bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Local hydraulic jump effects on sediment deposition in open-channel flume experiments
Authors: Fu Shihao , Zhou Maolin , Xu Weilin , Wei Wangru , Wang Guoguang
Published: March 2023

When a river channel is narrow, bifurcated, or intersected, or when extreme weather or geological disasters cause shed rock masses to occupy a river flood channel, local hydraulic jumps may develop in the channel. Natural disasters such as landslides, floods, and debris flows occur upstream, will result large transport rate of large-sized gravel particles. Those particles may be blocked in hydraulic jump areas, causing river channel water depth to rise. In this study, the effect of local hydraulic jumps on the sediment deposition rate was investigated in flume experiments. The ratio of upstream and downstream Froude numbers, particle size, Sediment supply intensity, and flow discharge all affected the sediment deposition rate. With increases in the ratio of upstream and downstream Froude numbers, particle size, and sediment supply intensity, the sediment deposition rate increased. The sediment deposition rate decreased with an increase in flow discharge. Therefore, approach hydraulic conditions and particle properties jointly determined the sediment deposition rate in a hydraulic jump section, and an empirical formula was developed using those parameters to calculate the sediment deposition rate. Thus, to identify risks and prevent disasters in mountain rivers, local changes in hydraulic conditions and particle properties need to be jointly evaluated.
Enhanced Goos-Hänchen Shift of SPR Sensor with TMDCs and Doped PANI/Chitosan Composites for Heavy Metal Ions Detection in Aquatic Environment
Authors: Jin Min , Liu Junying , Xu Wentao , Deng Diangwei , Han Lei
Published: March 2023

A novel surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor with transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and polyaniline (PANI)/chitosan composite for detection of heavy metal ions in an aquatic environment is proposed and analyzed. The Goos-Hänchen (GH) shift is employed as an important method for analyzing the performance of the SPR sensor. It is theoretically shown that the GH shift can be significantly enhanced in the SPR structure silver (Ag) coated with a TMDCs and PANI/CS heterostructure. When the incident light wavelength is 632.8nm, the refractive index of Cu2+ ion is 1.3516. Through comparison and optimization analysis, when the thickness of MoSe2 and PANI/chitosan is monolayer and 123 nm, respectively, the maximum GH shift is -2067λ at resonance angle 69.19°. When different Cu2+ ion concentrations are added into the sample layer, the refractive index of the sample and GH shift of the SPR sensor will change. The maximum sensitivity of 2.425×106 λ/RIU is obtained by Ag-WSe2-PANI/chitosan structure, which is 463.42 times higher than the traditional SPR Ag film and 112.84 times higher than Ag-PANI/chitosan structure. The discovery of the Kretschmann structure SPR sensor with 2D material provides a new development direction for the detection of heavy metal ions in an aquatic environment.
Image Processing of Landsat-8 OLI Satellite Data for Mapping of Alkaline-Carbonatite Complex, Southern India
Authors: Ranjithkumar S , Anbazhagan S , Tamilarasan K
Published: March 2023

The alkaline-carbonatite igneous intrusion occupies a very less aerial extent on the earth's surface; however, it is an important source rock for REE, LILE and radioactive elements. The origin of the alkaline-carbonatite suite is always related to tectonic settings such as continental drift and suture zone. In this context, the Samalpatti and Sevathur alkaline-carbonatite complex is an area of interest among various geoscientists. The moderate resolution Landsat-8 OLI satellite data is digitally processed using ENVI 5.3 image processing software for the interpretation of various lithology in the terrain. The Samalpatti-Sevathur complex is covered by different rock types including syenite, pyroxenites, dunite, carbonatite, and epidote hornblende gneiss. The carbonatites are emplaced as elongated bodies, dykes and scattered nodules in ultramafic formation. The mapping of ultramafic formations is important, since it contains carbonatite emplacement in the complex. The seven band OLI data covered under the visible, near infrared, and shortwave infrared spectrum were processed for the generation of colour composite images, band ratios, principle component analysis (PCA) images, and support vector machine (SVM) classified output. The digitally processed satellite images are useful in the interpretation of different rock types, particularly the ultramafic formation. Out of various outputs, the FCC, the composite image B652, colour composite images from ratio output, PCA composite images in RGB filters, and SVM classified image are suitable for interpretation of different lithology in the terrain.
Research on Design and Cutting Performance of Gradient Helix Edge End Mill
Authors: Ding Mingna , Liu Xianli , Yue Caixu , Fan Mengchao , Xia Wei
Published: March 2023

There are inequable force-induced deformation, obvious cutting vibration problems during side milling of low-rigidity frame and beam parts, resulting in unsatisfactory dimensional accuracy and surface quality. Most of these parts are side-milled by end mill, which currently in use do not take into account the workpiece stiffness imparity. Therefore, the concept of Gradient Helix Edge (GHE) is proposed in this research and its advantages are analyzed. The general mathematical model is given. And the parabola is taken as an example for the GHE space equation derived, of which accuracy is verified by numerical simulation. Finally, The comparison experiment with the invariant helix edge end mill was completed. The results showed that the milling force perpendicular to the milling surface of the GHE end mill was smaller and less fluctuation, which could obtain less force-induced deformation theoretically. The milling process was smoother, and better surface quality was obtained. The excellent performance of the GHE end mill was further verified by milling different features.
Intraperitoneal administration of carcinoembryonic antigen-directed CAR-T cells is a robust delivery route for effective treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis from colorectal cancer
Authors: Qian Siyuan , Chen Jun , Zhao Yongchun , Zhu Xiuxiu , Dai Depeng , Qin Lei , Hong Juan , Xu Yanming , Yang Zhi , Li Yunyan , Castellano Ismael Guijo , Jiménez-Galanes Santos , Labajo Héctor Guadalajara , García-Arranz Mariano , García-Olmo Damián , Shen Junjie , Villarejo-Campos Pedro , Qian Cheng
Published: March 2023

Background: Peritoneal carcinomatosis from colorectal cancer is a highly challenging disease to treat, and as such constitutes a pressing issue in medicine. Adoptive transfer of chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cells has shown impressive efficacy in hematologic malignancies, though the approach has been less effective in solid tumors when delivered via intravenous (i.v.) routes. We explored whether intraperitoneal administration of CAR-T cells could provide an effective and robust route for treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis from colorectal cancer.
Methods: To generate carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-specific CAR-T cells, we constructed a lentiviral transfer plasmid encoding a second-generation CAR composed of the single-chain variable fragment (scFv) from BW431/26, the CD8 alpha hinge region, 4-1BB co-stimulatory domain, and the CD3zeta T cell activation domain. We established various animal models of peritoneal carcinomatosis with intraperitoneal (i.p.) and extraperitoneal metastasis. Tumor-bearing animals were treated by i.p. or i.v. administration of CEA CAR-T cells. Treatment efficacy was evaluated and kinetic expansion and tissue distribution of CAR-T cells were studied.
Results: CEA-directed CAR-T cells showed high tumor cell cytotoxicity in vitro. Intraperitoneally administered CAR-T cells exhibited superior antitumor activity compared to systemic i.v. cell infusion in an animal model of peritoneal carcinomatosis. In addition, i.p. administration conferred a durable effect and protection against tumor recurrence and exerted strong antitumor activity in an animal model of peritoneal carcinomatosis with metastasis in intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal organs. Our data further indicate that when compared to systemic delivery, i.p. transfer of CAR-T cells could provide increased antitumor activity in extraperitoneal tumors without PC. This phenomenon was further confirmed in an animal model of pancreatic carcinoma after intraperitoneal administration of our newly constructed prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA)-directed CAR-T cells. On a mechanistic level, our data evidenced rapid and high CAR-T cell expansion and high persistence in peripheral blood following i.p. cell administration.
Conclusions: Intraperitoneal administration of CAR-T cells could be an effective and robust route for therapy of peritoneal carcinomatosis with metastasis in intra- and extraperitoneal organs. These findings hold great promise for CAR-T cell therapy in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis.
Time trends in adolescent school absences and associated bullying involvement between 2000 and 2019: a nationwide study
Authors: Alanko Katarina , Melander Katja , Ranta Klaus , Engblom Janne , Kosola Silja
Published: March 2023

Education is a central determinant of adolescent health. School absences and bullying involvement jeopardize educational attainment. We analyzed time trends in school absenteeism over two decades and examined the association of absenteeism with bullying involvement. We analyzed data from the nationwide School Health Promotion study, with self-reported data from Finnish middle school students in grades 8 and 9 (ages 14–17, N = 1 000 970). Questionnaires assessed frequency of illness absences (IA), truancy, frequency of bullying victimization (BV), bullying perpetration (BP), and involvement in both bullying perpetration and victimization (BPV). Frequent school absences were defined as occurring at more than 3 days during the prior month (2000–2015), or least weekly (2017–2019). Frequent IA increased from 12% in 2000 to 22% in 2015. In 2017–2019 frequent IA was reported by 3.5%. Frequent truancy declined from 9% in 2000 to 4% in 2015, and 2017–2019. BV was reported at least weekly by 6.9%, BP by 5.4% and BVP by 1.9% of participants. In a logistic regression model, all kinds of bullying involvement increased odds for both IA and truancy. Since bullying involvement was associated with both IA and truancy, particular concern should be raised for adolescents involved in bullying, and for their social and educational functioning. The concurrent increase in IA and decrease in truancy may reflect destigmatization of mental health problems or other changing patterns in reporting absenteeism.
A solid preparation of phytochemicals: Improvement of the solubility and bioavailability of Astragaloside IV based on β-cyclodextrin microencapsulation
Authors: Wang Yao , Qin Xiang-Yu , Guo Na , Zhu Han-Lin , Fu Yu-Jie
Published: March 2023

Astragaloside IV/β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex(AsIV/β-CD IC) was successfully prepared by low-temperature sedimentation technology. Under the preparation conditions inclusion temperature 60℃, inclusion time 3h, core-wall material molar ratio 1:1, and inclusion rate 750 rpm, ­­­the optimal encapsulation efficiencyreached 81.63%. It was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and thermogravimetric (TGA). Physicochemical characterization of the AsIV/β-CD IC indicated that the complexation of AsIV/β-CD was successful, and the thermal stability of AsIV wasimproved clearly. Through granulation technology, astragalus saponin granules (ASG) with uniform size from AsIV/β-CD IC were obtained. ASG possessed significant water-solubility and storage stability beside fine taste. In addition, ASG demonstrated beneficial bioactivity in antioxidant and antibacterial functions. Antioxidative stress detection showed that ASG could inhibit the increase of MDA content and the decrease of SOD content in cells caused by LPS. In addition, in vitro antibacterial experiments of ASG showed that ASG has obvious antibacterial activity against 6 strains, especially the MIC value of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis reached 12.5 mg/mL.
A new method for functional assembly plan generation and evaluation. Implementation in CapLog, an efficient software
Authors: Perrard Christophe , Lehmann Olivier , BONJOUR Eric , Zuanna Cyrille Dalla
Published: March 2023

Designing an assembly system is a complex task that is broken down into different steps that deal with various representations of the product, the assembly plan and the assembly process plan. Each step faces a huge combinatorial explosion problem. Many research works have focused on the generation of assembly plans. They often fail to represent the logistic functions (choice of primary/secondary subassemblies and their orientations implying specific logistic operations). The resulting assembly sequences are therefore not fully satisfactory from an operational point of view. In the 1990s, the concept of the Functional Assembly Plan (FAP) was introduced to refine the assembly plans with these key inputs that are essential to consider before proceeding with the next step concerning the assembly process plan. However, in the literature, there is no method to systematically generate, evaluate, and select the most relevant FAPs. In this paper, we propose an original semi-automated method to generate FAPs and to evaluate them. The proposed procedure is based on a branch-and-bound algorithm that allows the user to find the "best" FAP, according to predefined evaluation criteria, without evaluating each potential FAP. The proposed method combines automated steps and user's intervention to limit the phenomenon of combinatorial explosion and to make the solution explainable. This method and its associated procedure have been used to improve an existing software, CapLog, efficient for the optimization of manufacturing systems, like end-of-life systems or assembly systems. A case study is used to illustrate the steps of the proposed method.
The decreasing trend of the competitive advantage of Epichloë endophyte-infected Achnatherum sibiricum over endophyte-free plants with nitrogen addition was reversed by pathogenic fungi inoculation
Authors: Zhang Junzhen , Yu Xinhe , Qu Yaobing , Shi Xinjian , He Luoyang , Wei Xianqin , Chen Lei , Zhao Nianxi , Ren Anzhi
Published: March 2023

Background and aims
According to the nitrogen-disease hypothesis, plant diseases will become more serious with the aggravation of global nitrogen (N) deposition. Numerous studies have indicated that Epichloë endophytes can enhance host plant resistance to pathogens. It is unclear how the competitive ability of endophyte-infected (EI) over endophyte-free (EF) plants changes under the interference of N deposition and plant disease.
Methods
In this study, Achnatherum sibiricum, native to the Inner Mongolia steppe of China, was used as experimental material. We experimentally manipulated N addition and pathogen inoculation and examined the growth and competition between EI and EF A. sibiricum.
Results
The results showed that EI plants had a greater competitive advantage than EF plants under low N conditions, and this advantage decreased with the N supply. When high N and pathogens were both present, pathogen inoculation reversed the adverse effects of high N supply on the competitive advantage of EI A. sibiricum. Endophyte infection not only reduced the disease of EI plants but also reduced the disease of neighboring EF plants. Meanwhile, endophytes changed the response of the host disease to nitrogen. The disease index of EF plants increased with increasing leaf N content, while that of EI plants did not change.
Conclusion
This study highlights that under the dual factors of N deposition and pathogen infection, endophytic fungi improve the competitive ability of host plants. Our results show that considering both biotic and abiotic factors is crucial for predicting the dominance of plant-fungal symbionts in the community.
Social Theory Aware Influence Maximization Approach for Target Community Detection
Authors: Scholar Pawan Meena Research , Professor Mahesh Pawar Associate , Professor Anjana Pandey Associate
Published: March 2023

Targeted community detection is a network analysis involving identifying specific subsets or clusters of nodes (communities) within a more extensive network that are particularly relevant to a topic or phenomenon. Unlike traditional community detection methods, which aim to identify all communities within a network, targeted community detection methods focus on finding a specific community or set of communities based on some pre-defined criteria. Nevertheless, all previous effort either mainly disregards the external effect of the community or is not ”goal-based,” i.e., inappropriate for the goal request. To address this issue, we present an attribute network-oriented target community discovery technique that blends user interest preferences and community influence to mine high-quality communities associated with user preferences and have the most influence. To capture the attribute subspace weight of the possible target community and mine user preferences, the greatest k-cluster, including sample nodes, is first mined as the core of the potential target community by synthesising the node structure and attribute information. Then the fusion of the maximum k-cluster with the sample nodes is mined as the core of the potential target community. Finally, the fusion of the sample nodes defines the community’s external influence score quantifica-tion technique and combines the community quality function value with the exterior influence score. Finally, all possible target communities are ranked by their influence score. As a result, the communities with the highest overall quality become the target communities. In addition, a 2-fold pruning procedure is intended to increase the method’s performance and efficiency while calculating the attribute subspace weights of the largest k-cluster. Experimental results on synthetic and actual network datasets validate the efficiency and efficacy of the suggested strategy.
Histological transformation to signet-ring cell carcinoma in a patient with clinically aggressive poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the ascending colon after response to chemotherapy plus cetuximab: a case report
Authors: Nagano Hideki , Ohyama Shigekazu , Sato Atsushi , Igarashi Jun , Yamamoto Tomoko , Kadoya Masumi , Kobayashi Mikiko
Published: March 2023

Background
Alteration of chemosensitivity or tumor aggressiveness in response to chemotherapy has been reported, and liquid biopsy assessment during chemotherapy for colorectal cancers has confirmed the acquisition of mutations in various oncogenes. However, the occurrence of histological transformation seems to be extremely rare in colorectal cancers, and the few existing case reports of this transformation are from lung cancer and breast cancer. In this report, we describe the histological transformation of clinically aggressive scirrhous-type poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the ascending colon to signet-ring cell carcinoma in almost all recurrent tumors that were confirmed by autopsy after response to chemotherapy plus cetuximab.
Case presentation
A 59-year-old woman visited our hospital with whole abdominal pain and body weight loss and was diagnosed with scirrhous-type poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the ascending colon with aggressive lymph node metastases. The intrinsic chemosensitivity of the tumors was evident upon initiation of mFOLFOX6 plus cetuximab therapy, and right hemicolectomy was performed. The ascending colon tumors mainly consisted of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma and were not associated with signet-ring cell components except for minute clusters in a few lymphatic emboli in the main tumor. Chemotherapy was continued, and metastases were eliminated at 8 months after the operation; this response was maintained for an additional 4 months. Discontinuation of chemotherapy plus cetuximab resulted in immediate tumor recurrence and rapid expansion, and the patient died of the recurrent tumor 1 year and 2 months after the operation. Autopsy specimens revealed that almost all of the recurrent tumors exhibited transformation and consisted of signet-ring cell histology.
Conclusion
This case suggests that various oncogene mutations or epigenetic changes resulting from chemotherapy, especially regimens that include cetuximab, contribute to the transformation of non-signet-ring cell colorectal carcinoma to signet-ring cell carcinoma histology and can promote the aggressive clinical progression characteristic of signet-ring cell carcinoma.
Resistivity measurements and water quality analysis for the assessment of the impact of Ile-Oluji waste dumpsite in Ondo State, Southwestern Nigeria, on the environment
Authors: ONI Ademakinwa George , AGUNBIADE Olufemi Joseph , OLUWAWEMIMO Miracle Anthonia , KOLAWOLE Sofiyat Idunu , AYOWOLE-OBI Ayodotun Oluwaseun
Published: March 2023

In this study, soil resistivity measurements and water quality analysis were carried out as a means of assessing the impact of Ile-Oluji dumpsite on the environment. Resistivity measurements were made on radially established traverses adopting 2D dipole-dipole profiling and Schlumberger depth sounding techniques. Physicochemical and microbial analyses for parameters including color, turbidity, temperature, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, hardness, major ions, total coliform, and E.coli were performed on surface and groundwater samples. The underlying geologic layers were topsoil, laterite, weathered layer, partly weathered/fractured basement, and fresh bedrock. Indication of subsoil contamination and by extension the groundwater was observed from contrasting geoelectric characteristics of the area within and outside the waste dump. Relatively low resistivities (< 78 Ωm) defined the leachate contaminated zone to depth extent of > 25 m and a distance > 50 m beyond the waste boundary, including a nearby stream. Leachate migration was aided by the surface topographic dip and groundwater flow in the north and northeastern directions and through basement fractures/faults. The concentrations of major pollution indicators like conductivity, TDS, hardness, chloride, magnesium, calcium, potassium, E.coli exceeded standard thresholds for potable water quality and were at least 10 times more within the contaminated zone than in samples at control locations. All the water samples were fecal contaminated having E.coli of 6–95 CFU/100 ml counts. The results showed that the environment around the dumpsite had been significantly polluted and the level of pollution raised an intermediate to high public health safety risk that requires high action priority.
Determination of the incidence of hyperoxia and the effectiveness of oxygen reserve index guided FiO2 titration in preventing hyperoxia.
Authors: Sarıtaş Pelin Uzun , Aykut Sarıtaş , Merve Çetin , Gaye Aydın
Published: March 2023

Background
Although pulse oximetry technology, which is considered the standard of care to ensure optimum oxygenation, is indispensable in clinical practice, especially in the detection of hypoxemia, it has some limitations in the detection of hyperoxemia. Oxygen Reserve Index (ORi™, Masimo Corp., Irvine, CA, USA) can provide clinicians with a crucial pathway in detecting and preventing hyperoxia, noninvasively. Our aim in this study is to determine the hyperoxia detection ability of ORi and to investigate the effectiveness of ORi and SpO2-guided FiO2 titration in preventing hyperoxia.
Material and Methods
In this prospective, randomized study, patients who would undergo major abdominal surgery were divided into two groups as the control group and the SpO2 + ORi group. In the SpO2 + ORi group, FiO2 titration was performed by trying to maintain the ORi between 0.00 and 95%<SpO2 ≤ 98%. In both groups, patients' SpO2, ORi, PaO2, PaCO2, PEEP, FiO2, and hemodynamic parameter values were recorded before induction, 10 minutes after intubation, and every hour during the operation.
Results
In the Ori + SpO2 group, a high level of positive linear relationship of 75.8% was found between PaO2 and ORI (p < 0.001). While moderate hyperoxia was observed in six people in the control group, it was not observed in the ORI + SpO2 group (3rd hour). In ORI + SpO2 group with FiO2 titration, PaO2 values decreased significantly over time (p < 0.001). The optimal cut-off ORi value, which can detect PaO2 ≥ 150 mmHg, was found to be 0.23 (Sensitivity = 100% Selectivity = 72.2%).
Conclusion
The combined use of SpO2 and ORi has been demonstrated to successfully guide FiO2 titration for optimal oxygenation and reduce hyperoxia.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi influence decomposition and the litter microbial community under saline-alkali conditions
Authors: Liu Hui , Zhang Jiazhen , Zhang Luying , Zhang Xi , Yang Rui
Published: March 2023

Recent studies have indicated that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can influence decomposition of organic materials. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here we investigated whether AMF influence the decomposition of leaf litters and change the associated litter bacterial and fungal communities and whether this effect is altered by the level of soil saline-alkali. A pot experiment was conducted using Trifolium repens as host plant without or with AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) and with two levels of soil saline-alkali (0 and 200 mmol/L). Litterbags with different mesh size were used to measure the effect of AMF on decomposition. Our study found that AMF significantly accelerated litter decomposition under both non-saline-alkali and saline-alkali conditions. The composition of bacterial and fungal communities were also altered by AMF independent of soil saline-alkali conditions. For bacterial community, AMF increased the richness but not the diversity and increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Nitrospirota. For fungal community, the richness and diversity were higher in AMF than in non-AMF treatment. And AMF significantly resulted in a decrease of the relative abundance of Ascomycota but an increase of the relative abundance of Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, Mortierellomycota and Rozellomycota. Structural equation modelling (SEM) showed that AMF increased litter decomposition under saline-alkali conditions primarily by affecting bacterial community composition. Together, we show that AMF increase decomposition and alter the bacterial and fungal communities, and that these effects are not modulated by the level of soil saline-alkali.
Machine Learning Models for the Prediction of the Compressive Strength of Self-compacting Concrete
Authors: G Nahushananda Chakravarthy H , S Karthik M , Naganna Sujay Raghavendra
Published: March 2023

Self-compacting Concrete (SCC) is a special form of high-performance concrete that is highly efficient in its filling, flowing, and passing abilities. In this study, an attempt has been made to model the compressive strength (CS) of SCC mixes using machine learning approaches. The SCC mixes were designed considering light-weight expandable clay aggregate (LECA) as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) as a partial replacement for binding material (cement), and incinerated bio-medical waste ash (IBMWA) as a partial replacement for fine aggregate. LECA, GGBS, and IBMWA were replaced with coarse aggregate, cement, and fine aggregate at different substitution levels of 10%, 20%, and 30%. The M30 grade SCC mixes were designed for two different water/binder ratios – 0.40 and 0.45 and the CS of SCC mixes was experimentally determined along with the fresh state properties assessed by slump flow, L-box, J-ring, and V-funnel tests. The CS of SCC mixes so obtained from the experimental analysis was considered for machine learning (ML) based modeling using paradigms such as Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Gradient Tree Boosting (GTB), and Cat-Boost Regressor (CBR). The ML models were developed considering the compressive strength of SCC as the target parameter. The quantities of materials (in terms of %), water to binder ratio, and density of SCC specimens were used as input variables to simulate the ML models. The results from the experimental analysis show that the optimum replacement percentages for cement, coarse, and fine aggregates were 30%, 10%, and 20%, respectively. The ML models were successful in modeling the compressive strength of SCC mixes with higher accuracy and the least errors. The CBR model performed relatively better than the other two ML models, with relatively higher efficiency (KGE=0.9671) and the least error (mean absolute error = 0.52) during the testing phase.
Can a Mobile Game-like Intervention Help Women with Anxiety and Depression? Examining real world data of ‘OCD.app - Anxiety, Mood & Sleep’
Authors: Gamoran Avi , Brunstein-klomek Anat , Doron Guy
Published: March 2023

Anxiety and depression symptoms are a significant mental health challenge for women in the reproductive age and midlife. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) based mobile health (mHealth) interventions may be a viable solution for addressing the treatment gap for women at these ages. We collected real world data of women using the CBT based app “OCD.app - Anxiety, Mood & Sleep” from October 2020 to January 2023. Women’s levels of anxiety (GAD-7) and depression (PHQ-9) were evaluated prior to the intervention (T0), at the payment barrier (T1), and upon completion of the intervention (T-Final). Women’s dropout rates were associated with younger age and more severe symptoms. Large effect-size reductions were found at T1 (n = 1,554; Cohen’s d = 0.702) and T-Final (n = 491; Cohen’s d = 0.774) with 37.9% reaching clinically significant improvement in anxiety symptoms (GAD-7 change > 4). Similar analyses of women’s PHQ-9 scores indicated small effect-size reductions at T1 (n = 512; Cohen’s d = 0.34) and moderate effect-size decreases at T-Final (n = 140; Cohen’s d = 0.489) with 23.6% of women reaching clinically significant improvement in depression symptoms (PHQ-9 change > 5). Results support the effectiveness of brief CBT-based mHealth interventions for women with depression and anxiety symptoms in real world settings.
Study on Reasonable Pouring Sequence of Concrete in Tube of Long Span CFST Arch Bridge
Authors: Zhou Disong , Wei Hua , Ma Wenhui , Nong Qifeng , Fu Liuyuan
Published: March 2023

Concrete pouring in the tube is one of the key procedures in the construction of concrete-filled steel tube arch bridges. Different pouring schemes greatly impact the internal force, displacement, and stability of the arch rib, and even affect the safety of the bridge structure during operation. To explore a reasonable pouring sequence of concrete in the tube, based on the principle of structural potential energy, this paper proposes a method to use the potential energy of the arch rib under the condition of the main arch bridge as a quantitative index to evaluate the quality of the pouring sequence of concrete in the tube. Based on four concrete-filled steel tube arch bridges with spans of 340 ~ 575 m, the finite element program MIDAS/civil 2019 is used to establish the simulation analysis model of the bridge, and the potential energy of the arch rib under 24 perfusion schemes is analyzed. The results show that the arch rib structure is different, and the optimal pouring sequence is also different For the half-through concrete-filled steel tube arch bridge, the optimal pouring sequence is the outer side of the top chord — the inner side of the top chord — the outer side of the bottom chord — the inner side of the bottom chord; For the deck concrete-filled steel tube arch bridge, the optimal pouring sequence is the inside of the top chord — the outside of the bottom chord — the inside of the bottom chord — the outside of the top chord. The analysis results in this study can be used for reference for the construction of the same type of bridge.
Implications of pricing and fleet size strategies on shared bikes and e-scooters: a case study from Lyon, France
Authors: Manout Ouassim , Diallo Azise-Oumar , Gloriot Thibault
Published: March 2023

In many cities, shared micromobility services (SMMS) have become popular. These services contribute to the popularity of car-alternative mobility by promoting the use of micro-vehicles. Bike-sharing and e-scooter-sharing systems are examples of these services. Despite their potential, the share of SMMS is still marginal. To unlock their full potential, policymakers and service providers need to comprehend the wider implications of their strategies on the adoption, use, and profitability of these services.
This paper investigates the implications on travel demand, use patterns, and business profit of two strategic decisions: the size of the fleet and the pricing of shared bikes and e-scooters. This research relies on an agent-based transport simulation framework and trip records of shared bike and e-scooter users from the city of Lyon, France.
The results show that despite their actual marginal share, SMMS have a non-negligible growth potential in Lyon. This potential is actually unfulfilled due to sub-optimal pricing and fleet size strategies. More optimal strategies from the point of view of service providers and customers are discussed in the paper. These findings can be generalized to other cities and shared micromobility services. They can also interest policymakers and service providers in the design and operation of successful and efficient SMMS.
Molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of Trypanosoma evansi infections in dogs from Punjab state, India
Authors: Kaur Harkirat , Singh Harkirat , . Jyoti , Singh Nirbhay Kumar
Published: March 2023

Background
Trypanosoma evansi, an extracellular flagellated protozoon, is a predominant haemoparasite in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, mechanically transmitted by hematophagous flies. The parasite has a broad host range and dogs are considered highly susceptible to the infection. Here, we studied the application of RoTAT 1.2 PCR assay as a sensitive and specific diagnostic assay for detection of this pathogen.
Methods and results
The prevalence of T. evansi infection in dogs was evaluated by screening 482 blood samples collected from various districts of Punjab state, India by microscopy and PCR assay targeting RoTat 1.2 gene sequence. Microscopy revealed the prevalence of T. evansi infection as 0.21% (1/482) whereas with PCR assay 1.45% (7/482) dogs showed positivity. The kappa value statistics revealed ″fair″ agreement between PCR assay and microscopy and the data was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Assessment of various risk factors like age, breed, location, season and sex revealed non-significant correlation with prevalence of canine trypanosomosis by PCR assay except for age by microscopy (P < 0.05). The ancestral background of the field isolates of T. evansi was also studied by phylogenetic analysis of their nucleotide sequences which revealed nucleotide variation ranging from 0.00 to 1.19%.
Conclusions
RoTat 1.2 gene-based PCR assay proved to be highly sensitive, specific, and affordable diagnostic test for use by clinicians to save the life of our pets.
Prospective Screening for Sacral Agenesis in Pregestational Diabetes: A Pilot Study
Authors: Gajagowni Saivaroon , Mazuru Dana , Hegstrom Jessica , Vachharajani Akshaya
Published: March 2023

Background
Offspring of diabetic mothers have a higher incidence of birth defects. One such defect is sacral agenesis. It is a rare developmental abnormality consisting of the absence of part or all of the sacrum. Offspring of mothers with PGDM have a higher risk of sacral agenesis compared to offspring of mothers with no diabetes. Despite this, there are currently no guidelines to routinely screen offspring of diabetic mothers for sacral agenesis. Research has shown that early intervention for sacral agenesis decreases the risk for future urinary and musculoskeletal complications and thus improves overall prognosis.
Objective
Determine the utility of prospective spinal ultrasound in infants of mothers with PGDM for the diagnosis of sacral agenesis.
Methods
This prospective observational pilot study was completed at Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Columbia, Missouri between May 1, 2020 and December 30, 2022. Infants born to mothers with PGDM and with normal spinal examinations were included. A total of 22 mother-infant dyads were enrolled in the study and prospectively screened with spinal ultrasound. The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier-NCT05033275).
Results
Twenty-two spinal ultrasounds were performed over the course of this study with three (14%) resulting in abnormal findings that required further imaging. Follow-up with magnetic resonance imaging found one case of tethered cord syndrome.
Conclusion
Prospective screening in infants of mothers with PGDM found no cases of sacral agenesis but did identify tethered cord syndrome. This finding suggests that risk stratified screening of mothers with diabetes might be a reasonable approach to care.
Shade Selection for Natural Tooth Color Replication on Porcelain Laminate Veneers
Authors: Cunha Leonardo Fernandes da , Schelbauer Ricardo Susin , Costa Helton , Tabata Lucas Fernando , de Mello Daniella Birnbaum Pessoa , Kunz Patrícia Valeria Manozzo , Baratto-Filho Flares , Madalena Isabela Ribeiro
Published: March 2023

Introduction: The final color of dental ceramics depends on different factors such as light source, substrate, and selected material (thickness, contour, and texture).
Objective: to report a clinical case in which a predictable protocol is used to optimize the final color of porcelain laminate veneers
Case report: A male patient attended the dental clinic dissatisfied with the composite resin restorations made on his upper anterior teeth. After anamnesis and clinical examination, it was suggested that the resin restorations be replaced by laminated porcelain veneers. A diagnostic wax-up was performed. The mock-up was also used to evaluate the aesthetic length for replicating the details of the incisal edge and the shape and size of the embrasures. The shade was selected before composite resin removal to avoid dehydration of the dental substrate. A photograph was taken to guide the selection of colors in different thirds. After removing the restorations, another photograph was taken to evaluate the color of the substrate. The impression was taken with 000 retractor wire and addition silicone. The laminates were made with pressed ceramic and feldspathic porcelain veneers were subsequently applied by layering the layers of dentin, incisal edge and enamel based on the waxing diagnosis. After approval by the patient, a conventional cementation technique was performed. The occlusal adjustment was made with rubber polishing cups and the anterior and lateral guides were checked.
Conclusion: The protocol recommended for successful selection of the color of a porcelain laminate relies on the combination of knowledge of concepts, resources such as shade guides, spectrophotometers, and photographs, and porcelain application and characterization techniques performed by the technician and luting techniques by the dentist.
Timing of antibiotic administration determines the spread of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance during microbial range expansion
Authors: Ma Yinyin , Ramoneda Josep , Johnson David
Published: March 2023

Plasmids are the main vector by which antibiotic resistance (AR) is transferred between bacterial cells within surface-associated communities. In this study, we ask whether there is an optimal time to administer antibiotics to minimize plasmid spread in new bacterial genotypes during community expansion across surfaces. We addressed this question using consortia of two Pseudomonas stutzeri strains, where one is an AR-encoding plasmid donor and the other a potential recipient. We allowed the strains to co-expand across a surface and administered antibiotics at different times. We found that plasmid transfer and transconjugant proliferation have unimodal relationships with the timing of antibiotic administration, where they reach maxima at intermediate times. These unimodal relationships result from the interplay between the probabilities of plasmid transfer and loss. Our study provides mechanistic insights into the transfer and proliferation of AR-encoding plasmids within microbial communities and identifies the timing of antibiotic administration as an important determinant.
Biologically informed NeuralODEs for genome-wide regulatory dynamics
Authors: Hossain Intekhab , Fanfani Viola , Quackenbush John , Burkholz Rebekka
Published: March 2023

Models that are formulated as ordinary differential equations (ODEs) can accurately explain temporal gene expression patterns and promise to yield new insights into important cellular processes, disease progression, and intervention design. Learning such ODEs is challenging, since we want to predict the evolution of gene expression in a way that accurately encodes the causal gene-regulatory network (GRN) governing the dynamics and the nonlinear functional relationships between genes. Most widely used ODE estimation methods either impose too many parametric restrictions or are not guided by meaningful biological insights, both of which impedes scalability and/or explainability. To overcome these limitations, we developed PHOENIX, a modeling framework based on neural ordinary differential equations (NeuralODEs) and Hill-Langmuir kinetics, that can flexibly incorporate prior domain knowledge and biological constraints to promote sparse, biologically interpretable representations of ODEs. We test accuracy of PHOENIX in a series of in silico experiments benchmarking it against several currently used tools for ODE estimation. We also demonstrate PHOENIX's flexibility by studying oscillating expression data from synchronized yeast cells and assess its scalability by modelling genome-scale breast cancer expression for samples ordered in pseudotime. Finally, we show how the combination of user-defined prior knowledge and functional forms from systems biology allows PHOENIX to encode key properties of the underlying GRN, and subsequently predict expression patterns in a biologically explainable way.
Prevalence and risk factors associated with hypertension and prehypertension among Tibetans in China：A cross-sectional study
Authors: Zhang Yufei , Gesang Pingcuo , Hu Yilin , Shao Longfei , Wan Yang , Xiong Hai
Published: March 2023

Background
Hypertension and prehypertension are poorly understood in the Tibetan population in China. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with hypertension and prehypertension among Tibetans.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 4300 residents aged 18–80 in Tibet between June 2020 and October 2021. Information was collected from questionnaires, physical examinations and laboratory measurements. Multivariable analysis was performed to determine the association of various risk factors with hypertension and prehypertension.
Results
The prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension was 28.0% and 32.2%, respectively. Results showed that men, age, middle school education or higher, herdsmen, overweight, obesity, high triglycerides, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, and hyperhomocysteinemia were risk factors for hypertension, while daily physical exercise was a protective factor. Men, age, overweight, obesity, dyslipidemia, and hyperhomocysteinemia were risk factors for prehypertension, and middle school education was a protective factor.
Conclusion
This study emphasizes the importance of the prevention, control, and education of chronic diseases, such as hypertension. Additionally, residents should maintain a balanced diet, eat more fruits and vegetables, quit smoking, limit drinking, increase physical exercise, control weight, and limit the intake of high salt and high-fat foods to promote a healthy lifestyle and reduce the incidence of hypertension.
Constraints on the origin of the Martian dichotomy from the Southern Highlands marsquakes
Authors: Sun Weijia , Tkalcic Hrvoje
Published: March 2023

The Martian hemispheric dichotomy presents a prominent elevation and crustal thickness contrast between the Northern Lowlands and Southern Highlands. The origin of dichotomy remains controversial, with several competing hypotheses proposed. However, analysis of InSight marsquakes offers the way forward. Here, we improve the signal-to-noise ratios and determine the locations of all significant low-frequency marsquakes. We find a new cluster of marsquakes in Terra Cimmeria of Southern Highlands, apart from those located previously in Cerberus Fossae of Northern Lowlands. We estimate the attenuation quality factor Q in the range 481–543 for Terra Cimmeria, which is considerably smaller than Q > 800 determined for Cerberus Fossae. We infer that a smaller Q might be linked to the warmer mantle and more vigorous convection beneath the Southern Highlands. These in situ seismological observations accompany the geochemical analysis of Martian meteorites supporting the “endogenic” hypothesis that mantle convection causes the crustal dichotomy.
Teaser
The analysis of the newly discovered marsquakes in Southern Highlands supports mantle convection as the main cause of Martian dichotomy.
RAB18 confers protection to lipid droplets from lysolipophagy and counters cellular steatosis
Authors: Rieck Adrian , Guenther Georgia , Hengstler Jan , Vartak Nachiket
Published: March 2023

Lipid droplet (LD) enlargement is the most conspicuous cellular phenotype of steatotic liver diseases such as NAFLD and NASH. The small GTPase RAB18 localizes to lipid droplets yet its effects on LD dynamics are unknown. We show that RAB18 localizes to LDs dynamically via the acylation cycle in an activity dependent manner. Removal of RAB18 from LDs through acylation cycle inhibition of RNAi-mediated downregulation leads to an increase in LD size, that can be prevented by inhibition of autophagy. We propose a model where RAB18 on LDs decreases the susceptibility of LDs to autophagy by lysosomes, allowing them to exist longer in cells and enabling an even distribution of exogenous lipid load. In the absence of RAB18, fewer LDs survive autophagic removal, and enlarge disproportionately as they absorb the incumbent exogenous lipid load on cells – leading to cellular steatosis. Inhibition of autophagy prevented cellular steatosis in primary human hepatocytes. Finally, mice treated with the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine were resistant to the development of liver steatosis when on a steatogenic diet. The modulation of RAB18 activity and autophagy inhibition represents a promising approach to prevent steatotic liver disease in the clinical setting.