bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fabry-Perot Interferometer Based on a Fiber-Tip Fixed-Supported Bridge for Fast Glucose Concentration Measurement
Authors: Tang Shuo , Zou Mengqiang , Zhao Cong , Jiang Yihang , Chen Ribao , Xu Zhourui , Yang Chengbin , Wang Xiaomei , Dong Biqin , Wang Yiping , Liao Changrui , Xu Gaixia
Published: June 2022

Blood glucose concentration is important for metabolic homeostasis in humans and animals. Many diabetic patients need to detect blood glucose daily which burdens community hospitals and family healthcare. Optical fiber sensors are widely used in biomedical detection because of their compact structure, fast response, high sensitivity, low cost, and ease of operation. In this work, we constructed a Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity biosensor for the fast detection of glucose concentration in serum. The femtosecond laser micromachining was applied to fabricate the FP cavity by printing the fiber-tip fixed-supported bridge at the end face of the optical fiber. An additional hemisphere was printed at the center of the outer surface of the bridge to avoid multi-beam interference. The results demonstrated that the proposed biosensor had high refractive index (RI) detection sensitivity, roughly 1039 nm/RIU at a wavelength of 1590 nm, and the detection sensitivity for glucose was around 0.185 nm/ (mg/mL) at a wavelength of 1590 nm. Due to its high sensitivity, compact structure, and fast response, the FP cavity biosensor has great potential to be applied in family healthcare for glucose concentration detection of diabetic patients.
Refractory Splenic Marginal Zone Lymphoma Responsive to Combination Venetoclax and Bortezomib (Velcade) (V2) Therapy
Authors: Roche Kyle C. , DeRosa Peter A. , Liu Min-Ling , Nava Victor E. , Aggarwal Anita
Published: June 2022

Standard treatment regimens for the management of patients with refractory splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL) are currently unavailable. Here, we report a case of SMZL, which, after failing multiple therapeutics, demonstrated an impressive clinical response to combined Venetoclax and Velcade (V2), a treatment combination currently being investigated in the setting of refractory multiple myeloma. We also report a unique histopathology and mutational profile that may have important implications for the characterization and prognosis of SMZL.
Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Virus Enrichment and RNA Extraction for Efficient Diagnostic Screening of Pooled Nasopharyngeal or Saliva Samples for Dilutions Up to 1:100
Authors: Marshall Jamila S. , Turiello Rachelle , Cunha Larissa L. , Frazier Ella V. , Hickey Jeff , Chapman Jeff , Poulter Melinda D. , Fehling Heather L. , Landers James P.
Published: June 2022

As COVID-19 transmission control measures are gradually being lifted, a sensitive and rapid diagnostic method for large-scale screening could prove essential for monitoring population infection rates. However, many rapid workflows for SARS-CoV-2 detection and diagnosis are not amenable to the analysis of large-volume samples. Previously, our group demonstrated a technique for SARS-CoV-2 nanoparticle-facilitated enrichment and enzymatic lysis from clinical samples in under 10 min. Here, this sample preparation strategy was applied to pooled samples originating from nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs eluted in viral transport medium (VTM) and saliva samples diluted up to 1:100. This preparation method was coupled with conventional RT-PCR on gold-standard instrumentation for proof-of-concept. Additionally, real-time PCR analysis was conducted using an in-house, ultra-rapid real-time microfluidic instrument paired with an experimentally optimized rapid protocol. Following pooling and extraction from clinical samples, average cycle threshold (CT) values from resultant eluates generally increased as the pooling dilution factor increased; further, results from a double-blind study demonstrated 100% concordance with clinical values. In addition, preliminary data obtained from amplification of eluates prepared by this technique and analyzed using our portable, ultra-rapid real-time microfluidic PCR amplification instrument showed progress toward a streamlined method for rapid SARS-CoV-2 analysis from pooled samples.
How to Evaluate COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness—An Examination of Antibody Production and T-Cell Response
Authors: Fu Yi-Chen , Su Ying-Shih , Shen Ching-Fen , Cheng Chao-Min
Published: June 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on individuals, societies, and economies worldwide and has resulted in a significant loss of life worldwide [...]
Modeling Pesticide Effects on Multiple Threatened and Endangered Cyprinid Fish Species: The Role of Life-History Traits and Ecology
Authors: Accolla Chiara , Schmolke Amelie , Jacobson Andy , Roy Colleen , Forbes Valery E. , Brain Richard , Galic Nika
Published: June 2022

Mechanistic models are invaluable in ecological risk assessment (ERA) because they facilitate extrapolation of organism-level effects to population-level effects while accounting for species life history, ecology, and vulnerability. In this work, we developed a model framework to compare the potential effects of the fungicide chlorothalonil across four listed species of cyprinid fish and explore species-specific traits of importance at the population level. The model is an agent-based model based on the dynamic energy budget theory. Toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic sub-models were used for representing direct effects, whereas indirect effects were described by decreasing food availability. Exposure profiles were constructed based on hydroxychlorothalonil, given the relatively short half-life of parent chlorothalonil. Different exposure magnification factors were required to achieve a comparable population decrease across species. In particular, those species producing fewer eggs and with shorter lifespans appeared to be more vulnerable. Moreover, sequentially adding effect sub-models resulted in different outcomes depending on the interplay of life-history traits and density-dependent compensation effects. We conclude by stressing the importance of using models in ERA to account for species-specific characteristics and ecology, especially when dealing with listed species and in accordance with the necessity of reducing animal testing.
GRU with Dual Attentions for Sensor-Based Human Activity Recognition
Authors: Pan Jianguo , Hu Zhengxin , Yin Sisi , Li Meizi
Published: June 2022

Human Activity Recognition (HAR) is nowadays widely used in intelligent perception and medical detection, and the use of traditional neural networks and deep learning methods has made great progress in this field in recent years. However, most of the existing methods assume that the data has independent identical distribution (I.I.D.) and ignore the data variability of different individual volunteers. In addition, most deep learning models are characterized by many parameters and high resources consumption, making it difficult to run in real time on embedded devices. To address these problems, this paper proposes a Gate Recurrent Units (GRU) network fusing the channel attention and the temporal attention for human activity recognition method without I.I.D. By using channel attention to mitigate sensor data bias, GRU and the temporal attention are used to capture important motion moments and aggregate temporal features to reduce model parameters. Experimental results show that our model outperforms existing methods in terms of classification accuracy on datasets without I.I.D., and reduces the number of model parameters and resources consumption, which can be easily used in low-resource embedded devices.
DroidFDR: Automatic Classification of Android Malware Using Model Checking
Authors: Yang Zhi , Chao Fan , Chen Xingyuan , Jin Shuyuan , Sun Lei , Du Xuehui
Published: June 2022

Android faces an increasing threat of malware attacks. The few existing formal detection methods have drawbacks such as complex code modeling, incomplete and inaccurate expression of family properties, and excessive manual participation. To this end, this paper proposes a formal detection method, called DroidFDR, for Android malware classification based on communicating sequential processes (CSP). In this method, the APK file of an application is converted to an easy-to-analyze representation, namely Jimple, in order to model the code behavior with CSP. The process describing the behavior of a sample is inputted to an FDR model checker to be simplified and verified against a process that is automatically abstracted from the malware to express the property of a family. The sample is classified by detecting whether it has the typical behavior of any family property. DroidFDR can capture the behavioral characteristics of malicious code such as control flow, data flow, procedure calls, and API calls. The experimental results show that the automated method can characterize the behavior patterns of applications from the structure level, with a high family classification accuracy of 99.06% in comparison with another formal detection method.
Recent Advances in Machine Learning Applied to Ultrasound Imaging
Authors: Micucci Monica , Iula Antonio
Published: June 2022

Machine learning (ML) methods are pervading an increasing number of fields of application because of their capacity to effectively solve a wide variety of challenging problems. The employment of ML techniques in ultrasound imaging applications started several years ago but the scientific interest in this issue has increased exponentially in the last few years. The present work reviews the most recent (2019 onwards) implementations of machine learning techniques for two of the most popular ultrasound imaging fields, medical diagnostics and non-destructive evaluation. The former, which covers the major part of the review, was analyzed by classifying studies according to the human organ investigated and the methodology (e.g., detection, segmentation, and/or classification) adopted, while for the latter, some solutions to the detection/classification of material defects or particular patterns are reported. Finally, the main merits of machine learning that emerged from the study analysis are summarized and discussed.
Line Loss Interval Algorithm for Distribution Network with DG Based on Linear Optimization under Abnormal or Missing Measurement Data
Authors: Liang Chen , Chen Chang , Wang Weizhou , Ma Xiping , Li Yuying , Jiang Tong
Published: June 2022

Data collection is more difficult in distribution network than transmission networks since the structure of distribution networks is more complex. As a result, data could be partly abnormal or missing, which cannot completely describe the operation status of distribution network. In addition, access of distributed generation (DG) to distribution network further aggravates the variability of power flow in distribution network. The traditional deterministic line loss calculation method has some limitations in accurately estimating the line loss of distribution network with DG. A line loss interval calculation method based on power flow calculation and linear optimization is proposed, considering abnormal data collection and distribution network power flow variability. The linear optimization model is established according to sensitivity of line loss to the injected power and sensitivity of transmission power of first branch to the injected power. Introducing the scheduling information into the optimization model, a reliable line loss fluctuation interval can be obtained which actual line loss locates. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is verified in IEEE 33-bus distribution network system.
Model for Optimal Power Coefficient Tracking and Loss Reduction of the Wind Turbine Systems
Authors: Sohail Kashif , Farzaneh Hooman
Published: June 2022

This research aimed to introduce a comprehensive mathematical modeling approach based on the maximization of the power coefficient (Cp) to obtain the regulation in pitch angle and tip speed ratio (TSP), taking into account the detailed power losses at the different stages of the power train of the wind turbine. The model is used to track the optimal power coefficient of the wind turbine power train, considering both direct (without gearbox) and indirect (with gearbox) drive configurations. The result of the direct driveline was validated with a 100 W horizontal-axis wind turbine experimental system. The model estimated the optimal value of Cp at 0.48 for a pitch angle of 0 degrees and a TSR of 8.1, which could be obtained at a wind speed of around 11.2 m/s. The results also revealed that, within the lower wind regime, windage, hysteresis, and eddy current losses dominated, while during higher wind regimes, the copper, stray load, and insulator gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) losses gained high values. The developed model was applied to a 20 kW indirect drive wind turbine installed in Gwadar city in Pakistan. Compared with the direct coupling, the optimal value of Cp was obtained at a higher value of the pitch angle (1.7 degrees) and a lower value of TSR (around 6) due to the significant impact of the gear and copper losses in an indirect drivetrain.
Influence of a New Type of Two-Speed Planetary Gear Automatic Transmission on the Performance of Battery Electric Vehicles
Authors: Zhang Wei , Yang Jue , Zhang Wenming
Published: June 2022

This paper introduces a new two-speed planetary gear automatic transmission using an electronically controlled wedge clutch. In order to verify the feasibility of using this transmission in pure electric vehicles, the influencing factors of the two-speed transmission due to the increase in mass and the reduction in transmission efficiency are introduced. The vehicle simulation model was established on the MATLAB/Simulink platform, and the dynamic programming method was used to optimize the transmission ratio and shifting law. The simulation results show that the use of a two-speed automatic transmission can effectively improve the economic performance and dynamic performance of battery electric vehicles.
Experimental Investigation of Gaseous Sodium Release in Slag-Tapping Coal-Fired Furnaces by Spontaneous Emission Spectroscopy
Authors: Jing Xuehui , Pu Yang , Li Zhaoyu , Tang Quanli , Yao Bin , Fu Peifang , Lou Chun , Lim Mooktzeng
Published: June 2022

High-alkali coal is rich in alkali metals, which can cause serious effects such as slagging and corrosion on the heating surface during combustion and utilization. A portable spectral system was utilized to simultaneously measure gaseous Na concentration and temperature in a 20 kW slag-tapping combustor and a slagging boiler furnace of a 300 MW power generation unit by flame spontaneous emission spectroscopy (FES) for simultaneous measuring. The result shows that both ZD-FK and ZD-HSQ (Fukang coal and Hongshaquan coal, Xinjiang Zhundong high-alkali coal) combustion flame temperatures are around 1400 °C at the outlet of the cyclone burner while the latter is slightly higher. The sodium concentration in the gas phase increases with the rising of the initial combustion temperature and unit load for one kind of coal, and the level of sodium concentration has a strong correlation with the Na content for different coal. Most of the sodium in the high temperature zone of the furnace exists in the form of gas phase, and more sodium migrates to fly ash. Combined with the analysis of fly ash and liquid slag samples, a closed-loop analysis of the Na migration path could be established.
Short-Term PV Power Forecasting Using a Regression-Based Ensemble Method
Authors: Lateko Andi A. H. , Yang Hong-Tzer , Huang Chao-Ming
Published: June 2022

One of the most critical aspects of integrating renewable energy sources into the smart grid is photovoltaic (PV) power generation forecasting. This ensemble forecasting technique combines several forecasting models to increase the forecasting accuracy of the individual models. This study proposes a regression-based ensemble method for day-ahead PV power forecasting. The general framework consists of three steps: model training, creating the optimal set of weights, and testing the model. In step 1, a Random forest (RF) with different parameters is used for a single forecasting method. Five RF models (RF1, RF2, RF3, RF4, and RF5) and a support vector machine (SVM) for classification are established. The hyperparameters for the regression-based method involve learners (linear regression (LR) or support vector regression (SVR)), regularization (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) or Ridge), and a penalty coefficient for regularization (λ). Bayesian optimization is performed to find the optimal value of these three hyperparameters based on the minimum function. The optimal set of weights is obtained in step 2 and each set of weights contains five weight coefficients and a bias. In the final step, the weather forecasting data for the target day is used as input for the five RF models and the average daily weather forecasting data is also used as input for the SVM classification model. The SVM output selects the weather conditions, and the corresponding set of weight coefficients from step 2 is combined with the output from each RF model to obtain the final forecasting results. The stacking recurrent neural network (RNN) is used as a benchmark ensemble method for comparison. Historical PV power data for a PV site in Zhangbin Industrial Area, Taiwan, with a 2000 kWp capacity is used to test the methodology. The results for the single best RF model, the stacking RNN, and the proposed method are compared in terms of the mean relative error (MRE), the mean absolute error (MAE), and the coefficient of determination (R2) to verify the proposed method. The results for the MRE show that the proposed method outperforms the best RF method by 20% and the benchmark method by 2%.
A General Description of Karst Types
Authors: Veress Márton
Published: June 2022

This study includes a general description of the Earth’s karst types based on literary data and field observations. An improved classification of karst types distinguishes the main group, group, and subgroup; and, a division of karst types involves a main karst type, karst type, subtype, variety, and non-individual karst type. The relation between karst type and karst area is described. The role of various characteristics of karsts in the development of primary, secondary, and tertiary karst types is analyzed. Their structure is studied, which includes a geomorphic agent, process, feature, feature assemblage, karst system and the characteristics of the bearing karst area. Dominant, tributary, and accessory features are distinguished. The conditions of the stability and the development of types are studied, transformation ways are classified, and the effect of climate on types is described.
Blockchain Technology for Supply Chain Management: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Chang Aichih , El-Rayes Nesreen , Shi Jim
Published: June 2022

Firms are eager to adopt new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Cloud Computing, Big Data, etc., as they witness successful business applications. As one of the disruptive technologies, Blockchain technology (BCT) has been drawing attention stemming from cryptocurrency proliferation (e.g., Bitcoin and Ethereum), for which Blockchain serves as the backbone. However, the public is haunted by the bewilderment between cryptocurrencies and BCT. Furthermore, the burgeoning of Metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFT) has raised BCT to another notch. This study conducts a holistic literature review on BCT features, implementations, and business implications. In particular, by reviewing and analyzing 2265 up-to-date articles that reveal BCT’s applications across various fields, this Blockchain-centered study reveals the research status and delineates future research directions. It is shown that, among various characteristics of BCT, traceability is the main characteristic fueling BCT’s application in supply chain management (SCM). We further find that the BCT-related research has been extremely growing in SCM, healthcare, and government, while declining in the areas of banking and cyber security. Geographically, the top countries with BCT-related publications are China, U.S., and India. Finally, it is emphasized that BCT-related research in environmental sciences and agriculture have potential to be explored.
Combined Effect of Chitosan Coating and Laurel Essential Oil (Laurus nobilis) on the Microbiological, Chemical, and Sensory Attributes of Water Buffalo Meat
Authors: Karakosta Lydia K. , Vatavali Kornilia A. , Kosma Ioanna S. , Badeka Anastasia V. , Kontominas Michael G.
Published: June 2022

The combined effect of chitosan coating (CHI) and laurel essential oil (LEO) on the shelf-life extension of water buffalo meat stored under aerobic packaging conditions at 4 °C was investigated. Microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory attributes were monitored over an 18-day storage period. Microbiological data indicated that the (CHI) coating along with (LEO) was the most efficient among treatments in reducing populations of bacteria by 3.2 log cfu/g on day 6 of storage (p < 0.05). pH values of meat varied between 6.04 and 6.21, while thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values were equal to or less than 2.12 mg malondialdehyde/kg throughout storage. The colour parameter L* and a* values decreased, while b* values increased during storage (p < 0.05). Taste proved to be a more sensitive sensory attribute than odour. Based on sensory and microbiological data, product shelf life was approximately 5–6 days for control samples, 7–8 days for samples treated with (LEO), 12 days for samples treated with (CHI), and 13–14 days for samples treated with (CHI + LEO).
A Comparative Study of the Influence of Various Fungal-Based Pretreatments of Grape Pomace on Phenolic Compounds Recovery
Authors: Šelo Gordana , Planinić Mirela , Tišma Marina , Grgić Josipa , Perković Gabriela , Koceva Komlenić Daliborka , Bucić-Kojić Ana
Published: June 2022

Wineries produce considerable amounts of grape pomace, which is a readily available natural source of bioactive phenolic compounds. In this study, grape pomace was used as a substrate for the cultivation of eleven filamentous fungi (Trametes versicolor TV6, Trametes versicolor TV8, Trametes versicolor AG613, Trametes gibbosa, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, Pleurotus eryngii, Ganoderma lucidum, Ganoderma resinaceum, Humicola grisea, and Rhizopus oryzae) under solid-state conditions (SSF) for 15 days with the aim of improving the recovery of the individual phenolic compounds. Twenty-one phenolic compounds were quantified and the recovery of seventeen of them (gallic acid, ellagic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, syringic acid, vanillic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, ferulic acid, o-coumaric acid, p-coumaric acid, epicatechin gallate, galocatechin gallate, quercetin, kaempferol, procyanidin B1, procyanidin B2, resveratrol, and ε-viniferin) were positively affected by SSF. Ellagic acid is the most recovered compound, whose content increased 8.8-fold after 15 days of biological treatment with Ceriporiopsis subvermispora compared to the untreated initial sample. Among the microorganisms tested, the fungi Pleurotus eryngii and Rhizopus oryzae proved to be the most effective in increasing the recovery of most phenolic compounds (1.1–4.5-fold). In addition, the nutrient composition (proteins, ash, fats) of grape pomace was positively affected by the biological treatments.
Novel Hydrocolloids Obtained from Mango (Mangifera indica) var. Hilaza: Chemical, Physicochemical, Techno-Functional, and Structural Characteristics
Authors: Marsiglia-Fuentes Ronald , Quintana Somaris E. , García Zapateiro Luis A.
Published: June 2022

Background: Hydrocolloids are ingredients used to improve the technological properties of products; currently, there is a growing demand from the food industry and consumers to use natural ingredients and reduce the environmental impact. Methods: This work evaluated the effect of pH on hydrocolloid extraction from the pulp, seed, and peel of mango (Mangifera indica) var. hilaza and their chemical, physicochemical, techno-functional, and structural properties. Results: The main component of the hydrocolloid was the carbohydrates for pulp (22.59%) and peel (24.05%), and the protein for seed (21.48%) was corroborated by NIR spectra and associated with the technological and functional properties. The solubility increases with the temperature presenting values higher than 75% at 80 °C; the swelling index was higher than 30%, while the water holding capacity was higher in samples with higher carbohydrate content (110–121%). Moreover, a higher content of total phenolic compounds (21.61 ± 0.39–51.77 ± 2.48 mg GAE/g) and antioxidant activity (≥193.82 μMol Trolox/g) was obtained. The pH of extraction changes the color parameters and microstructural properties. Conclusions: Novel ingredients from mango pulp, seed, and peel at different pH levels have technological and functional properties that are potential use in the food industry as an alternative to the development of microstructural products.
Development and Validation of Filial Piety Representations at Parents’ End of Life Scale
Authors: Che Sok-Leng , Ng Wai-I , Li Xiang , Zhu Mingxia
Published: June 2022

Filial piety has a long historical standing in Chinese communities. However, the filial piety practices of adult children at the end of a parent’s life are under-explored. This study aims to develop a measurement for filial piety representations of the adult children of Macao Chinese, whose parents are at the stage of end of life. By adopting a scale development and validation framework, a 19-item Filial Piety Representations at Parents’ End of Life Scale (FPR-EoL) was formulated based on a Dual Filial Piety Model and literature, through procedures of item identification, panel review, cognitive interviews, and pre-test. The FPR-EoL was examined on 274 individuals. Factor analysis showed four factors in the scale; respect and comfort, acceptance of death, spending final days, and disclosing bad news. The Cronbach’s alpha of FPR-EoL was 0.73, and the four factors were 0.73, 0.66, 0.58 and 0.77, respectively. Discriminant validity was examined between FPR-EoL, the Good Death Inventory (GDI) and the Filial Piety Scale (FPS). The results suggested that there were differences between the three scales. FPR-EoL is found to be a reliable, valid and novel measure of filial piety representations among Macao Chinese. It may be a potential tool to probe and achieve good death among older persons of Chinese ethnicity in clinical settings.
The Coordinated Development and Regulation Research on Public Health, Ecological Environment and Economic Development: Evidence from the Yellow River Basin of China
Authors: Wei Wei , Jin Chenggong , Han Ying , Huang Zhenhui , Niu Tong , Li Jinkai
Published: June 2022

The dual problems of the public crisis from the global epidemic and the deterioration of the ecological environment constrain the economic development in the Yellow River Basin. To promote the sustainable and balanced development in the Yellow River Basin, this paper takes public health, ecological environment, and economic development, as a whole, to study the coordinated development of the Yellow River Basin. Based on coupling coordinated theory, we use the SMI-P method to evaluate the coordinated development index of public health, the ecological environment, and economic development in the Yellow River Basin. Moreover, we use the coordinated regulation and obstacle factor diagnosis to identify the main influencing factors and design regulation methods to optimize the coordinated development index. The results found that (1), during the research period, there is spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the coordinated development level in the Yellow River Basin. From 2009 to 2019, the overall development index increased steadily, while the regional disparity in the coordinated development level was obvious. (2) The ecological environment indicators contribute more to the relevance and obstacle factors, such as the average concentration of fine particulate matter, per capita arable land area, afforestation area, etc. (3) After regulating the overall development level of the Yellow River Basin, we prove that Path 4, which comprehensively considers the relevance and obstacle factors, performs better.
Patients’ and Nurses’ Perceptions of Diabetes Self-Management in Oman: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Al Mahrouqi Abdullah Salim , Mallinson Robert Kevin , Oh Kyeung Mi , Weinstein Ali A.
Published: June 2022

Patient-centered care enhances diabetes self-management; however, the primary care nurse’s role in promoting diabetes self-management within a patient-centered care model is unexplored. This study investigated the perceptions of Omani patients with type-2 diabetes and their clinic nurses on the nurses’ role in promoting diabetes self-management within a patient-centered care approach. The thematic analysis of the data from individual interviews with patients (n = 24) revealed two themes: patients experienced “missteps on an unclear path” and “nurses doing their best.” Patients struggled to identify treatment goals and faltered in their attempts to adopt diabetes self-management behaviors. The nurses’ role was perceived as task-oriented. Nurse narratives (n = 21) revealed that very few nurses were aware of the patient-centered care philosophy. A theme emerged of nurses “needing a new perspective” to transition their care delivery to align with the patient-centered care model. Nurses expected patients to comply with their instructions and missed opportunities for assessment, engagement, and collaborative problem-solving during patient encounters. The shift from a physician-based medical model to a patient-centered primary care delivery system may necessitate that nurses engage more effectively with patients, collaborate on an individual treatment plan, and motivate them to adopt self-management behaviors.
Determinants of Telehealth Service Use among Mental Health Patients: A Case of Rural Louisiana
Authors: Sizer Monteic A. , Bhatta Dependra , Acharya Binod , Paudel Krishna P.
Published: June 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic decreased the in-person outpatient visits and accelerated the use of telehealth services among mental health patients. Our study investigated the sociodemographic and clinical correlates of the intensity of telehealth use among mental health patients residing in rural Louisiana, United States. The study sample included 7069 telehealth visits by 1115 unique patients encountered from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 at six mental health outpatient clinics managed by the Northeast Delta Human Services Authority (NEDHSA). We performed a negative binomial regression analysis with the intensity of service use as the outcome variable. Being younger, female, and more educated were associated with a higher number of telehealth visits. The prevalence of other chronic conditions increased telehealth visits by 10%. The telehealth service intensity varied across the nature of mental health diagnoses, with patients diagnosed with the schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders utilizing 15% fewer telehealth visits than patients diagnosed with depressive disorders. The promotion of telehealth services among mental health patients in the rural setting might require the elimination of the digital divide with a particular focus on the elderly, less educated, and those with serious mental health illnesses such as schizophrenia and psychotic disorders.
Systemic Anticancer Therapy Details and Dental Adverse Effects in Children
Authors: Jodłowska Anna , Postek-Stefańska Lidia
Published: June 2022

An idea of therapy intensification in order to make anticancer treatment more effective is still being investigated. The study aimed to estimate the impact of the chemotherapy dose levels and treatment duration on the risk for dental development disturbance. The clinical examination and OPG analysis were carried out in 37 cancer survivors and germ agenesis, microdontia, size reduction, taurodontism, root and enamel abnormalities were identified. An analysis of anticancer treatment was carried out separately for vincristine (VCR), doxorubicin (DXR), cyclophosphamide (CP), etoposide (VP-16), carboplatin (CBDCA) and actinomycin D (ACTD) recipients in terms of treatment duration and drug doses administered. Individuals aged between three years and ten months, and seven years and four months, at diagnosis presented with no severe dental abnormalities, regardless of treatment duration and increasing cytotoxic drug doses. The largest number of abnormalities per one person was noted in the survivors treated with the highest single doses of VCR, DXR, CP and ACTD. No similar observation was made in the cases of cumulative and weekly doses analyzed. Moreover, there were no significant differences between the mean number of abnormalities across all the drug groups.
Mechanistic Insight into Permeation of Plasma-Generated Species from Vacuum into Water Bulk
Authors: Razzokov Jamoliddin , Fazliev Sunnatullo , Kodirov Akbar , AttrI Pankaj , Chen Zhitong , Shiratani Masaharu
Published: June 2022

Due to their potential benefits, cold atmospheric plasmas (CAPs), as biotechnological tools, have been used for various purposes, especially in medical and agricultural applications. The main effect of CAP is associated with reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). In order to deliver these RONS to the target, direct or indirect treatment approaches have been employed. The indirect method is put into practice via plasma-activated water (PAW). Despite many studies being available in the field, the permeation mechanisms of RONS into water at the molecular level still remain elusive. Here, we performed molecular dynamics simulations to study the permeation of RONS from vacuum into the water interface and bulk. The calculated free energy profiles unravel the most favourable accumulation positions of RONS. Our results, therefore, provide fundamental insights into PAW and RONS chemistry to increase the efficiency of PAW in biological applications.
Analysis of Nanomaterials on Biological and Environmental Systems and New Analytical Methods for Improved Detection
Authors: Reagen Sarah , Zhao Julia Xiaojun
Published: June 2022

The advancing field of nanoscience has produced lower mass, smaller size, and expanded chemical composition nanoparticles over recent years. These new nanoparticles have challenged traditional analytical methods of qualification and quantification. Such advancements in nanoparticles and nanomaterials have captured the attention of toxicologists with concerns regarding the environment and human health impacts. Given that nanoparticles are only limited by size (1–100 nm), their chemical and physical characteristics can drastically change and thus alter their overall nanotoxicity in unpredictable ways. A significant limitation to the development of nanomaterials is that traditional regulatory and scientific methods used to assess the biological and environmental toxicity of chemicals do not generally apply to the assessment of nanomaterials. Significant research effort has been initiated, but much more is still needed to develop new and improved analytical measurement methods for detecting and quantitating nanomaterials in biological and environmental systems.
The Consequences of Mitochondrial T10432C Mutation in Cika Cattle: A “Potential” Model for Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy
Authors: Novosel Dinko , Brajković Vladimir , Simčič Mojca , Zorc Minja , Svara Tanja , Cakanic Karmen Branovic , Jungić Andreja , Logar Betka , Cubric-Curik Vlatka , Dovc Peter , Curik Ino
Published: June 2022

While mitogenome mutations leading to pathological manifestations are rare, more than 200 such mutations have been described in humans. In contrast, pathogenic mitogenome mutations are rare in domestic animals and have not been described at all in cattle. In the small local Slovenian cattle breed Cika, we identified (next-generation sequencing) two cows with the T10432C mitogenome mutation in the ND4L gene, which corresponds to the human T10663C mutation known to cause Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Pedigree analysis revealed that the cows in which the mutation was identified belong to two different maternal lineages with 217 individual cows born between 1997 and 2020. The identified mutation and its maternal inheritance were confirmed by Sanger sequencing across multiple generations, whereas no single analysis revealed evidence of heteroplasmy. A closer clinical examination of one cow with the T10432C mutation revealed exophthalmos, whereas histopathological examination revealed retinal ablations, subretinal oedema, and haemorrhage. The results of these analyses confirm the presence of mitochondrial mutation T10432C with homoplasmic maternal inheritance as well as clinical and histopathological signs similar to LHON in humans. Live animals with the mutation could be used as a suitable animal model that can improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of LHON and other mitochondriopathies.
Molecular Mechanism of Pathogenesis and Treatment Strategies for AL Amyloidosis
Authors: Ikura Hidehiko , Endo Jin , Kitakata Hiroki , Moriyama Hidenori , Sano Motoaki , Fukuda Keiichi
Published: June 2022

In amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis, small B-cell clones (mostly plasma cell clones) present in the bone marrow proliferate and secrete unstable monoclonal free light chains (FLCs), which form amyloid fibrils that deposit in the interstitial tissue, resulting in organ injury and dysfunction. AL amyloidosis progresses much faster than other types of amyloidosis, with a slight delay in diagnosis leading to a marked exacerbation of cardiomyopathy. In some cases, the resulting heart failure is so severe that chemotherapy cannot be administered, and death sometimes occurs within a few months. To date, many clinical studies have focused on therapeutics, especially chemotherapy, to treat this disease. Because it is necessary to promptly lower FLC, the causative protein of amyloid, to achieve a hematological response, various anticancer agents targeting neoplastic plasma cells are used for the treatment of this disease. In addition, many basic studies using human specimens to elucidate the pathophysiology of AL have been conducted. Gene mutations associated with AL, the characteristics of amyloidogenic LC, and the structural specificity of amyloid fibrils have been clarified. Regarding the mechanism of cellular and tissue damage, the mass effect due to amyloid deposition, as well as the toxicity of pre-fibrillar LC, is gradually being elucidated. This review outlines the pathogenesis and treatment strategies for AL amyloidosis with respect to its molecular mechanisms.
Secreted miR-153 Controls Proliferation and Invasion of Higher Gleason Score Prostate Cancer
Authors: Bertoli Gloria , Panio Antonella , Cava Claudia , Gallivanone Francesca , Alini Martina , Strano Giulia , Molfino Federico , Brioschi Loredana , Viani Paola , Porro Danilo
Published: June 2022

Prostate cancer (PC) is a male common neoplasm and is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. PC is traditionally diagnosed by the evaluation of prostate secreted antigen (PSA) in the blood. Due to the high levels of false positives, digital rectal examination and transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy are necessary in uncertain cases with elevated PSA levels. Nevertheless, the high mortality rate suggests that new PC biomarkers are urgently needed to help clinical diagnosis. In a previous study, we have identified a network of genes, altered in high Gleason Score (GS) PC (GS ≥ 7), being regulated by miR-153. Until now, no publication has explained the mechanism of action of miR-153 in PC. By in vitro studies, we found that the overexpression of miR-153 in high GS cell lines is required to control cell proliferation, migration and invasion rates, targeting Kruppel-like factor 5 (KLF5). Moreover, miR-153 could be secreted by exosomes and microvesicles in the microenvironment and, once entered into the surrounding tissue, could influence cellular growth. Being upregulated in high GS human PC, miR-153 could be proposed as a circulating biomarker for PC diagnosis.
Variations in Blood Platelet Proteome and Transcriptome Revealed Altered Expression of Transgelin-2 in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients
Authors: Szelenberger Rafał , Jóźwiak Paweł , Kacprzak Michał , Bijak Michał , Zielińska Marzenna , Olender Alina , Saluk-Bijak Joanna
Published: June 2022

Proteomic analyses based on mass spectrometry provide a powerful tool for the simultaneous identification of proteins and their signatures. Disorders detection at the molecular level delivers an immense impact for a better understanding of the pathogenesis and etiology of various diseases. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) refers to a group of heart diseases generally associated with rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque and partial or complete thrombotic obstruction of the blood flow in the infarct-related coronary artery. The essential role in the pathogenesis of ACS is related to the abnormal, pathological activation of blood platelets. The multifactorial and complex character of ACS indicates the need to explain the molecular mechanisms responsible for thrombosis. In our study, we performed screening and comparative analysis of platelet proteome from ACS patients and healthy donors. Two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis and nanoscale liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry showed altered expressions of six proteins (i.e., vinculin, transgelin-2, fibrinogen β and γ chains, apolipoprotein a1, and tubulin β), with the overlapping increased expression at the mRNA level for transgelin-2. Dysregulation in protein expression identified in our study may be associated with an increased risk of thrombotic events, correlated with a higher aggregability of blood platelets and induced shape change, thus explaining the phenomenon of the hyperreactivity of blood platelets in ACS.
An Interactive Virtual Home Navigation System Based on Home Ontology and Commonsense Reasoning
Authors: Schalkwijk Alan , Yatsu Motoki , Morita Takeshi
Published: June 2022

In recent years, researchers from the fields of computer vision, language, graphics, and robotics have tackled Embodied AI research. Embodied AI can learn through interaction with the real world and virtual environments and can perform various tasks in virtual environments using virtual robots. However, many of these are one-way tasks in which the interaction is interrupted only by answering questions or requests to the user. In this research, we aim to develop a two-way interactive navigation system by introducing knowledge-based reasoning to Embodied AI research. Specifically, the system obtains guidance candidates that are difficult to identify with existing common-sense reasoning alone by reasoning with the constructed home ontology. Then, we develop a two-way interactive navigation system in which the virtual robot can guide the user to the location in the virtual home environment that the user needs while repeating multiple conversations with the user. We evaluated whether the proposed system was able to present appropriate guidance locations as candidates based on users’ speech input about their home environment. For the evaluation, we extracted the speech data from the corpus of daily conversation, the speech data created by the subject, and the correct answer data for each data and calculated the precision, recall, and F-value. As a result, the F-value was 0.47 for the evaluation data extracted from the daily conversation corpus, and the F-value was 0.49 for the evaluation data created by the subject.
Direct Method to Design Solar Photovoltaics to Reduce Energy Consumption of Aeration Tanks in Wastewater Treatment Plants
Authors: Zacchei Enrico , Colacicco Antonio
Published: June 2022

Photovoltaic (PV) energy systems are considered good renewable energy technologies due to their high production of clean energy. This paper combines a PV system with wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), which are usually designed separately. For this, a recent methodology was adopted, which provides direct steps to estimate the peak powers of PV plants (PVPs) by using the airflow of blowers. The goal was to reduce the energy consumption of aeration tanks in WWTPs. Analytical equations and parameters based on the air temperature, solar irradiation, biological kinetic, dissolved oxygen, and mechanical oxygenation are adopted. The key parameter in this methodology is the air temperature variation that represents an approximated temperature in the WWTP’s oxidation tanks. It is shown, through the analysis of small WWTPs, that since the temperature changes for each season, there is a peak in the function of the quantity of oxidation, which is high in the summer season. Further, the curve trends of temperature for WWRPs are similar to PVPs. Therefore, it could be possible to design the PV system with the WWTPs well. The results show that the air temperature curves increase in a directly proportional way with the consumption of energy from oxidation blowers; this could induce a more conservative PVP design. Furthermore, the results show that the mean trend of the energy consumption of the analyzed aeration systems reaches about 8.0% at a temperature of 20–25 °C, covering a good part of the oxidation tank consumption.
The Interventricular Septum: Structure, Function, Dysfunction, and Diseases
Authors: Triposkiadis Filippos , Xanthopoulos Andrew , Boudoulas Konstantinos Dean , Giamouzis Grigorios , Boudoulas Harisios , Skoularigis John
Published: June 2022

Vertebrates developed pulmonary circulation and septated the heart into venous and arterial compartments, as the adaptation from aquatic to terrestrial life requires more oxygen and energy. The interventricular septum (IVS) accommodates the ventricular portion of the conduction system and contributes to the mechanical function of both ventricles. Conditions or diseases that affect IVS structure and function (e.g., hypertrophy, defects, other) may lead to ventricular pump failure and/or ventricular arrhythmias with grave consequences. IVS structure and function can be evaluated today using current imaging techniques. Effective therapies can be provided in most cases, although definitions of underlying etiologies may not always be easy, particularly in the elderly due to overlap between genetic and acquired causes of IVS hypertrophy, the most common being IVS abnormality. In this review, state-of-the-art information regarding IVS morphology, physiology, physiopathology, and disease is presented.