bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognostic Utility of Platelet–Lymphocyte Ratio, Neutrophil–Lymphocyte Ratio and Monocyte–Lymphocyte Ratio in Head and Neck Cancers: A Detailed PRISMA Compliant Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kumarasamy Chellan , Tiwary Vaibhav , Sunil Krishnan , Suresh Deepa , Shetty Sameep , Muthukaliannan Gothandam Kodiveri , Baxi Siddhartha , Jayaraj Rama
Published: August 2021

Inflammation plays a major role in cancer development and progression and has the potential to be used as a prognostic marker in cancer. Previous studies have attempted to evaluate Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) or monocyte–lymphocyte ratio (MLR) as indicators of inflammation/prognostic markers in cancer, but there is no common consensus on their application in clinical practice. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to (a) assess the prognostic efficacy of all three prognostic markers in comparison to each other and (b) investigate the prognostic potential of these three markers in HNC. The study followed PRISMA guidelines, with the literature being collated from multiple bibliographic databases. Preliminary and secondary screening were carried out using stringent inclusion/exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was carried out on selected studies using CMA software and HR as the pooled effect size metric. A total of 49 studies were included in the study. The pooled HR values of PLR, NLR and MLR indicated that they were significantly correlated with poorer OS. The pooled effect estimates for PLR, NLR and MLR were 1.461 (95% CI 1.329–1.674), 1.639 (95% CI 1.429–1.880) and 1.002 (95% CI 0.720–1.396), respectively. Significant between-study heterogeneity was observed in the meta-analysis of all three. The results of this study suggest that PLR, NLR and MLR ratios can be powerful prognostic markers in head and neck cancers that can guide treatment. Further evidence from large-scale clinical studies on patient cohorts are required before they can be incorporated as a part of the clinical method. PROSPERO Registration ID: CRD42019121008
Direct Endoplasmic Reticulum Targeting by the Selective Alkylphospholipid Analog and Antitumor Ether Lipid Edelfosine as a Therapeutic Approach in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Mollinedo Faustino , Gajate Consuelo
Published: August 2021

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common malignancy of the pancreas, shows a dismal and grim overall prognosis and survival rate, which have remained virtually unchanged for over half a century. PDAC is the most lethal of all cancers, with the highest mortality-to-incidence ratio. PDAC responds poorly to current therapies and remains an incurable malignancy. Therefore, novel therapeutic targets and drugs are urgently needed for pancreatic cancer treatment. Selective induction of apoptosis in cancer cells is an appealing approach in cancer therapy. Apoptotic cell death is highly regulated by different signaling routes that involve a variety of subcellular organelles. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress acts as a double-edged sword at the interface of cell survival and death. Pancreatic cells exhibit high hormone and enzyme secretory functions, and thereby show a highly developed ER. Thus, pancreatic cancer cells display a prominent ER. Solid tumors have to cope with adverse situations in which hypoxia, lack of certain nutrients, and the action of certain antitumor agents lead to a complex interplay and crosstalk between ER stress and autophagy—the latter acting as an adaptive survival response. ER stress also mediates cell death induced by a number of anticancer drugs and experimental conditions, highlighting the pivotal role of ER stress in modulating cell fate. The alkylphospholipid analog prototype edelfosine is selectively taken up by tumor cells, accumulates in the ER of a number of human solid tumor cells—including pancreatic cancer cells—and promotes apoptosis through a persistent ER-stress-mediated mechanism both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we discuss and propose that direct ER targeting may be a promising approach in the therapy of pancreatic cancer, opening up a new avenue for the treatment of this currently incurable and deadly cancer. Furthermore, because autophagy acts as a cytoprotective response to ER stress, potentiation of the triggering of a persistent ER response by combination therapy, together with the use of autophagy blockers, could improve the current gloomy expectations for finding a cure for this type of cancer.
Mechanism of Differential Susceptibility of Two (Canine Lung Adenocarcinoma) Cell Lines to 5-Aminolevulinic Acid-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Osaki Tomohiro , Kunisue Narumi , Ota Urara , Imazato Hideo , Ishii Takuya , Takahashi Kiwamu , Ishizuka Masahiro , Tanaka Tohru , Okamoto Yoshiharu
Published: August 2021

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a clinically approved, minimally invasive treatment for malignant tumors. Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), derived from 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) as the prodrug, is one of the photosensitizers used in PDT. Recently, we reported a significant difference in response to 5-ALA-mediated PDT treatment in two canine primary lung adenocarcinoma cell lines (sensitive to PDT: HDC cells, resistant to PDT: LuBi cells). This study aimed to examine the difference in cytotoxicity of 5-ALA-mediated PDT in these cells. Although intracellular PpIX levels before irradiation were similar between HDC and LuBi cells, the percentage of ROS-positive cells and apoptotic cells in LuBi cells treated with 5-ALA-mediated PDT was significantly lower than that in HDC cells treated with 5-ALA-mediated PDT. A high dosage of the NO donor, DETA NONOate, significantly increased the cytotoxicity of 5-ALA-mediated PDT against LuBi cells. These results suggest that the sensitivity of 5-ALA-mediated PDT might be correlated with NO.
Treatment-Free Remission in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Can We Identify Prognostic Factors?
Authors: Saifullah Hilbeen Hisham , Lucas Claire Marie
Published: August 2021

Following the development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), the survival of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) drastically improved. With the introduction of these agents, CML is now considered a chronic disease for some patients. Taking into consideration the side effects, toxicity, and high cost, discontinuing TKI became a goal for patients with chronic phase CML. Patients who achieved deep molecular response (DMR) and discontinued TKI, remained in treatment-free remission (TFR). Currently, the data from the published literature demonstrate that 40–60% of patients achieve TFR, with relapses occurring within the first six months. In addition, almost all patients who relapsed regained a molecular response upon retreatment, indicating TKI discontinuation is safe. However, there is still a gap in understanding the mechanisms behind TFR, and whether there are prognostic factors that can predict the best candidates who qualify for TKI discontinuation with a view to keeping them in TFR. Furthermore, the information about a second TFR attempt and the role of gradual de-escalation of TKI before complete cessation is limited. This review highlights the factors predicting success or failure of TFR. In addition, it examines the feasibility of a second TFR attempt after the failure of the first one, and the current guidelines concerning TFR in clinical practice.
Effect of Ion-Exchange Sequences on Catalytic Performance of Cerium-Modified Cu-SSZ-13 Catalysts for NH3-SCR
Authors: Wang Yan , Li Zhaoqiang , Ding Zhiyong , Kang Na , Fan Rongrong , Wang Yu , Zhang Cheng , Guo Xin , Wang Rong
Published: August 2021

Cerium-modified Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts were prepared by an aqueous ion-exchange method, and Ce and Cu were incorporated through different ion-exchange sequences. The results of NH3-SCR activity evaluations displayed that Cu1(CeCu)2 catalyst presented excellent catalytic activity, and over 90% NOx conversion was obtained across the temperature range of 200–500 °C. The characterization results showed that the ion-exchange sequence of Cu and Ce species influenced the crystallinity of the zeolites and the coordination of Al. A small amount of Ce could participate in the reduction process and change the location and coordination environment of copper ions. Furthermore, Ce-modified Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts possessed more acidic sites due to their containing replacement of Ce and movement of Cu in the preparation process. The cooperation of strong redox abilities and NH3 storage capacity led to the increase of active adsorbed species adsorption and resulted in better activity of Cu1(CeCu)2.
Positive Effect of Antagonistic Additives on the Homogeneous Catalytic Etherification Reaction of Glycerol
Authors: Han Taeyoul , Lee Je Seung
Published: August 2021

Various compounds prepared using glycerol, diglycerol (DG), and triglycerol (TG) have been gaining increasing attention due to their wide range of applications. To increase the yield and selectivity of DG and TG syntheses, previous studies investigated a variety of catalysts with different basicity and variable reaction temperatures. In this study, we introduced additives that act as inhibitors to increase the selectivity of the etherification reaction for DG and TG production and depress the formation of higher oligomers by moderating the activity of the catalyst. By adding weakly acidic alkali metal-based inorganic salts (NaHSO4 and KHSO4), the selectivity of DG and TG formation could be enhanced, although the conversion of glycerol decreased due to the reduced activity of catalyst. We found that the decrease in the activity of the catalyst caused by the additives could be recovered and that side reactions were reduced if the reaction was carried out at an increased temperature of 280 °C and if the reaction time was shortened to 2 h to suppress the formation of oligomers. The dependence of the reaction on the amount of the additive, the reaction time, and the reaction temperature was investigated to elucidate the role of the additive.
Ovarian Decellularized Bioscaffolds Provide an Optimal Microenvironment for Cell Growth and Differentiation In Vitro
Authors: Pennarossa Georgia , De Iorio Teresina , Gandolfi Fulvio , Brevini Tiziana A. L.
Published: August 2021

Ovarian failure is the most common cause of infertility. Although numerous strategies have been proposed, a definitive solution for recovering ovarian functions and restoring fertility is currently unavailable. One innovative alternative may be represented by the development of an “artificial ovary” that could be transplanted in patients for re-establishing reproductive activities. Here, we describe a novel approach for successful repopulation of decellularized ovarian bioscaffolds in vitro. Porcine whole ovaries were subjected to a decellularization protocol that removed the cell compartment, while maintaining the macrostructure and microstructure of the original tissue. The obtained bioscaffolds were then repopulated with porcine ovarian cells or with epigenetically erased porcine and human dermal fibroblasts. The results obtained demonstrated that the decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM)-based scaffold may constitute a suitable niche for ex vivo culture of ovarian cells. Furthermore, it was able to properly drive epigenetically erased cell differentiation, fate, and viability. Overall, the method described represents a powerful tool for the in vitro creation of a bioengineered ovary that may constitute a promising solution for hormone and fertility restoration. In addition, it allows for the creation of a suitable 3D platform with useful applications both in toxicological and transplantation studies.
Cytotoxic Effects of 5-Azacytidine on Primary Tumour Cells and Cancer Stem Cells from Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: An In Vitro FTIRM Analysis
Authors: Notarstefano Valentina , Belloni Alessia , Sabbatini Simona , Pro Chiara , Orilisi Giulia , Monterubbianesi Riccardo , Tosco Vincenzo , Byrne Hugh J. , Vaccari Lisa , Giorgini Elisabetta
Published: August 2021

In the present study, the cytotoxic effects of 5-azacytidine on primary Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma cells (OSCCs) from human biopsies, and on Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) from the same samples, were investigated by an in vitro Fourier Transform InfraRed Microscospectroscopy (FTIRM) approach coupled with multivariate analysis. OSCC is an aggressive tumoral lesion of the epithelium, accounting for ~90% of all oral cancers. It is usually diagnosed in advanced stages, and this causes a poor prognosis with low success rates of surgical, as well as radiation and chemotherapy treatments. OSCC is frequently characterised by recurrence after chemotherapy and by the development of a refractoriness to some employed drugs, which is probably ascribable to the presence of CSCs niches, responsible for cancer growth, chemoresistance and metastasis. The spectral information from FTIRM was correlated with the outcomes of cytotoxicity tests and image-based cytometry, and specific spectral signatures attributable to 5-azacytidine treatment were identified, allowing us to hypothesise the demethylation of DNA and, hence, an increase in the transcriptional activity, together with a conformational transition of DNA, and a triggering of cell death by an apoptosis mechanism. Moreover, a different mechanism of action between OSSC and CSC cells was highlighted, probably due to possible differences between OSCCs and CSCs response.
Heterogeneity of Hepatic Stellate Cells in Fibrogenesis of the Liver: Insights from Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis in Liver Injury
Authors: Zhang Wenjun , Conway Simon J. , Liu Ying , Snider Paige , Chen Hanying , Gao Hongyu , Liu Yunlong , Isidan Kadir , Lopez Kevin J. , Campana Gonzalo , Li Ping , Ekser Burcin , Francis Heather , Shou Weinian , Kubal Chandrashekhar
Published: August 2021

Background & Aims: Liver fibrosis is a pathological healing process resulting from hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and the generation of myofibroblasts from activated HSCs. The precise underlying mechanisms of liver fibrogenesis are still largely vague due to lack of understanding the functional heterogeneity of activated HSCs during liver injury. Approach and Results: In this study, to define the mechanism of HSC activation, we performed the transcriptomic analysis at single-cell resolution (scRNA-seq) on HSCs in mice treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). By employing LRAT-Cre:Rosa26mT/mG mice, we were able to isolate an activated GFP-positive HSC lineage derived cell population by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). A total of 8 HSC subpopulations were identified based on an unsupervised analysis. Each HSC cluster displayed a unique transcriptomic profile, despite all clusters expressing common mouse HSC marker genes. We demonstrated that one of the HSC subpopulations expressed high levels of mitosis regulatory genes, velocity, and monocle analysis indicated that these HSCs are at transitioning and proliferating phases at the beginning of HSCs activation and will eventually give rise to several other HSC subtypes. We also demonstrated cell clusters representing HSC-derived mature myofibroblast populations that express myofibroblasts hallmark genes with unique contractile properties. Most importantly, we found a novel HSC cluster that is likely to be critical in liver regeneration, immune reaction, and vascular remodeling, in which the unique profiles of genes such as Rgs5, Angptl6, and Meg3 are highly expressed. Lastly, we demonstrated that the heterogeneity of HSCs in the injured mouse livers is closely similar to that of cirrhotic human livers. Conclusions: Collectively, our scRNA-seq data provided insight into the landscape of activated HSC populations and the dynamic transitional pathway from HSC to myofibroblasts in response to liver injury.
Metformin and Glaucoma—Review of Anti-Fibrotic Processes and Bioenergetics
Authors: Hurley Daire J. , Irnaten Mustapha , O’Brien Colm
Published: August 2021

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness globally. With an aging population, disease incidence will rise with an enormous societal and economic burden. The treatment strategy revolves around targeting intraocular pressure, the principle modifiable risk factor, to slow progression of disease. However, there is a clear unmet clinical need to find a novel therapeutic approach that targets and halts the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration that occurs with fibrosis. RGCs are highly sensitive to metabolic fluctuations as a result of multiple stressors and thus their viability depends on healthy mitochondrial functioning. Metformin, known for its use in type 2 diabetes, has come to the forefront of medical research in multiple organ systems. Its use was recently associated with a 25% reduced risk of glaucoma in a large population study. Here, we discuss its application to glaucoma therapy, highlighting its effect on fibrotic signalling pathways, mitochondrial bioenergetics and NAD oxidation.
Lighting Up Ca2+ Dynamics in Animal Models
Authors: Redolfi Nelly , García-Casas Paloma , Fornetto Chiara , Sonda Sonia , Pizzo Paola , Pendin Diana
Published: August 2021

Calcium (Ca2+) signaling coordinates are crucial processes in brain physiology. Particularly, fundamental aspects of neuronal function such as synaptic transmission and neuronal plasticity are regulated by Ca2+, and neuronal survival itself relies on Ca2+-dependent cascades. Indeed, impaired Ca2+ homeostasis has been reported in aging as well as in the onset and progression of neurodegeneration. Understanding the physiology of brain function and the key processes leading to its derangement is a core challenge for neuroscience. In this context, Ca2+ imaging represents a powerful tool, effectively fostered by the continuous amelioration of Ca2+ sensors in parallel with the improvement of imaging instrumentation. In this review, we explore the potentiality of the most used animal models employed for Ca2+ imaging, highlighting their application in brain research to explore the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.
Corrosion Behavior of Amorphous Sol–Gel TiO2–ZrO2 Nano Thickness Film on Stainless Steel
Authors: Ćurković Lidija , Otmačić Ćurković Helena , Žmak Irena , Mustafa Mihone Kerolli , Gabelica Ivana
Published: August 2021

In this work, a single-layer TiO2–ZrO2 thin film is deposited on the AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel by the sol–gel process and the dip coating method to improve its corrosion resistance properties. For the sol preparation, titanium isopropoxide and zirconium butoxide are used as the precursors, yttrium acetate hydrate is used for the ZrO2 stabilization, i-propanol as the solvent, nitric acid as the catalyst, acetylacetone as the chelating agent, and the distilled water for the hydrolysis. The deposited films are annealed at 400 °C or 600 °C. Morphology and phase composition of the sol–gel TiO2–ZrO2 films and powders are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with EDX detector and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The thickness of the sol–gel TiO2–ZrO2 films deposited on the stainless steel is determined by glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GD-OES). The corrosion behavior of the stainless steel, coated by amorphous films, is evaluated in 3 wt% NaCl and 0.5 mol dm−3 HCl by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. It is found that the sol–gel TiO2–ZrO2 films with the amorphous structure, deposited by the sol–gel process, and calcined at 400 °C significantly enhance the corrosion properties of AISI 316L in both chloride media.
Proposal for an Implementation Guide for a Computer Security Incident Response Team on a University Campus
Authors: Villegas-Ch. William , Ortiz-Garces Ivan , Sánchez-Viteri Santiago
Published: August 2021

Currently, society is going through a health event with devastating results. In their desire to control the 2019 coronavirus disease, large organizations have turned over the execution of their activities to the use of information technology. These tools, adapted to the use of the Internet, have been presented as an effective solution to the measures implemented by the majority of nations where quarantines are generalized. However, the solution given by information technologies has several disadvantages that must be solved. The most important in this regard is with the serious security incidents that exist, where many organizations have been compromised and their data has been exposed. As a solution, this work proposes the design of a guide that allows for the implementation of a computer incident response team on a university campus. Universities are optimal environments for the generation of new technologies; they also serve as the ideal test bed for the generation of security policies and new treatments for incidents in an organization. In addition, with the implementation of the computer incident response team in a university, it is proposed to be part of a response group to any security incident at the national level.
An N4-Tetradentate Hydrazone Ligand That Binds in a Neutral, Mono- and Bisdeprotonated Form to Iron(II) and Zinc(II) Metal Ions
Authors: Pandiarajan Devaraj , Fox Thomas , Spingler Bernhard
Published: August 2021

The coordination chemistry of butane-2,3-dione bis (2′-pyridylhydrazone) towards the divalent first-row transition metals zinc and iron has been explored. Depending upon the conditions, the ligand in the six complexes was found to be either neutral, mono, or doubly deprotonated. The zinc(II) and iron(II) complexes were fully characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction methods.
New Metakaolin-Based Geopolymers with the Addition of Different Types of Waste Stone Powder
Authors: Perná Ivana , Novotná Martina , Řimnáčová Daniela , Šupová Monika
Published: August 2021

The search for new alternative raw materials and their subsequent use supports the sustainability of natural resources. This article describes the use of waste stone powder (WSP) in geopolymer synthesis. Five different types of WSP (feldspar, limestone, marlstone, dolomite, marble) were comprehensively characterized and their influence on the resulting properties (especially mechanical and textural properties, setting time and structure) of metakaolin-based geopolymer composites was investigated. Their comparison with a geopolymer composite containing only quartz sand has revealed that WSP additions have a small but positive effect on the mechanical or textural properties of geopolymers. Moreover, setting time measurements have shown that waste stone powders can be used as an accelerator of geopolymer reaction solidification. The results demonstrated that the mentioned types of WSP, previously landfilled, can be used for the preparation of geopolymers. This can help reduce the environmental burden.
Prognostic Impact of YKL-40 Immunohistochemical Expression in Patients with Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Oh Il Hwan , Pyo Jung-Soo , Son Byoung Kwan
Published: August 2021

This study aims to examine the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of the YKL-40 immunohistochemical expression of tumor and immune cells through human colorectal cancer (CRC) tissue. We performed immunohistochemistry for YKL-40 and investigated the clinicopathological and prognostic impact of the YKL-40 expression of tumor (T-YKL-40) and immune cells (I-YKL-40) in CRC. We also evaluated the correlation between YKL-40 and PD-L1 expression and the immunoscore. YKL-40 was expressed in 22.6% and 64.2% of T-YKL-40 and I-YKL-40, respectively, out of the 265 CRC tissues. The I-YKL-40 expression significantly correlated with well and moderately differentiated tumors. The PD-L1 expression in immune cells significantly correlated with the I-YKL-40 expression, but not T-YKL-40 expression (p = 0.020 and p = 0.846, respectively). The I-YKL-40 expression significantly correlated with a worse overall survival rate but not recurrence-free survival (p = 0.047 and p = 0.080, respectively). However, there was no significant correlation between the T-YKL-40 expression and survival. In CRCs with a high immunoscore, patients with I-YKL-40 expression demonstrated worse overall and recurrence-free survival than those without I-YKL-40 expression. Our results demonstrated that I-YKL-40 expression significantly correlated with tumor differentiation and PD-L1 expression in immune cells. I-YKL-40 expression can be useful for the prognostic stratification of CRC patients.
Mirroring Life of Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes—An Outline of Key Aspects
Authors: Jespersen Louise N. , Vested Mathilde H. , Johansen Lise B. , Grabowski Dan
Published: August 2021

Background: Studies have shown that adolescents find diabetes management difficult and struggle with incorporating diabetes management into their daily life. A focus on issues adolescents perceive as important is necessary when designing high quality interventions aimed at improving health outcomes for adolescents with T1D. The present study aimed to provide: (1) a broad comprehensive reflection on issues adolescents with diabetes perceive as important; (2) a basis for developing a ‘Family Mirror’, specifically designed to generate dialogue in families with an adolescent with T1D. Methods: The qualitative data originate from 11 workshops with a total of 47 adolescents with diabetes between 8 and 18 years of age. Data were systematically analyzed. Results: Seven overarching, empirical themes were identified that provided an outline of aspects important to adolescents living with T1D: (1) Support, (2) Understanding, (3) Worries, (4) Limitations, (5) Independence, (6) Perceptions, and (7) Management. Several empirical indicators elaborated on the themes, thus creating a comprehensive reflection of life with T1D during adolescence. Conclusions: Given our comprehensive and broad approach to uncovering key aspects adolescents with diabetes perceive as important, we trust that the findings can be used as a basis for designing interventions intended for adolescents with T1D.
Perivascular Adipose Tissue Attenuation on Computed Tomography beyond the Coronary Arteries. A Systematic Review
Authors: Tuttolomondo Domenico , Martini Chiara , Nicolini Francesco , Formica Francesco , Pini Alessandro , Secchi Francesco , Volpi Riccardo , De Filippo Massimo , Gaibazzi Nicola
Published: August 2021

(1) Background: Perivascular adipose tissue attenuation, measured with computed tomography imaging, is a marker of mean local vascular inflammation since it reflects the morphological changes of the fat tissue in direct contact with the vessel. This method is thoroughly validated in coronary arteries, but few studies have been performed in other vascular beds. The aim of the present study is to provide insight into the potential application of perivascular adipose tissue attenuation through computed tomography imaging in extra-coronary arteries. (2) Methods: A comprehensive search of the scientific literature published in the last 30 years (1990–2020) has been performed on Medline. (3) Results: A Medline databases search for titles, abstracts, and keywords returned 3251 records. After the exclusion of repetitions and the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria and abstract screening, 37 studies were selected for full-text evaluation. Three papers were finally included in the systematic review. Perivascular adipose tissue attenuation assessment was studied in the internal carotid artery, ascending thoracic aorta, and abdominal aorta. (4) Conclusions: Perivascular adipose tissue attenuation seems to be an applicable parameter in all investigated vascular beds, generally with good inter-observer reproducibility.
Disability, Caste, and Intersectionality: Does Co-Existence of Disability and Caste Compound Marginalization for Women Seeking Maternal Healthcare in Southern Nepal?
Authors: Devkota Hridaya Raj , Clarke Andrew , Murray Emily , Kett Maria , Groce Nora
Published: August 2021

Background: Disability and caste are two different forms of oppression; however, people of the Dalit caste in Nepal and people with disabilities commonly face similar types of marginalities. Dalit women with disabilities may experience double discrimination because of the intersectionality of disability and caste. This study examines whether the disability and caste identity of women together affects and compounds the utilization of maternal healthcare services. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire among a total of 354 Dalit and non-Dalit women, with and without a disability aged between 15–49 years. Maternal healthcare service utilization was assessed by antenatal care (ANC), health facility (HF) delivery, and postnatal care (PNC) during the last pregnancy. Logistic regression was performed to detect the predictors of service utilization and identify whether disability and caste were associated with service utilization. First, disability and caste were fitted separately in models. Secondly, the intersectionality of disability and caste was tested by inclusion of a disability*caste interaction term. Finally, the confounding effect of socio-demographic factors was investigated. Results: Out of surveyed women, 73% had 4+ ANC visits, 65% had HF delivery, and 29% had a PNC visit during their last pregnancy. Women with a disability had lower odds of HF delivery (OR 0.50, CI 0.30–0.84) and PNC (OR 0.47, CI 0.25–0.88) than women without a disability. Adjustment for women’s age and household wealth explained associations in HF delivery by women with disabilities. There was no association between caste and service utilization. Disability overrode caste, and there was no other evidence of effect modification by women’s caste status in the utilization. However, a weak interaction effect in the utilization of ANC services was found in the caste group by their education (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.05–0.74). Conclusions: Disabled women—whether Dalit or non-Dalit—had lower rates of utilizing all maternal healthcare services than non-disabled women. Interestingly, Dalit women with disabilities were more likely to receive PNC than non-Dalit women with disabilities. Increasing equity in maternal healthcare service utilization requires that traditional approaches to service development and program intervention be re-examined and more nuanced interventions considered to ensure improved access and outcomes among all vulnerable groups.
Effect of the Solar Zenith Angles at Different Latitudes on Estimated Crop Vegetation Indices
Authors: Valencia-Ortiz Milton , Sangjan Worasit , Selvaraj Michael Gomez , McGee Rebecca J. , Sankaran Sindhuja
Published: August 2021

Normalization of anisotropic solar reflectance is an essential factor that needs to be considered for field-based phenotyping applications to ensure reliability, consistency, and interpretability of time-series multispectral data acquired using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Different models have been developed to characterize the bidirectional reflectance distribution function. However, the substantial variation in crop breeding trials, in terms of vegetation structure configuration, creates challenges to such modeling approaches. This study evaluated the variation in standard vegetation indices and its relationship with ground-reference data (measured crop traits such as seed/grain yield) in multiple crop breeding trials as a function of solar zenith angles (SZA). UAV-based multispectral images were acquired and utilized to extract vegetation indices at SZA across two different latitudes. The pea and chickpea breeding materials were evaluated in a high latitude (46°36′39.92″ N) zone, whereas the rice lines were assessed in a low latitude (3°29′42.43″ N) zone. In general, several of the vegetation index data were affected by SZA (e.g., normalized difference vegetation index, green normalized difference vegetation index, normalized difference red-edge index, etc.) in both latitudes. Nevertheless, the simple ratio index (SR) showed less variability across SZA in both latitude zones amongst these indices. In addition, it was interesting to note that the correlation between vegetation indices and ground-reference data remained stable across SZA in both latitude zones. In summary, SR was found to have a minimum anisotropic reflectance effect in both zones, and the other vegetation indices can be utilized to evaluate relative differences in crop performances, although the absolute data would be affected by SZA.
Latent Network Construction for Univariate Time Series Based on Variational Auto-Encode
Authors: Sun Jiancheng , Wu Zhinan , Chen Si , Niu Huimin , Tu Zongqing
Published: August 2021

Time series analysis has been an important branch of information processing, and the conversion of time series into complex networks provides a new means to understand and analyze time series. In this work, using Variational Auto-Encode (VAE), we explored the construction of latent networks for univariate time series. We first trained the VAE to obtain the space of latent probability distributions of the time series and then decomposed the multivariate Gaussian distribution into multiple univariate Gaussian distributions. By measuring the distance between univariate Gaussian distributions on a statistical manifold, the latent network construction was finally achieved. The experimental results show that the latent network can effectively retain the original information of the time series and provide a new data structure for the downstream tasks.
Isospectral Twirling and Quantum Chaos
Authors: Leone Lorenzo , Oliviero Salvatore F. E. , Hamma Alioscia
Published: August 2021

We show that the most important measures of quantum chaos, such as frame potentials, scrambling, Loschmidt echo and out-of-time-order correlators (OTOCs), can be described by the unified framework of the isospectral twirling, namely the Haar average of a k-fold unitary channel. We show that such measures can then always be cast in the form of an expectation value of the isospectral twirling. In literature, quantum chaos is investigated sometimes through the spectrum and some other times through the eigenvectors of the Hamiltonian generating the dynamics. We show that thanks to this technique, we can interpolate smoothly between integrable Hamiltonians and quantum chaotic Hamiltonians. The isospectral twirling of Hamiltonians with eigenvector stabilizer states does not possess chaotic features, unlike those Hamiltonians whose eigenvectors are taken from the Haar measure. As an example, OTOCs obtained with Clifford resources decay to higher values compared with universal resources. By doping Hamiltonians with non-Clifford resources, we show a crossover in the OTOC behavior between a class of integrable models and quantum chaos. Moreover, exploiting random matrix theory, we show that these measures of quantum chaos clearly distinguish the finite time behavior of probes to quantum chaos corresponding to chaotic spectra given by the Gaussian Unitary Ensemble (GUE) from the integrable spectra given by Poisson distribution and the Gaussian Diagonal Ensemble (GDE).
Improving the Performance of Student Teams in Project-Based Learning with Scrum
Authors: Fernandes Sandra , Dinis-Carvalho José , Ferreira-Oliveira Ana Teresa
Published: August 2021

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of Scrum for project and team management in PBL teams in higher education. To attain this goal, a study was carried out to analyze students’ perceptions about Scrum as an effective method for PBL teams. Based on two different editions of PBL that used the Scrum method with different characteristics in each approach, this paper aims to identify the best practices for effective team and project management and draw recommendations for successful use of scrum in PBL approaches. The authors used an exploratory case study carried out within an engineering program at the University of Minho, Portugal. The research design was based on an explorative quantitative and qualitative approach. Implementing Scrum in PBL teams helps students to keep the project running smoothly and draws greater awareness on how to manage the project and teams in a more effective way. Findings show that task assignment, performance monitoring, visual management and regular feedback were considered the main advantages of using Scrum in PBL teams, which had a positive impact on student performance. However, for the success of Scrum, students recognize the role of the Scrum Master and Project Owner as vital to guide the teams in a sustainable way. Research on the application of Scrum in Education is scarce and mostly exploratory. This paper is among the very few empirical studies consolidating knowledge on the implementation of Scrum approaches to improve learning in higher education. More specifically, it brings a valuable contribution on how to improve specifically team performance in PBL teams with the use of agile approaches such as Scrum.
Preliminary Validation Study of the Intrinsic Religious Motivation Scale and the Centrality of Religiosity Scale for the Portuguese Population
Authors: Araújo Pedro , Gomes Sara , Vidal Diogo Guedes , Sousa Hélder Fernando Pedrosa e , Dinis Maria Alzira Pimenta , Leite Ângela
Published: August 2021

Religion is a construct widely present in most people’s lives. Religious motivations, either intrinsic or extrinsic, as well as religious centrality, are crucial aspects of religion. In the Portuguese population, there are no validated instruments to assess these aspects of religion. Accordingly, this study intends to validate the Intrinsic Religious Motivation Scale (IRMS) and the Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS) for the Portuguese population. This is a validation study whose sample consists of 326 participants (73.1% women) from the general population. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out and the correlations between the constructs and self-compassion were determined to assess the convergent and divergent validity. The results obtained confirm the existence of models adjusted to the population, allowing us to conclude that the instruments are reliable for assessing the studied constructs. The validation of the IRMS and CRS for the Portuguese population is of outstanding importance, as it provides researchers in the field with valid instruments and psychometric qualities to carry out research within religion and religiosity.
Reduction in the Electromagnetic Interference Generated by AC Overhead Power Lines on Buried Metallic Pipelines with Screening Conductors
Authors: Popoli Arturo , Sandrolini Leonardo , Cristofolini Andrea
Published: August 2021

This paper presents a numerical study on the reduction in the voltage and current induced on a 13.5 km buried metallic pipeline by an overhead power line. The mitigation effectiveness of different configurations and cross-section shapes of screening conductors is computed by means of a methodology that combines a 2D Finite Element Analysis with circuital analysis. A 35.72% reduction of the maximum induced voltage is obtained when 4 cylindrical steel screening conductors with 8 mm radius are buried 0.25m below the soil surface, along the pipeline path. The maximum induced pipeline current is reduced by 26.98%. A parametric study is also performed, to assess the influence of the per-unit-length admittance to earth of the screening conductors on the mitigation efficacy. The results show that screening conductors may help in reducing the inductive coupling between overhead power lines and buried metallic pipelines, and that the assumption of perfectly insulated screening conductors leads to an underestimation of the produced mitigation effect.
Challenges and Opportunities in Industry 4.0 for Mechatronics, Artificial Intelligence and Cybernetics
Authors: Liagkou Vasiliki , Stylios Chrysostomos , Pappa Lamprini , Petunin Alexander
Published: August 2021

Industry 4.0 has risen as an integrated digital manufacturing environment, and it has created a novel research perspective that has thrust research to interdisciplinarity and exploitation of ICT advances. This work presents and discusses the main aspects of Industry 4.0 and how intelligence can be embedded in manufacturing to create the smart factory. It briefly describes the main components of Industry 4.0, and it focuses on the security challenges that the fully interconnected ecosystem of Industry 4.0 has to meet and the threats for each component. Preserving security has a crucial role in Industry 4.0, and it is vital for its existence, so the main research directions on how to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information shared among the Industry 4.0 components are presented. Another view is in light of the security issues that come as a result of enabling new technologies.
Compact Size of an Interdigital Band-Pass Filter with Flexible Bandwidth and Low Insertion-Loss Using a Folded Spiral and Stepped Impedance Resonant Structure
Authors: Yoon Kicheol , Kim Kwanggi
Published: August 2021

A conventional interdigital bandpass filter (BPF) is characterized by coupled and tapped lines and affords low insertion loss (IL) and easy fractional bandwidth (FBW) adjustment. However, the maximum FBW of the filter is limited to 30%, beyond that, its gap size increases, thereby rendering filter fabrication impractical on a standard printed circuit board. In addition, the filter size cannot be changed because it dictates the operational frequency of the filter. Hence, in this study, we propose a compact interdigital BPF based on a spiral and folded stepped impedance resonator (SIR), which affords low IL and excellent group delay. The spiral, folded structure facilitates drastic FBW adjustment: the center frequency and adjustable range of the FBW of the designed BPF are 800 MHz and 80 to 180%, respectively. Additionally, the proposed BPF can adjust the FBW by k-factor which can adjust from 80 to 180%. The insertion and return losses of the proposed filter are 0.043 dB and 17.1 dB, respectively, and the group delay is 0.098 ns. The total filter size is only 13.8 mm × 5.98 mm, which corresponds to a size reduction by factors of >2/8 relative to a conventional filter and 2.1 relative to the latest BPF design. The group delay difference between the BPF and other filters is 0.15 ns. In addition, the range of adjustable FBW for the filter is 1.36 times different than for other filters.
A New Density-Based Clustering Method Considering Spatial Distribution of Lidar Point Cloud for Object Detection of Autonomous Driving
Authors: Li Caihong , Gao Feng , Han Xiangyu , Zhang Bowen
Published: August 2021

Lidar is a key sensor of autonomous driving systems, but the spatial distribution of its point cloud is uneven because of its scanning mechanism, which greatly degrades the clustering performance of the traditional density-based spatial clustering of application with noise (DSC). Considering the outline feature of detected objects for intelligent vehicles, a DSC-based adaptive clustering method (DAC) is proposed with the adoption of an elliptic neighborhood, which is designed according to the distribution properties of the point cloud. The parameters of the ellipse are adaptively adjusted with the location of the sample point to deal with the uniformity of points in different ranges. Furthermore, the dependence among different parameters of DAC is analyzed, and the parameters are numerically optimized with the KITTI dataset by considering comprehensive performance. To verify the effectiveness, a comparative experiment was conducted with a vehicle equipped with three IBEO LUX8 lidars on campus, and the results show that compared with DSC using a circular neighborhood, DAC has a better clustering performance and can notably reduce the rate of over-segmentation and under-segmentation.
Dynamic Public Key Certificates with Forward Secrecy
Authors: Chien Hung-Yu
Published: August 2021

Conventionally, public key certificates bind one subject with one static public key so that the subject can facilitate the services of the public key infrastructure (PKI). In PKI, certificates need to be renewed (or revoked) for several practical reasons, including certificate expiration, private key breaches, condition changes, and possible risk reduction. The certificate renewal process is very costly, especially for those environments where online authorities are not available or the connection is not reliable. A dynamic public key certificate (DPKC) facilitates the dynamic changeover of the current public–private key pairs without renewing the certificate authority (CA). This paper extends the previous study in several aspects: (1) we formally define the DPKC; (2) we formally define the security properties; (3) we propose another implementation of the Krawczyk–Rabin chameleon-hash-based DPKC; (4) we propose two variants of DPKC, using the Ateniese–Medeiros key-exposure-free chameleon hash; (5) we detail two application scenarios.
Sustainable Water Supply Systems Management for Energy Efficiency: A Case Study
Authors: Zimoch Izabela , Bartkiewicz Ewelina , Machnik-Slomka Joanna , Klosok-Bazan Iwona , Rak Adam , Rusek Stanislav
Published: August 2021

A prerequisite for achieving high energy efficiency of water supply systems (understood as using less energy to perform the same task) is the appropriate selection of all elements and their rational use. Energy consumption in water supply systems (WSS) is closely connected with water demand. Especially in the case of oversized water supply systems for which consumers’ water demand is at least 50% less than previously planned and flow velocity in some parts of the system is below 0.01 m·s−1, this problem of excessive energy consumption can be observed. In the literature, it is difficult to find descriptions and methods of energy management for such a case. The purpose of this study was both an evaluation of the current demand of an oversized WSS and a preliminary technical analysis of the possibility for energy saving. Solutions are presented that resulted in improvements in energy management, thus increasing energy efficiency. The conducted analyses indicate the wide use of numerical, hydraulic models, among others, for the needs of the sustainable oversize water supply systems management in order to improve energy efficiency. Those simulations only give energy consumption results as a first step in the process of decision-making for the modernization process, in which investment costs should be taken into account as a second step. Thus, this paper emphasizes the crucial role of hydraulic models as a good analytical tool used in decision support systems (DSS), especially for large, oversized water supply systems.
Heat Transport Driven by the Coupling of Polaritons and Phonons in a Polar Nanowire
Authors: Guo Yangyu , Nomura Masahiro , Volz Sebastian , Ordonez-Miranda Jose
Published: August 2021

Heat transport guided by the combined dynamics of surface phonon-polaritons (SPhPs) and phonons propagating in a polar nanowire is theoretically modeled and analyzed. This is achieved by solving numerically and analytically the Boltzmann transport equation for SPhPs and the Fourier’s heat diffusion equation for phonons. An explicit expression for the SPhP thermal conductance is derived and its predictions are found to be in excellent agreement with its numerical counterparts obtained for a SiN nanowire at different lengths and temperatures. It is shown that the SPhP heat transport is characterized by two fingerprints: (i) The characteristic quantum of SPhP thermal conductance independent of the material properties. This quantization appears in SiN nanowires shorter than 1 μm supporting the ballistic propagation of SPhPs. (ii) The deviation of the temperature profile from its typical linear behavior predicted by the Fourier’s law in absence of heat sources. For a 150 μm-long SiN nanowire maintaining a quasi-ballistic SPhP propagation, this deviation can be as large as 1 K, which is measurable by the current state-of-the-art infrared thermometers.