bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integration of Cobalt Phthalocyanine, Acetylene Black and Cu2O Nanocubes for Efficient Electroreduction of CO2 to C2H4
Authors: Liu Jilin , Yu Kai , Qiao Zhiyuan , Zhu Qianlong , Zhang Hong , Jiang Jie
Published: July 2023

Suppressing side reactions and simultaneously enriching key intermediates during CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) has been a challenge. Here, we propose a tandem catalyst (Cu2O NCs‐C‐Copc) consisting of acetylene black, cobalt phthalocyanine (Copc) and cuprous oxide nanocubes (Cu2O NCs) for efficient CO2‐to‐ethylene conversion. Density‐functional theory (DFT) calculation combined with experimental verification demonstrated that Copc can provide abundant CO to nearby copper sites while acetylene black successfully reduces the formation energies of key intermediates, leading to enhanced C2H4 selectivity. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and potentiostatic tests indicated that the catalytic stability of Cu2O NCs‐C‐Copc was significantly enhanced compared with Cu2O NCs. Finally, the industrial application prospect of the catalyst was evaluated using gas diffusion electrolyzers. The
of Cu2O NCs‐C‐Copc can reach to 58.4 % at −1.1 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M KHCO3 and 70.3 % at −0.76 V vs. RHE in 1.0 M KOH. This study sheds new light on the design and development of highly efficient CO2RR tandem catalytic systems.
A novel time delay‐based phase‐locked loop with improved anti‐harmonic interference performance for grid synchronization
Authors: An Dingguo , Yuan Lifen , Cheng Zhen , He Yigang , Yin Baiqiang , Li Bing
Published: July 2023

The time delay unit‐based PLLs (TD‐PLLs) are widely used in grid synchronization in single‐phase power systems. However, the TD‐PLL is vulnerable to frequency variations and harmonic disturbances, leading to grid synchronization failures. Analysis shows that the performance degradation is due to the inability to obtain the variation of the input signal frequency. This paper proposes a new time delay‐based phase‐locked loop called immune to double frequency component TD‐PLL (IDFC‐TD‐PLL) based on a feedback structure to accurately capture the variation of input signal frequency, which can improve the dynamic performance and the performance against harmonic interference. Simulations and experiments have evaluated the performance of the proposed phase‐locked loop, demonstrating its superior accuracy and dynamic performance compared to the phase‐locked loops referred in the paper.
Low‐dose decitabine promotes M2 macrophage polarization in patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia via enhancing KLF4 binding to PPARγ promoter
Authors: Shao Xia , Xu Pengcheng , Ji Lili , Wu Boting , Zhan Yanxia , Zhuang Xibing , Ou Yang , Hua Fanli , Sun Lihua , Li Feng , Wang Xiangdong , Chen Hao , Cheng Yunfeng
Published: July 2023

Background

The first‐line therapy is effective for the treatment of primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP); however, maintaining the long‐term responses remains challenging. Low‐dose decitabine (DAC) has been adopted to treat refractory ITP, while its role in macrophage polarization has not been fully understood. We aimed to investigate the mechanistic role of DAC in M2 macrophage polarization and evaluated its therapeutic effect in ITP.

Methods

The M2 monocytes were identified by flow cytometry from peripheral blood mononuclear cells in healthy controls (HCs) and ITP patients. The expression of PPARγ, Arg‐1, DNMT3b and NLRP3, together with IL‐10 plasma levels was measured to examine its function. Bisulfite‐sequencing PCR was used to evaluate the methylation status of PPARγ promoter, and the binding affinity of KLF4 was measured by Cut&Tag. A sh‐PPARγ THP‐1 cell line was created to verify if low‐dose DAC‐modulated M2 macrophage polarization was PPARγ‐dependent. The passive ITP models were used to investigate the therapeutic effects of low‐dose DAC and its role in modulating polarization and immunomodulatory function of macrophages. NLRP3 inflammasome and reactive oxygen species were also tested to understand the downstream of PPARγ.

Results

The M2 monocytes with impaired immunoregulation were observed in ITP. After high‐dose dexamethasone (HD‐DXM) treatment, M2 monocytes increased significantly with the elevated expression of PPARγ, Arg‐1 and IL‐10 in CR patients. Low‐dose DAC promoted M2 macrophage polarization in a PPARγ‐dependent way via demethylating the promoter of PPARγ, especially the KLF4 binding sites. Low‐dose DAC alleviated ITP mice by restoring the M1/M2 balance and fine‐tuning immunomodulatory function of macrophages. The downstream of the PPARγ modulation of M2 macrophage polarization might physiologically antagonize NLRP3 inflammasome.

Conclusions

Low‐dose DAC promoted M2 macrophage polarization due to the demethylation within the promoter of PPARγ, thus enhanced the KLF4 binding affinity in ITP.
Gut instinct: Sex differences in the gut microbiome are associated with changes in adolescent nociception following maternal separation in rats
Authors: Salberg Sabrina , Macowan Matthew , Yamakawa Glenn R. , Beveridge Jaimie K. , Noel Melanie , Marsland Benjamin J. , Mychasiuk Richelle
Published: July 2023

Adolescent chronic pain is a growing public health epidemic. Our understanding of its etiology is limited; however, several factors can increase susceptibility, often developing in response to an acute pain trigger such as a surgical procedure or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or an adverse childhood experience (ACE). Additionally, the prevalence and manifestation of chronic pain is sexually dimorphic, with double the rates in females than males. Despite this, the majority of pre‐clinical pain research focuses on males, leaving a gap in mechanistic understanding for females. Given that emerging evidence has linked the gut microbiome and the brain–gut–immune axis to various pain disorders, we aimed to investigate sex‐dependent changes in taxonomic and functional gut microbiome features following an ACE and acute injury as chronic pain triggers. Male and female Sprague Dawley rat pups were randomly assigned to either a maternal separation (MS) or no stress paradigm, then further into a sham, mTBI, or surgery condition. Chronically, the von Frey test was used to measure mechanical nociception, and fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing. Animals in the surgery group had an increase in pain sensitivity when compared to mTBI and sham groups, and this was complemented by changes to the gut microbiome. In addition, significant sex differences were identified in gut microbiome composition, which were exacerbated in response to MS. Overall, we provide preliminary evidence for sex differences and ACE‐induced changes in bacterial composition that, when combined, may be contributing to heterogeneity in pain outcomes.
Application to several suspected poisoning cases of a validated analytical method for the determination of muscarine in human biological matrices using liquid chromatography with high‐resolution mass spectrometry detection
Authors: Flament Estelle , Gaulier Jean‐Michel , Paret Nathalie , Jarrier Nathalie , Bruneau Chloé , Creusat Gaelle , Guitton Jérôme , Gaillard Yvan
Published: July 2023

Despite prevention efforts, many cases of mushroom poisoning are reported around the world every year. Among the different toxins implicated in these poisonings, muscarine may induce parasympathetic neurological damage. Muscarine poisonings are poorly reported in the current literature, implying a lack of available data on muscarine concentrations in human matrices. A validated liquid chromatography with high‐resolution mass spectrometry detection (Orbitrap technology) method was developed to determine muscarine concentrations in human urine, plasma, and whole blood samples. Muscarine was determined using 100 μL of biological fluids, and precipitation was used for sample preparation. Liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry was performed using an Accucore Phenyl‐X analytical column with the electrospray source in positive ion mode. Muscarine was quantitated in parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) mode with D9‐muscarine as the internal standard. The method was validated successfully over the concentration range 0.1–100 μg/L for plasma and whole blood and 1–100 μg/L for urine, with acceptable precision and accuracy (<13.5%), including the lower limit of quantification. Ten real cases of suspected muscarine poisoning were successfully confirmed with this validated method. Muscarine concentrations in these cases ranged from 0.12 to 14 μg/L in whole blood, <LOQ to 43 μg/L in plasma, and <LOQ to 1537 μg/L in urine. This work provides a tool of choice for the diagnosis of muscarine poisoning when mushrooms are not available for identification, as well as the possibility of determining toxins in the blood, which is an important step toward understanding the pharmacokinetics of the mycotoxin.
Monitoring of phosphatidylethanol in dried blood spots and of ethyl glucuronide in hair over 6 months of alcohol consumption
Authors: Herzog Josefine , Skopp Gisela , Musshoff Frank
Published: July 2023

The aim of this study was to monitor seven phosphatidylethanol (PEth) homologues in dried blood spots (DBS) and ethyl glucuronide in hair (EtGH) over a 6‐month period of drinking while documenting the daily drinks (amount and type) of alcohol via app. A total of 23 volunteers (12 males and 11 females) aged 19–54 years were enrolled. At four‐weekly intervals, capillary blood to create DBS and after 3 and 6 months, respectively, a strand of hair (proximal, 3 cm) was collected. Analyses of EtGH and PEth homologues were performed using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. All participants consumed alcohol during the 6 months. Only one participant tested negative for both PEth and EtGH. Eight participants had PEth 16:0/18:1 concentrations between 20 and <210 ng/mL (mean: 45.6 ng/mL) but EtGH concentrations below 5 pg/mg. PEth 16:0/18:1 concentrations between 20 and <210 ng/mL and EtGH concentrations between 5 and <30 pg/mg were assigned to eight subjects, uniformly matching them in the category of socially accepted drinking behavior. Four test subjects exceeded the cutoff for social drinking behavior in both PEth 16:0/18:1 (mean: 528 ng/mL) and EtGH (mean: 84.5 pg/mg). Two participants exceeded the threshold for PEth 16:0/18:1 of 210 ng/mL in blood but remained below 30 pg EtG/mg hair. PEth showed a higher detection rate for alcohol consumption than EtGH did. Moreover, PEth concentrations reacted quickly to changes in drinking behavior, whereas EtGH concentrations remained similar over time.
Screen use while eating is associated with lower intuitive eating and higher disordered eating in Chinese adult men and women
Authors: He Jinbo , Fu Yuru , Cui Shuqi , Barnhart Wesley R. , Zhang Xinyi , Han Jiayi , Wang Yitong , Ganson Kyle T. , Nagata Jason M.
Published: July 2023

Objective

We aimed to explore the potential associations between screen use while eating and intuitive eating and disordered (thinness‐oriented and muscularity‐oriented) eating behaviors.

Methods

Analyses included 600 Chinese adults (50% women; Mage = 30.67, SD = 8.08) recruited online. The use of four major screen devices was captured, including cell phones, tablets, computers, and TVs. Three types of eating behaviors were examined, namely intuitive eating, thinness‐oriented disordered eating, and muscularity‐oriented disordered eating. Pearson correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted separately for men and women to examine the sex‐specific associations between screen use while eating and intuitive eating, thinness‐oriented disordered eating, and muscularity‐oriented disordered eating.

Results

In both men and women, more screen use while eating was significantly associated with lower intuitive eating, higher thinness‐oriented disordered eating, and higher muscularity‐oriented disordered eating, above and beyond total screen time and social media use.

Discussion

We found preliminary evidence for the significant links between screen use while eating and intuitive eating and disordered eating. Given the global increases in screen use, continued research is warranted to further explore the role of screen use while eating in the development and maintenance of intuitive eating and disordered eating.

Public Significance

Much remains unknown regarding screen use while eating and eating behaviors. We found that in both Chinese men and women, more screen use while eating was significantly and uniquely associated with lower intuitive eating, higher thinness‐oriented disordered eating, and higher muscularity‐oriented disordered eating. Findings highlight the importance of incorporating screen use while eating in future research on intuitive eating and disordered eating.
Temporal resolution of birth rate analysis in zooplankton and its implications for identifying strong interactions in ecology
Authors: Polishchuk Leonard V. , Kasparson Anna A.
Published: July 2023

Expanding on Haeckel's classical definition, ecology can be defined as the study of strong and weak interactions between the organism and the environment, hence the need for identifying strong interactions as major drivers of population and community dynamics. The solution to this problem is facilitated by the fact that the frequency distribution of interaction strengths is highly skewed, resulting in few or, according to Liebig's law of the minimum, just one strong interaction. However, a single strong interaction often remains elusive. One of the reasons may be that, due to the ever‐present dynamics of ecological systems, a single strong interaction is likely to exist only on relatively short time intervals, so methods with sufficient temporal resolution are required. In this paper, we study the temporal resolution of contribution analysis of birth rate in zooplankton, a method to assess the relative strength of bottom‐up (food) versus top‐down (predation) effects. Birth rate is estimated by the Edmondson–Paloheimo model. Our test system is a population of the cladoceran Bosmina longirostris inhabiting a small northern lake with few planktivorous predators, and thus likely controlled by food. We find that the method's temporal resolution in detecting bottom‐up effects corresponds well to the species' generation time, and the latter seems comparable to the lifetime of a single strong interaction. This enables one to capture a single strong interaction “on the fly,” right during its time of existence. We suggest that this feature, the temporal resolution of about the lifetime of a single strong interaction, may be a generally desirable property for any method, not only the one studied here, intended to identify and assess strong interactions. Success in disentangling strong interactions in ecological communities, and thus solving one of the key issues in ecology, may critically depend on the temporal resolution of the methods used.
Variation among arthropod taxa in the amino acid content of exoskeleton and digestible tissue
Authors: Reeves J. T. , Herzog Colton , Barnes Cody L. , Davis Craig A. , Fuhlendorf Samuel D. , Wilder Shawn M.
Published: July 2023

Arthropod consumption provides amino acids to invertebrates and vertebrates alike, but not all amino acids in arthropods may be digestible as some are bound in the exoskeleton. Consumers may not be able to digest exoskeleton in significant amounts or avoid it entirely (e.g., extraoral digestion). Hence, measures that do not separate digestible amino acids from those in exoskeleton may not accurately represent the amino acids available to consumers. Additionally, arthropods are taxonomically diverse, and it remains unclear if taxonomic differences also reflect differences in amino acid availability. Thus, we tested: (1) if there were consistent differences in the content and balance of amino acids between the digestible tissue and exoskeleton of arthropods and (2) if arthropod Orders differ in amino acid content and balance. We measured the amino acid content (mg/100 mg dry mass) and balance (mg/100 mg protein) of whole bodies and exoskeleton of a variety of arthropods using acid hydrolysis. Overall, there was higher amino acid content in digestible tissue. There were also significant differences in the amino acid balance of proteins in digestible tissue and exoskeleton. Amino acid content and balance also varied among Orders; digestible tissues of Hemiptera contained more of some essential amino acids than other Orders. These results demonstrate that arthropod taxa vary in amino acid content, which could have implications for prey choice by insectivores. In addition, exoskeleton and digestible tissue content differ in arthropods, which means that whole body amino acid content of an arthropod is not necessarily a predictor of amino acid intake of a predator that feeds on that arthropod.
The optimal definition and prediction nomogram for left ventricular remodelling after acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Zhang Sicheng , Zhu Zheng , Luo Manqing , Chen Lichuan , He Chen , You Zhebin , He Haoming , Lin Maoqing , Zhang Liwei , Lin Kaiyang , Guo Yansong
Published: July 2023

Aims

Left ventricular (LV) remodelling after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with heart failure and increased mortality. There was no consensus on the definition of LV remodelling, and the prognostic value of LV remodelling with different definitions has not been compared. We aimed to find the optimal definition and develop a prediction nomogram as well as online calculator that can identify patients at risk of LV remodelling.

Methods and results

This prospective, observational study included 829 AMI patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention from January 2015 to January 2020. Echocardiography was performed within the 48 h of admission and at 6 months after infarction to evaluate LV remodelling, defined as a 20% increase in LV end‐diastolic volume (LVEDV), a 15% increase in LV end‐systolic volume (LVESV), or LV ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50% at 6 months. The impact of LV remodelling on long‐term outcomes was analysed. Lasso regression was performed to screen potential predictors, and multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to establish the prediction nomogram. The area under the curve, calibration curve and decision curve analyses were used to determine the discrimination, calibration and clinical usefulness of the remodelling nomogram. The incidences of LV remodelling defined by LVEDV, LVESV and LVEF were 24.85% (n = 206), 28.71% (n = 238) and 14.60% (n = 121), respectively. Multivariable Cox regression models demonstrated that different definitions of LV remodelling were independently associated with the composite endpoint. However, only remodelling defined by LVEF was significantly connected with long‐term mortality (hazard ratio = 2.78, 95% confidence interval 1.41–5.48, P = 0.003). Seven variables were selected to construct the remodelling nomogram, including diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, AMI type, stent length, N‐terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide, troponin I, and glucose. The prediction model had an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.766. The calibration curve and decision curve analysis indicated consistency and better net benefit in the prediction model.

Conclusions

LV remodelling defined by LVEDV, LVESV and LVEF were independent predictors for long‐term mortality or heart failure hospitalization in AMI patients after percutaneous coronary intervention. However, only remodelling defined by LVEF was suitable for predicting all‐cause death. In addition, the nomogram can provide an accurate and effective tool for the prediction of postinfarct remodelling.
Low‐complexity joint equalization and CFO compensation in uplink SC‐FDMA NOMA system under different power allocation strategies
Authors: D Judson , Portia A. Annie , Livingston L. G. X. Agnel
Published: July 2023

In current wireless systems, the claim for rapid data services has become unavoidable in broadband communication. Single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC‐FDMA) has remained a multiple access (MA) technique with low peak‐to‐average power ratio (PAPR) in 4G systems. Non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is a complimentary MA technique in the fifth generation (5G) new radio with the capability of using similar frequency elements for multiuser communication within a single cellular system. In SC‐FDMA NOMA systems the carrier frequency offsets (CFO) destroy the orthogonal behavior in multiple carriers during transmission leading to inter‐carrier interference (ICI) and multiple access interference (MAI). Furthermore, the power allocated for each user in the NOMA cluster exhibits a noticeable part in enhancing the performance of the system. In this article, we propose a joint low‐complexity linear regularized zero forcing (JLC‐LRZF) for SC‐FDMA NOMA system and investigate its performance using discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and discrete cosine transform (DCT). The proposed JLC‐LRZF equalization algorithm is capable of performing equalization and CFO compensation with low‐complexity with banded‐matrix approximation (BMA). Additionally, we investigate the effectiveness of SC‐FDMA NOMA system in achieving improved performance with different values of CFO and power allocation policies in uniform random multipath channels.
Children's preferences of the colour composition of art paintings
Authors: Imura Tomoko , Shirai Nobu , Kondo Taisei , Nakauchi Shigeki
Published: July 2023

Colour composition is acknowledged as a key contributor to aesthetic evaluation in visual art. Adult observers tend to prefer colour compositions that are particularly close to the original, regardless of the painting's category or the observer's cultural background. In this study, we examined whether children aged 5–12 years expressed a preference for the colour composition of original paintings using three scene types: abstract, figure, and botanical. The children each selected one of their preferred images from the paintings with four different colour compositions, including the original hue. A preference for the colour compositions of original figure paintings emerged between the ages of 5 and 8, and a similar preference for abstract and botanical paintings emerged between the ages of 9 and 12. Thus, preferences regarding colour composition in paintings are gradually acquired from childhood to adulthood.

Highlights

Children aged 9–12 years showed a preference for colour compositions closer to the originals, as did adults.

Children aged 5–8 years showed no particular colour preference for abstract or botanical paintings but did show a preference for figure paintings that were closest to the original with respect to colour composition.

Preferences for original colour composition in painting develop gradually from childhood to adulthood.
Spatio‐temporal dynamics of human−elephant conflict in a valley of pineapple plantations
Authors: Kochprapa Poldej , Savini Chution , Ngoprasert Dusit , Savini Tommaso , Gale George A.
Published: July 2023

Human−elephant conflict (HEC) is a major conservation challenge negatively impacting elephant populations and local agricultural livelihoods. Studies of drivers and spatiotemporal patterns of HEC have potential to indicate where mitigation actions should be prioritized with the goal of achieving long‐term coexistence. We examined temporal and spatial patterns of elephant crop raiding adjacent to Kuiburi National Park in southern Thailand by assessing locations of elephant raids in conjunction with multiple environmental variables along with crop characteristics and crop availability. Raiding incidents primarily happened in pineapple plantations, however compositional analysis suggested that fruit orchards were most preferred by elephants probably reflecting the high frequency of raiding in orchards relative to their small spatial area. Logistic regression models predicted that crop type and crop maturity stage, distance to forest and mitigation strategy combined had the strongest support in explaining the probability of crop raiding. Relative probability of raiding appeared to be associated with crop accessibility for elephants and perhaps crop nutrient value, with orchards with ripe fruit being most raided, while oil palm the least. The most frequently used mitigation measure was guarding by local people and could lower the probability when compared with other mitigations, although the relative effectiveness did not show a clear pattern; local guarding, patrolling by park rangers and physical barriers appeared to have some benefit but elephant‐preferred crops still had >40% chance of being raided. Other results also indicated that water availability and season were not associated with elephant raiding, but rather crop type/crop stage had the most influence. The surprising lack of seasonality was likely due to the availability of the elephant's preferred crops year‐round. Finally, our results indicated that there is no zone in Kuiburi that is free from elephant raiding, leaving the entire community vulnerable. We recommend improvements in the mitigation measures through better coordination among stakeholders in such communities and development of concrete action plans for all stakeholders including an extensive market‐based examination of the feasibility of growing crops less preferred by elephants.
Reports of the Workshops Held at the 2020 International Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence Conference on Web and Social Media
Authors: Abdelzaher Tarek , An Jisun , Bazzi Marya , Blackburn Jeremy , Kursuncu Ugur , Mejova Yelena , Rappaz Jérémie , Saggion Horacio , Smeros Panayiotis , Wijeratne Sanjaya , Yu Ning
Published: July 2023

The workshop program of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence's Fourteenth International Conference on Web and Social Media was held June 8 to 20, 2020. The conference venue, which had originally been Atlanta, Georgia, USA, had to be revamped into a virtual edition, due to the 2019 Corona Virus Disease pandemic. There were five full‐day workshops in the program. They included Emoji Understanding and Applications in Social Media (W1), Social Sensing: Narrative Analysis on Social Media (W2), News and Public Opinion (W3), Cyber Social Threats (W4), and Mediate: Social and News Media Misinformation (W5). This report contains summaries of all five workshops.
Artificial and Human Intelligence in Mental Health
Authors: Sigman Mariano , Slezak Diego Fernandez , Drucaroff Lucas , Ribeiro Sidarta , Carrillo Facundo
Published: July 2023

While technology has dramatically changed medical practice, various aspects of mental health practice and diagnosis remain almost unchanged across decades. Here we argue that artificial intelligence — with its capacity to learn and infer from data the workings of the human mind — may rapidly change this scenario. However, this process will not happen without friction and will promote an explicit reflection of the overarching goals and foundational aspects of mental health. We suggest that the converse relation is also very likely to happen. The application of artificial intelligence to a field that relates to the foundations of what makes us human — our volition, our thoughts, our pains and pleasures — may shift artificial intelligence back to its earliest days, when it was mostly conceived of as a laboratory to explore the limits and possibilities of human intelligence.
Organizing a Successful Artificial Intelligence Online Conference: Lessons from the 13th Symposium on Combinatorial Search
Authors: Harabor Daniel , Vallati Mauro
Published: July 2023

The 13th Symposium on Combinatorial Search (SoCS) was held May 26 to 28, 2020. Originally scheduled to take place in Vienna, Austria, the symposium pivoted toward a fully online technical program in early March. As an in‐person event, SoCS offers participants a diverse array of scholarly activities including technical talks (long and short), poster sessions, plenary sessions, a community meeting and, new for 2020, a Master Class tutorial program. This article describes challenges, approaches, and opportunities associated with adapting these many different activities to the online setting. We consider issues such as scheduling, dissemination, attendee interaction, and community engagement before, during, and after the event. In each case, we report on the approaches taken by SoCS, then give a post hoc analysis of their effectiveness and discuss how these decisions continue to impact the SoCS community in the days after SoCS 2020. This work will be of interest to organizers of similar conferences who may be considering the switch to an online format.
Advances in Theory and Applications of Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Fujita Hamido , Foumier‐Viger Philippe , Sasaki Jun , Ali Moonis
Published: July 2023

The 33rd International Conference on Industrial, Engineering, and Other Applications of Applied Intelligent Systems was held in Kitakyushu, Japan on 22 to 25 September 2020. This report provides an overview and summary of the conference.
Adolescents' perspectives about their digital and connective literacies
Authors: Washburn Jocelyn , Myers Suzanne
Published: July 2023

As a term, “connective literacies” refers to the reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and critical thinking skills necessary for students to engage and interact meaningfully, productively, and safely in a variety of digitally connected spaces. Using a critical literacies approach to honor the voices of adolescents as producers and consumers of online texts, in the present study, researchers conducted two focus groups of nine eighth‐grade students. Adolescents shared their insights about their use of connective literacy skills in and outside of school, including how they use digital technologies, and how they connect with others in digital spaces. Researchers share and discuss five thematic findings, using transcript excerpts as illustrations to present adolescents' perspectives. Finally, we offer future directions for educators, policymakers, researchers, families, and students to advance adolescents' connective literacy skills.
Anabolic and Antiresorptive Osteoporosis Treatment: Trends, Costs, and Sequence in a Commercially Insured Population, 2003–2021
Authors: Wadhwa Harsh , Wu Janet Y , Lee Jennifer S , Zygourakis Corinna C
Published: July 2023

New anabolic medications (abaloparatide and romosozumab) were recently approved for osteoporosis, and data suggest that prescribing antiresorptive medications after a course of anabolic medications offers better outcomes. This study aimed to characterize prescription trends, demographics, geographical distributions, out‐of‐pocket costs, and treatment sequences for anabolic and antiresorptive osteoporosis medications. Using a commercial claims database (Clinformatics Data Mart), adult patients with osteoporosis from 2003 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed and stratified based on osteoporosis medication class. Patient demographics and socioeconomic variables, provider types, and out‐of‐pocket costs were collected. Multivariable regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of receiving osteoporosis treatment. A total of 2,988,826 patients with osteoporosis were identified; 616,635 (20.6%) received treatment. Patients who were female, Hispanic or Asian, in the Western US, had higher net worth, or had greater comorbidity burden were more likely to receive osteoporosis medications. Among patients who received medication, 31,112 (5.0%) received anabolic medication; these were more likely to be younger, White patients with higher education level, net worth, and greater comorbidity burden. Providers who prescribed the most anabolic medications were rheumatologists (18.5%), endocrinologists (16.8%), and general internists (15.3%). Osteoporosis medication prescriptions increased fourfold from 2003 to 2020, whereas anabolic medication prescriptions did not increase at this rate. Median out‐of‐pocket costs were $17 higher for anabolic than antiresorptive medications, though costs for anabolic medications decreased significantly from 2003 to 2020 (compound annual growth rate: −0.6%). A total of 8388 (1.4%) patients tried two or more osteoporosis medications, and 0.6% followed the optimal treatment sequence. Prescription of anabolic osteoporosis medications has not kept pace with overall osteoporosis treatment, and there are socioeconomic disparities in anabolic medication prescription, potentially driven by higher median out‐of‐pocket costs. Although prescribing antiresorptive medications after a course of anabolic medications offers better outcomes, this treatment sequence occurred in only 0.6% of the study cohort. © 2023 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Impact of climate factors and climate–gene interaction on systemic lupus erythematosus patients' response to glucocorticoids therapy
Authors: Zhang Tingyu , Xie Qiaomei , Wang Linlin , Wang Yuhua , Yan Ziye , Li Zhen , Teng Ying , Xu Zhiwei , Chen Yangfan , Pan Faming , Tao Jinhui , Cai Jing , Liang Chunmei , Pan Haifeng , Su Hong , Cheng Jian , Hu Wenbiao , Zou Yanfeng
Published: July 2023

Background

Glucocorticoids (GCs) were the essential drugs for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, different patients differ substantially in their response to GCs treatment. Our current study aims at investigating whether climate variability and climate‐gene interaction influence SLE patients' response to the therapy of GCs.

Methods

In total, 778 SLE patients received therapy of GCs for a study of 12‐week follow‐up. The efficacy of GCs treatment was evaluated using the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index. The climatic data were provided by China Meteorological Data Service Center. Additive and multiplicative interactions were examined.

Results

Compared with patients with autumn onset, the efficacy of GCs in patients with winter onset is relatively poor (ORadj = 1.805, 95%CIadj: 1.181–3.014, padj = 0.020). High mean relative humidity during treatment decreased the efficacy of GCs (ORadj = 1.033, 95%CIadj: 1.008–1.058, padj = 0.011), especially in female (ORadj = 1.039, 95%CIadj: 1.012–1.067, padj = 0.004). There was a significant interaction between sunshine during treatment and TRAP1 gene rs12597773 on GCs efficacy (Recessive model: AP = 0.770). No evidence of significant interaction was found between climate factors and the GR gene polymorphism on the improved GCs efficacy in the additive model. Multiplicative interaction was found between humidity in the month prior to treatment and GR gene rs4912905 on GCs efficacy (Dominant model: OR = 0.470, 95%CI: 0.244–0.905, p = 0.024).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that climate variability influences SLE patients' response to the therapy of GCs. Interactions between climate and TRAP1/GR gene polymorphisms were related to GCs efficacy. The results guide the individualized treatment of SLE patients.
Start‐up and operation of anammox biofilter in treating low‐strength ammonia wastewater prepared by tail water from a municipal wastewater treatment plant
Authors: Jin Deyuan , Li Gaigai , Ning Dingying , Guo Wuke , Tian Wenqing , Liang Jidong , Ji Hua
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND

Economic technology of advanced nitrogen removal of municipal wastewater is urgently needed. In this study, anammox biofilter (A‐BF) as a carbon‐ and energy‐saving advanced nitrogen removal process was tested under the conditions of sewage secondary effluent.

RESULTS

The results showed that A‐BF could be successfully started up under total nitrogen (TN) of both 25 and 75 mg L−1 within 30 days at 25 °C. It achieved a nitrogen removal rate of 0.62 ± 0.08 kg‐N m−3 d−1 with nitrogen loading rate of 1.35 kg‐N m−3 d−1 at TN of 17 mg L−1. The ceramsite bed was conducive to the formation of biofilm and enrichment of functional microorganisms. The volatile suspended solid reached 1.39–7.33 g L−1, in which the abundance of the typical anammox bacteria Candidatus_Brocadia and Candidatus_Kuenenia occupied 0.96–1.35% and 0.29–0.92%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, under low TN concentration and high nitrogen load, A‐BF could be a candidate technique for advanced nitrogen removal of municipal sewage. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Editorial for “Blood–Brain Barrier Permeability to Water Measured Using Multiple Echo Time Arterial Spin Labeling MRI in the Aging Human Brain”
Authors: Poyraz Ahmet K. , Poyraz Melahat
Published: July 2023

Level of Evidence

5

Technical Efficacy Stage

2
Screening and application of purine degrading Limosilactobacillus fermentum LF‐1 from Huangjiu fermentation broth
Authors: Wang Xianglin , Yang Shaojie , Lu Jian , Xie Guangfa , Wu Dianhui
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND

As the important building blocks of nucleic acids, purines are alkaloids and responsible for hyperuricemia and gout. The purine content in Huangjiu is higher, and mainly exists in the form of free bases, which is easier to be absorbed by human body. However, the currently available reports on purine in Huangjiu mainly focus on detection methods and content survey. No studies on the regulation of the purine content in Huangjiu have been reported.

RESULTS

Eighty‐four strains, with the degradation capacity of purine, were screened from the fermentation broth of Huangjiu. In detail, the isolated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strain 75 # showed the strongest degradation ability of guanosine, inosine and four purines, which reduce their levels by 83.4% (guanosine), 97.4% (inosine), 95.1% (adenine), 95.0% (guanine), 94.9% (hypoxanthine) and 65.9% (xanthine), respectively. Subsequently, the LAB strain 75# was identified to be Limosilactobacillus fermentum by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, which was named as Limosilactobacillus fermentum LF‐1 and applied to the fermentation of Huangjiu in the laboratory. Compared with the fermentation broth of Huangjiu without adding L. fermentum LF‐1, the content of purine compounds in the fermentation broth inoculated with L. fermentum LF‐1 was reduced by 64.7%. In addition, the fermented Huangjiu had richer flavor compounds, and the physicochemical indices were in accordance with the national standard of Chinese Huangjiu.

CONCLUSION

The screened strain L. fermentum LF‐1 may be a promising probiotic for the development of a novel that can efficiently degrade purine in Huangjiu. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Application of Dermatology Life Quality Index‐Relevant (DLQI‐R) in patients with moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis treated with tildrakizumab
Authors: Laws Philip , Jardin Kristian Gaarn Du
Published: July 2023

Background

Tildrakizumab is an interleukin‐23p19 inhibitor approved for the treatment of moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis. The new Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)‐Relevant (DLQI‐R) scoring system avoids the bias in the not relevant response option of the DLQI by adjusting the total score to the relevant items.

Objectives

To assess the impact of tildrakizumab on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis in the reSURFACE 2 phase 3 trial as measured with the original DLQI scoring and with the new DLQI‐R.

Methods

Post hoc analysis of adult patients with moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis from a double‐blinded, randomized, controlled, 52‐week trial. The presented analysis is based on observed cases.

Results

At baseline, 31.9%/33.6%/40.0% of patients on tildrakizumab 100 mg/tildrakizumab 200 mg/placebo had ≥1 DLQI item marked as ‘not relevant’. The most frequently ‘not relevant’ items were ‘sport’ (14.0%/13.9%/15.5%) and ‘working/studying’ (13.4%/11.3%/12.9%), in the tildrakizumab 100 mg/tildrakizumab 200 mg/placebo groups, respectively. At baseline, 68.1%/73.0%, 60.3%/63.2% and 62.6%/65.8% of patients on tildrakizumab 100 mg, tildrakizumab 200 mg and placebo had a DLQI > 10/DLQI‐R > 10, respectively. Mean DLQI/DLQI‐R scores at baseline were 14.8/15.5, 13.3/14.1, and 14.1/15.0 in the tildrakizumab 100 mg, tildrakizumab 200 mg and placebo groups, respectively. The median change from baseline in both DLQI and DLQI‐R scores at Week 12 was greater in the tildrakizumab 100 mg and 200 mg groups versus placebo (−10.0, −9.0, −1.0 and −11.0, −9.3, −1.1, respectively). At Week 52, the median change from baseline in DLQI/DLQI‐R was −13.0/−14.0 and −10.0/−10.1 in the tildrakizumab 100 mg and 200 mg groups, respectively.

Conclusions

Treatment with tildrakizumab resulted in significant and sustained improvements in HRQoL up to Week 52 in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis. The DLQI‐R provides a more unbiased HRQoL assessment ensuring that those who are unable to work/partake in sport have a truer assessment and opportunity for treatment.
Relationship among five‐factor personality traits and psychological distress with acoustic analysis
Authors: Saeedi Saeed , Dabirmoghaddam Payman , Soleimani Mehdi , Aghajanzadeh Mahshid
Published: July 2023

Objectives

The relationship between personality traits and psychological distress with acoustic characteristics was investigated in the present study, regarding the existence of dysphonia, abnormal overall voice quality (AOVQ), and dysphonia type.

Methods

Fifty‐five participants with dysphonia and 64 participants without dysphonia completed NEO Five‐Factor Inventory and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale‐21. Jitter, shimmer, noise‐to‐harmonic ratio (NHR), cepstral peak prominence (CPP), and cepstral peak prominence‐smoothed (CPPS) were calculated in sustained vowel /a/ by Praat. Three expert speech and language pathologists divided participants with dysphonia into mild, moderate, and severe, based on the AOVQ. Pearson and Spearman correlation tests were performed by IBM SPSS Statistics.

Results

The findings were indicative of large correlations between agreeableness with CPP, conscientiousness with shimmer, depression with jitter and shimmer, and anxiety with shimmer in patients with functional dysphonia (p < 0.05). The results showed small to medium significant correlations between agreeableness with jitter and NHR, conscientiousness with CPP in participants without dysphonia, and depression with jitter in the participants with dysphonia (p < 0.05). Lastly, no significant correlation was observed between personality traits and psychological distress with acoustic characteristics in mild, moderate, and severe AOVQ groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

In participants with functional dysphonia, personality traits and psychological distress can provide some information about acoustic characteristics and vice versa.

Level of Evidence

3.
Recent advances in 3D printing sacrificial templates for fabricating engineered vasculature
Authors: Li Shuai , Li Hangyu , Shang Xiushuai , He Jiayan , Hu Yihe
Published: July 2023

Fabricating engineered vasculature within biological scaffolds is one of the most common strategies to maintain high cell viability before implantation. Many studies have been conducted from the aspects of the manufacturing process, materials science, and cell biology to fabricate engineered vasculature with the aim of enhancing the integration between scaffold and host. Among them, the method of combining three‐dimensional (3D) printing and sacrifice‐based technique has attracted extensive attention. Taking advantage of 3D printing, the method of separating the printed sacrificial template from the biological scaffold to form a 3D channel has become a widely used approach to advance the engineered vasculature. With the development of 3D printing techniques and material science, numerous sacrificial materials have shown their potential in fabricating engineered vasculature. However, several issues remain in this multimethod design, including, but not limited to, the printing process, removal method of sacrificial material, and cell seeding method. This review aims to summarize recent strategies for 3D printing sacrificial templates for fabricating engineered vasculature. The pros and cons of sacrificial materials used in these studies are analyzed. Future perspectives are proposed to fabricate biomimetic‐engineered vasculature. Flexible fabrication processes and materials should be advanced to support the 3D printing of sacrificial templates.
Some criteria on exponential stability of impulsive stochastic functional differential equations
Authors: Ye Maosheng , Li Jianli , Gao Dongdong
Published: July 2023

This paper is mainly concerned with
th moment exponential stability of impulsive stochastic functional differential equations. By using the Lyapunov direct method and mathematical induction, we obtain a new generalized impulsive Halanay inequality and some new criteria, which contain two scenarios regarding influence of impulses. On the one hand, when the system itself is unstable, a suitable unidirectional impulse or sequence of impulses can be added to make it stable. On the other hand, we discuss how much impulse perturbation the system can withstand without destabilizing the original system. Finally, two examples are illustrated to show the validity and universality of our results.
Teachers' professional identity and job burnout: The mediating roles of work engagement and psychological capital
Authors: Zhang Qinhan , Li Weijian , Gao Jianwei , Sun Binghai , Lin Shuwei
Published: July 2023

Teacher burnout refers to teachers’ inability to cope with work stress smoothly. Previous studies have revealed that job burnout is negatively related to professional identity; however, little is known about the mechanism underlying the relationship between teacher professional identity and job burnout. This study tested the mediating effects of work engagement and psychological capital in the relationship between professional identity and job burnout. A descriptive correlational design was employed. Measures included the Professional Identity Scale, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and Professional Quality of Life Scale. A total of 3147 primary and secondary school teachers in China, of which 2220 were women (70.5%) and 927 were men (29.5%), with an average age of 39 years (SD = 8.74), completed the questionnaire survey. SPSS PROCESS macro (version 21) was used to explore the mediating roles of work engagement and psychological capital in the relationship between professional identity and job burnout. Professional identity, work engagement, and psychological capital significantly negatively affected job burnout. Work engagement and psychological capital, when occurring in parallel or sequentially, partially mediated the relationship between professional identity and job burnout. Job burnout among teachers with high professional identity can be eliminated by increasing work involvement and promoting exercise to improve their psychological capital. These findings provide implications for preventing burnout among teachers in the future.
Effects of multiple stressors on pancreatic human islets proteome reveal new insights into the pathways involved
Authors: Weldemariam Mehari Muuz , Sudhir Putty‐Reddy , Woo Jongmin , Zhang Qibin
Published: July 2023

Pancreatic β‐cell dysfunction is an early hallmark of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Among the potentially critical factors that cause β‐cell dysfunction are cytokine attack, glucotoxicity, induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or mitochondria stress. However, the exact molecular mechanism underlying β‐cell's inability to maintain glucose homeostasis under severe stresses is unknown. This study used proinflammatory cytokines, thapsigargin, and rotenone in the presence of high concentration glucose to mimicking the conditions experienced by dysfunctional β‐cells in human pancreatic islets, and profiled the alterations to the islet proteome with TMT‐based proteomics. The results were further verified with label‐free quantitative proteomics. The differentially expressed proteins under stress conditions reveal that immune related pathways are mostly perturbed by cytokines, while the respiratory electron transport chains and protein processing in ER pathways by rotenone. Thapsigargin together with high glucose induces dramatic increases of proteins in lipid synthesis and peroxisomal protein import pathways, with energy metabolism and vesicle secretion related pathways downregulated. High concentration glucose, on the other hand, alleviated complex I inhibition induced by rotenone. Our results contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular events involved in β‐cell dysfunction.