bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Descriptive Analysis of Adverse Drug Reactions Reports of the Most Consumed Antibiotics in Portugal, Prescribed for Upper Airway Infections
Authors: Ferreira Joana , Placido Ana Isabel , Afreixo Vera , Ribeiro-Vaz Inês , Roque Fátima , Herdeiro Maria Teresa
Published: April 2022

Adverse drug reactions (ADR) significantly impact mortality and morbidity and lead to high healthcare costs. Reporting ADR to regulatory authorities allows for monitoring the safety and efficacy profile of medicines on the market and for assessing the benefit–risk ratio. This retrospective study aims to characterize the ADR profile of the most consumed antibiotics in Portugal that are prescribed for upper airway infections and submitted to the EudraVigilance database. The variables were analyzed in an exploratory perspective, through absolute and relative frequencies, with emphasis on serious ADR. A total of 59,022 reports were analyzed of which 64.4% were classified as suspected serious ADR. According to serious ADR, the female sex (52.2%) and 18–64 age group (47.5%) prevail. Health professionals reported 87.8% of suspected serious ADR and European Economic Area (EEA) countries represented 50.8% of the reports. “Skin and subcutaneous tissue connections” (15.9%), “general disorders and administrations site conditions” (12%), and “gastrointestinal disorders” (9.8%) are the prevalent system organ classes. In 4.5% of the reports, patients had a fatal outcome. A periodic evaluation of the safety of the antibiotic should be performed to facilitate the development of guidelines and policies to reduce the frequency of serious ADR.
Isatin Counteracts Diethylnitrosamine/2-Acetylaminofluorene-Induced Hepatocarcinogenesis in Male Wistar Rats by Upregulating Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Detoxification Pathways
Authors: Tawfik Nagwa G. , Mohamed Wafaa R. , Mahmoud Hanan S. , Alqarni Mohammed A. , Naguib Ibrahim A. , Fahmy Alzhraa M. , Ahmed Osama M.
Published: April 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents around 85% of all known types of liver cancers and is estimated to be the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The current study assessed the preventive efficacy of isatin on diethylnitrosamine (DENA)/2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in male Wistar rats and investigated the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. HCC was initiated by intraperitoneal injection of DENA (150 mg/kg/week) for two weeks, followed by oral 2-AAF (20 mg/kg) every other day for three successive weeks. Oral isatin or vehicle (control) was administered at 25 mg/kg for 20 weeks during and following HCC induction. Isatin ameliorated the deleterious effects of DENA/2-AAF on liver function as evidenced by reduced serum levels of AST, ALT, total bilirubin, albumin, and liver tumor biomarkers (CA19.9 and AFP) compared to control DENA/2-AAF-treated rats. Histopathological evaluations demonstrated that isatin-mediated protection against hepatocarcinogenesis was accompanied by a decline in hepatic lipid peroxidation, a marker of oxidative stress, and enhanced antioxidant capacity, as evidenced by increased glutathione and superoxide dismutase expression. Isatin treatment also upregulated expression of the major stress-response transcription factor Nrf2 and the detoxifying enzymes NAD(P)H quinine oxidoreductase and glutathione-S-transferase alpha 2 and downregulated expression of the proliferation marker Ki67. Moreover, isatin significantly reduced the DENA/2-AAF-induced decrease in hepatic expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl2 and the DENA/2-AAF-induced increases in pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic factors (TNF-α, NF-κB p50, NF-κB p65, p53, and caspase 3). Thus, it can be concluded that isatin may protect against chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis by enhancing cellular antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification mechanisms, in part through upregulation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway.
Mercaptoalbumin Is Associated with Graft Patency in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Authors: Brioschi Maura , Gianazza Erica , Andreini Daniele , Mushtaq Saima , Cavallotti Laura , Veglia Fabrizio , Tedesco Calogero C. , Colombo Gualtiero I. , Pepi Mauro , Polvani Gianluca , Tremoli Elena , Parolari Alessandro , Banfi Cristina
Published: April 2022

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery still represents the gold standard for patients with complex multivessel coronary artery disease. However, graft occlusion still occurs in a significant proportion of CABG conduits, and oxidative stress is currently considered to be a potential contributor. Human serum albumin (HSA) represents the main antioxidant in plasma through its reduced amino acid Cys34, which can efficiently scavenge several oxidants. In a nested case–control study including 36 patients with occluded grafts and 38 age- and sex-matched patients without occlusion, we assessed the levels of the native mercaptoalbumin (HSA-SH) and oxidized thiolated form of albumin (Thio-HSA) in relation with graft occlusion within 5 years after CABG. We found that the plasma level of preoperative HSA-SH was significantly lower in patients with occluded graft at 5 years follow-up than in patients with graft patency. Furthermore, low HSA-SH remained independently associated with graft occlusion even after adjusting for preoperative D-dimer, a well-known marker of activated coagulation recently found to be associated with graft occlusion. In conclusion, the preoperative level of HSA-SH is independently associated with graft occlusion in CABG and represents a measurable and potentially druggable predictor.
Respiratory Burst Oxidase Homolog D as a Modulating Component of Oxidative Response under Ammonium Toxicity
Authors: Burian Maria , Podgórska Anna , Ostaszewska-Bugajska Monika , Szal Bożena
Published: April 2022

Delayed growth, a visible phenotypic component of the so-called ammonium syndrome, occurs when ammonium is the sole inorganic nitrogen source. Previously, we have shown that modification of apoplastic reactive oxygen species (apROS) metabolism is a key factor contributing to plant growth retardation under ammonium nutrition. Here, we further analyzed the changes in apROS metabolism in transgenic plants with disruption of the D isoform of the respiratory burst oxidase homolog (RBOH) that is responsible for apROS production. Ammonium-grown Arabidopsisrbohd plants are characterized by up to 50% lower contents of apoplastic superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. apROS sensing markers such as OZF1 and AIR12 were downregulated, and the ROS-responsive signaling pathway, including MPK3, was also downregulated in rbohd plants cultivated using ammonium as the sole nitrogen source. Additionally, the expression of the cell-wall-integrity marker FER and peroxidases 33 and 34 was decreased. These modifications may contribute to phenomenon wherein ammonium inhibited the growth of transgenic plants to a greater extent than that of wild-type plants. Overall, this study indicated that due to disruption of apROS metabolism, rbohd plants cannot adjust to ammonium toxicity and are more sensitive to these conditions.
Dihydromyricetin Enhances Intestinal Antioxidant Capacity of Growing-Finishing Pigs by Activating ERK/Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Wei Chuan , Chen Xiaoling , Chen Daiwen , Yu Bing , Zheng Ping , He Jun , Chen Hong , Yan Hui , Luo Yuheng , Huang Zhiqing
Published: April 2022

Oxidative stress is one of the main factors affecting animal health and reducing performance. The small intestine is the primary site of free-radical attacks. Dihydromyricetin (DHM) is a flavonoid compound with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other biological activities, which is mainly extracted from Rattan tea. However, the effects of DHM on the intestinal antioxidant function of growing-finishing pigs and related mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary DHM supplementation on the intestinal antioxidant capacity of growing-finishing pigs and its mechanism. Our results show that dietary 0.03% DHM increased the activities of the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level, and upregulated protein expressions of HO-1, NQO1, nuclear Nrf2, and phospho-ERK (p-ERK) in the jejunum of growing-finishing pigs. Again, we found that 20 μmol/mL and 40 μmol/mL DHM treatment significantly upregulated the protein expression of HO-1 and promoted the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and ERK phosphorylation in IPCE-J2 cells. ERK inhibitor PD98059 eliminated the DHM-induced upregulation of p-ERK, nuclear Nrf2, and HO-1. Our findings provided the first evidence that DHM enhanced the intestinal antioxidant capacity of growing-finishing pigs by activating the ERK/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.
BFE-Net: Bidirectional Multi-Scale Feature Enhancement for Small Object Detection
Authors: Zhang Qian , Ren Jie , Liang Hong , Yang Ying , Chen Lu
Published: April 2022

Small object detection becomes a challenging problem in computer vision due to low resolution and less feature information. Making full use of high-resolution features is an important factor in improving small object detection. In this paper, to improve the utilization of high-resolution features, this work proposes the Bidirectional Multi-scale Feature Enhancement Network (BFE-Net) based on RetinaNet. First, this work introduces a bidirectional feature pyramid structure to shorten the propagation path of high-resolution features. Then, this work utilizes residually connected dilated convolutional blocks to fully extract high-resolution features of low-feature layers. Finally, this work supplements the high-resolution features lost in the high-level feature propagation process by leveraging the high-level guided lower-level features. Experiments show that our proposed BFE-Net achieves stable performance gains in the object detection task. Specifically, the improved method improves RetinaNet from 34.4 AP to 36.3 AP on the challenging MS COCO dataset and especially achieves excellent results in small object detection with an improvement of 2.8%.
Sparse Weighting for Pyramid Pooling-Based SAR Image Target Recognition
Authors: Wang Shaona , Liu Yang , Li Linlin
Published: April 2022

In this study, a novel feature learning method for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image automatic target recognition is presented. It is based on spatial pyramid matching (SPM), which represents an image by concatenating the pooling feature vectors that are obtained from different resolution sub-regions. This method exploits the dependability of obtaining the weighted pooling features generated from SPM sub-regions. The dependability is determined by the residuals obtained from sparse representation. This method aims at enhancing the weights of the pooling features generated in the sub-regions located in the target and suppressing the weights of the background. The feature representation for SAR image target recognition is discriminative and robust to speckle noise and background clutter. Experiments performed on the Moving and Stationary Target Acquisition and Recognition public dataset prove the advantageous performance of the presented algorithm over several state-of-the-art methods.
Photopolymerization of Ceramic Resins by Stereolithography Process: A Review
Authors: Bove Alessandro , Calignano Flaviana , Galati Manuela , Iuliano Luca
Published: April 2022

Stereolithography is known as one of the best Additive Manufacturing technologies in terms of geometrical and dimensional precision for polymeric materials. In recent years, a lot of studies have shown that the creation of ceramic resins, through a particular combination of monomeric components and ceramic powders, allows to obtain complex shape geometries thanks to the photopolymerization process. This review highlights the characteristics and properties of ceramic resins, peculiarities of the ceramic stereolithography processes, up to the relationship between the composition of the ceramic resin and the complexity of the post-processing phases. The comparison of different studies allows outlining the most common steps for the production of ceramic resins, as well as the physical and chemical compatibility of the different compounds that must be studied for the good feasibility of the process.
Space Debris Detection and Positioning Technology Based on Multiple Star Trackers
Authors: Liu Meiying , Wang Hu , Yi Hongwei , Xue Yaoke , Wen Desheng , Wang Feng , Shen Yang , Pan Yue
Published: April 2022

This paper focuses on the opportunity to use multiple star trackers to help space situational awareness and space surveillance. Catalogs of space debris around Earth are usually based on ground-based measurements, which rely on data provided by ground-based radar observations and ground-based optical observations. However, space-based observations offer new opportunities because they are independent of the weather and the circadian rhythms to which the ground system is subjected. Consequently, space-based optical observations improve the possibility of space debris detection and cataloging. This work deals with a feasibility study of an innovative strategy, which consists of the use of a star sensor with a dedicated algorithm to run directly on board. This approach minimizes the impact on the original mission of the satellite, and on this basis, it has also the function of space debris monitoring. Therefore, theoretically, every satellite with a star tracker can be used as a space surveillance observer. In this paper, we propose a multi-star space debris detecting and positioning method with constant geocentric observation. Using the multi-star tracker joint positioning method, the angle measurement data of the star tracker is converted into the spatial coordinates of the target. In addition, the Gaussian MMSE difference correction algorithm is used to realize the target positioning of multiple optical observations, and the spatial target position information of the multi-frame images is fused, thus completing the solution of the orbit equation. The simulation results show that the proposed method is sufficient to detect and position space debris. It also demonstrates the necessity and feasibility of cooperative network observation by multiple star trackers.
Computer Aided Orthognathic Surgery: A General Method for Designing and Manufacturing Personalized Cutting/Repositioning Templates
Authors: Di Brigida Liliana , Naddeo Alessandro , Cappetti Nicola , Borri Antonio , Cortese Antonio
Published: April 2022

Orthognathic surgery allows broad-spectrum deformity correction involving both aesthetic and functional aspects on the TMJ (temporo-mandibular joint) and on the facial skull district. The combination of Reverse Engineering (RE), Virtual Surgery Planning (VSP), Computer Aided Design (CAD), Additive Manufacturing (AM), and 3D visualization allows surgeons to plan, virtually, manipulations and the translation of the human parts in the operating room. This work’s aim was to define a methodology, in the form of a workflow, for surgery planning and for designing and manufacturing templates for orthognathic surgery. Along the workflow, the error chain was checked and the maximum error in virtual planning was evaluated. The three-dimensional reconstruction of the mandibular shape and bone fragment movements after segmentation allow complete planning of the surgery and, following the proposed method, the introduction of both the innovative evaluation of the transversal intercondylar distance variation after mandibular arch advancement/set and the possibility of use of standard plates to plan and realize a customized surgery. The procedure was adopted in one clinical case on a patient affected by a class III malocclusion with an associated open bite and right deviation of the mandible with expected good results. Compared with the methods from most recent literature, the presented method introduces two elements of novelty and improves surgery results by optimizing costs and operating time. A new era of collaboration among surgeons and engineer has begun and is now bringing several benefits in personalized surgery.
Self-Attentive Moving Average for Time Series Prediction
Authors: Su Yaxi , Cui Chaoran , Qu Hao
Published: April 2022

Time series prediction has been studied for decades due to its potential in a wide range of applications. As one of the most popular technical indicators, moving average summarizes the overall changing patterns over a past period and is frequently used to predict the future trend of time series. However, traditional moving average indicators are calculated by averaging the time series data with equal or predefined weights, and ignore the subtle difference in the importance of different time steps. Moreover, unchanged data weights will be applied across different time series, regardless of the differences in their inherent characteristics. In addition, the interaction between different dimensions of different indicators is ignored when using the moving averages of different scales to predict future trends. In this paper, we propose a learning-based moving average indicator, called the self-attentive moving average (SAMA). After encoding the input signals of time series based on recurrent neural networks, we introduce the self-attention mechanism to adaptively determine the data weights at different time steps for calculating the moving average. Furthermore, we use multiple self-attention heads to model the SAMA indicators of different scales, and finally combine them through a bilinear fusion network for time series prediction. Extensive experiments on two real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. The data and codes of our work have been released.
Research on Improved Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Networks for Insufficient Samples of Gas Turbine Rotor System Fault Diagnosis
Authors: Liu Shucong , Wang Hongjun , Zhang Xiang
Published: April 2022

In gas turbine rotor systems, an intelligent data-driven fault diagnosis method is an important means to monitor the health status of the gas turbine, and it is necessary to obtain sufficient fault data to train the intelligent diagnosis model. In the actual operation of a gas turbine, the collected gas turbine fault data are limited, and the small and imbalanced fault samples seriously affect the accuracy of the fault diagnosis method. Focusing on the imbalance of gas turbine fault data, an Improved Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network (Improved DCGAN) suitable for gas turbine signals is proposed here, and a structural optimization of the generator and a gradient penalty improvement in the loss function are introduced to generate effective fault data and improve the classification accuracy. The experimental results of the gas turbine test bench demonstrate that the proposed method can generate effective fault samples as a supplementary set of fault samples to balance the dataset, effectively improve the fault classification and diagnosis performance of gas turbine rotors in the case of small samples, and provide an effective method for gas turbine fault diagnosis.
Ergonomic Assessment of Physical Load in Slovak Industry Using Wearable Technologies
Authors: Onofrejova Daniela , Balazikova Michaela , Glatz Juraj , Kotianova Zuzana , Vaskovicova Katarina
Published: April 2022

The physical tasks of workers are demanding, particularly when performed long-term in unsuitable working position, with high frequency, heavy load, after injury, with developing damage of health or reduced performance due to advanced age. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) result from overuse or develop over time. Work activities, which are frequent and repetitive, or activities with awkward postures, cause disorders that may be painful during work or at rest. There is a new technology in the market, occupational exoskeletons, which have the prerequisites for minimizing the negative consequences of workload on WMSDs. We provided pilot quantitative measurements of the ergonomic risk at one selected workplace in a Slovak automotive company with four different workers to prove our methodology using wearable wireless multi-sensor systems Captiv and Actigraph. At first, the test was performed in standard conditions without an exoskeleton. The unacceptable physical load was identified in considerable evaluated body areas—neck, hip, and shoulder. Next, the passive chair exoskeleton Chairless Chair 2.0 was used in trials as an ergonomic measure. Our intention was to determine whether an exoskeleton would be an effective tool for optimizing the workload in selected workplaces and whether the proposed unique quantitative measurement system would give reliable and quick results.
Compatibility of Automatic Transmission Fluids with Structural Polymers Used in Electrified Transmissions
Authors: García Alberto , Valbuena Guillermo D. , García-Tuero Alejandro , Fernández-González Alfonso , Viesca José L. , Battez Antolin Hernández
Published: April 2022

The use of the electric motor (EM) inside the transmission in electric vehicles (EVs) requires compatibility between the automatic transmission fluids (ATFs) and the materials of the EM and the transmission. The goal of this work is to study the compatibility of four conventional ATFs with three structural polymers (PEEK, PTFE, and PA66) and the feasibility of using them in EVs with the EM located inside the transmission. Changes in volume, hardness, tensile strength, and elongation at break were determined in the polymers after ageing in the ATFs. The polymers were aged in each ATF at 100 °C for periods of time of 168, 336, 504, and 672 h. Complementary tests such as XRD, FT-IR, and DSC were performed to explain the changes found in the measured mechanical properties. PEEK and PTFE showed very low variations in their mechanical properties, while PA66 showed significant changes in elongation at break. The XRD, FT-IR, and DSC tests revealed a change in the crystalline structure of PEEK and PA66. The FT-IR results showed that the polymers were affected more by the time of ageing than by the type of ATF. All of the ATFs showed high compatibility with PEEK and PTFE, and medium compatibility with PA66.
Structural Performance Optimization Design of Continuously Accelerating Electromagnetic Weft Insertion System
Authors: Xu Qiao , Cui Xiaolong , Mei Shunqi , He Yuchen , Chen Zhen , Meng Fanhe
Published: April 2022

This paper addresses the problem of low electromagnetic weft insertion acceleration performance of extra-large width automatic looms. Based on single-stage electromagnetic weft insertion and multi-stage intermittent electromagnetic weft insertion, a sectional combined continuous acceleration electromagnetic weft insertion design plan is proposed. First, a new type of weft gripper for electromagnetic weft insertion is designed on the basis of the traditional projectile, and a segmented combined structure optimization design is carried out on the 90 mm single-stage coil. Next, the electromagnetic weft insertion movement model is established to analyze the force and movement speed of the gripper during the movement. The amount of work done by the electromagnetic force of the combined coil determines the exit speed of the weft gripper. Finally, in order to find the best parameters of the combined coil structure to meet the requirements of the launch speed, the steady state and transient performance of the segmented combined continuous acceleration coil are analyzed using Maxwell simulation software. The launch performance of the combined coil with different axial lengths of 45 mm, 30 mm, and 15 mm is compared. The results show that the entire acceleration process is more stable and efficient when the combined coil length is 30 mm, the inner diameter is 18 mm, and the number of turns is 600.
A Numerical Study on Fuel Injection Optimization for a ME-GI Dual-Fuel Marine Engine Based on CFD Analysis
Authors: Kim Jun-Soo , Lee Won-Ju , Pham Van Chien , Choi Jae-Hyuk
Published: April 2022

A numerical study was carried out to investigate the effects of injector spray angle (SA) and injection position (IP) on the combustion and emission characteristics of a two-stroke ME-GI marine engine at full load. Three-dimensional (3D) simulations of the combustion process and emission formations inside the cylinder of the engine operating in the diesel and DF modes were performed using the ANSYS Fluent simulation software to analyze the in-cylinder pressure, temperature, and emission characteristics. The simulation results were compared and showed good agreement with the experimental results reported in the engine’s shop test technical data. The simulation results showed that the IP of 0.02 m with an SA of 40 degrees helps to enhance the engine performance; however, if the main target is reducing engine exhaust gas emissions, an IP of 0.01 m is highly recommended to be used. At this IP, the specific SA of 40, 45, or 50 degrees that should be used will depend on which emissions (NO, soot, CO2, etc.) need to be reduced. This study successfully investigated the effects of injector SA and IP on the combustion and emission characteristics of the researched engine and would be a good reference for engine design and operating engineers.
Research on Passenger Flow Assignment of Integrated Cross-Line and Skip-Stop Operation between State Railway and Suburban Railway
Authors: Huang Xiaoyu , Liang Qinghuai , Li Songsong , Han Kuo , Wei Xiangting
Published: April 2022

The passenger flow assignment in the rail transit network is the basis for determining the passenger spatiotemporal distribution and train operation organization plan. In previous studies, the passenger flow assignment problem mainly focused on lines within the same rail system. Few studies focus on lines with the integrated mode of cross-line and skip-stop operation between state and suburban railway due to fewer cases in practice. In this study, passenger congestion and fare policy are taken into account in the generalized travel cost function, and a passenger flow assignment model based on the path-sized logit (PSL) model considering train capacity is proposed. Meanwhile, a schedule-based spatiotemporal digraph is established to search for the shortest spatiotemporal travel path. Furthermore, an improved method of successive averages (MSA) algorithm is designed to solve the proposed model. The proposed model is verified by a numerical example. The sensitivities of three main parameters which influence the results are also analyzed. The results show that the assignment model based on PSL is practicable in integrated operation mode. The higher the passenger’s familiarity with network information, the more accurate the assignment results. State trains are more attractive when the fare is lower than 0.5 CNY/km or the hourly wage is higher than 50 CNY/h.
Emissions of Carbonaceous Particulate Matter and Ultrafine Particles from Vehicles—A Scientific Review in a Cross-Cutting Context of Air Pollution and Climate Change
Authors: Bessagnet Bertrand , Allemand Nadine , Putaud Jean-Philippe , Couvidat Florian , André Jean-Marc , Simpson David , Pisoni Enrico , Murphy Benjamin N. , Thunis Philippe
Published: April 2022

Airborne particulate matter (PM) is a pollutant of concern not only because of its adverse effects on human health but also on visibility and the radiative budget of the atmosphere. PM can be considered as a sum of solid/liquid species covering a wide range of particle sizes with diverse chemical composition. Organic aerosols may be emitted (primary organic aerosols, POA), or formed in the atmosphere following reaction of volatile organic compounds (secondary organic aerosols, SOA), but some of these compounds may partition between the gas and aerosol phases depending upon ambient conditions. This review focuses on carbonaceous PM and gaseous precursors emitted by road traffic, including ultrafine particles (UFP) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are clearly linked to the evolution and formation of carbonaceous species. Clearly, the solid fraction of PM has been reduced during the last two decades, with the implementation of after-treatment systems abating approximately 99% of primary solid particle mass concentrations. However, the role of brown carbon and its radiative effect on climate and the generation of ultrafine particles by nucleation of organic vapour during the dilution of the exhaust remain unclear phenomena and will need further investigation. The increasing role of gasoline vehicles on carbonaceous particle emissions and formation is also highlighted, particularly through the chemical and thermodynamic evolution of organic gases and their propensity to produce particles. The remaining carbon-containing particles from brakes, tyres and road wear will still be a problem even in a future of full electrification of the vehicle fleet. Some key conclusions and recommendations are also proposed to support the decision makers in view of the next regulations on vehicle emissions worldwide.
Evaluation of Non-Biodegradable Organic Matter and Microbial Community’s Effects on Achievement of Partial Nitrification Coupled with ANAMMOX for Treating Low-Carbon Livestock Wastewater
Authors: Zhang Mingchuan , Chen Xi , Xu Xinyang , Fu Zhongtian , Zhao Xin
Published: April 2022

After the anaerobic digestion of livestock manure, high concentrations of nutrients still remain. Treatment of livestock wastewater through partial nitrification coupled with anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) could be a useful technology depending on the investigation of microorganism enrichment and partial nitrification coupled with achievement of the ANAMMOX process. The results show 78.4% and 64.7% nitrite accumulation efficiency was successfully obtained in an intermittent aeration sequencing batch reactor and a continuous aeration sequencing batch reactor, respectively, at a loading rate of 0.93 kg ammonium/(m3·d). The main reason for the high nitrite accumulation efficiency was the intermittent aeration strategy which generated a 20–30 min lag reaction for nitrite oxidation and promoted the growth of the dominant ammonium oxidation bacteria (Nitrosomonas). Non-biodegradable organic matter in the effluents of partial nitrification did not have obvious influence on ANAMMOX activity at low loading rates (118 ± 13 mg COD/L and 168 ± 9 mg COD/L), and up to 87.4% average nitrite removal rate was observed. However, with the influent COD concentration increasing to 242 ± 17 mg/L, the potential inhibition of ANAMMOX activity was exerted by non-biodegradable organic matter.
Comparisons of Combined Oxidant Capacity and Redox-Weighted Oxidant Capacity in Their Association with Increasing Levels of COVID-19 Infection
Authors: Guo Huibin , Wang Yidan , Yao Kaixing , Yang Liu , Cheng Shiyu
Published: April 2022

Background: Ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are substances with oxidizing ability in the atmosphere. Only considering the impact of a single substance is not comprehensive. However, people’s understanding of “total oxidation capacity” (Ox) and “weighted average oxidation” (Oxwt) is limited. Objectives: This investigation aims to assess the impact of Ox and Oxwt on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We also compared the relationship between the different calculation methods of Ox and Oxwt and the COVID-19 infection rate. Method: We recorded confirmed COVID-19 cases and daily pollutant concentrations (O3 and NO2) in 34 provincial capital cities in China. The generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the nonlinear relationship between confirmed COVID-19 cases and Ox and Oxwt. Result: Our results indicated that the correlation between Ox and COVID-19 was more sensitive than Oxwt. The hysteresis effect of Ox and Oxwt decreased with time. The most obvious statistical data was observed in Central China and South China. A 10 µg m−3 increase in mean Ox concentrations were related to a 23.1% (95%CI: 11.4%, 36.2%) increase, and a 10 µg m−3 increase in average Oxwt concentration was related to 10.7% (95%CI: 5.2%, 16.8%) increase in COVID-19. In conclusion, our research results show that Ox and Oxwt can better replace the single pollutant research on O3 and NO2, which is used as a new idea for future epidemiological research.
Approximation Properties of the Generalized Abel-Poisson Integrals on the Weyl-Nagy Classes
Authors: Kal’chuk Inna , Kharkevych Yurii
Published: April 2022

Asymptotic equalities are obtained for the least upper bounds of approximations of functions from the classes Wβ,∞r by the generalized Abel-Poisson integrals Pγ(δ),0<γ≤2, for the case r>γ in the uniform metric, which provide the solution to the Kolmogorov–Nikol’skii problem for the given method of approximation on the Weyl-Nagy classes.
Impact of Microenvironmental Changes during Degeneration on Intervertebral Disc Progenitor Cells: A Comparison with Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Lyu Feng-Juan
Published: April 2022

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration occurs with natural ageing and is linked to low back pain, a common disease. As an avascular tissue, the microenvironment inside the IVD is harsh. During degeneration, the condition becomes even more compromised, presenting a significant challenge to the survival and function of the resident cells, as well as to any regeneration attempts using cell implantation. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been proposed as a candidate stem cell tool for IVD regeneration. Recently, endogenous IVD progenitor cells have been identified inside the IVD, highlighting their potential for self-repair. IVD progenitor cells have properties similar to MSCs, with minor differences in potency and surface marker expression. Currently, it is unclear how IVD progenitor cells react to microenvironmental factors and in what ways they possibly behave differently to MSCs. Here, we first summarized the microenvironmental factors presented in the IVD and their changes during degeneration. Then, we analyzed the available studies on the responses of IVD progenitor cells and MSCs to these factors, and made comparisons between these two types of cells, when possible, in an attempt to achieve a clear understanding of the characteristics of IVD progenitor cells when compared to MSCs; as well as, to provide possible clues to cell fate after implantation, which may facilitate future manipulation and design of IVD regeneration studies.
COVID-19 Diagnosis: A Review of Rapid Antigen, RT-PCR and Artificial Intelligence Methods
Authors: Aruleba Raphael Taiwo , Adekiya Tayo Alex , Ayawei Nimibofa , Obaido George , Aruleba Kehinde , Mienye Ibomoiye Domor , Aruleba Idowu , Ogbuokiri Blessing
Published: April 2022

As of 27 December 2021, SARS-CoV-2 has infected over 278 million persons and caused 5.3 million deaths. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, different methods, from medical to artificial intelligence, have been used for its detection, diagnosis, and surveillance. Meanwhile, fast and efficient point-of-care (POC) testing and self-testing kits have become necessary in the fight against COVID-19 and to assist healthcare personnel and governments curb the spread of the virus. This paper presents a review of the various types of COVID-19 detection methods, diagnostic technologies, and surveillance approaches that have been used or proposed. The review provided in this article should be beneficial to researchers in this field and health policymakers at large.
Identification of Key Candidate Genes in Runs of Homozygosity of the Genome of Two Chicken Breeds, Associated with Cold Adaptation
Authors: Fedorova Elena S. , Dementieva Natalia V. , Shcherbakov Yuri S. , Stanishevskaya Olga I.
Published: April 2022

It is well known that the chicken gene pools have high adaptive abilities, including adaptation to cold environments. This research aimed to study the genomic distribution of runs of homozygosity (ROH) in a population of Russian White (RW) chickens as a result of selection for adaptation to cold environments in the early postnatal period, to perform a structural annotation of the discovered breed-specific regions of the genome (compared to chickens of the Amroks breed) and to suggest key candidate genes associated with the adaptation of RW chickens to cold environments. Genotyping of individual samples was performed using Illumina Chicken 60K SNP BeadChip® chips. The search for homozygous regions by individual chromosomes was carried out using the PLINK 1.9 program and the detectRuns R package. Twelve key genes on breed-specific ROH islands were identified. They may be considered as potential candidate genes associated with the high adaptive ability of chickens in cold environments in the early postnatal period. Genes associated with lipid metabolism (SOCS3, NDUFA4, TXNRD2, IGFBP 1, IGFBP 3), maintaining body temperature in cold environments (ADIPOQ, GCGR, TRPM2), non-shivering thermogenesis (RYR2, CAMK2G, STK25) and muscle development (METTL21C) are perspectives for further research. This study contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms of adaptation to cold environments in chickens and provides a molecular basis for selection work.
Homocysteine, Vitamins B6 and Folic Acid in Experimental Models of Myocardial Infarction and Heart Failure—How Strong Is That Link?
Authors: Bajic Zorislava , Sobot Tanja , Skrbic Ranko , Stojiljkovic Milos P. , Ponorac Nenad , Matavulj Amela , Djuric Dragan M.
Published: April 2022

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death and the main cause of disability. In the last decade, homocysteine has been found to be a risk factor or a marker for cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction (MI) and heart failure (HF). There are indications that vitamin B6 plays a significant role in the process of transsulfuration in homocysteine metabolism, specifically, in a part of the reaction in which homocysteine transfers a sulfhydryl group to serine to form α-ketobutyrate and cysteine. Therefore, an elevated homocysteine concentration (hyperhomocysteinemia) could be a consequence of vitamin B6 and/or folate deficiency. Hyperhomocysteinemia in turn could damage the endothelium and the blood vessel wall and induce worsening of atherosclerotic process, having a negative impact on the mechanisms underlying MI and HF, such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and altered function of gasotransmitters. Given the importance of the vitamin B6 in homocysteine metabolism, in this paper, we review its role in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, influencing the functions of gasotransmitters, and improving vasodilatation and coronary flow in animal models of MI and HF.
The “Third Violin” in the Cytoskeleton Orchestra—The Role of Intermediate Filaments in the Endothelial Cell’s Life
Authors: Shakhov Anton S. , Alieva Irina B.
Published: April 2022

The endothelium plays an important role in the transcytosis of lipoproteins. According to one of the theories, endothelial injury is a triggering factor for the development of atherosclerosis, and intracellular structures, including components of the endotheliocyte cytoskeleton (microtubules, actin, and intermediate filaments), are involved in its development. In contrast to the proteins of tubulin-based microtubules and actin microfilaments, intermediate filaments are comprised of various tissue-specific protein members. Vimentin, the main protein of endothelial intermediate filaments, is one of the most well-studied of these and belongs to type-III intermediate filaments, commonly found in cells of mesenchymal origin. Vimentin filaments are linked mechanically or by signaling molecules to microfilaments and microtubules by which coordinated cell polarisation and migration are carried out, as well as control over several endotheliocyte functions. Moreover, the soluble vimentin acts as an indicator of the state of the cardiovascular system, and the involvement of vimentin in the development and course of atherosclerosis has been demonstrated. Here we discuss current concepts of the participation of vimentin filaments in the vital activity and functioning of endothelial cells, as well as the role of vimentin in the development of inflammatory processes and atherosclerosis.
Potential of Triterpenic Natural Compound Betulinic Acid for Neglected Tropical Diseases New Treatments
Authors: Rocha Vinícius , Quadros Helenita , Meira Cássio , Silva Laís , Carvalho Dahara , Hodel Katharine , Moreira Diogo , Soares Milena
Published: April 2022

Neglected tropical diseases are one of the most important public health problems in many countries around the world. Among them are leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and malaria, which contribute to more than 250 million infections worldwide. There is no validated vaccine to prevent these infections and the treatments available are obsolete, highly toxic, and non-effective due to parasitic drug resistance. Additionally, there is a high incidence of these diseases, and they may require hospitalization, which is expensive to the public health systems. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new treatments to improve the management of infected people, control the spread of resistant strains, and reduce health costs. Betulinic acid (BA) is a triterpene natural product which has shown antiparasitic activity against Leishmania, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Plasmodium. Here, we review the main results regarding the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological activity of BA and its derivatives against these parasites. Some chemical modifications of BA have been shown to improve its activities against the parasites. Further improvement on studies of drug-derived, as well as structure–activity relationship, are necessary for the development of new betulinic acid-based treatments.
Intermittent Exposure of Hypercapnia Suppresses Allograft Rejection via Induction of Treg Differentiation and Inhibition of Neutrophil Accumulation
Authors: Tzeng Yuan-Sheng , Peng Yi-Jen , Tang Shih-En , Huang Kun-Lun , Chu Shi-Jye , Wu Shu-Yu , Cheng Chia-Pi
Published: April 2022

Background: In the management of major burn wounds, allogeneic skin transplantation is a critical procedure to improve wound repair. Our previous works found that intermittent exposure to carbon dioxide leads to permissive hypercapnia (HCA) and prolongs skin allograft survival. However, the modulatory effects of HCA exposure on the immune system are not well understood. Objectives: Our purpose was to investigate how intermittent exposure to HCA can effectively reduce the immune reaction to allogeneic skin graft rejection. Methods: A fully major histocompatibility complex-incompatible skin transplant from BALB/c to C57BL/6 mice model was utilized. Immune cells from splenic and draining lymph nodes were analyzed by flow cytometry. Serum proinflammatory cytokines were analyzed by ELISA. Results: Serum levels of IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly decreased in the HCA group. Additionally, the percentage of CD8+ cells in draining lymph nodes was significantly lower in HCA than in the control group. Moreover, the generation rate of FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) from spleen naïve CD4+ T cells was increased by intermittent exposure to carbon dioxide. The infiltrated neutrophils were also eliminated by HCA. Taken together, we concluded that intermittent hypercapnia exposure could effectively suppress skin rejection by stimulating Treg cell generation and suppressing immune reactions.
Investigation of Inclusion States of Silicate and Carbonate Ions in Hydroxyapatite Particles Prepared under the Presence of Sodium Silicate
Authors: Peñaflor Galindo Tania Guadalupe , Sugimoto Kazuto , Yamada Shota , Sugibuchi Taito , Liu Zizhen , Tagaya Motohiro
Published: April 2022

Biological hydroxyapatite (HA) contains the different minor ions which favour its bio-reactivity in vivo. In this study, the preparation of HA particles containing both silicate and carbonate ions under the presence of sodium silicate was investigated, and the physicochemical properties were evaluated according to the contents and states of silicate and carbonate ions. The increment in the silicate ion reduced the crystallinity and expanded the crystalline size along with a-axis. Solid-state 29Si–NMR spectra indicated the increase in the adsorption of oligomeric silicate species on the HA particle surfaces in addition to the substitution state of silicate ions, suggesting the occurrence of the surface coating of silicates on the surfaces. The possible states of carbonate and silicate ions at the HA surfaces will provide the bioactivity.
Analysis of BIM-Based Digitising of Green Building Index (GBI): Assessment Method
Authors: Solla Mohmed , Elmesh Ahmed , Memon Zubair Ahmed , Ismail Lokman Hakim , Kazee Mohammed F. Al , Latif Qadir Bux alias Imran , Yusoff Nur Izzi Md , Alosta Moad , Milad Abdalrhman
Published: April 2022

There is currently an increasing demand for Building Information Modelling (BIM) to be integrated into green projects. BIM is able to evaluate green building assessment tools by digitising and assessing buildings during their development stage. In Malaysia, the Green Building Index (GBI) promotes sustainability in the built environment. Six categories of criteria will be assessed in three of the certification stages. This study focuses on how BIM applications can digitise the GBI criteria for GBI processes. It examines BIM uses and tools of each GBI credit and defines the responsibility and role of construction stakeholders in using BIM to examine the assessment methods used for new non-residential building construction based on GBI. The primary method for data collection is the focus group interview which involves the groups of stakeholders involved in a BIM and GBI project. The result of the BIM–GBI assessment method showed that BIM could digitise and assess 25 credits in Design Assessment (DA), which can achieve 55 points of the total 100 points. This study helps stakeholders define the design team and facility manager’s roles to obtain GBI certification and maintain the certification during the building’s operation stage.
Multitype Damage Imaging in Concrete Modeling Based on Time Reversal Technique
Authors: Sun Xiaohui , Fan Shuli , Liu Chunguang
Published: April 2022

It is necessary to develop effective methods for visually detecting concrete damage because minor damage can affect the performance of concrete materials. However, the non-homogeneous nature of concrete materials limits the application of imaging algorithms that have been widely used in aerospace and mechanical fields; thus, obtaining high-resolution imaging maps is difficult. In this study, feasibility research on concrete damage detection was conducted using the time reversal focusing imaging algorithm. A new method for characterizing various concrete damage conditions with focusing curves was proposed. ABAQUS software was utilized to establish five types of concrete damage, and the imaging quality of the proposed method was evaluated in Python. The effect of the relative position of the damage and the sensors was analyzed. The focusing curve was extracted from the imaging area to further explain the image information. The numerical simulation results show that time reversal focusing had better damage localization than the forward algorithm; time focusing also improved the spatial focusing quality. In addition, focusing curves were used to extract information from the main lobe and to determine the size and location of the damage.