bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attacking Bitcoin anonymity: generative adversarial networks for improving Bitcoin entity classification
Authors: Zola Francesco , Segurola-Gil Lander , Bruse Jan L. , Galar Mikel , Orduna-Urrutia Raul
Published: April 2022

Classification of Bitcoin entities is an important task to help Law Enforcement Agencies reduce anonymity in the Bitcoin blockchain network and to detect classes more tied to illegal activities. However, this task is strongly conditioned by a severe class imbalance in Bitcoin datasets. Existing approaches for addressing the class imbalance problem can be improved considering generative adversarial networks (GANs) that can boost data diversity. However, GANs are mainly applied in computer vision and natural language processing tasks, but not in Bitcoin entity behaviour classification where they may be useful for learning and generating synthetic behaviours. Therefore, in this work, we present a novel approach to address the class imbalance in Bitcoin entity classification by applying GANs. In particular, three GAN architectures were implemented and compared in order to find the most suitable architecture for generating Bitcoin entity behaviours. More specifically, GANs were used to address the Bitcoin imbalance problem by generating synthetic data of the less represented classes before training the final entity classifier. The results were used to evaluate the capabilities of the different GAN architectures in terms of training time, performance, repeatability, and computational costs. Finally, the results achieved by the proposed GAN-based resampling were compared with those obtained using five well-known data-level preprocessing techniques. Models trained with data resampled with our GAN-based approach achieved the highest accuracy improvements and were among the best in terms of precision, recall and f1-score. Together with Random Oversampling (ROS), GANs proved to be strong contenders in addressing Bitcoin class imbalance and consequently in reducing Bitcoin entity anonymity (overall and per-class classification performance). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to explore the advantages and limitations of GANs in generating specific Bitcoin data and “attacking” Bitcoin anonymity. The proposed methods ultimately demonstrate that in Bitcoin applications, GANs are indeed able to learn the data distribution and generate new samples starting from a very limited class representation, which leads to better detection of classes related to illegal activities.
Derivative-free methods for mixed-integer nonsmooth constrained optimization
Authors: Giovannelli Tommaso , Liuzzi Giampaolo , Lucidi Stefano , Rinaldi Francesco
Published: April 2022

In this paper, mixed-integer nonsmooth constrained optimization problems are considered, where objective/constraint functions are available only as the output of a black-box zeroth-order oracle that does not provide derivative information. A new derivative-free linesearch-based algorithmic framework is proposed to suitably handle those problems. First, a scheme for bound constrained problems that combines a dense sequence of directions to handle the nonsmoothness of the objective function with primitive directions to handle discrete variables is described. Then, an exact penalty approach is embedded in the scheme to suitably manage nonlinear (possibly nonsmooth) constraints. Global convergence properties of the proposed algorithms toward stationary points are analyzed and results of an extensive numerical experience on a set of mixed-integer test problems are reported.
Estimating the Impact of Temperature and Rainfall on Malaria Incidence in Ghana from 2012 to 2017
Authors: Oheneba-Dornyo Theresa Valerie , Amuzu Setor , Maccagnan Anna , Taylor Timothy
Published: April 2022

Malaria has a significant impact on the lives of many in Ghana. It is one of the key causes of mortality and morbidity, resulting in 32.5% of outpatient visits and 48.8% of under 5-year-old hospital admissions. Future climate change may impact on this risk. This study aims at estimating the impact of climate variables and health facilities on malaria prevalence in Ghana using regional data from January 2012 to May 2017. This study links data at a regional level on malaria cases with weather data to evaluate the impact that changes in weather may have on malaria prevalence in Ghana. The results of fixed-effect modelling show that the maximum temperature has a statistically significant negative impact on malaria in the context of Ghana, and rainfall with a lag of two months has a positive statistically significant impact. Adapting to climate change in Ghana requires a better understanding of the climate-malaria relationship and this paper attempts to bridge this gap.
Neuroprotective effect of liraglutide in an experimental mouse model of multiple sclerosis: role of AMPK/SIRT1 signaling and NLRP3 inflammasome
Authors: Ammar Reham A. , Mohamed Ahmed F. , Kamal Mohamed M. , Safar Marwa M. , Abdelkader Noha F.
Published: April 2022

The heterogeneous nature of multiple sclerosis (MS) and the unavailability of treatments addressing its intricate network and reversing the disease state is yet an area that needs to be elucidated. Liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue, recently exhibited intriguing potential neuroprotective effects. The currents study investigated its potential effect against mouse model of MS and the possible underlying mechanisms. Demyelination was induced in C57Bl/6 mice by cuprizone (400 mg/kg/day p.o.) for 5 weeks. Animals received either liraglutide (25 nmol/kg/day i.p.) or dorsomorphin, an AMPK inhibitor, (2.5 mg/Kg i.p.) 30 min before the liraglutide dose, for 4 weeks (starting from the second week). Liraglutide improved the behavioral profile in cuprizone-treated mice. Furthermore, it induced the re-myelination process through stimulating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells differentiation via Olig2 transcription activation, reflected by increased myelin basic protein and myelinated nerve fiber percentage. Liraglutide elevated the protein content of p-AMPK and SIRT1, in addition to the autophagy proteins Beclin-1 and LC3B. Liraglutide halted cellular damage as manifested by reduced HMGB1 protein and consequently TLR-4 downregulation, coupled with a decrease in NF-κB. Liraglutide also suppressed NLRP3 transcription. Dorsomorphin pre-administration indicated a possible interplay between AMPK/SIRT1 and NLRP3 inflammasome activation as it partially reversed liraglutide’s effects. Immunohistochemical examination of Iba+ microglia emphasized these findings. In conclusion, liraglutide exerts neuroprotection against cuprizone-induced demyelination via anti-inflammatory, autophagic flux activation, NLRP3 inflammasome suppression, and anti-apoptotic mechanisms, possibly mediated, at least in part, via AMPK/SIRT1, autophagy, TLR-4/ NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling.

Graphical abstract

The potential mechanistic insight of Lira in alleviating Cup-induced neurotoxicity via: (1) AMPK/SIRT1 pathways activation resulting in the stimulation of brain autophagy flux (confirmed by lowering Beclin-1 and LC3-B protein expression). (2) Inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation, as evidenced by reduced HMGB1, TLR-4, NF-κB and NLRP3 protein expression, alongside diminishing the activation of its downstream cascade as reflected by reduced levels of caspase-1 and IL-1β protein expression. (3) A possible modulating interplay between the previously mentioned two pathways.
Dapagliflozin as an autophagic enhancer via LKB1/AMPK/SIRT1 pathway in ovariectomized/d-galactose Alzheimer’s rat model
Authors: Ibrahim Weam W. , Kamel Ahmed S. , Wahid Ahmed , Abdelkader Noha F.
Published: April 2022

Autophagy and mitochondrial deficits are characteristics of early phase of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors have been nominated as a promising class against AD hallmarks. However, there are no available data yet to discuss the impact of gliflozins on autophagic pathways in AD. Peripherally, dapagliflozin’s (DAPA) effect is mostly owed to autophagic signals. Thus, the goal of this study is to screen the power of DAPA centrally on LKB1/AMPK/SIRT1/mTOR signaling in the ovariectomized/d-galactose (OVX/d-Gal) rat model. Animals were arbitrarily distributed between 5 groups; the first group undergone sham operation, while remaining groups undergone OVX followed by d-Gal (150 mg/kg/day; i.p.) for 70 days. After 6 weeks, the third, fourth, and fifth groups received DAPA (1 mg/kg/day; p.o.); concomitantly with the AMPK inhibitor dorsomorphin (DORSO, 25 µg/rat, i.v.) in the fourth group and the SIRT1 inhibitor EX-527 (10 µg/rat, i.v.) in the fifth group. DAPA mitigated cognitive deficits of OVX/d-Gal rats, as mirrored in neurobehavioral task with hippocampal histopathological examination and immunohistochemical aggregates of p-Tau. The neuroprotective effect of DAPA was manifested by elevation of energy sensors; AMP/ATP ratio and LKB1/AMPK protein expressions along with autophagic markers; SIRT1, Beclin1, and LC3B expressions. Downstream the latter, DAPA boosted mTOR and mitochondrial function; TFAM, in contrary lessened BACE1. Herein, DORSO or EX-527 co-administration prohibited DAPA’s actions where DORSO elucidated DAPA’s direct effect on LKB1 while EX-527 mirrored its indirect effect on SIRT1. Therefore, DAPA implied its anti-AD effect, at least in part, via boosting hippocampal LKB1/AMPK/SIRT1/mTOR signaling in OVX/d-Gal rat model.

Graphical abstract
Preparation of antimicrobial calcium phosphate/protamine composite powders with fluoride ions using octacalcium phosphate
Authors: Koizumi Daisuke , Suzuki Kitaru , Togawa Rie , Yasui Kosuke , Iohara Keishi , Honda Michiyo , Aizawa Mamoru
Published: April 2022

Calcium phosphates are key biomaterials in dental treatment and bone regeneration. Biomaterials must exhibit antibacterial properties to prevent microbial infection in implantation frameworks. Previously, we developed various types of calcium phosphate powders (amorphous calcium phosphate, octacalcium phosphate (OCP), dicalcium phosphate anhydrate, and hydroxyapatite) with adsorbed protamine (which is a protein with antibacterial property) and confirmed their antibacterial property. In this study, as foundational research for the development of novel oral care materials, we synthesized calcium phosphate composite powders from three starting materials: i) OCP, which intercalates organic compounds, ii) protamine, which has antibacterial properties, and iii) F– ion, which promotes the formation of apatite crystals. Through investigating the preparation concentration of the F– ions and their loading into OCP, it was found that more F– ion could be loaded at higher concentrations regardless of the loading method. It was also observed that the higher the preparation concentration, the more the OCP converted to fluorapatite. The synthesized calcium phosphate composite powders were evaluated for biocompatibility through proliferation of MG-63 cells, with none of the powders exhibiting any growth inhibition. Antimicrobial tests showed that the calcium phosphate composite powders synthesized with protamine and F– ion by precipitation had enhanced antimicrobial properties than those synthesized by protamine adsorption. Thus, the calcium phosphate composite powder prepared from OCP, protamine, and F– ion forms the basis for promising antimicrobial biomaterials.
Compositional synthesis of modular systems
Authors: Finkbeiner Bernd , Passing Noemi
Published: April 2022

In contrast to the breakthroughs in reactive synthesis of monolithic systems, distributed synthesis is not yet practical. Compositional approaches can be a key technique for scalable algorithms. Here, the challenge is to decompose a specification of the global system into local requirements on the individual processes. In this paper, we present and extend a sound and complete compositional synthesis algorithm that constructs for each process, in addition to the strategy, a certificate that captures the necessary interface between the processes. The certificates define an assume-guarantee contract that allows for formulating individual process requirements. By bounding the size of the certificates, we then bias the synthesis procedure towards solutions that are desirable in the sense that they have a small interface. We have implemented our approach and evaluated it on scalable benchmarks: It is much faster than standard methods for distributed synthesis as long as reasonably small certificates exist. Otherwise, the overhead of synthesizing additional certificates is small.
Variability in the climate-radial growth correlation of Pinus massoniana of different diameter classes
Authors: Qiao Jingjing , Sun Yujun , Pan Lei , Luo Mi , Ding Zhidan , Sun Zhao
Published: April 2022

The physiological characteristics of trees change with age, suggesting that growth-related climate signals vary over time. This study aimed to clarify the impacts of different diameter classes on the chronological characteristics of Pinus massoniana Lamb. and its response to climatic factors. Chronologies of Pinus massoniana were established in small diameter (14.1 cm), middle diameter (27.3 cm), and large diameter (34.6 cm) trees according to dendrochronology. The results show that: (1) radial growth of different diameter classes had varied characteristics and climate sensitivities; (2) radial growth of small diameter trees was affected by climatic factors of the previous and the current year, while large diameter trees were mainly affected by climatic factors of the current year; and (3) precipitation and temperature were key factors that restricted the radial growth of small and large diameter trees, respectively.
Mechanical joining in versatile process chains
Authors: Meschut Gerson , Merkein Marion , Brosius Alexander , Bobbert Mathias
Published: April 2022

The use of mechanical joining technologies offers the possibility of joining mixed material structures, which are used in particular in lightweight construction. An integrated securing of the joinability in versatile process chains is currently hardly possible as the number of combinable tool variants as well as variable force- and path-based process parameters is infinite. A versatile process chain, i.e. a sequence of all the processes and process steps required for product manufacturing, enables targeted changes to the semi-finished product, the joint, the component or the joining process that exceed the originally planned extend while still ensuring joinability. In detail, it leads to a unique joint with its own mechanical property profile, which, against the background of the resulting infinite number of combinations, makes it impossible to secure the joinability on the conventional experimentally based approach without extensive safety factors. The Transregional Colaborative Research Center 285 (TCRC285), which also initiated this special issue, is intended to enable mechanical joining technology to be versatile in the sense of high application flexibility. This is to be achieved with a numerical representation of the complete process chain from the incoming semi finished product via the joining part production and the joining process to the property profile of the joint in the operating phase. Thus a predictability of the joinability can be achieved and improvements in the individual life cycles of a joint can be realized by grasping the cause-and-effect relationships. On the basis of this knowledge, new possibilities for intervention in the joining process are to be created for the adaptation of the joining processes. With the aid of the methods developed for this purpose, tools will later be available to the end user to substitute the large number of mechanical joining processes or joining task-specific configurations with a smaller number of adaptable processes. This expands the flexibility in material choices, enabling challenges in environmental issues and sustainability to be overcome.
Bridging Fidelities to Predict Nanoindentation Tip Radii Using Interpretable Deep Learning Models
Authors: Trost Claus O. W. , Zak Stanislav , Schaffer Sebastian , Saringer Christian , Exl Lukas , Cordill Megan J.
Published: April 2022

As the need for miniaturized structural and functional materials has increased, the need for precise materials characterizaton has also expanded. Nanoindentation is a popular method that can be used to measure material mechanical behavior which enables high-throughput experiments and, in some cases, can also provide images of the indented area through scanning. Both indenting and scanning can cause tip wear that can influence the measurements. Therefore, precise characterization of tip radii is needed to improve data evaluation. A data fusion method is introduced which uses finite element simulations and experimental data to estimate the tip radius in situ in a meaningful way using an interpretable multi-fidelity deep learning approach. By interpreting the machine learning models, it is shown that the approaches are able to accurately capture physical indentation phenomena.
Recovery of Lanthanum from Aqueous Solutions by Crystallization as Lanthanum Sodium Sulfate Double Salt
Authors: Said Arshe , Lundström Mari , Louhi-Kultanen Marjatta
Published: April 2022

The recovery of rare earth elements from spent nickel-metal hydride batteries by hydrometallurgical processing has become increasingly important in recent years. The present work investigated the effect of temperature, systems of adding the reactant, the molar ratio of sodium and lanthanum, and the initial concentration of six sulfate impurities (Ni, Co, Al, Mn, Fe, and Zn) on the crystallization of the monohydrate of sodium lanthanum sulfate double salt (NaLa(SO4)2·H2O) crystals from synthetic leachate solutions. The sodium sulfate reactant was added as an acidic solution by pumping or batchwise as a solid anhydrate salt to a pregnant lanthanum sulfate solution. Compared to precipitation with acidic sodium sulfate solution, precipitation with solid sodium sulfate yielded smaller single crystals, a greater tendency to form aggregates, and lower crystal purity. The lowest overall impurity and highest lanthanum quantity in crystals were obtained by semi-batch reactant adding performance of Na2SO4 solution at 70°C with Na/La molar ratio of 3. Real-time monitoring of the count rates of different chord length fractions clearly showed the influence of crystallization temperature on the precipitation kinetics.
Impact of haemoglobin variants on the use of haemoglobin A1c for the diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes: a contextualised review
Authors: Liddy Anne Marie , Grundy Stephan , Sreenan Seamus , Tormey William
Published: April 2022

HbA1c is the established test for monitoring glycaemic control in diabetes, and intervention trials studying the impact of treatment on glycaemic control and risk of complications focus predominantly on this parameter in terms of evaluating the glycaemic outcomes. It is also the main parameter used when targets for control are being individualised, and more recently, it has been used for the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. For laboratories performing this test and clinicians utilising it in their decision-making process, a thorough understanding of factors that can impact on the accuracy, and appropriate interpretation of the test is essential. The changing demographic in the Irish population over the last two decades has brought this issue sharply into focus. It is therefore timely to review the utility, performance and interpretation of the HbA1c test to highlight factors impacting on the results, specifically the impact of haemoglobin variants, and the impact of these factors on its utilisation in clinical practice.
Neuroblastoma Heterogeneity, Plasticity, and Emerging Therapies
Authors: Lundberg Kristina Ihrmark , Treis Diana , Johnsen John Inge
Published: April 2022

Purpose of Review

The evolving information of the initiation, tumor cell heterogeneity, and plasticity of childhood neuroblastoma has opened up new perspectives for developing therapies based on detailed knowledge of the disease.

Recent Findings

The cellular origin of neuroblastoma has begun to unravel and there have been several reports on tumor cell heterogeneity based on transcriptional core regulatory circuitries that have given us important information on the biology of neuroblastoma as a developmental disease. This together with new insight of the tumor microenvironment which acts as a support for neuroblastoma growth has given us the prospect for designing better treatment approaches for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma. Here, we discuss these new discoveries and highlight some emerging therapeutic options.

Neuroblastoma is a disease with multiple facets. Detailed biological and molecular knowledge on neuroblastoma initiation, heterogeneity, and the communications between cells in the tumor microenvironment holds promise for better therapies.
Validation of adhesion characterization methods for antistick coatings applied in cooking systems
Authors: Rossi Stefano , Valdrè Federico , Calovi Massimo
Published: April 2022

This study aims to validate an effective methodological analysis for the characterization of the adhesion values of antistick coatings employed in cooking systems. The morphology and chemistry of four different industrial products were investigated by roughness measurements, electron microscopy observations and infrared spectroscopy analysis. The adhesion of the coatings was evaluated comparing various techniques, such as the surface contact angle measurements, the pull-off test and the single lap-joint tensile shear method, in synergy with degradation phenomena simulated by P.E.I. abrasion and dishwashing tests. The single lap-joint tensile shear test was able to evaluate evident differences between all the proposed coatings, regardless of their state of deterioration, featuring the best selectivity among the used methods. However, the pull-off test proved to be a viable and more economical alternative for fast evaluation techniques, considering the overall instrument costs. While all the polytetrafluoroethylene-based systems turned out to be totally uninfluenced by the chemical attacks performed during the dishwasher cycles, the sol–gel coating exhibited lower performances of the applied releasing agent, before and after the mechanical degradation tests. Therefore, sol–gel coatings, despite being proposed as valid alternatives to PTFE ones, do not achieve the same quality standards in terms of releasing properties, being in addition much more sensible to degradation and loss in performances.
Therapeutic benefits of niraparib tosylate as radio sensitizer in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: an in vivo and in vitro preclinical study
Authors: Cui Yuzhong , Huang Wei , Du Feng , Yin Xiaoyang , Feng Lei , Li Baosheng
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is associated with high morbidity and mortality rate for which radiotherapy is the main treatment modality. Niraparib, a Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 inhibitors (PARPi) was previously reported to confer radiosensitivity in different malignancies including non-small cell lung cancer. In this study, we assessed the in vivo ability of niraparib in conferring radiosensitivity to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Materials and methods

In this study, KYSE-30 and KYSE-150 cell lines were selected as in vivo esophageal squamous cell carcinoma models. The experimental groups were: niraparib tosylate alone, radiotherapy alone, control (no intervention), and combination therapy (radiotherapy + niraparib tosylate). Cell cytotoxicity assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, lentivirus transfection analysis, and xenograft models were used for confirming radiosensitizing ability of niraparib and to investigate the possible cellular mechanism involved in radiosensitization.

Results

The colony formation efficiency of the combination group was significantly much lower than that of the single radiation group (P < 0.01). Cell cytotoxicity assay demonstrated a significant reduction in proliferation of irradiated cells after treatment with niraparib tosylate compared to niraparib tosylate alone (P < 0.01). Cell apoptosis significantly increased in the combination group compared to either niraparib tosylate or radiotherapy alone (P < 0.01). Rate of tumor suppression rate was significantly high in the combined treatment group (P < 0.01) but, significantly decreased in nude mice. Western blot and lentivirus infection model suggested overexpression of FANCG genes to confer radiosensitivity.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the synergistic effect of niraparib tosylate and radiation may be related to the down-regulation of FANCG.
Criminal markets and networks in Cyberspace
Authors: Lavorgna Anita , Antonopoulos Georgios A.
Published: April 2022

This is an introduction to the special issue of Trends in Organized Crime on ‘criminal markets and networks in cyberspace’. All the contributions to this special issue, even if from different standpoints and focuses, help us understand how cyberspace is (re)shaping offenses and offenders.
Time point-independent tumor positivity of 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT pre- and post-biopsy in high-risk prostate cancer
Authors: Zou Sijuan , Song Shuang , Zhou Jianyuan , Yu Bo , Kuang Dong , Wang Zhihua , Zhu Xiaohua
Published: April 2022

Objective

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-PET/CT imaging has gained increasing clinical importance for the detection and staging of high-risk primary prostate cancer (PCa). However, it is unclear whether the routine practice of prostate biopsy obscures the image finding of PSMA-PET/CT. This study aimed to compare the tumor positivity rate of PSMA-PET/CT performed pre- (PSMA-PET/CTpre) and post-biopsy (PSMA-PET/CTpost) in high-risk PCa patients.

Patients and methods

We matched 58 PSMA-PET/CTpost with 58 PSMA-PET/CTpre studies for primary detection of high-risk PCa according to clinical characteristics. Three subgroups of PSMA-PET/CTpost were defined by the intervals after biopsy (≤ 1 week, 1 ~ 2 weeks, and 2 ~ 5 weeks). Tumor positivity rates were determined, and SUVmax of primary tumors were compared separately for the two main groups and the related subgroups. Malignant prostate tissues from 20 of these patients were examined by immunohistochemical analysis of PSMA. In addition, the values of PSMA-PET/CTpre and PSMA-PET/CTpost in assessing seminal vesicle invasion (SVI) were evaluated in patients who underwent radical prostatectomy.

Results

All the primary tumors were positive on PSMA-PET/CTpost and PSMA-PET/CTpre imaging, resulting in a patient-based positivity rates of 100% (58/58) in both groups. All examined IHC results (20/20) confirmed the high-level expression of PSMA. SUVmax of primary tumors did not differ between the two main groups (16.1, IQR 9.8–26.6 vs. 16.5, IQR 11.0–26.7, p > 0.05). Subgroup analysis of PSMA-PET/CTpost (≤ 1 week, 1 ~ 2 weeks, and 2 ~ 5 weeks) also showed no significant difference in tumor SUVmax (15.8, IQR 9.5–22.2; 17.8, IQR 9.8–29.2; and 15.4, IQR 10.1–30.3. p > 0.05). PSMA-PET/CTpost and PSMA-PET/CTpre exhibited similar value in SVI detection as well.

Conclusions

The tumor positivity rate was consistently high for PSMA-PET/CT pre- and post-biopsy. A prior biopsy does not seem to affect the tumor positivity rate of PSMA-PET/CT in high-risk PCa.
Faculty diversity in California environmental studies departments: implications for student learning
Authors: Taylor Amani M. , Hernandez Arien J. , Peterson Aysha K. , Jinnah Sikina
Published: April 2022

Faculty diversity is an important driver of student success, especially for students of color. Yet, faculty diversity has not kept pace with the increase in student diversity within US 4-year postsecondary institutions. While students of color make up 42.5% of this population, faculty of color only constitute 24.4%. This study empirically examines these trends in environmental studies departments in California. Using survey data collected from faculty within 22 such departments in the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems, this study explores the demographic characteristics of faculty in these departments, how these demographics are related to tenure status, and the implications of these results for student success. Importantly, we show that despite students of color constituting 58.2% (UC) and 52.4% (CSU) of the student population within environmental studies departments, faculty of color only represent 22.5% (UC) and 17.7% (CSU) within these departments. These disparities are even more pronounced for Black/African American, Latinx, and Native American populations, which is particularly problematic since many of these schools are Hispanic-Serving Institutions. We conclude that UC and CSU environmental studies departments must take seriously the task of diversifying their faculty and argue that anti-racist training for hiring committees, differentiated support for faculty of color, and creating an inclusive campus climate are key factors for the recruitment and retention of faculty of color.
Bioassay-guided isolation of cytotoxic constituents from the flowers of Aquilaria sinensis
Authors: Yang Jun , Hu Dong-Bao , Xia Meng-Yuan , Luo Ji-Feng , Li Xing-Yu , Wang Yue-Hu
Published: April 2022

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the EtOH extract from the flowers of Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Spreng. (Thymelaeaceae) led to the isolation of a new cucurbitane-type triterpenoid, aquilarolide A (1), along with five known compounds (2–6). The structure of 1 was elucidated by extensive 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments and mass spectrometry (MS) data and theoretical calculations of its electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Aquilarolide A, cucurbitacin E (3), cucurbitacin B (4), and 7-hydroxy-6-methoxy-2-[2-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one (6) showed significant cytotoxicity against human lung adenocarcinoma SPC-A-1, human lung squamous cell carcinoma NCI-H520, human lung adenocarcinoma A549, and paclitaxel-resistant A549 (A549/Taxol) cell lines. All four active compounds, with IC50 values ranging from 0.002 to 0.91 μM, had better inhibitory activities against A549/Taxol cells than paclitaxel (IC50 = 1.80 μM). Among them, cucurbitacin E (IC50 = 0.002 μM) is the most active. Further studies are needed to evaluate their in vivo antitumor activities and to clarify their mechanisms.

Graphical Abstract
Star fruit extract and C-glycosylated flavonoid components have potential to prevent air pollutant-induced skin inflammation and premature aging
Authors: Wu Ping , Iwahashi Hiroyasu , Xie Hai-Hui , Wang Ying , Zhou Yan-Yang , Kiso Akinori , Kawashima Yoshihito , Wei Xiao-Yi
Published: April 2022

Air pollution adversely affects skin, leading to skin inflammation and premature skin aging. Plant derived antioxidant compounds have been considered to be promising in discovery of effective agents for the protection of skin from the damage by air pollutants. Our previous studies demonstrated that Averrhoa carambola fruit (known as star fruit) is rich in flavonoid C-glycosides with unique structures and potent antioxidant activity. Thus, the star fruit extract (SFE) and main flavonoid C-glycoside components, carambolasides I, J, and P (1–3), carambolaflavone B (4), and isovitexin 2″-O-α-l-rhamnoside (5), were investigated for the activity against air pollutant stress in human epidermis. As a result, SFE and compounds 1–5 exhibited significant inhibitory activity against protein carbonylation in oxidative-stressed stratum corneum with the best activity being shown by compound 3. SFE and compounds 2–5 were also active against engine exhaust-induced protein carbonylation in stratum corneum. When further evaluated, SFE and compound 3 significantly inhibited gene expression of the key inflammation mediators IL-1α and COX-2 in PM-stressed keratinocytes. The results indicated that SFE and the flavonoid C-glycosides are potentially effective against air pollutant-induced skin inflammation and premature aging.

Graphical Abstract
Radial basis function-based vector field algorithm for wildfire boundary tracking with UAVs
Authors: Feng Licheng , Katupitiya Jay
Published: April 2022

This paper tackles the problem of dynamic wildfire boundary tracking with UAVs. Wildfire boundary is treated as the zero-level set curve of an implicit function and is approximated with radial basis functions. Its propagation is modeled with the Hamilton–Jacobi equation with an arbitrary initial boundary as the input. To navigate UAVs to the wildfire boundary, an analytical velocity vector field, whose integral curves converge to the wildfire boundary, is constructed on the basis of the typical radial basis function thin-plate spline. Computer simulations with a single UAV and multiple UAVs have been conducted for the evaluation of the proposed solution, and numerical results show that the proposed algorithm can ensure the successful tracking of an arbitrarily shaped wildfire boundary.
Improving Human Decision-making by Discovering Efficient Strategies for Hierarchical Planning
Authors: Consul Saksham , Heindrich Lovis , Stojcheski Jugoslav , Lieder Falk
Published: April 2022

To make good decisions in the real world, people need efficient planning strategies because their computational resources are limited. Knowing which planning strategies would work best for people in different situations would be very useful for understanding and improving human decision-making. Our ability to compute those strategies used to be limited to very small and very simple planning tasks. Here, we introduce a cognitively inspired reinforcement learning method that can overcome this limitation by exploiting the hierarchical structure of human behavior. We leverage it to understand and improve human planning in large and complex sequential decision problems. Our method decomposes sequential decision problems into two sub-problems: setting a goal and planning how to achieve it. Our method can discover optimal human planning strategies for larger and more complex tasks than was previously possible. The discovered strategies achieve a better tradeoff between decision quality and computational cost than both human planning and existing planning algorithms. We demonstrate that teaching people to use those strategies significantly increases their level of resource-rationality in tasks that require planning up to eight steps ahead. By contrast, none of the previous approaches was able to improve human performance on these problems. These findings suggest that our cognitively informed approach makes it possible to leverage reinforcement learning to improve human decision-making in complex sequential decision problems. Future work can leverage our method to develop decision support systems that improve human decision-making in the real world.
Curriculum Co-creation in a Postdigital World: Advancing Networked Learning and Engagement
Authors: Lubicz-Nawrocka Tanya , Owen John
Published: April 2022

Literature on curriculum co-creation tends to focus on in-person experiences of teaching and learning. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has spurred on learners and teachers to co-create curricula in new and creative ways. This article examines curriculum co-creation in a postdigital world focusing on the connections between curriculum co-creation and networked learning. Drawing on Hodgson and McConnell’s conceptualisation of six key practices of networked learning, the authors explore how these practices connect to curriculum co-creation in theory and in a specific example from a fully online module that ran effectively during the Covid-19 pandemic. The authors conclude that networked learning and curriculum co-creation foster postdigital thinking and dialogue, which advance many elements of excellent learning and teaching to benefit both students and staff as we continue to navigate the ‘new normal’.
Conductivity vs functionalization in single-walled carbon nanotube films
Authors: Jouni Mohammad , Fedorko Pavol , Celle Caroline , Djurado David , Chenevier Pascale , Faure-Vincent Jérôme
Published: April 2022

Diazo functionalization is a chemical method that changes the conductance of metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by disrupting the C–C double bonds. Its application to native mixtures of metallic and semiconducting SWCNTs is a promising way of large-scale production of semiconducting SWCNTs for use in electronics. This has been well studied on isolated SWCNTs, but the implications on the conductivity of SWCNT materials are still unclear. Here, we study the conductivity of such functionalized SWCNT films with a progressively decreased metallic/semiconducting ratio in a wide range of temperatures (4–300 K) to unravel the charge transport mechanisms of metallic and semiconducting SWCNT subnetworks to show how these components participate in the total conductivity of the films. At low functionalization degree (below 0.2 mol%), the conductivity is dominated by a subnetwork of metallic SWCNTs through two parallel mechanisms: a Luttinger liquid mechanism and a Variable Range Hopping process. Higher functionalization (over 0.4 mol%) destroys the Luttinger liquid mechanism, and a second parallel Variable Range Hopping process arises, attributed to the conduction through the semiconducting SWCNTs. At these high functionalization degrees, the SWCNT film behaves as a material with the desired semiconducting properties.

Graphical abstract

We studied the conductivity of chemically functionalized Single Walled Carbon Nanotube films with a progressively decreased metallic/semiconducting ratio in a wide range of temperatures (4–300 K) to unravel the charge transport mechanisms of metallic and semiconducting SWCNT subnetworks to show how these components participate in the total conductivity of the films.
Learning the noise fingerprint of quantum devices
Authors: Martina Stefano , Buffoni Lorenzo , Gherardini Stefano , Caruso Filippo
Published: April 2022

Noise sources unavoidably affect any quantum technological device. Noise’s main features are expected to strictly depend on the physical platform on which the quantum device is realized, in the form of a distinguishable fingerprint. Noise sources are also expected to evolve and change over time. Here, we first identify and then characterize experimentally the noise fingerprint of IBM cloud-available quantum computers, by resorting to machine learning techniques designed to classify noise distributions using time-ordered sequences of measured outcome probabilities.
A Sense of Place with Landmark Judgments: Anthropogenic Justice, Wildlife Extinction, and Climate Change
Authors: Rush Peter D.
Published: April 2022

It will be familiar to many that the environmental emergency of our times generates a number of difficulties for our thinking of law and society. It is argued in this essay that the languages of place-making make some sense of these predicaments. The essay proceeds through the close reading of an Extinction Rebellion protest and two landmark judgments. The protests, and their policing, are keyed to specific places and their atmospheres. A first judgment concerns the destruction of habitat and the extinction of native wildlife species; a second concerns the impact of coal mining on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. A sense of place emerges with the aesthetic reason of judgment. The emblems and topics of legal speech, it is argued, give form and technique to the writing of place. A renewed jurisprudence of topography makes legible the meeting places of law and the environmental emergency.
Accrual and retention of diverse patients in psychosocial cancer clinical trials
Authors: Hanvey Grace Ann , Padron Adaixa , Kacel Elizabeth L. , Cartagena Gabriel , Bacharz Kelsey C. , McCrae Christina S. , Robinson Michael E. , Waxenberg Lori B. , Antoni Michael H. , Berry Richard B. , Schultz Gregory S. , Castagno Jacqueline , Pereira Deidre B.
Published: April 2022

Background:

Minority and older adult patients remain underrepresented in cancer clinical trials (CCTs). The current study sought to examine sociodemographic inequities in CCT interest, eligibility, enrollment, decline motivation, and attrition across two psychosocial CCTs for gynecologic, gastrointestinal, and thoracic cancers.

Methods:

Patients were approached for recruitment to one of two interventions: (1) a randomized control trial (RCT) examining effects of a cognitive-behavioral intervention targeting sleep, pain, mood, cytokines, and cortisol following surgery, or (2) a yoga intervention to determine its feasibility, acceptability, and effects on mitigating distress. Prospective RCT participants were queried about interest and screened for eligibility. All eligible patients across trials were offered enrollment. Patients who declined yoga intervention enrollment provided reasons for decline. Sociodemographic predictors of enrollment decisions and attrition were explored.

Results:

No sociodemographic differences in RCT interest were observed, and older patients were more likely to be ineligible. Eligible Hispanic patients across trials were significantly more likely to enroll than non-Hispanic patients. Sociodemographic factors predicted differences in decline motivation. In one trial, individuals originating from more urban areas were more likely to prematurely discontinue participation.

Discussion:

These results corroborate evidence of no significant differences in CCT interest across minority groups, with older adults less likely to fulfill eligibility criteria. While absolute Hispanic enrollment was modest, Hispanic patients were more likely to enroll relative to non-Hispanic patients. Additional sociodemographic trends were noted in decline motivation and geographical prediction of attrition. Further investigation is necessary to better understand inequities, barriers, and best recruitment practices for representative CCTs.
Impact of Point-of-Care Ultrasound on Secondary Triage: A Pilot Study
Authors: Stucchi Riccardo , Weinstein Eric S. , Ripoll-Gallardo Alba , Franc Jeffrey M. , Azzaretto Massimo , Sesana Giovanni , Della Corte Francesco , Neri Luca
Published: April 2022

Objectives:

In mass casualty scenarios, patients with apparent hemodynamic and respiratory stability might have occult life-threatening injuries. These patients could benefit from more accurate triage methods. This study assessed the impact of point-of-care ultrasound on the accuracy of secondary triage conducted at an advanced medical post to enhance the detection of patients who, despite their apparent clinically stable condition, could benefit from earlier evacuation to definitive care or immediate life-saving treatment.

Methods:

A mass casualty simulated event consisting of a bomb blast in a remote area was conducted with 10 simulated casualties classified as YELLOW at the primary triage scene; patients were evaluated by 4 physicians at an advanced medical post. Three patients had, respectively, hemoperitoneum, pneumothorax, and hemothorax. Only 2 physicians had sonographic information.

Results:

All 4 physicians were able to suspect hemoperitoneum as a possible critical condition to be managed first, but only physicians with additional sonographic information accurately detected pneumothorax and hemothorax, thus deciding to immediately evacuate or treat.
Industrial evaluation of design heuristics for additive manufacturing
Authors: Blösch-Paidosh Alexandra , Shea Kristina
Published: April 2022

Additive manufacturing (AM) has gained prominence over the last 15 years and become a viable manufacturing option. Since there is great industrial interest to implement serial production of products using AM, the education of engineers in design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) is important today. DfAM extends on design for manufacturing to provide knowledge about the new design opportunities enabled by AM. A set of design heuristics for additive manufacturing (DHAM) to assist designers with conceptual-level DfAM has previously been proposed. In this paper, these DHAM are evaluated through workshops with 3 engineering companies and 19 engineers, in which the participants re-design existing company products for AM using the DHAM as an aid, and then give feedback. The DHAM are well received by the workshop participants, and they find that the DHAM are good for teaching others about the capabilities of AM, provide a checklist of items to consider to help avoid oversights, and encourage the generation of new ideas. Criticisms include the number of examples provided and the lack of information about how to implement the ideas concretely. It is also found that the DHAM fulfil 16 of 18 criteria for early design phase DfAM methods, identified in academic literature.
Depression and suicidal behavior in South Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Arafat S M Yasir , Saleem Tamkeen , Menon Vikas , Ali Syeda Ayat-e-Zainab , Baminiwatta Anuradha , Kar Sujita Kumar , Akter Hasina , Singh Rakesh
Published: April 2022

Background

Estimates of depression in suicidal behavior in South Asia would help to formulate suicide prevention strategies in the region that hasn't been assessed yet.

Objectives

We aimed to systematically assess the prevalence of depression in fatal and non-fatal attempts of suicide in eight South Asian countries.

Methods

We searched Medline, Embase, and PsychINFO by specific search terms to identify articles assessing depression in fatal and non-fatal attempts of suicide in South Asian countries published between 2001 and 2020. Two separate meta-analyses were conducted for fatal and non-fatal attempts. Due to the high heterogeneity of studies (96–98%), random-effects models were used to calculate pooled prevalence rates.

Results

A total of 38 studies was identified from five south Asian countries (India [27], Pakistan [6], Sri Lanka [3], Nepal [1], and Bangladesh [1]). The majority of studies (n= 27) were published after 2010. Twenty-two studies reported non-fatal attempts, and sixteen reported suicide. The prevalence of depression among non-fatal attempts ranged from 14% to 78% where the pooled prevalence rate was 32.7% [95% CI 26–39.3%]. The prevalence of depression among suicides ranged from 8% to 79% where the pooled prevalence estimate was 37.3% [95% CI 26.9–47.6%].

Conclusions

This review revealed the pooled prevalence of depression among fatal and non-fatal suicidal attempts in South Asian countries, which seems to be lower when comparedto the Western countries. However, a cautious interpretation is warranted due to the heterogeneity of study methods, sample size, and measurement of depression.