bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
De la protraction en maya?
Authors: Hoppan Jean-Michel , Schwer Sylviane
Published: April 2021

Overcounting is a neologism which was proposed in the late XXth century to define « the operation that designates a number by its orientation towards a boundary ». With a few examples taken from Asiatic languages, Mayan numerations from Central America are generally given as representative of this uncommon type of linguistic operation to build words for numbers.

However, our analysis of the operative pattern in this kind of Mayan numeration (which has cohabited for many centuries with a more simply additive type of number construction) as well as the analysis of the data from pre-hispanic times and the colonial period brought us to question this definition, at least for Mayan languages. Our study indeed shows that the so-called “overcounting” system in Mayan numerations, if it was definitely present there a long time before the Europeans, was strongly associated to an aspect of the comput that sets to work an “encapsulation” of the vigesimal scores and where a number is actually not designated for its orientation towards the higher boundary but where the aim is to process in a non-linear way following an “encapsulation of the numerical knots” and looking for a retrograde anteriority.
Numération et repérage temporel en inuktitut du Nunavik
Authors: Mahieu Marc-Antoine
Published: April 2021

Although the Inuit numeration system has no structural limits, its actual use is limited to concrete situations where the quantities involved are small. In Inuktitut (Inuit dialects of the Canadian Eastern Arctic), this system has traditionally had very little use in measuring the passage of time. As a result of contact with Westerners, the situation has partially changed, as shown by the expression of the days of the week and the time of the day. This article presents the essential data relevant to the dialect of Nunavik (Arctic Quebec).
From Pariah To Patriot: The Posthumous Career Of George William Gordon
Authors: Johnson Howard
Published: April 2021

Examines the development of the reputation of George William Gordon in Jamaican collective remembering, in relation to changing social, political, and cultural contexts. Author describes Gordon's mixed-raced/brown background and later parliamentary activities in support of poor black labourers, and how he was sentenced to death by governor Eyre for supposedly inciting the 1865 Morant Bay Rebellion led by Paul Bogle. He relates how Gordon was in British historiography depicted as a traitor, while soon after 1865 Gordon was also defended as martyr and hero, and as unjustly sentenced. He shows how up to the early 20th c. the establishment perspective of Gordon as traitor and agitator persisted, but that competing discourses also developed. These came more to the fore since the introduction of universal adult suffrage in 1944, when Gordon first was publicly recognized as a patriot, and he was increasingly seen as national hero after independence. In addition, Gordon was presented, e.g. by the JLP, as a symbol of brown-black cooperation across race and class. Author notes, however, how this was also contested, and that a reputational decline of Gordon set in since the 1980s, increasing after 1992, due to sharpened brown-black divides, related to economic decline among Jamaica's black majority and black nationalism.
Understanding a modern antique: challenges to representing Rastafari in the twenty-first century
Authors: Homiak John P.
Published: April 2021

Drawing increasingly upon digital technologies and the internet to assert a sense of community even as they cultivate an austere biblical persona, adherents of Rastafari can be thought of as simultaneously modern and antique. Their claim to antiquity is grounded in a collectively professed African-Ethiopian identity that has not only resisted the ravages of enslavement, colonialism, and European cultural domination but is seen to transcend local differences of culture and language. Theirs is a way of life organized around theocratic principles that begin with a recognition of the divine in all peoples and as the basis of all human agency. Rastafari assert the universal relevance of these principles to the conditions of modernity even as they persistently claim social justice on behalf of all peoples of African descent exploited by colonialism and the prevailing global capitalist-imperialist system. Based on these general themes, the Rastafari movement has come to represent a large-scale cultural phenomenon that has long since burst the chains of its colonial containment in Jamaica. From the late 1960s onward it has spread throughout the Caribbean and the Central and South American rimland to the major metropoles of North America and Europe as well as to many sites on the African continent.
Justice Seeking is Joy Seeking: The Formation of Faith-Informed, Community-Focused, Critical Consciousness in Adolescents
Authors: Hooker David Anderson , Corrie Elizabeth W. , Toure Itihari
Published: April 2021

Seeking justice, understanding what makes for peace and pursuing it, these are integral aspects of the pursuit of the Good Life. In this chapter three youth and community development experts make the case that 1) a vital aspect of development is empowering adolescents with a faith-informed, community-focused, critical consciousness; 2) young people are formed in community and joy cannot be fully experienced except communally and in the pursuit of JustPeace; and 3) the church has opportunities to intervene at critical junctures in youth formation to help them see the importance of pursuing communal JustPeace for their own ability to live the Good Life. In support of these claims, a framework of radical Identity is postulated and two practices—the Eight Bowls of Life Ceremony for generational identity marking and the Game of Life, part of a three-week intentional community of the Youth Theological Initiative (yti) – are presented. Each practice contributes to formation of justice-seeking identities in adolescents as integral aspects of preparation for the life-long pursuit of God’s joy, God’s good life, and even God’s salvation.
Shared Emotions and the Body
Authors: Thonhauser Gerhard
Published: April 2021

According to individualism about feelings, only individuals can experience feelings, because only individuals live under the condition of embodiment. Assuming a necessary link between emotions and feelings thus seems to justify doubt about the possibility of shared emotions. I challenge this line of argumentation by showing that feelings are best understood as enactments of a feeling body, which is a psycho-physically neutral expressive unity. Based on the body’s embeddedness into a world and connectedness with others, feelings are perceivable and shareable. Accordingly, dynamics of mutual incorporation and interaffectivity are shown to be the ground for shared feelings.
Preaching to the Coast (Mark 4: 1 )
Authors: Derrett J. Duncan M.
Published: April 2021

The article explores the significance of Jesus’ preaching to the crowds beside the Sea of Galilee in the gospel of Mark in the light of OT references to the coastlands and to the mixed multitude in Ex. 12:38. Passages from Isaiah prove that coastlands, such as the shore of the Lake, will receive the Messiah’s message.
Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth: The Uncertain Soteriology of the Scofield Reference Bible
Authors: Gribben Crawford
Published: April 2021

Despite formulating an alternative reading of redemptive history, the Scofield Reference Bible was unable to finally repudiate the theology of biblical covenants which had previously dominated Reformed thought. Scofield’s manipulation of the covenants stood in tension with his theology of dispensations, and accounts for many of the most important innovations in the system of his thought. This article seeks to balance the neglect of Scofield’s covenant theology.
Biblical Anthropology and the Intermediate State: Part II
Authors: Edgar Brian
Published: April 2021

While there has always been a tradition of theoanthropological dualism involving a disembodied, intermediate state, this tradition is neither as widespread nor as theologically central as it is often claimed. While there is clearly evidence for the intermediate state throughout the history of the church its significance has been over-stated and it has continued as a possibility primarily because it has appeared to be a philosophically logical necessity. In Part II of this article this process of deduction is illustrated with examples from medieval and modern proponents of the intermediate state. In the modern era dualism has been challenged by monistic theoanthropologies. The contrast of monist and dualist anthropologies has been accentuated because the modern paradigm, under the influence of Cartesianism, has exaggerated the dualism which has existed and produced an even more radical dichotomy of body and soul. An examination of Cooper’s recent double defence of the intermediate state and anthropological dualism shows that his concepts are firmly bound to Newtonian notions of time and eternity. Finally, it is argued that any dualist eschatological anthropology and the intermediate state also has difficulties establishing satisfactory concepts of the nature of the radical nature of death, the totality of the resurrection and the value and place of the body in human life. It is argued that it is preferable to view post-mortem life from a non-temporal perspective with the person understood as entering ‘immediately’ into eternal life, complete and whole, with every dimension of their being resurrected and transformed. As such, the believer never exists as a divided entity or a bodiless soul.
Luther and Calvin on Rape: Is the Crime Lost in the Agenda?
Authors: Parsons Michael
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this essay is to examine comments by Luther and Calvin on the rape narratives of the Old Testament against recent criticism that the Church has never really taken the crimes of abuse and rape seriously enough. Marie Fortune, whose criticism it is, questions the reason for the church’s apparent reticence in being clearly and unreservedly against these crimes. It is hoped that even limited reflection may suggest at least some understanding. It is found that for various reasons the logic of the reformers’ exposition actually directs them away from the crucial event of abuse. That logic, itself, is examined and questioned, suggesting its weakness – both exegetically and socially. It portrays a marred paradigm that the church today needs to reject.
Robert Baker Girdlestone and ‘God’s own Book’
Authors: Atherstone Andrew
Published: April 2021

Robert Baker Girdlestone (1836-1923), first Principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, was a typical conservative biblical scholar of his generation. This paper examines his attitude to the Bible, which he called ‘God’s own Book’. It considers the ways in which his approach to scripture determined his views on major issues of the day, in particular church partisanship, Roman Catholicism and ritualism, biblical study and ‘Higher Criticism’. Girdlestone is shown to have encouraged serious scholarship, aiming to ‘combine sound learning with humble piety’, although his researches and his belief that Christ’s statements concerning the Old Testament were infallible, led him to traditional conclusions about the age, authorship and accuracy of scripture.
Living as Christ Crucified: The Cross as a Foundation for Christian Ethics in 1 Corinthians
Authors: Williams H. H. Drake
Published: April 2021

The cross of Christ has been well recognized as providing a foundation for Christian beliefs throughout the ages. The cross is also becoming increasingly recognized as providing a general foundation for Christian ethics. This study explores the specific role that the cross plays for some of Paul’s ethical instructions within 1 Corinthians. It notes that the cross plays a recognizable role in Paul’s instruction for unity, Christian stewardship, community exclusion, civil litigation, weak and strong brothers, and the Lord’s Supper. In these exhortations, the cross is also regularly associated with ideas concerning Christian unity, self-sacrifice, and the Christian’s future hope.
The Christadelphians and the Doctrine of the Trinity
Authors: Clementson Julian
Published: April 2021

This article, by a former Christadelphian, asks how evangelicals can help Christadelphians understand the doctrine of the Trinity. After a brief introduction to the Christadelphian community and a survey of its doctrine of Christ and the Holy Spirit, we evaluate that doctrine with reference to the New Testament and to systematic considerations. We conclude that neither dogmatic formulae nor popular language used to describe the Trinity are helpful to Christadelphians, and that there are more constructive alternatives. We see that both Christadelphians and trinitarians need to compare their faith, not simply with the ancient creeds, but ultimately with the earliest Christian experience implied by the New Testament use of trinitarian language.
Is Cornelius Van Til’s Apologetic Method Christian, or Merely Theistic?
Authors: Johnson John J.
Published: April 2021

This paper compares J. W. Montgomery’s evidentialist approach to apologetics to Cornelius Van Til’s presuppositional approach. My position is that Van Til’s system is only theistic; it may support the existence of ‘God,’ but it does not prove the existence of the Christian God. In fact, Van Til’s method could just as easily be used by a Muslim apologist to assert the validity of Islam. This is because Van Til refuses to allow objective evidence to have any place in Christian apologetics. Because of this, he offers the non-theist no way of judging between the truth claims of Christianity and other religions. In fact, the most powerful weapon in the Christian apologist’s arsenal, the resurrection of Christ, cannot be used in an effective manner. This is in direct contradiction to the New Testament itself, where the resurrection is often used evidentially to validate the Christian faith.
A further note on Reading and Writing in the Time of Jesus
Authors: Head Peter M.
Published: April 2021

The discovery of a collection of over 1800 stamped clay bullae from the mid second century BC at a Galilean site provides further evidence to supplement the case in A. Millard, Reading and Writing in the Time of Jesus, for the prevalence of reading and writing skills in the area.
Millettia lantsangensis is conspecific with Cruddasia insignis (Fabaceae)

Authors: SONG ZHU-QIU , PAN BO , LI BING , XU DONGXIAN , LI SHIJIN
Published: April 2021

Millettia lantsangensis Z.Wei was described within the tribe Millettieae on the basis of one fruiting and two flowering gatherings from Yunnan Province, China. Our critical examination shows that these gatherings are mixed and represent two distinct species from two different tribes. The fruiting specimens have woody branches, terminal infructescences and inflated pods, closely resembling Callerya sphaerosperma (Z. Wei) Z. Wei & Pedley from the same tribe, while the flowering collections have soft and herbaceous branches, axillary pseudoracemes and wart-like brachyblasts, and belong to Cruddasia insignis Prain from the tribe Phaseoleae. Because one of the flowering specimens was indicated as the type of Millettia lantsangensis, this is here reduced to a synonym of Cruddasia insignis. The genus Cruddasia Prain was previously reported only from Myanmar and Thailand, and is therefore a new genus record for the flora of China.
Begonia microinduta (Begoniaceae) a new species from the Atlantic Coastal Forest in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

Authors: MIRANDA MARCELO DIAS
Published: April 2021

Begonia microinduta, a new species of  Begonia sect. Pritzelia from the Atlantic Coastal Forest of Brazil is described and illustrated with detailed field photographs. This species is similar to B. windischii and B. lorenzii by having three tepals on pistillate flowers, staminate flowers with pilose dorsal surface, short peduncled inflorescences, very short inflorescence ramification and persistent floral bracts. It differs from B. windischii in its petiole indumentum, which is covered with short microscopic trichomes throughout (vs. sparsely pilose in the upper third with villous trichomes, with a trichome necklace at the base of the petiole and in the apex) and differs from B. lorenzii by having microscopic (vs. villous) trichomes, glabrous (vs. pubescent) adaxial leaf surface and glabrous (vs. pubescent) fruits.
Three new combinations and one lectotypification of fern and lycophyte taxa from the French overseas territories

Authors: ROUHAN GERMINAL , BOULLET VINCENT , FIELD ASHLEY , SCHUETTPELZ ERIC
Published: April 2021

With the exception of French Guiana and Adélie Land, the French Overseas Territories (FOTs) are islands and their biodiversity is remarkable in many ways. Notably, they harbour numerous unique taxa leading to exceptionally high rates of endemism. Among French endemic plants, 95% occur in the FOTs, accounting for ca. 4000 species of tracheophytes and ‘bryophytes’ (Gargominy et al. 2020).
Pseudotomentella badjelanndana, Pseudotomentella sorjusensis and Tomentella viridibasidia—three new corticioid Thelephorales species from the Scandes Mountains

Authors: SVANTESSON STEN , LARSSON KARL-HENRIK , LARSSON ELLEN
Published: April 2021

One Tomentella and two Pseudotomentella species are described from alpine areas of Sweden and Norway. Tomentella viridibasidia sp. nov. is genetically closely related to T. bryophila, but is morphologically most similar to T. olivascens and T. stuposa. Pseudotomentella badjelanndana sp. nov. and P. sorjusensis sp. nov. belong to the P. tristis group. At least P. sorjusensis must currently be regarded as morphologically cryptic with P. rotundispora. Basidiomata of the new species have only been encountered in the Scandes Mountains, but root-tip and soil sequences indicate that all three are geographically widespread. An updated key to the Pseutomentella tristis group is provided.
Ignatovia, a new replacement name for Lazarenkoa Ignatov & Ignatova (Leskeaceae, Bryophyta)

Authors: DESHMUKH UMAKANT BHOOPATI
Published: April 2021

A Bryophyte genus Lazarenkoa Ignatov & Ignatova (2019:227), family Leskeaceae Schimp.(1856:109) was described by Ignatov et al. (2019) on the basis of recent morphological and molecular results obtained by the plant species collected from region Primorsky Territory of Russia. Currently, genus Lazarenkoa Ignatov & Ignatova is monotypic having single species Lazarenkoa microphylla Ignatov & Ignatova (2019:227) and endemic to Russia. Unfortunately, this newly described Bryophyte genus Lazarenkoa Ignatov & Ignatova is a later homonym of Ukrainian Ascomycetes fungi genus Lazarenkoa Zerova (1938:170). Genus Lazarenkoa Zerova, is a monotypic with single species Lazarenkoa selaginellae Zerova (1938:170) belonging to the class Dothideomycetes Erikss. & Winka. (1997:5) described from shoot apices of Selaginella sibirica [Milde(1867:262)] Hieron(1900:290).
Redescriptions and new species in the ‘Austrosignum–Munnogonium’ complex sensu Just & Wilson (2007), mainly from the Southern Hemisphere (Crustacea: Isopoda: Paramunnidae)
Authors: JUST JEAN , WILSON GEORGE D.F.
Published: April 2021

Type material is used to illustrate and redescribe the following species in the paramunnid Austrosignum–Munnogonium complex (classification sensu Just and Wilson 2007): Cryosignum incisum (Richardson, 1908), Cryosignum latifrons (Menzies, 1962) comb. nov., Meridiosignum kerguelensis (Vanhöffen, 1914), Munnogonium falklandicum (Nordenstam, 1933), Munnogonium globifrons (Menzies, 1962), and Munnogonium tillerae (Menzies & Barnard, 1959,—topotypes). In addition, seven new species in the complex are described, Austrosignum pilosum, Austrosignum latum, Cryosignum nordenstami, Meridiosignum convexum, Meridiosignum macquariensis, Munnogonium longicaudatum, and Tethygonium monocuspis. Boreosignum Just and Wilson, 2007 is reported from Australia for the first time as Boreosignum specimens.                Keys to species in Austrosignum, Cryosignum, Meridiosignum, Munnogonium and Tethygonium are given. A summary of distribution with a list of all species in the complex including occurrence is presented.
Distribution, habitats, and redescription of the rare mite species Iphidonopsis sculptus Gwiazdowicz, 2004 (Mesostigmata: Ascidae)
Authors: MAKAROVA OLGA L. , MARCHENKO IRINA I. , LINDQUIST EVERT E.
Published: April 2021

Iphidonopsis sculptus Gwiazdowicz, 2004, is currently known only from the type locality in eastern Poland and a record in southwestern Finland (Huhta, 2016). Here, we record this species from twelve localities elsewhere (Europe, Siberia, Far East of Russia, Canada) indicating its broadly Holarctic geographical range. Another genus member, Iphidonopsis magnanalis (Ma & Yin, 1999), is known only from China. About half of Iphidonopsis sculptus records are associated with litter of coniferous or mixed forests, but the others, including samples with juveniles (deutonymphs), were found in bracket fungi or under tree bark. The finding of two adult females on a bark beetle, Dryocoetes affaber (Mannerheim) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), suggests a phoretic association, though members of the closely related genus Zerconopsis Hull, 1918 as well as of all of the subfamily Arctoseiinae are known only from phoretic dispersal by nematoceran dipterans. The morphology of adults and an immature instar (deutonymph) of I. sculptus is redescribed and newly described, respectively, and illustrated in detail. A subdivision of the subfamily Arctoseiinae Evans, 1963 into three tribes is proposed—Arctoseiini Evans, 1963 (including Arctoseius Thor, 1930 and Iphidozercon Berlese, 1903), Zerconopsini tribe n. (Zerconopsis Hull, 1918; Xenoseius Lindquist & Evans, 1965; and Iphidonopsis Gwiazdowicz, 2004), and Maxiniini tribe n. (Maxinia Lindquist & Makarova, 2012).
Eminepygia myanmarensis sp. nov., a new Earwig (Dermaptera) Nymph in Burmese Amber
Authors: CHEN XIN-YU , ZHANG HUA-CHUAN
Published: April 2021

A new fossil earwig nymph, Eminepygia myanmarensis gen. et sp. nov. (Pygidicranidae), from the mid-Cretaceous amber of Myanmar, is described and figured. Eminepygia myanmarensis gen. et sp. nov. can be readily distinguished from all other extinct and recent members of Dermaptera by the prominent bulges on the last three terga. Our new finding sheds further light on the diversity and morphological disparity of fossil dermapterans during the Late Mesozoic.
Construction of Intelligent Nano-Drug Delivery System for Targeting Extranodal Nasal Natural Killer/Thymus Dependent Lymphocyte
Authors: Zhang Xinyu , Wu Jun , Lin Dongjun
Published: April 2021

Extranodal nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma is highly aggressive and malignant. Owing to the lack of multi-center prospective controlled studies, there is not a unified standard for the current clinical best treatment model. In recent years, new nano-drug delivery systems have made great progress
in the field of tumor treatment. However, research on ENKTL is still in its infancy. The authors' previous research has proven that the dextran nano-drug delivery system can optimize and improve the in vivo pharmacokinetic behavior and anti-tumor effects of doxorubicin through interaction
with the reticuloendothelial system and the complex tumor microenvironment. At the same time, gemcitabine, which is commonly used in the clinical treatment of ENKTL, and cisplatin, which is a radiosensitizer, both contain free amino groups, which can be successfully grafted to aldehyde-based
natural polysaccharides. Therefore, based on the natural nano-drug carrier, we constructed a smart long-circulation drug delivery system that co-loaded gemcitabine and cisplatin and targeted ENKTL to achieve effective treatment of ENKTL under the dual treatment mode of chemotherapy and radiosensitization.
This project improves the radiosensitivity of ENKTL and overcomes the multi-drug resistance of chemotherapeutics through the radiotherapy-cooperative natural nano-drug delivery system and provides a new idea for the further development and optimization of ENKTL treatment programs.
Core–Shell Poly(l-lactic acid)-Hyaluronic Acid Nanofibers for Cell Culture and Pelvic Ligament Tissue Engineering
Authors: Di Zhang  , Huang Xiaobo , Wang Huaiming , Wei Yingqi , Yang Zifeng , Huang Rongkang , Liang Weiwen , Qin Xiusen , Guo Wentai , Ren Donglin , Jin Lin , Jiang Xianhan , Wang Hui
Published: April 2021

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) has become one of the most common serious diseases affecting parous women. Weakening of pelvic ligaments plays an essential role in the pathophysiology of POP. Currently, synthetic materials are widely applied for pelvic reconstructive surgery. However, synthetic
nondegradable meshes for POP therapy cannot meet the clinical requirements due to its poor biocompatibility. Herein, we fabricated electrospun core–shell nanofibers of poly(l-lactic acid)-hyaluronic acid (PLLA/HA). After that, we combined them with mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal
stem cells (mBMSCs) to assess the cellular response and pelvic ligament tissue engineering in vitro. The cellular responses on the composite nanofibers showed that the core–shell structure nanofibers displayed with excellent biocompatibility and enhanced cellular activity without
cytotoxicity. Moreover, compared with PLLA nanofibers seeded with mBMSCs, PLLA/HA nanofibers exhibited more cellular function, as revealed by the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) for pelvic ligament-related gene markers including Col1a1, Col1a3 and Tnc. These features
suggested that this novel core–shell nanofiber is promising in stem cell-based tissue engineering for pelvic reconstruction.
The Effect of Gold Nanoparticles Combined with High-Quality Nursing in Patients with Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Lv Shasha , Yang Ling , Wu Ruifei , Feng Xiaoxing
Published: April 2021

This study was established to study the effect of gold nanoparticles combined with high-quality nursing in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Under the condition of reflux, a nano gold strip was prepared. One hundred patients with AMI who were treated from April to September
2018 at our Hospital were selected for analysis, divided equally between the observation group and the control group. The associated responses of inflammation factors related to myocardial infarction were determined by molecular analysis. The levels of factors in patients with AMI were significantly
higher than those in healthy subjects (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that a nano gold strip can be used for diagnosing early myocardial infarction.
Action of miR-133b Targeting Kinesin Family Member 15 on Astrocyte Proliferation and Apoptosis
Authors: Mei Qin , Ye Lingjun , Lin Hao , Chen Chunyou
Published: April 2021

To determine the effect of miR-133b targeting Kif15 on astrocyte proliferation and apoptosis and its mechanism, miR-133b mimics were transfected to astrocytes. qRT-PCR was applied to test miR-133b levels to verify the transfection effect, and MTT was applied to test the action of miR-133b
overexpression on cellular proliferation activity. Flow cytometry was applied to test the action of miR-133b overexpression on the apoptosis rate. Western blot was adopted to detect miR-133b overexpression on cellular recombinant kinesin family member 15 (Kif15), Bcl2, and Bax protein. starBase
online software forecasts exhibited that 3′UTR of Kif15 have miR-133b binding sites. The targeting association between miR-133b and Kif15 was verified using a double-luciferase reporter gene assay. By comparison with the miR-con group, there was a reduction in astrocyte absorption values
and Bcl2 protein expression in the miR-133b group (P < 0.05) and an increase in the apoptosis rate and Bax protein expression level (P < 0.05). Kif15 was negatively regulated by miR-133b in astrocytes. The overexpression of Kif15 reversed the action of miR-133b on astrocyte
proliferation and apoptosis. Overexpression of miR-133b probably inhibited the proliferative activity of astrocytes and induced their apoptosis by targeting down-regulated Kif15 expression.
Effects of Transforming Growth Factor-/β 1 and Concentrated Growth Factor on Growth, Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation of Bone Marrow Stem Cells
Authors: Yu Bohan , Li Qin , Wang Fang
Published: April 2021

Objective: We aimed to explore the effects of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and concentrated growth factor (CGF) on growth, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs). Methods: CGF was extracted from
rat venous blood. BMSCs was isolated from rats. TGF-β1 or CGF was used to induced BMSCs to observe their effects on BMSCs. The expression levels of BMSCs surface antigens were detected by flow cytometry. ELISA was performed to test the expression of VEGF, TGF-β1, PDGF
and SDF-1 in BMSCs. qRT-PCR was carried out to test the expression of COL-I, OPN, OC and ALP in BMSCs. Transwell assay was used to detect the migration rates of BMSCs. The cell morphology of BMSCs was detected by Alizarin red staining. Results: BMSCs were successfully isolated from
rats. CGF could significantly increase the expression of TGF-β1, PDGF and VEGF in BMSCs. In addition, TGF-β1 and CGF notably increased the proliferation of BMSCs. And they not only improved the activity of ALD, but also increased the levels of ALP, OPN, COL-I and OCN
in BMSCs to prompt the growth of BMSCs. Conclusion: CGF combined with TGF-β1 could prompt the growth, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs.
Preparation and Characterization of Vancomycin-Loaded Microsphere Composite Scaffolds
Authors: Le Guo-Ping , Xi Li-Cheng , Zhai Jin-Min
Published: April 2021

Objective: To fabricate and characterize sustained release antibacterial microsphere composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Methods: First, poly(lactic acid glycolic acid) (PLGA) copolymer, chitosan (CS), and hyaluronic acid (HA) were used to prepare porous microspheres
by the emulsion method. Vancomycin (VA) hydrochloride was loaded onto the microspheres (VA@PLGA-CS-HA) for sustained release of drug, after which hydroxyapatite (HAP) was added (VA@PLGA-CS-HA/HAP). The detailed in vitro characterization of the antibacterial sustained-release microspheres
was performed using various techniques including the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay; hemolysis, osteogenic, and antibacterial experiments; scanning electron microscopy (SEM); and mechanical testing. Results: SEM showed that the sustained-release PLGA-CS-HA microspheres had a regular spherical
shape, and the composite scaffolds of VA@PLGA-CS-HA/HAP microspheres were compact in structure. The relative colony-forming unit was less than 3% after 14 d of intervention. Cytotoxicity testing revealed that the relative growth rate of MC3T3-E1 and MG-63 osteoblast cells was more than 80%
when the concentration of VA did not exceed 50 mg/mL. The mechanical strength of the scaffolds was comparable to that of human cancellous bone. The composite scaffolds enhanced the alkaline phosphatase activity of MG-63 cells and promoted the mRNA expression of osteogenic genes such as runt-related
transcription factor 2, osteocalcin, osteopontin, and collagen. Conclusion: VA@PLGA-CS-HA microspheres can control the slow and sustained release of VA in vitro. The VA@PLGA-CS-HA/HAP microsphere composite scaffolds has a slower degradation rate and good antibacterial and mechanical
properties in vitro.
CORSegNet: Deep Neural Network for Core Object Segmentation on Medical Images
Authors: Wai Yong Ching , Teo Kareen , Pingguan Murphy Belinda , Chai Hum Yan , Lai Khin Wee
Published: April 2021

In recent decades, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have delivered promising results in vision-related tasks across different domains. Previous studies have introduced deeper network architectures to further improve the performances of object classification, localization, and segmentation.
However, this induces the complexity in mapping network’s layer to the processing elements in the ventral visual pathway. Although CORnet models are not precisely biomimetic, they are closer approximations to the anatomy of ventral visual pathway compared with other deep neural networks.
The uniqueness of this architecture inspires us to extend it into a core object segmentation network, CORSegnet-Z. This architecture utilizes CORnet-Z building blocks as the encoding elements. We train and evaluate the proposed model using two large datasets. Our proposed model shows significant
improvements on the segmentation metrics in delineating cartilage tissues from knee magnetic resonance (MR) images and segmenting lesion boundary from dermoscopic images.
Research on Medical Image Denoising Algorithm Based on Deep Learning Image Quality Evaluation
Authors: Liao Qingtao
Published: April 2021

Improving the clarity of medical images is of great significance for doctors to quickly diagnose and analyze the disease. However, the existing image denoising algorithms largely depend on the size of the data set, the optimization effect of the loss function, and the difficulty in
adjusting the parameters. Therefore, a medical image denoising algorithm based on deep learning image quality evaluation is proposed. First, the convolution layer of the convolutional neural network and the output of the first full connection layer are used as the perception features. By stacking
the perception loss and pixel loss, and multiplying the perception loss by a certain weight, the low and high level loss fusion of the denoising network is realized, so that the restored image is more in line with human perception. Secondly, by introducing empty convolution into the denoising
network, the mixed expanded convolution kernel and the ordinary convolution kernel are used together in the first layer to increase the range of sensing field. Then, the feature extraction and the quality score regression are integrated into the same optimization process. Finally, the direct
training reconstructed image is transformed into a training noise filter, which reduces the training difficulty and speeds up the convergence of network parameters. The experimental results show that the PSNR and SSIM of the proposed method are 31.63 db and 89.15%, respectively. Compared with
other new image denoising methods, the proposed method can achieve better denoising effect.
Detection of Atrial Fibrillation and Normal Sinus Rhythm Using Multiple Machine Learning Classifiers
Authors: Majeed Fiaz , Asim Muhammad , Ali Abbas Syed , Jaleel Abdul , Majid Abdul , Awais Hassan Muhammad , Ahmad Fayyaz , Shafiq Muhammad
Published: April 2021

In this era of eHealth, healthcare data has gained a significant importance due to having human survival information. Detection of the atrial fibrillation (AF) from electrocardiogram (ECG) rhythm is a promising area of research because of its critical impact on mortality ratio in all
over the world. Although, most of the studies have shown more than 90% results accuracy in terms of specificity (Sp) and sensitivity (Se), yet this accuracy is not sufficient and cannot be considered reliable for AF continuous monitoring due to high ratio of false alarms. Existing works scarcely
compare the accuracy of the results generated by a classifier with those of other robust classifiers. Further, the results are needed to be verified with more statistical measures. In this paper, a multiple classifiers-based model is proposed in which the transition between normal sinus rhythm
(NSR) and AF are performed on the basis of ventricle activities of the heart. The proposed scheme first extracts several features that are pertinent to AF diagnosis from the ECG data. Later, the classification model categorizes rhythms into classes using statistical techniques. The experimental
evaluation is performed on five datasets which include AF Challenge 2017 database, NSR database (NSRDB), NSR RR interval database (NSRDB-2), AF database (AFDB) and long-term AF database (LTAFDB). Based on verification of results using different measures, the proposed scheme outperforms in
comparison to the existing systems in terms of area under the curve (AUC), Se, Sp, positive predictive value (PPV), accuracy (ACC), and negative predictive value (NPV) for all datasets. Specifically, the decision tree (DT) obtains 99% AUC, 92% Se and 98% Sp for the AF Challenge 2017 database,
which are improved than parallel systems.
Renal Lesion Classification in Kidney CT Images by Seven-Layer Convolution Neural Network
Authors: Wang Li-Ying , Xu Zhi-Qiang , Zhang Yu-Dong
Published: April 2021

AI techniques are pervading the medical field and facilitating the related educational applications, such as computer aided medical diagnosis, online surgery platforms and medical learning environments. Nowadays daily medical images and data come into being the big medical data need
be processed as fast as possible. AI enables human to improve the accuracy and efficiency of diagnosis greatly relying on the techniques of radiological images analysis. In this paper one 7-layer deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is designed to classify renal lesion in kidney Computed
Tomography (CT) images. The CNN is trained on a middle-size dataset with 614 kidney CT images collected from real clinical data. Experiments show the mean and standard deviation of the overall accuracy of the binary classification reaches 90.36 ±1.02%. It has greatly better performance
about 25% than the traditional Probability Neural Network (PNN) method with predefined features. The optimal structure of this CNN proves our method is rather promising to help doctors make medical diagnosis.
CT Manifestations of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the Semi-Quantitative Evaluation of Its Clinical Classification
Authors: Li Chunhua , Tang Guangxiao , Liu Xueyan , Yang Jia , Lu Yanqiu , Dai Xin , Lyu Fajin , Li Yongmei , Lyu Shengxiu , Chen Yaokai
Published: April 2021

Purpose: To improve the understanding of the manifestations associated with computed tomography (CT) in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: An analysis of a retrospective nature was carried out on clinically-based data as well as CT manifestations
in 102 patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis who were admitted to our hospital between the 24th of January, 2020 and the 5th of February, 2020. Scoring of CT manifestations was accomplished, and the total score was used to determine the severity of lung injury. Results: Of the 102 patients,
10 had mild COVID-19, 72 had COVID-19 that was classed as moderate, 16 had COVID-19 that was severe, and 4 had COVID-19 that was critically severe. In all, 92 patients developed lung lesions, among whom 85 showed bilateral lung involvement. Superior lobe lesions and lesions in the middle-inner
zone of the lung less frequently affected patients who developed moderate COVID-19 as compared to patients who developed severe/critically severe COVID-19 (all P < 0.05). The lesion manifestations included ground-glass opacity shadows (98.9%) and mixed-density shadows with consolidation
(45.7%). Lamellar lesions and interlobular septal thickening less frequently affected patients with COVID-19 that was moderate than in patients with COVID-19 that was severe or critically severe (P < 0.05). In terms of COVID-19 that was moderate, severe or critically severe, the
average scores associated with CT were 10.68 ± 6.32, 22.31 ± 8.07, and 30.75 ± 1.89 points respectively. A cumulative CT score of ≤ 20 points was the critical point for distinguishing moderate COVID-19 from severe/critically severe COVID-19. Conclusion: With
regards to CT manifestations that were associated with COVID-19, certain characteristics were demonstrated and these varied in relation to different classifications of COVID-19. Cumulative CT score could be used to evaluate the clinical classification and degree of lung damage in patients
who develop COVID-19.
A Densely Connected UNet3D Network Combined Attention Mechanism for Liver and Tumor Segmentation
Authors: Xi Hewen , Chen Junxi , Xiong Dongping , He Xiaofeng , Qu Aiping , Chen Lingna
Published: April 2021

In recent years, liver cancer has become one of the five dangerous cancers due to the highest mortality ratios worldwide. Automatic tumor segmentation is a most important task to help radiologists and oncologists to analyze liver CT images. With the rapid development of Convolutional
Neural Network (CNN), UNet2D have been widely applied in medical image segmentation. But 2D convolutions cannot extract more important spatial information, making it difficult for the network to learn powerful features between slices. In order to address the problems, we proposed a new densely
connected UNet3D network combined attention mechanism (Att-DialResUNet3D) for liver and tumor segmentation. During coding and decoding stages, UNet3D used residual convolution with jagged structure blocks to decrease spatial hierarchical information loss. UNet3D applied an attention mechanism
by using the long-range connections between the encoder and decoder to increase the ability of learning important information network. Dense connection decreases the gradient dissipation, and deep supervision can train the shallow layer more fully. We evaluated the proposed approach on the
MICCAI 2017 liver tumor segmentation challenge (LiTS) dataset. Our approach preceded other research methods and has gained superior performance for liver tumor segmentation.
Adsorption Configurations of Iron Complexes on As(III) Adsorption Over Sludge Biochar Surface
Authors: Chen Chih-Kuei , Nguyen Nhat-Thien , Duong Cong-Chinh , Le Thuy-Trang , Chen Shiao-Shing , Chang Chang-Tang
Published: April 2021

Waste recycling and reuse will result in significant material and energy savings. In this research, usage of hospital sludge as a biochar adsorbent for wastewater treatment plants was investigated. Microwave carbonization was used to carbonize the sludge and then chemically activated
with ZnCl2to increase surface area and porosity. A newly designed iron metal doped sludge biochar carbon (SBC) has effective adsorption of inorganic arsenic (As(III), As2O3) in water. The findings clearly demonstrate the viability and utility of using hospital
sludge as a source of carbon to generate SBC. The adsorption mechanism of As(III) on SBC’s iron-metal-modified surface has been studied using density functional theory (DFT) to understand the impact of functional complexes on adsorption As(III). Tests showed physical as well as chemical
adsorption of As(III) on Fe-SBC surface. Fe’s involvement in functional complexes greatly fostered SBC surface activity and it’s As(III) adsorption ability. The physical adsorption energies of As(III) with Fe functional complexes on the SBC surface were −42.3 KJ mol−1.
Other hand, the chemical adsorption energies of As(III) on Fe-SBC surface was −325.5 KJ mol−1. As(III) is capable of interacting in a bidentate fashion with the dopants through the protonated oxygen atoms and this conformation of the cyclic structure is higher in the
adsorption energy than the others.
Amyloid Beta42 (Aβ42) Peptide Functionalized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Specific Targeting of SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells
Authors: Xia Yang , Padmanabhan Parasuraman , Vijayaragavan Vimalan , Murukeshan Vadakke Matham , Gulyás Balázs
Published: April 2021

One of the most severe diseases threatening the ageing population is Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recent studies found that the cellular uptake of extracellular amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides can lead to a build-up of intracellular Aβ in certain neuronal cells, which consequently
lead to the onset of AD pathogenesis. It is therefore hypothesized that the detection of cells that are involved in such Aβ uptake could facilitate the early diagnosis of AD. In this work, a magnetofluorescent nanoprobe was prepared conjugating dye-labeled Aβ42 peptides with iron
oxide nanoparticles (IONPs). When incubated with SH-SY5Y cells, the cellular uptake of Aβ42-IONPs was enhanced, compared to that of bare IONPs. Further, by labelling SH-SY5Y and HCT-116 cells, it was found that the Aβ42-IONPs are selectively targeting the neuronal cells. This enhanced
and specific neuronal targeting is attributed to the cellular uptake of extracellular amyloid by SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, the MR relaxivities of the Aβ42-IONPs are preserved after the peptides functionalization. The results suggest that the Aβ42 functionalized magnetofluorescent
IONPs can be used as a bimodal probe to interrogate the cellular uptake of amyloid peptides.
Effects of Graphene Oxide on Germination and Early Growth of Plants
Authors: Lee Ji-Yeon , Kim Min-Ji , Chung Haegeun
Published: April 2021

Owing to its excellent material properties such as large surface area and superb mechanical and thermal characteristics, graphene oxide (GO) is likely to be applied in a variety of environmental fields. These applications may lead to the entrance of GO in terrestrial ecosystems, but there is little research regarding the impact of GO on plants upon such entrances. To analyze the effects of GO on the germination and growth of various plants, the changes in lettuce, radish, perennial ryegrass, alfalfa, and cucumber seeds under GO treatment was studied. Germination rate and growth were analyzed after the seeds were exposed to GO at 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 mg ml−1. For lettuce, the germination rate decreased with GO concentration. However, no significant effects were observed on the germination rate of other plants. On the other hand, the growth of lettuce, alfalfa, and radish decreased under GO treatment. For example, at 1.6 mg ml−1of GO, the length of shoot and root of lettuce was shortened by 87% and 86%, respectively. Such results indicate that the germination and early growth of plants can be negatively affected in a species-specific manner under high concentrations of GO. Hence, we anticipate that our results may assist in supplementing the legal regulations for the proper disposal of nanomaterials.
MnO2 Nanoparticles Anchored Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Potential Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Umar Ahmad , Ahmed Faheem , Ibrahim Ahmed A. , Algadi Hassan , Albargi Hasan B. , Alhmami Mohsen Ali M. , Almas Tubia , Mohammed Ayeda Y. A. , Abuhimd Hatem , Castañeda L.
Published: April 2021

Herein, we report a facile hydrothermal synthesis of MnO2 nanoparticles anchored multi walled carbon nanotubes (MnO2@MWCNTs) as potential anode materials for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. The prepared MnO2@MWCNTs were characterized by several techniques
which confirmed the formation of MnO2 nanoparticles anchored MWCNTs. The X-ray diffraction and Raman-scattering analyses of the prepared material further revealed the effective synthesis of MnO2@MWCNTs. The fabricated Li-ion battery based on MnO2@MWCNTs exhibited
a reversible capacity of ~823 mAhg−1 at a current density of 100 mAg−1 for the first cycle, and delivered a capacity of ~421 mAhg−1 for the 60 cycles. The coulombic efficiency was found to be ~100% which showed excellent reversible charge–discharge
behavior. The outstanding performance of the MnO2@MWCNTs anode for the Li-ion battery can be attributed to the distinctive morphology of the MnO2 nanoparticles anchored MWCNTs that facilitated the fast transport of lithium ions and electrons and accommodated a broad volume
change during the cycles of charge/discharge.