bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The co-crystal structure of Cbl-b and a small-molecule inhibitor reveals the mechanism of Cbl-b inhibition
Authors: Kimani Serah W. , Perveen Sumera , Szewezyk Magdalena , Zeng Hong , Dong Aiping , Li Fengling , Ghiabi Pegah , Li Yanjun , Chau Irene , Arrowsmith Cheryl H. , Barsyte-Lovejoy Dalia , Santhakumar Vijayaratnam , Vedadi Masoud , Halabelian Levon
Published: December 2023

Cbl-b is a RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligase that is expressed in several immune cell lineages, where it negatively regulates the activity of immune cells. Cbl-b has specifically been identified as an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy due to its role in promoting an immunosuppressive tumor environment. A Cbl-b inhibitor, Nx-1607, is currently in phase I clinical trials for advanced solid tumor malignancies. Using a suite of biophysical and cellular assays, we confirm potent binding of C7683 (an analogue of Nx-1607) to the full-length Cbl-b and its N-terminal fragment containing the TKBD-LHR-RING domains. To further elucidate its mechanism of inhibition, we determined the co-crystal structure of Cbl-b with C7683, revealing the compound’s interaction with both the TKBD and LHR, but not the RING domain. Here, we provide structural insights into a novel mechanism of Cbl-b inhibition by a small-molecule inhibitor that locks the protein in an inactive conformation by acting as an intramolecular glue.
Arsenic is a potent co-mutagen of ultraviolet light
Authors: Speer Rachel M. , Nandi Shuvro P. , Cooper Karen L. , Zhou Xixi , Yu Hui , Guo Yan , Hudson Laurie G. , Alexandrov Ludmil B. , Liu Ke Jian
Published: December 2023

Arsenic enhances the carcinogenicity of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). However, the mechanisms of arsenic-driven oncogenesis are not well understood. Here, we utilize experimental systems to investigate the carcinogenic and mutagenic properties of co-exposure to arsenic and UVR. In vitro and in vivo exposures indicate that, by itself, arsenic is not mutagenic. However, in combination with UVR, arsenic exposure has a synergistic effect leading to an accelerated mouse skin carcinogenesis and to more than 2-fold enrichment of UVR mutational burden. Notably, mutational signature ID13, previously found only in UVR-associated human skin cancers, is observed exclusively in mouse skin tumors and cell lines jointly exposed to arsenic and UVR. This signature was not observed in any model system exposed purely to arsenic or purely to UVR, making ID13, to the best of our knowledge, the first co-exposure signature to be reported using controlled experimental conditions. Analysis of existing skin cancer genomics data reveals that only a subset of cancers harbor ID13 and these exhibit an elevated UVR mutagenesis. Our results report a unique mutational signature caused by a co-exposure to two environmental carcinogens and provide comprehensive evidence that arsenic is a potent co-mutagen and co-carcinogen of UVR.
Evidence of compensated semimetal with electronic correlations at charge neutrality of twisted double bilayer graphene
Authors: Ghosh Ayan , Chakraborty Souvik , Ghorai Unmesh , Paul Arup Kumar , Watanabe K. , Taniguchi T. , Sensarma Rajdeep , Das Anindya
Published: December 2023

Recently, magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBLG) has emerged with various interaction-driven novel quantum phases at the commensurate fillings of the moiré superlattice, while the charge neutrality point (CNP) remains mostly a trivial insulator. Here, we show an emerging phase of compensated semimetallicity at the CNP of twisted double bilayer graphene (TDBLG), a close cousin of MATBLG, with signatures of electronic correlation. Using electrical and thermal transport, we find two orders of magnitude enhancement of the thermopower at magnetic fields much smaller than the extreme quantum limit, accompanied by large magnetoresistance ( ~ 2500%) at CNP, providing strong experimental evidence of compensated semimetallicity at CNP of TDBLG. Moreover, at low temperatures, we observe unusual sublinear temperature dependence of resistance. A recent theory1 predicts the formation of an excitonic metal near CNP, where small electron and hole pockets co-exist. We understand this sublinear temperature dependence in terms of critical fluctuations in this theory.
Metastable liquid immiscibility in the 2018–2021 Fani Maoré lavas as a mechanism for volcanic nanolite formation
Authors: Thivet Simon , Pereira Luiz , Menguy Nicolas , Médard Étienne , Verdurme Pauline , Berthod Carole , Troadec David , Hess Kai-Uwe , Dingwell Donald B. , Komorowski Jean-Christophe
Published: December 2023

Nanoscale liquid immiscibility is observed in the 2018–2021 Fani Maoré submarine lavas (Comoros archipelago). Heat transfer calculations, Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy reveal that in contrast to thin (500 µm) outer rims of homogeneous glassy lava (rapidly quenched upon eruption, >1000 °C s−1), widespread liquid immiscibility is observed in thick (1 cm) inner lava rims (moderately quenched, 1–1000 °C s−1), which exhibit a nanoscale coexistence of Si- and Al-rich vs. Ca-, Fe-, and Ti-rich melt phases. In this zone, rapid nanolite crystallization contrasts with the classical crystallization process inferred for the slower cooled ( < 1 °C s−1) lava interiors. The occurrence of such metastable liquid immiscibility at eruptive conditions controls physicochemical characteristics of nanolites and residual melt compositions. This mechanism represents a common yet frequently unobserved feature in volcanic products, with the potential for major impacts on syn-eruptive magma degassing and rheology, and thus on eruptive dynamics.
A data assimilation method to track excitation-inhibition balance change using scalp EEG
Authors: Yokoyama Hiroshi , Kitajo Keiichi
Published: December 2023

Recent neuroscience studies have suggested that controlling the excitation and inhibition (E/I) balance is essential for maintaining normal brain function. However, while control of time-varying E/I balance is considered essential for perceptual and motor learning, an efficient method for estimating E/I balance changes has yet to be established. To tackle this issue, we propose a method to estimate E/I balance changes by applying neural-mass model-based tracking of the brain state using the Ensemble Kalman Filter. In this method, the parameters of synaptic E/I gains in the model are estimated from observed electroencephalography signals. Moreover, the index of E/I balance was defined by calculating the ratio between synaptic E/I gains based on estimated parameters. The method was validated by showing that it could estimate E/I balance changes from human electroencephalography data at the sub-second scale, indicating that it has the potential to quantify how time-varying changes in E/I balance influence changes in perceptual and motor learning. Furthermore, this method could be used to develop an E/I balance-based neurofeedback training method for clinical use.
Molecular dynamics simulations revealed topological frustration in the binding-wrapping process of eIF4G with eIF4E
Authors: Gao Meng , Huang Yongqi
Published: December 2023

Molecular dynamics simulations reveal the transition pathways during the binding-wrapping process of eIF4G with eIF4E, two core components of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4F.
High performance, self-adhesive and recyclable dynamic crosslinked waste rubber particle blends toward upcycling of waste rubber
Authors: Kong Lingmin , Wu Rui , Zhang Junqi , Huang Shaoqi , Xie Zhengtian , Wu Jinrong
Published: December 2023

An upcycling strategy for waste rubber based on dynamic crosslinking in both the interface and matrix of waste rubber blends.
Hydrogenation of amides to amines by heterogeneous catalysis: a review
Authors: Yang Huiru , Garcia Hermenegildo , Hu Changwei
Published: December 2023

A comprehensive summary of heterogeneous catalysts for the hydrogention of various amides with differnent structural feactures to amines.
Catalytic degradation of a thermosetting unsaturated polyester via a green coupled acid catalytic system
Authors: Liu Li-Juan , Wang Xiong-Lei , Liu Yong-Zheng , Yang Jia-Yu , Gu Zhan-Yong , Chang Tao
Published: December 2023

A green coupled acid catalytic system is designed to degrade the TUPR into functional products in a low consumption way.
Realizing one-step two-electron transfer of naphthalene diimides via a regional charge buffering strategy for aqueous organic redox flow batteries
Authors: Wang Zengrong , Liu Xu , Zhang Xuri , Zhang Heng , Zhao Yujie , Li Yawen , Yu Haiyan , He Gang
Published: December 2023

A novel regional charge buffering strategy was proposed to realize the “one-step two-electron” transfer process of naphthalene diimides, stabilize the output power of the battery and improve the energy efficiency of the battery.
Phase tunable nickel doped Mn3O4 nanoparticle synthesis by chemical precipitation: kinetic study on dye degradation
Authors: Uddin Jasim , Abdur Rahim , Hossain Md. Rifat , Aziz Shahin , Jamal Mohammad Shah , Shaikh Md. Aftab Ali , Hossain Mosharof
Published: December 2023

Nickel (Ni) doped Mn3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by a quick and facile chemical precipitation technique to investigate their performance in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) in the absence of light.
Halogen-engineered metal–organic frameworks enable high-performance electrochemical glucose sensing
Authors: Wang Le , Li Yong-Shuang , Wang Meidi , Wu Zhuo-Hao , Wu Ya-Pan , Cao Yu , Wu Xue-Qian , Li Dong-Sheng
Published: December 2023

A series of isomorphically halogen-engineered MOFs are synthesized for electrochemical glucose sensing. By tuning the electronegativity of the halogen atom on the MOF skeleton, the sensing performance are significantly improved.
Design, synthesis, and cell-based in vitro assay of deoxyinosine-mixed SATE-dCDN prodrugs that activate all common STING variants
Authors: Xie Zhiqiang , Yang Yuchen , Ma Dejun , Xi Zhen
Published: December 2023

Prodrug 14a exhibited the highest activity and could activate all five most common STING variants.
Mechanism and solutions of lithium dendrite growth in lithium metal batteries
Authors: Huang Yafei , Yang Haotian , Gao Yan , Chen Guorong , Li Yan , Shi Liyi , Zhang Dengsong
Published: December 2023

Inhibiting lithium dendrite is a big challenge for developing lithium metal batteries. The work reviews possible mechanisms of lithium dendrite growth, discuses effective strategies for inhibiting lithium dendrites and proposes future direction.
BeN4 nanoribbon-based 3D porous metallic and ductile monolith for high-performance sodium-ion battery anode
Authors: Sun Wei , Wang Qian
Published: December 2023

3D BeN4-nanoribbon-based porous and metallic structure is promising for sodium-ion battery anode.
Efficient inverted perovskite solar cells with a low-temperature processed NiOx/SAM hole transport layer
Authors: Guo Yi , Huang Like , Wang Chaofeng , Huang Jiajia , Liu Shuang , Liu Xiaohui , Zhang Jing , Hu Ziyang , Zhu Yuejin
Published: December 2023

Within this paper, the roles of MeO-2PACz in improving device performance were investigated. Afterwards, the NiOx prepared at low temperature is introduced to improve the coverage of SAM, further optimizing the energy level alignment and passivating defects.
High-efficiency organic solar cells enabled by nonfullerene acceptors with varying alkyloxy substitution positions of the phenyl outer side chains
Authors: Feng Huanran , Jiang Changzun , Li Zhixiang , Wan Xiangjian , Kan Bin , Chen Yongsheng
Published: December 2023

Two isomeric molecules named m-BTP-OEH and p-BTP-OEH were developed by attaching a 2-ethylhexyloxyl substituent at the meta- or para-position of its phenyl side chains and a PCE promotion from 17.23% to 18.02% was achieved.
Development of an innovative optical sensor to detect extremely low levels of chromium in real samples using colorimetric methods
Authors: Darwish Eman R. , Alshehri Reem F. , Amin Alaa S. , Aish Mai
Published: December 2023

The investigation focused on a methodology for concentrating and analyzing Cr(vi) in aqueous samples.
Feasibility assessment of remanufacturing waste sheet steel into angle mesh steel
Authors: Abdullah Ziyad Tariq
Published: December 2023

As a better alternative to the energy‐intensive process of recycling waste sheet steel (WSS) from the exterior components of end‐of‐life vehicles to produce new steel, the feasibility of remanufacturing WSS into angle mesh steel (AMS) for construction applications is evaluated. A remanufacturing unit with a capacity of 1278 m2/day of WSS (30,000 vehicle/year) was evaluated using a triple‐bottom‐line sustainability analysis of the technological, economic, and environmental feasibilities by hybrid defuzzification–curve‐fitting, solid‐waste recoverability management, and weighting methods. Based on the remanufacturing productivity, an economic feasibility index was calculated considering the sales potential and profit, while the energy and CO2 emission savings were used to evaluate the environmental feasibility. The technical feasibility considered machine parameters and topological properties of the WSS. The Volkswagen Passat has the best remanufacturability of 200 analysed vehicle models. Remanufacturability indexes of 0.61 and 0.86 were calculated, giving remanufacturing efficiencies of 58%–82%. All feasibility indexes exceed literature thresholds, indicating that the proposed remanufacturing process is a sustainable business strategy and contributes to the United Nations Sustainability Goals of climate action; responsible consumption and production; no poverty; and industry, innovation, and infrastructure.
An extended impedance‐based fault location algorithm in power distribution system with distributed generation using synchrophasors
Authors: Chandran Sandhya , Gokaraju Ramakrishna , Narendra Krish
Published: December 2023

Accurately locating power distribution faults reduces the total outage duration and provides better system reliability. Fault location using the traditional impedance‐based method may be very challenging in an active distribution system. However, taking into consideration the ease of implementation and cost effectiveness, a novel impedance‐based method is proposed to locate the fault by using the highly accurate time‐synchronized voltage and current phasors obtained from distribution phasor measurement units. The synchrophasor measurements obtained from the substation and various feeder segments are used in a two‐step algorithm based on the apparent impedance calculation to locate the exact source of the event. The algorithm uses phasor estimates to first identify the faulted feeder sub‐region and later uses measurements from a remote end device to eliminate pseudo‐faulted points to obtain the actual fault location. The effectiveness of the proposed method is realized using IEEE 34 bus system. Based on different fault types simulated at various parts of the system, the algorithm accurately estimates fault location in the range of ±1% of the line length. The proposed method is effective in locating faults for any type of network and topologies, with as many or as few (minimum 2) phasor measurement units in the system.
Post-colonoscopy colorectal cancers in a national fecal immunochemical test-based colorectal cancer screening program
Authors: Wisse Pieter H. A. , de Boer Sybrand Y. , Oudkerk Pool Marco , Terhaar sive Droste Jochim S , Verveer Claudia , Meijer Gerrit A. , Dekker Evelien , Spaander Manon C. W.
Published: December 2023

Background Post-colonoscopy colorectal cancers (PCCRCs) decrease the effect of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs. To enable PCCRC incidence reduction in the long-term, we classified PCCRCs diagnosed after colonoscopies performed in a fecal immunochemical test (FIT)-based screening program.

Methods PCCRCs diagnosed after colonoscopies performed between 2014–2016 for a positive FIT in the Dutch CRC screening program were included. PCCRCs were categorized according to the World Endoscopy Organization consensus statement into (a) interval PCCRC (diagnosed before the recommended surveillance); (b) non-interval type A (diagnosed at the recommended surveillance interval); (c) non-interval type B (diagnosed after the recommended surveillance interval); or (d) non-interval type C (diagnosed after the intended recommended surveillance interval, with surveillance not implemented owing to co-morbidity). The most probable etiology was determined by root-cause analysis. Tumor stage distributions were compared between categories.

Results 116362 colonoscopies were performed after a positive FIT with 9978 screen-detected CRCs. During follow-up, 432 PCCRCs were diagnosed. The 3-year PCCRC rate was 2.7%. PCCRCs were categorized as interval (53.5%), non-interval type A (14.6%), non-interval type B (30.6%), and non-interval type C (1.4%). The most common etiology for interval PCCRCs was possible missed lesion with adequate examination (73.6%); they were more often diagnosed at an advanced stage (stage III/IV; 53.2%) compared with non-interval type A (15.9%; P<0.001) and non-interval type B (40.9%; P=0.03) PCCRCs.

Conclusions The 3-year PCCRC rate was low in this FIT-based CRC screening program. Approximately half of PCCRCs were interval PCCRCs. These were mostly caused by missed lesions and were diagnosed at a more advanced stage. This emphasizes the importance of high quality colonoscopy with optimal polyp detection.
Predicting Morphological Changes to Vessel Walls Adjacent to Unruptured Cerebral Aneurysms Using Computational Fluid Dynamics
Authors: Sasaki Kento , Komatsu Fuminari , Miyatani Kyosuke , Tanaka Riki , Yamada Yasuhiro , Kato Yoko , Hirose Yuichi
Published: December 2023

Objective This study compared intraoperative findings with preoperative computed tomography angiography (CTA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of perianeurysmal findings for the indication of possible vessel wall thinning.

Materials and Methods Participants comprised 38 patients with unruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysms treated by surgical clipping at our hospital between May 2020 and April 2021. We defined parent artery radiation sign (PARS) as the presence of each of the following three findings in CFD analysis based on preoperative CTA: (1) impingement of the stream line on the outer parent vessel wall of the aneurysm; (2) radiation of wall shear stress vectors outwards from the same site; and (3) increased wall pressure compared with the surrounding area. CFD analysis showing PARS was compared with intraoperative findings.

Results In all nine cases with PARS, no morphological abnormalities were found in the same area on CTA. However, intraoperative findings showed thinning of the parent artery wall in one of the nine cases and formation of a very small mass in three cases, differing from CTA findings. All nine patients underwent additional clipping and/or wrapping and coating at the site of PARS.

Conclusion Detecting thinning of the vessel wall or the presence of a microaneurysm may be difficult in endovascular therapy, which is based on the visualization of the vessel lumen. CFD analysis suggests the necessity of confirming findings for the vessel wall around an aneurysm by direct manipulation, as the presence of PARS may indicate partial thinning of the vessel wall or formation of a microaneurysm.
Hand Radiographs in Skeletal Dysplasia: A Pictorial Review
Authors: S. Dheeksha D. , Chandola Stuti , Jain Aayush , Gupta Neerja , Kabra Madhulika , Jana Manisha
Published: December 2023

Skeletal dysplasias or osteochondrodysplasias comprise a large heterogeneous group of genetic disorders and possess significant overlap on imaging, which adds to the dilemma of the reporting radiologist. These entities are routinely evaluated with a detailed skeletal survey and hand radiographs form a crucial part of a complete survey. Certain conditions have characteristic imaging findings that enable a diagnosis be made on hand radiograph alone. Additionally, hand radiographs may also demonstrate findings that may be suggestive of a particular diagnosis/differential diagnoses and would warrant further assessment for proving the same. We aim to demonstrate the use of hand radiographs in diagnosis of various such entities through this review. Although they cannot replace a complete skeletal survey in the diagnosis, hand radiographs performed for other indications might alert a radiologist to the diagnosis of an unsuspected skeletal dysplasia.
Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) Extension for Transhepatic Mesocaval Shunt Creation: A Case Series for Treating Refractory Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients with Chronic Portal Vein Thrombosis
Authors: Patidar Yashwant , Babbar Sushant , Mukund Amar , Sarin Shiv Kumar
Published: December 2023

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is known to benefit patients with decompensated liver disease by alleviating portal pressure. However, TIPS creation is technically difficult and challenging to perform in patients with chronic portal vein thrombosis (PVT) (4,5). Multiple endovascular techniques for portal vein recanalization with or without creating portosystemic shunt are available to decompress and alleviate portal hypertension in patients with PVT. In this case series, we represent TIPS extension to create an endovascular mesocaval shunt for the treatment of refractory upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
Impact of the 2023 FIGO Staging System for Endometrial Cancer on the Use of Imaging Services: An Indian Perspective
Authors: Chandramohan Anuradha , Manchanda Smitha , Renganathan Rupa , Popat Palak Bhavesh , Shah Diva , Dhamija Ekta , Sen Anitha
Published: December 2023

The new 2023 update of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system for endometrial cancer incorporates the advances made in the understanding of the pathology and molecular classifications into the staging system. While the new staging system aids in precision medicine and may lead to better documentation of prognostic risk categories of endometrial cancer, it is complex and calls for an integrated approach and better communication between multiple disciplines involved in the management of endometrial cancer. In this review article, we address how the referral patterns to imaging services might change considering the updated staging system for endometrial cancer. We also discuss the practical aspects and nuances involved in the radiology service delivery and reporting practices as we adopt the new FIGO staging system for managing endometrial cancer patients.
Mesenteric Ischemia
Authors: Audu Christopher O. , Schechtman David W. , Davis Frank M.
Published: December 2023

Mesenteric ischemia occurs when perfusion of the visceral organs fails to meet normal metabolic requirements and subsequently results in abdominal symptoms such as diffuse postprandial pain, peritonitis, food fear, and weight loss. While generally divided into acute and chronic manifestations, mesenteric ischemia is commonly misdiagnosed at initial presentation due to the significant overlap with symptoms of other abdominal pathologies. Prompt recognition and diagnosis, mesenteric revascularization, and critical care management remain the mainstay of treatment in these patients for optimal outcomes. This review will highlight acute versus chronic mesenteric ischemia, their etiology, diagnostic criteria, treatment options, and will emphasize the joint role of the gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon in the timely management of this condition to prevent devastating outcomes.
Obesity and Miscarriage
Authors: McLean Samantha , Boots Christina E.
Published: December 2023

Obesity affects nearly 40% of reproductive-aged women and has serious implications for women's overall and reproductive health. Women with an elevated body mass index (BMI) have higher rates of anovulation and irregular menses, lower success with fertility treatment, and significantly higher rates of pregnancy complications, such as hypertension/preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm delivery. Many studies have also shown an association between obesity and early pregnancy loss. However, the causal association between BMI and miscarriage has not been elucidated, likely due to the multifactorial effects that BMI may have on early pregnancy development. In addition, BMI as an isolated variable fails to capture other relevant confounding health risk factors, such as nutrition, physical activity, and insulin resistance. In this review, we will summarize the current literature demonstrating the association between BMI and miscarriage, highlight the research that attempts to explain the association, and finally provide data on therapeutic interventions to improve reproductive outcomes in women suffering from obesity and early pregnancy loss.
International market concentration of fresh blueberries in the period 2001—2020
Authors: Macha Huamán Roberto , Navarro Soto Fabiola Cruz , Ramírez Ríos Alejandro , Alfaro Paredes Emigdio Antonio
Published: December 2023

There were no studies about the structure of the international fresh blueberry market in developing countries for contributing to the development of strategies and policies for the production, imports, and exports of fresh blueberries in the involved countries. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the structure of the international fresh blueberry market in the period 2001–2020. The research design was non-experimental, and longitudinal, with trends on per capita consumption, the market concentration index, and a multiple linear regression model. It was concluded that per capita consumption is led by Canada and the USA and that the concentration indices of the four main countries [CR(4)] of production, imports, and exports went from very high concentration levels to high concentration levels. The eight main countries [CR(8)] of production and exports were at a very high level and imports went from a very high level to a high level; in addition, the Herfindal–Hirschman-Index (HHI) of production was at a highly concentrated level: (a) highly concentrated level in imports in the period 2001–2018, (b) moderately concentrated from 2019 in imports, (c) highly concentrated in exports in the period 2001–2009, (d) moderately concentrated in exports in the period 2010–2018, and (e) not concentrated in exports as of 2019; in addition, the multiple linear regression model showed that per capita consumption, market share, price, and production contribute with 94.3% of the explanation of the variability of fresh blueberry exports. Finally, it was recommended to study the blueberry consumption habits and access restrictions to other international markets for increasing blueberry exports.
Meta-thematic analysis of quality in early childhood education and care
Authors: Sağlam Mehmet , Çelik Osman Tayyar , Tunç Yunus , Kahraman Ümit , Açar Davut , Candemir Burcu
Published: December 2023

Quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) has drawn the attention of researchers and practitioners due to its correlation with positive individual, societal, and economic results. In ECEC, however, there is no consensus on quality metrics. This meta-thematic study seeks to provide a framework for quality indicators in ECEC and to identify the contextual factors that influence the perception of quality. The study’s data source comprises 14 published papers conducted in 11 countries using qualitative or mixed methods on quality in ECEC. As a consequence of the analysis, 16 early childhood education and care quality indicators were identified. As a result of the second-level studies, the underlying or associated syntheses in the ECEC quality indicators were uncovered. These include child-centeredness, teacher qualifications, culture and atmosphere of the ECEC center, holistic development, and leadership. In addition, it was concluded that cultural values and beliefs, the centralization degree of the education system, and the expectations of stakeholders are contextual elements that influence the quality and perceptions of quality in ECEC.
The representation of migration in parliamentary settings: critical cross-linguistics corpus-assisted discourse analyses
Authors: Calzada Pérez María
Published: December 2023

This study examines migration representation in three parliamentary chambers: the Spanish Chamber, the European Parliament, and the British House of Commons. The time span of its analysis coincides with the eighth Legislature of Spain (2004–2008). The reasons for this decision are straightforward. If parliaments portray or construct ideological debates in democratic societies, it seems logical to turn our attention to them as a means of assessing the nature and quality of comparable but different multicultural environments in which migration is a major defining feature. Furthermore, this time span allows for an examination of such societies at different ideological phases, for example, Spain’s conceptualisation of migration in the initial stages of parliamentary representation. The study expands the method of corpus-assisted analysis through a critical theoretical framework proposed by the socio-political scientist Zapata-Barrero. Data were obtained from the European Comparable and Parallel Corpus Archive of Parliamentary Speeches. Well-established tools in corpus linguistics, such as frequency and collocation, were employed, leading to an examination of Zapata-Barrero’s reactive and proactive discourses. The quantitative methods used were especially in-depth, undertaking an exhaustive descriptive and statistical treatment and aiming to strengthen the validity of subsequent qualitative analyses. Consequently, a virtuous circle was achieved: the corpus linguistic procedures reached higher levels of theoretical abstraction, while Zapata-Barrero’s framework gained robustness and more potential for generalisation. The study’s originality, thus, lies in the mutual synergies activated by this theoretical and methodological combination.
Research on Pulsar Time Steered Atomic Time Algorithm Based on DPLL
Authors: Zheng Ze-Hao , Liu Yang , Shen Dan , Feng Fan , Liu Jiu-Long , Ma Yue-Xin , Zhu Xiang-Wei
Published: December 2023

In today’s society, there is a wide demand for high-precision and high-stability time service in the fields of electric power, communication, transportation and finance. At present, the time standard in various countries is mainly based on atomic clocks, but the frequency drift of atomic clocks will affect the long-term stability performance. Compared with atomic clocks, millisecond pulsars have better long-term stability and can complement with the excellent short-term stability of atomic clocks. In order to improve the long-term stability of the atomic timescale, and then improve the timing accuracy, this paper proposes an algorithm for steering the atomic clock ensemble (ACE) by ensemble pulsar time (EPT) based on digital phase locked loop (DPLL). First, the ACE and EPT are generated by the ALGOS algorithm, then the ACE is steered by EPT based on DPLL to calibrate the long-term frequency drift of the atomic clock, so that the generated steered atomic time follows both the short-term stability characteristics of ACE and the long-term stability characteristics of EPT, and finally, the steered atomic time is used to calibrate the local cesium clock. The experimental results show that the long-term stability of atomic time after steering is improved by 2 orders of magnitude compared with that before steering, and the daily drift of a local cesium clock after calibration is less than 9.47 ns in 3 yr, 3 orders of magnitude higher than that before calibration on accuracy.
GAABind: a geometry-aware attention-based network for accurate protein–ligand binding pose and binding affinity prediction
Authors: Tan Huishuang , Wang Zhixin , Hu Guang
Published: December 2023

Protein–ligand interactions are increasingly profiled at high-throughput, playing a vital role in lead compound discovery and drug optimization. Accurate prediction of binding pose and binding affinity constitutes a pivotal challenge in advancing our computational understanding of protein–ligand interactions. However, inherent limitations still exist, including high computational cost for conformational search sampling in traditional molecular docking tools, and the unsatisfactory molecular representation learning and intermolecular interaction modeling in deep learning-based methods. Here we propose a geometry-aware attention-based deep learning model, GAABind, which effectively predicts the pocket–ligand binding pose and binding affinity within a multi-task learning framework. Specifically, GAABind comprehensively captures the geometric and topological properties of both binding pockets and ligands, and employs expressive molecular representation learning to model intramolecular interactions. Moreover, GAABind proficiently learns the intermolecular many-body interactions and simulates the dynamic conformational adaptations of the ligand during its interaction with the protein through meticulously designed networks. We trained GAABind on the PDBbindv2020 and evaluated it on the CASF2016 dataset; the results indicate that GAABind achieves state-of-the-art performance in binding pose prediction and shows comparable binding affinity prediction performance. Notably, GAABind achieves a success rate of 82.8% in binding pose prediction, and the Pearson correlation between predicted and experimental binding affinities reaches up to 0.803. Additionally, we assessed GAABind’s performance on the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 main protease cross-docking dataset. In this evaluation, GAABind demonstrates a notable success rate of 76.5% in binding pose prediction and achieves the highest Pearson correlation coefficient in binding affinity prediction compared with all baseline methods.
Epilepsy in childhood and school performance: a nation-wide cohort study
Authors: Dreier Julie W , Trabjerg Betina B , Plana-Ripoll Oleguer , Skipper Niels , Agerbo Esben , Cotsapas Chris , Berg Anne T , Christensen Jakob
Published: December 2023

Childhood epilepsy has been linked to poor academic performance, but large-scale studies are lacking. In this nation-wide study of school-aged children, we examined the association between childhood epilepsy and school performance in standardized tests according to phenotypic and treatment-related characteristics.

We performed a matched register-based cohort study of children born in Denmark (1997–2009) who participated in the Danish National School Test Programme between 2010 and 2019. We used population and health registers to identify children with epilepsy and a randomly sampled sex- and age-matched reference cohort without epilepsy (ratio 1:10). Norm-based test scores from language and mathematics reflecting performance as a percentile of the nation-wide distribution of scores (scale 1–100) were used to assess academic performance. Adjusted differences in mean standardized scores between children with and without epilepsy were estimated using linear regression models.

Among 582 840 children participating in the School Test Programme, we identified 4659 (0.8%) children with epilepsy (52.8% males) and 46 590 matched reference children. Median age at epilepsy onset was 7.5 years (interquartile range: 4.0–10.6). Childhood epilepsy was associated with poorer school performance overall (mean score = 48.2 versus references = 56.7; adjusted difference = −6.7, 95% CI: −7.4 to −6.0), and worse performance was found in all epilepsy subgroups, including in 3534 children with uncomplicated epilepsy (i.e. no other pre-existing neurologic or intellectual disabilities and no identified possible cause for epilepsy; adjusted difference = −6.0, 95% CI: −6.8 to −5.2). No major variation by sex, age or subject was observed, but larger score differences were seen in children using antiseizure medication at time of testing (e.g. valproate monotherapy, adjusted difference = −9.3, 95% CI: −11.5 to −7.0 and lamotrigine monotherapy, adjusted difference = −13.1, 95% CI: −15.0 to −11.3) and in children with psychiatric comorbidity, especially epilepsy with comorbid intellectual disability (adjusted difference = −27.0, 95% CI: −30.0 to −23.9) and epilepsy with comorbid attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (adjusted difference = −15.7, 95% CI: −19.0 to −12.4). Children with epilepsy scored significantly lower than their unaffected siblings (adjusted difference = −6.2, 95% CI: −7.1 to −5.4).

In conclusion, childhood epilepsy was associated with impaired academic performance throughout schooling, which suggest that there is a widespread need for educational support of children with epilepsy, even when the child has no other comorbidities and when the epilepsy appears well-managed.
Abnormalities of structural covariance of insular subregions in drug-naïve OCD patients
Authors: Zhang Xuedi , Xie Minyao , Li Wangyue , Xu Zhihan , Wang Zhongqi , Jiang Wenjing , Wu Yu , Liu Na
Published: December 2023

The insula plays a significant role in the neural mechanisms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Previous studies have identified functional and structural abnormalities in insula in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients. The predictive coding model in the context of interoception can explain the psychological and neuropathological manifestations observed in obsessive-compulsive disorder. The model is based on the degree of laminar differentiation of cerebral cortex. The interindividual differences in a local measure of brain structure often covary with interindividual differences in other brain regions. We investigated the anatomical network involving the insula in a drug-naïve obsessive-compulsive disorder sample. We recruited 58 obsessive-compulsive disorder patients and 84 matched health controls. The cortical thickness covariance maps between groups were compared at each vertex. We also evaluated the modulation of Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale scores and obsessive-compulsive disorder duration on thickness covariance. Our findings indicated that the thickness covariance seeded from granular and dysgranular insula are different compared with controls. The duration and severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder can modulate the thickness covariance of granular and dysgranular insula with posterior cingulate cortex and rostral anterior cingulate cortex. Our results revealed aberrant insular structural characteristics and cortical thickness covariance in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients, contributing to a better understanding of the involvement of insula in the pathological mechanisms underlying obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Adaptive adjustment after conflict with group opinion: evidence from neural electrophysiology
Authors: Mao Rui , Long Changquan
Published: December 2023

Individuals inherently seek social consensus when making decisions or judgments. Previous studies have consistently indicated that dissenting group opinions are perceived as social conflict that demands attitude adjustment. However, the neurocognitive processes of attitude adjustment are unclear. In this electrophysiological study, participants were recruited to perform a face attractiveness judgment task. After forming their own judgment of a face, participants were informed of a purported group judgment (either consistent or inconsistent with their judgment), and then, critically, the same face was presented again. The neural responses to the second presented faces were measured. The second presented faces evoked a larger late positive potential after conflict with group opinions than those that did not conflict, suggesting that more motivated attention was allocated to stimulus. Moreover, faces elicited greater midfrontal theta (4–7 Hz) power after conflict with group opinions than after consistency with group opinions, suggesting that cognitive control was initiated to support attitude adjustment. Furthermore, the mixed-effects model revealed that single-trial theta power predicted behavioral change in the Conflict condition, but not in the No-Conflict condition. These findings provide novel insights into the neurocognitive processes underlying attitude adjustment, which is crucial to behavioral change during conformity.
Lower Limits for Reporting High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Assays and Impact of Analytical Performance on Patient Misclassification
Authors: Aakre Kristin M , Apple Fred S , Mills Nicholas L , Meex Steven J R , Collinson Paul O ,   the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry Committee on Clinical Applications of Cardiac Biomarkers (IFCC C-CB), Aakre Kristin M , Apple Fred S , Collinson Paul O , Hammarsten Ola , Jaffe Allan S , Meex Steven J R , Mills Nicholas L , Omland Torbjørn , Sandoval Yader , Cullen Louise
Published: December 2023

Background

Cardiac troponin measurements are indispensable for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction and provide useful information for long-term risk prediction of cardiovascular disease. Accelerated diagnostic pathways prevent unnecessary hospital admission, but require reporting cardiac troponin concentrations at low concentrations that are sometimes below the limit of quantification. Whether analytical imprecision at these concentrations contributes to misclassification of patients is debated.

Content

The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry Committee on Clinical Application of Cardiac Bio-Markers (IFCC C-CB) provides evidence-based educational statements on analytical and clinical aspects of cardiac biomarkers. This mini-review discusses how the reporting of low concentrations of cardiac troponins impacts on whether or not assays are classified as high-sensitivity and how analytical performance at low concentrations influences the utility of troponins in accelerated diagnostic pathways. Practical suggestions are made for laboratories regarding analytical quality assessment of cardiac troponin results at low cutoffs, with a particular focus on accelerated diagnostic pathways. The review also discusses how future use of cardiac troponins for long-term prediction or management of cardiovascular disease may require improvements in analytical quality.

Clinical guidelines recommend using cardiac troponin concentrations as low as the limit of detection of the assay to guide patient care. Laboratories, manufacturers, researchers, and external quality assessment providers should extend analytical performance monitoring of cardiac troponin assays to include the concentration ranges applicable in these pathways.
Resilience and phenotypic plasticity of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) facing cyclic hypoxia: insights into growth, energy stores and hepatic metabolism
Authors: Ducros Loïck , Touaibia Mohamed , Pichaud Nicolas , Lamarre Simon G
Published: December 2023

Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) is facing the decline of its southernmost populations due to several factors including rising temperatures and eutrophication. These conditions are also conducive to episodes of cyclic hypoxia, another possible threat to this species. In fact, lack of oxygen and reoxygenation can both have serious consequences on fish as a result of altered ATP balance and an elevated risk of oxidative burst. Thus, fish must adjust their phenotype to survive and equilibrate their energetic budget. However, their energy allocation strategy could imply a reduction in growth which could be deleterious for their fitness. Although the impact of cyclic hypoxia is a major issue for ecosystems and fisheries worldwide, our knowledge on how salmonid deal with high oxygen fluctuations remains limited. Our objective was to characterize the effects of cyclic hypoxia on growth and metabolism in Arctic char. We monitored growth parameters (specific growth rate, condition factor), hepatosomatic and visceral indexes, relative heart mass and hematocrit of Arctic char exposed to 30 days of cyclic hypoxia. We also measured the hepatic protein synthesis rate, hepatic triglycerides as well as muscle glucose, glycogen and lactate and quantified hepatic metabolites during this treatment. The first days of cyclic hypoxia slightly reduce growth performance with a downward trend in specific growth rate in mass and condition factor variation compared to the control group. This acute exposure also induced a profound metabolome reorganization in the liver with an alteration of amino acid, carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms. However, fish rebalanced their metabolic activities and successfully maintained their growth and energetic reserves after 1 month of cyclic hypoxia. These results demonstrate the impressive ability of Arctic char to cope with its changing environment but also highlight a certain vulnerability of this species during the first days of a cyclic hypoxia event.
A dataset of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes in colorectal cancer patients using limited resources
Authors: Hasnaoui Anis , Helal Imen , Ben Azouz Zouhour , Hmidi Amira , Jouini Raja , Chadli-Debbiche Aschraf
Published: December 2023

In the realm of cancer research, specifically focusing on colorectal carcinomas (CRCs), a novel diagnostic test referred to as ‘Immunoscore’ (IS) has emerged. This test relies on assessing the density of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, specifically CD3 and CD8, in both the centre of the tumour (CT) and its invasive margin (IM). IS holds promise as a potential prognostic factor. A retrospective descriptive study was conducted within the Pathology Department of Habib Thameur Hospital in Tunis, Tunisia. The study’s aim was to evaluate the prognostic efficacy of IS for patients with CRC by means of a comprehensive survival analysis. This publication introduces the immunoscore in colorectal cancer (ISCRC) dataset, which was meticulously compiled during the aforementioned study. The ISCRC dataset comprises digital slide images sourced from biopsies of 104 patients diagnosed with CRC. Using the tissue microarray technique, an immunohistochemical investigation involving anti-CD3 and anti-CD8 markers was performed in regions designated as ‘Hot Spots’ within the CT and IM. The images were captured using a smartphone camera. Each marker’s percentage presence within its respective region was quantified. The IS was estimated utilizing a semi-quantitative method. The ISCRC dataset encompasses anonymized personal data, along with macroscopic and microscopic attributes. The captured images, acquired through manual efforts using smartphones, stand as a valuable asset for the advancement of predictive algorithms Importantly, the potential applications of these models extend beyond mere prediction capabilities. They lay the groundwork for innovative mobile applications that could potentially revolutionize the practices of pathologists, particularly in healthcare settings constrained by resources and the absence of specialized scanning equipment.

Database URL: https://figshare.com/s/5b4fa3e58c247a4851d4