bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Compositional Space of High-Entropy Alloys for Cost-Effective High-Temperature Applications
Authors: Orhan Okan K. , Isiet Mewael , Caparini Lucas , Ponga Mauricio
Published: January 2022

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are nearly equimolar multi-principal element alloys, exhibiting exceptional thermal and mechanical properties at extreme conditions such as high-temperatures and stresses. Since the first discovery and early conceptualization of conventional HEAs nearly two decades ago, HEAs with far-from-equimolar compositions have attracted substantial interest to provide a broader range of material properties and to adjust price fluctuations and availability of commodities. Here, we present a first-principles investigation of non-equimolar chromium-manganese-iron-cobalt-nickel (CrMnFeCoNi) HEAs and effects of molybdenum (Mo) and niobium (Nb) substitutions on cost, phase stability and solubility, and mechanical and thermal performance up to 1000 K operational temperature. Virtual-crystal approximation is used to expediently approximate random solid solutions at the disordered mean-field limit. Using multi-objective metaheuristics built on a first-principles database, golden compositions are predicted for thermally well-insulated components and effective heat sinks. Replacing Co with Fe lowers commodity costs without hindering phase stability and solubility. Lower Ni concentration leads to lower thermal conductivity, indicating better thermal insulation, while reducing Mn concentration significantly increases the thermal conductivity, indicating better performing heat sinks. Moving away from equimolar ratios commonly increases the thermal expansion coefficient, which could generate higher thermal stresses. Nb and Mo substitution always lead to substantially higher commodity cost and density but with an increment in the mechanical performance due to solid-solution hardening. However, alloying with Mo and Nb is the only compositional space that reduces the thermal conductivity and thermal expansion coefficient.
The Relative Contribution of Plasma Homocysteine Levels vs. Traditional Risk Factors to the First Stroke: A Nested Case-Control Study in Rural China
Authors: Zhou Feng , Liu Chengzhang , Ye Lijing , Wang Yukai , Shao Yan , Zhang Guohua , Duan Zhenpeng , Chen Jingjuan , Kuang Jingyun , Li Jingyi , Song Yun , Liu Lishun , Zalloua Pierre , Wang Xiaobin , Xu Xiping , Zhang Chengguo
Published: January 2022

Background

Approximately 75% of Chinese hypertensive patients have elevated homocysteine (Hcy). Its implication in risk assessment and prevention of the first stroke remains an important clinical and public health question.

Methods

This study was based on a community cohort recruited from 2016 to 2018 in the rural China. To maximize cost efficiency, we used a nested case-control design, including 3,533 first stroke cases and 3,533 controls matched for age ±1 years, sex, and village. Individual associations of tHcy and traditional risk factors with the first stroke were examined, and their population-attributable risks (PARs) were estimated.

Results

There was a significant dose-response association between first stroke and total Hcy (tHcy) levels, with adjusted odds ratios of 1.11 (95% CI: 0.97, 1.26) for tHcy 10–15 μmol/L and 1.44 (1.22, 1.69) for tHcy ≥ 15 μmol/L, all compared to tHcy < 10 μmol/L. A similar trend was found for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. tHcy and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were independently and additively associated with the risk of first stroke (tHcy: 1.06 [1.02, 1.1]; SBP: 1.13 [1.1, 1.16]; P-interaction, 0.889). Among the ten main risk factors examined, the top two contributors to the first stroke were SBP and tHcy, with PARs of 25.73 and 11.24%, respectively.

Conclusions

Elevated tHcy is the second most important contributor and acts additively with SBP to increase the risk of the first stroke. This finding underscores the importance of screening and treating elevated tHcy along with traditional risk factors to further reduce the burden of the first stroke in the high-risk populations.
Relationship Between Helicobacter pylori IgG Seroprevalence and the Immune Response to Poliovirus Vaccine Among School-Age Children From a Population With Near-Universal Immunity Level
Authors: Badran Abu Zher Layaly , Weil Merav , Kassem Eias , Elias Nael , Levine Myron M. , Muhsen Khitam
Published: January 2022

Objectives

To examine the association between Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence and serum pepsinogens (PGs) as markers of gastric inflammation), with high neutralizing antibody titers to poliovirus type 1 and 3 vaccine strains among children age 3–4 years, subsequent to sub-clinical infection acquired during a wild-type poliovirus type 1 outbreak in Israel.

Methods

A serosurvey was conducted among 336 children aged 5–17 years who were vaccinated with both inactivated polio vaccine and oral polio vaccines. H. pylori serum IgG antibodies and PG concentrations were measured using ELISA. Neutralizing antibodies to poliovirus vaccine strains were measured and children with a titer ≥1:8 were considered immune. High-level immunity was defined as having a serum NA titer >1:2048. Propensity score inverse weighting was used to account for confounders.

Results

Neutralizing antibodies titers ≥1:8 to poliovirus type 1 and 3 vaccine strains were found in 99.4 and 98.2% of the children, respectively. An inverse association was found between H. pylori seropositivity accompanied by PGI:PGII ratio ≤6.5 (marker of gastric inflammation) and high-level immunity to poliovirus type 1: OR 0.39 (95% CI 0.68–0.91), p = 0.027. The association between H. pylori seropositivity of CagA virulent phenotype and polio high immunity was not significant. The association between H. pylori seropositivity and high neutralizing antibodies to type 3 poliovirus was of low magnitude and not significant.

Conclusions

H. pylori seroprevalence accompanied by evidence of gastric inflammation was inversely correlated with high titers of neutralizing antibodies to poliovirus in children from a population with near universal polio immunity.
Sleep Duration/Quality With Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses of Prospective Studies
Authors: Gao Chang , Guo Jiao , Gong Ting-Ting , Lv Jia-Le , Li Xin-Yu , Liu Fang-Hua , Zhang Meng , Shan Yi-Tong , Zhao Yu-Hong , Wu Qi-Jun
Published: January 2022

Background

To quantitatively evaluate the evidence of duration and quality of sleep as measured by multiple health outcomes.

Methods

This review is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42021235587. We systematically searched three databases from inception until November 15, 2020. For each meta-analysis, the summary effect size using fixed and random effects models, the 95% confidence interval, and the 95% prediction interval were assessed; heterogeneity, evidence of small-study effects, and excess significance bias were also estimated. According to the above metrics, we evaluated the credibility of each association.

Results

A total of 85 meta-analyses with 36 health outcomes were included in the study. We observed highly suggestive evidence for an association between long sleep and an increased risk of all-cause mortality. Moreover, suggestive evidence supported the associations between long sleep and 5 increased risk of health outcomes (stroke, dyslipidaemia, mortality of coronary heart disease, stroke mortality, and the development or death of stroke); short sleep and increased risk of overweight and/or obesity; poor sleep quality and increased risk of diabetes mellitus and gestational diabetes mellitus.

Conclusions

Only the evidence of the association of long sleep with an increased risk of all-cause mortality was graded as highly suggestive. Additional studies are needed to be conducted.

Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier: CRD42021235587
The Role of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Endothelial Function in a Pediatric Population With Obesity
Authors: Makhout Sanae , Vermeiren Eline , Van De Maele Karolien , Bruyndonckx Luc , De Winter Benedicte Y. , Van Hoorenbeeck Kim , Verhulst Stijn L. , Van Eyck Annelies
Published: January 2022

Background

Childhood obesity has increased worldwide, becoming a significant public health concern. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in the central regulation of food intake and body weight, but little is known regarding its role in childhood obesity. Next to obesity, BDNF has been linked to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and endothelial dysfunction, two obesity-related comorbidities. The aim of this study is to investigate how BDNF, OSA and endothelial dysfunction interact in children with obesity and to determine the effect of weight loss on serum BDNF levels.

Methods

Children and adolescents with obesity aged 8–18 years who were enrolled in a multidisciplinary obesity treatment (MOT) in a tertiary hospital, were prospectively included. Several examinations were conducted during this MOT; at baseline, after 6 months and after 12 months, including the assessment of endothelial function, body composition measurements and a polysomnography. BDNF levels were measured on a serum sample by means of ELISA.

Results

A total of 103 patients with obesity was included, of which 20 had OSA (19.4%). BDNF levels were comparable in children with obesity and OSA and children with obesity but without OSA (26.75 vs. 27.87 ng/ml, p = 0.6). No correlations were found between BDNF and sleep-related variables or between BDNF and endothelial function parameters nor between BDNF and adiposity measures. To investigate if the interaction between OSA and endothelial dysfunction had an influence on BDNF levels, a general linear model was used. This model revealed that a diagnosis of OSA, as well as the interaction between OSA and maximal endothelial dilatation, contributed significantly (p = 0.03, p = 0.04, respectively) to BDNF levels. After 1 year of weight loss therapy, BDNF levels did not change (26.18 vs. 25.46 ng/ml, p = 0.7) in our population.

Conclusion

BDNF concentrations were comparable in children with obesity, both with and without OSA, indicating that BDNF levels are not affected by OSA. However, we did find an interaction effect of OSA and endothelial function on BDNF levels.
Identification of Crucial Hub Genes and Differential T Cell Infiltration in Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Using Bioinformatics Strategies
Authors: Yang Xiaomei , Wang Cheng , Lin Yicheng , Zhang Peng
Published: January 2022

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is a life-threatening disease. Growing evidence indicated that IPAH is a chronic immune disease. This study explored the molecular mechanisms and T cell infiltration of IPAH using integrated bioinformatics methods.

Methods: Gene expression profiles of dataset GSE113439 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus and analyzed using R. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were established by NetworkAnalyst. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis was performed using ClueGO. Transcription factors of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were estimated using iRegulon. Transcription factors and selected hub genes were verified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in the lung tissues of rats with pulmonary artery hypertension. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were applied jointly to identify the crucial hub genes. Moreover, immune infiltration in IPAH was calculated using ImmuCellAI, and the correlation between key hub genes and immune cells was analyzed using R.

Results: A total of 512 DEGs were screened, and ten hub genes and three transcription factors were filtered by the DEG PPI network. The DEGs were mainly enriched in mitotic nuclear division, chromosome organization, and nucleocytoplasmic transport. The ten hub genes and three transcription factors were confirmed by qPCR. Moreover, MAPK6 was identified as the most potent biomarker with an AUC of 100%, and ImmuCellAI immune infiltration analysis showed that a higher proportion of CD4-naive T cells and central memory T cells (Tcm) was apparent in the IPAH group, whereas the proportions of cytotoxic T cells (Tc), exhausted T cells (Tex), type 17 T helper cells, effector memory T cells, natural killer T cells (NKT), natural killer cells, gamma-delta T cells, and CD8 T cells were lower. Finally, MAPK6 was positively correlated with Tex and Tcm, and negatively correlated with Tc and NKT.

Conclusion:MAPK6 was identified as a crucial hub gene to discriminate IPAH from the normal group. Dysregulated immune reactions were identified in the lung tissue of patients with IPAH.
Surgical vs. Conservative Management for Lobar Intracerebral Hemorrhage, a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Akram Muhammad Junaid , Zhao Rui , Shen Xue , Yang Wen-Song , Deng Lan , Li Zuo-Qiao , Hu Xiao , Zhao Li-Bo , Xie Peng , Li Qi
Published: January 2022

Background

Outcomes regarding the conventional surgical and conservative treatment for the lobar intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) have not been previously compared. The current meta-analysis was designed to review and compile the evidence regarding the management of patients with lobar intracerebral hemorrhage.

Methods

Online electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Medline, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Studies were selected on the basis of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Trials with CT-confirmed lobar intracerebral hemorrhage patients of which treatment regimen was started within 72 h following the stroke were included. Low quality trials were excluded. Death or dependence was defined as primary outcome and death at the end of the follow up was the secondary outcome.

Results

One hundred five RCTs were screened and 96 articles were excluded on the basis of abstract. Nine articles were assessed for the eligibility and 7 trials were included that involved 1,102 patients. The Odds ratio (OR) for the primary outcome was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.62–1.04, p = 0.09) and for the secondary outcome was 0.79 (95%CI, 0.60–1.03, p = 0.09).

Conclusion

Our findings suggested that surgical treatments did not significantly improve the functional outcome as compared with the conservative medical management for patients with lobar ICH.
The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Regulates Anxiety-Like Behavior in Mice
Authors: Vadnie Chelsea A. , Petersen Kaitlyn A. , Eberhardt Lauren A. , Hildebrand Mariah A. , Cerwensky Allison J. , Zhang Hui , Burns Jennifer N. , Becker-Krail Darius D. , DePoy Lauren M. , Logan Ryan W. , McClung Colleen A.
Published: January 2022

Individuals suffering from mood and anxiety disorders often show significant disturbances in sleep and circadian rhythms. Animal studies indicate that circadian rhythm disruption can cause increased depressive- and anxiety-like behavior, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. One potential mechanism to explain how circadian rhythms are contributing to mood and anxiety disorders is through dysregulation of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, known as the “central pacemaker.” To investigate the role of the SCN in regulating depressive- and anxiety-like behavior in mice, we chronically manipulated the neural activity of the SCN using two optogenetic stimulation paradigms. As expected, chronic stimulation of the SCN late in the active phase (circadian time 21, CT21) resulted in a shortened period and dampened amplitude of homecage activity rhythms. We also repeatedly stimulated the SCN at unpredictable times during the active phase of mice when SCN firing rates are normally low. This resulted in dampened, fragmented, and unstable homecage activity rhythms. In both chronic SCN optogenetic stimulation paradigms, dampened homecage activity rhythms (decreased amplitude) were directly correlated with increased measures of anxiety-like behavior. In contrast, we only observed a correlation between behavioral despair and homecage activity amplitude in mice stimulated at CT21. Surprisingly, the change in period of homecage activity rhythms was not directly associated with anxiety- or depressive-like behavior. Finally, to determine if anxiety-like behavior is affected during a single SCN stimulation session, we acutely stimulated the SCN in the active phase (zeitgeber time 14-16, ZT14-16) during behavioral testing. Unexpectedly this also resulted in increased anxiety-like behavior. Taken together, these results indicate that SCN-mediated dampening of rhythms is directly correlated with increased anxiety-like behavior. This work is an important step in understanding how specific SCN neural activity disruptions affect depressive- and anxiety-related behavior.
Progressive Skeletal Muscle Loss After Surgery and Adjuvant Radiotherapy Impact Survival Outcomes in Patients With Early Stage Cervical Cancer
Authors: Lee Jie , Lin Jhen-Bin , Chen Tze-Chien , Jan Ya-Ting , Sun Fang-Ju , Chen Yu-Jen , Wu Meng-Hao
Published: January 2022

The effect of skeletal muscle loss associated with surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy on survival outcomes in patients with early-stage cervical cancer remains unclear. We analyzed the data of 133 patients with early-stage cervical cancer who underwent surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy between 2013 and 2018 at two tertiary centers. Skeletal muscle changes were measured using computed tomography scans at baseline, at simulation for radiotherapy, and at 3 months post-treatment. A decrease of ≥5% in the skeletal muscle was defined as “muscle loss.” The Patient-Reported Outcome version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) was used to assess gastrointestinal toxicity. The Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) was used for nutritional assessment. Predictors of overall survival were identified using the Cox regression models. The median follow-up period was 3.7 years. After treatment, 32 patients (24.1%) experienced muscle loss. The rate of muscle loss was higher in patients with PRO-CTCAE score ≥3 or PG-SGA score ≥4 at the end of radiotherapy than in patients with PRO-CTCAE score ≤2 or PG-SGA score 0–3 (75.0 vs. 10.5%, p < 0.001; 71.4 vs. 2.2%, p < 0.001). The 3-year overall survival was significantly lower in patients with muscle loss than in those with muscle preserved (65.6 vs. 93.9%, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that muscle loss was independently associated with poor overall survival (hazard ratio, 4.55; 95% confidence interval: 1.63–12.72; p < 0.001). Muscle loss after surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with poor overall survival in patients with early-stage cervical cancer. Muscle loss is associated with patient-reported gastrointestinal toxicity and deterioration in nutritional status.
Vitamin C Intake and Cancers: An Umbrella Review
Authors: Chen Zeyu , Huang Yin , Cao Dehong , Qiu Shi , Chen Bo , Li Jin , Bao Yige , Wei Qiang , Han Ping , Liu Liangren
Published: January 2022

Based on the existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses, we conducted this umbrella review aiming at evaluating the quality of evidence, validity and biases of the relationship between vitamin C (VC) intake and incidence and outcomes of multiple cancers. We identified 22 cancer outcomes within 3,562 articles. VC consumption was associated with lower incidence of bladder cancer, breast cancer, cervical tumors, endometrial cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, glioma, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, renal cell cancer, and total cancer occurrence. VC intake was also related to decreased risk of breast cancer prognosis (recurrence, cancer-specific mortality, and all-cause mortality).
Clinical Features of Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis in Children: A Single Center Study
Authors: Zhang Feizhou , Yang Tongyu , Liu Zhixuan , Jia Xuan , Yang Li , Wu Lei , Tang Lanfang
Published: January 2022

Background

Hypersensitivity pneumonia (HP) is an interstitial lung disease (ILD) mainly involving small airways and lung parenchyma that is caused by the inhalation of antigens in susceptible people to stimulate the body's immune response.

Methods

A total of 6 Chinese children with HP treated in our center from July 2017 to July 2021 were included in our study.

Results

Among the children, there were 4 males and 2 females, ranging in age from 4 to 14 years. Three cases had chest tightness and shortness of breath, 2 cases had cough, 1 case had chest pain, and 1 case had fever. Two cases of children had a history of close contact with pet dogs, 1 case had a history of contact with pigeons, 2 cases lived in a moldy house recently, and 1 case recently played a saxophone that had been idle for more than 2 years. The parents of two cases also had similar symptoms recently. The specific signs of chest HRCT of 6 cases all were in line with the characteristics of HP. After avoiding the sensitization environment, 2 children quickly recovered, 4 patients received low-dose glucocorticoid oral treatment, and after symptom control the dose was gradually reduced. The course of treatment was about 3–6 months.

Conclusions

Exposure to a potential antigen has been found in all 6 HP children. The clinical manifestations are heterogeneous and easy to confuse with other diseases. A clear history of exposure to the antigens, respiratory symptoms associated with HP, signs of HP on HRCT, and improvement after removal from the antigenic environment constitute the cornerstone of the diagnosis of HP children in our unit. Avoiding exposure to antigenic environment is the first step in treatment, and glucocorticoid use is necessary in children with persistent symptoms.
Guided-Wave Up-Conversion Luminescence in Er3+/Yb3+ Co-doped Phosphate Glass Waveguide Produced by Direct Femtosecond Laser Writing
Authors: Zhou Yuxiang , Cheng Chen , Hu Lili , Chen Feng
Published: January 2022

We report on guided-wave up-conversion luminescence in femtosecond laser writing cladding waveguides in Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped phosphate glass. The waveguides were fabricated with 30-μm- and 100-μm-diameter of the guiding cores. The guiding properties of waveguides have been investigated at 633 nm by end face coupling of free space light and physical contact of fibers. The experimental and calculated results of propagating modal profiles and losses have proved favorable performances suitable to Gaussian mode field and multi-mode applications. Under the optical pump laser at 980 nm, the guided-wave up-conversion luminescence at visible light range has been realized through the waveguides.
Unifying Diagnosis Identification and Prediction Method Embedding the Disease Ontology Structure From Electronic Medical Records
Authors: Chen Jingfeng , Guo Chonghui , Lu Menglin , Ding Suying
Published: January 2022

Objective

The reasonable classification of a large number of distinct diagnosis codes can clarify patient diagnostic information and help clinicians to improve their ability to assign and target treatment for primary diseases. Our objective is to identify and predict a unifying diagnosis (UD) from electronic medical records (EMRs).

Methods

We screened 4,418 sepsis patients from a public MIMIC-III database and extracted their diagnostic information for UD identification, their demographic information, laboratory examination information, chief complaint, and history of present illness information for UD prediction. We proposed a data-driven UD identification and prediction method (UDIPM) embedding the disease ontology structure. First, we designed a set similarity measure method embedding the disease ontology structure to generate a patient similarity matrix. Second, we applied affinity propagation clustering to divide patients into different clusters, and extracted a typical diagnosis code co-occurrence pattern from each cluster. Furthermore, we identified a UD by fusing visual analysis and a conditional co-occurrence matrix. Finally, we trained five classifiers in combination with feature fusion and feature selection method to unify the diagnosis prediction.

Results

The experimental results on a public electronic medical record dataset showed that the UDIPM could extracted a typical diagnosis code co-occurrence pattern effectively, identified and predicted a UD based on patients' diagnostic and admission information, and outperformed other fusion methods overall.

Conclusions

The accurate identification and prediction of the UD from a large number of distinct diagnosis codes and multi-source heterogeneous patient admission information in EMRs can provide a data-driven approach to assist better coding integration of diagnosis.
Correlation Between Increase of Axial Length and Height Growth in Chinese School-Age Children
Authors: Tao Lixia , Wang Chunxiao , Peng Yiyi , Xu Meiping , Wan Minghui , Lou Jiangtao , Yu Xinping
Published: January 2022

Purpose

To identify the relationship between the increase in axial length (AL) and height in school-age children and explore the influence of refractive status on such a relationship.

Methods

In this 5-year cohort study, 414 Chinese children (237 boys) aged 6–9 years (mean 7.12) underwent measurements annually. AL was measured using the Lenstar; height with the children standing, without shoes; and refraction using subjective refraction without cycloplegia. Participants were divided according to the refractive status: persistent emmetropia, persistent myopia, and newly developed myopia. The measurement time points of the persistent emmetropia and persistent myopia groups were marked as T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5. The time of myopia onset in the newly developed myopia group was marked as t0; the preceding time points were marked as t−1, t−2, and so on, and the succeeding as t1, t2, and so on. The association between increase in AL and height was analyzed using simple correlation analysis.

Results

The mean changes in AL, height, and refraction were 1.39 mm, 23.60 cm, and −1.69 D, respectively, over 5 years in all children. The increase in AL and height were positively correlated for T1~T2, T1~T3, T1~T4, and T1~T5 (r = 0.262, P < 0.001; r = 0.108, P = 0.034; r = 0.165, P = 0.001; r = 0.174, P = 0.001, respectively). The changes in AL and height in the newly developed myopia group were significantly correlated (r = 0.289, P = 0.009) after myopia onset (t0~t2).

Conclusion

The increase in AL and height were positively correlated, especially in the newly developed myopia group after myopia onset. Thus, when children grow quickly, AL elongation should be monitored.
Pursuing Plurality: Exploring the Synergies and Challenges of Knowledge Co-production in Multifunctional Landscape Design
Authors: Chakraborty Ritodhi , Jayathunga Sadeepa , Matunga Hirini Paerangi , Davis Shannon , Matunga Lizzie , Eggers James , Gregorini Pablo
Published: January 2022

Knowledge co-production has emerged as an important conceptual and processual tool in sustainability research addressing the needs of equity and inclusion. Indigenous communities and local people have engaged with the process of knowledge production, foregrounding their historical relationships with landscapes, based on their unique worldviews and knowledges. However, knowledge co-production, especially for multi-functional landscapes remains a contentious and complicated affair with enduring issues of power-sharing related to the different socio-political positions of stakeholders. This work explores the synergies and challenges in knowledge co-production for landscape re-design in the south Island of Aotearoa NZ through an assessment of the work done at the Centre for Excellence, Lincoln University. At this center, a multi-stakeholder team is grappling with designing a farm, through a transdisciplinary framework that attempts to include multiple worldviews. This work explores the various stages of the co-production process, analyzing the exchanges between various members as they prepare for co-production, the knowledge produced through this engagement, and how this knowledge is being utilized to further the goal of sustainability. Our results show that significant gaps remain between co-production theory and co-production practice which are a result of the mismanagement of the co-production process, the mismatch in the time and spatial scales of project goals, and the differences in the values and objectives of the different stakeholders. However, the process of co-production, though flawed, leads to the building of more open relationships between the stakeholders, and leads to some very meaningful knowledge products that address the multi-temporal and multi-spatial aspirations of multi-functional landscapes in Aotearoa NZ, while contributing to the broader scholarship on co-production in sustainability. Finally, both synergies and challenges prove meaningful when challenging the roadblocks to the inclusion of a diversity of worldviews, by clearly highlighting the places of engagement and why they were made possible. We suggest that knowledge co-production attempts in multi-functional landscapes around the world should attempt a similar assessment of their process. This can help build better relationships between scientists and IPLC, address disciplinary bias and marginalization of non-expert opinions, while also ensuring the relevance of the research to the multiple stakeholders of the land.
Novel Linkages Between Bacterial Composition of Hindgut and Host Metabolic Responses to SARA Induced by High-Paddy Diet in Young Goats
Authors: Wang Kaijun , Yan Qiongxian , Ren Ao , Zheng Mengli , Zhang Peihua , Tan Zhiliang , Zhou Chuanshe
Published: January 2022

At present, feeding a high-corn diet to goats is used to provide enough protein and energy supply to meet their higher dietary requirements. In fact, because corn grain is commonly scarce in the traditional rice cropping region of southern Asia, paddy is thereby used as an alternative feed applied in goat diets. However, the effects of the high paddy proportion on the microbiota and metabolites of the intestine are unclear. Here, we investigate the effects of high paddy proportion on bacterial community, potential function, and metabolic reaction in the cecum of goats. Sixteen Liuyang black goats were divided into two groups fed either a normal-paddy (NP) diet (55% concentrate) or a high-paddy (HP) diet (90% concentrate) for 5 weeks. Total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration was higher in the hindgut chyme of the HP-fed goats than in that of the NP-fed goats (p = 0.001). The acetic proportion was significantly decreased and the propionic proportion was increased in the HP group (p < 0.05). The HP diet decreased the value of pH, lactic acid concentration, and lactate dehydrogenase activity but increased the activity of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and amylase, together with lipopolysaccharide concentration in the hindgut chyme of goats (p < 0.05). The abundance rates of the Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group was increased (p = 0.050), whereas the abundance of Prevotellaceae_UCG_004, dgA-11_gut_group, Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-010, and Desulfovibrio were significantly decreased with the HP diet (p < 0.05). These results suggested that the HP diet altered the microbiota and metabolites, which negatively modified intestinal epithelial health in goats.
Chinese Neural Question Generation: Augmenting Knowledge into Multiple Neural Encoders
Authors: Liu Ming , Zhang Jinxu
Published: January 2022

Neural question generation (NQG) is the task of automatically generating a question from a given passage and answering it with sequence-to-sequence neural models. Passage compression has been proposed to address the challenge of generating questions from a long passage text by only extracting relevant sentences containing the answer. However, it may not work well if the discarded irrelevant sentences contain the contextual information for the target question. Therefore, this study investigated how to incorporate knowledge triples into the sequence-to-sequence neural model to reduce such contextual information loss and proposed a multi-encoder neural model for Chinese question generation. This approach has been extensively evaluated in a large Chinese question and answer dataset. The study results showed that our approach outperformed the state-of-the-art NQG models by 5.938 points on the BLEU score and 7.120 points on the ROUGE-L score on the average since the proposed model is answer focused, which is helpful to produce an interrogative word matching the answer type. In addition, augmenting the information from the knowledge graph improves the BLEU score by 10.884 points. Finally, we discuss the challenges remaining for Chinese NQG.
Exploring the Excited-State Nonadiabatic Effects in the Semisaturated Planar Tetracoordinated Carbon Molecule C7H4
Authors: Jayakumari Chithra , Nag Probal , Isukapalli Sai , Vennapusa Sivaranjana
Published: January 2022

We theoretically study the nonadiabatic relaxation dynamics of low-lying singlet excited-states of semisaturated planar tetracoordinated carbon molecule, C7H4. This molecule possesses a stable C2v ground-state equilibrium geometry. The three low-lying singlet states, S1, S2 and S3, lie in the energy gap of about 1.2 eV. The potential energy surfaces constructed within the quadratic vibronic coupling formalism reveal multiple conical intersections in the Franck-Condon region. Upon photoexcitation to S3, the wavepacket decays rapidly to lower states via these conical intersections. We also observe the wavepacket transfer to S3 during the initial wavepacket evolution on lower states, suggesting the nonadiabatic behavior of photoexcited planar C7H4.
A Study on Control Strategy for Air Conditioning of Western Exposed Rooms in Subtropical Region
Authors: Hu Tzu-Yang , Chen Chun-Kuei , Hu Wei-Chieh , Lin Ta-Hui , Lin Feng-Yi , Cheng Chung-Chih , Su Tzu-Ching , Yu Pei-Yu
Published: January 2022

Recently, energy saving has been a major issue in all aspects. In buildings, air conditioning is one major part of power consumption. In this study, we examined the effect of an intermittent control strategy for air conditioning on energy saving in western-exposed rooms under subtropical weather conditions. The strategy applied periodic deactivation and reactivation to the air conditioners. Room temperatures, power consumption, and readings from sensors of air conditioners of two identical rooms were monitored and analyzed. For indoor temperatures, we found that the deactivation of the air conditioner for 15 min resulted in temperature peaks that were 4 to 5 °C higher than the control room. The reactivation of the air conditioner was able to cool down the room within 10 min based on the built-in sensor. However, due to the location and resolution of the sensor, the overall temperature from the four temperature and humidity sensors was still higher than the target setting, which may cause thermal discomfort. For power consumption, the strategy led to power peaks while reactivating, but the summation was 2.9% lower.
Ergonomic and Economic Office Light Level Control
Authors: Ghita Maria , Cajo Diaz Ricardo A. , Birs Isabela R. , Copot Dana , Ionescu Clara M.
Published: January 2022

Light regulation systems in industrial or office buildings play an important role in minimizing the use of fossil energy resources, while providing both economic and ergonomic optimal functionality. Although industrial buildings resolve the problem of interaction or disturbance mitigation by providing constant light levels exclusively from artificial sources, office landscapes may benefit from up to a 20% decrease in costs if mixed light sources are optimized properly. In this paper, we propose a theoretical framework based on model predictive control (MPC) to resolve a multi-system with strong dynamic interactions and multi-objective cost optimization. Centralized and distributed predictive control strategies are compared on various office landscaping structures and functionality conditions. Economic and ergonomic indexes are evaluated in a scaled laboratory setting.
Kynurenic Acid and Its Analog SZR104 Exhibit Strong Antiinflammatory Effects and Alter the Intracellular Distribution and Methylation Patterns of H3 Histones in Immunochallenged Microglia-Enriched Cultures of Newborn Rat Brains
Authors: Szabo Melinda , Lajkó Noémi , Dulka Karolina , Szatmári István , Fülöp Ferenc , Mihály András , Vécsei László , Gulya Karoly
Published: January 2022

Kynurenic acid (KYNA) is implicated in antiinflammatory processes in the brain through several cellular and molecular targets, among which microglia-related mechanisms are of paramount importance. In this study, we describe the effects of KYNA and one of its analogs, the brain-penetrable SZR104 (N-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)-3-(morpholinomethyl)-4-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxamide), on the intracellular distribution and methylation patterns of histone H3 in immunochallenged microglia cultures. Microglia-enriched secondary cultures made from newborn rat forebrains were immunochallenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The protein levels of selected inflammatory markers C–X–C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) and C–C motif chemokine receptor 1 (CCR1), histone H3, and posttranslational modifications of histone H3 lys methylation sites (H3K9me3 and H3K36me2, marks typically associated with opposite effects on gene expression) were analyzed using quantitative fluorescent immunocytochemistry and western blots in control or LPS-treated cultures with or without KYNA or SZR104. KYNA and SZR104 reduced levels of the inflammatory marker proteins CXCL10 and CCR1 after LPS-treatment. Moreover, KYNA and SZR104 favorably affected histone methylation patterns as H3K9me3 and H3K36me2 immunoreactivities, and histone H3 protein levels returned toward control values after LPS treatment. The cytoplasmic translocation of H3K9me3 from the nucleus indicated inflammatory distress, a process that could be inhibited by KYNA and SZR104. Thus, KYNA signaling and metabolism, and especially brain-penetrable KYNA analogs such as SZR104, could be key targets in the pathway that connects chromatin structure and epigenetic mechanisms with functional consequences that affect neuroinflammation and perhaps neurodegeneration.
An Unexpected Regulatory Sequence from Rho-Related GTPase6 Confers Fiber-Specific Expression in Upland Cotton
Authors: Li Baoxia , Zhang Liuqin , Xi Jing , Hou Lei , Fu Xingxian , Pei Yan , Zhang Mi
Published: January 2022

Cotton fibers, single seed trichomes derived from ovule epidermal cells, are the major source of global textile fibers. Fiber-specific promoters are desirable to study gene function and to modify fiber properties during fiber development. Here, we revealed that Rho-related GTPase6 (GhROP6) was expressed preferentially in developing fibers. A 1240 bp regulatory region of GhROP6, which contains a short upstream regulatory sequence, the first exon, and the partial first intron, was unexpectedly isolated and introduced into transgenic cotton for analyzing promoter activity. The promoter of GhROP6 (proChROP6) conferred a specific expression in ovule surface, but not in the other floral organs and vegetative tissues. Reverse transcription PCR analysis indicated that proGhROP6 directed full-length transcription of the fused ß-glucuronidase (GUS) gene. Further investigation of GUS staining showed that proChROP6 regulated gene expression in fibers and ovule epidermis from fiber initiation to cell elongation stages. The preferential activity was enriched in fiber cells after anthesis and reached to peak on flowering days. By comparison, proGhROP6 was a mild promoter with approximately one-twenty-fifth of the strength of the constitutive promoter CaMV35S. The promoter responded to high-dosage treatments of auxin, gibberellin and salicylic acid and slightly reduced GUS activity under the in vitro treatment. Collectively, our data suggest that the GhROP6 promoter has excellent activity in initiating fibers and has potential for bioengineering of cotton fibers.
Role of Organic Cation Transporter 2 in Autophagy Induced by Platinum Derivatives
Authors: Eltayeb Sara Ahmed , Ciarimboli Giuliano , Beul Katrin , Seno Di Marco Giovana , Barz Vivien
Published: January 2022

The human organic cation transporter 2 (hOCT2) mediates renal and neuronal cellular cisplatin and oxaliplatin uptake, and therefore plays a significant role in the development of side effects associated with these chemotherapeutic drugs. Autophagy is induced by cisplatin and oxaliplatin treatment and is believed to promote cell survival under stressful conditions. We examined in vitro the role of hOCT2 on autophagy induced by cisplatin and oxaliplatin. We also explored the effect of autophagy on toxicities of these platinum derivatives. Our results indicate that autophagy, measured as LC3 II accumulation and reduction in p62 expression level, is induced in response to cisplatin and oxaliplatin in HEK293-hOCT2 but not in wild-type HEK293 cells. Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy is associated with higher toxicity of platinum derivatives, and starvation was found to offer protection against cisplatin-associated toxicity. In conclusion, activation of autophagy could be a potential strategy to protect against unwanted toxicities induced by treatment with platinum derivatives.
Study on Magnetic Abrasive Finishing Combined with Electrolytic Process–Precision Surface Finishing for SUS 304 Stainless Steel Using Pulse Voltage
Authors: Xing Baijun , Zou Yanhua , Tojo Masahisa
Published: January 2022

In order to further study the Magnetic Abrasive Finishing with Electrolytic (EMAF) Process, we attempted to use rectangular wave pulse voltage for EMAF processing of SUS304 stainless steel, and the finishing characteristics were analyzed based on the experimental results in this paper. The EMAF process has been studied for years, but the study of Magnetic Abrasive Finishing with the. Pulse Electrolytic (P-EMAF) process has not been published. Therefore, in this study, the finishing characteristics of the P-EMAF process corresponding to different frequencies (1 Hz, 10 Hz, 100 Hz, 1 kHz) and duty ratios (25%, 50%, 75%) are explored. The evaluation of the P-EMAF processing includes the surface roughness (SR) and the amount of material removal (MR); the surface of the workpiece was also observed by an optical microscope before and after processing. After analyzing the experimental results of P-EMAF processing, a set of comparative experiments between P-EMAF processing and MAF processing was carried out. In this study, when the Urms 6 V pulse voltage of rectangular wave with 1 Hz and duty ratio 50% was used, a better processing result could be obtained. The processing efficiency of the P-EMAF process was also higher than that of the MAF process under the same experimental conditions.
An Algorithm for Delimiting Rural Areas According to Soil Classes
Authors: Wójcik-Leń Justyna
Published: January 2022

For many years and all over the world, agricultural production has been observed to slow down on low-quality soils in territories featuring difficult topography and poor spatial structure (land fragmentation, excessive elongation of plots, plots without direct access to public roads, and land scattering). This paper proposes a new, self-designed algorithm for delimiting rural areas that allows the clustering of villages featuring low soil productivity, based on three factors used for determining the overall value of the area of land (Wcag), i.e., the overall area of the village (ha), share of specific type of land in the overall area of the village (%), and mean score for specific soil type (pts.), which allows the villages to be grouped according to classes of land occurring in the examined district. The results of the surveys provide a basis for further detailed studies into efficient management of areas featuring low soil classes during land consolidation works. Further surveys will involve a detailed analysis of the identified clusters of villages to ensure that their potential is used to the optimum extent. As a consequence, these areas will potentially become more competitive and operations conducted there will be beneficial to the local inhabitants and contribute to improving their living standard.
Maximum Correntropy Criterion with Distributed Method
Authors: Xie Fan , Hu Ting , Wang Shixu , Wang Baobin
Published: January 2022

The Maximum Correntropy Criterion (MCC) has recently triggered enormous research activities in engineering and machine learning communities since it is robust when faced with heavy-tailed noise or outliers in practice. This work is interested in distributed MCC algorithms, based on a divide-and-conquer strategy, which can deal with big data efficiently. By establishing minmax optimal error bounds, our results show that the averaging output function of this distributed algorithm can achieve comparable convergence rates to the algorithm processing the total data in one single machine.
Poor Ovarian Response to Gonadotrophins in PCOS Women after Laparoscopic Ovarian Drilling
Authors: Burnik Papler Tanja , Stimpfel Martin , Kovacik Brina , Bokal Eda Vrtacnik
Published: January 2022

Background and Objectives: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a major cause of anovulatory infertility, and ovulation induction is the first-line treatment. If this fails, laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) is used to induce mono-ovulations. There have been implications, that LOD can cause destruction of ovarian tissue and therefore premature ovarian failure. Furthermore, unexpected poor ovarian response (POR) to gonadotrophins can occur in PCOS women after LOD. There have been reports about FSH receptor polymorphisms found in women with PCOS that are related to higher serum FSH levels and POR to gonadotrophins. Materials and Methods: In the present study, we retrospectively analyzed data of 144 infertile PCOS women that had LOD performed before IVF. Results: Thirty of included patients (20.8%) had POR (≤3 oocytes) to ovarian stimulation with gonadotrophins. Women with POR had significantly higher median levels of basal serum FSH (7.2 (interquartile range (IQR), 6.0–9.2) compared to women with normal ovarian response (6.0 (IQR, 5.0–7.4); p = 0.006). Furthermore, women with POR used a significantly higher median cumulative dose of gonadotrophins (1875 IU (IQR, 1312.5–2400) for ovarian stimulation compared to women with normal ovarian response (1600 IU (IQR, 1200–1800); p = 0.018). Conclusion: Infertile PCOS women who experience POR after LOD have significantly higher serum FSH levels compared to women with normal ovarian response after LOD. As these levels are still within the normal range, we speculate that LOD is not the cause of POR. We presume that women with PCOS and POR after LOD could have FSH-R genotypes associated with POR and higher serum FSH levels.