bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative genomic analysis of the Growth Regulating Factors-Interacting Factors (GIFs) in six Salicaceae species and functional analysis of PeGIF3 reveals their regulatory role in Populus heteromorphic leaves
Authors: Yang Yuqi , Sun Jianhao , Qiu Chen , Jiao Peipei , Wu Zhihua , Li Zhijun
Published: January 2024

Background
The GIF(Growth-Regulating Factors-Interacting Factors) gene family plays a vital role in regulating plant growth and development, particularly in controlling leaf, seed, and root meristem homeostasis. As an important adaptative trait of heteromorphic leaves in response to desert environment, however, the regulatory mechanism of heteromorphic leaves by GIF genes in Populus euphratica remains unknown.
Results
Our study aimed to identify and characterize the GIF genes in Populus euphratica and other five Salicaceae species to investigate their role in regulating heteromorphic leaf development. We identified and characterized a total of 27 GIF genes across six Salicaceae species (P. euphratica, Populus pruinose, Populus deltoides, Populus trichocarpa, Salix sinopurpurea, and Salix suchowensis) at the genome-wide level. Then, the comparative genomic analysis among these species suggested that the expansion of GIFsmay be derived the specific Salicaceae whole-genome duplication event after their divergence from Arabidopsis. Elements analysis suggested that GIFswere suffering from diverse regulation by hormones and environment clues. Furthermore, the expression data of PeGIFs in heteromorphic leaves, combined with functional information on GIF genes in Arabidopsis thaliana, indicate the role of PeGIFs in regulating leaf development of P. euphratica, especially PeGIFs contain several auxin-related cis-acting elements such as TGA-box. By heterologous expression the PeGIF3 gene in both wild-type plants (Col-0) and gif1mutant of A. thaliana, a significant difference in leaf expansion along the medial-lateral axis, as well as an increased number of leaf cells, along with the increased number of leaf cells was observed between the overexpressed plants and the wild type.
Conclusion
The results indicated that PeGIF3 enhances leaf cell proliferation by modulating transcriptional processes, thereby resulting in the expansion of the central-lateral region of the leaf. Our findings not only provide global insights into the evolutionary features of Salicaceae GIFs, but also reveal the regulatory mechanism of PeGIF3 in heteromorphic leaves in P. euphratica.
Psychometric properties of the newly developed Self-Report Environmental Determinants of Health Questionnaire (EDH-Q)
Authors: Sabo Abdulwali , Kuan Garry , Abdullah Sarimah , Kuay Hue San , Kueh Yee Cheng
Published: January 2024

Background
The environmental determinants of health (EDH) have a significant impact on people's physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Everyone needs access to environmental resources of all types, including food, materials, and energy, to survive. Currently, no valid and reliable instrument exists for evaluating individuals' perceived levels of EDH. Hence, the purpose of this study was to create the environmental determinants of health questionnaire (EDH-Q) and assess its psychometric properties among undergraduate students in Nigeria.
Method
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among university undergraduate students in Nigeria. The respondents were selected using a convenience sampling method to evaluate their perceptions regarding EDH. To determine the psychometric properties of the newly created EDH-Q, the Content Validity Index (CVI), Face Validity Index (FVI), Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Composite Reliability (CR), Average Variance Extracted (AVE), Cronbach's alpha, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) were all computed.
Results
The study involved 300 respondents in the EFA (males 55.7%, females 44.3%) and 430 respondents in the CFA (males 54.0%, females 46.0%). In the EFA, two constructs were identified (the natural environment and the built environment). The EFA model was able to explain 63.57% of the total cumulative variance, and the factor correlation was 0.671. The Cronbach's alpha values of the two constructs were 0.918 (natural environment) and 0.935 (built environment). In the CFA, six pairs of error covariances were included between items within the same construct to improve the fit indices of the initial proposed measurement model. The final re-specified measurement model showed that the EDH-Q, which has two constructs and 18 items, has adequate construct validity (CFI = 0.948, TLI = 0.938, SRMR = 0.046, RMSEA = 0.052, and RMSEA p-value = 0.344). The CRs were 0.845 (natural environment) and 0.854 (built environment). The ICCs were 0.976 (natural environment) and 0.970 (built environment).
Conclusion
The results show that the newly created EDH-Q has sufficient construct validity and may be utilized to assess participants' perceptions of their level of EDH. Researchers should examine this instrument in populations with different age ranges and other demographic characteristics, as the present study only applied it to undergraduate students who may share similar characteristics.
“Trying to remain calm…but I do reach my limit sometimes”: An exploration of the meaning of gentle parenting
Authors: Pezalla Anne E , Davidson Alice
Published: January 2024

Raising young children has always been hard, but evidence suggests that it may be getting harder. The isolation of the pandemic, the pressures to fulfill “perfect” parenting standards, and the explosion of “expert” parenting advice on social media have fueled the rise of “gentle parenting,” an approach that pivots away from older, discipline-heavy parenting typologies and which promises the development of happier, healthier children. Despite the popularity of gentle parenting, it has received no empirical scrutiny. The current study represents the first systematic investigation of what gentle parenting entails. Data were gathered from a sample (N = 100) of parents of at least one child between the ages of 2 and 7 from the Midwest, Southeast, and Southwest. Approximately half (n = 49) of the sample identified as “gentle parents.” Inductive analyses identified this approach as one that emphasizes high levels of parental affection and parents’ and children’s emotion regulation. Gentle parenting appears to be distinct from other established measures of parenting approaches in its emphasis on boundaries, but the enactment of those boundaries is not uniform. Overall, gentle parents reported high levels of parenting satisfaction and efficacy, but a subset of gentle parents who were highly critical of themselves reported significantly lower levels of efficacy than the rest of the sample. Statements of parenting uncertainty and burnout were present in over one-third of the gentle parent sample. Implications are discussed for future research and increased support for those who identify as gentle parents.
Humanizing the Research Process: Collaborative Reflections on Prioritizing Research Participants’ Connection, Trust, and Agency
Authors: Pezalla Anne E , Scott Alysssa , Nappa Lex , Hsieh Ta-yang
Published: January 2024

All research is a social construction. In this paper, we work to illuminate those moments of co-constructed meaning by taking readers on a “behind the scenes” tour of a collaborative research project that explored educator relationships. We describe our priorities in and care for participant recruitment and scheduling, our post-hoc reflections on the differences in emotional tenor between interviews and focus groups, and our own roles and positionalities within the data collection and analysis process. Action-items are recommended for other group-based qualitative studies to humanize the process of research and prioritize moments of connection, trust, and agency among participants.
Pathway level subtyping identifies a slow-cycling and transcriptionally lethargic biological phenotype associated with poor clinical outcomes in colon cancer independent of genetics
Authors: Malla Sudhir B , Byrne Ryan M , Lafarge Maxime , Corry Shania M , Fisher Natalie C , Tsantoulis Petros , Campbell Andrew , Lannagan Tamsin , Najumudeen Arafath K , Gilroy Kathryn , Amirkhah Raheleh , Maguire Sarah , Mulholland Eoghan , Belnoue-Davis Hayley L , Grassi Elena , Viviani Marco , Rogan Emily , Redmond Keara , Sakhnevych Svetlana , McCooey Aoife , Bull Courtney , Hoey Emily , Sinevici Nicoleta , Hall Holly , Ahmaderaghi Baharak , Domingo Enric , Blake Andrew , Richman Susan , Isella Claudio , Miller Crispin , Bertotti Andrea , Trusolino Livio , Loughrey Maurice , Kerr Emma , Tejpar Sabine , Maughan Tim , Lawler Mark , Leedham Simon J , Koelzer Viktor H , Sansom Owen J , Dunne Philip D
Published: January 2024

Molecular stratification, across many tumour types, has used gene-level transcriptional data to identify subtypes associated with distinct genotypes and biological traits, as exemplified by the consensus molecular subtypes (CMS), and more recently the intrinsic CMS (iCMS), in colorectal cancer. In an attempt to develop molecular subtypes that more closely align to cancer-relevant phenotypic traits in KRAS mutant tumours, here we present an approach that uses gene ontology and biological activation state information, rather than gene-level data, for the initial stages of class discovery. In doing so, we define three unique pathway-derived subtypes (PDS); where PDS1 tumours are highly proliferative and display good prognosis, PDS2 tumours are stroma/immune-rich with intermediate prognosis. The final subtype, PDS3, represent a previously overlooked subset of tumours within CMS2, which display a ‘lethargic’ biological phenotype with neural-like traits and the worst prognosis. Remarkably, these biological and clinical features remain consistent across tumour samples independent of KRAS mutational status, supporting the use of PDS for defining cancer-relevant phenotypes regardless of genetics.
Xenotime-(Y) from granitic pegmatites of the Monatsitovaya mine, Aduisky massif, Middle Urals (chemical composition and age)
Authors: KHILLER Vera Vital’evna , EROKHIN Yuriy Viktorovich
Published: January 2024

The relevance of the work is due to the need to improve the chemical dating method as applied to high-uranium and high-thorium accessory minerals, which are difficult to study using isotopic research methods. The purpose of the work is to study the chemical composition of accessory xenotime from granite pegmatites of the Monatsitovaya mine (western part of the Aduisky massif) and determine its age. Research methodology. A quantitative analysis of the chemical composition of monazite was performed on a CAMECA SX 100 electron probe microanalyzer (IGG Ural Branch RAS, Ekaterinburg). Measurement conditions: accelerating voltage 15 kV, current 250 nA, electron beam diameter 2 μm. The pressure in the sample chamber is 2 × 10–4 Pa. The spectra were obtained on inclined wave spectrometers, the intensity measurements were carried out along the analytical lines: Y Lα, Si Kα, (TAP crystal analyzer), U Mβ, Pb Mα, Ca Kα, Th Mα, P Kα (PET), Yb Lα, Dy Lα, Er Lα, Gd Lα, Lu Lα, Sm Lβ (LiF). The overlap of peaks of spectral lines was taken into account, which is extremely important in the quantitative determination of lead content (the Y Lγ2,3 и Th Mζ1,2 lines are superimposed on the analytical Pb Mα line). The pulse accumulation time at the peaks of analytical lines was twice as long as for the background and was 60 s for Th, 40 s for U and Pb, and 10 s for other elements. When conducting research, linear experimental design was used to vary the time of measuring the intensities of the Mβ line of uranium, Mα lines of thorium and lead. The calculated detection limits are 345 ppm for U, 283 ppm for Th, 65 ppm for Pb, 205 ppm for Y. Results. It has been established that xenotime belongs to the yttrium variety and is characterized by an increased content of uranium (UO2 up to 8.8 wt. %) and thorium (ThO2 up to 4.5 wt. %). According to the results of chemical dating (based on 32 analyses), xenotime-(Y) shows a weighted average age of 276 ± 7 Ma (MSWD = 0.54). When constructing the dependence (ThO2 +UO2 eq) – PbO, the points fall on one isochron. Calculating the age using the isochron slope angle gave a dating of 276 ± 12 million years (MSWD = 0.94). Conclusions. The obtained age values for the xenotime are in good agreement with the dating of the pegmatoid granites of the Krutikhinsky massif, which is located on the western contact of the Aduisky granite massif and relatively close to the Monatsitovaya mine. It is quite possible that some pegmatites in the western part of the Aduisky massif were formed as a result of the formation of the Krutikhinsky massif.
nálise de classificadores otimizando hiperparâmetros e reduzindo a dimensionalidade aplicados na detecção de apneia do sono
Authors: Rodrigues Lucas , Coelho Leandro , Mariani Viviana
Published: January 2024

A apneia do sono e um distúrbio do sono caracterizado por episodios de dificuldade ou obstrução da respiração durante o sono. Cerca de 4% dos homens adultos e 2% das mulheres adultas no mundo sofrem com este tipo de disturbio, podendo afetar populações mais jovens, totalizando cerca de 200 milhões de pessoas. Diversos trabalhos tem focado em criar formas automáticas para detecção da apneia do sono, destacando-se o uso de aprendizado de máquinas e o eletrocardiograma (ECG). Estes trabalhos visam utilizar um tipo específico de modelo e configurando seus hiperparâmetros empiricamente na maioria das vezes. Neste aspecto, este artigo visa o projeto de um ambiente computacional que possibilite o desenvolvimento, comparação, otimização de hiperparâmetros e explicabilidade de diferentes abordagens de classificação de aprendizado de maquina. A base pública da PhysioNet de ECGs com apneia do sono foi utilizada neste artigo para construção de um total de 11 modelos. Optuna foi empregado para busca de hiperparâmetros ideais e uma análise dos valores SHAP para explicabilidade. O melhor modelo encontrado obteve um resultado de 77,23% de acuracidade, 81,02% de sensibilidade e 82,65% de precisão. O ambiente computacional mostrou-se eficaz e possível de se utilizar em mais modelos.
Segmentação de Imagens de Fundo de Olho e Identificação de Padrão ISNT para Auxílio ao Diagnóstico de Glaucoma
Authors: Gomes Maísa , Parpinelli Rafael
Published: January 2024

O glaucoma e uma doença silenciosa e progressiva que pode levar os pacientes a total perda de visão, por essa razão o diagnóstico precoce e importante. Métodos de visão computacional podem servir como um auxílio aos especialistas na detecção precoce. Esse trabalho teve como objetivo utilizar um modelo de rede neural artificial para detectar a área de interesse para detecção do glaucoma, e também fazer anotações da área de escavação e disco óptico. O modelo de detecção da área de interesse alcançou um mAP de 99,2%, e o modelo de detecção das áreas de escavação e disco óptico alcançou um mAP de 92%.
A lightweight fault diagnosis model for planetary gearbox using domain adaptation and model compression
Authors: Song Mengmeng , Xiong Zicheng , Zhang Zexiong , Ren Jihua , Li Mengwei , Xiao Shungen , Tang Yaohong
Published: January 2024

This article proposes a novel lightweight attention spatiotemporal joint distribution adaptation network fault diagnosis model to address the key challenges of domain transfer and high model complexity in traditional methods. The novelty lies in 1. Using model compression techniques to reduce the complexity of the network model and improve its computational efficiency; 2. Introducing new domain adaptation and adversarial methods to solve the domain transfer problem. The effectiveness of the proposed model is verified through a transfer experiment of planetary gearbox vibration data. The experimental results show that the proposed model reduces the parameters and computational complexity to 18 % and 15 % of the original model, respectively, and has a diagnostic accuracy of over 98 % in cross-condition transfer tasks, and still maintains an accuracy of over 88 % even under high noise levels. This indicates that the proposed model is an efficient and accurate fault diagnosis model.
Variation in Countability Properties and Noun Classes
Authors: ERBACH Kurt , KHEDER Delan
Published: January 2024

This paper establishes that Sorani Kurdish has a mass/count distinction that can be distinguished by looking at, which nouns occur with plural moprhology (-an), optional classifiers (e.g. dane, CLinainmate), unit denumerators (yek, ‘one’), fuzzy denumerators (nsikay panja ‘about fifty’), and other denumerators (herdû ‘both’). Moreover, properties of countability in Sorani Kurdish can be used to distinguish six classes of nouns that differ with respect to their acceptability with the aforementioned properties, examples of nouns in each class being setyare (‘car’), polîs (‘police’), miqes (‘scissors’), manga (‘cattle’), çiyakanî Himalaya (‘Himalayas’), and xîn (‘blood’). This data was gathered by comparing Sorani Kurdish near equivalents to English countability properties found in previous studies, and asking five speakers of Sorani Kurdish for their judgments, following semantic fieldwork methodology. This research expands what is found about countability in Sorani Kurdish grammar books. This paper shows that Sorani Kurdish has both a rich classifier system and mass/count distinction, a combination that has not yet been documented. Knowing these characteristics of Sorani Kurdish helps to create a clearer picture of the linguistic variation regarding countability and suggests a relationship between the number of countability properties and countability classes in a given language.
Properties of plant extracts and component composition: column chromatography and IR spectroscopy
Authors: Babich Olga , Samsuev Ilya , Tsibulnikova Anna , Zemlyakova Evgeniya , Popov Alexander , Ivanova Svetlana , Noskova Svetlana , Sukhikh Stanislav
Published: January 2024

Medicinal plants contain various biologically active substances. This study aimed to investigate properties of plant extracts and component composition of plant raw materials from the continental part Kaliningrad region (Guards district). For this, we used column chromatography and IR spectroscopy.

The objects of the study were samples of plant extracts of Eryngium maritimum, Hedysarum neglectum, Melilotus officinalis, and Aesculus hippocastanum. To produce medicinal plant extracts, we prepared methanol extraction by the Soxhlet method for 8 h (15 cycles). The antioxidant activity of the studied samples was determined by their ability to reduce the radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl. The disk-diffusion method was used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the plant extracts against such test strains as Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans.

In the extracts, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, astragalin, luteolin-7-glucoside, rosmarinic acid, and chlorogenic acid were identified. However, more research is needed to determine which of the individual phenolic compounds in E. maritimum, H. neglectum, M. officinalis, and A. hippocastanum are involved in exhibiting antioxidant activity. It was found that the plant extract of H. neglectum had activity against the bacterium B. subtilis and the mold fungus C. albicans, while the plant extract of E. maritimum was detrimental to the growth and development of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Infrared spectroscopy can help in further studies to determine properties of medicinal plants to ensure the safety and efficacy of plant-based products.
A two-dimensional hydrodynamic urban flood model based on equivalent drainage of manholes
Authors: Xiang Mengshi , Zhang Shanghong , Wu Chuansen , Tang Caihong
Published: January 2024

Numerical simulations of urban flood events are of great significance in flood control and disaster reduction. An important part of these numerical investigations concerns drainage, which is crucial to the accuracy of the simulation results. To overcome the difficulty of obtaining underground pipe network data and improve the traditional equivalent drainage simulation method, an equivalent drainage model based on manholes is proposed, to simulate urban flooding based on a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model. The new model is applied to a classic case and the simulation results are compared with those from the MIKE URBAN model to verify the simulation accuracy of the proposed formulation. The submerged areas given by the two models are compared under different rainfall conditions, with an average relative error of 6%. The differences in water depths at various nodes are statistically analyzed, and the average Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency and average root mean square error are found to be 96% and 0.03 m, respectively. The results of this research provide effective urban flood simulation in areas lacking pipe network data and have important significance for promoting the practical application of refined numerical simulations of urban flooding.
Modelling non-stationary flood frequency in England and Wales using physical covariates
Authors: Faulkner Duncan S. , Longfield Sean , Warren Sarah , Tawn Jonathan A.
Published: January 2024

Non-stationary methods of flood frequency analysis are widespread in research but rarely implemented by practitioners. One reason may be that research papers on non-stationary statistical models tend to focus on model fitting rather than extracting the sort of results needed by designers and decision makers. It can be difficult to extract useful results from non-stationary models that include stochastic covariates for which the value in any future year is unknown. We explore the motivation for including such covariates, whether on their own or in addition to a covariate based on time. We set out a method for expressing the results of non-stationary models as an integrated flow estimate, which removes the dependence on the covariates. This can be defined either for a particular year or over a longer period of time. The methods are illustrated by application to a set of 375 river gauges across England and Wales. We find annual rainfall to be a useful covariate at many gauges, sometimes in conjunction with a time-based covariate. For estimating flood frequency in future conditions, we advocate exploring hybrid approaches that combine the best attributes of non-stationary statistical models and simulation models that can represent changes in climate and river catchments.
An evaluation of properly operated NSF/ANSI-53 Pb certified drinking water filters in Benton Harbor, MI
Authors: Tully Jennifer , Schock Michael , Shilling Scott , Bosscher Valerie , Lytle Darren , Harmon Stephen , Bennett-Stamper Christina
Published: January 2024

Communities across the United States and particularly in the Midwest continue to grapple with the complications associated with aging infrastructure. This includes the presence of lead (Pb)-bearing plumbing components such as lead service lines, downstream galvanized iron pipes, and Pb/tin solder. The community of Benton Harbor, MI, experienced six Pb action level exceedances between 2018 and 2021, leading to increasing community concern and a request from the state of Michigan for the US Environmental Protection Agency involvement. Between 9 November and 17 December 2021, US EPA Region 5 and Office of Research and Development, along with the state of Michigan, conducted a water filter efficacy and Pb-nanoparticulate (<100 nm) study to evaluate the performance of NSF/ANSI-53 Pb-certified drinking water filters and the presence of nanoparticulate. In this study, a total of 199 properly installed and operated drinking water filters (combination of faucet mounted and pitcher) were tested in their residential locations. One hundred percent of the water filters were found to perform to the standard to which they were certified, with filtered drinking water Pb concentrations below 5 ppb (maximum observed was 2.5 ppb). In addition, Pb particulate was identified; however, discrete Pb-containing nanoparticles were not widely found or identified.
Land spreading of olive mill wastewater (OMW): Biodegradation of organic matter and polyphenols in soil and effect on the activity of the total soil microflora
Authors: Yaakoubi Abderrahmane , Aganchich Badia , Meddich Abdelilah , Wahbi Said
Published: January 2024

Agricultural spreading of olive mill wastewater (OMW) can represent a promising alternative solution, provided that the operation is controlled and the doses applied are respected. However, a reserve toward OMW spreading remains, for fears of possible microbiological negative incidences on the soil. To contribute to assessing this area, we have tried to study their microbiological impact and the fate of OMW polyphenols in soil in a greenhouse. In comparison with untreated soil with OMW (control), the application of 50, 100, and 200 m3/ha was studied for two months. The results obtained revealed that phenolic extracts from raw OMW showed five major peaks by HPLC at 280 nm, which were present only in trace amounts after 2 weeks of treatment at neutral pH. The phenols and organic matter (OM) from OMW were biodegraded or reorganized, and the bacterial population of soil treated with 50 and 100 m3/ha OMW was significantly higher compared to the soil that received water. However, a dose of 200 m3/ha did not affect soil microflora. Consequently, using OMW by direct spreading can be recommended at doses of 50 and 100 m3/ha. Doses higher than those studied, which are considered excessive and not recommended, could have undesirable repercussions.
Machine learning, Water Quality Index, and GIS-based analysis of groundwater quality
Authors: Solangi Ghulam Shabir , Ali Zouhaib , Bilal Muhammad , Junaid Muhammad , Panhwar Sallahuddin , Keerio Hareef Ahmed , Sohu Iftikhar Hussain , Shahani Sheeraz Gul , Zaman Noor
Published: January 2024

Water is essential for life, as it supports bodily functions, nourishes crops, and maintains ecosystems. Drinking water is crucial for maintaining good health and can also contribute to economic development by reducing healthcare costs and improving productivity. In this study, we employed five different machine learning algorithms – logistic regression (LR), decision tree classifier (DTC), extreme gradient boosting (XGB), random forest (RF), and K-nearest neighbors (KNN) – to analyze the dataset, and their prediction performance were evaluated using four metrics: accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score. Physiochemical parameters of 30 groundwater samples were analyzed to determine the Water Quality Index (WQI) of Pano Aqil city, Pakistan. The samples were categorized into the following four classes based on their WQI values: excellent water, good water, poor water, and unfit for drinking. The WQI scores showed that only 43.33% of the samples were deemed acceptable for drinking, indicating that the majority (56.67%) were unsuitable. The findings suggest that the DTC and XGB algorithms outperform all other algorithms, achieving overall accuracies of 100% each. In contrast, RF, KNN, and LR exhibit overall accuracies of 88, 75, and 50%, respectively. Researchers seeking to enhance water quality using machine learning can benefit from the models described in this study for water quality prediction.
Bio-copper nanoparticle-based superhydrophobic membranes for sustainable oil/water separation
Authors: Beagan A. , Chen C. , Mohamed M. E.
Published: January 2024

The effective separation of oil and water presents a significant global challenge due to the growing prevalence of industrial oily wastewater. In this investigation, a superhydrophobic (SP) coating based on bio-copper (Cu) was successfully created using the grape seed extract and applied onto a textile fabric (TF) to create a highly efficient membrane for oil–water (O–W) separation. The characteristics of the resulting bio-Cu nanoparticles, including surface area, morphology, and composition, were examined. The developed SP TF (STF) membrane, based on bio-Cu, underwent extensive analysis of its wettability, morphology, surface composition, oil absorption capacity, O–W separation performance, flux rate, mechanical stability, and chemical stability. The STF membrane exhibited excellent SP properties, with a high-water contact angle of 156° and a low water sliding angle of 2°, indicating its exceptional ability to repel water. Furthermore, the membrane demonstrated a remarkable oil absorption capacity, separation efficiency, and the flux rate toward three different oils (diesel, corn oil, and kerosene). It displayed good mechanical and chemical stability, with the ability to withstand abrasion and immersion in solutions of different pH values for varying exposure times. These findings highlight the potential of the bio-Cu-based STF membrane as an effective and durable solution for O–W separation applications.
Systematic Review on Herbal Preparations for Controlling Visceral
Hypersensitivity in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
Authors: Lashgari Naser-Aldin , Momeni Roudsari Nazanin , Momtaz Saeideh , Niazi Shahraki Faezeh , Zandi Nadia , Pazoki Benyamin , Farzaei Mohammad Hosein , Ghasemi Mehdi , Abdollahi Mohammad , Abdolghaffari Amir Hossein
Published: January 2024

Background:

Visceral hypersensitivity (VH) is an overreaction of the gastrointestinal
(GI) tract to various stimuli and is characterized by hyperalgesia and/or allodynia. VH contributes
to the etiology of many GI dysfunctions, particularly irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Although
the exact mechanisms underlying VH are yet to be found, inflammation and oxidative
stress, psychosocial factors, and sensorimotor alterations may play significant roles in it.

Objective:

In this review, we provide an overview of VH and its pathophysiological function in
GI disorders. Adverse effects of synthetic drugs may make herbal agents a good candidate for
pain management. Therefore, in this review, we will discuss the efficacy of herbal agents in the
management of VH with a focus on their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potentials.

Methods:

Data were extracted from clinical and animal studies published in English between
2004 and June, 2020, which were collected from PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and
Cochrane Library.

Results:

Overall, Radix, Melissia, Glycyrrhizae, Mentha, and Liquorice were the most efficient
herbals for VH management in IBS and dyspepsia, predominantly through modulation of the
mRNA expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid type-1 (TRPV1) and suppression of 5-
hydroxytryptamine 3 (5-HT3) or the serotonin receptors.

Conclusion:

Considering the positive effects of herbal formulations in VH management, further
research on novel herbal and/or herbal/chemical preparations is warranted.
A Novel Methylation-based Model for Prognostic Prediction in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Li Manyuan , Deng Xufeng , Zhou Dong , Liu Xiaoqing , Dai Jigang , Liu Quanxing
Published: January 2024

Objective:

Specific methylation sites have shown promise in the early diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, their utility in predicting LUAD prognosis remains unclear. This study aimed to construct a reliable methylation-based predictor for accurately predicting the prognosis of LUAD patients.

Method:

DNA methylation data and survival data from LUAD patients were obtained from the TCGA and a GEO series. A DNA methylation-based signature was developed using univariate least absolute shrinkage and selection operators and multivariate Cox regression models.

Result:

Eight CpG sites were identified and validated as optimal prognostic signatures for the overall survival of LUAD patients. Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated the high predictive ability of the eight-site methylation signature combined with clinical factors for overall survival.

Conclusion:

This research successfully identified a novel eight-site methylation signature for predicting the overall survival of LUAD patients through bioinformatic integrated analysis of gene methylation markers used in the early diagnosis of lung cancer.
Exploring the Role of Non-synonymous and Deleterious Variants
Identified in Colorectal Cancer: A Multi-dimensional Computational
Scrutiny of Exomes
Authors: Karunakaran Chandrashekar , Niranjan Vidya , Setlur Anagha S. , Pradeep Dhanya , Kumar Jitendra
Published: January 2024

Introduction:

Colorectal cancers are the world’s third most commonly diagnosed type
of cancer. Currently, there are several diagnostic and treatment options to combat it. However, a
delay in detection of the disease is life-threatening. Additionally, a thorough analysis of the exomes
of cancers reveals potential variation data that can be used for early disease prognosis.

Methods:

By utilizing a comprehensive computational investigation, the present study aimed to reveal
mutations that could potentially predispose to colorectal cancer. Ten colorectal cancer exomes
were retrieved. Quality control assessments were performed using FastQC and MultiQC,
gapped alignment to the human reference genome (hg19) using Bowtie2 and calling the germline
variants using Haplotype caller in the GATK pipeline. The variants were filtered and annotated using
SIFT and PolyPhen2 successfully categorized the mutations into synonymous, non-synonymous,
start loss and stop gain mutations as well as marked them as possibly damaging, probably
damaging and benign. This mutational profile helped in shortlisting frequently occurring mutations
and associated genes, for which the downstream multi-dimensional expression analyses were
carried out.

Results:

Our work involved prioritizing the non-synonymous, deleterious SNPs since these polymorphisms
bring about a functional alteration to the phenotype. The top variations associated with
their genes with the highest frequency of occurrence included LGALS8, CTSB, RAD17, CPNE1,
OPRM1, SEMA4D, MUC4, PDE4DIP, ELN and ADRA1A. An in-depth multi-dimensional downstream
analysis of all these genes in terms of gene expression profiling and analysis and differential
gene expression with regard to various cancer types revealed CTSB and CPNE1 as highly expressed
and overregulated genes in colorectal cancer.

Conclusion:

Our work provides insights into the various alterations that might possibly lead to colorectal
cancer and suggests the possibility of utilizing the most important genes identified for wetlab
experimentation.
The Role of Cytokines in Activation of Tumour-promoting Pathways and
Emergence of Cancer Drug Resistance
Authors: Shirbhate Ekta , Singh Vaibhav , Kore Rakesh , Vishwakarma Subham , Veerasamy Ravichandran , Tiwari Amit K. , Rajak Harish
Published: January 2024

Scientists are constantly researching and launching potential chemotherapeutic agents
as an irreplaceable weapon to fight the battle against cancer. Despite remarkable advancement
over the past several decades to wipe out cancer through early diagnosis, proper prevention, and
timely treatment, cancer is not ready to give up and leave the battleground. It continuously tries to
find some other way to give a tough fight for its survival, either by escaping from the effect of chemotherapeutic
drugs or utilising its own chemical messengers like cytokines to ensure resistance.
Cytokines play a significant role in cancer cell growth and progression, and the present article
highlights their substantial contribution to mechanisms of resistance toward therapeutic drugs.
Multiple clinical studies have even described the importance of specific cytokines released from
cancer cells as well as stromal cells in conferring resistance. Herein, we discuss the different mechanism
behind drug resistance and the crosstalk between tumor development and cytokines release
and their contribution to showing resistance towards chemotherapeutics. As a part of this review,
different approaches to cytokines profile have been identified and employed to successfully target
new evolving mechanisms of resistance and their possible treatment options.
Resistance Training Reduces Blood Pressure: Putative Molecular
Mechanisms
Authors: Ferreira Mendes Bruno , Improta-Caria Alex Cleber , Diniz e Magalhães Caique Olegário , Dias Peixoto Marco Fabricio , Cardoso Cassilhas Ricardo , de Oliveira Edilamar Menezes , De Sousa Ricardo Augusto Leoni
Published: January 2024

Arterial hypertension is a multifactorial clinical condition characterized by higher blood pressure levels. The
main treatment for controlling high blood pressure consists of drug therapy, but the scientific literature has
been pointing to the efficiency of aerobic and resistance exercises acting in a therapeutic and/or preventive
way to reduce and control the blood pressure levels. Resistance training is characterized by sets and repetitions
on a given muscle segment that uses overload, such as machine weights, bars, and dumbbells. As it successfully
affects a number of variables associated to practitioners' functional and physiological features as well as
emotional and social variables, resistance training has been a crucial part of physical exercise programs. Several
reports highlight the various adaptive responses it provides, with a focus on the improvement in strength,
balance, and muscular endurance that enables a more active and healthy lifestyle. Resistance training programs
that are acute, sub-chronic, or chronic can help people with varying ages, conditions, and pathologies reduce
their arterial hypertension. However, molecular mechanisms associated with resistance training to reduce
blood pressure still need to be better understood. Thus, we aimed to understand the main effects of resistance
training on blood pressure as well as the associated molecular mechanisms.
Machine Learning in Magnetic Resonance Images of Glioblastoma: A Review
Authors: Waldo-Benítez Georgina , Padierna Luis Carlos , Cerón Pablo , Sosa Modesto A.
Published: January 2024

Background::

The purpose of this work was to identify which Glioblastoma (GBM) problems can be handled by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and
Machine Learning (ML) techniques. Results, limitations, and trends through a review of the scientific literature in the last 5 years were performed.
Google Scholar, PubMed, Elsevier databases, and forward and backward citations were used for searching articles applying ML techniques in
GBM. The 50 most relevant papers fulfilling the selection criteria were deeply analyzed. The PRISMA statement was followed to structure our
report.

Methods::

A partial taxonomy of the GBM problems tackled with ML methods was formulated with 15 subcategories grouped into four categories: extraction
of characteristics from tumoral regions, differentiation, characterization, and problems based on genetics.

Results::

The dominant techniques in solving these problems are: Radiomics for feature extraction, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator for
feature selection, Support Vector Machines and Random Forest for classification, and Convolutional Neural Networks for characterization. A
noticeable trend is that the application of Deep Learning on GBM problems is growing exponentially. The main limitations of ML methods are
their interpretability and generalization.

Conclusion::

The diagnosis, treatment, and characterization of GBM have advanced with the aid of ML methods and MRI data, and this improvement is
expected to continue. ML methods are effective in solving GBM-related problems with different precisions, Overall Survival being the hardest
problem to solve with accuracies ranging from 57%-71%, and GBM differentiation the one with the highest accuracy ranging from 80%-97%.
Automated Diagnosis of Bone Metastasis by Classifying Bone Scintigrams Using
a Self-defined Deep Learning Model
Authors: Wang Yubo , Lin Qiang , Zhao Shaofang , Zeng Xianwu , Zheng Bowen , Cao Yongchun , Man Zhengxing
Published: January 2024

Background::

Patients with cancer can develop bone metastasis when a solid tumor invades the bone, which is the third most commonly affected site by
metastatic cancer, after the lung and liver. The early detection of bone metastases is crucial for making appropriate treatment decisions and
increasing survival rates. Deep learning, a mainstream branch of machine learning, has rapidly become an effective approach to analyzing medical
images.

Objective::

To automatically diagnose bone metastasis with bone scintigraphy, in this work, we proposed to cast the bone metastasis diagnosis problem into
automated image classification by developing a deep learning-based automated classification model.

Methods::

A self-defined convolutional neural network consisting of a feature extraction sub-network and feature classification sub-network was proposed to
automatically detect lung cancer bone metastasis, with a feature extraction sub-network extracting hierarchal features from SPECT bone
scintigrams and feature classification sub-network classifying high-level features into two categories (i.e., images with metastasis and without
metastasis).

Results::

Using clinical data of SPECT bone scintigrams, the proposed model was evaluated to examine its detection accuracy. The best performance was
achieved if the two images (i.e., anterior and posterior scans) acquired from each patient were fused using pixel-wise addition operation on the
bladder-excluded images, obtaining the best scores of 0.8038, 0.8051, 0.8039, 0.8039, 0.8036, and 0.8489 for accuracy, precision, recall,
specificity, F-1 score, and AUC value, respectively.

Conclusion::

The proposed two-class classification network can predict whether an image contains lung cancer bone metastasis with the best performance as
compared to existing classical deep learning models. The high accumulation of 99mTc MDP in the urinary bladder has a negative impact on
automated diagnosis of bone metastasis. It is recommended to remove the urinary bladder before automated analysis.
The Genus Anabasis: A Review on Pharmacological and Phytochemical Properties
Authors: Amtaghri Smail , Slaoui Miloudia , Eddouks Mohamed
Published: January 2024

The genus Anabasis has long been used in phytomedicine. The studied parts of Anabasis
species are used as antirheumatic, diuretic, antidotes against poison, anti-erosion, anti-ulcer,
and antidiabetic agents, as well as against headache and skin diseases. The objective of the present
review was to summarize the phytochemical and pharmacological aspects related to the genus
Anabasis. The results of this literature analysis show that among all the species of the Anabasis
(A) family, A. aphylla, A. Iranica, A. aretioides, and A. articulata showed antibacterial activity;
A. aretioides and A. articulata have antioxidant activity, A. aretioides and A. articulata
have antidiabetic activity, A. articulata has cytotoxic activity and A. setifera, A. aretioides, and
A. articulata exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. The Anabasis genus contains saponins, and alkaloids,
such as anabasine, anabasamine, lupinine, jaxartinine, and triterpenic sapogenins. The
study of 15 Anabasis plants has identified 70 compounds with an array of pharmacological activities
especially antibacterial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, cytotoxic, and anti-inflammatory activities.
However, there is a need for further studies on Anabasis plants before they can be fully used
clinically as a potential drug.
Unveiling Spanlastics as a Novel Carrier for Drug Delivery: A Review
Authors: Karati Dipanjan , Mukherjee Swarupananda , Prajapati Bhupendra G.
Published: January 2024

Innovative colloidal preparations that can alter the pharmacological properties of drugs
have been made possible by the advancement of nanotechnology. Recent advances in the sciences of
the nanoscale have led to the creation of new methods for treating illnesses. Developments in nanotechnology
may lessen the side effects of medicine by using effective and regulated drug delivery
methods. A promising drug delivery vehicle is spanlastics, an elastic nanovesicle that can transport a
variety of drug compounds. Spanlastics have expanded the growing interest in many types of administrative
pathways. Using this special type of vesicular carriers, medications intended for topical, nasal,
ocular, and trans-ungual treatments are delivered to specific areas. Their elastic and malleable
structure allows them to fit into skin pores, making them ideal for transdermal distribution. Spanlastic
is composed of non-ionic surfactants or combinations of surfactants. Numerous studies have
demonstrated how spanlastics significantly improve, drug bioavailability, therapeutic effectiveness,
and reduce medication toxicity. The several vesicular systems, composition and structure of spanlastics,
benefits of spanlastics over alternative drug delivery methods, and the process of drug penetration
via skin are all summarized in this paper. Additionally, it provides an overview of the many
medications that may be treated using spanlastic vesicles. The primary benefits of these formulations
were associated with their surface properties, as a variety of proteins might be linked to the look. For
instance, procedure assessment and gold nanoparticles were employed as biomarkers for different
biomolecules, which included tumor label detection. Anticipate further advancements in the customization
and combining of spanlastic vesicles with appropriate zeta potential to transport therapeutic
compounds to specific areas for enhanced disease treatment.
A Comprehensive Review on Potential Chemical and Herbal Permeation
Enhancers Used in Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: Raghav Rajat Singh , Verma Sushma , Monika
Published: January 2024

Using skin patches to deliver drugs is dependable and doesn't have the same issues as
permeation enhancers, which help drugs get through the skin but struggle because of the skin's natural
barrier. Strategies are required to increase topical bioavailability to enhance drug absorption.
Natural compounds offer a promising solution by temporarily reducing skin barrier resistance and
improving drug absorption. Natural substances allow a wider variety of medications to be distributed
through the stratum corneum, offering a dependable approach to enhancing transdermal drug delivery.
Natural substances have distinct advantages as permeability enhancers. They are pharmacologically
effective and safe, inactive, non-allergenic, and non-irritating. These characteristics ensure
their suitability for use without causing adverse effects. Natural compounds are readily available
and well tolerated by the body. Studies investigating the structure-activity relationship of natural
chemicals have demonstrated significant enhancer effects. By understanding the connection between
chemical composition and enhancer activity, researchers can identify effective natural compounds
for improving drug penetration. In conclusion, current research focuses on utilizing natural
compounds as permeability enhancers in transdermal therapy systems. These substances offer safety,
non-toxicity, pharmacological inactivity, and non-irritation. Through structure-activity relationship
investigations, promising advancements have been made in enhancing drug delivery. Using
natural compounds holds enormous potential for improving the penetration of trans-dermally delivered
medications.