bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Characterization of Non-Erosive Polymeric Tooth-Whitening Compositions
Authors: Yoo Dohyuk , Ahn Jae-Hyun , Kang Nae Gyu
Published: March 2023

We investigated the physical properties and tooth-whitening effect of polymeric tooth-whitening compositions based on orally acceptable polymers, polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), ethyl cellulose (EC), and polyvinyl pyrrolidone. The tooth-whitening composition was prepared with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a tooth-bleaching agent and an orally acceptable polymer through simple mixing and stirring in ethyl alcohol. PVAc and EC polymers showed non-erosive features and sustainable polymeric matrices in a similar oral environment. In particular, non-erosive PVAc polymer exhibited excellent adhesive and flexible film matrix on bovine teeth. PVAc-H2O2 tooth-whitening composition presented a residual H2O2 and an overall color change value (ΔE*) of 26.5% and 16.54%, respectively. The non-erosive polymeric composition is expected to improve tooth-whitening efficacy in various oral products.
CNN Attention Enhanced ViT Network for Occluded Person Re-Identification
Authors: Wang Jing , Li Peitong , Zhao Rongfeng , Zhou Ruyan , Han Yanling
Published: March 2023

Person re-identification (ReID) is often affected by occlusion, which makes most of the features extracted by ReID models contain a lot of identity-independent noise. Recently, the use of Vision Transformer (ViT) has enabled significant progress in various visual artificial intelligence tasks. However, ViT suffers from insufficient local information extraction capability, which should be of concern to researchers in the field of occluded ReID. This paper conducts a study to exploit the potential of attention mechanisms to enhance ViT in ReID tasks. In this study, an Attention Enhanced ViT Network (AET-Net) is proposed for occluded ReID. We use ViT as the backbone network to extract image features. Even so, occlusion and outlier problems still exist in ReID. Then, we combine the spatial attention mechanism into the ViT architecture, by which we enhance the attention of ViT patch embedding vectors to important regions. In addition, we design a MultiFeature Training Module to optimize the network by the construction of multiple classification features and calculation of the multi-feature loss to enhance the performance of the model. Finally, the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method are demonstrated by broad experiments on both occluded and non-occluded datasets.
DEM Simulation and Experimental Validation of the Performance of an Orchard Deep Applicator for Manure
Authors: Han Shujie , Li Yaping , Zhou Xinzhao , Kan Za , Meng Hewei , Qi Jiangtao
Published: March 2023

Green, healthy and sustainable development is the development direction of China’s agriculture, and stable fertilizer has become the first choice for orchard fertilizer. In this paper, in order to improve the working performance of the combined fertilizer application device of 2KF-30 type orchard stable fertilizer deep applicator, the matching degree of the combined operation of scraper and auger was taken as the research objective, and theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental verification were combined to carry out the research. Applying fuzzy theory, the comprehensive qualified rate weighted by the uniformity of fertilization and the qualified rate of fertilization was proposed as the evaluation index. The scraper shaft speed, scraper space, spiral conveyor speed, and spiral conveyor pitch were selected as the test factors, and the comprehensive qualified rate of fertilization for the combined fertilization device was taken as the evaluation index. The test design was carried out by single-factor and response surface method tests, and numerical simulations were conducted by discrete element software to analyze the optimal combination of fertilizer application parameters. The test results were analyzed based on the numerical simulation of discrete element software. The testbed was set up to verify the above optimal results. The results showed that the maximum error between the physical test and the numerical simulation was 8.67%, the minimum error was 1.75% and the overall mean error between the physical test value of the combined fertilizer application pass rate and the predicted value of the quadratic regression equation was 5.99%, which can meet the operational performance requirements of the fertilization device. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for the design and improvement of the deep fertilizing machine for orchard manure.
Experimental Investigation on Innovative Stress Sensors for Existing Masonry Structures Monitoring
Authors: La Mendola Lidia , Oddo Maria Concetta , Cucchiara Calogero , Granata Michele Fabio , Barile Simone , Pappalardo Francesco , Pennisi Agatino
Published: March 2023

Historical masonry structures often suffer gradual deterioration that in many cases can compromise the safety levels and the operating conditions of the buildings. In this context, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is an effective tool for the prediction of the structural behaviour and the state of conservation of buildings. Although many monitoring systems have recently been proposed, there is a lack of practical application of low-cost systems. This paper presents an experimental study based on the use of two innovative stress sensors—capacitive stress sensor and ceramic stress sensor—for the monitoring of existing masonry elements. In order to reproduce the actual conditions of onsite masonry, sensors are post-installed in the mortar joints of two series of pre-stressed specimens made of calcarenite stone masonry and clay brick masonry. The best practice of post-installation of the two sensors is investigated. The reliability of the proposed sensors is evaluated through comparison with data recorded from classical measurement devices.
Human Activity Detection Using Smart Wearable Sensing Devices with Feed Forward Neural Networks and PSO
Authors: Al_Hassani Raghad Tariq , Atilla Dogu Cagdas
Published: March 2023

Hospitals must continually monitor their patients’ actions to lower the chance of accidents, such as patient falls and slides. Human behavior is difficult to track due to the complexity of human activities and the unpredictable nature of their conduct. As a result, creating a static link that is used to influence human behavior is challenging, since it is hard to forecast how individuals will think or act in response to a certain event. Mobility tracking depends on intelligent monitoring systems that apply artificial intelligence (AI) applications referred to as “categories”. Because motion sensors, such as gyroscopes and accelerometers, output unconnected data that lack labels, event detection is a vital task. The fall feature parameters of tridimensional accelerometers and gyroscope sensors are presented and used, and the classification technique is based on distinguishing characteristics. This study focuses on the age-old problem of tracking turbulence in motion to improve detection precision. We trained the model, considering that detection accuracy is limited by factors such as the subject’s mass, velocity, and gait style. This is performed by employing an experimental dataset. When we used the sophisticated technique of particle swarm optimization (PSO) in combination with a four-stage forward neural network (4SFNN) to forecast four different types of turbulent motion, we observed that the total prediction accuracy was 98.615% accurate.
Analysis of the Influencing Factors of Crystalline Blockages in Mountain Tunnel Drainage Systems Based on Decision Analysis Methods
Authors: Lu Chen , Xu Jinhua , Wang Long , Wang Hongjie , He Biao , Tian Chongming , Qian Wangping
Published: March 2023

Crystalline blockages in mountain tunnel drainage systems are becoming a common environmental problem. Considering the lack of research on the influence degree of the factors affecting crystalline blockages in mountain tunnel drainage systems, this paper classified and evaluated the importance of relevant factors through decision analysis methods. Our purpose is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the primary factors causing crystalline blockages in tunnels. The influence factors are selected and categorized through a literature review, and then the influence factors are screened twice by the expert scoring method and the gray-whitening weighted function clustering method to eliminate the less important influence factors. Finally, the influence factors are evaluated systematically according to the hierarchical analysis method. The results indicate that the factors affecting the crystalline blockage of the drainage system can be divided into five categories: hydrology, geology, shotcrete materials, drainage facilities, and the cave environment. Among these factors, shotcrete materials are the key factors affecting the problem of crystalline blockages. Specifically, the density of shotcrete and the content of calcium in cement have a significant impact on the crystalline blockages, which have the following comprehensive weights: 0.221 and 0.152, respectively. Since the shotcrete materials are human controllable factors, they can be taken as the key research objects to solve the problem of crystalline blockages.
Predicting Software Cohesion Metrics with Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Haner Kırğıl Elif Nur , Erçelebi Ayyıldız Tülin
Published: March 2023

The cohesion value is one of the important factors used to evaluate software maintainability. However, measuring the cohesion value is a relatively difficult issue when tracing the source code manually. Although there are many static code analysis tools, not every tool measures every metric. The user should apply different tools for different metrics. In this study, besides the use of these tools, we predicted the cohesion values (LCOM2, TCC, LCC, and LSCC) with machine learning techniques (KNN, REPTree, multi-layer perceptron, linear regression (LR), support vector machine, and random forest (RF)) to solve them alternatively. We created two datasets utilizing two different open-source software projects. According to the obtained results, for the LCOM2 and TCC metrics, the KNN algorithm provided the best results, and for LCC and LSCC metrics, the REPTree algorithm was the best. However, out of all the metrics, RF, REPTree, and KNN had close performances with each other, and therefore any of the RF, REPTree, and KNN techniques can be used for software cohesion metric prediction.
Three-Dimensional Pulp Volume Analysis in Lip and Palate Cleft Population
Authors: Francisco Inês , Travassos Raquel , Marques Filipa , Ribeiro Madalena Prata , Rodrigues Mariana , Quaresma Patrícia , Caramelo Francisco , Marto Carlos Miguel , Paula Anabela Baptista , Nunes Catarina , Vale Francisco
Published: March 2023

Aim: Cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients have a greater predisposition to tooth malformation, which could affect pulp volume. The aim of this study is to evaluate the dental pulp volume of central incisors in 3D images between individuals with and without CLP. Materials and Methods: This retrospective case-control study is single-centered and was recruited between January 2016 and October 2022. Ninety-four patients who were followed in the Institute of Orthodontics were evaluated and divided into two groups: a control group of patients without CLP and a test group of patients with CLP. The 3D data were imported by 3D image semi-automatic segmenting software named ITK-SNAP to calculate tooth pulp volume. Results: The dental pulp volume for both groups, control and CLP, did not show statistically significant differences. In the cleft group, when comparing the pulp volume between the cleft side and the non-cleft side, the cleft side showed a smaller volume. Regarding age and sex, no statistically significant differences were observed. Conclusions: Although there are no differences in mean pulp volume between patients with and without CLP, there is a pulp volume reduction in the teeth on the cleft side when compared to the unaffected contralateral side.
Influence of Monomer Sequence on the Cyclization Behavior of Poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylamide)
Authors: Toms Roman V. , Balashov Mikhail S. , Gervald Alexander Yu. , Prokopov Nikolay I. , Plutalova Anna V. , Chernikova Elena V.
Published: March 2023

In this research, we have developed the approach to controlled synthesis of acrylonitrile-acrylamide copolymers with narrow molecular weight distribution and various monomer sequence distributions. By using dibenzyl trithiocarbonate and batch/semibatch polymerization, we have first synthesized random, gradient, and block-gradient copolymers containing 3.4–10.2 mol. % of acrylamide and revealed the influence of the monomer sequence on the cyclization behavior of poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylamide) by combination of differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. This allowed us to find differences in cyclization behavior of the copolymers in argon and air atmosphere. Intramolecular cyclization was the main process proceeding in argon atmosphere. The radical mechanism of cyclization was suppressed already at the molar part of acrylamide units in copolymer exceeding ~3 mol. % for random copolymer and ~6 mol. % for block-gradient copolymer. The activation energy of ionic cyclization was equal to 89 ± 3 kJ·mol−1 and was not influenced by both copolymer composition and chain microstructure in contrast to the rate of cyclization. The latter was increased with the rise of acrylamide content, the content of hetero-triads and in the range block-gradient < gradient < random structure. In air atmosphere, the oxidation reactions dominated over cyclization. The oxidation reactions were found to be less sensitive to copolymer composition and chain microstructure.
Wild-Type and SOD1-G93A SH-SY5Y under Oxidative Stress: EVs Characterization and Topographical Distribution of Budding Vesicles
Authors: Sbarigia Carolina , Dinarelli Simone , Mura Francesco , Buccini Luca , Vari Francesco , Passeri Daniele , Rossi Marco , Tacconi Stefano , Dini Luciana
Published: March 2023

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important mediators of intercellular communication in several physiopathological conditions. Oxidative stress alters EVs release and cargo composition depending on the cell type and stimulus. Recently, most of the EVs studies have focused on the characterization of their cargo, rather than on the morphological features (i.e., size distribution, shape, and localization on the cell surface). Due to their high heterogeneity, to fully characterize EVs both the functional and morphological characterization are required. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), introduced for cell morphological studies at the nanoscale, represents a promising method to characterize in detail EVs morphology, dynamics along the cell surface, and its variations reflecting the cell physiological status. In the present study, untreated or H2O2-treated wild-type and SOD1-G93A SH-SY5Y cells have been compared performing a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and AFM morpho-quantitative analysis of budding and released vesicles. Intriguingly, our analysis revealed a differential EVs profiling, with an opposite behavior and implying different cell areas between WT and SOD1-G93A cells, on both physiological conditions and after H2O2 exposure. Our results empower the relationship between the morphological features and functional role, further proving the efficacy of EM/AFM in giving an overview of the cell physiology related to EVs trafficking.
Nitrate and Ammonium Nitrogen Addition Did Not Alter Nutrient Resorption of Dominant Plant in an Alpine Grassland
Authors: Li Lei , Liu Bo
Published: March 2023

Worldwide increases in nitrogen deposition rates are influenced by human activities. Although the total amount of N deposition tends to be stable in our country, atmospheric N deposition of the reactive N forms (NO4+-N, NH4+; NO3−-N, NO3−) is remarkably different, and the ratios of NH4+ to NO3− change continuously. Nutrient resorption is a crucial driver of plant nutrient conservation strategies and litter quality. Therefore, the plant nutrient resorption pattern has remarkable ecological significance for nutrient cycling and the community structure of the ecosystem. However, previous studies have found that plants have different preferences in NH4+ and NO3−, and the response of nutrient resorption to different N forms remains unclear. In 2017 and 2018, we conducted field experiments simulating five NO3− and NH4+ addition ratios to examine the responses of the nutrient resorption of the dominant species, Stipa capillata, in the alpine grassland of northwest China. Results showed that N addition treatments did not affect the nutrient resorption efficiencies. The results showed that N application had little effect on soil inorganic N composition, so there was no significant change in the nutrient resorption efficiencies. In addition, the nutrient resorption efficiencies were unaffected across the five different ratios of nitrate and NH4+ addition, suggesting that nutrient resorption was not only controlled by the nutrient supply and nutrient form. Our results have important implications in understanding the significance of the frequency of N addition due to N loss through leaching and denitrification. The results also highlight that low intensity and high frequency N addition are required to investigate the response of plant nutrient resorption to the N supply in the future study.
Thermospheric NO Cooling during an Unusual Geomagnetic Storm of 21–22 January 2005: A Comparative Study between TIMED/SABER Measurements and TIEGCM Simulations
Authors: Bag Tikemani , Rout Diptiranjan , Ogawa Yasunobu , Singh Vir
Published: March 2023

The geomagnetic storm is the manifestation of the solar wind–magnetosphere interaction. It deposits huge amount of the solar energy into the magnetosphere–ionosphere–thermosphere (MIT) system. This energy creates global perturbations in the chemistry, dynamics, and energetics of the MIT system. The high latitude energy deposition results in the Joule and particle heating that subsequently increases the thermospheric temperature. The thermospheric temperature is effectively regulated by the process of thermospheric cooling emission by nitric oxide via 5.3 µm. A peculiar, intense geomagnetic storm (Dst = −105 nT) occurred during 21–22 January 2005, where the main phase developed during the northward orientation of the z-component of interplanetary magnetic field. We utilized the nitric oxide 5.3 µm infrared emission from the NCAR’s Thermosphere–Ionosphere–Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIEGCM) simulation and the Sounding of Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) onboard the thermosphere–ionosphere–mesosphere energetic and dynamics satellite to investigate its response to this anomalous geomagnetic storm. We compared the model results with the observations on both the local and global scales. It is observed that the model results agree very well with the observations during quiet times. However, the model severely underestimates the cooling emission by one-fourth of the observations, although it predicts an enhancement in the thermospheric temperature and densities of atomic oxygen and nitric oxide during the geomagnetic storm.
Telemedicine Management: Approaches and Perspectives—A Review of the Scientific Literature of the Last 10 Years
Authors: Aguirre-Sosa Joaquín , Vargas-Merino Jorge Alberto
Published: March 2023

This research paper describes the approaches and perspectives of telemedicine worldwide. The objective of this literature review was to analyze the theoretical and empirical studies that address telemedicine management in the last 10 years based on the scientific literature obtained from the Scopus, Scielo, Ebsco, ProQuest, Dialnet, and Redalyc databases, from which 50 articles were selected. The inclusion criteria were the last 10 years, scientific articles, language, variables, and open access. The non-inclusion criteria were repeated articles, not addressing the variable, and not open access. The results show a tendency to manage telemedicine through various approaches and scenarios. These can be grouped into humanistic, socioeconomic, ethical, contingency in the Armed Forces—NASA, and application in the field of medicine with teaching to the entire chain of users, as well as controls and monitoring of patients. In this sense, it is concluded that telemedicine management worldwide faces challenges that must be overcome to reduce still-existing barriers and achieve better access to health systems worldwide.
Implementation of Check-In/Check-Out to Improve Classroom Behavior of At-Risk Elementary School Students
Authors: Sottilare Ashley L. , Blair Kwang-Sun Cho
Published: March 2023

The multi-tiered school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports offers a comprehensive model for the prevention of behavioral and academic problems in schools. This study evaluated Check-in/Check-out (CICO), a Tier 2 intervention, with three elementary school students from a high-need population, whose problem behavior was hypothesized to be maintained by teacher attention. The study employed a concurrent multiple baseline design across participants, a single case experimental design to examine the effects of CICO on student academic engagement and problem behavior during instruction. Results indicated that implementation of CICO with fidelity by the CICO coordinator, classroom teachers, and parents lead to increased academic engagement and reduced problem behavior in all three students. Tau-U Effect sizes were medium to large for academic engagement and small to medium for problem behavior across students. Data on two students indicate that systematically fading the number of times teachers utilize the daily report card has the potential for promoting maintenance effects. For one student, fading of the coordinator was successful. Social validity assessment indicated high levels of satisfaction with the CICO intervention by the participating students, teachers, and one parent.
Towards an Integrated Framework for Information Exchange Network of Construction Projects
Authors: Yang Yingnan , Liu Xianjie , Xie Hongming , Zhang Zhicheng
Published: March 2023

The application of building information modeling (BIM) disrupts the interaction between individuals and industry organizations from time and spatial dimensions. However, the temporal dimension of interaction is usually a neglected factor in the application of social network analysis (SNA) when studying the project communication networks. Additionally, the social incorporation of BIM enables full collaboration across multiple disciplines and stakeholders, which calls for multi-dimensional research agendas and practice of different network models. To fill the gap, this study aims to develop an integrated framework to guide the analysis of information exchange in construction projects. According to the findings, three network models can be used for network analysis at the industry, project and individual levels. It is worth noting that the majority of recent attention about the project communication networks has been focused on industry and project levels. The network analysis at the individual level is under-researched so we actively explore how to extend the scope of the network analysis from the project and industry level to the individual level. An ego network model was thus proposed to explore the project communication networks at the individual level, where the network indices were derived. The outputs implied that the proposed model has the potential to explore the ego-centric network in the construction projects.
Strategies for Sustainable Urban Development—Exploring Innovative Approaches for a Liveable Future
Authors: Shen Liyin , Ochoa J. Jorge , Bao Haijun
Published: March 2023

Cities are the engines of economic growth, but they are also the source of many environmental and social challenges [...]
Basal Proliferation and Acantholysis May Represent Histological High-Risk Factors for Progression into Invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Comparison Study in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients and Matched Immunocompetent Patients
Authors: Falkenberg Conrad , Dirschka Thomas , Gilbert Georgia , Stockfleth Eggert , Homey Bernhard , Schmitz Lutz
Published: March 2023

Histological risk factors of AKs cannot be directly determined. Recent studies indicate that AKs restricted to the lower third of the epidermis (AK I), with marked basal proliferation (PRO III) and acantholysis, are associated with an increased risk of progression to invasive squamous cell carcinoma (iSCC). To confirm the aforementioned histological risk factors, this study compared AKs from solid organ transplant recipients (sOTRs), known to carry an up to 250-fold higher risk for progression into iSCC, to a matched immunocompetent control group (ICG). In total, 111 AKs from 43 sOTRs showed more AKs (n = 54, 48.7%) graded as AK I compared to 35 AKs (31.5%) in the ICG (p = 0.009). In line with these findings, 89 AKs (80.2%) from sOTRs showed pronounced basal proliferation (PRO III) compared to 37 AKs (33.3%) in the ICG (p < 0.0001). Acantholysis was more frequent in sOTRs than the ICG (59.5% vs. 32.4%, p < 0.0001) and more frequently associated with advanced basal proliferation (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, this study showed that acantholytic AKs graded as AK I and PRO III are predominantly found in a population at high risk of iSCC. Thus, AKs with marked basal proliferation and acantholysis should be assumed to be histological high-risk factors for the progression into iSCC.
Perspectives and Challenges of COVID-19 with Obesity-Related Cancers
Authors: Dalamaga Maria , Nasiri-Ansari Narjes , Spyrou Nikolaos
Published: March 2023

The emergence of COVID-19 has created an unprecedented threat worldwide, involving overwhelmed health-care systems in the majority of countries [...]
Interaction of a Novel Alternatively Spliced Variant of HSD11B1L with Parkin Enhances the Carcinogenesis Potential of Glioblastoma: Peiminine Interferes with This Interaction
Authors: Fu Ru-Huei , Hong Syuan-Yu , Tsai Chia-Wen , Liu Shih-Ping , Chiu Shao-Chih , Wu Meng-Zhen , Shyu Woei-Cherng , Lin Shinn-Zong
Published: March 2023

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a primary brain tumor of unknown etiology. It is extremely aggressive, incurable and has a short average survival time for patients. Therefore, understanding the precise molecular mechanisms of this diseases is essential to establish effective treatments. In this study, we cloned and sequenced a splice variant of the hydroxysteroid 11-β dehydrogenase 1 like gene (HSD11B1L) and named it HSD11B1L-181. HSD11 B1L-181 was specifically expressed only in GBM cells. Overexpression of this variant can significantly promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of GBM cells. Knockdown of HSD11B1L-181 expression inhibited the oncogenic potential of GBM cells. Furthermore, we identified the direct interaction of parkin with HSD11B1L-181 by screening the GBM cDNA expression library via yeast two-hybrid. Parkin is an RBR E3 ubiquitin ligase whose mutations are associated with tumorigenesis. Small interfering RNA treatment of parkin enhanced the proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities of GBM. Finally, we found that the alkaloid peiminine from the bulbs of Fritillaria thunbergii Miq blocks the interaction between HSD11B1L-181 and parkin, thereby lessening carcinogenesis of GBM. We further confirmed the potential of peiminine to prevent GBM in cellular, ectopic and orthotopic xenograft mouse models. Taken together, these findings not only provide insight into GBM, but also present an opportunity for future GBM treatment.
In Vitro Human Haematopoietic Stem Cell Expansion and Differentiation
Authors: Bozhilov Yavor K. , Hsu Ian , Brown Elizabeth J. , Wilkinson Adam C.
Published: March 2023

The haematopoietic system plays an essential role in our health and survival. It is comprised of a range of mature blood and immune cell types, including oxygen-carrying erythrocytes, platelet-producing megakaryocytes and infection-fighting myeloid and lymphoid cells. Self-renewing multipotent haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and a range of intermediate haematopoietic progenitor cell types differentiate into these mature cell types to continuously support haematopoietic system homeostasis throughout life. This process of haematopoiesis is tightly regulated in vivo and primarily takes place in the bone marrow. Over the years, a range of in vitro culture systems have been developed, either to expand haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells or to differentiate them into the various haematopoietic lineages, based on the use of recombinant cytokines, co-culture systems and/or small molecules. These approaches provide important tractable models to study human haematopoiesis in vitro. Additionally, haematopoietic cell culture systems are being developed and clinical tested as a source of cell products for transplantation and transfusion medicine. This review discusses the in vitro culture protocols for human HSC expansion and differentiation, and summarises the key factors involved in these biological processes.
Cytoskeleton Protein BmACT1 Is Potential for the Autophagic Function and Nuclear Localization of BmAtg4b in Bombyx mori
Authors: Ma Qiuqin , Deng Jianhao , Li Hanbo , Huang Zhijun , Tian Ling
Published: March 2023

Homologs of Autophagy-related (Atg) protein 4 are reported to cleave LC3 protein and facilitate autophagy occurrence differently in mammals, whereas their functions have not been investigated in insects. Three homologs, including BmAtg4a and its short form BmAtg4c as well as BmAtg4b, exist in Bombyx mori. Herein, the autophagic functions of BmAtg4a and BmAtg4b were investigated. qPCR detection found that BmAtg4a and BmAtg4b both peaked during larval-pupal metamorphosis when autophagy occurs robustly. Immunofluorescent staining showed that BmAtg4a was predominantly localized at the cytoplasm, while BmAtg4b had notable nuclear localization. Overexpression of BmAtg4a and BmAtg4b both slightly promoted basal autophagy but inhibited the autophagy induced by the infection of B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) and, thereby, its proliferation. In comparison, knockout of BmAtg4a or BmAtg4b significantly upregulated BmNPV-induced autophagy and its replication in BmN cells. Results of Co-immunoprecipitation associated with mass spectrum showed that the cytoskeleton protein B. mori actin A2 (BmACT2) and B. mori actin A1 (BmACT1) bound with BmAtg4a and BmAtg4b especially. Knockout of BmACT1 and BmACT2 inhibited BmAtg4b- and BmAtg4a-induced autophagy, respectively; moreover, knockout of BmACT1 reduced the ratio of cells with nuclear BmAtg4b. Of note, BmAtg4a and BmAtg4b had physical interaction, and they had an inhibitory effect on mutual autophagic function. In this work, we provide new insights into the autophagy machinery in insects as well as its function in the proliferation of BmNPV.
Domain Architecture of the Nonreceptor Tyrosine Kinase Ack1
Authors: Kan Yagmur , Paung YiTing , Seeliger Markus A. , Miller W. Todd
Published: March 2023

The nonreceptor tyrosine kinase (NRTK) Ack1 comprises a distinct arrangement of non-catalytic modules. Its SH3 domain has a C-terminal to the kinase domain (SH1), in contrast to the typical SH3-SH2-SH1 layout in NRTKs. The Ack1 is the only protein that shares a region of high homology to the tumor suppressor protein Mig6, a modulator of EGFR. The vertebrate Acks make up the only tyrosine kinase (TK) family known to carry a UBA domain. The GTPase binding and SAM domains are also uncommon in the NRTKs. In addition to being a downstream effector of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and integrins, Ack1 can act as an epigenetic regulator, modulate the degradation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), confer drug resistance, and mediate the progression of hormone-sensitive tumors. In this review, we discuss the domain architecture of Ack1 in relation to other protein kinases that possess such defined regulatory domains.
ZnT8 Loss of Function Mutation Increases Resistance of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Beta Cells to Apoptosis in Low Zinc Condition
Authors: Sui Lina , Du Qian , Romer Anthony , Su Qi , Chabosseau Pauline L. , Xin Yurong , Kim Jinrang , Kleiner Sandra , Rutter Guy A. , Egli Dieter
Published: March 2023

The rare SLC30A8 mutation encoding a truncating p.Arg138* variant (R138X) in zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8) is associated with a 65% reduced risk for type 2 diabetes. To determine whether ZnT8 is required for beta cell development and function, we derived human pluripotent stem cells carrying the R138X mutation and differentiated them into insulin-producing cells. We found that human pluripotent stem cells with homozygous or heterozygous R138X mutation and the null (KO) mutation have normal efficiency of differentiation towards insulin-producing cells, but these cells show diffuse granules that lack crystalline zinc-containing insulin granules. Insulin secretion is not compromised in vitro by KO or R138X mutations in human embryonic stem cell-derived beta cells (sc-beta cells). Likewise, the ability of sc-beta cells to secrete insulin and maintain glucose homeostasis after transplantation into mice was comparable across different genotypes. Interestingly, sc-beta cells with the SLC30A8 KO mutation showed increased cytoplasmic zinc, and cells with either KO or R138X mutation were resistant to apoptosis when extracellular zinc was limiting. These findings are consistent with a protective role of zinc in cell death and with the protective role of zinc in T2D.
Perspectives on the Structural Design and Luminescent Behavior of Liquid Crystalline Materials Based on Copper(I) Complexes
Authors: Alkali Muhammed , Cîrcu Viorel
Published: March 2023

This paper provides insight into the various studies that have been carried out to date on liquid crystalline materials based on copper(I) complexes. Although the study of copper(I) complexes with respect to their liquid crystalline property is quite limited, metallomesogens prepared with different structural components and ligands from groups such as azamacrocycles, alkythiolates, ethers, isocyanides, phenanthroline, Schiff bases, pyrazolates, phosphines, biquinolines, and benzoylthioureas are reported and summarized in this review. A special section is dedicated to the discussion of emission properties of copper(I) metallomesogens.
Extraction of Anthocyanin from Rose Petals for Coloration of Biomordanted Wool Fabric
Authors: Salman Mahwish , Fazal-ur-Rehman Fazal-ur-Rehman , Adeel Shahid , Habib Noman , Batool Fatima , Usama Muhammad , Iqbal Fareeha , Fatima Arooj
Published: March 2023

Natural products have gained worldwide favor due to their sustainable and ayurvedic nature. In this study, rose containing anthocyanin was explored as a source of yellowish–pink natural colorant for wool dyeing using various solvents (aqueous, alkaline, acidic, and basified methanol). Dyeing of wool was performed by optimizing the following parameters: pH, temperature, time, and salt concentration. It was observed that aqueous extract with a pH of 3 employed at 80 °C for 35 min with the addition of 4 g/100 mL salt, acidic extract with a pH of 2 employed at 40 °C for 35 min with the addition of 2 g/100 mL salt, alkaline extract with a pH of 1 employed at 80 °C for 45 min with the addition of 3 g/100 mL salt, and methanolic extract with a pH of 2 employed at 80 °C for 45 min with the addition of 4 g/100 mL salt resulted in high tint (K/S) values. To improve the colorfastness properties, salts of iron (Fe+2), aluminum (Al+3), and tannic acid (Tn) were used as chemical mordant, whereas turmeric and pomegranate were used as biomordants. Iron (Fe+2) and pomegranate resulted in shades with good colorfastness characteristics. The plant extract and dyed fabrics were also evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively, to observe their antibacterial potential. The results indicate that wool fabric dyed with naturally sourced rose petals can be used as valuable antibacterial fabric due to the presence of various bioactive compounds by dissipating the effect of allergy-causing synthetic dyed fabrics.
All Inorganic Lead-Free Zero-Dimensional Metal Halide Luminescent Materials and Applications
Authors: Dave Kashyap , Huang Wen-Tse , Liu Ru-Shi
Published: March 2023

Recently, zero-dimensional luminescent material has attracted researchers because of its optical properties, which is a possible candidate to replace lead halide perovskite. This review focused on the recent development of tetrahedrally and octahedrally coordinated inorganic halide semiconductor luminescent materials. We discuss the synthesis methods and crystal structures of these materials in this review. The materials are categorized based on the valence of central metal cations (monovalent, divalent, and trivalent). Finally, we have summarized the applications of these luminescent materials, such as light-emitting diodes, ultrafast switching memories, photodetectors, and scintillators. This review article provides an overview of recent progress on zero-dimensional materials and their applications for further development in the future.
Dynamic Simulation of the Temperature Field of LiH Single Crystal Growth
Authors: Jiang Yingwu , Xie Donghua , Wu Jiliang , Li Huan , Zhu Jipeng , Ni Muyi , Gao Tao , Ye Xiaoqiu
Published: March 2023

The single-crystal lithium hydride (LiH) generally grows in a gradient temperature region with the Bridgman method. A stable and appropriate temperature gradient is crucial in the crystallization process. In this paper, the temperature variation of single-crystal LiH growth is calculated by the finite element method (FEM). It is shown that the LiH compact melted entirely after heating to 750 °C at 10 °C/min in a dual-temperature furnace and holding for 2.4 h. The crystallization margin was 46.5 °C after holding for 5 h. The crystallization margin of LiH at the cone point, respectively, decreased to 33.7 °C, 28.6 °C, 25.6 °C, and 16.5 °C when the upper furnace was maintained at 750 °C, and lower furnace was cooled to 680 °C, 650 °C, 630 °C, and 550 °C, respectively. The optimal conditions for obtaining large size and high-quality LiH single crystals were predicted to be 630 °C at a lower-temperature-zone, 200 mL/min (cooling water flux), and 20 mm/h rise rate of the furnace. Based on the parameters of the above simulation, we synthesized LiH single crystal. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that the LiH single crystal exhibited a (2 0 0) crystallographic plane at 44.5° with good chemical stability in air.
Real-Time Urethral and Ureteral Assessment during Radical Cystectomy Using Ex-Vivo Optical Imaging: A Novel Technique for the Evaluation of Fresh Unfixed Surgical Margins
Authors: Prata Francesco , Anceschi Umberto , Taffon Chiara , Rossi Silvia Maria , Verri Martina , Iannuzzi Andrea , Ragusa Alberto , Esperto Francesco , Prata Salvatore Mario , Crescenzi Anna , Scarpa Roberto Mario , Simone Giuseppe , Papalia Rocco
Published: March 2023

Background: Our study aims to assess the feasibility and the reproducibility of fluorescent confocal microscopy (FCM) real-time assessment of urethral and ureteral margins during open radical cystectomy (ORC) for bladder cancer (BCa). Methods: From May 2020 to January 2022, 46 patients underwent ORC with intraoperative FCM evaluation. Each specimen was intraoperatively stained for histopathological analysis using FCM, analyzed as a frozen section (FSA), and sent for traditional H&E examination. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and the negative predictive value (NPV) of FCM and FSA were assessed and compared with H&E for urethral and ureteral margins separately. Results: The agreement was evaluated through Cohen’s κ statistic. Urethral diagnostic agreement between FCM and FSA showed a κ = 0.776 (p < 0.001), while between FCM and H&E, the agreement was κ = 0.691 (p < 0.001). With regard to ureteral margins, an overall agreement of κ = 0.712 (p < 0.001) between FCM and FSA and of κ = 0.481 (p < 0.001) between FCM and H&E was found. Conclusions: FCM proved to be a safe, feasible, and reproducible method for the intraoperative assessment of urethral and ureteral margins during ORC. Compared to standard FSA, FCM showed adequate diagnostic performance in detecting urethral and ureteral malignant involvement.
Performance Evaluation of Quantum-Based Machine Learning Algorithms for Cardiac Arrhythmia Classification
Authors: Ozpolat Zeynep , Karabatak Murat
Published: March 2023

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is the most common technique used to diagnose heart diseases. The electrical signals produced by the heart are recorded by chest electrodes and by the extremity electrodes placed on the limbs. Many diseases, such as arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, coronary heart disease, and heart failure, can be diagnosed by examining ECG signals. The interpretation of these signals by experts may take a long time, and there may be differences between expert interpretations. Since technological developments are intertwined with the medical sciences, computer-assisted diagnostic methods have recently come forward. In computer science, machine learning techniques are often preferred for automatic detection. Quantum-based structures have emerged to increase the machine learning algorithm’s speed and classification performance. In this study, a quantum-based machine learning algorithm is applied to classify heart rhythms. The ECG properties were converted to qubit structure using principal component analysis (PCA). The resulting qubits are classified using the quantum support vector machine (QSVM) algorithm. Quantum computer simulation over Qiskit was used for classification studies. Within the scope of experimental studies, comparisons between classical SVM and QSVM were made using different data amounts and qubit numbers. In the results of the analysis, classical SVM achieved 86.96% accuracy, and QSVM achieved 84.64% accuracy. Despite the fact that the entire dataset was not used due to various limitations, these successful performances were achieved. Classification of medical data such as that from ECG has shown that quantum-based machine learning frameworks perform well despite current resource constraints. In this respect, the study includes essential contributions to the use of quantum-based machine learning methods on signal data in medicine.
A Hybrid Stacked Restricted Boltzmann Machine with Sobel Directional Patterns for Melanoma Prediction in Colored Skin Images
Authors: Alphonse A. Sherly , Benifa J. V. Bibal , Muaad Abdullah Y. , Chola Channabasava , Heyat Md Belal Bin , Murshed Belal Abdullah Hezam , Abdel Samee Nagwan , Alabdulhafith Maali , Al-antari Mugahed A.
Published: March 2023

Melanoma, a kind of skin cancer that is very risky, is distinguished by uncontrolled cell multiplication. Melanoma detection is of the utmost significance in clinical practice because of the atypical border structure and the numerous types of tissue it can involve. The identification of melanoma is still a challenging process for color images, despite the fact that numerous approaches have been proposed in the research that has been done. In this research, we present a comprehensive system for the efficient and precise classification of skin lesions. The framework includes preprocessing, segmentation, feature extraction, and classification modules. Preprocessing with DullRazor eliminates skin-imaging hair artifacts. Next, Fully Connected Neural Network (FCNN) semantic segmentation extracts precise and obvious Regions of Interest (ROIs). We then extract relevant skin image features from ROIs using an enhanced Sobel Directional Pattern (SDP). For skin image analysis, Sobel Directional Pattern outperforms ABCD. Finally, a stacked Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM) classifies skin ROIs. Stacked RBMs accurately classify skin melanoma. The experiments have been conducted on five datasets: Pedro Hispano Hospital (PH2), International Skin Imaging Collaboration (ISIC 2016), ISIC 2017, Dermnet, and DermIS, and achieved an accuracy of 99.8%, 96.5%, 95.5%, 87.9%, and 97.6%, respectively. The results show that a stack of Restricted Boltzmann Machines is superior for categorizing skin cancer types using the proposed innovative SDP.
Comparison of Ultrafast Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced (DCE) MRI with Conventional DCE MRI in the Morphological Assessment of Malignant Breast Lesions
Authors: Ohashi Akane , Kataoka Masako , Iima Mami , Honda Maya , Ota Rie , Urushibata Yuta , Nickel Marcel Dominik , Toi Masakazu , Zackrisson Sophia , Nakamoto Yuji
Published: March 2023

Ultrafast (UF) dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI offers the potential for a faster and, therefore, less expensive examination of breast lesions; however, there are no reports that have evaluated whether UF DCE-MRI can be used the same as conventional DCE-MRI in the reading of morphological information. This study evaluated the agreement in morphological information obtained from malignant breast mass lesions between UF DCE-MRI and conventional DCE-MRI. UF DCE-MRI data were obtained over the first 60 s post-contrast injection, followed by the conventional DCE images. Two readers evaluated the size and morphology of the lesions in the final phase of the UF DCE-MRI and the early phase of the conventional DCE-MRI. Inter-method agreement in morphological information was evaluated for the two readers using the intraclass correlation coefficient for size, and the kappa statistics for the morphological descriptors. Differences in the proportion of each descriptor were examined using Fisher’s test of independence. Most inter-method agreements were higher than substantial. UF DCE-MRI showed a circumscribed margin and homogeneous enhancement more often than conventional imaging. However, the percentages of readings showing the same morphology assessment between the UF DCE-MRI and conventional DCE-MRI were 71.2% (136/191) for Reader 1 and 69.1% (132/191) for Reader 2. We conclude that UF DCE-MRI may replace conventional DCE-MRI to evaluate the morphological information of malignant breast mass lesions.
Characterization of Muscle Weakness Due to Myasthenia Gravis Using Shear Wave Elastography
Authors: Zimmer Manuela , Kleiser Benedict , Marquetand Justus , Ates Filiz
Published: March 2023

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is often accompanied with muscle weakness; however, little is known about mechanical adaptions of the affected muscles. As the latter can be assessed using ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE), this study characterizes the biceps brachii muscle of 11 patients with MG and compares them with that of 14 healthy volunteers. Simultaneous SWE, elbow torque and surface electromyography measurements were performed during rest, maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and submaximal isometric contractions (up to 25%, 50% and 75% MVC) at different elbow angles from flexion to extension. We found that, with increasing elbow angle, maximum elbow torque decreased (p < 0.001), whereas muscle stiffness increased during rest (p = 0.001), MVC (p = 0.004) and submaximal contractions (p < 0.001). Muscle stiffness increased with increasing contraction intensities during submaximal contractions (p < 0.001). In comparison to the healthy cohort, muscle stiffness of MG patients was 2.1 times higher at rest (p < 0.001) but 8.93% lower in active state (75% MVC, p = 0.044). We conclude that (i) increased muscle stiffness shown by SWE during rest might be an indicator of MG, (ii) SWE reflects muscle weakness and (iii) SWE can be used to characterize MG muscle.