bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serum brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and vitamin D: Two concordant players controlling depression among alopecia areata and vitiligo patients: A case–control study
Authors: Dawoud N. M. , Rajab A. Z. , El‐Hefnawy S. M. , El‐Bayoumy A. M. , Salem A. M. , Seleit I.
Published: March 2023

Background

Depression is a common psychiatric comorbidity among chronic dermatology patients. There is extreme lacking in the research studying biomarkers responsible for it. Both brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vitamin D have a significant role in the development of depression.

Aim

To assess BDNF and vitamin D serum levels in different clinical verities of alopecia areata (AA) and vitiligo patients, correlating them with depression prevalence and quality of life.

Methods

In all, 30 AA patients, 30 vitiligo patients, and 30 healthy volunteers were included. Both alopecia and vitiligo severity and activity were evaluated using the suitable clinical scores. Depression was assessed using Beck depression inventory (BDI) scale and quality of life was recorded using Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Both serum BDNF and vitamin D levels were investigated using ELISA.

Results

In both alopecia and vitiligo patients, serum BDNF and serum vitamin D were significantly lower compared to controls (p = 0.001 for both). Both were associated and negatively correlated with BDI and DLQI. Regarding alopecia, they showed a significant decline in more sever disease and with longer disease duration. However, in vitiligo, BDNF (p = 0.001) and vitamin D (p = 0.03) correlated negatively with disease activity, but not with disease severity. Serum BDNF and vitamin D correlated positively with each other (p = 0.001) in both AA and vitiligo cases.

Conclusion

The inverse association of both serum BDNF and vitamin D with depression, and the positive correlation noted between their serum levels, may indicate a potential combined effect of these two players on development of depression and its negative health‐related outcomes.
Time to first dose of antibiotics in febrile neonates
Authors: Rawcliffe Nicholas , Elder Dawn , Dobinson Hazel
Published: March 2023

Aim

To assess whether febrile neonates from the community received their first dose of intravenous antibiotics within 1 h from time of arrival, as per the regional paediatric sepsis pathway, at a tertiary combined adult/child emergency department in New Zealand.

Method

Retrospective data were collected from January 2018 to December 2019 with 28 patients included.

Results

Mean time to first antibiotic dose for all neonates and those with serious bacterial infection was 3 h 20 min and 2 h 53 min respectively. No case used the paediatric sepsis pathway. A pathogen was identified in 19/28 (67%) neonates and 16/28 (57%) had clinical signs of shock.

Conclusion

This study adds to Australasian data on community neonatal sepsis. Antibiotic administration was delayed for neonates with serious bacterial infection, clinical signs of shock and raised lactate. The reasons for delay are examined, with a number of potential areas for improvement identified.
Adolescent health and well‐being in sub‐Saharan Africa: Strengthening knowledge base and research capacity through a collaborative multi‐country school‐based study
Authors: Shinde Sachin , Noor Ramadhani Abdallah , Mwanyika‐Sando Mary , Moshabela Mosa , Tadesse Amare W. , Sherfi Huda , Vandormael Alain , Young Tara , Tinkasimile Amani , Drysdale Roisin , Baernighausen Till , Sharma Deepika , Fawzi Wafaie W.
Published: March 2023

In Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), adolescents make up around one‐quarter of the population who are growing up in a rapidly urbanizing environment, with its associated risks and benefits, including impacts on health, psychosocial development, nutrition, and education. However, research on adolescents' health and well‐being in SSA is limited. The ARISE (African Research, Implementation Science and Education) Network's Adolescent Health and Nutrition Study is an exploratory, school‐based study of 4988 urban adolescents from five countries: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, South Africa, Sudan, and Tanzania. A multistage random sampling strategy was used to select the schools and adolescents. Adolescent boys and girls aged 10–15 years were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire by trained enumerators. The questionnaire covered multiple domains including demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, water, sanitation and hygiene practices, antimicrobial resistance, physical activity, dietary behaviours, socioemotional development, educational outcomes, media use, mental health, and menstrual hygiene (only for girls). Additionally, a desk review of health and school meal policies and programs and a qualitative investigation into health and food environments in schools were conducted with students, administrators, and food vendors. In this paper, we describe the study design and questionnaire, present profiles of young adolescents who participated in the study, and share field experiences and lessons learned for future studies. We expect that this study along with other ARISE Network projects will be a first step toward understanding young people's health risks and disease burdens, identifying opportunities for interventions and improving policies, as well as developing potential research capacities on adolescent health and well‐being in the SSA region.
Metabolomic signatures distinguish extracellular vesicles from osteoclasts and odontoclasts
Authors: Rody Wellington J. , Reuter Nathan G. , Brooks Shannen E. , Hammadi Lina I. , Martin Macey L. , Cagmat Joy G. , Garrett Timothy J. , Holliday L. Shannon
Published: March 2023

Aims

Pathological dental root resorption and alveolar bone loss are often detected only after irreversible damage. Biomarkers in the gingival crevicular fluid or saliva could provide a means for early detection; however, such biomarkers have proven elusive. We hypothesize that a multiomic approach might yield reliable diagnostic signatures for root resorption and alveolar bone loss. Previously, we showed that extracellular vesicles (EVs) from osteoclasts and odontoclasts differ in their protein composition. In this study, we investigated the metabolome of EVs from osteoclasts, odontoclasts and clasts (non‐resorbing clastic cells).

Materials and Methods

Mouse haematopoietic precursors were cultured on dentine, bone or plastic, in the presence of recombinant RANKL and CSF‐1 to trigger differentiation along the clastic line. On Day 7, the cells were fixed and the differentiation state and resorptive status of the clastic cells were confirmed. EVs were isolated from the conditioned media on Day 7 and characterized by nanoparticle tracking and electron microscopy to ensure quality. Global metabolomic profiling was performed using a Thermo Q‐Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometer with a Dionex UHPLC and autosampler.

Results

We identified 978 metabolites in clastic EVs. Of those, 79 are potential biomarkers with Variable Interdependent Parameters scores of 2 or greater. Known metabolites cytidine, isocytosine, thymine, succinate and citrulline were found at statistically higher levels in EVs from odontoclasts compared with osteoclasts.

Conclusion

We conclude that numerous metabolites found in odontoclast EVs differ from those in osteoclast EVs, and thus represent potential biomarkers for root resorption and periodontal tissue destruction.
Shifts from non‐obligate generalists to obligate specialists in simulations of mutualistic network assembly
Authors: Metz Timo , Blüthgen Nico , Drossel Barbara
Published: March 2023

Understanding ecosystem recovery after perturbation is crucial for ecosystem conservation. Mutualisms contribute key functions for plants such as pollination and seed dispersal. We modelled the assembly of mutualistic networks based on trait matching between plants and their animal partners that have different degrees of specialization on plant traits. Additionally, we addressed the role of non‐obligate animal mutualists, including facultative mutualists or non‐resident species that have their main resources outside the target site. Our computer simulations show that non‐obligate animals facilitate network assembly during the early stages, furthering colonization by an increase in niche space and reduced competition. While non‐obligate and generalist animals provide most of the fitness benefits to plants in the early stages of the assembly, obligate and specialist animals dominate at the end of the assembly. Our results thus demonstrate the combined occurrence of shifts from diet, trait, and habitat generalists to more specialised animals.
New Italian version of the Wilkins Rate of Reading Test: Materials for repeated‐measure designs in optometry and neuropsychological research
Authors: Zeri Fabrizio , Tavazzi Silvia , Punzi Marco , Miglio Federica , Evans Bruce J. W. , De Luca Maria
Published: March 2023

Purpose

To develop a series of equivalent passages of text in Italian, according to the principles of the Wilkins Rate of Reading Test (WRRT), suitable for both clinical examination and scientific research when equivalent stimuli are needed to compare performance in repeated‐measure designs.

Method

Fifteen high‐frequency Italian words (matched for grammatical class and length to the English WRRT) were used to generate 15 different 10‐line meaningless passages, according to the design principles of the English WRRT. Thirty‐two healthy Italian‐speaking higher education students read the passages aloud according to a fixed randomisation schedule. Performance was recorded digitally to measure reading speed and accuracy offline. Equivalence between the passages and the practice and fatigue effects for both reading speed and accuracy were examined as well as test–retest reliability.

Results

No significant difference in reading speed and accuracy was found between the passages. There was a significant practice effect on reading speed but not accuracy, with the first presented passage read significantly slower than the others. There was no evidence of a fatigue effect. Reading speed, the reference metric for the WRRT, showed good test–retest reliability.

Conclusions

The passages of the Italian version of the WRRT were equivalent to each other. The practice effect suggests that familiarisation with the test (i.e., reading at least one matrix of words) should be carried out before consecutive/repeated reading of different passages for experimental or clinical purposes.
Assessing tradeoffs between current and desired vegetation condition in a National Park using historical maps and high‐resolution lidar data
Authors: Young John A. , Mahan Carolyn G.
Published: March 2023

In the United States, National Park Service Civil War battlefield units are managed for both historical accuracy (i.e. to represent landscape conditions at the time of the conflict for historical interpretation), and for natural resource protection. However, managing for both goals can create conflicts as many battlefields were largely open or in second growth forests historically, but now harbor significant forest resources after more than 100 years of preservation. Managing for historical accuracy therefore may require maintenance of the landscape in a successional stage out of phase with the current landscape. We use historical landscape maps and current high‐resolution forest structure data derived from lidar to examine tradeoffs in returning the landscape of a major Civil War battlefield (Wilderness Battlefield) to conditions present at the time of the battle. We demonstrate that National Park battlefield units can harbor significant forest resources in contrast to the surrounding landscape, especially in areas of intense commercial, urban, and suburban development. Managing for or restoring landscapes to historical conditions could have important ecological implications.
Nitrogen release from different polymer‐coated urea fertilizers in soil is affected by soil properties
Authors: Sentek Valerie , Velescu Andre , Wilcke Wolfgang , Henke Catarina , Peters Nils , Welp Gerd , Amelung Wulf
Published: March 2023

The use of urea as nitrogen (N) fertilizer in agriculture needs to consider environmental, economic and resource conservation aspects because of low N‐use efficiency (NUE). Polymer‐coated urea (PCU) offers an effective way to improve the NUE of urea and to reduce its environmental trade‐offs. However, we lack information on the impact of climate and soil properties on N release from PCU. Therefore, this study was performed to quantify the effects of soil texture, moisture and temperature on the release kinetics of N from PCU. We designed a test system for soil incubation experiments and investigated three fertilizers with different release patterns, five topsoils, three moisture levels and two temperatures over 48 days. We analysed the concentrations of inorganic N ( and ) in the soil and estimated N release rates using the unified Richards model. Soil texture did not change the N release patterns, but release rates varied significantly among the investigated soils. Changes in soil moisture for a given soil had no effect on N release from PCU and urea when fertilizers were incorporated into the soil at conditions supportive of crop growth. Lowering soil temperatures, however, decreased N release rates from PCU by 16%–49% but only in silt loam and not in sandy loam. We conclude that PCU improves the N residence time in soil, but predictions on N release from PCU must be adapted to the prevailing environmental conditions and cannot be generalized across differently textured soils.
Keratouveitis in juvenile dogs and its presumed association with canine adenovirus infection
Authors: Joyce Hannah , Oliver James A. C. , Fricker Georgina , Weir Willie , Fleming Lorraine
Published: March 2023

Objective

We hypothesized that keratouveitis still occurs despite current widespread use of Canine adenovirus (CAV)‐2 vaccinations and assessed the utility of CAV‐1 and CAV‐2 titers in elucidation of its etiopathogenesis.

Animals studied

Nine dogs with unexplained keratouveitis (14 eyes) and nine control dogs.

Procedures

The Animal Health Trust clinical database was searched between 2008 and 2018 to identify cases of keratouveitis. Inclusion criteria included known vaccination status, interval from vaccination to development of clinical signs and availability of CAV titers. Cases were excluded if they were older than 1 year of age, or other causative ocular pathology for corneal edema was identified. Nine age‐matched dogs without corneal edema but with CAV titers were included as controls.

Results

Mean CAV‐1 and CAV‐2 titers were not statistically different between dogs with keratouveitis and controls (p = .16 and p = .76, respectively). Three cases had CAV‐1 titers >5000 and two of these cases had rising convalescence titers (greater than an 11‐fold increase) suggesting infection with wild‐type CAV‐1. The six other cases did not appear to be associated with CAV infection or vaccination.

Conclusion

Keratouveitis continues to occur despite the advent of CAV‐2 vaccinations. While this study found no evidence to indicate CAV‐2 vaccination causes keratouveitis, the data indicates that in a proportion of cases, contemporaneous wild‐type CAV‐1 infection is a possible cause.
Eddy Current Flow Meter Measurements in Liquid Sodium at High Temperatures
Authors: Krauter Nico , Onea Alexandru Aurelian , Gerbeth Gunter , Eckert Sven
Published: March 2023

We present measurement results for the flow rate of liquid sodium at temperatures up to 700 °C that were obtained with a high-temperature prototype of an immersed eddy current flow meter. The experimental campaign was conducted at the SOLTEC-2 sodium loop at KIT. The main objective of the experiments is the high-temperature qualification of the Eddy Current Flow Meter as part of the safety instrumentation of generation IV liquid metal-cooled fast reactors. There it is intended to be used for monitoring the flow rate of the coolant and to detect possible blockages of subassemblies. Due to the large liquid metal volume, the sensor has to be located close to the subassemblies, therefore measurements from outside of the vessel are not possible and an immersed sensor is required. We demonstrate the successful application of the immersed eddy current flow meter (ECFM) at such high temperatures and identify the relevant effects with impact on the sensor performance.
Disruptive selection and the evolution of discrete color morphs in
Timema
stick insects
Authors: Villoutreix Romain , de Carvalho Clarissa F. , Feder Jeffrey L. , Gompert Zachariah , Nosil Patrik
Published: March 2023

A major unresolved issue in biology is why phenotypic and genetic variation is sometimes continuous, yet other times packaged into discrete units of diversity, such as morphs, ecotypes, and species. In theory, ecological discontinuities can impose strong disruptive selection that promotes the evolution of discrete forms, but direct tests of this hypothesis are lacking. Here, we show that
Timema
stick insects exhibit genetically determined color morphs that range from weakly to strongly discontinuous. Color data from nature and a manipulative field experiment demonstrate that greater morph differentiation is associated with shifts from host plants exhibiting more continuous color variation to those exhibiting greater coloration distance between green leaves and brown stems, the latter of which generates strong disruptive selection. Our results show how ecological factors can promote discrete variation, and we further present results on how this can have variable effects on the genetic differentiation that promotes speciation.
Small effect of partial melt on electrical anomalies in the asthenosphere
Authors: Liu Hanyong , Yang Xiaozhi , Karato Shun-ichiro
Published: March 2023

High conductivity anomalies in the shallow mantle are frequently attributed to minor partial melt (basalt or carbonatite) in the olivine-dominated peridotites. Conductivity of a melt-mineral mixture depends on the configuration of melt that could be affected by grain size of the constitutive mineral(s), but this has rarely been explored. Here, we provide experimental evidence using a conductive carbonatite analog and olivine that the bulk conductivity decreases systematically with increasing olivine grain size. The required amount of melt for producing the geophysically resolved high conductivities in the asthenosphere is much greater than previously assumed. We suggest that the effect of partial melt on many conductive regions in the asthenosphere is small. Instead, the electrical anomalies (especially those away from mid-ocean ridges) originate more likely from subsolidus solid assemblages in the upper mantle. This reconciles well the geochemical and petrological constraints of the shallow mantle with its geophysically determined electrical properties.
Negative refraction in hyperbolic hetero-bicrystals
Authors: Sternbach A. J. , Moore S. L. , Rikhter A. , Zhang S. , Jing R. , Shao Y. , Kim B. S. Y. , Xu S. , Liu S. , Edgar J. H. , Rubio A. , Dean C. , Hone J. , Fogler M. M. , Basov D. N.
Published: March 2023

We visualized negative refraction of phonon polaritons, which occurs at the interface between two natural crystals. The polaritons—hybrids of infrared photons and lattice vibrations—form collimated rays that display negative refraction when passing through a planar interface between the two hyperbolic van der Waals materials: molybdenum oxide (MoO
3
) and isotopically pure hexagonal boron nitride (h
11
BN). At a special frequency ω
0
, these rays can circulate along closed diamond-shaped trajectories. We have shown that polariton eigenmodes display regions of both positive and negative dispersion interrupted by multiple gaps that result from polaritonic-level repulsion and strong coupling.
Enzyme function prediction using contrastive learning
Authors: Yu Tianhao , Cui Haiyang , Li Jianan Canal , Luo Yunan , Jiang Guangde , Zhao Huimin
Published: March 2023

Enzyme function annotation is a fundamental challenge, and numerous computational tools have been developed. However, most of these tools cannot accurately predict functional annotations, such as enzyme commission (EC) number, for less-studied proteins or those with previously uncharacterized functions or multiple activities. We present a machine learning algorithm named CLEAN (contrastive learning–enabled enzyme annotation) to assign EC numbers to enzymes with better accuracy, reliability, and sensitivity compared with the state-of-the-art tool BLASTp. The contrastive learning framework empowers CLEAN to confidently (i) annotate understudied enzymes, (ii) correct mislabeled enzymes, and (iii) identify promiscuous enzymes with two or more EC numbers—functions that we demonstrate by systematic in silico and in vitro experiments. We anticipate that this tool will be widely used for predicting the functions of uncharacterized enzymes, thereby advancing many fields, such as genomics, synthetic biology, and biocatalysis.
Brassinosteroid gene regulatory networks at cellular resolution in the
Arabidopsis
root
Authors: Nolan Trevor M. , Vukašinović Nemanja , Hsu Che-Wei , Zhang Jingyuan , Vanhoutte Isabelle , Shahan Rachel , Taylor Isaiah W. , Greenstreet Laura , Heitz Matthieu , Afanassiev Anton , Wang Ping , Szekely Pablo , Brosnan Aiden , Yin Yanhai , Schiebinger Geoffrey , Ohler Uwe , Russinova Eugenia , Benfey Philip N.
Published: March 2023

Brassinosteroids are plant steroid hormones that regulate diverse processes, such as cell division and cell elongation, through gene regulatory networks that vary in space and time. By using time series single-cell RNA sequencing to profile brassinosteroid-responsive gene expression specific to different cell types and developmental stages of the
Arabidopsis
root, we identified the elongating cortex as a site where brassinosteroids trigger a shift from proliferation to elongation associated with increased expression of cell wall–related genes. Our analysis revealed
HOMEOBOX FROM ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA 7
(
HAT7
) and
GT-2-LIKE 1
(
GTL1
) as brassinosteroid-responsive transcription factors that regulate cortex cell elongation. These results establish the cortex as a site of brassinosteroid-mediated growth and unveil a brassinosteroid signaling network regulating the transition from proliferation to elongation, which illuminates aspects of spatiotemporal hormone responses.
Unusual suspects in flower color evolution
Authors: Monniaux Marie
Published: March 2023

The expression of phased small interfering RNAs caused monkeyflower color evolution
In Science Journals
Authors: Ash Caroline , Vignieri Sacha , Osborne Ian S. , Williams Ifor , Fogg Christiana N. , Alderton Gemma , Ray L. Bryan , Scanlon Seth Thomas , Grocholski Brent , Hines Pamela J. , Wong Wei
Published: March 2023

Highlights from the
Science
family of journals
In Other Journals
Authors: Smith H. Jesse , Stajic Jelena , Osborne Ian S. , Alderton Gemma , Ray L. Bryan , Seale Maddy , Ash Caroline
Published: March 2023

Editors’ selections from the current scientific literature
Garland E. Allen III (1936–2023)
Authors: Maienschein Jane
Published: March 2023

Leading historian of biology and social justice activist
Earliest galaxies found by JWST confound theory
Authors: Clery Daniel
Published: March 2023

Too numerous and bright, they challenge ideas about star birth in the infant universe
NK-like CD8
+
γδ T cells are expanded in persistent
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
infection
Authors: Roy Chowdhury Roshni , Valainis John R. , Dubey Megha , von Boehmer Lotta , Sola Elsa , Wilhelmy Julie , Guo Jing , Kask Oliver , Ohanyan Mane , Sun Meng , Huang Huang , Huang Xianxi , Nguyen Patricia K. , Scriba Thomas J. , Davis Mark M. , Bendall Sean C. , Chien Yueh-hsiu
Published: March 2023

The response of gamma delta (γδ) T cells in the acute versus chronic phases of the same infection is unclear. How γδ T cells function in acute
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(Mtb) infection is well characterized, but their response during persistent Mtb infection is not well understood, even though most infections with Mtb manifest as a chronic, clinically asymptomatic state. Here, we analyze peripheral blood γδ T cells from a South African adolescent cohort and show that a unique CD8
+
γδ T cell subset with features of “memory inflation” expands in chronic Mtb infection. These cells are hyporesponsive to T cell receptor (TCR)–mediated signaling but, like NK cells, can mount robust CD16-mediated cytotoxic responses. These CD8
+
γδ T cells comprise a highly focused TCR repertoire, with clonotypes that are
Mycobacterium
specific but not phosphoantigen reactive. Using multiparametric single-cell pseudo-time trajectory analysis, we identified the differentiation paths that these CD8
+
γδ T cells follow to develop into effectors in this infection state. Last, we found that circulating CD8
+
γδ T cells also expand in other chronic inflammatory conditions, including cardiovascular disease and cancer, suggesting that persistent antigenic exposure may drive similar γδ T cell effector programs and differentiation fates.
Evidence-based consensus guidelines on patient selection and trial stimulation for spinal cord stimulation therapy for chronic non-cancer pain
Authors: Shanthanna Harsha , Eldabe Sam , Provenzano David Anthony , Bouche Benedicte , Buchser Eric , Chadwick Raymond , Doshi Tina L , Duarte Rui , Hunt Christine , Huygen Frank J P M , Knight Judy , Kohan Lynn , North Richard , Rosenow Joshua , Winfree Christopher J , Narouze Samer
Published: March 2023

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has demonstrated effectiveness for neuropathic pain. Unfortunately, some patients report inadequate long-term pain relief. Patient selection is emphasized for this therapy; however, the prognostic capabilities and deployment strategies of existing selection techniques, including an SCS trial, have been questioned. After approval by the Board of Directors of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, a steering committee was formed to develop evidence-based guidelines for patient selection and the role of an SCS trial. Representatives of professional organizations with clinical expertize were invited to participate as committee members. A comprehensive literature review was carried out by the steering committee, and the results organized into narrative reports, which were circulated to all the committee members. Individual statements and recommendations within each of seven sections were formulated by the steering committee and circulated to members for voting. We used a modified Delphi method wherein drafts were circulated to each member in a blinded fashion for voting. Comments were incorporated in the subsequent revisions, which were recirculated for voting to achieve consensus. Seven sections with a total of 39 recommendations were approved with 100% consensus from all the members. Sections included definitions and terminology of SCS trial; benefits of SCS trial; screening for psychosocial characteristics; patient perceptions on SCS therapy and the use of trial; other patient predictors of SCS therapy; conduct of SCS trials; and evaluation of SCS trials including minimum criteria for success. Recommendations included that SCS trial should be performed before a definitive SCS implant except in anginal pain (grade B). All patients must be screened with an objective validated instrument for psychosocial factors, and this must include depression (grade B). Despite some limitations, a trial helps patient selection and provides patients with an opportunity to experience the therapy. These recommendations are expected to guide practicing physicians and other stakeholders and should not be mistaken as practice standards. Physicians should continue to make their best judgment based on individual patient considerations and preferences.
Triple positive profile in antiphospholipid syndrome: prognosis, relapse and management from a retrospective multicentre study
Authors: Laurent Charlotte , Ricard Laure , Nguyen Yann , Boffa Jean Jacques , Rondeau Eric , Gerotziafas Grigorios , Elalamy Ismail , Deriaz Sophie , De Moreuil Claire , Planche Virginie , Johanet Cathererine , Millot Francois , Fain Olivier , Mekinian Arsène
Published: March 2023

Objective

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is defined by the association of thromboembolic and/or obstetrical clinical manifestations and the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies. The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of the triple-positive profile in a cohort of 204 APS patients.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study, including patients with primary or secondary APS, meeting the Sydney criteria with at least one thrombotic and/or obstetrical complication. Clinical characteristics and the risk of relapse (defined by the occurrence of a new thrombotic event and/or a new adverse obstetrical event) between triple-positive and non-triple-positive APS patients were compared.

Results

204 patients were included in our study, 68 were triple-positive and 136 were single or double positive. 122 patients (59.8%) had primary APS. 67 patients (32.8%) had obstetrical APS, with a higher rate among triple-positive patients (45.6% vs 26.5%, p=0.010), and 170 patients (83.3%) had thrombotic APS, without difference between triple-positive and others. Thrombotic events were more often venous (56.4%) than arterial (37.7%). Triple-positive patients had more placental complications than others (17.6% vs 2.9%, p=0.001) and more non-criteria events (48.5% vs 25.7%, p=0.002). Among non-criteria events, there was a higher frequency of Sneddon syndrome in triple-positive patients (7.4% vs 0.7%, p=0.028). The relapse rate was higher in triple-positive patients than in others (63.2% vs 39,7%, p=0002). In multivariate analysis, the triple-positive profile was associated with a higher risk of relapse (HR 1.63; 95% CI 1.04 to 2.55; p=0.031).

Conclusion

The triple-positivity is associated with a higher risk of relapse and obstetrical complications.
Isolation, characterisation, and expression profiling of DXS and DXR genes in Atractylodes lancea
Authors: Xu Rui , Wu Junxian , Zhang Yazhong , Jiang Lu , Yao Jinchen , Zha Liangping , Xie Jin
Published: March 2023

1-Deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase and 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoismerase are considered two key enzymes in the 2- C-methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate pathway of terpenoid biosynthesis and are related to the synthesis and accumulation of sesquiterpenoids. We cloned two DXS and DXR genes from Atractylodes lancea and analysed their expression in different tissues and in response to methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Subcellular localisation analysis revealed that the AlDXS and AlDXR1 proteins are located in the chloroplasts and cytoplasm, whereas AlDXR2 is only located in the chloroplasts. pET-AlDXS-28a and pGEX-AlDXR-4T-1 were expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and BL21, respectively. Based on the abiotic stress analysis, the growth rate of the recombinant pGEX-AlDXR-4T-1 was higher than that of the control in HCl and NaOH. AlDXS exhibited the highest expression level in rhizomes of A. lancea from Hubei but was highest in leaves from Henan. In contrast, AlDXR showed maximum expression in the leaves of A. lancea from Hubei and Henan. Moreover, DXS and DXR gene expression, enzyme activities, and antioxidant enzyme activities oscillated in response to MeJA, with expression peaks appearing at different time points. Our findings indicated that the characterisation and function of AlDXS and AlDXR could be useful for further elucidating the functions of DXR and DXR genes in A. lancea.
Spatial Heterogeneity in the Severity of COVID-19 Pandemic in India
Authors: KAICKER NIDHI , GAIHA RAGHAV , AGGARWAL RADHIKA
Published: March 2023

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has affected all states and union territories in India, but the spread of infections and the fatality rate across regions have been disproportionate. In this study, inequalities in the severity of the pandemic are examined for a 15-month period, covering both the first and second waves of the virus, using alternate measures based on the official estimates of deaths from COVID-19 as a ratio of all-cause mortality. The observed differences in the severity indicators are explained using socioeconomic, meteorological, and geographical factors. A comparison of severity ratios across states and over time gives a region-specific flavor of the severity of the pandemic and increases understanding of the pressure points in the health system. Our findings are helpful for public health professionals to develop control measures and plan environmental and health policies as an alternative strategy to respond to new COVID-19 outbreaks and prevent future crises.
Enhancement of immiscible fluid mixing using passive micromixers to increase the performance of liquid–liquid extraction
Authors: Amini Younes , Shadman Mohammad Mahdi , Ghazanfari Valiyollah , Hassanvand Amin
Published: March 2023

This paper aims to simulate an immiscible two-phase flow in two-dimensional T-shaped, modified T-shaped, cross-shaped, and modified cross-shaped micromixers numerically. The effects of various parameters, including Capillary number, phase flow rate ratio, and channel width ratio, on the generation of droplets were studied. Also, modification of T-shaped and cross-shaped micromixers was proposed. The results reveal that equidistant tiny droplets are generated in the modified micromixers compared to ordinary geometry under the same conditions. Three types of squeezing regime, laminar regime, and jetting regime were observed in different values of the capillary number. It was also observed that the droplet size decreases with the increase in capillary number. Moreover, this study demonstrates that the multiphase flows in micro-devices are very sensitive to even small changes in the channel geometry.
Space–time and large local transformations
Authors: West Peter
Published: March 2023

Dedicated to the memory of Lars Brink (1943–2022) for his help and friendship over many years

In this paper, we argue that the existence of solitons in theories in which local symmetries are spontaneously broken requires space–time to be enlarged by additional coordinates that are associated with large local transformations. In the context of gravity theories, the usual coordinates of space–time can be thought of arising in this way. E theory automatically contains such an enlarged space–time. We propose that space–time appears in an underlying theory when the local symmetries are spontaneously broken.
Deepfake Speech Recognition and Detection
Authors: Chang Hung-Chang
Published: March 2023

Deepfake technology, especially deep voice, which has been derived from artificial intelligence in recent years, is potentially harmful, and the public is not yet wary. However, many speech synthesis models measure the degree of true restitution by Mean Opinion Rating (MOS), a subjective assessment of naturalness and quality of speech by human subjects, but in future it will be difficult to distinguish the interlocutor’s identity through the screen. For this reason, this study addresses the threat posed by this new technology by combining representational learning and 0transfer learning in two sub-systems: a recognition system and a voice print system. The recognition system is responsible for the detection of which voice is a fake voice generated by speech conversion or speech synthesis techniques, while the acoustic system is responsible for the verification of the speaker’s identity through acoustic features. In the speech recognition system, we use the representation learning method and the transfer classification method. We use X-vector data for training, and then fine-tune the model using four types of marker data to learn the representation vectors of real and fake voice, and use support vector machine to classify real and fake voice in the back-end to reduce the negative effect of the new technique.
Deep-Learning-Based Precision Visual Tracking
Authors: Peng Xiaoming , Xu Zhiyong , Ji Xiang , Peng Yufan , Zhang Jianlin , Zuo Haorui , Wei Yuxing
Published: March 2023

In this paper, we target the “precision visual tracking” problem, which is the precise tracking of a target point on a moving object. Compared with the abundant efforts in object-level tracking, which aims at accurately predicting the bounding box (or the mask) of the object, much less attention has been drawn to precision visual tracking. To this end, we present a template tracking framework that consists of two parts, template matching and template updating. For template matching, we trained a deep architecture to directly estimate the projective transformation that deforms the template to the search image. For template updating, we came up with a systematic strategy to update the initial and new templates. To avoid drift build-ups, we incorporate a fast-running dense correspondence matching module into the template update step. The proposed method was extensively tested on both synthetic and real data. To generate the synthetic data, we created a dataset of 480 image sequences. Each image sequence comes with the trajectory ground truth of a target point moving across all the frames. We compared the proposed method with six comparative approaches on this dataset. The tracking accuracy achieved by the proposed method was as follows: around 44% of the tracking errors were less than one pixel, about 78% of them were less than three pixels, and only about 14% of them exceeded five pixels. The proposed method is fast, running at 14 frames-per-second (fps) on [Formula: see text] image sequences on a workstation equipped with a Nvidia RTX 2080Ti graphic card. Qualitative results also show that the proposed method is applicable to real-world image sequences. The related code, pre-trained models, and the test data will be made publicly available at https://github.com/XM-Peng/Precision-Visual-Tracking/ .
An Adaptive Ant Colony Algorithm Based on Local Information Entropy to Solve Distributed Constraint Optimization Problems
Authors: Shi Meifeng , Xiao Shichuan , Feng Xin
Published: March 2023

As a meta-heuristic algorithm, the ant colony algorithm has been successfully used to solve various combinatorial optimization problems. However, the existing algorithm that takes the power of ants to solve distributed constraint optimization problems (ACO_DCOP) is easy to fall into local optima. To deal with this issue, this paper presents an adaptive ant colony algorithm based on local information entropy to solve distributed constraint optimization problems, named LIEAD. In LIEAD, the local information entropy is introduced to help agents adaptively select the pheromone update strategy and value selection strategy, which improves the convergence speed and the quality of the solution. Moreover, a restart mechanism is designed to break the accumulation state of pheromone, which increases the population diversity and helps the algorithm jump out of the local optima. The extensive experimental results indicate that LIEAD can significantly outperform ACO_DCOP and is competitive with the state-of-the-art DCOPs algorithms.
Interrupt Stack Protection for Linux Kernel in Hardware Virtualization Layer of ARM64 Architecture
Authors: Xiong Chenglai , Yu Xuejun , Yang Jialing , Xie Guoqi
Published: March 2023

Kernel security is of paramount importance in computer systems. As the number of vulnerabilities in the kernel continues to grow, computer systems security risks are increasing. To prevent the kernel interrupt stack from being attacked, researchers provide discussion over complete hypervisor supervision and kernel co-layer security domain techniques. Complete hypervisor supervision brings a heavy overhead and co-layer security domain techniques cannot achieve privilege-level isolation. We focus on memory-based security threats in kernel security vulnerabilities, protecting the kernel at a higher level by using virtualization technology. Compared with the existing work, our implementation method achieves a small performance loss to protect the interrupt stack. We have implemented our system on openEuler operating systems and Phytium processors. Although the deployment of protection code will result in increased kernel interrupt latency and processor overhead, experimental verification shows that the overall system overhead is acceptable.
A Distributed Projection Neurodynamic Approach for Solving BP Denoising Problem in Sparse Recovery
Authors: He Wenjian , Xu Xueyong , Xia Yu , Mao Qin , Zhao You , Xiang Tao
Published: March 2023

This paper investigates a novel projection neurodynamic approach for solving the basis pursuit denoising (BPDN) in a distributed manner. First, by using the distributed consensus theorem over undirected graph and supplementary variables method, the distributed version of BPDN is obtained. Second, with the help of projection operators, primal-dual dynamical system and derivative feedback terms, a novel distributed neurodynamic approach is proposed to deal with the distributed version of BPDN for sparse recovery. Moreover, the optimality and convergence properties of the proposed distributed projection neurodynamic approach (DPNA) are analyzed rigorously. Finally, we apply DPNA to sparse signal reconstruction which demonstrates the effectiveness of DPNA through numerical experiments. In addition, inspired by the role of image reconstruction technology in the field of defense against adversarial attack, we use DPNA as a preprocessing method to enhance the robustness of the deep model. Compared with known defense schemes such as JEPG, ComDefend, and OMP, our DPNA is better than them.
Toy models of compact anisotropic stars and their Love numbers
Authors: Parida Bikram Keshari , Das Shyam , Govender Megandhren
Published: March 2023

In this paper, we investigate the influence of tidal Love numbers on the equation-of-state (EoS) governing the interior matter distribution of a compact star within the framework of classical general relativity. By invoking a linear EoS for a spherically symmetric anisotropic matter configuration, we solve the Einstein field equations for an arbitrary EoS parameter. We subject our m[Formula: see text]odel to rigorous regularity, causality, and stability tests. In particular, we show that our model gives a very good approximation of the pulsar 4U 1608–52. We further demonstrate the intrinsic connection between the EoS parameter which describes the nature of the matter making up the stellar fluid and the tidal Love numbers.
The constrained cosmological model in Lyra geometry
Authors: Singh J. K. , Shaily  , Ram Shri , Santos Joao R. L. , Fortunato Jéferson A. S.
Published: March 2023

In this paper, we study a flat homogeneous FLRW model in Lyra geometry which is described by a time-dependent displacement vector. We consider an appropriate parametrization of the energy density of scalar field [Formula: see text] in terms of the cosmic scale factor. The result shows two transitions from deceleration to acceleration. Furthermore, we constrain the model parameter [Formula: see text] and the displacement field vector [Formula: see text] using the recent supernovae data, Hubble dataset of 77 points and their joint data which predict the accelerated expanding phase of the universe in late times. The effective equation of state parameter [Formula: see text] speculates [Formula: see text]CDM in late times. Finally, we use the statefinder diagnostic to differentiate our model from the various dark energy models.
High Embedding Capacity Color Image Steganography Scheme Using Pixel Value Differencing and Addressing the Falling-Off Boundary Problem
Authors: Dharwadkar Nagaraj V. , Lonikar Ashutosh A. , Mahmud Mufti
Published: March 2023

In this paper, we changed the methodology for pixel value differencing. The proposed method work on RGB color images improves the existing PVD technique in terms of embedding capacity and overcomes the issue of falling off boundaries in the traditional PVD technique, and provides security to the secret message from histogram quantization attack. Color images are composed of three different color channels (red, green, and blue), so we cannot apply the traditional pixel value differencing algorithm to them. Due to that, the proposed technique divides the RGB photograph in red, blue, and green channels. Following that the modified pixel value differencing algorithm is employed to all successive pixels of color channels. We get the total embedding capacity by adding the embedding capacities of each color component. After embedding the data, we concatenate the color channels to get the stegoimage. On a series of color images, we tested our pixel value differencing approach and found that the stego-picture’s visual excellence and payload capacity were reasonable. The variation in histogram between the stego and cover photographs was minor, making it resistant to histogram quantization attacks, and the suggested approach also solves the issue of falling off the boundary.
Efficient Cybersecurity Model Using Wavelet Deep CNN and Enhanced Rain Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Lavanya V. , Sekhar P. Chandra
Published: March 2023

Cybersecurity has received greater attention in modern times due to the emergence of IoT (Internet-of-Things) and CNs (Computer Networks). Because of the massive increase in Internet access, various malicious malware have emerged and pose significant computer security threats. The numerous computing processes across the network have a high risk of being tampered with or exploited, which necessitates developing effective intrusion detection systems. Therefore, it is essential to build an effective cybersecurity model to detect the different anomalies or cyber-attacks in the network. This work introduces a new method known as Wavelet Deep Convolutional Neural Network (WDCNN) to classify cyber-attacks. The presented network combines WDCNN with Enhanced Rain Optimization Algorithm (EROA) to minimize the loss in the network. This proposed algorithm is designed to detect attacks in large-scale data and reduces the complexities of detection with maximum detection accuracy. The proposed method is implemented in PYTHON. The classification process is completed with the help of the two most famous datasets, KDD cup 1999 and CICMalDroid 2020. The performance of WDCNN_EROA can be assessed using parameters like specificity, accuracy, precision F-measure and recall. The results showed that the proposed method is about 98.72% accurate for the first dataset and 98.64% for the second dataset.