bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cells-In-Touch: 3D Printing in Reconstruction and Modelling of Microscopic Biological Geometries for Research and Education
Authors: Fitzpatrick Xavier , Fayzullin Alexey , Dokos Socrates , Guller Anna
Published: May 2022

Additive manufacturing (3D printing) and computer-aided design (CAD) still have limited up-take in biomedical and bioengineering research and education, despite the significant potential of these technologies. The utility of organ-scale 3D-printed models of living structures is widely appreciated, while the workflows for microscopy data translation into tactile-accessible replicas are not well developed yet. Here, we demonstrate an accessible and reproducible CAD-based methodology for generating 3D-printed scalable models of human cells cultured in vitro and imaged using conventional scanning confocal microscopy and fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing. We termed this technology CiTo-3DP (Cells-in-Touch for 3D Printing). As a proof-of-concept, we created CiTo-3DP models of human pancreatic cancer cells and healthy dermal fibroblasts by using selectively stained nuclei and the cytoskeleton components (f-actin and α-smooth muscle actin). The production of dismountable sets of cellular components was al-so shown. The CiTo-3DP approach can be adapted to comprehensively present various cell types, subcellular structures and extracellular matrices. We envisage that the resulting CAD and 3D printed models could be used for further applications, including but not limited to in silico simulations for biology, medicine, pharmacological research, tissue engineering, morphometrical analysis, multiphysics modelling, education, rehabilitation of visually impaired people, and integration into virtual reality.
Spectral Analysis of Flow Around Single and Two Crossing Circular Cylinders Arranged at 60 and 90 Degrees
Authors: Wang Tianyuan , Yang Qingqing , Tang Yeting , Shi Hongda , Zhang Qin , Wang Mengfei , Epikhin Andrey , Britov Andrey
Published: May 2022

Two modal decomposition techniques, including proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and dynamic mode decomposition (DMD), are used to identify the wake patterns past single and two crossing cylinders in 60° and 90° arrangements with gap ratio G = 4. The flow is simulated using direct numerical simulations (DNS) for Reynolds numbers Re = 100. The spatial scale of flow decreases with increasing modal frequency from the modal analysis. Two main modes are identified in the wake of the cylinders, namely spatially antisymmetric and symmetric modes. Antisymmetric and symmetric modes are related to cylinders’ vortex shedding and shedding vortices’ shift motion, respectively, whose frequencies are odd and even multiples of cylinders’ lift force frequency. In addition, a low-frequency mode concerning the shadowing effect of the downstream cylinder (DC) in 90° arrangement is found in the wake of the DC centre.
New Simple and Robust Method for Determination of Polarity of Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) by Means of Contact Angle Measurement
Authors: Cichocki Łukasz , Łuczak Justyna , Warmińska Dorota , Przyjazny Andrzej , Boczkaj Grzegorz
Published: May 2022

The paper presents a new procedure for assessing the polarity and hydrophobicity of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) based on the measurement of the DES contact angle on glass. DESs consisting of benzoic acid derivatives and quaternary ammonium chlorides – tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC) and benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride (16-BAC) in selected mole ratios were chosen for the study. To investigate the DESs polarity, an optical goniometer and an ET(30) solvatochromic scale based on the Reichardt’s dye were used. The research demonstrated the high accuracy and precision of the developed procedure. The simplicity of the examination and the availability of basic equipment allow the implementation of the developed procedure in routine investigations of DESs.
Development of in Vitro Assays for Advancing Radioimmunotherapy Against Brain Tumors
Authors: Walter Yohan , Hubbard Anne , Benoit Allie , Jank Erika , Salas Olivia , Jordan Destiny , Ekpenyong Andrew
Published: May 2022

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor. Due to high resistance to treatment, local invasion, and high risk of recurrence, GBM patient prognoses are often dismal, with median survival around 15 months. The current standard of care is threefold: surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ). However, patient survival has only marginally improved. Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is a fourth modality under clinical trials and aims at combining immunotherapeutic agents with radiotherapy. Here, we develop in vitro assays for rapid evaluation of RIT strategies. Using a standard cell irradiator and an Electric Cell Impedance Sensor, we quantify cell migration following the combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy with TMZ and RIT with durvalumab, a PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor. We measure cell survival using a cloud-based clonogenic assay. Irradiated T98G and U87 GBM cells migrate significantly (p < 0.05) more than untreated cells in the first 20-40 hours post-treatment. Addition of TMZ increased migration rates for T98G at the 20 Gy (p < 0.01). Neither TMZ nor durvalumab significantly changed cell survival in 21 days post-treatment. Interestingly, durvalumab abolished the enhanced migration effect, indicating possible potency against local invasion. These results provide parameters for rapid supplementary evaluation of RIT against brain tumors.
Predicting Climatic Variables on Local Level with SARIMA, LSTM and Hybrid Techniques
Authors: Parasyris Antonios , Alexandrakis George , Kozyrakis Georgios V. , Spanoudaki Katerina , Kampanis Nikolaos A.
Published: May 2022

The choice of holiday destinations is highly depended on climate considerations. Nowadays, since the effects of climate crisis are being increasingly felt, the need of accurate weather and climate services for hotels is crucial. Such a service could be beneficial for both the future planning of tourists’ activities and destinations and for hotel managers as it could help in decision making about the planning and expansion of the touristic season, due to a prediction of higher temperatures for a longer time span, thus causing increased revenue for companies in the local touristic sector. The aim of this work is to calculate predictions on climatic variables using statistical techniques as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI) for a specific area of interest utilising data from in situ meteorological station, and produce valuable and reliable localised predictions with the most cost-effective method possible. This investigation will answer the question of the most suitable prediction method for time series data from a single meteorological station that is deployed in a specific location. As a result, an accurate representation of the microclimate in a specific are is achieved. To achieve this high accuracy in situ measurements and prediction techniques are used. As prediction techniques, Seasonal Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA), AI techniques like the Long-Short-Term-Memory (LSTM) Neural Network and hybrid combinations of the two are used. Variables of interest are divided in the easier to predict temperature and humidity that are more periodic and less chaotic, and the wind speed as an example of a more stochastic variable with no known seasonality and patterns. Our results show that the examined Hybrid methodology performs the best at temperature and wind speed forecasts, closely followed by the SARIMA whereas LSTM perform better overall at the humidity forecast, even after the correction of the Hybrid to the SARIMA model.
Online Platforms in Mobile Learning as Online Learning Media during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Sholikhah Fella Farikhatus , Rejekiningsih Triana , Sutimin Leo Agung
Published: May 2022

This paper aims to describe platforms in mobile learning during the pandemic. This writing was motivated by an uncontrolled pandemic that made several aspects uncontrollable, including education, so learning activities were forced to change. Therefore, there is a need to update learning through learning media with several platforms available for mobile learning. This online platform in mobile learning is a medium that can solve students' problems during a pandemic that helps the learning process run. The method used in this paper was to use a literature study that examined several sources of articles from research results published to be analyzed and draw conclusions. This paper indicated that platforms such as Google Classroom, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams could solve problems during the pandemic. The average result was more than 60% based on the data presented. This figure is considered to have reached the effective criteria. Learning using online platforms, such as Google Classroom, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, can be an alternative and help activate students when offline learning cannot be carried out, even mobile-based learning media.
Fostering Students' Independent Learning in Introduction to Learning Media Courses through the Use of Interactive Multimedia
Authors: Pradana Hirnanda Dimas , Kristanto Andi
Published: May 2022

The current era is entering a fast-paced and uncertain period. In that era, it has a significant impact on learning. One of the impacts is online learning. However, online learning raises various kinds of problems in its implementation. Student learning independence is one of the problems that arise and must be resolved immediately. If student learning independence cannot be appropriately handled, learning outcomes will also be affected. From the observations, independent learning in students also causes low learning outcomes obtained. Thus, interactive multimedia is here to solve the problem of independent learning in students. Interactive multimedia can help students to learn independently. Interactive multimedia does not only act as a passive means of knowledge but also can be a solution for students to understand introductory learning media courses. The development model used was the Lee & Owens model. The research design in this study was a one-group pretest-posttest design. The results of this study were valid and effective interactive multimedia products and increased student independence. The implication of improving student learning independence ultimately impacts increasing student learning outcomes.  
GYY4137 ameliorates sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy via inhibiting NLRP3 Inflammasome activity and reduction of oxidative stress in the myocardium
Authors: Zhou Tao , Qian Huitao , Zheng Nan , Lu Qiulun , Han Yi
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND: Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy often leads to bad prognosis of patients, and even death. However, there is no effective therapeutic strategies for sepsis-caused cardiomyopathy. GYY4137 has positive therapeutic effects in many diseases. The aim of this study was to explore the mechanism underlying the sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy and investigate the protective role of the hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donor GYY4137 in sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy.METHODS: Recruitment of patients with clinical sepsis and measurement of serum H2S concentrations. GYY4137 was administrated in mouse model of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SICM) was generated by LPS and cecum ligation and puncture (CLP), and then plasma levels of hydrogen sulfide and cytokines were measured, and inflammatory cell infiltration in myocardial tissue was determined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining. RNA sequencing assay was performed to monitor the RNA expression profile. Cardiomyocytes medium was co-cultured with Macrophage, and the protective mechanism of GYY4137 was confirmed by WB, RT-PCR and immunofluorescence experiments. Establishment of SICM model using Nlrp3-/- mice to validate the role of GYY4137.RESULTS: Compared to non-septic patients, septic patients had lower serum hydrogen sulfide concentrations and a negative correlation between hydrogen sulfide concentrations and NT-pro BNP. H2S levels were reduced in the serum of sepsis-molded mice, GYY4137 reduced macrophage infiltration in the sepsis model. GYY4137 reduces inflammatory cell infiltration in septic myocardial tissue. GO analysis suggested that GYY4137 involved in inflammatory regulation. GYY4137 can inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activity in macrophages and reduce the secretion of inflammatory factors, while GYY4137 can reduce the production of reactive oxygen species in cardiomyocytes, thus exerting a protective effect on the myocardium. The protective effect of GYY4137 was disappeared after Nlrp3 knockout. CONCLUSION: GYY4137 can reduce myocardial injury in sepsis by inhibiting the inflammatory response and reducing the production of myocardial reactive oxygen species via NLRP3 pathway. It can provide new therapeutic ideas for clinical practice.
Functional traits of medicinal plant species under different ecological conditions
Authors: Kriššáková Zuzana , Čierniková Malvína , Vykouková Ivana , Hrabovský Andrej , Masarovičová Elena , Beracko Pavel
Published: May 2022

Traits and attributes of plants in plant communities are the outcome of adaptation of species to the environment and acclimation to environmental conditions changing in space and time. This is especially true for medicinal plants, which can affect the surrounding plants with their properties. Identification of plant functional groups in plant community can provide a better understanding and functional comparison of several communities than the classical approach based on taxonomy. To compare the effect of different ecological conditions (one control and three experimental sites in Bratislava, Slovakia) on the plasticity of medicinal plant species, and on the plant functional groups based on the selected leaf functional traits – SLA (specific leaf area) and LDMC (leaf dry matter content). In assessment were tested thirteen medicinal plant species – Aegopodium podagraria L., Fragaria vesca L., Galium odoratum (L.) Scop., Geum urbanum L., Glechoma hederacea L., Hedera helix L., Hypericum perforatum L., Impatiens glandulifera Royle, Plantago lanceolata L., Prunella vulgaris L., Solidago gigantea Aiton, Tussilago farfara L. and Urtica dioica L. For the formation of plant functional groups according to different leaf characteristics, the metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) ordination diagram was applied. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) had a more significant effect on studied leaf traits than content of soil organic matter (SOC) (their coefficients of determination had values 0.55 and 0.11). Studied species were also characterized according to plant strategies. Urtica dioica and Geum urbanum possessed the greatest plasticity of all studied species.
Evaluation of the relationship between hyperemesis gravidarum with Platelet crit, hemoglobin to red cell distribution width ratio and Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio
Authors: UÇKAN Kazım , Başkıran Yusuf , ÇELEĞEN Assistant Professor İzzet
Published: May 2022

Introduction:This study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between the severity of hyperemesis gravidarum (HEG) disease and subclinical inflammatory factors such as Platelet crit (PCT), Hemoglobin to red cell distribution width ratio (HRR), Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), which are known to be closely associated with inflammation in patients with hyperemesis gravidarum.Material method: This retrospective case control study was conducted between December 2020 and December 2021. A total of 215 pregnant women, 102 with hyperemesis gravidarum and 113 healthy pregnant women, were included in the study. HEG patients were divided into three groups according to the modified PUQE classification as mild (n = 38), moderate (n = 32), and severe (n = 32).Results: PCT, HRR, and, NLR values were found to be statistically significantly higher in the HEG group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). PCT, HRR, and, NLR values increase from mild to severe in HEG patients (p < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between HEG and PCT (rho = 0.70, p < 0.001), HRR (rho = 0.28, p < 0.04), NLR (rho = 0.60, p < 0.001) values. Logistic regression analysis revealed that a one-unit increase in PCT, HRR, and NLR resulted in a 2.14, 1.41, and 2.36-fold increase in HEG risk, respectively.Conclusion: PCT, HRR and NLR are inflammatory markers that increase in patients with HEG and have predictive value for the development of HEG. In our study, we suggested the use of a new prognostic marker for patients with HEG. We think that our study will be a source for future studies on HEG.
Molecular diagnosis, phylogenetic analysis and identification of an unique SNP in the viral attachment protein (p32) gene of Lumpy skin Disease Virus in tissue biopsies of Cattle in India
Authors: Varadarajan Meenambigai - Timiri , Karuppannan Anbu Kumar , Muthukrishnan Madhanmohan - , Selvaraj Saranya -
Published: May 2022

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an exotic disease to India, affecting cattle and buffalo. LSD originated in Africa, where many domesticated and wild ruminant species are affected. LSD was first recorded in India from five districts of Odisha state during August 2019. Subsequently, LSD outbreaks were reported in more than fourteen states of India. The aim of the study was to develop a sensitive SYBR green real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the diagnosis of LSD in the tissue biopsy samples. Tissue biopsy samples collected from cattle showing signs of LSD (n=8) were subjected to conventional gel-based PCR and SYBR green real-time PCR using the primer sets specific for the gene of viral attachment protein (VP32). Seven of eight tissue biopsy samples showed the positive amplification of 192bp product size in conventional gel-based PCR with primers recommended by OIE. All the eight tissue biopsy samples were positive in SYBR green real-time PCR assay, based on the same OIE primers, and the threshold value (Ct) values varied from 19.14 to 23.01. The seven PCR amplicons were further sequenced to confirm the identification of LSDV VP32 gene. Further, the sequences were accessioned in GenBank and their phylogenetic analysis revealed close phylogenetic relation to a partial LSDV p32 gene sequence from Egypt. The developed SYBR green real-time PCR assay is a cost-effective, specific, sensitive and rapid diagnostic assay for detection of LSD and quantification of LSD viral load in the tissue biopsy samples.
Self-growing Photonic Composites with Programmable Colors and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Xue Juan , Yin Xuewu , Zhang Chenglin , Dong Shihua , Yang Li , Fang Yuanlai , Li Yong , Li Ling , Cui Jiaxi
Published: May 2022

Many organisms produce stunning optical displays based on structural color instead of pigmentation. This structural or photonic color is achieved through the interaction of light with intricate micro-/nano-structures, which are “grown” from strong, sustainable biological materials such as chitin, keratin, and cellulose. In contrast, current synthetic structural colored materials are usually brittle, inert, and produced via energy-intensive processes, posing significant challenges to their practical uses. Inspired by the brilliantly colored peacock feathers which selectively grow keratin-based photonic structures with different photonic bandgaps, we develop a self-growing photonic crystal system in which the photonic bandgaps and hence the coloration can be easily tuned. This is achieved via the selective growth of the polymer matrix with polymerizable compounds as feeding materials in a silica nanosphere-polymer composite system, thus effectively modulating the photonic bandgaps without compromising nanostructural order. Such strategy not only allows the material system to continuously vary its colors and patterns in an on-demand manner, but also endows it with many appealing properties including flexibility, toughness, self-healing ability, and reshaping capability. As this novel self-growing method is simple, inexpensive, versatile, and scalable, we foresee its significant potential in meeting many emerging requirements for various applications of structural color materials.
Effect of substitution of fishmeal with Napier grass protein on performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chicken
Authors: Kiggundu Muhammad , Nampijja Zainah , Kigozi Abasi , Mugerwa Swidiq , Allen Moly , Namazzi Clementine , Kayondo Siraj Ismail , Walugembe Faitwa , Bombom Alexander
Published: May 2022

This study evaluated the performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens fed diets with varying substitution levels of fishmeal (FM) 0, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 g/kg DM with Napier grass protein (NGP). Treatment diets included T0 (control diet), T250, T500, T750, and T1000 to represent the different substitution levels. After the starter phase, birds were finished on a conventional fishmeal-based diet for 14 days. Feed intake, weight gain, and hot carcass decreased (P < 0.01) at a decreasing rate with increasing substitution in starter diets. Feed intake, weight gain, and hot carcass were highest (P < 0.01) in T0 birds, followed by T250 birds. Feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein, and energy utilization efficiencies were highest (P < 0.01) in T0 birds followed by T250 birds and lowest for T1000 birds. Ileal CP digestibility (862.3 g/kg DM) was highest for T0 birds but comparable (P > 0.05) to T500 birds (716.4 g/kg DM). Similarly, ME digestibility was highest in T0 birds (819.5 g/kg DM) although comparable (P > 0.05) to T250 birds and T500 birds. In contrast, T250 and T500 birds showed higher (P < 0.05) crude fiber digestibility (645 g/kg DM) than T0 birds (402 g/kg DM). Hot carcass weight decreased (P < 0.01) with FM substitution with the heaviest carcasses recorded for T0 birds. As percentage of the hot carcass, weight of breast and thigh reduced (P < 0.05) with increasing substitution of FM. Percentage weights of empty gizzard, caeca, and pancreas for T1000 birds were higher (P < 0.05) and double compared with T0 birds. In the finisher phase, there was no difference (P > 0.05) in weight gains of T0 and T250 birds, although T250 birds had numerically higher weight gain compared with T0 birds. However, percentage change in weight gain in the finisher phase was influenced (P < 0.05) by MFP substitution level in the starter phase. In the finisher phase, T1000 birds had the highest percentage change in weight gain (71.6%) compared to 40.7% for T0 birds. Nonetheless, regression analysis of FCR data in the starter phase showed that optimal FCR is attained at 150 g/kg NGP substitution in broiler diets. These results suggest that NGP is of low biological value in broiler diets, probably due to its high fiber content and deficiency in methionine and lysine, which are limiting essential amino acids in broiler diets.
Assessing the landscape potential to deliver ecosystem services in modeling scenarios of land use change
Authors: Nazarenko Anton
Published: May 2022

The article presents an algorithm for assessing the scenarios of land use change in terms of the landscape potential to deliver ecosystem services (ES). The developed algorithm was applied to the model area in Altai Krai (Russia) to assess scenarios for using fallow lands.The assessment was performed for local natural landscapes with consideration of their land use structure and based on productivity of forest ecosystems and agricultural lands (including pastures, hayfields and arable lands). For assessing the landscape potential to deliver ES, we used and mapped the economic value (US $ / ha / year) of seven ecosystem services.For spatial planning of land use structure and developing scenarios, we employed expert assessments and evaluation of permissible agricultural impact. These tools were successfully tested under designing scenarios for fallow lands use in the Zarinsky region. To check the effectiveness of the developed scenarios, ES were re-assessed and the obtained results compared with the original scenario.Our findings suggest that though economic indicators do not fully reflect the ES value, they can be used as the basis for decision-making in land use planning at the regional and sub-regional scales.
Effectiveness of Post-Operative Pain Management among Patients Who Underwent General and Orthopedic Surgeries at a National Referral Hospital Asmara, Eritrea
Authors: Beyn Samuel Fikremariam , Kidamemariam Betiel Yihdego , Hidremichael Meron Yemane , Habte Merhawi Kidane , Adem Mahmud Mohammed , Mengistu Micheal Beraki , Habtemariam Eyasu Habte , Andemeskel Yonatan Mehari
Published: May 2022

Background: Post-operative pain poses significant challengeswith high global prevalence. Inadequately managed pain can result in patients increased medical complications, prolonged hospital stays and reduced effective painmanagement. The study was aimed at comparing the effectiveness of existing and severity-based POP management of patients who underwent general and orthopedic surgeries in Halibet National Referral Hospital.Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study conducted among 118 patients who underwent general and orthopedic surgeries. Data was collected by using socio-demographic, clinical characteristics and visual analogue scale (VAS). The intervention group received a severity based (SBM) POP management, whereas the comparative group received the existing management (EM). Data on severity of POP and effectiveness of its management was collected using VAS. Descriptive statistics for the demographic and clinical data, median pain reduction, and Mann-Whitney U value were used to analyze data. P< 0.05 was taken as statistically significant.Results:98.3% of the patients in the EM and 88.1% in the SBM experienced pain at the initial point after surgery with mild pain (30.5%) (11.9%), moderate pain (37.3%) (54.2%) and severe pain (30.5%) (22%) respectively. The common type of analgesic used in the EM was Diclofenac (63.72%). The median pain reduction was statistically insignificant (p=0.056) in the EM group, while a significant pain reduction (p<0.001) was seen in the SBM group. Significant difference in the effectiveness of POP management was found between EM and SBM groups in middle aged adults (p=0.026), females (p= 0.016), patients who took GA (p<0.001) and patients who had general surgery (p<0.001).Conclusion: The management of POP should be based on the severity of pain experienced by the patient and use of the most suitable analgesics. Pain assessment should be performed for every post-operative patient using appropriate pain assessing tool and documented.
Engineering the morphology on layered double hydroxides-induced persulfate activation for enhanced degradation of organic pollutants
Authors: Wang Rongyao , Yu Yanjun , Zhang Ruijuan , Ren Xiaohua , Guo Weilin
Published: May 2022

Grasping how the morphology of a layered double hydroxide (LDH)-based catalyst alters its catalytic activity provides an available strategy for the rational design and fabrication of high-efficiency catalyst at micro-scale. Herein, three NiFe-LDH materials with different morphologies (2D-plate-like hexagon, 2D/3D-flower-like solid sphere and 2D/3D-flower-like hollow sphere) and regulable oxygen vacancies (OVs) were fabricated using a morphological regulation method of Ostwald ripening. The 2D/3D-flower-like hollow sphere NiFe-LDH (FH-NiFe-LDH) exhibited the most considerable activity for the abatement of acid orange 7 (AO7) with the first order rate constant up to k = 0.023 min− 1. Characterizations demonstrated that FH-NiFe-LDH possessed a larger specific surface area, hence profoundly allowed for more exposure of active sites to facilitate electron transfer. Simultaneously, various concentrations of OVs were detected in the morphologically tunable NiFe-LDHs and enhanced the reactivity of OVs-connected Ni or Fe, therefore manifesting the morphologic origin of catalytic performance. According to the quenching experiments, sulfate radical (SO4•−), hydroxyl radical (•OH), and oxygen radical (O2•−) were identified to be involved in the decomposition process.
Microstructure and Performance of Self-piercing Riveting in Similar and Dissimilar 2A12 and 6061 Aluminum Alloys
Authors: HUO Xiaole , GUO Zixin , ZHAO Lun , GONG Tao , LIN Sen , Shafi Islam Md , CHEN Wei , ZHOU Guangping , LIANG Zhaofeng , HE Xiaocong , XING Baoying
Published: May 2022

In this paper, similar and dissimilar 2A12 and 6061 aluminum alloy sheets are joined validly by self-piercing riveting, and a quasi-static experiment is performed to investigate the mechanical behaviors, failure modes and mechanisms of the joints. Also, a method based on deep learning algorithm to detect the appearance defects of the joints is proposed. The results show that the joints with similar 2A12 sheets contained the best static strength, the joints with similar 6061 sheets had superior anti-vibration performance, the joints with 6061-2A12 sheets presented the most decent comprehensive mechanical properties. The main failure mode of joints with similar 2A12 sheets was substrate fractured; the main failure mode of the other joints was pulled-out, and some of them with button-off. The fracture of 2A12 substrate belongs to the composite intergranular and microporous aggregate fracture. The method effectiveness was verified by experiments, and method detection accuracy could reach about 90%, and the detection speed was as high as 50FPS, which can effectively solve the problem that riveting quality was difficult to monitor.
Identification of a Key Ferroptosis-related Gene in Pathogenesis of Gastric Cancer
Authors: Liu Shuling , Huang Mei , Li Chao , Shen Fujun , Wang Chunbin
Published: May 2022

Ferroptosis plays a significant role in the development of multiple solid malignancies, including gastric cancer (GC), but largely, physicians still know little about ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) in GC yet, which require further exploration. In this study, functional enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis were used to analyze the differentially expressed FRGs obtained by RNA sequencing analysis. We then obtained the key gene by intersecting with the ferroptosis database. Thereafter, we performed multi-omics analysis of the key gene using bioinformatics and assessed its effects on tumor proliferation and ferroptosis in vitro. We found that FRGs were enriched in biological processes including endocytosis, ribosome, and ferroptosis. The identified key gene ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) was upregulated by erastin treatment in GC cells, and elevated in GC samples compared to normal tissues. And FTH1 expression could discriminate GC from adjacent tissues with a cutoff level of 11.3. Its expression positively correlated with most immune infiltrates, including induced dendric cells, macrophages, and neutrophils, etc. The genetic alteration rate of FTH1 was 1.36%. The FTH1 methylation level was high (cg11748881), and patients with FTH1 hypermethylation had a worse survival. In addition, overexpression of FTH1 in MGC803 cells promoted GC proliferation and suppressed ferroptosis. FTH1 affects GC development by regulating ferroptosis, providing a new insight for a pharmacological treatment target in GC.
Lysosomal TMEM9-LAMTOR4-controlled mTOR signaling integrity is required for mammary tumorigenesis
Authors: Park Jae-Il , Zhang Shengzhe , Lee Sung Ho , Nie Litong , Huang Yuanjian , Zou Gengyi , Jung Youn-Sang , Jun Sohee , Zhang Jie , Lien Esther , Chen Junjie
Published: May 2022

Lysosomes play vital roles in the degradation and recycling of various macromolecules, protein secretion, energy metabolism, and cell signaling. Increasing evidence suggests that the deregulated lysosomes contribute to tumorigenesis and therapeutic resistance. However, its underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We herein identified transmembrane protein 9 (TMEM9) as a crucial protein modulating lysosomal metabolism and lysosome-associated signaling. The TMEM9 gene is markedly amplified in breast cancer, correlated with its transcriptional upregulation. TMEM9 depletion suppressed the proliferation of breast cancer cells highly expressing TMEM9. Consistently, Tmem9 knock-out inhibited mammary tumorigenesis in the genetically engineered mouse model. Conversely, the ectopic expression of TMEM9 in TMEM9 low breast cancer cells promoted cell proliferation. The lysosome purification and proteomics approach showed that TMEM9 physically and functionally interacts with LAMTOR4, a subunit of the Ragulator complex, to hyperactivate mTOR signaling in breast cancer. Moreover, the pharmacological blockade of the TMEM9-v-ATPase axis combined with mTOR inhibitors exhibited the synergistic growth inhibition of breast cancer cells. Our results reveal the mechanism of the TMEM9-v-ATPase-activated mTOR signaling and further propose the TMEM9-v-ATPase axis as a therapeutic target overcoming mTOR inhibitor resistance of breast cancer.
Whole-embryonic identification of maternal microchimeric cell types in mouse using single-cell RNA sequencing
Authors: Fujimoto Kana , Nakajima Akira , Hori Shohei , Tanaka Yumiko , Shirasaki Yoshitaka , Uemura Sotaro , Irie Naoki
Published: May 2022

Background
Even though the mother and the fetus of placental mammals are immunologically non-self with respect to one other, mutual exchange of small numbers of cells between them is known to occur. Maternal cells entering the fetus, called maternal microchimeric cells (MMc cells), are thought to be involved in different physiological phenomena, such as establishing immune tolerance, tissue repair, and the pathogenesis or deterioration of some inflammatory diseases and congenital malformations. While specific MMc cell types have been reported as associated with these phenomena, the contribution of MMc cells to these different outcomes remains unknown. As one possibility, we hypothesized that different embryos have differing repertoires of MMc cell types, leading to or biasing embryos toward different fates. To date, no studies have succeeded in identifying the MMc cell type repertoire of a single embryo. Accordingly, here, we isolated MMc cells from whole mouse embryos, determined their types, and analyzed their MMc cell type variability.
Results
By combining our previously established, whole-embryonic MMc isolation method with single-cell RNA sequencing, we successfully estimated the cell type repertoires of MMc cells isolated from 26 mouse embryos. The majority of MMc cells were immune-related cells, such as myeloid cell and granulocyte. We also detected stem cell-like MMc cells expressing proliferation marker genes and terminally differentiated cells. As hypothesized, we noted statistically significant inter-individual variation in the proportion of immune-related cells in the different embryos.
Conclusions
We here successfully estimated MMc cell types in individual whole mouse embryos. The proportion of immune-related cells significantly differed among the individual embryos, suggesting this as one of the potential mechanisms underlying the differing MMc-related physiological phenomena in offspring. These findings provide insight into cell-level epigenetics by maternal cells.
Microstructural Characterization of Lime Modified Bagasse Ash Blended Expansive Clays using Digital Image Analysis
Authors: Pradeep Polapala Sai , Mayakrishnan Muthukumar
Published: May 2022

In the field practice, industrial wastes are recommended for use in construction to achieve both environmental and economic benefits. A novel technique of supplementing lime to the black cotton soil stabilized with bagasse ash is adopted to overcome the shortcomings of the black cotton soil stabilized with bagasse ash alone. The experiments have been conducted by adding lime to the black cotton soil mixed with varied percentages i.e., 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of bagasse ash to ameliorate the properties of black cotton soil stabilized along with bagasse ash. Microstructural characterisation is done by X-ray Diffraction, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy coupled Field emission the scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analyses were done to examine the changes caused by the additives. This phenomenon is keenly examined with FE-SEM images by analysing them using digital imaging technique. The imaging technique carried out using Image J, depicts the reduction in void spaces and identified that lime has a perceptible influence in the formation of stable and dense structure of black cotton soil stabilized with bagasse ash rather than stabilizing the black cotton soil with bagasse ash alone. In extension to these studies new technique in analysing the shrinkage properties using Python was proposed and the results have been upheld with Image J measurements. Based on the analysis of experimental results, it was found that with inculcation of portlandite rich hydrated lime, better reactivity is resulted in enhancing the engineering characteristics of the black cotton soil rather than utilization of bagasse ash alone in the stabilization of black cotton soil
Architecture characterization of orchard trees for mechanical behavior investigations
Authors: Jeon Min-Kyung , Burrall Matthew , Kwon Tae-Hyuk , DeJong Jason , Martinez Alejandro
Published: May 2022

Aims
This study explores structural root architectures of orchard trees to understand the interplays between the mechanical behavior of roots and the root architecture.
Methods
Full three-dimensional (3D) models of natural tree root systems, Lovell, Marianna, Myrobalan, that were extracted from the ground by vertical pullout are reconstructed through photogrammetry, and later skeletonized as nodes and root branch segments. Combined analyses of the full 3D models and skeletonized models enable detailed examination of basic bulk properties and quantification of architectural parameters. The segments from the skeletonized models are divided into three categories — trunk roots, main lateral roots, and remaining roots.
Results
The patterns in branching and diameter distributions show significant difference between the trunk and main laterals versus the remaining lateral roots. In general, the branching angle decreases over the course of successive bifurcations. The main lateral roots near the trunk show significant spreading while the lateral roots near the end tips grow roughly parallel to the parent root. For branch length, the roots bifurcate more frequently near the trunk than further from the trunk. The local thickness analysis confirms that the root diameter decays at a higher rate near the trunk than in the remaining lateral roots, while the total cross-sectional area across a bifurcation node remains mostly conserved. The histograms of branching angle, and branch length and thickness gradient can be described using lognormal and exponential distributions, respectively.
Conclusions
This unique study presents data to characterize mechanically important structural roots, which will help link root architecture to the mechanical behaviors of root structures.
Prognostic Prediction Models for Postoperative Patients with Stage I to III Colorectal Cancer: A Retrospective Study Based on Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Ji Xiaolin , Xu Shuo , Li Xiaoyu , Xu Jinhuan , Guo Yingjie , Tian Zibin
Published: May 2022

Purpose To utilize the patient, tumor, and treatment features and compare the performance of machine learning algorithms, develop and validate models to predict overall, disease-free, recurrence-free, and distant metastasis-free survival, and screen important variables to improve the prognosis of patients in clinical settings.Methods More than 1000 colorectal cancer patients who underwent curative resection were grouped according to 4 endpoints and divided into testing sets and training sets (9:1). We applied 4 machine learning algorithms to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival times. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and average precision (AP) were our accuracy indicators. Vital parameters were screened by multivariate regression models. To achieve better prediction of longitudinal oncological outcomes, we performed 10-fold cross-validation except for the recurrence-free survival model (3-fold cross-validation). We iterated 3000 times after hyperparameter optimization and assessed the internal testing sets.Results The best AP values were greater than 80%, except for the overall survival model (69.5%). The best AUCs were all greater than 0.70 except for the recurrence free survival model (0.61). The models performed well. Variables that were widely correlated with prognoses, such as the TNM stage, were selected as important features; however, indirectly related indicators, such as Ki-67 level, were also selected.Conclusion We constructed an independent, high-accuracy "white-box" machine learning system for predicting survival times. This system may help in determining managing strategies for colorectal cancer patients and has future utility in personalized medicine and monitoring.
Jian Gan powder exerts anti-inflammatory and pro-proliferative effects and restores the dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and metabolism of the immunological liver injury mice
Authors: Li Kun , Cui Yadong , Zheng Xue , Min Chunyan , Zhang Jian , Yan Zhanpeng , Ji Yu , Zhu Fangshi
Published: May 2022

Background
Jian Gan powder (JGP), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has shown a considerable protective and therapeutic effect on hepatitis virus-induced immunological liver injury (ILI) in the clinic. However, the underlying mechanisms of the protective effects of JGP on ILI remain unknown. Evidence suggests that TCM or TCM formula can affect the intestinal microbial community and metabolic function to control liver disease progression.
Results
JGP treatment reduced inflammatory cytokine expression and promoted liver cell proliferation. The fecal 16S rRNA gene sequencing and LC-MS-based metabolomics analysis revealed that JGP could notably shape the gut microbiota structure and modify metabolic profiles. JGP treatment could restore the dysbiosis of Alloprevotella, Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia, Muribaculum, Streptococcus, and Stenotrophomonas. Moreover, fecal metabolite profiles reflecting microbial activities showed that JGP modulated the disorder of biotin metabolism and steroid hormone biosynthesis in ILI mice. What’s more, the metabolites, Allylestrenol, Eplerenone, PE (P-20:0/0:0), SM d27:1, Soyasapogenol C, Chrysin, and Soyasaponin I were notably changed and remarkably reversed after JGP treatment.
Conclusion
JGP exerts anti-inflammatory and pro-proliferative effects and restores the dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and metabolism of the immunological liver injury mice. These results provided a new perspective that intestinal microbiota and their metabolites might be potential targets for elucidating the mechanism of JGP on the improvement of ILI.
Physics-Informed Deep Learning Approach for Modeling Crustal Deformation
Authors: Okazaki Tomohisa , Hirahara Kazuro , Ueda Naonori
Published: May 2022

The movement and deformation of the Earth's crust and upper mantle provide critical insights into the evolution of earthquake processes and future earthquake hazards. Crustal deformation can be modeled by dislocation models that represent an earthquake fault in the crust as a defect in a continuum medium. Forward and inverse modeling have been performed using various analytical methods based on Green's function for linear responses and numerical methods that discretize model regions or boundaries. In this study, we propose a novel physics-informed deep learning approach to model crustal deformation due to earthquakes. This approach obtains continuous solutions using neural networks by representing the governing equations and boundary conditions as a loss function. We use the polar coordinate system to accurately model the displacement discontinuity on a fault as a boundary condition. Neural network modeling enables flexible representation of arbitrary geometrical structures and mechanical properties of rocks, which cannot be achieved via existing methods in practice. We illustrate the validity and usefulness of this approach through example problems such as curved strike-slip faults in heterogeneous elastic media with surface topographies. Furthermore, this approach can be extended to high-dimensional, anelastic, and nonlinear problems in a straightforward manner. We anticipate that the proposed approach will be a starting point for progress in the quantitative assessment of future seismic hazards.
Cellulose-based Fluorescent Antibacterial Materials
Authors: Wang Jun , Wu Kai , Chen Cai-Hua , Chen Qiu-Yun , Liu Qing-Shan
Published: May 2022

The abuse of antibiotics has led to a rapid increase in the resistance of bacteria and the environmental pollution. Attenuating the bactarial membrane and metabolism by functional celluloses is an effective strategy to find bacteriostatic agents as replacers of traditional antibiotics. Herein, a novel fluorescent cellulose (CEL-THPP) was synthesized by the covalent coupling of cellulose with porphyrin derivatives (THPP). The coordination of Zn (II) ion with CEL-THPP induced the self-assembly of CEL-THPP producing CEL-THPP@Zn with near-infrared light absorption. CEL-THPP@Zn is a porous rod-like structure cellulose. CEL-THPP@Zn exhibits strong fluorescence emission at 662 nm in solid and the optical band gaps was 1.69 eV. Moreover, CEL-THPP@Zn have excellent inhibitory and adsorption effects on both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, this study provides a novel solution for cellulose surface modification, and the CEL-THPP@Zn can be applied to bacterial inhibition and filtration.
Finite-time non-fragile control for synchronization of fractional-order stochastic neural networks
Authors: S Kanakalakshmi , Sakthivel R , Karthick S.A , Wang Chao , Leelamani A
Published: May 2022

This study concerned with the synchronization problem in finite-time domain for a class of fractional-order stochastic neural networks via non-fragile controller with discontinuous activation functions. Specifically, the suggested state feedback controller sequentially cope with non-fragile scheme for gain scheduling process. Notably, the main objective of this work is to develop a non-fragile controller to obtained the finite-time synchronization criterion for the resulting synchronized error system over finite bound. For that, some consignment of sufficient conditions is derived systematically by implementing Lyapunovs indirect method and finite-time stability theory which ensures the finite-time stochastic synchronization of the stipulated neural networks. Later on, the controller gain fluctuations that obeying certain white noise sequels derived from Bernoulli distribution are formulated in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Eventually, the illustrated study are substantiated through two numerical examples and the simulation results manifest the advantage and accuracy of the proposed synchronization criteria.