bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New machine learning-based automatic high-throughput video tracking system for assessing water toxicity using Daphnia Magna locomotory responses
Authors: Kim Jaehoon , Yuk Hyeonseop , Choi Byeongwook , Yang MiSuk , Choi SongBum , Lee Kyoung-Jin , Lee Sungjong , Heo Tae-Young
Published: March 2023

Daphnia magna is an important organism in ecotoxicity studies because it is sensitive to toxic substances and easy to culture in laboratory conditions. Its locomotory responses as a biomarker are highlighted in many studies. Over the last several years, multiple high-throughput video tracking systems have been developed to measure the locomotory responses of Daphnia magna. These high-throughput systems, used for high-speed analysis of multiple organisms, are essential for efficiently testing ecotoxicity. However, existing systems are lacking in speed and accuracy. Specifically, speed is affected in the biomarker detection stage. This study aimed to develop a faster and better high-throughput video tracking system using machine learning methods. The video tracking system consisted of a constant temperature module, natural pseudo-light, multi-flow cell, and an imaging camera for recording videos. To measure Daphnia magna movements, we developed a tracking algorithm for automatic background subtraction using k-means clustering, Daphnia classification using machine learning methods (random forest and support vector machine), and tracking each Daphnia magna location using the simple online real-time tracking algorithm. The proposed tracking system with random forest performed the best in terms of identification (ID) precision, ID recall, ID F1 measure, and ID switches, with scores of 79.64%, 80.63%, 78.73%, and 16, respectively. Moreover, it was faster than existing tracking systems such as Lolitrack and Ctrax. We conducted an experiment to observe the impact of toxicants on behavioral responses. Toxicity was measured manually in the laboratory and automatically using the high-throughput video tracking system. The median effective concentration of Potassium dichromate measured in the laboratory and using the device was 1.519 and 1.414, respectively. Both measurements conformed to the guideline provided by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States; therefore, our method can be used for water quality monitoring. Finally, we observed Daphnia magna behavioral responses in different concentrations after 0, 12, 18, and 24 h and found that there was a difference in movement according to the concentration at all hours.
Papaver somniferum in seventeenth century (Italy): archaeotoxicological study on brain and bone samples in patients from a hospital in Milan
Authors: Giordano Gaia , Mattia Mirko , Biehler-Gomez Lucie , Boracchi Michele , Tritella Stefania , Maderna Emanuela , Porro Alessandro , Corsi Romanelli Massimiliano Marco , Franchini Antonia Francesca , Galimberti Paolo Maria , Slavazzi Fabrizio , Sardanelli Francesco , Di Candia Domenico , Cattaneo Cristina
Published: March 2023

In this paper, we present the results of toxicological analyses of preserved brain tissue and bone samples from the remains of the seventeenth century patients of the Ospedale Maggiore, the main hospital in Milan and one of the most innovative hospitals in Europe from the Renaissance period. Beneath it, the crypt functioned as the burial place for the deceased of the hospital. In this multidisciplinary study of the remains, toxicological analyses in particular were performed with HPLC–MS/MS on different biological samples from nine individuals. Anthropological, paleopathological, histological, radiological examinations and radiocarbon dating were also carried out. As a result, archeotoxicological analyses revealed the presence of codeine, morphine, noscapine and papaverine, derived from Papaver somniferum, a plant present in the hospital pharmacopeia used as a narcotic, analgesic, astringent, coagulant, and antitussive agent. Such analyses have shed light on the pharmacological therapies administered to the patients near the time of death and have implemented our knowledge of medical treatment and drug administration in the 1600’s.
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia pneumonia in critical COVID-19 patients
Authors: Raad Marc , Abou Haidar Marc , Ibrahim Racha , Rahal Rouba , Abou Jaoude Jocelyne , Harmouche Carine , Habr Bassem , Ayoub Eliane , Saliba Gebrayel , Sleilaty Ghassan , Mounzer Karam , Saliba Rindala , Riachy Moussa
Published: March 2023

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, an environmental aerobic non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli, has gained attention in many nosocomial outbreaks. COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit have extended hospital stay and are severely immunosuppressed. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of S.maltophilia pneumonia in critical COVID-19 patients. A total of 123 COVID-19 patients in ICU admitted between March 2020 and March 2021 were identified from the authors’ institutional database and assessed for nosocomial pneumonia. Demographic data and factors predisposing to S. maltophilia pneumonia were collected and analyzed. The mean age was 66 ± 13 years and 74% were males. Median APACHE and SOFA scores were 13 (IQR = 8–19) and 4 (3–6), respectively. The Median NEWS2 score was 6 (Q1 = 5; Q3 = 8). The Median ICU stay was 12 (Q1 = 7; Q3 = 22) days. S. maltophilia was found in 16.3% of pneumonia patients, leading to a lengthier hospital stay (34 vs. 20 days; p < 0.001). Risk factors for S. maltophilia pneumonia included previous treatment with meropenem (p < 0.01), thrombopenia (p = 0.034), endotracheal intubation (p < 0.001), foley catheter (p = 0.009) and central venous catheter insertion (p = 0.016). S.maltophilia nosocomial pneumonia is frequent in critical COVID-19 patients. Many significant risk factors should be addressed to reduce its prevalence and negative impact on outcomes.
Endoscopic image-guided laser treatment system based on fiber bundle laser steering
Authors: Miyoshi Yuto , Nishimura Takahiro , Shimojo Yu , Okayama Keita , Awazu Kunio
Published: March 2023

A miniaturized endoscopic laser system with laser steering has great potential to expand the application of minimally invasive laser treatment for micro-lesions inside narrow organs. The conventional systems require separate optical paths for endoscopic imaging and laser steering, which limits their application inside narrower organs. Herein, we present a novel endoscopic image-guided laser treatment system with a thin tip that can access inside narrow organs. The system uses a single fiber bundle to simultaneously acquire endoscopic images and modulate the laser-irradiated area. The insertion and operation of the system in a narrow space were demonstrated using an artificial vascular model. Repeated laser steering along set targets demonstrated accurate laser irradiation within a root-mean-square error of 28 $$\mu$$
μ
m, and static repeatability such that the laser irradiation position was controlled within a 12 $$\mu$$
μ
m radius of dispersion about the mean trajectory. Unexpected irradiation on the distal irradiated plane due to fiber bundle crosstalk was reduced by selecting the appropriate laser input diameter. The laser steering trajectory spatially controlled the photothermal effects, vaporization, and coagulation of chicken liver tissue. This novel system achieves minimally invasive endoscopic laser treatment with high lesion-selectivity in narrow organs, such as the peripheral lung and coronary arteries.
Bellows stiffness characteristics of cord-reinforced air spring with winding formation under preload conditions
Authors: Cheng Yu-Qiang , Gao Hua , Shuai Chang-Geng
Published: March 2023

The bellows structure in an air spring can be constantly reinforced to cope with the complicated work environment, but it exerts a stronger and stronger effect on the stiffness characteristics of the air spring. However, there is not any effective way for the parameterized solution of the bellows stiffness of the air spring. With the precise transfer matrix method, the bellows stiffness characteristics of a cord-reinforced air spring with winding formation under preload conditions were analyzed in this paper. The thin-shell theory was used to solve the bellows pre-stress of the air spring under preload conditions. The pre-stress was introduced into the equilibrium equation for the bellows. Based on the geometrical and physical equations for the bellows with the complex cord winding characteristics, the precise integration method was borrowed to construct a transfer matrix for the bellows of the air spring under preload conditions. The state vector of the bellows in the air spring was solved through boundary conditions. The iteration method was adopted to develop the expression for the bellows stiffness characteristics, and combined with the theoretical model of pneumatic stiffness to solve the stiffness characteristics of the air spring. The comparison with the prototype test results verified the validity and correctness of the theoretical model. On this basis, we explored the influence of preload conditions, geometrical structure, and material characteristics on the stiffness characteristics of the air spring. The research findings will provide significant guidance for the structural design and material selection of cord-reinforced air springs with winding formation.
PAMAM-G4 protect the N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propylpentanamide (HO-AAVPA) and maintain its antiproliferative effects on MCF-7
Authors: Ortiz-Morales Alma Alicia , García-Vázquez Juan Benjamín , Fragoso-Vázquez Manuel Jonathan , Rosales-Hernández Martha Cecilia , Fragoso-Morales Leticia Guadalupe , Estrada-Pérez Alan Rubén , Correa-Basurto José
Published: March 2023

Our work group designed and synthesized a promissory compound N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propylpentanamide (HO-AAVPA). The HO-AAVPA is a HDAC1 inhibitor and antiproliferative in cancer cell lines. However, HO-AAVPA is poor water solubility and enzymatically metabolized. In this work, the fourth-generation poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (PAMAM-G4) was used as a drug deliver carrier of HO-AAVPA. Moreover, HO-AAVPA and HO-AAVPA-PAMAM complex were submitted to forced degradation studies (heat, acid, base, oxidation and sunlight). Also, the HO-AAVPA-PAMAM-G4 complex was assayed as antiproliferative in a breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). The HO-AAVPA-PAMAM-G4 complex was obtained by docking and experimentally using three pH conditions: acid (pH = 3.0), neutral (pH = 7.0) and basic (pH = 9.0) showing that PAMAM-G4 captureand protect the HO-AAVPA from forced degradation, it is due to sunlight yielded a by-product from HO-AAVPA. In addition, the PAMAM-G4 favored the HO-AAVPA water solubility under basic and neutral pH conditions with significant difference (F(2,18) = 259.9, p < 0.001) between the slopes of the three conditions being the basic condition which solubilizes the greatest amount of HO-AAVPA. Finally, the HO-AAVPA-PAMAM-G4 complex showed better antiproliferative effects on MCF-7 (IC50 = 75.3 μM) than HO-AAVPA (IC50 = 192 μM). These results evidence that PAMAM-G4 complex improve the biological effects of HO-AAVPA.
Orange peels magnetic activate carbon (MG-OPAC) composite formation for toxic chromium absorption from wastewater
Authors: Khalil Asmaa , Salem Mohamed , Ragab Safaa , Sillanpää Mika , El Nemr Ahmed
Published: March 2023

This work prepared a composite of orange peels magnetic activated carbon (MG-OPAC). The prepared composite was categorized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM) analyses. The MG-OPAC composite showed the surface area (155.09 m2/g), the total volume of pores (0.1768 cm3/g), and the mean diameter of pores (4.5604 nm). The saturation magnetization (Ms = 17.283 emu/g), remanence (Mr = 0.28999 emu/g) and coercivity (Hc = 13.714 G) were reported for the prepared MG-OPAC. Likewise, at room temperature, the MG-OPAC was in a super-paramagnetic state, which could be collected within 5 S (< 5 S) with an outside magnetic field. Influence of time of contact, absorbent dose, starting concentration of Cr6+ ions, and pH were tested to adjust the absorption process. The absorption behavior of MG-OPAC for hexavalent chromium was investigated by Langmuir (LIM), Freundlich (FIM) and Temkin (TIM) isotherm models (IMs). Applicability of LIM specifies that Cr6+ ions absorption procedure may be monolayer absorption. The maximum monolayer capacity (Qm) premeditated by LIM was 277.8 mg/g. Similarly, the absorption process was tested with different kinetic models like intraparticle diffusion (IPDM), pseudo-first-order (PFOM), Elovich (EM), pseudo-second-order (PSOM), and Film diffusion (FDM). The PSOM was best fitted to the experimental results of Cr6+ ions absorption with R2 ranging between 0.992 and 1.
Rescuing cellular function in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy by healthy exogenous mitochondrial internalization
Authors: Méthot Sébastien , Proulx Stéphanie , Brunette Isabelle , Rochette Patrick J.
Published: March 2023

Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is characterized by an accelerated loss of corneal endothelial cells. Since the function of these cells is to maintain the cornea in a state of deturgescence necessary for its transparency, the depletion of corneal endothelial cells ultimately causes corneal edema and irreversible loss of vision. Evidence is accumulating regarding the central involvement of mitochondria in FECD. As we have previously shown, when endothelial cells die and are not replaced, the mitochondria of surviving cells must provide more energy to compensate, leading to a phenomenon we have called mitochondrial burnout. This burnout causes cell death, thus exacerbating an irreversible vicious circle responsible for FECD progression. Corneal transplantation, for which the transplant supply is insufficient, is the only curative alternative for FECD. It thus becomes imperative to find other avenues of treatment. In this article, we tested whether incorporating healthy mitochondria into FECD cells would improve pathological molecular markers of the disease. Using corneal endothelium explants from FECD patients, we demonstrated that incorporation of exogenous mitochondria into FECD cells by co-incubation reduces oxidative stress, increases mitochondrial membrane potential, and reduces mitophagy. In addition, internalization of exogenous mitochondria significantly reduces apoptosis (57% in FECD vs 12% in FECD with internalized mitochondria). Taken together, these results suggest that the internalization of exogenous mitochondria reverses the vicious circle involved in FECD, thus revealing a much-needed novel treatment alternative for FECD.
A novel designed membrane-active peptide for the control of foodborne Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium
Authors: Sengkhui Siriwan , Klubthawee Natthaporn , Aunpad Ratchaneewan
Published: March 2023

The main cause of non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) infection in humans is ingestion of contaminated animal-derived foods such as eggs, poultry and dairy products. These infections highlight the need to develop new preservatives to increase food safety. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have the potential to be further developed as food preservative agents and join nisin, the only AMP currently approved, for use as a preservative in food. Acidocin J1132β, a bacteriocin produced by probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus, displays no toxicity to humans, however it exhibits only low and narrow-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Accordingly, four peptide derivatives (A5, A6, A9, and A11) were modified from acidocin J1132β by truncation and amino acid substitution. Among them, A11 showed the most antimicrobial activity, especially against S. Typhimurium, as well as a favorable safety profile. It tended to form an α-helix structure upon encountering negatively charged-mimicking environments. A11 caused transient membrane permeabilization and killed bacterial cells through membrane depolarization and/or intracellular interactions with bacterial DNA. A11 maintained most of its inhibitory effects when heated, even when exposed to temperatures up to 100 °C. Notably, it inhibited drug-resistant S. Typhimurium and its monophasic variant strains. Furthermore, the combination of A11 and nisin was synergistic against drug-resistant strains in vitro. Taken together, this study indicated that a novel antimicrobial peptide derivative (A11), modified from acidocin J1132β, has the potential to be a bio-preservative to control S. Typhimurium contamination in the food industry.
Diurnal changes in choroidal optical coherence tomography angiography indices over 24 hours in healthy young adults
Authors: Lal Barsha , Alonso-Caneiro David , Read Scott A. , Carkeet Andrew
Published: March 2023

This prospective study investigated the magnitude and pattern of variation in choroidal optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) indices every 4 h over 24 h in healthy young myopic (n = 24) and non-myopic (n = 20) adults. Choriocapillaris and deep choroid en-face images from macular OCT-A scans were analysed from each session to extract magnification-corrected vascular indices including choriocapillaris flow deficit number, size and density and deep choroid perfusion density in the sub-foveal, sub-parafoveal, and sub-perifoveal regions. Choroidal thickness was also obtained from structural OCT scans. Significant variations over 24 h (P < 0.05) were observed in most of the choroidal OCT-A indices excluding sub-perifoveal flow deficit number, with peaks observed between 2 to 6 AM. For myopes, peaks occurred significantly earlier (3–5 h), and the diurnal amplitude was significantly greater for sub-foveal flow deficit density (P = 0.02) and deep choroidal perfusion density (P = 0.03) compared with non-myopes. Choroidal thickness also showed significant diurnal changes (P < 0.05) with peaks between 2 to 4 AM. Significant correlations were found between diurnal amplitudes or acrophases of choroidal OCT-A indices and choroidal thickness, intraocular pressure, and systemic blood pressure. This provides the first comprehensive diurnal assessment of choroidal OCT-A indices over 24 h.
Strong effects of food quality on host life history do not scale to impact parasitoid efficacy or life history
Authors: Holmes Leslie A. , Nelson William A. , Lougheed Stephen C.
Published: March 2023

Parasitoids are small insects, (e.g., small wasps or flies) that reproduce by laying eggs on or within host arthropods. Parasitoids make up a large proportion of the world’s biodiversity and are popular agents of biological control. Idiobiont parasitoids paralyze their hosts upon attack and thus are expected to only target hosts large enough to support offspring development. Host resources generally impact host attributes and life histories including size, development, and life span. Some argue slow host development in response to resource quality increases parasitoid efficacy (i.e., a parasitoid’s ability to successfully reproduce on or within a host) due to longer host exposure to parasitoids. However, this hypothesis is not always supported and does not consider variation in other host traits in response to resources that may be important for parasitoids (e.g., variation in host size is known to impact parasitoid efficacy). In this study we test whether trait variation within host developmental stages in response to host resources is more important for parasitoid efficacy and life histories than trait variation across host developmental stages. We exposed seed beetle hosts raised on a food quality gradient to mated female parasitoids and measured the number of hosts parasitized and parasitoid life history traits at the scale of host stage- and age-structure. Our results suggest host food quality does not cascade to impact idiobiont parasitoid life histories despite large food quality effects on host life history. Instead, variation in host life histories across host developmental stages better predicts parasitoid efficacy and life histories, suggesting finding a host in a specific instar is more important for idiobiont parasitoids than finding hosts on or within higher quality resources.
Adherence to antiretroviral therapy in people living with HIV with moderate or severe mental disorder
Authors: Arashiro Priscilla , Maciel Camila Guadeluppe , Freitas Fernanda Paes Reis , Koch Gabriel Serrano Ramires , da Cunha João Cesar Pereira , Stolf Anderson Ravy , Paniago Anamaria Mello Miranda , de Medeiros Márcio José , Santos-Pinto Cláudia Du Bocage , de Oliveira Everton Falcão
Published: March 2023

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remains a serious public health concern, with an estimated 38 million people living with HIV (PLHIV). PLHIV are often affected by mental disorders at higher rate than the general population. One challenge in the control and prevention of new HIV infections is adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), with PLHIV with mental disorders having seemingly lower adherence than PLHIV without mental disorders. This cross-sectional study assessed adherence to ART in PLHIV with mental disorders who attended the Psychosocial Care Network health facilities in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, from January 2014 to December 2018. Data from health and medical databases were used to describe clinical–epidemiological profiles and adherence to ART. To assess the associated factors (potential risk or predisposing factors) with ART adherence, we used logistic regression model. Adherence was extremely low (16.4%). Factors associated with poor adherence were lack of clinical follow-up, particularly in middle-aged PLHIV. Other apparently associated factors were living on the streets and having suicidal ideation. Our findings reinforce the need for improvements in the care for PLHIV with mental disorders, especially in the integration between specialized mental health and infectious disease health facilities.
Photodegradation of a bacterial pigment and resulting hydrogen peroxide release enable coral settlement
Authors: Petersen Lars-Erik , Kellermann Matthias Y. , Fiegel Laura J. , Nietzer Samuel , Bickmeyer Ulf , Abele Doris , Schupp Peter J.
Published: March 2023

The global degradation of coral reefs is steadily increasing with ongoing climate change. Yet coral larvae settlement, a key mechanism of coral population rejuvenation and recovery, is largely understudied. Here, we show how the lipophilic, settlement-inducing bacterial pigment cycloprodigiosin (CYPRO) is actively harvested and subsequently enriched along the ectoderm of larvae of the scleractinian coralLeptastrea purpura. A light-dependent reaction transforms the CYPRO molecules through photolytic decomposition and provides a constant supply of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), leading to attachment on the substrate and metamorphosis into a coral recruit. Micromolar concentrations of H2O2in seawater also resulted in rapid metamorphosis, but without prior larval attachment. We propose that the morphogen CYPRO is responsible for initiating attachment while simultaneously acting as a molecular generator for the comprehensive metamorphosis of pelagic larvae. Ultimately, our approach opens a novel mechanistic dimension to the study of chemical signaling in coral settlement and provides unprecedented insights into the role of infochemicals in cross-kingdom interactions.
MicroRNAs and cytokines as potential predictive biomarkers for COVID-19 disease progression
Authors: Mohamed Hatem A. , Abdelkafy Aya Eid , Khairy Rasha M. M. , Abdelraheim Salama R. , Kamel Bothina Ahmed , Marey Heba
Published: March 2023

Host microRNAs can influence the cytokine storm associated SARS-CoV-2 infection and proposed as biomarkers for COVID-19 disease. In the present study, serum MiRNA-106a and miRNA-20a were quantified by real time-PCR in 50 COVID-19 patients hospitalized at Minia university hospital and 30 healthy volunteers. Profiles of serum inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-10) and TLR4 were analyzed by Eliza in patients and controls. A highly significant decrease (P value = 0.0001) in the expressions of miRNA-106a and miRNA-20a was reported in COVID-19 patients compared to controls. A significant decrease in the levels of miRNA-20a was also reported in patients with lymphopenia, patients having chest CT severity score (CSS) > 19 and in patients having O2 saturation less than 90%. Significantly higher levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-10 and TLR4 were reported in patients compared to controls. IL-10 and TLR4 levels were significantly higher in patients having lymphopenia. TLR-4 level was higher in patients with CSS > 19 and in patients with hypoxia. Using univariate logistic regression analysis, miRNA-106a, miRNA-20a, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-10 and TLR4 were identified as good predictors of disease. Receiver operating curve showed that the downregulation of miRNA-20a in patients having lymphopenia, patients with CSS > 19 and patients with hypoxia could be a potential biomarker with AUC = 0.68 ± 0.08, AUC = 0.73 ± 0.07 and AUC = 0.68 ± 0.07 respectively. Also, ROC curve showed accurate association between the increase of serum IL-10 and TLR-4 and lymphopenia among COVID-19 patients with AUC = 0.66 ± 0.08 and AUC = 0.73 ± 0.07 respectively. ROC curve showed also that serum TLR-4 could be a potential marker for high CSS with AUC = 0.78 ± 0.06. A negative correlation was detected between miRNA-20a with TLR-4 (r = − 0.30, P value = 0.03). We concluded that, miR-20a, is a potential biomarker of COVID-19 severity and blockade of IL-10 and TLR4 may constitute a novel therapy for COVID-19 patients.
Assessment of ITER radiation environment during the remote-handling operation of In-Vessel components with D1SUNED
Authors: Martínez-Albertos P. , Sauvan P. , Loughlin M. J. , Le Tonqueze Y. , Juárez R.
Published: March 2023

During ITER operational life, a remote-handled cask will be used to transfer In-Vessel components to the Hot Cell for maintenance, storage and decommissioning purposes. Due to the distribution of penetrations for system allocation in the facility, the radiation field of each transfer operation presents a high spatial variability; all operations must be studied independently for workers and electronics protection. In this paper, we present a fully representative approach to describe the radiation environment during the complete remote-handling scenario of In-Vessel components in the ITER facility. The impact of all relevant radiation sources during different stages of the operation is addressed. As-built structures and 2020 baseline designs are considered to produce the most detailed neutronics model of the Tokamak Complex, the 400,000-tonne civil structure hosting the tokamak, up to date. Novel capabilities of the D1SUNED code have allowed to compute the integral dose, the dose rate and the photon-induced neutron flux of both moving and static radiation sources. Time bins are included in the simulations to compute the dose rate caused by In-Vessel components at all positions along the transfer. The time evolution of the dose rate is built in video format with a 1-m resolution, especially valuable for hot-spots identification.
A deep learning architecture for energy service demand estimation in transport sector for Shared Socioeconomic Pathways
Authors: Joshi Siddharth , Ó Gallachóir Brian , Glynn James
Published: March 2023

Meeting current global passenger and freight transport energy service demands accounts for 20% of annual anthropogenic CO2emissions, and mitigating these emissions remains a considerable challenge for climate policy. Pursuant to this, energy service demands play a critical role in the energy systems and integrated assessment models but fail to get the attention they warrant. This study introduces a novel custom deep learning neural network architecture (called TrebuNet) that mimics the physical process of firing a trebuchet to model the nuanced dynamics inherent in energy service demand estimation. Here we show, how TrebuNet is designed, trained, and used to estimate transport energy service demand. We find that the TrebuNet architecture shows superior performance compared with traditional multivariate linear regression and state of the art methods like densely connected neural network, Recurrent Neural Network, and Gradient Boosted machine learning algorithms when evaluated for regional demand projection for all modes of transport demands at short, decadal, and medium-term time horizons. Finally, TrebuNet introduces a framework to project energy service demand for regions having multiple countries spanning different socio-economic development pathways which can be replicated for wider regression-based task for timeseries having non-uniform variance.
Comparative study of three plant-derived extracts as new management strategies against Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Hussein Hanaa S. , Salem Mohamed Z. M. , Soliman Ahmed M. , Eldesouky Sahar E.
Published: March 2023

Finding innovative eco-friendly agents for pest control may be aided by investigating the plant-derived extracts’ properties on economic pests. Therefore, the insecticidal, behavioral, biological and biochemical effects of Magnolia grandiflora (Magnoliaceae) leaf water and methanol extracts, Schinus terebinthifolius (Anacardiaceae) wood methanol extract, and Salix babylonica (Salicaceae) leaf methanol extract in comparison with a reference insecticide novaluron against S. littoralis were evaluated. The extracts were analyzed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The most abundant phenolic compounds were 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (7.16 mg/mL) and ferulic acid (6.34 mg/mL) in M. grandiflora leaf water extract; catechol (13.05 mg/mL), ferulic acid (11.87 mg/mL), and chlorogenic acid (10.33 mg/mL) in M. grandiflora leaf methanol extract; ferulic acid (14.81 mg/mL), caffeic acid (5.61 mg/mL), and gallic acid (5.07 mg/mL) In the S. terebinthifolius extract; cinnamic acid (11.36 mg/mL), and protocatechuic acid (10.33 mg/mL) In the methanol extract from S. babylonica extract. S. terebinthifolius extract had a highly toxic effect against second larvae after 96 h and eggs with LC50 values of 0.89 and 0.94 mg/L, respectively. Despite M. grandiflora extracts didn’t show any toxicity against S. littoralis stages, they had an attractant effect on fourth- and second larvae, with feeding deterrence values of − 2.7% and − 6.7%, respectively, at 10 mg/L. S. terebinthifolius extract significantly reduced the percentage of pupation, adult emergence, hatchability, and fecundity, with values of 60.2%, 56.7%, 35.3%, and 105.4 eggs/female, respectively. Novaluron and S. terebinthifolius extract drastically inhibited the activities of α-amylase and total proteases to 1.16 and 0.52, and 1.47 and 0.65 ΔOD/mg protein/min, respectively. In the semi-field experiment, the residual toxicity of tested extracts on S. littoralis gradually decreased over time compared to novaluron. These findings indicate that extract from S. terebinthifolius is a promising insecticidal agent against S. littoralis.
Predicting anterior cruciate ligament failure load with T2* relaxometry and machine learning as a prospective imaging biomarker for revision surgery
Authors: Flannery Sean W. , Beveridge Jillian E. , Proffen Benedikt L. , Walsh Edward G. ,   BEAR Trial Team, Ecklund Kirsten , Micheli Lyle J. , Owens Brett D. , Fadale Paul D. , Hulstyn Michael J. , Costa Meggin Q. , Chrostek Cynthia , Sanborn Ryan M. , Sant Nicholas J. , Yen Yi-Meng , Proffen Benedikt L. , Kramer Dennis E. , Murray Martha M. , Kiapour Ata M. , Fleming Braden C. , Kramer Dennis E. , Murray Martha M. , Kiapour Ata M. , Fleming Braden C.
Published: March 2023

Non-invasive methods to document healing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) structural properties could potentially identify patients at risk for revision surgery. The objective was to evaluate machine learning models to predict ACL failure load from magnetic resonance images (MRI) and to determine if those predictions were related to revision surgery incidence. It was hypothesized that the optimal model would demonstrate a lower mean absolute error (MAE) than the benchmark linear regression model, and that patients with a lower estimated failure load would have higher revision incidence 2 years post-surgery. Support vector machine, random forest, AdaBoost, XGBoost, and linear regression models were trained using MRI T2* relaxometry and ACL tensile testing data from minipigs (n = 65). The lowest MAE model was used to estimate ACL failure load for surgical patients at 9 months post-surgery (n = 46) and dichotomized into low and high score groups via Youden’s J statistic to compare revision incidence. Significance was set at alpha = 0.05. The random forest model decreased the failure load MAE by 55% (Wilcoxon signed-rank test: p = 0.01) versus the benchmark. The low score group had a higher revision incidence (21% vs. 5%; Chi-square test: p = 0.09). ACL structural property estimates via MRI may provide a biomarker for clinical decision making.
Numerical exploration of forced convection hydromagnetic hyperbolic tangent nanofluid flow over a permeable wedge with melting heat transfer
Authors: Endalew Mehari Fentahun , Sarkar Subharthi
Published: March 2023

In this communication, the joint impacts of the process of melting as well as wedge angle entity on hydromagnetic hyperbolic tangent nanofluid flow owing to permeable wedge-shaped surface in the incidence of suspended nanoparticles along with radiation, Soret and Dufour numbers are scrutinized. The mathematical model which represents the system consists of a system of highly non-linear coupled partial differential equations. These equations are solved using a finite-difference-based MATLAB solver which implements the Lobatto IIIa collocation formula and is fourth-order accurate. Further, the comparison of computed results is carried out with the previously reported articles and outstanding conformity is recorded. Emerged physical entities affecting the bearings of tangent hyperbolic MHD nanofluid velocity, distribution of temperature, and concentration of nanoparticles are visualized in graphs. In another line, shearing stress, the surface gradient of heat transfer, and volumetric rate of concentration are recorded in tabular form. Most interestingly, momentum boundary layer thickness and thicknesses of thermal as well as solutal boundary layers enhance with an increment of Weissenberg number. Moreover, an increment on tangent hyperbolic nanofluid velocity and decrement on the thickness of momentum boundary layer is visualized for the increment of numerical values of power-law index entity, which can determine the behavior of shear-thinning fluids.This study has applications for coating materials used in chemical engineering, such as strong paints, aerosol manufacturing, and thermal treatment of water-soluble solutions.
Transformers for cardiac patient mortality risk prediction from heterogeneous electronic health records
Authors: Antikainen Emmi , Linnosmaa Joonas , Umer Adil , Oksala Niku , Eskola Markku , van Gils Mark , Hernesniemi Jussi , Gabbouj Moncef
Published: March 2023

With over 17 million annual deaths, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) dominate the cause of death statistics. CVDs can deteriorate the quality of life drastically and even cause sudden death, all the while inducing massive healthcare costs. This work studied state-of-the-art deep learning techniques to predict increased risk of death in CVD patients, building on the electronic health records (EHR) of over 23,000 cardiac patients. Taking into account the usefulness of the prediction for chronic disease patients, a prediction period of six months was selected. Two major transformer models that rely on learning bidirectional dependencies in sequential data, BERT and XLNet, were trained and compared. To our knowledge, the presented work is the first to apply XLNet on EHR data to predict mortality. The patient histories were formulated as time series consisting of varying types of clinical events, thus enabling the model to learn increasingly complex temporal dependencies. BERT and XLNet achieved an average area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 75.5% and 76.0%, respectively. XLNet surpassed BERT in recall by 9.8%, suggesting that it captures more positive cases than BERT, which is the main focus of recent research on EHRs and transformers.
Cluster analysis of plasma cytokines identifies two unique endotypes of children with asthma in the pediatric intensive care unit
Authors: Cottrill Kirsten A. , Rad Milad G. , Ripple Michael J. , Stephenson Susan T. , Mohammad Ahmad F. , Tidwell Mallory , Kamaleswaran Rishikesan , Fitzpatrick Anne M. , Grunwell Jocelyn R.
Published: March 2023

Children with life-threatening asthma exacerbations who are admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are a heterogeneous group with poorly studied inflammatory features. We hypothesized that distinct clusters of children with asthma in a PICU would be identified based on differences in plasma cytokine levels and that these clusters would have differing underlying inflammation and asthma outcomes within 1 year. Plasma cytokines and differential gene expression were measured in neutrophils isolated from children admitted to a PICU for asthma. Participants were clustered by differential plasma cytokine abundance. Gene expression differences were compared by cluster and pathway over-representation analysis was performed. We identified two clusters in 69 children with no clinical differences. Cluster 1 (n = 41) had higher cytokines compared to Cluster 2 (n = 28). Cluster 2 had a hazard ratio of 2.71 (95% CI 1.11–6.64) compared to Cluster 1 for time to subsequent exacerbation. Gene expression pathways that differed by cluster included interleukin-10 signaling; nucleotide-binding domain, leucine rich repeat containing receptor (NLR signaling); and toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling. These observations suggest that a subset of children may have a unique pattern of inflammation during PICU hospitalization that might require alternative treatment approaches.
Impact of the Russia–Ukraine armed conflict on water resources and water infrastructure
Authors: Shumilova Oleksandra , Tockner Klement , Sukhodolov Alexander , Khilchevskyi Valentyn , De Meester Luc , Stepanenko Sergiy , Trokhymenko Ganna , Hernández-Agüero Juan Antonio , Gleick Peter
Published: March 2023

The armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia that began in late February 2022 has far-reaching environmental consequences, especially regarding water resources and management. Here we analysed the multifaceted impacts of the military actions on freshwater resources and water infrastructure during the first three months of the conflict. We identified the nature of the impacts, the kind of pressures imposed on the water sector and the negative consequences for the availability and quality of freshwater resources for the civilian population. Our results showed that many water infrastructures such as dams at reservoirs, water supply and treatment systems and subsurface mines have been impacted or are at risk from military actions. Continuation of the conflict will have multiple negative sustainability implications not only in Ukraine but also on a global scale, hampering achievement of clean water and sanitation, conservation and sustainable use of water resources, and energy and food security.
Visualizing enteric nervous system activity through dye-free dynamic full-field optical coherence tomography
Authors: Durand Tony , Paul-Gilloteaux Perrine , Gora Michalina , Laboudie Lara , Coron Emmanuel , Neveu Isabelle , Neunlist Michel , Naveilhan Philippe
Published: March 2023

Major advances have been achieved in imaging technologies but most methodological approaches currently used to study the enteric neuronal functions rely on exogenous contrast dyes that can interfere with cellular functions or survival. In the present paper, we investigated whether full-field optical coherence tomography (FFOCT), could be used to visualize and analyze the cells of the enteric nervous system. Experimental work on whole-mount preparations of unfixed mouse colons showed that FFOCT enables the visualization of the myenteric plexus network whereas dynamic FFOCT enables to visualize and identify in situ individual cells in the myenteric ganglia. Analyzes also showed that dynamic FFOCT signal could be modified by external stimuli such veratridine or changes in osmolarity. These data suggest that dynamic FFOCT could be of great interest to detect changes in the functions of enteric neurons and glia in normal and disease conditions.
Quantum chemistry rules retinoid biology
Authors: Hammerling Ulrich , Kim Youn-Kyung , Quadro Loredana
Published: March 2023

This Perspective discusses how retinol catalyzes resonance energy transfer (RET) reactions pivotally important for mitochondrial energy homeostasis by protein kinase C δ (PKCδ). PKCδ signals to the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, controlling oxidative phosphorylation. The PKCδ-retinol complex reversibly responds to the redox potential of cytochrome c, that changes with the electron transfer chain workload. In contrast, the natural retinoid anhydroretinol irreversibly activates PKCδ. Its elongated conjugated-double-bond system limits the energy quantum absorbed by RET. Consequently, while capable of triggering the exergonic activating pathway, anhydroretinol fails to activate the endergonic silencing path, trapping PKCδ in the ON position and causing harmful levels of reactive oxygen species. However, physiological retinol levels displace anhydroretinol, buffer cyotoxicity and potentially render anhydroretinol useful for rapid energy generation. Intriguingly, apocarotenoids, the primary products of the mitochondrial β-carotene,9'-10'-oxygenase, have all the anhydroretinol-like features, including modulation of energy homeostasis. We predict significant conceptual advances to stem from further understanding of the retinoid-catalyzed RET.
Efficient end-to-end learning for cell segmentation with machine generated weak annotations
Authors: Shrestha Prem , Kuang Nicholas , Yu Ji
Published: March 2023

Automated cell segmentation from optical microscopy images is usually the first step in the pipeline of single-cell analysis. Recently, deep-learning based algorithms have shown superior performances for the cell segmentation tasks. However, a disadvantage of deep-learning is the requirement for a large amount of fully annotated training data, which is costly to generate. Weakly-supervised and self-supervised learning is an active research area, but often the model accuracy is inversely correlated with the amount of annotation information provided. Here we focus on a specific subtype of weak annotations, which can be generated programmably from experimental data, thus allowing for more annotation information content without sacrificing the annotation speed. We designed a new model architecture for end-to-end training using such incomplete annotations. We have benchmarked our method on a variety of publicly available datasets, covering both fluorescence and bright-field imaging modality. We additionally tested our method on a microscopy dataset generated by us, using machine-generated annotations. The results demonstrated that our models trained under weak supervision can achieve segmentation accuracy competitive to, and in some cases, surpassing, state-of-the-art models trained under full supervision. Therefore, our method can be a practical alternative to the established full-supervision methods.
Bacterial PncA improves diet-induced NAFLD in mice by enabling the transition from nicotinamide to nicotinic acid
Authors: Feng Shengyu , Guo Liuling , Wang Hao , Yang Shanshan , Liu Hailiang
Published: March 2023

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is crucial for energy metabolism, oxidative stress, DNA damage repair, longevity regulation, and several signaling processes. To date, several NAD+ synthesis pathways have been found in microbiota and mammals, but the potential relationship between gut microbiota and their hosts in regulating NAD+ homeostasis remains largely unknown. Here, we showed that an analog of the first-line tuberculosis drug pyrazinamide, which is converted by nicotinamidase/pyrazinamidase (PncA) to its active form, affected NAD+ level in the intestines and liver of mice and disrupted the homeostasis of gut microbiota. Furthermore, by overexpressing modified PncA of Escherichia coli, NAD+ levels in mouse liver were significantly increased, and diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was ameliorated in mice. Overall, the PncA gene in microbiota plays an important role in regulating NAD+ synthesis in the host, thereby providing a potential target for modulating host NAD+ level.
Study on the trace moisture influence on the adhesion phenomenon in Cd-based crystal growth
Authors: Liu Kejing , Sun Zhengyi , Yin Ziang , Zhang Xianggang , Zhao Qinghua , Jie Wanqi , Wang Tao
Published: March 2023

The chemical reactions between trace moisture and raw Cd materials and their effect on the adhesion phenomenon during Cd-based crystal growth were investigated.
A Cr(iii) supramolecular network composite membrane with high water stability and proton conductivity
Authors: Zhou Shu-Fang , Zhang Hong-Jie , Zhang Chen-Xi , Wang Qing-Lun
Published: March 2023

The blending matrix membrane with highly efficient double proton conduction pathways has been synthesized. The value of 1@CS/PVP-10 is ten times higher than that of 1.
Polyoxotantalate chemistry: from synthetic strategies to structural diversity and applications
Authors: Yang Zongfei , Li Jing , Niu Jingyang , Wang Jingping
Published: March 2023

In this review, complexes including isopolyoxotantalates (IPOTas), organic–inorganic hybrid POTas, Ta/W mixed polyoxometalates and heteropolyoxotantalates (HPOTas) are introduced, in order to provide guidance for further exploration of intriguing POTas.
Calcium carbide residue – a promising hidden source of hydrogen
Authors: Lotsman Kristina A. , Rodygin Konstantin S.
Published: March 2023

Waste after calcium carbide hydrolysis was mixed with calcium and heated to generate H2 or D2 with up to 99% yield, which were used in the hydrogenation. After hydrogen evolution, pure CaO – the initial source in carbide manufacturing – was obtained.
Redox-active, porous pyrene tetraone dendritic polymers as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Ueberricke Lucas , Mildner Felix , Wu Yuquan , Thauer Elisa , Wickenhäuser Tom , Zhang Wen-Shan , Vaynzof Yana , Elbert Sven M. , Schröder Rasmus R. , Klingeler Rüdiger , Mastalerz Michael
Published: March 2023

Redox active, insoluble pyrene tetraone based dendritic porous polymers were synthesized by using different catalyst loadings and work-up procedures.
Effects of drying time on the formation of merged and soft MAPbI3 grains and their photovoltaic responses
Authors: Chandel Anjali , Ke Qi Bin , Chiang Shou-En , Cheng Hsin-Ming , Chang Sheng Hsiung
Published: March 2023

The grain sizes of MAPbI3 films and the atomic contact strength at the MAPbI3/P3CT-Na interface are manipulated by varying the drying time of saturated MAPbI3 precursor solutions, which influences the performance of the resultant perovskite photovoltaic cells.
Superoxide targeted “turn-on” fluorescence sensing enabled by a diselenide based quinoline probe and its in vitro anticancer activity in cancer cells
Authors: Shelar Divyesh S. , Malankar Gauri S. , Singh Pinky R. , Vaidya Shashikant P. , Pinjari Rahul V. , Manjare Sudesh T.
Published: March 2023

Synthesis of the first selenium containing quinoline probe, selective for superoxide detection via “turn-on” fluorescence response. The probe exhibited better anticancer activity than cisplatin.
A flexible and stretchable triboelectric nanogenerator based on a medical conductive hydrogel for biomechanical energy harvesting and electronic switches
Authors: Zhao Junwei , Wang Yujiang , Wang Bo , Sun Yuetan , Lv Haoqiang , Wang Zijian , Zhang Wenqing , Jiang Yongdong
Published: March 2023

A flexible and stretchable single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator based on a medical conductive hydrogel has been fabricated for biomechanical energy harvesting and electronic switches.