bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EEG and fNIRS datasets based on Stroop task during two weeks of high-altitude exposure in new immigrants
Authors: Ji Xiang , Bao Botao , Li Lin Z. , Pu Jiangbo , Lin Yu , Zhang Xin , Chen Zemeng , Li Ting
Published: April 2024

Maintaining sufficient cerebral oxygen metabolism is crucial for human survival, especially in challenging conditions such as high-altitudes. Human cognitive neural activity is sensitive to fluctuations in oxygen levels. However, there is a lack of publicly available datasets on human behavioural responses and cerebral dynamics assessments during the execution of conflicting tasks in natural hypoxic environments. We recruited 80 healthy new immigrant volunteers (males, aged 20 ± 2 years) and employed the Stroop cognitive conflict paradigm. After a two-week exposure to both high and low-altitudes, the behavioural performance, prefrontal oxygen levels, and electroencephalography (EEG) signals were recorded. Comparative analyses were conducted on the behavioural reaction times and accuracy during Stroop tasks, and statistical analyses of participants’ prefrontal oxygen levels and EEG signals were performed. We anticipate that our open-access dataset will contribute to the development of monitoring devices and algorithms, designed specifically for measuring cerebral oxygen and EEG dynamics in populations exposed to extreme environments, particularly among individuals suffering from oxygen deficiency.
Effect of housing construction material on childhood acute respiratory infection: a hospital based case control study in Bangladesh
Authors: Bakchi Jhantu , Rasel Rosul Ahmed , Shammi Khandokar Farmina , Ferdous Sumaiya , Sultana Shamima , Rabeya Mst. Rokshana
Published: April 2024

Despite several studies conducted to investigate housing factors, the effects of housing construction materials on childhood ARI symptoms in Bangladesh remain unclear. Hence, the study aimed to measure such a correlation among children under the age of five. A hospital-based case–control study was conducted, involving 221 cases and 221 controls from January to April 2023. Bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression was performed to measure the degree of correlation between housing construction materials and childhood ARI symptoms. Households composed of natural floor materials had 2.7 times (95% confidence interval 1.27–5.57) and households composed of natural roof materials had 1.8 times (95% confidence interval 1.01–3.11) higher adjusted odds of having under-five children with ARI symptoms than household composed of the finished floor and finished roof materials respectively. Households with natural wall type were found protective against ARI symptoms with adjusted indoor air pollution determinants. The study indicates that poor housing construction materials are associated with an increased risk of developing ARI symptoms among under-five children in Bangladesh. National policy regarding replacing poor housing materials with concrete, increasing livelihood opportunities, and behavioral strategies programs encouraging to choice of quality housing construction materials could eliminate a fraction of the ARI burden.
Using U-Net convolutional neural network to model pixel-based electrostatic potential distributions in GaN power MIS-HEMTs
Authors: Chen Bang-Ren , Hsiao Yu-Sheng , Lin Wei-Cheng , Lee Wen-Jay , Chen Nan-Yow , Wu Tian-Li
Published: April 2024

This study demonstrates a novel use of the U-Net convolutional neural network (CNN) for modeling pixel-based electrostatic potential distributions in GaN metal–insulator-semiconductor high-electron mobility transistors (MIS-HEMTs) with various gate and source field plate designs and drain voltages. The pixel-based images of the potential distribution are successfully modeled from the developed U-Net CNN with an error of less than 1% error relative to a TCAD simulated reference of a 500-V electrostatic potential distribution in the AlGaN/GaN interface. Furthermore, the modeling time of potential distributions by U-Net takes about 80 ms. Therefore, the U-Net CNN is a promising approach to efficiently model the pixel-based distributions characteristics in GaN power devices.
Fractional epidemic model of coronavirus disease with vaccination and crowding effects
Authors: Saleem Suhail , Rafiq Muhammad , Ahmed Nauman , Arif Muhammad Shoaib , Raza Ali , Iqbal Zafar , Niazai Shafiullah , Khan Ilyas
Published: April 2024

Most of the countries in the world are affected by the coronavirus epidemic that put people in danger, with many infected cases and deaths. The crowding factor plays a significant role in the transmission of coronavirus disease. On the other hand, the vaccines of the covid-19 played a decisive role in the control of coronavirus infection. In this paper, a fractional order epidemic model (SIVR) of coronavirus disease is proposed by considering the effects of crowding and vaccination because the transmission of this infection is highly influenced by these two factors. The nonlinear incidence rate with the inclusion of these effects is a better approach to understand and analyse the dynamics of the model. The positivity and boundedness of the fractional order model is ensured by applying some standard results of Mittag Leffler function and Laplace transformation. The equilibrium points are described analytically. The existence and uniqueness of the non-integer order model is also confirmed by using results of the fixed-point theory. Stability analysis is carried out for the system at both the steady states by using Jacobian matrix theory, Routh–Hurwitz criterion and Volterra-type Lyapunov functions. Basic reproductive number is calculated by using next generation matrix. It is verified that disease-free equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable if $${R}_{0}<1$$

R
0

<
1

and endemic equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable if $${R}_{0}>1$$

R
0

>
1

. Moreover, the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable if $${R}_{0}<1$$

R
0

<
1

and endemic equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable if $${R}_{0}>1$$

R
0

>
1

. The non-standard finite difference (NSFD) scheme is developed to approximate the solutions of the system. The simulated graphs are presented to show the key features of the NSFD approach. It is proved that non-standard finite difference approach preserves the positivity and boundedness properties of model. The simulated graphs show that the implementation of control strategies reduced the infected population and increase the recovered population. The impact of fractional order parameter $$\alpha$$
α
is described by the graphical templates. The future trends of the virus transmission are predicted under some control measures. The current work will be a value addition in the literature. The article is closed by some useful concluding remarks.
Malaria risk mapping among children under five in Togo
Authors: Kombate Gountante , Kone Issouf , Douti Bili , Soubeiga Kamba André-Marie , Grobbee Diederick E. , van der Sande Marianne A. B.
Published: April 2024

Malaria is a major health threat in sub-Sahara Africa, especially for children under five. However, there is considerable heterogeneity between areas in malaria risk reported, associated with environmental and climatic. We used data from Togo to explore spatial patterns of malaria incidence. Geospatial covariate datasets, including climatic and environmental variables from the 2017 Malaria Indicator Survey in Togo, were used for this study. The association between malaria incidence and ecological predictors was assessed using three regression techniques, namely the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), spatial lag model (SLM), and spatial error model (SEM). A total of 171 clusters were included in the survey and provided data on environmental and climate variables. Spatial autocorrelation showed that the distribution of malaria incidence was not random and revealed significant spatial clustering. Mean temperature, precipitation, aridity and proximity to water bodies showed a significant and direct association with malaria incidence rate in the SLM model, which best fitted the data according to AIC. Five malaria incidence hotspots were identified. Malaria incidence is spatially clustered in Togo associated with climatic and environmental factors. The results can contribute to the development of specific malaria control plans taking geographical variation into consideration and targeting transmission hotspots.
Crowding under scotopic and photopic vision in albino and normal-sighted participants
Authors: Moshkovitz Avital , Lev Maria , Polat Uri
Published: April 2024

Crowding is a phenomenon in which the ability to recognize an object in a clutter deteriorates. It is, therefore, a fundamental aspect of object recognition and crucial in deciphering resolution. For visually impaired individuals, deficiency in crowding has a tremendous effect on vision and may reflect and predict the amount of deterioration in vision. It is well established that albinos suffer much more from crowding than normally sighted individuals under daylight luminance conditions. However, to our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate crowding in albino participants under low light conditions. In this study, we explored the crowding effect in a group of albino participants (n = 9) and a control group of normally sighted participants (n = 9). Crowding was conducted under daylight (photopic vision) and low light (scotopic vision). We measured the visual acuity threshold under crowding in three-letter spacing (0.5, 1, and 1.5) and compared it to a single target. Results indicate that albino participants experienced stronger crowding than the control under the photopic condition, while crowding under the scotopic condition was apparent in the albino but abolished for the control group. These findings highlight the importance of considering luminance when discussing the visually impaired population in general. In particular, it suggests that crowding in albinism is based on a peripheral-like mechanism and may indicate a cessation in visual development.
Curcumin regulates autophagy through SIRT3-SOD2-ROS signaling pathway to improve quadriceps femoris muscle atrophy in KOA rat model
Authors: Ye Hua , Long Yi , Yang Jia-Ming , Wu Yan-Lin , Dong Ling-Yan , Zhong Yan-Biao , Luo Yun , Wang Mao-Yuan
Published: April 2024

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) usually leads to quadriceps femoris atrophy, which in turn can further aggravate the progression of KOA. Curcumin (CUR) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and has been shown to be a protective agent for skeletal muscle. CUR has been shown to have a protective effect on skeletal muscle. However, there are no studies related to whether CUR improves KOA-induced quadriceps femoris muscle atrophy. We established a model of KOA in rats. Rats in the experimental group were fed CUR for 5 weeks. Changes in autophagy levels, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and changes in the expression of the Sirutin3 (SIRT3)-superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) pathway were detected in the quadriceps femoris muscle of rats. KOA led to quadriceps femoris muscle atrophy, in which autophagy was induced and ROS levels were increased. CUR increased SIRT3 expression, decreased SOD2 acetylation and ROS levels, inhibited the over-activation of autophagy, thereby alleviating quadriceps femoris muscle atrophy and improving KOA. CUR has a protective effect against quadriceps femoris muscle atrophy, and KOA is alleviated after improvement of quadriceps femoris muscle atrophy, with the possible mechanism being the reduction of ROS-induced autophagy via the SIRT3-SOD2 pathway.
Inferring molecular inhibition potency with AlphaFold predicted structures
Authors: Oliveira Pedro F. , Guedes Rita C. , Falcao Andre O.
Published: April 2024

Even though in silico drug ligand-based methods have been successful in predicting interactions with known target proteins, they struggle with new, unassessed targets. To address this challenge, we propose an approach that integrates structural data from AlphaFold 2 predicted protein structures into machine learning models. Our method extracts 3D structural protein fingerprints and combines them with ligand structural data to train a single machine learning model. This model captures the relationship between ligand properties and the unique structural features of various target proteins, enabling predictions for never before tested molecules and protein targets. To assess our model, we used a dataset of 144 Human G-protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) with over 140,000 measured inhibition constants (Ki) values. Results strongly suggest that our approach performs as well as state-of-the-art ligand-based methods. In a second modeling approach that used 129 targets for training and a separate test set of 15 different protein targets, our model correctly predicted interactions for 73% of targets, with explained variances exceeding 0.50 in 22% of cases. Our findings further verified that the usage of experimentally determined protein structures produced models that were statistically indistinct from the Alphafold synthetic structures. This study presents a proteo-chemometric drug screening approach that uses a simple and scalable method for extracting protein structural information for usage in machine learning models capable of predicting protein-molecule interactions even for orphan targets.
Unprecedented insights into extents of biological responses to physical forcing in an Arctic sub-mesoscale filament by combining high-resolution measurement approaches
Authors: Weiß Josefine Friederike , von Appen Wilken-Jon , Niehoff Barbara , Hildebrand Nicole , Graeve Martin , Neuhaus Stefan , Bracher Astrid , Nöthig Eva-Maria , Metfies Katja
Published: April 2024

In Fram Strait, we combined underway-sampling using the remote-controlled Automated Filtration System for Marine Microbes (AUTOFIM) with CTD-sampling for eDNA analyses, and with high-resolution optical measurements in an unprecedented approach to determine variability in plankton composition in response to physical forcing in a sub-mesoscale filament. We determined plankton composition and biomass near the surface with a horizontal resolution of ~ 2 km, and addressed vertical variability at five selected sites. Inside and near the filament, plankton composition was tightly linked to the hydrological dynamics related to the presence of sea ice. The comprehensive data set indicates that sea-ice melt related stratification near the surface inside the sub-mesoscale filament resulted in increased sequence abundances of sea ice-associated diatoms and zooplankton near the surface. In analogy to the physical data set, the underway eDNA data, complemented with highly sampled phytoplankton pigment data suggest a corridor of 7 km along the filament with enhanced photosynthetic biomass and sequence abundances of sea-ice associated plankton. Thus, based on our data we extrapolated an area of 350 km2 in Fram Strait with enhanced plankton abundances, possibly leading to enhanced POC export in an area that is around a magnitude larger than the visible streak of sea-ice.
Towards accurate indel calling for oncopanel sequencing through an international pipeline competition at precisionFDA
Authors: Gong Binsheng , Lababidi Samir , Kusko Rebecca , Bouri Khaled , Prezek Sarah , Thovarai Vishal , Prasanna Anish , Maier Ezekiel J. , Golkaram Mahdi , Sun Xingqiang , Kyriakidis Konstantinos , Kitajima João Paulo , Ebrahim Sahraeian Sayed Mohammad , Guo Yunfei , Johanson Elaine , Jones Wendell , Tong Weida , Xu Joshua
Published: April 2024

Accurately calling indels with next-generation sequencing (NGS) data is critical for clinical application. The precisionFDA team collaborated with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) and successfully completed the NCTR Indel Calling from Oncopanel Sequencing Data Challenge, to evaluate the performance of indel calling pipelines. Top performers were selected based on precision, recall, and F1-score. The performance of many other pipelines was close to the top performers, which produced a top cluster of performers. The performance was significantly higher in high confidence regions and coding regions, and significantly lower in low complexity regions. Oncopanel capture and other issues may have occurred that affected the recall rate. Indels with higher variant allele frequency (VAF) may generally be called with higher confidence. Many of the indel calling pipelines had good performance. Some of them performed generally well across all three oncopanels, while others were better for a specific oncopanel. The performance of indel calling can further be improved by restricting the calls within high confidence intervals (HCIs) and coding regions, and by excluding low complexity regions (LCR) regions. Certain VAF cut-offs could be applied according to the applications.
Development of chitosan lipid nanoparticles to alleviate the pharmacological activity of piperine in the management of cognitive deficit in diabetic rats
Authors: Darwish Asmaa Badawy , Mohsen Amira Mohamed , ElShebiney Shaimaa , Elgohary Rania , Younis Mostafa Mohamed
Published: April 2024

The aim of the present study was to prepare and evaluate Piperine (PP) loaded chitosan lipid nanoparticles (PP-CLNPs) to evaluate its biological activity alone or in combination with the antidiabetic drug Metformin (MET) in the management of cognitive deficit in diabetic rats. Piperine was successfully loaded on CLNPs prepared using chitosan, stearic acid, Tween 80 and Tripolyphosphate (TPP) at different concentrations. The developed CLNPs exhibited high entrapment efficiency that ranged from 85.12 to 97.41%, a particle size in the range of 59.56–414 nm and a negatively charged zeta potential values (− 20.1 to − 43.9 mV). In vitro release study revealed enhanced PP release from CLNPs compared to that from free PP suspensions for up to 24 h. In vivo studies revealed that treatment with the optimized PP-CLNPs formulation (F2) exerted a cognitive enhancing effect and ameliorated the oxidative stress associated with diabetes. PP-CLNPs acted as an effective bio-enhancer which increased the potency of metformin in protecting brain tissue from diabetes-induced neuroinflammation and memory deterioration. These results suggested that CLNPs could be a promising drug delivery system for encapsulating PP and thus can be used as an adjuvant therapy in the management of high-risk diabetic cognitive impairment conditions.
Mesoscale activity drives the habitat suitability of yellowfin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Ramírez-Mendoza Zurisaday , Sosa-Nishizaki Oscar , Pardo Mario A. , Herzka Sharon Z. , Wells R. J. David , Rooker Jay R. , Falterman Brett J. , Dreyfus-León Michel J.
Published: April 2024

Yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares, represents an important component of commercial and recreational fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). We investigated the influence of environmental conditions on the spatiotemporal distribution of yellowfin tuna using fisheries’ catch data spanning 2012–2019 within Mexican waters. We implemented hierarchical Bayesian regression models with spatial and temporal random effects and fixed effects of several environmental covariates to predict habitat suitability (HS) for the species. The best model included spatial and interannual anomalies of the absolute dynamic topography of the ocean surface (ADTSA and ADTIA, respectively), bottom depth, and a seasonal cyclical random effect. High catches occurred mainly towards anticyclonic features at bottom depths > 1000 m. The spatial extent of HS was higher in years with positive ADTIA, which implies more anticyclonic activity. The highest values of HS (> 0.7) generally occurred at positive ADTSA in oceanic waters of the central and northern GoM. However, high HS values (> 0.6) were observed in the southern GoM, in waters with cyclonic activity during summer. Our results highlight the importance of mesoscale features for the spatiotemporal distribution of yellowfin tunas and could help to develop dynamic fisheries management strategies in Mexico and the U.S. for this valuable resource.
An AI-based approach for modeling the synergy between radiotherapy and immunotherapy
Authors: Peng Hao , Moore Casey , Zhang Yuanyuan , Saha Debabrata , Jiang Steve , Timmerman Robert
Published: April 2024

Personalized, ultra-fractionated stereotactic adaptive radiotherapy (PULSAR) is designed to administer tumoricidal doses in a pulsed mode with extended intervals, spanning weeks or months. This approach leverages longer intervals to adapt the treatment plan based on tumor changes and enhance immune-modulated effects. In this investigation, we seek to elucidate the potential synergy between combined PULSAR and PD-L1 blockade immunotherapy using experimental data from a Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC) syngeneic murine cancer model. Employing a long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network (RNN) model, we simulated the treatment response by treating irradiation and anti-PD-L1 as external stimuli occurring in a temporal sequence. Our findings demonstrate that: (1) The model can simulate tumor growth by integrating various parameters such as timing and dose, and (2) The model provides mechanistic interpretations of a “causal relationship” in combined treatment, offering a completely novel perspective. The model can be utilized for in-silico modeling, facilitating exploration of innovative treatment combinations to optimize therapeutic outcomes. Advanced modeling techniques, coupled with additional efforts in biomarker identification, may deepen our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying the combined treatment.
The possible correlation between miR-762, Hippo signaling pathway, TWIST1, and SMAD3 in lung cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases
Authors: Hussein Neveen A. , Ebid Samia A. , Ahmad Mohammad A. , Khedr Gamal E. , Saad Dina M.
Published: April 2024

MicroRNAs are small RNA molecules that have a significant role in translational repression and gene silencing through binding to downstream target mRNAs. MiR-762 can stimulate the proliferation and metastasis of various types of cancer. Hippo pathway is one of the pathways that regulate tissue development and carcinogenesis. Dysregulation of this pathway plays a vital role in the progression of cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the possible correlation between miR-762, the Hippo signaling pathway, TWIST1, and SMAD3 in patients with lung cancer, as well as patients with chronic inflammatory diseases. The relative expression of miR-762, MST1, LATS2, YAP, TWIST1, and SMAD3 was determined in 50 lung cancer patients, 30 patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, and 20 healthy volunteers by real-time PCR. The levels of YAP protein and neuron-specific enolase were estimated by ELISA and electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, respectively. Compared to the control group, miR-762, YAP, TWIST1, and SMAD3 expression were significantly upregulated in lung cancer patients and chronic inflammatory patients, except SMAD3 was significantly downregulated in chronic inflammatory patients. MST1, LATS2, and YAP protein were significantly downregulated in all patients. MiR-762 has a significant negative correlation with MST1, LATS2, and YAP protein in lung cancer patients and with MST1 and LATS2 in chronic inflammatory patients. MiR-762 may be involved in the induction of malignant behaviors in lung cancer through suppression of the Hippo pathway. MiR-762, MST1, LATS2, YAP mRNA and protein, TWIST1, and SMAD3 may be effective diagnostic biomarkers in both lung cancer patients and chronic inflammatory patients. High YAP, TWIST1, SMA3 expression, and NSE level are associated with a favorable prognosis for lung cancer.
TDF and TAF inhibit liver cancer cell migration, invasion via p7TP3
Authors: Zhao Jing , Zhou Li , Zhang Yang , Cheng Jun , Zeng Yilan , Li Xiuling
Published: April 2024

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) seems to prevent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV). However, the mechanism is still little known. This study aimed to investigate the the roles and mechanisms of TDF, tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF), and entecavir (ETV) on the malignant characteristics of liver cancer cells. Using the wound-healing assays, transwell assays, matrigel transwell assays, and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, it was possible to identify that TDF/TAF, inhibited migration, invasion, and proliferation of HepG2 cells and Huh7 cells. To investigate the mechanisms, we performed TOP/FOP-Flash system, Western blot, and RT-qPCR assays of liver cancer cells cultured with TDF/TAF and found a lower activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway compared with control cells. Finally, Hepatitis C virus p7 trans-regulated protein 3 (p7TP3), a tumor suppressor in liver cancers, was significantly increased in HepG2 cells and Huh7 cells that treated with TDF/TAF. However, entecavir (ETV)-treated liver cancer cells showed no significant difference in the malignant characteristics of liver cancer cells, activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, and expression of p7TP3, compared with the control groups. To conclude, TDF/TAF maybe novel promising therapeutic strategy for liver cancers, including HCC and hepatoblastoma, via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, by up-regulating expression of the tumor suppressor, p7TP3.
Impact of COVID-19 first wave on the mental health of healthcare workers in a Front-Line Spanish Tertiary Hospital: lessons learned
Authors: Molina Juan D. , Amigo Franco , Vilagut Gemma , Mortier Philippe , Muñoz-Ruiperez Carmen , Rodrigo Holgado Irene , Juanes González Alba , Combarro Ripoll Carolina Elisa , Alonso Jordi , Rubio Gabriel
Published: April 2024

Healthcare workers (HCWs) were at high risk of experiencing psychological distress during COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact on HCWs’ mental health in a Spanish hospital. Cross-sectional study of HCW, active between May and June 2020. A web-based survey assessed probable current mental disorders (major depressive disorder [PHQ-8 ≥ 10], generalized anxiety disorder [GAD-7 ≥ 10], panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD; PLC-5 ≥ 7], or substance use disorder [CAGE-AID ≥ 2]). The Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) was used to assess severe impairment and items taken from the modified self‐report version of the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C‐SSRS) assessed suicidal thoughts and behaviors. A total of 870 HCWs completed the survey. Most frequent probable mental disorders were major depressive disorder (33.6%), generalized anxiety disorder (25.5%), panic attacks (26.9%), PTSD (27.2%), and substance use disorder (5.0%). Being female, having aged 18–29 years, being an auxiliary nurse, direct exposure to COVID-19-infected patients, and pre-pandemic lifetime mental disorders were positively associated with mental issues. Hospital HCWs presented a high prevalence of symptoms of mental disorders, especially depression, PTSD, panic attacks, and anxiety. Younger individuals and those with lifetime mental disorders have been more vulnerable to experiencing them.
Aerodynamic performance and wind-induced response of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) cables
Authors: Long Guanxu , Sun Yamin , Shang Zhiqiang , Wang Xiaoyu , Xu Xingwei , Wang Tao
Published: April 2024

To study the aerodynamic performance and wind-induced response of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) cables, CFRP cable was designed by replacing a steel cable in a tied arch bridge based on stiffness, strength and area equivalent criteria, respectively. The aerodynamic performance and wind-induced response of CFRP cable and steel cable were studied and compared by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. Based on the computational results, optimal cable replacement criterion was proposed for CFRP cable to replace steel cable. In addition, surface modification was conducted by engrooving vertical symmetric (VS), vertical asymmetric (VA) and helical symmetric (HS) V-shaped grooves to improve the aerodynamic performance and wind-induced response of CFRP cable. Results showed that CFRP cables exhibited inferior aerodynamic performance and wind-induced response in most cases. However, CFRP cable based on stiffness equivalent criterion exhibited better aerodynamic performance and wind-induced vibration properties compared to the other two cable replacement criteria, thus is regarded as the optimal substitute for steel cable. In addition, HS grooves generated symmetric disturbances and caused approximately equivalent boundary layer separation delays uniformly and continuously along the cable length, thus exhibiting better effect in decreasing the reverse flow region, the maximum negative flow velocity, the vortex shedding frequency and the wind-induced vibration amplitude of CFRP cable. Hence, the stiffness equivalent criterion combined with surface modification with HS V-shaped grooves was proposed to replace steel cable with CFRP cable. This study can provide insights into the aerodynamic performance and wind-induced response of CFRP cable and instructions for cable replacement practice.
High microbiome and metabolome diversification in coexisting sponges with different bio-ecological traits
Authors: Mazzella Valerio , Dell’Anno Antonio , Etxebarría Néstor , González-Gaya Belén , Nuzzo Genoveffa , Fontana Angelo , Núñez-Pons Laura
Published: April 2024

Marine Porifera host diverse microbial communities, which influence host metabolism and fitness. However, functional relationships between sponge microbiomes and metabolic signatures are poorly understood. We integrate microbiome characterization, metabolomics and microbial predicted functions of four coexisting Mediterranean sponges –Petrosia ficiformis,Chondrosia reniformis,Crambe crambeandChondrilla nucula. Microscopy observations reveal anatomical differences in microbial densities. Microbiomes exhibit strong species-specific trends.C. crambeshares many rare amplicon sequence variants (ASV) with the surrounding seawater. This suggests important inputs of microbial diversity acquired by selective horizontal acquisition. Phylum Cyanobacteria is mainly represented inC. nuculaandC. crambe. According to putative functions, the microbiome ofP. ficiformisandC. reniformisare functionally heterotrophic, whileC. crambeandC. nuculaare autotrophic. The four species display distinct metabolic profiles at single compound level. However, at molecular class level they share a “core metabolome”. Concurrently, we find global microbiome-metabolome association when considering all four sponge species. Within each species still, sets of microbe/metabolites are identified driving multi-omics congruence. Our findings suggest that diverse microbial players and metabolic profiles may promote niche diversification, but also, analogous phenotypic patterns of “symbiont evolutionary convergence” in sponge assemblages where holobionts co-exist in the same area.
A single-cell atlas of lung homeostasis reveals dynamic changes during development and aging
Authors: Jia Hao , Chang Yuan , Chen Yulin , Chen Xiao , Zhang Hang , Hua Xiumeng , Xu Mengda , Sheng Yixuan , Zhang Ningning , Cui Hao , Han Lei , Zhang Jian , Fu Xiaodong , Song Jiangping
Published: April 2024

Aging is a global challenge, marked in the lungs by function decline and structural disorders, which affects the health of the elderly population. To explore anti-aging strategies, we develop a dynamic atlas covering 45 cell types in human lungs, spanning from embryonic development to aging. We aim to apply the discoveries of lung’s development to address aging-related issues. We observe that both epithelial and immune cells undergo a process of acquisition and loss of essential function as they transition from development to aging. During aging, we identify cellular phenotypic alternations that result in reduced pulmonary compliance and compromised immune homeostasis. Furthermore, we find a distinctive expression pattern of the ferritin light chain (FTL) gene, which increases during development but decreases in various types of lung cells during the aging process.
Predicting which patients with cancer will see a psychiatrist or counsellor from their initial oncology consultation document using natural language processing
Authors: Nunez John-Jose , Leung Bonnie , Ho Cheryl , Ng Raymond T. , Bates Alan T.
Published: April 2024

Background

Patients with cancer often have unmet psychosocial needs. Early detection of who requires referral to a counsellor or psychiatrist may improve their care. This work used natural language processing to predict which patients will see a counsellor or psychiatrist from a patient’s initial oncology consultation document. We believe this is the first use of artificial intelligence to predict psychiatric outcomes from non-psychiatric medical documents.

Methods

This retrospective prognostic study used data from 47,625 patients at BC Cancer. We analyzed initial oncology consultation documents using traditional and neural language models to predict whether patients would see a counsellor or psychiatrist in the 12 months following their initial oncology consultation.

Results

Here, we show our best models achieved a balanced accuracy (receiver-operating-characteristic area-under-curve) of 73.1% (0.824) for predicting seeing a psychiatrist, and 71.0% (0.784) for seeing a counsellor. Different words and phrases are important for predicting each outcome.

Conclusion

These results suggest natural language processing can be used to predict psychosocial needs of patients with cancer from their initial oncology consultation document. Future research could extend this work to predict the psychosocial needs of medical patients in other settings.
The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable ocean
Authors: Bennett Nathan J. , Morgera Elisa , Boyd David
Published: April 2024

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in 2022 that formally recognizes that there is a universal human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Yet there is evidence that human rights impacts associated with the degradation of the ocean environment are accelerating. In this perspective, we highlight how the recognition of the human right to a healthy environment can catalyze ocean action and transform ocean governance. In particular, it can do so through 1) catalyzing marine protection and increasing accountability through clarifying state obligations, 2) improving the inclusiveness of ocean governance, including through prioritizing and empowering groups in situations of vulnerability, and 3) enhancing ocean economy practices through clarifying private sector responsibilities. To those ends, there is an urgent need to move from recognition to implementation in order to protect both current and future generations’ human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable ocean.
Yeast TLDc domain proteins regulate assembly state and subcellular localization of the V-ATPase
Authors: Klössel Samira , Zhu Ying , Amado Lucia , Bisinski Daniel D , Ruta Julia , Liu Fan , González Montoro Ayelén
Published: April 2024

Yeast vacuoles perform crucial cellular functions as acidic degradative organelles, storage compartments, and signaling hubs. These functions are mediated by important protein complexes, including the vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (V-ATPase), responsible for organelle acidification. To gain a more detailed understanding of vacuole function, we performed cross-linking mass spectrometry on isolated vacuoles, detecting many known as well as novel protein-protein interactions. Among these, we identified the uncharacterized TLDc-domain-containing protein Rtc5 as a novel interactor of the V-ATPase. We further analyzed the influence of Rtc5 and of Oxr1, the only other yeast TLDc-domain-containing protein, on V-ATPase function. We find that both Rtc5 and Oxr1 promote the disassembly of the vacuolar V-ATPase in vivo, counteracting the role of the RAVE complex, a V-ATPase assembly chaperone. Furthermore, Oxr1 is necessary for the retention of a Golgi-specific subunit of the V-ATPase in this compartment. Collectively, our results shed light on the in vivo roles of yeast TLDc-domain proteins as regulators of the V-ATPase, highlighting the multifaceted regulation of this crucial protein complex.
Design and engineering of an artificial disulfide bond in human cytochrome c to regulate the protein structure and function
Authors: Li Yan-Yan , Feng Yu , Yu Lu , Long Shuang-Shuang , Gao Shu-Qin , Lin Ying-Wu
Published: April 2024

An artificial disulfide bond was rationally constructed in human cytochrome c (hCyt c) via double mutations (A51C/G77C), which weakened the coordination of Met80 to the heme iron and enhanced the peroxidase activity of hCyt c.
The effect of structural changes on the self-assembly of novel green pyridinium-carboxylate gemini surfactants in Langmuir and Langmuir–Blodgett films
Authors: Eftaiha Ala’a F. , Qaroush Abdussalam K. , Foudeh Dina M. , Abo-shunnar Ahmad S. , Hammad Suhad B. , Assaf Khaleel I. , Paige Matthew F.
Published: April 2024

The synthesis and interfacial characterization of a series of gemini surfactants based on pyridine-n-carboxylic acids, including picolinic, nicotinic, and isonicotinic acids, in Langmuir and Langmuir–Blodgett films have been reported.
Real-time monitoring of abnormal mitochondrial viscosity in glioblastoma with a novel mitochondria-targeting fluorescent probe
Authors: Zhang Qing , Liu Wei , Jiang Ling , He Yan-Jun , Wu Chang-Jian , Ren Shen-Zhen , Wang Bao-Zhong , Liu Li , Zhu Hai-Liang , Wang Zhong-Chang
Published: April 2024

Glioblastoma is the most fatal and insidious malignancy, due to the existence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and the high invasiveness of tumor cells.
Epimerization effects on coordination behaviours of phenanthroline-based phosphine-oxide ligands with uranyl ions
Authors: Yang Xiaofan , Fang Dong , Wang Shihui , Tian Zhenjiang , Xu Lei , Liu Jiyong , Zhang Anyun , Xiao Chengliang
Published: April 2024

Epimers of the (1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-diyl)bis(ethyl(phenyl) phosphine oxide) (Et-Ph-BPPhen) ligand with two chiral centers (R,R/S,S and R,S) were synthesized.
Quantum simulation of conical intersections
Authors: Wang Yuchen , Mazziotti David A.
Published: April 2024

We explore the simulation of conical intersections (CIs) on quantum devices, setting the groundwork for potential applications in nonadiabatic quantum dynamics within molecular systems.
Intra-host π–π interactions in crown ether complexes revealed by cryogenic ion mobility-mass spectrometry
Authors: Ito Ryosuke , Ohshimo Keijiro , Misaizu Fuminori
Published: April 2024

Conformations of dinaphtho-24-crown-8 complexes were investigated by cryogenic ion mobility-mass spectrometry. The closed conformers with short naphthalene–naphthalene distances were highly stabilized by intra-host π–π interaction.
Systematic generation and analysis of counterfactuals for compound activity predictions using multi-task models
Authors: Lamens Alec , Bajorath Jürgen
Published: April 2024

For a kinase inhibitor correctly predicted with a multi-task machine learning model (shown on an orange background), counterfactuals with small chemical changes (shown in red) were generated that were predicted to be active against other kinases.
Synthesis of Asp-based lactam cyclic peptides using an amide-bonded diaminodiacid to prevent aspartimide formation
Authors: Li Wen-Jie , Chen Jun-You , Zhu Hui-Xia , Li Yi-Ming , Xu Yang
Published: April 2024

A diaminodiacid (DADA) containing an amide bond can be used in Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) of an Asp-based lactam cyclic peptide with no aspartimide formation.
Energetic copper(ii) quadridentate chelate: a novel green laser-sensitive primary explosive
Authors: Zhang Qi , Lv Ruibing , Wang Ying , Luo Zhenghang , Pan Pengyang , Wang Tingwei , Liu Quancheng
Published: April 2024

A copper(II)-based quadridentate chelate [Cu(BNATE)·2H2O] has been prepared and systematically studied. It has excellent near-infrared laser sensitivity and detonation performance, and low mechanical sensitivity.
Cobalt-catalysed Csp3–Csp3 cross-coupling of benzyl Katritzky pyridinium salts with Callyl–O electrophiles
Authors: Gao Mengyu , Gosmini Corinne
Published: April 2024

Different allylbenzyl derivatives are synthesized by Co-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling from functionalized benzyl Katritzky pyridinium salts and various allylic acetates, ethers or carbonates in moderate to good yields under mild conditions.
An examination of the effectiveness of the expired drug isoprinosine in preventing aluminum corrosion in alkaline solutions using both computational and experimental techniques
Authors: Syam S. M. , El-Katori Emad E. , Elhenawy Ahmed. A. , Nady H. , Eid Salah
Published: April 2024

A now-expired medication called isoprinosine was examined in NaOH (0.50 M) solutions as a potential novel inhibitor of aluminum corrosion.
A novel investigation of pressure-induced semiconducting to metallic transition of lead free novel Ba3SbI3 perovskite with exceptional optoelectronic properties
Authors: Rahman Md. Ferdous , Hasan Toki Md. Naim , Irfan Ahmad , Chaudhry Aijaz Rasool , Rahaman Rajabur , Rasheduzzaman Md. , Hasan Md. Zahid
Published: April 2024

The structural, electronic, mechanical, and optical characteristics of barium-based halide perovskite Ba3SbI3 under the influence of pressures ranging from 0 to 10 GPa have been analyzed using first-principles calculations for the first time.
Assessing the efficacy of aluminum metal clusters Al13 and Al15 in mitigating NO2 and SO2 pollutants: a DFT investigation
Authors: Laraib Sajida Riffat , Liu Ji , Xia Yuan-gu , Wu Yang-wen , Mohammadi Mohsen Doust , Noor Nayab Fatima , Lu Qiang
Published: April 2024

The Al15 and Al13 exhibit excellent performance on NO2 and SO2 adsorption. The depiction explores critical points (3, −1) and the interatomic relationships between Al13 and NO2.
Improvement of catalysis performance of pepsin and lipase enzymes by double enzyme immobilization method
Authors: Han Fatma , Sari Nursen
Published: April 2024

Synthesis and investigation on the increase of Vmax of immobilized pepsin and lipase enzymes in double enzyme medium.
A novel fluorescence probe for simultaneous detection of mitochondrial viscosity in hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury models
Authors: Chen Xue , Jiang Zhelu , Wang Ziyu , He Fenglin , Fu Manlin , Xie Zhenda , Hu Jin-Feng
Published: April 2024

A versatile probe with mitochondria targeting, PN, for detection of viscosity alteration in HIRI mouse model was fabricated. PN had high sensitivity and selectivity, and with a large Stokes shift (∼190 nm) for viscosity. PN is expected to be used for early diagnosis and treatment assessment of HIRI disease, and also provides diagnostic basis for other related diseases.
Greening the pathways: a comprehensive review of sustainable synthesis strategies for silica nanoparticles and their diverse applications
Authors: Saha Arighna , Mishra Prashant , Biswas Goutam , Bhakta Snehasis
Published: April 2024

The graphical abstract describes several synthetic routes of SiNPs and wide range of applications of this nanoparticle.
One-step flow synthesis of size-controlled polymer nanogels in a fluorocarbon microfluidic chip
Authors: Montalbo Reynaldo Carlos K. , Wu Meng-Jie , Tu Hsiung-Lin
Published: April 2024

Sequential bottom-up synthesis and assembly of size-tunable, pH-responsive polymer nanoparticles in an integrated perfluoropolyether microfluidic chip.
Correction: Correction: Influence of Ni content on structural, magnetocaloric and electrical properties in manganite La0.6Ba0.2Sr0.2Mn1−xNixO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) type perovskites
Authors: Dhahri Ahmed , Laifi J. , Gouadria Soumaya , Elhadi M. , Dhahri E. , Hlil E. K.
Published: April 2024

Correction for ‘Correction: Influence of Ni content on structural, magnetocaloric and electrical properties in manganite La0.6Ba0.2Sr0.2Mn1−xNixO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) type perovskites’ by Ahmed Dhahri et al., RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 28158–28158, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3RA90093B.
Melatonin treatment as an anti-aging therapy for UV-related degradation of perovskite solar cells
Authors: Liu Fei , Valencia Agnes , Zhu Yuhua , Zhang Xiangyang , Li Weilu , Daoud Walid A.
Published: April 2024

With the ability to absorb UV light and scavenge radicals, the melatonin modified perovskite exhibits enhanced anti-aging and resistance to UV-related degradation.
Sb3+/Mn2+ co-doped lead-free Cs2KYCl6 perovskites for white light-emitting diodes
Authors: Muhammad  , Liu Zengce , Li Junchun , Sheng Yuanyuan , Chang Yajing , Chen Ping , Jiang Yang
Published: April 2024

In Sb3+/Mn2+ co-doped Cs2KYCl6, energy transfer from self-trapped excitons (STEs) of Sb3+ to Mn2+ produces dual emissions, which has been applied for white light-emitting diodes with chromaticity coordinates of (0.3483, 0.4125) and a color-rendering index of 85.4.
Inference of neutron-star properties with unified crust-core equations of state for parameter estimation
Authors: Davis P. J. , Dinh Thi H. , Fantina A. F. , Gulminelli F. , Oertel M. , Suleiman L.
Published: April 2024

Context. Relating different global neutron-star (NS) properties, such as tidal deformability and radius, or mass and radius, requires an equation of state (EoS). Determining the NS EoS is therefore not only the science goal of a variety of observational projects, but it also enters in the analysis process; for example, to predict a NS radius from a measured tidal deformability via gravitational waves (GW) during the inspiral of a binary NS merger. To this aim, it is important to estimate the theoretical uncertainties on the EoS, one of which is the possible bias coming from an inconsistent treatment of the low-density region; that is, the use of a so called non-unified NS crust.

Aims. We propose a numerical tool allowing the user to consistently match a nuclear-physics informed crust to an arbitrary high-density EoS describing the core of the star.

Methods. We introduce an inversion procedure of the EoS close to saturation density that allows users to extract nuclear-matter parameters and extend the EoS to lower densities in a consistent way. For the treatment of inhomogeneous matter in the crust, a standard approach based on the compressible liquid-drop (CLD) model approach was used in our work. A Bayesian analysis using a parametric agnostic EoS representation in the high-density region is also presented in order to quantify the uncertainties induced by an inconsistent treatment of the crust.

Results. We show that the use of a fixed, realistic-but-inconsistent model for the crust causes small but avoidable errors in the estimation of global NS properties and leads to an underestimation of the uncertainties in the inference of NS properties.

Conclusions. Our results highlight the importance of employing a consistent EoS in inference schemes. The numerical tool that we developed to reconstruct such a thermodynamically consistent EoS, CUTER, has been tested and validated for use by the astrophysical community.
Study of the functional state of the thyroid gland in pregnant women with hypothyroidism
Authors: Ussipbek Botagoz , Yessenbekova Arailym , Zhaparkulova Nazgul , Umbetyarova Lyazzat , Murzakhmetova Maira
Published: April 2024

Currently, hypothyroidism is emerging as a significant issue worldwide. According to statistics, the global incidence of hypothyroidism is second only to diabetes. Various types of iodine deficiency diseases are recognized, including hypothyroidism, endemic goiter, hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, etc. The prevalence of hypothyroidism ranks first in Kazakhstan. Changes in the level of thyroid hormones during the reproductive period can also significantly impact the expectant mother and the developing fetus. Many chemicals that pollute the environment inhibit protective immunophysiological mechanisms, reduce the body’s ability to adapt, increase the frequency of reproductive system diseases, and alter their course. A decrease in the quality of the environment, social discomfort, and large man-made disasters lead to environmentally dependent transitions and pathological changes in various organs and systems of a person, resulting in a decrease in life expectancy. In this regard, improving the health of the population is an important issue in medicine. In this article, a comparative analysis of the development of hypothyroidism in pregnant women in Almaty and Aktobe was carried out.