bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prescription Patterns of Drugs Given to Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Colombia
Authors: Valladales-Restrepo Luis Fernando , Giraldo-Correa Jaime Andrés , Aristizábal-Carmona Brayan Stiven , Constain-Mosquera Camilo Alexander , Sabogal-Ortiz Alejandra , Machado-Alba Jorge Enrique
Published: March 2022

The impact of COVID-19 prompted a race to find a treatment that would reduce its mortality. Most studies have not shown favorable results for many of these drugs, but they are still used. The aim as to determine the differences and similarities in the hospital pharmacological management of patients with COVID-19 according to sex, age group, and geographical region of Colombia, 2020–2021. Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on the prescription patterns of the medications given to patients diagnosed with COVID-19 treated in eight clinics in Colombia between 6 March 2020 and 31 May 2021. We performed a descriptive analysis of the sociodemographic, clinical, and pharmacological variables of the patients. A total of 8596 patients from 170 cities were identified, with a median age of 53.0 years and 53.3% of them men. A total of 24.3% required care in the intensive care unit, and 18.7% required invasive mechanical ventilation. The most commonly used drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 were systemic corticosteroids (63.6%), followed by colchicine (12.8%), azithromycin (8.9%), and ivermectin (6.4%). Corticosteroids, anticoagulants, colchicine, azithromycin, ivermectin, and hydroxychloroquine were prescribed more frequently in men, and their overall use increased with age. There were differences in prescriptions between geographic regions. The majority of patients were managed with medications included in the management guidelines. There were differences between sexes, age groups, and geographical regions.
Characterization of H2O2-Induced Alterations in Global Transcription of mRNA and lncRNA
Authors: Liu Shihua , Qiu Ya , Xiang Rong , Huang Peng
Published: March 2022

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an important reactive oxygen species that plays a major role in redox signaling. Although H2O2 is known to regulate gene expression and affect multiple cellular processes, the characteristics and mechanisms of such transcriptional regulation remain to be defined. In this study, we utilized transcriptome sequencing to determine the global changes of mRNA and lncRNA transcripts induced by H2O2 in human pancreatic normal epithelial (HPNE) and pancreatic cancer (PANC-1) cells. Promoter analysis using PROMO and TRRUST revealed that mRNAs and lncRNAs largely shared the same sets of transcription factors in response to ROS stress. Interestingly, promoters of the upregulated genes were similar to those of the downregulated transcripts, suggesting that the H2O2-responding promoters are conserved but they alone do not determine the levels of transcriptional outputs. We also found that H2O2 induced significant changes in molecules involved in the pathways of RNA metabolism, processing, and transport. Detailed analyses further revealed a significant difference between pancreatic cancer and noncancer cells in their response to H2O2 stress, especially in the transcription of genes involved in cell-cycle regulation and DNA repair. Our study provides new insights into RNA transcriptional regulation upon ROS stress in cancer and normal cells.
Antioxidant Activity of Moringa oleifera and Olive Olea europaea L. Leaf Powders and Extracts on Quality and Oxidation Stability of Chicken Burgers
Authors: Ezz El-Din Ibrahim Marwa , Alqurashi Randah Miqbil , Alfaraj Fatimah Yousef
Published: March 2022

Oxidation is the main cause of quality deterioration in meat-based foods, such as burgers. Antioxidants inhibit the oxidation process; recently, natural antioxidants have gained interest, due to safety concerns. In this study, the effects of leaf powder and crude extracts of both Moringa oleifera and olive in chicken burgers were studied for their antioxidant potential in preventing fat oxidation during storage. Antioxidant activities were evaluated using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl). The results showed the highest DPPH radical scavenging with IC50 values of 2.397 ± 0.10 mg/mL in the Moringa leaf. Total phenolic content (TPC) was crude olive extract > crude Moringa extract > olive leaf > Moringa leaf. The total flavonoid content (TFC) was significantly higher in the olive leaf and its crude extract than in the Moringa leaf and its crude extract. The pH, total volatile nitrogen, and sensory properties were affected by the addition of olive and Moringa (leaf and crude extracts) to chicken burgers refrigerated for 20 days. The addition of Moringa and olive leaf powder decreased lipid oxidation and PV after 10 days of storage. In general, Moringa and olive leaf treatments slowed the deterioration of meat, suggesting their use as preservatives to extend the shelf-life of chicken burgers.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties of MSF, a Lactiplantibacillus plantarum K8 Lysate Fermented with Filipendula glaberrima Extract
Authors: Choi Kyeong-Hun , Hong Jonghyo , Kim Ki-Young , Kim Hangeun , Lee Sanghyun , Lee Yunji , Chung Dae-Kyun
Published: March 2022

Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and obesity. Here, we produced potent anti-inflammatory probiotic lysates, termed MSF (miracle synergistic material made using Filipendula glaberrima), using fermentation with F. glaberrima extracts. MSF inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production through down-regulation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling. MSF-induced tolerance for TNF-α was mediated by induction of TNF alpha-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3 or A20). On the other hand, MSF showed a synergistic effect on interleukin (IL)-1β production in LPS-stimulated human monocytic leukemia cell line (THP-1 cells). This synergistic effect of the combination of MSF and LPS might be mediated by nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) signaling. The inhibitory effect of TNF-α and synergistic effect of IL-1β due to combining MSF and LPS were significantly higher than those of a combination of L. plantarum K8 lysates and LPS. The MSF and LPS combination showed reduced mouse mortality compared to a combination of L. plantarum K8 lysates and LPS, which correlated with decreased levels of cytokines, hepatic alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the blood and liver. These results show that probiotic lysates fermented with natural extracts such as F. glaberrima have higher anti-inflammatory efficacy than conventional probiotic lysates or natural extracts.
Systematic Odometry Error Evaluation and Correction in a Human-Sized Three-Wheeled Omnidirectional Mobile Robot Using Flower-Shaped Calibration Trajectories
Authors: Palacín Jordi , Rubies Elena , Clotet Eduard
Published: March 2022

Odometry is a simple and practical method that provides a periodic real-time estimation of the relative displacement of a mobile robot based on the measurement of the angular rotational speed of its wheels. The main disadvantage of odometry is its unbounded accumulation of errors, a factor that reduces the accuracy of the estimation of the absolute position and orientation of a mobile robot. This paper proposes a general procedure to evaluate and correct the systematic odometry errors of a human-sized three-wheeled omnidirectional mobile robot designed as a versatile personal assistant tool. The correction procedure is based on the definition of 36 individual calibration trajectories which together depict a flower-shaped figure, on the measurement of the odometry and ground truth trajectory of each calibration trajectory, and on the application of several strategies to iteratively adjust the effective value of the kinematic parameters of the mobile robot in order to match the estimated final position from these two trajectories. The results have shown an average improvement of 82.14% in the estimation of the final position and orientation of the mobile robot. Therefore, these results can be used for odometry calibration during the manufacturing of human-sized three-wheeled omnidirectional mobile robots.
Interactions of Self-Localised Optical Wavepackets in Reorientational Soft Matter
Authors: Assanto Gaetano , Marchant Timothy R. , Smyth Noel F.
Published: March 2022

The interaction of optical solitary waves in nematic liquid crystals, nematicons and vortices, with other nematicons and localised structures, such as refractive index changes, is reviewed. Such interactions are shown to enable simple routing schemes as a basis for all-optical guided wave signal manipulation.
Identification of Novel Molecular Targets of Four Microcystin Variants by High-Throughput Virtual Screening
Authors: Tapia-Larios Claudia , Mendoza Ernesto García , Rubio-Armendáriz María Carmen , Olivero-Verbel Jesus
Published: March 2022

Highly toxic microcystins (MCs) perform complex interactions with many proteins that induce cellular dysregulation, leading to the development of several diseases including cancer. There is significant diversity and chemical complexity among MC congeners, which makes it difficult to identify structure-dependent toxicity outcomes and their long-term effects. The aim of this study was to exploratory identify likely molecular targets of the main MC variants (MC-LA, MC-LR, MC-RR, and MC-LY) by conducting a computational binding affinity analysis using AutoDock Vina to evaluate the interaction of the toxins with 1000 proteins related to different biological functions. All four variants showed strong in silico interactions with proteins that regulate metabolism/immune system, CD38 (top scoring hit, −11.5 kcal/mol); inflammation, TLR4 (−11.4 kcal/mol) and TLR8 (−11.5 kcal/mol); neuronal conduction, BChE; renin–angiotensin signaling, (ACE); thyroid hormone homeostasis (TTR); and cancer-promoting processes, among other biochemical activities. The results show MCs have the potential to bind onto distinct molecular targets which could generate biochemical alterations through a number of signal transduction pathways. In short, this study broadens our knowledge about the mechanisms of action of different variants of microcystins and provides information for future direct experimentation.
Quartz-Enhanced Photoacoustic and Photothermal Spectroscopy
Authors: Wu Hongpeng , Sampaolo Angelo
Published: March 2022

The development of innovative gas-sensing systems is fundamental in diverse research fields such as physics, chemistry, biology, medicine and environmental science [...]
Identification of Sex Differences within Lunge Decelerations via Lower Extremity Support Moments; Implications for ACL Injury Disparity, Prevention, and Rehabilitation
Authors: Podraza Jeffery , White Scott
Published: March 2022

Loading characteristics and lower extremity injury mechanisms, such as the non-contact mechanism of cruciate ligament injury, differ between sexes. The Limb Support Moment (LSM) quantifies hip, knee, and ankle moment contribution to the net moment required to prevent limb collapse during deceleration tasks. In total, 10 males and 10 females performed single limb deceleration landings within three knee flexion ranges: 0–25°, 25–50°, and 50–75°. Lower extremity joint moments and LSMs were calculated for all planes at initial contact (IC) through 50 ms. A two-way multivariate ANOVA compared LSMs and joint moments between sexes for all planes. Female LSMs were significantly greater at IC in the sagittal and transverse planes due to the generation of hip and ankle extensor moments and larger hip, knee, and ankle internal rotation moments. Males demonstrated significantly greater LSMs in the frontal plane due to the generation of hip abductor moments. Results suggest that females have a more rigid lower limb than males at landing, with less shock absorption capacity and greater potential for frontal plane collapse due to an unsupportive hip adductor moment. Quantifying the contribution of joint moments to limb support via LSMs suggests that there are landing characteristic sex differences, which may provide insight into injury disparity while guiding injury prevention/rehabilitation methodology.
Accuracy of 3D-Printed Master Cast Workflow Using a Digital Light Processing Printer
Authors: Berndt Saskia , Herstell Hannah , Raith Stefan , Kühne Christina , Reich Sven
Published: March 2022

This in vitro study was designed to investigate whether conventionally produced casts and printed casts for prosthodontic purposes show comparable full-arch accuracy; a ceramic reference cast with inlay and crown preparations was fabricated. Ten gypsum casts were fabricated from conventional silicone elastomeric impressions. Ten digital impressions [IOS] of the reference cast were obtained by an intraoral scanner to fabricate 3D-printed resin casts. The ceramic reference cast, the gypsum, and the printed casts were digitized by an industrial structured light scanner (ILS) and provided as stl files. To evaluate absolute mean trueness values, the digitized gypsum casts [CON], digitized printed casts [PRINT], and [IOS] were superimposed with the digitized ceramic reference cast [REF]. Additionally, each [IOS] scan was compared with its corresponding [PRINT]. The precision was calculated for [CON], [IOS], and [PRINT]. The Mann–Whitney U test for independent samples and the Wilcoxon test for connected samples were performed (p ≤ 0.05). As absolute mean deviation trueness values were obtained: 69 ± 24 µm for [REF]-[CON], 33 ± 4 µm for [REF]-[PRINT], and 19 ± 3 µm for [REF]-[IOS]. The superimposition [IOS]-[PRINT] revealed 38 ± 6 µm. The precision was 74 ± 22 µm for [CON], 32 ± 10 µm for [PRINT], and 15 ± 4 µm for [IOS]. With respect to the workflow, the trueness values of [REF]-[CON] and [REF]-[PRINT] differed significantly. Within the digital workflow, [REF]-[PRINT], [REF]-[IOS], and [IOS]-[PRINT], all values differed significantly. Within the limitations of the study, digital impression and printed cast fabrication were more accurate and reproducible than the conventional workflow.
Multitarget-Based Virtual Screening for Identification of Herbal Substances toward Potential Osteoclastic Targets
Authors: Chaichit Siripat , Wongrattanakamon Pathomwat , Sirithunyalug Busaban , Nimmanpipug Piyarat , Jiranusornkul Supat
Published: March 2022

Osteoporosis is a complex bone disease indicating porous bone with low bone mass density and fragility. Cathepsin K, V-ATPase, and αVβ3 integrin are exhibited as novel targets for osteoporosis treatment. Our preliminary study uses a state-of-the-art method, including target-based virtual screening and clustering methods to determine promising candidates with multitarget properties. Phytochemicals with osteoprotective properties from the literature are used to elucidate the molecular interactions toward three targets. The binding scores of compounds are normalized and rescored. The K-means and hierarchical clustering methods are applied to filter and define the promising compounds, and the silhouette analysis is supposed to validate the clustering method. We explore 108 herbal compounds by virtual screening and the cluster approach, and find that rutin, sagittatoside A, icariin, and kaempferitrin showed strong binding affinities against Cathepsin K, V-ATPase, and αVβ3 integrin. Dockings of candidates toward three targets also provide the protein-ligand interactions and crucial amino acids for binding. Our study provides a straightforward and less time-consuming approach to exploring the new multitarget candidates for further investigations, using a combination of in silico methods.
Fracture Toughness Determination on an SCB Specimen by Meshless Methods
Authors: Mehri Sofiani Farid , Farahani Behzad V. , Belinha Jorge
Published: March 2022

This work investigates fracture characteristics of a marble semi-circular bend (SCB) specimen with a pre-defined crack under a compressive loading condition. It aims at evaluating how the fracture toughness can be affected by the crack and span length variation. Numerically, the model is solved using meshless methods, extended to the linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), resorting to radial point interpolation method (RPIM) and its natural neighbor versions (NNRPIMv1 and NNRPIMv2). Alternatively, to validate the meshless method results, the problem is resolved following the finite element method (FEM) model based on the standard 2D constant strain triangle elements. As a result, fracture toughness and the critical strain energy release rate are characterized following the testing method on the cracked straight through semi-circular bend specimen (CSTSCB). A comparison is drawn amongst the theoretical, meshless methods and FEM results to evaluate the capability of advanced numerical methods. Encouraging results have been accomplished leading to validate the supporting numerical methodologies.
Relationship of 137Cs with Fungal Spore Tracers in the Ambient Aerosols from Fukushima after the 2011 Nuclear Accident, East Japan
Authors: Kawamura Kimitaka , Kunwar Bhagawati , Kita Kazuyuki , Hayashi Naho , Igarashi Yasuhito
Published: March 2022

Even after 7 years of the nuclear accident that occurred in 2011 at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (F1NPP), high levels of 137Cs have been detected in ambient aerosols from some polluted areas of Fukushima. Higher levels of radionuclides were often observed in the atmosphere during and after rain events. We presume that biological processes such as fungal activity associated with higher relative humidity may be involved with a possible emission of radioactivity to the atmosphere, which was originally emitted from the F1NPP accident and was deposited over the ground, forest, soil, etc. Here, we report, for the first time, relationships of 137Cs and organic tracers of fungal spores (i.e., arabitol, mannitol and trehalose) in the aerosol samples collected from Fukushima, Japan. Although we found twice-higher concentrations of 137Cs at nighttime than at daytime, fungal spore tracers did not show a consistent trend to 137Cs, that is, organic tracers at nighttime were similar with those at daytime or were even higher in daytime. This study has not clearly demonstrated that fungal spores are the important source of high levels of 137Cs at nighttime. The current unclear relationship is probably associated with the sampling strategy (four consecutive days with a sampling on/off program for day/nighttime samples) taken in this campaign, which may have caused a complicated meteorological situation.
Determination of Air Urban Heat Island Parameters with High-Precision GPS Data
Authors: Mendez-Astudillo Jorge , Lau Lawrence , Tang Yu-Ting , Moore Terry
Published: March 2022

The urban heat island (UHI) effect can contribute to extreme heat exposure. This can be detrimental to human health. In this paper, we propose a method to estimate air temperature to evaluate the spatial distribution and to monitor the intensity of the air urban heat island (AUHI) from existing GPS infrastructure. The proposed algorithm is based on the relationship between the refractivity of the troposphere and environmental variables, as well as the relationships between the zenith tropospheric delay (ZTD), a by-product of the precise point positioning technique, and the refractivity of the troposphere. The advantage of GPS data is its high temporal resolution and the availability of embedded GPS receivers. In this paper, GPS-derived ZTD data from stations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of China and Tokyo in Japan are processed to estimate the hourly AUHI intensity. The results derived from this technique are validated using meteorological data in the same cities. Mean absolute error values of 0.79 °C in Hong Kong and 0.22 °C in Tokyo are found from data from the summer. Moreover, an overall accuracy of 0.51 °C is found.
Cubical Homology-Based Machine Learning: An Application in Image Classification
Authors: Choe Seungho , Ramanna Sheela
Published: March 2022

Persistent homology is a powerful tool in topological data analysis (TDA) to compute, study, and encode efficiently multi-scale topological features and is being increasingly used in digital image classification. The topological features represent a number of connected components, cycles, and voids that describe the shape of data. Persistent homology extracts the birth and death of these topological features through a filtration process. The lifespan of these features can be represented using persistent diagrams (topological signatures). Cubical homology is a more efficient method for extracting topological features from a 2D image and uses a collection of cubes to compute the homology, which fits the digital image structure of grids. In this research, we propose a cubical homology-based algorithm for extracting topological features from 2D images to generate their topological signatures. Additionally, we propose a novel score measure, which measures the significance of each of the sub-simplices in terms of persistence. In addition, gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) and contrast limited adapting histogram equalization (CLAHE) are used as supplementary methods for extracting features. Supervised machine learning models are trained on selected image datasets to study the efficacy of the extracted topological features. Among the eight tested models with six published image datasets of varying pixel sizes, classes, and distributions, our experiments demonstrate that cubical homology-based machine learning with the deep residual network (ResNet 1D) and Light Gradient Boosting Machine (lightGBM) shows promise with the extracted topological features.
Radiomics-Based Predictive Model of Radiation-Induced Liver Disease in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Receiving Stereo-Tactic Body Radiotherapy
Authors: Shen Po-Chien , Huang Wen-Yen , Dai Yang-Hong , Lo Cheng-Hsiang , Yang Jen-Fu , Su Yu-Fu , Wang Ying-Fu , Lu Chia-Feng , Lin Chun-Shu
Published: March 2022

(1) Background: The application of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) limited the risk of the radiation-induced liver disease (RILD) and we aimed to predict the occurrence of RILD more accurately. (2) Methods: 86 HCC patients were enrolled. We identified key predictive factors from clinical, radiomic, and dose-volumetric parameters using a multivariate analysis, sequential forward selection (SFS), and a K-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithm. We developed a predictive model for RILD based on these factors, using the random forest or logistic regression algorithms. (3) Results: Five key predictive factors in the training set were identified, including the albumin–bilirubin grade, difference average, strength, V5, and V30. After model training, the F1 score, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the final random forest model were 0.857, 100, 93.3, and 94.4% in the test set, respectively. Meanwhile, the logistic regression model yielded an F1 score, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 0.8, 66.7, 100, and 94.4% in the test set, respectively. (4) Conclusions: Based on clinical, radiomic, and dose-volumetric factors, our models achieved satisfactory performance on the prediction of the occurrence of SBRT-related RILD in HCC patients. Before undergoing SBRT, the proposed models may detect patients at high risk of RILD, allowing to assist in treatment strategies accordingly.
Human Serum Proteins and Susceptibility of Acinetobacter baumannii to Cefiderocol: Role of Iron Transport
Authors: Le Casin , Pimentel Camila , Pasteran Fernando , Tuttobene Marisel R. , Subils Tomás , Escalante Jenny , Nishimura Brent , Arriaga Susana , Carranza Aimee , Mezcord Vyanka , Vila Alejandro J. , Corso Alejandra , Actis Luis A. , Tolmasky Marcelo E. , Bonomo Robert A. , Ramírez Maria Soledad
Published: March 2022

Cefiderocol, a recently introduced antibiotic, has a chemical structure that includes a cephalosporin that targets cell wall synthesis and a chlorocatechol siderophore moiety that facilitates cell penetration by active iron transporters. Analysis of the effect that human serum, human serum albumin, and human pleural fluid had on growing Acinetobacter baumannii showed that genes related to iron uptake were down-regulated. At the same time, β-lactamase genes were expressed at higher levels. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of this antimicrobial in A. baumannii cells growing in the presence of human serum, human serum albumin, or human pleural fluid were higher than those measured when these fluids were absent from the culture medium. These results correlate with increased expression levels of β-lactamase genes and the down-regulation of iron uptake-related genes in cultures containing human serum, human serum albumin, or human pleural fluid. These modifications in gene expression could explain the less-than-ideal clinical response observed in patients with pulmonary or bloodstream A. baumannii infections. The exposure of the infecting cells to the host’s fluids could cause reduced cefiderocol transport capabilities and increased resistance to β-lactams. The regulation of genes that could impact the A. baumannii susceptibility to cefiderocol, or other antibacterials, is an understudied phenomenon that merits further investigation.
Wafer-Scale LSPR Substrate: Oblique Deposition of Gold on a Patterned Sapphire Substrate
Authors: Kim Kihyeun , Lee Ki Joong , Jo Na Rae , Jo Eun-Jung , Shin Yong-Beom , Kim Min-Gon
Published: March 2022

Label-free detection of biomolecules using localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) substrates is a highly attractive method for point-of-care (POC) testing. One of the remaining challenges to developing LSPR-based POC devices is to fabricate the LSPR substrates with large-scale, reproducible, and high-throughput. Herein, a fabrication strategy for wafer-scale LSPR substrates is demonstrated using reproducible, high-throughput techniques, such as nanoimprint lithography, wet-etching, and thin film deposition. A transparent sapphire wafer, on which SiO2-nanodot hard masks were formed via nanoimprint lithography, was anisotropically etched by a mixed solution of H2SO4 and H3PO4, resulting in a patterned sapphire substrate (PSS). An LSPR substrate was finally fabricated by oblique deposition of Au onto the PSS, which was then applied to label-free detection of the binding events of biomolecules. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first report on the application of the PSS used as an LSPR template by obliquely depositing a metal.
Hybrid AHP-Fuzzy TOPSIS Approach for Selecting Deep Excavation Support System
Authors: Issa Usama , Saeed Fam , Miky Yehia , Alqurashi Muwaffaq , Osman Emad
Published: March 2022

This paper introduces and further applies an approach to support the decision makers in construction projects differentiating among a variety of deep excavation supporting systems (DESSs). These kinds of problems include dealing with uncertainty in data, multi-criteria affecting the decision, and multi-alternatives to select one from them. The proposed approach combines the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with the fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (fuzzy TOPSIS) in a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) model. The MCDM model emphasize the ability to combine expert knowledge, cost calculations, and laboratory test results for soil properties to achieve the scope. The model proved it had a superior ability to deal with the complexity and vague data that are related to construction projects. Furthermore, it was applied to a real case study for a governmental housing project in Egypt. Secant pile walls, sheet pile walls, and soldier piles and lagging are selected and studied as being the most common DESSs and as they satisfy the project requirements. The model utilized four criteria and fourteen comparing factors, including site characteristics, safety, cost, and environmental impacts. Based on the results of the model application on the investigated case study, a decision was reached that using secant piles as a supporting system in this project is mostly preferred. Furthermore, sheet pile wall, and soldier piles and lagging, come next in the ranking order. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to investigate how sensitive the results are to the criteria weights. In addition, the paper discusses in detail the reasons and factors which affect and control the decision-making process.
Using a Unique Retaining Method for Building Foundation Excavation: A Case Study on Sustainable Construction Methods and Circular Economy
Authors: Liu Tai-Yi , Ho Shiau-Jing , Tserng Hui-Ping , Tzou Hong-Kee
Published: March 2022

The selection of a retaining method during the excavation of building foundations is always of paramount concern to engineers. In general, the application and use of steel H-shapes are typically practiced by designers to form the entire retaining system; however, sustainability issues, including carbon emission reduction, environment protection, material consumption, and resource circulation, are being increasingly considered when developing a new project. The Linkou Public Housing Project (LPHP), located in New Taipei City, Taiwan, is introduced in this paper to present a sustainable soil-retaining method that also exhibits the principles of a circular economy. The triangular shape of the foundation zone of the LPHP led to difficulty in setting the horizontal strut H-beam system. In this project, the “Anchor Pile with Steel Cable System (APSCS)” was adopted to retain the 11.5 m depth excavation for the LPHP foundation construction. The prime contents of the soil in the Linkou district comprises a laterite–gravel layer mixed with brown silty and sandy clay, with a groundwater level (G.L.) of −25 m. By adopting the sustainable APSCS method, the excavation of the LPHP foundation was safely completed. Approximately NT $350 million in direct and indirect costs of construction was saved, and the duration of the work was reduced by up to 90 days. Furthermore, the carbon emissions were reduced by 677.6 tons due to the diminished use of the steel H-shaped materials. The authors concluded that the use of the APSCS method in the LPHP was successful and it was a valuable reference for other similar projects. Moreover, the authors presented another retaining-system failure case, which was located near the LPHP site, to compare the success of the LPHP.
C-Heterogenized Re Nanoparticles as Effective Catalysts for the Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol and Oxidation of 1-Phenylethanol
Authors: Ribeiro Ana P. C. , Santos Beatriz M. , Faustino Rute F. C. , Pombeiro Armando J. L. , Martins Luísa M. D. R. S.
Published: March 2022

Rhenium nanoparticles (Re NPs) supported on Norit (activated carbon—C) and graphene (G) were prepared by a solvothermal method under microwave irradiation (MW). The synthesised heterogeneous catalysts were characterised and tested as reduction and oxidation catalysts, highlighting their dual catalytic behaviour. In the first case, they were used, for the first time, to reduce 4-nitrophenol, in aqueous medium, under MW irradiation. Re catalysts were easily recovered by centrifugation and recycled up to six times without significant activity loss. However, the same Re catalysts in MW-assisted oxidation of 1-phenylethanol with no added solvent experienced a significant loss of activity when recycled. The higher activity of the rhenium nanoparticles supported on graphene (Re/G) catalyst in both reactions was assigned to the higher dispersion and smaller particle size of Re NPs when graphene is the support.
Effect of a Metallocene Catalyst Mixture on CNT Yield Using the FC-CVD Process
Authors: Chauhan Devika , Pujari Anuptha , Zhang Guangqi , Dasgupta Kinshuk , Shanov Vesselin N. , Schulz Mark J.
Published: March 2022

This work studies synthesis of carbon nanotube (CNT) sheet using the high temperature (1400 °C) floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FC-CVD) method. Three metallocenes—ferrocene, nickelocene, cobaltocene—and their combinations are used as precursors for metal catalysts in the synthesis process. For the carbon source, an alcohol fuel, a combination of methanol and n-hexane (9:1), is used. First, the metallocenes were dissolved in the alcohol fuel. Then, the fuel mixture was injected into a tube furnace using an ultrasonic atomizer with Ar/H2 carrier gas in a ratio of about 12/1. The synthesis of CNTs from a combination of two or three metallocenes reduces the percentage of metal catalyst impurity in the CNT sheet. However, there is an increase in structural defects in the CNTs when using mixtures of two or three metallocenes as catalysts. Furthermore, the specific electrical conductivity of the CNT sheet was highest when using a mixture of ferrocene and cobaltocene as the catalyst. Overall, the multi-catalyst method described enables tailoring certain properties of the CNT sheet. However, the standard ferrocene catalyst seems most appropriate for large-scale manufacturing at the lowest cost.
An Optimized Workflow for the Analysis of Metabolic Fluxes in Cancer Spheroids Using Seahorse Technology
Authors: Campioni Gloria , Pasquale Valentina , Busti Stefano , Ducci Giacomo , Sacco Elena , Vanoni Marco
Published: March 2022

Three-dimensional cancer models, such as spheroids, are increasingly being used to study cancer metabolism because they can better recapitulate the molecular and physiological aspects of the tumor architecture than conventional monolayer cultures. Although Agilent Seahorse XFe96 (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, United States) is a valuable technology for studying metabolic alterations occurring in cancer cells, its application to three-dimensional cultures is still poorly optimized. We present a reliable and reproducible workflow for the Seahorse metabolic analysis of three-dimensional cultures. An optimized protocol enables the formation of spheroids highly regular in shape and homogenous in size, reducing variability in metabolic parameters among the experimental replicates, both under basal and drug treatment conditions. High-resolution imaging allows the calculation of the number of viable cells in each spheroid, the normalization of metabolic parameters on a per-cell basis, and grouping of the spheroids as a function of their size. Multivariate statistical tests on metabolic parameters determined by the Mito Stress test on two breast cancer cell lines show that metabolic differences among the studied spheroids are mostly related to the cell line rather than to the size of the spheroid. The optimized workflow allows high-resolution metabolic characterization of three-dimensional cultures, their comparison with monolayer cultures, and may aid in the design and interpretation of (multi)drug protocols.
Molecular Mechanisms of Exercise and Healthspan
Authors: Guan Yuntian , Yan Zhen
Published: March 2022

Healthspan is the period of our life without major debilitating diseases. In the modern world where unhealthy lifestyle choices and chronic diseases taper the healthspan, which lead to an enormous economic burden, finding ways to promote healthspan becomes a pressing goal of the scientific community. Exercise, one of humanity’s most ancient and effective lifestyle interventions, appears to be at the center of the solution since it can both treat and prevent the occurrence of many chronic diseases. Here, we will review the current evidence and opinions about regular exercise promoting healthspan through enhancing the functionality of our organ systems and preventing diseases.
Lysosomal Changes in Mitosis
Authors: Stahl-Meyer Jonathan , Holland Lya Katrine Kauffeldt , Liu Bin , Maeda Kenji , Jäättelä Marja
Published: March 2022

The recent discovery demonstrating that the leakage of cathepsin B from mitotic lysosomes assists mitotic chromosome segregation indicates that lysosomal membrane integrity can be spatiotemporally regulated. Unlike many other organelles, structural and functional alterations of lysosomes during mitosis remain, however, largely uncharted. Here, we demonstrate substantial differences in lysosomal proteome, lipidome, size, and pH between lysosomes that were isolated from human U2OS osteosarcoma cells either in mitosis or in interphase. The combination of pharmacological synchronization and mitotic shake-off yielded ~68% of cells in mitosis allowing us to investigate mitosis-specific lysosomal changes by comparing cell populations that were highly enriched in mitotic cells to those mainly in the G1 or G2 phases of the cell cycle. Mitotic cells had significantly reduced levels of lysosomal-associated membrane protein (LAMP) 1 and the active forms of lysosomal cathepsin B protease. Similar trends were observed in levels of acid sphingomyelinase and most other lysosomal proteins that were studied. The altered protein content was accompanied by increases in the size and pH of LAMP2-positive vesicles. Moreover, mass spectrometry-based shotgun lipidomics of purified lysosomes revealed elevated levels of sphingolipids, especially sphingomyelin and hexocylceramide, and lysoglyserophospholipids in mitotic lysosomes. Interestingly, LAMPs and acid sphingomyelinase have been reported to stabilize lysosomal membranes, whereas sphingomyelin and lysoglyserophospholipids have an opposite effect. Thus, the observed lysosomal changes during the cell cycle may partially explain the reduced lysosomal membrane integrity in mitotic cells.
Molecular Mechanisms of Alveolar Epithelial Stem Cell Senescence and Senescence-Associated Differentiation Disorders in Pulmonary Fibrosis
Authors: Hong Xiaojing , Wang Lihui , Zhang Kexiong , Liu Jun , Liu Jun-Ping
Published: March 2022

Pulmonary senescence is accelerated by unresolved DNA damage response, underpinning susceptibility to pulmonary fibrosis. Recently it was reported that the SARS-Cov-2 viral infection induces acute pulmonary epithelial senescence followed by fibrosis, although the mechanism remains unclear. Here, we examine roles of alveolar epithelial stem cell senescence and senescence-associated differentiation disorders in pulmonary fibrosis, exploring the mechanisms mediating and preventing pulmonary fibrogenic crisis. Notably, the TGF-β signalling pathway mediates alveolar epithelial stem cell senescence by mechanisms involving suppression of the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene in pulmonary fibrosis. Alternatively, telomere uncapping caused by stress-induced telomeric shelterin protein TPP1 degradation mediates DNA damage response, pulmonary senescence and fibrosis. However, targeted intervention of cellular senescence disrupts pulmonary remodelling and fibrosis by clearing senescent cells using senolytics or preventing senescence using telomere dysfunction inhibitor (TELODIN). Studies indicate that the development of senescence-associated differentiation disorders is reprogrammable and reversible by inhibiting stem cell replicative senescence in pulmonary fibrosis, providing a framework for targeted intervention of the molecular mechanisms of alveolar stem cell senescence and pulmonary fibrosis. Abbreviations: DPS, developmental programmed senescence; IPF, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; OIS, oncogene-induced replicative senescence; SADD, senescence-associated differentiation disorder; SALI, senescence-associated low-grade inflammation; SIPS, stress-induced premature senescence; TERC, telomerase RNA component; TERT, telomerase reverse transcriptase; TIFs, telomere dysfunction-induced foci; TIS, therapy-induced senescence; VIS, virus-induced senescence.
Cucurbit[8]uril-Based Potentiometric Sensor Coupled to HPLC for Determination of Tetracycline Residues in Milk Samples
Authors: Gil Renato L. , Amorim Célia M. P. G. , Montenegro Maria da Conceição B. S. M. , Araújo Alberto N.
Published: March 2022

The determination of chlortetracycline, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline in milk samples by HPLC coupled to a cucurbit[8]uril-based potentiometric sensor is herein presented. The new tetracycline-selective electrode is based on a polymeric membrane incorporating cucurbit[8]uril as a macrocyclic host, potassium tetrakis(p-chlorophenyl) borate as an ionic additive, 2-fluorophenyl 2-nitrophenyl ether as a plasticizer, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes as nanostructured materials. A microfluidic wall-jet flow-cell is implemented as a potentiometric detector after chromatographic separation by a C8 column using a gradient mobile phase of sulphuric acid and acetonitrile. The proposed methodology was validated following International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) and European Union (EU) guidelines. Linear regression models provided R2 in the range from 0.9973 ± 0.0026 to 0.9987 ± 0.0012 for all tetracycline antibiotics. The limits of detection and quantification ranged from 13.3 to 46.0 μg L−1 and 44.4 to 92.1 μg L−1, respectively. Precision intra-day, inter-day, and inter-electrode showed relative standard deviation values lower than 12.5%, 13.5%, and 12.9%, respectively. Accuracy was assessed by analysis of spiked milk samples around the maximum residue limit, yielding recovery values in the range from 81.3 to 108.5%. The simple, sensitive, cost-effective, and reliable HPLC-ion-selective electrode method justifies its use as a competitive alternative for the analysis of tetracycline residues in the food quality control sector.
Compensation or Displacement of Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies
Authors: Beck Franziska , Engel Florian A. , Reimers Anne Kerstin
Published: March 2022

Regular physical activity during childhood and adolescence is associated with health benefits. Consequently, numerous health promotion programs for children and adolescents emphasize the enhancement of physical activity. However, the ActivityStat hypothesis states that increases in physical activity in one domain are compensated for by decreasing physical activity in another domain. Currently, little is known about how physical activity varies in children and adolescents within intervals of one day or multiple days. This systematic review provides an overview of studies that analyzed changes in (overall) physical activity, which were assessed with objective measurements, or compensatory mechanisms caused by increases or decreases in physical activity in a specific domain in children and adolescents. A systematic search of electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SportDiscus) was performed with a priori defined inclusion criteria. Two independent researchers screened the literature and identified and rated the methodological quality of the studies. A total of 77 peer-reviewed articles were included that analyzed changes in overall physical activity with multiple methodological approaches resulting in compensation or displacement. Of 40,829 participants, 16,265 indicated compensation associated with physical activity. Subgroup analyses separated by study design, participants, measurement instrument, physical activity context, and intervention duration also showed mixed results toward an indication of compensation. Quality assessment of the included studies revealed that they were of high quality (mean = 0.866). This review provides inconclusive results about compensation in relation to physical activity. A trend toward increased compensation in interventional studies and in interventions of longer duration have been observed.
Quantitative Evaluation of Proliferative Potential Using Flow Cytometry Reveals Intratumoral Heterogeneity and Its Relevance to Tumor Characteristics in Vestibular Schwannomas
Authors: Oya Soichi , Yoshida Shinsuke , Hanakita Shunya , Inoue Mizuho
Published: March 2022

This study sought to explore the existence and clinical significance of intratumoral heterogeneity of proliferative potential in vestibular schwannoma (VS). Rapid intraoperative flow cytometry was utilized with raw samples to measure the proliferative ability of VS. The proliferation index (PI) was defined as the ratio of the number of cells with greater than normal DNA content to the total number of cells. A total of 66 specimens (26 from the intrameatal portion and 40 from the cisternal portion) were obtained from 34 patients with VS. There was a moderate correlation between the PI and MIB-1 labelling index values (R = 0.57, p < 0.0001). In contrast, the patterns of heterogeneity, represented by the proportion of intrameatal PI to cisternal PI, were associated with tumor size (p = 0.03). In addition, preoperative hearing tended to be poor in cases where the intrameatal PI was higher than the cisternal PI (p = 0.06). Our data demonstrated the presence of intratumoral heterogeneity of proliferative potential in VS and its relationship with tumor characteristics. The results of this study may advocate the resection of the intrameatal portion of large VSs treated with planned subtotal resection, especially in cases of poor preoperative hearing function.
The Profile of MicroRNA Expression in Bone Marrow in Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas
Authors: Veryaskina Yuliya A. , Titov Sergei E. , Kovynev Igor B. , Pospelova Tatiana I. , Zhimulev Igor F.
Published: March 2022

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHLs) are a heterogeneous group of malignant lymphomas that can occur in both lymph nodes and extranodal sites. Bone marrow (BM) is the most common site of extranodal involvement in NHL. The objective of this study is to determine the unique profile of miRNA expression in BM affected by NHL, with the possibility of a differential diagnosis of NHL from reactive BM changes and acute leukemia (AL). A total of 180 cytological samples were obtained by sternal puncture and aspiration biopsy of BM from the posterior iliac spine. All the cases were patients before treatment initiation. The study groups were NHL cases (n = 59) and AL cases (acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 25) and acute myeloid leukemia (n = 49)); the control group consisted of patients with non-cancerous blood diseases (NCBDs) (n = 48). We demonstrated that expression levels of miRNA-124, miRNA-221, and miRNA-15a are statistically significantly downregulated, while the expression level of let-7a is statistically significantly upregulated more than 2-fold in BM in NHL compared to those in AL and NCBD. ROC analysis revealed that let-7a/miRNA-124 is a highly sensitive and specific biomarker for a differential diagnosis of BM changes in NHL from those in AL and NCBD. Therefore, we conclude that analysis of miRNA expression levels may be a promising tool for early diagnosis of NHL.
Multi-Camera Networks for Coverage Control of Drones
Authors: Huang Sunan , Teo Rodney Swee Huat , Leong William Wai Lun
Published: March 2022

Multiple unmanned multirotor (MUM) systems are becoming a reality. They have a wide range of applications such as for surveillance, search and rescue, monitoring operations in hazardous environments and providing communication coverage services. Currently, an important issue in MUM is coverage control. In this paper, an existing coverage control algorithm has been extended to incorporate a new sensor model, which is downward facing and allows pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ). Two new constraints, namely view angle and collision avoidance, have also been included. Mobile network coverage among the MUMs is studied. Finally, the proposed scheme is tested in computer simulations.