bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A step by step protocol for stabilizing specific DNA G-quadruplexes by CRISPR guided G-quadruplex binding proteins and ligands
Authors: qin Geng , Liu Zhenqi , Yang Jie , Liao Xiaofeng , Zhao Chuanqi , Ren Jinsong , Qu Xiaogang
Published: May 2024

Despite the importance of DNA G-quadruplexes (G4s) in health and disease being demonstrated, technologies to readily manipulate specific G4 folding for functional analysis and therapeutic purposes are lacking. Here, we employ the G4-stabilizing protein/ligand in conjunction with CRISPR system to selectively facilitate single or multiple targeted G4 folding within specific genomic loci. We demonstrate that fusion of nucleolin with a catalytically inactive Cas9 (dCas9) can specifically stabilize G4s in the promoter of oncogene MYC and muscle associated gene Itga7 as well as telomere G4s, leading to cell proliferation arrest, inhibition of myoblast differentiation and cell senescence, respectively. Furthermore, CRISPR system can confer intra-G4 selectivity to G4-binding compounds PDC and PDS. Compared with traditional G4 ligands, CRISPR-guided Bio-PDC enables a more precise investigation into the biological functionality of de novo G4s. Our study provides insights that will enhance understanding of G4 functions and therapeutic interventions.
Primate V2 Receptive Fields Derived from Anatomically Identified Large-Scale V1 Inputs
Authors: Angelucci Alessandra , Hassanpour Mahlega , Merlin Sam , Federer Frederick , Zaidi Qasim
Published: May 2024

In the primate visual system, visual object recognition involves a series of cortical areas arranged hierarchically along the ventral visual pathway. As information flows through this hierarchy, neurons become progressively tuned to more complex image features. The circuit mechanisms and computations underlying the increasing complexity of these receptive fields (RFs) remain unidentified. To understand how this complexity emerges in the secondary visual area (V2), we investigated the functional organization of inputs from the primary visual cortex (V1) to V2 by combining retrograde anatomical tracing of these inputs with functional imaging of feature maps in macaque monkey V1 and V2. We found that V1 neurons sending inputs to single V2 orientation columns have a broad range of preferred orientations, but are strongly biased towards the orientation represented at the injected V2 site. For each V2 site, we then constructed a feedforward model based on the linear combination of its anatomically- identified large-scale V1 inputs, and studied the response proprieties of the generated V2 RFs. We found that V2 RFs derived from the linear feedforward model were either elongated versions of V1 filters or had spatially complex structures. These modeled RFs predicted V2 neuron responses to oriented grating stimuli with high accuracy. Remarkably, this simple model also explained the greater selectivity to naturalistic textures of V2 cells compared to their V1 input cells. Our results demonstrate that simple linear combinations of feedforward inputs can account for the orientation selectivity and texture sensitivity of V2 RFs.
Carotid Body Tumor (CBT): Incidental Discovery and Individualized Management
Authors: Senapati Sidhartha Gautam , Kattamuri Lakshmi Prasanna Vaishnavi , Deoker Abhizith
Published: May 2024

Carotid Body Tumors (CBT) are uncommon neuroendocrine neoplasms that develop near the carotid bifurcation. Most cases are asymptomatic and discovered incidentally. Diagnosis is based on imaging, with computed tomography being the preferred initial investigation. Surgical excision is the preferred treatment, with preoperative embolization and angiography aiding in the planning process. In cases where surgery is not feasible, radiotherapy may be considered. Here we present a 75-year-old female with recurrent vomiting, severe headache, and newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation. Workup incidentally detected carotid body paraganglioma. The patient's treatment included metoprolol for heart rate and blood pressure control and radiotherapy for CBT due to age and comorbidities. The discussion delves into the characteristics of paragangliomas, their chemoreceptor role, prevalence, and genetic factors. The case report emphasizes the importance of early detection and individualized approaches in managing CBTs, considering patient profiles and medical conditions.
A gene cluster of mitochondrial complexes contributes to the cognitive decline of COVID-19 infection
Authors: xu Wen-tao , An Xiao-bin , Ma Jing , Wang Xu-qiao , Yang Ji-nan , Wang Qin , Wang Dong-yang , Wu Yan , Zeng Lu , Qu Yang , Zhao Bo-wen , Ai Jing
Published: May 2024

"Brain fog," a persistent cognitive impairment syndrome, stands out as a significant neurological aftermath of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Yet, the underlying mechanisms by which COVID-19 induces cognitive deficits remain elusive. In our study, we observed an upregulation in the expression of genes linked to the inflammatory response and oxidative stress, whereas genes associated with cognitive function were downregulated in the brains of patients infected with COVID-19. Through single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) analysis, we found that COVID-19 infection triggers the immune responses in microglia and astrocytes. This activation, in turn, exacerbates oxidative stress in oligodendrocytes, oligodendrocyte progenitors (OPCs), and neurons. Further investigations revealed that COVID-19 infection elevates LUC7L2 expression, which inhibits mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and suppresses the expression of mitochondrial complex genes such as MT-ND1, MT-ND2, MT-ND3, MT-ND4L, MT-CYB, MT-CO3, and MT-ATP6. A holistic approach to protect mitochondrial complex function, rather than targeting a single molecular should be an effective therapeutic strategy to prevent and treat the long-term consequences of "long COVID."
Joint multi-omics discriminant analysis with consistent representation learning using PANDA
Authors: Wu Jia , Aminu Muhammad , Hong Lingzhi , Vokes Natalie , Schmidt Stephanie , Saad Maliazurina B. , Zhu Bo , Li Xiuning , Cascone Tina , Sheshadri Ajay , Jaffray David , Futreal Andrew , Lee Jack , Byers Lauren , Gibbons Don , Heymach John , Chen Ken , Cheng Chao , Zhang Jianjun , Wang Bo
Published: May 2024

Integrative multi-omics analysis provides deeper insight and enables better and more realistic modeling of the underlying biology and causes of diseases than does single omics analysis. Although several integrative multi-omics analysis methods have been proposed and demonstrated promising results in integrating distinct omics datasets, inconsistent distribution of the different omics data, which is caused by technology variations, poses a challenge for paired integrative multi-omics methods. In addition, the existing discriminant analysis–based integrative methods do not effectively exploit correlation and consistent discriminant structures, necessitating a compromise between correlation and discrimination in using these methods. Herein we present PAN-omics Discriminant Analysis (PANDA), a joint discriminant analysis method that seeks omics-specific discriminant common spaces by jointly learning consistent discriminant latent representations for each omics. PANDA jointly maximizes between-class and minimizes within-class omics variations in a common space and simultaneously models the relationships among omics at the consistency representation and cross-omics correlation levels, overcoming the need for compromise between discrimination and correlation as with the existing integrative multi-omics methods. Because of the consistency representation learning incorporated into the objective function of PANDA, this method seeks a common discriminant space to minimize the differences in distributions among omics, can lead to a more robust latent representations than other methods, and is against the inconsistency of the different omics. We compared PANDA to 10 other state-of-the-art multi-omics data integration methods using both simulated and real-world multi-omics datasets and found that PANDA consistently outperformed them while providing meaningful discriminant latent representations. PANDA is implemented using both R and MATLAB, with codes available at https://github.com/WuLabMDA/PANDA.
Effect of antenatal care on birth outcomes in The Gambia: a propensity score matching analysis
Authors: Kumar Santosh , Suso Alasana , Wood Elizabeth
Published: May 2024

Background
The prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) is disproportionately high in developing countries, particularly in African countries. LBW infants have a greater risk of mortality and suffer from physical and cognitive impairment. Adequate antenatal care (ANC) can improve birth outcomes and mitigate the risk of LBW; however, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of ANC on birth outcomes in resource-poor settings. The objective of this study was to estimate the causal association between ANC and birth outcomes in the Gambia.
Methods
The 2019-20 Gambian Demographic and Health Survey (GHDS) was used for the analysis. The GHDS collected birth weight information for 8,362 children born in the five years preceding the survey. After excluding observations with missing birth weight information, the final analytical sample included 4,443 children. A multivariate regression model and propensity score matching method were used to assess the associations between ANC and birth outcomes. The regression models were adjusted for sex and birth order of the child, maternal age and education, wealth quintiles, marital status, rural area, number of children under five years of age, and region fixed effects.
Results
Multivariate regression analysis revealed that one additional ANC visit increased birthweight by 22 grams and the probability of LBW by 1.2 percentage points. Mothers who had four or more ANC visits (ANC 4+) had a 3.9 percentage point lower likelihood of giving birth to LBW infants than mothers with fewer than four ANC visits. The matching analysis revealed that the average treatment effect of ANC 4 + was a 71-gram increase in birth weight and a 4.7 percentage point reduction in LBW.
Conclusions
Having more ANC visits is associated with improved birth outcomes in Gambia after controlling for the socioeconomic status of the households. Thus, it is important to design health policies that can ensure that women have adequate ANC visits during pregnancy to reduce the disproportionate burden of LBW in countries with limited resources.
Assessment of oral changes in 2692 intensive care unit patients: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Silva Weslay Rodrigues da , Sobral Ana Paula Veras , de Oliveira Hugo Angelo Gomes , Briano Aylanne Xavier de Lacerda Cavalcante Timoteo , Albuquerque Antonio Carlos Moura Melo , Gominho Luciana Ferraz , Cavalcanti Lúcia de Fátima Santos , Cavalcanti Ully Dias Nascimento Távora , Romeiro Kaline
Published: May 2024

Objectives
To identify oral changes in patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU).
Materials and Methods
Retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive study. The following data were collected at a high-complexity referral center in northeastern Brazil between 2021 and 2024: sex, age, cause of hospitalization, ventilatory support, dental condition, and type of oral changes.
Results
A total of 2,692 patients admitted to the ICU were evaluated; 52.1% of the patients were male and the mean age was 69.98 years (± 19.53). Oral changes were detected in 56.98% of the patients and odontogenic infections were the most prevalent (41.49%). The presence of oral changes was significantly associated with male sex (p < 0.001), age between the 6th and 7th decade of life (p < 0.001), ventilatory support (p = 0.037), being partially dentate (p < 0.001), and the number of teeth (p < 0.001).
Conclusion
The prevalence of oral changes was high in the sample and male patients had a higher risk of developing these changes.
Clinical Relevance:
The results permit to characterize the incidence of oral changes in this patient profile, reinforcing the importance of the dentist as a member of multidisciplinary care teams.
Navigating the Maze of Attention: Exploring Interactions Among Stimulus, Individual Characteristics, and Context in Threat Perception
Authors: Moscona Gal , Gozansky Einav , Abado Elinor , Okon-Singer Hadas
Published: May 2024

An ongoing debate exists in the literature regarding the reliability of attention bias to threats. The current study directly examined how the interaction between available attention resources, personality traits, and stimuli visual characteristics moderates attention bias to task-irrelevant threatening stimuli. To this end, the current study conducted a comprehensive series of four experiments in which an emotional modification of the perceptual load task was employed. Participants with high and low fear of spiders, as well as participants diagnosed with arachnophobia, performed the task under high and low perceptual loads while ignoring task-irrelevant distracting spiders. As expected, all participants, regardless of fear level, were affected to some extent by the threatening distracting spider pictures, known to evoke threat due to their evolutionary value. However, the results show that high fear and phobia groups exhibit consistent attention bias to threats, depending on the threat’s ecological value. The low fear groups, on the other hand, showed a similar but weaker attention bias to threat, only when attentional resources were available.These results deomstratethe variance in individuals’ capacity to inhibit distracting threats and focus on current goals.
Adsorptive Desulfurization of Liquid Fuels Over cost effective Cu-Ni Bimetallic Nanoparticles-Modified Alum Sludge
Authors: Musa Aminu , Dara Ibrahim Ahmad , Salisu Ahmed , Muhammad Abubakar
Published: May 2024

The elimination of sulfur from liquid fuels in the refining process to a particular range to adhere to the Standard Operation of Nigeria (SON) maximum level of 50 ppm is an important process. To address the limitation of hydro-desulfurization, several techniques have been used including adsorptive desulfurization. Adsorptive desulfurization has been used because of its efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the materials. In this study, Alum Sludge was modified to prepare alum sludge coupled with copper AS/Cu, alum sludge coupled with nickel AS/Ni, and alum sludge coupled with copper-nickel nanoparticles AS/Cu-Ni NPs. A comparative study was performed for the sulfur removal from liquid fuels diesel and kerosene by the Alum sludge coupled with metallic nanoparticles. The produced AS, AS/Cu, AS/Ni, and AS/Cu-Ni NPs were evaluated by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF). According to the BET results, AS/Cu had a surface area that was relatively higher at 557.9 (m2/g), while AS/Ni had a surface area that was lower at 127 (m2/g). The percentage rise of Cu metallic NPs from (0.00725% - 1.69%) and Ni metallic NPs from 0.0085% Ni to 0.0595% Ni was shown by the XRF data. Researchers looked into the effects of adsorbent dose, loaded metal nanoparticles, and adsorption process isotherms. The percentage removal of sulfur increases reaching ≈100%. In comparison to the alum sludge combined with copper/nickel (AS/Cu-Ni) and the alum sludge combined with nickel (AS/Ni) NPs from both liquid fuels, the AS/Cu-Ni yields a higher percentage of sulfur removal. The experimental adsorption results for kerosene and diesel, which had higher correlation values, were better adapted to the Langmuir model than to the Freundlich and Temkin model, according to the data. It was discovered that the adsorption processes were exothermic, advantageous, and spontaneous.
Living donor liver transplantation for the treatment of recurrent pediatric acute liver failure with neuroblastoma amplified sequence gene mutation: a literature review
Authors: Zheng Zebing , Liu Yuanmei , Xia Xinrong , Tang Chengyan , Gong Yuan , Huang Lu , Du Qing , Zhu Daiwei , Zhou Wangkan , Jin Zhu
Published: May 2024

Background: Biallelic mutations in the neuroblastoma amplified sequence (NBAS) gene can cause recurrent acute liver failure (RALF) and multi-systemic disease.
Case presentation: Herein, we report a 3-year-old Chinese boy with RALF due to a novel heterozygote mutation c.3596G> A(p.C1199Y)/c.1028G> A(p.S343N) in the NBAS gene, which was identified by whole-exome sequencing. The missense mutation c.3596G> A(p.C1199Y) was inherited from his father, and c.1028G> A(p.S343N) was inherited from his mother. He had suffered six acute liver crises triggered by fever. He eventually underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) at 44 months, with his father donating the left lateral lobe liver, and is now healthy with no recurrence of ALF.
Conclusion: We describe a novel pathogenic mutation in the NBAS gene of a patient with RALF and report that LDLT is a safe and efficient treatment for RALF caused by the NBAS gene mutation.
Deep Symbolic Regression for Numerical Formulation of Fundamental Period in Concentrically Steel-Braced RC Frames
Authors: Rahman Taimur , Sultana Shamima , Ahmed Tanjir , Momin Md. Farhad , Provasha Afra Anam
Published: May 2024

This research explores the use of Deep Symbolic Regression (DSR) to develop a sophisticated predictive model for the fundamental period of vibration in concentrically steel-braced reinforced concrete (RC) frames. Traditional empirical models often overlook complex interactions within structural dynamics during seismic events, a gap this study addresses by deriving tailored equations for various bracing configurations such as Cross bracing, Diagonal bracing, and Chevron bracing. The model development incorporates an iterative refinement process utilizing DSR techniques to enhance accuracy and applicability in predicting seismic responses. Further refinement and optimization are achieved using the L-BFGS-B algorithm, ensuring robustness and adherence to safety standards. Validation against actual structural data reveals that our proposed equations achieve high predictive accuracy, with R-squared values up to 0.8247 and RMSE values as low as 0.2119, consistently presenting lower error metrics across various configurations compared to those found in established seismic design standards, such as ASCE, Eurocode, and Japan’s Building Standards. Comparative analyses and Bland-Altman plots confirm that the models not only match but often surpass the accuracy of traditional formulas, validating their potential as reliable tools in structural engineering for earthquake resilience planning. The findings demonstrate DSR’s potential to revolutionize traditional practices in formulating empirical equations, offering a scientifically rigorous, data-driven methodology for more accurately predicting the dynamic responses of structures under seismic loads.
Text2Price: Adeep Learning Model for Predicting Electronic Product Prices from Descriptive Text Sequences
Authors: Al-Majmar Nashwan , Alsubari Akram , Marhabi waheeb Al
Published: May 2024

This study investigates deep learning models for predicting electronic product prices through text sequence (Text2Price). The study examined the performance of these models in terms of price prediction, the factors influencing predictions, the model's comprehension of numerical and expressive text, and the efficacy of the developed price prediction model. The primary aim is to create a model skilled at forecasting product prices using textual sequences containing product names, brands, and features. Methodologically, the research employs the T5-BESD model, a transformer-based architecture trained on a dataset of 22,000 electronic products from the Amazon. Data preprocessing involves cleaning and integrating features to create text sequence. In the model definition phase, a custom neural network architecture, T5Regressor, predicts product prices from textual descriptions. This architecture comprises a transformer-based language model (T5) and a linear regression layer. The T5 model comprehends and encodes the input text, while the linear regression layer predicts the numerical output (price). The linear regression layer involves a transformation with a weight matrix W and bias vector b. Additionally, the L1 loss, used for training, measures the absolute difference between the predicted and true values. In the initialization and setup phase, critical components, including the optimizer (Adam_W), learning rate scheduler, and loss function, are initialized. The learning rate scheduler dynamically adjusts the learning rate during training, incorporating a warm-up phase. The results demonstrate a consistent improvement in accuracy from 38.48–54.86% over five epochs, with the test accuracy reaching 52.38%. The mean squared error decreases from 45057.29 to 19783.88, indicating enhanced prediction accuracy, and the mean absolute error drops from 66.87 to 47.34, reflecting reduced disparities between the predicted and actual values. The research concludes by providing insights into the effectiveness of the T5-BESD model's effectiveness, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive data and suggesting avenues for improvement.
Algorithm for signal processing in the phase radio finders with two linear aerials located at an angle to each other
Authors:   Joint Stock Company «NIIAP», Novosibirsk, Porubov Gennady G. , Denisov Vadim P. ,   Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR)
Published: May 2024

The article suggests an algorithm of processing the signals in two-coordinated phase radio finders. The aerial systems of this finders consist of two linear aerials with any number of phasemetric bases in each. The correlations for calculating the probability of ambiguity resolution of phase measurements and the standard error of the calculation results are obtained and checked by modeling the finder operation on computers. The use of the mentioned above algorithm simplifies the signal processing in comparison with the known ones.
Organization of an educational computer experiment in multi-level modeling system MARS
Authors:   Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR), Zaichenko Tatyana N. , Dmitriev Vjacheslav M. ,   Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR), Gandzha Taras V. ,   Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR)
Published: May 2024

The methodology for organizing an educational computer experiment in MARS multi-level modeling system is considered using the example of a circuit from the field of electronics. An algorithm for the teacher's actions when creating computer laboratory work is presented.
Computational diagnostics of cracks and delaminations using a tomographic approach and a sample of the object under study as a reference
Authors:   Novosibirsk State Technical University, Peshkov Alexander V.
Published: May 2024

The development of an approach to solve problems of industrial flaw detection, using information about the standard state of the object under study, is considered. The proposed tomographic reconstruction algorithm is based on the use of a priori information about the reference sample. In the case of industrial tomography, we are dealing with a standard product which entire structure is known in advance; therefore, it is advisable to use this data as a priori information when solving the inverse problem of tomographic reconstruction. The results of numerical experiments for a simplified model of the product are presented. The proposed algorithm demonstrates its efficiency in situations where the classical algorithm can no longer cope. Conclusions are drawn about the prospects of using this approach in diagnosing defects such as delaminations and cracks in industrial products.
Children Citizenship Status of Acehnese-Rohingya Mixed Marriage in Aceh: Maqāṣid Sharī’ah Perspective
Authors: Husna Nurul , Asy Ari M Khoirul Hadi al , Suryani Sitti , Anizar Anizar , Juliandi Budi
Published: May 2024

Citizenship status is important in mixed-country marriages. This research explores the important issue of citizenship in mixed marriages between Rohingya refugees and local Acehnese. The research aims to examine whether the citizenship status of the children of such marriages is based on the doctrine of revival or habitual residence. Using a literature review method with a descriptive qualitative approach, this research investigates the concepts and legal implications surrounding citizenship status in such marriages. The findings of this study reveal that the citizenship status of children born from Acehnese-Rohingya marriages follows habitual residence, even though their Rohingya parents adhere to the doctrine of revival The legal status of these children is subject to the Indonesian marriage law system. This is in line with Jasser Auda’s concept of maqāṣid sharī’ah because it prioritizes aspects of the benefit of these children. This research provides important insights into the issue of citizenship In Acehnese-Rohingya marriages and offers valuable meaning for understanding the dynamics of citizenship in these marriages.
Post-Divorce Rights of Women and Children in Pekalongan City, Central Java: Challenges in Islamic Law Analysis
Authors: Syukrawati Syukrawati , Sidqi Imaro , Nisa Siti Maymanatun , Zufriani Zufriani , Witro Doli
Published: May 2024

The rights of women and children after divorce are often neglected. The article examines the reality of children's and women's rights in Pekalongan City, Central Java, Indonesia, focusing on the causes of non-fulfillment and the legal consequences. Data from 10 court decisions from the Pekalongan City Religious Court revealed a gap between post-court decision reality and the fulfillment of these rights. The research found that the non-fulfillment of children's and women's rights after divorce in Pekalongan is due to a lack of public knowledge about post-divorce execution procedures and related rights. The difficulty of spouses in ensuring the fulfillment of these rights is also reflected in the lack of application of Islamic legal knowledge on the obligation to provide maintenance by husbands. The legal consequences are devastating, emphasizing the need for improvements in the legal system, increased public knowledge, and the application of Islamic legal principles.
Mendorong Akuntabilitas Birokrasi, Membuka Ruang Politik: Pelibatan Warga Melalui Layanan Pengaduan dalam Tata Kelola Perkotaan
Authors: Rohman Noor , Nurhayati Aniek , Prakasita Ajeng Widya
Published: May 2024

Dalam dua dekade terakhir, kajian tentang pelibatan publik mengalami perkembangan pesat, baik dalam konteks perdebatan teoritik maupun eksperimentasi secara empiris. Banyak literatur yang sudah mendiskusikan pelibatan publik dari sisi penawaran, bagaimana melibatkan publik dalam tata kelola pemerintahan yang partisipatoris. Sebaliknya, sisi permintaan dari elit yang berwenang membuat keputusan relatif kurang mendapatkan perhatian. Oleh karena itu, artikel ini bermaksud untuk memperkaya diskusi tentang pelibatan publik berbasis inisiatif elit yang berwenang. Lebih spesifiknya, kami berusaha memahami bagaimana pelibatan warga melalui layanan pengaduan berbasis teknologi digital yang difasilitasi oleh pemerintah daerah. Kami berargumen bahwa secara kelembagaan layanan pengaduan warga memiliki dampak positif karena menyediakan ruang politik untuk menekan kinerja internal birokrasi yang buruk. Temuan dalam penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa layanan pengaduan warga tidak hanya berkontribusi untuk mendorong akuntabilitas kinerja internal birokrasi pemerintahan, melainkan juga membuka ruang politik bagi warga untuk mengontrol kinerja layanan pengaduan tersebut. Pemerintah kota Surabaya telah berusaha melakukan inovasi dan reformasi tata kelola pemerintahan melalui layanan pegaduan warga berbasis media digital. Namun, pada saat yang sama, pemerintah juga cenderung menggunakan inovasi demokratik tersebut sebagai bagian dari pencitraan politik. Studi ini memberikan kontribusi penting dalam literatur partisipasi publik berbasis inisiatif elit melalui penggunaan teknologi digital untuk mengakomodasi keluhan dan permintaan publik.
Sediment control and flow redistribution with submerged vanes: a review
Authors: Mandal Anirban , Gautam Hariom , Ahmad Zulfequar
Published: May 2024

The most challenging issues in rivers include sediment management, outer bank erosion, intake choking, channel bed shoaling, and river meandering. This paper provides a concise review of the newly developed sediment and flow control technique known as the Iowa vane or submerged vane. Submerged vanes are small flow training structures designed to redistribute flow and sediment within the channel cross-section. The structural stability and economic feasibility of submerged vanes, which distinguish them from conventional methods such as dikes and groins, have inspired many researchers to study their use and efficiency in river management over many decades. Various hydrodynamic characteristics, such as flow structure, sediment motion, vortex generation, and scouring around submerged vanes and arrays of vanes, have been reviewed. Additionally, various vane parameters that influence these characteristics are also explained. This paper also underscores current limitations in understanding the flow and sediment behavior around submerged vanes, while also providing recommendations for future research in the field.
Integração de análise hidroquímica à geofísica aérea para entendimento da hidrodinâmica no entorno da Lagoa da Confusão, Tocantins, Brasil
Authors: Morais Fernando , Silva Sousa Erlan , Almeida Prado Bacellar Luis , Henrique Cardoso Luiz
Published: May 2024

Geofísica aérea regional, isótopos estáveis e análises de dados hidroquímicos foram utilizados para o entendimento da dinâmica dos fluxos hídricos e conhecimento das características das águas superficiais e subterrâneas do entorno da Lagoa da Confusão – Estado do Tocantins, Brasil, com o objetivo de contribuir para uma melhor gestão dos recursos hídricos da área pressuposta como um carste encoberto e subsidiar ações de proteção ao meio ambiente. Dados geofísicos aéreos, evidenciaram três tipologias: rochas carbonáticas, rochas metassedimentares diversas e lateritas. Foram identificados inúmeros lineamentos paralelos, incluindo falhas de grande extensão, nas direções preferenciais N-S e E-W e, subordinadamente, 45ºNE e 45ºNW, que mostram forte controle na rede de drenagem superficial. Interpreta-se que a Lagoa da Confusão está assentada sobre substrato carbonático. As análises isotópicas e hidroquímicas indicam a ocorrência do processo de carstificação na área de estudo, na qual a composição química e isotópica da água é alterada pela interação água-rocha e dissolução das rochas carbonáticas, o que é ainda evidenciado pela ocorrência de cavernas e dolinas (ipucas).
Vulnerabilidade ambiental em Áreas de Preservação Permanente (APP) da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Potengi, RN, Brasil
Authors: Pereira Caio Victor Macêdo , Sousa Matheus Natan Ferreira Alves  de , Fellipe Souza Araujo  , Ivo Cavalcanti Neto  , Joyce Clara Vieira Ferreira  , Paulo Eduardo Vieira Cunha  , Cunha Karina Patrícia Vieira da , Carlos Wilmer Costa
Published: May 2024

As Áreas de Preservação Permanente (APP) são estabelecidas pelo Código Florestal Brasileiro, que institui as regras gerais sobre a exploração da vegetação nativa e regulamenta a proteção a certos usos do solo em áreas de reconhecida vulnerabilidade. O objetivo desta pesquisa consiste em avaliar a Vulnerabilidade Ambiental à perda de solo em áreas de APP na Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Potengi (BHRP), Rio Grande do Norte (RN). Além disso, pretende-se identificar os conflitos relacionados ao uso e ocupação do solo de forma a validar três áreas de APP específicas em campo. A Vulnerabilidade Ambiental foi classificada em Sistemas de Informação Geográfica (SIG) a partir de Análise Multicritério, sendo utilizada álgebra de mapas a partir de combinação linear ponderada. Como resultados, foram obtidas cinco classes de vulnerabilidade nas APP: Muito Baixa, Baixa, Moderada, Alta e Muito alta. Os graus de vulnerabilidade Moderada, Alta e Muito Alta somaram 83,73% do total de áreas de APP. Com relação aos conflitos de uso do solo, a atividade predominante encontrada nas áreas de vulnerabilidade Muito Alta foi a pastagem, representando 91,4% dessas áreas.
Análise Espaço-Temporal do Uso e Cobertura do Solo em Área Semiárida da Paraíba
Authors: Pereira Lopes Iracy Amélia , Aires de Macedo Mônica Larissa , Nobrega Torres Éricson , Ramos de Sousa Rosilvam , Anjos Correia André
Published: May 2024

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo validar a ferramenta MapBiomas para análise espaço-temporal do uso e cobertura do solo na microrregião do Cariri Ocidental paraibano, buscando analisar as mudanças ocorridas nessa área, no período de 1989 a 2019. Nesse estudo, utilizou-se os dados de Uso e Cobertura do Solo do período de 1989 a 2019. Foram escolhidos dados de 1989, 2005, 2013 e 2019, levando em consideração a precipitação mais próxima da média histórica da região. Nesses 30 anos, o Cariri Ocidental da Paraíba aumentou em 42,87% a área de Pastagem, acumulando um aumento de 351,7 km2. Ocorreu a redução de mais da metade (51,33%) da superfície de cobertura dos corpos hídricos provocada pelas secas prolongadas dos últimos anos. Um dado preocupante é a constatação de que 90,0 km2 é formado por áreas não vegetadas, corroborando com os estudos que apontam para o aumento da desertificação no Cariri Ocidental. É possível observar o aumento da população nessa região, o que traz uma pressão ainda maior para um ecossistema já fragilizado. Com isso, podemos concluir que o MapBiomas é uma importante ferramenta que pode ser empregada em estudos e acompanhamento das áreas prioritárias, como as APP’s.
Mapeamento do uso e ocupação do solo da microbacia hidrográfica do Riacho Timbaúbas em Juazeiro do Norte-CE utilizando SIG
Authors: Lopes Maísa de Calda , Bezerra Rabelo Klinsmann , Alves Pereira da Luz Vinicius , De Lacerda Paulo Roberto , Torres Ferreira da Costa Celme , Nunes Bandeira Ana Patrícia
Published: May 2024

O presente artigo foi desenvolvido na bacia hidrográfica em que o Parque Timbaúbas, uma área definida como Unidade de Conservação de Proteção Integral interna a cidade de Juazeiro do Norte-CE, está inserido; e objetivou mapear os diferentes uso e ocupação do solo contribuindo para a análise da precipitação em escala de macrodrenagem. Para delimitação da bacia hidrográfica foi utilizada a imagem Haster Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) com resolução espacial de 30 m, obtida pelo site Earth Explore United States Geological Survey (USGS). No mapeamento de uso e ocupação do solo, foi utilizado a imagem do satélite CBERS 4ª, obtido no site do Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE). O mapeamento definiu 7 classes de uso e ocupação do solo, nas seguintes proporções em relação à área total: áreas impermeáveis com 29,55%, água com 0,16%, vegetação alta com 13,47%, baldios com 19,97%, pastagens com 21,23%, zonas cultivadas com 2,86% e solo exposto com 12,76%. Para validar a análise foram obtidos: a matriz de erros, o valor do coeficiente Kappa de 0,84, que indica um excelente desempenho, acurácia global de 87,59%, acurácia do produtor e do usuário. Embora tenham acontecido certas incongruências nas atribuições de pixels, a classificação teve desempenho satisfatório.
Ictiofauna em três reservatórios do Rio Apodi-Mossoró, semiárido brasileiro, antes da transposição do Rio São Francisco
Authors: Oliveira Jônnata Fernandes de , Peretti Danielle , Novaes José Luis Costa , Costa Rodrigo da Silva , Oliveira Jean Carlos Dantas de , Fernandes Rogério Taygra Vasconcelos , Nascimento Louize
Published: May 2024

O projeto de Transposição do Rio São Francisco poderá afetar os reservatórios receptores devido à modificação das características ambientais e a possível introdução de novas espécies, ocasionado a homogeneização biótica e das características da água. Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar a composição de peixes em três reservatórios (Santa Cruz, Umari e Pau dos Ferros) da bacia do Rio Apodi-Mossoró antes da transposição. A amostragem foi realizada trimestralmente em vários pontos, utilizando redes de emalhar. Os peixes foram identificados e avaliados quanto a sua origem (nativos, alóctones e exóticos). Para avaliar a eficácia da metodologia de captura, foram geradas curvas de acumulação de espécies para cada reservatório, estimando a riqueza de espécies ao longo dos meses. Foram registradas 22 espécies pertencentes a 11 famílias e três ordens, sendo 81,82% nativas, 13,64% alóctones e 4,54% exóticas. A ordem Characiformes foi a mais representativa, seguida por Perciformes e Siluriformes. As famílias mais diversas foram Characidae, Cichlidae e Loricariidae. Houve similaridade na abundância de espécies nativas, alóctones e exóticas entre os reservatórios. Considerando a escassez de estudos sobre a composição taxonômica em ecossistemas semiáridos, os resultados deste estudo fornecem uma referência importante para futuras pesquisas sobre a conservação de peixes nativos.
Pegada hídrica dos padrões alimentares brasileiros: impactos sobre os recursos hídricos
Authors: Barbosa Alan Marcelo , Angela Branchi Bruna , Helena Lombardo Ferreira Denise , De Melo Conti Diego
Published: May 2024

A preservação do meio ambiente é essencial para garantir a vida, especialmente em relação aos recursos hídricos. A falta de conhecimento das consequências das decisões individuais de consumo sobre os recursos hídricos contribui com a adoção de padrões de vida insustentáveis. Um subsídio para a conscientização do consumidor é estimar a Pegada Hídrica, ou seja, aferir a quantidade de água necessária de acordo com diferentes estilos de vida. Com o intuito de avaliar os padrões de consumo alimentar da população brasileira e destacar seus impactos por meio da Pegada Hídrica foi realizada uma pesquisa quantitativa aplicando a Análise Fatorial aos microdados da POF de 2016/17. Os resultados permitiram identificar diferenças espaciais, porém, o padrão associado à dieta típica brasileira, sem proteína animal, é o mais homogêneo entre as regiões.
Intelligent Data Processing Methods for Studying the Influence of the Environment on the Morbidity of the Population in Moscow
Authors: Zolotova T. V. , Marunko A. S.
Published: May 2024

Purpose of the study. The purpose of the study is to confirm or refute the environmental determinism of the occurrence of socially significant diseases among the population of Moscow based on the analysis of data on environmental and health indexes in the context of municipal units of the city.Materials and methods. The article analyzes Russian and foreign bibliography on the research problem. Based on collected and processed open data on environmental indexes and population morbidity in various districts of Moscow, various types of analysis were carried out to identify the relationship between these data. To classify socially significant diseases based on environmental indexes of the place of residence, machine learning models were designed. The mathematical basis of machine learning methods is the k-nearest neighbors’ method, multilayer perceptron, and gradient boosting. To create the models, the Jupyter Notebook software tool, which supports the Python programming language, was used.Results. Correlation and regression analysis showed that there is a statistically significant correlation between some selected environmental indexes and the occurrence of socially significant diseases. This result indicates a possible relationship, which is one of the main conclusions of this paper. A web interface has been developed to automate the analysis of new data using constructed machine learning models used to conduct regression analysis to create a binary logistic model (prediction based on collected data of people with socially significant diseases) and a multiclass classification models (prediction based on collected data, which it is the disease that can be detected in a person). The machine learning models used were analyzed and the best model for classifying socially significant diseases was determined.Conclusion. As a result of the study, it was possible to collect comprehensive information about various environmental indexes and the presence or absence of various objects that have an impact on the environment. These data were used not only in machine learning models, but also to form an objective assessment of the environmental situation of municipal units of Moscow city. Since automatic updating of the rating for dynamic data was implemented, this result can be used by ordinary users who do not have sufficient qualifications in ecology and medicine for independent analysis of the ecological state of areas. We believe that such research will certainly lead to effective practical solutions in this area.
Heavy Metal Exposure-Induced Cardiovascular Diseases: Molecular
Mechanisms and Therapeutic Role of Antioxidants
Authors: Ponnusamy Bhuvaneswari , Veeraraghavan Vishnu Priya , Al-Huseini Isehaq , Woon Choy Ker , Jayaraman Selvaraj , Sirasanagandla Srinivasa Rao
Published: May 2024

Globally, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the main cause of mortality every year worldwide. CVD health is influenced by various health factors, such as blood
pressure, cholesterol levels, and glucose control. The main risk factors include smoking,
physical activity, food intake, and body mass index. Around 90% of CVDs could be prevented by controlling these risk factors. Heavy metals are indigenous to the environment
of the earth. However, modern lifestyles have led to the exploitation of our environment
by unconstrained use of heavy metals. Though heavy metals are essential components,
they are hazardous to humans and living systems due to their persistent and non-degradable nature. The mainpurpose of this study is to provide a literature review on the mechanisms of heavy metals, particularly arsenic, lead, and cadmium, that cause cardiovascular diseases. The major mechanism by which heavy metals result in various modalities
of cardiovascular disease is the generation of reactive species and the depletionof the antioxidant reserves inside the biological system. The generation of reactive species gradually leads to the activation of various signaling pathways, resulting in either apoptosis or
unrestricted cell growth. These unfavorable conditions result in a state when there is an
imbalance between reactive species generation and antioxidant activity. Both endogenously present antioxidants and dietary antioxidants are very much essential in regulating the redox potential of the body. They help in the detoxification and excretion of
heavy metals and their metabolites in the biological system. Therefore, recognizing the
role of heavy metals in cardiovascular health is crucial for developing preventive strategies and interventions aimed at mitigating their adverse effects on human health.
Highlights from the New European Society of Hypertension Guidelines Document
Authors: Grassi Guido
Published: May 2024

The present editorial will review the main recommendations included in the recent
guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension issued by the European Society of Hypertension.
Emphasis will be given to some crucial issues of major relevance for current clinical
practice, such as office and out-of-office blood pressure measurements, blood pressure threshold
and targets, combination drugs, the position of beta-blocking drugs in the therapeutic intervention,
and renal denervation.
Reducing Anxiety Levels Through the Dharma Life App-Based and Mentor-Based Program Targeting Personality Characteristics: A Randomized Control Trial
Authors: Wilt Joshua , Powell Monique , Wronski Steven
Published: May 2024

Background

Personality factors and cognitive biases may contribute to anxiety. These associations suggest that interventions aimed at ameliorating such personality factors and their underlying cognitive biases may decrease anxiety. The Dharma Life Program uses an app- and mentor-based intervention that intends to ameliorate potentially maladaptive aspects of personality characteristics, such as cognitive biases. We predicted that the Dharma Life Program would lead to greater decreases in anxiety among individuals reporting difficulties with anxiety as compared to a no-treatment control condition.

Method

We recruited 43 participants through social media. Participants were randomly assigned to complete the Dharma Life Program or a no-treatment control group for eight weeks. The intervention and control groups completed baseline and follow-up measures of anxiety symptoms.

Result

Results showed that, although anxiety levels declined for participants in both conditions, participants in the Dharma Life Program group showed greater decreases over time, supporting our hypothesis that the program would ameliorate anxiety.

Conclusions

First, this study provides initial evidence that the Dharma Life Program may be effective in reducing anxiety. Second, the results also suggest more broadly that interventions targeting personality change through modifying cognitive biases may be helpful for people struggling with anxiety-related difficulties.

Clinical Trial Registration Number

NCT06138652.
Withdrawn: A Fault Restoration Method for DC-interconnected Distribution Systems with Renewable Resources Considering Multiple Fault Scenes
Authors: Bai Hao , Wang Yang , Zhang Song , Li Wei , He Mingjun , Cai Yongxiang
Published: May 2024

Since the authors are not responding to the editor’s requests to fulfill the editorial requirement, therefore, the article has
been withdrawn from the journal Recent Advances in Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may have caused.

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Application of Simulation-Based Metrics to Improve the Daylight Performance of a Secondary School, An Approach for Green Building Designers and Architects
Authors: Vaisi Salah , Modares Gorji Honia , Shafei Narmin
Published: May 2024

Visual comfort affects the quality of classrooms as well as student learning. A practice-oriented approach discovers how the gap between academic research and its application in building design can be addressed. Nevertheless, the physical characteristics design of daylighting systems, including window sizes, shapes, dimensions, and materials, are considered fundamental challenges for their practicability. In this study, the physical characteristics design of daylighting systems, including window sizes, shapes, dimensions, and materials, are considered in a designed sample school, and the daylight metrics were analyzed to achieve more trustworthy and applicable daylighting systems. Grasshopper (Honeybee-Ladybug), as a parametric control method, was applied to simulate the daylighting quality for various educational spaces in a secondary school in Sanandaj City, based on average ‘Daylight Factor’, ‘Daylight Autonomy’, ‘Useful Daylight Illuminance’, and ‘Annual Sunlight Exposure’. These metrics were examined to discover the relationship between window size and positions on visual comfort. The results indicate daylighting assessments are a solid approach to revising the architectural design mistakes at the primary designing phase. Architects and other building designers or energy consumption assessors can apply the design improvement process to present more sufficient and successful architectural details. This is a fundamental step toward the implementation of green buildings.