bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variations in lipid profile of of the marine microalga Nannochloropsis salina in four different culture media
Authors: GANGA RAJANI S. , Anandan R. , Joseph Aneykutty
Published: November 2023

The present work envisages close monitoring of variations in lipid content and fatty acid profile of the marine microalga Nannochloropsis salina, by growing it in 4 different culture media. Pure cultures of microalga were collected from the marine hatchery complex of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi and cultured in four different media viz., f/2 medium (Guillard, 1975), Miquel’s medium (Miquel, 1892), Walne’s medium (Walne, 1974) and Chu#10 medium (Chu et al., 1942). Standard algal culture conditions viz, salinity 33 ppt, pH 8.0, culture room temperature of 25ºC, light intensity of 1500 lux with a photoperiod of 12 h and Light:Dark cycle of 12 h were maintained. Lipids extracted were subjected to gas chromatography to ascertain their fatty acid profile. Both Miquel’s and f/2 media produced the maximum amount of lipid content (40.2 and 40% respectively). Total saturated fatty acids ranged from 39.17% (Miquel’s medium) to 84.45% (Chu#10). For monounsaturated fatty acids, the highest value was obtained for Miquel’s medium (42.79%) and minimum for Chu#10 (10.55%). Polyunsaturated fatty acids accounted for over 23.50% of the total fatty acids in Walne’s medium followed by Miquel’s (18.04%), f/2(12.76%) and Chu#10(5.00%) media. One way analysis of variance of the data brought to light that the medium composition can influence the fatty acid pattern of microalgae significantly.
Keywords: Fish culture, Live feed, Micronutrients, Omega-3, Omega-6
Design and development of IoT and demerit score based system to assess fresh fish quality
Authors: C. G. Joshy  , R. Lizbeth  , Ninan George , Panda S. K. , A. A. Zynudheen  , K. Ashok Kumar  , C. N. Ravishankar
Published: November 2023

FISHQCheQ, a non-destructive and cost-effective web based software system has been designed and developed to assess the quality of fresh fish. The developed system works in online platform using internet of things (IoT) and enable consumers/stakeholders for spot quality evaluation of fish in a real time manner. The system uses a demerit score on five general quality characteristics of fish viz., appearance of fish, fish eyes, gills, belly and vent, which were integrated using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to evaluate the quality of fish. A modified algorithm has been incorporated for computing the fish quality index using HTML and Javascript. The user can assess the quality of fish based on five general and their sub-quality characteristics on a demerit scale score and the system automatically calculates the fish quality index score in the range of 0 to 1 with a quality description as output. The quality index score in the range of 0 to 1 represents excellent to worse quality of fish. The developed IoT-based system was validated with real time storage data of Indian oilsardine and tilapia.
Keywords: Consumer perception, Fish quality, Fish storage, HTML, Javascript
Biochemical response and production performance of spiny lobster Panulirus homarus seed reared with different shelter materials
Authors: Supriyono Eddy , Thesiana Lolita , Adiyana Kukuh
Published: November 2023

Provision of shelters during nursery rearing of the spiny lobster Panulirus homarus seed is expected to reduce stress and generate higher production performance. In the present study, three types of shelter materials viz, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, polyethylene (PE) nets and concrete blocks with three replications were used as treatments. The results showed that pipe shelter was the best among three treatments with better yield, higher survival rates and lower stress level indications. Examination of haemolymph for total cholesterol, total protein, total haemocyte count (THC) and glucose showed that pipe shelter treatment exhibited the lowest stress response compared to the other treatments. In terms of lobster weight and carapace length, the application of pipe shelters resulted in the best growth of seeds. Furthermore, the highest daily weight gain and survival rate of 1.41±0.04 and 72.67±1.53% respectively were recorded in seeds reared in pipe shelter, while the lowest values were recorded in concrete block shelter.Keywords: Glucose, Lobster, Shelter, THC, Total cholesterol, Total protein
Molecular characterisation of Flavobacterium columnare associated with columnaris disease in freshwater fishes with emphasis on virulence and antibiotic resistance pattern
Authors: Malick Ramesh Chandra , Pal Bhibhuti Bhusan , Bera Asit Kumar , Mohanty Debasmita , Das Basanta Kumar
Published: November 2023

Flavobacterium columnare is a major aquaculture pathogen that causes columnaris disease. However, only very limited studies have been conducted on its virulence and resistance pattern. Three pathogenic bacterial isolates of F. columnare (CIFRI-RCM8, CFCCSL66 and CFCCO41) were obtained from diseased fish (Labeo rohita, L. catla and Clarias magur) of culture farms in Odisha and West Bengal, India. Clinical signs such as tail rot, skin ulcer and gill discolouration, as well as soft ulceration across the entire body, irrespective of the fish size were noticed. The virulence of the isolates was confirmed by a recursive in vitro experiments. The pathological changes in infected L. rohita were studied to confirm the pathogenicity. Considerable difference in virulence was noticed when fishes were challenged with different F. columnare strains. Among the isolates, CIFRI-RCM8 was the most virulent,whereas CFCCO41 was the least virulent one. All of the isolates were found to be multidrug-resistant showing resistance to cefuroxime, ampicillin, cephalothin, amoxyclav, cefalexin, ceftazidime, carbenicillin, trimethoprim, clindamycin, ticarcillin and penicillin-G. The study suggested that F. columnare is one of the most important etiological agents of disease in freshwater fishes for which appropriate management protocols needs to be developed.
Keywords: Antibiotics, Columnaris disease, Flavobacterium columnare, Molecular characterisation, Virulence
The impact of COVID 19 pandemic on marine fisheries sector: A case study from Andhra Pradesh, India
Authors: Charles Jeeva J. , Menon Muktha , Raju S. S. , R. Narayanakumar  , Edward L. Loveson , M. Sathishkumar  , Ghosh Shubhadeep
Published: November 2023

This study discusses the impact of first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic on marine fisheries sector of Andhra Pradesh, India, covering the aspects of active fishing days, perception on reduction or enhancement of demand for fish, trends in price realisation, challenges encountered in marketing the fish, perceptions on government interventions as well as changes in socio-behavioural issues. The study was conducted during the period from June to September 2021, among a sample of 152 stakeholders involved in fishing and allied activities from Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari and Krishna districts in Andhra Pradesh. Average number of active fishing days in a month was found to be 11.44 during the first wave and 15.10 during the second wave periods. Nearly three-fourth of the respondents (73.68%) perceived that there was reduction in demand for fish during the first wave of the pandemic, and it was to the tune of 40%. Reduction in the daily earnings was reported to the tune of 37.09%. The challenges encountered in marketing the fish were, getting export orders, access to market, availability of storage, transportation and logistics. Peer interaction, time spent with family members and time spent in social media were higher than usual during both waves of the pandemic. Changes or disruptions in usual marketing channels were reported during both the periods. Satisfied perception was expressed on government interventions such as ration, timely advisories, health care and sanitary measures. A few positive impacts on fisheries observed during the pandemic were product innovations, new distribution channels such as online marketing, e-commerce and home deliveries, shortening of supply chains including elimination of auction at fishing harbour, lowering of ocean pollution as well as government reforms. From the results of the study, we propose socio-economic interventions to be taken up by concerned governments for ensuring that the impact of the pandemic is mitigated and also that any future pandemic can have minimal impacts on the fishing community.
Keywords: Export market, Livelihood, Lockdown, Nutritional security, Policy interventions, Socio-behavioural issues, Supply chains
Optimisation of transformation in the heterologous fusion gene GAPDH-IFN cloning using DH5α strain of Escherichia coli
Authors: Valsalam Anisha , Rajendran K. V. , Vinde Pooja , Bedekar Megha Kadam
Published: November 2023

DNA vaccines are the most essential tool of the disease prevention strategy. In the present study, cloning of a heterologous fusion gene involving glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and interferon gamma (GAPDH-IFN) was conceptualised. Cloning was tried using four distinct transformation techniques viz. InstAclone PCR Cloning kit (Fermentas, USA); CaCl2 transformation protocol;  Clontech stellar competent cells protocol and PEG 8000-mediated transformation method, for the heterologous GAPDH-IFN fusion gene using DH5α strain of Escherichia coli. The first three methods were found to be unsuitable, and the PEG 8000-mediated transformation method yielded positive clones.
Keywords: DNA vcaccine, Edwardsiella tarda, Fusion genes, Labeo rohita, PEG 8000, Transformation methods
Effect of Japanese sandfish (Arctoscopus japonicus) meal in paste diet for Anguilla japonica in terms of growth, feed efficiency and digestibility
Authors: Ri Chol-Hyok , Ryu Myong-Chol , Kim Yong-Song , Ri Yong-Jin
Published: November 2023

In this study, the effect of replacement of high-quality fish meal (HQFM) with Japanese sandfish (Arctoscopus japonicus) meal (SFM) and the utility of a viscous culture broth of Leuconostoc mesenteroides (VCL) as binding material in paste diet for Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) was tested in terms of growth, feed efficiency and digestibility. Four experimental paste diets contained, fish meal and binding materials as, HQFM and starch (F0, control), SFM and VCL (F1), SFM and a mixture of starch and VCL (F2) and SFM and starch (F3). Each diet was formulated to be iso-nitrogenous and iso-lipidic. Each group of 10 juvenile eels with an average initial body weight of 20 ± 2.5 g were randomly distributed into 15 tanks in triplicates and fish were fed twice daily with one of the 4 experimental paste diets for 90 days. Eels fed with diet F2 exhibited good growth performance (final mean weight; 55.3±0.67 g, WGR; 169±5%), being similar to eels (55.5±0.26g, 170±7%) fed a control diet (p>0.05). In spite of iso-nitrogenous and iso-lipidic diets, the feed efficiency of F1 and F3 were inferior to other diets and the same trend was observed in growth performance also, probably due to reduced feed intake owing to poor water stability of the feeds. It should be considered that  incorporation of SFM could lead to the discharge of undesirable matters such as phosphorus into the water environment, though it would contribute to lowering production costs.Therefore, further investigations are needed to improve the quality of SFM.
Keywords:  Fish meal replacement, Growth performance, Iso-lipidic diet, Iso- nitrogenous diet, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Water stability.
Selectivity of tigertooth croaker (Otolithes ruber) gillnet in fishing grounds of Oman Sea, Iran
Authors: Sepahi Ali , Gorgin Saeid , Patimar Rahman , Sadough Niri Ali
Published: November 2023

Tigertooth croaker (Otolithes ruber) fishing has increased recently in southern Iran due to its economic value. In the present study, O. ruber gillnets with opening mesh sizes of 73, 85 and 90 mm were used to assess the selectivity of the nets. For this purpose, three panels each of commercial nets having mesh sizes of 73, 85 and 90 mm, were connected which formed an experimental net for sampling from January to May 2020. A total of 619 specimens of O. ruber  were caught and the selectivity curves were plotted using the Sechin method. Results showed that the mean total lengths of O. ruber caught with mesh sizes of 73, 85 and 90 cm were, 26.89 ± 4.00; 35.33 ± 3.43, and 37.05 ± 3.32 cm, respectively. Considering the length at sexual maturity of 40 cm, it seems that gillnet with mesh size of 90 cm is the most suitable fishing net for catching the species.
Keywords: Mesh size, Otolithes ruber, Sechin method, Selectivity curves
Investigations on depredation by the deepsea swimming crab Charybdis smithii, during experimental gillnetting along the south-west coast of India
Authors: Renjith R. K. , Paras Nath Jha  , Chinnadurai S. , Baiju M. V. , Thomas Saly N.
Published: November 2023

Depredation by crabs can have a negative impact on marine gillnet fishery. Despite this fact, limited studies are attempted to evaluate  depredation. The present study is the first attempt to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative effects of crab depredation on marine gillnet fishery. Experimental gillnetting was conducted onboard F V Sagar Harita from February 2017 to January 2018 along the south-west Indian coast. Depredation by the deepsea swimming crab Charybdis smithii caused intentional discard of Indian mackerel (17.59%), kawakawa (14.77%), shrimp scad (10.74%) and horse mackerel (10.02%). Financial loss due to depredation was high for Indian mackerel (19.99%), followed by shrimp scad (19.17%), kawakawa (14.77%) and horse mackerel (14.16%). A total of ₹2554.30 per operation was lost due to crab depredation. C. smithii showed a preference towards scombrids (Indian mackerel and kawakawa) over carangids (shrimp scad and horse mackerel) due to the inherent  flavour and texture of scombrids. Incidence of depredation were found exclusively during June to September (monsoon season).
Keywords: Crab, Depredation, Economic loss, Fishery, Marine gillnet
Effect of electron beam irradiation on the quality of vacuum-packed, chilled-stored tilapia fish chunks
Authors: Jeyakumari A. , Narasimha Murthy L. , Visnuvinayagam S. , Sarma K. S. S. , Rawat K. P. , Shaikh Abdul Khader
Published: November 2023

Currently, there is an increasing demand for minimally processed or convenience food products without any quality loss. Electron Beam Irradiation (EBI) is a non-thermal processing technique used to preserve the nutrient value and  shelf-life extension of food products. In the present study, the effect of electron beam irradiation on the quality of tilapia fish chunks was evaluated. Tilapia fish chunks were vacuum packed and exposed to 0, 2.0, and 4.0 kGy doses of electron beam irradiation and kept under chilled storage. Biochemical, microbiological, and sensory qualities were analysed for up to 41 days. pH (6.85 to 7.10), total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) content showed an increasing trend during storage. It was observed that TVB-N content was lower in the irradiated sample than control. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values were within the acceptable limits during storage. Microbiological analysis revealed that irradiated fish chunks had lower total plate count, Pseudomonas count and Brochothrix thermosphacta count compared to the control. The hydrogen sulfide  formers count and Lactobacillus count were nil in the irradiated fish chunks. In terms of microbial and sensory qualities, it was found that electron beam irradiated samples had an extended shelf-life of 28-38 days (with respect to dose level), compared to the control which had a shelf-life of only 16 days.
Keywords: Non-thermal processing, Peroxide value, Sensory qualities, Shelf-life, TBA, TBARS, TVB-N,  Vacuum packing
Leveraging MOVEit for object inspection in simulation
Authors: Dodson Nathan , Paquette Michael , Glaspell Garry
Published: November 2023

Herein we evaluate using a robotic arm with an attached camera to investigate objects of interest in simulation. Specifically, a Husky unmanned ground vehicle with a Panda Powertool was used in the simulation. The code enabled an operator to initiate a preconfigured set of motions when an object of interest was identified. The scan was stored in a database file that was used to generate a 3D mesh of the scanned object. The report describes both setting up the simulation and the code used to scan objects of interest.
Estimation of Fracture Size and Probability Density Function by Setting Scanlines in Rectangular Sampling Window
Authors: Gu Feifan , Chen Jianping , Zhang Qi , Tan Chun , Zhang Yansong , Wang Qing
Published: November 2023

Rock masses are very important materials in geotechnical engineering. In engineering rock mass, fracture is the relatively weak part of mechanical strength in rock mass and is the most important factor controlling the deformation, damage, and permeability of rock mass. Therefore, investigating fractures is very important for characterizing rock mass. This paper proposed a new approach by using uniformly equidistant orthogonal scanlines. Within the study context, the solution formula of fracture size is derived by establishing the space intersection model of arbitrary fracture and scanline, rectangular window, and a rectangular box with a rectangular window. Then, fractures were randomly generated in a certain size cube and compared with the traditional Kulatilake trace length integral evaluation method. The study results have shown that the proposed method is more reasonable and accurate. Then, this method was applied to an adit of Songta Hydropower Station. Finally, a new fracture diameter probability density estimation method was proposed, the fracture diameter of the normal distribution was verified, and the parameters of the probability density function obtained by the scanlines method were in agreement with the initial set parameters. In summary, the proposed scanlines method can well estimate the mean value of the fracture diameter and the probability density function of the fracture size.
Cashew Leave Ethanolic Extract on the Histology of Select Organs of Wistar Rats: a Clinical Study of the Effects on the Liver, Kidney and Small Intestine
Authors: Ogochukwu Anaziah Grace
Published: November 2023

Background
Cashew leaves are leaves of the cashew tree. They are oval with fine pronounced veins and midribs. Each leaf is 10 to 20cm long, by 7 to 12cm in width. Cashew leaves are botanically classified as Anacardium Occidentale. Cashew leaves are best eaten when they are young and are a purplish green at the tips and a brighter green on the bottom. When young, the leaves have a texture like hard spinach. They have a tangy and astringent taste. Cashew leave is consumed in Nigeria and other parts of the world as a refreshing drink and used for culinary purposes. Cashew leaves are used medicinally in several cultures. In Africa, it is used to treat diabetes and malaria. In Java, it is used as a paste to treat skin conditions.
Methods
Twenty (20) male wistar rats of average weight of 172.6g ± 4.8 (Means ± S.E.M) were assigned to a control group (A) and test group (B, C and D, E). They were administrated with varying ethanolic concentrations (200 to 800mg/kg) of the extract for 28days daily. On day 29, all rats were sacrificed by cranial-spinal dislocation. The kidney, liver and small intestine were excised, grossed, and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin solution for 48hrs prior to histological processing. Sections were obtained at 3–5 microns and stained with hematoxylin and Eosin and Periodic Acid Schiff solution for light microscopy.
Results
The acute toxicity of Anacardium Occidentale dose (L.D50) tolerable by the rat is 4,525mg/kg body weight. No changes were observed grossly and histologically. However, the empirical measurement showed significant reduction in weight in low dose treated animals (group B and C) and negligible weight loss in high dose (Group D and E) treated animals. The histopathology of the Kidney, Liver and Small intestine after the administration of Anacardium Occidentale leaves extract, showed no toxic effects exerted on the wistar rat.
Conclusion
This study suggests that since there is no toxic effect exerted on the Kidney, Liver and Small intestine, Anacardium Occidentale leave remains suitable for consumption (as a pleasure drink, for culinary purposes, in delicacies or for therapeutic use).
Safety and efficacy of autogeneic NKT cells infusion in advanced melanoma patients: a Phase I clinical trial
Authors: Wang Ying , Yang Yue , Lian Bin , Wang Xuan , Si Lu , Chi Zhihong , Sheng Xinan , Kong Yan , Zhou Zijing , Peng Di , Mao Lili , Zhou Li , Li Siming , Tang Bixia , Dai Jie , Bai Xue , Guo Jun , Zhang Minghui , Cui Chuanliang
Published: November 2023

Background: Many melanoma patients benefited from immunotherapy, and cellular immunotherapy has been considered as a form of immunotherapy which is non-interaction with prior chemotherapy or radiation. Nature killer T cells (NKT cells) are a unique population of lymphocytes with potential anti-tumor function which display characteristics of T cell and nature killer cells,This was a prospective, open-label and dose-escalation phase I study designed to evaluate the safety of NKT cells which were purified and expanded in vitro from patients.
Methods: Patients were enrolled in three dose-escalation groups of infusion of NKT cells using a traditional 3+3 design. Patients conformed unresectable metastatic melanoma of stage III or IV failed in prior standard therapy were eligible. Each treatment cycle contained two infusions every 28 days.
Results: A total of 23 patients were recruited in this trial from October 2015 to June 2019. Almost all the patients were at stage IV. Most of them progressed after immunotherapy consisted of ipilimumab. No serious treatment-related adverse event occurred and the maximum tolerated dose was not reached. All the adverse events were grade 1 and grade 2. Up to 19 April 2021, three patients achieved partial response, five patients exhibited stable disease and 13 patients experienced progressed disease after treatment. The objective response rate was 14.3% and disease control rate was 38.1%, respectively.
Conclusions: Infusion of NKT cells was well tolerated and showed moderate antitumor activities in advanced melanoma patients.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02619058. A Clinical Trial of Adoptive Transfer With Autologous NKT Cells in Metastatic Melanoma Patients
Three-dimensional multi-scale membrane for efficient air filtration performances: Preparation, optimization and characterization
Authors: Sun Fei , Zheng Yaxin , Liu Enxing , Chen Tianying , Xiao Qi
Published: November 2023

With the increasing attention to global air quality problem, air filtration materials become a research hotspot. Here, novel polyurethane (PU)/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)@ polypropylene (PP) multi-scale membranes were fabricated by a lamination process of electrospinning and melt-blown methods. The electrospinning nano-membrane and melt-blown micro-membrane were optimized under various parameter. The morphology and structures of the prepared multi-scale membranes were characterized by SEM and FT-IR. And the water contact angle was tested to evaluate the wettability properties. Air filtration tests was operated to determine the optimum membranes for air filtration application. The results showed that the multi-scale membranes had highly air filtration efficiency (96.72%) and quality factor (0.04167 Pa− 1) which can be obtained by only electrospinning 60 min. The successful preparation of multi-scale membranes provides a new way for the design and development of electrospinning filteration membranes. In addition, large-scale production of air filtration membranes with high filtration efficiency and low pressure drop can be realized by combine electrospinning and melt-blown technology.
Comprehensive Study on In vitro Propagation of Some Imported Peach Rootstocks
a. In vitro Explant Surface Sterilization and Bud Proliferation
Authors: Eliwa Galal I. , El-Dengawy El-Refaey F. , Gawish Mohamed S. , Yamany Mona M.
Published: November 2023

The present study was conducted in the Laboratory of Tissue Culture, Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Damietta University, Egypt. The objective of this study was to establish a micropropagation protocol suitable for three imported peach rootstocks: Okinawa (P. persica), Nemared (P. persica × P. davidiana) × P. persica), and Garnem (P. dulcis × P. persica) in vitro. The results showed that soaking the explants in sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) at 20% for 15 minutes produced the highest responsiveness (82.81%), survival (96.61%), with the lowest mortality (3.14%) and contamination (0.24%). Explants of the Garnem genotype had the best response (89.12%), survival (90.62%), lowest mortality (0.00%), and highest contamination (9.37%) when compared to the other genotypes. In comparison with axillary buds, the shoot tip displayed the highest responsiveness, survival, and death (100, 87.40, and 12.59%, respectively), as well as the least significant contamination (0.00%). Additionally, the percentages of responsive, survived, dead, and contaminated explants at the various collection dates varied significantly.
The 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) concentrations used (3 to 5.0 mg/L) demonstrated similar behavior in terms of in vitro proliferation, with rates of 3.77 to 6.11, 4.33 to 8.88, and 3.33 to 7.44 shoot numbers per explant for the Okinawa, Nemared, and Garnem peach rootstocks, respectively, indicating that the number of shoot proliferations is genotype-dependent. Additionally, using 5.0 mg/L BAP in combination with 0.2 mg/L IBA significantly increased average shoot proliferation (96.29%), number of shoots per explant (7.48), and average leaf number/explant (16.33) compared to the other treatments. Based on these results, adventitious bud development was enhanced during in vitro multiplication of the Okinawa, Nemared, and Garnem peach rootstocks by the synergistic interaction of indole-butyric acid (IBA) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP).
Evaluation on Quality and Health Risk of Groundwater in a highly-urbanized watershed, China
Authors: Li Jingjing , Zhang You-Kuan , Zhao Yuqing
Published: November 2023

Urbanizations and industrializations may accelerate the contamination and deterioration of groundwater quality. This study aimed to evaluate the quality and human health risk of shallow groundwater in Shenzhen, China where high levels of urbanization and industrialization are. The hydrochemistry characteristics, water quality levels and human health risks of main ions, nutrient elements, metals in 220 samples collected from Maozhou River Basin (MRB) located in the northwest of Shenzhen were investigated. It showed that chemical constituents of the groundwater were further complicated by seawater intrusion and urbanization expansion. Water quality evaluated by Fuzzy Comprehensive Method showed that 21.05% of samples distributed around reservoirs were classified into grade II or better. Nearly 79% of samples distributed in the densely populated urban land were classified into grade III or worse, indicating pollution from anthropogenic factors cannot be ignored. For the river tidal reach where river stage fluctuated about 0.5 m to 1.5 m within a tidal cycle, the chemical composition of groundwater was influenced by frequent water exchange with the river. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk for different age groups from high to low were children, adult women, adult men, adolescent women, and adolescent men, respectively. Approximately 39% of groundwater samples distributed around the densely populations area with health risk larger than 5×10− 5 were unacceptable for children. This investigation would be helpful for improving groundwater management and as a practical reference for sustainable groundwater exploitation in the MRB.
The effect of natural and chemical stabilizers on soil wind erosion control in the southeast of Ahvaz, Iran
Authors: Naseh Mohammad Reza Vesali , Motahari Mohammad Reza , Kamangar Narges , Velashjerdi Mohammad
Published: November 2023

Soil wind erosion control has a significant importance for humans and the environment, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Iran, especially in Khuzestan province, is greatly affected by soil wind erosion and the phenomenon of fine dust in recent years. One of the best practical methods to control this destructive phenomenon, is to restrain it at the source through the stabilization of soil in the region. In this paper, the effect of four natural and chemical stabilizers, Polyvinyl acetate, Bentonite, Zeolite, and Silica sol has been studied on the soil of southeast of Ahvaz in Khuzestan. Soil samples were gathered from the study area on trays, and stabilizer solutions were sprayed on each tray to prepare them for the wind tunnel test, Vane shear test, and SEM imagery. The tests were performed 7 and 30 days after the sample preparation to assess the effect of time passing on samples, too. The best performance in terms of soil erosion control, shear strength, and time-passing effect, was observed in the samples stabilized with Silica sol and Polyvinyl acetate. By analyzing SEM images, it was observed that Silica sol and Polyvinyl acetate solutions produced bigger soil particles than the other stabilizers.
Dynamic reduction of neural uncertainty regulates perceptual decisions in a Bayes-optimal manner
Authors: Rangelov Dragan , Bitzer Sebastian , Mattingley Jason
Published: November 2023

Fast and accurate decisions are fundamental for adaptive behaviour. Theories of decision making posit that evidence in favour of different choices is gradually accumulated until a critical value is reached. It remains unclear, however, which aspects of the neural code get updated during evidence accumulation. Here we investigated whether evidence accumulation relies on a gradual increase in the precision of neural representations of sensory input. Healthy human volunteers discriminated global motion direction over a patch of moving dots, and their brain activity was recorded using electroencephalography. Time-resolved neural uncertainty was estimated using multivariate feature-specific analyses of brain activity. Behavioural measures were modelled using iterative Bayesian inference either on its own (i.e., the full model), or by swapping free model parameters with neural uncertainty estimates derived from brain recordings. The neurally-restricted model was further refitted using randomly shuffled neural uncertainty. The full model and the unshuffled neural model yielded very good and comparable fits to the data, while the shuffled neural model yielded worse fits. Taken together, the findings reveal that the brain relies on reducing neural uncertainty to regulate decision making. They also provide neurobiological support for Bayesian inference as a fundamental computational mechanism in support of decision making.
Angioembolization of Scrotal AVM, A Mis-diagnosed Case Treated as Varicocele
Authors: Bagheri Arash Khameneh , Khoshnevis Jalaluddin , Sadiqi Jamshid
Published: November 2023

Scrotal Artero-venus malformation (AVM) is a rare congenital vascular anomaly which is demonstrated as swelling, heaviness, pain and bleeding in inguinal and scrotal area and in some cases may result in azoospermia and infertility. Therefore, this can be misdiagnosed with other usual pathologies of scrotum such as hernia and varicocele. Here we present a case of scrotal AVM which was misdiagnosed as varicocele followed by unnecessary varicocelectomy. Finally, diagnostic angiography confirmed the diagnosis and successful angioembolization was performed for the patient.
Bridge-rich and loop-less hydrogel networks through suppressed micellization of multiblock polyelectrolytes
Authors: Kim Youn Soo , Han Jihoon , Najafi Saeed , Park Jiwon , Koo Jun Mo , Kim Jehan , Chung Taehun , Han Im Kyung , Chae Suhun , Cho Dong-Woo , Jang Jinah , Jeong Unyong , Lee Eunji , Fredrickson Glenn , Shea Joan-Emma
Published: November 2023

Most ABA triblock copolymer-based physical hydrogels form three-dimensional networks through micellar packing, and formation of polymer loops represents a topological defect that diminishes hydrogel elasticity. This effect can be mitigated by maximizing the fraction of elastically effective bridges in the hydrogel network. Herein, we report hydrogels constructed by complexing oppositely charged multiblock copolymers designed with a sequence pattern that maximizes the entropic and enthalpic penalty of micellization. These copolymers self-assemble into branched and bridge-rich network units (netmers), instead of forming sparsely interlinked micelles. We found that the storage modulus of the netmer-based hydrogel was 11.5 times higher than that of the micelle-based hydrogel. Complementary coarse grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulations revealed that in the netmer-based hydrogels, the numbers of charge-complexed nodes and mechanically reinforcing bridges increase substantially relative to ABA micelle-based hydrogels.
Rice Husk Ash Based Growing Media Impact on Cucumber and Melon Growth and Quality
Authors: LI Meng , FAZRY Shazrul , GAO Tian-tian , NING Xian-peng , OTHMAN Babul Airianah , NAJM Ahmad Abdul Kareem , LAW Douglas
Published: November 2023

This study evaluated the effects of rice husk ash (RHA) composite substrate on plant growth, photosynthetic parameters, and fruit quality of cucumber (Yuyi Longxiang variety) and melon (Yutian Yangjiaomi variety). RHA, peat, vermiculite, and perlite were mixed in different proportions, and the conventional seedling substrate (peat: vermiculite: perlite = 1:1:1 volume ratio) was used as the control (CK). All plants were cultures in cultivation barrels filled with 10L mixed substrates. The results showed that compared with CK, RHA 40 (RHA: peat: vermiculite: Perlite = 4:4:1:1 volume ratio) could improve the ventilation of mixed substrate and improve the stem diameter, root activity, seedling index, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs) and transpiration rate (Tr) of cucumber and melon plants. In addition, under RHA 40, the single fruit weight of cucumber and melon increased by 34.62% and 21.67% compared with CK. It also increased the contents of sucrose, total soluble sugar, vitamin C, and soluble protein, and enhanced the activities of sucrose synthase (SS) and sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS). In conclusion, the matrix ratio of RHA 40 (RHA: peat: vermiculite: Perlite = 4:4:1:1 volume ratio) had the best effect and could be used as the matrix formula for cucumber and melon cultivation.
Vitamin D prevents gestational diabetes mellitus via modulating glycometabolism
Authors: Gu Suyan , Chen Xiao , Liu Yongli
Published: November 2023

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common disease during pregnancy that has adverse effects on both the mother and fetus. There is currently no systematically research on the effect of vitamin supplementation on GDM pregnant mother and their offspring. This work supplemented the GDM pregnant mouse model with vitamin D and found that vitamin D can effectively alleviate the hyperglycemia in GDM pregnant mice, increase blood insulin and adiponectin concentrations, and improve GTT and ITT in pregnant mice. In addition, vitamin D can reduce the incidence of death and high birth weight of offspring caused by GDM. The offspring of GDM pregnant mice had higher blood glucose levels in the first 5 weeks after birth compared to the normal group, and then returned to normal levels. Vitamin D can alleviate abnormal glucose metabolism in newborn mice. The therapeutic effect exhibited by vitamin D may be due to their anti-inflammatory effects, as vitamin D supplementation significantly reduces the levels of TFN-α, MCP-1, IL-1β and IL-8 in the blood. Vitamin D also regulates liver lipid metabolism, resulting in a decrease in liver lipid accumulation and a decrease in blood triglycerides (TG), cholesterol (CHO) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). The results of this study demonstrate that vitamin D supplementation can serve as an effective treatment strategy for alleviating GDM symptoms.
Tortuosity of pore channels in tight rocks as a key parameter in fluid flow ability
Authors: Krakowska-Madejska Paulina
Published: November 2023

Tortuosity is a significant parameter in porous materials analysis. Not only, when it comes to rocks or soils but also cellular materials, alloys or cells. The multiple definitions exists for tortuosity and several purposes. Geometrical tortuosity describes the pore network paths, on the other hand- thermal, diffusional, electrical and hydraulic tortuosity refers to the transport processes in the pore network. Computed X-ray tomography is the best solution in tortuosity estimation, thanks to the 3D images. In particular, computed X-ray tomography, together with mercury porosimetry, pulse- and pressure-decay permeability methods, as well as electrical parameter measurements, link and expand the information about the tortuosity into the greater meaning. The geological material was composed of tight, low-porosity and low-permeability gas-saturated rocks cored from the present depth of deposition below 3000 m, containing different lithologies, as sandstones, mudstones, limestones and dolomites. The research presents the novel approach in the identification and analysis of the main pore channels based on 3D CT images. Algorithm of the central axis identifies and analyzes the whole main flow path and calculates tortuosity. High correlation was observed between the tortuosity and Swanson parameter from mercury porosimetry data. Moreover, the high correlation was detected between the tortuosity and saturation exponent from electrical parameter measurement in analyzed tight low-porosity and low-permeability deposits.
Multilinear regression allows estimating absolute permeability taking CT, MICP and EPM parameters into consideration. Combination of these parameters in one equation with high determination coefficient gives credence in estimating preliminary absolute permeability based on the data which is executed as standard core analysis (MICP, EPM) and data from the non-invasive method (CT).
SPIN1 accelerates tumorigenesis and confers radioresistance of non-small cell lung cancer via orchestrating the FOXO3a/FOXM1 axis
Authors: Zhong Min , Fang Zhi , Zou Juntao , Chen Xiao , Qiu Zezhi , Zhou Ling , Le Yi , Chen Zhen , Liao Yanyu , Nie Fengting , Wei Xianpin , Zhan Jinbo , Xiong Jianping , Xiang Xiaojun , Fang Ziling
Published: November 2023

Background Radioresistance is a predominant obstacle of effective treatments in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), while the underlying mechanism remains incompletely elucidated. Spindlin 1(SPIN1) has been reported to participate in tumor initiation and progression. Herein, this study aims to explore the role and mechanism of SPIN1 in NSCLC progression and radioresistance.Methods Bioinformatics analysis, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blotting were performed to test SPIN1 expression in NSCLC samples and cell lines. The carcinogenic role of SPIN1 was evaluated by cell growth and proliferation, EdU staining, transwell and colony formation assays. Besides, the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells was determined by clonogenic cell survival, neutral comet and γ-H2AX and Rad51 foci formation assays. Xenograft tumor model was constructed to access the effects of SPIN1 on tumorigenesis and radiosensitivity. RNA sequencing, quantitative real-time PCR, CHX and ubiquitination assays were applied to elucidate the correlation between SPIN1 and FOXO3a-FOXM1 axis.Results We found that SPIN1 was highly expressed in NSCLC tissues and cell lines compared with corresponding controls. And SPIN1 overexpression was closely correlated with disease progression and poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. Functionally, depletion of SPIN1 impaired cell proliferation, delayed cell cycle progression and suppressed migration and invasion. Moreover, SPIN1 knockdown reduced the clonogenic capacity, impaired double-strand break (DSB) repair and enhanced NSCLC radiosensitivity. Mechanistically, forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) was identified as a key downstream effector of SPIN1 in NSCLC cells. Furthermore, SPIN1 facilitates MDM2 mediated FOXO3a ubiquitination and degradation, leading to FOXM1 upregulation. More convincingly, reintroduction of FOXM1 markedly abolished the inhibitory effects and elevated radiosensitivity induced by SPIN1 depletion.Conclusion Our results suggest that the SPIN1-MDM2-FOXO3a/FOXM1 signaling axis is essential for NSCLC progression and radioresistance, and it could serve as therapeutic targets in irradiation-resistance NSCLC.
Biomechanical Insights into Ankle Instability: A Finite Element Analysis of Posterior Malleolus Fractures
Authors: Ying Jichong , Liu Jianlei , Wang Hua , Zhuang Yunqiang , Yu Tianming , Wang Shuaiyi , Huang Dichao
Published: November 2023

Background Posterior malleolus fractures are known to be associated with ankle instability. The complexities involved in obtaining precise lab-based spatial pressure measurements of the ankle highlight the significance of exploring the biomechanical implications of these fractures.Methods Finite element analysis was utilized to examine the stress distribution across the contact surface of the ankle joint, both in its natural state and under varied sagittal fracture line angles. The study aimed to identify stress concentration zones and understand the influence of sagittal angles on stress distribution.Results Three distinct stress concentration zones were identified on the ankle's contact surface: the anterolateral tibia, the anteromedial tibia, and the fracture line. The most significant stress was observed at the fracture line when a fracture occurs. Stress at the fracture line notably spikes as the sagittal angle decreases, which can potentially compromise ankle stability. Larger sagittal angles exhibited only minor stress variations at the contact surface's three vertices. It was inferred that sagittal angles below 60 degrees might pose risks to ankle stability.Conclusions The research underscores the potential implications of fractures on the stress profile of the ankle joint, emphasizing the role of the contact surface in ensuring stability. The identification of three zones of stress concentration and the influence of sagittal angles on stress distribution offers a valuable reference for therapeutic decision-making. Further, the study reinforces the importance of evaluating sagittal fracture angles, suggesting that angles below 60 degrees may compromise ankle stability.
PCBA analysis using X-ray images with processing tools.
Authors: Terra Nathália Mattos , Santiago Sandro Breval , Vieira Adalena Kennedy , Vieira Raimundo Kennedy
Published: November 2023

The electronics industry is one of the fastest evolution, innovative, and competitive industries. Quality standards have been improved to meet the high demands of modern products, and new technologies have been applied for defect detection to meet customers’ requirements. The importance of image processing tools becomes inevitable. This work deals with images obtained through X-ray for inspection in PCBA to identify non-conformities and provides assertive interpretation in less time. Software associated with the database of images collected from the product will be applied, and the criteria from IPC standards will be used to verify compliance.
A semi-supervised video dehazing method based on CNNs
Authors: WANG Fan , MA Weixin , WANG Le , DAI Peng , LIU Junbo , LI Hailang , ZHAO Xinxin , WANG Ning , FANG Yue , WANG Shengchun , Pei Yanting
Published: November 2023

To solve the problems that no corresponding clear videos are available for real haze videos of high-speed comprehensive detection train and a supervised method cannot be used for training, a semi-supervised video dehazing method based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is proposed. First of all, this paper introduces the limitations of the existing dehazing algorithms and the ideas to solve such limitations. Secondly, the video dehazing model proposed is introduced, which consists of a dynamic haze generator and a dehazing device. In addition to the experimental design, the process of acquiring and constructing the railway video dataset, experimental loss constraint items, evaluation methods, and experimental configurations are presented. Specifically, the process of acquiring and constructing the railway video dataset is to process the video data acquired during the running process of high-speed comprehensive detection train into multiple scene materials according to the haze concentration, and to synthesize haze videos using a clear video haze adding tool. Finally, we compare the proposed method with the classical dehazing methods based on the synthetic and real haze video datasets quantitatively and qualitatively. Experimental results show that the video dehazing method proposed herein is very effective in dehazing
Active sport participation and walking before and during COVID-19 pandemic in a large cohort of Polish adults: results of NTZP
Authors: Szychowska Agnieszka , Zimny-Zając Anna , Dziankowska-Zaborszczyk Elżbieta , Grodzicki Tomasz , Zdrojewski Tomasz , Gajda Robert , Kwaśniewska Magdalena , Drygas Wojciech
Published: November 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in daily life, including changes in physical activity levels. This study aims to examine the impact of the pandemic on sport participation and walking among Polish adults using data from the National Test for Poles' Health (NTZP), a large-scale online survey, with over 300 000 participants in each year. The survey was conducted before and one year after the pandemic onset in Poland. The results revealed that the percentage of respondents engaging in at least 2 hours of sport/week increased by 2,3% (from 24,6% to 26,9%) and percentage of respondents not engaging in any sport decreased by 2,5% (from 48,0% to 45,5%). These trends were observed across different age, sex, dwelling-place, education level, and employment groups. Percentage of respondents declaring they spend more than 2 hours/day on walking also increased, from 5,6% to 6,6%. Furthermore, a positive association was found between sport participation and walking time. The findings suggest a slight improvement in physical activity levels among Polish adults during the pandemic, which may be attributed to factors such as increased time available due to remote work and the prioritization of health during the crisis. Further research is needed to explore the long-term consequences of the pandemic on physical activity and public health.