bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeting IL‐11 to reduce fibrocyte circulation and lung accumulation in animal models of pulmonary hypertension‐associated lung fibrosis
Authors: Milara Javier , Roger Inés , Montero Paula , Artigues Enrique , Escrivá Juan , Del Río Raquel , Cortijo Julio
Published: April 2024

Background and Purpose

IL‐11 is a member of the IL‐6 family of cytokine initially considered as haematopoietic and cytoprotective factor. Recent evidence indicates that IL‐11 promotes lung fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension in animal models and is elevated in lung tissue of patients with pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension. Fibrocytes are bone marrow‐derived circulating cells that participate in lung fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension, but the role of IL‐11 on fibrocytes is unknown. We investigated the role of IL‐11 system on fibrocyte activation in different in vitro and in vivo models of lung fibrosis associated with pulmonary hypertension.

Experimental Approach

Human fibrocytes were isolated from peripheral blood of six healthy donors. Recombinant human (rh)‐IL‐11 and soluble rh‐IL‐11 receptor, α subunit (IL‐11Rα) were used to stimulated fibrocytes in vitro to measure:‐ cell migration in a chemotactic migration chamber, fibrocyte to endothelial cell adhesion in a microscope‐flow chamber and fibrocyte to myofibroblast transition. Mouse lung fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension was induced using either IL‐11 (s.c.) or bleomycin (intra‐tracheal), while in the rat monocrotaline (intra‐tracheal) was used. In vivo siRNA‐IL‐11 was administered to suppress IL‐11 in vivo.

Key Results

RhIL‐11 and soluble rhIL‐11Rα promote fibrocyte migration, endothelial cell adhesion and myofibroblast transition. Subcutaneous (s.c.) IL‐11 infusion elevates blood, bronchoalveolar and lung tissue fibrocytes. SiRNA‐IL‐11 transfection in bleomycin and monocrotaline animal models reduces blood and lung tissue fibrocytes and reduces serum CXCL12 and CXCL12/CXCR4 lung expression.

Conclusion and Implications

Targeting IL‐11 reduces fibrocyte circulation and lung accumulation in animal models of pulmonary hypertension‐associated lung fibrosis.
Normal baseline cardiac autonomic function and increased pupillary parasympathetic tone in patients with vasovagal syncope
Authors: Nussinovitch Udi , Barak‐Lanciano Sapir , Shavit Itay , Avivi Ishay , Haber‐Kaptsenel Ella , Palacci Hagar , Chaiat Chen , Rubinshtein Ronen
Published: April 2024

It is controversial whether people with vasovagal syncope (VVS) have abnormal autonomic responses at baseline and whether specific diagnostic manoeuvres have a diagnostic value. We investigated whether the pupillary light reflex and cardiac autonomic tests can be used to identify autonomic dysfunction in volunteers with a medical history of VVS. The study groups included 128 healthy volunteers, of whom 31 reported a history of typical VVS. The right pupil was evaluated using an automated, commercial infra‐red pupillometer under strict conditions. In addition to miosis and mydriasis kinetics, pupil diameters were measured. Heart rate variability at rest and heart rate changes to standing were quantified with high‐resolution electrocardiography and designated software. The demographic and clinical characteristics of both groups were statistically similar. Average constriction velocity (ACV) was significantly higher in VVS patients following a univariate analysis (3.83 ± 0.59 vs. 3.56 ± 0.73 mm/s, p = 0.042) and after correcting for potential confounders (p = 0.049). All other pupillometric and heart rate indices were comparable between groups. Patients with a history of VVS depict pupillary parasympathetic overactivity in response to light stimuli, manifested as increased ACV. The prognostic implications of this finding and the significance of using this simple clinical tool to identify patients who are at risk for developing frequent episodes of VVS or physical injuries following a syncope merits further study.
Primary cardiac angiosarcoma: Imaging characterization
Authors: Liu Lian‐di , Ren Run‐run , Zheng Shuang , Cao Jing‐fang , Deng Mao , Peng Fang , Chen Ran
Published: April 2024

This case report describes a 35‐year‐old female patient who presented with palpitations and shortness of breath. Imaging findings suggested a cardiac tumor, histopathology confirmed primary cardiac angiosarcoma. This tumor is highly aggressive, usually occurs in the right atrium, lacks specificity in clinical presentation, is prone to early metastasis, and has a poor prognosis. Echocardiography is the method of choice for early detection and is important in assessing tumor size, location, mode of attachment and whether cardiac function is impaired.
Connexin‐36‐positive gap junctions in ventral tegmental area GABA neurons sustain opiate dependence
Authors: Maal‐Bared Geith , Yee Mandy , Harding Erika K. , Ghebreselassie Martha , Bergamini Michael , Choy Roxanne , Kim Ethan , Di Vito Stephanie , Patel Maryam , Amirzadeh Mohammadreza , Grieder Taryn E. , Coles Brenda L. , Nagy James I. , Bonin Robert P. , Steenland Hendrik W. , van der Kooy Derek
Published: April 2024

Drug dependence is characterized by a switch in motivation wherein a positively reinforcing substance can become negatively reinforcing. Put differently, drug use can transform from a form of pleasure‐seeking to a form of relief‐seeking. Ventral tegmental area (VTA) GABA neurons form an anatomical point of divergence between two double dissociable pathways that have been shown to be functionally implicated and necessary for these respective motivations to seek drugs. The tegmental pedunculopontine nucleus (TPP) is necessary for opiate conditioned place preferences (CPP) in previously drug‐naïve rats and mice, whereas dopaminergic (DA) transmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is necessary for opiate CPP in opiate‐dependent and withdrawn (ODW) rats and mice. Here, we show that this switch in functional anatomy is contingent upon the gap junction‐forming protein, connexin‐36 (Cx36), in VTA GABA neurons. Intra‐VTA infusions of the Cx36 blocker, mefloquine, in ODW rats resulted in a reversion to a drug‐naïve‐like state wherein the TPP was necessary for opiate CPP and where opiate withdrawal aversions were lost. Consistent with these data, conditional knockout mice lacking Cx36 in GABA neurons (GAD65‐Cre;Cx36 fl(CFP)/fl(CFP)) exhibited a perpetual drug‐naïve‐like state wherein opiate CPP was always DA independent, and opiate withdrawal aversions were absent even in mice subjected to an opiate dependence and withdrawal induction protocol. Further, viral‐mediated rescue of Cx36 in VTA GABA neurons was sufficient to restore their susceptibility to an ODW state wherein opiate CPP was DA dependent. Our findings reveal a functional role for VTA gap junctions that has eluded prevailing circuit models of addiction.
The speaking proficiency outcomes of face‐to‐face and online intensive summer LCTL programs
Authors: Murphy Dianna , Sedivy Sonya K.
Published: April 2024

This article is the first large‐scale study to document the speaking proficiency outcomes of intensive programs in less commonly taught languages in US higher education. Speaking proficiency was measured by pre‐ and postprogram ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interviews (N = 484) in 14 languages: Arabic, Bengali, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Indonesian, Kazakh, Persian, Tamil, Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Urdu, Uyghur, and Uzbek. The intensive programs are usually taught face‐to‐face but were offered fully online during the COVID‐19 pandemic. No significant difference in speaking proficiency outcomes, as measured by the ACTFL OPI, was found between the face‐to‐face and online formats. Students at all levels of instruction made significant gains in speaking proficiency, with greater gains made by students in Level 1 than at Levels 2‐3, and with wide variation within instructional levels. The average speaking proficiency outcomes were Advanced Low (Level 3), Intermediate High (Level 2), and between Intermediate Low and Intermediate Mid (Level 1).
Porewater microbiomes in buried wetland soils: Synergic effects of water chemistry and redox gradients associated with hydrological processes
Authors: Kan Jinjun , Lazareva Olesya , Oviedo‐Vargas Diana , McAllister Sean M. , Chan Clara S.
Published: April 2024

Interstitial water or pore water occupies the space between soil particles and provides “hotspots” and “fluvial networks” for microbial activities in floodplain soil. However, to date, we know very little about the microorganisms living in pore water and how they respond to environmental changes. This study aimed to understand microbial distribution and assemblage in riparian pore waters, and how they respond to water chemistry and redox gradients associated with hydrological processes.

We analysed the annual changes of porewater microbial communities from the east and west banks of the White Clay Creek, a site at the Christina River Basin – Critical Zone Observatory, Pennsylvania, USA. Microbial abundances were quantified by epifluorescence microscopy and detailed community structures were characterised by high‐throughput sequencing. Water chemistry and redox gradients were also monitored and recorded, and their interactions with porewater microbiomes were analysed using correlations and multivariate analyses.

Abundance of microbial cells increased during summer and late autumn. Wetland porewater microbiomes mainly contained Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Nitrospirae and Proteobacteria, and microbiome structures were easily distinguishable from those in the underlying hyporheic gravel layer. Seasonal dynamics of bacterial community structure in the east and west wetlands were distinct, responding to floodplain topography and associated hydrological/geochemical processes. Iron (Fe)‐cycling bacteria (mainly Gallionellaceae and Rhodoferax spp.) dominated the porewater microbiome, and their relative abundance was significantly higher in the east than the west wetland. Furthermore, Fe‐oxidising bacteria (Gallionellaceae) were negatively correlated with Fe‐reducing bacteria (Rhodoferax spp.) at the east wetland.

Microbial abundances (cell density) in pore waters showed similar seasonal patterns across stream banks, but microbial community structure did not. Microbiome assembly in pore water is correlated with water chemistry and redox gradients primarily associated with local hydrological processes.

As a consequence of their significance for carbon (C) mineralisation and Fe reduction at terrestrial–aquatic interfaces, microbiomes in riparian pore waters and associated microbial activity play an essential role in C and mineral dynamics. These findings will inform future studies of the response of freshwater ecosystems to hydrological dynamics influenced by global climate change.
DNA methyltransferases‐associated long non‐coding RNA PRKCQ‐AS1 regulate DNA methylation in myelodysplastic syndrome
Authors: Wen Jian , Wu Yongbin , Luo Quanfang
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a group of clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders. DNA hypermethylation is considered to be the key mechanism of pathogenesis for MDS. Studies have demonstrated that DNA methylation can be regulated by the co‐effect between long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). The aim of this study was to identify DNMTs‐associated differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs, which may be a novel diagnostic and therapeutic target for MDS.

Methods

Two gene expression profile datasets (GSE4619 and GSE19429) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Systematic bioinformatics analysis was conducted. Then we verified the expression of PRKCQ‐AS1 in MDS patients and features in SKM‐1 cells.

Results

Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the DNMT‐associated DE‐lncRNA PRKCQ‐AS1 was functionally related to DNA methylation. The target genes of PRKCQ‐AS1 associated with DNA methylation are mainly methionine synthetase (MTR) and ten‐eleven‐translocation 1 (TET1). Moreover, the high expression of PRKCQ‐AS1 was verified in real MDS cases. Further cellular analysis in SKM‐1 cells revealed that overexpressed PRKCQ‐AS1 promoted methylation levels of long interspersed nuclear element 1 (LINE‐1) and cell proliferation, and apparently elevated both mRNA and protein levels of MTR and TET1, while knockdown of PRKCQ‐AS1 showed opposite trend in SKM‐1 cells.

Conclusion

DNMT‐associated DE‐lncRNA PRKCQ‐AS1 may affects DNA methylation levels by regulating MTR and TET1.
Hyperlipidemia Prevention and Management Utilizing Lifestyle Changes
Authors: Giles L. Amy
Published: April 2024

Hyperlipidemia incidence is on the rise and lifestyle behavior change is the first‐line therapy. Left untreated, hyperlipidemia can result in cardiovascular disease leading to increased morbidity and mortality in persons worldwide. Evidence has demonstrated behavioral changes such as increased exercise, healthy nutrition, smoking cessation, alcohol abstinence, and other lifestyle modification interventions significantly decrease the incidence and severity of hyperlipidemia. The purpose of this article is to review the evidence of lifestyle interventions in preventing and managing hyperlipidemia and to suggest innovative ways to integrate those techniques into clinical practice. Recommendations on hyperlipidemia specific to pregnancy, polycystic ovary syndrome, and estrogen deficiency are also discussed.
Phylogenetic and molecular dating analyses of Chinese endemic genus Dipelta (Caprifoliaceae) based on nuclear RAD‐Seq and chloroplast genome data
Authors: Cao Ya‐Nan , Wang Meng‐Hao , Ran Hang , Tian Bin , Liu Lu‐Xian , Wu Qing‐Nan , Liu Yan‐Yan , Wang Hong‐Wei , Zhu Shan‐Shan
Published: April 2024

Dipelta Maxim. (Caprifoliaceae) is a Tertiary relic genus endemic to China, which includes three extant species, Dipelta floribunda, Dipelta yunnanensis, and Dipelta elegans. Recent progress in the systematics and phylogeographics of Dipelta has greatly broadened our knowledge about its origin and evolution, however, conflicted phylogenetic relationships and divergence times have been reported and warrant further investigation. Here, we utilized chloroplast genomes and population‐level genomic data restriction site‐associated DNA‐single nucleotide polymorphisms (RAD‐SNPs) to evaluate the interspecific relationships, population genetic structure and demographic histories of this genus. Our results confirmed the sister relationship between D. elegans and the D. yunnanensis–D. floribunda group, but with cyto‐nuclear phylogenetic discordance observed in the latter. Coalescent simulations suggested that this discordance might be attributed to asymmetric “chloroplast capture” through introgressive hybridization between the two parapatric species. Our fossil‐calibrated plastid chronogram of Dipsacales and the coalescent modeling based on nuclear RAD‐SNPs simultaneously suggested that the three species of Dipelta diversified at the late Miocene, which may be related to the uplift of the eastern part of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) and adjacent southwest China, and increasing Asian interior aridification since the late Miocene; while in the mid‐Pleistocene, the climatic transition and continuous uplift of the QTP, triggered allopatric speciation via geographical isolation for D. floribunda and D. yunnanensis regardless of bidirectional gene flow. Based on both plastid and nuclear genome‐scale data, our findings provide the most comprehensive and reliable phylogeny and evolutionary histories for Dipelta and enable further understanding of the origin and evolution of floristic endemisms of China.
Environmentally sustainable design guide for haemodialysis facilities: An Australian and New Zealand society of Nephrology initiative
Authors: Barraclough Katherine A. , Ashley Gavin , Krishnan Anoushka , Sypek Matthew , White Anthea , Ford Sharon , Wei Jason , Johnson David W.
Published: April 2024

Haemodialysis facilities have a large environmental impact due to high energy, water and consumable usage by haemodialysis equipment. As climate change and natural resource scarcity escalate, all the while the number of people requiring dialysis increases, there is an urgent need for dialysis facilities that meet care needs while minimising environmental impact. To address this, the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology engaged an environmental sustainability consulting practise to develop a best practise guide for the environmentally sustainable design and operation of haemodialysis facilities. Four opportunity areas were considered, namely energy, water, waste and resource recovery, and additional sustainability. A total of 28 environmental improvement initiatives were identified. The majority (n = 23) were general measures that could be applied across all healthcare settings, while five were specific to haemodialysis facilities. Recommendations were made regarding specific measures that should be undertaken and/or standards that must be met to achieve the intent of each initiative. These were stratified to enable their application to both existing dialysis facilities and new builds. The lifecycle stage of a haemodialysis facility to which each initiative applied was highlighted, as was its potential impact. This guide provides a tailored and comprehensive resource for the kidney care community to enable the integration of best practise sustainability considerations into both existing and new facilities. If broadly implemented, it has the potential to markedly improve the environmental impact of haemodialysis provision.
A systematic review of the effects of maternal obesity on neonatal outcomes in women with gestational diabetes
Authors: Weir Tessa L. , Majumder Monica , Glastras Sarah J.
Published: April 2024

Maternal obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) prevalence are increasing, with both conditions associated with adverse neonatal outcomes. This review aimed to determine the risk of adverse outcomes in women with obesity and GDM, compared with women with obesity alone. A systematic search identified 28 eligible articles. Meta‐analysis was conducted using a random effects model, to generate pooled estimates (odds ratios, OR, or mean difference, MD). Compared with normal‐weight controls, women with obesity had increased risks of large for gestational age (LGA, OR 1.98, 95% CI: 1.56, 2.52) and macrosomia (OR 2.93, 95% CI: 1.71, 5.03); the latter's risk almost double in women with obesity than GDM. Birth weight (MD 113 g, 95% CI: 69, 156) and shoulder dystocia (OR 1.23, 95% CI: 0.85, 1.78) risk was also higher. GDM significantly amplified neonatal risk in women with obesity, with a three‐ to four‐fold risk of LGA (OR 3.22, 95% CI: 2.17, 4.79) and macrosomia (OR 3.71, 95% CI: 2.76, 4.98), as well as higher birth weights (MD 176 g, 95% CI: 89, 263), preterm delivery (OR 1.49, 95% CI: 1.25, 1.77), and shoulder dystocia (OR 1.99, 95% CI: 1.31, 3.03), when compared with normal‐weight controls. Our findings demonstrate that maternal obesity increases serious neonatal adverse risk, magnified by the presence of GDM. Effective strategies are needed to safeguard against neonatal complications associated with maternal obesity, regardless of GDM status.
The rise of the opportunists: What are the drivers of the increase in infectious diseases caused by environmental and commensal bacteria?
Authors: Samsing Francisca , Barnes Andrew C.
Published: May 2024

The aquaculture sector is currently experiencing a global disease crisis. Emerging bacterial diseases—often opportunistic or syndromic—have collapsed production in nations across the world. Losses in the shrimp industry associated with opportunistic Vibrio spp. exceed 40% of global capacity. This paper reviews potential drivers of syndromic diseases involving opportunistic bacterial pathogens affecting global aquaculture. We provide key examples from major industries where such conditions have prompted greater antibiotic use and have resulted in significant mortality. We challenge the conventional definitions of opportunistic pathogens and propose a fluid categorisation that acknowledges the continuum of host adaptation and the complexity of microbial ecology. We discuss the implications of environmental and dietary stressors such as climate change, coastal eutrophication and pollution, and the transition to plant‐based feeds, which have been linked to impaired epithelial barrier function, gut health disorders and increased disease susceptibility. We critique the ‘one‐pathogen one‐disease’ paradigm, suggesting that Rothman's causal pie model is more useful for understanding opportunistic infections as it emphasises the multicausal nature of disease. We provide examples of bacterial and viral interactions in aquatic disease and occurrence of bacterial diseases resulting from host damage from eukaryotic parasites or increasing frequency and severity of interventions to control such parasites. We recognise the need for corroborative evidence to validate the rise of opportunistic bacterial pathogens as a global trend, and we advocate for the application of nuanced disease causation models to reduce the incidence of opportunistic infections and improve the sustainability of the aquaculture industry.
Visualizing a bivariate discrete distribution and other distributions derived from it
Authors: Sarkar Jyotirmoy , Rashid Mamunur
Published: April 2024

A single discrete random variable is depicted by a stick diagram, a 2D picture. Naturally, to visualize a bivariate discrete distribution, one can use a bivariate stick diagram, a 3D picture. Unfortunately, many students have difficulty understanding and processing 3D pictures. Therefore, we construct an alternative 2D disc plot to depict the bivariate distribution of (, ), from which we obtain graphically the conditional distributions of given , and given ; the marginal distributions of , , , . Furthermore, we depict the mean and the standard deviation of each distribution using a single‐headed arrow. We hope these visualizations will help students better comprehend these concepts and avoid some misconceptions.
Improving resilience to high temperature in drought: water replenishment enhances sucrose and amino acid metabolisms in maize grain
Authors: Wang Xinglong , Wang Junhao , Zhu Yupeng , Qu Ziren , Liu Xiwei , Wang Pu , Meng Qingfeng
Published: April 2024

Heat stress poses a significant threat to maize, especially when combined with drought. Recent research highlights the potential of water replenishment to ameliorate grain weight loss. However, the mitigating mechanisms of heat in drought stress, especially during the crucial early grain‐filling stage, remain poorly understood. We investigated the mechanism for mitigating heat in drought stress by water replenishment from the 12th to the 32nd days after silking in a controlled greenhouse experiment (Exp. I) and field trial (Exp. II). A significant reduction in grain weight was observed in heat stress compared to normal conditions. When water replenishment was applied to increase soil water content (SWC) under heat stress, the grain yield exhibited a notable increase ranging from 28.4 to 76.9%. XY335 variety was used for transcriptome sequencing to analyze starch biosynthesis and amino acid metabolisms in Exp. I. With water replenishment, the transcripts of genes responsible for trehalose 6‐phosphate phosphates (TPP), alpha‐trehalase (TRE), ADP‐glcpyrophosphorylase, and starch synthase activity were stimulated. Additionally, the expression of genes encoding TPP and TRE contributed to an enhanced conversion of trehalose to glucose. This led to the conversion of sucrose from glucose‐1‐phosphate to ADP‐glucose and ADP‐glucose to amylopectin, ultimately increasing starch production by 45.1%. Water replenishment to boost SWC during heat stress also elevated the levels of essential amino acids in maize, including arginine, serine, tyrosine, leucine, glutamic acid, and methionine, providing valuable support to maize plants in adversity. Field trials further validated the positive impact of water replenishment on SWC, resulting in a notable increase in grain yield ranging from 7.1 to 9.2%. This study highlights the vital importance of adapting to abiotic stress and underscores the necessity of developing strategies to counteract its adverse effects on crop yield.
Performance Analysis of Nanowire ISFET Biosensor Towards Bovine Serum Albumin and Liposome
Authors: Lam Yi Ling  , Suhana Mohamed Sultan  , Ab Razak Nur Afiqah
Published: April 2024

Proteins are necessary to all living organisms for both structural and functional reasons. However, due to their breakdown, some proteins, including Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and Liposome, could cause detrimental effects on cells and tissues. Due to its high detection sensitivity, the potential for mass production, and affordable manufacture, the ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) biosensor has become increasingly prominent in clinical research for the detection of biomolecules. BSA and Liposome are the target proteins, while collagen is the bioreceptor. ISFET biosensor with a structure of cylindrical nanowire was simulated and examined. The settling time and sensitivity of the biosensor were modeled using Nanohub BioSensorLab software. The cylindrical nanowire ISFET biosensor can be enhanced by reducing the buffer ion concentration, increasing the radius, and increasing the oxide thickness. Compared to liposomes, BSA provides a lower settling time. This is because the diffusion coefficient of liposomes is 3.6 times lower than BSA. Furthermore, settling time is reduced when the analyte concentration is increased. The results are compared with planar ISFET, considered one-dimensional (1D) architecture. The planar ISFET exhibited a quicker settling time than the cylindrical nanowire biosensor. Furthermore, as the amounts of protein and analyte increased, the settling time reduced. The cylindrical nanowire biosensor needs to be in radius of 100nm and 10nm of oxide thickness with 0.1M buffer concentration for it to achieved the highest sensitivity. These results could facilitate researchers to produce the desirable ISFET sensor for different types of proteins.
Evaluating the Impact of Geometric Dimensions of a Multi-Split Ring Resonator
Authors: FADHIL TAMARA , Murad Noor Asniza , Hamid Mohamad Rijal
Published: April 2024

In this paper, a metamaterial unit cell is designed and simulated based on the concept of multiple split-ring resonators (SRRs) in a compact size. The presented nested modified SRR resonator construct has the advantage of achieving more usable split gaps by increasing capacitance, resulting in a lower operational resonance frequency and improved sensitivity over typical SRR metamaterials. The impact of several split ring resonator geometric characteristics, such as the gap space, the width of the copper lines, the inner rings length, and the outer ring length on magnetic permeability and permittivity was analyzed. The modified metamaterial can be utilized for 5G mobile applications.
Indoor Positioning Based Ranging: A Review and Literature Survey of UWB and Li-Fi Technologies
Authors: Majeed Ammar , Rashudah  , Muhammad  , Nurul Mu'azzah  , Abbas
Published: April 2024

Why IPS (Indoor Positioning Systems)? This issue is one of the most challenging things to solve in wireless localization due to the lack of a Global Positioning System (GPS) and the existence of distinctive radio propagation characteristics. Although there are different localization options available, the accuracy of localization cannot satisfy customers' requirements. Positioning algorithms could be grouped into two groups, including range-based and range-free techniques. Before actually putting a localization technique into practice, the accuracy of those techniques is of the utmost importance. Range-based methods can often attain great accuracy with the help of specialized hardware, and this accuracy can be dependent on either the distances between nodes or the angles between them. In this paper, a comparison of different strategies utilized for positioning is presented, as well as an analysis of the pros and cons associated with supporting technologies for each strategy. A literature survey of the recent IPS technologies range-based with focuses on Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) and Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) is presented with significant recommendations. This literature considered the accuracy, complexity, scalability, cost, latency, deployment, and usability, as well as strengths, shortcomings, approaches, and issues determined by each work. This paper highlights the most recent research gaps and reviews the most promising findings, with recommendations to the reader and researcher, in UWB and Li-Fi indoor positioning systems over the last five years based on range-based techniques. In addition, this paper serves as a guide that discusses all of the measures that may be utilized in the process of evaluating localization technologies, and it could be considered a roadmap for existing and new researchers to identify and characterize suitable technologies for creating innovative systems and apps via stand-alone range-based positioning.
Rectenna for Radio Frequency Energy Harvesting: A Review
Authors: AB RASHID AMIER HAFIZUN , B. H. Ahmad  , M. Z. A. Abd Aziz  , H. Nornikman
Published: April 2024

The emergence of wireless charging technology is also a topic of debate among consumers, fabricators, researchers, and academics. This paper focuses on the literature review of several works on the previous enhancement technique that effect the performance of antenna design with rectifying circuit (rectenna) for energy transfer system technology. Several techniques are applied on this microstrip antenna design work to enhance the antenna performance such as slot, parasitic element, fractal, antenna arrays and others. The parameters that are considered in this work are return loss, resonant frequency with bandwidth, gain and the antenna dimension.
Language Threshold for Multilingual Sentiment Analysis System
Authors: KIT YU HENG , Mohd Mokji Musa
Published: April 2024

Code-mixed sentences are very common in social media platforms especially in countries such as Malaysia that have more than 2 speaking languages. Although multilingual Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (mBERT) has the capability of understanding multilingualism, the sentence embeddings obtained from mBERT can be very complex for a code-mixed sentence. This is a challenge in Natural Language processing when processing informal social media text due to its complexity, especially in mixed languages like Malay-English where there is an insufficient amount of training datasets available. Thus, this paper proposes a language threshold to translate the affected words or sentence into a single language sentence and relabel the language of the sentence. The result shows an increase of 8% in accuracy when translating affected words in a sentence at the 60% language threshold using SEC PCA-200.
Simulation of Voltage Applied Effect on Carbon-Doped Boron Nitride Nanoribbon Hydrogen Gas Sensing Performance
Authors: Taib Ainun Khairiyah , Johari Zaharah , Abd. Rahman Shaharin Fadzli , Mohd Yusoff Mohd Fairus
Published: April 2024

Advanced materials have been widely investigated for numbers of electronics application. The aim is to provide higher device performance and mitigating the short channel effect. In this work, the performance of hydrogen sensing on carbon-doped boron nitride nanoribbon (BC2NNR) is investigated in response to different gate voltage applied, Vgs. The simulation is done to see the variation in the density of state (DOS) and the variation in the I – V characteristic. From the simulation, a significant effect is found when the Hydrogen gas was attached to different atom positions within the BC2NNR surface. A notable difference in sensitivity was achieved when Vgs is varied from 0 V to 2 V. In fact, a sensitivity of 85.07 % was achieved when the hydrogen molecule was attached to carbon atom. The result presented here may become guideline for experimentalists fabricating BC2NNR for gas sensing application.
Detection and Classification of High Impedance Fault in Nigerian 330 kV Transmission Network using ANN: A Case Study of the Southeast Transmission Network
Authors: Imo Edwin Nkan  , Ekom Enefiok Okpo  , Ogbonnaya Inya Okoro
Published: April 2024

High Impedance Fault (HIF) occurs when an energized conductor comes in direct or indirect contact with a quasi-insulator. If not detected and eradicated, it would lead to fire outbreak, pose a risk to human lives, and negate the existing environmental friendliness. The transmission lines data of the 330 kV, south east Nigeria network were obtained and modeled in SIMULINK for the detection and classification of the HIF. The transmission lines modeled were from Afam GS (Generating Station) to Alaoji GS, Alaoji GS to Owerri GS, Alaoji GS to Onitsha TS (Transmission Station), and from Onitsha TS to New Heaven TS. The HIF was situated on the 25 km transmission line connecting Afam GS to Alaji GS which was the central part of the Network. The current signal for each of the HIF classes at each location was used as the input data to the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model with the HIF classification code used as the ANN target. On inserting the developed ANN in the transmission network and testing its performance, it was observed that the maximum HIF classification deviation occurred on the transmission line connecting Alaoji and Onitsha (two phase HIF) at 0.003 (0.15%). This proved that ANN model is capable and suitable in HIF detection and classification on transmission line network in South East.
Energy 4.0: Challenges and Enablers of Digital Twin Application in Power Plant
Authors: Balbir Shah Mohd Irwan Shah  , Ishak Asnor Juraiza , Hassan Mohd Khair , Norsahperi Nor Mohd Haziq
Published: April 2024

Digital twins have recently garnered attention as digital solutions in "Energy 4.0" that will reshape the future of the power generation industry toward the digitalization era. It is supported by the rapid advancement of data connectivity and computational power that intensifies the potential of the digital twin approach in addressing the energy trilemma. Despite its popularity, the preliminary analysis revealed a lack of publications discussing the implementation of digital twins in the power generation industry. The researcher may find the difficulties and face the issues that prevent them from exploring this study area. Therefore, this article will perform a literature review of the selected publications to analyze the challenges and enablers of the digital twin implementation in power plants. The selection of articles from multiple databases is refined based on keywords search, publication time frame, and inclusion criteria. The study found that the challenges can be divided into nine categories, and eight enablers have been identified to address the issues that arise in digital twin applications. The findings contribute to the body of knowledge on digital twin applications by proposing the operational ecosystem framework to illustrate the interaction between enablers and challenges.
Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) And Evolutionary Programming (EP) Technique for Optimal Placement and Sizing DG for Minimizing Loss in IEEE-30 Bus System
Authors: Kuamthab Nor Elisya , Rasyidah Mohamad Idris
Published: April 2024

In recent years, most growing nations worldwide have experienced an unavoidably rising demand for electricity, which may result in a dropping of the voltage profile and a reduction in system stability, both of which have the potential to overload the power generation system significantly. One of the ways to reduce loss system network in this study is by distributed generation (DG) allocation, which the DG optimal location and sizing are the two most significant considerations for integration of DG. Improper placement and DG sizing in the power system not only result in increased total power losses but also affect the electrical system’s capability to be function properly. This paper provides a comparative analysis of two meta- heuristic optimization techniques, that is, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Evolutionary Programming (EP), to examine the optimal placement and sizing of distributed-generation (DG) for photovoltaic systems with the aim of minimizing the losses in interconnected distributed generation, IEEE-30 bus system. The objective function of this study is minimization the power loss with considered some constraints which are voltage limits and DG sizing limits are being covers in this study. The optimization issue has been solved by working with MATLAB/m-files software. The outcomes derived from the simulation results in this study demonstrated that PSO performance of two units of DG is better compared to EP algorithm. The voltage profile was improved drastically, and the power loss was reduced as lowest as 17.4486MW in the first case, 17.4368MW in the second case, and 17.4179MW in the third case.
Effect of Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer Blending on the Dielectric Properties of Polypropylene for Power Cable Insulation
Authors: Mohd Sharip Mohd Ridhuan , Kwan Yiew Lau , Mohamed Piah Mohamed Afendi , Abang Zaidel Dyg Norkhairunnisa , A. B. A. Ghani  , N. A. N. Ariffin
Published: April 2024

Thermoplastic materials such as polypropylene (PP) are ideal candidates to be used as power cable insulation materials. However, the mechanical properties of PP, which is brittle and stiff, need to be modified to meet the requirements of power cable insulation applications. To overcome this, ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) can be melt blended with PP to improve PP’s mechanical properties. In the current work, the effect of blending different contents of EPDM with PP was investigated in terms of the morphology, chemical structure, dielectric response, electrical, and mechanical properties. The results show that the EPDM blended well with the PP as the EPDM dispersed in the PP structure. Meanwhile, the chemical structure and dielectric response of the EPDM and PP blend became slightly different with high contents of EPDM, which subsequently affected the breakdown strength and mechanical properties. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that PP blended with low contents of EPDM has the potential to be used as recyclable power cable insulation materials.
Crack Recognition in Masonry Structures: CNN Models with Limited Data Sets
Authors: Mazni Mazleenda , Husain Abdul Rashid , Shapiai Mohd Ibrahim , Ibrahim Izni Syahrizal , Anggara Devi Willieam , Riyadh Zulkifli
Published: April 2024

This research focuses on the task of Masonry Wall Crack Identification using limited data, employing state-of-the-art Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models. The models investigated include VGG16, MobileNetV2, Xception, and DenseNet121. The dataset, consisting of 946 masonry wall images containing cracks, is used to evaluate the effectiveness of each model in this specific domain. The training set comprises 642 images, the validation set consists of 90 images, and the test set includes 214 images. The models are pretrained on large-scale datasets to extract robust features and are then fine-tuned on the masonry wall crack dataset. Among the models, DenseNet121 stands out, achieving a commendable accuracy of 85.98% in accurately identifying masonry wall cracks. This result underscores the efficacy of DenseNet121 for the challenging task of crack identification in masonry structures using limited data. This study not only contributes to the field of structural health monitoring but also emphasizes the practicality of employing CNN models for real-world applications, particularly in the critical domain of masonry crack identification.
Leakage Current Harmonic Index as A Diagnostic Technique for Tool to Assess the Surface Condition Assessment of Aged Insulator Surface Under Varying Humidity
Authors: BENISHEIKH UMAR ALI , Zulkurnain Abdul-Malek
Published: April 2024

Leakage current has been widely utilized as an effective means to monitor the pollution severity of outdoor insulators. The indices of the odd harmonic components of the leakage current have proven to be reliable indicators of insulator performance, particularly in the third to fifth harmonic orders. However, significant challenges exist in using these indices to monitor and classify the leakage current of aged insulators under varying harmonic and pollution conditions. This paper introduces the harmonic index K((3/(5+7) ) which employs third up to seventh odd harmonic component of the leakage current as a diagnostic tool to determine the pollution severity of aged insulators under light, medium and heavy contamination levels. The experiments were conducted using 12 different sets of 11kV insulators with varying degrees of aging. The results indicate that the harmonic index Ki for new and moderately aged insulators decreases with an increase in contamination and is lower than that of heavily aged insulators.
A note on r$r$‐gaps between zeros of the Riemann zeta‐function
Authors: Inoue Shōta
Published: April 2024

In this paper, we prove Selberg's announced result on ‐gaps between zeros of the Riemann zeta‐function . Our proof uses a result on variations of by Tsang based on Selberg's method. The same result with explicit constants under the Riemann Hypothesis has been obtained by Conrey and Turnage‐Butterbaugh using a different method. We explain how to obtain explicit constants under the Riemann Hypothesis using our approach which is based on Selberg's and Tsang's arguments.
Bactericidal and sterilizing activity of sudapyridine-clofazimine-TB47 combined with linezolid or pyrazinamide in a murine model of tuberculosis
Authors: Yu Wei , Ju Yanan , Han Xingli , Tian Xirong , Ding Jie , Wang Shuai , Hameed H. M. Adnan , Gao Yamin , Li Lei , Li Yongguo , Zhong Nanshan , Zhang Tianyu
Published: May 2024

As an obligate aerobe,
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
relies on its branched electron transport chain (ETC) for energy production through oxidative phosphorylation. Regimens targeting ETC exhibit promising potential to enhance bactericidal activity against
M. tuberculosis
and hold the prospect of shortening treatment duration. Our previous research demonstrated that the bacteriostatic drug candidate TB47 (T) inhibited the growth of
M. tuberculosis
by targeting the cytochrome
bc1
complex and exhibited synergistic activity with clofazimine (C). Here, we found synergistic activities between C and sudapyridine (S), a structural analog of bedaquiline (B). S has shown similar anti-tuberculosis efficacy and may share a mechanism of action with B, which inhibits ATP synthesis and the energy metabolism of bacteria. We evaluated the efficacy of SCT in combination with linezolid (L) or pyrazinamide (Z) using a well-established murine model of tuberculosis. Compared to the BPa(pretomanid)L regimen, SCT and SCTL demonstrated similar bactericidal and sterilizing activities. There was no significant difference in activity between SCT and SCTL. In contrast, SCZ and SCTZ showed much higher activities, with none of the 15 mice experiencing relapse after 2 months of treatment with either SCZ or SCTZ. However, T did not contribute to the activity of the SCZ. Our findings emphasize the efficacy and the potential clinical significance of combination therapy with ETC inhibitors. Additionally, cross-resistance exists not only between S and B but also between S/B and C. This is supported by our findings, as spontaneous S-resistant mutants exhibited mutations in
Rv0678
, which are associated with cross-resistance to B and C.
Network analysis of decentralized fault-tolerant UAV swarm coordination in critical missions
Authors: Chandran Indu , Vipin Kizheppatt
Published: May 2024

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have gained prominence across various sectors for their versatile applications. While their advantages are evident, addressing concerns associated with their deployment is essential to ensure reliability. This study presents an innovative approach for coordinating a group of UAVs in aerial survey missions. The decentralized strategy presented in this article allow UAVs to self-organize into linear formation, optimize their coverage paths, and adapt to agent failures, thereby ensuring efficient and adaptive mission execution. The strategy has been tested and validated on two different platforms: the inter-UAV communication performance is evaluated on NS-3 simulator to measure metrices such as packet delivery ratio, throughput, delay, and routing overhead within the UAV swarms, while mission efficiency and fault tolerance is analyzed on robot operating system framework, and visualized on Gazebo simulator with real-time parameters. Through experimental results, we show that, after proper tuning of control parameters, the approach succeeds in flock formation with high level of fault tolerance, offering higher efficiency in terms of mission time, transmission delay, packet delivery rate, and control overhead, when compared to the benchmark approaches.
Improvement of Quality of Life after Surgical Treatment of Patients with MRONJ: A Prospective Analysis Using the SF‐12 and OHIP‐14 Questionnaires
Authors: Hoene Georg , von Hahn Nikolaus , Sievers Denise , Schuffelen Lukas , Wolfer Susanne , Goldstein Kathi , Schminke Boris , Brockmeyer Phillipp , Kauffmann Philipp
Published: May 2024

Background. Medication‐related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a rare, serious, and debilitating disease of unknown cause that can be associated with significant health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) impairment. Hematological disease is characterized by a nonhealing exposed jawbone in patients with a history of antiresorptive or antiangiogenic agent use without radiation exposure to the head or neck. Patients and Materials and Methods. This prospective study over the period from May 2020 to December 2021 included a representative sample consisting of 27 patients with at least stage 2 MRONJ lesions who underwent surgical rehabilitation via oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany. Quality of life data were collected over a 6‐month postoperative period using the Health‐Related QOL (SF‐12) and Oral Health‐Related QOL (OHIP‐14) questionnaires. Results. A total of 27 patients considered in the study had a total of 42 MRONJ lesions, corresponding to a mean of 1.56 necroses per patient. MRONJ lesions were downstaged in 85% of the patients. HRQOL was evaluated with the SF‐12 questionnaire. Significant improvements were found in six of the eight categories (General Health (p  < 0.001), Bodily Pain (p < 0.001), Mental Health (p < 0.001), Vitality (p  < 0.001), Role‐Emotional (p = 0.028), and Social Functioning (p = 0.031)). The OHRQOL score also improved significantly after surgical intervention (p < 0.001). Conclusion. With completed surgical therapy, improvements in HRQOL and OHRQOL are measurable.
Considerações gerais sôbre as nefrites tipo I e tipo II
Authors: Ribeiro Júnior César Francisco
Published: April 2024

O autor, após caracterizar, resumidamente, o conceito de síndrome nefrítica e síndrome nefrótica, faz considerações gerais, de ordem didática, sôbre Nefrite tipo I e Nefrite tipo II, descrevendo as duas entidades separadamente, com as respectivas sinonímias, etiopatogenia, quadros anátomo-patológicos e clínicos, diagnóstico diferencial e tratamento, baseando-se nos conhecimentos atuais sôbre o assunto e no conceito moderno de nefrites, de acôrdo com a escola inglêsa.
Aneurismas espotâneos com localização rara: a propósito de dois casos
Authors: Coelho Otávio Martins de , Bueno Neto Joaquim , Henel Albrecht , Zuppo Miguel
Published: April 2024

Os autores relatam dois casos de aneurisma arterial espontâneo com localização relativamente rara: um da pediosa, e outro de ramo da artéria isquiática. Os dois casos foram documentados por arteriografia e ambos foram operados com pleno êxito. O aneurisma da pediosa foi extirpado e o de ramo da isquiática foi tratado por endoaneurismorrafia obliterante de Matas.