bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic impact of blood C-reactive protein levels on chronic spinal & widespread pain
Authors: Farrell Scott F. , Sterling Michele , Klyne David M. , Mustafa Sanam , Campos Adrián I. , Kho Pik-Fang , Lundberg Mischa , Rentería Miguel E. , Ngo Trung Thanh , Cuéllar-Partida Gabriel
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Causal mechanisms underlying systemic inflammation in spinal & widespread pain remain an intractable experimental challenge. Here we examined whether: (i) associations between blood C-reactive protein (CRP) and chronic back, neck/shoulder & widespread pain can be explained by shared underlying genetic variants; and (ii) higher CRP levels causally contribute to these conditions.

Methods

Using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of chronic back, neck/shoulder & widespread pain (N = 6063–79,089 cases; N = 239,125 controls) and GWAS summary statistics for blood CRP (Pan-UK Biobank N = 400,094 & PAGE consortium N = 28,520), we employed cross-trait bivariate linkage disequilibrium score regression to determine genetic correlations (rG) between these chronic pain phenotypes and CRP levels (FDR < 5%). Latent causal variable (LCV) and generalised summary data-based Mendelian randomisation (GSMR) analyses examined putative causal associations between chronic pain & CRP (FDR < 5%).

Results

Higher CRP levels were genetically correlated with chronic back, neck/shoulder & widespread pain (rG range 0.26–0.36; P ≤ 8.07E-9; 3/6 trait pairs). Although genetic causal proportions (GCP) did not explain this finding (GCP range − 0.32–0.08; P ≥ 0.02), GSMR demonstrated putative causal effects of higher CRP levels contributing to each pain type (beta range 0.027–0.166; P ≤ 9.82E-03; 3 trait pairs) as well as neck/shoulder pain effects on CRP levels (beta [S.E.] 0.030 [0.021]; P = 6.97E-04).

Conclusion

This genetic evidence for higher CRP levels in chronic spinal (back, neck/shoulder) & widespread pain warrants further large-scale multimodal & prospective longitudinal studies to accelerate the identification of novel translational targets and more effective therapeutic strategies.
Automatic parameter learning method for agent activation spreading network by evolutionary computation
Authors: Shimokawa Daiki , Yoshida Naoto , Koyama Shuzo , Kurihara Satoshi
Published: April 2023

A variety of planning research is being actively conducted in multiple research fields. The focus of these studies is to flexibly utilize both immediate and deliberative planning in response to the environment and to adaptively prioritize multiple goals and actions in a human-like manner. To achieve this, a method that applies active propagation to multi-agent planning (agent activation spreading network) has been proposed and is being utilized in various research fields. Furthermore, with the recent development of large-scale artificial intelligence models, we should soon be able to incorporate tacit human knowledge into this architecture. However, there is not yet a method for adjusting the parameters in this architecture which creates a barrier to future extension. In response, we have developed a method for automatically adjusting the parameters using evolutionary computation. Our experimental results showed that (1) the proposed method enables a higher degree of adaptation, thanks to taking the agent’s semantics into account, and (2) it is possible to obtain parameters that are appropriate to the environment even when the experimental environment is changed.
Ethics and the Future of Meaningful Work: Introduction to the Special Issue
Authors: Lysova Evgenia I. , Tosti-Kharas Jennifer , Michaelson Christopher , Fletcher Luke , Bailey Catherine , McGhee Peter
Published: April 2023

The world of work over the past 3 years has been characterized by a great reset due to the COVID-19 pandemic, giving an even more central role to scholarly discussions of ethics and the future of work. Such discussions have the potential to inform whether, when, and which work is viewed and experienced as meaningful. Yet, thus far, debates concerning ethics, meaningful work, and the future of work have largely pursued separate trajectories. Not only is bridging these research spheres important for the advancement of meaningful work as a field of study but doing so can potentially inform the organizations and societies of the future. In proposing this Special Issue, we were inspired to address these intersections, and we are grateful to have this platform for advancing an integrative conversation, together with the authors of the seven selected scholarly contributions. Each article in this issue takes a unique approach to addressing these topics, with some emphasizing ethics while others focus on the future aspects of meaningful work. Taken together, the papers indicate future research directions with regard to: (a) the meaning of meaningful work, (b) the future of meaningful work, and (c) how we can study the ethics of meaningful work in the future. We hope these insights will spark further relevant scholarly and practitioner conversations.
The development of high school students’ statistical literacy across grade level
Authors: Kurnia Achmad Badrun , Lowrie Tom , Patahuddin Sitti Maesuri
Published: April 2023

The capacity to interrogate data with critical thinking is a strong predictor of statistical literacy (SL). This data interrogation, from the data consumers’ perspective, incorporates four complex response skills: interpreting, communicating, evaluating, and decision-making, and those skills are strongly supported by students’ appreciation of three interrelated knowledge components (text and context, representation, and statistical-mathematical knowledge). Due to the need to be critical data-information readers, students’ SL should develop during their formal schooling. The aim of this paper was to investigate differences in SL between Indonesian year 9 and year 12 students and between female and male students. The same test was administered to 48 year 9 students (50% females) and 48 year 12 students (50% females) from 16 different schools in Indonesia. Findings revealed that the highest percentage of year 9 and 12 students demonstrated evidence of consistent but non-critical thinking (level 4), suggesting that they exhibited their statistical knowledge but not in critical ways. There were 42% of year 9 students showing limited statistical thinking (levels 1 to 3) compared to 17% of year 12 students. Furthermore, while there were no significant gender differences in students’ SL and its all skills, the study shows significant grade level differences in overall SL as well as in its skills except interpreting. Implications of this study include the development of a framework that provides a coherent assessment of students’ SL from a data consumers’ perspective, along with suggestions for classroom teaching.
Sexual self-concept, functioning, and practices of women with binge eating episodes
Authors: Martin Geneviève Manuela , Tremblay Jérôme , Gagnon-Girouard Marie-Pierre
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Positive sexuality has received little empirical attention in relation to eating disorders. Two tendencies related to sexuality have been identified among women with anorexia nervosa (avoidance) and bulimia nervosa (disinhibition), but it is unclear if they also apply to women with binge eating episodes without compensatory behaviors. This study aimed at (1) exploring the sexual self-concept, functioning, and practices of women with binge eating episodes with or without comorbid restrictive and/or compensatory behaviors, considering past experiences of violence, and (2) verifying the presence of distinct profiles of sexual dispositions among this population.

Methods

In total, 253 women reporting recurrent episodes of loss of control related to food intake in the past 5 years, completed a web-based questionnaire. Descriptive and correlational analyses were conducted to outline participants’ sexual self-concept, functioning, and practices and to examine the relationship between these factors. A two-step cluster analysis was also performed to determine whether participants presented distinct profiles of sexual dispositions.

Results

Participants were generally characterized by a negative sexual self-concept and poor sexual functioning. While a first subgroup of participants displayed a pattern of sexual difficulties and avoidance, a second subgroup had a positive sexual self-concept, better sexual functioning and a wider range of sexual practices. Subgroups did not differ relative to binge eating.

Conclusions

Sexuality offers a platform for positive embodiment, which can lead to the improvement of body image and mind–body connection and may thus constitute an essential clinical target to improve treatment related to binge eating episodes.

Level of evidence:Level II: The experimental study is a non-randomized controlled trial.
Important Considerations for Signal Detection and Evaluation
Authors: Buchanan James , Li Mengchun
Published: April 2023

Safety clinicians have a wealth of resources describing how to perform signal detection. Nevertheless, there are some nuances concerning approaches taken by regulatory authorities and statistical considerations that should be appreciated. New approaches, such as the FDA Medical Queries, illustrate the value of considering medical concepts over individual adverse events. One area which would benefit from further clarity is how safety signals may be evaluated for evidence of a causal relationship to the drug of interest. Just as such safety signals can take many forms, the types of tools and methods required to interrogate these signals are equally as diverse. An understanding of the complexity of this process can aid the safety reviewer in successfully characterizing the emerging safety profile of a drug during the pre-marketing phase of development.
Keys to Academic English
Authors: Hale Adrian , Basides Helen
Published: April 2023

Developing the research, writing and referencing skills vital to achieving success in an academic environment is a necessary part of university study. Keys to Academic English presents Academic English, a distinct form of the language used at a tertiary level, and its building blocks - appropriate research, critical thinking and language, effective communication and essay preparation and writing - in an accessible, easy-to-use format. The first part of the text covers the overarching principles of Academic English, including the history of English, and grammar and language essentials. The second part discusses the practical application of this knowledge, with particular emphasis on crafting coherent, thesis-driven essays, alongside discussion of research and sources, referencing and citation, and style and presentation. Written by authors with extensive tertiary teaching experience, Keys to Academic English is an invaluable reference for students beginning their university degrees across a range of humanities disciplines.
Katherine Parr's Giftbooks, Henry VIII's Marginalia, and the Display of Royal Power and Piety
Authors: White Micheline
Published: April 2023

This essay examines deluxe copies of Katherine Parr's “Psalms or Prayers” (1544) distributed as gifts as part of Henry VIII's wartime campaign. The book promoted supplication for the king, and Parr used hand illumination to amplify its aesthetic and sacred character and to elicit political loyalty. I discuss two copies annotated by Henry, one previously unknown. I argue that the volumes shed new light on Parr's role as queen/author, on Henry's final illness, and on their transactional relationship: Parr's giftbooks advanced Henry's cause and enabled him to display exemplary piety; Henry's marginalia activated Parr's text and thanked her for her labor.
Prospective association between adherence to UK dietary guidelines in school-age children and cardiometabolic risk markers in adolescence/early adulthood in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort
Authors: Buckland Genevieve , Taylor Caroline M. , Emmett Pauline M. , Northstone Kate
Published: April 2023

Research into how alignment to UK dietary guidelines during childhood affects cardiometabolic health is limited. The association between adherence to UK dietary guidelines during childhood and overall cardiometabolic risk (CMR) in adolescence/early adulthood was explored using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). ALSPAC children with diet diaries completed at 7, 10 and 13 years of age, and data on CMR markers at 17 years (n 1940) and 24 years (n 1957) were included. A children’s Eatwell Guide (C-EWG) score was created by comparing dietary intakes at each age to UK dietary guidelines for nine foods/nutrients. Cardiometabolic health at 17 and 24 years was assessed using a composite CMR score. Multivariable linear regression models examined associations between C-EWG scores at 7, 10 and 13 years and the CMR score at 17 and 24 years, adjusting for confounders. C-EWG scores were generally low. However, a higher score (adherence to more dietary guidelines) at 7 years old was associated with a lower CMR score at 17 and 24 years: β −0·13 (95 % CI −0·25, –0·01) and β −0·25 (95 % CI −0·38, –0·13) for a 1-point increase in C-EWG score, respectively. A higher C-EWG score at 10 years was also associated with a lower CMR z-score at 24 years. No clear associations were evident at other ages. Greater adherence to UK dietary guidelines during mid-childhood was associated with a better overall cardiometabolic profile, suggesting that encouraging children to eat in this way has long-term benefits to health.
Applicant and Match Trends to Geriatric-Focused Postgraduate Medical Training in Canada: A Descriptive Analysis
Authors: Correia Rebecca H. , Dash Darly , Hogeveen Sophie , Woo Tricia , Kay Kelly , Costa Andrew P. , Siu Henry Yu-Hin
Published: April 2023

Physicians with postgraduate training in caring for older adults–geriatricians, geriatric psychiatrists, and Care of the Elderly family physicians (FM-COE)–have expertise in managing complex care needs. Deficits in the geriatric-focused physician workforce coupled with the aging demographic necessitate an increase in training and clinical positions. Descriptive analyses of data from established matching systems have not occurred to understand the preferences and outcomes of applicants to geriatric-focused postgraduate training. This study describes applicant and match trends for geriatric-focused postgraduate training in Canada. In this retrospective cohort study, data from the Canadian Resident Matching Service and FM-COE program directors were analysed to examine program quotas, applicants’ preferences, and match outcomes by medical school and over time. Based on their first-choice specialty ranking, applicants to geriatric medicine and FM-COE signalled a preference to pursue these programs and tended to match successfully. The proportion of unfilled training positions has increased in recent years, and the number of applicants has not increased consistently over time. There is a disparity between applicants to geriatric-focused training and the health human resources to meet population-level needs. Garnering interest among medical trainees is essential to address access and equity gaps.
Experimental Determination of Mercury Photoreduction Rates in Cloudwater
Authors: Gao Zhiyuan , Bailey Neal , Wang Feiyue
Published: April 2023

Redox chemistry controls the behavior of mercury during long‐range atmospheric transport. Despite major progress in understanding the oxidation process in the atmosphere, the mechanism of mercury reduction, especially the aqueous‐phase and multi‐phase reactions in cloudwater, remains poorly known. Here we report experimentally determined rates of in‐cloud mercury photoreduction using cloudwater samples collected from a forested area in the Canary Islands, Spain. Mercury concentrations in cloudwater varied greatly from 0.04 to 19.9 nM (7.89 ± 6.11 nM) for total mercury and 0.02 to 4.98 nM (1.16 ± 1.49 nM) for the dissolved fraction, with particulate mercury being the dominant fraction in most of the samples. The mercury concentrations were elevated in comparison with those previously reported for atmospheric waters, reflecting the impact of a large‐scale forest wildfire that occurred shortly before the sampling campaign on a neighboring island. Mercury photoreduction was determined by two independent methods: under natural solar radiation at a nearby mountain site located in the free troposphere and under UV radiation in the laboratory. In addition to aqueous‐phase photoreduction, multi‐phase photoreduction involving particulate mercury also occurred in cloudwater, with the latter becoming dominant once dissolved mercury had been depleted. Overall, the pseudo‐first‐order rate constants for in‐cloud mercury photoreduction varied from 0.07 to 0.21 hr−1, which are one order of magnitude lower than the values presumed in global mercury transport models. Our results suggest that in‐cloud reactions alone are insufficient to account for mercury reduction in the atmosphere and that other pathways, such as gas‐phase reactions, must exist and need to be properly incorporated into future models.
Integrated transcriptome catalog of Tenualosa ilisha as a resource for gene discovery and expression profiling
Authors: Chowdhury Md. Arko Ayon , Islam Md. Rakibul , Amin Al , Mou Sadia Noor , Ullah Kazi Newaz , Baten Abdul , Shoyaib Mohammad , Ali Amin Ahsan , Chowdhury Farhana Tasnim , Rahi Md. Lifat , Khan Haseena , Amin M Ashraful , Islam Mohammad Riazul
Published: April 2023

The silver pride of Bangladesh, migratory shad, Tenualosa ilisha (Hilsa), makes the highest contribution to the total fish production of Bangladesh. Despite its noteworthy contribution, a well-annotated transcriptome data is not available. Here we report a transcriptomic catalog of Hilsa, constructed by assembling RNA-Seq reads from different tissues of the fish including brain, gill, kidney, liver, and muscle. Hilsa fish were collected from different aquatic habitats (fresh, brackish, and sea water) and the sequencing was performed in the next generation sequencing (NGS) platform. De novo assembly of the sequences obtained from 46 cDNA libraries revealed 462,085 transcript isoforms that were subsequently annotated using the Universal Protein Resource Knowledgebase (UniPortKB) as a reference. Starting from the sampling to final annotation, all the steps along with the workflow are reported here. This study will provide a significant resource for ongoing and future research on Hilsa for transcriptome based expression profiling and identification of candidate genes.
Circulating proteins to predict COVID-19 severity
Authors: Su Chen-Yang , Zhou Sirui , Gonzalez-Kozlova Edgar , Butler-Laporte Guillaume , Brunet-Ratnasingham Elsa , Nakanishi Tomoko , Jeon Wonseok , Morrison David R. , Laurent Laetitia , Afilalo Jonathan , Afilalo Marc , Henry Danielle , Chen Yiheng , Carrasco-Zanini Julia , Farjoun Yossi , Pietzner Maik , Kimchi Nofar , Afrasiabi Zaman , Rezk Nardin , Bouab Meriem , Petitjean Louis , Guzman Charlotte , Xue Xiaoqing , Tselios Chris , Vulesevic Branka , Adeleye Olumide , Abdullah Tala , Almamlouk Noor , Moussa Yara , DeLuca Chantal , Duggan Naomi , Schurr Erwin , Brassard Nathalie , Durand Madeleine , Del Valle Diane Marie , Thompson Ryan , Cedillo Mario A. , Schadt Eric , Nie Kai , Simons Nicole W. , Mouskas Konstantinos , Zaki Nicolas , Patel Manishkumar , Xie Hui , Harris Jocelyn , Marvin Robert , Cheng Esther , Tuballes Kevin , Argueta Kimberly , Scott Ieisha ,   The Mount Sinai COVID-19 Biobank Team, Greenwood Celia M. T. , Paterson Clare , Hinterberg Michael A. , Langenberg Claudia , Forgetta Vincenzo , Pineau Joelle , Mooser Vincent , Marron Thomas , Beckmann Noam D. , Kim-schulze Seunghee , Charney Alexander W. , Gnjatic Sacha , Kaufmann Daniel E. , Merad Miriam , Richards J. Brent
Published: April 2023

Predicting COVID-19 severity is difficult, and the biological pathways involved are not fully understood. To approach this problem, we measured 4701 circulating human protein abundances in two independent cohorts totaling 986 individuals. We then trained prediction models including protein abundances and clinical risk factors to predict COVID-19 severity in 417 subjects and tested these models in a separate cohort of 569 individuals. For severe COVID-19, a baseline model including age and sex provided an area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) of 65% in the test cohort. Selecting 92 proteins from the 4701 unique protein abundances improved the AUC to 88% in the training cohort, which remained relatively stable in the testing cohort at 86%, suggesting good generalizability. Proteins selected from different COVID-19 severity were enriched for cytokine and cytokine receptors, but more than half of the enriched pathways were not immune-related. Taken together, these findings suggest that circulating proteins measured at early stages of disease progression are reasonably accurate predictors of COVID-19 severity. Further research is needed to understand how to incorporate protein measurement into clinical care.
Influence of hydrodynamic and functional nonlinearities of blood flow in the cerebral vasculature on cerebral perfusion and autoregulation pressure reserve
Authors: Piechna Adam , Cieślicki Krzysztof
Published: April 2023

Ensuring the transport of oxygenated blood to the brain is one of the priorities of the human body. In the literature, there are many models of cerebral circulation with different levels of complexity used to assess pathological conditions, support clinical decisions, and learn about the relationships governing cerebral circulation. This paper presents a zero-dimensional cerebral circulation model that considers hydrodynamic nonlinearities and autoregulation mechanisms. The model has been verified using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the Circle of Willis (CoW) and its supplying and outgoing branches. Despite the considerable simplicity, the presented model captured the dominant features of cerebral circulation and provides good agreement with the CFD model. The errors in relation to the CFD model did not exceed 2.6% and 9.9% for the symmetrical and highly asymmetrical CoW configurations, respectively. The practical application of the model was demonstrated for predicting the autoregulation pressure reserve for different diameters of natural anastomoses: Posterior and Anterior Communicating Arteries. The advantages and limitations of the model were discussed.
Histological and contractile changes in the genioglossus muscle after nasal obstruction in growing rats
Authors: Koecklin Karin Harumi Uchima , Kato Chiho , Abe Yasunori , Yabushita Tadachika , Kokai Satoshi , Ono Takashi
Published: April 2023

The aim of the study was to address the genioglossus muscle physiological and histological changes after unilateral nasal obstruction in growing rats. Fifty-four 6-day-old male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into control (n = 27) and experimental (n = 27) groups. Unilateral nasal obstruction was performed at 8 days old. Contractile properties of the genioglossus whole muscle were measured at 5-, 7- and 9-week-old, including the twitch and tetanic forces, contraction time, half-decay time, and fatigue index. The histological characteristics of the genioglossus were also evaluated at 5-, 7- and 9-week-old, analyzing the myosin heavy chain composition of the slow, fast, IIa and IIb muscle fiber type, by measuring the number, rate, diameter and cross-sectional area. The maximal twitch force, and tetanic force at 60 Hz and 80 Hz force was significantly increased at all ages after nasal obstruction. The fatigue index was decreased at 5 weeks-old after nasal obstruction. The diameter and cross-sectional area of the fast, IIa and IIb muscle fiber types were increased at 7 and 9 weeks after nasal obstruction, while only the diameter of IIa type and cross-sectional area of IIb type were increased at 5 weeks-old after nasal obstruction. Nasal obstruction during growth affects the whole genioglossus muscle contractile properties and histological characteristics, increasing its force, the diameter and area of its muscle fibers. These changes in the genioglossus muscle may affect the normal growth, development and function of the craniofacial complex.
Computational modeling and simulation of epithelial wound closure
Authors: Bai Jie , Zeng Xiaowei
Published: April 2023

Wounds in the epithelium may lead to serious injurious events or chronic inflammatory diseases, however, multicellular organisms have the ability to self-repair wounds through the movement of epithelial cell toward the wound area. Despite intensive studies exploring the mechanism of wound closure, the role of mechanics in epithelial wound closure is still not well explained. In order to investigate the role of mechanical properties on wound closure process, a three-dimensional continuum physics-based computational model is presented in this study. The model takes into account the material property of the epithelial cell, intercellular interactions between neighboring cells at cell–cell junctions, and cell-substrate adhesion between epithelial cells and ECM. Through finite element simulation, it is found that the closure efficiency is related to the initial gap size and the intensity of lamellipodial protrusion. It is also shown that cells at the wound edge undergo higher stress compared with other cells in the epithelial monolayer, and the cellular normal stress dominates over the cellular shear stress. The model presented in this study can be employed as a numerical tool to unravel the mechanical principles behind the complex wound closure process. These results might have the potential to improve effective wound management and optimize the treatment.
Phosphatidylinositol metabolism of the renal proximal tubule S3 segment is disturbed in response to diabetes
Authors: Rietjens Rosalie G. J. , Wang Gangqi , van der Velden Anouk I. M. , Koudijs Angela , Avramut M. Cristina , Kooijman Sander , Rensen Patrick C. N. , van der Vlag Johan , Rabelink Ton J. , Heijs Bram , van den Berg Bernard M.
Published: April 2023

Diabetes is a main risk factor for kidney disease, causing diabetic nephropathy in close to half of all patients with diabetes. Metabolism has recently been identified to be decisive in cell fate decisions and repair. Here we used mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) to identify tissue specific metabolic dysregulation, in order to better understand early diabetes-induced metabolic changes of renal cell types. In our experimental diabetes mouse model, early glomerular glycocalyx barrier loss and systemic metabolic changes were observed. In addition, MSI targeted at small molecule metabolites and glycero(phospho)lipids exposed distinct changes upon diabetes in downstream nephron segments. Interestingly, the outer stripe of the outer medullar proximal tubular segment (PT_S3) demonstrated the most distinct response compared to other segments. Furthermore, phosphatidylinositol lipid metabolism was altered specifically in PT_S3, with one of the phosphatidylinositol fatty acid tails being exchanged from longer unsaturated fatty acids to shorter, more saturated fatty acids. In acute kidney injury, the PT_S3 segment and its metabolism are already recognized as important factors in kidney repair processes. The current study exposes early diabetes-induced changes in membrane lipid composition in this PT_S3 segment as a hitherto unrecognized culprit in the early renal response to diabetes.
Detection of the chronic kidney disease using XGBoost classifier and explaining the influence of the attributes on the model using SHAP
Authors: Raihan Md. Johir , Khan Md. Al-Masrur , Kee Seong-Hoon , Nahid Abdullah-Al
Published: April 2023

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition distinguished by structural and functional changes to the kidney over time. Studies show that 10% of adults worldwide are affected by some kind of CKD, resulting in 1.2 million deaths. Recently, CKD has emerged as a leading cause of mortality worldwide, making it necessary to develop a Computer-Aided Diagnostic (CAD) system to diagnose CKD automatically. Machine Learning (ML) based CAD system can be used by a clinician to automatically diagnoses mass people. Since ML models are considered a black box, it is also necessary to expose influential causes behind a model's prediction of a particular output. So that, a doctor can make a more rational decision based on the model's output and analysis of the features influence on the model. In this paper, we have used the XGBoost as the ML classifier to predict whether a patient has CKD or not. Using the XGBoost classifier, we have obtained an accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score of$$99.16{\%}, 100{\%}, 98.68{\%},$$99.16%,100%,98.68%,and$$99.33{\%},$$99.33%,respectively using all$$24$$24features. Furthermore, we have used Biogeography Based Optimization (BBO) algorithm to find an effective subset of the features. The BBO algorithm selected almost half of the initial features. We have obtained an accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score of$$98.33{\%}, 100{\%}, 97.36{\%},$$98.33%,100%,97.36%,and$$98.67{\%},$$98.67%,respectively using only 13 features selected by the BBO algorithm. Finally, we have explained the impact of the feature on the ML models using the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis. Using SHAP analysis and BBO algorithm, we have found that hemoglobin and albumin mostly contribute to the detection of CKD.
A paired emitter–detector diode-based photometer for the determination of sodium hypochlorite adulteration in milk
Authors: Bastan Narges , Ahmadi Mazaher , Madrakian Tayyebeh , Afkhami Abbas , Khalili Sina , Majidi Mohsen , Moradi Mohammadreza
Published: April 2023

This paper reports on developing a low cost but efficient paired emitter–detector diode (PEDD)-based photometer. The photometer consists of a white light-emitting diode (LED) as the emitter diode, an RGB LED as the detector diode, and a multimeter for recoding the signal. The developed PEDD-based photometer was utilized for the determination of liquid bleach adulteration in cow milk samples. N,N-Diethyl-p-phenylenediamine sulfate aqueous solution of pH 6 was used as a probe to monitor the presence of residual active chlorine in milk. The results showed that the developed method could be used to determine sodium hypochlorite in the concentration range of 0.5 to 20.0 ppm Cl2 with 0.14 and 0.46 ppm Cl2 limit of detection and limit of quantification, respectively. The intraday and interday precisions of the method at two concentration levels of 5.5 and 13.7 ppm Cl2 were 1.04% and 0.52%, and 1.81% and 1.02%, respectively. The recoveries of 114.2% and 106.9% were obtained for 5.5 and 13.7 ppm Cl2 concentrations levels, respectively. Real sample analyzes results showed that “maybe” liquid bleach adulteration in milk is the case for local distributors of raw milk.
Nonperturbative approach to magnetic response of an isolated nanoring in a strongly anharmonic confinement
Authors: Ding Y. J. , Xiao Y.
Published: April 2023

It is a huge challenge in both classical and quantum physics to solve analytically the equation of motion in a strongly anharmonic confinement. For an isolated nanoring, we propose a continuous and bounded potential model, which patches up the disadvantages of the usual square-well and parabolic potentials. A fully nonlinear and nonperturbative approach is developed to solve analytically the equation of motion, from which various frequency shifts and dynamic displacements are exactly derived by an order-by-order self-consistent method. A series of new energy levels and new energy states are found, indicating an alternative magnetic response mechanism. In nominally identical rings, especially, we observe a diamagnetic-paramagnetic transition in the period-halving Φ0/2-current with Φ0 the flux quantum and a large increase in the Φ0-current at least one order of magnitude, which explain well the experimental observations. This work opens a new way to solve the strong or weak nonlinear problems.
Assessment of the water sources for potential channels of faecal contamination within Vhembe District Municipality using sanitary inspections and hydrogen sulphide test
Authors: Murei A. , Kamika I. , Samie A. , Momba M. N. B.
Published: April 2023

Numerous human activities and poor sanitation management cause public health concern, particularly in rural communities without reliable water supply systems and resources for the monitoring of the quality of their water sources. This study assessed the relationship between observed sanitary risks and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) strip test results in the identification of faecal contamination of various water sources used at household level in rural areas of the Vhembe District Municipality. The highest percentage sanitary risk scores ranging from 50 to 100% were recorded for both river and dam water commonly used by the households for multiple purposes, including drinking. All the surface water samples (100%) also tested positive for H2S production, which is linked to the contamination of water sources by bacteria of faecal origin. The overall results showed a significant and positive correlation (r = 0.623, p = 0.003 in the wet season and r = 0.504, p = 0.017 in the dry season) between sanitary risk scores and H2S strip test results. In low resource settings, the use of sanitary inspections combined with the inexpensive and easy-to-use H2S strip tests can be effective as drinking water quality management tools to raise an awareness among community members of the faecal contamination of their water sources.
Hesperetin attenuates sepsis-induced intestinal barrier injury by regulating neutrophil extracellular trap formation via the ROS/autophagy signaling pathway
Authors: Chen Fang , Chu Chengnan , Wang Xinyu , Yang Chao , Deng Yunxuan , Duan Zehua , Wang Kai , Liu Baochen , Ji Wu , Ding Weiwei
Published: April 2023

Hesperetin (HES), one of the major flavonoids that has various biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, may preserve the intestinal barrier during sepsis.
Preparation of UV-curable PSAs by grafting isocyanate-terminated photoreactive monomers and the effect of the functionality of grafted monomers on the debonding properties on Si wafers
Authors: Park Hee-Woong , Seo Hyun-Su , Kwon Kiok , Shin Seunghan
Published: April 2023

Photoreactive pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) were prepared by grafting mono- or difunctional photoreactive monomers onto acrylic PSA, and their adhesion properties were evaluated before and after UV curing for application as dicing tape.
Visualization of deformation-induced changes in carbon nanotube networks in rubber composites using lock-in thermography
Authors: Matsumoto Naoyuki , Nakajima Hideaki , Morimoto Takahiro , Yamada Takeo , Okazaki Toshiya , Kokubo Ken
Published: April 2023

In this study, we used the lock-in thermography technique (LIT) to successfully visualize the single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) networks during the tensile deformation of CNT/fluoro-rubber (FKM) composites.
Uranyl nitrate as a recyclable homogeneous photocatalyst for selective cross-coupling of N-substituted amines and indoles
Authors: Lv Shuaipeng , Li Qiannan , Sang Ji-Wei , Zhang Yu , Wang Jinxin , Zhang Wei-Dong
Published: April 2023

A homogeneous photocatalytic recyclable system for the selective radical–radical cross-coupling of N-substituted amines and indoles has been established.
A complexity assessment framework with structure entropy for a cloud‐edge collaborative manufacturing system
Authors: Li Jiajian , Shi Yanjun , Sun Xueyan , Liu Dong
Published: April 2023

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), along with 5G and beyond networks, is driving a new era of revolution in intelligent manufacturing. However, the integration of more heterogeneous entities and intricate communication protocols complicates the enhanced manufacturing system, posing challenges for quantitatively assessing its complexity. To tackle this issue, a complexity assessment framework for the IIoT‐enabled collaborative manufacturing system is proposed by combining the complex network and information entropy theory. Firstly, industrial entities in the physical space are mapped into a two‐tier complex network taking into account the weights of various access communications. Secondly, an importance‐aware structure entropy is introduced to capture the complexity of industrial networks from the communication perspective in the system. The experiments conducted on various network topological structures validate the proposed method and provide guidance for system design.
Study of half‐bridge series‐resonant induction cooker powered by line rectified DC with less filtering
Authors: Hsieh Hung‐I , Kuo Chao‐Chuan , Chang Wei‐Te
Published: April 2023

This paper presents an analysis and design strategy for a half‐bridge series resonant induction heating (HB SR‐IH) cooker powered by a rectified sinusoidal DC. The simplified equivalent circuit of an induction cooker is modelled by a train of rectified sinusoidal DC pulses chopped at the switching frequency. An average root‐mean‐square (RMS) method is proposed to calculate the RMS resonant voltage and current extrapolated to the power line frequency period. The stability of the cooker is achieved by properly setting the damping ratio in the root‐locus plane to keep the system running quasi‐resonantly at the required power. The power control of the SR HB‐IH cooktop is performed by forced commutation above the resonance frequency. A prototype of a 3 kW HB SR‐IH cooker was designed and implemented to validate the estimated results. Various waveforms from low power to high power are discussed and verified by damping ratio control. The SR HB‐IH cooktop achieves a high‐power factor of 0.95 to 0.995 when generating 300W to 3kW due to less filtered DC power. The power quality assessment showed that the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the line current and voltage measured at 3 kW was 4.1% and 3.5%, respectively.
Feasibility of Visible Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging in Detection of Calcium Hypochlorite in Sago Flour
Authors: Lee Ming Hao , Saptoro Agus , Lim King Hann , Chua Han Bing , Vu Tuong Thuy , Yunus Nurleyna , Hussain Hasnain
Published: April 2023

The general public perspective on sago flour quality is based on the perceived colour appearances. This contributed to the potential of food fraud by excessive usage of bleaching agents such as calcium hypochlorite (CHC) to alter the product’s colour. Conventional methods to detect and quantify CHC such as titration and chromatography are time-consuming, expensive and limited to laboratory setups only. In this research, visible near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (Vis-NIR HSI) was combined with partial least squares regression (PLSR) model to quantify CHC in pure sago flour accurately and rapidly. Hyperspectral images with the spectral region of 400 nm to 1000 nm were captured for CHC-pure sago mixture samples with CHC concentration ranging from 0.005 w/w% to 2 w/w%. Mean reflectance spectral data was extracted from the hyperspectral images, and was used as inputs to develop the PLSR model to predict the CHC concentration. The PLSR model achieved the commendable predictive results in this study, with Rp = 0.9509, RMSEP = 0.1655 and MAPEP of 3.801%, proving that Vis-NIR HSI can effectively predict the concentration of CHC in sago flour.
Biohydrogen production: A new controllability criterion for analyzing the impacts of dark fermentation conditions
Authors: Yahaya Emmanuel , Nandong Jobrun , Yeo Wan Sieng
Published: April 2023

Biohydrogen production from renewable resources using dark fermentation has become an increasingly attractive solution in sustainable global energy supply. So far, there has been no report on the controllability analysis of biohydrogen production using dark fermentation. Process controllability is a crucial factor determining process feasibility. This paper presents a new criterion for assessing biohydrogen process controllability based on PI control. It proposes the critical loop gain derived via Routh stability analysis as a measure of process controllability. Results show that the dark fermentation using the bacteria from anaerobic dairy sludge and substrate source from sugarcane vinasse can lead to a highly controllable process with a critical loop gain value of 4.3. For the two other cases, an increase of substrate concentration from 10 g/L to 40 g/L substantially reduces the controllability. The proposed controllability criterion is easily adopted to assess the process feasibilty based on experimental data.
Synthesis of Enzyme-based Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Nanoflower Particles
Authors: Anboo Shamini , Lau Sie Yon , Kansedo Jibrail , Yap Pow-Seng , Hadibarata Tony , Kamaruddin Azlina Harun
Published: April 2023

Enzyme-incorporated hybrid nanostructures are the immobilization of enzymes and inorganic components that exhibits promising characteristics in various industries. The immobilization of enzymes onto nanomaterial is naturally based to accommodate the enzymatic activity, stability, recyclability as well as their catalytic functions. The designing of these conjugates can improve the overall enzymatic performance by imparting their novel properties onto the system in comparison to conventional free enzymes which experience drawbacks in terms of deactivation or denaturing. A facile and ultrafast method is described in this paper to synthesize a novel enzyme-incorporated lipase/Cu3(PO4)2 hybrid nanoflower (NF). The physical properties of the hybrid NF allow easier retrieval which indicates its higher reusability and recyclability value. The enzyme loading capacity was found to be 95.1% whereas, the catalytic performance of lipase/Cu3(PO4)2 hybrid NF at the optimal conditions resulted in a specific enzyme activity of 1752 U/g corresponding to an increment of 90.5% to that of free lipase. This indicates that the well-designed lipase/Cu3(PO4)2 hybrid NF to be highly efficient in industrial biocatalytic applications. Meanwhile, in future work, we aim to study its operational stability and reusability to enzymatically degrade biopolymers through hydrolysis process.
Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of a NACA0018 Airfoil Using Adjoint Method and Gradient-Based Optimizer
Authors: van Stratan G.S.M. , Roy Sukanta , San Yam Ke
Published: April 2023

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the suitability and efficacy of the adjoint method on the aerodynamic shape optimization on a simple symmetrical airfoil NACA0018 at low Reynolds number for wind turbine application. The adjoint method has been used in many pressure-based numerical simulations with various degrees of success leading to optimized geometries in their respective uses. ANSYS Fluent code was used in this simulation. Lift to drag ratio was defined as the observables for which adjoint sensitivities were formulated. The objective function of the optimization was set to maximize the lift to drag ratio of the airfoil by 20%. The optimization regime showed significant increase in lift and drag ratio from the initial baseline NACA0018 value of 0.0211 up to 3.66 for the optimal NACAOpt. The results demonstrate the potential of the adjoint solver paired together with the gradient-based optimizer to improve the geometry for shape optimization in many CFD applications.
Emerging technologies for conversion of sustainable macroalgal carrageenan biomass into L-lactic acid: A state-of-the-art review
Authors: Tong Kevin Tian Xiang , Tan Inn Shi , Foo Henry Chee Yew , Chan Stephanie Yen San , Hadibarata Tony , Lam Man Kee
Published: April 2023

The environmental awareness and concerns (plastic pollution) worldwide have driven the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly biopolymer derived from renewable materials. Biopolymers, especially L-lactic acid (L-LA) have played a crucial role in manufacturing polylactic acid, a biodegradable thermoplastic. Recently, L-LA production from non-edible macroalgal biomass has gained immense attraction due to it offers the simplest saccharification process for the biorefinery route. However, the commercialization of macroalgal-based L-LA is still limited due to high production costs. This paper has comprehensively reviewed the potential and development of third-generation feedstock for L-LA production, including significant technological barriers to be overcome for potential commercialization purposes. Then, an insight into the state-of-the-art hydrolysis and fermentation technologies using macroalgae as feedstock are also deliberated in detail. Furthermore, this review provides a conceivable picture of macroalgae-based L-LA biorefinery and future research directions that can be served as an important guideline for scientists, policymakers, and industrial players.
Damping coefficient calculation method for shore-side container cranes under the seismic conditions
Authors: Ye Fangping , Deng Hongquan , Fang Chaoyang , Fu Xiang , Li Zhe
Published: April 2023

Shore-side container cranes (SCC) are widely used in ship loading and unloading. However, the SCC is often damaged by the seismic wave shock. In seismic response analysis, the setting of damping coefficients has a large impact on the accuracy of the calculation results. In order to better design the SCC mechanical performance, the improved damping coefficient calculation method is proposed. The results of the simulation and the experiment are compared under the different seismic conditions. The results show that the influence of the damping coefficient calculation method on the SCC seismic response increases with strengthened seismic intensity. When the peak acceleration is small, the simulation results under different damping coefficients are almost the same and are close to the experiment values. When the peak acceleration is large, only the error between the simulation results obtained by the improved method and the experimental values is less than 5%. It is thus concluded that the improved damping coefficient calculation method is accurate and reliable.
Zufuhr von Vitalstoffen kann Ansprechen des vorhandenen Insulins an Zellen verbessern
Authors: Schmidt Edmund , Schmidt Nathalie
Published: April 2023

Diabetes mellitus ist die häufigste Stoffwechselerkrankung in den westlichen Industrieländern und nimmt hierzulande immer mehr zu. Weltweit sind 425 Millionen Menschen betroffen (Angaben der Internationalen Diabetes-Föderation von 2017) und in Deutschland sind laut dem Gesundheitsbericht 2018 bereits 10 % der Bevölkerung betroffen, 90–95 % mit einem Typ-2-Diabetes. Derzeit nehmen Diabeteserkrankungen im Schnitt um 6–10 % pro Jahr zu, sodass etwa 500 000 Menschen jedes Jahr die Erstdiagnose Diabetes erhalten. Mit zunehmendem Alter steigt das Risiko an Diabetes zu erkranken – aktuell sind etwa 1 Millionen Typ-2-Diabetiker über 80 Jahre alt. Mehr als die Hälfte der Diabetiker sind älter als 65 Jahre. Laut WHO ist bis 2030 mit einer Verdoppelung der Erkrankungszahlen in den westlichen Industrieländern zu rechnen.
Critical behavior and magnetocaloric effect simulation in TbFeSi and DyFeSi intermetallic compounds using a Landau universal
Authors: Zaidi N. , Cherif A.
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we introduce a novel calculation method of magnetic entropy change in an arbitrary ferromagnetic system based on the Landau model for Gibbs free energy and the Arrott–Noakes equation, −ΔSM=11γ+1dA(T)dTM1γ+1−MS1γ+1+11β+1γ+1dB(T)dTM1β+1γ+1−MS1β+1γ+1−M−MSH1γH1−1γ. This theoretical study was applied to TbFeSi (TFS) and DyFeSi (DFS) intermetallic compounds. First, the critical exponents (β; γ) are found as (0.46; 1.08) and (0.26; 1) for TFS and DFS, respectively. Second, the limitations of the Arrott–Noakes equation in simulating the hole −ΔSM(H, T) curves were discussed. Third, the usefulness of the new method reported earlier predicted large RCP values of around 810 and 779 J kg−1 under a 10 T magnetic field for TFS and DFS samples, respectively.