bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance study of a 360° CZT camera for monitoring 177Lu-PSMA treatment
Authors: Vergnaud Laure , Badel Jean-Noël , Giraudet Anne-Laure , Kryza David , Mognetti Thomas , Baudier Thomas , Rida Hanan , Dieudonné Arnaud , Sarrut David
Published: June 2023

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the quantification performance of a 360° CZT camera for 177Lu-based treatment monitoring.
Methods: Three phantoms with known 177Lu activity concentrations were acquired: 1) a uniform cylindrical phantom for calibration, 2) a NEMA IEC body phantom for analysis of different-sized spheres to optimise quantification parameters, and 3) a phantom containing two large vials simulating organs at risk for tests Four sets of reconstruction parameters were tested: 1) Scatter, 2) Scatter and Point Spread Function Recovery (PSFR), 3) PSFR only and 4) Penalized likelihood option and Scatter, varying the number of updates (iterations × subsets) with CT based attenuation correction only. For each, activity concentration (ARC) and contrast recovery coefficients (CRC) were estimated as well as root mean square. Visualisation and quantification parameters were applied to reconstructed patient image data.
Results: Optimised quantification parameters were determined to be: CT-based attenuation correction, scatter correction, 12 iterations, 8 subsets and no filter. ARC, CRC and RMS results were dependant on the methodology used for calculations. Two different reconstruction parameters were recommended for visualisation and for quantification. 3D whole-body SPECT images were acquired and reconstructed for 177Lu-PSMA patients in 2-3 times faster than the time taken for a conventional gamma camera.
Conclusion: Quantification of whole-body 3D images of patients treated with 177Lu-PSMA is feasible and an optimised set of parameters has been determined. This camera greatly reduces procedure time whilst providing a final 3D whole-body image.
Ethnic, geographical, altitude considerations and maternal mortality on HELLP syndrome in Ecuador: a population-based cohort study.
Authors: Coral-Almeida Marco , Sánchez María Eugenia , Henríquez-Trujillo Aquiles R. , Barriga-Burgos María , Alarcón-Moyano Evelyn , Tejera Eduardo
Published: June 2023

Objectives : We evaluated the incidence of elevated liver enzymes and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome, risk factors and maternal mortality in Ecuador.
Design : A retrospective population-based cohort study
Setting : Ecuador from 2015-2017.
Population : All deliveries in hospital from 2015-2017 in Ecuador. Data from Ecuadorian National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) and the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health.
Methods : HELLP syndrome cases were identified by ICD-10 code in all hospitalized individuals. Logistic regression analysis was used to study the relationship between HELLP syndrome and the variable of interest. Geospatial statistical analysis by cantons was done to identify statistical significant spatial clusters.
Main outcome measures : HELLP syndrome incidence and maternal mortality.
Results : The incidence of HELLP syndrome is 0.76 (0.69-0.84)/ 1000 deliveries. Afro-Ecuadorian communities shown a higher risk OR=2.18 (1.03-4.63) compared to Native Ecuadorian communities. Middle and high altitude have a significant risk factor OR=2.79 (2.19-3.55) and OR=3.61 (2.58-5.03). Older maternal age was also identified as risk factors. Women living more than 20km from the obstetric unit have an OR=2.55 (2.05-3.18). Moreover, we found that cantons with higher crude HELLP syndrome incidence also have lower number of physicians (R=0.503, p-value <0.001). The mortality incidence of women with HELLP syndrome is 21.22 (12.05-20.59)/1000 deliveries with HELLP syndrome diagnoses.
Conclusions : High altitude, advanced maternal age as well as geographical distance between residence and attention units are risk factors for HELLP syndrome. Maternal mortality in women with HELLP syndrome is higher than preeclampsia and eclampsia but comparable with previous reports in other countries.
Funding : The study was funded by Universidad de Las Américas, Quito. Ecuador. Fund reference: VET.MCA.21.01.
Function analysis of transcription factor OSR1 regulating osmotic stress resistance in maize
Authors: wang pengtao , Han Hongpeng , Wu Wenqiang , Hou Huijiao , Zhang Mingli , Guo Aiyu , Zhou Yusen , Liu Jiong , Li Kaiwen , Bai Shenglong , Li Baozhu , Li Zhi
Published: June 2023

Aims:Maize is a major cereal crop worldwide, however, the yields are frequently limited by dehydration and even death of plants, which resulted from osmotic stress such as drought and salinity. The main objective of plant stress biology research is to identify important agricultural traits or genes linked with stress responses that can be useful in the development of stress tolerance crop plants.Methods:The candidateOSR1gene was identified by map-based cloning. The expression level of OSR1 was verified by qRT-PCR and digital PCR in WT andosr1mutant. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay, transactivation activity assay, subcellular localization, transcriptome analysis and physiological characters measurements were conducted to analysis the function OSR1 in osmotic stress resistance in maize.Results:The maize mutantosr1that was not sensitive to osmotic stress and displayed stronger water-holding capacity, and theOSR1homologous mutant inArabidopsisshowed a phenotype similar with maizeosr1. 1599 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between WT andosr1under osmotic stress by transcriptome analysis, among which the downregulated genes of ABA-related PP2Cs inosr1may contribute to osmotic stress resistance.Conclusions:OSR1may serve as a negative regulatory factor that affects the ABA-mediated signaling pathway in response to osmotic stress in maize. The present study sheds new light on the molecular mechanisms of osmotic stress in maize.
Application of the ABCDE method by residents in clinical practice: a prospective observational study
Authors: Westerman D. , Bosschee J.G.A. , de Maat J. , Niet A.G. van der , Frèrejean J. , Merriënboer J.J.G. van , Stassen P.M.
Published: June 2023

Background: The ABCDE method is used to identify and treat life-threatening problems of emergency department (ED) patients. How often and how residents apply the ABCDE method in clinical practice is not extensively investigated. This study aimed to investigate the number and quality of ABCDE method applications in the ED.
Methods: In this prospective observational study, we observed residents during 3 phases in which residents were either unaware (blind phases 1 and 3) or aware (open phase 2) of the observational aims. The number and quality of ABCDE method applications was scored. Quality was measured using several scores, including the Completeness Score (0-100%) and Competency Scale (1-7).
Results: We analysed 103 ED patient assessments in an 8-week period. The ABCDE method was applied in 35.9% of patients and when applied, the method was 72.9% complete.
The ABCDE method was applied more often when patients were triaged as very urgent than when triaged as less urgent (63.2% vs. 29.8%, p=0.008). When residents were openly observed, the method was applied more often than in blind phase 1 (57.1% vs.17.0%, OR 6.3 (95% CI: 2.1-19.0), p=0.001), more completely (79.5% vs. 67.0%, p=0.015), and with higher scores on the Competency Scale (6.0 vs.5.3, p=0.001).
Conclusions: Residents apply the ABCDE method in one third of patients in the ED, and more often when being aware of the observation. In addition, the quality was better when being aware of the observation. Awareness of being observed and the severity of illness were triggers to apply the ABCDE method.
Poultry cruor hydrolysate is a new potential source of hemoglobin: obtaining of active peptides
Authors: Zouari Oumaima , Deracinois Barbara , Flahaut Christophe , Przybylski Rémi , Nedjar Naima
Published: June 2023

The hydrolysates of animal proteins from Agri-Resources have been the subject of numerous studies for their potential which makes it possible to produce molecules with high added value thanks to their richness in bioactive peptides obtained after enzymatic hydrolysis. The poultry cruor represents an important co-product from slaughterhouses. The aim of this study is to characterize this new source of peptides to be valorized as feed additives. In this work, the conditions of peptides production were fist studied, and revealed that hydrolysis and discoloration are both optimal at pH 3, and that the optimal initial substrate concentration is at 9% (w/v). The potential of poultry cruor to contain bioactive peptides was then studied in silico by comparing poultry with bovine hemoglobin derived peptides using bioinformatic tools. The blast results showed the presence of high similarities between poultry hemoglobin and bovine hemoglobin sequences with identities of 71.13% and 64.34% for α and β chains respectively. The prediction of cleavage sites of poultry hemoglobin was also carried out using peptidecutter software and compared to bovine hemoglobin peptides. The results the presence of similar peptides of poultry cruor hydrolysates comparing to bovine hemoglobin hydrolysates with generation of many new peptides. Mass spectrometry analysis was carried out to determine of bioactive peptides in poultry cruor hydrolysate based on those defined in previous studies. Results revealed the presence of 28 bioactive peptides with mainly opioid and antibacterial peptides. The antibacterial activity was then inspected in vitro against 6 different strains. Results revealed bacterial growth inhibition with interesting MIC values (10 mg/mL against M.luteus E.coli and S.aureus,1.25 mg/mL against K.rhizophilia and 20 mg/mL against S.entirica and L.innocua). The antioxidant activity was also evaluated using different tests. The β-carotene bleaching inhibition activity revealed a RAA of 79.23 ± 1.4%. The DPPH•+ trapping assay an antiradical activity of poultry cruor hydrolysate of 829.35 ± 21.12 µmol/mL and 708.85 ± 0.66 µmol/mL at 40 mg/mL and 20 mg/mL of hydrolysate respectively which is greater than BHT at 0.1 mg/mL and neokyotorphin. The ABTS radical scavenging method revealed inhibition percentages are higher than 90% for hydrolysate concentration above 10 mg/mL which are higher than those obtained with BHT at 0.5 mg/mL. and Finally, the Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assay showed that the studied hydrolysate have a TAC comprised between that of BHT at 0.3 mg/mL and 0.1 mg/mL. Consequently, these important biological activities found in poultry cruor hydrolysate make it a new interesting alternative natural additive in food industry.
Characterization and Evaluation of Agro-industrial Residues of Bacuri (Platonia Insignis Mart.) and Sweet Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) in the Production of 6pentyl-α-pyrone by Solid State Fermentation
Authors: NASCIMENTO ADRIANA SILVA DO
Published: June 2023

SUMMARY

The 6 pentyl-α-pyrone (6-PP) is a natural aroma, with a coconut smell, obtained by fermentation processes with fungi of the genus Trichoderma. The objective of this research was to evaluate the nutritional potential of bacuri bark and sweet cassava peels in the production of coconut bioaroma through solid state fermentation (SSF). To this end, analyses of physicochemical characterization, antimicrobial, volatile, surface, and composition activities were performed, including lignocellulosic profile, among others. The fermentations were conducted under humidification conditions with water, nutrient solution without additive and nutrient solutions with glucose or sucrose during 9 days. The quantification of aroma compounds was performed by gas chromatography, aided by solid phase microextraction. The results showed that there was inhibition of fungal growth in the bacuri residue motivated by the presence of inhibitory compounds, especially resin. The residues of sweet cassava, with a high percentage of starch, were favorable to microbial growth, however, the quantification of the bioaroma presented values below 7.0 ppm. Therefore, strategies to increase this production were necessary and the use of sweet cassava bark as a solid supplement, mixed with bacuri residue, was satisfactory reaching concentrations of 26.43±5.72ppm in the presence of nutrient solution with glucose; 42± 6.8ppm with nutrient solution only; 142±2.46 ppm only with distilled water and 202.46±1.30 ppm with sucrose nutrient solution, showing the efficiency of the mixture for fungal development conditions and also for aroma production.
MicroRNAs in Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and diagnostic accuracy meta-analysis
Authors: Guévremont Diane , Roy Joyeeta , Cutfield Nicholas , Williams Joanna
Published: June 2023

Current clinical tests for Parkinson’s disease (PD) provide insufficient diagnostic accuracy leading to an urgent need for improved diagnostic biomarkers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are promising biomarkers of various diseases, including PD. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to pool all available data and assess the diagnostic accuracy of biofluid miRNAs in PD. All studies reporting data on miRNAs and their directions of change in PD patients compared to controls were included. Gene targets and significant pathways associated with miRNAs expressed in more than 3 biofluid studies with the same direction of change were analyzed using target prediction and enrichment analysis. A bivariate model was used to calculate sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and diagnostic odds ratio. While miR-24-3p and miR-214-3p were the most reported miRNA in different studies (7 each), miR-331-5p was found to be consistently up regulated in 4 different sources of biofluid. Importantly, miR-19b-3p, miR-24-3p, miR-146a-5p, and miR-221-3p were identified to be reported without conflicting directions of change in the same biofluid type (serum) in multiple studies and bioinformatic analysis found the targets of these miRNAs to be associated with pathways important in PD pathology. Of the 102 studies from the systematic review, 17 were meta-analyzed. Meta-analysis showed that biofluid miRNAs can discriminate between PD patients and controls with good sensitivity (0.82, 95% CI 0.76–0.87) and specificity (0.80, 95% CI 0.74–0.84) with an AUC of 0.87 (95% CI 0.83–0.89). But we found multiple studies failed to match the sex ratios in their groups therefore possibly introducing a selection bias where overall more males with PD were studied than any other group. Overall, our study captures key miRNAs which may represent a point of focus for future studies and the development of diagnostic panels whilst also highlighting the importance of appropriate study design to develop representative biomarker panels for the diagnosis of PD.
Association between gut microbiota and male infertility: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Deng Runpei , Huang Yebao , Tian Zhaohui , Zeng Qingqi
Published: June 2023

Purpose:
Previous research has confirmed the significant association between gut microbiota (GM) and male infertility (MI), but the causality between them remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the causal relationship between GM and MI using Mendelian randomization (MR) and provide supplementary information for the optimization of future randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Materials and Methods:
Instrumental variables for 211 GM taxa were obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the main analysis method for two-sample MR analysis to assess the impact of GM on the risk of MI using FinnGen GWAS data (1,128 cases and 110,070 controls). Four methods were used to test for horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity of MR results to ensure the reliability of the MR findings.
Results:
A total of 50 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) closely related to GM were included, and we found that family-Bacteroidaceae was significantly associated with MI (odds ratio [OR] = 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.31–0.96, P = 0.035). Furthermore, we used four MR methods to evaluate the causality, and the results supported these findings. The leave-one-out analysis showed stable results with no instrumental variables exerting strong influence on the results. The causal direction indicated a positive effect, and the effects of heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy on the estimation of causal effect were minimized.
Conclusions:
We confirmed a causal relationship between GM taxa and MI, providing new insights into the mechanisms underlying GM-mediated MI. Further comprehensive and larger sample studies are needed to explore the relationship between GM and MI for identification of novel biomarkers and targeted prevention strategies for MI in future research.
Identification effective diagnosis biomarkers and immune cell infiltration in liver cancer by bioinformatics analysis and machine learning algorithm
Authors: ge shuxiong , wang hui
Published: June 2023

Objective
The aim of this study was to identify the key diagnosis biomarkers of abnormal expression and immune infiltration in liver cancer based on bioinformatics analysis and machine learning algorithm.
Methods
Three microarray datasets were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus database, of which GSE88389 and GSE121248 were defined as training sets and GSE45436 was defined as a validation set. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and functional and pathway enrichment analysis was performed by Gene Ontology terms (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes (KEGG), disease enrichment analysis (DO) and gene enrichment analysis (GSEA). Tumor biomarkers for liver cancer were identified through Lasso and support vector machine (SVM) and validated in the GSE45436. CIBERSORT was performed to analyze the relation between the diagnosis biomarkers for liver cancer and immune cell infiltration.
Results
A total of 39 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 6 up-regulated and 33 down-regulated genes, were obtained based on expression fold change and significance. Analysis of GO, KEGG, DO and GSEA pathways indicated that these DEGs were enriched in collagen-containing extracellular matrix, collagen trimer, plasma lipoprotein particle, bile secretion, tryptophan metabolism, retinol metabolism, chemical carcinogenesis - DNA adducts, C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway, acute porphyria, lung squamous cell carcinoma, cell cycle, DNA replication, proteasome and ribosome. Combination analysis of Lasso and Support vector machine (SVM), three diagnosis value genes of CAP2、CXCL14 and TMEM27 for liver cancer were obtained by Venn diagram. Compared with normal tissue, immune infiltration analysis demonstrated that naive B cells, memory B cells, regulatory T cells and macrophages were highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues, while plasma cells and T cells were low expression.
Conclusion
We identified CAP2、CXCL14 and TMEM27 as potential biomarkers for liver cancer and that can mediate immune cell activity in liver cancer.
A Mendelian randomization-based study of the causal relationship between cardiovascular-related diseases and endocarditis
Authors: Li Jianhua , Lv Xin , Meng Lingwei , Liu Chuanzhen
Published: June 2023

Objective: To investigate the causal relationship between cardiovascular-related diseases (coronary artery disease, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, systolic and diastolic blood pressure) and endocarditis.
Methods: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was performed to evaluate the causal effect of cardiovascular-related diseases on endocarditis. Statistical summaries for the associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and traits of interest were obtained from independent consortia with European populations. The dataset of cardiovascular-related diseases was acquired from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), including cases and controls (coronary artery disease:122733 cases and 424528 controls, hear failure: 47309 cases and 930014 controls, diabetes mellitus: 61714 cases and 1178 controls, systolic and diastolic blood pressure: 757601 samples). A GWAS with 1080 endocarditis cases and 485404 controls was used to identify genetic variation underlying cardiovascular-related diseases. Five complementary MR methods were performed, including inverse variance weighted method (IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, simple mode.
Results: Genetically predicted coronary artery disease (odds ratio [OR] 1.326, 95%CI 1.085-1.622), heart failure (OR 1.961, 95%CI 1.103-3.487), systolic blood pressure (OR 1.039, 95%CI 1.023-1.055) and diastolic blood pressure (OR 1.030, 95%CI 1.002-1.059) was significantly positively associated with endocarditis. Diabetes was not associated with endocarditis (p=0.33).
Conclusion: Coronary arterial disease, heart failure and hypertension were high risk factors of endocarditis while diabetes was not.
Observation of acoustic spatiotemporal vortices
Authors: Zhang Hongliang , Sun Yeyang , Huang Junyi , Wu Bingjun , Yang Zhaoju , Bliokh Konstantin , Ruan Zhichao
Published: June 2023

Vortices in fluids and gases have piqued the interest of human for centuries. Development of classical-wave physics and quantum mechanics highlighted wave vortices characterized by phase singularities and topological charges. In particular, vortex beams have found numerous applications in modern optics and other areas. Recently, optical spatiotemporal vortex states exhibiting the phase singularity both in space and time have been reported. Here, we report the first generation of acoustic spatiotemporal vortex pulses. We utilize an acoustic meta-grating with mirror-symmetry breaking as the spatiotemporal vortex generator. In the momentum−frequency domain, we unravel that the transmission spectrum functions exhibit a topological phase transition where the vortices with opposite topological charges are created or annihilated in pairs. Furthermore, with the topological textures of the nodal lines, these vortices are robust and exploited to generate spatiotemporal vortex pulse against structural perturbations and disorder. Our work paves the way for studies and applications of spatiotemporal structured waves in acoustics and other wave systems.
Elevated CO2 improves the growth of grapevine young plants under salinity favoring ionic homeostasis and decreasing oxidative damages
Authors: Hermínio Pedro José , Santos Hugo Rafael Bentzen , Lima Rachel Hellen Vieira Sousa , Silveira Joaquim Albenísio Gomes , Silva Thieres George Freire da , Neto Juracy Barroso , Simões Adriano Nascimento , Souza Eduardo , Ferreira-Silva Sérgio Luiz
Published: June 2023

This study tested the hypothesis that elevated CO2 improves the growth of grapevine seedlings, achieving greater vigor and shortening the production time under salinity due to the best ionic homeostasis and oxidative protection. Seedlings were exposed to isolate and combined effects of CO2 (ambient – 400 and elevated – 800 µmol mol− 1) and salinity (absence – 0 and presence – 80 mM NaCl) in a growth chamber. In these conditions, two-old-month grapevine (Vitis ssp.) plants were grown and defoliated after 20 days, followed by more than 60 days of growth to the emission of new shoots (buds, leaves, and stems). Salinity delays and decreases the emission of new shoots, while elevated CO2 improves the growth of new shoots. Elevated CO2 promoted the leaf dry matter (DM) contends and shoot/root ratio in the absence and presence of salt, and the partial recovery of losses leaf DM under salt. High CO2 mitigated ionic toxicity under salt stress through lower leaf Cl− and Na+ accumulation with a preferential allocation of these ions in stems and roots, relative to plants under salt alone. Elevated CO2 stimulated the K+ content in the whole plant (leaves/stems/roots), in salt absence and presence, with increases for K+/Na+ ratios in leaves and roots under salinity. High CO2 favored the water potential (ΨW) reduction under salinity and increase water relative content (RWC) of plants under two salt levels. Under salt absence, photochemical efficiency indicators quenching photochemical (qP), electron transport rate (ETR), and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) showed that photosynthesis was significantly favored by high CO2 and the effect was also important for mitigating the salt impact for CO2 uptake. Taken together, data show that elevated CO2 has the potential to improve grapevine seedlings’ production system, mainly under salt stress.
Leucas Aspera leaves extract as a copper corrosion inhibitor in 0.5M H2 SO4 medium
Authors: sankar S.Jyothi , narayanaperumal N.Kavitha
Published: June 2023

The corrosion inhibitive action of leaves extracts ofLeucas Asperaon copper corrosion in 0.5M H2SO4solution was studied using the weight-loss method, Potentiodynamic polarization, EIS measurements, SEM-EDXS and FT-IR spectroscopic techniques. The results obtained indicate that the extracts functioned as good inhibitors in 0.5M H2SO4solution. The inhibition efficiency was found to increase with extract concentration. Potentiodynamic polarization curves indicated that the plant extracts behave as mixed-type inhibitors. The thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption of the extracts on copper is physical, spontaneous, and favoured at low temperatures. The data for the adsorption of extract fit well with Langmuir adsorption isotherm. FTIR results showed that the inhibition mechanism was by the absorption process, through the functional groups present in the extract. The SEM images of the corrosion product confirmed the protection offered by the extract on the surface of the metal immersed in the 0.5M H2SO4medium.
Promoting Intercultural Competence Among International Kindergarten Teachers in a Glocalization Context: Exploring the Impact of Gather.town-Integrated HyFlex Learning Model on Intercultural Mindfulness and Empathy
Authors: Chen Guanzheng
Published: June 2023

Background: With the glocalization context and increased cultural diversity in international kindergartens in China, this mixed-methods study aimed to investigate the efficacy of innovative learning models, particularly the HyFlex learning model and Gather.town platform, in fostering intercultural mindfulness and empathy among international kindergarten teachers.
Methods: Employing a pre-test-post-test control group design, 80 participants from four international kindergartens were randomly allocated to experimental (n=40) and control (n=40) groups. Alongside quantitative methods, qualitative data were collected from observational field notes and semi-structured interviews to provide in-depth insights into participants' experiences and intercultural competence development.
Results: Quantitative findings revealed that the experimental group consistently exhibited higher levels of intercultural mindfulness and empathy post-intervention compared to the control group. The qualitative analysis further suggested that the experimental group reported increased awareness of biases, enhanced empathy, heightened engagement, and more effective application of intercultural skills.
Conclusions: The study contributes to intercultural competence literature by providing empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of the HyFlex learning model and Gather.town platform in fostering intercultural mindfulness and empathy among international kindergarten teachers in a glocalization context. The findings suggest significant implications for refining teacher education and professional development programs through the integration of innovative learning approaches. However, future research should address the study's limitations, including the small sample size, the exclusive focus on international kindergarten teachers, and the reliance on self-report measures.
Hydrologic Modelling for Flood Threshold and Hazard Prediction in the Black Volta River Basin, West Africa
Authors: Yeboah Felicia , ACKOM EDWARD KOFI , Yidana Sandow Mark , Awotwi Alfred
Published: June 2023

The Black Volta River Basin (BVRB) is one of the flood-prone subbasins in the West African subregion experiencing frequent and severe flood-related disasters in recent times. Flood prediction systems embedded with hydrological models are important non-structural measures for effective flood management. This study adopted a Hydrological Modeling approach using Hydrological Engineering Center’s Hydrological Modeling System (HEC-HMS) software to simulate flood events within the BVRB. The future average frequency of occurrence of flood events in terms of peak flows was simulated using the calibrated and validated model and Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) curves for the basin. This was followed by the application of a rating curve to obtain floodwater levels corresponding to the predicted peak discharges and subsequently, a flood hazard classification ranging from moderate, high, and very high severity levels in terms of peak flow and water levels.
The Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency (NSE) coefficient results of > 0.70 for both calibration and validation indicate the model’s good performance in the basin. The model application for flood threshold prediction and hazard classification in terms of peak flows and flood water levels in the basin particularly at the Chache station reveals that a severe flood of magnitude (flood water level >= 8 m and equivalent discharge >= 1935 m3/s) is likely to be experienced in the basin for a rainfall event of at least 25-year return period. Moderate flooding is likely to be experienced for at least a 5-year return period rainfall event (7.0 m =< flood water level < 7.5 m and 1365 m3/s =< peak flow < 1635 m3/s) in the study area. The outcomes of this study help to better understand the hydrological response and flood characterization due to extreme rainfall events for flood monitoring purposes in the BVRB.
Grouping rule in tadpole: is the numerical quantity or size-assortative more critical?
Authors: Hase Kazuko
Published: June 2023

The ability to perceive group size and discriminate the ontogeny of conspecifics would play a crucial role in the grouping behavior of animals. However, the relative importance of numerical quantity and size-assortative preferences in shaping grouping rules remains poorly understood. In this study, I examined the responses of Miyako toad (Bufo gargarizans miyakonis) tadpoles to number quantity and size discrimination by choice tests at different ontogenetic stages (small, medium, and large). The results revealed that small-sized tadpoles in early developmental stages significantly preferred larger numbers (4) compared to smaller ones (1). However, this preference was not observed in later developmental stages (medium and large). And interestingly, when there was no group size bias, size discrimination was not observed in tadpoles, irrespective of their ontogeny. These findings suggest that Miyako toad tadpoles possess innate numerical competence but demonstrate ontogeny-dependent utilization of this ability. Understanding the interplay between numerical quantity and size-assortative preferences in grouping behavior will provide esteemed insights into the adaptive value of number sense in vertebrates and sheds light on evolutionary processes.
Comparison and analysis of clinical and pathological characteristics of patients with porto-sinusoidal vascular disease and liver cirrhosis
Authors: Tian Aiping , Qian Zibing , Mao Yongwu , Xiong Wanyuan , Mao Xiaorong
Published: June 2023

Objective:Compare the clinical and pathological features of patients with porto-sinusoidal vascular disease (PSVD) and liver cirrhosis (LC) to reduce the rate of misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis.Methods:A total of 45 PSVD and 48 LC inpatients were included in the study as the study group and control group respectively. Clinical, imaging and liver pathology data were collected for each patient.Results:The ratio of male to female in the two groups was 1:1.25 and 0.78:1, respectively, and the average age of PSVD patients was lower.Compared to patients with cirrhosis, PSVD patients had better overall liver function. Compared to LC patients, PSVD patients had better overall liver function. Patients with PSVD had better overall liver function, and although most patients in both groups had a Child-Pugh score of B, more than two times fewer patients in the PSVD group had a Child-Pugh score of C and/or a model for end-stage liver disease(MELD) ≥ 10 than in the LC group. The initial diagnosis rate of PSVD patients was 6.67%, and nearly half of PSVD patients were misdiagnosed as LC, while the initial diagnosis rate of liver cirrhosis was 95.83%, and the diagnostic rate was higher (P<0.001). Both groups had obvious manifestations of portal hypertension on imaging, and there were significant differences in portal vein flow velocity, extrahepatic bile duct diameter and splenomegaly (P<0.05). The main specific manifestations of liver histopathology in PSVD patients were portal occlusion, nodular regenerative hyperplasia, incomplete septal cirrhosis/fibrosis, etc. The non-specific manifestations were fine bile duct reaction fine bile duct reaction and liver tissue inflammatory activity grading and liver fibrosis stage (GS) ≤ G2S2 (33,73.33%).Conclusion:There are certain differences in disease characteristics and similarities between PSVD and LC, and the diagnosis still needs to be made in conjunction with liver pathology on the basis of routine investigations.
Iron(III) extraction from sulfate solutions with D2EHPA in the presence of organic proton-donor additives
Authors: Grigorieva Natalya , Fleitlikh Isaac , Logutenko Olga
Published: June 2023

The effect of organic proton-donor additives (HA) on the extraction of iron(III) from sulfuric acid solutions with di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HR) in decane and toluene was studied. It was shown that adding the additives into the organic phase causes an antagonistic effect. Iron(III) extraction in the presence of additives decreases in the series octyl alcohol ≈ 4-tert-butyl phenol > octanoic acid. The low activity of octanoic acid is attributed to self-association and the formation of dimers in the organic phase, which significantly prevents the formation of intermolecular associates between D2EHPA and monocarboxylic acid. Octanol and 4-tert-butyl phenol form stable associates with D2EHPA leading to a decrease in the ferric iron extraction efficiency thus facilitating efficient iron stripping from the loaded organic phase. In the D2EHPA and octyl alcohol system [FeR2·HR2] is formed. The stripping of iron from the HR and octyl alcohol mixtures was shown to be much more efficient than that from D2EHPA alone and can be successfully achieved using ~4.5 mol/L H2SO4 or H2SO4 (~3.5 mol/L) and NaCl (1.0 mol/L) mixture. Extraction systems containing D2EHPA and aliphatic alcohols can be used to recover iron from various industrial solutions, in particular, from those derived from zinc, nickel production, and others.
Development of a TaqMan-Probe-based multiplex real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR for simultaneous detection of three bovine diarrhea- associated viruses
Authors: Kang Taisheng , Tang Pan , Wang Dongfang , Liu Ying , Zhao Xueli , Xie Caihua , Ma Zhenyuan , Wang Shujuan , Hu Yufeng , Li Bowen , Zhou Jianhao , Feng Guidan , Yan Ruoqian
Published: June 2023

Background
Since the recent discovery, the prevalence of novel bovine diarrhea viruses, including bovine rotavirus virus (BRV), bovine viral diarrhea virus 1 (BVDV-1), and bovine enterovirus virus (BEV) is high worldwide, resulting in significant economic losses to the bovine industry in China. However, clinical symptoms caused by BRV, BVDV-1, and BEV are hard to distinguish, so a rapid and sensitive detection method is urgently needed to differentiate these three viruses. In this study, a real-time fluorescence quantitative-PCR (fqPCR) assay with specific primers and TaqMan fluorescent probes using multiple TaqMan probes for the simultaneous detection of BRV, BVDV-1, and BEV was established.
Result
This assay had good specificity and no cross-reactivity with BPV, BCOV, BNoV, BKoV, and BoAstV. The detection limit of single and multiplex fqPCR was up to 10 copies and correlation coefficients (R2 > 0.992) in all cases, indicating that the method had good sensitivity and repeatability. Clinical detection of samples revealed a 48.4% (34/165) total rate of co-infection among the viruses and a 1.2% (2/165) triple infection rate.
Conclusion
The newly developed multiplex fqPCR assay can serve as a diagnostic tool for BRV, BVDV-1, and BEV identification, and it may be utilized for routine surveillance of these emerging and reemerging bovine diarrheal viruses.
SynK-OR: The synergy of Knowledge Graphs and Ontologies in Conversational Recommendations
Authors: Venkatesh Pruthvi Raj , P Radha Krishna
Published: June 2023

Conversational recommendation systems(CRS) are an increasingly popular way to recommend products, services, or information to users naturally and interactively. These systems use natural language processing and machine learning techniques to understand user preferences, context, and intent and provide personalized recommendations through a dialogue. Though there have been significant enhancements in CRS, there are still shortcomings, such as context awareness, cold start, and data bias. In this paper, we present a novel approach called Synergy of Knowledge Graph and Ontologies in Conversation Recommendations(SynK-OR) that uses multimodal knowledge graphs to store data and user preferences, an ontology for the structural representation of data, and a context builder to store user context. The proposed novel approach introduces a dynamic query generator (DQG) that generates recommendation queries using ontology and user context for content-based filtering. The most notable novelty in the proposed approach involves depicting the user preferences in a knowledge graph as a product of interest and the use of node similarity between the filtered products and user preferences for a well-refined re-ranked recommendation. Our approach can provide recommendations based on collaborative and content-based filters. We have tested our approach on the movie domain from the movie lens dataset[1] using Neo4J[2] as a knowledge graph and Neo4J graph data science(GDS) library[3] for node similarity. Though the paper talks about the entertainment domain, the same approach can be applied to other fields by changing the domain ontology.
Pharmacogenomics knowledge within Neurology: A brief survey amongst physicians
Authors: Narasimhalu Kaavya , Soo Joel , Shen Jia Yi , Wong Pei Shieen
Published: June 2023

Pharmacogenomics has emerged as a tool to optimise treatment. Many neurologists encounter drugs with pharmacogenomic associations with unclear guidelines. We therefore aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and barriers to implement pharmacogenomics in clinical practice within a neurology unit. We developed and administered a survey on pharmacogenomics to physicians working in a neurology unit. Three drug-gene pairs clinically relevant to neurology were presented as case scenarios to assess physicians’ perceived competency, attitudes, and risks towards pharmacogenomics. Thirty-two (27.4%) physicians responded to the survey. Respondents were most confident about activities involving the HLA-B*15:02 test, followed by the CYP2C19 test, and lastly the CYP2C9 test. However, perceived competency in drug-drug-gene-interactions was consistently low for all three tests. Referring to the product information leaflet ranked highest in usefulness, followed by local practice guidelines. In conclusion, local clinical guidelines and training on the clinical applications of pharmacogenomics are important to facilitate implementation of pharmacogenomics.
Pan-cancer analysis of the cuproptosis-related gene DBT that serves as an immunotherapy and prognostic biomarker
Authors: Cui Yue , Wang Hongzhi , Sai Fengying , Yang Shuang , Song Ye , Meng Qingxin , Zhang Fengxia , Yu Dejun
Published: June 2023

Background
Recently, it has been reported that Dihydrolipoamide Branched Chain Transacylase E2 (DBT) is one of the genes related to protein acylation in the process of cuproptosis. However, the role of DBT in pan-cancer and its regulatory mechanism remains unclear.
Methods
In the current study, we used a variety of public bioinformatics platforms to first verify the expression of DBT in tumor and normal tissues, and then further analyze the relationship between DBT expression in tumor and the prognosis of cancer patients, and explore the mechanism of action at the molecular level. After that, the effect of DBT expression on tumor immune microenvironment in pan-carcinoma was discussed. Finally, functional enrichment analysis of DBT related genes was performed.
Results
We found that DBT was significantly down-regulated in most cancer types, and upregulated DBT predicted poor overall survival (OS) for patients in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD), good OS and disease free survival (DFS) for patients in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), and poor DFS for patients in bladder urothelial carcinoma(BLCA). Further DBT molecular level research showed that the genetic alteration of DBT showed a poor prognosis in BLCA, ESCA and acute myeloid leukemia patients, and the promoter methylation level of DBT was also significant changes in multiple tumors. We found that the expression of DBT was significantly positively related with immune infiltration level in diverse cancer types, and the enrichment analysis showed that DBT related genes were related to protein metabolism and related enzyme stability.
Conclusion
DBT could be an immunotherapy and prognostic biomarker in multiple cancers.
Design of a Ultra-Wide-Band Duplexer without Magnet and Ferrite
Authors: BOUJEMAA Mohamed Ali , Mejri Fethi , Choubani Fethi
Published: June 2023

In this paper, we investigate the design, study, and implementation of an ultra-wideband duplexer. The device we developed is based on microstrip technology and does not require ferrite or other magnetic materials. Its structure includes a wideband Wilkinson power divider and a low-gain radio-frequency amplifier that uses an inexpensive and readily available BFR91A bipolar transistor , making it easy to fabricate and integrate into low-power systems such as radio-frequency chips. The effectiveness of the proposed design has been evaluated through experimental measurements using a vector network analyzer.
Mechanism of laser induced self-organized void array formation in Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)
Authors: Naseri Neda , Alshehri Ali , Ramunno Lora , Bhardwaj Ravi
Published: June 2023

This study investigated the formation of multi-voids in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using a multi-pulse irradiation method and explored the impact of laser energy, number of pulses per micron (writing speed), and laser spot size on the process. The experimental results revealed that multi-void formation occurred due to multi-pulse irradiation in the bulk of PDMS. Additionally, increasing laser energy led to an increase in the number of voids, while the number of voids did not change with an increase in the number of pulses per micron for a fixed laser parameter. However, the size of the voids increased with the number of pulses per micron, and tighter focusing conditions resulted in smaller voids with a shorter distance between them.Furthermore, Finite-Difference-Time-Domain (FDTD) simulations reproduced the generation of void arrays in PDMS using a similar multi-laser pulse approach. By modeling the voids as concentric spheres with densified shells and simulating the laser interaction with the voids, we showed that void array generation in PDMS is a linear mechanism. This study provides valuable insight into the mechanism behind the formation of void arrays in PDMS. The simulation results agree with the experimental results to further validate the model and gain a better understanding of the physical processes involved in the generation of void arrays in PDMS.
Terbinafine resistance is associated with newly developed point mutations in squalene epoxidase gene in Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes/T. indotineae species complex
Authors: Mohammadi Leila Zahedi , Shams-Ghahfarokhi Masoomeh , Salehi Zahra , Razzaghi-Abyaneh Mehdi
Published: June 2023

The prevalence of dermatophytosis has increased in recent years due to a rise in resistance of etiologic dermatophytes to terbinafine which could be attributed in part to point mutation in the squalene epoxidase (SQLE) gene. In this study, the point mutation in the SQLE gene was studied in Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes/T. indotineae species complex as two main causative agents of dermatophytosis. Antifungal susceptibility of clinical isolates of T. rubrum (n = 27) and T. mentagrophytes/T. indotineae (n = 56) was assessed using the M38-3rd edition CLSI method. The SQLE gene and ITS region were sequenced in all the fungal strains, and terbinafine resistant strains were characterized by mutation sites and the genotype. The results demonstrated that in T. rubrum, the minimum inhibitory concentration of terbinafine, was 0.03 µg/ml and GM was equal to 0.02. In T. mentagrophytes complex, MIC50 and MIC90 were 0.03 and 1.0 µg/ml and GM was equal to 0.04 µg/ml. Four out of five resistant strains were T. indotineae harboring the mutations F397L and Q408L; while the last one was T. mentagrophytes genotype VII which harbors the F397L mutation. T. indotineae was the prominent causative agent of terbinafine resistance with 80% of isolates and T. mentagrophytes genotype VII was introduced as a new genotype in terbinafine resistance T. mentagrophytes complex. Our findings further substantiate the importance of antifungal susceptibility testing in selecting the choice drug for effective treatment of dermatophytosis and highlight the importance of screening dermatophyte species for point mutations responsible for newly developed resistance strains to improve current knowledge to overcome infections caused by resistant species.
Do urban green ecological networks have the capacity to store higher levels of carbon?
Authors: Wan Yunshan , Wang Yilei , Gao Ming , Jin Lin
Published: June 2023

Carbon-neutral growth is a crucial long-term climatic aim in the context of global warming. This paper introduces complex network theory and explores its potential application to achieve this goal. Specifically, we investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of nodes and sources in the ecological network, and examine whether a relationship between the topological index of network nodes and the landscape pattern index of ecological source areas exists. We also determine the contribution of nodes to the carbon stock of the entire network by exploring the correlation between the carbon stock of nodes and sources, in order to develop an optimization strategy based on the synergistic effect of node-source carbon enhancement. Finally, we test the effect of network optimization through robustness. Our results show that (1) The correlation topological feature index analysis reveals that the degree distribution of the node network's topological characteristics becomes dispersed and modular, exhibiting the characteristics of small-world networks according to a large clustering coefficient. The heterogeneity and extent of ecological source landscapes have increased by modularity index, but remain distributed and locally fragmented. (2) According to correlation analysis, by enhancing the eccentricity of the node topology, the patch cohesion index (COHESION) of the ecological source site can maximize the contribution of the node to the enhancement of the carbon stock benefits of the source site. (3) According to the tests on the robustness of nodes and edges, and the robustness of network links, network stability is improved and carbon sink capacity is enhanced. Simultaneously, the restoration and rejuvenation of ecological space through national ecological construction projects can effectively improve the carbon sink within the organised region, contributing to the carbon neutrality aim. This research gives scientific and quantifiable references for potential ecological construction projects for sustainable cities and the optimisation of urban ecological space structure.