bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeting intracellular nontuberculous mycobacteria and
M. tuberculosis
with a bactericidal enzymatic cocktail
Authors: Bartlett Helen P. , Dawson Clinton C. , Glickman Cody M. , Osborn David W. , Evans Christopher R. , Garcia Benjamin J. , Frost Lauren C. , Cummings Jason E. , Whittel Nicholas , Slayden Richard A. , Holder Jason W.
Published: March 2024

To address intracellular mycobacterial infections, we developed a cocktail of four enzymes that catalytically attack three layers of the mycobacterial envelope. This cocktail is delivered to macrophages, through a targeted liposome presented here as ENTX_001. Endolytix Cocktail 1 (EC1) leverages mycobacteriophage lysin enzymes LysA and LysB, while also including α-amylase and isoamylase for degradation of the mycobacterial envelope from outside of the cell. The LysA family of proteins from mycobacteriophages has been shown to cleave the peptidoglycan layer, whereas LysB is an esterase that hydrolyzes the linkage between arabinogalactan and mycolic acids of the mycomembrane. The challenge of gaining access to the substrates of LysA and LysB provided exogenously was addressed by adding amylase enzymes that degrade the extracellular capsule shown to be present in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. This enzybiotic approach avoids antimicrobial resistance, specific receptor-mediated binding, and intracellular DNA surveillance pathways that limit many bacteriophage applications. We show this cocktail of enzymes is bactericidal
in vitro
against both rapid- and slow-growing nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) as well as
M. tuberculosis
strains. The EC1 cocktail shows superior killing activity when compared to previously characterized LysB alone. EC1 is also powerfully synergistic with standard-of-care antibiotics. In addition to
in vitro
killing of NTM, ENTX_001 demonstrates the rescue of infected macrophages from necrotic death by
Mycobacteroides abscessus
and
Mycobacterium avium
. Here, we demonstrate shredding of mycobacterial cells by EC1 into cellular debris as a mechanism of bactericide.

IMPORTANCE

The world needs entirely new forms of antibiotics as resistance to chemical antibiotics is a critical problem facing society. We addressed this need by developing a targeted enzyme therapy for a broad range of species and strains within mycobacteria and highly related genera including nontuberculous mycobacteria such as
Mycobacteroides abscessus
,
Mycobacterium avium
,
Mycobacterium intracellulare,
as well as
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. One advantage of this approach is the ability to drive our lytic enzymes through encapsulation into macrophage-targeted liposomes resulting in attack of mycobacteria in the cells that harbor them where they hide from the adaptive immune system and grow. Furthermore, this approach shreds mycobacteria independent of cell physiology as the drug targets the mycobacterial envelope while sidestepping the host range limitations observed with phage therapy and resistance to chemical antibiotics.
Toxic optic neuropathy associated with lamotrigine and levetiracetam dual therapy
Authors: Chou Munazzah , Lai Lily , Neveu Magella , Ritchie Ailsa
Published: March 2024

We report the case of an early adolescent male on lamotrigine and levetiracetam therapy with a 1-month history of progressive, bilateral, painless visual loss which resolved on cessation of lamotrigine. To our knowledge, we present the first case of lamotrigine and levetiracetam dual therapy associated with toxic optic neuropathy, supported by electrophysiology and optical coherence tomography (OCT) changes. Electrophysiology findings were consistent with retinal ganglion cell dysfunction, with bilateral optic nerve involvement. Macula OCT showed mild retinal ganglion cell loss in all inner quadrants bilaterally. This case highlights the importance of asking patients with epilepsy treated with lamotrigine and levetiracetam about visual problems and considering early dose reduction or cessation of treatment.
Retroperitoneal venous malformation mimics paraganglioma on triple imaging modalities
Authors: Ng Hung Shin Paul Brian , Lombardo Alexander , Black Katherine
Published: March 2024

Here, we report a case of a woman in her 50s who was referred for an incidentally discovered lesion anterior to the origin of inferior vena cava suspicious for a paraganglioma following a CT scan for vaginal bleeding. A follow-up68Ga-DOTATATE PET-CT and MRI of the abdomen reinforced the radiological impression of an extra-adrenal paraganglioma (EAP). The EAP was deemed non-functional given normal urine biogenic amine, supine plasma fractionated metanephrines and chromogranin A levels. The mass was resected laparoscopically without perioperative blockade. Histological examination revealed a venous malformation. Extrahepatic abdominal venous malformations are rare and can be indistinguishable from an EAP on imaging preoperatively. Although benign, the lesion nevertheless warrants excision as it is associated with a risk of haemorrhage.
Retrograde tubing as a rescue treatment for megaoesophagus: a case report
Authors: Weiss Chedva S , Demma Jonathan Abraham , Koplewitz Benjamin , Maayan Channa , Slae Mordechai
Published: March 2024

Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a genetic disease of the autonomous and sensory nervous systems. Severe gastro-oesophageal reflux is common and one of the major complications. Some patients with FD develop megaoesophagus. Oesophageal malfunction, accompanied by oesophageal food and secretion retention, results in recurrent aspiration and other severe respiratory complications. Through a traditional case report, we wish to show how reverse tubing of the oesophagus can lead to significant symptomatic improvement in these patients. Moreover, this technique can serve as an alternative treatment for other oesophageal motility disorders.
Hygienic complementary feeding practice and its associated factors among mothers having children aged 6–23 months in Antsokia Gemza district, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Tadegew Getachew , Chane Tefera , Bogale Eyob Ketema
Published: March 2024

Objective

To assess the magnitude of parental hygienic complementary feeding practices (PHCFPs) and their associated factors among mothers with children aged 6–23 months in Antsokia Gemza district, Ethiopia, in 2022.

Methodology

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Antsokia Gemza district, North Shoa, Ethiopia, from 25 June to 22 July 2022. A systematic random sampling technique was applied to select study participants. A total of 391 respondents participated in the study. All mothers (biological mothers, grandmothers, sisters and others) taking responsibility for caring for a child of age 6–23 months were included in the study. Data were collected by using interviewer-administrated questionnaires. Data were entered into Epi-Data V.3.1 and exported to SPSS V.25 for data cleaning and further analysis. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression were employed to identify predictor variables of hygienic practice in complementary feeding with a p value <0.25 entered into the multivariable logistic regression model. Independent variables with a 95% CI and p values <0.05 in multivariable logistic regression were considered statistically significant.

Result

The magnitude of good parental hygienic practice during complementary feeding of their children aged 6–23 months was 45.3%, with a 95% CI (40.2%–50%). Maternal age of 34–41 years (adjusted odd ratio (AOR): 2.75, 95% CI (1.16–6.53)), secondary school educated mothers (AOR: 8.2, 95% CI (3.26–20.97)), daily laborer mothers (AOR: 0.22, 95% CI (0.06–0.83)), access to pipe water (AOR: 7.1, 95% CI (3.98–12.66)), access to media (AOR: 2.8, 95% CI (1.4–5.7)), and having a positive attitude (AOR: 8.6, 95% CI (2.43–31.0)) were significant predictors of maternal hygienic complementary feeding practice .

Conclusions

The magnitude of good maternal hygienic complementary feeding practice was low. Hence, the district health office, education office, communication office and water and energy office should work hard jointly on maternal education, pipe water supply, awareness creation and information dissemination.
Subjective social status and trajectories of frailty: findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
Authors: Maharani Asri , Richards Lindsay , Präg Patrick
Published: March 2024

Objectives

Subjective social status is a known antecedent for many health outcomes, but little research has examined the association between subjective status and frailty among older people. Using longitudinal data, the goal of this study was, first, to identify latent trajectories of frailty over time, and second, to investigate the relationship between subjective social status and frailty trajectory.

Methods

Data were drawn from the 2002–2019 surveys of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, involving 9484 individuals aged 50+ years at baseline. Group-based trajectory models were used to identify frailty trajectories over the 18-year period, and multinomial regression models were used to investigate the relationship between subjective social status and frailty trajectory membership. Controls were included for confounding factors, including a range of socioeconomic indicators and health behaviours.

Results

Four trajectories of the frailty index were retained: low frailty (53% of participants), progressive mild frailty (25%), progressive moderate frailty (15%) and high frailty (6%). Higher subjective social status is associated with higher probabilities of being in the low-frailty group and lower probabilities of being in one of the progressive or high-frailty groups.

Conclusions

Subjective social status is significantly associated with being in a milder frailty trajectory after controlling for age, health behaviours and a wide range of objective socioeconomic status markers.
Prevalence and comorbidity of anxiety disorder in school-attending children and adolescents aged 6–16 years in China
Authors: Wang Fang , Yang Hanxue , Li Fenghua , Zheng Yi , Xu Hui , Wang Rui , Li Ying , Cui Yonghua
Published: March 2024

Background

The reported prevalence rate of anxiety disorder in the paediatric population varies widely between different counties. Currently, there is no national epidemiological surveyof childhoodanxiety disorder in China. This study aims to investigate the national prevalence of anxiety disorder, the distribution profiles of different subtypes and its comorbidity rates among school students.

Methods

A nationwide epidemiological survey of mental disorders in school students aged 6–16 years was conducted. Participants were randomly recruited from five provinces in China. The Child Behavior Checklist was used to screen students at high risk for mental disorders. The final diagnosis was made based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV. The point prevalence and comorbidity rate of anxiety disorder were calculated, and the difference between age, sex and socioeconomic status groups was also compared.

Results

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) was the most common anxiety disorder in school-attending children and adolescents, with a prevalence rate of 1.3% (95% CI: 1.2 to 1.3). Separation anxiety and specific phobia were more common in children than in adolescents. Girls had a higher prevalence of panic disorder (0.3% vs 0.2%, χ2=14.6, p<0.001) and agoraphobia (0.9% vs 0.8%, χ2=4.3, p=0.03) than that of boys. We found no significant difference between developed and less developed areas. Girls were more likely to have panic disorder and GAD than boys, with ratios of 2.13:1 and 1.01:1, respectively. The co-occurrence of anxiety disorder and attention-deficit and disruptive behaviour disorder was very common, ranging from 40% to 85%.

Conclusions

Anxiety disorder was prevalent among school students in China, and comorbidity with attention-deficit and disruptive disorder was very common. The data imply that screening for anxiety disorder is needed in school settings. Policies should be adapted to provide psychological services to children and adolescents. A comprehensive assessment is recommended in clinical practice.
Injury patterns and healthcare utilisation by runners of the New York City Marathon
Authors: McGrath Todd Michael , Fontana Mark Alan , Toresdahl Brett Gregory
Published: March 2024

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to describe injury patterns and healthcare utilisation of marathon runners.

Methods

This was a previously reported 16-week prospective observational study of runners training for the New York City Marathon. Runners completed a baseline survey including demographics, running experience and marathon goal. Injury surveys were collected every 4 weeks during training, as well as 1 week before and 1 week after the race. Injury details collected included anatomic location, diagnosis, onset, and treatment received.

Results

A total of 1049 runners were enrolled. Injuries were reported by 398 (38.4%) during training and 128 (14.1%) during the marathon. The overall prevalence of injury was 447/1049 (42.6%). Foot, knee and hip injuries were most common during training, whereas knee, thigh and foot injuries were most common during the race. The most frequent tissue type affected was the category of muscle, tendon/fascia and bursa. The prevalence of overuse injuries increased, while acute injuries remained constant throughout training. Hamstring injuries had the highest prevalence of diagnosis with 38/564 injuries (6.7%). Of the 447 runners who reported an injury, 224 (50.1%) received medical care. Physical therapy was the most common medical care received with 115/1037 (11.1%) runners during training and 44/907 (4.9%) postrace.

Conclusion

Runners training and participating in a marathon commonly experience injuries, especially of the foot and knee, which often are overuse soft tissue injuries. Half of the injured runners sought out medical care for their injury. Understanding the patterns of injuries affecting marathon runners could help guide future injury prevention efforts.
Poor clinical outcomes and immunoevasive contexture in CD161+CD8+T cells barren human pancreatic cancer
Authors: Chen Qiangda , Yin Hanlin , Jiang Zhenlai , He Taochen , Xie Yuqi , Mao Weilin , Han Jiande , Liu Siyao , Lou Wenhui , Wu Wenchuan , Habib Joseph R , Yu Jun , Liu Liang , Pu Ning
Published: March 2024

Background

The role of CD161 expression on CD8+T cells in tumor immunology has been explored in a few studies, and the clinical significance of CD161+CD8+T cells in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. This study seeks to clarify the prognostic value and molecular characteristics linked to CD161+CD8+T cell infiltration in PDAC.

Methods

This study included 186 patients with confirmed PDAC histology after radical resection. CD161+CD8+T cell infiltration was assessed using immunofluorescence staining on tumor microarrays. Flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing were used to evaluate their functional status.

Results

We observed significant associations between tumor-infiltrating CD161+CD8+T cells and clinicopathological factors, such as tumor differentiation, perineural invasion, and serum CA19-9 levels. Patients with higher tumor-infiltrating CD161+CD8+T cell levels had longer overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) than those with lower levels. Multivariable analysis confirmed tumor-infiltrating CD161+CD8+T cell as an independent prognostic indicator for both OS and RFS. Notably, a combination of tumor-infiltrating CD161+CD8+T cell and CA19-9 levels showed a superior power for survival prediction, and patients with low tumor-infiltrating CD161+CD8+T cell and high CA19-9 levels had the worst survival. Furthermore, lower tumor-infiltrating CD161+CD8+T cells were associated with a better response to adjuvant chemotherapy. Finally, we identified tumor-infiltrating CD161+CD8+T cells as a unique subtype of responsive CD8+T cells characterized by increased levels of cytotoxic cytokines and immune checkpoint molecules.

Conclusion

CD161+CD8+T cells exhibit elevated levels of both cytotoxic and immune-checkpoint molecules, indicating as a potential and attractive target for immunotherapy. The tumor-infiltrating CD161+CD8+T cell is a valuable and promising predictor for survival and therapeutic response to adjuvant chemotherapy in PDAC. Further research is warranted to validate its role in the risk stratification and optimization of therapeutic strategies.
Mechanical thrombectomy in basilar artery occlusions: impact of first-line strategy as a function of the occlusion level
Authors: Tournier Louis , Cortese Jonathan , Consoli Arturo , Spelle Laurent , Marnat Gaultier , Sarov Mariana , Zhu Francois , Soize Sebastien , Burel Julien , Forestier Géraud , Escalard Simon , Pop Raoul , Bonnet Baptiste , Alias Quentin , Ognard Julien , Naggara Olivier , Kyheng Maeva , Lapergue Bertrand , Caroff Jildaz
Published: March 2024

Background

Retrospective studies suggest the superiority of first-line contact aspiration (CA) thrombectomy over stent-retriever (SR) in basilar artery occlusions (BAO). We aimed to investigate the impact of first-line mechanical thrombectomy per the occlusion level, considering differences in stroke etiology prevalence between proximal and distal BAO.

Methods

A retrospective, multicentric analysis of the Endovascular Treatment in Ischemic Stroke Registry (ETIS) included consecutive BAO patients treated from January 2016 to May 2022. Patients were categorized into SR (±aspiration) and CA alone groups. Occlusion levels were determined through digital subtraction angiography. Favorable clinical outcome was defined as 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0–3.

Results

A total of 380 patients were analyzed (251 CA alone, 129 SR±aspiration). Globally, first-line SR showed lower recanalization rates (89.1% vs 94.8%, OR=0.29, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.53; p<0.001) and worse clinical outcomes (mRS 0–3: 46.0% vs 52.2%, OR=0.62, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.87; p=0.006) compared with CA. In proximal occlusions, SR was significantly associated with poorer clinical outcomes (mRS 0–3: 20.9% vs 37.1%; OR=0.40, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.83; p=0.014) despite similar recanalization rates. Conversely, in distal occlusions there was no difference in clinical outcomes although recanalization rates were higher with CA (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score (mTICI 2b/3): 97.7% vs 91.7%; OR=0.17, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.66; p=0.01).

Conclusions

In our BAO population, CA demonstrated better angiographic outcomes in middle and distal occlusions and better clinical outcomes in proximal occlusions. This translated into better angiographic and clinical results in the global study population. Clinical results were particularly influenced by the negative impact of SR on 90-day mRS, independently of recanalization rates in proximal BAO.
Comparison of rescue intracranial stenting versus best medical treatment alone in acute refractory large vessel occlusion: study protocol for the PISTAR multicenter randomized trial
Authors: Premat Kévin , Dechartres Agnès , Baptiste Amandine , Guedon Alexis , Mazighi Mikael , Spelle Laurent , Denier Christian , Tuilier Titien , Hosseini Hassan , Lapergue Bertrand , Di Maria Federico , Bricout Nicolas , Henon Hilde , Gory Benjamin , Richard Sébastien , Chivot Cyril , Courselle Audrey , Velasco Stéphane , Lamy Mathias , Costalat Vincent , Arquizan Caroline , Marnat Gaultier , Sibon Igor , Lenck Stephanie , Shotar Eimad , Allard Julien , Sourour Nader , Degos Vincent , Alamowitch Sonia , Clarençon Frédéric
Published: March 2024

Background

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has become a standard treatment for acute ischemic strokes (AIS). However, MT failure occurs in approximately 10–30% of cases, leading to severe repercussions (with mortality rates up to 40% according to observational data). Among the available rescue techniques, rescue intracranial stenting (RIS) appears as a promising option.

Objective

This trial is poised to demonstrate the superiority of RIS in addition to the best medical treatment (BMT) in comparison with BMT alone, in improving the functional outcomes at 3 months for patients experiencing an AIS due to a large vessel occlusion refractory to MT (rLVO).

Methods

Permanent Intracranial STenting for Acute Refractory large vessel occlusions (PISTAR) is a multicenter prospective randomized open, blinded endpoint trial conducted across 11 French University hospitals. Adult patients (≥18 years) with an acute intracranial occlusion refractory to standard MT techniques will be randomized 1:1 during the procedure to receive either RIS+BMT (intervention arm) or BMT alone (control arm).

Results

The primary outcome is the rate of good clinical outcome at 3 months defined as a modified Rankin Scale score ≤2 and evaluated by an independent assessor blinded to the randomization arm. Secondary outcomes include hemorrhagic complications, all adverse events, and death. The number of patients to be included is 346. Two interim analyses are planned with predefined stopping rules.

Conclusion

The PISTAR trial is the first randomized controlled trial focusing on the benefit of RIS in rLVOs. If positive, this study will open new insights into the management of AIS.

Trial registration number

NCT06071091.
Trends in transcatheter aortic valve implantation practice and clinical outcomes at an Irish tertiary referral centre
Authors: Tanner Richard , Giacoppo Daniele , Saber Hassan , Barton David , Sugrue Declan , Roy Andrew , Blake Gavin , Spence Mark S , Margey Ronan , Casserly Ivan P
Published: March 2024

Objective

A paucity of data exists on how transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) practice has evolved in Ireland. This study sought to analyse temporal trends in patient demographics, procedural characteristics, and clinical outcomes at an Irish tertiary referral centre.

Methods

The prospective Mater TAVI database was divided into time tertiles based on when TAVI was performed: Group A, November 2008–April 2013; Group B, April 2013–September 2017; and Group C, September 2017–February 2022. Patient and procedural characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared across groups.

Results

A total of 1063 (Group A, 59; Group B, 268; and Group C:, 736) patients were treated with TAVI during the study period (mean age 81.1±7.4, mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons score 5.9±5.1).

Conscious sedation (Group A, 0%; Group B, 59.9%; and Group C, 90.2%, p<0.001) and femoral artery access (Group A, 76.3%; Group B, 90.7%; and Group C, 96.6%, p<0.001) were used more frequently over time. The median length of hospital stay reduced from 9 days (IQR 7, 18) in Group A to 2 days (IQR 2, 3) in Group C. In-hospital death was numerically higher in Group A compared with Group C (6.8% vs 1.9%, p=0.078). At 1-year follow-up, the rate of death and/or stroke was similar in Group A and Group C (20.3% vs 12.0%, adjusted HR 1.49, 95% CI (0.59 to 3.74)).

Conclusion

There was exponential growth in TAVI procedural volume during the study period. A minimalist approach to TAVI emerged, and this was associated with significantly shorter procedure duration and hospital stay. Clinical outcomes at 1-year follow-up did not change significantly over time.
Effects of temperature, body size, and sex on the standard metabolic rates of a sexually dimorphic freshwater piscivore, walleye (Sander vitreus)
Authors: Bihun Christian J. , Murphy Megan K. , Johnson Timothy B. , Fisk Aaron T. , Guzzo Matthew M. , Madenjian Charles P. , Raby Graham D.
Published: March 2024

Walleye ( Sander vitreus) are a sexually dimorphic freshwater piscivore that have long been studied using bioenergetics modeling, yet robust estimates of metabolic rates for use in those models have been lacking. Therefore, we quantified the effects of body mass, water temperature, and sex, on standard metabolic rate (SMR). We estimated SMR across temperatures ranging 0.5–24 °C using intermittent-flow respirometry for male ( n = 54) and female ( n = 53) walleye raised in hatchery conditions. We found a significant interaction between sex and temperature, whereby males had lower SMR below 16 °C, but increased such that SMR was ∼16% higher than females at 22 °C. The mass-scaling coefficient, b, was similar for both sexes at a value around 1. These estimates are the first to be generated using respirometry for adult walleye and differ slightly from those being used by previous bioenergetics models, which may have underestimated the energetic costs of SMR, and did not include sex-specific estimates for metabolism.
Anomaly cancellation by generalised cohomology
Authors: Patrascu Andrei T.
Published: March 2024

Supersymmetric states in M-theory are mapped after compactification to perturbatively non-supersymmetric states in type IIA string theory, with the supersymmetric parts being encoded in the non-perturbative section of the string theory. An observer unable to recognise certain topological features of string theory will not detect supersymmetry. Such relativity of symmetry can also be derived in the context of Theorem 3 in Patrascu (Phys Rev D 90:045018, 2014). The tool of choice in this context is the universal coefficient theorem linking cohomology theories with coefficients that reveal respectively hide certain topological features. As a consequence of these observations, it is shown that the same theorem is capable of linking perturbative with non-perturbative string theoretical domains. A discussion of inflow anomaly cancellation is also included in the context of universal coefficient theorems.
Reaction–diffusion equation model in the electrical double layer for exploring the response signal in electrochemical sensing
Authors: Zhang Yanke , Chen Wei , Lai Qingteng , Liu Zhengchun
Published: March 2024

Electron transfer in the electrode–solution interface is responsible for the signal in the electrochemical sensor. However, the Electrical Double-Layer (EDL) characteristic is usually ignored in signal modeling. Here, we constructed a model based on the reaction–diffusion equation to describe the dynamics in the EDL during sensing. With this model, many common experimental phenomena, such as transient/steady-state current variation or detection nonlinearization, can be unraveled by exploring the effects of position, kinetics proportionality coefficient (k), and reaction order ([Formula: see text]). We also put forward some suggestions to improve the stability and linear detection range for future sensor design.
A Tale of Two Trilemmas: Comparing the International Monetary and Financial Trilemmas
Authors: Willett Thomas D. , Bird Graham
Published: March 2024

We critically analyze and compare the analytical structures of the international monetary and financial trilemmas. The first structure says that countries cannot have all three of fixed exchange rates, free capital mobility, and monetary autonomy. The second argues that countries cannot have all three of financial globalization, absence of financial crises, and financial autonomy. While the monetary trilemma is often described as being based on the Mundell–Fleming model, this is true only under the assumption of perfect capital mobility. Imperfect mobility can be caused by factors other than capital controls and in this case the constraints of the monetary trilemma need not be binding in the short run. In order to have a mechanism to provide balance of payments equilibrium, however, the theory of economic policy demonstrates that the monetary trilemma must be binding in the long run. While pointing to an important issue the financial trilemma formulation does not provide the most useful way to analyze the tradeoffs generated by financial globalization. More useful for this purpose is the literature on international externalities and public goods. We also argue that for many countries, giving up monetary autonomy will be more costly than giving up financial policy autonomy.
Field tests of geological storage of CO
2
at the Otway International Test Centre, Australia: trapping and monitoring the migrating plumes
Authors: Jenkins Charles , Barraclough Paul , Correa Julia , Dance Tess , Dodds Kevin , Ennis-King Jonathan , Freifeld Barry , Glubokovskikh Stanislav , Green Chris , Gunning James , Gurevich Boris , Isaenkov Roman , Jackson Samuel J. , Paterson Lincoln , Pevzner Roman , Popik Dmitry , Popik Sofya , Shulakova Valeriya , Tertyshnikov Konstantin , Shashkin Pavel , Sidenko Evgenii , Singh Rajindar , Watson Max , Wilkins Andrew , Wood Todd , Yavuz Sinem , Yurikov Alexey , Zhang Yingqi , Raab Matthias
Published: March 2024

The capture and geological storage of CO
2
is essential for net zero. Large volumes of secure subsurface storage will be required, much in unexplored saline aquifers. At the Otway International Test Centre we have executed a series of storage tests, including geophysical surveys, geochemical and petrophysical characterization, drilling and instrumenting six deep wells and conducting two intensively monitored injections each of 15 Kt CO
2
. We summarize the execution and outcomes to draw out the implications for larger-scale storage and for migration trapping of CO
2
plumes. Immobilization of most of the plume is essential for long-term safety. Suitable saline aquifers should have sealing caprocks but need not have structural traps. Buoyant CO
2
could move kilometres beneath the seal, with immobilization occurring by capillary forces and dissolution. Predicting and monitoring plume behaviour with practical methods integrated with risk management will be necessary. We characterized and monitored migration trapping, demonstrated plume immobilization, and tested monitoring methods tailored to large saline aquifers. We developed pressure tomography and continuous seismic monitoring; these provide less detailed information than conventional methods but can be targeted at risks. Passive methods, such as the seismic response to earthquakes, can also act as sentinels for specific events. These methods can bridge the ‘monitoring gap’ between detailed but infrequent methods and more frequent but simpler methods and the results will enable better trade-offs between cost, complexity and risk for a technology crucial for controlling CO
2
levels in the atmosphere.

Supplementary material
: Detailed descriptions of unpublished modelling are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.7148197
Review of Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group reservoirs of Ireland and Great Britain and their future role in geoenergy applications
Authors: English Kara L. , English Joseph M. , Moscardini Rioko , Haughton Peter D. W. , Raine Robert J. , Cooper Mark
Published: March 2024

As the world progressively shifts to a low/neutral carbon economy over the course of the twenty-first century, geoscience will continue to play a vital role in the energy sector and beyond. Static and dynamic characterization of the subsurface, a key component of the petroleum industry for decades, will be required to evaluate and unlock a variety of different initiatives including carbon, capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen (or any other gas) storage, thermal energy storage and geothermal energy development. Onshore and offshore Ireland and Great Britain, Lower Triassic sandstones are likely to represent one of the primary geological targets for future geoenergy applications. This paper provides a review of the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group depositional system across the British and Irish region of NW Europe including its overall stratigraphic context, palaeogeography, sediment provenance and transport directions, and present-day distribution. In addition to geological outcrop data, there is a wealth of subsurface data available from historical petroleum wells. Looking forward, one important focus of geoscience research will be to extrapolate away from these well-defined control points to predict sandstone facies distribution, diagenetic history and hence overall reservoir quality in new undrilled areas that will be of interest to the geothermal, CCS and gas storage sectors.
Design and Implementation of Hardware-Software Architecture Based on Hashes for SPHINCS+
Authors: Lopez-Valdivieso Jonathan , Cumplido Rene
Published: March 2024

Advances in quantum computing have posed a future threat to today’s cryptography. With the advent of these quantum computers, security could be compromised. Therefore, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a request for proposals to standardize algorithms for post-quantum cryptography (PQC), which is considered difficult to solve for both classical and quantum computers. Among the proposed technologies, the most popular choices are lattice-based (shortest vector problem) and hash-based approaches. Other important categories are public key cryptography (PKE) and digital signatures.

Within the realm of digital signatures lies SPHINCS+. However, there are few implementations of this scheme in hardware architectures. In this article, we present a hardware-software architecture for the SPHINCS+ scheme. We utilized a free RISC-V (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) processor synthesized on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), primarily integrating two accelerator modules for Keccak-1600 and the Haraka hash function. Additionally, modifications were made to the processor to accommodate the execution of these added modules. Our implementation yielded a 15-fold increase in performance with the SHAKE-256 function and nearly 90-fold improvement when using Haraka, compared to the reference software. Moreover, it is more compact compared to related works. This implementation was realized on a Xilinx FPGA Arty S7: Spartan-7.
FairSNA: Algorithmic Fairness in Social Network Analysis
Authors: Saxena Akrati , Fletcher George , Pechenizkiy Mykola
Published: March 2024

In recent years, designing fairness-aware methods has received much attention in various domains, including machine learning, natural language processing, and information retrieval. However, in social network analysis (SNA), designing fairness-aware methods for various research problems by considering structural bias and inequalities of large-scale social networks has not received much attention. In this work, we highlight how the structural bias of social networks impacts the fairness of different SNA methods. We further discuss fairness aspects that should be considered while proposing network structure-based solutions for different SNA problems, such as link prediction, influence maximization, centrality ranking, and community detection. This survey-cum-vision clearly highlights that very few works have considered fairness and bias while proposing solutions; even these works are mainly focused on some research topics, such as link prediction, influence maximization, and PageRank. However, fairness has not yet been addressed for other research topics, such as influence blocking and community detection. We review the state of the art for different research topics in SNA, including the considered fairness constraints, their limitations, and our vision. This survey also covers evaluation metrics, available datasets and synthetic network generating models used in such studies. Finally, we highlight various open research directions that require researchers’ attention to bridge the gap between fairness and SNA.
Discovering Expert-Level Air Combat Knowledge via Deep Excitatory-Inhibitory Factorized Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Piao Hai Yin , Yang Shengqi , Chen Hechang , Li Junnan , Yu Jin , Peng Xuanqi , Yang Xin , Yang Zhen , Sun Zhixiao , Chang Yi
Published: March 2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has achieved a wide range of successes in autonomous air combat decision-making recently. Previous research demonstrated that AI-enabled air combat approaches could even acquire beyond human-level capabilities. However, there remains a lack of evidence regarding two major difficulties. First, the existing methods with fixed decision intervals are mostly devoted to solving what to act but merely pay attention to when to act, which occasionally misses optimal decision opportunities. Second, the method of an expert-crafted finite maneuver library leads to a lack of tactics diversity, which is vulnerable to an opponent equipped with new tactics. In view of this, we propose a novel Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) and prior knowledge hybrid autonomous air combat tactics discovering algorithm, namely deep
E
xcitatory-i
N
hibitory f
ACT
or
I
zed maneu
VE
r (
ENACTIVE
) learning. The algorithm consists of two key modules, i.e., ENHANCE and FACTIVE. Specifically, ENHANCE learns to adjust the air combat decision-making intervals and appropriately seize key opportunities. FACTIVE factorizes maneuvers and then jointly optimizes them with significant tactics diversity increments. Extensive experimental results reveal that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms with a 62% winning rate and further obtains a margin of a 2.85-fold increase in terms of global tactic space coverage. It also demonstrates that a variety of discovered air combat tactics are comparable to human experts’ knowledge.
MTL-TRANSFER: Leveraging Multi-task Learning and Transferred Knowledge for Improving Fault Localization and Program Repair
Authors: Wang Xu , Yu Hongwei , Meng Xiangxin , Cao Hongliang , Zhang Hongyu , Sun Hailong , Liu Xudong , Hu Chunming
Published: March 2024

Fault localization (FL) and automated program repair (APR) are two main tasks of automatic software debugging. Compared with traditional methods, deep learning-based approaches have been demonstrated to achieve better performance in FL and APR tasks. However, the existing deep learning-based FL methods ignore the deep semantic features or only consider simple code representations. And for APR tasks, existing template-based APR methods are weak in selecting the correct fix templates for more effective program repair, which are also not able to synthesize patches via the embedded end-to-end code modification knowledge obtained by training models on large-scale bug-fix code pairs. Moreover, in most of FL and APR methods, the model designs and training phases are performed separately, leading to ineffective sharing of updated parameters and extracted knowledge during the training process. This limitation hinders the further improvement in the performance of FL and APR tasks. To solve the above problems, we propose a novel approach called MTL-TRANSFER, which leverages a multi-task learning strategy to extract deep semantic features and transferred knowledge from different perspectives. First, we construct a large-scale open-source bug datasets and implement 11 multi-task learning models for bug detection and patch generation sub-tasks on 11 commonly used bug types, as well as one multi-classifier to learn the relevant semantics for the subsequent fix template selection task. Second, an MLP-based ranking model is leveraged to fuse spectrum-based, mutation-based and semantic-based features to generate a sorted list of suspicious statements. Third, we combine the patches generated by the neural patch generation sub-task from the multi-task learning strategy with the optimized fix template selecting order gained from the multi-classifier mentioned above. Finally, the more accurate FL results, the optimized fix template selecting order, and the expanded patch candidates are combined together to further enhance the overall performance of APR tasks. Our extensive experiments on widely-used benchmark Defects4J show that MTL-TRANSFER outperforms all baselines in FL and APR tasks, proving the effectiveness of our approach. Compared with our previously proposed FL method TRANSFER-FL (which is also the state-of-the-art statement-level FL method), MTL-TRANSFER increases the faults hit by 8/11/12 on Top-1/3/5 metrics (92/159/183 in total). And on APR tasks, the number of successfully repaired bugs of MTL-TRANSFER under the perfect localization setting reaches 75, which is 8 more than our previous APR method TRANSFER-PR. Furthermore, another experiment to simulate the actual repair scenarios shows that MTL-TRANSFER can successfully repair 15 and 9 more bugs (56 in total) compared with TBar and TRANSFER, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the combination of our optimized FL and APR components.
Early and Realistic Exploitability Prediction of Just-Disclosed Software Vulnerabilities: How Reliable Can It Be?
Authors: Iannone Emanuele , Sellitto Giulia , Iaccarino Emanuele , Ferrucci Filomena , De Lucia Andrea , Palomba Fabio
Published: March 2024

With the rate of discovered and disclosed vulnerabilities escalating, researchers have been experimenting with machine learning to predict whether a vulnerability will be exploited. Existing solutions leverage information unavailable when a CVE is created, making them unsuitable just after the disclosure. This paper experiments with
early
exploitability prediction models driven exclusively by the initial CVE record, i.e., the original description and the linked online discussions. Leveraging NVD and Exploit Database, we evaluate 72 prediction models trained using six traditional machine learning classifiers, four feature representation schemas, and three data balancing algorithms. We also experiment with five pre-trained large language models (LLMs). The models leverage seven different corpora made by combining three data sources, i.e., CVE description,
Security Focus
, and
BugTraq
. The models are evaluated in a
realistic
, time-aware fashion by removing the training and test instances that cannot be labeled
“neutral”
 with sufficient confidence. The validation reveals that CVE descriptions and
Security Focus
discussions are the best data to train on. Pre-trained LLMs do not show the expected performance, requiring further pre-training in the security domain. We distill new research directions, identify possible room for improvement, and envision automated systems assisting security experts in assessing the exploitability.
How many FIDO protocols are needed? Analysing the technology, security and compliance
Authors: Angelogianni Anna , Politis Ilias , Xenakis Christos
Published: March 2024

To overcome the security vulnerabilities caused by weak passwords, thus bridge the gap between user friendly interfaces and advanced security features, the Fast IDentity Online (FIDO) alliance defined a number of authentication protocols. The existing literature leverages all versions of the FIDO protocols, without indicating the reasons behind the choice of each individual FIDO protocol (i.e., U2F, UAF, FIDO2). Inevitably, the question “which protocol is more suitable per case” becomes significant. To provide an answer to the previous question, this article performs a thorough comparative analysis on the different protocol specifications and their technological and market support, to identify whether any protocol has become obsolete. To reach to a conclusion, the proposed approach (i) explores the existing literature, (ii) analyses the specifications released by the FIDO Alliance, elaborating on the security characteristics, (iii) inspects the technical adoption by the industry and (iv) investigates the compliance of the FIDO with standards, regulations and other identity verification protocols. Our results indicate that FIDO2 is the most widely adopted solution; however, U2F remains supported by numerous web services as a two-factor authentication (2FA) choice, while UAF continues to be utilised in mobile clients seeking to offer the Transaction Confirmation feature.
Attacking Social Media via Behavior Poisoning
Authors: Wu Chenwang , Lian Defu , Ge Yong , Zhou Min , Chen Enhong
Published: March 2024

Since social media such as Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) have permeated various aspects of daily life, people have strong incentives to influence information dissemination on these platforms and differentiate their content from the fierce competition. Existing dissemination strategies typically employ marketing techniques, such as seeking publicity through renowned actors or targeted advertising placements. Despite their various forms, most simply spread information to strengthen user impressions without conducting formal analyses of specific influence enhancement. And coupled with high costs, most fall short of expectations. To this end, we ingeniously formulate the task of social media dissemination as poisoning attacks, which influence specified content’s dissemination among target users by intervening in some users’ social media behaviors (including retweeting, following, and profile modifying). Correspondingly, we propose a novel poisoning attack, Influence-based Social Media Attack (ISMA) to generate discrete poisoning behaviors, which is difficult to achieve with existing attacks. In ISMA, we first contribute an efficient influence evaluator to quantify the spread influence of poisoning behaviors. Based on the estimated influence, we then present an imperceptible hierarchical selector and a profile modification method ProMix to select influential behaviors to poison. Notably, our attack is driven by custom attack objectives, which allows one to flexibly design different optimization goals to change the information flow, which could solve the blindness of existing influence maximization methods. Besides, behaviors such as retweeting are gentle and simple to implement. These properties make our attack more cost-effective and practical. Extensive experiments on two large-scale real-world datasets demonstrate the superiority of our method as it significantly outperforms baselines, and additionally, the proposed evaluator’s analysis of user influence provides new insights for influence maximization on social media.
Influence of Moisture on the Electrochemical Performance of Prelithiated Graphite/SiOx Composite Anodes for Li-Ion Batteries
Authors: Fenske Hans , Lombardo Teo , Gerstenberg Jessica , Kern Christine , Steckermeier Dominik , Michalowski Peter , Janek Jürgen , Kwade Arno
Published: March 2024

Prelithiation is widely recognized as a promising technology to enable the use of high capacity anode active materials such as silicon. Numerous prelithiation techniques have been proposed over the years, with a handful successfully undergoing pilot scale testing. Nevertheless, new challenges arise when moving from optimizing single processes to integrating them into the process chain. A major concern is the stability of prelithiated electrodes against moisture. In this study, we investigate the influence of industrially-relevant moisture levels on the electrochemical performance of prelithiated graphite/SiOx composite anodes in 3-electrode half- and full-cells. We identify several indicators of electrode degradation such as an increase in open circuit potential, a decrease in graphite lithiation potential, and changes in specific charge/discharge capacity. The underlying degradation mechanisms are examined using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, which show increased solid electrolyte interphase (SEI)-related interfacial resistances but no clear evidence of SEI degradation. Based on the experimental results, we define a process window for the stability of the investigated electrodes as a function of dew point and exposure time. Our results indicate an encouragingly high stability at dew points up to −40 °C for a realistic exposure time of 1 h.