bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fast algorithms for coupled Burgers' equations by sharing characteristic curves within BSLM
Authors: Yonghyeon Jeon , Soyoon Bak
Published: April 2023

This paper introduces a new perspective of the traditional view on the velocity of each physical particle in the coupled Burgers' equation in the backward semi-Lagrangian method (BSLM). The proposed methods reduce the number of Cauchy problems to be solved by observing a single virtual characteristic curve with a velocity. This can drastically reduce the computational cost of determining the departure point. And then, we solve the derived system reflected by the single virtual characteristic curve. Moreover, an efficient strategy for the derived linear system of equations is provided. Four examples are tested to demonstrate the adaptability and efficiency of the proposed method. The test results show that the proposed method has third-order accuracy in time and space. In addition, compared with the existing method of solving the problem along two particles with different velocities, we confirm that the proposed method significantly reduces computational cost while maintaining accuracy well.
Factors associated with refractive prediction error after phacotrabeculectomy
Authors: Shin Jung Hye , Kim Seok Hwan , Oh So Hee , Lee Kyoung Min
Published: April 2023

Background: To compare refractive prediction errors between phacotrabeculectomy and phacoemulsification.
Methods: Refractive prediction error was defined as the difference of spherical equivalent between the predicted value using the Barrett Universal II formula and the actual value obtained at postoperative one month. Forty-eight (48) eyes that had undergone uncomplicated phacotrabeculectomy (19 eyes, open-angle glaucoma; 29 eyes, angle-closure glaucoma) were matched with 48 eyes that had undergone uncomplicated phacoemulsification by age, average keratometry value and axial length, and their prediction errors were compared. The factors associated with prediction error were analyzed by multivariable regression analyses.
Results: The absolute prediction error was larger in the phacotrabeculectomy group than in the phacoemulsification group (0.51 ± 0.37 Diopters vs. 0.38 ± 0.22, P=0.033). Larger absolute prediction error was associated with both longer axial length (P=0.010) and higher intraocular pressure difference (P=0.012). A logistic regression analysis showed that hyperopic shift (prediction error>0) was associated with shallower preoperative anterior chamber depth (P=0.024)and larger intraocular pressure difference (P=0.031). In the phacotrabeculectomy group, the prediction error was inversely correlated with axial length: long eyes showed myopic shift and short eyes hyperopic shift (P=0.002).
Conclusions: Intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation might be less accurate in phacotrabeculectomy than in phacoemulsification due to large axial length and anterior chamber depth changes with intraocular pressure lowering. Surgeons therefore should be aware of the possibility of worse refractive outcomes when planning phacotrabeculectomy especially in eyes with high preoperative intraocular pressure, shallow anterior chamber depth, and/or extreme axial length.
Association of Visfatin gene polymorphism with obesity related metabolic disorders among Pakistani population; a case control study
Authors: Masood Sayyada Humaira , Khan Taseer Ahmed , Baloch Akhter Ali , Hasan Syed Muhammad , Naqvi Ali Muntazir , Iqbal Mehru un Nisa
Published: April 2023

The metabolic syndrome is a group of factors including central obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and impaired glucose tolerance, with obesity being the most significant aspect. The influence of gene variants involved in hormone synthesis or action could explain the conflicting results when considering the relationship between visfatin plasmatic levels and obesity. However, there is a lack of research on these polymorphisms. This study found that the SNPs for visfatin rs2302559 and rs1215113036 were statistically significantly associated with the metabolic factors at p value 0.001 and odd ratio suggested that there is a great chance of developing the disorder if these variations are present up to at 129.40. Frequency of the mutant alles were to be found in higher in frequency.
Comparison of chemical composition of wet-only and dry-only deposition at Peradeniya in Sri Lanka
Authors: Liyandeniya Anushka , Priyantha Namal , Deeyamulla Mahendra
Published: April 2023

Measurement of pH, conductivity, Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, F−, Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, Pb, Cu, Mn, Al, Zn and Fe of atmospheric deposition samples collected during 2014 September to 2015 March were conducted using acid precipitation sampler (APS) equipped with wet-only and dry-only collectors. Sampler was placed in Peradeniya (Latitude 6.973701, Longitude 79.915256), Kandy District, in Sri Lanka and together 48 samples were collected and analysed. The volume weighted average (VWA) concentrations of the major ionic species present in wet-only precipitation samples were in the order of Na+ > NH4+ > Cl− > SO42− > Ca2+ > NO3− > K+ > Mg2+, while the order for dry-only is Na+ > Cl− > K+ > Ca2+ > SO42− > NH4+ > NO3− > Mg2+ with high concentrations were recorded in dry-only deposition. The lower values for most of the parameters observed in wet depositions are due to the dilution of atmospheric chemical constituents. Neutralization of acidity of dry-only deposition is much more related to CaCO3 than to NH3. The difference between wet and dry depositions of trace elements is likely due to the difference in the size distribution between the elements in atmospheric particles.
Early Prognostication in Retreatment Pulmonary Tuberculosis patients by serum soluble TREM-1 levels
Authors: Singh Urvashi B , P Angitha K , Bhardwaj Deepika , Gautam Hitender , Kumari Lata , Bala Kiran , Kanga Uma , Khanna Ashwani , Sachdeva Kuldeep Singh , Bhatnagar Anuj
Published: April 2023

Soluble Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1(sTREM-1) is a sensitive marker of inflammation, proven useful in sepsis and infectious diseases prognostication. In search for sensitive biomarkers of response to Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) treatment, and treatment endpoint definitions, the current study was designed in patients on TB retreatment regimen. Decline in serum sTREM-1 levels after one and three months of treatment indicated good prognosis with complete cure without relapse. Patients with significant increasing levels in 2nd follow-up (increase > 1000pg/ml), either relapsed or accumulated resistance during treatment, while those with slight increase got cured. Two patients with very high baseline levels (> 10,000pg/ml) died one to two years after treatment completion (one with Diabetes mellitus, other with no known comorbidity). Serum sTREM-1 levels could prognosticate disease outcomes at diagnosis or as early as first month of treatment initiation and prove to be the ideal treatment endpoint marker or raise alarm for sinister outcomes.
Outcome of circular vs linear stapling in ileocolic anastomosis: A single surgeon/center study
Authors: AlZahrani Ahmed , AlShammari Rahaf , AlOlayan Sally , AlDhufeeri Bader , AlZamil Abdullah , AlKhayal Khayal , Alshammri Waleed
Published: April 2023

Purpose Anastomosis of ileocolic resection has been widely performed using a linear stapling device. However, little is known regarding the experience and outcomes of using circular stapling in such anastomosis.Methods We retrospectively reviewed 66 patients who underwent right hemicolectomy, or extended right hemicolectomy from January 1, 2016 to February 1, 2022 at a single center, performed by a single surgeon. The data included both circular stapling and linear stapling ileocolic anastomosis techniques.Results Patients who underwent right hemicolectomy using circular stapling ileocolic anastomosis had a significantly shorter OR time (P = 0.042). Also the length of hospital stay and time of drain removal was significantly shortened (P = 0.005 and 0.023, respectively) compared to linear stapler technique.Conclusion No substantial difference between the two methods of anastomosis was noted. Although the feasibility and safety for performing circular stapling ileocolic anastomosis was assessed, a larger sample size and a longer follow up period are needed to validate the findings.
Agent-Capability based Industrial Task Assignment with RFID Sensors
Authors: Akli Isma , Benhocine Wahiba
Published: April 2023

This paper develops a method for assigning autonomously industrial tasks to adequate agents with suitable capabilities.
Ontology-based knowledge representation method is developed, and experimented for industrial robotic systems. The implementation of the proposed solution requires : (i) the design of the Ontology, (ii) the integration of the Ontology into ROS (Robot Operating System) and (iii) the supplementing of the decision making system with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sensorial information.
The decision making Ontology-based system takes decisions. Industrial tasks are assigned to agents depending on workspaces, objects, agents capabilities and tasks to be performed. The Ontology-based task assignment system is validated with introducing RFID sensorial system.
All the instances in the Ontology are detected automatically with RFID sensorial system. The decision making system is able to take decision autonomously depending on the detected entities with the RFID system. The proposed solution is appropriate in industrial applications since modern manufactures require autonomy in decision-making processes.
Note-taking for the win: Doodling does not reduce boredom or mind-wandering, nor enhance attention or retention of lecture material
Authors: Spencer-Mueller Emily Krysten , Fenske Mark J.
Published: April 2023

Doodling and fidgeting—traditionally viewed in educational contexts as markers of inattention and poor classroom behaviour—have more recently been considered as possible routes to improve performance by reducing boredom and its negative impact on memory. However, there is a surprising lack of well-controlled studies examining this possibility, despite the widespread adoption of fidget toys and doodling exercises within classroom settings. Here we report two experiments (total N = 222) that assess the impact of doodling on boredom, attention, mind-wandering, and subsequent recall of auditory information. In Experiment 1, participants first listened to a 15-minute section of a lecture known to induce boredom. Immediately thereafter they were asked to jot down important information from a short voicemail that they listened to while either doodling (adding shading to shapes) or doing nothing in between note-taking. In Experiment 2, participants listened to a 45-minute section of the same lecture under one of four conditions: structured doodling (i.e., shade in shapes), unstructured doodling, note-taking, or listen-only. Thought probes assessed self-perceived levels of state boredom, mind-wandering, and attention throughout the lecture. Across studies, doodling neither reduced boredom or mind-wandering nor increased attention or retention of information compared to other conditions. In contrast, attention and test performance were highest (and boredom and mind-wandering lowest) for those focused solely on note-taking.
Risk Factors for Irreversible Unilateral Loss of Renal Function in Patients With Deep Endometriosis
Authors: Martínez-Zamora María-Angeles , Mension Eduard , Martínez-Egea Judith , Peri Lluis , Franco Agustín , Gracia Meritxell , Ros Cristina , Rius Mariona , Carmona Francisco
Published: April 2023

Background: Deep endometriosis (DE) is usually associated with severe pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea and other pain symptoms and can be more aggressive than other types of endometriosis, even leading to irreversible severe complications such as complete unilateral loss of renal function. Previous data showed that up to 30% of patients with urinary tract DE may have reduced kidney function at the time of diagnosis although the real prevalence is unknown. All doctors and health caregivers involved in endometriosis diagnosis and treatment should be aware of this complication and should suspect and avoid this rare, albeit severe, form of the disease. We aimed to describe the clinical and radiologic characteristics of deep endometriosis (DE) patients diagnosed with irreversible unilateral loss of renal function due to unilateral ureteral stenosis and evaluate risk factors for developing this loss.
Methods: Retrospective cohort study including 436 patients who underwent laparoscopic DE surgery. We evaluated two groups of patients according to preserved (Non-Renal Loss Group; n=421) or irreversible unilateral damaged renal function (Renal Loss Group; n=15).
Preoperative epidemiologic variables, clinical characteristics, radiologic findings and surgical treatments of all patients were collected.
Results: The Renal Loss Group had a higher infertility rate and a higher proportion of asymptomatic patients. The following radiological variables showed statistically significant differences between the two groups: mean endometrioma diameter, the presence of intestinal DE and negative sliding sign. Multivariate analysis showed that infertility, being asymptomatic, having intestinal DE or torus uterinus/uterosacral ligament DE and a negative sliding sign significantly increased the risk of loss of renal function.
Conclusions: Some clinical and radiological variables may help identify patients with DE at high risk of presenting loss of renal function due to ureteral stenosis. Therefore, among these patients, severe urinary tract obstruction should be specifically ruled out.
A radiographic tumor burden score-based preoperative model to predict overall survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing resection
Authors: Li Wei-Feng , Moi Sin-Hua , Liu Yueh-Wei , Lin Chih-Che , Yong Chee-Chien , Wang Chih-Chi , Yen Yi-Hao , Lin Chih-Yun
Published: April 2023

Purpose Tumor size, number, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and cirrhosis are well-known prognostic factors in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing liver resection (LR). We aimed to develop a preoperative model to predict overall survival (OS) in these patients based on these variables.Methods Patients who underwent LR for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage 0, A, or B HCC were enrolled.Results Among 743 enrolled patients, 193 (26.0%) patients had a low tumor burden score (TBS) (< 2.6), 474 (63.8%) had a medium TBS (2.6–7.9), and 75 (10.1%) had a high TBS (> 7.9). Multivariate analysis showed that TBS (low: referent; medium: HR = 2.91; 95% CI: 1.62–5.24; p < 0.001; high, HR = 7.73; 95% CI: 3.90–15.3; p < 0.001), AFP (< 400 ng/mL: referent; ≧400 ng/mL: HR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.10 − 2.45, p = 0.015), and cirrhosis (absence: referent; presence: HR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.30–2.73, p < 0.001) were associated with OS. A simplified risk score was superior to BCLC in concordance index (0.688 vs. 0.617), Akaike information criteria (1438 vs. 1466), and homogeneity (57.5 vs. 31.6). It also further stratified patients within each BCLC group relative to five-year OS: BCLC 0: very low = 95%, and low = 78%; BCLC A: very low = 93%, low = 79%, medium = 63%, and high = 52%; and BCLC B: low = 82%, medium = 38%, and high = 21%.Conclusion We have developed a simple preoperative model that performs better in predicting OS than the BCLC system.
Influence of Body Fat on Inflammatory Markers and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Female Adolescents
Authors: Freitas Ariane Ribeiro , de Morais Nubia Souza , Azevedo Francilene Maria , Morais Dayane Castro , Pereira Patrícia Feliciano , Peluzio Maria do Carmo , Franceschini Sylvia , Priore Silvia Eloiza
Published: April 2023

The high body fat percentage incresed risk of cardiovascular and metabolic. To evaluate the influence of body fat on inflammatory markers and cardiometabolic risk factors in female adolescents. Cross-sectional study with 555 female adolescents, aged 10 to 19 years. The Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Body fat percentage was obtained by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) equipment. Were evaluated systolic and diastolic blood pressures, fasting glucose levels, insulin, lipid profile, uric acid, and inflammatory markers (Interleukin 6 - IL-6, Interleukin 10 - IL-10, high-sensitivity C Reactive Protein – hs-CRP, Tumor Necrosis Factor - TNF-α, Leptin, and Tumor Necrosis Factor - TNF-α). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was performed to verify the distribution of the variables, and the Pearson and Spearman correlation tests were used according to the characteristics of the variables. Linear regression analyses were performed. A statistical significance level of 5% was adopted. Increased body fat in adolescent girls relates to increased values of blood pressure, lipid profile, insulin, uric acid, leptin and IL-6. The increasing one percent body fat increases uric acid by 1.22 mg/dL and leptin by 0.0005 pg/mL, suggesting that for these two markers, eutrophic adolescents with high percent body fat show similar behavior as obese adolescents (with high BMI and body fat). The highlight the need to assess body composition in adolescents to identify those with higher fat percentage, since, even with normal weight, they may present increased risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic complications at this stage of life, which may be maintained or worsened in adulthood.
Assessment of bonding effectiveness and fracture mechanics of different Adhesive systems to hypomineralized primary tooth enamel – An in - vitro study
Authors: SEKAR RAJAKUMAR , mp revanth , ponraj sujitha
Published: April 2023

Objective: To evaluate micro shear bond strength of different adhesives in hypomineralized primary teeth enamel.
Material and methods: A total of Thirty-five primary maxillary and mandibular molars were made in to 115 sections were preserved in 10% neutral buffered formalin at room temperature until sample preparation and utilized for the study. after discarding of 15 broken samples, 110 sections were utilized and divided in to four groups, control enamel group [with group I (N=25) and group II (N=25)] and hypomineralized enamel group [with group III (N=25) and group IV (N=25)]. The teeth samples were color coded and mounted in the acrylic block. Teeth were positioned horizontally and faced a wet 600-grit silicon carbide finishing paper to provide flat enamel surfaces with a 2 to 3 mm diameter surface roughness and shear bond strength was tested using Universal Testing Machine. The fractured surfaces were evaluated for failure modes using light microscopy.
Result: The bond strength of G-Premio bond is 21.56±6.72 MPa in control enamel and 12.8±1.52 MPa in hypo mineralized enamel. There exists a significant bond strength difference between both the adhesives to hypomineralized enamel (GC SOLARE universal bond= 7.07±3.90 MPa vs G- PREMIO bond 12.8±1.52 MPa; P≤.001). The most common failure is the cohesive failure
Conclusion: The present study indicates that the overall bonding of both adhesives to hypomineralized tooth is less effective than bonding to “normal” enamel. However, the shear bond strength of G-Premio bond to control enamel and hypomineralized enamel is significantly greater than GC Solare Universal Bond.
Clinical relevance: Restorative care of teeth with hypomineralization is difficult, and treatment decisions are influenced by a variety of factors including the severity of the disease, compliance and adhesive properties of the materials used and This is the first study to look at how self-etching adhesives affect hypomineralized primary enamel and helps in bonding strength of the affected enamel and based on this study results the bond strength of GP bond to control enamel and hypomineralized enamel is significantly greater than GC Bond.
Improvement of Conversion Cycle and Estimation of Capacitor Mismatch in Hybrid Analog-to-Digital Converters Using Flash and Successive Approximation Register
Authors: Hirai Ryukichi , Kishida Ryo , Matsuura Tatsuji , Hyogo Akira
Published: April 2023

This paper presents hybrid analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) using flash ADC and successive approximation register (SAR) ADC for improving conversion speed. The proposed architecture is the flash-hybrid-SAR architecture, which reduces the resolution of the flash ADC in the first stage by 1-bit and increases the resolution of the SAR ADC in the second stage compared to the conventional flash-radix-3-SAR architecture. The proposed ADC consists of the 3-bit flash ADC, 1-trit radix-3 SAR ADC and 4-bit two-bit/cycle SAR ADC to reduce the number of bit in the flash ADC. The proposed flash-hybrid-SAR ADC can reduce by half the number of resistors and comparators in the flash ADC from the conventional 8-bit hybrid flash-radix-3-SAR ADC with the same sampling rate at 142.8 MS/s. We simulated a flash-hybrid-SAR ADC with a capacitor mismatch of ±0.5% under six different conditions. The DNL is within ±0.5 LSB in all conditions when non-idealities other than the capacitor mismatch were eliminated. The INL is also within ±1 LSB in all conditions.
Does Patient Age Influence Procedural Management of Kidney Trauma?
Authors: Hakam Nizar , Abbasi Behzad , Ghaffar Umar , Li Kevin D , Patel Hiren , Jones Charles P , Cuschieri Joseph , Breyer Benjamin N.
Published: April 2023

Background We aimed to examine the association between patient age and procedural intervention, especially nephrectomy, in patients with renal trauma in the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB).Study design We queried the 2013–2020 NTDB for adult renal trauma patients with an American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) grade. Patients without AAST grade or with no sign of life were excluded. We constructed logistic regression models to demonstrate the association between age and procedural intervention, including renal angioembolization, renorrhaphy and nephrectomy. Models were adjusted for patient, hospital, and clinical factors.Results Our cohort was comprised of 49,884 patients with renal trauma aged 18–89 years, of which 691 (1.4%), 995 (1.9%), and 3,366 (6.8%) underwent angioembolization, renorrhaphy, and nephrectomy, respectively. After adjusting for relevant variables, the risks of nephrectomy and angioembolization were positively associated with patient age, particularly in those 40 years of age and older. Adjusted risk of nephrectomy and angioembolization ranged between ≈ 0.6% and ≈ 1%, and between ≈ 0.3% and ≈ 1% across the patient age range, respectively. Plots depicting marginal effect of age is demonstrated that in patients above 35–40 years of age, a 1-year increase in age is associated with a progressively higher increase in risk of both nephrectomy and angioembolization. The adjusted risk of renorrhaphy did not vary substantially with age and the marginal effect of age was negligible across all ages.Conclusions Older patients with renal trauma are more likely to receive procedural intervention namely nephrectomy and renal angioembolization. These results suggest possible age-related cognitive bias in renal trauma management.
Problematic Social Media Use and Internalizing Symptoms in Adolescents
Authors: Mojtabai Ramin
Published: April 2023

Purpose: This study examined time trends in significant child and adolescent internalizing symptoms and explored the association of excessive and problematic social media use with these symptoms.
Methods: Time trends in internalizing symptoms were assessed using data from five waves of the international survey of Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC), conducted between 2001 and 2018 (N=1,036,869). The associations of frequent and problematic social media use with significant internalizing symptoms were assessed by hierarchical multinomial logistic regression using data from 2001-2002 and the 2017-2018 survey waves. Causal direction between social media use and internalizing symptoms was assessed using linear non-gaussian acyclic models (LiNGAM).
Results: Prevalence of more severe internalizing symptoms increased from 6.7% in 2001-2002 to 10.4% in the 2017-2018 survey waves. The increase was especially large among 15-year old and older girls: from 10.9% to 19.1%. The difference in prevalence of more severe internalizing symptoms across survey waves was fully explained by problematic social media use. LiNGAM analysis confirmed the causal direction of social media use variables with internalizing symptoms.
Conclusions: The study findings suggest that widespread use of social media may explain the increased prevalence of internalizing symptoms in adolescents in recent years.
Towards sustainability: The relationship between foreign direct investment, economic freedom and inclusive green growth
Authors: Ofori Isaac K. , Figari Francesco , Ojong Nathanael
Published: April 2023

This study contributes to the environmental and socioeconomic sustainability literature by examining three important issues. First, the study examines the effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) and economic freedom on inclusive green growth (IGG) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Second, we investigate whether economic freedom interacts with FDI to promote IGG. Third, we identify minimum the thresholds required for economic freedom to cause FDI to foster IGG. The findings are based on macro data for 20 SSA countries. Evidence,based on instrumental variable regression, show that, unconditionally, FDI is not statistically significant for promoting IGG. Second, the study finds that SSA’s ‘Mostly unfree’ economic architecture conditions FDI to reduce IGG. Third, results from our threshold regression reveal that the minimum threshold required for economic freedom to cause FDI to foster IGG is 66.2% (Moderately free). The study sheds new light on investments necessary for SSA’s economic architecture to form relevant synergies with FDI to promote IGG.
JEL Codes: F21; F6; H1; P1; O55; Q01; Q56
Altitudinal differentiation of forest resilience to drought in a dryland mountain
Authors: LI Jie , GAO Xiang , YAN An , CHANG Shuhang , LI Qiuran
Published: April 2023

Drought is the major climate disaster experienced by dryland mountains. However, the altitudinal differentiation of forest resilience to drought and its dominant climate factors in dryland mountains is largely unknown, which is crucial to predict whether the primary forests will collapse under future global warming. In this study, we selected the leaf area index (LAI) and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), fitted forest resilience curves based on drought intensity and recovery time, calculated the curve area to define resilience along elevation zones in Qilian Mountains from 1982 to 2020, and analysed the characteristics of resilience altitudinal differentiation and dominant factors. The results showed that the humid characteristics and trends towards humidification in forests were more significant at higher elevations. Forests in the elevation range of 2600–3900 m exhibited faster recovery rates and greater resilience to drought than those in 1700–2600 m. This altitudinal differentiation was related to precipitation non-monotonically. Meanwhile, potential evapotranspiration and cloud cover were the most important climate factors for resilience temporal changes in different altitude zones. The findings of this study confirm the importance of the altitudinal perspective in studies of the dryland mountain evolution under future global change conditions.
HDAC10 negatively regulates NLRP3 inflammasome activation by switching NLRP3 modification from acetylation to ubiquitination
Authors: Yang Min , Qin Zhenzhi , Lin Yueke , Lv Xiaoting , Sun Caiyu , Cheng Yeping , Xuan Haocheng , Cui Xiuling , Ma Wei , Han Lihui
Published: April 2023

The NOD-like receptor protein (NLRP)3 inflammasome is the most extensively studied inflammasome actively involved in various inflammatory diseases, however its regulatory mechanism is not fully understood. Histone deacetylase (HDAC)10 is a member of the class II histone deacetylase, while whether it has any regulatory role in inflammasome activation is not known. Here we demonstrated that HDAC10 directly interacted with NLRP3 and induced the deacetylation of NLRP3, which further resulted in the suppression of NLRP3 protein and inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Further investigation revealed that deacetylation of NLRP3 by HDAC10 led to the ubiquitination modification and proteasomal degradation of NLRP3, thus decreased the protein level of NLRP3 and further suppressed its activity. In conclusion, this study suggested an acetylation and ubiquitination switch of NLRP3 induced by HDAC10, which revealed a fine-tuned regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome activation. It also provided a potential therapeutic target for NLRP3 inflammasome-associated diseases and facilitated the development of new immunomodulatory therapeutic strategies for NLRP3 inflammasome involved inflammatory diseases.
Wnt7a can up-regulates cell adhesion related protein fibronectin expression and promotes cell proliferation in corneal epithelial cells
Authors: WU Tengyun , ZHANG Xianxie , LIU Yong , WANG Liqiang , HUANG Yifei
Published: April 2023

Wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 7A (Wnt7a) is known as a ligand for members of the frizzled family receptors (FZDs) that functions in the canonical β-catenin signaling pathway and β-catenin independent pathways and plays an important role in embryonic development and homeostasis maintenance. Herein, we studied whether Wnt7a could promote the corneal epithelium proliferation and the specific mechanisms involved. In this study, expression level and distribution of Wnt7a protein in cornea slices was observed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence assay. Human corneal epithelium cells (HCECs) were cultured in conditioned medium to observe the effect of Wnt7a on cell proliferation. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on the HCECs to analyze the possible role of Wnt7a. We found that, in natural states, Wnt7a protein was mainly concentrated in cells at the base of corneal limbus and a small amount was also distributed in the extracellular matrix of central cornea. After corneal epithelium injury, the expression of Wnt7a in central corneal epithelial cells was significantly increased. Cell wound scratch and CCK-8 assay proved that Wnt7a can promote HCECs proliferation in vitro. The transcriptome sequencing of HCECs cultured in conditional medium showed that Wnt7a could up regulate cell adhesion related genes such as fibronectin, which was verified by western blotting. These results showed that the expression pattern of Wnt7a changed after corneal epithelial injury, and Wnt7a directly participated in the repair after injury by upregulating fibronectin and promoting cell adhesion.
Insulin Resistance may Influence Recurrent Pregnancy Loss and Recurrent Implantation Failure
Authors: Cao Yacong , Ding Miao , Chen Jingbo , Zhang Chaofan , He Fengyi , Li Xiaojia , Jiang Sushi , Zou Yanting , Yang Dongzi , Zhao Xiaomiao
Published: April 2023

Background Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and recurrent implantation failure (RIF) is major and unsolved problems in patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART). The etiology of the two diseases is still inconclusive, and some researchers believe that they are the manifestations of different stages of the same disease, and the etiology is similar. Studies have found that patients with insulin resistance (IR) have an increased risk of miscarriage. This study aimed to explore whether IR plays a role in RPL and RIF.Methods In this retrospective study, we included cases of the clean RPL group, the clean RIF group, the RPL with RIF group, and the control group. The related indexes of blood glucose and insulin in the four groups were compared. The age and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were adjusted and further divided into groups according to the times of pregnancy loss and implantation failure.Results There were no significant differences in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) among the four groups. 2hPG in the clean RPL group was significantly higher than that in the control group. Compared to the control group, both the clean RPL group and the RPL with RIF group had significantly higher fasting plasma insulin (FINS), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β); while the characteristics of the clean RIF group were similar to those of the control group. HOMA-IR in the clean RPL group [2.34(2.18–2.51)] was significantly higher than that in the control group [1.98(1.79–2.16), P < 0.05] and the clean RIF group [1.95(1.77–2.15), P < 0.05]. The incidence of insulin resistance increased linearly with the increase of the times of pregnancy loss (P for trend༜0.001). FINS (P for trend = 0.023), HOMA-IR (P for trend = 0.026), HOMAβ (P for trend = 0.008) shows a trend of rising at first and then decreasing. However, the incidence of IR, FPG, FINS, HOMA-IR, and HOMAβ did not show a linear or quadratic trend with the increased implantation failure.Conclusions In patients undergoing ART, IR may be one of the etiologies of RPL and RIF. With the increase in pregnancy loss times, the function of islet β-cell decreases. While the islet β-cells may be used up in RIF patients.
Improving Image Captioning via Dual-Stream Multi-Layer Dynamic Fusion
Authors: Wang Ronggui , Jia Wenhao , Yang Juan , Xue Lixia
Published: April 2023

Recent researches in image captioning have focused on combining region features and grid features to enhance visual information. However, conventional fusion methods may introduce semantic noise that disturbs model prediction. To address the problem, we propose a simple and efficient dual-stream network, Multi-layer Dynamic Fusion Transformer (MDFT), which employs a multi-layer dynamic fusion method to simultaneously enhance region features and grid features. Specifically, we introduce Cross-layer Perceptual Self-Attention (CPSA) module that locally models visual features at multiple layers to refine visual features. Additionally, we design an Adaptive Selection Controller (ASC) to reduce the computational burden of the layered structure and dynamically select attention layers with similar semantic information for interaction. Through this fusion strategy, MDFT effectively reduces semantic noise and achieves complementary advantages of region features and grid features. The experimental results on the MS-COCO dataset indicate that the MDFT model achieved relatively advanced performance on both local and online test sets, with respective scores of 134.0% and 133.7%.
A combination of nonsolvent and thermally induced phase separation (N-TIPS) technique for the preparation of highly porous cellulose acetate membrane as lithium-ion battery separators
Authors: Arundati Annisaa Hayya , Ratri Christin Rina , Chalid Mochamad , Aqoma Havid , Nugraha Adam F.
Published: April 2023

Polyolefin-based lithium-ion battery separators generally exhibit poor wettability and low porosity, which hamper their ability to preserve electrolyte solution, thus adversely impacting battery performance because it correlates with ionic transport. Therefore, developing a separator with better wettability and porosity has received significant interest in improving battery performance due to its contribution to ionic transport. Herein, porous cellulose acetate (CA) separators were prepared via nonsolvent and thermally induced phase separation (N-TIPS) technique using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as the polymer solvent and water as the nonsolvent. A glass plate was casted with cellulose acetate dissolved in NMP. Following this, the polymer solution was evaporated at 75°C, then was immersed in a water coagulation bath as the nonsolvent, resulting in a flexible membrane. An evaporation time at 55, 65, or 75 minutes was performed to determine how evaporation affected the structures of membrane pore. CA-based separator that treated with 55 minutes of evaporation generates the highest ionic conductivity of 3.07 x 10 − 2 mS.cm-1, which can be attributed to their uniform microporous structure, porosity of 62%, and electrolyte uptake of 331%. In comparison to Celgard, a commercial polyolefin-based separator that just able to generates an ionic conductivity of 9.41 x 10 − 4 mS.cm-1, the CA 55 membrane exhibits far superior electrochemical performance. Based on these results, the CA 55 membrane is considered a feasible alternative for utilization in lithium-ion battery separators.
Accelerated Algorithms for Silrtc and Halrtcalgorithms by Fast Tri-Factorization Method
Authors: Tavakoli Ali , Ebrahimi Rasool
Published: April 2023

Tensor completion is one of the efficient methods for restoring datasuch that minimizing the rank of the tensor leads to an appropriate solution.However, it gives a non-convex objective function, which generates an NP-hardproblem. To overcome this problem, instead of using the rank function, thetrace norm is applied. To solve this problem, two heuristic algorithms, SimpleLow Rank Tensor Completion (SiLRTC) and High Accuracy Low Rank TensorCompletion (HaLRTC) can be used. In the methods based on trace norm, theSingular Value Decomposition (SVD) is used, which increases computationalcomplexity of these methods with increasing dimensions. In order to reducethe computational complexity of SVD, the method of Fast Tri-Factorization(FTF) can be utilized. In this paper, to accelerate the convergence speed ofSiLRTC and HaLRTC Algorithms, two new combined methods FTF-SiLRTCand FTF-HaLRTC are presented. Additionally, the computational complexityof all algorithms is verified.
2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 15A18; Secondary 15A69, 74B99.
Dynamic Analysis and Trend Forecast of China's Forestry Carbon Sink Benefits Based on Dual Carbon Targets
Authors: Zhao Sixue , Shi Wei , Qiao Fuwei , An Yi , Wang Weijuan , Zhang Guowei
Published: April 2023

The efficient development of forestry is one of the most effective ways to deal with climate change and achieve carbon neutrality. This paper evaluates and analyzes the benefits of carbon sinks in 31 provinces of China and predicts their future development trends. Firstly, the forest volume expansion method was used to calculate the carbon sink volume and value of Chinese provinces from 2008 to 2018. In addition, the DEA model is used to dynamically analyze input-output efficiency at the provincial and national levels. Lastly, the GM (1, 1) prediction model was used to forecast the trend of China's forestry carbon sink input-output efficiency from 2019 to 2030. It is found that: (1) In terms of space, the benefits of China's forests as carbon sinks are "high in the north and south and low in the east and west," while in terms of time, the differences between regions are getting bigger. (2) Based on efficiency differences, provinces can be categorized into four gradients: high-efficiency, scale-effective, technologically effective, and low-efficiency. The forestry technology level and resource input scale in high-efficiency areas are relatively effective, whereas the indicators above in low-efficiency regions have a significant discrepancy with the optimal level. (3) Predictions indicate that between 2019 and 2030, the benefits of carbon sinks in forests will continue to decline. Based on the findings of this study and the current condition of input-output efficiency, specific recommendations for the long-term development of carbon sinks under the dual carbon objective are provided.
Treatment of a pregnant patient with cardiogenic shock due to bacterial endocarditis combined with Libman-Sacks endocarditis: a case report and literature review
Authors: Chen ZeLun , Wang Tianguang , Zhou Dexing , Wang MingFa
Published: April 2023

Background: As one of the most common cardiac manifestations of systemic lupus erythematous (SLE), Libman-Sacks (LS) endocarditis is a nonbacterial form of thrombotic endocarditis characterized by sterile vegetations deposited on heart valves consisting of fibrin mixed with immune complexes and platelets. Although patients with LS endocarditis usually have no significant valvular disease, persistent LS endocarditis may be complicated by bacterial endocarditis, leading to serious complications, including acute valve regurgitation, acute heart failure, and even cardiogenic shock, which are rare in pregnant patients. Therefore, such patients with atypical SLE manifestations combined with various complications deserve more attention.
Case presentation: We reported a rare case of a pregnant patient without an SLE history who progressed to cardiogenic shock resulting in a preterm birth. After the delivery of the fetus, it was considered that the patient had bacterial endocarditis according to the results of lab tests and echocardiography. LS endocarditis was also found after surgery. Moreover, SLE with catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) was also confirmed during the course of treatment. Finally, the combined use of methylprednisolone and human immunoglobulin injection was carried out, the patient’s condition improved, and she was discharged on the 13th postoperative day.
Conclusion: The interference of infective endocarditis with the type of preexisting lesion in the disease process can influence our judgment and treatment decisions, which is worth noting.
Sedimentary characteristics of ion-adsorption rare earth elements and assessment of their resource reuse potential due to soil and water erosion in western Fujian
Authors: Xiaowei Chen , Xiuling Chen , Zhibiao Chen , Binggui Cai , Zhiqiang Chen , Yue Li , Feiyan Chen , Yi Wang , Yifei Fan , Jie Liu
Published: April 2023

With severe soil and water erosion, the crucial ion-adsorption rare earth elements (REEs) have attracted much global attention. REEs play a vital role in tracing material sources and exploring sedimentary characteristics due to their unique and stable geochemistry properties. In the present work, three representational possible redeposition areas in western Fujian were selected as the study areas. The geochemical characteristics of REEs in the sediments of the study areas were evaluated to elucidate that REEs are the products of soil and water erosion and to assess their redeposition characteristics. The results of the geochemical analysis indicated that the parent rocks of the study areas are primarily upper continental felsic rocks with similar geochemical characteristics, and the sediments in the study areas are the products of migration and redeposition caused by soil and water erosion. Moreover, the statistical analysis highlighted a negative correlation between REEs and elevation as well as REEs and the relief degree on the land surface (RDLS). Thus, as a result of soil and water erosion, ion-adsorption REEs in the surface sediments migrate and redeposit in the soil and water of the downstream redeposition areas. This leads to a high re-utilization potential of REEs in the current situation of scarcity of such resources.
Image Encryption via Base-n PRNGs and Parallel Base-n S-boxes
Authors: Gabr Mohamed , Elias Rimon , Hosny Khalid , Alexan Wassim
Published: April 2023

The fast-paced advancement in multimedia production and exchanges over unsecured networks have led to a dire need to develop security applications. In this regard, chaos theory has much to offer, especially high-dimensional (HD) chaotic functions of fractional order. The authors propose a new secure and robust image encryption method in this research work. In this method, the authors hybridize the Chen and Chua chaotic functions with a memristor circuit to benefit from the strengths of each. Such a hybridization of systems allows for the generation of pseudo-random numbers which are used to develop encryption keys and substitution boxes (S-boxes). The generated encryption keys are utilized with different logical and arithmetic operations, carrying out data diffusion. Multiple S-boxes of varying base-n are generated and utilized in a parallel fashion, carrying out data confusion. The computed numerical results reflect the superior capabilities of the proposed image encryption technique, signifying resilience and robustness against various attacks.
Transportation of pipeline and liquefied natural gas: comparative analysis of pros and cons
Authors: Ismagilova V. S. , Chekushina T. V.
Published: April 2023

Today energy supply and energy efficiency are still the most important and relevant issues of lively international discussions. The purpose of this paper is to study the current state of the natural gas market. The primary types of transported hydrocarbon fuels currently presented on the trading floor include natural gas predominantly transported through trunk pipelines, and liquefied natural gas competing with it. The study of this problem involved a comparative analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of liquefied natural gas and pipeline gas transportation for the case of commercial gas shipment from the Russian Federation to the European Union and liquefied natural gas shipment from the United States of America to the European Union. It is important to note that natural gas shipments through the Nord Stream gas pipeline have been completely suspended since September 2022 for an indefinite period of time. As a consequence, it is the American liquefied natural gas that is becoming the main alternative to the pipeline gas from Russia today. An agreement has been formed between the United States and the European Union to supply 15 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas in the past 2022. However, the inescapable fact is that daily guaranteed shipment of natural gas is a timely and economically feasible source of energy fuel. Using the rule of guaranteed advantages and disadvantages, the authors identified the most rational and profitable aspects of light hydrocarbon fuel transportation. The conducted study resulted in the analysis of the following indicators: the cost of shipped raw materials, the transportation cost of compared options, and amount of hydrocarbon gas losses during the main technological operations. In addition, the issue of environmental safety of operated facilities was considered.
Non-invertible defects in 5d, boundaries and holography
Authors: Aguilera Damia Jeremias , Argurio Riccardo , Garcia Valdecasas Eduardo
Published: April 2023

We show that very simple theories of abelian gauge fields with a cubic Chern-Simons term in 5d have an infinite number of non-invertible codimension two defects. They arise by dressing the symmetry operators of the broken electric 1-form symmetry with a suitable topological field theory, for any rational angle. We further discuss the same theories in the presence of a 4d boundary, and more particularly in a holographic setting. There we find that the bulk defects, when pushed to the boundary, have various different fates. Most notably, they can become codimension one non-invertible defects of a boundary theory with an ABJ anomaly.
Bootstrapping traceless symmetric $O(N)$ scalars
Authors: Reehorst Marten , Refinetti Maria , Vichi Alessandro
Published: April 2023

We use numerical bootstrap techniques to study correlation functions of traceless symmetric tensors of O(N)O(N) with two indices t_{ij}tij. We obtain upper bounds on operator dimensions for all the relevant representations and several values of NN. We discover several families of kinks, which do not correspond to any known model and we discuss possible candidates. We then specialize to the case N=4N=4, which has been conjectured to describe a phase transition in the antiferromagnetic real projective model ARP^{3}ARP3. Lattice simulations provide strong evidence for the existence of a second order phase transition, while an effective field theory approach does not predict any fixed point. We identify a set of assumptions that constrain operator dimensions to a closed region overlapping with the lattice prediction. The region is still present after pushing the numerics in the single correlator case or when considering a mixed system involving tt and the lowest dimension scalar singlet.