bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immune to temperature interference sensor of carbon dioxide gas concentration based on a single modified fiber Bragg grating
Authors: Wang Bo-Yuan , Yuan Zhen-Yu , Li Yu-Dong , Meng Fan-Li
Published: December 2023

In this study, a novel method that can detect carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and realize temperature immunity based on only one fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is proposed. The outstanding contribution lies in solving the temperature crosstalk issue of FBG and ensuring the accuracy of detection results under the condition of anti-temperature interference. To achieve immunity to temperature interference without changing the initial structure of FBG, the optical fiber cladding of FBG and adjacent optical fiber cladding at both ends of FBG are modified by a polymer coating. Moreover, a universal immune temperature demodulation algorithm is derived. The experimental results demonstrate that the temperature response sensitivity of the improved FBG is controlled within the range of 0.00407 nm/°C. Compared with the initial FBG (the temperature sensitivity of the initial FBG is 0.04 nm/°C), it decreases by nearly 10 times. Besides, the gas response sensitivity of FBG reaches 1.6 pm/ppm and has overwhelmingly ideal linearity. The detection error results manifest that the gas concentration error in 20 groups of data does not exceed 3.16 ppm. The final reproducibility research shows that the difference in detection sensitivity between the two sensors is 0.08 pm/ppm, and the relative error of linearity is 1.07%. In a word, the proposed method can accurately detect the concentration of CO2 gas and is efficiently immune to temperature interference. The sensor we proposed has the advantages of a simple production process, low cost, and satisfactory reproducibility. It also has the prospect of mass production.
Multispectral camouflage nanostructure design based on a particle swarm optimization algorithm for color camouflage, infrared camouflage, laser stealth, and heat dissipation
Authors: Li Xin , Chen Jian , Jiang Xinpeng , Zeng Junxiang , Liao Xinye , Chen Yutai , Xiao Siyang , Zhao Fen , Chen Huan , Yang Junbo , Zhang Zhaojian , Zhang Zhengfu , Yu Yang
Published: December 2023

With the development of camouflage technology, single camouflage technology can no longer adapt to existing environments, and multispectral camouflage has attracted much research focus. However, achieving camouflage compatibility across different bands remains challenging. This study proposes a multispectral camouflage metamaterial structure using a particle swarm optimization algorithm, which exhibits multifunctional compatibility in the visible and infrared bands. In the visible band, the light absorption rate of the metamaterial structure exceeds 90%. In addition, color camouflage can be achieved by modifying the top cylindrical nanostructure to display different colors. In the infrared band, the metamaterial structure can achieve three functions: dual-band infrared camouflage (3–5 µm and 8–14 µm), laser stealth (1.06, 1.55, and 10.6 µm), and heat dissipation (5–8 µm). This structure exhibits lower emissivity in both the 3–5-µm (ɛ=0.18) and 8–14-µm (ɛ=0.27) bands, effectively reducing the emissivity in the atmospheric window band. The structure has an absorption rate of 99.7%, 95.5%, and 95% for 1.06, 1.55, and 10.6 µm laser wavelengths, respectively. Owing to its high absorptivity, laser stealth is achieved. Simultaneously, considering the heat dissipation requirements of metamaterial structures, the structural emissivity is 0.7 in the non-atmospheric window (5–8 µm), and the heat can be dissipated through air convection. Therefore, the designed metamaterial structure can be used in military camouflage and industrial applications.
Robust real-time estimation of non-uniform angular velocity and sub-pixel jitter in images captured with resonant scanners
Authors: Ayubi Gastón A. , Dubra Alfredo
Published: December 2023

Images captured with resonant scanners are affected by angular velocity fluctuations that result in image distortion and by poor synchronization between scanning and light detection that creates jitter between image rows. We previously demonstrated that both problems can be mitigated in post-processing by recording the scanner orientation in synchrony with the image capture, followed by data resampling [Opt. Express 30, 112 (2022)10.1364/OE.446162]. Here we introduce more robust algorithms for estimation of both angular velocity fluctuation and jitter in the presence of random and deterministic noise. We also show linearization of the scanner oscillation model to reduce calculation times by two orders of magnitude, reaching 65,000 jitter estimations per second when using 2,800 samples per image row, and 500,000 when using only 500 samples, easily supporting real-time generation of jitter-corrected images.
Enhancing tissue imaging contrast in photoacoustic tomography using the ultrasound thermal effect
Authors: Gong Zhihao , Tao Chao , Liu Xiaojun , Deng Mingxi
Published: December 2023

Photoacoustic imaging is a powerful technique for obtaining high-resolution images of vascular distribution and physiological information about blood by utilizing the light absorption coefficient as an imaging contrast. However, visualizing weakly light-absorbing components without specific contrast agents or multi-wavelength techniques presents a challenge due to significant differences in light absorption between these components and blood. In this study, we propose a novel method that leverages the thermal effect of ultrasound to induce temperature differences and enhance the contrast of photoacoustic imaging. We conducted phantom experiments to verify the feasibility of our method. Our method effectively highlighted weakly light-absorbing components with strong acoustic absorption, even in the presence of highly light-absorbing components such as blood or melanin. Furthermore, it enabled the differentiation of components with similar light absorption but different acoustic absorption.
Spatiotemporal electric-field characterization of synthesized light transients
Authors: Mamaikin Mikhail , Ridente Enrico , Krausz Ferenc , Karpowicz Nicholas
Published: December 2023

The versatile manipulation of electron motion on the atomic scale calls
for the shaping of the electric field evolution of light within a
single cycle. The super-octave bandwidth required for this task
dramatically increases the probability of formation of spatio-temporal
distortions. As a result, the accuracy of physical observables can be
extremely compromised by spatial averaging unless the complete
spatio-temporal field information is known. Here, we apply spatially
resolved electro-optic sampling to record three-dimensional
electric-field structure of a sub-cycle synthesized light transient
carrying wavelengths from 700 to 2700 nm. We show an in-depth
picture of the field synthesis process, disclosing how temporal,
spectral, and global-phase properties of the synthesized pulse vary
across space, including the propagation direction around the focal
point where the transient is generated.
Structural basis of G protein–Coupled receptor CMKLR1 activation and signaling induced by a chemerin-derived agonist
Authors: Zhang Xuan , Weiß Tina , Cheng Mary Hongying , Chen Siqi , Ambrosius Carla Katharina , Czerniak Anne Sophie , Li Kunpeng , Feng Mingye , Bahar Ivet , Beck-Sickinger Annette G. , Zhang Cheng
Published: December 2023

Chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1), also known as chemerin receptor 23 (ChemR23) or chemerin receptor 1, is a chemoattractant G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) that responds to the adipokine chemerin and is highly expressed in innate immune cells, including macrophages and neutrophils. The signaling pathways of CMKLR1 can lead to both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects depending on the ligands and physiological contexts. To understand the molecular mechanisms of CMKLR1 signaling, we determined a high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the CMKLR1-Gi signaling complex with chemerin9, a nanopeptide agonist derived from chemerin, which induced complex phenotypic changes of macrophages in our assays. The cryo-EM structure, together with molecular dynamics simulations and mutagenesis studies, revealed the molecular basis of CMKLR1 signaling by elucidating the interactions at the ligand-binding pocket and the agonist-induced conformational changes. Our results are expected to facilitate the development of small molecule CMKLR1 agonists that mimic the action of chemerin9 to promote the resolution of inflammation.
Major depressive disorder and bistability in an HPA-CNS toggle switch
Authors: Ron Mizrachi Ben , Tendler Avichai , Karin Omer , Milo Tomer , Haran Dafna , Mayo Avi , Alon Uri
Published: December 2023

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common psychiatric disorder. It has a complex and heterogeneous etiology. Most treatments take weeks to show effects and work well only for a fraction of the patients. Thus, new concepts are needed to understand MDD and its dynamics. One of the strong correlates of MDD is increased activity and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis which produces the stress hormone cortisol. Existing mathematical models of the HPA axis describe its operation on the scale of hours, and thus are unable to explore the dynamic on the scale of weeks that characterizes many aspects of MDD. Here, we propose a mathematical model of MDD on the scale of weeks, a timescale provided by the growth of the HPA hormone glands under control of HPA hormones. We add to this the mutual inhibition of the HPA axis and the hippocampus and other regions of the central nervous system (CNS) that forms a toggle switch. The model shows bistability between euthymic and depressed states, with a slow timescale of weeks in its dynamics. It explains why prolonged but not acute stress can trigger a self-sustaining depressive episode that persists even after the stress is removed. The model explains the weeks timescale for drugs to take effect, as well as the dysregulation of the HPA axis in MDD, based on gland mass changes. This understanding of MDD dynamics may help to guide strategies for treatment.
RMDGCN: Prediction of RNA methylation and disease associations based on graph convolutional network with attention mechanism
Authors: Liu Lian , Zhou Yumeng , Lei Xiujuan
Published: December 2023

RNA modification is a post transcriptional modification that occurs in all organisms and plays a crucial role in the stages of RNA life, closely related to many life processes. As one of the newly discovered modifications, N1-methyladenosine (m1A) plays an important role in gene expression regulation, closely related to the occurrence and development of diseases. However, due to the low abundance of m1A, verifying the associations between m1As and diseases through wet experiments requires a great quantity of manpower and resources. In this study, we proposed a computational method for predicting the associations ofRNAmethylation anddisease based ongraphconvolutionalnetwork (RMDGCN) with attention mechanism. We build an adjacency matrix through the collected m1As and diseases associations, and use positive-unlabeled learning to increase the number of positive samples. By extracting the features of m1As and diseases, a heterogeneous network is constructed, and a GCN with attention mechanism is adopted to predict the associations between m1As and diseases. The experimental results indicate that under a 5-fold cross validation, RMDGCN is superior to other methods (AUC = 0.9892 and AUPR = 0.8682). In addition, case studies indicate that RMDGCN can predict the relationships between unknown m1As and diseases. In summary, RMDGCN is an effective method for predicting the associations between m1As and diseases.
Expression and high levels of insertional polymorphism of an endogenous gammaretrovirus lineage in dogs
Authors: Jarosz Abigail S. , Pendleton Amanda L. , Lashbrook Michael J. , Cech Erica , Altieri Madison , Kunch Austin , Modiano Jaime F. , Halo Julia V.
Published: December 2023

Despite the absence of a confirmed exogenously replicating retrovirus in Canis lupus familiaris (C. familiaris), past retroviral infections are evident in the genomes of living animals via the presence of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). Although gammaretrovirus-like transcripts and enzyme activities were previously reported to be present in canine leukemias and lymphomas, those findings were not further explored. Initial analysis of the C. familiaris reference genome revealed a minor subset of one ERV lineage, classified as CfERV-Fc1(a), or Fc1(a) here, with features characteristic of recent integration, including the presence of ORFs and identical or nearly identical LTRs. Our previous analysis of whole genome sequence data belonging to extant Canidae revealed a burst of past infections in Canis ancestors resulting in numerous young, polymorphic, and highly intact loci now segregating in dogs. Here, we demonstrate the expression of full-length Fc1(a) proviruses in tissues collected from healthy animals and from animals with cancer. We observed significantly higher expression in samples of dogs with various cancer diagnoses when compared to samples from healthy dogs. Genotyping of insertionally polymorphic Fc1(a) loci identified candidate expressed proviruses and delineated distributions over sample groups. Collectively, the data show that Fc1(a) proviruses retain biological activity in the domestic dog and provides a means to examine potential genetic links with disease states in this species.
Excess mortality in northern Haiti during the 2010 cholera epidemic
Authors: Medozile Macceau , Lovasi Gina S. , Kolokotronis Sergios-Orestis , Hoepner Lori A.
Published: December 2023

In the course of infectious disease outbreaks, barriers to accessing health care can contribute to preventable mortality. According to the Ministry of Health of Haiti (Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population [MSPP]), the 2010 cholera epidemic caused 7,936 deaths from October 2010 to December 2012 in Haiti alone. We seek to quantify the excess mortality attributable to patients not seeking care during the cholera outbreak in the Nord Department in 2010–2012. Using data from a community-based retrospective survey conducted by Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières [MSF]) in Northern Haiti, we used logistic regression to examine the association between healthcare utilization and fatality among household members with watery diarrhea in the Communes of Borgne, Pilate, Plaisance, and Port-Margot in the Nord Department. We found that failing to seek care resulted in a 5-fold increase in the case fatality ratio among infected individuals (26%) versus those who sought care (5%). Common concerns noted for why care was not sought included travel distance to treatment centers, not attributing watery diarrhea episodes to cholera, and being unsure where to seek health care for their watery diarrhea episodes within their Communes. In conclusion, addressing transportation and information needs could increase healthcare utilization and reduce lives lost during an outbreak.
“It’s very saddening, you keep on wondering when the symptoms will be over”: A qualitative study exploring the long-term chikungunya disease impact on daily life and well-being, 6 years after disease onset
Authors: Doran Churnalisa , Duits Ashley , Tami Adriana , Gerstenbluth Izzy , Bailey Ajay
Published: December 2023

Background

Long-term chikungunya is a mosquito-borne disease, characterized by disabling rheumatic symptoms persisting for years, after infection with the chikungunya virus. Previous studies focused on assessing the well-being of affected individuals from a quantitative perspective using generic instruments, and have reported physical and psychological impairment. However, a common critique is that generic instrument’s structured responses and pre-defined health domains selected by health professionals, may not capture the full extent of well-being impairment experienced by patients. This study aimed to explore in-depth to which extent long-term chikungunya disease impacts daily living and the physical, psychological, and social well-being from the experiences and perspective of affected individuals.

Methodology/Principal findings

Using open-ended questions, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 purposively selected individuals with long-term chikungunya disease, in Curaçao. Interview audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim. The data were thematically analyzed. Living with persistent rheumatic symptoms affected the participant’s daily living and well-being in several ways: experience of physical impact (restricted physical functioning and limitations in activities of daily life); experience of psychological impact (altered emotional state, fear of walking and running, psychosocial aspects of footwear adaptations, and uncertainty about disease progression and future health); and experience of social impact (social isolation and impaired relational maintenance, social dependency, challenges of social support, at-work productivity loss, and giving up leisure activities after work).

Conclusions/Significance

This study, the first of its kind, indicated that the adverse impact of long-term chikungunya disease is currently underreported. The persistent rheumatic symptoms had a negative effect on functional ability, which in turn impacted broad aspects of daily life and well-being, beyond what is captured by generic instruments. In the view of the findings, physical exercise programs including manual therapy, aerobics, resistance and stretching exercises, and orthopaedic footwear interventions in a multidisciplinary patient-centred approach may improve physical function and subsequently overall well-being.
The effect of light therapy on sleep disorders and psychobehavioral symptoms in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: A meta-analysis
Authors: Zang Lili , Liu Xiaotong , Li Yu , Liu Jiang , Lu Qiuying , Zhang Yue , Meng Qinghui
Published: December 2023

Background

Although Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mainly affects cognitive function, it is often accompanied by sleep disorders and psychobehavioral symptoms. These symptoms, including depression, agitation, and psychotic symptoms, are prominent hospitalization causes among patients with AD. Currently, relatively more research exists on light therapy for sleep disorders, while those on psychobehavioral symptoms are gradually increasing. However, no consensus exists on these results because of the vulnerability of light therapy to multiple factors, including light intensity and duration. Thus, further research investigating this aspect is warranted.

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of light therapy in improving sleep disorders and psychobehavioural symptoms in patients with AD.

Methods

In this meta-analysis, relevant literature was searched in Embase, the Clinical Trials Registry, Web of Science, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library up to December 2022. Furthermore, a fixed-effects model was used for data analysis.

Results

Fifteen randomized controlled trials involving 598 patients with AD were included. In the case of sleep disorders, our meta-analysis revealed that light therapy significantly improved sleep efficiency (MD = −2.42, 95% CI = −3.37 to −1.48, p < 0.00001), increased interdaily stability (MD = −0.04, 95% CI = −0.05 to −0.03, p < 0.00001), and reduced intradaily variability (MD = −0.07, 95% CI = −0.10 to −0.05, p < 0.00001). With respect to psychotic behavior, light therapy was found to alleviate depression (MD = −2.55, 95% CI = −2.98 to −2.12, p < 0.00001) as well as reduce agitation (MD = −3.97, 95% CI = −5.09 to −2.84, p < 0.00001) and caregiver burden (MD = −3.57, 95% CI = −5.28 to −1.87, p < 0.00001).

Conclusion

Light therapy leads to significant improvement in sleep and psychobehavioral symptoms and is associated with relatively fewer side effects in patients with AD, indicating its potential as a promising treatment option for AD.
Modelling Red–Crowned Parrot (Psittaciformes: Amazona viridigenalis [Cassin, 1853]) distributions in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas using elevation and vegetation indices and their derivatives
Authors: Voltura Elise Varaela , Tracy James L. , Heatley J. Jill , Kiacz Simon , Brightsmith Donald J. , Filippi Anthony M. , Franco Jesús G. , Coulson Robert
Published: December 2023

Texas Rio Grande Valley Red–crowned Parrots (Psittaciformes: Amazona viridigenalis [Cassin, 1853]) primarily occupy vegetated urban rather than natural areas. We investigated the utility of raw vegetation indices and their derivatives as well as elevation in modelling the Red–crowned parrot’s general use, nest site, and roost site habitat distributions. A feature selection algorithm was employed to create and select an ensemble of fine–scale, top–ranked MaxEnt models from optimally–sized, decorrelated subsets of four to seven of 199 potential variables. Variables were ranked post hoc by frequency of appearance and mean permutation importance in top–ranked models. Our ensemble models accurately predicted the three distributions of interest (x¯ Area Under the Curve [AUC] = 0.904–0.969). Top–ranked variables for different habitat distribution models included: (a) general use–percent cover of preferred ranges of entropy texture of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values, entropy and contrast textures of NDVI, and elevation; (b) nest site–entropy textures of NDVI and Green–Blue NDVI, and percent cover of preferred range of entropy texture of NDVI values; (c) roost site–percent cover of preferred ranges of entropy texture of NDVI values, contrast texture of NDVI, and entropy texture of Green–Red Normalized Difference Index. Texas Rio Grande Valley Red–crowned Parrot presence was associated with urban areas with high heterogeneity and randomness in the distribution of vegetation and/or its characteristics (e.g., arrangement, type, structure). Maintaining existing preferred vegetation types and incorporating them into new developments should support the persistence of Red–crowned Parrots in southern Texas.
Comprehensive metabolomics of Philippine Stichopus cf. horrens reveals diverse classes of valuable small molecules for biomedical applications
Authors: Torreno Vicenzo Paolo M. , Molino Ralph John Emerson J. , Junio Hiyas A. , Yu Eizadora T.
Published: December 2023

Stichopus cf. horrens is an economically important sea cucumber species in Southeast Asia due to their presumed nutritional and medicinal benefits. However, compared to other sea cucumbers such as Apostichopus japonicus, there are no biochemical studies on which compounds contribute to the purported bioactivities of S. cf. horrens. To address this, a high-throughput characterization of the global metabolite profile of the species was performed through LC-MS/MS experiments and utilizing open-access platforms such as GNPS, XCMS, and metaboAnalyst. Bioinformatics-based molecular networking and chemometrics revealed the abundance of phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholines (PCs), phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), phosphatidylinositols (PIs), and phosphatidylserines (PSs) in the crude samples. Body wall extracts were observed to have higher levels of structural, diacylated PCs, while the viscera have higher relative abundance of single-tail PCs and PEs that could be involved in digestion via nutrient absorption and transport for sea cucumbers. PEs and sphingolipids could also be implicated in the ecological response and morphological transformations of S. cf. horrens in the presence of predatory and other environmental stress. Interestingly, terpenoid glycosides and saponins with reported anti-cancer benefits were significantly localized in the body wall. The sulfated alkanes and sterols present in S. cf. horrens bear similarity to known kairomones and other signaling molecules. All in all, the results provide a baseline metabolomic profile of S. cf. horrens that may further be used for comparative and exploratory studies and suggest the untapped potential of S. cf. horrens as a source of bioactive molecules.
Exploring the motivations for rural tourism in China during the COVID-19: The existence of a single motivation
Authors: Zhang Songting , Wu Yichao , Bao Wen
Published: December 2023

The COVID-19 epidemic had an appropriate impact on tourists’ trip psychology and their subsequent behavior in participating in rural tourism activities. The purpose of this paper is to explore the types of motivations Chinese tourists have for participating in rural tourism in the context of COVID-19, and to comparatively analyze the similarities and differences in motivations for rural tourism during the epidemic and in normal times. An interpretive paradigm qualitative data collection method was used: semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Respondents were 21 tourists, who were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Through content analysis, we found that rural tourism motivations during the epidemic included both diversified and singular motivations. The pull effect of rural destinations is related to distance and ease of realization. For rural areas in close proximity, a single motivation is sufficient to drive tourists. In addition, we found that there was no "altruistic motivation" for rural tourism during the COVID-19 period, but "altruistic feelings" for the preservation of ancient villages were generated during rural tourism. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical significance of this study and make suggestions for future research. The study explains tourists’ companionship preferences, activity choices, and affective changes, and provides a basis for the operation and advertising strategies of rural destinations to attract tourists and promote their sustainable development.
A sustainability framework based on threats, consequences, and solutions (TCS) for managing watershed commons
Authors: Camarillo Ana Lorena Quiñónez , Randhir Timothy O.
Published: December 2023

Sustainable management of common pool resources requires local information and participation. We develop a framework for managing commons based on threats, consequences, and solutions (TCS). The status of the community’s interaction with their local commons is critical in developing viable solutions to avoiding the loss of natural resources, enhancing the benefits they provide, and sustaining the functions they perform. Threats to natural resources, the consequences of their depletion, and the solutions local communities perceive as most effective to prevent this loss are assessed as related to socioeconomic and landscape factors to develop strategies for the resilience of commons. Communities and representative stakeholders (224 respondents) participated in a survey in Honduras’s Lake Yojoa watershed. The community’s perception was also evaluated for impacts of changes in land use and climate on local commons. An ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to determine the effect of land use, geographic, and demographic factors on community perceptions. Distance to the lake, landcover percentages, slope, type of work, age, and importance of tourism were significant in influencing community interaction and perception of TCS. The involvement of communities in deriving knowledge on TCS is critical to increasing the resilience of local commons to emerging threats.
Involvement of an IgE/Mast cell/B cell amplification loop in abdominal aortic aneurysm progression
Authors: Loste Alexia , Clément Marc , Delbosc Sandrine , Guedj Kevin , Sénémaud Jean , Gaston Anh-Thu , Morvan Marion , Even Guillaume , Gautier Grégory , Eggel Alexander , Arock Michel , Procopio Emanuele , Deschildre Catherine , Louedec Liliane , Michel Jean-Baptiste , Deschamps Lydia , Castier Yves , Coscas Raphaël , Alsac Jean-Marc , Launay Pierre , Caligiuri Giuseppina , Nicoletti Antonino , Le Borgne Marie
Published: December 2023

Aims

IgE type immunoglobulins and their specific effector cells, mast cells (MCs), are associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) progression. In parallel, immunoglobulin-producing B cells, organised in tertiary lymphoid organs (TLOs) within the aortic wall, have also been linked to aneurysmal progression. We aimed at investigating the potential role and mechanism linking local MCs, TLO B cells, and IgE production in aneurysmal progression.

Methods and results

Through histological assays conducted on human surgical samples from AAA patients, we uncovered that activated MCs were enriched at sites of unhealed haematomas, due to subclinical aortic wall fissuring, in close proximity to adventitial IgE+ TLO B cells. Remarkably, in vitro the IgEs deriving from these samples enhanced MC production of IL-4, a cytokine which favors IgE class-switching and production by B cells. Finally, the role of MCs in aneurysmal progression was further analysed in vivo in ApoE-/- mice subjected to angiotensin II infusion aneurysm model, through MC-specific depletion after the establishment of dissecting aneurysms. MC-specific depletion improved intramural haematoma healing and reduced aneurysmal progression.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that MC located close to aortic wall fissures are activated by adventitial TLO B cell-produced IgEs and participate to their own activation by providing support for further IgE synthesis through IL-4 production. By preventing prompt repair of aortic subclinical fissures, such a runaway MC activation loop could precipitate aneurysmal progression, suggesting that MC-targeting treatments may represent an interesting adjunctive therapy for reducing AAA progression.
The implications of various gene variant combinations on breeding values for Awassi ewe milk production
Authors: Jawasreh Khaleel I. , Al-Amareen Ahmad H.
Published: December 2023

Background and Aim: Milk production is an important factor to consider in selecting Awassi sheep. This trait is influenced by various genes that can be managed to boost production. The breeding values (BVs) for milk production in Jordan’s Awassi sheep flocks have been established. This study determined how combined gene variants of BLG, PRL, CSN3, CSN1S1, and CSN2 affect the estimated BVs (EBVs) for milk production in Awassi sheep.

Materials and Methods: Milk and blood samples were collected from 391 Awassi sheep, which was then subjected to molecular analysis through sequencing in order to identify potential alleles and genotypes that could be linked to the EBVs of milk.

Results: The predicted BVs for milk were significantly influenced by PRL and CSN3 gene variants. Through performing the act of epistasis, the i nteractions of BLG with CSN3 and –CSN1S1 greatly impacted EBVs for milk production. Likewise, the three-way interaction among PRL, CSN3, and CSN1S1, as well as the combined effect of CSN3 with CSN1S1 and CNS1 significantly improved BVs for milk production. When the breeding selection program incorporates the polymorphisms of these genes, gains in milk production can be obtained.

Conclusion: Alleles within the examined genomic areas are crucial for evaluating BVs and maximizing genetic gain in milk production.

Keywords: Awassi sheep, breeding value, milk production.
Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in captive mammals at Khon Kaen Zoo, Thailand
Authors: Sangpeng Jirawat , Eamudomkarn Chatanun , Hongsrichan Nuttanan , Artchayasawat Atchara , Chaisongkram Chavin , Ponsrila Kanda , Kimkamkaew Siriwan , Laoprom Nonglak , Boonmars Thidarut , Sithithaworn Paiboon , Pitaksakulrat Opal
Published: December 2023

Background and Aim: Captive animals are susceptible to parasitic diseases due to the stress and confinement they experience. In addition, they can serve as reservoirs of zoonotic parasites that have the potential to infect humans. To investigate this possibility, we estimated the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites in captive mammals at Khon Kaen Zoo, Thailand.

Materials and Methods: One hundred and forty-seven individual mammals (37 primates, 43 carnivores, 62 herbivores, and 5 rodents) were examined for parasitic infections by fecal examination daily for 3 consecutive days using the formalin-ethyl acetate concentration technique (FECT) and the agar plate culture method.

Results: According to FECT, the overall prevalence of GI parasites was 62.6% (92/147). Within animal groups, the numbers were as follows: 67.6% (25/37) in primates, 23.3% (10/43) in carnivores, 85.5% (53/62) in herbivores, and 80.0% (4/5) in rodents. Using the agar plate culture method, 21.43% (27/126) were positive for Strongyloides spp. and hookworm infections. The GI parasites identified belonged to three categories: protozoa (including Entamoeba histolytica species complex, Entamoeba coli, Giardia spp., coccidia, and ciliated protozoa), trematodes (minute intestinal flukes and rumen flukes), and nematodes (strongyle/hookworm, Strongyloides spp., Ascarididae, and Trichuris spp.).

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate the prevalence of several GI parasites in zoo animals with the potential for transmission to humans, given the animals’ close proximity to both visitors and animal caretakers.

Keywords: captive mammals, gastrointestinal parasites, zoo, zoonotic parasites.
Diversity in the morphology of clones of witches’ broom in Siberian stone pine
Authors: Polyakova O. I , Zhuk E. A.
Published: December 2023

Mutational witches’ broom (WB) is a fragment of a tree crown with abnormally dense branching and slow shoot growth compared with those of a normal crown. All WBs have thicker and denser crown compared to the normal crown part of their parental tree, but the crown density differs significantly among WBs. There are both relatively loose WBs, whose crown density differ from normal crown part not very strong, and WBs with a very dense crown. The aim of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of morphological traits in Pinus sibirica WB clones with different crown densities and to determine which traits contribute most to their differences. The object of the study was clones from 11 mutational WB with different crown density. The density of WB was considered low if it exceeded the density of a normal crown by less than 2 times, medium - by 2-3 times, high - by more than 3 times. Morphological characteristics of crown and shoots were measured in 12-year-old clones. It was found that the higher the WB clone crown density the smaller and less elongated its crown shape, as well as less crown continuity. The basis of this phenotype formation was primarily the shorter length of annual shoots, the reduced level of apical dominance compared to other clone groups, and advanced branching. An additional factor that increased crown density was the significantly shorter internodes compared to the other clone groups. The needle length did not contribute to the differences in crown density of the clones.
Utilización de Recursos Virtuales para el Desarrollo de la Visión Espacial en Estudiantes de Bachillerato
Authors: Vergara Rodríguez Diego , Fernández Arias Pablo , Sánchez Jiménez María
Published: December 2023

El uso de las nuevas tecnologías puede favorecer el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. En este sentido, este trabajo analiza si pueden reducir los problemas de visión espacial que presentan algunos conceptos teóricos y que son difíciles de adquirir para algunos estudiantes en la etapa preuniversitaria. Para lograr este objetivo, se han desarrollado dos metodologías de forma paralela en Bachillerato, donde se estudian las redes cristalinas o redes de Bravais. En la primera experiencia se han utilizado maquetas tridimensionales de las redes además del software de diseño SolidWorks®. En la segunda, se ha aplicado una plataforma interactiva basada en realidad virtual no inmersiva (RVNI). Una vez desarrolladas las dos experiencias, los estudiantes han respondido a un cuestionario cuantitativo, con el que se han obtenido diferentes resultados sobre la percepción de las herramientas. Además, los resultados sugieren que facilitan la compresión de conceptos en 3D, favoreciendo la eficacia del proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje.
Desvendando a Resistência e as Estratégias dos Tutores Humanos para Engajar Estudantes no Aprendizado Online
Authors: Pereira Aluisio José , Gomes Alex Sandro , Primo Tiago Thompsen
Published: December 2023

A Inteligência Artificial (IA) avança em vários domínios, mas na educação ainda faltam soluções que combinem as vantagens da IA com a atuação de tutores humanos. Este artigo visa identificar contingências da atuação de tutores humanos ao apoiar o engajamento estudantil no aprendizado online e híbrido. Foi conduzido um estudo de etnográfica digital para analisar as dimensões das tutorias. Com técnicas de reencenação e entrevistas para coletar as dificuldades da atuação, a partir das percepções de três tutoras que participam de tutorias em um contexto específico de ensino-aprendizado mediado por uma plataforma de Rede Social Educativa (RSE). Os resultados evidenciam as dificuldades, esquematizam as competências e representam conceitualmente as necessidades. Conclui-se que a valorização do interpessoal facilita a criação de relações de confiança, que, por sua vez, contribui para a redução das dificuldades na tutoria. Isso se manifesta como uma abordagem promissora para Sistemas de Tutoria Inteligente (STI) que complementem as habilidades humanas em atuação.
Problems of Gender Tolerance Formation in the Context of the Introduction of Martial Law in Ukraine
Authors: Chuyko Oksana , Kaminska Anna , Sviderska Halyna , Kononenko Tetiana , Golubenko Natalya
Published: December 2023

The article is devoted to studying issues that slow down the formation of gender tolerance in the context of armed conflict on the territory of Ukraine. Aspects of gender equality and factors influencing its achievement in Ukrainian realities are highlighted. The article analyzes the problems of the development and formation of gender equality, historical prerequisites and factors that could have influenced the implementation of ideas of tolerance to one degree or another, changes and novelties of the current legislation, and their compliance with European standards for the protection of human rights. The paper also provides convincing arguments about the existence of the problem of gender discrimination and the situation faced by internally displaced persons, both female and male, in various spheres of society and professional sectors. It is established that during the period of martial law in Ukraine, girls and women are the most vulnerable due to the change of family roles, increased responsibility for the life and health of loved ones, loss of a breadwinner, increased cases of violence, external insecurity due to massive shelling by the occupying country. Certain features of the most vulnerable segments of the population and problems of discrimination against representatives of other nationalities in war conditions are also studied.
Deletion of the muscle enriched lncRNA Oip5os1 induces atrial dysfunction in male mice with diabetes
Authors: Zhuang Aowen , Tan Yanie , Liu Yingying , Yang Christine , Kiriazis Helen , Grigolon Kyah , Walker Shannen , Bond Simon T. , McMullen Julie R. , Calkin Anna C. , Drew Brian G.
Published: December 2023

Long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play a biological and physiological role in various tissues including the heart. We and others have previously established that the lncRNA Oip5os1 (1700020I14Rik, OIP5‐AS1, Cyrano) is enriched in striated muscles, and its deletion in mice leads to defects in both skeletal and cardiac muscle function. In the present study, we investigated the impact of global Oip5os1 deletion on cardiac function in the setting of streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetes. Specifically, we studied male WT and KO mice with or without diabetes for 24 weeks, and phenotyped animals for metabolic and cardiac endpoints. Independent of genotype, diabetes was associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction based on a fall in E'/A' ratio. Deletion of Oip5os1 in a setting of diabetes had no significant impact on ventricular function or ventricular weight, but was associated with left atrial dysfunction (reduced fractional shortening) and myopathy which was associated with anesthesia intolerance and premature death in the majority of KO mice tested during cardiac functional assessment. This atrial phenotype was not observed in WT diabetic mice. The most striking molecular difference was a reduction in the metabolic regulator ERRalpha in the atria of KO mice compared with WT mice. There was also a trend for a reduction in Serca2a. These findings highlight Oip5os1 as a gene of interest in aspects of atrial function in the setting of diabetes, highlighting an additional functional role for this lncRNA in cardiac pathological settings.
Dietary supplementation with 1‐kestose induces altered locomotor activity and increased striatal dopamine levels with a change in gut microbiota in male mice
Authors: Altaisaikhan Altanzul , Yoshihara Kazufumi , Hata Tomokazu , Miyata Noriyuki , Asano Yasunari , Suematsu Takafumi , Kadota Yoshihiro , Sudo Nobuyuki
Published: December 2023

1‐Kestose (KES), a dietary fiber and prebiotic carbohydrate, benefits various physiological functions. This study aimed to examine whether diets supplemented with KES over three consecutive generations could significantly affect some host physiological aspects, including behavioral phenotypes and gut microbial ecology. Mice that received KES‐supplemented diets for three generations demonstrated increased activity compared with those fed diets lacking KES. Furthermore, the KES group showed increased striatal dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5‐HT) levels. The observed increase in DA levels within the striatum was positively correlated with locomotor activity in the KES group but not in the control (CON) group. The α‐diversities were significantly lower in the KES group compared to the CON group. The three‐dimensional principal coordinate analysis revealed a substantial distinction between the KES and CON groups across each generation. At the genus level, most gut microbiota genera exhibited lower abundances in the KES group than in the CON group, except for Bifidobacteria and Akkermansia. Spearman's rank‐order analysis indicated significant negative correlations between the striatal DA levels and α‐diversity values. These findings suggest that prolonged supplementation with KES may stimulate increased locomotor activity along with elevated striatal DA levels, which are potentially associated with KES‐induced alterations in the gut microbiota.
Life Cycle Assessment
Authors: Kalliala Eija M. , Nousiainen Pertti
Published: December 2023

The aim of this study was to increase the knowledge of environmental impact associated with producing fabrics for hotel textile services. The project was carried out in two parts: studies on hotel textiles and on textile services in three major Scandinavian laundering companies. This paper presents the results of the hotel textile study. The environmental impact was studied by applying the main principles of the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Life-cycle assessments provide useful information on the quantities of energy and resources consumed and emissions associated with production systems. The impact assessment is still under development but some scenarios have been made to describe possible local, regional and global environmental consequences of the system under study. The inventory calculations proved that cotton fibre production consumes about 40% less energy than polyester fibre production. Cotton growing requires, however, huge amounts of water: irrigated amounts vary from 7 to 29 tons per kg of raw cotton fibres. Pesticides and fertilizers used in traditional cotton cultivation have ecotoxic effects in contrast to organic cotton cultivation, where natural alternatives to agrochemicals are used. It could also be concluded that 50/50 CO/PES sheets in hotel use have fewer environmental impacts than 100% CO sheets. This is due to the higher durability as well as lower laundering energy requirements of 50/50 CO/PES sheets.
FIBROUS SYSTEMS WITH PROGRAMMED BIOLOGICAL-ACTIVITY AND THEIR APPLICATION IN MEDICAL PRACTICE
Authors: Skundric Petar , Medovic Adela , Kostic Mirjana
Published: December 2023

An effective two-stage method for obtaining both biologically activated fibres with antibacterial and anaesthetic activity and biologically activated complex fibres -insulin as an artificial store of insulin has been developed. The first stage involves the formation of reactive functional groups by chemical modification, followed by the second stage where the fibres are modified with chemotherapeutic agent solutions. This paper presents the results of obtaining biologically activated fibres with antibacterial and anaesthetic activity as well as an artificial store of insulin in the form of complex ion-exchanged fibreinsulin. The level of immobilisation of the drug in the antibacterial fibre amounts to 140 mg of gentamicin sulphate per 1 g of fibres, in the anaesthetic fibre 180 mg of procaine hydrochloride per 1 g of fibres, and in the fibrous store of insulin 800 mg of insulin per 1 g of fibres.
SURFACE DEGRADATION OF LINEN TEXTILES INDUCED BY LASER TREATMENT: COMPARISON WITH ELECTRON BEAM AND HEAT SOURCE
Authors: Ferrero Franco , Testore Franco , Tonin Claudio , Innocenti Riccardo
Published: December 2023

Surface degradation of linen fabric induced by laser treatment with the aim of reproducing an image was investigated and compared with the degradation induced by an electron beam and a heat source. The results confirm that the brown shades obtained by the laser beam are mainly due to surface tar formation, and that the degradation pattern is similar to that observed by treatment with an electron beam. Surface thermal treatment, however, showed different fibre behaviour.
SOME ADVANCES IN NONWOVEN STRUCTURES FOR ABSORBENCY, COMFORT AND AESTHETICS
Authors: Dutkiewicz Jacek
Published: December 2023

Modern disposable articles for personal and health care should offer excellent absorbency as well as comfort in use, need to be aesthetic and ensure discretion. There are numerous challenges facing the designers of nonwoven fabrics for absorption of body fluids, which result from various engineering contradictions. Combining all necessary functions, i.e. fluid acquisition, distribution and retention, in one uniform, simple composite made of fibers and superabsorbent polymer particles may be problematic. One can easily predict from theory that improving one parameter will result in a deterioration of another function. High-performance, multifunctional unitary structures require separation of functional components and their placement in a nonwoven web in a predetermined, oriented fashion. Some examples of such structures are proposed here and the experimental test results are discussed to demonstrate the advantages of the studied materials. The aesthetics of the finished article as well as the comfort of their use depend mainly on the bulk and mechanical properties of the absorbent core, such as integrity, softness and pliability. The paper provides some examples of engineered nonwoven webs having these desired attributes.
WICKING AND WETTING IN TEXTILES
Authors: Wiener Jakub , Dejlová Petra
Published: December 2023

The proposed model is based on the simplified description of the thread structure, and it works with the textile description of thread structure. The following textile parameters are used in the model: fineness of fibres, and number of fibres at the cross-section in the bundle and the filling. The formation of the liquid in the longitudinal textile is described in detail, and particular phenomena are discussed. Important parameters are used in the model of wicking. The parameters with very small influence in usual threads are disregarded. The proposed wicking model allows a functional dependence of suction height on the parameters of the fibre bundle to be expressed in analytical form.