bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of Psychomotor Therapy among Children with Graphomotor Impairment with and without DCD-Diagnosis
Authors: Hurschler Lichtsteiner Sibylle , Nideröst Melanie , Di Brina Carlo , Marquardt Christian , Wyss Stefanie , Buholzer Alois , Wicki Werner
Published: May 2023

In Switzerland, psychomotor therapy (PMT) is a standard treatment for children with graphomotor impairments, but scientific evidence of its effectiveness is rare. To investigate the effectiveness of PMT, we conducted a randomised field trial (RFT). The sample consisted of 121 first and second graders with graphomotor impairments, some of whom met the criteria of developmental coordination disorder, while the remaining suffered from developmental dysgraphia. The treatments lasted over 5 months. Handwriting fluency and consistency were measured five times on a digitising tablet. All participating children completed a self-concept interview, and a standardised fine motor performance test twice. Psychomotor therapy significantly improved the fine motor skills of the therapy group compared to those of the waiting group. However, there was no evidence that the treated children improved more than the waiting children in terms of their graphomotor skills such as frequency, automaticity, and consistency of forming letters. Finally, the children of the therapy group showed partial improvements in their handwriting self-concept, while those of the waiting group children remained stable. This short-term RFT demonstrated the effectiveness of PMT in terms of fine motor skills and some aspects of the handwriting self-concept but showed no effects on handwriting fluency and consistency.
Antioxidant Flavonoid Diosmetin Is Cardioprotective in a Rat Model of Myocardial Infarction Induced by Beta 1-Adrenergic Receptors Activation
Authors: Ahmad Taseer , Khan Taous , Kirabo Annet , Shah Abdul Jabbar
Published: May 2023

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a common and life-threatening manifestation of ischemic heart diseases (IHD). The most important risk factor for MI is hypertension. Natural products from medicinal plants have gained considerable attention globally due to their preventive and therapeutic effects. Flavonoids have been found to be efficacious in ischemic heart diseases (IHD) by alleviating oxidative stress and beta-1 adrenergic activation, but the mechanistic link is not clear. We hypothesized that antioxidant flavonoid diosmetin is cardioprotective in a rat model of MI induced by beta 1-adrenergic receptor activation. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the cardioprotective potential of diosmetin on isoproterenol-induced MI in rats by performing lead II electrocardiography (ECG), cardiac biomarkers including troponin I (cTnI) and creatinine phosphokinase (CPK), CK-myocardial band, (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotranferase (AST) by using biolyzer 100, as well as histopathological analysis. We found that diosmetin (1 and 3 mg/kg) attenuated isoproterenol-induced elevation in the T-wave and deep Q-wave on the ECG, as well as heart-to-body weight ratio and infarction size. In addition, pretreatment with diosmetin attenuated the isoproterenol-induced increase in serum troponin I. These results demonstrate that flavonoid diosmetin may provide therapeutic benefit in myocardial infarction.
Acceleration of the Deamination of Cytosine through Photo-Crosslinking
Authors: Sethi Siddhant , Takashima Yasuharu , Nakamura Shigetaka , Wan Licheng , Honda Nozomi , Fujimoto Kenzo
Published: May 2023

Herein, we report the major factor for deamination reaction rate acceleration, i.e., hydrophilicity, by using various 5-substituted target cytosines and by carrying out deamination at high temperatures. Through substitution of the groups at the 5′-position of the cytosine, the effect of hydrophilicity was understood. It was then used to compare the various modifications of the photo-cross-linkable moiety as well as the effect of the counter base of the cytosine to edit both DNA and RNA. Furthermore, we were able to achieve cytosine deamination at 37 °C with a half-life in the order of a few hours.
Variation in Fatty Acid Synthase, Ki67 and p53 Esophageal Mucosa Expressions in Barrett’s Esophagus Patients Treated for One Year with Two Esomeprazole Different Regimens
Authors: Crispino Pietro , Ciarambino Tiziana , Giordano Mauro
Published: May 2023

Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is an acquired pre-malignant condition that results from chronic gastroesophageal reflux. The malignant transformation occurred in 0.5% of patients/year and was independent of medical and endoscopic conservative treatments. Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is a multifunctional enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of long-chain fatty acids from acetyl-coenzyme A, malonyl-coenzyme A, a reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), and adenosine triphosphate. Activation of FAS is closely linked to malignant transformation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the variation of FAS, p53, and Ki67 expressions in two groups of 21 BE patients each, after one year of continuous (group A) or discontinuous (group B) treatment with esomeprazole 40 mg/day in comparison to the initial expression. In both the two groups of BE patients, biopsies were taken from pathologic sites of the mucosa for histological and immuno-histochemical detection of FAS, Ki67, and p53 at entry and after one year of Esomeprazole 40 mg treatment. FAS expression was positive when a strong granular cytoplasmic staining was observed in esophageal cells. Ki67 and p53 were defined as positive when nuclear staining was clearly detected at ×10 magnification. FAS expression was reduced in 43% of patients treated with Esomeprazole continuously in comparison to the 10% of patients treated with Esomeprazole on demand (p = 0.002). Ki67 expression was reduced in 28% of continuously treated patients in comparison to 5% of patients treated on demand (p = 0.001). The p53 expression decreased in 19% of continuously treated patients in comparison to an increase in 2 patients (9%) treated on demand (p = 0.05). Continuously Esomeprazole treatment could help in the diminution of metabolic and proliferative activities in the esophageal columnar epithelium and in part it can help prevent the oxidative damage against cellular DNA, resulting in a diminution in p53 expression.
Influences of Magnetization Direction on the Flux Leakage Field of Weld Defects
Authors: Ye Yunfei , Ji Kailun , Wang Ping
Published: May 2023

The magnetic flux leakage (MFL) detection technique is applied to the detection of weld defects, such as cracks and pores. As the weld has a distinct structure, there are differences in the magnetization path and leakage field intensity under different magnetization directions. According to surveys, a suitable magnetization direction can significantly enhance detection rates of small-sized defects by stimulating a stronger field signal of the defect leakage. In this study, ANSYS finite element simulation software is used to calculate the weld defect leakage field based on the quantitative analysis. Specifically, the leakage field component strengths of circular hole defects and longitudinal rectangular groove defects are compared when the magnetization direction is perpendicular or parallel to the weld. Furthermore, the characteristic rules of the defect leakage field and its components under any magnetization direction are discussed, and a weld MFL detection platform is set up for validation. According to the experimental results, the amplitude of the magnetic leakage signal during vertical magnetization of circular hole defects is only 18.6% of that during parallel magnetization. Similarly, the amplitude of the magnetic leakage signal during parallel magnetization of longitudinal crack-type defects is only 9.2%~29.3% of that during vertical magnetization.
Coating Condition Detection and Assessment on the Steel Girder of a Bridge through Hyperspectral Imaging
Authors: Ma Pengfei , Li Jiaoli , Zhuo Ying , Jiao Pu , Chen Genda
Published: May 2023

The organic coating of bridge steel girders is subjected to physical scratches, corrosion, and aging in natural weathering. The breakdown of the coating may cause serviceability and safety problems if left unnoticed. Conventional coating inspection is time-consuming and lacks information about the coating’s chemical integrity. A hyperspectral imaging method is proposed to detect the condition of steel coatings based on coating-responsive features in reflectance spectra. A field test was conducted on the real-world bridge, which shows obvious signs of degradation. The hyperspectral signature enables an assessment of the coating’s health and defect severity. The results indicated that the coating scratch can be effectively located in the domain of a hyperspectral image and the scratch depth can be determined by mapping a scratch depth indicator (SDI = R532 nm/R641 nm). Rust sources and products in steel girders can be identified by the unique spectral signatures in the VNIR range, and the rust stains (and thus stain areas) scattered on the coating can be pinpointed at pixel level by the chloride rust (CR) indicators >1.11 (CR = R733 nm/R841 nm). The chemical integrity of a topcoat is demonstrated by the short-wave infrared spectroscopy and the topcoat degradation can be evaluated by the decreased absorption at 8000 cm−1 and 5850 cm−1. Hyperspectral imaging enables faster and more reliable coating condition detection by the spectral features and provides an alternative for multi-object coating detection.
Lead Leakage of Pb-Based Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Ma Kai , Li Xiaofang , Yang Feng , Liu Hairui
Published: May 2023

As a novel technology, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted worldwide attention due to their high photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) and low fabricating cost. Moreover, with the development of this technology, PSCs have achieved a great breakthrough in PCE. However, the heavy metal element Pb in PSCs does harm to human health and ecological environments, which restricts the further application of Pb-based PSCs. Under certain circumstances, the leakage of lead will cause serious pollution to the environment. The purpose of this review is to summary and discuss the way of lead leakage suppression. Among them, we pay more attention to the method of packaging technology, chemisorption procession and the limitations of each method. Finally, strategies of highly PCE and non-toxic perovskite devices are proposed.
Review on Eutectic-Type Alloys Solidified under Static Magnetic Field
Authors: Cai Hao , Lin Wenhao , Feng Meilong , Zheng Tianxiang , Zhou Bangfei , Zhong Yunbo
Published: May 2023

Processing metallic alloys under a static magnetic field (SMF) has garnered significant attention over the past few decades. SMFs can influence both the thermodynamics and kinetics of the solidification process by introducing extra force and energy. Eutectic-type alloys (ETAs) are commonly used as research materials under SMFs due to their featured microstructures. This review aims to present theoretical and experimental results regarding ETAs under SMFs, from post-analysis to in situ observation, to demonstrate the effects of magnetic phenomena such as magnetic braking, thermoelectric magnetic convection, magnetic gradient force, and magnetic energy on the thermodynamics and kinetics of microstructural evolution. In this paper, we adopt a hybrid approach between a review and an overview to comprehensively examine the effect of SMFs on the solidification process. Firstly, we provided a concise review of the historical research on the SMF’s impact on solidification in the literature. Next, we elucidated the basic physical principles of an SMF in material processing, followed by an introduction of numerous laboratory and industrial experiments that have utilized SMFs. Finally, we summarized the effects of SMFs on solidification in the past and provide insights into future research directions.
Optical and Electrical Properties of Low-Dimensional Crystalline Materials
Authors: Pura Jose Luis , Souto Jorge
Published: May 2023

Low-dimensional materials have experienced a real revolution in both the technological and research fields in recent decades [...]
Comparing Physical Collection and Environmental DNA Methods for Determining Abundance Patterns of Gammarus Species along an Estuarine Gradient
Authors: Knysh Kyle M. , MacIntyre Leah P. , Cormier Jerrica M. , Grove Carissa M. , Courtenay Simon C. , van den Heuvel Michael R.
Published: May 2023

Estuaries are productive systems with rapid changes in natural stressors, such as salinity, that make perturbation detection challenging. Amphipods are vital to estuarine assemblages and may serve as anthropogenic stress indicators. However, practical methods of monitoring species composition and abundance are lacking. This study aims to describe the spatial patterns of four Gammarus spp. in northwest Atlantic estuaries and to compare their compositions and abundances between collection methods using artificial substrates, macrophyte raking, light-baited traps, and species-specific quantitative PCR analyses from sediment environmental DNA (eDNA). Sampling occurred in upper, mid, and lower estuary zones within three estuaries of Prince Edward Island (Canada). G. tigrinus was rarely found in the upper zones with any method. G. mucronatus was predominant in the upper–mid zones across the physical methods, and its abundance declined with increasing salinity. G. lawrencianus was a dominant species across zones, but its abundance did not change with salinity. G. oceanicus was predominant in lower-zone artificial substrates. Species abundances generally correlated with physical collection methods. Sediment eDNA did not detect the spatial effects observed via the physical methods but was correlated with the mean counts of G. mucronatus. The Gammarus spp. assemblages are spatially partitioned in short estuaries, though the sampling method is critical when interpreting estuary patterns. Though multiple methods are ideal for compositional comparisons, abundance monitoring should employ light traps.
Exploring the Evolution of Sentiment in Spanish Pandemic Tweets: A Data Analysis Based on a Fine-Tuned BERT Architecture
Authors: Miranda Carlos Henríquez , Sanchez-Torres German , Salcedo Dixon
Published: May 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on various aspects of society, including economic, health, political, and work-related domains. The pandemic has also caused an emotional effect on individuals, reflected in their opinions and comments on social media platforms, such as Twitter. This study explores the evolution of sentiment in Spanish pandemic tweets through a data analysis based on a fine-tuned BERT architecture. A total of six million tweets were collected using web scraping techniques, and pre-processing was applied to filter and clean the data. The fine-tuned BERT architecture was utilized to perform sentiment analysis, which allowed for a deep-learning approach to sentiment classification. The analysis results were graphically represented based on search criteria, such as “COVID-19” and “coronavirus”. This study reveals sentiment trends, significant concerns, relationship with announced news, public reactions, and information dissemination, among other aspects. These findings provide insight into the emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals and the corresponding impact on social media platforms.
Assessment of the Graft Quality and Patency during and after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Authors: Masroor Matiullah , Ahmad Ashfaq , Wang Yixuan , Dong Nianguo
Published: May 2023

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the gold standard procedure for multi vessels and left main coronary artery disease. The prognosis and survival outcomes of CABG surgery are highly dependent on the patency of the bypass graft. Early graft failure which can occur during or soon after CABG remains a significant issue, with reported incidences of 3–10%. Graft failure can lead to refractory angina, myocardial ischemia, arrhythmias, low cardiac output, and fatal cardiac failure, emphasizing the importance of ensuring graft patency during and after surgery to prevent such complications. Technical errors during anastomosis are among the leading causes of early graft failure. To address this issue, various modalities and techniques have been developed to evaluate graft patency during and after CABG surgery. These modalities aim to assess the quality and integrity of the graft, thus enabling surgeons to identify and address any issues before they lead to significant complications. In this review article, we aim to discuss the strengths and limitations of all available techniques and modalities, with the goal to identify the best modality for evaluating graft patency during and after CABG surgery.
Deep-Learning-Based Morphological Feature Segmentation for Facial Skin Image Analysis
Authors: Yoon Huisu , Kim Semin , Lee Jongha , Yoo Sangwook
Published: May 2023

Facial skin analysis has attracted considerable attention in the skin health domain. The results of facial skin analysis can be used to provide skin care and cosmetic recommendations in aesthetic dermatology. Because of the existence of several skin features, grouping similar features and processing them together can improve skin analysis. In this study, a deep-learning-based method of simultaneous segmentation of wrinkles and pores is proposed. Unlike color-based skin analysis, this method is based on the analysis of the morphological structures of the skin. Although multiclass segmentation is widely used in computer vision, this segmentation was first used in facial skin analysis. The architecture of the model is U-Net, which has an encoder–decoder structure. We added two types of attention schemes to the network to focus on important areas. Attention in deep learning refers to the process by which a neural network focuses on specific parts of its input to improve its performance. Second, a method to enhance the learning capability of positional information is added to the network based on the fact that the locations of wrinkles and pores are fixed. Finally, a novel ground truth generation scheme suitable for the resolution of each skin feature (wrinkle and pore) was proposed. The experimental results revealed that the proposed unified method achieved excellent localization of wrinkles and pores and outperformed both conventional image-processing-based approaches and one of the recent successful deep-learning-based approaches. The proposed method should be expanded to applications such as age estimation and the prediction of potential diseases.
PiRNA Obtained through Liquid Biopsy as a Possible Cancer Biomarker
Authors: Limanówka Piotr , Ochman Błażej , Świętochowska Elżbieta
Published: May 2023

In recent years PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) have gained the interest of scientists, mainly because of their possible implications in cancer. Many kinds of research showed how their expression can be linked to malignant diseases. However, most of them evaluated the expression of piRNAs in tumor tissues. It was shown how these non-coding RNAs can interfere with many signaling pathways involved in the regulation of proliferation or apoptosis. A comparison of piRNA expression in tumor tissue and adjacent healthy tissues has demonstrated they can be used as biomarkers. However, this way of obtaining samples has a significant drawback, which is the invasiveness of such a procedure. Liquid biopsy is an alternative for acquiring biological material with little to no harm to a patient. Several different piRNAs in various types of cancer were shown to be expressed in bodily fluids such as blood or urine. Furthermore, their expression significantly differed between cancer patients and healthy individuals. Hence, this review aimed to assess the possible use of liquid biopsy for cancer diagnosis with piRNAs as biomarkers.
Support Priorities of Autistic University Students and Careers Advisors: Understanding Differences, Building on Strengths
Authors: Barry Alexandra , Syurina Elena , Waltz Mitzi
Published: May 2023

Background: The number of autistic individuals attending university and entering the workforce is growing, but there is a persistent employment gap. Higher education careers services offer students help to secure employment post-graduation. This research sought to identify barriers to and facilitators of success with regards to career advisors’ practice in helping autistic students prepare for job interviews and secure employment. Methods: A mixed-methods participatory research design incorporating surveys, co-creation workshops, and interviews with stakeholders was employed. Results: Quantitative results showed differences in what advisors and students/graduates viewed as the biggest barriers to employment, with students/graduates rating stress and professional qualifications significantly higher and advisors rating interacting with clients/customers significantly higher. Gender differences were also found. Qualitative results revealed the biggest barriers to be inflexible employers, interview stress, diagnostic disclosure, and confidence; facilitators included an individual focus, clear communication, strengths-based approach leading to self-insight, and mock interviews. Conclusions: Practices identified for better serving autistic students included discussing disclosure options, building confidence, reducing stress through a strengths-based approach, and mock interviews, following up to identify autism-friendly employers, focusing on the individual rather than the diagnosis, and communicating clearly with students/graduates.
Participation in Everyday Leisure and Its Influencing Factors for People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review of the Empirical Findings
Authors: Heister Noemi , Zentel Peter , Köb Stefanie
Published: May 2023

Background: Participation is often defined as taking part and being included in different areas of life. Leisure represents an important area of life for all people. People with disabilities have the right to experience leisure time in a self-determined manner. They have the right to participate in leisure activities on an equal basis with others. Due to various influencing factors, people with intellectual disabilities, especially those with severe to profound intellectual disabilities, are at risk of decreased participation. This is alarming because participation in leisure activities reflects quality of life. Purpose: The present study aims to review the empirical findings on leisure participation and its influencing factors in people with mild to moderate disabilities as compared to people with severe to profound intellectual disabilities. Method: A scoping review following the PRISMA-ScR checklist by Cochrane and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) was conducted to examine research studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 2000 and 2022. The studies that were included relate to activities within the everyday leisure time of people with intellectual disabilities, regardless of age, gender, or severity of their cognitive disability. The categories of vacation and tourism were excluded so as to focus on everyday leisure. The sample was screened by two reviewers independently. In total, 27 articles met the inclusion criteria, with 21 articles referring to people with a mild to moderate intellectual disability and only six articles referring to people with a severe to profound intellectual disability. The evidence was summarized with a predefined standardized charting form, which was used by the two reviewers. Results: The results show that participation in leisure activities by people with intellectual disabilities can be limited, especially for those with severe to profound intellectual disabilities. This contradicts the guiding principle and human rights of inclusion and self-determination. Their participation in leisure time is extremely dependent on external factors, such as support people, leisure time availability, and form of living. Passive activities at home are often provided for people with severe to profound intellectual disabilities in particular; therefore, the need for interactive and self-determined leisure opportunities in the community is enormous. Various factors influencing leisure participation can be identified. Implications: The findings of this scoping review can be used to consider intervention, support, and barriers to enhancing leisure participation among people with disabilities as an important area of life.
Community-CL: An Enhanced Community Detection Algorithm Based on Contrastive Learning
Authors: Huang Zhaoci , Xu Wenzhe , Zhuo Xinjian
Published: May 2023

Graph contrastive learning (GCL) has gained considerable attention as a self-supervised learning technique that has been successfully employed in various applications, such as node classification, node clustering, and link prediction. Despite its achievements, GCL has limited exploration of the community structure of graphs. This paper presents a novel online framework called Community Contrastive Learning (Community-CL) for simultaneously learning node representations and detecting communities in a network. The proposed method employs contrastive learning to minimize the difference in the latent representations of nodes and communities in different graph views. To achieve this, learnable graph augmentation views using a graph auto-encoder (GAE) are proposed, followed by a shared encoder that learns the feature matrix of the original graph and augmentation views. This joint contrastive framework enables more accurate representation learning of the network and results in more expressive embeddings than traditional community detection algorithms that solely optimize for community structure. Experimental results demonstrate that Community-CL achieves superior performance compared to state-of-the-art baselines in community detection. Specifically, the NMI of Community-CL is reported to be 0.714 (0.551) on the Amazon-Photo (Amazon-Computers) dataset, which represents a performance improvement of up to 16% compared with the best baseline.
Exploring the Role of Indirect Coupling in Complex Networks: The Emergence of Chaos and Entropy in Fractional Discrete Nodes
Authors: Zambrano-Serrano Ernesto , Platas-Garza Miguel Angel , Posadas-Castillo Cornelio , Arellano-Delgado Adrian , Cruz-Hernández César
Published: May 2023

Understanding the dynamics of complex systems defined in the sense of Caputo, such as fractional differences, is crucial for predicting their behavior and improving their functionality. In this paper, the emergence of chaos in complex dynamical networks with indirect coupling and discrete systems, both utilizing fractional order, is presented. The study employs indirect coupling to produce complex dynamics in the network, where the connection between the nodes occurs through intermediate fractional order nodes. The temporal series, phase planes, bifurcation diagrams, and Lyapunov exponent are considered to analyze the inherent dynamics of the network. Analyzing the spectral entropy of the chaotic series generated, the complexity of the network is quantified. As a final step, we demonstrate the feasibility of implementing the complex network. It is implemented on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), which confirms its hardware realizability.
Investigation of Different Rotational Speed Characteristics of Multistage Axial Compressor in CAES System
Authors: Li Pengfei , Zuo Zhitao , Zhou Xin , Li Jingxin , Chen Haisheng
Published: May 2023

An axial compressor has high efficiency under design conditions, but its stable working range is narrow. Adjusting the rotational speed can effectively expand the stable working range. In this paper, a five-stage axial compressor for a specific compressed air energy storage (CAES) system is taken as the research object, and different rotational speed (DRS) characteristics are studied with NUMECA software. Firstly, the influence of DRS on overall aerodynamic performance is explored, and the working flow range of the compressor is increased from 11.5% to 54.0%. Secondly, the effect of DRS on inlet parameters of the first stage rotor is analyzed, and the reasonable distribution of inlet parameters is obtained. Thirdly, the changing law of the internal flow is investigated at DRS. The corner separation is gradually enhanced when the rotational speed increases, and the leakage flow velocity at the rotor tip gradually improves. Finally, the loss distribution of tip clearance is researched. The result shows that the loss distribution increases significantly in both circumferential and spanwise directions when the speed increases. This work aims to provide a reference for the stable and efficient operation of axial compressors in CAES systems under the wide working range.
Time Series Optimization-Based Characteristic Curve Calculation for Local Reactive Power Control Using Pandapower-PowerModels Interface
Authors: Liu Zheng , Majidi Maryam , Wang Haonan , Mende Denis , Braun Martin
Published: May 2023

Local reactive power control in distribution grids with a high penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) will be essential in future power system operation. Appropriate control characteristic curves for DERs support stable and efficient distribution grid operation. However, the current practice is to configure local controllers collectively with constant characteristic curves that may not be efficient for volatile grid conditions or the desired targets of grid operators. To address this issue, this paper proposes a time series optimization-based method to calculate control parameters, which enables each DER to be independently controlled by an exclusive characteristic curve for optimizing its reactive power provision. To realize time series reactive power optimizations, the open-source tools pandapower and PowerModels are interconnected functionally. Based on the optimization results, Q(V)- and Q(P)-characteristic curves can be individually calculated using linear decision tree regression to support voltage stability, provide reactive power flexibility and potentially reduce grid losses and component loadings. In this paper, the newly calculated characteristic curves are applied in two representative case studies, and the results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the reference methods suggested by grid codes.
Depression in Elderly People
Authors: Paiva Teresa Catarina , Soares Luísa , Faria Ana Lúcia
Published: May 2023

Depression is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of will or laziness. It is not a simple “being sad” or bored, but rather a pathology that needs intervention, treatment, and monitoring by professionals with expertise in mental health. It is a disorder that impacts the lives of people who do not receive timely help affecting not only the individual himself in his feelings, thoughts, and behaviors but also harming his relationships and daily life and is prevalent among elderly people. Depression manifests through multiple symptoms, is caused by numerous factors, and is preventable with specific practices. It is described as the “most frequent mental health problem worldwide,” has a higher prevalence in women, is different from mourning and sadness, and needs to be addressed to avoid extreme situations, such as suicide.
Optimization of Esterase Production in Solid-State Fermentation of Agricultural Digestate
Authors: Bulgari Daniela , Renzetti Stefano , Messgo-Moumene Saida , Monti Eugenio , Gobbi Emanuela
Published: May 2023

The continuous increase in biogas production poses the need for innovative applications for its by-products. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) has regained attention in the development of several products because of the possibility to use low-cost and easily available substrates, such as organic wastes. SSF represents a valuable process for agricultural digestate valorization in terms of enzyme production. In the present study, cellulase and esterase were produced by Trichoderma asperellum R on a digestate-based substrate in SSF, with esterase as the highest obtained activity. After assessing the effect of light on it, the esterase production in SSF was optimized using response surface methodology. The influence of substrate composition, temperature and humidity on the enzyme production was evaluated on two sets of data generated based on digestate concentration (50% and 70% w/w). The statistical analyses revealed that these parameters affected esterase production only when Trichoderma asperellum grew on substrate containing 50% w/w of digestate. The best esterase activity (264.6 mU/mg total protein) was achieved with the following optimized SSF parameters: 50% digestate, 50% fruits, 10% sawdust, 30 °C. The current finding of esterase production on digestate-based substrates makes the SSF method presented here a sustainable and completely circular technology.
Task Automation Intelligent Agents: A Review
Authors: Wali Abdul , Mahamad Saipunidzam , Sulaiman Suziah
Published: May 2023

As technological advancements increase exponentially, mobile phones become smarter with machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms. These advancements have allowed mobile phone users to perform most of their daily routine tasks on mobile phones; tasks performed in daily routines are called repetitive tasks and are performed manually by the users themselves. However, machine learning and artificial intelligence have enabled those tasks to be performed automatically, known as task automation. The users can perform task automation, e.g., through creating automation rules or an intelligent agent, e.g., conversational agents, virtual personal assistants, etc. Several techniques to achieve task automation have been proposed, but this review shows that task automation by programming by demonstration has had massive developmental growth because of its user-centered approach. Apple Siri, Google Assistant, MS Cortana, and Amazon Alexa are the most known task automation agents. However, these agents are not widely adopted because of their usability issues. In this study, two research questions are evaluated through the available literature to expand the research on intelligent task automation agents: (1) What is the state-of-the-art in task automation agents? (2) What are the existing methods and techniques for developing usability heuristics, specifically for intelligent agents? Research shows groundbreaking developments have been made in mobile phone task automation recently. However, it must still be conducted per usability principles to achieve maximum usability and user satisfaction. The second research question further justifies developing a set of domain-specific usability heuristics for mobile task automation intelligent agents.
Uncovering the Nutritive Profiles of Adult Male Chinese Mitten Crab (E. sinensis) Harvested from the Pond and Natural Water Area of Qin Lake Based on Metabolomics
Authors: Ye Yuhui , Wang Yulong , Liu Pengyan , Chen Jian , Zhang Cunzheng
Published: May 2023

E. sinensis, normally harvested in October and November, is an economic aquatic product in China. Pond culture has been widely applied for the production of E. sinensis, wherein a stable food supply for crabs is provided. In order to improve the nutritional quality of E. sinensis products, this study evaluated the effect of the local pond culture on the nutritive profiles of E. sinensis and screened out the best harvest time for the nutrient-rich crabs, thereby guiding the local crab industry to improve its aquaculture mode and harvest strategy. The results indicated that pond culture enhanced the levels of protein, amino acids, and specific organic acid derivatives, and reduced the levels of peptides and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Compared with E. sinensis harvested in October, peptide levels were significantly increased, whereas sugar, phenolic acid, and nucleotide levels were decreased in those harvested in November. Overall, the study revealed that the nutritive profile of the pond-reared E. sinensis was significantly modulated by a high-protein diet, thus lacking the diversity of metabolites. Additionally, October could be more appropriate for harvesting E. sinensis than November.
Distribution Prediction of Decomposed Relative EVA Measure with Levy-Driven Mean-Reversion Processes: The Case of an Automotive Sector of a Small Open Economy
Authors: Zmeškal Zdeněk , Dluhošová Dana , Lisztwanová Karolina , Pončík Antonín , Ratmanová Iveta
Published: May 2023

The paper is focused on predicting the financial performance of a small open economy with an automotive industry with an above-standard share. The paper aims to predict the probability distribution of the decomposed relative economic value-added measure of the automotive production sector NACE 29 in the Czech economy. An advanced Monte Carlo simulation prediction model is applied using the exact pyramid decomposition function. The problem is modelled using advanced stochastic process instruments such as Levy-driven mean-reversion, skew t-regression, normal inverse Gaussian distribution, and t-copula interdependencies. The proposed method procedure was found to fit the investigated financial ratios sufficiently, and the estimation was valid. The decomposed approach allows the reflection of the ratios’ complex relationships and improves the prediction results. The decomposed results are compared with the direct prediction. Precision distribution tests confirmed the superiority of the decomposed approach for particular data. Moreover, the Czech automotive sector tends to decrease the mean value and median of financial performance in the future with negative asymmetry and high volatility hidden in financial ratios decomposition. Scholars can generally use forecasting methods to investigate economic system development, and practitioners can obtain quality and valuable information for decision making.
Galerkin Finite Element Approximation of a Stochastic Semilinear Fractional Wave Equation Driven by Fractionally Integrated Additive Noise
Authors: Egwu Bernard A. , Yan Yubin
Published: May 2023

We investigate the application of the Galerkin finite element method to approximate a stochastic semilinear space–time fractional wave equation. The equation is driven by integrated additive noise, and the time fractional order α∈(1,2). The existence of a unique solution of the problem is proved by using the Banach fixed point theorem, and the spatial and temporal regularities of the solution are established. The noise is approximated with the piecewise constant function in time in order to obtain a stochastic regularized semilinear space–time wave equation which is then approximated using the Galerkin finite element method. The optimal error estimates are proved based on the various smoothing properties of the Mittag–Leffler functions. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the consistency between the theoretical findings and the obtained numerical results.
Genetic Diversity and Population Structure in Türkiye Bread Wheat Genotypes Revealed by Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) Markers
Authors: Türkoğlu Aras , Haliloğlu Kamil , Mohammadi Seyyed Abolgahasem , Öztürk Ali , Bolouri Parisa , Özkan Güller , Bocianowski Jan , Pour-Aboughadareh Alireza , Jamshidi Bita
Published: May 2023

Wheat genotypes should be improved through available germplasm genetic diversity to ensure food security. This study investigated the molecular diversity and population structure of a set of Türkiye bread wheat genotypes using 120 microsatellite markers. Based on the results, 651 polymorphic alleles were evaluated to determine genetic diversity and population structure. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 19, with an average of 5.44 alleles per locus. Polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.031 to 0.915 with a mean of 0.43. In addition, the gene diversity index ranged from 0.03 to 0.92 with an average of 0.46. The expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.00 to 0.359 with a mean of 0.124. The unbiased expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.00 to 0.319 with an average of 0.112. The mean values of the number of effective alleles (Ne), genetic diversity of Nei (H) and Shannon’s information index (I) were estimated at 1.190, 1.049 and 0.168, respectively. The highest genetic diversity (GD) was estimated between genotypes G1 and G27. In the UPGMA dendrogram, the 63 genotypes were grouped into three clusters. The three main coordinates were able to explain 12.64, 6.38 and 4.90% of genetic diversity, respectively. AMOVA revealed diversity within populations at 78% and between populations at 22%. The current populations were found to be highly structured. Model-based cluster analyses classified the 63 genotypes studied into three subpopulations. The values of F-statistic (Fst) for the identified subpopulations were 0.253, 0.330 and 0.244, respectively. In addition, the expected values of heterozygosity (He) for these sub-populations were recorded as 0.45, 0.46 and 0.44, respectively. Therefore, SSR markers can be useful not only in genetic diversity and association analysis of wheat but also in its germplasm for various agronomic traits or mechanisms of tolerance to environmental stresses.
Identifying Candidate Genes for Litter Size and Three Morphological Traits in Youzhou Dark Goats Based on Genome-Wide SNP Markers
Authors: Sun Xiaoyan , Niu Qunhao , Jiang Jing , Wang Gaofu , Zhou Peng , Li Jie , Chen Cancan , Liu Liangjia , Xu Lingyang , Ren Hangxing
Published: May 2023

This study aimed to reveal the potential genetic basis for litter size, coat colour, black middorsal stripe and skin colour by combining genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) and selection signature analysis and ROH detection within the Youzhou dark (YZD) goat population (n = 206) using the Illumina GoatSNP54 BeadChip. In the GWAS, we identified one SNP (snp54094-scaffold824-899720) on chromosome 11 for litter size, two SNPs on chromosome 26 (snp11508-scaffold142-1990450, SORCS3) and chromosome 12 (snp55048-scaffold842-324525, LOC102187779) for coat colour and one SNP on chromosome 18 (snp56013-scaffold873-22716, TCF25) for the black middorsal stripe. In contrast, no SNPs were identified for skin colour. In selection signature analysis, 295 significant iHS genomic regions with a mean |iHS| score > 2.66, containing selection signatures encompassing 232 candidate genes were detected. In particular, 43 GO terms and one KEGG pathway were significantly enriched in the selected genes, which may contribute to the excellent environmental adaptability and characteristic trait formation during the domestication of YZD goats. In ROH detection, we identified 4446 ROH segments and 282 consensus ROH regions, among which nine common genes overlapped with those detected using the iHS method. Some known candidate genes for economic traits such as reproduction (TSHR, ANGPT4, CENPF, PIBF1, DACH1, DIS3, CHST1, COL4A1, PRKD1 and DNMT3B) and development and growth (TNPO2, IFT80, UCP2, UCP3, GHRHR, SIM1, CCM2L, CTNNA3 and CTNNA1) were revealed by iHS and ROH detection. Overall, this study is limited by the small population size, which affects the results of GWAS to a certain extent. Nevertheless, our findings could provide the first overview of the genetic mechanism underlying these important traits and provide novel insights into the future conservation and utilisation of Chinese goat germplasm resources.
Association between Aldosterone Synthase (CYP11B2) Gene Polymorphism and Hypertension in Pashtun Ethnic Population of Khyber Pakhtunkwha, Pakistan
Authors: Shah Waheed Ali , Jan Asif , Khan Muhammad Asghar , Saeed Muhammad , Rahman Naveed , Zakiullah  , Afridi Muhammad Sajjad , Khuda Fazli , Akbar Rani
Published: May 2023

Genome-wide association studies significantly increased the number of hypertension risk variants; however, most of them focused on European societies. There is lack of such studies in developing countries, including Pakistan. The lack of research studies and the high prevalence of hypertension in the Pakistani community prompted us to design this study. Aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) was thoroughly studied in different ethnic groups; however, no such study has been conducted in the Pashtun population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. In essential hypertension, the aldosterone synthase gene (CYP11B2) plays a significant role. Aldosterone synthesis is affected by both hereditary and environmental factors. Aldosterone synthase (encoded by the CYP11B2 gene) controls the conversion of deoxycorticosterone to aldosterone and, thus, has genetic influences. Polymorphisms in the CYP11B2 gene are linked to an increased risk of hypertension. Previous research on the polymorphism of the aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) gene and its relationship to hypertension produced inconclusive results. The present study investigates the relationship between CYP11B2 gene polymorphism and hypertension in Pakistan’s Pashtun population. We used the nascent exome sequencing method to identify variants associated with hypertension. The research was divided into two phases. In phase one, DNA samples from 200 adult hypertension patients (of age ≥ 30 years) and 200 controls were pooled (n = 200/pool) and subjected to Exome Sequencing. In the second phase, the WES reported SNPs were genotyped using the Mass ARRAY technique to verify and confirm the association between WES-identified SNPs and hypertension. WES identified a total of eight genetic variants in the CYP11B2 gene. The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to estimate the minor allele frequencies (MAFs) and chosen SNPs relationships with hypertension. The frequency of minor allele T was found to be higher in cases compared to the control (42% vs. 30%: p = 0.001) for rs1799998 of CYP11B2 gene, while no significant results (p > 0.05) were observed for the remaining SNPs; rs4536, rs4537, rs4545, rs4543, rs4539, rs4546 and rs6418 showed no positive association with HTN in the studied population (all p > 0.05). Our study findings suggest that rs1799998 increases susceptibly to HTN in the Pashtun population of KP, Pakistan.
Allele Frequencies and Forensic Data of 25 STR Markers for Individuals in Northeast Brazil
Authors: Santos Natalia Bahia Pinheiro dos , de Paula Filho Márcio Fabrício Falcão , Silva Abigail Marcelino dos Santos , Teló Enio Paulo , Junior José Bandeira do Nascimento , de Queiroz Balbino Valdir , Takenami Iukary Oliveira , Cansanção Isaac Farias
Published: May 2023

Identifying DNA markers such as Short Tandem Repeats (STR) can be used to investigate genetic diversity based on levels of heterozygosity within and between populations. Allele frequencies and forensic data for STRs were obtained from a sample of 384 unrelated individuals living in Bahia, Northeastern Brazil. Thus, the present study aimed to identify the allele frequency distribution, in addition to the forensic and genetic data, of 25 STR loci in the population of Bahia. Buccal swabs or fingertip punctures were utilized to amplify and detect 25 DNA markers. The most polymorphic loci were SE33 (43), D21S11, and FGA (21). The least polymorphic were TH01 (6), TPOX, and D3S1358 (7). Forensic and statistical data were obtained through data analysis, which revealed a large genetic diversity, with an average value of 0.813 for the analyzed population. The present study was more robust than previous STR marker studies and will contribute to future research on population genetics in Brazil and worldwide. The results of this study allowed the establishment of haplotypes found in the forensic samples of Bahia State to serve as a reference in the elucidation of criminal cases and paternity tests, as well as population and evolutionary investigations.