bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introgression from local cultivars is a driver of agricultural adaptation in Argentinian weedy rice
Authors: Presotto Alejandro , Hernández Fernando , Vercellino Román Boris , Kruger Raúl Daniel , Fontana María Laura , Ureta María Soledad , Crepy María , Auge Gabriela , Caicedo Ana
Published: April 2024

Weedy rice, a pervasive and troublesome weed found across the globe, has often evolved through fertilization of rice cultivars with little importance of crop‐weed gene flow. In Argentina, weedy rice has been reported as an important constraint since the early 1970s, and, in the last few years, strains with herbicide‐resistance are suspected to evolve. Despite their importance, the origin and genetic composition of Argentinian weedy rice as well its adaptation to agricultural environments has not been explored so far. To study this, we conducted genotyping‐by‐sequencing on samples of Argentinian weedy and cultivated rice and compared them with published data from weedy, cultivated and wild rice accessions distributed worldwide. In addition, we conducted a phenotypic characterization for weedy‐related traits, a herbicide resistance screening and genotyped accessions for known mutations in the acetolactate synthase (ALS) gene, which confers herbicide resistance. Our results revealed large phenotypic variability in Argentinian weedy rice. Most strains were resistant to ALS‐inhibiting herbicides with a high frequency of the ALS mutation (A122T) present in Argentinian rice cultivars. Argentinian cultivars belonged to the three major genetic groups of rice: japonica, indica and aus while weeds were mostly aus or aus‐indica admixed, resembling weedy rice strains from the Southern Cone region. Phylogenetic analysis supports a single origin for aus‐like South American weeds, likely as seed contaminants from the United States, and then admixture with local indica cultivars. Our findings demonstrate that crop to weed introgression can facilitate rapid adaptation to agriculture environments.
The impact of transcutaneous electrical acustimulation (TEA) on rectal distension‐induced pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)—A study to determine the optimal TEA delivery modalities and effects on rectal sensation and autonomic function
Authors: Nojkov Borko , Burnett Colin , Watts Lydia , Yin Jieyun , Ali Khawar , Zhao Tingting , Gong Shiyuan , Miller Candice , Habrowski Matthew , Chey William D. , Chen Jiande D. Z.
Published: April 2024

Background

Treatment options for abdominal pain in IBS are inadequate. TEA was reported effective treatment of disorders of gut–brain interaction but its mechanism of action and optimal delivery method for treating pain in IBS are unknown. This study aims to determine the most effective TEA parameter and location to treat abdominal pain in patients with IBS‐Constipation and delineate the effect of TEA on rectal sensation and autonomic function.

Methods

Nineteen IBS‐C patients underwent TEA at acupoints ST36 (leg), PC6 (wrist), or sham‐acupoint. Each patient was studied in five randomized sessions on separate days: (1) TEA/ST36‐100 Hz; (2) TEA/ST36‐25 Hz; (3) TEA/PC6‐100 Hz; (4) TEA/PC6‐25 Hz; (5) TEA/Sham‐25 Hz. In each session, barostat‐guided rectal distention (RD) was performed before and after TEA. Patients graded the RD‐induced pain and recorded three rectal sensation thresholds. A heart rate variability (HRV) signal was derived from the electrocardiogram for autonomic function assessment.

Key Results

Studied patients were predominantly female, young, and Caucasian. Compared with baseline, patients treated with TEA/ST36‐100 Hz had significantly decreased pain scores at RD pressure‐points 20–50 mmHg (p < 0.04). The average pain reduction was 40%. Post‐treatment scores did not change significantly with other TEA modalities except with sham‐TEA (lesser degree compared to ST36‐100 Hz, p = 0.04). TEA/ST36‐100, but not other modalities, increased the rectal sensation threshold (first sensation: p = 0.007; urge to defecate: p < 0.026). TEA/ST36‐100 Hz was the only treatment that significantly decreased sympathetic activity and increased parasympathetic activity with and without RD (p < 0.04).

Conclusions & Inferences

TEA at ST36‐100 Hz is superior stimulation point/parameter, compared to TEA at PC‐6/sham‐TEA, to reduce rectal distension‐induced pain in IBS‐C patients. This therapeutic effect appears to be mediated through rectal hypersensitivity reduction and autonomic function modulation.
The emotion paradox in the aging body and brain
Authors: Mather Mara
Published: April 2024

With age, parasympathetic activity decreases, while sympathetic activity increases. Thus, the typical older adult has low heart rate variability (HRV) and high noradrenaline levels. Younger adults with this physiological profile tend to be unhappy and stressed. Yet, with age, emotional experience tends to improve. Why does older adults’ emotional well‐being not suffer as their HRV decreases? To address this apparent paradox, I present the autonomic compensation model. In this model, failing organs, the initial phases of Alzheimer's pathology, and other age‐related diseases trigger noradrenergic hyperactivity. To compensate, older brains increase autonomic regulatory activity in the pregenual prefrontal cortex (PFC). Age‐related declines in nerve conduction reduce the ability of the pregenual PFC to reduce hyperactive noradrenergic activity and increase peripheral HRV. But these pregenual PFC autonomic compensation efforts have a significant impact in the brain, where they bias processing in favor of stimuli that tend to increase parasympathetic activity (e.g., stimuli that increase feelings of safety) and against stimuli that tend to increase sympathetic activity (e.g., threatening stimuli). In summary, the autonomic compensation model posits that age‐related chronic sympathetic/noradrenergic hyperactivity stimulates regulatory attempts that have the side effect of enhancing emotional well‐being.
High Twist expression can be an early event in lip carcinogenesis
Authors: Leal Cavalcante Israel , da Silva Barros Caio César , de Pontes Santos Hellen Bandeira , Goes Gonzaga Amanda Katarinny , Barem Rabenhorst Silvia Helena , Barroso Cavalcante Roberta , da Silveira Éricka Janine Dantas , de Medeiros Ana Miryam Costa
Published: April 2024

Objective

Actinic cheilitis (AC) is a chronic lesion that usually precedes the onset of squamous cell carcinoma of the lip. Microscopically, AC may exhibit epithelial dysplasia (ED). Twist is a transcription factor that regulates the mesenchymal phenotype through negative E‐cadherin regulation. This study evaluated Twist and E‐cadherin immunoexpression in AC with different ED degrees.

Materials and Methods

Twist and E‐cadherin immunoexpression was evaluated semiquantitatively in the epithelium of 86 cases of AC with different ED degrees. Data obtained were submitted to the Mann–Whitney test and Spearman's correlation test.

Results

Immunohistochemical analysis revealed nuclear and cytoplasmic Twist immunoreactivity in all epithelial layers except the cornified layer. In contrast, the membrane and cytoplasmic E‐cadherin immunoreactivity was observed in all epithelial layers except the cornified layer. No significance was observed between the scores of these proteins and the ED degree. It was observed a correlation between total Twist and total (p = 0.030) and membrane (p = 0.014) E‐cadherin and between nuclear Twist and cytoplasmic E‐cadherin (p = 0.030).

Conclusions

The results suggest that the high immunoexpression of Twist is an early lip carcinogenesis event. However, it appears not to influence the progression of ED in AC.
Impacted upper third molar surgical removal leads to pseudoaneurysm: A case report highlighting surgical risks
Authors: Brabyn P. J. , Santás Alegret M. , Soria Tristan A. , García‐Recuero I.
Published: April 2024

Aim

The rate of excessive bleeding in the post‐operative period after third molar extraction is low (less than 0.6%), and even lower in the case of upper molars. We report the case of excessive life‐threatening bleeding 2 weeks after an upper third molar extraction that had an intraoperative complication with a displacement of the molar into the maxillary sinus.

Materials and methods

An initial CT scan showed only postsurgical changes of tooth extraction, and a small contrast agent extravasation (measuring 5 mm). An angiogram was done to locate the origin of the bleeding, and a pseudoaneurysm was located in the right superior alveolar artery. The patient was treated by embolization with coils, with no subsequent episodes of bleeding.

Results

Pseudoaneurysms of branches of the external carotid artery system are rare, and even more rare after dental or oral surgery (only five cases published to date). Endovascular treatment is the treatment of choice, as it is minimally invasive as well as being selective.

Conclusion

The rate of traumatic pseudoaneurysm of branches of the ECA is low; however, in order to avoid severe consequences, a correct diagnosis as early as possible is essential for a proper management.
Rule‐Following II: Recent Work and New Puzzles
Authors: Reiland Indrek
Published: April 2024

“Rule‐following” is a name for a cluster of phenomena where we seem both guided and “normatively” constrained by something general in performing particular actions. Understanding the phenomenon is important because of its connection to meaning, representation, and content. This article gives an overview of the philosophical discussion of rule‐following with emphasis on Kripke's skeptical paradox and recent work on possible solutions. Part I of this two‐part contribution was devoted to the basic issues from Wittgenstein to Kripke. Part II is about recent answers to the skeptical paradox and Boghossian's and Wright's new puzzles.
Isoliquiritigenin limits inflammasome activation of macrophage via docking into Syk to alleviate murine non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Hu Xiangyu , Hu Chunmiao , Liao Liting , Zhang Huimin , Xu Xingmeng , Xiang Jie , Lu Guotao , Jia Xiaoqin , Xu Hongwei , Gong Weijuan
Published: April 2024

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) is a chalcone‐type flavonoid derived from the root of licorice with antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐tumour and neuroprotective properties. ISL has been proven to downregulate the productions of IL‐1β, TNF‐α and IL‐6 by macrophages. However, detailed molecular mechanisms of this modulation remain elusive. Here, ISL suppressed Syk phosphorylation and CD80, CD86, IL‐1β, TNF‐α and IL‐6 expressions in lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated macrophages ex vivo. ApoC3‐transgenic (ApoC3TG) mice had more activated macrophages. ISL was also able to downregulate the inflammatory activities of macrophages from ApoC3TG mice. Administration of ISL inhibited Syk activation and inflammatory activities of macrophages in ApoC3TG mice in vivo. The treatment of ISL further alleviated MCD‐induced non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in wild‐type and ApoC3TG mice, accompanied by less recruitment and activation of liver macrophages. Due to the inhibition of Syk phosphorylation, ISL‐treated macrophages displayed less production of cytoplasmic ROS, NLRP3, cleaved‐GSDMD and cleaved‐IL‐1β, suggesting less inflammasome activation. Finally, the molecular docking study demonstrated that ISL bound to Syk directly with the Kd of 1.273 × 10−8 M. When the Syk expression was knocked down by its shRNA, the inhibitory effects of ISL on activated macrophages disappeared, indicating that Syk was at least one of key docking‐molecules of ISL. Collectively, ISL could alleviate MCD‐induced NAFLD in mice involved with the inhibition of macrophage inflammatory activity by the blockade of Syk‐induced inflammasome activation.
Physical activity alters the effect of genetic determinants of adiposity on hypertension among individuals of European ancestry in the UKB
Authors: Hezekiah Chukwueloka , Blakemore Alexandra I. , Bailey Daniel P. , Pazoki Raha
Published: April 2024

Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is modulated by genetic variants. This study aimed to assess the effect of obesity genetic liability and physical activity on hypertension among European and African ancestry individuals within the UK Biobank (UKB). Participants were 230 115 individuals of European ancestry and 3239 individuals of African ancestry from UKB. Genetic liability for obesity were estimated using previously published data including genetic variants and effect sizes for body mass index (BMI), waist‐hip ratio (WHR) and waist circumference (WC) using Plink software. The outcome was defined as stage 2 hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, or the use of anti‐hypertensive medications). The association between obesity genetic liability and the outcome was assessed across categories of self‐reported physical activity using logistic regression. Among European ancestry participants, there was up to a 1.2 greater odds of hypertension in individuals with high genetic liability and low physical activity compared to individuals with low genetic liability and high physical activity (p < 0.001). In individuals engaging in low levels of physical activity compared with moderate/high physical activity, the effect of BMI genetic liability on hypertension was greater (p interaction = 0.04). There was no evidence of an association between obesity genetic liability and hypertension in individuals of African ancestry in the whole sample or within separate physical activity groups (p > 0.05). This study suggests that higher physical activity levels are associated with lower odds of stage 2 hypertension among European ancestry individuals who carry high genetic liability for obesity. This cannot be inferred for individuals of African ancestry, possibly due to the low African ancestry sample size within the UKB.
ZmPTOX1, a plastid terminal oxidase, contributes to redox homeostasis during seed development and germination
Authors: Peng Yixuan , Liang Zhi , Cai Minghao , Wang Jie , Li Delin , Chen Quanquan , Du Xuemei , Gu Riliang , Wang Guoying , Schnable Patrick S. , Wang Jianhua , Li Li
Published: April 2024

Maize plastid terminal oxidase1 (ZmPTOX1) plays a pivotal role in seed development by upholding redox balance within seed plastids. This study focuses on characterizing the white kernel mutant 3735 (wk3735) mutant, which yields pale‐yellow seeds characterized by heightened protein but reduced carotenoid levels, along with delayed germination compared to wild‐type (WT) seeds. We successfully cloned and identified the target gene ZmPTOX1, responsible for encoding maize PTOX—a versatile plastoquinol oxidase and redox sensor located in plastid membranes. While PTOX's established role involves regulating redox states and participating in carotenoid metabolism in Arabidopsis leaves and tomato fruits, our investigation marks the first exploration of its function in storage organs lacking a photosynthetic system. Through our research, we validated the existence of plastid‐localized ZmPTOX1, existing as a homomultimer, and established its interaction with ferredoxin‐NADP+ oxidoreductase 1 (ZmFNR1), a crucial component of the electron transport chain (ETC). This interaction contributes to the maintenance of redox equilibrium within plastids. Our findings indicate a propensity for excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in wk3735 seeds. Beyond its known role in carotenoids' antioxidant properties, ZmPTOX1 also impacts ROS homeostasis owing to its oxidizing function. Altogether, our results underscore the critical involvement of ZmPTOX1 in governing seed development and germination by preserving redox balance within the seed plastids.
Cytosolic UDP‐L‐arabinose synthesis by bifunctional UDP‐glucose 4‐epimerases in Arabidopsis
Authors: Umezawa Akira , Matsumoto Mayuko , Handa Hiroto , Nakazawa Konatsu , Miyagawa Megumi , Seifert Georg J. , Takahashi Daisuke , Fushinobu Shinya , Kotake Toshihisa
Published: April 2024

L‐Arabinose (L‐Ara) is a plant‐specific sugar found in cell wall polysaccharides, proteoglycans, glycoproteins, and small glycoconjugates, which play physiologically important roles in cell proliferation and other essential cellular processes. L‐Ara is synthesized as UDP‐L‐arabinose (UDP‐L‐Ara) from UDP‐xylose (UDP‐Xyl) by UDP‐Xyl 4‐epimerases (UXEs), a type of de novo synthesis of L‐Ara unique to plants. In Arabidopsis, the Golgi‐localized UXE AtMUR4 is the main contributor to UDP‐L‐Ara synthesis. However, cytosolic bifunctional UDP‐glucose 4‐epimerases (UGEs) with UXE activity, AtUGE1, and AtUGE3 also catalyze this reaction. For the present study, we first examined the physiological importance of bifunctional UGEs in Arabidopsis. The uge1 and uge3 mutants enhanced the dwarf phenotype of mur4 and further reduced the L‐Ara content in cell walls, suggesting that bifunctional UGEs contribute to UDP‐L‐Ara synthesis. Through the introduction of point mutations exchanging corresponding amino acid residues between AtUGE1 with high UXE activity and AtUGE2 with low UXE activity, two mutations that increase relative UXE activity of AtUGE2 were identified. The crystal structures of AtUGE2 in complex forms with NAD+ and NAD+/UDP revealed that the UDP‐binding domain of AtUGE2 has a more closed conformation and smaller sugar‐binding site than bacterial and mammalian UGEs, suggesting that plant UGEs have the appropriate size and shape for binding UDP‐Xyl and UDP‐L‐Ara to exhibit UXE activity. The presented results suggest that the capacity for cytosolic synthesis of UDP‐L‐Ara was acquired by the small sugar‐binding site and several mutations of UGEs, enabling diversified utilization of L‐Ara in seed plants.
High variability and multiple trade‐offs in reproduction and growth of the invasive grass Cortaderia selloana after cutting
Authors: Fagúndez Jaime , Sánchez Adrián
Published: April 2024

The ability to balance the allocation of resources between growth and reproduction as a response to stress factors, can be an advantage for plants in disturbed environments. Invasive alien plants (IAPs) often show high levels of phenotypic variability in resource allocation, a key trait that plays a crucial role in their success to invade new areas. Control management for IAPs must consider this capacity in the development of effective strategies. In this study, we performed continuous measures of leaf growth and reproductive traits of Cortaderia selloana, an IAP of global concern, and applied generalised linear models (GLMs) to evaluate trade‐offs between vegetative growth, leaf composition and reproductive success at different cutting moments. Cutting moment, but not flowering, affected the length of the vegetative growth period (VGP) and average growth rate (AGR), and the interaction with flowering affected AGR and final leaf length (vegetative growth total, VGT). Specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen (N) content and the isotopic value of δ13C were affected by cutting, and N was also affected by flowering and the interaction with cutting time. Silica also showed a negative correlation with leaf carbon (C) depicting a trade‐off between both structural components. Cortaderia selloana successfully adapted its leaf growth and composition to cutting moment, but this was also modulated by flowering. Moreover, the species is dioecious, and its response may differ between female and hermaphroditic plants. This suggests flexible trade‐offs in resource allocation, therefore the time for cutting must be precisely scheduled to suppress flowering.
Analysis of Different Nanostructures of ISFET Biosensors Towards Liposome Detection
Authors: Lam Yi Ling  , Suhana Mohamed Sultan  , Ab Razak Nur Afiqah
Published: April 2024

Proteins are needed by all living cells for structural and functional purposes. However, some proteins such as liposome instability may result in medication leaks that could harm cells. The detection of liposomes is dependent on the complex interactions between proteins, which are necessary for both their structural integrity and functional characteristics. This emphasizes the critical role that proteins play in the precise identification and examination of liposomal structures. Ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) biosensor has gained popularity in the clinical research field for biomolecule detection due to its high detection sensitivity, mass-production capability, and low manufacturing cost. Nanohub BioSensorLab software was used to analyze the performance of different structures of ISFET (planar, cylindrical nanowire, nanosphere and double-gate FET) by simulating the settling time and selectivity of the biosensors. As the structural dimension expands from 1D to 3D, the settling time increases by three folds at the lowest analyte concentration. The fastest settling times were achieved by planar ISFET and double-gate FET. For selectivity measurements, an enhanced selectivity was achieved by increasing the concentration of the target molecule and decreasing the concentration of the parasitic molecule. A higher selectivity is determined by the higher Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) value. The SNR increased linearly corresponds to the increase in the concentration of the target molecule as well as the decrease in the parasitic molecule’s concentration. The parasitic molecule's size increase of 1 nm causes a rise in SNR of 5.00×103.
A Survey of Internet of Things based Indoor Positioning Systems based on Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon
Authors: Syed Salman Rahman  , Kamaruzaman Muhammad Afiq , Abdul Rashid Rozeha , Calveen Jon Elvin , Eliya Tazreena Tashbib  , Masud Imran  , Mohd Adib Sarijari
Published: April 2024

The global positioning systems (GPS) and cellular systems face inherent limitations when it comes to enclosed environments like shopping malls, hospitals, warehouses, as they have significant shadowing effects that cause the signals to be distorted. There have been many studies on different technologies and techniques aiming to find the optimum approach to be used for indoor positioning systems (IPS). Among all the technologies adapted by researchers all around the world, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons have been a prevalent choice for many, due to its deploying flexibility, low cost, low power consumption and ability to provide very advanced services to users. It is arduous to obtain RSSI values with great accuracy because the signals can be easily intervened by many factors like humidity, temperature, physical barriers, and interference from decoherent signals. In this paper, we presented a comparative analysis of different, fairly recent IPS that are based on BLE beacons by classifying the different proposed approaches in a structured and systematic manner and traversing the issues and challenges that exist with each technique. The accuracy of the results can be enhanced by using the most suitable positioning algorithm, the orientation of the beacon setup, and optimization methods used. A preliminary result from a case study using BLE beacons with K-Nearest Neighbours (KNN) based fingerprinting approach for indoor positioning estimation shows 86.67% accuracy.
Predicted Multi-Chronic Disease by Supervised Machine Learning Algorithms: Performance and Evaluation
Authors: Omar Sadeq Salman  , Abdul Latiff Nurul Mu’azzah , Syed Arifin Sharifah Hafizah , Salman Omar. H.
Published: April 2024

Current environmental conditions and human lifestyles have resulted in the emergence of numerous diseases. The medical field generates an enormous amount of new data each year for remote monitoring of patients. Due to increased data growth in the medical and healthcare industries, accurate medical data analysis has been advantageous to early patient care. However, physicians often face challenges in accurately diagnosing diseases in patients far from hospitals. Therefore, utilizing remote patient systems (telemedicine systems) due to the complexities associated with their chronic conditions. On the other hand, predicting illness is also a challenging task. Thus, data extracted from heterogeneous, fast-flowing, and reliable sources is crucial for decision-making and disease prediction. This research paper aims to utilize supervised Machine Learning (ML) techniques to predict chronic diseases such as heart and hypertension based on the patient’s features or symptoms by analyzing patient data collected by sensors and sources enabled by the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). Supervised ML technology in Hadoop and Spark environments is employed to guarantee that this classification accurately identifies individuals with chronic illnesses. The methods are evaluated using 55,680 patient records to discover the proper match between the data set and the final disease-predicted result. The results demonstrate that the proposed procedure employing the Decision Tree (DT) algorithm is 94% accurate, and DT outperforms the other four ML algorithms. This includes the Support Vector Machine (SVM), a Naive Bayes (NB) model, Random Forest (RF), and Logistic Regression (LR) in terms of both performance and accuracy metrics (precision, recall, and F-score).
Automated Storage and Retrieval System for Warehouse
Authors: Mohd Fadzli Muhamad Aiman Fikri , Sophan Wahyudi Bin Nawawi
Published: April 2024

Manual picking and retrieval of items from storage locations can be time-consuming, leading to delays in order fulfillment. This can negatively impact customer satisfaction and the overall responsiveness of the supply chain. In addition, manual data entry and tracking systems are prone to human errors, resulting in discrepancies between recorded and actual inventory levels. This can lead to stockouts, overstocking, and difficulties in maintaining accurate inventory records. Therefore, a fully automated storage and retrieval system is proposed to tackle this problem. The overall system consists of infrared sensor as presence of item stored, LEDs indicator, warehouse model with compartments and stepper motors act as actuator to pick and place the item. This project aims to automate the storage and retrieval system with the assist of monitoring system for accurate tracking of inventory and space savings. The use of Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) in this project is a good representation of integrated automation technology in automated storage system design. Furthermore, monitoring system connected to a web-based system will be used to remotely monitor and operate the facility. Implementing an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) in the warehouse can address these challenges by automating the storage, retrieval, and tracking of inventory.
Dielectric Properties of Polypropylene Blended with Ethylene-Butene Elastomer for High Voltage Applications
Authors: AZRIN NUR AZALIA , N.A Ahmad  , K.Y Lau  , S.N.H Kamarudin
Published: April 2024

In recent years, polypropylene (PP) has been tremendously explored in high voltage cable applications due to its outstanding thermal and electrical properties. Furthermore, PP is an environment-friendly material that can be recycled, thus making it a promising candidate to replace conventional crosslinked polyethylene. However, the stiffness and brittleness of PP need to be further modified so that it can be utilized for practical cable applications. Recently, elastomer blending has been one of the favorable methods used by the industry to modify PP flexibility. Unfortunately, different types of elastomers bring different compatibility in the PP matrix. In this paper, the dielectric performance of PP, when mixed with ethylene-butene elastomer (EBE), was investigated. The thermal behaviors and morphological analysis were identified by using a differential scanning calorimeter and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Meanwhile, the direct current (DC) breakdown strength was set up referring to the ASTM D3755 standard. Based on the findings, EBE shows a certain degree of compatibility with PP, where uniformly distributed spots were observed. Although the addition of EBE slightly degraded the DC breakdown properties of PP, the performance of PP/EBE blends at low elastomer contents is still good enough compared to conventional XLPE.
Harmonics Assessment of Distribution Transformer with Photovoltaic Integration and Unbalanced Loads
Authors: Muhammad Haziq Mohd Wazir  , Mat Said Dalila , Norazliani Md Sapari  , Mohamed Shahriman Mohamed Yunus
Published: April 2024

Harmonic distortion is one of the monumental power quality problems in an electrical power system. It frequently originated from non-linear loads generating non-sinusoidal steady state waveforms, which may lead to various undesirable effects on distribution transformers such as increased losses, overheating and lifetime reduction. In previous works, the harmonic current contributions from non-linear loads from consumers have been appointed as the main contributor of harmonic issues in the distribution transformers. However, since the integrations of renewable energy as a distributed generation (DG) have exponentially increasing in recent years, the impact of solar photovoltaic (PV) system implementation into distribution system on amplifying additional harmonic contents also needs to be addressed. Therefore, this paper conducts a comparative analysis of voltage and current harmonic profiles within the distribution transformer in three-phase distribution network and three-phase grid-connected photovoltaic (GCPV) system, with both subjected to supply unbalanced non-linear loads. The simulation is carried out using MATLAB Simulink 2021a software and the results are compared according to standards. As a result, the distribution transformer in the GCPV system is proven to contain higher levels of voltage and current harmonic distortion compared to a normal distribution grid.
Discrete Anisotropy Model of Heterogeneous Cardiac Tissue Predicting the Occurrence of Symmetry Breaking of Reentrant Activity
Authors: Romanova S. A. , Berezhnoy A. K. , Ruppel L. E. , Aitova A. A. , Bakumenko S. S. , Semidetnov I. S. , Naumov V. D. , Slotvitsky M. M. , Tsvelaya V. A. , Agladze K. I.
Published: April 2024

Cardiac arrhythmias are a major cause of cardiovascular mortality worldwide. Functional heterogeneity of cardiac tissue is an inevitable arrhythmogenic condition that may create nonlinear wave turbulence or reentry with subsequent arrhythmia initiation. The relation between propagation heterogeneity and the onset of reentry is of great theoretical and practical importance. Here, we present a conceptual representation of heterogeneous tissue expressed through alternating local and global tissue anisotropy with discreteness of membrane conductance. To contrast the influence of distributed heterogeneity, we investigated the interaction of a high-frequency wavetrain at a sharp anisotropy-symmetric obstacle. The revealed tendency of a heterogeneous system to form reentry was formalized into the single concept of a vulnerable frequency corridor that can be estimated experimentally. Using the joint in vitro–in silico approach, we defined an anomalous stable growth of a unidirectional block in the vicinity of an obstacle, depending on the direction of the anisotropy vector. This effect explains the limited applicability of homogeneous models to predicting the occurrence of primary reentry. Furthermore, computer simulations showed the special role played by other possible mechanisms of excitation, as ephaptic intercellular coupling, in the formation of a unidirectional block of conduction and reentry onset, which could not be predicted by conduction velocity measurements.
Bridging the Domain Gap in Scene Flow Estimation via Hierarchical Smoothness Refinement
Authors: Zhang Dejun , Zhang Mian , Tan Xuefeng , Liu Jun
Published: April 2024

This article introduces SmoothFlowNet3D, an innovative encoder-decoder architecture specifically designed for bridging the domain gap in scene flow estimation. To achieve this goal, SmoothFlowNet3D divides the scene flow estimation task into two stages: initial scene flow estimation and smoothness refinement. Specifically, SmoothFlowNet3D comprises a hierarchical encoder that extracts multi-scale point cloud features from two consecutive frames, along with a hierarchical decoder responsible for predicting the initial scene flow and further refining it to achieve smoother estimation. To generate the initial scene flow, a cross-frame nearest-neighbor search operation is performed between the features extracted from two consecutive frames, resulting in forward and backward flow embeddings. These embeddings are then combined to form the bidirectional flow embedding, serving as input for predicting the initial scene flow. Additionally, a flow smoothing module based on the self-attention mechanism is proposed to predict the smoothing error and facilitate the refinement of the initial scene flow for more accurate and smoother estimation results. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed SmoothFlowNet3D approach achieves state-of-the-art performance on both synthetic datasets and real LiDAR point clouds, confirming its effectiveness in enhancing scene flow smoothness.
Two‐Layer Optimization Method for Sharing Energy Storage and Energy considering Subjectivity
Authors: Kong Xue , Mu Hailin , Wang Hongye , Li Nan , Liu Xiaoyu
Published: April 2024

The high level of integration of distributed generation systems (DGSs), especially distributed wind and solar, significantly affects the flexibility and controllability of the power system. Aggregating local DGSs and shared energy storage systems (ESSs) within an energy community offers an economically and environmentally viable solution. However, the coupling of shared ESSs with the energy community, while considering subjectivity, is often overlooked. Therefore, this study introduces a two‐layer optimization framework that enables DGSs to trade energy freely, voluntarily, and independently and to share ESSs within the energy community, considering participants’ subjectivity. The upper layer optimizes the size of shared ESSs, while the lower layer, structured as a two‐layer model, simulates participant interactions. The numerical case shows that, compared to DGSs operating individually, the shared ESS case indicates that community self‐sufficiency and self‐consumption rates increase by 16.22% and 21.98%, respectively. Additionally, the annual operating cost is reduced by approximately 27.10%, and CO2 emissions are decreased by about 33.24%. Considering DGS’ subjectivity, the self‐sufficiency and self‐consumption rates are 3.04% lower, and the total operating costs and CO2 emissions are 3.26% and 6.86% higher, respectively.
Optimal Investment Strategy Analysis of On‐Site Hydrogen Production Based on the Hydrogen Demand Prediction Using Machine Learning
Authors: Kwon Hweeung , Park Jinwoo , Shin Jae Eun , Koo Bonchan
Published: April 2024

In order to achieve the hydrogen economy and respond to initial hydrogen demand appropriately, a hydrogen production and operation methodology is required to secure the economic feasibility of long‐term on‐site HRS. This study proposes a novel investment strategy for on‐site hydrogen production to meet future hydrogen demand. The optimal investment strategy based on the dual‐modal mode of combined autothermal reforming (ATR) and steam methane reforming (SMR) is proposed for hydrogen production using natural gas (NG) as a raw material. To predict hydrogen demand from 2020 to 2030, the machine learning (ML) technique was adopted. R2 and MSE as result using ML were 0.9936 and 6.88 × 10−5, respectively. In addition, the ATR‐SMR hydrogen strategy (ASHS) process was analyzed and compared with the SMR‐SMR and ATR‐ATR hydrogen strategy (SSHS and AAHS) processes in terms of optimal operation rate, storage tank management, economics, and environmental impacts. The operation rate of proposed hydrogen production processes was determined by the hydrogen demand and storage tank level, and the optimal investment plan to install additional hydrogen process depends on the total amount of hydrogen production. In this study, these results were observed due to the effective combination of the strengths of ATR and SMR. Consequently, the ASHS had the best cost‐effectiveness (LCOH at $5.63/kg H2) and environmental friendliness (unit CO2eq emissions at 10.21 kg CO2eq/kg H2 and 1.73 kg CO2eq/kg H2 with CCS). This study includes sensitivity analysis and a comparison of CO2 taxes by the country for three proposed hydrogen production processes. It could contribute to the optimal operation of the on‐site hydrogen production system in preparation for future hydrogen demand.
HPN328, a Trispecific T Cell–Activating Protein Construct Targeting DLL3-Expressing Solid Tumors
Authors: Molloy Mary E. , Aaron Wade H. , Barath Manasi , Bush Mabel C. , Callihan Evan C. , Carlin Kevin , Cremin Michael , Evans Thomas , Guerrero Maria G. , Hemmati Golzar , Hundal Avneel S. , Lao Llewelyn , Laurie Payton , Lemon Bryan D. , Lin S.J. , O’Rear Jessica , Patnaik Purbasa , Sotelo Rocha Sony , Santiago Linda , Strobel Kathryn L. , Valenzuela Laura B. , Wu Chi-Heng , Yu Stephen , Yu Timothy Z. , Anand Banmeet S. , Law Che-Leung , Sun Liping L. , Wesche Holger , Austin Richard J.
Published: April 2024

Delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) is expressed in more than 70% of small cell lung cancers (SCLCs) and other neuroendocrine-derived tumor types. SCLC is highly aggressive, and limited therapeutic options lead to poor prognosis for patients. HPN328 is a trispecific T cell–activating construct (TriTAC) consisting of three binding domains: a CD3 binder for T-cell engagement, an albumin binder for half-life extension, and a DLL3 binder for tumor cell engagement. In vitro assays, rodent models, and non-human primates were used to assess the activity of HPN328. HPN328 induces potent dose-dependent killing of DLL3-expressing SCLC cell lines in vitro, concomitant with T-cell activation and cytokine release. In an NCI-H82 xenograft model with established tumors, HPN328 treatment led to T-cell recruitment and anti-tumor activity. In an immunocompetent mouse model expressing a human CD3ε epitope, mice previously treated with HPN328 withstood tumor rechallenge, demonstrating long-term anti-tumor immunity. When repeat doses were administered to cynomolgus monkeys, HPN328 was well tolerated up to 10 mg/kg. Pharmacodynamic changes, such as transient cytokine elevation, were observed, consistent with the expected mechanism of action of T-cell engagers. HPN328 exhibited linear pharmacokinetics in the given dose range with a serum half-life of 78 to 187 hours, supporting weekly or less frequent administration of HPN328 in humans. Preclinical and nonclinical characterization suggests that HPN328 is a highly efficacious, safe, and novel therapeutic candidate. A phase 1/2 clinical trial is currently underway testing safety and efficacy in patients with DLL3-expressing malignancies.
Sífilis congênita precoce
Authors: Araújo José de
Published: April 2024

O autor, observando 245 recém-nascidos de gestantes com suspeita de sífilis, das quais 185 apresentavam reações sorológicas repetidamente positivas, verificou: 1) Incidência de sífilis congênita precoce ainda alta entre nós, notando-se, no entanto, diminuição dessa incidência, em virtude dos métodos atuais de tratamento. 2) Sífilis congênita precoce em 41 recém-nascidos, com a incidência de 22;16%. 3) As manifestações clínicas mais precoces foram esplenomegalia, corisa, anemia e lesões cutâneas específicas. 4) Radiològicamente, predominância da periostite acompanhada de lesões ósseas inespecíficas, como osteíte e osteoporose. 5) A incidência de prematuridade foi de 10,81%. 6) O tratamento da gestante não impede o aparecimento da sífilis, pois a doença foi encontrada em 25,50% dos recém-nascidos de gestantes tratadas. 7) No tratamento dos recém-nascidos, a penicilina procainada ofereceu os melhores resultados.
Prevenção referente às modalidades alternativas de transmissão do Trypanosoma cruzi
Authors: Amato Neto Vicente , Chieffi Pedro Paulo , Nisida Isabelle Vera Vichr , Umezawa Eufrosina Setsu , Sabino Ester Cerdeira , Ruocco Rosa Maria de Souza Aveiro , Lopes Marta Heloisa , Dias João Carlos Pinto
Published: April 2024

Noventa anos depois da descoberta da doença de Chagas, por Carlos Chagas em conjunto de exemplares investigações científicas que concretizaram os aspectos fundamentais da enfermidade, essa endemia continua, lamentavelmente, ainda proeminente em países latino-americanos, sobretudo em virtude da falta de maiores e melhores providências preventivas por parte de vários setores governamentais. No Brasil tiveram lugar em fase relativamente recente medidas adequadas que tornaram bem menos expressiva a transmissão do Trypanosoma cruri. Almejamos que prossigam e sejam imitadas por outras nações. Convém lembrar, a propósito, que o êxito foi devido à vontade política, à programação elaborada por profissionais competentes e à persistência, não influenciada pelas mudanças de governantes. No Estado de São Paulo, em particular, a transmissão vetorial a seres humanos foi controlada desde o início da década de 80, ocorrendo praticamente o desaparecimento da infestação domiciliar por Triatoma infestans (Souza, AG; Wanderley, D.M.V.; Buralli, G.M.M & Andrade, J.c.R. - Consolidation of the control of Chagas' disease in the State of São Paulo. (Mem. Inst, Oswaldo Cruz, 79 (supl.): 125-132, 1984). Nesse contexto merecem destacada atenção as modalidades alternativas de transmissão do T. cruri, porquanto diante do arrefecimento da veiculação através de triatomíneos elas contribuem efetivamente para o surgimentode novos acometimentos, devendo por isso haver, com rapidez e objetividade, proposição de propostas profiláticas pertinentes. Por isso, o Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo decidiu promover "Reunião sobre prevenção referente às modalidades alternativas de transmissão do Trypanosoma cruri", com a finalidade de apontar condutas atualmente tidas como recomendáveis, conforme explanações a cargo de alguns convidados capacitados a cooperar efetivamente. Fomos os organizadores do evento, realizado no dia 16 de outubro de 1998 e apoiado pelo Departamento de Higiene e Medicina Tropical da Associação Paulista de Medicina, pela Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical, pela Sociedade Médica Ítalo-Brasileira e pela Sociedade Paulista de Infectologia. As opiniões emitidas estão nesta coletânea, sempre respaldadas em pontos-de-vista pessoais, justificativas e bibliografia. Representam, se pelo menos suceder valorização do conjunto, contribuição realística para adoção de ações coibitórias a respeito de componentes alternativos, antes erroneamente sob determinados itens rotulados como excepcionais, atuantes na disseminação da doença de Chagas.
Aconselhamento genético da deficiência auditiva
Authors: Braga Maria Cristina C.
Published: April 2024

Baseando-se em dados por nós coletados e pesquisados na literatura nacional e internacional, fornecemos estimativas de incidência de surdez infantil não-sindrômica, das frequências de casos ambientais e genéticos e das frequências relativas dos tipos de surdez monogênica hereditária. Esses dados são usados para a estimativa dos riscos de repetição do defeito nas mais diferentes situações de aconselhamento genético. os riscos, calculados para países com diferentes perfis de desenvolvimento econômico e médico-sanitário, são fornecidos em tabela para uso imediato.
Atualização em genética da surdez não-sindrômica
Authors: Braga Maria Cristina C. , Abreu-Silva Ronaldo Serafim , Lezirovitz Karina , Mingroni-Netto Regina C.
Published: April 2024

A surdez não-sindrômica é uma condição altamente heterogênea, com inúmeros genes de locos diferentes interferindo no desenvolvimento e na fisiologia da audição. Apresentamos uma revisão sobre a genética e biologia molecular do defeito. Estão envolvidos na surdez hereditária não-sindrômica cerca de 30genes autossômicos recessivos e 40 dominantes, 8 genes ligados ao cromossomo X e 5 mutações no DNA mitocondrial. 80% dos casos hereditários de surdez são determinados por mecanismo autossômico recessivo, com predomínio de uma única mutação, 35delG, no gene da Conexina 26, a qual é tida como a principal responsável pela deficiência auditiva neurossensorial congênita. Nos últimos anos, têm sido detectados vários casos de deficiência auditiva associada a mutações do DNA mitocondrial; a principal delas é a mutação A1555G, muitas vezes associada a casos de deficiência auditiva secundária ao uso de antibióticos aminoglicosídeos. Os avanços recentes na biologia molecular da surdez indicam ser justificável a triagem de mutações frequentes na surdez.
Genética do câncer de pulmão
Authors: Capelozzi Vera Luiza
Published: April 2024

The lung cancer is one of the neoplasms of higher mortality. Biologicaly is the expression of the genetic alterations in the epithelial cells of the aerial ways. It is necessary to study the genetics and the pathology so that let us can arrive the best responses about the treatment, diagnosis and evolution of the disease.
Síndrome de Treacher Collins: aspectos clínicos, genéticos e moleculares
Authors: Passos-Bueno Maria Rita , Splendore Alessandra
Published: April 2024

A síndrome de Treacher Collins (STC) é um distúrbio do desenvolvimento craniofacial de herança autossômica dominante que afeta cerca de 1 em 50.000 recém-nascidos, sendo que aproximadamente 60% dos casos são resultantes de mutações novas. A grande variabilidade observada no quadro clínico pode dificultar o diagnóstico, principalmente nos casos mais leves. Desde a identificação do gene responsável pela síndrome em 1996, já foram identificados diversos defeitos moleculares que causam a STC, a maioria dosquais são específicos para cada família, o que torna o exame de detecção de mutações bastante trabalhoso. Contudo, nos casos em que há dúvida de diagnóstico, a realização dos testes moleculares é extremamente importante. Apesar dos avanços na caracterização molecular desta doença, ainda não é possível explicar a grande variabilidade clínica observada entre os pacientes, inclusive dentro de uma mesma família. A identificação de fatores que contribuem para determinar a gravidade do quadro clínico será possivelmente omaior desafio no estudo molecular da STC, e certamente trará facilitará o aconselhamento genético para as famílias de afetados.
« C’est plus grave de faire un enfant que de faire une IVG ! ». Redéfinir l’avortement par la physiologie : luttes des sages-femmes pour défendre une juridiction professionnelle controversée
Authors: Borel Myriam
Published: April 2024

En 1975, la loi inscrit l’IVG dans la juridiction de la médecine, investie comme instrument du contrôle social dans la régulation des naissances. La demande d’IVG demeurait pensée comme phénomène relevant de la pathologie. Cependant, une normalisation de cette activité s’opère dans le système de soins avec l’évolution de l’encadrement réglementaire et des techniques de prise en charge. Notamment, les sages-femmes sont enrôlées dans le réagencement des formes de l’action publique en la matière. Leur champ de compétence est élargi. Ces nouvelles définitions de l’expertise médicale en santé sexuelle et reproductive donnent lieu à des délibérations sur les conceptions de la pratique abortive. L’association nationale des sages-femmes orthogénistes (ANSFO) se saisit de cette opportunité pour renforcer la légitimité du groupe professionnel, en opérant un travail cognitif de « physiologisation » de l’IVG.
Hymenocallis ruenesiana (Amaryllidaceae), a new species from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Authors: ANCONA JUAN JOSÉ , ORTIZ-DÍAZ JUAN JAVIER , DURÁN KELLY C. , TUN-GARRIDO JUAN , PALMA GEOVANI A.
Published: April 2024

Hymenocallis ruenesiana is described and illustrated as a new species from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. When comparing the morphological characters of the leaf, inflorescence, fruit and pollen, as well as the environmental conditions of the habitat of H. ruenesiana, discontinuities were found with those of Hymenocallis littoralis. Hymenocallis ruenesiana is endemic to the Yucatan peninsula, inhabiting seasonal savannas with clayey and floodable soils, while H. littoralis naturally inhabits the coasts, on easily drained sandy soils and it is also widely cultivated as an ornamental plant.