bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bibliometric Analysis of Publications on Action Recognition; Convolutional Neural Network; Video Surveillance During 2011-2021
Authors: Yalçınkaya Meryem , Akmeşe Ömer Faruk
Published: February 2023

Action recognition based on convolutional neural networks (AR-CNN) has been developing rapidly in recent years. It is of great significance to conduct a deep analysis to understand the recent development of AR-CNN. However, a limited study examining the research status of this field could be found. Therefore, this study aims to quantitatively assess the publications related to the SciVal topic "Action Recognition; Convolutional Neural Network; Video Surveillance (T.561)" in computer vision research. This study focused on six aspects: literature distribution characteristics analysis, the development trend, citation analysis, collaborative analysis, keyword analysis and thematic evolution, using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix. The relevant publications were retrieved from Scopus in the period 2012–2021. A total of 6633 publications were identified by 9088 different authors, 62% were conference papers, and 35% were research articles. China and the USA contributed 39.7 % and 17.9 % of the total publications, respectively. The authors' production according to Price's Law was inconsistent but consistent according to Lotka's Law. Ling Shao was the most productive author, with 48 papers (%0.7). Chinese Academy of Sciences was the most productive affiliation, with 259 papers (%3.9). The first Bradford site consisted of Computer Science Lecture Notes with 617 publications. A moderately significant correlation was revealed between the country's publications and GDP per capita. The overall results show that the number of AR-CNN-related documents has increased significantly in recent years, with rapid growth from 2017. Although publications on AR-CNN were published mainly in European journals, China led the scientific production.
Clinical Features and Surgical Outcome of Clear Cell Papillary Renal Cell Tumor: Result from a Prospective Cohort
Authors: Kim Si Hyun , Han Jang Hee , Jeong Seung-hwan , Yuk Hyeong Dong , Ku Ja Hyeon , Kwak Cheol , Kim Hyeon Hoe , Moon Kyung Chul , Jeong Chang Wook
Published: February 2023

Background: Clear cell papillary renal cell tumor (CCPRCT) was first reported in 2006 a patient with end stage renal disease. After that it was discovered in the kidney without end stage renal disease in the 2010s and started to be mentioned in pathology and urology. The incidence of CCPRCT is low and most of it is discovered incidentally, so there is a lack of reports on clinical characteristics and surgical outcome.
Methods: This study used clinical data from the Seoul National University Prospectively Enrolled Registry for Renal Cell Carcinoma-Nephrectomy (SUPER-RCC-Nx). Between August 2016 and July 2022, patients who underwent radical or partial nephrectomy with clear cell papillary RCC with pathological finding were included in this study. All patients’ pathologic reports were reviewed by 1 pathologist. Clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes were presented through descriptive statistics, and Kaplan-Meier curve used for survival analysis.
Results: Of the 2057 patients, CCPRCT was reported in 36 patients (1.8%). The median follow up period was 26.8 months. The median age was 67 years, and there were 10 females and 26 males. The median tumor size was 1.2 cm. Twenty-nine patients underwent partial nephrectomy. Seven patients with end-stage renal disease underwent radical nephrectomy. The median operative time for patients who underwent partial nephrectomy was 97.5 minutes and the estimated blood loss was 100 cc. The median hospital days was 4 and 30-day complications were 2 cases with clavien-dindo classification III or higher. During the follow-up period, there was no recurrence and cancer specific mortality.
Conclusions: The size of CCPRCT was small and there was no advanced stage at that time of diagnosis. There was no recurrence or cancer specific mortality during the follow-up period. A multi-center study with a large scale is needed in the future.
Trial registration: Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) Institutional Review Board (IRB) (approval number: 2210-126-1371)
A novel distributed deep learning approach for large-scale chest X-ray covid-19 images detection
Authors: MEZZOUDJ Saliha , BELKESSA Imane , BOURAS Feriel , KHELIFA Meriem
Published: February 2023

Recently, the high mortality rates caused by the covid-19 pandemic
have formed a crucial problem to support its enormous and rapid spread. Due to
the need for accurate and rapid diagnosis of patients, it is necessary to develop
a self-operating recognition model as a fast recognition system to detect covid-
19 infection and prevent the rapid spread among people. Chest X-ray images
have been demonstrated to be useful in detecting the covid-19 cases. Further-
more, covid-19 being a new disease, the annotated large-scale CXR dataset (big
data) for this particular disease is virtually nonexistent. We propose exploiting
a large-scale chest X-ray dataset and training a distributed deep neural network
to address the limited data issue. In this paper, we propose a new distributed
deep learning-based approach (COV-DCNN) for detecting large-scale chest X-ray
covid-19 images using ImageDataGenerator to do dynamic data preprocessing and
splitting and spark TensorFlow distributor framework to execute distributed training tasks using a Spark job in barrier mode. Furthermore, we adopted a distributed
Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN), ANN, AlexNet on Spark Tensor-
Flow Distributor to classify large-scale chest X-ray covid-19 images. The highest
accuracy was obtained by the DCNN model, which is 91.88% during 0.006s for
each case, 84.62% for the ANN model, and 73.8% for the AlexNet model. The
obtained results achieve high classification accuracy at a faster speed than other
state-of-the-art classification methods
Inflammatory bowel disease perception among Chinese patients: Development and Validation of a knowledge questionnaire
Authors: xie huabing , Zhang Jixiang , Liu Chuan , Yang Bingxiang , Dong Weiguo
Published: February 2023

A good understanding of the disease facilitates patient-centered management. We aimed to develop and validate a new questionnaire to assess inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-related knowledge, and to analyze the related factors affecting their knowledge of IBD. We invited 15 experts to develop and modify the IBD knowledge questionnaire, and 709 patients to test the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, and analyze the factors related to the disease knowledge of patients with IBD. Internal consistency: Cronbach's α coefficients of the total, UC, and CD knowledge questionnaire were 0.886, 0.89, and 0.886 respectively. Cross-item consistency, the Spearman-Brown split coefficients of the total, UC, and CD knowledge questionnaire were 0.843, 0.812, and 0.812 respectively. Time consistency, the test-retest reliability ICC was 0.862 (P < 0.001). The correlation R between the researcher score and the IBD-KNOW score and the original questionnaire score was greater than 0.7 (P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression demonstrated that disease type, age, body mass index (BMI), education level, income, treatment cost, duration of disease, and frequency of visits were related factors that affected IBD patients' disease knowledge (P < 0.05). The IBD Knowledge questionnaire has good reliability and validity, and can therefore be used to assess patient knowledge of the disease.
Companion crops alter olfactory responses of the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), and its larval endoparasitoid (Cotesia icipe)
Authors: Peter Emmanuel , Tamiru Amanuel , Sevgan Subramanian , Dubois Thomas , Kelemu Segenet , Kruger Kerstin , Torto Baldwyn , Yusuf Abdullahi
Published: February 2023

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a devastating invasive pest and a threat to food security in Africa, with yield losses of 20–50%. Recent studies highlighted the importance of cereal crops such as maize and sorghum as the most preferred host plants for FAW oviposition. In the current work, we investigated the olfactory responses of FAW and its larval endoparasitoid Cotesia icipe to odours from the preferred host (maize) in the presence of six potential companion crops including beans, groundnut, sweet potato, greenleaf- and silverleaf desmodium, and cassava. We hypothesized that odours released by companion crops in maize-based intercropping systems would alter host preferences of FAW for oviposition and its parasitoid responses. In dual choice bioassays, FAW laid significantly more eggs on maize than on the other plants; however, significantly fewer eggs were laid on maize when companion plants were present. Markedly, the presence of cassava did not affect the oviposition responses of FAW. While wind tunnel bioassays confirmed the differential behavioural responses of the FAW, we found that its larval endoparasitoid C. icipe was attracted to volatiles from both the individual companion plants and when they were combined with maize. Coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis detected several potential behaviour-modifying compounds including (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, (E)-β-ocimene, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene, (E)-β-caryophyllene, camphor, methyl salicylate and (E, E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetraene. Our findings provide evidence supporting diversified maize cropping system could reduce FAW damage by repelling the pest while recruiting its natural enemies and hence may serve as an ecologically sustainable FAW management strategy.
Investigation on the high feed milling of M28
Authors: Jiang Yifan , Yang Xu , Tian Hui , Ma Liangdong , Li Liang , Yang Yinfei
Published: February 2023

The outstanding combination of high strength, fracture toughness and low mass makes the metastable β titanium alloy an ideal material for aviation application. Machining of the metastable β titanium alloy remains a challenge due to their poor machinability. In this study, the high feed milling of a novel metastable β titanium alloy M28 is investigated to evaluate the performance of a potential high-efficiency-machining approach for the next generation titanium alloy and promote the understanding of high feed milling. The cutting force and the wear mechanism of carbide tool coated with TiAlN-Al2O3 are investigated as well as the influence of high feed on machined surface microstructures and microhardness. Due to the chip thinning effect of high feed milling, a proper high feed maintains a sufficient chip thickness to prevent the ploughing. Cutting edge degeneration induced by the carbide matrix fracture accelerates the tool wear. Mechanical stress induced cracks lead to the uneven delamination of the TiAlN-Al2O3 coating. Slight effect of high feed can be found on the microstructures and microhardness of the machined surface. While the tool wear leads to significant grain fragmentation and distortion at the surface. Since no white layer is found in the cutting of M28, high feed milling shows the advantage of preventing the heat induced surface injury.
Sex-based Differences in the Distribution of Aujeszky’s Disease-Seropositive Japanese Wild Swine
Authors: Yamaguchi Emi , Takagi Michihiro , Osaki Makoto , Hayama Yoko , Yamamoto Takehisa
Published: February 2023

Background: Aujeszky’s disease virus (ADV) primarily infects domestic and wild swine, causing the abortion and death of young piglets due to central nervous system disorders. In Japan, the national eradication program has been successful in most prefectures; however, ADV-infected wild swine have been concerned as a source of ADV among domestic pigs.
Results: This study assessed the nationwide seroprevalence of ADV among wild swine (Sus scrofa) in Japan. Moreover, sex-based differences in the spatial clustering of seropositive animals were investigated. In total, 1383 serum samples were obtained from wild swine caught in 41 prefectures in three fiscal years (April–March in 2014, 2015, and 2017) in Japan. Next, the seropositivity for ADV was evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the latex agglutination and neutralization tests. Results showed that 29 swine were seropositive for ADV (29/1383, 2.1% [95% confidence interval, CI: 1.4%–3.0%]). Among them, 28 were caught in three prefectures located at the Kii Peninsula (28/121, 23.1% [95% CI: 16.0%–31.7%]). The degree of spatial clustering of ADV-seropositive adult swine at the Kii Peninsula according to sex was evaluated using K-function with the capture locations of 46 males including 14 seropositive and 54 females including 12 seropositive. In females, the degree of clustering was significantly higher in seropositive animals than in tested animals; however, such difference was not observed for seropositive males.
Conclusions: The spatial dynamics of ADV among adult wild swine might be characterized based on sex. This finding might be attributed to sex-based differences in behavioral patterns including dispersal among wild swine.
EBV positive inflammatory follicular dendritic cell sarcoma of colon with clonal immunoglobulin receptor gene rearrangement: a case report and literature review
Authors: Xu Xia , Li Xiuzhen , Deng Qun , Yu Kaihang , Li Jinfan
Published: February 2023

Background: Epstein-Barr virus positive (EBV+) inflammatory follicular dendritic cell (FDC) sarcoma is a neoplasm of spindled follicular dendritic cells with abundant lymphoplasmacyte infiltration and a consistent association with EBV. It usually involves the liver and spleen but rarely the digestive tract. Herein, we reported a special case of EBV+ inflammatory FDC sarcoma in colon with clonal immunoglobulin (IG) receptor gene rearrangement.
Case presentation: A 70-year-old man presented with abdominal distension for 1 month. A pedunculated polyp in ascending colon was revealed by colonoscopic examination. The patient then underwent endoscopic polypectomy. The colonic polyp had extremely prominent lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates with dispersed EBV+ neoplastic cells, highlighted by EBV-encoded small RNA in situ hybridization. The neoplastic cells were immunoreactive for FDC markers (CD21, CD35 and CD23). The tumor also showed an amplification of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) gene rearrangement. Finally, its diagnose was EBV+ inflammatory follicular dendritic cell sarcoma.
Conclusions: We represented a rare case of EBV+ inflammatory FDC sarcoma presenting as a colonic polyp with clonal IGH gene rearrangement. The molecular change is first described in this tumor of colon. Awareness of this rare neoplasm in gastrointestinal tract is important for accurate diagnosis and well patient management.
MYC directly transactivates CR2/CD21, the receptor of the Epstein-Barr virus, enhancing the viral infection of Burkitt lymphoma cells
Authors: León Javier , Molina Ester , Garcia-Gutierrez Lucia , Junco Vanessa , Perez-Olivares Mercedes , de Yebenes Virginia G. , Blanco Rosa , Quevedo Laura , Acosta Juan C. , Marin Ana V. , Ulgiati Daniela , Merino Ramon , Varela Ignacio , Regueiro Jose R. , de Alboran Ignacio Morenos , Ramiro Almudena R.
Published: February 2023

MYC is an oncogenic transcription factor dysregulated in about half of total human tumors. Transcriptomic studies reveal more than 1000 genes regulated by MYC but a much smaller fraction of genes is directly transactivated by MYC. Virtually all Burkitt lymphoma (BL) carry chromosomal translocations involving MYC oncogene. All endemic BL and a fraction of sporadic BL are associated to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. The currently accepted mechanism is that EBV is the lymphoma causing agent inducing MYC translocation. Herein we show that the EBV receptor gene, CR2 (or CD21), is a bona fide direct MYC target gene. This is based on several evidences: MYC induces CR2 expression in both proliferating and arrested cells, binds the human CR2 promoter and transactivates CR2 in an E-box dependent manner and in the absence of protein synthesis. Moreover, using mice with conditional MYC ablation we show that MYC induces CR2 in primary B cells. Importantly, MYC silencing or MYC overexpression in BL cells results in less and more efficient EBV infection, respectively. Altogether, in contrast to the widely accepted mechanism for the correlation between EBV and endemic BL, we propose an alternative mechanism in which MYC dysregulation occurs first and favors the EBV infection.
Short hairpin RNA-directed LDHA silencing using liposomal nanovectors for the effective treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zhou Xiang , Chen Ruohua , Lin Chao , Huang Gang , Liu Jianjun
Published: February 2023

Background
Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), which converts pyruvate to lactate, is over-expressed in many malignant tumors. We will analyze the correlation between LDHA expression and clinicopathological features of HCC. We further applied biodegradable polyethyleneimine containing multiple disulfide bonds (SS-PEI) as an effective non-viral vector for the safe intracellular delivery of plasmid LDHA-shRNA-EGFP in vitro and in vivo for the treatment of liver cancer.
Methods
We first retrospectively analyzed the correlation between the expression of LDHA in liver cancer and the clinical case characteristics of patients and the prognosis of anti-PD1/PD-L1 therapy. Further, I synthesized a nanomaterial SS-PEI/pLDHA-shRNA-EGFP that targets and inhibits the expression of LDHA. Through cytological and animal experiments, it is confirmed that the effectiveness and safety of inhibiting tumor growth.
Results
Our studies showed that patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with high LDHA expression have poorer overall survival and disease-free survival. The expression of PD-L1 in HCC was positively correlated with the expression of Ki-67, PD-L1 and the infiltration of Regulatory T cells, CAF cells in the tumor microenvironment (p < 0.05). The objective response rate of anti-PD1/PD-L1 immunotherapy in HCC patients with low LDHA expression was significantly higher than patients with high LDHA expression(p < 0.05). Transfection experiments showed that the SS-PEI/pLDHA-shRNA-EGFP complexes could be used to transfect various types of HCC cell lines in vitro, inducing reduced expression of LDHA and cell growth inhibition. In addition, treatment of mice with SS-PEI/pLDHA-shRNA-EGFP by tail vein injection significantly inhibited the growth of subcutaneous xenograft tumors. Meanwhile, the complexes revealed relatively low cytotoxicity in vitro and no toxicity was observed in vivo.
Conclusions
The expression of LDHA in HCC is closely related to tumor proliferation and immune escape. Patients with low LDHA expression of HCC are more sensitive to anti-PD1/PD-L1 immunotherapy. Targeting LDHA in vivo with a specific short hairpin RNA delivered via SS-PEI is a promising therapy for patients with HCC.
Impact of Cross-linking Agents on the Performance of Alginate- Cellulose Nanocrystals Adsorbent Beads
Authors: Grishkewich Nathan , Mohammed Nishil , Tam Kam Chiu
Published: February 2023

A detailed investigation on the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) to sodium alginate/cellulose nanocrystal (ALG-CNC) composite hydrogel beads was conducted. The impact of physical cross-linking and calcium ions on the binding of MB onto the beads and the swelling/shrinkage of bead during the adsorption process in batch vessel and continuous fixed bed operations was examined. Changes in the bulk calcium ion concentrations during the batch adsorption experiments on the binding of MB to the beads were monitored when the beads were subjected to different pretreatments. The calcium ions reduced the adsorption capacity by charge screening instead of competitive adsorption, and the removal of calcium ions contributed to an initial shrinkage of the adsorbent during binding tests in the packed column.
An analysis of well-being in Gauteng province using the capability approach
Authors: Mushongera Darlington , Ntuli Miracle , Kwenda Prudence
Published: February 2023

This paper adopts a standard ‘capability approach’ to analyse individual well-being in Gauteng province of South Africa. The analysis is based on eight capabilities namely; ‘play’, ‘emotions’, ‘other species’, ‘affiliation’, ‘bodily health’, ‘bodily integrity’, ‘senses, imagination and thought’ and ‘control over one’s environment’. Data for analysis came from the Gauteng City-Region Observatory Quality of Life Survey IV-2015/16. A Multiple Correspondence Analysis was employed to generate an index for each capability. Each index is based on individual ‘functionings’ that deliberately cover both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ indicators of well-being undergirded by assumptions of aspirations and freedom. Results show that capability achievements vary across race, age and gender, confirming the typical South African scenario of inequality. However, we observe broader levels of deprivation that are otherwise masked in earlier studies based only on objective dimensions. JEL Classification C18 I32
Inhibition of GSK3β activity alleviates acute liver failure via suppressing multiple programmed cell death
Authors: Zhang Danmei , Shi Chunxia , Zhang Qingqi , Wang Yukun , Guo Jin , Gong Zuojiong
Published: February 2023

Background
Acute liver failure (ALF) is one of the most common life-threatening diseases in adults without previous liver disease, and the construction of animal models using D- galactosamine(D-Gal) in combination with lipopolysaccharide(LPS) has been widely used to study the mechanisms of ALF and for drug development. Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that is widely distributed in the cells. Inhibition of its activity can inhibit cell death and promote autophagy through various pathways, thus providing a protective effect. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect on ALF after inhibition of GSK3β and its potential mechanisms.
Methods
A mouse ALF model was constructed using LPS/D-Gal, while D-Gal/TNF-α stimulated L02 cells were used to construct an in vitro model. After TDZD-8 treatment TUNEL staining and flow techniques were used to detect the proportion of apoptosis in liver tissues and cells respectively, while western blotting and immunofluorescence assays were performed to detect the expression levels of apoptosis, pyroptosis and necroptosis-related proteins in tissues and cells. In addition, to explore the specific mechanism of hepatoprotective effect after GSK3β inhibition, western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of TAK1, TRAF6 and HDAC3 after TRAF6 and HDAC3 inhibition alone. The co-localization of TRAF6 and HDAC3 in L02 cells was detected by immunofluorescence, while the interaction between TRAF6 and HDAC3 was detected by immunoprecipitation assay.
Results
In both in vivo and in vitro experiments, we observed the hepatoprotective effect of GSK3β inhibitor TDZD-8 in ALF model through in vivo and in vitro experiments and found that inhibition of GSK3β activity could significantly reduce the level of hepatocyte apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis and improve liver dysfunction and tissue damage. Furthermore, we found that hepatocyte TAK1 and TRAF6 levels decreased and HDAC3 levels increased in ALF, whereas inhibition of GSK3β upregulated TAK1 and TRAF6 levels and decreased HDAC3 expression.
Conclusion
This study investigated the protective effect of GSK3β inhibitor TDZD-8 on ALF, and its action may involve the TRAF6/HDAC3/TAK1 pathway.
Spatial variations in PΜ2.5 physico-chemical characteristics and associated health risk in an urban coastal city
Authors: Tripathi Shruti , Chakraborty Abhishek , Mandal Debayan
Published: February 2023

This paper investigates the chemical composition of Particulate Matter, Organic Carbon (OC), and Elemental Carbon (EC) in residential and traffic sites in Mumbai. The average PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations at the traffic site (Sakinaka) were 240 µg/m3 and 424 µg/m3, respectively. The observed levels of OC were 35 µg/m3, 22 µg/m3, and 15.5µg/m3 at Sakinaka junction (high-density traffic), YP-Gate (low-density traffic), and Hostel Premise (Residential), respectively. The average OC/EC ratio value was high (4.5) at the residential site, indicating contributions from stationary combustion sources and secondary production of carbonaceous species to OC. The residential site has a higher percentage of low volatile OC fraction (57%) in total OC than the traffic sites. On the other hand, Sakinaka has a higher percentage of highly volatile OC fractions (36%) in total OC. The crustal-originated metals were dominating in all areas, but the concentration of metals from anthropogenic sources was highest at Sakinaka, i.e., As (381 ng/m3), Pb (352 ng/m3), Zn (679 ng/m3). The K/Al, Ca/Al, Mg/Al, and Fe/Al ratios were high in all the samples compared to the crustal ratio indicating biomass burning and traffic emission sources of these metals. PM originating from traffic was more enriched with heavy metals that are toxic to human health, increasing cancer risks (CR) through inhalation. The hazard quotient was above 1 at all the locations, and CR was above 1x10− 4, causing health risks. According to the dosimetry model, more PM was deposited in the lungs of traffic location occupants through inhalation, increasing the cancerous risk.
Diffusion of eating behaviour in different social networks: A study protocol and preliminary reflections from a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Zorell Carolin V. , Kim Ansung , Neuman Nicklas
Published: February 2023

Background: A variety of public, governmental initiatives inform citizens about what is considered ‘healthy’, ‘climate friendly’, and in general ‘sustainable’ food. The ambition is to influence individual food choices. However, research suggests that, rather than public authorities, people are more likely to affect each other’s behaviour through social influence. The degree of influence though seems to depend on how people are connected and how similar they are to each other. To better understand the various dynamics occurring within social networks, researchers have experimented with controlled networks, manipulating factors like the number or kinds of ties. This increases the chances of identifying causality, yet also affects the external validity of the results since the design is very artificial. The present study tries to reduce artificiality by studying real-life behaviour and behaviour change, while including controlled treatments. The aim is to compare if and how behavioural change spreads more in groups exposed to different social network conditions and different source-types of information about food.
Method: The paper outlines a study protocol from a 4-month randomized controlled trial conducted with a random selection of adults living in Sweden from mid-October 2022 to early-February 2023. The trial was registered and reviewed by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority under ref. no. 2022-02646-01 (June 9, 2022). Using a mobile phone application, the study investigates if and how real-life, self-reported intakes of plant- and animal-based foods diffuse under certain social network conditions. The trial included two treatment groups and one control group exposed to (1) different social network conditions (with or without informational exposure), and (2) to different source-types of information about food (factual versus social).
Discussion: By investigating the roles of both social diffusion processes and certain structural conditions provided by public actors for sustainable consumption, the results contribute to discussions of how and by whom effective and efficient measures could be implemented to transform food habits.
Hiding Sensitive Medical Data Using Simple and Pre-Large Rain Optimization Algorithm through Data Removal for E-Health System
Authors: Madhavi M. , Sasirooba T. , Kumar G. Kranthi
Published: February 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Long-term tillage practices effects on soil organic matter humification and Humic acids structural changes in soil profiles typical of an arid region
Authors: Mahmoud Imen Ben , Mbarek Hadda Ben , SÁNCHEZ-BELLÓN Ángel , Medhioub Mounir , Moussa Mohamed , RIGANE Hafedh , gargouri Kamel
Published: February 2023

Soil organic matter (SOM) humification and changes in molecular structures of humic acids (HAs) induced by long term practices management over soil profile have been scarcely investigated in arid climates. This study aims to assess SOM humification, HAs molecular structures changes over soil profiles induced by long- term tillage practices under arid climate in south-eastern Tunisia. Two experimental fields were studied: cultivated soil with olive tree and tilled for long term (CT); uncultivated without any practices with native vegetation (NT). Soil samples were collected at different depths from (CT) and (NT) profiles to determine chemical properties. Humic acids were isolated and studied by measuring UV-visible ratios (E465/665, E280/664 and E472/664) and fluorescence spectroscopy analysis. Results showed that long-term tillage practices reduced the SOM amount, aromatic condensation, molecular size and humification degree in surface layer of CT confirmed by the decrease in the emission fluorescence areas and UV- visible ratios. Inversely, in deep layers, results showed a greatly humified organic matter and aromatic structures condensation in CT. Long-term tillage leads to a significant decrease in aromatic condensation and OM humification degree in surface layers. Soil under no-tillage retains their aromatic chemical structures and increases OM humification degree. No-till System is the best alternative to maintain OM chemical structures and restore soil quality underlong- term practices management.
Workpiece Surface Quality Improvement through Vibration Active Control in Precision Milling Process
Authors: Guo Miaoxian , Xia Wanliang , Liu Jin , Jiang Xiaohui , Wu Chongjun
Published: February 2023

The tool-workpiece vibration in the precision milling process plays a pivotal role in influencing the surface quality. To solve the machining problem coming with the process vibration, the active vibration control model as well as the corresponding platform are developed, and the active vibration control algorithms are applied to reduce the relative vibrations and improve the surface quality. Firstly, the milling vibration reduction and surface quality improvement are modelled based on the active control algorithms and the system dynamic characteristics. Then, applying the different algorithm control strategies, such as PID, Fuzzy PID, BP neural network and BP neural network PID control, the control effect is simulated and analyzed. Finally, the platform is experimentally set up to verify the reliability of the system, the frequency vibration control and the finish surface roughness improve efficiency of different active control methods are compared, providing optimal vibration control methods for precision milling.
A novel Patient-Derived 3D Model Recapitulates Mantle Cell Lymphoma Lymph Node Signaling, Immune Profile and in vivo Ibrutinib Responses
Authors: ARAUJO-AYALA FERRAN , DOBAÑO-LOPEZ CELIA , Valero Juan , Nadeu Ferran , GAVA FABIEN , FARIA CARLA , NORLUND MARINE , MORIN RENAUD , BERNES-LASSERRE PASCALE , SERRAT NEUS , PLAYA-ALBINYANA HERIBERT , GIMENEZ RUBEN , Campo Elias , LAGARDE JEAN-MICHEL , López-Guillermo Armando , Giné Eva , Colomer Dolors , Bezombes Christine , PEREZ-GALAN PATRICIA
Published: February 2023

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a rare and aggressive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, mainly develops in the lymph node (LN) and creates a protective and immunosuppressive niche that facilitates tumor survival, proliferation and chemoresistance. To capture disease heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment (TME) cues, we have developed the first patient-derived MCL spheroids (MCL-PDLS) that recapitulate tumor oncogenic pathways and immune microenvironment in a multiplexed system that allows easy drug screening, including immunotherapies. MCL spheroids, integrated by tumor B cells, monocytes and autologous T cells self-organize in disc-shaped structures, where B and T cells maintain viability and proliferate, and monocytes differentiate into M2-like macrophages. RNA-seq analysis demonstrated that tumor cells recapitulate hallmarks of MCL-LN (proliferation, NF-kB and BCR), with T cells exhibiting an exhaustion profile (PD1, TIM-3 and TIGIT). MCL-PDLS reproducesin vivoresponses to ibrutinib and demonstrates that combination of ibrutinib with nivolumab (anti-PD1) may be effective in ibrutinib-resistant cases by engaging an immune response with increased interferon gamma and granzyme B release. In conclusion, MCL-PDLS recapitulates specific MCL-LN features andin vivoresponses to ibrutinib, representing a robust tool to study MCL interaction with the immune TME and to perform drug screening in a patient-derived system, advancing towards personalized therapeutic approaches.
Dynamic Force Modeling of Wire Saw Machining Processes
Authors: Liang Lie , Li Shujuan , Wang Jiabin , Tang Aofei , Landers Robert G.
Published: February 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
On characterization by Gruenberg--Kegel graph of finite simple exceptional groups of Lie type
Authors: Maslova Natalia , Panshin Viktor , Staroletov Alexey
Published: February 2023

The Gruenberg--Kegel graph $\Gamma(G)$ of a finite group $G$ is the graph whose vertex set is the set of prime divisors of $|G|$ and in which two distinct vertices $r$ and $s$ are adjacent if and only if there exists an element of order $rs$ in $G$.
A finite group $G$ is called {\it almost recognizable} (by Gruenberg--Kegel graph) ifthere is only finite number of pairwise non-isomorphic finite groups havingGruenberg--Kegel graph as $G$. If $G$ is not almost recognizable, then it is called {\it unrecognizable}(by Gruenberg--Kegel graph).
Recently P.~J.~Cameron and the first author have proved that if a finite group is almost recognizable, then the group is almost simple. Thus, the question of which almost simple groups (in particular, finite simple groups) are almost recognizable is of prime interest. We prove that every finite simple exceptional group of Lie type,which is isomorphic to neither ${^2}B_2(2^{2n+1})$ with $n\geq1$ nor $G_2(3)$ and whose Gruenberg--Kegel graph has at least three connected components, is almost recognizable. Moreover, groups $ {^2}B_2(2^{2n+1})$, where $n\geq1$, and $G_2(3)$ are unrecognizable.
The Reading Everyday Emotion Database (REED): A set of audio-visual recordings of emotions in music and language
Authors: Ong Jia Hoong , Leung Florence Yik Nam , Liu Fang
Published: February 2023

Most audio-visual (AV) emotion databasesconsist of clips that do not reflect real-life emotion processing (e.g., professional actors in bright studio-like environment), contain only spoken clips, and none have sung clips that express complex emotions. Here, we introduce a new AV database, the Reading Everyday Emotion Database (REED), which directly addresses those gaps. We recorded the faces of everyday adults with a diverse range of acting experience expressing 13 emotions—neutral, the six basic emotions (angry, disgusted, fearful, happy, sad, surprised), and six complex emotions (embarrassed, hopeful, jealous, proud, sarcastic, stressed)—in two auditory domains (spoken and sung) using everyday recording devices (e.g., laptops, mobile phones, etc.). The recordings were validated by an independent group of raters. We found that: intensity ratings of the recordings were positively associated with recognition accuracy; and the basic emotions, as well as the Neutral and Sarcastic emotions, were recognised more accurately than the other complex emotions. Emotion recognition accuracy also differed by utterance. Exploratory analysis revealed that recordings of those with drama experience were better recognised than those without. Overall, this database will benefit those who need AV clips with natural variations in both emotion expressions and recording environment.
Motor impairment and ohrqol of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy with presence of dental caries
Authors: Akhter Rahena , Muhit Mohammad , Badawi Nadia , Khandaker Gulam
Published: February 2023

Background To investigate the association between motor impairment and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) suffering from dental caries in a low-resource setting. Methods A total of 90 children and adolescents with CP of 2–17 years old, were selected from the Bangladesh cerebral palsy register (BCPR) for the study. The decayed, missing and filled teeth (dmft/DMFT) index was used to measure caries experience. Motor impairment data was extracted from the BCPR using the Gross motor function classification system (GMFCS). The Child perceptions questionnaire (CPQ) and Family impact scale (FIS) were used to assess the impact on oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL). Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 24.0. Results: Dental caries was observed among 55.6% of the CP participants. 76% children and adolescents with presence of dental caries classified GMFCS I-III and 26% were classified as GMFCS IV-V. Motor impairment exerted a significant impact on OHRQoL in both the CPQ and FIS. After age and gender adjustment, binary logistic regression analysis showed that motor impairment was significantly associated among CP children and adolescents with presence of dental caries, especially those who had difficulty in eating, drinking, or chewing firm foods (rate ratio 12.7; p = 0.02), avoid smiling (rate ratio 6.8; p = 0.03) and those who had less time for the family (rate ratio: 5.0; p = 0.02). Conclusions Motor impairment is associated with a negative impact on OHRQoL in terms of perceptions of both children and adolescents with CP with presence of dental caries in a low resource setting as well as their parents/caregivers. Oral health promotion programs should be implemented with a focus on adaptive care and education for children and adolescents with CP with dental caries and their families with a higher degree of motor impairment in low-resource setting.
Fe-Doped Nano-Cobalt Oxide Green Catalysts for Sulfoxidation and Photo Degradation
Authors: Soni Atul , Maru Minaxi S. , Patel Parth , Behal Jagriti , Kaushal Deepika , Kumar Manish , Thakur Maheshwar , Kumar Sunil
Published: February 2023

Nanoparticles (NPs) of cobalt oxide and Fe/Ni-doped cobalt oxide has been prepared by the co-precipitation method. XPS analysis established the chemical nature of these NPs in terms of atomic as well as molecular formulations and EDAX analysis complemented the XPS results displaying the presence of Fe and Ni atoms in the cobalt oxide NPs revealing successful doping of Fe and Ni in cobalt oxide NPs. The impact of Fe and Ni-doping on the structure and physico-chemical properties of cobalt oxide NPs was also established by XPS analysis. The presence of metal-oxide bonds was further established by FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) and HRTEM (High resolution transmission electron microscopy) analysis confirmed the formation of NPs. Among bare and Fe/Ni-doped cobalt oxide NPs, Fe-doped cobalt oxide NPs showed maximum photocatalytic activity against methylene blue as well as Fe-doped cobalt oxide NPs also acted as an excellent catalyst for the sulfoxidation of sulphides with 99 % conversion, and 95 % selectivity under green reaction conditions utilising water as a solvent.
Repurposing of clinically proven bioactive natural compounds for targeted treatment of Alzheimer’s disease using molecular docking approach
Authors: LoganathbabuThasma Vasanth Kanth , Raha Archi , Murali Vijay , Yuvatha Natesan , Kumaran Kasinathan , Kirubakaran Rangasamy , ArulJothi KN
Published: February 2023

Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s having become a growing concern as it is difficult to cure. Tau protein is found to be playing a major role in Alzheimer’s disease and the majority of drugs that are currently on the market are not only prohibitively expensive but also come packaged with side effects that the body cannot tolerate. Repurposing existing medications is a successful and optimistic strategy that offers reduced risk and increased possibility. We aim to retrieve the existing drugs and analyze them using in-silico techniques. We have retrieved the natural products from the Selleckchem natural product library and the ability of the drug to cross Blood Brain Barrier (BBB), and ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) properties were examined using SwissADME. The structure of Tau protein (2MZ7) was then retrieved from PDB, and molecular docking of the compounds was performed using the PyRx-Virtual Screening Tool. Initially, 92 compounds passed the ADMET screening criteria out of which the compound Ligustroflavone was found to have the most favourable binding affinity without violating Lipinski’s rule of 5 of the compounds in the library.
Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment framework for Uganda:
A stochastic modelling approach
Authors: OLENG MORRIS , Ozdemir Zuhal , Pilakoutas Kypros
Published: February 2023

Uganda lies between the eastern and western arms of the East African Rift System (EARS), the largest seismically active rift above sea level. With increasing population, urbanisation and rapid construction, seismic risk in the country is escalating fast and is compounded by the high vulnerability of the building stock and inadequate disaster prevention and mitigation strategies. Hence, there is an urgent need to assess Uganda’s resilience against seismic risks. This paper presents a Monte Carlo (MC) based probabilistic seismic hazard model for Uganda, as the first step towards the development of a seismic risk and resilience assessment framework for the country. In addition to fault segment data, earthquake catalogues are compiled for the period between 1900 and 2022 to estimate recurrence parameters for source zones in the area of interest. Area source zones incorporating focal mechanisms are used to stochastically model a national hazard framework for Uganda. A logic tree approach is applied to implement four attenuation models used to predict ground motion in both stable continental and active shallow crust geological formations. Considering geological conditions, mean hazard curves, uniform hazard spectra and disaggregation plots for major Ugandan cities are derived in addition to hazard maps for the country. The findings are largely consistent with previous regional studies and confirm that western Uganda is exposed to the highest level of seismicity. The model presented herein can be used to kick-start the update and continuous improvement of Uganda Seismic Design Code and the National Policy for Disaster Preparedness and Management.
Eco-friendly Carboxymethyl Cellulose Hydrogels with Nano-graphene Oxide Incorporated for Energy and Biomedical Applications
Authors: Rodrigues Jordane S. , Savino Rafael Parada , Santos Renata Tamires , Santos Alexia Rubia Guedes dos , Bernardes Micheli Souza , Madureira Jhonatan do Amparo , Borsagli Fernanda G. L. Medeiros
Published: February 2023

Nowadays, the search to develop sustainable materials using materials from renewable sources to multifunctional applications is a great challenge. In this context, the present research evaluated producing new carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels with nano-graphene oxide incorporated into potential applications in biomedical and energy areas. Spectroscopies analysis (FTIR, Raman, UV Vis), X-ray diffraction, and morphological (SEM, TEM, BET) were used to characterize these hydrogels. In addition, quantum dots based on cobalt sulfide were made to evaluate the energy application. Moreover, biocompatibility was tested using an MTT assay. The results showed that the nGO changes the structure of hydrogels and their crystalline structure, mainly because of heat treatment and the donation of hydroxyl groups by CMC. In addition, the chemical groups of hydrogels suffer red and blue shifts by the nGO presence. Moreover, the nGO was homogeneously spread into the hydrogel matrix. Furthermore, the MTT assay was performed to analyze the cytotoxicity of hydrogels with nGO (over 90%). In addition, the cell solar production using hydrogels and cobalt quantum dots (size of 3 nm) provided a potential application of these materials to renewable energy sources.
Three-dimensional analytical model for residual stress in the weld of thick plates by friction stir welding
Authors: Yu Haidong , Gao Chang , Yuan Ke , Chen Wei
Published: February 2023

The material flow in the welds is obvious different in the thickness direction for thick plates jointed by friction stir welding (FSW), which results in the non-uniform plastic strain and residual stress in the welds. The non-uniform residual stress in the weld is difficult to be predicted efficiently and accurately by using exist experimental and numerical methods. In this paper, an analytical method by using the material flow in the welding process is proposed to solve the non-uniform residual stress of thick plates. The streamline model for the material flow is established in terms of the relationship between stream function and velocity fields in the weld. The cumulative plastic strain is computed by integrating the strain rate along each streamline. The residual stress field is obtained based on characteristic strain theories. Experiments of FSW are conducted for thick plates of aluminum alloys 2024-T3. The residual stresses in the welded region are measured by both X-ray diffraction and the contour method and the accuracy of the analytical model is verified. The analytical and experimental results show that residual stresses present as an asymmetric distribution with a conventional “M” shape. The flow mechanism of material and residual stress in different regions of thick plates by FSW are revealed. The proposed model may be used for the prediction and analysis of the non-uniform distribution of residual stress in thick plates jointed by FSW.
Social Sustainability of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises: The Case of Makassar City, Indonesia
Authors: Ansar Muhammad Chaeroel , Tsusaka Takuji W. , Nitivattananon Vilas , Rusli Andi Muhammad
Published: February 2023

The social dimension of sustainability of urban MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) is understudied compared to the economic and environmental dimensions. This study assesses social sustainability of MSMEs in Makassar city, Indonesia and its relations with economic and environmental sustainability using primary data collected from 300 MSME owners and managers. Empirical analysis employs descriptive statistics and the regression method. Reasonably high levels of social sustainability of MSMEs were found in Makassar, and significant relation with economic and environmental sustainability was identified. In terms of social justice and equity (SJE), more than 80% of the respondents gave positive evaluation toward this dimension, while just under 10% gave negative perception. Likewise, the subdimensions of social capital (SCA) and social cohesion (SCO) received mostly positive responses (77% and 86%, respectively). The economic dimension was positively related with SJE and SCA and negatively related with SCO. In contrast, the environmental dimension had a negative relation with SJE and a positive relation with SCA. The findings suggest that devoting greater attention to social sustainability may lead to enhanced economic performance and improved environmental care. The study contributes to evidence of application of the social principle to economic development and environmental care practices.