bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On Devotional Artworks: A Non-Invasive Characterization of Pigments of the Madonna della Croce Wall Painting in Triggiano (Bari, Southern Italy)
Authors: Fioretti Giovanna , Campobasso Cinzia , Eramo Giacomo , Monno Alessandro , Tempesta Gioacchino
Published: May 2023

Devotional artworks represent a valuable form of art, as they are evidence of religious worship and the demo-ethno-anthropological, as well as historical-artistic, heritage of a community, which is why they definitely belong to the cultural identity of a geographic area. The Madonna della Croce wall painting is an example of devotional art preserved today in the homonymous church in Triggiano (Bari, Italy). The presented study concerns the characterization of pigments used in the painting. The identification of pictorial materials had the aim of providing a contribution to knowledge about the painting, the history of restorations, and other historical events, and to increase the information about the Apulian painting to better reconstruct the social, cultural, and economic contexts of the region. Through a non-invasive and fast methodological approach, including portable digital microscopy, colorimetry, fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS), and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF); 42 points considered on coloured areas were analysed in situ, and results on pigment identification were achieved. According to the local wall painting tradition, red and yellow ochres, green earth, vine black, massicot, and lead-tin yellow were found. Furthermore, both indigo-woad dye and a mixture of vine black and yellow ochre to obtain a blueish colour on the Virgin’s mantle were highlighted.
Laser Application in Life Sciences
Authors: Schneckenburger Herbert
Published: May 2023

Since their invention by Theodore Maiman in 1960, lasers represent a class of light sources based on the stimulated emission of radiation in the visible, ultraviolet or infrared spectral range [...]
Insights into the Genes Involved in ABA Biosynthesis and Perception during Development and Ripening of the Chilean Strawberry Fruit
Authors: Moya-León María A. , Stappung Yazmina , Mattus-Araya Elena , Herrera Raúl
Published: May 2023

Hormones act as master ripening regulators. In non-climacteric fruit, ABA plays a key role in ripening. Recently, we confirmed in Fragaria chiloensis fruit that in response to ABA treatment the fruit induces ripening-associated changes such as softening and color development. In consequence of these phenotypic changes, transcriptional variations associated with cell wall disassembly and anthocyanins biosynthesis were reported. As ABA stimulates the ripening of F. chiloensis fruit, the molecular network involved in ABA metabolism was analyzed. Therefore, the expression level of genes involved in ABA biosynthesis and ABA perception was quantified during the development of the fruit. Four NCED/CCDs and six PYR/PYLs family members were identified in F. chiloensis. Bioinformatics analyses confirmed the existence of key domains related to functional properties. Through RT-qPCR analyses, the level of transcripts was quantified. FcNCED1 codifies a protein that displays crucial functional domains, and the level of transcripts increases as the fruit develops and ripens, in parallel with the increment in ABA. In addition, FcPYL4 codifies for a functional ABA receptor, and its expression follows an incremental pattern during ripening. The study concludes that FcNCED1 is involved in ABA biosynthesis; meanwhile, FcPYL4 participates in ABA perception during the ripening of F. chiloensis fruit.
Interaction of Ions in Organic and Aqueous Media with an Ion-Pair Sensor Equipped with a BODIPY Reporter: An ON1-OFF-ON2-ON3 Fluorescent Assay
Authors: Zaleskaya-Hernik Marta , Dobrzycki Łukasz , Romański Jan
Published: May 2023

Here, we present a ditopic ion-pair sensor, B1, containing the BODIPY reporter unit in its structure, which is shown to be able—thanks to the presence of two heterogeneous binding domains—to interact with anions in an enhanced manner in the presence of cations. This enables it to interact with salts even in 99% aqueous solutions, making B1 a good candidate in terms of visual salt detection in the aquatic environment. Receptor B1’s ability to extract and release salt was applied in the transport of potassium chloride through a bulk liquid membrane. Working with a concentration of B1 in the organic phase and with the presence of a specific salt in an aqueous solution, an inverted transport experiment was also demonstrated. By varying the type and the amount of the anions added to B1, we were able to develop diverse optical responses, including a unique four-step ON1-OFF-ON2-ON3 output.
Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Affect Inflammation in Lung Cells and Tissues
Authors: Dragon Julie , Hoaglund Michael , Badireddy Appala Raju , Nielsen Greylin , Schlezinger Jennifer , Shukla Arti
Published: May 2023

Adverse lung outcomes from exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known; however, the mechanism of action is poorly understood. To explore this, human bronchial epithelial cells were grown and exposed to varied concentrations of short-chain (perfluorobutanoic acid, perflurobutane sulfonic acid and GenX) or long-chain (PFOA and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)) PFAS, alone or in a mixture to identify cytotoxic concentrations. Non-cytotoxic concentrations of PFAS from this experiment were selected to assess NLRP3 inflammasome activation and priming. We found that PFOA and PFOS alone or in a mixture primed and activated the inflammasome compared with vehicle control. Atomic force microscopy showed that PFOA but not PFOS significantly altered the membrane properties of cells. RNA sequencing was performed on the lungs of mice that had consumed PFOA in drinking water for 14 weeks. Wild type (WT), PPARα knock-out (KO) and humanized PPARα (KI) were exposed to PFOA. We found that multiple inflammation- and immune-related genes were affected. Taken together, our study demonstrated that PFAS exposure could alter lung biology in a significant manner and may contribute to asthma/airway hyper-responsiveness.
Old Drug, New Delivery Strategy: MMAE Repackaged
Authors: Lahnif Hanane , Grus Tilmann , Salvanou Evangelia-Alexandra , Deligianni Elisavet , Stellas Dimitris , Bouziotis Penelope , Rösch Frank
Published: May 2023

Targeting therapy is a concept that has gained significant importance in recent years, especially in oncology. The severe dose-limiting side effects of chemotherapy necessitate the development of novel, efficient and tolerable therapy approaches. In this regard, the prostate specific membrane antigene (PSMA) has been well established as a molecular target for diagnosis of, as well as therapy for, prostate cancer. Although most PSMA-targeting ligands are radiopharmaceuticals used in imaging or radioligand therapy, this article evaluates a PSMA-targeting small molecule–drug conjugate, and, thus, addresses a hitherto little-explored field. PSMA binding affinity and cytotoxicity were determined in vitro using cell-based assays. Enzyme-specific cleavage of the active drug was quantified via an enzyme-based assay. Efficacy and tolerability in vivo were assessed using an LNCaP xenograft model. Histopathological characterization of the tumor in terms of apoptotic status and proliferation rate was carried out using caspase-3 and Ki67 staining. The binding affinity of the Monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) conjugate was moderate, compared to the drug-free PSMA ligand. Cytotoxicity in vitro was in the nanomolar range. Both binding and cytotoxicity were found to be PSMA-specific. Additionally, complete MMAE release could be reached after incubation with cathepsin B. In vivo, the MMAE conjugate displayed good tolerability and dose-dependent inhibition of tumor growth. Immunohistochemical and histological studies revealed the antitumor effect of MMAE.VC.SA.617, resulting in the inhibition of proliferation and the enhancement of apoptosis. The developed MMAE conjugate showed good properties in vitro, as well as in vivo, and should, therefore, be considered a promising candidate for a translational approach.
Importin β1 Mediates Nuclear Entry of EIN2C to Confer the Phloem-Based Defense against Aphids
Authors: Lu Kai , Zhang Liyuan , Qin Lina , Chen Xiaochen , Wang Xiaobing , Zhang Meixiang , Dong Hansong
Published: May 2023

Ethylene Insensitive 2 (EIN2) is an integral membrane protein that regulates ethylene signaling towards plant development and immunity by release of its carboxy-terminal functional portion (EIN2C) into the nucleus. The present study elucidates that the nuclear trafficking of EIN2C is induced by importin β1, which triggers the phloem-based defense (PBD) against aphid infestations in Arabidopsis. In plants, IMPβ1 interacts with EIN2C to facilitate EIN2C trafficking into the nucleus, either by ethylene treatment or by green peach aphid infestation, to confer EIN2-dependent PBD responses, which, in turn, impede the phloem-feeding activity and massive infestation by the aphid. In Arabidopsis, moreover, constitutively expressed EIN2C can complement the impβ1 mutant regarding EIN2C localization to the plant nucleus and the subsequent PBD development in the concomitant presence of IMPβ1 and ethylene. As a result, the phloem-feeding activity and massive infestation by green peach aphid were highly inhibited, indicating the potential value of EIN2C in protecting plants from insect attacks.
The Adsorption Efficiency of Regenerable Chitosan-TiO2 Composite Films in Removing 2,4-Dinitrophenol from Water
Authors: Gubitosa Jennifer , Rizzi Vito , Fini Paola , Nuzzo Sergio , Cosma Pinalysa
Published: May 2023

In this work, the great performance of chitosan-based films blended with TiO2 (CH/TiO2) is presented to adsorb the hazardous pollutant 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) from water. The DNP was successfully removed, with a high adsorption %: CH/TiO2 exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 900 mg/g. For pursuing the proposed aim, UV–Vis spectroscopy was considered a powerful tool for monitoring the presence of DNP in purposely contaminated water. Swelling measurements were employed to infer more information about the interactions between chitosan and DNP, demonstrating the presence of electrostatic forces, deeply investigated by performing adsorption measurements by changing DNP solutions’ ionic strength and pH values. The thermodynamics, adsorption isotherms, and kinetics were also studied, suggesting the DNP adsorption’s heterogeneous character onto chitosan films. The applicability of pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order kinetic equations confirmed the finding, further detailed by the Weber–Morris model. Finally, the adsorbent regeneration was exploited, and the possibility of inducing DNP desorption was investigated. For this purpose, suitable experiments were conducted using a saline solution that induced the DNP release, favoring the adsorbent reuse. In particular, 10 adsorption/desorption cycles were performed, evidencing the great ability of this material that does not lose its efficiency. As an alternative approach, the pollutant photodegradation by using Advanced Oxidation Processes, allowed by the presence of TiO2, was preliminary investigated, opening a novel horizon in the use of chitosan-based materials for environmental applications.
Impact of High Light Intensity and Low Temperature on the Growth and Phenylpropanoid Profile of Azolla filiculoides
Authors: Cannavò Sara , Bertoldi Agnese , Valeri Maria Cristina , Damiani Francesco , Reale Lara , Brilli Federico , Paolocci Francesco
Published: May 2023

Exposure to high light intensity (HL) and cold treatment (CT) induces reddish pigmentation in Azolla filiculoides, an aquatic fern. Nevertheless, how these conditions, alone or in combination, influence Azolla growth and pigment synthesis remains to be fully elucidated. Likewise, the regulatory network underpinning the accumulation of flavonoids in ferns is still unclear. Here, we grew A. filiculoides under HL and/or CT conditions for 20 days and evaluated the biomass doubling time, relative growth rate, photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic pigment contents, and photosynthetic efficiency by chlorophyll fluorescence measurements. Furthermore, from the A. filiculoides genome, we mined the homologs of MYB, bHLH, and WDR genes, which form the MBW flavonoid regulatory complex in higher plants, to investigate their expression by qRT-PCR. We report that A. filiculoides optimizes photosynthesis at lower light intensities, regardless of the temperature. In addition, we show that CT does not severely hamper Azolla growth, although it causes the onset of photoinhibition. Coupling CT with HL stimulates the accumulation of flavonoids, which likely prevents irreversible photoinhibition-induced damage. Although our data do not support the formation of MBW complexes, we identified candidate MYB and bHLH regulators of flavonoids. Overall, the present findings are of fundamental and pragmatic relevance to Azolla’s biology.
The Role of Vitamins in the Pathogenesis of Asthma
Authors: Zajac Dominika , Wojciechowski Piotr
Published: May 2023

Vitamins play a crucial role in the proper functioning of organisms. Disturbances of their levels, seen as deficiency or excess, enhance the development of various diseases, including those of the cardiovascular, immune, or respiratory systems. The present paper aims to summarize the role of vitamins in one of the most common diseases of the respiratory system, asthma. This narrative review describes the influence of vitamins on asthma and its main symptoms such as bronchial hyperreactivity, airway inflammation, oxidative stress, and airway remodeling, as well as the correlation between vitamin intake and levels and the risk of asthma in both pre- and postnatal life.
De Novo Computational Design of a Lipase with Hydrolysis Activity towards Middle-Chained Fatty Acid Esters
Authors: Huang Jinsha , Xie Xiaoman , Zheng Zhen , Ye Luona , Wang Pengbo , Xu Li , Wu Ying , Yan Jinyong , Yang Min , Yan Yunjun
Published: May 2023

Innovations in biocatalysts provide great prospects for intolerant environments or novel reactions. Due to the limited catalytic capacity and the long-term and labor-intensive characteristics of mining enzymes with the desired functions, de novo enzyme design was developed to obtain industrial application candidates in a rapid and convenient way. Here, based on the catalytic mechanisms and the known structures of proteins, we proposed a computational protein design strategy combining de novo enzyme design and laboratory-directed evolution. Starting with the theozyme constructed using a quantum-mechanical approach, the theoretical enzyme-skeleton combinations were assembled and optimized via the Rosetta “inside-out” protocol. A small number of designed sequences were experimentally screened using SDS-PAGE, mass spectrometry and a qualitative activity assay in which the designed enzyme 1a8uD1 exhibited a measurable hydrolysis activity of 24.25 ± 0.57 U/g towards p-nitrophenyl octanoate. To improve the activity of the designed enzyme, molecular dynamics simulations and the RosettaDesign application were utilized to further optimize the substrate binding mode and amino acid sequence, thus keeping the residues of theozyme intact. The redesigned lipase 1a8uD1–M8 displayed enhanced hydrolysis activity towards p-nitrophenyl octanoate—3.34 times higher than that of 1a8uD1. Meanwhile, the natural skeleton protein (PDB entry 1a8u) did not display any hydrolysis activity, confirming that the hydrolysis abilities of the designed 1a8uD1 and the redesigned 1a8uD1–M8 were devised from scratch. More importantly, the designed 1a8uD1–M8 was also able to hydrolyze the natural middle-chained substrate (glycerol trioctanoate), for which the activity was 27.67 ± 0.69 U/g. This study indicates that the strategy employed here has great potential to generate novel enzymes exhibiting the desired reactions.
Cellular Protein Aggregates: Formation, Biological Effects, and Ways of Elimination
Authors: Wen Jun-Hao , He Xiang-Hong , Feng Ze-Sen , Li Dong-Yi , Tang Ji-Xin , Liu Hua-Feng
Published: May 2023

The accumulation of protein aggregates is the hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases. The dysregulation of protein homeostasis (or proteostasis) caused by acute proteotoxic stresses or chronic expression of mutant proteins can lead to protein aggregation. Protein aggregates can interfere with a variety of cellular biological processes and consume factors essential for maintaining proteostasis, leading to a further imbalance of proteostasis and further accumulation of protein aggregates, creating a vicious cycle that ultimately leads to aging and the progression of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Over the long course of evolution, eukaryotic cells have evolved a variety of mechanisms to rescue or eliminate aggregated proteins. Here, we will briefly review the composition and causes of protein aggregation in mammalian cells, systematically summarize the role of protein aggregates in the organisms, and further highlight some of the clearance mechanisms of protein aggregates. Finally, we will discuss potential therapeutic strategies that target protein aggregates in the treatment of aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
Stromal Lineage Precursors from Rodent Femur and Tibia Bone Marrows after Hindlimb Unloading: Functional Ex Vivo Analysis
Authors: Markina Elena , Andreeva Elena , Buravkova Ludmila
Published: May 2023

Rodent hindlimb unloading (HU) model was developed to elucidate responses/mechanisms of adverse consequences of space weightlessness. Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MMSCs) were isolated from rat femur and tibia bone marrows and examined ex vivo after 2 weeks of HU and subsequent 2 weeks of restoration of load (HU + RL). In both bones, decrease of fibroblast colony forming units (CFU-f) after HU with restoration after HU + RL detected. In CFU-f and MMSCs, levels of spontaneous/induced osteocommitment were similar. MMSCs from tibia initially had greater spontaneous mineralization of extracellular matrix but were less sensitive to osteoinduction. There was no recovery of initial levels of mineralization in MMSCs from both bones during HU + RL. After HU, most bone-related genes were downregulated in tibia or femur MMSCs. After HU + RL, the initial level of transcription was restored in femur, while downregulation persisted in tibia MMSCs. Therefore, HU provoked a decrease of osteogenic activity of BM stromal precursors at transcriptomic and functional levels. Despite unidirectionality of changes, the negative effects of HU were more pronounced in stromal precursors from distal limb—tibia. These observations appear to be on demand for elucidation of mechanisms of skeletal disorders in astronauts in prospect of long-term space missions.
Establishment and Validation of a Novel Risk Score for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Bile Acid and Bile Salt Metabolism-Related Genes
Authors: Shi Qingmiao , Yuan Xin , Xue Chen , Gu Xinyu , Li Lanjuan
Published: May 2023

Liver cancer is a public disease burden with an increasing incidence rate globally. Bile acid and bile salt’s metabolic pathways participate in liver tumorigenesis and regulate the tumor microenvironment. However, there still remains a lack of systematic analysis of the genes related to bile acid and bile salt metabolic pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The mRNA expression data and clinical follow-up information of patients with HCC were obtained from public databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas, Hepatocellular Carcinoma Database, Gene Expression Omnibus, and IMvigor210. The bile acid and bile salt metabolism-related genes were extracted from Molecular Signatures Database. Univariate Cox and logistic least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analyses were conducted to establish the risk model. Single sample gene set enrichment analysis, Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumour tissues using Expression data, and Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion were adopted to analyze immune status. The efficiency of the risk model was tested using a decision tree and a nomogram. We determined two molecular subtypes based on bile acid and bile salt metabolism-related genes, with the prognosis of the S1 subtype being markedly superior to the S2 subtype. Next, we established a risk model based on the differentially expressed genes between the two molecular subtypes. The high-risk and low-risk groups showed significant differences in the biological pathways, immune score, immunotherapy response, and drug susceptibility. Our results demonstrated the good predictive performance of the risk model in immunotherapy datasets and established that it could be an essential factor affecting the prognosis of HCC. In conclusion, we identified two molecular subtypes based on bile acid and bile salt metabolism-related genes. The risk model established in our study could effectively predict the prognosis of patients with HCC and their immunotherapeutic response, which may contribute to targeted immunotherapy in HCC.
Uyghur–Kazakh–Kirghiz Text Keyword Extraction Based on Morpheme Segmentation
Authors: Parhat Sardar , Sattar Mutallip , Hamdulla Askar , Kadir Abdurahman
Published: May 2023

In this study, based on a morpheme segmentation framework, we researched a text keyword extraction method for Uyghur, Kazakh and Kirghiz languages, which have similar grammatical and lexical structures. In these languages, affixes and a stem are joined together to form a word. A stem is a word particle with a notional meaning, while the affixes perform grammatical functions. Because of these derivative properties, the vocabularies used for these languages are huge. Therefore, pre-processing is a necessary step in NLP tasks for Uyghur, Kazakh and Kirghiz. Morpheme segmentation enabled us to remove the suffixes as the auxiliary unit while retaining the meaningful stem and it reduced the dimension of the feature space present in the keyword extraction task for Uyghur, Kazakh and Kirghiz texts. We transformed the morpheme segmentation task into the problem of labeling the morpheme sequences, and we used the Bi-LSTM network to bidirectionally obtain the position feature information of character sequences. We applied CRF to effectively learn the information of the preceding and following label sequences to build a highly accurate Bi-LSTM_CRF morpheme segmentation model, and we prepared morpheme-based experimental text sets by using this model. Subsequently, we used the stem vectors’ similarity to modify the TextRank algorithm, subsequent to the training of the stem embedding vector using the Doc2vec algorithm, and then we performed a text keyword extraction experiment. In this experiment, the highest F1 scores of 43.8%, 44% and 43.9% were obtained for three datasets. The experimental results show that the morpheme-based approach provides much better results than the word-based approach, which shows the stem vector similarity weighting is an efficient method for the text keyword extraction task, thus proving the efficiency of morpheme sequence for morphologically derivative languages.
Exploring the Boundaries of Success: A Literature Review and Research Agenda on Resource, Complementary, and Ecological Boundaries in Digital Platform Business Model Innovation
Authors: Daradkeh Mohammad
Published: May 2023

Digital platform business model innovation is a rapidly evolving field, yet the literature on resource, complementary, and ecological boundaries remains limited, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of the factors that shape the success of these platforms. This paper explores the mechanisms by which digital platforms enable business model innovation, a topic of significant theoretical and practical importance that has yet to be fully examined. Through a review of the existing literature and an examination of the connotations of digital platforms, the design of platform boundaries, and the deployment of boundary resources, the study finds that (1) the uncertainty of complementors and complementary products drives business model innovation in digital platforms; (2) the design of resource, complementary, and ecological system boundaries is crucial to digital platform business models and manages complementor and complementary product uncertainty while promoting value co-creation; and (3) boundary resources establish, manage, and sustain cross-border relationships that impact value creation and capture. Based on these findings, four research propositions are proposed to guide future research on digital platform business model innovation and provide insights for effectively innovating business models and influencing value creation and capture.
Surface Plasmon Resonance Effect of Noble Metal (Ag and Au) Nanoparticles on BiVO4 for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting
Authors: Liu Rui , Zhan Difu , Wang Dong , Han Changcun , Fu Qian , Zhu Hongxun , Mao Zhuxiang , Liu Zhao-Qing
Published: May 2023

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) splitting water technology over the years has gradually matured, and now photoanodes loaded with nanoparticles (NPs) show excellent PEC performance. Each of the metal NPs has a different effect on the PEC performance of BiVO4. This work selected the noble metals Ag and Au to modify BiVO4 and study its PEC performance. After recombination, the photocurrent densities of Ag/BiVO4 and Au/BiVO4 photoanodes were 3.88 mA/cm2 and 1.61 mA/cm2 at 1.23 VRHE, which were 3.82 and 1.72 times that of pure BiVO4. The hydrogen evolution of pure BiVO4 is about 1.10 μmol·cm−2. Ag/BiVO4 and Au/BiVO4 contain 3.56 and 2.32 times pure BiVO4, respectively. Through the research, it was found that the composite noble metal (NM) NPs could improve the PEC properties; this is because NM NPs can introduce a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect to increase the concentration and accelerate the separation of carriers. The mechanism of the SPR effect can be explained as NM NPs are excited by light generating “hot electrons”, and the hot electrons can directly enter the conduction band (CB) of BiVO4 through an electron transfer mechanism. The potential energy of the Schottky barrier generated by the contact of NM NPs with BiVO4 is smaller than that generated by the SPR effect, which enables the “hot electrons” to be smoothly transferred from the NM NPs to the conduction band of BiVO4 without returning to the NM NPs. Ag/BiVO4 showed higher PEC activity than Au/BiVO4 because of its higher light absorption, photocurrent, and oxygen evolution capacity. It can be seen that loading NM NPs increases the concentration of the carriers while the separation and transfer rates of the carriers are improved. In conclusion, it was concluded from this study that the loading of NM NPs is an effective method to improve the water oxidation kinetics of BiVO4 photoanodes.
Structural Features of the Fragments from Cast Iron Cauldrons of the Medieval Golden Horde: Neutron Tomography Data
Authors: Bakirov Bulat , Smirnova Veronica , Kichanov Sergey , Shaykhutdinova Eugenia , Murashev Mikhail , Kozlenko Denis , Sitdikov Ayrat
Published: May 2023

The spatial arrangement of the internal pores inside several fragments of ancient cast iron cauldrons related to the medieval Golden Horde period was studied using the neutron tomography method. The high neutron penetration into a cast iron material provides sufficient data for detailed analysis of the three-dimensional imaging data. The size, elongation, and orientation distributions of the observed internal pores were obtained. As discussed, the imaging and quantitative analytical data are considered structural markers for the location of cast iron foundries, as well as a feature of the medieval casting process.
Training People to Think in Opposites Facilitates the Falsification Process in Wason’s Rule Discovery Task
Authors: Branchini Erika , Burro Roberto , Bianchi Ivana
Published: May 2023

With reference to Wason’s 2-4-6 rule discovery task, this study investigated the effects of a simple training session that prompted participants to “think in opposites”. The results showed a significant improvement in performance under the training condition when compared to the control condition, both in terms of the proportion of participants who discovered the correct rule and how quickly it was discovered. An analysis of whether or not participant submitted test triples formed of descending numbers showed that fewer participants under the control condition considered ascending/descending to represent a critical dimension and, in any case, this occurred later (that is, after more test triples) than in the training condition. These results are discussed in relation to previous literature showing improvements in performance that were prompted by strategies involving “contrast” as a critical factor. The limitations of the study are discussed, as well as the benefits of a training program like this, which is non-content related.
Development of an Automated Spare-Part Management Device for Ship Controlled by Raspberry-Pi Microcomputer Based on Image-Progressing & Transfer-Learning
Authors: Lee Chang-Min , Jang Hee-Joo , Jung Byung-Gun
Published: May 2023

As the development of autonomous ships is underway in the maritime industry, the automation of ship spare part management has become an important issue. However, there has been little development of dedicated devices or applications for ships. This study aims to develop a Raspberry Pi-based embedded application that identifies the type and quantity of spare parts using a transfer learning model and image processing algorithm suitable for ship spare part recognition. A newly improved image processing algorithm was used to select a transfer learning model that balances accuracy and training speed through training and validation on a real spare parts dataset, achieving a prediction accuracy of 98.2% and a training time of 158 s. The experimental device utilizing this model used a camera to identify the type and quantity of spare parts on an actual ship. It displayed the spare parts list on a remotely connected computer. The ASSM (Automated Ship Spare-Part Management) device utilizing image processing and transfer learning is a new technology that successfully automates spare part management.
An Analytical Dynamic Model for Vibration Suppression of a Multi-Span Continuous Bridge by Tuned Mass Dampers
Authors: Wei Jin , Liu Wei , Gao Peixin , Ding Yujie
Published: May 2023

In this paper, an analytical dynamic model is proposed for vibration suppression of a multi-span continuous bridge by tuned mass dampers (TMDs). Firstly, the partial differential equations (PDEs) that govern the motion of the multi-span continuous bridge and the TMDs are obtained, respectively. According to the matching conditions and the boundary conditions, the mode shapes of the multi-span continuous bridge are derived, and the orthogonality relations of the mode shapes are proven. By using the mode shapes and their orthogonality relations, the PDEs that govern the motion of the bridge and the TMDs are truncated into the ordinary differential equations (ODEs) that describe the motion of the entire system. To verify the proposed model, the natural frequencies solved by the frequency equation are compared with those obtained by the finite element software ANSYS. According to the ODEs in this model, the dynamical responses of the system are worked out to study the influence of the location and the number of TMDs on the vibration suppression of the bridge.
Genetic and Other Determinants for the Severity of Coccidioidomycosis: A Clinician’s Perspective
Authors: Galgiani John N. , Hsu Amy P. , Powell Daniel A. , Vyas Jatin M. , Holland Steven M.
Published: May 2023

The endemic fungal infection, coccidioidomycosis, occurs after inhalation of one or very few Coccidioides spp. spores. Infections produce diverse clinical manifestations, ranging from insignificant to extremely destructive, even fatal. Approaches to understanding this range of consequences have traditionally categorized patients into a small number of groups (asymptomatic, uncomplicated self-limited, fibro-cavitary, and extra-thoracic disseminated) and then looked for immunologic differences among them. Recently, variants within genes of innate pathways have been found to account, in part, for infections that result in disseminated disease. This discovery raises the very attractive theory that, in patients without severe immunosuppression, much of the disease spectrum can be accounted for by various combinations of such deleterious variants in innate pathways. In this review, we summarize what is known about genetic determinants that are responsible for the severity of coccidioidal infections and how complex innate genetic differences among different people might account for the spectrum of disease observed clinically.
Textured vs. Smooth Breast Implants Using the Jones Criteria—What Is the Currently Available Evidence for BIA-ALCL?: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hecker Andrzej , Giese Barbara , Pignet Anna-Lisa , Schellnegger Marlies , Kamolz Lars-Peter , Lumenta David Benjamin
Published: May 2023

Breast-Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a rare low-incidence type of T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, arising in the capsule around breast implants, and predominantly associated with the use of macro-textured breast implants. The purpose of this study was to use an evidence-based approach to systematically identify clinical studies comparing smooth and textured breast implants in women with regard to the risk of developing BIA-ALCL. Methods: A literature search in PubMed in April 2023 and the article reference list of the French National Agency of Medicine and Health Products decision from 2019 were screened for applicable studies. Only clinical studies where the Jones surface classification could be applied (required information: breast implant manufacturer) for comparison of smooth and textured breast implants were considered. Results: From a total of 224 studies, no articles were included due to the lack of fit to the strict inclusion criteria. Conclusions: Based on the scanned and included literature, implant surface types in relation to the incidence of BIA-ALCL were not evaluated in clinical studies and data from evidence-based clinical sources plays a minor to no role in this context. An international database that combines breast implant-related data from (national, opt-out) medical device registries is, therefore, the best available option to obtain relevant long-term breast implant surveillance data on BIA-ALCL.
Sustainable Development of Farmers in Minority Areas after Poverty Alleviation Relocation: Based on an Improved Sustainable Livelihood Analysis Framework
Authors: Wu Jiaxin , Zhang Jigang , Yang Hongjuan
Published: May 2023

As an essential regional planning policy, poverty alleviation relocation has a significant impact on the regional economy, environment, and social well-being and is critical for sustainable development. Based on the development of minority areas in Yunnan, this study improves the traditional sustainable livelihood analysis framework and constructed a livelihood capital evaluation system including natural, physical, financial, social, human, and cultural capital. Furthermore, the measurement standard of sustainable livelihoods is proposed, which requires not only the enhancement of livelihood capital but also the coupling and coordinated development of all capital components. Based on the data of Menglai township from 2015 to 2021, this study estimates that farmers’ livelihood capital has increased after relocation, and the level of coupling and coordination has improved. Still, it has yet to reach extreme coordination. Hereafter, the theoretical framework of internal and external factors affecting livelihood capital is constructed, and the influencing factors of livelihood capital are obtained through regression analysis. This study provides a new tool for evaluating livelihood capital in minority areas, obtains new findings on the sustainable development of farmers’ livelihood capital after poverty alleviation relocation, and expands a new perspective for studying the influencing factors of livelihood capital.
Challenges in the Timely Diagnosis of Behcet’s Disease
Authors: Hassan Fadi , Jeries Helana , Naffaa Mohammad E.
Published: May 2023

Behcet’s disease (BD) is a chronic, multi-systemic inflammatory disorder mainly characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcers, skin lesions, and uveitis. As no pathognomonic laboratory test exists for BD, the diagnosis relies solely on clinical features. Over the years, great efforts have been invested in creating clinical diagnostic and classification criteria. The international study group criteria introduced in 1990 were the first true multinational set of criteria. Despite improving the ability to diagnose BD, these criteria still have limitations, including the inability to diagnose patients presenting without oral ulcers or presenting with rare manifestations of the disease. This led to the introduction of the international criteria for BD in 2013, which improved the sensitivity with minimal compromise on specificity. Despite the efforts made and as our understanding of the clinical manifestations of BD and genetic pathogenesis continue to evolve, efforts should be made to further enhance the currently accepted international classification criteria, perhaps by incorporating genetic testing (e.g., family history or HLA typing) as well as ethnic group-specific features.
A Fast 6DOF Visual Selective Grasping System Using Point Clouds
Authors: de Oliveira Daniel Moura , Conceicao Andre Gustavo Scolari
Published: May 2023

Visual object grasping can be complex when dealing with different shapes, points of view, and environments since the robotic manipulator must estimate the most feasible place to grasp. This work proposes a new selective grasping system using only point clouds of objects. For the selection of the object of interest, a deep learning network for object classification is proposed, named Point Encoder Convolution (PEC). The network is trained with a dataset obtained in a realistic simulator and uses an autoencoder with 1D convolution. The developed grasping algorithm used in the system uses geometry primitives and lateral curvatures to estimate the best region to grasp without previously knowing the object’s point cloud. Experimental results show a success ratio of 94% for a dataset with five classes, and the proposed visual selective grasping system can be executed in around 0.004 s, suitable for tasks that require a low execution time or use low-cost hardware.
Easy Cell Detachment and Spheroid Formation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using Two-Dimensional Colloidal Arrays
Authors: Kuno Goshi , Matsumoto Akikazu
Published: May 2023

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) may develop into any form of cell and are being intensively investigated. The influence on iPSCs of nanostructures generated using two-dimensional colloidal arrays was examined in this study. Colloidal arrays were formed using the following procedure. First, core–shell colloids were adsorbed onto a glass substrate using a layer-by-layer method. Second, the colloids were immobilized via thermal fusion. Third, the surface of the colloids was modified by plasma treatment. By adjusting the number density of colloids, cultured iPSCs were easily detached from the substrate without manual cell scraping. In addition to planar culture, cell aggregation of iPSCs attached to the substrate was achieved by combining hydrophilic surface patterning on the colloidal array. Multilayered cell aggregates with approximately four layers were able be cultured. These findings imply that colloidal arrays might be an effective tool for controlling the strength of cell adhesion.
Starlikeness Associated with the Van Der Pol Numbers
Authors: Raza Mohsan , Srivastava Hari Mohan , Xin Qin , Tchier Fairouz , Malik Sarfraz Nawaz , Arif Muhammad
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we define a subclass of starlike functions associated with the Van der Pol numbers. For this class, we derive structural formula, radius of starlikeness of order α, strong starlikeness, and some inclusion results. We also study radii problems for various classes of analytic functions. Furthermore, we investigate some coefficient-related problems which include the sharp initial coefficient bounds and sharp bounds on Hankel determinants of order two and three.
High-Dimensional Variable Selection for Quantile Regression Based on Variational Bayesian Method
Authors: Dai Dengluan , Tang Anmin , Ye Jinli
Published: May 2023

The quantile regression model is widely used in variable relationship research of moderate sized data, due to its strong robustness and more comprehensive description of response variable characteristics. With the increase of data size and data dimensions, there have been some studies on high-dimensional quantile regression under the classical statistical framework, including a high-efficiency frequency perspective; however, this comes at the cost of randomness quantification, or the use of a lower efficiency Bayesian method based on MCMC sampling. To overcome these problems, we propose high-dimensional quantile regression with a spike-and-slab lasso penalty based on variational Bayesian (VBSSLQR), which can, not only improve the computational efficiency, but also measure the randomness via variational distributions. Simulation studies and real data analysis illustrated that the proposed VBSSLQR method was superior or equivalent to other quantile and nonquantile regression methods (including Bayesian and non-Bayesian methods), and its efficiency was higher than any other method.
An Efficient Legendre–Galerkin Approximation for Fourth-Order Elliptic Problems with SSP Boundary Conditions and Variable Coefficients
Authors: Zhang Hui , Yang Xingrong , Jin Jiulin , Zhang Xu , Zhang Jun
Published: May 2023

Under simply supported plate (SSP) boundary conditions, a numerical method based on the higher-order Legendre polynomial approximation was studied and developed for fourth-order problems with variable coefficients. We first divide the SSP boundary conditions into two types, namely, forced boundary conditions and natural boundary conditions. According to the forced boundary conditions, an appropriate Sobolev space is defined, and a variational formulation and a discrete scheme associated with the original problem are established. Then, the existence and uniqueness of this weak solution and approximate solution are proved. By using the Céa lemma and the tensor Jacobian polynomial approximation, we further obtain the error estimation for the numerical solutions. In addition, we use the orthogonality of Legendre polynomials to construct a set of effective basis functions and derive the equivalent tensor product linear system associated with the discrete scheme, respectively. Finally, some numerical tests were carried out to validate our algorithm and theoretical analysis.
Representing Blurred Image without Deblurring
Authors: Qi Shuren , Zhang Yushu , Wang Chao , Lan Rushi
Published: May 2023

The effective recognition of patterns from blurred images presents a fundamental difficulty for many practical vision tasks. In the era of deep learning, the main ideas to cope with this difficulty are data augmentation and deblurring. However, both facing issues such as inefficiency, instability, and lack of explainability. In this paper, we explore a simple but effective way to define invariants from blurred images, without data augmentation and deblurring. Here, the invariants are designed from Fractional Moments under Projection operators (FMP), where the blur invariance and rotation invariance are guaranteed by the general theorem of blur invariants and the Fourier-domain rotation equivariance, respectively. In general, the proposed FMP not only bears a simpler explicit definition, but also has useful representation properties including orthogonality, statistical flexibility, as well as the combined invariance of blurring and rotation. Simulation experiments are provided to demonstrate such properties of our FMP, revealing the potential for small-scale robust vision problems.
The First Rational Type Revised Fuzzy-Contractions in Revised Fuzzy Metric Spaces with an Applications
Authors: Muraliraj Angamuthu , Thangathamizh Ravichandran , Popovic Nikola , Savic Ana , Radenovic Stojan
Published: May 2023

This paper aims to introduce the concept of rational type revised fuzzy-contraction mappings in revised fuzzy metric spaces. Fixed point results are proven under the rational type revised fuzzy-contraction conditions in revised fuzzy metric spaces with illustrative examples provided to support the results. A significant role will be played by this new concept in the theory of revised fuzzy fixed point results, and it can be generalized for different contractive type mappings in the context of revised fuzzy metric spaces. Additionally, an application of a nonlinear integral type equation is presented to obtain the existing result in a unique solution to support the work.
Sharp Bounds on the Generalized Multiplicative First Zagreb Index of Graphs with Application to QSPR Modeling
Authors: Hayat Sakander , Asmat Farwa
Published: May 2023

Degree sequence measurements on graphs have attracted a lot of research interest in recent decades. Multiplying the degrees of adjacent vertices in graph Ω provides the multiplicative first Zagreb index of a graph. In the context of graph theory, the generalized multiplicative first Zagreb index of a graph Ω is defined as the product of the sum of the αth powers of the vertex degrees of Ω, where α is a real number such that α≠0 and α≠1. The focus of this work is on the extremal graphs for several classes of graphs including trees, unicyclic, and bicyclic graphs, with respect to the generalized multiplicative first Zagreb index. In the initial step, we identify a set of operations that either increases or decreases the generalized multiplicative first Zagreb index for graphs. We then involve analysis of the generalized multiplicative first Zagreb index achieving sharp bounds by characterizing the maximum or minimum graphs for those classes. We present applications of the generalized multiplicative first Zagreb index Π1α for predicting the π-electronic energy Eπ(β) of benzenoid hydrocarbons. In particular, we answer the question concerning the value of α for which the predictive potential of Π1α with Eπ for lower benzenoid hydrocarbons is the strongest. In fact, our statistical analysis delivers that Π1α correlates with Eπ of lower benzenoid hydrocarbons with correlation coefficient ρ=−0.998, if α=−0.00496. In QSPR modeling, the value ρ=−0.998 is considered to be considerably significant.