bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thyroid dysfunction in first-episode drug-naïve major depressive disorder patients with or without psychotic symptoms
Authors: Yang Wanqiu , Zhao Na , Kang Chuanyi , Shi Jingjing , Yang Liying , Liu Jiacheng , Zheng Yue , Zhang Shuting , Wang Xiaohong , Zhang Xiangyang
Published: August 2023

Background
It is a common of comorbid psychotic symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, there are few studies on the thyroid function of psychotic depression (PD) in first-episode drug naïve (FEDN) MDD patients. This study was to examine the difference in thyroid function between PD and NPD of first-episode drug-naïve (FEDN) major depression (MDD) and explore the related risk factors for PD in a large sample size of patients in a Chinese population.
Methods
We recruited 1718 outpatients diagnosed with FEDN MDD. The thyroid function-related parameters, including thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxin (FT4, FT3)7, thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb), and anti-thyroglobulin (TGAb), socio-demographic and clinical data were collected. The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), and the positive subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were administered to score patients’ anxiety, depression, and psychotic symptoms.
Results
The elevated TSH, TPOAb, and TGAb serum accounted for 79.5%, 28.7%, and 35.9% of PD patients, respectively. Compared to NPD patients, PD patients had higher serum levels of TSH, TGAb, and TPOAb (all P < 0.001). Furthermore, logistic regression analysis demonstrated a strong association between the serum level of TSH and PD, with an odds ratio of 1.189.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that elevated TSH levels may increase the risk of PD and highlight the importance of thyroid screening tests for the accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of PD.
"Cold" Orthogonal Translation by Psychrophilic Pyrrolysyl-tRNA Synthetase Boosts Genetic Code Expansion
Authors: Budisa Nediljko , Koch Nikolaj , Göttig Peter , Rappsilber Juri
Published: August 2023

Using orthogonal translation systems (OTSs) is the most efficient way to produce unnatural proteins by adding non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) to the genetic code. In the quest to expand substrate specificity the conventional approach begins with a (hyper-)stable enzyme capable of withstanding the structural changes resulting from necessary mutations. However, we here take a radically different position by starting with an enzyme that has evolved to cope with instability, and thus may exhibit greater resilience to mutations. By engineering a psychrophilic ("cold") OTS from Methanococcoides burtonii we developed an alternative to the commonly used mesophilic and thermophilic systems. This OTS showed remarkable properties in terms of catalytic efficiency and promiscuity, even at very low ncAA concentrations. Given the broad range of applicable host organisms, we anticipate that Cold-OTS will greatly facilitate the transformation of the expanded genetic code from an academic discipline into a high-value chemistry-driven biotechnology.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress negatively regulates intestinal stem cells mediated by activation of GRP78/ATF6/CHOP signal
Authors: Fan Hancheng , Wu Jiaqiang , Wang Jie , Wang Qingyuan , Cai Yihao , Huang Hongmei , Zhao Minjun , Shu Xin , Dong Hui , Zhang Xinxin , Shao Lijian , Zeng Huihong
Published: August 2023

Impairment of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) is closely associated with various intestinal diseases. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and cellular apoptosis are widely recognized as important factors during the development of intestinal diseases. However, whether ERS negatively affects numbers and differentiation ability of ISCs remains unknown. In the present study, tunicamycin (TM) was utilized to induce ERS in the mouse intestine to further investigate the underlying mechanisms on ERS-induced intestinal damage. The results showed that mice treated with TM at a dose of 1 mg/kg resulted in a significant reduction in body weight, shortening of the intestinal villi, deepening of the intestinal crypts and disruption of the intestinal barrier when compared to the control group. The numbers of ISCs, endocrine cells, goblet cells in the small intestine were significantly reduced after TM exposure. TM treatment decreased cellular proliferation and increased apoptosis in the cryptic area. Especially, Immunofluorescence double staining showed that ERS significantly increased expression of GRP78 and cellular apoptosis in ISCs. Further evidence indicated that GRP78/ATF6/CHOP signal pathway was activated while p44/42 MAPK signaling was significantly inhibited after TM treatment. These data suggest that TM-induced ERS reduces ISC numbers and diminishes ISC differentiation capacity through inhibiting cellular proliferation and increasing apoptosis.
Optimization Design of Hydrocyclone with Overflow Slit Structure based on Experimental Investigation and Numerical Simulation Analysis
Authors: Chen Shuxin , Li Donglai , Li Jianying , Zhong Lin
Published: August 2023

This study aims to address the issue of high energy consumption in the hydrocyclone separation process. By introducing a novel slotted overflow pipe structure and utilizing experimental and response surface optimization methods, the optimal parameters were determined. The research results indicate that the number of slots, slot angles, and positioning dimensions significantly influence the performance of the hydrocyclone separator. The optimal combination was found to be three layers of slots, a positioning dimension of 5.3mm, and a slot angle of 58°. In a Φ100mm hydrocyclone separator, validated through multiple experiments, the separation efficiency increased by 0.26% and the pressure drop reduced by 24.88% under a flow rate of 900ml/s. CFD simulation verified the reduction in internal flow field velocity and pressure drop due to the slotted structure. Therefore, this study provides an effective reference for designing efficient and low-energy hydrocyclone separators.
Isolation and functional characterization of a pathogenesis-related protein 4 gene from Panax notoginseng
Authors: Sun Hao , Li Man-Qiao , Liu Xu-Yan , Li Kui-Xiu , Liu Di-Qiu , Yang Sheng-Chao , Liu Guan-Ze
Published: August 2023

Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins are a large class of proteins that accumulate in plant cells in response to multiple biotic and abiotic stresses. The PR proteins are usually divided into 17 families. Root rot is an important disease of the perennial medicinal plant Panax notoginseng, with Cylindrocarpon destructansidentified as one of the causative pathogens. However, little is known about the PR-encoding genes expressed during the infection of P. notoginsengby C. destructans. In this study, we isolated a PR4 gene (PnPR4) from P. notoginseng on the basis of a genomic analysis. The expression of this gene was significantly up-regulated in the roots of C. destructans-infected P. notoginseng plants at 72 h post-inoculation (relative to the control level). The expression of PnPR4 was affected by hydrogen peroxide, gibberellic acid, ethephon, abscisic acid, and salicylic acid. The transient expression of the PnPR4-GFP fusion gene in tobacco epidermal cells indicated that PnPR4 was localized in the cell wall (i.e., extracellular protein). In addition, the purified PnPR4 recombinant protein had antifungal activities, with inhibitory effects on C. destructans. Furthermore, the PnPR4gene was transferred into the model plant tobacco to verify its function. The overexpression of PnPR4 increased the resistance to C. destructans. In conclusion, PnPR4 contributes to the defense response of P. notoginseng to C. destructans.
Rotating square tessellations enabled stretchable and adaptive curved display.
Authors: Yu Hongyu , Hong Wei , Deng Yang , Xu Kuaile , JIAO Rui , Liu Weixuan , Cheung Yik Kin , Li Yongkai , Wang Xiaoyi , Hou Yue
Published: August 2023

Curved displays can adjust their shape to accommodate different objects and are used in electronics and decorative lighting. Due to the immutable pixel spacing, existing commercial curved displays are flexible but not compatible with undevelopable surfaces. Inspired by kirigami and auxetic structures, we propose a novel approach that combines luminescent elements and rotating square tessellations to create a stretchable, arbitrary curve adaptive display. We connect square islands by vertical interconnects for the first time to relieve the stress concentration and provide extra deformation patterns. The vertical interconnects are patterned on a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) using laser cutting and folded up via specially designed molds. Further, the freed-up space by folded interconnects allows the structure to be compressed. A prototype stretchable display is demonstrated that it can maintain electrical performance under biaxial strain and adapt to different Gaussian curvature surfaces, including cylindrical, spherical, saddle and arbitrary surfaces. Theoretical models and finite element calculations are established to describe the tensile behavior of the structures under different boundary conditions and agree with the experimental results. This proposed technology paves a feasible solution of mass production of adaptive curved displays and sets the trend for the next-generation display.
Accurate Acoustic Based Deep Learning Model for Mosquitoes Species Classification
Authors: Bilal Muhammad , Rehman Ata Ur , Rafique Waqas , Fernandez-Reyes Delmiro
Published: August 2023

Despite global health advancements, mosquito borne diseases are still life threating and prevalent, with dengue and malaria contributing to thousands of deaths each year. However, the responsibility for transmitting these specific diseases does not lie with all mosquito species globally. Detecting mosquito species from their wingbeats acoustic data can be very effective, however, it is a challenging task to accurately distinguish specific mosquito species based on their wingbeat patterns. Our acoustic-based deep learning model for mosquito species classification uses the combination of sinc layer, one dimensional convolutional layer and long short-term memory (LSTM) layer to learn features from raw audio signals and capture the temporal dependencies between them strikingly outperforming existing methods. We achieve test accuracy of 93.59% precision of 0.9363, Recall of 0.9311 and F1 Score of 0.9335. Our model has significant potential for low-cost, non-invasive, and high-throughput identification of mosquito species, which can play a role on the prevention and control of mosquito-borne diseases. By utilizing the unique wingbeat patterns of mosquitoes, our model enables early identification and monitoring of disease-carrying species. This early detection allows for timely implementation of targeted interventions, focusing resources on the specific mosquito species responsible for disease transmission in a particular region. Additionally, acoustic-based models enhance surveillance systems by providing real-time tracking and monitoring of mosquito populations. This data-driven approach facilitates rapid response to potential disease outbreaks, enabling public health authorities to implement effective control measures and reduce the burden of mosquito-borne diseases on communities.
Quality of life in patients with breast cancer post modified radical mastectomy: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Porwal Rekha , Tripathi Rahul Dev
Published: August 2023

Purpose - To assess the quality of life in patients with breast cancer post Modified Radical Mastectomy.
Method: This is a Cross-sectional study aimed to assess the quality of life (QOL) in patients with breast cancer who underwent Modified Radical Mastectomy. A total of 120 participants who had undergone the procedure between May 2017 to May 2022 were included in the study. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General (FACT-G) version 4 questionnaire was used to evaluate the Quality of Life of the participants. The participants were divided into three groups based on the duration of follow-up: Group 1 (more than three years follow-up), Group 2 (two years follow-up), and Group 3 (one-year follow-up).
Results: There were 27 participants in Group 1, 42 in Group 2, and 51 in Group 3. Spearman analysis revealed significant correlations between demographic/clinical variables and QOL. Negative correlations were found between physical well-being (PWB) and tumor stage (r = -0.90, p = 0.001), and between emotional well-being and tumor stage (r = -0.80, p = 0.0002). Positive correlations were found between social well-being (SWB) and education level (r = 0.74, p = 0.003), as well as the occupation of patients (r = 0.46, p = 0.013). Additionally, 23% of patients expressed concerns about their body image and reconstruction surgery, while 37% faced difficulties in seeking treatment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusion: Tumor stage, Education level, Occupation, and Marital status have an impact on the Quality of life in breast cancer survivors. Quality of Life was affected due to surgical wound-related problems and difficulties in seeking adjuvant treatment during the first year of treatment. While during the consequent period, it was affected due to local and systemic recurrence, lymph-edema, and body image concerns.
Barriers and facilitators for recruiting and retaining male participants into longitudinal health research: a systematic review
Authors: Haritopoulou-Sinanidou Melina , Gabrovska Pam , Tseng Hsu-Wen , Honeyman David , Schweitzer Daniel , Borg Danielle , Rae Kym M.
Published: August 2023

Background
Successfully recruiting male participants to complete a healthcare related study is important for healthcare study completion and to advance our clinical knowledgebase. To date, most research studies have examined the barriers and facilitators of female participants in longitudinal healthcare-related studies. Recruitment of male participants to longitudinal healthcare research studies poses a unique set of challenges. This systematic review examines the unique barriers and facilitators to male recruitment across longitudinal healthcare-related research studies.
Methods
Following PRIMSA guidelines, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science databases were systematically searched using the terms recruitment and/or retention, facilitators and/or barriers and longitudinal studies from 1900 to 2021 which contained separate data on males aged 17-59 years. Health studies or interventions were defined longitudinal if they were greater than or equal to 12 weeks in duration with 3 separate data collection visits.
Results
Eighteen articles published from 1976-2021 met the criteria. One-third of the studies had a predominantly male sample and four studies recruited only male participants. Most studies were either of high (39%) or medium quality (39%). Two key themes were identified as being particularly salient to the male population i) patient-related factors (e.g., limited understanding of study rationale as well as the needs for participation in the study) and ii)situational-based factors (e.g., difficulty accessing study sites).
Conclusions
Future research should focus on the specific impact of these factors across the spectrum of longitudinal health-related studies. Based on the findings of this systematic review, researchers from longitudinal health-related clinical trials are encouraged to consider male-specific recruitment strategies to ensure successful recruitment and retention in their studies.
Registration This systemic review is registered with the PROSPERO database (CRD42021254696).
Sedimentary records of sea-level fall at the end-Permian in the upper Yangtze Region, southern China: Implications for the mass extinction
Authors: Duan Xiong , Shi Zhiqiang
Published: August 2023

Sea-level fall is considered one of the significant factors leading to the end-Permian mass extinction. Our study focused on the relative sea-level changes in Beifengjing section which deposited in shallow-water platform and Shangsi section which deposited in deep-water trough. The results indicated a sea-level fall during the Permian—Triassic transition in the Upper Yangtze region. Considering that there is no significant change in fossil abundance in the strata following the two sea-level falls observed in the Beifengjing section, we conclude that the reduction of shallow marine habitat caused by sea level fall alone was insufficient to cause the mass extinction. However, sea-level fall did exacerbate the input of terrestrial debris into the ocean, leading to the deterioration of the marine environment (e.g., soil-induced turbidity and eutrophication). Furthermore, the presence of multiple layers of volcanic tuff near the lithostratigraphic boundary between Permian and Triassic in both sections suggests frequent volcanic activity during sea-level fall. Therefore, we propose that the combined adverse effects of volcanic eruptions, sea-level falls, and other events exceeded the threshold for biological survival, ultimately resulting in the catastrophic end-Permian mass extinction.
Machine Learning Based System for Identification of Light and Heavy Syllables in Sanskrit Verse
Authors: S Hrushikesha Shastry B , Wali Prashant K
Published: August 2023

Prosody provides information regarding a rhythmic structure present in poetry or a verse for any language. In particular, for the Sanskrit language, recognizing the prosody (called “Chandas” in Sanskrit literature) of the verse is entirely dependent on the identification of the light (“Laghu”) and heavy (“Guru”) syllables. In this regard, we propose an efficient and low-complexity two-step machine learning based system for identifying the Laghus and Gurus in Sanskrit verses, by developing an ingenious representation for the syllables. Our novel idea of preparing the first data-set and categorizing the syllables using the first machine learning model enables us to solve the sequence-to-sequence conversion problem as a simple classification problem in the second machine learning model, with two classes namely, the Laghu (denoted by a ‘0’) and the Guru (denoted by a ‘1’). The proposed data representation method and the two-step technique have been found to give an accuracy of more than 99%.
Data recovery methods for DNA storage based on fountain codes
Authors: Schwarz Peter , Freisleben Bernd
Published: August 2023

Today’s digital data storage systems typically offer advanced data recovery solutions. For hard disk drives, various data recovery mechanisms exist, ranging from software-based disk sector or file analysis and data reconstruction techniques up to physical-level data retrieval methods. These approaches support data recovery in the event of catastrophic data loss. In contrast, DNA as a storage medium solely relies on the error correction capabilities of the methods used to encode digital data into strands of DNA. In this work, we present the first approach to provide data recovery for DNA storage. In particular, we present a novel method to reconstruct the original data from corrupted data stored and encoded in DNA using fountain codes. Our method takes advantage of the relationship between processed packets encoded using fountain codes to detect and correct errors. Furthermore, we present content-based and file type specific error detection and correction methods for three file types, to show that knowledge about the encoding can be combined with file-specific redundancy as well as general knowledge about the stored data to successfully reconstruct information from a partially corrupted DNA storage system. We demonstrate the feasibility of our approach by DR4DNA, a software toolkit that includes all of the presented methods, and evaluate DR4DNA using both in-silico and in-vitro experiments.
Letermovir for CMV prophylaxis in very high-risk pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients for inborn errors of immunity.
Authors: César Thibaut , Le Minh Patrick , Klifa Roman , Castelle Martin , Fournier Benjamin , Lévy Romain , Chbihi Marwa , Courteille Virginie , Moshous Despina , Blanche Stéphane , Alligon Mickaël , Leruez-Ville Marianne , Peytavin Gilles , Frange Pierre , Neven Benedicte
Published: August 2023

The burden of CMV infection and disease is important in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), notably in the subgroup of patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEIs). Letermovir (LMV) is now a standard of care for CMV prophylaxis in adult sero-positive (R+) recipients, but is not yet labeled for children. Published pediatric studies are still scarce. We report a monocentric real-life use of LMV in 36 HSCT pediatric recipients with IEIs considered at high-risk of CMV infection including 14 patients between 2 and 12 months of age. A homogenous dosage proportional to the body surface area was used. Pharmacokinetic (PK) was performed in 8 patients with a median of 6 years of age (range 0,6;15). The cumulative incidence of clinically significant CMV infections (CS-CMVi) and the overall survival of patients under LMV were compared to a very similar historical cohort under (val)aciclovir prophylaxis. LMV tolerance was good. As compared to the historical cohort, the incidence of CS-CMVi was significantly lower in LMV group (5 out of 36 transplants (13.9%) versus 28 of the 62 HSCT (45.2%)) (p = 0.002). Plasma LMV exposures did not significantly differ with those reported in adult patients. In this high-risk pediatric HSCT cohort transplanted for IEIs, CMV prophylaxis with LMV at a homogenous dosage was well tolerated and effective in preventing CS-CMVi compared with a historical cohort.
What makes blood clots break off? A back-of-the-envelope computation to de-mystify blood clot embolization
Authors: Gueltekin Osman , Lohr Matthew , Bechtel Grace , Rausch Manuel
Published: August 2023

One in four deaths worldwide is due to thromboembolic disease; that is, one in four people die from blood clots first forming and then breaking off or embolizing. Once broken off, clots travel downstream, where they occlude vital blood vessels such as those of the brain, heart, or lungs, leading to strokes, heart attacks, or pulmonary embolisms, respectively. Despite clots’ obvious importance, much remains to be understood about clotting and clot embolization. In our work, we set out to untangle the mystery behind clot embolization and try to give a first answer to the simple question: "What makes blood clots break off?" To this end, we conducted experimentally-informed, back-of-the-envelope computations combining fracture mechanics and phase-field modeling. We also focused on deep venous clots as our model problem. Here, we show that of the three general forces that act on venous blood clots -- shear stress, blood pressure and wall stretch-induced interfacial forces -- the latter is a critical embolization force in occlusive and the non-occlusive clot, while blood pressure plays a determinant role only for occlusive clots. Contrary to intuition and prior reports, shear stress, even when severely elevated, is unlikely to cause embolization. This unexpected finding may fundamentally shift both scientists' and practitioners' perspectives on clot embolization and thereby inspire a rethinking of preventative and therapeutic approaches.
The relation between neocortical serotonin 2A receptor binding and neuroticism in the risk for developing depression in healthy individuals: a BrainDrugs study
Authors: Sankar Anjali , Ziersen Simon , Ozenne Brice , Dam Vibeke , Beaman Emily , Kessing Lars , Fisher Patrick , Budtz-Jørgensen Esben , Knudsen Gitte , Miskowiak Kamilla , Frokjaer Vibe
Published: August 2023

The serotonin 2A receptor (5HT2AR) and personality factors indexing stress coping mechanisms are implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. Cross-sectional studies performed in individuals with high familial risk for depression suggest that the coupling between 5-HT2AR and the inward-directed facets of neuroticism may be associated with a risk for depression. This study aimed to build a risk model for first-episode depression in healthy individuals based on serotonergic and personality biomarkers and utilizing up to 19 years of longitudinal data on depression. Such a model could have potential implications for identifying high-risk individuals for early preventative interventions. In this study, 131 healthy volunteers completed an [18F]altanserin positron emission tomography scan to measure 5-HT2AR binding and personality assessment of neuroticism, as part of research studies conducted between 2000-2008. Following study participation, information on future diagnoses of depression was obtained until 2019 from the Danish National Health Registers. Cause-specific Cox regression was used to investigate the hypothesis that neocortical 5-HT2AR binding in interaction with the inward-directed facets of neuroticism (neuroticisminward) would be associated with a risk of developing depression. The study found a significant positive interaction between neocortical 5HT2AR binding and neuroticisminward (p=0.018) such that individuals with high 5-HT2AR binding and high neuroticisminward scores had the highest risk for developing depression. In conclusion, the study provides a novel risk model for first-episode depression. Healthy individuals who have the personality phenotype of high neuroticisminward along with the serotonergic phenotype of high 5-HT2AR binding may be at the greatest risk for developing depression in the future.
High-alert medications errors in a Critical Care Unit
Authors: Pintado-Delgado Maria-Consuelo , Sánchez-Navarro Isabel-María , Baldominos-Utrilla Gemma
Published: August 2023

Purpose To describe the voluntarily reported medications errors related to high-alert medications (HAM) in an adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU).Methods Retrospective observational study. We reviewed all the ICU medications errors related to HAMs reported to intranet-accessible, anonymous adverse event –reporting program by healthcare professionals over 36 months.Results Of the 268 medication errors reported, 102 (38.0%) were related to HAMs. Insulin (19.6%), followed of adrenergic agonist (15.7%), were the most frequent drug class associated with medication error. Prescription errors (54.0%) were the most frequent type of error, mainly related to the use of verbal orders that were not prescribed. Most of the reported medication error (63.7%) did not result in harm to the patient, being the alterations of plasma glucose levels the most frequent harm. All reported damages were transient and resolved with treatment, but all, of them prolonged the stay in ICU.Conclusion Medications errors related to HAMs in UCI are frequent, up to 38% of all the medications errors notified. In our study, most of them were related to insulin and adrenergic agonist. Although in most cases they are not related to permanent damage or death, in 34.3% of them there is an increase in ICU stay.
Single-cell RNA-sequencing analyses along with abundant machine learning methods develop and validate a novel metabolism-related prognostic model in SKCM
Authors: Wang Daiyue , Chen Jiajie , Cao Lu , Luo Sihan , Fang Yuanyuan , Ge Huiyao , Yong Liang , Liu Shengxiu
Published: August 2023

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is a fatal form of skin cancer. Metabolic-related genes (MRGs) are a set of genes which can mediate and control all of metabolic related pathways. In this study, the expression levels of MRGs were used to classify all patients into three molecular subtypes. Then the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among the three MRGs molecular clusters were applied into the LASSO and COX regression analysis to identify five signature genes. Moreover, we constructed a prognostic model for forecasting the prognosis of SKCM and assess the response of the SKCM patients to immunotherapy according to the signature genes. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analyses are used to explore the expression of the five signature genes in immune or non-immune cells. Notably, different expression levels of the signature genes between normal melanocytes and SKCM cells were determined using in vitro experiments including western blot (WB), quantitative PCR (qPCR) and immunohistochemical (IHC) methods. In addition, silencing the expression of SLC5A3 in SKCM cells using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) would inhibit the proliferation and migration of cells which could be observed by the EdU Fluorescence Labeling, CCK8 and cell transfection methods.
Extrapolation methods for solving hypersingular integral equation of the first kind
Authors: Li Jin
Published: August 2023

The hypersingular integral equation has been studied widely in boundary element methods, especially in natural boundary element methods. The asymptotic expansion of error function of composite rectangle rule for the computation of Hadamard finite-part integrals with the hypersingular kernel 1/ sin 2 (x − s) is obtained. Extrapolation algorithm is constructed. In order to solve the hypersin-gular integral equation, the superconvergence point is taken as the collocation point, then the extrapolation algorithm is presented and the convergence rate of extrapolation algorithm for hypersingular integral equation is presented. At last, some numerical results are also illustrated to confirm the theoretical results and show the efficiency of the algorithms. dt − 4f (s) cot ϵ 2 } (3) The equivalent of (2) and (3) can be similarly obtained in [32]. The composite middle rectangle rule is still valid when the singular point is located at the middle rectangle of each subintervals, in the words, the superconvergence phenomenon of the middle rectangle rule appears at this moment, we obtain the error expansion of the error functional. Moreover, we apply the asymptotic expansion results to construct a algorithm scheme for solving hypersingular integral equations.
MSC Classification: 65D05 65M70.
Study on the critical force range of magnetic compression anastomosis in rabbit intestinal tissue
Authors: Chen Ruomeng , Zhao Guangbin , Fang Ao
Published: August 2023

Purpose
Magnetic compression anastomosis is a new type of anastomosis that can replace traditional manual suture in the reconstruction of digestive tract anastomosis. One of the important prerequisites for the precise mechanical design of the magnamosis device is to obtain the critical compressive stress for ischemic necrosis of the lumen tissue. Although it is difficult to directly observe the deformation and closure of blood vessels in intestinal tissue under magnetic compression, the external manifestation is tissue necrosis. Therefore, the relationship between vascular deformation and crushing stress can be established by studying the necrosis degree of intestinal tissue under stress.
Methods
Magnets with different magnetic force groups (0.3、0.4、0.6、0.7、1.0 and 1.2N ) were implanted into each rabbit to form intestinal tissue side-to-side anastomoses. Three experimental press areas were placed for each rabbit. Thirty-six rabbits were euthanized on each of postoperative day 3, day 5 and day 7. Anastomoses were then harvested and compared with respect to direct observation and histology.
Results
By analyzing the healing state of the tissue in the anastomosis area and the necrosis of the tissue in the anastomotic area, the 0.3N tissue was basically not necrotic, and the 0.4N tissue began to become necrotic, and there was almost no difference between the two specimens at 7 days, and both showed slight healing. Therefore, 0.3N-0.4N is determined as the optimal compressive force range. According to the bottom surface of the magnet device, and the corresponding critical compressive range was 0.88×10− 2 − 1.17×10− 2MPa.
Conclusions
Through magnetic compression anastomosis experiment of intestinal tissue in rabbits, the critical compressive stress range of intestinal tissue was obtained was 0.88×10− 2 − 1.17×10− 2MPa.
A ultra wideband plasmonic reflector based on local resonant bandgap and Bragg bandgap
Authors: Chen San , Fang Liang , Liu Jianqiang , Wu Shan
Published: August 2023

Unlike previous reports that utilized periodic modulation of insulation layer thickness or dielectrics, we propose the use of split ring resonators and their arrays to modulate the propagation characteristics of MIM plasmon waveguides. Due to the strong resonance backscattering of SRR, resonance transmission valleys appear in the transmission spectra of MIM waveguides. Changing the size of SRR can achieve continuously adjustable positions of resonance transmission valleys. The introduction of SRRs periodic arrays will result in two bands (bandgaps) with transmission minimum in the transmission spectra. Combining the dependence of the two bandgaps on the array period and the field distribution, the two bandgaps are Bragg bandgaps and local resonance bandgaps, respectively. By modulating the local resonance bandgap, the Bragg bandgap can be tuned. The introduction of local bandgap increases the degree of freedom to modulate the transmission characteristics of MIM waveguides. Combining local resonant bandgap and Bragg bandgap can significantly increase the reflection bandwidth, achieve broadband filtering, and facilitate the miniaturization of waveguide devices.
Evaluating low impact development of Urban rainwater management at the watershed scale
Authors: Zhang Wei , Meng Yaoyao , Xue Lifang
Published: August 2023

Rapid urbanization has led to ecological problems such as urban stormwater disasters and water pollution, and Low Impact Development (LID) has been proven to be an effective urban stormwater management technique. This study simulated the regulation of runoff volume and pollutants by means of LID stormwater control measures using the Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) in the Sanba River Watershed of Xuzhou City. The results show that after setting up LID measures according to the requirements of sponge city construction in Jiangsu Province and Xuzhou City, surface runoff from the watershed can be adjusted to decrease by about 75% while both infiltration and final storage increase. LID also has a good effect on water purification, with reduction rates of TP and TN of about 35% and 32%, respectively. This study can provide technical support for improving urban rainwater management, deepening the resource utilization of urban rainwater, and building a livable-landscape-ecological city.
Initial non-invasive in vivo sensing of the lung using time domain diffuse optics
Authors: Pifferi Antonio , Miniati Massimo , Farina Andrea , Sekar Sanathana Konugolu Venkata , Lanka Pranav , Mora Alberto Dalla , Maffeis Giulia , Taroni Paola
Published: August 2023

Non-invasive in vivo sensing of the lung with light would help diagnose and monitor pulmonary disorders (caused by e.g., emphysema, immature lung tissue in infants, Covid-19). We investigated the possibility to probe the lung with time domain diffuse optics, taking advantage of the increased depth (few cm) reached by photons detected after a long (few ns) propagation time. An initial study on 5 healthy volunteers included time-resolved broadband diffuse optical spectroscopy measurements at 3 cm source-detector distance over the 600-1100 nm range, and long-distance (7-9 cm) measurements at 820 nm performed during a breathing protocol. The interpretation of the in vivo data with a simplified homogeneous model yielded a maximum probing depth of 2.6-3.9 cm, suitable to reach the lung. Also, signal changes related to the inspiration act were observed, especially at long photon propagation times. Yet, intra- and inter-subject variability and inconsistencies, possibly alluring to competing scattering and absorption effects, prevented a straightforward interpretation. Aspects to be further investigated to gain a deeper insight are discussed.
Effect of Different Beverages on the Elastic Properties of NiTi Orthodontic Wires: An In-Vitro Study
Authors: Aldayel Eyad Saud A , Tashkandi Nada Esam A
Published: August 2023

Objective
To investigate the effects of 8 different beverages (coffee, energy drink, milk, mineral water, orange juice, soft drink, tea and orange soda) on elastic properties of Nickel Titanium (NiTi) orthodontic archwires.
Materials and Methods
In this in-vitro study, 0.016x0.022 NiTi archwires were assigned to different immersion groups. The archwires were immersed in the corresponding solution for 5 minutes per week for a 12-week period. After immersion, all wires were tested for their physical properties using 3-point bending test to determine the maximum loading, flexural strength and strain, and modulus of elasticity.
Results
A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in mean max load between groups was found with the control group having higher values than all immersed groups. Flexure stress, flexure strain and modulus of elasticity showed a statistically significant difference between the groups with the control group, again, having the highest value.
Conclusion
This study’s findings found a significant change after the immersion of the wires in flexural strength, strain, and other mechanical properties. The orthodontist must educate the patient regarding the adverse effect of these drinks and be aware of the potential effects on NiTi properties when left in the mouth for extended periods.
Clinical relevance:
Investigating the potential effects of commonly consumed beverages on NiTi archwires can help the clinician in understanding the possible consequences of using the same NiTi archwire for multiple activation visits.
Characterization of Tropical forests at community level-Spectra Vs. Phenology Vs. Structure
Authors: Singhal Jayant , Rajwadi Ankur , Malek Gulzar , Nagar P. S. , Rajashekar G. , Reddy C. Sudhakar , Sriva S. K.
Published: August 2023

Since the inception of satellite remote sensing as a technology, characterization of forests has been one of the major application of it. Characterization of forests at Species level is essential for sustainable management of biodiversity. Recent advancements in remote sensing as a technology has enable us to observe not only the reflectance spectra of forests from space, but also their phenology and structure. In this study Earth Observation (EO) datasets were divided into 3 parts namely spectral data, structural and phenological data. Random forest algorithm was applied on the 3 sets of EO data and field inventory-based tree community classes to generate tree community maps of Purna wildlife sanctuary. Classification accuracy achieved from spectral datasets (79.08% to 87.23%) was more than phenological dataset (80.94%) which was more than structural datasets (74.11% to 81.49%). A model with combination of predictors from the 3 datasets increased the classification accuracy to 90.29%. Some salient findings of this study are 1) in general with the current sensors the accuracies achieved for tree community mapping is Spectral datasets> Phenological datasets> Structural datasets 2) Significant increase in accuracy can be achieved by combining the three datasets 3) In case of spectral datasets, the last image before the start of monsoon season gave the best accuracy 4) In the case of spectral datasets, relatively modern spectral bands contributed significantly more to the model as compared to trivial bands.
A context-aggregated attention model for predicting KRAS mutation status in colorectal cancer
Authors: Gu Chunxia , Zhao Lin , Du Chenting , Miao Yu , Zhang Linan , Yang Qianqian , Zhao Juanjuan , Qiang Yan , Zhao Qinghua , Yu Xiao
Published: August 2023

Purpose: Accurate identification of kratom sarcoma(KRAS) gene mutation status is of great significance for prognosis and treatment response in colorectal cancer. However, MRI images of colorectal cancer suffer from complex background, variable shape of the same type of lesion, and current network models do not conform to end-to-end learning, so accurate identification of KRAS gene mutation status is still challenging.
Methods: In this research, we propose a Context-Aggregated Attention Model(CAAM) for predicting KRAS mutation status in colorectal cancer. The model's general framework comprises a segmentation framework and a classification framework, where segmentation aids in the classification process. Initially, the pre-processed MRI images are fed into the modified TransUNet to generate segmentation feature maps. These segmented feature maps are then combined with the preprocessed image to create a bootstrap feature map. The bootstrap feature map guides Mask-Guided Module(MGM) and the Contextual Aggregation Convolution module(CAC) to derive the final classification results. To train the network, we employ a combined loss function that incorporates both segmentation and classification losses.
Results: We trained the network using a ten-fold cross-validation method and evaluated our model using the T2-weighted MRI dataset. The experiments demonstrated that our model achieved an accuracy of 87.56% on the test dataset, outperforming the results of the comparative experiments.
Conclusion: The results indicate that our proposed context-aggregated attention model can provide new perspectives and approaches for the auxiliary treatment of colorectal cancer.
A Leader Follower Algorithm Based Path Navigation Approach for Multiple Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Mukherjee Subhradip , Kumar Rajagopal , Borah Siddhanta
Published: August 2023

Multi-agent path navigation in unknown environments is a challenging task where an effective device-to-device communication-based algorithm needs to be designed with minimum error. A leader-follower algorithm has been proposed in this literature for multi-agent communication. The proposed algorithm has improved the percentage deviation in travel time and the percentage deviation in path length. The proposed algorithm is designed in two parts. One part is for leader path navigation, and the other is used to update the followers. The obstacle avoidance mechanism is used in the first part of the algorithm. The computation speed of the algorithm is mainly dependent on the guidance that the leader provides to the follower agent. Path update from the leader side to the follower side is the most important task in this proposed method. One leader and two follower agents were considered in simulation environments to establish the feasibility of the algorithm. In the simulation, each follower agent was made to commute with a few seconds' time gap after the leader had started. After several simulations, the proposed approach has a 2.82% average deviation in travel time and a 31% average deviation in path length. The average success rate of the proposed technique in different environments was found equal to 66%. Studies show that the accuracy of this technique is more than 54% on average.
Iterative dynamics-based mesh discretisation for multi-scale coastal ocean modelling
Authors: Old Christopher , Sellar Brian , Angeloudis Athanasios
Published: August 2023

Flow in coastal waters contains multi-scale flow features that are generated by flow-separation, shear-layer instabilities, and bottom roughness. Depending on the target application, coastal ocean modelling needs to adequately resolve certain key coherent flow features pertinent to the study objectives. Insufficient model resolution of key hydrodynamics can diffuse their structure, leading to a potential misrepresentation of the system hydraulics. As the community adopts the use of unstructured models where mesh convergence analysis becomes more nuanced, modellers would benefit from the definition of an appropriate mesh density. This would allow the support of the necessary spatial gradients for the target flow features, while enabling a compromise between mesh resolution and computational cost of a model. It is this problem we seek to address. Thus we propose an iterative mesh design strategy, inspired by hydro-kinetic resource assessment, that uses modelled dynamics and a target number of elements to constrain mesh density. The method is generic allowing any quantity derived from the model output to be used to set the constraint. We consider the cases of steady and transient flow past the same idealised headland, providing dynamic responses that are pertinent to multi-scale ocean modelling. This study demonstrates the capability of an iterative approach to define mesh density that concentrates mesh resolution in areas of interest subject to specific model forcing, and we discuss opportunities and challenges for robustly establishing model resolution in multi-scale coastal ocean models.
Spectroscopic and Surface Wetting Properties of Samarium Doped Lead-Tellurite Glass Embedded with Titanium Nanoparticles: Self-Cleaning Glass
Authors: Hamad Hiwa L. , Mawlud Saman Q.
Published: August 2023

Two series of samarium doped lead-tellurite glass embedded with titanium nanoparticles (Ti NPs) of different compositions (60-x) TeO2 -30PbO-10ZnO-xSm2O3 (x = 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 mol%) and (58.5-x) TeO2-30PbO-10ZnO-1.5Sm2O3-xTiO2 (x = 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, 1.5mol %) were prepared using conventional melt quenching technique. The existence of a broad hump XRD pattern verifies the amorphous nature of glasses. The homogeneous distribution and growth of spherical and non-spherical Ti NPs (average diameter ~11.11±0.13 nm) in the glassy matrix are evidenced from the TEM analyses. The HRTEM confirmed the presence of Ti NPs by measuring the lattice spacing of Ti NPs, which is found to be 0.211nm. The UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectra reveal nine bands corresponding to the transition from ground state 6H5/2 to excited states 4I13/2, 4I11/2, 6F11/2, 6F9/2, 6F7/2, 6F5/2, 6F3/2, 6H15/2, and 6F1/2, the most intense hypersensitive bands are F9/2, 6F7/2, 6F5/2 and 6F3/2. The down conversion corresponding to Sm3+ ions transitions under 404 nm excitation reveals four emission bands centered at 548nm, 583nm, 628nm, and 692 nm related to the transitions 4G5/2 → 6H5/2, 4G5/2 → 6H7/2, 4G5/2 → 6H9/2, and 4G5/2 → 6H11/2, respectively. The highest transition band relative intensity to the other transition bands is 4G5/2 →6H7/2, and the intensity of 4G5/2 →6H11/2 is the lowest. Additionally, the glass sample TPZST3 with 0.9 mol% of TiO2 NPs possesses the greatest WCA of 105.24o which means that the TPZST3 has a hydrophobic nature, this suggests that TPZST3 can be a good candidate for developing self-cleaning glasses applications.
"I got what I want!": Personalized Authentic Topic Ebooks on COVID-19 for Chinese Language Learners and Teachers
Authors: Xiao Qinqin , Zhou Xiaofei , Gong Yunfan , Yong Zhuorui
Published: August 2023

Diverse learners' backgrounds necessitate bilingual (Mandarin and Cantonese) and biliterate (simplified and traditional characters) personal switching in Chinese language education. Authentic language learning materials bring fresh topics that connect learners with the real world and awaken their interest in language learning. In this study, IntroCOVID-19 ebooks were designed to provide an introduction to the disease, depict the stories happening during the pandemic, and allow students and teachers to select phonics and characters based on their individual needs. Customized IntroCOVID-19 incorporates five modalities that can increase students' interest in language learning: texts, images, audios, animations, and instant interactions. To examine the usability, a user study was conducted with 33 Chinese language learners and 20 teachers. Findings confirm that personalized IntroCOVID-19 ebooks enable linguistically diverse learners' conceptual understanding of COVID-19, engage learners with authentic learning, and assist teachers with less technological background to teach language that meets students' different needs.