bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adpative multivarite RLV reentry attitude control with pre-specified performance in the presence of unmatched disturbances
Authors: Ge Tianshuo , Chai Runqi , Zhu Qinghua , Tsourdos Antonios , Far Ishrak MD
Published: January 2023

This paper presents a new adaptive multivariable attitude control method for the reusable launch vehicle (RLV) to track desired attitude trajectories subject to unknown external disturbances and uncertainties. In contrast to most designs neglecting mismatched disturbances, this method employs an adaptive finite-time observer (AFO) to estimate the unknown states. Based on the outputs from the AFO and the prescribed performance function, a time-varying non-overestimated adaptive gain is designed to construct the adaptive multivariable attitude control for the RLV system. Simulation studies were carried out and the results show that the proposed approach is able to steer the RLV to track desired attitude signals in the presence of unmatched disturbances and uncertainties.
Three patterns for identifying the posterior plane of a lenticule during SMILE
Authors: Zheng Ke , Wang Jing , Zheng Xiaohong , Han Yinan , Zhou Xingtao
Published: January 2023

Purpose To describe three patterns of posterior plane edge identification in small-incision lenticule extraction to prevent lenticule mis-dissection.
Methods Femtosecond laser application was performed for small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) by one surgeon. The surgical videos of SMILE were recorded and re-watched by the surgeon after operation.
Results Small-incision lenticule extraction was performed in 52 eyes of 28 patients, and no patient had cap-lenticular adhesion. Three patterns of posterior plane of lenticule were noticed when the surgical videos were re-watched. A "double line" attached to the dissector was visible, signifying the reflective tape of the edge of the lenticule and the cap. During the expansion of the posterior lamellar separation, a fusiform opening between the lenticule edge and the underlying matrix layer was assumed to be a "leaf sign". With some unintentional operation, the posterior lamella was pushed away from the surgeon. The edge of the lenticule away from the anatomical part, the marking of the femtosecond laser cut, and the edge of the cap layer showed three reflective bands, which formed a "triple line".The "double line", "leaf sign" and "triple line" were observed in 30 eyes (57.7%), 21 eyes (40.4%) and 1 eye (1.9%), respectively.
Conclusion Thesethree signs cover possible situations and provide visual landmarks to identify the correct dissection of the posterior plane, which can help shortenthe learning curve of novice doctors.
Incentives for promoting climate change adaptation technologies in agriculture: An evolutionary game approach
Authors: Sun Yong , YU RUIHUI , Cheng Tai Chiu Edwin
Published: January 2023

Climate change adaptation technologies (CCATs) have become an important tool for farmers to cope with climate change and address the risks of natural disasters, but in many rural areas, there is still a reliance on traditional agricultural techniques. It is necessary to explore the incentives for promoting CCATs in agriculture, and the conditions for the effectiveness and realization of policy measures. In this paper, we construct an evolutionary game model to analyze the behaviour of local governments and farmers in promoting CCATs. Our findings are as follows: Under certain conditions, the evolutionary game of promoting CCATs in agriculture can achieve equilibrium. Within a certain range, the incentive for farmers to choose to adopt CCATs increases with local governments’ risk subsidy and cost-sharing. When the subsidy is too high, local governments may choose the no- promotion strategy, under which the policy incentive disappears, reducing the incentive for farmers to adopt CCATs. Publicity is an important incentive for promoting CCATs, and its effect is evident. Our findings provide insights into the development of policies to promote CCATs in agriculture.
How urbanite is the leaf-cutter ant Atta cephalotes (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae) in Colombia?
Authors: Montoya-Lerma James , Rodríguez Jonathan , CASTAÑO-QUINTANA KAREN
Published: January 2023

Many studies have dealt with the effect of invasive species in urban environments, leading to decline in species richness, and changes in the composition of faunal communities. However, few studies have investigated the role of native species while turning into invasive pests. In Colombia, Atta cephalotes, a native leaf-cutting ant (LCA), has responded successfully to the conversion of natural ecosystems to agricultural-rural environments and, most recently, to residential and urban development. In this case study, we illustrate the response of this native ant species to urban disturbs in the physical environment, resource availability, and ecosystem processes associated with human urbanization in Cali, the third most important city in Colombia. Atta cephalotes nests were present in all green areas sampled and, even in human dwellings, the ants harvested both native and introduced plant species. Despite being well adapted to intensively modified urban environments, this ant species appears to be dependent on human-subsidized resources. As discussed in the light of published studies, ecological competence, resource availability, opportunistic behaviour, reduction of natural enemies and heat islands can be identified as key factors driving the urban proliferation of this LCA species. Given the wide distribution of leaf-cutting ants, it is, plausible to expect that similar processes are underway in other Latin American countries where these ants are found. Hence, this study also proposes to alert the academic and social communities to direct future research towards evaluating both the responses and impacts of these ants in relation to changes in the urban landscape.
An Error Control-Blended New Design for an Inverse Discrete Chaotic Synchronization System
Authors: Xing Ya’nan , Yan Wenhao , Zhang Yanpeng , Ding Qun
Published: January 2023

Discrete chaotic synchronization is crucial in secure communication. Studies on the design of a discrete chaotic system mainly depend on the system. Some discrete chaotic systems cannot synchronize as required. In this study, we proposed a new algorithm blended with error control for designing an inverse discrete chaotic synchronization system. Based on the eigenvalues of the synchronization error system, the coefficient matrix of the discrete chaotic system was inversely controlled for precisely controlling the positive Lyapunov exponents in the system. The results indicated that the error control-blended inverse discrete chaotic synchronization system had good chaotic characteristics and high reliability and flexibility.
Compact description of quantum phase slip junctions
Authors: Koliofoti Christina , Riwar Roman-Pascal
Published: January 2023

Quantum circuit theory is a powerful and ever-evolving tool to predict the dynamics of superconducting circuits. In its language, quantum phase slips (QPSs) are famously considered to be the exact dual to the Josephson effect. However, this duality renders the integration of QPS junctions into a unified theoretical framework very difficult, and as we show, gives rise to serious inconsistencies for different formalisms, and in some cases difficulties to include time-dependent flux driving. We propose to resolve these issues by reducing and compactifying the Hilbert space describing the QPS processes. Our treatment provides for the first time a unified description of the Aharonov-Bohm and Aharonov-Casher effects, properly defines the valid form of inductive interactions to an environment, and allows to account for recent insights on how to include electromotive forces. Finally, we show that the compactification is likewise important for correctly predicting the available computational space for qubit architectures involving QPS junctions.
Targeting cancer-associated adipocyte-derived CXCL8 inhibits triple-negative breast cancer progression and enhances the efficacy of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy
Authors: Huang Renhong , Wang Zheng , Hong Jin , Wu Jiayi , Huang Ou , He Jian-Rong , Chen Weiguo , Li Yafen , Chen Xiaosong , Shen K.W.
Published: January 2023

Cancer-associated adipocytes (CAAs), one of the primary stromal components, exhibit intimate crosstalk and release multiple cell factors mediating local and systemic biological effects. However, the role of CAAs in the regulation of systemic immune responses and their potential value in the clinical treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are not well described. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on CAA and normal adipocyte (NA) tissues isolated from surgically resected samples from TNBC patients and healthy controls. Cytokines, including C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8, also known as IL-8), secreted from NAs and CAAs were compared by transcriptome sequencing and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Proliferation, migration and invasion assays were employed to analyze the role of CAAs and CAA-derived CXCL8 (macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP2) as a functional surrogate in mice). TNBC syngraft models were established to evaluate the curative effect of targeting CXCL8 in combination with anti-PD-1 therapies. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blotting (WB), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and immunofluorescence (IF) were applied to analyze immune cell infiltration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. Specifically, we demonstrated that CAAs and CAA-derived CXCL8 played important roles in tumor growth, EMT, metastasis and tumor immunity suppression. CAA-derived CXCL8 remodeled the tumor immune microenvironment not only by suppressing CD4+ T and CD8+ T immune cell infiltration but also by upregulating PD-L1 expression in TNBC. The combination of targeting CXCL8 pathway and blocking PD-1 pathway synergistically increased the tumor immune response and inhibited tumor progression. Thus, our results highlight the molecular mechanisms and translational significance of CAAs in tumor progression and immune ecosystem regulatory effects and provide a better understanding of the potential clinical benefit of targeting CAA-derived CXCL8 in antitumor immunity and as a new therapeutic moiety in TNBC.
A data-driven method for the correction of optical distortions of depth cameras in immersion NDT&E
Authors: Trento Everton , Pires Gustavo P. , Guarneri Giovanni A. , Passarin Thiago A. R. , Pipa Daniel R.
Published: January 2023

Stereoscopic cameras (a class of depth cameras) are increasingly present in robotics navigation and 3D scene reconstruction. Normally, off-the-shelf depth cameras are not suited for underwater environments and exhibit considerable distortions in the provided 3D images when operating underwater. This is mainly due to the large difference in the refractive coefficients of air and water. This issue prevents their use in subsea applications such as the inspection of oil pipelines, valves and manifolds, where these devices could be used for odometry during ultrasonic inspections as well as for 3D scanning. Aiming to allow for such applications, we present a data-driven method for the correction of distortions caused by unaccounted diffractions in depth cameras. First, the distortion is modelled via a series of detections of control points from a standard target at known underwater positions, and an approximation of the inverse distortion is obtained. Then, at runtime, a procedure takes as input the (distorted) point cloud given by the camera at each frame, applies the inverse distortion, and yields a corrected point cloud. We apply the method to data provided by a RealSense D405 camera encased in a sealed acrylic container underwater. The correction made it possible to use the camera for 3D imaging underwater with root mean square error (RMSE) below 10 mm in the worst case tested. The method clears the path for the use of off-the-shelf depth cameras in a wide range of subsea applications.
Occurrence and ecological-risk levels of antibiotic pollution in the coastal waters of eastern China
Authors: Xu Ning , Shen Yi , Jiang Lei , Jiang Bin , Li Ying , Yuan Qingbin , Zhang Yunhai
Published: January 2023

In order to preliminarily explore the distribution of antibiotic pollution in the coastal waters of eastern China, the concentrations of 13 antibiotics in 5 representative coastal rivers in Jiangsu and 21 sampling sites in the coastal waters of Jiangsu were analyzed. The total antibiotic concentrations in the 5 rivers ranged from 33.14 ng L-1 to 417.78 ng L-1, and the total antibiotic concentrations in the 21 sampling sites ranged from 0.90 ng L-1 to 86.33 ng L-1. The concentrations of antibiotics in a sampling site decreased as the distance of the sampling site from the coastline increased, indicating that river inputs are important sources of antibiotic pollution in the coastal waters of Jiangsu. The detection rates of roxithromycin, lincomycin, azithromycin, and sulfamethoxazole in the rivers and sampling sites were above 70%. Correlation analysis showed that the concentrations of antibiotics were positively correlated with the levels of total phosphorus and chemical oxygen demand. An ecological risk assessment revealed that roxithromycin posed a moderate risk to aquatic organisms in the coastal waters of Jiangsu. The results of this study highlight the significance of monitoring and controlling the concentrations of antibiotic contaminants in the coastal waters of Jiangsu.
Hyperchaotic image encryption using DNA coding and discrete cosine transform
Authors: Mir Umar Hussain , Lone Parveiz Nazir
Published: January 2023

The article presents hyperchaos image encryption using DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) coding and the chaotic maps in discrete cosine transform. The proposed multilayered security system comprises of advanced levels of confusion and diffusion. Initially, the diffusion among the pixels is attained by employing DNA XOR operation between pixel values and the unpredictable sequence generated from hyperchaotic system. Secondly, the pixels of the partially encrypted image is scrambled by Baker map to permute the image pixels. Finally, the partially encrypted image is diffused through the discrete cosine transform. The significant contribution of this algorithm is to improve the quality of encryption through a DNA encoded scheme. The demonstration results and experimental values are in support the robustness of the proposed scheme and have shown resistance against underlying cryptanalytic attacks.
CO2 adsorption and CO2/CH4 separation using fibrous amine-containing adsorbents: isothermal, kinetic and thermodynamic behaviours
Authors: Mohamad Noor Ashikin , Nasef Mohamed Mahmoud , Abdullah Tuan Amran Tuan , Ahmad Arshad Bin , Ting Teo Ming
Published: January 2023

A series of fibrous aminated adsorbents for CO2 adsorption were prepared by covalent incorporation of poly (glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) by graft copolymerization of GMA onto electron beam (EB) irradiated polyethylene/polypropylene (PE/PP) fibrous sheets and subsequent amination with ethylenediamine (EDA), diethylenetriamine (DETA) or tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA). The physico-chemical properties of the adsorbents were evaluated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric (TGA) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. Of all adsorbents, TEPA-containing fibres showed the highest CO2 adsorption capacity and thus was further investigated for CO2 capture from CO2/CH4 mixtures of different gas ratios under various pressures and temperatures. The selectivity of CO2 over CH4 and equilibrium isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics of the adsorption on the fibrous aminated adsorbent were all investigated. The Sips model was found to best fit the isotherm of CO2 adsorption suggesting the presence of a combination of monolayer and multilayer adsorptions. The adsorption kinetic data was found to best fit Elovich model reflecting chemisorption. The ΔG°, ΔS°, and ΔH° showed positive values suggesting that the adsorption of CO2 on the present fibrous adsorbent was non-spontaneous with an increase in randomness implying that the process was endothermic. Overall, it can be suggested that PE/PP-g-PGMA/TEPA adsorbent has a strong potential for separation of CO2 from NG.
A High Throughput Parallel Hash Table on FPGA using Reversible XOR-based Memory
Authors: S.SRIDHAR  , RAMAPACKIAM Shantha Selvakumari
Published: January 2023

A hash table is a basic data structure for searching and retrieving data quickly. It's an important part of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) applications and advanced graph analytics. An effective hash function can make hashing effective. Existing hash table implementations either simplify the underlying model by supporting only a subset of hash table operations or use optimizations that result in highly data-dependent performance and, at worst, comparable to a sequential implementation of the problem. A dynamic hash table that supports all hash table queries—search, insert, delete, and update—while also allowing us to provide p parallel queries (p > 1) per clock cycle using p processing engines (PEs) in the worst-case, i.e., data agnostic performance. Our design is scalable up to 128PEs and supports throughput of up to 8000 Million Operations per Second (MOPS) at 325 MHz using state-of-the-art FPGAs. It supports the same set of operations as the hash table and achieves speeds up to 42.1× speedup. Using RXOR-based parallel hash tables, we achieve high throughput, low latency, and low power consumption.
Evaluation of agronomic traits and yield of cultivated Musa cultivars of Assam, India
Authors: Kalita Bikash , Saikia Debanjali , Roy Saurov Jyoti , Regon Preetom , Pathak Samiran , Saikia Sarat , Tripathi Shashi Bhushan , Tanti Bhaben
Published: January 2023

Banana is an important staple fruit crop consumed worldwide. The present study was carried out to evaluate the agronomic traits of 22 Musa cultivars of Assam, India, performed in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The cultivars were evaluated based on different agronomic traits such as vegetative characteristics like pseudostem height/girth, pseudostem cross-sectional area, leaf length/girth, leave numbers, and peduncle length/girth. In addition, agronomic traits such as bunch height/girth, bunch weight, number of hands, numbers of fruits per bunch, finger length/girth, and finger weight were also evaluated. The yield of bananas varied from cultivar to cultivar depending on the agronomic traits. The highest yield was observed in Bhim (dangor) (38.34 t/ha) followed by Bharat moni (30.88 t/ha) and Jahaji (saru) (28.75 t/ha), whereas the lowest was recorded in Bawali manohar (11.47 t/ha) and Amrit sagar (11 t/ha). The Pearson's correlation among agronomic traits indicates that the bunch weight, bunch girth, number of hands, fruits per bunch, finger girth, and finger weight were significantly correlated with yield. On the other hand, the number of leaves was negatively correlated with yield. Overall, this study highlighted the agronomic traits of cultivated Musa genotypes, which would be helpful in the banana breeding program.
Characterization of two peanut genotypes for biochemical quality attributes and cotyledon microstructure features
Authors: Li Jin , Jiang Chun Jiao , Sun Hao Jie , Wang Zhi Wei , Yang Zhen , Wang Xiu Zhen , Sun Xiu Shan , Zhang Ming Jun , Wang Chuan Tang
Published: January 2023

Peanut is a world-renowned oilseed and food crop. Improving its biochemical quality traits is of great significance not only for meeting edible oil and food needs, but also for producing clean renewable energy. Identification of peanut genotypes with high and stable oil content in coastal areas is of economic importance, as the high oil trait of peanut bred in inland areas are difficult to fully express in coastal areas. Two peanut genotypes were grown at two sites in the coastal area. One of the genotypes was identified as with high oil and low carbohydrate, while the other, low oil and high carbohydrate. We noticed that number and total area of oil bodies were higher in high oil peanut than in low oil peanut, and that peanut with higher protein content had larger total protein body area. A novel finding of the present study was that number and area of starch grains were higher in peanut with high total soluble sugar (TSS) and sucrose contents than in peanut with low TSS and sucrose. Regarding the ultrastructural properties associated with oil, protein and TSS/sucrose contents, significant and highly positive correlations were detected between total oil body area and number of oil bodies, between total protein area and maximum protein body area, and between total starch grain area and number of starch grains. This study laid the foundation for further exploration of the mechanisms shaping peanut seed biochemical quality through transcriptomic, metabolomic and hormonal analysis.
Model containing sarcopenia and visceral adiposity can better predict the survival of hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter study
Authors: Liu Yao , Fu Sirui , Yu Xiangrong , Zhang Jinxiong , Zhu Siyu , Yang Yang , Huang Jianwen , Luo Hanlin , Tang Kai , Zheng Youbing , Zhao Yujie , Chen Xiaoqiong , Zhan Meixiao , He Xiaofeng , Li Qiyang , Duan Chongyang , Chen Yuan , Lu Ligong
Published: January 2023

Aim: This study aimed to explore whether the addition of sarcopenia and visceral adiposity could improve the accuracy of model predicting progression-free survival (PFS) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods: In total, 394 patients with HCC from five hospitals were divided into the training and external validation datasets. Patients were initially treated by liver resection or transarterial chemoembolization. We evaluated adipose and skeletal muscle using preoperative computed tomography imaging and then constructed three predictive models, including metabolic (ModelMA), clinical–imaging (ModelCI), and combined (ModelMA-CI) models. Their discrimination, calibration, and decision curves were compared, to identify the best model. Nomogram and subgroup analysis was performed for the best model.
Results: ModelMA-CI containing sarcopenia and visceral adiposity had good discrimination and calibrations(area under the curve for three-year PFS was 0.792in the training data set and 0.817 in the validation data set;similar results were achieved in one- and two-year PFS). ModelMA-CI had better accuracy than ModelCI and ModelMA. The performance of ModelMA-CI was not affected by treatments or disease stages. The high-risk subgroup(scored≥120) had a significantly shorter PFS (p<0.001) and poorer OS (p<0.001).
Conclusions: The addition of sarcopenia and visceral adiposity improved accuracy in predicting PFS in HCC, which may provide additional insights in prognosis for HCC in subsequent studies.
Multifunctional nanodiamonds to enable neuritogenesis and super-resolution imaging
Authors: Kim Jaeheung , Kang Moon Sung , Jun Seung Won , Jo Hyo Jung , Han Dong-Wook , Kim Chang-Seok
Published: January 2023

Background

Regeneration of defective neurons in central nervous system is a highlighted issue for neurodegenerative disease treatment. Various tissue engineering approaches have focused on neuritogenesis to achieve the regeneration of damaged neuronal cells because damaged neurons often fail to achieve spontaneous restoration of neonatal neurites. Meanwhile, owing to the demand for a better diagnosis, studies of super-resolution imaging techniques in fluorescence microscopy have triggered the technological development to surpass the classical resolution dictated by the optical diffraction limit for precise observations of neuronal behaviors. Herein, the multifunctional nanodiamonds (NDs) as neuritogenesis promoters and super-resolution imaging probes were studied.

Methods

To investigate the neuritogenesis-inducing capability of NDs, ND-containing growing medium and differentiation medium were added to the HT-22 hippocampal neuronal cells and incubated for 10 d. In vitro and ex vivo images were visualized through custom-built two-photon microscopy using NDs as imaging probes and the direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) process was performed for the super-resolution reconstruction owing to the photoblinking properties of NDs. Moreover, ex vivo imaging of the mouse brain was performed 24 h after the intravenous injection of NDs.

Results

NDs were endocytosed by the cells and promoted spontaneous neuritogenesis without any differentiation factors, where NDs exhibited no significant toxicity with their outstanding biocompatibility. The images of ND-endocytosed cells were reconstructed into super-resolution images through dSTORM, thereby addressing the problem of image distortion due to nano-sized particles, including size expansion and the challenge in distinguishing the nearby located particles. Furthermore, the ex vivo images of NDs in mouse brain confirmed that NDs could penetrate the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and retain their photoblinking property for dSTORM application.

Conclusions

It was demonstrated that the NDs are capable of dSTORM super-resolution imaging, neuritogenic facilitation, and BBB penetration, suggesting their remarkable potential in biological applications.
Deconvoluting Kinetics and Transport Effects of Ionic Liquid Layers on FeN4-based Oxygen Reduction Catalysts
Authors: Favero Silvia , Stephens Ifan , Titirici Magda
Published: January 2023

The use of ionic liquid layers has been reported to improve both the activity and durability of several oxygen reduction catalysts. However, the development of this technology has been hindered by the lack of understanding of the mechanism behind this performance enhancement. In this work, we use a library of ionic liquids to modify a model FeN4 catalyst (iron phthalocyanine), to decouple the effects of ionic liquid layers on oxygen reduction kinetics and oxygen transport. Our results show that oxygen reduction activity at low overpotentials it determined by the ionic liquids’ influence on the *OH binding energy on the active sites, while oxygen solubility controls transport at high overpotentials. Finally, using porosimetry, we have demonstrated that the distribution of the ionic liquids on the catalyst is inhomogeneous, and depends on the nature of the ionic liquid used.
Fabrication, Microstructural, and Mechanical behavior of SiC composite with insitu formation of BN and Si3N4
Authors: Singh Aman , Singh Vinay Kumar , Chaturvedi Raj Kumar , Kumari Jyoti , Debnath N. K.
Published: January 2023

Dealing with high-temperature properties and brittleness and is always one of the hot topics in the field of ceramic materials. Extensive research has been carried out for it and Si3N4-SiC composites are one of the most promising composites. In this study, the impact of Si3N4 and BN reinforcement on the microstructure and physio-mechanical properties of SiC-based composites were explored. Two sets of composites, including Si3N4-SiC and BN-Si3N4-SiC aided with Al2O3, were fabricated using nitridation of Si and B2O3 at 1450°C. The mechanical properties, microstructure, phase transformation, densification, and porosity were depicted and discussed. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed the insitu formation of Si3N4 (both α and β phases) and BN in the final composite. The specimen with 10% Si and 10% B2O3 possessed the superior flexural strength (284.4 MPa) with excellent hardness (23.4 GPa). The incorporation of BN is found to enhance the mechanical properties especially hardness while overcoming the shortcomings of reaction-bonded Si3N4-SiC. The corresponding densification and strengthening mechanism were explained in this paper.
Restoration of dysregulated intestinal barrier and inflammatory regulation through synergistically ameliorating hypoxia and scavenging reactive oxygen species using ceria nanozymes in ulcerative colitis
Authors: Zhang Ying , Lei Hengyu , Wang Pengchong , Zhou Qinyuan , Yu Jie , Leng Xue , ma Ruirui , Wang Danyang , Dong Kai , Xing Jianfeng , Dong Yalin
Published: January 2023

Background
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction and excessive hypoxia play pivotal roles in the initiation and progression of ulcerative colitis (UC). Synergistic ROS scavenging and generating O2 could be a promising strategy for UC treatment.
Methods
Ceria nanozymes (CNPs) are fabricated using a modified reverse micelle method. We investigate hypoxia attenuating and ROS scavenging of CNPs in intestinal epithelial cells and RAW 264.7 macrophages. We also study the effect of CNPs on pro-inflammatory macrophages activation. Colitis mice induced by administration of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid are then given intravenous injection of CNPs to evaluate anti-inflammatory activities, mucosal healing properties and biosafety in UC.
Results
CNPs with multi-enzymatic activity can synergistically scavenge ROS and generate O2 to treat UC by restoring dysregulated intestinal barriers and inhibiting the pro-inflammatory macrophages activation. CNPs are found to reduce hypoxia-induced factor-1α expression in intestinal epithelial cells by generating O2 based on catalase-mimicking activity, thus further promoting disrupted intestinal mucosal barrier restoration. Meanwhile, CNPs can effectively relieve colonic macrophage hypoxia and scavenge ROS in impaired colon tissues to suppress the pro-inflammatory macrophages activation, thereby preventing UC occurrence and development.
Conclusion
This study has provided a paradigm to utilize metallic nanozymes, and suggests that further materials engineering investigations could yield a facile method based on the pathological characteristics of UC for clinically managing UC.
Using machine learning to detect coronaviruses potentially infectious to humans
Authors: Gonzalez-Isunza Georgina , Jawaid Muhammad , Liu Pengyu , Cox Daniel , Vazquez Mariel , Arsuaga Javier
Published: January 2023

Establishing the host range for novel viruses remains a challenge. Here, we address the challenge of identifying non-human animal coronaviruses that may infect humans by creating an artificial neural network model that learns from the binding of the spike protein of alpha and beta coronaviruses to their host receptor. The proposed method produces a human-Binding Potential (h-BiP) score that distinguishes, with high accuracy, the binding potential among human coronaviruses. Two viruses, previously unknown to bind human receptors, were identified: Bat coronavirus BtCoV/133/2005 (a MERS related virus) and Rhinolophus affinis coronavirus isolate LYRa3 a SARS related virus. We further analyze the binding properties of these viruses using molecular dynamics. To test whether this model can be used for surveillance of novel coronaviruses, we re-trained the model on a set that excludes SARS-COV-2 viral sequences. The results predict the binding of SARS-CoV-2 with a human receptor, indicating that machine learning methods are an excellent tool for the prediction of host expansion events.
Relationship of chemical and biochemical properties of soil to recurrence and severity of forest fire in South Western European Atlantic environments
Authors: Cruz Oscar , García-Duro Juan , Riveiro Sheila F. , Reyes Otilia
Published: January 2023

Background and aims Changes in fire regimes (extension, severity and recurrence), aggravated by climate change and abandonment of agricultural land, produce a large buildup of fuel in the environment and cause high severity and recurrence of forest fires. Soil can be a good indicator of the effects of fire on the whole ecosystem. The main objective of this study was to identify the effects of the severity and recurrence of fires on chemical and biochemical soil properties in short and medium time and interpret the interaction of plants on these properties. Methods To know the effects of forest fires on soil properties 4 recurrence-severity scenarios were studied at short and medium time after a big forest fire. The analysed properties were pH, %CO, %N, available P, β-glucosidase, urease, phosphatase and microbial biomass C. Results After fire some properties showed a continuous increase throughout the study time (pH, percentage CO, microbial biomass C, β-glucosidase and urease) while other properties (percentage N, available P and phosphatase) experienced a peak at 30 months and then regressed to values at 18 months. Conclusion Forest fire severity strongly modified the chemical and biochemical properties of the soil, favoring the increase of most of them, in some continuously over time and in others punctually. Fire recurrence only had a prominent role in the postfire dynamics of soil pH. The annual changes in soil properties were mainly related to regrowth woody species.
Physiological stress level and screening for malnutrition as preoperative predictors of postoperative complications in pancreatic surgery: A retrospective study
Authors: Kryvoruchko Igor A. , Staikov Plamen , Boyko Valeriy V. , Sartelli Massimo , Ivanova Yulia V. , Honcharov Andrij , Gramatiuk Svetlana , Sargsyan Karine
Published: January 2023

Background
Assessment of ‘physiological stress levels’ and ‘nutritional status’ before surgery is important for predicting complications and indirect interventions on the pancreas. The aim of this study was to determine neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and nutritional risk index (NRI) indicators before surgery to predict 90-day complications and mortality in a cohort of patients with complicated chronic pancreatitis and cancer of the head of the pancreas.
Methods
We evaluated preoperative levels of NLR and NRI among 225 subjects treated at different centres located in three countries. Short-term outcomes included length of hospital stay, postoperative complications, and mortality at 90 days and were appreciated based on NLR and NRI. The level of physiological stress was divided according by the formulas: neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) = (neutrophil count, %)/(lymphocyte count, %). The nutritional state of the patients was divided according to the INR: NRI = (1.519 x serum albumin, g/L) + (41.7 x present weight, kg / usual weight, kg)]
Results
All patients were operated. An analysis of the operations performed in three institutions demonstrated mortality in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic pseudocysts in 1.4 %, in chronic pancreatitis and the presence of an inflammatory mass mainly in the pancreatic head in 1.2 %, and in cancer of the pancreatic head in 5.9 %. The mean preoperative NLR was normal in 33.8% of the patients, the mild physiologic stress level was 54.7%, and the moderate was 11.5% before surgery. 10.2% of patients had a normal nutritional status, 20% had mild, 19.6% had moderate, and 50.2% had severe malnutrition. In a univariate analysis, at the cutoff of NLR³9.5 (AUC=0.803) and the cutoff of NRI≤98.5 (AUC=0.801), increasing the risk of complications was observed (hazard ratio, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.247-3.250, p=0.006), but at the cutoff of NRI≤83.55 (AUC=0.81), we observed a survival difference in operated patients (hazard ratio, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.334-3.477, p=0.0025).
Conclusions
Our study demonstrated that NLR and NRI were predictors of postoperative complications, but only NRI was a predictor of 90-day mortality in patients after surgery.
A Supervised Neural Network Machine Learning Routing Algorithm to Improve the Lifetime of Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Gamal Ahmed , ElSaadany Amr , GUIRGUIS SHAWKAT K.
Published: January 2023

Internet of Things has many applications requiring the use of wireless communications networks. It utilizes data collection from sensor nodes connected to Wireless Sensor Networks. As such the wireless sensor networks is considered an important key for data transmission between sensor node and the gateways which are connected to the internet. Of the main concerns is the lifetime of the network which is affected by the battery power of the sensor nodes. It is noteworthy that transmission energy that dominates overall energy consumption is proportional to the distance between the transmitter and receiver. Thus, there is a need to send data from source node to a destination node in the most efficient way when it comes to battery level. Although there are many algorithms that tried to perform energy efficient routing, we will propose an intelligent algorithm to further improve this routing problem. In this paper we proposed an AI algorithm to enhance the lifetime of wireless sensor networks. We show that our algorithm improves the lifetime of the network by up to 75%, depending on the traffic rate, over existing algorithms.
Severity Tomographic Score as a Predictor of Mortality in Patients With Covid-19 Pneumonia From a Third-level Hospital in Peru
Authors: Ravelo-Hernández Jorge , Cáceres-Bernaola Ursula , Becerra-Núñez Claudia , de Tai Sabina Mendívil-Tuchía , Vásquez-Rivas María Eugenia , Quispe-Ayuque Edwin , Aguirre-Quispe Wilfor
Published: January 2023

Objective: Determine whether the tomographic characteristics of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia at the hospital admission and the initial tomographic severity score (TSS) as well as some laboratory tests or clinical characteristics predict mortality.
Methods: Retrospective analytical study that included patients with a clinical diagnosis of SARSCoV2 virus infection, performed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), serologic reactive test (IgM/IgG) and/or thoracic computed tomography (CT). Patients were divided into two groups: recovered and deceased. Two radiologists (blind evaluators) described the tomographic findings. TSS, clinical and laboratory parameters in relation to mortality were analyzed. Mortality predictions were made by binary logistic regression.
Results: Hypertension was the most frequent associated disease, the most common clinical presentation included cough, discomfort, fever, and dyspnea. The ground glass opacity pattern was the most frequent, followed by consolidation and distortion of the architecture; however, they were not associated with higher mortality. The pattern of pleural effusion and bronchial dilation showed a significant difference from mortality (p <0.05). The binary logistic regression model showed that a moderate and high TSS (≥ 8), as well as a higher degree of lymphopenia, history of asthma and age were associated with an increased risk of death (p< 0.05).
Conclusions: TSS is useful in the initial and comprehensive diagnostic evaluation of COVID-19 pneumonia, in conjunction with markers such as lymphopenia that can predict a poor short-term outcome. A high TSS score is a predictor of mortality.
Use of Programmed Cell Death Protein 1 (PD-1) Inhibitor Therapy in HIV-infected Patients with Advanced Cancer:a single-center study from China
Authors: wu luling , Su Jie , Yang Junyang , Gu Ling , Zhang Renfang , Liu Li , Lu Hongzhou , Chen Jun
Published: January 2023

Background
PD-1 antibodies have been approved for treating several cancers. However, data regarding the safety and efficacy of these agents in HIV-infected patients with cancers is lacking, because these patients are frequently omitted from clinical trials.
Objectives
The primary aim of our research is to assess the safety, activity, and long-term outcomes of PD-1 inhibitors in the treatment of HIV-infected patients with advanced cancers.
Method
We retrospectively analyzed data from HIV-infected patients with advanced cancers who were treated with PD-1 inhibitors at Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai, China.
Results
Fifteen HIV-infected patients (all are men; yellow race; median age, 44)with cancers who were treated with chemotherapy and/or combined the other oncology treatments (along with combined antiretroviral therapy (cART)) prior to Sintilimab (12 out of 15) or Nivolumab (1 out of 11) or Camrelizumab (2 out of 11) injection were identified. Eight patients responded to treatment (disease control rate 53.3%), with 1 got partial response (PR) and 7 were stable. Most treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were grade 1 or 2including anemia, leukopenia, hyperglycemia, granulocytopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Eight patients (53.3%) experienced treatment-related AEs (TRAEs) with grades 3/4including myelosuppression, infection, and neurological disorders. CD4 count and HIV RNA remained stable throughout the treatment.
Conclusions
When used in HIV-infected patients with advanced malignancies, PD-1 inhibitors tend to have favorable efficacy, manageable side effects, and no deteriorated impacts on HIV-RNA and CD4+ T count.
Assessment of genetic diversity of Prunus salicina 'Shazikongxinli' by morphological traits and molecular markers
Authors: Wang Gui , Li Ruirui , Wu Maohong , Ren Feihong , Wang Lili , Qiao Guang
Published: January 2023

Prunus salicina 'Shazikongxinli' is one of the most economically valuable and reputable Prunus salicina varieties in China. Understanding the genetic diversity and population structure of 'Shazikongxinli' is crucial for excellent germplasm breeding and conservation of genetic resources. In the present study, the genetic variation status of 50 'Shazikongxinli' was assessed using morphological traits, IRAP and ISSR markers, while 18 other plum varieties were selected as outgroups. The results show that the average Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H') of 32 qualitative traits in 50 test 'Shazikongxinli' is 0.557, the average coefficient of variation of 11 quantitative traits is 15.57%, and a total of 232 and 105 polymorphic loci are obtained from 22 IRAP and 15 ISSR primers, respectively. All three marker systems show relatively rich polymorphism, especially the IRAP markers. This may be related to the nature of the retrotransposons in the IRAP markers, which may be more suitable for intraspecific variability detection than ISSR. In addition, all three markers cluster the 68-test germplasm into two groups, with all of 'Shazikongxinli' clustered into one group and most of the other plum varieties as outgroups clustered into another group. This suggests a relatively narrow genetic base within the current 'Shazikongxinli'. These results will be useful in understanding the genetic diversity of the germplasm resources of 'Shazikongxinli' and provide comprehensive information for the breeding of superior germplasm.
Preliminary study of LACTB transcript 1 inhibiting gastric cancer cell migration and invasion by regulating autophagy
Authors: NIE WEI , Yan Zhiqiang , HU Lihua , Wang Yang , Shi Qianyun , He Shui , Li Yanling , Shen Yong , Yang Fang
Published: January 2023

Purpose: To analyze the expression level of β-lactamase gene (LACTB) in gastric cancer cells and the main types of transcripts expressed, and then explore the effect and mechanism of LACTB transcripts on the biological function of gastric cancer cells.
Methods: The expression level of LACTB and the main biological processes involved were analyzed by bioinformatics analysis and RT-qPCR. The expression level of LACTB transcript 1 was overexpressed or knocked down in AGS and HGC-27 cells, and the effect and mechanism of LACTB on gastric cancer cell migration and invasion were verified by in vitro cell experiments and western blotting experiments.
Results: 1.The UALCAN analysis website showed that LACTB mRNA was highly expressed in gastric cancer tissue, and the expression level of LACTB transcript 1 in peripheral blood of gastric cancer patients was consistent with the bioinformatics analysis. LinkedOmics and DAVID enrichment analysis found that LACTB co-expressed genes were mainly involved in biological processes such as immune response, inflammatory response, and proteolysis through lysosomes and immune synapses. 2.Knocking down the expression level of LACTB transcript 1 can inhibit the migration and invasion ability of gastric cancer cells, and at the same time can activate autophagy and inhibit EMT. However, overexpression of LACTB transcript 1 resulted in the opposite.
Conclusions: LACTB transcript 1 is an inhibitor that regulates autophagy to inhibit the migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells, and is highly expressed in peripheral blood, which has the potential as a biomarker of gastric cancer.
Thermo- physics behaviour of raphia vinifera/ Epoxy woven material: Experimental and theoretical approach
Authors: Djoumessi Alfred Kendem , Tagne Nicodème Rodrigue Sikame , Tiaya Elvis Mbou , Gapgue François , Njeugna Ebernezer
Published: January 2023

This work deals with the analysis of the thermo-physical behavior of the raffia vinifiera/Epoxy bio-composite. The material is elaborated then, the thermal and physical properties are determined experimentally and theoretically. The experimental analysis of the thermal behavior is done by the hot plate method and that of the physical behavior it is done by the measuring the density and the kinetics of absorption which is used to evaluate the rate of absorption and the diffusion of water. The theoretical analysis, on the thermal conductivity used the model of Ning/Chou to homogenize the coefficient of conductivity and the method of finite elements in the software Abaqus C.A.E 6.14 to simulate the heat transfer through the composite; the theoretical determination of the density is done using the equation of Agrawal and Broutman. This work shows that the results obtained in experimental approach corroborate well with the theoretical ones. Moreover, this material presents very interesting characteristics such as a very low thermal conductivity which makes it a good insulating material on the one hand and on the other hand a low density (light and less absorbent material) compared to the wood species used in shipbuilding; thus, it is a suitable material for the construction of the superstructure of floating boats.
Association between lipid level and atherosclerotic CVD in community-dwelling older people: the longitudinal observation of SONIC study
Authors: Nakamura Yuko , Kabayama Mai , Godai Kayo , Akasaka Hiroshi , Tseng Winston , Yamamoto Koichi , Takami Yoichi , Takeya Yasushi , Gondo Yasuyuki , Yasumoto Saori , Ogawa Madoka , Kasuga Ayaka , Masui Yukie , Ikebe Kazunori , Arai Yasumichi , Ishizaki Tatsuro , Rakugi Hiromi , Kamide Kei
Published: January 2023

Background
With the aging of the population, it is becoming increasingly important to maintain adequate lipid levels to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In older populations, the association between CVD and lipids is controversial. We investigated the association between lipid levels and CVD onset in a community-dwelling older population.
Methods
The longitudinal study included 1,432 older and oldest-old people. The survey site assessed interviews on medical history and casual blood testing. Participants were divided into two age groups: a 70-yr group and an 80 & 90-yr group, and lipid levels and CVD onset/recurrence were examined in each group. The incidence of cerebral infarction, transient ischemic attack, ischemic heart disease, or bypass/catheter surgery for heart diseases was defined as atherosclerotic CVD. Associations were analyzed using multiple logistic regression to control for sex, age, body mass index, smoking history, drinking history, anti-dyslipidemia medications, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus
Results
There were 45 onsets of CVD during a three-year follow-up. There was a strong association between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) < 40 mg/dL and CVD (OR = 5.61, 95% CI [2.04–15.44] in the 70-yr group, OR = 3.85, 95% CI [1.29–11.43] in the 80 & 90-yr group). There was a correlation between triglyceride (TG) ≥ 150 mg/dL and CVD in the 80 & 90-yr group (OR = 3.09, 95% CI [1.25–7.62]) but not in the 70-yr group. There was no significant correlation between low-density lipoprotein (LDL) ≥ 140 mg/dL and CVD in either age group.
Conclusion
A low level of HDL, defined as < 40 mg/dL, and high TG, defined as ≥ 150 mg/dL, were associated with onsets of CVD in community-dwelling older people. On the other hand, high LDL, defined as ≥ 140 mg/dL, indicated no association with CVD in older people. These results suggest that low HDL and high TG may be crucial residual risks for CVD onset in older populations.