bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-layered CuO/SiO2 core-shell structure improves electrocatalytic CO2-to-n-propanol conversion
Authors: Wang Sha , Zhao Yingzhe , Zhong jiajun , Chen Zhongjun , Yang Yisen , Han Buxing , Cheng Yongxin , Li Meiling , Li Qian , Zhang Jianling
Published: June 2023

The electroreduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to high-energy-density C3 product (e.g., n-propanol) is of great importance, but restricted by low selectivity and activity. Herein, we developed a novel CuO/SiO2 electrocatalyst, with multi-layered CuO as core and SiO2 layer as shell, for improving the CO2-to-n-propanol conversion efficiency. Such a unique structure can stabilize and confine C1 and C2 intermediates, favoring their full contact and carbon trimerization towards n-propanol formation. It delivered a n-propanol Faraday efficiency of 13.3% at -2.38 V with partial current density of 94.0 mA cm− 2 in flow cell. The mechanism for the electrocatalytic CO2-to-n-PrOH conversion over the CuO/SiO2 catalyst was investigated by in situ Raman spectra and attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectra.
NEDD4L-Sp1 ubiquitination inhibits GlyT1 to promote prominent hippocampal neuronal damage and apoptosis, leading to cognitive dysfunction in diabetic rats
Authors: Yang Tingting , Xu Yongjie , Zhu Liying , Xu Wen , Huang Changyudong , Li Haizhi , Wei Sijia , Wang Shuang , Zhang Yiqiong , Yang Huiru , Duan Yunfeng , Li Xing , Zhao Shuyun , Tang Lei , Pan Wei
Published: June 2023

Diabetes-associated cognitive dysfunction(DACD) is one of the neurological complications of diabetes, and it mainly involves the hippocampal region of the brain and affects the learning and memory functions of the body. There are many studies on the pathogenesis of DACD, but there is a lack of in-depth studies on the underlying molecular mechanism, which poses a great challenge to drug development. In this study, we focused on the molecular mechanism by which signal transduction by the glycine transporter GlyT1 participates in the development of DACD and systematically elucidated the processes of synaptic plasticity and apoptosis in hippocampal neurons. The results showed that when neurons were exposed to a high-glucose environment, low levels of GlyT1 inhibited the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to promote neuronal apoptosis; additionally, GlyT1 regulated NMDR expression to regulate glycine concentrations in order to reduce synaptic plasticity. The transcription factor Sp1 bound to the GlyT1 promoter region and regulated GlyT1 expression, so we explored whether Sp1 expression was regulated by the protease-ubiquitin system, resulting in decreased Sp1 levels.In conclusion, In conclusion, our study systematically demonstrated the biological function and molecular mechanism by which GlyT1 participates in DACD development, elucidated the upstream and downstream mechanisms of GlyT1 regulation, provided reliable molecular targets for DACD treatment, and enhanced the understanding of the mechanism underlying DACD development.
Assessing Multi Mobile Agents in WSN with an Optimistic Approach for Cardinality Determination
Authors: Kashyap Nidhi , Upadhyaya Shuchita , Poriye Monika , Lalar Sachin , Aggarwal Shalini
Published: June 2023

In distributed systems, information, resources, and services are spread across different sites or hosts. These sites serve as platforms for accessing the necessary resources and performing actions. The data is stored in various formats and levels of accuracy and reliability. This has led to the development of mobile agent technology, which enables the retrieval of valuable information from distributed systems even in resource-limited environments. Mobile agents migrate across the network, utilizing the computational resources of each host they visit, including CPU, file structure, and memory. Unlike traditional methods, mobile agents do not require a stable connection to migrate, allowing efficient access to distributed system resources. They contribute to saving network bandwidth, improving robustness, and enhancing fault tolerance in distributed systems. This research paper aims to characterize mobile agents and highlight their advantages. Mobile agents have a wide range of applications but also come with certain challenges. The paper focuses on the application of mobile agents in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and discusses the associated issues based on existing work. Additionally, it identifies the need for deploying multiple mobile agents in a WSN and proposes a method to determine the appropriate number of agents to reduce scalability complexities in terms of MA size.
Effectiveness and safety of biological and target synthetic drugs treatment for psoriatic arthritis: a systematic review with network meta-analysis
Authors: Montezuma Thais , Probst Livia Fernandes , de Oliveira Matheus Almeida
Published: June 2023

Background:Psoriatic arthritis (PA) is a chronic inflammatory systemic arthritis that can result in loss of functional capacity and joint deformation. This systematic review assessed the effectiveness and safety of biological and target synthetic drugs for treating PA.
Methods: We searched for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that evaluated the use of Adalimumab, Etanercept, Infliximab, Golimumab, Secukinumab, Certolizumab Pegol and Tofacitinib in the main general databases and clinical trial registers databases. The primary outcomes were ACR 50, PsARC, and serious adverse events. Two independent reviewers performed study selection and data extraction. Network meta-analyses were conducted using a random effects model and frequentist approach. The CINeMA software was used to assess the certainty of evidence.
Results: We included 33 RCTs (n = 11034). The results from the network meta-analysis for the ACR 50 at 6-months follow-up showed that all drugs were superior to placebo, with Secukinumab, Infliximab and Adalimumab ranking the highest (very low to high certainty of evidence). Regarding the PsARC (at 6-months follow-up), all drugs, except for Golimumab, were superior to placebo, with Etanercept, Infliximab and Certolizumab Pegol being the most effective drugs (very low to moderate certainty of evidence). There were no significant differences in the risk of serious adverse events between the drugs and placebo. Golimumab, Secukinumab, and Adalimumab ranked the highest for safety (very low to low certainty of evidence).
Conclusions: In conclusion, based on the balance between efficacy and safety, Secukinumab and Adalimumab appear to be the best options among the evaluated drugs for treating patients with AP.
Trial registration: PROSPERO: CRD42022315577
Estimating Hourly Surface Shortwave Radiation over the Tibetan Plateau by Assimilating Himawari-8 Cloud Optical Thickness
Authors: Zhang Tianyu , Letu Husi , Dai Tie , Shi Chong , Lei Yonghui , Peng Yiran , Lin Yanluan , Chen Liangfu , Shi Jiancheng , Tian Wei , Shi Guangyu
Published: June 2023

In order to reduce uncertainty in the estimation of surface shortwave radiation (SSR) in the presence of clouds over the Tibetan Plateau, a new cloud assimilation system is proposed which is the first attempt to directly apply the four-dimensional local ensemble transform Kalman filter method to assimilate the cloud optical thickness (COT). The high-resolution spatial and temporal data assimilated from the next-generation geostationary satellite Himawari-8, with the high-assimilation frequency, realized an accurate estimation of the clouds and radiation. The COT and SSR were significantly improved after the assimilation. The correlation coefficient (CORR) of the SSR was increased by 11.3%, and the root-mean-square error (RMSE) and mean bias error (MBE) were decreased by 28.5% and 58.9%, respectively. These findings demonstrate the high impact and innovative application of this assimilation technique in numerical weather prediction.
Competing-risks model to predict prognostic factors for cause-specific mortality in patients with skin verrucous carcinoma based on the SEER database
Authors: Chong Siomui , Li Li , Ming Wai-kit , He Yong , Leong Nga Cheng , Chen WenHui , Zhao Qiqi , Lau Waichi , Deng Liehua , Lyu Jun
Published: June 2023

Background:
Applying a competing-risks analysis to data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we aimed to identify significant prognostic factors and evaluate the cumulative incidence of cause-specific (CS) death for skin verrucous carcinoma (SVC). The Cox proportional-hazards model, extensively employed in assessing survival trends and identifying prognostic indicators, has the potential to generate erroneous predictions. However, in the realm of clinical practice, there is still a lack of specific prognostic factors for cutaneous verrucous carcinoma, leading to disproportionate treatment. The insights derived from this analysis can serve as valuable guidance for clinical interventions
Methods:
The SEER database provided relevant data of patients with SVC. The reliability, precision, and logicality of estimations for cumulative incidence function (CIF) related to CS mortality and death from other causes at each time point were enhanced through the utilization of competing-risks analysis. In the univariate analyses, Gray's test and the CIF were used, while the multivariate analysis employed the Cox proportional-hazards model, CS, and the Fine-Gray model.
Results:
The study involved 656 eligible patients with SVC, with 332 deaths recorded: 115 attributed to SVC and 217 resulting from other causes. Univariate analyses revealed that variables such as differentiation grade, marital status, metastasis, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, age, surgery, the status of radiotherapy, and chemotherapy significantly influenced the cumulative incidence rates for events of interest (P<0.05). Marital status, AJCC stage, race, age, and surgery status, emerged as independent risk factors in the multivariate Cox regression. Based on the multivariate Fine-Gray and CS model analysis, age, AJCC stage, differentiation grade, and surgery independently served as key determinants affecting the risk of specific outcomes in SVC patients (P<0.05).
Conclusions:
The novel competing-risks model increased the accuracy of predictions by examining the cumulative incidence rate of cancer-specific mortality. Moreover, this approach is high useful in research for obtaining data such as the prognostic variables for SVC.
Growth of the brachial nerve plexus with reference to topographical relation of the medianus nerve ansa with the thoracic wall and shoulder: a histological study using human embryos and fetuses
Authors: Cho Kwang Ho , Kim Ji Hyun , Yamamoto Masahito , Hayashi Shogo , Murakami Gen , Rodríguez-Vázquez Jose Francisco
Published: June 2023

Background There is currently no information on positional changes in the brachial nerve plexus during prenatal growth. The subclavian–axillary artery passing through the medianus nerve ansa is considered a good landmark for evaluating the height of the plexus.Materials and Methods We used histological sections from 9 embryos and 17 fetuses (approximately 6–15 weeks of gestational age) to identify the height of the ansa by referring to the level of the rib and the glenohumeral joint.Results The nerve ansa was usually (23 plexuses) observed at the level of the first and/or second ribs. However, it was sometimes observed above the first rib, at a distance equal to or more than an intercostal width (7 plexuses). In the latter group, the ansa was usually located below the glenohumeral joint. Thus, the joint was located higher than the first rib, although the upper extremities were in the anatomical position for all specimens. The left-right difference in the height of the plexus corresponded to or was less than the width of the first intercostal space. Despite the synchronized growth between the thorax and shoulder girdle, the brachial plexus showed a considerable variation in comparative height; the range corresponded to twice of an intercostal width. Whether the nerve plexus is located high or low is determined at an early developmental stage and is maintained during the later growth stages.Conclusions The high-positioned plexus might cause nerve injury at delivery, followed by a glenohumeral joint deformity because of the fragility without fixation in the thorax.
Evaluation of the relationship between microalbuminuria and glomerular filtration rate and hypertension in children with congenital and acquired solitary functional kidney.
Authors: GUZEL AYSE , CETIN NURAN
Published: June 2023

Purpose: While children with solitary functional kidney (SFK) initially preserve their kidney functions with hyperfiltration and compensatory hypertrophy, they are at risk for the development of hypertension, proteinuria and renal failure due to kidney damage over time. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between microalbuminuria, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and hypertension in children with congenital and acquired SFK.
Methods: The patients with renal agenesis and multicystic dysplastic kidney were in the congenital group. The patients who had kidney with no detectable function due to reasons such as vesicoureteral reflux, urinary tract obstruction and children who had nephrectomy due to trauma or tumor were included in the acquired group. Spot urinary miroalbumin/creatinine ratio, GFR and ambulatory blood pressure measurements were evaluated.
Results: The data of 59 patients with congenital SFK, 41 patients with acquired SFK and 26 healthy children were analyzed. No significant difference was found between groups in terms of creatinine and GFR values (p>0.005). The microalbumin/creatinine ratio in the acquired group was higher than the congenital and control groups (p<0.001). While office blood pressure measurements were similar between groups, the total mean and nighttime diastolic blood pressure values were found to be significantly higher in the acquired group than in the congenital and control groups (p<0.001). The prevalence of hypertension, diastolic hypertension and non-dipper state in the acquired group was higher than in the congenital group (p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.003, respectively).
Conclusion: The patients with acquired SFK have a more risk of microalbuminuria and hypertension than congenital group.
An unusual Case of Pulmonary Sarcomatoid Carcinoma mimicking Aspergillus with EGFR mutation, Including a Literature Review
Authors: Qian YingYing , Xu Xia , Li TianLang
Published: June 2023

Sarcomatoid carcinoma is a rare malignancy with strong invasion and high malignancy, and it contains epithelial cells and sarcoma or sarcoma-like components. Here we reported one case of pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma in a 55-year-old COPD male who presented with wet coughing and hemoptysis, chest CT showed a mass in the left lung. According to tracheoscopy, the patient was initially diagnosed as Aspergillus, but was eventually corrected by histology and Immunohistochemistry of lung puncture specimens. In this study, we describe the diagnostic procedure, as well as chemotherapy and targeted therapy response in this pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma patient with EGFR mutation, and review relevant literature.
Annual mortality in population of patients undergoing cardiac implantable electronic device insertion: Retrospective observational study
Authors: Basiukiewicz Paweł , Pastwa Łukasz , Bakuła Elwira , Krzeminski Bartosz , Krzysztof Pujdak , Bednarski Janusz
Published: June 2023

Introduction: There is a group of CIED inserted patients with poor outcome. It is advisable to identify the population whose state of health immediately before the procedure is an additional risk factor for an unfavorable clinical course, because it may improve the prognosis and quality of patient care.
Objectives: The aim of the study was the isolation of risk factors for one-year mortality after the insertion of an electrotherapy device.
Patients and methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of medical records of consecutive patients operated on in the Electrophysiology Laboratory of the Cardiology Department of the Western Hospital in Grodzisk Mazowiecki (n = 477). Death within a year after the procedure of CIED insertion was established as the endpoint. The analysis included factors related to the procedure, clinical condition, course of hospitalization, and results of selected laboratory tests. Statistical analysis was performed using PQStat, version 1.6.8.
Results: Sixty-seven people died within a year of the procedure, which is 14.04% of the study population (n = 477). The multivariate logistic regression model revealed an independent risk factor for death within the first year after the procedure was CRP >10 mg/l (OR 4.01, 95% CI: 1.92–8.37, p <0.001).
Conclusions: CRP concentrations >10 mg/L on admission were the main determinant of the endpoint regardless of comorbidities and periprocedural complications. CRP admission concentrations should be addressed during periprocedural management, because this may reduce mortality.
The role of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine as a potential epigenetic biomarker in a large series of thyroid neoplasm
Authors: Canberk Sule , Gonçalves Joao , Rios Elisabete , Póvoa Antonia A , Tastekin Ebru , Sobrinho-Simões Manuel , Uguz Aysun , Aydin Ozlem , Ince Umit , Soares Paula , Máximo Valdemar
Published: June 2023

Cytosine modifications at the 5-carbon position play an important role in the regulation of gene expression, and its deregulation is considered a hallmark of cancer. Recent studies demonstrate that 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) generated through 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) oxidation is significantly depleted in several human cancers. Although its role in tumour progression is still unclear, 5-hmC loss has been proposed as a marker of tumour malignancy. Concerning thyroid tumours, the literature is scarce, and the studies are sparse with a low number of cases and limited diversity of histotypes, not allowing robust conclusions. In this work, we evaluated the levels of 5-hmC, by immunohistochemistry, in a retrospective series of 318 thyroid tumours, including benign, low-risk, and malignant, classified according to the 4th edition of WHO, and we correlate its expression with demographic and clinicopathological features of the patients and tumours, aiming to verify whether 5-hmC levels can be used as a diagnostic or prognostic marker. Our data show a significant association between loss of expression of 5-hmC and extrathyroidal extension, invasive/infiltrative capsule status, lymphovascular invasion, bilaterality, multifocality, tumour malignancy, and an unprecedented link with oncocytic morphology. Additionally, in a subgroup of 183 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) cases, we also observed a statistically significant loss of 5-hmC in cases with TERT promoter mutations and distant metastasis. Our study evidences an important role for 5-hmC in thyroid tumourigenesis and indicates that 5-hmC levels have the potential to be used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker.
Identification of functional genes in liver fibrosis based on bioinformatics analysis of a lncRNA-mediated ceRNA network
Authors: XIAO MEIFANG , ZHANG FENG , PEI SIYA
Published: June 2023

Background: Liver fibrosis is a major global health problem; nevertheless, its molecular mechanisms are not completely clear. This study aimed to build a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network, identify potentially related lncRNAs, and explore the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis.
Materials and methods: We used the Gene Expression Omnibus databases and bioinformatics analysis to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between liver fibrosis and normal tissues. The ceRNA network was constructed according to the interactions between DElncRNA, miRNA, and DEmRNA. Then, these DEGs were identified using functional enrichment analysis, and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established. The critical lncRNAs were verified using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).
Results: The ceRNA network was composed of three lncRNAs, five miRNAs, and 93 mRNAs. Gene Ontology functional enrichment analysis revealed significant enhancement in cell components, molecular function, and biological process. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed pathways associated with transcriptional misregulation in cancer, including the Rap1 signaling pathway, proteoglycans in cancer, mineral absorption, HTLV-l infection, and central carbon metabolism in cancer. According to the PPI network and the GSE84044 database, seven hub genes associated with liver fibrosis were identified. In addition, qRT-PCR revealed that lncRNA AC100861 (lncRNA TNFRSF10A-DT) was explicitly decreased in liver fibrosis tissues and activated hepatic stellate cells.
Conclusions: In summary, this study preliminarily found that lncRNA TNFRSF10A-DT may be a biomarker for the diagnosis and outcome of liver fibrosis. We uncovered a novel lncRNA-mediated ceRNA regulatory mechanism in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis.
Risk factors for inadequate bowel preparation
Authors: Sair Asmae , Mrabti Samir , Benhamdane Ahlame , Berrida Reda , Sara Sentissi , Rouibaa Fedoua , Benkirane Ahmed , Seddik Hassan
Published: June 2023

Objectives
The effectiveness of colonoscopy depends on the quality of the examination. Inadequate bowel preparation is associated with a longer and more difficult procedure, missed pathologic lesions, and risk of complications. The predictive factors for poor bowel preparation are not well defined. The objective of our study was to determine the predictive factors of poor bowel preparation.
Methods
This is a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study of patients who underwent colonoscopy over a period of 3 years. Patients with known inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were excluded from our study.
Poor bowel preparation was defined by a Boston score of less than or equal to 5. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS21.0 software.
Results
Among 1143 colonoscopies performed, 39.2% had a poor preparation.
After univariate analysis, the predictive factors for poor preparation were: male sex, age greater than 70 years, the presence of constipation, patients with colonic diverticulosis or colorectal process.
After multivariate analysis, only age greater than 70 years [OR=1.8; p=0.038], constipation [OR=2.3; p=0.003] and the presence of colonic diverticulosis [OR=4.1; p<0.001] were statistically significantly associated with poor preparation.
Conclusion
The rate of poor bowel preparation remains high, and the factors that seem to be associated with it are age over 70 years, the presence of constipation and patients with colonic diverticulosis.
Association mapping of important agronomic traits in Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC.
Authors: Lepcha Patrush , S Mahesh , M Leelambika , Jaheer Mahammad , Chopra Ratan , Belamkar Vikas , Sathyanarayana N
Published: June 2023

The Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. can meet three burgeoning needs of tropical agriculture: low-cost protein source, high-value medicinal plant, and an excellent green manure cover crop. But like other underutilized crops, it lacks modern breeding resources. Identifying marker-trait associations (MTAs) can prompt marker-assisted breeding paving a way for development of the improved varieties. Recent studies have demonstrated feasibility of identifying MTAs using a small number of accessions (<100) triggering the hope for resource poor crops. Taking cues from there, we characterized a panel of 70 M. pruriens accessions across two consecutive years and performed association analysis for 16 phenotypic traits using 66 genic-microsatellite markers. The results showed significant phenotypic (P < 0.05) and genetic diversity (Shannon’s information index, I = 0.62) in our germplasm collection. Many of the tested traits were highly heritable (42.86% to 99.93%). A total of 15 MTAs were detected at an adjusted significance level of P < 5.55 × 10-3 for nine economic traits such as – seed length, seed thickness, seed width, hundred seed weight, seed yield per plant, inflorescence length, flower buds per inflorescence, flower length, and petiole length with phenotypic variance explained (PVE) ranging from 14.72 to 31.12%. Their annotation using the Arabidopsis genome database affirmed reliability of our MTAs. This is the first report on association mapping in M. pruriens and results are expected to galvanize marker-assisted breeding as well as mining of candidate genes in this promising legume.
Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis of the cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) genotypes with contrasting resistance to leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida) resistance
Authors: Alagarsamy Manivannan , Amal Thomas Cheeran , Karuppan Shankarganesh
Published: June 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
The Invasive Weed Trianthema portulacastrum in Israel
Authors: Goldwasser Yaakov , Rabinowitz Onn , Achdary Guy , Kapiluto Omer , Abu-Nasser Jackline , Smirnov Evgeny , Eizenberg Hanan
Published: June 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
A snapshot of socio-demographics and utilization of maternal health services by pregnant women living in urban slum settings in India: A baseline data representation
Authors: Shrivastava Rahul , Singhal Manmohan , Mishra Nivedita , Kashyap Neeraj Kumar , Joshi Ashish , Srivast Pragati
Published: June 2023

Utilization of maternal health care services significantly influences maternal mortality rate. Although several studies are looking into demographic and socioeconomic factors and inequality in distribution and proper utilization of these services between rural and urban communities, there is a paucity of studies focusing on urban slums. This cross-sectional survey aims to examine the trends and determinants of utilization of maternal healthcare services during antenatal period in urban slums including assessment of fertility, family planning practices, dietary practices, quality of health, and impact of COVID on pregnancy, which was conducted in four urban slums of South Delhi, between April and June 2022 amongst pregnant women (aged 18-44 years). Data were collected from 250 currently pregnant women visiting the Anganwadi centers. The detailed methodology was adopted from the published study protocol. The data was collected electronically using SOMAARTH (developed by The INCLEN Trust International – IN) on an android-based platform, and the tools adopted from National Family Health Survey-5. The results revealed that out of 250 women, 98% were less than 40 years of age, and 169 (67%) were less than 28 years of age. About 93% of the sample population were educated and 234 (93%) were homemakers while the remaining engaged in various occupations. Of the 250 women, 54% had borne children, and 82% of them had a single child. While all the respondents knew about antenatal services, only 2.8% had a high level and the majority (78%) had a medium level of knowledge. Only 47% of women had exposure to media while 51% adopted some form of family planning practices. Of all the women who received antenatal care (ANC), 98%, 97%, and 94% had received iron and folic acid, tetanus toxoid, and ultrasound examination, respectively during the present pregnancy. Only 2 (15.4%) women had COVID exposure during pregnancy. This preliminary study indicates that exposure to media and adoption of family planning continues to be low. However, a majority knew ANC, and all had accessed the ANC services. Therefore, comprehensive strategies need to be planned to ameliorate women’s education and awareness about the importance of ANC and postnatal care. Also, public health infrastructure needs to be strengthened to improve the utilization of maternal services.
Influence of RF Power on Wettability, Morphology and Bacterial Adhesion Properties of Oxygen Plasma Treated Silicone Catheter Surfaces
Authors: Dave Purvi , Balasubramanian C , Hans Sukriti , Rathore Vikas , Nema S. K.
Published: June 2023

Catheterized patients often develop a secondary infection in their body due to bacterial adhesion and growth taking place on catheter surfaces. Nanoscale surface modification can alter the bacterial adhesion pattern on the catheter surface. In the present work, we have studied the interaction of oxygen plasma with silicone catheter surfaces from the perspective of variance in RF Power to induce physicochemical surface modification to reduce bacterial adhesion. Silicone catheter surfaces have been treated in low-pressure CCP-RF (Capacitively Coupled Radio Frequency) oxygen plasma at different RF powers in the range of 25 - 150 W. Obtained results convey that with an increase in RF power, the population of atomic oxygen species becomes dominant among other species. Morphological features are found to grow more significantly in amplitude as a function of RF power. Substantial oxidation of the silicone surface is observed in the form of a polar component of surface energy. Oxygen plasma-treated catheter surfaces have exhibited a gradual reduction in E-coli bacterial cell adhesion as a function of RF power with a minimum adhesion of £1%. The shelf life of plasma-induced hydrophilicity on the catheter surface has been evaluated under different storage environments like ambient air, water, artificial urine solution, and modified atmosphere packaging. This study concludes that variance in RF power is a major controlling factor for bacterial adhesion on silicone catheter surface due to the evolution of amplitude morphological parameters keeping space morphological parameters nearly unaffected in contrast to earlier reported studies of variance in plasma exposure time[1].
Synthesis of some sulfonamide derivatives coupled with salicylamide or anisamide scaffold as potent PD-L1 inhibitors and their anti-proliferation assay
Authors: Abdelazeem Nagwa M. , Alwahsh Mohammad , galal alaaeldin M.F. , Talhouni Shahd , Hamadneh Lama , Hanna Atef G.
Published: June 2023

The present study explores the potential of the new sulfonamide derivatives coupled with salicylamide or anisamide scaffold as immune checkpoint PD-L1 inhibitors. Based on in silico virtual screening 32 derivatives were synthesized and tested in vitro as PD-L1 inhibitors using screening ELISA assay. Five compounds gave promised results with more than 50% inhibition. The most active, with activity 57.152%, was 5-Chloro-N-(4-(N-(3-fluorophenyl)sulfamoyl)phenethyl)salicylamide (30). The other compounds were 5-Chloro-2-methoxy-N-(4-(N-(4-fluorophenyl)sulfamoyl)benzyl)benzamide (4, 53.327%), 5-Chloro-2-methoxy-N-(4-(N-(4-methylphenyl)sulfamoyl)phenethyl)benzamide (17, 51.253%), 5-Chloro-N-(4-(N-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)sulfamoyl)phenethyl)salicylamide (31, 51.058%) and 5-Chloro-2-methoxy-N-(4-(N-(2,4-difluorophenyl)sulfamoyl)benzyl)benzamide (7, 50.993). All compounds were found to be safe and have no cytotoxic effect against the fibroblast cell lines. Moreover, compound 4, 7, 17, and 30 should no or little anti-proliferative activity against the cell lines use in this study except compound 4, which have anti-proliferative activity against PC-3 (66.640%). On the other hand, compound 31 should remark activities against the cell lines MCF7, DU-145, and PC-3. In general, human prostate cancer cell line PC-3 is highly sensitive towards some of the 32 compounds tested at 10 μmol. The molecular docking study and ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) analysis of the bioactive compounds were used to elucidate the mode-of-action mechanism.
Cutaneous and systemic adverse effect of topical corticosteroids misuse on glucocorticoid dependent women in Iraq.
Authors: Sagban Teeba , Jaccob Ausama , yaqoub abdulla , Khadim Huda
Published: June 2023

Topical corticosteroids (TCS) are the most widely prescribed and abused topical medications worldwide. TCs have melanogenic, anti-pruritic, atrophogenic, immunosuppressive effects on the epidermis and sex-hormone-like, in addition to anti-inflammatory activity. Several of these, if used without judgment, may have serious local and systemic negative repercussions. The current study was designed to evaluate the possible local and systemic effects of topical corticosteroid misuse among women in Basrah City, Iraq. Totally 125 participants were categorized into three major groups: control individuals, patients who utilize TCs for 1–3 months, and patients with long-term TC use for more than 3 months. A questionnaire was filled out, and a full skin examination was performed by a special dermatologist. Blood was drawn for hematological, hormonal, and biochemical analysis. TCS abuse was linked to the development of skin conditions with various percentages and frequencies, such as erythema, photosensitivity, dryness, acne, atrophy, infections, pigmentation, hirsutism, and rosacea. TCs also have systemic adverse effects in addition to their cutaneous ones, especially with prolonged use. TCS elevates RBC and HGB levels significantly compared to control and also prolongs bleeding time. Long-term TCS suppresses ACTH and decreases cortisol concentrations significantly while having no effect on insulin or testosterone levels. Interestingly, TCS significantly reduced serum vitamin D and serum interleukin 6 compared to the normal control group. TCS misuse is a big disaster in Iraq, associated with huge skin impacts and systemic deterioration, including hormonal and hematological consequences that require medical intervention and educational and legal approaches for successful treatment.
miR-31-mediated local translation at the mitotic spindle is important for early development
Authors: Remsburg Carolyn , Konrad Kalin , Stepicheva Nadezda , Testa Michael , Lee Kelvin , Choe Leila , Polson Shawn , Bhavsar Jaysheel , Huang Hongzhan , Song Jia
Published: June 2023

miR-31 is a highly conserved microRNA that plays critical roles in cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. We discovered miR-31 and some of its validated targets are enriched on the mitotic spindle of the dividing sea urchin embryo and mammalian cells. Using the sea urchin embryo, we found that miR-31 inhibition led to developmental delay correlated with increased cytoskeleton and chromosomal defects. We identified miR-31 to directly suppress several actin remodeling transcripts, β-actin, Gelsolin, Rab35 and Fascin, which were localized to the mitotic spindle. miR-31 inhibition leads to increased newly translated Fascin at the spindles. Forced ectopic localization of Fascin transcripts to the cell membrane and translation led to significant developmental and chromosomal segregation defects, leading to our hypothesis that miR-31 regulates local translation at the mitotic spindle to ensure proper cell division. Furthermore, miR-31-mediated post-transcriptional regulation at the mitotic spindle may be an evolutionarily conserved regulatory paradigm of mitosis.
Arthropods, nematodes, fungi, and bacteria associated with penguin carrion in Barton Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica
Authors: ZAINI NUR ADILLA , Low Van Lun , Gebrelassie Selam Solomon , Ismail Siti Sofo , Mahmud Mohd Hafizi , Houssaini Jamal , Lee Won Young , Tomberlin Jeffery K. , Heo Chong Chin
Published: June 2023

Carrion decomposition contributes to the soil microbial community structure. This research aimed to identify the soil arthropod, nematode, bacterial, and fungal communities associated with penguin carrion on King George Island, Antarctica. Soil samples were collected around and beneath fresh (freshly killed penguins by the predators) and dried (decomposed more than a year) penguin carrion. Soil bacterial and fungal communities associated with the penguin carrion were analyzed using the 16S rRNA Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Arthropod identification was using Sanger sequencing and nematodes were determined using morphological identification. This study demonstrated that there are no significant differences in arthropod and nematode (p = 0.415), bacteria (p = 0.386), and fungi (p = 0.635) communities between decomposition stages, soil location, and species of penguin carrion. This is the first study to identify soil arthropods, nematodes, bacterial, and fungal communities associated with penguin carrion, offering important insights into the initial documentation of the necrobiome communities in the polar region.
On Tangent Bundles of Walker 4-mani̇folds
Authors: ÇAYIR Haşim , GÜLER Erkan
Published: June 2023

Our goal is to study the complete lifts of almost Norden structures on tangent bundles of Walker 4-Manifolds. In addition investigate the integrability conditions of the complete lifts φC of the proper almost complex structure and to and the conditions of isotrapic Kähler-Norden of the structure φC on (T(M4), φC, gC).
Real Time Recognition of ISL by Time Distributed CNN model using ISL video dataset
Authors: Renjith S , Manazhy Rashmi
Published: June 2023

The deaf community in India frequently communicates using Indian Sign Language (ISL). In order to provide successful communication and accessibility for the deaf community, precise recognition of Indian Sign Language (ISL) is essential in real-time communication. ISL is a real-time language, which makes it difficult to identify and interpret signs in video clips. We propose a unique method for real-time ISL recognition utilizing a Time Distributed Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model to address this issue. Our approach makes use of an a substantial ISL video dataset that includes a variety of sign gestures and motions. By separately applying CNN filters to each frame of the video sequence, the Time Distributed CNN architecture enables temporal modeling. Our model is capable of accurately identifying and interpreting ISL indicators in real-time settings by extracting spatial information from individual frames and taking into account their temporal connections. Our Time Distributed CNN model obtains a significant accuracy of 89\% on the ISL recognition after extensive testing and evaluation. This encouraging outcome indicates the capability of our method to precisely recognize and decipher signs in real-time ISL video streams.
Composts from bovine rumen and chicken litter improve soil fertility and promote the growth of pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq.)
Authors: Barbosa Larissa Macelle de Paulo , Santos Tayanne de Paula da Silva , Rocha Sandra Mara Barbosa , Santos Theuldes Oldenrique da Silva , Oliveira Louise Melo de Souza , Neto Francisco de Alcântara , de Araújo Ademir Sérgio Ferreira , de Souza Henrique Antunes , Nunes Luís Alfredo Pinheiro Leal , de Sousa Ricardo Silva
Published: June 2023

Organic waste from agricultural activities has the potential for reuse when treated and applied to the soil as organic fertilizers. This study investigated the effects of composted bovine ruminal content (CBR) and composted chicken litter (CCL) on the soil attributes, growth, and nutrition of Capsicum chinense Jacq. plants. The experiment was conducted at the Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, using a randomized block design with four replications in a 3⨯2 + 2 factorial scheme. Treatments included doses of 30, 60, and 90 Mg ha-1 of CBR and CCL and two additional treatments (mineral fertilization, NPK; unfertilized soil, CK). The monitored variables included soil biological and chemical attributes, plant nutritional status, biometry, and dry matter. Results indicate that organic compost has the potential to improve soil attributes, such as pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sodium, microbial biomass carbon, and soil respiration. Moreover, plant variables were positively affected by CBR and CCL, with a linear increase in response to CBR and a quadratic increase due to CCL. Nutrient concentrations in the leaves increased with compost application, except for iron. Therefore, CBR and CCL have the potential to improve soil chemical and microbiological attributes as well as support the development and nutritional status of Capsicum chinense Jacq. plants, suggesting that the use of organic waste as a fertilizer is a sustainable cultivation strategy.
Near real-time hybrid dehazing based on the estimation of air light with deep learning
Authors: ÇİMTAY Yücel
Published: June 2023

Haze which can be created by natural or synthetic factors, degrades the visual quality and human sight distance. Visible objects become scarcely visible or invisible. The physics of the degrading function due to haze has been modelled by Atmospheric Light Scattering (ALS) Model. Therefore, from a single hazy image, by using proper methods, it is possible to recover the original scene. In dehazing methods which solve the ALS function, there are basically two steps. First one is the estimation of the air light present at the time of the image capturing and the second step is the estimation of transmission of the corresponding scene. One of the most effective method which is used for air light estimation is QuadTree decomposition. For this method, tests show that the most amount of the dehazing time is consumed to estimate the air light. For the case of High Definition (HD) imagery, the estimation of air light consumes huge time. Therefore, it cannot be possible to achieve a real time or near real time dehazing on traditional hardware. In this study, a novel convolutional neural network model is developed to estimate the air light directly from the hazy image quickly. The estimated air light then can be used with Atmospheric Light Scattering model to handle the recovered image. Results show that the time cost is reduced by 56.0% and 65% for image resolutions of (640x480) and (1920x1080) compared to the QuadTree Decomposition method used in ALS based dehazing methods, without losing the visual quality of the dehazed image.
Efficient Trans-dimensional Bayesian inversion of C-response data from geomagnetic observatory and satellite magnetic data
Authors: Guo Rongwen , Tian Shengqi , Liu Jianxin , Cao Chuanghua , Cui Yian , Chen Chaojian , Wang Yongfei
Published: June 2023

The traditional gradient-based inversion produces geophysical models with artificial structure constraint enforced subjectively to guarantee a unique solution.This method typically needs the model parameterization knowledge a priori (e.g.,based on the personal preference) without uncertainty estimation. In this paper, we apply an efficient trans-dimensional (trans-D) Bayesian algorithm to invert C-response data from observatory and satellite geomagnetic data for the electrical conductivity structure of the Earth’s mantle, with the model parameterization treated as unknown and determined by data itself. In trans-D Bayesian inversion, the posterior probability density (PPD) represents a complete inversion solution, based on which useful inversion inference about the model can be made with the requirement of high-dimensional integration of PPD. This is realized by an efficient reversible-jump Markov-chain Monte Carlo (rjMcMC) sampling algorithmbased on Birth/Death scheme. Within the trans-D Bayesian algorithm, the model parameter is perturbated in the principal-component parameter space to minimize the effect of inter-parameter correlations and improve the sampling efficiency. A parallel tempering scheme is applied to guarantee the complete sampling of the multiple model space. Firstly, the trans-D Bayesian inversion is applied to invert C-response data from two synthetic models to examine the resolution of model structure constrained by the data. Then C-response data from geomagnetic satelliteand observatory are inverted to recover the global averaged mantle conductivity structure and the local mantle structure with quantitative uncertainty estimation,consistent with the data.
Significant difference in rotating spicules population in polar and equatorial regions of the Sun
Authors: Tavabi Ehsan , Sadeghi Rayhane
Published: June 2023

Solar atmosphere continuously produces plasma flow; they include the ionized energetic particles, which were sprayed into the interplanetary medium in the form of fast and slow wind. Their origins could be related to the small jets known as spicules which start with bright points at their anchorages and illustrate typically high-speed torsional motions in order of 30 to 40 km/s. Several are accelerated by rotation and are essential in the mass supply and recharge of the energetic particles into the corona. Perhaps they are persistent plausible sources of energetic particles for the fast solar wind.
Here we introduce and categorize the torsional motions of solar spicules using machine learning by implementing the Hough transform algorithm function. Torsional behavior is responsible for Alfvén helical wave propagation and is the best candidate for energy transmission caused by magnetic activities in the Sun’s upper layers of the atmosphere. According to the statistical results, the polar areas have a higher rotational spicule population than the equatorial regions. Since the poles are where the fast solar winds are produced and fed, the process by which these winds are generated and accelerated at these places may be connected to the phenomenon of twisting spicules. The ratio of twisted spicules is 20% at the poles and 4% near the equator, according to the findings. The meaningful difference in these regions could introduce new candidates about the origin of production and particle acceleration mechanism of the fast solar winds along the spicular open field structures.
Counterfactual Focused Learning
Authors: Zerbel Nicholas , Tumer Kagan
Published: June 2023

Multiagent teams have been shown to be effective in various domains that require finely tuned coordination among team members. However, finding useful agent policies depends on receiving individualized feedback during training which is difficult when performance measures depend on many other agents. Reward shaping partially addresses this challenge by deriving more individualized rewards that more accurately reflect an individual's contribution to the system, but this approach still relies on agents randomly discovering suitable joint-actions. In this work, we introduce Counterfactual Focused Learning (CFL) as a method for injecting additional knowledge into an agent's reward signal by comparing rewards from the system state against rewards derived from different counterfactual states. We show that CFL enables agent teams to converge towards useful policies more reliably. We also show that the counterfactual states in CFL lead to significant improvements in coordination and performance in tasks where many agents must perform complimentary actions to complete an objective.
Recognition of Cognitive Dysfunction in Cerebellar Infarction: Validation of the Chinese Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome Scale
Authors: Liu Qi , Liu Chang , Nan Shanji , Wang Peng , Zhang Yumei , Chen Yu
Published: June 2023

The cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome scale (CCAS-s) has been developed to detect cognitive deficits in cerebellar disorders. This study aimed to validate the Chinese version of CCAS-s in patients with cerebellar infarction, explore the effect of age and education on it, and examine the relation between cognitive deficits and motor syndromes. Forty-five patients with acute cerebellar infarction and 30 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls underwent cognitive and motor function assessment. Reliability and validity of the Chinese CCAS-s were evaluated. The Chinese CCAS-s showed acceptable reliability and validity in cerebellar infarction with moderate internal consistency and high discriminative ability. Patients showed significant impairments in semantic fluency, phonemic fluency, verbal recall, go/no-go, and affect regulation. Based on original cut-offs, the sensitivity of the Chinese CCAS-s to identify possible/probable/definite CCAS was 80.0%/53.3%/40.0% and the specificity was 40.0%/80.0/96.7%. The pass/fail diagnostic cut-off scores for each test of the Chinese CCAS-s were then adjusted. The CCAS-s total score was negatively associated with age and education and positively associated with fine motor skills. The Chinese CCAS-s is a useful tool to detect cognitive impairments in cerebellar infarction. The cut-off adaptions and age and education-dependent reference values will be important future directions to address.