bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COASTAL EROSION INDEX USING AHP AND ANN FOR COASTAL MANAGER
Authors: Wan Khairuddin Wan Norshuhada , Rambat Shuib
Published: January 2023

Coastal erosion can be found on almost all of Malaysia's beaches, but it is particularly prevalent on the country's east coast. The problem of coastal erosion has been resolved through the use of a variety of methods and treatments that are tailored to the severity of the erosion. It is critical for coastal managers and responsible agencies to have an index of erosion that can be used as a guide in determining the level of erosion in a given area in order to design the appropriate mitigation and treatment measures. It is necessary to identify and categorize the factors contributing to coastal erosion. This study employed a literature review and expert feedback questionnaires to identify the primary factors contributing to coastal erosion. This paper put forward the combining method of the AHP and neural network for evaluating the weights of each influential parameter to coastal erosion. As a result of the analysis, AHP discovered that coastal structure was the most influential factor influencing coastal erosion, followed by human activity, waves, and wind with weights of 0.5333, 0.2404, 0.1804, and 0.0459, respectively, whereas ANN analysis also discovered that coastal structure was the most influential factor influencing erosion, followed by human activity, wind, and waves with weights of 0.612, 0.232, 0.082, and 0.074, respectively. Despite the fact that the results of the two analyses were quite different in terms of weights values, the results of both analyses allowed us to determine which factors are the most important in terms of erosion. The weighted application of these factors will be an additional guide to existing guidelines such as NCES and ISMP in evaluating appropriate coastal mitigation and planning strategies. The outcome of this study also able to enhance the coastal management in terms of being the early reference of coastal manager and stakeholders in developing or managing coastal areas.
THE FIRE RESISTANCE OF CONCRETE MADE WITH RECYCLED PLASTIC AS PARTIAL REPLACEMENT FOR COARSE AGGREGATE
Authors: Nwankwo P. O. , Wilson U.N. , Danbuba Z.
Published: January 2023

This research is aimed to investigate the fire resistance of recycled discarded plastic when used as partial replacement for normal granite coarse aggregate in concrete when exposed to elevated temperatures. Discarded Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles were cut into a maximum size of 20mm to produce Recycled Plastic Aggregate (RPA). The replacement of normal aggregates with RPA were in proportion of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% by weight of normal coarse aggregate. The compressive performance of the concrete made with RPA were studied by casting three 100 mm cubes for each of the percentage replacements and tested at 7, 14 and 28 days of curing age. A set of three (3) concrete cubes for each percentage replacement was cured for 28 days and subjected to a temperature of 718oC for a duration of 15 minutes in a furnace. Results of slump tests on fresh concrete showed that workability decreased with increase in RPA. Densities and compressive strengths for normal cube samples not subjected to elevated temperatures and the sample subjected to temperature of 718oC increased with increase in curing age and decreased with increase in percentage of RPA. The result showed that the concrete specimen with 10% replacement of RPA was optimum for good thermal stability.
FACTORS AFFECTING MIX DESIGN OF CONCRETE
Authors: Amin Jawadul , Acharjee Rahul , Hossain Mariya , Tahmid Ahanaf , Chowdhury Sharmin Reza
Published: January 2023

Concrete is a low-maintenance composite material that is primarily composed of cementitious material, water and gravel. It is often used construction material not only in Bangladesh but also across the world. The design of the concrete mix is a critical determinant of the qualities of the concrete. The fundamental ideas and comparative research of certain prominent concrete mix design methods from a qualitative perspective are presented in this work. Two types of concrete mix designs are used which are ACI 211.1-91 (2002) Standard and British Standard (1997) in this paper. Several factors have been determined in this study to choose between the ACI and British Standard. These approaches rely heavily on graphs, tables and bar charts with arbitrary values. The nominal maximum size of coarse aggregate, water to cement ratio (w/c), slump value and the % passing of fine aggregates are used here to change the amount of materials. Differentiating between these strategies allows for a better understanding of the impacts of variables. The ACI and British Standard have been used to compare how the w/c, fine aggregate to cement ratio (FA/C), total aggregate to cement ratio (TA/C) and fine aggregate to total aggregate ratio (FA/TA) are different for various strengths. The following study is expected to pave the path of concrete performance via extensive research on different suggested design factors.
THE EFFECT OF STEEL SLAG POWDER ON HMA STABILITY
Authors: Rahat Md. Hasibul Hasan , Karmakar Ajoy , Madani Md. Amin-Uzz-Zaman
Published: January 2023

The goal of the study is to evaluate the improvements of the stability of the hot mix asphalt (HMA) after the addition of ground steel slag. Steel slag was grounded into finer 75µm particles at Bangladesh Road Research Laboratory (BRRL). Then the ground steel slag powder was added to asphalt binder for penetration and softening point tests. Three modified HMA mixes were prepared with 20%, 30% and 40% of steel slag powder and 2% of cement for the Marshall test with a control mix containing 2% of cement only. The Marshall stability result shows increased stability and decreased flow. Marshall stability reached to maximum at the level of 30% of steel slag powder. The flow values obtained showed a slightly decreasing pattern with the increase in steel slag. The density of the mixes slightly decreases with the increase of steel slag content in the asphalt binder. It was found that the ground steel slag has a negligible effect on air voids (Va), voids in mineral aggregate (VMA), and voids filled with asphalt (VFA). A designed mix was also achieved the best possible result for all parameters in this experiment setup. Ground steel slag can be used in HMA and asphalt pavement construction, which can result in reduced maintenance work and minimize the frequency of rehabilitation and contributes to economic and environmental development.
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF THE HYBRID GEOBAGS AND PU FLATBED SYSTEM AS A SOFT GROUND IMPROVEMENT WORK
Authors: Mohamed Jais Ismacahyadi Bagus , Che Lat Diana , Buttinger Daniel
Published: January 2023

Soft ground is commonly known as a problematic soil foundation, thus required a ground improvement work to be executed. research was carried out to evaluate the performance of the Hybrid Geobag PU flatbed as a proposed remedial work for the failed embankment founded on soft ground in Pulau Betong. Back-analysis of existing embankment was executed using PLAXIS 2D in order to investigate the failure mechanism of the existing embankment. The cause of the embankment failure is due to the excessive consolidation settlement which causes both vertical and horizontal displacements of the . Performance of the proposed remedial works was compared with the conventional design solution of bored pile embankment. Existing embankment has an extreme vertical displacement of 1.87m and horizontal displacement of 0.259m. With the Hybrid Geobag PU flatbed method, the vertical and horizontal displacement reduced to 0.879m and 0.098m respectively. The vertical and horizontal displacement further reduced to 0.099m and 0.030m respectively with bored pile method.
ENERGY DISSIPATION AND DUCTILITY OF STEEL PLATE SHEAR WALL WITH PERFORATION
Authors: Basius Syafiq , Abd. Samat Roslida , Bakhary Norhisham , Abu Bakar Suhaimi
Published: January 2023

Steel plate shear wall (SPSW) is known as an effective structural system in high rise building that provides lateral resistance against wind or earthquake. SPSW sometimes, needs to be perforated to provide access for human which may reduce the capability of SPSW in resisting the lateral load. This study investigated the effect of size and location of perforation to the lateral resistance of SPSW. This study was done numerically by varying the sizes and locations of perforation in the SPSW, while monitoring the horizontal displacement of the top side of SPSW. The first set of models had perforation of 1.2 m wide and 2 m high being placed at different location in the SPSW models, while the second set of models had varying sizes of perforation at the centre of the SPSWs. Both sets of the SPSWs were 4 m high with two different widths, which were 4 m and 6 m. Cyclic loadings were applied laterally for each SPSW model as according to ATC24 and the displacements at the top side of the SPSW model was obtained from the analysis. Hysteretic curves of all models were plotted to obtain the energy dissipation, lateral load capacity and ductility. It is found that perforation that is located nearest to the edge of the SPSW lowers the energy dissipation, ductility and lateral load capacity the most. Larger size of perforation of the SPSW caused larger reduction of the energy dissipation, ductility and lateral load capacity, while wider SPSW have larger values of energy dissipation, ductility and lateral load capacity.
The null boundary controllability for the Mullins equation with periodic boundary conditions
Authors: Oner Isil
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we study the null controllability of the Mullins equation with the control acting on the periodic boundary. Firstly, using the duality relation between controllability and observability, we express the controllability condition in terms of the solution of the backward adjoint system. After showing the existence and uniqueness of the solution of the adjoint system, we determine the admissible initial data class since the system is not always controllable under these boundary conditions. Finally, using this spectral analysis, we reduce the null controllability problem to the moment problem and solve the problem on this admissible initial class.
Analysing the market for digital payments in India using the predator-prey mode
Authors: Raghavendra Vijith , Veeresha Pundikala
Published: January 2023

Technology has revolutionized the way transactions are carried out in economies across the world. India too has witnessed the introduction of numerous modes of electronic payment in the past couple of decades, including e-banking services, National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and most recently the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). While other payment mechanisms have witnessed a gradual and consistent increase in the volume of transactions, UPI has witnessed an exponential increase in usage and is almost on par with pre-existing technologies in the volume of transactions. This study aims to employ a modified Lotka-Volterra (LV) equations (also known as the Predator-Prey Model) to study the competition among different payment mechanisms. The market share of each platform is estimated using the LV equations and combined with the estimates of the total market size obtained using the Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) technique. The result of the model predicts that UPI will eventually overtake the conventional digital payment mechanism in terms of market share as well as volume. Thus, the model indicates a scenario where both payment mechanisms would coexist with UPI being the dominant (or more preferred) mode of payment.
M-truncated soliton solutions of the fractional (4+1)-dimensional Fokas equation
Authors: Ozdemir Neslihan
Published: January 2023

This article aims to examine M-truncated soliton solutions of the fractional (4+1)-dimensional Fokas equation (FE), which is a generalization of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) and Davey-Stewartson (DS) equations. The fractional (4+1)$-dimensional Fokas equation with the M-truncated derivatives is also studied first time in this study. The generalized projective Riccati equations method (GPREM) is successfully implemented. In the application of the presented method, a suitable fractional wave transformation is chosen to convert the proposed model into a nonlinear ordinary differential equation. Then, a linear equation system is acquired utilizing the GPREM, the system is solved, and the suitable solution sets are obtained. Dark and singular soliton solutions are successfully derived. Under the selection of appropriate values of the parameters, 2D, 3D, and contour plots are also displayed for some solutions.
RNA binding protein DDX5 restricts RORγt
+
T
reg
suppressor function to promote intestine inflammation
Authors: Ma Shengyun , Yang Qiyuan , Chen Nicholas , Zheng Anna , Abbasi Nazia , Wang Gaowei , Patel Parth R. , Cho Benjamin S. , Yee Brian A. , Zhang Lunfeng , Chu Hiutung , Evans Sylvia M. , Yeo Gene W. , Zheng Ye , Huang Wendy Jia Men
Published: February 2023

Retinoid-related orphan receptor (RAR) gamma (RORγt)–expressing regulatory T cells (RORγt
+
T
regs
) play pivotal roles in preventing T cell hyperactivation and maintaining tissue homeostasis, in part by secreting the anti-inflammation cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10). Here, we report that hypoxia-induced factor 1α (HIF1α) is the master transcription factor for
Il10
in RORγt
+
T
regs
. This critical anti-inflammatory pathway is negatively regulated by an RNA binding protein DEAD box helicase 5 (DDX5). As a transcriptional corepressor, DDX5 restricts the expression of HIF1α and its downstream target gene
Il10
in RORγt
+
T
regs
. T cell–specific
Ddx5
knockout (DDX5
ΔT
) mice have augmented RORγt
+
T
reg
suppressor activities and are better protected from intestinal inflammation. Genetic ablation or pharmacologic inhibition of HIF1α restores enteropathy susceptibility in DDX5
ΔT
mice. The DDX5–HIF1α–IL-10 pathway is conserved in mice and humans. These findings reveal potential therapeutic targets for intestinal inflammatory diseases.
A smart risk-responding polymer membrane for safer batteries
Authors: Zhang Ying , Yu Le , Zhang Xu-Dong , Wang Ya-Hui , Yang Chunpeng , Liu Xiaolong , Wang Wen-Peng , Zhang Yu , Li Xue-Ting , Li Ge , Xin Sen , Guo Yu-Guo , Bai Chunli
Published: February 2023

Safety concerns related to the abuse operation and thermal runaway are impeding the large-scale employment of high-energy-density rechargeable lithium batteries. Here, we report that by incorporating phosphorus-contained functional groups into a hydrocarbon-based polymer, a smart risk-responding polymer is prepared for effective mitigation of battery thermal runaway. At room temperature, the polymer is (electro)chemically compatible with electrodes, ensuring the stable battery operation. Upon thermal accumulation, the phosphorus-containing radicals spontaneously dissociate from the polymer skeleton and scavenge hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals to terminate the exothermic chain reaction, suppressing thermal generation at an early stage. With the smart risk-responding strategy, we demonstrate extending the time before thermal runaway for a 1.8-Ah Li-ion pouch cell by 100% (~9 hours) compared with common cells, creating a critical time window for safety management. The temperature-triggered automatic safety-responding strategy will improve high-energy-density battery tolerance against thermal abuse risk and pave the way to safer rechargeable batteries.
Antagonistic Activity of Volatile Organic Compounds Produced by Acid-Tolerant Pseudomonas protegens CLP-6 as Biological Fumigants To Control Tobacco Bacterial Wilt Caused by Ralstonia solanacearum
Authors: Zhao Qian , Cao Jianmin , Cai Xianjie , Wang Jie , Kong Fanyu , Wang Dongkun , Wang Jing
Published: February 2023

VOCs produced by beneficial bacteria penetrate the rhizosphere to inhibit the growth of plant-pathogenic microorganisms; thus, they have the potential to be used as biological agents in controlling plant diseases. Tobacco bacterial wilt, which is caused by the acidophilic pathogen
R. solanacearum
, is a major bacterial disease in southern China and is prevalent in acidic soil.
Supplemental Material: Picture Gorge Basalt: Internal stratigraphy, eruptive patterns, and its importance for understanding CRBG magmatism
Authors: Cahoon E.B. , al. et
Published: January 2023

File A: Sample location and geochemical table (XRF and ICP-MS data). File B. Geochemical correlation of PGB samples. File C: Principal component analysis code. File D: Age spectra: Age plateaus and inverse isochrons. File E: ArArCALC age summary table. 
Central lung gene expression associates with myofibroblast features in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Huang Yong , Guzy Rob , Ma Shwu-Fan , Bonham Catherine A , Jou Jonathan , Schulte Jefree J , Kim John S , Barros Andrew J , Espindola Milena S , Husain Aliya N , Hogaboam Cory M , Sperling Anne I , Noth Imre
Published: February 2023

Rationale

Contribution of central lung tissues to pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains unknown.

Objective

To ascertain the relationship between cell types of IPF-central and IPF-peripheral lung explants using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) transcriptome.

Methods

Biopsies of paired IPF-central and IPF-peripheral along with non-IPF lungs were selected by reviewing H&E data. Criteria for differentially expressed genes (DEG) were set at false discovery rate <5% and fold change >2. Computational cell composition deconvolution was performed. Signature scores were computed for each cell type.

Findings

Comparison of central IPF versus non-IPF identified 1723 DEG (1522 upregulated and 201 downregulated). Sixty-two per cent (938/1522) of the mutually upregulated genes in central IPF genes were also upregulated in peripheral IPF versus non-IPF. Moreover, 85 IPF central-associated genes (CAG) were upregulated in central IPF versus both peripheral IPF and central non-IPF. IPF single-cell RNA-seq analysis revealed the highest CAG signature score in myofibroblasts and significantly correlated with a previously published activated fibroblasts signature (r=0.88, p=1.6×10−4). CAG signature scores were significantly higher in IPF than in non-IPF myofibroblasts (p=0.013). Network analysis of central-IPF genes identified a module significantly correlated with the deconvoluted proportion of myofibroblasts in central IPF and anti-correlated with inflammation foci trait in peripheral IPF. The module genes were over-represented in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis signalling pathways.

Interpretation

Gene expression in central IPF lung regions demonstrates active myofibroblast features that contributes to disease progression. Further elucidation of pathological transcriptomic state of cells in the central regions of the IPF lung that are relatively spared from morphological rearrangements may provide insights into molecular changes in the IPF progression.
On the equivalence of the Nernst theorem and its consequence
Authors: Su Shanhe , Zhou Yinghui , Su Guozhen , Chen Jincan
Published: February 2023

One general consequence of the Nernst theorem is derived, i.e. the various heat capacities of a thermodynamic system under different constraints approach zero as the temperature approaches absolute zero. The temperature dependence of the heat capacity of any thermodynamic system at ultra-low temperatures is revealed through this consequence. Moreover, the general form and the simplest expression of the heat capacities of thermodynamic systems at ultra-low temperatures are deduced. Some discussion and results are given. One new research method is provided by using this consequence. Finally, the equivalence between the Nernst theorem and its consequence is proved, so that this consequence may be referred to another description of the third law of thermodynamics.
EBMICQL: Improving Efficiency of Blockchain Miner Pools via Incremental and Continuous Q-Learning Framework
Authors: Mulchandani Mona , Nair Pramod S.
Published: February 2023

Blockchain mining pools assist in reducing computational load on individual miner nodes via distributing mining tasks. This distribution must be done in a non-redundant manner, so that each miner is able to calculate block hashes with optimum efficiency. To perform this task, a wide variety of mining optimization methods are proposed by researchers, and most of them distribute mining tasks via statistical request processing models. These models segregate mining requests into non-redundant sets, each of which will be processed by individual miners. But this division of requests follows a static procedure, and does not consider miner specific parameters for set creation, due to which overall efficiency of the underlying model is limited, which reduces its mining performance under real-time scenarios. To overcome this issue, an Incremental & Continuous Q-Learning Framework for generation of miner-specific task groups is proposed in this text. The model initially uses a Genetic Algorithm (GA) method to improve individual miner performance, and then applies Q-Learning to individual mining requests. The Reason for selecting GA model is that it assists in maintaining better speed-to-power (S2P) ratio by optimization of miner resources that are utilized during computations. While, the reason for selecting Q-Learning Model is that it is able to continuously identify miners performance, and create performance-based mining pools at a per-miner level. Due to application of Q-Learning, the model is able to assign capability specific mining tasks to individual miner nodes. Because of this capability-driven approach, the model is able to maximize efficiency of mining, while maintaining its QoS performance. The model was tested on different consensus methods including Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance Algorithm (PBFT), Proof-of-Work (PoW), Proof-of-Stake (PoS), and Delegated PoS (DPoS), and its performance was evaluated in terms of mining delay, miner efficiency, number of redundant calculations per miner, and energy efficiency for mining nodes. It was observed that the proposed GA based Q-Learning Model was able to reduce mining delay by 4.9%, improve miners efficiency by 7.4%, reduce number of redundant computations by 3.5%, and reduce energy required for mining by 7.1% when compared with various state-of-the-art mining optimization techniques. Similar performance improvement was observed when the model was applied on different blockchain deployments, thus indicating better scalability and deployment capability for multiple application scenarios.
A Review of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Based Interconnects in VLSI Systems: Advantages, Challenges, and Future Directions
Authors: Awan Uzair
Published: January 2023

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been extensively researched as a potential replacement for traditional metal interconnects in very-large-scale integration (VLSI) systems due to their high electrical conductivity, mechanical strength and small dimensions. The use of large diameter MWCNTs in interconnects can offer several advantages over traditional metal interconnects and small diameter SWCNTs, such as lower resistance, improved signal integrity, and lower power consumption. Furthermore, MWCNTs have a high thermal stability and can withstand high temperatures, which can lead to improved long-term reliability in interconnects. However, there are also challenges to overcome before MWCNT interconnects can be widely adopted in VLSI systems, such as: Fabrication, Contact resistance, Purification, Alignment, and Integration. In this review, we will summarize the recent advancements in the field of MWCNT-based interconnects, highlighting their potential advantages and challenges, and future research directions.
Home Respiratory Polygraphy and Spirometry in Normal Weight and Children with Obesity Suspected for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: Are There Any Associations?
Authors: Corbelli Regula , Barazzone Constance , Grasset Salomon Carole , Beghetti Maurice , Maggio Albane B. R.
Published: February 2023

Aim. It is known that children and adolescents with obesity are more prone to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and that their lung function may show some disturbance. Literature is scarce about potential associations; therefore, we aimed to study the relationship between OSAS, lung function, and adiposity in a population of children suspected of OSAS. Material and Methods. We performed home respiratory polygraphy and spirometry in all subjects. The relationships between body mass index

z

-score (zBMI), polygraphy, and spirometry data were analyzed. Results. We recruited 81 subjects aged between 5 and 16 years, 63% being obese. 43.2% of subjects were diagnosed with OSAS (32.1% mild, 4.9% moderate, and 6.2% severe). We found no correlation between respiratory polygraphy and the zBMI. The mean spirometric value FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC ratio

z

’s were normal in all subjects, whereas FVC

z

’s and FEV1/FVC ratio

z

’s were significantly positively related for obesity and negatively for normal weight (

p
<
0.05

). FEV1

z

’s was inversely correlated to the percentage of analyzed time passed below 90% of SpO2 (

r
=
−
0.224
,
p
=
0.044

). All subjects with FEV1 (

n
=
8

) and/or FVC (

n
=
9

)

z

’s below the lower limit for normal (LLN) had an

AHI
≥
1

(FEV1:

p
=
0.001

; FVC:

p
<
0.001

), especially subjects with normal weight (FEV1:

p
=
0.003

; FVC:

p
=
0.010

). Conclusion. When comparing normal-weight children and adolescents with obesity, the prevalence of OSAS but not spirometric values was strongly related to BMI

z

-score, probably because obesity engenders advanced puberty and an accelerated growth spurt. FEV1 was more frequently <LLN in normal-weight children, while obese subjects presented low FEV1/FVC ratio

z

’s and FEF25-75%

z

’s. Moreover, all subjects with abnormal spirometric values were suffering from at least mild OSAS, again more frequently in normal-weight subjects.
A Novel Prognostic Pyroptosis-Related Gene Signature Correlates to Oxidative Stress and Immune-Related Features in Gliomas
Authors: Zeng Shulian , Li Wenjun , Ouyang Hao , Xie Ying , Feng Xiaoqiang , Huang Li
Published: February 2023

Gliomas are highly invasive and aggressive tumors having the highest incidence rate of brain cancer. Identifying effective prognostic and potential therapeutic targets is necessitated. The relationship of pyroptosis, a form of programmed cellular death, with gliomas remains elusive. We constructed and validated a prognostic model for gliomas using pyroptosis-related genes. Differentially expressed pyroptosis-related genes were screened using the “limma” package. Based on LASSO-Cox regression, nine significant genes including CASP1, CASP3, CASP6, IL32, MKI67, MYD88, PRTN3, NOS1, and VIM were employed to construct a prognostic model in the TCGA cohort; the results were validated in the CGGA cohort. According to the median risk score, the patients were classified into two risk groups, namely, high- and low-risk groups. Patients at high risk had worse prognoses relative to those at low risk evidenced by the Kaplan-Meier curve analysis. The two groups exhibited differences in immune cell infiltration and TMB scores, with high immune checkpoint levels, TMB scores, and immune cell infiltration levels in the high-risk group. KEGG and GO analyses suggested enrichment in immune-related pathways. Furthermore, we found that the genes in our signature strongly correlated with oxidative stress-related pathways and the subgroups exhibited different ssGSEA scores. Some small molecules targeted the genes in the model, and we verified their drug sensitivities between the risk groups. The scRNA-seq dataset, GSE138794, was processed using the “Seurat” package to assess the level of risk gene expression in specific cell types. Finally, the MYD88 level was lowered in the U87 glioma cell line using si-RNA constructs. Cellular proliferation was impaired, and fewer pyroptosis-related cytokines were released upon exposure to LPS. In summary, we built a pyroptosis-related gene model that accurately classified glioma patients into high- and low-risk groups. The findings suggest that the signature may be an effective prognostic predictive tool for gliomas.
Effect of Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule on Myocardial Infarction: Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification
Authors: Duan Jinlong , Lin Jianguo , Zhang Nixue , Wang Qingqing , Li Na , Yao Kuiwu
Published: February 2023

Background. Myocardial infarction (MI) is the most severe manifestation of cardiovascular disease. Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule (XFC), a proprietary Chinese medicine, is widely used in various cardiovascular diseases. At present, the molecular mechanism of XFC remains unclear. Objective. To explore the mechanism of anti‐MI effects of XFC by combining network pharmacology and experiments. Methods. TCMSP, GeneCards, and DisGeNET databases were used to find the target of XFC. PPI analysis was performed by the STRING database. KEGG and GO analyses were performed by Metascape Database. Molecular docking was performed by Autodock Vina. HE staining, echocardiography, immunofluorescence, and TUNEL were performed to verify the prediction results. Results. Network pharmacology showed that quercetin, kaempferol, β‐sitosterol, luteolin, and baicalein were the main active ingredients of XFC. TNF, IL6, TP53, VEGFA, JUN, CASP3, and SIRT1 were the main targets of XFC. KEGG results showed that key genes were mainly enriched in lipid and atherosclerosis, PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and NF‐κB signaling pathway. HE staining showed that XFC could improve the morphology of myocardial tissue. Echocardiography showed that XFC could improve cardiac function. TUNEL showed that XFC could reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Immunofluorescence showed that XFC could reduce the expression of α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) and increase the expression of CD31. In addition, we found that XFC may exert its therapeutic effects through SIRT1. Conclusion. This study demonstrated that SIRT1 may be the target of XFC in the treatment of MI. The active ingredients of XFC and SIRT1 can be stably bound. XFC could inhibit apoptosis, promote angiogenesis, and improve myocardial fibrosis through SIRT1.
Patient‐Reported Experiences in Voxelotor‐Treated Children and Adults with Sickle Cell Disease: A Semistructured Interview Study
Authors: Brown Clark , Idowu Modupe , Drachtman Richard , Beaubrun Anne , Agodoa Irene , Nguyen Andy , Lipman Kelly , Moshkovich Olga , Murphy Ryan , Bellenger M. Alex , Smith Wally
Published: January 2023

Objective. Voxelotor is a first‐in‐class sickle hemoglobin–polymerization inhibitor that was approved in 2019 by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) aged ≥12 years; in 2021, the approval was extended to children with SCD aged 4 to 11 years. Additionally, both the Ministry of Health and Prevention for the United Arab Emirates and the European Commission granted marketing authorization for voxelotor in September 2021 and February 2022, respectively, for treatment of SCD in adults and pediatric patients aged ≥12 years. Thus, additional information on the patient experience with voxelotor would be useful for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals alike. The purpose of this study was to conduct semistructured interviews in an effort to understand the experiences and perspectives of voxelotor‐treated patients with SCD. Methods. One‐time semistructured interviews with adults, adolescents, and children with SCD and their primary caregivers were conducted in the United States. Twenty‐three adults and adolescents were recruited across 4 clinical sites, and 10 children‐caregiver dyads were recruited from a single site. The interview was designed to elicit patient perspectives on symptomatic changes with voxelotor and the impact of treatment on patients’ perceived health‐related quality of life. Individual interview transcripts were analyzed using a thematic analytic approach, and concept saturation was assessed in both cohorts. Results. Most patients reported improvements in their SCD symptoms with voxelotor treatment, specifically regarding pain crises, jaundice, and fatigue. Almost all patients experienced improvements in self‐reported health‐related quality of life with voxelotor treatment. Conclusions. This study provides patient and caregiver perspectives on the symptomatic benefits of voxelotor treatment. These findings not only highlight the benefits of voxelotor treatment in improving symptoms and increasing health‐related quality of life across the entire SCD population but also can inform further research on SCD‐specific patient‐reported outcomes.
Development of playfair cryptosystem based on generation a multi-dimensional key matrix
Authors: Al-Hassani Mustafa Dhiaa , Gaata Methaq Talib
Published: January 2023

Playfair is considered as one of the classical encryption symmetric methods, it has a limitation of using just 5×5 matrix, which means only 25 English letters could be represented. In this work, a 2D and 3D method is adopted as an expanded matrix that encompass the overall American standard code for information interchange (ASCII) codes in a permuted manner for all symbols of any language. Any sort of the multi-dimensional matrix will enhance the security by increasing the complexity on the attacker to try 256! patterns of keys probabilities instead of 25!. The key-matrix is generated from the chaotic maps for some control parameters as patterns of non-repeating random numbers from 0 to 255 equivalent to their ASCII code values. The security of the proposed method not rely only on the number of key probabilities, but exceed that to: matrix dimensionality, encryption/decryption algorithms, initial chaotic parameters, and key-matrix values permutation. The efficiency of the proposed cryptosystem has been investigated when tested on 784 samples according to security measurements in which the obtained number of pixels change rate (NPCR) (99.609) is very close to the ideal value, while the correlation plotting close to zero (0.00058) and entropy near from 8 (7.9998).
A historical approach to describing the complex behaviour of a large species of predatory shark — Case study 2: the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias
Authors: Klimley A. Peter
Published: January 2023

A historical example, case study 2, is one of two cases illustrating the complexity of interactions between sharks in their natural environment. Evidence is presented that the white shark is a selective feeder, consuming seals and sea lions with high fat content yet rejecting a pelican, human, and sea otters with low fat content. After biting seals, these sharks carry them in their jaws for a prolonged time underwater to kill them through blood-loss, i.e., exsanguination. Multiple sharks compete to feed on the remaining seal carcass when it floats to the surface. The sharks perform the Tail Slap, consisting of lifting the caudal fin and splashing water toward the accompanying shark. A combatant is permitted to feed further on a seal only if the vigor and frequency of its tail slaps are greater than those of its opponent. Thus, this is an agonistic display, functioning to ward off potential competitors.
Effects of cross-fostering experience on emotion in adolescent Kunming mice
Authors: Zhu Yunmeng , Wang Yuqian , Wang Yuyu , Feng Yiqin , Wang Qun , Wang Qiao , Tian Yaoyao , Tai Fadao , Jia Rui
Published: January 2023

Parent–infant bonds are critical early postnatal environment in mammals. Unstable parent–infant bonds, such as maternal separation, paternal deprivation, and neonatal social isolation have negative effects on emotion, cognition, addiction, and social behaviours in the animal’s whole lifespan. Another unstable parent–infant bond, cross-fostering, in which pups were randomly exchanged to other parents has mostly focused on kin recognition and anxiety-like behavioural changes in adult. But its effects on adolescence, particularly on autism spectrum disorder, are poorly understood. Whole cross-fostering model was used in the present study. The results showed that with cross-fostering, adolescent Kunming mice buried more marbles, expressed higher levels of anxiety and depression. Cross-fostering attenuated prosocial behaviours and reduced the activity of adolescence when encountering another individual in social interaction test. Taken together, our results demonstrate that experiencing whole cross-fostering in early life is more likely to induce autism-, anxiety-, and depression- like behaviours in adolescence.
Could convulsive body shuddering of a white shark near a shark cage be an element of a threat display?
Authors: Klimley A. Peter , Hoyos-Padilla Mauricio
Published: January 2023

In this short note, we describe the convulsive body shuddering of a white shark as it approached two large metallic shark cages, each with multiple divers standing within them. When animals feel threatened, they experience conflicting instincts — one is to escape and another is to fight. In this situation, they do not always fight but often perform an agonistic, or aggressive display. Having arrived at the source of an olfactory corridor, this white shark was confronted with highly visible cages made with aluminium bars. The divers use hookah air hoses to breathe, and were therefore releasing bubbles, which reflect light and generate sounds as they oscillate toward the surface. The photographers may also have been taking pictures of the shark with their flash-bulb equipped cameras, which produce a sudden disruptive flash of irradiance. The shark’s behaviour is illustrated with a series of video frames as he approaches the cage. The body of the shark shutters convulsively and he opens his mouth, keeping it open for a prolonged period of 2.8 s as he passes close to the cage, while (1) depressing his pectoral fins, (2) hunching his back, (3) keeping his caudal fin held at right angle to the axis of view to increase his apparent size, and (4) shaking his body with spasmodic oscillations. The shark appears frightened, and hence may perform the display to discourage any aggression directed at him by the cage with humans emitting a panoply of frightening stimuli. Alternative explanations of the motivation behind this behaviour are also discussed. We hope that it will lead other scientists to look for this behaviour when observing the behaviour of white sharks from a cage, so they can provide further evidence shedding light upon the shark’s motivation for performing this conspicuous behaviour.
The link between animal personality and habitat selection in males of the Neotropical poison frog Allobates femoralis
Authors: Bégué Lauriane , Peignier Mélissa , Ringler Eva
Published: January 2023

Environmental variation plays a key role in the evolution and maintenance of animal personality. Individuals with different personality types might exhibit different habitat preferences. Alternatively, variation in individual behaviour across space could arise as a plastic adaptation to distinct habitats. Our study aims to investigate if habitat choice is influenced by an individual’s personality. We assessed individual levels of activity, boldness, and exploration in male poison frogs, and performed a habitat choice test under controlled laboratory conditions. Individuals were consistent in their behaviours, but all tested frogs chose the complex over the simple habitat. Individuals that were characterized as bold and very explorative also showed more movements between the two different habitats in the choice test. These results indicate that personality measured in a highly standardized artificial setup, such as a novel environment test, indeed can reflect boldness and exploration related behaviours measured in a more naturalistic setup.
The effect of individual personality on novel food preference in a social context in the cinereous tit (Parus cinereus)
Authors: Bibi Nehafta , Wang Haitao
Published: January 2023

Exploratory behaviour is one of the best-investigated behavioural traits. However, little is known about the influence of personality on novel food preferences in the social context, i.e., whether knowledge and previous experience can influence individual preference or if the presence of conspecifics can alter their choice. In the present study, we examined in cinereous tit (Parus cinereus) whether individuals with different personality types in the social context will prefer their own previously chosen novel food or change their preference in the presence of conspecifics. Second, we studied how the presence and behaviour of conspecifics may mediate individual personality. We conducted a standardized personality assay (exploratory behaviour) to analyse the individual personality. Birds were trained and provided with three different types of novel human-derived materials in both asocial and social contexts (with a conspecific). We recorded the latency to feed, time spent at the feeder, and the number of visits by fast and slow explorers in the two contexts, i.e., asocial and social. After the analyses of experimental data, we found that fast-exploring cinereous tits preferred peanuts in an asocial context, while slow explorers consumed a greater amount of sunflower seeds. In the social context, individuals of both personality types preferred peanuts to sunflower seeds. Additionally, individuals took less latency to eat food, made more visits to the feeder, and spent more time at the feeder in the social context than in the asocial context. Our findings show that foraging success may be determined by personality and social context. However, personality traits may be subject to constraints arising from correlations with other behavioural traits, and it remains a major challenge to understand the functional significance of individual foraging strategies.
Always with You: Questioning the Theological Construction of the Un/Deserving Poor
Authors: Muers Rachel
Published: January 2023

The cultural persistence and political salience of the ‘un/deserving poor’ – the moral categorization of people in poverty – rests, inter alia, on the use of Christianity to construct a class-inflected position from which to judge or categorize the lives of others. Interpretation of the claim that the poor are ‘always with you’ (Matthew 26:11) plays a role in this process of asymmetrical moralization, specifically through the framing of ‘the poor’ as a class with divinely-mandated functions and virtues. To develop theological challenges to asymmetrical moralization, I examine patterns in contemporary and historical interpretation of the gospel accounts of the woman who anoints Jesus (the wider context of the claim that the poor are ‘always with you’). I propose that, while many interpreters attempt to use these texts to establish a position from which to judge both the woman and ‘the poor’, they can be reread in a way that undermines that construction.
The Prophetic Role of the Church and Postcolonial Portrait of Nigeria in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus
Authors: Amaefule Adolphus Ekedimma
Published: January 2023

This article brings together Christian theology, creative literature and history in the current spirit of interdisciplinary scholarship. It endeavours to unveil, in the first place, the image painted of Nigeria as a post-colonial entity in the novel, Purple Hibiscus, by the award-winning writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Through the events, characters and realities employed by her in painting the above-mentioned image of Nigeria, it is evident that the historical period captured is most likely located in the military regimes of Ibrahim Babangida (1985–93) and Sani Abacha (1993–98). The article then considers the role that the Catholic Church in Nigeria, especially its hierarchy, played during the period and what that performance of such has to say to the same church leaders in Nigeria, today. These reflections stand inside the emerging tradition of a public theology in Nigeria.
The Third Space Between Church and City: Coproduction in a Danish Municipality
Authors: Viftrup Lars Buch , Grabowski Dan
Published: January 2023

The city is essentially a public arena where diverse people and multiple systems, networks and cultures encounter each other. It is where church interacts with all the other agents of the city. Understanding the implication of these encounters for church as well as city is notoriously difficult and ambiguous. As a result of an empirical study in the Danish city of Aarhus, eight ‘functions’ have been distinguished. This article asks what happens, if instead, they are seen as part of a third, common space of interaction for church and city. For purposes of further interpretation a garden-city narrative and trinitarian motifs are deployed.
Borders before Nations: Encounters in the Akan and Dzungar Borderlands, 1450–1750
Authors: Hellman Lisa , Smith Edmond
Published: January 2023

This article combines the methodological approaches and insights of two scholars working in distinct regions of the early modern world, namely West Africa and Central Asia, to consider border-making outside of Europe before the nation state. Using borders to understand historical developments is not unprecedented and decades of borderland studies have shown how borders result from, and are affected by, political, emotional, economic, and social processes. The field has also shown that borders can be permeable and solid simultaneously and has offered fruitful new perspectives for historians examining the gradual consolidation of nation states. However, using the history of border-making to understand how nations were formed is a comparatively modern, and regionally limited, line of inquiry. Instead, by adopting a comparative analysis, underpinned by a common theoretical approach, this article combines the examination of two understudied early modern regions to offer an alternative approach for understanding border-making, situated in a global context. Comparisons of this nature show the potential of global history to break up categories taken for granted and open up new venues for research; in doing so, they can generate novel approaches that serve to connect diverse spaces, historiographies, and archives.
Counterexpectational Translations: The Dutch Markers Toch and Eigenlijk Contrasted with Their English Correspondents
Authors: Buysse Lieven
Published: January 2023

The Dutch particle toch and modal adverb eigenlijk both belong to the broad domain of ‘contrast’: their prototypical functions have been described as ‘concession’ and ‘counterexpectation’, respectively, and both have been attributed emphatic discourse uses (e.g. toch as a common ground reminder and eigenlijk as a reinforcement marker). This study analyses the multifunctional scope of toch and eigenlijk in Dutch and maps their translation equivalents in English through an in-depth analysis of the Dutch-English component of the Europarl corpus. For eigenlijk the most common correspondents (in fact, really, actually) belong to the core of the semantic domain of (counter)expectation, whereas none of the English correspondents of toch is able to capture the marker’s duality as both a concessive and a common ground marker. The high degree of zero correspondences in English source texts suggests the translators’ strong awareness of the markers’ pragmalinguistic contribution.