bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound/nanomechanical force generators enhance osteogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells through microfilaments and transient receptor potential melastatin 7 activation
Authors: Yao Huan , Zhang Liang , Yan Shujin , He Yiman , Zhu Hui , Li Yasha , Yang Ke , Wang Dong
Published: April 2022

Background: Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has been reported to accelerate fresh fracture healing, but its mechanism of action is unclear and its efficacy needs to be further optimized. Ultrasound in combination with functionalized microbubbles has been shown to induce local shear forces and controllable mechanical stress in cells, amplifying the mechanical effects of LIPUS. Compared with microbubbles, nanoscale lipid bubbles (nanobubbles) have high stability and good biosafety. However, the effect of LIPUS combined with functionalized nanobubbles on osteogenesis has rarely been studied.Results: In this study, we report cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartic acid-modified nanobubbles (cRGD-NBs), with a particle size of ~500 nm, able to actively target integrin receptors. cRGD-NBs can be attached to bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in large quantities and act as nanomechanical force generators on the cell membrane, exerting mechanical forces on the cell membrane and intracellular region under the action of LIPUS, activating the mechanosensitive transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7) ion channel to mediate extracellular calcium influx; in addition, the actin cytoskeleton responds to the incoming mechanical force, showing enhanced polymerization, which further promotes osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, TRPM7 and actin may regulate each other during this process. Conclusions: Compared with LIPUS alone, the combination of LIPUS and nanomechanical force generators further promotes osteogenesis. TRPM7, actin cytoskeleton, and intracellular calcium oscillations are all involved in this process. This study provides new directions and ideas for optimizing the efficacy of LIPUS for fracture healing, and provides a theoretical basis for the further application and development of LIPUS in clinical practice.
CDK6 is upregulated and may be a potential therapeutic target in enzalutamide-resistant castration- resistant prostate cancer by bioinformatic analysis
Authors: Wu Gnag , Chen Xi , Wu Yechen , Wang Xinan , Xu Chengdang , Wang Licheng , Jian Jingang , Wu Denglong
Published: April 2022

BackgroundAndrogen deprivation therapy (ADT) is still the first line treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). However, after a certain period of therapy, primary PCa inevitably progresses into castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). Enzalutamide (MDV3100) is an androgen receptor (AR) signal inhibitor which can delay the progression of CRPC and increase survival of patients with metastatic CRPC. However, the mechanisms involved in enzalutamide-resistant (EnzR) CRPC are still controversial. MethodsWe collected RNA-seq data of the EnzR CRPC cell line LNCaP (EnzR LNCaP) from GSE44905, GSE78201, and GSE150807. We found the hub genes from the three datasets. Then we tested the expression of the hub genes in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the potential drugs that affect the hub genes. Finally, we verified the hub gene expression and drug function.ResultsFrom GSE44905, GSE78201 and GSE150807, we found 45 differently expressed genes (DEGs) between LNCaP and EnzR LNCaP. Ten hub genes were found in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The hub genes expression and survival analysis were analyzed by GEPIA depend on the TCGA database. We found that cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6) was highly expressed in both the EnzR LNCaP cell and PCa patients. Ten potential small molecules could suppress CDK6 expression as per CMap findings. Finally, we found the expression of CDK6 increased in both PCa patients’ samples, CRPC cell lines and EnzR PCa cell lines. Three potential CDK6 inhibitors, namely apigenin, chrysin and fisetin, can decrease cell proliferation.ConclusionsThe study proved that CDK6 mutation may be a reason behind EnzR CRPC occurrence and suppression CDK6 expression may help treat EnzR CRPC.
Food and nutritional security impact of exploiting opportunities and developing strategies in increase yam (Dioscorea spp.) production in Ethiopia
Authors: Andualem Demilew Deres
Published: April 2022

To feed the world’s exponentially growing population, agriculture needs to use “every arrow in its quiver.” Agricultural research efforts must go beyond corn, wheat, and rice, and take a second look at “orphan crops,” those that tend to get less attention, such as yams. Yams (genus Dioscorea, family Dioscoreaceae) are an economically, nutritionally, and medicinally valuable crop for over 300 million people all over the world. Africa produces approximately 96.5 percent of the world’s yams. In Ethiopia, it is mostly grown in the western and southern regions, but despite its potential to offset malnutrition and food insecurity, yam production in the country has declined from 200,000 tons in 1993 to 45,000 tons in 2020 due mainly to biotic and abiotic pressures. The availability of a widely diverse landraces, large tracts of arable land, and newly released cultivars hold much promise for Ethiopia’s yam production. This review proposes that (1) expanding the yam land cover; (2) more research investments in seed tuber production technologies and the development of varieties resistant to biotic and abiotic stress; and (3) more cooperatives for seed tuber production of farmer-preferred varieties, will considerably enhance yam production in Ethiopia.
Developing an efficient irrigation scheduling system using hybrid machine learning algorithm to enhance the sugarcane crop productivity
Authors: Revathy R. , Balamurali S.
Published: April 2022

As a crop with maximum utilization of water, Sugarcane is responsive to water management system throughout lifetime of the crop. Since, due to the fluctuation of climatic variables, the demand of water resources becomes dynamic. This work focuses on the different irrigation system for sugarcane yield using AquaCrop and neural network models. AquaCrop model processes the predetermined data of weather from 1988 – 1989 to 2019 – 2020, soil data, crop data and irrigation system to acquire certain amount of sugarcane yield. The changes occurred in the weather variables consequently affect the crop parameters and irrigation system; thus usage of water is difficult to schedule. So, soil permanent wilting point sensor is deployed in this model to extract the amount of water presents in the soil. The moisture level of soil data is further stored in the cloud called Thingspeak. The soil data are passed on to the cloud via WiFi modem. The future weather data from 2020-2021 to 2049-2050 which are simulated by CCSM4 model and soil sensor data are integrated; then implemented using both conventional neural network and optimized deep learning models in order to classify the irrigation strategies. The firefly optimization helps to optimize the scheduling of the irrigation according to weather and soil data. Hence, water utilized by optimized deep learning model is reduced and predicted more accurately as compared with standard AquaCrop and conventional neural network models. The result of this research is capable of providing an optimized irrigation system with efficient consumption of water saving measures.
Landslide Susceptibility Mapping for Muzaffarabad Region Using Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Sarwar Muhammad Shoaib , Fatima Syeda Arooj , Aman Mehwish , Shoaib Aqsa , Aslam Bilal , Zafar Adeel
Published: April 2022

Landslides are one form of geohazard that is crucial for risk assessment and mitigation. This study proposes machine learning methods to identify landslides using data collected from Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. We applied classification techniques including Random Forest, Decision Tree, Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), light gradient boosting machine (LGBM), neural network (NN), 1D-CNN (convolutional neural network one dimensional), XGBoost, and Catboost. Our dataset consists of 12 different factors and data of 1213 sites to predict a landslide. Initially, we trained models individually and compared their performances to find a model with the highest accuracy. In the end, multiple performance measures are used for the evaluation of applied models. From the results, we achieved the highest test accuracy of 84% using NN and boosting methods, with more than 80% accuracy. Our proposed system can be effectively used to predict landslides for other sensitive regions with comparable environmental conditions.
A 14-year follow-up of malignant mesenchymal mixed ovarian tumor with rare colon enteral metastases after postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy: A case report
Authors: Jian Jianing , Jing Hailiang , Jiang Yifang , Fu Xi , You Fengming , Xiao Ying , Li Tongsheng , Cai Yi
Published: April 2022

Background: Ovarian malignant mesenchymal mixed tumor (MMMT) is a malignant tumor composed of highly malignant epithelium and mesenchymal components. These tumors have a very high degree of malignancy and poor prognosis. Ovarian MMMTs metastasize mostly to the abdomen and distant organs. This report describes a patient with a rare colon enteral metastasis of ovarian MMMT who has survived for more than 14 years.Case Report: A 54-year-old Chinese woman was diagnosed with ovarian MMMT in 2007 and underwent radical ovarian surgery, followed by ten cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin. In 2014, the patient's serum CA125 had increased to 104.92 U/mL, and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) showed an abnormal increase in local nodular FDG in the ascending colon. A pathological biopsy obtained during colonoscopy suggested an adenocarcinoma, for which she underwent radical colon resection. Postoperative pathologic examination confirmed that the lesion was an enteral metastasis of ovarian MMMT in the ascending colon. The patient underwent eight cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy, consisting of docetaxel and carboplatin. Her physical, psychological and social functions were completely restored. The patient has survived for more than 14 years since the original surgery and over 7 years since the diagnosis of metastasis, and her prognosis is good.Conclusions: Findings in this patient suggest that intestinal metastases of ovarian MMMT not only involve extracteral implantation, but can gradually infiltrate into the blood and spread to other organs. Primary or secondary tumors can be excluded based on each patient's tumor-related history.
Classification of Sternocleidomastoid Muscle Abnormalities and Comparison of Their Incidence among Populations
Authors: Maneenin Chanwit , Maneenin Naowarat , Jirapornkul Chananya , Chaimontri Chadaporn , Iamsaard Sitthichai
Published: April 2022

We classified sternocleidomastoid muscle abnormality and calculated its incidence in a Thai population. Such abnormality should be considered to prevent complications from central venous catheterization.This study aimed to classify and investigate abnormalities of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle, which is commonly used as an anatomical landmark to indicate the correct position for central venous catheterization, in a Thai population. Thirty-five embalmed cadavers from northeast Thailand (19 females and 16 males) were systemically dissected to reveal the SCM muscle anatomy. Variations in SCM origin and insertion were recorded. The prevalence of abnormality was approximately 11.4% (4 of 35 cadavers) and did not differ by sex. Abnormalities were classified into 5 types based on origin, insertion, and presence of additional heads, as follows: type I (n=31; 88.6%), type II (n=1; 2.85%), type III (n=1; 2.85%), type IV (n=1; 2.85%), and type V (n=1; 2.85%). As the incidence of abnormality was more than 10%, surgeons must seriously consider this before insertion of a central venous catheter to avoid complications.
Augmenting data security: Physical Unclonable Functions for digital holography based quadratic phase cryptography
Authors: Vanitha Patnala , Manupati Bhargavi , Muniraj Inbarasan , Anamalamudi Satish , Reddy Salla Gangi , Singh R. P.
Published: April 2022

In (Appl. Opt. 55, 4720-4728 (2016)) authors demonstrated the vulnerability of Linear Canonical Transform (LCT) based optical encryption system. One of the primary reasons for this is the predictable nature of the security keys (i.e., simulated random keys) used in the encryption process. To alleviate, in this work, we are presenting a Physically Unclonable Function (PUF) for producing a robust encryption key for the digital implementations of any optical encoding systems. We note, a correlation function of the scattered perfect optical vortex (POV) beam is utilized to generate the encryption keys. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on properly utilizing a scattered POV for the optical encryption systems. To validate the generated secret keys, the standard Linear Canonical Transform based Double Random Phase Encoding (LCT-DRPE) technique is used. Experimental and simulation result validates the proposed key generation method as an effective alternative to the digital encryption keys.
Bose-Glass and Fermi-Glass
Authors: Takahashi Korekiyo , Tanda Satoshi , Obuse Hideaki , Nakatsugawa Keiji , Sakoda Masahito , Nanao Yoshiko , Naito Michio , Nobukane Hiroyoshi
Published: April 2022

It is known that two-dimensional superconducting materials undergo a quantum phase transition from a localized state to superconductivity. When the disordered samples are cooled, bosons (Cooper pairs) are generated from Fermi-glass and reach superconductivity through Bose-glass. However, there has been no universal expression representing the transition from Fermi-glass to Bose-glass.Here, we discovered an experimental renormalization group flow from Fermi-glass to Bose- glass in terms of simple β-function analysis. To discuss the universality of this flow, we analyzed manifestly different systems, namely a Nd-based two-dimensional layered perovskite and an ultrathin Pb film. We find that all our experimental data for Fermi-glass fall beautifully into the conventional self-consistent β-function. Surprisingly, however, flows vertical to the conventional β-function were observed in the weakly localized regime of both systems, where localization becomes even weaker. We show that the vertical flow is evidence for the existence of Bose-glass. Consequently, we confirm a universal quantum transition from Bose-glass to Fermi-glass with the new two-dimensional critical sheet resistance close to R□ = h/e2.
Radiographic tumor burden score is useful for stratifying prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing resection at different Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages.
Authors: Yen Yi-Hao , Li Wei-Feng , Liu Yueh-Wei , Wang Chih-Chi , Yong Chee-Chien , Lin Chih-Che , Cheng Yu-Fan
Published: April 2022

Purpose
The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system has been recommended for prognostic prediction. However, prognosis is variable at different BCLC stages. We aimed to evaluate whether the radiographic tumor burden score (TBS) could be used to stratify prognosis in different BCLC stages.
Methods
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing liver resection (LR) at BCLC-0, -A, or -B stage in our institution in 2007–2018 were divided into derivation and validation cohorts. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed according to the TBS and BCLC stage. TBS cutoff values for OS were determined with X-tile.
Results
Of the 749 patients in the derivation cohort, 138 (18.4%) had BCLC-0, 542 (72.3%) BCLC-A, and 69 (9.2%) BCLC-B HCC; 81 (10.8%) had a high TBS (> 7.9), 474 (63.3%) a medium TBS (2.6–7.9), and 194 (25.9%) a low TBS (< 2.6). OS worsened progressively with increasing TBS in the cohort (p < 0.001) and in BCLC-A (p = 0.04) and BCLC-B (p = 0.002) stages. Multivariate analysis showed that the TBS was associated with OS of patients with BCLC-A (medium vs. low TBS: hazard ratio [HR] = 2.390, 95% CI = 1.024–5.581, p = 0.04; high vs. low TBS: HR = 3.885, 95% CI = 1.443–10.456, p = 0.007) and BCLC-B (high vs. medium TBS: HR = 2.542, 95% CI = 1.077–6.002, p = 0.033) HCC. The TBS could also be used to stratify the OS of patients in the validation cohort (p < 0.001).
Conclusion
The TBS could be used to stratify the OS of the entire cohort and BCLC stages A and B of HCC patients undergoing LR.
Heavy metal bioaccumulation in five bivalves from coastal areas of yellow sea and Bohai Sea, China: Evaluation of contamination and human health risk
Authors: Ding Haiyan , Zhao Yanfang , Sheng Xiaofeng , Kang Xuming , Ning Jinsong , Zhong Xihuang , Shang Derong
Published: April 2022

Heavy metal concentrations (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, As, iAs, Cr, Cd, Pb and Hg) in five commercially important bivalves from the coastal areas of Yellow sea and Bohai sea, China were determined, and their potential human health risks were evaluated. Results showed that there was a significant difference among these metal contents (p<0.05) in different bivalve species, except for Hg. The contents of all metals were below the maximum allowable limit regulated by China Food Standard Agency. The health risks from most bivalves’ consumption were safe with the THQ being much lower than 1.0, except for Cd in some scallop samples. The average EDI/PTDI of Cd from Chlamys farreri consumption was 92%, and the average EDI of Cu and Cd in Crassostrea gigas occupied 61% and 62% of PTDI. Thus a moderate consumption of C. farreri and C. gigas was suggested to reduce the potential health risk of heavy metals.
SMART - A Prototype Design for Sustainable Method of Agriculture Using Root Transition
Authors: Acharya Aniruddha
Published: April 2022

The rapid increase in global population along with urbanization will continue to increase the challenge of food security and environmental sustainability. Agriculture is essential for food security, however, is an expensive process both financially and environmentally. Estimation of crop performance before investing in field would substantially benefit agricultural output and environmental sustainability. A simple, easy to use, portable, and inexpensive prototype of a device is described that can be successfully used to estimate plant performance and help tailor fertilizer formulations and microbial consortium for optimal agronomic output. The device can also be used for agriculture by farmers and for plant research by students and scientists.
Acute Flaccid Paralysis surveillance in polio eradication and beyond: Learning from Bangladesh
Authors: Anwar Humayra Binte , Mazumder Yameen , Nujhat Sanjana , Islam Bushra Zarin , Kalbarczyk Anna , Alonge Olakunle O. , Sarker Malabika
Published: April 2022

Background: The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) helped to develop the standard acute flaccid paralysis surveillance (AFP) system worldwidewhich comprises infrastructure, knowledge, expertise, funding, technical assistance, and trained personnel. AFP surveillance can complement any disease surveillance system, and many countries, including Bangladesh, are now utilizing these polio surveillance assets for monitoring other vaccine-preventable diseases. This paper outlines how AFP surveillance has evolved in Bangladesh over time, its success and challenging factors, and its potential to facilitate other health goals.Methodology: This mixed-method study includes a grey literature review, a survey barriers and facilitators, and key informant interviews (KIIs) to gather relevant in-depth information on AFP surveillance in Bangladesh. Grey literature was collected online and via paper documentation from GPEI stakeholders. Online and in-person surveys were conducted in six divisions of Bangladesh, including Dhaka, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Chittagong, Sylhet, and Khulna, to map tacit knowledge ideas, approaches, and experiences. KIIs were conducted at national, and sub-national levels. Data were then combined on focused emerging themesincluding history, challenges, and successes of the AFP surveillance system in Bangladesh.Results: AFP surveillance in Bangladesh was first introduced in 1990 at the district and Upazila level major hospitals. High population growth, low performance, hard-to-reach areas, and groups of people residing in risky zones were significant challenges to implementing this surveillance system. Surveillance was gradually enriched by establishing certification standards and community-based AFP surveillance and improved Surveillance Immunization Medical Officer (SIMO) network activities, laboratory activities, and proper monitoring and evaluation. In Bangladesh, a national disease surveillance system and a laboratory are now being used for multiple diseases, including polio, measles, Japanese Encephalitis, neonatal tetanus, etc.Conclusion: In Bangladesh, it is evident that the AFP surveillance system is supporting the health system more broadly by building knowledge, experience, and assets and forming a solid platform for other health programs. In addition, its strengths can be leveraged for combating new and emerging diseases.However, the sustainability of the AFP surveillance in Bangladesh still needs collaborative support from partners, mainly in the form of technical assistance.
Intuitive Werkzeuge gestalten
Authors: Tahiri Yasamin , Florian Lena , Hartmann Mutfried
Published: April 2022

Durch virtuelle Realitäten eröffnen sich neue Möglichkeiten für Schüler:innen, mathematische Fragestellungen explorativ zu erkunden. Durch die Nutzung des virtuellen Raumes kann das Verständnis von räumlichen Beziehungen insbesondere in dreidimensionalen Räumen unterstützt werden. Bislang sind virtuelle Anwendungen im Feld der Raumgeometrie jedoch kaum vorhanden (Florian und Kortenkamp im Druck). Deswegen befasst sich dieser Beitrag mit der möglichen Gestaltung einer interaktiven virtuellen Anwendung für die Raumgeometrie. Dabei stehen insbesondere Benutzungsfreundlichkeit und intuitive Bedienung der Werkzeuge durch die Lernenden im Vordergrund. Anhand der psychomotorischen Domäne nach Atkinson (2013) werden Designprinzipien abgeleitet, entsprechende Designvorschläge genannt und ausgeführt. Das Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es im Speziellen, das Design so anzulegen, dass der Umgang mit den Werkzeugen der Anwendung leicht erlernt werden kann. Die Designprinzipien werden an Beispielen und Vergleichen bereits bestehender ebener und räumlicher Geometriesysteme erläutert. Dabei wird unter anderem deutlich, dass die abgeleiteten Designprinzipien für eine virtuelle Geometriesoftware zum Teil in den beschriebenen Desktop-Anwendungen nicht umgesetzt wurden. Auf Grundlage der Designprinzipien und -vorschläge werden Forschungsansätze genannt, die sich vor allem mit Validierungsmöglichkeiten befassen.
Incidence and Severity of Aphid-transmitted Viruses and Horticultural Performance of Habanero Pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) Breeding Lines in Benin
Authors: Zohoungbogbo Herbaud P.F. , Achigan-Dako Enoch G. , Honfoga Judith , Lin Shih-Wen , Lin Tsung-Han , Wang Yen-Wei , Chan Yuan-Li , Hanson Peter , Barchenger Derek W.
Published: April 2022

Habanero (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) is widely grown and consumed in West and Central African countries, and viral diseases represent an important production challenge. Diagnosis of the viral species affecting habanero productivity in Benin is limited, and understanding this will enable more efficient host resistance breeding. During 2019 and 2020, we characterized the incidence and severity of the viral diseases infecting nine promising habanero breeding lines and one commercial hybrid check under open field conditions in Benin. The horticultural performance, including yield and yield component traits of the entries, was determined during the 2 years of the experiment. A randomized complete block design was used with three replications, each with 24 plants. Data were recorded on days to 50% flowering and 50% fruit maturity, yield and on the yield components of fruit weight (g), fruit length (cm), and fruit width (mm), as well as disease incidence and severity. In total, 35 leaf samples were collected for viral diagnosis among habanero breeding lines. We found that Pepper veinal mottle virus (PVMV; Potyvirus) was the overwhelmingly predominant virus in our trials, with an 80% incidence; however, we found frequent coinfection of PVMV with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV, Cucumovirus), Polerovirus, and, to a lesser extent, Chili veinal mottle virus (ChiVMV; Potyvirus). The mean disease incidence across all entries was 60%. AVPP1932 and PBC 2010 had the lowest disease incidence (35% and 43%, respectively), whereas AVPP1929 had the highest (86%) disease incidence. The F1 hybrid check Afadja had the overall highest yield, with 30 t⋅ha−1, followed by AVPP1932, with 19 t⋅ha−1, both in 2019. There was a negative correlation between disease incidence and total yield (r = −0.44; P < 0.001), supporting previous studies indicating that viral diseases are major production constraints for habanero in West Africa. This study provides insight regarding the need to improve habanero for resistance to aphid-transmitted viruses and develop integrated pest management strategies to limit losses in Benin.
DESVENDANDO UM CASO: QUANDO ESTUDANTES SE TORNAM PERSONAGENS DE UMA HISTÓRIA NA DISCIPLINA DE QUÍMICA ORGÂNICA EXPERIMENTAL
Authors: Miranda Amanda , Corrêa Roberta , Quadros Ana
Published: April 2022

UNRAVELING A CASE: WHEN STUDENTS BECOME CHARACTERS OF A FICTIONAL NARRATIVE IN THE DISCIPLINE OF EXPERIMENTAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. Being part of the Pharmacy course curriculum, Organic Chemistry emphasizes the fundamentals of Organic Synthesis, reaction mechanisms, as well as the methods for separation, purification and identification of organic compounds. However, students do not always realize the direct association between this knowledge and their future working field. In an effort to make such association more explicit, we proposed a case of possible intoxication, inviting students of Experimental Organic Chemistry to play the role of laboratory workers and seek evidence to resolve the case within a one-week period. By analyzing the proposed resolution, we verified that the students sought information about the substances involved, employed techniques studied in the discipline, and indicated possible poisoning culprits. Despite some limitations, the students involvement with the case and the search for information enlightened the direct relationship between the techniques addressed in the discipline and their future activity
Estimation of irrigation water quality index in a semi-arid environment using data-driven approach
Authors: M'nassri Soumaia , El Amri Asma , Nasri Nesrine , Majdoub Rajouene
Published: April 2022

The primary objective of this study was to calculate and assess the irrigation water quality index. Furthermore, an effective method for predicting IWQI using artificial neural network (ANN) and multiple linear regression (MLR) models was proposed. The accuracy performance of each model was evaluated at the end of this paper. According to the calculated index based on 49 groundwater samples, the Sidi El Hani aquifer was of good and sufficient quality. Moreover, both the ANN and MLR models performed well in terms of actual and predicted water quality. The ANN model, on the other hand, demonstrated the highest prediction accuracy. The results of this model also revealed that the predicted and computed values were close, with determination coefficients R2, RMSE, and MAE of about 0.95, 1.02, and 0.90, respectively. As a result, the proposed ANN model in this study was consistent and sufficient. These findings will help to guide irrigation water management decisions for the study aquifer in the future. The proposed ANN model can also be used to estimate the irrigation water index of other semi-arid aquifers, but accuracy is dependent on proper training techniques and selection parameters.
Clima escolar y trabajo colegiado en una modalidad virtual en una institución educativa pública
Authors:   Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Gutierrez Primo Elizabeth , Sánchez Huarcaya Alex ,   Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Published: April 2022

El clima escolar, cuya definición hace referencia a las percepciones o experiencias de los sujetos con respecto a su ambiente de trabajo, sus funciones o relaciones interpersonales, se constituye como un elemento importante dentro de una organización educativa para la resolución de situaciones adversas. En este sentido, la presente investigación se enmarca en el estudio del clima escolar en el trabajo colegiado y tiene por objetivo analizar las percepciones de los docentes del nivel primaria sobre el clima escolar, a partir del trabajo colegiado en una institución educativa pública de Lima (Perú), en el marco de una educación a distancia, debido a la pandemia del Covid-19. La recolección de la información se realizó a través de la aplicación de entrevistas semiestructuradas dirigidas a docentes del nivel primaria, en base a tres categorías: liderazgo educativo, comunicación y motivación. A partir del análisis, se concluye que, en esta institución educativa, el liderazgo educativo recae sobre el rol de la subdirectora, quien orienta el trabajo colegiado a partir de una actitud de apertura, creando así un clima ameno y confiable; no obstante, se genera cierta dependencia entre el profesorado. Así también, existe un ambiente laboral extenuante entre los docentes debido a dificultades como el acceso a internet o el uso de aplicativos digitales. Asimismo, se generan conflictos a partir de las distintas formas de pensar y actuar de los nuevos agentes educativos. Finalmente, se promueve una motivación extrínseca e intrínseca, relacionada con el reconocimiento externo de los directores y la autovaloración y compromiso de los docentes respectivamente.
Prospection of Microfluidics for Local Drug Delivery
Authors: Naveen Nimbagal R. , Girirajasekhar Dornadula , Goudanavar Prakash S. , Kumar Chagaleti B. , Narasimha Gunturu L.
Published: April 2022

Significant endeavors can be made to develop effective drug delivery systems. Nowa-days, many of these novel systems have gained attention as they focus primarily on increasing the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of several drugs to finally minimize the side effects, thus im-proving the treatment's efficacy. Microfluidics systems are unquestionably a superior technology, which is currently revolutionizing the current chemical and biological studies, providing diminutive chip-scale devices that offer precise dosage, target-precise delivery, and controlled release. Micro-fluidic systems have emerged as a promising delivery vehicle owing to their potential for defined handling and transporting of small liquid quantities. The latest microfabrication developments have been made for application to several biological systems. Here, we review the fundamentals of mi-crofluidics and their application for local drug delivery.
Withdrawal: Advances in Development of Drugs for Chronic Myelogenous
Leukemia
Authors: Peng Junmei , Zhang Yuan , Wu Xin , Sun Xueyan , Yang Jun , Liu Chang , Tang Guotao , Lei Xiaoyong , Huang Honglin
Published: April 2022

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Bioactivity of Natural Polyphenols as Antiparasitic Agents and their Biochemical Targets
Authors: Soto-Sánchez Jacqueline
Published: April 2022

Background:

Leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis are diseases that affect public health worldwide due to their high incidence, morbidity, and mortality. Available treatments are costly, prolonged, and toxic, not to mention the problem of parasite resistance. The development of alternative treatments is justified and polyphenols show promising activity.

Objective:

The main aim of this mini-review was to analyze the most promising phenolic compounds with reported antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal activity as well as their mechanisms of action.

Results:

We found that the mode of action of these natural compounds, mainly lignans, neolignans, and flavonoids depends on the organism they act on and includes macrophage activation, induction of morphological changes such as chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation, accumulation of acidocalcisomes, and glycosomes, Golgi damage and mitochondrial dysfunction as well as negative regulation of mitochondrial enzymes and other essential enzymes for parasite survival such as arginase. This gives a wide scope for future research toward the rational development of anti-kinetoplastid drugs.

Conclusion:

Although the specific molecular targets, bioavailability, route of administration, and dosages of some of these natural compounds need to be determined, polyphenols and their combinations represent a very promising and safe strategy to be considered for use against Leishmania spp and Trypanosoma spp. In addition, these compounds may provide a scaffold for developing new, more potent, and more selective antiprotozoal agents.
Current Status of Alzheimer’s Disease and Pathological
Mechanisms Investigating the Therapeutic Molecular Targets
Authors: Bagga Shivani , Kumar Manish
Published: April 2022

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a psychological, biological, or developmental
disorder that affects basic mental functioning. AD is generally affiliated with marked
discomfort and impaired social, professional, or other crucial aspects of life. AD is
predominant worldwide, but a disparity in prevalence is observed amongst nations.
Around 3/4 of people with Alzheimer's disease are from underdeveloped nations, which
receive only 1/10th of global mental health resources. Residents of each community and
age category share their presence in the overall load of AD. AD is a multifactorial
disease impacted by numerous environmental, genetic, and endogenous elements.
Heteromorphic interactive downstream cascades, networks, and molecular mechanisms
(inflammation and immune network, cholinergic deficit, lipid transit, endocytosis,
excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, amyloid and tau pathology, energy metabolism, neuron
and synapse loss, and cell death) have been isolated, imparting a non-dissociative
contribution in pathogenesis of AD. In the CNS, the structural organization of cholinergic
neurons can give a novel insight into the mechanism of new learning. The alleviation of
central cholinergic transposal following destruction in the basal forebrain cholinergic
neurons precipitates a decline in neurocognitive symptoms visible in AD patients. The
brain of patients suffering from AD exhibits plaques of aggregated amyloid-β and
neurofibrillary tangles containing hyperphosphorylated tau protein. Amyloid-β triggers
cholinergic loss by modulation of calcium and generation of cell-damaging molecules
such as nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species intermediates. The present review
focuses on the pathogenic mechanisms related to stages, diagnosis, and therapeutic
approaches involved in AD.
Vitamin D, Oxidative Stress and Glycaemic Control in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Systematic Review
Authors: Ramos Roxana Valdés , Román-Casas Mariana , Martínez-Carrillo Beatriz E. , Valle Laura S. Gaona , Malpica Itzelt Pérez
Published: April 2022

Background:

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic and chronic disorder which causes high blood glucose concentrations and dysfunctional pancreatic beta-cells characterized by decreased insulin secretion and signalling. Scientific evidence suggests that vitamin D supplementation may help patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) improve glycaemic control, increase insulin secretion and decrease HbA1c concentrations. Additionally, this supplementation improves antioxidant enzyme concentrations, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Finally, some studies have reported that supplementation decreases oxidative markers such as malondialdehyde (MDA).

Materials and methods:

This systematic review was conducted following Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses framework (PRISMA) in terms of study selection, data collection, data analysis, and result reporting. Several databases were reviewed from 2013 to 2020: Google Scholar, REDALYC, Scielo, Scopus and PubMed, among others; word combinations and MeSH keywords were used to find scientific evidence on vitamin D supplementation in patients with T2DM and their relationship with oxidative stress.

Objective:

The objective of this study is to review the effect of vitamin D supplementation on glycaemic control and oxidative stress markers in patients with T2DM. Inclusion criteria involved adult patients with T2DM, oral vitamin D supplementation with different dosages and undefined time. Studies including children or animals and with other pathologies were excluded.

Results:

After making a careful selection of the studies according to its title and abstract, 120 articles were selected for reading the full text. Consequently, 21 studies and 1 report were included in this review, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Conclusion:

Supplementation with vitamin D may help decrease glucose, and glycosylated haemoglobin and improve insulin secretion. Subjects with T2DM have higher oxidative stress concentrations and lower antioxidants than healthy subjects; vitamin D supplementation may help improve oxidative and antioxidant markers.
Partial Molar Pregnancy Coexisting with a Normal Diploid Fetus: A Case
Report
Authors: Delkhah Farzaneh Afshar , Pourali Leila , Mirzaeian Sara , Vatanchi Atiyeh , Gharib Masoumeh
Published: April 2022

Introduction:

A partial molar pregnancy is a variation of a molar pregnancy in which an
embryo either develops incompletely or with multiple structural anomalies. The aim of this study
was to present a rare case of partial molar pregnancy coexisting with a normal diploid fetus.

Case presentation:

A 32-year-old woman with gravid 3, Para 2 (2 previous cesarean sections) was
referred to Ghaem hospital, an academic hospital of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences,
Mashhad, Iran, in 2020 at 34 weeks of gestation due to labor pain. She had an ultrasound-based diagnosis
of partial molar pregnancy with the normal female fetus at 30 weeks for the first time. Due
to 2 previous cesarean sections and regular uterine contractions, she underwent a cesarean section at
34 weeks and 2 days. A normal female infant with a normal Apgar score was born. The postpartum
period was complicated with preeclampsia. The pathological evaluation confirmed partial molar
pregnancy. The neonatal Karyotype was 46 XX and the neonatal period was uneventful. Maternal
serum β-hCG reached normal after 5 weeks of cesarean.

Conclusion:

Partial molar pregnancy with the coexisting normal fetus is a rare condition; however,
it may complicate the pregnancy outcomes, which affect both mother and fetus. So early diagnosis
and close follow-up may prevent catastrophic maternal and fetal complications.
In silico and in vitro Estimation of Structure and Biological Affinity of 1,3-
Oxazoles: Fragment-to-fragment Approach
Authors: Obernikhina Nataliya V. , Kobzar Olexandr L. , Kachaeva Marina V. , Kachkovsky Oleksiy D. , Brovarets Volodymyr S.
Published: April 2022

Background:

The fragment-to-fragment approach for the estimation of the biological af-finity of the pharmacophores with biologically active molecules has been proposed. It is the next step in the elaboration of molecular docking and using the quantum-chemical methods for the complex modeling of pharmacophores with biomolecule fragments.

Methods:

The parameter 0 was used to estimate the contribution of -electron interactions in bio-logical affinity. It is directly related to the position of the frontier levels and reflects the donor-accep-tor properties of the pharmacophores and stabilization energy of the [Pharm꞉BioM] complex.

Results:

By using quantum-chemical calculations, it was found that the stacking interaction of oxa-zoles with phenylalanine is 7-11 kcal/mol, while the energy of hydrogen bonding of oxazoles with the amino group of lysine is 5-9 kcal/mol. The fragment-to-fragment approach can be applied for the investigation of the dependence of biological affinity on the electronic structure of pharmacophores.

Conclusion:

The founded quantum-chemical regularities are confirmed with the structure-activity relationships of substituted oxazoles.
Switch Pocket Kinase: An Emerging Therapeutic Target for the Design of Anticancer
Agents
Authors: Kaur Charanjit , Sharma Bhargavi , Nepali Kunal
Published: April 2022

Protein kinases are amongst the most focused enzymes in current century to design, synthesize and formulate drugs ought to be effective in the treatment of various disordered and diseased states involving either overexpression or deficiency situations. The ATP pocket on the kinases is the binding active site for most of the kinase inhibitors. However, the kinase mutations prevent the binding of kinase inhibitors to ATP pocket. The switch pocket site on this enzyme when occupied by switch pocket inhibitors, the enzyme become inactive even in the mutated state. This review comprises the detailed information on various classical protein kinases and switch pocket kinase inhibitors with their mechanism of action so that new molecules can be designed to encounter mutations in the kinase enzyme.
Coronavirus - A Crippling Affliction to Humans
Authors: Kaul Rimple , Devi Sunita
Published: April 2022

Coronaviruses hold idiosyncratic morphological features and functionality. The
members of this group have a remarkable capability of infecting both animals and humans.
Inimitably, the replication of the RNA genome continues through the set of viral mRNA
molecules. Coronaviruses received least attention until 2003 since they caused only minor
respiratory tract illnesses. However, this changed exclusively with the introduction of zoonotic
SARS-CoV in 2003. In 2012, MERS-CoV emerged and confirmed this group of viruses
as the major causative agents of severe respiratory tract illness. Today, Coronavirus Disease
2019 (i.e., COVID-19) has turned out to be a chief health problem that causes a severe acute
respiratory disorder in humans. Since the first identification of COVID-19 in December
2019 in Wuhan, China, this infection has devastatingly spread all around the globe leading
to a crippling affliction for humans. The strain is known as the Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and WHO (the World Health Organization) has
termed this new pandemic disease as Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). COVID-19 is still
spreading, with an estimated 136 million confirmed cases and more than 2.94 million deaths
worldwide so far. In the current scenario, there is no particular treatment for COVID-19;
however, remarkable efforts for immunization and vaccine development can be observed.
Therefore, the execution of precautions and proper preventive measures are indispensable to
minimize and control the community transmission of the virus. This review summarizes information
related to the pathophysiology, transmission, symptoms, and the host defense
mechanism, as well as immunization and vaccine development against COVID-19.
Platinum-based Cancer Chemotherapeutics: Recent Trends and Future
Perspectives
Authors: Parveen Shazia
Published: April 2022

Platinum-based drugs have been proved as one of the prevalent successes in the field of inorganic medicinal chemistry. So far, three generations of platinum-based drugs are in the market and are recognized to play critical roles in the treatment of various types of tumors. The most commonly used anticancer chemotherapeutics worldwide are particularly cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and carboplatin. They are known to exhibit prominent and interesting chemo-therapeutic effects. Nevertheless, Pt chemotherapy can be limited in transformative clinical implementation owing to the severe side effects triggered by off-target activity and lowered efficacy because of acquired/intrinsic resistance in some cancer types. Incidentally, monofunctional Pt complexes, those bearing one labile ligand, initially studied in the late 1980s, are again enticing renewed attention. in comparison to the bifunctional anticancer complexes, bearing two labile ligands, viz., cisplatin which creates a distortion in the DNA strands by forming inter-and intrastrand crosslinks, monofunctional Pt(II) complexes were found to exclusively bind to DNA via a solo coordination site revealed by the one leaving chloride group. However, till date, no other non-platinum metal-based anticancer drug has been able to efficaciously pass all stages of clinical trials. Hence, the hunt for novel Pt-based anticancer drug is being pursued vigorously for the reason that they still play a principal role in the chemotherapeutic profiles of almost 50% of all cancer patients. Meanwhile, the major significant goals in the search for new Pt chemotherapeutic drugs is to focus- a) on exploiting their potential, b) averting the undesirable side effects, c) in curing resistant tumors, and d) in refining the cellular pharmacokinetic regimes. This mini review highlights the numerous continuing efforts to produce the next generation of Pt anticancer drugs.
Recent Query Reformulation Approaches for Information Retrieval System - A Survey
Authors: Gupta Vishal , Dixit Ashutosh
Published: April 2022

Around trillions of data are uploaded to the internet every year. Extracting useful information using only a few keywords has become a major challenge. The field of Query Reformulation (QR) is focused on the efficient retrieval of information to overcome this. It is widely used in the domain of information retrieval (IR) and related fields such as search engines, multimedia IR, cross-language IR, recommender systems, and so on. Query reformulation techniques incur extra computational costs. Due to this reason, the use of query reformulation techniques is sometimes prohibited in internet searches as searching over the internet requires a fast response time. But due to the success of NLP (Natural Language Processing) using machine learning/deep learning in recent years, there has been a boom of study in this area. In this literature, a variety of term selection, term extraction, and query reformulation strategies based on recent technologies used by researchers have been presented, necessitating a wide survey to focus research in this promising area. Recent QR approaches and the datasets, techniques, and evaluation metrics used in this paper will help researchers understand and focus more on research in this promising area so that a better solution will be proposed. From the survey, it may be observed that one of the hottest subjects in the field of IR right now is applying deep learning to IR systems for query reformulation.
Resol–Vegetable Fibers Composites
Authors: Ni W.
Published: April 2022

In this chapter, we provide a detailed review on the reinforcement effect of a broad range of vegetable fibers (VFs) in thermosetting phenolic resin (resol type) based composites. The different varieties of VFs, surface modification techniques, processing conditions and their effects on the overall performances (i.e., the strengths and weaknesses), are assessed to advance future studies and applications of natural fiber-reinforced plastic composites.