bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical Applications of the Bicomplex Fractional Laplace Transform: A Perception
Authors: Thirumalai A. , Muthunagai K.
Published: April 2024

The field of quaternions is an extension of the field of complex numbers. Quaternions do not satisfy commutativity. In the process of overcoming this drawback of non-commutativity, the system of bicomplex numbers, which is also a four-dimensional algebra that preserves commutativity, came into existence. Fractional calculus unifies and generalizes integer-order differentiation and integration. Theoretical knowledge of any concept is helpful in knowing the techniques and reasoning. But it is only the application that gives us insight into it. In this article, we have applied the bicomplex fractional Laplace transform to the differential equations that arise in electric circuits, nuclear physics, population growth, and heat equations. We have established relationships between beta and gamma functions, bicomplex fractional Laplace transforms, and Bessel’s functions. We have also used the relationship between beta and gamma functions to solve the differential equation governing the blood alcohol level.
Therapeutic Path of Brazilians with spinal cord injury until rehabilitation
Authors: Faleiros Fabiana , Corbo Leticia Noelle , Greve Julia Maria D’Andrea , Henriques Silvia Helena , Tholl Adriana Dutra , Machado Wiliam César Alves , Tate Denise Galuf
Published: April 2024

The start of rehabilitation directly affects the effectiveness of treatment. This is a quantitative, exploratory, analytical, and cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 618 Brazilian adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) enrolled in the NeuroRehab research group. Participants were predominantly male (68.90%), with a mean age of 38.04 years (SD=9.85), from the Southeast region of Brazil (62.60%), with higher education (49.50%), receiving social security benefits (63.60%), and with a monthly income of up to 3 minimum wages (55.10%). The main cause of SCI was traffic accident (40.80%) and 58.70% of the participants had paraplegia. Moreover, 19.40% of participants had not undergone any rehabilitation and the mean time to start of rehabilitation after SCI was 17.68 months (SD=38.80). Participants with the highest level of education were 4.30 times more likely to undergo rehabilitation. The results suggest that those who were more educated and with higher income also had greater access to rehabilitation programs and sought these programs earlier. In contrast, those with less resources had fewer opportunities for rehabilitation. The optimization of referral systems in the health care network, outreach programs, and a greater supply of rehabilitation centers can increase access to rehabilitation among people with SCI.
Comparison of Complications and Long-term Permanent Stoma Rate in Robot-Assisted versus Laparoscopic Low Anterior Resection: A Propensity Score Matched Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Hsu Hsin , You Jeng-Fu , Liao Chun-Kai , Tsai Tzong-yun , Tsai Wen-Sy , Lai Cheng-Chou , Hsieh Pao-Shiu , Yeh Chien-Yuh , Huang Shu-Huan
Published: April 2024

Aims
While some research points to the short-term advantages of robot-assisted low anterior resection (LAR) for mid-to-low rectal cancer, a detailed focus on outcomes like permanent stoma remains scant.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective analysis on a continuous series of non-metastatic mid-to-low rectal cancer patients. Between 2016 and 2020, these patients underwent either robot-assisted or traditional laparoscopic LAR at a singular center. We used a propensity score matching technique, and the participants were matched in a 1:2 ratio.
Results
Post-matching, our cohort consisted of 44 patients from the robot-assisted LAR group and 88 from the laparoscopic LAR group. The long-term results, such as overall survival, cancer-free survival, and local and distant recurrence rates, exhibited no significant differences between the two groups. However, the robot-assisted group exhibited a notably shorter average post-surgery hospitalization (10.8 vs. 16.7 days, p = 0.001), reduced incidence of anastomotic leakage (11.4% vs. 37.5%, p < 0.001), fewer patients requiring a permanent stoma (13.6% vs. 29.5% p = 0.044), and significantly lower occurrences of grade III Clavien Dindo Surgical Complications. The utilization of 3D laparoscopy was unanimous in the robot-assisted group (100% use) compared to just 40.9% in the laparoscopic group. Furthermore, the robot-assisted procedures had a diminished frequency of firing three or more staplers (2.3% vs. 26.1%, p = 0.001). A multivariate logistic regression indicated that robot-assisted LAR is independently associated with a reduced risk of permanent stoma (OR: 0.28, p = 0.033, 95% CI 0.087–0.901).
Conclusion
In patients with mid-to-low rectal cancer, robot-assisted LAR, despite comparable long-term survival and recurrence rates, displayed reduced complications, including fewer instances of anastomotic leakage and permanent stoma requirements than its laparoscopic counterpart. These findings imply the potential superiority of robot-assisted surgical techniques for mid-to-low rectal patients.
Aircraft Trajectory Prediction and Time Estimation adapting Social-LSTM
Authors: Polewczyk Joanna , Schwarze Arne , Govaers Felix
Published: April 2024

Globalization contributes to the high expansion of the transport industry. This is particularly evident in air traffic on the smaller airports that lack the costly specialized systems that accommodate nowadays needs of increased travel. One aspect, that needs to be addressed, is a prediction of Time of Arrival and any potential delays and obstacles that may influence the trajectory of the travel. Every minute of the wrong prediction may cause unnecessary expenses and management problems. Unfortunately, despite the availability of aircraft movement information to air traffic control or airlines, it often is not communicated further, leading to unnecessary costs in management and contingency planning. Hence, we propose an algorithm for the aircraft trajectory prediction as well as Time of Arrival based on Social-LSTM (Long short-term memory) approach introduced for the pedestrian traffic prediction~\cite{soomer_scheduling_2008}. In this approach, the motion sequence and arrival time are predicted not only based on historical trajectories, but also considering the trajectories of neighbouring aircraft. Social-LSTM approach extends on LSTM network with an additionally embedded hidden-state tensor, which provide the coordinates of neighbouring aircraft and their trajectories. Our experiment suggests that this approach decreases the dimensionality of data needed to predict the detailed trajectory (weather data and unexpected events data) and gives more accurate prediction compared to normal LSTM approaches, especially for unusual weather conditions or events. Approach was carried with many variants like basic LSTM, GRU (Gated Recurrent Unit) as well as weather data embedded as 4D weather cubes variant.
How Lasers Exploit Photoacoustic and PhotoelectricPhenomena to Inject Signals into MEMS Microphones
Authors: Cyr Benjamin , Sumaria Vedant , Long Yan , Tadigadapa Srinivas , Sugawara Takeshi , Fu Kevin
Published: April 2024

An amplitude-modulated laser can be used to generate false, yet coherent acoustic signals on the outputs of MEMS microphones. While this vulnerability has ramifications on the security of cyber-physical systems that trust these microphones, the physical explanation of this effect remained a mystery. Without an understanding of the physical phenomena contributing to this signal injection, it is difficult to design effective and reliable defenses. In this work, we show the degree to which the mechanisms of thermoelastic bending, thermal diffusion, and photocurrent generation are used to inject signals into MEMS microphones.
We provide models for each of these mechanisms, develop a procedure to empirically determine their relative contributions, and highlight the effects on eight commercial MEMS microphones. We accomplish this with a precise setup to isolate each mechanism using several laser wavelengths and a vacuum chamber. The results indicate that the injected signal on the microphone is dependent on the wavelength of the incoming light, where long wavelengths (such as a 904~nm infrared laser) exploit photoelectric effects on the ASIC, while short wavelengths (such as a 450~nm blue laser) exploit photoacoustic effects on the diaphragm and surrounding air. This understanding leads to recommendations for future laser-resistant microphone designs with improvements to glob top application, reducing the material asymmetries within the MEMS structure, and adding simple light or temperature sensors for injection detection. Based on the fundamental causality, we also suggest potential vulnerabilities within other sensors with similar characteristics to MEMS microphones, such as conventional microphones, ultrasonic sensors, and inertial sensors.
Generation of Arbitrarily Patterned Polarizers Using 2-Photon Polymerization
Authors: Ganazhapa Byron , Pereiro-García Javier , Arregui Xabier Quintana , Geday Morten Andreas , Guadaño Gonzalo , Caño-García Manuel
Published: April 2024

Patterned polarizers are prepared using liquid crystals (LC) doped with a black dichroic dye and in combination with a linear polarizer. The pattern is achieved with a nanostructured LC alignment surface, that is generated using a two-photon polymerization direct laser write (2PP-DLW). This technique creates a pattern of high-resolution grooves in the photoresist at any arbitrary angle. The angle governs the LC orientation at any substrate surface point, determining the transmitted light linear polarization angle. This paper presents the first use of a 2PP-DLW cured positive tone photoresist for dichroic dye-doped LC alignment. Two complementary photoresists have been employed: conventional negative tone SU-8 photoresist and, in this context novel, positive tone S1805 photoresist. The alignment quality of the polarizers has been assessed by analyzing the transmission using an additional polarizer. For SU-8, the resulting grayscale pattern and a contrast ratio (CR) of 14 has measured. The uniformity of the alignment has been measured to be 65% using normalized Shannon entropy (H). For S1805, a CR of 37 was measured, and a uniformity of 63% was obtained. 2PP-DLW allows for shaping complex patterns in submicron dimensions and for the fabrication of arbitrarily patterned polarizers and other LC devices.
Design and development of gastro-retentive gel forming system comprising curcumin loaded Nanostructured lipid carrier for stomach specific delivery
Authors: Dhasaiyan Mohankumar , Karuppaiah Arjunan , Rahman Habibur
Published: April 2024

This study delved on development of curcumin loaded Nanostructured Lipid carrier (NLC) incorporated into gastro-retentive oral in situ gel for specifically designed to the stomach delivery. Curcumin is less soluble in stomach pH, so a high amount of drug would be required to produce the desired effects. The solubility of curcumin was improved by the NLC. The curcumin loaded NLC was fabricated using a high shear homogenization technique. Through lipid screening, Precirol ATO 5 and Labrafac PG were chosen as a lipids, and tween 80 was selected as a surfactant in this formulation. A formulation (NLC-F4) comprising 2% lipids and 800 mg of surfactant was chosen as the best formulation, average mean particle size was found to be 119.3 ± 0.13 nm, PDI was found to be 0.127 -30 ± 0.17 mV 0.02, zeta potential was found to be -30 ± 0.17 mV and % of encapsulation efficiency were found to be83.4 ± 1.5%. FT-IR investigation showed no interactions. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed smooth and spherical shaped particles, while Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) assessment suggested that curcumin was completely distributed in the NLC. The in vitro drug release of curcumin from NLC-F4 showed 8 times enhanced drug release compared with the pure curcumin in pH 1.2 buffer. In vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory studies revealed significant effects compared to reference standards. Drug release kinetics followed first order release and Weibull kinetics models. The curcumin loaded NLC was fabricated into anoral in situ gel to enhances the gastric retention time and prolong release of drug in the stomach. The system exhibited quick gelation time, optimal viscosity, gastric buoyant density, 24 hours floating time, gastric peristalsis resistant gel strength, and sustained drug release. These investigations revealed that an oral in situ gelling system containing curcumin loaded NLC has potential as a carrier for stomach specific delivery and could serve as an alternative dosage form compared to conventional ones for treating gastric ulcers in patients.
Nanoemulsions and nanocapsules as carriers for the development of intranasal mRNA vaccines
Authors: Borrajo Mireya L. , Lou Gustavo , Anthiya Shubaash , Lapuhs Philipp , Moreira David , Tobío Araceli , Loza Maria Isabel , Vidal Anxo , Alonso Maria
Published: April 2024

The global emergency of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spurred extensive worldwide efforts to develop vaccines for protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Our contribution to this global endeavor involved the development of a diverse library of nanocarriers, as alternatives to lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), including nanoemulsions (NEs) and nanocapsules (NCs), with the aim of protecting and delivering messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) for nasal vaccination purposes. A wide range of prototypes underwent rigorous screening through a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments, encompassing assessments of cellular transfection, cytotoxicity, and intramuscular administration of a model mRNA for protein translation. Consequently, we identified two promising candidates for nasal administration. These candidates include an NE incorporating a combination of an ionizable lipid (C12-200) and cationic lipid (DOTAP) for mRNA entrapment, along with DOPE to facilitate endosomal escape. This NE exhibited a size of 120 nm and a highly positive surface charge (+50 mV). Additionally, an NC formulation comprising the same components with a dextran sulfate shell was identified, with a size of 130 nm and a moderate negative surface charge (-16 mV). Upon intranasal administration of mRNA encoding for ovalbumin (mOVA) associated with optimized versions of NEs and NCs, robust antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses were observed. These findings underscore the potential of NEs and polymeric NCs in advancing mRNA vaccine development for combating infectious diseases.
The impact of tax administration on the socioeconomic development of the state
Authors: Olzhas Nessipbay , Serikova Madina
Published: April 2024

This article examines with the help of methods of analysis, systematization, and the generalization of legal information, solutions to the problem of the essence of tax administration are presented, and directions for the activity of tax administration in Kazakhstan are proposed. The article analyzes tax revenues and their impact on the main economic indicators.
Tax administration is one of the main elements of the effective functioning of the tax system and the state economy. The effectiveness of the tax system is understood as the identification of sources of income to tax them and reduce the cost of their mobilization and obligation to pay. The essence of tax administration has not yet been fully disclosed. Many points of view on the definition of tax administration and the existing contradictions in its implementation encourage us to return to this topic.
JEL classification: A14; H20; H21.
Visible Light-Mediated Dearomative Spirocyclization/Imination of Nonactivated Arenes through Energy Transfer Catalysis
Authors: Dinér Peter , Zhou Chao , Stepanova Elena , Shatskiy Andrey , Kärkäs Markus
Published: April 2024

Aromatic compounds are one of the most abundant feedstocks in chemical industry, which typically focuses on their functionalization or full reduction. Partial reduction through dearomative sequences has been considerably less explored but would uncover the true potential of aromatic compounds in providing rapid access to complex and higher-value three-dimensional scaffolds. Several dearomative strategies have been established; however, most of these methods either necessitate metal-mediated multistep manipulations or are highly limited in their scope. Herein, an alternative photocatalytic radical cascade approach is disclosed, which exploits dearomative difunctionalization through selective dearomative spirocyclization/imination of nonactivated arenes. Various bifunctional oxime esters and carbonates are utilized in single-step installation of a range of functional groups concomitant with formation of a spiro-center and introduction of an iminyl functionality to furnish dearomatized spiro-imine scaffolds through tandem N–O bond cleavage, hydrogen-atom transfer, radical addition, 5-exo-trig cyclization, and radical cross-coupling sequences. The disclosed methodology allows formation of three or four new chemical bonds, including C−O, C−C, C−N bonds, in a single synthetic step, affording highly decorated three-dimensional structures from readily available starting materials.
Implementation of a Value-Based Approach for Older People Who Have Suffered an Acute Myocardial Infarction: Study Protocol
Authors: Juraga Denis , Rukavina Tomislav , Glavić Mihaela Marinović , Bilajac Lovorka , Bally Esmee , Zanutto Oscar , Alhambra-Borrás Tamara , Ferrando Maite , Subotić Alen , Raat Hein , Vasiljev Vanja
Published: April 2024

Background: Due to the rapid aging of the global population, new approaches are required to improve the quality of life of older people and to reduce healthcare system expenditures. One of the approaches that can be used is value-based healthcare. This article describes a value-based solution for older people who have suffered a myocardial infarction.
Methods: This solution combines the work of healthcare professionals and informal caregivers and the use of modern and user-friendly technologies to support the achievement of patients’ values. Patients older than 65 years who have suffered a myocardial infarction will be divided into control and intervention groups. Members of the intervention group will be provided with a personalized plan developed by healthcare professionals and based on the results from the baseline questionnaire.
Discussion: Two ValueCare digital solution components will be developed: a mobile application for the participants and a web platform for the professionals, researchers, and informal caregivers. Together with smartwatches, which will track important health aspects, and applications, this approach would enable older people to improve their health through correct lifestyle choices and their professional and informal caregivers to track their progress. With the use of the described technology and the multidisciplinary approach, the unmet needs and values of participants could be achieved. Using this approach, it could be possible to reduce overall healthcare expenses through the active involvement of both older people and their informal caregivers through a shared decision-making process with healthcare professionals.
The ISRCTN registry number is 25089186. The date of trial registration is 16/11/2021.
Content Validity of Patient-Reported Measures Evaluating Experiences of the Quality of Transitions in Healthcare Settings - A Scoping Review.
Authors: Walløe Sisse , Roikjær Stine Gundtoft , Hansen Sebrina Maj-Britt , Zangger Graziella , Mortensen Sofie Rath , Korfitsen Christoffer Bruun , Simonÿ Charlotte , Lauridsen Henrik Hein , Morsø Lars
Published: April 2024

No reviews so far have been conducted to define the constructs of patient-experienced quality in healthcare transitions or to identify existing generic measures of patients’ experience of the quality within healthcare transitions. Our aim was to identify domains relevant for people experiencing healthcare transitions when evaluating the quality of care they have received, map the comprehensiveness of existing PREMs, and evaluate the PREMs’ content validity. The methods was guided by the Joanna Briggs Institutes’ guidance for scoping reviews. The search was performed on 07 December 2021, in the electronic databases Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), and Cinahl (EBSCO). The search identified 16,134 publications, and 172 studies were included for review. We identified 29 PREMs assessing at least one aspect of adults’ experience of transitions in healthcare. Summarising the content, we consider a model with two domains, organisational and human-relational, likely to be adequate. However, a more comprehensive analysis and adequate definition of the construct is needed. None of the PREMs were considered content valid.
A pan-cancer analysis of the oncogenic and anti-tumor immunity role of P4HA3 in human cancers
Authors: Huang Hongyan , Huang Yong-Sheng , Xiao Yan-Hong , Jin Hai-Yun , Zhu Di , Yi Xiao-Lin , Lin Xiao-Hua , Jin Ming , Yu Jie , Huang Jing , Ren Shuwei
Published: April 2024

Background Prolyl-4-hydroxylase subunit alpha3 (P4HA3) is a triple helical procollagen synthesis protein. The role of P4HA3 in cancer development is not well known and lacks comprehensive analyses among human cancers. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between P4HA3 expression and anti-tumor immunity and its prognostic value in pan-cancer.
Methods P4HA3 expression in pan-cancer patients were analyzed from TIMER2.0, Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx), GEPIA2.0 and TCGA databases. Genetic and DNA methylation alterations, survival analysis and proteins co-expression analysis of P4HA3 in pan-cancer among numerous databases, including cBio Cancer Genomics Portal, TCGA, GSCA and TIMER2.0. The correlation between P4HA3 expression and immune infiltration was analyzed TIDE, XCELL, MCPCOUNTER, and EPIC. Gene function enrichment analysis was carried out by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). We performed EdU and transwell experiments to evaluate the influence of P4HA3 on the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of 3 kinds of tumors in vitro. Patients derived xenograft (PDX) and subcutaneous transplantation models were utilized to explore the correlation between P4HA3 and immunotherapy response in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
Results Among 33 types of cancers, P4HA3 had generally different expression between tumor and tumor tissues, the abnormal expression of P4HA3 was associated with DNA methylation alteration and survival regimen of tumor patients. Further analysis showed that the expression of P4HA3 was correlated with the cells infiltration of the tumor microenvironment (TME), including immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and stroma cells. Meanwhile, the expression of P4HA3 was positively with the cell proliferation markers and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, that suggesting P4HA3 is involved in cancer proliferation and metastasis. Moreover, the molecular biology experiments in vitro and in vivo showed that P4HA3 deficiency inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of tumor cells, and promoted anti-tumor immunotherapy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor.
Conclusion This pan-cancer analysis of P4HA3 provides a comprehensive understanding of its oncogenic and prognosis role in different cancers, P4HA3 abnormal expression could be a useful biomarker for predicting the effectiveness of immunotherapy in cancer patients.
Obesity and Risk of Hypertension in Preadolescent Urban School Children: Insights from a Developing Country
Authors: Akhtar Samina , Khan Shahid , Aziz Namra , Magsi Muhammad Imran , Samad Zainab , Iqbal Romaina , Almas Aysha
Published: April 2024

Background
Childhood obesity and hypertension are growing concerns globally, especially in developing countries. This study investigated the association between overall and central obesity at baseline, and prehypertension or hypertension at follow-up among preadolescent school children in Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods
This is a sub study with cohort design embedded within a feasibility trial on School Health Education Program in Pakistan (SHEPP) in preadolescent aged 6–11 years, attending two private schools, were enrolled from 2017 to 2019. Hypertension or prehypertension at follow-up were the outcomes and obesity or central obesity at baseline were the exposure variables. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 95th percentile for age, sex, and height. Obesity was defined as body mass index for-age and sex ≥ 95th percentile, whereas central obesity was determined by waist circumference measurements ≥ 85th percentile of age, sex, and height specific cut-offs. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to identify risk factors for hypertension and prehypertension.
Results
Analysis was conducted for 908 participants, evenly distributed with 454 boys and 454 girls. Hypertension was observed in 19.8% of the preadolescents, with rates of 18.5% in boys and 21.0% in girls. Prehypertension was found in 16.8% of preadolescents, with 18% among boys and 16% among girls. Additionally, 12.8% of preadolescents were classified as obese and 29.8% had central obesity. Obesity at baseline was associated with hypertension (OR 8.7, 95% CI 3.5, 20.4) in the final model after adjusting for age, gender, physical activity, sedentary behavior, fruits, vegetable intake and hypertension at baseline. Central obesity at baseline also yielded high odds, with prehypertension (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.4, 2.8) and hypertension (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.9, 3.9) in the final model.
Conclusion
This study highlights a concerning prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension among preadolescent school-going children. Obesity and central obesity at baseline emerged as significant predictive factors for hypertension within this cohort. The findings emphasize the urgency of implementing comprehensive school health education programs aimed at early detection and effective management of hypertension during childhood and adolescence in school settings.
Structural Properties of Al-Li-Zn Borate glass activated with Dy3+ for Radiation Dosimeter
Authors: Efenji G. I. , Iskandar S. M. , Yusof N. N. , A. Rabba J. , Jamil Munirah , kamgba F. A. , Ushie P. , Umar S. A. , Ezra NABASU Seth , Khazaalah Thair Hussein , Naeem Hayder Salah , Oke A.O
Published: April 2024

This study explores the properties of Al-Li-Zn glass doped with Dy3 + as a potential radiation dosimeter. The glass was prepared using the quenching technique, and various characterisations were performed to evaluate its properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was utilised to identify any crystalline or amorphous phases in the glass. The results indicated the formation of amorphous, as supported by the absence of XRD peaks. UV-vis spectroscopy was employed to examine the optical properties of the glass. It revealed a noticeable absorption peak in the visible region, characteristic of the Dy3 + ions. PL spectra luminous peaks at 348 nm (yellow), 529 nm (green), and 625 nm (orange hue), which corresponded to the 4H15/2 → 6P7/2, 4F9/2 → 6H15/2, 4F9/2 → 6H15/2, and 4F9/2 → 6H13/2 transitions in 1.5 and 2.5 Dy3 + respectively. Significant decrease in \({\text{T}}_{\text{g}}\)from 257°C in the undoped sample to 101°C in the doped sample, Tm of the doped sample dropped from 862°C to 815°C and Tc of the doped sample dropped from 756°C to 444°C, suggesting a reduced crystallisation threshold. FTIR analysis demonstrated that OH groups displayed peaks within the 2200 to 4000 cm range. Stretching vibrations of BO3 units occurred between 1200 and 1600. Stretching vibrations of BO4 units were observed between 800 and 1200. The results indicate that when Dy3 + ions and zinc oxide are added, the arrangement of the glass structure is altered, causing a transformation from B03 groups to B04 groups. This transformation leads to defects in a stable trap environment suitable for thermoluminescence phenomena. Considering its properties and optical characteristics, the samples with 1.5 and 2.5 mol % of Dy3 + showed remarkable thermoluminescence properties, suggesting a suitable use as a dosimeter to gauge radiation exposure. The glass demonstrates stability and absorption capability, making it worth considering for radiation detection applications.
Salix species and varieties affect the molecular composition and diversity of soil organic matter
Authors: Dufour Louis J.P. , Wetterlind Johanna , Nunan Naoise , Quenea Katell , Shi Andong , Weih Martin , Herrmann Anke M.
Published: April 2024

Background and aims
Most studies of the relationships between the composition of soil organic matter and plant cover have been carried out at the plant genera level. Yet, they have largely overlooked the potential effects that plant varieties belonging to the same genus can have on soil organic matter.
Methods
We investigated whether plant varieties belonging to different Salix species (S. dasyclados and S. viminalis) impacted the composition of organic matter using mid-infrared spectroscopy and pyrolysis GC/MS. Top-soils (0-20 cm) were taken from an 18 year-old long-term field trial where six Salix varieties were grown as short-rotation coppice under two fertilisation regimes.
Results
Significant differences in the molecular composition and diversity of the soil organic matter were observed in the fertilised plots. The effects were mostly visible at the species level, i.e. between varieties from S. dasycladosand S. viminalis, though smaller differences among varieties from the same species were also observed.
No significant effects of Salixvarieties were observed in the unfertilised plots, possibly due to the relatively high degree of spatial variability in several soil properties (pH, total N and total organic C contents).
Conclusion
This study provides evidence that the taxonomic distance, at the species level, among Salix plant varieties can affect the molecular composition and diversity of soil organic matter. Such an effect should be considered in breeding programmes for managing soil organic C, as it is one of the potential driver of organic C persistence in soils.
Evaluation and comparison of the performance of two reanalysis and satellite climatological databases under data scarcity conditions
Authors: Hessari Behzad , Farahmand Ghasem , Jahangiri Faezeh
Published: April 2024

The present study aimed to evaluate the performance of CHIRPS and ERA5 reanalysis and satellite data from 2011 to 2020. This evaluation was carried out using 8 synoptic stations and 23 rainfall gauge stations within the Aras River basin, spanning four countries. The results indicated that the daily correlation coefficient for minimum and maximum daily temperature parameters in the ERA5 database exceeded 0.9 for all stations. This value improved for monthly and seasonal scales, with these coefficients reaching approximately 0.99. In terms of precipitation, the comparison between CHIRPS and ERA5 databases revealed that ERA5 exhibited higher accuracy in estimating precipitation with an RMSD coefficient below 0.3. This trend was consistent at monthly and seasonal time scales. At the basin level, the analysis demonstrated that ERA5 had significantly higher accuracy compared to point-based data, as confirmed by the obtained statistical coefficients. Therefore, ERA5 products, particularly at monthly scales or at the basin level, can serve as suitable alternatives for data-scarce regions, especially in the Aras River basin.
Effect of Metronidazole on Concentrations of Vaginal Bacteria Associated with Risk of HIV Acquisition
Authors: Valint Daniel , Fiedler Tina , Liu Congzhou , Sriniva Sujatha , Fredricks David
Published: April 2024

Several bacterial vaginosis (BV)-associated bacteria have been associated with elevated risk of HIV acquisition, however susceptibility of these bacteria to antibiotics is poorly understood. Vaginal samples were collected from 22 persons daily for two weeks following BV diagnosis. Metronidazole treatment was prescribed for 5-7 days. Changes in bacterial concentrations were measured with taxon-specific 16S rRNA gene quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays. A culture-based antimicrobial assay confirmed presence of antibiotics in vaginal swab samples. Bacterial DNA concentrations decreased during antibiotic administration for all thirteen bacterial taxa tested. Comparison of bacterial DNA concentrations in samples before administration of antibiotics to samples taken on the last day of antimicrobial assay-confirmed antibiotic presence showed a 2.3-4.5 log10-fold decrease across all taxa. Concentrations were frequently reduced to the qPCR assay’s limit of detection, suggesting eradication of bacteria. Mean clearance time varied across taxa (1.2-8.6 days), with several bacteria (e.g., Gemella asaccharolytica, Sneathia spp., Eggerthella-like sp.) taking >7 days to suppress. Metronidazole reduces quantities of bacterial taxa associated with increased HIV acquisition risk. Eradication of high-risk vaginal bacteria using metronidazole is one promising avenue for reducing HIV acquisition risk. A 5–7-day treatment course may not be sufficient to suppress all bacteria.
Swelling properties of sand-fixing materials prepared with acrylic acid/acrylamide copolymer and palygorskite
Authors: Ren Hanru , Ren Jun , Tao Ling , Ren Xuechang
Published: April 2024

The sand-fixing materials were synthesized by crosslinking acrylic acid/acrylamide copolymer (AA/AM) and heat-modified palygorskite, and initiating the reaction with potassium persulfate (KPS) for investigating water absorbency. It was done to determine how certain characteristics, such as the palygorskite content, pH conditions and ultrasonic treatments, affected the Swelling properties of the sand-fixing materials. The results confirmed that the water absorbency for both distilled water and saline solution was improved by the addition of palygorskite, and the maximum swelling was attained when the palygorskite addition was 10%, however, as the clay amount was increased further to 15%, the swelling capacity decreased. Larger water absorbency was found for neutral water vs. alkaline water in the lower pH value. The ultrasonic treatments during the polymerization enhanced the water absorbency and retention of the sand-fixing materials with the ultrasonic power at 300W providing the maximum effectiveness.
Assessing the impact of altering temperatures on food consumption and nutritional indices of P. gossypiella in Bt cotton
Authors: Harshavardhan P. , Kaur Amandeep , Kumar Vijay
Published: April 2024

The study on ‘Influence of temperature on food consumption and nutritional indices of pink bollworm in Bt cotton’ was studied at various alternate temperatures (20:30, 24:30, 28:30, 20:35, 24:35, 28:35, 20:40, 24:40 and 28:40oC) in Integrated Pest Management Laboratory, Department of Entomology, PAU, Ludhiana during 2022-23 cotton growing season. The experiment was conducted on the second, third and fourth larval instars of pink bollworm and the results revealed that the maximum amount of food consumed was recorded at the temperature combination of 28:35oC for all the larval instars. The nutritional indices like Consumption index (CI), Relative Growth Rate (RGR), Approximate digestibility (AD) and Efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) of second, third and fourth larval instars shown highest values at altering temperature combination of 28:35oC. The food consumption increased from second to third larval instar and it gradually decreased from third instar to fourth instar.
Evident decrease in future European soil moisture in the Kiel Climate Model grand ensemble
Authors: St-Pierre Médéric , Latif Mojib , Kjellsson Joakim , Park Wonsun , Borchert Leonard
Published: April 2024

The focus of this study is the European soil moisture trends following an increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations. A single model-grand ensemble of 100 members, where CO2 levels increase by 1% per year for 140 years with the Kiel Climate Model, is used. A strong soil drying over most of Central Europe and the Mediterranean region when CO2 is quadrupled is found, with virtually all of the ensemble members agreeing on the sign of the change. This strong loss in soil moisture over Europe is driven mainly by a reduction in precipitation and, to a lesser degree, an increase in evaporation. Results also suggest that the precipitation pattern changes are partly linked to the response of the storm track to CO2 increases. Such soil moisture changes could have far-reaching impacts on extreme weather and climate events such as droughts or heat waves, with important implications for climate adaptation.
Long-term settlement analysis of immersed tube tunnel in operation considering undisturbed clayey soil foundation
Authors: Kou Lei , Liang Huiyuan , Wen Xin , He Huan
Published: April 2024

The differential settlements occur in the operation of immersed tube tunnel in clayey foundation, which will cause serious problems such as tube sections cracking and leakage that threaten the operation safety of immersed tube tunnel. The settlement of immersed tube tunnel is essentially caused by the change of underwater undisturbed soil properties caused by tunnel construction disturbance and the significant time-space characteristics of soil deformation. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately quantify the influence and development law of long-term uneven settlement of immersed tube tunnel by time-spatial characteristics. A rate-dependent elastic-viscoplastic constitutive model of clayey soil considering k0 consolidation is proposed, which is programmed into FLAC3D. Then, several years of the settlement monitoring data of an immersed tube tunnel is analyzed, and the long-term settlement of the immersed tube tunnel in operation is calculated and predicted by FLAC3D. The results show that the settlement rate of immersed tube tunnel has been maintained at about 0.0015 mm/d, and the settlement tends to converge to steady state. Timely dredging and reasonable foundation treatment methods are conducive to reducing settlement during operation. The results provide a theoretical for optimizing the design of immersed tube tunnel and ensuring the safety of tunnel operation.
Hydrogen Addition Effects on Flashback in a Combustion Chamber
Authors: Mohamadi Mehdi , Tahsini Amir Mahdi , Tavazohi Reyhaneh
Published: April 2024

The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of adding hydrogen to the fuel on the combustion induced vortex breakdown flashback phenomenon in a combustion chamber. An atmospheric research burner is selected for studies and the analysis is performed using numerical simulations. In order to model the turbulence-chemistry interactions, the EDC combustion model is utilized and the GRI 2.11 reaction mechanism is used to investigate the combustion process as carefully as possible. The present studies are performed keeping the exit temperature constant. To do this, by adding any amount of hydrogen to the premixed inlet flow, the methane is decreased by using the trial-and-error until the mass averaged exit temperature remains almost constant. The purpose of applying this limitation is to keep the cycle operational condition unchanged that is important for adding hydrogen to the existing combustion chambers especially from technological viewpoint. In addition, the thermal NOx production is controlled. In the following, the effect of hydrogen addition on the flame thickness and flame shape is investigated and finally, the effect of operating pressure on the flashback behavior is analyzed.
Effect of Microbial Interactions on Performance of Community Metabolic Modeling Algorithms: Flux Balance analysis (FBA), Community FBA (cFBA) and SteadyCom
Authors: Afarin Maryam , Naeimpoor Fereshteh
Published: April 2024

To explore the impact of microbial interactions on outcomes from three prevalent algorithms (Flux Balance Analysis (FBA), community FBA (cFBA), and SteadyCom) analyzing microbial community metabolic networks, five toy community models representing common microbial interactions were designed. These include commensalism, mutualism, competition, mutualism-competition, and commensalism-competition. Various scenarios, considering different biomass yields and substrate constraints, were examined for each type. In commensal communities, all algorithms consistently produced similar results. However, changes in biomass yields and substrate constraints led to variable abundances and community growth rates within a broad range (0.33 to 0.8 and 2 to 5, respectively). For competitive communities, all algorithms predicted growth of fastest-growing member. To comply with the natural coexistence of members, suboptimal solutions over optimal point are recommended. FBA faced challenges in modeling mutualism, consistently predicting growth of only one member. Although cFBA and SteadyCom resulted in a lower community growth rate, coexistence of both members were satisfied. In toy models with dual interactions, more realistic outcomes were achieved contrary to purely competitive model as the dependency fosters the coexistence which was missing in the competitive only scenarios. These findings emphasize the importance of algorithm choice based on specific microbial interaction types for reliable community behavior predictions.​
A Suicide Attempt Multicomponent Intervention Treatment (SAMIT Program): Study Protocol for a Multicentric Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Beneria Anna , Motger-Albertí Anna , Quesada-Franco Marta , Arteaga Gara , Santesteban-Echarri Olga , Parramon-Puig Gemma , Sanz-Correcher Pedro , Galynker Igor , Pintor Luis , Ramos-Quiroga Josep Antoni , Bruguera Pol , Braquehais María Dolores
Published: April 2024

Background: Suicide has become a first-order public health concern, especially following the negative impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of the general population. Few studies have analyzed the effects of early psychotherapeutic interventions on subjects who have attempted suicide, and even fewer have focused on those hospitalized in non-psychiatric units after a medically serious suicide attempt (MSSA). The main aim of this study is to describe the protocol designed to evaluate the effectiveness of individual psychological treatment for patients hospitalized after an MSSA. The secondary objectives of the study are: 1) to evaluate the impact on quality of life and other psychosocial variables of patients with a recent MSSA who receive early psychological intervention; 2) to analyze the biological, psychological, and clinical impact of early psychotherapeutic treatment on subjects hospitalized after an MSSA.
Methods: An experimental, controlled, and randomized trial will be conducted with patients over 16 years of age admitted to two general hospitals. The case intervention group will enroll for 8-sessions of individual psychotherapy, Suicide Attempts Multi-component Intervention Treatment (SAMIT), combining Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT), and Narrative approaches, while the control group will receive a treatment-as-usual intervention (TAU). Longitudinal assessment will be conducted at baseline (before treatment), post-treatment, and 3, 6, and 12 months after. The main outcome variable will be re-attempting suicide during follow-up.
Discussion: Some psychotherapeutic interventions, usually implemented in outpatient, have proven to be effective in preventing suicidal behaviours. The combination of some of these may be a powerful treatment for preventing future SA in patients hospitalised after an MSSA, which is the most severely suicidal subgroup. Moreover, assessment of the biological, clinical and psychometric impact of this new intervention on patients during the first year after the attempt may help understand some of the multi-level factors associated with the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions in MSSAs. The prevalence of high suicide rates requires the design of effective psychological interventions for their prevention, and also in order to design new pharmacological and psychological treatments.
Infectious Complications Distribution Following CLL1 CAR-T Cell Therapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Xu Jianmei , Zhang Huan , Zhao Yifan , Zhang Xiaomei , Guo Shujing , Shi Xiaoxue , Xiao Xia , Lv Hairong , Zhang Yu , He Xiaoyuan , Zhao Mingfeng
Published: April 2024

The CLL1-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy offers a novel therapeutic approach for refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML).The targeted elimination of tumor cells by CLL1 CAR-T therapy also induces cytotoxic effects on neutrophils, leading to a severe granulocytopenia, thereby significantly increasing the risk of infectious complications during CAR-T therapy. However, the infectious complications associated with this strategy have not been comprehensively investigated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence rate of infectious complications within a 28-day period in a cohort of 51 patients who underwent CLL1 CAR-T cell infusion. Meanwhile，the univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to access the risk factors of infectious complications during CLL1 CAR-T therapy. The study observed a total of 46 infection events in 32 out of 51 patients (63%), with the median onset of infection occurring at 9 days following CAR-T cell infusion. The cumulative incidence of infection events within 28 days was 56.9% (95%CI: 50.4%-61.3%), with bacterial and fungal infections being the most prevalent early infection events. The results of multivariate analysis revealed that a lower neutrophil counts prior to lymphodepletion chemotherapy (OR=3.875, P=0.041) and more severe complications of cytokine release syndrome (OR=4.141, P=0.037) were identified as independent risk factors associated with an increased likelihood of early infection events. This study examined the distribution of early infection events and identified potential risk factors, with the goal of offering guidance to physicians on implementing more effective intervention strategies to decrease treatment-related mortality rates and improve patient prognosis. This study has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Trial registration number: ChiCTR2000041054).