bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of promoting blood donation in general practice: Prospective study among blood donors in France
Authors: Renaux Ophélie , Bouazzi Leila , Sanchez Antoine , Hottois Judith , Martin Marie-Charlotte , Chrusciel Jan , Sanchez Stéphane
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Waiting rooms in general practitioners' (GP) surgeries are a potentially useful site for spreading educational messages about health behaviors. We aimed to evaluate the impact of posters displayed in GPs' waiting rooms on the number of donors attending the blood donation drives in the Aube Department of France. The secondary objective was to identify self-reported factors that incited people to give blood among donors who did and donors who did not see the posters.

Methods

Observational, multicenter, prospective study, from 1 June to 31 December 2021. Six blood donation centers in the Aube Department were selected. All GPs located within a 15 km radius around each center were invited to participate by hanging posters advertising blood drives in their waiting rooms. The number of blood donations per hour was measured before and during the campaign. Factors prompting people to give blood were evaluated by questionnaires completed by persons attending the blood drives.

Results

33 GPs participated. The number of donations per hour was lower in the year in which the posters were displayed (2021) compared to the previous year (12 vs. 15). A total of 1,469 questionnaires were completed by blood donors: 729 reported having seen the posters, and 740 reported not having seen the posters. Those who claimed to have seen the posters were more likely than those who claimed not to have seen the posters to respond that in parallel, they had been prompted to give blood via online publicity (7.5 vs. 3.9%, adjusted Odds ratio [aOR] 1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12–2.82, p = 0.02). They also more often reported that they had been prompted to donate by television advertisements (8.0 vs. 4.2%, aOR 1.74, 95%CI 1.10–2.76, p = 0.02). Overall, 68% of all respondents indicated that posters in the GP's waiting room would incite them to give blood more often.

Conclusion

The number of blood donations per hour was lower during the year in which posters were displayed. Questionnaire data from donors suggests that promoting blood donation via posters in GPs' waiting rooms could have a positive effect: 68% of donors claimed that posters would incite them to give blood.
Thoughts from a past AGU SPA fellows committee
Authors: Halford Alexa J. , Burrell Angeline G. , Yizengaw Endawoke , Bothmer Volker , Carter Brett A. , Raymond John C. , Maute Astrid , Samara Marilia , Maruyama Naomi , Alves Livia R.
Published: December 2022

Community honours, such as those bestowed by professional scientific societies like the American Geophysical Union (AGU) are an important element of both individual career advancement and contributes to the historical record of scientific progress. The process by which honours are bestowed is not widely shared amongst the community. The purpose of this article is to share the recent experiences of several members of the AGU Space Physics and Aeronomy (SPA) Fellows committee. We outline the criteria for selection, the evaluation process, difficulties encountered by the committee, and steps taken to mitigate these difficulties. Of particular note is the impact of implicit bias in the award system. Steps could be taken by the awarding scientific societies to reduce the impact of these biases, but in the meantime individual award committees can employ some of the strategies we outline in this article. By sharing our experiences, we hope to improve the process of granting awards and honours for the scientists putting together award nominations, future committee members, and the scientific societies granting these awards.
The importance of liver function assessment before cardiac surgery: A narrative review
Authors: Lopez-Delgado Juan C. , Putzu Alessandro , Landoni Giovanni
Published: December 2022

The demand for cardiac surgery procedures is increasing globally. Thanks to an improvement in survival driven by medical advances, patients with liver disease undergo cardiac surgery more often. Liver disease is associated with the development of heart failure, especially in patients with advanced cirrhosis. Cardiovascular risk factors can also contribute to the development of both cardiomyopathy and liver disease and heart failure itself can worsen liver function. Despite the risk that liver disease and cirrhosis represent for the perioperative management of patients who undergo cardiac surgery, liver function is often not included in common risk scores for preoperative evaluation. These patients have worse short and long-term survival when compared with other cardiac surgery populations. Preoperative evaluation of liver function, postoperative management and close postoperative follow-up are crucial for avoiding complications and improving results. In the present narrative review, we discuss the pathophysiological components related with postoperative complications and mortality in patients with liver disease who undergo cardiac surgery and provide recommendations for the perioperative management.
Hepatic artery lymph node relevance in periampullary tumors: A retrospective analysis of survival outcomes
Authors: Conde Danny , Rey Carlos , Pardo Manuel , Recaman Andrea , Sabogal Olarte Juan Carlos
Published: December 2022

Background

The Periampullary area comprehends a heterogeneous and complex structure with different histological tissues. Surgical standards include the peripancreatic regional lymphadenectomy, and during pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) the hepatic artery lymph node HALN(8a) is dissected. We aimed to describe the prognostic significance of the HALN(8a) lymph node metastasis in terms of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in a specific cohort of patients in limited economic and social conditions.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted based on a prospective database from the HPB department of patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) due to periampullary tumors during 2014–2021. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were estimated to be associated with positive HALN(8a) using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Log Rank test and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used.

Results

111 patients were included, 55,4% female. The most frequent pathology was ductal adenocarcinoma (60.3%). The positive rate of the HALN(8a) node was 21.62%. The Median OS time was 25.5 months, and the median DFS time was 13,8 months. Positive HLAN(8a) node, the cutoff of lymph node ratio resection (LNRR), and vascular invasion showed a strong association with OS. (CoxRegression p = 0.03 HR 0.5, p 0.003 HR = 1.8, p = 0.02 HR 0.4 CI 95%). In terms of DFS, lymph node ratio cutoff, tumoral size, and vascular invasion showed a statistically significant association with the outcome (p = 0.008, HR = 1.5; p = 0.04 HR = 2.1; p = 0.02 HR = 0.4 CI 95%).

Conclusion

In this series of PD, OS was reduced in patients with HALN(8a) compromise in patients with pancreatic cancer, however without statistical significance in DFS. In multivariate analysis, lymph node status remains an independent predictor of OS and DFS. Further studies are needed.
The host tRNA epitranscriptome: A new player in RNA virus infections
Authors: Talló-Parra Marc , Muscolino Elena , Díez Juana
Published: December 2022

Viruses completely depend on the host translation machineries to express the viral proteins. Recent data reveal an unprecedented interaction of positive strand RNA ((+)RNA) viruses with the host tRNA epitranscriptome to favor viral protein expression via a specific reprogramming of codon optimality that ultimately favors decoding of the viral codons. We propose that this feature is shared by multiple RNA viruses and that the involved tRNA modifying enzymes represent promising novel targets for the development of broad-spectrum antivirals.
Negative correlation between the nuclear size and nuclear Lamina component Lamin A in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas
Authors: Hiroe Tamaki , Moriya Shunichi , Kobayashi Sayaka , Nishijima Yoshimi , Watanabe Akira , Shirabe Ken , Ikota Hayato , Yokoo Hideaki , Saio Masanao
Published: December 2022

Background: The nuclear laminar protein Lamin A and inner nuclear membrane protein Emerin plays important role in sustaining nuclear structure. However, They have not investigated the significance of these proteins for development of pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN).

Methods: We examined pancreatic IPMN specimens for nuclear morphology and nuclear protein expression pattern of Lamin A and Emerin. Forty-two IPMN specimens were included, with 30 classified as intraductal papillary mucinous adenoma (IPMA) and 12 as intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma (IPMC).

Results: Classification according to histological subtype revealed that 26 specimens were of the gastric subtype (1 IPMC case), 8 were pancreatobiliary (6 IPMC cases), 6 were intestinal (3 IPMC cases), and 2 were oncocytic (all cases were IPMC). The frequency of IPMN subtypes in this study seemed to agree with those in previous reports. We analyzed Feulgen staining sections for nuclear morphological analysis using computer-assisted image analysis. Nuclear area and perimeter were significantly larger in IPMC than in IPMA. Finally, we examined the positive ratios of Lamin A and Emerin in immunohistochemical staining sections by image analysis. We found a negative correlation between the nuclear size and Lamin A-positive ratio, which was significantly lower in IPMC than that in IPMA. However, no significant correlation was observed between nuclear size and Emerin expression was observed, and no differences were found in the Emerin-positive ratio between IPMA and IPMC.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that a decreased Lamin A positive ratio induces nuclear enlargement in adenomas, which thereby induce promotion to carcinomas. Furthermore, Lamin A expression can be a reliable biomarker for distinguishing between IPMC and IPMA.
Dwarf Tomato Plants Allow for Managing Agronomic Yield Gains with Fruit Quality and Pest Resistance through Backcrossing
Authors: Gomes Danilo Araújo , Machado Tardele Gomes , Maciel Gabriel Mascarenhas , Siquieroli Ana Carolina Silva , de Oliveira Camila Soares , de Sousa Luciana Alves , da Silva Humberto Pereira
Published: December 2022

Increased productivity, nutritional quality, and pest resistance have been primary breeding goals. However, managing such increases in a genotype is challenging. In this context, gene introgression using dwarf plants is an alternative; however, there are no dwarf Santa Cruz tomato varieties for direct use in breeding programs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to improve fruit quality and pest resistance through successive backcrossing of dwarf Santa Cruz tomato populations with agronomic potential. Six and 13 dwarf tomato populations obtained from the first and second backcrossing, respectively, the donor parent, and the commercial cultivar ‘Santa Clara’ as the check, totalling 21 treatments, were evaluated. Univariate analysis and computational intelligence were used to evaluate the best genotypes. All agronomic variables showed significant and progressive increases after the first and second backcrossing. The highlighted BC2 populations were Sci#16.1-2, Sci#25.1,1-2, Sci#25.1,2-2, Sci#3.1,1-2, Sci#3.1,2-2, Sci#8.3,1-2, and Sci#8.3,2-2, with significant increases in mean fruit weight, pulp thickness, fruit length and diameter, and acyl sugar content. The selected BC2 populations can be used as male parents to obtain normal hybrids to achieve increased productivity, nutritional quality, and a broader spectrum of pest resistance owing to the presence of acyl sugars in the leaflets.
Extensive Adaptive Variation in Gene Expression within and between Closely Related Horseshoe Bats (Chiroptera, Rhinolophus) Revealed by Three Organs
Authors: Li Jun , Sun Keping , Dai Wentao , Leng Haixia , Li Aoqiang , Feng Jiang
Published: December 2022

In the process of species differentiation and adaption, the relative influence of natural selection on gene expression variation often remains unclear (especially its impact on phenotypic divergence). In this study, we used differentially expressed genes from brain, cochlea, and liver samples collected from two species of bats to determine the gene expression variation forced by natural selection when comparing at the interspecific (Rhinolophus siamensis and R. episcopus episcopus) and the intraspecific (R. e. episcopus and R. episcopus spp.) levels. In both cases, gene expression variation was extensively adaptive (>66.0%) and mainly governed by directional selection, followed by stabilizing selection, and finally balancing selection. The expression variation related to acoustic signals (resting frequency, RF) and body size (forearm length, FA) was also widely governed by natural selection (>69.1%). Different functional patterns of RF- or FA-related adaptive expression variation were found between the two comparisons, which manifested as abundant immune-related regulations between subspecies (indicating a relationship between immune response and phenotypic adaption). Our study verifies the extensive adaptive expression variation between both species and subspecies and provides insight into the effects of natural selection on species differentiation and adaptation as well as phenotypic divergence at the expression level.
FA-RCNet: A Fused Feature Attention Network for Relationship Classification
Authors: Tian Jiakai , Li Gang , Zhou Mingle , Li Min , Han Delong
Published: December 2022

Relation extraction is an important task in natural language processing. It plays an integral role in intelligent question-and-answer systems, semantic search, and knowledge graph work. For this task, previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), and long short-term memory networks (LSTMs) in relational classification tasks. Recently, due to the superior performance of the pre-trained model BERT, BERT has become a feature extraction module for many relational classification models, and good results have been achieved in work related to BERT. However, most of such work uses the deepest levels of features. The important role of shallow-level information in the relational classification task is ignored. Based on the above problems, a relationship classification network FA-RCNet (fusion-attention relationship classification network) with feature fusion and attention mechanism is proposed in this paper. FA-RCNet fuses shallow-level features with deep-level features, and augments entity features and global features by the attention module so that the feature vector can perform the relational classification task more perfectly. In addition, the model in this paper achieves advanced results on both the SemEval-2010 Task 8 dataset and the KBP37 dataset compared to previously published models.
Special Issue on Polysaccharides: From Extraction to Applications
Authors: Khachatryan Karen , Khachatryan Gohar , Ciesielski Wojciech
Published: December 2022

The use of polysaccharides in many aspects of life dates back to the ancient era [...]
An Efficient Ash Cleaning Method for Flat Box Cartridge Filter: Structure, Parameters and Cleaning Mechanism of Slotted Blowing
Authors: Li Xue , Lv Juan , Chen Haiyan , Xiao Zhengxue , Xiang Youcai , Wang Jianbo
Published: December 2022

The problem of serious ash accumulation at the lower part of flat box filter cartridges is an important limitation for the improvement of ash cleaning efficiency in this kind of filter. To solve the above-mentioned problem, the type of slotted blowing hole impacting the performance of the ash removing under the same ash cleaning area was studied. In the present work, a total of four types of slotted blowing holes with different length were designed. The influence of blowing distance and blowing pressure on dust removal performance were investigated. Numerical simulation was conducted to demonstrate the mechanism of the dust removal process. An industrial coating test was also carried out to investigate and verify the actual ash cleaning performance under the optimal conditions as obtained from the above investigations. The results showed that: (1) the performance of dust cleaning produced by a three-slit blowhole was better than that by a four-slit blowhole; (2) 0.2 MPa was determined to be the optimal blowing pressure, which meets the requirement of ash cleaning; (3) 20 mm was selected as the optimal blowing distance, as this was the distance at which the surface side wall pressure at the non-positive-to-blow hole area was obviously increased, indicating that the whole performance of ash cleaning could be improved. The results obtained in this study are of great significance for improving the efficiency of dust removal in the use of flat box filters, promoting the development of dust removal technology, protection of environment, and reduction of human health damage.
Novel Dental Restorative Solutions for Natural Teeth and Implants
Authors: Paolone Gaetano , Mandurino Mauro , Pavan Francesca , Mazzitelli Claudia , Cantatore Giuseppe
Published: December 2022

The long-term survival of restorations in the oral cavity has always been one of the most significant challenges in modern dental practice [...]
Wearable Sensor-Based Monitoring of Environmental Exposures and the Associated Health Effects: A Review
Authors: Lin Xueer , Luo Jiaying , Liao Minyan , Su Yalan , Lv Mo , Li Qing , Xiao Shenglan , Xiang Jianbang
Published: December 2022

Recent advances in sensor technology have facilitated the development and use of personalized sensors in monitoring environmental factors and the associated health effects. No studies have reviewed the research advancement in examining population-based health responses to environmental exposure via portable sensors/instruments. This study aims to review studies that use portable sensors to measure environmental factors and health responses while exploring the environmental effects on health. With a thorough literature review using two major English databases (Web of Science and PubMed), 24 eligible studies were included and analyzed out of 16,751 total records. The 24 studies include 5 on physical factors, 19 on chemical factors, and none on biological factors. The results show that particles were the most considered environmental factor among all of the physical, chemical, and biological factors, followed by total volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide. Heart rate and heart rate variability were the most considered health indicators among all cardiopulmonary outcomes, followed by respiratory function. The studies mostly had a sample size of fewer than 100 participants and a study period of less than a week due to the challenges in accessing low-cost, small, and light wearable sensors. This review guides future sensor-based environmental health studies on project design and sensor selection.
Scrutinizing the Adoption of Integrated Project Delivery in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Construction Sector
Authors: Alqahtani Fahad K. , Alsanad Abdulaziz , Alsadan Ahmed , Sherif Mohamed , Mohamed Ahmed Gouda
Published: December 2022

The Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) approach has been acquiring applause worldwide attributable to its certified and attested outcomes in efficiently sharing threats and costs confronting the construction project. Regardless of its popularity and rationality, no substantial studies have been conducted into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) construction. Hence, the novelty of this paper is probing the Saudi Arabia government tender process and procurement regulation for IPD theme deployment, reliant on a thorough literature assessment to bestow construction parties with the barriers of incorporating the IPD paradigm in KSA. The research objectives are attained via a questionnaire survey steered toward (1) pondering respondents’ cognizance of IPD eventuality and deployment in the KSA’s construction sector, (2) stipulating the survey’s participants’ preparedness for IPD implementation in KSA’s construction market, (3) specifying the project phase in which the contractor should be entangled as part of the IPD method, and (4) scrutinizing the respondents’ knowledge to classify the anticipated barriers to IPD from the global market in KSA. Findings unearth that the KSA construction sector still entails being more conscientious and adequate, pointing out the difficulties triggered by a dearth of awareness, apprehension, and pragmatic implementation. Further, respondents showed impartiality towards construction project stakeholders’ prescience and exuberance, the existing government procurement and tendering laws, and revolutionary technological infrastructure and competency for IPD implementations in the KSA construction industry. Additionally, the contractor should be implicated and embroiled in the construction project from the early design phase. Addedly, the hurdles to deploying IPD in KSA are ranked as follows: technological, knowledge, financial, legal, and cultural barriers.
Pre-Occupancy Evaluation in Hospital Rooms for Efficient Use of Natural Light—Improved Proposals
Authors: Ferrante Tiziana , Villani Teresa
Published: December 2022

This paper aims to contribute to the formulation of criteria for the design of inpatient spaces through the efficient use of natural light as a factor that greatly influences human health. Specifically, it concerns the development of a methodology to assess the quality of natural light in the operating phase and demonstrate how the morphological and material characteristics of the hospital rooms can affect natural lighting. All variables affecting light in indoor spaces have been evaluated, with a focus on the photometric characteristics of finishing materials and furnishings, aimed at determining their contribution in terms of reflectance. This evaluation was based on pre-occupancy evaluation methodologies, which allow comparing actual and simulated natural light conditions, and was tested on a sample of inpatient rooms located in a hospital in Rome. Improvement design solutions were proposed and simulated through the evaluation of physical variables including daylight factor, illuminance, color rendering index, etc., selecting the ones with appreciable improvements over ante operam natural light conditions. The methodology allows control over the effects of individual interventions, specific to each variable, highlighting their impact on visual comfort and their feasibility from an economic and operational point of view.
PARP1 Activation Controls Stress Granule Assembly after Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage
Authors: Singatulina Anastasia S. , Sukhanova Maria V. , Desforges Bénédicte , Joshi Vandana , Pastré David , Lavrik Olga I.
Published: December 2022

DNA damage causes PARP1 activation in the nucleus to set up the machinery responsible for the DNA damage response. Here, we report that, in contrast to cytoplasmic PARPs, the synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose) by PARP1 opposes the formation of cytoplasmic mRNA-rich granules after arsenite exposure by reducing polysome dissociation. However, when mRNA-rich granules are pre-formed, whether in the cytoplasm or nucleus, PARP1 activation positively regulates their assembly, though without additional recruitment of poly(ADP-ribose) in stress granules. In addition, PARP1 promotes the formation of TDP-43- and FUS-rich granules in the cytoplasm, two RNA-binding proteins which form neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions observed in certain neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Together, the results therefore reveal a dual role of PARP1 activation which, on the one hand, prevents the early stage of stress granule assembly and, on the other hand, enables the persistence of cytoplasmic mRNA-rich granules in cells which may be detrimental in aging neurons.
Clinical Evaluation and Management of Overlap Syndrome (OS) and Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome (OHS)
Authors: Tondo Pasquale , Scioscia Giulia , Hoxhallari Anela , Sabato Roberto , Sorangelo Simone , Mansueto Giuseppe , Giuliani Antonella , Foschino Barbaro Maria Pia , Lacedonia Donato
Published: December 2022

Background and Aim: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is an extremely common disorder with a high impact on morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to compare overlap syndrome (OS) and obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) and to highlight and understand the differences between them. Material and Methods: The study was conducted retrospectively on 132 subjects selected by consecutive sampling from those attending our unit for suspected SDB. After clinical evaluation as well as functional and sleep investigations, the population was divided according to diagnosis in OS and OHS; then, the clinical parameters of two groups were compared with different statistical analysis. Results: The subjects with OHS were younger and reported higher rated daytime sleepiness (p = 0.005). In addition, they presented more nocturnal respiratory events (apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) 63.61 ± 22.79 events·h−1 vs. AHIOS 42.21 ± 22.91 events·h−1, p < 0.0001) at the sleep investigation as worse gas exchange during sleep leading to a higher percentage of nocturnal hypoxemia (p < 0.0001). In contrast, subjects with OS had more an impaired respiratory function. With regard to night-time ventilatory therapy, more subjects with OS were effectively treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) (p = 0.011), while more OHS were treated with auto-adjusting PAP (APAP) (14% vs. 1%, p = 0.008). Conclusions: The present study tried to establish a framework for OS and OHS because proper management of the two disorders would reduce their burden on healthcare.
Laboratory Experiment on Emulsions: Study of the Effect of Osmotic Pressure on Double Emulsions Preparation
Authors: Matos María , Benito José Manuel , Cambiella Ángel , Gutiérrez Gemma
Published: December 2022

Double emulsions are ternary systems commonly used in several disciplines in areas such as food technology, applied chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, pharmacology and environmental science. In several courses related to these areas, the implementation of laboratory experiment is required to strengthen the knowledge acquired by students during the theoretical lessons. However, it is difficult to find published practical experiments in this field. This work presents a four-hour hands-on laboratory experiment in which students can easily formulate and prepare water-in-oil-in-water double emulsions for vitamin B12 encapsulation. In this experiment, students can analyze the effect of the osmotic pressure produced by the addition of different NaCl concentrations in each aqueous phase, which could lead to the swelling and deswelling phenomena of the inner aqueous droplets and, therefore, affect the encapsulation efficiency of the formulated systems. The double emulsions are analyzed by the students in terms of size and encapsulation efficiency.
Formalizing and Safeguarding Blockchain-Based BlockVoke Protocol as an ACME Extension for Fast Certificate Revocation
Authors: Sujatanagarjuna Anant , Bochem Arne , Leiding Benjamin
Published: December 2022

Certificates are integral to the security of today’s Internet. Protocols like BlockVoke allow secure, timely and efficient revocation of certificates that need to be invalidated. ACME, a scheme used by the non-profit Let’s Encrypt Certificate Authority to handle most parts of the certificate lifecycle, allows automatic and seamless certificate issuance. In this work, we bring together both protocols by describing and formalizing an extension of the ACME protocol to support BlockVoke, combining the benefits of ACME’s certificate lifecycle management and BlockVoke’s timely and secure revocations. We then formally verify this extension through formal methods such as Colored Petri Nets (CPNs) and conduct a risk and threat analysis of the ACME/BlockVoke extension using the ISSRM domain model. Identified risks and threats are mitigated to secure our novel extension. Furthermore, a proof-of-concept implementation of the ACME/BlockVoke extension is provided, bridging the gap towards deployment in the real world.
Role of Microstructure in Drug Release from Chitosan Amorphous Solid Dispersions
Authors: Lucio David , Zornoza Arantza , Martínez-Ohárriz Maria Cristina
Published: December 2022

The unexpected dissolution behaviour of amorphous diflunisal-chitosan solid dispersions (kneading method) with respect to the crystalline co-evaporated systems is the starting point of this research. This work is an in-depth study of the diflunisal release behaviour from either chitosan or carboxymethylchitosan dispersions. The microstructure is not usually considered when designing this type of products; however, it is essential to understand the process of solvent penetration and subsequent drug release through a polymeric system, as has been evidenced in this study. In accordance with the kinetic data analysed, it is possible to conclude that the porous structure, conditioned by the sample preparation method, can be considered the main factor involved in diflunisal release. The low mean pore size (1–2 μm), low porosity, and high tortuosity of the amorphous kneaded products are responsible for the slow drug release in comparison with the crystalline coevaporated systems, which exhibit larger pore size (8–10 μm) and lower tortuosity. Nevertheless, all diflunisal-carboxymethylchitosan products show similar porous microstructure and overlapping dissolution profiles. The drug release mechanisms obtained can also be related to the porous structure. Fickian diffusion was the main mechanism involved in drug release from chitosan, whereas an important contribution of erosion was detected for carboxymethylchitosan systems, probably due to its high solubility.
The Benefit of Informed Risk-Based Management of Civil Infrastructures
Authors: Giordano Pier Francesco , Limongelli Maria Pina
Published: December 2022

One of the most interesting applications of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is the possibility of providing real-time information on the conditions of civil infrastructures during and following disastrous events, thus supporting decision-makers in prompt emergency operations. The Bayesian decision theory provides a rigorous framework to quantify the benefit of SHM through the Value of Information (VoI) accounting for different sources of uncertainties. This decision theory is based on utility considerations, or, in other words, it is based on risk. Instead, decision-making in emergency management is often based on engineering judgment and heuristic approaches. The goal of this paper is to investigate the impact of different decision scenarios on the VoI. To this aim, a general framework to quantify the benefit of SHM information in emergency management is applied to different decision scenarios concerning bridges under scour and seismic hazards. Results indicate that the considered decision scenario might tremendously affect the results of a VoI analysis. Specifically, the benefit of SHM information could be underestimated when considering non-realistic scenarios, e.g., those based on risk-based decision-making, which are not adopted in practice. Besides, SHM information is particularly valuable when it prevents the selection of suboptimal emergency management actions.
Experimental Outcrossing in Agaricus bisporus Revealed a Major and Unexpected Involvement of Airborne Mycelium Fragments
Authors: Jalalzadeh Banafsheh , Barroso Gérard , Savoie Jean-Michel , Callac Philippe
Published: December 2022

Agaricus bisporus var. bisporus, the button mushroom, has a predominantly pseudohomothallic life cycle. Most of its spores are heterokaryotic and give rise to fertile heterokaryons. However, previous studies have suggested that outcrossing should not be rare in wild populations. In order to discover how outcrossing occurs, we experimentally favored it between aerial propagules of a fruiting donor mycelium and a delayed receiver mycelium that only invaded culture trays. Two donor/receiver pairs were studied, and potentially hybrid basidiomata collected on the receiver trays were analyzed with a mitochondrial marker, two unlinked nuclear CAPS markers, then haplotype markers based on DNA sequences obtained after PCR cloning of the rDNA ITS region and the fruk gene. For one of the two pairs, most basidiomata were hybrids between the donor and the receiver. Genotyping of the hybrids revealed only two genotypes consistent with outcrossing involving airborne mycelium fragments rather than basidiospores. The resident receiver heterokaryon that provided its mitochondria to the hybrid basidiomata is suspected to have had a trophic contribution to their growth and successful fruiting. The high level of heterozygosity and the cultivar introgression previously revealed in wild populations of this pseudohomothallic species may result from outcrossing involving airborne pieces of mycelium.
Peculiarities of the Electro- and Magnetotransport in Semimetal MoTe2
Authors: Perevalova Alexandra N. , Naumov Sergey V. , Marchenkov Vyacheslav V.
Published: December 2022

Weyl semimetal MoTe2 single crystal was grown by the chemical vapor transport method. Electrical resistivity, magnetoresistivity, and Hall effect in MoTe2 were studied in detail. It was shown that both the electrical resistivity in the absence of a magnetic field and the conductivity in the field depend on temperature according to a quadratic law in a wide temperature range. It has been suggested that the quadratic temperature dependence of the conductivity in a magnetic field at low temperatures might be associated with the “electron-phonon-surface” interference scattering mechanism. The analysis of data on the Hall effect in MoTe2 was carried out using single-band and two-band models. Apparently, the two-band model is preferable in such systems containing different groups of current carriers.
Using Direct Current Potential Drop Technique to Estimate Fatigue Crack Growth Rates in Solid Bar Specimens under Environmental Assisted Fatigue in Simulated Pressurized Water Reactor Conditions
Authors: Arrieta Sergio , Perosanz Francisco Javier , Barcala Jose Miguel , Ruiz Maria Luisa , Cicero Sergio
Published: December 2022

The direct current potential drop (DCPD) technique may be used in crack propagation tests to measure the crack growth rate (CGR). Potential probes attached to the specimen allow the variation of the crack length to be estimated. In this research, the DCPD technique using one single potential probe was applied to solid bar specimens (i.e., without any initial notch or crack) subjected to low-cycle fatigue testing in a simulated pressurized water reactor (PWR) environment. This particular analysis had two associated difficulties, the first one being the fact that crack initiation sites are not known beforehand, and the second one consisting in the experimental difficulties and conditioning factors associated with the simulation of the PWR environment. Nine solid bar specimens were tested to fatigue failure under different strain amplitudes and frequencies, while also measuring the corresponding DCPD signal during the fatigue process. It was observed that the initiation of multiple cracks was detected by the DCPD measurements. Moreover, as fatigue continued, one of the cracks became dominant and progressed to cause the specimen failure. The DCPD technique allowed the average CGR of the dominant crack to be estimated. Finally, the obtained average CGRs were validated by comparing them with average CGRs derived from striation spacing measurements, obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and from literature values gathered in the NUREG/CR-6909 document.
Natural Radioactivity and Chemical Evolution on the Early Earth: Prebiotic Chemistry and Oxygenation
Authors: Ershov Boris
Published: December 2022

It is generally recognized that the evolution of the early Earth was affected by an external energy source: radiation from the early Sun. The hypothesis about the important role of natural radioactivity, as a source of internal energy in the evolution of the early Earth, is considered and substantiated in this work. The decay of the long-lived isotopes 232Th, 238U, 235U, and 40K in the Global Ocean initiated the oxygenation of the hydro- and atmosphere, and the abiogenesis. The content of isotopes in the ocean and the kinetics of their decay, the values of the absorbed dose and dose rate, and the efficiency of sea water radiolysis, as a function of time, were calculated. The ocean served as both a “reservoir” that collected components of the early atmosphere and products of their transformations, and a “converter” in which further chemical reactions of these compounds took place. Radical mechanisms were proposed for the formation of simple amino acids, sugars, and nitrogen bases, i.e., the key structures of all living things, and also for the formation of oxygen. The calculation results confirm the possible important role of natural radioactivity in the evolution of terrestrial matter, and the emergence of life.
Simultaneous Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction and Determination of Different Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Surface Water
Authors: Temerdashev Zaual , Prasad Surendra , Musorina Tatiana , Chervonnaya Tatiana , Arutyunyan Zhanna
Published: December 2022

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of persistent organic pollutants of water, and their determination at trace levels in the aquatic ecosystems is essential. In this work, an ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) procedure was suggested utilizing a binary dispersive agent for recovery of different molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from waters. The detection was carried out by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) as well as high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence and diode-array detection (HPLC-FD/PDA). The method was optimized for the extraction of analytes with respect to the mixture composition, ratios of components, ultrasonication time and centrifugation parameters. The analytical schemes for PAHs extraction from water samples using different ratios of extraction and dispersive solvents are reported. The mixture consisting of chloroform and methanol was applied for the extraction of PAHs containing two or three fused aromatic rings; the mixture of chloroform and acetonitrile is suitable for PAHs containing more than four aromatic rings. The mixture of chloroform:acetone + acetonitrile was applied in the universal scheme and allowed for the simultaneous extraction of 20 PAHs with different structures. The developed sample preparation schemes were combined with GC-MS and HPLC-FD/PDA, which allowed us to determine the analytes at low concentrations (from 0.0002 µg/L) with the recoveries exceeding 80% and relative standard deviations of about 8%. The developed methods for the determination of 20 PAHs were applied to the analysis of water samples from the Karasun Lake (Krasnodar), Azov Sea (Temryuk) and Black Sea (Sochi).
An Efficient Solid-Phase Microextraction–Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Method for the Analysis of Methyl Farnesoate Released in Growth Medium by Daphnia pulex
Authors: Riboni Nicolò , Suppa Antonio , Buschini Annamaria , Bianchi Federica , Rossi Valeria , Gorbi Gessica , Careri Maria
Published: December 2022

Methyl farnesoate (MF), a juvenile hormone, can influence phenotypic traits and stimulates male production in daphnids. MF is produced endogenously in response to stressful conditions, but it is not known whether this hormone can also be released into the environment to mediate stress signaling. In the present study, for the first time, a reliable solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) method was developed and validated for the ultra-trace analysis of MF released in growth medium by Daphnia pulex maintained in presence of crowding w/o MK801, a putative upstream inhibitor of MF endogenous production. Two different clonal lineages, I and S clones, which differ in the sensitivity to the stimuli leading to male production, were also compared. A detection limit of 1.3 ng/L was achieved, along with good precision and trueness, thus enabling the quantitation of MF at ultra-trace level. The achieved results demonstrated the release of MF by both clones at the 20 ng/L level in control conditions, whereas a significant decrease in the presence of crowding was assessed. As expected, a further reduction was obtained in the presence of MK801. These findings strengthen the link between environmental stimuli and the MF signaling pathway. Daphnia pulex, by releasing the juvenile hormone MF in the medium, could regulate population dynamics by means of an autoregulatory feedback loop that controls the intra- and extra-individual-level release of MF produced by endogenous biosynthesis.
Influence of Nanomaterials and Other Factors on Biohydrogen Production Rates in Microbial Electrolysis Cells—A Review
Authors: Abd-Elrahman Nabil. K. , Al-Harbi Nuha , Al-Hadeethi Yas , Alruqi Adel Bandar , Mohammed Hiba , Umar Ahmad , Akbar Sheikh
Published: December 2022

Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MECs) are one of the bioreactors that have been used to produce bio-hydrogen by biological methods. The objective of this comprehensive review is to study the effects of MEC configuration (single-chamber and double-chamber), electrode materials (anode and cathode), substrates (sodium acetate, glucose, glycerol, domestic wastewater and industrial wastewater), pH, temperature, applied voltage and nanomaterials at maximum bio-hydrogen production rates (Bio-HPR). The obtained results were summarized based on the use of nanomaterials as electrodes, substrates, pH, temperature, applied voltage, Bio-HPR, columbic efficiency (CE) and cathode bio-hydrogen recovery (C Bio-HR). At the end of this review, future challenges for improving bio-hydrogen production in the MEC are also discussed.
Visible-Light Activation of Persulfate or H2O2 by Fe2O3/TiO2 Immobilized on Glass Support for Photocatalytic Removal of Amoxicillin: Mechanism, Transformation Products, and Toxicity Assessment
Authors: dela Rosa Francis M. , Popović Marin , Papac Zjačić Josipa , Radić Gabrijela , Kraljić Roković Marijana , Kovačić Marin , Farré María José , Genorio Boštjan , Lavrenčič Štangar Urška , Kušić Hrvoje , Lončarić Božić Ana , Petrović Mira
Published: December 2022

Fe2O3/TiO2 nanocomposites were fabricated via a facile impregnation/calcination technique employing different amounts iron (III) nitrate onto commercial TiO2 (P25 Aeroxide). The as-prepared Fe2O3/TiO2 nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (RS), scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDXS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis (BET), electron impedance spectroscopy (EIS), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). As a result, 5% (w/w) Fe2O3/TiO2 achieved the highest photocatalytic activity in the slurry system and was successfully immobilized on glass support. Photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation was assessed by treating pharmaceutical amoxicillin (AMX) in the presence and absence of additional oxidants: hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and persulfate salts (PS). The influence of pH and PS concentration on AMX conversion rate was established by means of statistical planning and response surface modeling. Results revealed optimum conditions of [S2O82−] = 1.873 mM and pH = 4.808; these were also utilized in presence of H2O2 instead of PS in long-term tests. The fastest AMX conversion possessing a zero-order rate constant of 1.51 × 10−7 M·min−1 was achieved with the photocatalysis + PS system. The AMX conversion pathway was established, and the evolution/conversion of formed intermediates was correlated with the changes in toxicity toward Vibrio fischeri. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging was also utilized to investigate the AMX conversion mechanism, revealing the major contribution of photogenerated h+ in all processes.
Electrosprayed CNTs on Electrospun PVDF-Co-HFP Membrane for Robust Membrane Distillation
Authors: Francis Lijo , Hilal Nidal
Published: December 2022

In this investigation, the electrospraying of CNTs on an electrospun PVDF-Co-HFP membrane was carried out to fabricate robust membranes for the membrane distillation (MD) process. A CNT-modified PVDF-Co-HFP membrane was heat pressed and characterized for water contact angle, liquid entry pressure (LEP), pore size distribution, tensile strength, and surface morphology. A higher water contact angle, higher liquid entry pressure (LEP), and higher tensile strength were observed in the electrosprayed CNT-coated PVDF-Co-HFP membrane than in the pristine membrane. The MD process test was conducted at varying feed temperatures using a 3.5 wt. % simulated seawater feed solution. The CNT-modified membrane showed an enhancement in the temperature polarization coefficient (TPC) and water permeation flux up to 16% and 24.6%, respectively. Field-effect scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images of the PVDF-Co-HFP and CNT-modified membranes were observed before and after the MD process. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the presence of inorganic salt ions deposited on the membrane surface after the DCMD process. Permeate water quality and rejection of inorganic salt ions were quantitatively analyzed using ion chromatography (IC) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The water permeation flux during the 24-h continuous DCMD operation remained constant with a >99.8% inorganic salt rejection.
Developing a Virtual Reality Simulation Program for Improving Nursing Students’ Clinical Reasoning Skills in Home Settings: A Protocol Paper
Authors: Yoshioka-Maeda Kyoko , Honda Chikako , Sumikawa Yuka , Okamoto Yuko , Shimada Megumi , Fujii Hitoshi , Iwasaki-Motegi Riho , Miura Takahiro , Otsuki Mai
Published: December 2022

Most nursing simulation programs focus on persons’ healthcare needs in hospital settings, and little is known about how to identify them in home settings. This study aims to develop and validate a virtual reality (VR) simulation program for nursing students to improve their clinical reasoning skills and confidence in assessing persons’ healthcare needs in home settings. We developed a VR simulation program based on a literature review and expert discussion. In Phase 1, home visit nurses or public health nurses will validate the program through their interviews in 2022. In Phase 2, we will conduct a pilot and main single-blinded randomized trial for nursing students to confirm the effectiveness from 2022 and 2023. Participants will be randomly allocated into an intervention group using VR simulations and a control group receiving videos regarding three kinds of community residents’ lives [1:1]. After obtaining informed consent, the students will submit their anonymous data to the researchers to prevent associating their grade evaluation. The primary outcome will be their clinical reasoning skills. The second outcome will include their satisfaction and self-confidence. This study will examine the effectiveness of improving their clinical reasoning skills and confidence in assessing persons’ healthcare needs in home settings.