bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FARKLI ATKI İPLİKLERİ İLE DOKUNAN ASTAR ATKILI DOKUMA KUMAŞLARIN KOPMA DAYANIMI
Authors: Tayyar Ayşe Ebru , Demiral Semih
Published: March 2024

Bu çalışmada, bir yüzü sentetik diğer yüzü selüloz esaslı, protein esaslı ve belli karışım oranına sahip atkı iplikleri ile astar atkılı kumaşlar dokunmuştur. Çalışma kapsamında polyester çözgüde, alt kat kumaşında atkıdan polyester ipliği kullanarak bir yüzün tamamen polyester dokunması sağlanmıştır. Diğer yüzün atkısında viskon, tencel, bambu, pamuk, akrilik-pamuk karışımı, akrilik (high bulk), akrilik-viskon karışımı, yün-akrilik karışımı ve yün ipliği kullanılarak belirtilen ipliklerin bu yüzde hakim olması sağlanmıştır. 3 farklı atkı sıklığında üretilen kumaşların değişken atkı iplikli yüzeylerinin yarısına zımpara işlemi uygulanmıştır. Astar atkılı dokuma kumaşlarda atkı sıklığı, farklı atkı iplik cinsleri ve zımpara işlemi kumaş üretiminde değiştirilen üretim parametreleridir. Yapılan çalışma kapsamında iplik testleri ile kumaşların sıklık, gramaj, kalınlık ve kopma mukavemeti ölçümü yapılmıştır. Sonuçlar istatistiksel olarak analiz edilerek yorumlanmıştır. Çalışmadan elde edilen sonuçlar değerlendirildiğinde zımpara, atkı sıklığı ve atkı iplik cinsi değerlerinin astar atkılı dokuma kumaşların ölçülen değerleri üzerinde önemli bir etkiye sahip olduğu görülmektedir.
A STUDY ON PERFORMANCE OF POLYPROPYLENE CARPETS PRODUCED WITH DIFFERENT FILAMENT FINENESS AND SLIP ADDITIVE RATIOS UNDER STATIC LOADING
Authors: Fidan Gülbin , Yaz Cemile Emel
Published: March 2024

Polypropylene, which is one of the most used polymers in machine carpet production as pile yarn, has some disadvantages need to be developed, such as lower resilience, flattening, matting etc. For this reason, there are so many studies in order to improve the inferior properties of polypropylene in carpet industry. In this study, eight carpet samples were produced by polypropylene BCF yarns with two filament fineness (3.7 and 9.5 dpf) and four ratios of slip additive (0 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 2 wt%). In order to determine the effects of different filament fineness and additive percentage on thickness loss and resilience, carpet samples were exposed to short-term static loading test. According to the results, samples with 9.5 dpf filament fineness had lower thickness loss values compared to those of samples with 3.7 dpf filament fineness. Besides, the resilience behaviours of samples with 9.5 dpf filament fineness were also obtained to be better than samples with 3.7 dpf filament fineness. In consideration with slip additive percentages, although a trend was not observed between the increased additive ratio and mechanical responses of carpets, a difference was obtained between pure and 2 wt% additive blended samples. The blended samples with 2 wt% additive had shown lower thickness loss and higher resilience compared to neat samples.
PHOSPHATE AND NITRITE - THE MOST COMMONLY USED ADDITIVES IN THE MEAT INDUSTRY
Authors: PEĆANAC Biljana , NEDIĆ Drago N. , GOLIĆ Bojan
Published: March 2024

Food additive is any substance that, regardless of its nutritional value, is not used as food, nor is a characteristic ingredient of food, but is added to food for technological reasons during production, processing, preparation, packaging, transport or storage. Thus, through its intermediate products, it becomes or can become a food ingredient. The most commonly used additives are nitrites and phosphates, due to their multiple role in the meat industry. According to the Regulation on food additives (Official Gazette of the Republic of Srpska, 96/20), the maximum accepted amount of phosphoric acid and phosphate (E 338 - E 452), which can be added to meat products individually or in combination (expressed as P2O5), is 5 g/kg. Many studies have confirmed the connection between a high intake of phosphate additives and various diseases in humans. Nitrites are preservatives that are added to meat products in order to improve the quality, durability and safety of the products, and they must not be added in an amount higher than 150 mg/kg in most meat products. Due to the possibility, under certain conditions, of the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in meat products, there is a potential danger to human health. The aim of the study was to determine the content of residual nitrite and added phosphates (expressed as phosphorus pentoxide P2O5) in meat products originating from the market of Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and compliance with regulatory requirements. The results showed that the determined amounts of residual nitrite and added phosphates were within the acceptable limits for addition to different categories and types of meat products according to current regulations. This confirms that the application of nitrite and phosphate is adequate and that the product is healthy. In order to protect the health of consumers, it is important to continuously monitor the use of phosphates and nitrites in the meat industry.
CHANGE OF PULSE FREQUENCY IN HORSES AS AN INDICATOR OF STRESS CAUSED BY LOADING INTO THE TRAILER
Authors: ILIĆ Predrag , JOTANOVIĆ Stoja , GRBIĆ Slaven , KAZAZOVIĆ Jasmin
Published: March 2024

Transport and loading into a trailer is a potential source of stress for horses, which can consequently undermine the concept of animal welfare. The study aimed to determine the presence of stress reaction in horses during the loading into the trailer, expressed through a change in pulse frequency as an indicator of stress reaction. The study included 25 horses between the ages of 4 and 20. Heart rate verification was performed using a veterinary stethoscope with a double-sided membrane and controlled by a heart rate monitor. When the horses were resting in the stable (first measurement), a pulse frequency of 29 to 40 bpm was found. The second measurement was performed at the moment of loading when the horses stepped onto the loading platform of the trailer, and pulse frequency values from 42 to 72 bpm were found. The results of the t-test indicate that there is a statistically significant difference in the pulse frequency between the first and second measurements. The results of this study indicate that loading horses into the trailer can cause stress, which is manifested by an increase in pulse frequency. The tendency of horses to easily form habits allows their proper training to reduce the level of stress while loading into trailers, which would contribute to improving the well-being of horses, and at the same time contribute to reducing stress and the risk of injury to horses and staff.
Development of a method to assess the dissolution of soft gelatin capsules containing progesterone in oily suspension
Authors: Monterroza Diego R. , Baena-Aristizábal Claudia M. , D´león Luisa Fernanda Ponce , Baena Yolima
Published: March 2024

Progesterone is a class II active pharmaceutical ingredient according to the biopharmaceutics classification system, so its absorption is affected by solubility and dissolution rate. The work aimed to develop a dissolution method applicable to soft gelatin capsules of 100 and 200 mg of progesterone. Sink conditions were established based on solubility studies; the dissolution apparatus was selected, and the operational conditions of the method were established using an experimental statistical design. The established conditions were challenged in progesterone products, for which their result was already known from in vivo studies, with the same formulation but different particle size, to evaluate the discriminatory power of the method. The dissolution conditions selected were: United States pharmacopoeia apparatus 3, speed of 30 deeps per minute, dissolution media of 250 ml phosphate buffer solution at pH 6.8 with 4% sodium lauryl sulfate, 30 and 40 mesh at the top and bottom of the cell, respectively, and using a sinker for each capsule evaluated. The method proved to be discriminatory for the formulations studied. In addition to being functional for the evaluation of progesterone release at the product development stage, this method is also useful as a product quality control test.
Assessments of anti-breast cancer activity and profiling of active compounds using LC-MS/MS from the Indonesian Agelas nakamurai
Authors: Murniasih Tutik , Hadi Tri Aryono , Ahmadi Peni , Sari Martha , Bustanussalam Bustanussalam , Hadisaputri Yuni Elsa , Putra Masteria Yunovilsa , Rahmawati Siti Irma , Indriani Dwi Wahyu
Published: March 2024

Breast cancer is now one of the leading causes of death in women worldwide. Finding a cure is, therefore, critical for women’s health. Marine sponge-derived drugs have gained interest in breast cancer treatment. The development of marine natural products into cancer therapy includes several stages. It starts with the screening using the cytotoxic test method, a preclinical trial using the animal mode, and clinical trial phases I and II. In this study, we focus on the basic cytotoxic test to find the new source of anti-breast cancer compounds derived from Agelas nakamurai to know the potential for further investigation to become lead compounds. However, the anti-breast cancer potential of the Indonesian marine sponge A. nakamurai has never been studied. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-breast cancer potential of extract and fraction of A. nakamurai against epithelial human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells line) and to preliminary profile the known active compounds. The maceration using methanol was used for extraction and followed by partitioning with varied solvents [ethyl acetate (EtOAc), butanol, and water]. Fractionation was done using normal phase open column chromatography, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used for analyzing compounds. MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and HEK-293 cell lines were used for biological activities. The chromatographic separation of the EtOAc fraction led to the F7 subfraction which strongly inhibits proliferation against the MDA-MD-231 (IC50: 10.677 μg/mL), MCF-7 (IC50: 15.154 μg/mL), and HEK-293 cells line. The LC-MS/MS data of active fraction F7 contained gelatin-D and ageloxime-D. This study reported that fraction 7 of A. nakamurai showed strong activity against MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and HEK-293 cell lines. Further analysis will be carried out to know the mechanisms of action of active compounds.
Pharmacological evaluation of combinational treatment of herbal medicines with 5-fluorouracil for therapeutic enhancement in an animal model of colorectal cancer
Authors: Mahant Sagar , Patel Krishna , Patel Arya , Dongre Sanika , Parmar Dhvani , Shah Rushi , Zinzuvadia Diwyanshi , Patel Alkeshkumar
Published: March 2024

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most frequent cancer in developing and developed countries. Chemotherapy acts on a few biomarkers, but CRC develops and progresses because of multiple genetic and epigenetic dysregulation. The animal study was conducted according to Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals and Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments guidelines. CRC was induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine at 35 mg/kg in all Sprague-Dawley male rats for 10 weeks except for normal control. Later, treatment is given for 5 weeks with standard 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and test drug (Polyherbal mixture) alone and in combination to check synergism effects. Important parameters related to carcinogenesis, such as change in body weight, modified Bowen’s score, colon length to weight ratio, liver and spleen index, complete blood count, estimation of uridine phosphorylase-1 enzyme, tumor necrosis factor-α, β-catenin by ELISA, and histopathology, were evaluated. Polyherbal mixture inhibited the UPP-1 enzyme, decreasing 5-FU toxicity on normal cells. Also, tumor necrosis factor-α and β-catenin levels were reduced significantly by combination compared to monotherapy alone. Combining chemotherapy with natural products may help reduce chemotherapy’s dose and the cost of the treatment due to toxicities and hospitalization. Standard drug (5-FU) combined with a polyherbal mixture at a high dose produces a synergistic effect and reduces 5-FU toxicity.
Stability-indicating determination of ciprofloxacin in the presence of its main photo-degradation product using solid-contact electrodes in river water
Authors: Abdel-Gawad Sherif A.
Published: March 2024

The application of membrane sensors for monitoring and evaluation of pharmaceutical environmental contaminants has become a significant aim in the past few years. Due to the wide applicability of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CPF) in medicine, there is a high probability of its presence in the environment, especially in surface water like river water. The long-term exposure of the river water to sunlight and the photoliability of CPF may increase its photo-degradation. Two selective and sensitive membrane electrodes were created to measure CPF when it is present with its main photo-degradant product. These were made using two ion pairing agents, which are sodium tetraphenylborate (TPB) and phosphotungstic acid (PTA). The linearity range of the manufactured electrodes was 1 × 10-6–1 × 10-2 M. The slopes of the CPF-TPB and CPF-PTA membrane electrodes are 60.1 ± 0.70 and 57.9 ± 0.90 mV/decade, respectively. The cited sensors showed adequate performance in a pH range from 2.0 to 5.0. All test parameters were fine-tuned to provide the best electrochemical performance. The manufactured membranes were successfully used to determine CPF in a sensitive way in the presence of its primary photodegradant. The cited sensors were effectively used to quantify CPF in river water samples, with no pre-treatment operations required.
SnS2/In2O3 based gas sensors and its high performance of detecting NO2 at room temperature
Authors: Chen Jin-Long , Tao Ran , Li Chong , Zhang Jian-Lei , Fu Chen , Luo Jing-Ting ,   Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Advanced Thin Films and Applications, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Published: March 2024

NO2 is a toxic gas that can react with other organic compounds in the air, causing air pollution and posing a significant harm to human health. Therefore, a gas sensor that can detect NO2 is needed. However, conventional NO2 gas sensors are difficult to operate at room temperature (25 ℃). In this work, NO2 gas sensing based on SnS2/In2O3, which can operate at room temperature (25 ℃), is reported. In2O3 quantum dots and SnS2 nanosheets are prepared by the hot-injection method and hydrothermal method. By using the unique two-dimensional structure of SnS2, In2O3 is decorated on it, and the composite enhances its sensing performance. The products are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results demonstrate that the composites prepared by 52% In2O3 exhibit the best sensing response. The fabricated sensor shows a response range from 26.6 to NO2 of 1×10–6 in volume fraction, fast response and short recovery time at room temperature (25 ℃). Moreover, this sensor demonstrates excellent reproducibility and selectivity. The heterojunction structure increases the number of active sites and accelerates the gas transport, which promotes charge transfer and gas desorption to improve NO2 gas sensing performance. This excellent sensing performance has a great application prospect in NO2 detection.
Thermoelectric properties of Co doped TiNiCoxSn alloys fabricated by melt spinning
Authors: He Jun-Song , Luo Feng , Wang Jian , Yang Shi-Guan , Zhai Li-Jun , Cheng Lin , Liu Hong-Xia , Zhang Yan , Li Yan-Li , Sun Zhi-Gang , Hu Ji-Fan ,   College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China,   Shanxi Key Laboratory of Magnetoelectric Functional Materials and Application, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China,   State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China,   Hubei Longzhong Laboratory, Xiangyang Demonstration Zone of Wuhan University of Technology, Xiangyang 441000, China
Published: March 2024

Although TiNiSn-based half-Heusler thermoelectric materials obtain high power factors, their high lattice thermal conductivity greatly hinders the improvement of thermoelectric properties. In this work, TiNiCoxSn (x = 0–0.05) samples are prepared by melt spinning combined with spark plasma sintering method, and their phase, microstructure and thermoelectric properties are studied. The XRD results show that the main phase of all samples is TiNiSn phase, and no any other impurity phases are found, indicating that the high purity single phase can be prepared by rapid quenching process combined with SPS process. In the solidification process, the large cooling rate (105–106 K/s) is conducive to obtaining the uniform nanocrystalline structure. The grains are closely packed, with grain sizes in a range of 200–600 nm. The grain sizes decrease to 50–400 nm for the Co-doping samples, which indicates that Co doping can reduce the grain size. For the x = 0 sample, the thermal conductivity of the rapid quenching sample is significantly lower than that of bulk sample, with an average decrease of about 17.8%. Compared with the TiNiSn matrix, the Co-doping sample has the thermal conductivity that decreases significantly, and the maximum decrease can reach about 38.9%. The minimum value of lattice thermal conductivity of TiNiCoxSn samples is 3.19 W/(m·K). Therefore, Co doping can significantly reduce the κl values of TiNiCoxSn (x = 0.01–0.05) samples. With the increase of Co doping amount x, n/p transition is observed in the TiNiCoxSn samples, resulting in gradually reducing the conductivity and the power factor, and finally deteriorating the electrical transport performance, of which, the TiNiSn sample obtains the highest power factor of 29.56 W/(m·K2) at 700 K. The ZT value decreases with the Co doping amount x increasing, and the maximum ZT value of TiNiSn sample at 900 K is 0.48. This work shows that the thermal conductivity of TiNiSn can be effectively reduced by using the melt spinning process and magnetic Co doping.
Metallic means and Pythagorean triples
Authors:   Government of Maharashtra, India, Rajput Chetansing , Manjunath Hariprasad ,   INRIA Center Université Côte d’Azur, France
Published: March 2024

In this article, we study the connection between Pythagorean triples and metallic means. We derive several interconnecting identities between different metallic means. We study the Pythagorean triples in the three-term recurrent sequences corresponding to different metallic means. Further, we relate different families of primitive Pythagorean triples to the corresponding metallic means.
Kit Ligand and Kit receptor tyrosine kinase sustain synaptic inhibition of Purkinje cells
Authors: Zaman Tariq , Vogt Daniel , Prokop Jeremy , Alsabia Qusai Abdulkhaliq , Simms Gabriel , Stafford April , Luikart Bryan W , Williams Michael R
Published: March 2024

The cell-type-specific expression of ligand/receptor and cell-adhesion molecules is a fundamental mechanism through which neurons regulate connectivity. Here, we determine a functional relevance of the long-established mutually exclusive expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase Kit and the trans-membrane protein Kit Ligand by discrete populations of neurons in the mammalian brain. Kit is enriched in molecular layer interneurons (MLIs) of the cerebellar cortex (i.e., stellate and basket cells), while cerebellar Kit Ligand is selectively expressed by a target of their inhibition, Purkinje cells (PCs). By in vivo genetic manipulation spanning embryonic development through adulthood, we demonstrate that PC Kit Ligand and MLI Kit are required for, and capable of driving changes in, the inhibition of PCs. Collectively, these works in mice demonstrate that the Kit Ligand/Kit receptor dyad sustains mammalian central synapse function and suggest a rationale for the affiliation of Kit mutation with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Genetic associations between circulating immune cells and periodontitis highlight the prospect of systemic immunoregulation in periodontal care
Authors: Ye Xinjian , Bai Yijing , Li Mengjun , Ye Yuhang , Chen Yitong , Liu Bin , Dai Yuwei , Wang Shan , Pan Weiyi , Wang Zhiyong , Mao Yingying , Chen Qianming
Published: March 2024

Periodontitis drives irreversible destruction of periodontal tissue and is prone to exacerbating inflammatory disorders. Systemic immunomodulatory management continues to be an attractive approach in periodontal care, particularly within the context of ‘predictive, preventive, and personalized’ periodontics. The present study incorporated genetic proxies identified through genome-wide association studies for circulating immune cells and periodontitis into a comprehensive Mendelian randomization (MR) framework. Univariable MR, multivariable MR, subgroup analysis, reverse MR, and Bayesian model averaging (MR-BMA) were utilized to investigate the causal relationships. Furthermore, transcriptome-wide association study and colocalization analysis were deployed to pinpoint the underlying genes. Consequently, the MR study indicated a causal association between circulating neutrophils, natural killer T cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and an elevated risk of periodontitis. MR-BMA analysis revealed that neutrophils were the primary contributors to periodontitis. The high-confidence genes S100A9 and S100A12, located on 1q21.3, could potentially serve as immunomodulatory targets for neutrophil-mediated periodontitis. These findings hold promise for early diagnosis, risk assessment, targeted prevention, and personalized treatment of periodontitis. Considering the marginal association observed in our study, further research is required to comprehend the biological underpinnings and ascertain the clinical relevance thoroughly.
Deep learning-based recognition system for pashto handwritten text: benchmark on PHTI
Authors: Hussain Ibrar , Ahmad Riaz , Ullah Khalil , Muhammad Siraj , Elhassan Rasha , Syed Ikram
Published: March 2024

This article introduces a recognition system for handwritten text in the Pashto language, representing the first attempt to establish a baseline system using the Pashto Handwritten Text Imagebase (PHTI) dataset. Initially, the PHTI dataset underwent pre-processed to eliminate unwanted characters, subsequently, the dataset was divided into training 70%, validation 15%, and test sets 15%. The proposed recognition system is based on multi-dimensional long short-term memory (MD-LSTM) networks. A comprehensive empirical analysis was conducted to determine the optimal parameters for the proposed MD-LSTM architecture; Counter experiments were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed system comparing with the state-of-the-art models on the PHTI dataset. The novelty of our proposed model, compared to other state of the art models, lies in its hidden layer size (i.e., 10, 20, 80) and its Tanh layer size (i.e., 20, 40). The system achieves a Character Error Rate (CER) of 20.77% as a baseline on the test set. The top 20 confusions are reported to check the performance and limitations of the proposed model. The results highlight complications and future perspective of the Pashto language towards the digital transition.
The clinical association of programmed death-1/PD-L1 axis, myeloid derived suppressor cells subsets and regulatory T cells in peripheral blood of stable COPD patients
Authors: Zhang Mingqiang , Wan Yinghua , Han Jie , Li Jun , Gong Haihong , Mu Xiangdong
Published: March 2024

Background

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) have crucial immunosuppressive role in T cell dysfunction in various disease processes. However, the role of MDSCs and their impact on Tregs in COPD have not been fully understood. The aim of the present study is to investigate the immunomodulatory role of MDSCs and their potential impact on the expansion and function of Tregs in COPD patients.

Methods

Peripheral blood samples were collected to analyze circulating MDSCs, Tregs, PD-1/PD-L1 expression to assess the immunomodulatory role of MDSC and their potential impact on the expansion and function of Treg in COPD. A total of 54 COPD patients and 24 healthy individuals were enrolled in our study. Flow cytometric analyses were performed to identify granulocytic MDSCs (G-MDSCs), monocytic MDSCs (M-MDSCs), Tregs, and the expression of PD-1/PD-L1(L2) on MDSCs and Tregs in peripheral blood.

Results

Our results revealed a significantly higher percentage of G-MDSCs and M-MDSCs (p < 0.001) in COPD patients compared to the healthy controls. Additionally, a significantly higher proportion of peripheral blood Tregs was observed in COPD patients. Furthermore, an increased expression of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) on Tregs (p < 0.01) was detected in COPD patients. The expression of PD-1 on CD4+ Tcells and Tregs, but not CD8+Tcells, was found to be increased in patients with COPD compared to controls. Furthermore, an elevated expression of PD-L1 on M-MDSCs (p < 0.01) was also observed in COPD patients. A positive correlation was observed between the accumulation of M-MDSCs and Tregs in COPD patients. Additionally, the percentage of circulating M-MDSCs is positively associated with the level of PD-1 (r = 0.51, p < 0.0001) and CTLA-4 (r = 0.42, p = 0.0014) on Tregs in COPD.

Conclusion

The recruitment of MDSCs, accumulation of Tregs, and up-regulation of CTLA-4 on Treg in COPD, accompanied by an increased level of PD-1/PD-L1, suggest PD-1/PD-L1 axis may be potentially involved in MDSCs-induced the expansion and activation of Treg at least partially in COPD.
Flora asociada a un morichal conservado en la llanura alta de Colombia: finca Manacacías de la Universidad de los Llanos
Authors: Cano-Calderón Yinny Marcela , Rodriguez-Hurtado Juan David , Vásquez-Ramos Jesús Manuel , Quiñones Méndez Luz Mila , Serrano-Gómez Marlon , Castillo-Monroy Edgar Fernando , Torres-Mora Marco Aurelio
Published: March 2024

El Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales de la Orinoquia Colombiana (ICAOC) en colaboración con el Centro de Innovación y Tecnología Instituto Colombiano del Petróleo (ICP) aunaron esfuerzos para realizar la caracterización de la flora asociada al morichal de la finca Manacacías (latitud 4.172383 y 4.167133; longitud -72.043167 y -72.060983), como ecosistema estratégico para la captura de CO2 en biomasa, necromasa y suelo. El estudio arrojó como resultado la presencia de 75 familias, 143 géneros y 226 especies, entre árboles, arbustos, palmas, lianas, hierbas, epífitas y hemiparásitas, material biológico que fue depositado en el Herbario LLANOS de la Universidad de los Llanos. Entre las especies encontradas, Xylopia plowmanii se encuentra catalogada como Vulnerable (VU) según la UICN y Cyathea microdonta está incluida en el Apéndice II del CITES. Las especies Clitoria hermannii y Cybianthus llanorum están restringidas a la Orinoquia. Así mismo, Henriettea goudotiana, Ouratea membranacea y Protium macrophyllum tienen distribución solo para Colombia. Los registros presentados permiten aumentar el conocimiento de la flora asociada a los ecosistemas de morichal en la Orinoquia colombiana y resaltar la importancia de su conservación. El listado se encuentra disponible en formato Darwin Core https://doi.org/10.15472/wan8uq vía GBIF y el material biológico está depositado en el Herbario LLANOS de la Universidad de los Llanos.
A Prospective Analysis of Sustained Immunity Following Covishield Vaccination
Authors: Solomon P John , Kalaiselvi VS , Margaret A Priya , Nehil Juwain Shehzad , Johnson WMS , Saikumar Chitralekha
Published: March 2024

Introduction: The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) affected a large number of people worldwide within a short period of time. The mortality rate was high, and there was no specific medicine available to cure it. Therefore, the situation demanded the rapid development of a vaccine. When the vaccines were introduced, there was limited knowledge about their efficacy, side-effects, and duration of protection. Hence, a detailed study was conducted in these areas. Aim: To study the immunological responses following Covishield vaccination and determine the duration of protection offered by the vaccine. Materials and Methods: The present study is a prospective observational study conducted at Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India from March 2021 to May 2023, involving the staff members of the hospital and college who were above 18-year-old. Individuals with immunodeficiency, those on immunosuppressive medication, or anyone with proof of COVID-19 were excluded. The total sample size was 56. Blood samples were collected before administering the vaccine, at 0, 3, and 12 months, and tested for Complete Blood Count (CBC), COVID-19-specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG), Cluster of Differentiation (CD) 45, CD3, CD4, CD8, etc. The findings were statistically analysed using Statistical Packages of Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22.0 and STATA software version 10. Results: A total of 154 volunteers initially provided the first blood samples. However, only 129 of them provided blood samples 2nd time and received two doses of the vaccine. Out of these, only 56 participants completed the fourth time blood test. The results consistently demonstrated a rise in IgG levels over time, with consistently higher levels observed in females. Participants above 45 years exhibited higher IgG levels. Individuals with co-morbidities also showed an increase in IgG levels. The research revealed that individuals who were initially IgG negative experienced a greater fold increase in IgG levels after the first dose of vaccination. The incidence and duration of side-effects post-vaccination reduced with each successive vaccine dose. Conclusion: All the volunteers developed adequate IgG antibodies. Two doses of Covishield effectively resulted in lasting immunity in 94.64% of cases, and three doses achieved 100% immunity. Females and participants above 45 years consistently exhibited higher antibody levels. Individuals with co-morbidities also developed antibodies, albeit at slightly lower levels. The side-effects were mild and short-lived. No long-term after effects were detected even after two years and two months following vaccination.
Comparative Design and Performance Analysis of Multiband MIMO Antenna for Sub-6 GHz 5G Network
Authors: Utahile Ater David , Michael Udofia Kufre , Jeffrey Saturday Chukwudi
Published: March 2024

This paper presents the design and performance comparison of a multiband dual diversity 8-element multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna with a 4-element MIMO antenna with defected ground structure (DGS) at 2.45/3.5/5.2/6 GHz. The proposed antennas were designed on a flame retardant (FR-4) having a dielectric constant of 4.4 , (\(\varepsilon\)r =4.4), dimensions of 200x200x1.6 mm 140x90x1.6 mm  respectively. The antennas were simulated and analyzed using Computer Simulation Studio (CST Studio). Results obtained from the simulation showed that the 8-element MIMO antenna achieved a combined bandwidth of 908.68 MHz. In contrast, the 4-element MIMO antenna with DGS achieved 4.22 GHz bandwidth on average. Broadside radiation pattern was observed across the three frequency bands in both E- and H-plane with an average main lobe magnitude of 7.8 dBi. Furthermore, the proposed antennas achieved consistent Envelop Correlation Coefficient (ECC) and Diversity Gain (DG) values of 0.0008 and 9.999 and Port-to-port isolation of 27 dB across all frequencies considered. Also, an antenna gain of 8.58 dB was achieved at a frequency of 6 GHz for the 8-element MIMO antenna, while a maximum gain of 5.58 dBi was achieved by the 4-element MIMO antenna with DGS. The gain, isolation, DG, and ECC between adjacent ports and the loss in capacity were within the standard margins, making the antenna structure suitable for MIMO applications.
Revolutionizing Maize (Zea mays l.) Growth: Evaluating the Impact of Tokyo 8 Microorganism-based Biofertilizer in Southern Côte d'Ivoire Farmers' Fields
Authors: Martial Kanga N’guessan , Edouard Yao Kouadio Jacques , Didier Kouamé Konan , Vanessa Blafou Adjoua Grace , Edouard Motchié Fato , Jean-Martial Kassi Koffi Fernand
Published: March 2024

The exclusive use of mineral fertilisers for production contributes to the destruction of certain microflora and microfauna in the soil, as well as reducing the organic matter content, which in turn reduces soil fertility. With the aim of finding an alternative to crop fertilisation on the farm, a micro-organism-based biofertiliser (Tokyo 8) was introduced and tested on maize crops. Three types of Tokyo 8 doses were tested: T2: Tokyo 8 diluted 50 times, T3: Tokyo 8 diluted 75 times and T4: Tokyo 8 diluted 100 times. In addition, two controls were tested, namely T0: control without fertiliser and T1: control with NPK 12-22-22 fertiliser. The trials were set up in a Fisher block design with three replicates. The results show that, like NPK, biofertiliser improves maize growth parameters and yield components. It provides the mineral elements required for maize growth and development. However, to be used effectively, Tokyo 8 biofertiliser needs to be diluted sensibly. A dilution of 75% seems to be the ideal for optimum use in maize crops.
Effect of NPK through Chemical Fertilizers Combination with Farm Yard Manure (FYM) and Bio-fertilizers on Yield Attributes of Onion (Allium cepa L.) in Jaipur Region of Rajasthan, India
Authors: Kumar Ajad , Singh Hoshiyar , Kumar Anil
Published: March 2024

The field experiment was conducted in loamy sand soil of the Horticulture farm, Vivekanand Global University Jaipur, during Rabi season of 2020-21 and 2021-22. The experiment comprises of 32 treatment combinations replicated three times was laid out in split-plot design (SPD) with four fertility levels of NPK (0, 50, 75 and 100% of recommended dose of NPK) and two levels of FYM (without FYM and with FYM @ 25 t ha-1) were added in main plots. Four bio-fertilizer levels (No inculcation, N2 fixer Azotobacter, PSB inculcation and N2 fixer Azotobacter + PSB inoculation) were added in sub plots. The treatments comprised of Chemical fertilizers, FYM and biofertilizers with ten treatments Viz., F0- Control, F1-50% of recommended dose of NPK, F2-75% of recommended dose of NPK, F3-100% of recommended dose of NPK, M0- Without FYM, M1- With FYM @ 25 t ha -1, B0- No inoculation, B1- N2 fixer Azotobacter, B2- PSB inoculation and B3- N2 Fixer Azotobacter + PSB inoculation, respectively. The results of the study have clearly shown that application of chemical fertilizer up to 100% RDF increased the entire yield and its attributes viz. (neck length, bulb diameter, number of scales, fresh weight of bulb, volume of bulb). With application of FYM @ 25 t ha-1 yield significantly improved    with its attributes. Use of biofertilizers (N2 fixers Azotobacter + PSB inoculation) in combination or alone increased all yield and its attributes. Integrated system approach is not only the liable for attaining fairly high productivity with substantial fertilizer economy but also a concept of soundness leading to sustainable agriculture .
Deciphering the Contribution of Traits Influencing Yield and Micronutrient Content in F2 Generation of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Prasad Jai Prakash , Singh Satish Kumar , Nilanjaya  , Nirmalaruban R.  , Paul Prasenjit
Published: March 2024

Wheat, a crucial food crop, provides substantial dietary energy and has been intertwined with human civilization throughout its cultivation history. It meets 20 % of daily protein and calorie requirement worldwide. However, cereal grains, which form the staple diet for most people with limited content of certain essential nutrients, leading to a condition often referred to as “hidden hunger.” Micronutrients like zinc and iron are vital for human health, and deficiencies in these elements contribute to micronutrient malnutrition, a significant health concern. To combat malnutrition, biofortification emerges as a promising strategy to enhance the nutritional quality of staple crops. In this study, we explored the relationship between morphophysiological and biochemical traits and their impact on yield. Notably, the grain yield per plant exhibited a positive correlation with both plant height and chlorophyll content in the F2 populations resulting from crosses between HD2733 × Rajendra Genhu 4 and Rajendra Genhu 1 × PBW Zn 1. Further analysis revealed that traits such as days to 50 % flowering, days to maturity, number of tillers, chlorophyll content, and NDVI directly contributed to yield improvement. However, grain zinc and iron content had a negative effect on yield. These findings suggest that plant height and chlorophyll content could serve as indirect selection criteria for enhancing crop yield.
Craniosynostosis associated with distal 5q‐trisomy: Further evidence that extra copy of MSX2 gene leads to craniosynostosis
Authors: Wang Jia‐Chi , Steinraths Michelle , Dang Linda , Lomax Brenda , Eydoux Patrice , Stockley Tracy , Yong Siu‐Li , Van Allen Margot I.
Published: October 2007

Distal 5q‐trisomy has been reported in less than 30 patients, with craniosynostosis present in five. We report two new patients with distal 5q‐trisomy craniosynostosis. Patient 1 had mild Kleeblattschädel with synostosis of multiple sutures together with wide and medially deviated thumbs and halluces, indicative of Pfeiffer syndrome. Cytogenetic and CGH analyses showed a karyotype of 46,XY,der(10)t(5;10)(q33;q26.3). Patient 2 had a prominent forehead and ridging of the metopic suture. Craniosynostosis of the metopic suture was shown by CT scan. Cytogenetic and CGH analyses disclosed a karyotype of 46,XX,der(17)t(5;17)(q35.1;p13.3). Of the 22 previously reported patients, all had microcephaly and 14 had an abnormal skull shape. Our results support the previous finding that distal 5q‐trisomy together with an extra copy of the MSX2 gene leads to abnormal closure of sutures and craniosynostosis. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Subtypes of frontonasal dysplasia are useful in determining clinical prognosis
Authors: Wu E. , Vargevik K. , Slavotinek A.M.
Published: October 2007

Frontonasal dysplasia [FND; OMIM 136760] results from abnormal morphogenesis of the frontonasal process with disruption of the formation of the facial midline. Craniofacial anomalies in FND include anterior cranium bifidum, ocular hypertelorism, orofacial clefting and notching or clefting of the alae nasi. The majority of FND cases are sporadic and discordance has been demonstrated in monozygotic twin pairs, arguing against a strong inherited component in pathogenesis. However, pedigrees with Mendelian inheritance and non‐recurrent chromosome aberrations in FND patients demonstrate that gene mutations or cytogenetic imbalance can also be important in the etiology of this phenotype. We classified 101 reported cases of FND from the medical literature and three new cases into seven separate FND phenotypic subtypes in addition to isolated FND. Our aim was to evaluate FND patients for distinct phenotypes within the FND spectrum and to determine the evidence for a genetic etiology in each of the different subtypes. Our analysis showed significant differences in the severity of the accompanying malformations and the rates of learning disabilities in the FND subtypes, although the small patient numbers and method of patient ascertainment may have influenced the data. The results suggest that cases with FND should be evaluated for additional anomalies, as these may help to determine prognosis. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A genome‐wide linkage study in families with major depression and co‐morbid unexplained swelling
Authors: Anderson Carl A. , Maclean Alan , Dunnigan Matthew G. , Pelosi Anthony J. , Murray Valerie , McKee Irene , McDonald George , Burt David W. , Morrice David R. , Muir Walter J. , Visscher Peter M. , Blackwood Douglas H.R.
Published: October 2007

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common heritable condition. The diversity of the phenotype coupled with aetiological and genetic heterogeneity present formidable obstacles in the search for causative genetic loci. Studies of large families with many affected individuals, and the selection of well‐defined clinical subgroups of depression, are two ways to reduce this complexity. Unexplained swelling symptoms (USS) are common in women and many patients give a strong personal and family history of depression. Co‐morbid depression and swelling symptoms define a useful sub‐phenotype for investigating genetic factors in depression. We have completed a genome‐wide linkage analysis using 371 microsatellite markers in four families where MDD is co‐morbid with USS. Of 47 affected individuals, 28 had both MDD and unexplained swelling, 11 had symptoms of swelling alone, and 8 had MDD alone. Parametric marker‐specific analysis identified one suggestive locus, D8S260 (LOD = 2.02) and non‐parametric multipoint variance component analysis identified a region on 7p (LOD = 2.10). A 47 cM suggestive linkage region on chromosome 14q (identified by both parametric and non‐parametric methods) was identified and investigated further with fine‐mapping markers but the evidence for linkage to this region decreased with increased marker information content. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Differential methylation of the X‐chromosome is a possible source of discordance for bipolar disorder female monozygotic twins
Authors: Rosa Araceli , Picchioni Marco M. , Kalidindi Sridevi , Loat Caroline S. , Knight Joanne , Toulopoulou Timothea , Vonk Ronald , van der Schot Astrid C. , Nolen Willem , Kahn René S. , McGuffin Peter , Murray Robin M. , Craig Ian W.
Published: October 2007

Monozygotic (MZ) twins may be subject to epigenetic modifications that could result in different patterns of gene expression. Several lines of evidence suggest that epigenetic factors may underlie mental disorders such as bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ). One important epigenetic modification, of relevance to female MZ twins, is X‐chromosome inactivation. Some MZ female twin pairs are discordant for monogenic X linked disorders because of differential X inactivation. We postulated that similar mechanisms may also occur in disorders with more complex inheritance including BD and SZ. Examination of X‐chromosome inactivation patterns in DNA samples from blood and/or buccal swabs in a series of 63 female MZ twin pairs concordant or discordant for BD or SZ and healthy MZ controls suggests a potential contribution from X‐linked loci to discordance within twin pairs for BD but is inconclusive for SZ. Discordant female bipolar twins showed greater differences in the methylation of the maternal and paternal X alleles than concordant twin pairs and suggest that differential skewing of X‐chromosome inactivation may contribute to the discordance observed for bipolar disorder in female MZ twin pairs and the potential involvement of X‐linked loci in the disorder. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gene–Environment interactions in the development of combined type ADHD: Evidence for a synapse‐based model
Authors: Todd Richard D. , Neuman Rosalind J.
Published: October 2007

To determine the mechanism of interaction of prenatal smoking exposure and child genotype in the development of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), polymorphisms in the CHRNA4 gene were tested for interactions with prenatal smoking exposure on risk for ADHD subtypes using multiple logistic regression. An exon 5 polymorphism demonstrated a significant interaction with history of maternal smoking during pregnancy for increasing risk for severe combined type ADHD (OR = 3.0, 95% CI 1.1–8.4 for population‐defined severe combined type, OR = 3.9 95% CI 1.2–13.1 for DSM‐IV defined combined subtype ADHD). This interaction increased the effects of previously reported interactions for the DRD4 and DAT1 genes with prenatal smoking exposure. Given the known functions and the known areas of expression of these three genes at the dopaminergic synapse in the pre‐frontal cortex, the results are compatible with a synapse‐based model of the development of this form of ADHD. The subtype specificity of these findings supports the concept that ADHD is composed of a group of distinct disorders. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Synthesis of poly(epichlorohydrin‐g‐methyl methacrylate) and poly(epichlorohydrin‐g‐styrene) graft copolymers by a combination of cationic and photopolymerization methods
Authors: Cakmak Ismail , Baykara Haci , Set Baris
Published: October 2007

Poly(epichlorohydrin‐g‐styrene) and poly (epichlorohydrin‐g‐methyl methacrylate) graft copolymers were synthesized by a combination of cationic and photoinitiated free‐radical polymerization. For this purpose, first, epichlorohydrin was polymerized with tetrafluoroboric acid (HBF4) via a cationic ring‐opening mechanism, and, then, polyepichlorohydrin (PECH) was reacted ethyl‐hydroxymethyl dithio sodium carbamate to obtain a macrophotoinitiator. PECH, possessing photolabile thiuram disulfide groups, was used in the photoinduced polymerization of styrene or methyl methacrylate to yield the graft copolymers. The graft copolymers were characterized by 1H‐NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and gel permeation chromatography. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Effect of nano‐TiO2 on MP‐25 resin
Authors: Xiang Bin , Shengtao Zhang , Wenzhang Huang , Baorong Hou
Published: October 2007

MP‐25 resin is a chlorine‐containing polymer widely used in coatings. The effects of two types of nano‐TiO2 (P‐25 and RM301 LP) on MP‐25 were studied with saline immersion, UV irradiation, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. UV irradiation was evaluated in terms of gloss change and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicate that, compared to pigment R‐930 TiO2, P‐25 reduced the immersion resistance and accelerated UV aging of the MP‐25 coating, whereas RM301 LP showed the opposite effects. XPS analysis showed that MP‐25 resin degraded under UV irradiation via dechlorination and CC bond breakage, similarly to poly(vinyl chloride), but RM301 LP could inhibit the aging of MP‐25 to a certain extent. A skin effect of oxygen and chlorine was identified in MP‐25 resin by XPS. RM301 LP could improve the impedance of the MP‐25 coating because of its excellent fill capacity. Hence, rutile nano‐TiO2 RM301 LP represents an excellent additive for MP‐25 resin. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Effect of deaeration processing on the behavior of an acrylonitrile–acrylamide copolymer and carbon fiber precursors
Authors: Wang Yan‐Xiang , Wang Cheng‐Guo , Jing Min
Published: October 2007

The effect of the deaeration process on the behavior of acrylonitrile–acrylamide copolymer solutions was demonstrated experimentally in detail. The corresponding mechanical properties and morphology of the resultant precursors were also been examined. It was found that the viscosity of the copolymer solutions at rest increased continuously with the deaeration time prolonged at every fixed temperature stage, but it considerably increased when the deaeration temperature decreased. The changes in the viscosity of the solutions at 80°C were less prominent than those of the solutions at 20°C in the beginning stage; beyond 60 min, the changes became remarkable. In concentrated copolymer solutions, the dimethyl sulfoxide composition weight percentage decreased with an increase in the deaeration temperature; the increasing temperature reduced the solvent power continuously at a high deaeration temperature, so more solid–elastic gels were formed in the solutions with an increase in time. At the same degree of vacuum, when the temperature varied from 20 to 80°C and, in particular, the deaeration temperature was beyond 60°C, the products from the copolymer seemed to have slightly narrower molecular weight distributions. With the deaeration temperature increasing, the tensile strength, elongation at break, and bulk density of the resultant precursors increased, but their fineness and coefficient of variation decreased. The morphology of the precursors was more compact and more round beyond 60°C than below 60°C. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008