bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aquaporin-3a Dysfunction Impairs Osmoadaptation in Post-Activated Marine Fish Spermatozoa
Authors: Chauvigné François , Castro-Arnau Júlia , López-Fortún Noelia , Sánchez-Chardi Alejandro , Rützler Michael , Calamita Giuseppe , Finn Roderick Nigel , Cerdà Joan
Published: September 2024

Spermatozoon volume regulation is an essential determinant of male fertility competence in mammals and oviparous fishes. In mammals, aquaporin water channels (AQP3, -7 and -8) have been suggested to play a role in spermatozoon cell volume regulatory responses in the hypotonic female oviduct. In contrast, the ejaculated spermatozoa of marine teleosts, such as the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), experience a high hypertonic shock in seawater, initially resulting in an Aqp1aa-mediated water efflux, cell shrinkage and the activation of motility. Further regulatory recovery of cell volume in post-activated spermatozoa is mediated by Aqp4a in cooperation with the Trpv4 Ca2+ channel and other ion channels and transporters. Using a paralog-specific antibody, here, we show that seabream spermatozoa also express the aquaglyceroporin AQP3 ortholog Aqp3a, which is highly accumulated in the mid posterior region of the spermatozoon flagella, in a similar pattern to that described in mouse and human sperm. To investigate the role of Aqp3a in seabream sperm motility, we used a recently developed AQP3 antagonist (DFP00173), as well as the seabream Aqp3a-specific antibody (α-SaAqp3a), both of which specifically inhibit Aqp3a-mediated water conductance when the channel was heterologously expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Inhibition with either DFP00173 or α-SaAqp3a did not affect sperm motility activation but did impair the spermatozoon motion kinetics at 30 s post activation in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, in close resemblance to the phenotypes of AQP3-deficient murine sperm, electron microscopy image analysis revealed that both Aqp3a inhibitors induce abnormal sperm tail morphologies, including swelling and angulation of the tail, with complete coiling of the flagella in some cases. These findings suggest a conserved role of Aqp3a as an osmosensor that regulates cell volume in fish spermatozoa under a high hypertonic stress, thereby controlling the efflux of water and/or solutes in the post-activated spermatozoon.
Gut Microbiota-Mediated Biotransformation of Medicinal Herb-Derived Natural Products: A Narrative Review of New Frontiers in Drug Discovery
Authors: Peterson Christine Tara
Published: September 2024

The discovery of natural products has been pivotal in drug development, providing a vast reservoir of bioactive compounds from various biological sources. This narrative review addresses a critical research gap: the largely underexplored role of gut microbiota in the mediation and biotransformation of medicinal herb-derived natural products for therapeutic use. By examining the interplay between gut microbiota and natural products, this review highlights the potential of microbiota-mediated biotransformation to unveil novel therapeutic agents. It delves into the mechanisms by which gut microbes modify and enhance the efficacy of natural products, with a focus on herbal medicines from Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, known for their applications in treating metabolic and inflammatory diseases. The review also discusses recent advances in microbiota-derived natural product research, including innovative methodologies such as culturomics, metagenomics, and metabolomics. By exploring the intricate interactions between gut microorganisms and their substrates, this review uncovers new strategies for leveraging gut microbiota-mediated processes in the development of groundbreaking therapeutics.
Clinical Utility of Ocular Assessments in Sport-Related Concussion: A Scoping Review
Authors: Walshe Ayrton , Daly Ed , Ryan Lisa
Published: September 2024

Background/objectives: Ocular tools and technologies may be used in the diagnosis of sport-related concussions (SRCs), but their clinical utility can vary. The following study aimed to review the literature pertaining to the reliability and diagnostic accuracy of such assessments. Methods: The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews was adhered to. Reference standard reliability (RSR ≥ 0.75) and diagnostic accuracy (RSDA ≥ 0.80) were implemented to aid interpretation. Results: In total, 5223 articles were screened using the PCC acronym (Population, Concept, Context) with 74 included in the final analysis. Assessments included the King-Devick (KD) (n = 34), vestibular-ocular motor screening (VOMs) and/or near point of convergence (NPC) (n = 25), and various alternative tools and technologies (n = 20). The KD met RSR, but RSDA beyond amateur sport was limited. NPC met RSR but did not have RSDA to identify SRCs. The VOMs had conflicting RSR for total score and did not meet RSR in its individual tests. The VOMs total score did perform well in RSDA for SRCs. No alternative tool or technology met both RSR and RSDA. Conclusion: Ocular tools are useful, rapid screening tools but should remain within a multi-modal assessment for SRCs at this time.
Effects of Swimming Exercise on Early Adolescents’ Physical Conditioning and Physical Health: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ferreira Francisco A. , Santos Catarina C. , Palmeira António L. , Fernandes Ricardo J. , Costa Mário J.
Published: September 2024

Background/Objectives: Swimming is a popular and cost-effective way to prevent sedentary behavior and improve physical conditioning and health during early adolescence. However, information on its impact and benefits on daily life activities is lacking. This systematic review aims to summarize the chronic effects of swimming on physical conditioning and physical health outcomes in early adolescents. Methods: The PRISMA 2020 guidelines were followed and PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and International Symposium of Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming proceedings databases were searched. Eligibility criteria were defined on the PICOS framework (healthy adolescents in early puberty, swimming programmes or training, passive or active control groups, general effects on physical conditioning or health, longitudinal) and risk of bias was assessed using RoBANS 2. Results: From 2365 records, 20 non-randomized studies met the defined criteria. High heterogeneity in sample size and intervention was observed. While studies related to physical conditioning (n = 5) focused on physiological variables and muscular function, the evidence regarding physical health outcomes (n = 15) explored bone accrual, haemodynamics, body composition, musculoskeletal system, and lung growth. High overall risk of bias (70%) was observed due to strict criteria. Conclusions: Swimming exercise seems to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiac output, haemodynamics, heart growth, motor performance, and body composition of early adolescents. Despite clear evidence that exists on these chronic effects, research on bone health, postural deficit, motor skills, and sleep quality is still missing.
Integrated Ultrasound Characterization of the Diet-Induced Obesity (DIO) Model in Young Adult c57bl/6j Mice: Assessment of Cardiovascular, Renal and Hepatic Changes
Authors: Gargiulo Sara , Barone Virginia , Bonente Denise , Tamborrino Tiziana , Inzalaco Giovanni , Gherardini Lisa , Bertelli Eugenio , Chiariello Mario
Published: September 2024

Consuming an unbalanced diet and being overweight represent a global health problem in young people and adults of both sexes, and may lead to metabolic syndrome. The diet-induced obesity (DIO) model in the C57BL/6J mouse substrain that mimics the gradual weight gain in humans consuming a “Western-type” (WD) diet is of great interest. This study aims to characterize this animal model, using high-frequency ultrasound imaging (HFUS) as a complementary tool to longitudinally monitor changes in the liver, heart and kidney. Long-term WD feeding increased mice body weight (BW), liver/BW ratio and body condition score (BCS), transaminases, glucose and insulin, and caused dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. Echocardiography revealed subtle cardiac remodeling in WD-fed mice, highlighting a significant age–diet interaction for some left ventricular morphofunctional parameters. Qualitative and parametric HFUS analyses of the liver in WD-fed mice showed a progressive increase in echogenicity and echotexture heterogeneity, and equal or higher brightness of the renal cortex. Furthermore, renal circulation was impaired in WD-fed female mice. The ultrasound and histopathological findings were concordant. Overall, HFUS can improve the translational value of preclinical DIO models through an integrated approach with conventional methods, enabling a comprehensive identification of early stages of diseases in vivo and non-invasively, according to the 3Rs.
Decoding Breast Cancer: Using Radiomics to Non-Invasively Unveil Molecular Subtypes Directly from Mammographic Images
Authors: Bakker Manon A. G. , Ovalho Maria de Lurdes , Matela Nuno , Mota Ana M.
Published: September 2024

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. The therapy used and its success depend highly on the histology of the tumor. This study aimed to explore the potential of predicting the molecular subtype of breast cancer using radiomic features extracted from screening digital mammography (DM) images. A retrospective study was performed using the OPTIMAM Mammography Image Database (OMI-DB). Four binary classification tasks were performed: luminal A vs. non-luminal A, luminal B vs. non-luminal B, TNBC vs. non-TNBC, and HER2 vs. non-HER2. Feature selection was carried out by Pearson correlation and LASSO. The support vector machine (SVM) and naive Bayes (NB) ML classifiers were used, and their performance was evaluated with the accuracy and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). A total of 186 patients were included in the study: 58 luminal A, 35 luminal B, 52 TNBC, and 41 HER2. The SVM classifier resulted in AUCs during testing of 0.855 for luminal A, 0.812 for luminal B, 0.789 for TNBC, and 0.755 for HER2, respectively. The NB classifier showed AUCs during testing of 0.714 for luminal A, 0.746 for luminal B, 0.593 for TNBC, and 0.714 for HER2. The SVM classifier outperformed NB with statistical significance for luminal A (p = 0.0268) and TNBC (p = 0.0073). Our study showed the potential of radiomics for non-invasive breast cancer subtype classification.
Study on Laser Transmission Welding Technology of TC4 Titanium Alloy and High-Borosilicate Glass
Authors: Chen Changjun , Li Lei , Zhang Min , Xu Mengxuan , Zhang Wei
Published: September 2024

As the demand for high-performance dissimilar material joining continues to increase in fields such as aerospace, biomedical engineering, and electronics, the welding technology of dissimilar materials has become a focus of research. However, due to the differences in material properties, particularly in the welding between metals and non-metals, numerous challenges arise. The formation and quality of the weld seam are strongly influenced by laser process parameters. In this study, successful welding of high-borosilicate glass to a TC4 titanium alloy, which was treated with high-temperature oxidation, was achieved using a millisecond pulsed laser. A series of process parameter comparison experiments were designed, and the laser welding behavior of the titanium alloy and glass under different process parameters was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a universal testing machine as the primary analysis and testing equipment. The results revealed that changes in process parameters significantly affect the energy input and accumulation during the welding process. The maximum joint strength of 60.67 N was obtained at a laser power of 180 W, a welding speed of 3 mm/s, a defocus distance of 0 mm, and a frequency of 10 Hz. Under the action of the laser, the two materials mixed and penetrated into the molten pool, thus achieving a connection. A phase, Ti5Si3, was detected at the fracture site, indicating that both mechanical bonding and chemical bonding reactions occurred between the high-borosilicate glass and the TC4 titanium alloy during the laser welding process.
Auto-Combustion of Corn Straw: Production and Characterization of Corn Straw Ash (CSA) for Its Use in Portland Cement Mortars
Authors: Payá Jordi , Escalera Alejandro , Borrachero María Victoria , Roselló Josefa , Monzó José , Soriano Lourdes
Published: September 2024

Agricultural waste availability implies the possibility of recovering energy as biomass. The collateral effect is the production of ashes that, in some cases, have the potential to be reused in the manufacture of cement, mortar, and concrete. This article presents the study of the auto-combustion (unlike all previous studies) of corn (maize) straw (stems and leaves). The auto-combustion temperature was monitored, and the obtained corn straw ash (CSA) was characterized by means of X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. Finally, the behavior of ground CSA was analyzed in both the fresh state by measurement of workability on the spreading table and the hardened state by compressive strength measurement on mortars in which 10% of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) was replaced with CSA. These values were compared to both a control mortar (OPC) and a mortar in which OPC was partially replaced with 10% limestone filler. Ashes showed adequate pozzolanic reactivity because, at 90 curing days, the compressive strength of the mortars with 10% replacement of OPC with CSA was practically equal (98% of the strength) to the control mortar without pozzolan replacement. The auto-combustion of biomass is a process that can be easily available, and the results on pozzolanic reactivity of CSA are satisfactory. The auto-combustion could be used by low-income communities to reduce Portland cement clinker use and to recover waste.
Rheological and Aging Properties of Nano-Clay/SBS Composite-Modified Asphalt
Authors: Lu Yeqing , Li Siwei , Jiang Yixin , Yang Xiaolong , Li Linxianzi
Published: September 2024

Nano-organic montmorillonite (OMMT) not only inhibits the harmful asphalt fume generation during the production and construction processes of asphalt mixtures but also effectively improves the performance of asphalt pavements. In order to prepare asphalt materials with smoke suppression effects and good road performance, this study selects nano-OMMT and SBS-modified asphalt for composite modification of asphalt mixtures and systematically investigates its road performance. Through the temperature sweep test, the frequency sweep test, the multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) test, the bending beam rheometer (BBR) test, and the atomic force microscope (AFM) test, the high-temperature rheological properties, low-temperature rheological properties, high-temperature properties and aging resistance of the modified asphalt are studied. The research findings indicate that OMMT can effectively reduce the sensitivity of modified asphalt to load stress and improve its high-temperature rheological properties. SBS-modified asphalt shows increased creep stiffness and a decreased creep rate after OMMT modification, resulting in reduced flexibility and decreased low-temperature crack resistance. After short-term and long-term aging, the complex modulus aging index of OMMT/SBS composite-modified asphalt is lower than that of SBS-modified asphalt, and the phase angle aging index is higher than that of SBS-modified asphalt, demonstrating that OMMT enhances the aging resistance of SBS-modified asphalt. OMMT inhibits oxidation reactions in the asphalt matrix, reducing the formation of C=O and S=O bonds, thereby slowing down the aging process of modified asphalt and improving its aging resistance.
Theoretical Analysis of Stacking Fault Energy, Elastic Properties, Electronic Properties, and Work Function of MnxCoCrFeNi High-Entropy Alloy
Authors: Sun Fenger , Zhang Guowei , Xu Hong , Li Dongyang , Fu Yizheng
Published: September 2024

The effects of different Mn concentrations on the generalized stacking fault energies (GSFE) and elastic properties of MnxCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloys (HEAs) have been studied via first-principles, which are based on density functional theory. The relationship of different Mn concentrations with the chemical bond and surface activity of MnxCoCrFeNi HEAs are discussed from the perspectives of electronic structure and work function. The results show that the plastic deformation of MnxCoCrFeNi HEAs can be controlled via dislocation-mediated slip. But with the increase in Mn concentration, mechanical micro twinning can still be formed. The deformation resistance, shear resistance, and stiffness of MnxCoCrFeNi HEAs increase with the enhancement of Mn content. Accordingly, in the case of increased Mn concentration, the weakening of atomic bonds in MnxCoCrFeNi HEAs leads to the increase in alloy instability, which improves the possibility of dislocation.
Early Prediction and Streamline of Nucleophosmin Mutation Status in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Using Cup-Like Nuclear Morphology
Authors: Jakovic Ljubomir , Djordjevic Vesna , Kraguljac Kurtovic Nada , Virijevic Marijana , Mitrovic Mirjana , Trajkovic Lazar , Vidovic Ana , Bogdanovic Andrija
Published: September 2024

Background and Objectives: With the advent of novel therapies for nucleophosmin gene (NPM1)-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML), there is a growing need for the reliable prediction of NPM1 mutations. This study explored the role of cytomorphological features in the early prediction of NPM1-mutated AML. Materials and Methods: Altogether, 212 de novo AML cases with normal karyotypes, diagnosed and treated at a single institution within 5 years (2018–2023), were retrospectively evaluated. A final diagnosis of NPM1-mutated AML, based on the World Health Organization (WHO) integrated criteria, including real-time based identification of NPM1 mutation and normal karyotype, was established in 83/212 (39.15%) cases. Results: Cup-like blasts (CLBs), a cytomorphological feature suggestive of NPM1-mutated AML, were detected in 56/83 (67%) patients. Most cases (44/56, 78.6%) had CLB ≥ 10%. In total, 27 of 83 AML NPM1-mutated patients had no CLB morphology (missed call). Additionally, two of 212 had CLB morphology without confirmed NPM1 mutation (wrong call). The positive/negative predictive values of cytomorphological evaluation for CLB ≥ 10% were 95.7%/75.6%, with sensitivity/specificity of 53%/98.5%, while the accuracy was 80.7%. We noted an increased percentage of CLBs (≥15%) in 77.8% and 50% of patients with AML without and with granulocytic maturation, respectively (the specificity for NPM1 mutation prediction was 100%). CLB was associated with fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) mutation (p = 0.03), but, without statistical significance for CLB ≥ 10% and CLB ≥ 15%. Conclusions: Our investigation confirmed that the morphological identification of CLB at diagnosis represents a reliable and easily reproducible tool for the early prediction of NPM1 mutations, enabling a streamlined genetic work-up for its confirmation. This may facilitate considering the early administration of individualized therapies by clinicians for specific patients.
Anesthesia’s Influence on Postoperative In-Hospital Morbidity–Mortality in Proximal Femoral Fractures in the Elderly
Authors: Hershkovich Oded , Tetroashvili Inga , Goldstein Adam Lee , Lotan Raphael
Published: September 2024

Background and Objectives: The incidence of proximal femoral fractures (PFFs) is rising, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Regional anesthesia (RA)’s benefits include the avoidance of intubation and mechanical ventilation, decreased blood loss, and improved analgesia. General anesthesia (GA) offers improved hemodynamic stability. This study examines the in-hospital post-surgical morbidity and mortality seen in PFFs in a cohort of the elderly undergoing GA or RA. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 319 PFF patients older than 65 years over a single year. Results: In total, 73.7% of patients underwent GA. The patient characteristics were identical between groups, except for smoking. Hypertension was the most frequent comorbidity, followed by hyperlipidemia, NIDDM, and IHD. The overall patient complication rate was 11.4%. Pneumonia was the most common complication (5.1% in GA, 8.4% in RA). A total of 0.9% of patients required ICU admission. Overall, the in-hospital mortality rate was 2.3%, with no statistically significant difference between GA and RA. The GA and RA cohorts were similar in terms of their patient demographics, medical history, and preoperative parameters. In total, 73% of surgeries were under GA. No statistically significant differences were found in total anesthesia time or complication rates. Conclusions: We did not find a difference between general and spinal anesthesia regarding complication rates, anesthesia time, or morbidity. General anesthesia remains best suited for patients receiving anticoagulation treatment and undergoing semi-urgent surgery, but, other than that, the mode of anesthesia administered remains up to the anesthesiologist’s preference.
Hallux Dorsal Curvature of the Distal Phalanx and Its Possible Implications for the Dorsal Osteophyte
Authors: Guillén Escámez Emma , Redón Martín Martín , Nieto-García Eduardo , Fernández-Ehrling Nadia , Ferrer-Torregrosa Javier
Published: September 2024

Background and Objective: The dorsal osteophyte on the distal phalanx of the first toe (hallux) is a reactive bony protrusion that may be associated with pathologies such as onychocryptosis or pincer nail. This study aims to describe and analyze the correlation between three novel measurements—dorsal osteophyte height (HDO), distal phalangeal hyperextension (DPHA), and distal phalangeal curvature (DCDP)—and to evaluate the impact of minimally invasive surgery on the dorsal osteophyte using fluoroscopic data. Materials and Methods: A total of 125 fluoroscopic images were analyzed. Baseline measurements for the variables were compared between groups. The key variables included distal phalanx curvature, distal phalanx hyperextension, and dorsal osteophyte height. Results: The analysis revealed statistically significant differences in the main group effect for distal phalanx curvature (F [2, 122] = 7.54, p < 0.001), distal phalanx hyperextension (F [2, 122] = 28.90, p < 0.001), and dorsal osteophyte height (F [2, 122] = 13.64, p < 0.001). Significant correlations were found between distal phalanx curvature and distal phalanx hyperextension, as well as between distal phalanx hyperextension and dorsal osteophyte height. However, no significant correlation was observed between distal phalanx curvature and dorsal osteophyte height. Conclusions: The findings suggest that minimally invasive dorsal osteophyte surgery effectively restores the distal phalanx to normal conditions, as indicated by the variables studied.
Assessment of Urinary Dopamine and Serotonin Metabolites in Relation to Dysbiosis Indicators in Patients with Functional Constipation
Authors: Chojnacki Jan , Popławski Tomasz , Kaczka Aleksandra , Romanowska Natalia , Chojnacki Cezary , Gąsiorowska Anita
Published: September 2024

Background: The causes of functional constipation (FC) in adults are unclear, but changes in the gut microbiome may play an important role. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between urinary metabolites of dopamine and serotonin and some dysbiosis indicators in patients with FC. The study included 40 healthy women and 40 women with FC aged 21–46 years. Methods: Urinary levels of homovanillic acid (HVA), 5-hydoxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (PhAc), and 3-indoxyl sulfate, as final metabolites of dopamine, serotonin, and indole pathway, respectively, were determined using the LC-Ms/Ms method. However, hydrogen–methane and ammonia breath tests were performed. The GA-map Dysbiosis Test was used to identify and characterize the dysbiosis index (DI). Results: In patients with FC, the DI was significantly higher than in the control group: 4.05 ± 0.53 vs. 1.52 ± 0.81 points (p < 0.001), but the number of many types of bacteria varied among individuals. The levels of HVA were higher, while 5-HIAA levels were lower in patients. Moreover, the HVA/5-HIAA ratio had a positive correlation with DI as well as with the severity of symptoms. Conclusions: In patients with functional constipation, the balance in dopamine and serotonin secretion is disturbed, which is associated with changes in the gut microbiome.
Novel Pyrrole Derivatives as Multi-Target Agents for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: Microwave-Assisted Synthesis, In Silico Studies and Biological Evaluation
Authors: Mateev Emilio , Karatchobanov Valentin , Dedja Marjano , Diamantakos Konstantinos , Mateeva Alexandrina , Muhammed Muhammed Tilahun , Irfan Ali , Kondeva-Burdina Magdalena , Valkova Iva , Georgieva Maya , Zlatkov Alexander
Published: September 2024

Considering the complex pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the multi-target ligand strategy is expected to provide superior effects for the treatment of the neurological disease compared to the classic single target strategy. Thus, one novel pyrrole-based hydrazide (vh0) and four corresponding hydrazide–hydrazones (vh1-4) were synthesized by applying highly efficient MW-assisted synthetic protocols. The synthetic pathway provided excellent yields and reduced reaction times under microwave conditions compared to conventional heating. The biological assays indicated that most of the novel pyrroles are selective MAO-B inhibitors with IC50 in the nanomolar range (665 nM) and moderate AChE inhibitors. The best dual-acting MAO-B/AChE inhibitor (IC50 hMAOB–0.665 μM; IC50 eeAChE—4.145 μM) was the unsubstituted pyrrole-based hydrazide (vh0). Importantly, none of the novel molecules displayed hMAOA-blocking capacities. The radical-scavenging properties of the compounds were examined using DPPH and ABTS in vitro tests. Notably, the hydrazide vh0 demonstrated the best antioxidant activities. In addition, in silico simulations using molecular docking and MM/GBSA, targeting the AChE (PDB ID: 4EY6) and MAO-B (PDB: 2V5Z), were utilized to obtain active conformations and to optimize the most prominent dual inhibitor (vh0). The ADME and in vitro PAMPA studies demonstrated that vh0 could cross the blood–brain barrier, and it poses good lead-like properties. Moreover, the optimized molecular structures and the frontier molecular orbitals were examined via DFT studies at 6-311G basis set in the ground state.
Biological Evaluations and Computer-Aided Approaches of Janus Kinases 2 and 3 Inhibitors for Cancer Treatment: A Review
Authors: Vázquez-Jiménez Lenci K. , Rivera Gildardo , Juárez-Saldivar Alfredo , Ortega-Balleza Jessica L. , Ortiz-Pérez Eyra , Jaime-Sánchez Elena , Paz-González Alma , Lara-Ramírez Edgar E.
Published: September 2024

Cancer remains one of the leading diseases of mortality worldwide. Janus kinases 2/3 (JAK2/3) have been considered a drug target for the development of drugs to treat different types of cancer. JAK2/3 play a critical role in innate immunity, inflammation, and hematopoiesis by mediating the signaling of numerous cytokines, growth factors, and interferons. The current focus is to develop new selective inhibitors for each JAK type. In this review, the current strategies of computer-aided studies, and biological evaluations against JAK2/3 are addressed. We found that the new synthesized JAK2/3 inhibitors are prone to containing heterocyclic aromatic rings such as pyrimidine, pyridine, and pyrazolo [3,4-d]pyrimidine. Moreover, inhibitors of natural origin derived from plant extracts and insects have shown suitable inhibitory capacities. Computer-assisted studies have shown the important features of inhibitors for JAK2/3 binding. Biological evaluations showed that the inhibition of the JAK receptor affects its related signaling pathway. Although the reviewed compounds showed good inhibitory capacity in vitro and in vivo, more in-depth studies are needed to advance toward full approval of cancer treatments in humans.
Fire-Resistant and Thermal Stability Properties of Fluorosilicone Adhesives by Incorporation of Surface-Modified Aluminum Trihydrate
Authors: Sung Kyung-Soo , Cho Hye-Won , Lee Dae-Ho , Kim Woonjung , Kim Namil
Published: September 2024

Fluorosilicone was combined with aluminum trihydrate (ATH) to induce synergistic flame-retardant and thermal-resistant properties. The surface of ATH was modified with four different silane coupling agents. The flammability and mechanical properties of the fluorosilicone/ATH composites were assessed using an UL94 vertical test and a die shear strength test. The change in shear strength was investigated under aging for 1000 h at −55 °C and 150 °C. Pure fluorosilicone had inherent fire resistance and thus achieved a V-0 rating even at 20 wt.% ATH loading. Upon addition of ATH treated with 3-glycidoxypropyl trimethoxysilane, the composites exhibited the highest shear strength of 3.9 MPa at 23 °C because of the additional crosslinking reaction of fluorosilicone resin with the epoxide functional group of the coupling agent. Regardless of the types of coupling agents, the composites exhibited similar flame retardancy at the same ATH content, with a slight reduction in shear strength at 180 °C and 250 °C. The shear strength of the adhesives gradually decreased with aging time at −55 °C, but increased noticeably from 3.9 MPa to 11.5 MPa when aged at 150 °C due to the occurrence of the additional crosslinking reaction of fluorosilicone.
Optimized Eco-Friendly Foam Materials: A Study on the Effects of Sodium Alginate, Cellulose, and Activated Carbon
Authors: Ergün Mehmet Emin , Kurt Rıfat , Can Ahmet , Özlüsoylu İsmail , Ersoy Kalyoncu Evren
Published: September 2024

This study focuses on optimizing the physical and mechanical properties of foam materials produced with the addition of sodium alginate as the matrix, and cellulose and activated carbon as fillers. Foam materials, valued for their lightweight and insulation properties, are typically produced from synthetic polymers that pose environmental risks. To mitigate these concerns, this study investigates the potential of natural, biodegradable polymers. Various foam formulations were tested to evaluate their density, compression modulus, and thermal conductivity. The results indicated that an increase in activated carbon content enhanced thermal stability, as indicated by higher Ti% and Tmax% values. Additionally, a higher concentration of sodium alginate and activated carbon resulted in higher foam density and compressive modulus, while cellulose exhibited a more intricate role in the material’s behavior. In the optimal formula, where the sum of the component percentages totals 7.6%, the percentages (e.g., 0.5% sodium alginate, 5% cellulose, and 2.1% activated carbon) are calculated based on the weight/volume (w/v) ratio of each component in the water used to prepare the foam mixture. These results indicate that natural and biodegradable polymers can be used to develop high-performance, eco-friendly foam materials.
UMMFF: Unsupervised Multimodal Multilevel Feature Fusion Network for Hyperspectral Image Super-Resolution
Authors: Jiang Zhongmin , Chen Mengyao , Wang Wenju
Published: September 2024

Due to the inadequacy in utilizing complementary information from different modalities and the biased estimation of degraded parameters, the unsupervised hyperspectral super-resolution algorithm suffers from low precision and limited applicability. To address this issue, this paper proposes an approach for hyperspectral image super-resolution, namely, the Unsupervised Multimodal Multilevel Feature Fusion network (UMMFF). The proposed approach employs a gated cross-retention module to learn shared patterns among different modalities. This module effectively eliminates the intermodal differences while preserving spatial–spectral correlations, thereby facilitating information interaction. A multilevel spatial–channel attention and parallel fusion decoder are constructed to extract features at three levels (low, medium, and high), enriching the information of the multimodal images. Additionally, an independent prior-based implicit neural representation blind estimation network is designed to accurately estimate the degraded parameters. The utilization of UMMFF on the “Washington DC”, Salinas, and Botswana datasets exhibited a superior performance compared to existing state-of-the-art methods in terms of primary performance metrics such as PSNR and ERGAS, and the PSNR values improved by 18.03%, 8.55%, and 5.70%, respectively, while the ERGAS values decreased by 50.00%, 75.39%, and 53.27%, respectively. The experimental results indicate that UMMFF demonstrates excellent algorithm adaptability, resulting in high-precision reconstruction outcomes.
The Utility of Calibrating Wearable Sensors before Quantifying Infant Leg Movements
Authors: Oh Jinseok , Loeb Gerald E. , Smith Beth A.
Published: September 2024

While interest in using wearable sensors to measure infant leg movement is increasing, attention should be paid to the characteristics of the sensors. Specifically, offset error in the measurement of gravitational acceleration (g) is common among commercially available sensors. In this brief report, we demonstrate how we measured the offset and other errors in three different off-the-shelf wearable sensors available to professionals and how they affected a threshold-based movement detection algorithm for the quantification of infant leg movement. We describe how to calibrate and correct for these offsets and how conducting this improves the reproducibility of results across sensors.
Working Memory Workload When Making Complex Decisions: A Behavioral and EEG Study
Authors: Balconi Michela , Rovelli Katia , Angioletti Laura , Allegretta Roberta A.
Published: September 2024

Working memory (WM) is crucial for adequate performance execution in effective decision-making, enabling individuals to identify patterns and link information by focusing on current and past situations. This work explored behavioral and electrophysiological (EEG) WM correlates through a novel decision-making task, based on real-life situations, assessing WM workload related to contextual variables. A total of 24 participants performed three task phases (encoding, retrieval, and metacognition) while their EEG activity (delta, theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands) was continuously recorded. From the three phases, three main behavioral indices were computed: Efficiency in complex Decision-making, Tolerance of Decisional Complexity, and Metacognition of Difficulties. Results showed the central role of alpha and beta bands during encoding and retrieval: decreased alpha/beta activity in temporoparietal areas during encoding might indicate activation of regions related to verbal WM performance and a load-related effect, while decreased alpha activity in the same areas and increased beta activity over posterior areas during retrieval might indicate, respectively, active information processing and focused attention. Evidence from correlational analysis between the three indices and EEG bands are also discussed. Integration of behavioral and metacognitive data gathered through this novel task and their interrelation with EEG correlates during task performance proves useful to assess WM workload during complex managerial decision-making.
Impacts of Spatiotemporal and COVID-19 Factors on Bike-Share Ride Duration in Detroit
Authors: Zahertar Anahita , Lavrenz Steven
Published: September 2024

This research explores the factors influencing bike-share usage durations in the Detroit Metropolitan Area over two years, focusing on spatial, temporal, and COVID-19-related variables. Using a fully parametric hazard-based duration model with random parameters, we address data heterogeneity and uncover how different conditions affect bike-share trips. Our findings reveal that (a) intense environmental factors such as high traffic stress, poor weather, and high COVID-19 risk levels are associated with shorter trip durations; (b) in contrast, supportive initiatives like memberships, an affordable USD 5 Access Pass, a free one-month pass during the pandemic, and the introduction of new stations are more likely to encourage longer rides; (c) variables like gym closures due to the pandemic, evening hours, and the addition of new stations, which were set as random variables in our model, exhibit both positive and negative relationships with ride durations. A key finding is the 20-minute mark in ride durations, which helps understand user behaviors and trip purposes. This insight aids urban planning by suggesting strategic bike station placements to enhance bike-share system efficiency and meet diverse community needs. Moreover, the pandemic and related policy responses have clearly impacted user behaviors, showing the necessity for adaptable urban transportation strategies in response to external crises. This study not only deepens our understanding of urban mobility dynamics but also underscores the effectiveness of adaptive strategies in promoting sustainable urban transportation.
FinTech-Enabled Endowment: A Proposed Financial Sustainability Model for Not-for-Profit Human Development Institutes
Authors: Faisal Muhammad , Meraj Muhammad , Mubarik Muhammad Shujaat , Butt Muhammad Wasie Fasih
Published: September 2024

The socio-economic conditions of the world’s underprivileged people have been a matter of concern to the whole world for over three decades. Not-for-profit human development institutes helping this sector have financial sustainability as an important issue due to their usual dependence principally on funding from donors to operate and fund their tasks. This research has adopted a two-fold examination method. Primarily, the financial sustainability of the not-for-profit human development institutes working in Pakistan have been investigated by conducting ratio analysis grounded on donor dependence ratio (DDR), and using constructive grounded theory, a FinTech-enabled financial sustainable model, has been proposed for NPHDIs. Results of the initial phase demonstrated a heavy reliance on donors’ funding, with the DDR varying between 91.73% and 100% based on 10 randomly selected NPHDIs working in Pakistan as a sample. Furthermore, four key themes have been categorized during the subsequent phase, which have been articulated collectively to outline the FinTech-enabled endowment—a proposed financially sustainable model. The DDR for the selected NPHDIs have been found to be greater than 25%, so they are regarded as financially unsustainable. FinTech-empowered endowment is considered as an alternative to donor fundings, as such endowments based on social finance can provide income streams that are considered sustainable for these NPHDIs. The overview and implications lead to new knowledge of tackling the biggest challenges of providing sustainable finance to the social sector. This perspective of ethical finance helps to address the issues faced by this world’s underprivileged segment and address the problems of poverty and inequality elimination.
Assessing Future Agricultural Vulnerability in Kashmir Valley: Mid- and Late-Century Projections Using SSP Scenarios
Authors: Farooq Majid , Singh Suraj Kumar , Kanga Shruti , Meraj Gowhar , Mushtaq Fayma , Đurin Bojan , Pham Quoc Bao , Hunt Julian
Published: September 2024

The fragile environment of the Himalayan region is prone to natural hazards, which are intensified by climate change, leading to food and livelihood insecurity for inhabitants. Therefore, building resilience in the most dominant livelihood sector, i.e., the agricultural sector, has become a priority in development and planning. To assess the perils induced by climate change on the agriculture sector in the ecologically fragile region of Kashmir Valley, a study has been conducted to evaluate the risk using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) framework. The risk index has been derived based on socioeconomic and ecological indicators for risk determinants, i.e., vulnerability, hazard, and exposure. Furthermore, the study also evaluated the future risk to the agriculture sector under changing climatic conditions using Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) for SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 at mid- and late-century timescales. It was observed that districts such as Bandipora (0.59), Kulgam (0.56), Ganderbal (0.56), and Kupwara (0.54) are most vulnerable due to drivers like low per capita income, yield variability, and areas with >30% slope. Shopian and Srinagar were found to be the least vulnerable due to adaptive capacity factors like livelihood diversification, crop diversification, percentage of tree crops, and percentage of agriculture labor. In terms of the Risk index, the districts found to be at high risk are Baramulla (0.19), Pulwama (0.16), Kupwara (0.15), and Budgam (0.13). In addition, the findings suggested that the region would experience a higher risk of natural hazards by the mid- (MC) and end-century (EC) due to the projected increase in temperature with decreasing precipitation, which would have an impact on crop yields and the livelihoods of farmers in the region.
Biosorption of Copper (II) Ions Using Coffee Grounds—A Case Study
Authors: Młynarczykowska Anna , Orlof-Naturalna Monika
Published: September 2024

Industrial and domestic human activities have a significant impact on the environment, contributing, among other things, to the increased pollution of natural waters. The spread of heavy metals is particularly dangerous to the health and life of living organisms due to the high accumulation potential of, among others, Cr (VI), Zn (II), Cu (II), Cd (II), Fe (II), and Ni (II). In order to remove, concentrate, and/or recover ions of these metals, various physical and/or chemical methods are commonly used. In this study, spent coffee grounds (SCGs) efficiently removed copper ions from simulated aqueous solutions, especially at low metal ion concentrations. Without additional modification, coffee grounds performed comparably to traditional adsorbents like activated carbon or ion exchangers. It was found that used ground coffee grounds effectively removed Cu (II) ions at a wide range of concentrations, with the highest efficiency (over 85%) obtained for dilute solutions. On the other hand, regeneration tests performed using a 10% hydrochloric acid solution successfully restored the coffee residue adsorbent, achieving a desorption efficiency of about 35%. This method concentrated the solution and facilitated efficient metal recovery by minimizing acid usage. The sorbent used is an innovative, cheap, and easy-to-use material with high sorption capabilities.
Development of Risk Quantification Models in Road Infrastructure Projects
Authors: Senić Aleksandar , Dobrodolac Momčilo , Stojadinović Zoran
Published: September 2024

Road infrastructure is a significant factor in the development of any country, affecting economic growth, social development, and environmental sustainability. Large infrastructure projects often face significant risks and uncertainties, which can lead to delays, budget over-runs, and an insufficient quality of the completed work. These issues undermine the economic viability of projects and affect the overall efficiency of infrastructure development. For these reasons, based on a literature review and completed project analysis, the risks that lead to an increasing Contract Price (ICP) and an Extension of Time (EoT) for the construction of the project are identified. Based on the results of the completed project analysis, the values of the ICP and EoT were quantified. Also, the probability of the occurrence of each risk in new projects was calculated. Based on the obtained results, a model was defined that groups risks into clusters. Risks in the first cluster should have priority for funding, and preventive measures are defined for them. The model obtained in this way can greatly enhance project management in real-world conditions and can lead to a significant reduction in project time and budget over-runs.
Spatiotemporal Evaluation of the Coupling Relationship between Public Service Facilities and Population: A Case Study of Wuhan Metropolitan Area, Central China
Authors: Liang Kaixuan , Zou You , Li Guiyuan
Published: September 2024

Metropolitan areas are important regions with a high concentration of population and public service facilities. The coupling coordination between public service facilities and population plays an important role in the sustainable development of economy and society. However, previous studies have focused on a few core cities, effectively identifying areas with weak coordination of public services and currently lacking corresponding information support and paradigms at the regional scale. Taking the Wuhan Metropolitan Area as an example, this paper strengthens the concern about the spatiality and locality of public service facilities in the region;, applies the improved CRITIC method and coupling coordination model to study the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of public service facilities at the county and grid levels by using multisource data, and evaluates the intercity differences and dynamic changes of coupling coordination relationships between public service facilities and population. The findings are as follows: (1) Wuhan was the core of public service facilities in the metropolitan area, and a continuous high-level coordinated distribution was gradually developed on the east-west axis from 2016 to 2022; (2) there were differences in the coupling coordination degree of different types of facilities, among which the imbalance between the supply and demand of elderly care facilities was obvious; and (3) the coupling coordination degree of facilities in the Wu-E-Huang-Huang core development area was relatively high. Finally, we summarize the development stages of the coupling coordination between the facilities and population in the Wuhan Metropolitan Area and obtain the typical development characteristics. The research results could provide scientific support for planning decisions.
Utility of Cry1Ja for Transgenic Insect Control
Authors: Mathis John P. , Clark Catherine , Sethi Amit , Ortegon Benchie , Rauscher Gilda , Booth Russ , Coder Samuel , Nelson Mark E.
Published: September 2024

Insect control traits are a key component of improving the efficacy of insect pest management and maximizing crop yields for growers. Insect traits based on proteins expressed by the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have proven to be very effective tools in achieving this goal. Unfortunately, the adaptability of insects has led to resistance to certain proteins in current commercial products. Therefore, new insecticidal traits representing a different mode of action (MoA) than those currently in use are needed. Cry1Ja has good insecticidal activity against various lepidopteran species, and it provides robust protection against insect feeding with in planta expression. For Bt proteins, different MoAs are determined by their binding sites in the insect midgut. In this study, competitive binding assays are performed using brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) from Helicoverpa zea, Spodoptera frugiperda, and Chrysodeixis includens to evaluate the MoA of Cry1Ja relative to representatives of the various Bt proteins that are expressed in current commercial products for lepidopteran insect protection. This study highlights differences in the shared Cry protein binding sites in three insect species, Cry1Ja bioactivity against Cry1Fa resistant FAW, and in planta efficacy against target pests. These data illustrate the potential of Cry1Ja for new insect trait development.