bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dental caries detection using a semi-supervised learning approach
Authors: Qayyum Adnan , Tahir Ahsen , Butt Muhammad Atif , Luke Alexander , Abbas Hasan Tahir , Qadir Junaid , Arshad Kamran , Assaleh Khaled , Imran Muhammad Ali , Abbasi Qammer H.
Published: January 2023

Early diagnosis of dental caries progression can prevent invasive treatment and enable preventive treatment. In this regard, dental radiography is a widely used tool to capture dental visuals that are used for the detection and diagnosis of caries. Different deep learning (DL) techniques have been used to automatically analyse dental images for caries detection. However, most of these techniques require large-scale annotated data to train DL models. On the other hand, in clinical settings, such medical images are scarcely available and annotations are costly and time-consuming. To this end, we present an efficient self-training-based method for caries detection and segmentation that leverages a small set of labelled images for training the teacher model and a large collection of unlabelled images for training the student model. We also propose to use centroid cropped images of the caries region and different augmentation techniques for the training of self-supervised models that provide computational and performance gains as compared to fully supervised learning and standard self-supervised learning methods. We present a fully labelled dental radiographic dataset of 141 images that are used for the evaluation of baseline and proposed models. Our proposed self-supervised learning strategy has provided performance improvement of approximately 6% and 3% in terms of average pixel accuracy and mean intersection over union, respectively as compared to standard self-supervised learning. Data and code will be made available to facilitate future research.
Obese dogs exhibit different fecal microbiome and specific microbial networks compared with normal weight dogs
Authors: Kim Hanbeen , Seo Jakyeom , Park Tansol , Seo Kangmin , Cho Hyun-Woo , Chun Ju Lan , Kim Ki Hyun
Published: January 2023

Canine obesity is a major health concern that predisposes dogs to various disorders. The fecal microbiome has been attracting attention because of their impact on energy efficiency and metabolic disorders of host. However, little is known about specific microbial interactions, and how these may be affected by obesity in dogs. The objective of this study was to investigate the differences in fecal microbiome and specific microbial networks between obese and normal dogs. A total of 20 beagle dogs (males = 12, body weight [BW]: 10.5 ± 1.08 kg; females = 8, BW: 11.3 ± 1.71 kg; all 2-year-old) were fed to meet the maintenance energy requirements for 18 weeks. Then, 12 beagle dogs were selected based on body condition score (BCS) and divided into two groups: high BCS group (HBCS; BCS range: 7–9, males = 4, females = 2) and normal BCS group (NBCS; BCS range: 4–6, males = 4, females = 2). In the final week of the experiment, fecal samples were collected directly from the rectum, before breakfast, for analyzing the fecal microbiome using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The HBCS group had a significantly higher final BW than the NBCS group (P < 0.01). The relative abundances ofFaecalibacterium,Phascolarctobacterium,Megamonas,Bacteroides,Mucispirillum, and an unclassified genus withinRuminococcaceaewere significantly higher in the HBCS group than those in the NBCS group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, some Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) modules related to amino acid biosynthesis and B vitamins biosynthesis were enriched in the HBCS group (P < 0.10), whereas those related to carbohydrate metabolism were enriched in the NBCS group (P < 0.10). Microbial network analysis revealed distinct co-occurrence and mutually exclusive interactions between the HBCS and NBCS groups. In conclusion, several genera related to short-chain fatty acid production were enriched in the HBCS group. The enriched KEGG modules in the HBCS group enhanced energy efficiency through cross-feeding between auxotrophs and prototrophs. However, further studies are needed to investigate how specific networks can be interpreted in the context of fermentation characteristics in the lower gut and obesity in dogs.
A new thermography using inelastic scattering analysis of wavelength-resolved neutron transmission imaging
Authors: Sato Hirotaka , Miyoshi Mana , Ramadhan Ranggi Sahmura , Kockelmann Winfried , Kamiyama Takashi
Published: January 2023

Thermography using energy-dependent neutron transmission imaging can non-invasively and non-destructively visualize a real-space distribution of interior temperatures of a material in a container. Previously, resonance absorption broadening analysis and Bragg-edge shift analysis using energy-resolved neutron transmission have been developed, however some issues remain, e.g., imaging efficiency, substance limitation and temperature sensitivity. For this reason, we propose a new neutron thermography using the temperature dependence of inelastic scattering of cold neutrons. This method has some advantages, for example, the imaging efficiency is high because cold neutrons are measured with moderate wavelength resolution, and light elements can be analysed in principle. We investigated the feasibility of this new neutron thermography at pulsed neutron time-of-flight imaging instruments at ISIS in the United Kingdom and HUNS in Japan. A Rietveld-type transmission spectrum analysis program (RITS) was employed to refine temperature and atomic displacement parameters from the inelastic scattering cross-section analysis. Finally, we demonstrated interior thermography of an α-Fe sample of 10 mm thickness inside a vacuum chamber by using a neutron time-of-flight imaging detector at the compact accelerator-driven pulsed neutron source HUNS.
A practical perspective for chromatic orthogonality for implementing in photolithography
Authors: Kumar Godlaveeti Sreenivasa , Sha Mizaj Shabil , Yempally Swathi , Cabibihan John-John , Sadasivuni Kishor Kumar
Published: January 2023

Theoretically, it is more challenging to anticipate the conversion and selectivity of a photochemical experiment compared to thermally generated reactivity. This is due to the interaction of light with a photoreactive substrate. Photochemical reactions do not yet receive the same level of broad analytical study. Here, we close this research gap by presenting a methodology for statistically forecasting the time-dependent progression of photoreactions using widely available LEDs. This study uses NiS/ZnO in perovskite (MAPbI3) solar cells as an additive (5 volume %). The effect of monolithic perovskite solar cells (mPSCs) on forecasting the wavelength of LEDs has been carefully investigated using various characterization methods, including X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The photocatalytic activity was analyzed by measuring the voltage produced. Various factors like selectivity, stability and sensitivity were also examined. This work provides a new perspective to validate NiS/ZnO photocatalysts for predicting the wavelength of different light sources and to apply in photolithography.
Prediction of continuous and discrete kinetic parameters in horses from inertial measurement units data using recurrent artificial neural networks
Authors: Parmentier J. I. M. , Bosch S. , van der Zwaag B. J. , Weishaupt M. A. , Gmel A. I. , Havinga P. J. M. , van Weeren P. R. , Braganca F. M. Serra
Published: January 2023

Vertical ground reaction force (GRFz) measurements are the best tool for assessing horses' weight-bearing lameness. However, collection of these data is often impractical for clinical use. This study evaluates GRFz predicted using data from body-mounted IMUs and long short-term memory recurrent neural networks (LSTM-RNN). Twenty-four clinically sound horses, equipped with IMUs on the upper-body (UB) and each limb, walked and trotted on a GRFz measuring treadmill (TiF). Both systems were time-synchronised. Data from randomly selected 16, 4, and 4 horses formed training, validation, and test datasets, respectively. LSTM-RNN with different input sets (All, Limbs, UB, Sacrum, or Withers) were trained to predict GRFz curves or peak-GRFz. Our models could predict GRFz shapes at both gaits with RMSE below 0.40 N.kg−1. The best peak-GRFz values were obtained when extracted from the predicted curves by the all dataset. For both GRFz curves and peak-GRFz values, predictions made with the All or UB datasets were systematically better than with the Limbs dataset, showing the importance of including upper-body kinematic information for kinetic parameters predictions. More data should be gathered to confirm the usability of LSTM-RNN for GRFz predictions, as they highly depend on factors like speed, gait, and the presence of weight-bearing lameness.
A comparative study of fifteen cover crop species for orchard soil management: water uptake, root density traits and soil aggregate stability
Authors: Capri Caterina , Gatti Matteo , Fiorini Andrea , Ardenti Federico , Tabaglio Vincenzo , Poni Stefano
Published: January 2023

Increasing the use of cover crops (CCs) is a necessity in sustainable viticulture, although it might clash with possible excessive competition towards vines. Especially in a climate-change scenario, the latter feature should be minimized while maintaining ecosystem services. Aimed at identifying CCs for vineyard floor management, the trial characterized several species according to their evapotranspiration (ET) rates, root growth patterns, and soil aggregate stability potential. The study was performed in 2020 in Piacenza (Northern Italy) on 15 CC species grown in pots kept outdoor and classified as grasses (GR), legumes (LE) and creeping (CR). Together with bare soil (control), they were arranged in a complete randomized block design. CCs ET was assessed through a gravimetric method, starting before mowing and then repeated 2, 8, 17 and 25 days thereafter. Above-ground dry biomass (ADW), root length density (RLD), root dry weight (RDW) and root diameter class length (DCL) were measured, and mean weight diameter (MWD) was calculated within 0–20 cm depth. Before mowing, ET was the highest in LE (18.6 mm day−1) and the lowest in CR (8.1 mm day−1) the latter being even lower than the control (8.5 mm day−1). The high ET rates shown by LE were mainly related to very fast development after sowing, rather than to a higher transpiration per unit of leaf area. After mowing, the 15 species’ ET reduction (%) plotted vs leaf area index (LAI, m2 m−2) yielded a very close fit (R2 = 0.94), suggesting that (i) a linear decrease in water use is expected anytime starting with an initial LAI of 5–6, (ii) a saturation effect seems to be reached beyond this limit. Selection of cover crop species to be used in the vineyard was mainly based on diurnal and seasonal water use rates as well as dynamic and extent of root growth patterns. Among GR, Festuca ovina stood out as the one with the lowest ET due to its “dwarfing” characteristics, making it suitable for a permanent inter-row covering. CR species confirmed their potential for under-vine grassing, assuring rapid soil coverage, lowest ET rates, and shallow root colonization.
Influence of extracellular matrix composition on tumour cell behaviour in a biomimetic in vitro model for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Calitz Carlemi , Rosenquist Jenny , Degerstedt Oliver , Khaled Jaafar , Kopsida Maria , Fryknäs Mårten , Lennernäs Hans , Samanta Ayan , Heindryckx Femke
Published: January 2023

The tumor micro-environment (TME) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) consists out of cirrhotic liver tissue and is characterized by an extensive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins (ECM). The evolution from a reversible fibrotic state to end-stage of liver disease, namely cirrhosis, is characterized by an increased deposition of ECM, as well as changes in the exact ECM composition, which both contribute to an increased liver stiffness and can alter tumor phenotype. The goal of this study was to assess how changes in matrix composition and stiffness influence tumor behavior. HCC-cell lines were grown in a biomimetic hydrogel model resembling the stiffness and composition of a fibrotic or cirrhotic liver. When HCC-cells were grown in a matrix resembling a cirrhotic liver, they increased proliferation and protein content, compared to those grown in a fibrotic environment. Tumour nodules spontaneously formed outside the gels, which appeared earlier in cirrhotic conditions and were significantly larger compared to those found outside fibrotic gels. These tumor nodules had an increased expression of markers related to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), when comparing cirrhotic to fibrotic gels. HCC-cells grown in cirrhotic gels were also more resistant to doxorubicin compared with those grown in fibrotic gels or in 2D. Therefore, altering ECM composition affects tumor behavior, for instance by increasing pro-metastatic potential, inducing EMT and reducing response to chemotherapy.
Investigation of early molecular alterations in tauopathy with generative adversarial networks
Authors: Kim Hyerin , Kim Yongjin , Lee Chung-Yeol , Kim Do-Geun , Cheon Mookyung
Published: January 2023

The recent advances in deep learning-based approaches hold great promise for unravelling biological mechanisms, discovering biomarkers, and predicting gene function. Here, we deployed a deep generative model for simulating the molecular progression of tauopathy and dissecting its early features. We applied generative adversarial networks (GANs) for bulk RNA-seq analysis in a mouse model of tauopathy (TPR50-P301S). The union set of differentially expressed genes from four comparisons (two phenotypes with two time points) was used as input training data. We devised four-way transition curves for a virtual simulation of disease progression, clustered and grouped the curves by patterns, and identified eight distinct pattern groups showing different biological features from Gene Ontology enrichment analyses. Genes that were upregulated in early tauopathy were associated with vasculature development, and these changes preceded immune responses. We confirmed significant disease-associated differences in the public human data for the genes of the different pattern groups. Validation with weighted gene co-expression network analysis suggested that our GAN-based approach can be used to detect distinct patterns of early molecular changes during disease progression, which may be extremely difficult in in vivo experiments. The generative model is a valid systematic approach for exploring the sequential cascades of mechanisms and targeting early molecular events related to dementia.
Validation of data mining models by comparing with conventional methods for dental age estimation in Korean juveniles and young adults
Authors: Kumagai Akiko , Jeong Seoi , Kim Daeyoun , Kong Hyoun-Joong , Oh Sehyun , Lee Sang-Seob
Published: January 2023

Teeth are known to be the most accurate age indicators of human body and are frequently applied in forensic age estimation. We aimed to validate data mining-based dental age estimation, by comparing the accuracy of the estimation and classification performance of 18-year thresholds with conventional methods and with data mining-based age estimation. A total of 2657 panoramic radiographs were collected from Koreans and Japanese populations aged 15 to 23 years. They were subdivided into a training and internal test set of 900 radiographs each from Koreans, and an external test set of 857 radiographs from Japanese. We compared the accuracy and classification performance of the test sets from conventional methods with those from the data mining models. The accuracy of the conventional method with the internal test set was slightly higher than that of the data mining models, with a slight difference (mean absolute error < 0.21 years, root mean square error < 0.24 years). The classification performance of the 18-year threshold was also similar between the conventional method and the data mining models. Thus, conventional methods can be replaced by data mining models in forensic age estimation using second and third molar maturity of Korean juveniles and young adults.
Genome-wide siRNA screens identify RBBP9 function as a potential target in Fanconi anaemia-deficient head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Pai Govind , Roohollahi Khashayar , Rockx Davy , de Jong Yvonne , Stoepker Chantal , Pennings Charlotte , Rooimans Martin , Vriend Lianne , Piersma Sander , Jimenez Connie R. , De Menezes Renee X. , Van Beusechem Victor W. , Brakenhoff Ruud H. , Te Riele Hein , Wolthuis Rob M. F. , Dorsman Josephine C.
Published: January 2023

Fanconi anaemia (FA) is a rare chromosomal-instability syndrome caused by mutations of any of the 22 known FA DNA-repair genes. FA individuals have an increased risk of head-and-neck squamous-cell-carcinomas (HNSCC), often fatal. Systemic intolerance to standard cisplatin-based protocols due to somatic-cell hypersensitivity underscores the urgent need to develop novel therapies. Here, we performed unbiased siRNA screens to unveil genetic interactions synthetic-lethal with FA-pathway deficiency in FA-patient HNSCC cell lines. We identified based on differential-lethality scores between FA-deficient and FA-proficient cells, next to common-essential genes such as PSMC1, PSMB2, and LAMTOR2, the otherwise non-essential RBBP9 gene. Accordingly, low dose of the FDA-approved RBBP9-targeting drug Emetine kills FA-HNSCC. Importantly both RBBP9-silencing as well as Emetine spared non-tumour FA cells. This study provides a minable genome-wide analyses of vulnerabilities to address treatment challenges in FA-HNSCC. Our investigation divulges a DNA-cross-link-repair independent lead, RBBP9, for targeted treatment of FA-HNSCCs without systemic toxicity.
Mechanical compression creates a quiescent muscle stem cell niche
Authors: Tao Jiaxiang , Choudhury Mohammad Ikbal , Maity Debonil , Kim Taeki , Sun Sean X. , Fan Chen-Ming
Published: January 2023

Tissue stem cell niches are regulated by their mechanical environment, notably the extracellular matrix (ECM). Skeletal muscles consist of bundled myofibers for force transmission. Within this macroscopic architecture, quiescent Pax7-expressing (Pax7+) muscle stem cells (MuSCs) are compressed between ECM basally and myofiber apically. Muscle injury causes MuSCs to lose apical compression from the myofiber and re-enter the cell cycle for regeneration. While ECM elasticities have been shown to affect MuSC’s renewal, the significance of apical compression remains unknown. To investigate the role of apical compression, we simulate the MuSCs’ in vivo mechanical environment by applying physical compression to MuSCs’ apical surface. We demonstrate that compression drives activated MuSCs back to a quiescent stem cell state, regardless of basal elasticities and chemistries. By mathematical modeling and cell tension manipulation, we conclude that low overall tension combined with high axial tension generated by compression leads to MuSCs’ stemness and quiescence. Unexpectedly, we discovered that apical compression results in up-regulation of Notch downstream genes, accompanied by the increased levels of nuclear Notch1&3 in a Delta ligand (Dll) and ADAM10/17 independent manner. Our results fill a knowledge gap on the role of apical compression for MuSC fate and have implications to stem cells in other tissues.
The neoepitope of the complement C5b-9 Membrane Attack Complex is formed by proximity of adjacent ancillary regions of C9
Authors: Bayly-Jones Charles , Ho Bill H. T. , Lau Corinna , Leung Eleanor W. W. , D’Andrea Laura , Lupton Christopher J. , Ekkel Susan M. , Venugopal Hariprasad , Whisstock James C. , Mollnes Tom E. , Spicer Bradley A. , Dunstone Michelle A.
Published: January 2023

The Membrane Attack Complex (MAC) is responsible for forming large β-barrel channels in the membranes of pathogens, such as gram-negative bacteria. Off-target MAC assembly on endogenous tissue is associated with inflammatory diseases and cancer. Accordingly, a human C5b-9 specific antibody, aE11, has been developed that detects a neoepitope exposed in C9 when it is incorporated into the C5b-9 complex, but not present in the plasma native C9. For nearly four decades aE11 has been routinely used to study complement, MAC-related inflammation, and pathophysiology. However, the identity of C9 neoepitope remains unknown. Here, we determined the cryo-EM structure of aE11 in complex with polyC9 at 3.2 Å resolution. The aE11 binding site is formed by two separate surfaces of the oligomeric C9 periphery and is therefore a discontinuous quaternary epitope. These surfaces are contributed by portions of the adjacent TSP1, LDLRA, and MACPF domains of two neighbouring C9 protomers. By substituting key antibody interacting residues to the murine orthologue, we validated the unusual binding modality of aE11. Furthermore, aE11 can recognise a partial epitope in purified monomeric C9 in vitro, albeit weakly. Taken together, our results reveal the structural basis for MAC recognition by aE11.
Green synthesis of CQDs for determination of iron and isoniazid in pharmaceutical formulations
Authors: Yu Wenzhan , Li Qian , He Liqiong , Zhou Renlong , Liao Lifu , Xue Jinhua , Xiao Xilin
Published: January 2023

Green camphor leaves were used to synthesize CQDs and establish a fluorescence method to detect Fe3+ and INH.
Polymeric nanomaterial strategies to encapsulate and deliver biological drugs: points to consider between methods
Authors: Chen Xiangxun , Wu Yuao , Dau Van Thanh , Nguyen Nam-Trung , Ta Hang Thu
Published: January 2023

Different techniques developed for the encapsulation of biological drugs within polymeric nanoparticles.
A fluorescent photoaffinity probe for formyl peptide receptor 1 labelling in living cells
Authors: Field Devon H. , White Jack S. , Warriner Stuart L. , Wright Megan H.
Published: January 2023

Through the incorporation of a diazirine photocrosslinking group and a fluorophore, we developed and validated a photoaffinity probe with good selectivity and potent binding to formyl peptide receptor 1 in living cells.
Inserted hydrogen promotes oxidation catalysis of mixed Ru0.3Ti0.7O2 as exemplified with total propane oxidation and the HCl oxidation reaction
Authors: Wang Wei , Timmer Phillip , Luciano Alexander Spriewald , Wang Yu , Weber Tim , Glatthaar Lorena , Guo Yun , Smarsly Bernd M. , Over Herbert
Published: January 2023

The solid solution of a reducible oxide with a (non or) less reducible oxide may open the way to incorporate substantial amounts of hydrogen by the simple exposure to H2 at elevated temperatures, as exemplified by the mixture of RuO2 and TiO2.
Investigation of indoor air quality in university residences using low-cost sensors
Authors: Afroz Rowshon , Guo Xinyang , Cheng Chu-Wen , Delorme Ariel , Duruisseau-Kuntz Ryan , Zhao Ran
Published: January 2023

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is crucial for the wellbeing of university students. Yet, IAQ in student residences is highly variable and challenging to monitor. This work is the first to monitor IAQ in student residence with a low-cost sensor network.
A bio-inspired total current nanogenerator
Authors: Dong Jun , Zhu Lili , Guo Pengju , Xu Cunyun , Zhao Xusheng , Yang Shijing , He Xiaofeng , Zhou Guangdong , Ma Gang , Guo Hengyu , Hu Chenguo , Song Qunliang
Published: January 2023

A bio-inspired droplet-based nanogenerator based on total current concept is developed, which employs both displacement current and conduction current as the driving forces to directly convert droplet energy into high voltage DC electricity.
Efficient activation of peracetic acid via a defect-rich carbon nanotube@Co3O4 three-dimensional network for antibiotic removal: mechanism insights and practical water remediation
Authors: Wu Jianqing , Wang Yingfei , Yu Zongshun , Wei Dandan , Li Daguang , Wen Chenghui , Chen Ping , Liu Haijin , Lv Wenying , Liu Guoguang
Published: January 2023

Peracetic acid (PAA)-based advanced oxidation processes have garnered increasing attention for eliminating organic pollutants in wastewater treatment.
Advanced nanocomposite materials made of TiC nanocrystals in situ immobilized in SiC foams with boosted spectral selectivity
Authors: Balestrat Maxime , Cheype Maxime , Gervais Christel , Deschanels Xavier , Bernard Samuel
Published: January 2023

Nanocomposites made of TiC nanocrystals distributed in a highly crystallized SiC matrix to boost the spectral selectivity of SiC.
Construction of a La-ZnIn2S4/MIL-125(Ti) heterojunction for highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of aflatoxin B1
Authors: Yang Xiaobing , Pan Junjie , Xing Bingcong , Lei Wenjie , Fu Yingchun , Cheng Kejun
Published: January 2023

Nowadays, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination is considered as one of the most common food safety issues for humans and animals.
Quinazolinone-1,2,3-triazole-acetamide conjugates as potent α-glucosidase inhibitors: synthesis, enzyme inhibition, kinetic analysis, and molecular docking study
Authors: Moghadam Farid Sara , Iraji Aida , Mojtabavi Somayeh , Ghasemi Mehrnaz , Faramarzi Mohammad Ali , Mahdavi Mohammad , Barazandeh Tehrani Maliheh , Akbarzadeh Tahmineh , Saeedi Mina
Published: January 2023

In this study, new hybrids of quinazolinone-1,2,3-triazole-acetamide were designed, synthesized, and screened for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity.
Template-free synthesis of mesoporous and amorphous transition metal phosphate materials
Authors: Karafiludis Stephanos , Buzanich Ana Guilherme , Heinekamp Christian , Zimathies Annett , Smales Glen J. , Hodoroaba Vasile-Dan , ten Elshof Johan E. , Emmerling Franziska , Stawski Tomasz M.
Published: January 2023

We present how mesoporosity can be engineered in transition metal phosphate (TMPs) materials in a template-free manner.
Immobilization of Brønsted basic hexaniobate on the Lewis acidic zirconia using an emulsion assisted self-assembly strategy for synergistic boosting of nerve agent simulant decontamination
Authors: Liu Huifang , Sun Xiangrong , Dong Jing , Liu Chengpeng , Lu Wei , Xu Zhemi , Zhen Ni , Zhang Di , Chi Yingnan , Hu Changwen
Published: January 2023

The Brønsted basic hexaniobate is immobilized on the Lewis acidic zirconia by emulsion assisted self-assembly, the synergistic effect between the two components endows the C16N-Nb6/ZrO2 with remarkable performance for hydrolysis of Sarin simulant.
Deciphering the role of functional synergy in a catalytic molecular assembler: a proof of concept for boosted catalysisviaretrosynthetic linker scissoring
Authors: Goswami Ranadip , Karmakar Arun , Rajput Sonal , Singh Manpreet , Kundu Subrata , Neogi Subhadip
Published: January 2023

Retrosynthetic scissoring of functional backbone in an ultra-robust MOF leads devising unique catassembler as a blueprint of molecular machine for advanced electrochemical OER and hydrogen-bond-donating catalysis.
SnO2 mesoporous nanoparticle-based gas sensor for highly sensitive and low concentration formaldehyde detection
Authors: Liu Pengfei , Wang Jianbin , Jin Han , Ge Meiying , Zhang Fang , Wang Cheng , Sun Yan , Dai Ning
Published: January 2023

The mesoporous nanoparticles not only show exhibited large specific surface area and rich porosity, but also exhibit greatly enhanced sensitivity in detecting formaldehyde gas.
Growth of villi-microstructured bismuth vanadate (Vm-BiVO4) for photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet dye
Authors: Ilyas Asfa , Rafiq Khezina , Abid Muhammad Zeeshan , Rauf Abdul , Hussain Ejaz
Published: January 2023

In this work, villi-microstructured Au-loaded BiVO4 photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method.
Sensitive detection of 4-nitrophenol based on pyridine diketopyrrolopyrrole-functionalized graphene oxide direct electrochemical sensor
Authors: Jia Lingpu , Hao Juan , Wang Shuangshuang , Yang Long , Liu Kunping
Published: January 2023

For highly sensitive detection of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) in the environment, a novel pyridine diketopyrrolopyrrole-functionalized graphene oxide (PDPP–GO) composite was constructed for the first time by an improved Hummers' method.
Sulphur vacancy induced Co3S4@CoMo2S4 nanocomposites as a functional electrode for high performance supercapacitors
Authors: Nwaji Njemuwa , Kang Hyojin , Goddati Mahendra , Tufa Lemma Teshome , Gwak Juyong , Sharan Abhishek , Singh Nirpendra , Lee Jaebeom
Published: January 2023

A new approach to defect enrichment in metal organic framework based hollow chalcogenides showed enhanced capacity on employing them as an electrode material for high performance supercapacitors.
3D printed strontium–zinc-phosphate bioceramic scaffolds with multiple biological functions for bone tissue regeneration
Authors: Deng Li , Huang Lingwei , Pan Hao , Zhang Qi , Que Yumei , Fan Chen , Chang Jiang , Ni Siyu , Yang Chen
Published: January 2023

A 3D printed strontium zinc-phosphate scaffold is a versatile candidate for bone tissue engineering due to multiple bioactivities including osteogenesis, angiogenesis, immunomodulation and anti-bacterial activity.
A facilely prepared notch-insensitive nanocomposite organohydrogel-based flexible wearable device for long-term outdoor human motion monitoring and recognition
Authors: He Zhejian , Hua Haoqiang , Zou Zhantao , Shu Lin , Wang Tao , Sun Weixiang , Xu Xiangmin , Tong Zhen
Published: January 2023

A notch-insensitive and environment tolerant PAA-clay-glycerol organohydrogel strain sensor was facilely prepared and assembled to obtain an integrated wearable device for long-term human motion monitoring and classification.
Retraction: Hydrogen sulfate ion sensing in aqueous media based on a fused pyrimido benzothiazole derivative
Authors: Padghan Sachin D. , Bhosale Rajesh S. , Ghule Namdev V. , Puyad Avinash L. , Bhosale Sheshanath V. , Bhosale Sidhanath V.
Published: January 2023

Retraction of ‘Hydrogen sulfate ion sensing in aqueous media based on a fused pyrimido benzothiazole derivative’ by Sachin D. Padghan et al., RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 34376–34380, https://doi.org/10.1039/C6RA01980C.
Anti‐noise diesel engine misfire diagnosis using a multi‐scale CNN‐LSTM neural network with denoising module
Authors: Qin Chengjin , Jin Yanrui , Zhang Zhinan , Yu Honggan , Tao Jianfeng , Sun Hao , Liu Chengliang
Published: January 2023

Currently, accuracy of existing diesel engine fault diagnosis methods under strong noise and generalisation performance between different noise levels are still limited. A novel multi‐scale CNN‐LSTM neural network (MSCNN‐LSTMNet) is proposed with a residual‐CNN denoising module for anti‐noise diesel engine misfire diagnosis. First, a residual‐CNN module is designed for denoising the original vibration signal measured from the diesel engine cylinder and residual loss for constructing a new loss function is utilised. Considering the essential characteristics of measured vibration signals at different scales, a multi‐scale convolutional NN (CNN) block is designed to realize multi‐scale feature extraction. Specifically, multiple convolution layers with different branches and different convolution kernel sizes are utilised to extract different time scales features, enhancing the robustness of the model. On this basis, the LSTM is utilised to further extract sequential features for improving anti‐noise and generalisation performances. The effectiveness of MSCNN‐LSTMNet is validated by experimental results of both one‐ and hybrid‐cylinder diesel engine misfires diagnosis under various noise levels and working conditions. The results demonstrate that MSCNN‐LSTMNet achieved much better anti‐noise and generalisation performances than the existing methods. Under strong noise conditions (−10 dB signal‐to‐noise ratio) for four datasets, MSCNN‐LSTMNet obtained 97.561% average accuracy, while average accuracy for random forest, deep neural network, CNN and MSCNNNet were 73.828%, 79.544%, 82.247%, and 89.741%, respectively. Moreover, for 11 noise generalisation tasks between different noise levels, MSCNN‐LSTMNet obtained at least 96.679%, 97.849%, 98.892%, and 94.010% accuracy on the four datasets, which are much higher than those of the existing methods.
Exploring extreme conditions for star formation: A deep search for molecular gas in the Leo ring
Authors: Corbelli Edvige , Thilker David , Mannucci Filippo , Cresci Giovanni
Published: January 2023

Aims. We carried out sensitive searches for the 12CO J = 1–0 and J = 2–1 lines in the giant extragalactic HI ring in Leo to investigate the star formation process within environments where gas metallicities are close to solar, but physical conditions are different than those typical of bright galaxy disks. Our aim is to check the range of validity of known scaling relations.

Methods. We used the IRAM-30 m telescope to observe 11 regions close to HI gas peaks or where sparse young massive stars have been found. For all pointed observations we reached spectral noise between 1 and 5 mK for at least one of the observed frequencies at 2 km s−1 spectral resolution.

Results. We marginally detect two 12CO J = 1–0 lines in the star-forming region Clump 1 of the Leo ring, whose radial velocities are consistent with those of Hα lines, but whose line widths are much smaller than observed for virialized molecular clouds of similar mass in galaxies. The low signal-to-noise ratio, the small line widths, and the extremely low number densities inferred by virialized cloud models suggest that a more standard population of molecular clouds, still undetected, might be in place. Using upper limits to the CO lines, the most sensitive pointed observations show that the molecular gas mass surface density is lower than expected from the extrapolation of the molecular Kennicutt–Schmidt relation established in the disk of galaxies. The sparse stellar population in the ring, possibly forming ultra diffuse dwarf galaxies, might then be the result of a short molecular gas depletion time in this extreme environment.
Economics of Biotechnological Processes in Sustainable Development
Authors: Habieva Zaira , Salamova Ayna , Alexey Kislyakov
Published: January 2023

The growth of the world’s population and its concentration in large cities increases the pressure on ecosystems and infrastructure, which can be offset by the introduction of “smart” technologies in the urban environment. The increase in life expectancy generates demand for technologies, products, services that provide an active lifestyle, the growth of “age” employment (“silver economy”), high-tech healthcare and personalized medicine. The need to solve food problems stimulates the development of agro- and food biotechnologies, the introduction of new technologies for the industrial production of agricultural raw materials and food products. The consequences of the demographic transition, migration processes and social inequality increase the risks of new epidemics, the return of disappeared infections and, accordingly, the demand for quality and affordable medical services. Changing values, lifestyles, digitalization of society entail the transformation of consumption patterns (economy of sharing, greening, etc.). Under the influence of ICT and their convergence, globalization and digitalization will also cover the field of education, strengthening its interdisciplinary nature.
Biological Properties of Potential Pathorgenicity in Some Enterobacteria Isolated from Dairy Products
Authors: Molochaeva L.G. , Gairabekova R.Kh. , Pshukova E.M.
Published: January 2023

Opportunistic microorganisms, which often become the etiological agents of hospital infections, are currently widespread. This problem requires constant attention from specialists to the study of the ways of circulation of these bacteria in the environment, especially those species that have a fecal-oral mechanism of distribution.Studies aimed at detecting bacteria belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family in milk and dairy products produced in private backyards made it possible to isolate 252 cultures belonging to this family. Among the isolated enterobacteria were representatives of the species Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter freundii, Serratia marcescens, Yersinia enterocolitica. Among these microorganisms there is a wide variety of strains that differ in ecological properties, range of hosts, pathogenicity for plants, animals and humans. A number of species cause gastrointestinal diseases, i.e. are enteropathogenic.
Elementary coupling approach for non-linear perturbation of Markov processes with mean-field jump mechanisms and related problems
Authors: Monmarché Pierre
Published: January 2023

Mean-field integro-differential equations are studied in an abstract framework, through couplings of the corresponding stochastic processes. In the perturbative regime, the equation is proven to admit a unique equilibrium, toward which the process converges exponentially fast. Similarly, in this case, the associated particle system is proven to converge toward its equilibrium at a rate independent from the number of particles.
Chatbot in E-learning
Authors: Hussain Saqib , Al-Hashmi Safa Hamood , Malik Mazhar Hussain , Ali Kazmi Syed Imran
Published: January 2023

In many modern apps, especially those that provide the user intelligence help, the usage of chatbots is quite common. In reality, these systems frequently have chatbots that can read user inquiries and give the appropriate replies quickly and accurately in order to speed up the support. This article describes the creation of a Chatbot prototype for the educational sector. A system for offering assistance to university students in certain courses has been established. The first goal was on the creation of the particular architecture, model to handle communication, and supply the learner with the correct answers. A system that can recognize questions and provide answers to students by utilizing natural language processing methods has been developed to achieve this goal. After the developed model was put into use, an experimental campaign was run to show how effective and enforceable it was.
Group Work Assessment: Assessing Peer Assessment at Global College of Engineering and Technology
Authors: Hasan Raza , Hussain Saqib , Malik Mazhar Hussain , Akhtar Nadeem
Published: January 2023

Students learning and autonomy can be improved by involving them in teaching and learning, especially in group work assessments, this can also greatly help cut down the amount of time spent by teachers on marking and providing feedback. Although peer assessment of student work can also accomplish these goals, but its application is frequently restricted to evaluating each participant's input or participation to a cooperative effort. This paper reports the considerations and lesson learnt to successfully develop a group work assessment and marked based on the individual’s contribution to avoid conflicts. It’s worth mentioning that the peer-assessed marks are not significantly different from those allocated by faculty based on evaluative criteria, quality definitions, and a scoring strategy.
Alternative Strategy for Teaching and Learning during COVID-19 pandemic – A case study from Middle East College, OMAN
Authors: Najah Samiha , Rao Vikas , Al Qassabi Suad
Published: January 2023

Education witnessed great evolution thanks to Technological advances (Raja and Nagasubramani 2018). Although Online learning has many benefits such as flexibility and scalability, many higher education institutions do not opt to it since it was considered less effective than traditional classrooms. The outbreak of COVID19 pandemic and Social distancing measures taken in most countries in the world have revived the need for Online learning and greatly impacted the educational landscape.

In this research, we target to study the effectiveness of online teaching through a case study from Middle East College during Spring 2020 semester. A layered approach has been adopted in the form of methodology which could be further elaborated and customized as per the nature and level of module. To this end, assessment of online teaching implementation from both teacher’s point of view and student’s perspective have been accomplished. Challenges will then be analyzed and recommendations in the future will be suggested.
Transitioning from Pandemic to Endemic Pedagogy: Redesigning Teaching and Learning
Authors: Farrag Siham G. , Abushammala Mohammed F. , Kuckian Sachin
Published: January 2023

COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in 2020. A year later, we consider the shift and accept the necessity of continually re-imagining blended learning for life and work in the wake of COVID-19. This paper offers strategies initiated in teaching and learning at Middle East College, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, during and post-pandemic. This research also shows how these changes have affected students' learning. It involved three stages of Practise: Surviving during the pandemic without compromising on any loss of education, managing continuity, and accelerating the education system by using the opportunity.

All students registered in the Civil Engineering Programme in the Spring 2020, Spring 2021, and Spring 2022 semesters were involved in this study. The teaching and learning practise was evaluated utilising quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative method involved the students' performance in the assessment and findings from the survey. The qualitative method includes online analysis of students' feedback through Blitz Survey and Module Evaluation Survey (MES) by the Quality Assurance Office (QAO). The results indicated the approach adopted was quite effective in enhancing students' learning. The findings support the intuition of teachers seeking to help their students become digitally fluent in creating better tools and methods to support effective blended teaching and learning.
Pillar of Internationalization in Higher Education: The Contribution of International Collaborations and Online Delivery Approaches to Internationalization in HEIS
Authors: Suguku David
Published: January 2023

The trend towards internationalization is becoming increasingly important in HEI (higher education institutions ) and universities in many countries. As HEIs become more international, they are increasingly recognized as contributing to the competitiveness of its graduates. Conceptually, internationalization has long been understood as a focus on the transnational movement of individual students and scholars rather than as a strategy to influence higher education institutions and systems. The importance of internationalization in HEIs and universities has increased over the past two decades of globalization .The Internet will continue to play a significant role, opening opportunities to reach a wider global audience. Online and other forms of e-learning approaches continue to play a significant role, especially in the postCOVID_19 era. This calls for adapting some of the higher education policies to new realities of future competitiveness in higher education deliver, and to ensure the demands of the labor market especially towards digitalization trends in the realm of work are realized. This paper discusses the components of internationalizations, the rationale for embracing multiculturism in HEIs, internationalizations forms and drivers of Transnational Education (TNE) across different regions, contribution of collaborations and the Internet and contemporary modes of delivery in the growth of internationalization .
The Impact of Using Self-Reflection Approach and Academic Advising on Performance of Lower Achieving Students
Authors: Al Adawi Suleiman , Al Ajmi Zainab
Published: January 2023

This is an observational study that aims at identifying students’ behavioral factors that influence their attitude towards learning and the methods used to motivate these students to perform better in their General Foundation Programme (GFP) offered by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Sultanate of Oman. Academic advising and self-reflection approaches were used to motivate students to improve the students’ level. The study is conducted on 17 pre-elementary students. The researchers applied mixed methods approach for this study. The quantitative data includes students’ data retrieved from the Student Information System (SIS) of the institution and a survey to uncover students’ behavioral factors. The qualitative data is derived from a combination of academic advising sessions and a self-reflective approach in which students were encouraged to reflect on their areas of strengths and weaknesses related to their Writing and Speaking skills modules. The researchers have observed several negative behaviors that adversely affect students’ attitudes towards learning which hindered their progression to the next level. The negative attitudes and factors that were noticed include unwillingness to study, coeducation system in HEIs, and poor attendance. The researchers adopted two interventions to help students perform better in their studies namely: academic advising and selfreflection approach. The academic advising sessions gave the researchers an opportunity to know more about the students, counsel, and motivate them towards learning. The self-reflection approach helped familiarize students with the learning outcomes and made them aware of what is required to achieve those learning outcomes. This study will hopefully provide some useful strategies for English Language teachers to motivate and encourage low performers in GFP.
Balancing of Skills in the Digital Transformation of Education and Employability
Authors: Matriano Maria Teresa
Published: January 2023

Balancing the skills through digital transformation will help increase the graduates’ employability. This study explored the digital transformation in the Sultanate of Oman by looking at the different aspects, such as how this transformation has affected the way the educators conducted their lessons and, at the same time, how students learned from the shared learning materials. Based on the gathered literature, digital transformation is essential to education for various reasons, such as enabling collaboration and personalized learning. From the global and Omani perspectives on teaching and learning methodologies, it shows similarities in conducting online and hybrid classes, submitting students’ output, and assessing the students’ academic success. The recommendation focuses on continuing current strategies and provides additional support for students facing challenges; It is also recommended to create a venue or platform which will assess the educator’s technology skills to ensure their readiness for the challenges of the digital transformation. The government and private education institutions should continually enhance the technology infrastructure requirement of this ongoing digital transformation to ensure that Oman will offer the best in the world and to continually offer sustainable knowledge for society through improved technology infrastructure