bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Efficient protocol for the differentiation of kidney podocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells, involving the inhibition of mTOR
Authors: Yasuda Masahiro , Kato Tadashi , Okano Mai , Yamashita Hiromi , Matsuoka Yoshikazu , Shirouzu Yasumasa , Fujioka Tatsuya , Hattori Fumiyuki , Tsuji Shoji , Kaneko Kazunari , Hitomi Hirofumi 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is involved in a wide range of cellular processes. However, the role of mTOR in podocytes remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to clarify the role of mTOR in podocyte differentiation from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and to establish an efficient differentiation protocol for human podocytes. We generated podocytes from hiPSCs by modifying protocol. The expression of the podocyte-specific slit membrane components nephrin and podocin was measured using PCR, western blotting, flow cytometry, and immunostaining; and the role of mTOR was evaluated using inhibitors of the mTOR pathway. Nephrin and podocin were found to be expressed in cells differentiated from hiPSCs, and their expression was increased by mTOR inhibitor treatment. S6, a downstream component of the mTOR pathway, was also found to be involved in podocyte differentiation. we evaluated its permeability to albumin, urea, and electrolytes. The induced podocytes were permeable to the small molecules, but only poorly permeable to albumin. We have shown that the mTOR pathway is involved in podocyte differentiation. Our monolayer podocyte differential protocol, using an mTOR inhibitor, provides a novel in vitro model for studies of kidney physiology and pathology.
Trace metals in transboundary (India–Myanmar–Bangladesh) anadromous fish Tenualosa ilisha and its consequences on human health
Authors: Parvin Afsana , Hossain Md Kamal , Parvin Afroza , Hossain M. Belal , Shaikh Md Aftab Ali , Moniruzzaman Mohammad , Saha Badhan , Suchi Priyanka Dey , Islam Fahima , Arai Takaomi 
Published: November 2023

AbstractHilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha, Hamilton, 1822), the highly coveted table fish within the Indian subcontinent, is Bangladesh's most significant single-species fishery. To assess the risk that toxic metals pose to human health, certain health risk indices—estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), total target hazard quotient (TTHQ), and target cancer risk (TR)—were calculated. The hierarchy of toxic metals (µg/g-ww) in Hilsa shad of the bay showed as Zn (13.64 ± 2.18) > Fe (9.25 ± 1.47) > Mn (2.98 ± 0.75) > Cu (0.57 ± 0.18) > Cr (0.23 ± 0.06) > Pb (0.22 ± 0.04) > As (0.08 ± 0.02) > Ni (0.06 ± 0.02) > Co (0.04 ± 0.01) > Cd (0.01 ± 0.003) in the wet season and Zn (11.45 ± 1.97) > Fe (10.51 ± 1.38) > Mn (3.80 ± 0.75) > Cu (0.73 ± 0.17) > Pb (0.30 ± 0.03) > Cr (0.20 ± 0.05) > As (0.09 ± 0.01) > Ni (0.08 ± 0.02) > Co (0.07 ± 0.02) > Cd (0.02 ± 0.004) in the dry season. The EDI of all the examined trace metals indicated no risk to human health from consuming Hilsa fish. The estimation of THQ and TTHQ suggested that the ingestion of both individual and combined trace metals through Hilsa shad consumption was safe from the perspective of human health. Also, there was no evidence of carcinogenic risk for consumers based on the evaluation of the TR value of metals (As, Pb, Cd, and Ni) due to Hilsa shad consumption.
Ensemble classification of integrated CT scan datasets in detecting COVID-19 using feature fusion from contourlet transform and CNN
Authors: Nur-A-Alam Md. , Nasir Mostofa Kamal , Ahsan Mominul , Based Md Abdul , Haider Julfikar , Kowalski Marcin 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe COVID-19 disease caused by coronavirus is constantly changing due to the emergence of different variants and thousands of people are dying every day worldwide. Early detection of this new form of pulmonary disease can reduce the mortality rate. In this paper, an automated method based on machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) has been developed to detect COVID-19 using computed tomography (CT) scan images extracted from three publicly available datasets (A total of 11,407 images; 7397 COVID-19 images and 4010 normal images). An unsupervised clustering approach that is a modified region-based clustering technique for segmenting COVID-19 CT scan image has been proposed. Furthermore, contourlet transform and convolution neural network (CNN) have been employed to extract features individually from the segmented CT scan images and to fuse them in one feature vector. Binary differential evolution (BDE) approach has been employed as a feature optimization technique to obtain comprehensible features from the fused feature vector. Finally, a ML/DL-based ensemble classifier considering bagging technique has been employed to detect COVID-19 from the CT images. A fivefold and generalization cross-validation techniques have been used for the validation purpose. Classification experiments have also been conducted with several pre-trained models (AlexNet, ResNet50, GoogleNet, VGG16, VGG19) and found that the ensemble classifier technique with fused feature has provided state-of-the-art performance with an accuracy of 99.98%.
The psychophysics of human three-dimensional active visuospatial problem-solving
Authors: Solbach Markus D. , Tsotsos John K. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractOur understanding of how visual systems detect, analyze and interpret visual stimuli has advanced greatly. However, the visual systems of all animals do much more; they enable visual behaviours. How well the visual system performs while interacting with the visual environment and how vision is used in the real world is far from fully understood, especially in humans. It has been suggested that comparison is the most primitive of psychophysical tasks. Thus, as a probe into these active visual behaviours, we use a same-different task: Are two physical 3D objects visually the same? This task is a fundamental cognitive ability. We pose this question to human subjects who are free to move about and examine two real objects in a physical 3D space. The experimental design is such that all behaviours are directed to viewpoint change. Without any training, our participants achieved a mean accuracy of 93.82%. No learning effect was observed on accuracy after many trials, but some effect was seen for response time, number of fixations and extent of head movement. Our probe task, even though easily executed at high-performance levels, uncovered a surprising variety of complex strategies for viewpoint control, suggesting that solutions were developed dynamically and deployed in a seemingly directed hypothesize-and-test manner tailored to the specific task. Subjects need not acquire task-specific knowledge; instead, they formulate effective solutions right from the outset, and as they engage in a series of attempts, those solutions progressively refine, becoming more efficient without compromising accuracy.
Splitting tensile strength prediction of Metakaolin concrete using machine learning techniques
Authors: Li Qiang , Ren Guoqi , Wang Haoran , Xu Qikeng , Zhao Jinquan , Wang Huifen , Ding Yonggang 
Published: November 2023

AbstractSplitting tensile strength (STS) is an important mechanical property of concrete. Modeling and predicting the STS of concrete containing Metakaolin is an important method for analyzing the mechanical properties. In this paper, four machine learning models, namely, Artificial Neural Network (ANN), support vector regression (SVR), random forest (RF), and Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) were employed to predict the STS. The comprehensive comparison of predictive performance was conducted using evaluation metrics. The results indicate that, compared to other models, the GBDT model exhibits the best test performance with an R2 of 0.967, surpassing the values for ANN at 0.949, SVR at 0.963, and RF at 0.947. The other four error metrics are also the smallest among the models, with MSE = 0.041, RMSE = 0.204, MAE = 0.146, and MAPE = 4.856%. This model can serve as a prediction tool for STS in concrete containing Metakaolin, assisting or partially replacing laboratory compression tests, thereby saving costs and time. Moreover, the feature importance of input variables was investigated.
Analytical study of reaction diffusion Lengyel-Epstein system by generalized Riccati equation mapping method
Authors: Ahmed Nauman , Baber Muhammad Z. , Iqbal Muhammad Sajid , Annum Amina , Ali Syed Mansoor , Ali Mubasher , Akgül Ali , El Din Sayed M. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIn this study, the Lengyel-Epstein system is under investigation analytically. This is the reaction–diffusion system leading to the concentration of the inhibitor chlorite and the activator iodide, respectively. These concentrations of the inhibitor chlorite and the activator iodide are shown in the form of wave solutions. This is a reactionâ€ “diffusion model which considered for the first time analytically to explore the different abundant families of solitary wave structures. These exact solitary wave solutions are obtained by applying the generalized Riccati equation mapping method. The single and combined wave solutions are observed in shock, complex solitary-shock, shock singular, and periodic-singular forms. The rational solutions also emerged during the derivation. In the Lengyel-Epstein system, solitary waves can propagate at various rates. The harmony of the system’s diffusive and reactive effects frequently governs the speed of a single wave. Solitary waves can move at a variety of speeds depending on the factors and reaction kinetics. To show their physical behavior, the 3D and their corresponding contour plots are drawn for the different values of constants.
No associations between type 1 diabetes and atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, or asthma in childhood: a nationwide Danish case-cohort study
Authors: Berg Anna Korsgaard , Svensson Jannet , Thyssen Jacob P. , Chawes Bo , Zachariae Claus , Egeberg Alexander , Thorsen Steffen Ullitz 
Published: November 2023

AbstractStudies examining the association between type 1 diabetes (T1D) and atopic diseases, i.e., atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and asthma have yielded conflicting results due to different algorithms for classification, sample size issues and risk of referral bias of exposed cohorts with frequent contact to health care professionals. Using Danish national registries and well-established disease algorithms, we examined the bidirectional association between T1D and atopic diseases in childhood and adolescence using Cox Proportional Hazard regression compared to two different unexposed cohorts from a population of 1.5 million Danish children born from 1997 to 2018. We found no associations between T1D and atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, or asthma (defined after age five). However, in multivariable analysis we found an increased risk of persistent wheezing (defined as asthma medication before age five) after T1D with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 1.70 [1.17–2.45]. We also identified an increased risk of developing T1D after persistent wheezing with aHR of 1.24 [1.13–1.36]. This study highlights similar risks of atopic diseases in children with T1D and of T1D in children with atopic disease after age of five years versus healthy controls. However, more research is needed to understand the possible early immunological effects of the link between persistent wheezing and T1D.
Optimization, characterization, and follicular targeting assessment of tretinoin and bicalutamide loaded niosomes
Authors: Ghasemiyeh Parisa , Moradishooli Fatemeh , Daneshamouz Saeid , Heidari Reza , Niroumand Uranous , Mohammadi-Samani Soliman 
Published: November 2023

AbstractAcne vulgaris, a prevalent skin disorder among teenagers and young adults, can have numerous psychological consequences. Topical treatment of acne would be advantageous by reducing the risk of systemic adverse drug reactions. However, the major challenge would be skin penetration through the stratum corneum. Therefore, during this study, tretinoin (TRT) and bicalutamide (BCT) loaded niosomes with follicular targeting potential were fabricated through the thin film hydration technique. Formulation optimization was performed using the Design-Expert software and optimum formulation was characterized in terms of particle size, zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy, drug loading, and differential scanning calorimetry. In vivo follicular targeting was assessed using rhodamine B-loaded niosomes to follow the skin penetration pathways. The results showed that, the optimum formulation was spherical in shape and had an average diameter of 319.20 ± 18.50 nm and a zeta potential of − 29.70 ± 0.36 mV. Furthermore, entrapment efficiencies were 94.63 ± 0.50% and > 99% and loading capacities were 1.40 ± 0.01% and 1.48 ± 0.00% for BCT and TRT, respectively. According to the animal study results, the prepared niosomes with an average diameter of about 300 nm showed significant accumulation in hair follicles. It seems that the designed niosomal BCT-TRT co-delivery system would be promising in acne management with follicular targeting potential.
Classifying marine mammals signal using cubic splines interpolation combining with triple loss variational auto-encoder
Authors: Bach Nhat Hoang , Vu Le Ha , Nguyen Van Duc , Pham Duy Phong 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIn practical applications of passive sonar principles for extracting characteristic frequencies of acoustic signals, scientists typically employ traditional time-frequency domain transformation methods such as Mel-frequency, Short time Fourier transform (STFT), and Wavelet transform (WT). However, these solutions still face limitations in resolution and information loss when transforming data collected over extended periods. In this paper, we present a study using a two-stage approach that combines pre-processing by Cubic-splines interpolation (CSI) with a probability distribution in the hidden space with Siamese triple loss network model for classifying marine mammal (MM) communication signals. The Cubic-splines interpolation technique is tested with the STFT transformation to generate STFT-CSI spectrograms, which enforce stronger relationships between characteristic frequencies, enhancing the connectivity of spectrograms and highlighting frequency-based features. Additionally, stacking spectrograms generated by three consecutive methods, Mel, STFT-CSI, and Wavelet, into a feature spectrogram optimizes the advantages of each method across different frequency bands, resulting in a more effective classification process. The proposed solution using an Siamese Neural Network-Variational Auto Encoder (SNN-VAE) model also overcomes the drawbacks of the Auto-Encoder (AE) structure, including loss of discontinuity and loss of completeness during decoding. The classification accuracy of marine mammal signals using the SNN-VAE model increases by 11% and 20% compared to using the AE model (2013), and by 6% compared to using the Resnet model (2022) on the same actual dataset NOAA from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - United State of America.
Allelic frequencies of 22 short tandem repeats loci and tri-allelic patterns of Penta D and TPOX identified in Gabonese population
Authors: Lendoye Elisabeth , Mombo Landry Erick , N’Negue ep. Mezui-Mbeng Marie-Andree , Komba Opheelia Makoyo , Ngoungou Edgard Brice , Ovono Abessolo Felix , Djoba Siawaya Joel Fleury , Alt-Mörbe Juliane 
Published: November 2023

AbstractShort tandem repeats (STRs) are repeating DNA sequences used in forensic human identity testing and the diagnosis of aneuploidies. Many STRs like Penta D and TPOX are used routinely for paternity tests, but these tests are not widely used in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study we recruited individuals from Gabonese families seeking a paternity test. After DNA extraction from buccal swabs, we genotyped samples using a panel of 22 STRs. A total of 115 unrelated subjects from 39 families were included. Allele frequencies of the 22 STR loci were determined in unrelated Gabonese subjects. The most polymorphic loci were D21S11 (16 alleles) and FGA (17 alleles), while D3S1358 and TH01 loci were less polymorphic, with five alleles each. Deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium was observed for TPOX, D3S1358, CSFPO and D7S820 loci. We reported tri-allelic patterns that indicate aneuploidies at a combined frequency of 4% (4/115) with 3% for Penta D (1/35) and 3% for TPOX (3/102). Furthermore, we identified a new tri-allelic genotype 5-8-16 for the Penta D locus located on chromosome 21 in a healthy subject. In addition, we observed three tri-allelic variants of TPOX, located on chromosome 2, in healthy subjects, namely 8-10-11, 8-9-10, and 8-8-10. Our study revealed unsuspected polymorphic variations in Penta D and TPOX for the first time in Gabon, raising several questions about chromosomal disorders. Further population genetics studies are needed in Gabon to better characterize these variations, both qualitatively and quantitative.
A cleavable chimeric peptide with targeting and killing domains enhances LPS neutralization and antibacterial properties against multi-drug resistant E. coli
Authors: Wang Zhenlong , Teng Da , Mao Ruoyu , Hao Ya , Yang Na , Wang Xiumin , Wang Jianhua 
Published: November 2023

AbstractPathogenic Escherichia coli is one of the most common causes of diarrhea diseases and its characteristic component of the outer membrane-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a major inducer of sepsis. Few drugs have been proven to kill bacteria and simultaneously neutralize LPS toxicity. Here, the chimeric peptides-R7, A7 and G7 were generated by connecting LBP14 (LPS-targeting domain) with L7 (killing domain) via different linkers to improve antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. Compared to parent LBP14-RKRR and L7, the antibacterial activity of R7 with a cleavable “RKRR” linker and the “LBP14-RKRR + L7” cocktail against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus was increased by 2 ~ 4-fold. Both A7 and G7 with non-cleavable linkers almost lost antibacterial activity. The ability of R7 to neutralize LPS was markedly higher than that of LBP14-RKRR and L7. In vivo, R7 could be cleaved by furin in a time-dependent manner, and release L7 and LBP14-RKRR in serum. In vivo, R7 can enhance mouse survival more effectively than L7 and alleviate lung injuries by selective inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathways and promoting higher IAP activity. It suggests that R7 may be promising dual-function candidates as antibacterial and anti-endotoxin agents.
A measurement-based upstream oil and gas methane inventory for Alberta, Canada reveals higher emissions and different sources than official estimates
Authors: Conrad Bradley M. , Tyner David R. , Li Hugh Z. , Xie Donglai , Johnson Matthew R. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractMitigation actions and regulations to meet critical 2030 methane reduction targets under the Global Methane Pledge are hampered by uncertainty in true levels of emissions and source breakdowns. Here we present a measurement-based, source-resolved, hybrid top-down/bottom-up methane inventory for conventional upstream oil and gas operations in Canada’s largest oil and gas-producing province, Alberta. The derived 2021 inventory of 1337 kt/y is approximately 1.5× the official federal inventory and matches independent top-down aerial mass-balance and satellite estimates within uncertainties. Major sources are starkly different from official estimates, with venting (e.g., uncontrolled tanks, pneumatics, unlit flares) comprising almost two-thirds of emissions implying important mitigation opportunities. Derived methane intensities, while similar to U.S. basins, are approximately 4× those in neighbouring British Columbia and further reveal order-of-magnitude differences among individual anonymized companies at directly comparable facility types. This highlights the importance of independent monitoring, reporting, and verification to ensure collective success in reducing emissions.
Alpha peak frequency-based Brainmarker-I as a method to stratify to pharmacotherapy and brain stimulation treatments in depression
Authors: Voetterl Helena T. S. , Sack Alexander T. , Olbrich Sebastian , Stuiver Sven , Rouwhorst Renee , Prentice Amourie , Pizzagalli Diego A. , van der Vinne Nikita , van Waarde Jeroen A. , Brunovsky Martin , van Oostrom Iris , Reitsma Ben , Fekkes Johan , van Dijk Hanneke , Arns Martijn 
Published: November 2023

AbstractBiomarkers predicting treatment outcome in major depressive disorder could enhance clinical improvement. Here this observational and prospective accuracy study investigates whether an age- and sex-normalized electroencephalography biomarker, based on the individual alpha frequency (iAF), can successfully stratify patients to different interventions such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Differential iAF directions were explored for sertraline, as well as rTMS (N = 196) and ECT (N = 41). A blinded out-of-sample validation (EMBARC; N = 240) replicated the previously found association between low iAF and better sertraline response. The subgroup of patients with an iAF around 10 Hz had a higher remission rate following 10 Hz rTMS compared with the group level, while the high-iAF subgroup had highest remission to 1 Hz rTMS and the low-iAF subgroup to ECT. Blinded out-of-sample validations for 1 Hz (N = 39) and ECT (N = 51) corroborated these findings. The present study suggests a clinically actionable electroencephalography biomarker that can successfully stratify between various antidepressant treatments.
Elucidation of the synergistic effects of 3d metal (M = Cu, Co, and Ni) dopants and terminations (T = –O– and –OH) of Ti3C2Tx MXenes for urea adsorption ability via DFT calculations and experiments
Authors: Liang Caihong , Yen Zhihao , Salim Teddy , Lam Yeng Ming 
Published: November 2023

DFT and experimental studies indicate that Ti3C2O2 with Cu, Co, and Ni dopants have better urea adsorption ability compared to undoped Ti3C2O2. It is feasible to use computational approach to predict urea adsorption of similar materials.
Self-propelled bioglass janus nanomotors for dentin hypersensitivity treatment
Authors: Wu Wei , Chi Hang , Zhang Qianyang , Zheng Ce , Hu Narisu , Wu Yingjie , Liu Jiaxin 
Published: November 2023

nBGs@Pt are prepared by a modified sol–gel method and magnetron sputtering using H2O2 as fuel and are shown to have enough power to enter dentin tubules, with a blocking rate of 58.05%, after remineralization the blocking rate can reach 96.07%.
Phosphorescent Pt(ii) acetylacetonate complexes bearing 9-(pyrimidin-2-yl)-9H-carbazole ligand: syntheses, photophysical properties and OLED applications
Authors: Yao Haibo , Yuan Lequn , Pei Ling , Shen Yunjun , Zhang Yuzhen , Zhou Liang , Bian Hedong 
Published: November 2023

Complexes Pt(TBPCH)(dpmn) 2a and Pt(TBPCH)(dnmn) 4a were prepared for fabricating OLED devices. The devices using 2a emitted at 525 nm with an EQEmax of 4.0% at CIE coordinates of (0.34, 0.51), and the devices using 4a emitted at 585 nm with an EQEmax of 15.1% at CIE coordinates of (0.50, 0.48).