bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetics of Four Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Adult and Paediatric Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia Patients
Authors: Allegra Sarah , Dondi Emma , Chiara Francesco , De Francia Silvia
Published: September 2023

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors work by blocking the tyrosine kinases responsible for the dysregulation of intracellular signalling pathways in tumour cells. This study looked at the impact of age and sex on the levels of imatinib, dasatinib, nilotinib, and ponatinib in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid samples of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia. Imatinib and dasatinib were used to treat the majority of the enrolled patients, and most of them were paediatrics. A total of 82.4% of the patients were men; however, sex-related differences in the drugs’ pharmacokinetics were not found. Age and imatinib plasma concentration were found to be inversely correlated. The dasatinib concentrations in plasma were found to be substantially lower than those found in cerebrospinal fluid, particularly in paediatrics. Analysing the obtained data, we can state that therapeutic drug monitoring is a useful method for adjusting a patient’s treatment schedule that depends on drug concentrations in biological fluids. The use of therapeutic drug monitoring in conjunction with tyrosine kinase inhibitors for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia is supported by a number of sources of evidence. As a result, as the research develops, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapeutic drug monitoring classification needs to be refined in terms of factors like sex and age.
The Classification of Suspected Predominant Nociplastic Pain in People with Moderate and Severe Haemophilia: A Secondary Exploratory Study
Authors: Foubert Anthe , Roussel Nathalie Anne , Chantrain Valérie-Anne , Maes Philip , Durnez Lies , Lobet Sébastien , Lambert Catherine , Hermans Cédric , Meeus Mira
Published: September 2023

In people with haemophilia (PwH), joint pain is a major comorbidity that is often overlooked and under-treated. It is believed that, to ensure the most successful outcome, pain management should be tailored to the predominant pain phenotype (i.e., nociceptive, neuropathic and nociplastic). The 2021 clinical criteria and grading system for nociplastic pain, established by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), emphasize the necessity of early-stage identification and predominant pain type classification. Consistent with findings in other chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions, studies suggest that a subgroup of PwH suffers from nociplastic pain, i.e., pain arising from altered nociception rather than structural damage, but this has not yet been explored in PwH. This study aimed to identify PwH with “unlikely”, “possible” and “probable” nociplastic pain and investigate differences in anthropometric, demographic and clinical characteristics and psychological factors between subgroups of PwH and healthy individuals.: The IASP clinical criteria and grading system were used to classify pain types in adult men with moderate or severe haemophilia recruited from two Belgian haemophilia treatment centres. Statistical analyses were applied to study between-subgroup differences. Of 94 PwH, 80 PwH (85%) were classified with “unlikely” and 14 (15%) with “at least possible” nociplastic pain (including 5 PwH (5%) with “possible” and 9 PwH (10%) with “probable” nociplastic pain). PwH in both the “unlikely” and “at least possible” nociplastic pain groups showed significantly higher levels of unhelpful psychological factors compared to healthy individuals. Additionally, age may partially account for the observed differences in body height and psychological factors. Larger sample sizes may be needed to detect more subtle between-group differences. study confirmed the presence of nociplastic pain in haemophilia, categorising a notable subgroup as individuals who experience at least possible nociplastic pain. These exploratory insights may provide a starting point for future studies and the development of more effective and tailored pain management.
Analytical Model of Deformation of a Functionally Graded Ceramic Coating under Local Load
Authors: Shatskyi Ivan , Makoviichuk Mykola , Ropyak Liubomyr , Velychkovych Andrii
Published: September 2023

In this article, an analytical approach to the study of the behavior of functionally graded FG coatings under local load is developed. The method is suitable for coatings with a specific structure. We consider that the coating can be conditionally divided into two zones: a relatively rigid outer and a relatively compliant inner. The outer layer is modeled by a non-homogeneous plate that bends. We submit the inner substrate to the hypothesis of a non-homogeneous thin Winkler layer. The solution of the formulated boundary value problem is constructed in analytical form. Simulation examples for FG aluminum oxide coatings grown from aluminum sprayed on steel and from compact alloy D16T are considered. The distributions of equivalent stresses, safety factors and normalized equivalent stresses in the coatings are studied. It is noted that in a heterogeneous material, the location of the minimum of the safety factor does not always coincide with the location of the maximum of the equivalent stress.
Rheology of Aqueous Ferrofluids: Transition from a Gel-Like Character to a Liquid Character in High Magnetic Fields
Authors: Čampelj Stanislav
Published: September 2023

Rheological measurements under an applied magnetic field were used to investigate the changes to the internal structure and stability of an aqueous ferrofluid. The ferrofluid was prepared by dispersing 1.8 wt.% of maghemite nanoparticles with a size of d = 14 ± 3 nm and a saturation magnetization MS = 68 emu/g in water using citric acid as the surfactant. In this study, oscillatory tests were used to investigate the internal structural changes and the stability of ferrofluid under the influence of the magnetic field B. In a magnetic field of approximately 50 mT, the G′ became higher than the loss modulus G″ as the ferrofluid exhibited a gel-like character. However, at a magnetic field of approximately 200 mT, the character of the ferrofluid reverted to that of a liquid. The change in the character of the ferrofluid in this high magnetic field was associated with a gradual change from chain agglomerates to the energetically more favourable globular agglomerates, using a calculation based on a model described in a separate work. The globular agglomerates impeded the flow to a much lesser degree than the chains, causing a reduction in the viscosity. Further increase of the magnetic field resulted in sedimentation of agglomerates and loss of magneto-rheological effect.
Mapping Is Caring: Fostering Forest Preservation through Young Orang Rimba Initiatives
Authors: Nirwansyah Anang Widhi , Inez-Pedro Bianca , Mandili Abdel , Suwarno  , Sadeli Elly Hasan
Published: September 2023

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 12, states that young people should be able to participate in issues that affect them. In this study, the indigenous Orang Rimba community examines the natural resources of their area through mapping so that the community can be more aware of environmental changes and at the same time their culture can be preserved. This research employs participatory resource mapping (PRM) to gather information about how young Orang Rimba view the forest in relation to customs. The study includes workshops on using GPS and GIS as well as resource mapping activities in the forest ecosystem. Through the participatory resource mapping, the study successfully maps 12 sacred places, 6 animal sites, and 14 medicinal plants in a short survey. The young Orang Rimba were also capable of addressing current environmental issues, including deforestation events, and simultaneously protecting the forest through local cultural practices. The study recommends involving indigenous communities in natural resource protection and awareness through mapping activities from a young age.
Skill Profiles for Employability: (Mis)Understandings between Higher Education Institutions and Employers
Authors: Sebastião Luís , Tirapicos Filipa , Payan-Carreira Rita , Rebelo Hugo
Published: September 2023

There is a consensus that employers, when recruiting, look for future employees to have a certain required profile. This profile consists of a set of skills that are considered crucial for the correct performance of the tasks that the employees will be performing. It is usually easy to identify which hard skills employers require, but it is not so easy to find out which soft skills employees should have. In addition to this difficulty, there is the possibility that higher education institutions may not be preparing students to align with employers’ envisioned skill sets. As part of the European Project “Think4Jobs” (2020-1-EL01-KA203-078797), an exploratory study was conducted to understand whether higher education institutions develop, and employers demand, individuals with the same profiles and to characterise these profiles. For this purpose, eight directors of different higher education programmes and six employers were interviewed. The information from the interviews was processed using the content analysis technique with the support of the NVivo data analysis software. The findings indicate that both educators and employers acknowledge the significance of soft skills, assigning them higher importance than hard skills, and the necessity of coordination between the two skill sets. Respondents also emphasised the importance of training, with course directors focusing more on initial training, while employers highlighted in-job training. Motivation, creativity, interpersonal relationships, communication, initiative and critical thinking were the skills identified by both groups as essential to an employee’s profile.
Fluency Training for Struggling Readers: Examining the Effects of a Tier-2 Intervention in Third Graders
Authors: Cruz Joana , Mendes Sofia , Alves Diana , Marques Sofia , Cadime Irene
Published: September 2023

Tier-2 reading fluency interventions are specifically tailored for struggling readers, addressing their unique needs. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of a Tier-2 reading fluency intervention on reading capabilities and motivation among third-grade students identified as at risk. The intervention employed various strategies, including non-repetitive reading, exploration of challenging words, model reading, eco-reading, assisted reading, and both self- and hetero-assessment of reading proficiency. A two-group randomized controlled trial was employed, comprising an intervention group (N n = 162) and a delayed intervention control group (N = 183). Both groups underwent pre-test and post-test evaluations in reading accuracy and fluency. Additionally, a separate cohort of students without reading difficulties was assessed (N = 225). The intervention resulted in significantly improved word reading accuracy and reading fluency scores in the intervention group compared to the control group. While the gap between the intervention and control groups was slightly reduced, no significant effects on motivation were observed. These findings underscore the relevance of Tier-2 reading fluency interventions in preventing the development of persistent reading difficulties.
A Hybrid Approach for WebRTC Video Streaming on Resource-Constrained Devices
Authors: Diallo Bakary , Ouamri Abdelaziz , Keche Mokhtar
Published: September 2023

This paper introduces thorough comparative and interoperability analyses involving a browser-based P2P video streaming approach utilizing WebRTC (web real-time communication), along with WebRTC hybrid solutions developed using the React Native framework (for mobile) and the electron framework (for desktop and Raspberry Pi). The assessment is carried out based on various metrics, including CPU (central processing unit) load, RAM (random access memory) utilization, and network data consumption. The obtained findings highlight the potential of integrating WebRTC P2P video streaming into hybrid applications as a promising alternative for real-time video streaming applications in embedded systems; given that, compared to the current mainstreams, e.g., Chrome or Firefox, the proposed approach has superiority performance in terms of CPU load, RAM usage, and network occupancy. The results also demonstrated that interoperability is ensured between the two types of applications (web-based and hybrid-based one).
An Angle-Stable Ultra-Wideband Single-Layer Frequency Selective Surface Absorber
Authors: Zhang Chonghuan , Liu Siyuan , Ni Haizhi , Tan Renxuan , Liu Changjun , Yan Liping
Published: September 2023

An ultra-wideband polarization-insensitive frequency selective surface (FSS) absorber is proposed for S to K-band applications. The absorber comprises two compensation slabs, a lossy FSS layer and a grounded dielectric plate. The FSS unit cell is a combination of a second-order Chinese knot and a cross. To enhance the bandwidth and angular stability of the single-layer FSS absorber, a compensation layer composed of FR4 and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) slabs is incorporated. The proposed FSS absorber demonstrates a remarkable absorption rate of over 90% within the frequency range of 3.1–22.1 GHz, exhibiting a fractional bandwidth of 150.8%. Even when subjected to an oblique incidence of 45°, the absorber maintains an 80% absorption rate in the frequency range of 4.4–19.1 GHz for both TE and TM polarizations. The total thickness of the FSS absorber is 0.0848 λL (the wavelength at the lowest cutoff frequency), and only 1.08 times the Rozanov limit. To validate the design, a prototype of the proposed absorber was fabricated and measured. Good agreements were observed between the simulations and measurements.
Distributed and Lightweight Software Assurance in Cellular Broadcasting Handshake and Connection Establishment
Authors: Purification Sourav , Kim Jinoh , Kim Jonghyun , Kim Ikkyun , Chang Sang-Yoon
Published: September 2023

With developments in OpenRAN and software-defined radio (SDR), the mobile networking implementations for radio and security control are becoming increasingly software-based. We design and build a lightweight and distributed software assurance scheme, which ensures that a wireless user holds the correct software (version/code) for their wireless networking implementations. Our scheme is distributed (to support the distributed and ad hoc networking that does not utilize the networking-backend infrastructure), lightweight (to support the resource-constrained device operations), modular (to support compatibility with the existing mobile networking protocols), and supports broadcasting (as mobile and wireless networking has broadcasting applications). Our scheme is distinct from the remote code attestation in trusted computing, which requires hardwarebased security and real-time challenge-and-response communications with a centralized trusted server, thus making its deployment prohibitive in the distributed and broadcasting-based mobile networking environments. We design our scheme to be prover-specific and incorporate the Merkle tree for the verification efficiency to make it appropriate for a wireless-broadcasting medium with multiple receivers. In addition to the theoretical design and analysis, we implement our scheme to assure srsRAN (a popular open-source software for cellular technology, including 4G and 5G) and provide a concrete implementation and application instance to highlight our scheme’s modularity, backward compatibility to the existing 4G/5G standardized protocol, and broadcasting support. Our scheme implementation incorporates delivering the proof in the srsRAN-implemented 4G/5G cellular handshake and connection establishment in radio resource control (RRC). We conduct experiments using SDR and various processors to demonstrate the lightweight design and its appropriateness for wireless networking applications. Our results show that the number of hash computations for the proof verification grows logarithmically with the number of software code files being assured and that the verification takes three orders of magnitude less time than the proof generation, while the proof generation overhead itself is negligible compared to the software update period.
vim: Research on OWL-Based Vocabulary Ontology Construction Method for Units of Measurement
Authors: Luo Yuqi , Xiong Xingchuang , Jin Shangzhong , Liu Zilong
Published: September 2023

The advent of the digital era has put forward an urgent demand for the digitization of units of measurement, and the construction of unit ontology is an important method to realize the digitization of units of measurement. However, the existing unit ontology is at the preliminary research stage, especially the bilingual unit of measurement suitable for the construction of Digital China. Based on the Web Ontology Language (OWL), a bilingual unit of measurement ontology, vim, is designed and constructed using the Seven Steps to Ontology Development approach. vim provides a standardized, interoperable, and unified architecture to realize the bilingual digital representation of units in the International Vocabulary of Metrology—Basic and general concepts (VIM) and from the Chinese metrological technical specification JJF 1001-2011 General Terms in Metrology and Their Definitions. The ontology was verified for machine readability, knowledge reasoning capability, and semantic retrieval and applied. The experimental results show that the vim ontology can achieve machine readability with correct syntax, logical consistency, and validity, and can facilitate data communication and sharing. Furthermore, a comparison between vim, OM, and QUDT was conducted. OM and QUDT serve as representative instances in the field of ontology for units. The construction of this ontology lays the foundation for realizing the digitization and standardization of China’s unit of measurement, as well as the machine-readability, interoperability, and sharing of domestic and foreign metrology test data and metrology certificates.
A Multilayered Preprocessing Approach for Recognition and Classification of Malicious Social Network Messages
Authors: Čepulionytė Aušra , Toldinas Jevgenijus , Lozinskis Borisas
Published: September 2023

The primary methods of communication in the modern world are social networks, which are rife with harmful messages that can injure both psychologically and financially. Most websites do not offer services that automatically delete or send malicious communications back to the sender for correction, or notify the sender of inaccuracies in the content of the messages. The deployment of such systems could make use of techniques for identifying and categorizing harmful messages. This paper suggests a novel multilayered preprocessing approach for the recognition and classification of malicious social network messages to limit negative impact, resulting in fewer toxic messages, scams, and aggressive comments in social media messages and commenting areas. As a result, less technical knowledge would be required to investigate the effects of harmful messages. The dataset was created using the regional Lithuanian language with four classes: aggressive, insulting, toxic, and malicious. Three machine learning algorithms were examined, five use cases of a multilayered preprocessing approach were suggested, and experiments were conducted to identify and classify harmful messages in the Lithuanian language.
Enhancing Web Application Security: Advanced Biometric Voice Verification for Two-Factor Authentication
Authors: Kamiński Kamil Adam , Dobrowolski Andrzej Piotr , Piotrowski Zbigniew , Ścibiorek Przemysław
Published: September 2023

This paper presents a voice biometrics system implemented in a web application as part of a two-factor authentication (2FA) user login. The web-based application, via a client interface, runs registration, preprocessing, feature extraction and normalization, classification, and speaker verification procedures based on a modified Gaussian mixture model (GMM) algorithm adapted to the application requirements. The article describes in detail the internal modules of this ASR (Automatic Speaker Recognition) system. A comparison of the performance of competing ASR systems using the commercial NIST 2002 SRE voice dataset tested under the same conditions is also presented. In addition, it presents the results of the influence of the application of cepstral mean and variance normalization over a sliding window (WCMVN) and its relevance, especially for voice recordings recorded in varying acoustic tracks. The article also presents the results of the selection of a reference model representing an alternative hypothesis in the decision-making system, which significantly translates into an increase in the effectiveness of speaker verification. The final experiment presented is a test of the performance achieved in a varying acoustic environment during remote voice login to a web portal by the test group, as well as a final adjustment of the decision-making threshold.
Wheat Flour Quality Assessment by Fundamental Non-Linear Rheological Methods: A Critical Review
Authors: Yazar Gamze
Published: September 2023

Wheat quality assessment involves physical, physicochemical, chemical, and sensory characterization of wheat kernels and the resulting wheat flour, dough, and bread. The physical tests conducted on wheat flour dough are mostly based on empirical methods. Empirical methods have been useful in industry and research to relate wheat flour quality to baking performance. However, these methods have the disadvantage of providing data in arbitrary units, which makes the fundamental interpretation of results difficult. Therefore, this review focuses on the use of fundamental rheological methods to determine wheat flour quality in terms of processing performance. During the transition from wheat flour to bread, wheat flour dough is mostly exposed to large deformations, and the quality of wheat flour determines its response to these large deformations and its baking quality. For this reason, this review only focuses on the application of fundamental rheological tests that are conducted in the non-linear viscoelastic region where wheat flour dough experiences large deformations.
Generalized Iterative Method of Order Four with Divided Differences
Authors: Regmi Samundra , Argyros Ioannis , Deep Gagan
Published: September 2023

Numerous applications from diverse disciplines are formulated as an equation or system of equations in abstract spaces such as Euclidean multidimensional, Hilbert, or Banach, to mention a few. Researchers worldwide are developing methodologies to handle the solutions of such equations. A plethora of these equations are not differentiable. These methodologies can also be applied to solve differentiable equations. A particular method is utilized as a sample via which the methodology is described. The same methodology can be used on other methods utilizing inverses of linear operators. The problem with existing approaches on the local convergence of iterative methods is the usage of Taylor expansion series. This way, the convergence is shown but by assuming the existence of high-order derivatives which do not appear on the iterative methods. Moreover, bounds on the error distances that can be computed are not available in advance. Furthermore, the isolation of a solution of the equation is not discussed either. These concerns reduce the applicability of iterative methods and constitute the motivation for developing this article. The novelty of this article is that it positively addresses all these concerns under weaker convergence conditions. Finally, the more important and harder to study semi-local analysis of convergence is presented using majorizing scalar sequences. Experiments are further performed to demonstrate the theory.
Effects of Aerobic vs. Resistance Exercise on Vascular Function and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Older Women
Authors: Kim Hyun-Bae , Seo Myong-Won , Jung Hyun Chul
Published: September 2023

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different types of exercise (aerobic vs. resistance) on vascular function and vascular endothelial growth factor in older women. Forty-three older women, aged 65–75 years old, voluntarily participated in this study. All participants were randomly assigned to one of the following three groups: aerobic exercise (AE; n = 14), resistance exercise (RE; n = 15), and control (CG; n = 14) groups. All participants in the exercise groups performed their respective exercises for 60 min/day, three days/week, for 16 weeks. The intensity of aerobic and resistance exercises was determined using the individual heart rate reserve (40–60%) and RPE (12–13), respectively. The vascular function test included the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV), carotid artery blood flow volume, and velocity. Participants’ blood samples were collected to analyze the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). A significance level of 0.05 was set. Our results showed that ba-PWV improved following both AE (14.5%) and RE groups (11.1%) (all p < 0.05). Increases in carotid blood flow volume (AE: 15.4%, RE: 18.6%) and total artery peak velocity (AE: 20.4%, RE: 17%) were observed in AE and RE groups (p < 0.05), while flow total artery mean velocity (36.2%) and peak velocities (20.5%) were only increased in the aerobic exercise group (p < 0.05). VEGF was increased after resistance exercise (p < 0.05). Overall, aerobic exercise provides greater benefits on vascular function than resistance exercise but further research is needed on VEGF regarding whether this change is associated with vascular function improvement in older women.
Benefits of Adaptive Sport on Physical and Mental Quality of Life in People with Physical Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Isidoro-Cabañas Eva , Soto-Rodríguez Francisco Javier , Morales-Rodríguez Francisco Manuel , Pérez-Mármol José Manuel
Published: September 2023

Adaptive sports could produce multiple health benefits in people with physical disabilities. The aim is to evaluate if adaptive sports practice has an influence on physical and mental quality of life. A meta-analysis was performed using electronic databases and other sources. A within- and between-group analysis for physical and mental quality of life was conducted. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was used as a measure of the mean size effect. The statistical heterogeneity, the risk of bias, and the quality of evidence were evaluated. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria and four of them were included in the meta-analysis. In mental quality of life, significant differences were observed in the within-group analysis (SMD = 0.71, p < 0.001) and between people practicing adaptive sports and those not engaging in them (SMD = 0.62, p = 0.009). In physical quality of life, significant differences were also found between pre- and post-practice of adaptive sports (SMD = 1.03, p = 0.007). The engagement in adaptive sports showed a positive impact on the mental quality of life among adults with physical disabilities. However, the positive effect of adaptive sports practice on physical quality of life was shown only in the pre–post-test analysis. Further studies are required to validate the obtained findings.
Machine Learning Applications in Sarcopenia Detection and Management: A Comprehensive Survey
Authors: Turimov Mustapoevich Dilmurod , Kim Wooseong
Published: September 2023

This extensive review examines sarcopenia, a condition characterized by a loss of muscle mass, stamina, and physical performance, with a particular emphasis on its detection and management using contemporary technologies. It highlights the lack of global agreement or standardization regarding the definition of sarcopenia and the various techniques used to measure muscle mass, stamina, and physical performance. The distinctive criteria employed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) and the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGSOP) for diagnosing sarcopenia are examined, emphasizing potential obstacles in comparing research results across studies. The paper delves into the use of machine learning techniques in sarcopenia detection and diagnosis, noting challenges such as data accessibility, data imbalance, and feature selection. It suggests that wearable devices, like activity trackers and smartwatches, could offer valuable insights into sarcopenia progression and aid individuals in monitoring and managing their condition. Additionally, the paper investigates the potential of blockchain technology and edge computing in healthcare data storage, discussing models and systems that leverage these technologies to secure patient data privacy and enhance personal health information management. However, it acknowledges the limitations of these models and systems, including inefficiencies in handling large volumes of medical data and the lack of dynamic selection capability. In conclusion, the paper provides a comprehensive summary of current sarcopenia research, emphasizing the potential of modern technologies in enhancing the detection and management of the condition while also highlighting the need for further research to address challenges in standardization, data management, and effective technology use.
Use of Light Spectra for Efficient Production of PLBs in Temperate Terrestrial Orchids
Authors: Naderi Boldaji Hossein , Dianati Daylami Shirin , Vahdati Kourosh
Published: September 2023

Wild orchids, especially the terrestrial temperate ones are endangered species due to challenges in their natural habitats. Therefore, there is an urgent need to introduce efficient propagation methods to overcome the natural reproduction problems of these orchids. In this study, the effects of different light spectrums, explant types, wounding, and combinations of different plant growth regulators (PGRs) on direct somatic embryogenesis (DSE) of two species of these endangered orchids listed in the conservation category, were studied. The highest percentages of DSE formation and embryo germination were observed in Dactylorhiza umberosa protocorm explants exposed to white light (400–730 nm) and in Epipactis veratifolia protocorm explants exposed to a combination of red and far-red spectra (R: FR = 70:30). This occurred while red (610–700) alone and in combination with far-red (710–730 nm) spectrum induced embryogenesis more than the blue spectrum and dark condition in E. veratifolia. Thidiazuron (TDZ, 3 mg L−1), produced the highest percentage of protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) on protocorm explants in both orchids. Kinetin (Kin, 2 mg L−1) and Benzyladenine (BA 3 mg L−1) had the most effect on the survival and growth of PLBs, respectively, in D. umberosa and E. veratifolia. Species did not show similar embryogenesis responses under light spectrums. In a medium containing 3 mg L−1 TDZ, white light and R-FR spectra produced the most PLBs on wounded protocorm explants of D. umberosa and E. veratifolia respectively. The developmental stage of apical meristem of PLBs in both species was more advanced under R-B spectra, compared to others.
Physiological and Molecular Responses of Apocynum venetum L. (Apocynaceae) on Salt Stress
Authors: Li Lulu , Wang Jingyang , Qian Cheng , Zhang Cuiping , Wang Haixia , Li Wei , Zhao Han , Ju Yiqian
Published: September 2023

Soil salinization is a crucial factor that impacts plant distribution and growth. Apocynum venetum, an ornamental plant with medicinal value, has shown remarkable salt tolerance. However, the specific mechanisms through which A. venetum responds to salt stress are not yet fully understood. To address this gap, we conducted a study where 10-week-old A. venetum seedlings were subjected to salt stress by irrigating them with a nutrient solution containing varying concentrations of NaCl (0, 100, 200, and 350 mmol·L−1). After the salt stress treatment, various growth indicators (such as plant height, root length, root fresh weight, root dry weight, leaf fresh weight, leaf dry weight, root water content, leaf water content, and root–leaf ratio) as well as physiological indicators (including SOD and CAT activities in both leaves and roots, soluble protein contents in leaves and roots, and chlorophyll and carotene contents in leaves) were determined. In addition, the gene expression profile of roots under salt stress was examined by transcriptome sequencing to explore the mechanism of salt response in A. venetum. Our results show that salt stress led to yellowing and wilting of A. venetum seedling leaves. Furthermore, the chlorophyll and carotenoid contents in the leaves of the 350 mmol·L−1 NaCl-treated group were significantly reduced. Although the leaf and root biomass gradually decreased with an increase in the salt concentration, the root–leaf ratio exhibited a decreasing trend. NaCl stress also caused significant changes in physiological indices in the A. venntum leaves and roots. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) increased in both leaves and roots of the 100 mmol·L−1 NaCl-treated group. The soluble protein content in both leaves and roots increased under the 200 mmol·L−1 NaCl stress. To screen changes in root gene expression, transcriptome sequencing and qRT-PCR were performed. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that salt stress primarily affects carbohydrate metabolism, MAPK signaling transduction, phytohormone signaling pathways, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, and other pathways. This study provides a novel understanding of the growth and physiological response of A. venetum leaf and root to NaCl stress, as well as the changes in the transcription levels in A. venetum root. The results serve as a reference for future research on salt-tolerant mechanisms and molecular breeding of A. venetum.
An HSP90 Inhibitor Overcomes FLT3 Inhibitor Resistance in FLT3/ITD-Positive Leukemia Cells with an N676K Mutation
Authors: Ogata Hiraku , Minami Yosuke
Published: September 2023

FLT3 mutations are frequently identified in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In particular, FLT3-ITD is known to be an indicator of a poor prognosis. FLT3 inhibitors have improved the treatment outcomes of AML patients with mutated FLT3. However, several drug-resistance mechanisms have been reported, and new clinical strategies to overcome drug resistance are needed. Heat shock protein (HSP) 90 is a molecular chaperone that mediates the correct folding and functionality of its client proteins, including FLT3. In the present study, we investigated the effects of an HSP90 inhibitor on FLT3 inhibitor-resistant AML cells. Using MOLM-13 (an AML cell line harboring FLT3-ITD), we established FLT3-selective inhibitor (FI-700)-resistant cell lines with an FLT3 N676K mutation. An HSP90 inhibitor (17-AAG) inhibited the growth of the cell lines, and combination treatment with FI-700 and 17-AAG showed synergistic inhibition. The underlying mechanism is thought to be as follows: HSP90 inhibits the association between HSP90 and FLT3, and thus reduces the phosphorylation of FLT3 and its downstream signaling proteins, which induces the consequent degradation of FLT3. In summary, we demonstrated that the HSP90 inhibitor could inhibit the cell growth of FLT3 inhibitor-resistant AML cells. Our results suggest that HSP90 is a promising molecular target in relapsed/refractory AML.
Survival Prediction in Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Popa Alina Delia , Gavril Radu Sebastian , Popa Iolanda Valentina , Mihalache Laura , Gherasim Andreea , Niță George , Graur Mariana , Arhire Lidia Iuliana , Niță Otilia
Published: September 2023

Our paper proposes the first machine learning model to predict long-term mortality in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). The study includes 635 patients with DFUs admitted from January 2007 to December 2017, with a follow-up period extending until December 2020. Two multilayer perceptron (MLP) classifiers were developed. The first MLP model was developed to predict whether the patient will die in the next 5 years after the current hospitalization. The second MLP classifier was built to estimate whether the patient will die in the following 10 years. The 5-year and 10-year mortality models were based on the following predictors: age; the University of Texas Staging System for Diabetic Foot Ulcers score; the Wagner–Meggitt classification; the Saint Elian Wound Score System; glomerular filtration rate; topographic aspects and the depth of the lesion; and the presence of foot ischemia, cardiovascular disease, diabetic nephropathy, and hypertension. The accuracy for the 5-year and 10-year models was 0.7717 and 0.7598, respectively (for the training set) and 0.7244 and 0.7087, respectively (for the test set). Our findings indicate that it is possible to predict with good accuracy the risk of death in patients with DFUs using non-invasive and low-cost predictors.
Investigating the Operation of an LNG Carrier as a Floating Power Generating Plant (FPGP)
Authors: Manos Anastasios , Lyridis Dimitrios , Prousalidis John , Sofras Elias
Published: September 2023

The paper provides a novel alternative solution for the old generation turbine LNG carriers (LNG/Cs) in order to extend their life cycle, thus avoiding their demolition. Nowadays, the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel for the production of electricity is predominant against other fossil fuels. LNG has been widely recognized as the most promising alternative fuel, combining both high efficiency and environmental friendliness. The old generation of steam turbine LNG/Cs with the distinct disadvantage of a low thermal efficiency ratio, leading to higher fuel costs, are coming to a crossroad, which is either to keep the vessel on duty until the end of their life cycle, earning low fares as those are not preferred from the charterers, or to change the use of the vessel, converting them either to a FSRU (floating storage regasification unit) or to a FPGP (floating power generating plant). In this paper, the last alternative is proposed via a holistic examination of the techno-economical (the CBA performed calculates all related metrics) but also in terms of the electric energy market by utilizing power purchase agreements (PPAs) and the contracts for difference (CfDs). This conversion into an FPGO is a novel approach providing a ‘win–win’ solution scheme, on the one hand, to areas with the non-economical bunkering chain of LNG along with non-expensive electricity production, while on the other hand, it provides an extension of the profitable life cycle of the LNG/Cs under study, which would otherwise have been considered of obsolete technology. The proposition is supported by figurative numerical case studies that help extract tangible conclusions regarding the degree of the investment viability.
Propagating Particle Tracking Uncertainty Defined by Fuzzy Numbers in Spatially Variable Velocity Fields
Authors: Blanken Hauke , Valeo Caterina , Hannah Charles G. , Khan Usman T.
Published: September 2023

Accurate prediction of the trajectories of material drifting on the ocean surface is critical for risk assessment and responses to environmental emergencies. Prediction of these trajectories is subject to uncertainty arising from a number of sources, with a primary source being uncertainty in the modelled ocean surface currents and winds used as input to the trajectory model. This article presents a fuzzy number-based algorithm for propagating uncertainty through a particle tracking scheme in a time- and space-varying velocity field. The performance of the algorithm was tested by applying it to idealized, analytical velocity fields and scoring the results against the analytical solution. Both epistemic and aleatoric uncertainty were considered and combined using a fractional Brownian motion model for temporal autocorrelation of the uncertainty. In the evaluation of the algorithm, sensitivity was quantified with respect to parameters such as timestep size, resolution of the forcing velocity field, spatial and temporal gradients in the forcing, and resolution of the applied uncertainty. Parameter values optimizing uncertainty representation and computational cost were identified. The applied uncertainty was found to evolve in agreement with classical relative dispersion relationships.
Edible and Medicinal Macrofungi
Authors: Zhao Rui-Lin
Published: September 2023

Macrofungi are well known as mushrooms, which belong mostly to Basidiomycota with a few from Ascomycota, and up to now, around 40,000 species have been described. In people’s lives, macrofungi are closely related to our economic activities, especially for food and medicine. “One meat, one vegetable and one mushroom” has become a healthy and fashionable dietary structure, and the global edible mushroom production and cultivating area are steadily rising. On the other hand, a large number of mushroom species and new active components have been found, and have become one of the driving forces of innovation of drugs and health products, especially with the development of biochemistry, enzyme engineering, and genetic engineering. Thus, macrofungi in food, medicine, and other aspects have shown a broad prospect. In this Special Issue, research on new species and related molecular phylogenies, mechanisms of hyphae polar growing and basidiocarp formation, biochemistry of edible and medical mushrooms, and some important scientific questions related to the edible mushroom industry are presented, which also reflect the hot areas of common concern on edible and medicinal fungi.
Downscaling Global Land-Use Scenario Data to the National Level: A Case Study for Belgium
Authors: Rashidi Parinaz , Patil Sopan D. , Schipper Aafke M. , Alkemade Rob , Rosa Isabel
Published: September 2023

Land use change scenarios, and their projected impacts on biodiversity, are highly relevant at local scales but not adequately captured by the coarse spatial resolutions of global land use models. In this study, we used the land use allocation tool of the GLOBIO 4 model to downscale the Land Use Harmonization v2 (LUH2) data from their original spatial resolution (0.25°) to 100 m and 10 m resolutions, using the country of Belgium as an example. Inputs to the tool included: (1) a reference present-day land cover map at the high spatial resolution, (2) regional land demand projections for three future scenarios, Sustainability (SSP1xRCP2.6), Regional Rivalry (SSP3xRCP6.0), and Fossil-fuelled Development (SSP5xRCP8.5), and (3) raster layers representing the suitability of the grid cells for different land use types. We further investigated the impact of using different reference land cover maps (CORINE at 100 m resolution and ESA WorldCover at 100 m and 10 m resolutions) on the downscaling outcomes. Comparison of downscaled current and future land use maps with the original LUH2 dataset showed that the use of ESA WorldCover as a reference map provides better agreement (RSR: 0.11–0.24, overall accuracy: 0.94–0.98, Kappa: 0.91–0.97) than CORINE (RSR: 0.28–0.33, overall accuracy: 0.90–0.93, Kappa: 0.90–0.91). Additionally, the validation of the present-day downscaled maps showed a good agreement with the independent Copernicus Global Land Service dataset. Our findings suggest that the choice of reference land cover map influences the degree of agreement between the downscaled and the original coarse-grain land-use maps. Moreover, the land use maps produced using our downscaling approach can provide valuable insights into the potential impacts of land use change on biodiversity and can guide local decision-making processes for sustainable land management and conservation efforts.
Identification of Colon Immune Cell Marker Genes Using Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Yang Yong , Zhang Yuhang , Ren Jingxin , Feng Kaiyan , Li Zhandong , Huang Tao , Cai Yudong
Published: September 2023

Immune cell infiltration that occurs at the site of colon tumors influences the course of cancer. Different immune cell compositions in the microenvironment lead to different immune responses and different therapeutic effects. This study analyzed single-cell RNA sequencing data in a normal colon with the aim of screening genetic markers of 25 candidate immune cell types and revealing quantitative differences between them. The dataset contains 25 classes of immune cells, 41,650 cells in total, and each cell is expressed by 22,164 genes at the expression level. They were fed into a machine learning-based stream. The five feature ranking algorithms (last absolute shrinkage and selection operator, light gradient boosting machine, Monte Carlo feature selection, minimum redundancy maximum relevance, and random forest) were first used to analyze the importance of gene features, yielding five feature lists. Then, incremental feature selection and two classification algorithms (decision tree and random forest) were combined to filter the most important genetic markers from each list. For different immune cell subtypes, their marker genes, such as KLRB1 in CD4 T cells, RPL30 in B cell IGA plasma cells, and JCHAIN in IgG producing B cells, were identified. They were confirmed to be differentially expressed in different immune cells and involved in immune processes. In addition, quantitative rules were summarized by using the decision tree algorithm to distinguish candidate immune cell types. These results provide a reference for exploring the cell composition of the colon cancer microenvironment and for clinical immunotherapy.
Review of Predicting Synergistic Drug Combinations
Authors: Pan Yichen , Ren Haotian , Lan Liang , Li Yixue , Huang Tao
Published: September 2023

The prediction of drug combinations is of great clinical significance. In many diseases, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and stomach ulcers, the simultaneous use of two or more drugs has shown clear efficacy. It has greatly reduced the progression of drug resistance. This review presents the latest applications of methods for predicting the effects of drug combinations and the bioactivity databases commonly used in drug combination prediction. These studies have played a significant role in developing precision therapy. We first describe the concept of synergy. we study various publicly available databases for drug combination prediction tasks. Next, we introduce five algorithms applied to drug combinatorial prediction, which include traditional machine learning methods, deep learning methods, mathematical methods, systems biology methods and search algorithms. In the end, we sum up the difficulties encountered in prediction models.
Influence of Molecular Structure on the Physicochemical and Tribological Properties of Biolubricants: A Review
Authors: Sanjurjo Claudia , Rodríguez Eduardo , Viesca José L. , Battez A. Hernández
Published: September 2023

The increase in the price of crude oil, the environmental impact, or the depletion of fossil resources has increased the need for bio-based alternatives. This has led to the search for renewable, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly raw materials to obtain lubricants that meet these characteristics. This review deals with the state of the art of biolubricants along with their most common raw materials and molecular structures, processes of chemical modification of bio-oils, as well as the relationship between their structural features and physicochemical/tribological properties. This review concludes that the production of fatty acid alkyl esters from vegetable oils is the most promising chemical route to produce a wide range of biolubricants through double transesterification reactions. It also highlights the need to explore this route for the production of microalgae-derived biolubricants due to its environmental benefits during cultivation and production processes.