bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A bibliometric and visualization-based analysis of temozolomide research hotspots and frontier evolution
Authors: Song Peng , Li Hui , Xu Kuo , Li Zi-Wei , Ren Xia , Fu Xian-Jun
Published: November 2022

The literature related to TMZ research in the Web of Science (WOS) database was analyzed using bibliometrics and visualization by Citespace and VOSviewer.The publication status (number of publications, institutions, and frequency of citations), collaborations, and research focus was analyzed to clarify the current situation of TMZ research. And the recent research on TMZ provides a detailed summary. Based on objective data analysis, this study provides a complete analysis portraying the progression of historical milestones in TMZ development and future research directions from various TMZ research domains.
The full management from first-line to third-line treatments in patients with Her-2–negative advanced gastric cancer
Authors: Chang Chunxiao , Pei Yanqing , Xu Jun , Zhang Wenyu , Zhang Jianbo , Shi Shengbin
Published: November 2022

Background

The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of full management from first-line to third-line treatments in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her-2)–negative advanced gastric cancer (GC).

Methods

The efficacy and survival time of a total of 126 patients who received the first-line treatment with oxaliplatin plus fluoropyrimidine (S-1 or capecitabine or fluorouracil), the second-line treatment with nab-paclitaxel, and the third-line treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitors between September 2019 and December 2021 were analyzed.

Results

A total of 42, 36, and 48 patients received CapeOX, FOLFOX, and SOX as a first-line treatment, respectively. All patients received nab-paclitaxel alone as a second-line treatment. In addition, 31, 56, and 39 patients received nivolumab, sintilimab, and tislelizumab as a third-line treatment, respectively. The median PFS1, median PFS2, and median PFS3 was 6.9 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 6.8–7.4], 5.5 months (95% CI, 5.3–5.7), and 3.5 months (95% CI, 3.4–3.7). The median PFS3 was 3.8 months (95% CI, 3.3–4.2) and 3.5 months (95% CI, 3.3–3.7) among the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-positive and EBV-negative, respectively (P = 0.09). In addition, the median PFS3 was 4.2 months (95% CI,3.6–4.7) and 3.5 months (95% CI, 3.3–3.6) in the patients with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) combined positive score (CPS) ≥5 and CPS <5, respectively (P = 0.02). The median OS was 17.4 months (95% CI, 17.2–18.1). The multivariate analysis showed that the two parameters were associated with a significantly longer OS: number of metastatic sites <3 and PD-L1 CPS ≥5.

Conclusion

The patients who received three lines of treatment had a long survival time, and the efficacy of immunotherapy was not affected by the EBV subtypes in advanced GC. The toxicity was managed, and the concept of full management needs to be confirmed in the future.
Integrated network pharmacology and experimental verification to investigate the mechanisms of YYFZBJS against colorectal cancer via CDK1/PI3K/Akt signaling
Authors: Li Jinxiao , Zhou Fangyuan , Shang Luorui , Liu Na , Liu Yuhan , Zhang Mengqi , Wang Shuhan , Yang Shenglan
Published: November 2022

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common digestive tract malignancy with rising incidence and morbidity worldwide during recent years. Yi-Yi-Fu-Zi-Bai-Jiang-San (YYFZBJS), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has showed positive effects against cancers. However, the mechanisms underlying its anticancer effects requires investigation.

Methods

Information on bioactive compounds, potential YYFZBJS targets, and CRC-associated genes, was obtained from public databases. The key targets and ingredients as well their corresponding signaling pathways were identified using bioinformatic approaches, including Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analyses, gene ontology (GO), and protein–protein interaction (PPI). Subsequently, molecular docking was used to verify the main compounds-targets. Potential YYFZBJS therapeutic effects against CRC were validated in vitro and in vivo.

Results

Using pharmacological network analysis, 40 YYFZBJS active compounds and 21 potential anti-CRC targets were identified. YYFZBJS was an important regulator of CRC through various targets and signaling pathways, particularly the cell cycle and PI3K/AKT pathway. Additionally, YYFZBJS suppressed the proliferation of CRC cells. Flow cytometry showed that YYFZBJS induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. Western blotting analysis indicated that YYFZBJS reduced the protein levels of CDK1, p-AKT, and p-PI3K, without altering total PI3K and AKT protein levels. In vivo analysis found that YYFZBJS inhibited tumor growth and PI3K/AKT signaling in a mouse model of CRC.

Conclusion

As predicted by network pharmacology and validated by the experimental results, YYFZBJS inhibited proliferation, induced apoptosis and arrested cell cycle progression in CRC by modulating the CDK1/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
A successful case of preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic disorder for aplasia cutis congenita
Authors: Yang Xiu-Fang , Shi Shang-Wen , Ye Yun , Chen Kang
Published: November 2022

Background

Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC), also called congenital cutaneous hypoplasia, is a serious disease in newborns. Children with ACC often die due to wound infections and bleeding. How the incidence of ACC can be reduced is a question that needs to be solved urgently.

Case report

We reported a mother who had delivered two children with ACC, both of whom were diagnosed with ACC type VI, skin defects, limb deformities, and congenital heart malformations. One infant died a few days after birth, and another died in utero in the second trimester. Genetic testing in both children showed a heterozygous mutation in the ITGB4 gene [17q25 exon 8, c. 794 dupC, (p. Ala266fs) and exon 15, c. 1860G > A]. The mother later successfully gave birth to a healthy baby using Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Monogenic disorders(PGD-M).

Conclusion

The PGD-M technique is highly valuable in reducing the incidence of ACC and improving the prognoses of newborns.
Case report: Clinical and genetic analysis of a family with nonsyndromic auditory neuropathy
Authors: Jiang Lan , Xu Hongen , Liu Danhua , Zhang Sen , Xu Ying
Published: November 2022

Background

Auditory neuropathy (AN) is a hearing disorder caused by the failure of inner hair cells, auditory nerve synapses and/or auditory nerves. With the development of high-throughput sequencing technology, the genetic factors of AN have been revealed, and genetic testing has become an important tool for identifying different types of AN.

Case description

To study the genetic cause of nonsyndromic auditory neuropathy in a Chinese family. The family was from Henan Province with three affected individuals. The audiological examinations were performed on the affected individuals, and whole-exome sequencing was carried out on the proband. The suspected pathogenic variants screened by the bioinformatic analysis were validated using Sanger sequencing in the family members. We identified three novel variants c.3277G > A (p.Glu1093Lys), c.4024-4G > T, and c.898-2A > G of the OTOF gene in the three children with AN. The first two variants were inherited from their father, and the third variant was inherited from their mother. A minigene assay was designed to test the effect of c.4024-4G > T on splicing. The variants c.3277G > A, c.4024-4G > T, and c.898-2A > G could be classified as likely pathogenic/pathogenic following the ACMG guidelines, and they are considered as the genetic causes for the patients in the family.

Conclusion

New pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants of the OTOF gene were identified in a family with AN, enriching the mutational spectrum of the OTOF gene.
Clinical and ultrasound findings of pentalogy of Cantrell in a newborn: A case report
Authors: Wang Dan , Zheng Bin , Zhai Bo , Mo Juan , Yang Kaihua , Huo Yaling
Published: November 2022

Background

Pentalogy of Cantrell is a rare and deadly syndrome, manifesting as intracardiac anomalies and ventricular diverticulum. Echocardiographers have an insufficient understanding of pentalogy of Cantrell, which may lead to missed diagnoses, especially in cases lacking the most obvious signs.

Case summary

One of twin male infants, at a gestational age of 37 weeks, was found with a cardiac murmur and a pulsatile mass in the midline supraumbilical abdomen for 2 days. Echocardiography on admission indicated congenital heart disease. A cardiac murmur was detected in the 3–4 intercostal space and extensively spread. The infant was diagnosed with pentalogy of Cantrell by ultrasound and computed tomography angiography (CTA) preoperatively. The patient underwent heart deformity surgery and was followed up for 16 months. The patient's cardiac structure and function returned to normal.

Conclusion

Intracardiac anomaly and ventricular diverticulum are the primary manifestations of pentalogy of Cantrell. Pentalogy of Cantrell may be diagnosed by combining the ultrasound and CTA findings.
143.4 W high power combined white supercontinuum source using a (7 × 1) supercontinuum fiber combiner
Authors: Sun Chang , Ge Tingwu , Cao Kang , Wang Zhiyong
Published: November 2022

We demonstrate a 143.4 W high power combined white supercontinuum (SC) source using a (7 × 1) SC fiber combiner. Based on the criteria of adiabatic tapering and brightness conservation, a (7 × 1) SC fiber combiner is designed and theoretically investigated, and the simulated results of the transmission efficiencies of laser at different wavelengths of the combiner verify that the combiner has the ability of combining white SC sources efficiently. Then, the (7 × 1) SC fiber combiner is fabricated, and three white SC fiber laser sources with average power of about 50 W are set up for beam combining experiment. Finally, a 143.4 W high power combined white SC source is achieved with high combining efficiency of 97.4%. and the corresponding combined SC spectrum ranges from 450 nm to 1700 nm, which remains consistent with the overall spectral range of the three SC sources. The experiment result indicates that the (7 × 1) SC fiber combiner is greatly capable of combining high power white SC sources efficiently, thereby increasing the average power of the white SC source significantly. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a fiber combiner for high power white SC sources with such a high combining efficiency.
Optical phase singularities: Physical nature, manifestations and applications
Authors: Angelsky O. V. , Bekshaev A. Ya. , Vasnetsov M. V. , Zenkova C. Yu. , Maksimyak P. P. , Zheng Jun
Published: November 2022

Over the past 30 years, physical optics has been enriched by the appearance of singular optics as a new branch approved in scientific classifiers. This review briefly outlines the main concepts of the singular optics, their role in physical research and applications, and prospects of further development. The wave singularities are considered as a sort of structured-light elements and analyzed based on the generic example of screw wavefront dislocation (optical vortex). Their specific topological and mechanical properties associated with the transverse energy circulation are discussed. Peculiar features of the non-linear optical phenomena with singular fields are exhibited, with the special attention to generation of multidimensional entangled quantum states of photons. Optical fields with multiple singularities, especially, the stochastic speckle fields, are discussed in the context of optical diagnostics of random scattering objects. The exact and approximate correspondences between characteristic parameters of the optical-field intensity and phase distributions are analyzed with the aim of recovering phase information from the intensity measurements (“phase problem” solution). Rational singularity-based approaches to informative measurements of the scattered-field distribution are discussed, as well as their employment for the objects’ diagnostics. In particular, the practical instruments are described for the high-precision rough-surface testing. Possible enhancements of the singular-optics ideas and concepts in a wider context, including the transformation optics, near-field optics (surface waves), partially-coherent fields, and wave fields of other physical nature, are briefly exposed.
Integrative application of heavy metal–resistant bacteria, moringa extracts, and nano-silicon improves spinach yield and declines its contaminant contents on a heavy metal–contaminated soil
Authors: Eltahawy Abdelsatar M. A. E. , Awad El-Sayed A. M. , Ibrahim Ahmed H. , Merwad Abdel-Rahman M. A. , Desoky El-Sayed M.
Published: November 2022

Microorganism-related technologies are alternative and traditional methods of metal recovery or removal. We identified and described heavy metal–resistant bacteria isolated from polluted industrial soils collected from various sites at a depth of 0–200 mm. A total of 135 isolates were screened from polluted industrial soil. The three most abundant isolate strains resistant to heavy metals were selected: Paenibacillus jamilae DSM 13815T DSM (LA22), Bacillus subtilis ssp. spizizenii DSM 15029T DSM (MA3), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa A07_08_Pudu FLR (SN36). A test was conducted to evaluate the effect of (1) isolated heavy metal–resistant bacteria (soil application), (2) a foliar spray with silicon dioxide nanoparticles (Si-NPs), and (3) moringa leaf extract (MLE) on the production, antioxidant defense, and physio-biochemical characteristics of spinach grown on heavy metal–contaminated soil. Bacteria and MLE or Si-NPs have been applied in single or combined treatments. It was revealed that single or combined additions significantly increased plant height, shoot dry and fresh weight, leaf area, number of leaves in the plant, photosynthetic pigments content, total soluble sugars, free proline, membrane stability index, ascorbic acid, relative water content, α-tocopherol, glycine betaine, glutathione, and antioxidant enzyme activities (i.e., peroxidase, glutathione reductase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and ascorbate peroxidase) compared with the control treatment. However, applying bacteria or foliar spray with MLE or Si-NPs significantly decreased the content of contaminants in plant leaves (e.g., Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cu), malondialdehyde, electrolyte leakage, superoxide radical (O2·−), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Integrative additions had a more significant effect than single applications. It was suggested in our study that the integrative addition of B. subtilis and MLE as a soil application and as a foliar spray, respectively, is a critical approach to increasing spinach plant performance and reducing its contaminant content under contaminated soil conditions.
Role of long non-coding RNAs in rice reproductive development
Authors: Babaei Saeid , Singh Mohan B. , Bhalla Prem L.
Published: November 2022

Rice is a staple crop, feeding over half of the global population. The future demand of population growth and climate change requires substantial rice improvement. Recent advances in rice genomics have highlighted the vital role of the non-coding part of the genome. The protein-coding regions account for only a tiny portion of the eukaryotic genome, and most of the genomic regions transcribe copious amounts of non-coding RNAs. Of these, the long non-coding RNAs, including linear non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular non-coding RNAs (circRNAs), have been shown to play critical roles in various developmental processes by regulating the expression of genes and functions of proteins at transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational levels. With the advances in next-generation sequencing technologies, a substantial number of long non-coding RNAs have been found to be expressed in plant reproductive organs in a cell- and tissue-specific manner suggesting their reproductive development-related functions. Accumulating evidence points towards the critical role of these non-coding RNAs in flowering, anther, and pollen development, ovule and seed development and photoperiod and temperature regulation of male fertility. In this mini review, we provide a brief overview of the role of the linear and circular long non-coding RNAs in rice reproductive development and control of fertility and crop yield.
Task switching involves working memory: Evidence from neural representation
Authors: Wang Yanqing , Zhou Xing , Peng Xuerui , Hu Xueping
Published: November 2022

It is generally assumed that task switching involves working memory, yet some behavioral studies question the relationship between working memory and task switching ability. This debate can be resolved by directly comparing the brain activity pattern in task switching and working memory processes. If the task switching involves working memory, the neural activity patterns evoked by such two tasks would exhibit higher similarity. Here, we employed the task switching task and working memory to investigate the characteristic of the neural representation in such two cognitive processes. A conjunction analysis showed that the bilateral superior parietal lobule (SPL), bilateral insula, bilateral middle frontal gyrus (MFG), bilateral dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) were commonly and significantly activated in both task switching and working memory task. Critically, we found that task switching and working memory processing elicited similar activity patterns in bilateral SPL, right insula, left MFG, left DLPFC and pre-SMA, consistent with common neural processes for both tasks. These results not only suggest that the task switching process involves working memory from the perspective of neural representation, but also provide major new insights into the neurocognitive links between task switching and working memory.
Cognitive model construction and assessment of data analysis ability based on CDA
Authors: Wu Xiaopeng , Zhang Yi , Wu Rongxiu , Tang Xiuxiu , Xu Tianshu
Published: November 2022

Ability of data analysis, as one of the essential core qualities of modern citizens, has received widespread attention from the international education community. How to evaluate students’ data analysis ability and obtain the detailed diagnosis information is one of the key issues for schools to improve education quality. With an employment of cognitive diagnostic assessment (CDA) as the basic theoretical framework, this study constructed the cognitive model of data analysis ability for 503 Grade 9 students in China. The follow-up analyses including the learning path, learning progression and corresponding personalized assessment were also provided. The result indicated that first, almost all the students had the data awareness. Furthermore, the probability of mastering the attribute Interpretation and inference of data was relatively low with only 60% or so. Also, the probabilities of mastering the rest of attributes were about 70% on average. It was expected that this study would provide a new cognitive diagnostic perspective on the assessment of students’ essential data analysis abilities.
Parafoveal preview benefit in a conflicting sentential context: Evidence from ERPs
Authors: Li Nan , Li Gantang , Wang Suiping
Published: November 2022

In natural reading, the reader’s processing of a word starts when the word is located in parafoveal vision. Relative to a situation with an invalid preview, fixations are significantly shorter after a fully valid, identical preview. Although research on the identity preview benefit has been ongoing for more than 40 years, the mechanism of this preview benefit, the level of lexical processing it occurs, and its relationship to the sentential context remain unclear. This study employed EEG brain component analysis technology to address these questions in Chinese sentence reading. We manipulated the sentential context to make the target word plausible or not plausible with the sentence and manipulated the target word present or not present in preview. EEG results showed that the identity preview benefit can affect not only the early preview positivity, reflecting the early orthographic processing of words, but also the N400 and LPC components, reflecting the late and in-depth semantic processing of words. Conflicting sentential context, in which the target word is implausible and cannot be integrated into the sentence, can interfere temporarily with these processes. These findings suggest that in the process of sentence reading, an identical preview word can promote the subsequent reading process at multiple levels, and its role is modulated by contextual information.
Coupling coordination analysis of low-carbon development, technology innovation, and new urbanization: Data from 30 provinces and cities in China
Authors: He Ying , Liu Guolei
Published: November 2022

Technology innovation capability as an endogenous driving force plays an increasingly important role in the low-carbon transformation of new urbanization. This paper's purpose is to delve into the coupling coordination relationship among the three variables, and promote system's and region's synergy development. Based on the coupling coordination degree model, spatial autocorrelation model and obstacle degree model, this paper investigated the coupling coordination of low-carbon development (LCD) quality, technology innovation (TI) capability and new urbanization (NU) level in China from 2009 to 2019. The results indicate: (1) The coupling coordination degree (CCD) of LCD quality, TI capability and NU level in all regions of the country were fluctuating for a long time, and the regions that reach the coordinated development level showed a slow rising trend with obvious regional differences. (2) Three subsystems' CCD showed significant spatial correlation characteristics, and the degree of spatial agglomeration was constantly increasing. (3) The obstacles affecting the systems' synergy mainly reflected in economic and social indexes. In the end, this paper proposed that policy coordination and linkage should be strengthened, emphasizing the integrated development of the three subsystems. It is necessary to formulate development plans in combination with geographic location and resource endowment to enhance the regional driving effect.
Untargeted metabolomics of pulmonary tuberculosis patient serum reveals potential prognostic markers of both latent infection and outcome
Authors: Wang Xuezhi , Wu Zhuhua , Zeng Jincheng , Zhao Yuchuan , Zhang Chenchen , Yu Meiling , Wang Wei , Chen Xunxun , Chen Liang , Wang Jiawen , Xu Liuyue , Zhou Jie , Tan Qiuchan , Wei Wenjing , Li Yanxia
Published: November 2022

Currently, there are no particularly effective biomarkers to distinguish between latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and evaluate the outcome of TB treatment. In this study, we have characterized the changes in the serum metabolic profiles caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and standard anti-TB treatment with isoniazid–rifampin–pyrazinamide–ethambutol (HRZE) using GC-MS and LC-MS/MS. Seven metabolites, including 3-oxopalmitic acid, akeboside ste, sulfolithocholic acid, 2-decylfuran (4,8,8-trimethyldecahydro-1,4-methanoazulen-9-yl)methanol, d-(+)-camphor, and 2-methylaminoadenosine, were identified to have significantly higher levels in LTBI and untreated PTB patients (T0) than those in uninfected healthy controls (Un). Among them, akeboside Ste and sulfolithocholic acid were significantly decreased in PTB patients with 2-month HRZE (T2) and cured PTB patients with 2-month HRZE followed by 4-month isoniazid-rifampin (HR) (T6). Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis revealed that the combined diagnostic model showed excellent performance for distinguishing LT from T0 and Un. By analyzing the biochemical and disease-related pathways, we observed that the differential metabolites in the serum of LTBI or TB patients, compared to healthy controls, were mainly involved in glutathione metabolism, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, and porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism. The metabolites with significant differences between the T0 group and the T6 group were mainly enriched in niacin and nicotinamide metabolism. Our study provided more detailed experimental data for developing laboratory standards for evaluating LTBI and cured PTB.
Patterns of social participation and impacts on memory among the older people
Authors: Han Hu , Hengyuan Zhang , Yonggang Tang
Published: November 2022

This study employs latent class analysis to analyze the social participation patterns of elderly Chinese, as well as the impact of different social participation patterns on memory. According to the results, older persons exhibit four distinct social participation patterns. and senior citizens with a strong emphasis on entertainment had a better memory than those with a low participation level. Although there was no difference in urban elders' memory across the four social engagement patterns, the connection varied significantly between urban and rural seniors. As a result, it is suggested that the elderly's memory be improved by protecting their right to social involvement, enriching the style and content of social participation, and assuring the continuity of their social obligations.
Sexualized drug use among men who have sex with men in Madrid and Barcelona: The gateway to new drug use?
Authors: Guerras Juan-Miguel , Hoyos Juan , Donat Marta , de la Fuente Luis , Palma Díaz David , Ayerdi Oskar , García-Pérez Jorge N. , García de Olalla Patricia , Belza María-José
Published: November 2022

This original study compares the prevalences of drug use for any purpose and for sexualized drug use (SDU) among MSM. It also describes relevant characteristics of first SDU, analyzes to what extent SDU has been the first experience (the gateway) with different drugs by age and explores the correlates of SDU. Study participants included 2,919 HIV-negative MSM attending four HIV/STI diagnosis services in Madrid and Barcelona. They answered an online, self-administered questionnaire. Poisson regression models with robust variance were used. About 81.4% had ever used any drug, and 71.9% had done so in the last-12-months, while 56% had ever engaged in SDU, and 50% had done so in the last-12-months. Participants under 25 years old had the lowest prevalences of SDU, and the 25–39 age group the highest, except for Viagra, which was higher among those over age 40. The most frequently used drugs for first SDU were poppers (53.6%), cannabis (19.6%) and Viagra (12.2%). These drugs were also the most ever consumed for SDU. Among sexualized users, methamphetamine (78.3%) and Mephedrone (75.4%) were used always/most of the times for sex in the last-12-months. Around 72.2% of Mephedrone sexualized users and 69.6% of Methamphetamine vs 23.1% of ecstasy users' first consumption of these drugs involved use for sex. These drugs were provided to them free where they have sex for 66.8, 79.1, and 31.9%, respectively. On that occasion, 8.1% of Mephedrone, 6.8% of Methamphetamine and 18.4% of ecstasy users had sex only with steady partner; with 50.2, 56.2, and 26.2% respectively using a condom with any partner. SDU in the first use was associated with similar variables for recreational and chemsex drugs. The highest prevalence ratios were for having ever been penetrated by >20 men and having ever injected drugs. It can be concluded that the prevalence of SDU was more than half of the prevalence for any purpose. Thus SDU was the gateway to use for many drugs in an important proportion of users, who frequently consumed drugs that were free and had condomless anal sex with occasional and multiple partners. These circumstances were much more common for chemsex than for recreational drugs.
Certification of machine learning algorithms for safe-life assessment of landing gear
Authors: El Mir Haroun , Perinpanayagam Suresh
Published: November 2022

This paper provides information on current certification of landing gear available for use in the aerospace industry. Moving forward, machine learning is part of structural health monitoring, which is being used by the aircraft industry. The non-deterministic nature of deep learning algorithms is regarded as a hurdle for certification and verification for use in the highly-regulated aerospace industry. This paper brings forth its regulation requirements and the emergence of standardisation efforts. To be able to validate machine learning for safety critical applications such as landing gear, the safe-life fatigue assessment needs to be certified such that the remaining useful life may be accurately predicted and trusted. A coverage of future certification for the usage of machine learning in safety-critical aerospace systems is provided, taking into consideration both the risk management and explainability for different end user categories involved in the certification process. Additionally, provisional use case scenarios are demonstrated, in which risk assessments and uncertainties are incorporated for the implementation of a proposed certification approach targeting offline machine learning models and their explainable usage for predicting the remaining useful life of landing gear systems based on the safe-life method.
Biocontrol action of Trichothecium roseum against the wheat powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici
Authors: Zhu Mo , Duan Xiao , Cai Pengkun , Zhang Wanwan , Liu Yan , Cui Jiangkuan , Li Zhengnan , Qiu Zongbo
Published: November 2022

Trichothecium roseum is known to be a mycoparasite and inhibit phytopathogenic fungi. However, so far, only scarce information is available on the impacts of T. roseum on powdery mildews. Based on the morphological and molecular analysis, we identified T. roseum as a mycoparasite on colonies of the wheat powdery mildew fungus (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, Bgt, recently clarified as B. graminis s. str.) and then showed that T. roseum was capable of efficiently impairing colony formation and conidial distribution of Bgt. After inoculation of T. roseum conidia on Bgt colonies, the biomasses of Bgt significantly decreased 1.46, 1.64, 7.55, and 10.49 times at 2, 4, 6, and 8 dpi, respectively. Thus, T. roseum, acting as a potential biological agent, impeded the developments of Bgt, making it a viable alternative for wheat powdery mildew control. Utilizing the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) system, a T. roseum strain that constitutively expressed green fluorescent protein was produced to improve the visualization of the T. roseum-Bgt interaction and showed direct hyphae interaction of T. roseum with Bgt structures during parasitic processes. These findings indicate that ATMT is a potent and efficient method for transforming T. roseum. Nevertheless, our results suggest that T. roseum is an antagonistic parasite of the wheat powdery mildew fungus, and hence, can be considered for phytopathogen management.
Applying Artificial Intelligence in Cryptocurrency Markets: A Survey
Authors: Amirzadeh Rasoul , Nazari Asef , Thiruvady Dhananjay
Published: November 2022

The total capital in cryptocurrency markets is around two trillion dollars in 2022, which is almost the same as Apple’s market capitalisation at the same time. Increasingly, cryptocurrencies have become established in financial markets with an enormous number of transactions and trades happening every day. Similar to other financial systems, price prediction is one of the main challenges in cryptocurrency trading. Therefore, the application of artificial intelligence, as one of the tools of prediction, has emerged as a recently popular subject of investigation in the cryptocurrency domain. Since machine learning models, as opposed to traditional financial models, demonstrate satisfactory performance in quantitative finance, they seem ideal for coping with the price prediction problem in the complex and volatile cryptocurrency market. There have been several studies that have focused on applying machine learning for price and movement prediction and portfolio management in cryptocurrency markets, though these methods and models are in their early stages. This survey paper aims to review the current research trends in applications of supervised and reinforcement learning models in cryptocurrency price prediction. This study also highlights potential research gaps and possible areas for improvement. In addition, it emphasises potential challenges and research directions that will be of interest in the artificial intelligence and machine learning communities focusing on cryptocurrencies.
Multi-Scale and Multi-Match for Few-Shot Plant Disease Image Semantic Segmentation
Authors: Yang Wenji , Hu Wenchao , Xie Liping , Yang Zhenji
Published: November 2022

Currently, deep convolutional neural networks have achieved great achievements in semantic segmentation tasks, but existing methods all require a large number of annotated images for training and do not have good scalability for new objects. Therefore, few-shot semantic segmentation methods that can identify new objects with only one or a few annotated images are gradually gaining attention. However, the current few-shot segmentation methods cannot segment plant diseases well. Based on this situation, a few-shot plant disease semantic segmentation model with multi-scale and multi-prototypes match (MPM) is proposed. This method generates multiple prototypes and multiple query feature maps, and then the relationships between prototypes and query feature maps are established. Specifically, the support feature and query feature are first extracted from the high-scale layers of the feature extraction network; subsequently, masked average pooling is used for the support feature to generate prototypes for a similarity match with the query feature. At the same time, we also fuse low-scale features and high-scale features to generate another support feature and query feature that mix detailed features, and then a new prototype is generated through masked average pooling to establish a relationship with the query feature of this scale. Subsequently, in order to solve the shortcoming of traditional cosine similarity and lack of spatial distance awareness, a CES (cosine euclidean similarity) module is designed to establish the relationship between prototypes and query feature maps. To verify the superiority of our method, experiments are conducted on our constructed PDID-5i dataset, and the mIoU is 40.5%, which is 1.7% higher than that of the original network.
War Game between Two Matched Fleets with Goal Options and Tactical Optimization
Authors: Jia Zhi-Xiang , Kiang Jean-Fu
Published: November 2022

A war game between two matched fleets of equal size and capability is designed and simulated in this work. Each fleet is composed of a carrier vessel (CV), a guided missile cruiser (CG), and two guided-missile destroyers (DDGs). Each vessel is equipped with specific weapons, including fighters, missiles, and close-in weapon system (CIWS), to carry out tactical operations. The maneuverability, maximum flying distance, and kill probability of different weapons are specified. Three goal options, a defense option and two more aggressive ones, are available to each fleet. A particle-pair swarm optimization (P2SO) algorithm is proposed to optimize the tactical parameters of both fleets concurrently according to their chosen options. The parameters to be optimized include take-off time delay of fighters, launch time delay of anti-ship missiles (ASHMs), and initial flying directions of fighters and ASHMs, respectively. All six possible contests between options are simulated and analyzed in terms of payoff, impact scores on CV, CG, DDG, and the number of lost fighters. Some interesting outlier cases are inspected to gain some insights on this game.
The Microbiota Is Not an Organ: Introducing the Muco-Microbiotic Layer as a Novel Morphofunctional Structure
Authors: Fucarino Alberto , Burgio Stefano , Paladino Letizia , Caruso Bavisotto Celeste , Pitruzzella Alessandro , Bucchieri Fabio , Cappello Francesco
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we want to refute the notion that the microbiota should be considered an organ, given that an organ comprises tissue of similar or different embryological origin, while the microbiota is a pool of different microbial species originating individually from single replications and not from a common ancestral cellular element. Hence, we would like to propose a new morphological interpretation of its nature, based on the comprehensive context in which these microbes live: a muco-microbiotic layer of hollow organs, such as the airways and the bowel. The above concept should represent not only a new terminological annotation but also a more accurate portrayal of the physiology and pathophysiology of these organs. Indeed, a better understanding of the biological nature of this part of the human body can help scientists develop more specific experimental protocols, potentially leading to the establishment of better therapeutic strategies.
Antimicrobial Activity of Azithromycin Encapsulated into PLGA NPs: A Potential Strategy to Overcome Efflux Resistance
Authors: Abo-zeid Yasmin , Amer Amr , Bakkar Marwa Reda , El-Houssieny Boushra , Sakran Wedad
Published: November 2022

Antimicrobial resistance represents a public health problem with a major negative impact on health and socioeconomic development, and is one of the biggest threats in the modern era. This requires the discovery of new approaches to control microbial infections. Nanomedicine could be one of the promising strategies to improve the treatment of microbial infections. Polymer nanoparticles (PNPs) were reported to overcome the efflux-resistant mechanism toward chemotherapeutic agents. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies were performed to explore their ability to overcome the efflux-resistant mechanism in bacteria. In the current study, azithromycin (AZI), a macrolide antibiotic, was encapsulated into a biocompatible polymer, poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) using the nano-precipitation method. The effect of the drug to polymer ratio, surfactant, and pH of the aqueous medium on particle size and drug loading percentage (DL%) were investigated in order to maximize the DL% and control the size of NPs to be around 100 nm. The antibacterial activity of AZI-PLGA NPs was investigated against AZI-resistant bacteria; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis), where the efflux mechanism was demonstrated to be one of the resistant mechanisms. AZI-PLGA NPs were safer than free AZI, as revealed from the cytotoxicity test, and were able to overcome the efflux-resistant mechanism, as revealed by decreasing the MIC of AZI-PLGA NPs by four times than free AZI. The MIC value reduced from 256 to 64 µg/mL and from >1000 to 256 µg/mL for MRSA and E. faecalis, respectively. Therefore, encapsulation of AZI into PNPs was shown to be a promising strategy to overcome the efflux-resistant mechanism towards AZI and improve its antibacterial effect. However, future investigations are necessary to explore the effect (if any) of particle size, surface charge, and material composition of PNPs on antibacterial activity. Moreover, it is essential to ascertain the safety profiles of these PNPs, the possibility of their large-scale manufacture, and if this concept could be extended to other antibiotics.
Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Common and Lemon Verbena
Authors: Polumackanycz Milena , Petropoulos Spyridon Alexandros , Añibarro-Ortega Mikel , Pinela José , Barros Lillian , Plenis Alina , Viapiana Agnieszka
Published: November 2022

The nutritional profiles of common and lemon verbena leaves were analyzed (proximate constituents, free sugars, organic acids, tocopherols, and fatty acids) and the leaves were prepared in hydromethanolic and aqueous (decoctions and infusions) extracts. The phenolic compound composition and antioxidant activity (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH); 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP); and cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) assays) of the extracts were characterized. The nutritional composition varied between the studied species, with lemon verbena showing higher amounts of protein, ash, and fat than common verbena, whereas the opposite trend was recorded for the dietary fiber content. The main free sugars detected in both species were fructose, glucose, and sucrose, which were present in higher amounts in the common verbena samples. Succinic acid was the most abundant organic acid in both species while high amounts of oxalic acid were detected in lemon verbena. The main fatty acids in both species were α-linolenic, palmitic, and linoleic acid. Regarding the phenolic compound content, the extracts of lemon verbena presented higher amounts of total phenolic compounds (TPCs), total flavonoids (TFs) and total phenolic acids (TPAs) than the common verbena extracts while the aqueous extracts (infusions and decoctions) were richer in TPCs, TFs, and TPAs than the hydromethanolic ones in both species. Nine phenolic compounds were identified and quantified, including seven phenolic acids and two flavonoids. The lemon verbena samples were characterized by higher antioxidant activity compared to the common verbena samples while the aqueous extracts showed higher antioxidant efficacy than the hydromethanolic ones. In conclusion, both species showed promising results in terms of the nutritional value, chemical composition, and antioxidant activities, which were positively correlated with the phenolic compound contents. Moreover, the extraction protocol may affect the chemical composition and bioactive properties of both species, with aqueous extracts showing better results than hydromethanolic ones.
Use of the Dynamic Cone Penetrometer in Compacted Clay–Sand Layers
Authors: Dafalla Muawia , Shaker Abdullah , Al-Shamrani Mosleh
Published: November 2022

The ASTM D6951 suggests a test method using the dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP) for the assessment of shallow pavement strength. This study is dedicated to evaluating a similar test method to be used for fine-grained clay–sand mixtures, which are commonly used to construct liners and fluid barriers. The liner layers include clay, which is water-sensitive. The shear strength of the liners depends mainly on the composition and proportions of the mixtures adopted. A series of tests were conducted in the laboratory for compacted clay–sand mixtures, including 5% and 10% bentonite material. The responses to advancing a dynamic probe into compacted material at three various moisture conditions—namely, the optimum, dry of optimum, and wet of optimum water contents—are investigated. The penetration profiles are compared for the two clay content levels selected and for three moisture state conditions. The clay–sand liners support vehicles and vibratory compactors during construction and when waste material is placed. The shear strengths of the mixtures are evaluated in the laboratory using direct shear tests. From the results obtained in this investigation, general guidelines and recommendations are presented to help with the efficient assessment of liners consisting of clay–sand mixtures. A cheap and quick approach to assess the density and shear strength of landfill liners or clay–sand layers can be achieved using a hand-held dynamic cone penetrometer. The state of moisture during compaction was found to influence the DCP results. The compaction of layers in a wet of optimum state is not expected to be an ideal alternative.
Visual SLAM Mapping Based on YOLOv5 in Dynamic Scenes
Authors: Zhang Xinguang , Zhang Ruidong , Wang Xiankun
Published: November 2022

When building a map of a dynamic environment, simultaneous localization and mapping systems have problems such as poor robustness and inaccurate pose estimation. This paper proposes a new mapping method based on the ORB-SLAM2 algorithm combined with the YOLOv5 network. First, the YOLOv5 network of the tracing thread is used to detect dynamic objects of each frame, and to get keyframes with detection of dynamic information. Second, the dynamic objects of each image frame are detected using the YOLOv5 network, and the detected dynamic points are rejected. Finally, the global map is constructed using the keyframes after eliminating the highly dynamic objects. The test results using the TUM dataset show that when the map is constructed in a dynamic environment, compared with the ORB-SLAM2 algorithm, the absolute trajectory error of our algorithm is reduced by 97.8%, and the relative positional error is reduced by 59.7%. The average time consumed to track each image frame is improved by 94.7% compared to DynaSLAM. In terms of algorithmic real-time performance, this paper’s algorithm is significantly better than the comparable dynamic SLAM map-building algorithm DynaSLAM.
Testing of Structural Integrity of U-Shaped Sheet Pile in Canal Engineering Using Ground Penetrating Radar
Authors: Yang Yongqing , Li Guowei , Luo Na , Cao Xueshan
Published: November 2022

Compared with other piles with the same cross-sectional area, “U-shaped” structural section sheet pile can increase the moment of inertia of the structure’s section. Due to the large excavation depth of the open section of the “Yin Jiang Ji Huai” river canal project in Anhui province, China, the unprotected excavated inclined canal slope covers a large land area, which results in the current situation of high housing demolition costs and a shortage of land resources in densely populated areas. In this study, the non-destructive testing of a U-shaped sheet-pile wall to protect the vertical slope of the underwater expansive soil in the canal project is studied, which is of great significance in reducing the construction area and minimizing the cost of construction. It is necessary to test the structural integrity of the U-shaped sheet pile, which is also vital to ensuring the whole project quality. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is used to detect the structural integrity of the U-shaped sheet pile in expansive soil. On the basis of identification and conversion of the original GPR data format, the processing methods based on the time-varying automatic gain and wavelet analysis are implemented. This case study proves that the GPR testing method is effective to estimate the quality of the U-shaped sheet pile.
A Feature of Mechanics-Driven Statistical Moments of Wavelet Transform-Processed Dynamic Responses for Damage Detection in Beam-Type Structures
Authors: Huang Jinwen , Deng Tongfa , Cao Maosen , Qian Xiangdong , Bayat Mahmoud
Published: November 2022

Multiple damage detection using structural responses only is a problem unresolved that is in the field of structural health monitoring. To address this problem, a novel feature of mechanics-driven statistical moments of wavelet transform-processed dynamic responses is proposed for multi-damage identification in beam-type structures. This feature is referred to as a continuous wavelet transform (CWT)-second-order strain statistical moment (SSSM), with CWT-SSSM in the abbreviation. The mechanical connotation of CWT-SSSM lies in that the SSSM of each order principal vibration contains strain mode shapes, inducing greater sensitivity to local damage. With this method, the CWT is used to extract and amplify the singularities caused by damage in each order SSSM curve, following which the data fusion technology and three-sigma rule in statistics are adopted to construct the damage index. The presence of damage is characterized by the abrupt change in the damage index. The soundness and characteristics of the CWT-SSSM feature are verified by identifying multiple damages in a cantilever beam bearing two breathing cracks. The results show that the proposed feature can accurately designate multiple cracks free of baseline information on the intact counterpart; moreover, it has robustness against noise and applicability under excitations of approximately uniform spectra.