bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conventional and advanced extraction methods of some bioactive compounds with health benefits of food and plant waste: A comprehensive review
Authors: Waseem Muhammad , Majeed Yaqoob , Nadeem Tayyaba , Naqvi Laraib Haider , Khalid Muhammad Arslan , Sajjad Muhammad Muzzammil , Sultan Muhammad , Khan Muhammad Usman , Khayrullin Mars , Shariati Mohammad Ali , Lorenzo Jose Manuel
Published: July 2023

Food bioactive compounds have a beneficial biological effect on human health, fending off cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and neurodegenerative disease, among other noncommunicable diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. Secondary metabolites like polyphenols, glucosinolates, carotenoids, vitamins, terpenoids, saponins, and fibers have been linked to these health benefits due to their antioxidant, antiatherogenic, anti‐inflammatory, antimicrobial, cardioprotective, and vasodilator properties. This review comprehensively illustrates the extraction of bioactive compounds in food formulations along plant wastes and provides insight into the efficient delivery systems for health‐promoting compounds. There is an insight into how to choose which bioactive to use, how to extract them in a bioavailable state, and how to include and deliver them. Grapes, garlic, sweet potato leaves, cactus pears, beetroot, amaranth, Picea abies bark waste, olive leaves, and black plum are discussed comprehensively in terms of extraction and health benefits. The novel and emerging technologies are discussed in detail, and a comprehensive review and comparison with conventional methods are presented. The significant health benefits associated with bioactive compounds are also discussed.
Construction System Failures: Frame Notation of Project Pathogens and their Propagation Across Time and System Hierarchy
Authors: Igarashi Takaharu , Marais Karen
Published: July 2023

A construction system is an organizational and technological system that produces buildings or civil engineering structures for human use by fabricating and installing materials into an integrated structure according to design specifications. Failures of such construction systems materialize in various forms, including defective design, rework, and dysfunctional building systems. Frequent accidents and building defects in the construction sector clearly indicate that our society still needs to improve the safety of construction systems. Research studies on how major accidents and minor defects occur are often conducted in isolation by different researchers, and existing system safety concepts and frameworks are not necessarily suited to handling the dynamic nature of temporary multiple organizations (TMOs)—a feature that characterizes the uniqueness of construction projects. We need a framework that can better describe failures specific to construction, and capture the wide spectrum of these failures. Here, we build on concepts from system safety research to develop a graphical notation with “frames” and system hierarchy as the main components to illustrate how pathogens are generated and propagated by defective processes and end up embedded in the physical structure.
Automatic Text Classification of PDF Documents using NLP Techniques
Authors: Abdoun Nabil , Chami Mohammad
Published: July 2023

One of the regular activities performed by engineers during the design and development of the technical systems is to determine which sentences in a PDF specification document represent a requirement, functional architecture, design solution, variability, or other types of systems engineering (SE) data. Extracting such data from these PDF documents and transferring it into system model elements is still performed manually, requires high effort, and is error prone. Hereby, automatic extraction and classification of such SE data has a great potential, but it is still relatively scarce and a challenging task for engineers working with large PDF specification documents. One solution is to follow a suitable writing formulation which provide an immediate and easy way to classify and analyze the PDF documents. However, such formulations are not always followed strictly. As part of our work towards adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Model‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), we have been researching the data extraction and data classification topics from PDF files in order to transfer it to system models elements. In this paper, we present the early status of a solution based on AI that uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to label the SE data existing in PDF files, extract them, and classify them into predefined classes.
A Population-Based Registry Study of Extended Bisphosphonate Use: Minimal Shift After Landmark Publications About Shorter Treatment Duration
Authors: Kline Gregory A. , Morin Suzanne N. , Lix Lisa M. , Leslie William D.
Published: July 2023

Optimal duration of bisphosphonate therapy was unknown until the FLEX study was published in 2006 showing a 5-year course to be adequate for most women. In 2008, a link between long-term bisphosphonate and atypical femoral fractures was reported and confirmed in later studies. We hypothesized these landmark observations should have led to a decrease in use of bisphosphonates for >5 or 10 years, from 2010 onward. The Manitoba Bone Mineral Density (BMD) Registry with linkage to provincial pharmacy data was used to determine the percentage of long- and very long-term bisphosphonate users from therapy start. The cohort comprised women aged >50 years with BMD between 1995 and 2018 with oral bisphosphonate first prescribed for >90 days with adherence >75% in the first year. For each calendar year of continued therapy, the percentage of patients and medication possession rate was tabulated. The percentage of users beyond 5 years was compared among patients who started therapy in 1998–2004 (those taking 5 years of therapy still finish before 2010) versus 2005–2012 (all new therapy starts overlap 2010 in those taking ≥5 years of treatment). The cohort included 2991 women with mean follow-up 8.8 (1.3) years, 64.9% of whom took continuous oral bisphosphonate for >5 years and 41.9% for >10 years. In the earlier versus later era, there were 74.4% versus 70.2% who completed 5 years. With respect to longer treatment, there were 68.0% and 60.5% of patients treated for 6 or more years (p < 0.0001) and 46.6% versus 33.5% treated for >10 years (p = 0.08). Medication possession rate was >79% in every year of therapy. Landmark studies leading to more limited bisphosphonate courses may have slightly reduced longer-term treatment, but up to one-third of adherent patients in the modern era still receive continuous bisphosphonate therapy for >10 years. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
On plasmon modes in multi‐layer structures
Authors: Fang Xiaoping , Deng Youjun
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we consider the plasmon resonance in multi‐layer structures. We show that the plasmon mode is equivalent to the eigenvalue problem of a matrix, whose order is the same to the number of layers. For any number of layers, the exact characteristic polynomial is derived by a conjecture and is verified by using induction. It is shown that all the roots to the characteristic polynomial are real and exist in the span
, when the background field is uniform in
. Numerical examples are presented for finding all the plasmon modes, and it is surprisingly to find out that such multi‐layer structures may induce so called surface‐plasmon‐resonance‐like band.
Donors' giving decisions toward nonprofit commercialization: Do commercial form and intensity matter?
Authors: Hung ChiaKo , Suykens Ben
Published: July 2023

Commercialization is an established yet contested practice in the nonprofit sphere. Whereas proponents point to increased financial stability, others warn about crowding out of individual donations. This ambiguity raises the question: Under which configuration is nonprofit commercialization (un)likely to uphold the promise of financial stability? Drawing on institutional theory, we conduct a survey experiment with U.S.‐based individuals (N = 1031) to examine the impact of nonprofit commercialization form (i.e., commercialization of core/ancillary activities) and intensity on individual donation likelihood. Contrary to our theoretical expectations, we find that individual donors (a) prefer commercial ancillary activities over commercial core activities, and (b) are not negatively affected by high levels of commercial income. This study advances our understanding of how nonprofit commercialization affects donors' giving likelihood. This study also offers guidance to nonprofit practitioners on how to commercialize for better financial health.
Enhanced mechanical properties, thermal behavior and foaming ability of PP‐g‐MAH modified PP/BF composites
Authors: Liu Ya , Guan Yanjin , Zhai Jiqiang , Chen Fengjiao , Chu Hongqiang , Hu Guofeng , Lin Jun
Published: July 2023

The mechanical properties of fiber‐reinforced polymer composites strongly depend on its interfacial bond strength and fiber content, and their further lightweight is the current urgent demands for industry. Basalt fiber (BF), as an emerging natural and environmental‐friendly material, possess a broad application prospect as it can replace glass fiber. Herein, strong PP/BF composites with excellent heat deflection temperature and enhanced impact performance were successfully prepared, which augmented with the increase of BF content. The effect of PP grafted with maleic anhydride (PP‐g‐MAH) on the interfacial bonding properties between BF and PP was investigated based on the PP/20BF composite system, which was significantly improved due to the reaction of maleic anhydride polar groups with the hydroxyl groups on the BF surface. The incorporation of PP‐g‐MAH led to 24.7%, 46.9%, and 77.2% increase in tensile strength, flexural strength and impact strength of PP/20BF composites, respectively. Moreover, the crystallization properties, rheological behavior and thermal stability of the composites were significantly enhanced, which all contributed to the refinement and densification of cellular structure. The cell size was reduced from 36.38 to 13.41 μm after the addition of PP‐g‐MAH with an opening distance of 2 mm, and the cell density was enhanced by nearly one order of magnitude to 6.43 × 107 cells/cm3. The cellular structure further lightens the weight of product and promotes the lightweight development of PP/BF composites.
Extracellular matrix turnover: phytochemicals target and modulate the dual role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in liver fibrosis
Authors: Sabir Usman , Gu Hong‐mei , Zhang Da‐Wei
Published: July 2023

Extracellular matrix (ECM) resolution by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is a well‐documented mechanism. MMPs play a dual and complex role in modulating ECM degradation at different stages of liver fibrosis, depending on the timing and levels of their expression. Increased MMP‐1 combats disease progression by cleaving the fibrillar ECM. Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) increase expression of MMP‐2, ‐9, and ‐13 in different chemicals‐induced animal models, which may alleviate or worsen disease progression based on animal models and the stage of liver fibrosis. In the early stage, elevated expression of certain MMPs may damage surrounding tissue and activate HSCs, promoting fibrosis progression. At the later stage, downregulation of MMPs can facilitate ECM accumulation and disease progression. A number of phytochemicals modulate MMP activity and ECM turnover, alleviating disease progression. However, the effects of phytochemicals on the expression of different MMPs are variable and may depend on the disease models and stage, and the dosage, timing and duration of phytochemicals used in each study. Here, we review the most recent advances in the role of MMPs in the effects of phytochemicals on liver fibrogenesis, which indicates that further studies are warranted to confirm and define the potential clinical efficacy of these phytochemicals.
Correlating Optical Microspectroscopy with 4×4 Transfer Matrix Modeling for Characterizing Birefringent Van der Waals Materials
Authors: Schwarz Julian , Niebauer Michael , Koleśnik‐Gray Maria , Szabo Maximilian , Baier Leander , Chava Phanish , Erbe Artur , Krstić Vojislav , Rommel Mathias , Hutzler Andreas
Published: July 2023

Van der Waals materials exhibit intriguing properties for future electronic and optoelectronic devices. As those unique features strongly depend on the materials' thickness, it has to be accessed precisely for tailoring the performance of a specific device. In this study, a nondestructive and technologically easily implementable approach for accurate thickness determination of birefringent layered materials is introduced by combining optical reflectance measurements with a modular model comprising a 4×4 transfer matrix method and the optical components relevant to light microspectroscopy. This approach is demonstrated being reliable and precise for thickness determination of anisotropic materials like highly oriented pyrolytic graphite and black phosphorus in a range from atomic layers up to more than 100 nm. As a key feature, the method is well‐suited even for encapsulated layers outperforming state of‐the‐art techniques like atomic force microscopy.
Synthesis and crystal structure of structurally different cadmium selenocyanate and thiocyanate coordination compounds containing 3‐chloropyridine as ligand
Authors: Näther Christian , Jess Inke , Mangelsen Sebastian
Published: July 2023

Four compounds with the composition Cd(NCSe)2(3‐ClPy)4 (1), [Cd(NCSe)2(3‐ClPy)2] ⋅ 3‐ClPy (2), Cd(NCSe)2(3‐ClPy)2 (3) and Cd(NCSe)2(3‐ClPy) (4) with 3‐ClPy = 3‐chloropyridine were synthesized. In the structure of 1 discrete complexes are observed, whereas in 2 the Cd cations are linked by pairs of selenocyanato anions into chains and between the chains 3‐chloropyridine solvate molecules are embedded. In compound 3 each two Cd cations are linked by pairs of anionic ligands into dinuclear units, that are further connected into layers by μ‐1,3 single bridging selenocyanate anions. In compound 4, both, octahedrally and tetrahe‐ drally coordinated Cd cations are present, that are linked by μ‐1,3‐ bridging anionic ligands into a three‐.dimensional network.

Thermoanalytical investigations prove that compound 1 loses the 3‐chloropyridine ligands stepwise upon heating and transforms into compound 4 via compound 3 as an intermediate. Further investigations show that the thiocyanate analogue Cd(NCS)2(3‐ClPy) 5 that is not reported in the literature can also be prepared. Since no single crystals were available, the structure was solved from PXRD data and refined using the Rietveld method, which revealed that this compound is an isomer of 4. In its crystal structure the Cd cations are linked by μ‐1,3(N,S) and μ‐1,3,3(N,S,S)‐bridging anionic ligands into chains that are further connected via Cd2S2 rings into double chains.
Survey on brachytherapy training among radiation oncology residents in the German-speaking regions of Europe
Authors: Knoth Johannes , Konrad Stefan , Lössl Kristina , Motisi Laura , Mäurer Matthias , Linde Philipp , Lindel Katja , Niehoff Peter , Strnad Vratislav , Sturdza Alina , Corradini Stefanie
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This survey aimed to determine the perception of brachytherapy training among residents in the DACH region, consisting of Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

Material & Methods

An online questionnaire containing 22 questions related to trainee demographics (n = 5) and to brachytherapy training (n = 17) was sent in two iterations in 11/2019 and 02/2020. The following topics were evaluated: institutional support, barriers to training, extent of training, site-specific training (prostate, gynaecology, breast, gastrointestinal and skin), preferences for further training and outlook on overall development of brachytherapy. The responses were mostly based on a Likert scale of 1 to 5, thereby reflecting strength of opinion. Descriptive statistics were used to describe frequencies.

Results

Among the 108 respondents, approximately 69% of residents considered the ability to perform brachytherapy independently to be important or somewhat important. However, only 31% of respondents reported to have a dedicated brachytherapy training during residency. The major limitation to achieve independence in performing brachytherapy was seen in a low case load in Austria, in the lack of training in Switzerland and in both of them in Germany.

Conclusion

The interest in brachytherapy training among residents in German-speaking countries was generally high, but there is a perceived lack of sufficient case volumes and partially also in formal training opportunities. Fellowships at departments with a high case load as part of a formalised curriculum and dedicated hands-on workshops at national or international conferences might help to overcome these issues.
Measurement of surface tension with free-falling oscillating molten metal droplets: a numerical and experimental investigation
Authors: Fahimi Kiana , Mädler Lutz , Ellendt Nils
Published: July 2023

Rayleigh’s equation has been widely used to determine surface tension from oscillating droplets. In this study, the use of a drop-on-demand droplet generator is proposed to create free-falling, oscillating, molten metal droplets for this purpose. To examine the applicability of the droplet generator, extensive numerical simulations in three and two-dimensions were performed. The effect of gravity, initial velocity and initial deformation on the frequency and pattern of the droplet oscillation was investigated. The use of this generator enables the creation of thousands of droplets in the course of a single experiment and the droplets have a much shorter exposure time to possible unwanted contaminations, due to a rapid measurement principle. Furthermore, the adjustable nozzle size of the generator provides flexibility in terms of droplet size, which affects the range of validity of Rayleigh’s method. To validate the method, the surface tension of molten copper in an argon atmosphere was determined over a temperature range of 1400–1620 K. The determined linear relation is expressed as σ [mN m−1] = (1307 ± 98) − (0.22 ± 0.015) (T−1356) (T in K).
Longitudinal changes in qualitative aspects of semantic fluency in presymptomatic and prodromal genetic frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Jiskoot Lize C. , van den Berg Esther , Laenen Sascha A. A. M. , Poos Jackie M. , Giannini Lucia A. A. , Satoer Djaina D. , van Hemmen Judy , Pijnenburg Yolande A. L. , Vonk Jet M. J. , Seelaar Harro
Published: July 2023

Background

The semantic fluency test is one of the most widely used neuropsychological tests in dementia diagnosis. Research utilizing the qualitative, psycholinguistic information embedded in its output is currently underexplored in presymptomatic and prodromal genetic FTD.

Methods

Presymptomatic MAPT (n = 20) and GRN (n = 43) mutation carriers, and controls (n = 55) underwent up to 6 years of neuropsychological assessment, including the semantic fluency test. Ten mutation carriers became symptomatic (phenoconverters). Total score and five qualitative fluency measures (lexical frequency, age of acquisition, number of clusters, cluster size, number of switches) were calculated. We used multilevel linear regression modeling to investigate longitudinal decline. We assessed the co-correlation of the qualitative measures at each time point with principal component analysis. We explored associations with cognitive decline and grey matter atrophy using partial correlations, and investigated classification abilities using binary logistic regression.

Results

The interrater reliability of the qualitative measures was good (ICC = 0.75–0.90). There was strong co-correlation between lexical frequency and age of acquisition, and between clustering and switching. At least 4 years pre-phenoconversion, GRN phenoconverters had fewer but larger clusters (p < 0.001), and fewer switches (p = 0.004), correlating with lower executive function (r = 0.87–0.98). Fewer switches was predictive of phenoconversion, correctly classifying 90.3%. Starting at least 4 years pre-phenoconversion, MAPT phenoconverters demonstrated an increase in lexical frequency (p = 0.009) and a decline in age of acquisition (p = 0.034), correlating with lower semantic processing (r = 0.90). Smaller cluster size was predictive of phenoconversion, correctly classifying 89.3%. Increase in lexical frequency and decline in age of acquisition were associated with grey matter volume loss of predominantly temporal areas, while decline in the number of clusters, cluster size, and switches correlated with grey matter volume loss of predominantly frontal areas.

Conclusions

Qualitative aspects of semantic fluency could give insight into the underlying mechanisms as to why the “traditional” total score declines in the different FTD mutations. However, the qualitative measures currently demonstrate more fluctuation than the total score, the measure that seems to most reliably deteriorate with time. Replication in a larger sample of FTD phenoconverters is warranted to identify if qualitative measures could be sensitive cognitive biomarkers to identify and track mutation carriers converting to the symptomatic stage of FTD.
Skeletal muscle proteins involved in fatty acid transport influence fatty acid oxidation rates observed during exercise
Authors: Maunder Ed , Rothschild Jeffrey A. , Fritzen Andreas M. , Jordy Andreas B. , Kiens Bente , Brick Matthew J. , Leigh Warren B. , Chang Wee-Leong , Kilding Andrew E.
Published: July 2023

Several proteins are implicated in transmembrane fatty acid transport. The purpose of this study was to quantify the variation in fatty acid oxidation rates during exercise explained by skeletal muscle proteins involved in fatty acid transport. Seventeen endurance-trained males underwent a (i) fasted, incremental cycling test to estimate peak whole-body fatty acid oxidation rate (PFO), (ii) resting vastus lateralis microbiopsy, and (iii) 2 h of fed-state, moderate-intensity cycling to estimate whole-body fatty acid oxidation during fed-state exercise (FO). Bivariate correlations and stepwise linear regression models of PFO and FO during 0–30 min (early FO) and 90–120 min (late FO) of continuous cycling were constructed using muscle data. To assess the causal role of transmembrane fatty acid transport in fatty acid oxidation rates during exercise, we measured fatty acid oxidation during in vivo exercise and ex vivo contractions in wild-type and CD36 knock-out mice. We observed a novel, positive association between vastus lateralis FATP1 and PFO and replicated work reporting a positive association between FABPpm and PFO. The stepwise linear regression model of PFO retained CD36, FATP1, FATP4, and FABPpm, explaining ~87% of the variation. Models of early and late FO explained ~61 and ~65% of the variation, respectively. FATP1 and FATP4 emerged as contributors to models of PFO and FO. Mice lacking CD36 had impaired whole-body and muscle fatty acid oxidation during exercise and muscle contractions, respectively. These data suggest that substantial variation in fatty acid oxidation rates during exercise can be explained by skeletal muscle proteins involved in fatty acid transport.
Influence of type 2 diabetes and obesity on adipose mesenchymal stem/stromal cell immunoregulation
Authors: Mahmoud Marwa , Abdel-Rasheed Mazen
Published: July 2023

Type 2 diabetes (T2D), associated with obesity, represents a state of metabolic inflammation and oxidative stress leading to insulin resistance and progressive insulin deficiency. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are adult mesenchymal stem/stromal cells identified within the stromal vascular fraction of adipose tissue. These cells can regulate the immune system and possess anti-inflammatory properties. ASCs are a potential therapeutic modality for inflammatory diseases including T2D. Patient-derived (autologous) rather than allogeneic ASCs may be a relatively safer approach in clinical perspectives, to avoid occasional anti-donor immune responses. However, patient characteristics such as body mass index (BMI), inflammatory status, and disease duration and severity may limit the therapeutic utility of ASCs. The current review presents human ASC (hASC) immunoregulatory mechanisms with special emphasis on those related to T lymphocytes, hASC implications in T2D treatment, and the impact of T2D and obesity on hASC immunoregulatory potential. hASCs can modulate the proliferation, activation, and functions of diverse innate and adaptive immune cells via direct cell-to-cell contact and secretion of paracrine mediators and extracellular vesicles. Preclinical studies recommend the therapeutic potential of hASCs to improve inflammation and metabolic indices in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced T2D disease model. Discordant data have been reported to unravel intact or detrimentally affected immunomodulatory functions of ASCs, isolated from patients with obesity and/or T2D patients, in vitro and in vivo. Numerous preconditioning strategies have been introduced to potentiate hASC immunomodulation; they are also discussed here as possible options to potentiate the immunoregulatory functions of hASCs isolated from patients with obesity and T2D.
Supporting secure dynamic alert zones using searchable encryption and graph embedding
Authors: Shaham Sina , Ghinita Gabriel , Shahabi Cyrus
Published: July 2023

Location-based alerts have gained increasing popularity in recent years, whether in the context of healthcare (e.g., COVID-19 contact tracing), marketing (e.g., location-based advertising), or public safety. However, serious privacy concerns arise when location data are used in clear in the process. Several solutions employ searchable encryption (SE) to achieve secure alerts directly on encrypted locations. While doing so preserves privacy, the performance overhead incurred is high. We focus on a prominent SE technique in the public-key setting–hidden vector encryption, and propose a graph embedding technique to encode location data in a way that significantly boosts the performance of processing on ciphertexts. We show that the optimal encoding is NP-hard, and we provide three heuristics that obtain significant performance gains: gray optimizer, multi-seed gray optimizer and scaled gray optimizer. Furthermore, we investigate the more challenging case of dynamic alert zones, where the area of interest changes over time. Our extensive experimental evaluation shows that our solutions can significantly improve computational overhead compared to existing baselines.
mHealth Impact on Gait and Dynamic Balance Outcomes in Neurorehabilitation: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Moreno-Ligero Marta , Lucena-Anton David , Salazar Alejandro , Failde Inmaculada , Moral-Munoz Jose A.
Published: July 2023

Gait and dynamic balance are two main goals in neurorehabilitation that mHealth systems could address. To analyze the impact of using mHealth systems on gait and dynamic balance outcomes in subjects with neurological disorders. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) published in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PEDro databases were searched up to April 2023. Studies including adults with neurological disorders, analyzing the effectiveness of mHealth systems on gait and dynamic balance compared with conventional therapy and/or not intervention, were included. The PEDro scale and the Cochrane Collaboration’s 2.0 tool were used for the methodological quality and risk of bias assessment. The Review Manager 5.4 software was used to obtain meta-analyses. 13 RCT were included in the systematic review and 11 in the meta-analyses, involving 528 subjects. A total of 21 mobile applications were identified for gait and balance training, and to enhance physical activity behaviors. There were significant differences in gait parameters, speed by 0.10 s/m (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.07,0.13;p<0.001), cadence by 8.01 steps/min (95%CI=3.30,12.72;p<0.001), affected step length by 8.89 cm (95%CI=4.88,12.90;p<0.001), non-affected step length by 8.08 cm (5%CI=2.64,13.51;p=0.004), and in dynamic balance, Timed Up and Go by -7.15 s (95%CI=-9.30,-4.99;p<0.001), and mobility subscale of Posture Assessment Scale for Stroke by 1.71 points (95%CI=1.38,2.04;p<0.001). Our findings suggested the use of mHealth systems for improving gait in subjects with neurological disorders, but controversial results on dynamics balance recovery were obtained. However, the quality of evidence is insufficient to strongly recommend them, so further research is needed.
Application Level Resource Scheduling for Deep Learning Acceleration on MPSoC
Authors: Gao Cong , Saha Sangeet , Zhu Xuqi , Jing Hongyuan , McDonald-Maier Klaus D. , Zhai Xiaojun
Published: July 2023

Deep Neutral Networks (DNNs) have been widely used in many applications, such as self-driving cars, natural language processing (NLP), image classification, visual object recognition, and so on. Field-programmable gate array (FPGA) based Multiprocessor System on a Chip (MPSoC) is recently considered one of the popular choices for deploying DNN models. However, the limited resource capacity of MPSoC imposes a challenge for such practical implementation. Recent studies revealed the trade-off between the “resources consumed" vs. the “performance achieved". Taking a cue from these findings, we address the problem of efficient implementation of deep learning into the resource-constrained MPSoC in this paper, where each deep learning network is run with different service levels based on resource usage (where a higher service level implies higher performance with increased resource consumption). To this end, we propose a heuristic-based strategy, Application Wise Level Selector (AWLS), for selecting service levels to maximize the overall performance subject to a given resource bound. AWLS can achieve higher performance within a constrained resource budget under various simulation scenarios. Further, we verify the proposed strategy using an AMD-Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ XCZU9EG SoC. Using a framework designed to deploy multi-DNN on multi-DPUs (Deep Learning Units), it is proved that an optimal solution is achieved from the algorithm, which obtains the highest performance (Frames Per Second) using the same resource budget.
Towards sustainable food production and climate change mitigation: an attributional life cycle assessment comparing industrial and basalt rock dust fertilisers
Authors: Oppon Eunice , Koh S.C. Lenny , Eufrasio Rafael , Nabayiga Hellen , Donkor Frank
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Food production is set to double by 2050 to feed the increasing world population. This poses a global challenge to minimise environmental impacts from intensified production and use of chemical fertilisers. The study investigates whether basalt rock dust fertiliser can be an environmentally sustainable close substitute to expensive conventional rock-derived P and K fertilisers.

Method

The study uses the attributional life cycle assessment method to estimate and compare 15 environmental impacts between basalt rock dust fertiliser, a potential source of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), and five widely used industrial P and K fertilisers. In addition, we model hypothetical basalt substitution rates for PK fertilisers to highlight potential ecological savings in terms of carbon capture.

Results

Basalt rock dust fertiliser has minimal embodied environmental impacts across all 15 impact categories, including global warming, compared to industrial P and K fertilisers.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that transitioning to milled basalt as a natural geo-fertiliser to support food production may help address several UN Sustainable Development Goals such as ‘Responsible consumption and production’ and ‘Climate Action and Zero Hunger’.
„Critical Voices“ – Destabilisierungsversuche des Iranischen Regimes durch Kulturschaffende und Menschenrechtsaktivistinnen an Beispielen
Authors: West-Leuer Beate
Published: July 2023

Menschenrechtsaktivist:innen riskieren ihr Leben, um eine internationale Öffentlichkeit auf die massiven Menschenrechtsverletzungen in der Islamischen Republik Iran aufmerksam zu machen. Dieser Beitrag ist eine Referenz an ihren Mut. Um die politische Wirksamkeit dieser Critical Voices einzuordnen, wird auf die Theorie der Critical Juncture rekurriert, die sich mit der Destabilisierung autokratischer Regime beschäftigt. Als Referenz werden das Plädoyer einer Menschenrechtsaktivistin und zwei dokufiktionale Filme herangezogen. Die Filme werden aus psychodynamischer Perspektive interpretiert. So entsteht Identifikation mit und Unterstützung für Dissident:innen, was die politische Bedeutung dieser Critical Voices erhöhen kann.
Kinetics of Grain Size Reduction in Minerals Undergoing Ball Milling
Authors: Sanna Anna Laura , Pia Giorgio , Delogu Francesco
Published: July 2023

This work focuses on the grain size reduction induced by ball milling in individual minerals and binary mixtures containing quartz and a softer mineral. All the investigated minerals and mineral mixtures undergo a significant monotonic grain size decrease upon mechanical processing. The rate at which the process occurs in individual minerals decreases with the hardness of the mineral phase. Hardness is shown to play a crucial role also in the case of mineral mixtures. The final grain size attainable by the softer mineral as well as the rate of the grain size reduction process depend, indeed, on the amount of quartz in the mixture. A kinetic model allows rationalizing the observed behaviour based on the intensity of mechanical stresses generated during individual impacts.
Numerical Investigation of Fredholm Fractional Integro-differential Equations by Least Squares Method and Compact Combination of Shifted Chebyshev Polynomials
Authors: Benzahi Ahlem , Arar Nouria , Abada Nadjet , Rhaima Mohamed , Mchiri Lassaad , Makhlouf Abdellatif Ben
Published: July 2023

In this study, linear Fredholm fractional integro-differential equations (FIDEs) are numerically solved, where the fractional derivative is considered in the Caputo sense. In this work, the least squares method (LSM) using a compact combination of shifted Chebyshev polynomials (SCP) of the first Kind is applied to solving a class of FIDEs. Our aim is to write the unknown function as a series of a linear combination of SCP, and then to reduce the problem to a system of linear algebraic equations, which will be solved for the unknown constants associated with the approximate solution, using MATLAB R2020a. Finally, numerical examples are presented to confirm the reliability, applicability, and efficiency of this method, in addition, various comparisons are also shown.
Automatic threat processing shows evidence of exclusivity
Authors: March David S. , Olson Michael A. , Gaertner Lowell
Published: July 2023

De Neys argues against assigning exclusive capacities to automatic versus controlled processes. The dual implicit process model provides a theoretical rationale for the exclusivity of automatic threat processing, and corresponding data provide empirical evidence of such exclusivity. De Neys's dismissal of exclusivity is premature and based on a limited sampling of psychological research.
When a thinker does not want to think: Adding meta-control into the working model
Authors: Sirota Miroslav
Published: July 2023

De Neys proposes an elegant solution to several theoretical problems of the dual-process theories but underspecifies the role of motivation in initiating, intensifying, and ceasing deliberation. Therefore, I suggest including a meta-cognitive control component in the working model that can moderate deliberation, for instance by affecting the deliberation threshold.
Overturning Pathways Control AMOC Weakening in CMIP6 Models
Authors: Baker Jonathan A. , Bell Michael J. , Jackson Laura C. , Renshaw Richard , Vallis Geoffrey K. , Watson Andrew J. , Wood Richard A.
Published: July 2023

Future projections indicate the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) will weaken and shoal in response to global warming, but models disagree widely over the amount of weakening. We analyze projected AMOC weakening in 27 CMIP6 climate models, in terms of changes in three return pathways of the AMOC. The branch of the AMOC that returns through diffusive upwelling in the Indo‐Pacific, but does not later upwell in the Southern Ocean (SO), is particularly sensitive to warming, in part, because shallowing of the deep flow prevents it from entering the Indo‐Pacific via the SO. The present‐day strength of this Indo‐Pacific pathway provides a strong constraint on the projected AMOC weakening. However, estimates of this pathway using four observationally based methods imply a wide range of AMOC weakening under the SSP5‐8.5 scenario of 29%–61% by 2100. Our results suggest that improved observational constraints on this pathway would substantially reduce uncertainty in 21st century AMOC decline.
Disruption of trait-environment relationships in African megafauna occurred in the middle Pleistocene
Authors: Lauer Daniel A. , Lawing A. Michelle , Short Rachel A. , Manthi Fredrick K. , Müller Johannes , Head Jason J. , McGuire Jenny L.
Published: July 2023

Mammalian megafauna have been critical to the functioning of Earth’s biosphere for millions of years. However, since the Plio-Pleistocene, their biodiversity has declined concurrently with dramatic environmental change and hominin evolution. While these biodiversity declines are well-documented, their implications for the ecological function of megafaunal communities remain uncertain. Here, we adapt ecometric methods to evaluate whether the functional link between communities of herbivorous, eastern African megafauna and their environments (i.e., functional trait-environment relationships) was disrupted as biodiversity losses occurred over the past 7.4 Ma. Herbivore taxonomic and functional diversity began to decline during the Pliocene as open grassland habitats emerged, persisted, and expanded. In the mid-Pleistocene, grassland expansion intensified, and climates became more variable and arid. It was then that phylogenetic diversity declined, and the trait-environment relationships of herbivore communities shifted significantly. Our results divulge the varying implications of different losses in megafaunal biodiversity. Only the losses that occurred since the mid-Pleistocene were coincident with a disturbance to community ecological function. Prior diversity losses, conversely, occurred as the megafaunal species and trait pool narrowed towards those adapted to grassland environments.
Conformational restriction shapes the inhibition of a multidrug efflux adaptor protein
Authors: Russell Lewis Benjamin , Uddin Muhammad R. , Moniruzzaman Mohammad , Kuo Katie M. , Higgins Anna J. , Shah Laila M. N. , Sobott Frank , Parks Jerry M. , Hammerschmid Dietmar , Gumbart James C. , Zgurskaya Helen I. , Reading Eamonn
Published: July 2023

Membrane efflux pumps play a major role in bacterial multidrug resistance. The tripartite multidrug efflux pump system fromEscherichia coli, AcrAB-TolC, is a target for inhibition to lessen resistance development and restore antibiotic efficacy, with homologs in other ESKAPE pathogens. Here, we rationalize a mechanism of inhibition against the periplasmic adaptor protein, AcrA, using a combination of hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, cellular efflux assays, and molecular dynamics simulations. We define the structural dynamics of AcrA and find that an inhibitor can inflict long-range stabilisation across all four of its domains, whereas an interacting efflux substrate has minimal effect. Our results support a model where an inhibitor forms a molecular wedge within a cleft between the lipoyl and αβ barrel domains of AcrA, diminishing its conformational transmission of drug-evoked signals from AcrB to TolC. This work provides molecular insights into multidrug adaptor protein function which could be valuable for developing antimicrobial therapeutics.
Distinct shared and compartment-enriched oncogenic networks drive primary versus metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Jiang Zhe , Ju YoungJun , Ali Amjad , Chung Philip E. D. , Skowron Patryk , Wang Dong-Yu , Shrestha Mariusz , Li Huiqin , Liu Jeff C. , Vorobieva Ioulia , Ghanbari-Azarnier Ronak , Mwewa Ethel , Koritzinsky Marianne , Ben-David Yaacov , Woodgett James R. , Perou Charles M. , Dupuy Adam , Bader Gary D. , Egan Sean E. , Taylor Michael D. , Zacksenhaus Eldad
Published: July 2023

Metastatic breast-cancer is a major cause of death in women worldwide, yet the relationship between oncogenic drivers that promote metastatic versus primary cancer is still contentious. To elucidate this relationship in treatment-naive animals, we hereby describe mammary-specific transposon-mutagenesis screens in female mice together with loss-of-function Rb, which is frequently inactivated in breast-cancer. We report gene-centric common insertion-sites (gCIS) that are enriched in primary-tumors, in metastases or shared by both compartments. Shared-gCIS comprise a major MET-RAS network, whereas metastasis-gCIS form three additional hubs: Rho-signaling, Ubiquitination and RNA-processing. Pathway analysis of four clinical cohorts with paired primary-tumors and metastases reveals similar organization in human breast-cancer with subtype-specific shared-drivers (e.g. RB1-loss, TP53-loss, high MET, RAS, ER), primary-enriched (EGFR, TGFβ and STAT3) and metastasis-enriched (RHO, PI3K) oncogenic signaling. Inhibitors of RB1-deficiency or MET plus RHO-signaling cooperate to block cell migration and drive tumor cell-death. Thus, targeting shared- and metastasis- but not primary-enriched derivers offers a rational avenue to prevent metastatic breast-cancer.
Mislocalization of pathogenic RBM20 variants in dilated cardiomyopathy is caused by loss-of-interaction with Transportin-3
Authors: Kornienko Julia , Rodríguez-Martínez Marta , Fenzl Kai , Hinze Florian , Schraivogel Daniel , Grosch Markus , Tunaj Brigit , Lindenhofer Dominik , Schraft Laura , Kueblbeck Moritz , Smith Eric , Mao Chad , Brown Emily , Owens Anjali , Saguner Ardan M. , Meder Benjamin , Parikh Victoria , Gotthardt Michael , Steinmetz Lars M.
Published: July 2023

Severe forms of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are associated with point mutations in the alternative splicing regulator RBM20 that are frequently located in the arginine/serine-rich domain (RS-domain). Such mutations can cause defective splicing and cytoplasmic mislocalization, which leads to the formation of detrimental cytoplasmic granules. Successful development of personalized therapies requires identifying the direct mechanisms of pathogenic RBM20 variants. Here, we decipher the molecular mechanism of RBM20 mislocalization and its specific role in DCM pathogenesis. We demonstrate that mislocalized RBM20 RS-domain variants retain their splice regulatory activity, which reveals that aberrant cellular localization is the main driver of their pathological phenotype. A genome-wide CRISPR knockout screen combined with image-enabled cell sorting identified Transportin-3 (TNPO3) as the main nuclear importer of RBM20. We show that the direct RBM20-TNPO3 interaction involves the RS-domain, and is disrupted by pathogenic variants. Relocalization of pathogenic RBM20 variants to the nucleus restores alternative splicing and dissolves cytoplasmic granules in cell culture and animal models. These findings provide proof-of-principle for developing therapeutic strategies to restore RBM20’s nuclear localization in RBM20-DCM patients.
Topotactic fabrication of transition metal dichalcogenide superconducting nanocircuits
Authors: Wang Xiaohan , Wang Hao , Ma Liang , Zhang Labao , Yang Zhuolin , Dong Daxing , Chen Xi , Li Haochen , Guan Yanqiu , Zhang Biao , Chen Qi , Shi Lili , Li Hui , Qin Zhi , Tu Xuecou , Zhang Lijian , Jia Xiaoqing , Chen Jian , Kang Lin , Wu Peiheng
Published: July 2023

Superconducting nanocircuits, which are usually fabricated from superconductor films, are the core of superconducting electronic devices. While emerging transition-metal dichalcogenide superconductors (TMDSCs) with exotic properties show promise for exploiting new superconducting mechanisms and applications, their environmental instability leads to a substantial challenge for the nondestructive preparation of TMDSC nanocircuits. Here, we report a universal strategy to fabricate TMDSC nanopatterns via a topotactic conversion method using prepatterned metals as precursors. Typically, robust NbSe2 meandering nanowires can be controllably manufactured on a wafer scale, by which a superconducting nanowire circuit is principally demonstrated toward potential single photon detection. Moreover, versatile superconducting nanocircuits, e.g., periodical circle/triangle hole arrays and spiral nanowires, can be prepared with selected TMD materials (NbS2, TiSe2, or MoTe2). This work provides a generic approach for fabricating nondestructive TMDSC nanocircuits with precise control, which paves the way for the application of TMDSCs in future electronics.
Interconnectedness enhances network resilience of multimodal public transportation systems for Safe-to-Fail urban mobility
Authors: Xu Zizhen , Chopra Shauhrat S.
Published: July 2023

The growing interconnectedness of urban infrastructure networks presents challenges to their ability to handle unforeseen disruptions, particularly in the context of extreme weather events resulting from climate change. Understanding the resilience of interconnected infrastructure systems is imperative to effectively manage such disruptions. This study investigates the role of interconnectedness in enhancing the resilience of public transportation systems in Hong Kong, a city heavily reliant on public transit. Our results demonstrate that interconnected transportation systems improve resilience by reducing topological vulnerabilities, increasing attack tolerance, and enhancing post-disruption interoperability. Findings also identify the potential to integrate vulnerable systems for greater robustness and highlight the marginal benefits of enhancing intermodal transfer. Strengthening interconnectedness among modes of urban public transit fosters a safe-to-fail system, presenting a distinct resilience-by-design approach. This complements conventional resilience-by-intervention approaches that focus on improving individual systems or introducing entirely new systems.
Adipose tissue and skeletal muscle wasting precede clinical diagnosis of pancreatic cancer
Authors: Babic Ana , Rosenthal Michael H. , Sundaresan Tilak K. , Khalaf Natalia , Lee Valerie , Brais Lauren K. , Loftus Maureen , Caplan Leah , Denning Sarah , Gurung Anamol , Harrod Joanna , Schawkat Khoschy , Yuan Chen , Wang Qiao-Li , Lee Alice A. , Biller Leah H. , Yurgelun Matthew B. , Ng Kimmie , Nowak Jonathan A. , Aguirre Andrew J. , Bhatia Sangeeta N. , Vander Heiden Matthew G. , Van Den Eeden Stephen K. , Caan Bette J. , Wolpin Brian M.
Published: July 2023

Patients with pancreatic cancer commonly develop weight loss and muscle wasting. Whether adipose tissue and skeletal muscle losses begin before diagnosis and the potential utility of such losses for earlier cancer detection are not well understood. We quantify skeletal muscle and adipose tissue areas from computed tomography (CT) imaging obtained 2 months to 5 years before cancer diagnosis in 714 pancreatic cancer cases and 1748 matched controls. Adipose tissue loss is identified up to 6 months, and skeletal muscle wasting is identified up to 18 months before the clinical diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and is not present in the matched control population. Tissue losses are of similar magnitude in cases diagnosed with localized compared with metastatic disease and are not correlated with at-diagnosis circulating levels of CA19-9. Skeletal muscle wasting occurs in the 1–2 years before pancreatic cancer diagnosis and may signal an upcoming diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.