bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The
Candida albicans
toxin candidalysin mediates distinct epithelial inflammatory responses through p38 and EGFR-ERK pathways
Authors: Nikou Spyridoula-Angeliki , Zhou Chunsheng , Griffiths James S. , Kotowicz Natalia K. , Coleman Bianca M. , Green Mary J. , Moyes David L. , Gaffen Sarah L. , Naglik Julian R. , Parker Peter J.
Published: April 2022

The fungal pathogen
Candida albicans
secretes the peptide toxin candidalysin, which damages epithelial cells and drives an innate inflammatory response mediated by the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways and the transcription factor c-Fos. In cultured oral epithelial cells, candidalysin activated the MAPK p38, which resulted in heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) activation, IL-6 release, and EGFR phosphorylation without affecting the induction of c-Fos. p38 activation was not triggered by EGFR but by two nonredundant pathways involving MAPK kinases (MKKs) and the kinase Src, which differentially controlled p38 signaling outputs. Whereas MKKs mainly promoted p38-dependent release of IL-6, Src promoted p38-mediated phosphorylation of EGFR in a ligand-independent fashion. In parallel, candidalysin also activated the EGFR-ERK pathway in a ligand-dependent manner, resulting in c-Fos activation and release of the neutrophil-activating chemokines G-CSF and GM-CSF. In mice, early clearance events of oral
C. albicans
infection required p38 but not c-Fos. These findings delineate how candidalysin activates the pathways downstream of the MAPKs p38 and ERK that differentially contribute to immune activation during
C. albicans
infection.
The transcription factor PAX8 promotes angiogenesis in ovarian cancer through interaction with SOX17
Authors: Chaves-Moreira Daniele , Mitchell Marilyn A. , Arruza Cristina , Rawat Priyanka , Sidoli Simone , Nameki Robbin , Reddy Jessica , Corona Rosario I. , Afeyan Lena K. , Klein Isaac A. , Ma Sisi , Winterhoff Boris , Konecny Gottfried E. , Garcia Benjamin A. , Brady Donita C. , Lawrenson Kate , Morin Patrice J. , Drapkin Ronny
Published: April 2022

PAX8 is a master transcription factor that is essential during embryogenesis and promotes neoplastic growth. It is expressed by the secretory cells lining the female reproductive tract, and its deletion during development results in atresia of reproductive tract organs. Nearly all ovarian carcinomas express PAX8, and its knockdown results in apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells. To explore the role of PAX8 in these tissues, we purified the PAX8 protein complex from nonmalignant fallopian tube cells and high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma cell lines. We found that PAX8 was a member of a large chromatin remodeling complex and preferentially interacted with SOX17, another developmental transcription factor. Depleting either PAX8 or SOX17 from cancer cells altered the expression of factors involved in angiogenesis and functionally disrupted tubule and capillary formation in cell culture and mouse models. PAX8 and SOX17 in ovarian cancer cells promoted the secretion of angiogenic factors by suppressing the expression of
SERPINE1
, which encodes a proteinase inhibitor with anti
a
ngiogenic effects. The findings reveal a non–cell-autonomous function of these transcription factors in regulating angiogenesis in ovarian cancer.
Characterization of the 2,6-Dimethylphenol Monooxygenase MpdAB and Evaluation of Its Potential in Vitamin E Precursor Synthesis
Authors: Ji Junbin , Cheng Minggen , Yan Xin
Published: April 2022

Although the microbial degradation of the six isomers of dimethylphenol has been extensively studied, the genetic and biochemical mechanisms of 2,6-DMP degradation remain unclear. This study identified the genes responsible for the initial step in the 2,6-DMP catabolic pathway in
M. neoaurum
B5-4.
Annulment of Bacterial Antagonism Improves Plant Beneficial Activity of a Bacillus velezensis Consortium
Authors: Shao Jiahui , Liu Yan , Xie Jiyu , Štefanič Polonca , Lv Yu , Fan Ben , Mandic-Mulec Ines , Zhang Ruifu , Shen Qirong , Xu Zhihui
Published: April 2022

Bacillus velezensis
is one of the most widely applied bacteria in biofertilizers in China and Europe. Additionally, the molecular mechanisms of plant growth promotion and disease suppression by representative model strains are well established, such as
B. velezensis
SQR9 and FZB42.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Type Strain Citrobacter rodentium DSM 16636
Authors: Wahl Anika , Neuhaus Klaus
Published: April 2022

The type strain
Citrobacter rodentium
DSM 16636 was characterized in 1995. This species is widely used in rodents to study the virulence of locus-of-enterocyte-effacement-type pathogens, such as enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
. The type strain had not been sequenced yet. Here, we report the closed genome (5.3 Gbp) and its plasmid (39.3 kbp).
Linking Microbial Population Succession and DOM Molecular Changes in
Synechococcus
-Derived Organic Matter Addition Incubation
Authors: Wang Yu , Xie Rui , Shen Yuan , Cai Ruanhong , He Chen , Chen Qi , Guo Weidong , Shi Quan , Jiao Nianzhi , Zheng Qiang
Published: April 2022

Phytoplankton are a major contributor of labile dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the upper ocean, fueling tremendous marine prokaryotic activity. Interactions between microorganisms and algae-derived DOM regulate biogeochemical cycles in the ocean, but key aspects of their interactions remain poorly understood.
Rheumatoid interstitial lung disease in Canterbury New Zealand: prevalence, risk factors and long-term outcomes—protocol for a population-based retrospective study
Authors: Farquhar Hamish , Beckert Lutz , Edwards Adrienne , Matteson Eric L. , Thiessen Rennae , Ganly Edward , Stamp Lisa K.
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects approximately 0.5%–1% of the general population. Clinically significant interstitial lung diseases (ILD) develops in just under 10% of people with RA, and subclinical disease is more common. Little is known about RA-ILD in New Zealand (NZ), or the number of persons with RA in Canterbury, NZ. This study aims to determine: (1) incidence and prevalence of RA, (2) incidence and prevalence of RA-ILD, (3) clinical characteristics and risk factors for the development of RA-ILD, (4) long-term outcomes of RA-ILD, in the population resident within the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) catchment area.

Methods and analysis

Persons aged 18 years of age and older, and resident in the region covered by the CDHB with RA as well as RA-ILD will be identified by retrospective review of medical records. Prevalent as well as incident cases of RA between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2008 and between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2013 will be identified, and followed until 30 June 2019. Existing as well as incident cases of RA-ILD during this time will be identified. The association between the development of ILD and clinical characteristics and environmental exposures will be examined using Cox-proportional hazard models. Kaplan-Meier methods will be used to estimate survival rates for patients with RA-ILD. Mortality for people with RA and RA-ILD will also be compared with the general population of the CDHB.

Ethics and dissemination

Data will be obtained by retrospective review of medical records. Deidentified patient data will be stored in a secure online database. Data on individual patients will not be released, and all results will only be published in aggregate. Ethical approval has been obtained from the University of Otago Human Research Ethics Committee (REF HD18/079). Results will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals and presented at conferences.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12619001310156; Pre-results.
Improving epilepsy control among children with cerebral palsy in rural Bangladesh: a prospective cohort-based study
Authors: Karim Tasneem , Das Manik Chandra , Muhit Mohammad , Badawi Nadia , Khandaker Gulam , Mohammad Shekeeb S
Published: April 2022

Objective

To define the prevalence and seizure subtypes among children with cerebral palsy (CP) in rural Bangladesh and explore barriers to optimum epilepsy control.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

The study was conducted in Shahjadpur, a rural subdistrict of Bangladesh.

Participants

Children (<18 years) with CP and epilepsy identified using the Bangladesh CP Register (BCPR) in the study site.

Methods

Assessments were conducted in three focused epilepsy clinics overseen by a paediatric neurologist between December 2016 and January 2018, with intervening phone and video-conference follow-ups. Details of event type, frequency and medication compliance were collected. Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were prescribed based on seizure type, family income, comorbidity and medication availability.

Results

23.4% (170/726) of the BCPR cohort had a clinical diagnosis of epilepsy of whom 166 were assessed. Following the focused epilepsy clinics, 62.0% (103/166) children were clinically determined to have ongoing epileptic seizures. 62.1% (64/103) had generalised onset tonic clonic seizures, 27.2% (28/103) had focal onset seizures with impaired awareness and 10.7% (11/103) had other seizure types. None of the children with prolonged seizures (31/103) had an emergency seizure management plan. Non-epileptic events were being pharmacologically treated as seizures in 18.1% (30/166) children. Financial constraints were the main reason for non-compliance on follow-up.

Conclusions

Gaps in optimum epilepsy management in rural Bangladesh are amenable to improvement anchored with local healthcare workers. Training and clinical care focused on recognition of common seizure types, seizure mimics and rationalising use of available AEDs can be facilitated by better referral pathways and telehealth support.
Modeling the potential impacts of improved monthly income on child stunting in India: a subnational geospatial perspective
Authors: Kishore Satvik , Thomas Tinku , Sachdev Harshpal , Kurpad Anura V , Webb Patrick
Published: April 2022

Objectives

Approximately one-third of the world’s stunted (low height-for-age) preschool-aged children live in India. The success of interventions designed to tackle stunting appears to vary by location and depth of poverty. We developed small-area estimation models to assess the potential impact of increments in household income on stunting across the country.

Design

Two nationally representative cross-sectional datasets were used: India’s National Family Health Survey 4 (2015–2016) and the 68th round of the National Sample Survey on consumer expenditure. The two datasets were combined with statistical matching. Gaussian process regressions were used to perform geospatial modelling of ‘stunting’ controlling for household wealth and other covariates.

Setting and participants

The number of children in this sample totalled 259 627. Children with implausible height-for-age z-scores (HAZs) >5 or <−5, or missing data on drinking water, sanitation facility, mother’s education, or geolocation and children not residing in mainland India were excluded, resulting in 207 695 observations for analysis.

Results

A monthly transfer of ~$7 (500 Indian rupees) per capita to every household (not targeted or conditional) was estimated to reduce stunting nationally by 3.8 percentage points on average (95% credible interval: 0.14%–10%), but with substantial variation by state. Estimated reduction in stunting varied by wealth of households, with the poorest quintile being likely to benefit the most.

Conclusion

Improving household income, which can be supported through cash transfers, has the potential to significantly reduce stunting in parts of India where the burdens of both stunting and poverty are high. Modelling shows that for other regions, income transfers may raise incomes and contribute to improved nutrition, but there would be a need for complementary activities for alleviating stunting. While having value for the country as a whole, impact of income gained could be variable, and underlying drivers of stunting need to be tackled through supplementary interventions.
Effectiveness and utility of an electronic intervention for appropriate benzodiazepine and Z-drugs prescription in psychiatric clinics: protocol for a multicentric, real-world randomised controlled trial in China
Authors: Xu Xiaomin , Ye Yujian , Wang Xuyi , Xu Jiajun , Li Chuanwei , Wang Gang , Zhu Youwei , Jiang Haifeng , Zhong Na
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZRAs), which include benzodiazepines and Z-drugs, are the most commonly prescribed psychotropic drugs worldwide, and their inappropriate use places a significant burden on public health. Given the widespread use of BZRAs in psychiatric settings, this condition may result from doctors’ improper prescribing. Researchers have developed an electronic intervention system to assist psychiatrists in prescribing BZRAs appropriately. This study aims to determine the efficacy and utility of electronic intervention in reducing improper BZRAs prescriptions in real-world psychiatric outpatient settings.

Methods and analysis

A multicentre randomised controlled research study will be conducted in real-world settings with licensed psychiatrists with prescription qualifications from five of Chinese most significant regional hospitals that provide high-quality mental healthcare. Participants will be 1:1 randomly assigned to receive a 3-month electronic intervention (11 related information pushing and 3 online lectures) or be placed on a waiting list. The primary outcome is the change in the proportion of inappropriate BZRAs prescriptions between the baseline period (3 months before the intervention) and 3 months after the intervention. Secondary outcomes will be examined at baseline, the third month and the sixth month. The secondary outcomes include psychiatrists’ knowledge and attitudes about appropriate BZRAs prescription, the associated side effects of BZRAs among patients and self-efficacy. To measure the utility, intervention assessment and system utilisation data from the intervention group were collected.

Ethics and dissemination

The institutional review board and ethics committees of Shanghai Mental Health Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, West China Hospital, Guangji Hospital and Wuhan Mental Health Center approved the study. After the study is completed, the results will be published in peer-reviewed journals or presented at conferences. If the educational materials are effective, they are available to the general public.

Trial registration number

NCT03724669; Pre-results.
Precision medicine for liver tumours with quantitative MRI and whole genome sequencing (Precision1 trial): study protocol for observational cohort study
Authors: Welsh Fenella K , Connell John J , Kelly Matt , Gooding Sarah , Banerjee Rajarshi , Rees Myrddin
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Radiogenomic analysis of patients being considered for liver resection is seldom performed in the clinic despite recent evidence indicating that quantitative MRI could improve posthepatectomy outcomes. Meanwhile, the increasingly accessible results from whole genome sequencing reporting on clinically actionable genetic biomarkers are yet to be fully integrated into the clinical care pathway.

Methods and analysis

A prospective observational cohort study of up to 200 participants is planned, recruiting adults with primary or secondary liver cancer being considered for liver resection at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The data will be evaluated to address the primary endpoint to calculate the proportion of participants in which the results from whole genome sequencing would have resulted in a change in clinical management. Participants will be offered an additional non-invasive quantitative MRI scan prior to the operation and the impact of the imaging results on treatment decision-making will be evaluated.

Ethics and dissemination

This study was reviewed by the NHS Health Research Authority and given favourable opinion by the Brighton and Sussex Research Ethics Committee (REC reference: 20/PR/0222). Research findings will be discussed with a patient and public involvement and engagement group, presented at relevant scientific conferences and published in open access journals.

Trial registration number

NCT04597710
Complementary and integrative medicine intervention in front-line COVID-19 clinicians
Authors: Ben-Arye Eran , Gressel Orit , Samuels Noah , Stein Nili , Eden Arieh , Vagedes Jan , Kassem Sameer
Published: April 2022

Objective

To assess the impact of a multidisciplinary complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) intervention on physical and emotional concerns among front-line COVID-19 healthcare providers (HCPs).

Methods

A multimodality CIM treatment intervention was provided by integrative practitioners to HCPs in three isolated COVID-19 departments. HCPs’ two main concerns were scored (from 0 to 6) before and following the CIM intervention using the Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing questionnaire. Postintervention narratives identified reflective narratives specifying emotional and/or spiritual keywords.

Results

Of 181 HCPs undergoing at least one CIM treatment, 119 (65.7%) completed post-treatment questionnaires. While HCPs listing baseline emotional-related concerns benefited from the CIM intervention, those who did not express emotional or spiritual concerns improved even more significantly following the first session, for both leading concerns (p=0.038) and emotional-related concerns (p=0.023). Nevertheless, it was shown that following subsequent treatments HCPs who expressed emotional and spiritual concerns improved more significantly than those who did not for emotional-related concerns (p=0.017).

Conclusions

A CIM intervention for front-line HCPs working in isolated COVID-19 departments can significantly impact emotional-related concerns, more so after the first treatment and among HCPs not using emotional-spiritual keywords in post-treatment narratives. Referral of HCPs to CIM programmes for improved well-being should avoid referral bias to those not expressing emotional/spiritual concerns.
Cognitive complaints during breast cancer endocrine therapy: aromatase inhibitors versus tamoxifen
Authors: Abdallah Ichrak Ben , Rachdi Haifa , Mejri Nesrine , Berrazega Yosra , Laabidi Soumaya , Boussen Hamouda
Published: April 2022

Objective

Previous data hypothesise that women receiving aromatase inhibitors (AIs) exhibit worse cognitive functioning than patients on tamoxifen (TAM) since their oestrogen levels are lower. We aimed to compare cognitive complaints in both groups.

Methods

From September 2020 to January 2021, we conducted a cross-sectional study on patients with stage I–III breast cancer undergoing adjuvant endocrine therapy for at least 6 months. Cognitive complaints were assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Cognitive V.3 questionnaire with higher scores indicating better outcomes.

Results

We included 108 female patients, 60 on AI and 48 on TAM. Mean age at diagnosis was 52 (44 in the TAM group vs 58 in the AI group, p<0.001). Assessment of ‘perceived cognitive impairment-20 subscale’ did not identify a significant difference between the two groups (mean score: patients on AI=63/80 vs patients on TAM=58/80, p=0.198). Patients on TAM scored significantly worse than patients on AI (p<0.001) on the concentration complaints, while for the verbal domain, memory, multitasking, speed and functional interference, no significant difference between the two groups was observed. The difference in concentration complaints was maintained after adjustment to age, educational level, physical activity, prior exposure to chemotherapy, and living alone or with others. Finally, a favourable impact of regular physical activity on concentration scores was observed in both groups (p<0.001).

Conclusion

Despite age difference, patients on AI did not demonstrate worse complaints than patients on TAM. Patients on TAM exhibited significantly increased concentration complaints. Oncologists should carefully screen their patients for mental fog and educate them on the importance of regular exercise.
Transabdominal lidocaine to induce fetal demise: a cohort study
Authors: Reeves Matthew F , Goldfarb Caroline N , Rubin Stacey Leigh , Kuperstock Jessica L , DiBianco Leah , Picciotto Andrea
Published: April 2022

Introduction

We sought to assess the efficacy of transabdominal intrafetal lidocaine to achieve fetal demise before pregnancy termination.

Methods

This study was a retrospective cohort analysis of patients undergoing transabdominal intrafetal lidocaine injections prior to abortion procedures after 24 weeks from January 2018 to June 2020 at DuPont Clinic, an outpatient obstetrics and gynaecology clinic in Washington, DC, USA. We recorded data on maternal factors, gestational age, time of injection and fetal asystole, and injection dose and location. We defined successful intrafetal lidocaine injection as asystole achieved prior to the patient leaving the clinic.

Results

We performed injections in 338 fetuses in 335 patients, with a median gestational age of 27 weeks and 6 days (range 24–32 weeks). Lidocaine dose was 200–240 mg in 310 cases (91.7%) and 400–480 mg in 27 cases (8.0%) without difference in success (p>0.05). Lidocaine successfully induced fetal demise with one injection in 331 cases (97.9%). A second injection was required to induce demise for five fetuses (1.5%). Intracardiac injection was successful in 280 of 285 cases (98.3%), with asystole confirmed within 1 min in 75% of cases. Intrathoracic injection caused asystole in 45 of 47 cases (95.7%), with asystole confirmed within 2 min in 75% of cases. Success was not significantly associated with gestational age, body mass index or parity (p>0.05). One patient reported lidocaine-related side effects (0.3%).

Conclusions

Intrafetal lidocaine is a safe and effective method of inducing fetal demise. Intracardiac injection achieves fetal asystole almost immediately. Intrathoracic injection is also highly effective.
Facial recognition law in China
Authors: Su Zhaohui , Cheshmehzangi Ali , McDonnell Dean , Bentley Barry L , da Veiga Claudimar Pereira , Xiang Yu-Tao
Published: April 2022

Although the prevalence of facial recognition-based COVID-19 surveillance tools and techniques, China does not have a facial recognition law to protect its residents’ facial data. Oftentimes, neither the public nor the government knows where people’s facial images are stored, how they have been used, who might use or misuse them, and to what extent. This reality is alarming, particularly factoring in the wide range of unintended consequences already caused by good-intentioned measures and mandates amid the pandemic. Biometric data are matters of personal rights and national security. In light of worrisome technologies such as deep-fake pornography, the protection of biometric data is also central to the protection of the dignity of the citizens and the government, if not the industry as well. This paper discusses the urgent need for the Chinese government to establish rigorous and timely facial recognition laws to protect the public’s privacy, security, and dignity amid COVID-19 and beyond.
An observational investigation of potential cow wheat (Melampyrum lineare Desr.) interference with wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait)
Authors: Deveau Vanessa Taylor , White Scott Neil
Published: April 2022

Wild blueberry stem density, length, diameter, biomass, and berries per stem were 28%, 30%, 26%, 61%, and 55% lower in quadrats containing wild blueberry and cow wheat relative to quadrats containing only wild blueberry. Cow wheat may reduce wild blueberry growth and controlled studies to explore this interference are warranted.
APPRAISAL OF ANALYTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR (2 + 1)-DIMENSIONAL NONLINEAR CHIRAL SCHRÖDINGER EQUATION
Authors: RIAZ MUHAMMAD BILAL , AWREJCEWICZ JAN , JHANGEER ADIL , MUNAWAR MAHAM
Published: April 2022

The solitary wave solutions of the [Formula: see text]-dimensional nonlinear Chiral Schrödinger ([Formula: see text]-D CNLS) equation by making use of the modern extended direct algebraic approach are investigated in this paper. Such a nonlinear model’s different categories of solitary waves solutions are found. The division of semi-dark solitons, singular dark-pitch solitons, single solitons of type 1 along with 2, intermixed hyperbolically, trigonometrically and rational solitons are developed and evaluated using software tools for numerical calculations. Detailed graphical interpretation of results with deliberation is also discussed. This paper effectively depicts 3D- and 2D-contour plots to provide further detail about the physical characteristics of the obtained solutions. We compare our solutions to previously reported findings along with study motivation and future directions. The fractional quantum hall effect’s edge states are defined by the discussed model.
EFFECT OF OCCASIONAL HEROIN CONSUMERS ON THE SPREAD OF HEROIN ADDICTION
Authors: DJILALI SALIH , ZEB ANWAR , SAEED TAREQ
Published: April 2022

We aim in this research to show the global behavior of each equilibrium of a heroin epidemic model with distributed delays. We obtained that the global behavior of the considered system is completely governed by the value of the basic reproduction number [Formula: see text]. For the case when [Formula: see text] is less than one, we established the global stability of the drug-free equilibrium using the Lyapunov direct method. However, for [Formula: see text] greater than one, the addiction persists and the drug equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable, which is shown also by the Lyapunov direct method. Moreover, we obtained that by controlling the density of occasional heroin users we can control the heroin epidemic spread, and this measure is more effective than the treatment measure.
HEAT TRANSFER OF MHD OLDROYD-B FLUID WITH RAMPED WALL VELOCITY AND TEMPERATURE IN VIEW OF LOCAL AND NONLOCAL DIFFERENTIAL OPERATORS
Authors: ASGIR MARYAM , RIAZ MUHAMMAD BILAL , JARAD FAHD , ZAFAR AZHAR ALI
Published: April 2022

The theoretical study focuses on the examination of the convective flow of Oldroyd-B fluid with ramped wall velocity and temperature. The fluid is confined on an extended, unbounded vertical plate saturated within the permeable medium. To depict the fluid flow, the coupled partial differential equations are settled by using the Caputo (C) and Caputo Fabrizio (CF) differential time derivatives. The mathematical analysis of the fractionalized models of fluid flow is performed by Laplace transform (LT). The complexity of temperature and velocity profile is explored by numerical inversion algorithms of Stehfest and Tzou. The fractionalized solutions of the temperature and velocity profile have been traced out under fractional and other different parameters considered. The physical impacts of associated parameters are elucidated with the assistance of the graph using the software MATHCAD 15. We noticed the significant influence of the fractional parameter (memory effects) and other parameters on the dynamics of the fluid flow. Shear stress at the wall and Nusselt number also are considered. It’s brought into notice the fractional-order model (CF) is the best fit in describing the memory effects in comparison to the C model. An analysis of the comparison between the solution of velocity and temperature profile for ramped wall temperature and velocity and constant wall temperature and velocity is also performed.
Seismic Performance Assessment of a Single-Layer Spherical Lattice Shell Structure with Multifunctional Friction Pendulum Bearings
Authors: Zhuang Peng , Wei Luyao , Han Miao
Published: April 2022

The dynamic responses of spatial lattice shell structures with friction pendulum bearings (FPBs) under multidimensional seismic excitations are complex. In addition, FPBs may experience uplift and separation of the bearing components owing to excessive displacements. In this study, a novel multifunctional FPB (MFPB) with a multi-defense system was developed, and its effectiveness in reducing and controlling the seismic responses of spherical lattice shell structures was evaluated. The proposed MFPB comprises an FPB, superelastic shape-memory alloy cables, and sleeve restrainers. A mechanical model of the MFPB was established, and its isolation and control behaviors were investigated through numerical simulations. Furthermore, the main characteristics and advantages of the isolation system were analyzed. Subsequently, the MFPB system was applied to a single-layer spherical lattice shell structure with surrounding columns. A computational model of the controlled structure was developed using the OpenSees software. Finally, nonlinear time history analyzes were conducted to analyze the seismic performance of controlled and uncontrolled lattice shells. The results demonstrate that the MFPB isolation system can effectively control the structural responses of isolated spatial lattice shell structures under horizontal and vertical seismic excitations and improve their seismic resilience.
Environmental Key Performance Indicators for Sustainable Evaluation in Automotive Industry: A Focus Group Study
Authors: Chalak Mohammad Hossein , Vosoughi Shahram , Eskafi Fardin , Jafari Ahad , Alimohammadi Iraj , Kanrash Fakhradin Ahmadi
Published: April 2022

Regarding the significant share of the automotive industry in both producing economic value added and employment, this sector is dominated in the industrial development approach. On the other side, different societies have focussed on the emissions, energy consumption and also waste production of road transportation as important risk threatening environmental health. So, the supply side is highly expected to deal with the expectations of stakeholders relating to sustainability concerns and related risks. To evaluate the implementation of environmental policies in the direction of sustainability and respond to the sustainability and environmental concerns of stakeholders, similar organisations need a uniform framework for performance appraisal. The present study aimed to identify, select and validate the environmental key performance indicators for sustainability assessment of the automotive industry to create a framework for selecting the indicators and using them as a uniform method for better comparison of the performance of car companies in the field of environmental sustainability.

In this research, key environmental performance indicators are studied in accordance with sustainability evaluation in the vehicle industry and final indicators introduced using SMARTL criteria. The results showed that 41 indicators included in five categories of waste and waste water, soil contaminators and solid waste, carbon production and energy consumption and management are introduced according to ISO14031 model. Evaluating and monitoring these indicators, defined based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030, can both reflect the quantitative improvement in the environmental performance. Additionally, using SMARTL key environmental performance indicators, the organization is able to comprehensively manage the environmental performance in accordance with environmental and sustainable development goals and policy. Using a uniform method for evaluating and monitoring the environmental performance allows us to compare the environmental performance of similar companies in line with sustainable development policies and creates a competition that allows the organisation to always increase its performance in a positive way.
A Hybrid Approach to Analyze Cybersecurity News Articles by Utilizing Information Extraction & Sentiment Analysis Methods
Authors: Ghasiya Piyush , Okamura Koji
Published: April 2022

Cybersecurity is becoming indispensable for everyone and everything in the times of the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution. Every aspect of human society — be it political, financial, technological, or cultural — is affected by cyber-attacks or incidents in one way or another. Newspapers are an excellent source that perfectly captures this web of cybersecurity. By implementing various NLP techniques such as tf-idf, word embedding and sentiment analysis (SA) (machine learning method), this research will examine the cybersecurity-related articles from 18 major newspapers (English language online version) from six countries (three newspapers from each country) collected within one year from April 2018 till March 2019. The first objective is to extract the crucial events from each country, which we will achieve by our first step — ‘information extraction.’ The next objective is to find out what kind of sentiments those crucial issues garnered, which we will accomplish from our second step — ‘SA.’ SA of news articles would also help in understanding each ‘nation’s mood’ on critical cybersecurity issues, which can aid decision-makers in charting new policies.
On the Robustness of Metric Learning: An Adversarial Perspective
Authors: Huai Mengdi , Zheng Tianhang , Miao Chenglin , Yao Liuyi , Zhang Aidong
Published: April 2022

Metric learning aims at automatically learning a distance metric from data so that the precise similarity between data instances can be faithfully reflected, and its importance has long been recognized in many fields. An implicit assumption in existing metric learning works is that the learned models are performed in a reliable and secure environment. However, the increasingly critical role of metric learning makes it susceptible to a risk of being malicious attacked. To well understand the performance of metric learning models in adversarial environments, in this article, we study the robustness of metric learning to adversarial perturbations, which are also known as the imperceptible changes to the input data that are crafted by an attacker to fool a well-learned model. However, different from traditional classification models, metric learning models take instance pairs rather than individual instances as input, and the perturbation on one instance may not necessarily affect the prediction result for an instance pair, which makes it more difficult to study the robustness of metric learning. To address this challenge, in this article, we first provide a definition of pairwise robustness for metric learning, and then propose a novel projected gradient descent-based attack method (called AckMetric) to evaluate the robustness of metric learning models. To further explore the capability of the attacker to change the prediction results, we also propose a theoretical framework to derive the upper bound of the pairwise adversarial loss. Finally, we incorporate the derived bound into the training process of metric learning and design a novel defense method to make the learned models more robust. Extensive experiments on real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Who will Win the Data Science Competition? Insights from KDD Cup 2019 and Beyond
Authors: Liu Hao , Guo Qingyu , Zhu Hengshu , Zhuang Fuzhen , Yang Shenwen , Dou Dejing , Xiong Hui
Published: April 2022

Data science competitions are becoming increasingly popular for enterprises collecting advanced innovative solutions and allowing contestants to sharpen their data science skills. Most existing studies about data science competitions have a focus on improving task-specific data science techniques, such as algorithm design and parameter tuning. However, little effort has been made to understand the data science competition itself. To this end, in this article, we shed light on the team’s competition performance, and investigate the team’s evolving performance in the crowd-sourcing competitive innovation context. Specifically, we first acquire and construct multi-sourced datasets of various data science competitions, including the KDD Cup 2019 machine learning competition and beyond. Then, we conduct an empirical analysis to identify and quantify a rich set of features that are significantly correlated with teams’ future performances. By leveraging team’s rank as a proxy, we observe “the stronger, the stronger” rule; that is, top-ranked teams tend to keep their advantages and dominate weaker teams for the rest of the competition. Our results also confirm that teams with diversified backgrounds tend to achieve better performances. After that, we formulate the team’s future rank prediction problem and propose the
Multi-Task Representation Learning
 (MTRL) framework to model both static features and dynamic features. Extensive experimental results on four real-world data science competitions demonstrate the team’s future performance can be well predicted by using MTRL. Finally, we envision our study will not only help competition organizers to understand the competition in a better way, but also provide strategic implications to contestants, such as guiding the team formation and designing the submission strategy.
Study of Cathode Gas Diffusion Architecture for Improved Oxygen Transport in Hydroxide Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Authors: Weiss Catherine M. , Setzler Brian P. , Yan Yushan
Published: April 2022

The high pH environment in hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells (HEMFCs) has the potential to reach lower costs than the current proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), the incumbent technology. A significant difference between HEMFCs and PEMFCs is the location of water production within the cell. In PEMFCs, the water is produced on the cathode, limiting oxygen transport. In HEMFCs, the water is produced on the anode where the fuel is pure hydrogen. This allows the cathode to be optimized for oxygen transport without the presence of excess liquid water. Limiting current analysis, a technique previously used in PEMFCs, is adopted in HEMFCs to evaluate the oxygen mass transport resistances for different sections of the cathode. Through elimination of the microporous layer (MPL), gas diffusion layer (GDL), and traditional flow field and using porous nickel foam for gas distribution, the transport resistance at an operating condition of 150 kPa(g) and with the cell temperature at 80 °C was decreased from 112 s m−1 to 48 s m−1, effectively halved. The optimal configuration for performance was found with Ni foam and a GDL, eliminating the MPL and traditional flow field, which vastly improved oxygen transport while maintaining adequate electrical contact with the cathode catalyst layer.
Bi Doped Sb2S3 Thin Film Synthesized by a Two-Step Approach with Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Performance
Authors: Wang Zhiqiang , Li Lubing , Hong Liu , Shi Xiaobo , Lu Yumeng , Su Jinzhan
Published: April 2022

Photoelectrochemical water splitting (PEC) is believed as a promising approach to address the energy and environmental crisis. Here, we adopted a simple two-step method to synthesize bare Sb2S3 film, and then employed a Bi element doping strategy to improve the PEC performance of obtained bare Sb2S3. The obtained Bi-Sb2S3 exhibited an increased photocurrent density, 2.8 mA cm−2 at 1.23 VRHE and a negative shift of onset potential, compared to bare Sb2S3. The enhancement in PEC performance of Bi-Sb2S3 could be attributed to the expanded light absorption range, increased electron carrier concentration and improved charge transfer ability.
Imidazolium-Type Anion Exchange Membranes for Improved Organic Acid Transport and Permselectivity in Electrodialysis
Authors: Jordan Matthew L. , Kulkarni Tanmay , Senadheera Dodangodage Ishara , Kumar Revati , Lin Yupo J. , Arges Christopher G.
Published: April 2022

Most commercial anion exchange membranes (AEMs) deploy quaternary ammonium moieties. Alternative cation moieties have been explored in AEMs for fuel cells, but there are no studies focused examining alternative tethered cations in AEMs for ionic separations—such as organic acid anion transport via electrodialysis. H-cell and conductivity experiments demonstrate that tethered benzyl 1-methyl imidazolium groups in polysulfone AEMs enhance lactate conductivity by 49% and improved lactate anion flux by 24x when compared to a quaternary benzyl ammonium polysulfone AEM. An electrodialysis demonstration with the imidazolium-type AEM showed a 2x improvement in lactate anion flux and 20% improvement in permselectivity when benchmarked against the quaternary ammonium AEM. Molecular dynamics and 2D NOESY NMR revealed closer binding of lactate anions to the imidazolium cations when compared to the quaternary ammonium cation. It is posited that this closer binding is responsible to greater flux values observed with imidazolium-type AEM.
Extraordinary Equilibrium Isotope Effects of H to D at the Interfaces of Ni and Ti/Alkaline Solutions
Authors: Chun Jinyoung , Chun Jang H.
Published: April 2022

The Frumkin adsorption isotherms of hydrogen (H or 1H) and deuterium (D or 2H) and the related equilibrium isotope effects (EIEs) of H to D at the Ni and Ti/0.1 M KOH (H2O and D2O) solution interfaces were determined using the phase-shift method and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Note that both the Frumkin adsorption isotherms and EIEs are not readily determined using conventional methods. We experimentally observed the unusual EIEs at the Ni and Ti interfaces. The unusually large value of EIE at the Ni interface is 39.2 to 289.7 and increases with increasing the fractional coverage (0 ≤ θ ≤ 1). The value of EIE at the Ni interface is much greater than that at the Pt-group metal interfaces. On the other hand, the value of EIE at the Ti interface is 1.1 and closes to unity. The isotope effects of H and D at the Ti interface are negligible. The Ni and Ti are efficient and stable electrocatalysts for maximizing and minimizing the isotope effects of H and D in the Volmer steps, respectively. The extraordinary EIEs at the Ni and Ti/alkaline solution interfaces can be used to evaluate and trace the water electrolysis and movement in water systems.
Electronic Structure Study of Various Transition Metal Oxide Spinels Reveals a Possible Design Strategy for Charge Transport Pathways
Authors: Elbaz Yuval , Rosenfeld Avia , Anati Noam , Caspary Toroker Maytal
Published: April 2022

The charge transport properties in solids play an important role in the selection of materials for electrochemical devices. Spinels are a special class of solids that are very versatile and possess different properties based on changes in stoichiometry and cation distribution. In that way, their properties can be tailored to fit certain uses. Here we report a density functional theory study of the electronic structures of nine normal and inverse ternary AB2O4 (A, B = Fe, Co, Ni, Mn) and A3O4 spinels. We found that changing the cation distribution of CoMn2O4 into (Mn)[CoMn]O4 lowers the bandgap by about three times. Additionally, charge transport occurs mostly through octahedral sites while in (Co)[CoNi]O4 it occurs through tetrahedral sites. Bulk-based band alignment results are also reported for the spinels in this work in order to design materials with preferred charge transport pathways.
The Impact of Upper Cut-Off Voltage on the Cycling Performance of Li-Ion Cells with Positive Electrodes Having Various Nickel Contents
Authors: Liu Yulong , Song Wentao , Eldesoky A. , Harlow Jessie , Logan Eric R. , Li Hongyang , Dahn J. R.
Published: April 2022

The charge-discharge cycling performance of pouch cells with single crystal LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 (SC532), LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (SC811) and a prototype polycrystalline Co-free core–shell material with an average 94% Ni content (Ni94) were compared in this work. Two upper cut-off voltages (UCVs) per cell type were chosen to either include or exclude the remnant of the “H2-H3 phase transition” region, if present, of each positive electrode material. The core–shell Ni94 shows comparable performance to the SC532 and better performance than the SC811 only at 20 °C and 4.04 V UCV. In other testing conditions, the SC532 has the best performance followed by the SC811. The cross-section SEM images of the fresh Ni94 electrode show microcracks from electrode calendaring which is detrimental to its cycling performance as the exposed Ni-rich core has a high reactivity with the electrolyte which induces large impedance increase. The Ni94 material shows quite poor capacity retention and large impedance growth when charged to 4.18 V, through the large volume change associated with the “H2–H3 remnant,” but acceptable capacity retention when only charged to 4.04 V that avoids this large volume change.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrochemical Sensing Applications of Bimetallic Oxide/Carbon Nanomaterials Hybrids
Authors: Yousf Nehad , Ouda Emtinan , Magar Hend S. , Hassan Rabeay Y. A. , Mansour S.A. , Duraia El-Shazly M.
Published: April 2022

Bimetallic oxide/carbon nanomaterials hybrids were chemically synthesized and fully characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The elemental analysis confirmed the successful formation of MnCo2O4/carbon nanomaterials. The fingerprint area of FTIR showed the incorporation of the metal oxides onto CNTs and GO surfaces. Morphological investigations of the hybrids, using FESEM and HRTEM, revealed the uniform distribution of bimetallic oxides nanostructures over the surface of carbon nanomaterials. Furthermore, electrochemical characteristics were explored using the CV and EIS. The obtained electrochemical results demonstrated significant improvements in the electrocatalytic properties, in addition to the direct and fast electron transfer provided by the modified surfaces whereas the MnCo2O4/CNTs were exploited for the nano-enzymatic amperometric detection of hydrogen peroxide as an example to show the promising applications of such nanomaterials in designing high-efficiency nano-sensors and biosensors.
Comparison of the surgical resection and infarct 5/6 nephrectomy rat models of chronic kidney disease
Authors: Adam Ryan J. , Williams Adaysha C. , Kriegel Alison J.
Published: April 2022

The 5/6 nephrectomy rat remnant kidney model is commonly used to study chronic kidney disease (CKD). This model requires the removal of one whole kidney and two-thirds of the other kidney. The two most common ways of producing the remnant kidney are surgical resection of poles, known as the polectomy model, or ligation of superior and inferior segmental renal arteries, resulting in pole infarction. These models have much in common, but also major phenotypic differences, and thus respectively model unique aspects of human CKD. The purpose of this review is to summarize phenotypic similarities and differences between these two models and their relation to human CKD while emphasizing their vascular phenotype. In this article, we review studies that have evaluated arterial blood pressure, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system, autoregulation, nitric oxide, single-nephron physiology, angiogenic and antiangiogenic factors, and capillary rarefaction in these two models. In terms of phenotypic similarities, both models spontaneously develop hallmarks of human CKD including uremia, fibrosis, capillary rarefaction, and progressive renal function decline. They both undergo whole organ hypertrophy, hyperfiltration of functional nephrons, reduced renal expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, increased renal expression of antiangiogenic thrombospondin-1, impaired renal autoregulation, and abnormal vascular nitric oxide physiology. In terms of key phenotypic differences, the infarction model develops rapid-onset, moderate to severe systemic hypertension and the polectomy model develops early normotension followed by mild to moderate hypertension. Rats subjected to the infarction model have a markedly more active renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Comparison of these two models facilitates understanding of how they can be used for studying CKD pathophysiology.