bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acesso ao conhecimento no contexto da ciência aberta
Authors: Oddone Nanci , Souza Leticia Vitória Rodrigues Lima de
Published: February 2024

Introdução: O Sci-Hub é um canal de acesso a textos científicos totalmente gratuito e sem necessidade de cadastro que recupera documentos através do título ou de identificadores persistentes, mesmo quando são textos protegidos pelas leis de direito autoral. O artigo apresenta o contexto de criação do Sci-Hub e seu funcionamento, informando sobre as barreiras à comunicação científica impostas pelo sistema editorial vigente. Objetivo: O estudo investigou a extensão do uso do Sci-Hub no Brasil entre estudantes de pós-graduação stricto sensu de diferentes áreas. Metodologia: A pesquisa envolveu um survey sobre as motivações para o uso do Sci-Hub, aplicado com o auxílio do Google Formulários. Resultados: Os resultados mostraram que cerca de 20% dos respondentes não conheciam o Sci-Hub. Entre os 779 pós-graduandos que conheciam a ferramenta, 88% indicaram usá-la regularmente, seja pelo custo zero ou pela praticidade (74%). Pouco mais de 14% assinalaram desobediência intelectual como motivação para usar o Sci-Hub. Os resultados indicaram também que o Sci-Hub tem se mantido como um atalho entre o pesquisador e o conteúdo científico indispensável para a realização de sua pesquisa e para a evolução da ciência. Conclusões: Conclui-se que a criação do Sci-Hub e sua intensa utilização no Brasil e ao redor do mundo são um sintoma da reação dos cientistas ao esquema deteriorado de comunicação científica mantido pelas editoras internacionais e uma constatação da importância dos princípios da Ciência Aberta.
The Role of Electronic Twinning in Professional Development from the Perspective of Teachers in Schools in Aqaba Governorate
Authors: Al-Hayat Hanan Salam Hassan
Published: February 2024

The current study aimed to identify the role of electronic twinning on the professional development of teachers in the schools of Aqaba Governorate, from the point of view of the teachers themselves. To achieve this goal, the study relied on the analytical descriptive approach and the questionnaire as a tool for collecting data from the study sample, which consisted of (480) teachers from the schools of Aqaba Governorate. The study concluded that there is a positive impact of electronic twinning on the professional development of teachers in the following areas: improving the quality of education, enhancing interaction and communication between teachers, expanding opportunities for sustainable education, and developing technical skills. Based on the results reached, the study recommended the need to enhance awareness of the importance of using electronic twinning and its benefits in improving the quality of education and enhancing teacher development.
Characterization of Industrial High-Strength Aluminum Alloys by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, With Special Emphasis on the Detection of Low Contents of Mg, Mn, Cr, Cu, Zn and Sensing of Molecular Diatomic Emission of AlO During Ablation
Authors: Rytchkova Svetlana , Lévesque Luc
Published: February 2024

The wealth of data obtained during the past 20 years using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) indicates that the technique is very promising to detect small chemical contents of alloying elements. The potential of LIBS was looked more seriously during the past two decades or so as more data were obtained on Aluminum and steel to study the phenomena in the condition of local thermodynamic equilibrium and time-delay between a Q-switch laser and an intensified CCD camera. Since the past decade, some data on compounds were also shown to be useful in determining small concentrations of harmful elements. This manuscript is intended to show that the technique of LIBS performance is very promising in fields such as micro-machining, in alloying element analysis, surface cleaning and environmental applications even with lightweight spectrometers having a relatively low resolution, which can potentially be air-borne.
Dynamic and Floristic Structure of Kouampante Community Forest (Savannahs’ Region, Togo)
Authors: EHLUI Kossi Senyo
Published: February 2024

Abstract: Community forests are being promoted in Togo as an alternative to the degradation of protected areas and as a means of restoring forest landscapes. The present study is carried out within Kouampante Community Forest (KCF) in Ogaro (Togo, West Africa). It intends to contribute to the sustainable management of KCF. Specially, it aims at: (i) mapping forest ecosystems and analysing their dynamic and (ii) characterising the floristic diversity of the KCF. Forest ecosytems are mapped and their dynamic evaluated based on Google Earth images of 2010 and 2020. The floristic and silvicultural analyses are based on inventories carried out in 13 plots of 1,000 m² each. The KCF is made up mainly by tree/shrub savannahs (58.73%) and croplands/fallow (41.27%) in 2010. These two land use types have undergone changes over the period. In 2020, the KCF had two land use types: tree/shrub savannahs (84.30%) and croplands/fallows (15.70%). The flora census consisted of 59 species grouped in 6 families. The most important plant species are Detarium microcarpum and Vitellaria paradoxa. The Fabaceae were the most abundant and diversified families, followed by the Combretaceae. The demographic structure showed a high abundance of individuals with small diameter and height. This indicates the possibility of a rapid restoration of the native vegetation. Protecting the forest from anthropogenic threats could be crucial for achieving the desired objective.
A New Landscape for Southwest Ozark Missouri Woodlands?
Authors: Ajao Akeem , Sharma Sanjeev , Wait D Alexander , Khanal Puskar
Published: February 2024

Oak woodlands are a keystone ecosystem that may not be sustainable under ongoing fire management regimes and climate change. For example, in 2014, sassafras saplings started to emerge in degraded woodlands at the 1200 ha Drury Conservation Area as part of research at the Bull Shoals Field Station in Taney County, Missouri where burning was initiated in 1999. After Spring (March) 2021 burnt, we examined trend in the potential community and ecosystem effects, we assessed sapling density, height, and specific leave weigh (SLW) of white oak and sassafras (<1.0 m) from fall 2021 through fall 2022. In fall 2021, sassafras density was 560/0.1ha with mean height of 25.42cm and SLW of 0.00436g/cm2 while white Oak density was 171/0.1ha with mean height of 10.2cm and SLW of 0.00680g/cm. However, in fall 2022, Sassafras density was 582/0.1ha with mean height of 71.689cm and SLW of 0.00366 g/cm2 meanwhile, white Oak density was 213/0.1ha with mean height of 50.544cm and SLW of 0.00563 g/cm2. We analyzed mass loss for sassafras and white oak after buried for 198 days. The weight loss for sassafras was 0.857g while oak was 0.790g for 61 days of buried. Subsequent sassafras weight loss was 1.942g, 3.343g, 4.222g and 4.82g while that of white Oak was 1.877g, 2.862g, 3.344g and 4.28g for day 105, 153 and 198 respectively. The nutrients composition and carbon sequestration of sassafras and white oak species need to be determined to better understand the effect of their dominance in fire management regime of degraded oak woodland in Southwest Missouri Ozarks.
Indirect Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Routine Childhood Vaccination in Low-Income Countries: A Systematic Review to Set the Scope for Future Pandemics
Authors: Beetch Jessica E. , Janitz Amanda , Beebe Laura A. , Gowin Mary , Xu Chao , Clifton Shari , Kuhn Katrin Gaardbo
Published: February 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic halted progress in global vaccine coverage and disrupted routine childhood vaccination practices worldwide. While there is ample evidence of vaccination declines experienced during the pandemic, it is less clear how low-income countries were affected. We executed a systematic review to synthesize the current literature on impacts to routine childhood vaccinations in low-income countries from January 1, 2020 to February 8, 2023. We collected data using an extraction form on Covidence and assessed the quality of studies included in the review using the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Effect estimates for changes in vaccination during the pandemic were reported and summarized. Factors that influenced changes were grouped into descriptive themes. Thirteen studies, encompassing 18 low-income countries and evaluating 15 vaccines at varying doses, were included in the final review. We found that routine childhood vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic varied considerably by vaccine type, location, and phase of the pandemic. Nine different themes were identified as factors that influenced changes in vaccination. Documenting past experiences and lessons learned is crucial for informing preparedness efforts in anticipation of future public health emergencies. Failure to effectively address these things in the next public health emergency could result in a recurrence of declining routine childhood vaccinations.
Revolutionizing Saudi Healthcare: A Delphi Study on Identifying Competencies in Virtual Healthcare for Healthcare Professionals
Authors: Al Baalharith Ibrahim Mubarak , Aboshaiqah Ahmad Eissa
Published: February 2024

Background: Virtual care adoption accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for healthcare professionals to develop relevant competencies. However, limited evidence exists on the core competencies required for quality virtual care delivery. Objective: This study aimed to identify the critical competencies physicians, nurses, and other health professionals need for adequate virtual care provision in Saudi Arabia using a Delphi method. Methods: A 3-round Delphi technique was applied with a panel of 42 experts, including policymakers, healthcare professionals, academicians, and telehealth specialists. In round 1, an open-ended questionnaire elicited competencies needed for virtual care. Competencies were distilled and rated for importance in rounds 2 and 3 until consensus was achieved. Results: Consensus emerged on 151 competencies across 33 domains. The most prominent domains were communication (15 competencies), professionalism (13), leadership (12), health informatics (5), digital literacy (5) and clinical expertise (11).
Advancing Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Diagnosis in Puerto Rico through High-Speed Video Microscopy Analysis
Authors: De Jesús-Rojas Wilfredo , Demetriou Zachary J. , Muñiz-Hernández José , Rosario-Ortiz Gabriel , Quiñones Frances M. , Ramos-Benitez Marcos J. , Mosquera Ricardo A.
Published: February 2024

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is an inherited disorder that impairs motile cilia, essential for respiratory health, with a reported prevalence of 1 in 16,309 within Hispanic populations. Despite having the RSPH4A [c.921+3_921+6del (intronic)] founder mutation in 70% of Puerto Rican patients, the characterization of the ciliary dysfunction remains unidentified due to the unavailability of advanced diagnostic modalities like High-Speed Video Microscopy Analysis (HSVA). Our study implemented HSVA for the first time on the island as a tool to better diagnose and characterize the RSPH4A [c.921+3_921+6del (intronic)] founder mutation in Puerto Rican patients. By applying HSVA, we analyzed the ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and pattern (CBP) in native Puerto Rican patients with PCD. Our results showed decreased CBF and a rotational CBP linked to the RSPH4A founder mutation in Puerto Ricans, presenting a novel diagnostic marker that could be implemented as an axillary test into the PCD diagnosis algorithm in Puerto Rico. The integration of HSVA technology in Puerto Rico substantially enhances the framework for PCD evaluation and diagnosis, facilitating prompt detection and early intervention for improved disease management. This initiative, demonstrating the potential of HSVA as an adjunctive test within the PCD diagnostic algorithm, could serve as a blueprint for analogous developments throughout Latin America.
Dynamics-Based Control and Path Planning Method for Long-Reach Coupled Tendon-Driven Manipulator
Authors: Takata Atsushi ,   Editorial Office, Endo Gen
Published: February 2024

The Fukushima power station in Japan was affected by a major earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, inspecting the primary containment vessel remains difficult due to high radioactivity. Long-reach robot arms are useful in inspecting such hazardous environments, and a coupled tendon-driven mechanism enables realizing a long, light-weight, and thin manipulator. However, high elastic elongation of tendons due to gravity may lead to unstable joint control. In this paper, we introduce dynamics-based control as a feasible strategy for a long-reach tendon-driven robotic arm. Additionally, a planning method to identify the joint angle path ensuring stability is proposed. Considering stability analysis, the potential due to the tendon elasticity and gravity is evaluated and used as an index of joint stability. The rapidly exploring random tree is used as the planning algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed method was demonstrated through the successful manipulation of a 5-kg payload by a 10-m long robotic arm.
Experimental Evaluation of Manipulator Teleoperation System Based on Trajectory Planning for Obstacle Removal Task in Nuclear Plant Decommissioning
Authors: Hashimoto Tatsuya ,   Editorial Office, Tazaki Yuichi , Matsuda Fumiya , Kitajima Katsumasa , Nagano Hikaru , Yokokohji Yasuyoshi
Published: February 2024

In the teleoperation system of a dual-arm manipulator developed to retrieve fuel debris and reactor interior structures at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, we used software in which an obstacle avoidance function (trajectory planning) was implemented to conduct a mock test simulating obstacle removal operations in narrow spaces. The test results confirmed the validity of the obstacle avoidance function, the executability of a series of necessary tasks, and the improved operability. In addition, issues were identified using the test data.
Experimental and Numerical Study of the Effect of Cloud Cover on the Electrical Performance of Photovoltaic Plants
Authors: Haro Kayaba , Compaore Abdoulaye , Kabore Abdoulye , Gérard Kombassere Jean , Sandwidi Sayouba , Guy Christian Tubreoumya , Sinon Souleymane , Antoine Bere , Oumar Sanogo
Published: February 2024

The production of electricity from the sun mainly consists of transforming the light emitted by the sun into electrical energy through photovoltaic cells. This production varies proportionally with the light that illuminates the solar photovoltaic module. According to the literature, we noted that during the period of cloudy passage, the production of the solar modules could see a fall going from 5 to 60% according to the size of the photovoltaic fields. The present work consisted of studying the impact of cloudy passages on the electrical production of PV fields at four sites (Loumbila, Sandogo, Ouaga 2000 and IRSAT). To achieve this, a theoretical and experimental study was conducted. The simulation results were compared to the experimental results of two daily sunshine profiles (sunny and cloudy). The results show significant differences between the experimental and simulated data for the two sunshine profiles considered. The losses of electrical production generated by these cloudy passages vary from 27 to 32% and from 35 to 52%, respectively, for the simulated and experimental results. These differences were explained by the probabilistic character of the cloudy passages and by the fact that other major parameters (aerosols, dust deposits and ageing of the solar modules) were not considered. As perspectives, we recommend a continuation of the work by studying, in addition to the cloudy passages, the influence of aerosols and dust deposits on the PV fields realized by us.
Doğrudan Yabancı Yatırımlar, Yüksek Teknolojili Ürün İhracatı ve Ekonomik Büyüme Arasındaki İlişki: G20 Ülkelerinde Bir Uygulama
Authors: ÖZMERDİVANLI Arzu , AKGÜN Evin
Published: February 2024

Küreselleşme, bilgi ve iletişim teknolojileri ve liberalizasyon açısından dünyada meydana gelen hareketler geçmiş dönemlere göre doğrudan yabancı yatırımların ve yüksek teknolojili ürün ihracatının artmasına imkan sağlamıştır. Bununla birlikte daha fazla yabancı yatırım alan ve yüksek teknolojili ürün üretip ihraç eden ülkeler ekonomik büyüme açısından avantajlı bir konuma sahip olmuştur. Ekonomik açıdan büyüyen ve gelişen ülkeler uluslararası platformda rekabet gücünü artırabilmekte ve daha hızlı bir şekilde kalkınabilmektedir. Bu bağlamda doğrudan yabancı yatırımlar, ekonomik büyüme ve yüksek teknolojili ürün ihracatı arasındaki ilişkilerin incelenmesi, geçmiş dönemlerden daha fazla önem arz etmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı doğrudan yabancı yatırımlar, ekonomik büyüme ve yüksek teknolojili ürün ihracatı arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesidir. Bu kapsamda G20 ülkelerinde 2010 – 2021 dönemi için panel nedensellik analizleri kullanılarak araştırma yapılmıştır. Analiz sonucu elde edilen bulgular ülke düzeyinde değişkenler arasında nedensellik ilişkilerinin var olduğunu ve bu ilişkilerin yönünün ülkeden ülkeye değiştiğini göstermektedir. Panel düzeyinde elde edilen bulgular ise doğrudan yabancı yatırımlar, ekonomik büyüme ve yüksek teknolojili ürün ihracatı arasında çift yönlü bir etkileşim olduğunu ve bu değişkenlerin karşılıklı olarak birbirlerini etkilediklerini ortaya koymaktadır.
Aplicación del reactor para el tratamiento de aguas residuales y producción de biogás en zonas altoandinas
Authors:   , Smith Sanchez Jenyfer
Published: February 2024

El tratamiento de aguas residuales es vital en las zonas altoandinas por ser cuenca alta y en ocasiones cabeza de cuenca. Usualmente estas cuencas están contaminadas por descargas domésticas de zonas que no disponen de sistemas de recolección y disposición final de desagüe. El objetivo de esta revisión es determinar si la aplicación de un reactor anaerobio de flujo ascendente, denominado RAFA o UASB, es aplicable en el tratamiento de aguas residuales y producción de biogás en zonas altoandinas. La propuesta de utilizar un reactor UASB resulta interesante pues es una tecnología de bajo costo, requieren poco espacio para su instalación y provee de biogás. Entre sus desventajas se encuentran: una etapa de inicio muy larga, poco rendimiento en remoción de parámetros biológicos (coliformes totales), químicos (nitrógeno total y fósforo total) y sensibilidad a condiciones psicrofílicas (10°C -20°C). Siendo la última desventaja, una característica de las zonas altoandinas. Se estudió también tecnologías complementarias que incluyan a los reactores UASB complementados con otros métodos de tratamiento de aguas residuales para la mejora de su rendimiento. Se concluye que es importante tener en cuenta que esta tecnología es principalmente usada para aguas de alta carga orgánica y la remoción de otros parámetros como metales pesados, requerirían de un post-tratamiento. Con respecto al biogás, este tiene el potencial de recircular para generar energía al propio sistema, la producción de metano, componente del biogás aumenta al adicionar un proceso de co-digestión y la generación de lodos estables simplifica su disposición final.
Propiedades medicinales de la annona muricata: una revisión de la literatura
Authors:   , Alvarado Mayor Paola Natalia , Bautista Flores Alexandra
Published: February 2024

Objetivos del estudio: Durante la última década la evidencia ha mostrado los diversos efectos positivos en la salud que tiene la Annona muricata gracias a sus compuestos químicos. Estos últimos tienen la capacidad de tener un efecto anticancerígeno, antioxidante, anti hiperglucémico entre otros. Por ello, la presente revisión del tema se llevó a cabo con el objetivo de sintetizar evidencia sobre las propiedades medicinales de la Annona muricata. Metodología y resultados: Se realizó una revisión de tema enfocada en la búsqueda de literatura científico académica, para lo cual se buscaron términos seleccionados en 5 bases de datos: PubMed, Scopus, Wiley, Elsevier y BVS; donde se revisaron y consideraron todos los estudios relevantes sobre las propiedades medicinales, beneficios y usos de la Annona muricata, publicados a nivel mundial, desde el año 2016. Utilizando los siguientes términos de búsqueda en inglés: Annona muricata AND medicinal properties, benefits, health, cancer, uses, diseases, advantages, cytotoxic effect y biological activity. Se obtuvo un total de 86 publicaciones, las cuales fueron sometidas a los criterios de inclusión y exclusión establecidos para la presente revisión de tema, resultando 45 al final. Conclusiones: La Annona muricata se considera no sólo un potencial anticancerígeno, inductor de apoptosis y modulador de la proliferación celular, sino que además posee otros beneficios como la presencia de actividades antiinflamatorias, inmunomoduladoras, entre otros; gracias a sus fitoquímicos con actividad biológica. Es necesario generar mayor investigación sobre su uso como herramienta terapéutica adyuvante.
Plan de negocio para la fabricación y comercialización online de prendas de algodón para bebés de 0 a 2 años en Lima Moderna
Authors:   , Cerna Sánchez Marlene Elizabeth , Guevara Guivar Auber , Sallo Gamboa Jazmín Katherine , Villanueva Torres Aylin Antoaneth Karoline , Yalico Orozco Mayra Ximena
Published: February 2024

Actualmente a nivel mundial, nos encontramos viviendo en una época muy difícil desde la aparición de la Covid-19, debido a ello la mayoría de los países se han visto afectado económicamente, es por ello que los gobiernos han tenido que tomar medidas para contrarrestar dicha crisis, una de ellas es la cuarentena y el cierre de fronteras lo cual ha impulsado a las empresas a innovarse. Por ello, se ha visto la necesidad de vender los productos a través del comercio electrónico y a la vez complementando el servicio de delivery desde los productos básicos y otros. Asimismo, nuestro plan de negocio se adaptará a las necesidades actuales, haciendo uso de la tecnología; en tal sentido contaremos con un centro de producción y administrativa en el distrito de Chorrillos por su ubicación estratégica para nuestro negocio. La idea de negocio al cual nos estamos centrando es la producción y comercialización de ropa de bebés desde cero a dos años, contando con materia prima principal el algodón pima peruano, lo cual nos diferenciará por su calidad distinta a otras telas, brindándole al usuario el cuidado de su piel. La venta de nuestros productos será B2C, lo cual tendremos nuestra página web y nos encontraremos en las redes sociales, lo cual será muy dinámico y de fácil acceso para nuestros clientes. Además, para llegar al cliente final se realizará una alianza con una empresa líder en logística, cerrando así el círculo de la cadena de valor. Por lo tanto, este proyecto constará de la siguiente manera: Capítulo I: Idea de Negocio, en donde hemos formulado la idea de negocio y tipo de modelo de negocio al cual nos estamos enfocando.
Eficacia del método de Vahanwala en la determinación del sexo a través de la queiloscopia en impresiones labiales de un grupo de estudiantes peruanos - Chincheros Apurímac 2017
Authors:   , García Jáuregui Lesly Yuliana
Published: February 2024

Eficacia del método de Vahanwala en la determinación del sexo a través de la queiloscopia en impresiones labiales de un grupo de estudiantes peruanos - Chincheros Apurímac 2017
Modificación de la creatinina sérica después de la aplicación de medios de contraste yodado en tomografía del Hospital de Emergencias José Casimiro Ulloa
Authors:   , Bueno Mallma Danny Miguel
Published: February 2024

Existen varios factores de riesgo que hacen al paciente más susceptible a nefropatía inducida por contraste (CIN), la enfermedad renal crónica es la principal condición relacionada a CIN. En el servicio de emergencia, es necesario el apoyo del estudio tomográfico con contraste, este procedimiento se realiza a través de la vía intra arterial, así como, la vía endovenosa. La administración de agentes de contraste en casos de necesidad diagnóstica, requiere la inyección de sustancias que incrementa el riesgo de CIN. Las observaciones sobre CIN y la dosis empleada se han propuesto como factor de riesgo para esta condición; la cantidad de contraste yodado empleado varía entre 2ml/kg y 200 ml/kg. Al parecer CIN es menos evidente con dosis de contraste menores a 100ml; pero el riesgo se incrementaría conforme se incrementa la necesidad de mayor volumen de contraste; esta situación es más evidente en el contexto de enfermedades renales crónicas asociadas.
Determination of the Thickness and Fracture Toughness of Shale Interfacial Transition Zone Near Various Micromineral Aggregates Using Nano-Scratch Tests
Authors: Nie Yuanxun , Wu Bisheng , Zhang Guangqing , Zhang Li , Li Shiyuan , Yang Liu , Liu Zhaoyang
Published: February 2024

Heterogeneously distributed micromineral aggregates (MMAs) are common in shale reservoirs. The interfaces between these MMAs and the surrounding minerals significantly affect fracture propagation behaviors during shale oil exploitation. In this paper, the concept of interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the MMAs (e.g., striped barite, pyrite, calcite, apatite blocks, and bedding plane) and the surrounding mineral in shale is introduced. Due to the small thickness of the ITZ, its thickness and mechanical properties are very difficult to determine by traditional standard methods. To address this issue, this paper proposes a method combining nano-scratch tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and quantitative evaluation of minerals by SEM (QEMSCAN) techniques to investigate the thickness and fracture toughness of the ITZ near typical MMAs. The results show that the thickness of the ITZ determined by the transverse force FT and scratch depth (-d2) varies from 3.2 μm to 17.3 μm. In addition, the fracture toughness of both MMAs and ITZs is characterized by high heterogeneity ranging from 0.1 MPa·m0.5 to 2.1 MPa·m0.5. Moreover, a formula evaluating the fracture toughness of the ITZ is proposed taking into account the type and content of minerals in the ITZ. A strong linear relationship is observed between the thickness of the ITZ and the average fracture toughness ratio. In addition, a relationship is established between the fracture toughness of the ITZ and MMAs, and an evaluation equation is derived. This study is helpful for understanding the characteristics (i.e., mainly thickness and fracture toughness) of the ITZ within shales.
PPI-hotspotID: A Method for Detecting Protein-Protein Interaction Hot Spots from the Free Protein Structure
Authors: Chen Yao Chi , Sargsyan Karen , Wright Jon D , Chen Yu-Hsien , Huang Yi-Shuian , Lim Carmay
Published: February 2024

Experimental detection of residues critical for protein-protein interactions (PPI) is a time-consuming, costly, and labor-intensive process. Hence, high-throughput PPI-hot spot prediction methods have been developed, but they have been validated using relatively small datasets, which may compromise their predictive reliability. Here, we introduce PPI-hotspotID, a novel method for identifying PPI-hot spots using the free protein structure, and validated it on the largest collection of experimentally confirmed PPI-hot spots to date. We show that PPI-hotspotID outperformed FTMap and SPOTONE, the only available webservers for predicting PPI hotspots given free protein structures and sequences, respectively. When combined with the AlphaFold-Multimer-predicted interface residues, PPI-HotspotID, yielded better performance than either method alone. Furthermore, we experimentally verified the PPI-hot spots of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 predicted by PPI-hotspotID. Notably, PPI-hotspotID unveils PPI-hot spots that are not obvious from complex structures, which only reveal interface residues, thus overlooking PPI-hot spots in indirect contact with binding partners. Thus, PPI-hotspotID serves as a valuable tool for understanding the mechanisms of PPIs and facilitating the design of novel drugs targeting these interactions. A freely accessible web server is available at https://ppihotspotid.limlab.dnsalias.org/ and the source code for PPI-hotspotID at https://github.com/wrigjz/ppihotspotid/.
Stingless bee, Tetragonula iridipennis as a pollinator in Bell pepper, Capsicum annum under protected cultivation
Authors: N Rakshitha T
Published: February 2024

Stingless bees are common visitor to flowering plants in the tropics, and play a vital role as a pollinator both in open and closed environment. The present study was carried out to know the efficiency of stingless bee, Tetragonula iridipennis Smith on bell pepper, Capsicum annum cultivated under greenhouses during two seasons, summer (2021) and winter (2021-2022). At the time of flower initiation three stingless bee colonies were introduced inside the greenhouse. The peak activity of outgoing foragers recorded at 11.00 h to 12.00 h (12.90 bees/m2/10 min) during summer. In winter, activity of bees was maximum at 11:00 h to 12:00 h (11.35 bees/m2/10 min). The floral handling time of bees on flower in both the seasons, irrespective of the hours in a day, the maximum flower handling time was observed in the afternoon hours (44.60 s/flower) compared to forenoon hours (20.57 s/flower). Even in often cross pollinated bell pepper significant increase in number of fruits/plant (10.40 and 8.98), percentage of fruit set (90.04 % and 81.86 %), yield/plant (0.71 g and 0.46 g), fruit length (7.38 mm and 6.50 mm), fruit girth (22.86 mm and 19.43 mm), fruit weight (98.38 g and 83.08 g), TSS (5.20 % and 4.52 %), ascorbic content (93.64 mg/100 g and 89.15 mg/100 g) and moisture content (95.37 % and 40.93 %) was recorded between bee pollinated and control plots, respectively.
Kinetics of Organic Matter Removal in Olive Mill Wastewater and Cheese Whey Effluent using Microfiltration Membrane
Authors: Akdemir Ezgi Oktav
Published: February 2024

In this study, a laboratory-scale microfiltration membrane system was operated with olive oil industry wastewater (OMW) and cheese whey effluent (CWE) with chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations of 54 and 65.6 g/L at flow rates (Q) of 100, 150, and 200 L/h, pressures of 1 and 2 bar, filtration times considered as four different hydraulic retention time (q) of 30, 60, 90, and 120 min, respectively. COD removal efficiencies decreased with decreasing q from 120 min to 30 min and increasing pressure. In this study, mathematical models such as first-order kinetics, Grau second-order, and Modified Stover-Kincannon models were applied to determine the organic matter removal kinetics of the microfiltration membrane system. The model’s kinetic parameters were determined by linear regression using the experimental data. The predicted effluent COD concentrations were calculated using the kinetic constants. Grau second-order and Modified Stover-Kincannon models were found to be more consistent with the observed data. Moreover, the correlation coefficient (R2) obtained for the experimental and predicted effluent COD concentration also confirmed the suitability of the kinetic models and showed that the models can be used in the kinetics of organic matter removal in microfiltration membrane system design, thus predicting the behavior of the membrane for treating olive oil industry wastewater and cheese whey effluent. The experimental results obtained in this study are expected to be used as a reference for the determination of organic matter removal kinetics in membrane systems.
Stability analysis of spherical pendulum with rotational spatial vibrating suspension point
Authors: Luo Yan , Sheng Kaicheng
Published: February 2024

We consider a spherical pendulum whose suspension point performs high-frequency spatial vibrations. Dynamics of this pendulum can be described by averaging of its Hamiltonian over phases of vibrations. We impose conditions on vibrations such that that the averaged Hamiltonian has a rotational symmetry. Under these conditions we present a bifurcation diagram for the phase portraits of the averaged system. We show numerical simulations of different examples of vibrations. Bifurcation of phase portraits of spherical physical pendulum with vibrating suspension point are considered as well.
Causal associations between human gut microbiota and Multiple Myeloma: a mendelian randomization study
Authors: Zhang Jingtao , Hu Minhua , Liu Shitao , Zeng Wenxing , Zhou Qishi
Published: February 2024

Background: Numerous clinical studies have indicated a close connection between the human gut microbiome and multiple myeloma, yet the presence of a causal genetic link between them remains unclear. This study employs a two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) approach to assess the potential causal relationship between these two factors.
Methods:We used genome-wide association study (GWAS) statistics for the human gut microbiome obtained from the MiBioGen database, and multiple myeloma data from the UK Biobank (UKB). The primary analysis was conducted using the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method for two-sample MR to assess the causal relationship between the gut microbiome and multiple myeloma. Sensitivity analyses were performed to ensure the robustness of the results.
Results:Our findings, predominantly based on the IVW method, support a causal relationship between six gut microbial taxa and multiple myeloma. We observed positive associations with increased risk of multiple myeloma for Anaerotruncus from the human colon (p=0.033) and the Bilophila genus (p=0.033), suggesting these microbiota may elevate the risk of the disease.
Conversely, negative correlations potentially related to reduced risk were found for the Slackia genus (p=0.022), Victivallis genus (p=0.046), Butyrivibrio genus (p=0.044), and Ruminiclostridium5 genus (p=0.032). No reverse causality was detected between multiple myeloma and the six specific gut microbial taxa.
Conclusion:Our team pioneered a Mendelian Randomization study on the causal relationship between specific gut microbiota and multiple myeloma, providing meaningful insights into the potential mechanisms from a genetic perspective. This research offers valuable references for the early prevention of multiple myeloma and the improvement of disease progression.
An Experimental Study on Oxygen Assisted Plasma Air Cutting of Low Carbon Steel
Authors: Petare Anand C. , Khan Anas Ullah , Madhukar Yuvraj K
Published: February 2024

Air plasma cutting technology is widely used for cutting complex profiles, geometrics, shapes, and sections in electrically conducting materials at high speed. In this experimental research, oxygen was introduced along with compressed air during plasma air cutting of 10 mm thick C-20 carbon steel plates and their effect on cut surface quality was studied. A total of twenty experiments with compressed air were performed using a full-factorial design of experiments to identify the optimum ranges of process parameters. Further, based on the obtained results from preliminary experiments, twenty experiments were designed using a central composite design (CCD) approach of response surface method (RSM) using compressed air and a mixture of compressed air and oxygen. The cut surface quality was analysed for both conditions in terms of kerf width, dross height, bevel angle, surface roughness, maximum cutting temperature and heat-affected zone (HAZ). A comparative study between compressed air plasma cutting and oxygen assisted compressed air plasma cutting reveals that the addition of oxygen with compressed air improves the arc quality of plasma, which consequently reduced cutting time, kerf width, dross height, and surface roughness of the work materials. The microstructure study of both the cut surfaces reveals that the addition of oxygen with compressed air reduced the length of HAZ significantly compared to compressed air plasma cutting. The outcome of this study would be beneficial for the researcher and engineers working in the area of plasma-assisted cutting of metals.
New Glycosyltransferase RpUGT2 from Rheum palmatum involved in the flavonoid glycoside Biosynthesis
Authors: Zou Jianzhen , Zou Jing , Zhang Shiwen , Zhang Gang , Liu Mengmeng
Published: February 2024

Uridine diphosphate-dependent glycosyltransferases (UGTs) serve as key mediators in the glycosylation of plant metabolites, thereby inducing alterations in their physicochemical properties and bioactivities. Particularly, flavonoid glycosides are synthesized from aglycones through reactions catalyzed by typical UGTs. In our present investigation, we successfully cloned a novel UGT, RpUGT2, originating from Rheum palmatum, a highly regarded traditional Chinese herb known for its abundant genetic diversity. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis indicated the close phylogenetic proximity of RpUGT2 to Vitis vinifera. The recombinant RpUGT2 protein, produced heterologously in Escherichia coli, displayed robust catalytic activity towards a spectrum of flavonoids. Mutational analyses revealed that specific amino acid sequence modifications could result in the loss of enzymatic activity in RpUGT2. This study has thus provided potential candidate genes, RpUGT2, for prospective applications in the metabolic engineering of flavonoid compounds in plants.
Intraovarian Injection of 3D-MSC-EVs-ECM Gel Significantly Improved Rat Ovarian Function After Chemotherapy
Authors: Zhang Yaping , Li Dong , Han Yi , Wu Min , Zhang Shule , Dong Na , Ma Huixian , Liu Linghong , Ju Xiuli
Published: February 2024

Background
Restoring the function of the ovary is important for chemotherapy-induced ovarian failure (COF) patients. Stem cell and extracellular vesicles (EVs) therapy show promise but need further improvement.
Methods
Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) were primarily cultured and further three-dimensional (3D) cultured using an ultra-low attachment surface method. The expression levels of nutritional cytokines and immunomodulatory and stemness-related genes of 3D-cultured hUC-MSCs were analyzed. EVs were isolated by ultracentrifugation and characterized. Ovaries were decellularized with sodium dodecyl sulfate to obtain extracellular matrix (ECM). Lyophilized EVs from three-dimensional (2D) or 3D hUC-MSCs were mixed with ECM to prepare the 2D/3D-MSC-EVs-ECM gels. The therapeutic effect of the MSC-EVs-ECM gel on cyclophosphamide (CTX) -treated rats was analyzed through various tests. RNA sequencing was used to analyze the expression changes of genes before and after treatment.
Results
After culturing in ultra-low attachment dishes, hUC-MSCs aggregated into spheroids and significantly upregulated the expression levels of immunomodulatory and stemness-related genes. The total EVs yield was also upregulated (5.6-fold) after 3D culture. The cell viability of CTX-treated ovarian granulosa cells (OGCs) was significantly rescued by coculture with the 3D-MSC-EVs-ECM gel. Hormones indicative of ovarian function, AMH, E2, and FSH, were recovered in both the CTX + 2D-MSC-EVs-ECM gel group and the CTX + 3D-MSC-EVs-ECM gel group, while the apoptosis-related protein Bax was significantly downregulated. The 3D-MSC-EVs-ECM gel was more effective than the 2D-MSC-EVs-ECM gel. Significantly differentially expressed genes, such as Hbb-b1, Gpd1, and Sirpa, were detected by RNA sequencing. Hbb-b1 was increased in the ovaries of CTX-treated rats, and this increase was attenuated by injecting the 2D/3D-MSC-EVs-ECM gel. Gpd1 was increased after CTX treatment, and this increase was reversed by the 3D-MSC-EVs-ECM gel. Sirpa was decreased in the ovaries of CTX-treated rats, and this decrease was attenuated by injecting the 3D-MSC-EVs-ECM gel.
Conclusions
Our study demonstrated that the 3D-MSC-EVs-ECM gel is an efficient strategy for the recovery of ovarian function in CTX-induced ovarian failure.
Leveraging the Histidine Kinase-Phosphatase Duality to Sculpt Two-Component Signaling
Authors: Möglich Andreas , Meier Stefanie , Multamäki Elina , Ranzani Américo , Takala Heikki
Published: February 2024

Bacteria need to constantly read out their environment for the rapid adaptation to variable conditions. This crucial need is most frequently served by two-component systems (TCS) which decode environmental stimuli into intracellular responses. As one component, sensor histidine kinases (SHK) control the phosphorylation status of the second component, i.e., the response regulator (RR), which in turn determines the downstream responses. These responses can be highly stringent, acute, and sensitive as SHKs commonly exert both kinase and phosphatase activity towards their RRs. With a bacteriophytochrome TCS as a paradigm, we here interrogate how this catalytic duality underlies the signal responses and their reprogramming. Derivative systems exhibit tenfold enhanced sensitivity to red light, owing to an altered balance between the elementary kinase and phosphatase activities. Modifications of the linker intervening the SHK sensor and catalytic entities likewise tilt this balance and provide novel TCSs with hitherto unavailable, inverted output that increases under red light. Not only do the derivative TCSs support novel applications in synthetic biology and optogenetics, but also, they showcase how deliberate perturbations of the kinase-phosphatase duality underpin the rapid exploration of novel signal-response regimes. Arguably, these aspects equally pertain to the engineering and the natural evolution of TCSs.
Identification of apoptosis-related biomarkers of apoptosis in pulpitis based on biological informatics
Authors: Huang Xiaoshan , 李 霞
Published: February 2024

Background Pulpitis (PPS) is a dental disease caused by the destruction of dental hard tissue around the dental pulp. Studies have confirmed that apoptosis has a role in the production of PPS. Hence, it was vital to screen apoptosis related biomarkers for PPS. Methods To identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in GSE77459, we conducted a differential expression analysis (normalversusPPS). Then, apoptosisrelated differential expression genes (AR-DEGs) were got via overlapping DEGs and apoptosis related genes (ARGs). The five algorithms of cytoHubba in protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) were applied to screen apoptosis related biomarkers. Subsequently, we further conducted gene functional enrichment and immune microenvironment analyses for these biomarkers. We finally verified the expression in clinical tissue samples by RT-qPCR. Results A sum of 4,089 DEGs were obtained between PPS and normal groups. Soon afterwards, 19AR-DEGs were screened by the intersection of DEGs and ARGs. Moreover, we got 5 apoptosis related biomarkers via five machine learning algorithms, includingTNFSF10,BIRC3,IL1A,NFKBIAandCASP10.We found that these three biomarkers participated immune-related processes ‘immunoglobulin complex’. In additional, we discovered thatTNFSF10was correlated with Neutrophil and MAIT in immune microenvironment of PPS. In agreement with the results of the public database data analysis, the expression ofTNFSF10,BIRC3,IL1A,NFKBIAandCASP10was markedly over-expressed in clinical PPS samples versus normal samples. Conclusion Overall, we obtained five apoptosis related biomarkers (TNFSF10,BIRC3,IL1A,NFKBIAandCASP10) associated with PPS, which laid a theoretical foundation for the treatment of PPS.
Extraction and Analysis of Surface Quality Characteristics of Turning Workpieces Based on Finite Element Methods
Authors: Chen Taoming , Li Chun , Zou Zhexiang , Han Qi , Gu Fengshou , Ball Andrew D
Published: February 2024

Selecting appropriate cutting parameters can enhance surface quality and extend component lifespan. In addressing challenges such as prolonged duration and low efficiency in multi-parameter turning experiments, constructing precise finite element models is the primary task. Subsequently, to obtain comprehensive distributions of the cutting force and temperature under various cutting parameters, an orthogonal turning experiment was designed, and numerical simulations were conducted. To acquire the surface roughness information of the machined surface, image processing techniques were introduced, encompassing surface mesh calibration, workpiece edge extraction, and edge fitting, with the aim of calculating surface roughness values based on the results of finite element simulation. An in-depth exploration of the interrelationships between the cutting parameters and cutting force, turning temperature, and surface roughness was conducted through range analysis and multiple-factor linear regression analysis. Consequently, a multivariate regression model was developed to address this relationship. Finally, the practical feasibility of the proposed method was verified through turning experiments. This study establishes a foundation for constructing linear regression models between workpiece surface quality and cutting parameters, and demonstrates the innovative application of image processing techniques to overcome the difficulties in obtaining and measuring workpiece surface quality.
Impact of MRI radiomic feature normalization for prognostic modelling in uterine endometrial and cervical cancers.
Authors: Hodneland Erlend , Andersen Erling , Wagner-Larsen Kari S , Dybvik Julie A , Lura Njål , Fasmer Kristine E , Halle Mari K , Krakstad Camilla , Haldorsen Ingfrid
Published: February 2024

Objectives
Widespread clinical use of MRI radiomic tumor profiling for prognostication and treatment planning in cancers faces major obstacles due to limitations in standardization of radiomic features. The purpose of the current work was to assess the impact of different MRI scanning- and normalization protocols for the statistical analyses of tumor radiomic data in two patient cohorts with uterine endometrial- (EC) (n = 136) and cervical (CC) (n = 132) cancer.
Material and methods
1.5 T and 3 T, T1-weighted MRI 2 minutes post-contrast injection, T2-weighted turbo spin echo imaging, and diffusion-weighted imaging were acquired. Radiomic features were extracted from within manually segmented tumors in 3D and normalized either using z-score normalization or a linear regression model (LRM) accounting for linear dependencies with MRI acquisition parameters. Patient clustering into two groups based on radiomic profile. Impact of MRI scanning parameters on cluster composition and prognostication by cluster groups were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis tests, Kaplan-Meier plots, log-rank test and random survival forest time-dependent area under curve (tdAUC) (α = 0.05).
Results
A large proportion of the radiomic features was statistically associated with MRI scanning protocol in both cohorts (EC: 162/385 [42%]; CC: 180/292 [62%]). A substantial number of EC (49/136 [36%]) and CC (50/132 [38%]) patients changed cluster when clustering was performed after z-score- versus LRM normalization. Prognostic modeling based on cluster groups yielded similar outputs for the two normalization methods in the EC/CC cohorts (log-rank test; z-score: p = 0.02/0.33; LRM: p = 0.01/0.45). Mean tdAUC for prognostic modeling of disease-specific survival (DSS) by the radiomic features in EC/CC was similar for the two normalization methods (random survival forest; z-score: mean tdAUC = 0.77/0.78; LRM: mean tdAUC = 0.80/0.75).
Conclusions
Severe biases in tumor radiomics data due to MRI scanning parameters exist. Z-score normalization does not eliminate these biases, whereas LRM normalization effectively does. Still, radiomic cluster groups after z-score- and LRM normalization were associated with similar DSS in EC and CC patients.