bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on Novel Solid-State Forms of Sorafenib with Advantages in Terms of Solubility
Authors: Wang Zijuan , Shen Shuimei , Peng Junjie , Wu Da , Liu Xinyue , Deng Yu , Shi Xiangjun , Su Weike
Published: November 2023

The development of solid-state forms of drugs is an effective mean of solubility enhancement. In this study, two polymorphs named form C, form D, and two co-crystals of sorafenib (SF) with oxalic acid (SF-OA) and malonic acid (SF-MA), by evaporation and slurry method, have been developed and characterized. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction results showed that the structure of form C was similar to of form I. It had similar cellular parameters, but different arrangement of stacking due to π-π conjugation. The drug molecules in SF-OA underwent torsional folding through four hydrogen bonds of intermolecular and intramolecular. The solubility performance of solid-state forms improved significantly. Compared with form I, form C and form D were 1.59, 1.49 times at pH 1.2 HCl, 1.59, 1.87 fold at pH 6.8 PBS. In particular, the SF-OA and SF-MA increased the apparent solubility of SF at pH 1.2 by 8.3 and 6.4 times, at pH 6.8 by 4.0 and 4.5 times respectively. The dissolution mechanisms were analyzed. New solid-state forms showed strong stability at storage conditions of 40 °C/75% RH and 60 °C/0% RH. Notably, the crystal of SF preferred to transform in mixed solvents, and the formation of co-crystals confirmed the ∆pKa rule.
Investigation of Superfine Spinach Powder and Non-thermal Pasteurization (Pulsed Electric Fields) Effects on the Preserving Lutein Contents of Spinach Juice during Storage
Authors: Kim Si-Yeon , Lee Yeong-Geol , Ju Hye-In , Jeon Ji-Hee , Jeong Se-Ho , Lee Dong-Un
Published: November 2023

This study aimed to investigate the effects of jet-milling on lutein extraction contents of spinach powder (SP) and pulsed electric fields as a non-thermal pasteurization technology on spinach juice (SJ) to preserve lutein contents. SP particles were divided into SP-coarse (Dv50 = 315.2 μm), SP-fine (Dv50 = 125.20 μm), and SP-superfine (Dv50 = 5.59 μm) fractions and SP-superfine was added to SJ due to the highest contents of lutein extract. The PEF and thermal treatment were applied to evaluate the effects of preserving the lutein content of PEF during storage (25 days). The juice after being designated to untreated (no pasteurization), PEF1,2 (SJ treated with PEF 20 kV/cm 110 kJ/L, 150 kJ/L), Thermal1,2 (SJ treated with 90 ℃, 10 min and 121 ℃, 15 min). The sizes and surface shapes of superfine SP particles were more homogeneous and smoother than the other samples. SJ made with SP-superfine and treated by PEF had the highest lutein content and antioxidant activities among the group. Complex of jet-milling and PEF pasteurization could be great potential technologies to improve the lutein contents of lutein-enriched juice in the food industry.
Review of microRNAs and lncRNAs in atherosclerosis, diabetes, and other inflammatory conditions
Authors: Letonja Jernej , Petrovič Danijel
Published: November 2023

It is generally accepted that atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease. The link between atherosclerosis and other inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) via metabolic, inflammatory, and immunoregulatory pathways is well established. The aim of our review was to summarize the associations between selected microRNAs (miRs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and atherosclerosis, psoriasis, T2DM, and RA. MicroRNAs are short noncoding RNA molecules involved in cell signaling, intracellular communication, and gene expression. We reviewed the role of miR-146a, miR-210, miR-143, miR-223, miR-126, miR-21, miR-155, miR-145, miR-200, miR-133, miR-135, miR-221, miR-424, and let-7 in atherosclerosis, psoriasis, T2DM, and RA. LncRNAs are RNA transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides that are involved in cellular processes such as apoptosis, metabolism, inflammation, cell differentiation, and proliferation. We evaluated the role of lncRNA-H19, lncRNA-MEG3, lncRNA-UCA1, and lncRNA-XIST in atherosclerosis and psoriasis, T2DM, and RA. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a method of intracellular signal transduction. Their function depends on surface expression, cargo, and the cell from which they originate.
The Impact of Unconditional Priority for Escorted Vehicles in Traffic Network on Sustainable Urban Mobility
Authors: Vujić Miroslav , Gregurić Martin , Dedić Luka , Nečoska Daniela Koltovska
Published: November 2023

Efficient traffic systems control in large cities with complex traffic management of signalized intersections is a challenging task, particularly when dealing with high traffic volumes. The city of Zagreb faces this challenge, as all administrative and governmental institutions are located in the old city centre, and routes for escorted vehicles have a significant impact on the traffic network. This paper addresses the issue of the impact of unconditional priority for escorted vehicles on the energy efficiency of the urban traffic network in the city of Zagreb. The traffic network model is developed by using the PTV Vissim microsimulation software. The evaluation was conducted with node (delay, queue length, number of stops) and network evaluation parameters (CO2 emission, NOx emission, PM10 emission, and fuel consumption). The results show that unconditional priority has minimal impact on energy consumption and exhaust emission in the observed scenario. This is a significant result considering all actions that have to be done to manage the passage of the escorted vehicles through the traffic network.
Artificial Intelligence-Based Algorithms in Medical Image Scan Segmentation and Intelligent Visual-Content Generation
Authors: Rudnicka Zofia , Szczepanski Janusz , Pregowska Agnieszka
Published: November 2023

Recently, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based algorithms have revolutionized the medical image segmentation processes. Thus, the precise segmentation of organs and their lesions may contribute to an efficient diagnostics process and a more effective selection of targeted therapies as well as increasing the effectiveness of the training process. Thus, AI may contribute to the automatization of the image scan segmentation process and increase the quality of the resulting 3D objects, which may lead to the generation of more realistic virtual objects. In this paper, we focus on the AI-based solutions applied in the medical image scan segmentation, and intelligent visual-content generation, i.e. computer-generated three-dimensional (3D) images in the context of Extended Reality (XR). We consider different types of neural networks used with a special emphasis on the learning rules applied, taking into account algorithm accuracy and performance, as well as open data availability. This paper also attempts to summarize the current development of AI-based segmentation methods in medical imaging and intelligent visual content generation that are applied in XR. Finally, this paper concludes with possible developments and open challenges in AI application in Extended Reality-based solutions. Finally, the future lines of research and development directions of Artificial Intelligence applications both in medical image segmentation and Extended reality-based medical solutions are discussed.
Association of Depression and Anxiety with Sexual Orientation in a Convenience Sample of Latvian Young Adults
Authors: Pavlukovica Marija , Pozarskis Anatolijs , Kivite-Urtane Anda
Published: November 2023

Background. Depression and anxiety and its association with sexual orientation in Latvia is un-derstudied.
Outcomes. Kinsey scale, primary outcomes for mental health disturbances were defined as per-son`s subjective feeling of depression and anxiety.
Materials and Methods. Participants aged 18-30 year old (n=503) was asked to do a self-administered anonymous web-based survey regarding social and family status, sexual iden-tification and behaviour, violence experience and mental health information. To describe person`s sexual orientation Kinsey scale was used. Prevalence of depression and anxiety, univariate and multivariate regression analysis was performed to measure relations between investigated fac-tors.
Results. A total of 503 participants (i.e., 365 females, 133 males, 5 others) were included in the study. Mean (SD) age of participants was 23.0 (3.7) years. Mean (SD) value on the Kinsey scale was 1.4 (1.8) and median (IQR) value was 1.0 (0-2.0) where 1 is defined as ‘mostly heterosexual, only slightly homosexual’ person and 2 is ‘mostly heterosexual, but more than slightly homosexual’. Prevalence of persons reported violence experience was 20.3%, anxiety 56.3% and depression 37.6%. Logistic regression analysis showed that experience of violence was associated with higher odds of developing anxiety and depression (OR: 2.6 [95% CI: 1.7-4.0] and 2.4 [95% CI: 1.5-3.9], respectively). Being in relationship was associated with higher odds of developing anxiety (OR: 2.8[95% CI: 1.3-6.3]). Male sex and income 1001-2000 euros a month were associated with lower odds of developing anxiety (OR: 0.4 [95% CI: 0.2-0.5] and aOR: 0.3 [95% CI: 0.1-0.8], respectively). Sexual orientation showed no significant value in association with anxiety and depression (OR: 1.1 [95% CI: 1.0-1.2] and OR: 1.1 [95% CI: 1.02-1.2], respectively).
Conclusions. In our study, the significant factors for developing depression and anxiety were experiencing violence, being female, being in a relationship, and having no income, while sexual orientation showed no significance in relation to depression and anxiety.
Cardioprotective Effect of Epiisopiloturine, an Imidazole Alkaloid from Pilocarpus microphyllus, in Rats Submitted to Cardiac Ischemia and Reperfusion
Authors: De Marqui Moraes Pedro Ivo , Tallo Fernando Sabia , Lima Rildo Yamaguti , Pinto Sandra Augusta Gordinho , De Araújo Erisvaldo Amarante , Freitas Rodrigo de Barros , De Oliveira Carolina Trabasso Ferraz , De Oliveira Giovanna Seto , Gardelli Trindade João Vitor , Arias Alexia Nascimento , Góes Rafael Batman de , Braga Filho Carlos Eduardo , Medeiros Jand Venes Rolim , Nicolau Lucas Antonio Duarte , Costa Véras Leiz Maria , Miranda Monica Noleto , Wanderley Almir Gonçalves , Caricati-Neto Afonso , Menezes-Rodrigues Francisco Sandro
Published: November 2023

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), which is characterized by severe and fatal arrhythmias resultant from cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (CIR), is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. Considering that epiisopiloturin (EPI), an imidazole alkaloid found in the leaves of Pilocarpus microphyllus produded anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in an animal model of peritonitis, paw edema and peritonitis in mice, we decided to investigate the potential cardioprotective activity of EPI in animal model of CIR. Then, adult rats submitted to CIR pretreated with EPI 10 mg/kg (EPI10+CIR group) or 15 mg/kg (EPI15+CIR group) were compared to control animals submitted to CIR treated with saline solution 0.9% (CIR group). To evaluate the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias (VA), atrioventricular block (AVB) and lethality (LET) induced by CIR in these rats, the ECG analysis was performed. Serum levels of cardiac damage markers, total creatine kinase (CK) and CK-MB, were measured. The results showed that the AVB incidence was reduced from 80% to 30%, and LET incidence was reduced from 70% to 20%, compared to CIR group. Serum levels of LDH, total CK and, CK-MB was similar in all groups studied. These results indicate that the treatment with EPI (15 mg/kg, IV) before CIR was effective to produce cardioprotective effects. Thus, the use of EPI could be a promisse strategy to reduce the incidence of severe and fatal arrhythmias associated with AMI.
The Extended Cleavage Specificity of Channel Catfish Granzyme-Like II, a Highly Specific Elastase, Expressed by Natural Killer-Like Cells
Authors: Thorpe Michael , Akula Srinivas , Fu Zhirong , Hellman Lars
Published: November 2023

The extended cleavage specificity of catfish granzyme-like II has been characterized using substrate phage display. The preference for particular amino acids at and surrounding the cleavage site was further validated by using a panel of recombinant substrates. This serine protease, which has previously been isolated as cDNA from a catfish natural killer-like cell line showed a preference for alanine in the P1 position of the substrate, and for multiple basic amino acids N-terminally of the cleavage site. Using a set of recombinant substrates revealed the enzyme was most active on substrates with an alanine preceded by 3 or 4 basic amino acids in a row, but also showed activity against substrates with two basic amino acids, as well as with two basic amino acids separated by one amino acid just N-terminally of the Ala. The characteristics of this separating amino acid seemed less important, as many different amino acids were accepted in this position, except for proline. The amino acids following the basic amino acids and the P1 Ala residue also appeared to be of major importance for efficient cleavage. The most preferred P1 residue was Ala, and replacing Ala with Gly or Leu resulted in a clear reduction in the cleavage rate. A closely-related zebrafish serine protease (Zebrafish esterase-like) showed a very similar cleavage specificity, indicating an evolutionary conservation of this protease specificity among various fish species.
Two catfish serine proteases, originating from NK-like cells, have now been isolated and characterized. One of them is highly specific met-ase with similar characteristics as the mammalian granzyme M. This enzyme may be involved in the induction of apoptosis in virus infected cells, with a potential target in (catfish) caspase 6. In contrast to catfish granzyme -like I, the second enzyme analysed here, doesn’t seem to have a direct counterpart in mammalian NK-cells, and its role in the immune function of catfish NK cells is therefore still not known. However, this enzyme seems to be able to cleave a number of cytoskeletal proteins indicating a separate strategy to induce apoptosis in target cells. Both of these enzymes are very interesting targets for further studies of their roles in catfish immunity, as enzymes with similar specificities have been identified also in zebrafish.
Injection of Mononuclear Stem Cells from Human Umbilical Cord and Placenta into Mice after 3 and 6 weeks of Experimental Spinal Cord Lesion
Authors: Araujo Thiego , Cristante Alexandre , Marcon Raphael , Santos Gustavo dos , Nicola Maria , Pereira Marcela , de Araújo Alex , Sanchez Fernando , Filho Tarcisio Barros
Published: November 2023

Study design: experimental study. Objective: To evaluate nerve regeneration and motor recovery in Balb C mice with surgically induced paraplegia in response to the use of mononuclear stem cells, in the chronic phase, from human umbilical cord and placental blood after 3 weeks and 6 weeks of spinal cord injury (SCI).
Setting: Spinal Cord and Nervous Trauma Studies Laboratory, Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo. Methods: 48 mice were divided into 6 groups of 8 animals. Group 1 received stem cells 3 weeks after SCI, group 2, six weeks later after SCI. In group 3, saline solution was injected at the injury site 3 weeks after SCI and in group 4, 6 weeks later. Group 5 was submitted only to SCI and group 6 to laminectomy only. The scales used for motor assessment were BMS and MFS for 12 weeks. Results: The intervention groups showed motor improvement with statistical significance. In the histopathological analysis, the intervention groups showed a lower degree of injury (p<0.05). Regarding axonal sprouting, the intervention groups showed an increase in axonal sprouting, with statistical significance in the caudal portion.
Conclusions: the use of stem cells in mice in the chronic phase, after 3 and 6 weeks of spinal cord injury, brings functional and histopathological benefits for them.
A Systematic Mapping Study on Automated Negotiation for Autonomous Intelligent Agents
Authors: Memon Mashal Afzal , Scoccia Gian Luca , Autili Marco
Published: November 2023

Autonomous intelligent agents are known as artificial intelligence software entities that can act on their own and can take decisions without any human intervention. The communication between such systems to reach an agreement for problem-solving is known as automated negotiation. This study aims to systematically identify and analyze the literature on automated negotiation. For this purpose, we performed a systematic mapping study (SMS) starting from 73,760 potentially relevant studies. Through a precise selection procedure, we identified 53 primary studies, published from the year 2000 onward, which were analyzed by applying a rigorous classification framework. As a result, we provide an up-to-date map of the state-of-the-art research in the automated negotiation domain. We also provide a replication package to help researchers replicate and verify our systematic mapping study. The results and findings will benefit researchers and practitioners to identify the research gap and conduct further research to bring dedicated solutions for automated negotiation.
Anti-inflammatory effect of Aiouea padiformis extract via inhibition of the ATPase activity of NLRP3
Authors: Lee Sumin , Ye Qianying , Yang Hyeyun , Lee Sojung , Kim YeJi , Lee Nahyun , Cox Darwin , Yi Dong-Keun , Kim Soo-Yong , Choi Sangho , Choi Taesoo , Kim Man S , Lee Yoonsung , Park Yong Hwan
Published: November 2023

Aiouea padiformis belongs to the family Lauraceae and is primarily found in tropical regions. Although other plants in this family have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects, the anti-inflammatory properties of A. padiformis extract (AP) have not yet been investigated. In this study, we examined the effects of AP on the NLRP3 inflammasome and aimed to elucidate the mechanism behind these effects. AP treatment inhibited interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) secretion without affecting cell viability in J774A.1 and THP-1 cells. AP treatment had no effect on NF-κB signaling, potassium efflux, or intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, all of which are associated with NLRP3 activation. However, interestingly, AP treatment significantly reduced the ATPase activity of NLRP3. To confirm whether AP functions in vivo, we used zebrafish larvae with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. Confirming the results observed in cellular experiments, a decrease in the number of neutrophils was observed in zebrafish embryos following AP treatment. Our results show that AP hindered NLRP3 inflammasome assembly through ATPase activity suppression, resulting in reduced inflammation in vivo. This study demonstrates the potential of AP as a treatment for inflammatory diseases associated with NLRP3 inflammasomes.
Linking foreign investment and eco-innovation to sustainable development goals through a spatial mediation-moderation model
Authors: AMARA DHEKRA BEN , Qiao Jiajun , Sarfo Isaac
Published: November 2023

Sustainable development is affected by environmental problems and climate change, which are frequently attributed to economic growth. Greener economies, therefore, rely heavily on technological advancements. Environmental conditions keep deteriorating despite increasing eco-innovations and foreign investments in most developing nations. Consequently, it is crucial to connect these constructs to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) to address climate hazards, reduce poverty, and achieve a sustainable transition while maintaining economic growth. In this paper, we use the geographic Durbin model to examine the effects of economic growth on carbon emissions while connecting the SDGs for nine countries in the Middle East and North African region during the last 20 years. Second, the paper investigates the mediation effect of eco-innovation-related SDGs. Third, this article uses the spatial stepwise regression model to explore the moderating function of FDI-related SDGs on the mediation model. The findings of this paper are that: (i) Economic growth positively impacts carbon emissions that derail the realization of the various SDGs. (ii) Eco-innovation-related SDGs mediate the relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions; (iii) FDI-related SDGs have a dual moderating effect on the mediation model. This research advances our understanding of how the variables mentioned above maximize the efforts geared towards mitigating climate stressors and reducing poverty in pursuit of attaining a desired future.
Absence of abdominal pigmentation in species of Culicoides Latreille Subgenus Trithecoides Wirth & Hubert: An obstruction to age-grading
Authors: Mazumdar Shuddhasattwa Maitra , Harsha Rupa , Mazumdar Abhijit , Li Jiahui , Hu Rong , Thepparat Arunrat , Wardhana April H , Ishtiaq Farah , Bellis Glenn A
Published: November 2023

Examination of gravid female specimens of nine species of Culicoides subg Trithecoides, viz C. acanthostomus, C. anophelis, C. flavescens, C. paraflavescens, C. flaviscutatus, C. inornatithorax/flaviscutatus, C. palpifer, C. palpifer/neopalpifer, and an undescribed species, revealed that none possessed the dark abdominal pigmentation characteristic of gravid and parous females of species belonging to other subgenera of Culicoides. The lack of abdominal pigmentation was supported by data from 68 separate collections from 7 countries in southern Asia and Australasia containing more than 4100 female specimens belonging to C. subg Trithecoides, of which none had pigment. This lack of pigmentation is likely widespread within this subgenus and may also be lacking in other subgenera. The lack of abdominal pigmentation hinders the visual age grading of specimens belonging to this subgenus, which will have implications for survival studies and the selection of specimens for viral isolation and detection.
Fast and effective molecular property prediction with transferability map
Authors: Feng Zunlei , Yao Shaolun , Song Jie , Jia Lingxiang , Cheng Lechao , Zhong Zipeng , Song Mingli
Published: November 2023

Effective transfer learning for molecular property prediction has shown considerable strength in addressing insufficient labeled molecules. Many existing methods either disregard the quantitative relationship between source and target properties, risking negative transfer, or require intensive training on target tasks. To quantify transferability concerning task-relatedness, we propose Principal Gradient-based Measurement (PGM) for transferring molecular property prediction ability. First, we design an optimization-free scheme to calculate a principal gradient for approximating the direction of model optimization on a molecular property prediction dataset. We have theoretically analyzed the close connection between the principal gradient and model optimization. PGM measures the transferability as the distance between the principal gradient obtained from the source dataset and that derived from the target dataset. Then, we perform PGM on various molecular property prediction datasets to build a quantitative transferability map for source dataset selection. Finally, we evaluate PGM on multiple combinations of transfer learning tasks across $12$ benchmark molecular property prediction datasets and demonstrate that it can serve as fast and effective guidance to improve the performance of a target task. This work contributes to more efficient drug discovery by offering a task-relatedness quantification prior to transfer learning and understanding the relationship between molecular properties.
Spinal endoscopy combined with ACDF for the treatment of herniated disc degeneration and adjacent vertebral body osteophyte formation: A case report
Authors: Zhou Yi , Chen Yuzhou , Liao Zikang , Ji Wenqiang , Shen Kaiyuan , Yu Kaifan , Fan Xiaohong , Chen Rigao
Published: November 2023

Background Cervical disc degeneration with adjacent vertebral body osteophyte formation is not uncommon in clinical practice, and existing surgical methods involve incomplete resection of the posterior osteophyte of the vertebral body and incomplete decompression, which may affect the surgical outcomes.
Case presentation This report describes a case of intervertebral disc degeneration with adjacent vertebral body osteophyte formation treated with spinal endoscopy combined with anterior cervical discectomy and implant fusion (ACDF) that achieved good clinical results. A 50-year-old man presented with pain in the neck and shoulder radiating to the left upper extremity and finger numbness. Cervical computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a posteriorly protruding C5/6 intervertebral disc and osteophyte formation on the margins of the C5/6 vertebrae. He underwent spinal endoscopy combined with ACDF, which achieved a favorable clinical outcome.
Conclusion Spinal endoscopy combined with ACDF has remarkable advantages in treating patients with herniated disc degeneration and adjacent vertebral body osteophyte formation, which is worthy of clinical promotion.
Catatonia-Associated Urinary Retention in Geriatric Patients: A Case Series Report
Authors: Parmar Monica , Lau Tim
Published: November 2023

Background:
Catatonia is an underdiagnosed neuropsychiatric condition, with only a few studies focusing on medical sequalae among elderly populations. Delayed treatment results in complications with high morbidity and mortality. Among elderly individuals, one such complication is urinary retention. Urinary retention can result in prolonged catheter use. In geriatric populations, catheters limit patient mobility, are potential sources for infection, and increase the risk for delirium. Catheter use has been independently associated with increased mortality in nursing home settings.
This case series describes clinical cases of catatonia-associated urinary retention whereby the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) resulted in resolution of urinary retention concurrent with resolution of depressive and catatonic symptoms using validated scales.
Case presentation:
This study involved four patients ranging from 66-84 years old who met criteria for major depressive disorder and catatonia. At admission, MADRS scores ranged from 40-56, indicating severe illness in all patients. All patients also met criteria for catatonia as measured by the Bush Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS). During the admission, each patient experienced urinary retention as evidenced by post-void residual bladder volumes (PVRs) ranging from 569-1400mL. Medical workup was completed to exclude alternative causes for urinary retention. Each patient completed ECT treatment, ranging from 14-19 sessions which resulted in resolution of catatonia. All four patients were also noted to have PVR volumes ranging from 6-75 mL, thereby suggesting concurrent resolution of urinary retention. Posttreatment, the MADRS scores ranged from 3-16, indicating a mild or subthreshold index of illness. There was no recurrence of elevated post-void residual volumes, and therefore, all patients were discharged from hospital without the requirements of urinary catheter insertion.
Conclusions:
To our knowledge, there are no case reports that describe the concurrent resolution of catatonia, depressive symptoms and urinary retention simultaneously using validated scales throughout the ECT treatment course. Furthermore, there are no prior reports describing catatonia-related urinary retention among geriatric populations. Identifying and treating catatonia in a timely manner can reduce the complications associated with prolonged catheter use. There remains a gap in current research to describe if there exists any overlapping mechanisms and pathways to explain how ECT can treat catatonia, depression, and catatonia-associated urinary retention.
How Inclusive Leadership Affects Teachers' Innovative Behavior in Chinese Kindergartens: The Sequential Mediation Role of Teacher Efficacy and Psychological Safety
Authors: Mo Dongxiao , Han Xinping , Li Yuyan
Published: November 2023

Although kindergarten teachers' innovative behavior is vital for developing young children's innovative literacy and advancing preschool education reform, research on the factors influencing this behavior is notably scarce.This research aims to uncover how inclusive leadership affects teachers' innovative behaviors, specifically examining the sequential mediating roles of teacher efficacy and psychological safety. It analyzes data from 1,020 teachers across 280 kindergartens in Guangxi, China, using Structural Equation Modeling and Bootstrap Analysis.The study reveals a significant positive correlation between principals' inclusive leadership and teachers' innovative behavior, with teacher efficacy and psychological safety acting as sequential mediators in this relationship. Additionally, it finds that teacher efficacy mediates the relationship between inclusive leadership and psychological safety, and psychological safety in turn mediates between teacher efficacy and innovative behavior. Overall, the study proposes a new model illustrating how principal inclusive leadership influences teacher innovative behavior, offering insights for enhancing kindergarten teachers' innovativeness. It emphasizes the importance of considering inclusive leadership, teacher efficacy, and psychological safety in designing programs to promote teacher innovation.
Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora spp. in Horse Population of Tehran, the Capital of Iran: Insights from the First Survey Analysis
Authors: Shams Farzane , Jokar Mohammad , Abdous Arman , Mohammadi Pardis , Abbassioun Aryan , Rahmanian Vahid , Farhoodi Mehran
Published: November 2023

Neospora spp. and Toxoplasma gondii are two closely related protozoan parasites which are widely distributed through the world by causing fetal malformations and neurological disorders in a wide range of animals and human in T.gondii. Horses can act as intermediate hosts for both parasites and can acquire disease. Blood samples were taken from 487 clinically healthy horses of 17 different mechanized stables in Tehran, the capital of Iran, during September and November of 2022. Through sample collection, information regarding animal characteristics, local management and environmental conditions were recorded. IFAT and ELISA was employed to detect antibodies directed against Neospora spp. and T. gondii. The IFAT results show that anti-N. caninum antibodies were detected in 52 of 487 animals (10.67%) and antibodies against T. gondii were detected in 41 horses (8.42%). Also, In 6 of 487 horses (1.23%) double positivity suggested co-infection with both parasites. Gender, age groups, and the presence of dogs for neosporosis, and age groups and the presence of cats for toxoplasmosis, could be considered as factors having an influence on the seroprevalences (P<0.05). The results proved these parasites are present suggests that powerful regulatory measures should be implemented to prevent and control the spread.
Thermomechanical Characterization of Polylactic Acid Composites Containing Titanium Dioxide Superficially Modified with Silane Coupling Agents and Dicarboxylic Acids
Authors: Orta Luis Román Rosas , Camacho Beatriz Ruíz , Pawar Tushar , Alvarado Enrique Delgado , Rodríguez Rebeca Yasmín Pérez , López David Contreras , Montesinos Javier Vallejo
Published: November 2023

This article analyzes the effect of the type of surface modification (using silane coupling agents and dicarboxylic acids) on titanium dioxide particles used as fillers in polylactic acid composites, which were exposed to a photodegradative process. The thermomechanical properties of the composites were analyzed; it was found that the silane coupling agent with imidazole allowed the composites to have Young’s modulus values 60% lower than the composite without filler. On the other hand, the crystallization rate was 30% higher for composites with azelaic acid attached to TiO2 particles than for composites without filler at a cooling rate of 5 °C min-1.
A Systematic Approach for Generating Manglish Code-Mixed Customer Reviews from Amazon’s Monolingual English Customer Review Corpus
Authors: Bhagya Sree S , S Nadera Beevi
Published: November 2023

Code-mixing (CM), the blending of two or more languages within a discourse, is common in multilingual societies. The lack of codemixed training data is a primary concern for developing end-to-end AI models intended for deployment in various natural language processing (NLP) applications. Manually creating or crowdsourcing the code-mixed labelled data for the task at hand is a viable option. However, it requires significant human labour and is often impractical due to the language-specific variation of the codemixed text. To bypass the issue of data scarcity, we offer an efficient method for automatically generating code-mixed Malayalam-English (Manglish) text from Monolingual English text data collected from the Amazon customer review corpus without any parallel data. English to Manglish translation is a less studied research problem. The generated synthetic code-mixed Manglish text data can be used to train the AI models for various NLP tasks in code-mixed context. The codemixed text generator in this work is based on the linguistic and task-independent characteristics derived from a transformer-based language model called LaBSE. The generated corpus is then evaluated using a variety of objective metrics. We intend to expand it by incorporating further implementations of linguistic theories, improved NER and parsing methods and implementing a variety of NLP applications, with the expectation that this will permit more study on code-mixing in different language pairs.
Water-Saving Dyeing Process: A Sustainable Approach for Exhaust Dyeing of Cotton Fabric
Authors: Reza-Ul-Hoque Md. , Jalil M. Abdul , Hossain Shahin , Khan Ayub Nabi
Published: November 2023

The global demand for water conservation and sustainability in textile manufacturing is imperative in addressing the scarcity of fresh water and environmental pollution. This study introduces an innovative water-saving process for exhaust dyeing of cotton fabrics with reactive dyes, without compromising the dyeing quality or requiring extra investments. Traditional textile dyeing practices consume approximately 120 liters of fresh water per kilogram of cotton fabric, contributing to environmental degradation. In this research, a process modification is proposed that recycles water used for neutralization and rinsing at the second step of the dyeing process. This recycled water is utilized in the fourth step, effectively reducing the total water consumption to 104 liters per kilogram of fabric, thus saving 16 liters per kilogram without any additional investment. The dyed fabrics produced using this water-saving process exhibit excellent colorfastness, matching the quality of conventionally dyed textiles. The color fastness to light, washing, rubbing, and perspiration meets international standards. CMC tests indicate no significant differences compared to the existing dyeing process. Implementing this eco-friendly approach can not only significantly reduce water consumption and wastewater generation but also diminish the need for costly water treatment and effluent management facilities. This research paves the way for cleaner production in the textile industry, promoting water conservation, reducing environmental pollution, and minimizing production costs.
Preserving Visual Acuity: A Compelling 12-Year Case Study of Controlling Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Tomás Rita , Campos António , Oliveira Nuno , Soares Pedro , Sousa João
Published: November 2023

Background: In neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) trials, anti-VEGF injection frequency declines after the first year, while outcomes remain primarily related to the number of injections. To date, there are no documented real-life cases in the literature reporting long-term preservation of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) for more than 7 years in nAMD.
We present a 12-year follow-up of a real-life case of nAMD where BCVA was preserved.
Case presentation: A 67-year-old Caucasian female presented to our department in June 2010 due to decreased vision in her left eye (LE) within the preceding months. Examination showed a BCVA of 85 letters (L) in the right eye (RE) and 35 L in the LE. Fundus examination showed drusen in the macula of both eyes and macular edema in the LE. A diagnosis of Type 1 choroidal neovascular membrane (CNV) in the RE and Type 2 CNV in the LE was established. She undergone 7 injections within the first year in either eye. The LE had a mean of five injections per year, and the RE had a mean of seven injections per year, from 2010 to 2022. RE's BCVA dropped by 8 L (85 L to 77 L) and central retinal thickness (CRT) increased by 16 μm (276 μm to 292 μm), while LE’s BCVA increased by 28 L (35 L to 63 L) and CRT decreased by 369 μm (680 μm to 311 μm), at the twelfth year.
Conclusions: The number of injections is paramount in preserving BCVA and achieving favorable functional outcomes in nAMD, even after 12 years of treatment.
Semantic Similarity and Plagiarism Checker
Authors: Vyas Kartik , Kumar Aditya , Banerjee Romi , Chakraborty Debarati Bhunia
Published: November 2023

Today all educational institutes stress on the importance of continuous evaluation. This directly impacts the number of assessments to be done for various projects, quizzes, assignments, and exams. It becomes a time and resource- intensive task for the instructors to evaluate these submissions with accuracy. Additionally, the instructor also needs to keep a check on whether any student has plagiarized from the web or if there is any case of intrinsic plagiarism among the students. With a huge set of information on the internet, one can easily get away with plagiarism. There are tools available for such requirements, but almost all of them are paid, and moreover, instructors need to run them one by one, which is a difficult task in itself. Thus, we developed a one-stop solution for the entire problem, which, as per our knowledge, is not in place. We have developed a single tool that can measure semantic plagiarism (based on meaning), text entailment, online plagiarism, and real plagiarism as well. In the future, work can be aligned in the direction of semantics of research papers as well to grade answers.
Sociodemographic and clinical predictors of depression in children and adolescents: results of a two-year follow-up study
Authors: Styss Nick , Michel Chantal , Osman Naweed , Walger Petra , Franscini Maurizia , Traber-Walker Nina , Schimmelmann Benno G. , Flückiger Rahel , Romanos Marcel , Meisenzahl Eva , Reissner Volker , Romer Georg , Schulte-Körne Gerd , Greimel Ellen , Schultze-Lutter Frauke
Published: November 2023

Depressive disorders are a main cause of disability-adjusted life years already in children and adolescents, in whom the clinical picture somewhat differs from adult-onset depression. Thus, we studied sociodemographic and clinical predictors of depression/dysthymia in a sample of minors. Our baseline sample (N=676) included patients at clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P, n=183), inpatients admitted for non-psychotic, non-affective disorders (n=277), and community participants (n=216) of age 7.0 to 17.9 years (43.8% male). They were assessed by clinical psychologists for mental disorders and symptoms with various clinical interviews including the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents, which was also used to assess depression/dysthymia in the CHR-P group at 1- and 2-year-follow up (n=117 and 73, respectively). Analyses followed a stepwise procedure at baseline with stepwise logistic regression analyses to identify the final baseline model that was tested in the follow-up samples. The final cross-sectional model included nationality and 13 clinical variables Mild depressive symptoms in particular played a decisive role here. Variables contributing significantly to the prediction varied over time, indicating that CAD depression/dysthymia may require different predictors depending on the follow-up time. Furthermore, the prospective accuracy of ruling out depression/dysthymia was superior to the accuracy of ruling it in. This lower positive likelihood ratio might be overcome in future by stepwise approaches that further stratify risk in those initially identified as at increased risk of depression/dysthymia.
Compressible and anelastic governing-equation solution methods for thermospheric gravity waves with realistic background parameters
Authors: Knight Harold , Broutman Dave , Eckermann Stephen
Published: November 2023

A previously developed numerical-multilayer modeling approach for systems of governing equationsis extended so that unwanted terms can be removed from the dispersion-relation polynomialassociated with the system. The new approach is applied to linearized anelastic and compressiblesystems of governing equations for gravity waves including molecular viscosity and thermaldiffusion. The ability to remove unwanted terms from the dispersion-relation polynomialis crucial for solving the governing equations when realistic background parameters, such as horizontal velocity and temperature, with strong vertical gradients, are included. With the unwanted terms removed, previously studied dispersion-relation polynomials, for which methods for defining upgoing and downgoing vertical wavenumber rootsalready exist, are obtained. The new methods are applied to a comprehensive set of medium-scale time-wavepacketexamples, with realistic background parameters, lower boundary conditions at 30 km altitude, and modeled wavefields extending up to 500 km altitude. Result from the compressibleand anelastic model versions are compared, with compressible governing-equation solutionsunderstood as the more physically accurate of the two. The new methods provide significantlyless computationally expensive alternatives to nonlinear time-step methods, which makesthem useful for comprehensive studies of the behavior of viscous/diffusive gravity wavesand also for large studies of cases based on observational data.Additionally, they generalize previously existing Fourier methods that have been applied to inviscidproblems while providing a theoretical framework for the study of viscous/diffusive gravity waves.
Radiolytic decomposition of oxalic acid in nuclear power plant by gamma irradiation
Authors: Lim Seung Joo , Choi Wang Kyu
Published: November 2023

The radiation-induced decomposition of oxalic acid was investigated. Co-60 was used for irradiation source and the efficiency of radiolytic decomposition was estimated using G-value and dose constant. Oxalic acid was successfully decomposed by ionizing radiation process of gamma irradiation. The removal of oxalic acid at 10 mM was 16.6, 36.5, 69.5, 83.4, and 92.2% for absorbed dose of 5, 10, 20, 30, and 50 kGy, respectively. The G-value and dose constant for radiolytic decomposition were highly dependent upon the initial concentration of oxalic acid. The G-values for radiolytic decomposition at 5 kGy were 0.82, 2.09, 7.25, 17.02 for initial concentrations of 1, 2, 5, and 10 mM, respectively, but those at 50 kGy were 0.03, 0.04, 0.07, 0.16. The dose constant for 1, 2, 5 and 10 mM were 0.1695, 0.1221, 0.0904, and 0.0536 1/kGy, respectively. The results of this study showed the possibility of ionizing radiation process to decompose decontamination agents in nuclear power plants.
Multi-Agent Testbed Integrated with Indoor Vision-Based Positioning System
Authors: Devi Ramona
Published: November 2023

This paper presents a multi-agent testbed equipped with an indoor vision-based positioning system designed for the control and localization of a fleet of ground robots. This positioning system relies on overhead cameras that detect AprilTags affixed to the top of each ground robot. These cameras are connected to Raspberry Pi microcontrollers, which communicate the position information to the ground agents through a Wi-Fi network. This system provides each ground agent with accurate position information, akin to an indoor GPS system, facilitating indoor formation control and multi-agent communication. The implementation of this system is demonstrated using NVIDIA's JetBot as the ground vehicle, equipped with a Jetson Nano microcontroller. I employ PID control techniques to implement formation control, and all agents and cameras communicate through the Robotic Operating System (ROS). The AprilTag library in Python is utilized for the detection and extraction of information from AprilTags.
Feasibility of Using Harvested Rainwater and Stormwater in Concrete Mixtures
Authors: B.R vidya , G.P Shivashankara
Published: November 2023

Freshwater preservation and conservation are becoming more and more imperative as worldwide populations increase. Nowadays, making concrete needs huge quantities of freshwater. The present research shows research findings on the feasibility of substituting freshwater in concrete mixing with surface runoff water, RCC rooftop harvested rainwater and conventional water. RCC rooftop harvested water(HRW), surface runoff water(SW), bore well (BW) water, and potable water (PW) were the four sources from which samples were collected. Physical and chemical analysis was carried out on four various sources as per standard methods [APHA]. The performance of four different sources of water on physical properties i.e., setting time, workability, and mechanical properties of ordinary Portable cement (OPC) were examined and compared with conventional concrete specimens. According to the findings, all of the water's qualities from the various sources satisfy the recommended IS 456 (2012) and other standards for concrete-quality water. No significant change was observed in the mechanical properties of four different sources of water samples that were superior to those of conventional concrete. utilizing HRW and SW as alternatives to freshwater could save a lot of freshwater while also protecting the environment.
Enzymatic hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose for efficient and economic production of astragalin in metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli
Authors: Liu Jiamei , Liu Simin , Zhao Linguo , Pei Jianjun
Published: November 2023

Cellulose is the most abundant biomass in nature, and the development of high-value utilization technologies for cellulose is of great significance. In this work, a recombinant strain was engineered by introducing Arabidopsis thaliana glycosyltransferase (AtUGT78D2) and the cellobiose phosphorolysis route to produce astragalin from kaempferol. By optimizing the transformation conditions, the production of astragalin increased from 1053 to 3031 mg/L with the addition of cellobiose. Subsequently, the cellulose enzymatic solution was used to replace cellobiose as the carbon source and UDP-glucose precursor for producing astragalin. By optimizing enzymatic conditions and adding additives, the concentration of cellobiose significantly increased, resulting in an increase in the production of astragalin to 2279 mg/L. The adsorption strategy was employed to modulate the composition and activity of cellulase, and the ratio of cellobiose to glucose in the cellulose enzymatic solution increased from 0.73 to 1.62, with the yield of cellobiose reaching up to 5.9 g/L. Finally, the highest production of astragalin in the recombinant strain reached 2654 mg/L when the optimal ratio of cellobiose to glucose was used as the carbon source. This study provides a novel method for producing astragalin by using enzymatic hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose.
Dynamics of microcavities created by nonharmonic unipolar light pulses in a resonant medium
Authors: ARKHIPOV R. M. , DIACHKOVA O. O. , ARKHIPOV M. V. , PAKHOMOV A. V. , ROSANOV N. N.
Published: November 2023

When ultra-short unipolar pulses overlap in a resonant medium, the formation of a dynamic “microcavity”, i.e. a burst of the population difference, is feasible. This paper presents, first, the relations allowing to calculate the parameters of such a microcavity using the analytical solution of the equations for the density matrix of a two-level medium, and second, the dependence of the microcavities’ parameters on the pulse form using the numerical solution of Maxwell-Bloch equations.