bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Refining the role of nitrogen mineralization in mycorrhizal nutrient syndromes
Authors: Seyfried Georgia , Midgley Meghan G. , Phillips Richard P. , Yang Wendy H.
Published: January 2023

Forest stands dominated by ectomycorrhizal (ECM) associated trees often have more closed nitrogen (N) cycling than stands dominated by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) associated trees, with slower N mineralization in ECM stands thought to suppress inorganic N cycling and N loss. However, most estimates of N mineralization come from measurements of net processes, which can lead to an incomplete view of ecosystem N retention and loss. Here, we measured gross N production and assimilation rates, net N flux rates, and potential N flux rates to test the following hypotheses: (1) net N mineralization rates mask patterns in gross N cycling; (2) ammonium supply does not limit nitrification in ECM soils; (3) N cycling processes downstream of nitrification are limited by nitrate availability. We observed greater gross N mineralization and microbial ammonium assimilation in ECM stands compared to AM stands, suggesting that increased microbial N demand drove lower net N mineralization rates in ECM stands. We found no effect of N addition on nitrification in ECM stands, suggesting that ammonium supply does not limit nitrification. Finally, potential denitrification rates and denitrification-derived nitrous oxide fluxes were lower in ECM stands compared to AM stands with no effect of N addition, suggesting that denitrification is controlled by the endogenous supply of nitrate from nitrification, not exogenous nitrate inputs. Overall, we conclude that acidic soil conditions in ECM stands suppress nitrification to create closed N cycling such that increasing AM dominance may lead to greater ecosystem N losses only when those shifts increase soil pH.
Dietary effects of microplastics on the physiological and biochemical profiles of keystone secondary producers Oithona dissimilis (Lindberg,1941)
Authors: Piliyan Raju , Meril Divya , Karuppaiyaa Nanthini Devi , santhanam Perumal , Selvaraju Ananth , Ayyasamy Gowthami , Gunaseelan Roseline Jebapriya , Mathiazhagan Saranya , Manickam Manicakam , John Roopavathi , Pachiyappan Perumal
Published: January 2023

The present study was carried out on the impacts about microplastic ingestion on the physiological responses and nutritional profiles of marine copepod Oithona dissimilis. The survival rate (93.33%) was higher on the 15th day in control. The highest nauplii production achieved in control O. dissimilis (21.89 ±0.89 nauplii/female), whereas the production of nauplii was found lowest in treatment groups (12.56±0.89 nauplii/female). The nauplius development (N1-N6) duration was less (4.3 days) in control, while longest duration depicts the MPs exposed copepods ranges were 5.2 days in 0.1 μm; 5.9 days in 0.5 μm and 6.6 days in 2.0 μm respectively. The protein content was high (63.07%) in control copepods, whereas in MPs exposed copepods ranges varied between 43.20%, 46.5% and 51.50%. The carbohydrate content in MPs ingested copepods varied between 10.33%, 8.93%, and 9.57%. The maximum lipid content was achieved in control (13.33%) when compared to MPs exposed copepods illustrates the minimum lipid content varied between 8.97% (0.1μm size) followed by 10.7% (0.5μm size) and 11.21% (2.0 μm size). The statistical results that depict the amino acids and fatty acids contents of control (microalgae fed copepods) have found the maximum positive significance (p<0.05) with different sizes (0.1µm, 0.5µm & 2µm) of microplastics exposed copepods.
HMGB1 Neuroimmune Signaling and REST-G9a Gene Repression Contribute to Ethanol-induced Reversible Suppression of the Cholinergic Neuron Phenotype
Authors: Vetreno Ryan , Fisher Rachael , Qin Liya , Crews Fulton
Published: January 2023

Adolescent binge drinking increases Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), the endogenous TLR4/RAGE agonist high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), and proinflammatory neuroimmune signaling in the adult basal forebrain in association with persistent reductions of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs). In vivo preclinical adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) studies find anti-inflammatory interventions post-AIE reverse the HMGB1-TLR4/RAGE neuroimmune signaling and loss of BFCNs in adulthood, suggesting proinflammatory signaling causes epigenetic repression of the cholinergic phenotype. Reversible loss of BFCN phenotype in vivo is linked to increased repressive histone 3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) occupancy at cholinergic gene promoters, and HMGB1-TLR4/RAGE proinflammatory signaling is linked to epigenetic repression of the cholinergic phenotype. Using an ex vivo basal forebrain slice culture (FSC) model, we report EtOH recapitulates the in vivo AIE-induced loss of ChAT + IR BFCNs, somal shrinkage of the remaining ChAT + neurons, and reduction of BFCN phenotype genes. Ex vivo targeted inhibition of EtOH-induced proinflammatory HMGB1 blocked ChAT + IR loss while disulfide HMBG1-TLR4 and fully reduced HMGB1-RAGE signaling decreased ChAT + IR BFCNs. EtOH increased expression of the transcriptional repressor RE1-silencing transcription factor (REST) and the H3K9 methyltransferase G9a that was accompanied by increased repressive H3K9me2 and REST occupancy at promoter regions of the BFCN phenotype genes Chat and Trka as well as the lineage transcription factor Lhx8. REST expression is similarly increased in the post-mortem human basal forebrain of individuals with alcohol use disorder, which is negatively correlated with ChAT expression. Administration of REST siRNA and the G9a inhibitor UNC0642 blocked and reversed the EtOH-induced loss of ChAT + IR BFCNs, directly linking REST-G9a transcriptional repression to suppression of the cholinergic neuron phenotype. These data suggest that EtOH induces a novel neuroplastic process involving neuroimmune signaling and transcriptional epigenetic gene repression resulting in the reversible suppression of the cholinergic neuron phenotype.
The Conditionality of Wetland Ecological Compensation: Supervision Analysis Based on the Game Theory
Authors: Pang Jie , Chu Zongling , Xu Ke , Luan Jian , Hu Yu
Published: January 2023

The supervision of wetland ecological compensation (WEC) is critical for the conditionality and effects of WEC policy implementation. Based on the field research in the Poyang Lake, the paper uses the game theory to systematically analyze the supervision issue in WEC, and analyzes the impact of weak supervision on farmers' future behavior choices after the implementation of wetland ecological compensation policy by using incomplete information dynamic game model. The paper concludes that (1) WEC has weak supervision, which greatly dampens compensation effects. (2) The key underlying causes of weak supervision include low compensation rates, low default costs and the low probability of actual supervision. The impacts of the three causes are not the same but decreasing. (3) Further analysis based on the dynamic game model with incomplete information discovers that weak supervision affects rural households’ current and future behavioral choices. Therefore, in order to address the roots of weak WEC supervision, scientific and reasonable compensation rates should be developed; default costs should be increased; and the actual supervision probability of supervisory authorities should be continuously raised.
Intermittent fasting modulates the intestinal microbiota and improves obesity and host energy metabolism
Authors: Han Mo , Hu Xiangwei , Xia Kai , Dai Minhui , Han Xiaofeng , Yuan Peng , Liu Jia , Liu Shiwei , Jia Fuhuai , Chen Jiayu , Jiang Fangfang , Yu Jieyao , Yang Huanming , Wang Jian , Xu Xun , Jin Xin , Kristiansen Karsten , Xiao Liang , Chen Wei , Duan Shenglin
Published: January 2023

Intermittent fasting is a promising paradigm for weight loss which has been shown to modulate the gut microbiota in a couple of populations, yet limited information at the species level is available. Here, 72 Chinese volunteers with a wide range of BMIs participated in a three-week IF program during which an average loss of 3.67 kg body weight accompanied with improved clinical parameters was observed irrespective of initial anthropometric and gut microbiota status. Fecal samples were collected before and after the intervention and subjected to shotgun metagenomic sequencing. De novo assembling yielded 2934 Metagenome-Assembled Genomes (MAGs). Profiling revealed significant enrichment of Parabacteroides distasonis and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron after the intervention, with inverse correlations between their relative abundances and parameters related to obesity and ACVD. MAGs enriched after the intervention exhibited high richness and diversity of carbohydrate-active enzymes, with an increased relative abundances of genes related to succinate production and glutamate fermentation.
Background Subtraction via Regional Multi-Feature-Frequency Model in Complex Scenes
Authors: Qi Qi , He Wei , Lei Ping , Zhang Guoyun , Wu Jianhui , Tu Bing
Published: January 2023

Background subtraction is one of the most popular techniques for the detection of moving objects. This paper presents a regional multi-feature-frequency (RMFF) method that utilizes the frequency contributions of regional features to detect changes. This approach allows the spatial relationship between pixels in a neighborhood and the frequencies of features over time to be considered, so that both spatial and temporal information is taken into account while constructing a model of an observed scene. Instead of using a global segmentation threshold, an adaptive strategy is utilized to dynamically adjust the foreground/background segmentation threshold for each region without user intervention. This adaptive threshold is defined for each region separately, and can adjust dynamically based on continuous monitoring of the background changes. The use of multi-scale superpixels for exploiting the structural information existing in real scenes also enhances robustness to noise and environmental variations. Experiments on the 2014 version of the ChangeDetection.net dataset demonstrated that the proposed method outperforms the twelve state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of overall F-Measure and worked effectively in many complex scenes.
Influence of e-waste exposure on DNA damage and DNA methylation in people living near recycling sites
Authors: Li Na , Wang Jinhan , Li Kejun , Yang Ping , Wang Yan , Xu Chang , He Ningning , Ji Kaihua , Song Huijuan , Zhang Manman , Du Liqing , Liu Qiang
Published: January 2023

The association between long-term exposure to e-waste and poor health is well established, but how e-waste exposure affects DNA methylation is understudied. In this study, we investigated the concentration of PCBs in environmental samples around the e-waste area and measured the DNA damage levels and the alternation of DNA methylation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from a population exposed to e-waste. There was serious PCB contamination in the soil, water, and plants around the e-waste recycling area. The concentration of 28 PCB congeners in blood samples of e-waste recycling workers was elevated than those of the reference group. DNA damage levels were significantly higher than that of samples from the reference group by detecting the SCGE, CA, and CBMN assay. Eventually, we found that the methylation level of 1233 gene loci was changed in the exposure group. Bioinformatic analysis of differential genes revealed that the hypermethylated genes were enriched in cell component movement and regulation of cell function, and hypomethylated genes were involved in the cellular metabolic process. Among the 30 genes we tested, 14 genes showed a negative correlation between methylation level and expression level. Therefore, e-waste exposure potentially increased levels of DNA damage and alters DNA methylation, which would likely impact human health.
Identifying novel convergent roles of neuronal β-catenin and APC in modulating mRNA translation, plasticity and learning
Authors: Jacob Michele , Alexander Jonathan , Jin Shan-Xue , Feig Larry
Published: January 2023

β-catenin (β-cat) malfunction is a significant risk factor for intellectual disability (ID). However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly defined. We identify a novel role for truncated β-cat that significantly impacts learning. N-terminally truncated β-cat is generated endogenously in neurons by high activity stimulating calcium-dependent calpain cleavage of full-length β-cat. Its role is undefined. We overexpressed N-terminally truncated β-cat in mouse glutamatergic neurons, and show drastic decreases in learning, plasticity and glutamatergic synaptic proteins, and altered translation. Truncated β-cat associates with the pre-initiation complex. Its overexpression perturbs activity-dependent increases in translation near synapses and alters APC (adenomatous polyposis coli protein) association with and translation of its target mRNAs. Several mRNAs in APC’s interactome link to ID. As further evidence of APC malfunction induced by excessive truncated β-cat, genetically depleting APC from β-cat overexpressor neurons prevents the aberrant glutamatergic synaptic protein levels. We identify new convergent roles for APC and truncated β-cat as in vivo effectors of translation and cognitive function.
A regression analysis of the impact of routing and packing dependencies on the expected runtime
Authors: Yafrani Mohamed El , Martins Marcella Scoczynski Ribeiro , Wagner Markus , Nielsen Peter
Published: January 2023

Problems with multiple interdependent components offer a better representation of the real-world situations where globally optimal solutions are preferred over optimal solutions for the individual components. One such model is the Travelling Thief Problem (TTP); while is appears popular and while it may offer a better benchmarking alternative to the standard benchmarks, only one form of inter-component dependency is investigated. The goal of this paper is to study the impact of different models of dependency on the fitness landscape using performance prediction models (regression analysis). To conduct the analysis, we consider a generalised model of the TTP, where the dependencies between the two components of the problem are tunable via the problem features. The regression model was able to predict the expected runtime of the algorithm based on the problem features. Furthermore, the results show that the contribution of the item value drop dependency is significantly higher than the velocity change dependency.
Study on the spatial distribution of urban carbon emissions at the micro level based on multisource data
Authors: Yao Xiaojing , Zheng Wei , Wang Dacheng , Li Shenshen , Chi Tianhe
Published: January 2023

Global warming is currently an area of concern. Human activities are the leading cause of urban greenhouse gas intensification. Inversing the spatial distribution of carbon emissions at microscopic scales such as communities or controlling detailed planning plots can capture the critical emission areas of carbon emissions, thus providing scientific guidance for intracity low-carbon development planning. Using the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city as an example, this paper uses night-light images and statistical yearbooks to perform linear fitting within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei city-county region and then uses fine-scale data such as points of interest, road networks and mobile signalling data to construct spatial characteristic indicators of carbon emissions distribution and assigns weights to each indicator through the analytic hierarchy process. As a result, the spatial distribution of carbon emissions based on detailed control planning plots is calculated. The results show that among the selected indicators, the population distribution significantly influences carbon emissions, with a weight of 0.384. The spatial distribution of carbon emissions is relatively distinctive. The primary carbon emissions are from the Sino-Singapore Cooperation Zone due to its rapid urban construction and development. In contrast, carbon emissions from other areas are sparse, as there is mostly unused land under construction.
Correlates of COVID-19 Vaccination Intentions and opinions about mandates among four groups of adults in South Africa with distinct vaccine intentions: Evidence from a large national survey
Authors: Eyal Katherine , Maughan-Brown Brendan , Njozela Lindokuhle , Köhler Timothy , Ingle Kim , Brophy Timothy , Buttenheim Alison
Published: January 2023

Introduction
Despite a high number of recorded COVID-19 infections and deaths in South Africa, COVID-19 vaccine coverage remained low in March 2022, ten months into the national vaccine roll-out. This study provides evidence on the correlates of vaccine intentions, attitudes towards vaccination and opinions about mandates.
Methods
We used data from the second COVID-19 Vaccine Survey (CVACS), a telephone survey conducted February-March 2022 among 3,608 South African adults who self-reported not being vaccinated against COVID-19. The survey instrument was designed in consultation with government, policymakers, and civil society; and segmented the sample into four distinct groups with different vaccine intentions (synonymous with vaccine hesitancy levels). Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used to examine the sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes and behaviours associated with the different vaccination intentions groups. Thematic coding of responses to open-ended questions elicited insights on reasons for not being vaccinated and attitudes towards mandates.
Results
Intentions to get vaccinated were greater among individuals with lower socio-economic status (Mann-Whitney Z=-11.3, p<0.001); those believing the vaccine protects against death (Kruskal-Wallis 𝛸2=494, p<0.001); and those who perceived themselves at risk of COVID-19-related illness (𝛸2=126, p<0.01). Vaccine intentions were lower among individuals who believed that the vaccine causes death (𝛸2=163, p<0.001); believed that the vaccine is unsafe for the babies of pregnant/breastfeeding mothers, or the chronically ill (𝛸2=123, p<0.01); those not trusting government health information about COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine (Kendall’s 𝜏=-0.41, p<0.01); and those in opposition to mandates (𝜏=0.35, p<0.001). Only 25% supported mandates, despite 48% thinking mandates would work well, with 54% citing individual rights as their main reason for mandate opposition.
Conclusion
The profile of individuals not vaccinated against COVID-19 as of March 2022 differed markedly by self-reported vaccination intentions, underscoring the importance of tailored demand-creation efforts. To achieve comprehensive vaccination coverage, interventions to instill trust in government health information, and in the safety and efficacy of vaccines are required early in a vaccination program given the rapid emergence of pervasive vaccine hesitancy. Mandates remain an option to increase coverage but need to be carefully considered given widespread opposition.
Synthesis and characterization of V2O5-Ga2O3 photocatalysts and their application on the photocatalytic reduction of CO2
Authors: Espinosa Rodrigo , Manríquez Ma Elena , Trejo-Valdez Martín , Tzompantzi Francisco , Bustos Adrián Farid , Ortiz Emma
Published: January 2023

The photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to produce methanol (CH3OH) is a promising strategy for clean energy generation. The catalyst, the aqueous medium, and the UV light are essential parameters for the most relevant pair formation (e−/h+) and a specific selectivity towards the desired product (methanol). The use of G2O3 and V2O5 in the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to obtain methanol has been little studied. However, the combination of these oxides is important to generate synergies and decrease the band energy, enhancing the photocatalytic activity in the reduction of CO2. In this work, combined V2O5-Ga2O3 photocatalysts were obtained and studied in the photocatalytic reduction of CO2. The photocatalysts were characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The results showed that textural properties, such as surface area and morphology, do not influence photocatalytic activity. However, species identified by XPS such as Ga2p3/2 and Ga2p1/2 improved the photocatalytic activity, probably due to the formation of vacancies and the bandgap reduction of the combined oxides, in comparison with the single oxides. The contribution of these factors to the interactions of (e−/h+) pairs with CO2 to generate methanol is demonstrated.
Decomposing Inequality in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services in Nepal
Authors: G.C. Shreezal , Adhikari Naveen
Published: January 2023

Background: Approximately 75.5% of women in Nepal’s urban areas receive atleast four ANC visits, compared to 61.7% of women in the country’s rural areas. Similar to this, just 34% of women in the lowest wealth quintile give birth in a medical facility compared to 90% of women in the richest group. As a result of this imbalance, the poor in emerging nations suffer since those who are better off can make greater use of the healthcare than those who are less fortunate. This study sought to examine the inequality in MCH services provided in Nepal and to break down the contributions made by the various socioeconomic factors in the years 2011 and 2016.
Methods: Inequality in MCH services was estimated using concentration curves and their corresponding indices. We examined the inequality across three MCH service outcomes: less than 4 ANC visits, no baby postnatal checkups within 2months of delivery and no advised SBA delivery and decomposed them across observed characteristics of the women aged between 15 and 49. Furthermore, Oaxaca-blinder decomposition approach was used to measure and decompose the inequality differential between two time periods.
Results: Inequality in MCH services was prevalent for all 3 outcomes in 2011 and 2016, respectively. However, the concentration indices for <4 ANC visits, no advised SBA delivery, and no postnatal checkups within 2 months of birth increased from -0.2184, -0.1643, and -0.1284 to -0.1871, -0.0504, and -0.0218 correspondingly, showing the decrease in MCH services inequality over two time periods. Wealth index, women’s literacy, place of living, women’s employment status, and problem of distance to reach nearest health facility were the main contributors.
Conclusion: We find that MCH services are clearly biased towards the women with higher living standards. National policies should focus on empowering women through education and employment, along with the creation of health facilities and improved educational institutions, in order to address inequalities in living standards, women’s education levels, and the problem of distance. Leveraging these factors can reduce inequality in MCH services.
Can the organic coating of breast tissue markers be sampled by an ultrasound-guided core cut biopsy without removing the clip marker? A proof-of-concept evaluation of two coated clip marker types in turkey breast tissue to improve representativity of ultrasound-guided core cut biopsies.
Authors: Schaefgen Benedikt , Steudt Sabrina , Albrecht Thomas , Togawa Riku , Nees Juliane , Fastner Sarah , Riedel Fabian , Hennigs André , Gomez Christina , Stieber Anne , Sinn Peter , Wallwiener Markus , Golatta Michael , Heil Jörg
Published: January 2023

The aim of this preclinical study was to test if the organic coating of two breast tissue clip markers (HydroMARK and UltraClip) can be sampled selectively by an ultrasound-guided core cut biopsy (CC). Ten clip markers of each type were inserted in four turkey breasts. Sonographic visibility was graded by the performing physicians. CC was performed, aiming to sample only the organic coating while leaving the clip marker in situ. Mammography, specimen radiography and gross inspection of the biopsy samples were conducted to evaluate dislocation or removal of the clips. The specimens were examined histopathologically to detect fragments of the coating material. HydroMARK was superior regarding CC feasibility and detectability of the coating. The organic coating of HydroMARK could be sampled selectively without dislocating the clip marker. Fragments of the coating material were visible macroscopically in seven out of ten biopsy specimens and could be detected in the histopathologic workup in five out of ten specimens. The coating material of the UltraClip was not visible in any sample. This study showed that the organic coating could be identified in CC biopsy samples, both on a macroscopic and microscopic level. This could potentially be used to verify representativity of minimal invasive biopsies.
SGIM-BFPT: an approach based on Brawer’s fixed-point theorem to eliminate the significant association between random gene sets and survival time
Authors: Maghsoudi Maryam , Aghdam Rosa , Eslahchi Changiz
Published: January 2023

Cancer research aims to identify genes that cause or control disease progression. Although a wide range of gene sets have been published, they are usually in poor agreement with one another. Furthermore, recent findings from a gene-expression cohort of different cancer types, known as positive random bias, showed that sets of genes chosen randomly are significantly associated with survival time much higher than expected. In this study, we propose a method based on Brouwer’s fixed-point theorem that employs significantly survival-associated random gene sets and reveals a small fixed-point gene set for cancers with a positive random bias property. These sets significantly correspond to cancer-related pathways with biological relevance for the progression and metastasis of the cancer types they represent. Our findings show that our proposed significant gene sets are biologically related to each cancer type available in the cancer genome atlas with the positive random bias property, and by using these sets, positive random bias is significantly more reduced in comparison with state-of-the-art methods in this field. The random bias property is removed in 8 of these 17 cancer types, and the number of random sets of genes associated with survival time is significantly reduced in the remaining 9 cancers.
Effectiveness of Deep Learning Classifiers in Histopathological Diagnosis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Pathologists
Authors: Sukegawa Shintaro , Ono Sawako , Tanaka Futa , Inoue Yuta , Hara Takeshi , Yoshii Kazumasa , Nakano Keisuke , Takabatake Kiyofumi , Kawai Hotaka , Katsumitsu Shimada , Nakai Fumi , Nakai Yasuhiro , Miyazaki Ryo , Murakami Satoshi , Nagatsuka Hitoshi , Miyake Minoru
Published: January 2023

Objective: The study aims to identify valid histological classifiers from histopathological images of oral squamous cell carcinoma using convolutional neural network (CNN) deep learning models, and attempts to show how the learning results of the identified valid deep learning classifier models can be used as a reference to help oral pathologists improve their diagnostic performances.
Methods: Histopathological samples of oral squamous cell carcinoma were prepared by an oral pathologist. Images were divided into tiles on a virtual slide, and labels (squamous cell carcinoma, normal, and others) were applied to the images containing cells. The CNNs used were VGG16 and ResNet50 with the optimizers SGD and SAM, both with and without a learning rate scheduler. The conditions for achieving good CNN performances were identified by examining the performance metrics. Furthermore, we used ROCAUC to statistically evaluate the improvement in the diagnostic performance of six oral pathologists by using the results obtained from the selected CNN model for assisted diagnosis.
Results: Of all model combinations, VGG16 with SAM showed the highest performance. The performance metrics obtained for this optimal model were accuracy = 0.8622 and AUC = 0.9602. The diagnostic performances of the oral pathologists were significantly improved statistically when the diagnostic results of the best model were used as supplementary diagnoses (p-value = 0.031).
Conclusions: It was found that by referring to the learning results of the best model classifier via deep learning, the diagnostic accuracy of the pathologists can be improved. This study contributes to the application of highly reliable deep learning models to the field of oral pathological diagnosis.
Peak stress and peak strain evaluation of concrete columns confined with lateral ties under by Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: qu dechao , chang wei
Published: January 2023

The peak stress and peak strain of concrete columns confined with lateral stirrups were an important indicators for evaluating the load-bearing capacity and axial deformation of concrete columns under axial compression. However, it was hard to determine the peak stress and peak strain of concrete confined with lateral ties under axial compression due to complicated arching actions of transverse reinforcements and longitudinal reinforcements and the complex interaction between concrete and lateral ties. In this paper, two typical artificial neural networks (ANN) including (BP networks and Elamn networks) were applied to evaluate the peak stress and peak strain of concrete columns confined with lateral ties based on a reliable database consisting of 196 test data sets for peak stress and 166 test data sets for peak strain collected from previous studies. Both of the proposed ANN models had high prediction performance in the training and testing process. And By comparing with existing analytical models, the proposed BP networks had high reliability and high applicable in predicting the peak stress of confined concrete, while the Elman network had high reliability and high applicable in peak strain of concrete columns confined with lateral ties. Furthermore, based on the sensitive analysis, the concrete strength and the properties of lateral ties have obvious influence on the peak stress of confined concrete, while the volumetric ratio of lateral ties had significant effects on the peak strain of confined concrete.
An Orthodontic Path Planning Method Based on Improved Gray Wolf Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Du Xiaozhi , Yu Ting , Chen Kai
Published: January 2023

Automatic tooth arrangement and path planning plays an essential role in computer-aided orthodontic treatment. However, state-of-the-art methods have some shortcomings: low efficiency, excessive cost of displacements or collisions and insufficient accuracy. To address these issues, this paper proposes an innovative orthodontic path planning method based on the improved gray wolf optimization algorithm, which is called OPP-IGWO. First, the tooth model is preprocessed to obtain initial pose in which each tooth is segmented and built up with an oriented bounding box (OBB). Next, the target pose of each tooth is determined through the ideal dental arch curve and the optimal jaw principle. Finally, the path from the initial pose to the target pose of each tooth is planned based on IGWO, which is improved mainly from three aspects: (1) The greedy idea is adopted to initialize the gray wolf population based on dental interpolation. (2) The linear convergence factor in the traditional gray wolf optimization algorithm (GWO) is replaced with a non-linear convergence factor. (3) We propose a position update strategy based on a dynamic weighting approach, which introduces a learning rate for each gray wolf. The experimental results show that our OPP-IGWO method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods. Compared with improved genetic algorithm (IGA), normal simplified mean particle swarm optimization algorithm (NSMPSO), multiparticle improved swarm optimization (Mutil-IPSO) and improved artificial bee colony algorithm (IABC), the OPP-IGWO has an improvement on performance by 14.22%, 11.46%, 6.32% and 5.27% respectively.
A new equation of four infinite series and sums by using a generalized recurrence relation
Authors: Louiz Akram
Published: January 2023

Motivated by the fundamental presence of mathematics in all engineering and scientific fields, I made this mathematical article in order to answer many of my personal questions which are also not answered questions in mathematics. This is a mathematical article that proves a useful recurrence relation that is very useful for mathematics demonstrations. The article proves also that four infinite series are equivalent. Hence, this article opens new opportunities to demonstrate and develop new mathematical findings and observations. The demonstrated formulas of this article can also be very useful for all the fields that apply mathematics and especially infinite series and sums.
Checking the rationality of a kind of Theta Functions by starting with a formula of Poisson
Authors: Louiz Akram
Published: January 2023

This is a mathematical example and a logical opportunity for those who doubt the summation of Poisson or the related definitions of Riemann. By using a formula of Poisson, this article makes a mathematical proof by considering that a limit of a sum is rational. Finally, you will find a logical explanation based on mathematical principles that may be helpful for all students of Analysis who will find a new opportunity to demonstrate.
Inhibition of ACSL4 ameliorates tubular ferroptotic cell death and protects against fibrotic kidney disease
Authors: Dai Yue , Chen Yuting , Mo Dexiameng , Jin Rui , Huang Yi , Zhang Le , Zhang Cuntai , Gao Hongyu , Yan Qi
Published: January 2023

Ferroptosis is a recently recognized form of regulated cell death, characterized by iron-dependent accumulation of lipid peroxidation. Ample evidence has depicted that ferroptosis plays an essential role in the cause or consequence of human diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disease and acute kidney injury. However, the exact role and underlying mechanism of ferroptosis in fibrotic kidney remain unknown. Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) has been demonstrated as an essential component in ferroptosis execution by shaping lipid composition. In this study, we aim to discuss the potential role and underlying mechanism of ACSL4-mediated ferroptosis of tubular epithelial cells (TECs) during renal fibrosis. The unbiased gene expression studies showed that ACSL4 expression was tightly associated with decreased renal function and the progression of renal fibrosis. To explore the role of ACSL4 in fibrotic kidney, ACSL4 specific inhibitor rosiglitazone (ROSI) was used to disturb the high expression of ACSL4 in TECs induced by TGF-β, unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and fatty acid (FA)-modeled mice, and furthermore we used ACSL4 siRNA to knockdown ACSL4 in TGF-β-induced HK2. The results demonstrated that inhibition and knockdown of ACSL4 effectively attenuated the occurrence of ferroptosis of TECs and alleviated the interstitial fibrotic response. In addition, the expression of various profibrotic cytokines all decreased after ROSI-treated in vivo and in vitro. Further investigation showed that inhibition of ACSL4 significantly attenuates the progression of renal fibrosis by reducing the proferroptotic precursors arachidonic acid- and adrenic acid- containing phosphatidylethanolamine (AA-PE and AdA-PE). In conclusion, these results suggest ACSL4 is essential for tubular ferroptotic death during kidney fibrosis development and ACSL4 inhibition is a viable therapeutic approach to preventing fibrotic kidney diseases.
Cost of In-patient Management of Covid-19 Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in Kuwait
Authors: Nur Amrizal Muhammad , Aljunid Syed Mohamed , Almari Mohammad
Published: January 2023

Background: Among the GCC countries affected by COVID-19 infections, Kuwait was impacted with 658,520 cases and 2,563 deaths as reported by WHO on September 30, 2022. However, the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the economy of Kuwait especially in health sector is unknown.
Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the total cost of COVID-19 in-patient management in Kuwait. Method: Retrospective design was employed in this study. A total 485 Covid-19 patients admitted to a tertiary hospital assigned to manage Covid-19 cases was randomly selected for this study from 1st May to 31st September 2021. Data on sociodemographic, length of stay (LOS), discharge status and comorbidity were obtained from the patients' medical records. Among others, data on cost in this study cover administration, utility, pharmacy, radiology, laboratory, nursing, and ICU costs. The unit cost per admission was imputed using a step-down costing method with three levels of cost centers. The unit cost was multiplied by the individual patient’s length of stay to obtain the cost of care per patient per admission.
Findings: The mean cost of Covid-19 inpatient per episode of care was KD 2,216 (SD=2,018) equals to US$ 7,344 (SD=6,688) with the average length of stay of 9.4 (SD=8.5) days per admission. The total treatment costs of Covid-19 inpatient (n=485) were estimated to be KD 1,074,644 (US$ 3,561,585), in which the physician and nursing care cost were the largest share of costs (42.1%) with KD 452,154 (US$ 1,498,529). The second- and third-largest costs were intensive care (20.6%) of KD 221,439 (US$ 733,893) and laboratory costs (10.2%) of KD 109,264 (US$ 362,123). The average cost for severe Covid-19 patient was KD 4,626 (US$ 15,332), which is almost three times higher than the non-severe patients of KD 1,544 (US$ 5,117).
Conclusion: The cost of managing Covid-19 cases is substantial. The cost information can assist hospital managers and policymakers in designing more efficient interventions, especially for the management of high-risk groups.
Heavy Metal Pollution Levels and Health Risk Assessment of Dust Storms in Jazmurian Region, Iran
Authors: Soleimani-Sardo Mojtaba , Shirani Mahboube , Strezov Vladimir
Published: January 2023

The Jazmurian basin in Iran is an area affected by climate change and desertification where aerosols and dust storms are common. The aim of this work was to determine the human and ecological risks from atmospheric particles during dust storms in different cities in the Jazmurian basin. For this purpose, the dust samples were collected from Jiroft, Roodbar Jonoob, Ghaleh Ganj, Kahnooj and Iranshahr cities, which are located around the Jazmurian playa in south east of Iran. In this study, the OpenLCA 1.10.3 software was used to input the concentration of the measured trace metals and ReCiPe 2016 endpoint hierarchist impact assessment method was applied to determine the environmental impacts. Furthermore, the MODIS satellite products and the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) were used to detect the amount of aerosol load in the atmosphere. The MODIS AOD data over the Jazmurian region indicated higher spatial distribution of aerosols in the south of the basin with gradual decreased towards the west. Moreover, the trace element composition of the collected particles was determined and used to evaluate human and ecological impact assessment. The human health risk assessment of the particles revealed high non-carcinogenic risks for children due to nickel and manganese and carcinogenic risks in both adults and children due to arsenic and cobalt. Terrestrial ecotoxicity was found to have the largest ecological impact on ecosystems with copper, nickel and zinc exhibiting the largest contributions.
Histopathological Patterns of Cervical Cancer Among Females Presenting to Makerere University Pathology Core Reference Laboratory. A 5-year Review
Authors: Moses Mwanja , Fred Lopwonya
Published: January 2023

Background and Aim:
The global burden of cervical cancer is heavy in low- and middle-income countries, having highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa. Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality in Ugandan women with estimated 6959 new cases and 4607 deaths in 2020. The histopathological differentiation of cervical cancer is a major determinant in treatment options and prognosis of disease. However, there is paucity of data regarding this in Uganda. The study aimed to determine the histopathological pattern of cervical cancer among females presenting to Makerere university pathology core reference laboratory.
Methods
A retrospective cross-sectional study employing the use of quantitative methods of data collection was conducted within Makerere university pathology core reference laboratory. Information on patients with cervical cancer diagnosis by histology from 2017–2021 was obtained and analyzed using SPSS version 18.
Results
A total of 120 patients from 2017–2021 were recruited. The mean age was 47.5(SD 13.1), the youngest and oldest patients were 21 and 80 years respectively. Cervical cancer was more prevalent in women aged between 35 to 54 years 77(64.2%) and women with HIV 26(21.7%). Squamous cell carcinoma presents in 102(85%) patients was the most prevalent pattern of cervical cancer. This was followed by adenocarcinoma 7(5.8%) and adenosquamous 5(4.2%).
Conclusions
Cervical cancer is predominant among women with HIV and women aged 35–55 years. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most prevalent pattern of cervical cancer in Uganda present in every 9 out 10 patients. Routine screening of all HIV positive women and women aged 35 and above is recommended
Correlation and Influencing Factors of Preoperative Anxiety, Postoperative Pain, and Delirium in Elderly Patients Undergoing Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgery
Authors: Liu Qing , Li Liheng , Xie Yubo
Published: January 2023

Background: The correlation and influencing factors of preoperative anxiety, postoperative pain, and delirium in elderly patients undergoing gastrointestinal cancer surgery were explored with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scale, 10-point Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and Confusion Assessment Method Chinese Reversion (CAM-CR) scale.
Methods: Patients aged 65 years or above were enrolled from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, from September 2019 to October 2020. A total of 120 elderly patients who underwent gastrointestinal cancer surgery under general anesthesia were collected. Perioperative anxiety, pain, and delirium were assessed with the BAI scale, VAS scale, and CAM-CR scale. The correlation and influencing factors of preoperative high anxiety, postoperative high pain, and postoperative delirium were analyzed.
Results: The incidences of high anxiety on one day before surgery (day-0) and on the postoperative day (pod) 1, 3, and 7 (pod-1, pod-3, pod-7) were 19.2%, 5.8%, 9.2%, and 0.0%, respectively. The incidences of high pain on the day-0, pod-1, pod-3, pod-7 were 0.0%, 41.7%, 15.0%, 4.2%, respectively. The incidences of delirium on the day-0, pod-1, pod-3, pod-7 were 0.0%, 24.2%, 4.2%, 0.0%, respectively. There was a positive correlation between preoperative high anxiety and postoperative high pain (P<0.001, r=0.410), and there was a positive correlation between preoperative high anxiety and postoperative delirium (P=0.005, r=0.281), and there was a positive correlation between postoperative high pain and postoperative delirium (P=0.017, r=0.236). The results from multiple linear regression analysis had shown that types of cancer and surgical approaches had an impact on preoperative high anxiety (P=0.006 and P=0.021 ); preoperative high anxiety had a positive influence on postoperative high pain (P＜0.001); age and preoperative high anxiety had a positive impact on postoperative delirium (P＜0.001 and P=0.010).
Conclusions: Elderly patients receiving gastrointestinal cancer surgery had high incidences of high anxiety before surgery, high pain, and delirium on postoperative day 1. Preoperative high anxiety was positively correlation with postoperative high pain and postoperative delirium; postoperative high pain was positively correlation with postoperative delirium. Types of cancer and surgical approaches were as influencing factors of preoperative high anxiety; preoperative high anxiety was an influencing factor of postoperative high pain; and age and preoperative high anxiety were influencing factors of postoperative delirium.
Trial registration
ChiCTR2000032008, 17/04/2020, Title: “Effects of different analgesic methods on postoperative recovery of elderly patients with digestive tract tumor”. Website: https://www.chictr.ogr.cn.
High antimicrobial effectiveness of acrylonitrile adducts and evaluation of their biological activity as haemolytic and thrombolytic agent
Authors: Das Parineeta , Devi Nirmala , Gaur Nisha , Goswami Swagata , Dutta Dhiraj , Dubey Rama , Puzari Amrit
Published: January 2023

In this work, five acrylonitrile adducts were screened for antibacterial activity against Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 1305) and Gram-negative Escherichia coli (MTCC 443). Synthesis was followed by aza-Michael addition reaction, where the acrylonitrile accepts an electron pair from the respective amines and results in the formation of n-alkyliminobis-propionitrile and n-alkyliminopropionitrile under microwave irradiation. Characterization of the compounds were performed using FTIR, 1H NMR and ESI-MS. The particle size characterization was done by DLS technique. The antibacterial study showed higher inhibition rate for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The antibacterial ability was found to be dose dependent. The minimum inhibitory concentration against both bacteria were found to be 1, 3, 0.4, 1, 3 µl/ml for E. coli and 6, 6, 0.9, 0.5, 5 µl/ml for B. subtilis. Time-kill kinetics evaluation showed that the adducts possess bacteriostatic action. Further it was evaluated for high-throughput in vitro assays to determine the compatibility of the adducts for drug delivery. The haemolytic and thrombolytic activity was analysed against normal mouse erythrocytes. The haemolytic activity showed prominent results, and thereby projecting this acrylonitrile adducts as potent antimicrobial and haemolytic agent.
The Effects of Urban Growth on Natural Areas: The 3 Metropoliten Areas in Türkiye
Authors: Öncel Hale , Levend Sinan
Published: January 2023

Today, more than half of the world's population of 7.6 billion lives in cities, and by 2030, it is estimated that the population of urban residents will exceed 5 billion worldwide. Since growth in cities causes the destruction of agriculture, forests, and wetlands, the increase in carbon footprint brings along many environmental problems, such as global climate change. Among the developing countries, Türkiye's largest cities have been experiencing a rapid urbanization process. The study aims to analyze the negative effects of urban growth in Türkiye's largest metropolises on natural areas such as agriculture, forests, and wetlands. The change process of the urban area has also been evaluated in terms of regulations and legislation. In this context, Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir metropolitan areas have been determined as case areas. The correlation between the changes in the land cover and the urban expansion processes of the three big cities from 1990 to 2018 has been systematically analyzed in the GIS environment using Corine Land Cover program data. The study indicates the devastating effect of urban growth on agricultural areas, in all three case areas. In addition, the urbanization pressure in Istanbul continues to destroy northern forests.