bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Construction of China’s food security evaluation index system and spatiotemporal evolution
Authors: Lee Chien-Chiang , Li Jiangnan , Zeng Mingli
Published: January 2024

Food security is a vital material foundation for a nation's development and has been a topic of significant concern on the international stage in recent years. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, China is not only a major producer but also a substantial consumer of food. Ensuring food security in China is not only a top priority for its socio-economic development but also a driving force in maintaining the stability of the global food supply chain and reducing the number of hungry people worldwide. However, a lack of comprehensive research into the Chinese food security system remains. This study addresses this gap by constructing a comprehensive evaluation framework encompassing four dimensions: food supply, accessibility, production stability, and sustainability. Utilizing the Moran's Index and generating LISA (Local Indicators of Spatial Association) maps, we analyze the spatial correlations of food security. The Dagum Gini coefficient and kernel density estimation are applied to assess heterogeneity and spatial disparities. Furthermore, this research employs an ETS model to forecast food security trends. The findings reveal that the overall composite food security score exhibited fluctuations, initially increasing and reaching its peak of 0.407 in 2003, followed by a subsequent sharp decline after 2019. Spatially, food security exhibits correlations, with the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain and Northeast regions consistently showing high-high clustering. In contrast, the Western and Southern regions exhibit low-low clustering at specific time periods. The Dagum Gini coefficient indicates that overall food security disparities are relatively small. However, these disparities have gradually expanded in recent years, with inter-group differences becoming predominant after 2005.As indicated by the kernel density estimation, the dynamic distribution of food security initially widens and then narrows, suggesting a shift from dispersed to concentrated data distribution. This phenomenon is accompanied by polarization and convergence trends, particularly evident after 2015. According to the ETS Model, the study forecasts a substantial risk of declining food security in China over the next decade, largely influenced by the ongoing pandemic. In conclusion, this research provides a comprehensive assessment of the changing status of food security in China and offers early warnings through predictive analysis, addressing the existing research gaps in the field of food security.
The landscape of RNA-chromatin interaction reveals essential small non-coding RNAs as essential mediators of leukemia maintenance
Authors: Müller-Tidow Carsten , Yun Haiyang , Zoller Julian , Zhou Fengbiao , Rohde Christian , Liu Yi , Blank Maximilian , Göllner Stefanie
Published: January 2024

RNA constitutes a large fraction of chromatin. Spatial distribution and functional relevance of RNA associating with chromatin remain largely elusive. We established a landscape analysis of RNA-chromatin interactions in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In total more than 50 million interactions were captured in an AML cell line. Protein-coding mRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) exhibited a substantial number of cis-interactions with chromatin suggesting transcriptional activity. In contrast, small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) and small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) associated with chromatin predominantly in trans indicating chromatin specific functions. Of note, snoRNA-chromatin interaction associates with chromatin modification and is independent of the classical snoRNA-RNP complexes. Two non-canonical C/D box snoRNAs, namely SNORD118 and SNORD3A, displayed high frequency of trans-association with chromatin. The transcription of SNORD118 and SNORD3A was increased upon leukemia transformation and enriched in leukemia stem cells, but decreased during myeloid differentiation. Suppression of SNORD118 and SNORD3A impaired leukemia cell proliferation and colony forming capacity in AML cells, but had minimal impact on healthy CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). These findings highlight the functional importance of chromatin-associated RNAs overall and in particular of SNORD118 and SNORD3A in maintaining leukemia propagation.
Exploring the causal relationship between inflatmmatory factors and sensorineural hearing loss:a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Qiu Zhaofeng , lin xin , Ye Shengnan , chang wei , Guo Jianzhou , Chu Yanling , zhao yahui
Published: January 2024

Objective: To investigated the causal link between inflammatory variables and sensorineural hearing loss.
Study Design: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.
Set: FinnGen study and the public genome-wide association study (GWAS).
Methods: Based on the public genome-wide association study and the FinnGen study, we conducted two Mendelian randomization studies using Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW) as the main method of Mendelian randomization(MR) analysis, using weighted median (MR Egger), Cochrane’ Q, IVW_radial and leave-one-out (LOO) were used for pleiotropy and heterogeneity. Also, We use the MR-PRESSO to evaluate horizontal pleiotropy and test outliers.
Results: This study used the IVW method to reveal a correlation between elevated levels of VEGF, SDF1a, IL13, IL10, and IL7 and an increased risk of sensorineural hearing loss. The IVW method (Estimate ods ratio [OR]=1.04, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.07-1.04, p=0.04, OR=1.10, 95% [CI]: 1.02-1.18, p=0.01, OR=1.04, 95% [CI]: 1.01-1.06, p=0.01, OR=1.06, 95% [CI]: 1.02-1.11, p=0.01, OR=1.05, 95% [CI]: 1.02-1.11 1-1.08, p=0.00), Reverse MR analysis showed that sensorineural hearing loss did not significantly affect the expression of these 41 inflammatory factors. No significant heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was observed in the instrumental variables.
Conclusion: This study reveals a positive correlation between high levels of VEGF, SDF1a, IL13, IL10 and IL7 and sensorineural hearing loss, providing new targets for prediction, treatment and prevention of sensorineural hearing loss.
Correlation of Fatty Acid Chain Length Used in the Biscuit Formulation with the Biscuits Texture Profile
Authors: Kadam Akshay , Mali Suraj , Jogi Arun , PRATAP PROFERSOR (DR.) AMIT P
Published: January 2024

Vegetable fat plays an important role in determining the texture profile of biscuits and other bakery products. Fat structure and its fatty acid composition have a considerable impact on the mouthfeel, texture, and sensorial properties. Shrewsbury biscuits were made using different fat blends of Palm Kernel Oil, Hydrogenated Palm kernel oil, Palm Oil, Inter-esterified fats and were analyzed for texture profile and extensibility. The fat blends used were analyzed for gas chromatography and solid fat content using NMR and scanning electron microscopy. The TPA result showed that an increase in content of C18 (18 carbon atom chain length) leads to an increase in hardness, adhesiveness, chewiness, springiness, and gumminess while decreasing fracturability. An increase in C12 (12-carbon atom chain length) content leads to a decrease in hardness, chewiness, springiness, gumminess, fracturability, and a marginal increase in adhesiveness. A decrease in the content of C16 (16 carbon atom chain length) results in a decrease in hardness, chewiness, springiness, gumminess, fracturability, and a marginal increase in adhesiveness.
Rooting patterns and aucubin content of Plantago lanceolata varieties
Authors: Pol Michal , Potterat Olivier , Tröber Florian , Lewandowska Sylwia , Schmidtke Knut
Published: January 2024

This study investigated the potential of Plantago lanceolata as an alternative plant to mitigate the environmental impacts of agriculture in the face of climate change. Eleven genotypes of ribwort were compared under field conditions in northern Switzerland, focusing on the characteristics of the root system and the aucubin content in the leaves and roots. Aucubin, known to inhibit nitrification process in the soil, varied according to genotype and season. The content of secondary metabolite in leaves was higher than in roots, which may indicate the greater importance of leaves in reducing soil nitrification. Dry matter yield and for the first time root characteristics, such as length density and specific root length, were evaluated at two different depths, and at different positions in the experimental plots. The results showed that ribwort is well adapted in terms of rooting in topsoil. In addition, the plant's ability to root deeply after one year of cultivation under field conditions has been demonstrated, reaching depths of up to 1.88 metres. This allows the plant to effectively absorb water and nutrients from the subsoil layers.
Fibre Bragg gratings with micro-engineered temperature coefficients
Authors: Fells Julian , Song Zipei , Wang Mohan , Salter Patrick , Liu Tongyu , Elston Steve , Booth Martin , Morris Stephen
Published: January 2024

Fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) are ubiquitous as sensors for a range of parameters and also as optical components in telecommunications systems. However, their temperature dependence of around + 10 pm/°C is a limiting factor, making it challenging for sensors to discriminate strain from temperature, while telecommunications components require additional thermal stabilization. We microfabricate low loss FBGs in standard single-mode fibre, with wide control over their temperature coefficient between + 10 pm/°C and − 55 pm/°C. We also show a temperature insensitive FBG which is stable to ± 12.5 pm over a 17 to 45°C range, which is an order of magnitude reduction in sensitivity. It has only ± 3.5% reflectivity variation over this range and only 1.29 dB transmission loss. The large negative coefficient FBGs would find application in separating strain and temperature effects, as well as for thermally tunable components. Separately, the temperature insensitive FBG would have applications for strain sensing with low temperature cross-sensitivity as well as for low-cost temperature stable optical components. Moreover, the microfabrication process developed has significant potential for new classes of sensor and tunable optical devices.
Modeling the impacts of climate change on the Arctic
Authors: Zhao Pengjun , Li Yunlin
Published: January 2024

This study examines the long-term impacts of climate change on Arctic maritime transport, focusing on Polar Class 7 and 1B Ice Class vessels, which are predominantly used in the region. Using IPCC AR6's SSP1-2.4, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, the research analyzes sea ice conditions and navigability from 2023 to 2100. The results show that during 2023–2100, the navigability of 1B ships will increase significantly. The navigable days, without the consideration of sea ice motion, for both types of vessels will be similarly year-round by 2100. Under SSP 5-8.5, PC7 ships will be able to sail the Arctic passages throughout all seasons except for the spring from 2070, while the navigable area of 1B ships shows a high possibility of expanding after 2100. The optimal shipping routes of PC7 ships from 2071 to 2100 are more distributed toward the North Pole with the decrease of sea ice extent. Particularly, after 2071, the Northern Sea Route is feasible for PC7 ships transporting to north European and American countries along the Arctic. These could significantly reshape the patterns of global shipping network and international trade among Asia, Europe, and America.
Comparative study of static and dynamic characteristics of non-pneumatic tires with gradient honeycomb structure
Authors: Zhou Haichao , Yang Jian , Zhou Haifeng , Haifeng Zhou , Wang Guolin
Published: January 2024

The static and dynamic properties of the honeycomb non-pneumatic tires (NPTs) are strongly influenced by the spoke structure. Due to the complexity of the honeycomb structure, an in-depth understanding of the influences of the design parameters related to the honeycomb structure on its mechanical properties is essential, particularly for designing NPT of desired properties. Inspired by the concept of functionally graded structure, this paper aims to design a novel non-pneumatic tire with honeycomb-spoke graded thickness. Firstly, the in-plane mechanical characteristics of the thickness-graded honeycomb structures were investigated theoretically. On this basis, the finite element technique was developed for the NPTs using the corresponding thickness-graded honeycomb structures were established, and their static and dynamic mechanical properties were investigated using simulations and experimental tests. The results show that a reasonable thickness design can effectively enhance the load-bearing capacity of the NPT. The deformation features of the spoke were analyzed under the static state, and the contribution of different honeycomb structure edges deformation on the spokes is also discussed. The stress of the spoke and the tread under the static and dynamic loading conditions were studied, and comparison with the NPT-4 with a uniform thickness honeycomb structure, the results show that the thickness-graded honeycomb structure in NPT-3 significantly amplifies its load-bearing capability while also providing effective cushioning and shock absorption properties. This work would provide a basis for innovative design and performance optimization of NPTs.
Image processing based material removal rate analysis of morphable polishing tools with labyrinth and dimple textures
Authors: Nie Qianqian , Kaiyuan Tang
Published: January 2024

Morphable polishing tools are capable of finishing diamond turned surfaces with roughness in the nanometre range. The material removal rate of morphable tools polishing is challenging to calculate due to the labyrinth and dimple textures. This paper introduces a multi-scale theoretical model for predicting the material removal rate of morphable polishing tools. The model includes the polishing veslocity, polishing pressure, material removal by an abrasive, and number of effective abrasives. First, polishing velocity is obtained by tool kinematics analysis. Second, polishing pressure is obtained based on image processing. Theoretical polishing pressure is calculated by polishing pressure equations. Morphable tool texture images are binarized and conducted with Boolean product of the theoretical polishing pressure images to get the morphable tool polishing pressure. The morphable tool polishing pressure and twelve-image averaged pressure are conducted with Boolean product of the polishing velocity to obtain the instant and average material removal rate. Then the polishing pressure and material removal rate model are validated through pressure measurement and polishing tests, respectively. It is found that the polishing spot is ellipse shape with long axis (10.6 mm) and short axis (9.6 mm). The material removal rate for smooth tools along the short axis is almost constant while it steadily increased along the negative long axis. For labyrinth tools, the material removal rate along the short axis and the long axis is a trapezoidal shape and scalene triangular shape. For dimple tools, the material removal rate along the long axis and the short axis are similar to isosceles triangular shape. The model results agree well with the experimental data, quantifies how morphable tool texture influences the polishing pressure component and influences the material removal rate, which makes the polishing process more predictive.
Identification of novel QTL for seedling root architectural traits in the D genome of natural and resynthetic allohexaploid wheat
Authors: Wang Huifang , Yang Bangbang , Zhao Xinyu , Chen Hailong , Liu Fei , Ru Yating , Wei Xirui , Fu Xiaofeng , Guo Weiwei , Li Ximei , Golub Nataliia , Zhang Yumei
Published: January 2024

Root architectural traits at the seedling stage have been demonstrated to be crucial for the efficient uptake of nutrients and drought tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). To dissect the genetic basis of these traits from the D genome, 182 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the common wheat TAA10 crossed with resynthesized allohexaploid wheat XX329 possessed similar AABB genomes were used for QTL mapping of five root traits in hydroponic-cultured seedlings, including lateral root number (LRN), seminal root number (SRN), root hair length (RHL), root diameter (RD), and total root volume (TRV). A total of seven QTL were identified for the five root traits, with six possible novel QTLs for LRN, RHL, RD and TRV, accounting for 4.98–12.17% of phenotypic variation. One QTL (QLrn.qau-5D.2), controlling lateral root number, was fine mapped an approximate 5.0-Mb interval harboring 80 annotated genes, including five auxin-related genes (TraesCS5D02G286000, TraesCS5D02G286100, TraesCS5D02G288000, TraesCS5D02G291800 and TraesCS5D02G293100). We further validated that QLrn.qau-5D.2 in NILTAA10 significantly enhanced yield-related traits, such as plant height (PH), spike length (SL), spike compactness (SC), tiller number per plant (TN) and grain yield per plant (GYP), in comparison with NILXX329 in the elite NIL pair. Collectively, these results provide vital insights for fine-mapping QTLs associated with LRN, SRN, RHL, RD and TRV and facilitate the root morphologic designs for enhancing yield performance.
Differential alterations in the expression of AMPA receptor and its trafficking proteins in the hippocampus is associated with recognition memory impairment the rotenone-Parkinson's disease mouse model: neuroprotective role of Bacopa monneiri extract CDRI 08
Authors: Gupta Vartika , Prasad S.
Published: January 2024

Parkinson's disease (PD), one of the age-associated neurodegenerative disorders, is associated with motor abnormalities. In addition, the PD leads to gradual deterioration of cognitive decline with advancing age. Apart from the hallmark accumulation of α-Synuclein (α-Syn) in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNPc) dopaminergic neurons leading to their loss, the precise molecular basis of the PD-induced cognitive decline and the therapeutic intervention is not yet understood. In the current study, our Western blotting and qRT-PCR data from the rotenone-induced PD mouse model reveal that the PD-induced recognition memory loss is associated with significant upregulation of the GluR1 subunit and downregulation of Glur2 subunit of the AMPA receptor in the hippocampus of rotenone-treated mice as compared to the vehicle control mice. Our data also reveal that its trafficking proteins are significantly upregulated in hippocampus (DG, CA3, and CA1 regions) of PD mice compared to the vehicle control. Bacopa monnieri extract (BME) called CDRI-08 at the dose of 200mg/Kg BW has shown its abilities to reverse the expression of AMPA receptor subunit and its trafficking protein in differential manner depending on whether the BME treatment was given prior to or after the rotenone treatment to mice. Our data clearly suggest that the pre treatment given to mice reverses the expression of the memory associated genes compared to the treatment after rotenone administration. Our study further suggests that the above changes in the gene expression in PD affected hippocampus are associated with modulation of their transcriptional machinery by BDNF and CREB. Expression of both are significantly lowered in the hippocampus the rotenone-treated mice in comparison to their levels in the control mice. The mice treated first with CDRI-08 significantly upregulated their expression compared to rotenone-treated mice, and when compared with mice treated after the rotenone treatment. Our results provide the evidence for the underlying molecular basis of cognitive decline in PD in rotenone-PD model and the possible mechanisms for the neuroprotective role of Bacopa monnieri extract CDRI-08 which shows its therapeutic potential for the PD-induced cognitive impairment.
Antidepressant-like effect of 5-O-methylvisammioside targeting SRC is accompanied by hippocampal neuroinflammation reduction in lipopolysaccharide-challenged mice
Authors: Zhu Wen-Qian , Li Bing-Jin , Cui Ran-Ji
Published: January 2024

5-O-methylvisammioside (MeV), a phenolic compound found in the underground part (radix) Saposhnikovia divaricate (Turcz. ex Ledeb.) Schischk. (Apiaceae) in the early stage, has also been detected in the extract of Eranthis longistipitata(Ranunculaceae) in recent literature. In previous studies, it was discovered to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. However, the potential mechanisms of MeV antidepressants remain unclear. In the present study, Network pharmacology was adopted to conduct drug-target networks following obtaining the shared targets between MeV and major depressive disorder (MDD) in multiple databases. The binding ability of the compound to the core target was verified through molecular docking. In addition, the biological processes and signaling pathways involved in the antidepressant effect of MeV by animal experiments. Our results were as follows: i) There were 85 shared targets of MeV & MDD in multiple public databases. The target protein with a higher degree in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was Proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (SRC). ii) Gene Ontology analysis showed that MeV treatment of MDD mainly involves the positive regulation of phosphorylation, the response to lipopolysaccharide, and other biological processes. It was closely related to the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. iii) MeV administration significantly alleviated depression-like behaviors and reduced microgliosis in mice by inhibiting SRC phosphorylation. The antidepressant effects of MeV may be attributed to the NF-κB signaling pathway. The results may contribute to demonstrating the effectiveness of MeV against MDD and facilitate the development of new traditional Chinese medicine ingredients.
A Study on End-to-End Detection Method of Concrete Crack Grade Based on Computer Vision
Authors: Qi Zhanfeng , Li Guoliang , Huang Zhiyi
Published: January 2024

Automated identification of concrete cracks is essential for ensuring infrastructure integrity and sustained safety. However, the irregularities and non-uniformity of concrete cracks present challenges in achieving a thorough, automated crack assessment meeting current specifications while reducing human involvement. Although relying on crack width to evaluate the degree of cracking has been widely accepted, the measurement of crack width is still limited by the measurement position, and the detection results often require additional processing, lacking intuitive representation. This paper proposes an innovative approach for a complete end-to-end detection system for assessing concrete crack grades, which includes a detection methodology and an evaluation framework. The detection method employs 227×227×3 detection cells trained using convolutional neural networks, each assigned distinct labels to slide and identify cracks. Simultaneously, the evaluation framework translates the concrete current specifications into computer-executable procedures and generates the quantitative evaluation of single and multiple cracks in concrete. The experimental findings indicate the models using fine-tuned AlexNet and VGG16 trained on the self-generated Crack-1000 dataset, generate a low error recognition rate of 5.2% and 2.4% respectively. The applications demonstrate the trained model and evaluation framework can accurately identify crack paths and provide a crack label that matches the actual situation. Compared with traditional methods, the method proposed in this article has superior recognition accuracy and end-to-end detection ability, eliminating the necessity of manual parameter adjustment. This innovative visual solution provides an effective method for detecting and evaluating cracks in concrete structures.
Reconfigurable synthetic dimension frequency lattices in an integrated lithium niobate ring cavity
Authors: Balcytis Armandas , Dinh Hiep , Ozawa Tomoki , Ota Yasutomo , Ren Guanghui , Baba Toshihiko , Iwamoto Satoshi , Mitchell Arnan , Nguyen Thach
Published: January 2024

Harnessing non-spatial properties of photons as if they represent an additional independent coordinate underpins the emerging synthetic dimension approach. It enables probing of higher-dimensional physical models within low-dimensional devices, such as on a planar chip. We demonstrate an integrated thin-film lithium niobate ring resonator that, under dynamic modulation, simulates a tight-binding model with its discrete frequency modes representing lattice sites. Inter-mode coupling, and the simulated lattice geometry, can be reconfigured by controlling the modulating signals. Up to a quasi-3D lattice connectivity with controllable gauge potentials has been achieved by simultaneous synchronized nearest-, second- and third-nearest-neighbor coupling, and verified by acquiring time-resolved synthetic band structures. Development of synthetic frequency dimension devices in the thin-film lithium niobate photonic integration platform is a key step in increasing the complexity of topological models achievable on a chip, combining efficient electro-optic mode coupling response with non-linear effects for long-range mode interactions.
Risk factors for Recurrent Pregnancy Loss among Women seeking care at a tertiary private-not-for-profit hospital in Northern Uganda: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Henry Ochola , Opiyo Jimmy , Otim Raymond , Akello Harriet , Okot Jerome , Lukyamuzi Enock , Lee Sadhbh , Ruhangura Simon , Praiselyn Acayo Judith , Odong Emintone , Buga Paul , Ochola Emmanuel , Ojara Sande
Published: January 2024

Background:Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) imposes a substantial burden, but data from sub-Saharan Africa are limited. We aimed to determine risk factors for RPL at a tertiary private-not-profit hospital in Northern Uganda.Methods:We conducted an unmatched case-control study among pregnant women at a referral hospital in Northern Uganda from February to June 2023. Cases included women aged 15-49 with ≥2 miscarriages and pregnancy <28 weeks of gestation. The controls were pregnant women with no history of miscarriage. We used a structured questionnaire to collect data and multivariable logistic regression for analysis.Results:We included 56 participants (19 cases and 37 controls), the median age was 29 years (IQR 26-35). The major factor associated with RPL was single/divorced status (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 8.2, 95%CI 1.15-58.27). There was no statistical evidence of association between pregnancy planning (aOR: 2.5, 95% CI: 0.62-9.88, p=0.197) or chronic medical illness (aOR: 4.7, 95% CI: 0.91-24.42, p=0.065) and RPLConclusions:This small, single-centre study found an association between single/divorced marital status and RPL risk. However, wide confidence intervals warrant cautious interpretation. Small sample size and retrospective design limit conclusiveness but provide a basis for larger multi-centre studies on independent risk factors for RPL including chronic illnesses, uterine anomalies, and gynaecological procedures.
Multi-epitope vaccine design of African swine fever virus considering T cell and B cell immunogenicity
Authors: Chen Ting-Yu , Ho Yann-Jen , Ko Fang-Yu , Wu Pei-Yin , Chang Chia-Jung , Ho Shinn-Ying
Published: January 2024

T and B cell activation are equally important in triggering and orchestrating adaptive host responses to design multi-epitope African swine fever virus (ASFV) vaccines. However, few design methods have considered the trade-off between T and B cell immunogenicity when identifying promising ASFV epitopes. This work proposed a novel Pareto front-based ASFV screening method PFAS to identify promising epitopes for designing multi-epitope vaccines utilizing five ASFV Georgia 2007/1 sequences. To accurately predict T cell immunogenicity, four scoring methods were used to estimate the T cell activation in the four stages, including proteasomal cleavage probability, transporter associated with antigen processing transport efficiency, class I binding affinity of the major histocompatibility complex, and CD8 + cytotoxic T cell immunogenicity. PFAS ranked promising epitopes using a Pareto front method considering T and B cell immunogenicity. The coefficient of determination between the Pareto ranks of multi-epitope vaccines and survival days of swine vaccinations was R2 = 0.95. Consequently, PFAS scored complete epitope profiles and identified 72 promising top-ranked epitopes, including 46 CD2v epitopes, two p30 epitopes, 10 p72 epitopes, and 14 pp220 epitopes. PFAS is the first method of using the Pareto front approach to identify promising epitopes that considers the objectives of maximizing both T and B cell immunogenicity. The top-ranked promising epitopes can be cost-effectively validated in vitro. The Pareto front approach can be adaptively applied to various epitope predictors for bacterial, viral and cancer vaccine developments. The MATLAB code of the Pareto front method was available at https://github.com/NYCU-ICLAB/PFAS.
The Utilization of Renal Dialysis in Saudi Arabia: A Comprehensive Study in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alghamdi Loujain , Alonazi Wadi
Published: January 2024

Background: Understanding the trend of utilization of renal dialysis in Saudi Arabia is fundamental as it provides a general overview of renal care. As a result, it assists in identifying challenges, opportunities, and potential areas for improvement in the provision of renal dialysis services, justifying the significance of the present study, which focused on the utilization of renal dialysis services in Saudi Arabia in 2021.
Objectives: This research investigated the utilization of renal dialysis services in Saudi Arabia by focusing on the number of renal dialysis centers, hemodialysis machines, and hemodialysis and peritoneodialysis patients.
Methods: The data from the General Authority of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Health (MoH) indicators for Renal Dialysis Centers and Patients by Health Sectors in 2021 using MS Excel 365 and SPSS Version 29. As a result, the number of renal dialysis centers was considered a dependent variable, and the number of HD machines, HD, and peritoneodialyis patients were the independent variables to determine the relationship between the variables.
Results: The findings revealed a positive relationship between the number of renal dialysis centers, the number of HD machines, and HD and peritoneodialysis patients, as demonstrated by p<0.05 in these three healthcare sectors.
Conclusion: The number of renal dialysis centers influences the availability of HD machines, affecting the number of HD and peritoneodialyis patients. Most patients (Saudi Arabians) preferred MoH over other governmental sectors and private sectors, while this is vice versa in the case of non-Saudi Arabians. Keywords: Renal Dialysis, Quality of Care, Chronic Renal Failure, and Saudi Arabia
Unpredicted ecosystem response to compound human impacts in a European river
Authors: Köhler Jan , Varga Elisabeth , Spahr Stephanie , Gessner Jörn , Stelzer Kerstin , Brandt Gunnar , Mahecha Miguel D. , Kraemer Guido , Pusch Martin , Wolter Christian , Monaghan Michael T. , Stöck Matthias , Goldhammer Tobias
Published: January 2024

Climate change elevates the threat of compound heat and drought events, with their ecological and socioeconomic impacts exacerbated by human ecosystem alterations such as eutrophication, salinization, and river engineering. Here, we study how multiple stressors produced an environmental disaster in a large European river, the Oder, where a toxic bloom of the brackish-water planktonic haptophyte Prymnesium parvum (the “golden algae”) killed approximately 1000 metric tons of fish and most mussels and snails. We uncovered the complexity of this event using hydroclimatic data, remote sensing, cell counts, hydrochemical and toxin analyses, and genetics. After incubation in impounded upstream channels with drastically elevated concentrations of salts and nutrients, only a critical combination of chronic salt and nutrient pollution, acute high water temperatures, and low river discharge during a heatwave enabled the riverine mass proliferation of B-type P. parvum along a 500 km river section. The dramatic losses of large filter feeders and the spreading of vegetative cells and resting stages make the system more susceptible to new harmful algal blooms. Our findings show that global warming, water use intensification, and chronic ecosystem pollution could increase likelihood and severity of such compound ecoclimatic events, necessitating consideration in future impact models.
Soil Slaking under the effect of dispersants: characteristics and mechanism
Authors: Wang Shuying , Zhu Hanbiao , Liu Pengfei , Qu Tongming
Published: January 2024

The adhesion of clay to the cutterhead and cutters presents a significant challenge during EPB shield excavation in clay strata. Dispersants are widely used to disintegrate clay adhering to metal surfaces, but their conditioning characteristics and working mechanisms remain elusive. This study investigates the effect of organic and inorganic dispersants on clay plasticity and slaking characteristics through Atterberg limit and slaking tests, complemented by Zeta potential and swelling tests to explore underlying mechanisms. The results demonstrate that increasing the content of inorganic and organic dispersants reduces soil plasticity and enhances the slaking rate during the rapid development period in pure water. Dispersion slaking occurs in soil blocks treated with inorganic dispersant in pure water, while soil blocks treated with organic dispersant primarily undergo surface slaking. A higher organic dispersant concentration significantly intensified the slaking rate. In contrast, inorganic dispersant solutions inhibit soil slaking. Inorganic dispersant solutions impede soil expansion and slaking due to reduced electrostatic repulsion and increasing difficulty in water infiltration. Conversely, organic dispersant solutions accelerate soil slaking by promoting soil expansion and solution infiltration, reducing surface tension, and increasing pore air pressure. The results may suggest injecting organic dispersant for removal of existing soil clogging in shield tunneling, but both inorganic and organic dispersants can serve to prevent the occurrence of soil clogging for shield tunnelling.
Gd-modified In2O3 for the enhanced xylene sensing
Authors: ZHANG Zhengxin , ZHANG Deqi , YANG Li , HOU Ming , GAO Jiyun , XIA Yi , GUO Shenghui
Published: January 2024

Modifying with rare earth elements has been proven to be an effective means of enhancing the gas-sensing properties of oxides. In this work,Gd-In2O3 based sensor was developed, which showed high response to 100 ppm xylene gas (Ra/Rg = 17.8) fast response time (11 s) at 350°C, this response value was 5.4 times higher compared to the unmodified In2O3 sensor (Ra/Rg = 3.3). The introduction of the rare earth element not only improves the electrical properties of the sensitive material to provide a more suitable resistance, but also strengthens the gas adsorption ability and the catalytic effect on the surface of the sensitive material, leading to the enhanced sensing performance.
Chronic NaAsO2 exposure promotes migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells by Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin/TCF4 axis-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition
Authors: Zhang Zhi-Hui , Yan Hai-Xin , Liu Ming-Dong , Yao Kai , Niu Feng-Wen , Feng Shi-Yao , Li Xi , Chen Yuan-Hua , Xie Dong-Dong
Published: January 2024

Inorganic arsenic is a Class I human Carcinogen. However, the role of chronic inorganic arsenic exposure on prostate cancer metastasis still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of chronic NaAsO2 exposure on migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells. DU145 and PC-3 cells were exposed to NaAsO2 (2 µmol/L) for 25 generations. Wound healing and Transwell assays showed that chronic NaAsO2 exposure promoted migration and invasion of DU145 and PC-3 cells. In addition, chronic NaAsO2 exposure induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of DU145 cells by promoting β-catenin/TCF4 transcriptional activity. Mechanically, NaAsO2 promoted GSK-3β inactivation in the "disruption complex" through Akt mediated phosphorylation at serine 9, and then inhibited phosphorylation and ubiquitination degradation of β-catenin, leading to β-catenin nuclear translocation. Ly204002, a selective phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt inhibitor, suppressed the β-catenin/TCF4 complex activation and EMT through blocking the Akt-mediated GSK-3β inactivation in the "disruption complex" in chronic NaAsO2 exposed DU145 and PC-3 cells. Moreover, Ly204002 alleviated chronic NaAsO2-induced migration and invasion in DU145 and PC-3 cells. These findings provide evidence that chronic arsenic exposure promoted migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells through inducing EMT driven by AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin/TCF4 signaling axis. Akt is expected to be a potential therapeutic target for chronic arsenic exposure-mediated prostate cancer metastasis.
The use of ultrasound in assessing acute renal pain caused by pregnancy
Authors: Youssef Ashraf Talaat , Elkady Maged Salah Eldien
Published: January 2024

Introduction: Acute renal pain or renal colic is an abdominal emergency that can occur during pregnancy and have severe maternal and foetal adverse effects. Ultrasonography can help to evaluate for the cause of renal pain either obstructive or non-obstructive. It can help to localize the site of obstruction and can accurately estimate the size of stones.
Aim of the work: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and assess the prevalence of various etiologies that could lead to acute renal pain during pregnancy among our study group using ultrasound.
Methodology:Observational retrospective study in which 87 pregnant females attended to a private ultrasound clinic, all were complaining of severe back pain, their age ranged from 18 to 38 years with the mean age being 28 years. All were subjected to abdominal and obstetric ultrasound exams in addition to clinical and laboratory evaluation.
Results: There were 87 pregnant women who experienced acute renal pain. 84 patients presented with hydronephrotic changes and 3 patients showed no dilation of pelvicalyceal systems. Among them hydroureteronephrosis with secondary pyeloureteritis observed in 65cases (75%). Renal stones were detected in 22 cases and 1 case was detected with adult polycystic kidney disease.
Conclusion :To evaluate the etiology of renal pain during pregnancy and guide management options, ultrasound is a useful and safe imaging modality. Management of acute renal pain with pregnancy is essential to prevent obstetric or maternal complications, it can be conservative medical and expectant in many cases, with few cases may recommend surgical intervention.
Study of the properties of red mud-waste incineration ash composites
Authors: Song yuxiang , Jiang mingyang
Published: January 2024

Aiming at the environmental problems caused by waste incineration ash, a reuse solution was proposed to use waste incineration ash and red mud for the preparation of Controlled Low Strength Material (CLSM), to determine the effect of each parameter on the performance of the material by using a one-way test and to determine the reasonable interval of each parameter, and to design the test by using the Box-Behnken Response Surface Method. Three factors, namely, red mud percentage, water-gum ratio, and glue-sand ratio, were used as test variables, and 14d unconfined compressive strength, mobility, and cost were used as response values to optimize the objectives. The heavy metal toxicity and micro-morphology of CLSM were investigated by using microscopic means such as heavy metal leaching concentration, XRD, and FTIR. The results of the study showed that the optimal mixing ratio of CLSM was 0.5 for red mud percentage, 0.667 for water-gum ratio, and 0.45 for gum-sand ratio, which can effectively utilize the waste incineration ash and reduce environmental pollution. It was found that under alkali activation, the red mud-refuse incineration ash cementation system would change and produce new substances, with crystals as the framework and gel as the filling, forming a dense structure.
Comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of the prognostic value of LOXL1
Authors: Wu Qingqing , Cao Liyu
Published: January 2024

Lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) is widely expression in a variety of human tissues and can regulate cell differentiation. However, its role in a variety of tumors is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to study the role of LOXL1 across cancer. First, we downloaded clinical data from the UCSC and TCGA databases, and studied the mRNA expression levels of LOXL1 in TCGA_GTEx samples, TCGA samples and paired samples of TCGA, respectively. Subsequently, Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed for 33 kinds of tumors in TCGA, and LOXL1 was found to affect the prognosis. Clinical correlation analysis and univariate Cox regression analysis were carried out. In addition, the representative cancer renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC)which had a sample size of more than 500 was selected to construct a nomgram to confirm the prognostic value of LOXL1 in cancer. The association between LOXL1 and immune cell infiltration was also determined. Finally, functional enrichment analysis was carried out to explore the potential signaling pathways which LOXL1 may participate. In summary, our research shows that LOXL1 is differentially expressed in many kinds of tumors and is related to the clinical outcome and immune microenvironment of many tumors. LOXL1 may participate in the occurrence and development of tumors through the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway and immune-related pathways.
A high-precision automatic extraction method for shedding diseases of painted cultural relics based on three-dimensional fine color model
Authors: Hu Chunmei , Huang Xiangpei , XIA Guofang , LIU Xi , MA Xinjian
Published: January 2024

In recent years, with the development of three-dimensional digitization of cultural relics, most cultural relic protection units have a large number of fine three-dimensional data of cultural relics, especially complex geometric objects such as painted cultural relics. At present, how to automatically extract surface disease information from the fine three-dimensional color model of painted cultural relics and avoid the accuracy loss caused by reducing the dimension by conventional methods is an urgent problem to be solved in the investigation of cultural relics diseases.In view of the above problems, this paper proposes an automatic and high-precision extraction method for cultural relics surface shedding diseases based on three-dimensional fine data. Firstly, this paper designs a two-dimensional and three-dimensional integrated data conversion model based on OSG three-dimensional engine, which realizes the mutual conversion between three-dimensional color model texture and two-dimensional image. Secondly, a SLIC segmentation algorithm with adaptive K value is proposed, which solves the problem of superpixel K value setting and improves the accuracy of image segmentation. Finally, through the two-dimensional and three-dimensional integrated model, the disease is statistically analyzed and labeled on the three-dimensional model.Experiments show that for painted plastic objects with complex surfaces, the disease extraction method based on three-dimensional fine model proposed in this paper has improved geometric accuracy compared with the current popular orthophoto extraction method, and the disease investigation is more comprehensive ; compared with the current three-dimensional manual extraction method in commercial software, this method greatly improves the efficiency of disease extraction while ensuring the extraction accuracy. The research method of this paper activates a large number of existing three-dimensional fine data of cultural protection units, and converts data mining and analysis from conventional two-dimensional data to three-dimensional data, which is more in line with the scientific utilization of data in accuracy and efficiency, and has certain scientific research value, leading value and practical significance.
Design And Analysis of 2-Dof Flexure Based Micromanipulator With Bridge Type Amplifier
Authors: Fuad Abdullah Al , Siddiqui M.A. Shadab , Hossain Syed Mohammad
Published: January 2024

In this study, a novel 2-DOF flexure-based micromanipulator for applications requiring precise positioning is designed and analyzed. The micromanipulator has a bridge-type amplification mechanism and an in-plane XY micropositioning stage that make it very stiff and accurate. The findings of the mechanism's examination using finite element analysis (FEA) and simulations indicate that the workspace range is 22.2 mm and the natural frequency is 150 Hz. The study also looks into how the characteristics of the material affect the mechanism's performance. The micromanipulator is fabricated using Al 7075-T6, demonstrating a displacement amplification ratio of 9.68. Geometrical modeling is established. The result shows that a compliant parallel micromanipulator’s workspace is obtained at ± 191.81 µm× ±192.41 µm. The amplification ratio is 6.77 analytically and 6.19 computationally. The natural frequency was found to be 2134 Hz and validated analytically. The study's findings demonstrate the potential of flexure-based mechanisms for achieving precise positioning in micro-scale applications. Overall, the study shows the promise of flexure-based mechanisms for applications requiring precise positioning, representing a substantial leap in the field of micro-manipulation.
Complete genome sequence of a novel alternavirus isolated from the phytopathogenic fungus Colletotrichum fioriniae
Authors: xu xiaowen , Li Jincang , Hai Du , Wang Yixun , Li Jinying , Zha Yuping
Published: January 2024

A novel double-strand RNA(dsRNA) mycovirus, named “Colletotrichum fioriniae alternavirus1(CfAV1)”, was isolated from the strain CX7 of Colletotrichum fioriniae, the causal agent of Walnut anthracnose. The complete genome of CfAV1 is composed of three dsRNA segments, dsRNA1(3528nt), dsRNA2(2485nt), and dsRNA3(2481nt). RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is encoded by dsRNA1, and dsRNA2 and dsRNA3, respectively, encode two hypothetical proteins. Based on multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic analysis, CfAV1 was identified as a new member of the proposed family Alternaviridae. This is the first report of an alternavirus that infects phytopathogenic fungus C. fioriniae.