bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long‐term observed changes of air temperature, relative humidity and vapour pressure deficit in Bolivia, 1950–2019
Authors: Fernández‐Duque B. , Vicente‐Serrano S. M. , Maillard O. , Domínguez‐Castro F. , Peña‐Angulo D. , Noguera I. , Azorin‐Molina C. , El Kenawy A.
Published: August 2023

This study analyzes the long‐term observed changes of mean (Tmean), maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) air temperatures, relative humidity (RH) and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) at different elevation ranges across Bolivia from 1950 to 2019. The linear trends in air temperature series present a significant increase, with no substantial seasonal or spatial differences. On an annual basis, RH exhibited a non‐significant decrease (−0.08% decade−1), while VPD showed a significant increase (0.01 hPa decade−1) (p < 0.05). Although prior research has suggested that highland elevations experience faster warming than the global average, we have not identified a distinct correlation between elevation gradients and differential warming rates in Bolivia. Future research could investigate elevation‐dependent climate trends by examining seasonal and monthly patterns of climatic variables in relation to topographical gradients in various highland regions.
Effect of tannic acid modification on the interface and emulsification properties of zein colloidal particles
Authors: Li Bojia , Wang Xinyi , Gao Jin , Liang Hongshan , Wu Di , Chu Shang , Zhu Xiangwei , Zhou Bin
Published: August 2023

BACKGROUND

Interface modification driven by supramolecular self‐assembly has been accepted as a valuable strategy for emulsion stabilization enhancement. However, there has been a dearth of comparative research on the effect of simple complexation and assembly from the perspective of the responsible mechanism.

RESULTS

The present study selected zein and tannic acid (TA) as representative protein and polyphenol modules for self‐assembly (coined as TA‐modified zein particle and TA‐zein complex particle) to explore the surface properties and interfacial behavior, as well as the stability of constructed Pickering emulsions to obtain the regulation law of different modification methods on the interfacial behavior of colloidal particles. The results demonstrated that TA‐modified zein colloidal particles potentially improved the emulsifying properties. When the TA concentration was 3 mmol L−1, the optimized TA‐modified zein particle was nano‐sized (109.83 nm) and had advantageous interfacial properties, including sharply reduced surface hydrophobicity, as well as a low diffusion rate at the oil/water interface. As a result, the shelf life of Pickering emulsion containing 50% oil phase was extended to 90 days.

CONCLUSION

Through multi‐angled research on the properties of the interfacial membrane, improvement of emulsion stability was a result of the formation of viscoelastic interfacial film that resulted from the decrease of absorption rate between particles and interface. Using refined regulation to investigate the role of different sample preparation methods from a mechanistic perspective. Overall, the present study has provided a reference for TA to regulate the surface properties and interface behavior of zein colloidal particles, enriched the understanding of colloidal interface assembly, and provided a theoretical basis for the quality control of interface‐oriented food systems. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
A systematic review of ethical leadership in tourism and hospitality settings
Authors: Megheirkouni Majd
Published: August 2023

The aim of this study is to identify empirical studies that explore and investigate ethical leadership in order to assess and synthesise its impacts and outcomes. This study seeks to provide an evidence‐informed answer to the following questions: (a) how is ethical leadership defined in the field of tourism and hospitality? (b) in what settings/contexts was ethical leadership empirically investigated? (c) how was it examined? (d) what were the results of the ethical leadership studies? (e) and, finally, what is the future of ethical leadership in the tourism and hospitality industry? A systematic literature review, using medical science‐based methodology, was conducted to synthesise research by reliable means. Four themes were identified from the analysis. These themes are as follows: ethical leaders' characteristics, healthy work environment, ethical leadership effectiveness and the application of ethical leadership across cultures. The study provides the potential to move hospitality and tourism leadership forward and encourage researchers to investigate new research topics. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first systematic review focusing on ethical leadership in tourism and hospitality settings.
Completion of Fetal Anatomy Evaluations in Women With Body Mass Index ≥ 50 kg/m2
Authors: Buskmiller Cara , Huntley Erin , Blackburn Bonnie , Sanchez Darren , Hernandez‐Andrade Edgar
Published: August 2023

Objectives

As maternal body mass index (BMI) increases, fetal anatomy ultrasound becomes more challenging, less sensitive, and less likely to be complete. We sought to report our experience of incomplete evaluation of anatomy in patients with BMI of 50 kg/m2 or greater.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort of singleton gestations in mothers with BMI of 50 kg/m2 or greater, undergoing anatomy evaluations between 2017 and 2021 at 9 maternal‐fetal‐medicine sites in Houston, TX. Patient variables and scan results were collected throughout pregnancy to provide a longitudinal assessment of the primary outcome, completion rate (percent of all scans which optimally captured 24 American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine‐recommended images). Secondary outcomes included the rate of optimal capture of each individual structure.

Results

In total, 293 patients with BMI ≥50 kg/m2 were identified. Only 28% of initial scans were complete, but over the entire pregnancy, a complete anatomic evaluation was achieved in 76% of women, largely due to weekly ultrasounds done for antenatal testing later in pregnancy. Neither BMI, placental location, nor amniotic fluid volume affected completion rate. The most difficult views are the outflow tracts, 4‐chamber view, and spine.

Conclusions

One quarter of women with BMI of 50 kg/m2 or greater will not have a complete fetal anatomic evaluation by the end of pregnancy, since even basic fetal anatomic views are technically challenging to complete. Solutions deserve further attention, and may include first trimester imaging, transvaginal imaging, and optimization of ultrasound machine settings.
Optimal decisions and coordination mechanism in a green supply chain with loss‐averse consumers in environmental quality
Authors: Li Bing , Zong Shengliang , Zhang Longbing
Published: August 2023

We consider consumers' loss aversion in environmental quality and develop a two‐period game theoretical model to investigate the optimal pricing and environmental quality decisions for a green supply chain where a manufacturer sells products to consumers through a retailer. We then introduce a two‐part tariff contract to coordinate the supply chain for both periods. We suggest that optimal decisions in the second period depend on the reference point of the first period in the decentralized supply chain. A higher reference point leads to the increased environmental quality of products, prices, and profits of supply chain members in the second period. However, when the reference point is sufficiently high, the environmental quality will be lower to avoid excessive environmental investment costs. Furthermore, consumers' loss aversion reduces the environmental quality of products when the reference point is low. As consumers' loss aversion increases, the manufacturer's profit rises, while the wholesale and retail prices and the retailer's profit show a decreasing and then increasing trend. Finally, we find that a two‐part tariff contract enables the two‐period supply chain to be coordinated and achieve Pareto improvements in profit and environmental quality. This study sheds valuable light on understanding consumer environmental preferences and irrational behavior for supply chain decision‐making and green product design.
Perceptions of nurses working in mental health services regarding the recovery‐oriented care approach: Findings from Africa
Authors: Kealeboga K. M. , Manyedi E. M. , Moloko‐Phiri S.
Published: August 2023

Background

The recovery‐oriented care approach in mental health is recognised as the vision for mental health. People with a diagnosis of mental illness value the support and the individualistic approach emphasised in the recovery‐oriented mental health care approach as they believe it facilitates their recovery. However, as a developing country, Botswana has a long way to go in availing mental health care resources to people with mental illness, let alone adopting new mental health approaches such as recovery.

Aim

The study aimed to explore the perceptions of nurses working in mental health care facilities of recovery‐oriented mental health care.

Methods

Four mental health facilities from Botswana consented to participate in the study. A descriptive qualitative approach was utilised to explore nurses' views on how they perceive recovery from mental illness. Thirty nurses participated in the focus group discussions across the four study sites. All participants consented to participate and to be recorded. Tesch's (in Qualitative enquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. 3th ed. SAGE, 2013:198) thematic analysis was used for this study.

Results

Three main themes were identified in participants' perceptions of recovery‐oriented care mental health: Recovery from mental illness is possible, the Meaning of recovery from mental illness and Factors facilitating recovery from mental illness.

Public Contribution

The study offers a perspective into how nurses perceive recovery‐oriented approaches from a developing country and add to the gap existing in recovery‐oriented mental health care approach from the African context.
Hydrogeological structure of a granitic mountain catchment inferred from multi‐method electrical resistivity datasets
Authors: Lajaunie Myriam , Gance Julien , Sailhac Pascal , Malet Jean‐Philippe , Warden Sheldon , Larnier Hugo
Published: August 2023

Altered crystalline catchments are complex to study and model, as they present multi‐scale properties that control their hydrogeological behaviour and that are difficult to capture through a single geophysical imaging technique. Several volumes of interest must be sampled in order that both small‐scale (porosity, layering) and large‐scale (bedrock, weathering, faults) heterogeneities can be captured. We propose a geoelectrical model of the Strengbach catchment (Vosges Mountains, France), aiming at identifying the weathered structures and hydrogeological functioning of the aquifer. This is achieved through electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and Controlled‐Source Audio‐Magnetotelluric (CSAMT) measurements and the use of appropriate measurement set‐ups. Meters‐scale shallow contrasts in the top soil, catchment‐scale shallow contrasts (top 30 m), and large‐scale vertical contrasts (up to 150 m) were resolved through this methodology. A structural interpretation is proposed, based on information provided by borehole measurements (gamma ray, optical images), analysis of sampled waters, and geological mapping. The limits at depth of the weathered and fractured granite, not detected by ERT, are detected by CSAMT. The analysis showed that the weathering state of the granite controls, at first order, the electrical resistivity signal. Shallow geoelectrical signal (first 30 m) is particularly driven by surface conductivity and hence by the clay content, whereas deep geoelectrical signal may arise from both the ionic content of pore waters and the clay content. A structural model is proposed and discussed. Geoelectrical contrasts revealed several qualities of weathered saprolite between the northern and the southern slopes. The inferred structural model and the distribution of weathered and unweathered crystalline units are considered for their respective effect on the hydrogeology, leading to the proposition of a new hydrogeological conceptual model of the catchment.
Design of 3D graphene‐Ni microsphere based polymeric composites for highly efficient and absorption‐dominated electromagnetic interference shielding performance
Authors: Qiu Lijuan , Ran Linxin , Sun Furong , Chen Zhiyi , Yi Longfei , Zhao Lijuan , Ji Xiaoying
Published: August 2023

The development of polymeric composites that possess both exceptional electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) and high absorption capacity has always been appealing, yet it continues to pose a significant challenge. To this end, we disclose a hollow and spherical shielding unit that could achieve “absorption‐reflection‐attenuation” process for incident electromagnetic (EM) wave, which was fabricated through decorating Ni nanoparticles onto rGO hollow microspheres by virtue of Pickering emulsification method followed by thermal annealing. With integrated magnetic and electric parts, the consequent shielding composite by assembling these microspheres into PDMS displayed not only a favorable EMI SE of 44 dB across the entire x‐band, but also significantly improved absorption performance that has exceeded 95% of the total SE. Moreover, the power coefficient of absorption (A) is up to 0.73 at the pyrolysis temperature of 550°C. Such admirable performance is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of conductive rGO walls, magnetic Ni nanoparticles, as well as the unique spherical architecture, which has enabled more efficient capture and attenuation of EM waves. Herein, this research has highlighted the development of polymeric composites for high‐performance EMI shielding applications.

Highlights

Reflection‐absorption‐integrated shielding compartment was designed.

Decorating magnetic Ni nanoparticles onto rGO hollow microspheres.

High EMI SE with enhanced absorption ability was acquired.

Unique structure generating synergistic effect on EMI shielding
A comparative analysis of agronomic water‐use efficiency and its proxy measures as derived from key morpho‐physiological and supportive quantitative genetics attributes of perennial ryegrass under imposed drought
Authors: Weerarathne L. V. Y. , Jahufer Z. , Schäufele R. , Lopez I. , Matthew C.
Published: August 2023

Water‐use efficiency (WUE) is an under‐researched but very important drought tolerance trait in forage breeding. This research estimated quantitative genetic parameters of morpho‐physiological traits linked to agronomic water‐use efficiency (WUEA) and its proxy measures based on δ13C (WUEi) or gas exchange (evapotranspiration, WUEAET, or stomatal conductance WUEASC) of genotypes from half‐sib families of Lolium perenne L. (PRG) in a simulated summer drought cycle. Principal component analysis (PCA) of trait data distinguished a group of PRG genotypes where high WUEA and dry matter yield was associated with deep rooting, leaf hydration at more negative leaf osmotic and water potential, and reduced soil moisture depletion. Plants with this trait association sustained net assimilation and postdefoliation regrowth in drought. However, WUEi, WUEASC, and WUEAET were poorly correlated with most traits of interest at p < .05. Another PCA revealed a weak association between WUEA and its proxy measures under conditions tested. Quantitative genetic parameters including high estimates of narrow‐sense heritability () of WUEA and related traits emphasized the genetic potential of the key trait combination for selecting PRG for improved drought tolerance. Research findings highlight the relative importance of WUEA and its proxy measures in the broad definition of PRG drought tolerance for breeding purposes.
A compositional view comparing modern biological condensates and primitive phase‐separated compartments
Authors: Cannelli Selene M. C. , Gupta Ritvik , Nguyen Tan , Poddar Arunava , Sharma Srishti , Vithole Prachiti V. , Jia Tony Z.
Published: August 2023

Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) is a process that often occurs due to binding between oppositely charged biopolymers, and has gained increasing attention recently due to their ubiquity in biological systems and ability to direct essential cellular processes. However, while these discoveries in biology are recent, the field of origins of life has been investigating LLPS for nearly 100 years, ever since the first suggestions by Oparin and Haldane that primitive LLPS could have been precursors to the first cells on Earth. Since then, a significant amount of work has been done to elucidate different primitive LLPS systems that could have been relevant as protocellular models. Given the structural similarities between primitive LLPS and modern membraneless organelles, there may even be an evolutionary link between the two, although this remains a question to be answered. Nevertheless, in order to answer this, a source that compares compositional aspects of modern biological condensates and primitive LLPS is necessary. Here, we first focus on membraneless organelles composed of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and nucleic acids. Then, as a parallel, we explore primitive membraneless compartments composed of simple biopolymers such as short peptides and nucleic acids. This is followed by a discussion of how the first biomolecules on Earth may have originated, analyzing the environmental and chemical conditions that could have favored primitive LLPS processes. Finally, we directly compare composition of modern biological condensates and primitive phase‐separated compartments, further discussing the potential of primitive IDPs on early Earth, but also the evolution from membraneless to membrane‐bound cells. This review aims to provide a compositional comparison of modern and primitive phase‐separated structures in order to help researchers in both fields understand the current state of knowledge, how this knowledge evolved, and the current gaps that need to be further addressed.
Impact of androgen receptor alterations on cell‐free DNA genomic profiling on survival outcomes in metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Tripathi Nishita , Thomas Vinay Mathew , Sayegh Nicolas , Gebrael Georges , Chigarira Beverly , Jo Yeonjung , Li Haoran , Sahu Kamal K. , Nussenzveig Roberto , Nordblad Blake , Swami Umang , Agarwal Neeraj , Maughan Benjamin L.
Published: August 2023

Background

Androgen receptor (AR) gene alterations, as detected by circulating tumor cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) genomic profiling, have been shown to emerge after a variable duration of androgen signaling inhibition. AR alterations were associated with inferior outcomes on treatment with androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPI) in the first line metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) setting in a phase 2 trial. Here in, we assessed the impact of these AR alterations on survival outcomes in a real‐world patient population of mCRPC experiencing disease progression on an ARPI.

Methods

In this IRB‐approved retrospective study, consecutively seen patients with a confirmed diagnosis of mCRPC, with disease progression on a treatment with ARPIs in the first line mCRPC setting, with no prior exposure to an ARPI in the castration sensitive setting, and with available cfDNA profiling from a CLIA certified laboratory were included. Patients were categorized based on AR status: wild‐type (ARwt) or alteration‐positive (AR+). The objective was to correlate overall survival (OS) after disease progression on the first‐line ARPI with the presence or absence of AR alterations. Kaplan–Meier and Cox Regression Tests were used as implemented in R‐Studio (v.4.2).

Results

A total of 137 mCRPC patients were eligible: 69 with ARwt versus 68 with AR+. The median OS posttreatment with the first ARPI was significantly higher for ARwt than AR+ patients (30.1 vs. 15.2 mos; p < 0.001). Of 108 patients who received a subsequent line of therapy, 63 received an alternate ARPI (AR+ 39 vs. 24 ARwt), while 20 received a taxane‐based therapy (11 AR+ vs. 9 ARwt). Among patients receiving an alternate ARPI, AR+ had numerically shorter OS (16.8 vs. 30.4 mos, p = 0.1). Among patients receiving taxane‐based regimens, the OS was not significantly different between AR+ and ARwt (14.5 vs. 10.1 mos, p = 0.18).

Conclusion

In this real‐world study, mCRPC patients with AR alterations on cfDNA had inferior OS after disease progression on the first ARPI, compared to those who did not, and may impact outcomes on a subsequent ARPI but not on subsequent taxane‐based therapy received. By providing survival estimates for patients with or without AR alterations, our data may aid in patient counseling, prognostication, treatment decision, and for designing future clinical trials in this setting.
Rational peptide design for targeting cancer cell invasion
Authors: Gomari Mohammad Mahmoudi , Arab Seyed Shahriar , Balalaie Saeed , Ramezanpour Sorour , Hosseini Arshad , Dokholyan Nikolay V. , Tarighi Parastoo
Published: August 2023

Cell invasion is an important process in cancer progression and recurrence. Invasion and implantation of cancer cells from their original place to other tissues, by disabling vital organs, challenges the treatment of cancer patients. Given the importance of the matter, many molecular treatments have been developed to inhibit cancer cell invasion. Because of their low production cost and ease of production, peptides are valuable therapeutic molecules for inhibiting cancer cell invasion. In recent years, advances in the field of computational biology have facilitated the design of anti‐cancer peptides. In our investigation, using computational biology approaches such as evolutionary analysis, residue scanning, protein–peptide interaction analysis, molecular dynamics, and free energy analysis, our team designed a peptide library with about 100 000 candidates based on A6 (acetyl‐KPSSPPEE‐amino) sequence which is an anti‐invasion peptide. During computational studies, two of the designed peptides that give the highest scores and showed the greatest sequence similarity to A6 were entered into the experimental analysis workflow for further analysis. In experimental analysis steps, the anti‐metastatic potency and other therapeutic effects of designed peptides were evaluated using MTT assay, RT‐qPCR, zymography analysis, and invasion assay. Our study disclosed that the IK1 (acetyl‐RPSFPPEE‐amino) peptide, like A6, has great potency to inhibit the invasion of cancer cells.
Multistability in a coupled ocean–atmosphere reduced‐order model: Nonlinear temperature equations
Authors: Hamilton Oisín , Demaeyer Jonathan , Vannitsem Stéphane , Crucifix Michel
Published: August 2023

Multistabilities in the ocean–atmosphere flow were found in a reduced‐order ocean–atmosphere coupled model, by solving the nonlinear temperature equations numerically. In this article, we explain how the full nonlinear Stefan–Bolzmann law was implemented numerically and the resulting change to the system dynamics was compared with the original model where these terms were linearised. Multiple stable solutions were found that display distinct ocean–atmosphere flows, as well as different Lyapunov stability properties. In addition, distinct low‐frequency variability (LFV) behaviour was observed in multiple attractors. We investigated the impact on these solutions of changing the magnitude of the ocean–atmospheric coupling, as well as the atmospheric emissivity, to simulate an increasing greenhouse effect. Where multistabilities exist for fixed parameters, the possibility for tipping between solutions was investigated, but tipping did not occur in this version of the model where there is a constant solar forcing. This study was undertaken using a reduced‐order coupled quasigeostrophic ocean–atmosphere model.
Challenges, needs, and rights of Transgender people: An insight
Authors: Kumar Naina
Published: August 2023

Every human has the right to live with respect and dignity, and no one should be discriminated against based on their gender or sexual preferences. Transgender people feel and live as the opposite gender compared to the one assigned at birth. Transgender people face problems in schools, workplaces, public places, accommodations, and healthcare services and are sometimes mocked. Present review briefs on issues faced by Transgenders, problems, and their rights. Literature from 2005 till March 2023 was searched from various organizations and peer‐reviewed journals through PubMed, Google Scholar, and SCOPUS databases using search terms Transgender Persons, Gender nonconforming, Discrimination against Transgender, Right to Health for Transgender, and Laws for Transgender. A total of 55 articles focused on Transgender and their issues were included for analysis. Transgender people have identity issues. It is not a stigma to be ashamed of. On the contrary, they should be appreciated for coming forward and accepting that they are not comfortable with the gender assigned to them. They should be supported in every way to lead a better life. Attempts should be made to stop their harassment, humiliation, and discrimination from using basic needs services and the right to healthcare.
Comparison of combination methods to create calibrated ensemble forecasts for seasonal influenza in the U.S.
Authors: Wattanachit Nutcha , Ray Evan L. , McAndrew Thomas C. , Reich Nicholas G.
Published: August 2023

The characteristics of influenza seasons vary substantially from year to year, posing challenges for public health preparation and response. Influenza forecasting is used to inform seasonal outbreak response, which can in turn potentially reduce the impact of an epidemic. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with external researchers, has run an annual prospective influenza forecasting exercise, known as the FluSight challenge. Uniting theoretical results from the forecasting literature with domain‐specific forecasts from influenza outbreaks, we applied parametric forecast combination methods that simultaneously optimize model weights and calibrate the ensemble via a beta transformation and made adjustments to the methods to reduce their complexity. We used the beta‐transformed linear pool, the finite beta mixture model, and their equal weight adaptations to produce ensemble forecasts retrospectively for the 2016/2017, 2017/2018, and 2018/2019 influenza seasons in the U.S. We compared their performance to methods that were used in the FluSight challenge to produce the FluSight Network ensemble, namely the equally weighted linear pool and the linear pool. Ensemble forecasts produced from methods with a beta transformation were shown to outperform those from the equally weighted linear pool and the linear pool for all week‐ahead targets across in the test seasons based on average log scores. We observed improvements in overall accuracy despite the beta‐transformed linear pool or beta mixture methods' modest under‐prediction across all targets and seasons. Combination techniques that explicitly adjust for known calibration issues in linear pooling should be considered to improve probabilistic scores in outbreak settings.
A survey on secure metadata of agile software development process using blockchain technology
Authors: Nayaka Sheetakallu Krishnaiah Parikshith , Narayan Dayanand Lal , Sutradhar Kartick
Published: August 2023

Scrum is an important and essential technique for developing software. Scrum framework is a project management technique that can emphasize software development teamwork. If you are starting, consider scrum as a method for accomplishing tasks as a team in manageable chunks simultaneously, with ongoing experimentation and feedback loops to learn and improve as you go. Scrum enables individuals and groups to collaboratively and gradually generate value. Being an agile framework, scrum gives people and teams the perfect structure to fit into their workflows while still including the best practices to cater to their requirements. There are some important considerations for security in the agile software development process such as threat modeling, secure coding practices, continuous security testing, authentication, and authorization. In this work, we reviewed various scrum developing techniques to find out the research gaps. This article consider the scrum technique with blockchain technologies for review because it is preferred by most of the software industries.
Power Allocation for Indoor NOMA Based VLC Systems with Meta‐Heuristic Optimization Algorithms
Authors: Altunbas Yasin , Turk Kadir
Published: August 2023

Visible light communication (VLC) is a promising technology that realizes short‐range wireless optical communication and illumination simultaneously. The use of light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) in lighting has accelerated the development of short‐range wireless optical technology. However, the limited switching frequency of LEDs used in lighting restricts the communication speed of VLC systems. Non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) methods can be used to improve the sum rate in VLC systems. In this study, meta‐heuristic optimization algorithms are proposed to calculate the power allocation coefficients of users in indoor NOMA‐based VLC systems. During the calculations, many constraints used fairness and optical intensity, which were not taken into account in many studies in the literature. The proposed algorithms are compared with the previously proposed methods according to the sum rate results, considering the number of users increases and the user signal strength values differ. The obtained results revealed that metaheuristic methods demonstrate a significant improvement in terms of sum rate compared to other methods. In addition, the effects of parameters such as sum rate, fairness, and optical intensity on each other are investigated in the simulation environment. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
BRAP silencing protects against neuronal inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis in cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury by promoting PON1 expression
Authors: Kang Tao , Qin Xiao , Lei Qi , Yang Qian
Published: August 2023

Background

BRCA1 associated protein (BRAP) participates in the regulation of myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis. But the function of BRAP in cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (CIR) injury has not been elucidated yet.

Methods

BRAP expression in PC12 cells in response to oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) treatment was examined with Western blot assay. PC12 cells underwent OGD/R‐treatment and were subsequently transfected with pcDNA‐BRAP or sh‐BRAP, followed by determination of viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) production, apoptosis, inflammatory cytokine secretion, and oxidative stress marker protein levels. Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) promoter methylation was evaluated with methylation‐specific PCR assay. the effect of BRAP/PON1 axis on CIR injury was investigated by rescue experiments. Additionally, sh‐BRAP was injected into a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat model, and the changes of neurological damage were evaluated.

Results

BRAP overexpression exacerbated OGD/R‐induced viability reduction, LDH production, apoptosis, inflammatory cytokine secretion and oxidative stress in PC12 neuronal cells. In contrast, BRAP silencing showed the opposite results. Mechanistically, BRAP reduced PON1 expression by promoting DNA methyl transferase1 (DNMT1)‐mediated PON1 promoter methylation. PON1 silencing reversed BRAP‐mediated neuroprotection. Additionally, BRAP silencing alleviated CIR‐induced neurological damage in MCAO rats.

Conclusion

BRAP silencing suppressed OGD/R‐induced neuronal apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress, and alleviated CIR‐induced neurological damage in MCAO rats through facilitating PON1 expression.
Born small‐for‐gestational age: not just smaller
Authors: Chen F. , Li D.‐Z.
Published: August 2023

Linked article: This Correspondence comments on Paz y Miño et al. Click here to view the article.
On the gauge-invariance of SCET beyond leading power
Authors: Böer Philipp , Hager Patrick
Published: August 2023

Abstract

We point out that the gauge-invariance of the subleading Lagrangian of soft-collinear effective theory is realised in an intricate way through momentum-conservation violating contributions. Although these terms are disregarded in diagrammatic calculations, the gauge invariance of any physical transition amplitude is preserved due to the soft equations of motion. When not working with gauge-invariant building blocks, individual manifestly gauge-invariant constituent terms in the Lagrangian may give rise to gauge-dependent matrix elements starting at $$ \mathcal{O} $$
O
(λ2). Implications for a gauge-invariant definition of radiative jet functions are discussed.
The role of A$$\beta $$ and Tau proteins in Alzheimer’s disease: a mathematical model on graphs
Authors: Bertsch Michiel , Franchi Bruno , Tesi Maria Carla , Tora Veronica
Published: August 2023

In this Note we study a mathematical model for the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease in the human brain. The novelty of our approach consists in the representation of the brain as two superposed graphs where toxic proteins diffuse, the connectivity graph which represents the neural network, and the proximity graph which takes into account the extracellular space. Toxic proteins such as $$\beta $$
β
amyloid and Tau play in fact a crucial role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and, separately, have been targets of medical treatments. Recent biomedical literature stresses the potential impact of the synergetic action of these proteins. We numerically test various modelling hypotheses which confirm the relevance of this synergy.
The Representation of Soil Moisture-Atmosphere Feedbacks across the Tibetan Plateau in CMIP6
Authors: Talib Joshua , Müller Omar V. , Barton Emma J. , Taylor Christopher M. , Vidale Pier Luigi
Published: August 2023

Thermal processes on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) influence atmospheric conditions on regional and global scales. Given this, previous work has shown that soil moisture–driven surface flux variations feed back onto the atmosphere. Whilst soil moisture is a source of atmospheric predictability, no study has evaluated soil moisture–atmosphere coupling on the TP in general circulation models (GCMs). In this study, we use several analysis techniques to assess soil moisture-atmosphere coupling in CMIP6 simulations including: instantaneous coupling indices; analysis of flux and atmospheric behaviour during dry spells; and a quantification of the preference for convection over drier soils. Through these metrics we partition feedbacks into their atmospheric and terrestrial components.

Consistent with previous global studies, we conclude substantial inter-model differences in the representation of soil moisture–atmosphere coupling, and that most models underestimate such feedbacks. Focusing on dry spell analysis, most models underestimate increased sensible heat during periods of rainfall deficiency. For example, the model-mean bias in anomalous sensible heat flux is 10 W m−2 (≈25%) smaller compared to observations. Deficient dry-spell sensible heat fluxes lead to a weaker atmospheric response. We also find that most GCMs fail to capture the negative feedback between soil moisture and deep convection. The poor simulation of feedbacks in CMIP6 experiments suggests that forecast models also struggle to exploit soil moisture–driven predictability. To improve the representation of land–atmosphere feedbacks requires developments in not only atmospheric modelling, but also surface processes, as we find weak relationships between rainfall biases and coupling indexes.
Multiomics and blood-based biomarkers of electroconvulsive therapy in severe and treatment-resistant depression: study protocol of the DetECT study
Authors: von Mücke-Heim Iven-Alex , Pape Julius C. , Grandi Norma C. , Erhardt Angelika , Deussing Jan M. , Binder Elisabeth B.
Published: August 2023

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is commonly used to treat treatment-resistant depression (TRD). However, our knowledge of the ECT-induced molecular mechanisms causing clinical improvement is limited. To address this issue, we developed the single-center, prospective observational DetECT study (“Multimodal Biomarkers of ECT in TRD”; registered 18/07/2022, www.clinicalTrials.gov, NCT05463562). Its objective is to identify molecular, psychological, socioeconomic, and clinical biomarkers of ECT response in TRD. We aim to recruit n = 134 patients in 3 years. Over the course of 12 biweekly ECT sessions (± 7 weeks), participant blood is collected before and 1 h after the first and seventh ECT and within 1 week after the twelfth session. In pilot subjects (first n = 10), additional blood draws are performed 3 and 6 h after the first ECT session to determine the optimal post-ECT blood draw interval. In blood samples, multiomic analyses are performed focusing on genotyping, epigenetics, RNA sequencing, neuron-derived exosomes, purines, and immunometabolics. To determine clinical response and side effects, participants are asked weekly to complete four standardized self-rating questionnaires on depressive and somatic symptoms. Additionally, clinician ratings are obtained three times (weeks 1, 4, and 7) within structured clinical interviews. Medical and sociodemographic data are extracted from patient records. The multimodal data collected are used to perform the conventional statistics as well as mixed linear modeling to identify clusters that link biobehavioural measures to ECT response. The DetECT study can provide important insight into the complex mechanisms of ECT in TRD and a step toward biologically informed and data-driven-based ECT biomarkers.
Ocular manifestations of renal ciliopathies
Authors: Salehi Omar , Mack Heather , Colville Deb , Lewis Debbie , Savige Judy
Published: August 2023

Renal ciliopathies are a common cause of kidney failure in children and adults, and this study reviewed their ocular associations. Genes affected in renal ciliopathies were identified from the Genomics England Panels. Ocular associations were identified from Medline and OMIM, and the genes additionally examined for expression in the human retina (https://www.proteinatlas.org/humanproteome/tissue) and for an ocular phenotype in mouse models (http://www.informatics.jax.org/). Eighty-two of the 86 pediatric-onset renal ciliopathies (95%) have an ocular phenotype, including inherited retinal degeneration, oculomotor disorders, and coloboma. Diseases associated with pathogenic variants in ANK6, MAPKBP1, NEK8, and TCTN1 have no reported ocular manifestations, as well as low retinal expression and no ocular features in mouse models. Ocular abnormalities are not associated with the most common adult-onset "cystic" kidney diseases, namely, autosomal dominant (AD) polycystic kidney disease and the AD tubulointerstitial kidney diseases (ADTKD). However, other kidney syndromes with cysts have ocular features including papillorenal syndrome (optic disc dysplasia), Hereditary Angiopathy Nephropathy, Aneurysms and muscle Cramps (HANAC) (tortuous retinal vessels), tuberous sclerosis (retinal hamartomas), von Hippel-Lindau syndrome (retinal hemangiomas), and Alport syndrome (lenticonus, fleck retinopathy). Ocular abnormalities are associated with many pediatric-onset renal ciliopathies but are uncommon in adult-onset cystic kidney disease. However the demonstration of ocular manifestations may be helpful diagnostically and the features may require monitoring or treatment.
Current treatment status of IgA nephropathy in Japan: a questionnaire survey
Authors: Matsuzaki K. , Suzuki H. , Kikuchi M. , Koike K. , Komatsu H. , Takahashi K. , Narita I. , Okada H. ,   Committee of Clinical Practical Guideline for IgA Nephropathy 2020
Published: August 2023

Background

In 2020, the Committee of Clinical Practical Guideline for IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) revised the clinical practice guidelines. Herein, we conducted a questionnaire survey to assess the potential discrepancies between clinical practice guidelines and real-world practice in Japan.

Methods

A web-based survey of members of the Japanese Society of Nephrology was conducted between November 15 and December 28, 2021.

Results

A total of 217 members (internal physicians: 203, pediatricians: 14) responded to the questionnaire. Of these respondents, 94.0% answered that the clinical practice guidelines were referred to “always” or “often.” Approximately 66.4% respondents answered that histological grade (H-Grade) derived from the “Clinical Guidelines for IgA nephropathy in Japan, 3rd version” and the “Oxford classification” were used for pathological classification. Moreover, 73.7% respondents answered that the risk grade (R-grade) derived from the “Clinical Guidelines for IgA nephropathy in Japan, 3rd version” was referred to for risk stratification. The prescription rate of renin–angiotensin system blockers increased based on urinary protein levels (> 1.0 g/day: 88.6%, 0.5–1.0 g/day: 71.0%, < 0.5 g/day: 25.0%). Similarly, the prescription rate of corticosteroids increased according to proteinuria levels (> 1.0 g/day: 77.8%, 0.5–1.0 g/day: 52.8%, < 0.5 g/day: 11.9%). The respondents emphasized on hematuria when using corticosteroids. In cases of hematuria, the indication rate for corticosteroids was higher than in those without hematuria, even if the urinary protein level was 1 g/gCr or less. Few severe infectious diseases or serious deterioration in glycemic control were reported during corticosteroid use.

Conclusion

Our questionnaire survey revealed real-world aspects of IgAN treatment in Japan.
Improved versions of crow search algorithm for solving global numerical optimization problems
Authors: Sheta Alaa , Braik Malik , Al-Hiary Heba , Mirjalili Seyedali
Published: August 2023

Over recent decades, research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has developed a broad range of approaches and methods that can be utilized or adapted to address complex optimization problems. As real-world problems get increasingly complicated, this requires an effective optimization method. Various meta-heuristic algorithms have been developed and applied in the optimization domain. This paper used and ameliorated a promising meta-heuristic approach named Crow Search Algorithm (CSA) to address numerical optimization problems. Although CSA can efficiently optimize many problems, it needs more searchability and early convergence. Its positioning updating process was improved by supporting two adaptive parameters: flight length (fl) and awareness probability (AP) to tackle these curbs. This is to manage the exploration and exploitation conducts of CSA in the search space. This process takes advantage of the randomization of crows in CSA and the adoption of well-known growth functions. These functions were recognized as exponential, power, and S-shaped functions to develop three different improved versions of CSA, referred to as Exponential CSA (ECSA), Power CSA (PCSA), and S-shaped CSA (SCSA). In each of these variants, two different functions were used to amend the values offlandAP. A new dominant parameter was added to the positioning updating process of these algorithms to enhance exploration and exploitation behaviors further. The reliability of the proposed algorithms was evaluated on 67 benchmark functions, and their performance was quantified using relevant assessment criteria. The functionality of these algorithms was illustrated by tackling four engineering design problems. A comparative study was made to explore the efficacy of the proposed algorithms over the standard one and other methods. Overall results showed that ECSA, PCSA, and SCSA have convincing merits with superior performance compared to the others.
Truthful meta-explanations for local interpretability of machine learning models
Authors: Mollas Ioannis , Bassiliades Nick , Tsoumakas Grigorios
Published: August 2023

Automated Machine Learning-based systems’ integration into a wide range of tasks has expanded as a result of their performance and speed. Although there are numerous advantages to employing ML-based systems, if they are not interpretable, they should not be used in critical or high-risk applications. To address this issue, researchers and businesses have been focusing on finding ways to improve the explainability of complex ML systems, and several such methods have been developed. Indeed, there are so many developed techniques that it is difficult for practitioners to choose the best among them for their applications, even when using evaluation metrics. As a result, the demand for a selection tool, a meta-explanation technique based on a high-quality evaluation metric, is apparent. In this paper, we present a local meta-explanation technique which builds on top of the truthfulness metric, which is a faithfulness-based metric. We demonstrate the effectiveness of both the technique and the metric by concretely defining all the concepts and through experimentation.
Black Pastors’ Experiences of Occupational and Life Stress During COVID-19 in the USA
Authors: Rogers Robert C. , Tinsley Taunya M.
Published: August 2023

This study sought to identify the occupational stressors Black pastors experience, who serve in Black Church denominations and Black nondenominational churches. A total of 218 pastors completed the survey out of 2786 for a response rate of 10.1%. Black pastors identified their most challenging stressors as member dynamics, financial stress, leading a church to fulfill its mission, and pastor's workload. Black women pastors faced the additional stressor of having their pastoral leadership challenged by male congregants. Black pastors faced more stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic including church closures, transitioning to virtual services, unexpected deaths, and an increased workload with 72.5% of pastors reporting moderate to extreme stress levels. Approximately 77% of pastors acknowledged experiencing from moderate to extreme stress levels during social protests for the deaths of Black people by law enforcement. Black pastors further acknowledged experiencing an additional three to six life stressors outside of their pastoral roles.
Ammonium perchlorate catalyzed with novel porous Mn-doped Co3O4 microspheres: superior catalytic activity, advanced decomposition kinetics and mechanisms
Authors: Ismael Shukri , Deif A. , Maraden Ahmed , Yehia M. , Elbasuney Sherif
Published: August 2023

Mn-doped Co3O4 nanoparticles of 15 nm were developed via solvothermal synthesis. Mn@Co3O4 microspheres were developed via controlled annealing treatment at 600 °C. Mn@Co3O4 microspheres demonstrated an average diameter of 5.5 µm, with specific area (BET) of 73.7 m2 g−1. The pore diameter was centered at 13.1 nm, and the mean pore size was 16 nm; porous structure could secure extensive interfacial surface area. Mn@Co3O4 microspheres were integrated into ammonium perchlorate (AP) matrix. The catalytic activity of Mn@Co3O4 on AP decomposition was assessed via DSC and TGA/DTG. Whereas Mn@Co3O4/AP nanocomposite demonstrated decomposition enthalpy of 1560 J g−1, pure AP demonstrated 836 J g−1. While Mn@Co3O4/AP nanocomposite demonstrated one decomposition temperature at 310 °C,pure AP exposed two decomposition stages at 298 °C, and 453 °C. Decomposition kinetics was investigated via isoconversional (model free) and model fitting. Kissinger, Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS), integral isoconversional method of Ozawa, Flyn and Wall (FWO), and differential isoconversional method of Friedman. Mn@Co3O4/AP demonstrated apparent activation energy of 149.7 ± 2.54 kJ mol−1 compared with 173.16 ± 1.95 kJ mol−1 for pure AP. While AP demonstrated sophisticated decomposition models starting with F3 followed by A2, Mn@Co3O4/AP nanocomposite demonstrated A3 decomposition model. Mn@Co3O4 can expose active surface sites; surface oxygen could act as electron donor to electron deficient perchlorate group. Furthermore, Mn@Co3O4/AP could act as adsorbent of released NH3 gas with efficient combustion. This study shaded the light on Mn@Co3O4 as potential catalyst for AP decomposition.