bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A palynomorph ecological model for the Late Paleozoic successions of Indian coal deposits with special emphasis on Godavari Valley Coalfield: Conception and configuration
Authors: Aggarwal Neha
Published: September 2022

Based on the distribution of the vegetation and integration of the megafloral, palynological and micropalaeobotanical pieces of information, a palaeocommunity model is designed that may allow the detailed interpretations of the quantitative palynomorphs distribution patterns in the Permian (Asselian-Changhsingian) succession of the Indian coal deposits in terms of the variable palaeoenvironments with fluctuating water levels. The conceptual model is based on the identification of the Palynomorphs Ecogroups (PEGs) that reflect broad co-existing plant communities, adverse climatic, floodplain-swamp, lake/pond, stress-tolerant, swamp-floodplain, swamp-marsh, unknown affinity, upland and wide habitat PEGs. In successive palynological assemblages, shifts in the predominance and the sun-dominance of PEGs are thought to be the indicator of the water level fluctuations. Palaeoclimatic shifts may be predicted through significant fluctuations within the quantitative compositions of the individual PEGs.
Changes in Paraspinal Muscles after PLIF versus Percutaneous Endoscopic Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PE-TLIF) in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A One-Year Prospective Study
Authors: Pang Daming , Yang Jincai , Yin Peng , Hai Yong , Fan Zhexuan , Gao Haifeng
Published: September 2022

Background
Compared to PLIF, the advantages of PE-TLIF are its greater preservation of the posterior components of the lumbar spine and its reduction of damage to the paraspinal muscles. However, the full extent of postoperative paraspinal muscle changes after damage by PE-TLIF has remained largely unknown. This is the first study to compare the changes in paraspinal muscles between PLIF and PE-TLIF directly using CT and clinical effects.
Methods
This study included 52 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis who were treated at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital between January, 2020 and January, 2021. Among them, 22 patients received PLIF, and 30 received PE-TLIF. Outcome metrics including the ODI, VAS-LBP, and VAS-LP at pre-surgery and 1-week, 6-months, and 12-months post-surgery were used to evaluate the clinical effects of both procedures. Additionally, radiographic metrics including the MF FCSA, FI rate, and muscle density were used to evaluate changes in patients’ MF muscles.
Results
The PE-TLIF group has better performance on the VAS-back pain scale at the 1-day follow-up (PE-TLIF: 3.25 vs. PLIF: 4.32, P = 0.003) and 1-week follow-up (PE-TLIF: 2.53 vs. PLIF: 3.61, P༜0.001). At 6 months after surgery, there was no statistical difference in MF FCAS, FI rate, or CT density between the PLIF and PE-TLIF groups. There was also no statistically significant atrophy of the MF FCSA in both groups at the last (12-month) follow-up (PE-TLIF: 506.5 (488.0,535.0) mm2; PLIF: 512.0 (485.3,564.5) mm2, P༞0.05). At the 12-month follow-up, the FI rate in the MF muscles in the PLIF group was higher than that in the PE-TLIF group (PE-TLIF: 3.0 (2.8,3.0); PLIF:3.0 (3.0,4.0), P༜0.05), and the same result was also observed in CT density (PE-TLIF: 34.2 (31.8,36.9) Hu; PLIF: 30.5 (28.5,32.1) Hu, P < 0.05).
Conclusion
PE-TLIF can achieve satisfactory clinical results. After 12 months post-surgery, we observed no excess MF atrophy in the PE-TLIF group compared to the PLIF group, and the FI rate and muscle density of the MF in the PE-TLIF group were better than those in the PLIF group.
An interval aerobic training intervention on Heart rate variability and the selected biochemical factors in boys with type 1 diabetes
Authors: Saki Hossein , Nazem Farzad , Fariba Farnaz
Published: September 2022

Objective: The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of interval aerobic (INTA) exercise training on heart rate variability (HRV), blood glucose, and plasma biomarkers levels in type 1 diabetic (T1D) adolescents.
Research design and methods: boys (12–18 years) were divided into three groups: health control (HC, n = 12), diabetic control (DC, n = 12) and diabetic training (DT, n = 12). Anthropometric, HRV (24 hours), biochemical parameters, blood glucose, and aerobic capacity (VO2peak) were evaluated at the baseline and end of 12-wk of the exercise training program.
Results: HRV, glycemic index, VO2peak, NEP, HDL-C indicated significant differences between the T1D groups with HC group at baseline condition (p < 0.001). Although, BMI, LDL-C, TC, and TG parameters were homogeneous in all groups. Meanwhile, HRV parameters, VO2peak and HDL-C, and NEP were significantly increased after exercise intervention. HbA1c, and blood glucose, levels were notably reduced after an INTA intervention (p > 0.001).
Conclusion: The present study revealed the necessity of early screening for CVD risk factors in T1D adolescents. Also, it was revealed INTA training compared to other training patterns, and cardiovascular health improves via enhancement of autonomic modulation, VO2peak, Fat profile, and catecholamine levels.
Optimization of ATAC-seq in wheat seedling roots using INTACT-isolated nuclei
Authors: Debernardi Juan Manuel , Burguener German , Bubb Kerry , Liu Qiujie , Queitsch Christine , Dubcovsky Jorge
Published: September 2022

Background:
The genetic information contained in the genome of an organism is organized in genes and regulatory elements that control gene expression. The genomes of multiple plants species have already been sequenced and the gene repertory have been annotated, however, cis-regulatory elements remain less characterized, limiting our understanding of genome functionality. These elements act as open platforms for recruiting both positive- and negative-acting transcription factors, and as such, chromatin accessibility is an important signature for their identification.
Results:
In this work we developed a transgenic INTACT [isolation of nuclei tagged in specific cell types] system in tetraploid wheat for nuclei purifications. Then, we combined the INTACT system together with the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing [ATAC-seq] to identify open chromatin regions in wheat root tip samples. Our ATAC-seq results showed a large enrichment of open chromatin regions in intergenic and promoter regions, which is expected for regulatory elements and that is similar to ATAC-seq results obtained in other plant species. In addition, root ATAC-seq peaks showed a significant overlap with a previously published ATAC-seq data from wheat leaf protoplast, indicating a high reproducibility between the two experiments and a large overlap between open chromatin regions in root and leaf tissues. Importantly, we observed overlap between ATAC-seq peaks and cis-regulatory elements that have been functionally validated in wheat, and a good correlation between normalized accessibility and gene expression levels.
Conclusions:
We have developed and validated an INTACT system in tetraploid wheat that allows rapid and high-quality nuclei purification from root tips. Those nuclei were successfully used to performed ATAC-seq experiments that revealed open chromatin regions in the wheat genome that will be useful to identify cis-regulatory elements. The INTACT system presented here will facilitate the development of ATAC-seq datasets in other tissues and growth stages to generate a more complete landscape of the accessible DNA regions in the wheat genome.
AgMYB5, an MYB transcription factor from celery, enhanced β- carotene synthesis and promoted drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis
Authors: Sun Miao , Xu Qin-Yi , Zhu Zhi-Peng , Liu Pei-Zhuo , Yu Jian-Xiang , Guo Yao-Xian , Tang Shu , Yu Zhi-Fang , Xiong Ai-Sheng
Published: September 2022

Background
Water shortage caused by global warming seriously affects the yield and quality of vegetable crop. β-carotene, the lipid-soluble natural product with important pharmacological value, is abundant in celery. Transcription factor MYB family extensively disperses in plants and plays regulatory roles in carotenoid metabolism and water scarcity response.
Results
Here, AgMYB5 gene encoding 196 amino acids was amplified from celery cv. ‘Jinnanshiqin’. In celery, the expression of AgMYB5 exhibited transactivation activity, tissue specificity, and drought-condition responsiveness. Further analysis proved that ectopic expression of the AgMYB5 increased β-carotene content and promoted drought resistance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana. Moreover, AgMYB5 expression promoted β-carotene biosynthesis by triggering the expression of AtCRTISO and AtLCYB, which in turn increased antioxidant enzyme activities, and led to the decreased contents of H2O2 and MDA, and the inhibition of O2− generation. Meanwhile, β-carotene accumulation promoted endogenous ABA biosynthesis of the transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpression AgMYB5 gene, which resulted in ABA-induced stomatal closing and delayed water loss rate. In addition, ectopic expression of AgMYB5 increased expression levels of AtERD1, AtP5CS1, AtRD22, and AtRD29.
Conclusions
The findings indicated that AgMYB5 up-regulated β-carotene biosynthesis and drought resistance of Arabidopsis.
Early versus late body condition score loss in dairy cows: Reproductive performance
Authors: Pfeifer Luiz , de Lima Rhuan Amorim , Nakashima Sidnei , Silva Jackeline Thaís da , Schmitt Eduardo
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to compare milk production and reproductive performance in high yield Holstein cows that lose BCS early and late in the postpartum period. Lactating dairy cows (n = 76) were received first timed AI at 60 to 75 DIM using the farm-managed estradiol-progesterone-GnRH based timed AI protocol. The BCS of all cows was daily evaluated by automated BCS cameras. Aiming to evaluate the effect of the days in milk (DIM) in which a cow reached the nadir BCS on the reproductive parameters, cows were separated into two groups: Early BCS loss (n = 42), cows that reached the nadir BCS ≤ 34 DIM, and Late BCS loss (n = 34), cows that reached the nadir BCS > 34 DIM. The optimal cut-off point for determining the relationship between days to nadir BCS and pregnancy by 150 DIM (P150) was calculated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. From the ROC analysis the cut-off was 34 DIM (Se, 80.9%; Sp, 66.7%; AUC, 0.74; P < 0.01). No differences (P>0.05) were detected between groups on the BCS and milk production. The average of milk production in both groups was 46.65 ± 6.15 Kg/day. Cows that reached the nadir BCS Early postpartum presented lower (P < 0.01) calving interval, and greater (P < 0.01) pregnancy at first AI and P150. In summary, cows that lost BCS early had better reproductive performance and had similar milk yield compared with cows that lost BCS late in the postpartum period.
Prognostic significance of Inflammatory and Nutritional Markers in Perioperative Period for Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer
Authors: Zhang Ruolan , Hu Can , Zhang Jiaqing , Zhang Yanqiang , Li Yuan , Yu Pengcheng , Wang Yi , Bao Zhehan , Cao Mengxuan , Ruan Rongwei , Cheng Xiangdong , Xu Zhiyuan
Published: September 2022

Background:
It has been reported that inflammatory and nutritional markers are related to prognosis in numerous malignancies. The present study analyzed the significance of these markers’ alterations during neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the long-term outcomes in patients with advanced gastric cancer.
Methods:
A retrospective review was performed of 437 advanced gastric cancer patients who underwent a neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) regimen followed by surgical treatment. Blood samples for inflammatory and nutritional markers were collected from the patients before the first neoadjuvant chemotherapy and after the last neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Statistical analysis, including MannWhitney U or chisquare tests, the KaplanMeier method and Cox multivariate analysis, were performed to analyze the predictive value of these markers for overall survival outcomes (OS).
Results:
Most biomarkers, including lymphocyte, leucocyte, neutrophil, monocyte, platelet, LMR, PLR, SII, CRP, CAR, hemoglobulin and albumin levels, changed during NACT (P < 0.05). After separately grouping the patients according to the normal range of hematologic indexes and the change rate (α) of systemic inflammatory and nutritional markers by the cutoff value derived from X-tile (P < 0.05), we found that differentiation, TRG, pre-NACT BMI, pre-NACT platelet counts, post-NACT lymphocyte counts, the change in lymphocyte counts, change in platelet counts and LMR(α), PLR(α), SII(α), and CAR(α) were associated with OS. Multivariate analysis revealed that PLR (α) > -19% was correlated with a 3.193-fold (95% CI: 2.194–4.649) higher risk of death (P < 0.001) than others.
Conclusion:
NACT could significantly change several inflammatory and nutritional markers in the perioperative period; the platelet counts before NACT, and the change in lymphocytes during NACT truly correlated with long-term outcomes among patients with advanced gastric cancer. The systemic inflammatory marker PLR may be a reliable marker for the prediction of prognosis.
Design and numerical analysis of large negative dispersion and ultra-high nonlinearity CS 2 -core LCPCF
Authors: Feng Yongkang , Jiang Shubo , Feng Chun
Published: September 2022

Through filling CS2 into the core, a liquid-core photonic crystal fiber(LCPCF) with a fully circular air hole structure was designed The finite element method(FEM) and numerical analysis are combined to simulate the structure and optimize the parameters of the fiber. When λ = 1550 nm, the geometric optimal parameters are Ʌ = 0.75 μm, d1/Ʌ = 0.86, d2/Ʌ = 0.96, and d3/Ʌ = 0.20. Meanwhile, the LCPCF can achieve a large negative dispersion of -2697.06 ps/nm/km and a high nonlinearity of 50677.77 W-1km-1. The numerical aperture and light acceptance are 0.674 and 65.37%, respectively. By comparison, we believe that this LCPCF has obvious advantages in optical communication compensation and supercontinuum generation.
The Epidemiological Characteristics of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia in Neurosurgery: A Ten-year Surveillance Study in A Large Chinese Tertiary Hospital
Authors: Yu Zheng-Hao , Li Xin-Lou , Lv Cheng-Long , Tian Yao , Suo Ji-Jiang , Yan Zhong-Qiang , Bai Yan-Ling , Liu Bo-Wei , Fang Li-Qun , Du Ming-mei , Yao Hong-Wu , Liu Yun-Xi
Published: September 2022

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a significant and common health concern, and epidemiological landscape of VAP is poorly understood in neurosurgery. The current study aimed to explore the epidemiology of VAP in neurosurgery with the goal of devising better-targeted surveillance, treatment and control efforts.
Methods: A ten-year retrospective study was performed in a large Chinese tertiary hospital, and we collected surveillance data on neurosurgical patients with VAP and used descriptive analysis to map the demographic and clinical characteristics of VAP as well as the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of leading pathogens. Risk factors associated with the presence of VAP were explored using boosted regression tree (BRT) models.
Results: During 2011-2020, a total of 310 VAP patients were identified. The ten-year incidence of VAP was 16.21 per 1000 ventilation days with all-cause mortality rate of 6.1%. The proportions of gram-negative bacteria, fungi and gram-positive bacteria in 357 isolates from 310 VAP patients were 86.0%, 7.6% and 6.4%, and most of them were multidrug-resistant organisms. Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most common pathogens causing VAP, and high detection rates of CRAB, CRPA and CRKP with an upward trend were observed. The BRT modes revealed that there were various associations of VAP presence with the days of ventilator use (relative contribution: 47.84 ± 7.25), GCS score (relative contribution: 24.72 ± 5.67), and tracheotomy (relative contribution: 21.50 ± 2.69), respectively.
Conclusions: Our findings provide a better understanding of epidemiological characteristics and risk factors for VAP in neurosurgery.
Dynamic Allocation of 5G Network Resources using Game Theory
Authors: Bamdad Mostafa , jamali Shahram , Fotohi Reza
Published: September 2022

Standardization of "Network Slice", which is an important part of resource allocation among innovations emerging in 5G networks, is considered a vital and important issue in the research community. The network slice to support one or more specific services is modified and changed according to the needs of that service. These slices provide an efficient basis for dividing the infrastructure between different entities, each of which has a slice. In this research, a proposed method for allocation of cache storage resources with a network Slicing scenario in the core network of the fifth generation of communications using game theory and specifically the bankruptcy game in order to improve the quality of the end user's experience has been presented. Game theory is a field of applied mathematics that is developed in the context of economics and studies strategic behavior between rational agents. In general, the Shapley method has improved by 5% in the user satisfaction index compared to the proportional allocation method. In the fairness index, Shapley's allocation method and proportional allocation method have both improved by 27% compared to the minimum-maximum method. In the fairness index of the quality of experience, Shapley's method and proportional allocation method are equal. Shepley's method and proportional allocation compared to the minimum-maximum method have improved 4% in the fairness index of experience quality. The results clearly show the fairness of the Shapley allocation method and proportional allocation, and in some aspects, these two have been different from each other, which has been discussed in detail. End-to-end multi-resource allocation using the bankruptcy game can be mentioned for future work in the existing field.
Study on the Influence of Hydration Process Optimization on Concrete Humidity Field
Authors: wang yu , wang weikai , guo yuhang
Published: September 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Second language learning at school enhances Theory of Mind skills
Authors: Agostini Valeria , Apperly Ian , Krott Andrea
Published: September 2022

Early learning of a second language at home has been found to be beneficial for children’s cognitive development, including their ability to ascribe mental states to others, also called Theory of Mind. We investigated whether later second language learning in an educational setting can accelerate children’s Theory of Mind development and whether the amount of exposure to second language education makes a difference. We tested three groups of monolingual four-five year old children with varying language exposure at the beginning of their first year at primary school and 24 weeks later. Children attending bilingual schools and children with weekly short second language lessons exhibited very similar accelerated Theory of Mind development compared to children without any second language provision. Theory of Mind advances were not related to other cognitive advances. Thus, limited foreign language teaching can boost young children’s social cognitive development, providing an enhanced basis for their social competence development.
Introgression of Agropyron cristatum genes to counteract the negative relationship between grain number and grain weight of wheat
Authors: Lin Yida , Zhou Shenghui , Liang Xuezhong , Han Bing , Yang Junli , Guo Baojin , Zhang Jingpeng , Han Haiming , Liu Weihua , Yang Xinming , Li Xiuquan , Li Lihui
Published: September 2022

Agropyron cristatum (2n = 4X = 28, PPPP), which harbour many high-yield and disease-resistance genes, is a promising donor for wheat improvement. Narrow genetic diversity and the trade-off between grain weight and grain number have become bottlenecks for increasing grain yield. In this study, WAT650l, a new translocation line was generated via radiation (60Co-γ rays)-based mutation induction of chromosome 6P addition line 4844-12. Cytological analysis and molecular marker analysis revealed that WAT650l was a 6PL (bin ~ 12–17)·5BS-5BL translocation line. Assessment of agronomic traits and analysis of the BC4F2 and BC5F2 populations suggested that the 6PL terminal chromosome segment in WAT650l resulted in increased flag leaf length, plant height (PH), spikelet number per spike (SNS), kernel number per spikelet (KNS), grain number per spike (GNS) (average increased by 14.07 grains) and thousand-grain weight (TGW) (average increased by 4.31 g) during the growing seasons of 2020–2021 and 2021–2022. Additionally, the increased GNS locus and high-TGW locus of WAT650l were mapped to 6PL (16–17) and 6PL (12–13), respectively, by genetic population analysis of three translocation lines. In summary, by using high-yield genes of A. cristatum and overcoming the negative relationship between GNS and TGW associated with wheat breeding, we provide a valuable germplasm resource for broadening the genetic base of wheat.
Dietary bamboo leaf flavonoids improve quality and microstructure of broiler meat by changing untargeted metabolome
Authors: Cao Guangtian , Wang Huixian , Yu Yang , Tao Fei , Yang Huijuan , Yang Shenglan , Qian Ye , Li Hui , Yang Caimei
Published: September 2022

Background
Dietary bamboo leaf flavonoids (BLFs) are rarely used in poultry production, and it is unknown whether they influence meat texture profile, perceived color, or microstructure.
Results
A total of 720 one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were supplemented with a basal diet with 20 mg bacitracin/kg, 50 mg BLFs/kg, or 250 mg BLFs/kg or without additions. Data showed that the dietary BLFs significantly (p < 0.05) changed growth performance and the texture profile. In particular, BLFs increased birds’ average daily gain and average daily feed intake, decreased the feed:gain ratio and mortality rate, improved elasticity of breast meat, enhanced the gumminess of breast and leg meat, and decreased the hardness of breast meat. Moreover, a significant (p < 0.05) increase in redness (a*) and chroma (c*) of breast meat and c* and water-holding capacity of leg meat was found in BLF-supplemented broilers compared with control broilers. In addition, BLF supplementation significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the β-sheet ratio and serum malondialdehyde and increased the β-turn ratio of protein secondary structure, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase of breast meat and total antioxidant capacity and catalase of serum. Based on the analysis of untargeted metabolome, BLF treatment considerably altered 14 metabolites of the breast meat, including flavonoids, amino acids, and organic acids, as well as phenolic and aromatic compounds.
Conclusions
Dietary BLF supplementation could play a beneficial role in improving meat quality and sensory color in the poultry industry by changing protein secondary structures and modulating metabolites.
Laparoscopy-assisted trans gastric wedge resection: A safe treatment for gastric pyloric liposarcoma: a case report and literature review
Authors: Paredes Oscar , Eom Sang Soo , Park Sin Hye , Kim Young-Woo
Published: September 2022

Background
Gastric liposarcoma (GL) is extremely rare and radical surgery has been the conventional treatment, even in small tumors. Laparoscopic wedge resection has been reported worldwide forsubepithelial tumors of the stomach.
Case Presentation
The patient was an asymptomatic 63-year-old man presenting with a subepithelial gastric tumor. The esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a 3 cm ulcerated soft tumor located in the posterior wall of the antrum just above the pylorus. Two preoperative biopsies were performed with a negative result for malignant neoplasm. Dynamic computerized tomography revealed 35x35mm well-defined pyloric mass with fat density. Despite the difficult location of the tumor, parenchyma-sparing surgery was performed. Surgery was initiated by a laparoscopic approach with four trocars. After the dissection of the greater omentum, the greater curvature and the posterior wall of the stomach were exposed. A gastrostomy was performed in the anterior wall of the antrum. Due to the difficulty in identifying the tumor location, a mini-laparotomy was conducted. After assessing the pylorus and section parameters, the tumor was extracted by gastrostomy and resected with a linear stapler. The patient was discharged after five days with no complications. The histological diagnosis was a well-differentiated liposarcoma. Resection margins were clear. The tumor cells tested negative for MDM2. No adjuvant therapy was indicated. The patient is alive without recurrence.
Conclusions
Despite its rarity, gastric liposarcoma should be respected for differential diagnosis. Minimally invasive wedge resection might be a suitable treatment even if the location is close to the pylorus.
Characterization and In-vitro Investigation of Tridax Procumbens Blended PVA Thin Membrane for Wound-Dressing Applications
Authors: Ayyanar C. Balaji , Gayathri B. , Rangappa Sanjay Mavinkere , Siengchin Suchart
Published: September 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
IGH rod-like tracer: An AlphaFold2 structural similarity extraction-based predictive biomarker for minimal residual disease monitoring in children with precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Zhuo Zhongling , Wang Qingchen , Li Chang , Zhang Lili , Zhang Lanxin , You Ran , Gong Yan , Hua Ying , Miao Linzi , Bai Jiefei , Zhang Chunli , Feng Ru , Chen Meng , Su Fei , Qu Chenxue , Xiao Fei
Published: September 2022

Sequence variation resulting from the evolution of IGH clones and immunophenotypic drift makes it difficult to track abnormal B cells in children with precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-B-ALL) by flow cytometry, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), or next-generation sequencing (NGS). This study aimed to identify immunoglobulin heavy-chain genes (IGH) rod-like tracer as an effective biomarker for dynamic minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring in children with pre-B-ALL. The V-(D)-J regions of immunoglobulin and T cell receptor of 47 pre-B-ALL samples were sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq platform. The complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) sequences (proportion > 5%) were identified, the IGH rod-like tracer consensus sequence was extracted based on its rod-like alpha-helices structural similarity predicted by AlphaFold2. Additional data from published 203 pre-B-ALL samples were applied for validation. NGS-IGH (+) patients with pre-B-ALL had a poor prognosis. Consistent CDR3 coded protein structures in NGS-IGH (+) samples could be extracted as a potential follow-up marker for children with pre-B-ALL during treatment. IGH rod-like tracer from quantitative immune repertoire sequencing may serve as a new class of biomarker with significant predictive values for the dynamic monitoring of MRD in children with pre-B-ALL.
Time-magnitude correlations and time variation of the Gutenberg-Richter
parameter in foreshock sequences
Authors: Apostol Bogdan Felix , Cune Liviu Cristian
Published: September 2022

The time dependence of the parameter of the Gutenberg-Richter (GR)
magnitude distribution is computed for foreshock sequences of earthquakes,
correlated with the main shock, by using the geometric-growth model
of earthquake focus, the magnitude distribution of correlated earthquakes
and the time-magnitude correlations, derived recently. It is shown
that this parameter decreases in time in the foreshock sequence, from
the background values down to the main shock. If correlations are
present, this time dependence and the time-magnitude correlations
provide a tool of monitoring the foreshock seismic activity. We discuss
the relevance of such an analysis for the occurrence moment and the
magnitude of a main shock. The discussion is applied to a few Vrancea
main shocks and the precursory seismic activity of the l'Aquila earthquake.
The limitations of such an analysis are discussed.
Prenatal and childhood chlordecone exposure, intellectual abilities and problem behaviors in 7-year-old children: the TIMOUN mother-child cohort in Guadeloupe
Authors: Oulhote Youssef , Rouget Florence , Michineau Léah , Monfort Christine , Desrochers-Couture Mireille , Thomé Jean-Pierre , Kadhel Philippe , Multigner Luc , Cordier Sylvaine , Muckle Gina
Published: September 2022

Background:Chlordecone is a highly persistent organochlorine insecticide that was intensively used in banana fields in the French West Indies, therefore resulting in a widespread contamination of soils, water sources and foodstuff. Neurotoxicity of acute exposures in adults is well recognized, and empirical data suggests that prenatal exposure affects visual recognition memory and fine motor development during infancy, and visual contrast sensitivity at school age, with greater susceptibility in boys.
Objective:To assess the associations between pre- and postnatal exposures to chlordecone and intellectual and behavioral functions in school-aged children from Guadeloupe.
Methods:We examined 576 children from the TIMOUN mother-child cohort in Guadeloupe at 7 years of age. Concentrations of chlordecone and other environmental contaminants were measured in cord- and children’s blood at age 7 years. Intellectual abilities of children were assessed with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV), and externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors documented with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) completed by the child’s mother. We estimated covariate-adjusted associations between cord- and 7-years chlordecone concentrations and child outcomes using structural equations modeling, and tested effect modification by sex.
Results: Blood chlordecone concentrations were 0.13 µg/L in cord blood and 0.06 µg/L in children’s blood at age 7 years (geometric means [GM]). A twofold increase in cord blood concentrations was associated with 0.05 standard deviation (SD) (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.0, 0.10) higher internalizing problem scores, whereas 7-years chlordecone concentrations were associated with lower Full-Scale IQ scores (FSIQ) and greater externalized behavioral problem scores. A twofold increase in 7-year chlordecone concentrations was associated with a decrease of 0.67 point (95% CI: -1.13, -0.22) on FSIQ and an increase of 0.04 SD (95% CI: 0.0, 0.07) on externalizing problems. These associations with intellectual abilities were driven by decreases in perceptive reasoning, working memory and verbal comprehension. In sex-stratified analyses, associations between 7-year exposure and perceptive reasoning, working memory, and the FSIQ were stronger in boys, whereas cord blood and child blood associations with internalizing problems were stronger in girls.
Conclusions: These results suggests that intellectual abilities and externalizing behavior problems at school age are impaired by childhood, but not in utero, exposure to chlordecone, and that prenatal exposure is related to greater internalizing behavioral problems. The persistence of these effects at later age remains to be elucidated.
In silico process modeling of effect of MoTe2 as hole transport layer in CuSbS2 absorber based solar cells using SCAPS-1D software
Authors: Ghosh Chandrama , Ghosh Probir Kumar
Published: September 2022

Copper antimony sulphide (CuSbS2) is a suitable material for construction of solar cells as an absorber, since it increases absorption of solar radiation in cells, and hence energy generation. Another material, MoTe2, which acts as a hole transport layer (HTL) is also preferred for solar cells design. MoTe2 HTL provides an addition back surface field that increases the collection of holes at back contact, thus facilitating generation of photonic energy. The presented research involves an in-silico examination of their tandem effect in solar energy generation, using the simulation software SCAPS-1D. Results reveal that in the MoTe2 HTL solar cells having 2500 nm thickness of CuSbS2 absorber layer, the maximum power conversion efficiency achieved was 30.4%, at a bandgap of 1.4 eV. The effects of energy bandgap and thickness of CuSbS2 absorber layer on performance parameters of solar cells containing short-circuit current (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), and fill factor (FF) were also studied. Further, effect of operating temperature was also examined to analyse feasibility on outdoor installation of the designed solar cell.
Seismic Ground Motion Alerts for Mines
Authors: Mendecki Aleksander J.
Published: September 2022

One of the objectives of seismic monitoring in mines is to detectstrong and unexpected changes in the spatial and/or temporal behaviourof seismic parameters that could lead to rock mass instability and affect working places immediately or in the short term. Wepresent an influence based polygon-less method of detecting such conditions, taking into account the influence of ground motion generated by all available seismic events, regardless of their location, on a particular working place. The measures of influence are the peak ground velocity, PGV, and the cumulative absolute displacement, CAD, since their influencesare moderated by the distance from the seismic source to the place of potential exposure. Both CAD and PGV are calculated for each point of interest from the ground motion prediction equation, GMPE, developed for a given mine. The CAD becomes CAID, i.e. cumulative absolute inelastic deformation, if the co-seismic strain, PGV/νS , exceeds the elastic threshold, e.g. 10-6 for hard rock. Alerts and Alarms are triggered if the rates of CAID and/or its activity, ACAID, exceed predefined reference levels. Since they have different units, we normalise each by its reference level and at each time step select the one which is greater and call it the GMAP rating. All points that at a given time trigger an Alert define the exclusion zone and are monitored as time progresses.
Passive Acoustic Monitoring application to evaluate the vocal behavior of wild howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans)
Authors: Paula Bruna Campos , Pinter Adriano , Padovese Linilson
Published: September 2022

Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) provides the way to feature the status, presence and trends of species’ distribution in different landscapes, under different environmental conditions. The howler monkeys are known for investing a long time and energy in the vocal type known as roar, an important vocal type for intra- and inter-group dynamics. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the detection, distribution and vocal behavior of wild howler monkeys based on the PAM methodology due to the need of having a fast and effective method to evaluate this species’ population presence and status given the successive yellow fever outbreaks lethally affecting it. The study was carried out at Fontes do Ipiranga State Park, Southeastern São Paulo City, Brazil. The evaluation of howler monkeys roar vocal behavior’s temporal pattern was carried out by taking into consideration the number of roaring events counted based on time. Vocalization occurrences observed between stations were compared to express the roaring events on an hourly basis. In total, 1,531 hours of recordings were analyzed and it allowed detecting roars in all PAM stations. The number of roaring events ranged from 71 to 142 per station. The present study has shown the useful application of PAM to accurately detect the presence of howler monkey groups based on vocal behavior. Furthermore, this method helps assessing groups’ distribution and daily occurrence, besides giving tips about how they are distributed in the area based on their handling ability.
Ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid-liquid followed high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of Silychristin, Silydianin, Silybin, Silybin B, Isosilybin A, Isosilybin B in silbbum marianum seed
Authors: Sun Peng , Wang Chao , Zhang Xiaolin , Liang Ting
Published: September 2022

A novel pretreatment method ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid-liquid followed high-performance liquid chromatography was established and applied in the analysis of Silychristin, Silydianin, Silybin ,Silybin B, Isosilybin A, Isosilybin B in silbbum marianum. The critical parameters affecting dispersive liquid-liquid micro-extraction (DLLME), including selection of dispersive solvent and extraction solvent, volume of dispersive solvent and extraction solvent, adjustment of pH, salt concentration, extraction time, were investigated by single factor study. Under optimum conditions, all of the target analytes presented good linearity (r > 0.9991) and satisfied recoveries (Recoveries > 89.5%, relative standard deviation (RSD) < 4.6%). The limits of detection and quantification were 0.16 to 0.74 ng kg− 1 and 0.42 to 2.52 ng kg− 1, respectively. The developed method is sensitive, rapid, accurate and employable to simultaneously determine six target compounds in silbbum marianum.
Optimal frequency-response corrections for eddy covariance flux measurements using the Wiener deconvolution method
Authors: Emad Anas
Published: September 2022

We describe a new direct correction approach to accurately restore frequency attenuated eddy covariance (EC) measurements. The new approach utilizes the Wiener deconvolution method to optimally estimate the original signal from noisy atmospheric measurements. Key features over conventional EC spectral correction methods includei) the use of physics-based response functions, ii) the ability to account for the non-linear phase contributions, and iii) the direct restoration of the original signal rather than simulating the effect on an ideal spectrum. The new correction approach is compared to conventional spectral correction methods in a numerical simulation where the magnitude of the key limitations of conventional methods is explored under conditions relevant to common EC set-ups. The simulation results showed that the spectral correction methods commonly used for calculating EC fluxes introduced systematic error up to 10\% to the restored fluxes and substantially increased their random uncertainty. The errors are attributed to the effect of using inappropriate response functions, failing to account for the contribution of the non-linear phase, and due to the assumption of spectral similarity on the scale of averaging intervals. The Wiener deconvolution method is versatile, can be applied under non-ideal conditions, and provides an opportunity to unify analytical and "in-situ" spectral correction methods by applying existing transfer functions to directly restore attenuated spectra. Furthermore, the Wiener deconvolution approach can be comfortably used with other micrometeorological measurement techniques such as eddy accumulation and flux profile measurements.
Sperm quality and fertility of Murrah and Nili-Ravi bulls compared with indigenous buffalo bulls in Bangladesh
Authors: MIRAZ MD FAIZUL HOSSAIN , Hossain SMJ , Akter Shahrina , Deb Gautam Kumar
Published: September 2022

Fresh and frozen semen quality of Murrah and Nili-Ravi bulls in comparison with indigenous buffalo bulls was evaluated by Computer Assisted Sperm Analyzer (CASA). Semen was collected regularly once a week semen collection schedule from six (two/group) buffalo bulls. Fresh semen was evaluated for sperm concentration, motility, sperm kinematics, morphology and dose/ejaculate. Semen was diluted in a commercial extender (AndroMed), equilibrated, cryopreserved and finally evaluated for post-thaw sperm quality. On-station Artificial Insemination (AI) was carried out in naturally estrus indigenous buffalo cows at their second or third parity. Semen volume and concentration did not vary significantly (p>0.05). In fresh semen, total, static and slow motility differed significantly among the groups (p<0.01). After cryopreservation, total, progressive and static motility shows significant differences (p<0.01) among the groups followed by Indigenous, Murrah and Nili-Ravi. Indigenous buffalo bull has less morphological abnormalities than Murrah and Nili-Ravi bulls (p<0.01). In fresh semen, VAP, VSL, STR, LIN and BCF differ significantly among the groups (p<0.05) with higher values in indigenous bull followed by Nili-Ravi and Murrah. In frozen semen, STR, LIN, ALH and WOB differ significantly (p<0.01) among the groups. Fertility did not vary significantly among the groups following 60 days post-AI. Irrespective of differences in fresh and frozen semen quality, all bulls from the three groups are suitable for AI with a considerable conception rate at least in on-station conditions. More dose/ejaculate can be produced from Murrah bulls (316.53±131.65) followed by Nili-Ravi (297.33±95.79) and Indigenous bulls (294.64±152.14). Murrah and Nili-Ravi breed can be used as similar efficiency of the indigenous bull for AI to increase the productivity of indigenous buffalo of Bangladesh.
An eigen decomposition based closed-form solution for the Discrete Lyapunov and Stein Equations
Authors: Patel Aaqib , Khan Mohammed Zafar Ali
Published: September 2022

A simple closed-form solution to the discrete Lyapunov equation(DLE) is established for certain families of matrices. This solution isexpressed in terms of the eigen decomposition (ED) for which closed-form solutions are known for all 2 × 2, 3 × 3 and certain familiesof matrices. For general matrices, the proposed ED based closed-formsolution can be used as an efficient numerical solution when the EDcan be computed. The result is then extended to give closed-formsolutions for a generalization of the DLE, called the Stein equation. The proposed explicit solution’s complexity is of the same order asiterative solutions and significantly smaller than known closed-formsolutions. These solutions may prove convenient for analysis and syn-thesis problems related to these equations due to their compact form.
Detection of DDoS attack in SDN network using Entropy in Pox controller
Authors: Shetty Anuj
Published: September 2022

Software-defined networking architectural is a sim- plified framework which reduces the work of the net- work administrators by differentiating the data plane from the control plane. An easy to configure network is made possible with this architecture by providing a programmable interface for applications related to management, security and control over the entire net- work is more easily achieved through centralized con- trollers that have complete network visibility. As a result of these advantages, software-defined networks are susceptible to attacks with much greater impact than traditional ones.
Multichannel Matrix Randomized Autoencoder
Authors: Zhang Shichen , Wang Tianlei , Cao Jiuwen
Published: September 2022

The existing randomized autoencoders (RAEs) are generally designed for vectorization data resulting in destroying the original structure information inevitably when dealing with multi-dimension data such as image and video. To address this issue, a one-side matrix randomized AE (OMRAE) is developed that takes the two-dimensional (2D) data as inputs directly by the linear mapping on one-side of inputs with matrix multiplication. For multichannel 2D (M2D) data, a multichannel OMRAE (OMMRAE) is proposed by training the output weights to rebuild each channel of inputs respectively. In this way, the structural information of each channel and the interaction between channels are explored. Then, a double-side structure using 2 OMMRAEs to simultaneously extracts the row and column structure information of M2D is developed. At last, a novel hierarchical matrix randomized neural networks is constructed for one-class classification (HMRNN-OC) where each layer passes information by bilinear mapping derived from DMMRAE. Experiments are conducted on 2 benchmark datasets for the effectiveness demonstration. Comparisons to several state-of-the-art AEs reveal that the proposed OMMRAE/DMMRAE can obtain better performance with a compact network size.
Prognostic Signature of Pyroptosis-Related LncRNA Correlates with Clinical and Immunological Characteristics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Xiao Junhao , Yuan Wei , Zhu Xuanjin , Yan Yong , Li Weitao , Wu Fan , Mao Benliang , Zhang Jiansong , Du Yongliang , Zhu Shanfei , Wang Bailin
Published: September 2022

Background Pyroptosis has dual effects and is involved in several malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). Pyroptosis can rapidly lead to tumor regression, and also can promote the development of the tumor microenvironment. Long non-coding RNA has recently been considered to be closely related to the development of several cancers. However, the clinical significance of pyroptosis-related lncRNA remains largely unexplored. Methods Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) dataset, We identified characteristic prognostic long non-coding RNAs by univariate, LASSO, and multifactorial regression analysis and constructed a prognostic signature of pyroptosis-related lncRNAs in HCC. The prognostic potential of the characteristic lncRNAs was evaluated in each of the two cohorts created by randomly dividing the TCGA cohort into a training cohort and a test cohort in a 1:1 ratio. Subsequently, immune profiles in defined subgroups of pyroptosis-related lncRNA features as well as drug sensitivity were analyzed. Results We constructed a multigene signature based on 7 characteristic prognostic lncRNAs and classified HCC patients into high-risk and low-risk groups based on the median value of the risk score. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curves area under the curve (AUC) values for 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival were 0.843, 0.752, and 0.766, respectively. Univariate and multifactorial regression analyses indicated that this prognostic feature was an independent prognostic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analysis showed that cell cycle, ubiquitin-mediated protein hydrolysis, pathways in cancer, NOTCH, and mTOR signaling pathways were significantly enriched in the high-risk group compared to the low-risk group. Moreover, there were significant differences in the expression of immune cell subpopulations, immune checkpoint genes, and potential drug screening that provided distinct therapeutic recommendations for individuals with various risks. The genes involved in new cell death (Copper-induced death), also differed significantly between the high- and low-risk groups. Conclusions In summary, our constructed prognostic signature of pyroptosis-related lncRNA showed significant predictive value for the prognosis of HCC patients, which provides insights for individualized immunotherapy.
Characterization of Cellulose Nanocrystalline (CNCs) Derived from Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) Synthesized Using Acid Hydrolysis Method
Authors: Whba Fathyah , Mohamed Faizal , Idris Mohd Idzat , Yahya Mohd Syukri
Published: September 2022

This paper documented the synthesis of cellulose nanocrystalline (CNCs) extracted from commercially-sourced microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) via acid hydrolysis and the subsequent characterization analyses of the yield. The hydrolysis process was completed using 64% sulphuric acid at 45°C for 1 hour. The yield exhibited prominent physicochemical properties. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis suggested that the crystallinity degree of the CNCs was 8.94% higher than MCC sample. Meanwhile, zeta potential (ζ) analysis showed that the CNCs sample possesses highly negative surface charges of 25.6±8.24 mV. Further investigation by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed the rod-like morphology of the CNCs sample with average diameter of 9.36±3.81nm and 83.84% crystallinity index. Whereas, via field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirmed considerable reduction in particle size and changes in surface morphology post-acid hydrolysis of the CNCs, with diameter of 7.65±2.56 nm. It is envisaged that the acid hydrolysis technique is promising in synthesizing CNCs of high crystallinity with smaller size for various possible applications, potentially as a contrast agent.