bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aqueous extract of Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) R. Br. (Fabaceae) exerts antiepileptogenic, anti-amnesic, and anxiolytic-like effects in mice via mechanisms involving antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways
Authors: Kandeda Antoine Kavaye , Menvouta Soline , Mabou Symphorien Talom , Kouamouo Jonas , Dimo Théophile
Published: October 2022

Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) R. Br. (Fabaceae) is a widely distributed tree, used in traditional medicine to treat amebiasis, hookworm infection, ascariasis, asthma, sterility, dental pain, headaches, cardiac disorders, and epilepsy. To date, no study on the effect of an aqueous extract of P. biglobosa on epileptogenesis and associated neuropsychiatric disorders has been undertaken. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate antiepileptogenic-, antiamnesic-, and anxiolytic-like effects of an aqueous extract of P. biglobosa using pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced kindling in mice. Animals were divided into six groups of eight mice each. Thus, a PTZ group received distilled water (10 ml/kg, per os), a positive control group received sodium valproate (300 mg/kg, p.o.), and three test groups received the aqueous extract of P. biglobosa (80, 160, and 320 mg/kg, p.o.).In addition, a control group of eight mice receiving distilled water (10 ml/kg, p.o.) was formed. The treatments were administered to mice, 60 min before administration of PTZ (20 mg/kg, i.p.). These co-administrations were performed once daily, for 22 days. The number and duration of seizures (stages 1, 2, 3, and 4 of seizures) exhibited by each mouse were assessed for 30 min during the treatment period. Twenty-four hours following the last administration of the treatments and PTZ, novel object recognition and T-maze tests were performed to assess working memory impairment in mice, while the open field test was performed to assess anxiety-like behavior. After these tests, the animals were sacrificed, and the hippocampi were collected for biochemical and histological analysis. During the period of PTZ-kindling, the extract at all doses completely (p < 0.001) protected all mice against stages 3 and 4 of seizures when compared to sodium valproate, a standard antiepileptic drug. The extract also significantly (p < 0.001) attenuated working memory impairment and anxiety-like behavior. In post-mortem brain analyses, the extract significantly (p < 0.001) increased γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) level and reduced oxidative stress and inflammation. Histological analysis showed that the aqueous extract attenuated neuronal degeneration/necrosis in the hippocampus. These results suggest that the extract is endowed with antiepileptogenic-, anti-amnesic-, and anxiolytic-like effects. These effects seem to be mediated in part by GABAergic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. These results suggest the merit of further studies to isolate the bioactive molecules responsible for these potentially therapeutically relevant effects of the extract.
Thermodynamics of second-grade nanofluid over a stretchable rotating porous disk subject to Hall current and cubic autocatalysis chemical reactions
Authors: Khan Noor Saeed , Fernandez-Gamiz Unai , Khan Muhammad Sohail , Kumam Wiyada , Kumam Poom , Galal Ahmed M.
Published: October 2022

Homogeneous–heterogeneous chemical reactions for second-grade nanofluid and gyrotactic microorganisms in a rotating system with the effects of magnetic fields and thermal radiation are examined. The boundary layer equations of the problem in a non-dimensional form are evaluated by a strong technique, namely, the homotopy analysis method (HAM). The rates of flow, heat, mass, and gyrotactic microorganism motion are obtained for the augmentations in the pertinent parameters. The graphical pictures of the results are described by the physical significance. The Hall current effect decreases the azimuthal velocity, the axial velocity increases with the injection of mass, the Biot number leads to enhanced heat transfer and gyrotactic microorganisms, the concentration diffusion rate decreases with the Peclet number, and the concentration of the chemical reaction reduces with the Schmidt number. Excellent agreement of the present work is found with the previously published work. The present study has applications in the hydromagnetic lubrication, semiconductor crystal growth control, austrophysical plasmas, magnetic storage disks, computer storage devices, care and maintenance of turbine engines, aeronautical, mechanical, and architectural engineering, metallurgy, polymer industry, hydromagnetic flows in porous media, and food processing and preservation processes.
Emissivity evaluation of human enamel and dentin
Authors: Lancaster P. E. , Carmichael F. A. , Clerehugh V. , Brettle D. S.
Published: October 2022

Background: Human enamel and dentin temperatures have been assessed with non-contact infrared imaging devices for safety and diagnostic capacity and require an emissivity parameter to enable absolute temperature measurements. Emissivity is a ratio of thermal energy emitted from an object of interest, compared to a perfect emitter at a given temperature and wavelength, being dependent on tissue composition, structure, and surface texture. Evaluating the emissivity of human enamel and dentin is varied in the literature and warrants review. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the emissivity of the external and internal surface of human enamel and dentin, free from acquired or developmental defects, against a known reference point. The secondary aim was to assess the emissivity value of natural caries in enamel and dentin.

Method: Fourteen whole human molar teeth were paired within a thermally stable chamber at 30°C. Two additional teeth (one sound and one with natural occlusal caries–ICDAS caries score 4 and radiographic score RB4) were sliced and prepared as 1-mm-thick slices and placed on a hot plate at 30°C within the chamber. A 3M Scotch Super 33 + Black Vinyl Electrical Tape was used for the known emissivity reference-point of 0.96. All samples were allowed to reach thermal equilibrium, and a FLIR SC305 infrared camera recorded the warming sequence. Emissivity values were calculated using the Tape reference point and thermal camera software.

Results: The external enamel surface mean emissivity value was 0.96 (SD 0.01, 95% CI 0.96–0.97), whereas the internal enamel surface value was 0.97 (SD 0.01, 95% CI 0.96–0.98). The internal crown-dentin mean emissivity value was 0.94 (SD 0.02, 95% CI 0.92–0.95), whereas the internal root-dentin value was 0.93 (SD 0.02, 95% CI 0.91–0.94) and the surface root-dentin had a value of 0.84 (SD 0.04, 95% CI 0.77–0.91). The mean emissivity value of the internal enamel surface with caries was 0.82 (SD 0.05, 95% CI 0.38–1.25), and the value of the internal crown-dentin with caries was 0.73 (SD 0.08, 95% CI 0.54–0.92).

Conclusion: The emissivity values of sound enamel, both internal and external, were similar and higher than those of all sound dentin types in this study. Sound dentin emissivity values diminished from the crown to the root and root surface. The lowest emissivity values were recorded in caries lesions of both tissues. This methodology can improve emissivity acquisition for comparison of absolute temperatures between studies which evaluate thermal safety concerns during dental procedures and may offer a caries diagnostic aid.
Genome-wide identification, expression and salt stress tolerance analysis of the GRAS transcription factor family in Betula platyphylla
Authors: He Zihang , Tian Zengzhi , Zhang Qun , Wang Zhibo , Huang Ruikun , Xu Xin , Wang Yucheng , Ji Xiaoyu
Published: October 2022

The GRAS gene family is a plant-specific family of transcription factors and play a vital role in many plant growth processes and abiotic stress responses. Nevertheless, the functions of the GRAS gene family in woody plants, especially in Betula platyphylla (birch), are hardly known. In this study, we performed a genome-wide analysis of 40 BpGRAS genes (BpGRASs) and identified typical GRAS domains of most BpGRASs. The BpGRASs were unevenly distributed on 14 chromosomes of birch and the phylogenetic analysis of six species facilitated the clustering of 265 GRAS proteins into 17 subfamilies. We observed that closely related GRAS homologs had similar conserved motifs according to motif analysis. Besides, an analysis of the expression patterns of 26 BpGRASs showed that most BpGRASs were highly expressed in the leaves and responded to salt stress. Six BpGRASs were selected for cis-acting element analysis because of their significant upregulation under salt treatment, indicating that many elements were involved in the response to abiotic stress. This result further confirmed that these BpGRASs might participate in response to abiotic stress. Transiently transfected birch plants with transiently overexpressed 6 BpGRASs and RNAi-silenced 6 BpGRASs were generated for gain- and loss-of-function analysis, respectively. In addition, overexpression of BpGRAS34 showed phenotype resistant to salt stress, decreased the cell death and enhanced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capabilities and proline content under salt treatment, consistent with the results in transiently transformed birch plants. This study is a systematic analysis of the GRAS gene family in birch plants, and the results provide insight into the molecular mechanism of the GRAS gene family responding to abiotic stress in birch plants.
Genome-wide association mapping of seed oligosaccharides in chickpea
Authors: Elango Dinakaran , Wang Wanyan , Thudi Mahender , Sebastiar Sheelamary , Ramadoss Bharathi Raja , Varshney Rajeev K.
Published: October 2022

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the major pulse crops, rich in protein, and widely consumed all over the world. Most legumes, including chickpeas, possess noticeable amounts of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) in their seeds. RFOs are seed oligosaccharides abundant in nature, which are non-digestible by humans and animals and cause flatulence and severe abdominal discomforts. So, this study aims to identify genetic factors associated with seed oligosaccharides in chickpea using the mini-core panel. We have quantified the RFOs (raffinose and stachyose), ciceritol, and sucrose contents in chickpea using high-performance liquid chromatography. A wide range of variations for the seed oligosaccharides was observed between the accessions: 0.16 to 15.13 mg g-1 raffinose, 2.77 to 59.43 mg g-1 stachyose, 4.36 to 90.65 mg g-1 ciceritol, and 3.57 to 54.12 mg g-1 for sucrose. Kabuli types showed desirable sugar profiles with high sucrose, whereas desi types had high concentrations RFOs. In total, 48 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified for all the targeted sugar types, and nine genes (Ca_06204, Ca_04353, and Ca_20828: Phosphatidylinositol N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase; Ca_17399 and Ca_22050: Remorin proteins; Ca_11152: Protein-serine/threonine phosphatase; Ca_10185, Ca_14209, and Ca_27229: UDP-glucose dehydrogenase) were identified as potential candidate genes for sugar metabolism and transport in chickpea. The accessions with low RFOs and high sucrose contents may be utilized in breeding specialty chickpeas. The identified candidate genes could be exploited in marker-assisted breeding, genomic selection, and genetic engineering to improve the sugar profiles in legumes and other crop species.
ROS generated from biotic stress: Effects on plants and alleviation by endophytic microbes
Authors: Sahu Pramod Kumar , Jayalakshmi K. , Tilgam Jyotsana , Gupta Amrita , Nagaraju Yalavarthi , Kumar Adarsh , Hamid Saima , Singh Harsh Vardhan , Minkina Tatiana , Rajput Vishnu D. , Rajawat Mahendra Vikram Singh
Published: October 2022

Aerobic living is thought to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are an inevitable chemical component. They are produced exclusively in cellular compartments in aerobic metabolism involving significant energy transfer and are regarded as by-products. ROS have a significant role in plant response to pathogenic stress, but the pattern varies between necrotrophs and biotrophs. A fine-tuned systemic induction system is involved in ROS-mediated disease development in plants. In regulated concentrations, ROS act as a signaling molecule and activate different pathways to suppress the pathogens. However, an excess of these ROS is deleterious to the plant system. Along with altering cell structure, ROS cause a variety of physiological reactions in plants that lower plant yield. ROS also degrade proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, and other substances. Plants have their own mechanisms to overcome excess ROS and maintain homeostasis. Microbes, especially endophytes, have been reported to maintain ROS homeostasis in both biotic and abiotic stresses by multiple mechanisms. Endophytes themselves produce antioxidant compounds and also induce host plant machinery to supplement ROS scavenging. The structured reviews on how endophytes play a role in ROS homeostasis under biotic stress were very meager, so an attempt was made to compile the recent developments in ROS homeostasis using endophytes. This review deals with ROS production, mechanisms involved in ROS signaling, host plant mechanisms in alleviating oxidative stress, and the roles of endophytes in maintaining ROS homeostasis under biotic stress.
Self-regulation of time: The importance of time estimation accuracy
Authors: Brady Anna C. , Wolters Christopher A. , Yu Shirley L.
Published: October 2022

Time management is one central aspect of students’ self-regulated learning. In addition, biased time estimation seems to be central to students’ self-regulation of their time. In this study, we explored college students’ time estimation bias. In addition, we were interested in whether the activation of task beliefs influenced students’ time estimation bias and how specific beliefs about task difficulty influence time estimation bias. Findings suggested that students tended to demonstrate bias in their estimations of the time their academic tasks would take. Additionally, the activation of task beliefs did not influence students’ time estimation accuracy. Finally, both prior task difficulty and anticipated difficulty influenced students’ time estimation bias. These findings highlight the complexity of students’ time estimation bias and point to the opportunities for future directions.
Understanding the effect of social media marketing activity for promoting intention to participate in martial arts
Authors: Xie Ming-Chuan , Chang Yao-Chuan , Cai Chuan-Ming
Published: October 2022

The development of folk martial arts in China has encountered many obstacles and difficulties in promoting the sport. Although there are many martial arts-related groups on WeChat, the largest social media in China, the interaction is not enthusiastic enough and the participation is too low. The main purpose of this study is to understand the impact of social media marketing activities and user experience on the intention of people to participate in martial arts through a quantitative research method. After the literature study, a research model was developed based on Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), in which the constructs include social media marketing activities, user experience, attitudes toward martial arts, subjective norms, martial arts attachment, and participation intention. The results of the study illustrated that social media marketing activities and user experience had a positive and significant effect on martial arts attitudes, subjective norms, and martial arts attachment via Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Martial arts attitudes, subjective norms, and martial arts attachment had a positive and significant effect on the intention to participate. Finally, based on the results of this study, we propose suggestions for social media marketing activities, user experience, martial arts attachment, attitudes toward martial arts, subjective norms, and martial arts participation intentions for martial arts social media operators, martial arts promotion organizations, and subsequent studies.
Does industrial up-gradation, environment regulations, and resource allocation impact on foreign direct investment: Empirical evidence from China
Authors: Xiong Jiacai , Chen Linghong
Published: October 2022

Because of China’s tremendous increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) over the past two decades, this method of internationalization has become increasingly significant for companies worldwide. Heavy industry’s dominant role in China’s industrial structure must be modernized to ensure the country’s long-term growth and prosperity. There are 30 provinces in China covered by this dataset, which dates back from 2005 to 2018. Augmented mean group (AMG) and common correlated effects mean groups (CCE-MG) estimations demonstrate that China’s industrial upgrading and resource allocation considerably impact FDI inflows. The findings show that FDI inflows appear to be negatively affected by environmental rules. The results show that industrial upgradation and environmental regulations have not had the expected effect on FDI in China without the participation of other stakeholders. For the selected panel, the results from the control variable show that population aging reduces foreign direct investment inflows, whereas, economic growth increases FDI inflows. According to our findings and those of the empirical study, we make some policy proposals to help Chinese provinces attract more foreign direct investment by encouraging and upgrading the screening of such investments.
Longitudinal development of depression and anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: Findings from a population-based probability sample survey
Authors: Giel Katrin E. , Martus Peter , Paul Gregor , Jürgensen Jan Steffen , Löwe Bernd , Serna Higuita Lina Maria , Dörsam Annica F. , Stuber Felicitas , Ehehalt Stefan , Zipfel Stephan , Junne Florian
Published: October 2022

The stress response to the COVID-19 pandemic might differ between early and later stages. Longitudinal data on the development of population mental health during COVID-19 pandemic is scarce. We have investigated mental health trajectories and predictors for change in a probability sample of the general population in Germany at the beginning and after 6 months of the pandemic. We conducted a longitudinal survey in a population-based probability sample of German adults. The current study analyzed data from a first assessment in May 2020 (T1; N = 1,412) and a second in November 2020 (T2; N = 743). Mental health was assessed in terms of anxiety and depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). Mental health outcomes at T1 were compared with PHQ-4 norm data. Trajectories over time were investigated based on outcome classifications of PHQ-4 scores. Predictors of mental health outcomes and change were identified using multiple regression analysis. In spring 2020, participants showed significantly higher PHQ-4 scores as compared to the norm data, however, overall anxiety and depression remained low also 6 months later. 6.6% of respondents showed a mental health deterioration in autumn 2020, entering subclinical and clinical ranges, outweighing the proportion of people with improved outcomes. Sociodemographic variables associated with mental distress at T1 were mainly not predictive for change at T2. Even under prolonged pandemic-related stress, mental health remained mainly stable in the general population. Further development of the considerable subgroup experiencing deterioration of depression and anxiety should be monitored, in order to tailor prevention and intervention efforts.
Impacts of extension dissemination and technology adoption on farmers' efficiency and welfare in Ghana: Evidence from legume inoculant technology
Authors: Mohammed Sadick , Abdulai Awudu
Published: October 2022

Examining the welfare impact of agricultural development interventions that incorporate diffusion of improved production technologies to farmers within extension delivery programs can be very challenging, because of the difficulty in disentangling the individual impacts of the production technology and the extension delivery program. Using recent farm level survey data from extension dissemination program of legume inoculant technology of 600 farmers in Ghana, we employ a recent methodological approach to investigate, simultaneously, the impact of the inoculant technology adoption and the extension program participation on farmers' productivity, efficiency and welfare. We decompose each of these impact measures into subcomponents whose causal paths can be traced to both the adoption of the production technology and the extension delivery program. We find that, in terms of yields and net revenue, direct contribution of improved technology adoption alone is 34 and 64%, respectively, and 35 and 66% indirectly due to improved farmer efficiency, leading to 36 and 74% improvement in farmers' welfare, respectively. On the other hand, direct contribution of extension delivery program participation alone is 66 and 36%, respectively, with 66 and 34% indirectly due to improved farmer efficiency, resulting in 64 and 26% improvement in farmers' welfare, respectively. Based on the findings, we recommend that policymakers should invest in research and development to produce yield enhancing agricultural technologies suitable for poor and degraded soil conditions in developing countries which can contribute immensely to poverty and food insecurity reduction. The development of new agricultural technologies must be pursued with vigorous provision of extension services to farmers to be able to exploit the full potentials of the new technologies.
Vision-Based Autonomous Landing for the UAV: A Review
Authors: Xin Long , Tang Zimu , Gai Weiqi , Liu Haobo
Published: October 2022

With the rapid development of the UAV, it is widely used in rescue and disaster relief, where autonomous landing is the key technology. Vision-based autonomous landing has the advantages of strong autonomy, low cost, and strong anti-interference ability. Moreover, vision navigation has higher guidance and positioning accuracy combined with other navigation methods, such as GPS/INS. This paper summarizes the research results in the field of vision-based autonomous landing for the UAV, and divides it into static, dynamic, and complex scenarios according to the type of landing destination. Among them, the static scenario includes two categories: cooperative targets and natural landmarks; the dynamic scenario is divided into two categories: vehicle-based autonomous landing and ship-based autonomous landing. The key technologies are summarized, compared, and analyzed and the future development trends are pointed out, which can provide a reference for the research on vision-based autonomous landing of UAVs.
A Simple Method for the Prediction of Therapeutic Proteins (Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies and Non-Antibody Proteins) for First-in-Pediatric Dose Selection: Application of Salisbury Rule
Authors: Mahmood Iftekhar
Published: October 2022

In order to conduct a pediatric clinical trial, it is important to optimize pediatric dose as accurately as possible. In this study, a simple weight-based method known as ‘Salisbury Rule’ was used to predict pediatric dose for therapeutic proteins and was then compared with the observed pediatric dose. The observed dose was obtained mainly from the FDA package insert and if dosing information was not available from the FDA package insert then the observed dose was based on the dose given to an age group in a particular study. It was noted that the recommended doses of most of the therapeutic proteins were extrapolated to pediatrics from adult dose based on per kilogram (kg) body weight basis. Since it is widely believed that pediatric dose should be selected based on the pediatric clearance (CL), a CL based pediatric dose was projected from the following equation: Dose in children = Adult dose × (Observed CL in children/Observed adult CL). In this study, this dose was also considered observed pediatric dose for comparison. A ±30% prediction error (predicted vs. observed) was considered acceptable. There were 21 monoclonal antibodies, 5 polyclonal antibodies in children ≥ 2 years of age, 4 polyclonal antibodies in preterm and term neonates, and 11 therapeutic proteins (non-antibodies) in the study. In children < 30 kg body weight, the predicted doses were within 0.5–1.5-fold prediction error for 87% (monoclonal antibody), 100% (polyclonal antibody), and 92% (non-antibodies) observations. In children > 30 kg body weight, the predicted doses were within 0.5–1.5-fold prediction error for 96% (monoclonal antibody), 100% (polyclonal antibody), and 100% (non-antibodies) observations. The Salisbury Rule mimics more to CL-based dose rather than per kg body weight-based extrapolated dose from adults. The Salisbury Rule for the pediatric dose prediction can be used to select first-in-children dose in pediatric clinical trials and may be in clinical settings.
Development of an Algorithm for Determining Defects in Cast-in-Place Piles Based on the Data Analysis of Low Strain Integrity Testing
Authors: Koteleva Natalia , Loseva Elizaveta
Published: October 2022

Low strain integrity testing for pile quality control, based on the analysis of elastic waves, is one of the most common methods, due to its high efficiency. However, it also has a number of limitations that should be taken into account during pile testing. For additional study of the method and its effectiveness, an experimental site was constructed, consisting of ten cast-in-place piles with embedded defects. When analyzing field data, pile defects were not identified. For further analysis of the problem, as well as for interpreting the results and identifying pile defects, a cluster analysis method, the so-called ANN-classifier, is proposed. This paper describes the results of creating an algorithm for the recognition of defects and their localization in cast-in-place piles. It is proposed that use of the characteristic points of the spectrum of the signal as the input vector of the ANN classifier, and the type of pile defect as the output vector, is optimal. The results of the study led to the conclusion that the ANN-classifier can be used as the main tool for automatic interpretation of the results obtained by low strain integrity testing.
A Multilevel Adaptive Path-Planning Model in Off-Road Environments
Authors: Song Xiaobo , Gao Jingwei
Published: October 2022

Most existing path-planning algorithms are applied in either trafficable environments or non-trafficable environments. Off-road vehicles (ORVs) are often faced with a mix of trafficable and non-trafficable environments. Therefore, trafficability should be considered in path planning for ORVs. Conventional ant colony algorithms (ACAs) are prone to stagnation and often fail to reach the optimal path. To address these problems, an improved ACA that considers trafficability was proposed in this study, which improved the pheromone distribution rules and adaptively adjusted the pheromone volatility coefficient. Based on this improved ACA, a multilevel adaptive path-planning model was proposed to solve path-planning problems with various scales of area. Experiments and comparative studies revealed that the improved ACA was applicable to path-planning problems in complex environments and achieved better performance and a higher computing efficiency than conventional counterparts.
An Efficient Strategy for Blood Diseases Detection Based on Grey Wolf Optimization as Feature Selection and Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Sallam Nada M. , Saleh Ahmed I. , Arafat Ali H. , Abdelsalam Mohamed M.
Published: October 2022

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is a cancer that infects the blood cells causing the development of lymphocytes in large numbers. Diagnostic tests are costly and very time-consuming. It is important to diagnose ALL using Peripheral Blood Smear (PBS) images, especially in the initial screening cases. Several issues affect the examination process such as diagnostic error, symptoms, and nonspecific nature signs of ALL. Therefore, the objective of this study is to enforce machine-learning classifiers in the detection of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia as benign or malignant after using the grey wolf optimization algorithm in feature selection. The images have been enhanced by using an adaptive threshold to improve the contrast and remove errors. The model is based on grey wolf optimization technology which has been developed for feature reduction. Finally, acute lymphoblastic leukemia has been classified into benign and malignant using K-nearest neighbors (KNN), support vector machine (SVM), naïve Bayes (NB), and random forest (RF) classifiers. The best accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of this model were 99.69%, 99.5%, and 99%, respectively, after using the grey wolf optimization algorithm in feature selection. To ensure the effectiveness of the proposed model, comparative results with other classification techniques have been included.
Critical Review on Toxicological Mechanisms Triggered by Inhalation of Alumina Nanoparticles on to the Lungs
Authors: Dekali Samir , Bourgois Alexandra , François Sabine
Published: October 2022

Alumina nanoparticles (Al2O3 NPs) can be released in occupational environments in different contexts such as industry, defense, and aerospace. Workers can be exposed by inhalation to these NPs, for instance, through welding fumes or aerosolized propellant combustion residues. Several clinical and epidemiological studies have reported that inhalation of Al2O3 NPs could trigger aluminosis, inflammation in the lung parenchyma, respiratory symptoms such as cough or shortness of breath, and probably long-term pulmonary fibrosis. The present review is a critical update of the current knowledge on underlying toxicological, molecular, and cellular mechanisms induced by exposure to Al2O3 NPs in the lungs. A major part of animal studies also points out inflammatory cells and secreted biomarkers in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and blood serum, while in vitro studies on lung cells indicate contradictory results regarding the toxicity of these NPs.
An Innovative Simple Electrochemical Levofloxacin Sensor Assembled from Carbon Paste Enhanced with Nano-Sized Fumed Silica
Authors: Fekry Amany M.
Published: October 2022

A new electrochemical sensor for the detection of levofloxacin (LV) was efficiently realized. The aim was to develop a new, cheap, and simple sensor for the detection of LV, which is used in various infections due to its pharmacological importance. It consists of carbon paste (CP) enhanced with nano-sized fumed silica (NFS). NFS has a very low bulk density and a large surface area. The carbon paste-enhanced NFS electrode (NFS/CPE) showed great electrocatalytic activity in the oxidation of 1.0 mM LV in Britton–Robinson buffer (BR) at pH values ranging from 3.0 to 8.0. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were used; the peak current value (Ip) of the NFS/CPE sensor was 2.7 times that of the bare electrode, ensuring its high electrocatalytic activity. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was performed at a peak potential (Ep) of +1066 mV, yielding a resistance of 10 kΩ for the designed NFS/CPE sensor compared to 2461 kΩ for the bare electrode, indicating the high conductivity of the modified sensor and verifying the data observed using the CV technique. Surface descriptions were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The variation in the concentration of LV (2.0 to 1000 µM) was considered in BR buffer (pH = 5.0) at a scan rate (SR) of 10 mV/s by the NFS/CPE. The detection and quantification limits were 0.09 µM and 0.30 µM, respectively. To evaluate the application of LV in real samples, this procedure was established on Quinostarmax 500 mg tablets and human plasma samples. Reasonable results were obtained for the detection of LV.
Angiotensin II-Induced Signal Transduction Mechanisms for Cardiac Hypertrophy
Authors: Bhullar Sukhwinder K. , Dhalla Naranjan S.
Published: October 2022

Although acute exposure of the heart to angiotensin (Ang II) produces physiological cardiac hypertrophy and chronic exposure results in pathological hypertrophy, the signal transduction mechanisms for these effects are of complex nature. It is now evident that the hypertrophic response is mediated by the activation of Ang type 1 receptors (AT1R), whereas the activation of Ang type 2 receptors (AT2R) by Ang II and Mas receptors by Ang-(1-7) exerts antihypertrophic effects. Furthermore, AT1R-induced activation of phospholipase C for stimulating protein kinase C, influx of Ca2+ through sarcolemmal Ca2+- channels, release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and activation of sarcolemmal NADPH oxidase 2 for altering cardiomyocytes redox status may be involved in physiological hypertrophy. On the other hand, reduction in the expression of AT2R and Mas receptors, the release of growth factors from fibroblasts for the occurrence of fibrosis, and the development of oxidative stress due to activation of mitochondria NADPH oxidase 4 as well as the depression of nuclear factor erythroid-2 activity for the occurrence of Ca2+-overload and activation of calcineurin may be involved in inducing pathological cardiac hypertrophy. These observations support the view that inhibition of AT1R or activation of AT2R and Mas receptors as well as depression of oxidative stress may prevent or reverse the Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy.
Influence of Active Surveillance on Gleason Score Upgrade and Prognosis in Low- and Favorable Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer
Authors: Hu Xuanhan , Miao Jia , Huang Jiaqing , Qian Lin , Zhang Dahong , Wei Haibin
Published: October 2022

Few studies have focused on the link between active surveillance (AS) and Gleason score upgrade (GSU) and its impact on the prognosis of patients with prostate cancer (PCa). This study aimed to analyze the effect of AS duration on GSU and prognostic value based on risk stratification. All eligible patients were risk-stratified according to AUA guidelines into low-risk (LR), favorable intermediate-risk (FIR), and unfavorable intermediate-risk (UIR) PCa. Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database, 28,368 LR, 27,243 FIR, and 12,210 UIR PCa patients were included. The relationship between AS duration and GSU was identified with univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Discrimination according to risk stratification of AS duration and GSU was tested by Kaplan–Meier analysis and competing risk regression models. The proportion of patients who chose AS was the highest among LR PCa (3434, 12.1%), while the proportion in UIR PCa was the lowest (887, 7.3%). The AS duration was only associated with GSU in LR PCa, with a high Gleason score (GS) at diagnosis being a strong predictor of GSU for FIR and UIR PCa. Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated that long-term surveillance only made a significant difference in prognosis in UIR PCa. The competing risk analysis indicated that once GS was upgraded to 8 or above, the prognosis in each group was significantly worse. AS is recommended for LR and FIR PCa until GS is upgraded to 8, but AS may not be suitable for some UIR PCa patients.
The Impact of Chemosensitivity on the Outcome of Brain Metastases in Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Ma Jintao , Meng Chunliu , Tian Jia , Ren Kai , Jia Huijun , Yan Meng , Xu Liming , Zhao Lujun
Published: October 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic differences between patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) with different chemosensitivity to first-line chemotherapy who developed brain metastasis (BM) as the first site of progression. Methods: Patients with a BM after first-line treatment in the Tianjin Cancer Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. According to the time-free interval (TFI) between the completion of first-line chemotherapy and the onset of the BM, the patients were divided into the chemo-sensitive group (TFI ≥ 90 days, n = 145) and the chemo-resistant group (TFI < 90 days, n = 97). The survival time, which was calculated from the diagnosis of the BM, was analyzed after the onset of brain metastasis (BM-OS). Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan–Meier method, and differences between groups were compared using the log-rank test. Results: In total, the median BM-OS was 8.4 months. The median BM-OS in the chemo-sensitive group was 8.8 months, and it was 8.0 months in the chemo-resistant group (p = 0.538). In patients without extracranial progression (n = 193), the median BM-OSes in the chemo-sensitive and chemo-resistant groups were 9.4 months and 9.7 months, respectively (p = 0.947). In patients with extracranial progression (n = 49), the median BM-OSes in the chemo-sensitive and chemo-resistant groups were 5.4 months and 4.2 months, respectively (p = 0.161). Conclusions: After the development of a BM as the first site of progression following chemotherapy in patients with SCLC, the prognosis of chemo-sensitive patients was not necessarily superior to chemo-resistant patients, especially in patients without extracranial progression.
Using the Global Tree Assessment at Multiple Scales of Planning and Action
Authors: Harvey-Brown Yvette , Shaw Kirsty , Davies Katharine , Rivers Malin
Published: October 2022

The interlinked biodiversity crisis and challenge of global climate change cannot be addressed without the management of tree species. It is crucial that we use the information now available as a result of the Global Tree Assessment to manage, conserve and restore threatened tree species and tree diversity. With over 17,500 tree species now known to be threatened with extinction, well-planned actions need to be urgently identified and implemented that target multiple species. In this review, we highlight approaches that coordinate and mobilise multi-species conservation at the taxonomic, national, regional and global levels. Only through a considerable scaling up of planning and action will we prevent the extinction of both trees and the associated plants, animals and fungi that depend on them, sustain livelihoods and ensure the ecological health of the planet.
A New Combined Index to Assess the Fragmentation Status of a Forest Patch Based on Its Size, Shape Complexity, and Isolation
Authors: Rivas Carlos A. , Guerrero-Casado José , Navarro-Cerrillo Rafael M.
Published: October 2022

There are many local fragmentation metrics, but most can be grouped into four types (composition/area, isolation, edge, and shape), and none of them alone determines the degree of fragmentation of a patch. Here, we grouped together the main fragmentation metrics (area, edge, shape, and isolation) in order to propose a new metric/index, the Patch Fragmentation Index (PFI), with which to determine fragmentation at patch scale. The index was subsequently verified with the Ecuadorian seasonal dry forest by employing geographic information layers and temporal land uses changes in 1990, 2000, 2008, and 2018. The PFI was applied to calculate the fragmentation per patch, spatial and temporal changes of fragmentation based on PFI were assessed, and the spatial patterns (Getis-Ord Gi * analysis) were calculated. The Ecuadorian seasonal dry forest obtained a mean PFI value of 0.88 (median = 0.99) in 2018. This value has increased by 8.6% since 1990, and 3451 patches of forest disappeared between 1990 and 2018. The Getis-Ord Gi * analysis was effective with regard to describing the spatial patterns, and 62% of the patches that were classified as hot patches in 1990 had disappeared by 2018. The PFI has proven to be a useful tool with which to describe fragmentation patterns at patch scale (regardless of its size) and can be extrapolated to other landscapes. The PFI will provide a new vision and can help in the decision-making related to the conservation and management of fragmented ecosystems.
Redundancy and Synergy of an Entangling Cloner in Continuous-Variable Quantum Communication
Authors: Usenko Vladyslav C.
Published: October 2022

We address minimization of information leakage from continuous-variable quantum channels. It is known, that regime of minimum leakage can be accessible for the modulated signal states with variance equivalent to a shot noise, i.e., vacuum fluctuations, in the case of collective attacks. Here we derive the same condition for the individual attacks and analytically study the properties of the mutual information quantities in and out of this regime. We show that in such regime a joint measurement on the modes of a two-mode entangling cloner, being the optimal individual eavesdropping attack in a noisy Gaussian channel, is no more effective that independent measurements on the modes. Varying variance of the signal out of this regime, we observe the nontrivial statistical effects of either redundancy or synergy between the measurements of two modes of the entangling cloner. The result reveals the non-optimality of entangling cloner individual attack for sub-shot-noise modulated signals. Considering the communication between the cloner modes, we show the advantage of knowing the residual noise after its interaction with the cloner and extend the result to a two-cloner scheme.
A Novel and Adaptive Angle Diversity-Based Receiver for 6G Underground Mining VLC Systems
Authors: Palacios Játiva Pablo , Sánchez Iván , Soto Ismael , Azurdia-Meza Cesar A. , Zabala-Blanco David , Ijaz Muhammad , Dehghan Firoozabadi Ali , Plets David
Published: October 2022

Visible light communication (VLC) is considered an enabling technology for future 6G wireless systems. Among the many applications in which VLC systems are used, one of them is harsh environments such as Underground Mining (UM) tunnels. However, these environments are subject to degrading environmental and intrinsic challenges for optical links. Therefore, current research should focus on solutions to mitigate these problems and improve the performance of Underground Mining Visible Light Communication (UM-VLC) systems. In this context, this article presents a novel solution that involves an improvement to the Angle Diversity Receivers (ADRs) based on the adaptive orientation of the Photo-Diodes (PDs) in terms of the Received Signal Strength Ratio (RSSR) scheme. Specifically, this methodology is implemented in a hemidodecahedral ADR and evaluated in a simulated UM-VLC scenario. The performance of the proposed design is evaluated using metrics such as received power, user data rate, and bit error rate (BER). Furthermore, our approach is compared with state-of-the-art ADRs implemented with fixed PDs and with the Time of Arrival (ToA) reception method. An improvement of at least 60% in terms of the analyzed metrics compared to state-of-the-art solutions is obtained. Therefore, the numerical results demonstrate that the hemidodecahedral ADR, with adaptive orientation PDs, enhances the received optical signal. Furthermore, the proposed scheme improves the performance of the UM-VLC system due to its optimum adaptive angular positioning, which is completed according to the strongest optical received signal power. By improving the performance of the UM-VLC system, this novel method contributes to further consideration of VLC systems as potential and enabling technologies for future 6G deployments.
A Second-Order Crank–Nicolson Leap-Frog Scheme for the Modified Phase Field Crystal Model with Long-Range Interaction
Authors: Wu Chunya , Feng Xinlong , Qian Lingzhi
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we construct a fully discrete and decoupled Crank–Nicolson Leap-Frog (CNLF) scheme for solving the modified phase field crystal model (MPFC) with long-range interaction. The idea of CNLF is to treat stiff terms implicity with Crank–Nicolson and to treat non-stiff terms explicitly with Leap-Frog. In addition, the scalar auxiliary variable (SAV) method is used to allow explicit treatment of the nonlinear potential, then, these technique combines with CNLF can lead to the highly efficient, fully decoupled and linear numerical scheme with constant coefficients at each time step. Furthermore, the Fourier spectral method is used for the spatial discretization. Finally, we show that the CNLF scheme is fully discrete, second-order decoupled and unconditionally stable. Ample numerical experiments in 2D and 3D are provided to demonstrate the accuracy, efficiency, and stability of the proposed method.
Quantum Information Entropy of Hyperbolic Potentials in Fractional Schrödinger Equation
Authors: Santana-Carrillo R. , González-Flores Jesus S. , Magaña-Espinal Emilio , Quezada Luis F. , Sun Guo-Hua , Dong Shi-Hai
Published: October 2022

In this work we have studied the Shannon information entropy for two hyperbolic single-well potentials in the fractional Schrödinger equation (the fractional derivative number (0<n≤2) by calculating position and momentum entropy. We find that the wave function will move towards the origin as the fractional derivative number n decreases and the position entropy density becomes more severely localized in more fractional system, i.e., for smaller values of n, but the momentum probability density becomes more delocalized. And then we study the Beckner Bialynicki-Birula–Mycieslki (BBM) inequality and notice that the Shannon entropies still satisfy this inequality for different depth u even though this inequality decreases (or increases) gradually as the depth u of the hyperbolic potential U1 (or U2) increases. Finally, we also carry out the Fisher entropy and observe that the Fisher entropy increases as the depth u of the potential wells increases, while the fractional derivative number n decreases.
APR-QKDN: A Quantum Key Distribution Network Routing Scheme Based on Application Priority Ranking
Authors: Chen Liquan , Zhang Ziyan , Zhao Mengnan , Yu Kunliang , Liu Suhui
Published: October 2022

As the foundation of quantum secure communication, the quantum key distribution (QKD) network is impossible to construct by using the operation mechanism of traditional networks. In the meantime, most of the existing QKD network routing schemes do not fit some specific quantum key practicality scenarios. Aiming at the special scenario of high concurrency and large differences in application requirements, we propose a new quantum key distribution network routing scheme based on application priority ranking (APR-QKDN). Firstly, the proposed APR-QKDN scheme comprehensively uses the application’s priority, the total amount of key requirements, and the key update rate for prioritizing a large number of concurrent requests. The resource utilization and service efficiency of the network are improved by adjusting the processing order of requests. Secondly, the queuing strategy of the request comprehensively considers the current network resource situation. This means the same key request may adopt different evaluation strategies based on different network resource environments. Finally, the performance of the APR-QKDN routing scheme is compared with the existing schemes through simulation experiments. The results show that the success rate of application key requests of the APR-QKDN routing scheme is improved by at least 5% in the scenario of high concurrency.
Effects of Introducing Confluence Rings on Ground Loss Resistance of VLF Umbrella-Type Antenna
Authors: Quan Ying , Xie Hui , Yang Cheng , Yu Hang , Liu Xinmiao
Published: October 2022

In this work, we analyze the influence of introducing confluence rings on the ground loss resistance in the ground grid system of the VLF umbrella-type transmitting antenna. The geometric deconstruction model of the confluence ring, the model of the VLF umbrella-type transmitting antenna, the models of the umbrella-type antenna ground grid system, and the formulae for the average conductivity are established. The working principle of the confluence ring was analyzed, and the ground loss resistance of the confluence ring structure with different numbers of layers and varying degrees of wire damage was simulated using Feko. The simulation results demonstrated the effect of increasing the number of confluence ring layers on the ground loss resistance of a fully functional grid to be relatively weak. However, when the ground grid wire is broken, the confluence ring structure can effectively reduce the ground loss resistance, thereby improving the radiation efficiency of the antenna.