bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparing COVID-19-related hospitalization rates among individuals with infection-induced and vaccine-induced immunity in Israel
Authors: Waxman Jacob G. , Makov-Assif Maya , Reis Ben Y. , Netzer Doron , Balicer Ran D. , Dagan Noa , Barda Noam
Published: April 2022

With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, accurate assessment of population immunity and the effectiveness of booster and enhancer vaccine doses is critical. We compare COVID-19-related hospitalization incidence rates in 2,412,755 individuals across four exposure levels: non-recent vaccine immunity (two BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine doses five or more months prior), boosted vaccine immunity (three BNT162b2 doses), infection-induced immunity (previous COVID-19 without a subsequent BNT162b2 dose), and enhanced infection-induced immunity (previous COVID-19 with a subsequent BNT162b2 dose). Rates, adjusted for potential demographic, clinical and health-seeking-behavior confounders, were assessed from July-November 2021 when the Delta variant was predominant. Compared with non-recent vaccine immunity, COVID-19-related hospitalization incidence rates were reduced by 89% (87–91%) for boosted vaccine immunity, 66% (50–77%) for infection-induced immunity and 75% (61–83%) for enhanced infection-induced immunity. We demonstrate that infection-induced immunity (enhanced or not) provides more protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization than non-recent vaccine immunity, but less protection than booster vaccination. Additionally, our results suggest that vaccinating individuals with infection-induced immunity further enhances their protection.
Surface restructuring of a perovskite-type air electrode for reversible protonic ceramic electrochemical cells
Authors: Pei Kai , Zhou Yucun , Xu Kang , Zhang Hua , Ding Yong , Zhao Bote , Yuan Wei , Sasaki Kotaro , Choi YongMan , Chen Yu , Liu Meilin
Published: April 2022

Reversible protonic ceramic electrochemical cells (R-PCECs) are ideally suited for efficient energy storage and conversion; however, one of the limiting factors to high performance is the poor stability and insufficient electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction and evolution of the air electrode exposed to the high concentration of steam. Here we report our findings in enhancing the electrochemical activity and durability of a perovskite-type air electrode, Ba0.9Co0.7Fe0.2Nb0.1O3-δ(BCFN), via a water-promoted surface restructuring process. Under properly-controlled operating conditions, the BCFN electrode is naturally restructured to an Nb-rich BCFN electrode covered with Nb-deficient BCFN nanoparticles. When used as the air electrode for a fuel-electrode-supported R-PCEC, good performances are demonstrated at 650 °C, achieving a peak power density of 1.70 W cm−2in the fuel cell mode and a current density of 2.8 A cm−2at 1.3 V in the electrolysis mode while maintaining reasonable Faradaic efficiencies and promising durability.
A targetable CoQ-FSP1 axis drives ferroptosis- and radiation-resistance in KEAP1 inactive lung cancers
Authors: Koppula Pranavi , Lei Guang , Zhang Yilei , Yan Yuelong , Mao Chao , Kondiparthi Lavanya , Shi Jiejun , Liu Xiaoguang , Horbath Amber , Das Molina , Li Wei , Poyurovsky Masha V. , Olszewski Kellen , Gan Boyi
Published: April 2022

Targeting ferroptosis, a unique cell death modality triggered by unrestricted lipid peroxidation, in cancer therapy is hindered by our incomplete understanding of ferroptosis mechanisms under specific cancer genetic contexts.KEAP1(kelch-like ECH associated protein 1) is frequently mutated or inactivated in lung cancers, andKEAP1mutant lung cancers are refractory to most therapies, including radiotherapy. In this study, we identify ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1, also known as AIFM2) as a transcriptional target of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and reveal that the ubiquinone (CoQ)-FSP1 axis mediates ferroptosis- and radiation- resistance inKEAP1deficient lung cancer cells. We further show that pharmacological inhibition of the CoQ-FSP1 axis sensitizesKEAP1deficient lung cancer cells or patient-derived xenograft tumors to radiation through inducing ferroptosis. Together, our study identifies CoQ-FSP1 as a key downstream effector of KEAP1-NRF2 pathway and as a potential therapeutic target for treatingKEAP1mutant lung cancers.
Antagonistic network signature of motor function in Parkinson’s disease revealed by connectome-based predictive modeling
Authors: Wang Xuyang , Yoo Kwangsun , Chen Huafu , Zou Ting , Wang Hongyu , Gao Qing , Meng Li , Hu Xiaofei , Li Rong
Published: April 2022

Motor impairment is a core clinical feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Although the decoupled brain connectivity has been widely reported in previous neuroimaging studies, how the functional connectome is involved in motor dysfunction has not been well elucidated in PD patients. Here we developed a distributed brain signature by predicting clinical motor scores of PD patients across multicenter datasets (total n = 236). We decomposed the Pearson’s correlation into accordance and discordance via a temporal discrete procedure, which can capture coupling and anti-coupling respectively. Using different profiles of functional connectivity, we trained candidate predictive models and tested them on independent and heterogeneous PD samples. We showed that the antagonistic model measured by discordance had the best sensitivity and generalizability in all validations and it was dubbed as Parkinson’s antagonistic motor signature (PAMS). The PAMS was dominated by the subcortical, somatomotor, visual, cerebellum, default-mode, and frontoparietal networks, and the motor-visual stream accounted for the most part of predictive weights among network pairs. Additional stage-specific analysis showed that the predicted scores generated from the antagonistic model tended to be higher than the observed scores in the early course of PD, indicating that the functional signature may vary more sensitively with the neurodegenerative process than clinical behaviors. Together, these findings suggest that motor dysfunction of PD is represented as antagonistic interactions within multi-level brain systems. The signature shows great potential in the early motor evaluation and developing new therapeutic approaches for PD in the clinical realm.
Certification of quantum states with hidden structure of their bitstrings
Authors: Sotnikov O. M. , Iakovlev I. A. , Iliasov A. A. , Katsnelson M. I. , Bagrov A. A. , Mazurenko V. V.
Published: April 2022

The rapid development of quantum computing technologies already made it possible to manipulate a collective state of several dozens of qubits, which poses a strong demand on efficient methods for characterization and verification of large-scale quantum states. Here, we propose a numerically cheap procedure to distinguish quantum states which is based on a limited number of projective measurements in at least two different bases and computing inter-scale dissimilarities of the resulting bit-string patterns via coarse-graining. The information one obtains through this procedure can be viewed as a ‘hash function’ of quantum state—a simple set of numbers which is specific for a concrete wave function and can be used for certification. We show that it is enough to characterize quantum states with different structure of entanglement, including the chaotic quantum states. Our approach can also be employed to detect phase transitions in quantum magnetic systems.
Evaluation of eco-environmental quality for the coal-mining region using multi-source data
Authors: Jiang Huan , Fan Gangwei , Zhang Dongsheng , Zhang Shizhong , Fan Yibo
Published: April 2022

The contradiction between the exploitation of coal resources and the protection of the ecological environment in western China is becoming increasingly prominent. Reasonable ecological environment evaluation is the premise for alleviating this contradiction. First, this paper evaluates the eco-environment of Ibei coalfield by combining the genetic projection pursuit model and geographic information system (GIS) and using remote sensing image data and other statistical data of this area. The powerful spatial analysis function of GIS and the advantages of the genetic projection pursuit model in weight calculation have been fully used to improve the reliability of the evaluation results. Furthermore, spatial autocorrelation is used to analyze the spatial characteristics of ecological environment quality in the mining area and plan the specific governance scope. The geographic detector is used to determine the driving factors of the eco-environment of the mining area. The results show that Ibei Coalfield presents a spatially heterogeneous eco-environment pattern. The high-intensity mining area (previously mined area of Ili No.4 Coal Mine) has the worst ecological environment quality, followed by the coal reserve area of Ili No.4 Coal Mine and the planned survey area of Ili No.5 Coal Mine. The eco-environment quality (EEQ) of the study area is affected by both human and natural factors. Mining intensity and surface subsidence are the main human factors affecting the ecological environment in the study area. The main natural factors affecting the ecological environment in the study area are annual average precipitation, elevation, annual average evaporation, NDVI and land use type. Meanwhile, the interaction effect of any two indicators is greater than that of a single indicator. It is also indicated that the eco-environment of the mining area is nonlinearly correlated to impact indicators. The spatial autocorrelation analysis shows three areas that should be treated strategically that are the management area, close attention area and protective area. Corresponding management measures are put forward for different regions. This paper can provide scientific references for mining area eco-environmental protection, which is significant for the sustainability of coal mine projects.
Dynamics of ultrafast phase transitions in MgF2 triggered by laser-induced THz coherent phonons
Authors: Mareev Evgenii , Potemkin Fedor
Published: April 2022

The advent of free-electron lasers opens new routes for experimental high-pressure physics, which allows studying dynamics of condensed matter with femtosecond resolution. A rapid compression, that can be caused by laser-induced shock impact, leads to the cascade of high-pressure phase transitions. Despite many decades of study, a complete understanding of the lattice response to such a compression remains elusive. Moreover, in the dynamical case (in contrast to quasi-static loading) the thresholds of phase transitions can change significantly. Using the third harmonic pump–probe technique combined with molecular dynamics to simulate the terahertz (THz) spectrum, we revealed the dynamics of ultrafast laser-induced phase transitions in MgF2 in all-optical experiment. Tight focusing of femtosecond laser pulse into the transparent medium leads to the generation of sub-TPa shock waves and THz coherent phonons. The laser-induced shock wave propagation drastically displaces atoms in the lattice, which leads to phase transitions. We registered a cascade of ultrafast laser-induced phase transitions (P42/mnm ⇒ Pa-3  ⇒ Pnam) in magnesium fluoride as a change in the spectrum of coherent phonons. The phase transition has the characteristic time of 5–10 ps, and the lifetime of each phase is on the order of 40–60 ps. In addition, phonon density of states, simulated by molecular dynamics, together with third-harmonic time-resolved spectra prove that laser-excited phonons in a bulk of dielectrics are generated by displacive excitation (DECP) mechanism in plasma mediated conditions.
3D isotope density measurements by energy-resolved neutron imaging
Authors: Losko A. S. , Vogel S. C.
Published: April 2022

Tools for three-dimensional elemental characterization are available on length scales ranging from individual atoms, using electrons as a probe, to micrometers with X-rays. However, for larger volumes up to millimeters or centimeters, quantitative measurements of elemental or isotope densities were hitherto only possible on the surface. Here, a novel quantitative elemental characterization method based on energy-resolved neutron imaging, utilizing the known neutron absorption cross sections with their ‘finger-print’ absorption resonance signatures, is demonstrated. Enabled by a pixilated time-of-flight neutron transmission detector installed at an intense short-pulsed spallation neutron source, for this demonstration 3.25 million state-of-the-art nuclear physics neutron transmission analyses were conducted to derive isotopic densities for five isotopes in 3D in a volume of 0.25 cm3. The tomographic reconstruction of the isotope densities provides elemental maps similar to X-ray microprobe maps for any cross section in the probed volume. The bulk isotopic density of a U-20Pu-10Zr-3Np-2Am nuclear transmutation fuel sample was measured, agrees well with mass-spectrometry and is evidence of the accuracy of the method.
Sleep loss impairs cognitive performance and alters song output in Australian magpies
Authors: Johnsson Robin D. , Connelly Farley , Gaviraghi Mussoi Juliane , Vyssotski Alexei L. , Cain Kristal E. , Roth Timothy C. , Lesku John A.
Published: April 2022

Sleep maintains optimal brain functioning to facilitate behavioural flexibility while awake. Owing to a historical bias towards research on mammals, we know comparatively little about the role of sleep in facilitating the cognitive abilities of birds. We investigated how sleep deprivation over the full-night (12 h) or half-night (6 h) affects cognitive performance in adult Australian magpies (Cracticus tibicen), relative to that after a night of undisturbed sleep. Each condition was preceded and followed by a baseline and recovery night of sleep, respectively. Prior to each treatment, birds were trained on an associative learning task; on the day after experimental treatment (recovery day), birds were tested on a reversal learning task. To glean whether sleep loss affected song output, we also conducted impromptu song recordings for three days. Ultimately, sleep-deprived magpies were slower to attempt the reversal learning task, less likely to perform and complete the task, and those that did the test performed worse than better-rested birds. We also found that sleep-deprived magpies sang longer yet fewer songs, shifted crepuscular singing to mid-day, and during the post-recovery day, song frequency bandwidth narrowed. These results collectively indicate that sleep loss impairs motivation and cognitive performance, and alters song output, in a social adult songbird.
Characterization of chitin and chitosan derived from Hermetia illucens, a further step in a circular economy process
Authors: Triunfo Micaela , Tafi Elena , Guarnieri Anna , Salvia Rosanna , Scieuzo Carmen , Hahn Thomas , Zibek Susanne , Gagliardini Alessandro , Panariello Luca , Coltelli Maria Beatrice , De Bonis Angela , Falabella Patrizia
Published: April 2022

Due to their properties and applications, the growing demand for chitin and chitosan has stimulated the market to find more sustainable alternatives to the current commercial source (crustaceans). Bioconverter insects, such as Hermetia illucens, are the appropriate candidates, as chitin is a side stream of insect farms for feed applications. This is the first report on production and characterization of chitin and chitosan from different biomasses derived from H. illucens, valorizing the overproduced larvae in feed applications, the pupal exuviae and the dead adults. Pupal exuviae are the best biomass, both for chitin and chitosan yields and for their abundance and easy supply from insect farms. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope analysis revealed the similarity of insect-derived polymers to commercial ones in terms of purity and structural morphology, and therefore their suitability for industrial and biomedical applications. Its fibrillary nature makes H. illucens chitin suitable for producing fibrous manufacts after conversion to chitin nanofibrils, particularly adults-derived chitin, because of its high crystallinity. A great versatility emerged from the evaluation of the physicochemical properties of chitosan obtained from H. illucens, which presented a lower viscosity-average molecular weight and a high deacetylation degree, fostering its putative antimicrobial properties.
Introduction of Lazy Luna an automatic software-driven multilevel comparison of ventricular function quantification in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Hadler Thomas , Wetzl Jens , Lange Steffen , Geppert Christian , Fenski Max , Abazi Endri , Gröschel Jan , Ammann Clemens , Wenson Felix , Töpper Agnieszka , Däuber Sascha , Schulz-Menger Jeanette
Published: April 2022

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard for cardiac function assessment. Quantification of clinical results (CR) requires precise segmentation. Clinicians statistically compare CRs to ensure reproducibility. Convolutional Neural Network developers compare their results via metrics. Aim: Introducing software capable of automatic multilevel comparison. A multilevel analysis covering segmentations and CRs builds on a generic software backend. Metrics and CRs are calculated with geometric accuracy. Segmentations and CRs are connected to track errors and their effects. An interactive GUI makes the software accessible to different users. The software’s multilevel comparison was tested on a use case based on cardiac function assessment. The software shows good reader agreement in CRs and segmentation metrics (Dice > 90%). Decomposing differences by cardiac position revealed excellent agreement in midventricular slices: > 90% but poorer segmentations in apical (> 71%) and basal slices (> 74%). Further decomposition by contour type locates the largest millilitre differences in the basal right cavity (> 3 ml). Visual inspection shows these differences being caused by different basal slice choices. The software illuminated reader differences on several levels. Producing spreadsheets and figures concerning metric values and CR differences was automated. A multilevel reader comparison is feasible and extendable to other cardiac structures in the future.
Determination of key residues in MRGPRX2 to enhance pseudo-allergic reactions induced by fluoroquinolones
Authors: Hamamura-Yasuno Eri , Matsushita Junya , Sato Seiji , Shimada Takashi , Tsuchiya Yoshimi , Fujimoto Kazunori , Mori Kazuhiko
Published: April 2022

MAS-related G protein-coupled receptor X2 (MRGPRX2), expressed in human mast cells, is associated with drug-induced pseudo-allergic reactions. Dogs are highly sensitive to the anaphylactoid reactions induced by certain drugs including fluoroquinolones. Recently, dog MRGPRX2 was identified as a functional ortholog of human MRGPRX2, with dog MRGPRX2 being particularly sensitive to fluoroquinolones. The aim of this study was to determine key residues responsible for the enhanced activity of fluoroquinolone-induced histamine release associated with MRGPRX2. Firstly, a structure model of human and dog MRGPRX2 was built by homology modeling, and docking simulations with fluoroquinolones were conducted. This model indicated that E164 and D184, conserved between human and dog, are essential for the binding to fluoroquinolones. In contrast, F78 (dog: Y) and M109 (dog: W) are unconserved residues, to which the species difference in fluoroquinolone sensitivity is attributable. Intracellular calcium mobilisation assay with human MRGPRX2 mutants, in which residues at positions 78 and 109 were substituted to those of dog MRGPRX2, revealed that M109 and F78 of human MRGPRX2 are crucial residues for enhancing the fluoroquinolone-induced histamine release. In conclusion, these key residues have important clinical implications for revealing the mechanisms and predicting the risks of fluoroquinolone-mediated pseudo-allergic reactions in humans.
Detrimental health relationship between blood lead and cadmium and the red blood cell folate level
Authors: Wang Bo-kai , Chen Wei-Liang
Published: April 2022

Increasing studies have demonstrated the association between heavy metal pollution and micronutrients, especially folate. However, the relationship between cadmium and folate remains rarely discussed. In this study, we aim to explore the potential correlation between cadmium and folate in human population and highlight the possible mechanism of cadmium impacting human health. We utilized the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017–2018 data with 5690 participants in this study. Multivariable linear regression models were adopted to investigate the serum lead and cadmium levels and RBC folate concentration. A significant reverse relationship was found between serum lead and cadmium and RBC folate. A negative relationship between serum lead and cadmium levels and the levels of RBC folate in the U.S. adult population was found in this study. Nevertheless, due to the general limitations of the NHANES data, as a cross-sectional study, a further prospective investigation is needed to discover the causality of lead and cadmium in folate status and to determine whether the folate supplement has a beneficial influence against heavy metal toxicities.
Risk factors and clustering of mortality among older adults in the India Human Development Survey
Authors: Paul Ronak , Rashmi
Published: April 2022

With wide socioeconomic mortality differential among older adults in India, a constant question of death clustering across high-risk families and communities arises. The present study uses a follow-up survey from India to investigate the socioeconomic, demographic and health predictors of old-age mortality clustering. Data of 16,964 older adults nested within 12,981 households from 2352 communities were used from India Human Development Survey (IHDS) round-I (2005) who were further tracked down in round-II (2012). Bivariate association between the determinants of old-age mortality was investigated using the log-rank test. The multivariate analysis involved estimating the random-intercept Weibull proportional hazard model with three levels—individual (level 1), family (level 2) and community (level 3). We analyzed the sensitivity of multivariate results to unobservable variable and selection biases using the e-value method. The empirical analysis confirms that the risk of mortality is significantly heterogeneous between the families. The health status of older adults and the family’s socioeconomic status in the early years emerged as prominent predictors of a longer lifespan. With a strong association between household income and mortality hazard risk, the present study urges early life interventions as those started in late-life might have negligible impact on keeping the older adults alive and healthy.
Uncertainty in GRACE/GRACE-follow on global ocean mass change estimates due to mis-modeled glacial isostatic adjustment and geocenter motion
Authors: Kim Jae-Seung , Seo Ki-Weon , Chen Jianli , Wilson Clark
Published: April 2022

Global mean sea level has increased about 3 mm/yr over several decades due to increases in ocean mass and changes in sea water density. Ocean mass, accounting for about two-thirds of the increase, can be directly measured by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow-On (GFO) satellites. An independent measure is obtained by combining satellite altimetry (measuring total sea level change) and Argo float data (measuring steric changes associated with sea water density). Many previous studies have reported that the two estimates of global mean ocean mass (GMOM) change are in good agreement within stated confidence intervals. Recently, particularly since 2016, estimates by the two methods have diverged. A partial explanation appears to be a spurious variation in steric sea level data. An additional contributor may be deficiencies in Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) corrections and degree-1 spherical harmonic (SH) coefficients. We found that erroneous corrections for GIA contaminate GRACE/GFO estimates as time goes forward. Errors in GIA corrections affect degree-1 SH coefficients, and degree-1 errors may also be associated with ocean dynamics. Poor estimates of degree-1 SH coefficients are likely an important source of discrepancies in the two methods of estimating GMOM change.
Investigation of the correlation between immune thrombocytopenia and T cell activity-regulated gene polymorphism using functional study
Authors: Chen Ding-Ping , Lin Wei-Tzu , Wen Ying-Hao , Wang Wei-Ting
Published: April 2022

Thrombocytopenia is a condition where the platelet count is under 100 × 109/L, which is caused by various disorders. However, the mechanism of thrombocytopenia is still unclear. Hence, we tried to investigate the correlation between immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of genes related to T cell activation. There were 32 ITP patients and 30 healthy controls enrolled in this study. PCR and sequencing were used to find out the significant SNPs, which we focused on the promoter region of CTLA4 and CD28. In this study, the ITP cases were divided into primary ITP group, secondary ITP group, and the combination of the two to the follow-up analysis. Moreover, dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to evaluate the transcription activity of the significant SNP. We found the − 1765_rs11571315 of CTLA4 gene was associated with primary ITP (p = 0.006), secondary ITP (p = 0.008), and the combination of the two (p = 0.003). Moreover, the −318_rs5742909 also had statistical significance in secondary ITP group that was only caused by autoimmune disease (p = 0.019). In functional study, the rs5742909 would decrease 19% of the transcription activity when it carried a T-allele at this position (p = 0.040). It was noted that CTLA4 gene polymorphism was related to ITP but not CD28. According to our results, we surmised that CTLA4 is involved in the pathogenesis of ITP, and the secondary ITP result from the lower CTLA4 expression that leads to T cell over-activation.
Heterologous prime-boost vaccination based on Polymorphic protein D protects against intravaginal Chlamydia trachomatis infection in mice
Authors: Russi Romina Cecilia , Del Balzo Diego , Luján Agustín , Reidel Ivana Gabriela , García María Inés , Veaute Carolina , Damiani María Teresa
Published: April 2022

The control of the worldwide spread of sexually transmitted Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) infection urgently demands the development of a preventive vaccine. In this work, we designed a vaccine based on a fragment of polymorphic protein D (FPmpD) that proved to be immunogenic enough to generate a robust systemic and mucosal IgG humoral immune response in two strains of mice. We used a heterologous prime-boost strategy, including simultaneous systemic and mucosal administration routes. The high titers of anti-PmpD antibodies elicited by this immunization scheme did not affect murine fertility. We tested the vaccine in a mouse model of Ct intravaginal infection. Anti-PmpD antibodies displayed potent neutralizing activity in vitro and protective effects in uterine tissues in vivo. Notably, the humoral immune response of PmpD-vaccinated mice was faster and stronger than the primary immune response of non-vaccinated mice when exposed to Ct. FPmpD-based vaccine effectively reduced Ct shedding into cervicovaginal fluids, bacterial burden at the genitourinary tract, and overall infectivity. Hence, the FPmpD-based vaccine might constitute an efficient tool to protect against Ct intravaginal infection and decrease the infection spreading.
In vivo magnetic resonance imaging study of the hip joint capsule in the flexion abduction external rotation position
Authors: Tsutsumi Masahiro , Yamaguchi Isao , Nimura Akimoto , Utsunomiya Hajime , Akita Keiichi , Kudo Shintarou
Published: April 2022

Although the flexion abduction external rotation (FABER) test is a useful hip provocation test, hip soft tissue characteristics in the FABER position remain unclear. This study investigated the in-vivo joint capsule characteristics, including its articular cavity area and relation to the fat pad surrounded by the joint capsule and pericapsular muscles, in the FABER position using magnetic resonance imaging. Thirteen hips from 13 healthy volunteers were analyzed. The images were obtained, with the participant hips at 15°-extension, 45°-flexion, and in the FABER position, to analyze the articular cavity size and fat pad and calculate these ratios to size of the femoral neck. The articular cavity area and its ratio to the femoral neck were significantly greatest in the FABER position, followed by those in the hip flexion and extension. Additionally, the area of the fat pad in the inter-pericapsular muscle space and its ratio to the femoral neck in the FABER position were significantly larger than those in the hip flexion and, as a tendency, larger than those in hip extension. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first in-vivo study to show the interrelationship among the joint capsule, pericapsular muscles, and fat pad in the FABER position.
Interferon-γ increases sensitivity to chemotherapy and provides immunotherapy targets in models of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Korentzelos Dimitrios , Wells Alan , Clark Amanda M.
Published: April 2022

Interferon-γ (IFNγ) is a cytokine with limited evidence of benefit in cancer clinical trials to date. However, it could potentially play a role in potentiating anti-tumor immunity in the immunologically "cold" metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) by inducing antigen presentation pathways and concurrently providing targets for immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Moreover, it could additionally increase sensitivity to chemotherapy based on its pleiotropic effects on cell phenotype. Here, we show that IFNγ treatment induced expression of major histocompatibility class-I (MHC-I) genes and PD-L1 in prostate cancer cells in vitro. Furthermore, IFNγ treatment led to a decrease in E-cadherin expression with a consequent increase in sensitivity to chemotherapy in vitro. In an in vivo murine tumor model of spontaneous metastatic prostate cancer, IFNγ systemic pretreatment upregulated the expression of HLA-A and decreased E-cadherin expression in the primary tumor, and more importantly in the metastatic site led to increased apoptosis and limited micrometastases in combination with paclitaxel treatment compared to diffuse metastatic disease in control and monotherapy treatment groups. These findings suggest that IFNγ may be useful in combinatorial regimens to induce sensitivity to immunotherapy and chemotherapy in hepatic metastases of mCRPC.
Signature of a randomness-driven spin-liquid state in a frustrated magnet
Authors: Khatua J. , Gomilšek M. , Orain J. C. , Strydom A. M. , Jagličić Z. , Colin C. V. , Petit S. , Ozarowski A. , Mangin-Thro L. , Sethupathi K. , Rao M. S. Ramachandra , Zorko A. , Khuntia P.
Published: April 2022

Collective behaviour of electrons, frustration induced quantum fluctuations and entanglement in quantum materials underlie some of the emergent quantum phenomena with exotic quasi-particle excitations that are highly relevant for technological applications. Herein, we present our thermodynamic and muon spin relaxation measurements, complemented by ab initio density functional theory and exact diagonalization results, on the recently synthesized frustrated antiferromagnet Li4CuTeO6, in which Cu2+ ions (S = 1/2) constitute disordered spin chains and ladders along the crystallographic [101] direction with weak random inter-chain couplings. Our thermodynamic experiments detect neither long-range magnetic ordering nor spin freezing down to 45 mK despite the presence of strong antiferromagnetic interaction between Cu2+ moments leading to a large effective Curie-Weiss temperature of − 154 K. Muon spin relaxation results are consistent with thermodynamic results. The temperature and magnetic field scaling of magnetization and specific heat reveal a data collapse pointing towards the presence of random-singlets within a disorder-driven correlated and dynamic ground-state in this frustrated antiferromagnet.
Fluid flow stimulates chemoautotrophy in hydrothermally influenced coastal sediments
Authors: Sievert Stefan M. , Bühring Solveig I. , Gulmann Lara K. , Hinrichs Kai-Uwe , Pop Ristova Petra , Gomez-Saez Gonzalo V.
Published: April 2022

Hydrothermalism in coastal sediments strongly impacts biogeochemical processes and supports chemoautotrophy. Yet, the effect of fluid flow on microbial community composition and rates of chemoautotrophic production is unknown because rate measurements under natural conditions are difficult, impeding an assessment of the importance of these systems. Here, in situ incubations controlling fluid flow along a transect of three geochemically distinct locations at a shallow-water hydrothermal system off Milos (Greece) show that Campylobacteria dominated chemoautotrophy in the presence of fluid flow. Based on injected 13C-labelled dissolved inorganic carbon and its incorporation into fatty acids, we constrained carbon fixation to be as high as 12 µmol C cm−3 d−1, corresponding to areal rates up to 10-times higher than previously reported for coastal sediments, and showed the importance of fluid flow for supplying the necessary substrates to support chemoautotrophy. Without flow, rates were substantially lower and microbial community composition markedly shifted. Our results highlight the importance of fluid flow in shaping the composition and activity of microbial communities of shallow-water hydrothermal vents, identifying them as hotspots of microbial productivity.
Intramitochondrial co-assembly between ATP and nucleopeptides induces cancer cell apoptosis
Authors: Choi Huyeon , Park Gaeun , Shin Eunhye , Shin Seon Woo , Jana Batakrishna , Jin Seongeon , Kim Sangpil , Wang Huaimin , Kwak Sang Kyu , Xu Bing , Ryu Ja-Hyoung
Published: April 2022

Mitochondria-targeting nucleopeptide (MNP) can sequester ATP by self-assembling with ATP. A small nanosized MNP/ADP complex forms a large assembly with ATP. Thus, intramitochondrial co-assembly causes stress by large structures and apoptosis.
Preparation, characterization, and methylene blue dye adsorption study of silk fibroin–graphene oxide nanocomposites
Authors: Martis Lavita J. , Parushuram N. , Sangappa Y.
Published: April 2022

In the current study, an attempt was made to fabricate silk fibroin/graphene oxide (SF/GO) blend films.
Graphene quantum dot implanted supramolecular carbon nitrides with robust photocatalytic activity against recalcitrant contaminants
Authors: Huo Yang , Ding Xuhui , Zhang Xueyan , Ren Miao , Sang Luobin , Wen Siyu , Song Daiyu , Yang Yuxin
Published: April 2022

Graphene quantum dot implanted supramolecular carbon nitrides exhibit superior visible-light photocatalytic activity in the degradation of aqueous contaminants of emerging concern.
Lysosome-targeting luminescent lanthanide complexes: from molecular design to bioimaging
Authors: Ambiliraj D. B. , Francis Biju , Reddy M. L. P.
Published: April 2022

The recent advances in the design and development of lysosome-targeting luminescent lanthanide molecular probes for live-cell imaging applications are briefly highlighted.
ZIF-67-derived nanoframes as efficient bifunctional catalysts for overall water splitting in alkaline medium
Authors: Liao Wenhao , Tong Xianfeng , Zhai Yali , Dai Haojiang , Fu Yingyan , Qian Min , Wu Geng , Chen Tianyun , Yang Qinghua
Published: April 2022

The study constructed and demonstrated a new ZIF-67-derived efficient catalyst, providing some useful hints for developing MOF-based TMP catalysts with high water splitting activity.
IVS I-5 (G > C) is associated with changes to the RBC membrane lipidome in response to hydroxyurea treatment in β-thalassemia patients
Authors: Khan Muhammad Behroz Naeem , Iftikhar Fizza , Khan Tajwali , Danish Asma , Shamsi Tahir , Musharraf Syed Ghulam , Siddiqui Amna Jabbar
Published: April 2022

The red blood cell membrane loses its integrity during hemoglobinopathies like β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease.
Metabolomics study reveals the alteration of fatty acid oxidation in the hearts of diabetic mice by empagliflozin
Authors: Zhang Yingwei , Zhang Zeyu , Li Chundi , Tang Donge , Dai Yong
Published: April 2022

Metabolomics screening revealed the alteration of fatty acid oxidation in the hearts of diabetic mice after SGLT2i treatment.
Inhibition of PbI2-induced defects by doping MABr for high-performance perovskite solar cells
Authors: Yao Yao , Wang Mingliang , Cai Qingrui , Wei Dong
Published: April 2022

The addition of MABr can effectively inhibit the residue of PbI2 and the PbI2-induced defects in FA-based perovskite films; thus, the efficiency and stability of PSCs could be improved obviously.
Cyanomethyl (CNMe) ether: an orthogonal protecting group for saccharides
Authors: Molla Mosidur Rahaman , Thakur Rima
Published: April 2022

Synthesis, orthogonal deprotection with common protecting groups and reagent tolerance of cyanomethyl (CNMe) ether protected sugars have been explored.
In situ preparation of an anatase/rutile-TiO2/Ti3C2Tx hybrid electrode for durable sodium ion batteries
Authors: Song Yang , Kang Yuchong , Ma Wei , Li Haibo
Published: April 2022

A facile one-step method is developed to in situ prepare crystalline anatase and rutile TiO2 nanocrystalline on Ti3C2Tx by regulating the metastable Ti ions.
Phosphorylation of covalent organic framework nanospheres for inhibition of amyloid-β peptide fibrillation
Authors: Yao Linli , Zhou Zhe , Wang Suxiao , Zou Qichao , Wang Hang-Xing , Ma Li-Xin , Wang Shengfu , Zhang Xiuhua
Published: April 2022

Nanoscale spherical COFsviaphosphorylation functionalization were found to efficiently inhibit fibrillation of the Alzheimer's disease-associated Aβ peptide.
Regiocontrolled allylic functionalization of internal alkene via selenium-π-acid catalysis guided by boron substitution
Authors: Yang Ling , Liu Yuan , Fan Wen-Xin , Tan Dong-Hang , Li Qingjiang , Wang Honggen
Published: April 2022

The allylic boron substitution results in a regiocontrolled olefin transpositional allylic chlorination and imidation reaction.
Mechanism-based strategies to prevent salt sensitivity and salt-induced hypertension
Authors: Kurtz Theodore W. , Pravenec Michal , DiCarlo Stephen E.
Published: April 2022

High-salt diets are a major cause of hypertension and cardiovascular (CV) disease. Many governments are interested in using food salt reduction programs to reduce the risk for salt-induced increases in blood pressure and CV events. It is assumed that reducing the salt concentration of processed foods will substantially reduce mean salt intake in the general population. However, contrary to expectations, reducing the sodium density of nearly all foods consumed in England by 21% had little or no effect on salt intake in the general population. This may be due to the fact that in England, as in other countries including the U.S.A., mean salt intake is already close to the lower normal physiologic limit for mean salt intake of free-living populations. Thus, mechanism-based strategies for preventing salt-induced increases in blood pressure that do not solely depend on reducing salt intake merit attention. It is now recognized that the initiation of salt-induced increases in blood pressure often involves a combination of normal increases in sodium balance, blood volume and cardiac output together with abnormal vascular resistance responses to increased salt intake. Therefore, preventing either the normal increases in sodium balance and cardiac output, or the abnormal vascular resistance responses to salt, can prevent salt-induced increases in blood pressure. Suboptimal nutrient intake is a common cause of the hemodynamic disturbances mediating salt-induced hypertension. Accordingly, efforts to identify and correct the nutrient deficiencies that promote salt sensitivity hold promise for decreasing population risk of salt-induced hypertension without requiring reductions in salt intake.
Peer Effects in Language Therapy for Preschoolers With Developmental Language Disorder: A Pilot Study
Authors: Schmitt Mary Beth , Tambyraja Sherine , Siddiqui Seham
Published: April 2022

Purpose:

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the impact of including peers with typically developing language (TDL) in language intervention sessions for preschool children with diagnosed developmental language disorder (DLD).

Method:

To measure peer effects, participants received 8 weeks of group language intervention in their neighborhood head start. Twenty children with DLD were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. Children in the experimental condition received language intervention with a peer with TDL; children in the control condition received language intervention with another peer with DLD. Pre- and posttest measures of language (semantics, syntax, morphology, and narrative) were collected. Teachers, speech-language pathologists, and assessors were blind to study condition.

Results:

All children in the study showed gains from pre- to posttest; there were no statistically significant differences between conditions. However, effect size estimates (Cohen's
d
) indicated that the children in the experimental condition showed an advantage over the control condition in syntax, morphology, and narrative.

Conclusions:

This study provides preliminary evidence that children with DLD show increased gains in language when paired with peers with TDL. This finding supports previous research in educational literature, suggesting that children's development is influenced by the skills of their peers. Additional research is warranted to further explore and understand the role of peers for children with DLD.
Age estimation from facial images based on Gabor feature fusion and the CIASO‐SA algorithm
Authors: Lu Di , Wang Dapeng , Zhang Kaiyu , Zeng Xiangyuan
Published: April 2022

Aiming at the problem of long time‐consuming and low accuracy of existing age estimation approaches, a new age estimation method using Gabor feature fusion, and an improved atomic search algorithm for feature selection is proposed. Firstly, texture features of five scales and eight directions in the face region are extracted by Gabor wavelet transform. The statistical histogram is introduced to encode and fuse the directional index with the largest feature value on Gabor scales. Secondly, a new hybrid feature selection algorithm chaotic improved atom search optimisation with simulated annealing (CIASO‐SA) is presented, which is based on an improved atomic search algorithm and the simulated annealing algorithm. Besides, the CIASO‐SA algorithm introduces a chaos mechanism during atomic initialisation, significantly improving the convergence speed and accuracy of the algorithm. Finally, a support vector machine (SVM) is used to get classification results of the age group. To verify the performance of the proposed algorithm, face images with three resolutions in the Adience dataset are tested. Using the Gabor real part fusion feature at 48 × 48 resolution, the average accuracy and 1‐off accuracy of age classification exhibit a maximum of 60.4% and 85.9%, respectively. Obtained results prove the superiority of the proposed algorithm over the state‐of‐the‐art methods, which is of great referential value for application to the mobile terminals.
A novel algorithm for distance measurement using stereo camera
Authors: Adil Elmehdi , Mikou Mohammed , Mouhsen Ahmed
Published: April 2022

Distance estimation can be achieved by using active sensors or with the help of passive sensors such as cameras. The stereo vision system is generally composed of two cameras to mimic the human binocular vision. In this paper, a Python‐based algorithm is proposed to find the parameters of each camera, rectify the images, create the disparity maps and finally use these maps for distance measurements. Experiments using real‐time images, which were captured from our stereo vision system, of different obstacles positioned at multiple distances (60–200 cm) prove the effectiveness of the proposed program and show that the calculated distance to the obstacle is relatively accurate. The accuracy of distance measurement is up to 99.83%. The processing time needed to calculate the distance between the obstacle and the cameras is less than 0.355 s.
Logical consistency verification of state sensing in safety‐critical decision: A case study of train routing selection
Authors: Wang Ke‐Ming , Wang Xia , Wang Zheng , Wu Guan‐Feng , Xu Yang
Published: April 2022

Reliable decision‐making in a safety‐critical system depends on the consistency of the state of the system process. Based on the decision‐makeing properties of safety‐critical systems, the definition of the critical component, Boolean evolution system, and cognate variables are presented here. By exploring the two lemmas of the critical components, the consistency of the safety‐critical system is defined, then a new process of a safety‐critical decision of consistency checking is proposed. In order to check the consistency properties of the decision, two computation tree logic formulas derived from the lemmas of the consistency checking are developed. The case of the train routing selection is modelled and verified by model checking, which shows the decision prototype guarantees the safety of the critical process. As the turnout is the critical component in the process of the train routing selection, a multi‐sensor‐based unit of state monitoring is developed, and a real‐world test shows the accuracy of the monitoring unit. This study confirms that the state consistency verification ensures the reliability of the safety‐critical system's decision output. The case can enlighten the development of the intelligent control system which has a critical component of decision‐making.
Analysis on characteristic of 3.3‐kV full SiC device and railway traction converter design
Authors: Ding Rongjun , Dou Zechun , Qi Yu , Mei Wenqing , Liu Guoyou
Published: April 2022

With the rapid development of wide‐band gap semiconductor chip and package technologies, the voltage class of commercial silicon carbide (SiC) device is gradually improved. This paper concentrates on the latest 3.3‐kV full SiC‐based metal oxide semiconductor field‐effect transistor (MOSFET) device and its application in railway traction. First, compared with the Si‐based insulated‐gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), the SiC‐based MOSFET shows lower switching loss but weaker short‐circuit capacity. Second, in the railway traction application, the SiC‐based MOSFET with high switching frequency could reduce the inverter loss, the harmonic loss and the noise of traction motor. Third, a well‐designed filter is necessary between the inverter and the motor to prevent the motor from terminal overvoltage and insulation problem, which are resulted from long cable and high dv/dt. Finally, a full‐SiC railway traction inverter prototype is built and tested, and shows obvious advantages on miniaturization and lightweight.
A fast adaptive bus voltage regulation strategy for supercapacitor energy storage systems
Authors: Shi Zhiyuan , Peng Jun , Li Heng , Peng Hui , Liu Weirong , Gao Zhiwei , Huang Zhiwu
Published: April 2022

Supercapacitors undergo wide terminal voltage fluctuations, which makes it difficult to maintain a stable bus voltage and develop a satisfactory dynamic response. To solve this problem, a fast adaptive bus voltage regulation strategy is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the dual‐loop controller with an external voltage loop and an internal current loop is applied to the supercapacitor energy storage systems. Secondly, an adaptive proportional–integral controller is designed for the outer voltage loop to accommodate the variations of the system characteristics. Furthermore, in order to improve the dynamic response, the set‐point automatic modulation is integrated into the voltage control loop to compensate the stochastic load demanded fluctuations. The simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method ensures the stability of the bus voltage and provides a lower fluctuation and shorter settling time compared with the conventional method.