bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NIR-mediated Deformation from a CNT-based Bilayer Hydrogel
Authors: Long Shijun , Liu Chang , Ren Han , Hu Yali , Chen Chao , Huang YiWan , Li Xuefeng
Published: March 2024

Shape-shifting polymers are widely used in various fields such as intelligent switches, soft robots and sensors, which require both multiple stimulus response functions and qualified mechanical strength. In this study, a novel near infrared light (NIR) responsible shape-shifting hydrogel system was designed and fabricated, through embedding vinylsilane modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into particle-double network (P-DN) hydrogels by micellar copolymerization. The dispersed brittle Poly(sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane-1-sulfonate) (PNaAMPS) network of the microgels can serves as sacrificial bonds to toughen the hydrogels, and the CNTs endow it NIR photothermal conversion ability. The results show that the CNTs embedded P-DN hydrogels present excellent mechanical strength, i. e. fracture strength of 312 kPa and fracture strain of 357%. Moreover, an asymmetric bilayer hydrogel, where the active layer contains CNTs, can achieve 0°–110° bending deformation within 10 min under NIR irradiation and can realise complex deformation movement. This study provides a theoretical and experimental basis for the design and manufacture of photoresponsive soft actuators.
DNA Damage, Genome Stability and Adaptation: a Question of Chance or Necessity?
Authors: Herrick John
Published: March 2024

DNA damage causes the mutations that are the principal source of genetic variation. DNA damage detection and repair mechanisms therefore play a determining role in generating the genetic diversity on which natural selection acts. Speciation, it is commonly assumed, occurs at a rate set by the level of standing allelic diversity in a population. The process of speciation is driven by a combination of two evolutionary forces: genetic drift and ecological selection. Genetic drift takes place under conditions of relaxed selection, and results in a balance between rates of mutation and rates of genetic substitution. These two processes, drift and selection, are necessarily mediated by a variety of mechanisms guaranteeing genome stability in any given species. One of the outstanding questions in evolutionary biology concerns the origin of the widely varying phylogenetic distribution of biodiversity across the tree of life, and how the forces of drift and selection contribute to shaping that distribution. The following examines some of the molecular mechanisms underlying genome stability and the adaptive radiations that are associated with biodiversity and the widely varying species richness and evenness in the different eukaryotic lineages.
A Study of Sliding Friction Using Acoustic Emission and Wavelet-Based Energy Approach
Authors: Sychev Sergey , Batako Andre D. L.
Published: March 2024

The purpose of this work is to study the mechanism of running-in during the friction and to determine the informative parameters characterizing the degree of its completion. During the friction, contact interaction of rough surfaces causes various wave phenomena covering a wide range of frequencies, the subsequent frequency analysis can provide information about the sizes of wave sources and thereby clarify the mechanism of interaction between surface roughness. The using of the wavelet transform for processing of the signals of audible acoustic emission made it possible to determine the beginning and the end of the change in the frequency ranges of the interaction of roughness. The code developed by the authors was used to analyze the acoustic emission signals by using wavelet energy and entropy criteria. The mother wavelet was chosen by carefully evaluating the effectiveness of 54 preliminary candidates for the mother wavelet from 7 wavelet families, ac-cording to three criteria: 1) maximum wavelet energy; 2) Shannon entropy minimum; 3) maximum energy-to-Shannon entropy ratio.
Evaluation of Solid-State Fermentation Conditions from Pineapple Peel Wastes to Release of Bioactive Compounds by Aspergillus niger spp.
Authors: Casas-Rodríguez A. Danitza , Ascacio-Valdés Juan A. , Dávila-Medina Miriam Desirée , Londoño-Hernández Liliana , Sepúlveda Leonardo
Published: March 2024

Currently, agro-industrial residues have been used to obtain bioactive compounds. The fermentation process is an alternative for the use of these residues and to be able to accumulate metabolites that may be of interest to different industrial sectors. The aim of this study was to evaluate solid-state fermentation conditions using pineapple waste as substrate with Aspergillus niger spp., to release polyphenolic compounds using a Plackett-Burman exploratory design. Temperature, humidity, inoculum, NaNO3, MgSO4, KCl and KH2PO4 conditions in the fermentation process were evaluated. The results revealed that the Aspergillus niger HT3 strain reached a hydrolyzable tannins accumulation of 10.00 mg/g, while Aspergillus niger Aa20 reached a condensed tannins release of 82.59 mg/g. The KH2PO4 affect the release of condensed tannins with A. niger Aa20 and MgSO4 affect the release of hydrolyzable tannins with A. niger HT3. In addition, a positive antioxidant activity was demonstrated for the DPPH, ABTS and FRAP technique. The HPLC analysis was able to identify compounds in the fermented pineapple peel such as 3-feruloylquinic acid, caffeic acid, lariciresinol and 3-hydroxyphloretin 2'-O-xylosyl-glucoside, among others. The solid-state fermentation process is a biotechnological alternative for the release of bioactive compounds.
Fiber Speckle Sensing Scheme By Optical Power Filtering: Performance Analysis For Temperature Measurements
Authors: Vélez-Hoyos Francisco J. , Aristizábal-Tique Víctor H. , Quijano-Pérez Jairo C. , Gómez-López Jorge A. , Trujillo Carlos , Herrera-Ramirez Jorge
Published: March 2024

This study introduces a Fiber Specklegram Sensor (FSS) design for temperature measurement utilizing a single-multi-single mode optical fiber configuration. FSS technology offers unique advantages for potential development into portable sensing systems. This investigation explores an FSS design compatible with miniaturization by optimizing the interrogation system based on the relationship between speckle grain size and filtering fiber area. Temperature variations are detected through fluctuations in optical power at the sensor output, offering a simple and reduced interrogation scheme. The performance of the FSS is assessed through post-calibration measurements compared to a commercial Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor, demonstrating comparable results. These findings pave the way for compact and portable fiber optic temperature sensing systems leveraging FSS advantages while maintaining compatibility with established fiber optic measurements.
The Role of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to Support Management Strategic Decisions
Authors: Justino Maria do Rosário Texeira Fernandes , Texeira-Quirós Joaquín , Gonçalves António José , Antunes Marina Godinho , Mucharreira Pedro Ribeiro
Published: March 2024

Nowadays the dynamism induced by the constant change of strategic decisions on the markets produces an extra difficulty in the management of an organization. The strategic decisions made by managers can become obsolete in a short period of time. One of the major difficulties in managing a commercial organization is to predict, with some precision degree, the impact some strategic decisions have on the financial results. Business Intelligence (BI) is an area widely used to help managers to make strategic decisions. But the methods used, behind the scenes, to achieve the conclusions are kept secret by BI company-based services. Modelling the environment can be a good option to study the impact of an action, provided by a strategic decision, in a real environment. A good model should give an approximate result of an action applied to a previous state of the environment. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are proven to be excellent in modeling environments with some level of data noise. The same strategic action can have different results in different organizations. A tool that allows an evaluation of a strategic action applied to an environment should have a major importance in the management scope. Modeling the environment should save time and money for the organization to improve the performance of the strategic plan. If one evaluates the state of the environment after a strategic action being applied, it can be possible to mitigate the risk of failure of the strategic plan. As we will be able to verify, it is possible to use ANNs to model strategic environments that should allow the prediction of sales and operating results by the used strategies with some precision, although the level of success will be directly related with the user’s necessity.
A Generalized Residual-Based Test for Fractional Cointegration in Panel Data with Fixed Effects
Authors: Olaniran Saidat Fehintola , Olaniran Oyebayo Ridwan , Allohibi Jeza , Alharbi Abdulmajeed Atiah , Ismail Mohd Tahir
Published: March 2024

Asymptotic theories for fractional cointegrations have been extensively studied in the context of time series data, with numerous empirical studies and tests developed. However, most of the previously developed testing procedures for fractional cointegration were primarily designed for time series data. This paper proposes a generalized residual-based test for fractionally cointegrated panels with fixed effects. The test development is based on bivariate panel series with the regressor assumed to be fixed across cross-sectional units. The proposed test procedure accommodates any integration order between [0,1], and it is asymptotically normal under the null hypothesis. Monte Carlo experiments demonstrate that the test exhibits better size and power compared to a similar residual-based test across varying sample sizes.
Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of ABC-Type Enantiostructured Triacylglycerols by Use of the p-Methoxybenzyl Protective Group
Authors: Haraldsdottir Hafdis , Gudmundsson Haraldur G. , Linderborg Kaisa M. , Yang Baoru , Haraldsson Gudmundur G.
Published: March 2024

This report demonstrates the first-time asymmetric synthesis of enantiopure structured triacylglycerols (TAGs) of the ABC type presenting three non-identical fatty acids, two of which unsaturated. The unsaturated fatty acids included the monounsaturated oleic acid (C18:1 n-9) and the polyunsaturated linoleic acid (C18:2 n-6). This was accomplished by a six-step chemoenzymatic approach starting from (R)- and (S)-solketals. The highly regioselective immobilized Candida antarctica lipase (CAL-B) played a crucial role in the regiocontrol of the synthesis. The synthesis also benefited from the use of the p-methoxybenzyl (PMB) ether protective group that enabled incorporation of two different unsaturated fatty acids to the glycerol skeleton. The total of six such TAGs were prepared, four constituting the unsaturated fatty acids in the sn-1 and sn-2 positions with a saturated fatty acid in the remaining sn-3 position of the glycerol backbone. In the two remaining TAGs the different unsaturated fatty acids accommodated the sn-1 and sn-3 end positions with the saturated fatty acid present in the sn-2 position. Enantiopure TAGs are urgently demanded as standards for enantiospecific analysis of intact TAGs in fats and oils.
Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) in the Assessment of Cerebral Tissue Oxygenation (rSO2) - Methodological Issues and Dilemmas
Authors: Lukaszewski Marceli , Nelke Kamil
Published: March 2024

Introduction
The monitoring of cerebral perfusion in patients with brain damage is a major clinical challenge. Monitoring cerebral oxygenation (rSO2) by NIRS was introduced at the turn of the 1980s, and many clinicians believed it was a valuable method for assessing cerebral perfusion and subsequent measures to optimize cerebral flow. The main problem of NIRS usage is the presence of the intermediate structures-skin, skull, meninges, cerebrospinal fluid-and their influence on the outcome of the test. Therefore, it seems that NIRS assessment performed on a patient during brain death attempts, can give an idea of the magnitude of the influence of these intermediate structures on the monitoring result.
Case
We present a retrospective analysis of cerebral oxygenation measurements of a patient undergoing a brain death diagnostic procedure. A clinical situation where the cerebral blood flow is stopped can give an idea of the specificity of the method, particularly the impact of the influence of intermediate structures on the monitoring outcome. In this case, the NIRS result is increased by the oxygenation of the patient before the apnoea test. The influence of chromophores in the tissues surrounding the CNS, reflections and scattering of the light wave spectrum have a very significant effect on the final result of cerebral saturation measurement.
Discussion
The majority of research observations describing changes in cerebral perfusion or its optimisation may be burdened by the problem described, i.e. the significant influence of measured oxygenation from intermediate structures. The specificity of NIRS to assess cerebral perfusion requires careful analysis. The therapeutic implications of monitoring cerebral oxygenation with NIRS are of great importance and, from the example presented and the literature provided, the method should be used with caution. It has been shown that in a patient with brain death, the result of NIRS oxygenation measurements depends on the surrounding structures of the brain.
Advances in Connection Techniques for Raw Bamboo Structures – A Systematic Review
Authors: Aniñon Mary Joanne Capacio , Garciano Lessandro Estelito O.
Published: March 2024

While bamboo's sustainability and impressive mechanical properties make it suitable for structural use, its application is hindered by challenges in connection systems. Bamboo's hollow, thin-walled nature, dimensional variations, and anisotropic properties complicate connection design. Despite numerous studies and proposed connection types, a consensus on preferred bamboo connections remains elusive. Ideal connections for raw bamboo structures should be robust, economical, practical, simple, and easy to assemble. This paper reviews 62 scientific papers from the Scopus database published between 2003 and 2024, along with additional relevant references. It identifies research gaps, recommending further studies on bamboo connections considering factors like species, harvest age, treatment type, and node location. Analysis of failure modes and long-term behavior is essential to anticipate and mitigate risks associated with bamboo connections, ensuring durability, and minimizing maintenance needs. Lastly, developing universally accepted standards and codes for bamboo and bamboo connections is crucial for widespread adoption in the construction industry.
Optimizing Hyperparameters for Customer Churn Prediction with PSO-Enhanced Composite Deep Learning Techniques
Authors: Sedighimanesh Mohammad , Sedighimanesh Ali , Gheisari Mehdi
Published: March 2024

Background: In today’s competitive market, predicting customer churn with high accuracy is crucial for enterprises to maintain growth and profitability. Traditional predictive models often lack in accuracy due to the complexity of customer behavior.Objective: This research aims to improve the accuracy of predicting customer churn by utilizing the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm for optimizing the hyperparameters of a composite deep learning model. The performance of this enhanced model is evaluated against traditional models such as LSRM_GRU, LSTM, GRU, and CNN_LSTM to demonstrate the effectiveness of PSO in hyperparameter tuning.Methods: A composite deep learning approach was employed, integrating various neural network architectures to leverage their strengths in modeling complex customer interactions. The PSO algorithm was used to optimize the model’s hyperparameters. Customer transaction and interaction data from different business operations served as the dataset for testing and analyzing the model’s performance. Evaluation metrics including accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and ROC AUC were utilized for a detailed comparison with established models.Findings: The PSO-enhanced composite deep learning model showed superior performance across all metrics, significantly outperforming the LSRM_GRU, LSTM, GRU, and CNN_LSTM models. Notably, improvements in ROC AUC and F1 score highlight the robustness and balanced precision-recall trade-off of the proposed model, demonstrating its effectiveness in identifying potential churners.Conclusion: The integration of PSO for hyperparameter optimization in composite deep learning models for customer churn prediction has proven to significantly enhance predictive accuracy and performance metrics over conventional models. This underscores the potential of evolutionary algorithms in improving deep learning applications. Future research should explore the scalability of this approach across various sectors and further refine predictive accuracy with evolving customer data.
Features of the implementation of a modified scheme with Hermitian interpolation for the numerical solving of the transport equation with a variable absorption coefficient
Authors: Aristova Elena Nikolaevna , Karavaeva Nataliia Igorevna , Gurchenko Alexei Andreevich
Published: March 2024

The grid-characteristic scheme based on Hermitian interpolation is used for solving the transport equation with a varying absorption coefficient. Hermitian interpolation is built on the previous time layer using the nodal values of the function itself and its spatial derivatives. To calculate the nodal values of the space derivative on the new time layer the integral averages and the Euler–Maclaurin formula relating nodal values, integral average and derivative values at nodes are used. Convergence tests for various smoothness functions were carried out. It is shown that at the points of the absorption coefficient discontinuity it is most accurate to use the absorption coefficient in the cell where backward characteristic lies.
Research on Boiler Energy Saving Technology Based on Internet of Things Data
Authors: Jiang Ming , Yu Haihan , Jin Minghui , Nakamoto Ichiro , Tang Guo Tai , Guo Yan
Published: March 2024

This paper proposes a heat demand prediction model that analyzes the heat behavior of heat users, and analyzes the heat behavior data of heat users through a clustering algorithm to predict their heat demand. This paper is based on the supply-demand balance strategy to reduce the heat loss during the transmission of heat medium, and then improve the energy-saving efficiency of the boiler. The traditional boiler energy-saving and consumption reduction method is to optimize the boiler combustion parameters, improve the fuel combustion efficiency and waste heat recovery technology through the Internet of Things and big data technology. The method of balancing the heat-using end with the load of the boiler at low usage frequency is seldom considered. Therefore, this paper predicts the heat demand of the heat-using end by analyzing its thermal behavior, and balances the heat demand and boiler heat supply under the condition of meeting the heat demand. Finally, through simulation experiments, the validity of the model is verified, and the trend and data can be well predicted in the short-term heat demand prediction.
Document-Level Relation Extraction with Uncertainty Pseudo-Label Selection and Hard-Sample Focal Loss
Authors: Wang Hongbin , Yu Shuning , Xian Yantuan
Published: March 2024

Relation extraction is a fundamental task in natural language processing that aims to identify structured triple relationships from unstructured text. In recent years, research on relation extraction has gradually advanced from the sentence level to the document level. Most existing document-level relation extraction (DocRE) models are fully supervised and their performance is limited by the dataset quality. However, existing DocRE datasets suffer from annotation omission, making fully supervised models unsuitable for real-world scenarios. To address this issue, we propose the DocRE method based on uncertainty pseudo-label selection. This method first trains a teacher model to annotate pseudo-labels for a dataset with incomplete annotations, trains a student model on the dataset with annotated pseudo-labels, and uses the trained student model to predict relations on the test set. To mitigate the confirmation bias problem in pseudo-label methods, we performed adversarial training on the teacher model and calculated the uncertainty of the model output to supervise the generation of pseudo-labels. In addition, to address the hard-easy sample imbalance problem, we propose an adaptive hard-sample focal loss. This loss can guide the model to reduce attention to easy-to-classify samples and outliers and to pay more attention to hard-to-classify samples. We conducted experiments on two public datasets, and the results proved the effectiveness of our method.
Inverse Reinforcement Learning with Agents’ Biased Exploration Based on Sub-Optimal Sequential Action Data
Authors: Uwano Fumito , Hasegawa Satoshi , Takadama Keiki
Published: March 2024

Inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) estimates a reward function for an agent to behave along with expert data, e.g., as human operation data. However, expert data usually have redundant parts, which decrease the agent’s performance. This study extends the IRL to sub-optimal action data, including lack and detour. The proposed method searches for new actions to determine optimal expert action data. This study adopted maze problems with sub-optimal expert action data to investigate the performance of the proposed method. The experimental results show that the proposed method finds optimal expert data better than the conventional method, and the proposed search mechanisms perform better than random search.
Non-Contact Sleep Stage Estimation by Updating its Prediction Probabilities According to Ultradian Rhythm
Authors: Nakari Iko , Takadama Keiki
Published: March 2024

To increase an accuracy of the sleep stage estimation without connecting any devices/electrodes to the body, this paper proposes the updating method for its estimation according to an ultradian rhythm as one of the biological rhythms of humans. In the proposed method, the prediction probability of the sleep stage is updated by the Widrow–Hoff learning rule which is generally employed in the update of reinforcement learning. Through the human subject experiment which acquired the biological vibration data from the mattress sensor during sleep, the following implications have been revealed: (1) the accuracy and the quadratic weighted kappa (QWK) of the sleep stage estimation updated by the proposed method are higher than those of random forest (RF) as the conventional method; (2) the multiple update of the probability of the sleep stage according to the ultradian rhythm is significantly important to improve its accuracy and QWK; and (3) compared with RF which over-estimated the NR2 stage while less-estimated the NR1 and NR3 stages, the proposed method contributes to correctly estimating the NR1–3 stages thank to the follow of the ultradian rhythm.
Analisis Statistik Penggunaan Database Online EBSCO dalam Membuat Kebijakan Pengadaan Bahan Pustaka Elektronik pada Perpustakaan ACD
Authors: Maulidya Bella Septi , Arief Noor
Published: March 2024

Metode dalam melakukan pengadaan bahan perpustakaan ada bermacam-macam, salah satunya dengan melihat statistik penggunaan database sebagai langkah dalam pengambilan keputusan pengadaan. Penelitian ini memiliki tujuan untuk menganalisis statistik penggunaan database EBSCO dalam proses pengambilan kebijakan pengadaan bahan pustaka. Dalam penelitian ini penulis menggunakan metode penelitian kuantitatif, dengan menggunakan pendekatan deskriptif statistik, yaitu riset atau penelitian yang menjabarkan angka-angka statistik sebagai bentuk deskripsinya. Objek dari penelitian ini adalah statistik penggunaan jurnal elektronik dan e-book pada EBSCO di perpustakaan ACD pada bulan Agustus 2021 - Mei 2023. Hasil analisis data menunjukkan bahwa harga artikel dan biaya akses lebih terjangkau jika berlangganan EBSCO. Kesimpulan dalam penelitian ini penggunaan database online membantu para pencari informasi dalam menunjang kebutuhan informasinya yang mana kemudahan akses yang ditawarkan sangat efisien. Setelah melakukan evaluasi biaya, baik itu harga jurnal elektronik maupun harga buku elektronik, dalam berlangganan EBSCO sangat menguntungkan perpustakaan ACD. Sehingga penerapan kebijakan pengadaan koleksi elektronik di Perpustakaan ACD sudah tepat.
Item Response Theory Validation of the Forgotten Joint Score for Persons Undergoing Total Knee Replacement
Authors: Khatri Chetan , Harrison Conrad J. , Clement Nick D. , Scott Chloe E.H. , MacDonald Deborah , Metcalfe Andrew J. , Rodrigues Jeremy N.
Published: March 2024

Background:

The Forgotten Joint Score (FJS), a commonly used patient-reported outcome measure, was developed without fully confirming assumptions such as unidimensionality (all items reflect 1 underlying factor), appropriate weighting of each item in scoring, absence of differential item functioning (in which different groups, e.g., men and women, respond differently), local dependence (pairs of items are measuring only 1 underlying factor), and monotonicity (persons with higher function have a higher score). We applied item response theory (IRT) to perform validation of the FJS according to contemporary standards, and thus support its ongoing use. We aimed to confirm that the FJS reflects a single latent trait. In addition, we aimed to determine whether an IRT model could be fitted to the FJS.

Methods:

Participants undergoing primary total knee replacement provided responses to the FJS items preoperatively and at 6 and 12 months postoperatively. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Mokken analysis were conducted. A graded response model (GRM) was fitted to the data.

Results:

A total of 1,774 patient responses were analyzed. EFA indicated a 1-factor model (all 12 items reflecting 1 underlying trait). CFA demonstrated an excellent model fit. Items did not have equal weighting. The FJS demonstrated good monotonicity and no differential item functioning by sex, age, or body mass index. GRM parameters are reported in this paper.

Conclusions:

The FJS meets key validity assumptions, supporting its use in clinical practice and research. The IRT-adapted FJS has potential advantages over the traditional FJS: it provides continuous measurements with finer granularity between health states, includes individual measurement error, and can compute scores despite more missing data (with only 1 response required to estimate a score). It can be applied retrospectively to existing data sets or used to deliver individualized computerized adaptive tests.

Level of Evidence:

Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
AOA Critical Issues Symposium: Gun Violence as a Public Health Crisis
Authors: Miller Anna N. , Strelzow Jason A. , Sakran Joseph V. , Ficke James R.
Published: March 2024

Gun violence is an epidemic throughout the United States and is increasing around the world—it is a public health crisis. The impact of gun violence is not limited to the victims (our patients); it also extends to the physicians and caregivers who are taking care of these patients every day. Even more broadly, gun violence affects those living and going to work in potentially dangerous environments. The “vicarious trauma” that is experienced in these situations can have long-term effects on physicians, nurses, and communities. Importantly, socioeconomic disparities and community deprivation strongly correlate with gun violence. Systemic factors that are deeply ingrained in our society can increase concerns for these underrepresented patient populations and cause increased stressors with substantial health consequences, including delayed fracture-healing and poorer overall health outcomes. It is incumbent on us as physicians to take an active role in speaking up for our patients. The importance of advocacy efforts to change policy (not politics) and continue to push for improvement in the increasingly challenging environments in which patients and physicians find themselves cannot be overstated. Multiple national organizations, including many orthopaedic and general surgery associations, have made statements advocating for change. The American College of Surgeons, in collaboration with many other medical organizations, has supported background checks, registration, licensure, firearm education and training, safe storage practices, red flag laws, addressing mental health issues, and more research to better inform an approach going forward and to address the root causes of violence. We encourage the orthopaedic surgery community to stand together to protect each other and our patients, both physically and mentally, with agreement on these principles.
Antioxidant Activity, Mineral Absorptivity and Chemical Analysis of P. Graveolens
Authors: Jawzal Kazheen H. , Mohammed Lina Y. , Idrees Shinwar A.
Published: March 2024

تركز هذا البحث على Pelargonium Gravolens ، وهو نبات طبي عطري من عائلة Geraniaceae. تفحص الدراسة التركيب الكيميائي النباتي للنبات المختار، ونشاط مضادات الأكسدة ، وامتصاص المعادن ، مع زراعة النبات في الداخل المنزل. أظهرت النتائج أن P. Gravolens فعال في امتصاص الرصاص ، كما قامت الدراسة بتحليل محتوى الرماد والنشاط المضاد للأكسدة في النبات باستخدام طرق مختلفة. وجد أن النبات يحتوي على ثمانية معادن مختلفة ، بما في ذلك النحاس ، والمنغنيز ، والكوبالت ، والنيكل ، والرصاص ، والمغنيسيوم ، والحديد ، والكالسيوم. تم استخدام التحليل الإحصائي لتحديد مستوى مضادات الأكسدة الموجودة ، باستخدام DPPH ، و القدرة المختزلة ، وطرق القدرة الإجمالية لمضادات الأكسدة. لغرض الحصول على المستخلص تم استخدام مزيجًا من الماء ومذيبات الإيثانول بنسب متفاوتة. في الختام ، تفحص الدراسة Pelargonium Gravolens ، وهو نبات طبي عطري ، لنشاطه المضاد للأكسدة وامتصاص المعادن. النبات فعال في امتصاص الرصاص ويحتوي على ثمانية معادن. تم استخدام طرق DPPH ، وتقليل الطاقة ، وإجمالي قدرة مضادات الأكسدة لتحديد مستويات مضادات الأكسدة.
Synergistic Influence of Non-Thermal Plasma and Hydrogen Peroxide on Oxidative Desulfurization (ODS) of Model Fuel
Authors: Abdullah Noor M. , Hussien Hussien Q. , Jalil Rana R.
Published: March 2024

تتضمن إزالة الكبريت إزالة مركبات الكبريت العضوية من زيوت الوقود. في هذه الدراسة، تم استخدام تقنية البلازما اللاحرارية وتقنية البلازما بمساعدة بيروكسيد الهيدروجين لاكسدة الوقود المحتوي على مركبات من benzothiophene و dibenzothiophene.
 تم إجراء تفاعل الأكسدة باستخدام منظومة dielectric barrier discharge لتوليد بلازما غير حرارية. النتائج أظهرت ان تقنية البلازما ومزيج من البلازما مع بيروكسيد الهيدروجين معًا لأكسدة BT و DBT. تتبعان  pseudo-first-order reaction  وأن كفاءة الإزالة للبلازما 93.78٪ مقارنة مع مزيج البلازما وبيروكسيد الهيدروجين معًا والتي بلغت 95.12٪. هذا الاختلاف في الكفاءة لا يشكل فارقا اذا ما اخذ بنظر الاعتبار  الناحية الاقتصادية (استهلاك المواد الكيميائية) ، حيث يمكن الاكتفاء بتقنية البلازما.
A New Invariant Regarding Irreversible k-Threshold Conversion Processes on Some Graphs
Authors: Kassem Ali , Mahfud Suhail , Shaheen Ramy
Published: March 2024

تشكل عملية انتشار التحول غير العكوس ذو العتبة k في بيان ما  نوعاً خاصاً من عمليات الانتشار البيانية والتي تهتم بشكل خاص بدراسة انتشار تغير في حالة رؤوس للبيان  انطلاقاً من مجموعة اختيارية من رؤوسه حيث يتحقق انتشار التحول إلى الرؤوس المجاورة وفقاً لقاعدة تحول محددة مسبقاً. إن عملية انتشار التحول غير العكوس ذو العتبة k في البيان  هي عملية تكرارية تدرس انتشار تغير أحادي الاتجاه (من الحالة 0 إلى الحالة 1) على . تبدأ العملية باختيار مجموعة ، ومن أجل كل خطوة  فإن  تنتج عن  بإضافة جميع الرؤوس التي تجاور k رأسا على الأقل من  إلى . تدعى  بذرة عملية التحول غير العكوس ذو العتبة k وإذا تحقق أن  من أجل قيمة ما ، عندئذ تسمى  مجموعة تحول غير عكوس ذو عتبة انتشار k (IkCS) للبيان . عدد التحول غير العكوس ذو عتبة الانتشار k للبيان  (يرمز له ) هو عدد عناصر أصغر IkCS للبيان . في هذه الورقة البحثية نقوم بتعريف معامل جديد يسمى زمن التحول غير العكوس ذو عتبة الانتشار k (نرمز له بـ ) والذي يقيس أقل عدد ممكن من الخطوات  التي تحتاجها مجموعة IkCS أصغرية لنشر التحول إلى كافة رؤوس البيان. ونقوم بدراسة  لبعض البيانات الخاصة البسيطة مثل المسارات والحلقات والبيان النجمي، كما نقوم أيضاً بإيجاد و  للجداء المباشر لمسار  وحلقة  (والذي يرمز له بالرمز ) وذلك من أجل بعض قيم  و  و . كذلك نوجد  للبيان السلمي  من أجل  وأي قيمة عشوائية لـ .
Fixed Point Results for Almost Contraction Mappings in Fuzzy Metric Space
Authors: Sabri Raghad I. , Ahmed Buthainah A. A. Ahmed
Published: March 2024

في بعض المسائل الرياضية والحاسوبية والاقتصادية والنمذجة، يكون وجود حل لمشكلة نظرية أو مشكلة في العالم الحقيقي مرادفًا لوجود نقطة صامدة (Fp) لدالة مناسبة. وبالتالي،  فأن نظرية النقطة الصامدة Fp تلعب دورًا أساسيًا في مجموعة واسعة من السياقات الرياضية والعلمية. تعتبر نظرية النقطة الصامدة Fp  في حد ذاتها مزيجًا مذهلاً مكون من التحليل (التحليل الصرف والتحليل التطبيقي)، والهندسة، والطوبولوجيا. لقد أظهرت السنوات الأخيرة أن نظرية النقطة الصامدة  Fp هي أداة قوية ومفيدة للغاية في دراسة الحالات غير الخطية. تهتم نظريات النقطة الصامدة Fp بدالة f من المجموعة X الى المجموعة  X نفسها والتي في ظل ظروف معينة، فأنها تسمح بوجود نقطة صامدة Fp ، بعبارة اخرى انه بمعنى  لكل نقطة x موجودة في المجموعة X  (x∈X) بحيث أن f(x)=x .  يقدم هذا العمل ويثبت نظرية النقطة الصامدة Fp  لأنواع مختلفة من دوال الانكماش في الفضاء المتري الضبابي     (FM-space) والتي تسمى بدالة الانكماش القريبة ودالة الانكماش الضعيفة القريبة ( Ψ̃ ,Φ̃). في البداية، تم التذكير بمفهوم الفضاء المتري الضبابي(FM-space) وبعض المصطلحات المستخدمة في الإطار الضبابي. ثم بعد ذلك تم اعطاء مفهوم دالة المحاكاة. يتم استخدام مفهوم دالة المحاكاة هذا لتقديم تعريف دالة الانكماش Z̃ القريبة في إطار الفضاء المتري الضبابي. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، لقد تم استخدام هذا المفهوم(دالة الانكماش Z̃ القريبة) لبرهان وجود النقطة الصامدة ووحدانية النقطة الصامدة لهذا النوع من الدوال.ثم بعد ذلك تم تقديم فكرة دالة الانكماش الضعيفة القريبة ( Ψ̃ ,Φ̃)  في إطار الفضاء المتري الضبابي(FM-space) ، بالإضافة إلى تقديم نظرية النقطة الصامدة Fp لهذا النوع من من الدوال. وفي نهاية البحث تم تقديم بعض الأمثلة لدعم النتائج.
A Stage Structure Prey Predator Model Using Pentagonal Fuzzy Numbers and Functional Response
Authors: Palani Vinothini , Krishnan Kavitha
Published: March 2024

في هذه الدراسة، قمنا بدراسة نموذج مفترس للفريسة مع هيكل مرحلة للفريسة. الهدف من الدراسة هو إيجاد سلوك النموذج باستخدام قيم المعلمات في وجود أرقام ضبابية خماسية.. يتم التفاعل بين الأنواع باستخدام الاستجابات الوظيفية، مثل تفاعل هولينج من النوع الأول للفريسة الناضجة واستجابة كرولي مارتن الوظيفية للفريسة الناضجة . فكرة المشكلة هي بناء نموذج رياضي في بيئة غامضة باستخدام المعلمات الغامضة والقيم الأولية.. يتم تنفيذ وجود نقاط التوازن. وباستخدام مفهوم قطع ألفا للمعلمات المستخدمة في نموذج الفريسة – المفترس تم التعامل مع الأعداد الغامضة الخماسية. يمكن اعتبار المعلمات التي استخدموها في الصياغة الرياضية قيمة واضحة من خلال تطبيق طريقة إزالة الضبابية. هنا يتم استخدام طريقة تقنية التصنيف القوية. تتم دراسة استقرار كل نقطة توازن عن طريق حساب مصفوفة جاكوبي وإيجاد القيم الذاتية التي تم تقييمها عند كل نقطة توازن. من خلال الاستفادة من تحليل استقرار هيكل مرحلة الفريسة يتم اكتشافه أيضًا. بالنسبة للنظام الديناميكي تم توفير عمليات محاكاة عددية باستخدام برنامج MATLAB للكمبيوتر حتى نتمكن من عرض سلوك النظام وتحديد ما إذا كان مستقرًا أم غير مستقر.
In vitro and in vivo experimental investigation Of TSRP reverses imatinib resistance through the PI3K / Akt pathway in chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: He Ying , Ding Jiyuan , Liu Liqin , Chen Jiajun , Zhong Hong , Li Changyu , XU Xiaofeng
Published: March 2024

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a malignant tumor of the blood system, so far there is no effective cure. Imatinib (IM), as the first-line drug for the clinical targeted treatment of CML, has some limiting factors such as drug resistance and relapse, and drug resistance has also emerged in combination with other drugs. At present, traditional Chinese medicine combined with targeted drugs in the treatment of tumor is a research hotspot. The total saponin (TSRP) of the Chinese herb Citraria sinensis has an effective anti-tumor activity. Our previous in vitro experiments showed that TSRP can effectively inhibit the proliferation and promote apoptosis of CML cells K562, suggesting that TSRP can effectively reverse the drug resistance of IM, but the mechanism of drug resistance remains unclear. Studies have shown that the PI3K/AKT pathway is the main activation pathway of IM secondary resistance, and is considered to be an innovative therapeutic strategy for targeted cancer treatment, which may be an important mechanism of IM resistance. This project aims to reveal the possible mechanism of TSRP reversing IM resistance through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway through both in vitro and in vivo experiments, providing experimental basis for TSRP combined with IM treatment of CML.
Prognostic value and immune status of AIM2 in skin cutaneous melanoma
Authors: Long Yong Sheng , Xu Jing , Wang Yu Mao , Chen Wan Qian
Published: March 2024

Background
Absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) is an important developmental regulator for innate immune responses, and recent studies on AIM2 have reported its vital role in cancer development and progression. However, AIM2 in skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) tumor immune microenvironment has not been extensively studied.
Methods
We explored the expression and prognostic value of AIM2 at the pan-cancer level based on multiple public databases. We analyzed the SKCM transcriptome sequencing data and clinical information, available on various public databases, using differential analysis, prognostic analysis, machine learning, and various immune infiltration algorithms. We used online visualization databases to explore AIM2 expression in SKCM to determine its prognostic impact. Furthermore, we constructed a risk signature based on AIM2-related genes.
Results
Based on the pan-cancer analysis, AIM2 was found to be an independent prognostic factor for SKCM. AIM2 expression notably differed in SKCM and was associated with an improved survival rate among patients. Increased AIM2 expression promoted the immune response of patients with SKCM, inducing pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis. In vitro transwell assay and scratch test showed that the knockdown of AIM2 expression increased its invasiveness and metastasis of the SKCM cell line, A875. Knockdown of AIM2 expression revealed decreased expression of ZBP1 and MEFV, the important genes in the PANoptosis complex. Simultaneously, the expression of pyroptosis, apoptosis, and CD8+ T cell marker genes (GSDMD, CASP-8, and CD8A) also decreased. The infiltration levels of various antitumor immune cells positively correlated with AIM2 expression, and the infiltration levels notably differed between patients with high and low levels of AIM2 expression. The Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion framework analysis revealed that AIM2 expression accurately facilitated the prediction of the efficacy of SKCM immunotherapy. Mechanistic analysis revealed an association between AIM2 overexpression and PANoptosis signaling upregulation, thereby affecting the patterns of chemokines and cytokines in TIME. Furthermore, the prediction and prediction performance of the prognostic model was found to be accurate.
Conclusion
AIM2 is associated with an increased abundance of effector CD8+ T cells, positive responses to immune checkpoint blockade treatment, and improved SKCM prognoses. Therefore, it could be used as a putative enhancer and prognostic biomarker for SKCM treatment.
Anti-inflammatory effects of quercetin, rutin, and troxerutin result from the inhibition of NO production and the reduction of COX-2 levels in RAW 264.7 cells treated with LPS
Authors: Lee Gi Baek , Kim Yohan , Lee Kyung Eun , Vinayagam Ramachandran , Singh Mahendra , Kang Sang Gu
Published: March 2024

Flavonols effectively scavenge the reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and act as immune-enhancing, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-carcinogenic agents. Here, we explored the comparative antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of plant-originating flavonols, like quercetin, rutin, and troxerutin against acetylsalicylic acid. Quercetin and rutin showed a high ability to remove active ROS, but troxerutin and acetylsalicylic acid exhibited little such function. In RAW 264.7 cells, quercetin, rutin, and troxerutin did not exhibit cellular toxicity at low concentrations. In addition, quercetin, rutin, and troxerutin considerably (p < 0.05) lowered the protein expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) as compared to acetylsalicylic acid in cells inflamed with lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Additionally, in inflamed cells, quercetin and rutin significantly down-regulated the nitrogen oxide (NO) level (p < 0.05) at higher concentrations, whereas Troxerutin did not reduce the NO level. In addition, Troxerutin down-regulated the pro-inflammatory protein markers, such as TNF-α, COX-2, NF-κB, and IL-1β better than quercetin, rutin, and acetylsalicylic acid. We observed that troxerutin exhibited a significantly greater anti-inflammatory effect than acetylsalicylic acid did. Acetylsalicylic acid did not significantly down-regulated the expression of COX-2 and TNF-α (p < 0.05) compared to troxerutin. Hence, it can be concluded that the down-regulation of NO levels and the expression of COX-2 and TNF-α proteins could be mechanisms of action for the natural compounds quercetin, rutin, and troxerutin in preventing inflammation.
Microfacies and diagenesis of Setul Formation, Langkawi, Malaysia: Implications for the depositional environment
Authors: Rahman Aqillah Abdul , Teoh Ying Jia , Abir Ismail Ahmad , Mustafa Fatin , Zolkifli Nurul Hayati Hamizah , Halim Nur Balqis , Badlysham Nurul Syafira , Jaya Ramadhansyah Putra , Ulfa Yuniarti
Published: March 2024

The ongoing investigation into the microfacies and diagenesis of the Setul limestone reveals a considerable expanse of the formation that remains relatively unexplored. The comprehension of microfacies and diagenetic processes within sedimentary rocks holds paramount significance in predicting their viability as hydrocarbon reservoirs, decoding the geological history and depositional environment of a given region, reconstructing past climatic conditions, and understanding the fossil record. To meet the stipulated research objectives, which encompass the identification of microfacies and diagenesis within the Setul limestone, and the discourse on the diagenetic mechanisms operative within the limestone from the Gua Cherita outcrop, a multifaceted approach has been undertaken. This encompasses field observations, acid tests, thin section analyses, and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analyses. The distinguished microfacies within the Setul limestone encompass packstone, wackestone, grainstone, and mudstone. Among the discerned minerals and grain constituents are dolomite, calcite, calcite veins, ooids, micrite, peloids, pellets, and vestiges of biota like ostracods and brachiopods. This variety of microfacies signifies a shallow marine depositional environment characterized by varying energy levels. Simultaneously, the diagenetic processes analysed in this study include dolomitization, cementation as well as compaction or stylolitization. The validity of this assertion is supported by the occurrence of dolomite, cemented grains, micrites, and the obvious presence of stylolitic structures observed in the samples. In essence, the prevailing expectation is that the results of this study will provide important and valuable insights for the geological community, with a specific emphasis on explaining the complex relationship between facies characteristics and the effectiveness of limestone reservoirs. Furthermore, this research is set to offer comprehensive insights into the physical properties of carbonate rocks, thereby establishing a strong basis to support future efforts within the realm of oil and gas exploration. The implications extend across both economic and industrial domains, highlighted by the inherent potential for the practical use of these findings.
Endothelial SHANK3 Controls Tight Junction of Neonatal Blood-Brain Barrier
Authors: Kim Il Hwan , Kim Yong-Eun , Kim Minseong , Kim Sunwhi , Lee Raham , Ujihara Yusuke , Marquez-Wilkins Esther Magdalena , Jiang Yong-hui , Lee Changhoon , Park Changwon
Published: March 2024

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability condition arising from the combination of genetic and environmental factors. Despite the blood-brain barrier (BBB) serving as a crucial gatekeeper, conveying environmental influences into the brain parenchyma, the contributions of BBB in ASD pathogenesis remain largely uncharted. Here we report that a novel form of SHANK3, a gene strongly associated with Phelan-McDermid syndrome and ASD2, expresses in the BBB-forming brain endothelial cells (BECs) and regulates tight junctional (TJ) integrity essential for maintaining the BBB’s barrier function. Loss of Shank3 disrupts the TJ of BECs, leading to increased paracellular passage through endothelial linings. Neonates with endothelium-specific SHANK3 knockout exhibit increased BBB permeability, reduced neuronal excitability, and impaired ultra-sonic communications. Surprisingly, while BBB permeability is restored during adult age, the mutant mice continue to display reduced neuronal excitability, impaired sociability, and repetitive responses. Further investigation reveals that the hyperpermeability resulting from TJ disruption is attributed to the β-Catenin imbalance triggered by SHANK3 knockout, which is rescued by normalizing β-Catenin signaling in vitro and in vivo. These findings highlight a previously unknown pathogenic mechanism stemming from the ASD-risk SHANK3, emphasizing the significance of neonatal BECs in the BBB as a potential therapeutic target of ASD
The Influence of Women in Boardrooms on the Relationship Between Control of Corruption and Sustainability in an International Study
Authors: Elsheikh Tamer , Almaqtari Faozi A. , Al-Hattami Hamood Mohammed , Al-Bukhrani Mohammed A. , Ettish Abdou Ahmed
Published: March 2024

This paper examines the interplay between country-level control of corruption, female board representation, and corporate sustainability performance using regression analysis on a global sample of over 36,000 firms. The results indicate that control of corruption and increased board diversity have significant positive direct effects on overall environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores, with their interaction effect being highly significant, suggesting a substantial combined influence. Additionally, analyses by sustainable development goal (SDG) alignment demonstrate that control of corruption improves ESG performance irrespective of SDG level, while board diversity benefits both high and low SDG groups. Regional analyses further reveal varied effects of these factors across America, Europe, and Asia. These findings underscore the significance of governance quality and female representation in enhancing corporate sustainability worldwide, emphasizing the potential for firms to improve ESG performance through prioritizing anti-corruption efforts and promoting board diversity. This international study contributes valuable insights into the relationship between country-level governance, corporate board composition, and sustainability outcomes across diverse contexts, highlighting the importance of tailoring sustainability policies and practices based on regional and developmental nuances.