bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Progressing of a power model for electrical conductivity of graphene-based composites
Authors: Zare Yasser , Rhee Kyong Yop , Park Soo-Jin
Published: January 2023

This work presents a power equation for the conductivity of graphene-based polymer composites by the tunneling length, interphase deepness and filler size. The impressions of these factors on the effective concentration and percolation beginning of graphene nano-sheets in nanocomposites are also expressed. The developed equations for percolation beginning and conductivity are examined by the experimented data of some examples, which can guesstimate the interphase depth, tunneling size and percolation exponent. Besides, the impacts of numerous factors on the percolation beginning and conductivity are designed. The developed equation for percolation beginning shows the formation of thick interphase and large tunnels in the reported samples. So, disregarding of tunneling and interphase spaces in polymer graphene nanocomposites overpredicts the percolation beginning. Additionally, the developed model presents the acceptable calculations for the conductivity of samples. Among the mentioned parameters, the concentration and graphene conductivity in addition to the interphase depth induce the strongest effects on the conductivity of composites.
Impact of hydrogen gas inhalation during therapeutic hypothermia on cerebral hemodynamics and oxygenation in the asphyxiated piglet
Authors: Nakamura Shinji , Nakao Yasuhiro , Htun Yinmon , Mitsuie Tsutomu , Koyano Kosuke , Morimoto Aya , Konishi Yukihiko , Arioka Makoto , Kondo Sonoko , Kato Ikuko , Ohta Ken-ichi , Yasuda Saneyuki , Miki Takanori , Ueno Masaki , Kusaka Takashi
Published: January 2023

We previously reported the neuroprotective potential of combined hydrogen (H2) gas ventilation therapy and therapeutic hypothermia (TH) by assessing the short-term neurological outcomes and histological findings of 5-day neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephalopathy piglets. However, the effects of H2 gas on cerebral circulation and oxygen metabolism and on prognosis were unknown. Here, we used near-infrared time-resolved spectroscopy to compare combined H2 gas ventilation and TH with TH alone. Piglets were divided into three groups: HI insult with normothermia (NT, n = 10), HI insult with hypothermia (TH, 33.5 ± 0.5 °C, n = 8), and HI insult with hypothermia plus H2 ventilation (TH + H2, 2.1–2.7%, n = 8). H2 ventilation and TH were administered and the cerebral blood volume (CBV) and cerebral hemoglobin oxygen saturation (ScO2) were recorded for 24 h after the insult. CBV was significantly higher at 24 h after the insult in the TH + H2 group than in the other groups. ScO2 was significantly lower throughout the 24 h after the insult in the TH + H2 group than in the NT group. In conclusion, combined H2 gas ventilation and TH increased CBV and decreased ScO2, which may reflect elevated cerebral blood flow to meet greater oxygen demand for the surviving neurons, compared with TH alone.
Immortalized murine tenocyte cells: a novel and innovative tool for tendon research
Authors: Oreff Gil Lola , Maurer Barbara , ELKhamary Ahmed N. , Gerner Iris , Sexl Veronika , Jenner Florien
Published: January 2023

Primary tenocytes rapidly undergo senescence and a phenotypic drift upon in vitro monolayer culture, which limits tendon research. The Ink4a/Arf locus encodes the proteins p16Ink4a/Arf and p14ARF (p19ARF in mice) that regulate cell cycle progression and senescence. We here established an immortalized cell line using tenocytes isolated from Ink4a/Arf deficient mice (Ink4a/Arf−/−). These cells were investigated at three distinct time points, at low (2–5), intermediate (14–17) and high (35–44) passages. Wild-type cells at low passage (2–5) served as controls. Ink4a/Arf−/− tenocytes at all stages were comparable to wild-type cells regarding morphology, expression of tenogeneic genes (collagen type 1, 3 and 5, Scleraxis, Tenomodulin and Tenascin-C), and surface markers (CD29, CD44 and CD105) and form 3D tendon-like structures. Importantly, Ink4a/Arf−/− tenocytes maintained their phenotypic features and proliferation potential in culture for more than 40 passages and also following freeze–thaw cycles. In contrast, wild-type tenocytes underwent senescence starting in passage 6. These data define Ink4a/Arf−/− tenocytes as novel tool for in vitro tendon research and as valuable in vitro alternative to animal experiments.
Computer-aided design and 3-dimensional artificial/convolutional neural network for digital partial dental crown synthesis and validation
Authors: Farook Taseef Hasan , Ahmed Saif , Jamayet Nafij Bin , Rashid Farah , Barman Aparna , Sidhu Preena , Patil Pravinkumar , Lisan Awsaf Mahmood , Eusufzai Sumaya Zabin , Dudley James , Daood Umer
Published: January 2023

The current multiphase, invitro study developed and validated a 3-dimensional convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) to generate partial dental crowns (PDC) for use in restorative dentistry. The effectiveness of desktop laser and intraoral scanners in generating data for the purpose of 3D-CNN was first evaluated (phase 1). There were no significant differences in surface area [t-stat(df) = − 0.01 (10), mean difference = − 0.058, P > 0.99] and volume [t-stat(df) = 0.357(10)]. However, the intraoral scans were chosen for phase 2 as they produced a greater level of volumetric details (343.83 ± 43.52 mm3) compared to desktop laser scanning (322.70 ± 40.15 mm3). In phase 2, 120 tooth preparations were digitally synthesized from intraoral scans, and two clinicians designed the respective PDCs using computer-aided design (CAD) workflows on a personal computer setup. Statistical comparison by 3-factor ANOVA demonstrated significant differences in surface area (P < 0.001), volume (P < 0.001), and spatial overlap (P < 0.001), and therefore only the most accurate PDCs (n = 30) were picked to train the neural network (Phase 3). The current 3D-CNN produced a validation accuracy of 60%, validation loss of 0.68–0.87, sensitivity of 1.00, precision of 0.50–0.83, and serves as a proof-of-concept that 3D-CNN can predict and generate PDC prostheses in CAD for restorative dentistry.
Measuring accessibility to public services and infrastructure criticality for disasters risk management
Authors: Tariverdi Mersedeh , Nunez-del-Prado Miguel , Leonova Nadezda , Rentschler Jun
Published: January 2023

Component criticality analysis of infrastructure systems has traditionally focused on physical networks rather than infrastructure services. As an example, a key objective of transport infrastructure is to ensure mobility and resilient access to public services, including for the population, service providers, and associated supply chains. We introduce a new user-centric measure for estimating infrastructure criticality and urban accessibility to critical public services - particularly healthcare facilities without loss of generality - and the effects of disaster-induced infrastructure disruptions. Accessibility measures include individuals’ choices of all services in each sector. The approach is scalable and modular while preserving detailed features necessary for local planning decisions. It relies on open data to simulate various disaster scenarios, including floods, seismic, and compound shocks. We present results for Lima, Peru, and Manila, Philippines, to illustrate how the approach identifies the most affected areas by shocks, underserved populations, and changes in accessibility and critical infrastructure components. We capture the changes in people’s choices of health service providers under each scenario. For Lima, we show that the floods of 2020 caused an increase in average access times to all health services from 33 minutes to 48 minutes. We identify specific critical road segments for ensuring access under each scenario. For Manila, we locate the 22% of the population who lost complete access to all higher health services due to flooding of over 15 cm. The approach is used to identify and prioritize targeted measures to strengthen the resilience of critical public services and their supporting infrastructure systems, while putting the population at the center of decision-making.
Machine learning framework to segment sarcomeric structures in SMLM data
Authors: Varga Dániel , Szikora Szilárd , Novák Tibor , Pap Gergely , Lékó Gábor , Mihály József , Erdélyi Miklós
Published: January 2023

Object detection is an image analysis task with a wide range of applications, which is difficult to accomplish with traditional programming. Recent breakthroughs in machine learning have made significant progress in this area. However, these algorithms are generally compatible with traditional pixelated images and cannot be directly applied for pointillist datasets generated by single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) methods. Here, we have improved the averaging method developed for the analysis of SMLM images of sarcomere structures based on a machine learning object detection algorithm. The ordered structure of sarcomeres allows us to determine the location of the proteins more accurately by superimposing SMLM images of identically assembled proteins. However, the area segmentation process required for averaging can be extremely time-consuming and tedious. In this work, we have automated this process. The developed algorithm not only finds the regions of interest, but also classifies the localizations and identifies the true positive ones. For training, we used simulations to generate large amounts of labelled data. After tuning the neural network’s internal parameters, it could find the localizations associated with the structures we were looking for with high accuracy. We validated our results by comparing them with previous manual evaluations. It has also been proven that the simulations can generate data of sufficient quality for training. Our method is suitable for the identification of other types of structures in SMLM data.
Realtime user ratings as a strategy for combatting misinformation: an experimental study
Authors: Stein Jonas , Frey Vincenz , van de Rijt Arnout
Published: January 2023

Because fact-checking takes time, verdicts are usually reached after a message has gone viral and interventions can have only limited effect. A new approach recently proposed in scholarship and piloted on online platforms is to harness the wisdom of the crowd by enabling recipients of an online message to attach veracity assessments to it. The intention is to allow poor initial crowd reception to temper belief in and further spread of misinformation. We study this approach by letting 4000 subjects in 80 experimental bipartisan communities sequentially rate the veracity of informational messages. We find that in well-mixed communities, the public display of earlier veracity ratings indeed enhances the correct classification of true and false messages by subsequent users. However, crowd intelligence backfires when false information is sequentially rated in ideologically segregated communities. This happens because early raters’ ideological bias, which is aligned with a message, influences later raters’ assessments away from the truth. These results suggest that network segregation poses an important problem for community misinformation detection systems that must be accounted for in the design of such systems.
Analysing multi-perspective patient-related data during laparoscopic gynaecology procedures
Authors: Jalal Nour Aldeen , Abdulbaki Alshirbaji Tamer , Laufer Bernhard , Docherty Paul D. , Neumuth Thomas , Moeller Knut
Published: January 2023

Fusing data from different medical perspectives inside the operating room (OR) sets the stage for developing intelligent context-aware systems. These systems aim to promote better awareness inside the OR by keeping every medical team well informed about the work of other teams and thus mitigate conflicts resulting from different targets. In this research, a descriptive analysis of data collected from anaesthesiology and surgery was performed to investigate the relationships between the intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and lung mechanics for patients during laparoscopic procedures. Data of nineteen patients who underwent laparoscopic gynaecology were included. Statistical analysis of all subjects showed a strong relationship between the IAP and dynamic lung compliance (r = 0.91). Additionally, the peak airway pressure was also strongly correlated to the IAP in volume-controlled ventilated patients (r = 0.928). Statistical results obtained by this study demonstrate the importance of analysing the relationship between surgical actions and physiological responses. Moreover, these results form the basis for developing medical decision support models, e.g., automatic compensation of IAP effects on lung function.
Measurement-based preparation of stable coherent states of a Kerr parametric oscillator
Authors: Suzuki Yuta , Watabe Shohei , Kawabata Shiro , Masuda Shumpei
Published: January 2023

Kerr parametric oscillators (KPOs) have attracted increasing attention in terms of their application to quantum information processing and quantum simulations. The state preparation and measurement of KPOs are typical requirements when used as qubits. The methods previously proposed for state preparations of KPOs utilize modulation of external fields such as a pump and drive fields. We study the stochastic state preparation of stable coherent states of a KPO with homodyne detection, which does not require modulation of external fields, and thus can reduce experimental efforts and exclude unwanted effects of possible imperfection in control of external fields. We quantitatively show that the detection data, if averaged over an optimal averaging time to decrease the effect of measurement noise, has a strong correlation with the state of the KPO, and therefore can be used to estimate the state (stochastic state preparation). We examine the success probability of the state estimation taking into account the measurement noise and bit flips. Moreover, the proper range of the averaging time to realize a high success probability is obtained by developing a binomial-coherent-state model, which describes the stochastic dynamics of the KPO under homodyne detection.
The role of V-shaped oceans and ribbon continents in the Brasiliano/PanAfrican assembly of western Gondwana
Authors: Caxito Fabrício de Andrade , Alkmim Fernando Flecha
Published: January 2023

Western Gondwana amalgamated by collision of continental blocks that did not form prior conjugated margins (extroversion), and by typical Wilson cycles, when continental blocks that rifted away giving birth to new oceans were subsequently re-joined in approximately the same position (introversion). The introverted systems are characterized by the opening of V-shaped basins through rifting and hyperextension of various continental pieces (micro- and ribbon continents) from a former Central African Block. These continental fragments lost substantial parts of their mantle lithosphere and became decratonized while drifting towards the external Goiás-Pharusian ocean. Protracted seafloor spreading and consumption through subduction of the internal and external oceans, respectively, ultimately led to multiple, diachronous collisions with other continental blocks detached from Rodinia (Amazonian, West Africa, Embu, etc.). These collisions pushed the ribbon continents back and closed the introverted basins, squeezing and incorporating the reworked basement tracts between the main colliding blocks and the rigid remainder of the Central African Block (the São Francisco-Congo craton). Continental extrusion and lateral escape tectonics ensued, generating thousands-of-km long networks of anastomosing directional shear zones (keirogens), as a consequence of both the accretionary systems developed between the involved blocks and the highly deformable nature of the decratonized ribbon continents.
Substrated inhomogeneous metasurfaces analysis using interaction constant method
Authors: Hesari-Shermeh Maryam , Abbasi-Arand Bijan
Published: January 2023

Inhomogeneous metasurfaces as a periodic array of supercells in which each supercell consists of different types of particles are good candidates for increasing the bandwidth in many applications. However, the presence of a substrate is often apparent in many cases; therefore, analyzing substrated inhomogeneous metasurfaces is highly attractive and important. In this paper, an efficient analysis of the plane-wave scattering by inhomogeneous substrated metasurfaces is presented using interaction constant method (ICM). In our proposed method, we calculate the total effective polarizability tensors of inhomogeneous substrated metasurfaces using both the individual polarizabilities of each particle and the closed-form interaction coefficients that relate to the interactions of the particles with each other. Since the interaction constants are calculated analytically, this method is time effective for different arrangements of particles in supercells, and with different array periods. The reflectance and transmittance of different inhomogeneous metasurfaces have been obtained and compared to full-wave simulations by a commercial EM solver, here, and this has confirmed the accuracy of the numerical results of our proposed method. Moreover, in our last example, we present a wideband terahertz absorber, and analyze its structure with our method. It seems that our proposed method is a step forward in the analysis and design of inhomogeneous substrated metasurfaces, for various applications.
Entanglement detection with artificial neural networks
Authors: Asif Naema , Khalid Uman , Khan Awais , Duong Trung Q. , Shin Hyundong
Published: January 2023

Quantum entanglement is one of the essential resources involved in quantum information processing tasks. However, its detection for usage remains a challenge. The Bell-type inequality for relative entropy of coherence serves as an entanglement witness for pure entangled states. However, it does not perform reliably for mixed entangled states. This paper constructs a classifier by employing the relationship between coherence and entanglement for supervised machine learning methods. This method encodes multiple Bell-type inequalities for the relative entropy of coherence into an artificial neural network to detect the entangled and separable states in a quantum dataset.
Experimental characterization, modelling and compensation of temperature effects in optotunable lenses
Authors: Marrakchi Yassine , Barcala Xoana , Gambra Enrique , Martinez-Ibarburu Ivan , Dorronsoro Carlos , Sawides Lucie
Published: January 2023

Most tunable lenses (TLs) are affected by deviations in optical power induced by external temperature changes or due to internal heating while in use. This study proposes: (1) An experimental characterization method to evaluate the magnitude of the optical power deviations due to internal temperature shifts; (2) three different mathematical models (experimental, polynomial, and optimized) to describe the response of the lens with temperature; (3) predictions of the internal temperature shifts while using the lens in time frames of minutes, seconds, and milliseconds and; (4) a real time optical power compensation tool based on the implementation of the models on a custom voltage electronic driver. The compensation methods were successfully applied to two TL samples in static and dynamic experiments and in hysteresis cycles. After 40 min at a static nominal power of 5 diopters (dpt), the internal temperature exponentially increased by 17 °C, producing an optical power deviation of 1.0 dpt (1.5 dpt when the lens cools down), representing a 20% distortion for heating and 30% for cooling. Modelling and compensation reduced the deviations to 0.2 dpt when heating (0.35 dpt when cooling) and the distortions to 4% and 7%. Similar levels of improvement were obtained in dynamic and hysteresis experiments. Compensation reduced temperature effects by more than 75%, representing a significant improvement in the performance of the lens.
Usefulness of pyruvate dehydrogenase-E1α expression to determine SUVmax cut-off value of [18F]FDG-PET for predicting lymph node metastasis in lung cancer
Authors: Ito Ryuichi , Yashiro Masakazu , Tsukioka Takuma , Izumi Nobuhiro , Komatsu Hiroaki , Inoue Hidetoshi , Nishiyama Noritoshi
Published: January 2023

A more accurate cut-off value of maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) in [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([18F]FDG-PET/CT) is necessary to improve preoperative nodal staging in patients with lung cancer. Overall, 223 patients with lung cancer who had undergone [18F]FDG-PET/CT within 2 months before surgery were enrolled. The expression of glucose transporter-1, pyruvate kinase-M2, pyruvate dehydrogenase-E1α (PDH-E1α), and carbonic anhydrase-9 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Clinicopathological background was retrospectively investigated. According to PDH-E1α expression in primary lesion, a significant difference (p = 0.021) in SUVmax of metastatic lymph nodes (3.0 with PDH-positive vs 4.5 with PDH-negative) was found, but not of other enzymes. When the cut-off value of SUVmax was set to 2.5, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.529 and 0.562, respectively, and the positive and negative predictive values were 0.505 and 0.586, respectively. However, when the cut-off value of SUVmax was set according to PDH-E1α expression (2.7 with PDH-positive and 3.2 with PDH-negative), the sensitivity and specificity were 0.441 and 0.868, respectively, and the positive and negative predictive values were 0.738 and 0.648, respectively. The SUVmax cut-off value for metastatic lymph nodes depends on PDH-E1α expression in primary lung cancer. The new SUVmax cut-off value according to PDH-E1α expression showed higher specificity for [18F]FDG-PET in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis.
The high-dimensional geographic dataset revealed significant differences in the migration ability of cadmium from various sources in paddy fields
Authors: Wang Feng , Zhang Yanqiu , Wu Ting , Wu Lina , Shi Guoliang , An Yi
Published: January 2023

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in paddy fields and its subsequent transfer in soil–rice systems are of particular concern. Significant discrepancies exist in the transfer process of Cd pollution sources from soil to rice. Here, we proposed a novel hybrid framework to reveal the priority of controlling Cd pollution sources in soil–rice systems, based on a high-dimensional geographical database. We further defined transfer potential (TP) to describe the ability of Cd from soil to rice (TPr = Cdr/Cds) and activated status (TPa = Cda/Cds), respectively, to reveal the priority sources of Cd pollution at the regional scale. The mining source has both high levels of TPr and TPa, which should be a controlled priority. Followed by traffic sources with a higher value of TPr, showing the risk to rice rather than the soil. The activated and enriched capacities of soil Cd are unequal in different sources that we attribute to the disparities of Cd transport in soil–rice systems. Cd contamination shows a significant spatial heterogeneity due to the difference in its transport performance. Our findings provide support for designing site-specific and pollution-targeted control priorities for suitable Cd pollution mitigation strategies at the regional scale.
First measurement of energy diffusion in an electron beam due to quantum fluctuations in the undulator radiation
Authors: Tomin Sergey , Schneidmiller Evgeny , Decking Winfried
Published: January 2023

Plasma and beam physics are usually considered as classical physics disciplines with quantum effects featuring only rarely. In particular, free electron lasers (FELs) even in the Angstrom regime (developed recently and being upgraded towards even shorter wavelengths) are well described by classical mechanics and electrodynamics. There is, however, a quantum effect that can influence the operation of these devices and limit the shortest achievable wavelength, namely energy diffusion in an electron beam due to quantum fluctuations in undulator radiation. Although this effect has been calculated theoretically, it has never been measured. In this paper we present measurements of quantum diffusion effect at the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser. The method uses a recently installed wakefield structure, which enables measurements of the longitudinal phase space after the hard X-ray undulator. The effect of quantum diffusion in the undulator is measured for the first time, and the results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions.
Expression of Chrna9 is regulated by Tbx3 in undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Yazawa Takashi , Imamichi Yoshitaka , Kitano Takeshi , Islam Mohammad Sayful , Khan Md. Rafiqul Islam , Takahashi Satoru , Sekiguchi Toshio , Suzuki Nobuo , Umezawa Akihiro , Uwada Junsuke
Published: January 2023

It was reported that nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)-mediated signaling pathways affect the proliferation and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. However, detail expression profiles of nAChR genes were unrevealed in these cells. In this study, we comprehensively investigated the gene expression of α subunit of nAChRs (Chrna) during differentiation and induction of pluripotent stem cells. Mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells expressed multiple Chrna genes (Chrna3-5, 7 and 9) in undifferentiated status. Among them, Chrna9 was markedly down-regulated upon the differentiation into mesenchymal cell lineage. In mouse tissues and cells, Chrna9 was mainly expressed in testes, ES cells and embryonal F9 teratocarcinoma stem cells. Expression of Chrna9 gene was acutely reduced during differentiation of ES and F9 cells within 24 h. In contrast, Chrna9 expression was increased in induced pluripotent stem cells established from mouse embryonic fibroblast. It was shown by the reporter assays that T element-like sequence in the promoter region of Chrna9 gene is important for its activities in ES cells. Chrna9 was markedly reduced by siRNA-mediated knockdown of Tbx3, a pluripotency-related transcription factor of the T-box gene family. These results indicate that Chrna9 is a nAChR gene that are transcriptionally regulated by Tbx3 in undifferentiated pluripotent cells.
The color of aerosol particles
Authors: Giri Ramesh , Berg Matthew J.
Published: January 2023

Digital in-line holography (DIH) is an established method to image small particles in a manner where image reconstruction is performed computationally post-measurement. This ability renders it ideal for aerosol characterization, where particle collection or confinement is often difficult, if not impossible. Conventional DIH provides a gray-scale image akin to a particle’s silhouette, and while it gives the particle size and shape, there is little information about the particle material. Based on the recognition that the spectral reflectance of a surface is partly determined by the material, we demonstrate a method to image free-flowing particles with DIH in color with the eventual aim to differentiate materials based on the observed color. Holograms formed by the weak backscattered light from individual particles illuminated by red, green, and blue lasers are recorded by a color sensor. Images are reconstructed from the holograms and then layered to form a color image, the color content of which is quantified by chromaticity analysis to establish a representative signature. A variety of mineral dust aerosols are studied where the different signatures suggest the possibility to differentiate particle material. The ability of the method to resolve the inhomogeneous composition within a single particle in some cases is shown as well.
High precision and real-time acquisition system for interface stress measurement in bridge bearing
Authors: Cao Xinning , Li Guangming , Li Zhe , Sun Wujie , Yan Fabao , Jiang Ruijuan
Published: January 2023

Since the damage of the bridge structure may cause great disasters, it is necessary to monitor its health status, especially the bridge bearing, the important connecting component of the bridge's upper and lower structures. Nowadays, manual inspection is the main method to get the information of the bridge bearings’ work status. However, occasional damage of bridge bearing may not be detected in time, and sometime the installation position of the bearing makes the manual inspection on bridge bearing difficult and even impossible. Therefore, in order to know the work status of the bridge bearings timely, an intelligent remote monitoring system for the bridge bearing is developed. A 32-channel real-time acquisition system is designed by using an AD7768-1 analog-to-digital converter and Xilinx Spartan-6 Field Programmable Gate Array for interface stress continuously acquired in the bridge bearing. To assure the good linearity and low noise performance of the monitoring system, the data acquisition card is meticulously designed to reduce noise from both hardware and software and realize high-precision acquisition. Through the establishment of the monitoring server, the compressive stress data can be displayed synchronously and the overpressure situation can be alarmed in real-time. The experimental results show that the accuracy of the calibrated sensor is within 1.6%, and the detection error of the acquisition board is less than 200 μV. The acquisition system is deemed to have considerable advantages in accuracy and applicability.
Modulation of NaCl-induced osmotic, cytogenetic, oxidative and anatomic damages by coronatine treatment in onion (Allium cepa L.)
Authors: Çavuşoğlu Dilek
Published: January 2023

Coronatine (COR), a bacterial phytotoxin produced by Pseudomonas syringae, plays important roles in many plant growth processes. Onion bulbs were divided four groups to investigate the effects of COR against sodium chloride (NaCl) stress exposure in Allium cepa L. root tips. While control group bulbs were soaked in tap water medium, treatment group bulbs were grown in 0.15 M NaCl, 0.01 µM COR and 0.01 µM COR + 0.15 M NaCl medium, respectively. NaCl stress seriously inhibited the germination, root lenght, root number and fresh weight of the bulbs. It significantly decreased the mitotic index (MI), whereas dramatically increased the micronucleus (MN) frequency and chromosomal aberrations (CAs). Moreover, in order to determine the level of lipid peroxidation occurring in the cell membrane, malondialdehyde (MDA) content was measured and it was determined that it was at the highest level in the group germinated in NaCl medium alone. Similarly, it was revealed that the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and free proline contents in the group germinated in NaCl medium alone were higher than the other groups. On the other hand, NaCl stress caused significant injuries such as epidermis/cortex cell damage, MN formation in epidermis/cortex cells, flattened cells nuclei, unclear vascular tissue, cortex cell wall thickening, accumulation of certain chemical compounds in cortex cells and necrotic areas in the anatomical structure of bulb roots. However, exogenous COR application significantly alleviated the negative effects of NaCl stress on bulb germination and growth, antioxidant defense system, cytogenetic and anatomical structure. Thus, it has been proven that COR can be used as a protective agent against the harmful effects of NaCl on onion.
Fabrication of silver nanoparticles-deposited fabrics as a potential candidate for the development of reusable facemasks and evaluation of their performance
Authors: Abazari Morteza , Badeleh Safa Momeni , Khaleghi Fatemeh , Saeedi Majid , Haghi Fakhri
Published: January 2023

Recently, wearing facemasks in public has been raised due to the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic worldwide. However, the performance and effectiveness of many existing products have raised significant concerns among people and professionals. Therefore, greater attempts have been focused recently to increase the efficacy of these products scientifically and industrially. In this respect, doping or impregnating facemask fabrics with metallic substances or nanoparticles like silver nanoparticles has been proposed. So, in the present study, we aimed to sonochemically coat silver nanoparticles on the non-woven Spunbond substrates at different sonication times and concentrations to develop antibacterial and antiviral facemask. The coated substrates were characterized using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope, Energy Dispersive X-Ray, X-ray diffraction, and Thermogravimetry analysis. The amount of silver released from the coated substrates was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The filtration efficiency, pressure drop, and electrical conductivity of the coated samples were also investigated. The antibacterial activity of fabrics was evaluated against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Cellular viability of samples assessed by MTT and brine shrimp lethality tests. The results revealed that the higher sonication times and precursor concentrations result in a higher and more stable coating, larger particle size, wider particle size distribution, and lower content of released silver. Coated fabrics also revealed enhanced filtration efficiency (against nanosize particles), desired pressure drop, and antibacterial activity without significant cytotoxicity toward HEK 293 cells and Artemia nauplii. As a result, the coated fabrics could find potential applications in the development of facemasks for protection against different pathogenic entities.
An earthworm-like modular soft robot for locomotion in multi-terrain environments
Authors: Das Riddhi , Babu Saravana Prashanth Murali , Visentin Francesco , Palagi Stefano , Mazzolai Barbara
Published: January 2023

Robotic locomotion in subterranean environments is still unsolved, and it requires innovative designs and strategies to overcome the challenges of burrowing and moving in unstructured conditions with high pressure and friction at depths of a few centimeters. Inspired by antagonistic muscle contractions and constant volume coelomic chambers observed in earthworms, we designed and developed a modular soft robot based on a peristaltic soft actuator (PSA). The PSA demonstrates two active configurations from a neutral state by switching the input source between positive and negative pressure. PSA generates a longitudinal force for axial penetration and a radial force for anchorage, through bidirectional deformation of the central bellows-like structure, which demonstrates its versatility and ease of control. The performance of PSA depends on the amount and type of fluid confined in an elastomer chamber, generating different forces and displacements. The assembled robot with five PSA modules enabled to perform peristaltic locomotion in different media. The role of friction was also investigated during experimental locomotion tests by attaching passive scales like earthworm setae to the ventral side of the robot. This study proposes a new method for developing a peristaltic earthworm-like soft robot and provides a better understanding of locomotion in different environments.
Gallic acid abates cadmium chloride toxicity via alteration of neurotransmitters and modulation of inflammatory markers in Wistar rats
Authors: Ojo Oluwafemi Adeleke , Rotimi Damilare Emmanuel , Ojo Adebola Busola , Ogunlakin Akingbolabo Daniel , Ajiboye Basiru Olaitan
Published: January 2023

Cadmium is a highly neurotoxic heavy metal that disrupts membranes and causes oxidative stress in the brain. The study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of gallic acid on oxidative damage in the brains of Wistar rats exposed to cadmium chloride (CdCl2). Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of five rats each. Group 1 was administered distilled water only throughout the study. Throughout the study, Group 2 received CdCl2 alone (5 mg/kg b.w./day), Group 3 received gallic acid (20 mg/kg b.w./day), and Group 4 received CdCl2 + gallic acid (20 mg/kg). Treatments were oral with distilled water as a vehicle. The study lasted 21 days. In the brain, the activities of cholinesterase and antioxidant enzymes were evaluated, as well as the levels of reduced glutathione, malondialdehyde, neurotransmitters, Na+/K+ ATPase, myeloperoxidase activity, nitric oxide, and interleukin-6. CdCl2-induced brain impairments in experimental animals and gallic acid prevents the following CdCl2-induced activities: inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), elevated neurotransmitters (serotonin and dopamine), decreased antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase), decreased glutathione, Na+/K+ ATPases, and increased MDA and neuroinflammatory markers (myeloperoxidase (MPO), nitric oxide, and interleukin-6 in the brain of experimental rats exposed to CdCl2 (p < 0.05). Taken together, the neuroprotective effects of gallic acid on CdCl2-induced toxicity in the brains of rats suggest its potent antioxidant and neurotherapeutic properties.
Maternal diet induces persistent DNA methylation changes in the muscle of beef calves
Authors: Amorín Rocío , Liu Lihe , Moriel Philipe , DiLorenzo Nicolás , Lancaster Phillip A. , Peñagaricano Francisco
Published: January 2023

Maternal nutrition during pregnancy can induce epigenetic alterations in the fetal genome, such as changes in DNA methylation. It remains unclear whether these epigenetic alterations due to changes in maternal nutrition are transitory or persist over time. Here, we hypothesized that maternal methionine supplementation during preconception and early pregnancy could alter the fetal epigenome, and some of these alterations could persist throughout different developmental stages of the offspring. Beef cows were randomly assigned to either a control or a methionine-rich diet from − 30 to + 90 d, relative to the beginning of the breeding season. The methylome of loin muscle from the same bull calves (n = 10 per maternal diet) at 30 and 200 days of age were evaluated using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. Notably, a total of 28,310 cytosines showed persistent methylation differences over time between maternal diets (q-value < 0.10, methylation change > 20%). These differentially methylated cytosines were in the transcription start sites, exons, or splice sites of 341 annotated genes. Over-representation analysis revealed that these differentially methylated genes are involved in muscle contraction, DNA and histone methylation, mitochondrial function, reactive oxygen species homeostasis, autophagy, and PI3K signaling pathway, among other functions. In addition, some of the persistently, differentially methylated cytosines were found in CpG islands upstream of genes implicated in mitochondrial activities and immune response. Overall, our study provides evidence that a maternal methionine-rich diet altered fetal epigenome, and some of these epigenetic changes persisted over time.
Improved downstream functional analysis of single-cell RNA-sequence data using DGAN
Authors: Pandey Diksha , Onkara Perumal P.
Published: January 2023

The dramatic increase in the number of single-cell RNA-sequence (scRNA-seq) investigations is indeed an endorsement of the new-fangled proficiencies of next generation sequencing technologies that facilitate the accurate measurement of tens of thousands of RNA expression levels at the cellular resolution. Nevertheless, missing values of RNA amplification persist and remain as a significant computational challenge, as these data omission induce further noise in their respective cellular data and ultimately impede downstream functional analysis of scRNA-seq data. Consequently, it turns imperative to develop robust and efficient scRNA-seq data imputation methods for improved downstream functional analysis outcomes. To overcome this adversity, we have designed an imputation framework namely deep generative autoencoder network [DGAN]. In essence, DGAN is an evolved variational autoencoder designed to robustly impute data dropouts in scRNA-seq data manifested as a sparse gene expression matrix. DGAN principally reckons count distribution, besides data sparsity utilizing a gaussian model whereby, cell dependencies are capitalized to detect and exclude outlier cells via imputation. When tested on five publicly available scRNA-seq data, DGAN outperformed every single baseline method paralleled, with respect to downstream functional analysis including cell data visualization, clustering, classification and differential expression analysis. DGAN is executed in Python and is accessible at https://github.com/dikshap11/DGAN.
Distributed harmonic patterns of structure-function dependence orchestrate human consciousness
Authors: Luppi Andrea I. , Vohryzek Jakub , Kringelbach Morten L. , Mediano Pedro A. M. , Craig Michael M. , Adapa Ram , Carhart-Harris Robin L. , Roseman Leor , Pappas Ioannis , Peattie Alexander R. D. , Manktelow Anne E. , Sahakian Barbara J. , Finoia Paola , Williams Guy B. , Allanson Judith , Pickard John D. , Menon David K. , Atasoy Selen , Stamatakis Emmanuel A.
Published: January 2023

A central question in neuroscience is how consciousness arises from the dynamic interplay of brain structure and function. Here we decompose functional MRI signals from pathological and pharmacologically-induced perturbations of consciousness into distributed patterns of structure-function dependence across scales: the harmonic modes of the human structural connectome. We show that structure-function coupling is a generalisable indicator of consciousness that is under bi-directional neuromodulatory control. We find increased structure-function coupling across scales during loss of consciousness, whether due to anaesthesia or brain injury, capable of discriminating between behaviourally indistinguishable sub-categories of brain-injured patients, tracking the presence of covert consciousness. The opposite harmonic signature characterises the altered state induced by LSD or ketamine, reflecting psychedelic-induced decoupling of brain function from structure and correlating with physiological and subjective scores. Overall, connectome harmonic decomposition reveals how neuromodulation and the network architecture of the human connectome jointly shape consciousness and distributed functional activation across scales.
Urinalysis: The Detection of Common Drugs in Urine
Authors: Osselton Michael David
Published: January 2023

Urine was one of the first biological specimens to be employed for the detection of poisoning and is still widely used as a matrix for detecting the presence of drugs in clinical, workplace and forensic toxicology. The chapter outlines the formation and composition of urine in relation to drug excretion and analysis, discusses the application of urinalysis in clinical, forensic and workplace drug screening and summarises the merits and limitations of urine as a testing matrix. A review of advances in the analytical methods used for urinalysis is presented.
Analytical Advances in Drug Detection: Human Sports Drug Testing
Authors: Cowan D. A.
Published: January 2023

Molecules as small as carbon dioxide (44 Da) to procollagen type III amino-terminal propeptide (>42 kDa) are analysed by human sport anti-doping analytical laboratories. This chapter gives an insight into current human sport drug testing strategies. An overview is presented describing how human sport anti-doping rules are harmonised between sports and governments, and a précis is given of what substances are prohibited. Some of the latest analytical approaches used are discussed.
Drug Testing in Exhaled Breath
Authors: Meyer Markus R. , Beck Olof
Published: January 2023

Exhaled breath is established as a specimen for evidential alcohol testing. It is now also possible to use exhaled breath for drug testing and toxicological investigations. Particles of micrometer size are formed during normal breathing and carry non-volatile compounds from distal parts out of the lung. The non-volatile fraction can be sampled in several ways but selective and convenient sampling of particles can be performed with simple disposable devices. All of the more prevalent drugs of abuse have been demonstrated to be detectable in breath following ingestion. The measurement of drugs in exhaled breath requires highly sensitive methods based on mass spectrometry.
DNA/RNA Aptamers for Illicit Drug Molecules
Authors: Parkin M. C. , Frascione N.
Published: January 2023

In this chapter, the use of synthetic DNA/RNA aptamers is discussed as alternatives to their biological equivalents—antibodies—in the context of illicit drug detection. Antibodies are at the cornerstone of molecular recognition in diagnostic devices used for drug detection, but they have a number of drawbacks that make synthetic alternatives attractive. Aptamers can be produced at a fraction of the cost of antibodies and over far quicker timescales (months rather than years). They also show little batch-to-batch variability and have much longer shelf lives. Whilst there are a number of applications and devices in which aptamers are used to detect large-molecule biopharmaceuticals, there is a paucity of aptamers that have been discovered with affinities for small drug molecules, which are typically representative of illicit drugs. This chapter proposes that this may be due to flaws in both the aptamer selection process for small molecules and the methods used to calculate their target affinity. Modifications to these aspects could lead to a greater uptake of aptamers with the consequential benefits of improvements in illicit drug detection.
Latent Fingerprints for Drug Screening
Authors: van der Heide Susan , Russell David A.
Published: January 2023

The recent discovery that exogenous compounds, such as drugs or their metabolites, can be detected in the sweat deposited in latent fingerprints has led to the development of methods that provide additional information from a fingerprint beyond personal identification. Fingerprints offer considerable advantages for drug screening since they are non-invasive and straightforward to obtain. However, the use of fingerprints for drug screening does present a challenge for analytical measurements due to their small sample size and concentration. Here, we describe the considerable advances that have recently been made in this field of research, yielding high-throughput, non-destructive, highly sensitive, selective, image-based methods for the detection of drugs and drug metabolites in latent fingerprints.
Microneedle Patches for Caffeine Detection and Quantification
Authors: Caffarel-Salvador Ester , Brady Aaron John , Donnelly Ryan F.
Published: January 2023

Caffeine is the mood-altering drug that is most widely consumed in the world. It is present in many common foods, beverages and medicines. Its daily intake in moderate doses does not have adverse effects; however, daily consumption of high doses (>400 mg) can lead to dependence, the development of tolerance and, most importantly, toxic effects, representing a significant health risk. In premature neonates, caffeine is used for the treatment of apnoea and its monitoring is especially indicated if there is a suspected lack of clinical response or toxicity. Blood sampling is the current method used for caffeine monitoring, which is invasive and associated with a number of undesirable effects, such as pain, bruising, fear or risk of infection. The use of microneedles (MNs) is a minimally invasive method that has been widely exploited for drug delivery and is now gaining importance in the drug monitoring field for its capacity to sample and monitor drugs and biomarkers from the interstitial fluid without causing any bleeding or stimulating dermal nerves. MNs would benefit a large proportion of other patient cohorts but, in particular, neonates.