bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative studies on Nutrient Utilization, Nutrient balance and Microbial N supply supply in complete diet of maize replaced with broken rice and jowar grain in Nellore rams
Authors: Gudepu Roupesh , Nagireddy Nalini Kumari , Devanaboyina Nagalakshmia , Rao Hanumanth , Sagi Raju
Published: September 2022

The primary objective of this research was to replace corn with broken rice and jowar in a complete diet. Other objectives were nutrient utilization, microbial nitrogen supply and rumen fermentation pattern. Eighteen Nellore rams were randomly divided into 3 groups consisting of 6 animals each in a completely randomized design. Three complete feeds were formulated using maize, broken rice and jowar along with sorghum stover as roughage at the ratio of 50:50 (Concentrate: Roughage). Dry matter, organic matter and crude protein digestibility coefficients were higher (P < 0.01) in complete feed with jowar grain while, the ether extract digestibility was highest in complete feed with maize grain but the crude fiber was lowest in complete feed with broken rice. The hemi cellulose was lowest (P < 0.01) in complete feed with broken rice while the digestibility coefficient of cellulose differed significantly (P < 0.01) and it was highest for complete feed maize grain. The digestible crude protein differed significantly (P < 0.01) in all experimental diets however, the complete feed with jowar grain was highest. The nitrogen intake (g/d), faecal excretion and total nitrogen excretion were lowest (P < 0.01) in complete feed with broken rice while, the nitrogen balance (% absorbed) was highest (P < 0.01) in complete feed with jowar grain. The crude protein intake (g/d) was lowest (P < 0.01) in complete feed with broken rice whereas, the total digestible nutrient intake was significantly highest (P < 0.01) in case of complete feed with jowar grain. Metabolizable Energy intake (Mcal/d) was significantly (P < 0.01) highest for complete feed with jowar grain. The dry matter intake (g/ kgw0.75) was lowest (P < 0.01) in complete feed with broken rice while, total digestible nutrient intake (g/ kgw0.75) was lowest (P < 0.01) in complete feed with maize grain. ME intake (g/ kgw0.75) was highest (P < 0.01) in jowar grain complete feed when compared with complete feed with broken rice and complete feed maize grain. The daily calcium and phosphorous intake and balance were comparable in all experimental diets. Cereal grain feeding did not affect ruminal pH while, the ammonia nitrogen and total volatile fatty acid (mmol/100ml) differed significantly (P < 0.01) among dietary treatments. It is concluded that jowar and broken rice are suitable for substuting maize grain in complete feed.
Temporal variation of Hydro-meteorological variables in a small river basin: A case study of the Savitri River basin, India
Authors: Namitha E. S. , Jothiprakash V. , Sivakumar Bellie
Published: September 2022

This study examines the temporal characteristics of hydro-meteorological variables in the Savitri River basin in India. Eight hydro-meteorological variables observed during the monsoon season (July–September) over a period of 11 years (2000–2010) from two stations (Kangule and Birwadi) are analysed. The variables include daily rainfall, runoff, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, pan evaporation, relative humidity, sunshine duration, and wind speed. Two trend detection methods, namely the Mann-Kendall test and Sen’s slope test, are employed to identify the trend characteristics in these variables. The trend analysis is performed for the indices developed from these variables, which are based on events, such as the number of days of occurrence, annual total, 1-day maximum, yearly average, days of occurrence of events more than the yearly average, 95th percentile, and days of occurrence of events more than 95th percentile. The trend analysis of rainfall shows an increasing trend for all rainfall indices studied. The runoff indices revealed that there is an increase in magnitude and days of occurrence of high flows which may result in flood flow. The indices on maximum temperature, sunshine duration, and relative humidity show a decreasing trend. However, the minimum temperature, pan evaporation, and wind speed show mixed responses. The results indicate that although the two stations are geographically closer to each other, the hydro-meteorological variables show mixed variations due to their difference in elevation and closeness to the peaked region. The present results serve as an important basis for a detailed hydrological analysis of the Savitri River basin.
How the plant probiotic bacteria and herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) alter functional response of Phytoseiulus persimilis (Phytoseiidae) on the two-spotted spider mite
Authors: Montazersaheb Hosna , Zamani Abbas Ali , Sharifi Rouhallah , Darbemamieh Maryam
Published: September 2022

The two-spotted spider mite,Tetranychus urticaeKoch (Acari: Tetranychidae), is one of the economically most important pests on different crops worldwide. Its management programs conduct normally based on usage of chemical acaricides. However, considering the side effects of acaricides and rapid resistance development, releasing the predator mite,Phytoseiulus persimilisAthias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae), is an alternative method for the control ofT. urticae. In this study, the effects of plant probiotic bacteria;Bacillus pumilusINR7 (Bacillales: Bacillaceae) andBacillus velezensisH3 (Bacillales: Bacillaceae), and herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) (methyl jasmonate, methyl salicylate, Indole and 3-pentanol) were investigated on the functional response ofP. persimilisonT. urticaeeggs laid attached leaves of kidney bean under laboratory conditions (25 ± 1°C, 65 ± 5% RH and a photoperiod of 16:8h L:D). Densities of 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 prey in 10 replications were offered to the 1-day-old adult female individuals ofP. persimilisduring a 24-h period. The results of logistic regression analyses showed a type II functional response on all treatments. The Rogers model was used to estimate the instantaneous attack rate (a) and handling time (Th). The instantaneous attack rate had no significant difference among treatments. The handling time onB. velezensis(0.3540 ± 0.0716 h) and methyl salicylate (0.3593 ± 0.0842 h) was significantly lower than other treatments. These results suggest that methyl jasmonate andB. velezensismay have a positive effect on the foraging behavior ofP. persimilisagainstT. urticae.
MtGenome for the cost of a gene: Long-amplicon PacBio and Nanopore sequencing of hundreds of full mitochondrial genomes
Authors: Karin Benjamin R. , Arellano Selene , Wang Laura , Walzer Kayla , Pomerantz Aaron , Vasquez Juan Manuel , Chatla Kamalakar , Sudmant Peter H. , Bach Bryan H. , Smith Lydia L. , McGuire Jimmy A.
Published: September 2022

Background: Mitochondrial genome sequences have become critical to the study of biodiversity, though the cost of doing so with genome skimming or other methods has been difficult to reduce beyond ~$15–20 per sample making it costly to scale up. Here, we report on an approach to sequence hundreds to thousands of complete mitochondrial genomes in parallel using long-amplicon sequencing. We amplified the mitochondrial genome of 677 specimens in two partially overlapping amplicons and implemented an asymmetric PCR-based indexing approach to multiplex 1,159 long amplicons together on a single PacBio SMRT cell. We also tested this method on Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) MinION as a proof-of-concept. We implemented several cost-saving measures to reach a per-sample cost as low as $7 per mtGenome on the PacBio platform.
Results: With the PacBio data we recovered at least one of the two fragments for 96% of samples (~80% of input amplicons) with mean coverage ~1,500x. The ONT data recovered less than 50% of input fragments due to the use of PacBio Barcoded Universal Primers (BUPs) and low throughput, though we are confident results will improve with ONT-optimized BUPs. We compared a single mitochondrial gene alignment to half and full mitochondrial genomes and found, as expected, significant improvement in tree support with longer alignments.
Conclusions: This method can effectively capture thousands of long amplicons in a single run and be used to build more robust phylogenies quickly and effectively. We provide several recommendations for future users depending on the evolutionary scale of their system. A natural extension of this method is to collect multi-locus datasets consisting of mitochondrial genomes and several long nuclear loci at once.
Emerging Paradigms of Network and Pruning Strategies: A comprehensive Survey
Authors: K Priyanga K , Sabeen S
Published: September 2022

Deep neural networks have been utilized in a variety of applications and have shown to have exceptional skills in the area of computer vision. Complex network designs delivers a considerable computational resource and energy cost issue for real-time deployment. These difficulties can be solved using improvements like network compression. Many times, network compression may be achieved with minimum loss of accuracy. Accuracy may even enhance in rare circumstances. This study presents a pruning survey on network compression. Pruning can be classified as dynamic or static, depending on whether it is done offline or in real time. This article analyses pruning methods and explains the criterion for removing duplicate calculations. Also covered trade-offs in element-by-element, channel-by-channel, shape-by-shape, filter-by-filter, layer-by-layer, and even network-by-network pruning. In this article, the pros and limitations of a variety of existing methodologies are contrasted and analyzed, as well as compressed network accuracy findings for a variety of frameworks and practical advice for compressing networks.
Numerical simulation of the flow around circular cylinder with slits
Authors: Bensedira Sidali , Salhi Merouane , El-Hadj Abdellah Abdellah , Semmar Djaffar
Published: September 2022

The flow around a cylinder with slits has been investigated numerically. The main purpose of this study is to show the effect of the slits on the vortex detachment behind a cylinder smooth, and stationary using the finite element approach to solve the fluid governing equations system at Re = 200. The variation of the spacing ratio (D/S) of the slit is strongly influenced both the various physical parameters and the vortex detachment behind a cylinder. We found that the drag coefficient varies between 1.43 and 1.24 in the case of the horizontal slit and between 1.45 and 1.39 in the case of the vertical slit. In the case of the double horizontal-vertical slit, the values vary between 1.47 and 1.38. We also found that the values of the Strouhal number vary between 0.201 and 0.268 according to the spacing ratio (D/S) of the slit. A comparison was made with experimental works for the Strouhal number. The results are very important, and the error found is less than 7%.
Genetic variants of NEUROD1 target genes are associated with clinical outcomes of small-cell lung cancer patients
Authors: Lee Sunwoong , Yoo Seung Soo , Choi Jin Eun , Hong Mi Jeong , Do Sook Kyung , Lee Jang Hyuck , Lee Won Ki , Park Ji Eun , Choi Sun Ha , Seo Hyewon , Lee Jaehee , Lee Shin Yup , Cha Seung Ick , Kim Chang Ho , Kang Hyo-Gyoung , Park Jae Yong
Published: September 2022

Neurogenic differentiation factor 1 (NEUROD1) is frequently overexpressed in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). NEUROD1 plays an important role in promoting malignant behavior and survival. In this study, we evaluated the association between putative functional polymorphisms in 45 NEUROD1 target genes and chemotherapy response and survival outcomes in 261 patients with SCLC. Among the 100 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) studied, two were significantly associated with both chemotherapy response and overall survival (OS) of patients with SCLC. The SNP rs3806915C>A in semaphorin 6A (SEMA6A) gene was significantly associated with better chemotherapy response and OS (P = 0.04 and P = 0.04, respectively). The SNPrs11265375C>T in nescient helix-loop helix 1 (NHLH1) gene was also associated with better chemotherapy response and OS (P = 0.04 and P = 0.02, respectively). Luciferase assay showed a significantly higher promoter activity of SEMA6A with the rs3806915 A allele than C allele in H446 lung cancer cells (P = 4 × 10-6). The promoter activity of NHLH1 showed a significantly higher with the rs11265375 T allele than C allele (P = 0.001). These results suggest that SEMA6A rs3806915C>A and NHLH1 rs11265375C>T polymorphisms affect the promoter activity and expression of the genes, which may affect the survival outcome of patients with SCLC.
Diplochore seed dispersal and implications for habitat conservation of the West African chimpanzee in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire
Authors: KOFFI Kouadio Kan Sylvestre , DOSSO Kanvaly , BAROT Sebastien , WITTIG Roman M. , ARISTOPHANOUS Marios , MORETTO Philippe , KONE Inza , TIHO Seydou
Published: September 2022

Seed dispersal is a key stage in the life cycle of plants, thus in forest regeneration, especially in the tropics. Chimpanzees are known as important seed dispersers and dung beetles play critical roles in secondary dispersal thus increasing the chance for seed post-dispersal success. Hence, understanding secondary seed dispersal by dung beetles is critical to our understanding of forest dynamics and seedling establishment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of successive seed dispersal by chimpanzees and by dung beetles on the surface dispersal and burial of the seeds of four plant species: (Dacryodes klaineana,Diospyros mannii,Pycnanthus angolensisandUapaca guineensis) at three nesting site in the Taï National Park. To investigate this, 28 seeds i.e. seven seeds per plant species (N = 75, average ± SD: 28.24 ± 3.06 seeds) were introduced into 85 g of chimpanzee faeces. This set was exposed on the forest floor for 48h following an average faeces radius of 5 cm (N = 40, average ± SD: 5 ± 1.06 cm). From the observations made, it emerges an essentially surface dispersion, ie 45.6% of the seeds dispersed against 6.3% of seeds buried. The highest rate of vertically dispersed seeds, ie 10.31%, and average depth of burial, ie 7.45 cm, were quantified in the Southern nesting sites. This distribution of seeds would not only be linked to the time of deposition of the faeces, but also and above all to the size of the secondary disperser.
Electrochemical Characteristics of A Biomedical Ti70Zr20Nb7.5Ta2.5 Refractory High Entropy Alloy In An Artificial Saliva Solution
Authors: Elshamy Ibrahim H. , Ibrahim Magdy A. M. , Rehim Sayed S. Abdel , Boraei Nobl F. El
Published: September 2022

High entropy alloys are a new type of multi-component material with improved mechanical properties that could be useful in medical implants. The corrosion behavior of a biomedical Ti70Zr20Nb7.5Ta2.5 alloy was examined and matched with that of commercial Ti and the traditional biomaterial Ti6Al4V in artificial saliva. Moreover, the impact of different pH and concentrations of fluoride ions on the corrosion behavior of Ti70Zr20Nb7.5Ta2.5 was also investigated. The Ecorr decreases in the following order: Ti70Zr20Nb7.5Ta2.5 > Ti6Al4V > Ti. The steady state potential of the OCP, indicates that the corrosion resistance decreases in the same order: Ti70Zr20Nb7.5Ta2.5 > Ti6Al4V > Ti. The Ti70Zr20Nb7.5Ta2.5 immersed in saliva at low pH (pH 2.0) and a high fluoride ion concentration (2000 ppm) suffers from cracking and exhibits the lowest resistance to corrosion compared to the sample immersed in the saliva without and with low concentrations of fluoride ions (0-1000 ppm) and at high pH values (5.0 and 7.0). This data reveals that if the fluoride ion concentrations are enhanced or the pH falls, the alloy corrosion resistance reduces. The EIS data shows that the passive layer is made up of a duplex outer and inner oxide layer and that the alloy's resistance to corrosion in fluoride-containing solutions has been significantly reduced. Additionally, the data demonstrates that a Ti70Zr20Nb7.5Ta2.5 alloy's corrosion resistance rises with increasing immersion time with and without fluoride ions. According to the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigation, the protective passive oxides include TiO2, ZrO2, Nb2O5, and Ta2O5. The alloy Ti70Zr20Nb7.5Ta2.5 can be considered as a promising material suitable for usage as a biomaterial among all the materials tested in this work.
Policy impact considerations for using an SJT to improve diversity in medical selection
Authors: O’Mara Deborah , Patterson Fiona , Morley Emma , Bleasel Jane
Published: September 2022

Introduction:Traditionally, medical selection has relied heavily on indicators of prior academic attainment. Recent studies have shown that situational judgement tests (SJTs) show promise in widening access to medical education. However, there has been little research regarding the weighting and sequencing of selection tools to improve the diversity of applicants throughout the process. This study extends previous research by measuring the magnitude of the policy change that would be required for an SJT to have substantial impact on the diversity of the shortlisting pool for interviews with a graduate entry medical program, when used in conjunction with the Graduate Medical Schools Admissions Test (GAMSAT).Method:A SJT was developed and piloted to rank applicants for interview offers (N=270). Five indicators of diversity were investigated to address gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status (SES). The impact on diversity was explored by weighting SJT scores with the current shortlisting tool (GAMSAT) using four weighting options (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%).Results:GAMSAT scores differed significantly (p<0.05) for all diversity indicators except ethnicity. SJT scores differed significantly (p<0.05) for two indicators; first in family to have a degree and/or applicants whose prior degree was not medical science related performed better. The odds ratios for interview shortlisting using 100% GAMSAT were significantly reduced with a 50% GAMSAT and SJT weighting.Discussion:This pilot study demonstrates the policy impact when incorporating an SJT into a traditional medical education selection process. It provides evidence for substantial policy changes in the selection process to improve diversity and widen access.
The efficacy and safety of tirofiban versus oral antiplatelet drug therapy in acute ischemic stroke patients with early neurological deterioration
Authors: Xiao Qian , Hou Yangbo , Cheng Jiwei , Hu Yinqin , Tao Jie , Wu Dan , Li Guoyi
Published: September 2022

Purpose Early neurological deterioration (END) is common after acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and associated with poor outcome. The antithrombotic strategy for END is still a pending question without specific evidence-based recommendation. Whether traditional oral antiplatelet (AP) drug or intravenous tirofiban is more beneficial for END needs further research. Our study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of tirofiban with oral AP drugs in patients who experienced END without thrombolysis or mechanical thrombectomy and evaluate which stratified population gained the most benefit from tirofiban. Methods A total of 222 AIS patients with END from January 2016 to June 2021 were retrospectively enrolled and divided into the oral AP group and tirofiban group. The functional outcome was assessed with the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at discharge and modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 90 days. Results Compared with the oral AP group, more patients in the tirofiban group achieved NIHSS improvement by ≥2 points at discharge (61.7% vs. 25.2%, p = 0.000) and a favorable outcome (mRS 0-2) at 90 days (60.7% vs. 42.6%, p = 0.007). No moderate or severe hemorrhage occurred, and mild hemorrhage was comparable in both groups (p = 0.199). Logistic regression demonstrated that tirofiban was associated with NIHSS improvement at discharge [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 4.930; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.731-8.898] and 90-day favorable outcome (adjusted OR 2.242; 95% CI 1.080-4.653). Subgroup analysis showed that compared with oral AP, tirofiban improved NIHSS scores at discharge in all subgroups, and improved 90-day mRS in the subgroups of large-artery atherosclerosis (p = 0.004), age ≤75 years (p = 0.03), and NIHSS 4-7 (p = 0.001). Conclusions Based on our results, tirofiban monotherapy could be an alternative to traditional oral AP strategy for the treatment of END.
68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT imaging for in-vivo CXCR4 receptor mapping in different lung cancer histologic sub-types: Correlation with quantitative receptors’ density by immunochemistry techniques
Authors: Watts Ankit , Singh Baljinder , Singh Harmandeep , Bal Amanjit , Kaur Harneet , Dhanota Ninjit , Arora Sunil K , Mittal Bhagwant R , Behera Digambar
Published: September 2022

Purpose In-vivo CXCR4 receptor quantification in different lung cancer (LC) sub-types using68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT and correlation with quantitative CXCR4-receptors’ tissue density by immunochemistry analyses. Methods68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT imaging was performed prospectively in 94 (77M: 17F, mean age 60.15 ± 10.12 yrs) LC patients. CXCR4 receptors’ expression was estimated in all the patients on lung tissue by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and FACS analyses. SUVmaxon PET, Intensity score on IHC and Mean fluorescence Index (MFI) on FACS analyses were measured. Results 75/94 (79.8%) cases had NSCLC, 14 (14.9%) had SCLC and 5 (5.3%) had lung NETs. All LC types showed increased CXCR4 expression on PET (SUVmax) and FACS (MFI). However, both these parameters (mean SUVmax= 10.30 ± 5.0; mean MFI = 349.0 ± 99.0) were significantly (p = 0.005) higher in SCLC as compared to NSCLC and lung NETs. PET SUVmaxin adenocarcinoma (n = 16) were 8.00 ± 1.9 which was significantly (p = 0.003) higher than in squamous cell carcinoma (n = 54; 6.2 ± 2.15) and NOS (n = 5; 5.8 ± 1.5) subtypes of NSCLC. A significant correlation (r = 0.697; p = 001) was seen between SUVmaxand MFI values in squamous cell NSCLC as well as in NSCLC-adenocarcinoma (r = 0.538, p = 0.031) which supports the specific uptake of68Ga-Pentixafor by CXCR4 receptors. However, this correlation was not significant in SCLC (r = 0.435, p = 0.121) and NET (r = 0.747,p = 0.147) which may be due to the small sample size.68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT provided good sensitivity (85.7%) and specificity (78.1%) for differentiating SCLC from NSCLC (ROC cut-off SUVmax= 7.24). Almost similar sensitivity (87.5%) and specificity (71.4%) were observed (ROC cut-off SUVmax= 6.67) for differentiating adenocarcinoma and squamous cell variants of NSCLC. Conclusion Higher CXCR4 expression was seen in SCLC as compared to NSCLC and NETs on68Ga-Pentixafor PET imaging. The findings may potentially supplement the existing data for inclusion and expanding CXCR4 -based radioligand therapies in LC beyond haematological malignancies.
Immunohistochemical Analysis of Soft Tissue Response to Polyetheretherketone (Peek) and Titanium Healing Abutments on Dental Implants: a Randomized Pilot Clinical Study
Authors: Milinkovic Iva , Krasavcevic Ana Djinic , DDS Sasha Jankovic , Sopta Jelena , DDS Zoran Aleksic
Published: September 2022

Background.The data on polyetheretherketone (PEEK) influence on the peri-implant soft tissues in clinical settings are deficient. The aims of this pilot study were to analyze and compare soft tissues’ response to PEEK and titanium (Ti) healing abutments (HA) by means of histological and immunohistochemical analyses.Methods.A total of 22 implants with PEEK or Ti HA were placed in 11 patients, applying the “split-mouth” study design. Three months later, soft tissue specimens were harvested from 20 implants for histology in order to qualitatively detect the inflammatory cells’ presence, to semi-qualitatively analyze the inflammation intensity and to assess the inflammatory responses type by immunohistochemical analysis using LCA, CD3, CD20 and CD68 antibodies.Results.Epithelial infiltrate followed by an intensive inflammation in sub-epithelium was observed in 100% around PEEK HA. A number of LCA + and CD 68 + cells was significantly higher in PEEK comparing to Ti group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.020, respectively), while CD 20 + and CD3 + counted cells were found in a significantly higher amount in Ti than in PEEK group (p = 0.006 and p = 0.010, respectively).Conclusion.PEEK HA seems to evoke the more intense tissue inflammatory response demonstrated predominantly by histocytes’ and plasmacytes’ activation, while Ti HA triggers the inflammatory reaction of lower intensity, dominantly mediated by B-cells.The study registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04436939).
Health risk assessment and removal efficiency of typical opportunistic pathogens by advanced reclaimed water treatment process
Authors: Sun Lihua , Xi Zixuan , Tong Hao , Zhang Muxi
Published: September 2022

In this study, two combined processes of coagulation sedimentation-NaClO disinfection and coagulation sedimentation-Ultrafiltration(UF)-NaClO disinfection were used as deep treatment processes. To explore the removal effect and mechanism of the combined process on Legionella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium avium and Escherichia coli in the secondary effluent. Taking Beijing Olympic Forest Park as the evaluation scene of reclaimed water landscape reuse, the health risk assessment were carried out on the opportunistic pathogens. The results showed that the combined process of coagulation sedimentation-UF-NaClO had a good removal effect on Legionella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium avium and Escherichia coli, the removal rates were 99.8%, 98.6%, 99.4% and 99.1%, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between the concentration of Escherichia coli in the secondary effluent and the three opportunistic pathogens, but the correlation between the concentration of Escherichia coli in the effluent and the three opportunistic pathogens was no longer significant after the two combination processes. After secondary effluent coagulation and sedimentation-UF-NaClO disinfection and reuse for urban landscape leisure activities, the single exposure infection probability of the three opportunistic pathogens is the lowest, and the safety rate of human health can reach from 70.9–100.0%.
Biofilm induced corrosion inhibition of Q235 carbon steel by anaerobic Bacillus cereus inoculum in simulated cooling water
Authors: Hu Yanglin , Chen Chuanmin , Liu Songtao , Zhou Yingran , Jia Wenbo , Cao Yue
Published: September 2022

In this study, corrosion behavior of Q235 carbon steel (CS) under Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) inoculum in simulated cooling water was evaluated. Weight loss study proved B. cereus inoculum possessed anti-corrosion efficiencies of 92.84% and 73.88% for 3 d and 14 d rotation tests respectively. The electrochemical measurements indicated added B. cereus inoculum increased the charge transfer resistance and reduced corrosion current density. The B. cereus cells with strong biofilm-forming capacity were able to adhere onto Q235 CS surface to form compact biofilms and cause biomineralization. Surface characterization analysis demonstrated the presence of B. cereus inoculum reduced the amount of Fe2O3 and simultaneously increased the amount of CaCO3 in corrosion products. The corrosion inhibition mechanisms of B. cereus inoculum involve forming biofilm, generating biomineralized layer, and consuming dissolved oxygen. Thus, B. cereus inoculum provides a biological strategy for the industrial cooling water anti-corrosion application.
Decoupling factor, aerodynamic and canopy conductances of a hedgerow olive orchard under Mediterranean climate
Authors: Rana Gianfranco , De Carolis Gabriele , Gaeta Liliana , Ruggeri Sergio , Ferrara Rossana
Published: September 2022

The degree of coupling between canopy and atmosphere, through the decoupling factor Ω, well describe the behaviour of a crop with respect to its water use and carbon dioxide exchange. Super high density hedgerow olive orchard system is in great expansion all over the world and, since it has a complex field structure in rows of adjacent trees, investigations are necessary to assess the Ω patterns, as well as aerodynamic (ga) and canopy (gc) conductances in different water conditions. In this study, in a hedgerow olive orchard (cv. “Arbosana”) submitted to full (FI) and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), cropped under Mediterranean semi-arid climate (southern Italy), Ω has been determined using gc, as deduced by inverting the Penman-Monteith equation, and ga, by upscaling the wind speed measured in a close station to the canopy; the transpiration has been measured by sap flow thermal dissipation method. The results showed that this olive orchard results very well coupled to the atmosphere, in any soil water conditions; Ω is generally very low, being equal in mean to 0.015 ± 0.008 and 0.019 ± 0.012 for FI and RDI, respectively. This condition is linked to ga and gc values; in fact, canopy conductance is much smaller than the aerodynamic one in any water and climatic conditions, except when all canopy surfaces are saturated in water. In this latter case, the gc assumes highest values due to the contribution of the part of conductance attributable to the structure of the orchard.
Apatite ore-based nanostructures: novel and eco-friendly sorbent for efficient removal of wastewater containing Pb2+ and Fe3+
Authors: Phuong Nguyen Thu , Nam Nguyen Hong , Hong Cao Thi , Dac Dang Vu Quy , Thu Le Phuong , Hai Do Thi , Osial Magdalena , Giersig Michael , Thanh Dinh Thi Mai
Published: September 2022

Global challenges in removing heavy metal ions from aquatic reservoirs require novel solutions, especially the application of environmentally friendly materials. This paper presented the efficient removal of Fe3+ and Pb2+ ions from wastewater by apatite ore-based nanostructures. The synthesized material exhibited a nanostructure with high thermal stability, high porosity and negative surface potential, suitable for heavy metal removal in wastewater. The adsorption measurements performed in varying conditions (pH, mass of the adsorbent, and contact time onto the adsorbent) proved that even a few milligrams of the synthesized material could effectively absorb the lead and iron ions from the solution, reaching an effectiveness of about 90%. The maximum adsorption capacity followed the Langmuir isotherm model, estimated at 341 mg.g− 1 for Pb2+, and 1092 mg.g− 1 for Fe3+. Experiments conducted with industrial and craft-village’s wastewaters confirmed the high potential of the nanostructural chemically modified apatite as an efficient and affordable material for the removal of various pollutants from aqueous solutions in practical conditions.
BDNF-AS is a promising downregulated biomarker for the diagnosis in different disease types in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Kamal Ahmed , Swellam Menha Mahmoud , Shalaby Nevin Mohieldin , Darwish Marwa Kamal , El-Nahrery Islam
Published: September 2022

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system and the most common neurological disease in young adults, affecting more than 2.5 million people worldwide. The disease progression is likely to be the result of neurodegeneration. Numerous therapies that have emerged to treat relapsing forms of MS have been unsuccessful in slowing or halting progressive forms of the disease, during which inflammatory activity is replaced by axonal loss and atrophy. BDNF-AS is a type of long non-coding RNAs that has a negative transcriptional regulation over the neurotrophin BDNF, which is known to be highly expressed in actively demyelinating MS lesions and which has a function in neuron survival and plasticity necessary for neuroprotection during inflammation. BDNF has been shown to be low in older and chronic MS plaques, which could be a contributing factor to the ongoing degenerative changes in the chronic progressive stages of MS. However, few studies have investigated the role of BDNF-AS and how it may contribute to the role of BDNF in MS. Therefore, we studied the relative expression of BDNF-AS in the serum of patients with different disease types of MS via qRT-PCR. We found that BDNF-AS is significantly downregulated in MS as compared to controls. We also determined a relative expression cut-off of (0.31) fold change, which can be used for the diagnosis of MS with high specificity and sensitivity.
A novel algorithm to distinguish sudden cardiac death subjects from other cardiac patients and healthy individuals
Authors: Dorostghol Ali , Maghsoudpour Adel. , Ghaffari Ali. , Nikkhah-bahrami Mansour.
Published: September 2022

For the timely diagnosis of sudden cardiac death (SCD), selecting accurate features and increasing the specificity of the diagnosis algorithms are essential. Therefore, the HRV signal of subjects who suffered from SCD was examined in the present study. The signal has been studied in one-hour duration before the incident to obtain significant signal changes in subjects' cardiac signals. In the proposed methodology, the patient's HRV signals are divided into 5 minutes segments. Each of these segments is decomposed into four sub-signals. Afterward, the corresponding energy and instantaneous amplitude of each sub-signal are determined. Subsequently, the transfer entropy between each pair of instantaneous amplitude signals and the sample entropy of energy sub-signals are determined. The segment representing a radical change in comparison to its previous segment is detected. A support vector machine (SVM) classifier is used to identify subjects exposed to SCD, based on the hypothesis that these radical changes can be recognized as indicators of the SCD process. This methodology has the advantage of not being limited to any particular subclass of cardiac diseases. The results represent 100% and 89.47% specificity respectively for healthy subjects and cardiac patients 15 minutes before the incident.
Genetic characterization of endemic Liquidambar orientalis populations in Muğla province based on ISSR polymorphism
Authors: YÜZER ÖMER , Tonguç Alper , Doğaç Ersin
Published: September 2022

Liquidambar orientalis, a relict endemic species, is distributed in the south-west of Turkey. It is accepted that the species in the Altıngiace family has two varieties, L. orientalis Mill. var. integriloba Fiori and L. orientalis Mill. var. orientalis. The natural spread areas of the species have been decreasing since the early 1900s. This poses a great threat to the future and genetic diversity of the species. For this reason, it is very important to determine the genetic diversity of this species and to initiate conservation programs. In this study, the genetic diversity of a total of 190 individuals in ten populations was examined with ten polymorphic ISSR primers. Data analysis was performed using POPGENE ver. 1.32 and GenAlEx 6.503 softwares, and the phylogenetic relationship between populations was revealed using TreeView X software. According to the results of the analysis, a total of 271 loci were identified. For the ten populations, the rate of polymorphic loci ranged from 21.03–34.69%. The mean number of observed alleles (Na) and mean number of effective alleles (Ne) were found as 1.98 ± 0.13 and 1.47 ± 0.37, respectively. Nei's genetic diversity values ​​(h) ranged from 0.07 ± 0.15 to 0.12 ± 0.18. According to the results of Molecular Analysis of Variance (AMOVA) and POPGENE ver. 1.32 analysis, it was determined that the main contribution to the genetic variance originated from among the populations. In addition, the gene flow level (NM) was found to be low with a value of 0.27 per generation.
Barbel (Barbus barbus callensis) sperm parameters and oxidative stress status as bioindicators of freshwater pollution
Authors: Aberkane Boubekeur , Touazi Leghel , Bellik Yuva , Moula Nassim , Iguer-Ouada Mokrane
Published: September 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of polluted Soummam River and unpolluted Agrioun River on sperm parameters and oxidative stress status of Barbus callensis spermatozoa during the spawning season in natural condition. The experimental design consisted to activate alternatively fish sperm of the two sites with the polluted (Soummam River, S) and unpolluted water (Agrioun River, A). Sperm motility duration (SMD) was measured using a stopwatch. Gametes straight line velocity (VSL), average path velocity (VAP), curvilinear velocity (VCL), spermatozoa concentration (SC), straightness (STR) and linearity (LIN) were measured by a CASA. Oxidative stress biomarkers were evaluated by measuring total antioxidant status (TAS) and catalase (CAT) activity. The results showed that the SMD and spermatozoa velocity were significantly higher in (Sm, S) than in (Ag, A) with SMD = 52 versus 42s, VSL = 23 versus 16 µm/s, VAP = 35 versus 25 µm/s, and VCL = 52 versus 35 µm/s, respectively. However, SC, STR and LIN were significantly higher in (Ag, A) than in (Sm, S) with SC = 37.5x109 versus 27x109 spz/ml, STR = 52 versus 40% and LIN = 35 versus 26%. Likewise, the oxidative status of fish spermatozoa was significantly affected by the quality activating water; TAS and CAT were significantly higher in (Ag, A) than in (Sm, S); 7.5 to 0.5 and 120 to 28 µmol/min/ml, respectively. The current investigation showed that Barbus callensis sperm motility parameters, particularly spermatozoa concentration, straightness and linearity are good bioindicators of water pollution.
Formulation based antagonistic endophyte Amycolatopsis sp. SND-1 triggers defense response in Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek. (Mung bean) against Cercospora leaf spot disease
Authors: B. Dhanyakumara S. , Kumar Raju Suresh , Nayaka Sreenivasa
Published: September 2022

In the present work, Amycolatopsis sp. SND-1 (SND-1) was isolated from Cleome chellidonii Linn. (C. chellidonii) was performed as biocontrol and resistance elicitor in Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek (mung bean) plants against Cercospora leaf spot causing pathogen Cercospora canescens (C. canescens). The SND-1 isolate showed 74% of inhibition against C. canescens in dual culture and in-vitro plant growth trials exhibited production of indole acetic acid, gibberellic acid, cytokinin, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, and siderophore and phosphate solubilization. In-vivo study with talcum formulation of SND-1 revealed a significant increase in plant root length, shoots length, root and shoot fresh weight, and reduced the disease severity in treated mung bean plants. Triggering of resistance by SND-1 formulation was studied by histochemical depositions and biochemical defense enzymes resulted that the acceleration in defense response in comparison with control plants. The bioactive endophytic Amycolatopsis sp. SND-1 enhanced the defense against C. canescens infection; hence it can be used as a biological control agent in mung bean cultivars.
DeepST: A versatile graph contrastive learning framework for spatially informed clustering, integration, and deconvolution of spatial transcriptomics
Authors: Long Yahui , Ang Kok Siong , Li Mengwei , Chong Kian Long Kelvin , Sethi Raman , Zhong Chengwei , XU Hang , Ong Zhiwei , Sachaphibulkij Karishma , Chen Ao , Li Zeng , Fu Huazhu , Wu Min , Lina Lim Hsiu Kim , Liu Longqi , Chen Jinmiao
Published: September 2022

Advances in spatial transcriptomics technologies has enabled gene expression profiling of tissues while retaining the spatial context. To effectively exploit the data, spatially informed analysis tools are required. Here, we present DeepST, a versatile graph self-supervised contrastive learning framework that incorporates spatial location information and gene expression profiles to accomplish three key tasks, spatial clustering, spatial transcriptomics (ST) data integration, and single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data transfer onto ST. DeepST combines graph neural networks (GNNs) with self-supervised contrastive learning to learn spot representations in the ST data, and an auto-encoder to extract informative features in the scRNA-seq data. Spatial self-supervised contrastive learning enables the learned spatial spot representation to be more informative and discriminative by minimizing the embedding distance between spatially adjacent spots and vice versa. With DeepST, we found biologically consistent clusters with higher accuracy than competing methods. We next demonstrated DeepST’s ability to jointly analyze multiple tissue slices in both vertical and horizontal integration while correcting for batch effects. Lastly, we used DeepST to deconvolute cell types present in ST with scRNA-seq data, showing better performance than cell2location. We also demonstrated DeepST’s accurate cell type mapping to recover immune cell distribution in the different regions of breast tumor tissue. DeepST is a user-friendly and computationally efficient tool for capturing and dissecting the heterogeneity within ST data, enabling biologists to gain insights into the cellular states within tissues.
The Agreement Between Syringing, Dacryocystography, and Dacryoendoscopy Findings in Lacrimal Duct Obstruction
Authors: Nakamura Jutaro , Kamao Tomoyuki , Mitani Arisa , Mizuki Nobuhisa , Shiraishi Atsushi
Published: September 2022

Purpose: We retrospectively investigated the agreement of the diagnostic findings of syringing, dacryocystography (DCG), and dacryoendoscopy in the obstruction of the lacrimal drainage system (LDS). Methods: We examined 113 patients (211 LDS) who underwent syringing, DCG, and dacryoendoscopy for preoperative evaluation of LDS obstruction. Obstruction was compared by classifying the grade and the site of obstruction into three levels, respectively. The diagnostic agreement between the tests was assessed by determining the weighted Kappa value. Results: 25 male (49 LDS) and 88 female patients (162 LDS) were included in this study. LDS obstruction was observed in 77.4% of the cases by syringing, 60.0% by DCG, and 81.3% by dacryoendoscopy. Regarding the agreement in the obstruction grade, Cohen's Kappa value for DCG and dacryoendoscopy was 0.65 (95%CI: 0.56–0.74). Meanwhile, the DCG and dacryoendoscopy showed consistency in the site of obstruction in 77.9% of the cases. DCG found no obstruction in 38.4% of all cases, whereas 47.9% of them showed stenosis or obstruction by dacryoendoscopy. When discrepancies were observed between syringing and dacryoendoscopy to detect the site of obstruction, the combination of syringing and DCG reached the dacryoendoscopy findings at the 99% level. Conclusions: "Substantial" agreements were found between the diagnostic findings of the three examinations. Among them, the highest agreement was between syringing and dacryoendoscopy in determining the site of obstruction. The lowest agreements were between syringing and DCG in diagnosing the grade and the site of obstruction.
Processing and quality of the cassava flour produced by traditional communities in the Central Amazon Region – Brazil
Authors: Nascimento Renata , Mundim Silmara , Narcisa-Oliveira Jeniffer , Oliveira Ozeni , Silva Érica , Tiburtino Lorene , Costa Reginaldo , Maciel Josemar , Kluczkovski Ariane , Brito Vitor
Published: September 2022

Cassava flour is a Brazilian product that still deserves attention for what regards sustainability. We offer a study of production processes and nutritional aspects of the flour from the Central Brazilian Amazon. We conducted bibliometric surveys, observations and collected 30 samples, in 15 traditional communities, that need cassava as a source of income and livelihood. We found that cassava cultivation under specific edaphoclimatic conditions guarantees the maintenance of autochthonous landraces. Still, we show their influence upon the flour's physicochemical composition, especially starch, mineral and fiber contents. Further, nutritional analyses allowed a qualitative approach of human health. We propose recommendations, such as: the mitigation of effects of residual cyanide, classifying the flour as safe food; the maintenance of traditional communities, and of genetic resources. Still, we suggest the adoption of a seal of approval and origin, and the creation of a gourmet market, thus adding visibility to Brazil's intangible heritage variety.
In-silico identification of phytocompounds as inhibitors to two key enzymes of Shikimate pathway of Mycobacterium tuberculosis for discovery of new lead molecule(s) for treatment of Tuberculosis
Authors: Sarkar Narayan Sarkar Narayan , Tanti Bhaben Tanti Bhaben , bharali Suresh Bharali Suresh
Published: September 2022

Tuberculosis(TB) is one of the most lethal respiratory infections caused by the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Several drugs are available for the treatment of TB. Numerous reports have demonstrated the cause and emergence of multi drug resistance of M. tuberculosis. To improve the treatment of these strains, there is rising need to develop anti-TB effective drugs. The aim of this research was to develop an anti-tuberculosis drug.The two enymes 3-Dehydroquinate synthase(3N76) and 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase(3QBE), of mycobacterial shikimate pathway was selected as drug targets.The structures of these two enzymes were obtained from PDB data bank.The phytocompounds from a medicinal plant,which was traditionally used in pulmonary infection, Achyranthes aspera ,were selected as ligands.Molecular docking was done against these two enzymes(receptors) by 11 phytocompounds of Achyranthes aspera by AUTODOCK vina software. The compounds which have highest binding affinity with targets was selected. Later pharmacokinetic analysis, bioactivity prediction, toxicity calculation of these compounds was done.From the docking study, the compound9(Ecdysterone 2,3-acetonide 22-O-benzoate), has highest binding affinity with enzyme 3-dehydroquinate synthase(3N76), And the compound 2(2,3,14,20,25-Pentahydroxy-6-oxocholest-7-en-22-yl benzoate) has highest binding affinity with enzyme 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase(3QBE).The druglikeness of these two compounds shows that both of them obey Lipinski’s rule of 5.
Probiotic, paraprobiotic, and hydrolyzed yeast mixture supplementation has comparable effects to zinc oxide in improving growth performance and nutrient digestibility in weaned piglets
Authors: Dang De Xin , Choi Si Young , Choi Young Jae , Lee Jong Hwa , Castex Mathieu , Chevaux Eric , Saornil David , Laguna Fernando Bravo , Kim In Ho
Published: September 2022

A total of 150 21-day-old weaned piglets [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc] were randomly assigned to 3 groups based on average initial body weight (6.96 ± 0.21 kg) to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of probiotic, paraprobiotic, and hydrolyzed yeast mixture (PPY) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal bacteria counts, fecal calprotectin contents, and diarrhea rate in a 42-day experiment (phase 1: days 1-14; phase 2: days 15-42). There were 10 replicate pens per treatment with 5 pigs per pen (three gilts and two barrows). The experimental diets were a basal diet, without additive (CON), a basal diet supplemented with pharmacological levels of zinc oxide (ZnO; TRT1), and an experimental treatment including PPY (TRT2). Pigs in TRT1 were provided with a basal diet + 3000 mg/kg (as fed) ZnO during phase 1, and a basal diet during phase 2. Pigs in TRT2 were provided with a basal diet + 200 mg/kg (as fed) probiotic for a final concentration of 2 × 109 colony forming units (CFU)/kg diet + 800 mg/kg (as fed) paraprobiotic + 10 g/kg (as fed) hydrolyzed yeast mixture during phase 1, and a basal diet +100 mg/kg (as fed) probiotic + 400 mg/kg (as fed) paraprobiotic mixture during phase 2. Pigs in TRT1 and TRT2 tended to be heavier at day 14 and were significantly heavier at day 42 than CON pigs. Growth rate during days 1-14, 15-42, and 1-42 was similarly affected by treatment while feed efficiency was unaffected by treatment in the first 14 days but was significantly higher for TRT 1 pigs between 15-42 and 1-42 days with TRT2 being intermediate. Apparent nitrogen and energy digestibility were both significantly higher for pigs on TRT1 and TRT2 compared with the CON. There were no significant differences in any parameters measured between TRT1 and TRT2. Therefore, we demonstrated that PPY supplementation had comparable effects as ZnO on nutrient digestibility and the performance of weaned piglets.