bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrodynamic modelling and shape optimisation of second-generation coastal reservoirs in consideration of algal bloom occurrence
Authors: Wong Hui Ling , Teo Fang Yenn
Published: March 2023

Algal bloom has been a persistent problem for both fresh and marine water, with no exception for a coastal reservoir (CR). Among the algal bloom mitigations for a CR, shape optimisation to reduce algal bloom occurrence has been frequently mentioned. However, there was no literature found on the actual shape optimisation study or process for CR. Thus, this research was done to bridge this gap, particularly for the second-generation CR. Hydrodynamic model of MIKE 21 has been used, with secondary data obtained from published papers and Google Earth. The secondary data of critical velocity corresponding to algal growth were only available for cyanobacteria, chlorella, filamentous algae and phytoplankton. Hence, only these algae species were considered in the algal mapping. All models were simulated for eight idealised cases of second-generation CR at the Yangtze Estuary. These different geometric shapes were analysed and compared, considering several factors including the average velocity in the reservoir, presence of stagnant water, percentage of occurrence for each algae species and so on. From the results, the reservoir model with the shape of “shorter piano key” ranked the highest among all the shapes in terms of proneness to algal bloom, based on the flow velocity within the reservoir. From the findings, further shape optimisation was done on second-generation CRs. From shape optimisation process, the optimised shape of the “little dinosaur” and “little pencil” showed excellent reduction in algal blooming. However, “little dinosaur” was preferred as its location for algal bloom is small and controllable due to the presence of “piano key” structure. Lastly, all the findings were applied to an existing CR at Qingcaosha to see if shape optimisation based on the analysis can reduce areas prone to algal blooming. The optimised model of Qingcaosha showed great reduction on area prone to algal blooming compared to its original shape but the addition of “piano key” structure did not have significant impact on the reduction of algal bloom occurrence since the shape of Qingcaosha is highly dependent on its natural topography. From the study, it was concluded that shape optimisation for topographic-dependent CR should be done on case-by-case basis, following the flow direction in the reservoir. As for second-generation CR without topographical constraints, the shape optimisation can be done by placing inlet perpendicular to the flow direction, minimising corners, implementing piano-key-like structure, optimising shape based on flow direction and refer “little dinosaur” or “little pencil” for the overall shape optimisation design.
Phenotypic diversity of Medicago crop wild relatives growing in Lebanon
Authors: Karam Nisrine , Choueiry Zeina , Al-Beyrouthy Jostelle , Shehadeh Ali , Chalak Lamis , Yazbek Mariana
Published: March 2023

Medicago L. (Fabaceae; Papillionoidae) has high nutritive value, palatability, and ability to improve the soil fertility which puts it as one of the world’s most important forages. Medicago genetic resources are suffering from anthropogenic destructions, overgrazing, climate change and drought. Using the results of a previous gap analysis, which prioritized the species and sites for in situ and ex situ conservation, this study aims to undertake ex situ conservation activities for high priority annual Lebanese species. Accessions of the target species were collected, multiplied, characterized and conserved at Genebank of The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Based on characterization data, morphological diversity assessment is carried out to analyse the phenotypic variability pattern in relation with the environmental conditions of the collection sites. The analysis of 26 characters applied on 19 collected species has shown a significant variability for 13 characters. The species Medicago polymorpha L. from Chwaifat, M. polymorpha from Shebenieh, M. truncatula Gaertn and M. orbicularis (L.) Bartal from Jeita, and M. constricta Durieu from Bwerij had characters that could be related to drought tolerance as they have displayed a high early vigour and an early flowering. In depth analysis of the characters early vigour, days to flowering and days to pod formation within the species in relation to drought tolerance further informed our proposed management plan. On this basis, the accessions showing a high adaptability to harsh conditions will be subject to in situ conservation.
Impact of in vitro phytohormone treatments on the metabolome of the leafy liverwort Radula complanata (L.) Dumort
Authors: Blatt-Janmaat Kaitlyn , Neumann Steffen , Schmidt Florian , Ziegler Jörg , Qu Yang , Peters Kristian
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Liverworts are a group of non-vascular plants that possess unique metabolism not found in other plants. Many liverwort metabolites have interesting structural and biochemical characteristics, however the fluctuations of these metabolites in response to stressors is largely unknown.

Objectives

To investigate the metabolic stress-response of the leafy liverwort Radula complanata.

Methods

Five phytohormones were applied exogenously to in vitro cultured R. complanata and an untargeted metabolomic analysis was conducted. Compound classification and identification was performed with CANOPUS and SIRIUS while statistical analyses including PCA, ANOVA, and variable selection using BORUTA were conducted to identify metabolic shifts.

Results

It was found that R. complanata was predominantly composed of carboxylic acids and derivatives, followed by benzene and substituted derivatives, fatty acyls, organooxygen compounds, prenol lipids, and flavonoids. The PCA revealed that samples grouped based on the type of hormone applied, and the variable selection using BORUTA (Random Forest) revealed 71 identified and/or classified features that fluctuated with phytohormone application. The stress-response treatments largely reduced the production of the selected primary metabolites while the growth treatments resulted in increased production of these compounds. 4-(3-Methyl-2-butenyl)-5-phenethylbenzene-1,3-diol was identified as a biomarker for the growth treatments while GDP-hexose was identified as a biomarker for the stress-response treatments.

Conclusion

Exogenous phytohormone application caused clear metabolic shifts in Radula complanata that deviate from the responses of vascular plants. Further identification of the selected metabolite features can reveal metabolic biomarkers unique to liverworts and provide more insight into liverwort stress responses.
Analytical and numerical investigation of thermal distribution for hybrid nanofluid through an oblique artery with mild stenosis
Authors: Jalili Payam , Sadeghi Ghahare Ahmad , Jalili Bahram , Domiri Ganji Davood
Published: March 2023

In this study, the accuracy of three methods to simulate the thermal diffusivity profile in oblique stenosis artery with hybrid nanofluid and the influence of volume fraction and heat sources in the hybrid nanofluid, including Al2O3 and Cu, is studied. Comparing the analytical methods for reliable answers is important in the new studies. Also, the influence of volume fraction and heat source parameter S in temperature evolution is studied. Akbari–Ganji Method (AGM), Finite Element Method (FEM), and Runge–Kutta method are studied to calculate the stenosis artery's heat profile. The results are compared by reference value, AGM is the more accurate method than FEM and Runge–Kutta methods by less than 7 percent error, and FEM is more accurate than Runge–Kutta by less than 9 percent error. The maximum difference between the three methods happened near the wall of the vessel. 0.02, 0.03, and 0.05 is the volume fraction chosen for studying. Changing the volume fraction of nanoparticles is studied by enhancing the volume fraction of Nanoparticles and presenting the Al2O3, and Cu decreases the max temperature profile and increases the heat source by increasing the maximum heat temperature. Al2O3 has more influence on maximum heat temperature and decreases the temperature profile more.
An Explainable Fully Dense Fusion Neural Network with Deep Support Vector Machine for Retinal Disease Determination
Authors: Kayadibi İsmail , Güraksın Gür Emre
Published: March 2023

Retinal issues are crucial because they result in visual loss. Early diagnosis can aid physicians in initiating treatment and preventing visual loss. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), which portrays retinal morphology cross-sectionally and noninvasively, is used to identify retinal abnormalities. The process of analyzing OCT images, on the other hand, takes time. This study has proposed a hybrid approach based on a fully dense fusion neural network (FD-CNN) and dual preprocessing to identify retinal diseases, such as choroidal neovascularization, diabetic macular edema, drusen from OCT images. A dual preprocessing methodology, in other words, a hybrid speckle reduction filter was initially used to diminish speckle noise present in OCT images. Secondly, the FD-CNN architecture was trained, and the features obtained from this architecture were extracted. Then Deep Support Vector Machine (D-SVM) and Deep K-Nearest Neighbor (D-KNN) classifiers were proposed to reclassify those features and tested on University of California San Diego (UCSD) and Duke OCT datasets. D-SVM demonstrated the best performance in both datasets. D-SVM achieved 99.60% accuracy, 99.60% sensitivity, 99.87% specificity, 99.60% precision and 99.60% F1 score in the UCSD dataset. It achieved 97.50% accuracy, 97.64% sensitivity, 98.91% specificity, 96.61% precision, and 97.03% F1 score in Duke dataset. Additionally, the results were compared to state-of-the-art works on the both datasets. The D-SVM was demonstrated to be an efficient and productive strategy for improving the robustness of automatic retinal disease classification. Also, in this study, it is shown that the unboxing of how AI systems' black-box choices is made by generating heat maps using the local interpretable model-agnostic explanation method, which is an explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) technique. Heat maps, in particular, may contribute to the development of more stable deep learning-based systems, as well as enhancing the confidence in the diagnosis of retinal disease in the analysis of OCT image for ophthalmologists.
Stitching Governance for Labour Rights
Authors: Reinecke Juliane , Donaghey Jimmy
Published: March 2023

Transnational labour governance is in urgent need of a new paradigm of democratic participation, with those who are most affected - typically workers - placed at the centre. To achieve this, principles of industrial democracy and transnational governance must come together to inform institutions within global supply chains. This book traces the development of 'transnational industrial democracy', using responses to the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster as the empirical context. A particular focus is placed on the Bangladesh Accord and the JETI Workplace Social Dialogue programme. Drawing on longitudinal field research from 2013–2020, the authors argue that the reality of modern-day supply chain capitalism has neither optimal institutional frameworks nor effective structures of industrial relations. Informed by principles of industrial democracy, the book aims at enhancing emerging forms of private transnational governance as second-best institutions.
Planned missingness: An underused but practical approach to reducing survey and test length
Authors: Zhang Charlene , Sackett Paul R.
Published: March 2023

I-O psychologists often face the need to reduce the length of a data collection effort due to logistical constraints or data quality concerns. Standard practice in the field has been either to drop some measures from the planned data collection or to use short forms of instruments rather than full measures. Dropping measures is unappealing given the loss of potential information, and short forms often do not exist and have to be developed, which can be a time-consuming and expensive process. We advocate for an alternative approach to reduce the length of a survey or a test, namely to implement a planned missingness (PM) design in which each participant completes a random subset of items. We begin with a short introduction of PM designs, then summarize recent empirical findings that directly compare PM and short form approaches and suggest that they perform equivalently across a large number of conditions. We surveyed a sample of researchers and practitioners to investigate why PM has not been commonly used in I-O work and found that the underusage stems primarily from a lack of knowledge and understanding. Therefore, we provide a simple walkthrough of the implementation of PM designs and analysis of data with PM, as well as point to various resources and statistical software that are equipped for its use. Last, we prescribe a set of four conditions that would characterize a good opportunity to implement a PM design.
DIVISIBILITY OF THE PARTITION FUNCTION BY POWERS OF AND
Authors: BARMAN RUPAM , SINGH GURINDER , SINGH AJIT
Published: March 2023

Lin introduced the partition function
$\text {PDO}_t(n)$
, which counts the total number of tagged parts over all the partitions of n with designated summands in which all parts are odd. Lin also proved some congruences modulo 3 and 9 for
$\text {PDO}_t(n)$
, and conjectured certain congruences modulo
$3^{k+2}$
for
$k\geq 0$
. He proved the conjecture for
$k=0$
and
$k=1$
[‘The number of tagged parts over the partitions with designated summands’, J. Number Theory184 (2018), 216–234]. We prove the conjecture for
$k=2$
. We also study the lacunarity of
$\text {PDO}_t(n)$
modulo arbitrary powers of 2 and 3. Using nilpotency of Hecke operators, we prove that there exists an infinite family of congruences modulo any power of 2 satisfied by
$\text {PDO}_t(n)$
.
Untangling the relationship between pre-service teachers’ development of intercultural effectiveness and their experiences in virtual exchange
Authors: Rets Irina , Rienties Bart , Lewis Tim
Published: March 2023

Several studies have found that virtual exchange (VE) has a positive impact on intercultural effectiveness (IE) development. However, few VE studies have measured and unpacked perceived learning gains from VE in this area using data from multiple VEs and mixed-methods approaches. In this study, we explored the impact of VE on perceived IE development among pre-service teachers in two exchanges. Using k-means cluster analysis of reported gains in IE, we identified three groups of students who reported high-medium-low IE gains. Cluster analysis informed our qualitative analysis of students’ reflections on VE. Having analysed data from 486 diary entries at four successive time measurements, we identified three factors critical to students’ perceived IE development: students’ ability to overcome challenges during VE, level of engagement with their partners, and engagement with cultural difference. These findings shed light on what experiences in VE influence participants’ perceptions of their intercultural learning. The study provides recommendations for the design of online collaborative learning programmes, such as VE, that might help address students’ diverse needs.
Unusual peptide-binding proteins guide pyrroloindoline alkaloid formation in crocagin biosynthesis
Authors: Adam Sebastian , Zheng Dazhong , Klein Andreas , Volz Carsten , Mullen William , Shirran Sally L. , Smith Brian O. , Kalinina Olga V. , Müller Rolf , Koehnke Jesko
Published: March 2023

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide natural products have provided many highly unusual scaffolds. This includes the intriguing alkaloids crocagins, which possess a tetracyclic core structure and whose biosynthesis has remained enigmatic. Here we use in vitro experiments to demonstrate that three proteins, CgnB, CgnC and CgnE, are sufficient for the production of the hallmark tetracyclic crocagin core from the precursor peptide CgnA. The crystal structures of the homologues CgnB and CgnE reveal them to be the founding members of a peptide-binding protein family and allow us to rationalize their distinct functions. We further show that the hydrolase CgnD liberates the crocagin core scaffold, which is subsequently N-methylated by CgnL. These insights allow us to propose a biosynthetic scheme for crocagins. Bioinformatic analyses based on these data led to the discovery of related biosynthetic pathways that may provide access to a structurally diverse family of peptide-derived pyrroloindoline alkaloids.
Sniper2L is a high-fidelity Cas9 variant with high activity
Authors: Kim Young-hoon , Kim Nahye , Okafor Ikenna , Choi Sungchul , Min Seonwoo , Lee Joonsun , Bae Seung-Min , Choi Keunwoo , Choi Janice , Harihar Vinayak , Kim Youngho , Kim Jin-Soo , Kleinstiver Benjamin P. , Lee Jungjoon K. , Ha Taekjip , Kim Hyongbum Henry
Published: March 2023

Although several high-fidelity SpCas9 variants have been reported, it has been observed that this increased specificity is associated with reduced on-target activity, limiting the applications of the high-fidelity variants when efficient genome editing is required. Here, we developed an improved version of Sniper–Cas9, Sniper2L, which represents an exception to this trade-off trend as it showed higher specificity with retained high activity. We evaluated Sniper2L activities at a large number of target sequences and developed DeepSniper, a deep learning model that can predict the activity of Sniper2L. We also confirmed that Sniper2L can induce highly efficient and specific editing at a large number of target sequences when it is delivered as a ribonucleoprotein complex. Mechanically, the high specificity of Sniper2L originates from its superior ability to avoid unwinding a target DNA containing even a single mismatch. We envision that Sniper2L will be useful when efficient and specific genome editing is required.
Phase separation properties of RPA combine high-affinity ssDNA binding with dynamic condensate functions at telomeres
Authors: Spegg Vincent , Panagopoulos Andreas , Stout Merula , Krishnan Aswini , Reginato Giordano , Imhof Ralph , Roschitzki Bernd , Cejka Petr , Altmeyer Matthias
Published: March 2023

RPA has been shown to protect single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) intermediates from instability and breakage. RPA binds ssDNA with sub-nanomolar affinity, yet dynamic turnover is required for downstream ssDNA transactions. How ultrahigh-affinity binding and dynamic turnover are achieved simultaneously is not well understood. Here we reveal that RPA has a strong propensity to assemble into dynamic condensates. In solution, purified RPA phase separates into liquid droplets with fusion and surface wetting behavior. Phase separation is stimulated by sub-stoichiometric amounts of ssDNA, but not RNA or double-stranded DNA, and ssDNA gets selectively enriched in RPA condensates. We find the RPA2 subunit required for condensation and multi-site phosphorylation of the RPA2 N-terminal intrinsically disordered region to regulate RPA self-interaction. Functionally, quantitative proximity proteomics links RPA condensation to telomere clustering and integrity in cancer cells. Collectively, our results suggest that RPA-coated ssDNA is contained in dynamic RPA condensates whose properties are important for genome organization and stability.
A low-cost smartphone fluorescence microscope for research, life science education, and STEM outreach
Authors: Schaefer Madison A. , Nelson Heather N. , Butrum John L. , Gronseth James R. , Hines Jacob H.
Published: March 2023

Much of our understanding of cell and tissue development, structure, and function stems from fluorescence microscopy. The acquisition of colorful and glowing images engages and excites users ranging from seasoned microscopists to STEM students. Fluorescence microscopes range in cost from several thousand to several hundred thousand US dollars. Therefore, the use of fluorescence microscopy is typically limited to well-funded institutions and biotechnology companies, research core facilities, and medical laboratories, but is financially impractical at many universities and colleges, primary and secondary schools (K-12), and in science outreach settings. In this study, we developed and characterized components that when used in combination with a smartphone or tablet, perform fluorescence microscopy at a cost of less than $50 US dollars per unit. We re-purposed recreational LED flashlights and theater stage lighting filters to enable viewing of green and red fluorophores including EGFP, DsRed, mRFP, and mCherry on a simple-to-build frame made of wood and plexiglass. These devices, which we refer to as glowscopes, were capable of 10 µm resolution, imaging fluorescence in live specimens, and were compatible with all smartphone and tablet models we tested. In comparison to scientific-grade fluorescence microscopes, glowscopes may have limitations to sensitivity needed to detect dim fluorescence and the inability to resolve subcellular structures. We demonstrate capability of viewing fluorescence within zebrafish embryos, including heart rate, rhythmicity, and regional anatomy of the central nervous system. Due to the low cost of individual glowscope units, we anticipate this device can help to equip K-12, undergraduate, and science outreach classrooms with fleets of fluorescence microscopes that can engage students with hands-on learning activities.
Initiation and modulation of Tau protein phase separation by the drug suramin
Authors: Prince Prabhu Rajaiah , Hochmair Janine , Brognaro Hévila , Gevorgyan Susanna , Franck Maximilian , Schubert Robin , Lorenzen Kristina , Yazici Selin , Mandelkow Eckhard , Wegmann Susanne , Betzel Christian
Published: March 2023

Tau is an intrinsically disordered neuronal protein in the central nervous system. Aggregated Tau is the main component of neurofibrillary tangles observed in Alzheimer’s disease. In vitro, Tau aggregation can be triggered by polyanionic co-factors, like RNA or heparin. At different concentration ratios, the same polyanions can induce Tau condensates via liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS), which over time develop pathological aggregation seeding potential. Data obtained by time resolved Dynamic Light Scattering experiments (trDLS), light and electron microscopy show that intermolecular electrostatic interactions between Tau and the negatively charged drug suramin induce Tau condensation and compete with the interactions driving and stabilizing the formation of Tau:heparin and Tau:RNA coacervates, thus, reducing their potential to induce cellular Tau aggregation. Tau:suramin condensates do not seed Tau aggregation in a HEK cell model for Tau aggregation, even after extended incubation. These observations indicate that electrostatically driven Tau condensation can occur without pathological aggregation when initiated by small anionic molecules. Our results provide a novel avenue for therapeutic intervention of aberrant Tau phase separation, utilizing small anionic compounds.
Combined adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell and antibiotic therapy can effectively treat periprosthetic joint infection in rats
Authors: Yamamuro Yuki , Kabata Tamon , Nojima Takayuki , Hayashi Katsuhiro , Tokoro Masaharu , Kajino Yoshitomo , Inoue Daisuke , Ohmori Takaaki , Yoshitani Junya , Ueno Takuro , Ueoka Ken , Taninaka Atsushi , Kataoka Tomoyuki , Saiki Yoshitomo , Yanagi Yu , Tsuchiya Hiroyuki
Published: March 2023

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is characterized by biofilm infection, which is difficult to alleviate while preserving implant integrity. Furthermore, long-term antibiotic therapy may increase the prevalence of drug-resistant bacterial strains, necessitating a non-antibacterial approach. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) exert antibacterial effects; however, their efficacy in PJI remains unclear. This study investigates the efficacy of combined intravenous ADSCs and antibiotic therapy in comparison to antibiotic monotherapy in a methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA)-infected PJI rat model. The rats were randomly assigned and equally divided into 3 groups: no-treatment group, antibiotic group, ADSCs with antibiotic group. The ADSCs with antibiotic group exhibited the fastest recovery from weight loss, with lower bacterial counts (p = 0.013 vs. no-treatment group; p = 0.024 vs. antibiotic group) and less bone density loss around the implants (p = 0.015 vs. no-treatment group; p = 0.025 vs. antibiotic group). The modified Rissing score was used to evaluate localized infection on postoperative day 14 and was the lowest in the ADSCs with antibiotic group; however, no significant difference was observed between the antibiotic group and ADSCs with antibiotic group (p < 0.001 vs. no-treatment group; p = 0.359 vs. antibiotic group). Histological analysis revealed a clear, thin, and continuous bony envelope, a homogeneous bone marrow, and a defined, normal interface in the ADSCs with antibiotic group. Moreover, the expression of cathelicidin expression was significantly higher (p = 0.002 vs. no-treatment group; p = 0.049 vs. antibiotic group), whereas that of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin(IL)-6 was lower in the ADSCs with antibiotic group than in the no-treatment group (TNF-α, p = 0.010 vs. no-treatment group; IL-6, p = 0.010 vs. no-treatment group). Thus, the combined intravenous ADSCs and antibiotic therapy induced a stronger antibacterial effect than antibiotic monotherapy in a MSSA-infected PJI rat model. This strong antibacterial effect may be related to the increased cathelicidin expression and decreased inflammatory cytokine expression at the site of infection.
Pseudomonas alcaliphila NEWG-2 as biosorbent agent for methylene blue dye: optimization, equilibrium isotherms, and kinetic processes
Authors: Ghoniem Abeer A. , Moussa Zeiad , Alenzi Asma Massad , Alotaibi Amenah S. , Fakhry Hala , El-Khateeb Ayman Y. , Saber WesamEldin I. A. , Elsayed Ashraf
Published: March 2023

In comparison to physicochemical and chemical methods, microbial dye biosorption is regarded as an eco-effective and economically viable alternative and is a widely applied method due to its high efficiency and compatibility with the environment. Therefore, the idea of this study is to clarify to what extent the viable cells and the dry biomass of Pseudomonas alcaliphila NEWG-2 can improve the biosorption of methylene blue (MB) from a synthetic wastewater sample. The array of Taguchi paradigm has been conducted to ascertain five variables affecting the biosorption of MB by broth forms of P. alcaliphila NEWG. The data of MB biosorption were familiar to the predicted ones, indicating the precision of the Taguchi model’s prediction. The maximum biosorption of MB (87.14%) was achieved at pH 8, after 60 h, in a medium containing 15 mg/ml MB, 2.5% glucose, and 2% peptone, with sorting the highest signal-to-noise ratio (38.80). FTIR spectra detected various functional groups (primary alcohol, α, β-unsaturated ester, symmetric NH2 bending, and strong C–O stretching) on the bacterial cell wall that participated in the biosorption of MB. Furthermore, the spectacular MB biosorption ability was validated by equilibrium isotherms and kinetic studies (the dry biomass form), which were derived from the Langmuir model (qmax = 68.827 mg/g). The equilibrium time was achieved in about 60 min, with 70.5% of MB removal. The biosorption kinetic profile might be adequately represented by pseudo-second order and Elovich models. The changes in the bacterial cells before and after the biosorption of MB were characterized using a scanning electron microscope. As realized from the aforementioned data, the bacterium is a talented, effective, eco-friendly, and low-cost bio-sorbent for the decolorization and remedy of an industrial effluent containing MB from an aqueous environment. The current outcomes in the biosorption of MB molecules promote the use of the bacterial strain as viable cells and/or dry biomass in ecosystem restoration, environmental cleanup, and bioremediation studies.
Evaluation of the clinical performance of an AI-based application for the automated analysis of chest X-rays
Authors: Niehoff Julius Henning , Kalaitzidis Jana , Kroeger Jan Robert , Schoenbeck Denise , Borggrefe Jan , Michael Arwed Elias
Published: March 2023

The AI-Rad Companion Chest X-ray (AI-Rad, Siemens Healthineers) is an artificial-intelligence based application for the analysis of chest X-rays. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the performance of the AI-Rad. In total, 499 radiographs were retrospectively included. Radiographs were independently evaluated by radiologists and the AI-Rad. Findings indicated by the AI-Rad and findings described in the written report (WR) were compared to the findings of a ground truth reading (consensus decision of two radiologists after assessing additional radiographs and CT scans). The AI-Rad can offer superior sensitivity for the detection of lung lesions (0.83 versus 0.52), consolidations (0.88 versus 0.78) and atelectasis (0.54 versus 0.43) compared to the WR. However, the superior sensitivity is accompanied by higher false-detection-rates. The sensitivity of the AI-Rad for the detection of pleural effusions is lower compared to the WR (0.74 versus 0.88). The negative-predictive-values (NPV) of the AI-Rad for the detection of all pre-defined findings are on a high level and comparable to the WR. The seemingly advantageous high sensitivity of the AI-Rad is partially offset by the disadvantage of a high false-detection-rate. At the current stage of development, therefore, the high NPVs may be the greatest benefit of the AI-Rad giving radiologists the possibility to re-insure their own negative search for pathologies and thus boosting their confidence in their reports.
Effect of BIM expression on the prognostic value of PD-L1 in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with EGFR-TKIs
Authors: Chu Chang-Yao , Lin Chien-Yu , Lin Chien-Chung , Li Chien-Feng , Wu Shang-Yin , Tsai Jeng-Shiuan , Yang Szu-Chun , Chen Chian-Wei , Lin Chia-Yin , Chang Chao-Chun , Yen Yi-Ting , Tseng Yau-Lin , Su Po-Lan , Su Wu-Chou
Published: March 2023

The role of Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in predicting epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKIs) efficacy remains controversial. Recent studies have highlighted that tumor-intrinsic PD-L1 signaling can be modulated by STAT3, AKT, MET oncogenic pathway, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, or BIM expression. This study aimed to investigate whether these underlying mechanisms affect the prognostic role of PD-L1. We retrospectively enrolled patients with EGFR mutant advanced stage NSCLC who received first-line EGFR-TKI between January 2017 and June 2019, the treatment efficacy of EGFR-TKI was assessed. Kaplan–Meier analysis of progression-free survival (PFS) revealed that patients with high BIM expression had shorter PFS, regardless of PD-L1 expression. This result was also supported by the COX proportional hazard regression analysis. In vitro, we further proved that the knockdown of BIM, instead of PDL1, induced more cell apoptosis following gefitinib treatment. Our data suggest that among the pathways affecting tumor-intrinsic PD-L1 signaling, BIM is potentially the underlying mechanism that affects the role of PD-L1 expression in predicting response to EGFR TKI and mediates cell apoptosis under treatment with gefitinib in EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Further prospective studies are required to validate these results.
Design of experiments as a tool to guide the preparation of tailor-made activated carbons
Authors: Schaubeder Jana B. , Guizani Chamseddine , Selinger Julian , Mautner Andreas , Hummel Michael , Spirk Stefan
Published: March 2023

Activated carbon produced from biomass exhibits a high specific surface area due to the natural hierarchical porous structure of the precursor material. To reduce production costs of activated carbon, bio-waste materials receive more and more attention, which has led to a steep increase in the number of publications over the past decade. However, the characteristics of activated carbon are highly dependent on the properties of the precursor material used, making it difficult to draw assumptions about activation conditions for new precursor materials based on published work. Here, we introduce a Design of Experiment methodology with a Central Composite Design to better predict the properties of activated carbons from biomass. As a model precursor, we employ well-defined regenerated cellulose-based fibers which contain 25 wt.% chitosan as intrinsic dehydration catalyst and nitrogen donor. The use of the DoE methodology opens up the possibility to better identify the crucial dependencies between activation temperature and impregnation ratio on the yield, surface morphology, porosity and chemical composition of the activated carbon, independent of the used biomass. The use of DoE yields contour plots, which allows for more facile analysis on correlations between activation conditions and activated carbon properties, thus enabling its tailor-made manufacturing.
High prevalence of parasitic chytrids infection of glacier algae in cryoconite holes in Alaska
Authors: Kobayashi Kino , Takeuchi Nozomu , Kagami Maiko
Published: March 2023

Glacier algae, which are photosynthetic microbes growing on ice, considerably reduce the surface albedo of glaciers and accelerate their melting rate. Although the growth of glacier algae can be suppressed by parasitic chytrids, the impact of chytrids on algal populations is still largely unknown. In this study, we described the morphology of the chytrid infecting the glacier algaAncylonema nordenskioeldiiand quantified the prevalence of infection in different habitats on a mountain glacier in Alaska, USA. Microscopic observations revealed three different morphological types of chytrids with distinct rhizoid shapes. Variations in the size of the sporangia were probably because of their different growth stages, indicating that they actively propagated on the glacier. The prevalence of infection did not vary among sites with different elevations but was substantially higher in cryoconite holes (20%) than on ice surfaces (4%) at all sites. This indicates that cryoconite holes are hot spots for chytrid infections of glacier algae, and the dynamics of cryoconite holes might affect the host–parasite interactions between chytrids and the glacier algae, which may in turn alter surface albedo and ice melting.
BSTS synthesis guided by CALPHAD approach for phase equilibria and process optimization
Authors: Alnaser Husain F. , Sparks Taylor D.
Published: March 2023

This work presents a new method for processing single-crystal semiconductors designed by a computational method to lower the process temperature. This research study is based on a CALPHAD approach (ThermoCalc) to theoretically design processing parameters by utilizing theoretical phase diagrams. The targeted material composition consists of Bi–Se2–Te–Sb (BSTS). The semiconductor alloy contains three phases, hexagonal, rhombohedral-1, and rhombohedral-2 crystal structures, that are presented in the phase field of the theoretical pseudo-binary phase diagram. The semiconductor is also evaluated by applying Hume–Rothery rules along with the CALPHAD approach. Thermodynamic modelling suggests that single-crystals of BSTS can be grown at significantly lower temperatures and this is experimentally validated by low-temperature growth of single crystalline samples followed by exfoliation, compositional analysis, and diffraction.
Genome-wide identification, expression profile and evolutionary relationships of TPS genes in the neotropical fruit tree species Psidium cattleyanum
Authors: Canal Drielli , Escudero Frank Lino Guzman , Mendes Luiza Alves , da Silva Ferreira Marcia Flores , Turchetto-Zolet Andreia Carina
Published: March 2023

Terpenoids are essential for plant growth, development, defense, and adaptation mechanisms.Psidium cattleyanum(Myrtaceae) is a fleshy fruit tree species endemics from Atlantic Forest, known for its pleasant fragrance and sweet taste, attributed to terpenoids in its leaves and fruits. In this study, we conducted genome-wide identification, evolutionary and expression analyses of the terpene synthase gene (TPS) family inP. cattleyanumred guava (var.cattleyanum), and yellow guava (var.lucidum Hort.) morphotypes. We identified 32 full-length TPS in red guava (RedTPS) and 30 in yellow guava (YlwTPS). We showed different expression patterns of TPS paralogous in the two morphotypes, suggesting the existence of distinct gene regulation mechanisms and their influence on the final essential oil content in both morphotypes. Moreover, the oil profile of red guava was dominated by 1,8-cineole and linalool and yellow guava was enriched in α-pinene, coincident in proportion to TPS-b1 genes, which encode enzymes that produce cyclic monoterpenes, suggesting a lineage-specific subfamily expansion of this family. Finally, we identified amino acid residues near the catalytic center and functional areas under positive selection. Our findings provide valuable insights into the terpene biosynthesis in a Neotropical Myrtaceae species and their potential involvement in adaptation mechanisms.
Aggregation-induced circularly polarized phosphorescence of Pt(ii) complexes with an axially chiral BINOL ligand
Authors: Tauchi Daiki , Koida Taiki , Nojima Yuki , Hasegawa Masahi , Mazaki Yasuhiro , Inagaki Akiko , Sugiura Ken-ichi , Nagaya Yuki , Tsubaki Kazunori , Shiga Takuya , Nagata Yuuya , Nishikawa Hiroyuki
Published: March 2023

A pair of chiral Pt(ii) complexes exhibiting aggregation-induced phosphorescence and circularly polarized luminescence have been synthesized and characterized.
Paper card-like electrochemical platform as a smart point-of-care device for reagent-free glucose measurement in tears
Authors: Fiore Luca , Sinha Ankita , Seddaoui Narjiss , di Biasio Jessica , Ricci Federico , Stojanovic Goran M. , Arduini Fabiana
Published: March 2023

A novel paper card-like acting like a credit card to be inserted into a reusable polyvinyl chloride electrochemical fluidic system for furnishing all the reagents required for glucose measurement in artificial tears.
Total chemical synthesis of sumoylated histone H4 reveals negative biochemical crosstalk with histone ubiquitylation
Authors: Singh Sumeet K. , Reyna Andres , Xie Xiaowen , Mao Haibin , Ji Meihuan , Zheng Ning , Hsu Peter L. , Chatterjee Champak
Published: March 2023

An efficient total chemical synthesis of site-specifically sumoylated histone H4 revealed its negative biochemical crosstalk with histone H2B ubiquitylation in vitro and in human cells.
Mg-substituted Prussian blue as a low-strain cathode material for aqueous Fe-ion batteries
Authors: Huang Ge , Lao Zefeng , He Ze , Xiong Fangyu , Tan Shuangshuang , Huang Meng , Thompson Greta , An Qinyou , Mai Liqiang
Published: March 2023

We constructed a Mg-substituted Prussian blue analogue (MgFeHCF) as a low-strain cathode material for aqueous Fe-ion batteries (FIBs), which exhibited better framework stability and higher ionic conductivity.
Stability of sulfur molecules and insights into sulfur allotropy
Authors: Fedyaeva Maria , Lepeshkin Sergey , Oganov Artem R.
Published: March 2023

Using a simple criterion, we predict the ease of formation and abundance of sulfur molecules and how it is affected by temperature.
Regulation of polylactic acid using irradiation and preparation of PLA–SiO2–ZnO melt-blown nonwovens for antibacterial and air filtration
Authors: Zhu Yanlong , Gu Xiaoxia , Dong Zhenfeng , Wang Bin , Jin Xu , Chen Yankun , Cui Meng , Wang Rui , Zhang Xiuqin
Published: March 2023

PLA MBs with high filtration efficiency and antibacterial activity were prepared by reducing viscosity by irradiation and blending ZnO and SiO2.
Tailoring residual stress of flexible Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells by Ga doping for high mechanical endurance
Authors: Sun Luanhong , Zhao Yijie , Ye Yuanfeng , Hao Lingyun , Wang Wei , Guan Hangmin , Li Jinze
Published: March 2023

A convenient and effective strategy for Ga doping is proposed to suppress the defects and tailor the residual stress of CZTSSe synchronously, to facilitate the development of flexible CZTSSe solar cells toward roll-to-roll production in industry.
Enhanced stability of lead-free double perovskite Cs2AgInxBi1−xCl6crystals under a high humidity environment by surface capping treatment
Authors: Shi Jindou , Wang Minqiang , Zhang Chen , Wang Junnan , Zhou Yun , Xu Youlong , Gaponenko Nikolai V.
Published: March 2023

The stability of Cs2AgIn0.93Bi0.07Cl6NCs under high humidity environments was enhanced by surface capping treatment (OA ligand and PVDF), where Cs2AgIn0.93Bi0.07Cl6/PVDF CFs exhibited excellent water stability.
Enriching adenosine by thymine-rich DNA oligomers
Authors: Liu Mingchun , Chen Huaiqing , Huang Yuhan , Liu Jian , Chen Qianfeng , Zuo Hua , Fang Liang , Mao Chengde
Published: March 2023

Proposed model for the complexes formed by poly(thymine) (poly(T)) and Ado (or adenine). Complexes formed from ado/adenine and (a) poly(T) strands, (b) a hairpin-containing poly(T) strand, and (c) a clamp-containing poly(T) strand.
programmably engineered FRET-nanoflare for ratiometric live–cell ATP imaging with anti-interference capability
Authors: Wu Hongyu , Zhang Chengwen , Zhu Fulin , Zhu Yu , Lu Xinhui , Wan Ying , Su Shao , Chao Jie , Wang Lianhui , Zhu Dan
Published: March 2023

A programmably engineered FRET-nanoflare with controllable densities of aptamers for sensitive, live–cell ATP imaging was constructed with excellent anti-interference capability.
Understanding the mechanism and origins of stereoconvergence in nickel-catalyzed hydroarylation of 1,3-dienes with aryl boronates
Authors: Wang Keke , Xu Hui , Dang Yanfeng
Published: March 2023

Mechanistic studies disclose that Ni-catalysed hydroarylation of 1,3-dienes occurs via concerted hydronickelation, transmetalation and reductive elimination to give the product. Ligand–substrate interactions were analyzed to reveal the selectivity.
Post-synthetic functionalization of Zn-CP by Tb3+ ions: a ratiometric luminescent sensor for the ultraviolet filter benzophenone
Authors: Zhang Xu , Li Xin , Ding Tianyang , Yu Jiahui , Jiao Chengqi , Hu Ye , Zhou Yanan , Zhu Yanyu , Sun Zhengang , Zheng Hanwen
Published: March 2023

Tb3+@Zn-CP achieved the transformation from invisible to visible, and from single emission luminescence sensing to ratiometric luminescence sensing of BP through a postsynthetic modification strategy.
Regulating the d-band electrons of the Fe–N–C single-atom catalyst for high-efficiency CO2 electroreduction by electron-donating S-doping
Authors: Chen Yiqun , Gong Qinghua , Sun Xuefeng , Li Guochang , Zhou Guowei
Published: March 2023

By increasing d-band electrons and the conductivity via electron-donating S-doping, the Fe–SN–C single-atom catalyst exhibits high efficiency for CO2 electroreduction reaction.
A hybrid piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerator with lead-free BZT–BCT/PDMS composite and PVA film for scavenging mechanical energy
Authors: Gopal S. R. , Velayutham T. S. , Gan W. C. , Cheong J. Y. , Soh A. E.
Published: March 2023

A hybrid piezo/triboelectric nanogenerator (H/P-TENG) is designed for mechanical energy harvesting using polymer ceramic composite films; polydimethylsiloxane/Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (PDMS/BZT–BCT) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).
Computational studies on functionalized Janus MXenes MM′CT2, (M, M′ = Zr, Ti, Hf, M ≠ M′; T = –O, –F, –OH): photoelectronic properties and potential photocatalytic activities
Authors: Xiong Kuangwei , Cheng Ziqiang , Liu Jianpeng , Liu Peng-Fei , Zi Zhenfa
Published: March 2023

The functionalized Janus MXene monolayers: ideal and promising materials for use in visible light-driven photocatalysis.
Solvent-free synthesis of a naphthoquinone-based bipolar organic cathode towards practical durable lithium organic batteries
Authors: Xiong Jiakui , Yan Xiaorong , Yu Haiping , Wu Chuanguang , Zhao Guoqing , Zhang Jianze , Dai Yujie , Wang Xinyu , Gao Jiefeng , Pu Xiong , Hu Mingjun , Liu Jingru , Yang Jun
Published: March 2023

We prepare a bipolar naphthoquinone-based small molecule DNQPA in high yield and purity by a solvent-free method, which shows exceptional cycling stability and excellent specific capacity as a cathode material when compounded with graphene.
Video2mesh: 3D human pose and shape recovery by a temporal convolutional transformer network
Authors: Chao Xianjin , Ge Zhipeng , Leung Howard
Published: March 2023

From a 2D video of a person in action, human mesh recovery aims to infer the 3D human pose and shape frame by frame. Despite progress on video‐based human pose and shape estimation, it is still challenging to guarantee high accuracy and smoothness simultaneously. To tackle this problem, we propose a Video2mesh, a temporal convolutional transformer (TConvTransformer) based temporal network which is able to recover accurate and smooth human mesh from 2D video. The temporal convolution block achieves the sequence‐level smoothness by aggregating image features from adjacent frames. The subsequent multi‐attention transformer improves the accuracy due to its multi‐subspace for better middle‐frame feature representation. Meanwhile, we add a TConvTransformer discriminator which is trained together with our 3D human mesh temporal encoder. This TConvTransformer discriminator further improves the accuracy and smoothness by restricting the pose and shape in a more reliable space based on the AMASS dataset. We conduct extensive experiments on three standard benchmark datasets and show that our proposed Video2mesh outperforms other state‐of‐the‐art methods in both accuracy and smoothness.
Deadlock detection, cooperative avoidance and recovery protocol for mixed autonomous vehicles in unstructured environment
Authors: Qi HongSheng , Song Yang , Huang ZhiTong , Hu XianBiao
Published: March 2023

Deadlock is an extreme traffic flow operational state during rush hours. Many literatures have studied autonomous vehicle coordination under the umbrella of deadlock‐free conditions. These researches either assume the trajectories are fixed or state spaces are discrete and limited on structured road spaces or don't consider the influence of human‐driven vehicles (HDV), which are not controllable from the system's viewpoint. This manuscript relaxes the above limitations and proposes a method to detect, avoid, and recover from deadlock for mixed autonomous vehicles flow. Firstly, two types of deadlocks, weak and strong , are defined based on deadlock properties. Next, two detection algorithms based on evasion distance propagation are proposed. After that, we present a cooperative control method to avoid deadlock based on chain‐spillover‐free and loop‐free strategies. If a deadlock has already happened, cooperative protocols based on re‐routing and backward‐forward strategies are designed. The proposed model is tested in Carla. The results show that the deadlocks can be detected 13 seconds earlier than their occurrence, and it takes about 6 seconds to unlock the existing deadlock. The results also show that with the proposed deadlock avoidance algorithm, the traffic throughput can be increased by 35.7%, and with the proposed deadlock recovery protocol, the traffic throughput can be increased by another 18%.