bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Modeling of a Multi-camera-based Disease Detection Model
Authors: Ngongoma Mbulelo , Kabeya Musasa , Moloi Katleho
Published: May 2023

A state-of-the-art approach for plant disease detection systems is discussed in this paper. Most proposed disease detection models in literature utilize single infeed cameras to capture the images of sample plant organs for classification. Single-input cameras might compromise the classification accuracy of these models depending on which plant organ is being used. Single input camera classification models have operated with high classification accuracy and efficiency with leaf samples because of their flat surface area nature, however, this is not always the case for fruit samples because of their general spherical or cylindrical nature such as oranges or bananas. The symptoms of a disease on the surface area of a sample fruit might not be distributed evenly, hence a single input camera sensor might miss the vital diseased part if the sample is orientated such that the diseased area is directly opposing to the line of sight of the camera sensor, which can consequently lead to an incorrect classification of that sample under evaluation. Hence, this study has proposed a multi-camera input fruit disease classification model aiming to solve this problem. Citrus orange fruits were used to demonstrate the capability of the proposed model to classify healthy and black rot-affected orange samples. A healthy sample and two black-rot-affected oranges, one with even and the other with uneven distribution of black rot symptoms, were put under evaluation of the proposed multi-camera input model and the classification accuracy was 100% when utilizing a deep learning Convolutional Neural Network classification algorithm.
Strategies for mainstreaming nature-based solutions in urban planning in ten European cities
Authors: Hölscher Katharina , Frantzeskaki Niki , Collier Marcus , Connop Stuart , Kooijman Esmee , Lodder Marleen , McQuaid Siobhan , Vandergert Paula , Xidous Dimitra , Bešlagić Lejla , Dick Gillian , Dumitru Adina , Dziubała Agnieszka , Fletcher Isobel , Adank Cristian Garcia-Espina , Vázquez María González , Madajczyk Natalia , Malekkidou Eleni , Mavroudi Maria , Loizou Eleftherios , Osipiuk Agnieszka , Pasic Belma , González Antonio Pietro , Quartier Mien , Schepers Selina , Suljević Nermina , Trendafilov Ivaylo , De Sijpe Katrien Van , Velikova Velichka , Vos Peter
Published: May 2023

This paper identifies and examines the strategies and governance conditions by which ten European cities have started mainstreaming nature-based solutions (NBS) as innovative systemic solutions in urban planning. The three sets of mainstreaming strategies focus on how teams of policy entrepreneurs within the cities experimented with innovative governance processes and mechanisms to strategically develop procedures, knowledge, skills, and relationships to integrate (a) a systems’ approach to link NBS to policies, regulations, and departments across goals and sectors, (b) inclusive collaborations for localised interventions, and (c) reflexivity and learning about how they interact with the (institutional, ecological, social, etc.) contexts and create impacts. The strategies demonstrate how starting from NBS as a type of systemic innovation can help promote shifts in urban planning to address complex sustainability problems in cities, and how starting points and specific processes depend on a respective city’s contexts and needs.
The murine meninges acquire lymphoid tissue properties and harbour autoreactive B cells during chronic Trypanosoma brucei infection
Authors: Quintana Juan , Sinton Matthew , Chandrasegaran Praveena , Dubey Lalit Kumar , Ogunsola John , Samman Moumen , Haley Michael , McConnell Gail , Swar Nono Kuispond , Ngoyi Dieudonne Mumba , Mabbott Neil , MacLeod Annette
Published: May 2023

The meningeal space is an important structure in the brain borders, which provides immunosurveillance for the central nervous system, but the impact of infections on the meningeal immune landscape is far from being fully understood. The extracellular protozoan parasiteTrypanosoma brucei, which causes Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) or sleeping sickness, accumulate in the meningeal spaces, ultimately inducing severe meningitis and resulting in death if left untreated. Thus, sleeping sickness represents an attractive model to study immunological dynamics in the meninges during infection. Here, combining single cell transcriptomics and mass cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF), coupled within vivointerventions, we found that chronicT. bruceiinfection triggers the development of ectopic lymphoid aggregates (ELAs) in the murine meninges during chronic infection. These infection-induced ectopic structures are defined by the presence of ER-TR7+fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) and follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) that initiate a signalling cascade driving local T cell activation towards a T follicular helper (TFH)-like phenotype, as well as B cell class switching. Furthermore, the GC-like B cells found in the infected meninges produce high-affinity autoantibodies able to recognise mouse brain antigens. We found that systemic lymphotoxin β (LTβ) signalling blockade led to a significant depletion of meningeal FDC-like cells and autoreactive B cells, indicating that LTβ signalling is critical to induce and maintain local responses in the meninges. In humans, we identified the presence of autoreactive IgG antibodies able to recognise human brain lysates in the cerebrospinal fluid of second stage HAT patients compared to first stage HAT patients, consistent with our findings in experimental infections. Taken together, our data provide evidence that the meningeal immune response results in the acquisition of lymphoid tissue-like properties during chronicT. bruceiinfection, broadening our understanding of meningeal immunity in the context of chronic infections. These findings have wider implications for understanding the mechanisms underlying the formation ELAs during chronic inflammation resulting in autoimmunity in mice and humans, as observed in other autoimmune neurodegenerative disorders such as neuropsychiatric lupus and multiple sclerosis.
Insight into Aflatoxin M1 Degradation by Cold Plasma: Effects of different operating gases and treatment time - Degradation pathway andToxicity prediction
Authors: Flint Steve , Nguyen Thu , Palmer Jon , Pedley John , Petcu Miruna , Newson Harriet L. , Keener Kevin
Published: May 2023

The aim of this study was to explore the chemical reactive species of different operating gases, and their effect on the degradation of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) by cold plasma by measuring the reactive species concentration. Helium, at 80, 90 or 95%, was used mixed with oxygen, nitrogen and air. The efficacy of cold plasma on aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) reduction was improved when decreasing the ratio of helium in the gas mixture. The ratio of the gas mixtures changed the cold plasma chemistry believed to be due to the differences in the concentrations of the reactive species. The degradation products of AFM1 after cold plasma treatment using a helium/air gas mixture and the degradation pathway were identified by LCMS. AFM1 was oxidised by reactive species in the cold plasma to produce degradant products with, theoretically, lower toxicity than AFM1.
A Cost and Energy-Aware Deployment of IoT Applications scheme in Fog Systems
Authors: Faraji-Mehmandar Mohammad , Ghobaei-Arani Mostafa , Shakarami Ali
Published: May 2023

The number of Internet-connected devices is constantly increasing due to the growth of IoT. However, this results in a large volume of data transmission, which can cause issues with cloud-based storage and data processing due to inadequate bandwidth. This could lead to inadequacy of IoT; therefore, managing and storing data in such a way as not to cause the slightest delay in processing has become a major challenge in IoT. Both fog and cloud computing offer storage space, applications, and data for users, but fog computing is more geographically distributed and closer to the end-user, which increases system efficiency and reduces data transmission distance. Various QoS requirements of IoT services, distributed and heterogeneous nature of fog node computational capabilities make the application placement in Fog a challenging task. This paper proposes a solution that utilizes the Harris hawks optimization technique to monitor QoS requirements and available fog node capabilities to determine an efficient service placement plan. The proposed mechanism considers throughput, cost, and energy consumption as objective functions while meeting the QoS requirements of each IoT service. The simulation results obtained demonstrate that the proposed solution increases the resource usage and service acceptance ratio by 4.5% and 3.8%, respectively and reduces the service delay and the energy consumption by 2.95% and 1.62%, respectively compared with other state-of-the-art works.
Antioxidant and anti-hypertension activities of protein hydrolysate from sea cucumber, Holothuria parva using enzymatic hydrolysis
Authors: Mohamadzadeasl Asghar , Khodabandeh Saber
Published: May 2023

Bioactive peptides of marine organisms have recently attracted great attention from scientists and industries. In this study, tissue protein of sea cucumber Holothuria parva muscle were hydrolyzed using bacterial alcalase enzyme and then sea cucumber protein hydrolysis (SPH) was separated by ultrafiltration membranes (30, 10 and 3 kDa) and four fractions with different molecular weight; FI (> 30 kDa), FII (10 < MW < 30 kDa), FIII (3 < MW < 10 kDa) and FIV (< 3 kDa) were obtained. The antioxidant and ACE-inhibitory of SPH and four fractions products FI, FII, FIII, and FIV were evaluated. The results show that the protein content of four fractions FI, FII, FIII, and FIV were 47.33, 57.08, 47.66, and 15.5 mg/ml, respectively. The results of biological analyzes showed that SPH exhibited the highest hydroxyl radical scavenger (48% at 10 µg/ml) and ferric ions (229.03% µg/mg) followed by FIV by (35% at 10 µg/ml). The highest ferric reducing was seen at SPH with (229.03 % at 10 µg/ml) followed by FIV (146/94% at 10 µg/ml). The DPPH scavenging activity of SPH, FI, and FII were 7.32%, 27.4%, and 6.77% at 10 µg/ml, respectively. The Angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of 1mg FI, FII, FIII, and FIV were 7.60, 3.73, 7.86, and 13.60 mg/ml, respectively. The fraction with molecular weight below 3 kDa exhibited higher ACE inhibitory activity. The results of the current study showed that the H. parva muscle protein and their hydrolysis products has a suitable capacity for use in medical purposes.
Kuttler-Sigillito's Inequalities and Rellich-Christianson Identity
Authors: Berge Stine Marie
Published: May 2023

This article has two main objectives: The first one is to show Kuttler-Sigillito type inequalities involving the mixed Neumann-Dirichlet, mixed Steklov-Dirichlet, and mixed Robin-Dirichlet eigenvalue problems for the Laplacian. We will demonstrate these inequalities on different domains e.g., squares and balls. The second objective is to show a Rellich identity for the mixed Neumann-Dirichlet problem. This identity will be used to prove a Rellich-Christianson identity for the Neumann-Dirichlet problem.
Effects of Audiovisual Virtual Reality Stimulation on Pain, Anxiety, and Relaxation During Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy for Ureteral Stones : A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Kwon Hyosang , Lee Wonchul , Choi Changil , Kim Jong Keun , Lee Seong Ho , Han Jun Hyun
Published: May 2023

Purpose We evaluate the effect of audiovisual virtual reality (AVVR) stimulation through a virtual reality (VR) device on pain, anxiety, and patient relaxation during SWL.Materials and Methods A total of 86 patients from a single institution who underwent SWL for ureteral stone were prospectively allocated. Patients with tolerable pain were randomized 1:1 two groups (SWL with or without AVVR stimulation groups). Anxiety, vital sign, renal colic pain represented the primary outcomes and were measured before and after SWL using STAI, visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes were pain due to SWL and stone free rate.Results Thirty-nine and 37 patients were randomly assigned to the AVVR and Control groups, respectively. In pre and post-SWL, SBP, DBP, HR, STAI, and pain due to renal colic were not statistically different between the two groups, but pain due to SWL showed a statistical difference of 1.79 ± 1.32 in the VR group, and 2.54 ± 1.26 in the control group (p = 0.014). In the VR group, significant decreases were shown in SBP (-4.97 ± 5.87 mmHg, p < 0.001), DBP (-1.67 ± 6.06 mmHg, p < 0.016), and HR (-1.41 ± 3.49 beats/min, p < 0.008).Conclusions AVVR reduces procedure-related pain and increases patient relaxation. The application of VR may be an effective and non-pharmacological technique to replace additional pain control during SWL. Developing specialized software for VR will maximize the advantages of these new instruments.
Collection of Biospecimens from the Inspiration4 Mission Establishes the Standards for the Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA)
Authors: Mason Christopher , Overbey Eliah , Ryon Krista , Kim JangKeun Kim , Tierney Braden , Klotz Remi , Ortiz Veronica , Mullane Sean , Schmidt Julian , MacKay Matthew , Damle Namita , Najjar Deena , Matei Irina , Patras Laura , Medina J. Sebastian Garcia , Kleinman Ashley , Hirschberg Jeremy , Proszynski Jacqueline , Narayanan Anand , Schmidt Caleb , Afshin Evan , Innes Lucinda , Saldarriaga Mateo Mejia , Schmidt Michael , Granstein Richard , Shirah Bader , Yu Min , Lyden David , Mateus Jaime
Published: May 2023

The SpaceX Inspiration4 mission provided a unique opportunity to study the impact of spaceflight on the human body. Biospecimen samples were collected from the crew at different stages of the mission, including before (L-92, L-44, L-3 days), during (FD1, FD2, FD3), and after (R + 1, R + 45, R + 82, R + 194 days) spaceflight, creating a longitudinal sample set. The collection process included samples such as venous blood, capillary dried blood spot cards, saliva, urine, stool, body swabs, capsule swabs, SpaceX Dragon capsule HEPA filter, and skin biopsies, which were processed to obtain aliquots of serum, plasma, extracellular vesicles, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. All samples were then processed in clinical and research laboratories for optimal isolation and testing of DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites, and other biomolecules. This paper describes the complete set of collected biospecimens, their processing steps, and long-term biobanking methods, which enable future molecular assays and testing. As such, this study details a robust framework for obtaining and preserving high-quality human, microbial, and environmental samples for aerospace medicine in the Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) initiative, which can also aid future experiments in human spaceflight and space biology.
Smaller stencil preconditioners for polyharmonic spline RBF-FD discretizations
Authors: Borne Sabine Le , Leinen Willi
Published: May 2023

Radial basis function finite difference (RBF-FD) discretization has recently emerged as an alternative to classical finite difference or finite element discretization of (systems) of partial differential equations. In this paper, we focus on the construction of preconditioners for the iterative solution of the resulting linear systems of equations. In RBF-FD, a higher discretization accuracy may be obtained by increasing the stencil size. This, however, leads to a less sparse and often also worse conditioned stiffness matrix which are both challenges for subsequent iterative solvers. We propose to construct preconditioners based on stiffness matrices resulting from RBF-FD discretization with smaller stencil sizes compared to the one for the actual system to be solved. In our numerical results, we focus on RBF-FD discretizations based on polyharmonic splines (PHS) with polynomial augmentation. We illustrate the performance of smaller stencil preconditioners in the solution of the three-dimensional convection-diffusion equation.
AMS subject classifications. 65D12, 65D25, 65F08, 65F10, 65F55, 65M12, 65N22
Association of Exosomes in Patients with Compromised Myocardial Perfusion on Functional Imaging
Authors: Liu Chia-Ju , Chen Jien-jiun , Wu Jo-Hsuan , Chung Yao-Te , Chen Jin-Wun , Liu Meng-Tsun , Chiu Chu-Hsuan , Chang Yi-Cheng , Chang Sheng-Nan , Lin Jou-Wei , Hwang Juey-Jen
Published: May 2023

Objectives Exosomes are membrane vesicles that are actively secreted in response to microenvironmental stimuli. In this study, we quantified the amounts of exosomes in patients with significant coronary artery disease (CAD) and evaluated its relationship with myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI).Methods Patients who underwent both MPI and coronary angiography were recruited. Plasma was collected during angiography and exosomes were extracted by the precipitation method. The perfusion scores and ventricular functional parameters were calculated from the MPI and compared with the amounts of exosomes and extracted miRNAs.Results Totally, 115 patients were enrolled (males: 78%; mean age: 66.6 ± 10.6 years old). Those with abnormal post-stress perfusion defect scores from MPI had significantly lower amounts of exosomes (p = 0.032). After multivariate analysis, abnormal post-stress perfusion remained to be significantly related to the amounts of exosomes (p = 0.035). In randomly selected forty samples, there was upregulation of miRNA-432-5p and miRNA-382-3p in those with altered post-stress perfusion.Conclusions Patients with compromised perfusion from MPI tended to get less amounts of exosomes in association with CAD related miRNAs. This is the first study to clarify the fundamental and pathophysiological causes of CAD using radiographic examinations.
Codimension-two bifurcations analysis of a discrete predator-prey model incorporating a prey refuge
Authors: Pang Ruyi , Chen Qiaoling
Published: May 2023

In this paper, a discrete predator-prey model with prey refuge is investigated. It is proved that the model undergoes codimension-2 bifurcations associated with 1:2 and 1:3 resonances. The bifurcation diagrams and phase portraits show that the model has some interesting complex dynamical behaviors, such as limit cycle, periodic solutions, chaos and codimension-1 bifurcations.
Outcome of Septal Cartilage Allograft in Rhinoplasty
Authors: Harutyunyan Armen , Hakobyan Gagik
Published: May 2023

Background:The aim of this study was to evaluation of long-term outcomes and patients satisfaction after nasal dorsal rhinoplasty with allogeneic cartilage graft of the nasal septum.Materials and methods:Study included 87 patients who underwent nasal dorsal augmentation with allogenous nasal septal cartilage graft from 2017 to 2023. Donor patients were patients who had taken excess nasal septal cartilage during functional rhinoplasty. According to the indications, crushed allogenic septal cartilage graft and PRF was also used. Aesthetic results rhinoplasty were assessed from preoperative and postoperative photographs and also by visual inspection. To assess the results of aesthetic rhinoplasty Visual analogue scale (VAS) «Utrecht Questionnaire» was used.Results:In 86 patients included in the study, there were no serious complications there was no deformation or extrusion. Allograft resorption was not observed in any of the cases. Analysis of mean aesthetic scores according to visual analogue scale (VAS) showed significant improvement after rhinoplasty from 3.6 preoperative to 8.3 (P <0.001) 3 months after surgery and 8.9 (P <0.001), respectively 1 year after surgery.Conclusions:Rhinoplasty with allogeneic cartilage graft of the nasal septum allows to achieve stable positive functional and aesthetic results and safe alternative to autologous cartilage in rhinoplasty, prevents complications, and additional surgical procedures. Rhinoplasty with allogeneic cartilage graft of the nasal septum allows to achieve stable positive functional and aesthetic results.
Compact Weighted Composition--Differentiation Operators of order n on the Hardy space
Authors: Fatehi Mahsa
Published: May 2023

The weighted composition–differentiation operator of order n is denoted by Dψ,φ,n. In this paper, we investigate some basic properties of compact weighted composition–differentiation operators of order n on the Hardy space. Moreover, we obtain the upper estimate on the norm of operator Dψ,φ,n, in the case that ∥φ∥∞ < 1.
GDF5 rs143383 and the risk of Lumbar Disc Degeneration: A Meta-analysis and Case- control study
Authors: Qi Linzeng , Chen Lu , Chang Yong , Zhu Yimin , Yang Huannning , Zhou Donglin , Wang Enjie , Wang Hongliang
Published: May 2023

Purpose:To verify the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in GDF5 and lumbar disc degeneration.
Methods: A complemnetary search was peformed and related information was collected for meta analysis. And a case-control study which involving a number of 46 patients and 45 controls.
Results: There is a significant association between GDF5 rs143383 and LDD under heterozygous models in Asian. Among SNPs in GDF5, distribution of rs224329 genotype is obviously different between VAS< 4 and VAS≥ 4 groups. And the results of linkage disequilibrium analysis show a strong relationship of rs224329 and rs143383.
Conclusions: Among SNPs in GDF5, rs143383 was significantly associated with LDD in Asian, while rs224329 was considered to be related to chronic low back pain.
Impact of a Digital and Conventional Prevention Program on Work Ability, Physical Health, and Mental Health among Professionals with Initial Impairments
Authors: Schmidt Detlef , Fritsch Julian , Feil Katharina , Weyland Susanne , Jekauc Darko
Published: May 2023

This quasi-experimental study aimed to compare the effectiveness of a digital prevention intervention on work ability, physical health, and mental health with a conventional prevention program for professionals with initial impairments. The study recruited 245 participants, of whom 173 fully participated and completed the study, 98 (65 female, 66.3%) in the intervention group and 75 (55 female, 73.3%) in the control group. Both groups received prevention programs, with the experimental group using the Caspar digital platform and the control group using the conventional BETSI/RV Fit program. There were three measurement points in the study: T0 before the intervention, T1 in the middle of the intervention, and T2 at the end of the intervention. Participants' health was assessed using the SF-12 health status questionnaire, while their work ability was measured using the short version of the Work Ability Index. Repeated-measures analyses of variance indicated that both prevention programs were effective in improving work ability and mental health, while physical health did not show any significant improvement. Additionally, the results of the study suggest that younger individuals benefited more from the digital prevention intervention, while older individuals benefited more from the conventional prevention program. The study emphasizes the need for further research and improvements in both research and practice. Future studies should include larger sample sizes, randomized controlled trials, and follow-up assessments to enhance understanding of the effectiveness and its sustainability of prevention programs.
ERK1/2 regulates Epileptic Seizures by modulating the DRP1 mediated Mitochondrial Dynamic
Authors: Chen Ting , Yang Juan , Zheng Yongsu , Zhou Xuejiao , Huang Hao , Zhang Haiqing , Xu Zucai
Published: May 2023

Objective: After seizures, the hyperactivation of Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) causes dysfunction of mitochondrial. Through the guideline of Dynamin-related protein 1（DRP1）, ERK1/2 plays a role in the pathogenesis of several illnesses, for instance cancer, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. However, it is unclear whether DRP1 function is regulated by ERK1/2 in the pathogenesis of seizures.
Method: LiCl-Pilocarpine was injected intraperitoneally to establish a status epilepticus (SE) rat for this study. Before SE induction, PD98059 and Mdivi-1 were injected intraoperatively. The number of seizures and the latency of the first seizure were then monitored. The analysis of Western blot was also used to measure the phosphorylated and total ERK1/2 and DRP1 protein expression levels in the rat hippocampus. In addition, immunohistochemistry revealed the distribution of ERK1/2 and DRP1 in hippocampal neurons CA1 and CA3.
Results: Both PD98059 and Mdivi-1 reduced rats' susceptibility to epileptic seizures, according to behavioral findings. By inhibiting ERK1/2 phosphorylation, the Western blot revealed that PD98059 indirectly reduced p-DRP1 expression level at the Ser616. Eventually, the ERK1/2 and DRP1 were distributed in the cytoplasm of neurons by immunohistochemistry.
Conclusions: p-DRP1-Ser616 expression, which may regulate the pathogenesis of epilepsy by inhibiting DRP1-mediated excessive mitochondrial fission, is downregulated when ERK1/2 signaling pathways are inhibited.
CNS resident macrophages enhance dysfunctional angiogenesis and circulating monocytes infiltration in brain arteriovenous malformation
Authors: Ma Li , Zhu Xiaonan , Tang Chaoliang , Pan Peipei , Yadav Alka , Liang Rich , Press Kelly , Su Hua
Published: May 2023

Myeloid immune cells present abundantly in both ruptured and unruptured brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVMs). The role of central nervous system (CNS) resident and circulating monocyte-derived macrophages in bAVM pathogenesis has not been fully understood. RNA sequencing using cultured cells and bAVM samples revealed that downregulation of activin-like kinase 1 (ALK1) or endoglin (two bAVM causative genes) increased pro-angiogenic, endothelial inflammation and innate immune signaling, which provided endogenous underpinnings of the active inflammation in bAVM. To further understand the role of CNS resident macrophages in bAVM development and hemorrhage, we administrated a colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitor to bAVM mice with endothelial Alk1 deletion. Transient depletion of CNS resident macrophages at early stage of bAVM development remarkably mitigated the subsequent phenotype severity of bAVM. This therapeutic effect exhibited a prolonged inhibition of angiogenesis, dysplastic vasculature formation, and infiltration of CNS resident and circulating monocyte-derived macrophages during bAVM development. Transient depletion of CNS resident macrophages also reduced the dysplasia vessels and improved the integrity of endothelial tight junctions in established bAVMs. Administration of CSF1R inhibitor also prevented severe hemorrhage of bAVMs. Thus, endothelial AVM causative gene mutation can activate CNS resident macrophages promoting bAVM progression. CNS resident macrophages could be specific targets to mitigate the development and severity of bAVMs.
Theoretical investigation of the structural evolution, electronic and magnetic properties of TMSi n − (TM= Mo, W; n = 8-17) clusters
Authors: Wang Kai , Hu Chengwei , Jia Zezhao , Yin Guangjia , Wang Runyu , Ma Lei
Published: May 2023

The structural evolution, electronic and magnetic properties of molybdenum and tungsten doped silicon clusters, TMSin− (TM = Mo, W; n = 8-17), have been investigated at density functional theory (DFT) level. The global minimum structure of each cluster has been searched globally based on a homemade genetic algorithm coupled with DFT calculations. The ground-state structure of each cluster has been confirmed by comparing the calculated photoelectron spectrum (PES) with the experimental one. Most sizes of MoSin− and WSin− clusters share the same geometric structures, and very similar electronic and magnetic properties. Small sized (n ≤ 13) clusters always adopt a pentagonal bipyramid TM@Si6 as the structural motif, while the larger sizes prefer a fullerene-type TM@Si14 structure. Compared to CrSin− clusters, the replacement of Cr atom by Mo and W atoms can increase the binding energy by about 0.2 eV and 0.3 eV, respectively. It also reveals that the total magnetic moments of these TMSin− (TM = Mo, W) clusters are all 1 μB, and have similar sources, but with different contributions from that of CrSin− clusters in most sizes.
Sound Absorption Polyimide Composite Aerogels for Ancient Architectures Protection
Authors: Zhao Xingyu , Hu Yujia , Xu Xiuqi , Li Mukun , Han Yixin , Huang Shan
Published: May 2023

Ancient architectures are an important part of immovable cultural heritage and the largest surviving amount of tangible cultural heritage in the world. However, the increasingly serious noise pollution will not only affect the sanctity of ancient architectures, but damage the internal structure caused by continuous mechanical vibration, and affect their lifetime. In this paper, diaminodiphenyl ether and pyromellitic dianhydride were used as monomers, modified by triethylamine to synthesize water-soluble polyamide acids, and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) was used as filler to prepare CaCO3/polyimide (CaCO3/PI) composite aerogels by homogeneous mixing, freeze-drying and thermal imidization. CaCO3 can effectively adjust the pore wall roughness of CaCO3/PI composite aerogels, so as to improve their sound absorption performance. When the amount of CaCO3 is 4 wt%, CaCO3/PI composite aerogels exhibit optimal sound absorption performance, excellent mechanical properties, thermal insulation and heat resistance. The corresponding noise reduction coefficient is 0.327 and the average sound absorption coefficient is 0.903 in the frequency range of 2000 ~ 6300 Hz. Young’s modulus is 4.03 kPa, stress loss and plastic deformation after 100 compression cycles with a maximum strain of 50% are 3.27% and 2.17%, respectively. The energy loss coefficient is 0.248, thermal conductivity is 0.038 W/(m·K), and heat resistance index is 334.1oC. The CaCO3/PI composite aerogels show momentous application prospects in the field of ancient architectures protection.
Impact of the degree of starch gelatinization on the texture, soaking, and cooking characteristics of high amylose rice: An experimental and numerical study
Authors: Kumari Ankanksha , Roy Anupam
Published: May 2023

Paddy was soaked for 8 hours at 25 ± 5 ˚C and open parboiled for varying time interval (5–60 min). Parboiled paddy was milled and studied to check the changes in hardness, color, amylose content, soaking and cooking properties. An empirical model to predict the change in hardness, color, amylose content, and cooking properties at various DG value of rice was established. Moreover, change in moisture gain, hardness, and cooking time during soaking of different DG’s rice have also been empirically correlated and modeled. The change in hardness, amylose content, cooking properties, and whiteness index followed the polynomial and power law equation with coefficient of determination (R2) greater than 0.90 and root mean square error (RMSE) less than 1. The moisture gain during soaking of milled rice with varying DG follows Weibull and Peleg model. The soaking of rice before cooking helps in reducing the cooking time which followed the 1st order kinetics with its DG. This study may be the first holistic work on the effect of rice’s DG on its soaking behavior, hardness, and cooking properties bearing significant impact in consumer preferences.
Intersectionality in cancer network: Strategies to the identification of therapeutic targets
Authors: Fadhal Emad
Published: May 2023

Background: Cancer is a disease that results from genetic changes disrupting normal cellular processes and as different types of cancer exhibit distinct molecular features and clinical behaviors, they also share common pathways and mechanisms. The concept of intersectionality in cancer biology refers to the overlapping sets of genes, signaling pathways, and regulatory networks that are perturbed in multiple cancer types. Understanding these intersectional networks could lead to identifying novel therapeutic targets and strategies that can be applied across different cancer types.
Results: In this study, proteins common in different types of cancers were identified to construct an intersection cancer network. The central zones within the intersection cancer network exhibit uniquely-enriched pathways, suggesting that these central zones play a crucial role in coordinating and regulating essential cellular processes across different cancer types. Additionally, pathway enrichment analysis was performed to identify common biological functions and pathways, and central zones were found to be enriched for essential proteins that regulate crucial cellular processes, including cell cycle, mRNA processing, apoptosis, and mitotic phases.
Conclusion: By understanding these intersectional networks, novel therapeutic targets and strategies can be developed that can be applied across different cancer types. Our study highlights the importance of central zones as coordinators of essential cellular processes across multiple cancers.
Epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and associated cost of acute poisoning: a retrospective study from the emergency department of the largest referral hospital in Qatar
Authors: Salem Waleed , Abdulrouf Pallivalappila , Thomas Binny , Elkassem Wessam , Abushanab Dina , Rahman Haseebur , Hanssens Yolande , Singh Rajvir , Zaki Hani , Azad Aftab Mohammed , Hail Moza Al
Published: May 2023

IntroductionPoisoning is a major public health issue and a leading cause of admission to the emergency department (ED) worldwide. There is paucity of data describing epidemiology, outcomes, and cost of acute poisoning. Up-to-date information about poisoning pattern is imperative for accurate diagnosis and effective management. This study therefore investigates the epidemiology, poison pattern and associated cost of acute poisoning in Qatar.MethodA retrospective review of electronic health records of 397 patients admitted due to poisoning at the ED from January 2015 - December 2019. Demographic characteristics, incidence, clinical characteristics, cause of exposure, outcomes, and cost associated with acute poisoning were included. Frequency and percentages were calculated for categorical variable and mean and SD for continuous variables, relation between sociodemographic characters and poisoning profile was assessed using Chi-square. P-value less than 0.5 was considered statistically significant. A micro-costing approach using the cost of each resource was applied for the cost calculations.ResultThe incidence of acute poisoning was found to be 178 patients per 100,000 patients. Females (56%), and children below 14 years (44.3%) accounted for the largest proportion. The majority of the exposures were accidental and therapeutic agents (64.2%) were the most common toxic agents. The mean length of stay in the hospital was found to be 1.84 ± 0.81 and most patients (76.6) were discharged within the first 8 hours of the ED admission. A statistically significant difference was found between age groups and type of toxins (χ2 = 23.3, p < 0.001), cause and route of exposure (χ2 = 42.2, p < 0.001) and length of stay (χ2 = 113.16, p < 0.001). Admission to intensive care units had the highest cost expenditure (USD 326,008) while general wards accounted for the least (USD 57,709).ConclusionThe study demonstrates unintentional poisoning due to pharmacological agents was common among infants and children. The findings of this study will assist in the development of educational and preventative programs to minimise the exposure to toxic agents. Further studies exploring the impact of medical toxicology services, potential risk factors and post discharge monitoring of poisoning are highly warranted.
Carboxyhaemoglobin level in neonatal sepsis: A point of care test at paediatric emergency department
Authors: Al-Hinai Abdulhamid , Yazidi Laila Al , Jaju Sanjay , Sidairi Nasser Al , Al-Habsi Khalil , Lawati Mohammed Al , Alobeidani Saeed
Published: May 2023

Carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) which represents the fraction of carbon monoxide binding to haemoglobin become available as a point-of-care test at the emergency department. Sepsis and other inflammatory process are well-known inducers of heme oxygenase enzymes that cause heme catabolism which results in endogenous carbon monoxide production. Studies have shown that measuring carboxyhaemoglobin level could be of use in early detection of neonatal sepsis.
Purpose: This study aims to assesses the rule of COHb as a biomarker for neonatal sepsis in the paediatric emergency department.
Methods: This is a retrospective case-control study that looks at the COHb values in neonates presented with febrile illness at paediatric emergency. The neonates were then categorised into culture proven bacterial infections vs culture negative bacterial infections. Different variables were then studied between the two groups.
Result: COHb levels were significantly raised at the initial presentation of neonatal sepsis regardless of gender, birth weight, or gestational age. In addition, the COHb value of ≥ 2.05 was highly specific (97.5%) for invasive bacterial infection. Moreover, the mean length of stay regardless of the final diagnosis was significantly higher in the neonate with COHb level ≥2.0 which adds a prognostic value.
Conclusion: COHb might be a useful biochemical marker for risk stratification of neonatal sepsis. Further study is needed for better delineation of its clinical utilities.
Novel Cytotoxicity Study of Strontium (Sr) Doped Iron Oxide (Fe3O4) Nanoparticles Aided with Ibuprofen for Drug Delivery Applications
Authors: Din Imad Ud , Khan Irum Shahid , Gul Iftikhar Hussain , Hussain Zakir , Miran Waheed , Javaid Farhan , Liaqat Usman
Published: May 2023

Purpose This work aimed to study the drug delivery applications of iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles with strontium (Sr) doping with varying molar ratios prepared by the co-precipitation route. The impact of increased strontium content on the particle size and magnetic properties was investigated. The impending of these nanoparticles for drug loading, drug release, and their respective cytotoxicity was also inspected.Methods First, iron oxide nanoparticles were doped with various amounts of strontium, from 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75, to 1 mole using co-precipitation method. These synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX, VSM, and FTIR for evaluating crystal structure, phase purity, morphology, composition, magnetic properties, and functional groups, respectively. Drug loading and drug release properties were determined using UV-vis spectroscopy, whereas MTT assay evaluated cytotoxicity.Results The findings confirmed the successful doping of iron oxide with strontium via XRD and EDX. SEM results confirmed spherical morphology for all and needle-like structure for 1 mole strontium doped sample. For VSM results, a single domain structure was established. It was also observed that the drug encapsulation efficiency increases with increased strontium content. Cytotoxicity results by MTT assay revealed increased cytotoxicity with increasing nanoparticle concentration, and ibuprofen-loaded nanoparticles showed higher cytotoxicity than un-loaded nanoparticles at the same concentration.Conclusion This study provided predominantly comparison of the cytotoxicity of ibuprofen-loaded and non-loaded nanoparticles on Hep-2 cancer cells at similar concentrations for the first time for both Fe3O4 particles and Sr-doped Fe3O4 nanoparticles and enclosed the impact of increasing Sr doping content on Fe3O4 nanoparticles.
Impact of steaming and roasting heat-treatment on physico-chemical, functional and digestibility of walnut kernel
Authors: Zhao Xiaoyan , Ren Xiangrui , Liu Hongkai , Zhang Xiaowei , Wang Meng , Hu Haifang
Published: May 2023

In order to develop the application of walnut kernel, the effect of steaming and roasting treatment on the amino acid composition, digestibility, conformation, physicochemical rheology and functional properties of walnut kernel at 95 ºC for different time (15, 20 and 30 min) was investigated, and compared to those of untreated sample. Scanning electron microscopy suggested that heating treatment had a notable effect on the microstructure of walnut kernel, especially the steam heating. Both treatments significantly increased the enthalpy, vitro protein digestibility, viscosity, G′ and G″ (p < 0.05), the order from high to low was steaming > roasting > untreated. All samples contained the amounts of essential amino acids, the amino acid score (AAS) of samples by steaming was the highest compared to that of the untreated and roasting, and the only limiting amino acid of walnut kernel before or after heat treatment was lysine. In addition, the protein of walnut kernel after heating treatment with the extension of time contained more α-helix and random coil structures compared to the untreated sample, while β-sheet and β-turns structures decreased. Moreover, the thermal treatment could cause the changes of the water/oil holding capacity, foaming and emulsifying properties of walnut kernel flour. When there were differences between the results of steaming and roasting samples, it was concluded that the water played an important role in steaming. These results suggested that the thermal treatment as an effective approach could improve the physico-chemical, structural and functional properties of walnut kernel and be potentially applied in the food processing.
Factors associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes of maternal syphilis in Henan, China, 2016-2022
Authors: Zhang Meng , Qu Huimin , Xu Feng , Xia Junfen , Hui Xiaoqing , Zhang Hongyan , Shi Cannan , He Junjian , Cao Yuan , Hu Mengcai
Published: May 2023

Background: Maternal syphilis not only seriously affects the quality of life of pregnant women themselves, but also may cause various adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). This study aimed to analysis the association between the related factors of maternal syphilis and APOs.
Methods: Pregnant women infected with syphilis in Henan Province from January 2016 to December 2022 were selected as the study participants. Data collection was conducted through the Preventing Mother-to-child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B Management Information System. Information on their demographic characteristics, treatment status, and pregnancy outcomes were collected. Multivariate Logistic regression models were used to analyze the factors associated with adverse outcomes among the study participants.
Results: The average age of the 7030 study participants included was 28.55 years old, and the incidence of APOs was 12.20%. For pregnant women infected with syphilis, the multivariate logistic regression results showed that the syphilis infected history (OR=1.378, 95% CI, 1.185-1.601) and the occurrence of abnormality during pregnancy (OR=4.993, 95% CI, 4.154-5.859) were risk factors. For the syphilis positive pregnant women receiving treatment, we found the syphilis infected history (OR=1.378, 95% CI, 1.185-1.601), the occurrence of abnormality during pregnancy (OR=4.993, 95% CI, 4.154-5.859), and not receiving standard treatment (OR=1.343, 95% CI, 1.133-1.592) to be risk factors.
Conclusions: Standard syphilis treatment is of great significance in reducing the incidence of APOs for pregnant women infected with syphilis.
Preparation and improvement of physicochemical and functional properties of dietary fiber from corn cob fermented by Aspergillus Niger
Authors: Zhou Yadi , Sun Qijie , Teng Chao , Zhou Mingchun , Fan Guangsen , Qu Penghui
Published: May 2023

Corn cobs were fermented with Aspergillus niger to produce the high-quality soluble dietary fiber (SDF) with excellent food safety. In this work, the fermentation process was optimized by single-factor test and response surface methodology (RSM) to determine the fermentation conditions (material-liquid ratio 1:30, inoculum concentration 11%, temperature 32 ℃, time 6 d, shaking speed 200 r/min), the SDF yield of corn cob increased from 2.34–11.92% and SDF/TDF reached 19.08%, achieving the requirements of high-quality dietary fiber (SDF/TDF was more than 10%). SEM and FTIR analysis revealed that the fermentation effectively degraded part of cellulose and hemicellulose, resulting in the formation of a loose and porous structure. After fermentation the water swelling capacity, water-holding capacity, and oil-holding capacity of the corn cob SDF were obviously improved and the adsorption capacity of glucose, cholesterol, and nitrite ions all increased by more than 20%. Moreover, the total phenolic content increased by 20.96%, which correlated with the higher antioxidant activity of SDF. Overall, the fermentation of corn cobs by Aspergillus niger improved the yield and functional properties of its DF.
Morin improves LPS-induced acute lung injury by inhibiting pyroptosis and inflammatory response of macrophages
Authors: Yu Jing , Nie Zi-Yuan , Feng Dan-Dan , Zhang Long , Bai Yang , Zhang Hong , zhao Jing , Pan Wen-Sen
Published: May 2023

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a severe form of respiratory failure characterized by altered lung mechanics and refractory hypoxemia. Globally, the condition presents a serious threat to human health. Morin is a potential active monomer that has beneficial therapeutic effects in ALI; however, its mechanism of action remains unclear. Herein, we found significant elevation of inflammation and pyroptosis in the lung tissue of mice with lipopolysaccharide-induced ALI. Additionally, morin blocked the activation of the TLR4/TRAF6/NF-κB pathway and synergically inhibited the entry of p65 into the nucleus by downregulating the expression of Kruppel-like factor 5. Morin also inhibited caspase-1 activation and protected the GSDMD protein from cleavage. These findings are evidence that morin alleviates ALI by blocking the NF-κB pathway, reducing inflammation, and inhibiting macrophage pyroptosis.
Attributed Network Embedding Model for Exposing COVID-19 Spread Trajectory Archetypes
Authors: Ma Junwei , Li Bo , Li Qingchun , Fan Chao , Mostafavi Ali
Published: May 2023

The spread of COVID-19 revealed that transmission risk patterns are not homogenous across different cities and communities, and various heterogeneous features can influence the spread trajectories. Hence, for predictive pandemic monitoring, it is essential to explore latent heterogeneous features in cities and communities that distinguish their specific pandemic spread trajectories. To this end, this study creates a network embedding model capturing cross-county visitation networks, as well as heterogeneous features related to population activities, human mobility, socio-demographic features, disease attribute, and social interaction to uncover clusters of counties in the United States based on their pandemic spread transmission trajectories. We collected and computed location intelligence features from 2,787 counties from March 3 to June 29, 2020 (initial wave). Second, we constructed a human visitation network, which incorporated county features as node attributes, and visits between counties as network edges. Our attributed network embeddings approach integrates both typological characteristics of the cross-county visitation network, as well as heterogeneous features. We conducted clustering analysis on the attributed network embeddings to reveal four archetypes of spread risk trajectories corresponding to four clusters of counties. Subsequently, we identified four features—population density, GDP, minority status, and POI visits—as important features underlying the distinctive transmission risk patterns among the archetypes. The attributed network embedding approach and the findings identify and explain the non-homogenous pandemic risk trajectories across counties for predictive pandemic monitoring. The study also contributes to data-driven and deep learning-based approaches for pandemic analytics to complement the standard epidemiological models for policy analysis in pandemics.