bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantifying Antibiotic Distribution in Solid and Liquid Fractions of Manure Using a Two-Step, Multi-Residue Antibiotic Extraction
Authors: Poindexter Carlton , Yarberry Andrea , Rice Clifford , Lansing Stephanie
Published: December 2022

Antibiotic distribution and analysis within liquid and solid fractions of manure are highly variable due to each compound’s respective physiochemical properties. This study developed and evaluated a uniform method extracting 10 antibiotics from 4 antibiotic classes (tetracycline, sulfonamides, macrolides, and β-lactam) from unprocessed manure, solid–liquid separated manure, and composted solids. Through systematic manipulation of previously published liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry methods; this study developed an extraction protocol with optimized recovery efficiencies for varied manure substrates. The method includes a two-step, liquid-solid extraction using 10 mL of 0.1 M EDTA-McIlviane buffer followed by 10 mL of methanol. Antibiotics recoveries from unprocessed manure, separated liquids, separated solids, and heat-treated solids using the two-step extraction method had relative standard deviations < 30% for all but ceftiofur. Total antibiotic recoveries were 67–131% for tetracyclines, 56% for sulfonamide, 49–53% for macrolides, and 1.3–66% for β-lactams. This is the first study to use one protocol to assess four classes of antibiotics in liquid and solid manure fractions. This study allowed for more precise risk assessment of antibiotic transport in manure waste stream applied to fields as a liquid or solid compost.
Oxidative Stress and Antioxidants—A Critical Review on In Vitro Antioxidant Assays
Authors: Kotha Raghavendhar R. , Tareq Fakir Shahidullah , Yildiz Elif , Luthria Devanand L.
Published: December 2022

Antioxidants have been widely studied in the fields of biology, medicine, food, and nutrition sciences. There has been extensive work on developing assays for foods and biological systems. The scientific communities have well-accepted the effectiveness of endogenous antioxidants generated in the body. However, the health efficacy and the possible action of exogenous dietary antioxidants are still questionable. This may be attributed to several factors, including a lack of basic understanding of the interaction of exogenous antioxidants in the body, the lack of agreement of the different antioxidant assays, and the lack of specificity of the assays, which leads to an inability to relate specific dietary antioxidants to health outcomes. Hence, there is significant doubt regarding the relationship between dietary antioxidants to human health. In this review, we documented the variations in the current methodologies, their mechanisms, and the highly varying values for six common food substrates (fruits, vegetables, processed foods, grains, legumes, milk, and dairy-related products). Finally, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the antioxidant assays and examine the challenges in correlating the antioxidant activity of foods to human health.
Retrofit Analysis of a Historical Building in an Architectural Constrained Area: A Case Study in Rome, Italy
Authors: Battista Gabriele , de Lieto Vollaro Emanuele , Ocłoń Paweł , de Lieto Vollaro Roberto
Published: December 2022

A significant portion of Europe’s historical buildings have significant potential for energy efficiency. Social policy is typically opposed to energy retrofits because it is concerned about damaging historical or cultural sites. Contrarily, there are several approaches to energy efficiency that may be used with historic structures while also retaining the region’s architectural constraints. The findings of this study demonstrate that historical structures, which are typically not targets of energy efficiency technology because of architectural constraints on the building or in the neighbourhood, may also achieve a meaningful decrease in energy usage and GHG emissions. The significant energy-saving capability of this type of building is emphasized in the historical structure taken into consideration. The historical building object of the present study was built in the beginning of the 1900s and it was selected by the Ministry of Culture for energy efficiency improvements.
Satellite Image Super-Resolution by 2D RRDB and Edge-Enhanced Generative Adversarial Network
Authors: Liu Tsung-Jung , Chen Yu-Zhang
Published: December 2022

With the gradually increasing demand for high-resolution images, image super-resolution (SR) technology has become more and more important in our daily life. In general, high resolution is often accomplished by increasing the accuracy and density of the sensor. However, such an approach is too expensive on the design and equipment. Particularly, increasing the sensor density of satellites incurs great risks. Inspired by EEGAN, some parts of networks: Ultra-Dense Subnet (UDSN) and Edge-Enhanced Subnet (EESN) are modified. The UDSN is used to extract features and obtain high-resolution images which look clear but are deteriorated by artifacts in the intermediate stage, while the EESN is used to purify, enhance and extract the image contours and uses mask processing to eliminate the image corrupted by noise. Then, the restored intermediate image and the enhanced edge are combined to become a high-resolution image with clear contents and high authenticity. Finally, we use Kaggle open source, AID, WHU-RS19, and SpaceWill datasets to perform the test and compare the SR results among different models. It shows that our proposed approach outperforms other state-of-the-art SR models on satellite images.
Investigation into the Flexural Toughness and Methods of Evaluating Ductile Concrete
Authors: Ding Yonggang , Li Yunfei , Zhao Xiangyang , Dai Jie , Xu Hualong
Published: December 2022

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the flexural behavior of high-ductility fiber-reinforced concrete (HDC) and propose a suitable method for evaluating flexural toughness. The flexural strength, deformation, and toughness of HDC were investigated through four-point bending tests with specimens of 40 × 40 × 160 mm. The test parameters were fiber volume fractions (0%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%), water–binder ratios (0.24, 0.26, 0.29, and 0.32), and ages (28 d and 56 d). The experimental results showed that polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers led to significant improvement in the flexural behavior of HDC due to its strain-hardening behavior and excellent crack dispersion capacity. The ultimate flexural strength of HDC with 2% PVA fibers of about 15.32 MPa showed an increase of up to 221%. The deformation and flexural toughness ratios were 23 times and 1.43 times higher, respectively, than the specimens without fibers. A simple and practical method for evaluating the flexural toughness of HDC was proposed, which solved many problems with the existing methods. This method made full use of the peak load, which overcame the difficulty of identifying the initial crack information, solved the insufficient deflection limit, and provided a more comprehensive and accurate evaluation by selecting characteristic points evenly distributed throughout the loading process.
Real-Time Rendering Engines Help Visualize, Model, and Animate Ancient Cities: An Example in Antioch
Authors: Kaplan Kayhan
Published: December 2022

This study aimed to revitalize ancient cities’ history, culture, and social life, along with their physical environments, through computer-aided, three-dimensional (3D) images. This study will become an instrument for visualization in 3D ancient cities whose historical remains are not intact and are perhaps known only through books, maps, pictures, and inscriptions. Following historical investigations and comparative analyses of similar examples, objects or structures subject to change over centuries, partially damaged, or lost were visualized through the production of models that reflect their original historic design. The images obtained were converted to animations of 3d models with motion, sound, light, and related effects. In addition to animations, this study implemented another technique concerning cities: the Ancient Antioch—the modeled space was installed in a game engine to obtain simultaneous images. Despite certain limitations, the study findings, adequately based on scientific evidence, provide rich visual content for practical use in the three domains of presentation, research, and education. The hope is that this socio-historical, scientific, and esthetic study, established to model, visualize, and animate city life from approximately 1800–2000 years ago, will be instrumental to the further development of its mixed methodologies and provide a new synthetic process for an ongoing feedback loop. Perhaps the most important output of this study was the use of almost all of the images obtained in the Hatay Archaeology Museum. After the final stage of preparation, the presentation of Ancient Antioch is planned to be done in 2023 of March and opened to visitors on special platforms with Unity 3D. An actual excavation area’s data can be constantly modeled and remodeled, thus improving the scientific feasibility, quality, and uniqueness of excavation work and the dissemination of scientific results.
Safety Risk Assessment in Urban Public Space Using Structural Equation Modelling
Authors: Li Xiaojuan , Wang Chen , Kassem Mukhtar A. , Zhang Zhou , Xiao Yuzhen , Lin Mingchao
Published: December 2022

Urban public space is essential in improving population carrying capacity and economic efficiency. However, the characteristics of urban public space, such as complex structure, relatively close and large population mobility, make it prone to fire, stampedes and other safety accidents. This study aims to develop a systematic approach to identify the key factors that affect the safety risk of urban public spaces and assess the risk. Based on the literature review, 250 structured questionnaires were randomly distributed. Finally, 219 available questionnaires were collected. Based on the above data, a model of urban public space is built using SEM. The results show that construction equipment, road traffic, social governance, urban environment and behaviour significantly affect public space (from high to low). Specifically, regardless of the model or actual situation, we should pay attention to fire awareness and empirical prevention awareness. Based on previous studies, this study considers the influencing factors of urban public safety risks hierarchically and more practically and makes contributions to the field of urban safety. In addition, governments and developers can conduct valuable actual scenario analysis from this study.
Conditional Dependencies and Position Fixing
Authors: Filipowicz Włodzimierz
Published: December 2022

Experimental crude datasets are usually processed with statistical methods to obtain rough evaluations of nautical measurements. Taking the observations and rectifying the knowledge on them are not correlated. In modern computer applications, raw datasets are usually exploited in the initial learning phase. At this stage, the available data are explored to extract the necessary parameters required within the scheme of computations. The aim of this study was to undertake the crude data processing problem to extract the conditional dependencies that appear as the most important factors when handling the distorted data. First, I upgraded the traditional structures, which are histograms. The stepwise diagrams feature their uncertain evaluation. I upgraded the hierarchy among the evidence within the data pool and defined the given ranking adequate membership functions. The principles of fuzzy systems justified the use of the bin-to-bin additive approach to obtain the locally injective density functions, which can be perceived of as conditional dependency diagrams that enable the construction of simple belief assignments. The structural combination includes the solution to the position fixing problem.
Effect of Photoperiod and Glycerol Supplementation on the Biomass Productivity and Protein Production of Spirulina sp. LEB 18 Cultures
Authors: de Morais Etiele Greque , Conceição Jenyfer de Almeida , Nunes Itaciara Larroza , Druzian Janice Izabel , de Morais Michele Greque , da Rosa Ana Priscila Centeno , Costa Jorge Alberto Vieira
Published: December 2022

Changes in nutritional and lighting conditions to obtain compounds of interest and biomass via microalgal cultures are among the main foci of studies in algal biotechnology. Growth medium supplementation using organic compounds, such as glycerol, is a promising approach for increasing biomass productivity and the viability of microalgal cultivation and adding value to byproducts of the biodiesel industry. In this study, the influence of crude glycerol on Spirulina sp. LEB 18 was investigated via culturing using different photoperiods, and its effect on biomass composition and cell growth was evaluated. The microalgae were subjected to three photoperiods (continuous light, 24:0; 12 h light and 12 h dark, 12:12; and no illumination, 0:24) and crude glycerol supplementation (2.5 g L−1); better productivity and biomass concentrations were obtained in cultures with a 12:12 photoperiod (28.36 mg L−1 h−1 and 1.24 g L−1, respectively). Under this condition, the highest protein yield was achieved (647.3 mg L−1, 52.2% w w−1), and the obtained biomass showed favorable characteristics for applications in animal feed enrichment.
Twelve-Year Cycle in the Cloud Top Winds Derived from VMC/Venus Express and UVI/Akatsuki Imaging
Authors: Khatuntsev Igor V. , Patsaeva Marina V. , Titov Dmitrij V. , Zasova Ludmila V. , Ignatiev Nikolay I. , Gorinov Dmitry A.
Published: December 2022

We present joint analysis of the UV (365 nm) images captured by the cameras on board ESA’s Venus Express and JAXA’s Akatsuki spacecraft. These observations enabled almost continuous characterization of the cloud top circulation over the longest period of time so far (2006–2021). More than 46,000 wind vectors were derived from tracking the UV cloud features and revealed changes in the atmospheric circulation with the period of 12.5 ± 0.5 years. The zonal wind component is characterized by an annual mean of −98.6 ± 1.3 m/s and an amplitude of 10.0 ± 1.6 m/s. The mean meridional wind velocity is −2.3 ± 0.2 m/s and has an amplitude of 3.4 ± 0.3 m/s. Plausible physical explanations of the periodicity include both internal processes and external forcing. Both missions observed periodical changes in the UV albedo correlated with the circulation variability. This could result in acceleration or deceleration of the winds due to modulation of the deposition of the radiative energy in the clouds. The circulation can be also affected by the solar cycle that has a period of approximately 11 years with a large degree of deviation from the mean. The solar cycle correlated with the wind observations can probably influence both the radiative balance and chemistry of the mesosphere. The discovered periodicity in the cloud top circulation of Venus, and especially its similarity with the solar cycle, is strongly relevant to the study of exoplanets in systems with variable “suns”.
Sensitivity of Ozone Formation in Summer in Jinan Using Observation-Based Model
Authors: Xu Chenxi , He Xuejuan , Sun Shida , Bo Yu , Cui Zeqi , Zhang Zhanchao , Dong Hui
Published: December 2022

According to online monitoring data on atmospheric ozone and the pollution characteristics of its precursors obtained in Jinan in June 2021, we analyzed different sites: urban sites (city monitoring station, Quancheng Square), an industrial park site (oil refinery), and a suburban site (Paomaling). The relative incremental reactivity of different precursors was calculated using a photochemical observation-based model to explore the sensitivity of O3 generation at each site and to draw a curve using the empirical kinetics modeling approach. The PMF model was used to analyze the origin of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pollution in Jinan. The results showed that the concentration of O3 at the industrial park was higher than that in the urban area in Jinan, which may be related to the fact that ozone precursor concentrations in the industrial park were significantly higher than those in the urban area (the AVOCs concentration at the industrial park site was 56.9 ppbv, approximately twice that of the urban site), and there are emission peaks at night; alkanes, oxygenated compounds, and halogenated hydrocarbons were the main components of the AVOCs, and olefins, alkanes, and aromatic hydrocarbons were the main active components in Jinan. The O3 generation in urban areas generally occurred in the VOCs-sensitive zones, while the O3 generation in the other areas occurred in the VOCs-NOx transition zone; there was a clear diurnal variation in the sensitivity of the industrial park, with the site being in the obvious VOCs-sensitive zone from nighttime to morning hours and shifting to the VOCs-NOx transition zone in the afternoon hours; the relative incremental reactivity (RIR) value of AVOCs for O3 generation in Jinan was the largest, and olefins were the most sensitive component of O3. The AVOCs in Jinan mainly originated from motor vehicle exhaust, oil and gas volatilization, industrial emissions, and solvent use, and ozone prevention and control in summer should strengthen the control of these sources.
The Effect of Unpredictable Chronic Stress on Rare Minnow (Gobiocypris rarus): Growth, Behaviour and Physiology
Authors: Xu Chunsen , Su Liangxia , Qiu Ning , Hou Miaomiao , Yu Fandong , Zou Xinhua , Wang Jianwei
Published: December 2022

Fishes often adjust their behaviour patterns and physiological responses to cope with changing environments, and different life experiences affect them differently. Fishes might adapt to short-term stress, whereas long-term unpredictable stress may lead to various adverse effects. Although some studies have constructed unpredictable stress models of fish, the effect of unpredictable chronic stress (UCS) in the laboratory is poorly understood in fishes. In the current study, we exposed adult rare minnow to an unpredictable chronic stress protocol over 7 and 14 days and measured their response in terms of growth performance, cortisol, neurotransmitter levels (DA, 5-HT, and related metabolites), and behaviour patterns to comprehensively assess the effects of UCS on laboratory rare minnow. We discovered that specific growth rates were significantly decreased, and cortisol levels were lowered in both 7-days and 14-days stress groups. In the behaviour test, the activity level of the 14-days stress group increased, but there was no significant difference in the number of crossings to the center areas, time spent in the center areas, or the speed. In addition, the levels of DA and 5-HT did not change in the stress groups, but the DOPAC and 5-HIAA levels in the 14 days stress group were significantly higher than those in the control group. These results suggested that UCS influences rare minnow growth performance, behaviour patterns, and cortisol levels, and similar stress should be minimised in the laboratory.
Metabolic Profiling of Chestnut Shell (Castanea crenata) Cultivars Using UPLC-QTOF-MS and Their Antioxidant Capacity
Authors: Nam Miso , Yu Ja Myung , Park Young Ran , Kim Young-Sik , Kim Jae-Ho , Kim Min-Sun
Published: December 2022

The inner shell of the chestnut (Castanea crenata) has long been used in Asia as a medicinal herb for improving digestion and blood circulation, and treating diarrhea. However, most chestnut shells are now treated as waste materials in industrial peeling processes. In this study, we examined the metabolite variation among major cultivars of C. crenata shells using mass spectrometry. Among five representative cultivars, Okkwang, Porotan, and Ishizuuchi had higher levels of bioactive compounds, such as ellagic acid derivatives, ellagitannins, flavonoids, and gallic acid derivatives. Their antioxidant capacity was positively correlated with their chemical composition. The byproducts (whole shells) from the industrial peeling process were re-evaluated in comparison with the inner shell, a rich source of phenolic compounds. The phenolic acids and flavonoid glucoside derivatives were significantly higher in the whole shells, whereas the levels of flavonoids were higher in the inner shells. In addition, the whole shell extracts significantly reduced cellular reactive oxygen species production compared to the inner shell extracts. This study demonstrated the different biochemical benefits of different C. crenata cultivars through metabolic profiling and suggests that the whole shell could be used as a functional ingredient, as it has the highest levels of bioactive products and antioxidant effects.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Encapsulated Human Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells and a Method to Scale-Up Cell Encapsulation
Authors: Kumar Suneel , Kabat Maciej , Basak Sayantani , Babiarz Joanne , Berthiaume Francois , Grumet Martin
Published: December 2022

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) promote recovery in a wide range of animal models of injury and disease. They can act in vivo by differentiating and integrating into tissues, secreting factors that promote cell growth and control inflammation, and interacting directly with host effector cells. We focus here on MSC secreted factors by encapsulating the cells in alginate microspheres, which restrict cells from migrating out while allowing diffusion of factors including cytokines across the capsules. One week after intrathecal lumbar injection of human bone marrow MSC encapsulated in alginate (eMSC), rat IL-10 expression was upregulated in distant rat spinal cord injury sites. Detection of human IL-10 protein in rostrally derived cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) indicated distribution of this human MSC-secreted cytokine throughout rat spinal cord CSF. Intraperitoneal (IP) injection of eMSC in a rat model for endotoxemia reduced serum levels of inflammatory cytokines within 5 h. Detection of human IL-6 in sera after injection of human eMSC indicates rapid systemic distribution of this human MSC-secreted cytokine. Despite proof of concept for eMSC in various disorders using animal models, translation of encapsulation technology has not been feasible primarily because methods for scale-up are not available. To scale-up production of eMSC, we developed a rapid, semi-continuous, capsule collection system coupled to an electrosprayer. This system can produce doses of encapsulated cells sufficient for use in clinical translation.
Current Understanding of the Role of Senescent Melanocytes in Skin Ageing
Authors: Hughes Bethany K. , Bishop Cleo L.
Published: December 2022

Melanocytes reside within the basal epidermis of human skin, and function to protect the skin from ultraviolet light through the production of melanin. Prolonged exposure of the skin to UV light can induce irreparable DNA damage and drive cells into senescence, a sustained cell cycle arrest that prevents the propagation of this damage. Senescent cells can also be detrimental and contribute to skin ageing phenotypes through their senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Senescent cells can act in both an autocrine and paracrine manner to produce widespread tissue inflammation and skin ageing. Recently, melanocytes have been identified as the main senescent cell population within the epidermis and have been linked to a variety of skin ageing phenotypes, such as epidermal thinning and the presence of wrinkles. However, the literature surrounding melanocyte senescence is limited and tends to focus on the role of senescence in the prevention of melanoma. Therefore, this review aims to explore the current understanding of the contribution of senescent melanocytes to human skin ageing.
Gangliosides and Their Role in Multilineage Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Santilli Francesca , Fabrizi Jessica , Pulcini Fanny , Santacroce Costantino , Sorice Maurizio , Delle Monache Simona , Mattei Vincenzo
Published: December 2022

Gangliosides (GGs) are a glycolipid class present on Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) surfaces with a critical appearance role in stem cell differentiation, even though their mechanistic role in signaling and differentiation remains largely unknown. This review aims to carry out a critical analysis of the predictive role of gangliosides as specific markers of the cellular state of undifferentiated and differentiated MSCs, towards the osteogenic, chondrogenic, neurogenic, and adipogenic lineage. For this reason, we analyzed the role of GGs during multilineage differentiation processes of several types of MSCs such as Umbilical Cord-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs), Bone Marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs), Dental Pulp derived MSCs (DPSCs), and Adipose derived MSCs (ADSCs). Moreover, we examined the possible role of GGs as specific cell surface markers to identify or isolate specific stem cell isotypes and their potential use as additional markers for quality control of cell-based therapies.
Single Plane Illumination Microscopy for Microfluidic Device Imaging
Authors: Gomez-Cruz Clara , Laguna Sonia , Bachiller-Pulido Ariadna , Quilez Cristina , Cañadas-Ortega Marina , Albert-Smet Ignacio , Ripoll Jorge , Muñoz-Barrutia Arrate
Published: December 2022

Three-dimensional imaging of live processes at a cellular level is a challenging task. It requires high-speed acquisition capabilities, low phototoxicity, and low mechanical disturbances. Three-dimensional imaging in microfluidic devices poses additional challenges as a deep penetration of the light source is required, along with a stationary setting, so the flows are not perturbed. Different types of fluorescence microscopy techniques have been used to address these limitations; particularly, confocal microscopy and light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM). This manuscript proposes a novel architecture of a type of LSFM, single-plane illumination microscopy (SPIM). This custom-made microscope includes two mirror galvanometers to scan the sample vertically and reduce shadowing artifacts while avoiding unnecessary movement. In addition, two electro-tunable lenses fine-tune the focus position and reduce the scattering caused by the microfluidic devices. The microscope has been fully set up and characterized, achieving a resolution of 1.50 μm in the x-y plane and 7.93 μm in the z-direction. The proposed architecture has risen to the challenges posed when imaging microfluidic devices and live processes, as it can successfully acquire 3D volumetric images together with time-lapse recordings, and it is thus a suitable microscopic technique for live tracking miniaturized tissue and disease models.
Food-Induced Brain Activity in Children with Overweight or Obesity versus Normal Weight: An Electroencephalographic Pilot Study
Authors: Kösling Christine , Schäfer Lisa , Hübner Claudia , Sebert Caroline , Hilbert Anja , Schmidt Ricarda
Published: December 2022

Background: Although increased food cue reactivity is evidenced to be crucial to the development and maintenance of pediatric obesity, virtually nothing is known about the underlying neurophysiological aspects of food cue reactivity in children with obesity. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating neural characteristics in children with overweight or obesity using electroencephalography (EEG). Methods: Electrophysiological brain activity was measured using EEG frequency band analysis in n = 9 children with overweight or obesity versus n = 16 children with normal weight (8–13 years) during the presentation of high- and low-calorie food pictures and images of appealing non-food stimuli. Results: Children with overweight or obesity showed significantly increased relative central beta band activity induced by high-calorie foods and appealing non-food stimuli compared to children with normal weight. Beyond significant effects of the scalp region on EEG activity, non-significant effects of stimulus category or weight status were seen for theta and alpha frequency bands. Conclusions: This study demonstrated elevated beta band activity in children with overweight or obesity when viewing high-calorie food stimuli. Beta band activity may, thus, be a valuable target for neuromodulatory interventions in children with overweight or obesity.
Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating in Competitive Cycling: A Scoping Review
Authors: Roberts Charlie , Hurst Howard , Hardwicke Jack
Published: December 2022

This article reports on the findings from a scoping review on eating disorders and disordered eating in competitive cycling. The review was informed by a scoping review methodological framework as well as the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) reporting guidelines. PubMed, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science were used to identify relevant literature for review. Fourteen studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the full review. A narrative synthesis was used to summarise the main findings and themes across the included literature. Findings from the review are presented under the following themes: cycling as an ‘at-risk’ discipline; power to weight ratio; energy requirements and risk of low energy availability; the social environment of cycling; nutrition support provision; relationship between eating disorders/disordered eating and exercise addiction; and recommendations made in identified literature. Overall, the literature suggests competitive cycling is a sport with a high prevalence of disordered eating and/or eating disorders and a sport with unique risk factors that contribute to this. Crucially, more research is needed in this area. The article concludes with the gaps in the literature highlighted, implications for future research, and applications to policy and practice suggested.
Demographic and Disease-Related Predictors of Socioemotional Development in Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and Plexiform Neurofibromas: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Hou Yang , Wu Xian , Liu Dan , Martin Staci , Toledo-Tamula Mary Anne , Allen Taryn , Baldwin Andrea , Gillespie Andy , Goodwin Anne , Widemann Brigitte C. , Wolters Pamela L.
Published: December 2022

Individuals with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and plexiform neurofibromas (PNs) have a higher risk for socioemotional problems. The current study aims to identify the socioemotional developmental pattern and its predictors across childhood and adolescence in individuals with NF1 and PNs. Participants included 88 children with NF1 and PNs (aged 6–18 years old, M = 12.05, SD = 3.62, 57% male) in a natural history study. Neuropsychological assessments were administered three times over six years. There are large variabilities in socioemotional development in the study participants. Developmental patterns varied across socioemotional domains, respondent type (parent-report [PR] vs. child-report [CR]), demographic factors, and NF1 disease-related factors. For instance, lower parental education was associated with a greater decline in internalizing problems (PR) but a greater increase in school disconnectedness (CR) over time. Non-White (vs. White) children were more likely to experience increased adaptive skills (PR) but decreased personal adjustment (CR). Children with more visible tumors experienced a greater decrease in school disconnectedness (CR). Children with more NF1 complications experienced a greater decrease in externalizing problems (PR). These findings indicate the necessity of using multi-informants and investigating subdomains of socioemotional functions. They also highlight the importance of developing individualized approaches to patient care and interventions.
Clinical Management of Long-Term Survivors after Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma and Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Bari Alessia , Gerardi Chiara , Allocati Eleonora , Puzzovivo Agata , De Sanctis Vitaliana , Tucci Alessandra , Balzarotti Monica , Franceschetti Silvia , Merli Francesco , Guarini Attilio , Gini Guido , Minoia Carla
Published: December 2022

Compared to other patients suffering from hematological malignancies, classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients have a long life expectancy when in complete remission at the end of first, or sometimes second, line treatments [...]
Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation from Aqueous Methanol Solution over n-Butylamine-Intercalated Layered Titanate H2La2Ti3O10: Activity and Stability of the Hybrid Photocatalyst
Authors: Rodionov Ivan A. , Gruzdeva Ekaterina O. , Mazur Anton S. , Kurnosenko Sergei A. , Silyukov Oleg I. , Zvereva Irina A.
Published: December 2022

The stability of platinized n-butylamine-intercalated layered titanate H2La2Ti3O10 during the process of photocatalytic hydrogen production from aqueous methanol under UV irradiation has been thoroughly investigated by means of XRD, CHN, TG, 13C NMR, BET, SEM and GC-MS analysis. It was revealed that n-butylamine completely abandons the interlayer space and transforms into n-butyraldehyde within 3 h of the reaction, while the particle morphology and specific surface area of the photocatalyst are preserved. The resulting solid phase contains carbon in at least two different oxidation states, which are attributed to the intermediate products of methanol oxidation bound to the perovskite matrix. The activity of the photocatalyst formed in this way is stable in time and strongly depends on the medium pH, which is not typical of either the parent H2La2Ti3O10 or TiO2. An approximate linear equation φ ≈ 29−2∙pH holds for the apparent quantum efficiency of hydrogen production in the 220–340 nm range at 1 mol. % methanol concentration. In the acidic medium, the photocatalyst under study outperforms the platinized H2La2Ti3O10 by more than one order of magnitude. The variation in methanol concentration allowed a maximum quantum efficiency of hydrogen production of 44% at 10 mol. % to be reached.
One Bicopper Complex with Good Affinity to Nitrate for Highly Selective Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia
Authors: Zeng Kang-Yu , Wang Jun-Jie , Fang Xiang , Li Zuo-Xi
Published: December 2022

Ammonia (NH3) plays an irreplaceable role in human life as a promising energy carrier and indispensable chemical raw material. Nitrate electroreduction to ammonium (NRA) not only removes nitrate pollutants, but also can be used for efficient NH3 production under ambient conditions. However, achieving high efficiency and selectivity of electrocatalysts is still a great challenge. Herein, a complex Cu2(NO3)4(BMMB)·H2O with a bicopper core is assembled by Cu(NO3)2·3H2O and 1,4-bis{[2-(2’-pyridyl)benzimidazolyl]methyl}benzene (BMMB) for NRA under alkaline conditions. The optimal sample showed excellent nitrate reduction performance with the NO3− conversion rate of 70%, Faradaic efficiency of up to 90%, and NH3 selectivity of more than 95%. The high-catalytic activity is mainly due to the ingeniously designed copper cores with strong affinity for NO3−, which accelerates the transferring rate of adsorbed nitrate on the Cu surface and increases the efficiency of rate-determining step (NO3− → NO2−) in the whole catalytic process. Therefore, the transformation of surface-exposed nitrate can be rapidly catalyzed by the Cu active sites, facilitating the conversion efficiency of nitrate.
Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Promote Corneal Wound Repair by Regulating Inflammation and Angiogenesis
Authors: Saccu Gabriele , Menchise Valeria , Gai Chiara , Bertolin Marina , Ferrari Stefano , Giordano Cristina , Manco Marta , Dastrù Walter , Tolosano Emanuela , Bussolati Benedetta , Calautti Enzo , Camussi Giovanni , Altruda Fiorella , Fagoonee Sharmila
Published: December 2022

Severe corneal damage leads to complete vision loss, thereby affecting life quality and impinging heavily on the healthcare system. Current clinical approaches to manage corneal wounds suffer from severe drawbacks, thus requiring the development of alternative strategies. Of late, mesenchymal stromal/stem cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have become a promising tool in the ophthalmic field. In the present study, we topically delivered bone-marrow-derived MSC-EVs (BMSC-EVs), embedded in methylcellulose, in a murine model of alkali-burn-induced corneal damage in order to evaluate their role in corneal repair through histological and molecular analyses, with the support of magnetic resonance imaging. Our data show that BMSC-EVs, used for the first time in this specific formulation on the damaged cornea, modulate cell death, inflammation and angiogenetic programs in the injured tissue, thus leading to a faster recovery of corneal damage. These results were confirmed on cadaveric donor-derived human corneal epithelial cells in vitro. Thus, BMSC-EVs modulate corneal repair dynamics and are promising as a new cell-free approach for intervening on burn wounds, especially in the avascularized region of the eye.
Osteomyelitis Possibly Caused by Exfoliation of Primary Teeth in a Patient with Osteopetrosis
Authors: Okawa Rena , Yokota Yusuke , Morita Yoshihiro , Mikasa Yusuke , Nakano Kazuhiko
Published: December 2022

Osteopetrosis is a rare inherited skeletal disease characterized by increased density in the bones and can be detected by radiographs. Sclerosis makes the jaw bones extremely susceptible to infections, osteomyelitis, and fractures. Here, we report a case of osteomyelitis possibly caused by spontaneous exfoliation of primary teeth in a patient with osteopetrosis. A 2 years and 9 months (2Y9M)-old boy with osteopetrosis was referred to our clinic for oral management. Only four primary central incisors had erupted, and they all exhibited hypoplasia. The mandibular right central primary incisor suddenly became exfoliated at 4 years and 1 month. The mandibular right lateral primary incisor also became exfoliated at 4 years and 3 months, soon after eruption, and the mandibular left central primary incisor became exfoliated at 4 years and 5 months. Subsequently, we confirmed the eruption of calcified tissue at 4 years and 9 months in the location where the mandibular right lateral primary incisor had become exfoliated. The patient was admitted to the pediatrics clinic for mandibular cellulitis at 5 years and 2 months, then referred to our clinic for the management of osteomyelitis. The patient’s acute inflammation was reduced by repeated irrigation and the administration of antibiotics; the inflammation gradually became chronic. When treating patients with osteopetrosis, dentists and oral surgeons should prioritize infection control in the jaw, periodic assessment of dental eruption, and the maintenance of oral hygiene.
Correction: Oluwagbemi et al. Bioinformatics, Computational Informatics, and Modeling Approaches to the Design of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates. Computation 2022, 10, 117
Authors: Oluwagbemi Olugbenga Oluseun , Oladipo Elijah K. , Kolawole Olatunji M. , Oloke Julius K. , Adelusi Temitope I. , Irewolede Boluwatife A. , Dairo Emmanuel O. , Ayeni Ayodele E. , Kolapo Kehinde T. , Akindiya Olawumi E. , Oluwasegun Jerry A. , Oluwadara Bamigboye F. , Fatumo Segun
Published: December 2022

The following information was missing in the original manuscript [...]
Human Disturbance Affects Dung Beetle Assemblages in French Guiana Forests
Authors: Guilbert Eric , Affholder Oscar , Montreuil Olivier , Coutant Opale , Forget Pierre-Michel
Published: December 2022

French Guiana forests are threatened by increasing human activity such as infrastructure development, facilitating access to the forest and, therefore, logging, mining, farming and hunting. To highlight the impact of human pressure on the forest fauna, dung beetle assemblage was analyzed near Saint-Georges-de-l’Oyapock and compared with other sites in French Guiana, considering the distance to the main city and forest cover loss as proxies of human activities. Hill numbers and beta diversity were calculated. Non-metric multidimensional scaling and redundancy analyses were carried out to disentangle the effect of the distance to the nearest city and forest cover loss as proxies of human pressure, but also temperature and rainfall as proxies of climatic variations on dung beetle assemblage. Species richness increased significantly with the distance to the nearest city and decreasing forest cover loss. Assemblage structure varied among sites mainly with distance to the nearest city but also with rainfall. It varied also with forest cover loss, but not significantly. This study showed that human disturbances and climatic conditions, even if represented by proxies, affected dung beetle assemblage structures in French Guiana forests.
Failed Repurposing of Lysosomotropic Drugs for COVID-19 Treatment or Prevention
Authors: Marceau François
Published: December 2022

The hope for the rapid discovery of an effective drug therapy for COVID-19 has led to several efforts to repurpose drugs approved for other indications. Lysosomotropic drugs, organic amines such as chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, amiodarone and many others, were found to interfere with the viral life cycle in vitro but have failed in clinical trials. The properties of lysosomotropic drugs and the vacuolar cytopathology induced by them are briefly reviewed, including the critical role of lipophilicity, the central role of vacuolar (V)-ATPase for their concentration in acidic organelles, the altered function of these organelles including impaired endocytosis and secretion, macroautophagic accumulation and secondary phospholipidosis. The apparent preferential uptake of lysosomotropic drugs by phagocytic leukocytes (macrophages, neutrophils) and the high concentrations needed for a sustained disruption of vacuolar trafficking may have contributed to the failure of lysosomotropic drug repurposing for COVID-19.
The Use of Cerebellar Hypoperfusion Assessment in the Differential Diagnosis of Multiple System Atrophy with Parkinsonism and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy-Parkinsonism Predominant
Authors: Madetko-Alster Natalia , Alster Piotr , Migda Bartosz , Nieciecki Michał , Koziorowski Dariusz , Królicki Leszek
Published: December 2022

The differential diagnosis of MSA-P and PSP-P remains a difficult issue in clinical practice due to their overlapping clinical manifestation and the lack of tools enabling a definite diagnosis ante-mortem. This paper describes the usefulness of SPECT HMPAO in MSA-P and PSP-P differentiation through the analysis of cerebellar perfusion of small ROIs. Thirty-one patients were included in the study—20 with MSA-P and 11 with PSP-P; the analysis performed indicated that the most significant difference in perfusion was observed in the anterior quadrangular lobule (H IV and V) on the left side (p < 0.0026). High differences in the median perfusion between the groups were also observed in a few other regions, with p < 0.05, but higher than premised p = 0.0026 (the Bonferroni correction was used in the statistical analysis). The assessment of the perfusion may be interpreted as a promising method of additional examination of atypical parkinsonisms with overlapping clinical manifestation, as in the case of PSP-P and MSA-P. The results obtained suggest that the interpretation of the differences in perfusion of the cerebellum should be made by evaluating the subregions of the cerebellum rather than the hemispheres. Further research is required.
Lossless Image Steganography Based on Invertible Neural Networks
Authors: Liu Lianshan , Tang Li , Zheng Weimin
Published: December 2022

Image steganography is a scheme that hides secret information in a cover image without being perceived. Most of the existing steganography methods are more concerned about the visual similarity between the stego image and the cover image, and they ignore the recovery accuracy of secret information. In this paper, the steganography method based on invertible neural networks is proposed, which can generate stego images with high invisibility and security and can achieve lossless recovery for secret information. In addition, this paper introduces a mapping module that can compress information actually embedded to improve the quality of the stego image and its antidetection ability. In order to restore message and prevent loss, the secret information is converted into a binary sequence and then embedded in the cover image through the forward operation of the invertible neural networks. This information will then be recovered from the stego image through the inverse operation of the invertible neural networks. Experimental results show that the proposed method in this paper has achieved competitive results in the visual quality and safety of stego images and achieved 100% accuracy in information extraction.
The Diagnosis of Congestive Heart Failure Based on Generalized Multiscale Entropy-Wavelet Leaders
Authors: Yang Juanjuan , Xi Caiping
Published: December 2022

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic heart condition associated with debilitating symptoms that can lead to mortality. The electrocardiogram (ECG) is a noninvasive and simple diagnostic method that can show detectable changes in CHF. However, manual diagnosis of ECG signals is often erroneous due to the small amplitude and duration of the ECG signals. This paper presents a CHF diagnosis method based on generalized multiscale entropy (MSE)-wavelet leaders (WL) and extreme learning machine (ELM). Firstly, ECG signals from normal sinus rhythm (NSR) and congestive heart failure (CHF) patients are pre-processed. Then, parameters such as segmentation time and scale factor are chosen, and the multifractal spectrum features and number of ELM hidden layer nodes are determined. Two different data sets (A, B) were used for training and testing. In both sets, the balanced data set (B) had the highest accuracy of 99.72%, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and F1 score of 99.46%, 100%, 99.44%, and 99.73%, respectively. The unbalanced data set (A) attained an accuracy of 99.56%, precision of 99.44%, sensitivity of 99.81%, specificity of 99.17%, and F1 score of 99.62%. Finally, increasing the number of ECG segments and different algorithms validated the probability of detection of the unbalanced data set. The results indicate that our proposed method requires a lower number of ECG segments and does not require the detection of R waves. Moreover, the method can improve the probability of detection of unbalanced data sets and provide diagnostic assistance to cardiologists by providing a more objective and faster interpretation of ECG signals.
Water-Air Interface Imaging: Recovering the Images Distorted by Surface Waves via an Efficient Registration Algorithm
Authors: Jian Bijian , Ma Chunbo , Zhu Dejian , Huang Qihong , Ao Jun
Published: December 2022

Imaging through the wavy water–air interface is challenging since the random fluctuations of water will cause complex geometric distortion and motion blur in the images, seriously affecting the effective identification of the monitored object. Considering the problems of image recovery accuracy and computational efficiency, an efficient reconstruction scheme that combines lucky-patch search and image registration technologies was proposed in this paper. Firstly, a high-quality reference frame is rebuilt using a lucky-patch search strategy. Then an iterative registration algorithm is employed to remove severe geometric distortions by registering warped frames to the reference frame. During the registration process, we integrate JADE and LBFGS algorithms as an optimization strategy to expedite the control parameter optimization process. Finally, the registered frames are refined using PCA and the lucky-patch search algorithm to remove residual distortions and random noise. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in terms of sharpness and contrast.