bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Straightforward and affordable agroinfiltration with RUBY accelerates RNA silencing research
Authors: Tabara Midori , Matsumoto Ayumi , Kibayashi Yuriko , Takeda Atsushi , Motomura Kazuki
Published: May 2024

Transient expression and induction of RNA silencing by agroinfiltration is a fundamental method in plant RNA biology. Here, we introduce a new reporter assay using RUBY, which encodes three key enzymes of the betalain biosynthesis pathway, as a polycistronic mRNA. The red pigmentation conferred by betalains allows visual confirmation of gene expression or silencing levels without tissue disruption, and the silencing levels can be quantitatively measured by absorbance in as little as a few minutes. Infiltration of RUBY in combination with p19, a well-known RNA silencing suppressor, induced a fivefold higher accumulation of betalains at 7 days post infiltration compared to infiltration of RUBY alone. We demonstrated that co-infiltration of RUBY with two RNA silencing inducers, targeting either CYP76AD1 or glycosyltransferase within the RUBY construct, effectively reduces RUBY mRNA and betalain levels, indicating successful RNA silencing. Therefore, compared to conventional reporter assays for RNA silencing, the RUBY-based assay provides a simple and rapid method for quantitative analysis without the need for specialized equipment, making it useful for a wide range of RNA silencing studies.
Do grant proposal texts matter for funding decisions? A field experiment
Authors: Simsek Müge , de Vaan Mathijs , van de Rijt Arnout
Published: May 2024

Scientists and funding agencies invest considerable resources in writing and evaluating grant proposals. But do grant proposal texts noticeably change panel decisions in single blind review? We report on a field experiment conducted by The Dutch Research Council (NWO) in collaboration with the authors in an early-career competition for awards of 800,000 euros of research funding. A random half of panelists were shown a CV and only a one-paragraph summary of the proposed research, while the other half were shown a CV and a full proposal. We find that withholding proposal texts from panelists did not detectibly impact their proposal rankings. This result suggests that the resources devoted to writing and evaluating grant proposals may not have their intended effect of facilitating the selection of the most promising science.
Career paths of the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) medalists
Authors: Yuret Tolga
Published: May 2024

Each year, six exceptionally talented high school students from each country participate in the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO). We thoroughly searched the internet to find the career paths of 2785 IMO medalists who participated in the competition from 1986 to 2005. We have found that the career paths of IMO medalists depend on their home country, despite their similar levels of mathematical talent. For example, the extent to which medalists studied abroad varies significantly among countries in the same geographical region and with comparable income levels. We also found that there is a high concentration in medalists’ foreign education. For example, MIT educated more foreign medalists than any country except for the United States both at the undergraduate and Ph.D. levels. Roughly half of the medalists ended up working abroad. Education is found to be an important channel for the migrant medalists. Although majority of the medalists were educated in mathematics, more than three quarters of their non-academic jobs are either software or economics-finance related jobs. Most medalists who became academics are specialized in mathematics. While the rate of becoming a mathematician academic is not dependent on the income level of the medalists' home country, those from higher-income countries tend to have higher academic performance.
Non Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) Using a Nonlinear Energy Harvesting Model
Authors: Ben Halima Nadhir
Published: May 2024

This paper derives and optimizes the throughput of NOMA with nonlinear energy harvesting. The Base Station (BS) harvests energy from the received Radio Frequency signal. Then, the BS uses the nonlinear harvested power to diffuse packets to N users. We suggest to optimize harvesting time and the powers of users to optimize the data rate. The optimization of NOMA powers and the harvesting process were not yet performed with a non linear energy harvesting model. The study is performed for Rayleigh channels in the presence of nonlinear energy harvesting model. Furthermore, the theoretical results were confirmed using MATLAB computer simulations.
Studying children’s small science and early engineering learning process to help shape their cultural identity in culturally valued play-based experience
Authors: Sikder Shukla
Published: May 2024

There are no conflicts between intentional teaching and play-based learning. However, educators find it challenging to establish the pedagogical relationship between them as they struggle to conceptualise and enact their role in the play-based context. In particular, educators’ confidence level is not enough to teach science and engineering in a play-based context. However, there is an increasing demand to integrate teaching practice for STEM learning in early childhood settings. Play is a pleasure and a leading source for children’s learning and cultural maturation process as part of their social and cultural experiences, and adults’ support can enhance children’s STEM learning process in a play-based context. This paper investigates how educators’ intentional teaching plan can support children’s small science and engineering learning process in culturally valued play. A total of 50 h of video data, representing 64 children aged from 10 months to 5 years, were collected through digital video observation over a period of seven weeks in an early childhood centre in Australia. This paper uses the dialectical interactive approach to analyse a 95-min video clip of children’s (3 to 5 years of age) play in a cultural context. It is argued that educators progress their learning and confidence to teach science and engineering in play-based settings when they could choose the activity from their community culture or centre-based practice. The findings of the study provide a pedagogical model for educators, which provides a conceptual framework for STEM-based learning in a culturally valued play.
Sonically-enhanced in-vehicle air gesture interactions: evaluation of different spearcon compression rates
Authors: Tabbarah Moustafa , Cao Yusheng , Fang Ziming , Li Lingyu , Jeon Myounghoon
Published: May 2024

Driver distraction is a major contributor to road vehicle crashes, and visual distraction caused by using in-vehicle infotainment systems (IVIS) degrades driving performance and increases crash risk. Air gesture interfaces have been developed to mitigate driver distraction, and using auditory displays showed a decrease in off-road glances and an improved perceived workload. However, the potential of auditory display was not fully investigated. The present paper presents directional research in the design of auditory displays for air-gesture IVIS through a dual-task experiment of driving a simulator and air-gesture menu navigation. Twenty-four participants utilized the in-vehicle air gesture interfaces while driving with four auditory display conditions (text-to-speech, 70% compressed spearcons, 40% compressed spearcson, and no sound). The results showed that 70% spearcon reduced visual distraction and increased menu navigation accuracy but with increased navigation time. 70% spearcon was most preferred by the participants. Driving performance or workload did not show any difference among the conditions. Implications are discussed with the design guidelines for future implementations.
Enhancing Detection of Remotely-Sensed Floating Objects via Data Augmentation for Maritime SAR
Authors: Mahmoud Haitham , Kurniawan Ibnu F. , Aneiba Adel , Asyhari A. Taufiq
Published: May 2024

A figure of 33,000 search and rescue (SAR) incidents were responded to by the UK’s HM Coastguard in 2020, and over 1322 rescue missions were conducted by SAR helicopters during that year. Combined with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), artificial intelligence, and computer vision, SAR operations can be revolutionized through enabling rescuers to expand ground coverage with improved detection accuracy whilst reducing costs and personal injury risks. However, detecting small objects is one of the significant challenges associated with using computer vision on UAVs. Several approaches have been proposed for improving small object detection, including data augmentation techniques like replication and variation of image sizes, but their suitability for SAR application characteristics remains questionable. To address these issues, this paper evaluates four float detection algorithms against the baseline and augmented datasets to improve float detection for maritime SAR. Results demonstrated that YOLOv8 and YOLOv5 outperformed the others in which F1 scores ranged from 82.9 to 95.3%, with an enhancement range of 0.1–29.2%. These models were both of low complexity and capable of real-time response.
A Plasma Arc-Based Electromechanical System Designed for Microchannel Processing
Authors: Akın Fevzi , Ersoy Ece , İdil Deniz , Özsimitçi Melih , Çökeliler Serdaroğlu Dilek , İç Yusuf Tansel , Atalay Kumru Didem , Koçum Cengiz , Okat Kemal
Published: May 2024

Plasma technology is based on a simple physical principle. When more energy enters the gas, it ionizes and becomes the fourth state of matter, the energy-dense plasma. The studies carried out within the scope of this study were designed to create microchannels on lamellar glass using an improved redesign of the current plasma arc device, which is the main subject of the paper. The created microchannel is examined at the microscale. Experimental analysis was conducted considering the effect of plasma on the effect of microchannel quality. We performed an experimental design study to determine the optimal parameter levels for improving microchannel quality. The predicted results have been validated with the experimental results. An experimental design study provides useful results, such as information about the distance between the probes, pulse duration, and material temperature, which enhances the channel dimensions. The improved device can be utilized effectively to establish microchannel processing in practice.
A comparative study on the parametrization of a time-variable geopotential model from GRACE monthly solutions
Authors: Gschwind Charlotte , Seitz Kurt , Dalheimer Lisa , Duckstein Alexandra , Kutterer Hansjörg
Published: May 2024

The gravity field of the Earth is time-dependent due to several types of mass variations which take place on different time scales. Usually, the time-variability of the gravitational potential of the Earth is expressed by the monthly determination of a static geopotential model based on data from gravity field missions. In this paper, the variability of the potential is parameterized by a functional approach which contains a polynomial trend and periodic contributions. The respective parameters are estimated based on the monthly solutions derived from the GRACE and GRACE-FO gravity field mission up to a maximum degree of expansion $$n_\text {max}=96$$

n
max

=
96

. As a preliminary data analysis, a Fourier analysis is performed on selected potential coefficients from the available monthly solutions of the GFZ. The indicated frequency components are then used to formulate a time-dependent analytical approach to describe each Stokes coefficient’s temporal behaviour. Different approaches are presented that include both polynomial and periodic components. The respective parameters for modelling the temporal variability of the coefficients are estimated in a Gauss-Markov model and tested for significance by statistical methods. Extensive comparative numerical studies are carried out between the newly generated model variants and the existing monthly GRACE, GRACE-FO and the existing time dependent EIGEN-6S4 solutions. The numerical comparisons make it clear that estimated models based on all available monthly solutions describe the essential periods very well, but such monthly events that deviate strongly from the mean behaviour of the signal show less precision in the space domain. Models that are estimated based on fourteen consecutive monthly solutions, covering one selected year, represent the amplitudes much more precise. The statements made apply to four initial data used, which are filtered to varying degrees. In particular, DDK2, DDK5 and DDK8, as well as unfiltered coefficients were used. For all the model approaches used, it can be seen that the potential coefficients contain up to about $$n\approx 40$$

n
≈
40

in case of DDK5 periodically signals with annual, semi-annual or quarterly, as well as Luna nodal periods and do not vary significantly beyond that degree. Only an offset can be estimated significantly for all Stokes coefficients.
A review of recent advances in fungal mycelium based composites
Authors: Madusanka Chathura , Udayanga Dhanushka , Nilmini Renuka , Rajapaksha Suranga , Hewawasam Choolaka , Manamgoda Dimuthu , Vasco-Correa Juliana
Published: May 2024

The increasing global population and rapid urbanization have led to high consumer demand for construction and other raw materials. Manufacturing of synthetic material usually generate a large amount of waste, resulting in significant environmental impact. Fungi are one of the key biological resources that can be used to develop a wide range of sustainable products including biodegradable materials with promising applications, with zero waste generation during the production process. Mycelium, the vegetative part of a fungus can be shaped either into pure mycelium materials or composites. Mycelium can grow its network in lignocellulosic material, combining separate pieces into a solid material which results in Mycelium-Based Composites (MBCs). The attributes of MBCs are influenced by the fungal species, the growth substrate, and the processing conditions. Both pure mycelium materials and MBCs have remarkable advantages as versatile materials because they are porous, elastic, low-density, low-cost and eco-friendly materials with potential applications in various industries. In this review, we provide an overview of the latest developments MBCs considering the possibility of using mycelium for the material-driven design (MDD) approach, and the potential of genetic and biochemical modifications to enhance mycelium properties. We therefore encourage researchers in material science and fungal biotechnology to strengthen their collaborative efforts and address the current challenges in this innovative field.
Assessment between antiseptic and normal saline for negative pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell time in diabetic foot infections
Authors: Zhao Jingchun , Shi Kai , Zhang Nan , Hong Lei , Yu Jiaao
Published: May 2024

Negative pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell time (NPWTi-d) is increasingly used for a diverse range of wounds. Meanwhile, the topical wound irrigation solution consisting of polyhexamethylene biguanide and betaine (PHMB-B) has shown efficacy in managing wound infections. However, the effectiveness of this solution as a topical instillation solution for NPWTi-d in patients with diabetic foot infections (DFIs) has not been thoroughly studied. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the impact of using PHMB-B as the instillation solution during NPWTi-d on reducing bioburden and improving clinical outcomes in patients with DFIs. Between January 2017 and December 2022, a series of patients with DFIs received treatment with NPWTi-d, using either PHMB-B or normal saline as the instillation solution. Data collected retrospectively included demographic information, baseline wound characteristics, and treatment outcomes. The study included 61 patients in the PHMB-B group and 73 patients in the normal saline group, all diagnosed with DFIs. In comparison to patients treated with normal saline, patients with PHMB-B exhibited no significant differences in terms of wound bed preparation time (P = 0.5034), length of hospital stay (P = 0.6783), NPWTi-d application times (P = 0.1458), duration of systematic antimicrobial administration (P = 0.3567), or overall cost of hospitalization (P = 0.6713). The findings of the study suggest that the use of either PHMB-B or normal saline as an instillation solution in NPWTi-d for DFIs shows promise and effectiveness, yet no clinical distinction was observed between the two solutions.
Nondestructive quantification of internal raster path for additively manufactured components via ultrasonic testing
Authors: Amin Atik , Jack David A. , Ravindranath Pruthul Kokkada , Fleck Trevor J.
Published: May 2024

This work investigates the viability of discerning the raster pattern of additively manufactured components using high frequency ultrasonic nondestructive testing. Test coupons were fabricated from poly cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate glycol using the fused filament fabrication process, in which layers were deposited at various predetermined raster angles. Each printed part was scanned using spherically focused, high-resolution, ultrasonic transducers of various peak frequencies between 7.5 and 15 MHz. From the captured waveform data, images are extracted to observe the raster pattern in a layer-by-layer manner, with the results from the 10 MHz element yielding the best performance. An in-house MATLAB script was developed to analyze the transducer signal to investigate C-scan images at various depths throughout the component. From the resulting C-scan images, one can consistently identify the proper raster orientation within 2°–4° in each of the first 10 deposited layers, with the accuracy decreasing as a function of depth into the component. Due to signal attenuation, there is insufficient data at depths beyond the 11th and 12th layer, to properly analyze the present data sets accurately. Validation was performed using X-ray computed tomography scans to demonstrate the accuracy of the ultrasonic inspection method.
Nostalgia increases punitiveness by intensifying moral concern
Authors: Lasaleta Jannine D. , Wildschut Tim , Sedikides Constantine
Published: May 2024

We addressed the relation between nostalgia and moral judgment or behavior. We hypothesized that nostalgia, a social emotion, increases moral concern (H1), nostalgia intensifies punitiveness against moral transgressors (H2), and that the nostalgia—punitiveness link is mediated by moral concern (H3). We conducted three cross-sectional (Studies 1, 2, 4) and one experimental (Study 3) investigations (N = 1145). The investigations, involving distinct operationalizations of the relevant constructs (nostalgia, moral concern, punitiveness) and diverse samples (U.S., Canadian, and European Prolific workers, French business school students, Dutch community members), yielded results consistent with the hypotheses. Nostalgia keeps one’s moral compass in check. The findings enrich the emotions and morality literatures.
Systematic in-silico evaluation of fibrosis effects on re-entrant wave dynamics in atrial tissue
Authors: Masè Michela , Cristoforetti Alessandro , Pelloni Samuele , Ravelli Flavia
Published: May 2024

Despite the key role of fibrosis in atrial fibrillation (AF), the effects of different spatial distributions and textures of fibrosis on wave propagation mechanisms in AF are not fully understood. To clarify these aspects, we performed a systematic computational study to assess fibrosis effects on the characteristics and stability of re-entrant waves in electrically-remodelled atrial tissues. A stochastic algorithm, which generated fibrotic distributions with controlled overall amount, average size, and orientation of fibrosis elements, was implemented on a monolayer spheric atrial model. 245 simulations were run at changing fibrosis parameters. The emerging propagation patterns were quantified in terms of rate, regularity, and coupling by frequency-domain analysis of correspondent synthetic bipolar electrograms. At the increase of fibrosis amount, the rate of reentrant waves significantly decreased and higher levels of regularity and coupling were observed (p < 0.0001). Higher spatial variability and pattern stochasticity over repetitions was observed for larger amount of fibrosis, especially in the presence of patchy and compact fibrosis. Overall, propagation slowing and organization led to higher stability of re-entrant waves. These results strengthen the evidence that the amount and spatial distribution of fibrosis concur in dictating re-entry dynamics in remodeled tissue and represent key factors in AF maintenance.
The mitochondria-related gene risk mode revealed p66Shc as a prognostic mitochondria-related gene of glioblastoma
Authors: Peng Gang , Feng Yabo , Wang Xiangyu , Huang Weicheng , Li Yang
Published: May 2024

Numerous studies have highlighted the pivotal role of mitochondria-related genes (MRGs) in the initiation and progression of glioblastoma (GBM). However, the specific contributions of MRGs coding proteins to GBM pathology remain incompletely elucidated. The identification of prognostic MRGs in GBM holds promise for the development of personalized targeted therapies and the enhancement of patient prognosis. We combined differential expression with univariate Cox regression analysis to screen prognosis-associated MRGs in GBM. Based on the nine MRGs, the hazard ratio model was conducted using a multivariate Cox regression algorithm. SHC-related survival, pathway, and immune analyses in GBM cohorts were obtained from the Biomarker Exploration of the Solid Tumor database. The proliferation and migration of U87 cells were measured by CCK-8 and transwell assay. Apoptosis in U87 cells was evaluated using flow cytometry. Confocal microscopy was employed to measure mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and morphology. The expression levels of SHC1 and other relevant proteins were examined via western blotting. We screened 15 prognosis-associated MRGs and constructed a 9 MRGs-based model. Validation of the model's risk score confirmed its efficacy in predicting the prognosis of patients with GBM. Furthermore, analysis revealed that SHC1, a constituent MRG of the prognostic model, was upregulated and implicated in the progression, migration, and immune infiltration of GBM. In vitro experiments elucidated that p66Shc, the longest isoform of SHC1, modulates mitochondrial ROS production and morphology, consequently promoting the proliferation and migration of U87 cells. The 9 MRGs-based prognostic model could predict the prognosis of GBM. SHC1 was upregulated and correlated with the prognosis of patients by involvement in immune infiltration. Furthermore, in vitro experiments demonstrated that p66Shc promotes U87 cell proliferation and migration by mediating mitochondrial ROS production. Thus, p66Shc may serve as a promising biomarker and therapeutic target for GBM.
Lessons learnt on patient safety in dentistry through a 5-year nationwide database study on iatrogenic harm
Authors: Ferlias Nikolaos , Nielsen Henrik , Andersen Erik , Stoustrup Peter
Published: May 2024

Safe delivery of care is a priority in dentistry, while basic epidemiological knowledge of patient safety incidents is still lacking. The objectives of this study were to (1) classify patient safety incidents related to primary dental care in Denmark in the period 2016–2020 and study the distribution of different types of dental treatment categories where harm occurred, (2) clarify treatment categories leading to "nerve injury" and "tooth loss" and (3) assess the financial cost of patient-harm claims. Data from the Danish Dental Compensation Act (DDCA) database was retrieved from all filed cases from 1st January 2016 until 31st December 2020 pertaining to: (1) The reason why the patient applied for treatment-related harm compensation, (2) the event that led to the alleged harm (treatment category), (3) the type of patient-harm, and (4) the financial cost of all harm compensations. A total of 9069 claims were retrieved, of which 5079 (56%) were found eligible for compensation. The three most frequent categories leading to compensation were "Root canal treatment and post preparation"(n = 2461, 48% of all approved claims), “lack of timely diagnosis and initiation of treatment” (n = 905, 18%) and “surgery” (n = 878, 17%). Damage to the root of the tooth accounted for more than half of all approved claims (54.36%), which was most frequently a result of either parietal perforation during endodontic treatment (18.54%) or instrument fracture (18.89%). Nerve injury accounted for 16.81% of the approved claims. Total cost of all compensation payments was €16,309,310, 41.1% of which was related to surgery (€6,707,430) and 20.4% (€3,322,927) to endodontic treatment. This comprehensive analysis documents that harm permeates all aspects of dentistry, especially in endodontics and surgery. Neglect or diagnostic delays contribute to 18% of claims, indicating that harm does not solely result from direct treatment. Treatment harm inflicts considerable societal costs.
Bifurcation analysis and soliton solutions to the doubly dispersive equation in elastic inhomogeneous Murnaghan’s rod
Authors: Islam S. M. Rayhanul
Published: May 2024

The doubly dispersive (DD) equation finds extensive utility across scientific and engineering domains. It stands as a significant nonlinear physical model elucidating nonlinear wave propagation within the elastic inhomogeneous Murnaghan’s rod (EIMR). With this in mind, we have focused on the integration of the DD model and the modified Khater (MK) method. Through the wave transformation, this model is effectively converted into an ordinary differential equation. In this paper, the goal of our work is to explore new wave solutions to the DD model by using the MK scheme. These solutions provide extremely helpful insights into the operation of the system. The three-dimensional (3D) plot and two-dimensional (2D) combined plot via the impacts of the parameters are provided for various parameters in this manuscript. We also discussed the dynamical properties of the model, which are accomplished through the bifurcation analysis, and also found the Hamiltonian function. This research makes a substantial contribution to the area by increasing our understanding of wave solutions in the DD, introducing novel investigation tools, and carrying out an in-depth investigation of the bifurcation and stability aspects of the system. As a direct result of this research, novel openings have been uncovered for further investigation and application in the various disciplines of science and engineering.
The challenge of adopting a collaborative information system for independent healthcare workers in France: a comprehensive study
Authors: Gaucher Laurent , Puill Céline , Baumann Sophie , Hommey Sophie , Touzet Sandrine , Rudigoz René-Charles , Cortet Marion , Huissoud Cyril , Gaucherand Pascal , Dupont Corinne , Mougeot Frédéric
Published: May 2024

This study aimed to explore the perception of an underutilised collaborative information system through qualitative research, utilizing semi-structured, in-depth interviews with independent midwives and physician. PROSPERO, is a collaborative information system designed to bridge the communication gap between community-based healthcare workers and hospital-based care teams for parturients in Lyon, France. Through 27 semi-structured in-depth interviews with midwives, obstetricians, and general practitioners, we identified key themes related to the system’s adoption: implementation challenges, utilisation barriers, interprofessional dynamics, and hidden variables affecting system use. Participants recognised the potential of PROSPERO to improve information sharing and care coordination but expressed concerns about the system’s integration into existing workflows, time constraints, and the need for adequate training and technical support. Interprofessional dynamics revealed differing perspectives between hospital and independent practitioners, emphasising the importance of trust-building and professional recognition. Hidden variables, such as hierarchical influences and confidentiality concerns, further complicated the system’s adoption. Despite the consensus on the benefits of a collaborative information system, its implementation was hindered by mistrust between healthcare workers (i.e. between independent practitioners and hospital staff). Our findings suggest that fostering trust and addressing the identified barriers are crucial steps towards successful system implementation. The study contributes to understanding the complex interplay of factors influencing the adoption of collaborative healthcare technologies and highlights the need for strategies that support effective interprofessional collaboration and communication.

ClinicalTrials ID NCT02593292.
Juvenile peripheral LPS exposure overrides female resilience to prenatal VPA effects on adult sociability in mice
Authors: Seiffe Araceli , Kazlauskas Nadia , Campolongo Marcos , Depino Amaicha Mara
Published: May 2024

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibits a gender bias, with boys more frequently affected than girls. Similarly, in mouse models induced by prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA), males typically display reduced sociability, while females are less affected. Although both males and females exhibit VPA effects on neuroinflammatory parameters, these effects are sex-specific. Notably, females exposed to VPA show increased microglia and astrocyte density during the juvenile period. We hypothesized that these distinct neuroinflammatory patterns contribute to the resilience of females to VPA. To investigate this hypothesis, we treated juvenile animals with intraperitoneal bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS), a treatment known to elicit brain neuroinflammation. We thus evaluated the impact of juvenile LPS-induced inflammation on adult sociability and neuroinflammation in female mice prenatally exposed to VPA. Our results demonstrate that VPA-LPS females exhibit social deficits in adulthood, overriding the resilience observed in VPA-saline littermates. Repetitive behavior and anxiety levels were not affected by either treatment. We also evaluated whether the effect on sociability was accompanied by heightened neuroinflammation in the cerebellum and hippocampus. Surprisingly, we observed reduced astrocyte and microglia density in the cerebellum of VPA-LPS animals. These findings shed light on the complex interactions between prenatal insults, juvenile inflammatory stimuli, and sex-specific vulnerability in ASD-related social deficits, providing insights into potential therapeutic interventions for ASD.
Experimental and numerical investigations on stress concentration factors of concrete filled steel tube X-joints
Authors: Diao Yan , He Shiyi , Wang Yukai , Tu Liu
Published: May 2024

An SHS-CFSHS X-joint is fabricated by welding two square hollow section (SHS) braces to a concrete-filled square hollow section (CFSHS) chord. In this paper, the stress concentration factors (SCFs) of SHS-CFSHS X-joints are investigated through experimental tests and finite element analysis (FEA), with the hot spot stress method serving as the analytical approach. Eight specimens are designed and manufactured, with FE models built in software ANSYS. These FE models are validated against the test results. The specimens are tested under brace axial tension to determine the SCFs of the X-joints. It shows that the concrete filled in the chord effectively reduces the SCFs of the X-joints. To further explore various load conditions and the influence of the parameters, FEA is carried out and a total of 64 FE models are built. Based on the FEA results, multiple regression analysis is used to obtain the SCF formulae of SHS-CFSHS X-joints under axial tension load and in-plane bending load in the brace, respectively. Comparison and analysis of the SCF results obtained from experimental tests, the proposed formulae, and FE simulations reveal that the formulae presented in this study are both conservative and suitable for predicting SCFs.
Advances in organic adsorption on hydrophilic hierarchical structures for bionic superhydrophobicity: from fundamentals to applications
Authors: Li Hao , Duan Yajing , Shao Yanlong , Zhang Zhihui , Ren Luquan
Published: May 2024

Transition from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic on hydrophilic hierarchical structures due to organic adsorption and fundamentals, transition mechanism and effects of organic adsorption, preparation methods, applications and stability.
Ruptura do peitoral maior em adolescente de 15 anos: Relato de caso
Authors: Piluski Paulo César Faiad , Bonadiman João Artur , Moreira Eduardo Necher , Rodriguez Carlos Humberto Castillo , Lech Osvandré
Published: May 2024

A ruptura do músculo peitoral maior é extremamente rara em adolescentes. Na literatura atual, existem apenas 5 relatos em pacientes com menos de 20 anos, sendo 2 em pacientes com menos de 16 anos de idade. Neste artigo, relatamos o caso de uma jogadora de vôlei de 15 anos que sofreu uma ruptura traumática do peitoral maior em uma partida durante o movimento de saque. Após a exclusão de causas endocrinológicas – que poderiam ter provocado o enfraquecimento tendíneo –, o tratamento cirúrgico foi escolhido devido à retração muscular, ao déficit de força, à alta demanda e às preocupações estéticas. O diagnóstico precoce é crucial para que se obtenham bons resultados, e a intervenção cirúrgica propiciou a reabilitação precoce e uma maior probabilidade de retorno ao esporte de competição em alto nível.
Análise do comportamento biomecânico de um modelo animal de configuração de enxerto de trança tripla de isquiotibiais para reconstrução combinada de LCA e LAL para túnel único femoral
Authors: Cavalcante Maria Luzete Costa , Clazzer Renata , Helito Camilo Partezani , Codes Rodrigo Nogueira de , Lima Lana Lacerda de , Ariel de Lima Diego
Published: May 2024

Objetivo Descrever e testar biomecanicamente uma configuração, num modelo animal que simula o enxerto triplo de isquiotibiais para a reconstrução combinada do ligamento cruzado anterior (LCA) e do ligamento anterolateral (LAL), com apenas um túnel femoral e somente uma “perna” para a reconstrução do LAL.

Métodos Tendões flexores profundos de suínos foram utilizados como enxerto e fixados com parafusos de interferência de titânio num bloco de poliuretano. As amostras foram divididas em 3 grupos: grupo 1 (controle) – com enxerto quádruplo; grupo 2 – com enxerto triplo simples; e grupo 3–com enxerto triplo trançado. Os testes foram realizados com uma máquina universal de ensaios eletromecânica EMIC DL 10000 (Instron Brasil Equipamentos Científicos Ltda., São José dos Pinhais, PR, Brasil).

Resultados As amostras dos grupos 1, 2 e 3 alcançaram forças de pico médias de 816,28 ± 78,78 N, 506,95 ± 151,30 N e 723,16 ± 316,15 N, respetivamente. No Grupo 3, o trançado aumentou o diâmetro do enxerto entre 9% e 14%, e causou um encurtamento de 4% a 8% em comparação ao grupo 1, com um aumento médio da força de pico de ∼ 200 N (p < 0,05). Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos 1 e 3 com relação às forças de pico, o que indica que os enxertos quádruplos e triplos trançados apresentaram resultados de força semelhantes.

Conclusão A configuração do enxerto de isquiotibiais com trança tripla para a reconstrução combinada do LCA e do LAL com um só túnel femoral e uma só “perna” para a reconstrução do LAL pode se tornar uma solução biomecanicamente viável, com potencial aplicação clínica.
Imobilização do punho após a descompressão cirúrgica do nervo mediano na síndrome do túnel do carpo: Uma revisão sistemática
Authors: Barbosa Thiago Moreth da Silva , Ferraz Ítalo Carvalho
Published: May 2024

Objetivo A neuropatia compressiva mais comum dos membros superiores é a síndrome do túnel do carpo (STC). Historicamente, houve uma tendência à aplicação de imobilização no pós-operatório, prática que tem diminuído nos últimos anos. O objetivo desta revisão é avaliar se existem evidências científicas que justifiquem o uso da imobilização nos cuidados pós-operatórios de descompressão da STC.

Métodos Foram utilizadas as seguintes bases de dados: Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), PubMed National Library of Medicine (NLM), Cochrane Library, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), e EMBASE. Foram utilizados os seguintes critérios de inclusão: 1) discussão do pós-operatório de cirurgias de descompressão do nervo mediano na STC; 2) comparação dos resultados, após descompressão cirúrgica, na STC entre imobilização do punho ou apenas curativo local; 3) todos os idiomas, independentemente do ano de publicação; e 4) todos os tipos de publicações. Foram utilizados os seguintes critérios de exclusão: 1) estudos que não avaliaram o pós-operatório de descompressão da STC; 2) falta de avaliação do resultado relacionado à conduta de aplicação de curativo local e/ou alguma forma de imobilização do punho após o procedimento cirúrgico de descompressão; e 3) publicações repetidas

Resultados A busca bibliográfica resultou em 336 publicações relevantes. Ao final, foram escolhidas 18 publicações. Foram encontradas revisões sistemáticas, ensaios clínicos randomizados e estudos transversais.

Conclusões Devido à escassez de evidências que apoiem o uso da imobilização, associada aos custos mais elevados relacionados com a prática, nas últimas décadas, essa tem se tornado cada vez menos frequente.

Relevância clínica Na literatura há descrições de duas abordagens nos cuidados pós-operatórios de descompressão da STC: imobilização ou apenas curativo local. Vale a pena avaliar qual é a melhor entre as duas de acordo com as evidências científicas disponíveis.
Neurogenesis and pesticides: news of no new neurons
Authors: Scorza Fulvio A. , Almeida Antonio-Carlos G. de , Fiorini Ana C. , Chaddad-Neto Feres , Finsterer Josef
Published: May 2024

New hippocampal neurons are continuously generated in the adult human brain. Several studies have demonstrated that the proliferation of hippocampal cells is strongly influenced by a variety of stimuli, including pesticides exposure. These effects are particularly important because neurogenesis dysregulation could be associated with the decline of neuronal and cognitive functions and the possible development of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Morphology and electrical conductivity of carbon-coated Nickel reinforced high-performance polymer nanocomposites
Authors: Gadve R D , Goyal R K
Published: May 2024

Novel nanocomposites of poly (ether-ketone) (PEK) reinforced with carbon-coated Nickel nanoparticles (CCNi) were synthesized through a sequential process involving cost-effective ball milling and hot compaction. Scanning electron microscopy revealed an excellent dispersion and a three-dimensional network of CCNi nanoparticles in the matrix, causing a significant improvement in the electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (SE). Carbon coating of about 5 nm thick over Ni nanoparticle probably helps in uniform dispersion, avoids its oxidation and reduces its agglomeration in the matrix. An exceptionally low percolation threshold of 2.1 vol.% CCNi was found, and eight-orders of magnitude enhancement in the dc-electrical conductivity was achieved. The highest dc- and ac-electrical conductivities achieved were more than 0.01 S cm−1 at 5.89 vol.% CCNi nanoparticles content which were the highest values amongst reported Ni-filled polymer composites and comparable with those of carbon nanotubes filled PEK nanocomposites. Electromagnetic interference SE of the CCNi/PEK nanocomposites was measured in the X-band, and a total SE (SET) of 17.52 dB was obtained for 5.89 vol.% CCNi reinforced PEK nanocomposite.
Studies of carrier transport mechanism in NiO/Ag/NiO transparent conducting electrode/ZnO metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors
Authors: Hwang J D , Liou Y R , Chiou Y J
Published: May 2024

Oxide/metal/oxide multilayers as a transparent conducting electrode (TCE) have been developed to replace metals due to their high transparency and low sheet resistance. Nickel oxide (NiO) film with a high work function was used as an oxide to form NiO/Ag/NiO (NAN) TCE, therefore a high barrier height between NAN/zinc oxide (ZnO) interface. In the study, NAN TCE was deposited on ZnO surface to fabricate metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors (PDs) and study its carrier transport mechanism. The NAN TCE has a low sheet resistance of 6.5 Ω/sq. and transmittance more than 40% in a 300−1000 nm wavelength range. Such issues result in the figure-of-merit is higher (2.3 × 10−4 Ω−1) than that (2.5 × 10−7 Ω−1) of pure single NiO thin film. As compared to the conventional Au/ZnO MSM-PDs, the NAN/ZnO MSM-PDs demonstrates a lower leakage current as a result of Ni atoms diffusing into ZnO and passivating the defects. Due to the high work function of NiO, the NAN/ZnO interface exhibits a barrier height as high as 0.91 eV. The Au/ZnO MSM-PDs reveals only one carrier conduction of ohmic due to the electrons tunnel form Au into ZnO through the surface defects. In contrast, two distinct carrier transport mechanisms were observed in the NAN/ZnO MSM-PDs. At low-voltage for

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⩽
0.64

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, ohmic conduction dominates and the electrons inject from NAN to ZnO, trapped by the defect states of ZnO. At high-voltage for

 

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0.64

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, the trapped electrons acquire enough energy and emit from trap to conduction band, entering Poole–Frankel emission transport.
Temperature dependence of microwave losses in lumped-element resonators made from superconducting nanowires with high kinetic inductance
Authors: Scarano E , Arvidsson E K , Roos A K , Holmgren E , Haviland D B
Published: May 2024

We study the response of several microwave resonators made from superconducting NbTiN thin-film meandering nanowires with large kinetic inductance, having different circuit topology and coupling to the transmission line. Reflection measurements reveal the parameters of the circuit and analysis of their temperature dependence in the range 1.7–6 K extract the superconducting energy gap and critical temperature. The lumped-element LC resonator, valid in our frequency range of interest, allows us to predict the quasiparticle (QP) contribution to internal loss, independent of circuit topology and characteristic impedance. Our analysis shows that the internal quality factor is limited not by thermal-equilibrium QP, but an additional temperature-dependent source of internal microwave loss.
DTT toroidal field conductor samples test in Sultan: DC and AC characterization
Authors: Fiamozzi Zignani C , De Marzi G , Scarantino G , Di Zenobio A , Muzzi L , Turtù S , Bonifetto R , Zappatore A , Polli G M , Ramogida G , Bajas H , Ortino M , Sedlak K
Published: May 2024

The superconducting magnet system of the Divertor Tokamak Test (DTT) facility, composed of 18 toroidal field (TF) coils, 6 poloidal field coils and a central solenoid, has been designed and many procurements have been launched. Some manufacturing aspects and some conductor features require characterization under relevant close-to-operative conditions. To confirm the design choices in all details, cryogenic tests in qualified facilities have been foreseen. In this work, the results of the TF samples characterization at the SULTAN facility at the Swiss Plasma Centre (SPC, EPFL) are presented. The 3 week test campaign started on July the 8th, 2022. The DTT TF SULTAN sample was made of two Nb3Sn cable-in-conduit conductor ‘legs’, namely ‘TF-A’ and ‘TF-B’, made with wires produced by Kiswire Advanced Technology, differing for the cabling twist pitch sequence only, and designed to work in DTT at 42.5 kA at 11.9 T peak field. The extensive characterization comprised 3000 electro-magnetic (EM) cycles and two warm-up-cool-down (WUCD) steps, and in detail it included: AC measurements on the virgin conductors, on cyclic loaded conductors and after WUCDs; DC tests at 10.85 T/42.5 kA with intermediate EM cycles at 10.85 T/45 kA before and after WUCDs; DC tests using partial Lorentz force loads, and Minimum Quench Energy tests at 9 T/42.5 kA after cycles and WUCDs. The results of the DC measurement analysis verified the design, in terms of current sharing temperature (T
cs) and critical current (I
c), as both samples are over the minimum acceptance values. In particular, the ‘TF-A’ sample, characterized by a so-called ‘long twist pitch’ cabling sequence, showed higher performance without any degradation with loading and WUCD cycles, whereas sample ‘TF-B’ presented an initial T
cs reduction that afterwards substantially remained unchanged. In terms of strain acting at the Nb3Sn filaments level, this result can be described by a lower effective strain in the ‘TF-A’ sample. AC losses were measured with a calorimetric method as a function of frequency for each series of AC sinusoidal pulsing measurements, and the characteristic coupling time constants were determined.
Computational deconvolution of DNA methylation data from mixed DNA samples
Authors: Ferro dos Santos Maísa R , Giuili Edoardo , De Koker Andries , Everaert Celine , De Preter Katleen
Published: May 2024

In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the different computational tools that have been published for the deconvolution of bulk DNA methylation (DNAm) data. Here, deconvolution refers to the estimation of cell-type proportions that constitute a mixed sample. The paper reviews and compares 25 deconvolution methods (supervised, unsupervised or hybrid) developed between 2012 and 2023 and compares the strengths and limitations of each approach. Moreover, in this study, we describe the impact of the platform used for the generation of methylation data (including microarrays and sequencing), the applied data pre-processing steps and the used reference dataset on the deconvolution performance. Next to reference-based methods, we also examine methods that require only partial reference datasets or require no reference set at all. In this review, we provide guidelines for the use of specific methods dependent on the DNA methylation data type and data availability.
MSI-DTI: predicting drug-target interaction based on multi-source information and multi-head self-attention
Authors: Zhao Wenchuan , Yu Yufeng , Liu Guosheng , Liang Yanchun , Xu Dong , Feng Xiaoyue , Guan Renchu
Published: May 2024

Identifying drug-target interactions (DTIs) holds significant importance in drug discovery and development, playing a crucial role in various areas such as virtual screening, drug repurposing and identification of potential drug side effects. However, existing methods commonly exploit only a single type of feature from drugs and targets, suffering from miscellaneous challenges such as high sparsity and cold-start problems. We propose a novel framework called MSI-DTI (Multi-Source Information-based Drug-Target Interaction Prediction) to enhance prediction performance, which obtains feature representations from different views by integrating biometric features and knowledge graph representations from multi-source information. Our approach involves constructing a Drug-Target Knowledge Graph (DTKG), obtaining multiple feature representations from diverse information sources for SMILES sequences and amino acid sequences, incorporating network features from DTKG and performing an effective multi-source information fusion. Subsequently, we employ a multi-head self-attention mechanism coupled with residual connections to capture higher-order interaction information between sparse features while preserving lower-order information. Experimental results on DTKG and two benchmark datasets demonstrate that our MSI-DTI outperforms several state-of-the-art DTIs prediction methods, yielding more accurate and robust predictions. The source codes and datasets are publicly accessible at https://github.com/KEAML-JLU/MSI-DTI.