bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stand validation of lidar forest inventory modeling for a managed southern pine forest
Authors: Strunk Jacob L. , McGaughey Robert J.
Published: January 2023

We evaluated area-based approaches (ABAs) to light detection and ranging (lidar) predictions of plot- and stand-level forest attributes (tree count, height, basal area, volume, aboveground biomass, broadleaf/conifer, and diameter at breast height — “diameter”). ABA methods included post-stratification (PS), ordinary least squares (OLSs) regression, k nearest neighbors ( kNN), and random forest (RF). This study was conducted on the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA. Plot- and stand-level predictions were validated against fixed-radius 0.04 ha (0.1 acre) plots in 49 ≈2.0 ha (5 acre) stands. Our findings demonstrate that lidar can be incorporated operationally into forest inventory systems to provide stand-level inferences for a wide range of forest attributes. Volume predictions for specific diameter classes, however, often fared poorly (root mean squared error (RMSE) > 100%) for the methods we explored, especially for larger (less common) diameter trees. Stand-level results were consistently better than pixel-level results (10–200+ percentage points). kNN and RF performed similarly and better than OLS and PS, but RF was the most robust to model configurations, while kNN has practical advantages such as simultaneous predictions of many attributes.
Quantized momentum eigenstates and thermodynamic properties of the Feinberg–Horodecki equation for the time-dependent Wei-Hua oscillator
Authors: Horchani R. , Ikot A.N. , Okon I.B. , Okorie U.S. , Obagboye L.F. , Ahmadov A.I. , Abdullah H.Y. , Qadir K.W. , Abdel-Aty Abdel-Haleem
Published: January 2023

In this study, we obtained exact solutions of the Feinberg–Horodecki equation for the time-dependent Wei-Hua potential, which is constructed by the temporal counterpart of the spatial form of this potential. We obtained the quantized momentum eigenvalues and the corresponding wave functions. We obtained the partition function for the system and studied other thermodynamic properties that include vibrational mean momentum ( U), vibrational specific heat capacity ( C), vibrational entropy ( s), and vibrational free momentum ( F) as a signature in the momentum space.
Evaluating community science sampling for microplastics in shore sediments of large river watersheds
Authors: Forrest Shaun A. , Alambo Katherine , Holman Larissa , Vermaire Jesse C.
Published: January 2023

A community science project in the Ottawa River Watershed in Canada interacted with an existing volunteer base to collect sediment from 68 locations in the watershed over approximately 750 km. Ninety-one percent of the distributed kits were returned with 42 volunteers taking part in the project. After analysis, particle concentrations were relatively low compared to previous freshwater microplastic sediment research, with contributing factors including (but not limited to) the large size of the watershed, a lower population base compared to other researched freshwater watersheds, the relative size and discharge of the Ottawa River and the large seasonal fluxes experienced in the river basin. Utilising community science for sampling large freshwater watersheds demonstrated its advantages in the research, especially spatially. However, careful consideration to research design and implementation is essential for community science projects examining microplastics in freshwater sediments. Research teams should ensure they are responsible for strict quality assurance and quality control protocols, especially in the laboratory with sample preparation and processing. Nonetheless, community science is potentially an extremely useful approach for researchers to use for microplastic sampling projects over large spatial areas.
Baicalin Blocks Colon Cancer Cell Cycle and Inhibits Cell Proliferation through miR-139-3p Upregulation by Targeting CDK16
Authors: Cai Rong , Zhou Yan-Ping , Li Yun-Hai , Zhang Jin-Jin , Hu Zuo-Wei
Published: January 2023

Baicalin was reported to facilitate the apoptosis of colon cells and inhibit tumor growth in vivo. This study aimed to explore the specific mechanism and function of baicalin on colon cells. Relative mRNA levels were tested via qPCR. Cell proliferation, viability, and cell cycle phases were evaluated using MTT, colony formation, and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The interaction between miR-139-3p and cyclin-dependent kinase 16 (CDK16) was measured via a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Immunohistochemistry was used to count the positivity cells in tumor tissues collected from treated xenografted tumor mice. The results showed that baicalin increased miR-139-3p expression while also decreasing CDK16 levels, blocking the cell cycle, and inhibiting cell proliferation in colon cancer cells. miR-139-3p silencing or CDK16 overexpression abolished the inhibitory effects of baicalin on colon cancer proliferation. miR-139-3p directly targeted and interacted with CDK16 at the cellular level. The protective functions of miR-139-3p knockdown on tumor cells were abrogated by silencing CDK16. The combination of baicalin treatment and CDK16 knockdown further inhibited tumor growth of xenografted tumor mice compared with the groups injected with only sh-CDK16 or baicalin in vivo. In conclusion, baicalin inhibited colon cancer growth by modulating the miR-139-3p/CDK16 axis.
An Efficient COVID-19 Disease Outbreak Prediction Using BI-SSOA-TMLPNN and ARIMA
Authors: Sasikala P. , Sheela L. Mary Immaculate
Published: January 2023

Globally, people’s health and wealth are affected by the outbreak of the corona virus. It is a virus, which infects from common fever to severe acute respiratory syndrome. It has the potency to transmit from one person to another. It is established that this virus spread is augmenting speedily devoid of any symptoms. Therefore, the prediction of this outbreak situation with mathematical modelling is highly significant along with necessary. To produce informed decisions along with to adopt pertinent control measures, a number of outbreak prediction methodologies for COVID-19 are being utilized by officials worldwide. An effectual COVID-19 outbreaks’ prediction by employing Squirrel Search Optimization Algorithm centric Tanh Multi-Layer Perceptron Neural Network (MLPNN) (SSOA-TMLPNN) along with Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) methodologies is proposed here. Initially, from the openly accessible sources, the input time series COVID-19 data are amassed. Then, pre-processing is performed for better classification outcomes after collecting the data. Next, by utilizing Sine-centered Empirical Mode Decomposition (S-EMD) methodology, the data decomposition is executed. Subsequently, the data are input to the Brownian motion Intense (BI) - SSOA-TMLPNN classifier. In this, the diseased, recovered, and death cases in the country are classified. After that, regarding the time-series data, the corona-virus’s future outbreak is predicted by employing ARIMA. Afterwards, data visualization is conducted. Lastly, to evaluate the proposed model’s efficacy, its outcomes are analogized with certain prevailing methodologies. The obtained outcomes revealed that the proposed methodology surpassed the other existing methodologies.
The Ordovician of France and neighbouring areas of Belgium and Germany
Authors: Lefebvre Bertrand , Álvaro J. Javier , Casas Josep Maria , Ghienne Jean-François , Herbosch Alain , Loi Alfredo , Monceret Eric , Verniers Jacques , Vidal Muriel , Vizcaïno Daniel , Servais Thomas
Published: January 2023

The Ordovician successions of France and neighbouring areas of Belgium and Germany are reviewed and correlated based on international chronostratigraphic and regional biostratigraphic charts. The same three megasequences related to the rift, drift and docking of Avalonia with Baltica can be tracked in Belgium and neighbouring areas (Brabant Massif and Ardenne inliers), western (Rhenish Massif) and northeastern Germany (Rügen). The remaining investigated areas were part of Gondwana in the Ordovician. The Armorican Massif shares with the Iberian Peninsula a Furongian–Early Ordovician gap (Toledanian or Norman gap), and a continuous Mid–Late Ordovician shelf sedimentation. The Occitan Domain (Montagne Noire and Mouthoumet massifs), eastern Pyrenees and northwestern Corsica share with southwestern Sardinia continuous shelf sedimentation in the Early Ordovician, and a Mid Ordovician ‘Sardic gap’. In the Ordovician, the Maures Massif probably belonged to the same Sardo-Occitan domain. The Vosges and Schwarzwald massifs display comparable, poorly preserved Ordovician successions, suggesting affinities with the Teplá-Barrandian and/or Moldanubian zones of Central Europe.
AutoML for Deep Recommender Systems: A Survey
Authors: Zheng Ruiqi , Qu Liang , Cui Bin , Shi Yuhui , Yin Hongzhi
Published: January 2023

Recommender systems play a significant role in information filtering and have been utilized in different scenarios, such as e-commerce and social media. With the prosperity of deep learning, deep recommender systems show superior performance by capturing non-linear information and item-user relationships. However, the design of deep recommender systems heavily relies on human experiences and expert knowledge. To tackle this problem, Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) is introduced to automatically search for the proper candidates for different parts of deep recommender systems. This survey performs a comprehensive review of the literature in this field. Firstly, we propose an abstract concept for AutoML for deep recommender systems (AutoRecSys) that describes its building blocks and distinguishes it from conventional AutoML techniques and recommender systems. Secondly, we present a taxonomy as a classification framework containing feature selection search, embedding dimension search, feature interaction search, model architecture search, and other components search. Furthermore, we put a particular emphasis on the search space and search strategy, as they are the common thread to connect all methods within each category and enable practitioners to analyze and compare various approaches. Finally, we propose four future promising research directions that will lead this line of research.
Regulating the Electronic State of Ni in an Alloy Phase by Heterogeneous Structures of FeNi3-WC/C to Reach a High Performance for Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Zhang Hui , Wang Jie , Zhang Qingxiao , Wang Xinyu , Yang Qun , Tang Huaibao , Jin Shaowei , Zuo Xueqin , Yang Li , Li Guang
Published: January 2023

The high energy barrier and multi-intermediate state of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are the keys to limiting water decomposition. Here, we demonstrate a novel OER catalyst, which is constructed by introducing the WC impurity phase into FeNi3/C to construct FeNi3-WC/C heterostructure on the carbon skeleton, adjusting the number of active sites, improving the intrinsic activity, and accelerating the reaction kinetics. The overpotential of 240 mV and the Tafel slope of 44 mVdec−1 is obtained at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, which are superior to the traditional noble metal oxide catalyst (RuO2). The density functional theory (DFT) model shows that the charge transfer from WC heterogeneous phase to the FeNi3 alloy phase enriches the Ni d electronic state in the alloy phase, thereby enhancing the intrinsic activity of the active site, reducing the adsorption free energy of *O to *OOH, and improving the oxygen evolution reaction efficiency. This work provides a reference for the development of non-noble metal-based catalysts.
Spatially Resolved Growth Mechanisms of a Lithium Dendrite Population
Authors: Jana Aniruddha , Edwin García R.
Published: January 2023

By developing a thermodynamically consistent phase field framework, which includes position-dependent large deformation mechanics, plasticity, electrochemistry, and electrodeposition, twelve growth mechanisms were identified. Specifically, previously reported tip-controlled growth mechanism is resolved in to (a) flat tops, (b) rounded tops, (c) edge shielding, (d) electrical shielding, and (e) local electrochemical exchange. Similarly, previously reported base-controlled growth mechanism is resolved in to: (f) initial base controlled growth, (g) late base controlled growth, (h) merged bases, and (i) unmerged bases. Finally, previously reported mixed growth mechanism is resolved in to: (j) local mechanical equilibrium, (k) dendrite bending, and (l) stressed junctions. Longer dendrites predominantly grow through electrodeposition while shorter dendrites predominantly grow through plastic flow. Further, local electrochemical and mechanical dendrite branch interactions induce lateral dissolution and deposition that lead to microstructural changes in the dendrite morphology.
WO3@ZnO Nanoarrays as the Photoanode for Photoelectrochemical Production of H2O2
Authors: Yao Chenzhong , Ren Huimin , Wei Bohui , Yang Chunxi , Ma Li
Published: January 2023

WO3@ZnO core–shell nanoarrays with a Z-scheme heterojunction structure have been fabricated by combining electrodeposition and dropping process and used as photoanodes for the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The photocurrent density of the WO3@ZnO nanoarray photoanode is 1.57 mA∙cm−2 at the applied potential of 1.8 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode, which exhibits almost 4 time larger than that of pure ZnO nanoarray photoanode. A high photoconversion efficiency to the production of H2O2 (0.53%) and Faradic efficiency (33%) are also reached by this WO3@ZnO nanoarray photoanode under Air-Mass 1.5 Global (AM 1.5 G, 100 mW∙cm−2). This work provides an effective approach for the application of Z-scheme heterojunction in the photoelectrochemical synthesis of H2O2.
Irritant-evoked reflex tachyarrhythmia in spontaneously hypertensive rats is reduced by inhalation of TRPM8 agonists l-menthol and WS-12
Authors: Hooper J. Shane , Taylor-Clark Thomas E.
Published: January 2023

Irritant-evoked pulmonary-cardiac reflexes are remodeled in spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats—causing de novo sympathetic reflexes that drive tachyarrhythmia. This remodeling may contribute to air pollution-associated risk in susceptible individuals with cardiovascular disease. We found that inhalation of TRPM8 agonists, l-menthol and WS-12, but not the inactive analog d-menthol, selectively reduces the reflex tachyarrhythmia evoked by allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) inhalation in SH rats. Use of menthol may protect susceptible individuals from pollution-associated CV exacerbations.
Comparative physiological anthropogeny: exploring molecular underpinnings of distinctly human phenotypes
Authors: Vaill Michael , Kawanishi Kunio , Varki Nissi , Gagneux Pascal , Varki Ajit
Published: January 2023

Anthropogeny is a classic term encompassing transdisciplinary investigations of the origins of the human species. Comparative anthropogeny is a systematic comparison of humans and other living nonhuman hominids (so-called “great apes”), aiming to identify distinctly human features in health and disease, with the overall goal of explaining human origins. We begin with a historical perspective, briefly describing how the field progressed from the earliest evolutionary insights to the current emphasis on in-depth molecular and genomic investigations of “human-specific” biology and an increased appreciation for cultural impacts on human biology. While many such genetic differences between humans and other hominids have been revealed over the last two decades, this information remains insufficient to explain the most distinctive phenotypic traits distinguishing humans from other living hominids. Here we undertake a complementary approach of “comparative physiological anthropogeny,” along the lines of the preclinical medical curriculum, i.e., beginning with anatomy and considering each physiological system and in each case considering genetic and molecular components that are relevant. What is ultimately needed is a systematic comparative approach at all levels from molecular to physiological to sociocultural, building networks of related information, drawing inferences, and generating testable hypotheses. The concluding section will touch on distinctive considerations in the study of human evolution, including the importance of gene-culture interactions.
Evaluation of Selenoprotein Supplementation on Digestibility, Growth, and Health Performance of Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei
Authors: Kemal Rafi , Fauzi Ichsan Achmad , Nuryati Sri , Wardani Wira Wisnu , Suprayudi Muhammad Agus
Published: January 2023

Selenoprotein is a feed additive that can overcome oxidative stress in intensive Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) culture. This study evaluated the effects of selenoprotein supplementation at various doses on Pacific white shrimp’s digestibility, growth, and health performance. The experimental design used was a completely randomized design consisting of four feed treatments, namely, control and treatments with selenoprotein supplementation of 2.5, 5, and 7.5 g kg feed-1 with four replications. Shrimps (1.5 g) were reared for 70 days and challenged for 14 days by the bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus (107 CFU mL-1). Shrimps used in the digestibility performance evaluation (6.1 g) were reared until sufficient quantities of feces were collected for analysis. Shrimp supplemented with selenoprotein exhibited superior digestibility, growth, and health performance compared to the control (

P
<
0.05

). The use of selenoprotein at a dose of 7.5 g kg of feed-1 (2.72 mg Se kg of feed-1) was considered the most effective for increasing productivity and preventing disease attacks in intensive shrimp culture.
Silencing UBQLN2 Enhances the Radiosensitivity of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) via Activating p38 MAPK
Authors: Wang Jia-Lin , Mu Xiao-Ying , Ma Rong , Bai Xue-Hong , Zhao Zhi-Jun , Wang Yan-Yang
Published: January 2023

Background. Ubiquilin 2 (UBQLN2) is an adaptor of ubiquitinated proteins and the proteasome. The potential role of UBQLN2 in carcinogenesis has been demonstrated. However, its role in modulating the radiosensitivity of cancer is not clear. Here, we explored the radiosensitizing effect of silencing UBQLN2 on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and its mechanisms. Methods. We analyzed the prognostic role of UBQLN2 in the ESCC patient cohort from the Cancer Genomic Atlas (TCGA) database and our hospital. We also conducted a series of experiments in vivo and in vitro to investigate the effect of silencing UBQLN2 on ESCC radiosensitivity and its mechanisms. Results. UBQLN2 is highly expressed in ESCC tissues and positively correlated with poor overall survival (OS). The knockdown of UBQLN2 dramatically increased the radiosensitivity of ESCC cells. Mechanically, UBQLN2 suppression substantially upregulated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK). The p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 could reverse the radiation-enhancing effect induced by UBQLN2 knockdown. The direct interaction between UBQLN2 and p38 MAPK was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP) assay. Furthermore, silencing UBQLN2 also inhibited the expression of phosphorylated DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (p-DNA-PKcs) after irradiation. Finally, the xenografted tumor experiment confirmed the radiosensitizing effect of silencing UBQLN2 on ESCC in vivo. Conclusion. Our results suggest that silencing UBQLN2 enhances the radiosensitivity of ESCC by activating p38 MAPK, and UBQLN2 may be a potential target to enhance the radiosensitivity of ESCC.
Fractalkine/CX3CR1-Dependent Modulation of Synaptic and Network Plasticity in Health and Disease
Authors: Camacho-Hernández N. P. , Peña-Ortega F.
Published: January 2023

CX3CR1 is a G protein-coupled receptor that is expressed exclusively by microglia within the brain parenchyma. The only known physiological CX3CR1 ligand is the chemokine fractalkine (FKN), which is constitutively expressed in neuronal cell membranes and tonically released by them. Through its key role in microglia-neuron communication, the FKN/CX3CR1 axis regulates microglial state, neuronal survival, synaptic plasticity, and a variety of synaptic functions, as well as neuronal excitability via cytokine release modulation, chemotaxis, and phagocytosis. Thus, the absence of CX3CR1 or any failure in the FKN/CX3CR1 axis has been linked to alterations in different brain functions, including changes in synaptic and network plasticity in structures such as the hippocampus, cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord. Since synaptic plasticity is a basic phenomenon in neural circuit integration and adjustment, here, we will review its modulation by the FKN/CX3CR1 axis in diverse brain circuits and its impact on brain function and adaptation in health and disease.
C1QC, VSIG4, and CFD as Potential Peripheral Blood Biomarkers in Atrial Fibrillation-Related Cardioembolic Stroke
Authors: Ding Qian , Xing Juan , Bai Fanghui , Shao Wei , Hou Kaiqi , Zhang Shoudu , Hu Yuanzheng , Zhang Baochao , Zhao Hui , Xu Qian
Published: January 2023

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major risk factor for ischemic stroke. We aimed to identify novel potential biomarkers with diagnostic value in patients with atrial fibrillation-related cardioembolic stroke (AF-CE).Publicly available gene expression profiles related to AF, cardioembolic stroke (CE), and large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and then functionally annotated. The support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis were conducted to identify potential diagnostic AF-CE biomarkers. Furthermore, the results were validated by using external data sets, and discriminability was measured by the area under the ROC curve (AUC). In order to verify the predictive results, the blood samples of 13 healthy controls, 20 patients with CE, and 20 patients with LAA stroke were acquired for RT-qPCR, and the correlation between biomarkers and clinical features was further explored. Lastly, a nomogram and the companion website were developed to predict the CE-risk rate. Three feature genes (C1QC, VSIG4, and CFD) were selected and validated in the training and the external datasets. The qRT-PCR evaluation showed that the levels of blood biomarkers (C1QC, VSIG4, and CFD) in patients with AF-CE can be used to differentiate patients with AF-CE from normal controls (

P
<
0.05

) and can effectively discriminate AF-CE from LAA stroke (

P
<
0.05

). Immune cell infiltration analysis revealed that three feature genes were correlated with immune system such as neutrophils. Clinical impact curve, calibration curves, ROC, and DCAs of the nomogram indicate that the nomogram had good performance. Our findings showed that C1QC, VSIG4, and CFD can potentially serve as diagnostic blood biomarkers of AF-CE; novel nomogram and the companion website can help clinicians to identify high-risk individuals, thus helping to guide treatment decisions for stroke patients.
Evaluation of Iodinated Contrast Media Use in Abdominal CT Scans in Cancer Assessments: A Cross-Sectional Study in Lomé (Togo)
Authors: Gbande Pihou , N’timon Bidamin , Tchakpedeou Dermane Alassani , Tchaou Mazamaesso , Adambounou Kokou , Sonhaye Lantam , Agoda-Koussema Lama Kegdigoma , Adjenou Komlanvi
Published: January 2023

Background. There is great variability between centers regarding contrast injection protocols. They should only be injected if they can provide useful information for diagnosis with the necessary and sufficient quantity of iodine. We wanted to know through this study if the use of iodinated contrast media is optimised in abdominal CT scans performed for cancer assessment in Lomé. Materials and Methods. It was a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study with a prospective collection over a period of 6 months in three CT units in Lomé. It involved abdominal CT scans performed for oncological evaluation. Data were reported as the mean ± standard deviation. The Pearson correlation coefficient, ANOVA, chi-square, and the Fisher test were used. Results. A total of 218 examinations were recorded. The female sex represented 56.88% of the patients. The mean age was 50.92 ± 15.78 years. The mean weight was 70.46 ± 15.23 kg. The mean BMI was 24.91 ± 5.32 kg/m2. The examinations were performed with a voltage of 120 kV in 195 cases (89.45%). The mean dose of injected iodine was 0.42 ± 0.09 gI/kg with a dose of 0.40 gI/kg at 80 kV and 0.45 gI/kg at 130 kV. The mean injection rate was 2.90 ± 0.34 mL/s. The mean injected volume was 83.19 ± 7.29 mL. The mean duration of the injection was 30.60 ± 7.39 s. The mean iodine delivery rate was 0.98 ± 0.17 gI/s. There was no saline injection in 152 cases (69.72%). Liver contrast enhancement was satisfactory in 94.5% of cases. There was a strong negative linear correlation between the dose of injected iodine and weight. Conclusions. Optimization guidelines for the use of iodinated contrast media are not always applied. Therefore, monitoring and benchmarking programmes for iodinated contrast injection protocols that involve all radiology personnel should be implemented.
A Personalized Navigation Route Recommendation Strategy Based on Differential Perceptron Tracking User’s Driving Preference
Authors: Chen Pengzhan , Wu Jihua , Li Ning
Published: January 2023

With the increasing frequency of autonomous driving, more and more attention is paid to personalized path planning. However, the path selection preferences of users will change with internal or external factors. Therefore, this paper proposes a personalized path recommendation strategy that can track and study user’s path preference. First, we collect the data of the system, establish the relationship with the user preference factor, and get the user’s initial preference weight vector by dichotomizing the K‐means algorithm. The system then determines whether user preferences change based on a set threshold, and when the user’s preference changes, the current preference weight vector can be obtained by redefining the preference factor or calling difference perception. Finally, the road network is quantized separately according to the user preference weight vector, and the optimal path is obtained by using Tabu search algorithm. The simulation results of two scenarios show that the proposed strategy can meet the requirements of autopilot even when user preferences change.
Investigation of Different Configurations in GeSe Solar Cells for Their Performance Improvement
Authors: Bala Sairam A. , Singh Yogesh , Mamta  , Kumar Manoj , Rani Sanju , Singh V. N.
Published: January 2023

Thin-film-based photovoltaics offer affordable solar panels (high energy output per unit cost). Various materials have been used for thin-film solar cells, and still, new materials are being tested. In this work, the overall performance of GeSe is enhanced theoretically from a generic solar structure to a configuration that yields a whopping 33.12% efficiency along with an open circuit voltage of 1.04 V by optimizing various active layers using solar cell capacitance simulator SCAPS. The results have been explained most simply, utilizing the physics behind introducing hole transport layers in solar cells. The work also shows how certain contradictions in parameter values in the literature of GeSe can influence the cell’s performance. The result shows why the substrate structure is better than the superstrate structure. Most of the reported results are on superstrate structure, which might have caused poor performance in previously experimentally produced GeSe solar cells.
Prevalence of Malaria and COVID-19 Infection in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria
Authors: Simon-Oke Iyabo Adepeju , Awosolu Oluwaseun Bunmi , Odeyemi Olatunji
Published: January 2023

Introduction. The prevalence of malaria and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is highly devastating and has led to a serious public health challenge worldwide. In order to ensure proper control and elimination, the State Ministry of Health (MoH) Ondo State, Nigeria conducted medical examinations in Iju/Itaogbolu, Igoba, and Ogbese Health centers to identify and confirm cases of COVID-19 and malaria infection. This study provides the outcome of the epidemiological investigation of the prevalence of COVID-19 and malaria in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria. Method. The study was a hospital-based secondary data analysis comprising of 11,389 and 682 individuals who visited various health centers in Akure North Local Government Area (LGA) for medical examinations on malaria and COVID-19, respectively. The COVID-19 cases were investigated using the fluid sample collected with a nasal swab or a throat swab, or spit of saliva into a tube and confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) RDT was employed to detect the P.falciparum antigen among participants’ blood samples. Results. The total prevalence of malaria and COVID-19 were 67.6% and 12.4%, respectively. Meanwhile, the month of September recorded the highest malaria prevalence of 81.8% while the month of April recorded the least malaria prevalence of 56.4%. Similarly, the highest case of COVID-19 (18.8%) was recorded in the month of November while the least case (2.4%) was recorded in the month of April (

p
<
0.05

). The age range of 12-59 months had the highest malaria prevalence of 74.9% while 0-24 days age range recorded the least prevalence of 15.2% (

p
>
0.05

). Apparently, the children were more infected with malaria parasites while adults were more infected with COVID-19. Conclusion. Conclusively, malaria and COVID-19 infections were prevalent in the study area. Thus, the people should be enlightened on the deadly risk of malaria and COVID-19 through the health workers, social media, and the community leaders to ensure compliance with appropriate preventive measures.
Lycium barbarum Polysaccharides Regulating miR-181/Bcl-2 Decreased Autophagy of Retinal Pigment Epithelium with Oxidative Stress
Authors: Yang Yi-Jing , Wang Ying , Deng Ying , Liu Xiao-Qing , Lu Jing , Peng Jun , Li Jie , Zhou Ya-Sha , Zhu Hui-An , Li Bo , Qin Yu-Hui , Peng Qing-Hua
Published: January 2023

Disturbed structure and dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) lead to degenerative diseases of the retina. Excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the RPE is thought to play an important role in RPE dysfunction and degeneration. Autophagy is a generally low-activity degradation process of cellular components that increases significantly when high levels of oxidative stress are present. Agents with antioxidant properties may decrease autophagy and provide protection against RPE dysfunction and damage caused by ROS. Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) has been widely studied as an antioxidant and cell-protective agent. Therefore, we designed this study to investigate the effects of LBP, which inhibits miR-181, on autophagy in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) with oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo. In the current study, we found that the highly expressed miR-181 downregulated the expression of Bcl-2 in hydrogen peroxide- (H2O2-) induced ARPE-19 cells, resulting in an increase in ROS, apoptosis, and autophagy flux. LBP inhibited the expression of miR-181, decreased the levels of ROS, apoptosis, and autophagy flux, and increased cell viability in H2O2-induced ARPE-19 cells, suggesting that LBP provides protection against oxidative damage in ARPE-19 cells. We also found that LBP decreased RPE atrophy and autophagy flux in rd10 mice. Taken together, the results showed that LBP has a protective effect for RPE under oxidative stress by inhibiting miR-181 and affecting the Bcl-2/Beclin1 autophagy signaling pathway.
Effect of Dry Heat Application on Perineal Pain and Episiotomy Wound Healing among Primipara Women
Authors: Roma Naglaa Zaki Hassan , Essa Rasha Mohamed , Rashwan Zohour Ibrahim , Ahmed Afaf Hassan
Published: January 2023

Background. Women who undergo perineal episiotomy can be affected by several complications such as bleeding, infection, perineal pain, dyspareunia, reduction of sexual desire, as well as urinary and anal incontinence. Perineal pain related to episiotomy has been reported to interfere with women’s daily activities postpartum and can prevent proper breastfeeding, proper rooming-in, and maternal-infant bonding. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of dry heat application on perineal pain and episiotomy wound Healing among primipara women. Method. A quasi-experimental, two-group, pre-post-test research study was conducted at the postnatal inpatient ward and the outpatient clinic of the El-Shatby Maternity University Hospital in Alexandria. A sample of 100 parturient women was divided into the following two groups at random: dry heat and moist (control) heat. Women in the moist heat group were advised to sit in a basin (tub) of warm water for 10 minutes, while those in the dry heat group were instructed to set an infrared light (230 volts) at a distance of 45 cm from the perineum after 12 hours post episiotomy. Both interventions were applied twice a day for ten consecutive days. They evaluated the severity of their perineal pain at baseline and repeated it on the 5th and 10th days after obtaining the interventions while the episiotomy wound healing was assessed on the 5th and 10th days. Results. It was discovered that the dry heat group had a significantly improved episiotomy wound healing as regards perineal redness, edema of the perineal area, ecchymosis, wound discharge, and approximation of wound edges on the 5th (

P
<
0.001

,

P
<
0.001

,

P
<
0.007

,

P
<
0.003

, and

P
<
0.001

, respectively) and 10th day after intervention (

P
<
0.001

,

P
<
0.001

,

P
<
0.001

,

P
<
0.005

, and

P
<
0.001

, respectively) than the moist heat group. The primipara women had significantly lower perineal pain intensity in the dry heat group on the 5th and 10th days after intervention than in the moist heat group (MH

P
<
0.001

for the dry heat group and MH

P
=
0.004

for the moist heat group). Conclusion. The application of dry heat promoted episiotomy wound healing among primipara women and reduced their perineal pain during early postpartum days than moist heat.
Multimodal Emotion Recognition Based on Cascaded Multichannel and Hierarchical Fusion
Authors: Liu Xia , Xu Zhijing , Huang Kan
Published: January 2023

Humans express their emotions in a variety of ways, which inspires research on multimodal fusion‐based emotion recognition that utilizes different modalities to achieve information complementation. However, extracting deep emotional features from different modalities and fusing them remain a challenging task. It is essential to exploit the advantages of different extraction and fusion approaches to capture the emotional information contained within and across modalities. In this paper, we present a novel multimodal emotion recognition framework called multimodal emotion recognition based on cascaded multichannel and hierarchical fusion (CMC‐HF), where visual, speech, and text signals are simultaneously utilized as multimodal inputs. First, three cascaded channels based on deep learning technology perform feature extraction for the three modalities separately to enhance deeper information extraction ability within each modality and improve recognition performance. Second, an improved hierarchical fusion module is introduced to promote intermodality interactions of three modalities and further improve recognition and classification accuracy. Finally, to validate the effectiveness of the designed CMC‐HF model, some experiments are conducted to evaluate two benchmark datasets, IEMOCAP and CMU‐MOSI. The results show that we achieved an almost 2%∼3.2% increase in accuracy of the four classes for the IEMOCAP dataset as well as an improvement of 0.9%∼2.5% in the average class accuracy for the CMU‐MOSI dataset when compared to the existing state‐of‐the‐art methods. The ablation experimental results indicate that the cascaded feature extraction method and the hierarchical fusion method make a significant contribution to multimodal emotion recognition, suggesting that the three modalities contain deeper information interactions of both intermodality and intramodality. Hence, the proposed model has better overall performance and achieves higher recognition efficiency and better robustness.
Knowledge regarding Basic Life Support among Health Care Workers of the Hospital of Nepal
Authors: Chaudhary Gautam Prasad , Sah Kalyani , Malla Juhi , Das Nikita , Chaudhary Sabina , Chaudhary Indrajeet , Pandey Jitendra
Published: January 2023

Basic life support refers to a sequence of care provided to patients who are experiencing respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, or airway obstruction. It is a specific level of prehospital medical care provided by the trained responders, including emergency medical technicians, in the absence of advanced medical care to maintain the patient’s life. BLS course trains participants to promptly recognize several life‐threatening emergencies, give high‐quality chest compressions, deliver appropriate ventilations, and provide early use of an AED. According to American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines, every missed minute in applying defibrillation in a cardiac arrest decreases the survival rate by 70%–10%. According to European Resuscitation Council (ERC), early resuscitation and prompt defibrillation (within 1‐2 minutes) can result in >60% survival. A quantitative, descriptive study design is used in this study. A purposive sampling technique was used, and the sample size was 95. A self‐structuredclose‐ended questionnaire was used to assess the level of knowledge of the participants. The finding revealed that among 95 participants, only 12% had adequate, 55% had moderate, and 32% had inadequate knowledge about Basic Life Support. The study showed that knowledge among healthcare workers about basic life support is insufficient for the majority of participants. There is a significant association between dependent and independent variables.
Marmesin and Marmelosin Interact with the Heparan Sulfatase-2 Active Site: Potential Mechanism for Phytochemicals from Bael Fruit Extract as Antitumor Therapeutics
Authors: Hemakumar C. , Ravindranath B. S. , Ravishankar G. A. , Ramirez D. C. , Kiran S. V.
Published: January 2023

Human heparan sulfatase-2 (HSULF-2) is an oncoprotein overexpressed in the surface of all types of tumor cells and its activity plays a critical role in cancer survival and progression. Our previous studies have shown that bael fruit extract, containing marmesin and marmelosin, inhibits the HSULF-2 activity and kills breast tumor cells, but the mechanism of these processes remains fairly known mainly because the HSULF-2’s 3D structure is partially known. Herein, we aimed at providing an in silico molecular mechanism of the inhibition of human HSULF-2 by phytochemicals from bael fruit extract. Pharmacokinetic parameters of the main phytochemicals contained in the bael fruit extract, sequence-based 3D structure of human HSULF-2, and the interaction of bael fruit’s phytochemicals with the enzyme active site was modeled, evaluated, and verified. Docking studies revealed marmesin and marmelosin as potential inhibitors with binding score -8.5 and -7.7 Kcal/mol; these results were validated using molecular dynamics simulations, which exhibited higher stability of the protein-ligand complexes. Taking together, with our earlier in vitro data, our computational analyses suggest that marmesin and marmelosin interact at the active site of HSULF-2 providing a potential mechanism for its inhibition and consequent antitumor activity by phytochemicals contained in the bael fruit extract.
Sequential Targeting of Retinoblastoma and DNA Synthesis Pathways Is a Therapeutic Strategy for Sarcomas That Can Be Monitored in Real Time
Authors: Nguyen Tuyen Duong Thanh , Wang Yan , Bui Tuyen N. , Lazcano Rossana , Ingram Davis R. , Yi Min , Vakulabharanam Varshini , Luo Linjie , Pina Marc A. , Karakas Cansu , Li Mi , Kettner Nicole M. , Somaiah Neeta , Hougton Peter J. , Mawlawi Osama , Lazar Alexander J. , Hunt Kelly K. , Keyomarsi Khandan
Published: January 2023

Treatment strategies with a strong scientific rationale based on specific biomarkers are needed to improve outcomes in patients with advanced sarcomas. Suppression of cell-cycle progression through reactivation of the tumor suppressor retinoblastoma (Rb) using CDK4/6 inhibitors is a potential avenue for novel targeted therapies in sarcomas that harbor intact Rb signaling. Here, we evaluated combination treatment strategies (sequential and concomitant) with the CDK4/6 inhibitor abemacicib to identify optimal combination strategies. Expression of Rb was examined in 1,043 sarcoma tumor specimens, and 50% were found to be Rb-positive. Using in vitro and in vivo models, an effective two-step sequential combination strategy was developed. Abemaciclib was used first to prime Rb-positive sarcoma cells to reversibly arrest in G1 phase. Upon drug removal, cells synchronously traversed to S phase, where a second treatment with S-phase targeted agents (gemcitabine or Wee1 kinase inhibitor) mediated a synergistic response by inducing DNA damage. The response to treatment could be noninvasively monitored using real-time positron emission tomography imaging and serum thymidine kinase activity. Collectively, these results show that a novel, sequential treatment strategy with a CDK4/6 inhibitor followed by a DNA-damaging agent was effective, resulting in synergistic tumor cell killing. This approach can be readily translated into a clinical trial with noninvasive functional imaging and serum biomarkers as indicators of response and cell cycling.

Significance:

An innovative sequential therapeutic strategy targeting Rb, followed by treatment with agents that perturb DNA synthesis pathways, results in synergistic killing of Rb-positive sarcomas that can be noninvasively monitored.
Humoral Response to BNT162b2 and CoronaVac in Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Mirioglu Safak , Kazancioglu Rumeyza , Cebeci Egemen , Eren Necmi , Sakaci Tamer , Alagoz Selma , Tugcu Murat , Tuglular Serhan , Sumbul Bilge , Seyahi Nurhan , Ozturk Savas
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Data regarding inactivated vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) are limited. We aimed to investigate humoral responses induced by CoronaVac compared to BNT162b2 in this population. Methods: In this multicenter prospective cohort study, adult patients undergoing MHD who lacked a history of COVID-19 and decided to get vaccinated with BNT162b2 or CoronaVac were enrolled. Participants provided serum samples before, 1 and 3 months after 2 doses. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies against receptor-binding domain of the virus were measured, and levels ≥50 AU/mL were considered as positive. Breakthrough infections and adverse events were recorded. Results: Ninety-two patients were included, 68 (73.9%) of whom were seronegative at baseline. BNT162b2 and CoronaVac were administered in 38 (55.9%) and 30 (44.1%) patients. At 1 month, seropositivity was 93.1% in BNT162b2 and 88% in CoronaVac groups (p = 0.519). Quantitative antibody levels were significantly higher in BNT162b2 (p < 0.001). At 3 months, both seropositivity (96.4% and 78.3%, p = 0.045) and antibody levels (p = 0.001) remained higher in BNT162b2 compared to CoronaVac. Five patients (7.4%) experienced breakthrough COVID-19. Adverse events were more frequent with BNT162b2, although all of them were mild. Multiple linear regression model showed that only vaccine choice (BNT162b2) was related to the humoral response (β = 0.272, p = 0.038). Seropositive patients at baseline (n = 24) had higher antibody levels at any time point. Conclusions: BNT162b2 and CoronaVac induced humoral responses in naïve patients undergoing MHD, which were more robust and durable for 3 months after BNT162b2. Both vaccines created high antibody levels in patients who were seropositive at baseline.
On Behalf of the SFGM-TC: Prophylactic Donor Lymphocyte Infusion in Patients Treated with Allogeneic Stem-Cell Transplantation for High-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Guisnel Charles , Schirmer Luciane , Morisset Stéphane , Robin Marie , Labussière-Wallet Hélène , Dulery Rémy , Ceballos Patrice , Forcade Edouard , Nguyen-Quoc Stephanie , Poire Xavier , Maertens Johan , Chantepie Sylvain , Chevallier Patrice , Daguindau Etienne , Villate Alban , Charbonnier Amandine , Castilla-Llorente Cristina , Contentin Nathalie , Huynh Anne , Yakoub-Agha Ibrahim , Bulabois Claude-Eric , Rubio Marie-Thérèse , D’Aveni Maud
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remains the best curative option for high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Unfortunately, it is still associated with a significant risk of relapse due to mechanisms of escape from the control of alloreactive T cells. Repetitive adjuvant donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI), termed prophylactic DLI (proDLI), as an effective strategy in preventing relapse is still debated. Methods: We performed a retrospective multicenter study to evaluate the efficacy of proDLI in allografted AML and MDS. We identified 56 patients treated with proDLI (DLI planned in full chimeras without any sign of disease relapse) and matched them to 167 patients in control group, (DLI performed for mixed chimerism or positive minimal residual disease) based on similar age, initial disease, cytogenetic prognosis, and conditioning intensity. Results: In univariate analysis, the incidence of severe aGVHD at 100 days and incidence of all grades of chronic GVHD 1 year after allo-HSCT were similar in the two groups. We also observed a trend of higher 3-year RI (52.61% [95% confidence interval 25.99–79.23]) in the proDLI group versus the control group (29.31% [20.28–38.34], p = 0.067). However, 3-year overall survival (p = 0.892), progression-free survival (p = 0.239), and nonrelapse mortality (p = 0.343) were similar between the two groups. In multivariate analysis, the only factor influencing overall and progression-free survival was anti-thymocyte globulin administration during the conditioning regimen. Conclusion: The proDLI strategy had an acceptable toxicity profile but did not improve patient outcomes compared to the pre-emptive strategy.