bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolomics Reveals the Mechanisms for the Pulmonary Toxicity of Siegesbeckia orientalis L. and the Toxicity-Reducing Effect of Processing
Authors: Jiang Ting , Liu Linsheng , Zhang Mi , Qiao Zhiping , Zhao Tingxiu , Su Junfang , Cao Gang , Su Tao
Published: August 2021

Siegesbeckia orientalis L. (SO) is a commonly used Chinese medicinal herb. It has long been used as a remedy in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for symptoms that resemble inflammatory joint disorders. However, it is slightly toxic. According to the TCM theory, processing can reduce the toxicity of the herbs. Here, we performed metabolomics to determine whether processing with rice wine reduces the toxicity of raw SO, and to explore the mechanisms underlying the raw SO–induced toxicity and the toxicity-reducing effect of processing. Our results showed that raw SO has long-term toxicity in rats. It significantly elevated the serum level of LDH and caused histopathological damages in the lung tissues. It is worth noting that the LDH level in the PSO group was lower than that in the raw SO group, and the damages in lung tissues were relatively mild in PSO-treated rats, suggesting that processing reduces the pulmonary toxicity of the raw. Moreover, a total of 32 significantly changed metabolites were identified. Based on the MetaboAnalyst pathway analysis, we found that two characteristic metabolic pathways including alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism were only changed in the raw SO group, while histidine metabolism was only changed in the PSO group, which suggests that induction of oxidative stress contributes to raw SO–induced pulmonary toxicity, and free radical scavenging might be responsible for the toxicity-reducing effect of processing. Our data shed new light on how raw SO induces pulmonary toxicity and how the toxicity can be reduced by processing. This study not only provides scientific justifications for the traditional processing theory of SO, but also helps to optimize the processing protocol and the clinical drug combination of SO.
Case Report: Can Inhaled Adenosine Attenuate COVID-19?
Authors: Spiess Bruce D. , Sitkovsky Michael , Correale Pierpaolo , Gravenstein Nikolaus , Garvan Cynthia , Morey Timothy E. , Fahy Brenda G. , Hendeles Leslie , Pliura Thomas J. , Martin Thomas D. , Wu Velyn , Astrom Corey , Nelson Danielle S.
Published: August 2021

This case report demonstrates a small repetition of the case series carried out in Italy wherein inhaled adenosine was administered to patients experiencing severe and worsening coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). The two cases are important not only because they were the first of their type in the United States, but also because both patients were DNR/DNI and were therefore expected to die. Study repetition is vitally important in medicine. New work in pharmacology hypothesizes that adenosine-regulator proteins may play a role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 infection. Furthermore, adenosine, by interacting with cell receptor sites, has pluripotent effects upon inflammatory cells, is anti-inflammatory, and is important in tissue hypoxia signaling. Inhaled adenosine is potentially safe; thousands have received it for asthmatic challenge testing. The effects of adenosine in these two cases were rapid, positive, and fit the pharmacologic hypotheses (as seen in prior work in this journal) and support its role as a therapeutic nucleoside.
Investigation on the Settlement of High Rockfill Embankment Using Centrifuge Tests
Authors: Jing Hong Jun , Gou Ming Jie , Zhang Yan Qing , Song Ki-IL
Published: August 2021

To study the deformation behavior of the high rockfill (HRF) embankment during construction and operation, based on more than a 50-m high rockfill embankment of the second-class road reconstruction project from Xunyang to Ankang of the national road 316 in Shaanxi, China, the centrifuge model test was performed to study the deformation laws of HRF embankment. The test results showed the following: (i) the HRF embankment was stable during construction and operation; (ii) during construction, the settlement occurred at the embankment top, and uplift occurred at the slope foot. Moreover, the deformation at the top was greater than that at the slope foot, and the deformations at both the top and the slope toe reached the maximum value at the end of construction; (iii) during operation, the settlement at the embankment top continued, and it changed rapidly at the start of operation. And then, the rate of the settlement slowed down and reached a steady state finally. The deformation of the slope foot was very small. This study can provide basis and reference for the design and construction of a similar project in mountain areas.
Critical Terrorist Organizations and Terrorist Organization Alliance Networks Based on Key Nodes Founding
Authors: Hu Jun , Chu Chengbin , Xu Ling , Wu Peng , Lia Hui-jia
Published: August 2021

The past years have witnessed increasingly widespread terrorism, violently destroying world peace and regional prosperity. Therefore, uncovering terrorist plots has become the most crucial step for eliminating terrorist attacks. However, with the terrorist scheme being disguised under the huge amount of data flow on the internet, identifying terrorist organizations still remains challenging. Since many terrorist organizations are prone to launch terrorist attacks together, here, we model their relationships as a Terrorist Organization Alliance (TOA) network and propose a novel method to identify the key terrorist organizations in the TOA network. The TOA network utilizes existing key nodes in order to extract useful information, and, with the help of the entropy weight method, the new solution to the TOA network is effective and precise. The experiments are performed on the dataset from the Global Terrorism Database, and the results are statistically validated through t-tests and convergence analysis. Compared with the traditional methods, our method is proven to be superior in terms of measure the harm of terrorist attack organizations and find the key terrorist organizations.
Dynamic Input Deep Learning Control of Artificial Avatars in a Multi-Agent Joint Motor Task
Authors: Lombardi Maria , Liuzza Davide , di Bernardo Mario
Published: August 2021

In many real-word scenarios, humans and robots are required to coordinate their movements in joint tasks to fulfil a common goal. While several examples regarding dyadic human robot interaction exist in the current literature, multi-agent scenarios in which one or more artificial agents need to interact with many humans are still seldom investigated. In this paper we address the problem of synthesizing an autonomous artificial agent to perform a paradigmatic oscillatory joint task in human ensembles while exhibiting some desired human kinematic features. We propose an architecture based on deep reinforcement learning which is flexible enough to make the artificial agent interact with human groups of different sizes. As a paradigmatic coordination task we consider a multi-agent version of the mirror game, an oscillatory motor task largely used in the literature to study human motor coordination.
A Differentiable Extended Kalman Filter for Object Tracking Under Sliding Regime
Authors: Piga Nicola A. , Pattacini Ugo , Natale Lorenzo
Published: August 2021

Tactile sensing represents a valuable source of information in robotics for perception of the state of objects and their properties. Modern soft tactile sensors allow perceiving orthogonal forces and, in some cases, relative motions along the surface of the object. Detecting and measuring this kind of lateral motion is fundamental to react to possibly uncontrolled slipping and sliding of the object being manipulated. Object slip detection and prediction have been extensively studied in the robotic community leading to solutions with good accuracy and suitable for closed-loop grip stabilization. However, algorithms for object perception, such as in-hand object pose estimation and tracking algorithms, often assume no relative motion between the object and the hand and rarely consider the problem of tracking the pose of the object subjected to slipping and sliding motions. In this work, we propose a differentiable Extended Kalman filter that can be trained to track the position and the velocity of an object under translational sliding regime from tactile observations alone. Experiments with several objects, carried out on the iCub humanoid robot platform, show that the proposed approach allows achieving an average position tracking error in the order of 0.6 cm, and that the provided estimate of the object state can be used to take control decisions using tactile feedback alone. A video of the experiments is available as Supplementary Material.
Endoscopic Pilonidal Sinus Treatment: A Tertiary Care Academic Center Experience
Authors: Gallo Gaetano , Carpino Antonio , De Paola Gilda , Fulginiti Serena , Novelli Eugenio , Ferrari Francesco , Sammarco Giuseppe
Published: August 2021

Background: Pilonidal disease (PD) represents one of the most common proctological diseases in young adults. Although several approaches to treating PD have been described, there is still a lack of agreement on which is the best. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy of endoscopic pilonidal sinus treatment (EPSiT) at a tertiary care academic center.

Methods: Between June 2017 and January 2021, a total of 32 patients [12 women (37.5%) and 20 men (62.5%)] with a mean age of 29.22 ± 12.98 years were treated with EPSiT. Pre- and post-operative symptoms were assessed with a score of 0–5. Success was defined as the absence of any subjective symptoms, as well as by complete post-operative wound healing.

Results: Most of the patients had a midline external opening (17/32; 53.1%), with a mean number of external openings of 2.41 (1–4) ± 1.04. The median post-operative pain score was 0, and the mean follow-up period was 22 (4–42) ± 11.49 months. The time to wound healing was reduced in patients with one opening (28.14 ± 4.06 days) compared to patients with two or more openings (33.64 ± 7.3 days) (p = 0.067). The mean operative time was longer in patients who subsequently had a recurrence (41.75 ± 6.24 vs. 34.18 ± 6.24 min; p = 0.031). The overall success rate was 87.5% (28/32), and the mean time to recurrence was 3.25 (2–5) ± 1.26 months.

Conclusions: EPSiT represents a viable option for the treatment of PD. More evidence and a longer follow-up period are needed to validate the results.
A Variation Reduction in the Tele-Abrasive System: A Study of Human Movement
Authors: Jientrakul Ranon , Yuangyai Chumpol , Chaiprapat Supapan
Published: August 2021

In a tele-abrasive task, it is principally human arm movements that cause variation in the position of the abrasive nozzle, thereby resulting in high operating costs and low productivity. It is difficult to design a system that can minimize the variation that accrues from operators behaving differently, which is difficult to predict. Although skilled operators can reduce this variation, becoming a skillful operator requires a lengthy training period. In this work, a two-stage variation streaming technique was used to extract variation sources in a tele-abrasive system. Furthermore, we propose an integrated human–computer approach to control variation in these systems—an approach that applies an innovative human arm movement pattern incorporated with a Kalman filter into a standard system. A virtual tele-abrasive system was used to validate our approach. Furthermore, compared with conventional systems, the proposed approach will help operators to perform abrasive tasks more comfortably and require a shorter training period.
Gelatin-Polyvinyl Alcohol Film for Tissue Engineering: A Concise Review
Authors: Zulkiflee Izzat , Fauzi Mh Busra
Published: August 2021

The field of biomaterials has been steadily expanding as a large number of pharmaceutical and manufacturing companies invest in research in order to commercialize biomaterial products. Various three-dimensional biomaterials have been explored including film, hydrogel, sponge, microspheres etc., depending on different applications. Thus, gelatin and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) are widely used as a natural- and synthetic-based biomaterial, respectively, for tissue engineering and clinical settings. The combination of these materials has proven its synergistic effects in wound-healing applications. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the hybrid gelatin and PVA thin film development and evaluate its potential characteristics for tissue engineering applications from existing published evidence (within year 2010–2020). The primary key factor for polymers mixing technology might improve the quality and the efficacy of the intended polymers. This review provides a concise overview of the current knowledge for hybrid gelatin and PVA with the method of fabricating and mixing technology into thin films. Additionally, the findings guided to an optimal fabrication method and scrutinised characterisation parameters of fabricated gelatin-PVA thin film. In conclusion, hybrid gelatin-PVA thin film has higher potential as a treatment for various biomedical and clinical applications.
Comparison of Tolerability and Impact on Metabolic Profiles of Antiretroviral Regimens Containing Darunavir/Ritonavir or Darunavir/Cobicistat in Romanian HIV Infected Patients
Authors: Marin Ruxandra-Cristina , Tiț Delia Mirela , Săndulescu Oana , Streinu-Cercel Adrian , Bungău Simona Gabriela
Published: August 2021

The management of the side effects caused by the antiretroviral therapy is one of the main problems facing clinicians. The patient’s tolerability and safety influence the success of the therapy. This retrospective study assesses the tolerability and impact on metabolic profiles of antiretroviral regimens containing darunavir/ritonavir (DRV/r) versus those containing darunavir/cobicistat (DRV/c), in routine clinical practice. The database of Prof. Dr Matei Bals of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (INBI MB) was studied for the period 2017–2020, allowing the inclusion in the study of 462 HIV-infected patients who received the current regimen at least three months before evaluation. The following parameters were collected and analyzed: significant medical history, associated diseases, serum levels for profile evaluation: carbohydrate, lipidic, serum level of liver and pancreatic enzymes, serum markers of cardiac function, coagulation, and renal function. DRV/c (800 mg/150 mg, once daily) administrated in combination with other antiretroviral (ARV) in HIV-1 infected subjects proved to be better tolerated and with a lower impact on metabolic profile than DRV/r (600 mg/100 mg, twice daily). Patients in DRV/r group are significantly more at risk of developing, over time, side effects and metabolic impairments than those in DRV/c group, in all body functions studied, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between the two groups. Laboratory data were correlated with patient’s demographic and clinical characteristics and statistically significant outcomes have been found, proving that a personalized regimen is needed to minimize the ART side effects and to maximize the success of therapy. The results of the study showed that DRV/c, associated with other antiretroviral drugs in the regimens of Romanian HIV infected subjects, have a more favorable metabolic profile than those containing DRV/r.
Production of Sustainable Biochemicals by Means of Esterification Reaction and Heterogeneous Acid Catalysts
Authors: Vitiello Rosa , Taddeo Francesco , Russo Vincenzo , Turco Rosa , Buonerba Antonio , Grassi Alfonso , Di Serio Martino , Tesser Riccardo
Published: August 2021

In recent years, the use of renewable raw materials for the production of chemicals has been the subject of different studies. In particular, the interest of the present study was the use of oleins, mixtures of free fatty acids (FFAs), and oleic acid to produce bio-based components for lubricants formulations and the investigation of the performance of a styrene-divinylbenzene acid resin (sPSB-SA) in the esterification reaction of fatty acids. This resin has shown good activity as a heterogeneous catalyst and high stability at elevated temperatures (180 °C). It was tested in the esterification reaction of oleic acid with 1,3-propanediol and of oleic acid with glycerol. In particular, the esterification reactions were performed in a steel stirred batch reactor and a PBR loop reactor. Tests were conducted varying the reaction conditions, such as alcohol type, temperature, reaction time, and catalysts, both homogeneous and heterogeneous ones. From the obtained results, acid resin (both in reticulated and not-reticulated form) showed high activity in esterification reaction of oleic acid with 1,3-propanediol and of oleic acid with glycerol and good resistance to the deactivation; thus, they can be considered promising candidates for future applications in continuous devices. Viscosity tests were performed, underlining the good properties of the obtained products as lubricant bases.
Perceived Barriers and Facilitators of Adventurous Play in Schools: A Qualitative Systematic Review
Authors: Nesbit Rachel J. , Bagnall Charlotte L. , Harvey Kate , Dodd Helen F.
Published: August 2021

Adventurous play, defined as exciting, thrilling play where children are able to take age-appropriate risks, has been associated with a wide range of positive outcomes. Despite this, it remains unclear what factors might aid or hinder schools in offering adventurous play opportunities. The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesise findings from qualitative studies on the perceived barriers and facilitators of adventurous play in schools. A total of nine studies were included in the final synthesis. The review used two synthesis strategies: a meta-aggregative synthesis and narrative synthesis. Findings were similar across the two syntheses, highlighting that key barriers and facilitators were: adults’ perceptions of children; adults’ attitudes and beliefs about adventurous play and concerns pertaining to health and safety, and concerns about legislation. Based on the findings of the review, recommendations for policy and practice are provided to support adventurous play in schools.
Characterizing the Dyes of Pre-Columbian Andean Textiles: Comparison of Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry and HPLC-DAD
Authors: Campos Ayala Jennifer , Mahan Samantha , Wilson Brenan , Antúnez de Mayolo Kay , Jakes Kathryn , Stein Renée , Armitage Ruth Ann
Published: August 2021

The complex and colorful textiles of ancient Peru have long been a focus of technical study, particularly to characterize the sources of the wide variety of dyes utilized by these Andean artisans. This manuscript describes the characterization of the dyes of both primary (red, blue, and yellow) and secondary (purple, orange, and green) colors sampled from textiles spanning five major civilizations: the Paracas Necropolis, the Nazca, the Wari, the Chancay, and the Lambayeque, all from Peru. All but the Paracas Necropolis samples were part of technical conservation studies of the ancient South American textiles collections of the Michael C. Carlos Museum. Analysis of the dyes was carried out utilizing direct analysis in real time time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DART-MS) and paper spray MS. To validate these ambient ionization MS methods, the samples were further investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet-visible diode array detection (DAD). These results show that ambient ionization MS methods are simple and fast for characterization of the general classes of dyes, e.g., plant reds vs. insect reds, and indigoids in blues and greens. Due to the myriad possible sources of yellow dyes and their tendency to undergo oxidative decomposition, positively identifying those components in these yarns was difficult, though some marker compounds and flavonoid decomposition products were readily identified by ambient ionization mass spectrometry.
Measuring the Association of Self-Perceived Physical and Social Neighborhood Environment with Health of Chinese Rural Residents
Authors: Liu Pengcheng , Wang Jing , Wang Xiaojie , Nie Wenjie , Zhen Fangfang
Published: August 2021

(1) Objectives: Using cross-sectional datasets, we investigated whether better self-perceived physical and social neighborhood environment was associated with perceived health status and health-related behaviors among Chinese rural residents. (2) Study Design: The study was based on the 2016 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) survey. The sample consisted of 7191 rural residents over 18 in China. (3) Methods: The article measured physical neighborhood environment from the two aspects of dwelling environment (DE) and public facilities convenience (PFC), and social neighborhood environment from public security (PS) and neighborhood relationship (NR). Associations between health status/health-related behaviors and self-perceived physical/social neighborhood environment were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics. (4) Results: The results suggested that rural residents who live in a good neighborhood environment reported having a better health status. Specifically, rural residents who reported living in good DE were less likely to have a depressive mood and poor health conditions. Those who reported good PFC were less likely to have depressive mood, poor self-rated health and chronic diseases. Rural residents who reported having good PS were less likely to have a depressive mood. Those who reported good NR were less likely to have a depressive mood, poor self-rated health, chronic diseases and obesity. Regarding neighborhood environment and health-related behaviors, the results showed that rural residents who reported good PFC were more likely to do physical exercise. Notably, the regression results of the education level variable showed that education level significantly promoted the health-related behaviors (time sleeping weekday, physical exercise and smoking) of rural residents. (5) Conclusions: This article suggested that there was strong evidence for a relationship between physical and social neighborhood environment and the general health of rural residents due to all causes. According to the conclusion of this article, in order to improve the health of rural residents, policy interventions should give priority to improving the neighborhood environment. In addition, the improvement in the degree that rural residents are exposed to education is of the same importance, which helps more rural residents to maintain good health-related behaviors.
New Insights into the Development and Morphogenesis of the Cardiac Purkinje Fiber Network: Linking Architecture and Function
Authors: Choquet Caroline , Boulgakoff Lucie , Kelly Robert G. , Miquerol Lucile
Published: August 2021

The rapid propagation of electrical activity through the ventricular conduction system (VCS) controls spatiotemporal contraction of the ventricles. Cardiac conduction defects or arrhythmias in humans are often associated with mutations in key cardiac transcription factors that have been shown to play important roles in VCS morphogenesis in mice. Understanding of the mechanisms of VCS development is thus crucial to decipher the etiology of conduction disturbances in adults. During embryogenesis, the VCS, consisting of the His bundle, bundle branches, and the distal Purkinje network, originates from two independent progenitor populations in the primary ring and the ventricular trabeculae. Differentiation into fast-conducting cardiomyocytes occurs progressively as ventricles develop to form a unique electrical pathway at late fetal stages. The objectives of this review are to highlight the structure–function relationship between VCS morphogenesis and conduction defects and to discuss recent data on the origin and development of the VCS with a focus on the distal Purkinje fiber network.
Identification of Social-Media Platform of Videos through the Use of Shared Features
Authors: Maiano Luca , Amerini Irene , Ricciardi Celsi Lorenzo , Anagnostopoulos Aris
Published: August 2021

Videos have become a powerful tool for spreading illegal content such as military propaganda, revenge porn, or bullying through social networks. To counter these illegal activities, it has become essential to try new methods to verify the origin of videos from these platforms. However, collecting datasets large enough to train neural networks for this task has become difficult because of the privacy regulations that have been enacted in recent years. To mitigate this limitation, in this work we propose two different solutions based on transfer learning and multitask learning to determine whether a video has been uploaded from or downloaded to a specific social platform through the use of shared features with images trained on the same task. By transferring features from the shallowest to the deepest levels of the network from the image task to videos, we measure the amount of information shared between these two tasks. Then, we introduce a model based on multitask learning, which learns from both tasks simultaneously. The promising experimental results show, in particular, the effectiveness of the multitask approach. According to our knowledge, this is the first work that addresses the problem of social media platform identification of videos through the use of shared features.
Estimation of Maneuverability of Trawl Fishing Vessel Using an Analytical Method
Authors: Kim Su-Hyung , Lee Chun-Ki
Published: August 2021

Most fishing vessels are less than 100 m in length between the perpendiculars, for which adherence to the International Maritime Organization maneuverability standards are not mandatory. In the design stage of fishing vessels, maneuverability is estimated using empirical formulas—mainly analytical methods—rather than costly and time-consuming model tests. However, the empirical formula is developed through the process of regression analysis on the model test results from merchant ships’ hull form and applying the same to the fishing vessels’ hull form may result in an estimation error due to the differences in the vessels’ characteristics—e.g., L/B, B/d and Cb·B/L—. In a previous study, the authors of this paper derived a modified empirical formula by adding the hull form parameters of trawl fishing vessels to the existing empirical formula based on those of merchant ships. This study analyzes the validity of the modified empirical formula in depth by applying it to a newly-built training vessel that has the hull form of a trawl fishing vessel. As a result of the study, the estimation results were improved by including the parameters of the hull form of trawl fishing vessels in the empirical formula developed for merchant ships.
Theoretical and Experimental Aspects Regarding the Forced Mounting of a Cylinder Containing the Electronics of a Mini Submarine
Authors: Ștefan Amado-George , Grigore Lucian Ștefăniță , Marzavan Silvia , Priescu Iustin , Oncioiu Ionica
Published: August 2021

The underwater robot is part of a project with “terrestrial–maritime” collaborative robots, whose mission is recognition and rescue. From a structural point of view, some small changes were made in this study to the original robot. These changes consisted of making supports to hold the two plexiglass tubes, since the tube containing the battery system is larger. A larger tube was chosen because the aim was to increase the travel autonomy of the mini remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The mini submarine will move in an unstructured environment and will be able to reach a depth of 100 m. The purpose of the article is to present a point of view regarding the effect of the behavior of the mini ROV on tensions produced by the forced assembly of the sealing cover of the cylinder containing its command-and-control system. Both the gripping elements and the sealing lids are made using 3D printing technology, and the material used is polylactic acid (PLA). For the numerical analysis, the finite element method is used in both static and dynamic conditions. The results of this work refer to the field of tensions and displacements. The main conclusions emphasize the fact that the gripping performed for sealing is influenced by the usage of oiled mechanisms.
Recent Patterns of Economic Alignment in the European (Monetary) Union
Authors: Gehringer Agnieszka , König Jörg
Published: August 2021

This paper studies the process of business cycle synchronization in the European Union and the euro area. As our baseline methodology we adopt rolling window correlation coefficients of various economic indicators, observed since 2000. Among the indicators, we distinguish between real economic indicators, like the real GDP growth and unemployment, and nominal indicators, like inflation and government budget. Given the direct implication of this kind of analysis for the common monetary policy of the European Central Bank (ECB), special attention is paid to the pattern of business cycle synchronization in the core and peripheral members of the euro area. Our analysis of quarterly data covering the first two decades of the euro area shows that there was a certain synchronization tendency in the first years of the common currency. However, the European debt crisis halted the economic integration within the European Union and—even more so—within the euro area. Since the ECB can to a large extent intervene only with “one-size-fits-all” monetary policy instruments, this renders increasingly cumbersome the conduct of stabilisation policies within the euro area.
Preparation and Performance of PAN–PAC Nanofibers by Electrospinning Process to Remove NOM from Water
Authors: Malczewska Beata
Published: August 2021

The technology based on electrospun membranes exhibits great potential in water treatment. This study presents experimental data involving the fabrication of nanofiber membranes with powdered activated carbon (PAC) and its application for the removal of natural organic matter. The fabricated membrane materials were characterized using various techniques. These include scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction analysis. The incorporation of PAC nanoparticles influences the structure and physicochemical properties as well as the transport and separation characteristics of the produced membranes. The applicability of the fabricated carbon-based membrane was tested in the filtration experiments. The fabricated membrane is characterized by a high NOM removal efficiency of 79% in the filtration process. Further modification of the membrane composition may result in a further increase in the efficiency of removing contaminants from water.
Investigation of the Effect of Spin Crossover on the Static and Dynamic Properties of MEMS Microcantilevers Coated with Nanocomposite Films of [Fe(Htrz)2(trz)](BF4)@P(VDF-TrFE)
Authors: Angulo-Cervera José Elías , Piedrahita-Bello Mario , Mathieu Fabrice , Leichle Thierry , Nicu Liviu , Salmon Lionel , Molnár Gábor , Bousseksou Azzedine
Published: August 2021

We used a spray-coating process to cover silicon microcantilevers with ca. 33 wt% [Fe(Htrz)2(trz)](BF4)@P(VDF70-TrFE30) nanocomposite thin films of 1500 nm thickness. The bilayer cantilevers were then used to investigate the thermomechanical properties of the composites through a combined static and dynamic flexural analysis. The out-of-plane flexural resonance frequencies were used to assess the Young’s modulus of the spray-coated films (3.2 GPa). Then, the quasi-static flexural bending data allowed us to extract the actuation strain (1.3%) and an actuation stress (7.7 MPa) associated with the spin transition in the composite.
Drought and Plant Community Composition Affect the Metabolic and Genotypic Diversity of Pseudomonas Strains in Grassland Soils
Authors: Breitkreuz Claudia , Reitz Thomas , Schulz Elke , Tarkka Mika
Published: August 2021

Climate and plant community composition (PCC) modulate the structure and function of microbial communities. In order to characterize how the functional traits of bacteria are affected, important plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria of grassland soil communities, pseudomonads, were isolated from a grassland experiment and phylogenetically and functionally characterized. The Miniplot experiment was implemented to examine the mechanisms underlying grassland ecosystem changes due to climate change, and it investigates the sole or combined impact of drought and PCC (plant species with their main distribution either in SW or NE Europe, and a mixture of these species). We observed that the proportion and phylogenetic composition of nutrient-releasing populations of the Pseudomonas community are affected by prolonged drought periods, and to a minor extent by changes in plant community composition, and that these changes underlie seasonality effects. Our data also partly showed concordance between the metabolic activities and 16S phylogeny. The drought-induced shifts in functional Pseudomonas community traits, phosphate and potassium solubilization and siderophore production did not follow a unique pattern. Whereas decreased soil moisture induced a highly active phosphate-solubilizing community, the siderophore-producing community showed the opposite response. In spite of this, no effect on potassium solubilization was detected. These results suggest that the Pseudomonas community quickly responds to drought in terms of structure and function, the direction of the functional response is trait-specific, and the extent of the response is affected by plant community composition.
Basidiomycetous Yeast, Glaciozyma antarctica, Forming Frost-Columnar Colonies on Frozen Medium
Authors: Fujiu Seiichi , Ito Masanobu , Kobayashi Eriko , Hanada Yuichi , Yoshida Midori , Kudoh Sakae , Hoshino Tamotsu
Published: August 2021

The basidiomycetous yeast, Glaciozyma antarctica, was isolated from various terrestrial materials collected from the Sôya coast, East Antarctica, and formed frost-columnar colonies on agar plates frozen at −1 °C. Thawed colonies were highly viscous, indicating that the yeast produced a large number of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS). G. antarctica was then cultured on frozen media containing red food coloring to observe the dynamics of solutes in unfrozen water; pigments accumulated in frozen yeast colonies, indicating that solutes were concentrated in unfrozen water of yeast colonies. Moreover, the yeast produced a small quantity of ice-binding proteins (IBPs) which inhibited ice crystal growth. Solutes in unfrozen water were considered to accumulate in the pore of frozen colonies. The extracellular IBPs may have held an unfrozen state of medium water after accumulation in the frost-columnar colony.
Special Issue “Microorganisms in Recycling and Valorization of Organic Waste for Sustainable Soil Health and Management”
Authors: Siles José A. , García-Sánchez Mercedes , Gómez-Brandón María
Published: August 2021

Anthropogenic activity generates huge amounts of solid organic wastes [...]
Citrate-Mediated Acyl-CoA Synthesis Is Required for the Promotion of Growth and Triacylglycerol Production in Oleaginous Yeast Lipomyces starkeyi
Authors: Sato Rikako , Ara Satoshi , Yamazaki Harutake , Ishiya Koji , Aburatani Sachiyo , Takaku Hiroaki
Published: August 2021

The oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi is an excellent producer of triacylglycerol (TAG) as a feedstock for biodiesel production. To understand the regulation of TAG synthesis, we attempted to isolate mutants with decreased lipid productivity and analyze the expression of TAG synthesis-related genes in this study. A mutant with greatly decreased lipid productivity, sr22, was obtained by an effective screening method using Percoll density gradient centrifugation. The expression of citrate-mediated acyl-CoA synthesis-related genes (ACL1, ACL2, ACC1, FAS1, and FAS2) was decreased in the sr22 mutant compared with that of the wild-type strain. Together with a notion that L. starkeyi mutants with increased lipid productivities had increased gene expression, there was a correlation between the expression of these genes and TAG synthesis. To clarify the importance of citrate-mediated acyl-CoA synthesis pathway on TAG synthesis, we also constructed a strain with no ATP-citrate lyase responsible for the first reaction of citrate-mediated acyl-CoA synthesis and investigated the importance of ATP-citrate lyase on TAG synthesis. The ATP-citrate lyase was required for the promotion of cell growth and TAG synthesis in a glucose medium. This study may provide opportunities for the development of an efficient TAG synthesis for biodiesel production.
Perineal Groove: Is It More Common Than We Think? Clinical Characteristics of Four Cases and Review of Literature
Authors: Naji Hussein , Ali Hassan Rola
Published: August 2021

Background: Perineal groove is a very rare congenital malformation that usually occurs in females. It has been described as a wet, un-epithelialized mucus tissue extending from the posterior vaginal fourchette to the anterior anal opening. It is generally asymptomatic and self-limited. Due to its rarity, it is often unfamiliar to clinicians, often leading to a missed diagnosis or unnecessary interventions. Methods: During the period from September 2017 to September 2020, four patients (two newborns and 2 infants) were diagnosed with perineal grooves. They were referred to the pediatric surgery clinic because of abnormal findings during their genital examinations. During the same period of time, the clinic received 12 other new patients with various forms of anorectal malformations. Results: All four patients were girls. During examinations by their respective pediatricians, an abnormality in the perineum was noted in each of the patients. The depth of the grooves varied between the four patients and extended from the anus to the vaginal fourchette. None of the patients experienced any other symptoms related to the malformation. All the cases were referred to the pediatric surgeon by their pediatricians as a diagnosed anal fissure or abnormal finding in the genitalia. In all four patients, the mothers did not take folic acid during the pregnancy. The four patients were observed, and no surgery was needed; in three of the cases, there was a complete spontaneous resolution while the fourth patient still remains under observation. Conclusions: Perineal groove is a rare malformation with a low incidence rate. It is more common in female infants and usually self resolves before the age of 2 years. The condition is diagnosed on clinical examination; however, it is easily misdiagnosed and may lead to unnecessary interventions and surgery.
Time and Spatial Jitter Influence on the Performance of FSO Links with DF Relays and OC Diversity Over Turbulence Channels
Authors: Gripeos Panagiotis J. , Nistazakis Hector E. , Tsigopoulos Andreas D. , Christofilakis Vasilis , Roditi Evgenia
Published: August 2021

FSO communication is a viral technology among optical wireless communications, gathering the interest of both researchers and manufacturers. This is because of the many advantages associated with FSO communication, including high data rates, reliability, safety, and economy. However, there are several unavoidable drawbacks that shadow the performance of FSO systems. For example, atmospheric turbulence is a well-known problem related to the weather conditions of the channel, which causes the scintillation effect. Also, spatial jitter due to pointing errors is a critical factor of the link’s performance, caused by occasional misalignments between the transmitter and the receiver. Moreover, time jitter is another limiting agent that deteriorates the total throughput, inducing bit stream misdetections, caused by the arrival of out-of-sync pulses. All three effects have been exhaustively studied and many statistical models and interesting solutions have been proposed in the literature to estimate their magnitude and compensate for their impact. In this work, the turbulence effect was treated by Málaga distribution, the spatial jitter effect was regulated by the non-zero boresight model, and the time jitter effect was modeled by the generalized Gaussian distribution. Various modulation schemes were studied, along with DF multi-hop and optimal combining diversity techniques at the receiver’s end. New, accurate mathematical expressions of average BER performance have been obtained, and valuable conclusions were drawn thanks to the presented numerical results.
Determination of Lidocaine in Postmortem Whole Blood Samples after Unsuccessful Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Authors: Orfanidis Amvrosios , Raikos Nikolaos , Brousa Evdokia , Zangelidou Eleni , Mastrogianni Orthodoxia
Published: August 2021

Forensic toxicologists often detect lidocaine in the biological fluids of the deceased, due to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) attempts prior to death. Here, we describe the development of a rapid, sensitive and robust method for the detection of lidocaine in postmortem whole blood using liquid−liquid extraction (LLE) followed by GC/MS analysis. The method showed a dynamic linear range of 100 to 6000 ng/mL with a linearity expressed by the regression coefficient (R2) and a value of 0.9947. The quantitation limit (LOQ) was found to be 0.03 ng/mL and the detection limit (LOD) 0.01 ng/mL. Recovery accuracy and repeatability were satisfactory. Finally, the method was applied to 23 real whole blood samples from cases where CPR was attempted. Blood concentrations ranged from 0.21–0.96 μg/mL.
Engineering Students’ Concepts of Humanitarian Engineering and Their Identity Development as Humanitarian Engineers
Authors: Park John Jongho , Park Mihee , Smith Jeremy
Published: August 2021

Humanitarian Engineering extends engineering practice to provide a focus on addressing social inequities and contributing to sustainable development for all. This study investigated undergraduate engineering students’ concepts of Humanitarian Engineering and motives to be Humanitarian Engineers as they acquire knowledge and skills and build a professional identity as engineers who can work in complex socio-technical sustainability contexts. Qualitative data were collected from an open-ended survey of 46 engineering students followed by semi-structured interviews with ten students at a U.S. university. Survey data provided individual characteristics that conceptualized and guided interviews to explore key relationships among participants’ concepts of Humanitarian Engineering and motivations. A central idea of a “Humanitarian Engineer” identity emerged, influenced by various motivations. Students envisioning themselves as Humanitarian Engineers were associated with socio-cultural background, motivation to practice engineering skills, and desire to travel. A value-related motivation, the desire to help others, appeared as a strong catalyst for developing students’ professional identities and empowering a possible future self as Humanitarian Engineers. To support sustainability education in engineering demands, initial motivation factors associated with student Humanitarian Engineer identity development are researched to support potential future practice and career development.
Spatial Analysis of Intra-Urban Land Use Dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
Authors: Weldegebriel Amanuel , Assefa Engdawork , Janusz Katarzyna , Tekalign Meron , Van Rompaey Anton
Published: August 2021

Currently, circa 30% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa resides in cities, and this figure is expected to double in 2040. The recent literature describes the urban expansion processes of African cities in much detail. However, the urbanization wave in Africa also leads to important intra-urban land use dynamics, which have important consequences on the quality of life within existing cities, which has received less attention. This study aims to contribute to these information gaps by (1) analyzing the extent of the urban land use conversion in contrasting urban locations using satellite images for physical criteria-based classifications and (2) assessing the potential consequences of these intra-urban conversions on the quality of life. Intra-urban land use changes were documented based on satellite imagery for the period 2002–2020. Based on some representative attributes, Addis Ababa city was selected for the case study. Urban land use dynamics and population density changes were examined based on the selected case study neighborhoods and randomly identified land parcels in the city, respectively. Urban development strategies and programs that emerged over recent decades had caused intra-urban land use dynamics, which brought significant population density changes. Moreover, these changes have caused an unbalanced distribution of socio-economic amenities across the city.
VENUS, a Novel Selection Approach to Improve the Accuracy of Neoantigens’ Prediction
Authors: Leoni Guido , D’Alise Anna Morena , Tucci Fabio Giovanni , Micarelli Elisa , Garzia Irene , De Lucia Maria , Langone Francesca , Nocchi Linda , Cotugno Gabriella , Bartolomeo Rosa , Romano Giuseppina , Allocca Simona , Troise Fulvia , Nicosia Alfredo , Lahm Armin , Scarselli Elisa
Published: August 2021

Neoantigens are tumor-specific antigens able to induce T-cell responses, generated by mutations in protein-coding regions of expressed genes. Previous studies demonstrated that only a limited subset of mutations generates neoantigens in microsatellite stable tumors. We developed a method, called VENUS (Vaccine-Encoded Neoantigens Unrestricted Selection), to prioritize mutated peptides with high potential to be neoantigens. Our method assigns to each mutation a weighted score that combines the mutation allelic frequency, the abundance of the transcript coding for the mutation, and the likelihood to bind the patient’s class-I major histocompatibility complex alleles. By ranking mutated peptides encoded by mutations detected in nine cancer patients, VENUS was able to select in the top 60 ranked peptides, the 95% of neoantigens experimentally validated including both CD8 and CD4 T cell specificities. VENUS was evaluated in a murine model in the context of vaccination with an adeno vector encoding the top ranked mutations prioritized in the MC38 cell line. Efficacy studies demonstrated anti tumoral activity of the vaccine when used in combination with checkpoint inhibitors. The results obtained highlight the importance of a combined scoring system taking into account multiple features of each tumor mutation to improve the accuracy of neoantigen prediction.
Dual Closed-Loops Capacity Evolution Prediction for Energy Storage Batteries Integrated with Coupled Electrochemical Model
Authors: Xu Bowen , Sun Tao , Wang Shuoqi , Wei Yifan , Han Xuebing , Zheng Yuejiu
Published: August 2021

The health assessment for energy storage batteries matters in the context of carbon neutrality. Dual closed-loops capacity framework integrated with a reduced-order electrochemical model including triple side reactions is put forward, realizing parameter correction for health evaluation. Simplified microgrid aging experiment is formulated to test the closed-loop matching between the aging mechanism and electrochemical model relying on incremental capacity analysis. In addition, taking into account the future degradation prediction for energy storage system, the reliable capacity output afterwards acts as references for closed-loop parameter updating in empirical model to predict degradation evolution. The framework proposed implements the closed-loop dynamic updating for aging parameters with ideal error within 2%, making up for the lack of aging mechanism interpretation of accustomed empirical or data-driven black box model in the field of energy storage batteries.
Introduction of an improved system for evaluating the work of commercial bank personnel
Authors: Bychin V.B.
Published: August 2021

Personnel evaluation is a crucial factor contributing to the staff motivation, on the one hand, and on the other — allowing setting remuneration correctly and determining both the quantitative and qualitative composition of the company's personnel. The article is devoted to the study of the problem of integrated assessment of the organization's personnel.