bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One-step photodeposition of spatially separated CuOx and MnOx dual cocatalysts on g-C3N4 for enhanced CO2 photoreduction
Authors: Tian Fengyu , Wu Xinyao , Yan Xuemin , Liao Guangfu
Published: March 2023

Photocatalytic CO2 conversion into valuable chemicals has been proved to be a promising strategy for relieving energy shortage and environmental pollution. Nevertheless, the rapid recombination of photogenerated carriers of photocatalyst greatly limits their actual application. In this work, dual CuOx and MnOx cocatalysts are decorated on g-C3N4 nanosheets via a one-step photodeposition strategy. Benefiting from the repulsion between Cu2+ and Mn2+ cations, a novel g-C3N4-based heterostructure loaded with spatially separated CuOx nanoparticles and MnOx nanosheets dual cocatalysts has been successfully fabricated. The Cu favors the trapping of electrons, while MnOx tends to collect holes. Moreover, the Cu2O/g-C3N4 p-n heterojunction also accelerates the charge separation. As a result, the photogenerated holes and electrons flow into and out of the photocatalyst, respectively, resulting in enhanced charge separation for achieving efficient CO2 photoreduction over CuOx/g-C3N4/MnOx. Impressively, the optimized CuOx/g-C3N4/MnOx exhibits an improved CO production rate of 5.49 µmol g− 1 h− 1, which exceeds over 27.5 times than bare g-C3N4. This work designs a promising photocatalyst for CO2 photoreduction and develops a novel one-step photodeposition route for decorating spatially separated dual cocatalysts on a photocatalyst.
Blood biomarker-based classification study for neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Kelly Jack , Moyeed Rana , Carroll Camille , Luo Shouqing , Li Xinzhong
Published: March 2023

As the population ages, neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are becoming more prevalent, making it crucial to comprehend the underlying disease mechanisms and identify biomarkers to allow for early diagnosis and effective screening for clinical trials. Thanks to advancements in gene expression profiling, it is now possible to search for disease biomarkers on an unprecedented scale.
Here we applied machine learning (ML) approaches to identify blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer’s (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) with the application of multiple feature selection methods. In addition to traditional ML approaches, deep learning (DL) algorithms were also utilized for comparison.
One optimal random forest (RF) model was discovered for AD with 159 gene markers (ROC-AUC = 0.886) while one optimal RF model was discovered for PD (ROC-AUC = 0.743). The convolutional neural network (CNN) performs consistently well across both AD and PD, suggesting its potential in biomarker identification and disease detection.
Design, Expression and Characterization of Lactiscin—a Novel Broad-Spectrum Peptidic Bacteriocin
Authors: Rukying Neeranuch , Ajingi Ya’u Sabo , Usman Jiddah Nafiu , Ruengvisesh Songsirin , Rattanarojpong Triwit , Pason Patthra , Angsuthanasombat Chanan , Jongruja Nujarin , nokyod Santi
Published: March 2023

Bacteria-derived antimicrobial peptides known as peptidic bacteriocins offer a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics in the face of the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Here, a nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding Lactococcus lactis-derived peptidic bacteriocin designated as lactiscin selectively identified from the GenBank® database was synthesized with an added 6⋅His sequence and cloned into Escherichia coli. Upon low-temperature expression at 16°C, the His-tagged peptide could be produced in both soluble form and insoluble inclusions. Efficient purification of the soluble His-tagged peptide was achieved via immobilized-Ni2+ affinity chromatography (IMAC) and its estimated molecular mass of ~ 13.4 kDa was determined by tricine-sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified peptide was highly active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as it exhibited a minimal inhibitory concentration of 0.45 mg/mL, 0.15 mg/mL, 0.35 mg/mL and 0.45 mg/mL against. Escherichia coli, Vibrio parachemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus, respectively. In addition, the lactiscin peptide still retained antimicrobial activity over a pH range of 3.0–12.0 and heat stability of 100°C for 30 minutes. A membrane integrity study revealed that this peptidic bacteriocin was able to induce E. coli membrane permeabilization in a concentration-dependent manner, albeit it showed a negligible toxic effect on erythrocytic cells. Gel retardation assay demonstrated that the lactiscin bacteriocin could suppress the migration of genomic DNA extracted from pathogenic bacteria, suggesting the presence of bacteriocin-responsive binding genomic. Our findings of lactiscin—a novel broad-spectrum bacteriocin would be a valuable additive for the application of food industry as a potential bio-preservative.
Randomized Split Face Controlled Study to Evaluate Low Level Laser Therapy for Treatment of Acne Vulgaris in Adolescents
Authors: Tawfik Abeer , Alsharnoubi Jehan , Rafeea Maha , Yakout Hend
Published: March 2023

Background: Acne vulgaris as a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaeous unit, and is the most common skin disorder regardless of gender, skin colour or ethinity. No mortality but significant physical and psychological morbidity. Acne therapies, associated with acne,topical or systemic, targeting one of its pathogenic factors, have many drawbacks and poor compliance. Laser and light therapy greatly enhance acne management. Promising results with infrared laser had been reported. Also, photobiostimulation of acne vulgaris was more effective than many pharmacological products.
Objective : To evaluate the effectiveness of low level laser therapy for treatment of acne vulgaris in adolescents .
Methods: Half-face of twenty cases, four males and sixteen females between eleven and eighteen years treated with 905- nm Giotto diode laser for thirty minutes. The other half is control. Two sessions per week for eight weeks and three month follow up after treatment was done.
Results: Reduction in acne lesion count 32.78% after two weeks of treatment,46.4% after four weeks. Significant reduction (63.35%) at the end of eight weeks treatment(p=0.002) and 59.87% (p=0.002) after three months follow up as regards the control side. Scoring of relation to the control side acne lesion severity using GAGS showed significant decrease inafter four weeks of treatment(p=0.002),high significance after eight weeks (p-value<0.001) and persistent high significance after three months follow up (p-value<0.001).No detectable side effects and high significant patient satisfaction.
Conclusion: Treatment of acne vulgaris in adolescents with low level diode laser is safe and effective.
Origin and diversification of the genera Aratinga, Eupsittula and Psittacara (Aves: Psittacidae)
Authors: Padilla-Jacobo Gabriela , Monterrubio-Rico Tiberio C. , Cano-Camacho Horacio , Zavala-Páramo María Guadalupe
Published: March 2023

The arrival of psittacines in North America is well known but undefined. It is widely accepted that these birds originated in South America, and it has been suggested that different factors have promoted the biodiversity of birds in Mexico. However, in general, for North American psittacines, there are no proposed divergence times, and the possible influence of different geological events on these processes is unknown.In this study, phylogenetic relationships, divergence times and the ancestral areas of the generaAratinga,EupsittulaandPsittacaraand related genera were estimated to propose hypotheses of origin, diversification, and dispersal of groups under a Bayesian inference framework based on mitochondrial molecular markers. We found that of the seven monophyletic clades within the Arini tribe, four coincided with the generaPsittacara,Eupsittula,Rhynchopsitta, andPyrrhura, and three clades were integrated by different genera. The generaAratingaandEupsittulaoriginated during the Miocene, and the genusPsittacaraoriginated at the Miocene-Pliocene boundary.Aratingais the oldest, followed byEupsittulaand the youngest isPsittacara.Biogeographic reconstruction suggests that the most likely origin of these genera is the Amazonian or Chaco regions. The diversification of these groups is related to geoclimatic events associated with the uplift of the central and northern portions of the Andes and the closure of the Isthmus of Panama. We propose dispersion routes from south to north in the Neotropics and the use of the Greater and Lesser Antilles as a northward path.
Barriers and Challenges to Effective Medical Research Among Nigerian Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Bassey Effiom Victory , Udohchukwu Okereke Promise , Ahmed K. Awad , Maduka Ejikem Mazpa ,   5.	Akubukor, Franklyne Chinenye Franklyne Chinenye, Tukur Mustapha Aminu Tukur Aminu , Jesuyajolu Damilola , Ejikem Maif Uchenna
Published: March 2023

Objectives: Research is an essential part of improving health care which plays an integral role in medicine and clinical practice. The study aimed to assess the barriers to research by medical students of the different universities in Nigeria and find adequate strategies for managing them.
Methods: This was­­­ ­­­­a cross-sectional study using a cultured online questionnaire adopted from a previous study containing 29 items on institutional barriers, environmental barriers, academic barriers, individual barriers, practical barriers, and barriers due to research standards and outcomes. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the independent-samples t-test. Where the p value was set at 0.05.
Results: our study included 421 medical students from 37 different private and public medical schools in Nigeria. Medical students hold a neutral stance towards institutional and personal barriers to clinical research with scores of 2.98±0.41 and 2.69±0.93 respectively. However, they recognize environmental, academic, and practical barriers as significant hindrances to research with mean scores of 3.57±0.31, 3.08±0.48, and 3.51 +_ 0.37 respectively. The majority of barriers towards research among medical students appeared to be time, the bulkiness of academic tasks, inadequate equipment for carrying out research, inadequate payments for research-related activities, expensive nature of research-related services, and lack of proper scientific and research atmosphere in the University.
Conclusion: The most significant barriers to medical student research are environmental, followed by practical, academic, and institutional. Improving the situation requires a joint effort from medical students, medical institution management, and government support in promoting education and research.
Self-immolative nanocapsules precisely regulate depressive neuronal microenvironment for synergistic antidepression therapy
Authors: Liu Ziyao , Chen Bei , Xiang Shijun , Hu Shuo
Published: March 2023

Background: Pharmacotherapy constitutes the first-line treatment for depression. However, its clinical use is hindered by several limitations, such as time lag, side effects, and narrow therapeutic windows. Nanotechnology can be employed to shorten the onset time by ensuring permeation across the blood brain barrier (BBB) to precisely deliver more therapeutic agents; unfortunately, formidable challenges owing to the intrinsic shortcomings of commercial drugs remain.
Results: Based on the extraordinary capability of monoamines to regulate the neuronal environment, we engineer a network nanocapsule for delivering serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and catalase (CAT) to the brain parenchyma for synergistic antidepression therapy. The nanoantidepressants are fabricated by the formation of 5-HT covalent bonds and simultaneous payload CAT, following by surface modifications using human serum albumin and rabies virus glycoprotein. The virus-inspired nanocapsules benefit from the surface-modifying strategies and exhibit pronounced BBB penetration. Once nanocapsules reach the brain parenchyma, the mildly acidic conditions trigger the release of 5-HT from the sacrificial nanocapsule. Releasing 5-HT further positively regulate moods, relieving depressive symptoms. Meanwhile, cargo CAT alleviates neuroinflammation and enhances therapeutic efficacy of 5-HT.
Conclusion: Altogether, the results offer detailed information encouraging the rational designing of nanoantidepressants and highlighting the potential of nanotechnology in mental health disorder therapies.
AI-Based Efficient Wireless Technologies and Infrastructure-Based Networks With VANET For Smart Transportation High Performance
Authors: Xia Xiong , Li Xin , Hou Wei , Hua Shiyu , Huang Quan
Published: March 2023

VANETs (Vehicular Ad-hoc NETworks) were deemed most suitable communication network for supporting the dissemination of alert messages due to their low dissemination delays as well as extensive vehicle coverage in vicinity of an emergency. With the introduction of cooperative ITS services, it is envisaged that emerging vehicular networks will progressively rely on Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) communication lines, which are expected to be nominally accessible with certain temporary as well as time-limited connectivity losses. This study proposes a novel method for VANET-based efficient vehicle clustering and routing based on network infrastructure for high-performance smart transportation. the vehicle clustering using infrastructure-based fuzzy K-means convolutional neural networks. then the energy-efficient cluster-based multi-hop distributed routing. the experimental analysis in terms of latency, network lifetime, throughput, QoS, energy efficiency, and packet delivery ratio. In addition, empirical equations that can be used to predict speed recommendations for drivers are derived from the result.
Inflow Velocity and Rotational Effects on Revolving and Translating Wings
Authors: Paulson James , Jardin Thierry , Buchholz James
Published: March 2023

An aspect ratio 9.5 rectangular wing is articulated in revolving and translating motions at a 45-degree angle of incidence and Reynolds number Re = O(300). Four cases are considered while varying two salient aspects of rotational motion. Coriolis and centripetal accelerations are present in the rotating cases and absent in the translating cases, whereas uniform and linearly-varying inflow velocity profiles are imposed on instances of the rotating and translating cases. Each case exhibits distinct leading-edge vortex (LEV) growth and behavior. For the range of displacements studied (180 deg. rotation and corresponding translational displacement) a stably attached LEV is observed when rotational accelerations and/or a linearly-varying inflow velocity profile is present; however, the inflow velocity profile has a stronger effect on stability of the LEV. LEV vorticity magnitude and lift force are significantly augmented when both factors are included (i.e. the full revolving wing case). Vorticity transport analyses are conducted in a planar control region two chords from the axis of rotation, where three-dimensional vorticity transport is shown to be important in mitigating LEV growth, and at an equivalent distance from the wing root in the translating case. The revolving wing exhibits a substantially larger leading-edge shear-layer vorticity flux than the other cases. Inspection of the Coriolis tilting term demonstrates little relevance to LEV stability. In all cases, the surface diffusive flux and shear-layer vorticity flux contributions are found to be negatively correlated. Additionally, a correlation is found between the spanwise convective flux and tilting flux contributions in all cases. Decomposition of the spanwise convective flux reveals that the tilting flux is a constituent of it, demonstrating that the two phenomena are kinematically linked. Based on this result, a significantly simplified vorticity transport equation is developed in which all of the three-dimensional transport fluxes are consolidated into a single term, providing new physical interpretation of these terms.
On Establishing Empirical relationship between Global Crude oil Market and the Nigerian Stock Exchange using Vector Autoregressive Model
Authors: Arua Kalu Chukwuemeka , Nduka Uchenna
Published: March 2023

This research work is purposed to undercover the empirical relationship residing in-between the global crude oil market and Nigerian stock exchange from 1997 to 2019. Variables chosen for this study are crude oil price, crude oil export, crude oil production, all share index, consumer price index and exchange rate and were analyzed using the model. The results from our analyses show that firstly, the global crude oil market has a positive correlation with the Nigerian stock exchange. That implies that as the values of the global crude oil market rises (falls), the values of the Nigerian stock exchange also rises (falls). Secondly, the Granger Causality test confirmed that the consumer price index is helpful in forecasting the future values of exchange rate. Furthermore, the variance decomposition and impulse response revealed that to stabilize the value of all share index, we literally optimize the exchange rate by encouraging mechanized farming to boost the export of cash crops, encouraging and enhancing our local firms and diversification of the Nigerian economy.
Multi-Ligand Copper Complex with Fungicidal and Stimulating Effect for Increasing the Germination and Phytosafety of Plants
Authors: Kabdrakhmanova Sana , Kabdrakhmanova Ainur , Shaimardan Esbol , Akatan Kydyrmolla , Beisebekov Madiar , Nikolaeva Valentina , Selenova Bagadat S. , K.S Joshy , Thomas Sabu
Published: March 2023

At present, when the whole world is intensively switching to organic farming, the refusal or minimization of the usage of chemical plant protection products and synthesized fertilizers is a very urgent issue of the agro-industrial complex (AIC). Accordingly, the solution to the problems of increasing yields and ensuring the fight against pathogenic components should be carried out in accordance with the principles of "green" chemistry. In this regard, usage of mixed-ligand complexes based on carboxylic and amino acids with biogenic metals is dictated not only by their availability, low cost, and the ability to increase crop yields, but also by fungicidal activity, less toxicity, easily biodegradability, which lists them among the "green" ones and cost-effective plant biostimulants. In the present work, mixed ligand complex based on succinic acid, glycine and copper with the formula [Cu(succ)(gly)]n, was developed for usage as a fungicidal biostimulant, which has the ability to significantly reduce the number of pathogens. We have found that this compound has a layered structure and can increase soybean germination up to 100%.
Differences of Escherichia coli isolated from different organs of the individual sheep: molecular typing, antibiotics resistance, and biofilm formation
Authors: Wu Zihao , Chi Haoming , Han Tingting , Li Guangxi , Wang Jixue , Chen Wei
Published: March 2023

Despite numerous studies on Escherichia coli (E. coli) from sheep, there have been few reports on the characterization of E. coli isolates from various organs of individual sheep until now. The present study conducted molecular typing, antibiotics resistance, biofilm formation, and virulence genes on E. coli isolated from 57 freshly slaughtered apparently healthy sheep carcasses, gallbladders, fecal samples, and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs). The results demonstrated that the detection rate of R1 LPS core type in E. coli isolated from fecal samples (70.83%) was higher than that from other organs, but the detection rate of antibiotic resistance genes was lower (P < 0.05). The predominant phylogenetic group of E. coli isolated from the carcasses was group B1 (93.33%), and the detection rate of multidrug-resistance phenotype (80%) and the resistance rate of E. coli was higher than that from other organs (P < 0.05). Interestingly, the intensity of biofilm formation of E. coli isolated from MLNs was higher than that from other organs (P < 0.05). However, except for ibeB, the detection rates of virulence genes did not differ in E.coli isolated from different organs. In conclusion, differences were noted in these parameters of E. coli isolated from different organs of individual sheep. Therefore, the data may contain considerable mistakes concerning the actual situation in the host if we only analyze the data of E. coli isolated from feces or carcasses.
A robust method for the rapid generation of nanobodies
Authors: Tao Zhiqing , Wang Huan , Zhao Xiaoling , Zhang Juan , Jiang Guosheng , Yu Bin , Chen Yihao , Zhu Mingjun , Long Junli , Yin Lei , Zhang Xu , Liu Maili , He Lichun
Published: March 2023

Background：Nanobody refers to the variable domain of heavy-chain only antibodies. The distinctive advantages of nanobodies including small size, feasible expression in Escherichia coli (E. coli), and superior stability make them promising tools for applications in scientific research and therapies. So far, the screening and expression of nanobodies are mainly following similar methods used for conventional antibodies, suffering from amplification-caused losses of the diversity of libraries and requirements of subcloning of interests into the expression vector.
Results: Here, based on the unique properties of nanobodies, we developed a new high-throughput (>105) method to screen and express nanobodies simultaneously in the cell culture media, simplifying the production of specific nanobodies significantly. Nanobodies specifically binding with target proteins were enriched through cell splitting and regrown steps in a way following the Poisson distribution to ensure no positive clones were dismissed, while the population of positive clones increased by one order of magnitude upon each round of cell splitting. In the end, 5 different nanobodies against the death domain receptor 5 (DR5) and 5 different nanobodies against the Pyrococcus furiosus (Pfu) DNA polymerase were produced directly out of their immunized libraries respectively.
Conclusions: Our approach offers an integrated strategy for rapid, and low-cost nanobody screening and expression with no loss of the library diversity, demonstrating general applicability in the routine production of monoclonal nanobodies for diverse biomedical applications.
Primary cells from patients with adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma depend on HTLV-1 Tax expression for NF-kB activation and survival
Authors: Hleihel Rita , Skayneh Hala , de The Hugues , Hermine Olivier , Bazarbachi Ali
Published: March 2023

Adult T Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATL) is an aggressive malignancy secondary to chronic infection with human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). The viral oncoprotein Tax initiates T cell transformation through activation of critical cellular pathways, including NF-κB. Unexpectedly; Tax protein is not detectable in most ATL cells, in contrast to the HTLV-1 HBZ protein which antagonizes Tax effects. Here, we demonstrate that primary ATL cells from patients with acute or chronic ATL express very low levels of Tax mRNA and protein. Critically, survival of these primary ATL cells is dependent on continued Tax expression. Mechanistically, Tax extinction results in reversal of NF-κB activation, P53/PML activation and apoptosis. Tax drives interleukin-10 (IL-10) expression and recombinant IL-10 rescues the survival of tax-depleted primary ATL cells. These results demonstrate the critical role of continued Tax and IL-10 expression for the survival of primary ATL cells, highlighting their relevance as therapeutic targets.
A confocal immunofluorescence study on the expression and localisation of zinc homeostasis- related proteins in breast and prostate cancer cells
Authors: Barman Shital K. , Malladi Chandra S. , Mahns David A. , Wu Ming J.
Published: March 2023

Zinc transport proteins (ZIP/ZnT), metallothioneins and protein kinase CK2 are involved in maintaining intracellular zinc balance for the cell. Dysregulation of cellular zinc homeostasis is the key feature of breast and prostate cancer cells. Here, we attempted to follow up our previous finding that ZIP12, ZnT1 and metallothionein (MT2A) were differentially expressed at the gene level in breast and prostate cancer cells in response to extracellular zinc exposure. By immunofluorescence confocal microscopy, we determined the protein expression and subcellular localisation of ZIP12, ZnT1, MT2A, as well as the catalytic subunits CK2α/α' and the regulatory subunit CK2β of CK2 in breast and prostate cancer cells. The findings demonstrated that without extracellular zinc exposure, ZIP12 was up-regulated in normal breast epithelial cells but down-regulated in breast cancer cells, in contrast to its overexpression in prostate cancer cells but a reduction in normal prostate cells. Upon extracellular zinc exposure, ZIP12 was conspicuously localised in the plasma membrane of breast cancer cells but not in normal breast, nor in cancerous or noncancerous prostate cells. ZnT1 is only localised in the plasma membrane of breast cancer cells but not in the other cells. MT2A is distinctively seen close to the plasma membrane in breast cancer cells. Intriguingly, protein kinase CK2 was demonstrated to be an ecto-kinase by the localisation of its subunits CK2α/α' and CK2β in proximity to the plasma membrane of breast cancer cells. Taken together, these novel findings provide molecular details for our understanding of zinc homeostasis in breast and prostate cancer cells.
The rotation of Phallus impudicus benefits the soil microenvironment via improving the soil microbiome structure and soil properties
Authors: Yanhong Wang , Jiao Xu , Qingsong Yuan , Lanping Guo , Chenghong Xiao , Changgui Yang , Liangyuan Li , Weike Jiang , Tao Zhou
Published: March 2023

Backgroud: Rhizosphere microbiome play vital roles in soil nutrient cylcling and plant growth, their diversity and composition are commonly influenced by soil management systems. Currently, however, the specific dynamic of microbial community in cultivation of Gastrodia elata and rotation of Phallus impudicus remains unknown. To narrow this knowledge gap, soil physicochemical properties and soil microbial community in the rhizosphere soil of G. elatacultivation and rotation of P. impudicus management were analyzed and compared.
Results: The results revealed that the cultivation of G. elata and rotation of P. impudicus both increased the diversity, complexity, and stability of the soil microbiome structure and reshaped the soil microbiota composition. In addition, the cultivation of P. impudicus reversed the G. elata-induced decrease in soil pH and nutrient levels, increased soil humification and improved humus composition. The RDA result indicated that the soil microbial community strongly correlates with soil pH and exchangeable Ca/Mg ratio, indicating that soil nutrient levels play dominant roles in soil microbial community improvement in this rotation management system.
Conclusions: Our findings provide insights into microbiome assembly and soil physicochemical properties in cultivation of G. elata and rotation of P. impudicus, rotation affected soil microorganisms mainly through changes in soil nutrient profile and might have potential benefits in next growing season. In addition, our results highlight the importance of rotaion management during artificial cultivation of traditional Chinese medicine for sustainable development.
A method of knowledge tracing based on gating-controlled and attention mechanism
Authors: Dong Yumin , Zhang Yongjian , Li Feifei , Zhu Tingting
Published: March 2023

Knowledge tracing (KT) task is designed to track the changes in students ’knowledge status according to the historical learning interaction of students, and predict students’ future learning effects. Most of the existing KT models only judge their knowledge status based on the performance of students in learning interaction. They didn’t fully notice the impact of students’ learning and forgetful behavior in the state of knowledge. The difficulty of practice difficulty on knowledge tracing. We proposed a framework called the attention knowledge tracing based on the gating-controlled mechanism (referred to as GMAKT). In GMAKT, two gating-controlled mechanisms are designed to clearly simulate the forgetting and learning behavior in the learning process of students. Through the design gating-controlled mechanism, the difficulty of interactive records and knowledge concepts is effectively combined to track the dynamic changes of students’ knowledge of knowledge concepts. The results of a large number of experiments show that the proposed framework is better than the most advanced model in the KT task. In addition, ablation research shows that the forgetting and learning mechanism of design significantly helps improve GMAKT’s performance.
Influence of S doping on cobalt hydroxide and nitrogen-doped carbon dots of supercapacitor electrode materials
Authors: Lin Fanyi , Hong Xiansheng , Chen Zihan , Zheng Yuying
Published: March 2023

Recently, the supercapacitor has been used as a type of energy storage application. In this work, cobalt hydroxide adorned with nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NC) is synthesized by a hydrothermal approach. Then Co(OH)2/NC is modified by sodium sulfide to obtain S-Co(OH)2/NC, which shows an excellent specific capacitance of 730 F g− 1 at 1 A g− 1 (much higher than that of pristine Co(OH)2/NC (592 F g− 1 at 1 A g− 1)). An asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) is assembled by S-Co(OH)2/NC (as a positive electrode) and GA/NC (as a negative electrode), which presents a specific energy density as high as 39.59 Wh kg− 1 with a power density of 639 W kg− 1. Also, the ACS manifests extraordinary cycle stability (75% capacitance retention after 8500 cycles). According to the electrochemical performance, it can be inferred that S-Co(OH)2/NC has a great practical application value in supercapacitor devices.
A dispersion-corrected DFT calculations on encapsulation of Favipiravir drug used as antiviral against COVID-19 into carbon-, boron-, and aluminum-nitride nanotubes for optimal drug delivery systems combined with molecular docking simulations
Authors: Albarakati Roqaya , Al-Qurashi Ohoud , Safi Zaki , Wazzan Nuha
Published: March 2023

Favipiravir (FAV) (6-fluoro-3-oxo-3,4-dihydropyrazine-2-carboxamide) is one of the most effective antiviral drugs which is cited for action against RNA-viral infections of COVID-19. In this study, Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were used to investigate three nanotubes (NTs) with FAV drug as delivery systems. The encapsulated systems (ESs) consisting of FAV drug inside carbon-carbon, aluminum nitride, and boron nitride. At B3LYP-D/6-31G(d,p) and CPCM/B3LYP-D/6-31G(d,p), the optimization of NTs, FAV and its tautomeric forms, and six ESs were investigated in gas and water environments. Five tautomeric forms of FAV were investigated, two keto forms (K1 and K2) and three enol forms ( (E1, E2, and E3). The results revealed that E3 and K2 isomeric forms represented the most stable structures in both media; thus, these two forms were encapsulated into the NTs. The stability and the synthesis feasibility of NTs have been proven by calculating their interaction energies. Noncovalent interactions (NCIs) were investigated in the ESs to show the type of NCI with the molecular voids. The binding energies, thermochemical parameters, and recovery times were investigated to understand the mechanism of FAV encapsulation and release. The encapsulated AlNNT systems are more favorable than those of BNNTs and CNTs in gas and aqueous environments with much higher binding energies. The quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and recovery time analysis revealed the easier releasing of E3 from AlNNT over K2 form. Based on molecular docking simulations, we found that E3 and K2 FAV forms showed a high level of resistance to SARS-CoV-6M3M/6LU7/6W9C proteases.
Oxidative stress-related markers as prognostic factors for patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis in Japan
Authors: Oyama Atsushi , Takaki Akinobu , Adachi Takuya , Wada Nozomu , Takeuchi Yasuto , Onishi Hideki , Shiraha Hidenori , Okada Hiroyuki , Otsuka Motoyuki
Published: March 2023

Background/purpose:
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare chronic liver disease. The mechanisms and prediction of progression for PSC are unclear. Recent investigations have shown that general conditions, such as oxidative stress, affect the course of chronic diseases. We investigated the clinical course and oxidative stress-related condition of PSC to determine the prognostic factors.
Methods
We recruited 58 patients with PSC (median age; 34.5 years, median observation period; 33.5 months) who visited our department from 2003 to 2021. Clinical characteristics were investigated to define the prognostic factors. The oxidative stress status was evaluated using two types of markers: an oxidative stress marker (serum reactive oxygen metabolite; dROM) and an antioxidant marker (serum OXY adsorbent test; OXY).
Results
The revised Mayo risk and Child–Pugh scores or fibrosis-related FIB-4 index were able to significantly discriminate patients with poor overall survival. High intestinal immunoglobulin (Ig) A levels predicted poor survival. In patients with high or intermediate revised Mayo risk scores, those with high dROM levels showed better survival than those with lower dROM levels. The serum OXY showed no such correlations. In this population, dROM was negatively correlated with AST and IgA, which are both correlated with survival.
Conclusions
High or intermediate revised Mayo risk score predicted poor PSC clinical course. Additionally, the Child–Pugh score and FIB-4 index were significantly correlated with survival. In patients with high or intermediate revised Mayo risk scores, low oxidative stress status correlated with high IgA and exhibited poor prognosis.
Radiomics and outcome prediction to antiangiogenic treatment in advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours:findings from the phase II TALENT trial
Authors: Ligero Marta , Hernando Jorge , Delgado Eric , Garcia-Ruiz Alonso , Merino-Casabiel Xavier , Ibrahim Toni , Fazio Nicola , Lopez Carlos , Teulé Alexandre , Valle Juan W. , Tafuto Salvatore , Custodio Ana , Reed Nicholas , Raderer Markus , Grande Enrique , Garcia-Carbonero Rocio , Jimenez-Fonseca Paula , Garcia-Alvarez Alejandro , Escobar Manuel , Casanovas Oriol , Capdevila Jaume , Perez-Lopez Raquel
Published: March 2023

Background
More accurate predictive biomarkers in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP-NETs) are needed. This study aims to investigate radiomics-based tumour phenotypes as a surrogate biomarker of the tumour vasculature and response prediction to antiangiogenic targeted agents in patients with GEP-NETs.
Methods In this retrospective study, a radiomics signature was developed in patients with GEP-NETs and liver metastases receiving lenvatinib. Patients were selected from the multicentre phase II TALENT trial (NCT02678780) (development cohort). Radiomics variables were extracted from liver metastases in the pre-treatment CT-scans and selected using LASSO regression and minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR). Logistic regression and Cox proportional-hazards models for radiomics and combined radiomics with clinical data were explored. The performance of the models was tested in an external cohort (test cohort). Associations between the radiomics score and vascularization factors in plasma were studied using hierarchical clustering and Mann-Whitney U test.
Results
A total of 89 patients were included in the study, 408 liver metastases where analysed. The CT-based radiomics signature was associated with clinical benefit in the development (training and validation sets) and test cohorts (AUC 0.75 [0.66-0.90], 0.67 [0.49-0.92] and 0.67 [0.43-0.91], respectively). The combined radiomics-clinical signature (including the radiomics score, Ki-67 index and primary tumour site) improved on radiomics-only signature performance (AUC 0.79 [95% CI 0.64-0.93]; P<0.001). A higher radiomics score indicated longer progression-free survival (hazard ration of 0.11[0.03-0.45]; P=0.002) and was associated with vascularization factors (P=0.01).
Conclusions
Radiomics-based phenotypes can provide valuable information about tumour characteristics, including vasculature, that are associated with response to antiangiogenics.
Clinical Trial Registration
This is a study of the Lenvatinib Efficacy in Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumours (TALENT) phase II clinical trial (NCT02678780).
Population-based references for waist and hip circumferences, waist-to-hip and waist-to-height ratios for children and adolescents, and evaluation of their predictive ability
Authors: Kułaga Zbigniew , Świąder-Leśniak Anna , Kotowska Aneta , Litwin Mieczysław
Published: March 2023

Purpose
Childhood obesity is a public health problem globally as well as in Poland. This paper aimed to provide age- and sex-specific waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) normative values for Polish children and adolescents aged 3 − 18 years for more precise monitoring of abdominal fat accumulation.
Methods
The WC, HC, WHtR and WHR references were constructed with the lambda, mu, sigma (LMS) method using data from two nationally representative health surveys: the OLA study and the OLAF study, the largest available pediatric surveys in Poland which provided measured height, weight, WC, HC and blood pressure for 22,370 children and adolescents aged 3 − 18 years. The predictive ability of newly established references for overweight/obesity as defined by the International Obesity Task Force criteria and elevated blood pressure was tested with Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC). Abdominal obesity cut-offs linked to adult cardiometabolic cut-offs were established.
Results
Reference values for WC, HC, WHtR and WHR are presented, as well as WC, WHtR and WHR cut-off values linked to adult’s cut-offs of cardiometabolic risk. The predictive value for overweight and obesity of population-based waist, hip and WHtR references was outstanding – AUC ROC > 0.95 in both sexes, whereas with regard to the elevated blood pressure predictive ability was low – AUC ROC < 0.65.
Conclusions
This paper presents the first waist, hip, WHtR and WHR references for Polish children and adolescents aged 3–18 years. The 90th and 95th percentile and cut-offs linked to adult thresholds for cardiometabolic risk are proposed as cut-offs for abdominal obesity.
Vitamin C combined with oregano essential oil, Origanum vulgare, reduced oxidative damage in Astyanax aff. bimaculatus exposed to air
Authors: Martins Maria Tatiana Soares , Condessa Suellen Silva , Cardoso Alex Júnio da Silva , Oliveira Jerusa Maria , Rocha Jheneze Guimarães Pereira , Gomes Juliana Rodrigues , Ferreira Pollyanna Moraes França , Valente Wanderson , Freitas Mariella Bontempo , Zuanon Jener Alexandre Sampaio
Published: March 2023

The dietary impacts of water-soluble (vitamin C) and fat-soluble (oregano essential oil, OEO) antioxidants on the stress responses and redox status of Astyanax aff. bimaculatus exposed to the air were assessed. Five diets with vitamin C (VC 0, VC 40, VC 80, VC 120, and VC 160 mg kg− 1) with or without OEO inclusion (0 or 1,000 mg kg− 1) were evaluated. After 55 days of feeding, fish were exposed to air for 5 min. VC 120 and VC 160 reduced glycemia. In the gills, VC 120 and VC 160 reduced oxidative damage (malondialdehyde, MDA, and carbonylated proteins, PC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity only in the presence of OEO. By contrast, in the absence of VC, OEO increased PC levels and SOD activity. In the liver, all VC concentrations, without OEO, reduced MDA, whereas, in the presence of OEO, vitamin C reduced MDA only at VC 40 e VC 160. All vitamin C concentrations, independently of OEO, reduced PC levels and SOD and catalase (CAT) activity. By contrast, OEO increased CAT and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity regardless of VC level. Although VC 40 with 1,000 mg kg− 1 OEO was sufficient to reduce oxidative damage to lipids in the gills and liver, reduction in protein and lipid damage in the gills was only obtained with at least VC 120 + OEO. Therefore, we recommend simultaneous supplementation of these antioxidants, as their combined use is more efficient in reducing oxidative damage in A. aff. bimaculatus subjected to air.
Consensus in the Weighted Voter Model with Noise-Free and Noisy Observations
Authors: Ganesh Ayalvadi , Hauert Sabine , Valla Emma
Published: March 2023

Collective decision-making is an important problem in swarm robotics arising in many different contexts and applications. The Weighted Voter Model has been proposed to collectively solve the best-of-$k$ problem, and analysed in the thermodynamic limit. We present an exact finite-population analysis of this model on complete as well as regular network topologies. We also present a novel analysis of this model when agent evaluations of options suffer from measurement error. Our analytic results allow us to predict the expected outcome of collective decision-making on a swarm system without having to do extensive simulations or numerical computations. We show that the error probability, of reaching consensus on a suboptimal solution, is bounded away from 1 as the number of agents tends to infinity, provided at least one agent is initialised with the best solution. Moreover, the error probability tends to zero if the number of agents initialised with the best solution tends to infinity, however slowly compared to the total number of agents.
Haematological Parameters and Their Correlation With the Degree of Malaria Parasitaemia Among Outpatients Attending a Polyclinic
Authors: Antwi-Baffour Samuel , Mensah Benjamin Tetteh , Johnson George , Armah Dorinda Naa Okailey , Ali-Mustapha Samira , Annison Lawrence
Published: March 2023

Background: Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by various species of the blood parasite plasmodium and of all the parasitic diseases, malaria has the highest prevalence and mortality with an estimated 247 million cases and 619,000 deaths recorded worldwide as of 2021. Malaria causes febrile illness with several changes in blood cell parameters. Some of these changes include leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, and anaemia. If these changes could be correlated with the degree of parasitaemia, it can serve as a guide to physicians when treating malaria. This study was therefore aimed at correlating haematological parameters with levels of parasitemia during malaria infection.
Method: The study was a cross-sectional study involving 89 malaria positive patients. About 5ml of blood was collected from each participant who gave his or her informed consent to partake in the study. A full blood count was performed on their samples to determine their haematological parameters using a haematology auto-analyzer. A parasite count was also performed via microscopy to determine the degree of parasitaemia. The data obtained from the study was entered into a database and statistically analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 and Microsoft Excel 2016.
Results: the outcome of the study showed that, there was a correlation between the various haematological parameters and degree of parasitaemia. Regression analysis also showed that changes in the various hematological parameters (independent variables) resulted in various degrees of changes in parasitaemia (dependent variable).
Conclusion:The linear relationship (correlation) between WBC and MCH were the only significant ones at 95% and 99% confidence interval respectively based on a two-tail t-test. Also, based on the regression analysis, the changes caused by WBC and PLT were the only significant changes at 95% confidence level in a two-tailed t-test.
Numerical solution of Burgers’-Huxley equation using a higher order collocation method
Authors: Singh Aditi , Dahiya Sumita , Singh S. P.
Published: March 2023

In this manuscript, collocation method with cubic B-spline as basis function has been successfully applied to numerically solve Burgers’-Huxley equation. This equation illustrates a model for describing the interaction between reaction mechanisms, convection effects and diffusion transport. Quasi-linearization has been employed to deal with the nonlinearity of equations. Crank Nicolson scheme for discretisation of the equation is used. The stability of the method is discussed using Fourier series analysis (von Neumann method) and it has been concluded that the method is unconditionally stable. Various numerical experiments have been performed to demonstrate the authenticity of the scheme. We have found that the computed numerical solutions are in good agreement with the exact solutions and are competent with those available in the literature. Accuracy and minimal computational efforts are the key features of the proposed method.
Pediatric patient and guardian perceptions of medical student virtual attendance during in-person clinic visits
Authors: Moody Geralyn , Reed Sheridan , Braunreiter Chi
Published: March 2023

Objectives: To gather patient, guardian, and provider perceptions of medical student virtually attending in-person patient visits.
Design: A 2-week study whereby a medical student virtually attended in-person patient visits in the pediatric hematology oncology outpatient clinic. Surveys were distributed to patients and/or guardians, and providers regarding perceptions of virtual student attendance and the impact on their in-person visits.
Results: 92% of patients and/or guardians approached to participate consented and completed their visit with a student attending virtually. 100% of patients and/or guardians would permit students to attend virtually during future visits. 100% of providers did not feel distracted by the student attending virtually. 81% would permit students to attend virtually if this was a recurring elective.
Conclusions: Pediatric hematology oncology patients and guardians were willing to trial this innovative learning strategy. Faculty buy-in and a seamless workflow should be planned carefully to maximize learning while minimizing disruption to patient care. Clear expectations and telemedicine training should be provided to students. Future elective design can include this type of virtual distance-learning with the goal of expanding learner opportunities.
Mapping of dressed and processed poultry products in Bangladesh: identifying the food safety risks for policy intervention
Authors: Ferdous Jinnat , Uddin Md Helal , Mahmud Rashed , Hennessey Matthew , Sattar Abdullah Al , Gupta Suman Das , Gibson Justine S. , Alders Robyn , Henning Joerg , Fournié Guillaume , Hoque Md. Ahasanul
Published: March 2023

Bangladesh’s commercial poultry production is growing rapidly, including the commercial processing of poultry. This expansion of poultry processing plants is fueled by the belief that this sub-sector provides safer food and has less food-borne disease risks compared to traditional live bird markets (LBMs). The purpose of this study is to describe Bangladesh’s dressed poultry production and distribution network (PDN), identify what and where quality control occurs, and suggest where improvements could be made. Engaging with PDN for dressed poultry, we used in-depth interviews with key informants to identify the stakeholders involved and their connections with other poultry PDNs. In addition, we mapped out the supply and distribution of dressed poultry and quality control processes occurring throughout the network. We argue that dressed and processed poultry PDNs are closely connected with traditional PDNs such as LBMs, with multiple crossover points between them. Also, there is a lack of consistency in quality control testing and a lack of meat traceability. Consequently, perceptions of dressed and processed poultry being safer than birds from LBMs need to be treated with caution. Otherwise, unsubstantiated consumer confidence in dressed poultry may inadvertently increase the risk of food-borne diseases from these products.