bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CRISPR/Cas9 generated PTCHD1 2489T>G stem cells recapitulate patient phenotype when undergoing neural induction
Authors: Farley Kathryn Olivia , Forbes Catherine A , Shaw Nicole C. , Ward Michelle , Baynam Gareth , Lassmann Timo , Fear Vanessa S.
Published: May 2023

An estimated 3.5–5.9% of the global population live with rare diseases, and approximately 80% of these diseases have a genetic cause. Rare genetic diseases can be difficult to diagnose, with patients experiencing diagnostic delays of 5–30 years. Next generation sequencing has improved clinical diagnostic rates to 33–48% however a novel potentially disease causative variant is often identified. These variants require validation of pathogenicity in specialist laboratories, resulting in a diagnostic delay that on average lasts five years. In the interim, the finding is classified as a genetic variant of uncertain significance (VUS) and the patient remains undiagnosed. A VUS (PTCHD1 c. 2489T > G) was identified in a child with autistic behaviour, global developmental delay and hypotonia. Loss of function mutations in PTCHD1 are associated with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability; however, the molecular function of PTCHD1, and its role in neurodevelopmental disease is unknown. Here, we apply CRISPR gene editing and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) neural disease modelling to assess the patient VUS. During differentiation from iPSCs to neural progenitors, we detect subtle, but significant gene signatures in synaptic transmission and muscle contraction pathways. Our work supports the causal link between the genetic variant and the child’s phenotype. Additionally, this study informs on the potential role of PTCHD1 in other neurodevelopmental and neuromuscular disorders and demonstrates the value of combining laboratory and computational variant assessment.
Splashing of tungsten-based anode during arc discharge
Authors: IIDA Kenta , KOMEN Hisaya , SHIGETA Masaya , TANAKA Manabu
Published: May 2023

A unique mechanism of splashing from a tungsten-based anode was identified during arc discharge. Splashing occurred by breakoff of a liquid metal column, which elongates after a local concavity forms on the molten anode surface. Blue–violet luminescence, emitted by cerium ions originating from additives in the tungsten-based anode, was captured before the concavity formation. The surface temperature exceeded the boiling point of the additives at the time of splashing. The measured droplet speeds suggested that an electromagnetic force contributes the high-speed ejections. Energy dispersive spectrometry mapping also exhibited a remnant of the additives on the longitudinal cross-section of the anode after arc discharge. Based on these experimental facts, the mechanism of anode splashing in arc discharge was deduced as follows: bubble formation of additives at temperatures above their boiling point, bubble bursting at the surface,, micro-plasma jet generation, liquid-column elongation and breakoff under an electromagnetic force, and consequent high-speed droplet ejection.
Transcriptome sequencing and identification of key genes in the oil content accumulation and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis pathway of Hibiseu manihot seeds
Authors: Yu Jie , Shi Hui-Min , Xu Hua-Xiang , Guo Xi , Lu Jun-Xing , Zhu Bo , Zhang Tao
Published: May 2023

Background Hibiseu manihot of various tissues has a high application value, accumulating more than 65% of unsaturated fatty acids in the seeds as well as high levels of oleic acid. Performing transcriptome analysis is beneficial to reveal the molecular mechanism of fatty acid biosynthesis during the development of Hibiseu manihot seeds.Results Transcriptome analysis was performed using seeds of Hibiseu manihot at 5, 15 and 30 days after flowering. There were 3338 (1320down, 2018up), 6657 (3408down, 3249up), 3851 (2001down, 1850up) differentially expressed genes in 5 DAF vs 15 DAF, 5 DAF vs 30 DAF, 15 DAF vs 30 DAF. GO functional analysis showed that differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in three functional categories bioengineering, molecular function and cellular component. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in environmental information processes, genetic information processing, metabolism and other metabolic pathways. Nine genes related to fatty acid biosynthesis and oleic acid metabolic pathways were validated by qRT-PCR, and the results showed that the qRT-PCR were consistent with the transcriptome sequencing results. The analysis of fatty acid content in Hibiseu manihot seeds at different stages showed that oleic acid increased and then decreased with seed development, at the same time, linoleic acid decreased first and then increased. and stearic acid content was more stable. It was hypothesized that KASII, SAD, FATA, PDAT and FAD2 might be closely related to the high content of oleic acid in Hibiseu manihot seeds, which laid a molecular foundation for further study on the functions of KASII, SAD, FATA, PDAT and FAD2.Conclusions This study has important significance and reference value for regulating the lipid metabolism pathway of Hibiseu manihot and mining the key genes involved in the lipid synthesis and accumulation of Hibiseu manihot.
Utilization of Duckweeds (Lemna minor) as an extractive species in rearing juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum, 1792) using the open system
Authors: Azhar Muhammad Hanif , Memiş Devrim
Published: May 2023

Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) is a system that utilizes extractive species to utilize nutrients that are wasted from aquaculture activities. Lemna minor, commonly called duckweed, is a floating aquatic plant widely used to improve water quality in a body of water. The study aims to determine the potential of the Lemna minor as an inorganic extractive species in utilizing inorganic nitrogen from wastewater from rearing rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum, 1792) juvenile using the open system. In this study, rainbow trout were used as the fed species with an initial weight of 25 ± 2.0 g. Freshwater mussels (Anodonta sp.) with an initial weight of 58.00 ± 2.0 g were used as an organic extractive species. Lemna minor with different biomass weights (Treatment 1: 270 g and Treatment 2: 360 g) acting as inorganic extractive species were used in the experiment. The water temperature during the study period was around 13 oC. The use of Lemna minor with different stocking densities had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on the values of pH, DO, nitrate, and T. Phosphorus in the filtration tanks. Overall, using Lemna minor as an inorganic extractive species reduced the concentration of ammonium and T. phosphorus from media-rearing rainbow trout juveniles. This study reveals that using different species with different trophic levels as extractive species can improve water quality in the IMTA system.
Using Simulation to Enhance Primary Care Sexual Health Services for Breast Cancer Survivors: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Silva Amina , Galica Jacqueline , Woo Kevin , Luctkar-Flude Marian
Published: May 2023

Purpose
To evaluate the impact of a virtual simulation game (VSG) to improve primary care sexual health services for breast cancer survivors.
Methods
We developed a VSG to help primary care providers (PCPs) address sexual health disturbances among breast cancer survivors. We used a pretest–posttest design with a series of validated tools to assess the feasibility and perceived impact of the game, including an open-ended question about participants’ perceptions. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and qualitative data through an inductive content analysis approach.
Results
Of the 60 participants, the majority were nurse practitioner students (n = 26; 43.3%); female (n = 48; 80%); and worked full-time (n = 35; 58.3%). Participants perceived the game as feasible and potentially effective. The intervention elicited an improvement in PCPs’ perception of knowledge between pretest and posttest surveys (z = -1.998, p = .046). Professional background and previous exposure to sexual health training were predictors of knowledge perception. Participants described the intervention as an engaging educational strategy where they felt safe to make mistakes and learn from that.
Conclusions
VSGs can be a potentially effective educational approach for PCPs. Our findings indicate that despite being an engaging interactive strategy, VSG interventions should be tailored for each professional group.
Implications for cancer survivors
This intervention has the potential to improve the knowledge and practice of PCPs related to breast cancer follow-up care to support comprehensive care for survivors, resulting in a better quality of life and patient outcomes.
Carbon balance shift in mountain peatlands along a gradient of grazing disturbance in the tropical Andes (Colombia)
Authors: Martínez-Amigo Violeta , Benavides Juan C.
Published: May 2023

High-elevation cushion peatlands are typical ecosystems of the Andes above 4000 m of altitude, with an important role in hydrology and global carbon sequestration. In Tropical Andean context, grazing livestock is one of the main threats to cushion peatlands, altering the vegetation and the storage carbon function. The aim of this research is to understand how grazing influences cushion peatland functioning by identifying ecological thresholds for carbon balance process. The study was carried out in four Andean peatlands in the northern part of Colombian Andes during 2019-2020. We established 30 plots of 1 m2 where water table level, vegetation cover, and grazing disturbance were monitored. We also measured CO2 fluxes using an infrared gas analyzer connected to a closed static chamber, which registered net ecosystem exchange and respiration data. Considerable variation in the conservation status of Distichia muscoides cushions was found within the sampled peatlands, reflecting an heterogeneous signal of grazing disturbance that is evident at the plot-specific scale. Decreasing water table level was related with changes in dominant vegetation, from compact cushion species to grasses proliferation, exacerbating disturbance effects and carbon emissions. Mixed effects logistic regression models showed a carbon balance shift, from CO2 sink to net emitter, in plots with high disturbance intensity and low D. muscoides cover. This study provides information for a better understanding of mountain peatlands functioning in the Tropical Andes and underlines the key role of D. muscoides cushions and the water table in carbon balance shift.
Molecular and statistical approaches to the delimitation of Eimeriidae species: A case of extreme polymorphism in eimerian oocysts from plumbeous pigeons Patagioenas plumbea Vieillot, 1818 (Columbiformes) in South America
Authors: Ortúzar-Ferreira Carlos Nei , Oliveira Mariana S. , Andrade Lucas de Assis S. , de Mello Ericson R. , Lima Viviane M. , Berto Bruno P.
Published: May 2023

The current work aimed to analyze, morphologically, statistically and molecularly, oocysts shed from plumbeous pigeons Patagioenas plumbea Vieillot, 1818 from a locality at 2197m of altitude near the Agulhas Negras peak, the highest point of the State of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. The oocysts were extremely polymorphic, being subspheroidal, ovoidal or ellipsoidal, in addition to having the random presence/absence of characteristic features associated with the oocyst wall, such as micropyle, micropyle cap, lateral micropyle and outer veil/rough wall. Linear regression confirmed the extreme polymorphism of oocysts, showing that if all combinations of taxonomic characters in oocysts (morphotypes) were overestimated, 19 different species could be identified/described. In contrast, the means comparison analysis between oocysts with presence/absence of characteristic features and the histograms showed equivalences and regularity in the distribution in the classes of measures, which indicate the presence of a single species in the measured oocysts. Molecular analyzes was performed from the isolation of individual oocysts of different morphotypes, which had their genetic material extracted, amplified and sequenced in 4 non-overlapping loci in cox1, cox3 genes and fragments of small and large subunit rDNA of mitochondrial DNA. The sequences were 100% identical between the morphotypes, with the exception of a very small divergence observed at the locus that partially covers the cox3 gene. The phylogenetic analysis was inconclusive for the locus within cox1 gene traditionally used for eimeriid coccidians, however the other loci should have a promising future for phylogenetic studies when more sequences for the same genic regions are deposited in GenBank. Finally, the multifactorial analysis of the current work supported that the polymorphic oocysts shed from P. plumbea are a single species, which was named as Eimeria patagioenasae, making this the twenty-second eimerian description from Columbiformes.
Solving fuzzy linear programming via the parametric form approach
Authors: SEMMOURI Abdellatif , Jourhmane Mostafa
Published: May 2023

The linear programming tool covers a wide range of subject areas including Mathematics, Physics, Financial Management and Digital Economic. Particularly when solving financial planning problems with a goal using linear programming, the presence of fuzziness with the ranking or weighting of goals leads to some technical difficulties.
Although significant research works which have been established on fuzzy linear programming, only the membership$'$s aspect or algebraic form are considered. In this regard, numerous results have been established in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to deal with a kind of linear programming problem involving triangular fuzzy numbers given in the parametric form. The main idea consists in constructing an estimate of the requested solution by superimposing of estimates provided by elementary linear programs. Through numerical experiment which is given in this manuscript, we demonstrate the empirical performance of our proposal.
This approach of parametric form will be extended and investigated for solving intuitionistic fuzzy linear programming and neutrosophic linear programming in the future perspective.
Dynamic mechanical properties of gamma sterilized bovine cortical bone soaked in olive leaves extract
Authors: Said Hoda , Taha Eman
Published: May 2023

Terminal sterilization is necessary for bone grafts to prevent infection and disease transmission. Gamma radiation sterilization is currently the accepted method for its convenience and effectiveness in establishing the sterility of bone grafts. Unfortunately, the mechanical properties of bone grafts are also impaired during the gamma radiation sterilization process. Many studies addressed this problem by confining the free radical damage pathway to the bone collagen phase by using free radical scavengers. However, the safety of these free radical scavengers needs to be more carefully investigated before being applied in bone sterilization. Due to the abundance of phenolic compounds in olive leaves and the fact that these compounds are known to be powerful antioxidants, the aim of this study is to examine olive leaves extract (OLE) as a novel, affordable and non-toxic free radical scavenger for bone specimen protection during gamma radiation sterilization. The radioprotective effect of OLE on bone was investigated qualitatively by the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) technique. Specimens from the bovine femur were cut, and they were then soaked in previously prepared OLE for 4 days, 7 days, and 10 days at 4°C before being gamma sterilized with 25 KGy. In a 3-point bending configuration, the dynamic mechanical analysis was conducted at 1 Hz in the temperature range of 28–200°C. The research showed that gamma irradiation deteriorates the dynamic mechanical properties of bones. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.0001) in storage and loss moduli were observed between the irradiated group with 25 KGy and those pretreated by soaking in OLE before irradiation. The results obtained from this study proved that the use of OLE as a free radical scavenger before gamma sterilization would allow for biomechanically more stable bone grafts after implementation, and this finding is of great implication in bone banking.
The Excited State ( A 2 Σ ) potential energy surface of Xe-OH complex: a computational study
Authors: Singh Vipin Bahadur
Published: May 2023

Ab initio calculations have been carried out for the ground X 2Π and first excited A2Σ states of the OH and Xe-OH complex employing the internally contracted MRCI approach with reference wave function obtained from state averaged CASSCF calculations. The calculated spectroscopic constants of OH are found in excellent agreement with the experimentally observed values. The computed potential energy surface for the first excited state of Xe-OH predicts the interaction energy of 11900 cm-1 indicating the formation of an incipient chemical bond between OH (A) and Xe.
Hyperpolarized Multi-organ Spectroscopy of Liver and Brain using 1- 13C-Pyruvate Enhanced via Para-Hydrogen
Authors: Hune Theresa L. K. , Mamone Salvatore , Schmidt Andreas B. , Mahú Inês , D’Apolito Natascha , Wiedermann Dirk , Brüning Jens , Glöggler Stefan
Published: May 2023

Hyperpolarization in nuclear magnetic resonance boosts the signals by several orders of magnitude. Using the singlet spin order of para-hydrogen to create large non-equilibrium spin polarization is a fast approach to obtain hyperpolarized metabolites in seconds. In recent years, it has attracted particular interest in the field of biomedicine because signal-enhanced and 13C-enriched metabolites allow for real-time metabolic investigations in combination with imaging in vivo. With this, metabolism can be traced and characterized with spatial selectivity in the body. Here, we introduce a method to use signal-enhanced metabolites to study multiple organs in separate injections to obtain real-time kinetics in vivo of these organs. Using hyperpolarized 1-13C-pyruvate, we measured the kinetics of the conversion from pyruvate to lactate in the brain and the liver of mice. This we did by injecting the hyperpolarized pyruvate two times within half an hour and using each injection to measure the spectra of one region of interest. Organ cross-talk and especially how different organs affect each other in diseases is of major interest and rarely understood, because of the high complexity of biological systems. With the proof-of-principle study provided here, we are introducing a new tool to study organ-related interaction in vivo. It allows the characterization of different organs of the same animal at the same time point, which is enabled by the fast signal enhancement achieved with para-hydrogen.
Rydberg Electron Stabilizes the Charge Localized State of the Diamine Cation
Authors: Reimann Marc , Sebastiani Daniel , Kirsch Christoph , Kaupp Martin
Published: May 2023

The interpretation of Rydberg spectra of gaseous dimethylpiperidine (DMP) as showing the co-existence of a localized and delocalized mixed-valent DMP+ radical cation has generated a controversial discussion about the performance of various electronic-structure methods. We revisit this discussion by high-level computations. An apparent barrier separating localized and delocalized DMP+ minima at MRCI+Q and a few other levels reflects unphysical curve crossings of the reference wave functions. These discontinuities on the surface are removed in state-averaged MRCI+Q calculations, as well as at IP-EOM-CCSD or CCSD(T) levels. This has prompted a high-level computational study of the actually observed Rydberg state of neutral DMP. Indeed, the 3s-type Rydberg electron binds more strongly to a localized rather than to a delocalized positive charge distribution. This stabilizes the localized structure to the extent where it becomes a local minimum for the DMP∗ Rydberg state, in contrast to DMP+, explaining the experimental observations. This appears to be the first case where interactions of a Rydberg electron with the underlying cationic core alter molecular structure in such a fundamental way.
Leveraging Data from the Genomes to Fields Initiative to
Investigate G×E in Maize in North America
Authors: Lopez-Cruz Marco , Aguate Fernando , Washburn Jacob , de Leon Natalia , Kaeppler Shawn , Lima Dayane Cristina , Tan Ruijuan , Thompson Addie , Bretonne Laurence de la , Campos Gustavo de los
Published: May 2023

Genotype-by-environment (GxE) interactions play a significant role in crop performance and stability. Investigating GxE requires extensive data where diverse genotypes are tested over multiple locations and years. Since 2014, the Genomes to Fields (G2F) initiative has collected phenotype and genotype data for more than 4,000 diverse hybrids tested in more than 130 year-locations combinations in the US and Canada. We curated this data set and expanded it by generating (using a crop model) environmental covariates for each of the trials conducted by the G2F initiative since 2014. The resulting data set includes DNA genotypes and environmental data linked to more than 70,000 phenotypic records of grain yield and flowering traits in North America. We used multivariate analyses to characterize the data set’s genetic and environmental structure, study the association of key environmental factors with grain yield and flowering traits, and provide benchmarks using state-of-the-art genomic prediction models. The workflows used to generate and analyze the data set are provided as open-source code. The data set that we introduce in this study can serve as a benchmark in agricultural modeling and prediction, and paves the way for countless GxE investigations in maize.
Ridge-twin boundaries as prolific dislocation sources in low stacking-fault energy metals and alloys
Authors: Fu Xiaoqian , Ding Jun , Ozsoy-Keskinbora Cigdem , Yang Guang , Chen Yujie , Fang Yan , Park Eun Soo , Zhang Ze , Ritchie Robert , Ma En , Yu Qian
Published: May 2023

Dislocation activities are crucial in facilitating plastic deformation, even in metals that are prone to deformation twinning. We have discovered a novel type of prolific dislocation sources, which reside on nano-sized ridges along the borders between different twin variants in low stacking-fault energy (SFE) materials. These sources act as dislocation generators that promote dislocation interaction and accumulation, spreading plastic strain and leading to robust strain hardening at the early stages of plastic deformation. Molecular dynamic simulations indicate that the formation of nano-sized ridge-twin structures is energetically favorable at the junctions between multiple twins, explaining why such structures are ubiquitous in low-SFE materials. Decreasing the SFE can significantly increase the population of ridge-twin boundaries, facilitating strain hardening to sustain the stability of plastic flow. These findings provide new insights into the origin of dislocation plasticity and the high early-stage strain hardening rate in low-SFE materials.
PTEN regulated PI3K-p110 and AKT isoform plasticity controls metastatic prostate cancer progression
Authors: Miller Karina , Degan Seamus , Wang Yanqing , Cohen Joseph , Ku Sheng-Yu , Goodrich David , Gelman Irwin
Published: May 2023

PTEN loss, one of the most frequent mutations in prostate cancer (PC), is presumed to drive disease progression through AKT activation. However, two transgenic PC models with Akt activation plus Rb loss exhibited different metastasis development: Pten/RbPE:−/− mice produced systemic metastatic adenocarcinomas with high AKT2 activation, whereas RbPE:−/− mice deficient for the Src-scaffolding protein, Akap12, induced high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasias and indolent lymph node disseminations, correlating with upregulated phosphotyrosyl PI3K-p85α. Using PC cells isogenic for PTEN, we show that PTEN-deficiency correlated with dependence on both p110β and AKT2 for in vitro and in vivo parameters of metastatic growth or motility, and with downregulation of SMAD4, a known PC metastasis suppressor. In contrast, PTEN expression, which dampened these oncogenic behaviors, correlated with greater dependence on p110α plus AKT1. Our data suggest that metastatic PC aggressiveness is controlled by specific PI3K/AKT isoform combinations influenced by divergent Src activation or PTEN-loss pathways.
Multi-scale feature fusion object detection with bidirectional feature pyramid network and secondary candidate box refinement
Authors: Sun Yibo , Li Xue , Liu Chenlei , Xu Bixiao , Gong Jing , Sun Zhe
Published: May 2023

As a task to locate and classify objects of interest in given images or videos, object detection is a core research direction of computer vision. It promotes intelligent monitoring, face recognition, and image segmentation development. However, deep learning-based object detection models still have a low detection accuracy for small-scale objects. In this paper, we propose a multi-scale feature fusion object detection with a bidirectional feature pyramid network and 1 secondary candidate box refinement, named MS-Faster R-CNN. The strategy, combined with the Feature Pyramid Network(FPN), uses two links to complete the feature fusion, making the semantics of the fused features richer and adapted to different scale objects. In the candidate box recommendation stage, we use the cascaded Region Proposal Network(RPN) and optimized Non-Maximum Sup-pression(NMS) so that the candidate box of the small-scale object would not be over-suppressed, which improves the recommendation efficiency of the candidate box. Finally, the Region of Interest(ROI) Align pooling technology based on the bilinear interpolation method is considered to avoid the loss of accuracy caused by quantization. Extensive experiments show that our scheme has better detection performance than other methods on datasets of Pascal VOC 2007, Pascal VOC 2012, and MS COCO.
ANGPTL4 accelerates carcinogenesis and angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment by activating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway and interacting with ESM1
Authors: Li Yukun , Gao An-bo , Zeng Tian , Zhang Qun-feng , Ran Xiao-min , Tang Zheng-zi , Li Yan , Liu Jue , Zhang Ting , Shi Gang-qing , Zhou Wen-chao , Zou Wen-da , Liu Dan , Peng Juan , Zhang Juan , Li Hui , Zou Juan
Published: May 2023

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a malignant neoplasm that displays increased vascularization. Angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) is a secreted glycoprotein that functions as a regulator of cell metabolism and angiogenesis and plays a critical role in tumorigenesis. However, the precise role of ANGPTL4 in the OC microenvironment, particularly its involvement in angiogenesis, has not been fully elucidated. Our study demonstrates a significant upregulation of ANGPTL4 in OC specimens and its strong association with unfavorable prognosis. RNA-seq analysis affirms that ANGPTL4 facilitates OC development by driving janus kinase 2- signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2-STAT3) signaling pathway activation. The interaction between ANGPTL4 and endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 (ESM1) promotes ANGPTL4 binding to lipoprotein lipase (LPL), thereby resulting in reprogrammed lipid metabolism and the promotion of OC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In the OC microenvironment, ESM1 may interfere with the binding of ANGPTL4 to integrin and vascular-endothelial cadherin (VE-Cad), which leads to stabilization of vascular integrity and ultimately promotes angiogenesis. Collectively, our findings underscore that ANGPTL4 promotes OC development via JAK signaling and induces angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment through its interaction with ESM1.
Automatic puncture path planning before percutaneous vertebroplasty based on image processing
Authors: Li Yue , Deng Yunjiao , Yan Jiangtao , Liang Shunpan , Hou Yulei , Zeng Daxing
Published: May 2023

Background Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) has become the mainstream method for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures(OVCF). Generally, surgeons manually plan the puncture path by themselves. This is time-consuming and laborious, which increases the working pressure of surgeons. Image processing algorithm is used to automatically segment contour of vertebral body, and plan the puncture path before operation. In order to obtain the contours of vertebral body and skin, binarization and contour extraction algorithm were performed. The connecting algorithm we proposed was used to connect the discontinuous contour of vertebral foramen. We determined the centerline of vertebral body by inscribed circle center of the contours of vertebral body and vertebral foramen, located the narrowest part of vertebral pedicle based on rotating segment algorithm and calculated medical parameters. The experimental results show that the segmentation accuracy of algorithm is 95.92%, the average relative error of extracted parameters was no more than 4.18%. This method realizes automatic and accurate planning of puncture path before PVP, and it is of great significance to reduce the workload of surgeons, the number of intraoperative fluoroscopy and the harm of radiation to surgeons.
Hidden periodic states in gas hydrate systems lead to spontaneous gas release without external triggers
Authors: Burwicz-Galerne Ewa , Schmidt Christopher , Rüpke Lars , Gupta Shubhangi
Published: May 2023

Gas hydrates are one of the largest marine carbon reservoirs on Earth. The conventional understanding of hydrate dynamics assumes that the system converges to a steady-state over geological time-scales, achieving fixed concentrations of gas hydrate and free gas phase. However, using a high-fidelity numerical model and consistently resolving phase states across multiple fluid-fluid and fluid-solid phase boundaries, we have identified well-defined periodic states embedded within hydrate system dynamics. These states lead to cyclic formation and dissolution of massive hydrate layers that is self-sustaining even in the absence of external triggers. This previously unresolved characteristic could manifest as spontaneous gas discharge and pressure release in, supposedly, unperturbed systems. Our findings challenge the foundational principle that the gas hydrate systems have unique steady-state solutions. Instead, existence of periodic states introduces an irreducible uncertainty in gas hydrate dynamics which puts significant error bars on previous hydrate estimates.
A Deep Learning Framework for Multi-Cancer Detection in Medical Imaging
Authors: Desale Ketan , Asole Prasanna , Bhosale Girish , Bhos Sanket , Ambhore Ankush
Published: May 2023

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, and finding the disease at an early stage significantly increases the chances that treatment will be successful. The conventional methods of diagnosing cancer, such as biopsies and imaging, can be invasive, time-consuming, and costly. In the field of cancer detection, deep learning algorithms have recently demonstrated a great deal of promise. In this research paper, we have applied one of the most discussed deep learning method Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with three different architectures which are currently making an important place in this field. We have worked with DenseNet201, VGG16, and MobileNetV3 for the detection of multiple forms of cancer that is based on deep learning. This research made use of a dataset that contained images and data from patients who had been diagnosed with various types of cancer, including Acute lymphoblastic Leukemia, Brain Cancer, Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Kidney Cancer, Lung and Colon Cancer, Lymphoma, Oral Cancer. The findings point to the potential of deep learning algorithms in the early detection of multiple types of cancer. If successful, this would result in better patient outcomes and lower overall healthcare costs.
Extreme Weather Events and the Performance of Critical Utility Infrastructures: A Case Study of Hurricane Harvey
Authors: Rafi Shahnawaz , Meng Sisi , Santos Joost , Mozumder Pallab
Published: May 2023

Extreme weather events have considerable economic and social ramifications by disrupting public utility services, such as power outages, disconnecting phone service, and transportation interruptions. This study seeks to understand the performance and resilience of critical infrastructure systems in Houston, Texas, using Hurricane Harvey (2017) as a case study. We surveyed five hundred residents of the Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area after Hurricane Harvey's landfall. Our initial data analysis concentrated on the number of homes that reported interruptions in electricity, water, phone/cellphone, Internet, public transportation, places of employment, and grocery stores. We also estimate the duration of each type of disruption. Around 69% of the respondents reported electricity disruption, while half (49%) had no water supply for up to six days. Two-thirds of the surveyed households did not have internet access, and 47% had their phone services disconnected. Finally, around 70% of the respondents could not commute to their workplace, while 71% could not buy groceries for their families. We incorporated the household survey responses into the Dynamic Inoperability Input-Output Model (DIIM) to estimate inoperability and economic losses in multiple linked sectors. The total economic loss was estimated to be over $6 billion, and workforce disruption is the major challenge that policymakers must consider for improving resilience. Understanding the resilience of each sector and the inherent interdependencies across the sectors can provide helpful input to policymakers for disaster risk management, notably preparedness and recovery planning for future events.
JEL Classification: Q50, Q54. R11, R12, R15
Deep sea treasures - insights from museum archives shed light on coral microbial diversity and functioning within deepest ocean ecosystems
Authors: Ricci Francesco , Leggat William , Pasella Marisa , Bridge Tom , Horowitz Jeremy , Girguis Peter , Ainsworth Tracy
Published: May 2023

Deep sea benthic habitats are low productivity ecosystems that host an abundance of organisms within the Cnidaria phyla. The technical limitations and the high cost of deep sea surveys have made exploring deep sea environments and the biology of the organisms that inhabit them challenging. In spite of the widespread recognition of Cnidaria's environmental importance in these ecosystems, the microbial assemblage and its role in coral functioning have only been studied for a few deep water corals. Here we explored the prokaryotic diversity of deep sea corals by recovering nucleic acids from museum archive specimens. Firstly, we amplified and sequenced the V1-V3 regions of the 16S rRNA gene of specimens held in museum archival storage and utilised these to shed light on the microbial diversity associated with seven families of corals collected from depth in the Coral Sea (depth range 1,309 to 2,959 metres) and Southern Ocean (depth range 1,401 to 2,071 metres) benthic habitats. Most surprisingly, Cyanobacteria were consistently associated with six out of seven coral families from both sampling locations, suggesting that these bacteria are potentially ubiquitous members of the microbiome within these cold water and deep sea organisms. Consistent with previous studies, we show that the bacterial phyla Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes and Acidobacteriota dominate the microbial community of corals in the deep sea. We also explored the genomes of the genus Mycoplasma, which we identified as associated with specimens of three deep sea coral families, finding evidence that these bacteria may aid the host immune system. Importantly our results show that museum specimens retain components of host microbiome that can provide new insights into the diversity of deep sea coral microbiomes (and potentially other organisms), as well as the diversity of microbes writ large in deep sea ecosystems.
To sleep perchance to dream - not; Nyctophobia from COVID-19 induced hyposmia
Authors: Kalita Shweta , Birwatkar Drushti , Cosme Rosario , Mehdiratta Nikita , Hirsch Alan Richard
Published: May 2023

Objective:
Increase awareness of the correlation between nyctophobia and hyposmia in individuals with COVID-19.
Background:
Fear of sleep (nyctophobia) has been attributed to various conditions ranging from benign nocturnal panic attacks and Morvan's syndrome. Positional dependent hyposmia as an origin of nyctophobia has not heretofore been described.
Case presentation:
This 52-year-old woman presented with sudden onset of loss of smell and taste with COVID-19, which returned to 85% of normal. However, her symptoms worsened when she would lie down to 30% of normal but would improve with standing, moving, and sitting. Requiring her to stand for hours before her sense of smell would return led to her nyctophobia that forced her to move around all the time.
Conclusions:
Nyctophobia, a fear of positional dependent loss of smell, highlights the importance of smell to a narcissistic perception of self. This can be understood that the olfactory lobe is anatomically part of the limbic system. Deposition of memory engrams is facilitated as manifest with olfactory evoked nostalgia seen in 84% of the general population. The importance of smell is thus intrinsic to an individual's well-being, and the threat of loss of such sensation with a change in position with sleep was the precipitating event leading to nyctophobia in this subject. Assessing for fear of loss of smell in those with nyctophobia, especially with past COVID-19 infection, allows for an increased understanding of etiology and indicates potential treatment approaches.
Spatial Genetic Structure and Seed Quality of a Southernmost Abies nephrolepis Population
Authors: Kim Sunjeong , Lee Hye-Jin , Kim Yang-Gil , Kang Kyu-Suk
Published: May 2023

Abies nephrolepis(Trautv. ex Maxim.) Maxim. has its southernmost populations in South Korea and they are expected to decline under climate change. To establish a strategic conservation plan, this study aimed to investigate the spatial genetic structure and seed characteristics of A. nephrolepis. We used nine microsatellite markers on 165 individuals of A. nephrolepis and sampled seeds in a southernmost population at Mt. Hambaeksan, South Korea. We observed a high level of heterozygosity, and a simulation study found that sampling 20 individuals was enough to secure sufficient genetic diversity on average. Spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed that individuals had a positive genetic relationship until 30 m. Bayesian clustering models, STRUCTURE and GENELAND, failed to achieve a consensus in the optimal number of population (K), estimating K=1 and K=2, respectively. Principal coordinate analysis supported the absence of genetic substructure within a population. There was a large variance in seed production among mother trees. On average, seeds of A. nephrolepis from Mt. Hambaeksan had a purity of 70.4% and germination percentage of 32.2%. We found that seed weight was the most effective indicator of seed quality. Mother trees at higher altitudes had poorer purity which is threatening to A. nephrolepis considering the upslope retreat of subalpine species under climate change. Our results provide insights into the interactions among spatial processes, genetic structure, and seed quality within a population of A. nephrolepis.
A Study Of I.Q Levels In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Syria And The Importance Of Categorization By These Levels In Rehabilitation Centers
Authors: Al-Assaf Abd Al-Munem , Al-Bany Maher
Published: May 2023

Background and Aim: The aim of this study is to compare the mental-motor development and the improvement levels in two samples of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from two rehabilitation centers from Damascus, Syria. The first sample consists of children from Center A who underwent the Stanford-Binet I.Q evaluation test in their diagnostic assessment and have been categorized by it and by the severity of their symptoms into different classes. And the second sample, the Center B children. Center B does not give I.Q evaluation tests to its children and does not categorize them by symptom severity and puts children of varying I.Q and symptom levels in shared classes.
The comparison will be done in five fields: The Linguistic Field; The Social Field; The Field of Functional Play; The Field of Academic and Pre-Academic Skills, and The Behavioral Field.
Methods: The study sample consisted of 60 children with ASD which have been divided into two groups: 30 children from Center A and 30 children from Center B.
The age limit of the sample was set between 3-14 years. Type of study: Cross-Section. The time period was set between the dates
1/1/2022 to 1/1/2023 in which to evaluate the progression and improvement in these children.
Results:
- There is a real noticeable improvement that is statistically-significant in The Linguistic Field among the children of Sample A over the children of Sample B within the same timeframe.
- The study found no real statistically-significant improvement difference in The Social Field between the children of Sample A and Sample B within the same timeframe.
- The study found no real statistically-significant improvement difference in The Field of Functional Play between the children of Sample A and Sample B within the same timeframe.
- There is a real noticeable improvement that is statistically-significant in The Field of Academic and Pre-Academic Skills among the children of Sample A over the children of Sample B within the same timeframe.
- There is a real noticeable improvement that is statistically-significant in The Behavioral Field among the children of Sample A over the children of Sample B within the same timeframe.
- There is a real statistically-significant relationship between ASD symptom improvement and the categorization of children into different classes by I.Q level and symptom severity at the time of their diagnosis, and which has encompassed three fields; The Linguistic Field, The Field of Academic and Pre-Academic Skills, and The Behavioral Field.
Observed winter Barents Kara Sea ice variations induce prominent sub-decadal variability and a multi-decadal trend in the Warm Arctic Cold Eurasia pattern
Authors: Ghosh Rohit , Manzini Elisa , Gao Yongqi , Gastineau Guillaume , Cherchi Annalisa , Frankignoul Claude , Liang Yu-Chiao , Kwon Young-Oh , Suo Lingling , Tyrlis Evangelos , Mecking Jennifer V. , Tian Tian , Zhang Ying , Matei Daniela
Published: May 2023

The observed winter Barents-Kara Sea ice concentration (BKS SIC) has shown a close association with the second empirical orthogonal function (EOF) mode of Eurasian winter surface air temperature (SAT) variability, known as Warm Arctic Cold Eurasia (WACE) pattern. However, the potential role of BKS SIC on this WACE pattern of variability and on its long-term trend remains elusive. Here, we show that from 1979 to 2022, the winter BKS SIC and WACE association is most prominent and statistically significant for the variability at the sub-decadal time scale for 5 to 6 years. We also show the critical role of the multi-decadal trend in the principal component of the WACE mode of variability for explaining the overall Eurasian winter temperature trend over the same period. Furthermore, a large multi-model ensemble of atmosphere-only experiments from 1979 to 2014, with and without the observed Arctic SIC forcing, suggests that the BKS SIC variations induce this observed sub-decadal variability and the multi-decadal trend in the WACE. Additionally, we analyse the model simulated first or the leading EOF mode of Eurasian winter SAT variability, which in observations, closely relates to the Arctic Oscillation (AO). We find a weaker association of this mode to AO and a statistically significant positive trend in our ensemble simulation, opposite to that found in observation. This contrasting nature reflects excessive hemispheric warming in the models, partly contributed by the modelled Arctic Sea ice loss.
Phraseme im Songkorpus: Etabliertes in Anti-Establishment-Texten
Authors: Donalies Elke
Published: May 2023

Das Songkorpus erlaubt Einblicke in bestimmte gesellschaftliche Diskurse, die in anderen Sprachkorpora weniger zur Geltung kommen. Das zeigt sich auch bei der Analyse von Phrasemen im Songkorpus.

Phraseme sind etablierte Wortkombinationen; sie konservieren kollektives Wissen, kollektive Kultur. Element of Crime, Fettes Brot, Udo Lindenberg, Stefan Stoppok, Konstantin Wecker, Marius Müller-Westernhagen, die Autoren meines kleinen Teilkorpus, sind Anti-Establishment und alles andere als konservativ. Zwar verwenden sie häufig Phraseme verschiedenster Struktur und Art, karikieren sie aber auch häufig, spielen lässig mit ihnen, hinterfragen ihre Bedeutung, verändern ihre Bedeutung. Ihre spezielle Haltung bedingt spezielle Phraseme und spezielle Phrasemvarianten.
Segmentierungs- und Annotationsverfahren für die Texte Udo Lindenbergs: Apostrophe und andere Herausforderungen
Authors: Faaß Gertrud , Schmid Helmut
Published: May 2023

In der Computerlinguistik ist eine kaskadische Prozessierung von Texten üblich. Dabei werden diese zuerst segmentiert (tokenisiert), d.h. Tokens und ggf. Satzgrenzen werden erkannt. Dabei entsteht meist eine Liste bzw. eine einspaltige Tabelle, die sukzessive durch weitere Prozessierungschritte um zusätzliche Spalten – also positionale Annotationen wie z.B. Wortarten und Lemmata für die Tokens in der ersten Spalte – ergänzt wird. Bei der Tokenisierung werden alle Spatien (Leerzeichen) gelöscht. Schon immer problematisch waren dabei Interpunktionszeichen, da diese äußerst ambig sein können, aber auch mehrteilige Namen, die Leerzeichen enthalten und eigentlich zusammengehören. Dieser Beitrag fokussiert auf den Apostroph, der in vielfältiger Weise in den Texten Udo Lindenbergs eingesetzt wird sowie auf mehrteilige Namen, die wir als Tokens erhalten möchten. Wir nutzen dafür das komplette Lindenberg-Archiv des songkorpus.de-Repositoriums, kategorisieren die auftretenden Phänomene, erstellen einen Goldstandard und entwickeln ein teils regel-, teils auf maschinellem Lernen basierendes Segmentierungswerkzeug, das insbesondere die auftretenden Apostrophe, aber auch - lexikonbasiert - mehrteilige Namen nach unseren Vorstellungen erkennt und tokenisiert. Im Anschluss trainieren wir den RNN-Tagger (Schmid, 2019) und zeigen auf, dass ein spezifisch für diese Texte angepasstes Training zu Genauigkeiten ≥ 96% führt. Dabei entsteht nicht nur ein Goldstandard des annotierten Korpus, das dem Songkorpus-Repositorium zur Verfügung gestellt wird, sondern auch eine angepasste Version des RNN-Taggers (verfügbar auf github), die für ähnliche Texte verwendet werden kann.