bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ex Vivo Models to Study the Interaction of Immune Cells and Cancer Cells under Therapy
Authors: Barth Nicole D. , Oktay Maja H. , Condeelis John S. , Brunton Valerie , Entenberg David
Published: March 2024

Recent developments in cancer therapeutics have focused on modulating the immune component of the tumor microenvironment in order to activate anti-tumoral effector functions and induce cytotoxic immune responses. To further advance the design of treatment strategies, it is essential to understand what factors within the tumor microenvironment limit therapeutic efficacy and immune responses. Intravital imaging is a pioneering technology that has been utilized to study these processes in an intact environment(1), successfully highlighting the importance of cancer cell-immune cell interactions such as cancer cell killing caused by longitudinal and repeated interactions with immune cells(2). Despite the clear advantages that intravital imaging provides, its low throughput limits the variety of drugs, genetically altered parameters, and cell-cell interactions that can be studied(3-5). In other fields, a complementary approach has been to turn to ex vivo models which offer greater throughput and simpler experimental protocols(6-8). Here, we describe the setup of an ex vivo technique to study dynamic interactions within an intact environment. This chapter will, in detail, 1) demonstrate strategies to generate fluorescently tagged cancer and immune cells using genetic as well as dye-based approaches; 2) present a method for how to best generate lung metastasis for ex vivo imaging; and 3) describe the protocol to generate precision cut lung metastasis slices; and 4) detail how to prepare them for intravital imaging. This protocol can be utilized for following the effect of therapeutics on tumor growth within the lung microenvironment ex vivo, and on the interaction of cancer cells with immune cells. Ex vivo lung slices are an excellent model to 1) prepare the design of follow on intravital imaging experiments (e.g. determine appropriate fluorophores, drug concentrations, or cell types to label), 2) study immune and cancer cell interactions in a complete environment, 3) select promising drugs from a pool of targets, and 4) select the best timing for intravital imaging experiments.
Extraction of high quality RNA from Gardnerella species
Authors: Kim Andy , Fernando Champika , Hill Janet E.
Published: March 2024

This protocol describes an approach for the purification of high quality RNA from Gardnerella species based on a commercially available kit (PureLink RNA Mini Kit, Invitrogen). Initial RNA extraction following the manufacturer’s protocol resulted in poor RNA yield and quality from Gardnerella spp. based on A260/A280 measurements and RNA integrity number (RIN). Modifications made to the manufacturer’s recommended protocol including enzymatic lysis with lysozyme and proteinase K resulted in significantly higher RNA yield (≥25 ng/mL) and RNA quality (A260/A280 ~2.0, RIN ⪆ 8.0). RNA extracts resulting from this protocol are appropriate for use in gene expression studies based on real-time quantitative PCR or transcriptomics.
Performance of NiO Doped on Alkaline Sludge from Waste Photovoltaic Industries for Catalytic Dry Reforming of Methane
Authors: SHAMSUDDIN MOHD RAZALI , Teo Siow Hwa , Azmi Tengku Sharifah Marliza Tengku , Lahuri Azizul-Hakim , Taufiq-Yap Yun Hin
Published: March 2024

Alkali sludge (AS) is abundantly waste generated from solar PV solar cell industries. Since this potential basic material is still underutilized, a combination with NiO catalyst might greatly influence coke resentence, especially in high-temperature thermochemical reactions (Arora and Prasad 2016). This paper investigated alkaline sludge containing 3CaO-2SiO2 doped with well-known NiO to enhance the dry reforming of methane (DRM) reaction. The wet-impregnation method was carried out to prepare the xNiO/AS (x = 5–15%) catalysts and tested them to determine their physicochemical properties. The catalytic performance of xNiO/AS catalysts was investigated in a fixed bed reactor/GC-TCD at a CH4: CO2 flow rate of 30 ml− 1 during a 10h reaction by following (Shamsuddin et al. 2021c). For optimization parameters, the effects of NiO concentration (5, 10, and 15%), reaction temperature (700, 750, 800, 850, and 900°C), catalyst loading (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5g), and GHSV (3000, 6000, 9000, 12000, and 15000h− 1) were evaluated. The results showed that while physical characteristics such as BET surface area and porosity do not significantly impact NiO percentages of dispersion and chemical characteristics like reducibility are crucial for the catalysts' efficient catalytic activity. Due to the active sites on the catalyst surface being more accessible, increased NiO dispersion results in higher reactant conversion. The catalytic performance on various parameters shows 15%NiO/AS exhibits high reactant conversion up to 98% and 40–60% product selectivity in 700oC, 0.2g catalyst loading, and 12000h− 1 GHSV (see Fig. 1). According to spent catalyst analyses, the catalyst is stable even after the DRM reaction. Meanwhile, increased reducibility resulted in more and better active site formation on the catalyst. Synergetic effect of efficient NiO as active metal and medium basic sites from AS enhanced DRM catalytic activity and stability with low coke formation.
The Genomes of Australian Wild Limes
Authors: Nakandala Upuli , Furtado Agnelo , Masouleh Ardashir Kharabian , Smith Malcolm W. , Mason Patrick , Williams Darren C. , Henry Robert
Published: March 2024

Australian wild limes occur in highly diverse range of environments and are a unique genetic resource within the genus Citrus. Here we compare the haplotype-resolved genome assemblies of six Australian native limes, including four new assemblies generated using PacBio HiFi and Hi-C sequencing data. The size of the genomes was between 315 and 391 Mb with contig N50s from 29.5 to 35 Mb. Gene completeness of the assemblies was estimated to be from 98.4–99.3% and the annotations from 97.7–98.9% based upon BUSCO, confirming the high contiguity and completeness of the assembled genomes. High collinearity was observed among the genomes and the two haplotype assemblies for each species. Gene duplication and evolutionary analysis demonstrated that the Australian citrus have undergone only one ancient whole-genome triplication event during evolution. The highest number of species-specific and expanded gene families were found in C. glauca and they were primarily enriched in purine, thiamine metabolism, amino acids and aromatic amino acids metabolism which might help C. glauca to mitigate drought, salinity, and pathogen attacks in the drier environments in which this species is found. Unique genes related to terpene biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, and toll-like receptors in C. australasica, and starch and sucrose metabolism genes in both C. australis and C. australasica might be important candidate genes for HLB tolerance in these species. Expanded gene families were not lineage specific, however, a greater number of genes related to plant-pathogen interactions, predominantly disease resistant protein, was found in C. australasica and C. australis.
Spatiotemporal variations of water quality parameters in selected semi-arid young reservoirs in Tigray Regional National State, northern Ethiopia
Authors: Arefayne Kalayu Mesfin , Teferi Mekonen , Asmelash Tsehaye , Haileselasie Tsegazeabe Hadush
Published: March 2024

The health status of aquatic ecosystem is depended on the physicochemical and biological characteristics of water which provides significant information about the available resources for supporting life. This study aims to assess spatiotemporal variation of water quality parameters in selected young reservoirs in Tigray. Depth-integrated water samples (surface, middle, and just above bottom) werecollected bimonthly (three times during the wet and dry seasons) at each sampling siteswith a heart-valve sampler. Variation between the wet and dry seasons was examined using the independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA was used to analysis the differences among sites. We showed a significant (p < 0.05) seasonal variation in temperature, pH and transparency in all the reservoirs investigated. Kalema reservoir was recorded with highest mean value of temperature, chlorophyll a and conductivity. Mean value of pH hasa spatially significant difference (p<0.05) inall the study reservoirs except Kalema. None of the physicochemical water quality parameters in Kalema reservoir exhibited spatially significant (p>0.05) variations. Dissolved oxygen and pH showed spatially significant variation (p < 0.05) in Mihtsab Azmati and Seisa reservoirs. A significant correlation (p < 0.01) was recorded between temperature with turbidity, chlorophyll a, transparency and conductivity. The physicochemical parameters of the reservoirs showed distinct temporal and spatial variations. The result obtained in this study is very important as baseline information to know the ecology of reservoirs for future reservoir management. Further detailed studies that include total phosphorus, total nitrogen, etc., are needed to suggest the trophic conditions of the reservoirs.
Can promoting compassion and gratitude through a four-week online training program improve women's mental health? A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Bock Lotte , Rana Madiha , Rössler Tahnee , Rana Majeed
Published: March 2024

Background
The period following the pandemic has witnessed a surge in depression, distress, and anxiety, alongside a rise in digitalization. This has underscored the necessity of finding alternatives to in-person interventions for mental well-being. According to positive psychology, compassion and gratitude can alleviate anxiety and depression. This pilot study investigates the impact of a four-week self-directed online training program that emphasizes compassion and gratitude as essential components of women's psychological well-being.
Methods
For this randomized controlled trial, a sample of 51 women aged between 21 and 39 years was selected. The experimental group underwent a four-week training program on compassion and gratitude, which included psychoeducation, compassion exercises, and journaling. Participants' levels of compassion and gratitude were assessed before and after the four-week program using standardized self-report surveys.
Results
The study shows that participants in the experimental group experienced a significant improvement in both compassion and gratitude skills. Furthermore, there was a strong positive correlation between compassion and gratitude.
Conclusion
The findings of the pilot study suggest that a brief self-directed online program aimed at cultivating compassion and gratitude can enhance factors that are crucial to women's mental well-being. Further research is necessary to examine the long-term effects of these interventions and their suitability for diverse demographics.
Trial Registration
The trail was registered 23.12.2022 at German Clinical Trails Registre. Registration ID: DRKS00030973
Development and Validation of a Nomogram Predicting Over all and Cancer-specific Survival in Elder Patients With Brain Ependymoma
Authors: Xu Shi -gang , Jin Shuai , Duan li-wei , Xia Kai-de , Ma lin-hao
Published: March 2024

Background: Epithelioma originates from the ependymal epithelial cells on the surface of the ventricles of the brain and is a rare tumor lacking a prognostic prediction model. Our study aims to establish a column chart to predict the over all survival of patients with ependymoma. Method: The data used is from the SEER (Surveying, Epidemiology, and End Results; https://seer. cancer. gov/) database，Extract data from the database of patients with meningioma, including age,race, sex, grade, stage, surgery, tumor size, chemotherapy, radiation etc.Using Excel software,determine the optimal cutoff point, use univariate and multivariate cox regression to screen for risk factors in the over all and cancer specific survival prognostic models, establish nomogram models using meaningful variables in multivariate analysis, and use the consistency index (C-index) and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) to evaluate the area below the line (AUC). Then evaluate the effectiveness of one prediction of the model.Result:The median survival time of Over all Survival (OS) is 118 months, and no median survival time of Cancer-specific Survival(CSS) was observed.After univariate and multivariate analysis, it was found that age, grade, stage, surgery, tumor size, and primary site were statistically significant risk factors for OS prognosis.CSS univariate analysis found that age, grade, stage, tuber size, and primary site were statistically significant, while multivariate analysis found that age, grade, tuber size, and primary site were statistically significant.Conclusion: A prognostic column chart has been established for patients with ependymoma, providing a basis for clinical doctors to evaluate the prognosis of patients with ependymoma.
Mapping neural correlates of biological motion perception in autistic children using high-density diffuse optical tomography
Authors: Yang* Dalin , Svoboda* Alexandra M. , George Tessa G. , Mansfield Patricia K. , Wheelock Muriah D. , Schroeder Mariel L. , Rafferty Sean M. , Sherafati Arefeh , Tripathy Kalyan , Burns-Yocum Tracy , Forsen Elizabeth , Pruett John R. , Marrus Natasha M. , Culver Joseph P. , Constantino John N. , Eggebrecht Adam T.
Published: March 2024

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder defined by social communication deficits plus repetitive behaviors and restricted interests, currently affects 1/36 children in the general population. Recent advances in functional brain imaging show promise to provide useful biomarkers of ASD diagnostic likelihood, behavioral trait severity, and even response to therapeutic intervention. However, current gold-standard neuroimaging methods (e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging) are limited in naturalistic studies of brain function underlying ASD-associated behaviors due to the constrained imaging environment. To overcome these limitations, we aimed to establish high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT), a non-invasive and minimally constraining optical neuroimaging modality, to evaluate brain function in autistic and non-autistic school-age children as they performed a biological motion perception task previously shown to yield results related to both ASD diagnosis and behavioral traits. Herein, we used HD-DOT to image brain function in 46 ASD school-age participants, 49 non-autistic controls (NAC), and 17 pro-band siblings as they viewed dynamic point-light displays of coherent biological and scrambled motion. We assessed group-level cortical brain function with statistical parametric mapping. Additionally, we tested for brain-behavior associations with dimensional metrics of autism traits, as measured with the Social Responsiveness Scale-2, with hierarchical regression models. We found that NAC participants presented stronger brain activity contrast (coherent > scrambled) than ASD children in cortical regions related to visual, motor, and social processing. Additionally, regression models revealed multiple cortical regions in autistic participants where brain function is significantly associated with dimensional measures of autism traits. This study demonstrates that HD-DOT is sensitive to brain function that both differentiates between NAC and ASD groups and correlates with dimensional measures of ASD traits. These findings establish HD-DOT as an effective tool for investigating brain function in autistic and non-autistic children and opens the door to future studies on brain function underlying natural behaviors.

*Dr. Dalin Yang and Miss Alexandra Svoboda are designated as the co-first leading authors in the manuscript.
Systemic toxicity of intravitreally injected gold nanorods in mice: Effects of size, surface conjugation, and post-injection period
Authors: AlGhosain Hafithe M. , Nie Jiarui , Liu Tao , Lee Jonghwan
Published: March 2024

Gold nanorods (AuNRs) can potentially act as photothermal stimulators when bound to neurons. An important consideration when using nanoparticles of any type is their safety in vivo. Here, we assessed the systemic safety of intravitreally (IVT) injected gold nanorods (AuNRs) in mice over 32 days, by focusing on three formulations: 25-nm Thy-1 conjugated AuNRs, 5-nm Thy-1 AuNRs, and 25-nm bare AuNRs. Thy-1 conjugation aimed to target retinal ganglion cells specifically. Our analyses included hematological data, serum biochemistry, and body weight changes. The results showed a 23% increase in uric acid concentration in the presence of bare AuNRs (p = 0.0018) and a 3% reduction in body weight in the presence of 25-nm Thy-1 AuNRs (p = 0.0230). Age influenced monocyte concentration, total bilirubin, cholesterol, and chloride levels, while sex differences were noted in body weight and several hematological and biochemical parameters. These results suggest that IVT-injected Thy-1 AuNRs may not induce systemic toxicity for up to 32 days, highlighting the importance of targeted delivery to mitigate potential toxicity.
Circulating inflammatory cytokines and risk of bladder cancer: a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Li Changjiu , Chen Jun , Shang Kun , Li Ning , Qi Yaqin , Chen Chao , He Huadong
Published: March 2024

Background: Epidemiological evidence has verified the relationship between inflammatory biomarkers and bladder cancer (BCa). It is uncertain whether these associations are causal. Here, we performed Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to systematically evaluate the causal relationship between the wide panel of inflammatory cytokines and BCa risk.
Methods: The Exposure data were extracted from the genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 47 circulating cytokines. The cis-protein quantitative trait locus (cis-pQTL) and cis-expression quantitative trait locus (cis-eQTL) were used as instrumental variables. The outcome data were obtained from the United Kingdom Biobank. Two-sample MR analyses were performed to assess the causal inference of inflammatory cytokines on BCa risk, followed by sensitivity analyses to overcome the disadvantages of inverse-variance weighted method.
Results: We observed Eotaxin has significant causal effects on BCa (cis-pQTL: OR= 0.997, 95% CI =0.995-0.999, p=0.002; cis-eQTL: OR= 0.996, 95% CI =0.993-0.998, p =0.001) in both the cis-pQTL and cis-eQTL definition. Further single-cell analysis revealed Eotaxin was predominantly expressed in inflammatory-cancer-associated fibroblasts (iCAFs) but not in myo-cancer-associated fibroblasts (mCAFs). Besides, CCL11 expression was significantly higher in normal tissue iCAFs than in BCa iCAFs.
Conclusions:Our study provides supportive evidence on the role of specific cytokines in cancer aetiology. CCL11+ iCAFs may be a subtype of iCAFs that inhibit tumor progression. Further studies are needed to investigate the potential mechanisms of cytokines as drug targets for cancer prevention.
Moisture-induced timber joining - Utilizing the hygroscopicity and shape-memory effect of wood resulting in dimensional change in a prefabricated wood-only, self-built, sawn timber system for affordable housing in Colombia
Authors: Salzberger Max , Rojas Juan Sebastian Cruz , Koskamp Gilbert
Published: March 2024

From a global perspective, the building industry stands as a significant factor of environmental impact on the planet. Wood has emerged as a promising construction material as a sustainable building source, gaining traction in the industry due to its carbon storage capabilities and prefabricated possibilities [13]. Particularly in the context of rural Colombia, the integration of prefabricated timber constructions, coupled with advancements in digital fabrication technologies, holds the promise of facilitating social reconstruction. Furthermore, such an approach poses the potential to enhance material performance and contribute positively to its end of life [1]. Nevertheless, existing research identifies a critical gap within the wood-to-wood timber connections to tackle better design, manufacture, assembly, and deconstruction (DfMA + D) [20]. Consequently, this study endeavours to explore the application of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technologies in conjunction with the material's response to changes in relative humidity. The aim is to devise a mechanism for tight-fitting structural wood connections, the central focus of this research lies in understanding the collaborative interaction between sawn timber and moisture fluctuations. By doing so, the study seeks to introduce a new construction methodology and building system centred around material climate reaction and its expansion capacity applications in traditional connections, thereby mitigating the need for chemical and mechanical structural joints, ultimately resulting in a self-assembly system destined to low-income populations in the Colombian territory. This study proves the enhancement of timber connection to tensile stress up to 50% of its original capacity by implementing the moisture induced process and developing a building system utilising this joining method for the assembly of elements for housing in Colombia.
Streamlining College Cafeteria Operations: A Web Portal for Efficient Bulk Order Management
Authors: John Christine John , Eluvathingal Tacita , Khan Aafreen , Albert Serena , Ojha Mritunjay
Published: March 2024

Efficient management of bulk orders in college cafeterias is paramount for ensuring timely service and customer satisfaction. In this paper, we address the challenge of manual and time-consuming order requisition processes by presenting a web-based solution tailored for cafeteria operations. Our system automates order requisition, menu planning, and billing processes, enhancing performance and minimizing manual effort through secure coding practices and asynchronous processing techniques. Rigorous testing, including unit, integration, system, and user acceptance testing, validates the system's functionality and reliability. Our findings demonstrate significant improvements in order processing time and accuracy, leading to enhanced operational efficiency and user satisfaction. This research contributes valuable insights into the design and implementation of web-based cafeteria management systems, offering practical solutions for improving service delivery in educational institutions.
Unraveling sauropod diversity in the Portezuelo Formation of Patagonia through a comprehensive analysis of new and existing material
Authors: Gomez Kevin Leonel , Pérez-Moreno Agustín , Meso Jorge Gustavo , Bellardini Flavio , Baiano Mattia Antonio , Pol Diego , Garrido Alberto , Kaluza Jonatan , Muci Luciana , Pittman Michael
Published: March 2024

The Portezuelo Formation preserves an outstanding record of the upper Turonian - lower Coniacian of Gondwana. Despite the discovery of a significant amount of sauropod fossil material from the Formation, only two species have been formally described to date: Malarguesaurus florenciae and Futalognkosaurus dukei. Here we present new sauropod material mostly composed of non-articulated caudal vertebrae that belong to at least two different titanosauriforms on the basis of following features: anterior caudal vertebrae with procoelous-opistoplatyan articulations, transverse processes that reach the posterior articular face of the centrum and neural spines with a lateromedial width of ~ 50% of its anteroposterior length; anterior and middle caudal vertebra with the neural arch restricted to the anterior half of the centrum; middle caudal centrum with circular cross-section. Phylogenetic analysis recovers the new material in close relation to Malarguesaurus within a monophyletic clade sister to Somphospondily. This clade shares large pedicel height with a vertical anterior border on the middle caudal vertebrae, a vertical orientation of the neural spines on the distalmost middle caudal vertebrae and proximalmost posterior caudal vertebrae, and subequal relative lengths of the proximal ulnar condylar processes. The specimens presented here are distinct not only from Malarguesaurus and Futalognkosaurus, but also from other indeterminate titanosaur remains from the same formation. Whilst we err on the side of caution in not naming new taxa here, the two specimens significantly expand what we know about sauropods in the Turonian-Coniacian ecosystems of Patagonia, which will continue to do so as more material is discovered.
A new class of sediment transport models: Derivation and numerical solutions
Authors: Ndengna Ngatcha , Bandji Daniel , Njifenjou Abdou
Published: March 2024

In coastal or estuarine environments the water fluctuations withgreater length of correlations are more intense and modify the meanmotion. The literature does not provide an averaged sedimenttransport model (STM) for coastal zones that accounts for both meanand fluctuating motions over an abrupt mobile bottom. Models basedon water are commonly used to describe sediment transport, but theyare not applicable when the flow becomes turbulent. These modelsonly consider the mean motion. To account the fluctuating motion ina STM, we assume $ |u -\overline{u}|^k \leq \tau^k h, \;\; k>0$ ($h= \mathcal{O}(\varepsilon)$ is the water depth, $\lambda = const$).However, distortion no exist always since during the dam break overerodible bed, the water near the bed can become dense thus weaklyturbulent. To always ensure the turbulence existence, we assume that$\tau = \mathcal{O}(\gamma^\alpha) \;\; \varepsilon^2 \ll \gamma \ll1$ and $\rho = \mathcal{O}(\gamma)$ with $\gamma = const$.Additionally we assume a weakly concentrated approximation ($d_{50}= \mathcal{O}(\varepsilon^\alpha)$, $\delta = \mathcal{O}(\epsilon),1< \alpha <3$) to derive the model. The model obtained in thisstudy builds upon previous work by authors in 2007, 2012, and 2018,while also improving upon more recent models developed in 2022 and2023. The hyperbolic STM is subject to various complexities arisingfrom turbulence and several nonlinear coupled terms. Furthermore,solving this problem still poses a computational challenge in termsof accuracy, convergence, robustness, and efficiency. To addressthis challenge, we propose a new path-conservative method called $\text{HLL}_{**}$, which we combine with a modified Averaging method.The Essentially Non-Oscillatory (AENO) nonlinear reconstructionmethod is used to approximate the model. This method is noteworthybecause it generalizes several HLL-based schemes developed in recentyears. Numerical test cases have been performed.
Peptide Energy Bars as Catalysts for Aerobic Capacity Improvement in Cross- Country Skiers: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Xiang Mai , Han Qi , Chen Yue , Duan Shenglin , Han Xiaofeng , Sui Xuemei , Ren Chaoxue , Wang Qirong
Published: March 2024

Background
This study investigated the efficacy of peptide energy bars compared to regular protein bars in elite cross-country skiers, providing insights into the metabolic and performance effects of these supplements in order to guide athletes in selecting optimal energy sources for training and competition.
Methods
Nineteen healthy male cross-country skiers were enrolled and assigned to either the peptide bar group (PEP, n = 9) or the protein bar group (PRO, n = 10). A four-week intervention study involving energy bar supplementation was conducted, and pre- and post-intervention assessments were performed to evaluate exercise capacity and metabolic profile.
Results
The study found that within each group, the PEP group and the PRO group showed distinct effects on exercise performance. The PEP group demonstrated improved aerobic capacity, including better performance in 10km roller skating, increased lactate threshold, and reduced resting blood lactate levels. The PRO group enhanced anaerobic capacity, such as improved sprint time, hexagon test performance, and lactate clearance. Metabolomic analysis revealed specific metabolic pathways affected in each group, with the PEP group showing impacts on the alpha-linolenic acid pathway and the PRO group on ketone bodies synthesis, degradation, and vitamin B6 metabolism.
Conclusions
Our findings indicate that peptide energy bars and regular protein bars have comparable effects on exercise performance. However, peptide bars may offer greater advantages in enhancing aerobic capacity. No significant variations were observed in blood metabolite profiles between the two groups, but distinct metabolic pathways exhibited different responses.
The Development of Innovative Techniques for Determining the Properties of Natural Hydraulic Lime
Authors: Mermer Nevin Karamahmut
Published: March 2024

Hydraulic mortars, produced by combining air-curing lime with pozzolans and a water-hardening mortar, were widely used in ancient Greece and Rome. Later in the 18th century, as we learned more about hydraulic properties of materials obtained by burning clay-contaminated limestone, there was a shift in the preferred materials used. Hydraulic and pozzolan lime mortars are used in restoration and eco-friendly building. Hydraulic lime's characterization outside of reactions is unknown. A technique to analyze and properly define changes in hydraulic lime mortars made from natural and synthetic materials is a global priority. The volume expansion and water vapor permeability properties of hydraulic lime make it favorable restoration of heritages. The study aims to increase our understanding of hydraulic lime hydration, monitoring the hydrated phase changes, and use the results to verify content by determining the composition. Combining XRD and FTIR, a method has been devised for the characterization of hydraulic lime.
Evaluation of the Effect of Sarcopenia on Postoperative Major Complications after Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in Patients with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis
Authors: Havan¹ Nuri , Gülmez² Selçuk , Senger² Aziz Serkan , Uzun² Orhan , Dinçer² Mürşit , Özduman² Ömer , Duman³ Uğur , Avan⁴ Deniz , Polat⁴ Aytaç , Polat² Erdal , Duman² Mustafa
Published: March 2024

Purpose
This study aimed to assess the impact of sarcopenia on postoperative major complications in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for peritoneal carcinomatosis.
Methods
In this longitudinal cohort study included 202 patients treated between January 2018 and September 2023, with 52 undergoing prophylactic procedures. Peritoneal metastases originated from colorectal, gastric, and ovarian cancer; peritoneal mesothelioma; mucinous adenocarcinoma of the appendix; and endometrial cancer. Age, sex, body mass index (BMI), length of hospital stay (LOS), peritoneal cancer index (PCI), competency of cytoreduction (CC), operation time, and primary peritoneal carcinomatosis were recorded. All variables were analysed according to the presence of major complications and sarcopenia.
Results
Significant associations were found between major complications and sarcopenia (p = 0.002), PCI (p = 0.036), operation time (p = 0.015), and LOS (p < 0.001). In sarcopenic patients, significant associations were found with sex (p = 0.035), age (p = 0.025), and BMI (p = 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified sarcopenia as an independent risk factor for major complications, tripling the likelihood (p = 0.005). Additionally, PCI score (p = 0.008) and LOS (p < 0.001) were independent risk factors.
Conclusion
This study underscores sarcopenia as an independent risk factor for major complications in CRS/HIPEC patients, with PCI and LOS as additional risk factors.
The leather sector diagnosis: what problems? What solutions? : A Moroccan case study
Authors: Saad Aberkane Mohammed , Otman Aberkane
Published: March 2024

The leather sector remains one of the sectors that encounters a multitude of problems on an international scale, particularly in Morocco. Therefore, we carried out a literature review through which we were able to identify the major problems found within the leather sector. After that, we conducted a case study on the Chouara tannery in the fez Meknes region where we studied the problems found within the sector by using the 5M and SWOT methods as well as the proposal of certain improvement actions with a view to revitalizing the sector. The novelty of our work lies in the proposal of certain functionalities that could play the role of product lifecycle management (PLM) within the sector, such as life management, complaint management and cost management since the notion of PLM is absent within traditional tanneries. In addition, we propose integrating ecological PLM to limit the amount of garbage generated during the execution of tasks.
PIM-GPT: A Hybrid Process-in-Memory Accelerator for Autoregressive Transformers
Authors: Wu Yuting , Wang Ziyu , Lu Wei D.
Published: March 2024

Decoder-only Transformer models such as GPT have demonstrated exceptional performance in text generation, by autore-gressively predicting the next token. However, the efficacy of running GPT on current hardware systems is bounded by low compute-to-memory-ratio and high memory access. Process-in-memory (PIM) architectures can minimize off-chip data movement and utilize high internal bandwidth. They stand out as promising candidates for accelerating memory-bounded tasks such as GPT inference.
In this work, we propose a PIM accelerator, PIM-GPT, which achieves end-to-end acceleration of GPT inference with high performance and high energy efficiency. PIM-GPT leverages DRAM-based PIM designs for executing multiply-accumulate (MAC) operations directly in the DRAM chips, eliminating the need to move matrix data off-chip. Non-linear functions and data communication is supported by an application specific integrated chip (ASIC). At the software level, mapping schemes are designed to maximize data locality and computation parallelism by concatenating and partitioning matrices among DRAM channels and banks to utilize all available in-memory computation units. The efficiency of the PIM-GPT architecture is verified through circuit synthesis and an event-driven clock-cycle accurate simulator. Overall, PIM-GPT achieves 41−137×, 631−1074× speedup and 123−383×, 320−602× energy efficiency over GPU and CPU baseline on 8 GPT models with up to 1.4 billion parameters.
A Case Study for Seismic Resilience of Anchored and Self-Anchored Liquid Storage Tanks in High Seismic Regions
Authors: Erkmen Bulent
Published: March 2024

This study presents seismic performance of two existing at-grade industrial liquid-storage tanks located in the Eastern part of Marmara region, which is a high seismic region in Turkey. The first tank is selfanchored (unanchored) and has been in service for 44 years, while the other tank is mechanically anchored to a reinforced concrete foundation and has been in service for 50 years. Tanks seismic performance is evaluated using tank time-history earthquake analyses with recorded ground motions scaled for each tank site. The liquid content was included in the developed model using provisions of API 650. Tanks base uplift, sliding on the foundation, tank shell and bottom plate damage, and demand on tank anchorage were determined. The results shows that self-anchored tank has base plate uplift and sliding that are larger than the allowable limits while the mechanically anchored tank has acceptable seismic performance with potential seismic damage of tank anchorage system. The findings of this study contribute valuable insight into the seismic performance of existing liquid storage tanks in the region under new seismic regulations and increased seismic loads than those used for their design.
From islands to infectomes: host-specific viral diversity among birds across remote islands
Authors: Grimwood Rebecca M. , Reyes Enzo M. R. , Cooper Jamie , Welch Jemma , Taylor Graeme , Makan Troy , Lim Lauren , Dubrulle Jeremy , McInnes Kate , Holmes Edward C. , Geoghegan Jemma L.
Published: March 2024

Background
Accelerating biodiversity loss necessitates monitoring the potential pathogens of vulnerable species. With a third of New Zealand's avifauna considered at risk of extinction, a greater understanding of the factors that influence viral transmission in this island ecosystem is needed. We used metatranscriptomics to determine the viruses, as well as other microbial organisms (i.e. the infectomes), of seven bird species, including the once critically endangered black robin (Petroica traversi), on two islands in the remote Chatham Islands archipelago, New Zealand.
Results
We identified 19 likely novel avian viruses across nine viral families. Black robins harboured viruses from the Flaviviridae, Herpesviridae, and Picornaviridae, while introduced starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and migratory seabirds (Procellariiformes) carried viruses from six additional viral families. Potential cross-species virus transmission of a novel passerivirus (family: Picornaviridae) between native (black robins and grey-backed storm petrels) and introduced (starlings) birds was also observed. Additionally, we identified bacterial genera, apicomplexan parasites, as well as a novel megrivirus linked to disease outbreaks in other native New Zealand birds. Notably, island effects were outweighed by host taxonomy as a significant driver of viral composition, even among sedentary birds.
Conclusions
These findings underscore the value of surveillance of avian populations to identity and minimise escalating threats of disease emergence and spread in these island ecosystems. Importantly, they contribute to our understanding of the potential role of introduced and migratory birds in the transmission of microbes and associated diseases, which could impact vulnerable island-endemic species.
Chitin extraction from crab shells by two-step fermentation with Lacticanttacllus pantarum and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Zhou Yi , Yang Haoyue , Xing Ronge , Liu Song , Li Kecheng , Li Rongfeng , Yu Huahua , Li Pengcheng
Published: March 2024

There are few reports on the extraction of chitin from crab shells using microbiological methods. In this work, the strain Lacticanttacllus pantarum (LA01) for demineralization (DM) and the strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PS01) for deproteinization (DP) were screened from soil, seawater, mud of aquaculture farm, seamount, marine cold spring, probiotic powders, etc. After optimizing the fermentation conditions, LA01 showed the highest activity under the conditions of 2% glucose, 1g crab shells of 18 mesh in 100mL system for 48h, while PS01 performed best with 0.5g crab shells of 60 mesh in 100mL system for 48h. chitin was extracted from crab shells using two-step fermentation method with two scheme: (i) LA01 followed by PS01; (ii) PS01 followed by LA01, and the products were analyzed by FTIR, XRD and SEM. Results showed that 97.55 ± 0.15% of DM and 73.49 ± 0.25% of DP were eliminated by inoculating PS01 followed by LA01. The strong connection between protein and chitin in the crab shells was speculated as the reason of protein residues. Similar structure was observed in the fermented product by the results of FTIR and XRD compared with commercial chitin, indicating the structure of α-chitin. The presence of porous and fibrous structures was observed in crab chitin by two-step fermentation using SEM. The fermentation broth acquired from LA01 contained with various organic acids, lactic acid mostly, with contents of 4238.65mg/L, along with 356.91mg/L acetic acid, which has potential application in inhibiting other bacteria pollution during fermentation.
Prediction of Football Player Performance Using Machine Learning Algorithm
Authors: B Chandra , D Jennet Shinny , M Keshav Adhitya
Published: March 2024

we delve into the popular subject of predicting soccer match outcomes, particularly focused on the local team's games, which often spark enthusiastic discussions among male audiences. The endeavor to model football data has gained traction in recent years, prompting the emergence of diverse methodologies aimed at deciphering the factors influencing a team's victory or defeat, or even predicting match scores. Central to our study is leveraging machine learning and data mining techniques to forecast match results by analyzing historical match data. Employing tools such as WEKA, we identify key features contributing to match outcomes. Through the application of various classifiers including logistic regression, SVM, and Bayesian networks, we rigorously test and refine our predictive models. Ultimately, we propose the most influential features and outline strategies for computing new parameters derived from these features, thereby enhancing the accuracy of our predictions.
Efficient Detection of Focal Cortical Dysplasia Using Novel Two Fold Attention Mechanism
Authors: Gopika N. , Kowshalya A. Meena
Published: March 2024

Focal Cortical Dysplasia (FCD) is a malformation of cortical development that leads to frequent pharmacological pediatric epilepsy. The only treatment for FCD is surgery, and the use of imaging techniques helps physicians plan the surgery. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an effective tool to predict the FCD lesion. The automatic segmentation of FCD lesions technique may help locate the lesions in the patient’s MRI slices. This research work proposes a novel two fold attention mechanism namely Hybrid Attention Gate_U shaped encoder decoder Network (HAG_UNET) model to detect the FCD accurately. The proposed model exploiting its novel attention mechanism is effective in accurate FCD lesion detection. The model tends to identify crucial features for FCD detection using the proposed novel two fold attention mechanism compared to state of art model. Experiment are done in python using standard datasets. A total of 11 subjects are used for the experiment. Metrics, namely IOU, precision, recall, and F1_score, are used for evaluation. Compared to UNET, the proposed model showed 5.89%, 4.92% and 3.15% improvement in terms of IOU, Recall and F1_score respectively. Compared to Attention_UNET, the proposed model showed 5.03%, 4.9%, 1.34% and 2.1% improvements in terms of IOU, Recall, Precision and F1_score respectively.
Hymenopteran groups' role in ecological indication along the last traditionally managed meadows in Eastern Europe
Authors: Demeter Imre , Lajos Károly , Balog Adalbert , Sárospataki Miklós
Published: March 2024

During this research, the role of wild bees and cavity-nesting Hymenopteran species as indicators was examined, along the unique combination of high nature value and traditional land use habitats. We encountered a high diversity of wild bees was detected, but also a significant species replacement from one study year to another. Among the nests building species, Trypoxylon sp. showed a considerably stronger dominance in the second year (72.23% of all nests), which may be due to changes in spider prey densities. The number of nests built by the two solitary bee taxa Megachile and Osmia also increased for the second year of our study. There are several possible explanations for these differences, one of which could be a considerable change in temperature between the two years, or the effect of possible competition with honeybees. The different taxonomic groups of wild bees and cavity-nesting Hymenopterans showed differences in their habitat affinities. The majority of the sampled bumblebee species had an affinity towards the sampling sites located within the highly protected areas. In contrast to this, the three groups of more common solitary bees (Andrena, Halictus and Lasioglossum spp.) mostly showed stronger affinities towards the less protected and thus more human-influenced sampling areas. In addition, we registered that landscape structure had no significant effects on the number of (occupied) brood cells for most of the cavity-nesting Hymenopteran groups. From these groups, landscape structure had the clearest effect on the nests built by the wasp Trypoxylon sp., especially when looking at the data from both study years together. Altogether, we can conclude that different habitat preferences of Hymenopteran groups can be detected in these rare semi-natural landscapes. However, in future studies several other factors have to be tested to see the whole picture in these preferences. As only few such habitats still remain in Europe and as the maintenance of insect biodiversity is crucial for well-functioning ecosystems, our results can be important for future researches in areas both less or more strongly influenced by humans.
Psychosocial effects of retirement on the elderly: a systematic review
Authors: Kitsaki Maria , Katsiroumpa Aglaia , Zioga Stavroula , Moisoglou Ioannis , Galanis Petros
Published: March 2024

Background
Retirement, as an important transition in life which is characterized by changes at the social, economic and psychological level, is associated with many factors that can contribute to development of psychopathology in later life. Understanding how these risk factors impact health and well-being of older adults is expected to highlight opportunities to promote mental health during this transition.
Objective
To identify and evaluate literature on the effects of retirement on mental health, life satisfaction, loneliness, and changes in social networks. Moreover, we examined protective and risk factors for mental health and well-being after retirement.
Methods
The literature search was performed in Scopus until October 02, 2023, using the following search strategy in all fields: (elderly OR seniors) AND (retirement OR pension) AND (transition) AND (depression OR anxiety OR “mental health” OR socialization OR loneliness).
Results
Applying the inclusion criteria, we found 23 studies that investigated both protective and risk factors for postretirement mental health. We found that both involuntary and early retirement were associated with greater risk of reporting major depression and worse perceived health, while positive attitudes toward aging were associated with increased participation in leisure activities after retirement. Other risk factors for developing depressive symptoms were poor working conditions and spousal assistance in activities of daily living. Lastly, the social support network was a protective factor, as it was related to better physical health and less loneliness.
Conclusions
Evidence indicated that early and involuntary retirement are possible risk factors for mental health, however the results couldn’t support that an extension of working life beyond retirement age would be beneficial. Taking into account the above, we suggest that pension reforms should be adapted according to circumstances such as the country, professional sector, needs and preferences of the population. Therefore, designing a pension policy that would provide flexibility regarding the timing of retirement is expected to be more beneficial compared to the current, age-based pension policies.