bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enzymatic production of sustainable jojoba fatty alcohols. Biorefinery approach
Authors: Bouaid Abderrahim , Tardon Natalia , Hurtado Olivia , Marchetti Jorge Mario
Published: May 2022

To evaluate jojoba oil (JO) in high-added-value products, a new biorefinery strategy was used, consisting of enzymatic transesterification employing a branched 2-ethylhexanol (EH) chain alcohol. The suggested biorefinery approach utilizes an integrated process to produce jojobyl alcohols (JA) mixture (11-eicosenol, 13-docosenol, and 15-tetracosenol) as the principal product for pharmaceutical applications. Since it meets the European Biodiesel Standard EN 14214, the remaining fraction of fatty acid ethyl-hexyl esters (FAEHE) could be a potential alternative to traditional fuels.Factorial design (FD) and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to investigate and improve the effects of variables such as temperature and catalyst concentration on the production of both fractions. The derived models can be used to estimate the best operating parameters for an up-scaled industrial process with the least number of tests possible, resulting in cost savings. However, from a technical perspective, the best feasible yield for the more valuable JA fraction should be achieved, using a catalyst concentration of 5.7%, a temperature of 63°C, and a 6:1 alcohol/oil molar ratio. Conversion rates of 63.5% and 36% for JA and FAEHE, respectively, could be produced under these conditions. The crystallization method was used to separate JA from FAEHE. The MTT test was used to assess in vitro cell viability in HEK293T cells. The findings revealed that a 1 μmolL-1 oily liquid mixture of jojobyl alcohols components (cis-11-eicosenol, cis-13-docosenol, and cis-15-tetracosenol) had no influence on cell cycle progression, has no harmful impacts in the examined cells, and could be employed as a therapeutic compound.The product preparation is a green engineering process that is clean, solvent-free, and uses a highly selective catalyst to reduce water and energy utilization, as well as the integrated process's downstream processing.
Green Dyeing of Silk and Cotton Fabrics using Acacia nilotica seed pod
Authors: Rasel Zia Uddin , Khatun Halima , Ahmed Firoz , Kadri Jahan , Maitra Bijoy , Saha Barun Kanti , Rabbi Ahasanur
Published: May 2022

Natural dyeing is an eco-friendly technique to dye textile fabrics with colors extracted from natural sources like plants, flowers, fruits, minerals, etc. During the last few decades with the increased environmental awareness attention has been paid to natural dye. Worldwide many researchers and research groups are working to develop a better and optimized dyeing process using natural dyes. This research work is concerned with natural dye extraction from Acacia nilotica seed pods and its application for textile dyeing. The extracted dyeing agent was characterized by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. UV-Vis absorbance maximum was found to be 250 nm, confirming the presence of phenolic compounds. Alkaline extract of seed pods was applied on silk and cotton fabrics in presence of mordant and without mordant. The effects of washing and sunlight on dyed silk and cotton fabrics have been studied to investigate the fastness properties. The dyed silk fabrics showed good fastness properties than that of dyed cotton. The dyed fabrics without any metal mordant showed promising washing and light fastness properties. This novel approach for A. nilotica seed pod based dyeing process of silk and cotton fabrics without any mordant could open new paths to green dyeing and be beneficial to the environment.
Unit indicators of the greenhouse effect for CO2 and steam from H2O and their anthropogenic impact on the climate
Authors: Zhmakin Vladimir Maksimovich
Published: May 2022

The greenhouse effect from anthropogenic CO2 emissions into the atmosphere is currently determined at the level of expert assessments, and the unit is adopted as a unit for measuring the impact of greenhouse gases on the climate. The article is devoted to the establishment by mathematical methods of physical units of the greenhouse effect for CO2 and steam from H2O and their influence on the climate. The formula of the radiation equilibrium of the surface and atmosphere is derived for the evening time from the formula of the radiation balance of the Earth's surface. Data from Mars Pathfinder on this equilibrium were used to determine the unit greenhouse index for CO2, which was 0.0138 ± 0.001 K m2kg− 1. A similar indicator was found for H2O vapor equal to 0.0696 ± 0.004 K m2kg− 1 based on the difference in temperature and humidity of desert and coastal areas. The integral temperature index of 0.263 ± 0.021 K m2 kg− 1 of H2O vapors was determined by modeling and establishing the relationship between humidity and temperature during statistical processing of meteorological data. The greenhouse effect of CO2 and steam from H2O is insignificant due to the low average content. However, a small anthropogenic increment of CO2 contributes to the formation of a small portion of steam, which increases the temperature by heat transfer and gives a new portion of steam, etc., with an increase in temperature until noon exponentially. The anthropogenic increase in CO2 caused a rising in the H2O vapor content in the atmosphere and from him the near-surface temperature by 1.43 ± 0.11, and for human habitation areas - by 1.55 ± 0.12 K. The results of this work can be used to predict climate change and take measures to neutralize it.
Preparation of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) derived from palm fiber waste: Effect of ozone pretreatment on CMC properties
Authors: Pujokaroni Agustu Sholeh , Ichiura Hideaki
Published: May 2022

In this study, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was prepared using cellulose extracted from palm fiber (CPF). The effect of ozone pretreatment on the CMC properties (degree of substitution (DS) and viscosity) was investigated. Cellulose extracted from CPF was treated with ozone, and then CMC was prepared by alkalization followed by etherification using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium monochloroacetic acid (NaMCA) in an alcoholic medium. The DS of CMC increased with increasing ozone pretreatment time, and increasing amounts of NaOH and NaMCA added. Furthermore, the solubility increased with increasing DS. Therefore, the solubility increased with ozone pretreatment time. The optimum conditions were ozone pretreatment for 3 h, followed by the addition of 10 mL of 30% NaOH and 4.5 g of NaMCA. Under these conditions, the DS, purity, and solubility were 1.05, 79.6%, and 94.6%, respectively. The viscosity of CMC prepared using cellulose treated with ozone decreased with increasing ozone pretreatment time, which was due to the reduced degree of polymerization. Therefore, using ozone pretreatment for CMC preparation was an effective method for controlling the CMC properties.
Luffa cylindrica Slow Pyrolysis and Solar Pyrolysis: Impact of Temperature and Heating Rate on Biochar Properties and Iodine Adsorption Performance
Authors: de Souza Pedro Henrique Cabral , Rocha Sônia Denise Ferreira , de Rezende Daniel Bastos
Published: May 2022

Recently, Luffa cylindrica has been drawing lots of attention in adsorption applications. However, the contaminated biomass needs to be properly disposed. Pyrolysis is a process capable of turning this type of residue into valuable product. Luffa cylindrica pyrolysis produces biochar which has been used as adsorbent for various cationic and organic species. Additionally, the use of solar power to heat the reactor reduces the environmental impact of pyrolysis. In this work, a lab scale solar pyrolizer was built in a 40-dollar budget. This biomass was previously submitted to slow pyrolysis in an electrical reactor at various temperatures (300, 400, and 500 °C) and heating rates (2, 10, and 20 °C.min-1) to access the influence of these parameters on biochar properties. Further, the Luffa sponge sample was submitted to solar pyrolysis. The characterization methods of TG/DTG, FTIR, SEM, and HHV analysis were employed to access biochar properties. Biochar adsorption performance was accessed by iodine adsorption experiments. Highest HHV (29,3 MJ.kg-1) was obtained for the biochar from the 500 °C, 2 °C.min-1 pyrolysis. Maximum iodine adsorption (162,9 mg.g-1) was observed on the biochar produced at 400°C, 2 °C.min-1. Solar biochar had a 24,3 MJ.kg-1 HHV and a Iodine adsorption of 115.2 mg.g-1.
Food waste: causes and economic losses estimation at household level in Pakistan
Authors: Khalid Samina , Malik Aman Ullah , Ullah Muhammad Irfan , Khalid Muhammad Shafique , Javeed Hafiz Muhammad Rashad , Naeem Muhammad Asif , Naseer Aqsa
Published: May 2022

Food waste is one of the major sustainability issues that need to be addressed due to its huge negative impacts on economy, environment and food security. To develop a food waste reduction policies on regional and global level, it is mandatory to have a clear understanding of the various factors that prompting food waste at household level and the extent of the economic losses incurred by food waste. Reducing food waste can decrease household expenditure on food, freeing resources for health, education and well-being. The current study was aimed to (i) examine the food waste behavior of the respondents and to (ii) determine the level of monetary losses from food waste. To address these objectives a questionnaire survey and sample of food waste generated during 24h were collected from fifty one households in tehsil Kahror Pakka, District Lodhran, Punjab, Pakistan. The survey, focus was on levels of food waste and respondents’ knowledge and behaviors about food waste. Economic estimation of food waste was also done. In the survey, respondents from both high and low income households revealed that their fruit and vegetables (31%; 32%) and peel and scrap (53%; 48%) losses were higher while egg losses (4%; 4%) were lower. Want to eat fresh food and have no time to save food were the reasons for food waste. Monetary losses from food waste (Rs. 3677.01 per capita per annum) were higher in high income households.
Adapting a group-level PrEP promotion intervention trial for transgender Latinas during the COVID-19 pandemic: Recruitment, screening, enrollment, data collection, implementation, and retention
Authors: Rhodes Scott D. , Tanner Amanda E. , Alonzo Jorge , Mann-Jackson Lilli , Aviles Lucero Refugio , Galindo Carla A. , Bessler Patricia A. , Courtenay-Quirk Cari , Smart Benjamin D. , Garcia Manuel , Goldenberg Tamar , Reboussin Beth A.
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the conduct of community-based and community-engaged HIV research. Prior to the pandemic, our community-based participatory research partnership was testing ChiCAS, an in-person, group-level behavioral intervention designed to promote uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), condom use, and medically supervised gender-affirming hormone therapy among Spanish-speaking transgender Latinas who report having sex with men during the past 6 months. However, the pandemic required adaptations to ensure the safe conduct of the ChiCAS intervention trial. In this paper, we describe adaptations to the trial within critical five domains: (1) participant recruitment, (2) screening and enrollment, (3) baseline data collection, (4) intervention implementation, and (5) participant retention for follow-up data collection. Transgender women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV; therefore, it was essential to find ways to continue important research designed to support their health and wellbeing within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. These adaptations offer guidance for ongoing and future community-based and community-engaged research during the COVID-19 pandemic and/or potential subsequent pandemics.
Landscape, demographic, and dispersal parameters influence the spread and establishment dynamics of an aquatic biological invasion
Authors: MacDonald Kelly J. , Leroux Shawn J. , Purchase Craig F.
Published: May 2022

Human-mediated species introductions have provoked innumerable biological invasions, which are contributing to the biotic homogenization of global flora and fauna. Despite extensive research, we lack simple methods of predicting how and where an introduced species will spread and establish. We predict that spread can be modelled simply using the characteristics of the invading population, while establishment should be explained by the characteristics of the receiving ecosystem. Using the brown trout (Salmo trutta) invasion on the Island of Newfoundland as a case study, we fit a reaction-diffusion model to brown trout population data to predict expected spread and test these predictions against extensive occurrence data. Next, we use statistical models to assess the influence of several environmental variables on brown trout establishment patterns. We find that observed spread in Newfoundland is slow and that it lies on the lower end of the range of predictions made by the reaction-diffusion model. Two landscape-level environmental variables explain establishment patterns, but their influence is likely moderated by other factors. The wide range of predictions made by the model point to the importance of using population-specific parameterization and the intricate interplay of environmental variables that influence establishment illustrates the need to consider both landscape factors that are generally applicable across biological invasions, and those that are more specific to the ecology of the invader. Our study contextualises the mechanisms that contribute to a slow aquatic invasion and reveals that studies need to integrate a variety of methods to elucidate the processes governing invasions.
High Hazzard Pesticides (HHPs) in Near East and North Africa (NENA), constrains and recommendations to mitigate the risk of HHPs
Authors: Yaseen Thaer , Hajjar M. Jamal , Baogen Gu
Published: May 2022

This report gives an overview of the current situation of highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) in North Africa and Near East countries (NENA). This work reviews the registered pesticides in the region and identify HHPs being used according to the Criteria 1–8 for HHPs of FAO/WHO Guidelines on HHPs. In addition, to identify the weakness and the need of the region to mitigate the risk from the use of HHPs, the report ended with recommendations needed in the region to improve the pesticide managements and registration, such as improving the agricultural practices by adopting the integrated pest management IPM and including replacing HHPs with ecosystem-friendly alternatives if available. The total number of pesticides registered and used in NENA region are 642 actives ingredients (IA). 89 HHPs are still in use in NENA region and 50% of them are evaluated under 1–7 criteria of GHS HHPs. This evaluation shows that 50% of HHPs are insecticides, 22% fungicides, 10% herbicides, 8% nematocides, 10% rodenticides. The rest of 38 HHPs are identified under criteria 8. This high number of HHPs still in use in some NENA countries urge the need technical assistance to reduce the use of HHPs. The type of assistant varies from country to other, to identify the priority of technical and legal assistant needed a country-based assessments must carry out at near future.
NDRG2 inhibits glycolysis in liver cancer cells is accompanied by the regulation of SIRT1
Authors: xin benge , cao wei
Published: May 2022

NDRG2 is a tumor suppressor, highly expressed in normal tissues but down-regulated in many cancers. This enzyme was involved in glycolysis by regulating glycolytic enzymes in ccRCC and colorectal cancer. However, the mechanism of NDRG2 regulating glycolysis is still not clear, and the function of NDRG2 in liver tumor glycolysis is completely unknown. In the present study, we first demonstrated the low expression of NDRG2 in liver tumor tissues and found that the survival rate of patients was negatively correlated with the expression of NDRG2. Subsequently, based on NDRG2 overexpressed and knockdown cell lines, NDRG2 was shown to have the ability to inhibit glycolysis in liver cancer cells. Finally, SIRT1, a deacetylase that plays important role in glycolysis regulation, is negatively regulated by NDRG2 in liver tumors. Our data enrich the understanding of the role of NDRG2 in tumor growth and improve the mechanism by which NDRG2 regulates glycolysis.
K-Point Longitudinal Acoustic Phonons Are Responsible for Ultrafast Intervalley Scattering in monolayer MoSe2
Authors: Bae Soungmin , Matsumoto Kana , Raebiger Hannes , Shudo Ken-ichi , Kim Yong-Hoon , Handegård Ørjan , NAGAO Tadaaki , Kitajima Masahiro , Sakai Yuji , Zhang Xiang , Vajtai Robert , Ajayan Pulickel , Kono Junichiro , Takeda Jun , Katayama Ikufumi
Published: May 2022

In transition metal dichalcogenides, valley depolarization through intervalley carrier scattering by zone-edge phonons is often unavoidable. Although valley depolarization processes related to various acoustic phonons have been suggested, their optical verification is still vague due to nearly degenerate phonon frequencies on acoustic phonon branches at zone-edge momentums. Here we report an unambiguous phonon momentum determination of the longitudinal acoustic (LA) phonons at the K point, which are responsible for the ultrafast valley depolarization in monolayer MoSe2. Using sub-10-fs-resolution pump-probe spectroscopy, we observed coherent phonons signals at both even and odd-orders of zone-edge LA mode involved in intervalley carrier scattering process. Our phonon-symmetry analysis and first-principles calculations reveal that only the LA phonon at the K point, as opposed to the M point, can produce experimental odd-order LA phonon signals from its nonlinear optical modulation. Our work will provide momentum-resolved descriptions of phonon-carrier intervalley scattering processes in valleytronic materials.
An immune-related signature predicted survival in patients with Kidney clear cell carcinoma
Authors: junwen Shen , rongjiang Wang , yu Chen , zhihai Fang , jianer Tang , jianxiang Yao , yuhang Ling , liya Guan , Huan Zhong
Published: May 2022

Objective: The main aim of this study was to identify immune-related genes in Kidney clear cell carcinoma (ccRcc) patients.Methods: We downloaded RNAseq data and clinical information of ccRcc patients from the TCGA database and retrieved the immune-related genes list from the web of Immport. We performed Cox and LASSO analyses, using “survival” and “glmnt’ packages implemented in R, to reveal survival immune-related genes. Next, we verified the prognostic signature of these genes, and further confirmed its survival value using Kaplan-Meier analysis and ROC time dependent curves. We also evaluated the signature’s immune cell component and the results of immunotherapy.Results: Analysis of 526 tumor samples revealed a total of 770 immune-related genes, after four steps of primary screening. Cox and LASSO analyses revealed 11 hub immune-related survival genes, namely ADRB2, AGER, BIRC5, CDNF, CXCL2, ESR2, F2RL1, IFITM1, PTX3, SEMA3G, and TCF7L2. Kaplan-Meier curves revealed prognostic signature of the 11 DEGs, with the high-risk score group in ccRcc patients exhibiting a worse survival rate (P<0.001 in both the training and test sets, respectively). ROC analysis in the training set revealed an AUC value of 0.71 for both 1- and 3-year survival, and 0.65 for 5 years). Furthermore compared with low-risk score group, we found that the high-risk score group had a higher percentage of 10 cells in the immune component (Exhausted cells, Tr1 cells, nTreg cells, Th1 cells, Tfh cells, Effect memory cells, MAIT cells, Macrophage cells, CD8 T cells, and iTreg cells), a low percentage of 6 cells (CD4 native cells, CD8 native cells, Th17 cells, central memory cells, Neutrophil cells, and Gamma delta cells).Conclusion: Our results revealed 11 survival immune-related genes (ADRB2, AGER, BIRC5, CDNF, CXCL2, ESR2, F2RL1, IFITM1, PTX3, SEMA3G, TCF7L2) in ccRcc patients. We used these genes to develop a signature that can act as an independent prognostic predictor for overall survival and response of ccRcc patients to immunotherapy.
Annual water balance analysis for a vernal pool in southern New England.
Authors: Axthelm Charlotte , Barten Paul
Published: May 2022

Vernal pools are ephemeral wetlands lacking an inlet or outlet. Generally, these wetlands are found in a range of biomes, but specific characteristics such as size, vegetation, and wildlife inhabitants vary based on location. While the vegetation of western U.S. pools and amphibians of eastern U.S. pools have been extensively studied, other aspects remain relatively unexplored. Although the general seasonal wetting and drying cycle is understood qualitatively, few studies have attempted to quantify the hydrological regime. As water level variation drives most of the defining characteristics of these systems, more research on this is needed. Our primary objective was to better understand vernal pool hydrology through the study of a typical pool in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. Using a water balance analysis, we found that the countervailing effects of precipitation and evapotranspiration were the primary drivers of water level change. An estimate of storage derived specifically for the pool, through estimated inflow, and outflow via deep seepage, was also successful at estimating water level changes during spring transition, the period most important to amphibian breeding.
Refractory/relapse thrombocytopenia in a patient with Evans’ syndrome successfully treated with zanubrutinib
Authors: Li Menguan , Liu Liu , Ding Bingjie , Xia Ao , Han Yu , Song Xuewen , Song Yongping , Wei Xudong , Zhou Hu
Published: May 2022

BackgroundEvans’ syndrome (ES) is a rare autoimmune disorder and has high mortality rate. Due to the rarity of the disease, the treatments of ES are always emprical, including steroids, IVIG, rituximab, TPO-RAs, immunosuppressants, splenectomy and supportive therapies. However, many patients may become relapsed/refractory to a series of different interventions. Herein, we report a case that a ES patient with severe refractory/relapse thrombocytopenia was successfully treated with zanubrutinib.Case presentationA 15-year-old Chinese girl, with repeated skin petechiae and ecchymosis, was diagnosed of Evans’ syndrome finally. Despite the initial treatment with dexamethasone, recombinant human thrombopoietin receptor agonist (Eltrombopag /Avatrobopa), immunoglobulin, rituximab, immunosuppressants (Cyclosporine/Azathioprine /Sirolimus) and splenectomy, the patient relapsed and finally had a dramatic and lasting recovery after being treated with zanubrutinib, a second-generation selective covalent Inhibitor of Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase.ConclusionWe concluded by reviewing the cases of refractory/relapse Evans’ syndrome and the application of BTK Inhibitors for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Zanubrutinib may be a feasible therapeutic option for patients with Evans’ syndrome who do not respond well to traditional therapies. Ours is the first published case of using covalent Inhibitor of BTK in refractory/relapse Evans’ syndrome and contributes to the successful use of zanubrutinib in future clinical practice. However, the role of zanubrutinib in ES treatment requires more basic and clinical trials to test and evaluate.
Measurements and computational fluid dynamics investigation of the indoor radon distribution in a typical naturally ventilated room
Authors: Adelikhah Mohammademad , Imani Morteza , Kovács Tibor
Published: May 2022

Background: Based on the European Union Basic Safety Standards to protect people against exposure to ionizing radiation, establishing and addressing the reference levels for indoor radon concentrations is necessary. Therefore, the indoor radon concentration should monitor and control in dwelling and workplaces. However, proper ventilation and sustainability are the major factors that influence how healthy the environment in a building is for its occupants. In this paper, the indoor radon distribution in a typical naturally ventilated room under two scenarios (when the door is closed and open) using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique was studied. The CFD code ANSYS Fluent 2020 R1 based on the finite volume method was employed before the simulation results were compared with analytical calculations as well as passive and active measurements.Results: The average radon concentration from the CFD simulation was found to be between 70.21 and 66.25 Bq m-3 under closed and open-door conditions, respectively, at the desired ventilation rate of 1 ACH (Air Changes per Hour). Moreover, the highest concentrations of radon were measured close to the floor and the lowest values were recorded near to the inlet, resulting in the airflow velocity profile.Conclusion: The simulation results were in good agreement with the maxima of 19% and 7% compared to analytical calculations at different indoor air velocities in the open- and closed-door scenarios, respectively. The measured radon concentrations obtained by the active measurements also fitted well with the CFD results, for example, with a relative standard deviation of around 7% and 2% when measured by AlphaGUARD and RAD7 monitors at a height of 1.0 m above the ground in the open-door scenario. From the simulation results, the effective dose received by an individual from the indoor air of the workplace was also calculated.
Why Do We Share Fake News? A Cognitive Behaviour Analysis on the Use of Social Media in Global South Context
Authors: Samya Shashwata Sourav Roy , Tonmoy MD. Shaleh Islam , Rabbi MD. Forhad
Published: May 2022

The world has been hit by the COVID - 19 epidemic, prompting us to release vaccines at breakneck speed. As much as this elicited an outpouring of joy from us, it also elicited a slew of worries and anxieties. So much so that many have been led astray by false information spread throughout their various social media platforms. It didn't take long for us to realize how quickly these "news" circulated among peers and friends. This led us to work on this project, in which we attempted to identify adequate links between the propagation of these misinformation and the factors that may be connected with our respondents being fed lies from sources they believe to be trustworthy based on personal ties. In order to find our targeted outcomes, we used a cognitive method. A total of 202 replies were chosen for the final round, in which respondents were presented with falsified news and then asked how they would react to news being shared or posted with someone with whom they have a personal connection. The Likert Chart Scale was our primary method of data collection, with Yes/No responses serving as a backup. The findings do provide us with some insight into the people who believed in our fabricated news, as well as how they would behave in a situation where the source of similar hoax news came from people who have a respectable place in their lives.
The Effect of Wearing a Powered Air Purifying Respirator Versus an N95 Mask on the Olfactory Function of Healthcare Workers
Authors: Xia Xiao , Liu Shixu , Xia Kun , Liu Yanyi , Zhang Jinzhi , Liu Xiaohong , Yao Yuhao , Li Guangxi
Published: May 2022

Background
With the COVID-19 epidemic, wearing a mask has become routine to prevent and control the virus's spread. Wearing masks for long periods can have various adverse effects on the human body, but little attention has been paid to the impact on olfaction. This study aimed to investigate whether wearing a mask affects healthcare workers' olfactory function and provide a reference for clinical olfactory research and mask wear regulations.
Methods
We recruited fifty-six healthcare workers and randomly divided them into two groups, wearing a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR, experiment group, N = 28) and an N95 mask (control group, N = 28) for 8h. Olfactory discrimination tests and threshold tests were performed before and after wearing the masks. SPSS 26.0 software was used for the statistical analyses.
Results
Current results suggested no statistical difference in the discrimination test scores between the PAPR Group (Z=-0.707 P = 0.480) and N95 Group (Z=-0.828 P = 0.408) before and after wearing the masks. The olfactory threshold test revealed a statistical difference in threshold scores before and after wearing the mask in the PAPR Group (Z= -2.595 P = 0.009) and N95 Group (Z= -2.120 P = 0.034). Both PAPRs and N95 masks reduce the sensitivity of healthcare workers to odors, with no significant difference between the two (χ2 = 0.292, p = 0.589).
Conclusion
Wearing a mask affects the healthcare workers’ olfaction, especially odor sensitivity. Healthcare workers wearing masks have a higher olfactory threshold than before, whether wearing PAPRs or N95 masks. More attention needs to be paid to the effect of masks on the olfactory function.
Effect of time and times of antenatal contact and other possible factors associated with birth outcomes in Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: Prospective follow up study
Authors: KITILA SENA , Feyisa Garumma , Wordofa Muluemebet
Published: May 2022

Background: Pregnancy is usually a pleased time for most women and their families. However, it can be a period of concern and anxiety for some women those who are experienced adverse birth outcomes. Antenatal care (ANC) and timing of booking for ANC are believed to be basic components of ANC services. Different studies reported different results on effects of time and times of ANC contact on birth outcomes. Objective: This study is aimed to examine the effect of time and times of ANC contacts on birth outcomes, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based prospective follow up study in pregnancy up to 42 days postpartum conducted among 987 pregnant women in Jimma Zone from July 2020 to June 2021. Data were entered into the Epi-data and analyzed using SPSS software version 20. The binary logistic regression model was used to select candidate variables for multivariable analysis. Multivariable analysis was fitted to see association between the dependent and independent factors. A statistically significant was declared at a p-value less than 0.05 and AOR with 95% CIResults: Nine hundred and twenty-eight (94.0%) of the women were in the age group of less than 35 years with a mean and SD of 26.63, + 3.89 respectively. One hundred sixty-three (16.5%) of them made four or more ANC and early booking. The overall unfavorable birth outcome is 7.2 % (CI, 5.7%, 8.8%). Time and times of ANC contact has no effect on birth outcomes. Husband educational status (AOR: 4.835 95% CI 1.552, 15.062), family size (AOR: 7.854 95% CI 2.661,23.186) parity (AOR: .158 95% CI: .054, .456), mode of delivery (AOR: 2.672 95% CI: 1.089, 6.553), the service given during ANC contacts (AOR: 2.734 ,95% CI: 1.467, 5.095) and social support (AOR: 1.940 95% CI: 1.081, 3.482) were found to be associated with birth outcomes.Conclusion and recommendations: The overall unfavorable birth outcome is significant. The time and times of ANC contacts has no statistically significant effect on birth outcomes. Educational status of the husband, family size, parity, mode of delivery, services given during ANC contact and social support were the possible factors that were statistically increases the odds of unfavorable birth outcomes. Hence, enactment of the recommended ANC services rather than focusing on time entry and times of contact is animated for birth outcomes. Furthermore, we also recommend a more representative community-based study.
Genetic manipulation in the mouse olfactory circuit reveals an intrinsic role of the circadian clock in the piriform cortex for daily changes in odor-evoked neural activity
Authors: Takeuchi Shunsuke , Shimizu Mikiko , Fukada Yoshitaka , Emoto Kazuo
Published: May 2022

In mammals, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus is generally thought to be the master circadian clock orchestrating the internal clock of the entire body. On the other hand, olfactory behavior and odor-evoked activity in the piriform cortex (PC) retain circadian rhythmicity in the absence of the SCN. How the circadian rhythm in the PC is achieved independently of the SCN, however, remains elusive. Here, to define neurons regulating the circadian rhythm of the odor-evoked activity in the PC, we knocked out the clock gene Bmal1 in a host of specific neurons along the olfactory circuit. We discovered that Bmal1 knockout (KO) in the PC largely abolishes the circadian rhythm of the odor-evoked activity. We further show that isolated PC exhibited sustained circadian rhythms of the clock gene Per2 expression. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that expression patterns of multiple genes involved in neural activity and synaptic transmission exhibited circadian rhythm in the PC in a BMAL1-dependent manner. Our findings indicate that BMAL1 acts intrinsically in the PC to control the circadian rhythm of the odor-evoked activity in the PC, possibly through regulating expression patterns of multiple genes involved in neural activity and transmission.
One-pot strategy to prepare flexible and anti-freezing cellulose-based hydrogel electrolytes for all-in-one supercapacitors with high energy density
Authors: Zhang Pingxiu , Li Meng , Jing Yidan , Zhang Xiaomin , Yu Ningya , Su Shengpei , Zhu Jin
Published: May 2022

Cellulose has received extensive attention as a hydrogel electrolyte in flexible energy storage yield due to its renewable, environmentally friendly properties. However, it is still difficult to prepare cellulose-based hydrogel electrolytes for supercapacitors (SCs) with high energy density, flexibility, and a wide operating temperature range. Herein, we successfully prepared cellulose-based hydrogel electrolytes for all-in-one SCs with the help of a little amount of acrylamide (AM) by a one-pot strategy. The composite hydrogel electrolyte (C/PAM15%) possesses excellent mechanical properties with a tensile strength of 18.7 KPa and the optimal elongation at a break of 743.3%. Meanwhile, the SCs15 achieved an excellent electrochemical performance of 168.1 F g− 1 (0.5A g− 1), a high energy density of 23.4 Wh kg− 1 at power density of 501.1 W kg− 1; After 8000 charge/discharge cycle tests, the capacitance retention rate is still 88.5%, showing excellent cycle stability. In addition, the assembled SCs could withstand various bending and wide temperature-tolerant range from − 30 to 80℃. These results indicated that the cellulose-based hydrogel electrolytes attained through the above one-pot method have huge application potential in energy storage devices.
A puzzling insensitivity of magnon spin diffusion to the presence of 180° domain walls in a ferrimagnetic insulator
Authors: Li Ruofan , Riddiford Lauren , Chai Yahong , Dai Minyi , Zhong Hai , Li Bo , Li Peng , Yi Di , Broadway David , Dubois Adrien , Maletinsky Patrick , Hu Jia-Mian , Suzuki Yuri , Ralph Daniel , Nan Tianxiang
Published: May 2022

We present room-temperature measurements of magnon spin diffusion in epitaxial ferrimagnetic insulator MgAl0.5Fe1.5O4 (MAFO) thin films near zero applied magnetic field where the sample forms a multi-domain state. Due to a weak uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, the domains are separated primarily by 180° domain walls. We find, surprisingly, that the presence of the domain walls has very little effect on the spin diffusion – nonlocal spin transport signals in the multi-domain state retain at least 95% of the maximum signal strength measured for the spatially-uniform magnetic state, over distances at least five times the typical domain size. This result is in conflict with simple models of interactions between magnons and static domain walls, which predict that the spin polarization carried by the magnons reverses upon passage through a 180° domain wall.
PHGDH as a Prognostic-Related Biomarker in Endometrial Carcinoma Correlating with Immune Infiltrates
Authors: Zhang He , Kong Weimin , Chen Shuning , Zhao Xiaoling , Luo Dan , Xie Yunkai , Zhang Heng
Published: May 2022

Background
PHGDH (Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase) is the first branch enzyme in the serine biosynthetic pathway and plays a vital role in several cancers. However, little is known about the clinical significance of PHGDH in endometrial cancer.
Methods
Clinicopathological data of endometrial cancer were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA). First, the expression of PHGDH in pan-cancer was investigated, as well as the expression and prognostic value of PHGDH in endometrial cancer. The effect of PHGDH expression on the prognosis of endometrial cancer was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier plotter and Cox regression. The relationship between PHGDH expression and clinical characteristics of endometrial cancer was investigated by logistic regression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and nomograms were developed. Possible cellular mechanisms were explored using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, the Gene Ontology (GO), and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Finally, TIMER and CIBERSORT were used to analyze the relationship between PHGDH expression and immune infiltration. CellMiner™ was used to analyze the drug sensitivity of PHGDH.
Results
The results showed that PHGDH expression was significantly higher in endometrial cancer tissues than in normal tissues at mRNA and protein levels. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients in the high expression group had shorter overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) than patients in the low PHGDH expression group. Multifactorial COX regression analysis further supported that high PHGDH expression was an independent risk factor associated with prognosis in patients with endometrial cancer. The results showed estrogen response, mTOR, K-RAS, and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) were differentially elevated in the high-expression group of the PHGDH group. CIBERSORT analysis showed that PHGDH expression is related to the infiltration of multiple immune cells. When PHGDH is highly expressed, the number of CD8+T cells decreases.
Conclusions
PHGDH plays a vital role in the development of endometrial cancer, which is related to tumor immune infiltration, and can be used as an independent diagnostic and prognostic marker for endometrial cancer.
Sensitivity of the Blocking-North Atlantic Oscillation Relationship to Space, Time, and Index
Authors: Besong Kayla Ann , Kirtman Ben
Published: May 2022

A new perspective of atmospheric blocking is brought to light in this study that considers various analysis techniques and the implications of each on blocking statistics, impacts on weather variables due to blocking events, and the blocking-North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) relationship. A PV-𝜃 blocking index is used alongside a direction of breaking metric to classify blocking as either cyclonic or anticyclonic based on the Rossby wave breaking occurring at onset. These results are compared against those found using an absolute geopotential height (AGP) index. It can be seen throughout the study that differing results will be achieved based on which method is applied. Of the largest differences is in the wintertime correlation of blocking with the NAO, with AGP blocking results correlating much more strongly than those found with the PV-𝜃 index. Based on this analysis, it can be concluded that different blocking events are being measured between the two indices. Strengths and weaknesses of each index further suggest that the AGP index is more advantageous for correlation and extreme event analysis and the PV-𝜃, for detecting nosier signals such as a small, potential eastward shift in the NAO. The differences and similarities between blocking index selection, cyclonic or anticyclonic classification, relationship with the NAO, and breakdown into North Atlantic subregions were all considered in further investigation of blocking analysis sensitivity. Specifically, this was extended to impacts on weather variables via composites across all seasons and to blocking duration statistics where little consistency across all comparisons are found.
Study on high-speed vibration cutting of titanium alloy considering cutting edge radii
Authors: Zhang Xu , Cheng Yaotian , Lv Mingqiang , Miu Xuchao , Xie Chaoyu
Published: May 2022

Ultrasonic vibration cutting (UVC) is an advanced machining method used to improve machining performance and surface quality in the manufacturing industry. However, the separation characteristic disappears when the cutting speed exceeds the maximum vibration speed, limiting its use in low-speed machining. Therefore, this study used the finite element method (FEM) to study the high-speed vibration cutting (HVC) processing performance of titanium alloys. High-speed vibration cutting is a precision machining method with a smaller cutting depth and feed rate, so it is necessary to consider the influence of the cutting edge radii on the cutting process. The cutting edge radii on high-speed vibration cutting and the influence of the traditional cutting process is discussed. The results show that the change in the minimum uncut chip thickness caused by changing the cutting edge radii during precision cutting has a significant influence on the experimental results. In addition, a simulation model was established and a comprehensive numerical analysis and comparison of high-speed vibration cutting, ultrasonic vibration cutting and conventional cutting (CC) were performed with respect to tool wear, cutting temperature, cutting force and stress distribution. The simulation results indicate that the tool wear depth of traditional cutting during high-speed cutting is up to three times that of high-speed vibration cutting, and high-speed vibration cutting weakens the influence of the cutting edge radii. But this new vibration cutting method did not significantly reduce the cutting temperature under dry cutting conditions.
Boron-Magnet Nanoparticles Capture Lipopolysaccharide and Peptidoglycan for Bacteria-Infected Wound Healing
Authors: Meng Yun , Chen Lijie , Chen Yang , Shi Jieyun , Zhang Zheng , Wang Yiwen , Wu Fan , Jiang Xingwu , Yang Wei , Zhang Li , Wang Chaochao , Meng Xianfu , Wu Yelin , Bu Wenbo
Published: May 2022

Bacteria and excessive inflammation are two main factors causing non-healing wounds. However, current studies have mainly focused on the inhibition of bacteria survival for wound healing while ignoring the excessive inflammation induced by dead bacteria or their released endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or peptidoglycan (PGN). Herein, a boron-magnet strategy was proposed to prevent both infection and excessive inflammation by synthesizing a class of reactive metal boride nanoparticles (MB NPs). The MB NPs were slowly hydrolyzed to generate boron dihydroxy groups and metal cations while generating a local alkaline microenvironment with low levels of reactive oxygen species. This microenvironment promoted MB NPs to capture LPS/PGN through an esterification reaction, which not only enhanced metal cation-induced bacterial death but also inhibited the dead bacteria- or endotoxin-induced excessive inflammation, resulting in accelerated wound healing. Taken together, this boron-magnet strategy provides a new approach to the treatment of bacterial infection and the accompanying inflammation.
Breast Cancer Prediction using Ensemble Voting Classifiers in Next Generation Sequences
Authors: Kurian Babymol , Jyothi V.L.
Published: May 2022

Breast cancer has become the greatest frequent cancer among worldwide. Machine learning techniques contribute much tocancer prognosis. The prime focus of thework is to enhance the prognosis of breast cancer at an earlier stage using an ensemble of machine learning classifiers. Next generation genetic sequences of homo sapiens,BRCA1and BRCA2from National Centre for Biotechnology Information were derived for prediction of breast cancer. The proposed ensembled classifiers by hard voting and soft voting,combinedmodelslike Decision Tree technique, SVMalgorithm, LR statistical model, Linear Discriminant analysis model, Naive Bayes classifier and k-nearest neighbours’ algorithm.Five ensembled models from 6 machine learning classifiers were concatenated for the prediction purpose. Classification accuracy of ensemble hard voting and soft voting classifiers were evaluated statistically.Soft voting classifier for model 1(DT & SVM) and model2(DT, SVM&LR) achieved greatest value for classification performance metrics. Among all ensembled models, model 1 as well as model 2 achieved maximum classification precision of 94%.
Programmable Surface Plasmonic Neural Networks
Authors: Gao Xinxin , Ma Qian , Gu Ze , Cui Wen Yi , Liu Che , Zhang Jingjing , Cui Tie Jun
Published: May 2022

Recently, some new forms of artificial intelligence computing hardware and chips have been presented. However, most of them have difficulties to simultaneously achieve advantages of light-speed computing, programmable weight matrix, and programmable nonlinear activation functions. Here, we propose a programmable surface plasmonic neural network (SPNN) with programmable weights and activation functions based on a spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) platform, which can perform intelligent functions and sense electromagnetic (EM) waves at nearly light speed. We demonstrate a parallel coupling SSPP structure loaded with varactors to introduce four paths with tunable transmitting parameters. On this multi-port architecture, we further establish a real-time control and feedback method to enable arbitrarily designable activation functions under a detecting feedback loop. Experimental results show that a four-in and four-out fully-connected super-neuron can fulfill independently adjustable weights and programmable activation functions, where each input can be sensed for arbitrarily programming. To comprehensively show the above capabilities, we design and demonstrate experimentally a wireless communication system based on the SPNN for image decoding and recovery. We further illustrate a partially connected SPNN using the super-neurons with a high prediction accuracy. The proposed concept paves a new way for artificial intelligence devices, stimulating the fascinating fields like large-scale EM computing and communication systems in the future.
Analysis of the Contribution of the Groundwater Level Driving Factors Based on Improved Radial Basis Function Neural Network
Authors: Moyu CHEN , LI Yancang , Xiaohui LEI
Published: May 2022

Groundwater resources compose the essential foundation for the ecological conservation of the Chahannauer Basin. Exploring its spatial-temporal variation characteristics based on historical data provides a scientific basis for the restoration of the Chahannauer Basin and the sustainable utilization of groundwater. GIS technology was used to analysis the spatial interpolation of groundwater level in the Zhangjiakou Chaganore River Basin. Variation tendency of driving factors to groundwater level were assessed by The Mann-Kendall test, ordered clustering and nonlinear pettitt test. The radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) method was optimized to quantitatively assess the corresponding contribution of each driving factor to groundwater level. The results indicate a generally clear downward trend of the groundwater level in the area, especially after 2004, it has decreased significantly and after 2012 the underwater level showed a slight elevation. Among all the driving factors, precipitation and evaporation increased slightly while runoff showed a significant downward trend throughout the year. The groundwater extraction is positively correlated with the groundwater level dynamics, in which groundwater extraction has the largest contribution to groundwater level, followed by precipitation, runoff and evaporation. Variations of the groundwater level in the study area are temporally and specially affected mainly by human activities.