bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A phase II trial of anlotinib plus EGFR-TKIs in advanced non-small cell lung cancer with gradual, oligo, or potential progression after EGFR-TKIs treatment (CTONG-1803/ALTER-L001)
Authors: Chen Hua-Jun , Tu Hai-Yan , Hu Yanping , Fan Yun , Wu Guowu , Cang Shundong , Yang Yi , Yang Nong , Ma Rui , Jin Gaowa , Xu Ximing , Liu Anwen , Tang Shubin , Cheng Ying , Yu Yan , Xu Chong-Rui , Zhou Qing , Wu Yi-Long
Published: November 2024

Background: The study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined anlotinib and EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had gradual, oligo, or potential progression after previous EGFR-TKIs treatment.
Methods: We conducted an open-label, single-arm, multicenter, phase II trial in China. Eligible patients were 18-75 years old with histologically or cytologically confirmed NSCLC who were EGFR mutation positive and showed gradual, oligo, or potential progression after EGFR-TKIs. Anlotinib (12 mg/day) was administered orally for 2 weeks and then off 1 week in a 3-week cycle. EGFR-TKIs were continue used. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints included 6- and 12-month PFS rate, objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS) and safety.
Results: From July 2019 to December 2022, 120 patients were enrolled. The median PFS (mPFS) was 9.1 months (95% CI 6.8-11.7). The PFS rates at 6 and 12 months was 68.5% and 38.8% respectively. For 86 patients with first-line 1st/2nd generation EGFR-TKIs, the mPFS was 9.2 months (95% CI 6.7-12.6). For 32 patients with first-line 3rd generation EGFR-TKIs, the mPFS was 10.3 months (95% CI 6.1-13.3). Overall ORR and DCR were 6.7% (95% CI 2.9-12.7) and 87.5% (95% CI 80.2-92.8), respectively. 52.5% of patients had grade 3 or higher treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs).
Conclusion: Anlotinib in combination with continuation of EGFR-TKIs led to prolonged clinical benefit of EGFR-TKIs, demonstrating favorable survival outcomes and manageable toxicity in NSCLC patients treated with EGFR-TKIs and had gradual, oligo, or potential progression.
Trial registration: NCT04007835
Urban Planning for Disaster Risk Reduction: A Systematic Review of Essential Requirements
Authors: Ferreira Jairo Filho Sousa de Almeida , Cortese Tatiana Tucunduva Philippi , Yigitcanlar Tan
Published: November 2024

Urban planning is critical in mitigating the impacts of disasters, enhancing community resilience and promoting sustainable development. This review study systematically analyzes the role of urban planning in disaster risk reduction (DRR) through a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach. By reviewing scholarly articles and case studies, this paper examines various urban planning strategies that contribute to DRR, including land use planning, infrastructure development, risk mapping, and community engagement. The findings highlight the effectiveness of integrating risk assessments into urban planning processes, the importance of adaptive infrastructure design, and the need for inclusive planning practices that involve local communities in decision-making. The review also identifies challenges such as inadequate policy implementation, lack of resources, and the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, analyzing participation and academic importance, and correlating the publication of papers with the number of reported disasters. Through a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, this review underscores the potential of urban planning to reduce disaster risks and enhance urban resilience. The paper concludes with recommendations for policymakers, urban planners, and researchers to strengthen DRR initiatives via strategic urban planning practices. This review contributes to the growing body of knowledge in DRR and emphasizes the critical role of urban planning in creating safer, more resilient cities.
Suppression of SIGMAR1 hinders oral cancer cell growth via modulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ dynamics
Authors: Chagas Pablo Shimaoka , Garcia Cristiana Bernadelli , Chagas Henrique Izumi Shimaoka , Yeudall William Andrew , Yu Jack C , Baban Babak , Leopoldino Andréia Machado
Published: November 2024

Oral cancer is the most common malignancy of the oral cavity and facial region, affecting the mucosal and epithelial surfaces in the mouth and lips. Unfortunately, OC is often associated with a high mortality rate and limited treatment options for patients. Herein, we used in silico analysis and in vitro assays to investigate the impact of the Sigma-1 receptor (SIGMAR1) in OC progression by evaluating mitochondrial function, calcium signaling and clonogenic growth. First, the data from the TCGA pan-cancer analysis revealed that SIGMAR1 was overexpressed in OC versus healthy tissue and related to a worse survival rate. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that SIGMAR1 silencing increased mitochondrial membrane potential, inhibited Ca2+ influx and significantly decreased clonogenic growth of OC cells. Based on these findings, we suggest that SIGMAR1 may influence mitochondrial membrane potential and energy production by modulating Ca2+ uptake, which is critically important to cellular survival. In addition, SIGMAR1 knockdown may offer a potential strategy to be further explored as treatment for OC.
Assessment of inequity of access to intensive care units in Mexico City.
Authors: Real-Ramírez Janet , Hernández-Gilsoul Thierry , Pérez-Méndez Ayari , Sánchez-Hurtado Luis , Campos-Calderón Luis Fernando
Published: November 2024

OBJECTIVE
The objective was to describe the infrastructure and organization of ICU´s across the healthcare system of Mexico City.
METHODS
This is a descriptive cross-sectional study and geospatial analysis, on the number of ICU beds, in population with and without social security, and thematic maps of population density for 2020.
RESULTS
There were a total of 655 ICU beds distributed across 57 public hospitals, with a total of 0.87 ICU beds per capita. Inequity in accessibility was observed in the eastern and northern regions of Mexico City with 0.25–0.52 beds per capita for the SSSOP population.
CONCLUSIONS
We identified a limited ICU bed capacity per capita. This; combined with factors such as regional access and health care systems to which patients are entitled, increases the probability of death due to these health inequities. This supports the need for comprehensive and equitable planning of the infrastructure for health emergencies in Mexico City.
Optimizing Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Management of Vertebral Osteomyelitis: Analysis of Decade-long Data from a Central Taiwan Tertiary Teaching Hospital
Authors: Chen Chang-Hua , Kor Chew-Teng , Chang Ing-Lin , Chen Yu-Min , Kuo Su-Feng , Cheng Yeh Hua
Published: November 2024

Background: Vertebral osteomyelitis (VO) is associated with high morbidity rates[A1] . We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study to evaluate the effects of appropriate antibacterial therapies on the clinical outcomes of patients with VO. This study compared the outcomes of proper and empirical therapies to determine whether empirical antibiotic treatment versus targeted treatment based on microbial culture results leads to different long-term prognoses regarding complications and sequelae in [E2] patients with VO.
Methods: Patients diagnosed with VObetween January 2011 and February 2022 were selected from the Changhua Christian Hospital Clinical Research Database. The diagnosis of VO primarily relied on magnetic resonance imaging reports. We defined the microbiological relevance in patients with VO and identified the types of VO-related sequelae and complications in this cohort. This[A3] cohort was categorized into appropriate antibiotics(AA) and empirical therapy (ET).
Results: This cross-sectional cohort study collected data over ten years. In total, 230 patients with VO were included in our study. The mean age was 64.7 years, and 110 participants were men (30.8 %). [A4] Most of the participants had underlying diseases. Overall, 33.9 % of patients experienced complications[A5] , with a mortality rate of 4 %. The AA group had a significantly lower incidence of chronic low back pain than the ET group (6.9 % vs. 20.7 %, p=0.031).
Conclusions: Inappropriate antibiotic use in patients with VO has been associated with reduced symptomatic relief, highlighting the importance of antimicrobial stewardship. The symptoms improved with appropriate antibiotic therapy. Severe illness, rapid diagnosis, and early appropriate treatment are crucial for treating VO. This study emphasizes optimizing VO management within antimicrobial stewardship to enhance outcomes and reduce healthcare burden. Patients requiring surgery often experience spinal instability, severe nerve compression, or related complications. Severe lower back pain is joint, and appropriate antibiotics significantly alleviate this symptom compared with[E6] empirical therapy. Identifying the causative pathogens of targeted therapy is essential for better long-term outcomes.
Laboratory-scale system for developing in-service pipeline welding under oil flow at 300°C
Authors: Miná Émerson Mendonça , Franco Marília Ferreira , Marinho Ricardo Repold , Silva Yuri Cruz , Dalpiaz Giovani , Paes Marcelo Torres Piza , Zumpano Petrônio , Motta Marcelo Ferreira , Silva Cleiton Carvalho , Miranda Hélio Cordeiro
Published: November 2024

The oil and gas industry often faces the need to halt the transportation and production of its products for repair operations or to bypass flowlines, resulting in unwanted costs. These costs can be avoided by employing a specialized welding procedure performed during service. However, executing such a technique requires great care due to the presence of flammable fluids and high-temperature gases flowing through pipelines. To address this challenge, the Welding Research and Technology Laboratory at the Universidade Federal do Ceará has developed a system for heating and flowing oil along a pipeline, enabling in-service welding procedures on a laboratory scale. This system has the capability to adjust the oil flow rate (up to 140 l/min), oil temperature (up to 300°C), welding angle (0° to 45°), and positioning of different materials with varying thicknesses. The system was evaluated in terms of maximum fluid flow rate by experiments. It was also assessed the effect of sieves placed into the pipe sample on velocity of fluid distribution for different levels of flow rate (30 l/min, 60 l/min, 90 l/min and 140 l/min) by numerical simulation. An in-service welding method was proposed to achieve data from in-service welding flowing flammable heated fluid to keep safety. The method proposed was assessed using a pipe and sleeve of 316L stainless steel with 7.1 mm. The results obtained showed that initial steps of the method proposed showed to be conservative enough to put the welder and engineering staff in safe during in-service welding with heated oil flowing during welding experiments. The simulations predicted the inner temperature of the pipe with reasonable accuracy.
Comparative analysis and directed protein evolution yield an improved degron technology with minimal basal degradation, rapid inducible depletion, and faster recovery of target proteins.
Authors: Adli Mazhar , Xing De , Bai Tao , Neyisci Ozlem , Paylakhi Seyedehzahra , Duval Alexander , Tekin Yasemin
Published: November 2024

Biological mechanisms are inherently dynamic, requiring precise and rapid gene manipulation for effective characterization. Traditional genetic perturbation tools such as siRNA and CRISPR knockout operate on timescales that render them unsuitable for exploring dynamic processes or studying essential genes, where chronic depletion can lead to cell death. Here, we compared four major inducible degron systems—dTAG, HaloPROTAC, and two auxin-inducible degron (AID) tools—in human pluripotent stem cells. We evaluated basal degradation levels, inducible degradation kinetics, and recovery dynamics for endogenously tagged genes. While the AID 2.0 system is the most efficient for rapid protein degradation, it exhibited higher basal degradation and slower recovery after ligand washout. To address these challenges, we applied directed protein evolution, incorporating base-editing-mediated mutagenesis and iterative functional selection and screening. We discovered novel OsTIR1 variants, including S210A, with significantly enhanced overall degron efficiency. The resulting system, designated as AID 3.0, demonstrates minimal basal degradation and rapid and effective target protein depletion and substantially rescues the cellular and molecular phenotypes due to basal degradation or slow target protein recovery in previous systems. We conclude that AID 3.0 represents a superior degron technology, offering a valuable tool for studying gene functions in dynamic biological contexts and exploring therapeutic applications. Additionally, the research strategy used here could be broadly applicable for improving other degron and biological tools.
Improving Intrusion Detection Systems' Resilience to Adversarial Attacks through Feature Engineering and Hybrid Metaheuristic Algorithms
Authors: Giri Kanak , Dadheech Pankaj , Gupta Mukesh Kumar
Published: November 2024

Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) are essential for securing computer networks against malicious activities. However, the rise of adversarial attacks seriously threatens the robustness and efficacy of IDS models. With the increasing prevalence of adversarial attacks on intrusion detection systems (IDS), it has become crucial to develop robust defence mechanisms to make sure the integrity and reliability of these systems. This paper presents a novel approach that combines Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Gradient Boosting Machines (GBM), genetic operators, and deep neural networks (DNN) with defence mechanisms to improve the resilience of IDS in order to stop adversarial attacks. The proposed approach starts with a feature engineering stage, where PSO and GBM are utilised to select and optimise the most informative features from the input dataset. Genetic operators are then employed to refine the feature selection process further, ensuring the creation of robust and discriminative feature subsets. In the subsequent stage, a deep neural network model is constructed with defence mechanisms, including adversarial training, input perturbation, and ensemble learning. These defence mechanisms work synergistically to monitor and improve the IDS's capacity to find and classify normal and adversarial network traffic accurately. The well-known NSL-KDD dataset is utilised to assess how successful the suggested method is. Experimental findings show that the integrated framework outperforms current techniques. Additionally, the system shows increased resistance to various adversarial techniques, such as evasion, poisoning, and adversarial samples. Overall, this study bridges the gap between adversarial attacks and intrusion detection, offering a powerful defence framework that can be integrated into existing IDS architectures to extenuate the consequence of adversarial threats and ensure the integrity and reliability of network security systems.
DNAHLM - DNA sequence and Human Language mixed large language Model
Authors: Wang Liang
Published: November 2024

There are already many DNA large language models, but most of them still follow traditional uses, such as extracting sequence features for classification tasks. More innovative applications of large language models, such as prompt engineering, RAG, and zero-shot or few-shot prediction, remain challenging for DNA-based models. The key issue lies in the fact that DNA models and human natural language models are entirely separate; however, techniques like prompt engineering require the use of natural language, thereby significantly limiting the application of DNA large language models. This paper introduces a pre-trained model trained on the GPT-2 network, combining DNA sequences and English text, and uses a unified BPE tokenization method. We then convert classification and other downstream tasks into Alpaca format instruction data, and perform instruction fine-tuning on this pre-trained model to create a fine-tuned model capable of handling multiple tasks. The model has demonstrated its effectiveness in DNA related zero-shot prediction and multitask application. This research provides a highly promising direction for building a unified DNA sequence task framework.
Co-infection status of PCV2 and PRRSV with other pathogens in Porcine Circovirus Associated Disease and Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex
Authors: Xie Chang-zhan , Zhang Ping , Tao Yi-mo , Fan Qian-xi , Wang Zheng , Shang Wei-ping , Nan Fu-long , Zhang He , Jin Ning-yi. , Lu Hui-jun.
Published: November 2024

PCV2 and PRRSV are involved in a variety of disease syndromes, collectively referred to as Porcine Circovirus Associated Disease (PCVAD) and Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex (PRDC). To explore the effects of other pathogens on porcine PCVAD and PRDC. This study firstly conducted an epidemiological investigation on PPV, confirmed the prevalence of PPV sub-types in China; We then determined that other pathogens were more common in POS-PCV2 (PCV2 positive other pathogen detection rate) than NEG-PCV2 (other pathogen detection rate PCV2 negative); however, in POS-PRRSV (PRRSV positive other pathogen detection rate), the detection rate was lower than that of NEG-PRRSV (other pathogens were negative for PRRSV). To study the effect of PPV2, PPV3, PPV4, PPV5, PPV6, PPV7, PRRSV, PCV2, PCV3, TTsuV1, and TTsuV2 co-infection on PCV2-associated disease (PCVAD) and porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC), we used a logit-link and a generalized linear model (GLM) of the binomial error distribution and compute the predictions. PCV3 (P < 0.001***), PRRSV (P < 0.001***), and TTsuV2 (P < 0.001***) were predicted to be the most significant factors associated with PCV2 in PCVAD and PRDC, PCV2 (P < 0.001***), PCV3 (P < 0.001***) and TTsuV2 (P = 0.003**) were the most significant factors associated with PRRSV in PCVAD and PRDC. These findings determine that PPV2, PPV3, PPV4, PPV5, PPV6, PPV7, PRRSV, PCV2, PCV3, TTsuV1, and TTsuV2 viruses are statistically associated as co-infectors frequency with PCV2 in PRDC and PRRSV in PCVAD diseased pigs through logit-link and a generalized linear model (GLM) of the binomial error distribution.
AFF-LightNet: Attentional Feature Fusion Based Lightweight Network for Ship Detection
Authors: Yuan yingxiu , Yu Xiaoyan , Rong Xianwei , Wang Xiaozhou
Published: November 2024

Efficient mobile detection equipment plays a vital role in ensuring maritime safety, and accurate ship identification is crucial for maritime traffic. Recently, advanced learning-based methods boost the accuracy of ship detection, but face challenges on mobile devices due to size and computation. Thus, we propose a lightweight ship detection network based on feature fusion, called AFF-LightNet. We introduce iterative attentional feature fusion (IAFF) into the proposed neck network, improving the efficiency of feature fusion by introducing a multi-scale channel attention module. Also, Conv is replaced by DCNv2 in the backbone network to further improve the detection accuracy of the proposed network. DCNv2 enhances the spatial sampling position in convolution and Rol pooling by introducing offsets. Moreover, a lightweight convolution GhostConv was introduced into the head network to reduce the number of parameters and computation cost. Last, SIOU was leveraged to improve the convergence speed of the model. We conduct extensive experiments on the publicly available dataset SeaShips and compare it with existing methods. The experimental results show that compared with the standard YOLOv8n, the improved network has an average accuracy of 98.8%, an increase of 0.4%, a reduction of 1.9 G in computational complexity, and a reduction of 0.19 M in parameter count.
Dynamics Analytical Calculation Model for Seismic Response of Rocking Steel Piers
Authors: Zhuge Hanqing , Jia Zhenlei , Han Qiang , Du Rui , Niu Chenpeng
Published: November 2024

The prestressed self-centering rocking steel bridge pier with external energy-dissipating devices has excellent seismic and economic performance and broad application prospects. This paper establishes a prediction model for the height of the compression zone at the pier bottom based on the existing statics analytical model of the rocking steel bridge piers under the horizontal cyclic load. Furthermore, based on the dynamics Lagrange’s equation and the conservation theorem of angular momentum before and after the impact, a dynamics analytical calculation method for the rocking steel pier structural system is proposed, which considers the energy dissipation in the plastic hinge zone at the pier bottom and the collaborative work of multiple components under horizontal ground motions. Compared with the calculation results of the static and dynamic refined finite element models, for rocking steel piers with different structural parameters, the statics analytical method can obtain accurate load–displacement hysteresis curves. Moreover, the displacement time history results and restoring force–displacement curves of the proposed dynamics analytical model are quite accurate. The dynamics analytical calculation method proposed in this paper can provide an important support for the establishment of seismic design method of the rocking steel pier.
LMS-Res-YOLOv8: Lightweight and Multi-scaleCucumber Detection Model with Residual Blocks
Authors: Li Bo , Zhong Guangjin , Ke Wei
Published: November 2024

Timely and efficient detection of greenhouse cucumbers is critical to improving agricultural production efficiency. Sincecucumber grows in complex environments, it is quite challenging to achieve high identification accuracy. Aiming to improvedetection accuracy and facilitate practical application, we proposed the LMS-Res-YOLOv8 (Lightweight Multi-Scale featurefusion module with Residual blocks) cucumber detection model. Firstly, we replace the C2f module with the HEU (High-Efficiency Unit with residual blocks) to enhance the multi-scale representation of features and effectively improve detectionaccuracy. Secondly, YOLOv8_n’s head is replaced with the DE-HEAD (Decoupled and Efficient detection HEAD) to decreasethe model’s parameters, floating-point operation, and size. Finally, the ordinary convolution in YOLOv8_n’s backbone and neckare replaced with the KernelWarehouse dynamic convolution proposed by Intel in 2023 to achieve a better balance betweenparameter efficiency and representation capability. The experimental results show that our model has improved mAP@0.5to 97.9% on the cucumber dataset we constructed, a 0.7% increase over the benchmark model YOLOv8_n. More stringentmAP@0.5:0.95 reaches 87.8%, showing an increase of 2.3%. The FLOPs decreased from 8.1G to 5.4G, representing a33.3% drop. The learnable parameters decrease from 3.01M to 2.43M, representing a 19.3% reduction. It proves that ourLMS-Res-YOLOv8 achieves a good balance between detection performance and model complexity, with potential applicationsin edge devices for cucumber detection.
WITHDRAWN: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence-Powered Writing Assistance Systems on Metacognitive Writing Strategies
Authors: Berk Ece Hatice , Aydin Selami
Published: November 2024

The full text of this preprint has been withdrawn by the authors as it was submitted and made public without the full consent of all the authors. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as a reference. Questions should be directed to the corresponding author.
Sensitivity Analysis of the Kinematic Parameters During the Industrial Polishing Process of Ceramic Floor Tiles
Authors: Sousa Fabio J. P. , Wagner Marcel , Gonçalves Rennáh , Halla Ricardo , Klar Matthias , Aurich Jan C.
Published: November 2024

This work is focused on the industrial polishing process of ceramic floor tiles. The main goal is to estimate the impact of small deviations between nominal and actual values of three operational parameters on the glossiness of polished surfaces. These operating parameters are the most important kinematic variables that can be selected in industrial systems to control the movement of the grinding tools. Computational simulations were used to determine the abrasive trajectories so that the polishing uniformity could be quantified. Based on the simulated values the sensitivity of the polishing quality against kinematic deviations was quantitatively obtained. Such results are intended to support the daily tasks of operators as well as further research on process optimization.
LOROS: Laboratory Simulations of the Optical RadiOmeter composed of CHromatic Imagers (OROCHI) Experiment of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) Mission
Authors: Stabbins Roger , Kameda Shingo
Published: November 2024

The Laboratory OROCHI Simulator (LOROS) is an emulator of the Optical RadiOmeter composed of CHromatic Imagers (OROCHI), a multispectral and multiview imaging system for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft, that will study Phobos and Deimos with the objective of determining their origin. OROCHI consists of 8 visible/near-infrared (390-950 nm) spectral channels, hosted on 8 separate camera systems, arranged in a 3x3 grid (with an empty central site) with 10 cm spacing. Prior to completion of the OROCHI Flight Model it is important to demonstrate the ability of the cameras to resolve the subtle spectral features expected at Phobos and Deimos, and to investigate the implications of the multiview configuration when performing near-field imaging on the Phobos surface. LOROS provides a robust and portable emulator of the OROCHI Flight Model, composed of commercial off-the-shelf components and materials compliant with the ISO-6 restrictions of the JAXA Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Centre. Here we describe the configurations of the components and control software that we have developed and present the results of a series of calibration experiments, demonstrating the comparable performance of the two systems. We achieve agreement within 3% across sensor performance metrics of read noise, saturation capacity and sensitivity, and demonstrate the measurement of the reflectance of a dark diffuse reflector reference standard with a mean temporal signal-to-noise ratio of 120.
Automating Quality Assurance: The Role of Error Detection and Logging Algorithms in Multi- Environment Applications
Authors: Mukkamala Hema Sai , Tadipatti Vijayalakshmi , Vemula Vaishnavi , Tirumare Kavya Sri , Gopi Arepalli
Published: November 2024

The study's primary focus is the quality of cross-platform application development. As the demand for apps grows, ensuring that they perform properly across all platforms and operating systems is more critical than ever. This study focuses on five essential quality criteria: scalability, performance, security, maintainability, and usability. It emphasizes developers' distinct concerns, such as device fragmentation, performance differences, and testing challenges. The article discusses recommended practices for improving application quality, such as CI/CD methodologies, dependable testing techniques, and sound design concepts. The essay forecasts future improvements impacting cross-platform programming and presents real-world examples to demonstrate effective implementation.
Californian Schoolchildren’s Acceptance of and Preference for Pomegranate Compared to Two Lunch Fruit Standards
Authors: Chater John M. , Lyder Carla R. , Pulsipher Craig M. , Jia Zhenyu , Arpaia Mary Lu , Merhaut Donald J.
Published: November 2024

Specialty fruit crop species that are commonly served in school lunch programs include apples, citrus, and bananas. Among these three specialty crops, student food waste in primary and secondary schools in North America is enormous. In this postharvest sensory analysis study, schoolchildren were asked to rank and score for preference and acceptance of apples, oranges, and pomegranates. Minimally processed samples were used for each fruit type and the sensory analysis took place in classrooms in California, USA. ‘Red Delicious’ apple was generally less acceptable for multiple scored traits, and less preferred in consumer rankings, when compared with navel orange and ‘Wonderful’ pomegranate. Traits that were assessed by panelists included color, sweetness, tartness, texture, bitterness, and overall desirability. Both prepackaged arils and manually processed arils were used in the study and prepackaged arils were ranked lower when served alongside orange and apple compared with manually extracted, intact arils. Bitterness, color, tartness, and texture scores were significantly different among fruit types. This investigation indicates that Red Delicious is possibly a poor choice of apple cultivar for California schoolchildren and that pomegranate may be a possible alternative to apple, especially considering almost all apple cultivars develop brown flesh when cut. Whether pomegranate is feasible for school lunch programs remains to be seen; more research is needed to determine if pomegranate is a fruit that can be used to increase nutritive value and reduce food waste in public school nutrition programs.
Strawberry Grown in an Indoor Vertical Farm Responds to Increased Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density When Calcium Is Supplied at Higher Concentrations
Authors: Alvarado-Camarillo Daniela , Valdez-Aguilar Luis A. , Cartmill Donita L. , Cartmill Andrew D.
Published: November 2024

Indoor vertical farms can optimize light, temperature, humidity, and nutrient use, thus potentially maximizing crop growth and yield. However, the reported potential for enhanced crop growth and yield within these systems needs to be tempered against the understanding of the effects of this “forced growth”/optimal growth environment on “actual” plant performance to fully reap the benefits of these innovative vertical farming systems. We investigated the effect of calcium (Ca) on the production of strawberries in an indoor vertical farm system with varying photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). Fruit yield of plants fed with high Ca (9 meq·L−1) increased by 42.3% when the PPFD was 422 µmol·m−2·s−1; however, a subsequent increase to 572 µmol·m−2·s−1 resulted in a decline in fruit production. Plants treated with low Ca (5 meq·L−1) had a reduced yield and demonstrated no response to the PPFD. The observed increase in yield was associated with increased fruit production and total soluble solids. Plants exhibited 21.5% and 57.8% increases in the total dry weight when exposed to 422 and 572 µmol·m−2·s−1, respectively; however, Ca did not have any impact on this response. Independent of the Ca concentration, the photosynthesis rate increased by 16.1% and 22.2% when the PPFD increased to 422 and 572 µmol·m−2·s−1, respectively; however, the highest photosynthesis rate was recorded with 422 µmol·m−2·s−1 when the Ca level was 9 meq·L−1. High Ca-fed plants exhibited a reduction in Ca (−17.1%) content in their fruits when exposed to 572 µmol·m−2·s−1, which was likely caused by a dilution effect attributable to increased fruit biomass. In contrast, shoot Ca increased when plants were given high Ca when the PPFDs were 422 and 572 µmol·m−2·s−1. The Ca concentration in shoots correlated with the increasing yield, and a higher Ca concentration was associated with the increasing transpiration rate and stomatic conductance. Shoot phosphorus declined when plants were exposed to increased PPFD, and phosphorus was lower when plants were provided with 9 meq·L−1 of Ca; however, plants watered with low Ca solutions had more potassium. The shoot nitrogen content and micronutrient contents were unchanged regardless of the variations in PPFD or Ca. In summary, the favorable conditions for the cultivation of strawberry under controlled environments resulted in greater growth and fruit yield as long as Ca was provided at higher concentrations in the irrigation solutions (from 5 to 9 meq·L−1). We suggest that the higher demand of Ca that is necessary to satisfy the enhanced plant development observed in indoor farming systems may be connected to the role of Ca in the formation of new tissues, cell walls, and cell membranes.
Studying the characteristics of physical development of young athletes
Authors: Rylova N. V.
Published: November 2024

Medical and biological support for the training of young athletes is a separate specific part of medical science and practice. This area of medicine includes determining the health and physical development of athletes, as well as diagnosing, treating and preventing diseases and injuries associated with physical education and sports. The main goal of medical and biological support for children’s and youth sports is the harmonious development of the child within the chosen sport, taking into account his age characteristics, functionality, physical development, including puberty.

Objective. The purpose of the study is to investigate the characteristics of the physical development of young athletes of various specializations.

Materials and methods: 102 young teenage athletes took part in the study. The control group consisted of 28 schoolchildren who were not involved in sports professionally. The first group of the study included 35 young athletes from the «Children and Youth Sports School of Swimming». The second group of the study consisted of 47 teenagers, students of a specialized children’s and youth sports school of the Olympic reserve in field hockey. The third group of the study included 20 young athletes, students of a specialized children’s and youth sports school of Olympic reserve fencing.

Results: In terms of physical development parameters, young athletes have indicators above the average values of children in the control group. The percentage of body fat in boys and girls in the control group was significantly higher than in young athletes. At the same time, the level of muscle mass of boys who do not engage in sports is lower than that of the group of athletes.

Conclusions: Based on the results of the work, it was established that the physical development of young athletes has significant differences from their peers who do not play sports professionally.
Sequential anaerobic–intermittently aerated treatment of textile and domestic wastewater
Authors: Bidu Jerome Michael
Published: November 2024

A laboratory-scale biological system operated in a batch sequential anaerobic–intermittently aerated reactor was used to treat textile wastewater. The anaerobic system was aimed at colour and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal while the intermittently aerated reactor was responsible for the removal of aromatic amines, nitrogen, and phosphates. Additionally, intermittent aeration was responsible for further removal of COD and colour from the wastewater. Domestic wastewater was added to the raw textile wastewater as a source of easily biodegradable organics. The anaerobic reactor removed colour up to 66%, at hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 9 days and pH of 8.6. COD removal of up to 62% was realized at HRT of 9 days and pH of 7.8. A subsequent intermittently aerated reactor reduced more colour and COD to 68 and 71% respectively at HRT of 3 days. Moreover, 100% removal of nitrates and ammonia was realized in intermittently aerated reactor HRT of 3 days. The HRT of 9 days, pH of 7.8, and the textile wastewater fraction of 0.8 in the anaerobic treatment stage had the highest removal of pollutants. The study revealed that the sequential anaerobic–intermittently aerated reactor system was able to remove colour, COD, and nutrients from wastewater.
Flocculation of Micractinium reisseri for successful harvesting and potential use
Authors: Sahay Sudha , Jain Brigita , Solanki Dharmisha , Dave Shailesh , Suresh Antony
Published: November 2024

This study includes Micractinium reisseri cultivation in artificial saline medium (ASM). With the aim of harvesting the bulk M. reisseri biomass, an experiment was set up at a bench scale to evaluate the best flocculation technique with the least compromising biomass and lipid loss. The flocculation efficiencies for the M. reisseri biomass have been studied using the auto-, bio-, and chemical-flocculation methods. Different concentrations of chitosan for the biological method and alum for the chemical method were added in M. reisseri culture growing in the liquid ASM. The optimal concentration with the highest biomass and oil collection was determined for each method. In the biological method, the highest (96.44%) and lowest (67.88%) flocculation efficiencies were observed by adding 15 and 2 mg of chitosan, respectively, and in the chemical method, the highest (97.2%) and lowest (35.4%) flocculation efficiencies were observed by adding 150 and 50 mg of alum, respectively. The auto-flocculation method shows the highest efficiency (97.8%) among all the tests. The oil yield from the three highest biomasses was 2.60, 1.51, and 1.08% in the auto-, bio-, and chemical-flocculation methods, respectively. The time taken for auto-, bio-, and chemical-flocculation was 48, 4, and 1 h, respectively.
LC-MS Analysis of Endogenous Neuropeptides from Tissues of Central Nervous System: An Overview
Authors: Alasağ Neva , Şener Erol
Published: November 2024

In recent years, various methods and technological advances demonstrated
that neurochemical measurements have contributed to significant improvements in our
understanding of the relationship between chemistry in the central nervous system
(CNS) and the organism. Techniques based on Liquid Chromatography-Mass
Spectrometry (LC-MS) are potent approaches for separating and quantifying
endogenous neuropeptides in CNS. The separation ability and reliability of LC with
sensitivity and selectivity of MS have become a valuable combination for peptide
analysis either qualitatively or quantitively. Thus, new peptides have been identified
using this technique. When applied to disease models, pathophysiological mechanisms
can be identified and used as drug targets or biomarkers. Due to the low concentrations
of neuropeptides in the biological samples, they restrict developing analysis methods
and the understanding of their biological function. This book chapter focuses on novel
developments of LC-MS/MS for endogenous neuropeptides. It has also emphasized the
applications that cite preparation techniques used for brain tissue analysis, published in
recent years.
Recent Trends of Modern Mass Spectrometry: Application towards Drug Discovery and Development Process
Authors: Sharma Shweta
Published: November 2024

Mass spectrometry has evolved significantly in recent years and has become
a powerful analytical tool in the field of drug discovery and development. It allows for
the identification and characterization of small molecules, peptides, and proteins in
complex biological samples with high sensitivity and accuracy. This chapter provides
an overview of the recent trends in modern mass spectrometry and its application
towards the drug discovery and development process. It discusses the advancements in
mass spectrometry technology, such as high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS),
ambient ionization mass spectrometry (AIMS), data-independent acquisition (DIA)
mass spectrometry, tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and how they have
enabled the analysis of complex biological samples. The chapter also highlights the use
of mass spectrometry in various stages of the drug discovery and development process,
including target identification, hit identification, lead optimization, and drug
metabolism and pharmacokinetic studies. Additionally, it discusses the challenges and
future prospects of mass spectrometry in drug discovery and development. Overall,
mass spectrometry has revolutionized the drug discovery and development process and
will continue to play a crucial role in the future.
Introduction to Religious Philosophies and Environmental Ethics
Authors: Imran Muzzamel Hussain
Published: November 2024

This chapter provides a general overview of the intricate relationship
between religious philosophies, environmental ethics, and the ongoing global
environmental crisis. The chapter begins by tracing the historical background of the
environmental movement, highlighting the unprecedented challenges humanity faces,
including climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. It emphasizes the role of
technological advancements and human activities in significantly impacting the natural
environment. The environmental crisis is portrayed as a multifaceted challenge
necessitating a shift in societal values, attitudes, and behaviors. This chapter further
delves into the intersection of religion and environmental issues, acknowledging the
influential role of religious beliefs in shaping individual attitudes and behaviors. It
underscores the need for a collaborative effort between environmentalists and religious
organizations to address environmental degradation effectively.The chapter explores the historical development of environmental philosophies,
emphasizing the anthropocentric perspective that has contributed to the current
environmental crisis. It suggests a reevaluation of existing ethical frameworks and
proposes a novel approach rooted in religious principles. The chapter discusses how to
bridge the gap between religion and sustainability, offering insights for policymakers to
make informed decisions for environmental planning and management. The chapter
argues that, given the prevalence of diverse religious beliefs globally, understanding
and incorporating religious perspectives is crucial for tackling contemporary
environmental challenges. Ultimately, the chapter advocates for a transformative vision
that integrates the wisdom of faith to foster a harmonious coexistence between
humanity and the environment, addressing the urgent environmental concerns facing
the planet.
Environmental Ethics and Philosophy
Authors: Imran Muzzamel Hussain
Published: November 2024

This chapter aims to provide a brief overview of the relationship between
environmental issues and philosophy. This will entail a concise history of philosophy
and a comprehensive look at the field of environmental ethics. It will further delve into
the diverse theories within environmental ethics, examining their respective strengths
and limitations. A particular focus will be on the theories of value and an explanation
of why anthropocentrism may not be a suitable foundation for establishing our
responsibilities towards the environment.
The development of physical state and exhaustion factors monitoring system with capability of collecting, estimating and analysing data for military personnel
Authors: Larina E. A. , Trekhlebov A. S. , Andronov V. G.
Published: November 2024

The purpose of the research analysis of known invasive and non-invasive examination methods, determination of the necessary criteria for assessing the degree of fatigue of submariners, a survey of Navy personnel involved in service on submarine ships was conducted, on the basis of which a justification of research directions was carried out for the subsequent development of a system for collecting, evaluating and analyzing the physiological state and factors affecting the fatigue of military personnel.

Methods: the use of an experimental non-invasive research method to determine the degree of fatigue and physiological condition of submariners based on three criteria during the month, the analysis of the results obtained, the establishment of a comparative analysis method during the development, a structural analysis of the system based on previously known devices and sensors.

Results. The dependence of the studied indicators on the time of watch keeping and their connection with the increase in fatigue were found. It has been established that in order to develop a system for monitoring the fatigue of submariners, a systematic analysis and objective assessment should be carried out, including: determination of methods for monitoring the condition of military personnel; application of knowledge from medicine, physiology, biophysics, biomechanics, bioengineering, electronics, circuitry and programming, to develop effective methods for monitoring physical condition and fatigue. Based on the analysis of domestic and foreign techniques and devices, a proprietary method for implementing a system for collecting assessments, analyzing the physiological state and factors affecting the fatigue of military personnel is proposed.

Conclusion. It is concluded that it is necessary to conduct non-invasive studies of the degree of fatigue, before proposing the development and proposal of its own device and methodology for assessing the degree of fatigue, capable of implementing individual features of the system for operational monitoring in order to improve combat readiness, situational awareness, health, safety, mobility of submariners.

The development of such monitoring systems and devices is necessary in the modern world to prevent or prevent disasters without reducing the efficiency of submariners.
Design and multidimensional analysis of dental orthopedic prosthetics quality
Authors: Maslak A. A. , Arutyunov A. S. , Grachev D. I. , Muslov S. A.
Published: November 2024

The purpose of the research is a multidimensional analysis of the "quality of life" of patients before and after dental prosthetics. It is necessary to assess the quality of life of patients after prosthetics, depending on the type of prostheses, gender, and age of patients and give recommendations on the choice of prosthetics method. 

Methods. Dental prosthetics was performed at the clinic of the Moscow State Medical University named after A. I. Evdokimov, four types of prostheses were tested - the classic traditional prosthesis (TR) and three types of digital prostheses (D1, D2, D3). Based on the developed OHIP-20 DG questionnaire, the quality of life of patients was assessed before prosthetics, immediately after prosthetics and six months later. The quality of life of patients after prosthetics was determined within the framework of the theory of latent variables. Using a four-factor analysis of variance, the impact on the quality of life of the type of prostheses, the duration of adaptation after prosthetics, gender and age of patients was assessed. 

Results. Within the framework of the theory of latent variables, it is shown that the developed questionnaire can be used as a measuring tool to analyze the influence of the studied factors on the quality of life of patients after prosthetics. Due to the use of four-factor analysis of variance, the accuracy of statistical analysis has been improved and the statistical significance of four sources of variance has been revealed. Based on the results of statistical analysis, recommendations on the choice of prosthetics method have been developed. 

Conclusion. A multidimensional analysis of the studied factors affecting the quality of life of patients after dental prosthetics was carried out. The quality of life of patients increases statistically significantly after prosthetics. Due to the use of a four-factor model of variance analysis, the precision of assessments of the quality of life of patients has been improved. The prosthetics method (D1) is recommended for women, the prosthetics method (D3) is recommended for men. The obtained results are recommended to be used in practice.