bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Contamination of Some Heavy Metals in Sediment and Influence of Organic Matter: Case study in Mangrove Forest Zone along the Coastal Area of Chanthaburi Province, the Eastern Gulf of Thailand
Authors: Mekprayoon Sutthinee , Potipat Jakkapan , Kunsook Chutapa
Published: November 2022

The determinations of zinc, copper, lead, cadmium, and organic matters (OM) in sediment along the coastal area of Chanthaburi Province, the Eastern Gulf of Thailand from 12 stations was conducted during the dry season (March 2021) and the wet season (September 2022). The quantity of heavy metals accumulated in sediment during the dry and wet season was Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd. The results showed that the average heavy metal concentration in the dry season was significantly higher than that in the wet season due to the low run off in the dry season resulting in increasing precipitation and accumulation processes. The results of the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and enrichment factor (EF) values of the heavy metals content in the sediments indicated that the conservation area was unpolluted and not enriched, respectively.
Investigation of Shear Strength of Sand-Bentonite Mixtures with Boron Additives at High Temperature for Energy Geo-Structures
Authors: Alpaydin Sukran Gizem , Yukselen-Aksoy Yeliz
Published: November 2022

The soils surrounding energy geo-structures are exposed to high temperatures and temperature cycles. Changes in the engineering properties of soils should be investigated under thermal effects and soils that are highly durable against temperature changes are needed for thermo-active geo-structures. Generally, bentonite or sand-bentonite mixtures (SBMs) are preferred as natural barrier soil materials. Hence, the engineering properties of these natural soil materials against high temperatures should be improved. Boron, which has high thermal resistivity, reduces the heat expansion of materials, when added to soils may increase the durability of buffer materials at high temperatures. In the present study, the effects of tincal and ulexite additives were observed on the shear strength behaviour of SBMs at 80°C and room temperature. The general results showed that with the contribution of boron, the shear strength of the SBMs increased with increasing temperature. The effect was more pronounced for 20% SBMs at high temperature. Tincal and ulexite can be used to increase the shear strength of SBMs at high temperatures.
Comparative studies on intracellular invertase from an hyperproducer (Abagboro yeast) and a commercial yeast (Saccharomyces carlsbergensis)
Authors: Osiebe Oghenesivwe , Adewale Isaac Olusanjo , Omafuvbe Bridget Okiemute
Published: November 2022

The ability of yeast to secrete intracellular and extracellular forms of invertase has been demonstrated by studies, however not much research has focused on intracellular invertase. Here we report the biochemical and chromatographic properties of intracellular invertase from invertase hyperproducer obtained from Abagboro village, Ile-Ife, Nigeria and compared it with that from a brewery which had been commercially selected. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces carlsbergensis were isolated from fresh palm wine obtained from Abagboro village, Ile-Ife and from green beer obtained from a local brewery, respectively. Isolates were grown on liquefied cassava-soy bean mash for 72 hours. Yeast biomass harvested was homogenized to obtain crude intracellular invertase and purified by chromatographic techniques. Physicochemical properties and kinetic parameters (Km and Vmax) of the enzymes was studied. Native and subunit molecular weights of purified invertase from an hyperproducer (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces carlsbergensis) were 118.3 kDa and 113.38 ± 4.9 kDa; 39.12 ± 1.2 kDa and 39.34 ± 1.71 kDa, respectively. Invertase was stable for 1 hour at 50 oC, with optimum temperature of 50 oC and 55 oC for Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, while their activation energies were 36.225 ± 4.015 kJmol− 1 and 33.06 ± 1.810 kJmol− 1 respectively. Invertase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces carlsbergensis had optimum activity at pH 5.0 and 4.0 respectively. Both enzymes utilized similar substrates with highest affinities for sucrose. The newly identified intracellular invertase from Abagboro yeast share similar physicochemical properties with that from commercial yeast (Saccharomyces carlsbergensis).
The magnitude threshold and missing and pseudo links in Markov chains
Authors: Nava Fidencio Alejandro , Gutiérrez Quiriat Jearim
Published: November 2022

A crisp step function is not an adequate threshold for studies of Markovian occurrence of large earthquakes, because it can lead to missing or pseudo links in an observed sequence that should be a Markov chain. A more realistic threshold is a fuzzy one where there is a magnitude band, located between those magnitudes that are too small for the earthquakes to be part of a Markovian process and those who are certainly large enough for the earthquakes to be part of it, where earthquakes may or may not be part of the process. This fuzzy threshold is described by a membership function that gives the probability of an earthquake with a given magnitude belonging to the process. We propose a counting strategy to evaluate the empirical transition probabilities when considering a fuzzy magnitude threshold, and justify it through Monte Carlo simulations. We also propose a membership function with probabilities in the transition band proportional to the seismic moment, and apply it to data from a seismic study of the Japan area. By comparing the results of three Markovianity measures for the observed data with those of Monte Carlo simulations, we find that a fuzzy threshold going from zero probability for magnitudes M≤6.9 to probability one for M≥7.2is the best model for the study area.
Development of a machine learning-based nomogram for predicting one-year mortality in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in intensive care unit
Authors: Liu Xiaozhu , Zhang Yang , Deng Jiewen , Liu Yue , Huang Jian , Huang Yang , Duan Minjie , Yang Ming , Tang Juan , Liu Yuan , Liu Weiping , Deng Zhiping , Peng Shengxian
Published: November 2022

Objective: Predictors of one-year mortality for elderly patients referred to intensive care units (ICUs) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remain poorly described. We sought to create and verify a model for predicting all-cause one-year death among COPD patients admitted to the ICU.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was designed. The Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) database was mined for information. A total of 2313 patients with COPD who met the inclusion criteria were screened for eligibility using registry data from the MIMIC-IV database between January 2008 and December 2019, which was randomized into training (n = 1628, 70%) and testing groups (n = 685, 30%). The tree model-based extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), random forest (RF), and lightGBM algorithms were used in the training samples to rank feature importance and screen out its top 10 union features as independent mortality risk factors.The variance inflation factor (VIF) was used to check for collinearity in the prediction model's input variables, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to take a gander at factors related to mortality and then to use those factors to create a nomogram for predicting prognosis, which was then tested on the testing cohort. The AUC, calibration plot, and decision curve analysis were performed to evaluate the predictive model's discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility.
Results: The results showed that ∼40.60% (939 out of 2,313) of the patients died. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, weight, BUN, RDW, MCHC, age, malignancy, and heart_rate were all independent predictors of mortality. In both groups, the nomogram showed acceptable discrimination (area under curve [AUC] = 0.7216 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.6968–0.7465] and AUC=0.7481 [95% CI 0.7116–0.7845], respectively) and good calibration compared to SOFA, SAPS II, LODS, APS III, OASIS, SIRS, GCS, and MELD risk scores.In addition, it was discovered that calibration plots accurately predicted one-year mortality. The examination of decision curves (DCAs) revealed that the nomogram model had a greater net benefit.
Conclusions: Our nomogram provides interpretable and visual explanations of customized one-year death projections in ICU-admitted elderly patients with COPD, which may aid clinical clinicians in comprehending the effects of key model characteristics and the model's decision-making for such patients.
Evaluation of different copper sources as feed additives in Nile tilapia diets: Growth, body indices, hematological assay, plasma metabolites, immune, anti-oxidative ability, and intestinal morphometric measurements
Authors: Ibrahim Mohamed S. , mohamed Shimaa M.R. , Mohammady Eman Y. , El-Haroun Ehab R. , Hassaan Mohamed S.
Published: November 2022

The goal of the current study was to compare how well Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, utilized copper (Cu) from bulk and nano sources as a dietary copper supplement by evaluating fish growth, body indices, hematological assays, plasma metabolites, immune and anti-oxidative abilities, and intestinal morphometric measurements. The basal diet served as a control, with no Cu added, whereas the experimental diets were formed by adding bulk-Cu and nano-Cu to the basal diet to keep Cu levels at 3 and 6 mg kg− 1, respectively, in both Cu sources. Tilapia (9.10 ± 0.014 g) were fed the control diet and four experimental diets for 12 weeks. In conclusion, fish-fed Cu-supplemented diets outperformed those fed the control-free Cu diet in terms of growth, feed utilization, body indices, fillet nutrient composition, hematological assay, plasma metabolites, immune, antioxidant activities, and intestinal morphometry, with the best weight gain (WG), flesh Cu contents, hematocrit% (Hct), white blood cell counts (WBCs), total protein (TP), albumin (AL), and globulin. These findings suggest that Cu in the form of nanoparticles is more useful than bulk Cu for satisfying the dietary Cu requirements of Nile tilapia.
Machine Learning for Classification of Cutaneous Sebaceous Neoplasms: Implementing Decision Tree Model Using Cytological and Architectural Features
Authors: Kamyab-Hesari Kambiz , azhari Vahidehsadat , ahmadzade Ali , Amoli Fahimeh Asadi , Najafi Anahita , Hasanzadeh Alireza , Beikmarzehei Alireza
Published: November 2022

Background: This observational study aimed to describe and compare histopathological, architectural, and nuclear characteristics of sebaceous lesions and utilized these characteristics to develop a predictive classification approach using machine learning algorithms.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with sebaceous from March 2015 to March 2019. Pathology slides were retrieved and reviewed. Two distinct pathologists assessed each slide regarding architectural and cytological attributes. A decision tree method was used to develop a prediction model. multiple models were trained on a random 80% train set, this time only using the selected variables, and mean accuracy was calculated.
Results: This study assessed characteristics of 124 sebaceous tumors. Histopathological findings such as pagetoid appearance, neurovascular invasion, atypical mitosis, extensive necrotic area, poor cell differentiation, and non-lobular tumor growth pattern, as well as nuclear features such as highly irregular nuclear contour, and large nuclear size were exclusively observed in carcinomatous tumors. Among non-carcinomatous lesions, some sebaceoma cases had features like infiltrative tumor margin, and high mitotic activity which can be misleading and complicate diagnosis. Based on multiple decision tree models, the five most critical variables for lesion categorization were identified as: nuclear contour, nucleoli, peripheral basaloid cell layers, basaloid cell count, and chromatin.
Conclusions: This study implemented a machine learning modeling approach to help categorize controversial sebaceous lesions based on architectural and nuclear features, optimally. However, studies of larger sample sizes are needed to ensure the accuracy of our suggested predictive model.
Homotopy Perturbation Method applied to the Berkhoff equation for wave propagation on uneven bottoms
Authors: Tanguy Jean-Michel
Published: November 2022

The paper is focussed on the application of the Homotopy Perturbation Method (HPM) to the wave propagation on uneven bottoms. The corresponding Berkhoff equation is solved on sloping bottoms with different types of boundary conditions: Dirichlet, Neuman or Robin. The matrix topology of the solution appears to be very effective in obtaining the water level inside the domain, as well as the reflection and the transmission coefficients. Different solutions are studied in the case of successive multiple slopes, with reference to Booij's experiments. The first part of the study is in the shallow water regime, where an analytical solution is known, suitable to validate the results obtained by the homotopy method. The second part is more general and necessitates to use an approximate solution of the wave dispersion relation: Hunt’s continuous function is chosen. The very good results obtained allow us to discretize any bottom bathymetry by a series of linear slopes. These experiments are completed with considerations on the great interest provided by the power of the semi-analytical solution HPM, which can be applied on smaller subdomains, avoiding restricted criteria in space, in order to give the solution on the infinite domain. This depends on the type of boundary conditions and the number of the homotopy orders.
Lithological Characteristics, Microfacies and Diagenetic History of The Lower Aptian (Lower Shuaiba Formation) in The United Arab Emirates
Authors: Alsharhan A.S.
Published: November 2022

The Aptian Lower Shuaiba Formation in the United Arab Emirates is characterized by four shallow-water carbonate lithological units: (a) thinly bedded argillaceous pellet- and foram-rich lime mudstones; (b) heavily bioturbated packstones and poorly washed grainstones rich in aragonitic bioclastic grains, pellets and intraclasts; (c) poorly bioturbated packstones and wackestones containing a moderate fossil content; and (d) wackestone containing molluscan debris and abundant stylolites. The thickness and reservoir quality of these units varies throughout fields in the UAE.
Sedimentary facies analysis shows that the lower part of the formation consists of nine different microfacies: intra biomicrudites; orbitolinid foram packstones; anomuran pellet grainstones; intramicrudites containing algal and rudist debris; poorly washed biopelsparites; sparse biomicrites with fossil fragments; mollusc biomicrudites with entire shells; sparse planktonic foram biomicrites; and calcareous shales. The depositional settings of these facies range from subtidal bank crests to adjacent open-shelf lagoons and isolated outer-shelf banks. In general, the bank crest and bank margin facies are more common at the base of the Shuaiba Formation with open-shelf lagoon facies most common at the top. Deposition of this mud-dominated unit of the basal Shuaiba occurred on and near isolated offshore banks in relatively shallow, quiet waters. Due to the shallow depth of the banks and the low energies during deposition, little bank-derived sediment was washed from the banks and into the adjacent shelfal facies sediments.
Diagenetic alteration in Lower Shuaiba sediments was minimal, with poor to moderate development of secondary porosity. The diagenetic characteristics most important to reservoir quality are secondary dissolution of aragonite; early lithification causing some of the section to resist compaction; pressure solution and stylolite formation; and late diagenetic cementation.
Effect of Antenatal Milk Expression Education on Lactation Outcomes in Birthing People with Pre-Pregnancy Body Mass Index ≥ 25: Protocol for a Randomized, Controlled Trial
Authors: Demirci Jill R. , Glasser Melissa , Bogen Debra L. , Sereika Susan M. , Ren Dianxu , Ray Kristin , Bodnar Lisa M. , O’Sullivan Therese , Himes Katherine
Published: November 2022

Background: Birthing people with pre-pregnancy body mass indices (BMIs) ≥ 25 kg/m2, particularly those without prior breastfeeding experience, are at increased risk for suboptimal lactation outcomes. Antenatal milk expression (AME) may be one way to counteract the negative effects of early infant formula supplementation common in this population.
Methods: This ongoing, randomized controlled trial in the United States evaluates the efficacy of a telelactation-delivered AME education intervention versus an attention control condition on lactation outcomes to one year postpartum among 280 nulliparous-to-primiparous, non-diabetic birthing people with pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2. The assigned study treatment is delivered via four weekly online video consultations between gestational weeks 37-40. Participants assigned to AME meet with study personnel and a lactation consultant to learn and practice AME. Instructions are provided for home practice of AME between study visits. Control group participants view videos on infant care/development at study visits. Participants complete emailed surveys at enrollment (340/7-366/7 gestational weeks) and 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months postpartum. Surveys assess lactation and infant feeding practices; breastfeeding self-efficacy, attitudes, and satisfaction; perception of insufficient milk; onset of lactogenesis-II; lactation support and problems; and reasons for breastfeeding cessation. Surveys also assess factors associated with lactation outcomes, including demographic characteristics, health problems, birth trauma, racial discrimination, and weight stigma. Health information and infant feeding data are abstracted from the pregnancy and birth center electronic health record. Milk samples are collected from the intervention group at each study visit and from both groups at each postpartum follow-up for future analyses. Qualitative interviews are conducted at six weeks postpartum to understand AME experiences. Primary outcomes of interest are breastfeeding exclusivity and breastfeeding self-efficacy scores at two weeks postpartum. Outcomes will be examined longitudinally with generalized linear mixed-effects modeling.
Discussion: This is the first powered trial evaluating the effectiveness of AME among U.S. birthing people and within a non-diabetic population with pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2. This study will also provide the first evidence of acceptability and effectiveness of telelactation-delivered AME.
Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04258709
Molecular characterization of horse nettle virus A, a new member of subgroup B in the genus Nepovirus
Authors: Zhou Jing , Hu Xiaojun , Vieira Paulo , III Benjamin Atha , McFarland Clint , Foster Joseph A. , Hurtado-Gonzales Oscar Pietro
Published: November 2022

A new RNA virus was discovered from a horse nettle plant using high throughput sequencing (HTS) and its full genome was characterized consisting of two molecules: RNA1 and RNA2 which are 7522 and 4710 nucleotides in length, respectively. Each molecule encodes a single open reading frame flanked by 5’ and 3’ untranslated regions (UTRs) followed by a poly(A) tail at the 3’ end. Genome organization and the phylogenetic analysis revealed its close relationship with subgroup B of nepoviruses, sharing minimal similarity with any known nepoviruses, and the recombination analysis also revealed its evolutionary history within the same subgroup. These results suggest the new virus, provisionally named as horse nettle virus A, represents a new species within the genus Nepovirus.
A Circulating MicroRNA Panel as a Novel Dynamic Monitor for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Piao Yudan , Jung Seung-Nam , Lim Mi Ae , Oh Chan , Jin Yan Li , Kim Hae Jong , Nguyen Quoc Khanh , Chang Jae Won , Won Ho-Ryun , Koo Bon Seok
Published: November 2022

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has high recurrence and mortality rates despite advances in diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to identify new biomarkers for early detection, efficient monitoring, and prognosis prediction. Since microRNA (miRNA) is stable and detectable in serum, it has been reported to inform the diagnosis and monitor disease progression through liquid biopsy. In this study, a circulating specific miRNA panel in OSCC patients was developed, and its usefulness as a dynamic monitor was validated. Small RNAs were extracted from the serum of OSCC patients (n = 4) and normal controls (n = 6) and profiled using next-generation sequencing. NGS identified 42 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) in serum between patients with OSCC and healthy controls, with 3-fold differences (p < 0.05). Combining the 42 DEmiRNAs and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases OSCC cohort, 9 overlapping DEmiRNAs were screened out. Finally, 4 significantly up-regulated miRNAs (miR-92a-3p, miR-92b-3p, miR-320c and miR-629-5p) were identified from OSCC patients via validation in the Chungnam National University Hospital cohort. Application of the specific miRNA panel for distinguishing OSCC patients from healthy controls produced specificity and sensitivity of 97.8% and 74%, respectively. In addition, the serum levels of these 4 miRNAs significantly decreased after complete surgical resection and increased after recurrence. We suggest that circulating 4-miRNA panel might be promising non-invasive predictors for diagnosing and monitoring the progression of patients with OSCC.
Facile synthesis of N-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) for effective corrosion inhibition of mild steel in 1 M HCl solution
Authors: Matter E. A. , El-Naggar G. A. , Nasr F. , Ahmed Gaber Hashem Gaber
Published: November 2022

N-CDs, as a novel and eco-friendly inhibitor, were synthesized easily by hydrothermal carbonization technique aiming to inhibit mild steel corrosion in 1 mol. L− 1 HCl. XRD, TEM, SEM, FTIR, UV-vis spectrophotometer and photoluminescence (PL) were utilized to characterize N-CDs. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques along with the complementary surface studies were combined to investigate the corrosion inhibition capability of N-CDs for MS. N-CDs were found nanometer-sized (≈ 4 nm) with quasi-spherical morphology and high crystallinity. Inhibition efficiency, directly proportional to concentration but inversely with temperature, was measured as high as 96.73% (PDP) and 95.21% (EIS) at 200 mg. L− 1. Inhibition mechanism refered mainly to adsorption process that good obeyed Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The surface studies, quantitatively verified by EDX, showed a smoother surface of MS in presence of the N-CDs. Furthermore, the UV- visible spectroscopy effectively revealed the complexations between iron and metal surfaces.
Inhibition of Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) triggers cell apoptosis via ROS-caused mitochondrial dysfunction in colorectal carcinoma
Authors: Feng Ya , Li Tianjiao , Lin Zhoujun , Li Yin , Han Xiao , Pei Xiaolin , Fu Zhenkun , Wu Qiao , Shao Di , Li Chenggang
Published: November 2022

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), a member of the serine/threonine kinase PLK family, is the most investigated and essential in the regulation of cell cycle progression, including chromosome segregation, centrosome maturation and cytokinesis. However, the nonmitotic role of PLK1 in CRC is poorly understood. In this study, we explored the tumorigenic effects of PLK1 and its potential as a therapeutic target in CRC. First, immunohistochemistry analysis revealed the significant accumulation of PLK1 in patient-derived CRC tissues compared with adjacent healthy tissues. Furthermore, PLK1 inhibition genetically or pharmacologically significantly reduced cell viability, migration and colony formation, and triggered apoptosis of CRC cells. Additionally, we found that PLK1 inhibition elevated cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and decreased the Bcl2/Bax ratio, which led to mitochondrial dysfunction and the release of Cytochrome c, a key process in initiating cell apoptosis. In summary, these data provide new insights into the pathogenesis of CRC and support the potential value of PLK1 as an appealing target for CRC treatment. Overall, the underlying mechanism of inhibiting PLK1-induced apoptosis indicates that the PLK1 inhibitor BI6727 may be a novel potential therapeutic strategy in the treatment of CRC.
Incidence and long-term outcome of laser pointer maculopathy in children
Authors: Farassat Navid , Boehringer Daniel , Luebke Jan , Ness Thomas , Agostini Hansjuergen , Reinhard Thomas , Lagrèze Wolf Alexander , Reich Michael
Published: November 2022

Purpose: Single center study to evaluate the incidence and long-term outcome of laser pointer maculopathy (LPM).
Methods: Medical records of 909,150 patients visiting our institution between 2007 and 2020 were screened in our electronic patient record system using the keywords "laserpointer," "laser pointer," and "solar".
Results: Eight patientes (6/2 male/female, 11 eyes) with a history of LPM were identified by fundoscopy and optical coherence tomography (OCT), all of whom were children (6/2 male/female). Mean age at injury was 12.1 years (range 6-16). Five children (62.5%) were injured between 2019 and 2020, three (37.5%) between 2007 and 2018. Median best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of affected eyes at first presentation was 20/25 (range 20/50-20/16). Follow-up examination was performed in seven children (10 eyes) with a median follow-up period of 18 months (range 0.5-96). BCVA improved in 4 children (5 eyes; BCVA at follow-up 20/22.5, range 20/40-20/16). Three of these four children were treated with oral steroids. OCT revealed acute signs such as intraretinal fluid to resolve quickly while outer retinal disruption persisted until the last follow-up in eight of eleven eyes. These lesions resembled lesions of patients with solar retinopathy of which seven cases (11 eyes) were identified between 2007 and 2020.
Conclusion: Readily available consumer laser pointers can damage the retina and the underlying retinal pigment epithelium, possibly leading to long-lasting visual impairments. The number of laser pointer injuries has increased over the last years. Therefore, access to laser pointers for children should be strictly controlled.
Analysis of Higher Order Boundary-Value Problems
Authors: Habib Siddra , Azam Muhammad Khurshid , Asjad Muhammad Imran , Akgül Ali
Published: November 2022

The He-Homotopy Perturbation Method and Laplace Transform, or HPLM, is a dependable combination that we take into consideration in this study in order to obtain the series solution of both linear and nonlinear higher order two-point boundary value problems. It is indicated that the corresponding technique generates better results in terms of accuracy, easy computation and is therefore recommended to be used for various physical models in engineering and science. Numerical results of five numerical examples are compared with the exact solutions as well as known analytical and numerical schemes to reveal the efficiency and excellence of the HPLM.
2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 26A33, 35A20; Secondary 33B15.
Central European soil solution data record atmospheric metal deposition and legacy pollution
Authors: Petrash Daniel A. , Krám Pavel , Pérez-Rivera Katherine X. , Bůzek František , Čuřík Jan , Veselovský Frantisek , Novák Martin
Published: November 2022

Soil solution chemistry depends largely on mineralogy and organic matter properties of soil horizons with which they interact. Differing lithologies within a given catchment area can influence variability in soil cation exchange capacities and affect solute transport. Zero-tension and tension lysimeters were used to evaluate fast transport of solutes in the topsoil vs. slow diffusional matrix flow at the subsoil of three contrasting lithology catchments in a mid-elevation mountain forest. Our aim was to test the feasibility of lysimeters hydrochemical data as a gauge for legacy subsoil pollution. Due to contrasting lithologies, atmospheric legacy pollution prevailing at the soil-regolith interface is differently yet consistently reflected by beryllium, lead, and chromium soil solution concentrations of the three catchments. Geochemical (dis)equilibrium between the soil and soil matrix water governed the hydrochemistry of the soil solutions at the time of collection, potentially contributing to decreased dissolved concentrations with increased depths at sites with higher soil pH. A complementary isotopic data constrained potential seasonal responses and pointed to sufficiently long water-regolith interactions as to permit important seasonal contributions of groundwater enriched in chemical species to the topsoil levels. Our study also reflects subsoil equilibration with atmospheric solutes deposited at the topsoil, and thus provides guidance for evaluating legacy pollution in soil profiles derived from contrasting lithology.
Phase Transition Thermodynamic Properties of 2-Methylquinoline, 2- Chloroquinoline and 2-Phenylquinoline
Authors: Abdullah Rawand S. , Solomonov Boris N.
Published: November 2022

Quinoline derivatives are extremely used in medicine and industry. Therefore, the thermodynamic properties of them are essential to know their quality and stability in use. In this work, the thermodynamic characters of 2-methylquinoline (quinaldine), 2-chloroquinoline, and 2-phenylquinoline were investigated. Moreover, the evaporation enthalpy of the compounds were determined the solution calorimetry-additivity scheme approach at 298.15 K. The solution calorimetry was used to measure solution enthalpies of the compounds in benzene solvent at 298.15 K. While, the solvation enthalpy of the compounds were calculated by additivity scheme approach. In addition, the transpiration method was applied to determine the vapor pressure at various temperatures for 2-Chloroquinoline for the first time. As a result, the thermochemical properties; enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs energy for 2-methylquinoline, 2-chloroquinoline and 2-phenylquinoline were determined from crystalline/liquid to gas phase. Moreover, the thermochemical characteristics values exhibited smaller uncertainties than those in literature data. Consequently, the phase transition thermodynamically studied on 2-position of the quinoline compound when substituted methyl, chloro and phenyl groups.
Novel determinants of cell size homeostasis in the opportunistic yeast Candida albicans
Authors: Chaillot Julien , Cook Michael , Sellam Adnane
Published: November 2022

The basis for commitment to cell division in late G1 phase, called Start in yeast, is a critical but still poorly understood aspect of eukaryotic cell proliferation. Most dividing cells accumulate mass and grow to a critical cell size before traversing the cell cycle. This size threshold couples cell growth to division and thereby establishes long-term size homeostasis. At present, mechanisms involved in cell size homeostasis in fungal pathogens are not well described. Our previous survey of the size phenome in Candida albicans focused on 279 unique mutants enriched mainly in kinases and transcription factors (Sellam et al. 2019). To uncover novel size regulators in C. albicans and highlight potential innovation within cell size control in pathogenic fungi, we expanded our genetic survey of cell size to include 1301 strains from the GRACE (Gene Replacement and Conditional Expression) collection. The current investigation uncovered both known and novel biological processes required for cell size homeostasis in C. albicans. We also confirmed the plasticity of the size control network as few C. albicans size genes overlapped with those of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Many new size genes of C. albicans were associated with biological processes that were not previously linked to cell size control and offer an opportunity for future investigation. Additional work is needed to understand if mitochondrial activity is a critical element of the metric that dictates cell size in C. albicans and whether modulation of the onset of actomyosin ring constriction is an additional size checkpoint.
Internalizing Symptoms and their Impact on Patient Reported Health-Related Quality of Life and Fatigue among Patients with Craniopharyngioma during Proton Radiation Therapy
Authors: Mandrell Belinda , Guo Yuan , Li Yimei , Hancock Donna , Caples Mary , Ashford Jason , Merchant Thomas , Conklin Heather , Crabtree Valerie
Published: November 2022

Purpose
The aim of this study was to describe fatigue, health related quality of life (HRQOL) and brain tumor associated symptoms after surgical resection and during proton radiotherapy, using latent class analysis (LCA), and to determine if there is class membership change among pediatric patients with craniopharyngioma.
Methods
For all patients (n = 92), demographic and disease-related/clinical variables were attained, and patient reported outcomes were collected prior to proton therapy, week three, and at the completion of proton therapy. Mean score of fatigue, HRQOL, and brain tumor symptoms were compared over time and profiles identified. Factors that influenced profile status and transition probability were examined.
Results
Fatigue, HRQOL, and brain tumor symptoms improved over time during proton therapy; however, a subset remained in the lower profile 1 associated with increased internalizing behaviors, compared to profile 2.
Conclusion
Future study should explore the bidirectional relationship of sleep, worry and anxiety in the context of ongoing radiotherapy.
Characteristics and prognosis of mixed autoimmune hemolytic anemia: a retrospective study of 49 cases
Authors: Liu Yilin , Ge Meili , Li Xingxin , Huang Jinbo , Ren Xiang , Guo Wenjing , Shao Yingqi , Huo Jiali , Wang Min , Nie Neng , Zhang Jing , Jin Peng , Zheng Yizhou
Published: November 2022

Mixed autoimmune hemolytic anemia (mAIHA) is a rare type of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) with poorly known natural characteristics. We retrospectively analyzed the characteristics of patients with mAIHA from January 2010 to December 2021 in our center. 49 cases diagnosed with mAIHA were enrolled to be retrospectively analyzed. mAIHA accounted for 13.8% (49 cases) of all 356 AIHA patients. The initial hemoglobin levels of 34.7% patients were lower than 60 g/L. Nearly half (44.9%) mAIHAs were secondary and had lower C3 levels than that in primary group (P = 0.03). 71.1% mAIHA patients received second-line or even third-line therapy, and the overall response rate was 93.3%. 13 primary patients received glucocorticoids only, of which 46.2% got complete response and 53.8% partial response. 8 primary patients received low-dose rituximab with a respond rate of 87.5% (median time 4 weeks). In regards of complications, 35.6% patients developed infections and 8.9% thrombotic events. The relapse rate was 60%, and lower initial Hb levels (P = 0.044) and primary etiology (P < 0.001) were risk factors for relapse. The 5-year overall survival rate was 93.6%. Lung infection (χ2 = 6.109, P = 0.013) and age ≥ 60 years old (χ2 = 8.501, P = 0.004) had been responsible for death. In conclusion, mAIHA should be treated differently and especially concerned the etiology behind it. Attention should be put on the risk factors of recurrence and effective treatments still need to be further explored.
Indole acetic acid/auxin-responsive gene TrIAA27 of white clover improves growth and enhances drought and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis
Authors: Iqbal Muhammad Zafar , Peng Yan
Published: November 2022

In plants, auxin/indole acetic acid proteins (Aux/IAA) are transcriptional regulators that regulate developmental processes and respond to external stimuli, including phytohormones. However, regulatory functions of Aux/IAA family genes have not been reported in white clover. We successfully isolated and cloned Aux/IAA family genes TrIAA27 from white clover cDNA in the current study. Expression analysis showed it was strongly induced in response to drought, salt, and Aluminum stresses in white clover, and its protein was localized in the nucleus. The overexpression of TrIAA27 in transgenic Arabidopsis indicated it improves plant stature, including plant size, leaf area, and biomass and roots growth compared to wild. Furthermore, TrIAA27 improved drought and salt tolerance in transgenic lines by decreasing wilting rate, relative electrical conductivity (REC), and improving relative water contents RWC, chlorophyll contents, and photochemical efficiency compared to wild. These results suggested that overexpression of TrIAA27 enhances plant growth and mitigates the effects of different stresses; therefore, it is a potential candidate to improve biomass, drought, and aluminum tolerance of white clover.
Extractive Summarization of Scientific Paperin Turkish With Deep Learning
Authors: Alagoz Nazan Kemaloglu , Kucuksille Ecir Ugur
Published: November 2022

The widespread use of the internet today, along with the rapidly increas-ing information, has brought along great information pollution. It hasbecome a big problem for internet users to obtain meaningful data fromthis large and noisy data. Text summarization, which is generally usedon texts obtained from digital media, has also been used for summa-rizing scientific articles in different fields. In this study, a scientific textsummary study was carried out to be used on Turkish articles writ-ten in the field of informatics. A large Turkish Informatics Literaturedata set was created with the articles collected from Dergipark. In addi-tion to the text pre-processing studies available in the literature on thisdata set, a new original pre-processing function has been developed bythe scientific article format. While summarizing, Deep Belief Networks(DIA), which has an increasing use in the field of natural language pro-cessing in the literature, has been used. To measure the performanceof the developed system, reference summaries were created with theBERT algorithm, which is a pre-trained natural language processingmodel. After the scientific articles were summarized with BERT andDeep Belief Networks, the abstracts were compared with BERT Scoreand BART Score, a specialized comparison metric of the BERT Model.The results showed that the developed Turkish Informatics LiteratureSummarization Method constitutes a summary of a scientific articlewith 0.78 F-Score and 0.68 BART Score in the BERT Score metric.
Cytotoxicity, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory activity of FMB extract (Fused, Micronized and Bio-activated) and its standardized extract: A comparative evaluation
Authors: Ibrahim Mohammad , Gokarn Vijay , Tamoli Sanjay
Published: November 2022

Curcuma longa (Turmeric) has been utilized for centuries in the Ayurvedic system of medicine for the treatment of various diseases and disorders. In the present study, essential trace elements (ETEs) fused in standardized extract of curcumin by utilizing an advanced technology called FMB [(fusion (F), micronization (M), bio-activation (B)] was investigated for its cytotoxicity, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities against the conventional standardized extrcat. Results of the elemental analysis showed that FMB technology significantly replenishes Iron and Zinc in the standardized extract. Cytotoxicity results revealed no toxic effect in the tested concentration. In vitro immunomodulatory activity showed that FMB extract of Curcuma longa significantly stimulates the spleen cell proliferation as compared to standardized extract and almost similar results were found in pinocytic activation. In addition, anti-inflammatory results showed that FMB extracts remarkably reverse the level of TNF-α as compared to standardized extract. Summarily, overall results showed FMB extract is more beneficial than standardized extract. Hence, we can conclude that FMB technique can be used as an effective method and approach to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of herbal medicines especially extracts.
A multimodal sensing CMOS imager based on dual-focus imaging
Authors: Dong Hao , Zheng Xubin , Cheng Chen , Qian Libin , Cui Yaoxuan , Wu Weiwei , Liu Qingjun , Chen Xing , Lu Yanli , Yang Qing , Zhang Fenni , Wang Di
Published: November 2022

Advanced machine intelligence is empowered not only by the ever-increasing computational capability for information processing but also by sensors for collecting multimodal information from complex environments. However, simply assembling different sensors can result in bulky systems and complex data processing. Herein, we show that a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) imager can be transformed into a compact multimodal sensing platform through dual-focus imaging. By combining lens-based and lensless imaging, visual information, chemicals, temperature, and humidity can be detected with the same chip and output as a single image. As a proof of concept, we equipped the sensor on a micro vehicle and demonstrated multimodal environmental sensing and mapping. We also developed a multimodal endoscope and achieved simultaneous imaging and chemical profiling along a porcine digestive tract. The multimodal CMOS imager is compact, versatile, and extensible and can be widely applied in microrobots, in vivo medical apparatuses, and other microdevices.
A Novel Free-Hand Technique of Pedicle Screw Placement in the Lumbar Spine: Accuracy Evaluation and Preliminary Clinical Results
Authors: Jiang Weiqi , Leng Ao , Meng Lingzhi , Long Zuoyao , Long Yu , Wang Qi
Published: November 2022

Objective
To propose a novel free-hand pedicle screw placement technique in the lumbar spine and investigate its accuracy and safety in clinical practice.
Methods
110 patients with herniation of a single lumbar disc were recruited for our study. All patients were consistently treated with posterior discectomy, interbody fusion, and transpedicular internal fixation. For 54 patients in the observation group, the pedicle screws were placed with our technique, which is located at 4 mm below the superior edge of the transverse process in line with the lateral margin of the superior articular process. For 56 patients in the control group, pedicle screws were placed according to the traditional crista lambdoidalis method. Comparisons were made in terms of the operation time, blood loss, time for exposure, the accuracy of placement, and postoperative complications. In addition, we prospectively applied our method to 64 patients with indistinguishable crista lambdoidalis and evaluated the accuracy of screw placement and clinical outcomes.
Results
There was no significant difference in intraoperative bleeding, accuracy of placement, and postoperative complications between our technique and the traditional crista lambdoidalis method (P > 0.05). However, the exposure time before screw placement (12.8 ± 0.3 vs 17.4 ± 0.3, p = 0.001) and the total surgery time (97.2 ± 1.9 vs 102.3 ± 0.9, p = 0.020) were significantly shortened with our method. Additionally, in cases of indistinguishable crista lambdoidalis, our technique showed satisfying accuracy, with 97.6% screws placed in appropriate trajectory on the first attempt and all screws eventually positioned in the safe zone according to the Gertzbein Robbins grading. All patients experienced steady improvement after surgery, as assessed with the visual analog pain scale and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score.
Conclusion
This study highlights a safe and effective technique for pedicle screw placement in the lumbar spine, which is particularly useful in cases of vertebral fracture and severe hyperplasia or degeneration of the facet joint.
Poly(β-amino ester)s-based delivery systems for targeted transdermal vaccination
Authors: Puigmal Núria , Ramos Víctor , Artzi Natalie , Borrós Salvador
Published: November 2022

Nucleic acid vaccines have become a transformative technology to fight emerging infectious diseases. However, pursuing alternative routes of administration such as the transdermal could boost their therapeutic merit given the complex immune cell reservoir present in the skin capable of engendering robust immune responses. We have generated a novel library of vectors derived from poly(β-amino ester)s (PBAEs) that include oligopeptide-termini and a natural ligand, mannose, for targeted transfection of antigen presenting cells (APCs) in the epidermal milieu. Our results reaffirmed terminal decoration of PBAEs with oligopeptide chains as a powerful tool to induce cell-specific transfection, identifying an outstanding candidate with a ten-fold increased transfection efficiency over commercial controls in vitro. The inclusion of mannose in the PBAE backbone rendered an additive effect and increased transfection levels, achieving superior gene expression in human monocyte-derived dendritic cells such as Langerhans cells and other accessory antigen presenting cells. Moreover, top performing candidates were capable of mediating surface gene transfer when deposited as polyelectrolyte films onto transdermal devices such as microneedles, offering alternatives to conventional hypodermic administration. We predict that the use of highly efficient delivery vectors derived from PBAEs could advance clinical translation of nucleic acid vaccination over protein- and peptide-based strategies.
Zwitterionic Bergman-Triggered Cascade Polymerization: A Plateau Reaction Leading to Metal-Graphene Nanoribbon Semiconductors Using Boron-Metal Couple
Authors: Vidhani Dinesh , Ubeda Rosemary , Sautie Thalia , Vidhani Diana , Mariappan Manoharan
Published: November 2022

With a rapid growth in artificial intelligence, designing high-speed and low power semiconducting material is of utmost importance. This investigation provides a theoretical basis to access covalently-bonded transition metal-graphene nanoribbon (TM-GNR) hybrid semiconductors whose DFT-computed bandgaps were much narrower than the commonly used pentacene. A systematic optimization of substrates containing remotely-placed boronyl groups and the transition metals produced the zwitterions via ionic Bergman cyclization (i-BC) and unlocked the polymerization of metal-substituted polyenynes. Aside from i-BC, the subsequent steps showed plateau-TS involving structureless transition regions. A multivariate analysis revealed a strong dependence of activation energy and the cyclization mode on the electronic nature of boron and Au(I). Consequently, three regions corresponding to radical Bergman (r-BC), ionic Bergman (i-BC), and ionic Schreiner-Pascal (i-SP) cyclizations were identified. The boundaries between these regions corresponded to the mechanistic shift induced by three-center-three-electron (3c-3e) hydrogen bond, three-center-four-electron (3c-4e) hydrogen bond, and vacant p-orbital on boron. The ideal combination for cascade polymerization was observed near the boundary between i-BC and i-SP.