bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electric Vehicle Charging Load Optimization Strategy Based on Dynamic Time-of-Use Tariff
Authors: Zhong Shuwei , Che Yanbo , Zhang Shangyuan
Published: May 2023

A new electricity price mechanism is proposed in this paper, namely dynamic time-of-use tariff, to address the problem that the static time-of-use tariff cannot be dynamically adjusted with the actual operating state of the grid and is prone to generate new load peaks by concentrated charging of electric vehicles (EVs) in the valley hours. Dynamic time-of-use tariff reclassifies the peak -valley hours with the fuzzy C-mean (FCM) clustering algorithm, and then dynamically adjusts the peak and valley tariff according to the actual load of each hour. Based on the dynamic time-of-use tariff, an EV charging optimization model is established with the objective function of minimum EV users charging cost and minimum grid load variance, and its constraints include user-side constraints and charging station-side constraints. In order to solve the multi-objective optimization problem, a weight selection principle with equal loss rate of the two objectives is proposed to transform the multi-objective optimization problem into a single-objective optimization problem, and finally the mathematical solver GUROBI is invoked to solve the model. The results show that the EV charging load optimization strategy based on dynamic time-of-use tariff can better balance the interests between charging stations and EV users under different number and ratio of EVs connected to the grid, and can effectively reduce the grid load variance.
Relationships Between Physical Parameters ofUmbral Dots Measured for 12 Sunspot Umbras withThe Goode Solar Telescope
Authors: CALISIR M. Ali , YAZICI H. Tayfun , KILCIK Ali , YURCHYSHYN Vasyl
Published: May 2023

We present a comprehensive analysis of the physical parameters and relationships of umbral dots (UDs), which assists in our understanding of the physical properties of the Sun. This study is based on a detailed analysis of UDs detected in 12 umbras belonging to 10 different sunspots using high-resolution data recorded by the Goode Solar Telescope at the Big Bear Solar Observatory. We obtained the physical parameters (brightness, diameter, eccentricity, lifetime, dynamic velocity) of each UD and calculated correlation coefficients using linear and nonlinear approaches to reveal the relationships between these parameters. We found that: i) the diameter of UDs are varying between 92.2 km to 246.5 km, the eccentricity varies between 0.02 to 0.65, the lifetime of UDs vary from 0.75 to 120.00 min and the dynamic velocities are varying from 0.01 km/s to 3.80 km/s. ii) The intensity-diameter and diameter-eccentricity show the highest degree of correlation, while the lowest linear correlation was obtained for the diameter-lifetime and the lowest nonlinear correlation was obtained for the eccentricity-lifetime relationships. iii) In general the nonlinear correlation coefficients are higher than the linear correlation without any exception. iv) The linear and nonlinear correlation coefficients are very close to each other in the case of diameter-eccentricity relation. v) While the average diameter, intensity, and eccentricity are related to the umbral area, the average lifetime and dynamic velocity of UDs are not dependent on the umbral area.
Molecular and biochemical response of Cannabis sativa plant to cadmium stress and the role of molybdenum
Authors: Ali Nasir , Hadi Fazal , Ali Mohammad
Published: May 2023

Plants respond to heavy metals stress by the activation of stress responsive genes to establish biochemical defense mechanisms against the stress. We have investigated the molecular and biochemical response of Cannabis sativa to cadmium (Cd) stress in the presence of molybdenum (Mo) foliar treatments. Various parameters were inter-correlated i.e., Plant biomass, Cd phyto-accumulation, transcript level/expression of CBF/DREB genes, concentrations of free proline, polyphenolics and chlorophyll contents. Phenolic compounds were analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography Diode Array Detector (HPLC-DAD) and Cd contents were analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Biomass and chlorophyll contents decreased while the concentrations of free proline and polyphenolics increased under Cd stress. Dry biomass of the all the plant tissues and free proline in roots and leaves were most significantly increased with foliar spray of 2.00 ppm Mo. Nineteen (19) different polyphenolic compounds were identified and quantified in leaves and most of them were highly increased in concentration under Cd stress. The highest concentration was noted in Caffeoyl tyramine (1111 µg/g) in 2.00 ppm Mo treated plants. Transcript level of CBF/DREB genes were less as compared to Mo treated plants, where a high increase in transcript level of these genes were found. Expression of CBF /DREB genes showed significant positive correlations with dry-biomass, Cd accumulation and concentrations of free proline and polyphenolics in leaves. The results suggested that Mo increased the expression of CBF/DREB genes and subsequently the concentration of phenolic compounds and free proline under Cd stress.
Development of the potential synthesized compound to cause triple negative breast cancer cell death through intrinsic apoptosis mechanism
Authors: Tahmasvand Raheleh , Dehghani Soudeh , Kooshafar Zahra , Almasirad Ali , Salimi Mona
Published: May 2023

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with poor clinical outcome, and currently no effective targeted therapies are available. Since cancer develops owing to deregulation of apoptosis, employing therapeutic strategies with ability to target the molecules involved in apoptosis induction, would provide a valid approach to hinder tumor progression. Hydrazide-hydrazones and oxamide molecules are the subject of intense studies due to their anticancer effects via apoptosis induction. In the present study, we attempted to elucidate the mechanism of action of a synthesized compound (compound A) and understand if the cell death occurs through inducing the apoptosis. These properties were investigated using the, annexin/PI and Western blotting analyses, DAPI staining, and mitochondrial membrane potential probe. Compound A also impeded the tumor growth in a 4T1 syngeneic mouse model as evidenced by hematoxylin and eosin staining of the tumors. Apart from that, it significantly diminished the expression of pro-caspase-3, Ki67 and CD31 markers in the tumor sections. Conclusively, this study for the first time reports the anti-cancer efficacy of compound A in both in vitro and in vivo models, which may serve as a potent candidate in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatment.
Development and feasibility of an intervention toward a PErsonalized Pathway for ONcology patients (PEPON) in a French healthcare organization: a mixed method research protocol
Authors: SALMA Israa , PALMA Mario DI , PAPAGEORGIOU Loula , SCOTTE Florian , MINVIELLE Etienne
Published: May 2023

Introduction: In oncology, the care process of chronic patients needs to be personalized. This entails considering both clinical aspects and aspects directly related to personal expectations and socioeconomic status. However, designing personalized care interventions to meet each patient’s needs and demands poses an organizational problem. Therefore, the PErsonalised Pathway for ONcology patients (PEPON) -project aims to develop and evaluate an intervention to improve personalisation for oncology patient pathways.Method This protocol follows the Medical Research Council guidelines for complex intervention. It describes two phases of the PEPON project. The first phase is the design of the intervention; it involves a qualitative study in the one-day hospital (ODH) at Gustave Roussy (GR) Cancer Centre. Data collection (ongoing activity) relies on interviews with relevant professionals and patients, ODH observations, and documents. Data are coded and analysed using the “managing singularity on a large scale (GERS)” model for personalisation. This will identify areas for improvement on the current patient’s pathway, leading to the development of the intervention. The second phase is the piloting and feasibility evaluation. The intervention will be piloted and its feasibility tested on a cohort of patients passing through the ODH using a mixed method approach. Qualitative analysis will be based on interviews to investigate professionals’ experiences, observations, and documents. Quantitative analysis will be based on a comparison with a sample that did not use the intervention. Outcomes will include measures of quality of life, patient experience and patient records.Discussion Using the GERS concept, we would design a comprehensive organisational intervention to improve personalisation across the patient pathway, through the following steps: identification of patient needs and demands, design of a personalised care plan based on the existing organizations’ offers, and finally distribution of care plan. Through the pilot and feasibility phase, we will adapt the intervention to the local context before proceeding with a full-scale standardisation and implementationConclusion The results of the pilot study will inform the protocol of the randomised control trial to evaluate the intervention’s impact.
Bovine milk-derived exosomes attenuate NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB signaling in the lung during neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis
Authors: Filler Rachel , Yeganeh Mina , Li Bo , Lee Carol , Alganabi Mashriq , Hock Alison , Biouss George , Balsamo Felicia , Lee Dorothy , Miyake Hiromu , Pierro Agostino
Published: May 2023

Purpose Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), an inflammatory intestinal disease common in premature infants, has been associated with the development of lung damage. Toll-like receptor 4 has been shown to regulate inflammation in the NEC lungs, however, other important inflammatory mechanisms have not been thoroughly investigated. In addition, we reported that milk-derived exosomes were able to attenuate intestinal injury and inflammation in experimental NEC. This study aims to (i) investigate the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB pathway in regulating lung damage during experimental NEC; and (ii) evaluate the therapeutic potential of bovine milk exosomes in reducing lung inflammation and injury during NEC.Methods NEC was induced by gavage feeding of hyperosmolar formula, hypoxia, and lipopolysaccharide administration in neonatal mice from postnatal days 5–9. Exosomes were obtained by ultracentrifugation of bovine milk and administered during each formula feed.Results The lung of NEC pups showed increased inflammation, tissue damage, NLRP3 inflammasome expression, and NF-κB pathway activation, which were attenuated upon exosome administration.Conclusion Our findings suggest that the lung undergoes significant inflammation and injury following experimental NEC which are attenuated by bovine milk-derived exosomes. This emphasizes the therapeutic potential of exosomes not just on the intestine but also on the lung.
Target Validation and Structure-Based Virtual Screening to Discover Potential Lead Molecules against the oncogenic NSD1 histone methyltransferase
Authors: Bhat Zahid Rafiq , Gahlawat Anuj , Kumar Navneet , Sharma Nisha , Tikoo Kulbhushan , Garg Prabha
Published: May 2023

The aim of the study was to validate Nuclear receptor-binding SET Domain NSD1 as a cancer drug target followed by the design of lead molecules against NSD1. TCGA clinical data, molecular expression techniques were used to validate the target and structure-based virtual screening was performed to design hits against NSD1. Clinical data analysis suggests the role of NSD1 in metastasis, prognosis and influence on overall survival in various malignancies. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression profile of NSD1 was evaluated in various cell lines. NSD1 was exploited as a target protein forin silicodesign of inhibitors using two major databases including ZINC15 and ChemDiv by structure-based virtual screening approach. Virtual screening was performed using the pharmacophore hypothesis designed with a protein complex S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) as an endogenous ligand. Subsequently, a combined score was used to distinguish the top 10 compounds from the docking screened compounds having high performance in all four scores (docking score, XP, Gscore, PhaseScreenScore, and MMGBSA delta G Bind). Finally, the top three Zinc compounds were subjected to molecular dynamic simulation. The binding MMGBSA data suggests that ZINC000257261703 and ZINC000012405780 can be taken forin vitroandin vivostudies as they have lesser MMGBSA energy towards the cofactor binding site of NSD1 than the sinefungin. Our data validates NSD1 as a cancer drug target and provides promising structures that can be utilized for further lead optimization and rational drug design to open new gateways in the field of cancer therapeutics.
Increased vegetation sensitivity to meteorological drought from spring to autumn across European biomes
Authors: vicente-serrano Sergio , Tian Feng , Cai Zhanzhang , Conradt Tobias , Boincean Boris , Murphy Conor , Farizo Begoña , Grainger Sam , Moreno Juan Ignacio López , Eklundh Lars , Jin Hongxiao
Published: May 2023

Europe has experienced severe drought events in recent decades, with the diverse distribution of vegetation, varied drought characteristics, and other concurrent hydroclimatic factors making it challenging to understand how vegetation responds to drought. To shed light on this issue, we use an ensemble of vegetation growth indicators to analyze the instantaneous vegetation response to meteorological drought across European biomes. We find increased vegetation sensitivity to drought along canopy development during a year, with mean sensitivities rising from ‒0.01 in spring to 0.28 in autumn and the percentage of drought-susceptible areas rising from 18.5% to 57.8% across European biomes. Temporally, the sensitivity of vegetation growth to meteorological drought is exacerbated by soil water shortage. Spatially, the vegetation-drought sensitivity is related to vapor pressure deficit (ensemble mean correlation coefficients 0.71–0.87) and partly to atmospheric CO2 concentration with dependencies on the maturity of the canopy (correlations ‒0.34 in spring and 0.81 in autumn), but only weakly to soil moisture (correlations 0.06–0.19). Our results highlight the spatiotemporal variations of vegetation-drought associations and sensitivities, as well as the roles of concurrent hydroclimatic factors. These patterns may have important implications for atmospheric carbon reduction, ecosystem stability, biodiversity conservation, and vegetation feedback on regional climate.
Towards a scalable approach to assess speech organization across the psychosis-spectrum -
Online assessment in conjunction with automated transcription and extraction of speech measures.
Authors: Cummins Nicholas , Arribas Maite , Gibbs-Dean Toni , Molina Elena , Sethi Divina , Kempton Matthew , Morgan Sarah , Spencer Tom , Diederen Kelly , Olah Julianna
Published: May 2023

Automatically extracted measures of speech constitute a promising marker of psychosis as disorganized speech is associated with psychotic symptoms and predictive of psychosis-onset. The potential of speech markers is, however, hampered by (i) lengthy assessments in laboratory settings and (ii) manual transcriptions. We investigated whether a short, scalable data collection (online) and processing (automated transcription) procedure would provide data of sufficient quality to extract previously validated speech measures. To evaluate the fit of our approach for purpose, we assessed speech in relation to psychotic-like experiences in the general population. Participants completed an 8-minutes long speech task online. Sample 1 included measures of psychometric schizotypy and delusional ideation (N = 446). Sample 2 included a low and high psychometric schizotypy group (N = 144). Recordings were transcribed both automatically and manually, and connectivity, semantic and syntactic speech measures were extracted for both type of transcripts. 73%/86% participants in sample 1/2 completed the experiment. Nineteen out of 25 speech measures were strongly (r > 0.7) and significantly correlated between automated and manual transcripts in both samples. Amongst the 14 connectivity measures, 11 showed a significant relationship with delusional ideation. For the semantic and syntactic measures, On Topic score and the Frequency of personal pronouns were negatively correlated with both schizotypy and delusional ideation. Combined with demographic information, the speech markers could explain 11–14% of the variation of delusional ideation and schizotypy in Sample 1 and could discriminate between high-low schizotypy with high accuracy (0.72 − 0.70, AUC = 0.78–0.79) in Sample 2. The moderate to high retention rate, strong correlation of speech measures across manual and automated transcripts and sensitivity to psychotic-like experiences provides initial evidence that online collected speech in combination with automatic transcription is a feasible approach to increase accessibility and scalability of speech-based assessment of psychosis.
Improving Lithium-ion Cells by Replacing Polyethylene Terephthalate Jellyroll Tape
Authors: Adamson Anu , Tuul Kenneth , Botticher Tom , Azam Saad , Garayt Matthew , Metzger Michael
Published: May 2023

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tape is widely used by well-known lithium-ion battery manufacturers to prevent electrode stacks from unwinding during assembly. PET tape is selected since it has suitable mechanical and electrical properties, but its chemical stability has been largely overlooked. In the absence of effective electrolyte additives, PET can depolymerize into its monomer dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), which is an unwanted redox shuttle that induces significant self-discharge in a lithium-ion cell. This study presents a chemical screening experiment to probe the PET decomposition mechanism involving in situ generated methanol and lithium methoxide from dimethyl carbonate, one of the most common electrolyte solvents in lithium-ion cells. By screening other polymers, it is found that polypropylene (PP) and polyimide (Kapton) are stable in the electrolyte. Finally, it is demonstrated that reversible self-discharge of LiFePO4/graphite cells can be virtually eliminated by replacing PET jellyroll tape with chemically stable PP tape.
WITHDRAWN: Bidirectional symmetric 1.6 Tbps hybrid TWDM-OFDM PON using 2D spectral/spatial SWZCC code
Authors: SinghSH
Published: May 2023

The hybrid time and wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network (TWDM-PON) with a 1:128 split ratio and 16- quadrature amplitude modulation orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (QAM- OFDM) modulation system using optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) code results in high transmission security, channel capacity and robustness against interference. Thus in this paper, a bidirectional symmetric 1.6 Tbps hybrid TWDM-OFDM PON system using two-dimensional spectral/spatial-single weight zero cross-correlation (2D-S/S SWZCC) code supporting a large number of users for long-reach as well as high- speed applications has been proposed and analysed considering fiber impairments and noise. Numerically calculated receiver sensitivity (RS) and splitter power budget (SPB) are -36dBm and 23dB for downstream as well as RS and SPB for upstream transmission of -33dBm and 10dB respectively showing the supremacy of using 2D-S/S SWZCC code in the system than other OCDMA codes. Also, the simulation results show that the proposed system using 2D-SS SWZCC code provides a faithful 120km transmission distance as well as a high transmission rate of 16×15/20Gbps with a maximum received power of -32.8dBm supporting more than 190 simultaneous users. The designed PON system offers the best performance over other conventional PONs. The number of users can be increased up to 250 with an optical signal-to-noise ratio of 110 dB and -30 dBm received power.
Pan-cancer transcriptomic analysis of CNS tumor stroma identifies a population of perivascular fibroblasts that predict poor immunotherapy response in glioblastoma patients
Authors: Zarodniuk Maksym , Steele Alexander , Lu Xin , Li Jun , Datta Meenal
Published: May 2023

Excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) is a hallmark of solid tumors; however, it remains poorly understood which cellular and molecular components contribute to the formation of ECM stroma in central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Here, we undertook a pan-CNS analysis of retrospective gene expression datasets to characterize inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity of ECM remodeling signatures in both adult and pediatric CNS disease. We found that CNS lesions – glioblastoma in particular – can be divided into two ECM-based subtypes (ECMhi and ECMlo) that are influenced by the presence of perivascular cells resembling cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). We show that perivascular fibroblasts activate chemoattractant signaling pathways to recruit tumor-associated macrophages, and promote an immune-evasive, stem-like cancer cell phenotype. Our analysis reveals that perivascular fibroblasts are correlated with unfavorable response to immune checkpoint blockade in glioblastoma and poor patient survival across a subset of CNS tumors. We provide insights into novel stroma-driven mechanisms underlying immune evasion and immunotherapy resistance in CNS tumors like glioblastoma, and discuss how targeting these perivascular fibroblasts may prove an effective approach to improving treatment response and patient survival in a variety of CNS tumors.
Multiple mechanisms synergistically induce Pseudomonas aeruginosa multiple drug resistance
Authors: Yang Lulu , Jiao Fangyan , Bajinka Ousman , Abdelhalim Khalid A , Wu Guojun , Tan Yurong
Published: May 2023

The aim of this study was to understand the molecular epidemiological characteristics and drug resistance mechanism of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), and to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of CRPA infection in hospitals. 34 strains of CRPA were isolated and their resistance to 13 commonly used antibiotics was detected using TDR-300B Plus VitEK-2 compact automatic bacterial identification instrument. Then carbapenemase production was detected using Carbe NP test. RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of efflux pump MexA and outer membrane protein OprD, and PCR amplification and sequence analysis were used to detect the class Ⅰ integrons carried by drug resistance genes. Our results showed that of the 34 CRPAs, 22 were multidrug resistant (MDR) and 5 were extensively drug resistant (XDR). Sequencing analysis of class Ⅰ integron resistance genes showed that class Ⅰ integrons mainly carried aminoglycosides or quinolones antimicrobial resistance genes. Multiple mechanisms play important roles in the formation and development of multidrug resistance or XDR resistance.
Molecular characterization of Lipopeptide Biosurfactant-Producing Paenibacillus dendritiformis isolated from Brackish water and its Potential Use in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery and Bioremediation
Authors: Nayarisseri Anuraj , Bhrdwaj Anushka , Sharma Khushboo , Khan Arshiya , Singh Sanjeev Kumar
Published: May 2023

The biosurfactants produced by microorganisms have high demand from microbial-enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) and they have focused on a chemical surfactant for the past few decades for degrading petro-based pollutants and oil spills due to its non-toxicity and increasing bioavailability. The study aims to identify and screen potential lipopeptide biosurfactant produced by Paenibacillus species employing a design experiment based on RSM. The bacterial culture was isolated from Chilika Lake, India. The data generated from the biosurfactant stability experiments were used to fit a regression model using the parameters such as ph, temp, and salinity to predict the E24 index. R-squared value 0.91 obtained from the ANOVA model explains that the regression model was significant, and the model p-value obtained was < 0.05 and was also statistically significant. Therefore the statistical regression model obtained in the present investigation can predict the E24 index by using any combination of ph, temp, and salinity parameters. The novel isolates obtained in this research were further named Paenibacillus dendritiformis ANSKLAB02 and deposited in GenBank with accession number KU518891. The growth of this species under controlled conditions has a high potential to help in environmental clean-up and is suitable for use in MEOR applications.
First-year student teachers’ knowledge of L1 grammar
Authors: Brøseth Heidi , Nygård Mari
Published: May 2023

Despite protracted concerns about Norwegian students’ decline in grammar knowledge, the issue is poorly researched empirically. This article presents and the results from a grammar survey distributed to first-year student teachers (N=235). Our aim is to provide an empirical analysis of the level of Norwegian students’ grammar knowledge as they enter teacher education. We seek to answer the following research questions:

RQ1: What characterizes the knowledge of grammar of Norwegian student teachers as they enter teacher education?

RQ2: Are there grammatical topics and structures that they master more or less? If so, what characterizes these topics?

 

The results show that the grammar knowledge of student teachers, is rather poor. The students know the word classes verb, noun, adjective and pronoun, as well as the SC subject. Their knowledge is founded on semantics, while the structural features of language seem to be a blind spot. The study contributes to the international research on Knowledge of Language (KaL) from a Norwegian perspective. Due to the two written standards of Norwegian, our study will be the first to report student teachers’ grammar knowledge from such a context.
Exact solution for the Lindbladian dynamics for the open XX spin chain with boundary dissipation
Authors: Yamanaka Kohei , Sasamoto Tomohiro
Published: May 2023

We obtain exact formulas for the time-dependence of a few physical observables for the open XX spin chain with Lindbladian dynamics. Our analysis is based on the fact that the Lindblad equation for an arbitrary open quadratic system of NN fermions is explicitly solved in terms of diagonalization of a 4N\times4N4N×4N matrix called structure matrix by following the scheme of the third quantization. We mainly focus on the time-dependence of magnetization and spin current. As a short-time behavior at a given site, we observe the plateau regime except near the center of the chain. Basic features of this are explained by the light-cone structure created by propagations of boundary effects from the initial time, but we can explain their more detailed properties analytically using our exact formulas. On the other hand, after the plateau regime, the magnetization and spin current exhibit a slow decay to the steady state values described by the Liouvillian gap. We analytically establish its O(N^{-3})O(N−3) scaling and also determine its coefficient.
Resilience effect of decentralized detention system to extreme flooding events
Authors: Bhusal Amrit , Kalra Ajay , Shin Sangmin
Published: May 2023

The experiences from recent urban flooding events suggest that the conventional centralized detention systems based on detention size expansion with minimum costs need to accommodate the extreme flooding events exceeding their design capacity. This study investigated the resilience effects of decentralized detention systems to address extreme flooding events in urban areas. An integrated flood resilience measure that integrates the regional performance of sub-basins with a decentralized flood control system was proposed and applied to an urban watershed including five sub-basins. Hydrologic and hydraulic analysis to quantify the hydrologic responses and resilience of the watershed to flooding scenarios was performed using the Hydrological Modeling System and Geospatial River Analysis System of Hydrological Engineering Centre models. The results identified the best locations of distributed detention ponds and characterized the effects of the decentralization levels of the detention system on enhancing flood resilience to extreme events. Additionally, an increase in the resilience effects of the decentralized detention system was found in the cases of more extreme flooding events from the combined impacts of high-intensity rainfall and land cover change. The findings suggest insights into incorporating decentralization strategies into decision-making on detention systems to resiliently cope with extreme flooding events in urban watersheds.
Preparation of hydrogels based on poplar cellulose and their removal efficiency of Cd(II) from aqueous solutions
Authors: Zhang Fengrong , Zhang Cuilan , Teng Jia , Han Dandan , Wu Lishun , Hou Wanguo
Published: May 2023

Industrial heavy metal-contaminated wastewater is one of the main water pollution problems. Adsorbents are a promising method for the removal of heavy metal contaminants. Herein, polyaspartic acid/carboxymethyl poplar sawdust hydrogels (PASP/CMPP) and ascorbic acid/carboxymethyl poplar sawdust hydrogels (VC/CMPP) were prepared by aqueous polymerization using alkalized poplar sawdust (CMPP) as the substrate and PASP and vitamin C (VC) as modifiers. The effective results, provided by the characterization analysis of SEM and BET, indicate that the surface of the PASP/CMPP hydrogel has a larger number of loose pores and a larger pore volume than the VC/CMPP hydrogel. The treatment effects of the two hydrogels on simulated wastewater containing Cd(II) were investigated by a batch of experiments. The results showed that PASP/CMPP had a better adsorption effect than VC/CMPP under the same adsorption conditions. Interestingly, the solid concentration effect was found in the process of sorption kinetics and sorption isotherms. The sorption kinetic curves of Cd(II) on PASP/CMPP were well-fitted by the quasi-second-order kinetics under different adsorbent concentrations. The adsorption conforms to Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models. More importantly, PASP/CMPP composites are expected to be used as a new kind of environmental adsorbent for wastewater treatment.
Appraisal of surface–groundwater anthropogenic indicators and associated human health risk in El Sharqia Governorate, Egypt
Authors: El-Aassar Abdel Hameed M. , Hussien Rasha A. , Mohamed Faten A. , Oterkus Selda , Oterkus Erkan
Published: May 2023

The aim of this study was to integrate hydrogeochemistry with a multivariate statistical approach to understand the various processes that control the evolution/contamination of water resources in El Sharqia Governorate, Egypt with a particular emphasis on direct/indirect risks to human health. To achieve this, a representative collection of 21 groundwater and 35 drainage samples was taken and examined for physical, chemical, and trace element measurements. Results indicated that in shallow groundwater and drainage water samples, the relative abundance of major cations is Na+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+ > K+, and for anions it is HCO3- > Cl− > SO42- (on a molar basis). Natural processes involving the dissolution/precipitation of some minerals and other processes including leaching of solid waste, overuse of agricultural fertilizers application, and high loads of discharged sewage water are responsible for the evolution of water resources in El Sharqia Governorate. Ammonia, nitrate, biological oxygen demand (BOD), phosphate, turbidity, iron, manganese, lead, and aluminum concentrations were found to be higher than the limits set by internatio2nal drinking water regulations. The health risk index (HRI) values for children were found to be higher than those for adults when the water resources are used for drinking purposes, which poses a risk to human health.
Pediatrik orta kraniyal fossa araknoid kistlerde uygulanan şant cerrahisinin etkinliği
Authors: DEMİR Özgür
Published: May 2023

Amaç: Araknoid kistlerin yarıdan fazlası orta fossa yerleşimlidir. Literatürde tedavi zamanlaması ve şekli konusunda tam bir görüş birliği bulunmamaktadır. Biz kliniğimizde orta kraniyal fossa araknoid kistlerde şant cerrahisi uyguladığımız hastaların sonuçlarını sunarak bu hastaların tedavileri konusuna katkıda bulunmayı amaçladık.

Yöntemler: 2015 ve 2021 yılları arasında kliniğimizde orta kranial fossada tip 3 araknoid kist nedeniyle kistoperitoneal şant cerrahisi uyguladığımız 6 hastayı retrospektif olarak inceledik. Tüm hastaların operasyon öncesi ve sonrası klinik ve radyoljik durumları incelenerek not edildi. Operasyon sonrası 1. yıl klinik ve radyolojik kontrolleri de mevcut olan hastalar çalışmaya dâhil edildi.

Bulgular: Tüm hastaların araknoid kist yerleşim yeri kranial orta fossa idi ve tüm hastalar kistoperitoneal şant ile tedavi edildiler. 2 yaş altı tüm hastalarda tespit edilmiş şikayet veya bulgu hareket ve tepkilerde azalma ve fontonel gerginliği iken 2 yaş üstünde şiddetli baş ağrısıydı. Tüm hastaların araknoid kistleri sınıflandırmada tip 3’tü ve radyolojik incelemelerde bası bulguları vardı. Hastaların tümünün cerrahi sonrası semptom ve şikayetleri azaldı. Bir hastada slit kist sendromunu düşündürecek klinik bulgular oluştu. Bu hasta dışında hiçbir hastada kontrol süresince herhangi bir komplikasyon görülmedi.

Sonuç: Çalışmamız pediatrik orta kraniyal fossa tip 3 araknoid kistli hastalarda kistoperitoneal şant cerrahisinin, ilk tedavi yöntemi olarak da uygulanabilecek etkili ve güvenli tedavi yöntemi olduğu görüşünü desteklemektedir.
A Short Cationic Peptide Derived from Cecropin and Melittin Peptides Induce Apoptosis in Jurkat and Raji Leukemia Cell Lines
Authors: Moghaddam Mehrdad Moosazadeh , Ebrahimdoust Mustafa , Hayati Hamideh Malek , Bahreini Mehran
Published: May 2023

Background:

The creation of brand-new, potent, and less harmful medications to treat leukemia is urgently needed. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have drawn a lot of interest as potential substitutes for chemotherapy.

Objective:

In the present investigation, the anticancer activity of CM11, a short cationic AMP, was assessed on Jurkat and Raji leukemia cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Methods:

Different CM11 doses were applied to the Jurkat and Raji cell lines and PBMCs throughout a 24-hour period. The impact of the CM11 on cell viability and toxicity was assessed using an MTT assay. Flow cytometry and Real-Time PCR were used to analyze the effect of this peptide on apoptotic/necrosis pathways and assess the ratio expression of the P53 and Bcl-2 genes, respectively.

Results:

Despite the fact that peptide toxicity was successful in a variety of cell lines, cancer cells were more sensitive to the medication. The survival of Jurkat and Raji cell lines treated with 32 μg/ml peptide was 47% and 51%, respectively, while the survival of normal PBMC cells was about 65%. According to flow cytometry, Jurkat and Raji cells exposed to peptide had much greater levels of apoptosis than PBMCs. Peptide-treated cells were associated with increased expression of P53 the gene and decreased expression of the Bcl-2 gene.

Conclusion:

These results revealed that the CM11 caused more cytotoxicity to leukemia Raji and Jurkat leukemia cells compared to the normal cells by apoptosis pathway. Our findings demonstrated the potential of CM11 peptide to develop as a new antileukemic agent.
Emodin Alcohols: Design, Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and
Multitargeting Studies with DNA, RNA, and HSA
Authors: Wang Hai-Guang , Zhang Hui-Zhen
Published: May 2023

Objective:

A series of novel emodin alcohols were designed and prepared in an
effort to overcome the increasing microorganism resistance.

Methods:

Novel emodin alcohols were prepared from commercial emodin and different
nitrogen-containing heterocycles via different synthetic strategies, such as O-alkylation
and N-alkylation. The antimicrobial activity of synthesized emodin compounds was evaluated
in vitro by a two-fold serial dilution technique. The interaction of emodin compound
3d with biomolecule was researched using UV-vis spectroscopic method and fluorescence
spectroscopy.

Results:

Emodin compound 3d containing 2-methyl-5-nitro imidazole ring showed relatively
good antimicrobial activity. Notably, it exhibited equivalent activity against S. aureus in
comparison to the reference drug norfloxacin (MIC = 4 μg/mL). The combination of strong
active compound 3d with reference drugs showed better antimicrobial activity with less dosage
and a broader antimicrobial spectrum than their separate use. Further research displayed
that emodin compound 3d could intercalate into S. aureus DNA to form the 3d–DNA complex,
which might correlate with the inhibitory activity. The hydrogen bonds were found between
S. aureus DNA gyrase and strong active compound 3d during the docking research,
which were in accordance with the spectral experiment results. The interaction with yeast
RNA of compound 3d could also form a complex via hydrogen bonds. The hydrogen bonds
were found to play a major role in the transportation of emodin compound 3d by human serum
albumin (HSA), as confirmed by molecular simulation.

Conclusion:

This work provides a promising starting point to optimize the structures of
emodin derivatives as potent antimicrobial agents.
Yield and Chemical Characteristics of Salvia hispanica L. (Chia) Oil from
Native Seeds from Four Provenances of Guatemala
Authors: Cáceres Armando , Cruz Sully M. , de León Claudia , Méndez Rebeca
Published: May 2023

Introduction:

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is a plant from the Lamiaceae family that has
been used as ancestral food, medicine, and oil, with culinary, artistic, and religious purposes by
most of the Mesoamerican civilizations. Native from Mesoamerica, introduced into South America,
Australia, and Europe, it is presently consumed as a nutritional and functional food.

Objective:

This research aims to characterize ancient native cultivars from four provenances in
Guatemala to recommend their direct consumption by the population as well as to establish its
trade.

Methods:

Seed samples were collected in four places where they have been cultivated for several
generations. The oil was obtained by expression and analyzed chemically by gas chromatography
following standard qualitative and quantitative methods.

Results:

Variations in oil yield and some of the characteristic parameters of the phytochemical
analysis were obtained. In general, the profile was similar to most of the reported data in the literature,
with the saturated fatty acids (8.54-9.25%) relatively lower than the references (7.95-11.45%)
but a higher concentration of unsaturated fatty oils, particularly of omega-3 (64.68-68.62%).

Conclusion:

The oil from native cultivars contains high quantities of omega-3, which might help
pregnant women during gestation and to control other conditions such as metabolic syndrome, particularly
in low- and middle-income populations where these seeds are consumed regularly. The
suggestion is made to encourage the cultivation and use of these ancestral seeds with the possibility
of commercialization abroad with an appellation of origin label.
Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome Exacerbates Aβ25-35-Induced Pathological
Changes, and Ginsenoside Re Ameliorates Synapse Lesions in Aβ25-35-
Injected Rats with Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome
Authors: Jiang Xia , Chen Lin , Fu Qing , Ma Dan Li , Liu Xue Ting , Wang Xiao Yi
Published: May 2023

Background:

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) indicates that Alzheimer's disease (AD) is considered the consequence produced by Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome (KDS-Yang), which has similar clinical characteristics to glucocorticoid withdrawal syndrome. Ginsenoside Re (G-Re) has been found to ameliorate the symptoms and pathological impairments of AD. However, it’s not clear whether G-Re could protect memory and synapse lesions against kidney deficiency dementia.

Methods:

Subcutaneous injection of hydrocortisone for 14 days was used to produce KDS-Yang. On the 15th day, Aβ25-35 peptide was injected into the intracerebroventricular (icv) of KDS-Yang rats. Spine density was analyzed by Golgi staining and the ultrastructural morphology of the synapse was detected using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Western blot was used to examine the expression of pS396, pS404, Tau-5, tGSK-3β, pS9GSK-3β, Syt, Syn I, GluA1, GluN2B, PSD93, PSD95, 2-AR and pS346-β2-AR.

Results:

Hyperphosphorylation of tau in Aβ25-35-injected rats with KDS-Yang was stronger than in Aβ25-35-injected rats at the sites of Ser396 and Ser404. G-Re improved spatial memory damage detected by Morris water-maze (MWM), enhanced spines density, the thickness of postsynaptic density (PSD) and increased the expression of Syt, Syn I, GluA1, GluN2B, PSD93 and PSD95. Moreover, G-Re decreased the hyperphosphorylation of β2-AR at serine 346 in Aβ25-35-injected rats with KDS-Yang.

Conclusion:

KDS-Yang might exacerbate AD pathological lesions. Importantly, G-Re is a potential ingredient for protecting against memory and synapse deficits in kidney deficiency dementia.
Multi-antennas PAPR Reduction for FBMC/OQAM System
Authors: Boudjelkha Ammar , Merah Hocine , Khelil Abdellatif
Published: May 2023

Background:

The filter bank multicarrier (FBMC) with offset quadrature amplitude modulation
(OQAM) is a promising future generation of wireless systems. However, like multicarrier
modulations (MCM), FBMC/OQAM has a high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), which allows
the FBMC/OQAM signal to pass through the nonlinear region of the high-power amplifier (HPA) in
the time domain and causes in-band and out of band (OOB) distortion.

Methods:

In this paper, a new method to overcome this problem called multi-antennas PAPR (MAP)
reduction is proposed. It consists of using I antennas in transmission and reception to transmit I
FBMC/OQAM sub-signals with low PAPR. The complementary cumulative distribution function
(CCDF), the bit error rate (BER), and the energy efficiency are used to evaluate the method's performance.

Results:

The simulation results showed that the new technique can reduce the PAPR of the original signal by more than half, achieve BER comparable to that of the original signal without HPA, and when the input back-off (IBO) equals 3dB, the error vector magnitude (EVM) result can be reduced from 19% to 7%.

Conclusion:

The PAPR, BER, and EVM of MAP technique are much better than the original system.
Theoretical Investigation of NH3 and NO2 Affinity Towards Boron-nitride Nanosheet: A Dft Study
Authors: Abbas Zaheer , Khan Md. Shahzad
Published: May 2023

Background:

Two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets have been widely explored for sensing
toxic gases by investigating structural and electronic properties. However, the optical investigation
could be an alternative approach to address the sensing capability of the nanosheets. In the
present work, the electronic and optical investigation is performed using density functional theory
(DFT) to find out the sensitivity of boron-nitride nanosheet (BNNS) towards NH3 and NO2 gas
molecules. Electronic investigation suggests a weak binding of NH3 and NO2 with the 2D sheet,
with appreciable changes in the BNNS electronic density of state (DOS) on NO2 interaction. NH3
interaction could not affect the BNNS DOS except for lowering of band dispersion graph across
the Fermi level. NO2 interaction brings a noticeable change in spectra, primarily red-shift. Based
on this information, tuning is also observed in different optical descriptors, i.e., dielectric constant,
refractive index, and extinction coefficient of NO2 interacted BNNS. All these findings advocate
sensitivity toward the gas molecule of the 2D sheet could be realized from the optical frame.

Objective:

Finding NH3 and NO2 affinity of Boron-Nitride Nanosheet Through Optical Spectrum:
A DFT Study.

Methods:

The calculations are performed in the framework of density functional theory (DFT)
using Troullier Martins’s norm-conserving pseudo-potential.

Results:

The NO2 interacted BNNS shows the optical spectra get red-shifted, and the primary
reason is the available NO2 molecular state below the fermi level as shown in PDOS analysis.

Conclusion:

The present investigation predicted an almost similar ε2 spectra pattern of BNNS
and NH3-BNNS except in shallow region 7 eV-10 eV; a weak absorption band appeared in this
region after NH3 absorption. The main concern for this deviation is the electronic transitions taken
from the valance N-p-state of NH3 to the conduction band (primarily π* in nature) of BNNS.
Формирование Cr-=SUP=-2+-=/SUP=--Fe-=SUP=-2+-=/SUP=- кластеров в кристалле Zn-=SUB=-1-x-=/SUB=-Mn-=SUB=-x-=/SUB=-Se
Authors: Дорошенко М.Е. , Желинкова Х.
Published: May 2023

Spectroscopic properties of Cr2+ and Fe2+ ions in Zn1-xMnxSe solid solution with Mn content x=0.05 and x=0.3 at low (77K) temperature are investigated and their difference for crystals doped only by chromium ions and co-doped by chromium and iron ions is demonstrated. This difference is attributed to formation of Cr2+ - Fe2+ clusters in co-doped crystals.
Влияние центрального иона металла на люминесцентные и фотофизические параметры фталоцианинов
Authors: Старухин А.С. , Романенко А.А. , Ильин А.Ю. , Шершень В.С. , Павич T.А. , Савостьянов А.О. , Еремчев И.Ю. , Наумов А.В.
Published: May 2023

Based on the data on the spectral and photophysical parameters of the metal complexes of tetraazaporphyrins and phthalocyanines, the effect of the central metal ion on the manifestation of spin-orbit interaction is considered. For complexes of phthalocyanines with Mg(II), Zn(II), Pd(II), and Pt(II) ions, the absorption spectra, luminescence spectra, and luminescence excitation spectra were measured, and the lifetimes and quantum yields of luminescence were determined. It was shown that metal phthalocyanines with Mg(II) and Zn(II) ions, as well as Mg-tetaraazaporphyrin, exhibit intense fluorescence with high quantum yields. For single molecules of Mg-tetaraazaporphyrin in a polymer film at T=6 K, the fluorescence excitation spectra consisting both exclusively of zero-phonon lines and containing phonon wings were measured. A wide distribution of the measured zero-phonon line widths was observed. It is demonstrated, that the introduction of Pd(II) and Pt(II) ions into the center of phthalocyanine macrocycles leads to a decrease in fluorescence and the appearance of intense phosphorescence even at room temperature. Based on measurements of quantum yields of photosensitized generation of singlet molecular oxygen, the quantum yield of interconversion into triplet states for the compounds under study was defined. Deactivation of the lower triplet state of phthalocyanines with Pd(II) and Pt(II) ions indicates the influence of the internal heavy atom effect on the rate of triplet state deactivation at room temperature and at 77 K.
Фотолиз сульфагуанидина в воде
Authors: Безлепкина Н.П. , Чайковская О.Н. , Бочарникова Е.Н. , Базыль О.К.
Published: May 2023

The phototransformation of sulfaguanidine in water under ultraviolet (UV) radiation was studied experimentally and theoretically. Absorption, fluorescence and fluorescence excitation spectra of the studied substance before and after irradiation were obtained. Under the influence of KrCl excylamp radiation, stained photoproducts were formed. Quantum-chemical analysis of the orbital nature and localization of electronic transitions of complexes of photoproducts with water 1 : 3 reveals great similarity with the spectrum of the complex of the parent compound. The energy of electronic transitions of primary photoproducts decreases that is there is a low-energy shift of transitions S0→S1(ππ) and S0→S3(ππ) of the original molecule to long-wave region of spectrum (260-315 nm) and decrease of intensity of transition S0→S3(ππ) of sulfaguanidine coplex. In the process of irradiation under the action of KrCl excylamp, the transformation of sulfaguanidine, its primary photoproducts and their subsequent interaction with each other and the solvent occur, which leads to the appearance of a colored photoproduct absorbing at λmax = 560 nm.