bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Al-Chemy: e-learning platform for foundation students
Authors: Ismarau Tajuddin Nur Ilyana , Abd Rahman Nurul Jannah , Azhar Aziz Khairi , Yusop Noorrezam , Aziyatul Izni Nor
Published: June 2023

The unexpected closure of educational institutions as a result of the emergence of COVID-19 prompted the authorities to suggest adopting alternatives to traditional learning methods. E-learning is an innovative approach for delivering electronically mediated, well-designed, learner-centred interactive learning environments by utilizing internet and digital technologies with respect to instructional design principles. This paper presents the implementation and prototyping of an innovative web-based e-learning platform for chemistry course known as Al-Chemy. Al-Chemy was developed for foundation students at Tahmidi Centre, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. The rapid application development (RAD) methods have been used in developing Al-Chemy through website wix.com. Al-Chemy was structured with interactive notes, animation, virtual experiment, quizzes, and games. The combination of these activities helps students in learning basic and advanced concepts of chemistry.
IoT-based monitoring and shading faults detection for a PV water pumping system using deep learning approach
Authors: Qasim Obaidi Marwah , Derbel Nabil
Published: June 2023

One of the major challenges facing photovoltaic (PV) systems is fault detection. Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the main popular techniques used in error detection due to its ability to extract signal and image features. In this paper, a deep learning approach based on convolutional neural network (CNN) and internet of things (IoT) technology are used to detect and locate shading faults for a PV water pumping system. The current and voltage signals generated by the PV panels as well as temperature and radiation were used to convert them into 3D images and then upload to a deep learning algorithm. The PV system and fault detection algorithms were simulated by MATLAB. The obtained results indicate that the performance of the proposed deep learning approach to detect and locate faults is better than the traditional statistical methods and other machine learning methods.
Error performance analysis of forward error correction using convolutional encoding in the presence of (1/f) noise
Authors: Al-Aboosi Yasin Yousif , Sahrab Ammar Ali , Nasser Amal Ibrahim , Abdulnabi Hussein A.
Published: June 2023

Any communication scheme's principal goal is providing error-free data transmission. By increasing the rate at which data could be transmitted through a channel and maintaining a given error rate, this coding is advantageous. The message bits to be transmitted will gradually receive more bits thanks to the convolution (channel) encoder. At the receiver end of the channel, a Viterbi decoder is utilized in order to extract original message sequence from the received data. Widely utilized error correction approaches in communication systems for the enhancement of bit error rate (BER) performance are Viterbi decoding and convolutional encoding. The Viterbi decoder and convolution encoder rate for constraints with lengths of 2 and 6 and bit rates of 1⁄2 and 1⁄3 are shown in this study in the presence of (1/f) noise. The performance regarding the convolutional encoding/hard decision Viterbi decoding forward error correction (FEC) method affects the simulation outcomes. The findings demonstrate that the BER as function of signal to noise ratio (SNR) acquired for uncoded binary phase shift keying (BPSK) with the existence of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) is inferior to that acquired with the use of a hard decision Viterbi decoder.
Enhancement of DWT-SVD digital image watermarking against noise attack using time–frequency representation
Authors: Abdulwahed Mohanad Najm , Ahmed Ali Kamil
Published: June 2023

Information security has been defined as one of the most critical issues in the information era, as it is utilized to protect confidential information during transfers in real-world applications. In the case of image encryption, a variety of information security approaches were used. Domain spatial and domain frequency are two domains in which such techniques can be classified. This study uses a combination of the singular value de-composition (SVD) and discrete wavelet transformation (DWT) to construct an encryption method based on a traditional watermarking system. Compared with other traditional methods, the proposed DWT-SVD approach has excellent robustness, and it has been strengthened for having high degree of the robustness against the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) attacks by utilizing a de-noising strategy based upon S-transform approach. Compared with DWT algorithm denoising approach, the results reveal that the S-transform denoising algorithm that has been deployed in the present article has a robust protection towards the Gaussian noise attack for mean squared error (MSE) around 0.005 and peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) around 24 dB.
Controlling the effectiveness of STATCOM using ANFIS based on PI controller
Authors: Al-Flaiyeh Maha Abdulrhman , Aziz Nagham Hikmat , Khalel Saraa Ismaeel
Published: June 2023

This research achieves two goals, the first is the modelling of the static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) and design of the control circuits for current, voltage and d.c capacitor voltage (Vd.c) to improve the power factor (PF) by preparing the reactive power by STATCOM so that its work is similar to the work of a synchronous condenser, and the second goal is to use smart techniques to control the Vd.c loop. For comparison, smart technical methods such as fuzzy logic type 1 (FL-T1), fuzzy logic type 2 (FL-T2), and adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) were used to regulate the Vd.c on the capacitor instead of the traditional controller proportional integral (PI). Simulation was performed in MATLAB 2021 to determine the efficiency of the suggested method or approach controllers for STATCOM. The use of the proposed method improves the signal value of both the current and the voltage and the phase difference between them, which reaches almost zero. Proved that an ANFIS technique provides best Vd.c response in different values of balance and unbalance load compared with the other methods by obtaining the minimum peak overshoot (P-ov) and minimum settling time (ST).
ECG biometric in real-life settings: analysing different physiological conditions with wearable smart textiles shirts
Authors: Mohd Nawawi Muhammad Muizz , Sidek Khairul Azami , Azman Amelia Wong
Published: June 2023

The adoption of biomedical signals such as the electrocardiogram (ECG) for biometric is rising in tandem with the increased attention to wearable devices. However, despite its potential benefits, ECG is rarely implemented as a biometric mechanism in real-life wearable applications. Therefore, this research aims to analyse the ECG signals extracted from wearable Hexoskin Proshirt for biometric authentication in different physiological conditions. A total of 11 subjects participated in this study, where the ECG signals were recorded while standing, sitting, walking, and uncontrolled activity. The raw ECG signal is first pre-processed using noise-removal butterworth filters in the time domain, followed by an efficient QRS segmented feature extraction approach. Finally, around 854 datasets were generated for training and validation, while the remaining 300 were used to test the proposed recognition method with a quadratic support vector machine (QSVM). The results show that the proposed method achieved a reliable accuracy above 98% with false acceptance rate (FAR) of 0.93%, false rejection rate (FRR) of 3.64%, and true positive rate (TPR) above 96% on the in-house datasets. This researchs findings confirm the possibility of using ECG biometrics for authentication purposes in various real-life settings with varying physiological parameters using a smart textile shirt.
Door lock system based on internet of things and Bluetooth by using Raspberry Pi
Authors: Hashim Khalid Asaad , Qasim Hamzah Hadi , Hamzah Abdulwahhab Essa , Hasan Ola Alkharasani , Al-Jadiri Mustafa
Published: June 2023

Recently, there are a large number of smart lock systems that can be used in the workplace or home, but many of them depend on finding an external key, password, fingerprint, and facial recognition, where these systems suffer from weakness as the physical key may be forgotten in a place, the password can be memorized which is hard for some peoples, and the fingerprint system sometimes does not work on people who suffer from chronic diseases, such as people with diabetes and for each of these systems the person needs a free hand so that he/her can open the lock which means that is if the person carries something he/her needs to be placed somewhere. The facial recognition system cannot recognize the person's face when the place has poor lighting. This paper proposes a home door lock system that relies on the internet of things (IoT) technology and portable electronic devices Bluetooth such as a smart mobile using the device Bluetooth media access control (MAC) address as a key and the IoT for monitoring, which leads to a door lock that does not require a free hand. The proposed lock system outcome can be a good candidate for home security applications.
The contribution of image processing in the evaluation of guided bone regeneration
Authors: El Byad Hamid , Ezzahmouly Manal , Ed-Dhahraouy Mohammed , El Moutaouakkil Abdelmajid , Hatim Zineb
Published: June 2023

One of the most ambitious goals of modern bone surgery is to predict the shape of the bone defect, monitor the progress of bone regeneration, and assess the quantity and quality of newly formed bone. Calcium phosphate biomaterials such as hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate are commonly used as bone substitutes in maxillofacial and dental surgery. The objective of this work is to use cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and image processing to assess the spatial (architectural) layout, rate of bone generation and osseointegration of implanted commercial granules (PAH 40%, β-TCP 60%, size 0.5 to 1 mm) in the bone defect generated after tooth extraction. CBCT measurements were performed at 48 hours and 12 months. The analysis of 3D images and the application of appropriate morphological mathematical operations allowed us to evaluate the volume of the cavity to be filled, the volume occupied by the granules and the volume of porosity generated by the random stacking of the granules. The result shows that the bone generation rate reaches a value of 89% after one year of implantation. This study shows that by using 3D image processing techniques CBCT, the same results as classical anatomical and histological studies can be obtained.
Support vector regression model with variant tolerance
Authors: Wei Jiangyue , He Xiaoxia
Published: June 2023

Most works on Support Vector Regression (SVR) focus on kernel or loss functions, with the corresponding support vectors obtained using a fixed-radius [Formula: see text]-tube, affording good predictive performance on datasets. However, the fixed radius limitation prevents the adaptive selection of support vectors according to the data distribution characteristics, compromising the performance of the SVR-based methods. Therefore, this study proposes an “Alterable [Formula: see text]-Support Vector Regression” ([Formula: see text]-SVR) model by applying a novel [Formula: see text], named “Alterable [Formula: see text],” to the SVR model. Based on the data point sparsity at each location, the model solves the different [Formula: see text] at the corresponding position, and thus zoom-in or zoom-out the [Formula: see text]-tube by changing its radius. Such a variable [Formula: see text]-tube strategy diminishes noise and outliers in the dataset, enhancing the prediction performance of the [Formula: see text]-SVR model. Therefore, we suggest a novel non-deterministic algorithm to iteratively solve the complex problem of optimizing [Formula: see text] associated with every location. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that our approach can improve the accuracy and stability on simulated and real data compared with the baseline methods.
Disability and Emergency Department Visits: A Path Analysis of the Mediating Effects of Unmet Healthcare Needs and Chronic Diseases
Authors: Park Seungeun , Park Jae-Hyun
Published: June 2023

Previous studies identified disabilities and unmet healthcare needs, especially those related to primary healthcare, as predictors of ED use. This study examined the relationship between disability, unmet healthcare needs, chronic diseases, and ED visits in South Korea. This study was a cross-sectional study using the Korean Health Panel Survey collected in 2018. A path analysis was used. Our research found a significant association between disability and ED visits mediated by unmet healthcare needs and chronic diseases. Disability had a significant direct effect on unmet healthcare needs (β = .04, P ≤ .001) and chronic diseases (β = .10, P ≤ .001). However, there was no mediating effect of unmet healthcare needs between disability and ED visits. While barriers to access to care among people with disabilities are widely acknowledged, this study suggests that interventions or programs to reduce ED visits should consider the unique healthcare needs of people with disabilities.
The Inflow of Refugees and Educational Attainment of U.S. Natives: Evidence from the Mariel Boatlift
Authors: Gunadi Christian
Published: June 2023

In the past decades, the United States had welcomed a large number of foreign-born individuals into its society. At the same time, there is a question of whether the inflow of immigrants affects the educational attainment of U.S. natives. To shed light on the issue, this article examines an episode in American history when approximately 125,000 Cuban refugees entered Florida in the short six-month period between April and September of 1980, later known as the Mariel Boatlift. The results from difference-in-differences analysis show a temporary decline (1.6 pp.) in school enrollment among non-Hispanic white individuals following Mariel Boatlift. This temporary decline is mainly driven by a decrease in college enrollment. Examining how the affected cohorts fared after they have completed their education, about 30 years after the event, the results show that Mariel Boatlift does not have an economically meaningful impact on their educational attainment, suggesting that many individuals leaving schools in the short period after the event re-enroll in the subsequent years. This finding is consistent with recent studies that found that the inflow of Cuban refugees improved the labor market conditions of less-skilled workers in the short period after Mariel Boatlift, increasing the opportunity costs of pursuing higher education.
Voicing a vision
Authors: Armstrong Frankie
Published: June 2023

This article explores the personal journey of the singer, Frankie Armstrong, who began her professional career in 1964. Following a number of eye operations Frankie was registered blind, but found new ways to use her voice, including work with Pat Watts, at the Sesame Institute and the development of Natural Voice work. Armstrong is still a visiting tutor on the Sesame Dramatherapy course, and reflects how important music and dramatherapy have been in her life.
Does medical waste research during COVID-19 meet the challenge induced by the pandemic to waste management?
Authors: Wang Qiang , Zhang Min , Li Rongrong
Published: June 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented amount of medical waste, presenting significant challenges for the safe disposal of hazardous waste. A systematic review of existing research on COVID-19 and medical waste can help address these challenges by providing insights and recommendations for effective management of the massive medical waste generated during the pandemic. This study utilized bibliometric and text mining methods to survey the scientific outcomes related to COVID-19 and medical waste, drawing on data from the Scopus database. The results show that the spatial distribution of medical waste research is unbalanced. Surprisingly, developing countries rather than developed countries lead research in this area. Especially, China, a major contributor to the field, has the highest number of publications and citations, and is also a centre of international cooperation. The main study authors and research institutions are also mainly from China. And the research on medical waste is a multidisciplinary field. Text mining analysis shows that COVID-19 and medical waste research is mainly organized around four themes: (i) medical waste from personal protective equipment; (ii) research on medical waste in Wuhan, China; (iii) threats of medical waste to the environment and (iv) disposal and management of medical waste. This would serve to better understand the current state of medical waste research and to provide some implications for future research.
Prevalence of ‘Fat-Poor’ Adrenal Adenomas at Chemical-Shift MRI.
Authors: Aldhufian Meshary , Sheinis Pickovsky Jana , Alfaleh Hana , Melkus Gerd , Schieda Nicola
Published: June 2023

Objective:

To determine the prevalence of ‘fat-poor’ adrenal adenomas at chemical-shift-MRI.

Materials and Methods:

This prospective IRB approved study identified 104 consecutive patients with 127 indeterminate adrenal masses that underwent 1.5-T chemical-shift-MRI between 2021-2023. Two blinded radiologists independently measured: 1) 2-Dimensionsal (2D) chemical-shift signal intensity (SI)-index on 2D Chemical-shift-MRI (SI-index >16.5% diagnosed presence of microscopic fat), 2) unenhanced CT attenuation (in cases where unenhanced CT was available).

Results:

From 127 adrenal masses, there were 94% (119/127) adenomas and 6% (8/127) other masses (2 pheochromocytoma, 5 metastases, 1 lymphoma). 98% (117/119) adenomas had SI-Index >16.5%, only 2% (2/119) adenomas were ‘fat-poor’ by MRI. SI-Index >16.5% was 100% specific for adenoma, all other masses had SI-Index <16.5%. Unenhanced CT was available in 43% (55/127) lesions (50 adenomas, 5 other masses). 34% (17/50) adenomas were lipid-poor (>10 HU). Percentage of adenomas with SI-Index >16.5% were: 1) ≤10 HU, 100% (33/33), 2) 11-29 HU, 100% (12/12), 3) ≥30 HU, 60% (3/5). No other masses had attenuation ≤10 HU (0/5).

Conclusion:

Fat-poor adrenal adenomas are uncommon using 2D chemical-shift signal intensity index >16.5% at 1.5-T, occurring in approximately 2% of adenomas in this large prospective series.
An optimal energy-efficient scheduling with processing speed selection and due date constraint in a single-machine environment
Authors: An Youjun , Li Chuwei , Chen Xiaohui , Li Yinghe , Zhao Ziye , Cao Hongrui
Published: June 2023

To relive the pressure of electricity grid during the peak period, time-of-use (TOU) pricing strategy has been implemented in industries to encourage manufacturers to transfer some processing tasks from peak periods to non-peak periods, and the due date of each job cannot be violated. Under these contexts, this paper addresses a speed-scaling single machine scheduling problem with due date constraint to minimize the total electricity cost (TEC). More precisely, the main innovative works are described as follows: (1) seven critical problem properties (including four theorems and three lemmas) based on different processing time window forms are formally derived; and (2) a property-based genetic algorithm (PGA) with hybrid initialization method is designed according to the characteristics of the studied problem. In the numerical experiments, the Taguchi method of design-of-experiment is employed to seek the optimal combination of four key parameters in PGA. Subsequently, the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed hybrid initialization method and problem properties are separately demonstrated by randomly generated 20 instances. After that, compared with other two traditional scheduling strategies, the proposed energy-efficient strategy can save at least 16% of TEC on average. Next, a relaxation coefficient (CR) is designed to measure the intrinsic link between TEC and the instance parameters (i.e. the due date and normal processing time). Finally, a real case is presented to verify the benefits of the proposed PGA algorithm and variable processing speeds, and the results show that the newly generated scheduling scheme based on the proposed PGA can reduce up to 46.36% of TEC compared with the existing company’s scheduling scheme.
The impact of trade openness, export concentration and economic complexity on energy demand among G7 countries
Authors: Can Muhlis , Balsalobre-Lorente Daniel , Adedoyin Festus Fatai , Mercan Mehmet
Published: June 2023

This research attempts to explore the scale (trade openness), composition (export concentration) and technique effect (economic complexity) of international trade on energy use in the sample of G7 nations over the period 1970 and 2020 separately. To do that, we build up three empirical models based on the regression on population, affluence and technology approach. The analysis outcomes indicated a positive long-run link between per capita income, urbanization, trade openness, export concentration, economic complexity and energy use across the three models. The outcomes obtained from long-run estimations provide evidence that economic complexity and export concentration decreases energy consumption. Besides, empirical findings show that trade openness boosts energy use. Based on the detailed empirical research, the direction for the policy is that they should harness more strength on energy conservation by increasing the composition and technical effects of international trade. They should also focus on improving the countries’ economic freedom (trade openness) while maintaining energy consumption at a lower rate.
The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Return of Indonesian Migrant Workers
Authors: Djafar Fariastuti
Published: June 2023

This study aims to describe the COVID-19 cases in the host countries and the home provinces of Indonesian migrant workers (IMWs), and to explore the process of returning home for the IMWs during the first six months of COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. The study employed secondary data mainly published by the Indonesian government and the news media. The data were analysed descriptively and exploratively. The study reveals that the potential returnees were from the host countries that had a number of COVID-19 cases which was not necessarily lower than Indonesia. Some provinces in Java had a large number of potential returning migrant workers as well as a number of COVID-19 cases. The IMWs returned home both legally and illegally while the COVID-19 cases were dominated by the local cases.
USA, QUAD and China’s Inevitable Taiwan Invasion: NATOization or Chinese Hegemony in Indo-Pacific?
Authors: Dar Arshid Iqbal , Hassan Yaqoob UL
Published: June 2023

The transatlantic solidarity led by the United States has played a significant role in denying Russia the luxury of a quick and decisive victory in Ukraine. As the relevance and significance of transatlantic solidarity have rejuvenated in Europe, nowhere is such solidarity more essential and required than in the Indo-Pacific, where China is poised to challenge the US-led rule-based order. Building on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this article explores the significance of Taiwan to the US-led ‘free and open’ Indo-Pacific vision along with its other QUAD partners. The replica of NATO in the Indo-pacific could be one of the ways to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-pacific. There would be reluctance from other allies in the region but the USA has the wherewithal to address those concerns in replicating a NATO-like organization in the Indo-Pacific. The article argues that securing Taiwan from Chinese seizure is a litmus test for QUAD and one way is to institutionalize the QUAD. The article concludes with recommendations and a way forward for the QUAD.
Preliminary Development of an MRI Atlas for Application to Cleft Care: Findings and Future Recommendations
Authors: Perry Jamie L. , Gilbert Imani R. , Xing Fangxu , Jin Riwei , Kuehn David P. , Shosted Ryan K. , Woo Jonghye , Liang Zhi-Pei , Sutton Bradley P.
Published: June 2023

Objective

To introduce a highly innovative imaging method to study the complex velopharyngeal (VP) system and introduce the potential future clinical applications of a VP atlas in cleft care.

Design

Four healthy adults participated in a 20-min dynamic magnetic resonance imaging scan that included a high-resolution T2-weighted turbo-spin-echo 3D structural scan and five custom dynamic speech imaging scans. Subjects repeated a variety of phrases when in the scanner as real-time audio was captured.

Setting

Multisite institution and clinical setting

Participants

Four adult subjects with normal anatomy were recruited for this study.

Main Outcome

Establishment of 4-D atlas constructed from dynamic VP MRI data.

Results

Three-dimensional dynamic magnetic resonance imaging was successfully used to obtain high quality dynamic speech scans in an adult population. Scans were able to be re-sliced in various imaging planes. Subject-specific MR data were then reconstructed and time-aligned to create a velopharyngeal atlas representing the averaged physiological movements across the four subjects.

Conclusions

The current preliminary study examined the feasibility of developing a VP atlas for potential clinical applications in cleft care. Our results indicate excellent potential for the development and use of a VP atlas for assessing VP physiology during speech.
Esports Cannot Defeat Homophobia With Capitalism
Authors: Close Samantha
Published: June 2023

Esports, competitive video gaming, is an emerging media industry looking to legitimize itself on the global stage. Part of its efforts include addressing a culture widely perceived as toxic. Toxic gamer culture claims hegemonic masculinity by degrading any seen as feminine, such as women and queer men; while this problem is endemic to gaming, it is particularly virulent in esports due to its struggles to be recognized as a “real” sport. The methods esports authorities have deployed to combat patriarchal homophobia, however, are insufficient. They share much with an anti-queer respectability politics that reinscribes the market as the ultimate cultural authority. An alternative approach would be one based on the principles of transformative justice, which emphasizes the humanity of both perpetrators and victims while demanding perpetrators take responsibility for the harm they cause. Transformative justice has already proved viable in game live-streaming, as seen by AnyKey's GLHF initiative.
Interplay of gene expression and regulators under salinity stress in gill of Labeo rohita
Authors: Harshini Vemula , Shukla Nitin , Raval Ishan , Kumar Sujit , Shrivastava Vivek , Chaudhari Aparna , Patel Amrutlal K. , Joshi Chaitanya G.
Published: June 2023

Background

Labeo rohita is the most preferred freshwater carp species in India. The concern of increasing salinity concentration in freshwater bodies due to climate change may greatly impact the aquatic environment. Gills are one of the important osmoregulatory organs and have direct contact with external environment. Hence, the current study is conducted to understand the gill transcriptomic response of L. rohita under hypersalinity environment.

Results

Comprehensive analysis of differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs was performed in gills of L. rohita treated with 2, 4, 6 and 8ppt salinity concentrations. Networks of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA revealed involvement of 20, 33, 52 and 61 differentially expressed lncRNAs, 11, 13, 26 and 21 differentially expressed miRNAs in 2, 4, 6 and 8ppt groups between control and treatment respectively. These lncRNA-miRNA pairs were regulating 87, 214, 499 and 435 differentially expressed mRNAs (DE mRNAs) in 2, 4, 6 and 8ppt treatments respectively. Functional analysis of these genes showed enrichment in pathways related to ion transportation and osmolyte production to cope with induced osmotic pressure due to high salt concentration. Pathways related to signal transduction (MAPK, FOXO and phosphatidylinositol signaling), and environmental information processing were also upregulated under hypersalinity. Energy metabolism and innate immune response pathways also appear to be regulated. Protein turnover was high at 8ppt as evidenced by enrichment of the proteasome and aminoacyl tRNA synthesis pathways, along with other enriched KEGG terms such as apoptosis, cellular senescence and cell cycle.

Conclusion

Altogether, the RNA-seq analysis provided valuable insights into competitive endogenous (lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA) regulatory network of L. rohita under salinity stress. L. rohita is adapting to the salinity stress by means of upregulating protein turnover, osmolyte production and removing the damaged cells using apoptotic pathway and regulating the cell growth and hence diverting the essential energy for coping with salinity stress.
X-linked genes influence various complex traits in dairy cattle
Authors: Sanchez Marie-Pierre , Escouflaire Clémentine , Baur Aurélia , Bottin Fiona , Hozé Chris , Boussaha Mekki , Fritz Sébastien , Capitan Aurélien , Boichard Didier
Published: June 2023

Background

The search for quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting traits of interest in mammals is frequently limited to autosomes, with the X chromosome excluded because of its hemizygosity in males. This study aimed to assess the importance of the X chromosome in the genetic determinism of 11 complex traits related to milk production, milk composition, mastitis resistance, fertility, and stature in 236,496 cows from three major French dairy breeds (Holstein, Montbéliarde, and Normande) and three breeds of regional importance (Abondance, Tarentaise, and Vosgienne).

Results

Estimates of the proportions of heritability due to autosomes and X chromosome (h²X) were consistent among breeds. On average over the 11 traits, h²X=0.008 and the X chromosome explained ~ 3.5% of total genetic variance. GWAS was performed within-breed at the sequence level (~ 200,000 genetic variants) and then combined in a meta-analysis. QTL were identified for most breeds and traits analyzed, with the exception of Tarentaise and Vosgienne and two fertility traits. Overall, 3, 74, 59, and 71 QTL were identified in Abondance, Montbéliarde, Normande, and Holstein, respectively, and most were associated with the most-heritable traits (milk traits and stature). The meta-analyses, which assessed a total of 157 QTL for the different traits, highlighted new QTL and refined the positions of some QTL found in the within-breed analyses. Altogether, our analyses identified a number of functional candidate genes, with the most notable being GPC3, MBNL3, HS6ST2, and DMD for dairy traits; TMEM164, ACSL4, ENOX2, HTR2C, AMOT, and IRAK1 for udder health; MAMLD1 and COL4A6 for fertility; and NRK, ESX1, GPR50, GPC3, and GPC4 for stature.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the importance of the X chromosome in the genetic determinism of complex traits in dairy cattle and highlights new functional candidate genes and variants for these traits. These results could potentially be extended to other species as many X-linked genes are shared among mammals.
Portuguese adaptation of the Chronic Heart Failure Knowledge Questionnaire (KQCHF)
Authors: Azzam Ana Paula , Fidelis Tatiane , Nunes Andreia , Valdiviesso Rui , Limpo Teresa , Moreira Emília , Silva-Cardoso José , Castro São Luís
Published: June 2023

Background

A patient’s knowledge of heart failure (HF) is associated with better outcomes. The more information patients have about their illness, the less likely they are to be readmitted to the hospital. Such knowledge includes the cause, symptoms, probable duration, and expected evolution of the clinical picture. In Portugal, a tool for testing patient knowledge is an unmet need. Therefore, this study aimed to adapt and test the Chronic Heart Failure Knowledge Questionnaire (KQCHF) for the Portuguese context.

Methods

This work includes three cross-sectional studies. In Study 1, subjects were divided between before and after receiving information about HF. In Study 2, participants answered the questionnaire before and after reading the brochure. In Study 3, KQCHF was applied to patients with HF. Studies 1 and 2 were carried out in the general population. Study 3 was carried out with HF outpatients. Convenience sampling was applied to participants in the three studies.

Results

In Study 1 (n = 45), those who received information had better scores (9.2 ± 1.9) than those who did not (6.0 ± 2.3). In Study 2 (n = 21), the scores were higher after reading the brochure (10.4 ± 1.7 vs. 6.5 ± 2.9). In Study 3 (n = 169), women had better scores than men (9.1 ± 2.1 vs. 8.3 ± 2.2, overall: 8.5 ± 2.2), and knowledge was correlated with education (r = .340, p < .001) and age (r = -.170, p = .030).

Conclusion

The Portuguese adaptation of KQCHF captured relevant knowledge about HF and has shown promising results for clinical and research purposes. The questionnaire can be useful in assessing HF patients’ knowledge of their disease and as a basis for the implementation of general and personalised educational strategies to improve HF knowledge and, therefore, promote health literacy and self-care.
Use of novel structural features to identify urinary biomarkers during acute kidney injury that predict progression to chronic kidney disease
Authors: Charlton Jennifer R. , Li Teng , Wu Teresa , deRonde Kimberly , Xu Yanzhe , Baldelomar Edwin J. , Bennett Kevin M.
Published: June 2023

Background

A significant barrier to biomarker development in the field of acute kidney injury (AKI) is the use of kidney function to identify candidates. Progress in imaging technology makes it possible to detect early structural changes prior to a decline in kidney function. Early identification of those who will advance to chronic kidney disease (CKD) would allow for the initiation of interventions to halt progression. The goal of this study was to use a structural phenotype defined by magnetic resonance imaging and histology to advance biomarker discovery during the transition from AKI to CKD.

Methods

Urine was collected and analyzed from adult C57Bl/6 male mice at four days and 12 weeks after folic acid-induced AKI. Mice were euthanized 12 weeks after AKI and structural metrics were obtained from cationic ferritin-enhanced-MRI (CFE-MRI) and histologic assessment. The fraction of proximal tubules, number of atubular glomeruli (ATG), and area of scarring were measured histologically. The correlation between the urinary biomarkers at the AKI or CKD and CFE-MRI derived features was determined, alone or in combination with the histologic features, using principal components.

Results

Using principal components derived from structural features, twelve urinary proteins were identified at the time of AKI that predicted structural changes 12 weeks after injury. The raw and normalized urinary concentrations of IGFBP-3 and TNFRII strongly correlated to the structural findings from histology and CFE-MRI. Urinary fractalkine concentration at the time of CKD correlated with structural findings of CKD.

Conclusions

We have used structural features to identify several candidate urinary proteins that predict whole kidney pathologic features during the transition from AKI to CKD, including IGFBP-3, TNFRII, and fractalkine. In future work, these biomarkers must be corroborated in patient cohorts to determine their suitability to predict CKD after AKI.
‘It’s been a lifelong thing for me’: parents’ experiences of facilitating a healthy lifestyle for their children with severe obesity
Authors: Saunders Liz A. , Jackson Ben , Gibson Lisa Y. , Doust Justine , Dimmock James A. , Davis Elizabeth A. , Price Lyndsey , Budden Timothy
Published: June 2023

Objective

For parents and guardians, assisting children/adolescents with severe obesity to lose weight is often a key objective but a complex and difficult challenge. Our aim in this study was to explore parents’ (and guardians’) perspectives on the challenges they have faced in assisting their children/adolescents with severe obesity to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Methods

Thirteen parents/guardians were interviewed from a pool of families who had been referred but did not engage between 2016 and 2018 (N = 103), with the Perth Children’s Hospital Healthy Weight Service, a clinical obesity program for children/adolescents (parent age M = 43.2 years, children age M = 10.3 years). Using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, we identified 3 broad themes.

Results

Parental weight-related factors reflected parents’ own lifelong obesity narrative and its effect on their own and their families’ ability to live a healthy lifestyle. Perceived inevitability of obesity in their child reflected parents’ feelings that the obesity weight status of their children/adolescent was a persistent and overwhelming problem that felt ‘out of control’. Lastly, parents reported challenges getting medical help stemming from co-morbid medical diagnosis in their child/adolescent, and difficulties with medical professionals.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that parents face challenges in supporting healthy lifestyle for children/adolescents with severe obesity due to parents own internal weight biases and their negative experiences within the healthcare system when seeking help.
Women's utilisation of quality antenatal care, intrapartum care and postnatal care services in Ethiopia: a population-based study using the demographic and health survey data
Authors: Negero Melese Girmaye , Sibbritt David , Dawson Angela
Published: June 2023

Objective

This study sought to investigate the level and determinants of receiving quality antenatal care (ANC), intrapartum care, and postnatal care (PNC) services by women in Ethiopia. The quality of care a woman receives during ANC, intrapartum care, and PNC services affects the health of the woman and her child and her likelihood of seeking care in the future.

Methods

Data from the nationally representative Ethiopia Mini Demographic and Health Survey 2019 were analysed for 5,527 mothers who gave birth within five years preceding the survey. We defined quality ANC as having: blood pressure measurement, urine and blood tests, informed of danger signs, iron supplementation, and nutritional counselling during ANC services; quality intrapartum care as having: a health facility birth, skilled birth assistance, and a newborn put to the breast within one hour of birth during intrapartum care services; and quality PNC as having: PNC within two days; cord examination; temperature measurement, and counselling on danger signs and breastfeeding of the newborn; and healthcare provider's observation of breastfeeding during PNC services. We used multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression analyses specifying three-level models: a woman/household, a cluster, and an administrative region to determine predictors of each care quality. The analyses employed sampling weights and were adjusted for sampling design.

Results

Thirty-six percent (n = 1,048), 43% (n = 1,485), and 21% (n = 374) women received quality ANC, intrapartum care and PNC services, respectively. Private healthcare facilities provided higher-quality ANC and PNC but poor-quality intrapartum care, compared to public health facilities. Having four or more ANC visits, commencing ANC during the first trimester, and higher women's education levels and household wealth indices were positive predictors of quality ANC use. Government health posts were less likely to provide quality ANC. Wealthier, urban-residing women with education and four or more ANC contacts were more likely to receive quality intrapartum care. Women who received quality ANC and skilled birth assistance were more likely to receive quality PNC. Teenage mothers were more likely to receive quality intrapartum care, but were less likely to receive quality PNC than mothers aged 20–49.

Conclusions

We recommend standardizing the contents of ANC provided in all healthcare facilities; and promoting early and four or more ANC contacts, effectiveness, sensitivity and vigilance of care provided to teenage mothers, and women's education and economic empowerment.
Antioxidant evaluation and computational prediction of prospective drug-like compounds from polyphenolic-rich extract of Hibiscus cannabinus L. seed as antidiabetic and neuroprotective targets: assessment through in vitro and in silico studies
Authors: Afolabi Olakunle Bamikole , Olasehinde Oluwaseun Ruth , Olanipon Damilola Grace , Mabayoje Samson Olatunde , Familua Olufemi Michael , Jaiyesimi Kikelomo Folake , Agboola Esther Kemi , Idowu Tolulope Olajumoke , Obafemi Olabisi Tajudeen , Olaoye Oyindamola Adeniyi , Oloyede Omotade Ibidun
Published: June 2023

Background

Reports have implicated diabetes mellitus (DM) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) as some of the global persistent health challenges with no lasting solutions, despite of significant inputs of modern-day pharmaceutical firms. This study therefore, aimed to appraise the in vitro antioxidant potential, enzymes inhibitory activities, and as well carry out in silico study on bioactive compounds from polyphenolic-rich extract of Hibiscus cannabinus seed (PEHc).

Methods

In vitro antioxidant assays were performed on PEHc using standard methods while the identification of phytoconstituents was carried out with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). For the in silico molecular docking using Schrodinger’s Grid-based ligand docking with energetics software, seven target proteins were retrieved from the database (https://www.rcsb.org/).

Results

HPLC technique identified twelve chemical compounds in PEHc, while antioxidant quantification revealed higher total phenolic contents (243.5 ± 0.71 mg GAE/g) than total flavonoid contents (54.06 ± 0.09 mg QE/g) with a significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of ABTS (IC50 = 218.30 ± 0.87 µg/ml) and 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radicals (IC50 = 227.79 ± 0.74 µg/ml). In a similar manner, the extract demonstrated a significant (p < 0.05) inhibitory activity against α-amylase (IC50 = 256.88 ± 6.15 µg/ml) and α-glucosidase (IC50 = 183.19 ± 0.23 µg/ml) as well as acetylcholinesterase (IC50 = 262.95 ± 1.47 µg/ml) and butyrylcholinesterase (IC50 = 189.97 ± 0.82 µg/ml), respectively. Furthermore, In silico study showed that hibiscetin (a lead) revealed a very strong binding affinity energies for DPP-4, (PDB ID: 1RWQ) and α-amylase (PDB ID: 1SMD), gamma-tocopherol ( for peptide-1 receptor; PDB ID: 3C59, AChE; PDB ID: 4EY7 and BChE; PDB ID: 7B04), cianidanol for α-glucosidase; PDB ID: 7KBJ and kaempferol for Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 1 (PARP-1); PDB ID: 6BHV, respectively. More so, ADMET scores revealed drug-like potentials of the lead compounds identified in PEHc.

Conclusion

As a result, the findings of this study point to potential drug-able compounds in PEHc that could be useful for the management of DM and AD.
Antimicrobial, antioxidant, and sun protection potential of the isolated compounds from Spermacoce princeae (K. Schum)
Authors: Sekandi Peter , Namukobe Jane , Byamukama Robert , Nagawa Christine Betty , Barbini Stefano , Bacher Markus , Böhmdorfer Stefan , Rosenau Thomas
Published: June 2023

Background

Spermacoce princeae (K. Schum) has been used in the treatment of bacterial skin infections in Uganda. Pharmacological studies revealed that extracts of S. princeae exhibited antibacterial, antioxidant, and sun protection potential. This study aimed at isolating and identifying pure compounds from the extracts based on comprehensive analytical characterization by multiple analytical techniques.

Methods

The plant samples were extracted by sequential maceration using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and distilled water. The compounds were isolated using a combination of chromatographic techniques and their structures were elucidated by multiple spectroscopic techniques. The antibacterial and antifungal activity determination of the isolated compounds was carried out using an agar well diffusion and potato dextrose assay against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus flavus while the antioxidant activity was screened with the 2,2-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The sun protection factor was determined using a Shimadzu Ultra Violet-visible (UV–VIS) double beam spectrophotometer between 290 to 320 nm.

Results

Eleven compounds; quercetin (1), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (2), rutin (3, 12), myo-inositol (4), asperulosidic acid (5), hexadecanoic acid (6), β-sitosterol (7), stigmasterol (8), campesterol (9), ursolic acid (10), and β-sitosterol glucoside (11) were identified in the S. princeae extracts. Compound 2 had good antifungal activity against C. albicans (zone of inhibition, 23.0 ± 0.1 mm). Compound 10 showed antibacterial and antifungal activity against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, C. albicans, and A. flavus. Compound 2 had a good percentage radical scavenging effect (IC50 = 64.81 µg/ml) and a good sun protection factor (SPF = 26.83).

Conclusion

This study reports the first-time isolation and identification of compounds 1 to 11 from S. princeae, which contribute to its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and sun protection potential.
A green leaf volatile, (Z)-3-hexenyl-acetate, mediates differential oviposition by Spodoptera frugiperda on maize and rice
Authors: Wang Jiali , Wei Jiaqi , Yi Ting , Li Ya-Ya , Xu Tian , Chen Li , Xu Hanhong
Published: June 2023

Background

Insects rely on chemosensory perception, mainly olfaction, for the location of mates, food sources, and oviposition sites. Plant-released volatile compounds guide herbivorous insects to search for and locate their host plants, further helping them to identify suitable positions for oviposition. The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (S. frugiperda) was found to invade China in 2019 and has since seriously threatened multiple crops, particularly maize and rice. However, the chemical and molecular mechanisms underlying oviposition preference in this pest are not fully understood. Here, the oviposition preference of S. frugiperda on maize and rice plants was investigated.

Results

GC-EAD and GC–MS/MS techniques were used to identify the antennally active volatiles from maize and rice plants. The attraction and oviposition stimulation of identified components to female adults were tested in both laboratory and field settings. The odorant receptors (ORs) on female antennae were expressed in Xenopus oocytes, and their functions evaluated by RNAi. Ten and eleven compounds of maize and rice plants, respectively, were identified to possess electrophysiological activity from headspace volatiles. Among these compounds, (Z)-3-hexenyl-acetate specifically presented in maize volatiles was found to play a critical role in attracting females and stimulating oviposition compared to rice volatiles. Among the cloned ORs on the antennae of both sexes, SfruOR23 with highly female-biased expression mediated the responses of females to (Z)-3-hexenyl-acetate. Knockdown of SfruOR23 using RNAi markedly reduced the electrophysiological response of female antennae and oviposition preference to the compound.

Conclusions

(Z)-3-Hexenyl-acetate is a key volatile mediating the host and oviposition preference of S. frugiperda on maize. The olfactory receptor of (Z)-3-hexenyl-acetate was identified to be SfruOR23, which is mainly expressed in the antennae of S. frugiperda.