bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma receiving neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy
Authors: Kong Yue , Su Miaoyi , Fang Jun , Chen Mengyuan , Zheng Chao , Jiang Youhua , Tao Kaiyi , Wang Changchun , Qiu Guoqin , Ji Yongling , Wang Yuezhen , Yang Yang
Published: July 2024

With the success of immunotherapy in advanced esophageal cancer, neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy (CIT) is being increasingly used for local staged esophageal cancer, especially in the context of clinical trials, which brings similar pCR with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and shows promising results. However, there is still a part of potentially operable patients can't undergo surgery after neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy. The follow-up treatment and prognosis of this population remain unclear. Patients pathologically diagnosed with ESCC, clinical stage T1-3N+M0 or T3-4aNanyM0 (AJCC 8th), PS 0–1 were retrospectively enrolled from 1/2020 to 6/2021 in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital. All patients firstly received PD-1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy (albumin paclitaxel, 260 mg/m2 on day 1 plus carboplatin AUC = 5 on day 1) every 3 weeks for 2–4 cycles. For those patients who did not receive surgery, definitive radiotherapy with 50.4 Gy/28F or 50 Gy/25F was adopted using VMAT, concurrent with chemotherapy or alone. The concurrent chemotherapy regimens included weekly TC (paclitaxel 50 mg/m2, d1, carboplatin AUC = 2, d1) or S1 (60 mg bid d1–14, 29–42). The survival outcomes and treatment toxicity were recorded and analyzed. A total of 56 eligible patients were finally identified from 558 patients who were treated in department of thoracic surgery, among all the patients, 25 (44.6%) received radiotherapy alone, and 31 (55.4%) received chemoradiotherapy after neoadjuvant CIT. The median follow-up was 20.4 months (interquartile range [IQR] 8.7–27 months). The median PFS and OS were 17.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.0–21.9 months) and 20.5 months (95% CI 11.8–27.9 months), respectively. In the subgroup analysis, the median OS was 26.3 months (95% CI 15.33–NA) for patients exhibiting partial response (PR) to CIT, compared to 17 months (95% CI 8.77–26.4) for those with stable disease (SD) or progressive disease (PD), yielding a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.54 (95% CI 0.27–1.06, P = 0.07). No significant difference was observed for patients received radiotherapy alone or chemoradiotherapy with HR = 0.73 (95% CI 0.72–2.6, P = 0.33). The most common Adverse events (AEs) observed during this study were anemia (98.2%), leukopenia (83.9%), thrombocytopenia (53.6%). AEs of grade ≥ 3 radiation-induced pneumonitis and esophagitis were 12.5% and 32.1%, especially, 6 patients (10.7%) died from esophageal fistula and 2 patients (3.6%) died from grade 5 pneumonitis. For local advanced ESCC patients after neoadjuvant CIT who did not receive surgery, definitive radiotherapy was an optional treatment strategy. However, those patients with no response to CIT also showed poor response to radiotherapy, and particular attention should be paid to treatment related toxicity, especially esophageal fistula.
Implementation and optimization of SpMV algorithm based on SW26010P many-core processor and stored in BCSR format
Authors: Ma Mengfei , Huang Xianqing , Xu Jiali , Jia Dongning
Published: July 2024

The irregular distribution of non-zero elements of large-scale sparse matrix leads to low data access efficiency caused by the unique architecture of the Sunway many-core processor, which brings great challenges to the efficient implementation of sparse matrix–vector multiplication (SpMV) computing by SW26010P many-core processor. To address this problem, a study of SpMV optimization strategies is carried out based on the SW26010P many-core processor. Firstly, we design a memorized data storage transformation strategy to transform the matrix in CSR storage format into BCSR (Block Compressed Sparse Row) storage. Secondly, the dynamic task scheduling method is introduced to the algorithm to realize the load balance between slave cores. Thirdly, the LDM memory is refined and designed, and the slave core dual cache strategy is optimized to further improve the performance. Finally, we selected a large number of representative sparse matrices from the Matrix Market for testing. The results show that the scheme has obviously speedup the processing procedure of sparse matrices with various sizes and sizes, and the master–slave speedup ratio can reach up to 38 times. The optimization method used in this paper has implications for other complex applications of the SW26010P many-core processor.
Heart rate-related physiological changes induced by classical music-elicited emotions do not underlie alterations in healthy adults’ ankle joint target-matching strategy
Authors: Yuan Keqing , Okuyama Takeshi , Hortobágyi Tibor , Nagatomi Ryoichi , Négyesi János
Published: July 2024

Emotions have the potential to modulate human voluntary movement by modifying muscle afferent discharge which in turn may affect kinesthetic acuity. We examined if heart rate (HR)-related physiological changes induced by music-elicited emotions would underlie alterations in healthy young adults’ ankle joint target-matching strategy quantified by joint position sense (JPS). Participants (n = 40, 19 females, age = 25.9 ± 2.9 years) performed ipsilateral-, and contralateral ankle target-matching tasks with their dominant and non-dominant foot using a custom-made foot platform while listening to classical music pieces deemed to evoke happy, sad, or neutral emotions (each n = 10). Participants in the 4th group received no music during the task. Absolute (ABS), constant (CONST), and variable (VAR) target-matching errors and HR-related data were analyzed. Participants performed the contralateral target-matching task with smaller JPS errors when listening to sad vs. happy music (ABS: p < 0.001, d = 1.6; VAR: p = 0.010, d = 1.2) or neutral (ABS: p < 0.001, d = 1.6; VAR: p < 0.001, d = 1.4) music. The ABS (d = 0.8) and VAR (d = 0.3) JPS errors were lower when participants performed the task with their dominant vs. non-dominant foot. JPS errors were also smaller during the ipsilateral target-matching task when participants (1) listened to sad vs. neutral (ABS: p = 0.007, d = 1.2) music, and (2) performed the target-matching with their dominant vs. non-dominant foot (p < 0.001, d = 0.4). Although emotions also induced changes in some HR-related data during the matching conditions, i.e., participants who listened to happy music had lower HR-related values when matching with their non-dominant vs. dominant foot, these changes did not correlate with JPS errors (all p > 0.05). Overall, our results suggest that music-induced emotions have the potential to affect target-matching strategy and HR-related metrics but the changes in HR-metrics do not underlie the alteration of ankle joint target-matching strategy in response to classical music-elicited emotions.
The influence of foot muscles exercises and minimalist shoes on lactate threshold velocity in long-distance amateur runners: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Sulowska-Daszyk Iwona , Zając Bartosz , Mika Anna
Published: July 2024

The exercises of plantar foot muscles may have beneficial effects on the performance of the lower extremity muscles. The aim of this study was to compare two methods of foot muscle strengthening: direct short foot muscle exercises and indirect activation through training in minimalist footwear in regard to influence on lactate threshold velocity in long-distance runners. 55 recreational runners aged 21–45 years took part in that study. They were randomly divided into 2 groups: Group 1 (n = 25) with short foot muscle exercises, and Group 2 (n = 30) with training in minimalist shoes. The progressive running test was performed to determine heart rate (HR) and running velocity corresponding to lactate threshold (VLT). Two-way ANOVA was used to determine the significance of the differences regarding the evaluated variables. After the 8-week training program, higher values of VLT were observed in both groups. This change was significant only in Group 1 (p < 0.05). In Group 2, the higher value was noted but the changes were non-significant. Strengthening of the short foot muscles may improve lactate threshold velocity which is connected with running performance. Considering the obtained results, it is worth contemplating the implementation of these methods in the training of long-distance runners.
A seasonally resolved stalagmite δ18O record indicates the regional activity of tropical cyclones in Southeast China
Authors: Chen Lvfan , Wang Tianli , Sinha Ashish , Lin Fangyuan , Tang Huiru , Cheng Hai , Edwards Richard Lawrence , Tan Liangcheng
Published: July 2024

Identifying tropical cyclone (TC) signatures in paleoclimate records enhances our understanding of long-term TC activity trends and the climatic factors influencing TC evolution. Stalagmites are considered promising archives for recording TC activity. However, despite the western North Pacific being the most TC-active ocean basin globally, it lacks stalagmite-based TC reconstructions. Here, we present a seasonally resolved stalagmite δ18O record from XRY cave in Southeast China, covering the period from 1951 to 2018 CE, to identify annual signals of strong TC activity. We propose that the minimum seasonal XRY δ18O value of each year can reconstruct regional TC activity, achieving an identification rate of 86% for strong TC years in study area. This demonstrates the feasibility of using stalagmites for TC reconstruction in Southeast China. Moreover, our research shows that inland stalagmites can still capture TC activity signals, which will promote the use of stalagmites in obtaining long-term records of post-landfall TC activity and inland impacts.
Urban birds' tolerance towards humans was largely unaffected by COVID-19 shutdown-induced variation in human presence
Authors: Mikula Peter , Bulla Martin , Blumstein Daniel T. , Benedetti Yanina , Floigl Kristina , Jokimäki Jukka , Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki Marja-Liisa , Markó Gábor , Morelli Federico , Møller Anders Pape , Siretckaia Anastasiia , Szakony Sára , Weston Michael A. , Zeid Farah Abou , Tryjanowski Piotr , Albrecht Tomáš
Published: July 2024

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and respective shutdowns dramatically altered human activities, potentially changing human pressures on urban-dwelling animals. Here, we use such COVID-19-induced variation in human presence to evaluate, across multiple temporal scales, how urban birds from five countries changed their tolerance towards humans, measured as escape distance. We collected 6369 escape responses for 147 species and found that human numbers in parks at a given hour, day, week or year (before and during shutdowns) had a little effect on birds’ escape distances. All effects centered around zero, except for the actual human numbers during escape trial (hourly scale) that correlated negatively, albeit weakly, with escape distance. The results were similar across countries and most species. Our results highlight the resilience of birds to changes in human numbers on multiple temporal scales, the complexities of linking animal fear responses to human behavior, and the challenge of quantifying both simultaneously in situ.
Mean-chiral displacement in coherently driven photonic lattices and its application to synthetic frequency dimensions
Authors: Villa Greta , Carusotto Iacopo , Ozawa Tomoki
Published: July 2024

Characterizing topologically nontrivial photonic lattices by measuring their topological invariants is crucial in topological photonics. In conservative one-dimensional systems, a widely used observable to extract the winding number is the mean-chiral displacement. In many realistic photonic systems, however, losses can hardly be avoided, and little is known on how one can extend the mean-chiral displacement to a driven-dissipative context. Here we theoretically propose an experimentally viable method to directly detect the topological winding number of one-dimensional chiral photonic lattices. The method we propose is a generalization of the mean-chiral displacement to a driven-dissipative context with coherent illumination. By integrating the mean-chiral displacement of the steady state over the pump light frequency, one can obtain the winding number with a correction of the order of the loss rate squared. We demonstrate that this method can be successfully applied to lattices along synthetic frequency dimensions.
Childhood-onset type 1 diabetes and subsequent adult psychiatric disorders: a nationwide cohort and genome-wide Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Formánek Tomáš , Chen Danni , Šumník Zdeněk , Mladá Karolína , Hughes James , Burgess Stephen , Wareham Nicholas J. , Murray Graham K. , Jones Peter B. , Perry Benjamin I.
Published: July 2024

Childhood-onset type 1 diabetes (T1D) is associated with substantial psychiatric morbidity in later life, but it remains unknown whether these associations are due to common underlying biological mechanisms or the impacts of living with the condition and its treatment. Here, using Czech national register data, we identified children with T1D aged ≤14 years between 1994 and 2007 and estimated the risk of psychiatric disorders up to 24 years later. We found that children diagnosed with T1D had an elevated risk of developing substance use, mood, anxiety and personality disorders, and behavioral syndromes. Conversely, we found that children with T1D had a lower risk of developing psychotic disorders. In Mendelian randomization analysis, we found an association with schizophrenia, which, however, did not persist following multiple testing adjustment. The combined observational and Mendelian randomization evidence suggests that T1D diagnosis in childhood predisposes to far-reaching, extensive psychiatric morbidity, which is unlikely to be explicable by common underlying biological mechanisms. The findings of this study highlight that monitoring and addressing the mental health needs of children with T1D is imperative, whereas glucose dysregulation and/or inflammation implicated in schizophrenia pathogenesis warrants future research.
A hemicyanine-based near-infrared fluorescent probe with large Stokes shift for non-invasive bioimaging of brown adipose tissue
Authors: Xiang Ke , Pan Jinbin , Yu Jiaojiao , Xiao Lehui , Sun Shao-Kai , Cheng Ran
Published: July 2024

A hemicyanine-based near-infrared fluorescent probe with large Stokes shift was developed for non-invasive assessment of brown adipose tissue in vivo.
Microfluidic platform for the enzymatic pretreatment of human serum for the detection of the tuberculosis biomarker mannose-capped lipoarabinomannan
Authors: Lambert Christopher J. , Clarke Eamonn , Patel Dhruv , Laurentius Lars B. , Gale Bruce K. , Sant Himanshu J. , Porter Marc D.
Published: July 2024

This study demonstrates the ability to enzymatically pretreat human serum samples for quantitative recovery of the TB marker mannose-capped lipoarabinomannan by a microfluidics device for ELISA detection.
Comparative analysis of aligned and random amniotic membrane-derived cryogels for neural tissue repair
Authors: Sousa Joana P. M. , Deus Inês A. , Monteiro Cátia F. , Custódio Catarina A. , Stratakis Emmanuel , Mano João F. , Marques Paula A. A. P.
Published: July 2024

Aligned cryogels made from human amniotic membrane-derived proteins with photoresponsive groups boosted neural stem cell proliferation, infiltration, and differentiation compared to random cryogels, suggesting neural tissue engineering potential.
Improving co-electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction by optimizing the relative potentials of the redox mediator and catalyst
Authors: Reid Amelia G. , Zelenke Ethan A. , Moberg Megan E. , Dickie Diane A. , Machan Charles W.
Published: July 2024

The activity of co-electrocatalytic CO2 reduction can be optimized when the redox mediator and metal complex are modified to minimize the difference in their reduction potentials.
Effect of substituents on the ability of nickel Schiff base complexes with four pendant groups to bind to G-quadruplexes
Authors: Assadawi Nawal , Ferderer Myles , Kusi-Appauh Nicholas , Yu Haibo , Dillon Carolyn T. , Sluyter Ronald , Richardson Christopher , Ralph Stephen F.
Published: July 2024

The biological properties, including DNA binding, of several new nickel Schiff base complexes with four pendant groups are presented.
Spectro-electrochemical study of iron and ruthenium bis-terpyridine complexes with methyl viologen-like subunits as models for supramolecular polymers
Authors: Gamache Mira T. , Gehring Benjamin , Hanan Garry S. , Kurth Dirk G.
Published: July 2024

Mononuclear complexes act as a first instance to evaluate the properties of metallo-polymers, as our results on mono- and ditopic terpyridine ligands suggest thus facilitating the development of metallo-supramolecular materials.
Photoluminescence and magnetic properties of isostructural europium(iii), gadolinium(iii) and terbium(iii) oxamate-based coordination polymers
Authors: da Silveira Cleverton O. C. , Oliveira Willian X. C. , da Silva Júnior Eufrânio N. , Alvarenga Meiry E. , Martins Felipe T. , Gatto Claudia C. , Pinheiro Carlos B. , Pedroso Emerson F. , Silva Júlia P. O. , Marques Lippy F. , Santos Moliria V. , Torres Francisco R. , Euclides Rividy , Freire Ricardo O. , Nunes Wallace C. , de Almeida Adriele A. , Knobel Marcelo , Pereira Cynthia L. M.
Published: July 2024

In this contribution, we present a series of new lanthanide–oxamate coordination polymers as suitable candidates for light conversion molecular devices and molecular qubits for quantum computing.
MiRNA-20a-loaded graphene oxide–polyethylenimine enters bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells via clathrin-dependent endocytosis for efficient osteogenic differentiation
Authors: Ji Yujie , Qing Qiaoling , Zhang Zhaoying , Qin Han , Xiang Xuerong
Published: July 2024

GO–PEI/miR-20a entered BMSCs via clathrin-mediated endocytosis and enhanced osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs efficiently.
Synergistic antioxidant and antibacterial effects of a Zn-ascorbate metal–organic framework loaded with marjoram essential oil
Authors: Haikal Rana R. , El Salakawy Noha , Ibrahim Alaa , Ali Shaimaa L. , Mamdouh Wael
Published: July 2024

Marjoram essential oil was successfully loaded onto Zn-ascorbate MOF. The antioxidant activity of the composite originated from thel-ascorbic acid ligand, while the antibacterial activity bacteria demonstrated the synergistic activity of Zn2+ions and encapsulated oil.
Improved tumour delivery of iron oxide nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia therapy of melanoma via ultrasound guidance and 111In SPECT quantification
Authors: Patrick P. Stephen , Stuckey Daniel J. , Zhu Huachen , Kalber Tammy L. , Iftikhar Haadi , Southern Paul , Bear Joseph C. , Lythgoe Mark F. , Hattersley Simon R. , Pankhurst Quentin A.
Published: July 2024

We increased the accuracy of tumour nanoparticle delivery using real-time ultrasound imaging and slow syringe-pump controlled infusion. This minimises off-target side effects for better and safer melanoma treatment using magnetic hyperthermia.
Synthesis of indolines via palladium-catalyzed [4 + 1] annulation of (2-aminophenyl)methanols with sulfoxonium ylides
Authors: Hao Erxiao , Kong Xiaomei , Xu Tongyu , Zeng Fanlong
Published: July 2024

A facile strategy for the synthesis of valuable indolines has been developed based on a palladium(ii)/Brønsted acid co-catalyzed annulation of readily available (2-aminophenyl)methanols and sulfoxonium ylides.
Insights into hydrophobic (meth)acrylate polymers as coating for slow-release fertilizers to reduce nutrient leaching
Authors: Sofyane Asma , Atlas Salima , Lahcini Mohammed , Vidović Elvira , Ameduri Bruno , Raihane Mustapha
Published: July 2024

To solve the problem of the low utilization rate of fast-release water-soluble fertilizers and to minimize their environment impact, slow- release fertilizers have emerged as a sustainable solution to limit their losses and improve crop production.
An intramolecular cobalt-peptoid complex as an efficient electrocatalyst for water oxidation at low overpotential
Authors: Pahar Suraj , Maayan Galia
Published: July 2024

A Co-peptoid, CoTBE, is an efficient electrocatalyst for homogeneous water oxidation at pH 7 with low overpotential. The peptoid sidechains act as a second coordination sphere mimic, enhancing stability and activity and facilitating water binding.
Evolution of a bispecific G-quadruplex-forming circular aptamer to block IL-6/sIL-6R interaction for inflammation inhibition
Authors: Yao Lili , Wang Lei , Liu Shuai , Qu Hao , Mao Yu , Li Yingfu , Zheng Lei
Published: July 2024

We report a circular DNA aptamer isolated from a synthetic DNA library to bind both IL-6 and sIL-6R with nanomolar affinities. This aptamer can effectively block the IL-6/sIL-6R interaction and significantly inhibit cell inflammation.
Soft glassy rheology of single cells with pathogenic protein aggregates
Authors: Rajput Shatruhan Singh , Singh Surya Bansi , Subramanyam Deepa , Patil Shivprasad
Published: July 2024

Soft glassy rheology of single hemocytes reveals that pathogenic aggregates, restriciting filopodia formation and transport through cytoskeletal remodelling, stiffens the cell with loss of its fluidity.
Accuracy of Automatic Processing of Speech-Language Pathologist and Child Talk During School-Based Therapy Sessions
Authors: Chaparro-Moreno Leydi Johana , Villasanti Hugo Gonzalez , Justice Laura M. , Sun Jing , Schmitt Mary Beth
Published: July 2024

Purpose:

This study examines the accuracy of Interaction Detection in Early Childhood Settings (IDEAS), a program that automatically transcribes audio files and estimates linguistic units relevant to speech-language therapy, including part-of-speech units that represent features of language complexity, such as adjectives and coordinating conjunctions.

Method:

Forty-five video-recorded speech-language therapy sessions involving 27 speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and 56 children were used. The
F
measure determines the accuracy of IDEAS diarization (i.e., speech segmentation and speaker classification). Two additional evaluation metrics, namely, median absolute relative error and correlation, indicate the accuracy of IDEAS for the estimation of linguistic units as compared with two conditions, namely, Oracle (manual diarization) and Voice Type Classifier (existing diarizer with acceptable accuracy).

Results:

The high
F
measure for SLP talk data suggests high accuracy of IDEAS diarization for SLP talk but less so for child talk. These differences are reflected in the accuracy of IDEAS linguistic unit estimates. IDEAS median absolute relative error and correlation values for nine of the 10 SLP linguistic unit estimates meet the accuracy criteria, but none of the child linguistic unit estimates meet these criteria. The type of linguistic units also affects IDEAS accuracy.

Conclusions:

IDEAS was tailored to educational settings to automatically convert audio recordings into text and to provide linguistic unit estimates in speech-language therapy sessions and classroom settings. Although not perfect, IDEAS is reliable in automatically capturing and returning linguistic units, especially in SLP talk, that are relevant in research and practice. The tool offers a way to automatically measure SLP talk in clinical settings, which will support research seeking to understand how SLP talk influences children's language growth.
Linum usitatissimum Delivery over Chitosan Nanobiopolymer: Enhanced Effects on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Condition
Authors: Bayrami Abolfazl , Sojoudi Maryam , Rahim Pouran Shima , Habibi-Yangjeh Aziz , Sojoudi Sanaz
Published: July 2024

Herein, chitosan nanoparticle (CHIT) was used as a safe and biocompatible matrix to carry flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) extract (FSE). The number of main features and bio‐interface properties of CHIT‐FSE were determined by SEM, DLS, FTIR, XRD, TGA, and zeta potential analyses and compared to those of chitosan lacking FSE. A GC–MS analysis was also conducted to reveal the bioactive compounds of FSE. The active anchoring of the FSE phytomolecules over chitosan nanoparticles with enhanced thermal and structural stability was correspondingly verified. Subsequently, the influence of CHIT‐FSE, CHIT‐TPP, and FSE supplementation was assessed on hormonal and biochemical markers of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in female rats and compared with untreated and healthy control groups. After 16 days of treatment, CHIT‐FSE represented the best performance for controlling the serum levels of the studied biochemical (lipid profile and blood glucose level) and hormonal (insulin, testosterone, luteinizing, and follicle‐stimulating hormone) parameters. Considering the negligible therapeutic activity of CHIT‐TPP, the enhanced activity of CHIT‐FSE compared to only FSE was expounded based on the potent action of chitosan nanoparticles in enhanced stabilization, bioavailability, transport, and permeability of the therapeutically important phytomolecules. As per the results of this investigation, supporting medically important biomolecules over chitosan can enhance their therapeutic effectiveness in controlling PCOS.
A dual attentional skip connection based Swin‐UNet for real‐time cloud segmentation
Authors: Wei Fuhao , Wang Shaofan , Sun Yanfeng , Yin Baocai
Published: July 2024

Developing real‐time cloud segmentation technology is urgent for many remote sensing based applications such as weather forecasting. Existing deep learning based cloud segmentation methods involve two shortcomings. (a): They tend to produce discontinuous boundaries and fail to capture less salient feature, which corresponds to thin cloud pixels; (b): they are unrobust towards different scenarios. Those issues are circumvented by integrating U‐Net and the swin transformer together, with an efficiently designed dual attention mechanism based skip connection. Typically, a swin transformer based encoder‐decoder network, by incorporating a dual attentional skip connection with Swin‐UNet (DASUNet) is proposed. DASUNet captures the global relationship of image patches based on its window attention mechanism, which fits the real‐time requirement. Moreover, DASUNet characterizes the less salient features by equipping with token dual attention modules among the skip connection, which compensates the ignorance of less salient features incurred from traditional attention mechanism during the stacking of transformer layers. Experiments on ground‐based images (SWINySeg) and remote sensing images (HRC‐WHU, 38‐Cloud) show that, DASUNet achieves the state‐of‐the‐art or competitive results for cloud segmentation (six top‐1 positions of six metrics among 11 methods on SWINySeg, two top‐1 positions of five metrics among 10 methods on HRC‐WHU, two top‐1 positions of four metrics among 12 methods with ParaNum on 38‐Cloud), with 100FPS implementation speed averagely for each  image.
Effects of seed priming and foliar application of Se nanoparticles in the germination, seedling growth, and reproductive stage of tomato and maize
Authors: García-Locascio Ezequiel , Valenzuela Edgardo I. , Cervantes-Avilés Pabel
Published: July 2024

Sustainable approaches, such as nanotechnology-based strategies, are being researched to increase the productivity of crops. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of nanopriming with selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and maize (Zea mays). Additionally, the impact of Se NPs delivered through a foliar application during the reproductive stage of both crops was evaluated. The results showed that Se NPs inhibited the germination rate in maize by up to 100 % but increased the germination rate and vigor index in tomato by 50 and 208 %, respectively (at 10 ppm of Se NPs). Chlorophyll and proline contents were significantly affected in both crops (tomato and maize), suggesting that Se NPs activated the stress defense systems. In contrast, the foliar application of Se NPs on tomato in the reproductive stage increased the length and width of the stem by 10.8 and 4.3 %, respectively. The chlorophyll content increased by 30.8 % at 10 ppm of Se NPs. Additionally, the proline content of reproductive maize plants increased by up to 1303.6 %, indicating significant stressful conditions caused by the exogenous delivery of Se NPs. These results suggested that nanopriming seeds and foliar application of Se NPs positively impacted tomato. Conversely, the germination of maize seeds and the development of reproductive plants were severely inhibited by Se NPs.
Possible toxicological properties of catechin from processed rose wastewater
Authors: Koleva Yana , Trifonova Viktoria , Miteva Milena , Todorova-Koynova Elisaveta , Dobreva Ana
Published: July 2024

The positive effect of catechins has been proven with their antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions for organisms, i.e. have important biological significance. More pharmacological functions have been discovered with catechins in-depth research. Catechins have various uses, such as controlling obesity, scavenging free radicals, delaying aging, inhibiting human pathogenic bacteria without harming the reproduction of beneficial bacteria, etc. The task of the work is to determine the properties (toxic) and environmental fate of catechin by means of in silico metods.
Content of biologically active substances and antioxidant activity of aqueous-ethanol extracts of cultivated rosehip fruit obtained by ultrasonic extraction
Authors: Taneva Ira , Mazova Nadezhda , Nikolova Iliana , Pencheva Martina
Published: July 2024

The aim of the current work is to determine the main biologically active substances and antioxidant activity of aqueous-ethanolic extracts of cultivated rosehip fruit obtained by ultrasonic treatment. The extraction was performed under the following technological parameters: ultrasound frequency 37 kHz, solvents 50 and 70% ethanol, raw material: solvent ratio = 1:20, temperature 20, 40 and 60°C, duration 15, 30 and 60 min. Tannins, ascorbic acid and total phenolic contents were determined in the extracts. The highest tannin content (1.90%) was obtained by extraction with 50% ethanol, temperature 60°C and process duration 60 min. The total phenolic content under the different process conditions is comparable. Higher values of total phenols (45.43 mg GAE g-1) were determined at 50% ethanol solvent, 40°C temperature and 60 min process duration. The highest values of antioxidant activity, by the DPPH method, were reported in extracts with 50% ethanol, temperature 40°C and duration 60 min (422.5 μmol TE/g), and by FRAP method under the same extraction conditions - the value was almost twice lower (231.9 μmol TE).
Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of propolis, stored for more than 30 years
Authors: Nikolova Iliana , Dincheva Ivaila , Taneva Ira , Pencheva Martina , Georgieva Darina , Damyanova Stanka , Prodanova-Stefanova Vanya , Kostova Iliana , Stoyanova Albena
Published: July 2024

The propolis is a unique natural product that has been used by people in traditional medicine since ancient times. The aim of the present work is to determine the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of propolis, originating in 1993 from North-Eastern Bulgaria. The stored raw material has unchanged physical and chemical parameters - appearance, color, smell, content of mechanical impurities, wax content (19.6%), oxidizability index (16), active acidity (5.5), acid number (42.3 mg KOH/ g), ester number (152 mg KOH/g), boiling point (107°C). The data show that 40 components were identified, representing 99.14% of the total composition. The main components (over 2%) are: chrysin (18.37%), pinobanksin-3-etenoate (13.38%), pinobanksin-3-propanote (11.38%), pinobanksin-3-pentanoate (9.36%), squalene (6.36%), galangin (5.91%), dihydrochrysin (4.11%), pinobanksin-3-butenoate (2.94%), caffeic acid isomer 2 (2.74%), and (E)-sinapic acid (2.23%). Total phenols were 23.91 mg GAE/g. Antioxidant activity was determined by three methods: DPPH (1874.12 mMTE/g), FRAP (1039.18 mMTE/g), and ABTS (1539.52 mMTE/g). The antioxidant effect was monitored against goose fat and sunflower oil. The obtained data show maximally preserved physical parameters, chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the propolis sample stored for more than 30 years, which can be used in various products, an object of future research.
The energy efficiency of an extended range unit involving a polymer exchange membrane fuel cell stack
Authors: Dudek Magdalena , Raźniak Andrzej , Markowski Jarosław , Danchak Lesia , Dudek Piotr
Published: July 2024

This article presents the results of experimental investigations on an advanced model of a polymer exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack designed to serve as a charging unit for electric vehicle batteries or off-grid distributed power sources. The assembled 720 W PEMFC stack comprises two 360 W modules that can be electrically connected in series or parallel. A liquid cooling system for the PEMFC stack has also been constructed. The dependencies – voltage (U) versus current (I) and current (I) versus electrical power (P) – for single modules, as well as for the electrically connected two-module PEMFC stack, are determined. Additionally, the hydrogen utilization versus the electrical power (P) of the PEMFC stack is examined. The electrical efficiency of the PEMFC stack varies between 42% and 50%, depending on the electrical power. An adjustable DC/DC converter, operating in two modes (step-down or stepup), is proposed as a device to integrate a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery pack with approximately 720 W PEMFC stack. The electrical architecture of the integrated system, comprising the PEMFC stack, DC/DC converter, and Li-ion battery pack, is investigated and discussed in this paper. It was found that the electrical efficiency of the proposed DC/DC converter varies depending on the electrical power, reaching a peak efficiency of 95%– 98%. The environmental benefit, in terms of reducing CO2 emissions when charging the battery, was also identified.
Open channel velocity field investigation for hydrokinetic power generation
Authors: Stanilov Alexander , Simova Iskra , Velichkova Rositsa , Gieva Elitsa , Sharkov Rangel
Published: July 2024

The paper presents an experimental study of a velocity field in an open channel. The study of water flow in an open channel is complicated due to the influence of various factors and different variables. Some of the variables affecting the flow parameters include the height of the water column, the width of the channel, the length of the channel, the slope of the channel, and the conditions of the channel bed. The investigated open channel is used for experimental research of kinetic turbines, and the flow speed in the channel is in the range of 0.1-0.3 m/s. The low velocity values in the channel are driven by the operation of the kinetic water turbines in real-world conditions. When describing the test channel, the influence of several boundary conditions has been taken into account, such as protrusions between the measurement sections, the water level, and disturbing effects. Results for the velocity fields determined in five sections of the test open channel are given. A turbine and an electromagnetic probe were used for the experiments. A comparison between the results obtained with the two measuring instruments under the same flow conditions in the test channel is made. The results for the velocity variation in the test sections for the maximum velocity in the channel are presented. At this maximum water velocity, the test channel maintains a water level of approximately 150 mm. The experimental data is also illustrated graphically, along with the velocity fluctuations along the channel centreline. The results obtained provide an idea of the expected velocity fields in the measurement open channel and the relative magnitude of the fluctuations in the different measurement sections.
Measurement of the magnetic field of an induction heater for locomotive wheelsets
Authors: Dimitrov Vasil , Tarpov Ilko
Published: July 2024

In this paper, the electrical heating of bandage bracelets on locomotive wheelsets by eddy currents (Foucault currents) is examined. This process is applied when replacing the bandage bracelets due to deformation. The induction of the magnetic field in the vicinity of the induction heater is tested by measurements in order to determine the safe zone for service personnel. The tests were carried out in real conditions in the Plovdiv locomotive depot using contemporary measuring devices. The characteristics are plotted showing the dependences of the magnetic induction on the distance to the induction heater, expressions are also obtained. It can be concluded that an exponential dependence can be used to estimate the induction of the magnetic field around the heater. Measures to limit the harmful influence of magnetic field on the service personnel are suggested.
L’électroencéphalographie en médecine vétérinaire :
pourquoi une utilisation si limitée ?
Authors: Parmentier Thomas , Marchal Edouard , James Fiona
Published: July 2024

L’électroencéphalographie (EEG) est l’étude de l’enregistrement de l’activité électrique du cerveau. Ce test est essentiel dans le diagnostic, le traitement et le pronostic des patients atteints d’épilepsie en médecine humaine mais rarement employé en médecine vétérinaire.

Chez les personnes souffrant d’épilepsie, l’EEG permet de confirmer la présence de crises épileptiques et de caractériser le syndrome épileptique les affectant, ce qui oriente le traitement médical ou chirurgical des crises.

Chez les animaux, un diagnostic d’épilepsie repose majoritairement sur la description des épisodes suspects. L’EEG souffre de nombreuses limites en médecine vétérinaire. Il s’agit tout d’abord de difficultés pratiques pour la mise en place du matériel d’enregistrement sur les chiens peu coopératifs nécessitant une sédation ou une anesthésie pouvant diminuer la probabilité d’enregistrer des décharges épileptiformes.
Aussi, l’absence de protocole standard dans le placement des électrodes empêche de comparer les enregistrements entre eux et de localiser avec précision le foyer épileptique.

L’amélioration de l’EEG en médecine vétérinaire permettra une meilleure classification de l’épilepsie chez nos patients et ouvrira la porte à de meilleurs essais cliniques et thérapies chirurgicales.
Einsatzmöglichkeiten des Botulinum- Neurotoxins bei der Parkinson-Krankheit
Authors: Jost Wolfgang H. , Berberovic Emir
Published: July 2024

Botulinum-Neurotoxin (BoNT) wird seit den 1990er-Jahren in mehreren medizinischen Disziplinen zur Therapie unterschiedlicher Symptome (Spastik, Dystonien, Schmerzen, Sialorrhoe, etc.) eingesetzt und stellt bei etlichen Indikationen die Therapie der Wahl dar. Es hemmt die Freisetzung von Acetylcholin an den motorischen Nerventerminalen und parasympathischen Ganglien, und führt somit zu einer verminderten Aktivierung der behandelten Muskeln bzw. zur Reduktion der autonomen Funktion des behandelten Gewebes. Im Rahmen der Parkinson-Krankheit (PK) wird es zur Therapie motorischer und nicht motorischer Symptome eingesetzt. Für einige Symptome der PK besteht eine Zulassung für die Therapie mit dem BoNT. Für weitere Symptome, die außerhalb der PK vorkommen können, besteht ebenfalls eine Zulassung. Jedoch sind stellenweise die Zulassungen so eng gefasst, dass die spezielle Indikation bei der PK damit nicht der Zulassung entspricht. Im folgenden Text werden die einzelnen Indikationen zur Therapie mit dem BoNT bei der PK vorgestellt.
Stellenwert von Selen bei Brustkrebs
Authors: Schomburg Lutz
Published: July 2024

Bei verschiedenen Tumorerkrankungen ist ein Selenmangel von großer Bedeutung
für die Inzidenz. Über den Einfluss des Selenstatus auf Entstehung,
Genesung, Rezidivrisiko und Lebenserwartung beim Mammakarzinom sprach
Herausgeber Uwe Gröber mit Prof. Dr. Schomburg von der Charité Berlin. Die
labormedizinischen Messparameter und den Einsatz des Spurenelements in der
Brustkrebstherapie waren ebenfalls Thema des Interviews.
Umfassende Versorgung bis zuletzt
Authors: Pedrosa Anna J. , Pedrosa David J.
Published: July 2024

Die Parkinson-Krankheit ist eine neurodegenerative Erkrankung, die mit erhöhter Mortalität einhergeht. Die Betroffenen leiden im Verlauf der Krankheit unter einer Vielzahl von motorischen und nicht motorischen Symptomen, die ihre Lebensqualität stark beeinträchtigen können. Durch die Umsetzung von multiprofessionellen Strategien, einschließlich einer frühzeitigen Integration von palliativen Versorgungsstrukturen, kann eine holistische und individualisierte Betreuung gewährleistet werden. Dadurch ist es möglich, Probleme der Betroffenen rechtzeitig zu erkennen und angemessen zu behandeln. Die meisten Menschen mit der Parkinson-Krankheit möchten zu Hause versterben; jedoch besprechen sie ihre Wünsche für das Lebensende nur selten mit ihren Primärversorgern. Durch eine proaktive Gesprächsführung über das Lebensende können Versorger, Bedürfnisse identifizieren, patientenzentrierte Maßnahmen umzusetzen und Autonomie stärken. Dies beinhaltet auch die Erstellung von Vorausplänen für medizinische Notfälle, was sowohl den Patientenwillen nach Eintreten der Einwilligungsunfähigkeit stärkt als auch die Belastung für Familienmitglieder verringert.
Characteristics of U.S. Baccalaureate Health Informatics Programs
Authors: McCarthy Katie A. , Eldredge Christina , Mercado Fatima , Wong Anya , Gajjar Rohan
Published: July 2024

Background Health informatics (HI) is a growing field of study, yet sparse data are available on the characteristics of undergraduate HI programs in the United States. The lack of a central location for U.S. HI undergraduate program data has led to a gap in information to support current efforts to promote academic standards in the field and attract potential students.

Objectives The objective of this study was to perform an environment scan of colleges and universities within the United States and Puerto Rico to identify undergraduate programs in HI including majors, minors, and undergraduate-level certificates.

Methods Potential institutions offering HI programs were identified from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the Commission for Accreditation of Health Informatics and Health Information Management Education (CAHIIM), the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Publicly available materials for these institutions were reviewed, and data were captured for identified HI programs including geographic location; college or school in which the program was offered; type of degree (if applicable); program title; total credits to complete the program; delivery format; and source of data.

Results A total of 83 HI programs were identified from 60 institutions and 26 states. The primary finding of this environment scan was that inconsistencies exist among U.S. HI undergraduate programs including variations in offering college/school, title of program, number of credits required, delivery formats, CIP codes, and the type of information published on university/college websites.

Conclusion This environment scan was a first step in exploring the characteristics of undergraduate HI programs within the United States. Further research is needed on the curricular similarities and differences among the programs, the administrative methods of these interdisciplinary programs, and the information most needed by current and potential undergraduate students.
Initial Outcomes of Single versus Multiple-Plug Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation for Osteochondral Defects of the Knee: A Matched Cohort Analysis
Authors: Retzky Julia S. , Coxe Francesca R. , Ammerman Brittany , Neijna Ava G. , Hinkley Paige , Gomoll Andreas H. , Strickland Sabrina M.
Published: July 2024

Although several prior studies have described the outcomes of osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation for single osteochondral lesions, there is a paucity of comparative data on outcomes of single versus multiple OCA transplants. We aimed to describe the initial outcomes of single-plug versus multiple-plug knee OCA transplants at a minimum of 1 year of follow-up. We hypothesized that there would be no difference in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) between patients undergoing single-plug and multiple-plug OCA transplants at a minimum of 1 year of follow-up. We retrospectively reviewed the prospectively collected data of patients undergoing OCA transplantation for large (>2 cm2) osteochondral defects of the knee. Thirty patients who underwent multiple-plug (2 + ) OCA transplants (either single surface using the snowman technique or multi-surface) were 1:1 age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) matched with 30 patients who underwent single-plug OCA transplants. PROMs, including the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) subscores, were obtained both preoperatively and at a minimum of 1 year postoperatively. Failure was defined as a revision OCA or conversion to unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The cohort comprised 30 females (31 affected left knees), with an average age of 37 ± 10.3 years and median follow-up of 2.0 years (interquartile range: 1.7–2.5 years). There was a significant increase in PROMs from the preoperative to the postoperative period for the entire cohort and the single-plug versus multiple-plug subgroups (p < 0.01). There was no difference between the groups with respect to the percentage of patients who achieved the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for each PROM (p > 0.05). There were two failures, both in the single-plug group, with a mean time to failure of 3.5 years. There was no difference in the initial outcomes between patients undergoing single-plug versus multiple-plug OCA transplant at the short-term follow-up.

Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series.
Pre-service geography teachers from normal universities in China: what do their master’s degree theses focus on and imply?
Authors: Yang Yanmei , Bu Shiyun , Li Shuhui , Tang Kui , Liu Jiayuan , Hu Wangshu , Xu Chan
Published: July 2024

Master’s degree-level graduates in Subject Teaching (Geography) (hereinafter referred to as STG) in Chinese normal universities form a valuable pool of pre-service secondary school geography teachers. These graduates provide a comprehensive picture of the quality, focus and outcomes of current geography teacher training programs. However, there is a relative dearth of research appertaining to their research capabilities and the quality of their educational development. To address this gap, the present study adopts bibliometric and comparative analysis to shed light on the overall trends and specific characteristics of STG master’s theses from 2016 to 2022. The findings indicate that universities with divergent levels of subject assessment prioritize different research emphases, leading to variations in the depth of investigation into new teaching materials and the level of alignment with frontline geography teaching. Furthermore, in comparison with cutting-edge international and domestic research, the master’s theses of STG students are characterized by microscopic scale and insufficient depth. A three-pronged collaborative framework has therefore been advocated with the aim of enhancing the quality of STG graduates as pre-service geography teachers. This comprises close interactions among on-campus and off-campus tutors and learners, a partnership between universities and secondary schools, and inter-university cooperation.