bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison between Enteroscopy-, Laparoscopy- and Endoscopic Ultrasound-Assisted Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography in Patients with Surgically Altered Anatomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Gkolfakis Paraskevas , Papaefthymiou Apostolis , Facciorusso Antonio , Tziatzios Georgios , Ramai Daryl , Dritsas Spyridon , Florou Theodosia , Papanikolaou Ioannis S. , Hassan Cesare , Repici Alessandro , Triantafyllou Konstantinos , Aabakken Lars , Devière Jacques , Beyna Torsten , Arvanitakis Marianna
Published: October 2022

Background and Aims: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), in surgically altered anatomy (SAA), can be challenging and the optimal technique selection remains debatable. Most common foregut interventions resulting to this burden consist of Billroth II gastrectomy, Whipple surgery and Roux-en-Y anastomoses, including gastric by-pass. This systematic review, with meta-analysis, aimed to compare the rates of successful enteroscope-assisted (EA)-, endosonography-directed transgastric- (EDGE), and laparoscopy-assisted (LA)-ERCP. Methods: A systematic research (Medline) was performed for relative studies, through January 2022. The primary outcome was technical success, defined as approaching the ampulla site. Secondary outcomes included the desired duct cannulation, successful therapeutic manipulations, and complication rates. We performed meta-analyses of pooled data, and subgroup analysis considering the EA-ERCP subtypes (spiral-, double and single balloon-enteroscope). Pooled rates are reported as percentages with 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CIs). Results: Seventy-six studies were included (3569 procedures). Regarding primary outcome, EA-ERCP was the least effective [87.3% (95%CI: 85.3–89.4); I2: 91.0%], whereas EDGE and LA-ERCP succeeded in 97.9% (95%CI: 96.4–99.4; I2: 0%) and 99.1% (95%CI: 98.6–99.7; I2: 0%), respectively. Similarly, duct cannulation and therapeutic success rates were 74.7% (95%CI: 71.3–78.0; I2: 86.9%) and 69.1% (95%CI: 65.3–72.9; I2: 91.8%) after EA-ERCP, 98% (95%CI: 96.5–99.6; I2: 0%) and 97.9% (95%CI: 96.3–99.4) after EDGE, and 98.6% (95%CI: 97.9–99.2; I2: 0%) and 98.5% (95%CI: 97.8–99.2; I2: 0%) after LA-ERCP, respectively. The noticed high heterogeneity in EA-ERCP results probably reflects the larger number of included studies, the different enteroscopy modalities and the variety of surgical interventions. Comparisons revealed the superiority of LA-ERCP and EDGE over EA-ERCP (p ≤ 0.001) for all success-related outcomes, though LA-ERCP and EDGE were comparable (p ≥ 0.43). ERCP with spiral-enteroscope was inferior to balloon-enteroscope, while the type of the balloon-enteroscope did not affect the results. Most adverse events were recorded after LA-ERCP [15.1% (95%CI: 9.40–20.8); I2: 87.1%], and EDGE [13.1% (95%CI: 7.50–18.8); I2: 48.2%], significantly differing from EA-ERCP [5.7% (95%CI: 4.50–6.80); p ≤ 0.04; I2: 64.2%]. Conclusions: LA-ERCP and EDGE were associated with higher technical, cannulation, and therapeutic success compared to EA-ERCP, though accompanied with more adverse events.
Two Retrotransposon Elements in Intron of Porcine BMPR1B Is Associated with Phenotypic Variation
Authors: Chi Chenglin , He Jia , Du Zhanyu , Zheng Yao , D’Alessandro Enrico , Chen Cai , Moawad Ali Shoaib , Asare Emmanuel , Song Chengyi , Wang Xiaoyan
Published: October 2022

It has been established that through binding to bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), bone morphogenetic protein receptor I B (BMPR1B) can mediate transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signal transduction, and is involved in the regulation of several biological processes, such as bone and muscle formation and homeostasis, as well as folliculogenesis. Also known as FecB, BMPR1B has been reported as the major gene for sheep prolificacy. A number of previous studies have analyzed the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in this gene and its related performance. In recent years, with the illustration of the effect of retrotransposon insertion on the expression of the proximal genes or phenotypic variation, retrotransposon insertion polymorphisms (RIPs) have been used as a novel type of molecular marker in the evaluation of evolution, population structure and breeding of plant and domestic animals. In this study, the RIPs in porcine BMPR1B gene were excavated, and thereafter verified using a comparative genome and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The potential effects of phenotype, gene expression and functions related to RIPs were also explored. The results showed that 13 distinct RIPs were identified in introns of porcine BMPR1B. Among these, only BMPR1B-SINE-RIP9 and BMPR1B-LINE-RIP13 displayed a close relationship with the growth traits of Large White pigs. Moreover, the total number of BMPR1B-SINE+/+-RIP9 individuals born was found to be significantly higher than that of SINE−/− (p < 0.05). These two RIPs showed an obvious distribution pattern among Chinese indigenous breeds and Western commercial breeds. The expression of BMPR1B in ovaries of adult BMPR1B-SINE+/+-RIP9 Sushan pigs was found to be significantly higher in comparison to those of BMPR1B-SINE−/−-RIP9 (p < 0.05). SINE insertion of BMPR1B-SINE-RIP9 and LINE insertion of BMPR1B-LINE-RIP13 were observed to significantly increase the activity of Octamer binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) minipromoter in CHO and C2C12 cells (p < 0.01). Therefore, these two RIPs could serve as useful molecular markers for modulating the growth or reproductive traits in assisted selection of pig breeding, while the mechanisms of the insertion function should be studied further.
Evaluating Risk: Benefit Ratio of Fat-Soluble Vitamin Supplementation to SARS-CoV-2-Infected Autoimmune and Cancer Patients: Do Vitamin–Drug Interactions Exist?
Authors: Mekky Radwa , Elemam Noha , Eltahtawy Omar , Zeinelabdeen Yousra , Youness Rana
Published: October 2022

COVID-19 is a recent pandemic that mandated the scientific society to provide effective evidence-based therapeutic approaches for the prevention and treatment for such a global threat, especially to those patients who hold a higher risk of infection and complications, such as patients with autoimmune diseases and cancer. Recent research has examined the role of various fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) in reducing the severity of COVID-19 infection. Studies showed that deficiency in fat-soluble vitamins abrogates the immune system, thus rendering individuals more susceptible to COVID-19 infection. Moreover, another line of evidence showed that supplementation of fat-soluble vitamins during the course of infection enhances the viral clearance episode by promoting an adequate immune response. However, more thorough research is needed to define the adequate use of vitamin supplements in cancer and autoimmune patients infected with COVID-19. Moreover, it is crucial to highlight the vitamin–drug interactions of the COVID-19 therapeutic modalities and fat-soluble vitamins. With an emphasis on cancer and autoimmune patients, the current review aims to clarify the role of fat-soluble vitamins in SARS-CoV-2 infection and to estimate the risk-to-benefit ratio of a fat-soluble supplement administered to patients taking FDA-approved COVID-19 medications such as antivirals, anti-inflammatory, receptor blockers, and monoclonal antibodies.
Cebidae Alu Element Alignments and a Complex Non-Human Primate Radiation
Authors: Storer Jessica M. , Walker Jerilyn A. , Brown Morgan A. , Batzer Mark A.
Published: October 2022

Phylogenetic relationships among Cebidae species of platyrrhine primates are presently under debate. Studies prior to whole genome sequence (WGS) availability utilizing unidirectional Alu repeats linked Callithrix and Saguinus as sister taxa, based on a limited number of genetic markers and specimens, while the relative positions of Cebus, Saimiri and Aotus remained controversial. Multiple WGS allowed computational detection of Alu-genome junctions, however random mutation and evolutionary decay of these short-read segments prevented phylogenetic resolution. In this study, WGS for four Cebidae genomes of marmoset, squirrel monkey, owl monkey and capuchin were analyzed for full-length Alu elements and each locus was compared to the other three genomes in all possible combinations using orthologous region sequence alignments. Over 2000 candidates were aligned and subjected to visual inspection. Approximately 34% passed inspection and were considered shared in their respective category, 48% failed due to the target being present in all four genomes, having N’s in the sequence or other sequence quality anomalies, and 18% were determined to represent near parallel insertions (NP). Wet bench locus specific PCR confirmed the presence of shared Alu insertions in all phylogenetically informative categories, providing evidence of extensive incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and an abundance of Alu proliferation during the complex radiation of Cebidae taxa.
Prevalence of Dry Eyes Symptoms in Association with Contact Lenses and Refractive Status in Portugal
Authors: Sánchez-Tena Miguel Ángel , Martinez-Perez Clara , Alvarez-Peregrina Cristina ,   Núcleo de Investigação Aplicada em Ótica e Optometria
Published: October 2022

Background: Determine whether the presence of ocular symptoms in soft-contact-lens wearers changes depending on the refractive status. Methods: During the months of January to March 2022, the CLDEQ-8 questionnaire was administered to soft-contact-lens wearers. The statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS 27.0 computer program (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: A total of 251 subjects participated in the study, with a higher percentage of myopes than hyperopes (82.1% versus 16.7%; p < 0.001). Out of all total participants, 21.5% suffered from dry-eye symptoms. It was noted that hyperopes presented a higher rate of dry-eye symptoms (p = 0.041). At the same time, the spherical equivalent was more positive in the participants with dry-eye symptoms (p = 0.014). Significant differences were found based on the symptoms present with contact lenses and the degree of myopia. The intensity of visual disturbances was higher in the participants with medium myopia (median [IQR]: 1/5 [2]) compared to those with low (median [IQR]: 0/5 [2]) and high myopia (median [IQR]: 0/5 [1]) (p = 0.009). Conclusions: Contact-lens wearers with hyperopia showed a higher rate of ocular dryness than those with myopia. In turn, wearing daily-replacement lenses could be one of the reasons for the lesser presence of ocular dryness compared to monthly-replacement lenses.
Coagulation Profile of COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Kaiafa Georgia , Savopoulos Christos , Karlafti Eleni , Pantazi Konstantina , Paramythiotis Daniel , Thomaidou Evanthia , Daios Stylianos , Ztriva Eleftheria , Gionis Michalis , Fyntanidou Varvara , Argiriadou Helena , Didangelos Triantafyllos
Published: October 2022

Coronavirus disease is a viral infection that can affect multiple systems and be expressed with many—or no—symptoms. The viral infection begins when the virus binds to the host’s receptor and from that point on, it is transmitted to the rest of the body, where it causes inflammatory reactions. Among other tissues and systems, SARS-CoV-2 impacts the coagulation system, where it triggers the immunothrombotic response. Its effects are rather intense and can lead to many complications. COVID-19-associated coagulopathy is frequently observed in hospitalized patients, especially ICU patients, and can be proven detrimental. It is usually accompanied by other complications, such as sepsis-induced coagulopathy, disseminated intravascular coagulation and venous thromboembolism. Since all these conditions lead to poor prognosis for severely ill patients, thromboprophylaxis and coagulopathy prognosis are just as important as the therapeutic handling of these patients. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many biomarkers have been considered useful when trying to assess the thrombotic risk of hospitalized patients or evaluate the severity of their situation. At the same time, many drugs have already been tested—while others are still being trialed—in order to find the optimal therapy for each urgent situation.
Oxidative Stress Management in Cardiorenal Diseases: Focus on Novel Antidiabetic Agents, Finerenone, and Melatonin
Authors: Theofilis Panagiotis , Vordoni Aikaterini , Kalaitzidis Rigas G.
Published: October 2022

Oxidative stress is characterized by excessive production of reactive oxygen species together with exhausted antioxidant defenses. This constitutes a main pathophysiologic process that is implicated in cardiovascular and renal diseases. In particular, enhanced oxidative stress may lead to low-density lipoprotein accumulation and oxidation, endothelial cell activation, adhesion molecule overexpression, macrophage activation, and foam cell formation, promoting the development and progression of atherosclerosis. The deleterious kidney effects of oxidative stress are numerous, including podocytopathy, mesangial enlargement, renal hypertrophy, tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and glomerulosclerosis. The prominent role of oxidative mechanisms in cardiorenal diseases may be counteracted by recently developed pharmacotherapies such as novel antidiabetic agents and finerenone. These agents have demonstrated significant antioxidant activity in preclinical and clinical studies. Moreover, the use of melatonin as a treatment in this field has been experimentally investigated, with large-scale clinical studies being awaited. Finally, clinical implications and future directions in this field are presented.
The Role of Vitamin D in Kidney Transplantation Outcomes: A Systematic Review
Authors: Koimtzis Georgios , Stefanopoulos Leandros , Brooker Verity , Geropoulos Georgios , Chalklin Christopher G. , Gupta Sapna , Carrington-Windo Eliot , Papaioannou Maria , Papavramidis Theodosios S.
Published: October 2022

The aim of this systematic review is to assess the impact of vitamin D on the outcomes of kidney transplantation and investigate whether its deficiency is associated with a negative impact. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane databases, as well as gray literature. Ultimately, 16 articles with an average of 255.75 patients were included in this review. These articles compared the long-term outcomes of vitamin D deficiency and/or vitamin D supplementation therapy on kidney transplant recipients by assessing various parameters. Results: Most of the included studies showed a negative effect of vitamin D deficiency on kidney transplantation by being associated with a worse graft function, higher incidence of acute rejection episodes, higher incidence of proteinuria and lower overall graft and patient survival rate. Conclusions: We suggest that patients awaiting kidney transplantation have a careful evaluation in order to assess their vitamin D status and the optimal supplementation therapy. Regular follow-up of vitamin D levels post-transplant is also suggested. Prospective studies will be needed to establish the positive effects of vitamin D supplementation therapy on kidney transplant outcomes.
The Improvement of the Wear Resistance of T15 Laser Clad Coating by the Uniformity of Microstructure
Authors: Zhang Yingtao , Ma Yongliang , Duan Mingming , Wang Gang , Li Zhichao
Published: October 2022

The uniformity of microstructure and wear properties exist in the T15 coating for the laser cladding on 42CrMo steel. It can be improved by a post-heat treatment process. Temperature ranges from 1100 to 1240 °C were applied on the cladding layer to investigate the effect of the heat treatment on the wear resistance and hardness gradient. The post-heat treatment can efficiently improve the inhomogeneity of microstructure. The lower wear rate is obtained after the quenching process at 1100 °C, and the wear rate is increased though the tempering process. The carbides at the grain boundary are decomposed and integrated into the matrix during the high temperature quenching process. The carbides are precipitated and dispersed in the grain during the tempering process. The content of martensite and alloy carbide is significantly increased through the heat treatment process. The microhardness of the cladding layer is 910 HV after quenching and 750 HV after tempering. The wear mechanism of the cladding layer is mainly abrasive wear and fatigue wear. The crack and falling off from cladding layers are significantly reduced for the quenching–tempering process.
Support Resistance Levels towards Profitability in Intelligent Algorithmic Trading Models
Authors: Chan Jireh Yi-Le , Phoong Seuk Wai , Cheng Wai Khuen , Chen Yen-Lin
Published: October 2022

Past studies showed that more advanced model architectures and techniques are being developed for intelligent algorithm trading, but the input features of the models across these studies are very similar. This justifies the increasing need for new meaningful input features to better explain price movements. This study shows that the inclusion of Support Resistance input features engineered from the proposed novel methodology increased the machine learning model’s aggregate profitability performance by 65% across eight currency pairs when compared to an identical machine learning model without the Support Resistance input features. Moreover, the results also showed that the profitability distribution is statistically significantly different between two identical intelligent models with and without the Support Resistance input features, respectively. Therefore, the objective of this study is 3-fold: (1) to propose a novel methodology to automate meaningful Support Resistance price levels identification; (2) to propose a methodology to engineer Support Resistance features for Machine Learning Models to improve algorithmic trading profitability; (3) to provide empirical evidence towards the significant incremental contribution of Support Resistance (Psychological Price Levels) input features towards profitability in algorithmic trading models.
Improved Recurrent Neural Network Schema for Validating Digital Signatures in VANET
Authors: Jain Arpit , Singh Jaspreet , Kumar Sandeep , Florin-Emilian Țurcanu , Traian Candin Mihaltan , Chithaluru Premkumar
Published: October 2022

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) allow communication between stationary or moving vehicles with the assistance of wireless technology. Among various existing issues in smart VANETs, secure communication is the key challenge in VANETs with a 5G network. Smart vehicles must communicate with a broad range of advanced road systems including traffic control and smart payment systems. Many security mechanisms are used in VANETs to ensure safe transmission; one such mechanism is cryptographic digital signatures based on public key infrastructure (PKI). In this mechanism, secret private keys are used for digital signatures to validate the identity of the message along with the sender. However, the validation of the digital signatures in fast-moving vehicles is extremely difficult. Based on an improved perceptron model of an artificial neural network (ANN), this paper proposes an efficient technique for digital signature verification. Still, manual signatures are extensively used for authentication across the world. However, manual signatures are still not employed for security in automotive and mobile networks. The process of converting manual signatures to pseudo-digital-signatures was simulated using the improved Elman backpropagation (I-EBP) model. A digital signature was employed during network connection to authenticate the legitimacy of the sender’s communications. Because it contained information about the vehicle on the road, there was scope for improvement in protecting the data from attackers. Compared to existing schemes, the proposed technique achieved significant gains in computational overhead, aggregate verification delay, and aggregate signature size.
On Balanced Host Games: A Sufficient Condition for Non-Emptiness of the Core
Authors: Hwang Yan-An , Liao Yu-Hsien , Wang Bo-Yao
Published: October 2022

Non-transferable utility (NTU) games arise from many economic situations. A classic example is the exchange economy. By pooling and redistributing their initial endowments, coalitions can achieve certain distributions of gains (utilities) that make up the coalition’s feasible set. This paper studies a new class of NTU games called host games. A host game is an agent-parametrized family of NTU games, and an NTU game is associated with any agent (called the host in that case). We provide an adequate presumption for the existence of an allocation that is part of the host game’s core.
Analysis of the Stability and Optimal Control Strategy for an ISCR Rumor Propagation Model with Saturated Incidence and Time Delay on a Scale-Free Network
Authors: Yue Xuefeng , Huo Liangan
Published: October 2022

The spread of rumors in the era of new media poses a serious challenge to sustaining social order. Models regarding rumor propagation should be proposed in order to prevent them. Taking the cooling-off period into account in this paper, a modified ISCR model with saturated incidence and time delay on a scale-free network is introduced. The basic reproduction number R0, which does not depend on time delay τ, is given by simple calculation. The stability of the rumor-free and rumor-endemic equilibrium points is proved by constructing proper Lyapunov functions. The study of the ISCR rumor-spreading process acquires an understanding of the impact of many factors on the prevalence of rumors. Then, the optimal control strategy for restraining rumors is studied. Numerous sensitivity studies and numerical simulations are carried out. Based on the saturated incidence and time delay, results indicate that the effect of time delay plays a significant part in rumor propagation on a scale-free network.
Hyperbolic Directed Hypergraph-Based Reasoning for Multi-Hop KBQA
Authors: Xiao Guanchen , Liao Jinzhi , Tan Zhen , Yu Yiqi , Ge Bin
Published: October 2022

The target of the multi-hop knowledge base question-answering task is to find answers of some factoid questions by reasoning across multiple knowledge triples in the knowledge base. Most of the existing methods for multi-hop knowledge base question answering based on a general knowledge graph ignore the semantic relationship between each hop. However, modeling the knowledge base as a directed hypergraph has the problems of sparse incidence matrices and asymmetric Laplacian matrices. To make up for the deficiency, we propose a directed hypergraph convolutional network modeled on hyperbolic space, which can better deal with the sparse structure, and effectively adapt to the problem of an asymmetric incidence matrix of directed hypergraphs modeled on a knowledge base. We propose an interpretable KBQA model based on the hyperbolic directed hypergraph convolutional neural network named HDH-GCN which can update relation semantic information hop-by-hop and pays attention to different relations at different hops. The model can improve the accuracy of the multi-hop knowledge base question-answering task, and has application value in text question answering, human–computer interactions and other fields. Extensive experiments on benchmarks—PQL, MetaQA—demonstrate the effectiveness and universality of our HDH-GCN model, leading to state-of-the-art performance.
The Role of miR-375-3p, miR-210-3p and Let-7e-5p in the Pathological Response of Breast Cancer Patients to Neoadjuvant Therapy
Authors: Lisencu Lorena Alexandra , Roman Andrei , Visan Simona , Bonci Eduard-Alexandru , Pașca Andrei , Grigorescu Emilia , Mustea Elena , Cismaru Andrei , Irimie Alexandru , Lisencu Cosmin , Balacescu Loredana , Balacescu Ovidiu , Tudoran Oana
Published: October 2022

Background and Objectives: Prediction of response to therapy remains a continuing challenge in treating breast cancer, especially for identifying molecular tissue markers that best characterize resistant tumours. Microribonucleic acids (miRNA), known as master modulators of tumour phenotype, could be helpful candidates for predicting drug resistance. We aimed to assess the association of miR-375-3p, miR-210-3p and let-7e-5p in breast cancer tissues with pathological response to neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) and clinicopathological data. Material and methods: Sixty female patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at The Oncology Institute “Ion Chiricuță”, Cluj-Napoca, Romania (IOCN) were included in this study. Before patients received any treatment, fresh breast tissue biopsies were collected through core biopsy under echographic guidance and processed for total RNA extraction and miRNA quantification. The Cancer Genome Atlas Breast Invasive Carcinoma (TCGA-BRCA) database was used as an independent external validation cohort. Results: miR-375-3p expression was associated with more differentiated tumours, hormone receptor presence and lymphatic invasion. According to the Miller–Payne system, a higher miR-375-3p expression was calculated for patients that presented with intermediate versus (vs.) no pathological response. Higher miR-210-3p expression was associated with an improved response to NAT in both Miller–Payne and RCB evaluation systems. Several druggable mRNA targets were correlated with miR-375-3p and miR-210-3p expression, with upstream analysis using the IPA knowledge base revealing a list of possible chemical and biological targeting drugs. Regarding let-7e-5p, no significant association was noticed with any of the analysed clinicopathological data. Conclusions: Our results suggest that tumours with higher levels of miR-375-3p are more sensitive to neoadjuvant therapy compared to resistant tumours and that higher miR-210-3p expression in responsive tumours could indicate an excellent pathological response.
Special Issue on Drug–Membrane Interactions Volume II
Authors: Pinheiro Marina , Silva Sandra G.
Published: October 2022

There is no life without cells and there are no cells without membranes [...]
Fabrication, Microstructure, and Physico-Mechanical Properties of Fe–Cr–Ni–Mo–W High-Entropy Alloys from Elemental Powders
Authors: Ivannikov Alexander Yurievich , Grebennikov Ivan Konstantinovich , Klychevskikh Yulia Alexandrovna , Mikhailova Anna Vladimirovna , Sergienko Konstantin Victorovich , Kaplan Mikhail Alexandrovich , Lysenkov Anton Sergeevich , Sevostyanov Mikhail Anatolievich
Published: October 2022

In this work, 35Fe30Cr20Ni10Mo5W (wt.%) and 30Fe30Cr20Ni10Mo10W (wt.%) high-entropy alloys were fabricated using a powder metallurgy route. Powder mixtures for a hot-pressure process were obtained by the mixing and mechanical alloying of elemental powders. Mechanical alloying was carried out for 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 h. X-ray phase analysis of the powder mixtures showed that with increasing time of mechanical alloying, Face-Centered Cubic (FCC), Body-Centered Cubic (BCC), and nickel–iron intermetallic phases were formed in the structure, and the volume content of molybdenum and tungsten decreased. The hot-pressing was carried out at a pressure of 30 MPa and a temperature of 1200 °C for 30 min. The maximum densities of 8.14 ± 0.02 and 8.40 ± 0.01 g/cm3 and compressive strengths of 2430 ± 30 MPa and 2460 ± 35 MPa for consolidated materials were achieved using powder mixtures after 10 h of mechanical milling, for compositions with 5 wt.% W and 10 wt.% W, respectively. The workpieces fabricated with a pressure-assisted sintering process from milled powders were found to consist of FCC, BCC, and sigma phases.
RNAseq Analysis of Brown Adipose Tissue and Thyroid of Newborn Lambs Subjected to Short-Term Cold Exposure Reveals Signs of Early Whitening of Adipose Tissue
Authors: Graña-Baumgartner Andrea , Dukkipati Venkata S. R. , Kenyon Paul R. , Blair Hugh T. , López-Villalobos Nicolás , Gedye Kristene , Biggs Patrick J.
Published: October 2022

During the early postnatal period, lambs have the ability to thermoregulate body temperature via non-shivering thermogenesis through brown adipose tissue (BAT), which soon after birth begins to transform into white adipose tissue. An RNA seq approach was used to characterize the transcriptome of BAT and thyroid tissue in newborn lambs exposed to cold conditions. Fifteen newborn Romney lambs were selected and divided into three groups: group 1 (n = 3) was a control, and groups 2 and 3 (n = 6 each) were kept indoors for two days at an ambient temperature (20–22 °C) or at a cold temperature (4 °C), respectively. Sequencing was performed using a paired-end strategy through the BGISEQ-500 platform, followed by the identification of differentially expressed genes using DESeq2 and an enrichment analysis by g:Profiler. This study provides an in-depth expression network of the main characters involved in the thermogenesis and fat-whitening mechanisms that take place in the newborn lamb. Data revealed no significant differential expression of key thermogenic factors such as uncoupling protein 1, suggesting that the heat production peak under cold exposure might occur so rapidly and in such an immediate way that it may seem undetectable in BAT by day three of life. Moreover, these changes in expression might indicate the start of the whitening process of the adipose tissue, concluding the non-shivering thermogenesis period.
The Potential Protective Effect and Underlying Mechanisms of Physiological Unconjugated Hyperbilirubinemia Mediated by UGT1A1 Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy in a Mouse Model of Cyclosporine A-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Marghani Basma , El-Adl Mohamed , Ateya Ahmed , Othman Basma , Ghamry Heba , Shukry Mustafa , Soliman Mohamed , Rizk Mohamed
Published: October 2022

Cyclosporine A (CSA) is an immunosuppressive drug that has improved transplant survival rates. However, its use is often limited because it is thought to be linked to the development of chronic kidney disease after kidney transplants. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of physiological unconjugated (UC) hyperbilirubinemia mediated by UGT1A1 antisense oligonucleotide in a mouse model of CsA-induced chronic kidney disease, and match these with that of chitosan (CH) as a natural chelator against kidney injury. In the current study, CsA-treated mice were given an intravenous injection of UGT1A1 antisense morpholino oligonucleotide (16 µg/kg) every third day for 14 days. In serum samples, bilirubin, creatinine, and urea were determined. Markers of oxidative stress, antioxidant activities, and mRNA expression of target genes PPAR-α, cFn, eNOS, NF-B, AT1-R, ETA-R, Kim-1, and NGAL were measured in the kidney tissues. Moreover, histopathological examinations were carried out on the kidney tissue. Physiological UC hyperbilirubinemia could be a promising protective strategy against CsA-induced kidney disease in transplant recipients. UGT1A1 antisense oligonucleotide-induced physiological UC hyperbilirubinemia serum significantly protected against CsA-induced kidney dysfunction. UCB acts as a signaling molecule that protects against kidney disease through different mechanisms, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hormonal action, by activating nuclear hormone receptors (PPAR-α). Moreover, it significantly downregulated mRNA expression of NF-kB, ETA-R, iNOS, AT1-R, cFn, Kim-1, and NGAL in the kidney tissue and alleviated CsA-induced kidney histological changes in CsA-treated mice.
Effect of Layer Orientation and Pore Morphology on Water Transport in Multilayered Porous Graphene
Authors: Park Chulwoo , Robinson Ferlin , Kim Daejoong
Published: October 2022

In the present work, the effects on water transport due to the orientation of the layer in the multilayered porous graphene and the different patterns formed when the layer is oriented to some degrees are studied for both circular and non-circular pore configurations. Interestingly, the five-layered graphene membrane with a layer separation of 3.5 Å used in this study shows that the water transport through multilayered porous graphene can be augmented by introducing an angle to certain layers of the multilayered membrane system.
Developments in FRET- and BRET-Based Biosensors
Authors: Wu Yuexin , Jiang Tianyu
Published: October 2022

Resonance energy transfer technologies have achieved great success in the field of analysis. Particularly, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) provide strategies to design tools for sensing molecules and monitoring biological processes, which promote the development of biosensors. Here, we provide an overview of recent progress on FRET- and BRET-based biosensors and their roles in biomedicine, environmental applications, and synthetic biology. This review highlights FRET- and BRET-based biosensors and gives examples of their applications with their design strategies. The limitations of their applications and the future directions of their development are also discussed.
Heat Inactivation of Influenza Viruses—Analysis of Published Data and Estimations for Required Decimal Reduction Times for Different Temperatures and Media
Authors: Hessling Martin , Fehler Nicole , Gierke Anna-Maria , Sicks Ben , Vatter Petra
Published: October 2022

(1) Background: Influenza is a viral infection that has claimed many millions of lives over the past 100 years, and there is always a risk that a new influenza virus will emerge and cause another pandemic. One way to reduce such a potential new influenza virus will be heat inactivation. The question in this study is how much the heat sensitivities of previous influenza viruses differ. If they are very similar, it is expected that a new influenza virus can be inactivated with the same heat parameters as previous influenza viruses. (2) Methods: Through a literature search, published heat inactivation results are compiled and analyzed using Arrhenius models and regression equations for decimal reduction times for different temperatures and media determined. (3) Results: There are about 50 studies on heat inactivation of human and avian influenza viruses so far, showing large differences in heat sensitivity of influenza viruses in different media. However, within a single medium the differences between viruses are rather small. (4) Conclusions: At a temperature of 60 °C, previous influenza viruses can be reduced by 4 or more orders of magnitude within approximately 30 min in almost all media, and this is likely to be true for a potential new influenza virus. Further studies, especially on human influenza viruses, would be desirable.
Epidemiological and Cytokine Profile of Patients with Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis in a Population of the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Queiroz Maria Alice Freitas , Lima Sandra Souza , Amoras Ednelza da Silva Graça , Sousa Francisca Dayse Martins de , Souza Iury de Paula , Nunes Juliana Abreu Lima , Brasil-Costa Igor , Cayres-Vallinoto Izaura Maria Vieira , Ishak Ricardo , Vallinoto Antonio Carlos Rosário
Published: October 2022

Several factors are associated with the development of different clinical forms of tuberculosis (TB). The present study evaluated epidemiological variables and cytokine levels in samples from 89 patients with TB (75 with pulmonary TB and 14 with extrapulmonary TB) and 45 controls. Cytokines were measured by flow cytometry (Human Th1/Th2/Th17 Cytometric Bead Array kit). The TB group had a higher frequency of individuals who were 39 years of age or older, married, with primary education or illiterate and had a lower family income (p < 0.05). All individuals with extrapulmonary TB reported that they were not working, and the main reasons were related to disease symptoms or treatment. The levels of IFN-γ (OR = 4.06) and IL-4 (OR = 2.62) were more likely to be elevated in the TB group (p = 0.05), and IFN-γ levels were lower in patients with extrapulmonary TB compared to those with pulmonary TB (OR = 0.11; p = 0.0050). The ROC curve was applied to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of IFN-γ levels between the different clinical forms of tuberculosis, resulting in high AUC (0.8661; p < 0.0001), sensitivity (93.85%) and specificity median (65.90%), suggesting that IFN-γ levels are useful to differentiate pulmonary TB from extrapulmonary TB. The dysregulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels represent a risk for the development of TB and contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease, especially variation in IFN-γ levels, which may determine protection or risk for extrapulmonary TB.
Structural and Elastic Behaviour of Sodalite Na8(Al6Si6O24)Cl2 at High-Pressure by First-Principle Simulations
Authors: Ulian Gianfranco , Valdrè Giovanni
Published: October 2022

Sodalite Na8(Al6Si6O24)Cl2 (space group P4¯3n) is an important mineral belonging to the zeolite group, with several and manyfold fundamental and technological applications. Despite the interest in this mineral from different disciplines, very little is known regarding its high-pressure elastic properties. The present study aims at filling this knowledge gap, reporting the equation of state and the elastic moduli of sodalite calculated in a wide pressure range, from −6 GPa to 22 GPa. The results were obtained from Density Functional Theory simulations carried out with Gaussian-type basis sets and the well-known hybrid functional B3LYP. The DFT-D3 a posteriori correction to include the van der Waals interactions in the physical treatment of the mineral was also applied. The calculated equation of state parameters at 0 GPa and absolute zero (0 K), i.e., K0 = 70.15(7) GPa, K’ = 4.46(2) and V0 = 676.85(3) Å3 are in line with the properties derived from the stiffness tensor, and in agreement with the few experimental data reported in the literature. Sodalite was found mechanically unstable when compressed above 15.6 GPa.
Influences of Inclined Pre-Existing Flaw on Shale Failure Modes in Uniaxial Compression Tests
Authors: Ban Yuxin , Xie Qiang , Duan Jun , Fu Xiang
Published: October 2022

Numerous studies have focused on the mechanical properties of shale specimens to support hydraulic fracturing in shale gas engineering. However, the failure modes of shale specimens containing a pre-existing flaw are still not clear. A series of uniaxial compression tests were conducted on shale specimens containing a pre-existing flaw coupled with acoustic emission (AE) technology and a high-speed camera. A slow enough and variable loading speed scheme (0–50 kN: 0.1 kN/s, 50–100 kN: 0.05 kN/s; 100-failure: 0.02 kN/s) is adopted to allow microcracks to fully develop. The damage mechanism in the mesoscale from moment tensor inversion of the AE signals and the cracking behaviors on the macroscale were associated. Both the pre-existing flaw and the bedding layers had significant influences on the mechanical characteristics, progressive cracking, and failure modes of the shale specimens. The peak stress increases fluctuated as the bedding layer angle α increases, and the maximum and minimum values take place at α=90° and α=0°, respectively. In addition, the pre-existing flaw, the bedding layers, and the compression stress field jointly control the failure modes of the shale specimens. It was found that the α=0° specimen failed due to tension splitting, the α=30° specimen failed due to tension splitting and shear across the matrix, the α=60 specimen failed due to shear across the shale matrix and shear along the bedding layers, and the α=90° specimen failed due to tension along the bedding layers and shear across the shale matrix. The study can provide some references to the construction of complex crack networks in shale gas engineering.
Investigation of the Distribution of Heavy Metals in the Soil of the Dahuangshan Mining Area of the Southern Junggar Coalfield, Xinjiang, China
Authors: Zeng Qiang , Shen Li , Feng Tong , Hao Ruirui
Published: October 2022

Coal mining activities have a series of impacts on the local eco-environment, such as air pollution due to the release of toxic gases, contamination of soil with heavy metals, disturbance and contamination of surface and subsurface water, and damage to land resources with surface subsidence and accumulation of solid waste materials. This study investigated the distribution of heavy metals in mining sites by analyzing the heavy metal content in soil samples from different sites in the Dahuangshan mining area of the southern Junggar coalfield (Xinjiang, China). The results show that area C has the highest Cu content; and area B has the highest Mn content, the highest Zn content, the highest As content, and the highest Cd content, which indicate that area B underwent potential multiple heavy metal contamination. It also shows that the Cd is the major heavy metal for all three areas. The different eco-environmental indices, including the Nemerow comprehensive pollution index, the geo-accumulation index, and the potential ecological risk index, all show the same results, i.e., that Cd is the major potential contaminant in all three types of soil.
A Study of the Synthesis and Characterization of New Acrylamide Derivatives for Use as Corrosion Inhibitors in Nitric Acid Solutions of Copper
Authors: Abu-Rayyan Ahmed , Al Jahdaly Badreah Ali , AlSalem Huda S. , Alhadhrami Nahlah A. , Hajri Amira K. , Bukhari Abeer Abdulaziz H. , Waly Mohamed M. , Salem Aya M.
Published: October 2022

The objective of this research was to explore the impact of corrosion inhibition of some synthetic acrylamide derivatives 2-cyano-N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)acrylamide (ACR-2) and 2-cyano-N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-phenylacrylamide (ACR-3) on copper in 1.0 M nitric acid solution using chemical and electrochemical methods, including mass loss as a chemical method and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization (PP) as electrochemical methods. By Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1HNMR), and mass spectroscopy (MS) methods, the two compounds were verified and characterized. There is evidence that both compounds were effective corrosion inhibitors for copper in 1.0 M nitric acid (HNO3) solutions, as indicated by the PP curves, which show that these compounds may be considered mixed-type inhibitors. With the two compounds added, the value of the double-layer capacitance was reduced. In the case of 20 × 10−5 M, they reached maximum efficiencies of 84.5% and 86.1%, respectively. Having studied its behavior during adsorption on copper, it was concluded that it follows chemical adsorption and Langmuir isotherm. The theoretical computations and the experimental findings were compared using density functional theory (DFT) and Monte Carlo simulations (MC).
Heat Transport during Colloidal Mixture of Water with Al2O3-SiO2 Nanoparticles within Porous Medium: Semi-Analytical Solutions
Authors: Hashim  , Hafeez Muhammad , Khedher Nidhal Ben , Tag-EIDin Sayed Mohamed , Oreijah Mowffaq
Published: October 2022

In recent years, energy consumption has become an essential aspect in the manufacturing industry, and low heat transfer is one of the obstacles that affect the quality of the final product. This situation can be managed by suspending nanoparticles into ordinary heat transferring fluid (the base fluid). This newly prepared colloidal suspension has better heat transport capabilities. Keeping such usage of nanofluids in mind, this research was performed to better understand the heat transport characteristics during flow analysis saturated in porous media subject to Al2O3-SiO2/water hybrid nanofluids. This flow problem was generated by a stretching/shrinking surface. The surface of the sheet was under the influence of mass suction and second-order partial slip. The boundary layer flow was formulated in a system of partial differential equations by utilizing basic conservation laws in conjunction with the Tiwari and Das nanofluid model. Then, the appropriate form of the similarity transformation was adapted to transform the model into a system of ordinary differential equations. The built-in function, i.e., the bvp4c function in the MATLAB software, solved the reduced form of the boundary layer model. The novelty of this study lay in the predicting of two different exact and numerical solutions for both the flow and temperature fields. The computed results showed that the medium porosity as well as the nanoparticle volume fraction widened the existence range of the dual solutions. In addition, the investigational output exposed the fact that the temperature fields were significantly enhanced by the higher nanoparticle volume fraction. Moreover, the outcomes of this study showed a superb correlation with existing works. The present results can be utilized in various branches of science and engineering such as the polymer industry and in the treatment of different diseases.
Synthesis of LiDAR-Detectable True Black Core/Shell Nanomaterial and Its Practical Use in LiDAR Applications
Authors: Jekal Suk , Kim Jiwon , Kim Dong-Hyun , Noh Jungchul , Kim Min-Jeong , Kim Ha-Yeong , Kim Min-Sang , Oh Won-Chun , Yoon Chang-Min
Published: October 2022

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors utilize a near-infrared (NIR) laser with a wavelength of 905 nm. However, LiDAR sensors have weakness in detecting black or dark-tone materials with light-absorbing properties. In this study, SiO2/black TiO2 core/shell nanoparticles (SBT CSNs) were designed as LiDAR-detectable black materials. The SBT CSNs, with sizes of 140, 170, and 200 nm, were fabricated by a series of Stöber, TTIP sol-gel, and modified NaBH4 reduction methods. These SBT CSNs are detectable by a LiDAR sensor and, owing to their core/shell structure with intrapores on the shell (ca. 2–6 nm), they can effectively function as both color and NIR-reflective materials. Moreover, the LiDAR-detectable SBT CSNs exhibited high NIR reflectance (28.2 R%) in a monolayer system and true blackness (L* < 20), along with ecofriendliness and hydrophilicity, making them highly suitable for use in autonomous vehicles.
Exciton States and Optical Absorption in CdSe and PbS Nanoplatelets
Authors: Baghdasaryan Davit A. , Harutyunyan Volodya A. , Hayrapetyan David B. , Kazaryan Eduard M. , Baskoutas Sotirios , Sarkisyan Hayk A.
Published: October 2022

The exciton states and their influence on the optical absorption spectrum of CdSe and PbS nanoplatelets (NPLs) are considered theoretically in this paper. The problem is discussed in cases of strong, intermediate, and weak size quantization regimes of charge carrier motion in NPLs. For each size quantization regime, the corresponding potential that adequately describes the electron–hole interaction in this mode of space quantization of charge carriers is chosen. The single-particle energy spectra and corresponding wave functions for strong intermediate and weak size quantization regimes have been revealed. The dependence of material parameters on the number of monolayers in the sample has been considered. The related selection rules and the dependence of the absorption coefficient on the frequency and polarization direction of the incident light wave were obtained. The interband transition threshold energy dependencies were obtained for each size quantization regime. The effect of dielectric coefficient mismatch and different models of electron–hole interaction potentials have been studied in CdSe and PbS NPLs. It is also shown that with an increase in the linear dimensions of the structure, the threshold frequency of absorption decreases. The binding energies and absorption coefficient results for NPL with different thicknesses agree with the experimental data. The values of the absorption exciton peaks measured experimentally are close to our calculated values for CdSe and PbS samples.