bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ZnO and C/ZnO Catalysts Synthesized via Plant Mediated Extracts for Photodegradation of Crystal Violet and Methyl Orange Dyes
Authors: Farag Mervat , El-Dafrawy Shady Mohamed , Hassan Shawky Mohamed
Published: September 2023

In this study, aqueous Cystoseira crinite extract was used to successfully biosynthesize ZnO and C-doped ZnO samples. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), FTIR, and UV–vis techniques were used to characterize the biosynthesized samples. XRD technique confirmed the crystalline structure of ZnO and C-doped ZnO. EDX confirmed the formation of C-doped ZnO. SEM analysis revealed the spherical shape of the samples with agglomeration. FTIR spectra showed that phenolic compounds and protein molecules are present in the Cystoseira crinite extract. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared photocatalysts was investigated using crystal violet (CV) as a model of the cationic dyes and methyl orange (MO) as a model of the anionic dyes. 5%C-doped ZnO calcined at 500  °C showed an optimum photocatalytic efficiency of 92.7% and 87.8% for CV and MO dyes, respectively. The improved photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the narrower optical band gap of C doped ZnO than pure ZnO. The photocatalytic activity of CV and MO dyes follows the first-order kinetics with high correlation coefficient values.

Graphical Abstract
Investigation on tailoring the width and central frequency of bandgaps of TPMS structures
Authors: Silva Tarcisio , Lu Jin-You , Abu Al-Rub Rashid K. , Lee Dong-Wook
Published: September 2023

Triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) lattice structures present outstanding properties such as lightweight, high strength, energy absorption, and wave propagation control, which are extensively investigated in recent years. However, one of the main challenges when designing TPMS is the proper selection of cell type and volume ratio in order to obtain the desired properties for specific applications. To this aim, this work provides a comprehensive numerical study of bandgap’s formation in the sub-2 kHz frequency range for the seven major cell type TPMS structures, including Primitive, Gyroid, Neovius, IWP, Diamond, Fischer–Koch S, and FRD, for a comprehensive range of volume ratios. Results show that these seven TPMS structures present a complete bandgap between the 3rd and 4th dispersion curves. The width of the bandgap is strongly dependent of the TPMS lattice and the widest bandgaps are seen on the Neovius and Primitive-based lattice (reaching a maximum width of 0.458 kHz and 0.483 kHz, respectively) for volume ratios over 0.3. Below this volume ratio, the bandgap of the Primitive structure becomes negligible, and the Neovius and IWP structures are the best candidates among the 7 tested TPMS cases. The central frequency of the bandgaps is less sensitive to the lattice and are predominantly tailored by the volume ratio. With this study, we demonstrate that the proper selection of the periodic cell type and volume ratio can tailor the bandwidth of complete bandgaps from a tens of Hz up to 0.48 kHz, while the central frequency can be selected from 0.72 to 1.81 kHz according to the volume ratio. The goal of this study is to serve as a database for the Primitive, Gyroid, Neovius, IWP, Diamond, Fischer–Koch S, and FRD TPMS structures for metamaterial designers.
Association of HOTAIR gene rs920778 (C > T) and rs4759314 (A > G) polymorphism with breast cancer in Egyptian women
Authors: Anber Nahla , Tarabay Mohammad M. , Elmougy Rehab , Abdel-Dayem Marwa Ahmed , Elbendary Ehab Yones
Published: September 2023

Background

Hox transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) is considered an oncogene associated with the initiation and progression of many malignancies. Previous studies have examined the connection between HOTAIR SNPs rs4759314 and rs920778 for breast cancer (BC), getting variable results in multiple ethnicities. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the connection between these two SNPs and disease vulnerability, clinic-laboratory, and hormonal parameters, featuring status associations with the BC risk in an Egyptian woman sample.

Methods and results

In this case-control study, DNA was taken from the blood of 100 BC patients and 100 unrelated healthy Egyptian females. The characterization of rs4759314 was genotyped using the T-ARMS-PCR method and rs920778 using the SNP-RFLP technique for all participants. The frequency of the rs4759314 A > G variation revealed a statistically significant increase in BC risk with dominant (p = 0.013, OR = 1.592, 95% Cl = 1.105–2.293), co-dominant (p = 0.006, OR = 2.314, 95%Cl = 1.278–4.191) and overdominant (p = 0.002, OR = 2.571, 95% Cl = 1.430–4.624) genetic models. On the other hand, the rs920778 C > T polymorphism was not significantly associated with BC. ER/PR positivity with HER2 negativity was significantly associated with the AA genotype compared to the AG genotype. Otherwise, no significant associations between the two SNPs and clinical stage or hormonal features could be found. In conclusion, the rs4759314 A > G SNP in the HOTAIR gene is strongly associated with BC, which might warrant its determination among affected families for prevention and early treatment.
Important drivers of East African monsoon variability and improving rainy season onset prediction
Authors: Roy Indrani , Mliwa Meshack , Troccoli Alberto
Published: September 2023

Monsoon rain and its year-to-year variability have a profound influence on Africa’s socio-economic structure by heavily impacting sectors such as agricultural and energy. This study focuses on major drivers of the east African monsoon during October-November-December (OND) which is the standard time window for the onset of the rainy season, be it unimodal or bimodal. Two drivers viz. Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) both separately indicate very strong positive connections with monsoon (OND) rain not only in the OND season with zero seasonal lag, but the signal is also present even taking IOD and ENSO a season ahead. A compositing approach is applied that can additionally identify strong signals when different combinations of ENSO and IOD phases act as confounding factors. Results of precipitation anomaly suggest that when IOD and ENSO are both on the same phase in July-August-September (JAS), a significant OND rainfall anomaly occurs around the east African sector: A deficit (excess) of OND monsoon rain occurs when both drivers are in a negative (positive) phase during JAS. A location Kibaha in Tanzania, for which station data are available, is considered for a more in-depth analysis. The uncertainty range in cumulative OND rainfall is also reduced to a large degree when IOD and ENSO phases are both negative in JAS. These results can be used for prediction purposes and interestingly, that criterion of IOD and ENSO being of same phase in JAS was again matched in 2022 (both negative) and hence it was possible to deliver early warnings for a deficit in rainfall a season ahead. Techniques to compute the monsoon onset as determined by meteorological services such as the Tanzania Meteorological Authority rely on various thresholds, which may also vary by country. To overcome some of the issues with thresholds-based techniques, other definitions of ‘onset’ take into account cumulative rainfall amount and such technique has also been tested and compared. In both approaches, late (early) onsets dominate in years when ENSO and IOD are both negative (positive) during JAS. In these cases, it is therefore possible to provide an estimation of cumulative rainfall and onset for OND in terms of average, median value, range and distribution of rainfall one season in advance. Such results have implications for optimizing agricultural, water and energy management, also mitigating possible severe production losses, which would impact the livelihoods of millions of Africans.
Calcifuge and soil-indifferent Proteaceae from south-western Australia: novel strategies in a calcareous habitat
Authors: Hayes Patrick E. , Clode Peta L. , Lambers Hans
Published: September 2023

Background and aims

Proteaceae are a prominent plant family in south-western Australia. Most Proteaceae are ‘calcifuge’, occurring exclusively on old phosphorus (P)-impoverished acidic soils, with a few ‘soil-indifferent’ species also found on young P-richer calcareous soils. Calcium (Ca)-enhanced P toxicity explains the calcifuge habit of Proteaceae. However, previous research has so far been focused exclusively on the roles of Ca and P in determining Proteaceae distribution, and consequently there is little knowledge on how other soil-based strategies influence this distribution. We aimed to study the effects of young calcareous soils on four soil-grown Proteaceae and assess differences between calcifuge and soil-indifferent Proteaceae to better understand their natural distribution.

Methods

Two calcifuge and two soil-indifferent Proteaceae from south-western Australia were grown in six contrasting soils, including young calcareous, and old acidic soils.

Results

When grown in calcareous soils all species showed root growth inhibition, micronutrient deficiency, Ca-enhanced P toxicity, and negative impacts on physiology. Calcifuge species were more sensitive to calcareous soils than soil-indifferent ones, although this varied between genera. Soil-indifferent species tended to produce more cluster roots, release more carboxylates per root mass, and allocate less Ca to their leaves, compared with calcifuges; they also had smaller seeds and were less sensitive to Ca-enhanced P toxicity.

Conclusion

We surmise that a combination of these traits allows soil-indifferent species to tolerate calcareous soils. This study provides insight into how Proteaceae respond to young calcareous soils and how this influences their distribution.
Redox potential as a soil health indicator – how does it compare to microbial activity and soil structure?
Authors: Mattila Tuomas J.
Published: September 2023

Background and aims

Redox potential is a promising soil health indicator, which integrates the combined effect of chemical oxidation–reduction reactions into a single measurement. However, this method has been tested only on a few soils. The aim of this study was to test redox potential as a soil health indicator, to see if it responds to management practices and to compare it with existing soil health metrics for microbial activity (“CO2burst”) and soil structure.

Methods

We collected 35 soil samples in agricultural fields from a carbon farming trial, where contrasting management practices have been applied to increase carbon stock. The soil samples were dried, rewetted and analyzed for redox and microbial respiration during rewetting. In addition, soil structure, texture and organic matter content was measured. The data was analyzed for correlations between the indicators and for the differences between management and control fields.

Results

Redox was well correlated with microbial activity, structure, and texture. A low redox state was connected to high microbial activity, indicating bioavailable organic matter availability. Soils with good structure had an oxidized redox status, possibly reflecting high gas-transport. The carbon farming practices resulted in lower oxidation, possibly due to build-up of plant residues.

Conclusions

The findings supported the use of redox as a soil health indicator, but highlighted further research needs for identifying the shared mechanisms linking structure, redox and microbial activity. As such, redox can be a low-cost additional measurement to map changes in soil health, but it cannot replace existing structure or microbial activity measurements.
'Qualitative' and 'quantitative' methods and approaches across subject fields: implications for research values, assumptions, and practices
Authors: Pilcher Nick , Cortazzi Martin
Published: September 2023

There is considerable literature showing the complexity, connectivity and blurring of 'qualitative' and 'quantitative' methods in research. Yet these concepts are often represented in a binary way as independent dichotomous categories. This is evident in many key textbooks which are used in research methods courses to guide students and newer researchers in their research training. This paper analyses such textbook representations of 'qualitative' and 'quantitative' in 25 key resources published in English (supported by an outline survey of 23 textbooks written in German, Spanish and French). We then compare these with the perceptions, gathered through semi-structured interviews, of university researchers (n = 31) who work in a wide range of arts and science disciplines. The analysis of what the textbooks say compared to what the participants report they do in their practice shows some common features, as might be assumed, but there are significant contrasts and contradictions. The differences tend to align with some other recent literature to underline the complexity and connectivity associated with the terms. We suggest ways in which future research methods courses and newer researchers could question and positively deconstruct such binary representations in order to free up directions for research in practice, so that investigations can use both quantitative or qualitative approaches in more nuanced practices that are appropriate to the specific field and given context of investigations.
Effect of sublethal concentrations of glyphosate-based herbicides (Roundup Active®) on skin of the tropical frog (Dendropsophus molitor)
Authors: López-Flórez Catalina , Ruíz Monica Andrea Ortíz , Gómez-Ramírez Edwin
Published: September 2023

In Colombia, glyphosate (GP) is used to control weeds, with Roundup Active® being the most widely used. This use has affected aquatic ecosystems, causing malformations in amphibians. The Savannah frog (D. molitor) is a tropical frog inhabiting the mountain of Colombia. In the present study, we determined the effect of sublethal concentrations of GP (Roundup Active®) on the skin of D. molitor. Twenty-four tadpoles were exposed to concentrations of GP (T1: 0, T2: 1.4, T3: 3.6, and T4: 5.6 a.e mg/L) during 31 days. In 10 individuals per treatment, two skin regions were evaluated: dorsal cranial and caudal ventral to determine histopathological alterations. Morphometric analysis of the layers of the skin was performed: epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis-muscular. T1 did not present histopathological alterations. Since T2 was identified, glandular cell hyperplasia and hypertrophy increased melanophores and melanin accumulations in the highest concentrations of GP. The ultrastructure revealed an increase in excretory glands in the dermis. In the other layers, an increase of melanophores and melanocyte clusters was observed accompanied by vacuolization of basal cells. The morphometry showed an increase in the thickness of the dermis in the dorso-cranial region in T2 compared to the other treatments, while the ventral caudal region exhibited a variation in the thickness of the dermis from T2 and a decrease in T4. Despite evaluating sublethal concentrations, the skin of D. molitor tadpoles presents histopathological, ultrastructural, and morphometric alterations that could affect the survival of the species in the natural environment.
Extending the product-group-specific approach in nutritional life cycle assessment
Authors: Kyttä Venla , Kårlund Anna , Pellinen Tiina , Tuomisto Hanna L. , Kolehmainen Marjukka , Pajari Anne-Maria , Saarinen Merja
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Recent methodological developments have integrated nutritional aspects into life cycle assessment (LCA) by using nutrient indices as functional units (nFUs). Previous developments have focused on protein-rich foods, but environmental impacts and nutritional composition vary across products in other product groups, highlighting the need to develop nFUs also for other product groups. Here, we present product-group-specific nFUs for vegetables, fruit and berries, and sources of carbohydrates as an extension to our previous study on protein sources.

Methods

We first justified the basis of product grouping and the procedure to develop product-group-specific nutrient indices to be used as the nFU in the LCA for product groups of vegetables, fruit and berries, and sources of carbohydrates. The practical application of these indices was then tested through demonstrative LCAs for the selection of different foods. The performance and results obtained with product-group-specific nFUs, including previously developed nFU for protein sources, were evaluated through a comparison with an assessment done using a general index, which included all the nutrients with the recommended daily intake in Finnish nutrition recommendations.

Results and discussion

The results showed that the product-group-specific nFUs resulted in index scores that were an average of 2.5 times higher, and therefore lower climate impacts per nFU for the assessed food products, than the general index. This demonstrated that product-group-specific nFUs accurately represented the relevant nutrients for the studied product group and provided specific information on the impact of substituting currently consumed foods. The relative results obtained with either product-group-specific indices or a general index were similar except in the protein source product group, showing that a product-group-specific nFU might favour a certain type of products, such as traditional protein source foods, when applied to a very heterogenous group of products.

Conclusions

This study showed that the product-group-specific approach could provide valuable information when evaluating the sustainability of different meal components. The approach presented here can be adapted elsewhere and revised for different populations. However, future research is needed to extend the method to cover other product groups as well and validate the selection of nutrients in the nFUs.
Quercetin and l-Arginine Ameliorated the Deleterious Effects of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles on the Liver of Mice Through Anti-inflammatory and Anti-apoptotic Pathways
Authors: Haroun Amina M. , El-Sayed Wael M. , Hassan Rasha E.
Published: September 2023

The widespread use and applications of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) in daily life make human exposure to these particles inevitable. This study was carried out to investigate the deteriorations in hepatic and serum biochemical parameters induced by CuO NPs in adult male mice and the potential ameliorative effect of l-arginine and quercetin, either alone or in combination. Seventy adult male mice were equally allocated into seven groups: untreated group, l-arginine, quercetin, CuO NPs, arginine + CuO NPs, quercetin + CuO NPs, and quercetin + arginine + CuO NPs. Treating mice with CuO NPs resulted in bioaccumulation of copper in the liver and consequent liver injury as typified by elevation of serum ALT activity, reduction in the synthetic ability of the liver indicated by a decrease in the hepatic arginase activity, and serum total protein content. This copper accumulation increased oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, inflammation, and apoptosis as manifested by elevation in malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-α, the expression level of caspase-3 and bax quantified by qPCR, and the activity of caspase-3, in addition to the reduction of superoxide dismutase activity. It also resulted in severe DNA fragmentation as assessed by Comet assay and significant pathological changes in the liver architecture. The study proved the efficiency of quercetin and l-arginine in mitigating CuO NPs-induced sub-chronic liver toxicity due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties; ability to inhibit DNA damage; and the potential as good metal chelators. The results of histopathological analysis confirmed the biochemical and molecular studies.
Thyroid transcription factor‐1 expression in lung neuroendocrine tumours: a gender-related biomarker?
Authors: La Salvia Anna , Siciliani Alessandra , Rinzivillo Maria , Verrico Monica , Baldelli Roberto , Puliani Giulia , Modica Roberta , Zanata Isabella , Persano Irene , Fanciulli Giuseppe , Bassi Massimiliano , Mancini Massimiliano , Bellino Stefania , Giannetta Elisa , Ibrahim Mohsen , Panzuto Francesco , Brizzi Maria Pia , Faggiano Antongiulio
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Thyroid transcription factor‐1 (TTF‐1) assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a specific biomarker for lung adenocarcinoma, and is commonly used to confirm the pulmonary origin of neuroendocrine tumours (NET). The majority of the available data suggest that TTF-1 is favourable prognostic biomarker for lung adenocarcinomas, whereas its role is more conflicting for lung NET. The main aim of this multicenter retrospective study was to investigate the potentially relevant associations between TTF-1 biomarker and clinical and pathological features of the study population, as well as determine TTF-1 prognostic effect on the clinical outcome of the patients.

Methods

A multicentre retrospective study was conducted on 155 surgically-removed lung NET, with available IHC TTF-1 assessment.

Results

Median age was 59.5 years (range 13–86), 97 patients (62.6%) were females, 31 cases (20%) were atypical carcinoids, 4 (2.6%) had TNM stage IV. Mitotic count ≥2 per 10 high-power field was found in 35 (22.6%) subjects, whereas necrosis was detected in 20 patients (12.9%). TTF-1 was positive in 78 cases (50.3%). The median overall survival was 46.9 months (range 0.6–323) and the median progression-free survival was 39.1 months (range 0.6–323). Statistically significant associations were found between (1) TTF-1 positivity and female sex (p = 0.007); and among (2) TTF-1 positivity and the absence of necrosis (p = 0.018).

Conclusions

This study highlights that TTF-1 positivity differs according to sex in lung NET, with a more common TTF-1 positive staining in female. Moreover, TTF-1 positivity correlated with the absence of necrosis. These data suggest that TTF-1 could potentially represent a gender-related biomarker for lung NET.
Possibly pathogenic bacteria in aerosols and foams as a result of aeration remediation in a polluted urban waterway
Authors: Jacob Joby , Veras Ingrid , Calderόn Olga , Porter-Morgan Holly A. , Tan Joshua , Aguilar Harry E. , Elkins Willis T. , Martinez Castro Veronica P. , Fulton Vania , Yousri Wesam K.
Published: September 2023

Newtown Creek is a tributary of the Hudson River Estuary. It has a legacy of both industrial pollution and sewage pollution and has been designated a Superfund site. To ameliorate the chronically low levels of dissolved oxygen detected in the Creek, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection has been installing aerators. The abundance of various bacteria in the aerosols, foams, and water, at two sites in the Creek, was studied before, during, and after the aeration process. Additionally, aerosols and dispersed foams created by the aeration process were sampled and cultured to determine what unique taxa of bacteria could be grown and identified. Taxa including Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were prevalent in cultures taken from aerosols, whereas Gammaproteobacteria were prevalent in cultures taken from foam. Campylobacteria was found to have a significant presence in both samples taken after the aerators were turned off. These taxa include potentially pathogenic bacteria and are therefore of particular concern.
Diet in the Early Bronze Age: a buccal microwear analysis from the plain of Barcelona (Spain)
Authors: Gluitz Alicia , Martínez Laura M. , Molist Miquel , Estebaranz-Sánchez Ferran
Published: September 2023

This study aims to characterize the dietary habits of the Barcelona plain (Spain) population during the Early Bronze Age. An analysis of buccal microwear has been performed on 467 samples from 20 individuals buried in the largest cemetery of the plain of Barcelona in this period, the Plaça de la Gardunya, and 1 sample from the site of the Mercat de Santa Caterina. Molars and premolars were examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and their microwear patterns were compared with reference patterns associated with known dietary habits and subsistence strategies. The results suggest that dietary habits differed between age groups and between sexes: males were more carnivorous than females, and subadults ate harder foods than adults. Buccal microwear from the Barcelona plain shows similar values to carnivorous diets of anthropological populations. Based on all the archaeological evidence (building types and zooarchaeology, archaeobotany and stone tools) from this settlement and those in its vicinity, we propose that the individuals from the Barcelona plain had a mixed diet, with large consumption of meat, secondary products and fish. Agricultural products, stored in silos and grill structures and processed with more sophisticated grinding techniques, were also consumed, mainly by subadult individuals.
Updating approach for lexicographic optimization-based planning to improve cervical cancer plan quality
Authors: Caricato Paolo , Trivellato Sara , Pellegrini Roberto , Montanari Gianluca , Daniotti Martina Camilla , Bordigoni Bianca , Faccenda Valeria , Panizza Denis , Meregalli Sofia , Bonetto Elisa , Voet Peter , Arcangeli Stefano , De Ponti Elena
Published: September 2023

Background

To investigate the capability of a not-yet commercially available fully automated lexicographic optimization (LO) planning algorithm, called mCycle (Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden), to further improve the plan quality of an already-validated Wish List (WL) pushing on the organs-at-risk (OAR) sparing without compromising target coverage and plan delivery accuracy.

Material and Methods

Twenty-four mono-institutional consecutive cervical cancer Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) plans delivered between November 2019 and April 2022 (50 Gy/25 fractions) have been retrospectively selected. In mCycle the LO planning algorithm was combined with the a-priori multi-criterial optimization (MCO). Two versions of WL have been defined to reproduce manual plans (WL01), and to improve the OAR sparing without affecting minimum target coverage and plan delivery accuracy (WL02). Robust WLs have been tuned using a subset of 4 randomly selected patients. The remaining plans have been automatically re-planned by using the designed WLs. Manual plans (MP) and mCycle plans (mCP01 and mCP02) were compared in terms of dose distributions, complexity, delivery accuracy, and clinical acceptability. Two senior physicians independently performed a blind clinical evaluation, ranking the three competing plans. Furthermore, a previous defined global quality index has been used to gather into a single score the plan quality evaluation.

Results

The WL tweaking requests 5 and 3 working days for the WL01 and the WL02, respectively. The re-planning took in both cases 3 working days. mCP01 best performed in terms of target coverage (PTV V95% (%): MP 98.0 [95.6–99.3], mCP01 99.2 [89.7–99.9], mCP02 96.9 [89.4–99.5]), while mCP02 showed a large OAR sparing improvement, especially in the rectum parameters (e.g., Rectum D50% (Gy): MP 41.7 [30.2–47.0], mCP01 40.3 [31.4–45.8], mCP02 32.6 [26.9–42.6]). An increase in plan complexity has been registered in mCPs without affecting plan delivery accuracy. In the blind comparisons, all automated plans were considered clinically acceptable, and mCPs were preferred over MP in 90% of cases. Globally, automated plans registered a plan quality score at least comparable to MP.

Conclusions

This study showed the flexibility of the Lexicographic approach in creating more demanding Wish Lists able to potentially minimize toxicities in RT plans.
Respecting boundaries: theoretical equivalence and structure beyond dynamics
Authors: Wolf William J. , Read James
Published: September 2023

A standard line in the contemporary philosophical literature has it that physical theories are equivalent only when they agree on their empirical content, where this empirical content is often understood as being encoded in the equations of motion of those theories. In this article, we question whether it is indeed the case that the empirical content of a theory is exhausted by its equations of motion, showing that (for example) considerations of boundary conditions play a key role in the empirical equivalence (or otherwise) of theories. Having argued for this, we show that philosophical claims made by Weatherall (2016) that electromagnetism in the Faraday tensor formalism is equivalent to electromagnetism in the vector potential formalism, and by Knox (2011) that general relativity is equivalent to teleparallel gravity, can both be called into question. We then show that properly considering the role of boundary conditions in theory structure can potentially restore these claims of equivalence and close with some remarks on the pragmatics of adjudications on theory identity.
Comparison of orders generated by Ky Fan type inequalities for bivariate means
Authors: Nowicka Monika , Witkowski Alfred
Published: September 2023

In this paper, we deal with seven types of Ky Fan type relations between bivariate, symmetric and homogeneous means. For each relation we determine necessary and sufficient conditions for means to be in this relation. Additionally, we investigate the dependencies between these relations.
Real-world effectiveness of sotrovimab for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection during Omicron BA.2 subvariant predominance: a systematic literature review
Authors: Drysdale Myriam , Gibbons Daniel C. , Singh Moushmi , Rolland Catherine , Lavoie Louis , Skingsley Andrew , Lloyd Emily J.
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants have impacted the in vitro activity of sotrovimab, with variable fold changes in neutralization potency for the Omicron BA.2 sublineage and onward. The correlation between reduced in vitro activity and clinical efficacy outcomes is unknown. A systematic literature review (SLR) evaluated the effectiveness of sotrovimab on severe clinical outcomes during Omicron BA.2 predominance.

Methods

Electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed journals, preprint articles, and conference abstracts published from January 1–November 3, 2022.

Results

Five studies were included, which displayed heterogeneity in study design and population. Two UK studies had large samples of patients during BA.2 predominance: one demonstrated clinical effectiveness vs molnupiravir during BA.1 (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.54, 95% CI 0.33–0.88; p = 0.014) and BA.2 (aHR 0.44, 95% CI 0.27–0.71; p = 0.001); the other reported no difference in the clinical outcomes of sotrovimab-treated patients when directly comparing sequencing-confirmed BA.1 and BA.2 cases (HR 1.17, 95% CI 0.74–1.86). One US study showed a lower risk of 30-day all-cause hospitalization/mortality for sotrovimab compared with no treatment during the BA.2 surge in March (adjusted relative risk [aRR] 0.41, 95% CI 0.27–0.62) and April 2022 (aRR 0.54, 95% CI 0.08–3.54). Two studies from Italy and Qatar reported low progression rates but were either single-arm descriptive or not sufficiently powered to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of sotrovimab.

Conclusion

This SLR showed that the effectiveness of sotrovimab was maintained against Omicron BA.2 in both ecological and sequencing-confirmed studies, by demonstrating low/comparable clinical outcomes between BA.1 and BA.2 periods or comparing against an active/untreated comparator.
The usefulness of Integrative Neuromuscular Training to counteract obesity: a narrative review
Authors: Cavaggioni Luca , Gilardini Luisa , Croci Marina , Formenti Damiano , Merati Giampiero , Bertoli Simona
Published: September 2023

Background and objective

The association between physical activity and diet has a valuable impact in weight status management to counteract obesity. In this context, within different training strategies (i.e., endurance, resistance training, concurrent training, agility training) the Integrative Neuromuscular Training (INT) represents a structured training mode focused on global human movement pattern development with the aim to enhance motor control, mobility and stability. In this narrative review we aimed to discuss the feasibility of INT interventions on physical fitness and body composition outcomes in individuals with obesity.

Subjects

Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Google Scholar including were searched before 1st February 2023 without restrictions on publication year.

Methods

Two researchers extracted data from published trials. Randomized controlled trials or clinical trials, Body Mass Index of children and adolescents at the 95% percentile or greater, and for adults to be above 30 kg/m2, detailed intervention description, randomization process and allocation into an experimental or a control group, trials must have been written in English, were included.

Results

We included a total of 19 studies complying with the inclusion criteria for the review process. There is evidence that INT promotes positive adaptations in fitness levels in both younger and older participants with concomitant ameliorations during a shorter, medium and longer time period. Moreover, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, balance, postural control and body composition reached significant remarkable improvements following a specific intervention based on INT principles compared to other training mode. However, Body Mass Index, fat mass percentage and waist circumference showed similar changes overtime.

Conclusions

Taken together, these findings support the effectiveness of INT in ameliorating physical fitness (i.e., health-related and skill related components) without negative changes in body composition. Nevertheless, fitness coaches and therapists may consider this training modality a feasible option when prescribing physical exercise in outpatients with obesity.
STAT5 promotes PD-L1 expression by facilitating histone lactylation to drive immunosuppression in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Huang Ze-Wei , Zhang Xue-Ning , Zhang Ling , Liu Ling-Ling , Zhang Jing-Wen , Sun Yu-Xiang , Xu Jue-Qiong , Liu Quentin , Long Zi-Jie
Published: September 2023

Abstracts

Immunotherapy is a revolutionized therapeutic strategy for tumor treatment attributing to the rapid development of genomics and immunology, and immune checkpoint inhibitors have successfully achieved responses in numbers of tumor types, including hematopoietic malignancy. However, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease and there is still a lack of systematic demonstration to apply immunotherapy in AML based on PD-1/PD-L1 blockage. Thus, the identification of molecules that drive tumor immunosuppression and stratify patients according to the benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors is urgently needed. Here, we reported that STAT5 was highly expressed in the AML cohort and activated the promoter of glycolytic genes to promote glycolysis in AML cells. As a result, the increased-lactate accumulation promoted E3BP nuclear translocation and facilitated histone lactylation, ultimately inducing PD-L1 transcription. Immune checkpoint inhibitor could block the interaction of PD-1/PD-L1 and reactive CD8+ T cells in the microenvironment when co-culture with STAT5 constitutively activated AML cells. Clinically, lactate accumulation in bone marrow was positively correlated with STAT5 as well as PD-L1 expression in newly diagnosed AML patients. Therefore, we have illustrated a STAT5-lactate-PD-L1 network in AML progression, which demonstrates that AML patients with STAT5 induced-exuberant glycolysis and lactate accumulation may be benefited from PD-1/PD-L-1-based immunotherapy.
Fallopian tube lesions as potential precursors of early ovarian cancer: a comprehensive proteomic analysis
Authors: Wisztorski Maxence , Aboulouard Soulaimane , Roussel Lucas , Duhamel Marie , Saudemont Philippe , Cardon Tristan , Narducci Fabrice , Robin Yves-Marie , Lemaire Anne-Sophie , Bertin Delphine , Hajjaji Nawale , Kobeissy Firas , Leblanc Eric , Fournier Isabelle , Salzet Michel
Published: September 2023

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer worldwide. High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is the most common and deadliest subtype of ovarian cancer. While the origin of ovarian tumors is still debated, it has been suggested that HGSC originates from cells in the fallopian tube epithelium (FTE), specifically the epithelial cells in the region of the tubal-peritoneal junction. Three main lesions, p53 signatures, STILs, and STICs, have been defined based on the immunohistochemistry (IHC) pattern of p53 and Ki67 markers and the architectural alterations of the cells, using the Sectioning and Extensively Examining the Fimbriated End Protocol. In this study, we performed an in-depth proteomic analysis of these pre-neoplastic epithelial lesions guided by mass spectrometry imaging and IHC. We evaluated specific markers related to each preneoplastic lesion. The study identified specific lesion markers, such as CAVIN1, Emilin2, and FBLN5. We also used SpiderMass technology to perform a lipidomic analysis and identified the specific presence of specific lipids signature including dietary Fatty acids precursors in lesions. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of ovarian cancer and confirms the fimbria origin of HGSC.
IFNγ-Stat1 axis drives aging-associated loss of intestinal tissue homeostasis and regeneration
Authors: Omrani Omid , Krepelova Anna , Rasa Seyed Mohammad Mahdi , Sirvinskas Dovydas , Lu Jing , Annunziata Francesco , Garside George , Bajwa Seerat , Reinhardt Susanne , Adam Lisa , Käppel Sandra , Ducano Nadia , Donna Daniela , Ori Alessandro , Oliviero Salvatore , Rudolph Karl Lenhard , Neri Francesco
Published: September 2023

The influence of aging on intestinal stem cells and their niche can explain underlying causes for perturbation in their function observed during aging. Molecular mechanisms for such a decrease in the functionality of intestinal stem cells during aging remain largely undetermined. Using transcriptome-wide approaches, our study demonstrates that aging intestinal stem cells strongly upregulate antigen presenting pathway genes and over-express secretory lineage marker genes resulting in lineage skewed differentiation into the secretory lineage and strong upregulation of MHC class II antigens in the aged intestinal epithelium. Mechanistically, we identified an increase in proinflammatory cells in the lamina propria as the main source of elevated interferon gamma (IFNγ) in the aged intestine, that leads to the induction of Stat1 activity in intestinal stem cells thus priming the aberrant differentiation and elevated antigen presentation in epithelial cells. Of note, systemic inhibition of IFNγ-signaling completely reverses these aging phenotypes and reinstalls regenerative capacity of the aged intestinal epithelium.
FGF18 alleviates hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury via the USP16-mediated KEAP1/Nrf2 signaling pathway in male mice
Authors: Tong Gaozan , Chen Yiming , Chen Xixi , Fan Junfu , Zhu Kunxuan , Hu ZiJing , Li Santie , Zhu Junjie , Feng Jianjun , Wu Zhaohang , Hu Zhenyu , Zhou Bin , Jin Litai , Chen Hui , Shen Jingling , Cong Weitao , Li XiaoKun
Published: September 2023

Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common complication occurs during hepatic resection and transplantation. However, the mechanisms underlying hepatic IRI have not been fully elucidated. Here, we aim to explore the role of fibroblast growth factor 18 (FGF18) in hepatic IRI. In this work, we find that Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) secrete FGF18 and alleviates hepatocytes injury. HSCs-specific FGF18 deletion largely aggravates hepatic IRI. Mechanistically, FGF18 treatment reduces the levels of ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 16 (USP16), leading to increased ubiquitination levels of Kelch Like ECH Associated Protein 1 (KEAP1) and the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Furthermore, USP16 interacts and deubiquitinates KEAP1. More importantly, Nrf2 directly binds to the promoter of USP16 and forms a negative feedback loop with USP16. Collectively, our results show FGF18 alleviates hepatic IRI by USP16/KEAP1/Nrf2 signaling pathway in male mice, suggesting that FGF18 represents a promising therapeutic approach for hepatic IRI.
Memory-efficient low-compute segmentation algorithms for bladder-monitoring smart ultrasound devices
Authors: Song Zhiye , Asiedu Mercy , Wang Shuhang , Li Qian , Ozturk Arinc , Mittal Vipasha , Schoen Scott , Ramaswamy Srinath , Pierce Theodore T. , Samir Anthony E. , Eldar Yonina C. , Chandrakasan Anantha , Kumar Viksit
Published: September 2023

Post-operative urinary retention is a medical condition where patients cannot urinate despite having a full bladder. Ultrasound imaging of the bladder is used to estimate urine volume for early diagnosis and management of urine retention. Moreover, the use of bladder ultrasound can reduce the need for an indwelling urinary catheter and the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection. Wearable ultrasound devices combined with machine-learning based bladder volume estimation algorithms reduce the burdens of nurses in hospital settings and improve outpatient care. However, existing algorithms are memory and computation intensive, thereby demanding the use of expensive GPUs. In this paper, we develop and validate a low-compute memory-efficient deep learning model for accurate bladder region segmentation and urine volume calculation. B-mode ultrasound bladder images of 360 patients were divided into training and validation sets; another 74 patients were used as the test dataset. Our 1-bit quantized models with 4-bits and 6-bits skip connections achieved an accuracy within $$3.8\%$$

3.8
%

and $$2.6\%$$

2.6
%

, respectively, of a full precision state-of-the-art neural network (NN) without any floating-point operations and with an $$11.5\times$$

11.5
×

and $$9.0\times$$

9.0
×

reduction in memory requirements to fit under 150 kB. The means and standard deviations of the volume estimation errors, relative to estimates from ground-truth clinician annotations, were $$5.0\pm 33$$

5.0
±
33

 ml and $$6.8\pm 29$$

6.8
±
29

 ml, respectively. This lightweight NN can be easily integrated on the wearable ultrasound device for automated and continuous monitoring of urine volume. Our approach can potentially be extended to other clinical applications, such as monitoring blood pressure and fetal heart rate.
Effects of inoculation with four mycorrhizal species on seed phenolic and fatty acids of sesame plants grown under different irrigation regimes
Authors: Ghasemi Masoumeh , Zahedi Morteza , Gheysari Mahdi , Sabzalian Mohammad R.
Published: September 2023

This study evaluated the interaction effects of irrigation level (well-watered and water stress conditions) and inoculation by different mycorrhizal species (non-inoculated, Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizophagus irregularis, Claroideoglomus claroideum, and Glomus fasciculatum) on mycorrhizal colonization, antioxidant activity, seed yield and oil quality of two sesame cultivars (Yekta and Naz). Water deficit decreased mycorrhizal colonization, seed yield and oil concentration but increased antioxidant activity and seed total phenol and flavonoid concentrations. However, mycorrhizal inoculation increased antioxidant activity, seed yield, oil concentration and total phenolic and flavonoids. The lowest reduction by water stress and the highest increase by inoculation in seed yield were observed in Naz plants inoculated by Cl. claroideum. Principal component analysis showed the highest differentiation effect of water stress compared to mycorrhizal inoculation on both cultivars, indicating the relative sensitivity of the two cultivars to water deficit. However, the application of different species of mycorrhizal fungi versus the non-inoculation conditions was somewhat discriminative. In terms of fatty acids, in most cases, water stress increased oleic, palmitic and stearic acids and decreased linoleic and linolenic acids but inoculation increased oleic and linoleic acids and decreased linolenic, palmitic and stearic acids. Regarding phenolic and flavonoids components, the contents of chlorogenic and caffeic acids were increased by water stress but no consistent trend was noted in response to water stress for the other compounds. Mycorrhizal inoculation generally decreased chlorogenic acid but increased gallic, caffeic, p-coumaric, and ferulic acids. In conclusion, the results of the present study may help to increase the level of valuable compounds in sesame for further pharmaceutical purposes under water stress conditions and mycorrhizal symbiosis.
Real-time detection of road manhole covers with a deep learning model
Authors: Pang Dangfeng , Guan Zhiwei , Luo Tao , Su Wei , Dou Ruzhen
Published: September 2023

Road manhole covers are crucial components of urban infrastructure; however, inadequate maintenance or poor marking can pose safety risks to vehicular traffic. This paper presents a method for detecting road manhole covers using a stereo depth camera and the MGB-YOLO model. We curated a robust image dataset and performed image enhancement and annotation. The MGB-YOLO model was developed by optimizing the YOLOv5s network with MobileNet-V3, Global Attention Mechanism (GAM), and BottleneckCSP, striking a balance between detection accuracy and model efficiency. Our method achieved an impressive accuracy of 96.6%, surpassing the performance of Faster RCNN, SSD, YOLOv5s, YOLOv7 and YOLOv8s models with an increased mean average precision (mAP) of 15.6%, 6.9%, 0.7%, 0.5% and 0.5%, respectively. Additionally, we have reduced the model's size and the number of parameters, making it highly suitable for deployment on in-vehicle embedded devices. These results underscore the effectiveness of our approach in detecting road manhole covers, offering valuable insights for vehicle-based manhole cover detection and contributing to the reduction of accidents and enhanced driving comfort.
A study on improving the prediction accuracy of cold forging die life based on quantitative evaluation of phosphate film damage
Authors: Seo Young Ho
Published: September 2023

In designing the multi-stage cold forging process, an important factor along with formability is the die life cycle. As the die life cycle is closely related to the integrity of the phosphate film coating on the surface of the material, this study presents a method for predicting the die life cycle considering damage to the phosphate film coating. First, the correlation between the phosphate treatment conditions (phosphate treatment solution concentration and temperature) and the film layer weight was discussed. Afterwards, the behavior of the friction coefficient according to the damage of the phosphate film was predicted through repeated frictional tests. The behavior of the coefficient of friction was mainly divided into three areas and correlated with the film weight. By applying these results to the automobile engine bolt forging process, a method for performing precise simulation considering the damage to the phosphate film was presented. In addition, a method for predicting the quantitative limit life of the die based on precise simulation results with high accuracy was presented.