evaluate the performance of the prediction models. The results showed that the proposed dynamic load prediction model established by ANN was better than that by SVM. Moreover, the model implied that dynamic loads were highly correlated with curvature and longitudinal grade, and furthermore, curvature was found to have a larger effect. The proposed dynamic load prediction technique provides a feasible and rapid approach to identify pavement damage under complex vehicle–highway alignment interactions.
BERT Models for Arabic Text Classification: A Systematic Review
Authors: Alammary Ali Saleh
Published: June 2022

Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) has gained increasing attention from researchers and practitioners as it has proven to be an invaluable technique in natural languages processing. This is mainly due to its unique features, including its ability to predict words conditioned on both the left and the right context, and its ability to be pretrained using the plain text corpus that is enormously available on the web. As BERT gained more interest, more BERT models were introduced to support different languages, including Arabic. The current state of knowledge and practice in applying BERT models to Arabic text classification is limited. In an attempt to begin remedying this gap, this review synthesizes the different Arabic BERT models that have been applied to text classification. It investigates the differences between them and compares their performance. It also examines how effective they are compared to the original English BERT models. It concludes by offering insight into aspects that need further improvements and future work.
Assessment of Appropriate Geometry for Thermally Efficient CO2 Adsorption Beds
Authors: Qasem Naef A. A. , Ben-Mansour Rached
Published: June 2022

Carbon capture is one of the recently raised technologies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Adsorption was introduced as an energy-efficient carbon capture process, and the literature primarily shows the utilization of circular cross-sectional adsorption beds for this purpose. In this regard, this paper investigates different shapes of adsorbent beds to determine the thermal and adsorption uptake enhancements. Three geometries are considered: circular, square, and triangular cross-sectional beds. Mg-MOF-74 is used as an adsorbent, and numerical simulation is developed using a user-defined function coupled with ANSYS-Fluent. The results show that the triangular cross-sectional bed exhibits better adsorption capacity and thermal management compared to other beds. For example, the triangular cross-sectional bed shows 6 K less than the circular one during the adsorption process. It is recommended that the triangular cross-sectional bed be used for temperature swing adsorption when pumping power is not important. The square bed comes second after the triangular one with a lower pressure drop, suggesting such beds as good candidates for pressure swing adsorption. The square bed could be an excellent choice for compact beds when CO2 uptake and pumping power are both important.
CFD Analysis of Sine Baffles on Flow Mixing and Power Consumption in Stirred Tank
Authors: Zhou Shuiqing , Yang Qizhi , Lu Laifa , Xia Ding , Zhang Weitao , Yan Hao
Published: June 2022

In order to enhance the fluid mixing in the stirred tank and reduce the power consumption under the condition of full baffle, a sinusoidal sawtooth baffle was established in the present study. Based on the Eulerian–Eulerian method, a numerical simulation of the mixed flow in the stirred tank was conducted, and the reliability of the simulation method was verified by means of PIV experiments. The different structural characteristics of a standard baffle and the sine baffle were compared, to explore the effect of the modified baffle on flow mixing and power consumption in the tank. The outcomes indicate that the sinusoidal sawtooth structure had the effect of reducing drag and shunting, which could lessen the backflow on the backside of the baffle, strengthen the intensity of fluid turbulence and strain rate, improve the uniformity of particle distribution, and significantly lower the power consumption. When the relative tooth height was 0.333 and the relative tooth width was 0.028, the power consumption was reduced by 11.7%.
Nest Material Preference of Wild Mouse Species in Laboratory Housing
Authors: Bárdos Boróka , Nagy István , Gerencsér Zsolt , Altbacker Vilmos
Published: June 2022

Our research examined the nest-building characteristics of two mouse species native to Hungary, the mound-building mouse (Mus spicilegus) and the house mouse (Mus musculus), under laboratory housing conditions. In indoor housing, the nest-building material plays a very important role in the welfare of the animals. The present study examined how wild mouse species choose from natural nest material. In a three-way test, mice were able to choose whether to make their nest from long blades of hay, nonfibrous cotton, or paper strips. In addition, the effect of nest composition on its quality was also investigated. The test was run at the standard laboratory (21 °C) and lower (10 °C) temperatures, assuming that temperature influences the choice. Based on the results of the three-way selection tests, both species of wild mice chose hay nest material in the highest proportion, and it was also found that the increasing the hay proportion coincided with better nest quality. Mice kept in colder places used more hay nest material for their nests and built better quality nests. Our results show that wild mouse species prefer natural nest-building materials that meet their ecological needs even under laboratory conditions, resulting in a good quality nest. This finding is worth considering in designing appropriate enclosures for wild rodent species.
Exploring the Nonlinear Effects of Built Environment on Bus-Transfer Ridership: Take Shanghai as an Example
Authors: Liu Ding , Rong Wuyue , Zhang Jin , Ge Ying-En (Ethan)
Published: June 2022

In this paper, the nonlinear effects of the built environment on bus–metro-transfer ridership are explored, based on Shanghai metro data, with an extreme gradient-boosting decision-trees (XGBoost) model. It was found that the bus-network density had the largest influence on transfer ridership, contributing 27.56% predictive power for transfer ridership, followed by closeness centrality and bus-stop density, and their contribution rates are 21.6% and 17.27%, respectively. Local explanations for the model reveal the following conclusions: most built-environment variables have nonlinear and threshold effects on bus–metro ridership. The suggested values for the dominant contributors to bus–metro-transfer ridership are obtained. For example, bus-network density, bus-stop density, and closeness centrality were 12.8 km/sq. km, 11 counts/sq. km, and 0.18 km/sq. km, respectively, for maximizing bus–metro-transfer ridership. The interaction impacts of the bus–metro connection characteristics and the closeness centrality of metro stations on transfer ridership were, also, examined. The result showed that the setting of bus–metro-transfer facilities depended on the location of metro stations. It was necessary to improve the bus–metro-connection system, in metro stations with high closeness centrality.
Homogeneity of Complex Fuzzy Operations
Authors: Hu Bo , Wu Wei , Dai Songsong
Published: June 2022

The homogeneity of binary functions on the unit interval [0, 1] is a very useful property in many real practical applications. This paper studies the homogeneity of binary functions on the unit circle of the complex plane. The homogeneity is a generalization of both rotational invariance and ratio scale invariance for complex fuzzy operations. We show that a binary function is homogeneous if and only if it is both rotationally invariant and ratio scale invariant. Moreover, we consider the simplification of the homogeneity for complex fuzzy binary operators.
A Novel Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Method Based on Rough Sets and Fuzzy Measures
Authors: Wang Jingqian , Zhang Xiaohong
Published: June 2022

Rough set theory provides a useful tool for data analysis, data mining and decision making. For multi-criteria decision making (MCDM), rough sets are used to obtain decision rules by reducing attributes and objects. However, different reduction methods correspond to different rules, which will influence the decision result. To solve this problem, we propose a novel method for MCDM based on rough sets and a fuzzy measure in this paper. Firstly, a type of non-additive measure of attributes is presented by the importance degree in rough sets, which is a fuzzy measure and called an attribute measure. Secondly, for a decision information system, the notion of the matching degree between two objects is presented under an attribute. Thirdly, based on the notions of the attribute measure and matching degree, a Choquet integral is constructed. Moreover, a novel MCDM method is presented by the Choquet integral. Finally, the presented method is compared with other methods through a numerical example, which is used to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of our method.
Regulation of Stanniocalcin Secretion by Calcium and PTHrP in Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata)
Authors: Ruiz-Jarabo Ignacio , Gregório Silvia F. , Fuentes Juan
Published: June 2022

Calcium balance is of paramount importance for vertebrates. In fish, the endocrine modulators of calcium homeostasis include the stanniocalcin (STC), and some members of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) family, such as the PTH-related protein (PTHrP), acting as antagonists. STC is ubiquitously expressed in higher vertebrates. In turn, bony fish exhibit specific STC-producing glands named the corpuscles of Stannius (CS). Previous studies pointed to a calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) involvement in the secretion of STC, but little is known of the involvement of other putative regulators. The CS provides a unique model to deepen the study of STC secretion. We developed an ex vivo assay to culture CS of fish and a competitive ELISA method to measure STC concentrations. As expected, STC released from the CS responds to CaSR stimulation by calcium, calcimimetics, and calcilytic drugs. Moreover, we uncover the presence (by PCR) of two PTHrP receptors in the CS, e.g., PTH1R and PTH3R. Thus, ex vivo incubations revealed a dose-response inhibition of STC secretion in response to PTHrP at basal Ca2+ concentrations. This inhibition is achieved through specific and reversible second messenger pathways (transmembrane adenylyl cyclases and phospholipase C), as the use of specific inhibitors highlights. Together, these results provide evidence for endocrine modulation between two antagonist hormones, STC and PTHrP.
Molecular Identification and Characterization of Two Groups of Phytoplasma and Candidatus Liberibacter Asiaticus in Single or Mixed Infection of Citrus maxima on Hainan Island of China
Authors: Yu Shao-Shuai , Zhu An-Na , Song Wei-Wei , Yan Wei
Published: June 2022

The pathogens associated with citrus Huanglongbing symptoms, including yellowing and mottled leaves in Citrus maxima, an important economic crop on Hainan Island of China, were identified and characterized. In the study, detection, genetic variation and phylogenetic relationship analysis of the pathogens were performed based on 16S rRNA and β-operon gene fragments specific to phytoplasma and Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. The results indicated that the pathogens—such as phytoplasma strains of CmPII-hn belonging to the 16SrII-V subgroup and CmPXXXII-hn belonging to the 16SrXXXII-D subgroup, as well as Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus strains CmLas-hn—were identified in the diseased plant samples, with numbers of 12, 2 and 6 out of 54, respectively. Among them, mixed infection with the 16SrII-V subgroup phytoplasma and Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus was found in the study, accounting for 7.4% (four samples). The phytoplasma strains of CmPII-hn—Tephrosia purpurea witches’ broom, Melochia corchorifolia witches’ broom and Emilia sonchifolia witches’ broom—were clustered into one clade belonging to the 16SrII-V subgroup, with a 99% bootstrap value. The phytoplasma strains of CmPXXXII-hn and Trema tomentosa witches’ broom belonging to 16SrXXXII-D, and the other 16SrXXXII subgroup strains were clustered into one clade belonging to the 16SrXXXII group with a 99% bootstrap value. There were 16 variable loci in the 16S rRNA gene sequences of the tested 16SrXXXII group phytoplasma strains, of which two bases had an insertion/deletion. The strains of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, identified in the study and the strains that had been deposited in GenBank, were in one independent cluster with a 99% bootstrap value. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing that Citrus maxima can be infected by 16SrII-V and16SrXXXII-D subgroup phytoplasmas in China. Moreover, this is also the first report in which the plants are co-infected by 16SrII-V subgroup phytoplasmas and Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. More comprehensive and detailed identification and characterization of the pathogens associated with the diseased symptoms in Citrus maxima on the island in China would be beneficial for epidemic monitoring and for the effective prevention and control of related plant diseases.
Unique SMYD5 Structure Revealed by AlphaFold Correlates with Its Functional Divergence
Authors: Zhang Yingxue , Alshammari Eid , Sobota Jacob , Yang Alexander , Li Chunying , Yang Zhe
Published: June 2022

SMYD5 belongs to a special class of protein lysine methyltransferases with an MYND (Myeloid-Nervy-DEAF1) domain inserted into a SET (Suppressor of variegation, Enhancer of Zeste, Trithorax) domain. Despite recent advances in its functional characterization, the lack of the crystal structure has hindered our understanding of the structure-and-function relationships of this most unique member of the SMYD protein family. Here, we demonstrate the reliability of using AlphaFold structures for understanding the structure and function of SMYD5 by comparing the AlphaFold structures to the known crystal structures of SMYD proteins, using an inter-residue distance maps-based metric. We found that the AlphaFold confidence scores are inversely associated with the refined B-factors and can serve as a structural indicator of conformational flexibility. We also found that the N-terminal sequence of SMYD5, predicted to be a mitochondrial targeting signal, contains a novel non-classical nuclear localization signal. This sequence is structurally flexible and does not have a well-defined conformation, which might facilitate its recognition for SMYD5’s cytonuclear transport. The structure of SMYD5 is unique in many aspects. The “crab”-like structure with a large negatively charged cleft provides a potential binding site for basic molecules such as protamines. The less positively charged MYND domain is associated with the undetectable DNA-binding ability. The most surprising feature is an incomplete target lysine access channel that lacks the evolutionarily conserved tri-aromatic arrangement, being associated with the low H3/H4 catalytic activity. This study expands our understanding of the SMYD protein family from a classical two-lobed structure to a structure of its own kind, being as a fundamental determinant of its functional divergence.
Relevance of A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase Domain-Containing (ADAM)9 Protein Expression to Bladder Cancer Malignancy
Authors: Moriwaki Michika , Le Trang Thi-Huynh , Sung Shian-Ying , Jotatsu Yura , Yang Youngmin , Hirata Yuto , Ishii Aya , Chiang Yi-Te , Chen Kuan-Chou , Shigemura Katsumi , Fujisawa Masato
Published: June 2022

We evaluated the effect of A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase Domain-Containing (ADAM)9 protein on exacerbation in bladder cancer KK47 and T24. First, we knocked down ADAM9 and investigated cell proliferation, migration, cell cycle, and the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins expression in vitro. We then investigated the expression level of ADAM9 in clinical urine cytology samples and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. Cell proliferation was significantly reduced in both cell lines after ADAM9 knockdown. In the cell-cycle assay, the percentage of G0/G1 cells was significantly increased in ADAM9 knockdown T24. Migration of T24 was more strongly suppressed than KK47. The expression level of EMT-related proteins suggested that EMT was suppressed in ADAM9 knockdown T24. TCGA analysis revealed that ADAM9 mRNA expression was significantly higher in stage IV and high-grade cancer than in other stages and low-grade cancer. Moreover, in the gene expression omnibus (GEO) study, bladder cancer with surrounding carcinoma and invasive carcinoma showed significantly high ADAM9 mRNA expression. We found that ADAM9 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation and migration in bladder cancer and that high-grade bladder cancer is correlated with higher expression of ADAM9.
One-Step Fabrication of Hot-Water-Repellent Surfaces
Authors: Liu Yahua , Feng Zhixin , Zhan Haiyang , Ge Wenna , Xia Yuhang , Zhang Junqiu , Feng Shile
Published: June 2022

Hot-water repellency is of great challenge on traditional superhydrophobic surfaces due to the condensation of tiny droplets within the cavities of surface textures, which builds liquid bridges to connect the substrate and hot water and thus destroys the surface water-repellence performance. For the unique structural features and scales, current approaches to fabricate surfaces with hot-water repellency are always complicated and modified by fluorocarbon. Here, we propose a facile and fluorine-free one-step vapor-deposition method for fabricating excellent hot-water-repellent surfaces, which at room temperature even repel water droplets of temperature up to 90 °C as well as other normal-temperature droplets with surface tension higher than 48.4 mN/m. We show that whether the unique hot-water repellency is achieved depends on a trade-off between the solid–liquid contact time and hot-vapor condensation time, which determines the probability of formation of liquid bridges between the substrate and hot-water. Moreover, the designed surfaces exhibit excellent self-cleaning performance in some specific situations, such as oil medium, hot water and condensation environments. We envision that this facile and fluorine-free strategy for fabricating excellent hot-water-repellent surfaces could be valuable in popularizing their practical applications.
Luminescent Composite Carbon/SiO2 Structures: Synthesis and Applications
Authors: Podkolodnaya Yuliya A. , Kokorina Alina A. , Ponomaryova Tatiana S. , Goryacheva Olga A. , Drozd Daniil D. , Khitrov Mikhail S. , Huang Lingting , Yu Zhichao , Tang Dianping , Goryacheva Irina Yu.
Published: June 2022

Luminescent carbon nanostructures (CNSs) have attracted great interest from the scientific community due to their photoluminescent properties, structural features, low toxicity, and a great variety of possible applications. Unfortunately, a few problems hinder their further development. These include the difficulties of separating a mixture of nanostructures after synthesis and the dependence of their properties on the environment and the aggregate state. The application of a silica matrix to obtain luminescent composite particles minimizes these problems and improves optical properties, reduces photoluminescence quenching, and leads to wider applications. We describe two methods for the formation of silica composites containing CNSs: inclusion of CNSs into silica particles and their grafting onto the silica surface. Moreover, we present approaches to the synthesis of multifunctional particles. They combine the unique properties of silica and fluorescent CNSs, as well as magnetic, photosensitizing, and luminescent properties via the combination of functional nanoparticles such as iron oxide nanoparticles, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, quantum dots (QDs), and gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). Lastly, we discuss the advantages and challenges of these structures and their applications. The novelty of this review involves the detailed description of the approaches for the silica application as a matrix for the CNSs. This will support researchers in solving fundamental and applied problems of this type of carbon-based nanoobjects.
The Kynurenine Pathway and Cancer: Why Keep It Simple When You Can Make It Complicated
Authors: Gouasmi Roumaïssa , Ferraro-Peyret Carole , Nancey Stéphane , Coste Isabelle , Renno Toufic , Chaveroux Cédric , Aznar Nicolas , Ansieau Stéphane
Published: June 2022

The kynurenine pathway has been highlighted as a gatekeeper of immune-privileged sites through its ability to generate from tryptophan a set of immunosuppressive metabolic intermediates. It additionally constitutes an important source of cellular NAD+ for the organism. Hijacking of its immunosuppressive functions, as recurrently observed in multiple cancers, facilitates immune evasion and promotes tumor development. Based on these observations, researchers have focused on characterizing indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1), the main enzyme catalyzing the first and limiting step of the pathway, and on developing therapies targeting it. Unfortunately, clinical trials studying IDO1 inhibitors have thus far not met expectations, highlighting the need to unravel this complex signaling pathway further. Recent advances demonstrate that these metabolites additionally promote tumor growth, metastatic dissemination and chemoresistance by a combination of paracrine and autocrine effects. Production of NAD+ also contributes to cancer progression by providing cancer cells with enhanced plasticity, invasive properties and chemoresistance. A comprehensive survey of this complexity is challenging but necessary to achieve medical success.
Emerging Therapies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)
Authors: Chakraborty Eesha , Sarkar Devanand
Published: June 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arises from hepatocytes and accounts for 90% of primary liver cancer. According to Global Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence (GLOBOCAN) 2020, globally HCC is the sixth most common cancer and the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Reasons for HCC prognosis remaining dismal are that HCC is asymptomatic in its early stages, leading to late diagnosis, and it is markedly resistant to conventional chemo- and radiotherapy. Liver transplantation is the treatment of choice in early stages, while surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and trans arterial chemoembolization (TACE) are Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments for advanced HCC. Additional first line therapy for advanced HCC includes broad-spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), such as sorafenib and lenvatinib, as well as a combination of immunotherapy and anti-angiogenesis therapy, namely atezolizumab and bevacizumab. However, these strategies provide nominal extension in the survival curve, cause broad spectrum toxic side effects, and patients eventually develop therapy resistance. Some common mutations in HCC, such as in telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), catenin beta 1 (CTNNB1) and tumor protein p53 (TP53) genes, are still considered to be undruggable. In this context, identification of appropriate gene targets and specific gene delivery approaches create the potential of gene- and immune-based therapies for the safe and effective treatment of HCC. This review elaborates on the current status of HCC treatment by focusing on potential gene targets and advanced techniques, such as oncolytic viral vectors, nanoparticles, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells, immunotherapy, and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9), and describes future prospects in HCC treatment.
Mutations in KMT2C, BCOR and KDM5C Predict Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Liu Dingxie , Benzaquen Jonathan , Morris Luc G. T. , Ilié Marius , Hofman Paul
Published: June 2022

Efficient predictive biomarkers are urgently needed to identify non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who could benefit from immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Since chromatin remodeling is required for DNA repair process, we asked whether mutations in chromatin remodeling genes could increase tumor mutational burden (TMB) and predict response to ICB therapy in NSCLC. Analysis of seven ICB-treated NSCLC cohorts revealed that mutations of three chromatin remodeling-related genes, including KMT2C, BCOR and KDM5C, were significantly associated with ICB response, and combined mutations of these three genes further enhance this association. NSCLC patients with KMT2C/BCOR/KDM5C mutations had comparable clinical outcomes to TMB-high patients in terms of objective response rate, durable clinical benefit and overall survival. Although KMT2C/BCOR/KDM5C mutations were positively correlated with TMB levels in NSCLC, the association of this mutation with better ICB response was independent of tumor TMB and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) level, and combination of KMT2C/BCOR/KDM5C mutations with TMB or PD-L1 further improve the prediction of ICB response in NSCLC patients. Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) pan-cancer analysis suggested that the association of KMT2C/BCOR/KDM5C mutations with ICB response observed here might not result from DNA repair defects. In conclusion, our data indicate that KMT2C/BCOR/KDM5C mutation has the potential to serve as a predictive biomarker, alone or combined with PD-L1 expression or TMB, for ICB therapy in NSCLC.
Enhanced Catalytic Oxidation of Toluene over Hierarchical Pt/Y Zeolite
Authors: Kim Min-Ryeong , Kim Suhan
Published: June 2022

The development of efficient Pt-supported zeolite catalysts with tunable micro/mesopore structures for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) presents a major challenge. Herein, hierarchical Pt/Y zeolites with tunable mesopores are fabricated by varying the etching time before the surfactant-templated crystal rearrangement method and used as catalyst supports for VOC oxidation. The hierarchical Pt/Y zeolites provided an excellent environment for Pt nanoparticle loading with abundant accessible acidic sites. The catalytic performance of the obtained hierarchical Pt/Y zeolites is analyzed using toluene oxidation, with the modified zeolites exhibiting improved catalytic activities. The hierarchical Pt/Y zeolites exhibited higher catalytic toluene oxidation activities than non-hierarchical Pt/Y zeolites. Pt/Y-6h demonstrated the highest catalytic toluene oxidation activity of the prepared catalysts, with a T90 of 149 °C, reaction rate of 1.15 × 10−7 mol gcat−1 s−1, turnover frequency of 1.20 × 10−2 s−1, and an apparent activation energy of 66.5 kJ mol−1 at 60,000 mL g−1 h−1 at a toluene concentration of 1000 ppm. This study will facilitate the fine-tuning of hierarchically porous materials to improve material properties and achieve higher catalytic performance toward VOC oxidation.
Forcing the Antitumor Effects of HSPs Using a Modulated Electric Field
Authors: Minnaar Carrie Anne , Szasz Andras
Published: June 2022

The role of Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs) is a “double-edged sword” with regards to tumors. The location and interactions of HSPs determine their pro- or antitumor activity. The present review includes an overview of the relevant functions of HSPs, which could improve their antitumor activity. Promoting the antitumor processes could assist in the local and systemic management of cancer. We explore the possibility of achieving this by manipulating the electromagnetic interactions within the tumor microenvironment. An appropriate electric field may select and affect the cancer cells using the electric heterogeneity of the tumor tissue. This review describes the method proposed to effect such changes: amplitude-modulated radiofrequency (amRF) applied with a 13.56 MHz carrier frequency. We summarize the preclinical investigations of the amRF on the HSPs in malignant cells. The preclinical studies show the promotion of the expression of HSP70 on the plasma membrane, participating in the immunogenic cell death (ICD) pathway. The sequence of guided molecular changes triggers innate and adaptive immune reactions. The amRF promotes the secretion of HSP70 also in the extracellular matrix. The extracellular HSP70 accompanied by free HMGB1 and membrane-expressed calreticulin (CRT) form damage-associated molecular patterns encouraging the dendritic cells’ maturing for antigen presentation. The process promotes CD8+ killer T-cells. Clinical results demonstrate the potential of this immune process to trigger a systemic effect. We conclude that the properly applied amRF promotes antitumor HSP activity, and in situ, it could support the tumor-specific immune effects produced locally but acting systemically for disseminated cells and metastatic lesions.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Gene-Addition/Editing Therapy in Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Germino-Watnick Paula , Hinds Malikiya , Le Anh , Chu Rebecca , Liu Xiong , Uchida Naoya
Published: June 2022

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-targeted gene therapy provides a one-time cure for various genetic diseases including sickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia. SCD is caused by a point mutation (20A > T) in the β-globin gene. Since SCD is the most common single-gene disorder, curing SCD is a primary goal in HSC gene therapy. β-thalassemia results from either the absence or the reduction of β-globin expression, and it can be cured using similar strategies. In HSC gene-addition therapy, patient CD34+ HSCs are genetically modified by adding a therapeutic β-globin gene with lentiviral transduction, followed by autologous transplantation. Alternatively, novel gene-editing therapies allow for the correction of the mutated β-globin gene, instead of addition. Furthermore, these diseases can be cured by γ-globin induction based on gene addition/editing in HSCs. In this review, we discuss HSC-targeted gene therapy in SCD with gene addition as well as gene editing.