bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regime shifts in future ocean CO2 fluxes revealed through machine learning
Authors: Couespel Damien , Tjiputra Jerry , Johannsen Klaus , Ayar pradeebane Vaittinada , Jensen Bjørnar
Published: February 2023

The interannual variability of the air-sea CO2 flux is non-negligible, modulates the global warming signal, and yet it is poorly represented in Earth System Models (ESMs). ESMs are highly sophisticated and computationally demanding, making it challenging to perform dedicated experiments to investigate the key drivers of the CO2 flux variability across spatial and temporal scales. Machine learning methods can objectively and systematically explore large datasets, ensuring physically meaningful results. Here, we show that a kernel ridge regression can reconstruct the present and future CO2 flux variability in five ESMs. Surface concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and alkalinity emerge as the critical drivers, but the former is projected to play a lesser role in the future due to decreasing vertical gradient. Our results demonstrate a new approach to efficiently interpret the massive datasets produced by ESMs, and offer guidance into future model development to better constrain the CO2 flux.
Visual analysis of the prevention and control measures of COVID-19 in Chinese ports
Authors: Huang Chunyan , Qiu Yuanming , Fang Yiliang , Chen Guangmin , Xu Xinying , Xie Jianfeng , Hu Zhijian , Zheng Kuicheng , He Fei
Published: February 2023

In 2022, COVID-19 solutions in China has entered a normal stage, and the solutions imported from ports have been transformed from emergency prevention and control measures to investigative long-term prevention and control measures. Therefore, it is necessary to study solutions for COVID-19 at border ports. In this study, literature related to COVID-19 prevention and control at ports from 2020 to September 2022 in the Wanfang database, CNKI, CQVIP database, and WOS core were searched. Citespace 6.1.R2 software was used for the visual analysis of researchers, research institutions, and keywords. A total of 170 articles were included for analysis. The research teams of the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine (CAIQ) and Beijing Customs District P.R.CHINA published more articles, and there was less cross-cooperation among research institutions. Keywords such as “COVID-19”, “epidemic prevention and control”, “port”, and “health quarantine” appear frequently. High-frequency clustering words were “#0 COVID-19”, “#1 risk assessment”, “#2 prevention and control mechanism”, “#3 infectious diseases”, “#4 public health”, and so on, indicating that risk assessment and other prevention mechanisms were the hot spots of current research.
Transport of Volatiles in Agglutinates from Lunar Regolith of Chang’E-5 Mission
Authors: Li Long , Zhang Guang , Zhang Hui , Xiao Yuan , Zhao Shaofan , Song Jian , Yao Wei , Wang Weihua , Zou Zhigang , Yang Mengfei
Published: February 2023

Volatiles transport in the lunar regolith is essential for lunar soil evolution and in-situ resources utilization (ISRU) and has not been fully understood. Here, we characterize a typical agglutinate particle from Chang’E-5 samples and demonstrate the transport behavior of volatiles through the porous structure. The results of surface and 3D structural characterization indicate that the formation of the smooth porous structure is mainly caused by volatiles flow. Based on the element distribution analysis, we further speculate the main component of the volatiles is gas water attributed to the reduction of FeO by abundant hydrogen in the superficial lunar regolith during micrometeoroids impacts. Numerical models of volatiles (gas water) transport in the porous agglutinate have been developed for different pressure conditions. The results show the ultrafast transport of volatiles makes the superficial regolith dry and barren under high-vacuum condition. We conclude that rapid escape of volatiles can hardly retain water in the superficial lunar soil yet provides opportunities for development of ISRU technology.
Responsive and Resilient Healthcare? Moments of Resilience in post- hospitalisation services for COVID-19
Authors: Overton Charlotte , Emerson Tristen , Evans Rachael , Armstrong Natalie
Published: February 2023

Background

COVID-19 caused disruption to healthcare services globally, resulting in high numbers of hospital admissions and with those discharged often requiring ongoing support. Within the UK, post-discharge services typically developed organically and were shaped over time by local need, funding, and government guidance. Drawing on the Moments of Resilience framework, we explore the development of follow-up services for hospitalised patients by considering the links between resilience at different system levels over time. This study contributes to the resilient healthcare literature by providing empirical evidence of how diverse stakeholders developed and adapted services for patients following hospitalisation with COVID-19 and how action taken at one system level influenced another.

Methods

Qualitative research comprising comparative case studies based on interviews. Across three purposively selected case studies (two in England, one in Wales) a total of 33 semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinical staff, managers and commissioners who had been involved in developing and/or implementing post-hospitalisation follow-up services. The interviews were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed. Analysis was conducted with the aid of NVivo 12.

Results

Case studies demonstrated three distinct examples of how healthcare organisations developed and adapted their post-discharge care provision for patients, post-hospitalisation with COVID-19. Initially, the moral distress of witnessing the impact of COVID-19 on patients who were being discharged coupled with local demand gave clinical staff the impetus to take action. Clinical staff and managers worked closely to plan and deliver organisations’ responses. Funding availability and other contextual factors influenced situated and immediate responses and structural adaptations to the post-hospitalisation services. As the pandemic evolved, NHS England and the Welsh government provided funding and guidance for systemic adaptations to post-COVID assessment clinics. Over time, adaptations made at the situated, structural, and systemic levels influenced the resilience and sustainability of services.

Conclusions

This paper addresses understudied, yet inherently important, aspects of resilience in healthcare by exploring when and where resilience occurs across the healthcare system and how action taken at one system level influenced another. Comparison across the case studies showed that organisations responded in similar and different ways and on varying timescales to a disruption and national level strategies.
Assessing the Thyroid Autoimmunity Association with Recurrent Aphtous Stomatitis
Authors: Karimi Fariba , Lavaee Fatemeh , Nematollahi Aida , Sahmeddini Sarina
Published: February 2023

Background
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), a common disease of the oral mucosa, can be painful and reduce the quality of life. Since many investigations have focused on the autoimmune origins of RAS, we aimed to investigate the relationship between RAS and autoimmune thyroid diseases (ATDs) in an Iranian population.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was done on 102 patients diagnosed with ATD (case) and 102 healthy patients (control) who had been referred for their routine dental treatments. All participants were asked for the history of RAS and their age, gender, other systemic diseases, medications, and frequency of RAS in a year. Matching was done based on propensity score for age and gender. Also, the number of lesions in each recurrence in both groups has been assessed and compared. The type of thyroid disease has been assessed for case participants and has been confirmed by the endocrinologist. The chi-square test, T-test, and Man-Whitney test were used to analyze the data by SPSS 18.
Results
The patients with ATD had more RAS in comparison to healthy controls (P = 0.040). ATD patients had 1.93times more risk for RAS, and the frequency of RAS in a year was 3.15times higher in these patients (P = 0.011). Moreover, the frequency of RAS was higher in patients with hypothyroidism than in patients with hyperthyroidism (P = 0.03). However, there were no significant differences regarding the size and the number of lesions between the groups.
Conclusion
The risk and frequency of RAS was significantly higher in patients with ATDs. However, the size and the number of lesions had no relationship to ATD.
Albumin and caffeine -loaded nanofiber for topical wound healing
Authors: Saadat Fatemeh , Peirouvi Tahmineh , Diba Kambiz , Azarbayjani Anahita Fathi
Published: February 2023

Background
Intravenous albumin administration increases blood circulation and enhances wound healing. Topical caffeine can induce vascularization and the formation of blood vessels on the skin. The purpose of this work is to explore for the first time the effect of topical albumin and caffeine on wound healing in rat models.
Methods
This work aimed to develop albumin and caffeine-loaded nanofibers by the electrospinning method and to evaluate their topical effect on wound healing. Nanofiber formation was assessed by SEM and considered using FT-IR spectroscopy.
Results
The therapeutic activity of topical albumin and caffeine was investigated on a full-thickness excision skin model. Results indicate faster healing of wounds covered with albumin. Albumin alone or in combination with caffeine effectively reduced the exposed wound area. Data show that daily albumin-loaded wound dressing displayed good healing properties and enhanced wound closure rate.
Conclusion
These findings may indicate the successful application of the sauce as a promising tool in wound healing therapy.
Improving Chilhood Safety Through a Peer Based Educational Model
Authors: Teichman Amanda L. , Walls David O. , Choron Rachel L. , Starace Diana , Mosier Allison S. , Lissauer Matthew , Gupta Rajan
Published: February 2023

Purpose:
Trauma is the leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality annually in the United States. As an adult level 1 and pediatric level 2 trauma center, we are committed to injury prevention through outreach and education. The Safety Ambassadors Program (SAP) was developed as part of this aim. Safety Ambassadors (SA) are high schoolers who teach elementary school students about safety/injury prevention. This model is impactful, relatable, and engaging when provided by participants’ aspirational peers. The curriculum addresses prevalent areas of injury risk: car/pedestrian safety, wheeled sports/helmets, and fall prevention. We hypothesized that participation in SAP, leads to improved safety knowledge/behaviors, and ultimately reduce childhood preventable injuries.
Methods:
With IRB approval and as part of quality improvement, pre- and post-course exams were administered to SAP participants to assess knowledge (12-questions) and behavior (4-questions). Results were retrospectively reviewed, and pre/post training mean scores were calculated. Scores were calculated based on number of correct answers on pre/post exam. Comparisons were made using the student t-test. All tests were 2-tailed with significance set at 0.05. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS software.
Results:
Pre- and post-training results were assessed for 2016–2019. During that time, 8,832-students participated in SAP. First graders demonstrated significant improvement in safety knowledge [pre 9(95% CI 8.9–9.2) vs post 9.8(95%CI 9.6–9.9),(p < 0.01)] and behavior modification [pre 3.2(95%CI 3.1–3.2) vs post 3.6(95% CI 3.5–3.6),(p < 0.01)]. Similar findings were seen in 2nd graders: safety knowledge [pre 9.6(95% CI 9.4–9.9) vs post 10.1(95% CI 9.9–10.2),(p < 0.01)] and behavior [pre 3.3(95% CI 3.1–3.4) vs post 3.5(95%CI 3.4–3.6),(p < 0.01)].
Conclusions:
SAP is a novel evidence based educational program. On a local level it’s demonstrated improved safety knowledge and behavior in elementary school students. As trauma is the leading cause of pediatric death and disability, enhanced education may lead to life saving injury prevention in this vulnerable population.
A social-semantic-working-memory account for two canonical language areas
Authors: Zhang Guangyao , Xu Yangwen , Wang Xiuyi , Li Jixing , Shi Weiting , Bi Yanchao , Lin Nan
Published: February 2023

Language and social cognition are traditionally studied as separate cognitive domains, yet accumulative studies reveal overlapping neural correlates at the left ventral temporoparietal junction (vTPJ) and lateral anterior temporal lobe (lATL), which have been attributed to sentence processing and social concept activation. We propose a common cognitive component underlying both effects -- social-semantic working memory. We confirmed two key predictions of our hypothesis using fMRI: First, the left vTPJ and lATL showed sensitivity to sentences only when the sentences conveyed social meaning.; second, these regions showed persistent social-semantic-selective activity after the linguistic stimuli disappeared. We additionally found that both regions were sensitive to the socialness of nonlinguistic stimuli and were more tightly connected with the social-semantic-processing areas than with the sentence-processing areas. The converging evidence indicates the social-semantic-working-memory function of the left vTPJ and lATL and challenges the general-semantic and/or syntactic accounts for the neural activity of these regions.
Foldable Metal-Organic Framework as Origamic Mechanical Metamaterial
Authors: Jin Eunji , Lee In Seong , Yang D. ChangMo , Moon Dohyun , Nam Joohan , Kang Eunyoung , Lee Junghye , Noh Hyuk-Jun , Min Seung Kyu , Choe Wonyoung
Published: February 2023

Origami, known as “paper folding” has become a fascinating research topic recently. Origami-inspired materials often establish unprecedented mechanical properties that are difficult to achieve in conventional materials. However, the materials based on origami tessellation at the molecular level have been significantly underexplored. Herein, we report a two-dimensional (2D) porphyrinic metal-organic framework (MOF), self-assembled from Zn nodes and flexible porphyrin linkers, displaying folding motions based on origami tessellation. A combined experimental and theoretical investigation demonstrated the origami mechanism of the 2D porphyrinic MOF, whereby the flexible linker acts as a pivoting point. The discovery of the 2D tessellation hidden in the 2D MOF unveils origami mechanics at the molecular level.
Comparison of percutaneous balloon compression and radiofrequency-thermocoagulation in the management of trigeminal neuralgia
Authors: Herta Johannes Bernd , Loidl Theresa Bettina , Schmied Tobias , Tomschik Matthias , Khalaveh Farjad , Wang Wei-Te , Dorfer Christian
Published: February 2023

Purpose: To compare percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) and radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RFTC) for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (TGN).
Methods: Retrospective single center analysis of data from 230 patients with TGN that underwent 202 PBC (46%) and 234 RFTC (54%) from 2002 to 2019. Comparison of demographic data and TGN characteristics between procedures as well as assessment of 1) initial pain relief (IPR) by an improved Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) pain intensity scale of I-III; 2) recurrence free survival (RFS) of patients with a follow-up of at least six months by Kaplan-Meier analysis; 3) risk factors for failed IPR and RFS by regression analysis and 4) complications and adverse events.
Results: IPR was achieved in 353 (84.2%) procedures and showed no significant difference between PBC (83.7%) and RFTC (84.9%). Patients who suffered from multiple sclerosis (Odds ratio 5.34) or had a higher preoperative BNI (Odds ratio 2.01) showed a higher risk of not becoming pain free. RFS in 283 procedures was longer for PBC (44%) with 481 days compared to RFTC (56%) with 421 days (p=0.036) but without statistical significance. The only factor that showed a significant influence on RFS rates was a postoperative BNI ≤ II (P=<0.0001). The complication rate of 22.2% as well as zero mortality showed no difference between the two procedures (p=0.162).
Conclusion: Both percutaneous interventions lead to a comparable IPR and RFS with a low and comparable probability of complications. An individualized approach, considering the advantages and disadvantages of each intervention should guide the decision-making process.
Behavioural Based Detection of Android Ransomware Using Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: G Kirubavathi , S Sreevarsan , P VARADHAN
Published: February 2023

Currently the whole world is going digitalization, using handheld device like smartphones and evolution of Internet, due to pandemic, all the transactions are going online. The security at end devices is an important issue to everyone. We believe that the, data is in transit is more secure, but in reality is not true. The data are in hands of bad actors for malicious activities. Android Ransomware is one of the most widely distributed assaults throughout the world. It is a type of virus that prevents users from accessing the operating system and encrypts essential data saved on their device. The majority of this work focuses on two goals: the first is to offer an introduction of ransomware and machine learning techniques, and the second part focussed on thorough assessment of detection of Android ransomware application using machine learning methods. After a thorough analysis of existing mechanisms of android ransomware detection, we found that the combination of static behaviour analysis of application and machine learning techniques gives good accuracy of android ransomware applications. In this research used, proposed a static based feature selection technique and applied machine learning algorithms for prediction of ransomware applications. For classification, the Decision Tree, Extra Tree classifier, Light Gradient Boosting Machine methods are employed in conjunction with the random forest tree. The dataset used was obtained from Kaggle and consists of 331 Android application permissions, 199 of which are Ransomware. The suggested model outperforms with a detection accuracy of 98.05 percent. Based on its best performance, we believe our suggested approach will be useful in malware and forensic investigation.
A randomized, double-blind placebo-control study assessing the protective efficacy of an odour-based ‘push-pull’ malaria vector control strategy in reducing human-vector contact
Authors: Fillinger Ulrike , Denz Adrian , Njoroge Margaret Mendi , Tambwe Mohamed Mgeni , Takken Willem , Loon Joop J.A. van , Moore Sarah Jane , Saddler Adam , Chitnis Nakul , Hiscox Alexandra
Published: February 2023

Novel malaria vector control strategies targeting the odour-orientation of mosquitoes during host-seeking, such as ‘attract-and-kill’ or ‘push-and-pull’, have been suggested as complementary tools to indoor residual spraying and long-lasting insecticidal nets. These would be particularly beneficial if they can target vectors in the peri-domestic space where people are unprotected by traditional interventions. A randomized double-blind placebo-control study was implemented in western Kenya to evaluate: a ‘push’ intervention (spatial repellent) using transfluthrin-treated fabric strips positioned at open eave gaps of houses; a ‘pull’ intervention placing an odour-baited mosquito trap at a 5 m distance from a house; the combined ‘push-pull’ package; and the control where houses contained all elements but without active ingredients. Treatments were rotated through 12 houses in a randomized-block design. Outdoor biting was estimated using human landing catches, and indoor mosquito densities using light-traps. None of the interventions provided any protection from outdoor biting malaria vectors. The ‘push’ reduced indoor vector densities dominated by Anopheles funestus by around two thirds. The ‘pull’ device did not add any benefit. In the light of the high Anopheles arabiensis biting densities outdoors in the study location, the search for efficient outdoor protection and effective pull components needs to continue.
Progestin primed double stimulation versus flexible GnRh antagonist protocol in poor responders. A randomized control study.
Authors: Hussein Aly , Abdelrahman Ashraf , Elabd Mohamed , Gaafar Sherif
Published: February 2023

Poor ovarian responders represent a daily clinical challenge to fertility practitioners. Dual stimulation protocols aim at maximizing the number of retrieved oocytes in the shortest time. In this study, the progestin primed double stimulation protocol was compared to 2 cycles of the flexible antagonist protocol in poor responders. Additionally, we have investigated both phases of the double stimulation and the effect of the progestin used, Dydrogesterone, on the ovarian response. 90 poor responders, defined according to Bologna criteria, were randomized into 2 groups. Group I, were stimulated using the progestin primed double stimulation protocol and group II, were stimulated by 2 cycles of the flexible antagonist protocol. Total days of controlled ovarian stimulation and the total gonadotropins requirements were comparable among both groups. However, the number of retrieved oocytes were significant higher in the dual stimulation group. There was no statistically significant difference, in the implantation rate, clinical or the ongoing pregnancy rates. In the dual stimulation group, we found that the stimulation days and the gonadotropins requirements were statistically higher in the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase. But we also noticed that luteal stimulation resulted in a significant increase in the number of mature oocytes, fertilization rate and embryos available for cryopreservation. So, we concluded that progestin primed double stimulation is a valuable option in poor ovarian responders. Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04537078
The Role of Hedgehog Signaling in the Melanoma Tumor Bone Microenvironment
Authors: Shamsoon Karnoon , Hiraki Daichi , Yoshida Koki , Takabatake Kiyofumi , Takebe Hiroaki , Yokozeki Kenji , Horie Naohiro , Fujita Naomasa , Nasrun Nisrina , Okui Tatsuo , Nagatsuka Hitoshi , Abiko Yoshihiro , Hosoya Akihiro , Saito Takashi , Shimo Tsuyoshi
Published: February 2023

A crucial regulator in melanoma progression and treatment resistance is the tumor microenvironment, and Hedgehog (Hh) signals activated in a tumor bone microenvironment are a potential new therapeutic target. The mechanism of bone destruction by melanomas involving Hh /Gli signaling in the tumor microenvironment is unknown. Here, we analyzed surgically resected oral malignant melanoma specimens and observed that Sonic hedgehog, Gli1, and Gli2 were highly expressed in tumor cells, vasculatures and osteoclasts. We established a tumor bone destruction mouse model by inoculating B16 cells into the bone marrow space of the right tibial metaphysis of 5-week-old female C57BL mice. An intraperitoneal administration of GANT61 (40 mg/kg), a small molecule inhibitor of Gli1 and Gli2, caused bone destruction of cortical bone, TRAP-positive osteoclasts, and a significant suppression of endomucin-positive tumor vessels. A gene set enrichment analysis suggested that genes involved in the apoptosis, angiogenesis, and PD-L1 expression pathway in cancer were significantly altered by GANT61 treatment. A flow cytometry analysis revealed that PD-L1 expression was significantly decreased in cells in which apoptosis was induced by GANT61 treatment. These results suggest that Hh signaling plays an important role in the melanoma bone microenvironment through normalization and remodeling of the tumor bone microenvironment.
Evaluation of airway involvement and treatment in patients with relapsing polychondritis
Authors: Handa Hiroshi , Ooka Seido , Shimizu Jun , Suzuki Noboru , Mineshita Masamichi
Published: February 2023

Airway involvement in relapsing polychondritis (RP) can be debilitating and life threatening, often requiring interventional procedures. If standard therapies including systemic corticosteroid and immunosuppressive agents are ineffective, airway stenting is often required. Recently, biologics have been reported to be effective for RP, and the early administration of biologics may avoid airway stenting. To evaluate survival rates and treatment approaches, medical records of RP patients with airway involvement were reviewed. These cases were divided into the following groups: with and without malacia, stenting and non-stenting, and with and without biologics. Kaplan-Meier was used to calculate survival rates and log rank tests were used to analyze biologics groups. A total of 77 patients were enrolled. Airway stenting was performed in 13 patients, all of which developed airway malacia. The stenting group had significantly lower survival rates than the non-stenting group (p < 0.001). Stent-related complications were granulation tissue (85%) and mucostasis (69%). In the non-stenting group, a lower mortality rate was observed. A significantly higher survival rate was seen in patients administered biologics than without (p = 0.014). The early administration of biologics shows promise in preventing severe airway disorders that require airway stenting.
Retrospective Study on Abortion Rate in Goat herd at Abergelle Agricultural Research Center, Tigray, Ethiopia
Authors: Abay Guash , Hagazi Mebrahtom , Mezgebe Gebretnsae , Teklue Teshale , Aregawi Weldegebrial , Baraki Adehanom
Published: February 2023

Background
Abortion is among the leading cause of production losses in Tigray. A retrospective study on abortion cases were conducted for over seven years in goat farm located in Tanqua Abergelle district of Ethiopia with the objectives of investigating the occurrence of abortion and associated risk factors.
Results
The study illustrated that the overall abortion rate observed was 29.8% in the goat farm. The highest abortion rate was observed in Begait goat breeds (50.9%, CI 0.36–0.64) during the 2015/16 study year. The chi-square test and univariable regression analysis revealed that the overall abortion rate significantly varied with breed type, season, age, and year (P < 0.05) but no variation with parity (P > 0.05). Accordingly, goats during the dry season (OR 1.74, CI 1.28–2.37) were more likely to have abortion than during the wet season (OR 0.29, CI 0.23–0.37) and Begait breeds (rate. 37.5%, OR 3.5, CI 1.85–7.23) show higher abortion as compared to the other breeds. Looking at the within breeds (animal level), the factors parity, age, years and season (p < 0.05) were among the important factors in Abergelle breeds, season and study years (P < 0.05) were significantly differed in Begait breeds, and none of the factors were important in cross breeds for the occurrence of abortion. A survey at the community level (outside the farm) revealed that 26 out of 29 (89.7%) households responded that their goats experienced abortion.
Conclusions
The results showed that high abortion rate and seasonally and/or yearly varied abortion cases were observed along with causative agents remained to be investigated. This research finding could provide essential information for the breeding research center and nearby farmers to introduce better management, and abortion prevention methods. In addition, appropriate investigation to identify the causes of abortion should be the next research direction.
OPTIMIZATION OF ENDOGLUCANASE PRODUCTION BY SOLID FERMENTATION USING COCONUT RESIDUE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIOETHANOL
Authors: Cerqueira Keilla S. , Silva Graziella N. , Silva Karollyna M. , Rodrigues Jacqueline R.S. , Lobato Ana Katerine de C. L. , Souza Roberto R.
Published: February 2023

Enzymes have several applications and potential, in addition to being an alternative for industry because they have advantages over synthetic chemicals that release polluting and toxic by-products into the environment. The optimization of the production of enzymes that degrade cellulose is of great interest, and in order to increase the viability of its use, several studies have been selecting sources and identifying means of obtaining and evaluating the enzymatic activity of these enzymes. Microorganisms can be used in the recycling of waste or in the production of several products with high added value, including biomolecules of industrial importance. The low cost of this raw material allows the development of economically competitive and ecological processes. Coconut fiber is an abundant lignocellulosic material and a rich source of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, presenting itself as a promising and low-cost raw material for the production of enzymes. This work aims to produce endoglucanase from microorganisms isolated from coconut fiber to produce second-generation ethanol. For this, the kinetic profile of the enzymatic complex containing cellulases was evaluated, analyzing the effects of moisture content, temperature, and pH during the solid-state fermentation of coconut fiber, using a microorganism isolated from the bagasse itself. The Statistica software was used to evaluate the enzyme's complex production parameters through Pareto charts and response surface plotting. The statistical results indicated that the best conditions of humidity, temperature, and pH were 80%, 30°C, and 3 with activities of 182 U/g endoglucanase in a time of 168 h.
Experimental Manifestation of Redox-Conductivity in Metal-Organic Frameworks and its Implication for Semiconductor/Insulator Switching
Authors: Li Jingguo , Kumar Amol , Johnson Ben , Ott Sascha
Published: February 2023

Electrical conductivity through metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is almost exclusively interpreted in terms of band theory. This common practice neglects the fact that MOFs with electronically isolated redox active units will in fact show redox conductivity. Herein, we demonstrate unambiguous experimental evidence for redox conductivity in a MOF for the first time. The study was conducted on FTO-grown thin films of Zn(pyrazol-NDI) (pyrazol-NDI = 1,4-bis[(3,5-dimethyl)-pyrazol-4-yl]naphthalenediimide). Following Nernstian behavior, the proportion of reduced and oxidized NDI linkers can be adjusted by the applied potential. Through a series of conductivity measurements, it is demonstrated that the MOF exhibits minimal electric resistance at the mid-point potentials of the NDI linker, and conductivity is enhanced by more than 10000-fold compared to that of either the neutral or completely reduced films. The generality of redox conductivity is demonstrated in different MOFs, and its implication for applications that require switching between insulating and semiconducting regimes is discussed.
Multi-Scale Cross-Fusion for Arbitrary Scale Image Super Resolution
Authors: Li Guangping , Xiao Huanling , Liang Dingkai , Ling Bingo Wing-Kuen
Published: February 2023

Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have great improvements for single image super resolution (SISR). However, most of the existing SISR pre-training models can only reconstruct low-resolution (LR) images in a single image, and their upsamling factors cannot be non-integers, which limits their application in practical scenarios. In this paper, we propose a multi-scale cross-fusion network (MCNet) to accomplish the super-resolution task of images at arbitrary scale. Specifically, we construct a multi-scale cross-fusion module (MSCF) to enrich spatial information and remove redundant noise, which uses deep feature maps of different sizes for interactive learning. A large number of experiments on four benchmark datasets show that the proposed method can obtain better super-resolution results than existing arbitrary scale methods in both quantitative evaluation and visual comparison.
Health-Related Quality of Life is Linked to the Gut Microbiome in Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Swarte J. Casper , Knobbe Tim J. , Björk Johannes , Gacesa Ranko , Nieuwenhuis Lianne M. , Zhang Shuyan , Vila Arnau Vich , Kremer Daan , Douwes Rianne M. , Post Adrian , Quint Evelien E. , Pol Robert A. , Jansen Bernadien , de Borst Martin , de Meijer Vincent , Blokzijl Hans , Berger Stefan , Festen Eleonora , Zhernakova Alexandra , Fu Jingyuan , Harmsen Hermie , Bakker Stephan , Weersma Rinse
Published: February 2023

Kidney transplant recipients (KTR) have impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and suffer from intestinal dysbiosis. Increasing evidence shows that gut health and HRQoL are tightly related in the general population. We investigated the association between the gut microbiome and HRQoL in KTR, using metagenomic sequencing data from fecal samples collected from 507 KTR. Multiple bacterial species were associated with lower HRQoL, many of which have previously been associated with adverse health conditions. Gut microbiome dissimilarity to the general population was highest among KTR with an impaired physical HRQoL (R=-0.20, P=2.3x10-5) and mental HRQoL (R=-0.14, P=1.3x10-3). Physical and mental HRQoL explained a significant part of the variance in the gut microbiome (R2=0.63%, FDR=5.40x10-4 and R2=0.37%, FDR=1.40x10-3, respectively). Additionally, multiple metabolic and neuroactive pathways (gut brain modules) were associated with lower HRQoL. These results put forward the microbiome as a potential target to improve HRQoL in KTR.
Discovery of a New Potent Oxindole Multi-kinase Inhibitor Among a Series of Designed 3-Alkenyl-oxindoles with ancillary Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitory activity as antiproliferative agents
Authors: Ismail Rania S. M. , Kerdawy Ahmed M. El , Soliman Dalia H. , Georgey Hanan H. , Gawad Nagwa M. Abdel , Angeli Andrea , Supuran Claudiu T.
Published: February 2023

An optimization strategy was adopted for designing and synthesizing new series of 2-oxindole conjugates. Selected compounds were evaluated for their antiproliferative effect in vitro against NCI-60 cell lines panel, inhibitory effect on carbonic anhydrase (CA) isoforms (hCAI, II, IX and XII), and protein kinases. Compounds 5 and 7 showed promising inhibitory effects on hCA XII, whereas compound 4d was the most potent inhibitor with low nanomolar CA inhibition against all tested isoforms. These results were rationalized by using molecular docking. Despite its lack of CA inhibitory activity, compound 15c was the most active antiproliferative candidate against most of the 60 cell lines with mean growth inhibition 61.83%. To uncover the mechanism of action behind its antiproliferative activity, compound 15c was assessed against a panel of protein kinases (RET, KIT, cMet, VEGFR1,2, FGFR1, PDFGR and BRAF) showing % inhibition of 74%, 31%, 62%, 40%, 73%, 74%, 59% and 69%, respectively, and IC50 of 1.287, 0.117 and 1.185, respectively, against FGFR1, VEGFR and RET kinases. These results were also explained through molecular docking.
Extracellular Vesicles From Lactobacillus druckerii Inhibit Hypertrophic scar Fibrosis
Authors: Han Fu , Wang Kejia , Shen Kuo , Wang Jing , Han Shichao , Hu Dahai , Wu Gaofeng
Published: February 2023

Background: Hypertrophic scars (HS) affect millions of people each year and require better treatment strategies. Bacterial extracellular vesicles (EVs) are advantaged by low cost and high yield which was commonly used in the treatment of diseases. Here, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of EVs obtained from Lactobacillus druckerii in hypertrophic scar. In vitro, the effects of Lactobacillus druckerii-derived EVs (LDEVs) on Collagen I/III and α-SMA in fibroblasts obtained from HS. In vivo, a scleroderma mouse model was used to investigate the effects of LDEVs on fibrosis. The impact of LDEVs on excisional wound healing was explored. The different proteins between PBS and LDEVs treated fibroblasts derived from hypertrophic scar were studied by untargeted proteomic analysis.
Results: In vitro, LDEVs treatment significantly inhibited the expression of Collagen I/III and α-SMA and cell proliferation of fibroblasts derived from HS. In vivo, LDEVs withdrawn the hypertrophic scar formation in scleroderma mouse model and decreased the expression of α-SMA. LDEVs promoted the proliferation of skin cells, new blood vessel formation and wound healing in excisional wound healing mice model. Moreover, proteomics has shown that LDEVs inhibit hypertrophic scar fibrosis through multiple pathways.
Conclusions: Our results indicated that Lactobacillus druckerii-derived EVs has the potential application in the treatment of hypertrophic scars and any other fibrosisdiseases.
WITHDRAWN: Association between dietary inflammatory index and Parkinson’s disease from NHANES (2003–2018): a cross-sectional study
Authors: Wang Lu , Cen Yanmei , Zeng Zhaohao
Published: February 2023

Objective: To explore the association between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dietary inflammatory index (DII) scores in adults over 40 years old in the US.
Methods: In this study, data were collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted from 2003 to 2018. A total of 80,241 participants were included in the study. A weighted univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between the DII and PD, in which continuous variables or categorical variables grouped by tertiles has used. The relationship between DII and PD has been further investigated using propensity score matching (PSM) and a subgroup analysis stratified based on DII and PD characteristics. Moreover, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was conducted to examine whether there was a nonlinear association between DII and PD.
Results: A total of 21,994 participants were obtained for statistical analysis, including 263 patients with PD and 21,731 participants without PD. Univariate and multivariable logistics regression analysis showed DII to be positively associated with PD before and after matching. Subgroup analysis revealed a statistical difference in non-Hispanic Whites, but RCS analysis suggested that there was no nonlinear relationship between the DII and PD.
Conclusion: For participants over 40 years of age, higher DII scores were positively correlated with PD. In addition, these results support the ability of diet to be used as an intervention strategy for managing PD.
La doped TiO2 nanoparticles for photocatalysis: Synthesis, activity in terms of degradation of Methylene Blue dye and regeneration of used nanoparticles
Authors: Verma Veeresh , Singh Satya Vir
Published: February 2023

In this study, bare and Lanthanum (La) doped TiO2 photocatalysts Ti1 − xLaxO2 (x = 0.00-0.025) were prepared by employing a solution-combustion procedure. In this citric acid was utilised as fuel and as a complexing agent. The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by FTIR for the identification of various functional groups, FE-SEM to identify the morphology of nanoparticles, XRD to determine their crystal structure and crystallite size, and DRS to calculate the band gap. Photo-catalytic breakdown of Methylene blue (MB) dye in its aqueous solutions of different concentrations (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 ppm) was used to examine the activity of synthesized nanoparticles in a UV photochemical reactor (UV-PCR). The dye degradation was found to be first order. The best activity was shown by 1.5% La-doped TiO2 photocatalyst and it was better than the commercial Aeroxide P-25 photocatalyst. The Ti0.985La0.015O2 catalyst could be regenerated and reused up to five times with a minor loss in degradation efficiency of MB dye (30 ppm) about 7.85% at the end of fifth cycle.
Sizes and Shapes of Perivascular Spaces Surrounding Murine Pial Arteries
Authors: Raicevic Nikola , Forer Jarod M. , Ladron-de-Guevara Antonio , Du Ting , Nedergaard Maiken , Kelley Douglas H. , Boster Kimberly A. S.
Published: February 2023

Background: Flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through brain perivascular spaces (PVSs) is essential for the clearance of interstitial metabolic waste products whose accumulation and aggregation is a key mechanism of pathogenesis in many diseases. The PVS geometry has important implications for CSF flow as it affects CSF and solute transport rates. Thus, the size and shape of the perivascular spaces are essential parameters for models of CSF transport in the brain and require accurate quantification.
Methods: We segmented two-photon images of pial (surface) PVSs and the adjacent arteries and characterized their sizes and shapes of thousands of cross sections from 14 PVS segments in 9 mice. Based on the analysis, we propose an idealized model that approximates the cross-sectional size and shape of pial PVSs, closely matching their area ratios and hydraulic resistances.
Results: PVS size only approximately scales with vessel size, and the ratio of PVS-to-vessel area varies widely across the thousands of cross sections analyzed. The hydraulic resistance per unit length of the PVS scales with the PVS cross-sectional area, and we found a power-law fit that predicts resistance as a function of the area. Three idealized geometric models were compared to PVSs imaged in vivo, and their accuracy in reproducing hydraulic resistances and PVS-to-vessel area ratios were evaluated. The area ratio was obtained across thousands of different cross sections, and we found that the distribution peaks for the original PVS and its closest idealized fit (polynomial fit) were 1.12 and 1.21, respectively. The peak of the hydraulic resistance distribution is 1.73 x 1015 Pa-s/m5 and 1.44 x 1015 Pa-s/m5 for the segmentation and its closest idealized fit, respectively.
Conclusions: Brief summary and potential implicationsPVS hydraulic resistance can be reasonably predicted as a function of the PVS area. The proposed polynomial-based fit most closely captures the shape of the PVS with respect to area ratio and hydraulic resistance. Idealized PVS shapes are convenient for modeling, which can be used to better understand how anatomical variations affect clearance and drug delivery transport.
ActGraph: Prioritization of Test Cases Based on Deep Neural Network Activation Graph
Authors: Chen Jinyin , Ge Jie , Zheng Haibin
Published: February 2023

Widespread applications of deep neural networks (DNNs) benefit fromDNN testing to guarantee their quality. In the DNN testing, numeroustest cases are fed into the model to explore potential vulnerabilities,but they require expensive manual cost to check the label. Therefore,test case prioritization is proposed to solve the problem of labeling cost,e.g., activation-based and mutation-based prioritization methods. How-ever, most of them suffer from limited scenarios (i.e. high confidenceadversarial or false positive cases) and high time complexity. To addressthese challenges, we propose the concept of the activation graph fromthe perspective of the spatial relationship of neurons. We observe thatthe activation graph of cases that triggers the model’s misbehaviorsignificantly differs from that of normal cases. Motivated by it, wedesign a test case prioritization method based on the activation graph,ActGraph, by extracting the high-order node features of the activationgraph for prioritization. ActGraph explains the difference between thetest cases to solve the problem of scenario limitation. Without muta-tion operations, ActGraph is easy to implement, leading to lower timecomplexity. Extensive experiments on three datasets and four mod-els demonstrate that ActGraph has the following key characteristics.(i) Effectiveness and generalizability: ActGraph shows competitiveperformance in all of the natural, adversarial and mixed scenarios,especially in RAUC-100 improvement (∼ ×1.40). (ii) Efficiency: Act-Graph does not use complex mutation operations and runs in less time (∼ ×1/50) than the state-of-the-art method. The code of ActGraph is open-sourced at https:// github.com/ Embed-Debuger/ ActGraph.
How Should the Time Interval be Defined in Homicide-Suicide Cases?
Authors: Li Feng , Chen Chuqian
Published: February 2023

Purpose
Homicide−suicide behavior ordinarily refers to people who attempt to kill other people then themselves within a week. However, some offenders may have suicide behaviors before or almost simultaneously with homicide acts. The present study aimed to examine the time interval involved in homicide−suicide behavior.
Methods
Murderers who have attempted suicide or individuals who have attempted murder and suicide are regarded as homicide−suicide offenders. We searched Chinese court documents to identify these individuals. We classified them into five groups: those who attempted suicide more than 24 hours before (T1); within 24 hours before (T2); almost simultaneously (T3); within 24 hours after (T4, reference group); and more than 24 hours after (T5) homicide acts. We used multinomial logistic regressions to compare demographics, methods of homicide and suicide, and risk factors among the five groups.
Results
A total of 987 offenders were included (T1, 62; T2, 111; T3, 103; T4, 688; T5, 23). T1 (OR, 2.94; p < 0.01), T2 (OR, 1.89; p < 0.05), and T3 (OR, 3.73; p < 0.01) were more likely to be female than T4; T1 (33.9% vs 19.4%) and T5 (65.2% vs 30.4%) were more likely to attack extra-family members than intimate partners; and T1 were more likely to have psychiatric illnesses than T4 (OR, 9.33; p < 0.001).
Conclusions
If the tendency of attacking intimate partners was set to be the primary inclusion standard of HS, only cases that involved less than one-day intervals between homicidal and suicidal acts could be regarded as homicide−suicide.
The synergistic mechanism of transition layer and transfer layer on dry sliding wear of multi-layered diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating at wide temperature
Authors: Xu Runzhou , Liu Yinshui , Cheng Qian , Wang Zhenyao , Ke Peiling , Deng Yipan
Published: February 2023

The friction and wear characteristics of Cr/CrC/DLC coatings deposited on the surface of 17-4PH stainless steel by a combination of linear anode layer ion source (LIS) and direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) techniques at a wide temperature were studied. The analysis of the wear mechanism and tribochemical reaction mechanism of multi-layered coatings at wide temperatures (25–200 ℃) revealed that the transfer layer generated during wear and the transition layer (Cr/CrC) of multi-layered coatings had a beneficial effect on wear. The friction test results show that the transformation of graphitization mechanism of the DLC coating surface and the lubricating effect of the transfer layer lead to a reduction of the friction coefficient to 0.03. With the increase of temperature, the wear mechanism of DLC coating changes from abrasive wear to adhesive wear, and finally delamination, which is caused by the intensification of surface graphitization. The complex tribochemical reaction in the wear process leads to the dynamic change of its graphitization transformation, which is mainly because the transition layer Cr/CrC and Si3N4 play a role in inhibiting the graphitization transformation of DLC layer during the wear process, thus affecting the friction properties of DLC.