bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydronidone induces apoptosis in activated hepatic stellate cells through endoplasmic reticulum stress‐associated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway
Authors: Sun Zhongshang , Guo Yuecheng , Xu Xianjun , Zhou Cui , Luo Xin , Shen Zhenyang , Shen Bo , Wang Junjun , Lu Jingyi , Zhang Qingqing , Shen Feifei , Yu Lou , Ye Yanping , Zhang Ling , Luo Ying , Qu Ying , Cai Xiaobo , Dong Hui , Lu Lungen
Published: May 2024

Background and Aim

Hydronidone (HDD) is a novel pirfenidone derivative developed initially to reduce hepatotoxicity. Our previous studies in animals and humans have demonstrated that HDD treatment effectively attenuates liver fibrosis, yet the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether HDD exerts its anti‐fibrotic effect by inducing apoptosis in activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs) through the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)‐associated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

Methods

The carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‐ and 3,5‐diethoxycarbonyl‐1,4‐dihydrocollidine (DDC)‐induced liver fibrosis models were used for in vivo studies. In vitro studies were conducted using the human hepatic stellate cell line LX‐2. The apoptotic effect of HDD on aHSCs was examined using TUNEL and flow cytometry assays. The small interfering RNA (siRNA) technique was employed to downregulate the expression of interest genes.

Results

HDD treatment significantly promoted apoptosis in aHSCs in both the CCl4‐ and DDC‐induced liver fibrosis in mice and LX‐2 cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that HDD triggered ERS and subsequently activated the IRE1α‐ASK1‐JNK pathway. Furthermore, the influx of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytoplasm was increased, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and ultimately triggering apoptosis in aHSCs. Notably, inhibition of IRE1α or ASK1 by siRNA partially abrogated the pro‐apoptotic effect of HDD in aHSCs.

Conclusions

The findings of both in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that HDD induces apoptosis in aHSCs via the ERS‐associated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, potentially contributing to the amelioration of liver fibrosis.
Phosphorylation of ZmAL14 by ZmSnRK2.2 regulates drought resistance through derepressing ZmROP8 expression
Authors: Wang Yalin , Cheng Jinkui , Guo Yazhen , Li Zhen , Yang Shuhua , Wang Yu , Gong Zhizhong
Published: May 2024

Drought stress has negative effects on crop growth and production. Characterization of transcription factors that regulate the expression of drought‐responsive genes is critical for understanding the transcriptional regulatory networks in response to drought, which facilitates the improvement of crop drought tolerance. Here, we identified an Alfin‐like (AL) family gene ZmAL14 that negatively regulates drought resistance. Overexpression of ZmAL14 exhibits susceptibility to drought while mutation of ZmAL14 enhances drought resistance. An abscisic acid (ABA)‐activated protein kinase ZmSnRK2.2 interacts and phosphorylates ZmAL14 at T38 residue. Knockout of ZmSnRK2.2 gene decreases drought resistance of maize. A dehydration‐induced Rho‐like small guanosine triphosphatase gene ZmROP8 is directly targeted and repressed by ZmAL14. Phosphorylation of ZmAL14 by ZmSnRK2.2 prevents its binding to the ZmROP8 promoter, thereby releasing the repression of ZmROP8 transcription. Overexpression of ZmROP8 stimulates peroxidase activity and reduces hydrogen peroxide accumulation after drought treatment. Collectively, our study indicates that ZmAL14 is a negative regulator of drought resistance, which can be phosphorylated by ZmSnRK2.2 through the ABA signaling pathway, thus preventing its suppression on ZmROP8 transcription during drought stress response.
Shrubs exhibit competitive interactions with herbaceous plants and shape community assemblage and functional composition in the alpine western Himalaya
Authors: Ram Bittu , Chawla Amit
Published: May 2024

Questions

In the alpine region of the Himalaya, shrubs play a vital role in maintaining the diversity and functional composition of associated herbaceous communities through competition–facilitation interactions under varying environmental stress conditions. In this study, we specified the following questions: (1) what is the mode of interaction between dominant shrubs and the associated herbaceous communities; (2) how do differences in resource availability between contrasting microhabitats mediate interactions between shrub and herbaceous communities; and (3) how do dominant shrubs influence the functional composition of herbaceous communities under the canopy as compared to ones in the open?

Study area

An alpine region of the western Himalaya, in India (32.24–33.15° N, 76.51–78.13° E).

Methods

Field studies were conducted to evaluate the canopy effects of alpine shrubs such as Caragana versicolor, Juniperus polycarpos and Rhododendron anthopogon on species richness, abundance and functional composition of coexisting herbaceous communities.

Results

The dominant alpine shrubs of the western Himalaya exert competitive interactions with associated herbaceous communities and have low species richness and abundance under their canopies compared to open habitats. Further, contrary to expectations, competitive interactions were more prominent at higher elevations than at lower ones, especially for J. polycarpos and C. versicolor. Although the shrub undercanopies possessed richer soil nutrient pools, this did not contribute toward the facilitation of herbaceous species under the canopies. Moreover, herbaceous species under the canopies were found to exhibit resource‐acquisitive functional strategies, whereas those in the open were resource‐conservative.

Conclusions

The interaction between dominant alpine shrubs and the herbaceous community of the western Himalaya is competitive in nature, which influences species and functional composition and reorganizes herbaceous community assembly. Moreover, under future climate change scenarios the dominance of these shrubs will favour those herbaceous species that possess more competitive and resource‐acquisitive functional strategies.
Social networking sites' licensing terms: A cause of worry for users?
Authors: Mahapatra Phalguni , Sircar Anindya
Published: May 2024

Terms of service (ToS) for social networking sites (SNS) like Instagram, Meta, X, and so on, is a clickwrap agreement that establishes a legal relationship between platform owners and users, yet probably it is the most overlooked legal agreement. The users of these sites often overlook the ToS while registering themselves on these sites and even if users (especially those with no legal background) are attempting to read them, it is difficult for them to understand because of the legal jargon. As a result, they end up signing away legal rights about which they are unaware. According to these sites' ToS, though the ownership of the user‐generated content is bestowed upon the user but the users grant to these sites “a non‐exclusive, royalty‐free, transferrable, sub‐licensable, worldwide license” and this license can be used “to host, use, distribute, modify, run, copy, publicly perform or display, translate and create derivative works of user's content.” These sites even bestow on themselves the right to modify the content which poses challenges to the right‐holders' moral rights. The fact that these platforms can sublicense the user's work creates complexities when a user intends to grant an exclusive license of his work. There is no clarity on the language of the terms like the manner of exploiting the user's content, what happens if the sublicensing is for a wrongful purpose? The problem magnifies as there is neither explicit indication about the duration of the license nor about the territorial extent. This would suggest that these sites can get a perpetual license on the content of the users. These SNS have consumers spread worldwide but in their ToS, they have forum selection clauses that list out the courts and districts in California. This means users will be discouraged to bring a copyright suit due to the lack of an option to file a claim in their home country. The US case Agence France Presse (AFP) v. Morel helps us conclude twofold mainly there is a hope that SNS will not take ToS to shield themselves from further use of the user's work and strengthen the idea that these platforms may choose to license to their partners. Further, in 2018, the Paris Tribunal declared most clauses of Twitter “null and void” due to the nature of the license and also, because it was not in compliance with French Intellectual Property Code. This gives a faint hope for a positive shift in the legal treatment of user‐generated content. Though these sites claim to retain the sublicensing right to run their sites smoothly but the licensing is very broad and carries the possibility of many usages of the content that too without paying compensation to the user. Therefore, this paper aims to highlight and give insight into the unfair licensing terms of the most often used social networking sites and its implications.
Sources and determinants of free sugars intake by 5‐year‐old Australian children in the SMILE cohort
Authors: Ivaturi Anupama , Do Loc Giang , Giles Lynne , Devenish Gemma , Scott Jane A. , Ha Diep H. , Golley Rebecca , Bell Lucy K. , Moynihan Paula J.
Published: May 2024

Reducing free sugars intake is important for the prevention of dental caries and obesity in children. The study aimed to determine the amount and sources of free sugars known to contribute to dental caries, and identify sociodemographic determinants of intake by children aged 5 years in Australia. Cross‐sectional analysis of dietary data from a cohort study, collected using a customized food frequency questionnaire were used to calculate free sugars intake as grams/day and percentage contribution to Estimated Energy Requirement (EER). The percent contribution of food sources to free sugars intake was derived. Sociodemographic determinants of achieving intakes within WHO thresholds (i.e., <5% and <10% Energy were explored with multinomial logistic regression. Complete data were available for 641 children (347 boys, 294 girls). Median (IQR) free sugars intake (g/day) was 31.6 (21.3–47.6) in boys and 28.1 (19.6–47.9) in girls. The median (IQR) percentage contribution to EER was 7.9 (5.4–12.7); 21% and 42% of children had intakes <5% EER and between 5% and <10%, respectively. The main sources of free sugars were: (1) Cakes, Biscuits and Cereal Bars; (2) Sweetened Milk Products (predominantly yoghurts) and (3) Desserts. Maternal university education, single‐parent household, and maternal place of birth being Australia or New Zealand were associated with free sugars intake <5% EER. In conclusion, less than a quarter of 5‐year‐old children in the SMILE cohort achieved the WHO recommendations to limit free sugars to <5% EER. Strategies to lower free sugars intake could target priority populations such migrants, populations with lower levels of education or health literacy and identify areas for intervention in the wider food environments that children are exposed to.
Maternal misperception of under‐five children weight status and associated factors: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Sarker Tanmoy , Ahmed Sabrina , Rahman Sakib , Chakraborty Barnali
Published: May 2024

Maternal perceptions, about the nutritional status of their children, may have implications for timely health care seeking and feeding behaviour. Shreds of evidence are limited in this area that assessed maternal perception about the nutritional status of the children in the context of Bangladesh. The objective of this study is to assess the differences in mothers' perceptions about their children's nutritional status who are less than 5 years of age and their associated factors in the context of urban slum areas. A cross‐sectional study (Quantitative approach) was conducted in two of the largest urban slums of Dhaka city. A total of 437 mother–children dyads were included in the final analysis. The outcome of interest was the mother's ‘varied perceptions’ regarding the nutritional status of their children under five. ‘Varied perception’ refers to the difference between a mother's subjective assessment of her child's nutritional condition and the anthropometrically measured nutritional status. The prevalence of mother's varied perceptions was around 46%, and among them, 37% of mothers underestimated and 9% overestimated their child's nutritional status. ‘The child doesn't want to eat’ (AOR = 3.69; 95% CI: 2.34–5.85; p < 0.001) and ‘Feels light when carried’ (AOR = 3.39; 95% CI: 1.69–6.81; p = 0.001) were the significant reasons behind the mother's perception about the nutritional status of their under‐five children. About one in two mothers' perceptions about their children varied from the anthropometry‐derived status. Various research findings indicate that providing health education on proper feeding practices for children, along with anthropometric measurements, can assist mothers in enhancing their understanding and assessing their child's nutritional status with greater accuracy. Further qualitative research may be instrumental in getting deeper insights into maternal perception to develop context‐specific interventions.
TheEKFCequation outperforms theCKD‐EPIandCKiDequations forGFRestimation in adolescent and young adult kidney transplant patients
Authors: Grosyeux Chloé , Alla Asma , Barbé Françoise , Dubourg Laurence Derain , Chardon Laurence , Guéant Jean‐Louis , Frimat Luc , Oussalah Abderrahim , Vrillon Isabelle
Published: May 2024

Aim

This study evaluated the bias and accuracy of the CKD‐EPI/CKiD and EKFC equations compared with the reference exogenous tracer‐based assessment of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in adult and pediatric patients according to their renal transplant status.

Methods

We assessed the bias andP30accuracy of the CKD‐EPI/CKiD and EKFC equations compared with iohexol‐based GFR measurement.

Results

In the overall population (n = 59), the median age was 29 years (IQR, 16.0–46.0) and the median measured GFR was 73.9 mL/min/1.73m2(IQR, 57.3–84.6). Among non‐kidney transplant patients, the median was 77.7 mL/min/1.73m2(IQR, 59.3–86.5), while among kidney transplant patients, it was 60.5 mL/min/1.73m2(IQR, 54.2–66.8). The bias associated with the EKFC and CKD‐EPI/CKiD equations was significantly higher among kidney transplant patients than among non‐kidney transplant patients, with a difference between medians (Hodges–Lehmann) of +10.4 mL/min/1.73m2(95% CI, 2.2–18.9;p = .02) for the EKFC and +12.1 mL/min/1.73m2(95% CI, 4.2–21.4;p = .006) for the CKD‐EPI/CKiD equations. In multivariable analysis, kidney transplant status emerged as an independent factor associated with a bias of >3.4 mL/min/1.73m2(odds ratio, 7.7; 95% CI, 1.4–43.3;p = .02) for the EKFC equation and a bias of >13.4 mL/min/1.73m2(odds ratio, 15.0; 95% CI, 2.6–85.7;p = .002) for the CKD‐EPI/CKiD equations.

Conclusion

In our study, which included adolescent and young adult kidney transplant patients, both the CKD‐EPI/CKiD and EKFC equations tended to overestimate the measured glomerular filtration rate, with the EKFC equation exhibiting less bias. Renal transplant status significantly influenced the degree of estimation bias.

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Lysine 2‐hydroxyisobutyrylation proteomics analyses reveal the regulatory mechanism of CaMYB61‐CaAFR1 module in regulating stem development in Capsicum annuum L.
Authors: Li Qing , Fu Canfang , Hu Bowen , Yang Bozhi , Yu Huiyang , He Huan , Xu Qing , Chen Xuejun , Dai Xiongze , Fang Rong , Xiong Xingyao , Zhou Kunhua , Yang Sha , Zou Xuexiao , Liu Zhoubin , Ou Lijun
Published: May 2024

Plant stems constitute the most abundant renewable resource on earth. The function of lysine (K)‐2‐hydroxyisobutyrylation (Khib), a novel post‐translational modification (PTM), has not yet been elucidated in plant stem development. Here, by assessing typical pepper genotypes with straight stem (SS) and prostrate stem (PS), we report the first large‐scale proteomics analysis for protein Khib to date. Khib‐modifications influenced central metabolic processes involved in stem development, such as glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and protein translation. The high Khib level regulated gene expression and protein accumulation associated with cell wall formation in the pepper stem. Specially, we found that CaMYB61 knockdown lines that exhibited prostrate stem phenotypes had high Khib levels. Most histone deacetylases (HDACs, e.g., switch‐independent 3 associated polypeptide function related 1, AFR1) potentially function as the “erasing enzymes” involved in reversing Khib level. CaMYB61 positively regulated CaAFR1 expression to erase Khib and promote cellulose and hemicellulose accumulation in the stem. Therefore, we propose a bidirectional regulation hypothesis of “Khib modifications” and “Khib erasing” in stem development, and reveal a novel epigenetic regulatory network in which the CaMYB61‐CaAFR1 molecular module participating in the regulation of Khib levels and biosynthesis of cellulose and hemicellulose for the first time.
Dermoid cysts formation is a complication of wound pinch grafting in a horse: A case report
Authors: Pressanto Maria Chiara , Bombonato Cecilia , Foote Alastair K. , Coomer Richard P. C.
Published: May 2024

Objectives

To describe dermoid cyst formation as an uncommon complication of the pinch grafting technique in horses.

Study design

Case report.

Animal

A 8 year old Arabian gelding.

Methods

Clinical presentation, imaging, treatment, and histopathology records were reviewed. The horse originally presented due to delayed healing of a laceration to the distal aspect of the metatarsus. The wound was treated initially with debridement and it was allowed to fill with healthy granulation tissue prior to pinch grafting. Two months after grafting, the horse started to show self‐mutilation behavior targeting the wound site. Ultrasonographic examination revealed the presence of cystic lesions in the subcutaneous tissue in the wound bed and adjacent to the long digital extensor tendon.

Results

Treatment involved surgical excision of the cysts, which resulted in a resolution of the self‐mutilation episodes. The specimens were submitted for histopathological investigation, which revealed findings compatible with dermoid cyst formation, suspected to be secondary to the skin‐grafting procedure.

Conclusion

Dermoid cysts formation should be considered as a potential differential diagnosis for skin graft complications in horses.
Topological endomorphism rings of tilting complexes
Authors: Hrbek Michal
Published: May 2024

In a compactly generated triangulated category, we introduce a class of tilting objects satisfying a certain purity condition. We call these the decent tilting objects and show that the tilting heart induced by any such object is equivalent to a category of contramodules over the endomorphism ring of the tilting object endowed with a natural linear topology. This extends the recent result for n‐tilting modules by Positselski and Št'ovíček. In the setting of the derived category of modules over a ring, we show that the decent tilting complexes are precisely the silting complexes such that their character dual is cotilting. The hearts of cotilting complexes of cofinite type turn out to be equivalent to the category of discrete modules with respect to the same topological ring. Finally, we provide a kind of Morita theory in this setting: Decent tilting complexes correspond to pairs consisting of a tilting and a cotilting‐derived equivalence as described above tied together by a tensor compatibility condition.
Velocity and Energy Consumption Prediction of Medium-Duty Electric Trucks Considering Road Features and Traffic Conditions
Authors: Ahn Hyunjin , Shen Heran , Zhou Xingyu , Kung Yung-Chi , Maweu John , Wang Junmin
Published: May 2024

Electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising solution to address environmental concerns, especially benefiting urban delivery and last-mile fleets due to their unique operational characteristics. Despite the potential advantages, the adoption of electric trucks (eTrucks) into delivery fleets has been slow, mainly due to the challenge posed by eTrucks' limited driving range. Consequently, a reliable method for predicting the eTrucks' energy consumption in fleet route planning is essential, and the accuracy of the velocity trajectory forecast forming the fundamental basis. This paper introduces a data-driven approach to predict the velocity and energy consumption of medium-duty (MD) eTrucks, considering various road features, payload, and traffic conditions. A gated recurrent unit (GRU) is trained using traffic-labeled characteristic features specific to each road segment within a delivery route. For every predefined route, the GRU generates the velocity profile by analyzing a sequence of traffic states predicted from the maximum entropy Markov model (MEMM). Corresponding eTruck energy consumption is estimated using an autonomie truck model. Real-world EV data are used to evaluate the proposed method, and the results demonstrate that the model effectively utilizes the information, achieving high accuracy in predicting both eTruck velocity and energy consumption.
Applying the therapeutic function of professional supervision: Attending to the emotional impacts of human service work
Authors: Napan Ksenija
Published: May 2024

Review of Applying the therapeutic function of professional supervision: Attending to the emotional impacts of human service work by Nicki Weld. Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, London and New York. 2023 ISBN 978-1-032-41637-3, pp.158, Hardback, NZD59.99
Paper-based versus digital-based learning among undergraduate medical, nursing and pharmaceutical students in Japan: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Yamada Masaaki , Sekine Michikazu , Tatsuse Takashi
Published: May 2024

Objective

Since the emergence of COVID-19, university education has drastically transformed into digital-based learning (DBL). Online education has been well recognised as a promising mode of teaching; however, only a limited number of studies have reported the students’ preferred format for academic learning.

Design

Cross-sectional.

Setting

The study was conducted in a university setting in Japan. A Google Forms online questionnaire was distributed to the participants between April and May 2022.

Participants

A total of 939 undergraduate medical, nursing and pharmaceutical students in the pre-clinical grade were recruited, and 344 were included in the final analysis.

Primary and secondary outcome

The questionnaire assessed students’ format preferences between paper-based learning (PBL) and DBL as it pertained to academic performance and eyestrain. In terms of academic performance, comprehension, memory retention and absorption (concentration) were assessed. We also explored the association between students’ daily time spent using DBL and their digital preference by the Cochran-Armitage trend test and logistic regression analysis.

Results

A total of 344 (191 medical, 73 nursing and 80 pharmaceutical) university students completed the questionnaire (response rate 36.6%). An even distribution was observed in the preferred learning format for comprehension: PBL (32.0%), both formats equivalent (32.8%) and DBL (35.2%; digital preference). Only few students preferred DBL for memory retention (6.1%), absorption (6.7%) and eyestrain (1.2%). Although a positive association was observed between daily time spent using DBL and digital preference for comprehension, there was no association for memory retention, absorption and eyestrain.

Conclusion

Among university students, DBL was just as preferred as PBL for comprehension; however, only a few students reported that DBL was better in terms of memory retention, absorption and eyestrain. A learning environment where students can study using PBL should be continued.
Internet-delivered cognitive–behaviour therapy for anxiety related to asthma: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Bonnert Marianne , Nash Stephen , Andersson Erik M , Bergström Sten Erik , Janson Christer , Almqvist Catarina
Published: May 2024

Introduction

There is an established association between asthma and anxiety. The overlap between asthma symptoms and symptoms of anxiety may cause individuals to overestimate their asthma severity and restrict their daily activities leading to a low quality of life. There is currently weak evidence for treatments targeting anxiety related to asthma, but cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) has shown some promising but mixed results. The current randomised controlled trial will investigate if exposure-based internet-delivered CBT (Internet-CBT) is more effective than treatment as usual+medical education (TAU+ME) to relieve symptoms of anxiety and asthma control.

Methods and analysis

90 participants will be randomised 1:1 to 8 weeks of Internet-CBT or TAU+ME. The primary outcome, the patient-reported Catastrophising Asthma Scale, will be analysed from baseline to the primary endpoint at 16 weeks using hierarchical linear mixed model of the slope over time. Secondary outcomes, such as asthma control, quality of life and forced expiratory volume in 1 s, will be analysed correspondingly.

Ethics and dissemination

All participants will be informed about the study and leave their consent before study entry. All results will be analysed at group level and reported through publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal within the field. The study received ethical approval by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority in January 2020 (ID: 2019-05985; 2022-01117-02).

Trial registration number

Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID:NCT04230369).
Visible light active ternary nanocomposite based on metal-heterojunction for photocatalysis application: A short review
Authors: Khorate Akshay , Furube Akihiro , Koinkar Pankaj
Published: May 2024

The component for photocatalyst is a developing field in energy production. Various photocatalysts can be synthesized using a variety of techniques. Numerous researchers have identified a wide range of photocatalysts. While ternary-based composite photocatalysts have received relatively little attention, plenty of reviews are available on photocatalysts. We provide a short summary of the most recent and a variety of ternary-based composite photocatalysts here. We discuss gold (Au)-based, silver (Ag) based, zinc oxide (ZnO) based, and other ternary-based composites in this paper. This quick summary will help future demonstrations of increased deterioration efficiency. This will provide insight for future research on ternary-based composite photocatalysts.
Symmetry-resolved measures in quantum field theory: A short review
Authors: Castro-Alvaredo Olalla A. , Santamaría-Sanz Lucía
Published: May 2024

In this short review, we present the key definitions, ideas and techniques involved in the study of symmetry resolved entanglement measures, with a focus on the symmetry resolved entanglement entropy. In order to be able to define such entanglement measures, it is essential that the theory under study possess an internal symmetry. Then, symmetry-resolved entanglement measures quantify the contribution to a particular entanglement measure that can be associated to a chosen symmetry sector. Our review focuses on conformal (gapless/massless/critical) and integrable (gapped/massive) quantum field theories, where the leading computational technique employs symmetry fields known as (composite) branch point twist fields.
Characterization of lead dioxide composite electrode and its electrochemical properties
Authors: Bi Hailian , Cao Peng
Published: May 2024

TiO2 nanoparticles, as a typical inert metal oxide, were added into [Formula: see text] plating solutions to prepare Ti/PbO2+nano-TiO2 composite coatings. The effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on the electrodeposition process of PbO2 was investigated by voltammetric studies. The composition, structure and morphology of the obtained composite coatings were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Cyclic voltammetry was employed to study the effect of nano-TiO2 particles on the PbO2 electrodeposition process. It is found that high doping (2–8 g/L) of TiO2 nanoparticles significantly decreased the crystallite size which can be attributed to a crystallite-refining effect of nano-TiO2 during the electrodeposition of PbO2.
Semisymmetric Graphs of Order 2 p3 with Valency p2
Authors: Wang Li , Guo Songtao
Published: May 2024

A simple undirected regular graph is said to be semisymmetric if it is edge-transitive but not vertex-transitive. For a semisymmetric graph [Formula: see text] of order [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] a prime, it is well known that [Formula: see text] is bipartite with two biparts having equal size. The complete classification of such graphs has been given for the full automorphism group [Formula: see text] acting unfaithfully on at least one bipart of [Formula: see text], which shows that there is only one infinite family of such graphs with valency [Formula: see text]. The graphs of this kind have been determined when [Formula: see text] acts faithfully and primitively on at least one bipart of [Formula: see text], and thus there is only one remaining case for classifying such graphs of valency [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] acting faithfully and imprimitively on both biparts of [Formula: see text], which is dealt with in this paper. As a result, there is only one infinite family of semisymmetric graphs of order [Formula: see text] with valency [Formula: see text].
Multi-Traffic Resource Optimization for Real-Time Applications with 5G Configured Grant Scheduling
Authors: Pan Yungang , Mahfouzi Rouhollah , Samii Soheil , Eles Petru , Peng Zebo
Published: May 2024

The fifth-generation (5G) technology standard in telecommunications is expected to support ultra-reliable low latency communication to enable real-time applications such as industrial automation and control. 5G configured grant (CG) scheduling features a pre-allocated periodicity-based scheduling approach, which reduces control signaling time and guarantees service quality. Although this enables 5G to support hard real-time periodic traffics, synthesizing the schedule efficiently and achieving high resource efficiency, while serving multiple communications, are still an open problem. In this work, we study the trade-off between scheduling flexibility and control overhead when performing CG scheduling. To address the CG scheduling problem, we first formulate it using satisfiability modulo theories (SMT) so that an SMT solver can be used to generate optimal solutions. To enhance scalability, we propose two heuristic approaches. The first one as the baseline, Co1, follows the basic idea of the 5G CG scheduling scheme that minimizes the control overhead. The second one, CoU, enables increased scheduling flexibility while considering the involved control overhead. The effectiveness and scalability of the proposed techniques and the superiority of CoU compared to Co1 have been evaluated using a large number of generated benchmarks as well as a realistic case study for industrial automation.
Self-Supervised Machine Learning Framework for Online Container Security Attack Detection
Authors: Tunde-Onadele Olufogorehan , Lin Yuhang , Gu Xiaohui , He Jingzhu , Latapie Hugo
Published: May 2024

Container security has received much research attention recently. Previous work has proposed to apply various machine learning techniques to detect security attacks in containerized applications. On one hand, supervised machine learning schemes require sufficient labeled training data to achieve good attack detection accuracy. On the other hand, unsupervised machine learning methods are more practical by avoiding training data labeling requirements, but they often suffer from high false alarm rates. In this article, we present a generic self-supervised hybrid learning (SHIL) framework for achieving efficient online security attack detection in containerized systems. SHIL can effectively combine both unsupervised and supervised learning algorithms but does not require any manual data labeling. We have implemented a prototype of SHIL and conducted experiments over 46 real-world security attacks in 29 commonly used server applications. Our experimental results show that SHIL can reduce false alarms by 33%–93% compared to existing supervised, unsupervised, or semi-supervised machine learning schemes while achieving a higher or similar detection rate.
Case 329
Authors: Shetty Anup S. , Tsai Richard
Published: May 2024

History

A 45-year-old female patient who was previously healthy presented after several weeks of fullness in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. The patient did not experience pain, nausea, vomiting, or jaundice, and had no contributory past medical or surgical history, including no history of malignancy. Upon examination, vital signs were within normal limits and the patient was appeared well with soft palpable fullness in the right upper quadrant. The abdomen was nontender and nondistended. Laboratory investigation revealed no abnormalities, with a normal complete blood cell count and normal serum tumor markers that included α-fetoprotein (<2.0 ng/mL; reference, <8.3 ng/mL), cancer antigen 19–9 (21.6 U/mL; reference, <35 U/mL), and carcinoembryonic antigen (1.3 ng/mL; reference, <5 ng/mL). CT of the abdomen and pelvis was performed with intravenous contrast material in the emergency department ( Fig 1 ). Subsequently, combined MRI and MR cholangiopancreatography of the abdomen was performed with and without intravenous contrast material for further evaluation ( Fig 2 ). CT of the chest performed during the same encounter was unremarkable.
Microwave-Assisted “One-Pot” Acidolysis and Extraction for the Rapid Determination of Mancozeb in Fruit and Vegetable Samples
Authors: Tian Qiaoxia , Li Hongxing , Chen Lixia , Han Bingjun
Published: May 2024

Mancozeb is an extensively consumed fungicide, which often leaves high residue levels on agricultural products. The conventional method for detecting mancozeb involves a time-consuming process using gas chromatography (GC) after a 2-hour water-bath acidolysis, resulting in low efficiency and recovery rates. This study developed a rapid method for detecting mancozeb in fruits and vegetables using microwave-assisted acidolysis and extraction coupled with GC analysis. Mancozeb underwent “one-pot” acidolysis to generate CS2 gas and was subsequently extracted from samples using microwave treatment, requiring only 50 seconds of pretreatment time. The average recoveries of mancozeb ranged from 81% to 112%. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.003 and 0.01 mg kg−1, respectively. The scanning electron microscope imaging showed that strong cell crumpling after microwave treatment improved the acidolysis rate significantly, where the acidolysis rate was 91.8% for mancozeb. In addition, this method is rapid, simple, and precise for detecting residues of mancozeb and other dithiocarbamate fungicides.
The Potency of Maillard Conjugates Containing Whey Protein as Natural Emulsifier
Authors: Agustinisari Iceu , Mulia Kamarza , Harimurti Niken , Nasikin Mohammad , Rienoviar  , Herawati Heny , Manalu Lamhot Parulian
Published: May 2024

There is a continued need for the advancement of natural emulsifiers to replace synthetic emulsifiers, driven by human health concerns. This study is aimed at producing protein-polysaccharide conjugates through the Maillard reaction and at evaluating its ability as an emulsifier based on its emulsifying properties. The proteins used in this study were bovine milk whey protein and soy protein isolates, while the polysaccharides were maltodextrin and pectin. The protein-polysaccharide conjugation used a Maillard reaction under dry heating conditions. The protein and polysaccharide mass ratios were 1 : 2 and 1 : 3. The results showed that the types of proteins and polysaccharides and their mass affect the surface tension of the conjugate products. Whey protein-pectin conjugates with a mass ratio of 1 : 2 and a concentration of 1% had the lowest surface tension at 43.77 dyne/cm2. This conjugate sample also showed the highest emulsifying index at 27.20 m2/g. The conjugate powder containing pectin as a polysaccharide showed better emulsifying activity than that of those containing maltodextrin. However, the smallest droplet size of the emulsion (256.5 nm) resulted from the emulsification process using whey protein-maltodextrin conjugates as an emulsifier. The FTIR and gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis confirmed the conjugation formation. In general, protein-polysaccharide conjugates containing whey protein could potentially act as a natural emulsifier for food.
Assessing the Effects of Interchange Warning Systems on Driving Risk: A Driving Simulator Study
Authors: Li Jingyang , Guo Fengxiang , Li Wei , Xiao Tianxiang , Hu Chengyu
Published: May 2024

To investigate the effects of proactive safety control systems suitable for highway interchanges and improve road traffic safety. Simulated driving experiments were conducted to test the effects of the interchange warning system (IWS) on the ramp, merging section, diverging section, and accident section. Random forest (RF) and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) are used to analyze the effects between driving behavior and driving risk change in both situations without and with IWS. The results show that (1) as driving risk increases, drivers tend to increase the frequency of braking and engage in more comprehensive saccade behaviors. Concurrently, there is an increase in acceleration and speed variation, leading to a gradual decrease in speed. (2) Compared with the SVR and XGBoost, RF can better fit the nonlinear relationship between driving risk and driver behavior characteristics with the application of IWS. (3) The IWS mainly reduces driving risk by affecting operation behavior. When the mean speed, speed standard deviation (SD), acceleration SD, and maximum braking depth are at 40 to 70 km/h, 3 to 10 km/h, 0 to 0.6 m/s2, and 14 to 16, respectively, there is a significant reduction in driving risk. The application of the IWS expands the effective range of mean speed and speed SD for reducing driving risk to 40 to 100 km/h and 3 to 15 km/h, respectively.
The Short‐Term and Long‐Term Outcomes of Laparoscopy‐Assisted Proximal Gastrectomy with Double‐Tract Reconstruction versus Laparoscopy‐Assisted Total Gastrectomy with Roux‐en‐Y Reconstruction for Adenocarcinoma of the Esophagogastric Junction: A Multicenter Study Based on Propensity Score Matching Analysis
Authors: Xu Zhiwen , Lin Wei , Yan Su , Chen Shaoqin , Chen Jinping , Hong Qingqi , Lin Hexin , Xiao Liangbin , Zhu Jingtao , Bai Haoyu , Yu Xuejun , You Jun
Published: May 2024

Purpose. To compare the antireflux effect, long‐term nutritional levels, and quality of life (QoL) between laparoscopy‐assisted proximal gastrectomy with double‐tract reconstruction (LPG‐DTR) and laparoscopy‐assisted total gastrectomy with Roux‐en‐Y reconstruction (LTG‐RY) for adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG). Methods. This multicenter retrospective cohort study collected clinicopathological and follow‐up data of AEG patients from January 2016 to January 2021 at five high‐volume surgery centers. The study included patients who underwent digestive tract reconstruction with LPG‐DTR or LTG‐RY after tumor resection. Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized to minimize confounding factors. The comparison after PSM included postoperative complications, reflux esophagitis, long‐term nutritional levels, and QoL. Results. A total of 151 consecutive patients underwent either LPG‐DTR or LTG‐RY. After PSM, 50 patients from each group were included in the analysis. The frequency of reflux esophagitis and Clavien–Dindo classification did not significantly differ between the two groups (P > 0.05). At 1 year after surgery, the LPG‐DTR group showed significantly higher weight and hemoglobin levels than the LTG‐RY group (P < 0.05). The overall postoperative Visick grade differed significantly between the groups (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the proportion of patients with Visick≥III (P > 0.05). Conclusion. Both LPG‐DTR and LTG‐RY are safe and feasible methods for digestive tract reconstruction in patients with AEG. Both methods have similar antireflux effects and postoperative QoL. However, LPG‐DTR resulted in superior nutritional levels compared to LTG‐RY. Therefore, LPG‐DTR is considered a relatively effective method for digestive tract reconstruction in AEG patients.
Mapping Longitudinal and Transverse Displacements of a Dam Crest Based on the Synergy of High‐Precision Remote Sensing
Authors: Yépez-Rincón Fabiola D. , Ferriño Fierro Adrián L. , Escobedo Tamez Andrea N. , Guerra Cobián Víctor H. , Pinedo Sandoval Olmo E. , Chávez Gómez Jorge H. , Alatorre Cejudo Luis C. , Pirasteh Saied
Published: May 2024

Reservoirs are highly relevant infrastructure assets, and now, more than ever, they play an essential role in society’s welfare and national security. Their importance is related to regional socioeconomic development due to their capacity to store water for different uses, such as human consumption, agricultural irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric energy production, among other important services. However, many reservoirs are reaching the end of their period of life, and others are showing undesired displacements and cracking. Four 3D surveys were conducted on a reservoir that serves the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey City in Mexico. These surveys were carried out over a period of 5 years using GNSS observation to assist in understanding the actual dam kinematics, i.e., the behavior of its longitudinal and transversal displacements and the possible correlation with the reservoir level. The high‐precision leveling and close‐range remote sensing data were assessed and then mapped. The high‐precision geodetic and leveling techniques allowed us to locate and measure 84 established permanent control points with errors of about ± 0.003 m. The mapping of displacements was made possible by modeling the positive and negative translations. The highest uplifts (11 mm) occurred at the left riverbank, and the highest subsidences (−5 mm) occurred along the downstream piers from the middle of the dam crest to the right riverbank. A ground laser scanner (GLS) produced 3D digital models with geometrical and radiometric characteristics, detecting displacements among the dam crest elements. The synergy of GNSS and high‐leveling techniques allows the possibility to measure displacements, while the use of geographical information system (GIS) and geomatic techniques allows a better visualization through 2D and 3D maps validated using traditional topographical methods.
Survival, Growth, and Food Resources of Juvenile Sea Cucumbers Holothuria forskali (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) in Co‐Culture with Shellfish in Brittany (France)
Authors: David Frank , Raymond Grégory , Grys Julien , Ameziane Nadia , Sadoul Bastien
Published: May 2024

We conducted experiments with various growing conditions, both at sea and indoors, to explore the growth potential of Holothuria (Panningothuria) forskali Delle Chiaje, 1823 juveniles. Sea trials involved co‐culture with European abalones (EA) or placement underneath European flat oysters (EO) or Pacific oysters (PO), using juveniles of 6–8 g initial weight. In sea‐based conditions around summer (Apr–Sep), sea cucumbers grew best in EO at 0.94% d−1, followed by EA (0.88% d−1), both being in deep water (8–12 m), while sea cucumbers in the foreshore of a mega‐tidal environment (PO) had the lowest growth (0.24% d−1). The indoor trial (IM) was performed with smaller individuals (≈0.3 g) and yielded a remarkable growth of 2.76% d−1 during summer (May–Sep). All experiments resulted in high survival rates, exceeding 80%. Additionally, we analysed fatty acid, amino acid, and stable isotope compositions of sea cucumbers’ body walls, along with the pigment composition of their stomach contents. These analyses provided evidence that juveniles had distinct diets in each rearing condition, all differing from the diet of adults found in the wild. Our results also demonstrate that sea cucumbers do not compete for food resources in the shellfish production, which is crucial for their integration into multi‐trophic aquaculture systems. However, whether sea cucumbers may have benefitted from the organic matter from shellfish faeces and pseudofaeces and/or grew on the biofilm growing on the cage walls remains to be elucidated.
Deform 3D Simulation and Experimental Study in Machining of AISI 1020 Mild Steel
Authors: Hussain Aqib , Sharif Aamer , Siddiqi Muftooh Ur Rehman , Hussain Ghulam , Getachew Melkamu Tadesse , Muhammad Riaz
Published: May 2024

The drilling process plays a crucial role in the assembly process of modern‐day manufactories. One of the major causes of component rejection during drilling operations is the incorrect selection of spindle speed and feed rate. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of process factors such as spindle speed and feed rate on torque, thrust force, temperature surface roughness, and chip formation during the drilling of AISI 1020 mild steel. A combination of finite element modeling and experimental investigation was employed to achieve the process. Specifically, the commercially available finite element software, Deform 3D, was used for simulation. The modeling results were then compared and validated with the experimental data. A high‐speed steel drill bit was utilized during the modeling and experimentation. The spindle speed was varied at 330, 410, and 510 rpm, while the feed rates were set at 0.12, 0.2, and 0.3 mm/rev. The study’s findings suggest that the spindle speed has an inverse relationship with thrust force, torque, and surface roughness, whereas it has a direct relationship with temperature. Conversely, the feed rate directly correlates with thrust force, torque, temperature, and surface roughness. Additionally, an analysis of the chips produced during the experiments revealed the impact of the cutting conditions on chip formation. The study results showed a 2–10% discrepancy between the experimental and simulation data. The ANOVA results indicated that the feed rate contributes the most to thrust force and torque, with a percentage contribution of 61.73% and 59.87%, respectively, followed by spindle speed, with a percentage contribution of 37.09% and 38.89%, respectively. Furthermore, temperature influences spindle speed the most, followed by feed rate, with percentage contributions of 67.75% and 31.11%, respectively. Moreover, the feed rate’s percentage contribution to surface roughness is higher than the spindle speed, with a contribution of 66.20% and 32.18%, respectively.