bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Determination of Zn (II) on fast-scan anodic stripping voltammetric
Authors: Ma Shaohua , Lu Jin , Ma Xiang , He Wendi , Wei Hua , Ma Chuangui , Jiang Lingli 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

In this study, the amalgam zinc film on glassy carbon electrode was obtained in situ deposition; it was used to study the determination of Zn (II). Exceptional sensitivity of the determination was demonstrated using fast scan (v < 1 KV/s) anodic stripping voltammetry. The scan rate of 500 V/s was chosen for subsequent determination. In this condition, the calibration curve of Zn (II) was obtained. The concentration of Zn (II) and the peak current showed a good linear relationship from 1×10− 7 mg / mL to 1×10− 11 mg / mL for Zn (II). The detection limit attained for Zn (II) was estimated up to 3.33×10− 12 mg / mL. In addition, Zn (II) was spiked and determined in samples of deionized water. The recovery values for these experiments were between 105.1% and 93.7%, and their relative standard deviation was 3.9%-6.2%. We demonstrate that the proposed method has potential for practical application in analyses of wastewaters and seawaters due to its good anti-interference ability.
Effect of cell wall polysaccharides on the peelability in table grape berries
Authors: Bi Junfei , Jiang Yongshan , Zhao Boxiang , Yang Junsheng , Zhao Qifeng , Ji Wei 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

With the significant improvement of grape cultivation standardization and the internationalization of product markets in China, grape production is gradually shifting from yield efficiency to quality efficiency. The variety of fruit peels that are easy to separate meets people's needs for convenience and hygiene, and is loved by consumers. Peelability has become one of the quality indicators of many horticultural plant fruits, which has a profound impact on the development of the horticultural industry. The skin-pulp adherence was significantly positively correlated with the cell wall polysaccharide content in the peel and pulp, and significantly negatively correlated with xylanase, xyloglucan endoglycosyltransferase, β-mannanase, pectin methylesterase, and β-galactosidase activity in the peel and pulp. The degree of looseness of the pericarp cell layer may be a morphological indicator of the trait of easy separation of the peel from the pulp. The decrease in total dry matter content of the pulp cell wall may be closely related to the decrease in skin-pulp adherence. Cell wall polysaccharide-degrading enzymes may be a non-major factor causing the difference in skin-pulp adherence. Cluster analysis classified 10 Eurasian grape varieties into 2 categories. The 1st category was easy to peel varieties, such as Flame Seedless, Thompson Seedless, Wuhecuibao, Zaoheibao, Wanheibao, Jinghongbao, Lihongbao, Qiuhongbao and Crimson Seedless. And the 2nd category was difficult to peel varieties, such as Black Balado. This experiment provides a theoretical basis for revealing the physiological basis of the easy peeling trait in grape berries.
Genome-wide association analyses for revealing QTN, QTN-by-environment and QTN-by-QTN interactions in soybean phenology
Authors: Yan Wen-Liang , Yan Wenliang , Liang Xitong , Li Yang , Jiang Xingtian , Liu Bing , Liu Leilei , Feng Jianying , Karikari Benjamin , Zhao Tuanjie , Jiang Haiyan , Zhu Yan 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Context: Phenology plays an important role in determining the yield and environmental adaptation of soybean, but easily affected by quantitative trait nucleotides (QTN)-by-environment interactions (QEI) and QTN-by-QTN interactions (QQI). Detailed understanding of the genetic basis and the interactions between genome and environments is critical for the development of cultivars with geographical-appropriate phenology.
Methods: A compressed variance component mixed model (3VmrMLM) was used to detect QTN, QEI and QQI for four key phenological traits of 345 soybean accessions. These traits include days from emergence to first flower (R1), pod beginning (R3), seed formation (R5) and maturity initiation (R7). Meanwhile, QTN, QEI and QQI were identified in at least ten environments and Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) value.
Results: (i). A total of 110-193 QTN, 10-31 QEI and 4-8 QQI were identified for each trait. (ii). 40 regions were then divided based on the linkage disequilibrium distance as 500 kb around the above site. (iii). Further differential expression analysis and functional enrichment analysis were finished in 2339 genes and identified 40 genes involved in biological pathways such as flowering and seed maturation. (iv). Haplotype difference analysis revealed that Glyma.02g152200, Glyma.02g152800 and Glyma.02g155200are possibly associated with phenology around a QQI, and Glyma.17g212700 may be useful around a QEI for flowering time to maturity.
Conclusions: Extensive genetic analysis of the QTN-QTN with QTN-environment interaction was conducted on key phenological stages in soybean. The candidate genes predicted provide valuable information for functional validation to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the soybean phenology.
Risk Assessment Graphs: Utilizing Attack Graphs for Risk Assessment
Authors: Unger Simon , Arzoglou Ektor , Heinrich Markus , Scheuermann Dirk , Katzenbeisser Stefan 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Risk assessment plays a crucial role in ensuring the security and resilience of modern computer systems.
Existing frameworks for conducting risk assessments often suffer from tedious and time-consuming processes, making it challenging to maintain a comprehensive overview of potential security issues.
In this article, we propose a novel approach that leverages Attack Graphs to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of risk assessment.
Attack Graphs visually represent the various attack paths that adversaries can exploit within a system, enabling a systematic exploration of potential vulnerabilities.
By extending Attack Graphs with capabilities to include countermeasures and consequences, they can be leveraged to constitute the complete risk assessment process.
Our framework offers a more streamlined and comprehensive analysis of system vulnerabilities, where system changes, or environment changes can easily be adapted, and the issues exposing the highest risk can easily be identified.
We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach through a case study, as well as the applicability by combining existing risk assessment standards with our framework.
Our work aims to bridge the gap between risk assessment practices and evolving threat landscapes, offering an improved framework for mitigating risks in modern computer systems.
Different responses of sugarcane and rhizosphere soil microorganisms to single or mixture application of PGPB
Authors: Wei Jiang-Lu , Qin Ying , Khan Qaisar , Liang Wan-Tao , He Wan-Ling , Dong Deng-Feng , Xing Yong-Xiu , Li Yang-Rui 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background: Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) benefit plant growth and development via different direct and indirect mechanisms. However, our knowledge about rhizosphere soil response at different plant growth stages to diverse PGPB application in sugarcane is limited. In this study, four strains of bacteria genera (Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus PAL5, Streptomyces chartreusis WZS021, Bacillus spp. CA1, and Pseudomonas mosselii CN11) were inoculated into two sugarcane varieties (B8, ROC22) as single or mixture in a pot planting experiment. The effects of single or combined application of PGPB on nitrogen metabolism, agronomic traits, rhizosphere soil chemical and biological properties and microbial community were surveyed.
Results: It was found that different treatments had different promotion ways for different sugarcane varieties and rhizosphere soils. PAL5 and CA1+CN11 significantly improved the nitrogen fixation efficiency of sugarcane, while WZS021 treatment enhanced phosphorus (available phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase). High-throughput sequencing (HTS) analysis revealed that Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, and Actinobacteria were the main microbial community phylum components. Correlation analysis indicates that phyla Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota played a key role in the nitrogen cycle of the soil-microbe-plant interaction system, while phylum Firmicutes had a crucial role in the phosphorus cycle. And we found that, In the varieties with weak bacterial species in the rhizosphere soil, the addition of the composite strain had the best effect, while in the varieties with rich bacterial species, the addition of the composite strain may have the exclusion phenomenon, which was not as good as the addition of the single dominant strain.
Conclusions:The PGPB had excellent activities, such as nitrogen fixation, phosphorus and potassium solubilization, which could promote plant growth by decomposing soil nutrients. The inoculated strains can positively enrich the beneficial bacteria in sugarcane. However, there were variations in the quantities of these promoted properties in the treatments with different bacterial strains and sugarcane varieties. It was found that soil-disadvantaged and inoculum-specific bacteria were more favorable to plant development. The considerable variation in soil microbe provides a knowledge base and an experimental system for further mining and utilization of microbial strains.
In vitro detection of breast and cervical cancer cells using a novel fluorescent choline derivative
Authors: Caprifico Anna Eleonora , Vaghi Luca , Spearman Peter , Calabrese Gianpiero , Papagni Antonio 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Introduction Cervical and breast cancers can be easily preventable but they still represent the main causes of cancer-related deaths of women worldwide. Detecting cancer at its early stages is key since treatment of pre-invasive lesions is more efficient than treating an invasive disease. However, there no screening method that is highly sensitive and specific, as well as affordable and practical is currently available. Therefore, the identification of markers complementing traditional cyto/histopathological assessments is needed. Alterations in choline metabolism represents a hallmark of many malignancies, including cervical and breast cancers. Choline radiotracers are widely used for several imaging purposes for the detection of tumours, even though there are many risks associated with the use of radioactivity. Therefore, the aim of this work was to synthesize and characterize a choline tracer based on fluorinated acridine scaffold (CFA) for the in vitro detection of cervical and breast cancer cells.
Methods CFA was synthesized, fully characterized and tested for cytotoxicity on breast (MCF-7) and cervical (HeLa) cancer cell lines. CFA’s uptake by cancer cells was investigated by confocal microscopy and its intracellular intensity was studied by fluorescence means; a comparative uptake between living normal and cancer cells was also conducted.
Results An enhanced intensity of CFA was recorded in breast cancer cells compared to cervical cancer cells in both confocal and fluorescence microscope analysis (p ≤ 0.001). Weak signal intensity of CFA was recorded in normal cells (p ≤ 0.0001). CFA was toxic at much higher concentrations (HeLa IC50= 200 ±18 µM and MCF-7 IC50=105 ±3 µM) than the one needed for its detection in cancer cells (5 µM).
Conclusions Results showed that CFA preferentially accumulated in cancer cells rather than in normal ones. This suggests that CFA may be a potential diagnostic probe in discriminating healthy tissues from malignant ones, due to its specific and highly sensitive features; CFA may also represent a useful tool for in vitro investigations of choline metabolism in cervical and breast cancers.
Aging and Frailty; the case of HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals in Ghana: A case-control study
Authors: Ntiamoah Paul , Ananni-Akollor Max Efui , Frempong Magaret T. , Mutocheluh Mohammed , Narkwah Patrick Williams , Agordzo Samuel Kekeli , Dapaah Dora , Adu-Gyasi Dennis 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background
Physical frailty remains an important health challenge associated with aging. HIV infection may influence the development of physical frailty. This may lead to persons living with HIV experiencing adverse health outcomes that result from physical frailty at earlier ages as compared to persons who are HIV-negative. There is inadequate knowledge of frailty among Ghanaians especially in persons living with HIV. This study sought to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with frailty among elderly persons (older adults) with or without HIV infection in Ghana.
Methodology: This case-control study was conducted from January 2020 to December 2020. A total of 181 elderly persons were recruited for this study. Sociodemographic and lifestyle data were obtained with a structured questionnaire. Blood samples were obtained to determine the HIV status of individuals whose HIV status was unknown for exclusion purposes. Frailty was assessed by the Frailty Phenotype Tool. Statistical values with p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results
Out of the 181 participants, 42.5% (n = 77) were known HIV-positive individuals on antiretroviral therapy whereas 57.5% of participants in this study were HIV-negative. While the overall prevalence of frailty was 15.5% (n = 28), the prevalence of frailty among HIV-negative adults was 12.5% (n = 13) and that recorded among HIV-positive elderly persons was 19.5% (n = 15). Occupation (p = 0.020), age (p = 0.049), smoking status (p = 0.029), and not having multiple sex partners (p = 0.031) were associated with frailty among HIV-negative older adults. Conclusion: Frailty is more common among elderly persons with HIV infection than those without HIV infection, with nearly 2 out of 10 elderly HIV-infected persons being frail. No significant association was observed between frailty status and sociodemographics and lifestyle characteristics among the HIV-positive participants. We conclude that frailty is common among Ghanaian older adults and it is a bigger problem in elderly persons living with HIV infection.
Drivers of wild boar abundance and hunting effectiveness in southern Tunisia
Authors: Ghandri Aida , Acevedo Pelayo , Jarray Mohsen , Zaidi Ali , Chammem Mohsen 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Over the past few decades, wild boar populations have surged globally, including in Tunisia, creating challenges that necessitate understanding the factors influencing their abundance and trends. Herein, we analyzed hunting statistics (number of seen and hunted animals during the hunting events) from 2008 to 2022 to examine the spatial pattern of wild boar abundance in the oases of Kebili and Gabés in south Tunisia. Using Generalized Linear Mixed Models, we examined the relationships between wild boar abundance (the number of animals seen during hunting activities) and hunting effectiveness (the ratio of hunted to seen animals during hunting activities), considering landscape structure, human infrastructure, and hunting pressure. Wild boar abundance was higher in Kebili than in Gabés, but in Gabés wild boar population trend was positive. Our results suggest that wild boar abundance was positively correlated with oasis size, mostly in oasis with presence of herb, shrub, and tree layers. Regarding hunting effectiveness, our results showed that it was significantly higher in Gabés and was positively correlated with the distance to the nearest road. This study underscores the distinct dynamics of wild boar populations in the two regions and highlights the potential risk of population increase based on environmental conditions. The results emphasize the importance of region-specific management strategies that influence both abundance and distribution, and the capability to regulate wild boar populations by hunting. It also underscores the significance of collecting reliable hunting statistics to monitor population dynamics and formulate effective wildlife policies.
Study on oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by SiO2 nanoparticles for Enhancing Oil Recovery in harsh reservoirs
Authors: Yang Liu , Ge Jiiang , Wu Hao , Li Xiaqing , Zhang Xiangfeng , Zhang Guicai 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

In high-temperature and high-salt environments, emulsions stabilized by surfactants are susceptible to instability phenomena, such as droplet coalescence, thereby limiting their utility in tertiary oil recovery. Addition of nanoparticles to the emulsion systems is able to improve the stability of emulsions by several mechanisms. In this paper, two kinds of SiO2 nanoparticle stabilized emulsions, i.e., the electrostatic repulsion stabilized emulsions (ERS) and the Pickering emulsions, are investigated to clear their potential for Enhancing Oil Recovery. The ERS emulsions are prepared by adding SiO2 nanoparticle to a SDS stabilized emulsion. It is found that the critical surfactant concentration for forming emulsions is reduced from 0.06% to 0.006%, and the ERS emulsions are stable at salinity lower than 1% NaCl with no oil phase releasing. The cryo-SEM experiments show that the nanoparticles mainly disperse in the aqueous phase and prevent the droplets from coalescence by electrostatic repulsion. On the other hand, Pickering emulsions are prepared using nonionic surfactant modified SiO2 nanoparticles. By adjusting a surfactant-to-nanoparticles ratio (such as 0.1%:1.0%), the hydrophilic-lipophilic equilibrium is obtained. Laser confocal and cryo-scanning electron microscopy results indicated that SiO2 nanoparticles in Pickering emulsions are dispersed at the oil-water interface, forming a network structure between the emulsion droplets. Further experiments indicates that the ERS emulsions are effective at salinity lower than 1% NaCl, and the Pickering emulsions adapt to salinity lower than 4% NaCl. In the visual 2-D oil displacement experiments, the ERS emulsion and the Pickering emulsion contribute to 8% and 15% oil recovery, respectively, since the droplets of the Pickering emulsions may aggregate and plug large pores.
The influence of parents' oral health literacy and behavior on oral health of preschool children aged 3-6 years - Evidence from China
Authors: Wu Kan , yin Wei , Liang Xinhua , Zou Ling , Yang Zheng 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background
Direct and indirect associations have been identified among health literacy, health behavior, and health status. Thus, we aimed to investigate the influence of oral health literacy and behaviors in parents on their children's oral health status. Moreover, we aimed to analyze the mentioned mediating effects through oral health behavior management.
Methods
Oral health information of 1,102 preschool children aged 3 to 6 years was collected from five primary schools in Jinjiang District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China. The decay-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) index and soft scale plaque index (PI) were used by professional dentists aided by school teachers to assess caries and periodontal health among the children. Simultaneously, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey among the parents to determine their oral health literacy and health behavior and their children's oral health behavior. The probit model, instrumental variables, and mediation effect model were used to evaluate the association of parents' oral health literacy and behavior with their children's oral health status.
Results
The DFMT index was 1.58 among the children, with zero caries in 646 (58.6%) children. The PI was 0.68, with zero gum disease in 517 (46.9%). The univariate analysis suggested that the parents' health literacy and behavior were correlated with their children's oral health status (P < 0.01). Parents' oral health behavior significantly affected their children's oral health status. Simultaneously, a stronger correlation was observed upon using parents' health literacy as an instrumental variable to assess the endogeneity, indicating endogeneity problems. Parents' health-related behaviors exerted a mediating effect on children's oral health, with parents helping children brush their teeth demonstrating the strongest effect.
Conclusion
Parents' oral health-related behaviors can affect their children's oral health status. We recommend enhancing parents' oral health literacy to improve children's oral health status.
Block Identification and Stability Analysis of Underground Stope with Multi-working Face
Authors: Zhang Minsi , Lin Caize , Yang Yong , Wang Shuhong , Shu Fan , Zha Wenhua 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

In the analysis of multi-working face stopes using block theory, the established rock mass model is a complex concave body, and the classic plane cutting algorithm for convex polyhedra cannot be used. To address the challenge, a cavity polyhedron model is constructed through the combination of convex sub-regions, and a detailed methodology for the construction of concave models is provided. In the combinatorial model, the classical cutting algorithm is unrestricted. Subsequently, block identification is achieved through the contraction of structural planes and the merging of sub-regions, which avoids cutting concave polyhedra and takes into account the actual dimensions of structural planes, overcoming the assumption of infinite structural planes in traditional methods. Combining with a shallow underground stope, all independent blocks in the study area are identified. The basic information of the key blocks around the surrounding rock is also provided. The calculation results show that this method can precisely identify all blocks formed by finite structural planes within concave models, regardless of their shapes and quantities. It proves the effectiveness and accuracy of this method applied to multi-working face stopes, and provides technical support for ensuring the safe production of underground stopes.
Predictive factors for compliance to Intravitreal Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor therapy in Palestinian patients with diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, and age- related macular degeneration: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Abualhasan Hamza , Beshtawi Ithar , Mustafa Othman , Hantoli Salem , Noor Mohammad 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background
The burden of retinal vascular and degenerative diseases on patients and healthcare systems can be significant if patients do not complete scheduled intravitreal injections. This study aimed to identify the factors that influence compliance with follow-up injections in patients with diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and retinal vein occlusion who are undergoing intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment.
Methods
This study utilized data from patients who received intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment injections between 2022 and 2023 at An-Najah National University Hospital. Patient information such as demographics, number of injections administered, and details of follow-up visits were obtained from the hospital's electronic records. In cases where the electronic records lacked certain information, patients or their relatives were contacted to provide the missing data. Data entry and analysis were performed using Chi-squared tests and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Statistical significance was determined when the p-value was (≤ 0.05).
Results
A total of 107 patients were eligible for the study, with an average age of 61.9 ± 10.881 years. Out of the total, 64 patients (59.8%) were identified as non-compliant. The factors that significantly affected compliance included the patient's expectation, the planned number of injections, cost issues, injection indications, gender, need for physical assistance, and mobility problems.
Conclusion
Our study found that 59.8% of patients did not adhere to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment injections. Factors influencing compliance included the planned number of injections, cost, indication of injections, gender, need for physical assistance, and mobility issues. It is crucial to increase awareness of these factors to prevent complications like blindness. Raising awareness could lead to improved compliance rates, better treatment outcomes, and positive impacts on patient and community health.