bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nitrogen fertilization application strategies improve yield of the rice cultivars with different yield types by regulating phytohormones
Authors: Zou Yue , Zhang Yuchen , Cui Jiehao , Gao Jiacong , Guo Liying , Zhang Qiang 
Published: December 2023

AbstractRice (Oryza sativa L.) is the most important food crop worldwide, and its sustainable development is essential to ensure global food security. Panicle morphological and physiological characteristics plays an important role in rice yield formation. However, under different nitrogen (N) fertilization strategies, it is not clear whether the morphological and physiological state of panicles at panicle development stage affects the formation of yield. To understand how the panicle differentiation and development, and grain yield are affected by the N fertilization strategies, and clarify the relationship between related traits and yield in the process of panicle development in different cultivars. In this study consisted of no N fertilizer and four N fertilization strategies, a panicle weight type (PWT) rice cultivar, Dongfu 114 (DF114) and a panicle number type (PNT) rice cultivar, Longdao 11 (LD11) were grown in the field. The results showed that N fertilization strategies could improve the nitrogen use efficiency and yield of rice, but the response of different rice varieties to N fertilizer strategies was different. Different from the DF114, the further increase of panicle N fertilizer ratio could not further improve the yield of LD11, and the highest grain yield of DF114 and LD11 was obtained under N4 and N3 conditions, respectively. In addition, this study found that N fertilizer strategies can affect the content of phytohormones in rice at the panicle differentiation stage, and then regulate the differentiation and development of rice panicles to affect yield. It is of great significance to optimize the application mode of N fertilizer according to the characteristics of varieties to improve rice yield and ensure food security.
A hybrid optimization approach for intelligent manufacturing in plastic injection molding by using artificial neural network and genetic algorithm
Authors: EL Ghadoui Mohamed , Mouchtachi Ahmed , Majdoul Redouane 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis study presents a novel hybrid optimization approach for intelligent manufacturing in plastic injection molding (PIM). It focuses on globally optimizing process parameters to ensure high-quality products while reducing cycle time, material waste, and energy consumption. The method combines a backpropagation neural network (BPNN) with a genetic algorithm (GA) and employs a multi-objective optimization model based on design of experiments (DoE). A BP artificial neural network captures the relationship between optimization goals and process parameters. Leveraging the genetic algorithm, it effectively optimizes process parameters for achieving global optimization goals. The case study involves a polypropylene product, considering dimensional deviation, weight, cycle time, and energy consumption during the PIM cycle. Design variables include melt temperature, injection velocity, injection pressure, commutation position, holding pressure, holding time, and cooling time. The results demonstrate that this approach efficiently adjusts process parameters to meet quality standards, significantly reducing raw material consumption (2%), cycle time (12%), and energy consumption (16%). This offers substantial benefits for companies in highly competitive markets demanding swift adoption of smart production methods.
Signal amplification of a quartz crystal microbalance immunosensor by gold nanoparticles-polyethyleneimine for hepatitis B biomarker detection
Authors: Saffari Zahra , Cohan Reza Ahangari , Sepahi Mina , Sadeqi Mahdi , Khoobi Mehdi , Fard Mojtaba Hamidi , Ghavidel Amir , Amiri Fahimeh Bagheri , Aghasadeghi Mohammad Reza , Norouzian Dariush 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe procedures currently used for hepatitis B (HB) detection are not suitable for screening, clinical diagnosis, and point-of-care testing (POCT). Therefore, we developed and tested a QCM-based immunosensor by surface modification with AuNP-PEIs to amplify the signal and provide an oriented-immobilization surface. The AuNP-PEIs were characterized by ICP-Mass, UV/Vis, DLS, FE-SEM, and ATR-FTIR. After coating AuNP-PEIs on the gold electrode surface, anti-HBsAg antibodies were immobilized using NHS/EDC chemistry based on response surface methodology (RSM) optimization. The efficiency of the immunosensor was assessed by human sera and data were compared to gold-standard ELISA using receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) analysis. FE-SEM, AFM, EDS, and EDS mapping confirmed AuNP-PEIs are homogeneously distributed on the surface with a high density and purity. After antibody immobilization, the immunosensor exhibited good recognition of HBsAg with a calibration curve of ∆F =  − 6.910e-7x + 10(R2 = 0.9905), a LOD of 1.49 ng/mL, and a LOQ of 4.52 ng/mL. The immunosensor yielded reliable and accurate results with a specificity of 100% (95% CI 47.8–100.0) and sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 96.2–100.0). In conclusion, the fabricated immunosensor has the potential as an analytic tool with high sensitivity and specificity. However, further investigations are needed to convert it to a tiny lab-on-chip for HB diagnosis in clinical samples.
Multicenter study to describe viral etiologies, clinical profiles, and outcomes of hospitalized children with severe acute respiratory infections, Egypt 2022
Authors: Kandeel Amr , Fahim Manal , Deghedy Ola , H. Roshdy Wael , K. Khalifa Mohamed , El Shesheny Rabeh , Kandeil Ahmed , Wagdy Saly , Naguib Amel , Afifi Salma , Abdelghaffar Khaled 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn late 2022, severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) surveillance reported an abrupt increase in non-COVID-19 infections among children after three years of drastic reductions. Signals of increased absenteeism due to respiratory symptoms among primary and preparatory school children were detected by Event-Based Surveillance. We conducted a hospital-based survey of children who were admitted with SARI to identify the causative pathogen(s) and estimate the burden of infection. A survey was conducted among children < 16 years in 21 referral hospitals in the three governorates with the highest SARI rates. Patients’ demographics, clinical symptoms, and severity were collected from medical records using a line list. Patients were swabbed and tested for a panel of 33 respiratory pathogens by RT-PCR at the Central Laboratory in Cairo. Descriptive data analysis was performed for demographic data. Patients’ characteristics were compared by causative agents’ clinical picture and severity using Chi2 with a p < 0.05 significance. Overall, 317 patients were enrolled, 58.3% were ≤ 1 year of age, 61.5% were males. Of 229 (72.7%) of positively tested patients, viruses caused 92.1% including RSV 63.8%, Rhinovirus 10.0%, Influenza 9.2%, Adenovirus 5.2%, and 1.3% co-infected with two viruses. Bacteria caused 3.5% of cases and 4.4% had mixed viral-bacterial infections. Rhinovirus was the most common cause of death among children with SARI, followed by RSV (8.7% and 1.4%), whereas influenza and Adenovirus did not result in any deaths. Patients with viral-bacterial infections are more likely to be admitted to ICU and die at the hospital than bacterial or viral infections (60% and 20% vs. 31.8% and 1.9% vs. 12.5% and 12.5%, p < 0.001). Viruses particularly RSV are the leading cause of SARI causing significant health problem among children < 16 years in Egypt. Bacterial on top of viral infection can worsen disease courses and outcomes. Studies are required to estimate the SARI burden accurately among Egyptian children and a comprehensive approach tailored to Egypt is necessary to reduce its burden.
Investigating the effect of structural changes of two stretching disks on the dynamics of the MHD model
Authors: Ahmadi Azar Ali , Jalili Bahram , Jalili Payam , Domiri Ganji Davood 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe purpose of this theoretical study is to explore the behavior of an electrically conducting micropolar fluid when subjected to a uniform magnetic field along the vertical axis between two stretching disks as the structure of the problem changes. In this context, structural changes refer to alterations in the distance between the two discs or the stretching rate of the two discs. The governing equations of this problem are a set of nonlinear coupled partial differential equations, which are transformed into a nonlinear coupled ordinary differential equation set by a similarity transformation. The transformation results in four dimensionless quantities and their derivatives that appear in the equations. Nine dimensionless parameters are derived via similarity variables, including stretching Reynolds number, magnetic parameter, radiation parameter, Prandtl number, Eckert number, Schmidt number, and three micropolar parameters. Previous similarity solutions focused on analyzing the effect of changes in each parameter on the four dimensionless quantities. However, this type of analysis is mainly mathematical and does not provide practical results. This study’s primary novelty is to redefine the magnetic parameter, Eckert number, stretching Reynolds number, and two micropolar parameters to analyze physical parameters that depend on the stretching rate of the two discs or the distance between them. The semi-analytical hybrid analytical and numerical method (HAN-method) is used to solve the equations. The results demonstrate that structural changes affect all five quantities of radial velocity, axial velocity, microrotation, temperature, and concentration. The study’s most significant finding is that an increase in the stretching rate of the two disks causes a sharp increase in temperature and Nusselt number. Conversely, increasing the distance between the two disks causes a sharp decrease in micro-rotation and wall couple stress. They were compared to a previous study in a specific case to validate the results’ accuracy.
Staphylococcus epidermidis is a safer surrogate of Staphylococcus aureus in testing bacterial filtration efficiency of face masks
Authors: Chiera Silvia , Bosco Francesca , Mollea Chiara , Piscitello Amelia , Sethi Rajandrea , Nollo Giandomenico , Caola Iole , Tessarolo Francesco 
Published: December 2023

AbstractFace masks play a role in reducing the spread of airborne pathogens, providing that they have a good filtration performance, are correctly fitted and maintained. Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) is a key indicator for evaluating filtration performance according to both European and US standards, requiring the use of Staphylococcus aureus loaded aerosol. However, the generation and handling of a Biohazard group 2 bacterium aerosol require a careful management of the biological risk and pose limitations to the accessibility to this method. To mitigate these drawbacks, we investigated the use of S. epidermidis ATCC 12228, a Biohazard group 1 bacterium, as surrogate in BFE test. To this end, tests with the surrogate strain were performed to tune the method. Then, three face mask models, representative for both surgical and community masks, were tested according to the standard method and then using an aerosolized suspension of S. epidermidis. BFE% values were calculated for each mask model and tested microorganisms. Results showed that BFE test can be performed using the S. epidermidis instead of S. aureus, preserving results validity and turnaround time, but reducing residual risk for laboratory operators.
UiO66-NH2-TiO2/NiF photoanode for photocatalytic fuel cell by towards simultaneous treatment of antibiotic wastewater and electricity generation
Authors: Abbasnia Abbas , Rezaei Kalantary Roshanak , Farzadkia Mahdi , Yeganeh Mojtaba , Esrafili Ali 
Published: December 2023

AbstractEnvironmental destruction, water crisis, and clean energy are among the very important challenges worldwide based on sustainable development goals. Photocatalytic fuel cell, a potential candidate for converting chemical energy into electrical energy through a pollution-free method, holds promise in addressing these challenges. In this regard, we investigated the response of a photoanode covered with UiO66-NH2-TiO2/NiF on a porous nickel foam as an attractive electrochemical response to remove antibiotics from aqueous solution and simultaneously produce electricity using a one-step hydrothermal synthesis. Nickel foam with its fine structure provides a suitable space for the interaction of light, catalyst, and efficient mass transfer of reactive molecules. It appears that it can be used as a competitive electrode in fuel cells. In order to investigate the properties of the photocatalyst, structural analyses including XRD, FESEM, FTIR, and UV–vis DRS were utilized. Additionally, polarization and electrochemical tests such as chronoamperometry and EIS were measured to further examine the electrochemical features of the PFC photoanode system. The obtained results under optimal conditions (SMZ concentration = 20 ppm, pH = 6, irradiation time = 120 min) were as follows: removal efficiency of 91.7%, Pmax = 16.98 μW/cm2, Jsc = 96.75 μA/cm2, Voc = 644 mV. The light-induced current flow in UiO66-NH2-TiO2/NiF exhibited prominent and reproducible photocurrent responses, indicating efficient and stable charge separation in TiO2/NiF composite materials, which is a promising strategy for pollutant removal and simultaneous electricity generation.
A French nationwide study compared various conditions and healthcare use of individuals < 65 years with a Down’s syndrome to those without
Authors: Tuppin Philippe , Barthelemy Pauline , Debeugny Gonzague , Rachas Antoine 
Published: December 2023

AbstractFew regular national clinical data are available for individuals with Down’s syndrome (IDS) bearing in mind that they are subject to countries variations in medical termination of pregnancy and screening. Individuals < 65 in 2019 were selected in view of the low number of older IDS. Thus, 98% of 52.4 million people with correct data were included from the national health data system. IDS (35,342) were identified on the basis of the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision code (Q90). Risk ratios (RR) were calculated to compare the frequencies in 2019 between IDS and individual without Down’s syndrome (IWDS) of use of health care. The prevalence of IDS was 0.07% (48% women), comorbidities were more frequent, especially in younger patients (24% < 1 year had another comorbidity, RR = 20), as was the percentage of deaths (4.6%, RR = 10). Overall, tumours were less frequent in IDS compared with IWDS (1.2%, RR = 0.7) except for certain leukaemias and testicular tumours (0.3%, RR = 4). Cardiac malformations (5.2%, RR = 52), dementia (1.2%, RR = 29), mental retardation (5%, RR = 21) and epilepsy (4%, RR = 9) were also more frequent in IDS. The most frequent hospital diagnoses for IDS were: aspiration pneumonia (0.7%, RR = 89), respiratory failure (0.4%, RR = 17), sleep apnoea (1.1%, RR = 8), cryptorchidism (0.3%, RR = 5.9), protein-energy malnutrition (0.1%, RR = 7), type 1 diabetes (0.2%, RR = 2.8) and hypothyroidism (0.1%, RR = 72). IDS were more likely to use emergency services (9%, RR = 2.4), short hospital stay (24%, RR = 1.6) or hospitalisation at home (0.6%, RR = 6). They consulted certain specialists two to three times more frequently than IWDS, for example cardiologists (17%, RR = 2.6). This study is the first detailed national study comparing IDS and non-IDS by age group. These results could help to optimize prenatal healthcare, medical and social support.
Construction and analysis of pseudogene-related ceRNA network in breast cancer
Authors: Mohebifar Hossein , Sabbaghian Amir , Farazmandfar Touraj , Golalipour Masoud 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBreast cancer (BC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in women. The present study explored the potential role of pseudogenes in BC via construction and analysis of a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network through a three-step process. First, we screened differentially expressed genes in nine BC datasets. Then the gene-pseudogenes pairs (nine hub genes) were selected according to the functional enrichment and correlation analysis. Second, the candidate hub genes and interacting miRNAs were used to construct the ceRNA network. Further analysis of the ceRNA network revealed a crucial ceRNA module with two genes-pseudogene pairs and two miRNAs. The in-depth analysis identified the GBP1/hsa-miR-30d-5p/GBP1P1 axis as a potential tumorigenic axis in BC patients. In the third step, the GBP1/hsa-miR-30d-5p/GBP1P1 axis expression level was assessed in 40 tumor/normal BC patients and MCF-7 cell lines. The expression of GBP1 and GBP1P1 was significantly higher in the tumor compared to the normal tissue. However, the expression of hsa-miR-30d-5p was lower in tumor samples. Then, we introduced the GBP1P1 pseudogene into the MCF-7 cell line to evaluate its effect on GBP1 and hsa-miR-30d-5p expression. As expected, the GBP1 level increased while the hsa-miR-30d-5p level decreased in the GBP1P1-overexprsssing cell line. In addition, the oncogenic properties of MCF-7 (cell viability, clonogenicity, and migration) were improved after GBP1P1 overexpression. In conclusion, we report a ceRNA network that may provide new insight into the role of pseudogenes in BC development.
Radiocesium-bearing microparticles found in dry deposition fallout samples immediately after the Fukushima nuclear accident in the Kanto region, Japan
Authors: Takaku Yuki , Higaki Shogo , Hirota Masahiro , Kagi Hiroyuki 
Published: December 2023

AbstractRadiocesium released by the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident still exists in the environment in two forms: adsorbed species on mineral particles in the soil and microparticles containing radiocesium mainly composed of silicate glass (CsMPs). CsMPs are dispersed not only around the FDNPP but also over a wide area of the Kanto region. The behavior and characteristics of CsMPs must be investigated to evaluate the impact of the FDNPP accident. Deposited particles including radiocesium were wiped from metal handrails on balconies and car hoods using tissue papers at six locations in the Kanto region (Tokai village, Ushiku City, Abiko City, Chiba City, Kawaguchi City, and Arakawa Ward) between March 15 and 21, 2011. CsMPs were isolated from the samples, and their characteristics were investigated. In total, 106 CsMPs derived from Unit 2 were successfully separated from 13 tissue paper samples. The radiation images of the two types of CsMPs discovered in Ushiku City demonstrate that CsMPs can easily become susceptible to fragmentation over time, even in the absence of weathering effects.
Transfer learning with CNNs for efficient prostate cancer and BPH detection in transrectal ultrasound images
Authors: Huang Te-Li , Lu Nan-Han , Huang Yung-Hui , Twan Wen-Hung , Yeh Li-Ren , Liu Kuo-Ying , Chen Tai-Been 
Published: December 2023

AbstractEarly detection of prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is crucial for maintaining the health and well-being of aging male populations. This study aims to evaluate the performance of transfer learning with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for efficient classification of PCa and BPH in transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) images. A retrospective experimental design was employed in this study, with 1380 TRUS images for PCa and 1530 for BPH. Seven state-of-the-art deep learning (DL) methods were employed as classifiers with transfer learning applied to popular CNN architectures. Performance indices, including sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), Kappa value, and Hindex (Youden’s index), were used to assess the feasibility and efficacy of the CNN methods. The CNN methods with transfer learning demonstrated a high classification performance for TRUS images, with all accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, PPV, NPV, Kappa, and Hindex values surpassing 0.9400. The optimal accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity reached 0.9987, 0.9980, and 0.9980, respectively, as evaluated using twofold cross-validation. The investigated CNN methods with transfer learning showcased their efficiency and ability for the classification of PCa and BPH in TRUS images. Notably, the EfficientNetV2 with transfer learning displayed a high degree of effectiveness in distinguishing between PCa and BPH, making it a promising tool for future diagnostic applications.
Symmetric left-handed split ring resonator metamaterial design for terahertz frequency applications
Authors: Ramachandran Tayaallen , Faruque Mohammad Rashed Iqbal , Al-mugren K. S. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis work focused on the novel symmetrical left-handed split ring resonator metamaterial for terahertz frequency applications. A compact substrate material known as Silicon with a dimension of 5 µm was adopted in this research investigation. Moreover, several parameter studies were investigated, such as clockwise rotation, array and layer structure designs, larger-scale metamaterials, novel design structure comparisons and electric field distribution analysis. Meanwhile, two types of square-shaped metamaterial designs were proposed in this work. The proposed designs exhibit double and single resonance frequencies respectively, likely at 3.32 and 9.24 THz with magnitude values of − 16.43 and − 17.33 for the first design, while the second design exhibits a response at 3.03 THz with a magnitude value of − 19.90. Moreover, the verification of these results by adopting High-frequency Structure Simulator software indicates only slight discrepancies which are less than 5%. Furthermore, the initial response of the proposed designs was successfully altered by simply rotating the design clockwise or even increasing the dimension of the design. For instance, the first resonance frequency is shifted to the lower band when the first proposed design was rotated 90°. On the other hand, by increasing the size of the metamaterial, more than nine resonance frequencies were gained in each symmetric design. Furthermore, the symmetric metamaterial with a similar width and length of 10 µm dimension was adopted for both design structures to construct an equivalent circuit model by utilising Advanced Design System software. Finally, both unit cell designs were utilised to explore the absorption performances which exhibit four and five peak points. Overall, the altering behaviour by changing physical properties and compact design with acceptable responses become one of the novelties of this research investigation. In a nutshell, the proposed designs can be utilised in terahertz frequency which gives optimistic or advantageous feedback and is relatively suitable for the adopted frequency range.