bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Case Study on Role of Microbial Consortia Assisted Decomposition of Agro-waste for Improvement of Soil Organic Carbon – A Step Towards Sustainable Development
Authors: Shinde Sonal J. , Dixit Arun D. , Shanbag Ranjeet J. , Kulkarni Yogesh , Borde Mahesh Y. , Lokhande Vinayak H.
Published: November 2024

The availability of optimum soil organic carbon (SOC) in the field is associated with an optimal soil structure, water-holding capacity, nutrient availability, aeration, growth of microflora and thus, crop productivity. In the present investigation, the role of Azolla, poultry waste, urea and cattle dung, as a source of nitrogen, was initially investigated for maintaining the optimum carbon: nitrogen (C: N) ratio during the composting of sugarcane agro-waste. The results showed that Azolla-fortified agro-waste had a significantly fasterrate of composting in comparison to other sources of nitrogen. In the next part of work, Azolla-fortified matured compost was used for the isolation of 7 fungal strains, which were combined with 6 bacterial strains for the preparation of microbial consortia. The consortia were used for composting of different agro-wastes on open fields of 15 farmers in the presence of cattle dung slurry (nitrogen source) and the compost was then applied on the field for optimizing the level of SOC on the fields of SOC deficientsoil. It was found that consortia-induced composting was completed in about 30-45 days as compared to the normal 60 days and the matured compost had achieved the ideal C:N ratio (20:1). The addition of this compost for two cycles significantly increased SOC level (13% and 25% in the first and second cycle, respectively). The study developed the standard operating procedure (SOP) for effective composting of diversified agro-waste (~200 tones) within a short period (~30–45 days) of time in the presence of microbial consortia (200 L ton-1) and cattle dung slurry to retain optimum C:N ratio (40:1–50:1) during composting. The study suggests the application of microbial consortia + cattle dung slurry + diversified agro-waste for on-field rapid composting process and its use as biofertilizer to enhance the SOC of deficient soil in agricultural fields for sustainable development.
El béisbol: un deporte exigente con la función visual
Authors: Vázquez-Sánchez María Covadonga , Gigirey Prieto Luz María
Published: November 2024

Sports vision is an emerging optometric discipline that seeks to improve visual fusion to obtain better sport performance. The relevant visual skills during sport practice depend on the type of sport played and, in the case of team sports, also on the playing position and task performed. Baseball is a fast-action sport that is very visually demanding. In this work, a literature review and analysis of the studies that investigate important aspects of vision in baseball practice has been carried out. Most of the studies reviewed focus on the analysis of the visual skills of batters, as batting is a highly visually demanding task. The results of the research show that baseball players have better visual skills than the non-athlete population, with dynamic visual acuity, eye movements, eye-hand-body coordination, response time and anticipation being among the most important for a good visual performance of the athletes. Studies show significant differences in certain visual skills depending on athlete-level and/or their playing position.
Un parc de forêt dense en Afrique : le parc national de Taï (Côte d'Ivoire) : 1re partie
Authors: Bousquet B.
Published: November 2024

Nous publions ici la première partie de cet article. Face à la disparition rapide de la forêt naturelle, la conservation d'une vaste étendue de terres forestières est justifiée ; elle sauvegarde les écosystèmes et constitue un précieux capital génétique.Dans cet article, l'auteur traite principalement de l'environnement et énumère la flore et la faune du Parc : les animaux rencontrés et les principales espèces dont les graines sont disséminées par la faune, plus particulièrement par les éléphants.Il met également en garde contre tout ce qui met en danger le Parc et souligne le rôle souvent néfaste de l'homme, notamment des braconniers.
Iron Skin Staining: A Rare but Permanent Complication Following IV Iron Infusion
Authors: Dias da Costa Tiago , Mateus-Pinheiro António , Moreira Sónia
Published: November 2024

N/A.
Improving the accuracy of neural network exchange rate forecasting using evolutionary modeling methods
Authors: Fedin Serhii
Published: November 2024

A set of models of feedforward neural networks is created to obtain operational forecasts of the time series of the hryvnia/dollar exchange rate. It is shown that using an evolutionary algorithm for the total search of basic characteristics and a genetic algorithm for searching the values of the matrix of neural network weight coefficients allows optimizing the configuration and selecting the best neural network models according to various criteria of their training and testing quality. Based on the verification of forecasting results, it is established that the use of neural network models selected by the evolutionary modelling method increases the accuracy of forecasting the hryvnia/dollar exchange rate compared to neural network models created without the use of a genetic algorithm. The accuracy of the forecasting results is confirmed by the method of inverse verification using data from different retrospective periods of the time series using the criterion of the average absolute percentage error of the forecast.
Data scrambler knight tour algorithm
Authors: Romanuke Vadim , Yaremko Svitlana , Kuzmina Olena , Yehoshyna Hanna
Published: November 2024

Nowadays, data scrambling remains a vital technique to protect sensitive information by shuffling it in a way that makes it difficult to decipher or reverse-engineer while still maintaining its usability for legitimate purposes. As manipulating the usability of the scrambled data remains a challenge on the background of risking losing data and getting them re-identified by attackers, scrambling and descrambling should be accomplished faster by not increasing data loss and re-identification risks. A scrambling algorithm must have a linear time complexity, still shuffling the data to minimize the risks further. A promising approach is based on the knight open tour problem, whose solutions appear like a random series of knight positions. Hence, a knight open tour algorithm is formalized, by which the knight seems to move chaotically across the chessboard. The formalization is presented as an indented pseudocode to implement it efficiently, whichever programming language is used. The output is a square matrix representing the knight open tour. Based on the knight tour matrix, data scrambler and descrambler algorithms are presented in the same manner. The algorithms have a linear time complexity. The knight-tour scrambling has a sufficiently low guess probability if an appropriate depth of scrambling is used, where the data is re-scrambled repetitively. The scrambling depth is determined by repetitive application of the chessboard matrix, whose size usually increases as the scrambling is deepened. Compared to the pseudorandom shuffling of the data along with storing the shuffled indices, the knight-tour descrambling key is stored and sent far simpler yet ensures proper data security.
Comparison of methods for interpolation and extrapolation of boundary trajectories of short-focus electron beams using root-polynomial functions
Authors: Melnyk Igor , Pochynok Alina , Skrypka Mykhailo
Published: November 2024

The article considers and discusses the comparison of interpolation and extrapolation methods of estimation of the boundary trajectory of electron beams propagated in ionized gas. All estimations have been computed using root-polynomial functions to numerically solve a differential-algebraic system of equations that describe the boundary trajectory of the electron beam. By providing analysis, it is shown and proven that in the case of solving a self-connected interpolation-extrapolation task, the average error of the beam radius estimation is generally smaller. This approach was especially effective in estimating the focal beam radius. An algorithm for solving self-connected interpolation-extrapolation tasks is given, and its efficiency is explained. Corresponding graphic dependencies are also given and analyzed.
Identification of nonlinear systems with periodic external actions (Part I)
Authors: Gorodetskyi Viktor
Published: November 2024

The problem of identifying nonlinear systems with periodic external actions is considered in the article. The number of such actions in the system is not limited, and these actions can be either additive or multiplicative. We use a time series of observed system variables to calculate unknown equation coefficients. The proven theorem allows us to separate the unknown coefficients of the system into variables and constants. The proposed computational procedure allows us to avoid possible errors caused by the discrete nature of observable time series. Identification of zero coefficients is carried out in two ways, eliminating erroneous zeroing of the terms of the equations. The method is illustrated with a numerical example of identifying a chaotic system with periodic external actions.
Sand Detection Using Acoustic Sand Monitors for Liquid-Dominated Multiphase Flow Production
Authors: Nadeem Asad , Vieira Ronald E. , Shirazi Siamack
Published: November 2024

Solid particle erosion in the oil and natural gas industry can be damaging to pipe fittings and equipment, which can lead to maintenance or, in the worst case, a production shutdown. In both cases, this represents a huge economic loss for industry. Acoustic sand monitoring is one of the most widely used practices to provide an alarm and/or estimate the amount of sand entrained in the flow. In addition to being commercially available, they can be easily clamped to the outside of a pipe wall, measuring the acoustic energy generated by sand grain impacts on the inner side of a pipe wall. In this work, a broad range of multiphase operating conditions has been experimentally investigated with acoustic sand monitors in large-scale flow loop facilities to determine the effectiveness of sand monitoring in liquid-dominated multiphase flow. The main objective is to use acoustic sand monitors to determine the threshold sand rate (TSR). This is the minimum sand rate necessary to achieve monitor output higher than the background noise (BN) level. Acoustic monitors were placed upstream and downstream of standard (r/D = 1.5) elbows while varying superficial gas and liquid velocities, sand sizes (25 μm, 75 μm, 150 μm, 300 μm, and 600 μm), and pipe diameters (2 in. and 3 in.) in the vertical orientation. The experimental conditions were selected to cover slug-churn, dispersed-bubble flow, and liquid-sand flow conditions. These results are compared with the previously obtained test results on 50.8-mm (2-in.) internal diameter (ID) test loops. In the 50.8-mm (2-in.) loop, threshold limits were observed for dispersed-bubble flow regimes and liquid-sand as compared with gas-dominated flow conditions. While TSR is the highest in dispersed-bubble flow regimes, the present data were compared with previous results obtained for annular, slug, and stratified flow patterns (FPs) in vertical flow. It was observed that the annular flow regime has the lowest TSR values, showing an increase in TSR when the liquid rate increased. The results from this work can help operators understand how acoustic monitors can detect and distinguish sand impact noise from the background flow noise in liquid-dominated multiphase flow in production facilities. In this way, greater assurance is provided to operators for optimizing oil and gas production rates, especially in wells that tend to produce solids.
Emergent photons and fractionalized excitations in a quantum spin liquid
Authors: Dai Pengcheng , Gao Bin , Desrochers Félix , Tam David , Steffens Paul , Hiess Arno , Su Yixi , Cheong Sang-Wook , Kim Yong Baek , Kirschbaum Diana , Nguyen Duy , Paschen Silke
Published: November 2024

A quantum spin liquid (QSL) arises from a highly entangled superposition of many degenerate classical ground states in a frustrated magnet, and is characterized by emergent gauge fields and deconfined fractionalized excitations (e.g., spinons)1-5. Because such a novel phase of matter is relevant to high-transition-temperature superconductivity6,7 and quantum computation8,9, the microscopic understanding of QSL states is a long-sought goal in condensed matter physics. The 3D pyrochlore lattice of corner-sharing tetrahedra can host a QSL with U(1) gauge fields called quantum spin ice (QSI)10, which is a quantum (with effective S=1/2) analog of the classical (with large effective moment) spin ice11-13. A key difference between QSI and classical spin ice is the predicted presence of the linearly dispersing collective excitations near zero energy, dubbed the “photons”, arising from emergent quantum electrodynamics, in addition to the spinons at higher energies10,14,15. Recently, 3D pyrochlore systems Ce2M2O7 (M = Sn, Zr, Hf) have been suggested as effective S=1/2 QSI candidates16-23, but there has been no evidence of quasielastic magnetic scattering signals from photons, a key signature for a QSI. Here, we use polarized neutron scattering experiments and low-temperature specific heat measurements on single crystals of Ce2Zr2O7 to conclusively demonstrate the presence of magnetic excitations near zero energy at 33-50 mK in addition to signatures of spinons at higher energies, and T 3 temperature dependence of the heat capacity expected for linearly dispersing gapless bosonic modes14,15,24. Using an acoustic phonon mode to normalize spin excitations in absolute units25, we calculate the normalized quantum Fisher information (nQFI) as a witness of multipartite entanglement26,27 and find nQFI=3.7±0.7 at the (0,0,1) position, implying that the system must be at least four-partite entangled. By comparing the energy (E), wave vector (Q), and polarization dependence of the magnetic excitations with theoretical calculations28-34, we conclude that Ce2Zr2O7 is the first example of a dipolar-octupolar π-flux QSI32 with dominant dipolar Ising interactions.
Preclinical study of engineering MSCs promoting diabetic wound healing and other inflammatory diseases through M2 polarization
Authors: Wu Di , Liu Rencun , Cen Xiaotong , Dong Wanwen , Chen Qing , Lin Jiali , Wang Xia , Ling Yixia , Mao Rui , Su Haitao , Huang Rui , Su Huangxing , Xu Hongjie , Qin Dajiang
Published: November 2024

Background
Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) represents a common and severe complication of diabetes mellitus. Effective and safe treatments need to be developed. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have demonstrated crucial roles in tissue regeneration, wound repair and inflammation regulation. However, the function is limited. The safety and efficacy of gene-modified MSCs is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether genetically modified MSCs with highly efficient expression of anti-inflammatory factors promote diabetic wound repair by regulating macrophage phenotype transition. This may provide a new approach to treating diabetic wound healing.
Methods
In this study, human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (hUMSCs) were genetically modified using recombinant lentiviral vectors to simultaneously overexpress three anti-inflammatory factors, interleukin 4, interleukin 10, interleukin 13 (MSCs-3IL). Cell counting kit-8, flow cytometry and differentiation assay were used to detect the criteria of MSCs. Overexpression efficiency was evaluated using flow cytometry, quantitative real-time PCR, Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and cell scratch assay. We also assessed MSCs-3IL's ability to modulate Raw264.7 macrophage phenotype using flow cytometry and quantitative real-time PCR. In addition, we evaluated diabetic wound healing through healing rate calculation, HE staining, Masson staining, and immunohistochemical analysis of PCNA, F4/80, CD31, CD86, CD206, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13. In addition, we evaluated the safety of the MSCs-3IL cells and the effect of the cells on several other models of inflammation.
Results
MSCs-3IL efficiently expressed high levels of IL-4 and IL-10 (mRNA transcription increased by 15,000-fold and 800,000-fold, protein secretion 400 and 200 ng/mL), and IL-13 (mRNA transcription increased by 950,000-fold, protein secretion 6 ng/mL). MSCs-3IL effectively induced phenotypic polarization of pro-inflammatory M1-like macrophages (M1) towards anti-inflammatory M2-like macrophages (M2). The enhancement of function does not change the cell phenotype. The dynamic distribution in vivo was normal and no karyotype variation and tumor risk was observed. In a mouse diabetic wound model, MSCs-3IL promoted diabetic wound healing with a wound closure rate exceeding 96% after 14 days of cell treatment. The healing process was aided by altering macrophage phenotype (reduced CD86 and increased CD206 expression) and accelerating re-epithelialization.
Conclusions
In summary, our study demonstrates that genetically modified hUMSCs effectively overexpressed three key anti-inflammatory factors (IL-4, IL-10, IL-13). MSCs-3IL-based therapy enhances diabetic wound healing with high efficiency and safety. This suggests that genetically modified hUMSCs could be used as a novel therapeutic approach for DFU repair.
TB or Not TB: Emerging Mycobacteriaceae Detected in a Human Patient, Tree Shrews, and Soil
Authors: Siew Zhen Yun , Khoo Chia Ting , Ong Ghee Khang , Nor Siti Norazlin Muhamad , Leong Pooi Pooi , Wong Siew Tung , Tan Boon Shing , Leong Chee-Onn , Low Dyoi-E , Voon Kenny
Published: November 2024

This study investigated the extrapulmonary pathogenesis of a novel Mycobacteroides abscessus subsp. massiliense strain in a young adult, manifesting as a chronic cutaneous infection. Epidemiological investigation proposed pathogen transmission via contaminated Java apple fruit, likely facilitated by tree shrews. The strain, identified through next-generation sequencing, demonstrated resistance to 76.7% of tested antibiotics, and potential heteroresistance among the M. abscessus subsp. massiliense subpopulations were suggested. Mycobacteroides abscessus complex (MAC) is a group of non-tuberculous mycobacteria, typically associated with soil and water, and poses significant clinical challenges due to its resistance to conventional treatments and its similarity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The findings underscore the necessity for further genetic studies to confirm heteroresistant subpopulations and address the complexities of MAC infections.
Study on broadband vibration reduction characteristics and optimal design of the acoustic black hole plate with damping oscillators
Authors: Yang Chuanmeng , Yu Hongtao , Zheng Dayuan , Ye Tiangui
Published: November 2024

The acoustic black hole (ABH) can alter the velocity of bending waves and concentrate vibration energy with the change of thickness. However, the operational frequency range of acoustic black holes is predominantly concentrated within the mid-to-high frequency spectrum, while their effectiveness is notably constrained in the low-frequency range. This paper focuses on the low-frequency vibration characteristics of the acoustic black hole damping oscillator (ABH-DO) structure and the corresponding structural parameter influence analysis is conducted. Subsequently, the vibration property of ABH-DO in multiple array configurations are analyzed and the ability of absorbing the vibration energy is experimentally verified. Finally, orthogonal experiments are performed on ABH-DO structures in multiple array configurations. The results reveal that both single and multiple ABH-DO structures demonstrate effective low-frequency vibration reduction, with varying degrees of peak value attenuation at multiple locations. Among the parameters of ABH-DO, the oscillator mass has the most pronounced effect on vibration peaks. The vibration characteristics of the ABH-DO structure can be optimized by adjusting the oscillator mass. Optimal parameters are determined within a given range through orthogonal experiments. The vibration characteristics of the ABH-DO structure at the optimal factor level are enhanced to varying extents when compared with other factor level combinations.
The development and application of an engineered direct electron transfer enzyme for continuous levodopa monitoring
Authors: Batchu Kartheek , Probst David , Satomura Takenori , Younce John , Sode Koji
Published: November 2024

Levodopa, the primary treatment for Parkinson's Disease, has a narrow therapeutic window further complicated by the lack of real-time feedback, primarily due to the absence of an enzyme specific to levodopa. We addressed this by developing a novel direct electron transfer type(DET) enzyme, copper dehydrogenase (CoDH), engineered from an extremophile derived multicopper oxidase (MCO), for use in a continuous levodopa sensor. By introducing mutations into the type 2 and type 3 copper ligand histidine residues, the enzyme drastically decreased its oxidase activity while enhancing DET activity with the electrode. Using this developed CoDH, a chronoamperometric levodopa sensor was constructed, which was minimally affected by environmental changes, or by interferents, including levodopa metabolites, adjunct medications, and common plasma and interstitial fluid components. A miniaturized levodopa sensor was constructed and was able todetect levodopa as low as 138 nM, suggesting its future application for in vivo subcutaneous measurement.
Investigations on the effects of game browsing on surface runoff in Alpine forests
Authors: May Dominik , Markart Gerhard , Kohl Bernhard , Schwarz Massimiliano
Published: November 2024

The hydrological effect of forests on reducing surface runoff and therefore mitigating flood hazards is well recognized in theoretical concepts, however its quantification for practical applications remains a challenge. Changes in the hydrological effect due to changes in the forest can be measured but hardly predicted, which makes it difficult to assess the impact of disturbances and management in protections forests against flood hazards. Game browsing is recognized as a problematic disturbance in protection forests that can impact the protective effect against gravitational hazards in the long term while its impact on the protective effect against flood hazards is yet poorly understood. Protection fences that exclude game browsing in the forest offer an opportunity to investigate its influence on the formation of surface runoff with paired rainfall experiments. They show distinct differences in the runoff formation for all investigated sites which can be attributed to the browsing exclusion by the protection fences. The surface runoff is up to three times lower inside compared to outside the fenced areas. Furthermore there is a systematic difference in the measured soil properties for all investigated sites. The hydraulic conductivity is clearly greater while the soil porosity, the topsoil depth and the humus height are slightly greater inside compared to outside the fenced areas. A statistical analysis of the surface runoff shows, that the measured differences are significant and that the factor of the protection fence is more important than the soil variabilities and the experiment conditions. This analysis reveals a clear trend of how the exclusion of game browsing within affects soil properties and reduces surface runoff. The differences in the soil properties are in line with the differences in the surface runoff and provide a physical basis for an explanation. The experiment design indicates that the differences in the soil properties are related to the game browsing, even if a detailed explanation of this relationship is missing. Nevertheless, it can be concluded from this investigation that the exclusion of game browsing can significantly decrease surface runoff therefore and impair the protective effect against flood hazard in the short term.
Enhancing Furcation Involvement Classification on Panoramic Radiographs with Vision Transformers
Authors: Zhang Xuan , Guo Enting , Liu Xu , Zhao Hong , Yang Jie , Li Wen , Wu Wenlei , Sun Weibin
Published: November 2024

Background
The severity of furcation involvement (FI) directly affects tooth prognosis and influences treatment approaches. However, assessing, diagnosing, and treating molars with FI is complicated by anatomical and morphological variations. cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has enhanced diagnostic accuracy for detecting FI and measuring furcation defects. Despite its advantages, the high cost and radiation dose associated with CBCT equipment limit its widespread use. This study presents the first application of Vision Transformer (ViT) models for FI classification using panoramic radiographs.
Methods
A total of 1,568 tooth images obtained from 506 panoramic radiographs were used to construct the database and evaluate the models. We developed and assessed a ViT model for classifying FI from panoramic radiographs, and compared its performance with traditional models, including Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), VGG, and GoogLeNet.
Results
Among the evaluated models, the ViT model outperformed all others, achieving the highest precision (0.98), recall (0.92), and F1 score (0.95), along with the lowest cross-entropy loss (0.27) and the highest accuracy (92%). ViT also recorded the highest area under the curve (AUC) (98%), outperforming the other models with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05), confirming its enhanced classification capability. The gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) analysis on the ViT model revealed the key areas of the images that the model focused on during predictions.
Conclusion
Deep learning (DL) algorithms can automatically classify FI using readily accessible panoramic images. Our findings demonstrate that ViT outperforms traditional models, highlighting the potential of transformer-based approaches to significantly advance image classification. This approach is also expected to reduce both the radiation dose and the financial burden on patients while simultaneously improving diagnostic precision.
Dynamic analysis of the epidemiology and pathogen distribution of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in children with severe pulmonary infection: a retrospective study
Authors: Yu Muchun , Li Mingchao , Sun Huiqing
Published: November 2024

Background: Severe pulmonary infection is the primary cause of death in children aged < 5 years. The early identification of pathogenic bacteria and targeted anti-infective therapies can significantly improve the prognosis of children with severe infections. This study aims to provide a reference for the rational use of antibiotics at an early stage in children with severe pulmonary infections.
Methods: A retrospective, single-center longitudinal study included children with severe pulmonary infections between January 2017 and December 2022 by obtaining their bacterial culture results of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.
Results: This study included 4080 samples. The age of onset for severe pulmonary infection increased annually. The proportion of severe pulmonary infections across the different age groups and years was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Among children with severe pulmonary infections, bacilli were the most prevalent, followed by cocci and fungi. The predominant bacilli were Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The predominant cocci identified in this study were Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. The primary fungi included Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus, which showed significant differences (p < 0.05). The incidence of drug-resistant bacteria has gradually declined, with infection rates of multidrug-resistant bacteria and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases consistently decreasing annually. For carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the infection rates peaked in 2018, with statistical significance (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Severe pulmonary infections in children are significantly associated with age and types of infectious pathogens. Gram-negative bacteria are the primary cause of severe pulmonary infections in children. Clinicians should rationally use antibiotics according to the local distribution and drug resistance of pathogens, thereby enhancing therapeutic outcomes.
Enhanced Electrochemical Detection of Dopamine and Uric Acid Using Au@Ni-MOF (Ni (CH 3 CO 2 ) 2 ) with Nickel Acetate Precursor and Employing 2D Structure for Density Functional Theory (DFT) Simulation
Authors: Zhou Feng , Gai Limei , Liu Hua , Qin Danfeng , Abudouwufu Tushagu , Liu Yi
Published: November 2024

Rapid and efficient detection of small biomolecules in human body fluids is crucial to developing novel electrode materials. In this paper, one new type of no-enzyme electrochemical sensor based on the Au@Ni-MOF (Ni(CH3CO2)2) hybrids with the precursor of Ni(II) (nickel acetate) was fabricated through an in-situ grown strategy: [Ni3(BTC)2]n (H3BTC=1,3,5-trimesic acid) with coordinatively unsaturated Ni(II) sites decorated with gold nanoparticles to synthesize the Au@Ni-MOF (Ni(CH3CO2)2) hybrids for the individual and simultaneous determination of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA). The electrochemical performance of the as-prepared Au@Ni-MOF hybrids fabricated on the surface of the screen-printed electrode (SPCE) was investigated for the detection of different concentrations of DA and UA in the 0.01 M phosphate-buffered saline by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Moreover, the cathodic peak current for Au@Ni-MOF (Ni(CH3CO2)2)/SPCE was proportional to the DA and UA concentration over a specifically wide linear range of 0.1 µM to 2 mM and 0.5 µM to 1.5 mM, respectively. The obtained Au@Ni-MOF (Ni(CH3CO2)2)/SPCE showed excellent electrochemical and electrocatalytic performance owing to the perfectly assembled AuNPs and Ni-MOF, which can be applied in non-enzyme sensing of DA and UA. Furthermore, the adsorption energy and bond length of the 2D structures of Ni-MOF and Au@Ni-MOF (Ni(CH3CO2)2) were determined through DFT simulations. These calculations provided insights into the interactions between these biomolecules and the surfaces of these 2D structures.
The Effects and Mechanisms of High Glucose Fluctuations at Different Levels on the Expression of Cytokines in Monocytes
Authors: Sun Shiqi , Shen Xiaobo , Huang Qi , Sun Jiazhong
Published: November 2024

Objective: To investigate the changes in the expression of cytokines MCP-1, IL-6, and TNF-α in monocytes and the alterations in antioxidant enzyme activity under different conditions of blood glucose fluctuations. Additionally, to study the mechanism of monocyte damage using the antioxidant α-lipoic acid.
Methods: The THP-1 cell line of peripheral blood monocytes was cultured in vitro and divided into the following groups: Control groups: ① Normal group: 5 mmol/L glucose; ② High glucose group: 20 mmol/L glucose; ③ Low-level fluctuation group: alternating between 5 mmol/L and 20 mmol/L glucose; ④ High-level fluctuation group: alternating between 5 mmol/L and 30 mmol/L glucose. Drug group: Based on the control groups, α-lipoic acid (ALA) was added, and indicators were measured after 24 hours. For the fluctuation groups, the glucose concentration in the medium was cyclically adjusted between high and low levels: 20 mmol/L glucose for 2 hours, followed by 5 mmol/L glucose for 3 hours, repeating this cycle three times. During the night (9 hours), 5 mmol/L glucose was maintained. The total exposure time was 24 hours, and indicators were measured after 14 days of culture.
Results: 1) Compared to the normal group, both the high glucose and fluctuation groups showed significantly elevated levels of intracellular oxidative stress. When compared to the high glucose group, the low-level and high-level fluctuation groups exhibited significantly higher levels of oxidative stress. Furthermore, the high-level fluctuation group had significantly higher oxidative stress levels than the low-level fluctuation group. 2) After high glucose stimulation, the mRNA and protein levels of MCP-1, IL-6, and TNF-α in monocytes were significantly higher in both the constant high glucose and fluctuating high glucose groups compared to the control. Upon the addition of the drug, the mRNA and protein levels of MCP-1, IL-6, and TNF-α decreased significantly. 3) Compared to the control groups, the drug group showed a significant decrease in intracellular oxidative stress levels.
Conclusion: Fluctuating hyperglycemia exerts a stronger damaging effect on human peripheral blood monocytes than constant hyperglycemia, and the greater the fluctuation, the stronger the damaging effect, leading to a more pronounced disruption in cytokine expression. This mechanism may be attributed to increased oxidative stress levels and decreased antioxidant enzyme activity. The antioxidant α-lipoic acid can inhibit the disruption of cytokine expression by counteracting oxidative stress damage in monocytes.
Multiscale Spatio-Temporal Aware Graph Recurrent Neural Network for Traffic Prediction
Authors: Chang Lei , Yang Wenxi , Qi Kaiyuan , Cui Tao , Yu Lianfei , Qu Zhijian , Ren Chongguang
Published: November 2024

The main problem within most existing traffic prediction methods is that they capture sequence features using a single scale, such as the time continuity or the direct adjacency relationship. It makes the relevant traffic prediction models still insufficient in capturing the dynamic patterns and spatio-temporal correlations. To fully mine the spatio-temporal correlation of traffic sequence, a multiscale spatio-temporal aware graph recurrent neural network (MSSTA-GRN) is proposed in the paper. Firstly, to capture the internal temporal correlation of traffic sequences at different scales, we decompose the hidden states of GRU into different scales and then update the corresponding hidden states according to different frequencies, the speed changes at different frequencies can be better captured. Secondly, to capture the multiscale spatial correlation of the traffic network more comprehensively, a multiscale spatial feature capture module is constructed by cascading multiple GCNs, the multiscale GCN can better deal with the interaction between different regions. Finally, MSSTA-GRN is designed to fuse multiscale spatio-temporal features, and experimental results indicate that the proposed perception method can improve the accuracy and robustness of traffic prediction.
Dietary chromium improves growth, feed utilization, haematological and biochemical parameters, innate immune response, and gene expression in Juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
Authors: Khafaji Nermin , Sultan Ahmed , Zeid Salma , El-Sayed Abdel-Fattah
Published: November 2024

The dietary chromium needs of tilapia have not been thoroughly examined. The present study evaluated the effects of dietary chromic oxide (Cr2O3) on growth performance, feed utilization, hematological parameters, immune response, and gene expression of juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed semi-purified diets. Six isonitrogenous (33% crude protein), isoenergetic (17.42 MJ Kg− 1), Cr-free diets containing 0 (control), 3, 6, 12, 24, and 60 mg supplemental Cr2O3 kg− 1 were prepared. The diets were administered to triplicate groups of Nile tilapia (average initial weight = 13 g) maintained in 250-L fiberglass tanks within a recirculating indoor system. The feeding regimen consisted of 3% of the fish's live weight, provided twice daily for 60 days. Significant improvements were observed in growth rates, feed utilization efficiency, digestive enzyme activities, blood parameters, liver function enzymes, and immunological responses. The expression of GLUT2 and PI3KR1 genes was upregulated (P < 0.05) with increasing dietary Cr2O3 up to 24 mg kg− 1 diet and leveled off or decreased with a further increase in Cr2O3 supplementation to 60 mg kg− 1. However, the results of quadratic regression analyses indicated that the optimum responses occurred at about 35 mg Cr2O3 kg− 1 diet. The findings suggest that including Cr2O3 in the diet significantly improves fish growth, feed digestion, nutrient absorption, metabolic processes, and innate immune response. A recommended dietary level of approximately 35 mg kg− 1 is proposed to optimize the performance and health status of farmed Nile tilapia.
Preoperative Optimization Strategy Management Model Applied in Gallbladder Surgery
Authors: Wang Jie , Xie Haofen , Zhu Hong , Hu Yue , Mi Shanshan , Wang Ying , Xu Qinhong , Yang Liang
Published: November 2024

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impact of implementing a pre-admission management model in a tertiary hospital on the duration of hospitalization and costs for patients undergoing gallbladder surgery. Additionally, it seeks to explore patient characteristics suitable for pre-admission gallbladder surgery based on age and underlying conditions.
Methods: Patient data were analyzed following the implementation of the pre-admission optimization strategy management model. A comparison was made between the time and costs of hospitalization for regular inpatients and those undergoing gallbladder surgery after pre-admission, with a focus on determining the statistical significance of any observed differences.
Results: The comparative analysis of patients undergoing gallbladder surgery with and without underlying conditions revealed a significant reduction in preoperative preparation time, postoperative recovery time, total hospitalization days, and hospitalization costs. Patients under 65 years of age who underwent pre-admission gallbladder surgery experienced shorter hospital stays, reduced postoperative recovery times, and lower total costs compared to elderly patients aged 65 and above (P<0.05). Among different hospitalization processes, pre-admission patients aged 65 and above had decreased preoperative preparation time, postoperative recovery time, total hospitalization days, and total costs compared to regular inpatients (P<0.05). Moreover, pre-admission patients under 65 years old exhibited reduced postoperative recovery time and total hospitalization days compared to regular inpatients (P<0.05), while preoperative preparation time showed no statistical significance (P>0.05).
Conclusion: It is recommended to implement pre-admission management models for the treatment of gallbladder surgery patients, regardless of whether they are aged 65 and above or under 65 years old.
Aging microenvironment: the critical factor to determine the prognosis of glioblastoma from the perspective of response to chemoradiotherapy and immunoregulation
Authors: Tao Ye , Yuan Yueming , Cui Xiaopan , Zhang Rongwei
Published: November 2024

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor. With age, many factors in the microenvironment will change, and these changes have an important impact on tumor growth, development and treatment response. This study aims to investigate gene signatures and prognostic value of the aging microenvironment in GBM. The correlation between transcriptional data, clinical information, immune infiltration, and expression of inflammatory cytokines was analyzed. A protein-protein interaction network (PPI) and functional enrichment analysis was performed. The correlation between survival data and prognosis was evaluated by Cox regression analysis to predict the response to treatment. Most aging-related gene sets were significantly concentrated and 437 aging-related hub genes were highly expressed in GBM samples. Among 437 hub genes, the expression of 49 genes was significantly correlated with prognosis. The mutation rate of the top 20 aging-related hub genes in the GBM sample was 51.4%. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that most aging-related hub genes with significant survival correlation may be involved in regulating immunotherapy response. The aging microenvironment-related signature (AMRS) was identified as a independent prognostic indicator and correlated with clinical features, immunity, and inflammation in GBM. The aging microenvironment is involved in the mechanism of GBM drug resistance which showed great potential for further studing of new avenues for clinical treatment to improve patients’ outcomes.
Correlation of telomere length with the Charlson Comorbidity Index via the zero- inflated negative binomial regression model: NHANES 1999–2002
Authors: Tu Beilin , Li Wei , Xiao Haitao , Xu Xuewen , Zhang Yange
Published: November 2024

Background: Telomere shortening is correlated with aging and cellular death. The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) is the most widely used tool to quantify comorbidities and assess 10-year mortality. This study aimed to explore the relationship between telomere length and the CCI.
Methods: This study sample was drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) over two consecutive cycles, 1999--2000 and 2001--2002, and included 3,410 eligible participants. The zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) model was used to examine the effect of telomere length on the CCI.
Results:
In the count part (CCI≥0), with the other variables held constant, the expected change in the CCI for a one-unit decrease in telomere length was 0.882 (RR=0.882, p=0.527). In the logit part (CCI = 0), the log odds of having a CCI equal to zero increased by 1.025 for telomere length (OR = 1.025, p=0.945). Within the outcomes of the ZINB model for subgroups aged 20--59 years, the expected change in the CCI for a one-unit decrease in telomere length was 0.851 (RR=0.851, p=0.531). For telomere length, the log odds of the CCI being zero increased by 2.051 (OR=2.051, p=0.025) in the logit part (CCI = 0).
Conclusions:
This study suggested that the shorter the telomere length, the higher the CCI index. Shortening of telomeres may be associated with poorer prognosis and survival. In addition, there was a positive correlation between increasing age, smoking status, BMI, and the CCI. These findings may help patients improve their behavior and lifestyle habits.
Discovery and characterization of a novel telomerase alternative splicing isoform that protects lung cancer cells from chemotherapy induced cell death.
Authors: Ludlow Andrew , Kim Jeongjin , Ahn Alexander , Ying Jeffrey
Published: November 2024

All cancer cells must adopt a telomere maintenance mechanism to achieve replicative immortality. Most human cancer cells utilize the enzyme telomerase to maintain telomeres. Alternative splicing of TERT regulates the amount and function of telomerase, however many alternative splicing isoforms of TERT have unknown functions. Single molecule long read RNA/cDNA sequencing of TERT revealed 45 TERT mRNA variants including 13 known and 32 novel variants. Among the variants, TERT Delta 2–4, which lacks exons 2–4 but retains the original open reading frame, was selected for further study. Induced pluripotent stem cells and cancer cells express higher levels of TERT Delta 2–4 compared to primary human bronchial epithelial cells. Overexpression of TERT Delta 2–4 enhanced clonogenicity and resistance to cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Knockdown of endogenous TERT Delta 2–4 in Calu-6 cells reduced clonogenicity and resistance to cisplatin. Our results suggest that TERT Delta 2–4 enhances cancer cells’ resistance to intrinsic apoptosis. RNA sequencing following knockdown of Delta 2–4 TERT indicates that translation is downregulated and that mitochondrial related proteins are upregulated compared to controls. Overall, our data indicate that TERT produces many isoforms that influence the function of TERT and the abundance and activity of telomerase.
Assessment of Radioactive Isotopes in Mineral Water in Arak City: Machine Learning Models for Enhancing Water Safety
Authors: Ranjbar Fatemeh , Sadeghi Hossein , Pourimani Reza , Khanmohammadi Soraya
Published: November 2024

Humans encounter both natural and artificial radiation sources, including cosmic rays, primordial radionuclides, and radiation generated by human activities. These radionuclides can infiltrate the human body through various pathways, potentially leading to cancer and genetic mutations. A study was conducted using random sampling to assess the concentrations of radioactive isotopes and heavy metals in mineral water from Arak City. Notably, specific radiation levels of Ra-226 were not detected, whereas the concentrations of Th-232, K-40, and Cs-137 were found to be below the thresholds established by the World Health Organization (WHO). The annual effective doses derived from the consumption of bottled water were significantly lower than the limits set by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), thereby reducing the risk of cancer. Furthermore, heavy metals such as lead and chromium were not present in the samples, thereby contributing to the overall safety of the water. The Machine Learning (ML) models employed in this study provided accurate predictions, ensuring reliability across various demographic groups and reinforcing the robustness of the findings. Overall, the results suggest that mineral water consumption poses minimal health risks.
Entanglement-controlled Vectorial Quantum Meta-Holography
Authors: Li Yan , Ye Sheng , Han Yue , Liu Li-Zheng , Wan Weiping , Wang Ruiqi , Xun Mingna , Li Qiang , Gong Qihuang , Wang Jianwei
Published: November 2024

Metasurfaces can precisely manipulate the amplitude, phase, and polarization of incident light through subwavelength structures, greatly advancing the quantum meta-holographic imaging. However, the current methods of using quantum holography only control either the amplitude or the phase on the imaging plane, so the resulted scalar holography without the polarization distribution has limited imaging channels. Here, the vectorial quantum meta-holography using entangled photon-pairs is experimentally demonstrated, by simultaneously controlling the amplitude ratio between two cross-polarization holographic images and their phase difference on the image plane. Since the polarization distribution accordingly changes with the polarization state of the incident light, this approach not only reconstructs 32 incident polarization states with an average fidelity up to 94.78%, but also enables entangled idler photons to remotely control the holographic images reconstructed by the signal photons, where the signal-to-noise ratio increases to 10.78 dB, even for maximally mixed states. This vectorial meta-holography using entangled states has a larger polarization state information capacity and will facilitate miniaturized quantum imaging and efficient quantum state tomography.