bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A robot‑aided visuomotor wrist training induces motor and proprioceptive learning that transfers to the untrained ipsilateral elbow
Authors: Zhu Huiying , Wang Yizhao , Elangovan Naveen , Cappello Leonardo , Sandini Giulio , Masia Lorenzo , Konczak Jürgen
Published: October 2022

Background
Learning of a visuomotor task not only leads to changes in motor performance but also improves proprioceptive function of the trained joint/limb system. Such sensorimotor learning may show intra-joint transfer that is observable at a previously untrained degrees of freedom of the trained joint. In addition, it may transfer to the homologous joint of contralateral side.
Objective
Here, we examined if and to what extent such learning transfers to neighboring joints of the same limb and whether such transfer is observable in the motor as well as in the proprioceptive domain. Documenting such intra-limb transfer of sensorimotor learning holds promise for the neurorehabilitation of an impaired joint by training the neighboring joints.
Methods
Using a robotic exoskeleton, 15 healthy young adults (18–35 years) underwent a visuomotor training that required them to make continuous, increasingly precise, small amplitude wrist movements. Wrist and elbow position sense just-noticeable‐difference (JND) thresholds and spatial movement accuracy error (MAE) at wrist and elbow in an untrained pointing task were assessed before and immediately after, as well as 24 hours after training.
Results
First, all participants showed evidence of proprioceptive and motor learning in both trained and untrained joints. The mean JND threshold decreased significantly by 30% in trained wrist (M: 1.26° to 0.88°) and by 35% in untrained elbow (M: 1.96° to 1.28°). Second, mean MAE in untrained pointing task reduced by 20% in trained wrist and the untrained elbow. Third, after 24 hours the gains in proprioceptive learning persisted at both joint, while motor learning gains had decayed to such extent that they were no longer significant at the group level.
Conclusion
Our findings document that a one-time sensorimotor training induces rapid learning gains in proprioceptive acuity and untrained motor performance at the practiced joint. Importantly, these gains transfer almost fully to the neighboring, proximal joint/limb system.
Towards Development of a Cloud-Connected IoT Forensic Model
Authors: Almolhis Nawaf Abdulaziz
Published: October 2022

Recent years have witnessed an increasing number of IoT-related cybersecurity incidents, which is mainly due to three reasons: immaturity of IoT security, extensive use of IoT technologies in various fields, and a dramatic surge in the number of IoT users (particularly, in case of cloud connected IoT (cloud-IoT) technologies). On the other hand, to execute forensic investigations that involve cloud-IoT environments, there is a need for knowledge and skill in different areas such as readiness, live and dead forensics. Though, accomplishment of this objective with the use of conventional approaches could be noticeably challenging. For that reason, it is must to develop a cloud-IoT forensic process model capable of guiding consumers before, during, and after the occurrence of an incident. The current paper is focused on developing a consumer-oriented process model. In addition, this study uses the Forensics Iterative Development Model (FIDM) to examine the effectiveness of the proposed model on a simulated cloud-IoT environment in reflecting two different cloud crime scenarios. The process of developing the model is elaborated in the paper. Considering the challenges extracted through a comprehensive literature review, this study defined the requirements that need to be satisfied by forensic process models aiming to make investigation within cloud-IoT environments. In this sense, the forensic process models introduced already in the literature were assessed on the basis of the requirements defined. Then, a set of inclusion criteria was formed for the evaluation of the conventional digital forensics process models so that we could mark out the best group of models that could have best contribution to developing the proposed model. The final output of the present paper was an innovative model called Cloud-IoT Forensic Process Model (CFPM) capable of taking into consideration the consumers’ perspectives. Finally, the CFPM performance was evaluated by implementing it on two case scenarios. The obtained results confirmed the high effectiveness of the proposed model in terms of performing the tasks defined.
Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of urinary tract infection among hospitalized children in a single center
Authors: Zhang Kaiping , Zhang Yin , Hao Zongyao , Chao Min
Published: October 2022

The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of UTI among hospitalized children in our center. Records were reviewed retrospectively to discern the urine culture tests and antibiotic susceptibility tests of children with UTI from January 2014 to December 2021. Consequently, a total of 840 hospitalized children with UTI were collected. The proportion of culture-positive UTI was 54.52% (458/840) with majority of the isolates being Gram-negative bacteria. There were 694 children with complicated UTI in those children. The proportion of culture-positive UTI was 397/694 (57.20%). Gram-negative bacteria mainly included Escherichia coli 121 (30.48%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 32(8.06%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 20 (5.04%), Enterobacter cloacae 11 (2.77%) and Citrobacter 13 (3.28%). Escherichia coli isolates were highly sensitive to amikacin (95.87%), ertapenem (91.74%), nitrofurantoin (92.56%), imipenem (90.08%), and cefotetan (87.60%) and high rate of resistant were also detected to ampicillin (93.39%), cephazolin (76.03%), and ceftriaxone (73.55%). Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates showed sensitive to ertapenem (96.87%), amikacin (96.87%), imipenem (93.75%) and piperacillin-tazobactam (90.62%), while highly resistant were observed to ampicillin (96.87%), cephazolin (75.00%), and ceftazidine, ceftriaxone, aztreonam (each 62.50%). The isolated Gram-positive bacteria mainly contained Enterococcus faecalis (14.61%) and Enterococcus faecium (each 16.62%). Enterococcus faecalis were sensitive to vancomycin, penicillin-G, tigecycline, linezolid and nitrofurantoin (100%, 94.83%, 88.48%, 87.93%, 86.20, respectively) and resident to tetracycline (86.21%), quinupristin (84.48%), erythromycin (75.86%). Likewise, Enterococcus faecium were sensitive to vancomycin, linezolid, tigecycline, quinupristin (98.48%, 95.45%, 84.85% , 83.33%), while resident to ampicillin (93.94%), erythromycin (89.39%), penicillin-G (84.85%), and ciproﬂoxacin (77.27%). In addition, there were 146 children diagnosed simple UTI. The culture-positive UTI was 61/146 (41.78%). The predominant bacteria were Escherichia coli (73.77%, 45/61) followed by Enterococcus faecium and CoNS (each 6.56%). Escherichia coli were highly sensitive to ertapenem, imipenem, and cefotetan (each 100%), amikacin (95.56%) and nitrofurantoin (91.11%) and high rate of resistant were also detected to ampicillin (91.11%), and trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole (64.44%). Moreover, both UTI organisms showed a high multiple drug resistance frequency (80.98% and 77.05%). Culture and susceptibility test is vital for appropriate management of UTI in the study. Further large-scale studies are warranted to examine the generalizability of our findings.
Therapeutic potential of hydrogen gas in the reduction of vascular leakage using a 5-day neonatal hypoxic-ischemic piglet model
Authors: Htun Yinmon , Nakamura Shinji , Nakao Yasuhiro , Mitsuie Tsutomu , Ohta Kenichi , Arioka Makoto , Yokota Takayuki , Inoue Eri , Inoue Kota , Tsuchiya Toi , Koyano Kosuke , Konishi Yukihiko , Miki Takanori , Ueno Masaki , Kusaka Takashi
Published: October 2022

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in newborns in both high- and low-income countries. The important determinants of its pathophysiology are neural cells and vascular components. In neonatal HIE, increased vascular permeability due to damage to the blood–brain barrier is associated with seizures and poor outcomes in both translational and clinical studies. In our previous studies, hydrogen gas (H2) improved the neurological outcome of HIE and ameliorated the cell death. In this study, we used albumin immunohistochemistry to assess if H2 inhalation effectively reduced the cerebral vascular leakage. Of 33 piglets subjected to a hypoxic-ischemic insult, 26 piglets were ultimately analyzed. After the insult, the piglets were grouped into normothermia (NT), H2 inhalation (H2), hypothermia (TH), and H2 with TH (H2-TH) groups. The albumin immunohistochemistry score was lowest in the H2 group and significantly lower than in the NT group, suggesting the ability of H2 gas alone to ameliorate HIE-associated vascular leakage. To prove the effectiveness of H2 in vascular leakage, further experimental studies of a specific insult severity and target cells are required.
Gemcitabine plus Oxaliplatin (GEMOX) combined with Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab for Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer: A Preliminary Observational Study
Authors: Wang Kang , Liu Zong-Han , Yu Hong-Ming , Cheng Yu-Qiang , Xiang Yan-Jun , Zhong Jing-Ya , Ni Qian-Zhi , Zhou Li-Ping , Liang Chao , Zhou Hong-Kun , Pan Wei-Wei , Guo Wei-Xing , Shi Jie , Lau Wan Yee , Cheng Shu-Qun
Published: October 2022

Background: Anti-PD-L1/VEGF inhibition, coupled with chemotherapy, may potentiate antitumor immunity leading to enhanced clinical benefit, but it has not been investigated in advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). We investigated the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine plus oxaliplatin (GEMOX) combined with atezolizumab and bevacizumab for advanced BTC and explore the potential biomarkers related with response.
Patients and Methods: Advanced BTC patients, who received a triple combination therapy at three medical centers between March 18th, 2020 and Sep 1st, 2021, were included. Treatment response was evaluated via mRECIST and RECIST v1.1. Endpoints included the overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and safety. The whole exome sequencing of pathological tissues was conducted for bioinformatic analysis.
Results: Thirty patients were enrolled ultimately in this study. The best ORR was 76.7% and the disease control rate was 90.0%. The median PFS was 12.0 months, and the median OS was not reached. During the treatment, 10.0% (3/30) patients suffered from ≥ grade 3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). Furthermore, fever (73.3%), neutropenia (63.3%), AST and ALT level increased (50.0% and 43.3% respectively) are the most common TRAEs. Bioinformatics analysis revealed patients with altered ALS2CL had a higher ORR.
Conclusion: The triple combination of atezolizumab, bevacizumab and GEMOX is potentially efficacious and safe for patients with advanced BTC. The mutation of ALS2CL is a potential predictive biomarker for the efficacy of triple combination therapy.
Quetiapine effect on depressive-like behaviors, oxidative balance, and inflammation in serum of rats submitted to chronic stress
Authors: Grolli Roberta Eduarda , Bertollo Amanda Gollo , Benhenk João Paulo , Borba Laura de Araujo , Plissari Marcos Eduardo , Soares Silvio José Batista , Manica Aline , Joaquim Larissa da Silva , Petronilho Fabricia , Quevedo João , Bagatini Margarete Dulce , Réus Gislaine Zilli , Ignácio Zuleide Maria
Published: October 2022

Major depressive disorder (MDD) etiology is still not completely understood, and many individuals resist the traditional treatments. Chronic exposure to stressful events can contribute to development and progression and be involved in biological changes underlying MDD. Among the biological mechanisms involved, inflammatory changes and oxidative balance are associated with MDD pathophysiology. Quetiapine, a second-generation antipsychotic, induces a better therapeutic response in individuals refractory to traditional treatments. The main objectives of this research were: To evaluate the effect of chronic mild stress (CMS) on depressive-like behaviors, oxidative stress, and inflammation in adult rats; to evaluate the possible antidepressant, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of quetiapine. The animals were submitted to CMS protocols. At the end of the CMS, the animals were submitted to a chronic treatment for 14 days with the following drugs: quetiapine, imipramine, and escitalopram. At the end of the treatments, the animals were evaluated in the open field tests, anhedonia (splash test), and forced swimming. The animals were euthanized after the behavioral tests, and serum samples were collected. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and interleukin-6 levels were analyzed. CMS induced an increase in depressive-like behaviors, and quetiapine significantly reduced these behaviors. MPO activity and IL-6 levels increased in the serum of animals submitted to CMS. Quetiapine significantly reduced MPO activity and IL-6 levels. These results corroborate other evidence, indicating that chronic stress is a relevant phenomenon in the etiology of depression and suggesting that quetiapine induces an antidepressant effect because it reduces oxidative and inflammatory mechanisms.
Big Data for Housing and Their Interaction with Market Dynamics
Authors: Lee Jieun , Lee Kwan Ok
Published: October 2022

This paper is the first to analyze the interactions between the keywords of online home listings and housing market dynamics. We consider the COVID-19 outbreak as a natural shock that brought a significant change to work modes and mobility and, in turn, consumer preference changes for home purchases. We link two types of big data: the universal transaction data of resale public housing and the database of more than 70,000 listings from the major online platform in Singapore. Using the Difference-in-Difference approach, we first find that housing units with a higher floor level and more rooms have experienced a significant increase in transaction prices while close proximity to public transportation and the central business district (CBD) led to a reduction in the price premium after COVID-19. Our text analysis results, using the natural language processing, suggest that the online listing keywords have consistently captured these trends and provide qualitative insights (e.g. view becoming increasingly popular) that could not be uncovered from the conventional database. Relevant keywords reveal trends earlier than transaction-based data, or at least in a timely manner.
Time inhomogeneous quantum dynamical maps
Authors: Chruscinski Dariusz
Published: October 2022

We discuss a wide class of time inhomogeneous quantum evolution which is represented by two-parameter family of completely positive trace-preserving maps. These dynamical maps are constructed as infinite series of jump processes. It is shown that such dynamical maps satisfy time inhomogeneous memory kernel master equation which provides a generalization of the master equation involving the standard convolution. Time-local (time convolution-less) approach is discussed as well. Finally, the comparative analysis of traditional time homogeneous vs. time inhomogeneous scenario is provided.
The ECH capacities for the rotating Kepler problem
Authors: Mohebbi Amin
Published: October 2022

In this paper, I am going to use the Special Concave Troic Domain of the Rotating Kepler Problem [1] and compute the ECH capacities of the RKP for all energy less than or equal to the critical energy value, i.e. for all energy $c \leq - \dfrac{3}{2}$. To compute these ECH capacities, first we need to obtain the weights of the SCTD for the RKP, then find an order for the weights from the biggest to the lowest one.
From [1], we know that the SCTD is a Concave Toric Domain after applying the Ligon-Schaaf symplectomorphism [5] and Levi-Civita regularization [14] on the CTD. Thus, we can say the SCTD is a special case of the CTD which is rotated by 45 degree in the clockwise direction. The SCTD gives us a family of CTD's such that the energy parameter is less than or equal to the critical energy value. For Theorem A, we assume the energy $c \leq - \dfrac{3}{2}$ and try to obtain the weights to compute the ECH capacities of the RKP and explain all statements of the weight extension and also the method of getting the weights via the new tree [1]. For Theorem B, using the concepts and notations in Theorem A, we discuss the ECH capacities for the critical energy, i.e. $c = - \dfrac{3}{2}$ and we will prove that the first weight is the biggest weight.
Size matters - Amplified spontaneous emission limited by accumulation of dark excitons in thin quasi-2D perovskites
Authors: Chen Kai , Wagner Isabella , Gompel Wouter Van , Lutsen Laurence , Vanderzande Dirk , Chang Sheng Hsiung , Geiregat Pieter , Hodgkiss Justin
Published: October 2022

Two-dimensional lead halide perovskites have received much attention in the field of light emission and amplification due to their bright emission and synthetic tunability. Recently, mixed films comprised of perovskite grains with different layer thickness have been shown to act as carrier concentrators in light-emitting devices while outcompeting trap mediated recombination. However, it has been suggested that quasi-two-dimensional (Q2D) slabs stabilize the formation of unwanted triplet excitons, potentially resulting in parasitic nonradiative losses and the quenching of remaining bright singlet states. In our investigation on the effect of out-of-plane confinement on the ability to accumulate long-lived triplet excitons, ultrathin highly-confined domains were found to stabilize these dark states. The ensuing ultrafast annihilation of bright states was shown to outpace the energy transfer to the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) sites, preventing the build-up of the critical carrier density for population inversion and lasing. Our results highlight the need to control the inorganic layer thickness in order to avoid the presence of highly excitonic slabs in the development of efficient Q2D perovskite films for optical gain applications.
Inflammation in the peripheral blood system of Crohn's Disease
Authors: Li Dan , Gu Wenyong , Xu Han , Zhang Zhiru , Zhao Chenhao , He Chunyan , Zhu Xueming , Li Yang
Published: October 2022

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease that is characterized by chronic inflammation of digestive system and has a nickname “green cancer” because of its sustained alternation of periods of flares and remissions. Here, we investigated the inflammation changes in peripheral blood system of CD patients, which are less reported in China.
Methods: Peripheral blood samples of 167 CD patients and 30 healthy people, as well as their clinical information, were collected at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. Flow cytometry was performed to analyze the ratio of CD4 T cells to CD8 T cells. Cytometric Bead Array kit was used to detect the cytokines in peripheral blood in CD patients. Moreover, the expression of inflammasomes was also detected by RT-PCR.
Results: The percentage and cell number of lymphocytes in CD patients’ peripheral blood system decreased significantly, while monocytes increased remarkably. Interestingly, there was an inversion of the CD4 T cells/CD8 T cells ratio in peripheral blood of CD patients. The levels of IL-6 and TNF-α increased significantly in CD patients’ peripheral blood, and LPS stimulation aggravate inflammatory response. In addition, the expression of NLRP1 and NLRP3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of CD patients increased significantly after LPS stimulation.
Conclusions: The inflammation in peripheral blood of CD patients had significant changes, including PBMC, cytokines and inflammasomes. These results are helpful to get a deeper understanding of CD and improve the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment in China.
The flow hydrodynamics around a single and side by side cylinders using LES and RANS
Authors: Gazi Ainal Hoque , Hussain Md. Muzakkir , Abdul Ashu
Published: October 2022

A comparative study of the flow hydrodynamics around two cylinders, simulated using Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES), are investigated in this paper. Numerical simulation results of the flow field around a single cylinder and side by side cylinders have been carried out using OpenFOAM toolbox for both circular and square cylinders. The computational flow domain of 26D × 20D × 3D in streamwise, spanwise and vertical directions is considered, respectively. Simulations are performed for four different values of Reynolds numbers, Re = 253, 12674, 25348, and 126746 (representing the change of the flow from laminar to turbulent) and for three different gap ratios between the cylinders, S/D = 2, 3, and 4. Grid convergence studies are carried out for the concerned geometry. Effect of Reynolds number and gap ratios on horseshe vortex, wake vortex, and streamlines are explored. At low Reynolds number and low gap ratio, flow regimes around a single cylinder are noticed different from side-by-side cylinders, because of the interaction of the flow with two cylinders. However, at higher Reynolds numbers and gap ratios, the flow pattern is observed to be independent of the spacing between the cylinders. The LES model exhibited better accuracy when compared to the RANS in describing the flow hydrodynamics. The OpenFOAM results are validated against the existing data available in the scientific literature.
Predictive Value of acoustic cardiography for post-PCI early ventricular remodeling in acute myocardial infarction patients
Authors: Wang Wei﹣Wei , Hao Hai-Zhen , Fan Ting﹣Ting , Yue Jia , Wang Ming﹣Yang , Chen Mo﹣Shui , Deng Guo-lan , Si Liang﹣Yi , Zhang Fu﹣Wei
Published: October 2022

To investigate the clinical value of SDI,EMATc,BNP in the predictive of post-PCI early ventricular remodeling (EVR) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). 161 patients with asymptomatic acute anterior wall myocardial infarction after PCI were involved; BNP and acoustic cardiography were performed in pre-operation, Color Doppler echocardiography was performed after 72 hours. The patients were divided into two groups, which were the EVRgroup (EF% < 50%, EVR) and the normal left ventricular systolic function group (EF% ≥ 50%, Non- EVR). EMATc、SDI、BNP were independent risk factors for post-PCI EVRin patients with AMI [SDI (OR 15.924, 95% CI 3.649-69.491, p≤0.001) ,EMATc (OR 2.319, 95% CI 1.447-3.719, p＜0.001 ) and BNP (OR 1.075, 95% CI 1.018-1.134,p=0.009)]. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for EMATc was 0.89, with an optimal cutoff point of 12.2, EMATc produced a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 83%; whereas, with an optimal cutoff point of 100pg/ml, BNP produced a sensitivity of 46% and a specificity of 83%. EMATc、BNP、SDI have good predictive value for the occurrence of EVR in patients with asymptomatic acute anterior wall myocardial infarction after PCI.
Survival benefit of radiotherapy in patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma: a propensity score matching study
Authors: Zeng Hao , Su Ke , Chen Xiaojing , Li Xueting , Wen Lianbin , Song Yanqiong , Chen Lan , Guo Lu , Han Yunwei
Published: October 2022

Background
In recent years, with the development of radiotherapy (RT), several studies have shown that RT can significantly prolong the survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. As a noninvasive treatment option, the application of RT for HCC is gradually gaining attention.
Patients and methods:
This retrospective study included data from 13,878 patients with HCC collected from the SEER database between 2000 and 2019 and 325 patients with HCC treated in three tertiary hospitals in China between 2015 and 2021. Patient data were divided into RT and non-RT groups based on whether the patients had received RT. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to minimize the deviation between the RT and non-RT groups, and the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard model were used to assess the efficacy of receiving RT.
Results
The median overall survival (mOS) was significantly longer in the RT group than in the non-RT group for SEER data (16 months vs 9 months, p < 0.01). Similarly, the survival benefit was more significant in the RT vs non-RT groups of patients at our hospitals (34.1 months vs 15.4 months, p < 0.01). In addition, multivariate Cox analysis showed that factors such as tumor (T) stage, patient age, tumor grade, serum AFP level and chemotherapy also affected patient survival. Subgroup analysis of these factors showed that RT was effective in prolonging patient survival in different populations.
Conclusion
RT significantly improves the survival time of patients with inoperable HCC, providing a basis for selecting HCC patients who will benefit from RT.
Optimized Machine Learning Algorithms to predict wear behavior of Tribo- Informatics
Authors: Hulipalled Poornima , Lokesha V
Published: October 2022

Wear rate prediction is most important in industrial applications. Machine learning (ML) has made an admirable contribution to the field of tribology. Standard ML models are extremely dependent on the parameter values; hence, tuning plays a crucial role in enhancing predictive performance. ML models largely work empirically, based on the data availability and application domain, the parameter tuning process effectively attains the desired accuracy of the models. The main aim of this study is to develop optimized ML models which render better accuracy than the previous study by using a grid search hyperparameter optimization technique. Five ML models namely Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), K- Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), and Linear Regression (LR) are designed by tuning the parameters which lead to the optimization of models concerning the prediction accuracy.
Design and synthesis of peptides from Phoneutria nigriventer δ-ctenitoxin-Pn2a for antivenom production
Authors: Rodríguez Jésica Ayelén , Vacchelli Gabriela Romina Barredo , Iglesias-García Lucía Candela , Birocco Ariadna María , Blachman Agustín , Calabrese Graciela Cristina , Acosta Gerardo , Albericio Fernando , Camperi Silvia Andrea
Published: October 2022

Phoneutria nigriventer spider can cause severe envenomation in humans principally due to its venom toxin δ-ctenitoxin-Pn2a. Current low yielding antivenom production is extremely complicated and dangerous. Furthermore, δ-ctenitoxin-Pn2a cystine-knot motif provides exceptional stability hampering immune response activation. Here, epitopes from δ-ctenitoxin-Pn2a were identified, and antigenic peptides were designed for their potential use in antivenom production. The Immune Epitope Database Analysis Resource was used to identify the G34YFWIAWYKLANCKK48 epitope and used to design antigenic peptides. The Cys was replaced by α-aminobutyric acid (Abu) to avoid disulfide bonds formation. To increase their immunogenicity, branched and N-palmitoylated peptides were synthesized. Ac-GYFWIAWYKLAN-Abu-KKG-NH2 (A), (Ac-GYFWIAWYKLAN-Abu-KK)2-KG-NH2 (B), Palm-GYFWIAWYKLAN-Abu-KKG-NH2 (C) and (Palm-GYFWIAWYKLAN-Abu-KK)2-KG-NH2 (D) were synthesized using solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) techniques and analyzed by ESI-MS demonstrating their identity. Also, they were evaluated by RP-HPLC, and all the chromatograms showed only one principal peak except that of the N-palmitoylated branched peptide which showed two principal peaks probably due to the presence of two conformations in slow interconversion. Cytotoxicity was evaluated on the murine macrophage cell line RAW264.7 by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in the presence of increasing doses of each peptide (0.25-10.0 µM). Peptide A did not exhibit cytotoxicity between 0.25-10.0 µM, while B, C and D showed cytotoxicity over 10.0, 5.0 and 2.5 µM respectively. NF-κB cellular distribution was evaluated by immunofluorescence, after exposing macrophages to 0.5 µM of each peptide. An early activation was observed for all the assayed peptides demonstrating that they are promising candidates for their in vivo evaluation as immunogens in antivenom production.
Environmental Impact Of 2A 2B Carcinogenic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Industrial Soil: Status, Profile, Concentration and Assessment to Humans Health Risk
Authors: EL-Saeid Mohamed H. , Alghamdi Abdulaziz G. , Al‑thamili Dhaifallah M.
Published: October 2022

Due to the health and environmental impact resulting from the percentage of soil pollutants due to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs emitted from different sources, especially in industrial areas, and the spread of pollutants in neighboring neighborhoods, and the extent of their impact on children and adult, especially children as a result of their behavior known as soil ingestion or through exposure to soil directly from Through skin contact or inhalation of contaminated soil dust.The objective of the research to know the percentage of pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (2A and 2B) as carcinogens human effect for industrial areas, specifically the automobile industry in the city of Riyadh, Naseem Industrial (NAI), Old Industrial (OLI), Gulf Industrial (GUI), Al-Shifa Industrial (SHI) and Umm Al-Hamam Industrial (UMH). Surface soil from the industrial areas within the range of 0-10 cm as well as from the neighborhoods adjacent to the industrial areas. The percentage of pollution by PHAs according to Agency for Research on Cancer classified BaP, DBA, and BaA as probable human carcinogens (2A) while BbF, BkF, and IND as possible human carcinogens (2B). IARC has evaluated Nap and CRY reclassified it possible human carcinogens. the extraction technique quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) for the ∑8 PAHs and GC-MS used to estimate the results in the extracted samples. The result for potential risks for both children and adults only were found to be exposed to BaP and DBA in street dust in different land areas in Riyadh. Mean ILCRingand ILCRdervalues and cancer risk based on mean total concentrations of PAHBaPequifor children and adults exposed to PAHs in street dust in different regions of Riyadh were found between 10-9and 10-4, indicating a potential risk.
Genetic Analysis of Platelet-related Genes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Reveals a Novel Prognostic Signature and Determines PRKCD as the Potential Molecular Bridge
Authors: Li Xiangyu , Zhao Kai , Lu Yun , Wang Jianming , Yao Wei
Published: October 2022

Background
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) belongs to a representative lethality gastrointestinal malignancy, and comprehensive management of HCC remains intractable at present on account of its invasive biological feature that is easy to relapse and early metastasis. The intimate connection between platelets and tumor progression has been widely reported, and platelet-related indicators are also used in the clinical practice of carcinoma. This work is designed to investigate the significance of platelet-related genes in the prognostic prediction of patients with HCC and their potential role in the cross-talk between HCC cells and platelets in the tumor microenvironment.
Methods
By integrating the RNA-seq data and clinicopathological information of HCC patients, we extracted prognosis-associated platelet-related genes based on the univariate cox analysis and further established a relevant prognostic signature via the lasso cox regression analysis, and two independent HCC cohorts were used as external validation. Multiple bioinformatics methods were utilized to explore the underlying functional discrepancy between different risk groups classified by the risk model. And in vitro proliferation, invasion, and migration assays were conducted to investigate the effect of platelet stimulation on HCC cells’ viability and motility, and flow cytometric analysis was exerted to demonstrate the influence of HCC cells on platelet activation.
Results
A novel platelet-related risk model was developed and patients both in the training and testing cohorts were divided into distinct risk subgroups according to the median risk score. It was observed that the high-risk status was closely associated with poor prognosis and worse clinicopathological parameters. Meanwhile, an obvious discrepancy in the constitution of the immune microenvironment also indicated that distinct immune status might be a potential determinant affecting prognosis as well as immunotherapy reactiveness. Moreover, in vitro experiments demonstrated that PRKCD could act as a molecular bridge between tumor cells and platelets, which could either participate in regulating tumor malignant phenotype or mediating platelet activation.
Conclusions
In brief, this work reveals a novel platelet-related risk signature for prognostic evaluation of HCC patients and confirms that PRKCD is a key messenger in HCC cell-platelet interaction and plays a crucial role in mediating platelet-induced tumor progression.
Is Stable Marriage Associated with Greater Wealth Among Low-Income Households?: Evidence from the Survey of Consumer Finances
Authors: Witkin Nathan
Published: October 2022

A large body of research connects poverty to non-marital family structures, such as divorce or cohabitation, but continues to debate whether the lack of stable marriage is a cause or effect of poverty. Because commitment to marriage is arguably more of a choice than are economic circumstances, this question affects pro-marriage economic policies and public perceptions about the unmarried poor. Applying a new approach to explain the relative lack of family stability in poverty, the below analysis tests whether non-marital family structures are actually associated with less net worth among low-income households. Using the U.S. Survey of Consumer Finances to examine households on government assistance with poverty-level income (N = 1,402), this study employs OLS regression to estimate the average change in net worth associated with divorce and/or cohabitation. This novel research design tests the important null hypothesis that family structure does not impact financial health in the specific context of poverty, and it also tests the interesting alternative hypothesis that flexible, non-marital family structures are resourceful among households with unstable incomes. The results are wholly inconsistent with non-marital households having lower average wealth among the poorest. Robust controls and wealth distribution visualizations reinforce the different wealth effects of family stability within vs. outside of deep poverty.
JEL Classification Codes J12, I30, I38, D60, D63
Automatic 2D Material Detection in Optical Images using Deep Learning Based Computer Vision
Authors: Ramezani Fereshteh , Parvez Sheikh , Fix J. Pierce , Battaglin Arthur , Whyte Seamus , Borys Nicholas , Whitaker Bradley
Published: October 2022

Computer vision algorithms can quickly analyze numerous images and identify useful information with high accuracy. Recently, computer vision has been used to identify 2D materials in microscope images. 2D materials have important fundamental properties allowing for their use in many potential applications, including many in quantum information science and engineering. In order to use these materials for research and product development, single-layer 2D crystallites must be prepared through an exfoliation procedure and then identified using reflected light optical microscopy. Performing these searches manually is a time-consuming and tedious task. Deploying deep learning-based computer vision algorithms for 2D material search can automate the flake detection task with minimal need for human intervention. In this work, we have implemented a new deep learning pipeline to classify crystallites of 2D materials based on coarse thickness classifications in reflected-light optical micrographs. We have used DetectorRS as the object detector and trained it on 177 images containing hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) flakes of varying thickness. The trained model achieved a high detection accuracy for the rare category of thin flakes (<50 atomic layers thick). Further analysis shows that our proposed pipeline could be generalized to various microscope settings and is robust against changes in color or substrate background.
Autologous CD133+ Cells and Laser Revascularization in patients with severe Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Abdel-Latif Ahmed , Ahmed Taha , Leung Steve W. , Alnabelsi Talal , Tarhuni Wadea , Sekela Michael E.
Published: October 2022

Objective: We tested the hypothesis that targeted TMLR combined with intramyocardial injection of autologous CD 133+ endothelial progenitor cells is safe and feasible in patients with chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and no revascularization options.
Methods: Eight male patients (age 62 ± 2.4 years) with multivessel severe ischemic heart disease and no revascularization options were enrolled. Autologous CD 133+ endothelial progenitor cells were derived and purified from the bone marrow on the day of surgery using the clinical-grade closed CliniMACS system. Using a lateral thoracotomy approach, TMLR was performed, followed by transmyocardial transplantation of purified CD133+ cells (mean number of transplanted cells: 12.5 x106) in the region surrounding the TMLR sites. These sites were selected based on ischemia on pre-procedure perfusion imaging. We performed clinical and myocardial perfusion imaging pre-procedure and then at 6- and 12-month follow-up.
Results: No major complications or death occurred during the procedure or during the peri-operative hospital stay. One patient died of cardiac cause 6 months post-procedure. There was a reported short-term improvement in anginal and heart failure symptoms and a modest reduction in the ischemic score as assessed by perfusion imaging.
Conclusions: Our phase 1 clinical study examining the combination therapy of targeted transmyocardial laser revascularization therapy and autologous CD133+ endothelial progenitor cells in patients with chronic ICM and no revascularization options demonstrates the feasibility and short-term safety of this combined approach and warrants future larger phase 2 randomized clinical studies.
An Improved Discrete Grey Wolf Optimizer for the Nurse Rostering Problem
Authors: Ngoo Chong Man , Goh Say Leng , Kendall Graham
Published: October 2022

In this paper, an improved discrete Grey Wolf Optimizer (ID-GWO) is proposed to address a benchmark nurse rostering problem (NRP). We propose a discrete grey wolf optimizer (D-GWO) by utilizing the neighborhood structures commonly found in the literature as mutation operators. The D-GWO is further improved by modifying the crossover operator to enhance the algorithm’s exploitation capability. We propose two new mutation operators to improve the exploration capability of the algorithm and we apply probabilistic selection on the mutation operators to upgrade the performance of the algorithm. The proposed methodology is tested on the second International Nurse Rostering Competition (INRC-II) dataset. It performs better than 6 other entries in the competition. An in-depth discussion on the behavior and performance of the algorithm is provided.
Mitigation of Arsenic Accumulation in Crop Plants Using Biofertilizer
Authors: Hoang Anh T.P. , Kim Kyoung-Woong
Published: October 2022

Elevated levels of arsenic in crop plants have been found in various regions worldwide, especially where agricultural soils have been affected by arsenic-enriched aquifer and human activities including mining, smelting, pesticide application, and so forth. Given the highly toxic nature of arsenic, remediation should be carried out immediately to reduce this potentially toxic element transport from soil to crop plants. This study focused on the utilization of biofertilizer which is a combination of arsenic-accumulating microorganisms and adsorbent (carrier) in order to achieve high efficiency of arsenic immobilization and ability to apply in the field. Thirty-two bacterial strains were isolated from 9 soil samples collected from Dongjin and Duckum mining areas in Korea using nutrient medium amended with 2 mM sodium arsenite. Among isolates, strain DE12 identified as Bacillus megaterium exhibited the greatest arsenic accumulation capacity (0.236 mg/g dry biomass) and ability to resist up to 18 mM arsenite. Among three agricultural waste adsorbents studied, rice straw was proved to have higher adsorption capacity (0.104 mg/g) than rice husk and corn husk. Therefore, rice straw was chosen to be the carrier to form biofertilizer together with strain DE12. Inoculation of biofertilizer in soil showed reduction of arsenic content in edible part of lettuce, water spinach, and sweet basil by 17.5%, 34.1%, and 34,1%, respectively compared to control group. The use of biofertilizer may open up the potential application in the field for other food plants.
Land use change in rapidly developing economies – A case study on land use intensification and land fallowing in Kerala, India
Authors: Thekkeyil Akshara , Joseph Shijo , Abdurazak Fathima , Kuriakose Giby , Nameer P O , Abhilash Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil
Published: October 2022

The land use/land cover change is a local driver of environmental change having cascading impacts and implications at the global level and therefore requires appreciable consideration when perceived from sustainability perspectives. Kerala, the southernmost state of India has undergone a dramatic transition from a traditional agrarian economy to a modern thriving economy involving the irrational exploitation of natural resources, precisely, land and its components. The present study addresses how land is being changed along an urbanization gradient in the most agglomerative city in the state, Kochi, during the last one and half decades. High-resolution remote sensing data available from the Google Earth Engine pertaining to the four time periods, i.e., 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020, representing urban, suburban, and rural areas, were analysed to estimate the changes in land use land cover. A semi-structured interview was conducted at the household level to identify the major drivers of land use change. The results indicated the presence of two major and divergent trends; the first one is the intensification of land use activities at the rate of 1.37% per annum, primarily driven by urbanization and infrastructure developments, and the second one is the fallowing and abandonment of land (at the rate of 0.21% per annum) driven by the increased cost of cultivation and unexpected changes in meteorological events frequently reported in the recent history of Kerala. The rates of change are more prominent in the rural areas while the urban grids are nearing saturation occupying nearly two-third of the area with urban features at the expense of greenery. Though the progression with respect to urbanization and infrastructure developments is expected, the fallowing and abandonment of land is unanticipated, raising serious questions in the developmental pathways to achieve Sustainable Development Goals in the State of Kerala.
Genetic diversity and population structure analysis of Capoeta trutta (Heckel, 1843) in Turkey and Iraq based on mitochondrial d loop gene
Authors: PARMAKSIZ Arif
Published: October 2022

Capoeta trutta, a species of cyprinid with economic importance thriving in fresh water, is considered to hold a substantial potential for commercial growth in Turkey and Iraq. In recent years, it has been observed that there has been a decrease in the populations of this species, which lives naturally in the Euphrates and Tigris river systems. For long-term fishing and conservation strategies, it is necessary to determine the genetic structure of the populations of this species and to take measures accordingly. In this study, a total of 125 fish samples from 8 populations were collected and the mtDNA D-loop site was analyzed by sequencing, and by determining the genetic structures of C. trutta populations, basic data were obtained for the sustainability and conservation of the stocks of the species. In the analyzes made for the target gene region, a total of 16 polymorphic regions and 22 haplotypes were determined; mean haplotype and nucleotide diversity were calculated as 0.847 and 0.00675, respectively. Pairwise FST values between populations, which were calculated based on haplotype frequencies, varied between − 0.03136 and 0.45114 and were determined to be significant between certain populations. The results obtained in this study will contribute to the planning of effective strategies for the conservation and rehabilitation of future populations for both C. trutta and similar species.
Pleiotropic functions of chordin gene causing drastic morphological changes in ornamental goldfish
Authors: Chen Hsiao-Chian , Wang Chenyi , Li Ing-Jia , Abe Gembu , Ota Kinya
Published: October 2022

Breeders and fanciers have established many peculiar morphological phenotypes in ornamental goldfish. Among them, the twin-tail and dorsal-finless phenotypes have particularly intrigued early and recent researchers, as equivalent morphologies are extremely rare in nature. These two mutated phenotypes appeared almost simultaneously within a short time frame (~600 years) and were fixed in several strains. However, little is known about how these two different mutations could have co-occurred during such a short time period. Here, we demonstrate that the chordin gene, a key factor in dorsal-ventral patterning, is responsible not only for the twin-tail phenotype but also for the dorsal-finless phenotype. Our F2 backcrossing and functional analyses revealed that the penetrance/expressivity of the dorsal-finless phenotype can be suppressed by the wild-type allele of chdS. Based on these findings, we propose that chdSwt may have masked the expression of the dorsal-finless phenotype, acting as a capacitor buffering gene to allow accumulation of genetic mutations. Once this gene lost its original function in the twin-tail goldfish lineages, the dorsal-finless phenotype could be highly expressed. Thus, this study experimentally demonstrates that the rapid genetic fixation of morphological mutations during a short domestication time period may be related to the robustness of embryonic developmental mechanisms.
Improvement of the quality of analytical results generated by GC/MS method for characterization of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don essential oil
Authors: Hafner-Vuk Katarina , Milojević Vladimir , Avdić Monia , Kevrić Jasmin , Krajišnik Milica
Published: October 2022

Most of the papers that treat the composition of essential oils for this purpose use GCMS or GCMS and GC-FID techniques for the identification and/or quantification of individual compounds. Therewithal, papers usually treat the composition as semi-quantitative (percentage composition as the area of ​​the peak of a particular compound in relation to the total area of ​​the peaks on the chromatogram, given as 100%). At the same time, the quality of the results is not treated in metrological terms. A GCMS method for the quantification of components present Helichrysum italicum hydro-distilled essential oil samples from Bosnia and Herzegovina with a similar composition was developed and optimized. The stability of the method set-up and adequacy of sample storage and manipulation was assessed. Calibration method and assessment of measurement uncertainty was established for neryl acetate, one of the major compounds with known health benefits.