bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
VISITORS´ EXPERIENCES TOWARDS SUSTEINABILITY CHALLENGES IN ARCHAELOGICAL-HERITAGE SITES: A NETNOGRAPHIC STUDY ON ANCIENT CITY OF KNIDOS, TURKEY
Authors: Ozdemir Meltem Altinay , Topaloglu Cafer
Published: September 2023

This study used netnography to explore the sustainability challenges in visitors’ reviews in Knidos archeological site, located on the southern coast of Mugla, Turkey, as expressed in user-generated content (UGC) on the TripAdvisor website. Data was obtained from visitors' narratives on their reviews posted on TripAdvisor. A total of 1076 narratives were accessed for all years. However, researchers retrieved 638 narratives posted in the last six years between 2016 and 2021 to reach up-to-date experiences. The data were thematically analyzed using the qualitative data analysis software MAXQDA for compiling and coding data, creating main and sub-themes, defining code frequencies, determining the relationships between codes, and creating code maps. The analysis revealed five main codes of heritage reviews: attractions, place perception, sustainability challenges, place attachment, and behavioral intention. The complex code configurations revealed that visitors had positive place perceptions, strong behavioral intentions, and high place attachment despite the site’s sustainability challenges. Furthermore, attractions, place attachment and place perception are the important antecedents of positive recommendation intention. The study makes a substantial contribution to the literature on sustainable development and visitors’ behavior by providing a deep understanding of the sustainability challenges and visitor experiences narrated about a specific archeological city through online user-generated content (UGC).
Uppdragskoncentration i svenska kommuner: Om uppdragsojämlikhet och maktkoncentration
Authors: Wittberg Emanuel , Erlingsson Gissur Ó
Published: September 2023

Sverige anses regelmässigt tillhöra världens bäst fungerande demokratier. Med det sagt tillsätts återkommande statliga utredningar med uppgift att granska demokratins funktionssätt. Inte sällan uppmärksammas problem och utvecklingsområden. Ett område som regelmässigt uppmärksammas är den ökande koncentrationen av uppdrag i händerna på några få individer ute i de svenska kommunsektorn. Mot denna bakgrund syftar föreliggande rapport till att undersöka uppdragskoncentration i svenska kommuner. Den gör det genom att kartlägga koncentrationen av politiska uppdrag samt utforska kopplingen mellan organisationsstruktur och uppdragskoncentration. Författarna uppmärksammar bland annat att uppdragskoncentration har begränsningar som indikator på maktkoncentration då måttet inte tar hänsyn till ojämlikhet i fördelningen av uppdrag mellan politiker inom en given kommun. Vidare är sambandet mellan kommunstorlek och uppdragskoncentration inte lika tydligt som det kan verka vid första anblick. Författarna framhäver att uppdragskoncentration inte bara är kopplad till kommunstorlek, utan är starkt korrelerad med hur en kommun väljer att organisera sig. Ett viktigt och delvis nytt resultat jämfört med tidigare forskning är sålunda att kommunerna själva har en betydande möjlighet att påverka koncentrationen av uppdrag. För att stärka demokratin och öka inslaget av maktdelning i kommunsektorn bör därför lokala partiorganisationer se över sina interna nomineringsförfaranden och kommuner bör noggrant granskar sin egen organisationsstruktur. Båda dessa faktorer påverkar förekomst av uppdragsojämlikhet och koncentration av makt inom kommunen.
Bidirectional crosstalk between the peripheral nervous system and lymphoid tissues/organs
Authors: Boahen Angela , Hu Dailun , Adams Murray J. , Nicholls Philip K. , Greene Wayne K. , Ma Bin
Published: September 2023

The central nervous system (CNS) influences the immune system generally by regulating the systemic concentration of humoral substances (e.g., cortisol and epinephrine), whereas the peripheral nervous system (PNS) communicates specifically with the immune system according to local interactions/connections. An imbalance between the components of the PNS might contribute to pathogenesis and the further development of certain diseases. In this review, we have explored the “thread” (hardwiring) of the connections between the immune system (e.g., primary/secondary/tertiary lymphoid tissues/organs) and PNS (e.g., sensory, sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric nervous systems (ENS)) in health and disease in vitro and in vivo. Neuroimmune cell units provide an anatomical and physiological basis for bidirectional crosstalk between the PNS and the immune system in peripheral tissues, including lymphoid tissues and organs. These neuroimmune interactions/modulation studies might greatly contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms through which the PNS possibly affects cellular and humoral-mediated immune responses or vice versa in health and diseases. Physical, chemical, pharmacological, and other manipulations of these neuroimmune interactions should bring about the development of practical therapeutic applications for certain neurological, neuroimmunological, infectious, inflammatory, and immunological disorders/diseases.
Maturation of the medaka immune system depends on reciprocal interactions between the microbiota and the intestinal tract
Authors: Sakaguchi Hiyori , Sato Yuna , Matsumoto Ryo , Gomikawa Joe , Yoshida Namie , Suzuki Tomohiro , Matsuda Masaru , Iwanami Norimasa
Published: September 2023

The interactions between the host immune system and intestinal microorganisms have been studied in many animals, including fish. However, a detailed analysis has not been performed in medaka, an established fish model for biological studies. Here, we investigated the effect of immunodeficiency on the microbiota composition and the effect of gut bacteria on intestinal epithelial development and immune responses in medaka. Chronological analysis of the intestinal microbiota of interleukin 2 receptor subunit gamma (il2rg) mutant medaka showed a gradual decrease in the evenness of operational taxonomic units, mainly caused by the increased abundance of the Aeromonadaceae family. Exposure of wild-type medaka to high doses of an intestine-derived opportunistic bacterium of the Aeromonadaceae family induced an inflammatory response, suggesting a harmful effect on adult il2rg mutants. In addition, we established germ-free conditions in larval medaka and observed large absorptive vacuoles in intestinal epithelial cells, indicating a block in epithelial maturation. Transcriptome analysis revealed a decrease in the expression of genes involved in the defense response, including the antimicrobial peptide gene hepcidin, whose expression is induced by lipopolysaccharide stimulation in normal larvae. These results show that reciprocal interactions between the microbiome and the intestinal tract are required for the maturation of the medaka immune system.
Prefrontal activation in response to a plantar contact task under open and closed eye conditions in patients with cerebral infarction
Authors: Yang Zhi-Quan , Wei Meng-Fan , Xi Jia-Ning
Published: September 2023

Objective

This study investigates the effect of a bilateral (paralyzed side, healthy side) plantar contact task on dorsolateral prefrontal activation in patients recovering from cerebral infarction under open and closed eye conditions.

Methods

We selected 10 patients with cerebral infarction, admitted to the neurorehabilitation center of Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital, affiliated with Capital Medical University, from January 2019 to July 2020, who met our established criteria. Under open-eye and closed-eye conditions, the paralyzed and healthy sides performed the plantar contact tasks separately. The dorsolateral prefrontal region was monitored simultaneously with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and activation was analyzed according to the curve-type changes of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with 560 near-infrared monitoring channels.

Results

After stratifying the data based on the eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions, some degree of heterogeneity was observed between the layers. Under the eyes-closed condition, the Pearson χ2 was 0.142, with a p value of 0.706, indicating no significant impact of the eyes-closed condition on the activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during the plantar task, whether performed on the paralyzed or the healthy side.

In contrast, the Pearson χ2 value was 15.15 for the eyes-open condition, with a p value of 0.002. This suggests that carrying out the plantar task, either on the paralyzed or the healthy side, with eyes open significantly influenced the activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was 1.55 times higher when the task was executed with the paralyzed side compared to the healthy side. This implies that the paralyzed side was more likely to activate the dorsolateral prefrontal lobe when performing the plantar contact task under eyes-open conditions.

Conclusion

Observations via fNIRS revealed that the plantar contact task elicited dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation. Moreover, the activation effect was intensified when performed on the paralyzed side under eyes-open conditions. Therapeutic methods that leverage these findings—namely cognitive-motor therapies that promote the recovery of motor functions by activating cognitive control brain regions via perception (information construction)—may hold promise.
Baricitinib treatment for refractory skin changes in POEMS syndrome: a case report
Authors: Xie Jingjing , Li Zhiling , Jiang Yubao , Tang Dabin , Qiu Xia , Jia Ertao , Zhang Jianyong
Published: September 2023

Polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal plasma cell disorder, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome is a multisystem disorder that has limited treatment options. Here, we described a case of a 55-year-old female subject who was treated for multiple drugs, but the skin symptoms continued to progress; the patient responded well to baricitinib. This suggests that JAK/STAT signaling pathways play an essential role in the pathological process of POEMS syndrome.
Monitoring Prevalence and Persistence of Environmental Contamination by SARS-CoV-2 RNA in a Makeshift Hospital for Asymptomatic and Very Mild COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Yang Jinyan , Sun Dan , Xia Tingting , Shi Shi , Suo Jijiang , Kuang Huihui , Sun Nana , Hu Hongyan , Zheng Zhecheng , Zhou Yang , Li Xiaocui , Chen Shaojuan , Huang Haiqiang , Yan Zhongqiang
Published: September 2023

Objective: To investigate the details of environmental contamination status by SARS-CoV-2 in a makeshift COVID-19 hospital.

Methods: Environmental samples were collected from a makeshift hospital. The extent of contamination was assessed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) for SARS-CoV-2 RNA from various samples.

Results: There was a wide range of total collected samples contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 RNA, ranging from 8.47% to 100%. Results revealed that 70.00% of sewage from the bathroom and 48.19% of air samples were positive. The highest rate of contamination was found from the no-touch surfaces (73.07%) and the lowest from frequently touched surfaces (33.40%). The most contaminated objects were the top surfaces of patient cubic partitions (100%). The median Ct values among strongly positive samples were 33.38 (IQR, 31.69–35.07) and 33.24 (IQR, 31.33–34.34) for ORF1ab and N genes, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 relic RNA can be detected on indoor surfaces for up to 20 days.

Conclusion: The findings show a higher prevalence and persistence in detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the makeshift COVID-19 hospital setting. The contamination mode of droplet deposition may be more common than contaminated touches.
High-Precision Control of Industrial Robot Manipulator Based on Extended Flexible Joint Model
Authors: Xu Siyong , Wu Zhong , Shen Tao
Published: September 2023

High-precision industrial manipulators are essential components in advanced manufacturing. Model-based feedforward is the key to realizing the high-precision control of industrial robot manipulators. However, traditional feedforward control approaches are based on rigid models or flexible joint models which neglect the elasticities out of the rotational directions and degrade the setpoint precision significantly. To eliminate the effects of elasticities in all directions, a high-precision setpoint feedforward control method is proposed based on the output redefinition of the extended flexible joint model (EFJM). First, the flexible industrial robots are modeled by the EFJM to describe the elasticities in joint rotational directions and out of the rotational directions. Second, the nonminimum-phase EFJM is transformed into a minimum-phase system by using output redefinition. Third, the setpoint control task is transformed from Cartesian space into joint space by trajectory planning based on the EFJM. Third, a universal recursive algorithm is designed to compute the feedforward torque based on the EFJM. Moreover, the computational performance is improved. By compensating the pose errors caused by elasticities in all directions, the proposed method can effectively improve the setpoint control precision. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated by simulation and experimental studies. The experimental results show that the proposed method reduces position errors by more than 65% and the orientation errors by more than 62%.
Cultivated Land Sustainable Use Evaluation from the Perspective of the Water–Land–Energy–Food Nexus: A Case Study of the Major Grain-Producing Regions in Quzhou, China
Authors: Chen Aiqi , Hao Zhen , Wang Rong , Zhao Hongli , Hao Jinmin , Xu Ran , Duan Hao
Published: September 2023

Cultivated land is the basis of food security and an important component of the construction of ecological civilization. The sustainable use of cultivated land is an important issue in land resource management, and it is also an inevitable factor when addressing the contradiction between food demands and resource and environmental constraints. Cultivated land use is both a food production process and a water- and energy-intensive process. Therefore, sustainable use of cultivated land is important not only for cultivated land itself but also for the associated social, economic, and ecological impacts of water and energy input. Therefore, based on the water–land–energy–food nexus, this paper carries out a theoretical analysis of cultivated land use following the element–structure–function framework and builds an evaluation framework of the sustainable use of cultivated land. Finally, this paper selects appropriate evaluation indicators to evaluate the changes in element coordination and function trade-offs of cultivated land use in Quzhou County from 2000 to 2020; analyzes the key influencing factors in detail; and proposes future development directions. The results reflect the fact that the element coordination degree showed obvious continuous decline three times in a row, then a brief rise, and it finally stabilized at a high level, whereas the synergies between the functions decreased and then increased. This means that the sustainable use level of cultivated land in Quzhou County basically presents a good trend. At present, the obstacle that is restricting the efficient use of cultivated land and sustainable development is water, which should be improved by some measures in the future. The results of this evaluation have important theoretical and practical significance for identifying the characteristics of changes in cultivated land use and for guiding future sustainable use in Quzhou County and other regions.
Editorial: Recent Advances in Animal Cognition and Ethology
Authors: Sueur Cédric , Pelé Marie
Published: September 2023

Animal cognition and ethology, the scientific study of animal behaviour, have long captivated the human imagination [...]
Fusing Local Shallow Features and Global Deep Features to Identify Beaks
Authors: He Qi , Zhao Qianqian , Zhao Danfeng , Liu Bilin , Chu Moxian
Published: September 2023

Cephalopods are an essential component of marine ecosystems, which are of great significance for the development of marine resources, ecological balance, and human food supply. At the same time, the preservation of cephalopod resources and the promotion of sustainable utilization also require attention. Many studies on the classification of cephalopods focus on the analysis of their beaks. In this study, we propose a feature fusion-based method for the identification of beaks, which uses the convolutional neural network (CNN) model as its basic architecture and a multi-class support vector machine (SVM) for classification. First, two local shallow features are extracted, namely the histogram of the orientation gradient (HOG) and the local binary pattern (LBP), and classified using SVM. Second, multiple CNN models were used for end-to-end learning to identify the beaks, and model performance was compared. Finally, the global deep features of beaks were extracted from the Resnet50 model, fused with the two local shallow features, and classified using SVM. The experimental results demonstrate that the feature fusion model can effectively fuse multiple features to recognize beaks and improve classification accuracy. Among them, the HOG+Resnet50 method has the highest accuracy in recognizing the upper and lower beaks, with 91.88% and 93.63%, respectively. Therefore, this new approach facilitated identification studies of cephalopod beaks.
Antimicrobial Resistance: Is There a ‘Light’ at the End of the Tunnel?
Authors: Leanse Leon G. , Marasini Sanjay , dos Anjos Carolina , Dai Tianhong
Published: September 2023

In recent years, with the increases in microorganisms that express a multitude of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mechanisms, the threat of antimicrobial resistance in the global population has reached critical levels. The introduction of the COVID-19 pandemic has further contributed to the influx of infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), which has placed significant pressure on healthcare systems. For over a century, the potential for light-based approaches targeted at combatting both cancer and infectious diseases has been proposed. They offer effective killing of microbial pathogens, regardless of AMR status, and have not typically been associated with high propensities of resistance development. To that end, the goal of this review is to describe the different mechanisms that drive AMR, including intrinsic, phenotypic, and acquired resistance mechanisms. Additionally, the different light-based approaches, including antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), antimicrobial blue light (aBL), and ultraviolet (UV) light, will be discussed as potential alternatives or adjunct therapies with conventional antimicrobials. Lastly, we will evaluate the feasibility and requirements associated with integration of light-based approaches into the clinical pipeline.
Partial Replacement of Synthetic Vitamin E by Polyphenols in Post-Weaning Piglets
Authors: Pastorelli Grazia , Benamri Rachida , Faustini Massimo , De Bellis Roberta , Serra Valentina , Turin Lauretta , Haumont Marc , Durand Philippe , Bianchessi Laura , Prost-Camus Emmanuelle , Pecqueur Thomas , Prost Michel
Published: September 2023

Vitamin E is an essential nutrient usually recommended in post-weaning piglets, when a decline in the serum vitamin E concentration is observed. Selected polyphenols have the potential to partially replace vitamin E in animal feed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the dietary inclusion of some commercial polyphenol products (PPs) on the growth performance, antioxidant status and immunity of post-weaning piglets. A total of 300 piglets (BW 7.18 kg ± 1.18) were randomly assigned to six dietary groups: CON− (40 mg/kg vitamin E); CON+(175.8 mg/kg vitamin E); and PP1, PP2, PP3 and PP4, in which 50% vitamin E of CON+ was replaced with PP with equivalent vitamin E activity. The PP1 group exhibited lower performance (p < 0.05) than the other dietary groups, but a similar performance to that commonly registered in pig farms. Dietary polyphenols did not influence the IgG concentration or the IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ and TNF-α cytokine concentrations. A lower IL-8 level was found in the PP4 group than in the other groups. The diets that affected the vitamin A content showed the highest value (p < 0.05) in the PP1 group, and a trend was noted for vitamin E with a higher content in PP4 and CON+. The polyphenols-enriched diets, especially the PP3 diet, maintained an antioxidant capacity (whole blood KRL) similar to the CON+ diet. In conclusion, the replacement of vitamin E with all PPs enables partial vitamin E substitution in post-weaning piglets.
Laboratory-Scale Optimization of Celestine Concentration Using a Hydrocyclone System
Authors: Ariza-Rodríguez Noemi , Rodríguez-Navarro Alejandro B. , de Hoces Mónica Calero , Muñoz-Batista Mario J.
Published: September 2023

A pilot hydrocyclone plant was used to concentrate medium-grade celestine ore (67% celestine) from the Montevive deposit in Granada (Spain) by using a dense media concentration (DMS) process. To optimize the concentration process, several types of heavy minerals (coarse, fine C40 ferrosilicon and/or magnetite) were used to prepare a dense media with a constant density of 3.0 kg/L. Then, the dense media (loaded with run-of-mine celestine mineral) was fed into the hydrocyclone system. The mineral was then separated into two streams, the first containing the mineral fractions that float (over stream) and the second containing fractions that sink (under stream) in the dense media. Next, the heavy minerals (ferrosilicon and/or magnetite) were recovered from the dense media using magnetic separation. The celestine mineral recovered from each stream was divided into two fractions with particles size above or below 250 μm to study the effect of the mineral particle size on the separation process. Their mineral composition was quantified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) using the Rietveld method. The celestine is preferentially concentrated in the under stream in the mineral fraction with particles larger than 250 μm (up to 90% celestine). The optimum results (highest % of celestine) were obtained after desliming and using the ferrosilicon C40 medium, which has the smallest particle size (<40 μm) of all media used. The results of this study show that medium-grade celestine mineral accumulated in the mine tailings can be efficiently concentrated using a DMS process, which could help in making mine operations more sustainable and eco-friendlier.
Imperfect Preventive Maintenance Optimization with Variable Age Reduction Factor and Independent Intervention Level
Authors: Pereira Fabio Henrique , Melani Arthur Henrique de Andrade , Kashiwagi Fabio Norikazu , Rosa Tiago Gaspar da , Santos Uerviton Silva dos , Souza Gilberto Francisco Martha de
Published: September 2023

Maintenance policies are crucial for ensuring the reliability, safety, and longevity of a system, as well as reducing the risk of accidents. Preventive maintenance (PM) is an effective strategy to keep equipment and systems in good working order by fixing potential issues before they cause downtime or safety hazards. However, optimizing the time intervals between PM activities is essential for minimizing the overall maintenance cost. This paper proposes an innovative approach that considers the intervention level of maintenance activities as an independent variable of PM times. The approach provides greater flexibility in creating maintenance plans, as it considers practical aspects that may impact maintenance activities beyond the time interval between PMs. The proposed approach uses a reliability model that incorporates imperfect preventive maintenance and a variable improvement factor based on age reduction. The improvement factor of each preventive maintenance activity (PMA) is defined based on the intervention level of the activity itself, which is determined by the number of tasks performed, execution time, and the number of items replaced in the maintenance plan. The proposed maintenance strategy determines not only the optimal times for PMAs and the respective intervention level but also the optimal number of maintenance activities that minimize the total maintenance cost along a fixed and user-defined planning horizon. The effectiveness and precision of the approach have been demonstrated through a series of numerical examples and a comprehensive case study involving three heat exchangers situated within the hydroelectric power plant.
Encapsulation of α-Lipoic Acid in Halloysite Nanotubes
Authors: Melnyk Andrii , Chyhyrynets Olena , Lazzara Giuseppe
Published: September 2023

A nanocomposite material based on halloysite and α-lipoic acid was studied. The kinetics of the degradation process of α-lipoic acid under the influence of ultraviolet radiation and thermal stress in its native state and in the composition of a halloysite-based nanocomposite were studied. The concentration of undegraded α-lipoic acid and the effect of the nanocomposite composition were determined by the HPLC method. It has been shown that adding α-lipoic acid to halloysite using a vacuum method allows for an increase in its resistance toward UV light of 84.4%, and the thermal resistance was also significantly improved. The composite based on halloysite and α-lipoic acid can be used to improve the resistance to photodegradation of pharmaceutical drugs or sunscreen cosmetics because this strategy preserves the biological active properties and shelf life of the α-lipoic acid.
Objectively Scoring the Human-Likeness of Artificial Driver Models
Authors: Rock Teresa , Hryhoruk Taras , Bleher Thomas , Bahram Mohammad , Marker Stefanie , Syed Arslan Ali , Sekeran Maya
Published: September 2023

Several applications of artificially modeled drivers, such as autonomous vehicles (AVs) or surrounding traffic in driving simulations, aim to provide not only functional but also human-like behavior. The development of human-like AVs is expected to improve the interaction between AVs and humans in traffic, whereas, in a driving simulation, the objective is to create realistic replicas of real driving scenarios to investigate various research questions under safe and reproducible conditions. In urban traffic, driving behavior strongly depends on the situational context, which introduces new challenges not only for modeling but also for the evaluation of such models. However, current objective assessment strategies rarely consider situational context and human similarity, whereas subjective approaches are not suitable for iterative development processes. In this paper, we present a first attempt to make the plausibility and human-likeness of vehicles’ trajectories objectively measurable. A multidimensional quality function is presented that incorporates various parameters characterizing human-like driving behavior and compares each of those parameters to human driving behavior under similar conditions. Among other things, our validation results show that the presented evaluation methodology is scalable to a wide range of situations has the ability to identify model weaknesses, and is able to reflect the way people distinguish between artificial and human behavior.
Experimental Investigation on the Influence of Swirl Ratio on Tornado-like Flow Fields by Varying Updraft Radius and Inflow Angle
Authors: Lv Pengfei , Zhang Yumeng , Wang Yanlei , Wang Bo
Published: September 2023

The swirl ratio is the most critical parameter for determining the intensity and structure of tornado-like vortex, defined as the ratio of angular momentum to radial momentum. The angle of entry flow and the updraft radius are two key parameters affecting the swirl ratio. Many laboratory simulators have studied the effect of swirl ratio by changing the angle of entry flow, but there is a lack of research on the updraft radius. Therefore, for a deep sight of the impact of the updraft radius on the swirl ratio and tornado-like vortex, a laboratory tornado simulator capable of adjusting the updraft radius was designed, built, and tested. And, the effects of various swirl ratios caused by the updraft radius and the angle of entry flow on the tornado-like vortices were investigated, in terms of the dual-celled vortex transformation and vortex wandering. It was found that the effects of the updraft radius and the angle of turning vanes on the tornado-like vortices are quite different, and the formation of the dual-celled vortex is more sensitive to the updraft radius, because a larger angular momentum and axial pressure gradient can be provided. In addition, increasing the updraft radius has a greater inhibitory effect on the vortex wandering phenomenon compared to the angle of the turning vanes due to the flow fluctuations induced by turbulence.
Tetraethylene Glycol Dimethyl Ether (TEGDME)-Water Hybrid Electrolytes Enable Excellent Cyclability in Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries
Authors: Shangguan Mingliang , Wang Kehuang , Zhao Yibo , Xia Lan
Published: September 2023

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are considered hopeful large-scale electrochemical energy storage devices because of their simple production process, high specific capacity, intrinsic safety and low cost. However, the dendritic growth of Zn and side reactions cause rapid battery performance degradation, which limits the application of AZIBs for large-scale energy storage. In this work, following the addition of tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TEGDME) to 1 mol L−1 (M) Zn(CF3SO3)2 aqueous electrolyte as a cosolvent, the 1 M Zn(CF3SO3)2/TEGDME-H2O (1:1 by volume) hybrid electrolyte showed enhanced battery performance resulting from the expanding electrochemical window, inhibiting the growth of zinc dendrites and the parasitic reactions on the negative Zn electrode. The experimental results show that this hybrid electrolyte enabled a high coulombic efficiency (CE) of >99% for 200 cycles in the Zn||Cu battery and a steady discharge/charge property for 1000 h with a low overpotential of 100 mV at 1 mA cm−2 (the capacity: 1.13 mAh) in the Zn||Zn battery. Remarkably, Zn||V2O5 batteries with the hybrid electrolyte also performed much better in terms of cycling stability than a device with a 1 M Zn(CF3SO3)2 aqueous electrolyte. Zn||V2O5 batteries delivered a high specific capacity of 200 mAh g−1 with an average CE of >99.9% after 1500 cycles at 0.5 A g−1. This study provides a promising strategy for the development of high-performance electrolyte solutions for practical rechargeable AZIBs.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Anticancer Activity of Phosphanegold(i) Complexes of 3-Thiosemicarbano-butan-2-one Oxime
Authors: Zarewa Sani A. , Binobaid Lama , Sulaiman Adam A. A. , Sobeai Homood M. As , Alotaibi Moureq , Alhoshani Ali , Isab Anvarhusein A.
Published: September 2023

Four novel phosphanegold(I) complexes of the type [Au(PR3)(DMT)].PF6 (1–4) were synthesized from 3-Thiosemicarbano-butan-2-one oxime ligand (TBO) and precursors [Au(PR3)Cl], (where R = methyl (1), ethyl (2), tert-butyl (3), and phenyl (4)). The resulting complexes were characterized by elemental analyses and melting point as well as various spectroscopic techniques, including FTIR and (1H, 13C, and 31P) NMR spectroscopy. The spectroscopic data confirmed the coordination of TBO ligands to phosphanegold(I) moiety. The solution chemistry of complexes 1–4 indicated their stability in both dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and a mixture of EtOH:H2O (1:1). In vitro cytotoxicity of the complexes was evaluated relative to cisplatin using an MTT assay against three different cancer cell lines: HCT116 (human colon cancer), MDA-MB-231 (human breast cancer), and B16 (murine skin cancer). Complexes 2, 3, and 4 exhibited significant cytotoxic effects against all tested cancer cell lines and showed significantly higher activity than cisplatin. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the cytotoxic effects of the phosphanegold(I) TBO complexes, various assays were employed, including mitochondrial membrane potential, ROS production, and gene expression analyses. The data obtained suggest that complex 2 exerts potent anticancer activity against breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) through the induction of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis. Gene expression analyses showed an increase in the activity of the proapoptotic gene caspase-3 and a reduction in the activity of the antiapoptotic gene BCL-xL, which supported the findings that apoptosis had occurred.
Ketone Bodies Induce Unique Inhibition of Tumor Cell Proliferation and Enhance the Efficacy of Anti-Cancer Agents
Authors: Miller Anna I. , Diaz David , Lin Bo , Krzesaj Patryk K. , Ustoyev Sarah , Shim Alfred , Fine Eugene J. , Sarafraz-Yazdi Ehsan , Pincus Matthew R. , Feinman Richard D.
Published: September 2023

The ketone bodies, sodium and lithium salts of acetoacetate (AcAc) and sodium 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB; commonly called beta-hydroxybutyrate) have been found to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. Previous studies have suggested that lithium itself may be an inhibiting agent but may be additive or synergistic with the effect of AcAc. We previously found that sodium acetoacetate (NaAcAc) inhibits the growth of human colon cancer cell line SW480. We report here similar results for several other cancer cell lines including ovarian, cervical and breast cancers. We found that NaAcAc does not kill cancer cells but rather blocks their proliferation. Similar inhibition of growth was seen in the effect of lithium ion alone (as LiCl). The effect of LiAcAc appears to be due to the combined effects of acetoacetate and the lithium ion. The ketone bodies, when given together with chemotherapeutic agents, rapamycin, methotrexate and the new peptide anti-cancer agent, PNC-27, substantially lowers their IC50 values for cancer cell, killing suggesting that ketone bodies and ketogenic diets may be powerful adjunct agents in treating human cancers.
Synthetic MRI Generation from CT Scans for Stroke Patients
Authors: McNaughton Jake , Holdsworth Samantha , Chong Benjamin , Fernandez Justin , Shim Vickie , Wang Alan
Published: September 2023

CT scans are currently the most common imaging modality used for suspected stroke patients due to their short acquisition time and wide availability. However, MRI offers superior tissue contrast and image quality. In this study, eight deep learning models are developed, trained, and tested using a dataset of 181 CT/MR pairs from stroke patients. The resultant synthetic MRIs generated by these models are compared through a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods. The synthetic MRIs generated by a 3D UNet model consistently demonstrated superior performance across all methods of evaluation. Overall, the generation of synthetic MRIs from CT scans using the methods described in this paper produces realistic MRIs that can guide the registration of CT scans to MRI atlases. The synthetic MRIs enable the segmentation of white matter, grey matter, and cerebrospinal fluid by using algorithms designed for MRIs, exhibiting a high degree of similarity to true MRIs.
An Anthracene Carboxamide-Based Fluorescent Probe for Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Mitochondrial Hypochlorite in Living Cells
Authors: Liu Xueling , Wang Yali , Zhou Guangshuai , Zhang Wenzhou
Published: September 2023

Mitochondrial hypochlorite (ClO−) plays important and often contradictory roles in maintaining the redox balance of mitochondria. Abnormal ClO− levels can induce mitochondrial inactivation and further cause cell apoptosis. Herein, we have developed an anthracene carboxyimide-based fluorescent probe mito-ACS for imaging mitochondrial ClO− in living cells. This probe exhibits some distinctive features as excellent resistance to photobleaching, high selectivity and sensitivity, as well as good water solubility. Mito-ACS showed a noticeable fluorescence response toward ClO− with a fast response (within 6 s) and a low detection limit (23 nM). Moreover, the introduction of triphenylphosphonium makes the probe soluble in water and selectively localizes to mitochondria. Furthermore, mito-ACS was successfully applied to image mitochondria ClO− in living cells with low toxicity. Remarkably. the less used fluorophore anthracene carboxyimide exhibiting excellent photostability and desirable optical properties provides a promising application prospect in biological systems.
Are Sex Differences in Collegiate and High School Sports-Related Concussion Reflected in the Guidelines? A Scoping Review
Authors: Musko Patryk A. , Demetriades Andreas K.
Published: September 2023

Background: Sport-related concussion (SRC) is a common sport injury. Females are participating in sports at increasing rates, and there is growing awareness that female athletes may be more vulnerable to SRC. Objectives: We aimed to identify sex differences in epidemiology, clinical manifestation and assessment of SRC and examine how these relate to the 6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport (ICCS). Methods: We conducted a scoping review of the Medline database and identified 58 studies examining the effects of sex on SRC in collegiate and high school athletes that were written in English and published in a peer-reviewed journal between March 2012 and March 2022. Results: We found that female athletes suffer higher rates of concussion in sex-comparable sports, in particular soccer. Female athletes experience more somatic symptoms—headache/migraine/sleep disturbance—and may take longer to recover from concussion. Sex differences were also identified regarding some aspects of sideline concussion assessment with the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool. Conclusions: Females are at greater risk and experience SRC differently than males; this is mostly likely due to a combination of biomechanical factors, differences in neck musculature and hormonal and social factors. Sex differences are not widely addressed by the 6th ICSS, which informs many sports’ concussion protocols.
Changing Decisions: The Interaction between Framing and Decoy Effects
Authors: Di Crosta Adolfo , Marin Anna , Palumbo Rocco , Ceccato Irene , La Malva Pasquale , Gatti Matteo , Prete Giulia , Palumbo Riccardo , Mammarella Nicola , Di Domenico Alberto
Published: September 2023

Background: Cognitive biases are popular topics in psychology and marketing, as they refer to systematic cognitive tendencies in human thinking that deviate from logical and rational reasoning. The framing effect (FE) and the decoy effect (DE) are examples of cognitive biases that can influence decision making and consumer preferences. The FE involves how options are presented, while the DE involves the addition of a third option that influences the choice between the other two options. Methods: We investigated the interaction between the FE and the DE in the case of both incongruent (ID) and congruent (CD) decoys in a sample of undergraduates (n = 471). The study had a two (positive vs. negative valence) × three (original, congruent decoy, incongruent decoy) within-subject design. Results: The ID option reduces the FE in both positive- and negative-framed conditions compared to the controls, while adding the CD option increases the FE only in the positive-framed condition. Additionally, the inclusion of the CD option enhances the level of decision confidence, whereas no significant differences were found in the ID condition. Conclusions: Our findings gave new insights into the interplay between two of the most frequent cognitive biases.
Revisiting the Asymmetric Matching Pennies Contradiction in China
Authors: Leng Ailin , Lian Zeng , Lien Jaimie W. , Zheng Jie
Published: September 2023

The asymmetric matching pennies contradiction posits that contrary to the prediction of mixed-strategy Nash equilibrium, experimental subjects’ choices are, in practice, based heavily on the magnitudes of their own payoffs. Own-payoff effects are robustly confirmed in the literature. Closely following the experimental setups in the literature which support the contradiction, we conduct a series of asymmetric matching pennies games in China, hypothesizing play which is closer to equilibrium frequencies than previously found. Contrary to previous experiments which were conducted in the United States, we find that there are essentially no own-payoff effects among Row players who face large payoff asymmetry. In a Quantal Response Equilibrium framework allowing for altruism or spite, the behavior of our subjects corresponded to a positive spite parameter, whereas the results of previous studies corresponded to altruism. Our results may be consistent with recent psychology literature that finds people from collectivist cultures are substantially more adept at taking the perspective of others compared with people from individualist cultures, a feature of the reasoning needed to obtain mixed-strategy equilibrium.
The Prognostic Value of the Novel Global Immune-Nutrition-Inflammation Index (GINI) in Stage IIIC Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Topkan Erkan , Selek Ugur , Pehlivan Berrin , Kucuk Ahmet , Ozturk Duriye , Ozdemir Beyza Sirin , Besen Ali Ayberk , Mertsoylu Huseyin
Published: September 2023

Background: We sought to determine the prognostic value of the newly developed Global Immune-Nutrition-Inflammation Index (GINI) in patients with stage IIIC non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Methods: This study was conducted on a cohort of 802 newly diagnosed stage IIIC NSCLC patients who underwent CCRT. The novel GINI created first here was defined as follows: GINI = [C-reactive protein × Platelets × Monocytes × Neutrophils] ÷ [Albumin × Lymphocytes]. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the optimal pre-CCRT GINI cut-off value that substantially interacts with the locoregional progression-free (LRPFS), progression-free (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Results: The optimal pre-CCRT GINI cutoff was 1562 (AUC: 76.1%; sensitivity: 72.4%; specificity: 68.2%; Youden index: 0.406). Patients presenting with a GINI ≥ 1562 had substantially shorter median LRPFS (13.3 vs. 18.4 months; p < 0.001), PFS (10.2 vs. 14.3 months; p < 0.001), and OS (19.1 vs. 37.8 months; p < 0.001) durations than those with a GINI < 1562. Results of the multivariate analysis revealed that the pre-CCRT GINI ≥ 1562 (vs. <1562), T4 tumor (vs. T3), and receiving only 1 cycle of concurrent chemotherapy (vs. 2–3 cycles) were the factors independently associated with poorer LRPS (p < 0.05 for each), PFS (p < 0.05 for each), and OS (p < 0.05 for each). Conclusion: The newly developed GINI index efficiently divided the stage IIIC NSCLSC patients into two subgroups with substantially different median and long-term survival outcomes.
EDNRA-Expressing Mesenchymal Cells Are Expanded in Myeloma Interstitial Bone Marrow and Associated with Disease Progression
Authors: Ling Wen , Johnson Sarah K , Mehdi Syed J , Alapat Daisy V , Bauer Michael , Zangari Maurizio , Schinke Carolina , Thanendrarajan Sharmilan , van Rhee Frits , Yaccoby Shmuel
Published: September 2023

Multiple myeloma (MM) induces dysfunctional bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal cells and neoangiogenesis. Pericytes and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) could detach from vessels and become cancer-associated fibroblasts. We found that the pericyte and SMC marker endothelin receptor type A (EDNRA) is overexpressed in whole MM bone biopsies; we sought to characterize its expression. EDNRA expression gradually increased with disease progression. High-risk MM patients had higher EDNRA expression than low-risk MM patients and EDNRA expression was highest in focal lesions. High EDNRA expression was associated with high expression of pericyte markers (e.g., RGS5, POSTN, and CD146) and the angiogenic marker FLT1. A single-cell analysis of unexpanded BM mesenchymal cells detected EDNRA expression in a subset of cells that coexpressed mesenchymal cell markers and had higher expression of proliferation genes. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the number of EDNRA+ cells in the interstitial BM increased as MM progressed; EDNRA+ cells were prevalent in areas near the MM focal growth. EDNRA+ cells were detached from CD34+ angiogenic cells and coexpressed RGS5 and periostin. Therefore, they likely originated from pericytes or SMCs. These findings identify a novel microenvironmental biomarker in MM and suggest that the presence of detached EDNRA+ cells indicates disrupted vasculature and increased angiogenesis.
NAP (Davunetide): The Neuroprotective ADNP Drug Candidate Penetrates Cell Nuclei Explaining Pleiotropic Mechanisms
Authors: Ganaiem Maram , Gildor Nina D. , Shazman Shula , Karmon Gidon , Ivashko-Pachima Yanina , Gozes Illana
Published: September 2023

(1) Background: Recently, we showed aberrant nuclear/cytoplasmic boundaries/activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) distribution in ADNP-mutated cells. This malformation was corrected upon neuronal differentiation by the ADNP-derived fragment drug candidate NAP (davunetide). Here, we investigated the mechanism of NAP nuclear protection. (2) Methods: CRISPR/Cas9 DNA-editing established N1E-115 neuroblastoma cell lines that express two different green fluorescent proteins (GFPs)—labeled mutated ADNP variants (p.Tyr718* and p.Ser403*). Cells were exposed to NAP conjugated to Cy5, followed by live imaging. Cells were further characterized using quantitative morphology/immunocytochemistry/RNA and protein quantifications. (3) Results: NAP rapidly distributed in the cytoplasm and was also seen in the nucleus. Furthermore, reduced microtubule content was observed in the ADNP-mutated cell lines. In parallel, disrupting microtubules by zinc or nocodazole intoxication mimicked ADNP mutation phenotypes and resulted in aberrant nuclear–cytoplasmic boundaries, which were rapidly corrected by NAP treatment. No NAP effects were noted on ADNP levels. Ketamine, used as a control, was ineffective, but both NAP and ketamine exhibited direct interactions with ADNP, as observed via in silico docking. (4) Conclusions: Through a microtubule-linked mechanism, NAP rapidly localized to the cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments, ameliorating mutated ADNP-related deficiencies. These novel findings explain previously published gene expression results and broaden NAP (davunetide) utilization in research and clinical development.
Transcriptomic Analysis in the Hippocampus and Retina of Tg2576 AD Mice Reveals Defective Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation and Recovery by Tau 12A12mAb Treatment
Authors: Morello Giovanna , Guarnaccia Maria , La Cognata Valentina , Latina Valentina , Calissano Pietro , Amadoro Giuseppina , Cavallaro Sebastiano
Published: September 2023

Increasing evidence implicates decreased energy metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunctions among the earliest pathogenic events of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying bioenergetic dysfunctions in AD remain, to date, largely unknown. In this work, we analyzed transcriptomic changes occurring in the hippocampus and retina of a Tg2576 AD mouse model and wild-type controls, evaluating their functional implications by gene set enrichment analysis. The results revealed that oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial-related pathways are significantly down-regulated in both tissues of Tg2576 mice, supporting the role of these processes in the pathogenesis of AD. In addition, we also analyzed transcriptomic changes occurring in Tg2576 mice treated with the 12A12 monoclonal antibody that neutralizes an AD-relevant tau-derived neurotoxic peptide in vivo. Our analysis showed that the mitochondrial alterations observed in AD mice were significantly reverted by treatment with 12A12mAb, supporting bioenergetic pathways as key mediators of its in vivo neuroprotective and anti-amyloidogenic effects. This study provides, for the first time, a comprehensive characterization of molecular events underlying the disrupted mitochondrial bioenergetics in AD pathology, laying the foundation for the future development of diagnostic and therapeutic tools.