bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 Impact in Crohn’s Disease Patients Submitted to Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation*
Authors: Ruiz Milton Artur , Kaiser Roberto Luiz , Pinho Tainara Souza , Castiglioni Lilian , Quadros Luiz Gustavo , Piron-Ruiz Lilian 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

SARS COV 2 is the virus responsible for COVID-19, a disease that has been blamed for inducing or exacerbating symptoms in patients with autoimmune diseases. Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease that affects genetically susceptible patients who develop an abnormal mucosal immune response to the intestinal microbiota. Patients who underwent Hematopoietic Stem cell Transplantation are considered at risk for COVID-19. The objective of this report was to describe for the first time the impact of COVID-19 in a group of 50 patients with Crohn's Disease (CD, 28 females, and 22 male) with a mean age of 38 years, previously submitted to Autologous, non-myeloablative, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (Auto HSCT) between 2013 and 2021. In this series, 19 patients were diagnosed with positive COVID-19. In two (2) patients there was a report of the occurrence of two infectious episodes. Parameters related to HSCT, such as time elapsed since the procedure, vaccination status, CD status before and after infection, and clinical manifestations resulting from COVID-19, were evaluated. Among the patients with COVID-19, in three, submitted to Auto HSCT less than six (6) months ago, there was a change in the CD status, and one of them, in addition to the CD symptoms, started to present thyroid impairment with positive anti-TPO. Only one of the patients required hospitalization for five days to treat COVID-19 and remained in CD clinical remission. Nine patients reported late symptoms that may be related to COVID-19. There were no deaths, and the statistical evaluation of the series of COVID-19 patients after HSCT and those who did not present an infectious episode did not present significant data regarding the analyzed parameters. Despite the change in CD status in three patients and the presence of nine patients with late symptoms, we can conclude that there was no significant adverse impact concerning COVID-19 in the evaluated patients who underwent HSCT to treat CD.
Coupling between beta band and high frequency oscillations as a clinically useful biomarker for DBS
Authors: Rektor Ivan , Bočková Martina , Lamoš Martin , Chrastina Jan , Daniel Pavel , Kupcová Silvia , Říha Ivo , Šmahovská Lucia , Baláž Marek 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Background The aim of this work was to study the potential clinical usefulness of beta power phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) with high frequency oscillations (HFOs).Objective Beta hypersynchrony was recently introduced into clinical practice in Parkinson’s disease (PD) to identify the best stimulation contacts and for adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) sensing. However, many other oscillopathies accompany the disease and beta power sensing may not be optimal for all patients.Methods Subthalamic nucleus (STN) local field potentials (LFPs) from externalized DBS electrodes were recorded and analyzed in PD patients (n = 19). Beta power and HFOs were evaluated in a resting-state condition; the PAC was then studied and correlated with the electrode contact positions and structural connectivity.Results Beta-HFO PAC (mainly in the 200–500 Hz range) was observed in all subjects. PAC was detectable more specifically in the motor part of the STN compared to beta power and HFOs. Moreover, the presence of PAC better corresponds to the stimulation setup based on the clinical effect. PAC is also sensitive to the laterality of symptoms, where the greater PAC cluster reflects the more affected side.Conclusion Coupling between beta power and HFOs increases with beta power synchronization, which is known to be a correlate of the PD “off” state. Beta-HFO PAC seems to be more sensitive than beta power fluctuation itself and could be more helpful in the best stimulation contact clinical selection and probably also as a potential future input signal for aDBS.
Magnetized Quantum Plasma Half space, Analytical study of Electrostatic surface waves and their dispersion relation
Authors: Ahmad Zulfiqar , Ahmad Mushtaq , Khitab Umar 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
We present a comprehensive study on the characteristics of electrostatic surface waves in a magnetized quantum plasma half-space. By analytically investigating the system under the influence of quantum diffraction and Fermi pressure, we employ the quantum hydrodynamic model (QHD) and the specular reflection boundary condition at the plasma-vacuum interface to accurately capture quantum effects. We analyze the dispersion relations for two specific cases of magnetic field orientation: parallel and perpendicular to the interface. We numerically plot the dispersion relations and explore the effects of plasma parameters, such as plasma density, cyclotron frequency, and Fermi velocity, on the surface wave behavior. The results show that increasing plasma density and Fermi velocity result in changes in the normalized frequency of surface waves, while an increase in the cyclotron frequency leads to a significant increase in the surface plasmon frequency. Our work provides valuable insights into the behavior of electrostatic surface waves in magnetized quantum plasmas and their potential applications in waveguide structures and other related areas such as signal processing, communication systems, sensing devices, quantum dot devices, nanostructures.
Is Enemy Release Strong for Invasive Plants?
Authors: Stiling Peter , Lajeunesse Marc J. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe Enemy Release Hypothesis (ERH) suggests that escape from natural enemies causes introduced plants to become invasive. We used meta-analysis to synthesize and investigate the strength of the ERH using both the biological control of invasive plants by individual introduced insects and the effects of individual native insect herbivores on native plants. Insects used in biological control studies, specified as both pre- and post-release, had significantly greater effects on invasive plants than native insects had on native plants, which supports the ERH. However, this effect was driven mostly by study outcomes from biocontrol releases, which had significantly greater effects on invasive plants than native insects had on native plants. Insects used in pre-release biocontrol studies did not have significantly stronger effects than native insects on native plants. This suggests that ERH may not be as common a cause of plant invasiveness as thought since, by that logic, release from natural enemies would cause any introduced plant species to become invasive. Among all studies, there was no significant difference in the strength of enemy release between the effects of monophagous versus polyphagous herbivores, terrestrial and aquatic plants, insect orders or feeding guilds and latitude of experiment. However, there were significant differences in the effects of insect herbivores between above and below ground feeders, plant growth forms, and plant organ affected.
Physical frailty is related to oxidative stress through Thiol/Disulfide homeostasis parameters
Authors: HAFIZOGLU Merve , Eren Funda , Neşelioğlu Salim , Şahiner Zeynep , Karaduman Didem , Atbaş Cansu , Dikmeer Ayşe , İleri İbrahim , Balcı Cafer , Doğu Burcu Balam , Cankurtaran Mustafa , Erel Özcan , Halil Meltem Gülhan 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Aim
To evaluate relationship between frailty and oxidative stress through thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters (Native thiol (NT), total thiol (TT), and disulfide levels (D), disulfide-native thiol (D/NT), disulfide-total thiol (D/TT), native thiol-total thiol (NT/TT) ratios and ischemia-modified albumin levels (IMA)).
Materials and Method
In total, 139 community-dwelling older adults were included. The frailty status, defined by the FRIED frailty index (FFI) and Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), and comprehensive geriatric assessment results compared with thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters and ischemia-modified albumin levels.
Results
NT and TT levels were significantly lower in the frail group (respectively; p = 0.014, p = 0.020). The FFI scores were correlated with the levels of NT, TT, D/NT, D/TT, and NT/TT (respectively; r=-0.25, r=-0.24, r = 0.17, r = 0.17, r=-0.17). The significant correlation could not be retained with the CFS scores. In ROC analysis, the AUC for NT was calculated as 0.639 in diagnosing frailty according to the FFI (95% CI: 0.542–0.737), AUC was 0.638 for TT (95% CI: 0.540–0.735), AUC was 0.610 for NT/TT (95% CI: 0.511–0.780). The AUC was calculated as 0.610 for both D/NT and D/TT in diagnosing physical frailty (95% CI: 0.511–0.708).
Conclusion
Thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters can be a potential biomarker in diagnosing physical frailty. However, further studies are needed for diagnosing frailty defined with cumulative deficit models.
Impact assessment of selected ports intervention to coastal and nearshore dynamics:A GIS and AHP approach
Authors: R Madhumitha , S Rajakumari , B Deepika 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

This study was attempted to understand the impact of selected ports on the coastal and nearshore dynamics. Dwelling activities along the coastal zone were particularly high in the last two decades. Hence ports constructed between 2000 and 2022 such as Mundra, Hazira, Karaikal, Krishnapatnam, Gangavaram and Gopalpur were considered for the study. The land and shore dynamics were assessed prior and after their construction. The landward impact was identified by the changes in LULC and coastal sediment dynamics were estimated from numerical model before and after the ports construction. The highly impacted land and shore features were used in Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to assess the extent of their impact due to port construction. The extent of impacts was indicated as ‘Criteria Weight (CW)’ expressed as percentage. Village-wise Local Sensitivity Analysis (LSA) of the port environs due to port activities were also assessed with six parameters such as changes in LULC, cyclone, population, Road network, cultural heritage site and shore stability based on their influence on the coast on case- by-case basis using AHP. The obtained influence of the impact of these parameters was used to determine the category of local sensitivity of the adjacent villages around the ports. For effective management planning the LSA was classified into five classes namely Very Low, Low, Moderate, High and Very High. Villages categorized with different sensitivities can be attempted for suitable management plans and similar studies can be attempted for all villages impacted by port interventions.
Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Non-structural Adhesive Mortar using Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) Aggregate Substitution with Vinyl Acetate/Ethylene (VAE) Interface
Authors: Hendriko Albert , Juwono Ariadne Laksmidevi , Budiman Ismail , Subyakto Subyakto , Soegijono Bambang , Sadir Muhammad , Sudarmanto Sudarmanto , Purnomo Deni , Narto Narto , Akbar Fazhar , Setyolisdianto Jeremy Ariandi , Kristianto Marco Amadeus 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) is a type of plastic with a high percentage of solid waste and is hardly degradable. The characteristics of LLDPE such as high toughness and low density have the potential to be an alternative aggregate substitute for applications in non-structural mortar composites. The purpose of this study was to determine the suitable formulation of LLDPE aggregate substitution against silica sand for the application of non-structural adhesive mortar composites. Vinyl Acetate/Ethylene (VAE) surfactant (1.2 wt%) was used to improve the interface between LLDPE and the cement matrix. Mechanical testing; XRD and FTIR characterization; density measurements; compression, adhesion, and thermogravimetric test; and morphological observation were carried out in this experiment. The Results showed that LLDPE substitution decreased physical properties and accelerated thermal degradation. Cracks occurred on higher amount of LLDPE composition due to big difference in polarity. Suitable LLDPE substitution composition for adhesive mortar is up to 50%.
Evaluation of biochemical indices in indigenous cattle breeds and crossbred genotypes under natural trypanosome challenge
Authors: Nwachukwu Eugene N. , Ogbu Cosmas C. , Kalla Demo J. U. , Ukwu Henry O. , Ezea Jonas , Onoja Samuel O. , Onyeabor Amaechi 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Breeding for trypanotolerance could be a more sustainable control strategy against African animal trypanosomiasis. This study examined the biochemical indices of crossbred/composite cattle, N’dama and WF breeds under natural trypanosome challenge to assess trypanotolerance capacity. Serum total protein, albumin, globulin, ALT, AST, ALP, bilirubin, creatinine and urea were compared among cattle genotypes, genotypic groups, anaemic and non-anaemic, and parasitaemic and aparasitaemic groups. Non-anaemic cattle had higher (p < 0.05) total protein and albumin compared to anaemic cattle. Globulin, albumin/globulin, ALT, ALP, and creatinine did not differ significantly between cattle genotypes but AST was highest in anaemic NDxWF (38.50 ± 6.19 U/l) while indirect bilirubin and urea were highest in non-anaemic 75NDx25WF. Aparasitaemic cattle had higher total protein, albumin and ALP but lower creatinine than parasitaemic cattle. AST and total bilirubin were highest in ND(GUxWFxMU) (33.18 ± 1.78 U/l) and ND(GUxWF) (0.30 ± 0.03 mg/dl), respectively and least in parasitaemic WF (24.63 ± 3.57 U/l) and NDxWF (0.19 ± 0.03 mg/dl), respectively. Creatinine, indirect bilirubin and urea were highest in 75NDx25WF (1.23 ± 0.26 mg/dl, 0.23 ± 0.03 mg/dl, and 39.68 ± 3.05 mg/dl, respectively) and lowest in ND (0.28 ± 0.10 mg/dl), parasitaemic WF (0.11 ± 0.03mg/dl), and ND(BOxWF) (22.84 ± 3.05 mg/dl), respectively. Crossbred/composite cattle and N’Dama had higher serum total protein, albumin, AST, total and indirect bilirubin, but lower creatinine compared to WF cattle indicating better body nutrient reserves, lower oxidative stress challenge and stronger trypanotolerance capacity.
WITHDRAWN: Sustainable Agriculture through Battery Recycling: Effect Of Recycled Liquid Nano Manganese Fertiliser on Wheat Yield
Authors: Valson Aparna , Suman Naveen , Varma Nimisha , Gupta Ragini 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

The productivity of agriculture is significantly hampered by micronutrient deficiencies, particularly manganese (Mn) insufficiency. For agriculture to be sustainable, it is essential to address these shortcomings. In this context, a study was carried out to determine the effectiveness of "Mangnify," a nano manganese sulphate fertiliser made by recycling used single use primary batteries, in enhancing wheat yield in Rajasthan. The field trials showed a considerable increase compared to control in wheat yield when treated with a foliar application of nano manganese fertiliser. The results of ANOVA analysis showed that treated and controlled crops in every region had significantly different growth characteristics and yields. Kemla, in particular, revealed a noteworthy 30.8% rise in production, while Gudli showed increases of 19.3% and 5.8%. Furthermore, Bundi demonstrated a 6.7% yield improvement using a twofold application strategy.The study emphasises how recycled nano manganese sulphate fertilisers have the potential to address manganese deficiency and promote sustainable agriculture. According to the research, nano manganese fertiliser significantly enhances crop development and output while providing an environmentally friendly remedy for micronutrient deficiencies. This study highlights the potential of cutting-edge recycling methods to create successful agricultural interventions, ultimately pointing to a viable plan for boosting agricultural productivity while maintaining environmental sustainability.
Experimental, surface and computational studies on nicotinic hydroxamic acid as an efficient and ecofriendly chelating corrosion inhibitor in the gas and oil industry
Authors: Dewangan Yeestdev , Verma Dakeshwar Kumar , Haldhar Rajesh , Berdimurodov Elyor , Kim Seong-Cheol , Saxena Akhil , Guo Lei , Jain Swati 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
In the present work, the nicotinic hydroxamic acid (NHA) was first presented as a more effective corrosion resistance in 1 M HCl. The reason for the selection of 1 M HCl solution is that 1 M HCl solution was used in the acid pickling and acid-cleaning processes. During these processes, the mild steel corroded. The carbonyl and the hydroxyl groups of the selected inhibitor molecule are mainly responsible for the formation of a stable five-membered chelate complex with a metal cation. Its inhibition characteristics were first researched by the electrochemical, surface morphology and quantum chemical methods. The density functional theory (DFT) with the 6−31G (d, p) basis sets were used to analyse the theoretical characteristics of inhibition for NHA. The corrosion prevention activity was utilized on the steel in 1 M HCl using a variety of electrochemical approaches, including potentiodynamic polarization measurements and EIS. In 1 M HCl solution, the maximum inhibition efficiency of 92.75% was achieved for 200 ppm concentration. The existence of multiple double bonds, as well as numerous oxygen atoms of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups of the phytochemicals, is primarily responsible for its superior anti-corrosive properties.
Molecular identification and characterization of hevein antimicrobial peptide genes in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)
Authors: Drikvand Reza Mir , Sohrabi Seyyed Mohsen , Sohrabi Seyed Sajad , Samiei Kamran 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Heveins are one of the most important groups of plant antimicrobial peptides. So far, various roles in plant growth and development and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses have reported for heveins. The present study aimed to identify and characterize the hevein genes in barley. In total, thirteen hevein genes identified in barley genome. The identified heveins showed a high similarity with heveins from other plant species in terms of structural and functional characteristics. The hevein coding sequences produced open reading frames (ORFs) ranged from 342 to 1002 bp. Most of the identified hevein genes were intronless, and the others had only one intron. The hevein ORFs produced proteins ranged from 113 to 333 amino acids. Search for conserved functional domains showed ChtBD1 and Lyz-like domains in barley heveins. All barley heveins comprised extracellular signal peptides ranged from 19 to 35 amino acids. The phylogenetic analysis divided barley heveins into two groups. The promoter analysis identified cis-acting elements related to growth and development, hormone response, and environmental stresses in the promoter of barley hevein genes. The expression analysis showed high expression level of heveins in root and reproductive organs of barley. The expression analysis also showed that barley heveins is induced by both biotic and abiotic stresses. The results of antimicrobial activity prediction showed the highest antimicrobial activity in ChtBD1 domain of barley heveins. The findings of the current study can improve our knowledge about the role of hevein genes in plant and can be used for future studies.
The Impact of Physician Variation on the Training and Performance of Deep Learning Auto-Segmentation Models: the Development of Physician Inconsistency Metrics
Authors: Yan Yujie , Kehayias Christopher , He John , Aerts Hugo J.W.L. , Fitzgerald Kelly J. , Kann Benjamin H. , Kozono David E. , Guthier Christian V. , Mak Raymond H. 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Manual segmentation of tumors and organs-at-risk (OAR) in 3D imaging for radiation-therapy planning is time-consuming and subject to variation between different observers. Artificial intelligence (AI) can assist with segmentation, but challenges exist in ensuring high-quality segmentation, especially for small, variable structures. We investigated the effect of variation in segmentation quality and style of physicians for training deep-learning models for esophagus segmentation and proposed a new metric, edge roughness, for evaluating/quantifying slice-to-slice inconsistency.
This study includes a real-world cohort of 394 patients who each received radiation therapy (mainly for lung cancer). Segmentation of the esophagus was performed by 8 physicians as part of routine clinical care. We evaluated manual segmentation by comparing the length and edge roughness of segmentations among physicians to analyze inconsistencies. We trained six multiple- and individual-physician segmentation models in total, based on U-Net architectures and residual backbones. We used the volumetric Dice coefficient to measure the performance for each model. We proposed a metric, edge roughness, to quantify the shift of segmentation among adjacent slices by calculating the curvature of edges of the 2D sagittal- and coronal-view projections.
The auto-segmentation model trained on multiple physicians (MD1-7) achieved the highest mean Dice of 73.7±14.8%. The individual-physician model (MD7) with the highest edge roughness (mean ± SD: 0.106±0.016) demonstrated significantly lower volumetric Dice for test cases compared with other individual models (MD7: 58.5±15.8%, MD6: 67.1±16.8%, p < 0.001). An additional multiple-physician model trained after removing the MD7 data resulted in fewer outliers (e.g., Dice £ 40%: 4 cases for MD1-6, 7 cases for MD1-7, Ntotal=394).
This study demonstrates that there is significant variation in style and quality in manual segmentations in clinical care, and that training AI auto-segmentation algorithms from real-world, clinical datasets may result in unexpectedly under-performing algorithms with the inclusion of outliers. Importantly, this study provides a novel evaluation metric, edge roughness, to quantify physician variation in segmentation which will allow developers to filter clinical training data to optimize model performance.
Overexpressing ZOS7 confers drought tolerance through mediating stomatal density and wax crystal deposition in rice
Authors: Zhou Shubo , Lin Wei , Su Yi , Essemine Jemaa , Huang Jihang , Qu Mingnan , He Lijing , Xiao Langtao 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
The Cys2/His2-type zinc finger proteins have been implicated in different cellular processes involved in plant development and abiotic stress responses. Our previous study identified a drought-responsive zinc finger protein gene ZOS7 with high expression in Shanlan upland rice line possessing drought tolerance. In this study, we further found that overexpressing ZOS7 induces up to eudicots 30% increase in biomass together with 14% increase in yield relative to WT under moderate drought stress (DS) in the field. Stomatal density was increased 33% in ZOS7 knockout line with 12% water loss compared to WT exposed to DS. Transcriptome and qPCR analysis reveal significant increase in the expression of genes related to stomatal density and wax biosynthetic process. We observed that ZOS7 could bind to the C2H2 binding motif of a wax biosynthetic gene, CER4, resulting in co-transcriptional activation of CER4 and its a chaperone expression, MYB60. Interestingly, MYB60 but not ZOS7 could target to the W-box motif of a STOMAGEN like gene, EPFL9, leading to its transcriptional suppression. We hence concluded that ZOS7 and MYB60 forms a combined module that confers to drought tolerance through regulating stomatal density and wax biosynthetic process. We highlighted the importance of potential use of ZOS7-MYB60 towards drought molecular breeding in rice in the field.