bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Citric acid-based degradable polyester elastomers coated with silver nanowires for sustainable soft sensors
Authors: Wang Zhao , Zhou Hongwei , Zheng Bohui , Gao Yang , Zhang Hongli , Jin Xilang , Zhang Gai , Ma Aijie
Published: September 2022

Although soft electronic materials are of significant importance for flexible electronic devices, most of them are derived from commercial polymer elastomers, such as polydimethylsiloxane, polyurethane and Ecoflex. In this work, citric acid-based degradable polyester elastomers are prepared by a melt polycondensation process, utilizing citric acid, 1,8-octanediol and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as monomers. Furthermore, poly(1,8-octanediol citrate acid) (POC)-PEG/silver nanowire (AgNW) conductive polyester elastomers (CPEs) are prepared by introducing a AgNW layer on the surface of the POC-PEG films. Scanning electron microscopy images reveal that the thickness of the AgNW layer is on the scale of several micrometers and the AgNWs form a continuous conductive network. Upon mechanical stimuli, POC-PEG exhibits recoverable deformation and induces variation in the AgNW conductive network, resulting in a conversion of strain to detectable resistance. When tensile strain is applied, the POC-PEG/AgNW CPEs achieve a gauge factor of 231.6, a response range of 0%-50%, a low response time of 35 ms and high stability. Moreover, the POC-10PEG/AgNW CPE also responds to bending deformation with a gauge factor of 3667.5, a response range of 0%-8.4%, a low response time of 62 ms and high stability. On the basis of strain sensitivity, wireless sensors are further assembled by integrating the POC-PEG/AgNW CPEs into a Bluetooth signal transmission system. Various human motions and physiological activities are successfully monitored using the wireless sensors. The results demonstrate that degradable citric acid-based polyester elastomers/AgNW CPEs are promising materials for next-generation sustainable and flexible electronic devices.
Assessment of bud fruitfulness of three grapevine varieties grown in northwest Portugal
Authors: Monteiro Ana I. , Ferreira Helena , Ferreira-Cardoso Jorge V. , Malheiro Aureliano C. , Bacelar Eunice A.
Published: September 2022

Assessing bud fruitfulness (fertility) before budburst can provide useful information for determining the yield potential for the following growing season and allows the number of buds per vine to be adjusted according to the productive potential of each season. The present study aims to assess bud fruitfulness and the incidence of necrotic buds using different analysis techniques in three spur pruned (cordon) grapevine white varieties planted in the Vinhos Verdes Demarcated Region (VVDR), NW Portugal. The first two dormant buds and cane samples were collected before winter pruning in December 2016 and 2017 from three (Vitis vinifera L.) varieties (Alvarinho, Fernão-Pires and Loureiro) in two different VVDR sub-regions. The fruitfulness and the incidence of bud necrosis were determined using anatomical bud analysis and by forcing bud growth under controlled environmental conditions. Additional analyses were performed to determine the total soluble sugars and starch in cane samples on node and internode regions. There were significant differences in fruitfulness among varieties over the two growing seasons (2016/2017 and 2017/2018). The Fernão-Pires variety showed the highest bud fruitfulness for the two first buds of the three varieties. Total soluble sugars and starch content were influenced by the site, variety and position on the cane. A year-to-year variation was observed, with a decrease in bud necrosis and an increase in the fruitfulness indices and carbohydrates content from 2016/2017 to 2017/2018. To our knowledge, no previous studies combining anatomical and forced bud growth techniques have been carried out on these three white varieties.
Underreporting and Triggering Factors for Ophthalmic Drugs’ ADR Notification; a Comparison between Spontaneous Reporting and Active Pharmacovigilance Databases
Authors: Contreras-Salinas Homero , Baiza-Durán Leopoldo Martín , Bautista-Castro Manuel Alejandro , Alonso-Rodríguez Diego Rodrigo , Rodríguez-Herrera Lourdes Yolotzin
Published: September 2022

(1)Aims of the study: calculating the underreporting ratio for two different medications, a fixed combination of 0.5% timolol + 0.2% brimonidine + 2.0% dorzolamide (antiglaucoma) and a fixed combination of sodium hyaluronate 0.1% + chondroitin sulfate 0.18% (artificial tear) and characterizing the features influencing the reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in spontaneous reporting; (2) Methods: the underreporting ratio was calculated by comparing the adverse drug reactions reported in the spontaneous reporting database for every 10,000 defined daily doses marketed and the adverse drug reactions from an active surveillance study for every 10,000 defined daily doses used for different drugs (antiglaucoma and artificial tear). The factors related to the report in spontaneous reporting through statistical tests were also determined; (3) Results: The underreporting ratio of spontaneous reporting was 0.006029% for antiglaucoma and 0.003552% for artificial tear; additionally, statistically significant differences were found for severity, unexpected adverse drug reactions, and incidence of adverse drug reactions in females; (4) Conclusions: The underreporting ratio of ADRs related to ophthalmic medications indicates worry since the cornerstone of pharmacovigilance focuses on spontaneous reporting. Besides, since underreporting seems to be selective, the role of certain aspects like gender, seriousness, severity, and unexpected ADRs, must be considered in future research.
The Composition of Adipose-Derived Regenerative Cells Isolated from Lipoaspirate using a Novel Point of Care System does not Depend on the Subject's Individual Age, Gender, Body Mass Index and Ethnicity
Authors: Schmitz Christoph , Alt Christopher , Azares Alon R. , Peace David A. , Facile Tiffany R. , Furia John P. , Maffulli Nicola , Huang Claire , Alt Eckhard U.
Published: September 2022

Uncultured, unmodified, autologous, adipose-derived regenerative cells (UA-ADRCs) are a safe and effective treatment option for various musculoskeletal pathologies. However, it is unknown whether the composition of the final cell suspension systematically varies with the subject's individual age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and ethnicity. UA-ADRCs were isolated from lipoaspirate from n=232 subjects undergoing elective lipoplasty using the Transpose RT system (InGeneron, Inc.; Houston, TX, USA). The UA-ADRCs were assessed for the number of nucleated cells, cell viability and the number of viable nucleated cells per gram of adipose tissue harvested. Flow cytometry was used to further characterize the UA-ADRCs. UA-ADRCs isolated with the Transpose RT system (InGeneron) can be recommended for all ages, genders, BMIs and ethnicities. Furthermore, it was found that for all experimental methods and commerically available systems described in the literature to isolate UA-ADRCs or systems that provide non-enzymatic, mechanical dissociation of lipoaspirate, the Transpose RT system yielded the highest mean relative numbers of CD45- / CD31- / CD34+ cells (adipose tissue derived progenitors), CD45- / CD31+ / CD34+ cells (endothelial progenitors) and CD45+ / CD206+ cells (M2 macrophages). Application of these cell types may significantly contribute to tissue regeneration.
CoviRx: A User-Friendly Interface for Systematic Down-Selection of Repurposed Drug Candidates for COVID-19
Authors: Jain Hardik Ashish , Agarwal Vinti , Bansal Chaarvi , Kumar Anupama , Faheem Faheem , Mohammed Muzaffar-Ur-Rehman , Murugesan Sankaranarayanan , Simpson Moana M , Karpe Avinash V , Chandra Rohitash , MacRaild Christopher A , Styles Ian K , Peterson Amanda L , Cooper Matthew A , Kirkpatrick Carl M.J. , Shah Rohan M , Palombo Enzo A , Trevaskis Natalie L , Creek Darren J , Vasan Seshadri S
Published: September 2022

Although various vaccines are now commercially available, they have not been able to stop the spread of COVID-19 infection completely. An excellent strategy to quickly get safe, effective, and affordable COVID-19 treatment is to repurpose drugs that are already approved for other diseases as adjuvants along with the ongoing vaccine regime. The process of developing an accurate and standardized drug repurposing dataset requires a considerable level of resources and expertise due to the commercial availability of an extensive array of drugs that could be potentially used to address the SARS-CoV-2 infection. To address this bottleneck, we created the CoviRx platform. CoviRx is a user-friendly interface that provides access to the data, which is manually curated for COVID-19 drug repurposing data. Through CoviRx, the data curated has been made open-source to help advance drug repurposing research. CoviRx also encourages users to submit their findings after thoroughly validating the data, followed by merging it by enforcing uniformity and integ-rity-preserving constraints. This article discusses the various features of CoviRx and its design principles. CoviRx has been designed so that its functionality is independent of the data it dis-plays. Thus, in the future, this platform can be extended to include any other disease X beyond COVID-19. CoviRx can be accessed at www.covirx.org.
Diffusion and Velocity Correlations of the Phase Transitions in a System of Macroscopic Rolling Spheres
Authors: Vega Reyes Francisco , Rodríguez-Rivas Álvaro , González-Saavedra Juan F. , López-Castaño Miguel A.
Published: September 2022

We study an air-fluidized granular monolayer, composed in this case of plastic spheres, which roll on a metallic grid. The air current is adjusted so that the spheres never loose contact with the grid, so that the dynamics may be regarded as pseudo two-dimensional (or two-dimensional, if the effects of sphere rolling are not taken into account). We find two surprising continuous transitions, both of them displaying two coexisting phases. Moreover, in all cases, we found the coexisting phases display strong energy non-equipartition. In the first transition, at weak fludization, a glassy phase coexists with a disordered fluid-like phase. In the second transition, a hexagonal crystal coexists with the fluid phase. We analyze, for these two-phase systems, the specific diffusive properties of each phase, as well as the velocity correlations. Surprisingly, we find a glass phase at very low packing fraction and for a wide range of granular temperatures. Both phases are characterized also by a strong anti-correlated velocities upon collision. Thus, the dynamics observed for this quasi two-dimensional system unveils phase transitions with peculiar properties, very different from the predicted behavior in well know theories for their equilibrium counterparts.
Dynamic Ramsey Theory of Mechanical Systems Forming a Complete Graph and Vibrations of Cyclic Compounds
Authors: Shvalb Nir , Frenkel Mark , Shoval Shraga , Bormashenko Edward
Published: September 2022

Ramsey theory influences the dynamics of mechanical systems, which may be described as abstract complete graphs. We address a mechanical system which is completely interconnected with the two kinds of ideal Hookean springs. The suggested system mechanically corresponds to the cyclic molecules, in which functional groups are interconnected with two kinds of chemical bonds, represented mechanically with two springs k1 and k2. In this paper, we consider a Cyclic system (molecule) built of six equal masses m and two kinds of springs. We pose the following question: what is the minimal number of masses in the such a system in which three masses are constrained to be connected with spring k1 or three masses to be connected with spring k2? The answer to this question is supplied by the Ramsey theory, and it is formally stated as follows: what is the minimal number R3,3? The result emerging from the Ramsey theory is R3,3=6. Thus, in the aforementioned interconnected mechanical system will be necessarily present the triangles (at least one triangle), built of masses and springs. This prediction constitutes the vibrational spectrum of the system. Thus, the Ramsey Theory supplies the selection rules for the vibrational spectra of the cyclic molecules. Symmetrical system built of six vibrating entities is addressed. The Ramsey approach works for 2D and 3D molecules, which may be described as abstract complete graphs.
The Effect of Ulnar Styloid Fractures on Patient-Reported Outcomes After Surgically Treated Distal Radial Fractures
Authors: Clementsen Ståle Ørstavik , Jakobsen Rune Bruhn , Hammer Ola-Lars , Randsborg Per-Henrik
Published: September 2022

Background:

Ulnar styloid fractures (USFs) are often associated with distal radial fractures (DRFs). When unstable DRFs are treated surgically, any associated USF is most commonly left untreated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a concomitant USF on outcome after surgical stabilization of a DRF.

Methods:

Data from 2 randomized controlled trials on the treatment of unstable DRFs were pooled. The effect of a USF on the QuickDASH, EQ-5D, pain, and range of motion at 2 years was evaluated.

Results:

Two hundred and eighty-one patients were included; 177 (63%) had an associated, untreated USF. An unadjusted analysis demonstrated no significant difference in functional or patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) at 2 years between patients with or without a concomitant USF. When controlling for confounding factors, the presence of a USF did not predict change in any of the PROMs from baseline to 2 years. A concomitant USF also did not predict change in grip strength or range of motion, except for a small effect on extension (−4.1°; 95% confidence interval, −7.5° to −0.8°; p = 0.02), which probably does not have clinical relevance.

Conclusions:

A USF in combination with a DRF does not affect PROMs, range of motion, or grip strength. We recommend that concomitant USFs be left untreated when treating a DRF with surgical fixation.

Level of Evidence:

Prognostic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Synthesis and Spectroscopic Characterization for Some Metal ion Complexes with 2-Hydroxy-3-((5-Mercapto-1,3,4-Thiadiazol-2-yl)Diazenyl)-1-Naphthaldehyde
Authors: Al-Hamdani Abbas Ali Salih , Ahmed Susan Duraid , Shake Shaima Hameed , Hasan Zainab Abd Al-Hadi
Published: September 2022

New metal ion complexes were synthesized with the general formula; K[PtLCl4], [ReLCl4] and K[ML(Cl)2] where M = Pd(II), Cd(II), Zn(II) and Hg(II), from the Azo ligand (HL) [2-Hydroxy-3-((5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)diazenyl)-1-naphth aldehyde] (HL) the ligand was synthesized from (2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde) and (5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thiol). The ligand and its metal complexes are characterized by phisco- chemical spectroscopic techniques (FT.IR, UV-Vis and Mass spectra, elemental analysis, molar conductivity, Atomic Absorption, Chloride contain and magnetic susceptibility). The spectral data suggest that the (HL) behaves as a bidentate ligand in all complexes. These studies revealed tetrahedral geometries for all metal complexes, except square planar for Pd(II) complex and except octahedral geometry for Pt(IV) and Re(V) complexes. The study of complexes formation via molar ratio of (M:L) as (1:1). Theoretical treatment of this ligand and its metal complexes in gas phase using Hyper chem.8 was preformed.
A planted forest in the mountain steppe of Tabriz, Iran. Visitor’s perceptions of Eynali Urban Woodland Park
Authors: Sabouri Ramin , Breuste Jürgen , Rahimi Akbar
Published: September 2022

Eynali Urban Woodland Park (EWP) is a large mountain park in Tabriz, Iran, and is the largest urban woodland park in Iran. It was developed to increase the urban green space in the growing city of Tabriz for recreation, climate improvement, biodiversity, and ecological connection between the city and its natural surroundings. The planted hilly woodland is located in a natural mountain steppe in a semi-arid region andneeds intensive management, including irrigation.
By questioning of 277 randomly selected park visitor's frequency of visits, activities, accessibility, preferences, and especially nature preferences were analyzed using visualization of different nature types by photographs. The management targets were compared to visitors’ perceptions, preferences, and acceptances.
The results show, visitors prefer a natural surrounding instead of artificial landscape design. Expectations of visitors for specific natural design attractions are lower than the actual status offers, higher for social security, quality of infrastructure, accessibility, and utilization. Especially important are security by monitoring and guarding, enhancing picnic sites, improving the lighting system for evening visits, continuing forestry, public transport, and providing natural risk protection.
Most visitors prefer nature-near vegetation, dry grassland with shrubs partly planted with trees and bushes, followed by planted forest. The planted forest is not the prefered preference. Vistors’ mental nature imagination matches quite well with the nature experience they have from the surrounding mountain steppe with forest patches.
Conclusions: The use of the visitors’ expectations can improve the park landscape management can reduce the management costs.
Study on the learning curve during the transition from direct lateral to direct anterior approach in total hip arthroplasty : a consecutive one hundred and twenty-seven case series
Authors: Chu Miao , Wang Yong , Jiang Tao , Bao Weiguo , Zhou Jiangang
Published: September 2022

Background: Direct anterior approach (DAA) for primary hip arthroplasty has received increasing attention recently. However, there have been no reports focused on the learning curve when transitioning from direct lateral approach(DLA) to DAA. This study evaluates a single surgeon’s learning curve by examining Procedure Time (PT), Operation Preparation Time (OPT), Operating Room Time(ORT) and other data.
Methods: From 2019 to 2021, a single surgeon’s first 100 cases with DAA and 27 cases with DLA between the learning cure were reviewed. PT, OPT, ORT and other data were analyzed.
Results: Compared with DLA, PT, OPT and ORT had a sharp rise in the first 10 cases. There was no statistical significance in PT after 20 cases, ORT after 30 cases, and OPT after 50 cases. The difference of PT and ORT between group 1(DLA) and group 2(DAA, 1-51 cases), group 2 and group 3(DAA, 51-100 cases) were statistically significant. OPT of Group 1 was the shortest, increased significantly in group 2, gradually decreased in group 3. There were significant differences in blood lossbetween group 1 and group 3, between group 2 and group 3. 4 complications in total, 1 case in group 1, 3 cases in group 2. There were no significant differences in blood transfusion, length of stay and complication rate.
Conclusions: When transitioning from DLA to DAA, an experienced surgeon may be low efficient, with longer PT, OPT and ORT. Great changes appeared after DAA 50 cases, complications and blood loss could be controlled within the safe range.
Enhancing women’s participation in SMEs is a major boost for Zimbabwe’s economic recovery strategy
Authors: Musabayana Godfrey Tambudzayi , Mutambara Emmanuel , Ngwenya Tony
Published: September 2022

The greater involvement of women in the SME sector would improve the economy of the country through a higher participation of the mostly excluded group. The low involvement of women in the SME sector in Zimbabwe is a major cause of concern since they are being marginally involved in the business activities by the current economic environment. This study established that the women are not supported by the government, they lack resources and are incapacitated yet the SMEs are currently the main source of employment for the Zimbabweans. The qualitative research method was used in the study which employed interviews as the main data collection method. The findings of the study will assist the government to promote the participation of women in the SME sector and this will improve the economy of the country. The researcher proposed the strategy that the Zimbabwean government could adopt in order to improve the participation of women in the economic development of the country.
Fostering Small and Medium-sized Enterprises through Public Procurement in Canada: A Data Analytics Approach
Authors: Wu ShiKui , Zhang Kem Z.K. , Farrokhi Kiana
Published: September 2022

Public procurement has been considered as a policy tool to foster small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while the effectiveness remains unclear. This study aims to assess the participation and performance of SMEs in Canadian public procurements. We adopt a data analytics approach in assessing the tenders’ data from the Government of Canada over a ten-year period (2009–2019). We analyzed key factors, identified patterns and profiles in winning contracts, compared the performance between SMEs and large enterprises (LEs), and developed prediction models for contract value. Contract value is found to vary across firm sizes, levels of competitiveness, and supplier’s locations and industries. SMEs are top performers and are strongly complementing LEs with diverse and specialized offerings. A majority of public contracts with SMEs are awarded with relatively small value, short terms and limited to certain service contracts. The random forest regression model is shown to be the best in predicting contract value. The findings provide insights for both governments and SMEs in using procurement more effectively as a policy tool. Future work may validate this research in other countries with traditional method and primary data.
Silibinin inhibits the invasion of human fibrosarcoma cells through MMPs, p-p38 and IL-1β
Authors: In Ah , Kim Moon-Moo
Published: September 2022

Silibinin, from milk thistle (Cirsium japonicum) has been known to suppress lung cancer and liver protection. Due to the defection of normal cells to regulate cell division, cancer cells metastasize into other tissues. Therefore, the development of natural substances to suppress metastasis through MMPs, the metastatic enzymes, is necessary. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of silibinin on the metastasis of human fibrosarcoma cells. Cytotoxicity was shown in the presence of silibinin above 20 μM. Silibinin above 20 μM remarkably inhibited the levels of both MMP-2 and MMP-9 activations under PMA treatment condition. Furthermore, silibinin at 25 μM suppressed metastasis by reducing the expression levels of TIMP-1, MMP-2, IL-1β, ERK1/2, and p-p38. Moreover, silibinin above 10 μM inhibited the invasion of HT1080 cells. These results suggest that silibinin could exert an excellent effect on the suppression of metastatic enzymes, leading to the inhibition of cell invasion.
Case Serie of Hybrid Brachytherapy followed by Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (HyBIRT) Technique for the Definitive Management of Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma (TSCC)
Authors: Musa Muhamad Yusri , Appalanaido Gokula Kumar , Ch’ng Ewe Seng , Shukor Syadwa Abdul , Soon Eu Chong , Noor Siti Noor Fazliah Mohd , Azahari Ahmad Naqiuddin , Kamaruddin Siti Hajariah , Ishak Nor Hafizah , Aziz Mohd Zahri Abdul , Jalil Jasmin
Published: September 2022

Introduction
The Hybrid Brachytherapy followed by Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (HyBIRT) technique reverses the commonly used sequence by delivering high dose rate interstitial brachytherapy (HDRIBT) first followed by IMRT in the management of tongue squamous cell carcinomas (TSCC).
Materials and methods
Eleven patients treated with 20Gy in 5 fractions HDRIBT to TSCC followed by definitive IMRT to 69.96Gy to the involved nodes; 61.71Gy to the high risk volume and 56.1Gy to the low risk volume over 33 fractions in a single institution were analyzed retrospectively.
Results
All 11 patients achieved clinical complete response (cCR) and 9 patients with available radiological imaging achieved radiological complete response (rCR) at the primary site. One year locoregional progression-free survival was 90% (95% CI: 73.2% − 100%) and 18-month disease-free survival (DFS) for 8 patients who achieved rCR was 66.7% (95% CI: 30% − 100%). Median times to cCR and rCR at the primary site were 3.91 months and 4.34 months, respectively. Seven out of 8 patients with nodal disease achieved rCR of the nodes with a median time for rCR of 4.58 months. Two patients had persistent ulcer at 8 months and 11 months of follow-up.
Discussion
HyBIRT technique has the advantage of easy tumor identification during HDRIBT applicator insertion, ability to maneuver the subsequent IMRT plan and reduced the overall treatment time (OTT) while delivering tumoricidal dose to gross disease. Studies with larger sample size are needed to further confirm the efficacy of this organ sparring technique.
Determinants of Passenger Brand Preference Decision (a case of long-distance public transport service in Bahir Dar city station, Ethiopia).
Authors: Yimer Ahmed Mohammed , Dessie Tsadiku Setegne , Ali Mohammed Yimam
Published: September 2022

The study was aims to examine the determinants of passenger brand preference decision in a case of long-distance public transport service in Bahir Dar City station. Specifically, the study sought to address the influence of price, availability of a facility, brand name awareness, brand attributes (comfort, customer care, and safety measures), perceived service quality, and employee service on passengers' brand preference decisions. The study used a positivism research paradigm with a deductive research approach and an explanatory research design to investigate the significance level and the direction of its determinant. In this study, a convenience sampling method was employed to select the sample respondents. The collected data through questionnaire was analysed by the ordinal logistic regression model. In accordance, the finding of this study showed that except the availability of facility, all other predictor variables (price, brand name awareness, brand attributes (comfort, customer care/ safety measures), perceived service quality and employee service) have a strong positive effect on passengers’ brand preference decision. To survive the present competitive pressure and to take the bus as the preferred brand in the industry, the Road transport firms should be required to manage and give more attention to the price charged, increase the level of awareness, creation of comfort, customer care, and safety measures, provide a better quality of service, and improve employees’ hospitality of service
Tolerance to aryloxy-phenoxy-propionate (APP) as a model for Lazarroz FL rice in vitro gamma irradiation variability selection
Authors: Hernández-Soto Alejandro , Méndez-Navarro Daniela , Perez Jason , Gatica-Arias Andrés , Vargas-Segura Walter , Echeverria-Beirute Fabián , Abdelnour-Esqu Ana
Published: September 2022

In vitro gamma ray (60Co) mutagenesis is a powerful tool to achieve variability in commercial rice lines used by farmers, such as Lazarroz FL. We previously reported the optimized in vitro gamma mutagenesis system for Lazarroz FL Indica callus. As a continuation, in the present study, we targeted the ACC2 gene mutagenesis that provides tolerance to aryloxy-phenoxy-propionate (APP) fluazifop-P-butyl as a model to show the system's potential to create variability while providing a solution for weed management. The DL50 of fluazifop-P-butyl was calculated in calli as DL50= 6,93 mg/L (0,425 mg/L - 15,743 mg/L, R2 = 0,402, 1000n) and regenerated vitroplants at an LD50 of 3.771 mg/L (R2 = 1, 290n). We used 5 mg/L fluazifop-P-butyl as a selection agent and the second round of selection of 10 mg/L (3000 vitroplants) resulted in one survivor plant when using calli as a starting material. The putative tolerant plant also tolerated 150 mg/L in the greenhouse. The ACC2gene was sequenced, and a heteroecious mutation, T2222I/T2222M, was discovered that may be linked to tolerance. We improved the in vitro system by using seeds as a gamma irradiation starting point instead of embryogenic calli, followed by calli induction, regeneration, and exposure to the selection agent. The modification allowed higher gamma doses with an LD50 of 350 Gy and one to thirty-one putative tolerant plants. The in vitro model showed that gamma-ray mutants from recalcitrant indica rice materials are possible, and the use of selection agents such APP can help create variability useful for breeding a more resilient rice.
Effective Matrix Designs for COVID-19 Group Testing
Authors: Brust David , Brust Johannes J
Published: September 2022

Background: Grouping samples with low prevalence of positives into pools and testing these pools can achieve considerable savings in testing resources compared with individual testing in the context of COVID-19. We review published pooling matrices, which encode the assignment of samples into pools and describe decoding algorithms, which decode individual samples from pools. Based on the findings we propose new one-round pooling designs with high compression that can efficiently be decoded by combinatorial algorithms. This expands the admissible parameter space for the construction of pooling matrices compared to current methods.
Results: By arranging samples in a grid and using polynomials to construct pools, we develop direct formulas for an Algorithm (Polynomial Pools (PP)) to generate assignments of samples into pools. Designs from PP guarantee to correctly decode all samples with up to a specified number of positive samples. PP includes recent combinatorial methods for COVID-19, and enables new constructions that can result in more effective designs.
Conclusion: For low prevalences of COVID-19, group tests can save resources when compared to individual testing. Constructions from the recent literature on combinatorial methods have gaps with respect to the designs that are available. We develop a method (PP), which generalizes previous constructions and enables new designs that can be advantageous in various situations.
A pipeline defect estimation method based on supervised learning fusion model
Authors: Lv Bingze , Li Ce , Wang Guotao , Wu Qianyu , Wang Jiaqi , Wang Guoqiang
Published: September 2022

Pipeline health assessment is an important work in industry, and information on the type and size of defects is an essential basis for assessing the health of a pipeline. Therefore, a pipeline defect estimation method based on supervised learning ensemble model is proposed in this paper. Firstly, several typical feature factors are calculated using feature formulas in the field of acoustics, capable of distinguishing the defect signal variability. Thereafter, Pearson correlation coefficient analysis and Random Forest importance ranking feature analysis methods are utilized to filter out the more valuable features. To improve the performance of defect estimation, a fusion model combining qualitative and quantitative analysis based on Random Forest and XGBoost is constructed to preferentially identify the type of defect signal qualitatively and then predict the size quantitatively. Finally, experimental results and comprehensive analysis with other mainstream supervised learning methods indicate that the prediction error of this method is basically below 1.5%, which addresses the issue of the low estimation accuracy of traditional methods.
Acupuncture improving mental health of patients with migraine: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Zhao , Feng Jie , Yin Shao , LI Liuying , Chen Xin , Yang Qicheng , Gao Xu , Che Deya , Zhou Li , Yan Hui , Zhong Yue , Zhu Fengya
Published: September 2022

Background

Migraine is a neurological disease characterized by moderate to severe headache and various neurological symptoms. It is often cause mood and anxiety disorders that can seriously affect quality of life. Acupuncture has been claimed to have a role in treating neuropsychiatric disorders and is becoming increasingly popular. However, it remains unclear whether current evidence is sufficient to support acupuncture in improving mental health in migraine patients.

Objectives

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effect of acupuncture on the management of pain and mood disorders in patients with migraine.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science and other databases for reports, conferences and academic papers published before January 1, 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including acupuncture, sham acupuncture and medication for migraine were included. Cochrane collaboration software RevMan 5.4 was used for data processing and migration risk analysis.

Result

Eleven randomized controlled trials containing 1734 migraine patients were included in the present study, from which we can conclude that the effect of acupuncture is better than that of sham acupuncture or drugs in terms of reducing the frequency of migraine attacks FM (WMD: -0.55; 95% CI: [-0.85, -0.25]; P < 0.001), VAS score (WMD = -0.66, 95% CI: [-1.10, -0.22], P = 0.003) and the average number of suffering days per month (WMD = -1.13, 95% CI [-1.57, -0.69], P < 0.001)). While acupuncture intervention was effective only in the short-term (<3 months) in respect to improving people’s life quality and related mental health, MSQ (WMD = 2.53; 95% CI: [1.09, 3.96]; P = 0.001) and SF (WMD = 6.08, 95% CI: [1.31, 10.84], P = 0.012) long-term follow-up showed that there was no significant difference between the acupuncture and control groups.

Conclusion

In comparison with the control group, acupuncture featured more prominently in reducing migraine pain severity, attack frequency and the average number of painful days per month. In addition, better short-term effects are witnessed in improving the quality of life and mental health of migraine patients. From the perspective of long-term outcome analysis, the present study does not seem to make a difference between the acupuncture group and the control group in improving patients’ mental health. Moreover, the acupuncture group had a lower incidence of adverse events than the control group. This study shows that acupuncture may improve quality of life and mental health in migraine sufferers in the short term.
Contralateral knee-flexion prone split-leg percutaneous nephrolithotomy: A versatile technique
Authors: Zeng Qinsong , Luo Shuhang , Jiang Shuangjian , Mo Chengqiang , Bai Baohua , Wu Rongpei
Published: September 2022

Background
Traditional prone position (TP) and prone split-leg position are two commonly used operative positions for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). However, when confronting with the situation of endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery, the former could not avoid the need of position change while the latter requires flexible retrograde ureteroscopy (fURS) with higher cost. The current study optimized a novel technique for performing percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in the knee-flexion prone split-leg position (KF-PSL)and evaluated the safety, advantages, and feasibility compare to the traditional prone position (TP).
Methods
An evolution of technique based on common prone split-leg position (PSL) was presented, and a retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 105 patients who underwent PCNL in KF-PSL or TP position between January 2021 and June 2021. The demographic and preoperative clinical data of the KF-PSL and TP groups were reviewed, and the preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative parameters were compared.
Results
The perioperative manifestations of 51 patients who underwent PCNL in the KF-PSL position and 54 patients in the TP position were analyzed. The preoperative parameters of the two groups did not differ significantly. The mean stone size was 43.38±29.64 mm in maximum diameter. S.T.O.N.E. scores greater than 11 accounted for 11.4%. The mean operative time (85.4±47.7 mins in KF-PSL vs 109.6±48.9 mins in TP) was a significant index (P<0.001). Both groups had similar stone-free rates after four weeks (P=0.134). Three cases of endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery were performed in the KF-PSL group. The Braden scale scores of the two groups did not differ significantly(P=0.686). No significant difference was observed between the groups in the total complication rate(P=1).
Conclusion
The KF-PSL is a promising novel position that allows a shorter operative time and more simplified surgical procedure for PCNL than TP without compromising the outcome. It is more convenient for combined therapy, which allows access to the entire urinary tract without the need for changing position. KF-PSL is a safe, efficient, and versatile position that enables the complete resolution of large stones in a single procedure.
Trial registration
ChiCTR2200055385, 8th, January, 2021.
Psycho Socioeconomic Concerns of Low Economic Background Families With a Cerebral Palsy Child: A Mixed Design
Authors: Pattnaik Monalisa , Mishra Srijit
Published: September 2022

Introduction: When disability and poverty coincide, the impact is more. Socio economic studies on cerebral palsy children are rarely being done in India. More ever studies on lower socio-economic families having a cerebral palsy child are rare.
Objective of the study: It is to understand the psycho socioeconomic concerns of the families with a cerebral palsy child.
Design: Mixed method. Exploratory sequential design. The quantitative data was obtained by a survey questionnaire, which was prepared on themes obtained from the qualitative data by a semi structured interview. 10 Parents of cerebral palsy children with monthly income Rs 10,000 and below from the paediatric unit of Department of Physiotherapy of SVNIRTAR were selected purposively for qualitative data. A questionnaire was prepared and validated on psycho socio economic issues of families of cerebral palsy children. 124 parents of cerebral palsy children with monthly income Rs 10,000 and below were surveyed.
Results: 88.70% reside in rural areas and 11.3% in urban. 19% belong to SES 3 (Lower middle) an 81% belong to SES4 (upper lower). For 6.5% families the one-time treatment expenditure far crossed their yearly expenditure. In 18.3% families the monthly expenditure was more than income and 20.6% spent more than 50% of their income on treatment of the child. None had insurance. 4.6% had chronic illness of other family members. 2% had another child also affected. In case of financial requirement when they cannot meet the expenditure 7.6% sold their belonging, 38.2% took loan, 33.6% financial support was availed from family friends and relatives and 2.3% got financial assistance from govt. or NGO and 11.5% did could not help themselves anyway. Only 2 people had barrier free home. 73.3 parents did not know about government schemes available for them, 14.5% knew but were not availing and 6.9% were availing. Social life was affected for 70.14%. 71% were not getting any social support.
Three-dimensional nanofibrous sponges with aligned architecture and controlled hierarchy regulating neural stem cell fate for spinal cord regeneration
Authors: Ni Shilei , Li Zhiwei , Qi Ye , Sun Lei , Li Zheng , Chen Shaojun , Zhang Yuqi , Ma Yuan , Han Jinming , Wang Zide , Zhang Yulin , Geng Huimin , Huang Bin , Wang Jian , Li Gang , Li Xingang , Wu Shaohua
Published: September 2022

A strategy combining biomimetic nanomaterial scaffolds with neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation holds promise for spinal cord injury (SCI) treatment. In this study, innovative three-dimensional (3D) nanofibrous sponges (NSs) are designed and developed by a combination of directional electrospinning and subsequent gas-foaming treatment. The as-generated 3D NSs exhibit uniaxially aligned nano-architecture and highly controllable hierarchical structure with high porosity, outstanding hydrophilicity, and reasonable mechanical performance, and they are demonstrated to facilitate cell infiltration, induce cell alignment, promote neuronal differentiation of NSCs, and enhance their maturation by activating the cellular adhesion molecule (CAM) pathways. The in vivo data show that the NSC-seeded 3D NSs efficiently promote axon reinnervation and remyelination in a rat SCI model, with new “neural relays” constructed across the lesion gap. Notably, they significantly increase the neurological motor scores of SCI rats from ~2 to 16 (out of 21) and decrease the sensing time from 140 s to 36 s, accompanied by the restoration of ascending and descending electrophysiological signalling. Overall, the present study indicates that the as-fabricated 3D NSs can effectively regulate the fate of NSCs, and an advanced combination of 3D NS design and transplanted NSCs invites applications as an ideal tissue-engineered scaffold for SCI repair.
Enhanced osmotic transport in individual double-walled carbon nanotube
Authors: Ma Ming , Cui Guandong , Xu Zhi , Li Han , Siria Alessandro
Published: September 2022

The transport of fluid and ions across nanotubes or nanochannels has attracted great attention due to the ultrahigh energy power density and slip length, with applications in water purification, desalination, energy conversion and even ion-based neuromorphic computing. Investigation on individual nanotube or nanochannel is essential in revealing the fundamental mechanism as well as demonstrating the property unambiguously. Surprisingly, while carbon nanotube is the pioneering and one of the most attractive systems for nanofluidics, study on its response and performance under osmotic forcing is lacking. Here, we measure the osmotic energy conversion for individual double-walled carbon nanotube with an inner radius of 2.3 nm. By fabricating a nanofluidic devices using photolithography, we find a giant power density (up to 30 kW/m2) for the transport of KCl, NaCl, and LiCl solutions across the tube. Further experiments show that such an extraordinary performance originates from the ultrahigh slip lengths (up to a few micrometers). Our results suggest that carbon nanotube is a good candidate for not only ultrafast transport, but also osmotic power harvesting under salinity gradients.
Dexmedetomidine regulates autophagy via the AMPK/mTOR pathway to improve SH-SY5Y-APP cell damage induced by high glucose
Authors: Chen Pinzhong , Chen Xiaohui , Zhang Honghong , Chen Jianghu , Lin Mingxue , Qian Haitao , Gao Fei , Chen Yisheng , Gong Cansheng , Zheng Xiaochun , Zheng Ting
Published: September 2022

Neurodegenerative diseases and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) involve the accumulation of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ). High glucose can inhibit autophagy, which facilitates intracellular Aβ clearance. The α2-adrenoreceptor agonist dexmedetomidine (DEX) can provide neuroprotection against several neurological diseases; however, the mechanism remains unclear. This study investigated whether DEX regulated autophagy via the AMPK/mTOR pathway to improve high glucose-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y/APP695 cells. SH-SY5Y/APP695 cells were cultured with high glucose with/without DEX. To examine the role of autophagy, the autophagy activator rapamycin (RAPA) and the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) were used. The selective AMPK inhibitor compound C was used to investigate the involvement of the AMPK pathway. Cell viability and apoptosis were examined by CCK-8 and annexin V-FITC/PI flow cytometric assays, respectively. Autophagy was analyzed by monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining of autophagic vacuoles. Autophagy- and apoptosis-related protein expression and the phosphorylation levels of AMPK/mTOR pathway molecules were quantified by western blotting. DEX pretreatment significantly suppressed high glucose-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y/APP695 cells, as evidenced by the enhanced viability, restoration of cellular morphology, and reduction in apoptotic cells. Furthermore, RAPA had a protective effect similar to that of DEX, but 3-MA eliminated the protective effect of DEX by promoting mTOR activation. Moreover, the AMPK/mTOR pathway involved DEX-mediated autophagy. Compound C significantly suppressed autophagy and reversed the protective effect of DEX against high glucose in SH-SY5Y/APP695 cells. Our findings demonstrated that DEX protected SH-SY5Y/APP695 cells against high glucose-induced neurotoxicity by upregulating autophagy through the AMPK/mTOR pathway, suggesting a role of DEX in treating POCD in diabetic patients.
Financial development and green technology innovation efficiency
Authors: Yong-chun SUN
Published: September 2022

Innovation in green technology has emerged as a crucial component in encouraging green, sustainable development. Is the development of the financial sector a factor in the innovation of green technologies? This study investigates the relationship between financial development and the innovation of green technologies from three perspectives: financial structure, financial deepening, and financial efficiency. The DEA-SBM model and GML index were used to measure green technological innovation in order to thoroughly assess its effectiveness. This was done using panel data collected from 30 Chinese provinces between the years of 2002 and 2020 (with the exclusion of Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao, and Macao). The findings indicate that: (1) while financial deepening and financial efficiency have a favorable promoting effect, financial structure has a negative influence on green technology innovation. (2) This paper further confirms the variation in the impact of financial development on green technology innovation, taking into account the heterogeneity of the development of China's provinces (such as the level of economic development, financial development, environmental regulation, location conditions, etc.). (3) This study discovers various ways in which financial development impacts the development of green technologies. The PLFC (Partial Linear Function Coefficient) model's findings show that the relationship between financial development and technological advancement varies with income.
Meta-analysis of cnidarian microbiomes reveals insights into the structure, specificity, and fidelity of marine associations.
Authors: McCauley Mark , Goulet Tamar , Jackson Colin , Loesgen Sandra
Published: September 2022

Microorganisms play essential roles in the health and resilience of cnidarians. Understanding the factors influencing cnidarian microbiomes requires cross study comparisons, yet the plethora of protocols used hampers dataset integration. Our objective was to unify 16S rRNA gene sequences from cnidarian microbiome studies under a single analysis pipeline. We reprocessed 12,010 cnidarian microbiome samples from 186 studies, alongside 4,002 poriferan, cultured Symbiodiniaceae, and environmental samples, unifying ~6.5 billion sequence reads. This meta-analysis uncovered an incredible diversity of 86 archaeal and bacterial phyla. Globally, cnidarian microbial composition, richness, diversity, and structure are primarily influenced by host phylogeny, sampling depth, and ocean body. Host phylogeny and sampling depth also influenced the Cnidaria ‘core microbiome’. We identified host and geographical generalist and specific Endozoicomonas clades within Cnidaria and Porifera. This meta-analysis forms a framework for understanding factors governing cnidarian microbiomes, creating a baseline to help elucidate the impact of stress associated dysbiosis.