bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Spring Drought in Yunnan Province of China: Variation Characteristics, Leading Impact Factors, and Physical Mechanisms
Authors: Gao Lu , Han Xue , Chen Xingrong , Liu Boqi , Li Yan
Published: February 2023

Yunnan Province in Southwest China is vulnerable to droughts due to its distinctive topography and local climate. Spring drought in Yunnan (SDY), which accounts for 70% of all drought events, causes the most severe devastation. By examining the variation characteristics of droughts in Yunnan from 1961 to 2020 in terms of the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), this present study shows that droughts in Yunnan have worsened in the past 60 years on different timescales. Especially, the SDY exhibits notable interannual and interdecadal variations, with no significant long-term trend, although the spring average regional temperatures have risen at a rate of 0.33 °C/10a since 1961. Here, in order to quantify the contribution of the precipitation and temperature, the two main meteorological impact factors, to the SDY under the exacerbation of climate warming, the statistical analyses reveal that precipitation plays a more crucial role than temperature in interannual and interdecadal SDY variations. Further, a diagnostic analysis of the moisture budget equation indicates that suppressed vertical moisture advection is the most important physical process affecting the reduced rainfall amount in spring, followed by the restricted horizontal water vapor transport. Meanwhile, the weak Bay of Bengal (BOB) summer monsoon, which is likely regulated by El Niño-like sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in spring, is closely linked with the SDY. This mechanism provides the possibility of SDY predictability on a seasonal scale.
Assessment of Wet Inorganic Nitrogen Deposition in an Oil Palm Plantation-Forest Matrix Environment in Borneo
Authors: Sellan Giacomo , Majalap Noreen , Thompson Jill , Dise Nancy B. , Field Chris D. , Pappalardo Salvatore E. , Codato Daniele , Robert Rolando , Brearley Francis Q.
Published: February 2023

Nitrogen (N) deposition significantly affects forest dynamics, carbon stocks and biodiversity, and numerous assessments of N fluxes and impacts exist in temperate latitudes. In tropical latitudes, however, there are few such assessments. In this study, we measured the inorganic N concentration (wet deposition) deposited in rainfall and rainfall pH throughout one year at the boundary of a forest reserve in Malaysian Borneo. We considered that the N deposition may be either from forest and agricultural fires or derived from agricultural fertiliser. Therefore, we determined the wind trajectories using the HYSPLIT model provided by NOAA, the location of fires throughout the landscape throughout one year using NASA’s FIRM system, and obtained the land use cover map of Malaysia and Indonesia. We then correlated our monthly cumulative wet N deposition with the cumulative number of fires and the cumulative area of oil palm plantation that wind trajectories arriving at our study site passed over before reaching the rainfall sampling site. At 7.45 kg N ha−1 year−1, our study site had the highest annual wet inorganic N deposition recorded for a Malaysian forest environment. The fire season and the cumulative agricultural area crossed by the winds had no significant effect on N deposition, rainfall N concentration, or rainfall pH. We suggest that future research should use 15N isotopes in rainfall to provide further information on the sources of N deposition in tropical forests such as this.
Short-Term Air Pollution Forecasting Using Embeddings in Neural Networks
Authors: Ramentol Enislay , Grimm Stefanie , Stinzendörfer Moritz , Wagner Andreas
Published: February 2023

Air quality is a highly relevant issue for any developed economy. The high incidence of pollution levels and their impact on human health has attracted the attention of the machine-learning scientific community. We present a study using several machine-learning methods to forecast NO2 concentration using historical pollution data and meteorological variables and apply them to the city of Erfurt, Germany. We propose modelling the time dependency using embedding variables, which enable the model to learn the implicit behaviour of traffic and offers the possibility to elaborate on local events. In addition, the model uses seven meteorological features to forecast the NO2 concentration for the next hours. The forecasting model also uses the seasonality of the pollution levels. Our experimental study shows that promising forecasts can be achieved, especially for holidays and similar occasions which lead to shifts in usual seasonality patterns. While the MAE values of the compared models range from 4.3 to 15, our model achieves values of 4.4 to 7.4 and thus outperforms the others in almost every instance. Those forecasts again can for example be used to regulate sources of pollutants such as, e.g., traffic.
Ideas and Tools for Error Detection in Opacity Databases
Authors: Pain Jean-Christophe , Croset Patricia
Published: February 2023

In this article, we propose several ideas and tools in order to check the reliability of radiative opacity and atomic physics databases. We first emphasize that it can be useful to verify that mathematical inequalities, which impose lower and upper bounds on the Rosseland and/or Planck mean opacities, are satisfied, either for pure elements or mixtures. In the second part, we discuss the intriguing law of anomalous numbers, also named Benford’s law, which enables one to detect errors in line-strength collections, required in order to perform fine-structure calculations. Finally, we point out and illustrate the importance of quantifying the uncertainties due to interpolations in the density-temperature opacity (or more generally atomic-data) tables and performing convergence checks, which are crucial in the accuracy-completeness compromise inherent in opacity computations.
Cut Systems with Relational Morphisms for Semiring-Valued Fuzzy Structures
Authors: Močkoř Jiří
Published: February 2023

Many of the new MV-valued fuzzy structures, including intuitionistic, neutrosophic, or fuzzy soft sets, can be transformed into so-called almost MV-valued fuzzy sets, or, equivalently, fuzzy sets with values in dual pair of semirings (in symbols, (R,R*)-fuzzy sets). This transformation allows any construction of almost MV-valued fuzzy sets to be retransformed into an analogous construction for these new fuzzy structures. In that way, approximation theories for (R,R*)-fuzzy sets, rough (R,R*)-fuzzy sets theories, or F-transform theories for (R,R*)-fuzzy sets have already been created and then retransformed for these new fuzzy structures. In this paper, we continue this trend and define, on the one hand, the theory of extensional (R,R*)-fuzzy sets defined on sets with fuzzy similarity relations with values in dual pair of semirings and power sets functors related to this theory and, at the same time, the theory of cuts with relational morphisms of these structures. Illustratively, the reverse transformations of some of these concepts into new fuzzy structures are presented.
Diet Diversification and Priming with Kunu: An Indigenous Probiotic Cereal-Based Non-Alcoholic Beverage in Nigeria
Authors: Ndukwe Johnson K. , Aduba Claret Chiugo , Ughamba Kingsley Tochukwu , Chukwu Kenechi Onyejiaka , Eze Chijioke Nwoye , Nwaiwu Ogueri , Onyeaka Helen
Published: February 2023

Kunu is a fermented non-alcoholic beverage consumed all over Nigeria. The drink is served as an alternative to alcohol due to its perceived extreme nourishing and therapeutic properties. Varieties of this beverage are determined mostly by the type of grain, the supplements, sensory additives used, and the process employed during its production. Dietary quality is paramount in nutritional well-being and a key factor in human overall health development. The nutritional quality of grains utilised for Kunu production makes the drink more appealing to a large growing population when compared to some other drinks. Some use Kunu drink as an infant weaning drink, thus serving as a priming beverage for infants due to its rich probiotic and nutritional properties. However, this beverage’s short shelf-life has limited its production scale. This review therefore elaborates succinctly on the diverse therapeutic nutritional properties of the Kunu beverage and the effect of additives and fermentation on the microbial dynamics during Kunu production, as well as the prospect of Kunu in diet diversification and priming for weaning infants.
Mild Paravalvular Leak May Pose an Increased Thrombogenic Risk in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) Patients-Insights from Patient Specific In Vitro and In Silico Studies
Authors: Kovarovic Brandon J. , Rotman Oren M. , Parikh Puja B. , Slepian Marvin J. , Bluestein Danny
Published: February 2023

In recent years, the treatment of aortic stenosis with TAVR has rapidly expanded to younger and lower-risk patients. However, persistent thrombotic events such as stroke and valve thrombosis expose recipients to severe clinical complications that hamper TAVR’s rapid advance. We presented a novel methodology for establishing a link between commonly acceptable mild paravalvular leak (PVL) levels through the device and increased thrombogenic risk. It utilizes in vitro patient-specific TAVR 3D-printed replicas evaluated for hydrodynamic performance. High-resolution µCT scans are used to reconstruct in silico FSI models of these replicas, in which multiple platelet trajectories are studied through the PVL channels to quantify thrombogenicity, showing that those are highly dependent on patient-specific flow conditions within the PVL channels. It demonstrates that platelets have the potential to enter the PVL channels multiple times over successive cardiac cycles, increasing the thrombogenic risk. This cannot be reliably approximated by standard hemodynamic parameters. It highlights the shortcomings of subjectively ranked PVL commonly used in clinical practice by indicating an increased thrombogenic risk in patient cases otherwise classified as mild PVL. It reiterates the need for more rigorous clinical evaluation for properly diagnosing thrombogenic risk in TAVR patients.
Bioactive Formulations in Agri-Food-Pharma: Source and Applications
Authors: Sridhar Kandi , Usmani Zeba , Sharma Minaxi
Published: February 2023

Bioactive compounds are the secondary metabolites produced by the plant cell through numerous metabolic pathways [...]
Role of Alternative Elicitor Transporters in the Onset of Plant Host Colonization by Streptomyces scabiei 87-22
Authors: Francis Isolde M. , Bergin Danica , Deflandre Benoit , Gupta Sagar , Salazar Joren J. C. , Villagrana Richard , Stulanovic Nudzejma , Ribeiro Monteiro Silvia , Kerff Frédéric , Loria Rosemary , Rigali Sébastien
Published: February 2023

Plant colonization by Streptomyces scabiei, the main cause of common scab disease on root and tuber crops, is triggered by cello-oligosaccharides, cellotriose being the most efficient elicitor. The import of cello-oligosaccharides via the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter CebEFG-MsiK induces the production of thaxtomin phytotoxins, the central virulence determinants of this species, as well as many other metabolites that compose the ‘virulome’ of S. scabiei. Homology searches revealed paralogues of the CebEFG proteins, encoded by the cebEFG2 cluster, while another ABC-type transporter, PitEFG, is encoded on the pathogenicity island (PAI). We investigated the gene expression of these candidate alternative elicitor importers in S. scabiei 87-22 upon cello-oligosaccharide supply by transcriptomic analysis, which revealed that cebEFG2 expression is highly activated by both cellobiose and cellotriose, while pitEFG expression was barely induced. Accordingly, deletion of pitE had no impact on virulence and thaxtomin production under the conditions tested, while the deletion of cebEFG2 reduced virulence and thaxtomin production, though not as strong as the mutants of the main cello-oligosaccharide transporter cebEFG1. Our results thus suggest that both ceb clusters participate, at different levels, in importing the virulence elicitors, while PitEFG plays no role in this process under the conditions tested. Interestingly, under more complex culture conditions, the addition of cellobiose restored thaxtomin production when both ceb clusters were disabled, suggesting the existence of an additional mechanism that is involved in sensing or importing the elicitor of the onset of the pathogenic lifestyle of S. scabiei.
Towards the Understanding of the Function of Lanthipeptide and TOMM-Related Genes in Haloferax mediterranei
Authors: Costa Thales , Cassin Elena , Moreirinha Catarina , Mendo Sónia , Caetano Tânia Sousa
Published: February 2023

Research on secondary metabolites produced by Archaea such as ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) is limited. The genome of Haloferax mediterranei ATCC 33500 encodes lanthipeptide synthetases (medM1, medM2, and medM3) and a thiazole-forming cyclodehydratase (ycaO), possibly involved in the biosynthesis of lanthipeptides and the TOMMs haloazolisins, respectively. Lanthipeptides and TOMMs often have antimicrobial activity, and H. mediterranei has antagonistic activity towards haloarchaea shown to be independent of medM genes. This study investigated (i) the transcription of ycaO and medM genes, (ii) the involvement of YcaO in bioactivity, and (iii) the impact of YcaO and MedM-encoding genes’ absence in the biomolecular profile of H. mediterranei. The assays were performed with biomass grown in agar and included RT-qPCR, the generation of knockout mutants, bioassays, and FTIR analysis. Results suggest that ycaO and medM genes are transcriptionally active, with the highest number of transcripts observed for medM2. The deletion of ycaO gene had no effect on H. mediterranei antihaloarchaea activity. FTIR analysis of medM and ycaO knockout mutants suggest that MedMs and YcaO activity might be directly or indirectly related t lipids, a novel perspective that deserves further investigation.
Identification of the Subtypes of Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Based on Pyroptosis-Related Genes
Authors: Niu Xinhao , Cheuk Yin Celeste , Li Xiao , Rong Ruiming , Xu Xiaoqing , Xu Cuidi , Luo Yongsheng , Zhang Pingbao , Guo Jingjing
Published: February 2023

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) often occurs in the process of kidney transplantation, which significantly impacts the subsequent treatment and prognosis of patients. The prognosis of patients with different subtypes of IRI is quite different. Therefore, in this paper, the gene expression data of multiple IRI samples were downloaded from the GEO database, and a double Laplacian orthogonal non-negative matrix factorization (DL-ONMF) algorithm was proposed to classify them. In this algorithm, various regularization constraints are added based on the non-negative matrix factorization algorithm, and the prior information is fused into the algorithm from different perspectives. The connectivity information between different samples and features is added to the algorithm by Laplacian regularization constraints on samples and features. In addition, orthogonality constraints on the basis matrix and coefficient matrix obtained by the algorithm decomposition are added to reduce the influence of redundant samples and redundant features on the results. Based on the DL-ONMF algorithm for clustering, two PRGs-related IRI isoforms were obtained in this paper. The results of immunoassays showed that the immune microenvironment was different among PRGS-related IRI types. Based on the differentially expressed PRGs between subtypes, we used LASSO and SVM-RFE algorithms to construct a diagnostic model related to renal transplantation. ROC analysis showed that the diagnostic model could predict the outcome of renal transplant patients with high accuracy. In conclusion, this paper presents an algorithm, DL-ONMF, which can identify subtypes with different disease characteristics. Comprehensive bioinformatic analysis showed that pyroptosis might affect the outcome of kidney transplantation by participating in the immune response of IRI.
Oxaliplatin-Induced Damage to the Gastric Innervation: Role in Nausea and Vomiting
Authors: Rahman Ahmed A. , Masango Philenkosini , Stavely Rhian , Bertrand Paul , Page Amanda , Nurgali Kulmira
Published: February 2023

Nausea and vomiting are common gastrointestinal side effects of oxaliplatin chemotherapy used for the treatment of colorectal cancer. However, the mechanism underlying oxaliplatin-induced nausea and vomiting is unknown. The stomach is involved in the emetic reflex but no study investigated the effects of oxaliplatin treatment on the stomach. In this study, the in vivo effects of oxaliplatin treatment on eating behaviour, stomach content, intrinsic gastric neuronal population, extrinsic innervation to the stomach, levels of mucosal serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), and parasympathetic vagal efferent nerve activity were analysed. Chronic systemic oxaliplatin treatment in mice resulted in pica, indicated by increased kaolin consumption and a reduction in body weight. Oxaliplatin treatment significantly increased the stomach weight and content. The total number of myenteric and nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive neurons as well as the density of sympathetic, parasympathetic, and sensory fibres in the stomach were decreased significantly with oxaliplatin treatment. Oxaliplatin treatment significantly increased the levels in mucosal 5-HT and the number of enterochromaffin-like cells. Chronic oxaliplatin treatment also caused a significant increase in the vagal efferent nerve activity. The findings of this study indicate that oxaliplatin exposure has adverse effects on multiple components of gastric innervation, which could be responsible for pica and gastric dysmotility.
Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles from Human Follicular Fluid: Size-Exclusion Chromatography versus Ultracentrifugation
Authors: Soares Maria , Pinto Maria M. , Nobre Rui Jorge , de Almeida Luís Pereira , da Graça Rasteiro Maria , Almeida-Santos Teresa , Ramalho-Santos João , Sousa Ana Paula
Published: February 2023

Follicular fluid (FF) is the microenvironment where a growing oocyte develops. Intrafollicular communication ensures oocyte competence and is carried out through paracrine signaling, the exchange of molecules via gap junctions, and the trafficking of extracellular vesicles (EVs). The study of FF-derived EVs is important for both translational and fundamental research in the female reproductive field. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and purity of two EV isolation methods: size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and ultracentrifugation (UC). EVs isolated using SEC and UC were compared regarding their size and concentration using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA); protein contamination was assessed with microBCA; specific EV markers were detected with Western blot, and EV morphology was studied with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Our results show that although both techniques isolated small EVs, a significantly increased yield in particle number was clear with UC compared with SEC. On the other hand, SEC generated purer EVs with fewer protein contaminants and aggregates. In conclusion, the selection of the most suited approach to isolate EVs must be conducted considering the degree of recovery, purity, and downstream application of the isolated EVs.
From Genetics to Clinical Implications: A Study of 675 Dutch Osteogenesis Imperfecta Patients
Authors: Storoni Silvia , Verdonk Sara J. E. , Zhytnik Lidiia , Pals Gerard , Treurniet Sanne , Elting Mariet W. , Sakkers Ralph J. B. , van den Aardweg Joost G. , Eekhoff Elisabeth M. W. , Micha Dimitra
Published: February 2023

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a heritable connective tissue disorder that causes bone fragility due to pathogenic variants in genes responsible for the synthesis of type I collagen. Efforts to classify the high clinical variability in OI led to the Sillence classification. However, this classification only partially takes into account extraskeletal manifestations and the high genetic variability. Little is known about the relation between genetic variants and phenotype as of yet. The aim of the study was to create a clinically relevant genetic stratification of a cohort of 675 Dutch OI patients based on their pathogenic variant types and to provide an overview of their respective medical care demands. The clinical records of 675 OI patients were extracted from the Amsterdam UMC Genome Database and matched with the records from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The patients were categorized based on their harbored pathogenic variant. The information on hospital admissions, outpatient clinic visits, medication, and diagnosis-treatment combinations (DTCs) was compared between the variant groups. OI patients in the Netherlands appear to have a higher number of DTCs, outpatient clinic visits, and hospital admissions when compared to the general Dutch population. Furthermore, medication usage seems higher in the OI cohort in comparison to the general population. The patients with a COL1A1 or COL1A2 dominant negative missense non-glycine substitution appear to have a lower health care need compared to the other groups, and even lower than patients with COL1A1 or COL1A2 haploinsufficiency. It would be useful to include the variant type in addition to the Sillence classification when categorizing a patient’s phenotype.
Pan-Cancer Analysis of the TRP Family, Especially TRPV4 and TRPC4, and Its Expression Correlated with Prognosis, Tumor Microenvironment, and Treatment Sensitivity
Authors: Chen Zhenghao , Zhao Youquan , Tian Ye , Cao Rui , Shang Donghao
Published: February 2023

Background: Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are involved in various physiological, pathological, and tumorigenesis-related processes. However, only a few studies have comprehensively analyzed TRP family members and their association with prognosis and tumor microenvironment (TME) in various cancers. Thus, in this study, we focused on TRP channels in pan-cancer and screened two typical TRP channels, TRPV4 and TRPC4, as examples. Methods: Based on the latest public databases, we evaluated the expression level and prognostic value of TRP family genes in pan-cancer tissues via various bioinformatic analytical methods, and investigated the relationship between the expression of TRP family genes with TME, stemness score, immune subtype, drug sensitivity, and immunotherapy outcome in pan-cancer tissues. Results: Pan-cancer analysis revealed that the TRP family genes were differentially expressed in tumor and para-carcinoma tissues. A significant correlation existed between the expression of TRP family genes and prognosis. The expression of TRP family genes was significantly correlated with stromal, immune, RNA stemness, and DNA stemness scores in pan-cancer tissues. Our results indicated that the expression of TRP family genes correlated with the sensitivity to various drugs including PLX-4720, SB-590885, and HYPOTHEMYCIN, immunotherapy outcome, and immune-activation-related genes. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed significant differential expression of TRPV4 in bladder and para-carcinoma tissues. Conclusions: Our study elucidated the possible role of TRP family genes in cancer progression and provided insights for further studies on TRP family genes as potential pan-cancer targets to develop diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Emotional Distress, Transactional Sex and Psychoactive Substance Use during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Folayan Morenike Oluwatoyin , Zuñiga Roberto Ariel Abeldaño , Ezechi Oliver C. , Aly Nourhan M. , Lusher Joanne , Nguyen Annie L. , El Tantawi Maha
Published: February 2023

The aim of this study was to identify the sociodemographic factors associated with emotional distress and determine if the quality of family relationships and the perception of social isolation can protect those who transacted sex or used psychoactive substances from emotional distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data for 426 people who transacted sex and 630 persons who used psychoactive drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic were extracted from a database of participants recruited from 152 countries. The extracted data were the dependent (emotional distress), independent (age, sex, education status, employment status, HIV status, the perception of social isolation, and the quality of family relationships), and confounding (country income level) variables. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the associations between the dependent and independent variables after adjusting for confounders. Students who transacted sex (AOR:2.800) and who used psychoactive substances (AOR:2.270) had significantly higher odds of emotional distress. Participants who transacted sex, lived with HIV (AOR:2.582), or had the same/better quality of family relationships (AOR:1.829) had significantly higher odds of emotional distress. The participants who used psychoactive substances, had tertiary education (AOR:1.979), were retired (AOR:2.772), were unemployed (AOR:2.263), or felt socially isolated (AOR:2.069) had significantly higher odds of emotional distress. Being a student was the only sociodemographic risk indicator common to both populations. The risk indicators and protective factors for emotional distress differed for both populations despite both being at high risk for emotional distress.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in Differential Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and Systemic Inflammatory Diseases with Central Nervous System Involvement
Authors: Świderek-Matysiak Mariola , Oset Magdalena , Domowicz Małgorzata , Galazka Grażyna , Namiecińska Magdalena , Stasiołek Mariusz
Published: February 2023

Background: Diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is established on criteria according to clinical and radiological manifestation. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis is an important part of differential diagnosis of MS and other inflammatory processes in the central nervous system (CNS). Methods: In total, 242 CSF samples were collected from patients undergoing differential MS diagnosis because of the presence of T2-hyperintensive lesions on brain MRI. The non-MS patients were subdivided into systemic inflammatory diseases with CNS involvement (SID) or cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) or other non-inflammatory diseases (NID). All samples were analyzed for the presence of oligoclonal bands and ELISA was performed for detection of: INF gamma, IL-6, neurofilaments light chain (NF-L), GFAP, CHI3L1, CXCL13, and osteopontin. Results: The level of IL-6 (p = 0.024), osteopontin (p = 0.0002), and NF-L (p = 0.002) was significantly different among groups. IL-6 (p = 0.0350) and NF-L (p = 0.0015) level was significantly higher in SID compared to NID patients. A significantly higher level of osteopontin (p = 0.00026) and NF-L (p = 0.002) in MS compared to NID population was noted. ROC analysis found weak diagnostic power for osteopontin and NFL-L. Conclusions: The classical and non-standard markers of inflammatory process and neurodegeneration do not allow for sufficient differentiation between MS and non-MS inflammatory CNS disorders. Weak diagnostic power observed for the osteopontin and NF-L needs to be further investigated.
The Urgent Threat of Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Glimpse of the Drugs of the Future, with Related Patents and Prospects
Authors: Alshrari Ahmed S. , Hudu Shuaibu Abdullahi , Elmigdadi Fayig , Imran Mohd.
Published: February 2023

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is an urgent threat and unmet medical need. The current treatments for CDI are not enough to fight the burden of CDI and recurrent CDI (r-CDI). This review aims to highlight the future drugs for CDI and their related patented applications. The non-patent literature was collected from PubMed and various authentic websites of pharmaceutical industries. The patent literature was collected from free patent databases. Many possible drugs of the future for CDI, with diverse mechanisms of action, are in development in the form of microbiota-modulating agents (e.g., ADS024, CP101, RBX2660, RBX7455, SYN-004, SER-109, VE303, DAV132, MET-2, and BB128), small molecules (e.g., ridinilazole, ibezapolstat, CRS3123, DNV3837, MGB-BP-3, alanyl-L-glutamine, and TNP-2198), antibodies (e.g., IM-01 and LMN-201), and non-toxic strains of CD (e.g., NTCD-M3). The development of some therapeutic agents (e.g., DS-2969b, OPS-2071, cadazolid, misoprostol, ramoplanin, KB109, LFF571, and Ramizol) stopped due to failed clinical trials or unknown reasons. The patent literature reveals some important inventions for the existing treatments of CDI and supports the possibility of developing more and better CDI-treatment-based inventions, including patient-compliant dosage forms, targeted drug delivery, drug combinations of anti-CDI drugs possessing diverse mechanisms of action, probiotic and enzymatic supplements, and vaccines. The current pipeline of anti-CDI medications appears promising. However, it will be fascinating to see how many of the cited are successful in gaining approval from drug regulators such as the US FDA and becoming medicines for CDI and r-CDI.
Contribution of Trimethylamine N-Oxide (TMAO) to Chronic Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases
Authors: Constantino-Jonapa Luis A. , Espinoza-Palacios Yoshua , Escalona-Montaño Alma R. , Hernández-Ruiz Paulina , Amezcua-Guerra Luis M. , Amedei Amedeo , Aguirre-García María M.
Published: February 2023

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a metabolite produced by the gut microbiota and has been mainly associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in humans. There are factors that affect one’s TMAO level, such as diet, drugs, age, and hormones, among others. Gut dysbiosis in the host has been studied recently as a new approach to understanding chronic inflammatory and degenerative diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. These disease types as well as COVID-19 are known to modulate host immunity. Diabetic and obese patients have been observed to have an increase in their level of TMAO, which has a direct correlation with CVDs. This metabolite is attributed to enhancing the inflammatory pathways through cholesterol and bile acid dysregulation, promoting foam cell formation. Additionally, TMAO activates the transcription factor NF-κB, which, in turn, triggers cytokine production. The result can be an exaggerated inflammatory response capable of inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress, which is responsible for various diseases. Due to the deleterious effects that this metabolite causes in its host, it is important to search for new therapeutic agents that allow a reduction in the TMAO levels of patients and that, thus, allow patients to be able to avoid a severe cardiovascular event. The present review discussed the synthesis of TMAO and its contribution to the pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases.
Predictors of DAPSA Response in Psoriatic Arthritis Patients Treated with Apremilast in a Retrospective Observational Multi-Centric Study
Authors: Becciolini Andrea , Parisi Simone , Del Medico Patrizia , Farina Antonella , Visalli Elisa , Molica Colella Aldo Biagio , Lumetti Federica , Caccavale Rosalba , Scolieri Palma , Andracco Romina , Girelli Francesco , Bravi Elena , Colina Matteo , Volpe Alessandro , Ianniello Aurora , Ditto Maria Chiara , Nucera Valeria , Franchina Veronica , Platè Ilaria , Donato Eleonora Di , Amato Giorgio , Salvarani Carlo , Bernardi Simone , Lucchini Gianluca , De Lucia Francesco , Molica Colella Francesco , Santilli Daniele , Mansueto Natalia , Ferrero Giulio , Marchetta Antonio , Arrigoni Eugenio , Foti Rosario , Sandri Gilda , Bruzzese Vincenzo , Paroli Marino , Fusaro Enrico , Ariani Alarico
Published: February 2023

Background: To date, only a few real-world-setting studies evaluated apremilast effectiveness in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The aims of this retrospective observational study are to report long-term Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) response of apremilast in PsA patients and to analyze the predictors of clinical response. Methods: All PsA consecutive patients treated with apremilast in fifteen Italian rheumatological referral centers were enrolled. Anamnestic data, treatment history, and PsA disease activity (DAPSA) at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months were recorded. The Mann–Whitney test and chi-squared tests assessed the differences between independent groups, whereas the Wilcoxon matched pairs signed-rank test assessed the differences between dependent samples. Logistic regressions verified if there were factors associated with achievement of DAPSA low disease activity or remission at 6 and 12 months. Results: DAPSA low disease activity or remission rates at 6 and 12 months were observed, respectively, in 42.7% (n = 125) and 54.9% (n = 161) patients. Baseline DAPSA was inversely associated with the odds of achieving low disease activity or remission at 6 months (odds ratio (OR) 0.841, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.804–0.879; p < 0.01) and at 12 months (OR 0.911, 95% CI 0.883–0.939; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Almost half of the PsA patients receiving apremilast achieved DAPSA low disease activity or remission at 6 and 12 months. The only factor associated with achievement of low disease activity or remission at both 6 and 12 months was baseline DAPSA.
Advancing Medicine with Lipid-Based Nanosystems—The Successful Case of Liposomes
Authors: Luiz Hugo , Oliveira Pinho Jacinta , Gaspar Maria Manuela
Published: February 2023

Nanomedicine, a promising area of medicine, employs nanosized tools for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disease. Particularly, liposomes, lipid-based nanovesicles, are currently one of the most successful nanosystems, with extensive applications in the clinic and an increasing pipeline of products in preclinical and clinical development. These versatile nanotechnological tools are biocompatible and biodegradable, and can load a variety of molecules and, ultimately, improve the therapeutic performance of drugs while minimizing undesired side effects. In this review, we provide a brief description on liposomes’ composition and classification and mainly focus on their clinical use in various areas, including disease management (e.g., cancer, fungal and bacterial infections, ocular pathologies), analgesia, vaccination, diagnostics, and immunosuppression in organ transplantation. Herein are described examples of current liposomal products already in the clinic, as well as the most recent clinical trials involving liposomes as effective and safe nanomedicine tools.
Electrochemical Biosensors as a Novel Platform in the Identification of Listeriosis Infection
Authors: Mehrannia Leila , Khalilzadeh Balal , Rahbarghazi Reza , Milani Morteza , Saydan Kanberoglu Gulsah , Yousefi Hadi , Erk Nevin
Published: February 2023

Listeria monocytogenes (L.M.) is a gram-positive bacillus with wide distribution in the environment. This bacterium contaminates water sources and food products and can be transmitted to the human population. The infection caused by L.M. is called listeriosis and is common in pregnant women, immune-deficient patients, and older adults. Based on the released statistics, listeriosis has a high rate of hospitalization and mortality; thus, rapid and timely detection of food contamination and listeriosis cases is necessary. During the last few decades, biosensors have been used for the detection and monitoring of varied bacteria species. These devices are detection platforms with great sensitivity and low detection limits. Among different types of biosensors, electrochemical biosensors have a high capability to circumvent several drawbacks associated with the application of conventional laboratory techniques. In this review article, different electrochemical biosensor types used for the detection of listeriosis were discussed in terms of actuators, bioreceptors, specific working electrodes, and signal amplification. We hope that this review will facilitate researchers to access a complete and comprehensive template for pathogen detection based on the different formats of electrochemical biosensors.
Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Improves Visceral Hypersensitivity and Gastric Motility and Depression-like Behaviors via Vago-Vagal Pathway in a Rat Model of Functional Dyspepsia
Authors: Hou Liwei , Rong Peijing , Yang Yang , Fang Jiliang , Wang Junying , Wang Yu , Zhang Jinling , Zhang Shuai , Zhang Zixuan , Chen Jiande D. Z. , Wei Wei
Published: February 2023

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation was recently reported to have a therapeutic potential for functional dyspepsia (FD). This study aimed to explore the integrative effects and mechanisms of auricular vagus nerve stimulation (aVNS) in a rodent model of FD. Methods: We evaluated the effects of aVNS on visceral hypersensitivity, gastric motility and open field test (OFT) activity in iodoacetamide (IA)-treated rats. The autonomic function was assessed; blood samples and tissues were collected and analyzed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot. Vagotomy was performed to investigate the role of vagal efferent nerve. Results: aVNS reduced the electromyography response to gastric distension, improved gastric emptying and increased the horizontal and vertical motion scores of the OFT in IA-treated rats. The sympathovagal ratio was increased in IA-treated rats but normalized with aVNS. The serum cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and NF-κBp65 were increased in IA-treated rats and decreased with aVNS. The hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis was hyperactive in IA-treated rats but inhibited by aVNS. The expression of duodenal desmoglein 2 and occludin were all decreased in IA-treated rats and increased with aVNS but not sham-aVNS. Vagotomy abolished the ameliorating effects of aVNS on gastric emptying, horizontal motions, serum TNF-α and duodenal NF-κBp65. Conclusion: aVNS improves gastric motility and gastric hypersensitivity probably by anti-inflammatory mechanisms via the vago-vagal pathways. A better understanding on the mechanisms of action involved with aVNS would lead to the optimization of the taVNS methodology and promote taVNS as a non-pharmacological alternative therapy for FD.
Stem Cell Therapy in Diabetic Polyneuropathy: Recent Advancements and Future Directions
Authors: Akter Shamima , Choubey Mayank , Mohib Mohammad Mohabbulla , Arbee Shahida , Sagor Md Abu Taher , Mohiuddin Mohammad Sarif
Published: February 2023

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is the most frequent, although neglected, complication of long-term diabetes. Nearly 30% of hospitalized and 20% of community-dwelling patients with diabetes suffer from DPN; the incidence rate is approximately 2% annually. To date, there has been no curable therapy for DPN. Under these circumstances, cell therapy may be a vital candidate for the treatment of DPN. The epidemiology, classification, and treatment options for DPN are disclosed in the current review. Cell-based therapies using bone marrow-derived cells, embryonic stem cells, pluripotent stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells, mesenchymal stem cells, or dental pulp stem cells are our primary concern, which may be a useful treatment option to ease or to stop the progression of DPN. The importance of cryotherapies for treating DPN has been observed in several studies. These findings may help for the future researchers to establish more focused, accurate, effective, alternative, and safe therapy to reduce DPN. Cell-based therapy might be a permanent solution in the treatment and management of diabetes-induced neuropathy.
Energy-Saving Design Strategies of Zero-Energy Solar Buildings—A Case Study of the Third Solar Decathlon China
Authors: Yao Gang , Chen Yuan , Lin Yuxi , Wang Yiguo
Published: February 2023

Solar Decathlon is a multi-disciplinary international competition that integrates energy-saving design strategies to design, build and operate zero-energy solar houses. This study focused on the 15 entries in the third Solar Decathlon China. It summarized their energy-saving design strategies into strategies of architectural design, equipment management, energy acquisition and intelligent regulation, and extracted a total of 22 key design elements. Based on the scoring results of the competition, this study analyzed the application of different design strategies with qualitative analysis; through quantitative analysis, 22 design elements were associated with the score, and the impact of different strategies on the score was comprehensively analyzed. As revealed in the data, design concept, functional structure and application type of renewable energy are significantly correlated with and have a great impact on the score; in contrast, building area and thermal buffer space are not significantly correlated with the score. On the basis of data analysis, this study provides a quantitative decision basis for the energy-saving design strategy of zero-energy buildings, and establishes an empirical model for the design of zero-energy solar buildings in Zhangbei County, Zhangjiakou City. This paper is helpful for the design practice and application of subsequent studies on ZEBs.
An Investigation into Sleep Environment as a Multi-Functional Space
Authors: Dincer Demet , Tietz Christian , Dalci Kerem
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the multi-functional use of the domestic sleep environment (bedroom) and present evidence on outcomes that can be identified. By looking at the sleep environment in a broader context and considering the use of the bedroom space besides sleeping, this research responds to an information gap in sleep studies. A survey with multiple-choice questionnaire items was conducted with 304 participants in Australia to investigate the relationship between occupants’ use of the bedroom space and their sleep habits. We found evidence that today’s bedrooms are used for more than just sleeping, reflecting the respondents’ multi-functional needs. Of the respondents, 60% agreed to have a consistent sleeping routine, while 49% answered they have/might have a sleep problem. The mean hours spent in a sleeping environment are 9.31, while the sleeping mean hours are 7.12. While 40% reported using the bedroom as their living space, 61% said they prefer to use it only for sleep. Age, occupation and the bedroom’s location affect bedroom use and preferences. This study provides an initial inquiry into developing design strategies and understanding on the intertwined relationship between sleep and its environment.
Portland/Sulfoaluminate Cement Blends for the Control of Early Age Hydration and Yield Stress
Authors: Khalil Noura , Aouad Georges , Kleib Joelle , Rémond Sebastien
Published: February 2023

Early age hydration and the rheological behavior of cement pastes are related to their reactivity. The reactivity of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and calcium sulfoaluminate cement (CSA) blends, with a CSA percentage of less than 10%, are investigated in this paper. Different percentages of CSA replacement are studied. First, an isothermal calorimetry study of the different cement pastes is performed to understand the effect of CSA on the evolution of the heat of hydration. Then, in order to understand the reactional mechanism of these cement pastes, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG) studies were conducted on one blended mix made out of 7% CSA and compared to the pure cement pastes of OPC and CSA. Later, the evolution of the yield stress as a function of the CSA percentage was studied. A synergy is shown between both OPC and CSA once mixed together, leading to a 57% and 45% higher ettringite formation for the blend compared to 100% OPC and 100% CSA cement pastes, respectively. This implies that the CSA amount affects the reactivity of OPC/CSA blends. This was confirmed by the variation in both the heat of hydration and yield stress evolution as a function of the percentage of CSA.
Virtual Representations of Cultural Heritage: Sharable and Implementable Case Study to Be Enjoyed and Maintained by the Community
Authors: Bolognesi Cecilia Maria , Fiorillo Fausta
Published: February 2023

This paper is related to the field of digital-informed modelling of heritage assets (HBIM). The scientific literature has been addressing this topic for years with many different facets: focusing digitalization on the analysis and modelling of heritage asset geometries, construction, development over time, or the representation of materials and degradations. This research aims not only to optimize the common digital workflows but also to demonstrate the effectiveness of digitalization and virtual reality applications in preserving the memory of places. Furthermore, a strategy for the maintenance of cultural heritage through virtual reality in a participatory process is proposed. The applied method develops appropriate new workflows and tools to enable enjoyment of monuments of the developed case study remotely; moreover, it allows the creation of content from ordinary users that can be incorporated into the digital models over time. Therefore, virtual and augmented reality environments are proving to be effective methods even for non-experts to understand space, allowing for active citizenship involvement.
Numerical Investigation of Effects of Camlock System on Thermal Conductivity of Structural Insulated Panels
Authors: Alghamdi Abdalrahman A. , Alqarni Ali M. , AlZahrani Abdullah A.
Published: February 2023

Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are widely used in residential and commercial buildings due to their reliable mechanical and thermal performance. However, using framing members and nails to join SIPs causes thermal bridging across the insulation and thus increases heat losses from the building envelope. Alternatively, SIPs joined with embedded camlock systems can overcome this issue. In this paper, a parametric study of the effects of the camlock system material and SIP geometric design on the thermal performance of SIP walls was investigated using a multi-scale finite element modeling approach. The model considers the structural design details of the camlock system. In addition, the effects of the SIP materials, SIP thickness, and the number of camlock systems per unit area on the through-thickness thermal conductivity of the SIP walls are examined. It was found that the SIP thickness is a dominating factor influencing the thermal performance of the SIP. The through-thickness (overall) thermal conductivity of the SIP wall increases linearly with the increase in the number of camlock systems used per unit area. However, it rises exponentially with the increasing SIP thickness. The reduction in the overall R-value of the SIP caused by the camlock system embedded in the SIP did not exceed 13.8%.