bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can 3D visualisation and navigation techniques improve pancreatic surgery? A systematic review
Authors: Stott Martyn , Kausar Ambareen
Published: October 2023

Pancreatic cancer, namely pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is an intractable cancer with a 5-year survival of around 7%-10%. Surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy remains the mainstay of curative treatment. The pancreas is a retroperitoneal organ that lies close to major arterial and venous structures, and it is the involvement of these structures that currently technically limits surgical resection with curative intent for pancreatic cancer. It is possible to resect venous and arterial structures involved in cancer to expand options for patients for whom surgery was previously deemed infeasible, but this is best performed in high-volume pancreatic surgery centres. Here, we explore the role that 3D visualisation and navigation surgery have in improving preoperative planning and operative execution, the role they may play in training and education and in enabling the development of novel surgical techniques in pancreatic surgery.
ANALISIS PENERAPAN METODE CARD SORT DALAM PEMBELAJARAN PENDIDIKAN AGAMA ISLAM DI KELAS V SD NEGERI BULUS
Authors: Siti Khasana  , Siti Afifah Adawiyah
Published: October 2023

Pembelajaran PAI seringkali menggunakan pendekatan TCL (Teacher Center Learning), yaitu pembelajaran yang lebih berpusat pada guru. Sehingga, pembelajaran seperti ini cenderung membosankan bagi para peserta didik. Oleh karena itu, dikembangkanlah penelitian ini dengan tujuan untuk menganalisis mengenai penerapan metode Card Sort dalam pembelajaran PAI. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu, menggunakan metode kualitatif. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan dengan dua siklus. Teknik pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini menggunakan observasi, tes, wawancara, kuesioner, angket, dan dokumentasi. Adapun subjek dalam penelitian ini ialah, peserta didik kelas V di SD Negeri Bulus. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan adanya peningkatan kualitas pembelajaran di kelas pada mata pelajaran PAI dan juga peserta didik menjadi lebih aktif, dimulai dari siklus 1 sampai 2. Hal tersebut ditandai dengan ketuntasan pada kompetensi inti, dasar, dan indikator pencapaian kompetensi, melalui tes evaluasi tertulis dan lisan. Sehingga, penelitian ini dapat memberikan informasi sebagai pertimbangan, pendukung, dan sumbangan pemikiran kepada berbagai pihak, dalam melakukan variasa metode pembelajara. Adapun temuan yang didapat dalam penelitian ini yaitu, metode Card Sort mampu untuk menjadi pengembangan metode pembelajaran dalam PAI. Di sisi lain metode ini juga dapat diterapkan pada mata pelajaran lain, dan sekaligus dapat diterapkan di semua kelas
Is Automated Consent in Solid GDPR-Compliant? An Approach for Obtaining Valid Consent with the Solid Protocol
Authors: Florea Marcu , Esteves Beatriz
Published: October 2023

Personal Information Management Systems (PIMS) are acquiring a prominent role in the data economy by promoting services that help individuals to have more control over the processing of their personal data, in line with the European data protection law. One of the highlighted solutions in this area is Solid, a new protocol that is decentralizing the storage of data, through the usage of interoperable Web standards and semantic vocabularies, to empower its users to have more control over the processing of data by agents and applications. However, to fulfill this vision and gather widespread adoption, Solid needs to be aligned with the law governing the processing of personal data in Europe, the main piece of legislation being the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). To assist with this process, we analyze the current efforts to introduce a policy layer in the Solid ecosystem, in particular, related to the challenge of obtaining consent for processing personal data, focusing on the GDPR. Furthermore, we investigate if, in the context of using personal data for biomedical research, consent can be expressed in advance, discuss the conditions for valid consent and how it can be obtained in this decentralized setting, namely through the matching of privacy preferences, set by the user, with requests for data and whether this can signify informed consent. Finally, we discuss the technical challenges of an implementation that caters to the previously-identified legal requirements.
Comparison of Psychophysiological Responses in Individual and Small Group Aerobic Training with Prescribed and Self-Selected Intensity
Authors: Silva Carlos Eduardo Rosa , Garcia Alessandro Barreta , Santana Wilian Jesus , Pinto Luiz Gustavo , Lima Leonardo Emmanuel , Dias Helton Magalhaes , Zanetti Marcelo Callegari , Jr. Aylton Figueira
Published: October 2023

Autosselecionar a intensidade do treinamento aeróbico é uma perspectiva que permite aos praticantes desenvolver autonomia (escolha do ritmo), melhorar a aptidão física e alcançar a perda de peso. Comparar o efeito de quatro protocolos de treinamento aeróbico nas respostas cardiometabólicas e psicofisiológicas em homens e mulheres adultos fisicamente inativos. A amostra foi composta por 11 indivíduos com idade entre 56 ± 10 anos e IMC 29,2 ± 2,4 kg/m2 que realizaram quatro diferentes protocolos de treinamento aeróbio em esteira, sendo: 1-indivíduo com intensidade autosselecionada (ISS), 2-indivíduo com intensidade prescrita (IPI) (64-76% da FC máx), grupo 3 pequeno com autosseleção. intensidade selecionada (SGS) e intensidade prescrita em 4 pequenos grupos (SGP) (64-76% da FC máx). Foram analisados ​​frequência cardíaca, lactato, percepção subjetiva de esforço, resposta afetiva, escala de ativação, prazer, intenção de repetir a sessão, velocidade da esteira e distância total do protocolo. A análise estatística utilizou ANOVA com teste post hoc de Tukey (p<0,05). As análises de frequência cardíaca, lactato, percepção subjetiva de esforço, escala de ativação, prazer, velocidade média e distância total não apresentaram diferenças significativas entre os protocolos. A resposta afetiva apresentou menor declínio no protocolo ISS (p<0,05), e a intenção de repetir a sessão de treinamento foi maior no protocolo ISS (p<0,05). Conclusão: Os dados permitem concluir que o protocolo de treino ISS produziu resultados superiores na resposta afetiva e na intenção de repetir a sessão.
Implementing Pro-social Rule Bending in an Elder-care Robot Environment
Authors: Ramanayake Rajitha , Nallur Vivek
Published: October 2023

Many ethical issues arise when robots are introduced into elder-care settings. When ethically charged situations occur, robots ought to be able to handle them appropriately. Some experimental approaches use (top-down) moral generalist approaches, like Deontology and Utilitarianism, to implement ethical decision-making. Others have advocated the use of bottom-up approaches, such as learning algorithms, to learn ethical patterns from human behaviour. Both approaches have their shortcomings when it comes to real-world implementations. Human beings have been observed to use a hybrid form of ethical reasoning called Pro-Social Rule Bending, where top-down rules and constraints broadly apply, but in particular situations, certain rules are temporarily bent. This paper reports on implementing such a hybrid ethical reasoning approach in elder-care robots. We show through simulation studies that it leads to better upholding of human values such as autonomy, whilst not sacrificing beneficence.
Shannon Entropy of Chemical Elements
Authors: Łukaszyk Szymon
Published: October 2023

It was recently discovered that electron populations within an orbital not only maximize spin multiplicity but also minimize Shannon entropy, which seems to be the physical basis for the Hund rule. This study extends these findings to the Aufbau rule. We observed that some elements that violate the Aufbau rule have the same entropies in actual and Aufbau configurations. On the other hand, a lower entropy of the actual element's configuration is associated with a higher or equal spin multiplicity of this configuration compared to the Aufbau configuration. The only exception to this rule is palladium. It follows from Hund rule that the entries s$^1$, p$^1$-p$^3$, d$^1$-d$^5$ and f$^1$-p$^7$ of the configuration of an element do not contribute to its entropy, but only to the spin multiplicity; entries s$^2$, p$^6$, d$^{10}$, and f$^{14}$ contribute with $\log_b(2)$ to entropy, but do not contribute to spin multiplicity; and the remaining entries contribute both to the entropy and to the spin multiplicity.
The Advent of Biotechnology in Resource Technology
Authors: Braun Robert , Lederer Franziska L.
Published: October 2023

The usage of biotechnological molecules and processes is an indispensable part of the resource technology research. The development of novel biomolecules therefore needs to be adapted to the existing applicational conditions and biological processes are to be examined. Novel biosorbents may not only contribute to future applications but can be of further used, e.g. to better understand the interaction of known metal- and metalloid-interacting biological molecules and materials. This review highlights biotechnological approaches published so far for bioremediation as well as metal recovery with a special spotlight on cobalt, nickel and arsenic.
Arsenic and Cadmium in the Hydrological Cycle and Soil in a Maquis Broadleaved Evergreen Forest Stand in Greece. Sources of Some Uncertainties
Authors: Michopoulos Panagiotis , Bourletsikas Athanassios , Argyrokastritis Ioannis , Kostakis Marios , Kaoukis Kostas , Thomaidis Nikolaos
Published: October 2023

The concentrations and fluxes of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) were examined in the hydrological cycle (bulk, throughfall deposition and percolation water), litterfall and soils in a maquis broadleaved evergreen forest stand in western Greece. It was found that the enrichment of As in the atmosphere was both due to suspended geogenic material and long range transfer, whereas for Cd the long range transfer was the predominant way for deposition in the ecosystem. Three models were assessed to find the volumes of percolation water and therefore the fluxes of As and Cd in the water that leave the ecosystem permanently. When calculating the total amounts of the heavy metals in soils, the statistical uncertainty derived from every soil layer has to be taken into account.
Permeation Protection by Waterproofing Mucosal Membranes
Authors: Coderch Luisa , Alonso Cristina , Calpena Ana , Pérez-García Maria Luisa , Clares-Naveros Beatriz , Ramos Anderson , Martí Meritxell
Published: October 2023

The permeability of the oral or nasal mucosa is higher than that of the skin. Mucosa permeability depends mainly on the thickness and keratinization degree of the tissues. Their permeability barrier is conditioned by the presence of certain lipids. This work has the main aim of reinforcing the barrier effect of oral mucosa with a series of formulations. Sixty-three initial formulations were evaluated for transmembrane water loss, with 16 formulations selected to test on sublingual mucosa. In vitro release tests of caffeine, ibuprofen, dexamethasone and ivermectin were carried out on porcine skin, mucosa and modified mucosa in order to compare the effectiveness of the formulations. A similar permeation profile was obtained in the different membranes: caffeine > ibuprofen ~ dexamethasone > ivermectin. The most efficient formulation was a liposomal formulation composed of lipids that are present in the skin stratum corneum. Impermeability provided by this formulation was really notable mainly for the low molecular weight compounds, decreasing their permeability coefficient between 40-80%. The reinforcement of the barrier function of mucosa provides a reduction or prevention of the permeation of different actives such as viruses, contaminants, toxins, etc.
An Actor-Critic Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning Model for Course Recommendation
Authors: Liang Kun , Zhang Guoqiang , Guo Jinhui , Li Wentao
Published: October 2023

Abstract—Online learning platforms provide diverse course resources, but this often result in the issue of information overload. Learners always want to learn courses that are appropriate for their knowledge level and preferences quickly and accurately. Effective course recommendation plays a key role in helping learners select appropriate courses and improving the efficiency of online learning. However, when a user is enrolled in multiple courses, Existing course recommendation methods face the challenge in accurately recommending the target course that is most relevant to the user, because of the noise courses. In this paper, we propose a novel reinforcement learning model named Actor-Critic Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning (ACHRL). The model incorporates the Actor-Critic method to construct the profile reviser. This can remove noise courses and make personalized course recommendation effectively. Furthermore, we propose a policy gradient based on temporal difference error to reduce the variance in the training process, to speed up the convergence of the model, and improves the accuracy of the recommendation. We evaluate the proposed model on two real datasets, and the experimental results show that the proposed model is significantly outperforms the existing recommendation models (improving 3.77% to 13.66% in terms of HR@5).
Adsorption of Safranin O Dye by Alginate/Pomegranate Peels Beads: Kinetic, Isotherm and Thermodynamic Studies
Authors: Abbaz Amina , Arris Sihem , Viscusi Gianluca , Ayat Asma , Aissaoui Halima , Boumezough Yasser
Published: October 2023

Water pollution is regarded as a dangerous problem that needs to be resolved right away. This is largely due to the positive correlation between the increase in global population and waste production, especially food waste. Hydrogel beads based on sodium alginate (Alg) and pomegranate fruit peels (PP) were developed for the adsorption of Safranin O dye (SO) in aqueous solutions. The obtained Alg-PP beads were widely characterized. The effects of the contact time (0-180 min) and initial concentration (10-300 mg/l), the initial pH (2-10), the adsorbent dosage (1-40 g/l) and the temperature (293-333 K) were investigated through batch tests. The data proved that the adsorption kinetics of SO reached equilibrium within 30 min and up to 180 min. The adsorption data of SO onto synthesized beads follow the pseudo second-order model. The experimental data fitted very well to both Freundlich and Langmuir models. The maximum adsorption capacity of Alg-PP could reach 8.99 mg/g at 293 K. Calculation of Gibbs free energy and enthalpy indicated that adsorption of SO onto Alg-PP is spontaneous and endothermic. Finally, analysis of diffusion and mass transport phenomena were presented. The reported results revealed that the Alg-PP beads could be used as a novel natural adsorbent for the removal of cationic dye pollutants from aqueous environments.
Comprehensive Analysis of miRNA and mRNA Expression Profiles during Muscle Development of the Longest Dorsal Muscle in Gannan Yaks and Jeryaks
Authors: Guo Dashan , Wei Yali , Li Xupeng , Bai Yanbin , Liu Zhanxin , Li Jingsheng , Chen Zongchang , Shi Bingang , Zhao Zhidong , Hu Jiang , Han Xiangmin , Wang Jiqing , Liu Xiu , Li Shaobin , Zhao Fangfang
Published: October 2023

The Jeryak, a hybrid offspring of Gannan yak and Jersey cattle, exhibits evident hybrid advantages over the Gannan yak in terms of production performance and other various aspects. The small non-coding RNAs known as miRNAs exert a significant regulatory influence on gene expression post-transcriptionally. However, the regulatory mechanism of miRNA associated with muscle development in Jeryak remains elusive. To elucidate the regulatory role of miRNAs in orches-trating the skeletal muscle development in Jeryak, we selected dorsal longissimus muscle tissues from Gannan yak and Jeryak for transcriptome sequencing analysis. A total of 230 (DE)miRNAs and 1819 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs) were identified in the longest dorsal muscle of Gannan yak and Jeryak. The functional enrichment analysis revealed a significantly enrichment of target genes from differentially expressed (DE)miRNAs and DEMs in signaling pathways associ-ated with muscle growth, such as the Ras signaling pathway and the MAPK signaling pathway. The network of interactions between miRNA and mRNA suggested that some differentially ex-pressed miRNAs, including miR-2478-z, miR-339-x, novel-m0036-3p and novel-m0037-3p, played a pivotal role in facilitating muscle development. These findings help us to deepen our under-standing of the hybrid dominance of Jeryaks and provide a theoretical basis for further research on the regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs associated with Jeryak muscle growth and development.
Kernel Bioassay Evaluation of Maize Ear Rot and Genome-Wide Association Analysis for Identifying Genetic Loci Associated with Resistance to Fusarium graminearum Infection
Authors: Zhang Jihai , Shi Haoya , Yang Yong , Zeng Cheng , Jia Zheyi , Ma Tieli , Wu Mengyang , Du Juan , Huang Ning , Pan Guangtang , Li Zhilong , Yuan Guangsheng
Published: October 2023

Gibberella ear rot (GER) caused by Fusarium graminearum (teleomorph Gibberella zeae) is one of the most destructive diseases in maize that severely reduces grain yield and contaminates several potential mycotoxins. However, few efforts had been devoted to dissect the genetic basis of maize GER resistance. In the present study, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted in a maize association panel consisting of 303 diverse inbred lines. The phenotypes of GER severity were evaluated using kernel bioassay across multiple time points in the laboratory. Then, three models including fixed and random model circulating probability unification model (FarmCPU), general linear model (GLM) and mixed linear model (MLM), were conducted simultaneously in GWAS to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with GER resistance. A total of four individual significant association SNPs with the phenotypic variation explained (PVE) ranging from 3.51 to 6.42% were obtained. Interestingly, the peak SNP (PUT-163a-71443302-3341) with the greatest PVE value, was co-localized in all models. Subsequently, 12 putative genes were captured from the peak SNP that several of these genes were directly or indirectly involved in disease resistance. Overall, these findings contribute to understand the complex plant-pathogen interactions in maize GER resistance. The regions and genes identified herein provide a list of candidate targets for further investigation, in addition to the kernel bioassay that can be used for evaluating and selecting elite germplasm resources with GER resistance in maize.
Synthesis of Hydrophobic Siloxane Copolymers for the Water Repellency of the Surface of Rammed Earth Walls
Authors: Yoon Keun-Byoung , Kim Moo Jin , Lee Dong-Eun , Kim Hee Seon
Published: October 2023

Rammed earth in a built environment has vapor diffusion characteristics and humidity control ability each of which are respectively attributed to the porous structures and the hydrophilic properties. Indeed, these structures and properties, which allows easily absorbing water parti-cles, hence, affecting the durability of a rammed earth wall. This paper presents the water repel-lency method for rammed earth walls which synthesizes siloxane copolymers containing fluo-rine. The water-repellent properties are investigated by measuring the contact angle, water ab-sorption rate, and compressive strength after spray coating with the synthesized siloxane co-polymers on the surface of the rammed earth specimens under study. The water contact angle of the specimen coated with a siloxane copolymer containing 10 mol.% of a silane monomer with a fluorine group is about 140o. The water absorption of the specimen obtained after immersing in water for 24 hours is low at about 3.5 wt.%. In addition, the compressive strength is remained more than 80% of the corresponding strength of the specimen which is not immersed into water. It is confirmed that the use of a 10% by volume of the siloxane copolymer containing the fluo-rine group may assure the water-repellent performance and the economic competitiveness.
Positive Assessment of an Autogenous Vaccine Against Pathogenic Escherichia coli in Broiler Breeders and their Progeny in Morocco
Authors: Oubouyahia Lhoussaine , Essalah-Bennani Amal , Fassi Fihri Ouafaa , Badin Eric , Balil Hanan , Thibault Eric , Gantelet Hubert , Nassik Saâdia
Published: October 2023

Excessive use of antibiotics to control colibacillosis on poultry farms in Morocco contributes to the development of multiresistant avian pathogenic E. coli. Autogenous vaccines are an alternative to antibiotic usage; the main goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of this approach to control recurrent outbreaks of colibacillosis in a large broiler production flow. A tetravalent autogenous vaccine (serotypes O78, O88, O91, and O185) was produced from E. coli strains isolated from clinical lesions in breeding hens and used on two farms (65,000 breeding hens in total). On each farm, contemporaneous groups were included: groups vaccinated twice (12 and 18 weeks of age) and unvaccinated control groups. The performances of these flocks, as well as the performances of broilers hatched from these breeders (12 farms, over 600,000 broilers in total), were recorded. A significant reduction in lesion scores, mortality rate and a significant increase in the number of saleable day-old chicks were observed among vaccinated hens. In broilers, body weight at slaughter, lesion scores, food conversion ratio, mortality and condemnation rates were significantly improved. This is the first field observation of a lasting effect of breeder hens immunization with an autogenous vaccine against E. coli on their offspring.
On the Prevalence and Roles of Proteins Undergoing Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in the PML Body Biogenesis
Authors: Silonov Seregey A. , Mokin Yakov I. , Nedelyaev Eugene M. , Smirnov Eugene Y. , Kuznetsova Irina M. , Turoverov Konstantin K. , Uversky Vladimir N. , Fonin Alexander V.
Published: October 2023

The formation and functioning of membrane-less organelles (MLOs) is one of the main driving forces in the molecular life of the cell. These processes are based on the separation of biopolymers into phases regulated by multiple specific and nonspecific inter- and intramolecular interactions. Among the realm of MLOs, a special place is taken by the promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML-NBs or PML bodies), which are the intranuclear compartments involved in the regulation of cellular metabolism, transcription, maintenance of genome stability, response to viral infection, apoptosis, and tumor suppression. According to the accepted models, specific interactions, such as SUMO/SIM, formation of disulfide bonds, etc., play a decisive role in the biogenesis of PML bodies. In this work, a number of bioinformatics approaches were used to study proteins found in the proteome of PML-bodies for their tendency to spontaneous liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), which is usually caused by weak nonspecific interactions. 205 proteins found in PML bodies have been identified. It has been suggested that UBC9, P53, HIPK2, and SUMO1 can be considered as the scaffold proteins of PML bodies. It was shown that more than half of the proteins in the analyzed proteome are capable of spontaneous LLPS, with 85% of the analyzed proteins being intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), and remaining 15% being proteins with intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDPRs). About 44% of all proteins analyzed in this study contain SUMO binding sites and can potentially be SOMYylated. These data suggest that weak nonspecific interactions play a significantly larger role in the formation and biogenesis of PML bodies than previously expected.
Pulmonary Artery Embolization in the Management of Hemoptysis Related to Lung Tumors
Authors: CLAUDINOT Amandine , Douane Frédéric , Morla Olivier , Perret Christophe , Neveu Marine , Thouveny Francine , Bouvier Antoine , Hureaux Jose , Le Guen Arnaud , Jouan Jeremy , Heautot Jean Francois , Larralde Antoine , Cerasuolo Damiano , Bergot Emmanuel , Fohlen Audrey , Pelage Jean Pierre
Published: October 2023

(1) Background: Bronchial artery embolization has been shown to be effective in the management of neoplastic hemoptysis. However, knowledge of pulmonary artery embolization is lacking. To evaluate safety and efficacy of pulmonary artery embolization in patients presenting with hemoptysis related to lung tumors. (2) Methods: This retrospective study reviewed all consecutive patients with cancer and at least one episode of hemoptysis that required pulmonary artery embolization from December 2008 to December 2020. The endpoints of the study were technical success, clinical success, recurrence of hemoptysis and complications. (3) Results: A total of 92 patients were treated with pulmonary artery embolization (63.1 years ± 9.9; 70 men). Most patients had stage III or IV advanced disease. Pulmonary artery embolization was technically successful in 82 (89%) patients and clinically successful in 77 (84%) patients. Recurrence occurred in 49% of patients. Infectious complications occurred in 15 patients (16%). The 30-days mortality rate was 31%. At 3 years, survival rate was 3.6%. Tumor size, tumor cavitation and necrosis and pulmonary artery pseudo-aneurysm were significantly associated with recurrence and higher mortality. (4) Conclusions: Pulmonary artery embolization is an effective treatment to initially control hemoptysis in patient with lung carcinoma but recurrence rate remains high and overall survival remains poor.
Adaptive Self-Configuring Simulation Model for Planning and Optimizing Disassembly Scenarios for Electric Vehicle Batteries
Authors: Baazouzi Sabri , Grimm Julian Joël , Birke Kai Peter
Published: October 2023

Disassembly is a pivotal technology to enable the circularity of electric vehicle batteries by applying circular economy strategies that extend the life cycle of their components, like remanufacturing and repurposing, or by using efficient recycling to reintegrate the gained materials in producing new battery systems. This paper aims to develop a multi-method self-configuring simulation model for investigating disassembly scenarios while considering the battery design as well as the configuration and layout of the disassembly station. We demonstrate the developed model in a case study using a battery of Mercedes-Benz and the automated disassembly station of the project DeMoBat at Fraunhofer IPA. Furthermore, we introduce two disassembly scenarios, the component-oriented and the accessibility-oriented disassembly, and compare them using the simulation model to determine several indicators, such as the frequency of tool change, the number and distribution of robot routes, the tool utilization, and the disassembly time.
Polyphenolic Compounds Nanostructurated with Gold Nanopar-Ticles (AuNP-BP) Enhance Wound Repair
Authors: Martínez-Cuazitl Adriana , Gómez-García María del Consuelo , Rojas-López Marlon , Delgado-Macuil Raúl Jacobo , Ocampo-López Juan , Vazquez-Zapien Gustavo Jesus , Mata-Miranda Mónica Maribel , Pérez-Ishiwara David Guillermo
Published: October 2023

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been used in a broad range of applications conferring to bio-molecules diverse proprieties such as deliver, stabilization and reduction of adverse effects of drugs or plant ex-tracts. Polyphenolic compounds from Bacopa procumbens (BP) are able to modulate proliferation, adhesion, migration and cell differentiation, reducing artificial scratch area in fibroblast cultures and promoting wound healing in in vivo model. Here, chemically synthetized AuNPs conjugated with BP (AuNP-BP) were characterized by Uv-Vis, ATR-FTIR, DLS and zeta-potential. Results showed over-lapping FTIR spectra of polyphenolic compounds from B. procumbens capping the AuNPs, stable size by the DLS and zeta potential, AuNP-BP was 44.58 nm, the zeta-potential of AuNPs was -36.3±12.3 mV after conjugation with the BP; - (AuNP-BP), the zeta-potential was reduced to -18-2±7.02 mV. Enhancement of wound healing effect were evaluated by morphometric, histochemical and FTIR changes in rat wound excision model. Results showed that the nanoconjugation process reduced 100 folds BP concentrations to have the same wound healing effect of BP alone. Besides histological and FTIR spec-troscopy analyses, demonstrated that AuNP-BP treatment displayed better macroscopical performance; the reduction on inflammatory cells, and the increased synthesis and better organization of collagen fibers.
Integrating Data from Multiple NDE Technologies Using Machine Learning Algorithms for Enhanced Assessment of Concrete Bridge Deck
Authors: Khudhair Mustafa , Gucunski Nenad
Published: October 2023

Several factors impact the durability of concrete bridge decks, including traffic loads, fatigue, temperature changes, environmental stress, and maintenance activities. Detecting problems such as corrosion, delamination, or concrete degradation early on can lower maintenance costs. Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques can detect these issues at early stages. Each NDE method, meanwhile, has limitations that reduce the accuracy of the assessment. In this study, multiple NDE technologies were combined with machine learning algorithms to improve the interpretation of half-cell potential (HCP) and electrical resistivity (ER) measurements. A parametric study was performed to analyze the influence of five parameters on HCP and ER measurements, such as degree of saturation, corrosion length, delamination depth, concrete cover, and moisture condition of delamination. The results were obtained through finite element simulations and used to build two machine learning algorithms, a classification algorithm and a regression algorithm, based on the Random Forest methodology. The algorithms were tested using data collected from a bridge deck in the BEAST® facility. Both machine learning algorithms were effective in improving the interpretation of ER and HCP measurements using data from multiple NDE technologies.
Lycopene Mitigates Malaria-Induced Reactive Oxygen Nitrogen Species Formation and Oxidative Damage in Mice Brain and Lungs
Authors: Varela Everton Luiz Pompeu , Gomes Antônio Rafael Quadros , Da Silva Barbosa dos Santos Aline , Dos Santos Guimarães Mariana , Pereira de Carvalho Eliete , Oliveira Ferreira Oberdan , Santana de Oliveira Mozaniel , De Aguiar Andrade Eloisa Helena , Percário Sandro
Published: October 2023

(1) Background: The severity of malaria is associated with low bioavailability of antioxidants and high concentration of free radicals that induce oxidative damage in cerebral and pulmonary microcirculation. This can be prevented by the action of consumable antioxidants present in foods. Therefore, we investigated the protective role of lycopene (LYC) on the oxidative changes induced by Plasmodium berghei (Pb); (2) Methods: Mice were infected by intraperitoneal injection of 106 parasitized red blood cells and treated via gavage with LYC (3.11 mg/kg bw/day) or NAC (62 mg/kg bw/day). They were then evaluated for 1, 4, 8 or 12 days after infection. Levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), antioxidant capacity by inhibition of ABTS radicals (AC-ABTS) and DPPH (AC-DPPH), uric acid (UA), and nitric oxide (NO) were measured in brain and lung tissues; (3) Results: The infection caused oxidative stress confirmed by increased levels of TBARS, AC-ABTS, AC-DPPH, UA, and NO in the tissues leading to the death of the animals. LYC prevented the increase in TBARS, AU, and NO levels compared to Pb (p< 0.0001) and NAC+Pb groups (p<0.0001), reaching values similar to those of Sham animals; (4) Conclusions: These results are striking evidence of the beneficial effect of lycopene supplementation on oxidative stress in experimental malaria in vivo and emphasize the importance of antioxidant supplementation in the treatment of the disease.
Effect of Ferulago lutea (Poir.) Grande Essential Oil on Molecular Hallmarks of Skin Aging
Authors: Alves-Silva Jorge M. , Moreira Patrícia , Cavaleiro Carlos , Pereira Cláudia , Cruz Maria Teresa , Salgueiro Lígia
Published: October 2023

As global life expectancy continues to rise, we are challenged with maintaining health into old age, and research has thus concentrated on various strategies aimed at mitigating the effects of skin aging. Aromatic plants stand out as potential sources of anti-aging compounds due to their secondary metabolites, particularly essential oils (EO). The aim of this study was to ascribe to Ferulago lutea EO several biological activities that could be useful in the context of skin aging. The EO was obtained using hydrodistillation and characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The anti-inflammatory potential was assessed using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages. The effect on cell migration was disclosed using scratch wound assay. Lipogenesis was induced using T0901317, hyperpigmentation with 3-isobutyl-1-methylxantine (IBMX) and senescence with Etoposide. Our results show that the EO was characterized mainly by α-pinene and limonene. The EO was able to decrease nitric oxide (NO) release as well as iNOS and pro-IL-1β protein levels. The EO promoted wound healing while decreasing lipogenesis and having depigmenting effects. The EO also reduced senescence associated β-galactosidase and p21/p53 protein levels and nuclear accumulation of γH2AX. Overall, our study highlights the properties of F. lutea EO that make it a compelling candidate for dermocosmetics applications.
Effect of Electrical Stimulation on PC12 Cells Cultured in Different Hydrogels: Basis for the Development of Biomaterials in Peripheral Nerve Tissue Engineering
Authors: Olguín Yusser , Selva Mónica V. , Benavente Diego , Orellana Nicole , Montenegro Iván , Madrid-Villegas Alejandro , Jaramillo-Pinto Diego , Otero María Carolina , Corrales Tomas P. , Acevedo Cristian A.
Published: October 2023

Extensive damage to peripheral nerves is a health problem with few therapeutic alternatives. In this context, the development of tissue engineering seeks to obtain materials that can help recreate environments conducive to cellular development and functional repair of peripheral nerves. Different hydrogels have been studied and presented as alternatives for future treatments to emulate the morphological characteristics of nerves. Along with this, other research proposes the need to incorporate electrical stimuli into treatments as agents that promote cell growth and differentiation; however, no precedent correlates the simultaneous effects of the types of hydrogel and electrical stimuli. In this research, the neural differentiation of PC12 cells we are evaluated, relating the effect of collagen, alginate, GelMA, and PEGDA hydrogels with electrical stimulation modulated in four different ways. Our results show significant correlations for different culture conditions, allowing us to develop new experimental schemes for new materials in peripheral nerve engineering.
Glutathionyl Hemoglobin and Its Emerging Role as a Clinical Biomarker of Chronic Oxidative Stress
Authors: Scirè Andrea , Casari Giulia , Romaldi Brenda , De Bari Lidia , Antognelli Cinzia , Armeni Tatiana
Published: October 2023

Hemoglobin is one of the proteins that are more susceptible to S-glutathionylation and the levels of its modified form, glutathionyl hemoglobin, increase in several human pathological conditions. The scope of the present review is to provide knowledge about how hemoglobin is subjected to be S-glutathionylated and how this modification affects its functionality. The different diseases that showed increased levels of glutathionyl hemoglobin and the methods used for its quantification in clinical investigations will be also outlined. Since there is a growing need for precise and reliable methods of markers of oxidative stress in human blood, this review highlights how glutathionyl hemoglobin is more and more emerging as a good indicator of severe oxidative stress but also as a key pathogenic factor in several diseases.
Enabling Technologies for Navigation and Communication of UAS operating in the context of BVLOS
Authors: Politi Elena , Purucker Patrick , Larsen Morten , Reis Ricardo J. Dos , Rajan Raj Thilak , Penna Sergio Duarte , Boer Jan-Floris , Rodosthenous Panagiotis , Dimitrakopoulos George , Varlamis Iraklis , Höß Alfred
Published: October 2023

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have rapidly gained attraction in recent years as a promising solution to revolutionize numerous applications and meet the growing demand for efficient and timely delivery services due to their highly automated operation framework. Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, in particular, offer new means of delivering added-value services through a wide range of applications. This ’plateau of productivity’ holds enormous promise but it is challenging to equip the drone with affordable technologies which support the BVLOS use-case. To close this gap, this work showcases the convergence of the automotive and aviation industries to advance BVLOS aviation for UAS in a practical setting by studying a combination of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technologies and systems. A novel risk based approach of investigating the key technological components, architectures, algorithms and protocols is proposed, that facilitate highly reliable and autonomous BVLOS operations, aiming to enhance the alignment between market and operational needs and to better identify integration requirements between the different capabilities to be developed.
Analysis of Open-Social Data Behavior Concerning Gasoline Stealing: A Case Study of the Mexican Petroleum Crisis
Authors: Zagal-Flores Roberto , Mata-Rivera Felix , Torres-Ruiz Miguel , Benitez-Valerio Violeta Shaid , Quintero Rolando , Guzmán Giovanni , Juárez-Gambino Joel Omar
Published: October 2023

At the beginning of 2019, the petroleum crisis impacted many economies dependent on this industry. The Mexican government started programs to identify points and government officials involved in the gasoline stealing from PEMEX (Petróleos Mexicanos), the country’s leading government petroleum company. The programs consisted of supervising and monitoring the Mexican country network of gasoline ducts to detect points where gasoline was being stolen. Consequently, large urban regions faced a lack and shortage of gasoline. This situation generated several reactions in social media and many open data in news media. Although the government provided open data about stealing gasoline locations related to crimes, it did not analyze the collected data to identify patterns, insights, and the spatio-temporal characterization of this phenomenon. This paper presents a study to deal with the regional semantics described in the social media locations of gasoline stealing. Thus, a framework to discover the trends that emerge from social media and how it is correlated with the government’s open data is also presented—the proposed methodology used machine learning techniques based on linguistic and semantic technologies. The analysis was applied to a dataset of 24,317 geo-referenced tweets. The obtained results reflected the Mexican thinking opinion regarding discovered social topics, polarization maps, and regional insights. According to discovered trends, there were long fuel lines between 1.5 and 5 kilometers (on average) at fuel stations in different Mexican states.
Water Entry: A Classical Naval Hydrodynamics Problem Enhanced with the Heat and Mass Transfer, and Applied in an Immersion Quenching Simulation
Authors: Cukrov Alen , Landek Darko , Sato Yohei , Boras Ivanka , Ničeno Bojan
Published: October 2023

The computational model that is able to estimate the temperature distribution inside a solid specimen during the film boiling phase of immersion quenching (water entry) process has been presented in paper, and it is based on the prescribed initial temperatures of the solid specimen and the liquid quenchant. In addition, the turbulence effects have to be considered using the assumed turbulence kinetic energy value, i.e., the “frozen turbulence” approach, that remains constant thorough the simulation. The studied material is nickel alloy, Inconel 600, for which the extensive experimental data is available. The work has been carried out using ANSYS Fluent computational fluid dynamics software and the methods for solution of Stefan problem by Eulerian two fluid VOF model.. A satisfactory agreement between the experimental and the calculated data has been achieved, yielding thereby the computationally obtained data that fits to a great extent to the prescribed error band of ± 10 % during the estimated film boiling phase of the immersion quenching process itself.
Design and Implementation of Analog-Digital Hybrid Beam-Formers for Low-Complexity Ultrasound Systems: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Yoon Heechul , Kim Junseung , Song Tai-kyong
Published: October 2023

Low-complexity ultrasound systems are increasingly desired for wearable point-of-care ultra-sound and massive-channel ultrasound for 3-D matrix imaging. However, the system complexity is closely associated with the imaging capabilities, remaining as a challenge. To resolve this limitation, this study revisits the general structures of analog and digital beamformers and in-troduces a hybrid approach to implement efficient ultrasound systems. The suggested hybrid beamforming takes two stages, where the first analog stage partially beamforms M-channel RF signals to N sum-out data (M-to-N beamforming), and the second digital stage beamforms N partial sums to single final beamformed data (N-to-1 beamforming). Our approach was systematically designed and implemented, which was demonstrated with a customized 64-channel 1-D phased array using a tissue mimicking phantom. The demonstrated results indicate that the analog-digital hybrid beamforming can be applied to any kind of arrays for sophisticated 3-D imaging and tiny wearable ultrasound applications.
Emotional Intelligence of GPT-4 Large Language Model
Authors: Vzorin Gleb , Bukinich Alexey , Sedykh Anna , Vetrova Irina , Sergienko Elena
Published: October 2023

Current neural network models can demonstrate reasonable-looking behavior, considered by some developers and researchers human-like. For example, a large language model GPT-3 is susceptible to human-like cognitive biases. Yet there is no data of such models solving emotional intelligence (EI) tasks. They are connected to the abilities that has been previously considered as specifically human EI is an important aspect of human communication. The ability to understand and respond to emotional cues is essential for effective communication. Therefore, it is crucial to determine the ways AI models such as ChatGPT demonstrate EI. The present research aims to measure the EI of GPT-4, a large language model trained by OpenAI. Russian version of the Mayer–Salovey–Caruzo Emotional Intelligence Test sections B, C, D, F, G and H were used in this research. High points were obtained in Understanding emotions scale and Strategic EI. Mean points are obtained in Managing emotions scale. Low and less reliable values are obtained in Using emotions to facilitate thought scale. Thus, GPT-4 seems already capable of identifying emotions in text and describing techniques for managing them. However, complex cases and irregular situations requiring emotions qualitative analysis would be a hard task for GPT-4.
A Multi-Layer Neural Network Model “SR-KS” of Human Activity Recognition for the Problem of Similar Human Activity
Authors: Tan QianCheng , Qin Yonghui , Tang Rui , Wu Sixuan , Cao JIng
Published: October 2023

This study presents a research plan that utilizes data obtained from wearable devices to
identify human activities and gain insights into human behavior. We developed a model capable of
classifying activities similar to human behavior and evaluated the effectiveness and generalization
capabilities of this model. The data underwent initial preprocessing, including standardization and
normalization. Additionally, recognizing the inherent similarities between human activity behaviors,
we introduced a multi-layer classifier model. The first layer is a random forest model based on
stepwise regression, which may encounter reduced accuracy for similar activities. The second layer
employs a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model based on Kernel Fisher Discriminant Analysis
(KFDA). KFDA is used to reduce the dimensionality of data points with potential confusion,
followed by SVM for classification. The model was experimentally evaluated and applied to four
benchmark datasets: UCI DSA, UCI HAR, WISDM, and IM-WSHA. The experimental results
demonstrate that our approach achieved recognition accuracies of 99.71%, 98.71%, 99.12%, and
97.6% on these datasets, indicating excellent recognition performance. Furthermore, to assess the
model's generalization ability, we performed K-fold cross-validation on the random forest model
and utilized ROC curves for the SVM classifier. The results indicate that our multi-layer classifier
model exhibits robust generalization capabilities.
Peran Ekstrak Etanolik Daun Kelor (Moringa oleifera, Lam.) Terhadap Peningkatan Ekspresi GLUT-2 Pankreas Tikus Wistar (Rattus Norvegicus) Jantan Model Sindrom Metabolik Terinduksi
Authors: Nur Illahi Fadhila , Setyawan Novan Adi , Pesik Riza Novierta , Suparyanti Endang Listyaningsih
Published: October 2023

Pendahuluan: Konsumsi tinggi lemak dan tinggi gula tanpa diimbangi dengan olahraga rutin mampu meningkatkan risiko sindrom metabolik yang mampu mendestruksi sel β pankreas yang mengakibatkan GLUT-2 berkurang jumlahnya. Antioksidan pada daun kelor mampu memperbaiki kerusakan tersebut. Penelitian ini terkait ekspresi GLUT-2 pankreas dengan pemberian daun kelor yang masih belum ditemukan. Sehingga, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui perbedaan ekspresi GLUT-2 pankreas tikus Galur Wistar (Rattus norvegicus) jantan model sindrom metabolik dengan pemberian ekstrak etanolik.
Metode: Penelitian eksperimental laboratorik. 30 ekor tikus wistar dibagi menjadi 5 kelompok: KKN merupakan kontrol normal; KK- merupakan kontrol negatif induksi sindrom metabolik saja ; KP1, KP2, KP3 induksi sindrom metabolik dan pemberian ekstrak etanolik daun kelor selama 28 hari dengan dosis secara berurutan sebesar 150 mg/KgBB, 250 mg/KgBB, dan 350 mg/KgBB. Induksi sindrom metabolik dilakukan dengan pakan tinggi lemak selama 28 hari dan induksi STZ-NA di hari ke-25. Ekspresi GLUT-2 diamati dan dihitung menggunakan rumus IDS dan uji One-Way ANOVA dilanjutkan uji post-hocTuckey HSD, serta uji regresi linier.
Hasil: Uji One-Way ANOVA didapatkan perbedaan bermakna p=0,000 (p<0,05) pada tiap kelompok. Uji post-hoc Tuckey HSD didapatkan perbedaan bermakna (p<0,05) antar kelompok KKN dan KK- serta KK- dengan KP1, KP2, KP3. Uji regresi linier menunjukkan pengaruh dosis ekstrak etanolik daun kelor memiliki arah positif.
Kesimpulan: Ekstrak etanolik daun kelor meningkatan ekpresi GLUT-2 jaringan pankreas tikus Wistar model sindrom metabolik.