bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of pharmacological activities and active components in Tremella aurantialba by instrumental and virtual analyses
Authors: Yan Yonghuan , Wang Mengtian , Gan Xiaoruo , Wang Xu , Fu Chenghao , Li Yuemin , Chen Ning , Lv Pin , Zhang Yan
Published: December 2022

As a kind of medicinal and edible homologous fungus, there is a lack of data on the medicinal value of Tremella aurantialba. In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was used to screen the chemical components in T. aurantialba. Then, network pharmacology was used to reveal the potential biological activities, active compounds, and therapeutic targets of T. aurantialba. Finally, the potential binding sites of the active compounds of T. aurantialba and key targets were studied by molecular docking. Results showed that 135 chemical components in T. aurantialba, especially linoleic acid, and linolenic acid have significant biological activities in neuroprotective, anticancer, immune, hypoglycemic, and cardiovascular aspects. The existence of these bioactive natural products in T. aurantialba is consistent with the traditional use of T. aurantialba. Moreover, the five diseases have comorbidity molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets. The molecular docking showed that linolenic acid, adenosine, and vitamin D2 had higher binding energy with RXRA, MAPK1, and JUN, respectively. This study is the first to systematically identify chemical components in T. aurantialba and successfully predict its bioactivity, key active compounds, and drug targets, providing a reliable novel strategy for future research on the bioactivity development and utilization of T. aurantialba.
Acquired von Willebrand syndrome is common in infants with systemic-to-pulmonary shunts: Retrospective case-series
Authors: Icheva Vanya , Budde Ulrich , Magunia Harry , Jaschonek Karl , Hinterleitner Clemens , Neunhoeffer Felix , Schlensak Christian , Hofbeck Michael , Wiegand Gesa
Published: December 2022

Background

Although acquired von Willebrand syndrome (aVWS) has been described in congenital heart disease before, anatomical features leading to aVWS with characteristic reduction or loss of high molecular weight von Willebrand multimers (HMWM) are not well known. This study assesses the prevalence and effects of aVWS in infants with systemic-to-pulmonary shunts (SPS).

Methods

This retrospective single-center study analyzes diagnostic data of infants with complex congenital heart defects requiring palliation with SPS. During the study period between 12/15–01/17 fifteen consecutive patients were eligible for analysis. Results of von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF:Ag), collagen binding activity (VWF:CB) and von Willebrand factor multimer analysis were included.

Results

In all 15 patients with SPS an aVWS could be found. Blood samples were collected between 5 and 257 days after shunt implantation (median 64 days). None of the patients demonstrated increased bleeding in everyday life. However, 6 out of 15 patients (40%) showed postoperative bleeding complications after SPS implantation. Following shunt excision multimeric pattern normalized in 8 of 10 (80%) patients studied.

Conclusions

This study shows that in patients undergoing SPS implantation aVWS might emerge. Pathogenesis can be explained by shear stress resulting from turbulent flow within the shunt. Knowledge of aVWS existence is important for the consideration of replacement therapy with von Willebrand factor containing products and antifibrinolytic treatment in bleeding situations. Implementation of methods for rapid aVWS detection is required to achieve differentiated hemostatic therapy and reduce the risk of complications caused by empiric replacement therapy.
A novel cuproptosis-related gene signature predicting overall survival in pediatric neuroblastoma patients
Authors: Yang Hu , Yang Jun , Bian Hongqiang , Wang Xin
Published: December 2022

Background

Cuproptosis is a novel cell death pathway, and the regulatory mechanism in pediatric neuroblastoma (NB) remains to be explored. We amid to investigate cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) and construct a novel prognostic model for NB.

Methods

To evaluate the role of CRGs on the clinical outcome of pediatric NB, the dataset of pediatric patients with NB of GSE49710 dataset was used to identify CRGs in association with patient overall survival (OS), and TARGET database was used to validate the predictive value of cuproptosis-related signature (CRG-score). The correlation between the CRG-score and the tumor microenvironment (TME), clinicopathological parameters, chemotherapy, and the response to immunotherapy was explored.

Results

Overall, 31 CRGs were associated with OS in the univariate Cox regression analysis. Then, a prognostic model incorporating 9 CRGs was established with the LASSO regression analysis, which could classify all NB patients into two CRG-score groups. The performance of the signature was verified in both internal and external validation cohorts. Multivariate analysis indicated that the CRG-score was an independent prognostic indicator, and stratification analysis still showed a high predictive ability for survival prediction. The CRG-score was associated with age, MYCN status, INSS stage, and COG risk. Additionally, the higher CRG-score group exhibited lower immune scores, immune cell infiltration, and decreased expression of immune checkpoints. Meanwhile, the CRG-score could predict the drug sensitivity of administering chemotherapeutic agents for NB patients.

Conclusions

Our comprehensive analysis of cuproptosis-associated genes in NB provides a new approach for the prediction of clinical outcomes and more effective treatment strategies.
Influence factors for upper respiratory tract infection in Chinese rural children: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Wu Bichen , Luo Shujuan , Xu Chang , Yang Ting , Chen Yanping
Published: December 2022

Aim

The prevalence rate of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) is high in children. Influencing factors for URTI have been reported in Chinese urban children, but those have not been explored in rural children. In China, children in the rural areas are a disadvantaged group. Therefore, this study aims to explore influencing factors for URTI in Chinese rural children.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study based on the 1991–2015 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). In total, 5,289 children were eligible for the analysis, including 3,684 rural children and 1,605 urban children. The generalized estimating equation was used to determine the influencing factors, and results were expressed as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).

Results

The results showed that rural children aged 7–12 and 13–17 years had lower odds of URTI than those aged 0–1 year, with OR value of 0.17 (95% CI, 0.11–0.27) and 0.12 (95% CI, 0.08–0.19), respectively. Compared with uneducated mothers, those with education level of primary school (OR: 0.59, 95% CI, 0.42–0.84), lower middle school (OR: 0.53, 95% CI, 0.38–0.73), and upper middle school and technical school (OR: 0.62, 95% CI, 0.40–0.95) were associated with the lower odds of URTI in rural children. Children, whose mothers were office workers, had 46% lower odds of URTI than those with farmer mothers (OR: 0.54, 95% CI, 0.34–0.84).

Conclusions

This study found that mother's education level, children's age, and mother's occupation were significant influencing factors for URTI, which suggested the importance to improve mother's health-related knowledge and working conditions in Chinese rural areas.
Survival and care practices of periviable births of <24 weeks’ gestation—a single center retrospective study in China, 2015–2021
Authors: Chen Chun , Xiong Xiaoyun , Zhao Jie , Wang Meiqi , Huang Zhifeng , Yang Chuanzhong
Published: December 2022

Background

Data from the China Neonatal Network currently shows that the survival rate of very preterm infants in China has improved in recent years. However, due to the unequal economic and medical development of each city in China, the national data do not completely represent the level of neonatal care in the metropolitan areas. Though many studies have published their short- or long-term survival, very few have described the care practices and the course of stay of these neonates in detail. Our objective was to examine the survival and clinical practices among preterm infants born at <24 weeks’ gestational age (GA) in a high-income city in China, from 2015 to 2021.

Methods

Retrospective study of preterm infants <24 weeks GA in a level 3 neonatal intensive care unit in China, over a period of 7 years (2015–2021). Care practices in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and short- and long-term survival were measured.

Results

A total of 32 periviable infants were included, with a median GA of 23.0 weeks and mean (SD) birth weight of 497 (94) g; 17 infants (53.1%) were female. While none of the infants born at 21 weeks of gestation survived until discharge, the survival rates were 25.0% (3 of 12) for infants born at 22 weeks and 58.8% (10 of 17) at 23 weeks. Antenatal corticosteroids were used in 56.3%, and 100% were vaginal birth. In the delivery room, surfactant was prescribed for 46.9% of the infants, and postnatal dexamethasone (≥2 courses) was prescribed to 61.5% of the infants. Logistic regression analysis showed that Apgar score at 5 minutes (OR = 2.007, 95% CI, 1.031 to 3.906, P < 0.05) increased the risk of death, while the increase in gestational age (OR = 0.238, 95% CI, 0.060–0.936, P < 0.05), antenatal use of steroids (OR = 0.287, 95% CI, 0.106–0.778, P < 0.01), and premature rupture of membranes (OR = 0.141, 95% CI, 0.024 −0.847, P = 0.032) could decrease the risk. No or mild neurodevelopmental impairment in surviving infants was 76.9% (10 of 13).

Conclusions

Although the survival rate of periviable infants was shown to be improved in our study, there is still much room for improvement, and active follow-up information should be conducted.
A tailored passive driver for liver MRE in pediatric patients
Authors: Lorton Orane , Toso Seema , El-Begri Talbi Hayat , Anooshiravani Mehrak , Poletti Pierre-Alexandre , Hanquinet Sylviane , Salomir Rares
Published: December 2022

Objectives

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is increasingly used in the pediatric population for diagnosis and staging of liver fibrosis. However, the MR-compatible driver and sequences are usually those used for adult patients. Our feasibility study aimed to adapt the standardized adult MRE passive driver and vibrational parameters to a pediatric population.

Methods

We designed an elliptic passive driver shaped on a torus equipped with an elastic membrane and adapted to children's morphologies. As a first step, eight children (aged 8–18 years) were enrolled in a prospective pilot study aiming to determine the threshold vibrational amplitude for MRE using a custom passive driver, based on phase aliasing assessment and the occurrence of signal void artifacts on magnitude MR images. In the second step, the practicality and the consistency of the custom driver were assessed in a further 11 pediatric patients (aged 7–18 years). In the third step, we compared our custom driver vs. the commercial driver on six adult volunteers, in terms of the reliable region of interest area within the acquired MRE slices, the shear wave maps’ quality, and measured stiffness values obtained.

Results

Based on pediatric patient data, the threshold vibrational amplitude expressed as percentage of maximum output was found to be 0.4 and 1.1 times the body weight (kg) at 40 and 60 Hz frequencies, respectively. In comparison to the commercial passive driver, the custom driver improved threefold the contact with the body surface, also enabling a more comfortable examination as self-assessed by the volunteers.

Conclusions

Our custom driver was more comfortable for the volunteers and was able to generate more homogenous shear waves, yielding larger usable hepatic area, and more reliable stiffness values.
Standardised Sonneratia apetala Buch.-Ham. fruit extract inhibits human neutrophil elastase and attenuates elastase-induced lung injury in mice
Authors: Sengupta Sayantan , Abhinav Nipun , Singh Sabita , Dutta Joytri , Mabalirajan Ulaganathan , Kaliyamurthy Karthigeyan , Mukherjee Pulok Kumar , Jaisankar Parasuraman , Bandyopadhyay Arun
Published: December 2022

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) along with asthma is a major and increasing global health problem. Smoking contributes to about 80%–90% of total COPD cases in the world. COPD leads to the narrowing of small airways and destruction of lung tissue leading to emphysema primarily caused by neutrophil elastase. Neutrophil elastase plays an important role in disease progression in COPD patients and has emerged as an important target for drug discovery. Sonneratia apetala Buch.-Ham. is a mangrove plant belonging to family Sonneratiaceae. It is widely found in the Sundarban regions of India. While the fruits of this plant have antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and astringent activities, fruit and leaf extracts have been shown to reduce the symptoms of asthma and cough. The aim of this study is to find whether hydro alcoholic fruit extracts of S. apetala inhibit neutrophil elastase and thus prevent the progression of neutrophil elastase-driven lung emphysema. The hydroalcoholic extract, ethanol: water (90:10), of the S. apetala Buch.-Ham. fresh fruits (SAM) were used for neutrophil elastase enzyme kinetic assay and IC50 of the extract was determined. The novel HPLC method has been developed and the extract was standardized with gallic acid and ellagic acid as standards. The extract was further subjected to LC-MS2 profiling to identify key phytochemicals. The standardized SAM extract contains 53 μg/mg of gallic acid and 95 μg/mg of ellagic acid, based on the HPLC calibration curve. SAM also reversed the elastase-induced morphological change of human epithelial cells and prevented the release of ICAM-1 in vitro and an MTT assay was conducted to assess the viability. Further, 10 mg/kg SAM had reduced alveolar collapse induced by neutrophil elastase in the mice model. Thus, in this study, we reported for the first time that S. apetala fruit extract has the potential to inhibit human neutrophil elastase in vitro and in vivo.
Efficacy and safety of total glucosides of paeony in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Gong Xiaohong , Li Huan , Guo Hongtao , Wu Shangwen , Lu Chaoqun , Chen Yiming , Li Songwei
Published: December 2022

Background: Total glucosides of paeony (TGP), extracted from the Chinese medicine Paeonia lactiflora Pall., have been proven to be effective in various autoimmune diseases. We aim to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of TGP combined with different conventional therapeutic agents in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: Eight databases were searched for randomized controlled studies of TGP for SLE. The search time was set from the establishment of the databases to March 2022. The risk of bias was assessed by the Cochrane Evaluation Manual (5.1.0), RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis, and the certainty of the evidence was assessed by the GRADE methodology.

Results: A total of 23 articles were included, including 792 patients overall in the treatment group and 781 patients overall in the control group. The meta-analysis results showed that TGP combined with conventional treatments was superior to the conventional treatments in reducing the SLE disease activity and the incidence of adverse reactions (SMDTGP+GC+CTX = −1.98, 95% Cl = [−2.50, −1.46], p < 0.001; SMDTGP+GC+HCQ = −0.65, 95% Cl = [−1.04, −0.26], p <0.001; SMDTGP+GC+TAC = −0.94, 95% Cl = [−1.53, -0.34], p < 0.05; SMDTGP+GC = −1.00, 95% Cl = [−1.64, −0.36], p < 0.05; and RRTGP+GC+CTX = 0.37, 95% Cl = [0.21, 0.64], p < 0.001). The results also showed that TGP helped improve other outcomes related to SLE disease activity, such as complement proteins (C3 and C4), immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM and, IgG), ESR, CRP, 24 h urine protein, and recurrence rate. In addition, TGP may also be effective in reducing the average daily dosage of glucocorticoids (GCs) and the cumulative dosage of cyclophosphamide (CTX). The certainty of the evidence was assessed as moderate to low.

Conclusion: TGP is more effective and safer when used in combination with different conventional therapeutic agents. It helped reduce the disease activity of SLE and the incidence of adverse reactions. However, we should be cautious about these conclusions as the quality of the evidence is poor. Future studies should focus on improving the methodology. High-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) will be necessary to provide strong evidence for the efficacy of TGP for SLE.

Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier CRD42021272481
Team leadership assessment after advanced life support courses comparing real teams vs. simulated teams
Authors: Nabecker Sabine , Huwendiek Sören , Roten Fredy-Michel , Theiler Lorenz , Greif Robert
Published: December 2022

Aim

Effective team leadership is essential during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and is taught during international advanced life support (ALS) courses. This study compared the judgement of team leadership during summative assessments after those courses using different validated assessment tools while comparing two different summative assessment methods.

Methods

After ALS courses, twenty videos of simulated team assessments and 20 videos of real team assessments were evaluated and compared. Simulated team assessment used an instructor miming a whole team, whereas real team assessment used course participants as a team that acted on the team leader's commands. Three examiners individually evaluated each video on four different validated team leadership assessment tools and on the original European Resuscitation Council's (ERC) scenario test assessment form which does not assess leadership. The primary outcome was the average performance summary score between all three examiners for each assessment method.

Results

The average performance summary score for each of the four assessment tools was significantly higher for real team assessments compared to simulated team assessments (all p-values < 0.01). The summary score of the ERC's scenario test assessment form was comparable between both assessment methods (p = 0.569), meaning that participants of both assessments performed equally.

Conclusion

Team leadership performance is rated significantly higher in real team summative assessments after ALS courses compared to simulated team assessments by four leadership assessment tools but not by the standard ERC's scenario test assessment form. These results suggest that summative assessments in ALS courses should integrate real team assessments, and a new assessment tool including an assessment of leadership skills needs to be developed.
One more step in the study of children’s daily stress: The spillover effect as the transfer of tension in family and school environments
Authors: Infante-Cañete Lidia , Arias-Calero Lidia , Wallace-Ruiz Agustin , Sánchez-Sánchez Ana María , Muñoz-Sánchez Ángela
Published: December 2022

Introduction

The spillover effect is the psychological overflow due to daily stress in one context and the transfer of its consequences to another close environment. The aim is to explore the spillover effect in conflicts within the family, on the one hand, and school with peers on the other hand, as an inferred measure of daily stress according to the literature.

Method

The study consisted of a sample of 208 6-year-old students and their families. A methodology based on daily report records was used, by means of two ad hoc checklists with simultaneous measurements, for 2 consecutive weeks and 3 academic years, for both family and school contexts. A repeated measures design, together with a nonparametric statistical data analysis with Friedman’s test and contrast measures, was used.

Results

Daily stress shows significant differences in the family setting throughout the week (χ 2 = 32.44; p = 0.000) and at different times of the day (χ 2 = 29.65; p = 0.000). In the school setting, differences were found across the different days of the week (χ 2 = 36.96; p = 0.000). Spillover effect has been discovered between conflicts at home in the evening and conflicts at school. At the same time, conflicts at school are related to conflicts at home from Wednesday onward.

Discussion

The results suggest further research on daily stress through the interrelation of the different contexts, as well as the impact that moments of conflict may have on the psychological and emotional development of the child.
Targeting resources efficiently and justifiably by combining causal machine learning and theory
Authors: Gur Ali Ozden
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Efficient allocation of limited resources relies on accurate estimates of potential incremental benefits for each candidate. These heterogeneous treatment effects (HTE) can be estimated with properly specified theory-driven models and observational data that contain all confounders. Using causal machine learning to estimate HTE from big data offers higher benefits with limited resources by identifying additional heterogeneity dimensions and fitting arbitrary functional forms and interactions, but decisions based on black-box models are not justifiable.

Methods

Our solution is designed to increase resource allocation efficiency, enhance the understanding of the treatment effects, and increase the acceptance of the resulting decisions with a rationale that is in line with existing theory. The case study identifies the right individuals to incentivize for increasing their physical activity to maximize the population's health benefits due to reduced diabetes and heart disease prevalence. We leverage large-scale data from multi-wave nationally representative health surveys and theory from the published global meta-analysis results. We train causal machine learning ensembles, extract the heterogeneity dimensions of the treatment effect, sign, and monotonicity of its moderators with explainable AI, and incorporate them into the theory-driven model with our generalized linear model with the qualitative constraint (GLM_QC) method.

Results

The results show that the proposed methodology improves the expected health benefits for diabetes by 11% and for heart disease by 9% compared to the traditional approach of using the model specification from the literature and estimating the model with large-scale data. Qualitative constraints not only prevent counter-intuitive effects but also improve achieved benefits by regularizing the model.
Over-the-air beamforming with reconfigurable intelligent surfaces
Authors: Yigit Zehra , Basar Ertugrul , Altunbas Ibrahim
Published: December 2022

Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-empowered communication is a revolutionary technology that enables to manipulate wireless propagation environment via smartly controllable low-cost reflecting surfaces. However, in order to outperform conventional communication systems, an RIS-aided system with solely passive reflection requires an extremely large surface. To meet this challenge, the concept of active RIS, which performs simultaneous amplification and reflection on the incident signal at the expense of additional power consumption, has been recently introduced. In this paper, deploying an active RIS, we propose a novel beamforming concept, over-the-air beamforming, for RIS-aided multi-user multiple-input single-output (MISO) transmission schemes without requiring any pre/post signal processing hardware designs at the transmitter and receiver sides. In the proposed over-the-air beamforming-based transmission scheme, the reflection coefficients of the active RIS elements are customized to maximize the sum-rate gain. To tackle this issue, first, a non-convex quadratically constrained quadratic programming (QCQP) problem is formulated. Then, using semidefinite relaxation (SDR) approach, this optimization problem is converted to a convex feasibility problem, which is efficiently solved using the CVX optimization toolbox. Moreover, taking inspiration from this beamforming technique, a novel high-rate receive index modulation (IM) scheme with a low-complexity sub-optimal detector is developed. Through comprehensive simulation results, the sum-rate and bit error rate (BER) performance of the proposed designs are investigated.
A fault-tolerant and robust controller using model predictive path integral control for free-flying space robots
Authors: Raisi Mehran , Noohian Amirhossein , Fallah Saber
Published: December 2022

The use of manipulators in space missions has become popular, as their applications can be extended to various space missions such as on-orbit servicing, assembly, and debris removal. Due to space reachability limitations, such robots must accomplish their tasks in space autonomously and under severe operating conditions such as the occurrence of faults or uncertainties. For robots and manipulators used in space missions, this paper provides a unique, robust control technique based on Model Predictive Path Integral Control (MPPI). The proposed algorithm, named Planner-Estimator MPPI (PE-MPPI), comprises a planner and an estimator. The planner controls a system, while the estimator modifies the system parameters in the case of parameter uncertainties. The performance of the proposed controller is investigated under parameter uncertainties and system component failure in the pre-capture phase of the debris removal mission. Simulation results confirm the superior performance of PE-MPPI against vanilla MPPI.
Modeling management of continuous dryland cotton with an intervening winter wheat cover crop in a semiarid climate
Authors: Mauget Steven A. , Himanshu Sushil K. , Goebel Tim S. , Ale Srinivasulu , Payton Paxton , Lewis Katie , Baumhardt R. Louis
Published: December 2022

Although winter cover crop residue can mitigate the stresses of dryland production in semi-arid regions, cover crops can also reduce soil moisture and cash crop yields. In some field studies of dryland cotton grown after terminated winter wheat in the U.S. Southern High Plains (SHP) and Texas Rolling Plains cotton yields were increased relative to continuous cotton, while others had no significant yield or soil water effect. These uncertain outcomes may be due to the trial's limited sampling of seasonal rainfall conditions. To estimate the probabilities of cover crop effects under more representative SHP climate conditions, 294 station-years of crop model simulations of terminated winter wheat followed by dryland cotton were conducted. These simulations were driven by weather data from 21 SHP weather stations during 2005–2019. Each station-year's simulations were repeated under 54 combinations of wheat planting, termination, and cotton planting dates, 2 soil series with different water capacities, and 10 initial soil moisture conditions. When simulations begin with fall soil moisture at field capacity optimal management options for both soils plant wheat early and cotton late, but have different wheat termination dates. Before cotton planting winter cover crop effects are dominated by reduced surface evaporation and increased transpiration, with greater transpiration effects producing decreased column soil moisture (CSM) at wheat termination. Some soil moisture recharge occurs between termination and cotton planting, but cover crops reduce CSM at cotton planting in both soils in ~75% of simulations. Reduced soil evaporation and soil moisture recovery continues after cotton planting, resulting in positive effects on seed cotton yield in 50% of the silty clay loam simulations and in 67% of the fine sandy loam simulations. Gradually reducing initial fall soil moisture in the silty clay loam reduces wheat biomass but increases the incidence of positive effects on seed cotton yields and CSM at cotton planting and harvest. By contrast, drier initial soil moisture in the fine sandy loam had relatively minor yield and CSM effects. In both soils terminated wheat residue led to increased CSM at cotton harvest in at least 70% of the simulations regardless of soil moisture at wheat planting.
eIDAS Regulation and Its Impact on National Legislation: The Case of the Slovak Republic
Authors: Gregušová Daniela , Halásová Zuzana , Peráček Tomáš
Published: December 2022

The eIDAS Regulation has become a key and, in a way, a ground-breaking piece of legislation of the European Union. It is crucial, in particular, with regard to its ambitious objectives and ground breaking because it was adopted at a time when the Member States of the European Union already had this issue more broadly or narrowly regulated by national laws. In our scientific study, we focus primarily on the critical analysis of the adopted eIDAS Regulation, its impact on the existing e-signature legislation and the amendments adopted, which are necessary to unify the legal framework for electronic signature of the Member States of the European Union. Our main objective was therefore to analyse the legal aspects of the electronic signature. We draw attention to those areas which, because of the regulation adopted, had to be recast and incorporated into the new Trust Services Act, as it emerged from the eIDAS Regulation for us. When processing the topic, we used legal analysis, compliant and available scientific methods as well as selected application problems from practice. In researching and developing a new legal framework for the electronic signature, we also used scientific and doctrinal interpretations associated with the application of scientific and scientific literature contained in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The results of the study indicate that, despite the multi-annual effectiveness of the eIDAS Regulation, there are still problems that need to be addressed by amending it.
Phenotypic Variation of Sorghum Accessions for Grain Yield and Quality Traits
Authors: Sejake Thulo , Shargie Nemera , Figlan Sandiswa , Mofokeng Alina , Tsilo Toi John
Published: December 2022

Millions of people depend on sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) as a staple food crop. Due to the ever-changing climate, more focus should be placed on sorghum as it can grow in environments that are marginal for maize (Zea mays L.) and other grain crops. Identification of unique accessions with desirable phenotypic variations allow plant breeders to use the accessions as parental material in a breeding program. The objectives of this study were to determine the extent of diversity in sorghum accessions based on grain yield and quality traits, as well as to identify accessions with high grain yield. One hundred sorghum accessions were evaluated at Potchefstroom (South Africa) in two consecutive growing seasons. The experiment was laid out in a 20 × 5 alpha lattice design with three replications. ANOVA showed highly significant (p = 0.01) variation among the accessions for all traits. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.209) between starch and grain yield. Seven high-yielding accessions with high protein and seven accessions with high starch were identified. These accessions could be used for improving yield, protein and starch in the grain. Tannin content ranged from zero to 24.40 mgCE/100 mg; 75 accessions were characterized as type I. Seven accessions were characterized as type II, and 18 accessions were characterized as type III. The 100 sorghum accessions were grouped into five distinct clusters that offer a wide range of phenotypic variation for the traits studied.
Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato Response to Filter Cake and Macadamia Husk Compost in Two Agroecologies of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
Authors: Fatokun Kayode , Motsa Nozipho M. , Modi Albert T.
Published: December 2022

Field experiments were carried out during the summer/autumn (first trial) and winter/spring (second trial) seasons of 2019 and 2021 in the Dlangubo, Ngwelezane, and Mtubatuba areas of KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa to study the drought amelioration effects and impact of two locally available organic wastes (filter cake—a residue derived from sugar cane filtration (FC) and macadamia husk compost (MHC)) on the productivity and physiological responses of four orange-fleshed sweet potato cultivars (Beauregard cv., Impilo, W-119 and 199062.1). The effects of FC and MHC were compared with that of inorganic fertilizer (IF) [2:3:2 (30)], FC + IF, MHC + IF, and the control. The soil amendments were applied in the first trials only. Climatic data such as humidity, temperature, and rainfall were taken via remote sensing. The results of the first trial indicated that filter cake and IF significantly performed better than MHC. The strength of filter cake may be attributable to its rich array of mineral nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, iron, and phosphorus. The limited performance of MHC may be attributable to its ability to hold water. Furthermore, a positive correction occurred between the yield of the test orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) cultivars, rainfall, and vegetation indices (normalized difference vegetation index, enhanced vegetation index, and normalized difference water index) investigated in the study. In season two, IF treatment did not have any significant effect on the growth and productivity of any of the tested sweet potato cultivars, but, FC, FC + IF, and MHC treatments largely maintained their performances. In conclusion, the use of FC is highly recommended in the production of the test OFSP cultivars. Furthermore, the study indicates that both FC and MHC may not only supply the needed plant nutrients but has the capacity to reduce the impact of drought on the growth of the test cultivars. These findings are of great value to farmers, especially the resource-poor ones.
Body Weight Development in Adult Dogs Fed a High Level Resistant Starch Diet
Authors: Seo Kangmin , Cho Hyun-Woo , Chun Ju Lan , So Kyoung Min , Kim Ki Hyun
Published: December 2022

This study investigated the effect of Dodamssal rice, which has a high content of resistant starch, on obesity and hematologic properties in dogs. In Experiment 1, 24 spayed dogs were divided into three feeding groups: normal-fat basal diet (control), high-fat diet with 12% normal amylose type rice (hNAR), and high-fat diet with 12% high amylose type rice (Dodamssal rice; hHAR). In Experiment 2, 8 spayed dogs were assigned to a normal amylose type rice (NAR) group and a high amylose type rice group (HAR) with a normal-fat basal diet. After 24 weeks, an increase in weight and blood cholesterol was observed in both high-fat diet groups for Experiment 1. Specifically, an increase in serum alanine aminotransferase was observed over time in the hNAR group compared with that of the control; however, no such patterns were present in the hHAR group. Further, a significant weight-loss effect was observed in the HAR group in Experiment 2 at 4 weeks. The effect on body weight was due to the reduced digestibility of amylose and thereby lower dietary ME content. Overall, this confirmed that Dodamssal rice had a positive effect on weight loss in dogs, and these results suggest that Dodamssal rice has potential value as a raw ingredient for preventing obesity in dogs.
Improving Reproducibility to Enhance Scientific Rigor through Consideration of Mouse Diet
Authors: Westmark Cara J. , Brower James , Held Patrice K.
Published: December 2022

Animal husbandry conditions, including rodent diet, constitute an example highlighting the importance of reporting experimental variables to enhance scientific rigor. In the present study, we examine the effects of three common rodent diets including two chows (Purina 5015 and Teklad 2019) and one purified ingredient diet (AIN-76A) on growth anthropometrics (body weight), behavior (nest building, actigraphy, passive avoidance) and blood biomarkers (ketones, glucose, amino acid profiles) in male and female C57BL/6J mice. We find increased body weight in response to the chows compared to purified ingredient diet albeit selectively in male mice. We did not find significantly altered behavior in female or male wild type C57BL/6J mice. However, amino acid profiles changed as an effect of sex and diet. These data contribute to a growing body of knowledge indicating that rodent diet impacts experimental outcomes and needs to be considered in study design and reporting.
In Vitro Study on Green Propolis as a Potential Ingredient of Oral Health Care Products
Authors: Coluccia Achille , Matti Fabienne , Zhu Xilei , Lussi Adrian , Stähli Alexandra , Sculean Anton , Eick Sigrun
Published: December 2022

Propolis is increasingly being discussed as an alternative to commonly used antiseptics. This in vitro study focused on the ethanolic extract of green Brazilian propolis (EEPg) as an additive in an oral health care product. We investigated (i) a potential inflammation-modulation activity of EEPg when a periodontal or Candida biofilm was exposed to monocytic (MONO-MAC-6) cells, (ii) the adhesion of oral pathogens to gingival keratinocytes and (iii) the antimicrobial and antibiofilm effect of different toothpaste formulations. EEPg decreased the levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and increased IL-10 in MONO-MAC cells challenged with a periodontal biofilm. In contact with TIGK cells, EEPg reduced the numbers of adherent Porphyromonas gingivalis to 0.5% but did not affect the adhesion of Candida albicans. The frequent brushing of a cariogenic biofilm with a toothpaste supplemented with EEPg reduced the surface microhardness loss of enamel specimens. Mixing an experimental erythritol toothpaste with 25 and 50 mg/mL of EEPg confirmed the antibacterial activity of EEPg against oral bacteria and particularly inhibited periodontal biofilm formation. The suggested toothpaste formulations seem to have potential in the prevention of caries, gingivitis and periodontitis and should be evaluated in further in vitro research and in clinical trials.
Property-Based Quality Measures in Ontology Modeling
Authors: Agárdi Anita , Kovács László
Published: December 2022

The development of an appropriate ontology model is usually a hard task. One of the main issues is that ontology developers usually concentrate on classes and neglect the role of properties. This paper analyzes the role of an appropriate property set in providing multi-purpose ontology models with a high level of re-usability in different areas. In this paper, novel quality metrics related to property components are introduced and a conversion method is presented to map the base ontology into models for software development. The benefits of the proposed quality metrics and the usability of the proposed conversion methods are demonstrated by examples from the field of knowledge modeling.
Transfer-Learning-Based Opinion Mining for New-Product Portfolio Configuration over the Case-Based Reasoning Cycle
Authors: Li Shui Ming , Lee Carman Ka Man
Published: December 2022

Due to the ever-changing business environment, enterprises are facing unprecedented challenges in their new-product development (NPD) processes, while the success and survival of NPD projects have become increasingly challenging in recent years. Thus, most enterprises are eager to revamp existing NPD processes so as to enhance the likelihood of new products succeeding in the market. In addition to the determination of sustainable new-product ideas and designs, new-product portfolio management (NPPM) is an active research area for allocating adequate resources to boost project development, while projects that perform poorly can be terminated. Since the existing new-product portfolio configuration is manually decided, this study explores the possibility of standardising NPPM, particularly the configuration mechanism, in a systematic manner. Subsequently, case-based reasoning can be applied to structure the entire NPPM process, in which past knowledge and successful cases can be used to configure new projects. Furthermore, customer feedback was analyzed using the transfer-learning-based text classification model in the case-retrieval process to balance the values of enterprises and customers. A new-product portfolio was therefore configured to facilitate NPPM under an agile–stage-gate model. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed system, a case study in a printer manufacturing company was conducted, where positive feedback and performances were found.
Modelling of a Resonant Charging Circuit for a Solid-State Marx Generator
Authors: Sack Martin , Ruf Johannes , Herzog Dennis , Müller Georg
Published: December 2022

For the pulsed electric field treatment of plant material on an industrial scale, Marx-type pulse modulators are used as a pulse source. The combination of a conventional Marx generator design equipped with solid-state switches with the concept of resonant charging via current-compensated chokes enables the set-up of a Marx generator having only one active semiconductor switch per stage. Thereby, the pulse shape is defined by the passive components of the RLC-pulse circuit. In the course of the design of such a resonant charging circuit, common-mode current components through the current-compensated chokes need to be considered. Moreover, especially for a generator having its ground connection at its centre, induced voltages versus ground need to be addressed. Therefore, an investigation based on circuit simulations has been made. The simulations showed that the common-mode current components decay to zero just after the resonant charging process and cause a voltage transient at the terminal of the power supply, which needs to be floating versus ground. In order to reduce the amplitude of this transient, the effects of adding a damping resistor have been studied. However, adding this resistor may involve an increase in the common-mode current components. Moreover, the common-mode current components of different chokes are influenced by the on-time of the switches. In the paper, based on the simulation results, different operation modes with and without the damping resistor are discussed. Thereby, the on-time of the switches has been varied. Selected simulation results have been verified by means of measurements.
A Comparative Study of the Effects of Earthquakes in Different Countries on Target Displacement in Mid-Rise Regular RC Structures
Authors: Işık Ercan , Hadzima-Nyarko Marijana , Bilgin Hüseyin , Ademović Naida , Büyüksaraç Aydın , Harirchian Ehsan , Bulajić Borko , Özmen Hayri Baytan , Aghakouchaki Hosseini Seyed Ehsan
Published: December 2022

Data from past earthquakes is an important tool to reveal the impact of future earthquakes on engineering structures, especially in earthquake-prone regions. These data are important indicators for revealing the seismic loading effects that structures will be exposed to in future earthquakes. Five different earthquakes from six countries with high seismic risk were selected and were within the scope of this study. The measured peak ground acceleration (PGA) for each earthquake was compared with the suggested PGA for the respective region. Structural analyzes were performed for a reinforced-concrete (RC) building model with four different variables, including the number of storeys, local soil types, building importance class and concrete class. Target displacements specified in the Eurocode-8 were obtained for both the suggested and measured PGA values for each earthquake. The main goal of this study is to reveal whether the proposed and measured PGA values are adequately represented in different countries. We tried to reveal whether the seismic risk was taken into account at a sufficient level. In addition, target displacements have been obtained separately in order to demonstrate whether the measured and suggested PGA values for these countries are adequately represented in structural analysis and evaluations. It was concluded that both seismic risk and target displacements were adequately represented for some earthquakes, while not adequately represented for others. Comments were made about the existing building stock of the countries considering the obtained results.
Monthly Precipitation over Northern Middle Atlas, Eastern Morocco: Homogenization and Trends
Authors: Addou Rachid , Hanchane Mohamed , Obda Khalid , Krakauer Nir Y. , El Khazzan Bouchta , Kessabi Ridouane , Achiban Hassan
Published: December 2022

The lack of a complete and reliable data series often represents the main difficulty in carrying out climate studies. Diverse causes, such as human and instrumental errors, false and incomplete records, and the use of obsolete equipment in some meteorological stations, give rise to inhomogeneities that do not represent climatic reality. This work in the northern part of the Moroccan Middle Atlas used 22 meteorological stations with sometimes-incomplete monthly precipitation data from 1970 to 2019. The homogenization and estimation of the missing data were carried out with the R software package Climatol version 3.1.1. The trends in the series were quantified by the Mann–Kendall nonparametric test. The results obtained show a low root mean square error (RMSE), between the original and homogenized data, of between 0.5 and 38.7 mm per month, with an average of 8.5 mm. Rainfall trends for the months of December through June are generally downward. These negative trends are significantly stronger in the southern and eastern parts of the study area, especially during the month of April (the wettest month). On the other hand, July shows positive trends, with 71% of stations having an increasing precipitation tendency, although only five (or 1/3) of these are statistically significant. From August to November, generally positive trends were also observed. For these months, the percentage of series with a positive and significant trend varied between 55 and 77%.
Settlement and Stress Characteristics of the Ground in the Project of a Double-Line Tunnel Undercrossing an Airport Runway in a Sandy Cobble Region
Authors: Zhao Xuwei , Li Jia , Liu Wei , Qiu Wenge
Published: December 2022

The engineering technology of undercrossing an airport flight area is relatively mature; however, the use of shield tunnels crossing the operating airport flight area in high liquidity sandy cobble stratum has rarely been reported. To discuss the feasibility of a double-line shield tunnel undercrossing the airport flight area in a sandy cobble region. Based on the case of the Chengdu Metro Line 10 that undercrosses the Shuang-Liu Airport, which is located in sandy cobble region, the deformation and stress laws of airport runway pavement structures were investigated via a three-dimensional numerical model. Stratum displacement, ground settlement and pavement tensile stress under different tunnel depths were analysed. Then, the pavement tensile stress was taken as the safety evaluation index and the vulnerable area of the pavement structure was proposed. The results show that after excavation of the double-line tunnel, the maximum ground surface settlement occurred above the tunnel centreline and the ground settlement curves presented a V-type settlement trough instead of a W-type. The existence of a runway greatly limited the deformation of the surrounding soil; with increasing depth, the effect degree of the runway pavement on the soil settlement decreased. The most unfavourable region of the runway pavement structure under the influence of tunnel excavation was found. With increasing burial depth, the maximum settlement of the surface centre point decreased continuously. It is recommended that the tunnel burial depth not exceed 23.5 m in this project. According to the displacement and stress control limitation of the airport pavement, it can be judged that the shield construction method meets the structural stability requirements of the pavement. The calculated results provide a reference for the shield tunnel construction in the same geological condition areas.