bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-Term and seasonal changes in Emission Sources of Atmospheric Particulate-Bound Pyrene and 1-Nitropyrene in Selected Four Cities in the Western Pacific
Authors: Hayakawa Kazuichi
Published: April 2024

The NP method was used to elucidate the contributions of vehicles and coal combustion to seasonal and long-term atmospheric PM-bound Pyr and 1-NP concentrations in Kanazawa, Kitakyushu, Shenyang, and Shanghai in the Western Pacific region from 1997 to 2021. Among the four cities, Kanazawa demonstrated the lowest Pyr concentration. The contribution of vehicles to Pyr before and after 2010 were 35% and 5%, respectively. The 1-NP concentration reduced by a factor of more than 1/10. These changes can be attributed to the emission control from vehicles. Kitakyushu revealed the second lowest Pyr and the lowest 1-NP concentrations. Coal combustion was found to be the main contributor to Pyr, while its contribution to 1-NP increased from 9% to 19%. The large contribution of coal combustion is attributed to iron manufactures. Shenyang demonstrated the highest atmospheric Pyr concentration with its largest seasonal change. Vehicles are the largest contributors to 1-NP. However, coal combustion, including winter coal heating, contributed 97% or more to Pyr and more than 14% to 1-NP. Shanghai revealed the second highest Pyr and 1-NP concentrations, but the former was substantially lower than in Shenyang. Coal combustion was the major contributor, but the contribution of vehicles to Pyr was larger before 2010 similar to Kanazawa.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in the Wake of the Eid al-Adha:
A Single-Center, Five-Year Experience
Authors: Tapan Mehmet , Yaşar Burak , Ergani Hasan Murat , Ceylan Süleyman Can
Published: April 2024

Background: Eid al-Adha is celebrated every year in Muslim countries; however, it is a time when patients present to the emergency department with serious injuries. In our study, we examined current injuries at the time of Eid al-Adha in the largest patient population in one of the largest hospitals in Turkiye, including tendon injury map and maxillofacial injuries for the first time in the literature. Methods: Between 2019 and 2023, patients admitted to Ankara City Hospital during Eid al-Adha were examined. The demographic characteristics, injury patterns, and injury sites of the patients were evaluated by analyzing the patients admitted on the four days of Eid al-Adha. Statistical analysis were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows. Results: Six hundred and ten patients, including 101 female and 509 male patients, were included in this study. There was a statistically significant increase (p
Electrochemical Properties of Surfactants Modified Smectite Clays
Authors: Garikoé Issaka , Guel Boubié
Published: April 2024

The objective of the present paper is to get a better understanding of the electrochemical properties of organoclays, which were prepared via solid-state intercalation of three cationic surfactants, such as dodecyltrimethylammonium, tetradecyltrimethylammonium, and hexadecyltrimethylammonium, as bromide salts, at different loading levels into the interlayers of two natural smectite clays (AH and DI). The electrochemical properties of the prepared organoclays were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The cyclic voltammetry response of the electrochemical probe, 〖Fe(CN)〗_6^(3-)/〖Fe(CN)〗_6^(4-), shows that the intensities of the anodic and cathodic peaks don’t increase when the working electrode is based on carbon paste modified with the raw clays (AH or DI), whereas the peaks intensities increase significantly when the working electrode consists of carbon paste modified with organoclays. This increase in the intensity of the current indicates an improvement in the surface conductivity of the carbon paste electrode when they are modified with organoclays. When the working Electrode is based on organoclays modified carbon paste, the potential differences (ΔEp) are ranged between 140 and 170 mV, which are lower than those of the unmodified carbon paste electrode (330 mV) and those modified with raw clays (520 mV). This indicates an easy electron transfer process on the surface of the organoclays modified carbon paste electrodes.
Benign Paroxysmal Torticollis
Authors: Tozzi Elisabetta , Olivieri Luca , Silva Pamela
Published: April 2024

Background: The purpose of this review is to clarify the natural course of Benign Paroxysmal Torticollis (BPT) and to update the relationship of this disorder with migraine. BPT belongs to a group of “episodic syndromes that may be associated with migraine” and is diagnosed when according to diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition. It is present in infants and young children and it is an underdiagnosed manifestation, because it is not well recognized and in most cases with a benign evolution, but requires careful differential diagnosis. It was first described by Snyder in 1969 as a movement disorder, a cervical dystonia consequent to labyrinthic disorder.Materials and methods: The PubMed and Web of Science databases were consulted from 1968 to 2024, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines ,2020.( PRISMA)Results: 113 articles were identified, 86 selected and 20 considered for the purpose of this review. The clinical studies were considered in relation to evolution, cognitive and motor development, to genetic and not genetic etiology, to the relationship with migraine with and without aura, vestibular migraine, hemiplegic migraine, and paroxysmal vertigo.
A Low-Cost Structurally Simple Triboelectric Nanogenerator Based on Fullerene Carbon Soot Doped Polydimethylsiloxane Composite Film
Authors: Yang Shujie , Zhao Wen , Tolochko Oleg , Larionova Tatiana
Published: April 2024

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have emerged as viable micro power sources for an array of applications. Since their inception in 2012, TENGs have witnessed significant advancements in terms of structural design and the development of friction materials. Despite these advancements, the complexity of their structural designs and the use of costly friction materials hinder their practical application. This study introduces a simplified TENG model utilizing an economical composite film of fullerene soot (FS) doped polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) (FS-TENG). It demonstrates the capability of FS-TENG to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy via experimental validation. The FS-TENG achieves a maximum instantaneous voltage (Voc) of 18.49 V and current (Isc) of 2.2 µA, with a peak power density of 145 µW/m² under a load resistance of 63 MΩ. The electricity produced by the FS-TENG can power 72 LEDs, underscoring its efficiency. This work contributes to advancing TENGs with low-cost, simplified structures for sustainable and self-sustaining energy sensing applications.
Scour-depth variability controls channel-scale stratigraphy in experimental braided rivers
Authors: Zhao Feifei , Ganti Vamsi , Limaye Ajay B.
Published: April 2024

Braided rivers distribute sediment across landscapes, often forming wide channel belts that are preserved in stratigraphy as coarse-grained deposits. Theoretical work has established quantitative links between the depth distribution of formative channels in a braided river and the geometry of their preserved strata. However, testing these predictive relationships between geomorphic process and stratigraphic product requires examining how braided rivers and their deposits coevolve, with high resolution in both space and time. Here, using a series of four runs of a physical experiment, we examine the controls of water discharge and slope on the resulting geometry of preserved deposits. Specifically, we focus on how a twofold variation in water discharge and initial riverbed slope affects the spatiotemporal distribution of channel depths and the geometry of preserved deposits of a braided river. We find that the channel depths in the laboratory experiment are described by a two-parameter gamma distribution and the deepest scours correspond to zones of erosion at channel-belt margins and channel-thread confluences in the channel belt. We use a reduced-complexity flow model to reconstruct flow depths, which were shallower compared to channel thalweg depths. Synthetic stratigraphy built from timeseries of topographic surfaces shows that the distribution of cut-and-fill-unit thickness is invariant across the experiments and is determined by the variability in scour depths. We show that the distribution of cut-and-fill-unit thickness can be used to reconstruct formative-channel-depth distributions and that the mean thickness of these units is 0.31 to 0.62 times the mean formative flow depth across all experiments. Our results suggest that variations in discharge and slope do not translate to measurable differences in preserved cut-and-fill-unit thickness, suggesting that changes in external forcings are likely to be preserved in braided river deposits only when they exceed a certain threshold of change.
COMENTARIOS EN CUANTO AL PLAZO DE PRESCRIPCIÓN APLICABLE A LAS ACCIONES DE RESPONSABILIDAD DE ADMINISTRADORES POR DEUDAS SOCIALES AL AMPARO DE LA SENTENCIA DEL TRIBUNAL SUPREMO DE 31 DE OCTUBRE DE 2023
Authors: Ponce Brocos Inés
Published: April 2024

Ruling 4540/2023 of the Civil Division of the Supreme Court, of 31 October 2023, ruled, novelly, that the limitation period applicable to actions for liability of directors for debts under article 367 LSC is the same limitation period as the guaranteed obligation (the corporate debt), overcoming the traditional debate on the applicability to these actions of the limitation period provided for in article 241 bis of the Capital Companies Act or article 949 of the Commercial Code.
An Integrated Method for External and Internal Scheduling of Parallel Cluster Tools
Authors: YANG FAJUN , Mönch Lars
Published: April 2024

Cluster tools are integrated machines for wafer processing in semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities (wafer fabs). Since different kinds of wafers can circulate in a cluster tool simultane-ously, it is a fully automated machine environment. The development of scheduling ap-proaches for these extremely expensive machines is essential for improving their operations. We study a scheduling problem on the work center level, i.e. for parallel cluster tools. The performance measure is the total weighted tardiness. All jobs are available at scheduling time. Two different biased random-key genetic algorithms (BRKGAs) are designed to assign jobs to cluster tools and to compute sequences for each single cluster tool. We establish algorithms to compute the time a job spent in a cluster tool, called processing time, given the sequence in which the jobs are processed there. They are embedded into the BRKGAs. Computational ex-periments based on randomly generated problem instances are carried out. The results demon-strate that the proposed metaheuristics perform well with respect to solution quality and com-puting time.
Comparative analysis of anatomy and fibrosis formation between vitrectomy and vitrectomy combined with intravitreal rt-PA injection into the subretinal macular space for submacular haemorrhage
Authors: Zhang Yun , Cai Qiwei , Shan Suyan , She Xiangjun , Tao Jiwei , Zhao Shixin , Lv Zhe
Published: April 2024

Background/Objectives: To compare the effects of vitrectomy alone and vitrectomy combined with subretinal injection of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) for submacular haemorrhage(SMH).Subjects/Methods: In this retrospective study, 52 patients were diagnosed with SMH, of whom 43 were identified as having polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). 19 patients underwent vitrectomy with intravitreal rt-PA injection into the submacular space, and 33 underwent only vitrectomy. Best visual acuity was recorded preoperatively, as well as at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively. Using the Heidelberg optical coherence tomography (OCT) follow-up model, the areas and heights of pigment epithelial detachment (PED), areas of retinal fluid (RF), and central macular thickness (CMT) were measured. Retinal fibrosis within the vascular arcade was evaluated using Optos during follow-up.Results One week postoperatively, the combined group started showing a significant decrease in the PED area, height, CMT and RF, with notable improvements in visual acuity at 1 month, whereas in the vitrectomy-only group, PED area significantly decreased after 1 week, along with a significant reduction in the visual acuity in the first month, but a subsequent increase in the third month. CMT only showed significantly reduction at 1week. In the combined group, two patients developed scars within the vascular arcade in the posterior pole during follow-up, whereas in the vitrectomy-only group, this occurred in 13 patients.Conclusion Vitrectomy with rt-PA injection into the submacular space demonstrates effectiveness and safety for treating SMH, as well as good prevention of scarring.
Developing a workflow for the isolation of hybridoma cells producing fully human antigen-specific antibodies using a surface IgG detection method
Authors: Satofuka Hiroyuki , Wang Yayan , Tanaka Hiroshi , Hiramatsu Kei , Morimoto Kayoko , Takayama Haruka , Tu Haochen , Qiao Yu , Ito Satoru , Gao Xu , Oshimura Mitsuo , Kazuki Yasuhiro
Published: April 2024

The antigen-mediated B cell isolation method, based on the detection of surface IgG (sIgG), has increased the efficiency of therapeutic antibody (Ab) discovery. However, the reduction in sIgG expression on B cells during plasma cell differentiation presents challenges as it enables Ab production from only a small subset of B cells (e.g., memory B cells). The present study aimed to addressed this problem by developing a workflow to isolate human-IgG-secreting hybridoma cells produced by cell fusion, the majority of which express sIgG. We showed that our sIgG-based antigen-coated bead separation method efficiently enriched hybridoma cells expressing antigen-specific Abs with a yield of 83.5% (from the cell fusion pool) and a positive rate of 73.2%. Furthermore, because the separation could be performed after only a short (1−2-day) culture period following cell fusion, diverse hybridoma clones could be obtained, minimizing clonal selection and the incidence of duplicates. Given that the expression of membrane-bound IgG and sIgG are regulated by different splicing mechanisms, we speculate that the cell fusion step potentially attenuated the suppression of human sIgG expression. Overall, our proposed method is expected to markedly improve the efficiency of therapeutic Ab candidate production, which will have important clinical implications.
Digitally enabled, self-referral as an effective approach for young autistic people to access support
Authors: Guyatt Helen , Doherty Nicola , Limond Jenny , Swaine Zoe , Morpeth Louise
Published: April 2024

Background Limited resources in health and social care and long waiting lists for autism assessment are resulting in high numbers of autistic people not being adequately supported. We sought to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of meeting this support need through an end-to-end digital self-referral and digital mental health service.Methods Together with Health and Social care teams and young autistic people we developed a self-referral pathway that allowed young autistic people (aged 16–25) to access the digital self-management support system, Brain in Hand (BiH), without the need for diagnosis or referral by an external agency. Participants were reached using digital media channels which linked to a BiH landing page. Reach, progress and engagement through the pathway was monitored and participants were surveyed on their eligibility and suitability for BiH.Results A total of 243 BiH licences were issued within 9 weeks of the start of the digital media campaign which reached nearly half a million people with close to 20,000 clicking through to the BiH landing page. Most of the young people being issued with the digital support tool demonstrated high levels of need, 69% experienced clinically significant depression, 83% anxiety, 99% moderate or high executive function challenges, and 60% lacked current support.Conclusions This pilot demonstrates that young people understand their needs and directing them to a support service through a digital media campaign presents an efficient and effective approach in reaching young autistic people in need. This suggests that digital media channels and self-referral could offer a practical solution to broaden access to a range of digital mental health platforms without placing additional resource burden on health and care teams.
Deformation characteristics and failure mechanisms induced by rainfall of the Zhoujia landslide in southwestern China
Authors: Chen Shizhuang , Xu Weiya , Xu Xiaoyi , Yan Long , Wu Weiwei , Xie Wei-Chau
Published: April 2024

The Zhoujia landslide, which has a potential risk of instability due to the complex engineering geological conditions, is located near the dam site of the Kala Hydropower Station and poses a significant threat to the safety of the power station. In this paper, a comprehensive assessment of the deformation characteristics and failure mechanisms of the Zhoujia landslide is conducted through field investigations, in situ monitoring data, and numerical simulations. The results indicate that the Zhoujia landslide is a giant ancient accumulation-landslide currently in the creep stage. Deformations of the landslide are characterized by frontal traction and rearward tearing. Deformations are concentrated mainly in Zone B1, with no signs of convergence yet, while Zones A and B2 show smaller and converging deformations. It is found that, through correlation analysis, rainfall is the primary triggering factor for landslide deformations, with a time delay of 1–2 months. Preliminary results from numerical simulations of plastic zones of the landslide indicate a layered failure pattern for the Zhoujia landslide. Three potential failure patterns are identified: sliding along the shallow gravel silt layer in Zone B1, sliding along the deep gravel silt layer in Zone B1, and overall sliding along the bottom sliding zone in Zone B1. The results in this paper will provide guidelines for early warning and engineering control of the Zhoujia landslide during the construction and after the completion of the Kala Hydropower Station project.
Particle Swarm Optimization with Latin Hypercube Sampling for Mobility-Aware Task Offloading in D2D-Assisted MEC Networks
Authors: Song Changping , Tao Jun , Gao Yu , Xu Yifan , Sun Weice , Wang Haotian
Published: April 2024

In this paper, we consider a Device-to-Device (D2D)-assisted Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) system in which the edge server collaboratively performs tasks with users who possess mobile characteristics. The computational resources of the edge server and the users are limited. Our objective is to minimize latency and energy consumption while maximizing system stability by determining the offloading decisions for all tasks. However, solving this problem is particularly challenging due to the coupling between offloading decisions and user mobility characteristics. To address this challenge, a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm based on Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) is proposed. PSO can be employed for iterative computation to obtain the optimal solution by treating the offloading decisions for all tasks as particles. Furthermore, employing LHS for the initialization and updating of the particle swarm can significantly enhance the performance and convergence of the PSO. Simulation results indicate that our proposed algorithm outperforms other algorithms significantly in terms of latency, energy consumption, and system stability while also exhibiting excellent robustness.
Patterns of the fetal brain structures growth: MRIstudy
Authors: Akulova A. R. , Pogosyan V. B. , Parshin D. V. , Korostyshevskaya A. M. , Savelov A. A. , Chupakhin A. P.
Published: April 2024

MRI study of the human fetal brain is a complicated, important and difficult scientific problem, which has an application inclinical practice. Meanwhile, the boundaries of individual geometric characteristics of fetal brain structures are still blurred andrequire a clarification. A sample of 105 participants with healthy fetal brain, is considered. It is shown that the relationshipbetween the growth of individual brain structures sizes (cerebral fronto-occipital diameter, cerebral biparietal diameter, corpuscallosum length, transverse cerebellum diameter, vermis height) differs depending on the trimester. The advantage of lineardependence for the growth of brain structures for each of the considered trimesters was demonstrated versus power-lawregression. The resulting growth models for each trimester will make it possible to more accurately determine whether a casecorresponds to the norm using a combination of several linear dimensions at once.
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on incident diagnosis patterns in German refugee centres: quasi-experimental study, 2018-2023
Authors: Bozorgmehr Kayvan , Erdmann Stella , Rohleder Sven , Jahn Rosa
Published: April 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic may have affected morbidity patterns of residents in refugee centres, but empirical evidence is scarce. We utilised linked data from a health surveillance network in German refugee centres, employing a quasi-experimental design to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on newly diagnosed medical conditions. These diagnoses were coded in on-site healthcare facilities for refugee patients. Our analysis encompasses the timeframe from October 2018 to April 2023 and includes individual-level data for 109,175 refugees. This data resulted in 76,289 patient-months across 21 refugee centres, with a total occupancy of 144,012 person-months. We employed segmented regression analyses, adjusting for time trends, socio-demographic factors, centre occupancy, and centre-specific characteristics, to evaluate the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on incident diagnosis patterns among refugees. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered diagnosis patterns among refugees in German centres. Notably, incidents of injuries, mental disorders, psychotherapeutic drug prescriptions, and genitourinary diseases rose, while respiratory diseases decreased, later rebounding. An 88% increase in injury-related diagnoses suggests heightened violence experiences during flight or in centres. Mental disorder diagnoses and psychotherapeutic drug prescriptions rose by 73% and 95%, reflecting pandemic-related stressors in refugee centres, highlighting the pandemic's multifaceted impact on refugee health.
Autism common variants associated with white matter alterations at birth: Cross-sectional fixel-based analyses of 221 European term-born neonates from the developing Human Connectome Project
Authors: Le Hai , Bonthrone Alexandra , Uus Alena , Fenchel Daphna , Lautarescu Alexandra , Dimitrakopoulou Konstantina , Edwards Anthony , Hajnal Jo , Counsell Serena , Cordero-Grande Lucilio , Christiaens Daan , Batalle Dafnis , Pietsch Maximilian , Price Anthony , Patel Hamel , Curtis Charles , Cullen Harriet , Deprez Maria , Tournier Jacques-Donald
Published: April 2024

Increasing lines of evidence suggest white matter (WM) structural changes associated with autism can be detected in the first year of life. Despite the condition having high heritability, the relationship between autism common genetic variants and WM changes during this period remains unclear. By employing advanced regional and whole-brain fixel-based analysis, the current study investigated the association between autism polygenic scores (PS) and WM microscopic fibre density and macrostructural morphology in 221 term-born infants of European ancestry from the developing Human Connectome Project. The results suggest greater tract mean fibre-bundle cross-section of the left superior corona radiata is associated with higher autism PS. Subsequent exploratory enrichment analysis revealed that the autism risk single nucleotide polymorphisms most associated with the imaging phenotype may have roles in neuronal cellular components. Together, these findings suggest a possible link between autism common variants and early WM development.
Genetic dissection for seedling root-related traits using multiple-methods in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Wei Naicui , Hao Yuqiong , Tao Jinbo , Zhao Jiajia , Wu Bangbang , Qiao Ling , Li Xiaohua , Zheng Xingwei , Wang Juanling , zheng Jun
Published: April 2024

The root system of wheat affects water and fertilizer use efficiency, stress tolerance, and agronomic traits. Using association analysis and linkage mapping, QTL associated with 12 seedling-stage root traits were identified with SNPs and SCVs under both hydroponic nutrient solution culture experiment (NCE) and soil culture experiment (SCE). Except for MRL, the root traits of seedlings under NCE and SCE differed significantly. Several seedling indicators, including RFW, RDW and RS, were significantly correlated with adult plant agronomic traits. Identification of RFW, RDW, RS, and RV by NCE is equivalent to SCE for subsequent research. Under NCE, 29 stable loci and 9 SCVs of 12 root traits were detected respectively by SNPs and SCVs association analysis. Under SCE, association analysis detected 23 stable loci with SNPs and 26 loci with SCVs. In the DH population, 21 stable QTL were detected by SNPs linkage analysis, and 6 SCVs were found by SCVs analysis. Co-localization analysis revealed that NCE and SCE simultaneously detected QRdw.sxau-6A, QRd.sxau-1B.2, and QDw.sxau-6A (5.56%-8.76% of R2). Mr1B-3, Mr3A-3 and Mr3A-4 were detected in both NCE and SCE (4.74%-9.07% of R2). In the association panel, SNPs and SCVs co-localized to 14 MTAs, of which Mr5A-6 and QRd.sxau-5A were significantly associated with RD. The association panel and DH population co-located 10 QTL, of which QDw.sxau-1D was stably detected. QDw.sxau-6A and Mg6A-9 overlapped in same genomic location containing candidate genes TraesCS6A02G372300, TraesCS6A02G382900 and TraesCS6A02G365100. The present study contributes novel insights into the genetics of root architecture in wheat.
Development of an accurate breast cancer detection classifier based on platelet RNA
Authors: Xie Wenlong , Hu Jie , Zhao Zehang , Lu Huixin , Han Yu , Li Boan , Ouyang Zhong
Published: April 2024

Platelets possess cancer-induced reprogramming properties, thereby contributing to RNA profile alterations and further cancer progression, while the former is considered a promising biosource for cancer detection. Hence, tumor-educated platelets (TEP) are considered a prospective novel method for early breast cancer (BC) screening. Our study integrated the data from 276 patients with untreated BC, 95 with benign disease controls, 214 healthy controls, and 2 who underwent mastectomy in Chinese and European cohorts to develop a 10-biomarker diagnostic model. The model demonstrated high diagnostic performance for BC in an independent test set (n = 177) with an area under the curve of 0.957. The sensitivity for BC diagnosis was 89.2%, with 100% specificity in asymptomatic controls, while that for the symptomatic group, including benign tumors and inflammatory diseases, was 62.1%. The model demonstrated substantial accuracy for stages 0–III BC (80% for stage 0 [n = 5], 83.3% for stage I [n = 12], 94.6% for stage II [n = 37], and 88.9% for stage III [n = 9]) and precisely helped determine residual cancer in two patients who underwent mastectomy. Moreover, our developed classifiers distinguish different BC subtypes properly. In summary, we created and tested a new TEP-RNA-based BC diagnostic model that was confirmed valid and demonstrated high efficiency in detecting early-stage BC and heterogeneous subtypes, including recurrent tumors. However, these results warrant more validation in larger population-based prospective studies before clinical implementation.
Virulence characterization of Puccinia graminis f. sp. avenae in Argentina
Authors: Dietz Juan , Silva Laura Da , Simón María Rosa , Campos Pablo
Published: April 2024

Oat stem rust in oats, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. avenae Erikss and Henning (Pg), is a disease of great relevance on a global scale, recognized for its destructive capacity under favourable environmental conditions. The characterization of the Pg population provides valuable insights into population size, diversity, and complexity, and allows the identification of race specific genes potentially useful for breeding. This study documents for the first time the structure and complexity of Pg populations in Argentina and their evolution over a period of 17 years, based on 70 isolates collected in different sites during 2005, 2021, 2022 and 2023. We identified 22 different races among the 70 single-uredinial isolates collected during the period, showing a greater diversity in population. Moreover, most of the races identified in 2021, and all the races identified in 2022 and 2023, were different from those found in 2005. We found that current populations are more virulent and complex, and the predominant race demonstrated virulence against all 11 reference oat lines utilized in this study, emphasizing its potential threat to oat cultivation in the region. The change in population dynamics detected here suggests that the use of a few genes as a basis for resistance to stem rust in the Argentinian germplasm has resulted in the continuous selection of Pg phenotypes with virulence to these resistance genes. Additionally, our results demonstrated that the frequency of virulence of Pg isolates increase on most of the resistance genes compared to the 2005 population, and there are not genes potentially useful for breeding under Argentinian conditions. These findings underscore the pressing need to expand our search for new resistance genes and deepen our understanding of the genetic mechanisms governing resistance to stem rust in oats. Moreover, our research highlights the dynamic nature of plant-pathogen interactions, emphasizing the continual evolution of Pg populations and their interaction with oat Pg genes.
Subtype-specific alternative splicing events in breast cancer identified by large-scale data analysis
Authors: Deguchi Yui , Kikutake Chie , Suyama Mikita
Published: April 2024

Genome analysis in cancer has focused mainly on elucidating the function and regulatory mechanisms of genes that exhibit differential expression or mutation in cancer samples compared to normal samples. Recently, transcriptome analysis revealed that abnormal splicing events in cancer samples could contribute to cancer pathogenesis. Moreover, splicing variants in cancer reportedly generate diverse cancer antigens. Although abnormal splicing events are expected to be potential targets in cancer immunotherapy, the exploration of such targets and their biological significance in cancer have not been fully understood. In this study, to explore subtype-specific alternative splicing events, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of splicing events for each breast cancer subtype using large-scale splicing data derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas and found subtype-specific alternative splicing patterns. Analyses indicated that genes that produce subtype-specific alternative splicing events are potential novel targets for immunotherapy against breast cancer. The subtype-specific alternative splicing events identified in this study, which were not identified by mutation or differential expression analysis, bring new significance to previously overlooked splicing events.
Risk factors based prediction model for new-onset diabetes mellitus after first-attack acute pancreatitis
Authors: Yuan Chen , Liu Jia , Guan Jiafu , Zhou Binghai , Wu Huajun , Yuan Rongfa , Yu Xin , Zou Shubing , Wang Kai , Hu Zhigang
Published: April 2024

To construct a practical prediction model for the risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus (DM) in patients with first-attack acute pancreatitis (AP) based on risk factors derived from demographic and clinical data. A total of 780 patients diagnosed with AP were retrospectively enrolled in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from June 2016 to June 2017. A series of exclusion criteria were applied and 396 patients were finally included. With a ratio of 2:1, patients were randomly divided into two groups named training (n = 264) and validation set (n = 132). Demographic and clinical data that may be risk factors of new-onset DM after first-attack AP were collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine potential risk factors in the training set, and a predictive nomogram was constructed. Nomogram performance was determined in the training and validation sets concerning discrimination and calibration capabilities. Finally, clinical applicability of the nomogram was assessed in the validation set by decision curve analysis. The morbidity rate of new-onset DM after first-attack AP was 8.6% (34/396) in the included patient cohort. Hyperlipemia (OR = 6.87, 95%CI = 2.33 ~ 20.26, p = 0.000), GGT ≥ 40U/L (OR = 0.07, 95%CI = 0.03 ~ 0.27, p = 0.008), serum glucose ≥ 6.1mmol/L (OR = 7.73, 95%CI = 1.89 ~ 31.64, p = 0.004), CT grade ≥ 2 or 4 points (OR = 3.16 or 4.95, 95%CI = 1.05 ~ 9.45 or 1.12 ~ 21.89, p = 0.039 or 0.035) and APACHE II grade ≥ 8 points (OR = 3.82, 95%CI = 1.19 ~ 12.27, p = 0.024) were independent risk or protective factors and were assembled for nomogram construction. Internal and external validations showed good discrimination (Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.884 and 0.770) and calibration capabilities. The decision curve analysis showed good clinical applicability. We have developed a practical nomogram to predict the risk of new-onset DM after first-attack AP based on risk factors derived from demographic and clinical data, which would contribute to the identification and management of these high-risk patients.
The focus of unique green space design related to restoration: Comparing the restorative quality of Classics Chinese gardens and mordern urban parks.
Authors: Zhang Zhenyu , Jiang Mu , Zhao Jingwei
Published: April 2024

The purpose of this paper is to explore the public's perceived restorative to urban green spaces (UGS). Compared to Modern Urban Park (MUP), little research has been done on the restoration potential of Classical Chinese Garden (CCG). To fill this gap, we collect video clips of various scenarios to produce video images of CCG and MUP representing UGS. Public evaluations of the videos were collected, and the data were analyzed by combining the Short Version Revision Repair Scale (SRRS) and deep learning techniques. They are finding proof for enhancing the healing effects of CCG and MUP. The results indicated that the difference between the two restorations was not significant. Videos representing CCG had a greater standard deviation of restorative (lower consensus) compared to videos depicting MUP. Deep learning techniques for semantic segmentation combined with expert scoring methods can effectively help us to understand the drivers affecting resilience, and we combine our findings to conclude that improved water feature design is an essential driver for enhancing the perceived restorative of CCGs and that decreasing specific artificial modern structures, enhancing vegetation cover, and increasing public exposure to nature is critical to strengthening the restorative of both. Hopefully, these findings will improve visitors' recovery in UGS environments and guide landscape architects to intervene more effectively in healing design in UGS.
MC3T3-E1 cells lead to bone loss in Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis through oxeiptosis pathway
Authors: Xu Yuan , Sun Chongkai , Zhu Runjiu , Peng Ziyue , Zhou Xuyou , Wang Yutian , Wang Zixuan , Wan Haoyang , Yu Bin
Published: April 2024

Bone loss is a significant complication of Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis, for which there is currently no efficacious treatment despite research indicating the involvement of various mechanisms in bone loss during bone infections. Oxeiptosis, a caspase independent form of cell death induced by oxidative stress, has been implicated in pathogen elimination. Nevertheless, the role of oxeiptosis in the extinction of osteoblasts during S. aureus infection remains uncertain. In the current investigation, preliminary evidence suggests the existence of alternative mechanisms of cell demise beyond the established pathways of apoptosis and necrosis following S. aureus infection in osteoblasts. Moreover, our findings indicate that dephosphorylation of AIFM1 at Ser116 occurs during S. aureus infection in osteoblasts, ultimately resulting in osteoblast death. Additionally, KEAP1 and PGAM5, situated upstream of AIFM1 in this cascade, are implicated in the process of osteoblast death. Our study demonstrates that the KEAP1-PGAM5-AIFM1 signaling pathway is implicated in S. aureus-induced osteoblast death through the depletion of KEAP1 and PGAM5. This suggests that infection through the oxeiptosis pathway may contribute to osteoblast death and subsequent bone loss in individuals with osteomyelitis.
A qualitative exploration of active ingredients and mechanisms of action of an online singing programme with mothers experiencing postnatal depression during the COVID-19 pandemic: SHAPER-PNDO study.
Authors: Burton Alexandra , Bind Rebecca H. , Davis Rachel , Greenwood Lorna , Lee Ching Yin , Estevao Carolina , Hazelgrove Katie , Miller Celeste , Priestley Kristi , Rebecchini Lavinia , Osborn Tim , Dye Hannah , Dazzan Paola , Woods Anthony , Crane Nikki , Pariante Carmine M. , Fancourt Daisy
Published: April 2024

Background
Social distancing restrictions and the suspension of in-person treatment and support contributed to an increase in postnatal depression during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Creative health interventions can help to alleviate anxiety and depression, with studies showing that singing is particularly effective for supporting the mental health of new mothers. We adapted an in-person group singing programme (Breathe Melodies for Mums (M4M)) to online delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic to support the mental health of new mothers, and, in a feasibility study, found improvements in postnatal depression (PND) symptoms at 6-month follow up. The current qualitative study aimed to explore how and why M4M-online impacted the mental health of those taking part.
Methods
We took a theory-based approach using the Ingredients in Arts in Health (INNATE) Framework of ‘active ingredients’ and the Multi-level Leisure Mechanisms Framework of ‘mechanisms of action’ to identify and categorise intervention components and change mechanisms. Iterative consensus building between three researchers were complemented by qualitative semi-structured online interviews with 24 women experiencing PND symptoms who took part in M4M-online. Data were analysed inductively using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results
Consistency was found between the online and in-person interventions in active ingredients relating to project design, content, programme management and the composition of the group. Key differences were in the social and contextual ingredients. Psychological, social and behavioural mechanisms for improved mental health and wellbeing included: 1) Increased self-confidence as a mother, 2) Increased positive emotional responses, 3) A supported change in identity, 4) Reduced loneliness and isolation, 5) Increased social bonding and connections with family and 6) Enhanced sense of time through new routines.
Conclusions
Participating in online group singing can support new mothers experiencing PND by triggering psychological, social and behavioural responses that lead to improved mental health. Key programme features are identified which can be used to design future online creative health interventions or tailor in-person activities for remote delivery to support populations who may face practical and social barriers to attending in-person.
A Bird Vocalization Classification Method Based on Improved Adaptive Wavelet Threshold Denoising and Bidirectional FBank
Authors: Peng Chizhou , Zhang Yan , Lu Jing , Lv Danjv , Xiong Yanjiao
Published: April 2024

Recent advancements in audio signal processing and pattern recognition have made bird vocalization classification a key focus in bioacoustic research. The success of automated birdsong classification largely depends on denoising and feature extraction. This paper introduces two novel methods, namely improved adaptive wavelet threshold denoising (IAwthr) and bidirectional Mel-filter bank (BiFBank), which aim to overcome the limitations of traditional methods. IAwthr achieves adaptive optimization through autocorrelation coefficient and peak-sum-ratio (PSR), overcoming the manual adjustments and incompleteness of conventional methods. BiFBank fusions FBank and inverse FBank (iFBank) to enhance feature representation. This integration addresses the shortcomings of FBank and introduces novel transformation methods and filter designs in iFBank, emphasizing the high-frequency components. The IAwthrBiFBank, a combination of IAwthr and BiFBank, creates a robust feature set that effectively denoises audio signals and is sensitive to low-frequency and high-frequency sounds. The experiments used a dataset including 16 bird species and validated the proposed method using a Random Forest (RF) classifier. The results of IAwthrBiFBank demonstrate an accuracy of 94.00%, and the other indicators, including the F1-score, are higher than 93.00%, outperforming all other tested features. Overall, this proposed method effectively reduces audio noise, captures birdsong characteristics comprehensively, and enhances classification performance.
Innovative Approach to Accelerate Wound Healing: Synthesis and Validation of Enzymatically Cross-linked COL-rGO-PDA Biocomposite Hydrogels
Authors: González Luisbel , Espinoza Víctor , Tapia Mauricio , Aedo Valentina , Ruiz Isleidy , Meléndrez Manuel , Aguayo Claudio , Atanase Leonard I. , Fernández Katherina
Published: April 2024

In this study, an innovative conductive hybrid biomaterial was synthetized using collagen and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in order to be used as wound dressing. The collagen hydrogels (COL) were plasticized with glycerol and enzymatically cross-linked with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). A successful interaction among the components was demonstrated by FTIR, XRD, and XPS. It was demonstrated that increasing the rGO concentration led to higher conductivity and negative charge density values. Moreover, rGO also improved the stability of hydrogels which has expressed by a reduction of the biodegradation rate. Furthermore, the hydrogel’s stability, against the enzymatic action of collagenase type I, was also strengthened by both the enzymatic cross-linking and the polymerization of dopamine. However, their absorption capacity, reaching values of 215 g/g, indicates the high potential of the hydrogels to absorb fluids. The rise of these properties positively influenced the wound closure process, achieving an 84.5% in vitro closure rate after 48 h. These findings clearly demonstrate that these original composite biomaterials can be a viable choice for wound healing purposes.
G-cleave LC3B Biosensor: Monitoring Autophagy and Assessing Resveratrol's Synergistic Impact on Doxorubicin-Induced Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Liao Chiao-Chun , Long Yuqing , Tsai Ming-Lin , Lin Chun-Yu , Hsu Kai-Wen , Lee Chia-Hwa
Published: April 2024

Autophagy, a crucial process in cancer, is closely intertwined with both tumor progression and drug resistance development. However, existing methods used to assess autophagy activity often pose invasiveness and time-related constraints, limiting their applicability in preclinical drug investigations. In this study, we developed a non-invasive autophagy detection system (NIADS-autophagy, also called G-cleave LC3B biosensor) by integrating a split-luciferase-based biosensor with an LC3B cleavage sequence, which swiftly identified classic autophagic triggers, such as Earle's Balanced Salt Solution (EBSS) and serum deprivation, through protease-mediated degradation pathways. The specificity of G-cleave LC3B biosensor was confirmed via CRISPR gene editing of pivotal autophagy regulator ATG4B, yielding diminished luciferase activity in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Notably, the G-cleave LC3B biosensor exhibited strong concordance with established autophagy metrics, encompassing LC3B lipidation, SQSTM1 degradation, and puncta accumulation analysis. To underscore the usage potential of the G-cleave LC3B biosensor, we discovered that resveratrol acts as a synergistic enhancer by significantly potentiating apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells when combined with doxorubicin treatment. Overall, the luminescence-based G-cleave LC3B biosensor presents a rapid and dependable avenue for determining autophagy activity, thereby facilitating high-throughput assessment of promising autophagy-associated anti-cancer therapies across diverse malignancies.
Life changes and mental health among Chinese children and adolescents during the pandemic: a combination of cross-sectional, longitudinal and clustering studies
Authors: Zeng Yu , Song Jie , Zhang Yanan , Guo Xinyu , Xu Xinmao , Fan Linlin , Zhao Li , Song Huan , Jiang Lihua
Published: April 2024

The measures to prevent COVID-19 pandemic had caused significant life changes, which could be distressing for mental health among children and adolescents. We aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of life changes on children’s mental health in a large Chinese cohort. Survey-based life changes during COVID-19 lockdown were measured among 7,829 Chinese students at Grade 1–9, including social contacts, lifestyles and family financial status. Clustering analysis was applied to identify potential patterns of these changes. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations between these changes, their patterns and the presence of depression/anxiety symptoms using both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. We found that the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms decreased during pandemic (34.6–32.6%). However, during and shortly after lockdown, students who reported negative impacts on their study, social and outside activities and diet, and decreased electronic time and sugar-sweetened consumption, as well as family income decline and unemployment had increased risks of depressive/anxiety symptoms, and students with changed sleep time had increased depressive symptoms. These associations attenuated or disappeared one year later. Similar patterns were observed in clustering analysis, while only the group with severe impact on family financial status showed a sustained increase in depression symptoms. In summary, restrictive measures that changed children and adolescents’ daily life during COVID-19 lockdown showed negative effects on their mental health, with some commonalities and distinctions patterns in the manifestation of depression and anxiety symptoms.