bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence of back pain in people practicing amateur horse riding
Authors: Puszczałowska-Lizis Ewa , Szymański Dominik , Pietrzak Piotr , Wilczyński Marcin
Published: September 2022

Introduction. While riding a horse, proper seat requires the trunk positioning so that the rider's centre of gravity overlaps with the horse's centre of gravity. Seat errors can lead to repeated and cumulative spinal overloads. The aim of the study was to analyse the incidence of back pain in people who practice amateur horse riding. Material and methods. The study involved 88 people aged 40-45 years, associated in equestrian centers. The research tool was the author's questionnaire, Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Oswestry Distability Index (ODI). The collected research results were analysed with the use of Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results. Statistically significant relationships were found between the incidence of pain location and gender (p = 0.001), and also between between the gender and the opinion on the need to use physiotherapy in case of back problems (p = 0.049). Conclusions. Women report pain in the lumbar and thoracic spine more frequently, while men report pain in the cervical section and entire spine. Women in a greater percentage than men believe that people who practice horse riding as an amateur should attend physiotherapy in case of pain.
DESIGN OF FUZZY-PD CONTROLLER FOR HEATING SYSTEM TEMPERATURE CONTROL
Authors: Al-Obaidi Intisar N.
Published: September 2022

The temperature control of medical and biological ovens required a high precision controller. A Fuzzy-PD (Fuzzy-Proportional Derivative) controller is designed in this research for controlling the temperature of the heating system. The controlled heating system is a small laboratory oven used for biological experiments. The controller is designed using MATLAB version 7.14 program. SIMULINK environment of MATLAB program is used in designing the controller. The output response of the complete heating system for unit step input is obtained. The inputs and output membership function (MF) and also the surface viewer for the Fuzzy-PD controller are presented in this research. The simulation results show the good performance of the designed controller and its suitability and adaptability for such sensitive application.
Design and Analysis of Wave Energy Converter Technologies
Authors: Mir Hafsa
Published: September 2022

Energy from renewables is the demand of the future. This is due to the fact that majority of the current energy generation technologies pose serious environmental hazards. Among the renewables, hydro, solar and wind power are utilized extensively, and its power plants have been installed as well in various parts of the world. However, wave power technologies are still immature in various parts of the world. This paper reviews and discusses the current state of the art of wave power technologies. Also, it a amalgamates the main concerns in the design of wave energy converters.
Health Monitoring and Breathing Support System
Authors: Awais Muhammad , Khan Muhammad Nasir , Khan Muhammad Hassan , Abbas Sadaat
Published: September 2022

The objective of this project is design and implementation of a health monitoring system using pulse oximeter which measures pulse rate and oxygen level. Before and especially during Covid-19 pandemic pulse oximeter is most necessary in intensive care units (ICU) and in operation rooms but there is a general shortage of such equipment and the one that is available is very expensive. In this project we aim to create an affordable device that allows a person to measure their physiological parameters and provide breathing support so that it may be used in homes and in medical facilities. This device is controlled by programmable microcontroller with some peripherals and sensor. First, the device was built in breadboard afterward it was built on vero board. This device is based on the variation of photon. This device measures pulse rate, body temperature and oxygen level with oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in blood. This device allows a patient to monitor their health at home which is especially useful for Covid patients observing self-isolation and it can be easily set up in remote areas and can be operated on battery. It is an affordable method of allowing people to monitor their health and avoid frequent visits to hospitals and clinics. The device contains a bag valve mask (BVM) that is compressed using a motor to allow for breathing supports for patients in critical condition.
'Drought,' 'After Drought,' and 'No Drought.' DenseNet, ResNet, InceptionV3, Xception, and VGG19 deep learning architectures were utilized for training the models. Accuracy, Precision, Recall, F1-Score, and ROC curves were used to evaluate all models. According to the experimental results, DenseNet and ResNet were the best-performing models with an accuracy of 70%, while VGG19 was the lowest-performing model with an accuracy of 60%.
Analysis of Vulnerabilities in System by Penetration Testing
Authors: Hassan Sib tul
Published: September 2022

Internet usage has been increase drastically in past decades or we can say it has become a sensation now days as internet business has built up its strong and vast network so their must need of security of the websites as well which has become a big challenge due rising in the use of internet. Vulnerability assessment and Penetration testing (VAPT) are two different techniques of assessing to analyze the vulnerability if a website these two programs two distinct results with in the same area of application.
Cyber Cloud Oncology
Authors: Tisman Glenn
Published: September 2022

Breast cancer treatment is experiencing a groundswell transformation directed by a better understanding of tumour cell metabolism. Observation of metabolic tumor cell variations led to precision medicine. In addition, a “new wave” of rapid drug development spurred by the 2016 U.S. government’s Moonshot program is in the backdrop and, in part, placed an overwhelming burden on clinical oncologists and patients. In 2016, the U.S. government announced the Cancer Moonshot intending to make ten years’ worth of progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in just five years. In the 5-year interval 2017–2021, the FDA issued an unprecedented 161 new approvals of therapeutic agents for various indications in adult patients with solid tumors.

Cancer chemotherapy now involves a complex balance between new drug development, clinical trial observations, FDA drug approvals, next-generation sequencing of tumour and blood samples, and “consensus opinion” between medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists. New “precision” medicine selects precise treatment options that benefit patients based on the genomic makeup of their tumour. Genomic profiling provides information about a diagnosis and prognosis and often predicts response or resistance to therapy, years before routine imaging studies change. New technologies, including liquid biopsy and next-generation sequencing (NGS), have identified oncogenic drivers and unique drugs capable of targeting and inhibiting/modifying newly discovered oncogenic driver pathways.

Herein is presented a helpful method for keeping track of and rapidly updating physicians on newly developed effective treatments and therapeutic consensus opinion, which often lacks contemporary harmonization between official oncology societies. Physicians and supporting healthcare workers contribute the most to patients when equipped with knowledge of the newest, least toxic, and most effective therapies.
Evaluating the Psychometric Properties of Persian Version of the Pain Resilience Scale in Cancer Patients
Authors: Ghazipoor Ghodrat , Ahmadian Hamzeh , Goudarzi Mahmoud , Amirifard Nasrin
Published: September 2022

Background: Pain resilience can protect cancer patients from emotional turmoil as a protective factor in adapting to chronic pain. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate cancer patients’ psychometric properties in the Persian version of the Pain Resilience Scale. Methods: This methodological study was conducted on 200 patients with cancer, who referred to the chemotherapy section of Imam Reza Hospital in Kermanshah, Iran in 2021 to examine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Ankawi Pain Resilience Scale. The subjects were selected through purposive sampling method based on inclusion criteria. Results: The results indicated that Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was obtained under the Behavioral Perseverance Scale (α = 0.86), Emotional/Cognitive Positive Thinking Scale (α = 0.93), and the whole Scale (α = 0.94). According to the exploratory factor analysis, this scale explained 65% of the variance of the pain resilience variable. The confirmatory factor analysis results confirmed that a two-factor model is a good fit for the data. Conclusion: According to the results, the pain resilience scale had an acceptable validity in people with cancer.
The Cost of Denying Intrinsic Value in Nature
Authors: Samuelsson Lars ,   Center for Environmental Philosophy, The University of North Texas
Published: September 2022

Many people who claim to genuinely care about nature still seem reluctant to ascribe intrinsic value to it. Environmentalists, nature friendly people in general, and even environmental activists, often hesitate at the idea that nature possesses value in its own right—value that is not reducible to its importance to human or other sentient beings. One crucial explanation of this reluctance is probably the thought that such value—at least when attached to nature—would be mysterious in one way or another, or at least very difficult to account for. In addition, Bryan Norton’s influential convergence hypothesis states that, from a practical point of view, it makes no or little difference whether we ascribe intrinsic value to nature, given the depth and variety of instrumental value it possesses. In this paper, I argue that people who genuinely care about nature cannot avoid ascribing intrinsic value (in a certain sense) to it, if they want to be able to consistently defend the kind of claims about protecting nature they arguably want to make, i.e., claims to the effect that we ought to protect for instance nature areas and species. The cost of denying intrinsic value in nature is the cost of giving up a crucial resource to philosophically defend such claims.
Risk factors for anxiety among healthcare workers in Primary Healthcare during COVID 19 pandemic
Authors: Fišeković-Kremić Marina
Published: September 2022

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) pandemic killed millions of people and affected the whole world, including Serbia. Healthcare workers could not isolate them selves from patients. They worked under adverse and challenging conditions, which could have caused mental health problems. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for anxiety in healthcare workers working in Covid wards (CW) of Primary Healthcare center (PHC). Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare workers of the CWs. During the study period, we had a total of 150 completed questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, Pearson chi-square test, and Pearson correlation were used to analyze the data. We used SPSS for data analysis. Results: Our sample included 150 healthcare workers (HCWs), of whom 86.0% were females, the majority were 41-50 years of age (40,0%), and have been working for 21-30 years (32,7%). In our sample, 94,6% HCWs stated they received personal protective equipment (PPE). The results revealed a significant association only between gender and anxiety. Anxiety was higher among females than males. Correlation analysis indicated the feeling of anxiety was positively correlated with the workload, exhaustion, and family strain. The feeling of anxiety was not correlated with the feeling of protection. The feeling of protection was in negative correlation with family strain. Conclusion: Anxiety was present in HCWs during the pandemic. Gender is the risk factor for anxiety in HCWs who work in CWs in PHCs.
An Advanced Prediction Model for Underwater Noise Emissions of Ships
Authors: Daniel Johanna M. , Schuster Max G. , Andresen-Paulsen Gyde , Holz Florian , Wittekind Kurt , Ehlers Sören
Published: September 2022

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The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between design and operational ship parameters with respect to radiated underwater noise and to develop a semiempirical noise prediction model that includes the dominant noise contributors present on merchant vessels. The model is based on Dietrich Wittekind’s prediction model and on underwater noise measurements with related Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. Additionally, the noise contribution of a two-stroke engine is investigated using structure-borne noise measurements and Finite Element Methods (FEM). The updated model can be used to assess the expected underwater noise emissions induced by ship traffic in a specific sea area based on AIS data and as a basis to produce noise maps. In conclusion, the prediction model will work as a useful tool to help understanding the noise contributors, their sensitivity on ships speed, and their impact in a defined environment.

Introduction

When discussing emissions in shipping, the focus is mainly reduced to greenhouse gases and pollutants. In the meantime, ships have been recognized as the most common source of anthropogenic noise emission in the oceans (Tournadre 2014). The dominant components of shipping noise are propeller cavitation, as well as the vibration of the hull caused by the power plant (Zou et al. 2003; Wittekind 2014). An increase in ship traffic and larger ship sizes are responsible for the steady rise in ambient noise, especially at low frequencies (Andrew et al. 2002). Several studies identified an increase of noise by 3 dB per decade. In other words, noise emissions double every 10 years as observed between the 1960s and 1990s (Andrew et al. 2002).
Estimating E-workability Components Across Central European Countries
Authors:   Institute of Technology and Business in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, Beňo Michal
Published: September 2022

At present, shifting the workforce to a home-based work environment was and is a necessary response to Covid-19 crisis. In the post-pandemic work environment, e-working may continue being popular even in agribusiness. The study objective was to examine the motives for adopting face-to-display working environments within selected V4 countries and Austria in 2019, with the study being done in terms of the various components related to the spread of e-working. The study adopted Spearman’s Rho correlation using 16 numerical variables to measure the strength of association between two variables (e-working and 16 numerical variables). This study investigated the impact of 16 selected factors in determining e-workability in V4 countries and Austria. The study found that when e-working and the percentage of GDP services are considered, a very strong positive correlation is indicated: As the GDP increases, the probability of e-working increases. High levels of education and of technology reveal a strong positive correlation. When the number of highly educated employees decreases, the number of e-workers decreases. In respect of technology, greater utilisation of digital public services, internet access and computer access from the home increase the likelihood of e-working. A medium education level and the use of the internet show a strong negative correlation: When the medium educational attainment level rises, e-working decreases. As the utilisation of the internet increases, the proportion of e-working falls. These components affected higher e-workability. Through the examination of the motives for adopting face-to-display working environments, this study advances the knowledge in the e-working field of the selected countries.
De España a Holywood, haciendo escala en París, o la supervivencia del artista musical en el siglo XX
Authors: Sevilla Llisterri Inés
Published: September 2022

Introducción al Dossier.
Influence of Biaxial Geogrid at the Ballast Interface for Granular Earth Railway Embankment
Authors: Bhardwaj Anoop , Mittal Satyendra
Published: September 2022

The development of reinforcements for soil has made an impact in most of the civil engineering sectors especially transportation. The use of geogrids is frequent in roadways but they are also finding use in railways. The major impact that geogrids could have is providing desired stiffness to a section by reducing material and serving as a proper reinforcement material. In the current study, an attempt has been made to redesign the railway embankment economically with the help of geogrids. Biaxial geogrid is used to substitute the blanket layer (thickness up to 100 cm) in the railway embankment by fulfilling the strain modulus requirement of the embankment, calculated using a plate bearing test as per DIN 18134. The experiment is performed on the embankment replicated in a metallic test chamber with granular soil as subgrade and geogrid is placed beneath the ballast. The experimental study is validated by a 3-D numerical model using Midas GTS NX software. The experimental analysis shows an improvement of 31.47% in the second modulus of the earth embankment. For the implementation of this study, a design section of Indian railways is adopted. With the help of geogrid, a reduction of 50% is observed in the embankment height, thereby reducing the overall costs.
Compressibility of Fly Ash and Fly Ash-Bentonite Mixtures
Authors: Wasil Mariola
Published: September 2022

Environmental protection, one of the most important issues nowadays, forces civil engineers to look for alternative solutions to the known ones. The use of substitute materials as an embankment fill or a ground material under the embankment instead of natural soil follows these trends. A great amount of fly ash is disposed of in landfills. It is a cost-effective material that can be used in construction instead of natural soil. The geotechnical properties of fly ash as a construction material in place of soil need to be examined. It includes laboratory tests to determine the chemical composition and geotechnical characteristics. In the present work, one-dimensional consolidation tests have been conducted to examine the compressibility behaviour of compacted fly ash and fly ash-bentonite mixtures used in the earth structures like road embankments. The analysis of the consolidation phenomenon is useful for predicting the magnitude and rate of settlement of the structure. Materials compacted at OMC to their MDD, according to Standard Proctor, were tested in Rowe-Barden type consolidometer on saturated and non-saturated samples. Coefficients of consolidation have been compared between values derived from log-time and square-root-of-time methods and direct hydraulic conductivity tests. Bentonite amount in fly ash-bentonite mixtures influences the vertical deformation of the sample.
Entanglement criterion of N qubit system
Authors: Tan Wei-Han , Zhao Chao-Ying , Guo Qi-Zhi ,   Department of Physics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China,   School of Science, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China,   State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Opto-Electronics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
Published: September 2022

In previous paper (2019 Int. J. Mod. Phys. B 33 1950197; 2020 Int. J. Mod. Phys. B 34 2050022), we presented a method to judge the entanglement of 2-qubit system. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the 2qubit system being separable are that if the relevant coefficients is positive and the principal density matrix is separable, then the system is separable, otherwise it is entangled. Now in this paper, we try to generalize this criterion to a 3-qubit system, and then, we further generalize the criterion of 3-qubit system to an N-qubit system. This is a complicated and interesting issue.
Simulation of Coulomb crystal structure and motion trajectory of calcium ions in linear ion trap
Authors: Zhang Hong-Shuo , Zhou Yong-Zhuang , Shen Yong , Zou Hong-Xin ,   Faculty of Science, Institute of Quantum Information, National Defense University, Changsha 410073, China
Published: September 2022

Coulomb crystals have applications in many areas such as quantum computing and simulation, quantum logic spectroscopy, nonlinear dynamics and chaos, phase transitions, and chemical reaction process. The structure of the Coulomb crystal and the trajectory of each trapped ion are typically determined by the parameters of the trap and the ion species. However, dark ions are often inevitable in experiment, which introduces uncertainty into the desired crystal structures and ion trajectories. Few researches have been conducted to investigate the configuration change of the crystal in the presence of dark ions and the influence of a dark ion on its surrounding ion trajectories in a multi-ion system. In this work, we utilize the molecular dynamics simulation software LAMMPS and the (py)LIon package (modified to adapt the semi-classical theory of laser cooling) for simulating the three-dimensional ion trajectories of Coulomb crystals. The formation process of 40Ca+ Coulomb crystal in a linear trap is simulated. With the micromotion and secular motion trajectories of each ion, we calculate the temperature of Coulomb crystal and the average velocity of specific ions. It is observed that the crystal structure exhibits obvious layering phenomenon when the trapped ions yield a large difference in their charge-to-mass ratio (CMR), however, layering is not obvious with a small difference in the CMR. In addition, we simulate and compare the Coulomb crystal structure formed by pure 40Ca+ ions with that formed by 40Ca+ ions mixed with a small number of dark ions including isotopic ions (44Ca+) and impurity ions (CaH+). Three different cases are investigated, namely the one-dimensional ion string, two-dimensional planar structure and three-dimensional helical structure. The results show that the ions in the neighborhood of a dark ion exhibit around micron-order position change compared with their positions before the dark ion is formed. Such a change can be measured in experiment through microscopic imaging, thereby providing a way to identify the formation of dark ions in Column crystals with a large ion number.
Computational Evaluation of Designed Phosphatase from Conserved Sequence Scratch for Diverse Substrate Specificity
Authors:   Molecular Systems Engineering Laboratory, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli-620 024, Tamil Nadu, India, Chellapandi Paulchamy , Balachandramohan Jayachandrabal ,   Molecular Systems Engineering Laboratory, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli-620 024, Tamil Nadu, India
Published: September 2022

The ability to design efficient enzymes for a broad class of different reactions would be of tremendous practical interest in both science and industry. Computer-assisted designing is a novel approach to generating industrial enzymes for biotechnological applications. Objectives: The main aim of this study was to design an enzyme construct with diverse substrate-binding specificity based on the evolutionary conservation of archaeal vanadium-dependent phosphatases. Materials and methods: A rational 3D structural model of enzyme construct was developed from conserved sequence scratch encompassing a vanadium-binding site and functional domain. Substrate-binding specificity of the designed enzyme was computed with different myo-inositol polyphosphate analogous by a molecular docking program. Results: A designed enzyme has shown more substrate-binding specificity with 1D-myo-inositol 3, 4, 5, 6-tetrakisphosphate. Its catalytic function closely resembled myo-inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase and multiple inositol polyphosphate phosphatases. Moreover, the enzyme construct was energetically stable with a low degree of conformational changes upon substrate-binding. Conclusion: Substrate specificity and catalytic competence of designed enzymes were computationally evaluated for further biotechnological applications.
A Novel Machine Learning Approach for Detection of Coronary Artery Disease Using Reduced Non-linear and Chaos Features
Authors:   Electronics and Communication Engineering (SIG) Department, School of Electrical and Computing Engineering, Adama Science and Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia, Singh Ram Sewak , Gelmecha Demissie Jobir ,   Electronics and Communication Engineering (SIG) Department, School of Electrical and Computing Engineering, Adama Science and Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia, Mishra Satyasis ,   Electronics and Communication Engineering (SIG) Department, School of Electrical and Computing Engineering, Adama Science and Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia, Dengia Gemechu ,   Electronics and Communication Engineering (SIG) Department, School of Electrical and Computing Engineering, Adama Science and Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia, Sinha Devendra Kumar ,   Mechanical Design & Manufacturing Engineering Department, Center of Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, School of Mechanical, Chemical & Materials Engineering, Adama Science & Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia
Published: September 2022

In this research paper, authors present an automated system in this paper that integrates a ranking technique with Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Generalized Discriminant Analysis (GDA) and a 1-Norm Bidirectional Extreme Learning Machine (1-NBELM) to reliably classify normal and coronary artery disease groups. Twenty chaotic and non-linear attributes were hauling out from the Heart Rate Variability (HRV) signal to detect coronary artery disease groups. The HRV data for this study derived from a typical database of Normal Old (ELY), Young (YNG), and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) people. Fisher, Wilcoxon and Bhattacharya were used to compute the rankings of attributes. GDA then turned the ranking features into a new feature. The Radial Basis Function (RBF) kernel was used to transfer original features to a high-dimensional feature space in GDA and PCA, and then it was deployed to 1-NBELM, which utilized the sigmoidal or multiquadric non-linear activation. Numerical experiments were performed on the combination of database sets as Young-ELY, Healthy-CAD, and Healthy ELY-CAD subjects. The numerical results show that ROC with GDA and 1-NBELM approach achieved an accuracy of 98.12±0.14, 96.21±0.12 and 99.87±0.28 for Young-CAD, Young-ELY and Healthy ELY-CAD groups with the use of sigmoidal and multiquadric activation function. The Fisher with GDA and 1-NBELM and Bhattacharya with GDA and 1-Norm Extreme Learning Machine (1-NELM) approach achieved an accuracy of 99.98±0.21 for all databases.
Estimation of Parameters for an Archetypal Model of Cardiomyocyte Membrane Potentials
Authors:   Institute of Mathematical Sciences, University of Malaya, 50603 K. Lumpur, Malaysia, Aziz Muhamad H. N. , Simitev Radostin D. ,   School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
Published: September 2022

Contemporary realistic mathematical models of single-cell cardiac electrical excitation are immensely detailed. Model complexity leads to parameter uncertainty, high computational cost and barriers to mechanistic understanding. There is a need for reduced models that are conceptually and mathematically simple but physiologically accurate. To this end, we consider an archetypal model of single-cell cardiac excitation that replicates the phase-space geometry of detailed cardiac models, but at the same time has a simple piecewise-linear form and a relatively low-dimensional configuration space. In order to make this archetypal model practically applicable, we develop and report a robust method for estimation of its parameter values from the morphology of single-stimulus action potentials derived from detailed ionic current models and from experimental myocyte measurements. The procedure is applied to five significant test cases and an excellent agreement with target biomarkers is achieved. Action potential duration restitution curves are also computed and compared to those of the target test models and data, demonstrating conservation of dynamical pacing behaviour by the fine-tuned archetypal model. An archetypal model that accurately reproduces a variety of wet-lab and synthetic electrophysiology data offers a number of specific advantages such as computational efficiency, as also demonstrated in the study. Open-source numerical code of the models and methods used is provided.
Fabrication and Biocompatibility of Layer-by-layer Assembled Composite Graphene Oxide-polysaccharide Microcapsules
Authors:   Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, Stoichev Svetozar , Danailova Avgustina ,   Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, Iliev Ivan ,   Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, Sulikovska Inna ,   Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 25, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, Strijkova Velichka ,   Institute of Optical Materials and Technologies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 109, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, Mladenova Kirilka ,   Faculty of Biology, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohriski”, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria, Andreeva Tonya ,   Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Published: September 2022

The present study is focused on the construction and characterization of the morphology and biocompatibility of polysaccharide multilayered microcapsules (PMC) composed of natural polyelectrolytes (chitosan/alginate/hyaluronic acid), and on the effect of graphene oxide (GO) incorporation in the polymer matrix. The insertion of GO in the polymer matrix is an innovative and still evolving strategy used to modify the properties of the polyelectrolyte microcapsules. We have fabricated a number of hybrid GO-polysaccharide multilayered capsules by layer-by-layer assembling technique onto a CaCO3 core, followed by core decomposition in mild conditions. Hybrid microcapsules with different composition were constructed by varying the number or localization of the incorporated GO-layers. It was found that the thickness of the hybrid microcapsules, evaluated by atomic force microscopy, decreases after incorporation of GO nanosheets in the polymer matrix. Analysis of the viability and proliferation of fibroblasts after incubation with hybrid PMC revealed pronounced concentration-dependent cytotoxic and antiproliferative effect. Based on the results, we can conclude that the hybrid multilayered microcapsules made of natural polysaccharides and graphene oxide could be used for biomedical applications.
Physiological, biochemical and phytohormone responses of Elymus nutans to α-pinene-induced allelopathy
Authors: Chen Mengci , Qiao Youming , Quan Xiaolong , Shi Huilan , Duan Zhonghua
Published: September 2022

The α-pinene is the main allelochemical of many weeds that inhibit the growth of Elymus nutans, an important forage and ecological restoration herbage. However, the response changes of α-pinene-induced allelopathy to E. nutans is still unclear. Here, we investigated the physiological, biochemical and phytohormone changes of E. nutans exposed to different α-pinene concentrations. The α-pinene-stress had no significant effect on height and fresh weight (FW) of seedlings. The water-soluble proteins, the soluble sugars and proline (Pro) strengthened seedlings immunity at 5 and 10 µL L−1 α-pinene. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) increased at 5 µL L−1 α-pinene to resist stress. APX reduced the membrane lipid peroxidation quickly at 10 µL L−1 α-pinene. The high-activity of peroxidase (POD), APX along with the high level of GSH contributed to the cellular redox equilibrium at 15 µL L−1 α-pinene. The POD, glutathione reductase (GR) activity and glutathione (GSH) level remained stable at 20 µL L−1 α-pinene. The changes in antioxidant enzymes and antioxidants indicated that E. nutans was effective in counteracting the harmful effects generated by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The α-pinene caused severe phytotoxic effects in E. nutans seedlings at 15 and 20 µL L−1. Endogenous signal nitric oxide (NO) and cell membrane damage product Pro accumulated in leaves of E. nutans seedlings at 15 and 20 µL L−1 α-pinene, while lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulated. The chlorophylls (Chls), chlorophyll a (Chl a), chlorophyll b (Chl b) content decreased, and biomass of seedlings was severely inhibited at 20 µL L−1 α-pinene. The α-pinene caused phytotoxic effects on E. nutans seedlings mainly through breaking the balance of the membrane system rather than with reactive oxygen species (ROS) productionat 15 and 20 µL L−1 α-pinene. Additionally, phytohormone levels were altered by α-pinene-stress. Abscisic acid (ABA) and indole acetic acid (IAA) of E. nutans seedlings were sensitive to α-pinene. As for the degree of α-pinene stress, salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) played an important role in resisting allelopathic effects at 15 µL L−1 α-pinene. The ABA, Zeatin, SA, gibberellin 7 (GA7), JA and IAA levels increased at 20 µL L−1 α-pinene. The α-pinene had a greatest impact on ABA and IAA levels. Collectively, our results suggest that E. nutans seedlings were effective in counteracting the harmful effects at 5 and 10 µL L−1 α-pinene, and they were severely stressed at 15 and 20 µL L−1 α-pinene. Our findings provided references for understanding the allelopathic mechanism about allelochemicals to plants.
Sugarcane Yield Estimation of Yamunanagar and Panipat District of Haryana Using NARX Model
Authors: Bhardwaj Sanjeev, Nitin
Published: September 2022

Uncontrollable factors that affect yield variability include seasonal and intra seasonal weather variations. The degree to which meteorological factors affect agricultural productivity depends not only on their quantity but also on how they are distributed throughout the crop season. Therefore, while estimating the dynamic behavior of agricultural production, it should be able to take advantage from both historical data on crop yield and the impact of different external environmental driving forces. In this study, Yamunanagar and Panipat districts of Haryana's sugarcane yield have been attempted to be estimated using NARX (Nonlinear Autoregressive Model with Exogenous Input) models. The NARX model with one hidden neuron and arf13, and the NARX model with two hidden neuron and tmx13 selected as best model for Yamunanagar and Panipat districts respectively with smaller values of percent relative deviation (RD (%)), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and root mean squared error (RMSE).
A comparative study of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells isolated using three easy‐to‐perform approaches
Authors: Lu Yalan , Han Yunlin , Zhou Li , Shi Guiying , Bai Lin , Wang Kewei , Qin Chuan
Published: September 2022

Mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (mBM‐MSCs) are important for preclinical tissue regeneration and repair studies. In the present study, we isolated mBM‐MSCs using three easy‐to‐perform methods (whole bone marrow‐adherent culture, density‐gradient centrifugation, and bone digestion), and then compared the morphology, proliferation, differentiation, and paracrine factor profiles of the isolated mBM‐MSCs. Of these three isolation methods, the bone digestion method resulted in the highest quantity of mBM‐MSCs with high growth potential and moderate differentiation. Conversely, the mBM‐MSCs isolated through the whole bone marrow‐adherent method exhibited the lowest potency for proliferation and differentiation. The differentially expressed factors between mBM‐MSCs were primarily those involved in immune responses. The highly expressed secreted factors included cytokines/members of the chemokine family, growth factors, and protein binding/proteinase activity. These findings provide a fundamental reference for development of MSC isolation methods.
Forensic facial examiners versus super‐recognizers: Evaluating behavior beyond accuracy
Authors: Hahn Carina A. , Tang Liansheng Larry , Yates Amy N. , Phillips P. Jonathon
Published: September 2022

We evaluated the detailed, behavioral properties of face matching performance in two specialist groups: forensic facial examiners and super‐recognizers. Both groups compare faces to determine identity with high accuracy and outperform the general population. Typically, facial examiners are highly trained; super‐recognizers rely on natural ability. We found distinct behaviors between these two groups. Examiners used the full 7‐point identity judgment scale (−3: “different”; +3: “same”). Super‐recognizers' judgments clustered toward highly confident decisions. Examiners' judgments for same‐ and different‐identities were symmetric across the scale midpoint (0); super‐recognizers' judgments were not. Examiners showed higher identity judgment agreement than super‐recognizers. Despite these qualitative differences, both groups showed insight into their own accuracy: more confident people and those who rated the task to be easier tended to be more accurate. Altogether, we show to better understand and interpret judgments according to the nature of someone's facial expertise, evaluations should assess more than accuracy.
NdFeB Magnets with Well‐Pronounced Anisotropic Magnetic Properties Made by Electric Current‐Assisted Sintering
Authors: Prasad Mishra Tarini , Leich Lennart , Krengel Martin , Weber Sebastian , Röttger Arne , Bram Martin
Published: September 2022

Electric current‐assisted sintering (ECAS) technologies are highly promising for processing of NdFeB magnets. Due to the combination of direct Joule heating and application of external load, even powders, whose particle size distribution and morphology are not optimum for conventional powder processing like melt‐spun powders or magnet scrap, can be easily sintered to high densities. A systematic study is done to demonstrate the potential of field‐assisted sintering technique/spark plasma sintering (FAST/SPS) and flash spark plasma sintering (flash SPS) for sintering of NdFeB powders. Melt‐spun, commercial NdFeB powder (Magnequench MQU‐F) is used as starting material. Its platelet‐like shape makes this powder extremely difficult to sinter by conventional methods. This study clearly reveals that especially in the case of flash SPS application of external pressure in combination with short cycle times enables to achieve well‐pronounced anisotropic magnetic properties without the need of subsequent upset forging. Optimized flash SPS parameters are applied to NdFeB magnet scrap with broad particle size distribution, demonstrating the general potential of ECAS technologies for recycling of waste magnet materials. Finally, the results are benchmarked with respect to established NdFeB processing technologies and electrodischarge sintering (EDS), another promising ECAS technology with very short cycling time.
Pyrolyzed Ultrasharp Glassy Carbon Microneedles
Authors: Zhou Chaoqun , Aksit Aykut , Szeto Betsy , Li Richard L. , Lalwani Anil K. , Kysar Jeffrey W.
Published: September 2022

Polymeric microneedles fabricated via two‐photon polymerization (2PP) lithography enable safe medical access to the inner ear. Herein, the material class for 2PP‐lithography‐based microneedles is expanded by pyrolyzing 2PP‐fabricated polymeric microneedles, resulting in glassy carbon microneedles. During pyrolysis the microneedles shrink up to 81% while maintaining their complex shape when the exposed surface‐area‐to‐volume ratio (SVR) is , for the temperature history protocol used herein. The derived glassy carbon is confirmed with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The pyrolyzed glassy carbon has Young's modulus 9.0 GPa. As a brittle material, the strength is stochastic. Using the two‐parameter Weibull distribution, the glassy carbon has Weibull modulus of 3.1 and characteristic strength of 710 MPa. The viscoelastic response has characteristic time scale of about 10000 s. In vitro experiments demonstrate that the glassy carbon microneedles introduce controlled perforations across the guinea pig round window membrane (RWM) from the middle ear space into the inner ear, without damaging the microneedle. The resultant controlled perforation of RWM is known to enhance diffusion of therapeutics across the RWM in a predictable fashion. Hence, the glassy carbon microneedles can be deployed for mediating inner ear delivery.
Pharmacokinetics of Intramuscularly Administered Thermoresponsive Polymers
Authors: Groborz Ondřej , Kolouchová Kristýna , Pankrác Jan , Keša Peter , Kadlec Jan , Krunclová Tereza , Pierzynová Aneta , Šrámek Jaromír , Hovořáková Mária , Dalecká Linda , Pavlíková Zuzana , Matouš Petr , Páral Petr , Loukotová Lenka , Švec Pavel , Beneš Hynek , Štěpánek Lubomír , Dunlop David , Melo Carlos V. , Šefc Luděk , Slanina Tomáš , Beneš Jiří , Van Vlierberghe Sandra , Hoogenboom Richard , Hrubý Martin
Published: September 2022

Aqueous solutions of some polymers exhibit a lower critical solution temperature (LCST); that is, they form phase‐separated aggregates when heated above a threshold temperature. Such polymers found many promising (bio)medical applications, including in situ thermogelling with controlled drug release, polymer‐supported radiotherapy (brachytherapy), immunotherapy, and wound dressing, among others. Yet, despite the extensive research on medicinal applications of thermoresponsive polymers, their biodistribution and fate after administration remained unknown. Thus, herein, they studied the pharmacokinetics of four different thermoresponsive polyacrylamides after intramuscular administration in mice. In vivo, these thermoresponsive polymers formed depots that subsequently dissolved with a two‐phase kinetics (depot maturation, slow redissolution) with half‐lives 2 weeks to 5 months, as depot vitrification prolonged their half‐lives. Additionally, the decrease of TCP of a polymer solution increased the density of the intramuscular depot. Moreover, they detected secondary polymer depots in the kidneys and liver; these secondary depots also followed two‐phase kinetics (depot maturation and slow dissolution), with half‐lives 8 to 38 days (kidneys) and 15 to 22 days (liver). Overall, these findings may be used to tailor the properties of thermoresponsive polymers to meet the demands of their medicinal applications. Their methods may become a benchmark for future studies of polymer biodistribution.
Isolating Contiguous Ir Atoms and Forming Ir–W Intermetallics with Negatively Charged Ir for Efficient NO Reduction by CO
Authors: Ji Yongjun , Liu Shaomian , Zhu Hongdan , Xu Wenqing , Jiang Ruihuan , Zhang Yu , Yu Jian , Chen Wenxing , Jia Lihua , Jiang Jingang , Zhu Tingyu , Zhong Ziyi , Wang Dingsheng , Xu Guangwen , Su Fabing
Published: September 2022

The lack of efficient catalysts with a wide working temperature window and vital O2and SO2resistance for selective catalytic reduction of NO by CO (CO‐SCR) largely hinders its implementation. Here, a novel Ir‐based catalyst with only 1 wt% Ir loading is reported for efficient CO‐SCR. In this catalyst, contiguous Ir atoms are isolated into single atoms, and Ir–W intermetallic nanoparticles are formed, which are supported on ordered mesoporous SiO2(KIT‐6). Notably, this catalyst enables complete NO conversion to N2at 250 °C in the presence of 1% O2and has a wide temperature window (250–400 °C), outperforming the comparison samples with Ir isolated‐single‐atomic‐sites and Ir nanoparticles, respectively. Also, it possesses a high SO2tolerance. Both experimental results and theoretical calculations reveal that single Ir atoms are negatively charged, dramatically enhancing the NO dissociation, while the Ir–W intermetallic nanoparticles accelerate the reduction of the N2O and NO2intermediates by CO.
Revisiting the Design Strategies for Metasurfaces: Fundamental Physics, Optimization, and Beyond
Authors: So Sunae , Mun Jungho , Park Junghyun , Rho Junsuk
Published: September 2022

Over the last two decades, the capabilities of metasurfaces in light modulation with subwavelength thickness have been proven, and metasurfaces are expected to miniaturize conventional optical components and add various functionalities. Herein, various metasurface design strategies are reviewed thoroughly. First, the scalar diffraction theory is revisited to provide the basic principle of light propagation. Then, widely used design methods based on the unit‐cell approach are discussed. The methods include a set of simplified steps, including the phase‐map retrieval and meta‐atom unit‐cell design. Then, recently emerging metasurfaces that may not be accurately designed using unit‐cell approach are introduced. Unconventional metasurfaces are examined where the conventional design methods fail and finally potential design methods for such metasurfaces are discussed.
Low‐Fouling Zwitterionic Polymeric Colloids as Resuscitation Fluids for Hemorrhagic Shock
Authors: Kumar Rajesh , Mancebo Julia Garcia , Patenaude Ryan , Sack Kristen , Prondzynski Maksymilian , Packard Alan B. , Dearling Jason L. J. , Li Ruihan , Balcarcel‐Monzon Michelle , Dominguez Saffron , Emani Sirisha , Kheir John N. , Polizzotti Brian , Peng Yifeng
Published: September 2022

Colloids, known as volume expanders, have been used as resuscitation fluids for hypovolemic shock for decades, as they increase plasma oncotic pressure and expand intravascular volume. However, recent studies show that commonly used synthetic colloids have adverse interactions with human biological systems. In this work, a low‐fouling amine(N)‐oxide‐based zwitterionic polymer as an alternative volume expander with improved biocompatibility and efficacy is designed. It is demonstrated that the polymer possesses antifouling ability, resisting cell interaction and deposition in major organs, and is rapidly cleared via renal filtration and hepatic circulation, reducing the risk of long‐term side effects. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo studies show an absence of adverse effects on hemostasis or any acute safety risks. Finally, it is shown that, in a head‐to‐head comparison with existing colloids and plasma, the zwitterionic polymer serves as a more potent oncotic agent for restoring intravascular volume in a hemorrhagic shock model. The design of N‐oxide‐based zwitterionic polymers may lead to the development of alternative fluid therapies to treat hypovolemic shock and to improve fluid management in general.