bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphologische und ökohydraulische Entwicklung von Renaturierungsmaßnahmen im Grenzabschnitt der Thaya
Authors: Haimann Marlene , Holzapfel Patrick , Klösch Mario , Steiner Franz , Merl Kevin , Busch Erich , Krapesch Michael , Habersack Helmut
Published: January 2023

Von Bernhardsthal bis zu ihrer Einmündung in die March bildet die Thaya die Grenze zwischen Österreich und der Tschechischen Republik. In diesem rund 15 km langen Abschnitt wurde der Fluss in den 1970er- und 1980er-Jahren hauptsächlich durch Abtrennung von Mäandern und Ufersicherungen begradigt und kanalisiert. Darüber hinaus wird dieser Abschnitt durch den Sedimentrückhalt in flussaufwärts gelegenen Stauseen und durch die Auswirkungen des Klimawandels beeinträchtigt. Dies hat zu einer negativen morphologischen Reaktion des Flusses, Eintiefung des Gewässers und einem Rückgang der Lebensraumvielfalt geführt. Da in unmittelbarer Nähe der Thaya noch ursprüngliche Lebensräume in Form von Altarmen und Auwäldern vorhanden sind, ist das Potenzial für eine Wiederherstellung besonders groß. Dieses Potenzial wurde genutzt, in dem Renaturierungsmaßnahmen wie die Entfernung von Ufersicherung und die Verstärkung der Ufererosion durch große Totholzstrukturen sowie die Wiederanbindung von Mäandern umgesetzt wurden. Durch ein Monitoring vor und nach der Renaturierung konnten die Auswirkungen dieser Maßnahmen auf die Morphodynamik erfasst werden. Darüber hinaus zeigt die durchgeführte Habitatmodellierung die positive Veränderung der Habitatverfügbarkeit nach Umsetzung der Renaturierungsmaßnahmen für Fische und Makrozoobenthos auf.
Simultaneous determination of l-tryptophan impurities in meat products
Authors: Lee Doo-Hee , Kim Yang Hee , Baek Mina , Heo In Kyung , Shin Yonguk
Published: January 2023

L-tryptophan has been used as a feed additive for swine and poultry and as a nutrient supplement for humans. However, some impurities in l-tryptophan have been reported as causative components of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. Therefore, from a safety perspective, it is important to analyze meat samples for these impurities. This study aims to develop an analytical method for the simultaneous detection of l-tryptophan impurities in meat products using LC–MS/MS. Among the various impurities, detection methods for (S)-2-amino-3-(5-hydroxy-1H-indol-3-yl)propanoic acid (5-hydroxytryptophan) (HTP), 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (MTCA), 3a-hydroxy-1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydropyrrolo-[2,3-b]-indole-2-carboxylic acid (PIC), and 1,1′-ethylidenebistryptophan (EBT) and 2-(3-indoylmethyl)-l-tryptophan (IMT) were developed. The developed method allowed simultaneous determination of these four impurities in 5 min. No interferences from the matrix were observed, and the method showed good sensitivity to each analyte. The method detection limit and limit of quantification in meat matrices were below 11.2 and 35.7 μg/kg, respectively.
Why Does Tardive Dyskinesia Have Oro-facial Predominance? A Network Analysis
Authors: Szalisznyó Krisztina , Silverstein David N.
Published: January 2023

Tardive dyskinesia is a involuntary hyperkinetic disorder which usually occurs in older patients after long-term treatment with antipsychotic drugs. These dyskinesias are mostly irreversible and are frequently expressed in the tongue, cheeks, mandible, perioral area and other regions of the face. In this theoretical study we asked the question, why does tardive dyskinesia often have orofacial predominance? What might be the underlying neural network structure which contributes to this propensity? Graph analysis of high-level cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical network structure suggests a connectivity bottleneck. The number of walks of different lengths from the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) to other vertices, as well as the returning cycles are the lowest in the network, which may indicate a higher damage susceptibility of this node. Analysis was also performed on published data from a recent high resolution histological study on cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical networks in rodents. Finer network partitioning and adjacency matrices demonstrated that the SNr has a heterogeneous connectivity structure and the number of local walks from nodes neighboring orofacial neural representation is higher, indicating possible early compensatory escape routes. However, with more extensive SNr damage the larger circuit compensation might be limited. This area of inquiry is important for future research, because identifying key vulnerable structures may provide more targeted therapeutical interventions.
Empowerment through health self-testing apps? Revisiting empowerment as a process
Authors: Kapeller Alexandra , Loosman Iris
Published: January 2023

Empowerment, an already central concept in public health, has gained additional relevance through the expansion of mobile health (mHealth). Especially direct-to-consumer self-testing app companies mobilise the term to advertise their products, which allow users to self-test for various medical conditions independent of healthcare professionals. This article first demonstrates the absence of empowerment conceptualisations in the context of self-testing apps by engaging with empowerment literature. It then contrasts the service these apps provide with two widely cited empowerment definitions by the WHO, which describe the term as a process that, broadly, leads to knowledge and control of health decisions. We conclude that self-testing apps can only partly empower their users, as they, we argue, do not provide the type of knowledge and control the WHO definitions describe. More importantly, we observe that this shortcoming stems from the fact that in the literature on mHealth and in self-testing marketing, empowerment is understood as a goal rather than a process. This characterises a shift in the meaning of empowerment in the context of self-testing and mHealth, one that reveals a lack of awareness for relational and contextual factors that contribute to empowerment. We argue that returning to a process-understanding of empowerment helps to identify these apps’ deficits, and we conclude the article by briefly suggesting several strategies to increase self-testing apps’ empowerment function.
Arterial Baroreflex Dysfunction Promotes Neuroinflammation by Activating the Platelet CD40L/Nuclear Factor Kappa B Signaling Pathway in Microglia and Astrocytes
Authors: Kong Deping , Tan Rui , Gao Yongfeng , Gao Shan , Feng Zhaoyang , Qi Huibin , Shen Bowen , Yang Lili , Shen Xuri , Jing Xiuli , Zhao Xiaomin
Published: January 2023

Arterial baroreflex (ABR) dysfunction has previously been associated with neuroinflammation, the most common pathological feature of neurological disorders. However, the mechanisms mediating ABR dysfunction-induced neuroinflammation are not fully understood. In the present study, we investigated the role of platelet CD40 ligand (CD40L) in neuroinflammation in an in vivo model of ABR dysfunction, and microglia and astrocyte activation in vitro. ABR dysfunction was induced in Sprague‒Dawley rats by sinoaortic denervation (SAD). We used ELSA and immunofluorescence to assess the effect of platelet CD40L on glial cell polarization and the secretion of inflammatory factors. By flow cytometry, we found that rats subjected to SAD showed a high level of platelet microaggregation and upregulation of CD40L on the platelet surface. The promotion of platelet invasion and accumulation was also observed in the brain tissues of rats subjected to SAD. In the animal model and cultured N9 microglia/C6 astrocytoma cells, platelet CD40L overexpression promoted neuroinflammation and activated M1 microglia, A1 astrocytes, and the nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) signaling pathway. These effects were partially blocked by inhibiting platelet activity with clopidogrel or inhibiting CD40L-mediated signaling. Our results suggest that during ABR dysfunction, CD40L signaling in platelets converts microglia to the M1 phenotype and astrocytes to the A1 phenotype, activating NFκB and resulting in neuroinflammation. Thus, our study provides a novel understanding of the pathogenesis of ABR dysfunction-induced neuroinflammation and indicates that targeting platelet CD40L is beneficial for treating central nervous system (CNS) disorders associated with ABR dysfunction.
Practical knowledge without practical expertise: the social cognitive extension via outsourcing
Authors: Zhang Xiaoxing
Published: January 2023

Practical knowledge is discussed in close relation to practical expertise. For both anti-intellectualists and intellectualists, the knowledge of how to φ is widely assumed to entail the practical expertise in φ-ing. This paper refutes this assumption. I argue that non-experts can know how to φ via other experts’ knowledge of φ-ing. Know-how can be ‘outsourced’. I defend the outsourceability of know-how, and I refute the objections that reduce outsourced know-how to the knowledge of how to ask for help, of how to get things done, or of external contents. Interestingly, outsourcing differs from social cooperation, collective agency, testimonial transmission, and many other notions in social-epistemological debates. Thus, outsourcing provides not only a hitherto unconsidered form of know-how but also a novel way for knowledge to be social. Furthermore, outsourcing plausibly involves a ‘social’ cognitive extension that does not rest on EMT or HEC. Given the outsourceability of know-how, we must reconsider the nature of know-how and expertise, as well as the relation between non-experts and experts.
A Computational Block Method with Five Hybrid-Points for Differential Equations Containing a Piece-wise Constant Delay
Authors: Bisheh-Niasar Morteza , Ramos Higinio
Published: January 2023

This paper presents an efficient numerical approach for first-order delay differential equations containing a piece-wise constant delay. The strategy is based on a five-point hybrid block method that has been developed for ordinary differential equations. We will use the interpolation technique for the evaluation of delay terms that are not defined at the grid points. The main characteristics are discussed, including zero stability, local truncation errors, convergence and stability region. The method is easy to implement, and the numerical experiments show the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method, compared to other methods appeared in the literature.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Examining the variation of
soil moisture from cosmic-ray neutron probes footprint: experimental results from a
COSMOS-UK site
Authors: Howells Owen D. , Petropoulos George P. , Triantakonstantis Dimitris , Ioannou Zacharias , Srivastava Prashant K. , Detsikas Spyridon E. , Stavroulakis George
Published: January 2023

Utilising cosmic-ray neutron probes is a relatively new approach in
obtaining larger area soil moisture and various operational monitoring networks have
been established worldwide utilising this technology to measure operationally this
parameter. One such network located in the United Kingdom (UK) is the Cosmic-ray Soil
Moisture Observing System, so-called COSMOS-UK, established in 2013. The present study
aims at investigating the true footprint and the variations within the footprint
detectable area at the COSMOS-UK sites using as a case study one such site located in
Riseholme, UK. At the selected experimental site extensive fieldwork was conducted in
July 2017 that allowed examining the agreement among the soil moisture data retrieved by
the Time Domain Transmissometer (TDT) sensors and the corresponding estimates from the
COSMOS-UK network station probe. The COSMOS-UK site footprint was compared using
GPS-aided information from ground instrumentation, assisted by drone imagery acquisition
and the implementation of geospatial interpolation methods in a Geographical Information
System (GIS) environment. Altogether, this information was used for assessing the soil
moisture footprint extent from the COSMOS-UK site. The COSMOS-UK station footprint was
representative for an area shorter in size than the alleged footprint of 600 m diameter,
as generally proposed in various relevant investigations. The COSMOS network slightly
overestimated soil moisture content measured by the TDT sensor probes installed in the
area. Our study findings although concern specifically the studied experimental site
contribute towards efforts aiming at assessing the COSMOS-UK soil moisture measurement
footprint showcasing the added value of geospatial analysis in this direction.
Why bootstrapping for J-holomorphic curves fails in $$C^k$$
Authors: Geiges Hansjörg , Sağlam Murat , Zehmisch Kai
Published: January 2023

We present a simple example for the failure of the Calderón–Zygmund estimate for the $$\overline{\partial }$$

∂
¯

-operator when the Sobolev (k, p)-norms are replaced by the $$C^k$$

C
k

-norms. This example is discussed in the context of elliptic bootstrapping, Fredholm theory, and the regularity of J-holomorphic curves.
Infinitesimal Torelli for weighted complete intersections and certain Fano threefolds
Authors: Licht Philipp
Published: January 2023

We generalize the classical approach of describing the infinitesimal Torelli map in terms of multiplication in a Jacobi ring to the case of quasi-smooth complete intersections in weighted projective space. As an application, we prove that the infinitesimal Torelli theorem does not hold for hyperelliptic Fano threefolds of Picard rank 1, index 1, degree 4, and study the action of the automorphism group on cohomology. The results of this paper are used to prove Lang-Vojta’s conjecture for the moduli of such Fano threefolds in a follow-up paper.
Changes in Religiosity and Reliance on God during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Protective Role under Conditions of Financial Strain?
Authors: Upenieks Laura , Ellison Christopher G.
Published: January 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most devastating disasters of the twenty-first century and has exacted a steep health and economic toll. During times of suffering caused by the pandemic, religion/spirituality may prove to be a consistent and valuable coping resource.

Purpose

We situate changes in religious importance and reliance on God as key aspects of religious life that may be important coping mechanisms in response to pandemic-related financial hardship, addressing a gap in the literature on religious coping during the pandemic and considering self-reported changes in religiosity.

Methods

We use data from a nationally representative sample of Americans that was collected in 2021 (N = 1704) and employ a series of OLS Regression Models.

Results

Our results suggest that relying more heavily on God was associated with lower psychological distress, and a stronger reliance on God buffered the deleterious consequences of financial strain on psychological distress. No such patterns were documented for religious importance.

Conclusion and Implications

We discuss our findings within the broader religion and health literature as to whether secondary control via a divine power reduces or enhances individual agency and discuss religion/spirituality may be a consistent and valuable coping resource through adversity and suffering. Though it may be challenging to maintain, or increase, religious/spiritual beliefs in the face of adversity, that there were observed benefits to well-being for doing so could serve as insightful guidance for both religious leaders and R/S individuals.
Embodied Faith and the Limits of Female Agency in Randa Abdel-Fattah’s Does My Head Look Big in This?
Authors: Chaoui Saleh
Published: January 2023

The present essay discusses Randa Abdel-Fattah’s Does My Head Look Big in This? by focusing on the rendition of Islam as an axis of social agency in an environment that is excessively antagonistic of any version of Islam that falls outside the contours of the “liberal model” morphed by the Western creed of equality, liberty. Amal, the protagonist, embodies the dilemmas of choice and agency within an ideological rubric which disassociates such notions from faith-based convictions. The analysis relies on the notion of Muslim agency as theorized by Saba Mahmood, for whom the conscious formation of deeply rooted religious subjectivities is sidelined within the modern secular rubrics of self-formation. The article also draws on W.E.B Du Bois’s concept of double consciousness to highlight the extent to which Muslim female bodies are caught at the intersection between religion and nation. Hence, this essay discloses the challenges facing Muslim women whose exercise of agency is tied to their religious beliefs in a backdrop characterized by multicultural and secular economies. More particularly, it explores Amal’s religious tradition of habituated practices—such as wearing the veil in a hostile environment—as embodiments of autonomous agency.
Competitive conditions in the public procurement markets: an investigation with network analysis
Authors: Fountoukidis Ioannis G. , Antoniou Ioannis E. , Varsakelis Nikos C.
Published: January 2023

The aim of this paper is to use network analysis as a monitoring tool for the competitive conditions and the behavior of the contracting authorities and companies in the public procurement market. The proposed method examines the market using network entropy and conditional network entropy, along with each agent's metrics. Network entropy offers information about the market conditions for the authorities and companies’ groups. The conditional network entropy measures the distribution of contracts across sellers or buyers for each group. The findings are signals of possible dominant positions and preferential treatment. In the second stage, the agency uses the agents’ degrees and entropies, unweighted and weighted, to inspect for possible preferential treatment or market dominance by specific agents. We applied the method in the pacemakers’ public procurement market using data from 33 countries from the period 2009–2019. The findings indicated that even though the network entropy and the conditional network entropy indicated that the market operated competitively, the examination of the companies’ degree centrality reveals the presence of at least one dominant company.
Concept evaluation of a P2 MHEV SUV: application for possible EU7 boundaries
Authors: Wancura Hannes , Kühberger Gabriel , Schutting Eberhard
Published: January 2023

In this work, the experimental results that appeared in the recent published article “Current experimental developments in 48 V-based CI-driven SUVs in response to expected future EU7 legislation” are used to create a proper system simulation model with the simulation platform AVL CRUISE$$^\text {TM}$$

TM

 M. This simulation model is then used to perform a system validation in order to evaluate the configuration with a straight-four compression ignition (CI) engine and the selected exhaust aftertreatment system (EAS). The mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) has an 48 V P2 architecture and an 8-gear dual-clutch transmission (DCT) as a powertrain configuration. In addition to evaluating the 48 V potential, the simulation is performed with a conventional 12 V configuration, but also including an electrically heated catalyst (EHC). As boundary conditions for the simulation, we use the different engine operating mode (EOM) calibrations from the test bed to trigger the dedicated operation modes of the internal combustion engine (ICE). For the exhaust aftertreatment system (EAS), an optimization loop is performed to obtain a layout which will be near a serial production. This includes optimizing the heat losses and reducing the thermal mass of the canning. Beside the plant models, a hybrid control unit (HCU) is used, which includes an exhaust aftertreatment system coordinator (EASC). With these functionalities, the EOMs, electrically heated catalyst (EHC), electric machine (EM) and dosing control unit (DCU) are optimized to obtain the lowest possible nitrogen oxides (NOx) with an carbon dioxide (CO$$_{2}$$

2

) reduction potential. The targets for the emission limits are defined on the basis of the available information from the Consortium for ultra-Low Vehicle Emissions (CLOVE) and International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) proposals.
Adult presentations of variable kidney and liver phenotypes secondary to biallelic PKHD1 pathogenic variants
Authors: Das Ananya , Mead Paul , Sayer John A.
Published: January 2023

The polycystic kidney and hepatic disease 1 (PKHD1) gene located on chromosome 6p12 encodes for a large transmembrane protein called fibrocystin. Biallelic pathogenic variants in this gene cause autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD). ARPKD often leads to both early-onset polycystic kidney disease as well as congenital hepatic fibrosis. In addition to the early onset phenotypes, some patients present much later with adult-onset liver involvement which is often labeled as Caroli’s syndrome. The kidney phenotype can resemble medullary sponge kidney disease with nephrolithiasis as well as atypical cystic kidney disease. Here, we present two families, each with 2 affected siblings, where the presenting liver and kidney features were variable among the siblings, with presentations including late-onset liver phenotypes, kidney features which had been labeled as medullary sponge kidney, and cystic kidney disease. Molecular genetic investigations identified biallelic pathogenic variants in PKHD1 in the affected siblings, including a novel nonsense allele. These cases emphasize the adult-onset and variable and sometimes discordant phenotypes that may be observed with PKHD1 biallelic pathogenic variants.
Vagueness in Artificial Intelligence: The ‘Fuzzy Logic’ of AI-Related Patent Claims
Authors: Ferrero Guillén Rebeca , Breckwoldt Jurado Altair
Published: January 2023

Artificial intelligence is an emerging technology with an average growth rate of 64.70% in patent filings worldwide and 39.71% in Europe between 2015 and 2019, according to Espacenet queries. This trend has raised several concerns regarding the implications for Intellectual Property rights, including disclosure, which is one of the main components justifying the existence of the patent system. Despite its importance, this requirement has been disputed due to certain tendencies that distort the functions that the act of disclosure fulfils, such as promoting innovation, research or teaching. With artificial intelligence–related patents being granted, the disclosure requirement is once again compromised, and perhaps even more due to the particularities that this branch of technology entails. In this sense, one main concern lies in the question of how artificial intelligence–related patents should be disclosed, as well as the fulfilment with this requirement. To this aim, two case studies are conducted to show the heterogeneity of compliance with this requirement, focusing on patents filed at the European Patent Office. The methodology used in the case studies consists in the analysis of a core-AI patent and an AI application patent which allow to assess the differences in the disclosure of both inventions. The heterogeneity between both case studies highlights the relevance of the topic and allows to propose three recommendations to improve sufficiency of disclosure in AI-related patent claims: metrics and benchmark analysis, standardisation of patent claim construction by introducing a ‘claim chart’ and introducing a peer review patent programme.
Semantic cross-scale numerical anchoring
Authors: Harris Adam J. L. , Speekenbrink Maarten
Published: January 2023

Anchoring effects are robust, varied and can be consequential. Researchers have provided a variety of alternative explanations for these effects. More recently, it has become apparent that anchoring effects might be produced by a variety of different processes, either acting simultaneously, or else individually in distinct situations. An unresolved issue is whether anchoring, aside from simple numeric priming, can transcend scales. That is, is it necessary that the anchor value and the target judgment are expressed in the same units? Despite some theoretical predictions to the contrary, this paper demonstrates semantic cross-scale anchoring in four experiments. Such effects are important for the direction of future theorising on the causes of anchoring effects and understanding the scope of their consequences in applied domains.
New LiDAR‐Based Elevation Model Shows Greatest Increase in Global Coastal Exposure to Flooding to Be Caused by Early‐Stage Sea‐Level Rise
Authors: Vernimmen Ronald , Hooijer Aljosja
Published: January 2023

The latest projections indicate that sea‐level rise (SLR) is certain to exceed 2 m in coming centuries, and a rise by 4 m is considered possible. Radar‐based land elevation models applied to date suggest that the increase of area below mean sea level, that is potentially exposed to permanent flooding, will accelerate as SLR proceeds, being relatively limited initially. However, applying new and more accurate satellite LiDAR elevation data we find the opposite pattern, with the fastest increase in the area of exposed land occurring in the early stages of SLR. In one‐third of countries most of this increase will be caused by the first meter of SLR and in nearly all within the first 2 m. We conclude that in many regions the time available to prepare for increased exposure to flooding may be considerably less than assumed to date, and that better elevation data will support timely preparations. The global LiDAR lowland DTM (GLL_DTM_v2) elevation data set developed for this assessment is available in the public domain.
Metal-halide perovskites for high-efficiency radiation shielding applications
Authors: Dong Qingfeng , Fang Yanjun
Published: January 2023

The ionizing radiation possesses extremely strong penetration capability, which poses serious risk on the health of the human body and jeopardize electronics. Here the authors demonstrate that MAPbI3/epoxy composites prepared by a simple method show high radiation shielding performance.
DDX17 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis through the miR-149-3p/CYBRD1 pathway in colorectal cancer
Authors: Zhao Gang , Wang Qijing , Zhang Yue , Gu Rui , Liu Min , Li Qin , Zhang Jie , Yuan Hang , Feng Tianyu , Ou Deqiong , Li Siqi , Li Shan , Li Kai , Mo Chunfen , Lin Ping
Published: January 2023

DEAD box helicase 17 (DDX17) has been reported to be involved in the initiation and development of several cancers. However, the functional role and mechanisms of DDX17 in colorectal cancer (CRC) malignant progression and metastasis remain unclear. Here, we reported that DDX17 expression was increased in CRC tissues compared with noncancerous mucosa tissues and further upregulated in CRC liver metastasis compared with patient-paired primary tumors. High levels of DDX17 were significantly correlated with aggressive phenotypes and worse clinical outcomes in CRC patients. Ectopic expression of DDX17 promoted cell migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo, while the opposite results were obtained in DDX17-deficient CRC cells. We identified miR-149-3p as a potential downstream miRNA of DDX17 through RNA sequencing analysis, and miR-149-3p displayed a suppressive effect on the metastatic potential of CRC cells. We demonstrated that CYBRD1 (a ferric reductase that contributes to dietary iron absorption) was a direct target of miR-149-3p and that miR-149-3p was required for DDX17-mediated regulation of CYBRD1 expression. Moreover, DDX17 contributed to the metastasis and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of CRC cells via downregulation of miR-149-3p, which resulted in increased CYBRD1 expression. In conclusion, our findings not only highlight the significance of DDX17 in the aggressive development and prognosis of CRC patients, but also reveal a novel mechanism underlying DDX17-mediated CRC cell metastasis and EMT progression through manipulation of the miR-149-3p/CYBRD1 pathway.
Magnify is a universal molecular anchoring strategy for expansion microscopy
Authors: Klimas Aleksandra , Gallagher Brendan R. , Wijesekara Piyumi , Fekir Sinda , DiBernardo Emma F. , Cheng Zhangyu , Stolz Donna B. , Cambi Franca , Watkins Simon C. , Brody Steven L. , Horani Amjad , Barth Alison L. , Moore Christopher I. , Ren Xi , Zhao Yongxin
Published: January 2023

Expansion microscopy enables nanoimaging with conventional microscopes by physically and isotropically magnifying preserved biological specimens embedded in a crosslinked water-swellable hydrogel. Current expansion microscopy protocols require prior treatment with reactive anchoring chemicals to link specific labels and biomolecule classes to the gel. We describe a strategy called Magnify, which uses a mechanically sturdy gel that retains nucleic acids, proteins and lipids without the need for a separate anchoring step. Magnify expands biological specimens up to 11 times and facilitates imaging of cells and tissues with effectively around 25-nm resolution using a diffraction-limited objective lens of about 280 nm on conventional optical microscopes or with around 15 nm effective resolution if combined with super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging. We demonstrate Magnify on a broad range of biological specimens, providing insight into nanoscopic subcellular structures, including synaptic proteins from mouse brain, podocyte foot processes in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human kidney and defects in cilia and basal bodies in drug-treated human lung organoids.
Cryopreservation of tissues by slow-freezing using an emerging zwitterionic cryoprotectant
Authors: Ishizaki Takeru , Takeuchi Yasuto , Ishibashi Kojiro , Gotoh Noriko , Hirata Eishu , Kuroda Kosuke
Published: January 2023

Cryopreservation of tissues is a tough challenge. Cryopreservation is categorized into slow-freezing and vitrification, and vitrification has recently been recognized as a suitable method for tissue cryopreservation. On the contrary, some researchers have reported that slow-freezing also has potential for tissue cryopreservation. Although conventional cryoprotectants have been studied well, some novel ones may efficiently cryopreserve tissues via slow-freezing. In this study, we used aqueous solutions of an emerging cryoprotectant, an artificial zwitterion supplemented with a conventional cryoprotectant, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), for cell spheroids. The zwitterion/DMSO aqueous solutions produced a better cryoprotective effect on cell spheroids, which are the smallest units of tissues, compared to that of a commercial cryoprotectant. Cryopreservation with the zwitterion/DMSO solutions not only exhibited better cell recovery but also maintained the functions of the spheroids effectively. The optimized composition of the solution was 10 wt% zwitterion, 15 wt% DMSO, and 75 wt% water. The zwitterion/DMSO solution gave a higher number of living cells for the cryopreservation of mouse tumor tissues than a commercial cryoprotectant. The zwitterion/DMSO solution was also able to cryopreserve human tumor tissue, a patient-derived xenograft.
Prediction of tide level based on variable weight combination of LightGBM and CNN-BiGRU model
Authors: Su Ye , Jiang Xuchu
Published: January 2023

Accurate tide level prediction is crucial to human activities in coastal areas. Many practical applications show that compared with traditional harmonic analysis, long short-term memory (LSTM), gated recurrent units (GRUs) and other neural networks, along with ensemble learning models, such as light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) and eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), can achieve extremely high prediction accuracy in relatively stationary time series. Therefore, this paper proposes a variable weight combination model based on LightGBM and CNN-BiGRU with relevant research. It uses the variable weight combination method to weight and synthesize the prediction results of the two base models so that the combination model has a stronger ability to capture time series features and fits the data well. The experimental results show that in contrast to the base model LightGBM, the RMSE value and MAE value of the combination model are reduced by 43.2% and 44.7%, respectively; in contrast to the base model CNN-BiGRU, the RMSE value and MAE value of the combination model are reduced by 35.3% and 39.1%, respectively. This means that the variable weight combination model can greatly improve the accuracy of tide level prediction. In addition, we use tidal data from different geographical environments to further verify the good universality of the model. This study provides a new idea and method for tide prediction.
Association of LncRNA-PAX8-AS1 and LAIR-2 polymorphisms along with their expression with clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism
Authors: Elsayed Omar M. , Abdelazim Samy A. , Darwish Hebatallah A. , Shaker Olfat G. , Senousy Mahmoud A.
Published: January 2023

The genetic and epigenetic architecture of clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism remains unclear. We investigated the impact of long noncoding RNA (LncRNA)-PAX8-AS1 and LAIR-2 genetic variants on the susceptibility to clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism, their influence on LncRNA-PAX8-AS1 and LAIR-2 expression and their potential as hypothyroid biomarkers. Hundred clinical hypothyroid patients, 110 subclinical hypothyroid patients, and 95 healthy controls were enrolled. Gene expression analysis and genotyping were performed by qPCR. LAIR-2 protein, a proinflammatory mediator, was tested by ELISA. Serum LncRNA-PAX8-AS1 was downregulated, whereas LAIR-2 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated in clinical and subclinical hypothyroid patients compared to healthy controls. LncRNA-PAX8-AS1 rs4848320 and rs1110839 were associated with increased risk of clinical hypothyroidism. Interestingly, both SNPs were associated with differential expression of serum LncRNA-PAX8-AS1 among clinical hypothyroid patients. LAIR-2 rs2287828 was associated with elevated risk of both clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism. Harboring the rs2287828 T allele augmented the LAIR-2 mRNA expression among clinical hypothyroid patients, while elevated both LAIR-2 mRNA and protein levels in subclinical hypothyroid patients. The rs4848320-rs1110839-rs2287828 TTT, CTT, and CGT haplotypes were associated with increased hypothyroid risk. Surprisingly, serum LncRNA-PAX8-AS1 and LAIR-2 mRNA expression demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy for clinical hypothyroidism and turned out as independent predictors in the multivariate analysis. Conclusively, LncRNA-PAX8-AS1 and LAIR-2 genetic variants are novel genetic biomarkers of hypothyroidism that could alter the LncRNA-PAX8-AS1 and LAIR-2 expression. LncRNA-PAX8-AS1 and LAIR-2 expression profiles have the potential as effective diagnostic and prognostic indicators of hypothyroidism.
Preparation, characteristics and cytotoxicity of green synthesized selenium nanoparticles using Paenibacillus motobuensis LY5201 isolated from the local specialty food of longevity area
Authors: Long Qian , Cui Lan-kun , He Sheng-bin , Sun Jian , Chen Quan-zhi , Bao Hao-dong , Liang Teng-yue , Liang Bao-yue , Cui Lan-yu
Published: January 2023

Selenium is an essential micronutrient element. For the extremely biotoxic of selenite, Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) is gaining increasing interest. In this work, a selenium-enriched strain with highly selenite-resistant (up to 173 mmol/L) was isolated from the local specialty food of longevity area and identified as Paenibacillus motobuensis (P. motobuensis) LY5201. Most of the SeNPs were accumulated extracellular. SeNPs were around spherical with a diameter of approximately 100 nm. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the purified SeNPs consisted of selenium and proteins. Our results suggested that P. motobuensis LY5201could be a suitable and robust biocatalyst for SeNPs synthesis. In addition, the cytotoxicity effect and the anti-invasive activity of SeNPs on the HepG2 showed an inhibitory effect on HepG2, indicating that SeNPs could be used as a potential anticancer drug.
CDCP1 expression is frequently increased in aggressive urothelial carcinoma and promotes urothelial tumor progression
Authors: Saponaro Miriam , Flottmann Sina , Eckstein Markus , Hommerding Oliver , Klümper Niklas , Corvino Dillon , Hosni Sana , Schmidt Anja , Mönig Nicolas , Schmidt Doris , Ellinger Jörg , Toma Marieta , Kristiansen Glen , Bald Tobias , Alimonti Andrea , Ritter Manuel , Hölzel Michael , Alajati Abdullah
Published: January 2023

The prognosis of patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) remains poor and improving treatment continues to be a major medical need. CUB domain containing protein 1 (CDCP1) is a known oncogene in various types of solid cancers and its overexpression is associated with impaired prognosis. However, its role in UC remains undetermined. Here we assessed the clinical relevance of CDCP1 in two cohorts of UC at different stages of the disease. Immunohistochemistry showed that CDCP1 is highly expressed in advanced UC, which significantly correlates with shorter overall survival. Importantly, the basal/squamous UC subtype showed significantly enriched CDCP1 at the mRNA and protein levels. The functional role of CDCP1 overexpression was assessed taking advantage of ex vivo organoids derived from the CDCP1pcLSL/+ transgenic mouse model. Furthermore, CDCP1 knockout UC cell lines were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Interestingly, CDCP1 overexpression significantly induced the activation of MAPK/ERK pathways in ex vivo organoids and increased their proliferation. Similarly, CDCP1 knockout in UC cell lines reduced their proliferation and migration, concomitant with MAPK/ERK pathway activity reduction. Our results highlight the relevance of CDCP1 in advanced UC and demonstrate its oncogenic role, suggesting that targeting CDCP1 could be a rational therapeutic strategy for the treatment of advanced UC.
Transcriptional regulation of Notch1 by nuclear factor-κB during T cell activation
Authors: Hwang Jeong-Ryul , Kim Donghwan , Kang Jung-Ah , Park Sang-Heon , Park Sung-Gyoo
Published: January 2023

Notch1 plays important roles in T cell development and is highly expressed in activated CD4+ T cells. However, the underlying mechanism of Notch1 transcription in T cells has not been fully characterized. Therefore, we aimed to determine how Notch1 expression is regulated during the activation of CD4+ T cells. Both the surface expression and mRNA transcription of Notch1 were significantly higher in activated CD4+ T cells, but the inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) by LY294002 or deletion of the Pdk1 gene impaired this upregulation of Notch1. Interrogation of the Notch1 promoter region using serially deleted Notch1 promoter reporters revealed that the − 300 to − 270 region is crucial for its transcription in activated T cells. In addition, we found that nuclear factor (NF)-κB subunits containing RelA bind directly to this promoter region, thereby upregulating transcription. In addition, inhibition of NF-κB by SN50 impaired upregulation of Notch1 surface protein and mRNA in activated CD4+ T cells. Thus, we provide evidence that Notch1 transcription in activated CD4+ T cells is upregulated via the PI3K-PDK1-NF-κB signaling pathway.
Genetic parameters of feather corticosterone and fault bars and correlations with production traits in turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo)
Authors: Leishman Emily M. , Vanderhout Ryley J. , Abdalla Emhimad A. , van Staaveren Nienke , Naim Anna , Barbut Shai , Wood Benjamin J. , Harlander-Matauschek Alexandra , Baes Christine F.
Published: January 2023

Robustness can refer to an animal’s ability to overcome perturbations. Intense selection for production traits in livestock has resulted in reduced robustness which has negative implications for livability as well as production. There is increasing emphasis on improving robustness through poultry breeding, which may involve identifying novel phenotypes that could be used in selection strategies. The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and associated hormones (e.g., corticosterone) participate in many metabolic processes that are related to robustness. Corticosterone can be measured non-invasively in feathers (FCORT) and reflects the average HPA axis activity over the feather growing period, however measurement is expensive and time consuming. Fault bars are visible feather deformities that may be related to HPA axis activity and may be a more feasible indicator trait. In this study, we estimated variance components for FCORT and fault bars in a population of purebred turkeys as well as their genetic and partial phenotypic correlations with other economically relevant traits including growth and efficiency, carcass yield, and meat quality. The estimated heritability for FCORT was 0.21 ± 0.07 and for the fault bar traits (presence, incidence, severity, and index) estimates ranged from 0.09 to 0.24. The genetic correlation of FCORT with breast weight, breast meat yield, fillet weight, and ultimate pH were estimated at −0.34 ± 0.21, −0.45 ± 0.23, −0.33 ± 0.24, and 0.32 ± 0.24, respectively. The phenotypic correlations of FCORT with breast weight, breast meat yield, fillet weight, drum weight, and walking ability were −0.16, −0.23, −0.18, 0.17, and 0.21, respectively. Some fault bar traits showed similar genetic correlations with breast weight, breast meat yield, and walking ability but the magnitude was lower than those with FCORT. While the dataset is limited and results should be interpreted with caution, this study indicates that selection for traits related to HPA axis activity is possible in domestic turkeys. Further research should focus on investigating the association of these traits with other robustness-related traits and how to potentially implement these traits in turkey breeding.
Pressure optimization for hydraulic-electric hybrid biped robot power unit based on genetic algorithm
Authors: Zhao Pengyu , Xie Anhuan , Zhu Shiqiang , Kong Lingyu
Published: January 2023

Biped robots have attracted increasing attention because of their flexible movement and strong adaptability to the surroundings. However, the small output torque and the weak impact resistance of the motor drive, as well as the large energy consumption of the hydraulic drive limit the performance of the biped robot drive system. Aiming at these shortcomings, an electric-hydraulic hybrid drive system of biped robot was proposed in this paper. The robot platform was designed based on the prototype of the Zhejiang Lab biped robot. The model of the hydraulic drive system and mechanical structure was established to analyze the dynamic characteristic and the load force during walking. The value function reflecting the energy consumption of the hydraulic drive system was proposed. The pressure of the accumulator in the hydraulic power unit was selected as the control parameter. In order to get the minimum value of the value function, so as to reduce the energy consumption of the hydraulic driving system, the control parameters were optimized by using the genetic algorithm. From the simulation results, the proposed optimization algorithm can improve efficiency by 3.49%.
Bee species perform distinct foraging behaviors that are best described by different movement models
Authors: Brunet Johanne , Jiang Qi , Zhao Yang , Thairu Margaret W. , Clayton Murray K.
Published: January 2023

In insect-pollinated plants, the foraging behavior of pollinators affects their pattern of movement. If distinct bee species vary in their foraging behaviors, different models may best describe their movement. In this study, we quantified and compared the fine scale movement of three bee species foraging on patches of Medicago sativa. Bee movement was described using distances and directions traveled between consecutive racemes. Bumble bees and honey bees traveled shorter distances after visiting many flowers on a raceme, while the distance traveled by leafcutting bees was independent of flower number. Transition matrices and vectors were calculated for bumble bees and honey bees to reflect their directionality of movement within foraging bouts; leafcutting bees were as likely to move in any direction. Bee species varied in their foraging behaviors, and for each bee species, we tested four movement models that differed in how distances and directions were selected, and identified the model that best explained the movement data. The fine-scale, within-patch movement of bees could not always be explained by a random movement model, and a general model of movement could not be applied to all bee species.
A comprehensive psychological tendency prediction model for pregnant women based on questionnaires
Authors: Han Xiaosong , Cao Mengchen , He Junru , Xu Dong , Liang Yanchun , Lang Xiaoduo , Guan Renchu
Published: January 2023

More and more people are under high pressure in modern society, leading to growing mental disorders, such as antenatal depression for pregnant women. Antenatal depression can affect pregnant woman’s physical and psychological health and child outcomes, and cause postpartum depression. Therefore, it is essential to detect the antenatal depression of pregnant women early. This study aims to predict pregnant women’s antenatal depression and identify factors that may lead to antenatal depression. First, a questionnaire was designed, based on the daily life of pregnant women. The survey was conducted on pregnant women in a hospital, where 5666 pregnant women participated. As the collected data is unbalanced and has high dimensions, we developed a one-class classifier named Stacked Auto Encoder Support Vector Data Description (SAE-SVDD) to distinguish depressed pregnant women from normal ones. To validate the method, SAE-SVDD was firstly applied on three benchmark datasets. The results showed that SAE-SVDD was effective, with its F-scores better than other popular classifiers. For the antenatal depression problem, the F-score of SAE- SVDD was higher than 0.87, demonstrating that the questionnaire is informative and the classification method is successful. Then, by an improved Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) analysis, the critical factors of antenatal depression were identified as work stress, marital status, husband support, passive smoking, and alcohol consumption. With its generalizability, SAE-SVDD can be applied to analyze other questionnaires.
Pigment epithelial detachment composition indices (PEDCI) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Authors: Selvam Amrish , Singh Sumit Randhir , Arora Supriya , Patel Manan , Kuchhal Arnim , Shah Stavan , Ong Joshua , Rasheed Mohammed Abdul , Manne Shanmukh Reddy , Ibrahim Mohammed Nasar , Sahel José-Alain , Vupparaboina Kiran Kumar , Chhablani Jay
Published: January 2023

We provide an automated analysis of the pigment epithelial detachments (PEDs) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and estimate areas of serous, neovascular, and fibrous tissues within PEDs. A retrospective analysis of high-definition spectral-domain OCT B-scans from 43 eyes of 37 patients with nAMD with presence of fibrovascular PED was done. PEDs were manually segmented and then filtered using 2D kernels to classify pixels within the PED as serous, neovascular, or fibrous. A set of PED composition indices were calculated on a per-image basis using relative PED area of serous (PEDCI-S), neovascular (PEDCI-N), and fibrous (PEDCI-F) tissue. Accuracy of segmentation and classification within the PED were graded in masked fashion. Mean overall intra-observer repeatability and inter-observer reproducibility were 0.86 ± 0.07 and 0.86 ± 0.03 respectively using intraclass correlations. The mean graded scores were 96.99 ± 8.18, 92.12 ± 7.97, 91.48 ± 8.93, and 92.29 ± 8.97 for segmentation, serous, neovascular, and fibrous respectively. Mean (range) PEDCI-S, PEDCI-N, and PEDCI-F were 0.253 (0–0.952), 0.554 (0–1), and 0.193 (0–0.693). A kernel-based image processing approach demonstrates potential for approximating PED composition. Evaluating follow up changes during nAMD treatment with respect to PEDCI would be useful for further clinical applications.