bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic polymorphisms of bone marrow stromal cell antigen-1 (BST-1/CD157): implications for immune/inflammatory dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders
Authors: Yokoyama Shigeru
Published: May 2023

Bone marrow stromal cell antigen-1 (BST-1/CD157) is an immune/inflammatory regulator that functions as both nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-metabolizing ectoenzyme and cell-surface signaling receptor. BST-1/CD157 is expressed not only in peripheral tissues, but in the central nervous system (CNS). Although its pathophysiological significance in the CNS is still unclear, clinical genetic studies over a decade have begun revealing relationships between BST-1/CD157 and neuropsychiatric diseases including Parkinson’s disease, autism spectrum disorders, sleep disorders, depressive disorders and restless leg syndrome. This review summarizes the accumulating evidence for the involvement of BST-1/CD157 in these disorders.
Long-term partial response in a patient with liver metastasis of primary adrenocortical carcinoma with adjuvant mitotane plus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and microwave ablation: a case report
Authors: Deng Jianhua , Wei Lihui , Fan Qihuang , Wu Zoey , Ji Zhigang
Published: May 2023

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare, heterogeneous, and aggressive malignancy with a generally poor prognosis. Surgical resection is the optimal treatment plan. After surgery, both mitotane treatment or the etoposide-doxorubicin-cisplatin (EDP) protocol plus mitotane chemotherapy have a certain effect, but there is still an extremely high possibility of recurrence and metastasis. The liver is one of the most common metastatic targets. Therefore, techniques such as transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and microwave ablation (MWA) for liver tumors can be attempted in a specific group of patients. We present the case of a 44-year-old female patient with primary ACC, who was diagnosed with liver metastasis 6 years after resection. During mitotane treatment, we performed four courses of TACE and two MWA procedures in accordance with her clinical condition. The patient has maintained the partial response status and has currently returned to normal life to date. This case illustrates the value of the practical application of mitotane plus TACE and MWA treatment.
LncRNAs and regulated cell death in tumor cells
Authors: Wu Yingying , Wen Xiaoling , Xia Yufang , Yu Xiao , Lou Yanhui
Published: May 2023

Regulated Cell Death (RCD) is a mode of cell death that occurs through drug or genetic intervention. The regulation of RCDs is one of the significant reasons for the long survival time of tumor cells and poor prognosis of patients. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) which are involved in the regulation of tumor biological processes, including RCDs occurring on tumor cells, are closely related to tumor progression. In this review, we describe the mechanisms of eight different RCDs which contain apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, NETosis, entosis, ferroptosis, autosis and cuproptosis. Meanwhile, their respective roles in the tumor are aggregated. In addition, we outline the literature that is related to the regulatory relationships between lncRNAs and RCDs in tumor cells, which is expected to provide new ideas for tumor diagnosis and treatment.
A new prognostic model including immune biomarkers, genomic proliferation tumor markers (AURKA and MYBL2) and clinical-pathological features optimizes prognosis in neoadjuvant breast cancer patients
Authors: García-Torralba Esmeralda , Navarro Manzano Esther , Luengo-Gil Gines , De la Morena Barrio Pilar , Chaves Benito Asunción , Pérez-Ramos Miguel , Álvarez-Abril Beatriz , Ivars Rubio Alejandra , García-Garre Elisa , Ayala de la Peña Francisco , García-Martínez Elena
Published: May 2023

Background

Up to 30% of breast cancer (BC) patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) will relapse. Our objective was to analyze the predictive capacity of several markers associated with immune response and cell proliferation combined with clinical parameters.

Methods

This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study of BC patients treated with NCT (2001-2010), in whom pretreatment biomarkers were analyzed: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in peripheral blood, CD3+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and gene expression of AURKA, MYBL2 and MKI67 using qRT-PCR.

Results

A total of 121 patients were included. Median followup was 12 years. In a univariate analysis, NLR, TILs, AURKA, and MYBL2 showed prognostic value for overall survival. In multivariate analyses, including hormone receptor, HER2 status, and response to NCT, NLR (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.01-1.75), TILs (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.73-0.93), AURKA (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.00-1.11) and MYBL2 (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.05-1.35) remained as independent predictor variables.

Conclusion

Consecutive addition of these biomarkers to a regression model progressively increased its discriminatory capacity for survival. Should independent cohort studies validate these findings, management of early BC patients may well be changed.
Increasing the Force Exertion of a Soft Actuator Using Externally Attachable Inter-Chamber Plates
Authors: Mészáros Attila , Sárosi József
Published: May 2023

The application of soft actuators has become increasingly common in wearable devices. In this study, we investigated the force characteristics of soft actuators made entirely of elastic material, when equipped with solid external chamber plates of varying thickness that can be attached from the outside. This study examines the effect of these plates on the force characteristics of a fully silicone-based fifteen-chamber soft actuator without any non-stretchable internal components. The parameters of the actuator were determined with consideration of wearable applications, such as rehabilitation devices and exoskeletons. The observed differences in the behavior of the actuator at various pressure levels and plate thicknesses were measured. Furthermore, the effect of the externally inserted plates between the chambers on the passive bending of the actuator was examined. The obtained results were evaluated and compared to determine how external chamber plates of given thicknesses affect the operational performance of a soft actuator.
Criticality for Oblique Detonation Waves Induced by a Finite Wedge in a Hydrogen–Air Mixture
Authors: Qin Jianxiu , Zhu Dehua
Published: May 2023

Two-dimensional oblique detonation waves (ODWs) induced by finite wedges in a stoichiometric hydrogen–air mixture have been investigated numerically based on reactive Euler equations with a detailed chemical reaction model. The main zone affected by the expansion wave emanating from the turning point of a wedge is the flowfield downstream of the intersection point of the oblique shock wave (OSW) and the expansion wave. The ODW would be reduced to Chapman–Jouguet (CJ) detonation or decoupled combustion downstream. Three combustion regimes, detonation, decoupled combustion, and no ignition, were observed successively, as the wedge length decreases. It is found that the location of the intersection point is a key parameter for the detonation initiation. When the intersection point is located upstream of the ODW transition point, the expansion wave may quench ODW. Then, the critical wedge length is obtained by theoretical analysis of wave structures and the initiation criterion of ODWs for finite wedges is proposed. When the wedge length is greater than the critical wedge length, ODWs can be initiated. On the contrary, the initiation of ODWs do not occur. For wedge lengths small enough, no ignition occurs. Previously proposed criteria that use the induction length are also examined and compared with the present critical wedge length criterion in this study, and the latter is proven to achieve better results.
Gust Alleviation by Active–Passive Combined Control of the Flight Platform and Antenna Array for a Flying Wing SensorCraft
Authors: Hao Shuai , Ma Tielin , Wang Yi , Li Huadong , Zhao Shiwei , Tan Puxue
Published: May 2023

SensorCraft is an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) system that integrates unmanned flight platforms and airborne antenna arrays. Under gust loads, the high–aspect–ratio, light–wing structure of SensorCraft has considerable bending and torsion deformation, affecting the flight performance of unmanned flight platforms and leading to the loss of antenna arrays’ electromagnetic performance. Taking SensorCraft as the background, a wing conformal antenna array was designed, an aircraft model with a passive wingtip device was established, a control law was developed by the LQG/LTR method, and a gust alleviation active–passive combined control method of a “LQG/LTR active controller + passive wingtip device” was proposed. By constructing an unsteady aerodynamic reduced–order model (ROM) based on the Volterra series and a conformal array pattern fast method based on the modal form, the effectiveness of the gust alleviation active–passive combined control method on the aircraft platform and antenna array was analyzed. The results show that structural deformation of the wing conformal antenna leads to changes in the main lobe gain, beam direction, and sidelobe level. The active–passive gust alleviation method has obvious advantages. Compared with the LQG/LTR active gust alleviation method, the peak value of wingtip displacement is reduced by 15.6%, and the peak value of the gain loss is reduced by 0.72 dB, which is conducive to better performance of the airborne conformal antenna array.
Toxicity of the Hexane Fraction of Fruits and Seeds of Ricinus communis to Caterpillars of the Spodoptera Complex
Authors: Bordin Tayná Alessandra , Henning Leonardo de Lima , Rodrigues Mateus Gobo , Oldoni Tatiane Luiza Cadorin , Carvalho Geraldo Andrade , Potrich Michele , Lozano Everton Ricardi
Published: May 2023

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the hexane fraction of the crude extract of the fruits and seeds of Ricinus communis (HFFSRC) on eggs of Spodoptera cosmioides and Spodoptera frugiperda and on caterpillars of Spodoptera eridania, S. frugiperda, and S. cosmioides, under laboratory conditions through topical application and ingestion, as well as to identify the compounds in the hexane fraction through high-performance chromatography (HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS). To do so, three bioassays were conducted: (1) the effect of HFFSRC at 2% (20,000 mg·mL−1) on eggs of S. cosmioides and S. frugiperda, (2) the lethal effect of HFFSRC at 2% applied topically, and (3) the lethal effect of HFFSRC at 2% applied to soybean-leaf discs on first-, second-, third-, and fourth-instar caterpillars of the three insect species. It was found that 2% HFFSRC had an ovicidal effect on S. frugiperda and S. cosmioides, completely reducing larvae hatching and the insecticidal effect for the four instars of the three insect species when applied topically and on food. Five compounds were identified in the HFFSRC: three flavonoids, one ricinoleic acid, and one cinnamic acid. HFFSRC at 2% had an acute ovicidal and insecticidal effect on caterpillars of the studied species, configuring itself as a potential insecticide.
Effects of Airflow Disturbance on the Content of Biochemical Components and Mechanical Properties of Cucumber Seedling Stems
Authors: Hou Min , Ni Jiheng , Mao Hanping
Published: May 2023

In order to explore the changes in biochemical components and mechanical properties of cucumber seedlings with dwarfing characteristics under airflow disturbance treatment, ‘Jinyou No. 1’ cucumber seedlings were used as experimental materials and the split-plot design was used. The cucumber seedlings were treated with airflow disturbance with two airflow temperatures of 25 ± 5 °C and 35 ± 5 °C as the main factors and four airflow velocities of 1, 3, 6 and 9 m/s as the secondary factors. At the same time, cucumber seedlings without airflow disturbance were used as controls to study the effects of airflow temperature and velocity on the biochemical components and mechanical properties of cucumber seedling stems. The results showed that with the increase in airflow velocity, the content of the stems’ biochemical components increased to varying degrees, and the bending load, shear load, elastic modulus, bending strength and shear strength of the seedling stems also increased. Under the same airflow velocity, the biochemical component content and the accepted load of seedlings under the 25 ± 5 °C airflow temperature treatment were larger than those under the 35 ± 5 °C airflow greenhouse treatment, but the elastic modulus, bending strength and shear strength of seedlings under the 25 ± 5 °C airflow temperature treatment were lesser than those under the 35 ± 5 °C airflow temperature treatment. Using the grey relational analysis method, the correlation degree between the biochemical components of the stem and the mechanical properties of the stem was different. The correlation degree between the biochemical components of the seedling stem and the mechanical properties under different airflow temperature treatments was significant. The correlation degree between the biochemical components of the seedling stem and the mechanical properties under different airflow velocity treatments was greater than 0.60, indicating that the biochemical components of the seedling stem under airflow velocity treatments had a greater influence on the mechanical properties. In summary, airflow disturbance significantly affected the biochemical components and mechanical properties of cucumber seedlings. The biochemical components and mechanical properties of seedlings were negatively correlated with airflow temperature and positively correlated with airflow velocity. With a decrease in airflow temperature and an increase in airflow velocity, the biochemical components and mechanical properties of seedlings increased.
Intensive Meadows on Organic Soils of Temperate Climate–Useful Value of Grass Mixtures after the Regeneration
Authors: Kitczak Teodor , Jänicke Heidi , Bury Marek , Jarnuszewski Grzegorz
Published: May 2023

Meadows on organic soils perform an essential role as a source of fodder and biomass for energy purposes. In the case of intensive meadows, it is crucial to use grass mixtures that enable obtaining high yields of good quality; however, on organic soils, the grass species composition changes dynamically. We carried out the full cultivation (ploughing) for grassland restoration. The floristic composition of meadow sward in the first year of full use (2013) was similar to the composition of mixtures used for sowing (2012) individual plots. Festuca arundinacea and Phleum pratense showed greater resistance to low temperatures in winter and excess water in spring compared to Lolium perenne. In comparison, we obtained the highest yield (fresh and dry mass) from mixtures with Festuca arundinacea and Lolium perenne. We obtained the best quality forage from the first swath and the object with the highest share of Lolium perenne. For grassland restoration in the analysed habitat, it is reasonable to use grass mixtures with varied compositions, in which the share of Lolium perenne is between 25–50%.
The Long-Term Impact of Famine Experience on Harvest Losses
Authors: Zhang Kunyang , Luo Yi , Han Yan
Published: May 2023

Approximately one-third of the global food supply is lost or wasted each year. Given that the harvesting process is the initial stage following food production, minimizing losses in this crucial phase holds paramount significance in augmenting the food supply and ensuring food security. The 1959–1961 famine in China was one of the most catastrophic events in history and had long-term effects on human beings, particularly farmers. This paper aims to provide a new perspective on the variations in harvest losses across age cohorts by examining the impact of famine experiences. Using survey data from the 2016 Postproduction Food Loss and Waste Survey conducted by China Agricultural University and the Rural Economic Research Center, which involved 3538 farming households across 28 provinces, we construct a cohort difference-in-difference (DID) model to investigate the impact of famine experience on household harvest losses. The standard cohort DID estimation results indicate that in areas with severe famine, a 1% increase in excess mortality would reduce the rate of harvest loss by 3%, suggesting that farmers who have experienced extreme famine have a deeper memory of the event, which subsequently helps them reduce harvest losses. Moreover, the results of the heterogeneity test reveal that the more serious the famine that the household head experienced in early life was, the less harvest losses there were, particularly for those who were adolescents during the famine. The findings elucidate the importance of historical events in shaping current behaviors and contribute to a better understanding of the variation in harvest losses across age cohorts.
Design and Motion Process of Air-Sieve Castor Cleaning Device Based on Discrete Element Method
Authors: Hou Junming , Liu Xu , Zhu Hongjie , Ma Zhi , Tang Ziyuan , Yu Yachen , Jin Jiuyu , Wang Wei
Published: May 2023

In order to improve the cleaning effect of the castor shelling mixture, an air-sieve castor cleaning device was developed. The structure of the cleaning device was optimized by experiment and simulation based on the discrete element method. The results show that the sieving efficiency of the square distribution is 98.23% and the loss rate is 2.39%, both of which are better than the triangular distribution. The sieving efficiency in the condition of a 14 mm sieve hole diameter is 98.23%. For the conditions of 15 mm and 16 mm sieve hole diameters, the sieving efficiencies are 96.64% and 96.69%, respectively. Therefore, a sieve hole diameter of 14 mm is more beneficial for the sieving of castor capsules. The sieving efficiency is 94.0–99.5%, and the loss rate is 0.5–3.0% under 5–9° sieve inclination. The cleaning effect is better through comprehensive analysis when the sieve surface inclination is 8°. The parameters of maximum sieving efficiency combination, minimum loss rate combination, and optimal cleaning effect were obtained by optimizing the operating parameters of the cleaning device. The operating parameters were adjusted, and then the three combinations of parameters were tested. It is found that the impurity content of castor seeds is within 1%, which meets the requirements of the device design. This study can provide a reference for developing high-efficiency castor cleaning devices.
Validation and Application of Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for the Analysis of Glyphosate, Aminomethylphosphonic Acid (AMPA), and Glufosinate in Soil
Authors: Leyva-Morales José Belisario , Cabrera Rosina , Bastidas-Bastidas Pedro de Jesús , Valenzuela-Quintanar Ana Isabel , Pérez-Camarillo Juan Pablo , González-Mendoza Víctor Manuel , Perea-Domínguez Xiomara Patricia , Márquez-Pacheco Henri , Amillano-Cisneros Jesús Mateo , Badilla-Medina César Noé , Ontíveros-García Luz Adriana , Cruz-Acevedo Edgar
Published: May 2023

A method was developed to determine glyphosate, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), and glufosinate in soil. The worldwide use of this herbicide in agricultural activities, and its known negative effects on both the environment and health, have generated interest in the establishment of methodologies for its determination in several matrices at trace level. The development of analytical methods for the determination of glyphosate, AMPA, and glufosinate is challenging due to its present amphoteric properties, high solubility in water, low molecular weight, high affinity to the ions presents in the soil, and lack of chromophore groups in its structure, making its quantification difficult. The proposed method exhibits a linear range from 5.0 to 600 µg/kg with limits of detection of 1.37, 0.69 and 1.22 μg/kg, limits of quantification of 4.11, 2.08, and 3.66 μg/kg for glyphosate, AMPA, and glufosinate, respectively, and adequate repeatability and reproducibility (coefficients of variation <8.0% and recovery percentages between 93.56% and 99.10%). The matrix effect was calculated for each analyte, proving to be a good alternative for the determination of these contaminants. The described method was applied to 46 soil samples collected from crop fields in Hidalgo, Mexico, with concentrations varying from not detected to 4.358 μg/kg (for AMPA).
Energy Balance Assessment in Agricultural Systems; An Approach to Diversification
Authors: Dhanapala Susanthika , Nilmalgoda Helitha , Gunathilake Miyuru B. , Rathnayake Upaka , Wimalasiri Eranga M.
Published: May 2023

The energy in agricultural systems is two-fold: transformation and utilization. The assessment and proper use of energy in agricultural systems is important to achieve economic benefits and overall sustainability. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the energy balance of crop and livestock production, net energy ratio (NER), and water use efficiency (WUE) of crops of a selected farm in Sri Lanka using the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. In order to assess the diversification, 18 crops and 5 livestock types were used. The data were obtained from farm records, personal contacts, and previously published literature. Accordingly, the energy balance in crop production and livestock production was −316.87 GJ ha−1 Year−1 and 758.73 GJ Year−1, respectively. The energy related WUE of crop production was 31.35 MJ m−3. The total energy balance of the farm was 736.2 GJ Year−1. The results show a negative energy balance in crop production indicating an efficient production system, while a comparatively higher energy loss was shown from the livestock sector. The procedure followed in this study can be used to assess the energy balance of diversified agricultural systems, which is important for agricultural sustainability. This can be further developed to assess the carbon footprint in agricultural systems.
Monitoring Patch Expansion Amends to Evaluate the Effects of Non-Chemical Control on the Creeping Perennial Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. in a Spring Wheat Crop
Authors: Weigel Marian Malte , Andert Sabine , Gerowitt Bärbel
Published: May 2023

The creeping perennial weed species Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. occurs in patches. Expanding creeping roots allow these patches to increase their covered area. This characteristic has rarely been addressed when investigating the effects of control options in arable fields. We designed a three-year field experiment (2019–2021) in north-eastern Germany, accounting for existing patch patterns. The experimental setup included an untreated control, a competition treatment (cover crop, CC), two disturbance treatments by mouldboard ploughing (PL), root cutting (RC), and four combined applications (RC + CC, PL + CC, PL + RC, PL + RC + CC). Root cutting was performed by a prototype tillage machine produced by “Kverneland”. Plots were defined by the species growth pattern and mapped by GPS and UAV. The experiment investigates the thistle response variables: “Expansion”, “Density”, “Coverage”, and “Height”. Treatments including disturbance by ploughing (PL, PL + CC, PL + RC, PL + RC + CC) reduced “Density” by the factor 0.15 and “Expansion” by 0.25, while those without ploughing (CC, RC, RC + CC) only reduced “Density” by the factor 0.68 and “Expansion” by 0.71. Adding root cuttings or cover crops did not further increase the reduction effect of ploughing. Treatments with competition by cover crops impacted “Expansion” more clearly than “Density”. When cover crops were combined with root cutting (RC + CC), “Expansion” was almost additively reduced, resulting in a reduction comparable to that of ploughing. The “Height” of the shoots was significantly reduced in four treatments (PL, RC + CC, PL + RC, PL + RC + CC), while “Coverage” did not change significantly. UAV patch monitoring proved to be accurate enough for thistle “Expansion” but not for thistle “Density” within the patch. The results of this study demand innovative research when controlling patch-forming creeping perennial weeds. The need for patches will limit small-scale experimental set ups.
Spray-Dried Animal Plasma as a Multifaceted Ingredient in Pet Food
Authors: Vasconcellos Ricardo Souza , Henríquez Lucas Ben Fiuza , Lourenço Patrick dos Santos
Published: May 2023

Plasma is a co-product from pork and beef obtained during the processing of animals for human consumption. The spray-drying process maintains the solubility of spray-dried animal plasma (SDAP) and its nutritional and functional properties, making this ingredient multifunctional in human and animal nutrition. In pet food, SDAP has been used in the production of wet foods (pates and chunks in gravy) as an emulsifying and binding agent, with the potential to replace hydrocolloids partially or totally, which have some negative implications for digestibility, fecal quality, and intestinal inflammation. From a nutritional point of view, SDAP has high digestibility and an amino acid profile compatible with high-quality ingredients, such as powdered eggs. Studies in companion animals, especially in cats, have shown that SDAP is an ingredient with high palatability. Despite the immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, prebiotic, and neuroprotective properties demonstrated in some animal models, there are still few publications demonstrating these effects in dogs and cats, which limits its use as a functional ingredient for these species. In this review, the potential use of SDAP in pet food, aspects related to the sustainability of this ingredient, and opportunities for studies in companion animals are discussed.
Butterfly Communities Vary under Different Urbanization Types in City Parks
Authors: Lin Ying , Huang Shanjun , Fang Wenqiang , Zhao Yujie , Huang Ziluo , Zheng Ruoxian , Huang Jingkai , Dong Jiaying , Fu Weicong
Published: May 2023

Butterflies are key indicators of urban biodiversity and one of the most vulnerable organism groups to environmental changes. Studying how butterflies are distributed and what factors might influence them in urban green spaces is crucial. In this study, from July 2022 to September 2022, we examined and analyzed the butterfly diversity in nine parks in Fuzhou, China, along three different levels of urbanization (urban, peri-urban, and suburban). We investigated how butterfly communities respond to increasing urbanization. The findings revealed that: (1) A total of 427 butterfly individuals from 4 families and 13 species were observed; (2) Shannon diversity, richness, and abundance of the overall butterfly community were lower in the more urbanized parks. Urbanization had significant effects on Shannon diversity (p = 0.003) and abundance (p = 0.007) but no significant effects on the whole butterfly community richness (p = 0.241); (3) non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed that there were differences in the overall number of butterfly species in urban parks among different geographic regions.
Effects of Different Feeding Durations on Ileum Length and Weight and Basal Endogenous Loss of Phosphorus in Broiler Chickens Fed a Phosphorus-Free Diet
Authors: An Su Hyun , Kong Changsu
Published: May 2023

The study investigated the effects of feeding duration on the length and weight of the ileum, and basal endogenous loss (BEL) of phosphorus (P) on broiler chickens fed a P-free diet (PFD). A standard starter diet was fed to 384 birds for 15 days. On day 15, they were weighed and randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups in a randomized complete block design, with eight replicate cages per treatment and 16 birds per cage. The birds in each treatment group were fed the PFD for 2, 3, or 4 days. There was an increase in growth performance (p < 0.05) as the PFD feeding duration increased from 2 to 4 days. Although the relative dry weight of the ileum (mg/100 g of body weight) decreased linearly (p < 0.05) as the PFD feeding duration increased, the amount of dried ileal digesta (g/bird) was not affected. The BEL of P was 110.2, 128.2, and 133.6 mg/kg of dry matter intake in birds fed the PFD for 2, 3, and 4 days, respectively. Feeding a PFD to broiler chickens for 2, 3, or 4 days did not change P BEL.
Inverse Association between the Existence of CRISPR/Cas Systems with Antibiotic Resistance, Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase and Carbapenemase Production in Multidrug, Extensive Drug and Pandrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Jwair Noor A. , Al-Ouqaili Mushtak T. S. , Al-Marzooq Farah
Published: May 2023

Antimicrobial resistance, with the production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) and carbapenemases, is common in the opportunistic pathogen, Klebsiella pneumoniae. This organism has a genome that can contain clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs), which operate as a defense mechanism against external invaders such as plasmids and viruses. This study aims to determine the association of the CRISPR/Cas systems with antibiotic resistance in K. pneumoniae isolates from Iraqi patients. A total of 100 K. pneumoniae isolates were collected and characterized according to their susceptibility to different antimicrobial agents. The CRISPR/Cas systems were detected via PCR. The phenotypic detection of ESBLs and carbapenemases was performed. The production of ESBL was detected in 71% of the isolates. Carbapenem-resistance was detected in 15% of the isolates, while only 14% were susceptible to all antimicrobial agents. Furthermore, the bacteria were classified into multidrug (77%), extensively drug-resistant (11.0%) and pandrug-resistant (4.0%). There was an inverse association between the presence of the CRISPR/Cas systems and antibiotic resistance, as resistance was higher in the absence of the CRISPR/Cas system. Multidrug resistance in ESBL-producing and carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae occurred more frequently in strains negative for the CRISPR/Cas system. Thus, we conclude that genes for exogenous antibiotic resistance can be acquired in the absence of the CRISPR/Cas modules that can protect the bacteria against acquiring foreign DNA.
Efficiency of δ-Tocopherol in Inhibiting Lipid Oxidation in Emulsions: Effects of Surfactant Charge and of Surfactant Concentration
Authors: Martínez-Senra Tamara , Losada-Barreiro Sonia , Bravo-Díaz Carlos
Published: May 2023

Charged interfaces may play an important role in the fate of chemical reactions. Alterations in, for instance, the interfacial acidity of emulsions induced by the charge of the surfactant head group and associated counterions may change the ionization status of antioxidants, modifying their effective concentrations. The chemical reactivity between interfacial reactants and charged species of opposite charge (protons, metallic ions, etc.) is usually interpreted in terms of pseudophase ion-exchange models, treating the distribution of charged species in terms of partitioning and ion exchange. Here, we focus on analyzing the effects of charged interfaces on the oxidative stability of soybean oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions prepared with anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS), cationic (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) and neutral (Tween 20) surfactants, and some of their mixtures, in the presence and absence of δ-tocopherol (δ-TOC). We have also determined the effective concentrations of δ-TOC in the oil, interfacial and aqueous regions of the intact emulsions. In the absence of δ-TOC, the relative oxidative stability order was CTAB < TW20 ~ TW20/CTAB < SDS. Surprisingly, upon the addition of δ-TOC, the relative order was SDS ≈ TW20 << TW20/CTAB < CTAB. These apparently surprising results can be rationalized in terms of the nice correlation that exists between the relative oxidative stability and the effective interfacial concentrations of δ-TOC in the various emulsions. The results emphasize the importance of considering the effective interfacial concentrations of antioxidants in interpreting their relative efficiency in emulsions.
Application of a Cold-Pressing Treatment to Improve Virgin Olive Oil Production and the Antioxidant Phenolic Profile of Its by-Products
Authors: Fernández-Prior África , Cardoso Juan Cubero , Bermúdez-Oria Alejandra , Reyes Ángeles Trujillo , Fernández-Bolaños Juan , Rodríguez-Gutiérrez Guillermo
Published: May 2023

The olive oil sector is continuously evolving in order to improve the quality of olive oil and its by-products. In fact, the trend is to use increasingly greener olives to improve quality by decreasing the extraction yield, thus obtaining a higher content of antioxidant phenolics. The application of a cold-pressing system to the olive before the extraction of oil was tested with three varieties: picual at three different stages of maturity and arbequina and hojiblanca at early stages of maturity. The Abencor system was used for the extraction of virgin olive oil and its by-products. For the quantification of phenols and total sugars for all phases, organic solvent extractions and colorimetric measurements and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a UV detector were used. The results show that the new treatment significantly improved the amount of oil extracted by between 1 and 2% and even increased its concentration of total phenols by up to 33%. Regarding the by-products, the concentrations of the main phenols, such as hydroxytyrosol, increased by almost 50%, as did the glycoside. The treatment also facilitated the separation of phases in by-products and improved the phenolic profile, although not in terms of total phenols, but individual phenols with higher antioxidant activity were obtained.
Mitochondrial Fission as a Therapeutic Target for Metabolic Diseases: Insights into Antioxidant Strategies
Authors: Yu Tianzheng , Wang Li , Zhang Lei , Deuster Patricia A.
Published: May 2023

Mitochondrial fission is a crucial process in maintaining metabolic homeostasis in normal physiology and under conditions of stress. Its dysregulation has been associated with several metabolic diseases, including, but not limited to, obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and cardiovascular diseases. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) serve a vital role in the genesis of these conditions, and mitochondria are both the main sites of ROS production and the primary targets of ROS. In this review, we explore the physiological and pathological roles of mitochondrial fission, its regulation by dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), and the interplay between ROS and mitochondria in health and metabolic diseases. We also discuss the potential therapeutic strategies of targeting mitochondrial fission through antioxidant treatments for ROS-induced conditions, including the effects of lifestyle interventions, dietary supplements, and chemicals, such as mitochondrial division inhibitor-1 (Mdivi-1) and other mitochondrial fission inhibitors, as well as certain commonly used drugs for metabolic diseases. This review highlights the importance of understanding the role of mitochondrial fission in health and metabolic diseases, and the potential of targeting mitochondrial fission as a therapeutic approach to protecting against these conditions.
Dietary Curcumin Attenuates Hepatic Cellular Senescence by Suppressing the MAPK/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Aged Mice
Authors: Lee Da-Yeon , Lee Su-Jeong , Chandrasekaran Prabha , Lamichhane Gopal , O’Connell Jennifer F. , Egan Josephine M. , Kim Yoo
Published: May 2023

Dietary interventions with bioactive compounds have been found to suppress the accumulation of senescent cells and senescence-associated secretory phenotypes (SASPs). One such compound, curcumin (CUR), has beneficial health and biological effects, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but its ability to prevent hepatic cellular senescence is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary CUR as an antioxidant on hepatic cellular senescence and determine its benefits on aged mice. We screened the hepatic transcriptome and found that CUR supplementation led to the downregulation of senescence-associated hepatic gene expressions in both usually fed and nutritionally challenged aged mice. Our results showed that CUR supplementation enhanced antioxidant properties and suppressed mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades in the liver, particularly c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in aged mice and p38 in diet-induced obese aged mice. Furthermore, dietary CUR decreased the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), a downstream transcription factor of JNK and p38, and inhibited the mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines and SASPs. The potency of CUR administration was demonstrated in aged mice via enhanced insulin homeostasis along with declined body weight. Taken together, these results suggest that CUR supplementation may be a nutritional strategy to prevent hepatic cellular senescence.
Exploring Prior Knowledge from Human Mobility Patterns for POI Recommendation
Authors: Song Jingbo , Yi Qiuhua , Gao Haoran , Wang Buyu , Kong Xiangjie
Published: May 2023

Point of interest (POI) recommendation is an important task in location-based social networks. It plays a critical role in smart tourism and makes it more likely for tourists to have personalized travel experiences. However, most current recommendation methods are based on learning the users’ check-in history and the users’ relationship network in the social network to make recommendations.Therefore, urban crowds’ regular travel patterns cannot be effectively utilized. In this paper, we propose a POI recommendation algorithm (HMRec) based on prior knowledge of human mobility patterns to solve this problem. Specifically, we propose the Human Mobility Pattern Extraction (HMPE) framework, which utilizes graph neural networks as extractors for human mobility patterns. The framework incorporates attention mechanisms to capture spatio-temporal information in urban traffic patterns. HMPE employs downstream tasks and design upsampling modules to reconstruct representation vectors for task objectives, enabling end-to-end training of the framework and obtaining pre-trained parameters for the human mobility pattern extractor. Furthermore, we introduce the Human Mobility Recommendation (HMRec) algorithm, which improves feature cross-interactions in the breadth model and incorporates prior knowledge of human patterns. This ensures that the recommendation results align more closely with human travel patterns in urban environments. Comparative experiments conducted on the Foursquare dataset demonstrate that HMRec outperforms baseline models with an average performance improvement of approximately 3%. Finally, we discuss existing challenges and future research directions, including approaches to address the issue of data sparsity.
Simplified Dynamic FEA Simulation for Post-Derailment Train-Behaviour Estimation through the Enhanced Input of Wheel–Ballast Friction Interactions
Authors: Lim Jaehoon , Kong Jungsik
Published: May 2023

With the increasing demands for railway transportation, railway networks have expanded, leading to higher operating frequencies and speeds. However, this has also, in turn, increased the technical complexity of railway transportation systems. Derailment accidents, which occur frequently and have complex outcomes, are primary concerns in such systems. Particularly, derailments cause significant damage to adjacent areas, increasing their severity compared to other railway accidents. However, a majority of research on derailment accidents has focused on preventing or simulating specific situations, whereas the analysis of post-derailment train behaviour still requires improvements. This study aimed to predict post-derailment train behaviour using finite element analysis simulations of simplified train and track models using Korea as a case study; the key factors considered were the operating speed, derailment angle, and ground friction coefficient. Various accident cases in Korea were reviewed and compared with simulated results to verify the proposed model.
Characteristics and Mechanisms of the Zigzag and Spiral Movement of Rising Bubbles in Still Water
Authors: Liu He , Zhang Yajie , Wei Yanju , Mu Zhiqiang , Yang Yajing , Farooq Muhammad Shahid
Published: May 2023

When a bubble rises freely in still water, it often moves along a zigzag or spiral trajectory. In order to explore the mechanism of this movement, an experiment was conducted to record the changes in the movement trajectory and bubble shape. The results show that this movement can be explained by the swing of trailing vortices and the change in vorticity. There is asymmetric shedding of the trailing vortices. The change in bubble velocity caused by the shedding of the bubble trailing vortices will lead to an asymmetric change in the vorticity of the trailing vortices. Two factors lead to an asymmetric change in the drag force of the trailing vortices on both sides of the bubble, resulting in the zigzag trajectory. Only when the aspect ratio λ reaches 2.0 will the bubble move along the zigzag. The trailing vortices moving in two orthogonal directions will lead to a spiral trajectory. The movement of the trailing vortices not only changes the trajectory of the bubble but also changes its shape. The effect of the trailing vortices on the bubble can be equivalent to a low-pressure area around a bubble. When a bubble moves along a zigzag trajectory, the low-pressure area at the trailing of a bubble swings back and forth in a plane, and the bubble is flatter. When moving along a spiral trajectory, the low-pressure area rotates around the trailing of the bubble and becomes more spherical. Compared with a zigzag trajectory, a bubble has a higher velocity and lower frequency when moving along a spiral trajectory.
Research on the Structure Optimization Design of Automobile Intake Pipe
Authors: Li Jingsong , Deng Zehan , Ran Chao
Published: May 2023

As the front end of the intake system, the intake dirty pipe is responsible for delivering sufficient and stable air to the air filter. Therefore, in order to meet the requirements of low intake resistance, it is necessary to correspondingly improve the flow resistance performance of the intake dirty pipe. In this study, the main research object was the intake pipe in the intake system of gasoline engine vehicles, and the internal gas flow field was simulated and analyzed. The results show that there are clear discrete velocity regions at the inlet and elbow, which affect the uniformity of the overall fluid flow and cause a certain pressure loss. After structural optimization, the total pressure difference at the inlet and outlet of the pipeline was reduced by 22.67% compared to the original model, and the total pressure loss was significantly reduced. A simplified model was used to make samples of the intake dirty pipes before and after performance improvement, and flow resistance tests were conducted respectively. The difference between test data and simulation data is within a reasonable range, and the simulation results are relatively reliable.
CFormerFaceNet: Efficient Lightweight Network Merging a CNN and Transformer for Face Recognition
Authors: He Lin , He Lile , Peng Lijun
Published: May 2023

Most face recognition methods rely on deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) that construct multiple layers of processing units in a cascaded form and employ convolution operations to fuse local features. However, these methods are not conducive to modeling the global semantic information of the face and lack attention to important facial feature regions and their spatial relationships. In this work, a Group Depth-Wise Transpose Attention (GDTA) block is designed to effectively capture both local and global representations, mitigate the issue of limited receptive fields in CNNs, and establish long-range dependencies among different feature regions. Based on GDTA and CNNs, a novel, efficient, and lightweight face recognition model called CFormerFaceNet, which combines a CNN and Transformer, is proposed. The model significantly reduces the parameters and computational cost without compromising performance, greatly improving the computational efficiency of deep neural networks in face recognition tasks. The model achieves competitive accuracy on multiple challenging benchmark face datasets, including LFW, CPLFW, CALFW, SLLFW, CFP_FF, CFP_FP, and AgeDB-30, while maintaining the minimum computational cost compared to all other advanced face recognition models. The experimental results using computers and embedded devices also demonstrate that it can meet real-time requirements in practical applications.
Sustainable Agriculture through the Enhancement of Microbial Biocontrol Agents: Current Challenges and New Perspectives
Authors: Gokul Arun , Mabaso Jabulani , Henema Nontuthuko , Otomo Laetitia , Bakare Olalekan Olanrewaju , Klein Ashwil , Daniel Augustine Innalegwu , Omolola Aina , Niekerk Lee-Ann , Nkomo Mbukeni , Keyster Marshall
Published: May 2023

The future of pesticide usage in agriculture is uncertain due to its unsustainability, adverse environmental impacts, and its association in enhanced phytopathogen resistance. Hence, this situation urges the development of new sustainable practices in agriculture. A promising approach involves endophytes, which are non-pathogenic microorganisms inhabiting the interior parts of plants. However, due to the vast diversity and complexity of plant microbiomes, a major gap has formed with regards to endophytic research and its application in phytopathogen biocontrol. The gap has mainly been increasing due to the difficulty of isolating underrepresented endophytes and due to limitation of previous genetic tools availability to further research and understand plant-microbe interaction, endophytic biocontrol capabilities and their biocontrol compounds. This review highlights the current challenges being encountered in this research field. Additionally, the research advances through utilization of specialized techniques (CRISPR/Cas9 system, nanoparticles and multi-omics) are highlighted to assist in elucidating the mechanism revolving around plant-microbe interactions and to generate model systems demonstrating improved biocontrol capabilities of endophytes. The ultimate goal of this review is to provide improved approaches that could be implement in an array of microorganism that will enhance the phytopathogen biocontrol field in order to create a sustainable agricultural sector.
Mathematical Approaches Transform Cybersecurity from Protoscience to Science
Authors: Trenchev Ivan , Dimitrov Willian , Dimitrov Georgi , Ostrovska Tanya , Trencheva Miglena
Published: May 2023

The area of cybersecurity problems has reached the stage of becoming a science. This raises questions about the connection between the mathematical theories used in cybersecurity research and their relation to the methodology for experiments and conceptual models synthesized from the academic community. This research proposes an analytical review of the mathematical ideas used in applied cyber-security and theoretical explorations. This meta viewpoint is dedicated to standard mathematical theories applied in cybersecurity issues. The ground of the work is methodological problems relating to the validation of experiments and models with mathematical ideas in the cybersecurity exploration of digital space. This research emphasizes the application of game theory, catastrophe theory, queuing systems, and Markov chains. The methods are shown without claiming to be exhaustive. The goal is to review the currently established implementation of mathematical approaches to cybersecurity. A spectrum of possibilities for applying mathematical apparatus in future research for cybersecurity is given. After a review of the literature for each presented mathematical approach, we expose a list of problematic areas in which this has already been implemented.