bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genetic diversity among three camel populations reared in Egypt using mitochondrial COX-3 gene
Authors: Abdel-Aziem Sekena H , Mabrouk Dalia M , El-Kader Heba A Abd , Alam Sally S , Othman Othman E 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Maintaining genetic diversity among native Egyptian breeds is important towards genetic resource conservation. Examining the mitochondrial genome in different or within breeds can be helpful in determining the genetic variety of populations. This study examined the mitochondrial COX-3 gene of Egyptian Camelus dromedaries using bioinformatics and phylogenetic analysis, revealing two distinct haplotypes based on single nucleotide polymorphisms at positions 280 and 325. These two haplotypes' amplified PCR products were uploaded to GenBank/NCBI with accession numbers OP994029 and OP994030 with protein id = WHO17331.1" and WHO17330.1, respectively. Comparison of nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the Egyptian camel populations' three-dimensional COX-3 structure showed how closely related these two haplotypes are genetically. Haplotype 1 was more predominant and found in Baldi and Sudani populations whereas haplotype 2 was more abundant in Maghrebi population. The two polymorphic sites have diversity and theta (per site): Theta (W: 0.00208); high variety of haplotypes (Hd: 0.667). These two haplotypes are the most genetically distant from camels in the Camelidae family, according to phylogenetic study. Based on the nucleotide sequences A + T and C + G have frequencies between 51.15% and 48.85%, respectively. The two non-synonymous SNPs caused the P94S amino acid substitution in the coiled region while I109V substitution located in the strand, which was neutral. Analysis of amino acid substitutions via protein prediction showed that the two amino acids were semi-conserved in which the resultant amino acid has different properties from the original amino acid and can affect the protein structure. The protein stability diminished according to the I-Mutant and MUpro tools. I109V nSNP and increased for P94S nSNP. This finding suggested that COX-3 gene variability in camels is important to preserve this genetic resource and creating future breeding programmes, conservation strategies that will increase camel production.
Visual foundation models for fast, label-free detection of diffuse glioma infiltration
Authors: Hollon Todd , Kondepudi Akhil , Pekmezci Melike , Hou Xinhai , Scotford Katie , Jiang Cheng , Rao Akshay , Harake Edward , Chowdury Asadur , Al-Holou Wajd , Wang Lin , Pandey Aditya , Lowenstein Pedro , Castro Maria , Koerner Lisa , Roetzer-Pejrimovsky Thomas , Widhalm Georg , Camelo-Piragua Sandra , Movahed-Ezazi Misha , Orringer Daniel , Lee Honglak , Freudiger Christian , Berger Mitchel , Hervey-Jumper Shawn 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

A critical challenge in diffuse glioma treatment is detecting tumor infiltration during surgery to achieve safe maximal resection[1-3]. Unfortunately, safely resectable residual tumor is found in the majority of glioma patients after surgery, leading to early recurrence and decreased patient survival[4-6]. We present FastGlioma, a visual foundation model for fast (<10 seconds) and accurate detection of glioma infiltration in fresh, unprocessed surgical tissue. FastGlioma was pretrained using large-scale self-supervision (~4 million images) on rapid, label-free, optical microscopy, and fine-tuned to output a normalized score that indicates the degree of tumor infiltration within whole slide optical images. In a prospective, multicenter, international testing cohort of diffuse glioma patients (n=220), FastGlioma was able to detect and quantify the degree of tumor infiltration with an average area under the ROC curve of 92.1 ± 0.9%. FastGlioma outperformed image-guided and fluorescence-guided adjuncts for detecting tumor infiltration during surgery by a wide margin in a head-to-head, prospective comparison study (n=129). FastGlioma performance remained high across diverse patient demographics, medical centers, and diffuse glioma molecular subtypes as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). FastGlioma shows zero-shot generalization to other adult and pediatric brain tumor diagnoses, demonstrating that our visual foundation model can serve as a general-purpose adjunct for guiding brain tumor surgeries. These findings represent the transformative potential of medical foundation models to unlock the role of artificial intelligence in the care of cancer patients.
Robust Image Watermarking Based on Generative Adversarial Networks for Copyright Protection
Authors: Gao Guangyong , Xu Tianyou , Hua Feng 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Digital media is easy to be copied, which leads to a proliferation of copyright infringement. One proposed solution is digital watermarking technology, which is to embed message bits into multimedia carriers such as images and videos to prove the creator’s ownership of his work. Most recently, with the upsurge of convolutional neural network in the terms of artificial intelligence, deep learning has made great achievements in digital watermarking. In this work, we propose a new framework with robust image watermarking based on a generative adversarial network (RIW-GAN). With proposed method, the encoder network is composed of convolutional layers and a residual block outputs the encoded image that has low distortion and is closer to the original image. To enhance the robustness to attack of the model, a simulated noise layer as a differentiable network layer is applied to promote end-to-end training before decoding. Therefore, the proposed model has higher accuracy rate for decoding the attacked encoded image. In comparison to the state-of-the-art model, the experimental results demonstrate that RIW-GAN has superior invisibility and stronger robustness against regular attacks like JPEG compression and geometric attacks such as resizing and cropping.
Comprehensive Proteomic Analysis of the Differential Expression of 83 Proteins Following Intracortical Microelectrode Implantation
Authors: Song Sydney , Druschel Lindsey , Kasthuri Niveda , Wang Jaime , Conard Jacob , Chan Ernest , Acharya Abhinav , Capadona Jeffrey 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Intracortical microelectrodes (IMEs) are devices designed to be implanted into the cerebral cortex for various neuroscience and neuro-engineering applications. A critical feature of these devices is their ability to detect neural activity from individual neurons. Currently, IMEs are limited by chronic failure, largely considered to be caused by the prolonged neuroinflammatory response to the implanted devices. Over the decades, characterization of the neuroinflammatory response has grown in sophistication, with the most recent advances including advanced genomics and spatially resolved transcriptomics. While gene expression studies increase our broad understanding of the relationship between IMEs and cortical tissue, advanced proteomic techniques have not been reported. Proteomic evaluation is necessary to describe the diverse changes in protein expression specific to neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, or tissue and cellular viability, which could lead to the development of more targeted intervention strategies designed to improve IME function. In this study, we have characterized the expression of 83 proteins within 180 µm of the IME implant site at 4-, 8-, and 16-weeks post-implantation. We identified potential targets for immunotherapies, as well as key pathways and functions that contribute to neuronal dieback around the IME implant.
Lightweight Image Encryption Scheme for IoT Environment and MachineLearning-Driven Robust S-box Selection
Authors: Mehmood Abid , Shafique Arslan , Khan Abdul Nasir , Alawida Moatsum , Shuja Junaid 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

The Substitution Box (S-Box) plays a critical role in several block cipher cryptosystems due to its ability to provide essential properties of non-linearity and confusion. Therefore, incorporating a strong S-Box is critical for ensuring a high level of security and optimal performance of block cipher algorithms. In recent years, a variety of S-boxes have been developed, which fall into different robustness categories, such as high, medium, or low. Examining the robustness of an S-box to enhance cryptosystems in terms of security is a challenging task. Although parameters such as Bit Independence Criterion (BIC), Nonlinearity (NL), Strict Avalanche Criterion (SAC), Linear Approximation Probability (LP), and Differential Uniformity (DU) can be useful to determine the robustness levels, manually evaluating each S-box is an ineffective and time-consuming approach. To overcome this challenge, a machine learning model is developed, utilizing the parameters that evaluate the strength of the S-box as features. Additionally, a novel lightweight image encryption scheme suited for IoT applications is also proposed, incorporating various S-boxes. Implementing robust S-boxes also strengthens the security of the proposed encryption scheme. However, to enhance its security further, four distinct cryptographic techniques such as chaotic maps, Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT), Substitution Box (S-box), and Dynamic Random Phase Encoding (DRPE) are employed. To evaluate the efficiency of the proposed encryption scheme in terms of statistical and visual analysis, numerous parameters are considered, including entropy, correlation, contrast, energy, noise and cropping attack analysis, histogram analysis, correlation, entropy, differential analysis, occlusion attack, noise attack, and speed performance analysis. Moreover, a detailed comparison is performed between the proposed and existing encryption schemes to demonstrate that the proposed approach is more efficient than existing ones.
Integration of Metaheuristic Operators Through Unstructured Evolutive Game Theory Approach: A novel hybrid Methodology
Authors: Escobar-Cuevas Hector , Cuevas Erik , Lopez Jesus , Perez-Cisneros Marco 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel approach to addressing the complexity of current optimization challenges by developing hybrid metaheuristic algorithms. These algorithms combine the strengths of different strategies to enhance solution identification and refinement. Specifically, we propose the integration of metaheuristic operators using the Unstructured Evolutive Game Theory (U-EGT) to regulate and merge the advantageous features of the Cheetah Optimizer (CO) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The CO and PSO are chosen for their superior exploitation and exploration capabilities, respectively. Our methodology unfolds in two primary phases: combination and modulation. In the combination phase, CO and PSO search strategies are merged, creating a unified population that generates new candidate solution positions based on the best solution and a modulation factor. During the modulation phase, pairwise competitions based on U-EGT assess candidate solutions against the objective function, adjusting their modulation factor and position accordingly. We conducted various experiments to evaluate our approach against the original CO and PSO, as well as seven other renowned metaheuristic algorithms, across 30 benchmark functions in dimensions of 30, 50, and 100. The results reveal that our hybrid scheme outperforms the comparative algorithms, demonstrating enhanced performance, effectiveness, and robustness through a detailed convergence and significance analysis.
Performance Prediction of COD in Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant using an Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Mesutoğlu Özgül Çimen , Gök Oğuzhan 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

In this investigation, the modeling of the Aksaray industrial wastewater treatment plant was performed using artificial neural networks with various architectures in the MATLAB software. The dataset utilized in this study was collected from the Aksaray wastewater treatment plant over a nine-month period through daily records. The treatment efficiency of the plants was assessed based on the output values of chemical oxygen demand (COD) output. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to furnish input for the artificial neural network (ANN). The model's performance was evaluated using the mean squared error (MSE) and correlation coefficient (R2) parameters. The optimal architecture for the neural network model was determined through several trial and error iterations. According to the modeling results, the ANN exhibited a high predictive capability for plant performance, with an R2 reaching up to 0.9997 when comparing the observed and predicted output variables.
Emergence and spread of a mupirocin-resistant variant of the European epidemic fusidic acid-resistant impetigo clone of Staphylococcus aureus in Belgium, 2013 to 2023
Authors: Yin Nicolas , Michel Charlotte , Makki Nadia , Deplano Ariane , Milis Alisha , Prevost Benoit , Miendje-Deyi Veronique Yvette , Hallin Marie , Martiny Delphine 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Background Coresistance to both mupirocin and fusidic acid inStaphylococcus aureusaffects the treatment of impetigo in Belgium, where they are the only topical treatments available. Aim We investigated resistance to fusidic acid and mupirocin in methicillin-susceptibleS. aureus(MSSA) strains involved in community-acquired skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Methods The 10-year variation in fusidic acid and mupirocin resistance in outpatients with SSTI-associated MSSA was studied in two large laboratories. MSSA strains coresistant to fusidic acid and mupirocin and sent to the BelgianStaphylococciReference Centre werespa-typed and analysed for the presence of theetaandetbvirulence genes and themupAresistance gene. In addition, whole-genome sequencing was performed on isolates collected in the last 2 years. Results Fusidic acid and mupirocin resistance increased over time, and coresistance in children reached 8.9–10.1% in the third quarter 2023. From 2018 to 2023, 64/70 (91.4%) mupirocin-resistant MSSA strains were coresistant to fusidic acid. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that 29/33 (87.9%) of the isolates were sequence type ST121, clonal and more distantly related to the European epidemic fusidic acid-resistant impetigo clone (EEFIC) observed in Belgium in 2020. These strains carried themupAandfusBgenes, which confer resistance to mupirocin and fusidic acid, respectively, and theetaandetbvirulence genes. Conclusion We highlight the spread of a mupirocin-resistant EEFIC (M-EEFIC) in children, with a seasonal trend for the third quarter. This is of concern because this variant is resistant to the two main topical antibiotics used to treat impetigo in Belgium.
Repurposing of Angiotensin-converting-enzyme Inhibitor on Prevention of
Post-surgical Tendon Adhesion
Authors: Naimi Hamideh , Khazaei Majid , Sharifnia Fariba , Sayyed-Hosseinian Sayyed-Hadi 
Published: March 2024

Background:
Formation of adhesion bands is a frequent clinical complication after tendon injury or
surgery with limited treatment options. This study investigates the repurposing of Angiotensin-Converting-Enzyme
Inhibitor (ACEI) in attenuating post-operative tendon-sheath adhesion bands in an Achilles tendon rat
model.

Methods:
Structural, mechanical, histological, and biochemical characteristics of the Achilles tendons were
compared in the presence and absence of oral ACEI (enalapril) using the Achilles tendon adhesion (TA) model
in rats. Inflammation and total fibrosis of tendon tissues were compared between groups using molecular investigations
along with macroscopic and histological scoring methods.

Results:
ACEI significantly alleviated the severity, length, and density of Achilles TAs. Moreover, histopathological
changes, recruitment of inflammatory cells, and inflammation were significantly decreased in post-operative
tissue samples as quantified with the Moran scoring model. We showed that ACEI treatment elicits a
potent anti-fibrotic effect on tendon tissue samples, as illustrated by decreasing the severity and extent of the
formed fibrotic tissue and collagen accumulation at the site of surgery when scored either by Tang or Ishiyama
grading systems. The H&E staining showed no histopathological changes or damage to the principal organs.

Conclusion:
Our results showed that ACEI is a safe and effective therapeutic candidate with potent immunomodulatory
and anti-fibrotic features to alleviate surgery-induced development of fibrotic adhesive tissue.
However, its efficacy needs to be further validated in clinical studies.
Synthesis of Novel Propynyl Monoterpene Analogues and their Conjugates with β-DGlucopyranosides
Authors: Gubaidullin Rinat R. , Perfilova Yulia A. , Parfenova Lyudmila V. 
Published: March 2024

Abstract:
Camphor and carvone exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activity, which determines
the prospect of their use as a platform for functionalization to obtain the analogues
as potential drugs. The functionalization of camphor and carvone often involves changes to
the skeleton of the molecules or their fragmentation. Therefore, in modern medicinal chemistry,
research aimed at the development of effective approaches to the synthesis of semisynthetic
derivatives of camphor and carvone with preservation of the native framework,
demonstrating high biological activity, is in demand. The present work is aimed at the synthesis
of new propynyl analogues of camphor and carvone, as well as their conjugates with
mono- and disaccharides via Cu-catalyzed cycloaddition of acetylenes and azides (Cu-
AAC). Alkylation of camphor and carvone with propargyl bromide in the presence of the
base KN(SiMe3)2–Et3B in 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) at room temperature provides the target products with
yields of 69% and 47%, respectively. Glycosyl azides were obtained by the reaction of peracetylated sugars
with trimethylsilyl azide in the presence of SnCl4.The synthesis of 1,2,3-triazolyl glycoconjugates of camphor
and carvone with mono- and disaccharides was carried out through Cu(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of
azides to acetylenes (CuAAC) in the presence of Cu and CuSO4·5H2O. The structures of the synthesized compounds
were determined by NMR. The new propynyl-substituted camphor and carvone, as well as their 1,2,3-
triazolylglycoconjugates, can be used as promising building blocks for medicine chemistry.
TP508 Promotes Bone Regeneration on Distraction Osteogenesis via the Activation of Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway
Authors: Li Kehan , Liu Linan , Zhang Jingyi , Liao Chenyu , Hu Jian , Song Jian 
Published: March 2024

Introduction:
TP508 is a thrombin peptide that participates in the inflammatory response
and wound healing. Its role in the molecular mechanism of distraction osteogenesis remains
unclear. This study established a tibia distraction osteogenesis (DO) model in rats and
investigated the role and mechanism of TP508 in bone regeneration during DO.

Method:
Micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining were
used to track osteogenesis. Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction
(qRT-PCR) were performed to measure the expression of osteoblast-related factors, Wnt/β-
catenin signaling-related proteins and genes. Immunohistochemistry was used to measure the
expression of β-catenin in the cytoplasm and nucleus.

Results:
TP508 accelerated bone regeneration increased the expression of the osteoblast-related
factors Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), and osteocalcin
(OCN). After the Wnt signaling was inhibited by LGK974, the expression of osteoblastrelated
factors was downregulated, leading to a decrease in bone regeneration ability. More importantly,
TP508 upregulated β-catenin and its target CYCLIN-D1 and could reverse the decreased
osteogenic ability caused by LGK974.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, TP508 promotes bone regeneration in DO by activating the Wnt/β-
catenin signaling pathway.
Increased Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Responsive Element is Closely
Associated with the Pathogenesis of Drug-resistant Epilepsy
Authors: Li Jing-Xuan , Shi Dai , Ren Si-Ying , Wu Guo-Feng 
Published: March 2024

Background:
Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) is a refractory neurological disorder.
There is ample evidence that suggest that γ-aminobutyric acid-a (GABAA) receptors could be
one of the mechanisms responsible for the development of drug resistance in epilepsy. It is also
known that the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) plays a possible key role in the
transcriptional regulation of GABAA.

Objective:
This study explores the role of CREB in the development of DRE and the effect of
CREB on GABA-related receptors in DRE.

Methods:
The CREB expression was increased or decreased in the hippocampus of normal rats
by lentiviral transfection, who then underwent the lithium-pilocarpine-induced epilepsy model.
Phenobarbital (PB) sodium and carbamazepine (CBZ) were used to select a drug-resistant epileptic
model. The expression levels of GABAA receptor α1, β2, and γ2 subunits and CREB protein
were measured in the rat hippocampus by western blot and fluorescent quantitative PCR.

Results:
The frequency and duration of seizures increased in the overexpression group compared
to that in the control group. In addition, the severity, frequency, and duration of seizures decreased
in the group with decreased expression. The hippocampus analysis of the expression
levels of the CREB protein and CREB mRNA yielded similar findings. Altering the CREB protein
expression in the rat hippocampus could negatively regulate the expression and transcript
levels of GABAA receptors α1, β2, and γ2, suggesting that CREB may serve as a potential target
for the development of treatment protocols and drugs for epilepsy.

Conclusion:
Our study shows that enhanced CREB expression promotes the development of
DRE and negatively regulates GABAA receptor levels and that the inhibition of CREB expression
may reduce the incidence of DRE.
Effective Synthesis of N-Alkyl-3-(Indol-3-yl)Pyrazoles from Ag2CO3-
Catalyzed Regioselective Aza-Michael Addition of 5-(Indol-3-yl)-1HPyrazoles
Authors: Zhang Xue , Luo Dashuang , Niu Xuemin , Mo Jian , Yu Haifeng , Zhao Xiaobo 
Published: March 2024

Abstract:
In this study, the synthesis of N-alkyl-3-(indol-3-yl)pyrazoles was carried out from Ag2CO3
catalyzed regioselective aza-Michael addition of 5-(indol-3-yl)-1H-pyrazoles to α, β-unsaturated carbonyl
compounds. In the presence of 10 mol% of Ag2CO3, the reaction smoothly occurred in dichloroethane
(DCE) at 120°C to preferentially afford a series of N-alkyl-3-(indol-3-yl)pyrazoles in high
yields with good regioselectivity. It was found that 1-methyl-3-(3-methyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)-2-phenyl-
1H-indole, 1-benzyl-3-(3-methyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)-1H-indole, α, β-unsaturated ketone, and α, β-
unsaturated amide exclusively gave 3-(pyrazol-3-yl)indoles in good yields. This reaction features high
regioselectivity, mild reaction conditions, good substrate scope and yields, and a commercially available
catalyst. Meanwhile, the reaction was also proven to be quite practical by the gram-scale synthesis
of N-alkyl-3-(indol-3-yl)pyrazoles in excellent yields with good regioselectivity.