bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alkaloid-Metabolomics & DNA profiles: Role-bioassay-guided differentiation process of Six Annona cultivated in Egypt on anti-cancer therapy
Authors: Mohammed Mona A. , Elzefzafy Nahla , Kachlicki Piotr
Published: February 2023

Trees of the Annona species that grow in the tropics and subtropics contain compounds that are highly valuable for pharmacological research and medication development and have anticancer, antioxidant, and migratory properties. Metabolomics was used to functionally characterize natural products and to distinguish differences between varieties. Natural products are therefore bioactively marked and highly respected in the field of drug innovation. Our study was aimed to assess the inter-relationships among six Annona sp. Using six SCoT and six ISSRs primers taken for DNA fingerprinting we found polymorphism of 45.16 and 35.29%, respectively. The GC-MS-based plant metabolomics was employed to compare profiles of 78 different volatile oil compounds in six Annona sp. and 74 characterized alkaloids compound metabolomics bioassay-guided differentiation process by structural analysis through HPLC-ESI-MSn, UPLC-HESI-MS/MS as antiproliferative activities of five in vitro cell lines. Metabolomics based on high throughput and low sensitive LC/MS enabled the in-depth studies on changes of secondary metabolites with bioassay-guided differentiation process exanimate in the cytotoxic, antioxidant and migration activities of twenty four extract prepared from six Annona sp. were evaluated in vitro. In vitro testing on cell cultures showed a significant concentration- cytotoxic effect on all cell lines (HepG2, HCT, Caco, Mcf-7, and T47D) treated at exposure time (48 h) with six volatile oil samples. Therefore they showed remarkable antioxidant activity simultaneously with a cytotoxic effect. Also the samples which have a significant IC50 showed a considerable effect to stop the metastasis and invasion of different cancer cell lines which makes it an interesting subject for further research.
Huanglian-Renshen-Decoction maintains islet β cell identity in T2DM mice through regulating GLP-1/GLP-1R signaling pathway in both islet and intestine
Authors: Wu Wen bin , Gao Fan , Tang Yue heng , Wang Hong zhan , Dong Hui , Lu Fuer , Yuan Fen
Published: February 2023

Background :This experiment aims to elucidate the effect of HRD on ameliorating diabetes by maintaining islet β cell identity through GLP-1/GLP-1R signaling pathway in both islet and intestine.
Methods: After confirming the hypo-glycemic effect of HRD on T2DM mice, the proliferation, apoptosis and transdifferentiation of islet cell were determined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Then, the mechanism of HRD improving islet cell identity was verified by Western blot, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and PCR.
Results: HRD reduced the weight and blood glucose of the db/db mice, and improved insulin sensitivity at the same time. Moreover, it also increased the number of islet β cell and decreased islet α cell mass. This process is closely related to the transcription factor MafA, PDX1 of the GLP-1/GLP-1R signaling pathway, rather than being produced by proliferation and apoptosis.In further studies, it was found that HRD activated GLP-1/GLP-1R signaling pathway in both islet and intestine. Namely, the levels of GLP-1, GLP-1R, PC1/3, PC2 and other molecules increased significantly.
Conclusion: HRD can maintain the normal function and identity of islet β cell, and the underlying mechanism is related to the activation of islet/intestine GLP-1/GLP-1R signal pathway.
Validity and utility of blood tumor mutational burden is dependent on circulating tumor DNA shed
Authors: Yoshino Takayuki , Mishima Saori , NAKAMURA YOSHIAKI , Tukachinsky Hanna , Taniguchi Hiroya , Kadowaki Shigenori , Kato Ken , Oki Eiji , Sato Taroh , Aoki Daisuke , Yamazaki Kentaro , Esaki Taito , Ueno Makoto , Nishina Tomohiro , Sunakawa Yu , Denda Tadamichi , Bando Hideaki , Kuramoto Naomi , Horasawa Satoshi , Abutani Hikaru , Lee Jessica , Madison Russell , Oxnard Geoffrey R.
Published: February 2023

Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is a genomic biomarker associated with the benefits of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Detection of elevated blood TMB (bTMB) in circulating tumor DNA represents a compelling noninvasive approach. However, the validity and utility of this emerging biomarker across cancer types has not been established. To better understand bTMB landscape, a preliminary analysis of bTMB was performed in a large clinical cohort and MONSTAR-SCREEN. There was higher agreement between TMB and bTMB in samples with higher levels of plasma tumor fraction (TF). Among patients with bTMB-high treated with ICIs, there was a trend toward a higher response rate and longer progression-free survival, which was more pronounced among patients with TF≥10%. Our findings suggest elevated bTMB is correlated with elevated TMB and represents a pragmatic biomarker for assessing ICIs benefits. The utility of this biomarker is likely to be associated with high TF levels, informing future prospective investigations.
Rewilding the Microbiome of Insectary Reared Mosquitoes: Introducing an Environmental Microbiome to Axenic Aedes aegypti
Authors: Steven Blaire , LaReau Jacquelyn , Hyde Josephine , Brackney Doug
Published: February 2023

Axenic Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were colonized with bacteria from an environmental water source to compare the midgut microbiota acquired from the wild to the microbiome of insectary reared mosquitoes, specifically over the course of blood meal digestion. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the diversity, composition, and community structure of the midgut microbiomes were distinct between the insectary and environmental groups, with the environmental microbiomes having a greater diversity and larger temporal shifts over the course of the blood meal. Metagenomic prediction from the 16S rRNA gene sequence data pointed to metabolic processes such as vitamin biosynthesis, fatty acid recycling, and fermentation pathways differentiating the functional potential of the two different microbiomes. To further test if we could identify functional traits that distinguished the two microbiomes we performed a culture-based assay. Culturable bacteria were more abundant in the insectary microbiomes and there was very little overlap in the taxonomy of bacteria recovered from the insectary or environmental groups. The ability of the isolates to lyse blood cells was determined on blood agar plates, and only isolates from the environmental microbiome harbored the ability to perform hemolysis in culture. These data support that the differences in taxonomy observed between the two different microbiomes also results in differences in the functional potential of the community. Thus, this study demonstrates the power of the axenic mosquito model to shed light on the community ecology of the mosquito microbiome, and the potential to better represent the microbiomes of wild mosquitoes in a laboratory setting.
A Compact Zero Bias Diode Detector with Harmonic Rejection for Radar System Application
Authors: Kumari Sadhana , Maurya Naveen Kumar , Madhusudhan K N
Published: February 2023

In this paper it is aimed to design and develop a passive detector by employing a Schottky Barrier Diode (SBD) with zero bias. For this work a low cost commercially available Schottky barrier diode SMS7630-079LF is adopted. A compact multi stopband resonator has been incorporated to improve the sensitivity of the detector by attenuating the RF signal up to fourth harmonic at the detector output port. The entire module is based on microstrip circuit and consequently very easy and cheap to fabricate, which fulfils the low-cost necessities of radar system assembling. To validate this method, a prototype of the proposed detector is developed for 2.26 GHz, with a board size of 0.44λg x 0.36λg. The measured outcomes confirm the suppression of the fundamental signal frequency by nearly 23.8 dB along with other high order harmonic suppression.
What to expect after birth in idiopathic polyhydramnios? An analysis of postnatal diagnoses and their relationship to the polyhydramnios degree
Authors: Gurel Sumeyra , Ayhan Isil , Uygur Lutfiye , Ozgit Berk , Demirci Oya
Published: February 2023

Purpose: To analyze postnatal abnormalities in idiopathic polyhydramnios and to estimate whether there was a significant association between the severity of polyhydramnios and postnatally diagnosed abnormalities.
Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of all idiopathic polyhydramnios cases that delivered at our center between 2017 and 2021. Cases were identified as idiopathic after excluding known fetal genetic and/or structural abnormalities (including soft markers for aneuploidies), Rh isoimmunization, fetal anemia, multifetal pregnancies, pregestational (preGDM) or gestational diabetes (GDM), and known infection with TORCH group agents. The primary outcome was the association between polyhydramnios degree and any abnormalities detected after birth. Additional outcomes were the odds of specific groups of abnormalities based on polyhydramnios degree.
Results: Outcomes of 242 pregnancies with idiopathic polyhydramnios were analyzed. At least one neurodevelopmental, structural, or genetic abnormality was diagnosed in 16.1% of children born to women with idiopathic polyhydramnios. Moderate and severe polyhydramnios are significantly associated with at least one abnormality diagnosed after birth (45.9%, and 41.6%, respectively, p<0.05). Neurodevelopmental disorders were the most frequent abnormality (8.2%), followed by genetic abnormalities (2.4%), gastrointestinal abnormalities (2%) and nocturnal enuresis (2%). Odds of genetic abnormalities, neurodevelopmental disorders and nocturnal enuresis in moderate polyhydramnios were significantly higher (aOR=5.5, 95%CI 1.01-30.2; aOR: 8.9, 95% CI 2.7-23.7 and OR: 8.9, 95% CI 1.4-55.5, respectively). Gastrointestinal anomalies were significantly associated with severe polyhydramnios, as expected (OR: 15.4, 95% CI 2.4-97.5).
Conclusion: Postnatally detected abnormalities are associated with moderate and severe idiopathic polyhydramnios. Particularly high risks include neurodevelopmental disorders, genetic abnormalities, gastrointestinal atresias and nocturnal enuresis.
Comprehensive clinical analysis of AKR1 expression profiles in the diagnosis of human colorectal cancer
Authors: Li Hui , Duan Lili , Li SuHua , He RongZhang , Li ZhuoLun , Liao XiaoFen , Luo DiXian , Zheng Lei
Published: February 2023

Background: CRC has a high mortality rate, and early detection is essential to reducing the CRC-related mortality rate. Screening is inefficient for diagnosis based on the low detection rate, length of time consumed, and poor compliance, so more sensitive and effective diagnostic markers are needed to improve diagnostic efficiency. Aldo-keto reductase family-1 enzymes (AKR1s) play a crucial role in the NADPH-dependent reduction of various carbonyl substrates (aldehyde, ketone), and their expression is closely linked with the progression and invasion of malignant cancers. However, the expression patterns of AKR1 family members in colorectal cancer (CRC) and their unique roles in the diagnosis of CRC have not been explored. Here, the mRNA and protein expression levels of 10 AKR1s and their unique roles in diagnosis in CRC were clarified.
Methods: We examined the transcription, methylation and survival data of AKR1s in CRC patients from the Oncomine, Gene Expression Profile Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), Kaplan‒Meier Plotter, cBioPortal and Illumina databases. Then, the mRNA and protein expression levels in CRC tissues were assessed by qRT‒PCR and Western blotting.
Results: This study showed that the transcript and protein expression levels of AKR1B1, AKR1B10, AKR1B15, AKR1C1, and AKR1C2 were decreased in CRC tissues compared with adjacentnormal tissues. In contrast, the expression levels of AKR1A1 and AKR1C4 were increased in CRC tissues compared with normal tissues. These expression trends were mostly consistent with those for the Oncomine, GEPIA, TCGA and cBioPortal database analyses, and AKR1B1, AKR1C1 and AKR1C2 were significantly downregulated based in their high CpG methylation levels. The qRT–PCR analysis of AKR1 expression in CRC patients with different clinicopathological characteristics showed that the AKR1A1 expression level was related to invasion depth, and the AKR1C2 expression level was significantly related to TNM stage and distant metastasis. The GEPIA results showed that the malignant degree increased with the increase of AKR1C1, AKR1C2 and AKR1C4 concentration, but the opposite was true for AKR1A1, and ROC curve analysis showed that a low level of AKR1B10 and a high level of AKR1C4 had high diagnostic efficacy in the diagnosis of CRC, with sensitivity values of 71.8% and 70.4% and specificity values of 93.0% and 79.6%, respectively.
Conclusion: In summary, the study revealed that AKR1A1 and AKR1C4 have good diagnostic value for CRC and could become potential tumour biomarkers. AKR1B1, AKR1B10 and AKR1B15 may be favourable prognostic indicators.
QSAR studies and molecular docking analysis of 1,4-dihydropyridines as Calcium Channel Blockers using DFT and ANN methods
Authors: Aggoun Siham , Bouchlaleg Lazhar , Belaidi Salah , Nour Hassen , Abchir Oussama , Chtita Samir , AlMogren Muneerah Mogren , Hochlaf Majdi
Published: February 2023

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are useful for predicting biological activities from large datasets of molecules. Unlike traditional statistical methods such as regression analysis, ANNs allow the study of complex and nonlinear relationships such as QSAR studies. Here, we use artificial neural network and multiple linear regression (MLR) methods to generate QSAR models for Calcium Channel Blockers activity of a series of 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives molecules. The molecular descriptors were calculated by using Density Functional Theory (DFT) method at the B3LYP/6-31G+ (d, p) level. The statistical analyses indicate that the predicted values are in good agreement with the experimental results for both the training and test sets using either MLR or ANN. In addition, we used molecular docking to determine the binding energies, and ligand-protein interactions between these compounds and their biological target.
Pathological and Molecular Characterization on Clinically Sick Chickens with Infectious Bronchitis Virus in Small Scale and Commercial Poultry Farms in Bishoftu Town, Ethiopia
Authors: Demeke Hanna Desta , Fufa Abdi Feyisa , Ayana Hika Waktole , Abosse Jirata Shiferaw
Published: February 2023

Poultry diseases are considered to be one of the most leading factors which are responsible for reducing both the total number and productivity of chickens. Infectious bronchitis virus is internationally important disease of high concern due its adverse effects on poultry production in different aspects. The Cross-sectional study was conducted from November, 2021 to June 2022 in Bishoftu town, Ethiopia with the aim of confirming the presence of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in the samples collected from suspected chicken through the combined result molecular, gross and histopathology. Depression with different severity, respiratory related signs, diarrhea and retardation in growth were the clinical signs which frequently seen and recorded in majority of them. Tissue (lungs, trachea and kidneys) and tracheal swab samples were collected from 40 chickens clinically suspected of infectious bronchitis virus. Among these 25 were from farm A and 10 were from farm B commercial poultry farms and 5 were from farm C small scale farm. The texture, shape, size and color of the organs were properly examined for gross pathology characterization. Accordingly, mild to severe tracheal hemorrhage, unevenly distributed color on the kidney and lung were observed during gross examination of the organs. From all grossly examined organs, the most frequently affected organs were the trachea, 22(55%) and kidney, 15 (37.5%) followed by lung, 11 (27.5%). From 40 swab specimens collected for molecular characterization, 8 were found positive for IBV. From a total of 32 tissue samples, 20 were found positive by histopathological analysis and the microscopic lesions described were infiltration of inflammatory cells at different condensation state, mild to severe congestion and hemorrhages, tracheal mucosal epithelium damage, degenerative changes in the renal tubule. The overall results of the current study indicate the production and reproductive performance of chickens in the study area were highly influenced by the presence of infectious bronchitis virus. Thus, further scientific investigation should be conducted through using advanced diagnostic tools for explaining the disease in vast.
Deep learning-based postoperative visual acuity prediction in idiopathic epiretinal membrane
Authors: Wen Dejia , Yu Zihao , Yang Zhengwei , Zheng Chuanzhen , Shao Yan , Ren Xinjun , Gu Tianpu , Li Xiaorong
Published: February 2023

Background
To develop a deep learning (DL) model based on preoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT) training to automatically predict the 6-month postoperative visual outcomes in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM).
Methods
In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 442 eyes (5304 images in total) were enrolled for the development of the DL and multimodal deep fusion network (MDFN) models. All eyes were randomized into a training dataset with 265 eyes (60.0%), a validation dataset with 89 eyes (20.1%), and an external testing dataset with the remaining 88 eyes (19.9%). The input variables for prediction included macular OCT images and various clinical data. Inception-Resnet-v2 network was employed to estimate the 6-month postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). The clinical data and OCT parameters were used to develop a regression model for predicting postoperative BCVA. The reliability of the models was further evaluated in the testing dataset.
Results
The prediction DL algorithm showed a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.070 logMAR and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.11 logMAR in the testing dataset. The DL model showed promising performance with R2 = 0.80, compared to R2 = 0.50 of the regression model. The percentages of BCVA prediction errors within ± 0.20 logMAR were 94.32% in the testing dataset.
Conclusions
The OCT-based DL model demonstrated sensitive and accurate predictive ability of postoperative BCVA in iERM patients. This novel DL model has great potential to be integrated into surgical planning.
Linear-ResNet GAN based anime style transfer of face images
Authors: Chen Mingxi , Dai Hansen , Wei Shijie , Hu Zhenzhen
Published: February 2023

Converting directly real-world images into high-quality anime styles using generative adversarial networks is one of the research hotspots in computer vision. The current popular AnimeGAN and WhiteBox anime generative adversarial networks have distortion of image features problem and loss of details on lines and textures problem, respectively. To address these problems, we introduce a new AnimationGAN based on a linear bottleneck residual network and a hybrid attention mechanism. The proposed AnimationGAN can prevent severe detail loss and distortion of image features in AnimeGAN-transferred images. In addition, we adopt optimized normalizations to improve the accuracy and learning rate of the model. The experimental results show that compared with AnimeGAN and Whitebox, the generated animation image significantly improved line texture details and image feature retention, and the network training speed is also faster.
Influence of Thickness and Surface Conditioning on Fracture Resistance of Occlusal Veneer
Authors: ESSAM NOHA , Soltan Hassan , Attia Ahmed
Published: February 2023

Background: The purpose of the current study was to assess the impact of restoration thickness, surface conditioning and the interaction between them on the fracture resistance of CAD/CAM fabricated lithium disilicate occlusal veneers.
Methods: A total of 42 maxillary molars were prepared to receive CAD/CAM fabricated lithium disilicate occlusal veneer either with 0.5 mm (n=21) or 1 mm (n=21) thickness. Each main group was divided into 3 subgroups (n=7), according to surface treatment, HF acid (HF-1, HF-0.5), acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF-1, APF-0.5) and Monobond etch & prime (MON-1, MON-0.5). Multilinik N (Ivoclar-Vivadent) adhesive resin cement was used for bonding according to the manufacturer instructions. One hour after bonding, specimens were stored in water bath for 75 days followed by cyclic loading fatigue for 240000 cycles to simulate clinical situation. Finally, specimens were fractured under compressive load in (N) using a universal testing machine. Two and one-way ANOVA and Post Hoc Tukey test were used for statistical analysis.
Results: The means±SD (N) fracture load for each group were calculated. MON-1 group showed the highest fracture load (1644.7±155.3) followed by HF-1 group (1514.6±212.5). Meanwhile, APF-0.5 showed the lowest fracture load (962±249.6).
Conclusion: CAD/CAM fabricated lithium disilicate occlusal veneers can be used with a thickness of 0.5 mm instead of conventional crowns. Monobond etch & prime is recommended as a surface treatment for CAD/CAM fabricated lithium disilicate occlusal veneer due to biological hazards of Hydrofluoric acid.
Response to Aerosolized Calfactant in Infants with Respiratory Distress Syndrome; A Post-hoc Analysis of AERO-02 trial
Authors: Kaluarachchi Dinushan , Zapata Henry , Becker Heather , Lasarev Michael , Fort Prem , Guthrie Scott
Published: February 2023

Background
The largest randomized control trial of aerosolized surfactant (AERO-02 trial) demonstrated a reduction in intubation by 50%.
Objective
To determine the response after aerosolized calfactant treatment.
Methods
We conducted a post-hoc analysis of moderate to late preterm neonates in the AERO-02 trial. Trends in hourly fraction of oxygen (FiO2), mean airway pressure (MAP) and respiratory severity score (RSS) were compared between the aerosolized surfactant (AS) and usual care (UC) groups.
Results
Forty-eight percent of subjects in the UC group required intubation compared to 24% in the AS group. FiO2, MAP and RSS were lower in the UC group. FiO2 decrease was seen after the first aerosolized calfactant dose.
Conclusion
FiO2, MAP and RSS were lower in the UC group. This is likely due to early and higher rate of liquid surfactant administration in the UC group. Decrease in FiO2 was noted in the AS group after the first aerosolization.
Activation of beta-adrenergic receptors upregulates the signal-to-noise ratio of auditory input in the medial prefrontal cortex and mediates auditory fear conditioning
Authors: Xie Haiting , Tian Yueqin , Li Zhongli , Wang Kaitao , Li Runtong , Yi Shang , Chen Aimin , Chen Jian , Liu Jun , Wei Xuhong , Gao Xiaoya
Published: February 2023

Background: Norepinephrine (NE) is involved in auditory fear conditioning (AFC) in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, it is still unclear how it acts on neurons.
Objective: We aimed to investigate whether the activation of the β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) improves AFC by sensitization of the prelimbic (PL) cortex at the animal, cellular and molecular levels.
Methods: In vivo single-cell electrophysiological recording was used to characterize the changes in neurons in the PL cortex after AFC. Then, PL neurons were measured under inhibition with the optogenetic method and local administration of the β-AR agonist isoprenaline (ISO) or the GABAaR agonist muscimol. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were finally used to assess molecular changes.
Results: Noise and low-frequency tones induced similar AFC. The expression of β-ARs was upregulated in the PL cortex after fear conditioning. Microinjection of muscimol into the PL cortex blocked the conformation of AFC, whereas ISO injection facilitated AFC. Moreover, PL neurons can be distinguished into two types, with type I but not type II neurons responding to conditioned sound and being regulated by β-ARs.
Conclusion: Our results showed that β-ARs in the PL cortex regulate conditional fear learning by activating type I PL neurons.
An Fgfr2 Mutation as the Underlying Cause of Heritable Osteoporosis: a Case Report
Authors: Dantsev Ilya , Mariia Parfenenko , Gulnara Radzhabova , Ekaterina Nikolaeva
Published: February 2023

Osteoporosis is a systemic, multifactorial disorder of bone mineralization. Many factors contributing to the development of osteoporosis have been identified so far, including gender, age, nutrition, lifestyle, exercise, drug use, as well as a range of comorbidities. In addition to environmental and lifestyle factors, molecular-genetic factors account for 60–85% of osteoporosis cases. One of the candidate genes, the pathogenic variants in which are involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis is FGFR2. Recently, the key role in development of osteoporosis has been given to molecular-genetic factors. The vitamin D receptor (VDR), collagen type I (COL1), estrogen receptor (ER), apolypoprotein Е (ApoE), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), and Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) are all involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Additionally, FGFs/FGFRs-dependent signaling has been shown to regulate skeletal development and has been linked to a plethora of heritable disorders of the musculoskeletal system. In this study we present the clinical, biochemical and radiological findings, as well as results of molecular-genetic testing of a 13 year old male patient with heritable osteoporosis, arthralgia and multiple fractures and a family history of bone disease. Whole exome sequencing found a previously undescribed variant in the FGFR2 gene (GRCh37.p13 ENSG00000066468.16: g.123298133dup; ENST00000457416.2:c.722dup; ENSP00000351276.5:p.Asn241LysfsTer43). The same variant was found in affected relatives. These data leads us to believe that the variant in FGFR2 found in our patient and his relatives could be related to their phenotype. Therefore, modern methods of molecular genetic testing can allow us to differentiate between osteogenesis imperfecta and heritable forms of osteoporosis.
Optimization of landfill gas generation based on a modified first-order decay model: A case study in Quebec province
Authors: Malmir Tahereh , Lagos Daniel , Eicker Ursula
Published: February 2023

Landfills will likely remain an essential part of integrated solid waste management systems in many developed and developing countries for the foreseeable future. This paper uses a genetic algorithm to fit parameters to a CH4 and H2S generation model independently based on a modified first-order decay model. In the case of CH4 generation modeling, biodegradable organic waste (OW) was segregated into food waste, yard waste, paper, and wood. In addition to optimizing the OW fractions, key modeling parameters of OW, such as CH4 generation potential (\({L}_{0}\)) and CH4 decay rate (\({k}_{C{H}_{4}}\)), were determined independently for different periods in the life of the landfill. Similarly, in the case of H2S generation modeling, the construction and demolition waste (CD) was classified into fines (FCD) and bulky materials (BCD), and H2S generation potential (\({S}_{0}\)) and H2S decay rate (\({k}_{{H}_{2}S}\)) of FCD and BCD were determined. Landfill gas (LFG) collection data from a site in Quebec province (Canada) was used to validate the LFG generation model. A range of scenarios was analyzed using the validated model, including twelve scenarios for CH4 and two for H2S modeling, respectively. The results showed that the differentiation of more waste types improves the modeling accuracy for CH4. Moreover, within the decade-long lifetime of a landfill, the waste management strategies change, requiring different assumptions for the modeling. Also, the work showed the importance of considering how different sectors of a landfill are filled over time. Finally, scenario twelve, which assumed four waste types, constant three periodic waste fractions, and six sectors, had the lowest residual sum of squares (RSS) value. For H2S generation modeling, both scenarios, with or without separate fits of \({S}_{0}\) and \({k}_{{H}_{2}S}\) for FCD and BCD, predicted the generated H2S well and had a very similar RSS value. Further data could improve H2S generation modeling.
Combination of multiple dental anomalies in healthy adult: a rare case report
Authors: Shi Yingying , Zhang Ningning , Wang Xiaoli , Wang Junbin , Liu Jiajie , Si Qingzong
Published: February 2023

Purpose
We report a rare case of multiple retained primary teeth combine with impacted permanent teeth in healthy adult female. The diagnosis was confirmed by general oral examination and a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). The clinical significance of CBCT in the diagnosis and treatment of impacted teeth was also discussed.
Methods
Multiple retention of deciduous teeth and impacted permanent teeth were diagnosed by oral general examination combine with CBCT. In conjunction with the literature on impacted teeth, we discussed the diagnosis and the concept of treatment of this rare case.
Results
A rare case of primary teeth 53, 55, 63, 65, 74, 85 were retained; permanent teeth 13, 15, 17, 23, 25, 27, 34, 35, 45, 47 were impacted; permanent teeth 42 was congenital deletion; permanent teeth 24 and 44 were severely rotated, which were diagnosed by oral general examination combine with CBCT.
Conclusion
Multiple permanent teeth were impacted is a rare dental anomaly and often found in association with syndromes such as cleidocranial dysplasia or Gardner’s syndrome. However, we report an adult female with multiple impacted teeth who didn’t possess any systemic conditions or syndromes involving both jaws. Based on the oral general examination, auxiliary CBCT examination and literature on impacted teeth, this paper discusses the differential diagnosis and management of this case.
Similarity Evaluation of Graphic Design Based on Deep Visual Saliency Features
Authors: Liu Zhuohua , An Jingrui , Huang Caijuan , Yang Bin
Published: February 2023

The creativity of an excellent design work generally comes from the inspiration and innovation of its main visual features. The similarity between the main visual elements is the most important indicator for detecting plagiarism of design concepts, which is important to protect cultural heritage and copyright. The purpose of this paper is to develop an efficient similarity evaluation scheme for graphic design. A novel deep visual saliency feature extraction generative adversarial network is proposed to deal with the problem of lack of training examples. It consists of two networks: one predicts visual a saliency feature map from an input image; the other takes the output of the first to distinguish whether a visual saliency feature map is a predicted one or ground truth. Different from traditional saliency generative adversarial networks, a residual refinement module is connected after the encoding and decoding network. Design importance maps generated by professional designers are used to guide the network training. A saliency-based segmentation method is developed to not only locate the optimal layout regions but also notice insignificant regions. Priorities are then assigned to different visual elements. Experimental results show that the proposed model obtains state-of-the-art performance among various similarity measurement methods.
Design and Implementation of an Automatic Deep Stacked Sparsely Connected Auto-encoder (ADSSCA) Neural Network Architecture for Lithological Mapping under thick Vegetation using Remote Sensing
Authors: Otele Charlie Gael Atangana , Onabid Mathias Akong , Assembe Patrick Stephane
Published: February 2023

This article, proposes the design and implementation of a hybrid Deep Artificial Neural Network (DANN) to be used in mapping lithology using non-preprocessed Landsat images collected from tropical heterogeneous environments. In it, a sophisticated stacking of the hidden layers is performed through the introduction of an autoencoder topology where a wise variation of the dropout is defined at the encoder block to face the nonlinearity imposed by the limiting factors of such environments. The decoder however is left over without any dropout in order to ensure the reconstruction of the compressed data collected from the encoder. There is a relationships between the number of neurons per hidden layer of the encoder block, the number of hidden layers of the encoder, the dropout percentage suitable to better model the dataset. The resulting architecture which we call Automatic Deep Stacked Sparsely Connected Autoencoder (ADSSCA) is an optimized hybrid neural network architecture based on well formulated rules providing in advance, the definition of, the network topology, the total number of neurons and the number of hidden layers to be used in an extremely noisy environments. The implementation of the ADSSCA on raw landsat-8 images from an area of southern Cameroon produced an overall accuracy of 92.76%. In addition, five lithological classes where identified with similar individual accuracies.
The Preparation of PLA/PBAT/PPC Ternary Blends and The Effect of Epoxidized Soybean Oil on the Physical and Mechanical properties of PLA/PBAT/PPC blends with the Reactive Compatibilization
Authors: Choo Ji Eun , Park Tae Hyeong , Jeon Seon Mi , Hwang Sung Wook
Published: February 2023

Poly (lactic acid) (PLA)/poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/poly (propylene carbonate) (PPC) multi-phase blends were prepared by melt processing technique under the presence of compatibilizer with various composition. In our previous study, 70/30 wt% composition ratio of PLA/PBAT was found be optimized ratio to achieve the balanced properties of PLA/PBAT blends. The effect of compatibilizer on microstructure of PLA/PBAT/PPC multi-phase blends with/without epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) was investigated, and the structure-properties relationship were assessed. ​​The functional groups of PPC was found to effective to improve an interaction with carboxyl/hydroxyl group of PLA/PBAT binary blends to enhance the mechanical and physical properties on multi-phase blend system. The presence of PPC in PLA/PBAT blend affected the reduction of voids on the interface phase resulting in enhancing the oxygen barrier properties. With addition of ESO, the compatibility of ternary blend was found to be enhanced since the epoxy group of ESO reacted with the carboxyl/hydroxyl group of PLA, PBAT, and PPC, and under the condition with critical content of 4 phr of ESO, the elongation behavior dramatically increased as compared to that of blends without ESO while affecting reduction of oxygen barrier properties. The effect of ESO as a compatibilizer was clearly observed from the overall performances of ternary blends, and the potential feasibility of the PLA/PBAT/PPC ternary blends as packaging materials was confirmed at this study.
Deep Learning Techniques for Photovoltaic Solar Tracking Systems: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Phiri Musa , Mulenga Mwenge , Zimba Aaron , Eke Christopher Ifeanyi
Published: February 2023

Although photovoltaic (PV) panels are extensively used to convert solar energy into electric energy, the continuous change in the sun's angle with reference to the earth's surface limits their capacity to collect sufficient energy. To improve efficiency, solar trackers are used to constantly adjust the PV panels towards the sun to maximize energy capture. There has been an increase in the use of deep learning (DL) in solar tracking systems as it has proven to be one of the most efficient techniques owing to its success in related fields. Although there are several studies on different designs of solar tracking systems, a synthesis of the state-of-art knowledge is lacking in the literature. Therefore, this study carried out a review of the DL methods used in solar tracking systems. Specifically, dataset usage, preprocessing methods, feature engineering methods, DL algorithms and the performance metrics used in the identified studies. The review considered the studies published from 2012 to 2022. In the initial search, 5,724 articles were selected from 7 digital libraries. Only 37 academic papers were included in the review based on the inclusion criteria. The results revealed that deep hybrid learning models were the most popular among researchers. Further, the study identified research challenges and future directions relating to the availability of DL-based PV solar tracking with respect to datasets, image data, data normalization, data decomposition, and feature engineering methods. This work will be resourceful to current and future researchers in addressing the trends and challenges related to the application of DL in PV solar trackers.
Research trends in Coquerel’s sifaka (Propithecus coquereli): A bibliometric analysis
Authors: Suzzi-Simmons Amanda , Nelson Michael France
Published: February 2023

The Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) is one of the most critically endangered and least studied nonhuman primates in the world. Through a bibliometric analysis of the literature over the past 40-year period, this research aims to provide an investigation into the study of P. coquereli in terms of the research topics/issues investigated. Information on a series of variables (author, title, keywords, etc) was extracted after conducting an analysis of 89 articles, published in peer-reviewed journals between 1978–2022. The findings suggest that behavior, evolution, diversity, and conservation are the main topics of publications, which follows the general trends in ecology. In addition, the popularity of research on P. coquereli increased around 2005, coinciding with the release of the American computer-animated comedy, Madagascar, the island nation's classification as a megadiversity country, and the declaration that P. coquereli is not a subspecies of P. verreauxi. Further, a literature gap was identified that requires more exploration in the context of P. coquereli research: the effects of climate change on habitat disturbance, genetic diversity, and mortality. The compounded effects of habitat destruction and climate change exacerbate the devastating impacts on biodiversity loss and consequences to Madagascar’s wildlife, which is why it is especially important to study sifakas in the western dry deciduous forests.
Identification and validation of shared genes and key pathways in endometriosis and endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer by weighted gene co-expression network analysis and machine learning algorithms
Authors: Du Yongming , Hu Yichao , Zhang Fubin , Zhu Tianhong , Guan Yutao
Published: February 2023

Background: Endometriosis is a widespread disease in reproductive age. Epidemiological studies reported that patients with endometriosis had an increased risk of developing endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer (EAOC). The present study aimed to identify shared genes and key pathways that commonly interacted between EAOC and endometriosis.
Methods: The expression matrix of ovarian cancer and endometriosis were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to construct co-expression gene network. Functional enrichment analyses were conducted to clarify the potential regulatory mechanisms. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and machine learning algorithms were applied to identify characteristic genes. CIBERSORT deconvolution algorithm was used to explore the difference in tumor immune microenvironment. Receiver operating characteristic curves were utilized to assess the clinical diagnostic ability of hub genes. Furthermore, diagnostic nomogram was constructed and evaluated for supporting clinical practicality.
Results: We identified 262 shared genes between EAOCand endometriosis via WGCNA analysis. They were mainly enriched in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, which may be considered a common mechanism between EAOC and endometriosis. After PPI network and machine learning algorithms, we recognized two characteristic genes (EDNRA, OCLN) and established a nomogram that presented an outstanding predictive performance. The hub genes demonstrated remarkable associations with immunological functions. OCLN were highly upregulatedin ovarian cancer compared to non-tumor tissues, while expression levels of EDNRA were significantly downregulated in ovarian cancer samples. Survival analysis indicated that dysregulated expressions of EDNRA and OCLNwere closely correlated with prognosis of ovarian cancer patients. GSEA analyses revealed that the two characteristic genes were mainly enriched in the cancer- and immune-related pathways. Gene drug interaction analysis found 15 drugs compound that interacted with the hub genes.
Conclusion: We identified two hub genes (EDNRA, OCLN) and constructed a nomogram to predict the risk of EAOC based on WGCNA analyses and machine learning algorithms. They can be used as effective predictive biomarkers for detecting EAOC. Our findings pave the way for further investigation of potential candidate genes and will aid in improving the diagnosis and treatment of EAOC in endometriosis patients.
Analysis of the acaricidal activity of Acorus gramineus extract on Dermatophagoides farinae
Authors: Wang Mei-Qing , Tang Fei-Fan , Wang Lan , Jiang Feng , Han Ren-Ren , Cao Jia-Cheng , Li Ling-Hao , Xia Yu-Ting , Wang Jing-Xuan , Zhan Xiao-Dong , Ting Liu
Published: February 2023

Background Mites and their excretion are considered allergens that cause allergic rhinitis, mite dermatitis, allergic asthma, and other hypersensitivity diseases in humans and animals. To study the acaricidal activity of Acorus gramineus extract on Dermatophagoides farinae, and to isolate and identify the active components.
Results Acorus gramineus extract was effective in killing Dermatophagoidesmites. The 24-hour fatality rate was 96.4% when the lowest effective concentration was 0.0625%. Six active components, A-F, were isolated and purified by silica gel column chromatography. Results showed that components D and E, identified as isoeugenol methyl ether and β-asarone, respectively, had good acaricidal effects.
Conclusion This study showed, for the first time, that isoeugenol methyl ether has significant acaricidal activity against Dermatophagoides farinae.
On the evaluation of polysaccharide–based nanofibrous membranes as suitable scaffolds for tissue engineering applications
Authors: Cienfuegos-Sarmiento A. A. , Martínez-Rodriguez M. A. , Garza-Ramos M. A. de la , García-Loera A. F. , Garza-Navarro M. A.
Published: February 2023

The evaluation of nanofibrous membranes based on polymeric blends of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and the composite carboxymethyl-cellulose/silver-nanoparticles (CMC-AgNPs) as suitable scaffolds for tissue engineering applications is reported. The nanofibrous membranes were obtained following a methodology that involves the synthesis of the CMC-AgNPs composite, preparation of aqueous polymeric blends with PVA and their electrospinning. The synthesized nanomaterials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and uniaxial tensile assays. The antibacterial activity of the nanofibrous membranes was evaluated against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria using the direct contact test. The cell viability of the membranes was assessed using Schwann cells as model from MTT assays. The experimental evidence indicates that the mean diameter of the nanofibers decreases as the weight content of CMC-AgNPs increases. This is related with the interactions among CMC and PVA molecules, which occurs through either acetal or hydrogen bridges. The increase of CMC-AgNPs weight content also modifies the stiffness of the membranes, which results in appropriate mechanical properties for its application as tissue engineering scaffolds. Moreover, it was found that proliferation of both E. coli and S. aureus bacteria on their surface is avoided. Nonetheless, according to the cell viability assays, the membranes do not induce significant toxicity to the biological test media even after 5 days of incubation. Furthermore, they seem to provide an adequate environment for the cell proliferation, suggesting that the synthesized membranes could be applied as scaffolds for tissue engineering.
Lanthanum Oxide - Barium Oxide Nanofluid With Enhanced Thermal Engineering Application
Authors: Indulal C R , Sru S , Binoy Leo , Ravikumar R , Gani Waseem
Published: February 2023

Therminol is a thermally stable heat transfer fluid with a high boiling point and low vapor pressure. Boosting the heat conductivity of therminol is a potential way for increasing the efficacy of therminol-based systems. It will improve performance while compensating for the drawback of poor thermal system performance. Nanofluids are believed to be more efficient than traditional fluids. In this study, experiments were conducted to examine the thermal properties of therminol, including thermal conductivity and viscosity, when a Lanthanum Oxide-Barium Oxide (LaO-BaO) nanocomposite was dispersed in it. LaO-BaO nanocomposite was created via chemical co-precipitation route. Structural and optical characteristics of the nanosamples were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-Visible Spectroscopy. Therminol was used as the base fluid in the fabrication of LaO-BaO based nanofluid. When compared to the base fluid, therminol; the nanofluid exhibits a considerable shift in heat conductivity and viscosity. To assess the potential changes in the thermal conductivity of the base fluid, thorough tests were carried out at various temperatures and weight percentages of LaO-BaO nanocomposites. The results suggest that LaO-BaO nanofluids are a superior substitute against other regular fluids in heat transfer applications.
Evaluation of aquifer characteristics and groundwater protective capacity in Abavo, Nigeria
Authors: Chinyem F. I. , Ovwamuedo G.
Published: February 2023

Aquifer characteristics evaluation enables the determination of aquifer’s ability to recharge as well as discharge. However, knowledge of aquifer characteristics has been scarce in Abavo area. Thus, geophysical and hydrogeological investigations, involving vertical electrical sounding (VES), pumping test and well logging were conducted in Abavo area, Nigeria, to evaluate the aquifer hydraulic properties as well as the groundwater protective capacity of the area. Seventeen (17) VES, using the Schlumberger configuration, were carried out. The field data were curve – matched, iterated, using Win Resist software. The VES result revealed subsurface lithology that comprised lateritic top soil/sand, sandy clay/clayey sand, fine sand, medium sand and coarse to gravelly sand. The VES result equally revealed an aquifer depth range from 28.8–76.6 m, with resistivity range from 1175–27,272 Ωm. Two boreholes were drilled, the cuttings were collected and were used to model the subsurface lithology. Well logging result showed that the electrical conductivity (EC) as well as total dissolved solid (TDS) are 15 µs/cm and 112 mg/l respectively, indicative of the fact that the values were within the standard organization of Nigeria (SON) permissible limit for drinking water. Pumping test analysis, using the Cooper Jacob’s method, revealed that the transmissivity, specific capacity, storativity and hydraulic conductivity are 5.9m2/day, 33.13 m/day, 0.0069 and 0.1722 m/day respectively. The study revealed longitudinal conductance and transverse resistance range of 0.001048–0.027828 Ω-1 and 105470.4–1255775.3 Ωm2 respectively. These results have established that the aquifer is semi-confined, has poor protective capacity and high rechargibility and will provide adequate, potable groundwater for local water supply to communities for domestic and other purposes.