bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamic chloride ion adsorption on single iridium atom boosts seawater oxidation catalysis
Authors: Duan Xinxuan , Sha Qihao , Li Pengsong , Li Tianshui , Yang Guotao , Liu Wei , Yu Ende , Zhou Daojin , Fang Jinjie , Chen Wenxing , Chen Yizhen , Zheng Lirong , Liao Jiangwen , Wang Zeyu , Li Yaping , Yang Hongbin , Zhang Guoxin , Zhuang Zhongbin , Hung Sung-Fu , Jing Changfei , Luo Jun , Bai Lu , Dong Juncai , Xiao Hai , Liu Wen , Kuang Yun , Liu Bin , Sun Xiaoming
Published: March 2024

Seawater electrolysis offers a renewable, scalable, and economic means for green hydrogen production. However, anode corrosion by Cl- pose great challenges for its commercialization. Herein, different from conventional catalysts designed to repel Cl- adsorption, we develop an atomic Ir catalyst on cobalt iron layered double hydroxide (Ir/CoFe-LDH) to tailor Cl- adsorption and modulate the electronic structure of the Ir active center, thereby establishing a unique Ir-OH/Cl coordination for alkaline seawater electrolysis. Operando characterizations and theoretical calculations unveil the pivotal role of this coordination state to lower OER activation energy by a factor of 1.93. The Ir/CoFe-LDH exhibits a remarkable oxygen evolution reaction activity (202 mV overpotential and TOF = 7.46 O2 s−1) in 6 M NaOH+2.8 M NaCl, superior over Cl--free 6 M NaOH electrolyte (236 mV overpotential and TOF = 1.05 O2 s−1), with 100% catalytic selectivity and stability at high current densities (400-800 mA cm−2) for more than 1,000 h.
Light-field flow cytometry for high-resolution, volumetric and multiparametric 3D single-cell analysis
Authors: Hua Xuanwen , Han Keyi , Mandracchia Biagio , Radmand Afsane , Liu Wenhao , Kim Hyejin , Yuan Zhou , Ehrlich Samuel M. , Li Kaitao , Zheng Corey , Son Jeonghwan , Silva Trenkle Aaron D. , Kwong Gabriel A. , Zhu Cheng , Dahlman James E. , Jia Shu
Published: March 2024

Imaging flow cytometry (IFC) combines flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy to enable high-throughput, multiparametric single-cell analysis with rich spatial details. However, current IFC techniques remain limited in their ability to reveal subcellular information with a high 3D resolution, throughput, sensitivity, and instrumental simplicity. In this study, we introduce a light-field flow cytometer (LFC), an IFC system capable of high-content, single-shot, and multi-color acquisition of up to 5,750 cells per second with a near-diffraction-limited resolution of 400-600 nm in all three dimensions. The LFC system integrates optical, microfluidic, and computational strategies to facilitate the volumetric visualization of various 3D subcellular characteristics through convenient access to commonly used epi-fluorescence platforms. We demonstrate the effectiveness of LFC in assaying, analyzing, and enumerating intricate subcellular morphology, function, and heterogeneity using various phantoms and biological specimens. The advancement offered by the LFC system presents a promising methodological pathway for broad cell biological and translational discoveries, with the potential for widespread adoption in biomedical research.
Mating harassment may boost the effectiveness of the sterile insect technique for Aedes mosquitoes
Authors: Zhang Dongjing , Maiga Hamidou , Li Yongjun , Bakhoum Mame Thierno , Wang Gang , Sun Yan , Damiens David , Mamai Wadaka , Bimbilé Somda Nanwintoum Séverin , Wallner Thomas , Bueno-Masso Odet , Martina Claudia , Kotla Simran Singh , Yamada Hanano , Lu Deng , Tan Cheong Huat , Guo Jiatian , Feng Qingdeng , Zhang Junyan , Zhao Xufei , Paerhande Dilinuer , Pan Wenjie , Wu Yu , Zheng Xiaoying , Wu Zhongdao , Xi Zhiyong , Vreysen Marc J. B. , Bouyer Jérémy
Published: March 2024

The sterile insect technique is based on the overflooding of a target population with released sterile males inducing sterility in the wild female population. It has proven to be effective against several insect pest species of agricultural and veterinary importance and is under development forAedesmosquitoes. Here, we show that the release of sterile males at high sterile male to wild female ratios may also impact the target female population through mating harassment. Under laboratory conditions, male to female ratios above 50 to 1 reduce the longevity of femaleAedesmosquitoes by reducing their feeding success. Under controlled conditions, blood uptake of females from an artificial host or from a mouse and biting rates on humans are also reduced. Finally, in a field trial conducted in a 1.17 ha area in China, the female biting rate is reduced by 80%, concurrent to a reduction of female mosquito density of 40% due to the swarming of males around humans attempting to mate with the female mosquitoes. This suggests that the sterile insect technique does not only suppress mosquito vector populations through the induction of sterility, but may also reduce disease transmission due to increased female mortality and lower host contact.
Vegetation enhances curvature-driven dynamics in meandering rivers
Authors: Finotello Alvise , Ielpi Alessandro , Lapôtre Mathieu G. A. , Lazarus Eli D. , Ghinassi Massimiliano , Carniello Luca , Favaro Serena , Tognin Davide , D’Alpaos Andrea
Published: March 2024

Stabilization of riverbanks by vegetation has long been considered necessary to sustain single-thread meandering rivers. However, observation of active meandering in modern barren landscapes challenges this assumption. Here, we investigate a globally distributed set of modern meandering rivers with varying riparian vegetation densities, using satellite imagery and statistical analyses of meander-form descriptors and migration rates. We show that vegetation enhances the coefficient of proportionality between channel curvature and migration rates at low curvatures, and that this effect wanes in curvier channels irrespective of vegetation density. By stabilizing low-curvature reaches and allowing meanders to gain sinuosity as channels migrate laterally, vegetation quantifiably affects river morphodynamics. Any causality between denser vegetation and higher meander sinuosity, however, cannot be inferred owing to more frequent avulsions in modern non-vegetated environments. By illustrating how vegetation affects channel mobility and floodplain reworking, our findings have implications for assessing carbon stocks and fluxes in river floodplains.
Color construction of multi-colored carbon fibers using glucose
Authors: Zhou Sijie , Zhang Chunhua , Fu Zhuan , Zhu Qimeng , Zhou Zhaozixuan , Gong Junyao , Zhu Na , Wang Xiaofeng , Wei Xinjie , Xia Liangjun , Xu Weilin
Published: March 2024

Carbon fibers (CFs) have attracted attention in the automotive, aviation, and aerospace industries. However, the coloration of CFs is challenging due to their brittleness, inertness, complexity, and time/energy-intensive processes. Herein, inspired by the naturally grown protrusive nanostructures on the green central surface of peacock back feathers, we report an in-situ self-growing strategy for developing carbon spheres (CSs) on the CFs surface to achieve color tuning. This is achieved via the dynamic growth of CSs using glucose as the feeding material. Combined with the coloration process, the interaction between CSs and CFs promotes stable interfacial forces in integrated molding. This strategy allows the coloring system to continuously vary its color in a designated manner, thereby, endowing it with satisfactory mechanical robustness, acid durability, and light fastness. We anticipate this developed approach can be potentially competitive in the color construction of CFs with multi-colors due to its low-cost manufacturing.
Incorporating long-range electrostatics in neural network potentials via variational charge equilibration from shortsighted ingredients
Authors: Shaidu Yusuf , Pellegrini Franco , Küçükbenli Emine , Lot Ruggero , de Gironcoli Stefano
Published: March 2024

We present a new approach to construct machine-learned interatomic potentials including long-range electrostatic interactions based on a charge equilibration scheme. This new approach can accurately describe the potential energy surface of systems with ionic and covalent interactions as well as systems with multiple charge states. Moreover, it can either be regressed against known atomic charge decompositions or trained without charge targets, without compromising the accuracy of energy and forces. We benchmark our approach against other state-of-the-art models and prove it to have equivalent performances on a set of simple reference systems while being less computationally expensive. Finally, we demonstrate the accuracy of our approach on complex systems: solid and liquid state sodium chloride. We attain accuracy in energy and forces better than the model based on local descriptors and show that our electrostatic approach can capture the density functional theory tail of the potential energy surface of the isolated Na-Cl dimer, which the local descriptor-based model fails to describe.
Relation of life sciences students’ metacognitive monitoring to neural activity during biology error detection
Authors: Behrendt Mei Grace , Clark Carrie , Elliott McKenna , Dauer Joseph
Published: March 2024

Metacognitive calibration—the capacity to accurately self-assess one’s performance—forms the basis for error detection and self-monitoring and is a potential catalyst for conceptual change. Limited brain imaging research on authentic learning tasks implicates the lateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate brain regions in expert scientific reasoning. This study aimed to determine how variation in undergraduate life sciences students’ metacognitive calibration relates to their brain activity when evaluating the accuracy of biological models. Fifty undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory life sciences course completed a biology model error detection task during fMRI. Students with higher metacognitive calibration recruited lateral prefrontal regions linked in prior research to expert STEM reasoning to a greater extent than those with lower metacognitive calibration. Findings suggest that metacognition relates to important individual differences in undergraduate students’ use of neural resources during an authentic educational task and underscore the importance of fostering metacognitive calibration in the classroom.
OPENPichia: licence-free Komagataella phaffii chassis strains and toolkit for protein expression
Authors: Claes Katrien , Van Herpe Dries , Vanluchene Robin , Roels Charlotte , Van Moer Berre , Wyseure Elise , Vandewalle Kristof , Eeckhaut Hannah , Yilmaz Semiramis , Vanmarcke Sandrine , Çıtak Erhan , Fijalkowska Daria , Grootaert Hendrik , Lonigro Chiara , Meuris Leander , Michielsen Gitte , Naessens Justine , van Schie Loes , De Rycke Riet , De Bruyne Michiel , Borghgraef Peter , Callewaert Nico
Published: March 2024

The industrial yeast Komagataella phaffii (formerly named Pichia pastoris) is commonly used to synthesize recombinant proteins, many of which are used as human therapeutics or in food. However, the basic strain, named NRRL Y-11430, from which all commercial hosts are derived, is not available without restrictions on its use. Comparative genome sequencing leaves little doubt that NRRL Y-11430 is derived from a K. phaffii type strain deposited in the UC Davis Phaff Yeast Strain Collection in 1954. We analysed four equivalent type strains in several culture collections and identified the NCYC 2543 strain, from which we started to develop an open-access Pichia chassis strain that anyone can use to produce recombinant proteins to industry standards. NRRL Y-11430 is readily transformable, which we found to be due to a HOC1 open-reading-frame truncation that alters cell-wall mannan. We introduced the HOC1 open-reading-frame truncation into NCYC 2543, which increased the transformability and improved secretion of some but not all of our tested proteins. We provide our genome-sequenced type strain, the hoc1tr derivative that we named OPENPichia as well as a synthetic, modular expression vector toolkit under liberal end-user distribution licences as an unencumbered OPENPichia resource for the microbial biotechnology community.
Spatial landmark detection and tissue registration with deep learning
Authors: Ekvall Markus , Bergenstråhle Ludvig , Andersson Alma , Czarnewski Paulo , Olegård Johannes , Käll Lukas , Lundeberg Joakim
Published: March 2024

Spatial landmarks are crucial in describing histological features between samples or sites, tracking regions of interest in microscopy, and registering tissue samples within a common coordinate framework. Although other studies have explored unsupervised landmark detection, existing methods are not well-suited for histological image data as they often require a large number of images to converge, are unable to handle nonlinear deformations between tissue sections and are ineffective for z-stack alignment, other modalities beyond image data or multimodal data. We address these challenges by introducing effortless landmark detection, a new unsupervised landmark detection and registration method using neural-network-guided thin-plate splines. Our proposed method is evaluated on a diverse range of datasets including histology and spatially resolved transcriptomics, demonstrating superior performance in both accuracy and stability compared to existing approaches.
Fixed-time angle of attack constrained control for aircraft considering dynamic icing process
Authors: Dong Zehong , Da Xingya , Li Yinghui , Li Zhe , Xie Like
Published: March 2024

Aircraft icing deteriorates aerodynamic performance and reduces stall angle of attack, the fast convergence rate of tracking error is required to stabilize the aircraft when aircraft icing occurs. The state-of-the-art control methods for icing aircraft mostly assume that the icing of aircraft is instantaneous. Aiming at these issues, a fixed-time angle of attack-constrained control strategy is designed considering dynamic icing process. In order to explore the variation of aerodynamic coefficients in the process of dynamic icing, an ice wind tunnel experiment is implemented, and the relationship between lift coefficient, drag coefficient and pitching moment coefficient with angle of attack and icing intensity is obtained by fitting method. In order to prevent the stalling problem caused by the decrease of the stalling angle of attack in the process of dynamic icing, a method to determine the stalling angle of attack based on deep neural network is proposed. Considering the asymmetric and time-varying angle of attack constraint, a fixed-time convergent angle of attack-constrained robust control method is designed. The ice wind tunnel experiment shows the process of dynamic icing of the airfoil, and the simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed control method.
Non-KAM classical chaos topology for electrons in superlattice minibands determines the inter-well quantum transition rates
Authors: Wang F. , Greenaway M. T. , Balanov A. G. , Fromhold T. M.
Published: March 2024

We investigate the quantum-classical correspondence for a particle tunnelling through a periodic superlattice structure with an applied bias voltage and an additional tilted harmonic oscillator potential. We show that the quantum mechanical tunnelling rate between neighbouring quantum wells of the superlattice is determined by the topology of the phase trajectories of the analogous classical system. This result also enables us to estimate, with high accuracy, the tunnelling rate between two spatially displaced simple harmonic oscillator states using a classical model, and thus gain new insight into this generic quantum phenomenon. This finding opens new directions for exploring and understanding the quantum-classical correspondence principle and quantum jumps between displaced harmonic oscillators, which are important in many branches of natural science.
The influence of microbial colonization on inflammatory versus pro-healing trajectories in combat extremity wounds
Authors: Schobel Seth A. , Gann Eric R. , Unselt Desiree , Grey Scott F. , Lisboa Felipe A. , Upadhyay Meenu M. , Rouse Michael , Tallowin Simon , Be Nicholas A. , Zhang Xijun , Dalgard Clifton L. , Wilkerson Matthew D. , Hauskrecht Milos , Badylak Stephen F. , Zamora Ruben , Vodovotz Yoram , Potter Benjamin K. , Davis Thomas A. , Elster Eric A.
Published: March 2024

A combination of improved body armor, medical transportation, and treatment has led to the increased survival of warfighters from combat extremity injuries predominantly caused by blasts in modern conflicts. Despite advances, a high rate of complications such as wound infections, wound failure, amputations, and a decreased quality of life exist. To study the molecular underpinnings of wound failure, wound tissue biopsies from combat extremity injuries had RNA extracted and sequenced. Wounds were classified by colonization (colonized vs. non-colonized) and outcome (healed vs. failed) status. Differences in gene expression were investigated between timepoints at a gene level, and longitudinally by multi-gene networks, inferred proportions of immune cells, and expression of healing-related functions. Differences between wound outcomes in colonized wounds were more apparent than in non-colonized wounds. Colonized/healed wounds appeared able to mount an adaptive immune response to infection and progress beyond the inflammatory stage of healing, while colonized/failed wounds did not. Although, both colonized and non-colonized failed wounds showed increasing inferred immune and inflammatory programs, non-colonized/failed wounds progressed beyond the inflammatory stage, suggesting different mechanisms of failure dependent on colonization status. Overall, these data reveal gene expression profile differences in healing wounds that may be utilized to improve clinical treatment paradigms.
Assessment of parental mosaicism rates in neurodevelopmental disorders caused by apparent de novo pathogenic variants using deep sequencing
Authors: Lecoquierre François , Cassinari Kévin , Drouot Nathalie , May Angèle , Fourneaux Steeve , Charbonnier Francoise , Derambure Celine , Coutant Sophie , Saugier-Veber Pascale , Hoischen Alexander , Charbonnier Camille , Nicolas Gaël
Published: March 2024

While de novo variants (DNV) are overall at low risk of recurrence in subsequent pregnancies, a subset is at high risk due to parental mosaicism. Accurately identifying cases of parental mosaicism is therefore important for genetic counseling in clinical care. Some studies have investigated the rate of parental mosaics, but most were either limited by the sensitivity of the techniques (i.e. exome or genome sequencing), or focused on specific types of disease such as epileptic syndromes. This study aimed to determine the proportion of parental mosaicism among the DNV causing neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in a series not enriched in epilepsy syndromes. We collected 189 patients with NDD-associated DNV. We applied a smMIP enrichment method and sequenced parental blood DNA samples to an average depth of 7000x. Power simulation indicated that mosaicism with an allelic fraction of 0.5% would have been detected for 87% of positions with 90% power. We observed seven parental mosaic variants (3.7% of families), of which four (2.1% of families) had an allelic fraction of less than 1%. In total, our study identifies a relatively low proportion of parental mosaicism in NDD-associated DNVs and raises the question of a biological mechanism behind the higher rates of parental mosaicism detected in other studies, particularly those focusing on epileptic syndromes.
Experimental study on the quasi-static and dynamic tensile behaviour of thermally treated Barakar sandstone in Jharia coal mine fire region, India
Authors: Tripathi Adarsh , Khan Mohammad Mohsin , Pain Anindya , Rai Nachiketa , Iqbal Mohd Ashraf
Published: March 2024

In the present study, the effect of mild to high-temperature regimes on the quasi-static and dynamic tensile behaviours of Barakar sandstone from the Jharia coal mine fire region has been experimentally investigated. The experimental work has been performed on Brazilian disk specimens of Barakar sandstone, which are thermally treated up to 800 °C. The quasi-static and dynamic split tensile strength tests were carried out on a servo-controlled universal testing machine and Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB), respectively. Microscopic and mineralogical changes were studied through a petrographic investigation. The experimental results suggest the prevalence of both, static and dynamic loading scenarios after 400 °C. Up to 400 °C, the quasi-static and dynamic tensile strengths increased due to the evaporation of water, which suggests a strengthening effect. However, beyond 400 °C, both strengths decreased significantly as newly formed thermal microcracks became prevalent. The dynamic tensile strength exhibits strain rate sensitivity up to 400 °C, although it shows a marginal decline in this sensitivity beyond this temperature threshold. The Dynamic Increase Factor (DIF) remained constant up to 400 °C and slightly increased after 400 °C. Furthermore, the characteristic strain rate at which the dynamic strength becomes twice the quasi-static strength remains consistent until reaching 400 °C but steadily decreases beyond this temperature. This experimental study represents the first attempt to validate the Kimberley model specifically for thermally treated rocks. Interestingly, the presence of water did not have a significant impact on the failure modes up to 400 °C, as the samples exhibited a dominant tensile failure mode, breaking into two halves with fewer fragments. However, as temperature increased, the failure behaviours became more complex due to the combined influence of thermally induced microcracks and the applied impact load. Cracks initially formed at the centre and subsequently, multiple shear cracks emerged and propagated in the loading direction, resulting in a high degree of fragmentation. This study also demonstrates that shear failure is not solely dependent on the loading rate but can also be influenced by temperature, further affecting the failure mode of the sandstone.
Retinal hemorrhages and damages from tractional forces associated with infantile abusive head trauma evaluated by wide-field fundus photography
Authors: Azuma Noriyuki , Yoshida Tomoyo , Yokoi Tadashi , Nishina Sachiko , Uematsu Satoko , Miyasaka Mikiko
Published: March 2024

We evaluated the distribution and types of retinal hemorrhages (RHs) and other damages in eyes with abusive head trauma (AHT). This retrospective, consecutive case series of AHT and non-AHT conditions involved 54 children with AHT, 43 children with head bruises, and 49 children with blunt eye trauma, each of non-AHT supported by reliable witness accounts. RHs and other damage were evaluated using ophthalmoscopy and wide-field fundus photography. A variety of RH types and other damage were identified in the AHT group but not in the non-AHT group. RHs in AHT extended from the posterior pole to the far periphery in 77% of eyes and on/near the veins in 86% and arteries in 85%, most of which were in the far periphery. Retinoschisis, white-dot lesions, and retinal folds were seen even in the far periphery. RHs on/near the veins and arteries, retinoschisis, and retinal folds suggest a traumatic mechanism of the tractional force of the vitreous that is attached to the entire retinal surface. Identifying the distribution and arterio and venous origins of RHs is a key factor in determining the association with trauma. Thus, wide-field fundus photography is useful to record and evaluate the origin of the RHs and other retinal damage.
Investigation of color and physicomechanical properties of peek and pekk after storage in a different medium
Authors: Kaya Nihan , Sasany Rafat , Yanıkoglu Nuran , Tosun Busra
Published: March 2024

The aim of this study is to assess color stability, solubility, and water sorption on polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and polyether ketone ketone (PEKK) after immersion in different storage conditions. Material and Methods Ninety disc-shaped specimens (8 × 2) were obtained from CAD/CAM blocks [PEEK (n = 45) and PEKK (n = 45)]. Before immersion, baseline color value data were recorded with a spectrophotometer. The specimens were soaked in three solutions red wine, coffee, and distilled water at 37 °C for 28 days. Following immersion, color values were remeasured, and color-change values (ΔE) were calculated. Water sorption and solubility were assessed by mass gain or loss after storage in water for 28 days. The Kruskal–Wallis and the Mann–Whitney U test were used for analysis (P = 0.05). Results ΔE00 between PEEK and PEKK was significantly different statistically (P < 0.001). PEEK presented higher water sorption than PEKK (P = 0.005). The difference in solubility between PEEK and PEKK was not statistically significant (P = 0.163). The materials and storage medium types had a statistically significant impact (P = 0.100). In terms of staining potential, the solutions tested in this experiment were ranked as: coffee > red wine > distilled water. The results of this study demonstrated that PEKK was more successful in polymer-containing CAD/CAM materials as it exhibited less color change and water absorption.
High methane ebullition throughout one year in a regulated central European stream
Authors: Michaelis Tamara , Kaplar Felicitas , Baumann Thomas , Wunderlich Anja , Einsiedl Florian
Published: March 2024

Ebullition transports large amounts of the potent greenhouse gas methane (CH$$_4$$

4

) from aquatic sediments to the atmosphere. River beds are a main source of biogenic CH$$_4$$

4

, but emission estimates and the relative contribution of ebullition as a transport pathway are poorly constrained. This study meets a need for more direct measurements with a whole-year data set on CH$$_4$$

4

ebullition from a small stream in southern Germany. Four gas traps were installed in a cross section in a river bend, representing different bed substrates between undercut and slip-off slope. For a comparison, diffusive fluxes were estimated from concentration gradients in the sediment and from measurements of dissolved CH$$_4$$

4

in the surface water. The data revealed highest activity with gas fluxes above 1000 ml m$$^{-2}$$

-
2

 d$$^{-1}$$

-
1

in the center of the stream, sustained ebullition during winter, and a larger contribution of ebullitive compared to diffusive CH$$_4$$

4

fluxes. Increased gas fluxes from the center of the river may be connected to greater exchange with the surface water, thus increased carbon and nutrient supply, and a higher sediment permeability for gas bubbles. By using stable isotope fractionation, we estimated that 12-44% of the CH$$_4$$

4

transported diffusively was oxidized. Predictors like temperature, air pressure drop, discharge, or precipitation could not or only poorly explain temporal variations of ebullitive CH$$_4$$

4

fluxes.
Obstetric and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with idiopathic polyhydramnios: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kechagias Konstantinos S. , Triantafyllidis Konstantinos Katsikas , Zouridaki Georgia , Savvidou Makrina
Published: March 2024

Although the assessment of the amniotic fluid volume in pregnancy is part of the fetal wellbeing surveillance, the impact of idiopathic polyhydramnios (IP) on maternal and perinatal outcomes in unknown. The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the association of IP with different maternal and perinatal outcomes. We screened five electronic databases until December 2023 and performed data extraction and quality assessment using ROBINS-E in duplicates. Pooled risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated with a random effects model. 38 studies were included. Patients with IP were at increased risk of perinatal complications including preterm delivery (RR 1.96, 95% CI 1.35–2.86; I2 = 92%), placental abruption (RR 3.20, 95% CI 2.20–4.65; I2 = 2%), delivery via caesarean section (RR 1.60, 95% CI 1.39–1.84; I2 = 95%) and postpartum haemorrhage (RR 1.98, 95% CI 1.22–3.22; I2 = 84%). Similarly, IP was associated with increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes including low APGAR score (RR 3.0, 95% CI 1.23–7.35; I2 = 95%), stillbirth (RR 4.75, 95% CI 2.54–8.86; I2 = 9%) and perinatal mortality (RR 4.75, 95% CI 2.67–8.48; I2 = 37%). This meta-analysis suggests that pregnant women with IP may be at increased risk of perinatal complications and adverse neonatal outcomes. However, data remains inconclusive considering the low quality and high heterogeneity of included studies.

PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022359944.
Investigating the efficacy and importance of mobile-based assessments for Parkinson's disease: uncovering the potential of novel digital tests
Authors: Zhang Yanci , Zeng Zhiwei , Mirian Maryam S. , Yen Kevin , Park Kye Won , Doo Michelle , Ji Jun , Shen Zhiqi , McKeown Martin J.
Published: March 2024

This study introduces PDMotion, a mobile application comprising 11 digital tests, including those adapted from the MDS-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Part III and novel assessments, for remote Parkinson's Disease (PD) motor symptoms evaluation. Employing machine learning techniques on data from 50 PD patients and 29 healthy controls, PDMotion achieves accuracies of 0.878 for PD status prediction and 0.715 for severity assessment. A post-hoc explanation model is employed to assess the importance of features and tasks in diagnosis and severity evaluation. Notably, novel tasks that are not adapted from MDS-UPDRS Part III like the circle drawing, coordination test, and alternative tapping test are found to be highly important, suggesting digital assessments for PD can go beyond digitizing existing tests. The alternative tapping test emerges as the most significant task. Using its features alone achieves prediction accuracies comparable to the full task set, underscoring its potential as an independent screening tool. This study addresses a notable research gap by digitalizing a wide array of tests, including novel ones, and conducting a comparative analysis of their feature and task importance. These insights provide guidance for task selection and future development in PD mobile assessments, a field previously lacking such comparative studies.
Hierarchical channel morphology in O-rings after two cycling exposures to 70 MPa hydrogen gas: a case study of sealing failure
Authors: Lee Chang Hoon , Jung Jae Kap , Kim Kyung Sook , Kim Chang Jong
Published: March 2024

This study investigates the impact of high-pressure hydrogen gas exposure on the structural and morphological characteristics of O-ring materials. O-ring specimens undergo two cycles of sealing under 70 MPa hydrogen gas, and their resulting variations are examined using advanced characterization techniques, including powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Our findings reveal that the lattice parameters of the O-ring material show no significant changes when exposed to 70 MPa hydrogen gas. However, in the micrometre range, the formation of a hierarchical channel morphology becomes evident. This morphology is accompanied by the separation of carbon black filler from the rubber matrix, contributing to mechanical weakening of the O-ring. These observations can be attributed to the pressure gradient that develops between the inner and outer radii of the O-ring, resulting from compression forces acting perpendicularly to the radial direction due to clamp locking.
Reconstructing colonization dynamics to establish how human activities transformed island biodiversity
Authors: Tomlinson Sean , Lomolino Mark V. , Anderson Atholl , Austin Jeremy J. , Brown Stuart C. , Haythorne Sean , Perry George L. W. , Wilmshurst Janet M. , Wood Jamie R. , Fordham Damien A.
Published: March 2024

Drivers and dynamics of initial human migrations across individual islands and archipelagos are poorly understood, hampering assessments of subsequent modification of island biodiversity. We developed and tested a new statistical-simulation approach for reconstructing the pattern and pace of human migration across islands at high spatiotemporal resolutions. Using Polynesian colonisation of New Zealand as an example, we show that process-explicit models, informed by archaeological records and spatiotemporal reconstructions of past climates and environments, can provide new and important insights into the patterns and mechanisms of arrival and establishment of people on islands. We find that colonisation of New Zealand required there to have been a single founding population of approximately 500 people, arriving between 1233 and 1257 AD, settling multiple areas, and expanding rapidly over both North and South Islands. These verified spatiotemporal reconstructions of colonisation dynamics provide new opportunities to explore more extensively the potential ecological impacts of human colonisation on New Zealand’s native biota and ecosystems.
Aiouea padiformis extract exhibits anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the ATPase activity of NLRP3
Authors: Lee Sumin , Ye Qianying , Yang Hyeyun , Lee Sojung , Kim YeJi , Lee Nahyun , Gonzalez-Cox Darwin , Yi Dong-Keun , Kim Soo-Yong , Choi Sangho , Choi Taesoo , Kim Man S. , Hong Seong Su , Choi Chun Whan , Lee Yoonsung , Park Yong Hwan
Published: March 2024

Inflammation is implicated as a cause in many diseases. Most of the anti-inflammatory agents in use are synthetic and there is an unmet need for natural substance-derived anti-inflammatory agents with minimal side effects. Aiouea padiformis belongs to the Lauraceae family and is primarily found in tropical regions. While some members of the Aiouea genus are known to possess anti-inflammatory properties, the anti-inflammatory properties of Aiouea padiformis extract (AP) have not been investigated. In this study, we aimed to examine the anti-inflammatory function of AP through the NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Treatment with AP inhibited the secretion of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) mediated by NLRP3 inflammasome in J774A.1 and THP-1 cells without affecting the viability. In addition, AP treatment did not influence NF-κB signaling, potassium efflux, or intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production—all of which are associated with NLRP3 inflammasome activation. However, intriguingly, AP treatment significantly reduced the ATPase activity of NLRP3, leading to the inhibition of ASC oligomerization and speck formation. Consistent with cellular experiments, the anti-inflammatory property of AP in vivo was also evaluated using an LPS-induced inflammation model in zebrafish, demonstrating that AP hinders NLRP3 inflammasome activation.
Internet of medical things and blockchain-enabled patient-centric agent through SDN for remote patient monitoring in 5G network
Authors: Rahman Anichur , Wadud Md. Anwar Hussen , Islam Md. Jahidul , Kundu Dipanjali , Bhuiyan T. M. Amir-Ul-Haque , Muhammad Ghulam , Ali Zulfiqar
Published: March 2024

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in the use of internet resources for accessing medical care, resulting in the development and advancement of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). This technology utilizes a range of medical equipment and testing software to broadcast patient results over the internet, hence enabling the provision of remote healthcare services. Nevertheless, the preservation of privacy and security in the realm of online communication continues to provide a significant and pressing obstacle. Blockchain technology has shown the potential to mitigate security apprehensions across several sectors, such as the healthcare industry. Recent advancements in research have included intelligent agents in patient monitoring systems by integrating blockchain technology. However, the conventional network configuration of the agent and blockchain introduces a level of complexity. In order to address this disparity, we present a proposed architectural framework that combines software defined networking (SDN) with Blockchain technology. This framework is specially tailored for the purpose of facilitating remote patient monitoring systems within the context of a 5G environment. The architectural design contains a patient-centric agent (PCA) inside the SDN control plane for the purpose of managing user data on behalf of the patients. The appropriate handling of patient data is ensured by the PCA via the provision of essential instructions to the forwarding devices. The suggested model is assessed using hyperledger fabric on docker-engine, and its performance is compared to that of current models in fifth generation (5G) networks. The performance of our suggested model surpasses current methodologies, as shown by our extensive study including factors such as throughput, dependability, communication overhead, and packet error rate.
Improved adaptive regularization for simulated annealing inversion of transient electromagnetic
Authors: Tang Xiang , Liu Shangbin , Nian Xiaofei , Deng Shengqiang , Liu Yuchao , Ye Qiongyao , Li Yingjie , Li Yangyi , Yuan Tong , Sun Huaifeng
Published: March 2024

Geophysical inversion usually involves ill-posed problem. Regularization is the most commonly used method to mitigate this problem. There are many regularization parameter selection methods, among which the adaptive regularization method can automatically update parameters during iteration, reducing the difficulty of parameter selection. Therefore, it is widely used in linear inversion. However, there are very few studies on the use of adaptive regularization methods in stochastic optimization algorithms. The biggest difficulty is that in stochastic optimization algorithms, the search direction of any iteration is completely random. Data fitting term and stabilizing term vary in a wide range, making it difficult for traditional methods to work. In this paper, we consider the contributions of the data fitting term and the stabilizing term in the objective function and give an improved adaptive regularization method for very fast simulated annealing (VFSA) inversion for transient electromagnetic (TEM) data. The optimized method adjusts the two terms dynamically to make them in balance. We have designed several numerical experiments, and the experimental results demonstrate that the method in this paper not only accelerates the convergence, but also the inversion results are very little affected by the initial regularization parameter. Finally, we apply this method to field data, and the inversion results show very good agreements with nearby borehole data.
Identification of the bacterial community that degrades phenanthrene sorbed to polystyrene nanoplastics using DNA-based stable isotope probing
Authors: Summers Stephen , Bin-Hudari Mohammad Sufian , Magill Clayton , Henry Theodore , Gutierrez Tony
Published: March 2024

In the Anthropocene, plastic pollution has become a new environmental biotope, the so-called plastisphere. In the oceans, nano- and micro-sized plastics are omnipresent and found in huge quantities throughout the water column and sediment, and their large surface area-to-volume ratio offers an excellent surface to which hydrophobic chemical pollutants (e.g. petrochemicals and POPs) can readily sorb to. Our understanding of the microbial communities that breakdown plastic-sorbed chemical pollutants, however, remains poor. Here, we investigated the formation of 500 nm and 1000 nm polystyrene (PS) agglomerations in natural seawater from a coastal environment, and we applied DNA-based stable isotope probing (DNA-SIP) with the 500 nm PS sorbed with isotopically-labelled phenanthrene to identify the bacterial members in the seawater community capable of degrading the hydrocarbon. Whilst we observed no significant impact of nanoplastic size on the microbial communities associated with agglomerates that formed in these experiments, these communities were, however, significantly different to those in the surrounding seawater. By DNA-SIP, we identified Arcobacteraceae, Brevundimonas, Comamonas, uncultured Comamonadaceae, Delftia, Sphingomonas and Staphylococcus, as well as the first member of the genera Acidiphilum and Pelomonas to degrade phenanthrene, and of the genera Aquabacterium, Paracoccus and Polymorphobacter to degrade a hydrocarbon. This work provides new information that feeds into our growing understanding on the fate of co-pollutants associated with nano- and microplastics in the ocean.
Application of machine learning with large-scale data for an effective vaccination against classical swine fever for wild boar in Japan
Authors: Ito Satoshi , Aguilar-Vega Cecilia , Bosch Jaime , Isoda Norikazu , Sánchez-Vizcaíno José Manuel
Published: March 2024

Classical swine fever has been spreading across the country since its re-emergence in Japan in 2018. Gifu Prefecture has been working diligently to control the disease through the oral vaccine dissemination targeting wild boars. Although vaccines were sprayed at 14,000 locations between 2019 and 2020, vaccine ingestion by wild boars was only confirmed at 30% of the locations. Here, we predicted the vaccine ingestion rate at each point by Random Forest modeling based on vaccine dissemination data and created prediction surfaces for the probability of vaccine ingestion by wild boar using spatial interpolation techniques. Consequently, the distance from the vaccination point to the water source was the most important variable, followed by elevation, season, road density, and slope. The area under the curve, model accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for model evaluation were 0.760, 0.678, 0.661, and 0.685, respectively. Areas with high probability of wild boar vaccination were predicted in northern, eastern, and western part of Gifu. Leave-One-Out Cross Validation results showed that Kriging approach was more accurate than the Inverse distance weighting method. We emphasize that effective vaccination strategies based on epidemiological data are essential for disease control and that our proposed tool is also applicable for other wildlife diseases.
A case–control study on health-related quality of life of systemic lupus erythematosus patients
Authors: Refai Rania H. , Hussein Mohammed F. , Abdou Mamdouh H. , Abou-Raya Anna N.
Published: March 2024

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic rheumatic autoimmune condition that can cause a wide range of symptoms and problems that may affect the health-related quality of life. The main objective of the study was to assess the SLE burden by exploring the effect of the disease on health-related quality of life. The study consisted of 29 female SLE patients and 27 healthy female controls; they were matched for age and parity. A 36-item Short Form health survey questionnaire (SF-36) was used to collect data from participants through face-to-face interviews and to assess their health-related quality of life. SF-36 summary scores for the physical and mental components were decreased in the studied patients compared with controls; PCS was 28.81 ± 16.63, 77.25 ± 15.75 for cases and controls, respectively; and MCS was 32.75 ± 18.69, and 78.75 ± 10.63 for cases and controls, respectively (p < 0.05). The high correlation between the two dimensions characterizes this decrease. SLE negatively affected the quality of life of the patients. Measures such as lifestyle modifications, physical activity, and a healthy diet should be taken to improve the health-related quality of life in SLE patients. In addition, raising the patient’s awareness about the disease and its consequences could help to cope with the illness and engage in social and physical activities.
Predictive healthcare modeling for early pandemic assessment leveraging deep auto regressor neural prophet
Authors: Dash Sujata , Giri Sourav Kumar , Mallik Saurav , Pani Subhendu Kumar , Shah Mohd Asif , Qin Hong
Published: March 2024

In this paper, NeuralProphet (NP), an explainable hybrid modular framework, enhances the forecasting performance of pandemics by adding two neural network modules; auto-regressor (AR) and lagged-regressor (LR). An advanced deep auto-regressor neural network (Deep-AR-Net) model is employed to implement these two modules. The enhanced NP is optimized via AdamW and Huber loss function to perform multivariate multi-step forecasting contrast to Prophet. The models are validated with COVID-19 time-series datasets. The NP’s efficiency is studied component-wise for a long-term forecast for India and an overall reduction of 60.36% and individually 34.7% by AR-module, 53.4% by LR-module in MASE compared to Prophet. The Deep-AR-Net model reduces the forecasting error of NP for all five countries, on average, by 49.21% and 46.07% for short-and-long-term, respectively. The visualizations confirm that forecasting curves are closer to the actual cases but significantly different from Prophet. Hence, it can develop a real-time decision-making system for highly infectious diseases.
Scleral buckling with adjuvant pneumatic retinopexy versus scleral buckling alone for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment
Authors: Jung Young Hoon , Park Kyu Hyung , Woo Se Joon , Joo Kwangsic , Kim Min Seok
Published: March 2024

To compare the efficacy of scleral buckling with adjuvant pneumatic retinopexy (SB with PR) and scleral buckling (SB) alone for primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). This retrospective and comparative study included patients who underwent SB with PR (n = 88) or SB alone (n = 161) for primary RRD. The primary anatomical success rate for SB with PR was 81.8%, whereas that for SB alone was 80.7% (P = 0.836). Among patients who achieved primary anatomical success, those in the SB with PR group showed postoperative epiretinal membrane (ERM) formation more frequently than those in the SB alone group (11 of 72 [15.3%] vs. 6 of 130 [4.6%]) (P = 0.009). The mean time to subretinal fluid absorption was not significantly different between the SB with PR and SB alone groups (11.2 ± 6.2 vs. 11.4 ± 5.8 months, P = 0.881). In the SB with PR group, retinal detachment involving ≥ three quadrants was a significant risk factor for surgical failure (hazard ratio, 3.04; P = 0.041). Adjuvant pneumatic retinopexy does not provide additional benefit in improving the surgical outcomes of SB for primary RRD repair.
Pan-cancer and multi-omics analyses revealed the diagnostic and prognostic value of BAZ2A in liver cancer
Authors: Liu Yan , Wang Junli , Guo Jimin , Zhang Qianyi , Wang Shuqing , Hu Fen , Wu Jinghua , Zhao Yating , Zhang Jinghua , Yu Yuan , Li Yufeng , Zhang Xiaojun
Published: March 2024

BAZ2A, an epigenetic regulatory factor that affects ribosomal RNA transcription, has been shown to be highly expressed in several cancers and promotes tumor cell migration. This study explored the expression and mechanism of BAZ2A in tumorigenesis at the pan-cancer level. The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus databases and TIMER2.0, cBioPortal and other tools were used to analyze the level of expression of BAZ2A in various tumor tissues and to examine the relationship between BAZ2A and survival, prognosis, mutation and immune invasion. In vitro experiments were performed to assess the function of BAZ2A in cancer cells. Using combined transcriptome and proteome analysis, we examined the possible mechanism of BAZ2A in tumors. BAZ2A exhibited high expression levels in multiple tumor tissues and displayed a significant association with cancer patient prognosis. The main type of BAZ2A genetic variation in cancer is gene mutation. Downregulation of BAZ2A inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion and promoted apoptosis in LM6 liver cancer cell. The mechanism of BAZ2A in cancer development may involve lipid metabolism. These results help expand our understanding of BAZ2A in tumorigenesis and development and suggest BAZ2A may serve as a prognostic and diagnostic factor in several cancers.