bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Public Opinion Pressure on Construction Company Green Innovations: The Mediating Effect of Leaders' Environmental Intention and the Moderating Effect of Environmental Regulation
Authors: Wang Bo , Han Shan , Ao Yibin , Liao Fangwei , Wang Tong , Chen Yunfeng
Published: June 2022

Media has paid more attention recently on environmental issues caused by construction companies which imposes public opinion pressure on construction companies and could potentially impact their decision-making processes for green innovations. However, research on the relationship between public opinions pressure and construction company green innovation behavior is still limited. To understand how such public opinions pressure can impact construction companies' green transition and formulate advice accordingly, it is necessary to use empirical data to find the correlations. Therefore, this research has gathered questionnaire data of the construction companies in Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle of China to study the influencing mechanism of environmental public opinion pressure on enterprise green innovation behavior, analyzes the realization path of leaders' environmental intention as a mediating variable in the impact of environmental public opinion pressure on enterprise green innovation behavior, and reveals the role boundary of environmental regulation as a moderating variable in the impact of environmental public opinion pressure on enterprise green innovation behavior. The results show that environmental public opinion pressure has a significant positive impact on enterprise green innovation behavior. More specifically, enterprise green innovation behavior is affected by leaders' environmental intention and the latter plays a partial mediating role between environmental public opinion pressure and enterprise green innovation behavior. Environmental regulation also enhances the sensitivity of companies to environmental public opinion pressure, and therefore can significantly strengthen the relationship between environmental public opinion pressure and enterprise green innovation behavior. Further research find that, compared with incentive-based environmental regulations, mandatory environmental regulations make companies more sensitive to environmental public opinion pressure and has a more significant positive moderating effect. The research conclusions could be used to provide theoretical reference with empirical data for accelerating the green innovation transformation and promoting the high-quality development in the construction industry.
Neurological Symptoms and Their Associations With Inflammatory Biomarkers in the Chronic Phase Following Traumatic Brain Injuries
Authors: Li Gangqin , Liu Hao , He Yong , Hu Zeqing , Gu Yan , Li Yan , Ye Yi , Hu Junmei
Published: June 2022

Background

The underlying biological mechanisms for neurological symptoms following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) remain poorly understood. This study investigated the associations between serum inflammatory biomarkers and neurological symptoms in the chronic phase following moderate to severe TBI.

Methods

The serum interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, and the tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α in 72 TBI patients 6 months to 2 years post injury were measured. Neurological symptoms including depression, chronic headache, sleep disturbance, irritability, anxiety, and global neurological disability was assessed. The associations between the biomarkers and the neurological symptoms were assessed using correlation and regression analysis.

Results

It was found that the most common post-injury symptom was sleep disturbance (84.7%), followed by chronic headaches (59.7%), irritability (55.6%), and depression (54.2%). TNF-α was a protective factor for chronic headache (OR = 0.473, 95% CI = 0.235–0.952). IL-6 was positively associated with sleep disturbance (r = 0.274,p= 0.021), while IL-5 and IL-12p70 were negatively associated with the degree of global neurological disability (r = −0.325,p= 0.006; r = −0.319,p= 0.007).

Conclusion

This study provides preliminary evidence for the association between chronic inflammation with neurological symptoms following a TBI, which suggests that anti-inflammatory could be a potential target for post-TBI neurological rehabilitation. Further research with larger sample sizes and more related biomarkers are still needed, however, to elucidate the inflammatory mechanisms for this association.
Eat Fruits In-Season to Give Rhythm to Your Life
Authors: Cruz-Carrión Álvaro , Ruiz de Azua Ma Josefina , Bravo Francisca Isabel , Muguerza Begoña , Suárez Manuel , Arola-Arnal Anna
Published: June 2022

Do you think that eating fruit in summer has the same effect on your body as does eating it in winter? Scientific evidence says no. Fruits contain polyphenols, which are substances produced by plants in response to the growing conditions. When animals eat these fruits, polyphenols signal animals’ bodies to adapt to the seasons. For example, bears eat berries in late summer because these fruits provide essential substances needed during hibernation. It has been observed that the effect of these fruit substances is affected by biological rhythms, which are chemical cycles that animals’ bodies follow that vary throughout the year. Thus, eating fruit in- or out-of-season generates different effects in your body. Eating fruit in-season is associated with optimal health effects. Hence, we must eat fruits in-season so that the rhythms of our lives are synchronized with the seasons.
False Positive Findings of [18F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT in Patients After Radical Prostatectomy with Undetectable Serum PSA Levels
Authors: Orevi Marina , Ben-Haim Simona , Abourbeh Galith , Chicheportiche Alexandre , Mishani Eyal , Yutkin Vladimir , Gofrit Ofer N.
Published: June 2022

Background

PET-CT using prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeting radiopharmaceuticals labeled with 68Ga or 18F has emerged as the most sensitive staging tool in prostate cancer (PC). Nonetheless, the occurrence of false positive (FP) findings presents a major concern of this approach. In this prospective study, we investigated the frequency and pattern of false-positive findings of [18F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT in patients after radical prostatectomy with undetectable serum PSA levels. Any discrete non-physiological accumulation of [18F]PSMA-1007 in this population is by definition FP.

Methods

Seventeen men after radical prostatectomy, whose serum PSA levels were <0.05 ng/mL at 2–24 months after surgery were prospectively recruited. PET/CT was acquired at both 1 and 2 h after injection of [18F]PSMA-1007.

Findings

Three studies (18%) were interpreted as completely normal. Thirty-five foci of “non-physiological” uptake were observed in the remaining 14 (82%) patients, including a single skeletal focus in four patients, multiple skeletal foci in five patients and soft tissue uptake in eight, including in a desmoid tumor and in pelvic lymphocele. The SUVmax of all lesions was in the range of 1–7, except for the desmoid tumor which measured 12.7. All foci were visible in both the 1- and the 2 h studies, presenting a minor (<10%), statistically insignificant increase of SUVmax during this time-interval.

Interpretation

FP [18F]PSMA-1007-avid foci are found in about 80% of patients with undetectable serum PSA levels. Thus, focal uptake of [18F]PSMA-1007 outside its physiological distribution is not a categorical sign of metastasis and can arise from non-specific uptake of the ligand. The interpretation of [18F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT studies should always consider the clinical context, and lesions with SUVmax < 7 are suspicious for FP.
A Mixed Methods Investigation of Stress and Wellbeing Factors Contributing to Burnout and Job Satisfaction in a Specialist Small Animal Hospital
Authors: Ashton-James Claire E. , McNeilage Amy G.
Published: June 2022

Occupational burnout is a critical issue affecting the welfare of veterinary care providers, their patients, and the sustainability of veterinary healthcare organizations. The current research aimed to evaluate the prevalence of and factors contributing to stress, wellbeing, burnout symptoms and job satisfaction among clinical and non-clinical staff at a large specialist small animal hospital in Australia. Participants completed an anonymous online survey including self-report measures of job satisfaction and symptoms of burnout, and open-text response questions probing sources of stress and wellbeing. Subsequently, participants rated how frequently they experienced commonly reported sources of veterinary stress, and a series of focus groups were conducted with clinical and non-clinical teams. The survey was completed by 249 participants (overall response rate = 70%; 67.1% “clinical;” 17.3% “non-clinical;” 5.6% “other”). Five focus groups (including 38 of the survey participants) were subsequently conducted with groups of clinical and non-clinical staff. The majority of respondents (80.7%) reported being satisfied, very satisfied, or extremely satisfied with their job. At the same time, 57.7% of respondents exceeded the threshold for burnout on at least one burnout dimension, with 48.1% reporting high levels of emotional exhaustion, 30.2% reported high levels of cynicism, and 16.3% reporting low levels of professional efficacy. Open text responses and focus group transcripts revealed three common sources of stress and wellbeing. Stressors included communication (conflict within teams), clients (dealing with client emotions and expectations), and heavy caseload. Wellbeing was enhanced by people (team cohesion, respect for colleagues), practice (variety, autonomy, challenge), and purpose (meaningful work and impact). Overall, for both clinical and non-clinical survey respondents, “heavy workload” was rated as the most frequent source of stress. Despite high levels of job satisfaction, approximately two thirds of respondents reported at least one symptom of burnout. Convergent results from the survey and focus groups indicated that strong relationships with colleagues and the intrinsic meaningfulness of the work were key sources of wellbeing and job satisfaction. On the other hand, challenging workplace interactions with colleagues and clients, as well as heavy workload, were identified as key stressors contributing to burnout symptoms.
Assessing Changes in Anxiety, Empowerment, Stigma and Wellbeing in Participants Attending an Online-Based Recovery College in Quebec During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Pre-Experimental Study
Authors: Rapisarda Filippo , Macario de Medeiros Julio , Briand Catherine , Boivin Antoine , Monthuy-Blanc Johana , Vallée Catherine , Drolet Marie-Josée , Vachon Brigitte , Luconi Francesca
Published: June 2022

Objectives:The present study aims to evaluate the effect of an online Recovery College (RC) program implemented in Quebec (Canada) during the COVID-19 pandemic. From October 2020 to June 2021, 27 training groups were conducted with a total of 362 attendees.

Methods:Outcome was evaluated using a single group repeated measure design, assessing participants prior the training (T0), after the training (T1) and at follow up (T2). 107 learners of the Quebec RC program attended three two-hour sessions agreed to participate to the research.

Results:Overall findings show at T1 a small but statistically significant reduction of anxiety and increase in empowerment, and below threshold reduction of stigmatizing attitudes and increase of wellbeing. Conversely, the medium-term changes at follow up were non-significant for all the outcome dimension except for anxiety.

Conclusion:Findings suggest that the RC online program can be considered as a potential effective strategy to support self-regulation and empowerment of individuals and to reduce anxiety in the context of crisis for the general population.
What Forms, Maintains, and Changes the Boldness of Swimming Crabs (Portunus trituberculatus)?
Authors: Zhu Boshan , Su Xianpeng , Yu Weiping , Wang Fang
Published: June 2022

Boldness of personality is an important theme in animal behavior and has significant ecological and evolutionary consequences. Studies on boldness in crustaceans typically focus on their behavior, while relatively few studies have focused on the formation and maintenance of and change in boldness, such as energy metabolism and neurotransmission. In this study, we measured the boldness of swimming crabs (Portunus trituberculatus) and analyzed the relationship between boldness and oxygen consumption rate, energy concentration, and the relative expression of energy-metabolism-related and 5-HT genes in mRNA. The results showed that boldness remained stable across repeated tests but changed under dangerous conditions. Swimming crabs could be divided into bold and shy individuals. Bold individuals consumed oxygen at a significantly higher rate than shy individuals. Lactate and glucose concentrations in hemolymph were significantly lower in bold individuals than in shy individuals, and mRNA relative expression of Na+/K+-ATPase and 5-HT genes was significantly higher in bold than in shy individuals. Preliminary results indicate that energy metabolism and neurotransmitters may underlie the formation and maintenance of personality characteristics of swimming crabs. Swimming crabs also exhibit behavioral flexibility in order to cope with risks. This may be an adaptation to their complex environments.
Salmonella Shedding in Slaughter Pigs and the Use of Esterified Formic Acid in the Drinking Water as a Potential Abattoir-Based Mitigation Measure
Authors: Bernad-Roche María , Casanova-Higes Alejandro , Marín-Alcalá Clara María , Mainar-Jaime Raúl Carlos
Published: June 2022

Pigs shedding Salmonella at slaughter are considered a source of carcass contamination and human infection. To assess this potential risk, the proportion of Salmonella shedders that arrive for slaughter was evaluated in a population of 1068 pigs from 24 farms. Shedding was present in 27.3% of the pigs, and the monophasic variant of Salmonella Typhimurium, an emerging zoonotic serotype, was the most prevalent (46.9%). Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Salmonella isolates was common, but few isolates showed AMR to antimicrobials of critical importance for humans such as third-generation cephalosporins (5%), colistin (0%), or carbapenems (0%). However, AMR to tigecycline was moderately high (15%). The efficacy of an esterified formic acid in the lairage drinking water (3 kg formic acid/1000 L) was also assessed as a potential abattoir-based strategy to reduce Salmonella shedding. It was able to reduce the proportion of shedders (60.7% in the control group (CG) vs. 44.3% in the treatment group (TG); p < 0.01). After considering clustering and confounding factors, the odds of shedding Salmonella in the CG were 2.75 (95% CI = 1.80–4.21) times higher than those of the TG, suggesting a potential efficacy of reduction in shedding as high as 63.6%. This strategy may contribute to mitigating the burden of abattoir environmental contamination.
The Optimal Permeation of Cyclic Boronates to Cross the Outer Membrane via the Porin Pathway
Authors: Tuveri Gian Marco , Ceccarelli Matteo , Pira Alessandro , Bodrenko Igor V.
Published: June 2022

We investigated the diffusion of three cyclic boronates formulated as beta-lactamase inhibitors through the porin OmpF to evaluate their potential to cross OM via the porin pathway. The three nonbeta-lactam molecules diffuse through the porin eyelet region with the same mechanism observed for beta-lactam molecules and diazobicyclooctan derivatives, with the electric dipole moment aligned with the transversal electric field. In particular, the BOH group can interact with both the basic ladder and the acidic loop L3, which is characteristic of the size-constricted region of this class of porins. On one hand, we confirm that the transport of small molecules through enterobacter porins has a common general mechanism; on the other, the class of cyclic boronate molecules does not seem to have particular difficulties in diffusing through enterobacter porins, thus representing a good scaffold for new anti-infectives targeting Gram-negative bacteria research.
Emerging Antibiotic Resistance Patterns Affect Visual Outcome Treating Acute Endophthalmitis
Authors: Wu Xia-Ni , Chen Yi-Hsing , Sharief Lazha , Al-Janabi Ahmed , Al Qassimi Nura , Lightman Sue , Tomkins-Netzer Oren
Published: June 2022

Background: Examining the effect of antibiotic resistance, use of intravitreal antibiotics and systemic corticosteroids on visual outcome of eyes with acute endophthalmitis. Methods: We included 226 eyes with acute endophthalmitis, treated using a standardized protocol. Visual outcome up to 12 months was assessed related to biopsy results, antibiotics resistance and treatment regimens. Results: Vitreous biopsies were more likely to be culture-positive (41.1%) than anterior chamber biopsies (21.6%, p < 0.0001). Antibiotic resistance for amikacin was found in 19 eyes (24.7%), vancomycin in 29 eyes (31.5%) and moxiflocacin in 14 eyes (16.1%). At presentation 91.53% of eyes had BCVA < 20/40, reducing by 1 month to 69.94% (p < 0.0001) and remaining stable at 12 months. There was no difference in visual outcome for those receiving early systemic corticosteroids. Endophthalmitis following cataract surgery (OR 1.66, 1.04–2.66 95% CI, p = 0.03) and receiving intravitreal vancomycin (OR 3.15, 1.18–8.42 95% CI, p = 0.02) were associated with a greater chance of final BCVA ≥ 20/40. Conclusion: Using vitreous taps with intravitreal antibiotics, despite an increase in resistance to both vancomycin and moxifloxacin, results in a final BCVA > 20/200 in half of eyes and ≥20/40 in a third. Early treatment with intravitreal antibiotics should not be delayed.
Mitochondrial Peroxiredoxin-IIF (PRXIIF) Activity and Function during Seed Aging
Authors: Klupczyńska Ewelina A. , Dietz Karl-Josef , Małecka Arleta , Ratajczak Ewelina
Published: June 2022

Mitochondria play a major role in energy metabolism, particularly in cell respiration, cellular metabolism, and signal transduction, and are also involved in other processes, such as cell signaling, cell cycle control, cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. Programmed cell death is associated with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a concomitant decrease in antioxidant capacity, which, in turn, determines the aging of living organisms and organs and thus also seeds. During the aging process, cell redox homeostasis is disrupted, and these changes decrease the viability of stored seeds. Mitochondrial peroxiredoxin-IIF (PRXIIF), a thiol peroxidase, has a significant role in protecting the cell and sensing oxidative stress that occurs during the disturbance of redox homeostasis. Thioredoxins (TRXs), which function as redox transmitters and switch protein function in mitochondria, can regulate respiratory metabolism. TRXs serve as electron donors to PRXIIF, as shown in Arabidopsis. In contrast, sulfiredoxin (SRX) can regenerate mitochondrial PRXIIF once hyperoxidized to sulfinic acid. To protect against oxidative stress, another type of thiol peroxidases, glutathione peroxidase-like protein (GPXL), is important and receives electrons from the TRX system. They remove peroxides produced in the mitochondrial matrix. However, the TRX/PRX and TRX/GPXL systems are not well understood in mitochondria. Knowledge of both systems is important because these systems play an important role in stress sensing, response and acclimation, including redox imbalance and generation of ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). The TRX/PRX and TRX/GPXL systems are important for maintaining cellular ROS homeostasis and maintaining redox homeostasis under stress conditions. This minireview focuses on the functions of PRXIIF discovered in plant cells approximately 20 years ago and addresses the question of how PRXIIF affects seed viability maintenance and aging. Increasing evidence suggests that the mitochondrial PRXIIF plays a major role in metabolic processes in seeds, which was not previously known.
Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Promotes Cardiac Remodeling in Myocardial Infarction through the Activation of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
Authors: Souza-Neto Francisco V. , Islas Fabian , Jiménez-González Sara , Luaces María , Ramchandani Bunty , Romero-Miranda Ana , Delgado-Valero Beatriz , Roldan-Molina Elena , Saiz-Pardo Melchor , Cerón-Nieto Mª Ángeles , Ortega-Medina Luis , Martínez-Martínez Ernesto , Cachofeiro Victoria
Published: June 2022

We have evaluated cardiac function and fibrosis in infarcted male Wistar rats treated with MitoQ (50 mg/kg/day) or vehicle for 4 weeks. A cohort of patients admitted with a first episode of acute MI were also analyzed with cardiac magnetic resonance and T1 mapping during admission and at a 12-month follow-up. Infarcted animals presented cardiac hypertrophy and a reduction in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and E- and A-waves (E/A) ratio when compared to controls. Myocardial infarction (MI) rats also showed cardiac fibrosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress activation. Binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP) levels, a marker of ER stress, were correlated with collagen I levels. MitoQ reduced oxidative stress and prevented all these changes without affecting the infarct size. The LVEF and E/A ratio in patients with MI were 57.6 ± 7.9% and 0.96 ± 0.34, respectively. No major changes in cardiac function, extracellular volume fraction (ECV), or LV mass were observed at follow-up. Interestingly, the myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were associated with the ECV in basal conditions. BiP staining and collagen content were also higher in cardiac samples from autopsies of patients who had suffered an MI than in those who had died from other causes. These results show the interactions between mitochondrial oxidative stress and ER stress, which can result in the development of diffuse fibrosis in the context of MI.
Singular Olive Oils from a Recently Discovered Spanish North-Western Cultivar: An Exhaustive 3-Year Study of Their Chemical Composition and In-Vitro Antidiabetic Potential
Authors: Figueiredo-González María , Olmo-García Lucía , Reboredo-Rodríguez Patricia , Serrano-García Irene , Leuyacc-del Carpio Glenda , Cancho-Grande Beatriz , Carrasco-Pancorbo Alegría , González-Barreiro Carmen
Published: June 2022

In this work, the quality and physicochemical parameters, phenolic composition, and antidiabetic potential of olive oils obtained from olives belonging to centenarian olive trees of the so-called ‘Mansa de Figueiredo’ cultivar were evaluated during three consecutive crop seasons (2017–2019). The oils produced during the three crop years were classified as extra virgin based on the quality-related indices, sensory analysis, and the genuineness-related parameters. In addition, LC-ESI-TOF MS was used to get a comprehensive characterisation of the phenolic fraction while LC-ESI-IT MS was applied for quantitation purposes. The content of phenolic compounds (ranging from 1837 to 2434 mg/kg) was significantly affected by the harvest year due to the environmental conditions and ripening index. Furthermore, although significant differences in the inhibitory effects against the α-glucosidase enzyme for the EVOOs extracted throughout the three successive years were detected, all the studied EVOOs exhibited a stronger inhibitor effect than that found for acarbose.
Potential for Energy Utilization of Air Compression Section Using an Open Absorption Refrigeration System
Authors: Ye Bicui , Sun Shufei , Wang Zheng
Published: June 2022

In this paper, an open absorption refrigeration system is proposed to recover part of the waste compression heat while producing cooling capacity to further cool the compressed air itself. The self-utilization of the compression waste heat can significantly reduce the energy consumption of air compression, and hence increase the energy efficiency of the cryogenic air separation unit. To illuminate the energy distribution and energy conversion principle of the open absorption refrigerator-assisted air compression section, a thermodynamic model is built and the simulation work conducted based on a practical triple-stage air compression section of a middle-scale cryogenic air separation unit. Our results indicate that the energy saving ratio is mainly constrained by the distribution of the cooling load of compressed air, which corresponds to the heat load of the generator and cooling capacity of the evaporator in the open absorption refrigerator. The energy saving ratio ranges from 0.52–8.05%, corresponding to the temperature range of 5–30 °C and humidity range of 0.002–0.010 kg/kg. It is also estimated, based on the economic analysis, that the payback period of the open absorption refrigeration system is less than one year, and the net project revenue during its life cycle reaches USD 5.7 M, thus showing an attractive economic potential.
A New Model for a Secure Social Media Application
Authors: Riad Khaled , Elhoseny Mohamed
Published: June 2022

The progress of data technology and wireless networks is generated by open online communication channels. Unfortunately, trolls are abusing the technology for executing cyberattacks and threats. An automated cybersecurity solution is vital for avoiding the threats and security issues from social media. This can be a requirement for tackling and considering cyberbullying in various aspects including prevention of such incidents and automated detection. This study introduces a novel Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm with Weighted Extreme Learning Machine (AFSA-WELM) model for cybersecurity on social media. The proposed model is mostly intended to detect the existence of cyberbullying on social media. The proposed model starts by processing the dataset and making it ready for the next stages of the model. It then uses the TF-IDF vectorizer for word embedding. After that, it uses the WELM model for the identification and classification of cyberbullying. Finally, the optimal tunning parameters used in the WELM model are derived for the AFSA model. The experimental analysis has shown that the proposed model achieves maximum accuracy compared with existing algorithms. Moreover, our proposed model achieves maximum precision–recall performance with various datasets.
A Novel Procedure to Measure Membrane Penetration of Coarse Granular Materials
Authors: Xu Weiwei , Ji Enyue , Shi Beixiao , Chen Chenghao
Published: June 2022

The membrane penetration effect will significantly influence the measurement of specimen volume deformation in the triaxial test. This paper presents a novel procedure for measuring and correcting the membrane penetration of rubber by using a newly developed multiscale triaxial apparatus. A series of triaxial tests on coarse granular materials was conducted with different specimen diameters, and it is found that the proportion of volume change due to membrane penetration decreases linearly with increasing specimen diameter. To reduce the margin of error induced by membrane penetration in the triaxial test, it is recommended to use specimens of larger size. Such a method can facilitate the correction and estimation of the membrane penetration effect of coarse granular materials.
Investigation of Classification and Anomalies Based on Machine Learning Methods Applied to Large Scale Building Information Modeling
Authors: Xiao Manyu , Chao Zhiqin , Coelho Rajan Filomeno , Tian Shaobo
Published: June 2022

Building Information Models (BIM) capable of collecting and synchronizing all the data related to a construction project into a unified numerical model consisting of a 3D representation and additional metadata (e.g., materials, physical properties, cost) have become commonplace in the building sector. Their extensive use today, alongside the increase in experience with BIM models, offers new perspectives and potentials for design and planning. However, large-scale complex data collection leads to two main challenges: the first is related to the automatic classification of BIM elements, namely windows, walls, beams, columns, etc., and the second to detecting abnormal elements without manual intervention, particularly in the case of misclassification. In this work, we propose machine learning for the automated classification of elements, and for the detection of anomalies based on geometric inputs and additional metadata properties that are extracted from the building model. More precisely, a Python program is used to decipher the BIM models (available as IFC files) for a series of complex buildings, and three types of machine learning methods are then tested to classify and detect objects from a large set of BIM data. The approach is tested on a variety of practical test cases.
Trajectory PHD Filter for Adaptive Measurement Noise Covariance Based on Variational Bayesian Approximation
Authors: Lu Xingchen , Jing Dahai , Jiang Defu , Gao Yiyue , Yang Jialin , Li Yao , Li Wendong , Tao Jin , Liu Ming
Published: June 2022

In order to solve the problem that the measurement noise covariance may be unknown or change with time in actual multi-target tracking, this paper brings the variational Bayesian approximation method into the trajectory probability hypothesis density (TPHD) filter and proposes a variational Bayesian TPHD (VB-TPHD) filter to obtain measurement noise covariance adaptively. By modeling the unknown covariance as the random matrix that obeys the inverse gamma distribution, VB-TPHD filter minimizes the Kullback–Leibler divergence (KLD) and estimates the sequence of multi-trajectory states with noise covariance matrices simultaneously. We propose the Gaussian mixture VB-TPHD (AGM-VB-TPHD) filter under adaptive newborn intensity for linear Gaussian models and also give the extended Kalman (AEK-VB-TPHD) filter and unscented Kalman (AUK-VB-TPHD) filter in nonlinear Gaussian models. The simulation results prove the effectiveness of the idea that the VB-TPHD filter can form robust and stable trajectory filtering while learning adaptive measurement noise statistics. Compared with the tag-VB-PHD filter, the estimated error of the VB-TPHD filter is greatly reduced, and the estimation of the trajectory number is more accurate.
Named Entity Recognition Using Conditional Random Fields
Authors: Khan Wahab , Daud Ali , Shahzad Khurram , Amjad Tehmina , Banjar Ameen , Fasihuddin Heba
Published: June 2022

Named entity recognition (NER) is an important task in natural language processing, as it is widely featured as a key information extraction sub-task with numerous application areas. A plethora of attempts was made for NER detection in Western and Asian languages. However, little effort has been made to develop techniques for the Urdu language, which is a prominent South Asian language with hundreds of millions of speakers across the globe. NER in Urdu is considered a hard problem owing to several reasons, including the paucity of large, annotated datasets; an inaccurate tokenizer; and the absence of capitalization in the Urdu language. To this end, this study proposed a conditional-random-field-based technique with both language-dependent and language-independent features, such as part-of-speech tags and context windows of words, respectively. As a second contribution, we developed an Urdu NER dataset (UNER-I) in which a large number of NE types were manually annotated. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, as well as the usefulness of the dataset, experiments were performed using the dataset we developed and an existing dataset. The results of the experiments showed that our proposed technique outperformed the baseline technique for both datasets by improving the F1 scores by 1.5% to 3%. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that the enhanced dataset was useful for learning and prediction in a supervised learning approach.
Explicit Solutions to Large Deformation of Cantilever Beams by Improved Homotopy Analysis Method I: Rotation Angle
Authors: Li Yinshan , Li Xinye , Huo Shuhao , Xie Chen
Published: June 2022

An improved homotopy analysis method (IHAM) is proposed to solve the nonlinear differential equation, especially for the case when nonlinearity is strong in this paper. As an application, the method was used to derive explicit solutions to the rotation angle of a cantilever beam under point load at the free end. Compared with the traditional homotopy method, the derivation includes two steps. A new nonlinear differential equation is firstly constructed based on the current nonlinear differential equation of the rotation angle and the auxiliary quadratic nonlinear differential equation. In the second step, a high-order non-linear iterative homotopy differential equation is established based on the new non-linear differential equation and the auxiliary linear differential equation. The analytical solution to the rotation angle is then derived by solving this high-order homotopy equation. In addition, the convergence range can be extended significantly by the homotopy–Páde approximation. Compared with the traditional homotopy analysis method, the current improved method not only speeds up the convergence of the solution, but also enlarges the convergence range. For the large deflection problem of beams, the new solution for the rotation angle is more approachable to the engineering designers than the implicit exact solution by the Euler–Bernoulli law. It should have significant practical applications in the design of long bridges or high-rise buildings to minimize the potential error due to the extreme length of the beam-like structures.
Fake Sentence Detection Based on Transfer Learning: Applying to Korean COVID-19 Fake News
Authors: Lee Jeong-Wook , Kim Jae-Hoon
Published: June 2022

With the increasing number of social media users in recent years, news in various fields, such as politics, economics, and so on, can be easily accessed by users. However, most news spread through social networks including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram has unknown sources, thus having a significant impact on news consumers. Fake news on COVID-19, which is affecting the global population, is propagating quickly and causes social disorder. Thus, a lot of research is being conducted on the detection of fake news on COVID-19 but is facing the problem of a lack of datasets. In order to alleviate the problem, we built a dataset on COVID-19 fake news from fact-checking websites in Korea and propose deep learning for detecting fake news on COVID-19 using the datasets. The proposed model is pre-trained with large-scale data and then performs transfer learning through a BiLSTM model. Moreover, we propose a method for initializing the hidden and cell states of the BiLSTM model to a [CLS] token instead of a zero vector. Through experiments, the proposed model showed that the accuracy is 78.8%, which was improved by 8% compared with the linear model as a baseline model, and that transfer learning can be useful with a small amount of data as we know it. A [CLS] token containing sentence information as the initial state of the BiLSTM can contribute to a performance improvement in the model.
The Effect of 12 Weeks of Saddle Horse Conversion Training on Thoroughbred Horse Gait
Authors: Jung Taewoon , Park Hyoungjin
Published: June 2022

The unwanted horse problem is the most serious issue confronting the equestrian industry. Thus, it is recommended that retired racehorses switch to become saddle horses for ‘the second life of a racing veteran’ because training and using retired Thoroughbred racehorses as saddle horses is the most cost-effective option. The current study aimed to analyze the effects of saddle horse conversion training on gaits of retired Thoroughbred racehorses. Our study included 12 retired Thoroughbred racehorses. These Thoroughbred racehorses performed the retraining 20–50 min a day, five times per week for three months. There are some critical findings in this study. The results show that the decreased stride length of each foot decreased the displacements of the center of mass and the center of the head. In addition, after retraining, there was a significant decrease in the head–neck angle and displacement between the center of the head and the center of the neck. These changes in the horse’s movements mean that the habitual movements for racing are gradually changed to optimal movements for a saddle horse.
Effect of Dust Types on the Eco-Physiological Response of Three Tree Species Seedlings: Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Conocarpus erectus and Bombax ceiba
Authors: Nawaz Muhammad Farrakh , Rashid Muhammad Haroon U. , Saeed-Ur-Rehman Muhammad , Gul Sadaf , Farooq Taimoor Hassan , Sabir Muhammad Azeem , Iftikhar Junaid , Abdelsalam Nader R. , Dessoky Eldessoky S. , Alotaibi Saqer S.
Published: June 2022

Dust is the collection of fine particles of solid matter, and it is a major issue of atmospheric pollution. Dust particles are becoming the major pollutants of the urban environment due to hyperbolic manufacturing and automobile pollution. These atmospheric pollutants are not only hazardous for human beings, but they also affect tree growth, particularly in urban environments. This study was designed to examine the changes in morphological and physiological traits of three tree species seedlings (Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Conocarpus erectus, and Bombax ceiba) in response to different dust types. In a pot experiment under controlled conditions, three-month-old seedlings of selected trees species were subjected to four treatments of dust: T1 = controlled; T2 = wood dust; T3 = soil dust; and T4 = carbon dust. During the whole experiment, 10 g/plant/dose was applied in 8 doses with a one-week interval. The results depicted that the growth was the maximum in T1 (control) and the minimum in T4 (carbon dust). In our findings, B. ceiba performed better under the same levels of dust pollution as compared with the other two tree species. The B. ceiba tree species proved to be the most tolerant to dust pollution by efficiently demolishing oxidative bursts by triggering SOD, POD, and CAT under different dust types compared to controlled conditions. Stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate, and transpiration rate were negatively influenced in all three tree species in response to different dust applications. Based on the findings, among these three tree species, B. ceiba is recommended for dust polluted areas followed by E. camaldulensis and Conocarpus erectus due to their better performance and efficient dust-foraging potential.
Comparative DNA Methylome of Phytoplasma Associated Retrograde Metamorphosis in Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)
Authors: Verma Pratima , Singh Amrita , Purru Supriya , Bhat Kangila Venkataramana , Lakhanpaul Suman
Published: June 2022

Phytoplasma-associated diseases such as phyllody and little leaf are critical threats to sesame cultivation worldwide. The mechanism of the dramatic conversion of flowers to leafy structures leading to yield losses and the drastic reduction in leaf size due to Phytoplasma infection remains yet to be identified. Cytosine methylation profiles of healthy and infected sesame plants studied using Whole Genome Bisulfite Sequencing (WGBS) and Quantitative analysis of DNA methylation with the real-time PCR (qAMP) technique revealed altered DNA methylation patterns upon infection. Phyllody was associated with global cytosine hypomethylation, though predominantly in the CHH (where H = A, T or C) context. Interestingly, comparable cytosine methylation levels were observed between healthy and little leaf-affected plant samples in CG, CHG and CHH contexts. Among the different genomic fractions, the highest number of differentially methylated Cytosines was found in the intergenic regions, followed by promoter, exonic and intronic regions in decreasing order. Further, most of the differentially methylated genes were hypomethylated and were mainly associated with development and defense-related processes. Loci for STOREKEEPER protein-like, a DNA-binding protein and PP2-B15, an F-Box protein, responsible for plugging sieve plates to maintain turgor pressure within the sieve tubes were found to be hypomethylated by WGBS, which was confirmed by methylation-dependent restriction digestion and qPCR. Likewise, serine/threonine-protein phosphatase-7 homolog, a positive regulator of cryptochrome signaling involved in hypocotyl and cotyledon growth and probable O-methyltransferase 3 locus were determined to be hypermethylated. Phytoplasma infection-associated global differential methylation as well as the defense and development-related loci reported here for the first time significantly elucidate the mechanism of phytoplasma-associated disease development.
Tertiary and Quaternary Structure Organization in GMP Synthetases: Implications for Catalysis
Authors: Ballut Lionel , Violot Sébastien , Galisson Frédéric , Gonçalves Isabelle R. , Martin Juliette , Shivakumaraswamy Santosh , Carrique Loïc , Balaram Hemalatha , Aghajari Nushin
Published: June 2022

Glutamine amidotransferases, enzymes that transfer nitrogen from Gln to various cellular metabolites, are modular, with the amidotransferase (GATase) domain hydrolyzing Gln, generating ammonia and the acceptor domain catalyzing the addition of nitrogen onto its cognate substrate. GMP synthetase (GMPS), an enzyme in the de novo purine nucleotide biosynthetic pathway, is a glutamine amidotransferase that catalyzes the synthesis of GMP from XMP. The reaction involves activation of XMP though adenylation by ATP in the ATP pyrophosphatase (ATPPase) active site, followed by channeling and attack of NH3 generated in the GATase pocket. This complex chemistry entails co-ordination of activity across the active sites, allosteric activation of the GATase domain to modulate Gln hydrolysis and channeling of ammonia from the GATase to the acceptor active site. Functional GMPS dimers associate through the dimerization domain. The crystal structure of the Gln-bound complex of Plasmodium falciparum GMPS (PfGMPS) for the first time revealed large-scale domain rotation to be associated with catalysis and leading to the juxtaposition of two otherwise spatially distal cysteinyl (C113/C337) residues. In this manuscript, we report on an unusual structural variation in the crystal structure of the C89A/C113A PfGMPS double mutant, wherein a larger degree of domain rotation has led to the dissociation of the dimeric structure. Furthermore, we report a hitherto overlooked signature motif tightly related to catalysis.
Early Signs of Molecular Defects in iPSC-Derived Neural Stems Cells from Patients with Familial Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Akrioti Elissavet , Karamitros Timokratis , Gkaravelas Panagiotis , Kouroupi Georgia , Matsas Rebecca , Taoufik Era
Published: June 2022

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, classically associated with extensive loss of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta. The hallmark of the disease is the accumulation of pathogenic conformations of the presynaptic protein, α-synuclein (αSyn), and the formation of intraneuronal protein aggregate inclusions. Neurodegeneration of dopamine neurons leads to a prominent dopaminergic deficiency in the basal ganglia, responsible for motor disturbances. However, it is now recognized that the disease involves more widespread neuronal dysfunction, leading to early and late non-motor symptoms. The development of in vitro systems based on the differentiation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells provides us the unique opportunity to monitor alterations at the cellular and molecular level throughout the differentiation procedure and identify perturbations that occur early, even at the neuronal precursor stage. Here we aim to identify whether p.A53T-αSyn induced disturbances at the molecular level are already present in neural precursors. Towards this, we present data from transcriptomics analysis of control and p.A53T-αSyn NPCs showing altered expression in transcripts involved in axon guidance, adhesion, synaptogenesis, ion transport, and metabolism. The comparative analysis with the transcriptomics profile of p.A53T-αSyn neurons shows both distinct and overlapping pathways leading to neurodegeneration while meta-analysis with transcriptomics data from both neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders reveals that p.A53T-pathology has a significant overlap with the latter category. This is the first study showing that molecular dysregulation initiates early at the p.A53T-αSyn NPC level, suggesting that synucleinopathies may have a neurodevelopmental component.
Target-Based Small Molecule Drug Discovery for Colorectal Cancer: A Review of Molecular Pathways and In Silico Studies
Authors: Moshawih Said , Lim Ai Fern , Ardianto Chrismawan , Goh Khang Wen , Kifli Nurolaini , Goh Hui Poh , Jarrar Qais , Ming Long Chiau
Published: June 2022

Colorectal cancer is one of the most prevalent cancer types. Although there have been breakthroughs in its treatments, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms and genetic involvement in colorectal cancer will have a substantial role in producing novel and targeted treatments with better safety profiles. In this review, the main molecular pathways and driver genes that are responsible for initiating and propagating the cascade of signaling molecules reaching carcinoma and the aggressive metastatic stages of colorectal cancer were presented. Protein kinases involved in colorectal cancer, as much as other cancers, have seen much focus and committed efforts due to their crucial role in subsidizing, inhibiting, or changing the disease course. Moreover, notable improvements in colorectal cancer treatments with in silico studies and the enhanced selectivity on specific macromolecular targets were discussed. Besides, the selective multi-target agents have been made easier by employing in silico methods in molecular de novo synthesis or target identification and drug repurposing.
Simultaneous Visualization of MiRNA-221 and Caspase-3 in Cancer Cells for Investigating the Feasibility of MiRNA-Targeted Therapy with a Dual-Color Fluorescent Nanosensor
Authors: Ren Mingyao , Chen Zhe , Ge Chuandong , Hu Wei , Wang Nianxing , Yang Limin , Luan Mingming , Xu Jing
Published: June 2022

MiRNA-targeted therapy holds great promise for precision cancer therapy. It is important to investigate the effect of changes in miRNA expression on apoptosis in order to evaluate miRNA-targeted therapy and achieve personalized therapy. In this study, we designed a dual-color fluorescent nanosensor consisting of grapheme oxide modified with a molecular beacon and peptide. The nanosensor can simultaneously detect and image miRNA-221 and apoptotic protein caspase-3 in living cells. Intracellular experiments showed that the nanosensor could be successfully applied for in situ monitoring of the effect of miRNA-221 expression changes on apoptosis by dual-color imaging. The current strategy could provide new avenues for investigating the feasibility of miRNA-targeted therapy, screening new anti-cancer drugs targeting miRNA and developing personalized treatment plans.
Liver Acinus Dynamic Chip for Assessment of Drug-Induced Zonal Hepatotoxicity
Authors: Kwon Dohyung , Choi Geonho , Park Song-A , Cho Sungwoo , Cho Sihun , Ko Sungho
Published: June 2022

Zonation along the liver acinus is considered a key feature of liver physiology. Here, we developed a liver acinus dynamic (LADY) chip that recapitulates a key functional structure of the liver acinus and hepatic zonation. Corresponding to the blood flow from portal triads to the central vein in vivo, gradual flow of oxygen and glucose–carrying culture medium into the HepG2 cell chamber of the LADY chip generated zonal protein expression patterns in periportal (PP) zone 1 and perivenous (PV) zone 3. Higher levels of albumin secretion and urea production were obtained in a HepG2/HUVECs co-culture LADY chip than in HepG2 mono-culture one. Zonal expression of PEPCK as a PP marker and CYP2E1 as a PV marker was successfully generated. Cell death rate of the PV cells was higher than that of the PP cells since zonal factors responsible for metabolic activation of acetaminophen (APAP) were highly expressed in the PV region. We also found the co-culture enhanced metabolic capacity to process APAP, thus improving resistance to APAP toxicity, in comparison with HepG2 mono-culture. These results indicate that our LADY chip successfully represents liver zonation and could be useful in drug development studies as a drug-induced zonal hepatotoxicity testing platform.