bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Response of Different Bread Wheat Genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.) to Temperature Changes
Authors: Yadav Aneeta , Quatadah Syed Mohd , Praween Nagmi
Published: December 2023

Increased temperature is a major yield declining factor in wheat production. Current study was intended to evaluate the impact of increased temperature on the pre and post reproductive major yield attributing biometrical traits through the use of stress tolerance indices and trait reduction ratio (%) of all the traits studied. A set of 27 genotypes including 2 check entries viz., Shriram 303 and HD 2967 was evaluated in two separate trials, timely sown (non-stress) and late sown (heat stress) conditions in RBD design with three replications during rabi 2020-21 at the agriculture research farm of Rama university, Kanpur. Significant dropping in major yield attributing traits have Such as grain yield/plant, grain yield/spike and tillers/plant exhibited 54.41%, 39.31 % and 34.22% reduction, respectively thought the estimation of trait reduction ration (%) specially for the trials conducted under the late sown (heat stress) condition as compared to the normal sown trial. Five stress tolerance indices viz., susceptibility index (HSI), mean productivity (MP), tolerance (TOL), heat tolerance index (STI) and trait stability index (TSI) have been estimated to find out the heat stress tolerance and susceptible genotypes for grain yield under high temperature stress conditions.

Correlation estimates of different heat stress tolerance indices with grain yield in non-stress condition (timely sown) exhibited significant positive association with MP (0.766**), HTI (0.622**), TSI (0.414*), and TOL (0.284). Though, under heat stress condition (late sown), grain yield displayed a significant positive correlation with HTI (0.713**), MP (0.707**), TOL (0.517**), TSI (0.656**) and negative correlation with HSI (-0.608**). Through the correlation analysis estimates, four heat stress indices viz. HSI (heat susceptibility index), MP (mean productivity), STI (stress tolerance index) and TSI (trait stability index) have been used in assorting the heat tolerant wheat genotypes. Current estimates directed that 14 genotypes (PBW 152, HUW-206, WL-2, WL-8, WL-13, DBW-71, DBW-39, WH-1105, HUW-318, PBW-154, ALWL-5, WL-14, PBW-502 and Shriram 303) were heat tolerant genotypes while 8 genotypes (Jamuni, F 2004, Allahabad Local, Black, U. P Local, YOUDA, U. P B2425 and HD 2967) have been observed high temperature susceptible. While WH-1105 and PBW-154 have been observed high yielding genotypes under heat stress environment. Therefore, genotypes WH-1105 and PBW-154 were acknowledged as a suitable genotype for late sown trial. Further, these two genotypes could be utilize in breeding programme to develope heat tolerant varieties of wheat.
Reversible Intracellular Gelation of MCF10A Cells Enables Programmable Control Over 3D Spheroid Growth
Authors: McNally Delaney L. , Macdougall Laura J. , Kirkpatrick Bruce E. , Maduka Chima V. , Hoffman Timothy E. , Fairbanks Benjamin D. , Bowman Christopher N. , Spencer Sabrina L. , Anseth Kristi S.
Published: December 2023

In nature, some organisms survive extreme environments by inducing a biostatic state wherein cellular contents are effectively vitrified. Recently, a synthetic biostatic state in mammalian cells is achieved via intracellular network formation using bio‐orthogonal strain‐promoted azide‐alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) reactions between functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) macromers. In this work, the effects of intracellular network formation on a 3D epithelial MCF10A spheroid model are explored. Macromer‐transfected cells are encapsulated in Matrigel, and spheroid area is reduced by ≈50% compared to controls. The intracellular hydrogel network increases the quiescent cell population, as indicated by increased p21 expression. Additionally, bioenergetics (ATP/ADP ratio) and functional metabolic rates are reduced. To enable reversibility of the biostasis effect, a photosensitive nitrobenzyl‐containing macromer is incorporated into the PEG network, allowing for light‐induced degradation. Following light exposure, cell state, and proliferation return to control levels, while SPAAC‐treated spheroids without light exposure (i.e., containing intact intracellular networks) remain smaller and less proliferative through this same period. These results demonstrate that photodegradable intracellular hydrogels can induce a reversible slow‐growing state in 3D spheroid culture.
Injectable Radiopaque Hyaluronic Acid Granular Hydrogels for Intervertebral Disc Repair
Authors: Muir Victoria G. , Fainor Matthew , Orozco Brianna S. , Hilliard Rachel L. , Boyes Madeline , Smith Harvey E. , Mauck Robert L. , Schaer Thomas P. , Burdick Jason A. , Gullbrand Sarah E.
Published: December 2023

Injectable hydrogels offer minimally‐invasive treatment options for degenerative disc disease, a prevalent condition affecting millions annually. Many hydrogels explored for intervertebral disc (IVD) repair suffer from weak mechanical integrity, migration issues, and expulsion. To overcome these limitations, an injectable and radiopaque hyaluronic acid granular hydrogel is developed. The granular structure provides easy injectability and low extrusion forces, while the radiopacity enables direct visualization during injection into the disc and non‐invasive monitoring after injection. The radiopaque granular hydrogel is injected into rabbit disc explants to investigate restoration of healthy disc mechanics following needle puncture injury ex vivo and then delivered in a minimally‐invasive manner into the intradiscal space in a clinically‐relevant in vivo large animal goat model of IVD degeneration initiated through degradation by chondroitinase. The radiopaque granular hydrogel successfully halted loss of disc height due to degeneration. Further, the hydrogel not only enhanced proteoglycan content and reduced collagen content in the nucleus pulposus (NP) region compared to degenerative discs, but also helped to maintain the structural integrity of the disc and promote healthy segregation of the NP and annulus fibrosus regions. Overall, this study demonstrates the great potential of an injectable radiopaque granular hydrogel for treatment of degenerative disc disease.
Tackling Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma with ITFn‐Pt(IV): A Novel Fusion of PD‐L1 Blockade, Chemotherapy, and T‐cell Activation
Authors: Xin Qi , Wang Daji , Wang Shenghui , Zhang Lirong , Liang Qian , Yan Xiyun , Fan Kelong , Jiang Bing
Published: December 2023

PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockade immunotherapy has gained approval for the treatment of a diverse range of tumors; however, its efficacy is constrained by the insufficient infiltration of T lymphocytes into the tumor microenvironment, resulting in suboptimal patient responses. Here, a pioneering immunotherapy ferritin nanodrug delivery system denoted as ITFn‐Pt(IV) is introduced. This system orchestrates a synergistic fusion of PD‐L1 blockade, chemotherapy, and T‐cell activation, aiming to augment the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy. Leveraging genetic engineering approach and temperature‐regulated channel‐based drug loading techniques, the architecture of this intelligent responsive system is refined. It is adept at facilitating the precise release of T‐cell activating peptide Tα1 in the tumor milieu, leading to an elevation in T‐cell proliferation and activation. The integration of PD‐L1 nanobody KN035 ensures targeted engagement with tumor cells and mediates the intracellular delivery of the encapsulated Pt(IV) drugs, culminating in immunogenic cell death and the subsequent dendritic cell maturation. Employing esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) as tumor model, the potent antitumor efficacy of ITFn‐Pt(IV) is elucidated, underscored by augmented T‐cell infiltration devoid of systemic adverse effects. These findings accentuate the potential of ITFn‐Pt(IV) for ESCC treatment and its applicability to other malignancies resistant to established PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockade therapies.
Assessing the effect of cultural practices on Mississippi corn production: 2. Grain composition
Authors: Gajula Praveen , Dew James , Sharma Ramandeep Kumar , Kaur Gurpreet , Singh Gurbir , Bheemanahalli Raju , Reed Vaughn , Dhillon Jagmandeep
Published: December 2023

Global demand for corn (Zea mays L.) is increasing, and it remains one of the most consumed crops by both humans and animals due to its high calorie content. However, corn grain quality research is sparse and often focused only on a few selected influencing factors. Therefore, two side‐by‐side studies (Addition and Deletion) were conducted in 2020 and 2021 in Mississippi to assess the grain composition including protein, starch, oil, and moisture of corn under several management practices. A randomized complete block design was implemented in both experiments involving a complete factorial of three factors including two plant populations (32,000 and 40,000 seed acre−1), two‐row configurations (single and twin), and six combinations of nutrients plus fungicide application (NF). The trials differed based on the manner of NF applications. In the trial termed Addition, all NF treatments were added incrementally, whereas in the Deletion trial they were withheld in a stepwise manner. Conditional inference tree analysis was conducted to examine interaction effects among the three factors over 3 site‐years. Corn protein content ranged between 8.2% and 9.8% across all years and locations. All three factors and certain interactions significantly influenced both protein and starch content. Specifically, single row planting, 40,000 seeds acre−1, and higher rates of N resulted in higher protein content. Contrarily, the starch content was positively influenced by twin row, 32,000 seeds acre−1 and only N application. Single row configuration resulted in higher oil than twin rows. This study determined that different management factors have the potential to positively influence protein, starch, and oil. These management strategies could extend farmers profitability and provide superior products for industrial purposes with additional implications for livestock feed supplements.
Incidence of opioid‐induced constipation in the pediatric intensive care unit: A descriptive cohort study
Authors: Roller Meghan D. , Panchal Apurva , Duesing Lori , Mikhailov Theresa A.
Published: December 2023

Background

Opioid‐induced constipation (OIC) is a well‐known phenomenon, although there is limited literature evaluating the incidence of OIC in children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The primary aim of this study was to determine the incidence of OIC in the PICU and to determine if it is associated with a higher rate of morbidities or prolonged length of stay (LOS).

Methods

We conducted a single‐center retrospective chart review from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015, in our PICU. We included all patients aged ≤18 years with a PICU stay of ≥96 h who received opioids during their admission. Data were collected on the frequency of bowel movements and characteristics of opioid administration. Demographic and clinical data were obtained from Virtual Pediatric Systems, LLC.

Results

Of the 94 patients who met the study criteria, 39.4% developed constipation. These patients tended to be older (P = 0.06) and were noted to weigh more (P = 0.03). There was no significant difference in the total or median daily doses, duration of opioid treatment, or mode of administration. Constipation rates did not differ by the severity of illness. There was a higher incidence of constipation in the patients who were admitted for neurological issues or after trauma or abdominal surgery (P = 0.002). Patients with constipation had a longer LOS than patients without constipation, but the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

These results indicate that opioid use is not the sole risk factor for constipation in the PICU setting.
Outcomes for central venous catheter repair in patients receiving long‐term home parenteral support: A descriptive cohort study
Authors: Bond Ashley , Hall Kirsty , Taylor Michael , Duxbury Andrea , Cawley Cathy , Abraham Arun , Teubner Antje , Lal Simon
Published: December 2023

Background

Central venous catheter (CVC) complications are frequently reported in patients receiving home parenteral support (HPS). Compromised CVC integrity or breakage is one such issue. Repairing such breakages can potentially avoid costly and risky catheter replacements.

Methods

We completed a retrospective descriptive cohort study using a prospectively maintained data set, in a national UK intestinal failure reference center. Repair success, CVC longevity, and catheter‐related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) rates after repair were the primary outcome measures.

Results

A total of 763 patients received HPS. There were 137 CVC repairs: 115 (84%) tunneled CVCs and 22 peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) attempted in 72 patients. Of the 137 attempts at CVC repair, 120 (88%) were deemed to be successful, allowing a median duration of subsequent CVC use of 336 days following repair (range 3–1696 days), which equates to 99,602 catheter days of HPS infusion. Three patients had a CRBSI within 90 days of repair, and patients required admission to the hospital for refeeding on 14 occasions following repair, such that hospitalization was avoided in 103/120 (86%) occasions following successful CVC repair. There was no increase in the recorded rate of CRBSIs in patients undergoing CVC repair compared with the CRBSI rates of all HPS‐dependent patients under our care during the study period (0.03 vs 0.344/1000 catheter days, respectively).

Conclusion

This is the largest single‐center experience to demonstrate that CVCs, including PICCs, used for the administration of HPS can be safely repaired, prolonging CVC longevity without leading to an increased risk of CRBSI.
Absence of association between low calf circumference, adjusted or not for adiposity, and ICU mortality in critically ill adults: A secondary analysis of a cohort study
Authors: Bernardes Simone , Stello Bruna Barbosa , Milanez Danielle Silla Jobim , Razzera Elisa Loch , Silva Flávia Moraes
Published: December 2023

Background

Despite its correlation with skeletal muscle mass and its predictive value for adverse outcomes in clinical settings, calf circumference is a metric underexplored in intensive care. We aimed to determine whether adjusting low calf circumference for adiposity provides prognostic value superior to its unadjusted measurement for intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and other clinical outcomes in critically ill patients.

Methods

In a secondary analysis of a cohort study across five ICUs, we assessed critically ill patients within 24 h of ICU admission. We adjusted calf circumference for body mass index (BMI) (25–29.9, 30–39.9, and ≥40) by subtracting 3, 7, or 12 cm from it, respectively. Values ≤34 cm for men and ≤33 cm for women identified low calf circumference.

Results

We analyzed 325 patients. In the primary risk‐adjusted analysis, the ICU death risk was similar between the low and preserved calf circumference (BMI‐adjusted) groups (hazard ratio, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.47–1.73). Low calf circumference (unadjusted) increased the odds of ICU readmission 2.91 times (95% CI, 1.40–6.05). Every 1‐cm increase in calf circumference as a continuous variable reduced ICU readmission odds by 12%. Calf circumference showed no significant association with other clinical outcomes.

Conclusion

BMI‐adjusted calf circumference did not exhibit independent associations with ICU and in‐hospital death, nor with ICU and in‐hospital length of stay, compared with its unadjusted measurement. However, low calf circumference (unadjusted and BMI‐adjusted) was independently associated with ICU readmission, mainly when analyzed as a continuous variable.
High protein intake and nitrogen balance in patients receiving venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: A descriptive cohort study
Authors: Pelekhaty Stacy L. , Peiffer Meredith , Leibowitz Joshua L. , Tabatabai Ali
Published: December 2023

Background

This retrospective cohort study sought to describe the ability of high protein regimens to achieve nitrogen equilibrium in patients receiving venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO).

Methods

Patients aged ≥18 years with a documented nitrogen balance study (NB) on VV ECMO between February 2018 and December 2021 were included. Studies with incomplete 24‐h urine collections or changes in blood urea nitrogen ≥10 mg/dl were excluded. Data were summarized, correlation between first NB and potentially contributing variables was assessed with Kendall tau. Subanalysis described findings after stratifying for weight class (obese vs nonobese) and duration of VV ECMO at the time of NB.

Results

A total of 68 NBs in 30 patients were included; 47% of the cohort had obesity. The number of NBs per patient was 2.2 ± 1.1, which were completed on a median of 31.5 (interquartile range: 16, 53.8) days receiving ECMO. Nitrogen equilibrium or positive balance was achieved in 72% of studies despite elevated nitrogen excretion. Patients received 87.9 ± 16.8% of prescribed protein on NB days for average intakes of 2.4 ± 0.4 g/kg of actual weight per day and 2.4 ± 0.5 g/kg of ideal weight per day in patients without and with obesity. Median NB in patients without obesity was −1.46 (−8.96, 2.98) g/day and −0.21 (−10.58, 4.04) g/day in patients with obesity. A difference in median NB after stratification for timing was observed (P = 0.029).

Conclusion

Nitrogen equilibrium can be achieved with high protein intake in adults receiving VV ECMO. NB monitoring is one tool to individualize protein prescriptions throughout the course of VV ECMO.
Research on temperature and pressure interference in photoacoustic spectroscopy gas detection
Authors: Ye Weilin , Luo Wenxuan , Liu Weihao , Xiao Jingsong , Ye Ruibing , Lin Qi , Li Qinhui , Deng Lei , Li Quanjie , Niu Xiaodong
Published: December 2023

Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is a highly sensitive optical detection technique for trace gases. However, PAS is sensitive to environmental factors such as temperature and pressure during actual measurement. In this paper, we study the interference characteristics of temperature and pressure in PAS gas detection. The influence of pressure and temperature on PAS is theoretically analyzed based on the basic principle of gas photoacoustic spectroscopy. The effect of different pressure and temperature conditions on the resonance frequency and signal amplitude of PAS is studied through COMSOL software simulation and validated through experiments. Results show that changes in temperature and pressure will affect the resonance frequency and signal amplitude of PAS, thereby impacting the system's sensitivity and accuracy. To reduce the impact of temperature on the PAS sensor, a temperature compensation model was derived based on experimental analysis. Real‐time temperature detection is used to compensate for the photoacoustic signal based on temperature changes, which can improve the accuracy and stability of photoacoustic spectroscopy gas detection. For 5% CO2, the photoacoustic signal and experimental temperature data were measured for 3612 s, and after temperature compensation, the detection limit was 0.0192% at an integration time of 365 s, which is 0.0128% higher than before temperature compensation. The system's normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient is 3.30 × 10−8 cm−1 WHz−1/2. This research improves the accuracy and reliability of photoacoustic spectroscopy gas detection technology and provides useful references for temperature correction in similar gas detection fields.
Cannabis use in the United States and its impact on gastrointestinal health
Authors: Alshaarawy Omayma , Balasubramanian Gokulakrishnan , Venkatesan Thangam
Published: December 2023

In recent years, the legalization and social acceptability of cannabis use have increased in the United States. Concurrently, the prevalence of cannabis use has continued to rise, and cannabis products have diversified. There are growing concerns regarding the health effects of regular and high‐potency cannabis use, and new research has shed light on its potentially negative effects. Here, we review evidence of the gastrointestinal (GI) effects of cannabis and cannabinoids. Dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system might contribute to various GI disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome and cyclic vomiting syndrome, and endocannabinoids have been found to regulate visceral sensation, nausea, vomiting, and the gut microbiome. Cannabis has been shown to have antiemetic properties, and the US Food and Drug Administration has approved cannabis‐based medications for treating chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting. Yet, chronic heavy cannabis use has been linked to recurrent episodes of severe nausea and intractable vomiting (cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome). Given the considerable heterogeneity in the scientific literature, it is unclear if cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome is truly a distinct entity or a subtype of cyclic vomiting that is unmasked by heavy cannabis use and the associated dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system. The changes in cannabis legalization, availability, and public risk perceptions have outpaced research in this area and there is a need for robust, prospective, large‐scale studies to understand the effects of cannabis use on GI health.
Moral distress and moral sensitivity in clinical nurses
Authors: Kovanci Mustafa Sabri , Atli Özbaş Azize
Published: December 2023

Health care providers are expected to have a certain moral sensitivity (MS) to make an ethical assessment. Moral distress (MD) is a common phenomenon in nursing. It can negatively affect nurses physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between MD and MS among nurses using a cross‐sectional descriptive design. The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage was a methodological study that analyzed validity and reliability of the Measure of MD—Healthcare Professionals. The second stage was a descriptive‐ predictive analysis that investigated the relationship between MD and MS. The MD intensity and frequency scores of the participants were high and moderately high, respectively. There was no direct effect on the total score and frequency of MS and MD. However, a direct and significant negative effect of MS was seen on the intensity of MD. Based on the results of this study, MS should be considered as a measure in studies aimed at understanding MD among clinical nurses. Empowerment programs should be established to increase the awareness of health workers about ethical and moral situations and to support them to cope with the problems they experience in these areas.
Controlled polymerization in microfluidics: Advancement in nanogel synthesis
Authors: Pandey Tejasvi , Sharma Aditi , Sandhu Anuradha , Pandey Vivek
Published: December 2023

This comprehensive review provides a detailed examination of controlled polymerization in the development of nanogels‐based microfluidic devices. Here, we have explored the integration of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) techniques within microfluidic platforms for the synthesis of nanogels. The synergistic combination of ATRP and RAFT with microfluidics has emerged as a powerful tool for precise control over polymerization reactions, enabling the fabrication of well‐defined, multifunctional nanogels with tailored properties. The review begins with a thorough introduction to the principles of ATRP and RAFT, highlighting their respective advantages in controlled radical polymerization. Subsequently, it elucidates the principles of microfluidics and its profound impact on polymerization processes. The merging of these techniques enables precise control over reaction kinetics, monomer conversions, and molecular weight distributions, facilitating the synthesis of nanogels with unprecedented precision and reproducibility. Furthermore, this review delves into the chemical mechanisms underlying ATRP and RAFT reactions in microfluidic environments, emphasizing the role of various initiators, catalysts, and chain transfer agents. Special attention is given to the impact of microscale flow conditions on reaction kinetics and polymer structure. In addition, the review discusses emerging trends in the field, such as the incorporation of novel monomers and the exploration of environmentally benign reaction conditions.

Highlights

The controlled polymerization is the mechanism by which we can obtain tailormade material.

The nanogel synthesis must ensure the gelation to be in confined dimensions here microfluidics plays key role.
Synthesis and aggregation behavior of poly(5‐alkyl‐2,3‐thiophene)‐based diblock copolymers
Authors: Jiang Yongkang , Zhao Qingqing , Liu Xiaofeng , Peng Juan
Published: December 2023

Despite impressive advances achieved in poly(3‐alkylthiophene)s (P3ATs) and P3AT‐based block copolymers (BCPs), the investigation into their ortho‐connected systems, poly(5‐alkylthiophene)s (P5ATs) and P5AT‐based BCPs is rather limited. Moreover, the aggregation behavior of P5ATs and their BCPs remains largely less understood. Herein, we report, for the first time, the judicious design and synthesis of a family of poly(5‐butylthiophene)‐block‐poly(5‐hexylthiophene) (P5BT‐b‐P5HT) BCPs with adjustable block ratios and reveal the effects of block ratios and thermal annealing process on their aggregated structures. Moreover, the optical properties of P5BT‐b‐P5HT BCPs have been investigated, which differs greatly from P3ATs. Overall, this work offers valuable insight into the aggregation and optical properties of P5AT‐based BCPs, strengthening our fundamental understanding of ortho‐connected P5AT systems.
Porous Iron Oxide Core–Gold Satellite Nanocomposite: A Cost‐Effective and Recyclable Solution for Photocatalytic Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Koo Thomas Myeongseok , Fu Hong En , Moon Jun Hwan , Oh Eunsoo , Kim Yeonbeom , Ko Min Jun , Kim Young Keun
Published: December 2023

Organic pollutants in wastewater pose serious threats to human health and the environment. Nevertheless, potent strategies are being devised to tackle this critical issue. Specifically, advanced oxidation processes driven by solar energy and photocatalysts show promise for the degradation of organic pollutants. In particular, porous nanomaterials are effective as photocatalysts because of their high surface area, light‐harvesting properties, and ability to generate reactive oxygen species. To further expedite the development of feasible and sustainable organic‐pollutant‐degrading schemes, this article reports a strategy rooted in selective core etching for fabricating a core‐satellite‐type porous Fe3O4–Au nanocomposite. The Fe3O4 core behaves as a semiconductor to generate electron–hole pairs, whereas the Au satellite units serve as hot‐electron donors under visible‐light irradiation. The nanocomposite exhibits exceptional photocatalytic activity, degrading methylene blue molecules by 97% in just 1 h under visible light, and maintains its photocatalytic performance even after five rounds of recycling. Moreover, the nanocomposite achieves 90% tetracycline decomposition within 2 h. In addition to exhibiting noteworthy photocatalytic activity, the nanocomposite is magnetically separable, facilitating its recovery and reuse and exhibiting remarkable stability and cost‐effectiveness. These attributes underscore the practical viability of the core‐satellite‐type Fe3O4–Au nanocomposite in wastewater treatment.
Vibrations and buckling of triangular graphene sheet in polymer matrix
Authors: Mazur Olga , Awrejcewicz Jan
Published: December 2023

The work is devoted to the study of vibrations and buckling of a graphene sheet (GS) with the shape of a right triangle, and embedded in a nonlinear polymer matrix. The research is based on the nonlocal elasticity theory and the application of the Bubnov‐Galerkin method. Due to the influence of the polymer surrounding, the study of vibrations is reduced to the analysis of a nonlinear cubic ordinary differential equation considering small‐scale effects. The nonlocal buckling problem for the triangular GS under in‐plane uniform compression is investigated including the finding of critical buckling load and the post‐buckling behaviour determined by the nonlinear medium effect.
On the Forchheimer‐extended Darcy‐Brinkman flow through a thin fracture
Authors: Pažanin Igor , Radulović Marko
Published: December 2023

In this paper, we study the flow through a thin fracture filled with fluid‐saturated sparsely packed porous medium. The problem is described by the Forchheimer extended Darcy‐Brinkman model incorporating the quadratic drag term as a result of the inertial effects. Employing asymptotic analysis with respect to the fracture's thickness, we derive the higher‐order approximation for the velocity and pressure distribution explicitly acknowledging the Forchheimer (inertial) term. We provide numerical example as well and perform a rigorous error analysis to indicate the order of accuracy of the proposed approximate solution.
Community Level Slope Disaster Risk Reduction Program through Multi-Scale Mapping by Mountain Ethnic Group in Northern Vietnam: Project Study by JICA/Lao Cai DARD/ITST
Authors: Thanh Nguyen Kim , Miyagi Toyohiko , Huy Ta Cong , Hamasaki Eisaku , Van Tien Dinh , Kasuya Yasuhiro
Published: December 2023

Recent advances in remote sensing have been remarkable, not only in terms of technology but also in terms of operability and price. Ethnic minorities in the mountains have historically barely survived repeated disasters. As a result, they are still living in an environment with a high risk of landslide disasters. Although the economic conditions of these residents deter their efforts to find engineering solutions to mitigate potential landslide disasters, they can adequately assess the regional conditions daily. By combining their abundant but fragmental knowledge of landslide disasters with our “Site Prediction Technology of Mapping,” we are trying to develop a local community that can avoid disasters and ensures their safety.

This project focuses on mountainous areas in northern Vietnam and is a collaborative effort among Vietnamese and Japanese engineers, local governments, and international organizations. We have begun to present ALOS World 3D (AW3D) data and data acquired by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to residents and use them for disaster prevention and evacuation drills. This mapping process is called Communication Based Evacuation Mapping (CBEM). Despite Japan’s long history of using maps to prevent disasters, it is rare for residents to use them actively, as having an engineer make and publish a map will not lead to its use by the residents. This paper introduces a series of measures taken from the creation of maps to the engagement of residents in slope disaster risk reduction.
Protection and Conservation of Georgian Rupestrian Cultural Heritage Sites: A Review
Authors: Frodella William , Gigli Giovanni , Spizzichino Daniele , Margottini Claudio , Elashvili Mikheil , Casagli Nicola
Published: December 2023

Many of the Georgian cultural heritage sites consist of rupestrian monastic complexes constructed between the sixth and the 12th centuries of exceptional universal value from a historical, cultural, and natural point of view. Many of them are affected by hydrogeological problems and require the planning of an effective risk mitigation strategy. This planning would help not only to preserve invaluable cultural heritage sites but also to enhance Georgia as an important tourist destination and improve the local economy. This paper aims to show an overview on the last decade’s activities coordinated by the National Agency for the Preservation of Georgian Cultural Heritage (NAGPCH) for the conservation of Georgian cultural heritage, thanks to the collaboration between national and international centers of research.
Zonation of Landslide Susceptibility in the Gipuzkoa Province (Spain): An Application of LAND-SUITE
Authors: Bornaetxea Txomin , Rossi Mauro , Reichenbach Paola
Published: December 2023

In the past 50 years, a large variety of statistically based models and methods for landslide susceptibility zonation have been proposed in the literature. The numerous methods, applicable to a large range of spatial scales, use several input thematic data, different model combinations and various approaches to evaluate the model performance. In the literature, only few articles describe tools that apply statistically based approaches for the susceptibility evaluation. This paper describes and illustrates, through an example in the Gipuzkoa province (Spain), the use of LAND-SUITE, a tool for the statistically based landslide susceptibility zonation. The application aims to show how LAND-SUITE provides utilities to: (i) support the user for the input data preparation; (ii) perform preliminary and exploratory analysis of the available data; (iii) test different combinations of variables and select the optimal thematic/explanatory set; (iv) test different model types and their combinations; and (v) evaluate the model performance and uncertainty. The suite showed high flexibility and allowed to perform different susceptibility applications, with diversified training/validation datasets partitions and validation tests. Given its specifications, LAND-SUITE can be easily applied elsewhere to perform similar studies but also to explore other landslide susceptibility applications.
Landslide Monitoring with RADARSAT Constellation Mission InSAR, RPAS-Derived Point-Clouds and RTK-GNSS Time-Series in the Thompson River Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Huntley David , Rotheram-Clarke Drew , MacLeod Roger , Cocking Robert , Joseph Jamel , LeSueur Philip
Published: December 2023

In this paper, we evaluate the effectiveness of four land-deformation measurement techniques for monitoring slow-moving landslides along a high-risk section of the national railway corridor traversing the Thompson River valley, British Columbia, Canada. The geomorphically active North Slide acts as an ideal field laboratory for testing and evaluating novel monitoring techniques and methods. We compare differential processing of Structure from Motion (SfM) products such as point-cloud elevation models and orthophotos derived from Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), along with satellite based Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) deformation measurements derived from RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM). These results are ground-truthed with periodic real-time kinematic (RTK) global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements. We evaluate point-cloud comparison techniques, including the multi-scale model-to-model cloud comparison (M3C2) algorithm and digital ortho image correlation techniques. Multi-temporal RCM InSAR deformation measurements are processed using a semi-automated processing system for interferogram generation and unwrapping. Manual processing of small baseline subsets (SBAS) leads to the recovery of 1-dimensional line-of-sight (LoS) and 2-dimensional deformation measurements. Lastly, we discuss the strengths and limitations of these techniques, considerations for interpreting their outputs, and considerations for direct comparisons between InSAR, RPAS and RTK-GNSS deformation measurements.
Sliding-Surface Liquefaction and Undrained Steady-State Shear-Strength
Authors: Sassa Kyoji , Doan Loi , Dang Khang , Tien Pham
Published: December 2023

The sliding-surface liquefaction (SSL) is one of the most important concepts to understand and reduce rapid landslide disaster risk. SSL occurs even in dense sandy layers. SSL is caused by a series of phenomena, 1) grain-crushing due to shearing under overburden pressure in the shear zone, 2) volume reduction in the shear zone, 3) generation of high pore-water pressure in the shear zone, and 4) liquefaction of the shear zone material.

After SSL, a mass of soil layer above the liquified sliding surface moves at high speed. Motion of sandy layer above the liquified sliding-surface was physically simulated under the corresponding normal stress by the undrained stress-control ring-shear apparatus. The shear stress acting on the sliding-surface and the generated pore pressure near the sliding surface are monitored. After failure, shear strength mobilized on the shear zone decreases by the effects of increased pore-water pressure, then, the shear strength working on the shear surface together with the generated pore pressure reaches a certain constant value which is the undrained steady-state shear-strength (USS). After reaching to USS, only shear displacement is increased without any change of shear stress and pore pressure. It is a common feature of rapid and long-travelling landslides which poses a high risk to people living in/near slopes.
Use of GIS to Assess Susceptibility per Landform Unit to Gravitational Processes and their Volume
Authors: Paulín Gabriel Legorreta , Alanís-Anaya Rocío Marisol , Arana-Salinas Lilia , Parrot Jean-François , Castro-Miguel Rutilio
Published: December 2023

Landslide susceptibility per landform unit and its potential contribution of material was calculated for a 105 km2 watershed on the south flank of Pico de Orizaba volcano, Mexico. More than six hundred landslides were mapped and grouped into landform units. Fifteen landform units were derived from fieldwork, aerial photo interpretation, land use, and morphometric parameters. For each landform, landslide susceptibility was calculated from the area and frequency of landslides. Volume calculation used a surface area-volume power law from geometric values of shallow landslides. Support by Geographic Information Systems created a comprehensive method. Although most landslides were in volcanic landform units, those in sedimentary units contributed more sediment per square kilometer. The study shows that landform units can be used to explain the predisposition and variability of landslide sediment production for a large and complex geological watershed.
Identification and Mitigation of Reservoir Landslides: Cases Studied in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China
Authors: Tang Huiming
Published: December 2023

Reservoir landslides are one of the most common types of geohazards in reservoir areas. It is of great theoretical significance and engineering application value to carry out the identification and mitigation research of them. In the Three Gorges Reservoir area (TGRA), a series of studies were conducted on the reservoir landslides in aspects of their characteristics, evolution mechanisms, prevention and control, and forecasting by means of field investigation, monitoring and in-situ experiment, etc. Massive corpora of these research work are summarized and presented here in five aspects, with the goal of gaining insights into the effective prevention and mitigation of them: (1) the characteristics of the reservoir landslides located in the TGRA were summarized; (2) the stability evaluation methods of reservoir landslide include qualitative, limit equilibrium methods, numerical simulation methods and probabilistic methods were introduced; (3) the in-situ experiment on slipping zone soil of reservoir landslides carried out on the Huangtupo landslide was described; (4) the research progresses in reservoir landslide prevention and control was introduced; (5) the prospects of reservoir landslides forecasting based on physical-mechanical mechanism was elaborated. Based on the overview, suggests topics for future research are given to address the remaining challenges of reservoir landslides.
Modelling of Landslide-Structure Interaction (LSI) Through Material Point Method (MPM)
Authors: Di Perna Angela , Cuomo Sabatino , Martinelli Mario
Published: December 2023

A novel numerical approach, namely Material Point Method (MPM), is applied to analyze the build-up of pore water pressure inside the landslide body during the impact against different types of structures. To this aim, the landslide soil is schematized as a two-phase elasto-plastic material, while the structural materials are assumed as one-phase elasto-plastic bodies. The complex Landslide-Structure Interaction (LSI) is simulated for different landslide scenarios, including the formation of “dead-zones” behind the structures and/or the run-up mechanisms, even including in some cases unacceptable displacements or the complete disruption of the impacted structure. Independent on site-specific conditions, it is shown that landslide pore water pressures undergo significant tempo-spatial evolution during a dynamic impact, meaning that a hydro-mechanical coupled approach is fully needed for an adequate LSI analysis.
Landslide Research and Technology in International Standards
Authors: Mikoš Matjaž
Published: December 2023

Science, Technology, and Innovation play a pivotal role in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 (SF DRR). The International Consortium on Landslides (ICL) initiated the Sendai Landslide Partnerships 2015–2025 as a voluntary commitment to SF DRR. In 2020, the ICL launched the Kyoto 2020 Commitment for Global Promotion of Understanding and Reducing Landslide Disaster Risk (KLC2020) as a follow-up of the Sendai Landslide Partnerships 2015–2025.

Landslide-related scientific articles discussing methodologies were extracted from the Web of Science and SCOPUS, using different search terms in the article titles, abstracts, and keywords. SCOPUS yielded a somewhat higher number of extracted articles, especially when using article abstracts. The extracted articles were mainly related to assessment, hazard, and risk, and less to vulnerability or damage.

A list of 22 international standards containing landslide-related terms (landslide, debris flow, rock fall) was prepared using the Online Browsing Platform by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This is a rather small fraction of over 22,000 ISO standards published so far. Next, two ISO standards are discussed in a more detailed way. Additionally, a set of Austrian standards in the field of torrent control are mentioned.

The International Consortium on Landslides with its global membership may contribute more to the field of standardization for landslide disaster risk reduction.
Landslide Early Warning System Based on the Empirical Approach: Case Study in Ha Long City (Vietnam)
Authors: Ha Nguyen Duc , Duong Nguyen Huy , Khanh Nguyen Quoc , Viet Tran The , Van Vung Do , Van Nguyen Thi Hai , Ninh Nguyen Hoang
Published: December 2023

Landslides refer to a common type of natural disaster in the mountainous areas in Vietnam, potentially causing detrimental impacts on humans, property, and the environment. In light of the emerging damage pertaining to this type of natural disaster in recent years, the construction of an effective landslide early warning system appears to be more critically urgent than ever.

This study proposes a landslide early warning system based on a landslide susceptibility map and a rainfall threshold for Ha Long City (capital of Quang Ninh Province). Due to the difference in the collected data, the Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation (SMCE) method was used to create a landslide susceptibility map at a scale of 1:50,000 for Quang Ninh Province, while the empirical method was used to establish the landslide rainfall threshold for Ha Long City, using data from 2005 to 2016 on rainfall and landslides.

The results, which were verified with the inventory map (for the landslide susceptibility map) and with the landslide and rainfall data in the 2017–2021 period (for the rainfall threshold), showed the reliability of predicting the spatial and temporal occurrences of landslides.

Following that, the landslide susceptibility map and rainfall threshold can be added to a WebGIS-based landslide early warning system along with information from automatic weather stations and rainfall forecasts. This will help authorities and local people in the study area get landslide warnings effectively.
Protein-centric omics integration analysis identifies candidate plasma proteins for multiple autoimmune diseases
Authors: Chen Yingxuan , Liu Shuai , Gong Weiming , Guo Ping , Xue Fuzhong , Zhou Xiang , Wang Shukang , Yuan Zhongshang
Published: December 2023

It remains challenging to translate the findings from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of autoimmune diseases (AIDs) into interventional targets, presumably due to the lack of knowledge on how the GWAS risk variants contribute to AIDs. In addition, current immunomodulatory drugs for AIDs are broad in action rather than disease-specific. We performed a comprehensive protein-centric omics integration analysis to identify AIDs-associated plasma proteins through integrating protein quantitative trait loci datasets of plasma protein (1348 proteins and 7213 individuals) and totally ten large-scale GWAS summary statistics of AIDs under a cutting-edge systematic analytic framework. Specifically, we initially screened out the protein-AID associations using proteome-wide association study (PWAS), followed by enrichment analysis to reveal the underlying biological processes and pathways. Then, we performed both Mendelian randomization (MR) and colocalization analyses to further identify protein-AID pairs with putatively causal relationships. We finally prioritized the potential drug targets for AIDs. A total of 174 protein-AID associations were identified by PWAS. AIDs-associated plasma proteins were significantly enriched in immune-related biological process and pathways, such as inflammatory response (P = 3.96 × 10–10). MR analysis further identified 97 protein-AID pairs with potential causal relationships, among which 21 pairs were highly supported by colocalization analysis (PP.H4 > 0.75), 10 of 21 were the newly discovered pairs and not reported in previous GWAS analyses. Further explorations showed that four proteins (TLR3, FCGR2A, IL23R, TCN1) have corresponding drugs, and 17 proteins have druggability. These findings will help us to further understand the biological mechanism of AIDs and highlight the potential of these proteins to develop as therapeutic targets for AIDs.
PolyDSS: computer-aided decision support system for multiclass polyp segmentation and classification using deep learning
Authors: Saad Abdelrahman I. , Maghraby Fahima A. , Badawy Osama M.
Published: December 2023

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a malignant condition that affects the colon or rectum, and it is distinguished by abnormal cell growth in these areas. Colon polyps, which are abnormalities, can turn into cancer. To stop the spread of cancer, early polyp detection is essential. The timely removal of polyps without submitting a sample for histology is made possible by computer-assisted polyp classification. In addition to Locally Shared Features (LSF) and ensemble learning majority voting, this paper introduces a computer-aided decision support system named PolyDSS to assist endoscopists in segmenting and classifying various polyp classes using deep learning models like ResUNet and ResUNet++ and transfer learning models like EfficientNet. The PICCOLO dataset is used to train and test the PolyDSS model. To address the issue of class imbalance, data augmentation techniques were used on the dataset. To investigate the impact of each technique on the model, extensive experiments were conducted. While the classification module achieved the highest accuracy of 0.9425 by utilizing the strength of ensemble learning using majority voting, the proposed segmenting module achieved the highest Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) of 0.9244 using ResUNet++ and LSF. In conjunction with the Paris classification system, the PolyDSS model, with its significant results, can assist clinicians in identifying polyps early and choosing the best approach to treatment.