bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Mental Health and Suicidal Behaviors: A Study from Portuguese Language Countries
Authors: Silveira Daniela , Pereira Henrique
Published: April 2023

Background: Research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) demonstrates that they can be associated with physical and mental health problems throughout the lifecourse. However, few studies have examined this topic in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLC). Objective: This study aims to assess the impact of ACEs on mental health and suicidal behaviors in a sample of participants from the CPLC. Participants and Setting: The sample consists of 1006 participants aged between 18 and 80 years (mean = 41.76; SD = 14.19). Methods: This study used an online survey that included a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) to assess somatization, depression, and anxiety symptoms, and overall mental functioning, the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) to assess suicidal behaviors, and the Family Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire to assess ACEs. Results: Emotional abuse was the most reported ACE (32.7%). Participants from Brazil had higher levels of somatization, depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation and attempt, while participants from Portugal had a higher probability of suicide in the future. ACEs were strong and significant predictors of psychological symptoms and the likelihood of suicide in the future, with emotional abuse and emotional neglect being the domains with the greatest contribution, respectively. Conclusions: ACEs are a prevalent and general phenomenon across several countries. It is urgent to alert policymakers and mental health professionals of the need to intervene with children and families to ensure their harmonious and adjusted development, thus promoting quality of life and well-being of populations.
The Subject Accessibility of Ideological and Political Courses for Electrical and Electronic Majors
Authors: Li Fangyuan , Li Jiting
Published: April 2023

Electronics and electricity are an integral part of reality. With the continuous development of society and social progress, electrical and electronic technology and theory are widely used in many industries. Therefore, in teaching, special attention should be paid to the ideological and political education of electrical and electronic students. With the rapid development of society and the deepening of the reform of socialist market economy, the ideological situation of college students under the new situation in the new period has undergone great changes. To grasp the ideological dynamics of students in a timely manner and find and solve the problems existing in the minds of college students, a questionnaire is developed. Based on the analysis and research of the questionnaire, this paper proposes the analysis of the problems and countermeasures of the ideological and political dynamics of the students of electrical and electronic majors, by establishing the validation model of the ideological and political effect of the course, and choosing two methods of verification by major and multiple groups. Through data table analysis, it is concluded that the subject accessibility method is successful, effective and positively correlated.
Evaluating Word Embedding Feature Extraction Techniques for Host-Based Intrusion Detection Systems
Authors: Mvula Paul K. , Branco Paula , Jourdan Guy-Vincent , Viktor Herna L.
Published: April 2023

Research into Intrusion and Anomaly Detectors at the Host level typically pays much attention to extracting attributes from system call traces. These include window-based, Hidden Markov Models, and sequence-model-based attributes. Recently, several works have been focusing on sequence-model-based feature extractors, specifically Word2Vec and GloVe, to extract embeddings from the system call traces due to their ability to capture semantic relationships among system calls. However, due to the nature of the data, these extractors introduce inconsistencies in the extracted features, causing the Machine Learning models built on them to yield inaccurate and potentially misleading results. In this paper, we first highlight the research challenges posed by these extractors. Then, we conduct experiments with new feature sets assessing their suitability to address the detected issues. Our experiments show that Word2Vec is prone to introducing more duplicated samples than GloVe. Regarding the solutions proposed, we found that concatenating the embedding vectors generated by Word2Vec and GloVe yields the overall best balanced accuracy. In addition to resolving the challenge of data leakage, this approach enables an improvement in performance relative to other alternatives.
The Feudal Origins of Manorial Prosperity: Social Interactions in Eleventh-Century England
Authors: Delabastita Vincent , Maes Sebastiaan
Published: April 2023

Does the prosperity of medieval manors depend on their position in the feudal system? How large are these effects? And what are the underlying economic mechanisms? Using Domesday Book, a unique country-wide survey conducted by William the Conqueror, we reinterpret the eleventh-century English feudal system as a network in which manors are linked to one another based on their common ownership structure. Both a reduced-form and a more structural approach reveal the existence of external economies of scale: manorial prosperity was closely intertwined with the fortune of feudal peers. Our findings quantitatively establish the existence of feudal coordination in High-Medieval agricultural activities, revealing how institutionalized interactions could serve to mitigate transaction costs.
Asymmetrical effects of cross-linguistic structural priming on cross-linguistic influence in L2 learners
Authors: Hopp Holger , Jackson Carrie N.
Published: April 2023

The present study investigates current proposals that priming is a mechanism of cross-linguistic influence (CLI) in bilinguals by aiming to boost CLI through priming. In two cross-linguistic structural priming experiments with less-proficient adolescent (Study 1) and more highly proficient adult German-English learners (Study 2), we assess whether structural priming enhances CLI for well-formed, dispreferred, and ungrammatical structures. L2 learners in both studies showed CLI in their production, in particular for structures with word order overlap. They also exhibited short-term cross-linguistic priming of grammatical L1-L2 word orders in L2 English, which extended to longer-term priming among the more highly proficient learners in Study 2. However, there was no evidence that cross-linguistic priming increased the use of dispreferred or ungrammatical L1-based word orders in L2 English in either study. Rather, the overall production of these word orders decreased. Together, these results suggest that, while cross-linguistic priming leads learners to increase the use of shared, grammatical L1-L2 word orders, it leads to the inhibition of non-shared ungrammatical structures in L2 production. We conclude that priming has asymmetrical effects on CLI of grammatical and ungrammatical L1-based structures in the L2.
The impact of L1 orthographic depth and L2 proficiency on mapping orthography to phonology in L2-English: an ERP investigation
Authors: Botezatu Mona Roxana
Published: April 2023

English monolinguals (Experiment 1) and first language (L1)-dominant, Spanish-English and Chinese-English bilinguals (Experiment 2), who differed in L1 orthographic depth (shallow: Spanish; deep: Chinese) and second language (L2–English) proficiency, decided whether visually presented letter strings were English words, while behavioral and EEG measures were recorded. The spelling-sound regularity and consistency of stimuli were covaried such that words had either regular/consistent (e.g., GATE) or irregular/inconsistent mappings (e.g., PINT). Irregular/inconsistent words elicited more positive P200 and less negative N400 amplitudes than regular/consistent words in monolinguals, yet only a P200 response in bilinguals. English proficiency modulated L2 reading strategies, such that bilinguals employed distinct reading unit sizes in the L2 than the L1 when L2 proficiency was low, but transferred L1 reading units to the L2 when L2 proficiency was high. ERP results suggest that high L2 proficiency may be a prerequisite to the cross-linguistic transfer of reading strategies.
The acquisition of sign languages in rural contexts – what can we do when samples will always be ‘too small’?
Authors: LUTZENBERGER Hannah
Published: April 2023

Our knowledge and theories about language acquisition are skewed towards urban languages, and primarily English (Kidd & Garcia, 2022). Cristia and colleagues convincingly show that studies on the acquisition of rural languages are scarce. The authors suggest that in rural settings, combining experimental and observational approaches is critical to testing and sharpening our theories about language acquisition. Nevertheless, they also acknowledge the numerous challenges that make it difficult to conduct, analyse and publish this type of work.
Classical (co)recursion: Mechanics
Authors: DOWNEN PAUL , ARIOLA ZENA M.
Published: April 2023

Recursion is a mature, well-understood topic in the theory and practice of programming. Yet its dual, corecursion is underappreciated and still seen as exotic. We aim to put them both on equal footing by giving a foundation for primitive corecursion based on computation, giving a terminating calculus analogous to the original computational foundation of recursion. We show how the implementation details in an abstract machine strengthens their connection, syntactically deriving corecursion from recursion via logical duality. We also observe the impact of evaluation strategy on the computational complexity of primitive (co)recursive combinators: call-by-name allows for more efficient recursion, but call-by-value allows for more efficient corecursion.
MODEL CATEGORIES AND PRO-p IWAHORI–HECKE MODULES
Authors: Dupré Nicolas , Kohlhaase Jan
Published: April 2023

Let G denote a possibly discrete topological group admitting an open subgroup I which is pro-p. If H denotes the corresponding Hecke algebra over a field k of characteristic p, then we study the adjunction between H-modules and k-linear smooth G-representations in terms of various model structures. If H is a Gorenstein ring, we single out a full subcategory of smooth G-representations which is equivalent to the category of all Gorenstein projective H-modules via the functor of I-invariants. This applies to groups of rational points of split connected reductive groups over finite and over non-Archimedean local fields, thus generalizing a theorem of Cabanes. Moreover, we show that the Gorenstein projective model structure on the category of H-modules admits a right transfer. On the homotopy level, the right derived functor of I-invariants then admits a right inverse and becomes an equivalence when restricted to a suitable subcategory.
Essential Business: The Flu, the War, and the Economy
Authors: Ehrenfreund Max
Published: April 2023

During the First World War, the term “essential business” was used initially in military procurement, and then in disease control when pandemic influenza struck. Essential businesses were exempt from restrictions imposed in the interest of national defense or public health, so debates about essential business concerned the necessity of various goods and services to the consumer. Ultimately, the concept of essential business depended on a shared understanding of the American consumer’s rights and duties as a citizen. On the one hand, consumers furthered the state’s interests by complying with, interpreting, implementing, and enforcing public-health restrictions. On the other, what contemporaries called “the American standard of living” entitled citizens to maintain relatively large expenditures. This relationship between citizenship and consumption explains the economy’s surprising stability in 1918. The flu did not cause a depression because social norms authorized most consumer expenditures as legitimate and appropriate, even during the wartime epidemic. “Essential” work is theorized using the Marxist concept of socially necessary labor, which relates productivity and purchasing power to norms of consumption.
In search of a sustainable alternative for meat production: understanding the purchase intention of meat from transhumance origin
Authors: Martínez-Carrasco Martínez Laura , Brugarolas Mollá-Bauzá Margarita , Sánchez-Zapata José Antonio
Published: April 2023

In recent years, meat production and consumption has become a topic of intense debate for environmental, animal welfare and health reasons. Research on more sustainable alternatives to meat production has increased. Our goal is to gain insight into the purchase of meat from transhumance livestock and to explore the main factors driving this process. This type of meat is more respectful towards the environment and animal welfare, provides financial stability for many rural families and helps preserve an activity that is part of the cultural heritage in rural areas. From a methodological point of view, we have adopted the theoretical alphabet theory model proposed by Zepeda and Deal in 2009 to explain sustainable purchase behavior. For this purpose, we created two different models, one for lamb meat and one for beef meat. The data come from an online survey of Spanish meat consumers. We applied a structural equation modeling technique to test the suggested model and hypothesis. The results allow us to conclude that the alphabet theory is a suitable theory for our data. The level of knowledge on transhumance and contextual factors, such as the content of fat or the type of meat, impact the creation of attitudes towards this type of livestock farming, but demographic variables do not. In both models, buying meat with a designation of origin and buying meat at specialty retailers are habits that positively influence purchase intention. Our results are highly relevant to help meat of transhumant origin reach the markets and to differentiate it from other products.
A reduced-order closed-loop hybrid dynamic model for design and development of lower limb prostheses
Authors: Driessen Josephus J.M. , Laffranchi Matteo , De Michieli Lorenzo
Published: April 2023

This manuscript presents a simplified dynamic human-prosthesis model and simulation framework for the purpose of designing and developing lower limb prosthesis hardware and controllers. The objective was to provide an offline design tool to verify the closed-loop behavior of the prosthesis with the human, in order to avoid relying solely on limiting kinematic and kinetic reference trajectories of (able-bodied) subjects and associated static or inverse dynamic analyses, while not having to resort to complete neuromusculoskeletal models of the human that require extensive optimizations to run. The presented approach employs a reduced-order model that includes only the prosthetic limb and trunk in a multi-body dynamic model. External forces are applied to the trunk during stance phase of the intact leg to represent its presence. Walking is realized by employing the well-known spring-loaded inverted pendulum model, which is shown to generate realistic dynamics on the prosthesis while maintaining a stable and modifiable gait. This simple approach is inspired from the rationale that the human is adaptive, and from the desire to facilitate modifications or inclusions of additional user actions. The presented framework is validated with two use cases, featuring a commercial and research knee prosthesis in combination with a passive ankle prosthesis, performing a continuous sequence of standing still, walking at different velocities and stopping.
Investigation of Sustainable Rural Tourism Activities With Different Risk: A GIS‐MCDM Case in Isfahan, Iran
Authors: Akbarian Ronizi Saeed Reza , Mokarram Marzieh , Negahban Saeed
Published: April 2023

Development of rural tourism activities improves the quality of life, with many associated benefits for local people. Accordingly, this study aims to prioritize tourism areas in Isfahan province using the multiple‐criteria decision‐making (MCDM) model to provide the best ecosystem services to tourists. Nine rural tourism activities (camel‐riding, hiking, mountaineering, desert tourism, wildlife observation, cycling, canyoning, camping, and horse riding) are assessed based on integrating the priorities of each suitability criteria (fuzzy membership and Analytic Hierarchical Process method) with the different risk levels. The results show that mountaineering (86.48% moderate risk; 91% high risk) and canyoning (70% moderate risk; 97% high risk) represent the best alternatives for development of tourism. According to the results of this research, tourists can make the best decisions about individual activities by determining their priorities based on associated levels of risk.
WHU‐GRACE‐GPD01s: A Series of Constrained Monthly Gravity Field Solutions Derived From GRACE‐Based Geopotential Differences
Authors: Zhong Bo , Li Xianpao , Chen Jianli , Li Qiong
Published: April 2023

To suppress the correlated noise of Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) spherical harmonic (SH) solutions, we developed a series of constrained monthly gravity field solutions named WHU‐GRACE‐GPD01s from August 2002 to July 2016 using GRACE‐based geopotential differences. The constrained solutions were estimated using Kaula regularization, and the optimal regularization parameters were adaptively determined from the GRACE data itself through variance component estimation. The performance of the constrained WHU‐GRACE‐GPD01s solutions was validated against the official SH solutions (GFZ, JPL, and CSR RL06) and mass concentration (mascon) solutions (CSR RL06M) at global and regional scales. The results demonstrate that mass changes derived from the constrained solutions and official SH solutions with DDK4 filtering are in good agreement, but the constrained solutions present weaker longitudinal stripes and have a lower noise level at regional scales (e.g., in the Middle Pacific Ocean and Sahara Desert). Furthermore, regional mass changes (e.g., major river basins, Greenland, and Antarctic ice sheet) inferred from the constrained solutions agree with the ones derived from the official SH solutions with DDK4 filtering. The constrained solutions also have a higher signal intensity and smaller spatial leakages as compared to the CSR RL06 SH solutions with spatial filtering (Gaussian filtering plus de‐striping). For the problematic months, the constrained solutions are more reliable than the official SH solutions using spatial filtering or DDK4 filtering, and are closer to CSR RL06M mascon solutions. These validations demonstrate that our constrained solutions are comparable to the official SH solutions and can be used without postprocessing.
An epigenetic switch controls an alternative NR2F2 isoform that unleashes a metastatic program in melanoma
Authors: Davalos Veronica , Lovell Claudia D. , Von Itter Richard , Dolgalev Igor , Agrawal Praveen , Baptiste Gillian , Kahler David J. , Sokolova Elena , Moran Sebastian , Piqué Laia , Vega-Saenz de Miera Eleazar , Fontanals-Cirera Barbara , Karz Alcida , Tsirigos Aristotelis , Yun Chi , Darvishian Farbod , Etchevers Heather C. , Osman Iman , Esteller Manel , Schober Markus , Hernando Eva
Published: April 2023

Metastatic melanoma develops once transformed melanocytic cells begin to de-differentiate into migratory and invasive melanoma cells with neural crest cell (NCC)-like and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like features. However, it is still unclear how transformed melanocytes assume a metastatic melanoma cell state. Here, we define DNA methylation changes that accompany metastatic progression in melanoma patients and discover Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 2 Group F, Member 2 – isoform 2 (NR2F2-Iso2) as an epigenetically regulated metastasis driver. NR2F2-Iso2 is transcribed from an alternative transcriptional start site (TSS) and it is truncated at the N-terminal end which encodes the NR2F2 DNA-binding domain. We find that NR2F2-Iso2 expression is turned off by DNA methylation when NCCs differentiate into melanocytes. Conversely, this process is reversed during metastatic melanoma progression, when NR2F2-Iso2 becomes increasingly hypomethylated and re-expressed. Our functional and molecular studies suggest that NR2F2-Iso2 drives metastatic melanoma progression by modulating the activity of full-length NR2F2 (Isoform 1) over EMT- and NCC-associated target genes. Our findings indicate that DNA methylation changes play a crucial role during metastatic melanoma progression, and their control of NR2F2 activity allows transformed melanocytes to acquire NCC-like and EMT-like features. This epigenetically regulated transcriptional plasticity facilitates cell state transitions and metastatic spread.
Single-molecule fingerprinting of protein-drug interaction using a funneled biological nanopore
Authors: Jeong Ki-Baek , Ryu Minju , Kim Jin-Sik , Kim Minsoo , Yoo Jejoong , Chung Minji , Oh Sohee , Jo Gyunghee , Lee Seong-Gyu , Kim Ho Min , Lee Mi-Kyung , Chi Seung-Wook
Published: April 2023

In drug discovery, efficient screening of protein-drug interactions (PDIs) is hampered by the limitations of current biophysical approaches. Here, we develop a biological nanopore sensor for single-molecule detection of proteins and PDIs using the pore-forming toxin YaxAB. Using this YaxAB nanopore, we demonstrate label-free, single-molecule detection of interactions between the anticancer Bcl-xL protein and small-molecule drugs as well as the Bak-BH3 peptide. The long funnel-shaped structure and nanofluidic characteristics of the YaxAB nanopore enable the electro-osmotic trapping of diverse folded proteins and high-resolution monitoring of PDIs. Distinctive nanopore event distributions observed in the two-dimensional (ΔI/Io-versus-IN) plot illustrate the ability of the YaxAB nanopore to discriminate individual small-molecule drugs bound to Bcl-xL from non-binders. Taken together, our results present the YaxAB nanopore as a robust platform for label-free, ultrasensitive, single-molecule detection of PDIs, opening up a possibility for low-cost, highly efficient drug discovery against diverse drug targets.
Substantial lifetime enhancement for Si-based photoanodes enabled by amorphous TiO2 coating with improved stoichiometry
Authors: Dong Yutao , Abbasi Mehrdad , Meng Jun , German Lazarus , Carlos Corey , Li Jun , Zhang Ziyi , Morgan Dane , Hwang Jinwoo , Wang Xudong
Published: April 2023

Amorphous titanium dioxide (TiO2) film coating by atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a promising strategy to extend the photoelectrode lifetime to meet the industrial standard for solar fuel generation. To realize this promise, the essential structure-property relationship that dictates the protection lifetime needs to be uncovered. In this work, we reveal that in addition to the imbedded crystalline phase, the presence of residual chlorine (Cl) ligands is detrimental to the silicon (Si) photoanode lifetime. We further demonstrate that post-ALD in-situ water treatment can effectively decouple the ALD reaction completeness from crystallization. The as-processed TiO2 film has a much lower residual Cl concentration and thus an improved film stoichiometry, while its uniform amorphous phase is well preserved. As a result, the protected Si photoanode exhibits a substantially improved lifetime to ~600 h at a photocurrent density of more than 30 mA/cm2. This study demonstrates a significant advancement toward sustainable hydrogen generation.
Molecular orientation-dependent energetic shifts in solution-processed non-fullerene acceptors and their impact on organic photovoltaic performance
Authors: Fu Yuang , Lee Tack Ho , Chin Yi-Chun , Pacalaj Richard A. , Labanti Chiara , Park Song Yi , Dong Yifan , Cho Hye Won , Kim Jin Young , Minami Daiki , Durrant James R. , Kim Ji-Seon
Published: April 2023

The non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) employed in state-of-art organic photovoltaics (OPVs) often exhibit strong quadrupole moments which can strongly impact on material energetics. Herein, we show that changing the orientation of Y6, a prototypical NFA, from face-on to more edge-on by using different processing solvents causes a significant energetic shift of up to 210 meV. The impact of this energetic shift on OPV performance is investigated in both bilayer and bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) devices with PM6 polymer donor. The device electronic bandgap and the rate of non-geminate recombination are found to depend on the Y6 orientation in both bilayer and BHJ devices, attributed to the quadrupole moment-induced band bending. Analogous energetic shifts are also observed in other common polymer/NFA blends, which correlates well with NFA quadrupole moments. This work demonstrates the key impact of NFA quadruple moments and molecular orientation on material energetics and thereby on the efficiency of high-performance OPVs.
Multiplatform analyses reveal distinct drivers of systemic pathogenesis in adult versus pediatric severe acute COVID-19
Authors: Druzak Samuel , Iffrig Elizabeth , Roberts Blaine R. , Zhang Tiantian , Fibben Kirby S. , Sakurai Yumiko , Verkerke Hans P. , Rostad Christina A. , Chahroudi Ann , Schneider Frank , Wong Andrew Kam Ho , Roberts Anne M. , Chandler Joshua D. , Kim Susan O. , Mosunjac Mario , Mosunjac Marina , Geller Rachel , Albizua Igor , Stowell Sean R. , Arthur Connie M. , Anderson Evan J. , Ivanova Anna A. , Ahn Jun , Liu Xueyun , Maner-Smith Kristal , Bowen Thomas , Paiardini Mirko , Bosinger Steve E. , Roback John D. , Kulpa Deanna A. , Silvestri Guido , Lam Wilbur A. , Ortlund Eric A. , Maier Cheryl L.
Published: April 2023

The pathogenesis of multi-organ dysfunction associated with severe acute SARS-CoV-2 infection remains poorly understood. Endothelial damage and microvascular thrombosis have been identified as drivers of COVID-19 severity, yet the mechanisms underlying these processes remain elusive. Here we show alterations in fluid shear stress-responsive pathways in critically ill COVID-19 adults as compared to non-COVID critically ill adults using a multiomics approach. Mechanistic in-vitro studies, using microvasculature-on-chip devices, reveal that plasma from critically ill COVID-19 adults induces fibrinogen-dependent red blood cell aggregation that mechanically damages the microvascular glycocalyx. This mechanism appears unique to COVID-19, as plasma from non-COVID sepsis patients demonstrates greater red blood cell membrane stiffness but induces less significant alterations in overall blood rheology. Multiomics analyses in pediatric patients with acute COVID-19 or the post-infectious multi-inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) demonstrate little overlap in plasma cytokine and metabolite changes compared to adult COVID-19 patients. Instead, pediatric acute COVID-19 and MIS-C patients show alterations strongly associated with cytokine upregulation. These findings link high fibrinogen and red blood cell aggregation with endotheliopathy in adult COVID-19 patients and highlight differences in the key mediators of pathogenesis between adult and pediatric populations.
Meta-learning biologically plausible plasticity rules with random feedback pathways
Authors: Shervani-Tabar Navid , Rosenbaum Robert
Published: April 2023

Backpropagation is widely used to train artificial neural networks, but its relationship to synaptic plasticity in the brain is unknown. Some biological models of backpropagation rely on feedback projections that are symmetric with feedforward connections, but experiments do not corroborate the existence of such symmetric backward connectivity. Random feedback alignment offers an alternative model in which errors are propagated backward through fixed, random backward connections. This approach successfully trains shallow models, but learns slowly and does not perform well with deeper models or online learning. In this study, we develop a meta-learning approach to discover interpretable, biologically plausible plasticity rules that improve online learning performance with fixed random feedback connections. The resulting plasticity rules show improved online training of deep models in the low data regime. Our results highlight the potential of meta-learning to discover effective, interpretable learning rules satisfying biological constraints.
Increased cortical structural covariance correlates with anhedonia in schizophrenia
Authors: Yu Lingfang , Wu Zenan , Wang Dandan , Guo Chaoyue , Teng Xinyue , Zhang Guofu , Fang Xinyu , Zhang Chen
Published: April 2023

Anhedonia is a common symptom in schizophrenia and is closely related to poor functional outcomes. Several lines of evidence reveal that the orbitofrontal cortex plays an important role in anhedonia. In the present study, we aimed to investigate abnormalities in structural covariance within the orbitofrontal subregions, and to further study their role in anticipatory and consummatory anhedonia in schizophrenia. T1 images of 35 schizophrenia patients and 45 healthy controls were obtained. The cortical thickness of 68 cerebral regions parcellated by the Desikan-Killiany (DK) atlas was calculated. The structural covariance within the orbitofrontal subregions was calculated in both schizophrenia and healthy control groups. Stepwise linear regression was performed to examine the relationship between structural covariance and anhedonia in schizophrenia patients. Patients with schizophrenia exhibited higher structural covariance between the left and right medial orbitofrontal thickness, the left lateral orbitofrontal thickness and left pars orbitalis thickness compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). This results imply that the increased structural covariance in orbitofrontal thickness may be involved in the process of developing anhedonia in schizophrenia. The result indicated that the increased structural covariance between the left and right medial orbitofrontal thickness might be a protective factor for anticipatory pleasure (B’ = 0.420,p = 0.012).
Hexavalent chromium reduction and Rhodamine B degradation by visible-light-driven photocatalyst of stannum indium sulfide-samarium vanadate
Authors: Asoubar Shahrzad , Mehrizad Ali , Behnajady Mohammad A. , Ramazani Mohammad Ebrahim , Gharbani Parvin
Published: April 2023

In this study, a flower-like SnIn4S8/SmVO4 heterostructure was synthesized by applying a hydrothermal approach and used as a visible-light-driven photocatalyst to remove hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) and Rhodamine B (RhB). The process design and optimization were carried out by response surface methodology (RSM). An artificial neural network (ANN) was also used to determine the relative importance of operational factors. Under RSM-based optimal conditions, the Cr6+ and RhB removal efficiency reached 90.93 and 97.57%, respectively. Process modeling by ANN revealed pH as the most influential factor in Cr6+ and dye removal. The predominant photocatalytic activity of SnIn4S8/SmVO4 was attributed to its Z-scheme structure, leading to the significant separation of charge carriers and conserving the redox capacity of the photogenerated electron-holes. Kinetic studies revealed that the SnIn4S8/SmVO4 could achieve considerable rate constants of 0.036 and 0.080 min−1 to remove Cr6+ and RhB, respectively. Furthermore, the catalyst’s reusability was confirmed under optimal conditions.
Structural basis for translation inhibition by the glycosylated drosocin peptide
Authors: Koller Timm O. , Morici Martino , Berger Max , Safdari Haaris A. , Lele Deepti S. , Beckert Bertrand , Kaur Kanwal J. , Wilson Daniel N.
Published: April 2023

The proline-rich antimicrobial peptide (PrAMP) drosocin is produced by Drosophila species to combat bacterial infection. Unlike many PrAMPs, drosocin is O-glycosylated at threonine 11, a post-translation modification that enhances its antimicrobial activity. Here we demonstrate that the O-glycosylation not only influences cellular uptake of the peptide but also interacts with its intracellular target, the ribosome. Cryogenic electron microscopy structures of glycosylated drosocin on the ribosome at 2.0–2.8-Å resolution reveal that the peptide interferes with translation termination by binding within the polypeptide exit tunnel and trapping RF1 on the ribosome, reminiscent of that reported for the PrAMP apidaecin. The glycosylation of drosocin enables multiple interactions with U2609 of the 23S rRNA, leading to conformational changes that break the canonical base pair with A752. Collectively, our study reveals novel molecular insights into the interaction of O-glycosylated drosocin with the ribosome, which provide a structural basis for future development of this class of antimicrobials.
Hazard identification and the prevalence of occupational skin disease in Indonesian Batik workers
Authors: Febriana Sri Awalia , Ridora Yohanes , Indrastuti Niken , Dewi Kusuma , Erdina  , Oginawati Katharina , Tanziha Ikeu , Prakoeswa Cita Rosita Sigit , Waskito Fajar , Schuttelaar Marie-Louise
Published: April 2023

Batik, a resist-dyeing technique to decorate a special cotton fabric, has been practiced for centuries in Indonesia. Unfortunately, as an informal enterprise, batik industry activities lack work safety and health regulations. This study aimed to identify potential health hazards, including inventorying the chemicals to which the workers are exposed, the PPE profile, and investigating the prevalence of occupational skin diseases (OSD) in the batik industry. A cross-sectional study and an inventory of exposure to the chemicals were done in traditional batik workplaces in 5 districts in Yogyakarta province, Indonesia. The chemicals were classified as potential sensitizers/irritants, and the workers were examined and interviewed using the Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire-2002/LONG. Of 222 traditional batik workers, OSD were diagnosed in 61 (27.5%) workers, with occupational contact dermatitis was the most common OSD encountered (n = 23/61; 37.7%) (allergic contact dermatitis n = 7/23; irritant contact dermatitis n = 16/23). A smaller portion of other OSD was also encountered including callus, miliaria, and nail disorder (9%, 6.3%, and 5.9%, respectively). During each step of the traditional batik manufacturing process, the workers are exposed to substances that act as irritants and/or as potential contact allergens. However, only one-fourth of the workers used PPE regularly, particularly during the coloring process and wax removal (wet processes). Traditional batik manufacturing process exposes the worker to various physical and chemical hazards, resulting in a high prevalence of occupational skin diseases, especially contact dermatitis among the employees.
Dynamic balance and explosive strength appears to better explain single leg hop test results among young elite female basketball athletes
Authors: Dominguez-Navarro Fernando , Casaña Jose , Perez-Dominguez Borja , Ricart-Luna Borja , Cotolí-Suárez Pedro , Calatayud Joaquin
Published: April 2023

To analyze the impact of balance, lower-limb explosive strength and anthropometric variables on the result of the hop test in young elite female basketball athletes. Ninety young elite female basketball athletes (13–17 years), without current or recent lower-limb injury, were assessed in the off-season period of July 2021. Single leg hop test, countermovement jump, Y balance test and anthropometric outcomes were assessed. A correlation study and a regression model were performed to investigate the influence of such outcomes and the value of their participation on the hop test results. It was found a low-to-moderate correlation effect size for both countermovement jump (distance and power flight) and Y balance test values (except interlimb outcomes) with the single leg hop test results. Anthropometric outcomes did not show significant correlation (p > 0.05). Regression model revealed that for right hop test, countermovement jump values exhibited an adjusted determination coefficient of 0.408, (β = 0.249, p = 0.013), For left hop test, again the countermovement jump values (β = 0.229, p = 0.025), and left Y balance test values (β = 0.331, p = 0.011) jointly obtained an adjusted determination coefficient of 0.263 significant predictive value for countermovement jump outcomes in both right (β = 0.249, p = 0.013; β = 0.301; p = 0.031) and left leg (β = 0.229, p = 0.025; β = 0.365, p = 0.040), as well as certain Y balance outcomes values. Explosive strength, and dynamic balance although to a lesser extent, appear to be the most relevant physical-functional factors influencing the single leg hop test results among young elite female basketball athletes. These findings may a serve as a basis to implement targeted interventions, such as plyometric and balance training, for an enhancement on functional rehabilitation and reducing the risk of injury related to the hop test results.
Indwelling stents cause severe inflammation and fibrosis of the ureter via urothelial–mesenchymal transition
Authors: Reicherz Alina , Eltit Felipe , Scotland Kymora , Almutairi Khaled , Bell Robert , Mojtahedzadeh Bita , Cox Michael , Chew Ben , Lange Dirk
Published: April 2023

To explore the pathways and mechanisms driving inflammation and fibrosis in stented ureters. In total, six healthy female pigs underwent cystoscopic unilateral ureteral stent insertion (6 Fr). After 14 days indwelling time, ureteral tissue was harvested in three pigs, while the remaining three pigs had their stents removed, and were recovered for 7 days. Three separate pigs served as controls. Tissue from stented and contralateral ureters was analysed histologically to evaluate tissue remodelling and classify the degree of inflammation and fibrosis, while genome, proteome and immunohistochemistry analysis was performed to assess changes at the transcriptional and translational levels. Finally, immunofluorescence was used to characterize the cell composition of the immune response and pathways involved in inflammation and fibrosis. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism and RStudio for Welch ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis and Dunnett’s T3 multiple comparison test. Stents cause significant inflammation and fibrosis of ureters. Gene set enrichment analysis confirmed fibrotic changes and tissue proliferation and suggests that epithelial–mesenchymal transition is a driver of fibrosis. Moreover, IL-6/JAK/STAT and TNFα via NF-κB signalling might contribute to chronic inflammation promoting a profibrotic environment. Immunostaining confirmed epithelial–mesenchymal transition in the urothelium and NF-κB expression in ureters stented for 14 days. Tissue alterations do not fully recover after 7 days. Histological evaluation showed that contralateral, unstented ureters are affected by mild inflammation. Our study showed that stenting has a significant impact on the ureter. Chronic inflammation and epithelial–mesenchymal transition are drivers of fibrosis, potentially impairing ureteral functionality in the long term. Furthermore, we observed mild inflammation in contralateral, unstented ureters.
Hypoxic microenvironment as a crucial factor triggering events leading to rupture of intracranial aneurysm
Authors: Ono Isao , Kayahara Tomomichi , Kawashima Akitsugu , Okada Akihiro , Miyamoto Susumu , Kataoka Hiroharu , Kurita Hiroki , Ishii Akira , Aoki Tomohiro
Published: April 2023

Subarachnoid hemorrhage being the rupture of intracranial aneurysm (IA) as a major cause has quite poor prognosis, despite the modern technical advances. Thereby, the mechanisms underlying the rupture of lesions should be clarified. Recently, we and others have clarified the formation of vasa vasorum in IA lesions presumably for inflammatory cells to infiltrate in lesions as the potential histopathological alternation leading to rupture. In the present study, we clarified the origin of vasa vasorum as arteries located at the brain surface using 3D-immunohistochemistry with tissue transparency. Using Hypoxyprobe, we then found the presence of hypoxic microenvironment mainly at the adventitia of intracranial arteries where IA is formed. In addition, the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from cultured macrophages in such a hypoxic condition was identified. Furthermore, we found the accumulation of VEGF both in rupture-prone IA lesions induced in a rat model and human unruptured IA lesions. Finally, the VEGF-dependent induction of neovessels from arteries on brain surface was confirmed. The findings from the present study have revealed the potential role of hypoxic microenvironment and hypoxia-induced VEGF production as a machinery triggering rupture of IAs via providing root for inflammatory cells in lesions to exacerbate inflammation.
Edge-preserving smoothing filter using fast M-estimation method with an automatic determination algorithm for basic width
Authors: Yamaguchi Yudai , Yoshida Ichiro , Kondo Yuki , Numada Munetoshi , Koshimizu Hiroyasu , Oshiro Kaito , Saito Ryo
Published: April 2023

Digital filtering is essential for digital imaging, image recognition, and super-resolution technology. For example, the presence of noise in images captured by digital cameras causes deterioration of the image quality and image recognition rate. In order to improve the image recognition rate, noise reduction and edge preservation must be performed during preprocessing. Noise is generally reduced using low-pass filters, such as the Gaussian filter. Although they reduce noise, such filters also have the properties of blurring edge. A strong edge blur reduces the accuracy of the feature detection in image recognition. Therefore, in our previous study, a fast M-estimation Gaussian filter for images (FMGFI) was proposed as an image filter that simultaneously achieves denoising and edge preservation. In the FMGFI, the setting of the optimal basic width of the 2nd order B-spline basis functions is important for achieving simultaneous denoising and edge preservation. In this method, the optimal basic width of the FMGFI was determined not only by manually setting the basic width but also by human judgment of the filtered images. Consequently, the inability to automatically determine the optimal basic width hindered efficient denoising during image processing Therefore, in this research, we develop and propose a method that can automatically determine the optimal basic width of the FMGFI. The previously proposed method calculates using the same basic width for all the pixels over the entire image; in contrast, the proposed method calculates using the basic width automatically determined for each pixel. The experiments confirmed that the method proposed in this study achieves higher denoising and edge preservation performance than the ones used in previous research. The results also showed that it has the highest denoising performance against salt-and-pepper noise as compared to other filters: non-local mean filter, Gaussian filter, median filter, bilateral filter, adaptive bilateral filter, and FMGFI. The experimental results for the Gaussian noise sowed that the proposed method has the same denoising and edge preservation performance as the other filters in visual evaluation. From the above, the proposed method is expected to contribute to efficient denoising and improvement of image quality by using it as a preprocessing.
Circulating cf-miRNA as a more appropriate surrogate liquid biopsy marker than cfDNA for ovarian cancer
Authors: Gahlawat Aoife Ward , Witte Tania , Sinn Peter , Schott Sarah
Published: April 2023

Ovarian cancer (OC) is an aggressive disease, primarily diagnosed in late stages with only 20% of patients surviving more than 5 years. Liquid biopsy markers have great potential to improve current diagnostic and prognostic methods. Here, we compared miRNAs and DNA methylation in matched plasma, whole blood and tissues as a surrogate marker for OC. We found that while both cfDNA and cf-miRNAs levels were upregulated in OC compared to patients with benign lesions or healthy controls, only cf-miRNA levels were an independent prognosticator of survival. Following on our previous work, we found members of the miR-200 family, miR-200c and miR-141 to be upregulated in both plasma and matched tissues of OC patients which correlated with adverse clinical features. We could also show that the upregulation of miR-200c and -141 correlated with promoter DNA hypomethylation in tissues, but not in plasma or matched whole blood samples. As cf-miRNAs are more easily obtained and very stable in blood, we conclude that they might serve as a more appropriate surrogate liquid biopsy marker than cfDNA for OC.
Real-world efficacy of anti-IL-5 treatment in patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
Authors: Tomomatsu Katsuyoshi , Yasuba Hirotaka , Ishiguro Takashi , Imokawa Shiro , Hara Johsuke , Soeda Seiko , Harada Norihiro , Tsurikisawa Naomi , Oda Naohiro , Katoh Shigeki , Numata Takanori , Sugino Yasuteru , Yamada Mitsuhiro , Kamimura Mitsuhiro , Terashima Takeshi , Okada Naoki , Tanaka Jun , Oguma Tsuyoshi , Asano Koichiro
Published: April 2023

Despite standard treatment with systemic corticosteroids and/or antifungal triazoles, a substantial proportion of patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) experience frequent relapses and require long-term treatment despite unfavorable adverse effects. We investigated the efficacy and safety of anti-interleukin (IL)-5/IL-5 receptor α chain (Rα) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in patients with ABPA complicated by asthma. ABPA cases treated with anti-IL-5/IL-5Rα mAbs were collected from 132 medical institutes in 2018 and published case reports in Japan. Clinical outcomes, laboratory and physiological data, and radiographic findings during 32 weeks before and after treatment were retrospectively evaluated. We analyzed 29 cases of ABPA: 20 treated with mepolizumab and nine with benralizumab. Treatment with anti-IL-5/IL-5Rα mAbs reduced the frequency of exacerbations (p = 0.03), decreased the dose of oral corticosteroids (p < 0.01), and improved pulmonary function (p = 0.01). Mucus plugs in the bronchi shrank or diminished in 18 patients (82%). Despite the clinical/radiographical improvement, serum levels of total IgE, the key biomarker for the pharmacological response in ABPA, were unchanged. Anti-IL-5/IL-5Rα mAbs that directly target eosinophils are promising candidates for the treatment of patients with ABPA, especially those with mucus plugs in the bronchi.