bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acoustic characteristics of voice production in virtual reality-simulated and physical environments: a comparative study in university professors
Authors: Rodríguez Daniel , Borrego Adrián , Guzmán Marco , Llorens Roberto
Published: March 2024

This study investigated the reliability of a virtual reality-simulated classroom to generate a comparable self-perception of voice quality and acoustic effects of phonation to a real classroom in a group of teachers, and sense of presence. Thirty university professors participated in the study and were required to produce loud connected speech by reading a 100-word text in two conditions: (1) in a real classroom including a group of students, and (2) in a virtual replica of the classroom consisting of a 360-degree video of the same classroom and students, which was displayed using a head mounted display. Ambient noise was controlled in both conditions by playing classroom noise through headphones. The self-perception of voice quality, the long-term average spectrum and smooth cepstral peak prominence were estimated in both conditions. The sense of presence generated by virtual reality was measured after interacting with the virtual classroom. There were no statistically significant differences in the self-perception of voice quality or in the acoustic measures of voice production between conditions. The sense of presence in the virtual classroom was high. Our findings suggest that a virtual reality-simulated classroom generate comparable self-perception of voice quality and acoustic effects of phonation to the real classroom, and a high sense of presence, in a group of teachers. Additionally, it is important to highlight the potential of virtual reality to enhance the ecological validity of acoustic assessment of voice production in laboratories and clinical settings.
Metabolic profiling of smoking, associations with type 2 diabetes and interaction with genetic susceptibility
Authors: Wei Yuxia , Hägg Sara , Mak Jonathan K. L. , Tuomi Tiinamaija , Zhan Yiqiang , Carlsson Sofia
Published: March 2024

Background

Smokers are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We investigated if the smoking-T2D association is mediated by alterations in the metabolome and assessed potential interaction with genetic susceptibility to diabetes or insulin resistance.

Methods

In UK Biobank (n = 93,722), cross-sectional analyses identified 208 metabolites associated with smoking, of which 131 were confirmed in Mendelian Randomization analyses, including glycoprotein acetyls, fatty acids, and lipids. Elastic net regression was applied to create a smoking-related metabolic signature. We estimated hazard ratios (HR) of incident T2D in relation to baseline smoking/metabolic signature and calculated the proportion of the smoking-T2D association mediated by the signature. Additive interaction between the signature and genetic risk scores for T2D (GRS-T2D) and insulin resistance (GRS-IR) on incidence of T2D was assessed as relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI).

Findings

The HR of T2D was 1·73 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1·54 − 1·94) for current versus never smoking, and 38·3% of the excess risk was mediated by the metabolic signature. The metabolic signature and its mediation role were replicated in TwinGene. The metabolic signature was associated with T2D (HR: 1·61, CI 1·46 − 1·77 for values above vs. below median), with evidence of interaction with GRS-T2D (RERI: 0·81, CI: 0·23 − 1·38) and GRS-IR (RERI 0·47, CI: 0·02 − 0·92).

Interpretation

The increased risk of T2D in smokers may be mediated through effects on the metabolome, and the influence of such metabolic alterations on diabetes risk may be amplified in individuals with genetic susceptibility to T2D or insulin resistance.
Is sustainable energy consumption, technological advancement and urbanization fast addressing south Asia’s green energy expansion deficits?
Authors: Gyamfi Bright Akwasi , Adebayo Tomiwa Sunday , Agozie Divine Q. , Bekun Festus Victor , Koy Ayben
Published: March 2024

The United Nation’s sustainable development goals (UN-SDGs) like accessibility to renewable energies (SDG-7), sustainable production and consumption (SDG-12), as well as stable economic growth all centre on the notion of human development (HDI) and reflected in (SDG-8). In line with this motivation, this study explores the environmental sustainability targets for a panel of South Asian economies that are disproportionately affected by a huge energy deficit i.e., energy poverty, and technological immobility. This study considers evidence from south Asian nations to provide the role of certain indicators of human development in the wake of economic development and environmental quality objectives by unraveling the complex relationships between per capita income, access to technological innovation, access to clean energy, and urbanization. Employing a balanced panel econometric model, this study investigate the hypothesized nexus between specific macro-economic variables among South Asian economies. The empirical evidence indicates that the human development index (HDI), per capita income, accessibility to clean energy, technological innovation, as well as urbanization all exhibits a long-run equilibrium relationship over the study period. However, income per capita, accessibility to clean energy and technological innovation all exert a positive impact on HDI for the selected countries, while urbanization shows a negative impact on HDI. Furthermore, causality relationship shows a feedback causality relationship between income per capita, access to clean energy and urbanization with the human development variable, while access to technological innovation has a one-way causality with the HDI. This current study importantly extends the extant knowledge, by presenting new insights into the interaction between human development and its antecedents from a whole new contextual perspective. These outcomes will assist policymakers and stakeholders to obtain new insights into the crucial role of clean energy accessibility, technological innovation, income per capita, and urbanization on HDI processes among South Asian countries.
Selecting intervals to optimize the design of observational studies subject to fine balance constraints
Authors: Levin Asaf
Published: March 2024

Motivated by designing observational studies using matching methods subject to fine balance constraints, we introduce a new optimization problem. This problem consists of two phases. In the first phase, the goal is to cluster the values of a continuous covariate into a limited number of intervals. In the second phase, we find the optimal matching subject to fine balance constraints with respect to the new covariate we obtained in the first phase. We show that the resulting optimization problem is NP-hard. However, it admits an FPT algorithm with respect to a natural parameter. This FPT algorithm also translates into a polynomial time algorithm for the most natural special cases of the problem.
Partisanship in a Pandemic: Biased Voter Assessments of Past and Present Government Performance
Authors: Snow Dan , Evans Geoffrey
Published: March 2024

Accountability relies on voters accurately evaluating government performance in addressing the important issues of the day. This requirement arguably applies to an even greater extent when addressing fundamental societal crises. However, partisanship can bias evaluations, with government partisans perceiving outcomes more favorably, or attributing less responsibility for bad outcomes. We examine partisan motivated reasoning in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, using panel data and a survey experiment of over 6000 respondents in which vignettes prime respondents about the UK government’s successes and failures in tackling the pandemic. We also propose a novel extension of the partisan bias thesis: partisans arrive at biased judgements of government competence by recalling the past performance of the government differently, according to whether or not their favored party held power at that time. We find that even in the relatively consensual partisan context of the UK’s response to Covid-19, where both major parties endorsed both lockdown and vaccination programs, there is evidence of both current and recall partisan biases: Opposition partisans are more likely to blame the government for negative outcomes and less likely to recall positive aspects of the government’s recent and past performance unless prompted to do so. Our findings have implications for understanding the limits of democratic accountability under crisis conditions.
The diversification benefits of cryptocurrency factor portfolios: Are they there?
Authors: Han Weihao , Newton David , Platanakis Emmanouil , Wu Haoran , Xiao Libo
Published: March 2024

We investigate the out-of-sample diversification benefits of cryptocurrencies from a generalised perspective, a cryptocurrency-factor level, with traditional and machine-learning-enhanced asset allocation strategies. The cryptocurrency factor portfolios are formed in an analogous way to equity anomalies by using more than 2000 cryptocurrencies. The findings indicate that a stock–bond portfolio incorporating size- and momentum-based cryptocurrency factors can achieve statistically significant out-of-sample diversification benefits for investors with different risk preferences. Additionally, machine-learning-enhanced asset allocation strategies can boost the traditional approaches by enriching (shrinking) the distributions of weights allocated to potentially effective cryptocurrency factors. Our findings are robust to (i) the inclusion of transaction costs, (ii) an alternative benchmark portfolio, and (iii) a rolling-window estimation scheme.
Extending oscars-ii to generally constrained global optimization
Authors: Price C. J. , Robertson B. L. , Reale M.
Published: March 2024

A derivative free method for generally constrained global optimization is described. A non-smooth merit function with one parameter is used. When this parameter equals the optimal objective function value

$$f^*$$

f
∗

, the merit function becomes an exact penalty function. The method estimates

$$f^*$$

f
∗

, avoiding the need for it to be supplied. The method randomly samples the region satisfying the simple bounds from time to time, ensuring convergence almost surely. Other samples are drawn randomly from smaller regions considered promising. Numerical testing is done using a variety of bound constrained problems and generally constrained problems from the G-suite and elsewhere. Results show the method is competitive in practice. They also show that the method performs better when it estimates the optimal objective function value than when the actual value is used.
The Effect of Location, Time, and Environmental Conditions on Fish Use of Southern Temperate Saltmarshes
Authors: Harrison-Day Violet , Kirkpatrick Jamie B. , Prahalad Vishnu , McHenry Melinda T. , Aalders John
Published: March 2024

Fish use of saltmarsh varies spatially, temporally, and with environmental conditions. The specific impact of these effects on fish assemblages in southern temperate Tasmania, Australia—the only mangrove-free Australian state—is as yet largely unknown. Seasonal variation in fish abundance, richness, diversity, and size was investigated in succulent saltmarshes in three estuaries (Marion Bay, Barilla Bay, and Ralphs Bay) in south-eastern Tasmania. All parameters varied between sampling locations. Greater numbers of fish were recorded at two sites (Marion Bay, mean density and standard error of 396.9 ± 71.3 individuals per 100 m2; Barilla Bay, mean density and standard error of 94.1 ± 30.1 individuals per 100 m2) than have been previously reported in Australian saltmarshes. Fish abundance was greatest in July–August (mean density and standard error of 200.2 ± 49.7 individuals per 100 m2) reflecting the breeding patterns of the numerically dominant Atherinosoma microstoma. Both abundance and species richness responded positively to water temperature in ordinal logistic regression models, and species richness and diversity increased with water depth in the models. It is likely that the strong differences between sampling locations are partly related to differences in water depth and water temperature between the estuaries. They may be also related to the habitat context of each estuary, especially the presence or absence of seagrass. The greater numbers of fish found in the present study relative to abundances reported in mainland Australia may relate to the absence of mangroves and the consequent differences in seascape habitat context, including greater water depths in marshes. Importantly, these results demonstrate that temperate southern hemisphere saltmarshes are year-round habitat for fish, thus emphasising their importance as a fish habitat.
Quantification and Potential Viability of Human Noroviruses in Final Effluent from Wastewater Treatment Works in Pretoria, South Africa
Authors: Mabasa V. V. , van Zyl W. B. , Taylor M. B. , Mans J.
Published: March 2024

Growing global concerns over water scarcity, worsened by climate change, drive wastewater reclamation efforts. Inadequately treated wastewater presents significant public health risks. Previous studies in South Africa (SA) have reported high norovirus levels in final effluent and sewage-polluted surface water, indicating pathogen removal inefficiency. However, the viability of these virions was not explored. This study assessed human norovirus viability in final effluent from wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) in Pretoria, SA. Between June 2018 and August 2020, 200 samples were collected from two WWTWs, including raw sewage and final effluent. Norovirus concentrations were determined using in-house RNA standards. Viability of noroviruses in final effluent was assessed using viability RT-qPCR (vPCR) with PMAxx™-Triton X-100. There was no significant difference in GI concentrations between raw sewage (p = 0.5663) and final effluent (p = 0.4035) samples at WWTW1 and WWTW2. WWTW1 had significantly higher GII concentrations in raw sewage (p < 0.001) compared to WWTW2. No clear seasonal pattern was observed in norovirus concentrations. At WWTW1, 50% (7/14) of GI- and 64.9% (24/37) of GII-positive final effluent samples had no quantifiable RNA after vPCR. At WWTW2, the majority (92.6%, 25/27) of GII-positive final effluent samples showed a 100% RNA reduction post vPCR. PMAxx™-Triton X-100 vPCR provides a more accurate reflection of discharge of potentially viable noroviruses in the environment than standard RT-qPCR. Despite significant reductions in potentially viable noroviruses after wastewater treatment, the levels of potentially viable viruses in final effluent are still of concern due to the high initial load and low infectious dose of noroviruses.
Heterogeneous expression of ARID1A in colorectal cancer indicates distinguish immune landscape and efficacy of immunotherapy
Authors: Guan Xin , Cui Luying , Ruan Yuli , Fang Lin , Dang Tianjiao , Zhang Yanqiao , Liu Chao
Published: March 2024

Objective

AT-rich interaction domain 1A (ARID1A) mutant tumors show active anti-tumor immune response, which is the potential indication of immunotherapy. However, the relationship between the heterogeneous ARID1A expression and the immune response and immunotherapy efficacy in colorectal cancer (CRC) is still unclear.

Methods

We collected 1113 cases of patients with stage I-IV CRC who underwent primary resection at Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital. ARID1A expression in CRC tissues was assessed via immunohistochemistry (IHC). CD8, CD163 and FOXP3 were stained by IHC to identify the immune landscape. Clinicopathological features of patients were compared using statistical tests like the Wilcoxon-Mann–Whitney test or χ2 tests. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis with log-rank tests were employed.

Results

Heterogeneous ARID1A expression was categorized into integrity expression, complete expression deficiency (cd-ARID1A), partial expression deficiency (pd-ARID1A), and clonal expression deficiency (cld-ARID1A). ARID1A-deficient expression was significant association with dMMR (P value < 0.001). Patients with ARID1A deficiency, compared to ARID1A-proficient patients, exhibited increased infiltration levels of CD8 + P value < 0.0001), CD163 + P value < 0.001), and FOXP3 + P value < 0.001).cells within the tumor tissue. However, in different subgroups, only samples with complete or partial deficiency of ARID1A showed a higher abundance of lymphocyte infiltration. In patients with ARID1A-clonal expression deficiency tumor, the infiltration patterns of three immune cell types were comparable to those in ARID1A-proficient patients. Heterogeneous ARID1A expression is related to the different prognosis and immunotherapythe efficacy in CRC patients.

Conclusion

Heterogeneous ARID1A expression is accompanied by a different immune landscape. CRC patients with ARID1A-clonal expression deficiency do not benefit from the treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).
Positron emission tomography: its 65 years and beyond
Authors: Belcari N. , Bisogni M. G. , Del Guerra A.
Published: March 2024

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a well-established imaging technique for “in-vivo” molecular imaging. In this review, after a brief history of PET, its physical principles and the technology developed for bringing PET from a bench experiment to a clinically indispensable instrument are presented. The limitations and performance of the PET tomographs are discussed, both for the hardware and software aspects. The status of the art of clinical, pre-clinical and hybrid scanners (i.e., PET/CT and PET/MR) is reported. Finally, the actual trend and the recent and future technological developments are illustrated. The current version of this paper is the second edition of the original version published in 2016 (Rivista del Nuovo Cimento, Vol 39(4) 2016, pp. 156–213). The authors decided to keep the same structure of the paper, operating corrections of some typos, and adjustments. However, we added a description of the most recent PET developments that took place in the last 10 years completed with the addition of the most relevant references. These topics are now described in detail and cover the last two chapters of the paper.
Theoretical analysis and engineering application of controllable shock wave technology for enhancing coalbed methane in soft and low-permeability coal seams
Authors: Qiao Guodong , Liu Zegong , Zhang Yongmin , Yi Changping , Gao Kui , Fu Shigui , Zhao Youzhi
Published: March 2024

Coalbed methane (CBM) is a significant factor in triggering coal and gas outburst disaster, while also serving as a clean fuel. With the increasing depth of mining operations, coal seams that exhibit high levels of gas content and low permeability have become increasingly prevalent. While controllable shockwave (CSW) technology has proven effective in enhancing CBM in laboratory settings, there is a lack of reports on its field applications in soft and low-permeability coal seams. This study establishes the governing equations for stress waves induced by CSW. Laplace numerical inversion was employed to analyse the dynamic response of the coal seam during CSW antireflection. Additionally, quantitative calculations were performed for the crushed zone, fracture zone, and effective CSW influence range, which guided the selection of field test parameters. The results of the field test unveiled a substantial improvement in the gas permeability coefficient, the average rate of pure methane flowrate, and the mean gas flowrate within a 10 m radius of the antireflection borehole. These enhancements were notable, showing increases of 3 times, 13.72 times, and 11.48 times, respectively. Furthermore, the field test performed on the CSW antireflection gas extraction hole cluster demonstrated a noticeable improvement in CBM extraction. After antireflection, the maximum peak gas concentration and maximum peak pure methane flow reached 71.2% and 2.59 m3/min, respectively. These findings will offer valuable guidance for the application of CSW antireflection technology in soft and low-permeability coal seams.
Application of Modified Couple-Stress Theory to Nonlinear Vibration Analysis of Nanobeam with Different Boundary Conditions
Authors: Togun Necla , Bağdatli Süleyman M.
Published: March 2024

Purpose

In the present study, the nonlinear vibration analysis of a nanoscale beam with different boundary conditions named as simply supported, clamped-clamped, clamped-simple and clamped-free are investigated numerically.

Methods

Nanoscale beam is considered as Euler-Bernoulli beam model having size-dependent. This non-classical nanobeam model has a size dependent incorporated with the material length scale parameter. The equation of motion of the system and the related boundary conditions are derived using the modified couple stress theory and employing Hamilton’s principle. Multiple scale method is used to obtain the approximate analytical solution.

Result

Numerical results by considering the effect of the ratio of beam height to the internal material length scale parameter, h/l and with and without the Poisson effect, υ are graphically presented and tabulated.

Conclusion

We remark that small size effect and poisson effect have a considerable effect on the linear fundamental frequency and the vibration amplitude. In order to show the accuracy of the results obtained, comparison study is also performed with existing studies in the literature.
Characterization and functional analysis of gerbera plant defensin (PDF) genes reveal the role of GhPDF2.4 in defense against the root rot pathogen Phytophthora cryptogea
Authors: Cheng Chunzhen , Wu Huan , Zhang Yongyan
Published: March 2024

Gerbera (Gerbera hybrida), a major fresh cut flower crop, is very susceptible to root rot disease. Although plant defensins (PDFs), a major group of plant antimicrobial peptides, display broad-spectrum antifungal and antibacterial activities, PDF genes in gerbera have not been systematically characterized. Here, we identified and cloned nine PDF genes from gerbera and divided them into two classes based on phylogenetic analysis. Most Class I GhPDF genes were highly expressed in petioles, whereas all Class II GhPDF genes were highly expressed in roots. Phytophthora cryptogea inoculation strongly upregulated all Class II GhPDF genes in roots and upregulated all Class I GhPDF genes in petioles. Transient overexpression of GhPDF1.5 and GhPDF2.4 inhibited P. cryptogea infection in tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) leaves. Transient overexpression of GhPDF2.4, but not GhPDF1.5, significantly upregulated ACO and LOX gene expression in tobacco leaves, indicating that overexpressing GhPDF2.4 activated the jasmonic acid/ethylene defense pathway and that the two types of GhPDFs have different modes of action. Prokaryotically expressed recombinant GhPDF2.4 inhibited mycelial growth and delayed the hyphal swelling of P. cryptogea, in vitro, indicating that GhPDF2.4 is a morphogenetic defensin. Moreover, the addition of GhPDF2.4 to plant culture medium alleviated the root rot symptoms of in vitro-grown gerbera seedlings and greatly reduced pathogen titer in P. cryptogea-inoculated gerbera roots in the early stages of treatment. Our study provides a basis for the use of GhPDFs, especially GhPDF2.4, for controlling root rot disease in gerbera.
Conservation volunteers’ experiences of connecting with nature during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interpretative phenomenological analysis
Authors: Furlong Rhys , Hallam Jenny , Barnes Christopher
Published: March 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant negative implications for individual wellbeing and many people accessed green spaces to help them cope with the demands of national lockdown restrictions. In response, the current study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to investigate the experiences of ten UK based nature volunteers whose activities had been disrupted due to the UK COVID-19 lockdowns throughout 2020. Each nature volunteer participated in a semi-structured interview held on a virtual platform which invited them to explore their experiences in nature during the pandemic. Analysis identified three main themes. ‘Sensations of nature’ explored the sense of presence and oneness with nature that the volunteers felt when mindfully engaging with the sensations found in nature. ‘Stability from nature’ investigated the ways in which the volunteers found meaning in nature and the sense of comfort, stability and hope this provided. Finally, ‘Changing relationships with nature’ examined the greater environmental awareness that the volunteers experienced and the ways in which this led to a desire to give back to nature. It is argued that mindful engagement with nature enhances a sense of personal wellbeing and cultivates a connection to nature which encourages environmental concern.
On the many terms for developmental language and learning impairments
Authors: Archibald Lisa M. D.
Published: March 2024

The terms Language Disorder, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Language-based learning disabilities, Specific Learning Disorder, and Specific Learning Disability are commonly used to describe children struggling to learn at school. In this position paper, the definitions and distinctions between these terms are discussed, and key overlaps and differences described. Although often used interchangeably, Specific Learning Disorder and Specific Learning Disability are not synonymous. Based on current definitions, both children with DLD and children with Specific Learning Disorder could be classified as having a Specific Learning Disability in the educational setting. In educational settings, children with DLD may additionally be identified using terms such as Language Impairment, Speech, Language, Communication Needs (SLCN), and others. Despite the problematic overlap in the names Specific Learning Disorder and Specific Learning Disability, one advantage of the latter term is the acknowledgement that many skills underlying academic learning are language-based thereby capturing the disability experienced by children with language or academic learning disorders.
Prevalence of bifidity of the seventh cervical vertebral spinous process in southwestern Nigeria: a computed tomography based study
Authors: Ibitoye Babatunde Oluwaseun , Oladipupo Olatunde Wasiu , Ibitoye Fransisca Omolara , Akadiri Olumide , Bello Olajumoke Fatima
Published: March 2024

Palpation of the seventh cervical vertebra (C7) is an important landmark for counting vertebrae for vertebral spine surgical instrumentation. However, studies have shown that the spinous process of C7 displays an anatomical deviation among individuals, which may mislead a surgeon who is not aware of this, and there have been no such studies among southwest Nigerians. The present study aimed to examine the incidence of bifidity in the C7 spinous process and their variation among 48 subjects with the aid of a three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography. The 48 subjects who had undergone cervical spine computed tomography studies comprised the pooled data of ages between 12 and 55 years of black race in southwest Nigeria from the radiology department of the Trauma and Surgical Centre, Ondo State, Nigeria. A series of multivariate and discriminant statistical tests were performed on the measurement data to determine the occurrence of bifid spinous processes at C7 in southwestern Nigeria. The results show about 10% bifidity in the C-7 vertebra and no bifidity in the first cervical vertebra and the highest rate in the C-6 vertebra in the study population. The incidence in this study is significantly higher than findings in previous works. Thus, there is a need for clinicians to pay more attention to this variation when using C7 as a landmark especially in the studied population.
Organizational commitments to equality change how people view women’s and men’s professional success
Authors: Kelley Kristin , Hipp Lena , Protsch Paula
Published: March 2024

To address women’s underrepresentation in high-status positions, many organizations have committed to gender equality. But is women’s professional success viewed less positively when organizations commit to women’s advancement? Do equality commitments have positive effects on evaluations of successful men? We fielded a survey experiment with a national probability sample in Germany (N = 3229) that varied employees’ gender and their organization’s commitment to equality. Respondents read about a recently promoted employee and rated how decisive of a role they thought intelligence and effort played in getting the employee promoted from 1 “Not at all decisive” to 7 “Very decisive” and the fairness of the promotion from 1 “Very unfair” to 7 “Very fair.” When organizations committed to women’s advancement rather than uniform performance standards, people believed intelligence and effort were less decisive in women’s promotions, but that intelligence was more decisive in men’s promotions. People viewed women’s promotions as least fair and men’s as most fair in organizations committed to women’s advancement. However, women’s promotions were still viewed more positively than men’s in all conditions and on all outcomes, suggesting people believed that organizations had double standards for success that required women to be smarter and work harder to be promoted, especially in organizations that did not make equality commitments.
Genome-wide identification and evolutionary analysis of the AP2/EREBP, COX and LTP genes in Zea mays L. under drought stress
Authors: Maghraby Amaal , Alzalaty Mohamed
Published: March 2024

AP2 (APETALA2)/EREBP (ethylene-responsive element-binding protein), cytochrome c oxidase (COX) and nonspecific lipid transfer proteins (LTP) play important roles in the response to drought stress. This is the first study to identify the COX gene in Zea mays L. via genome-wide analysis. The qRT‒PCR results indicated that AP2/EREBP, COX and LTP were downregulated, with fold changes of 0.84, 0.53 and 0.31, respectively, after 12 h of drought stress. Genome-wide analysis identified 78 AP2/EREBP, 6 COX and 10 LTP genes in Z. mays L. Domain analysis confirmed the presence of the AP2 domain, Cyt_c_Oxidase_Vb domain and nsLTP1 in the AP2/EREBP, COX and LTP proteins, respectively. The AP2/EREBP protein family (AP2) includes five different domain types: the AP2/ERF domain, the EREBP-like factor (EREBP), the ethylene responsive factor (ERF), the dehydration responsive element binding protein (DREB) and the SHN SHINE. Synteny analysis of the AP2/EREBP, COX and LTP genes revealed collinearity orthologous relationships in O. sativa, H. vulgare and A. thaliana. AP2/EREBP genes were found on the 10 chromosomes of Z. mays L. COX genes were found on chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8. LTP genes were found on chromosomes 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 and 10. In the present study, the Ka/Ks ratios of the AP2/EREBP paralogous pairs indicated that the AP2/EREBP genes were influenced primarily by purifying selection, which indicated that the AP2/EREBP genes received strong environmental pressure during evolution. The Ka/Ks ratios of the COX-3/COX-4 paralogous pairs indicate that the COX-3/COX-4 genes were influenced primarily by Darwinian selection (driving change). For the LTP genes, the Ka/Ks ratios of the LTP-1/LTP-10, LTP-5/LTP-3 and LTP-4/LTP-8 paralogous pairs indicate that these genes were influenced primarily by purifying selection, while the Ka/Ks ratios of the LTP-2/LTP-6 paralogous pairs indicate that these genes were influenced primarily by Darwinian selection. The duplication time of the AP2/EREBP paralogous gene pairs in Z. mays L. ranged from approximately 9.364 to 100.935 Mya. The duplication time of the COX-3/COX-4 paralogous gene pair was approximately 5.217 Mya. The duplication time of the LTP paralogous gene pairs ranged from approximately 19.064 to 96.477 Mya. The major focus of research is to identify the genes that are responsible for drought stress tolerance to improve maize for drought stress tolerance. The results of the present study will improve the understanding of the functions of the AP2/EREBP, COX and LTP genes in response to drought stress.
Gene targeting in adult organs using in vivo cleavable donor plasmids for CRISPR-Cas9 and CRISPR-Cas12a
Authors: Ishibashi Riki , Maki Ritsuko , Toyoshima Fumiko
Published: March 2024

The CRISPR-Cas system for in vivo genome editing is a powerful tool for gene therapy against several diseases. We have previously developed the pCriMGET_9-12a system, an in vivo cleavable donor plasmid for precise targeted knock-in of exogenous DNA by both Cas9 and Cas12a. Here, we show that the pCriMGET_9-12a system can be applied for in vivo in-frame knock-in of exogenous DNA in adult mouse liver by hydrodynamic delivery of the targeting plasmids. The in vivo cleavable pCriMGET_9-12a donor plasmids significantly increased the knock-in efficiency of both CRISPR-Cas9 and CRISPR-Cas12a in the adult mouse liver compared to uncleavable donor plasmids. This strategy also achieved in-frame reporter gene knock-in without indel mutations. Therefore, in vivo gene targeting using the pCriMGET_9-12a system may contribute to the establishment of safer, more precise, versatile and efficient gene therapy methods in adult organs.
Applying a semi-quantitative risk assessment on petroleum production unit
Authors: Eltahan Fatma M. , Toderas Monica , Mansour Moustapha S. , El-Ashtoukhy El Sayed Z. , Abdou Mohamed A. , Shokry F.
Published: March 2024

Applying safety means in the industry, especially in the petroleum industry is very important to maintain the industrial facility. A semi-quantitative risk assessment as Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA) is used widely to quantify data after qualitative risk analysis as HAZOP using a simpler way than quantitative risk analysis ‘QRA’ as fault tree analysis ‘FTA’. This determines if a new safety integrity function ‘SIF’ is needed. This paper introduces a novel fuzzy logic system to solve the failure of crude oil shipping pumps. Several models are studied to select the most appropriate fuzzy membership functions. Results are compared with results from the LOPA model, which shows the advantages of using the proposed model to reduce the RRF for the potential hazard and achieve a simple and reliable control method.
Numerical simulation based performance enhancement approach for an inorganic BaZrS3/CuO heterojunction solar cell
Authors: El-Naggar Ahmed A. , Lotfy Lotfy A. , Felfela A. A. , Ismail Walid , Abdelfatah Mahmoud , Sharshir Swellam W. , El-Shaer Abdelhamid
Published: March 2024

One of the main components of the worldwide transition to sustainable energy is solar cells, usually referred to as photovoltaics. By converting sunlight into power, they lessen their reliance on fossil fuels and the release of greenhouse gases. Because solar cells are decentralized, distributed energy systems may be developed, which increases the efficiency of the cells. Chalcogenide perovskites have drawn interest due to their potential in solar energy conversion since they provide distinctive optoelectronic characteristics and stability. But high temperatures and lengthy reaction periods make it difficult to synthesise and process them. Therefore, we present the inaugural numerical simulation using SCAPS-1D for emerging inorganic BaZrS3/CuO heterojunction solar cells. This study delves into the behaviour of diverse parameters in photovoltaic devices, encompassing efficiency (η) values, short-circuit current density (Jsc), fill factor (FF), and open-circuit voltage (Voc). Additionally, we thoroughly examine the impact of window and absorber layer thickness, carrier concentration, and bandgap on the fundamental characteristics of solar cells. Our findings showcase the attainment of the highest efficiency (η) values, reaching 27.3% for our modelled devices, accompanied by Jsc values of 40.5 mA/cm2, Voc value of 0.79 V, and FF value of 85.2. The efficiency (η) values are chiefly influenced by the combined effects of Voc, Jsc, and FF values. This optimal efficiency was achieved with CuO thickness, band gap, and carrier concentration set at 5 µm, 1.05 eV, and above 1019 cm−3, respectively. In comparison, the optimal parameters for BaZrS3 include a thickness of 1 µm, a carrier concentration below 1020 cm−3, and a band gap less than 1.6 eV. Therefore, in the near future, the present simulation will simultaneously provide up an entirely novel field for the less defective perovskite solar cell.
Developments of a centimeter-level precise muometric wireless navigation system (MuWNS-V) and its first demonstration using directional information from tracking detectors
Authors: Varga Dezso , Tanaka Hiroyuki K. M.
Published: March 2024

Various positioning techniques such as Wi-Fi positioning system have been proposed to use in situations where satellite navigation is unavailable. One such system, the muometric positioning system (muPS), was invented for navigation which operates in locations where even radio waves cannot reach such as underwater or underground. muPS takes advantage of a key feature of its probe, cosmic-ray muons, which travel straightforwardly at almost a speed of light in vacuum regardless of the matter they traverse. Similar to other positioning techniques, muPS is a technique to determine the position of a client’s muPS receiver within the coordinate defined by reference detectors. This can be achieved either by using time-of-flight (ToF) or angle of arrival (AoA) measurements. The latter configuration (AoA), called the Vector-muPS has recently been invented and the present paper describes the developments of the first prototype of a vector muometric wireless navigation system (MuWNS-V) with this new vector-muPS concept and its demonstration. With MuWNS-V, the reference tracker and the receiver ran wirelessly with fully independent readout systems, and a positioning accuracy of 3.9 cm (RMS) has been achieved. We also evaluated the outcome of measuring continuous indoor localization of a moving receiver with this prototype. Our results indicated that further improvements in positioning accuracy will be attainable by acquiring higher angular resolution of the reference trackers. It is anticipated that “sub-cm level” navigation will be possible for muPS which could be applied to many situations such as future autonomous mobile robot operations.
Intravenous metoclopramide for increasing endoscopic mucosal visualization in patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial
Authors: Manupeeraphant Paveeyada , Wanichagool Dhanusorn , Songlin Thaphat , Thanathanee Piyarat , Chalermsuksant Nalerdon , Techathuvanan Karjpong , Sethasine Supatsri
Published: March 2024

Acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (UGIH) is the most common emergency condition that requires rapid endoscopic treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of pre-endoscopic intravenous metoclopramide on endoscopic mucosal visualization (EMV) in patients with acute UGIH. This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind controlled trial of participants diagnosed with acute UGIH. All participants underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy within 24 h. Participants were assigned to either the metoclopramide or placebo group. Modified Avgerinos scores were evaluated during endoscopy. In total, 284 out of 300 patients completed the per-protocol procedure. The mean age was 62.8 ± 14.3 years, and 67.6% were men. Metoclopramide group achieved a higher total EMV and gastric body EMV score than the other group (7.34 ± 1.1 vs 6.94 ± 1.6; P = 0.017 and 1.80 ± 0.4 vs 1.64 ± 0.6; P = 0.006, respectively). Success in identifying lesions was not different between the groups (96.5% in metoclopramide and 93.6% in placebo group; P = 0.26). In the metoclopramide group, those with active variceal bleeding compared with the control group demonstrated substantial improvements in gastric EMV (1.83 ± 0.4 vs 1.28 ± 0.8, P = 0.004), antral EMV (1.96 ± 0.2 vs 1.56 ± 0.6, P = 0.003), and total EMV score (7.48 ± 1.1 vs 6.2 ± 2.3, P = 0.02). Pre-endoscopic intravenous metoclopramide improved the quality of EMV in variceal etiologies of UGIH, which was especially prominent in those who had signs of active bleeding based on nasogastric tube assessment.

Trial Registration: Trial was registered in Clinical Trials: TCTR 20210708004 (08/07/2021).
Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) improves hot and cold executive functions in children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Authors: Nejati Vahid , Dehghan Mahshid , Shahidi Shahriar , Estaji Reza , Nitsche Michael A.
Published: March 2024

Children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have impaired hot and cold executive functions, which is thought to be related to impaired ventromedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (vmPFC and dlPFC) functions. The present study aimed to assess the impact concurrent stimulation of dlPFC and vmPFC through transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), a non-invasive brain stimulation tool which enhances cortical excitability via application of alternating sinusoidal currents with random frequencies and amplitudes over the respective target regions on hot and cold executive functions. Eighteen children with ADHD received real and sham tRNS over the left dlPFC and the right vmPFC in two sessions with one week interval. The participants performed Circle Tracing, Go/No-Go, Wisconsin Card Sorting, and Balloon Analogue Risk Tasks during stimulation in each session. The results showed improved ongoing inhibition, prepotent inhibition, working memory, and decision making, but not set-shifting performance, during real, as compared to sham stimulation. This indicates that simultaneous stimulation of the dlPFC and the vmPFC improves hot and cold executive functions in children with ADHD.
Morphogenesis of a chiral liquid crystalline droplet with topological reconnection and Lehmann rotation
Authors: Yoshioka Jun , Ito Yuki , Fukao Koji
Published: March 2024

Morphogenesis is a hierarchical phenomenon that produces various macroscopic structures in living organisms, with high reproducibility. This study demonstrates that such structural formation can also be observed in a chiral liquid crystalline droplet under a temperature gradient. Through specific control of the temperature change process, we were able to switch the final structure obtained as a result of the formation via the appearance and reconnection of loop defects in the transient state during structure formation. Simultaneously, the existence of the gradient resulted in a characteristic rotational phenomenon called Lehmann rotation, which was prominently induced in the transient state. By demonstrating three-dimensional measurements of the flow field, we revealed the existence of Marangoni convection in the state. Consequently, it is indicated that the convection results in high-speed Lehmann rotation and large structural deformation with topological changes, thereby playing a significant role in the structure formation.
Toxic heavy metal ions contamination in water and their sustainable reduction by eco-friendly methods: isotherms, thermodynamics and kinetics study
Authors: Singh Veer , Ahmed Ghufran , Vedika Sonali , Kumar Pinki , Chaturvedi Sanjay K. , Rai Sachchida Nand , Vamanu Emanuel , Kumar Ashish
Published: March 2024

Heavy metal ions can be introduced into the water through several point and non-point sources including leather industry, coal mining, agriculture activity and domestic waste. Regrettably, these toxic heavy metals may pose a threat to both humans and animals, particularly when they infiltrate water and soil. Heavy metal poisoning can lead to many health complications, such as liver and renal dysfunction, dermatological difficulties, and potentially even malignancies. To mitigate the risk of heavy metal ion exposure to humans and animals, it is imperative to extract them from places that have been polluted. Several conventional methods such as ion exchange, reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, membrane filtration and chemical precipitation have been used for the removal of heavy metal ions. However, these methods have high operation costs and generate secondary pollutants during water treatment. Biosorption is an alternative approach to eliminating heavy metals from water that involves employing eco-friendly and cost-effective biomass. This review is focused on the heavy metal ions contamination in the water, biosorption methods for heavy metal removal and mathematical modeling to explain the behaviour of heavy metal adsorption. This review can be helpful to the researchers to design wastewater treatment plants for sustainable wastewater treatment.
Evaluation of vegetation restoration effectiveness along the Yangtze River shoreline and its response to land use changes
Authors: Huang Yinlan , Li Xinyi , Liu Dan , Duan Binyan , Huang Xinyu , Chen Shi
Published: March 2024

Assessing the effectiveness of vegetation restoration along the Yangtze River shoreline and exploring its relationship with land use changes are imperative for providing recommendations for sustainable management and environmental protection. However, the impact of vegetation restoration post-implementation of the Yangtze River Conservation Project remains uncertain. In this study, utilizing Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and Dynamic World land use data from pre- (2016) and post- (2022) Yangtze River Conservation Project periods, pixel-based binary models, transition matrices, and geographically weighted regression models were employed to analyze the status and evolution of vegetation coverage along the Yangtze River shoreline. The results indicated that there had been an increase in the area covered by high and high-medium vegetation levels. The proportion of vegetation cover shifting to better was 4201.87 km2 (35.68%). Hotspots of vegetation coverage improvement were predominantly located along the Yangtze River. Moreover, areas witnessing enhanced vegetation coverage experienced notable land use changes, notably the conversion of water to crops (126.93 km2, 22.79%), trees to crops (59.93 km2, 10.76%), and crops to built area (59.93 km2, 10.76%). Notably, the conversion between crops and built area emerged as a significant factor influencing vegetation coverage improvement, with average regression coefficients of 0.68 and 0.50, respectively. These outcomes underscore the significance of this study in guiding ecological environmental protection and sustainable management along the Yangtze River shoreline.
Murmur identification and outcome prediction in phonocardiograms using deep features based on Stockwell transform
Authors: Manshadi Omid Dehghan , mihandoost Sara
Published: March 2024

Traditionally, heart murmurs are diagnosed through cardiac auscultation, which requires specialized training and experience. The purpose of this study is to predict patients' clinical outcomes (normal or abnormal) and identify the presence or absence of heart murmurs using phonocardiograms (PCGs) obtained at different auscultation points. A semi-supervised model tailored to PCG classification is introduced in this study, with the goal of improving performance using time–frequency deep features. The study begins by investigating the behavior of PCGs in the time–frequency domain, utilizing the Stockwell transform to convert the PCG signal into two-dimensional time–frequency maps (TFMs). A deep network named AlexNet is then used to derive deep feature sets from these TFMs. In feature reduction, redundancy is eliminated and the number of deep features is reduced to streamline the feature set. The effectiveness of the extracted features is evaluated using three different classifiers using the CinC/Physionet challenge 2022 dataset. For Task I, which focuses on heart murmur detection, the proposed approach achieved an average accuracy of 93%, sensitivity of 91%, and F1-score of 91%. According to Task II of the CinC/Physionet challenge 2022, the approach showed a clinical outcome cost of 5290, exceeding the benchmark set by leading methods in the challenge.