bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the performance of a cylindrical hopper and metering device of a carrot seeder
Authors: Valentin Marvin T. , Białowiec Andrzej , Karayel Davut , Jasinskas Algirdas , Ciolkosz Daniel , Lavarias Jeffrey A. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractA carrot seeder that utilizes a cylindrical component serving as both hopper/metering device to deposit seeds precisely into planting beds/hills at a uniform interval along a straight row over a plant bed was developed in this study. The seeder was evaluated at different operating speeds (89, 70, 61, 51, 48, 38, and 34 cm s−1) relative to mean number of seeds planted in each hill, hill center, scattering distance ratio, hill spacing and missed hills. The seeder was able to deposit seeds in each hill ranging from 2.8 to 4.0 at all speeds. The mean hill center and missed hills suggested that the seeder is best operated at speed under 70 cm s−1 with the respective values ranging from 0.9 to 1.6 cm and 0–5.5%. This indicates that number of the seeds dropped per hill was very uniform, which is a good indicator of the seeding performance. The hill center and missed hills at 89 cm s−1 were 3.08 cm and 16.67% respectively were significantly higher than at lower speeds. Other operating performances such as the mean number of seeds deposited in each hill and the distance between hills did not appear to vary with the planting speed. The scattering distance ratios of operating speeds from 34 to 61 cm s−1 were less than 30% and therefore acceptable for hill dropping of carrot seeds.
Using ex vivo arterial injection and dissection to assess white matter vascularization
Authors: Smirnov Mykyta , Maldonado Igor Lima , Destrieux Christophe 
Published: January 2023

AbstractAdvances in the techniques for assessing human cerebral white matter have recently contributed to greater attention to structural connectivity. Yet, little is known about the vascularization of most white matter fasciculi and the fascicular composition of the vascular territories. This paper presents an original method to label the arterial supply of macroscopic white matter fasciculi based on a standardized protocol for post-mortem injection of colored material into main cerebral arteries combined with a novel fiber dissection technique. Twelve whole human cerebral hemispheres obtained post-mortem were included. A detailed description of every step, from obtaining the specimen to image acquisition of its dissection, is provided. Injection and dissection were reproducible and manageable without any sophisticated equipment. They successfully showed the arterial supply of the dissected fasciculi. In addition, we discuss the challenges we faced and overcame during the development of the presented method, highlight its originality. Henceforth, this innovative method serves as a tool to provide a precise anatomical description of the vascularization of the main white matter tracts.
A functional bimodal mesoporous silica nanoparticle with redox/cellulase dual-responsive gatekeepers for controlled release of fungicide
Authors: Huang Weilan , Pan Hua , Hu Zhongxuan , Wang Meijing , Wu Litao , Zhang Fang 
Published: January 2023

AbstractIntegrating toxic fungicide into a functional stimuli-responsive nanosystem can effectively improve the fungus control specificity and reduce the effect on non-target organisms. We report here a redox and cellulase dual-responsive multifunctional nanoparticle based on bimodal mesoporous silica (BMMs) to deliver prochloraz (Pro) for the smart management of wilt disease (Pro-AC-SS-BMMs, known as P-ASB). The surface of the nanocarrier was modified with an aminosilane coupling agent, and Pro was encapsulated by physical adsorption using 2,2′-dithiodiacetic acid as a smart bridge and disulfide (SS) cross-linked aminocellulose (AC) as gatekeepers. P-ASB nanoparticles (NPs) had a spherical structure, and the size was 531.2 ± 4.9 nm. The loading rate of Pro was 28.5%, and the NPs possessed excellent redox/cellulase dual-responsive release characteristics in the presence of glutathione (GSH) and cellulase. The nanocarrier could effectively protect Pro against photodegradation and had better foliar wettability than the Pro technical. Fluorescence tracer results showed that the nanocarriers were taken up and activated by the mycelium. P-ASB NPs had better control efficacy against Rhizoctonia solani and had no significant toxicity to cells and bacteria. This study provides a new strategy for enhancing the environmental protection and promoting the development of green agriculture.
Zurbarán attribution hypothesis supported by pigment analysis and multiband images observation of four paintings by his workshop
Authors: Moreno-Soto Javier , Križnar Anabelle , Ager Francisco José , Gómez-Morón María Auxiliadora , Gamero-Osuna Antonio , Martín-de-Soto Agustín , Respaldiza Miguel Ángel 
Published: January 2023

AbstractFrancisco de Zurbarán was one of the greatest painters of the Spanish Golden Age, with artworks scattered all over the world. Unfortunately, there are hardly any exhaustive studies on the pigments that he used. In this work, four canvas paintings attributed to the Zurbarán Workshop were studied. Each of them presents the figure of a different saint in a particular isolation scene: Saint Bruno, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Dominic of Guzman, and Saint Peter Martyr. Nevertheless, the painting of Saint Peter Martyr shows superior quality in both technique and colours, so it is not clear whether this canvas was also made by the Workshop or by Zurbarán himself, as some art historians claim. Coinciding with conservation and restoration works, the paintings were initially analysed with non-invasive techniques such as ultraviolet photography (UV), infrared reflectography (IRR) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to determine the characterization of the pigments. Those studies were complemented by stratigraphic analysis of some extracted samples with optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX). Among a number of results obtained, we found significant differences between the pigment palette used in Saint Peter Martyr and the other paintings, supporting the hypothesis that this painting was done by Zurbarán himself instead of his workshop. These results could also help to distinguish other authentic paintings by the master’s hand from very similar paintings by his workshop or by other artists.
Effect of different fillers on thermal conductivity, tribological properties of Polyamide 6
Authors: Czel Gyorgy , Sycheva Anna , Janovszky Dora 
Published: January 2023

AbstractAn influence of different filler types and filler content on the thermal and abrasive wear properties of polyamide-6 is investigated. Al2O3, MgO, two glass powders with different SiO2 contents, and natural zeolite powder were selected as fillers. The fillers individually were added to the polymer matrix in proportions of 50 and 70% by weight. A hybrid filler-containing composite was created by mixing PA6/70 wt% MgO and PA6/80 wt% zeolite. The results show that the thermal conductive enhancement factor is highest for PA6/70 wt% Al2O3 (145%) and PA6/hybrid fillers 75 wt% (92%). The Lewis-Nielsen and Reciprocity models agreed with the measured data with less than 26% deviation, except for the MgO-loaded composites. In the case of a hybrid composite, the additive model proves to be a good approximation. The abrasive effect of the different fillers was characterised by the volume loss of the steel pin using the pin-on-disc method. A new parameter is developed that considers the thermal conductivity enhancing effect of the fillers and their abrasive effect. In addition to ceramic fillers, aluminium-hydro-silicate, e.g. natural zeolite, and their mixtures offer new opportunities for the development of thermally conductive composites, as they are more economical to use in manufacturing processes.
Linear epitope mapping of the humoral response against SARS-CoV-2 in two independent African cohorts
Authors: Vigan-Womas Inès , Spadoni Jean-Louis , Poiret Thomas , Taïeb Fabien , Randrianarisaona Fanirisoa , Faye Rokhaya , Mbow Adji Astou , Gaye Aboubacry , Dia Ndongo , Loucoubar Cheikh , Ny Mioramalala Diary Juliannie , Ratovoson Rila , Randremanana Rindra Vatosoa , Sall Amadou Alpha , Seydi Moussa , Noirel Josselin , Moreau Gabriel , Simon Arnaud , Holenya Pavlo , Meyniel Jean-Philippe , Zagury Jean-François , Schoenhals Matthieu 
Published: January 2023

AbstractProfiling of the antibody responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) proteins in African populations is scarce. Here, we performed a detailed IgM and IgG epitope mapping study against 487 peptides covering SARS-CoV-2 wild-type structural proteins. A panel of 41 pre-pandemic and 82 COVID-19 RT-PCR confirmed sera from Madagascar and Senegal were used. We found that the main 36 immunodominant linear epitopes identified were (i) similar in both countries, (ii) distributed mainly in the Spike and the Nucleocapsid proteins, (iii) located outside the RBD and NTD regions where most of the reported SARS-CoV-2 variant mutations occur, and (iv) identical to those reported in European, North American, and Asian studies. Within the severe group, antibody levels were inversely correlated with the viral load. This first antibody epitope mapping study performed in patients from two African countries may be helpful to guide rational peptide-based diagnostic assays or vaccine development.
A deep learning based dual encoder–decoder framework for anatomical structure segmentation in chest X-ray images
Authors: Ullah Ihsan , Ali Farman , Shah Babar , El-Sappagh Shaker , Abuhmed Tamer , Park Sang Hyun 
Published: January 2023

AbstractAutomated multi-organ segmentation plays an essential part in the computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) of chest X-ray fluoroscopy. However, developing a CAD system for the anatomical structure segmentation remains challenging due to several indistinct structures, variations in the anatomical structure shape among different individuals, the presence of medical tools, such as pacemakers and catheters, and various artifacts in the chest radiographic images. In this paper, we propose a robust deep learning segmentation framework for the anatomical structure in chest radiographs that utilizes a dual encoder–decoder convolutional neural network (CNN). The first network in the dual encoder–decoder structure effectively utilizes a pre-trained VGG19 as an encoder for the segmentation task. The pre-trained encoder output is fed into the squeeze-and-excitation (SE) to boost the network’s representation power, which enables it to perform dynamic channel-wise feature calibrations. The calibrated features are efficiently passed into the first decoder to generate the mask. We integrated the generated mask with the input image and passed it through a second encoder–decoder network with the recurrent residual blocks and an attention the gate module to capture the additional contextual features and improve the segmentation of the smaller regions. Three public chest X-ray datasets are used to evaluate the proposed method for multi-organs segmentation, such as the heart, lungs, and clavicles, and single-organ segmentation, which include only lungs. The results from the experiment show that our proposed technique outperformed the existing multi-class and single-class segmentation methods.
Uterine epithelial Gp130 orchestrates hormone response and epithelial remodeling for successful embryo attachment in mice
Authors: Namiki Takafumi , Terakawa Jumpei , Karakama Harumi , Noguchi Michiko , Murakami Hironobu , Hasegawa Yoshinori , Ohara Osamu , Daikoku Takiko , Ito Junya , Kashiwazaki Naomi 
Published: January 2023

AbstractLeukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) receptor, an interleukin 6 cytokine family signal transducer (Il6st, also known as Gp130) that is expressed in the uterine epithelium and stroma, has been recognized to play an essential role in embryo implantation. However, the molecular mechanism underlying Gp130-mediated LIF signaling in the uterine epithelium during embryo implantation has not been elucidated. In this study, we generated mice with uterine epithelium specific deletion of Gp130 (Gp130 ecKO). Gp130 ecKO females were infertile due to the failure of embryo attachment and decidualization. Histomorphological observation revealed that the endometrial shape and embryo position from Gp130 ecKO were comparable to those of the control, and uterine epithelial cell proliferation, whose attenuation is essential for embryo implantation, was controlled in Gp130 ecKO. Comprehensive gene expression analysis using RNA-seq indicates that epithelial Gp130 regulates the expression of estrogen- and progesterone-responsive genes in conjunction with immune response during embryo implantation. We also found that an epithelial remodeling factor, snail family transcriptional repressor 1 (Snai1), was markedly reduced in the pre-implantation uterus from Gp130 ecKO. These results suggest that not only the suppression of uterine epithelial cell proliferation, but also Gp130-mediated epithelial remodeling is required for successful implantation in mice.
Semi-automated water sampling module for repeated sampling and concentration of Bacillus cereus group spores
Authors: Hassen Walid M. , Vermette Jonathan , Moteshareie Houman , Tayabali Azam F. , Dubowski Jan J. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractMonitoring the presence of pathogenic Bacillus spores is important for industrial applications, as well as necessary for ensuring human health. Bacillus thuringiensis is used as a biopesticide against several insect pests. Bacillus cereus spores are a significant cause of food poisoning, and Bacillus anthracis is a recognized biosecurity threat. Laboratory-based methods, such as polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization spectroscopy provide sensitive detection of bacteria and spores, but the application of those methods for quasi-continuous environmental monitoring presents a significant challenge requiring frequent human intervention. To address this challenge, we developed a workstation for quasi-autonomous monitoring of water reservoirs for the presence of bacteria and spores, and designed and validated the functionality of a microprocessor-controlled module capable of repetitive collection and pre-concentration of spores in liquid samples tested with fiberglass (FG), polyether sulfone and polyvinylidene fluoride filters. The best results were obtained with FG filters delivering a 20× concentration of B. thuringiensis and B. cereus spores from saline suspensions. The successful 20× pre-concentration of Bacillus spores demonstrated with FG filters could be repeated up to 3 times when bleach decontamination is applied between filtrations. Taken together, our results demonstrate an attractive instrument suitable for semi-automated, quasi-continuous sampling and pre-processing of water samples for biosensing of bacterial spores originating from a complex environment.
Geospatial analysis of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension in South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: Zainuddin Andi Alfian , Rahim Amran , Ramadany Sri , Dharmayani Himawan , Kuswanto Hedi , Kadir Rais Reskiawan A. , Abdullah Andi Afdal , Rasyid Haerani 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe spatial variation of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension and their potential linkage were explored in South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The Global Moran’s I and regression analysis were utilized to identify the characteristics involved. The methods were performed based on T2DM and hypertension data from 2017 and 2018 acquired from Social Health Insurance Administration in Indonesia. The spatial variation of T2DM and hypertension showed that the prevalence rate of T2DM and hypertension tends to occur randomly (p = 0.678, p = 0.711, respectively). By utilizing Generalized Poisson Regression Analysis, our study showed a significant relationship between T2DM and hypertension (p ≤ 0.001). This research could help policy makers to plan and support projects with the aim of overcoming the risk of T2DM and hypertension.
Spatiotemporal distribution, trend, forecast, and influencing factors of transboundary and local air pollutants in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan
Authors: Chicas Santos Daniel , Valladarez Jair Gaspar , Omine Kiyoshi , Sivasankar Venkataraman , Kim Sangyeob 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe study of PM2.5and NO2has been emphasized in recent years due to their adverse effects on public health. To better understand these pollutants, many studies have researched the spatiotemporal distribution, trend, forecast, or influencing factors of these pollutants. However, rarely studies have combined these to generate a more holistic understanding that can be used to assess air pollution and implement more effective strategies. In this study, we analyze the spatiotemporal distribution, trend, forecast, and factors influencing PM2.5and NO2in Nagasaki Prefecture by using ordinary kriging, pearson's correlation, random forest, mann–kendall, auto-regressive integrated moving average and error trend and seasonal models. The results indicated that PM2.5, due to its long-range transport properties, has a more substantial spatiotemporal variation and affects larger areas in comparison to NO2, which is a local pollutant. Despite tri-national efforts, local regulations and legislation have been effective in reducing NO2concentration but less effective in reducing PM2.5. This multi-method approach provides a holistic understanding of PM2.5and NO2pollution in Nagasaki prefecture, which can aid in implementing more effective pollution management strategies. It can also be implemented in other regions where studies have only focused on one of the aspects of air pollution and where a holistic understanding of air pollution is lacking.
Machine learning and metabolic modelling assisted implementation of a novel process analytical technology in cell and gene therapy manufacturing
Authors: Williams Thomas , Kalinka Kevin , Sanches Rui , Blanchard-Emmerson Greg , Watts Samuel , Davies Lee , Knevelman Carol , McCloskey Laura , Jones Peter , Mitrophanous Kyriacos , Miskin James , Dikicioglu Duygu 
Published: January 2023

AbstractProcess analytical technology (PAT) has demonstrated huge potential to enable the development of improved biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes by ensuring the reliable provision of quality products. However, the complexities associated with the manufacture of advanced therapy medicinal products have resulted in a slow adoption of PAT tools into industrial bioprocessing operations, particularly in the manufacture of cell and gene therapy products. Here we describe the applicability of a novel refractometry-based PAT system (Ranger system), which was used to monitor the metabolic activity of HEK293T cell cultures during lentiviral vector (LVV) production processes in real time. The PAT system was able to rapidly identify a relationship between bioreactor pH and culture metabolic activity and this was used to devise a pH operating strategy that resulted in a 1.8-fold increase in metabolic activity compared to an unoptimised bioprocess in a minimal number of bioreactor experiments; this was achieved using both pre-programmed and autonomous pH control strategies. The increased metabolic activity of the cultures, achieved via the implementation of the PAT technology, was not associated with increased LVV production. We employed a metabolic modelling strategy to elucidate the relationship between these bioprocess level events and HEK293T cell metabolism. The modelling showed that culturing of HEK293T cells in a low pH (pH 6.40) environment directly impacted the intracellular maintenance of pH and the intracellular availability of oxygen. We provide evidence that the elevated metabolic activity was a response to cope with the stress associated with low pH to maintain the favourable intracellular conditions, rather than being indicative of a superior active state of the HEK293T cell culture resulting in enhanced LVV production. Forecasting strategies were used to construct data models which identified that the novel PAT system not only had a direct relationship with process pH but also with oxygen availability; the interaction and interdependencies between these two parameters had a direct effect on the responses observed at the bioprocess level. We present data which indicate that process control and intervention using this novel refractometry-based PAT system has the potential to facilitate the fine tuning and rapid optimisation of the production environment and enable adaptive process control for enhanced process performance and robustness.
One-step preparation of deep eutectic solvents/ reduced graphene oxide composite materials for the removal of dibenzothiophene in fuel oil
Authors: Liu Yue , Su Xiaoping , Cui Yingna , Zhou Xin 
Published: January 2023

AbstractDeep eutectic solvents (DES)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite materials can remove dibenzothiophene (DBT) from fuel oil by adsorption desulfurization. However, the whole synthesis process is complicated, and the DES/rGO is high-cost and not strong enough, which limits its application in industry. Therefore, a one-step method to produce DES/rGO composite materials is proposed. The performance of desulfurization was studied and the feasibility of industrial application was analyzed. First, the proposed method can improve the single extraction efficiency to 94.8% without a complicated process. Secondly, the DES/rGO can also be reused and recycled. Third, the proposed method overcomes the inconvenient storage and transportation of liquid DES. Finally, the proposed method could effectively reduce the cost of desulphurization in the industry.
Uncovering natural allelic and structural variants of OsCENH3 gene by targeted resequencing and in silico mining in genus Oryza
Authors: Kaur Karminderbir , Neelam Kumari , Singh Jasdeep , Malik Palvi , Singh Kuldeep 
Published: January 2023

AbstractPlant breeding efforts to boost rice productivity have focused on developing a haploid development pipeline. CENH3 gene has emerged as a leading player that can be manipulated to engineer haploid induction system. Currently, allele mining for the OsCENH3 gene was done by PCR-based resequencing of 33 wild species accessions of genus Oryza and in silico mining of alleles from pre-existing data. We have identified and characterized CENH3 variants in genus Oryza. Our results indicated that the majority CENH3 alleles present in the Oryza gene pool carry synonymous substitutions. A few non-synonymous substitutions occur in the N-terminal Tail domain (NTT). SNP A/G at position 69 was found in accessions of AA genome and non-AA genome species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that non-synonymous substitutions carrying alleles follow pre-determined evolutionary patterns. O. longistaminata accessions carry SNPs in four codons along with indels in introns 3 and 6. Fifteen haplotypes were mined from our panel; representative mutant alleles exhibited structural variations upon modeling. Structural analysis indicated that more than one structural variant may be exhibited by different accessions of single species (Oryza barthii). NTT allelic mutants, though not directly implicated in HI, may show variable interactions. HI and interactive behavior could be ascertained in future investigations.