bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Fatigue in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Bredero Quirine M. , Fleer Joke , Smink Ans , Kuiken Greetje , Potjewijd Joke , Laroy Marleen , Visschedijk Marijn C. , Russel Maurice , van der Lugt Mark , Meijssen Maarten A.C. , van der Wouden Egbert Jan , Dijkstra Gerard , Schroevers Maya J.
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Fatigue is a prevalent and burdensome problem in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), even when the disease is in remission. Evidence-based psychological interventions for managing IBD-related fatigue are still lacking. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for reducing fatigue in patients with IBD in remission.

Method

A two-arm multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted in 113 IBD outpatients in remission with elevated levels of fatigue (i.e., Checklist Individual Strength — subjective fatigue ≥ 27). Patients were randomly assigned to an 8-week MBCT program (n = 56) or a waiting-list condition (n = 57). All participants completed questionnaires at baseline and directly post-intervention. The primary outcome was fatigue, assessed with the Checklist Individual Strength-20. Secondary outcomes included fatigue interference in daily life, depression, anxiety, and IBD-specific quality of life. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to examine treatment outcomes.

Results

Intention-to-treat analyses showed significant reductions in the subjective experience of fatigue in patients receiving MBCT, compared to the waiting-list control condition (p = 0.03; Cohen’s d = 0.46; clinically relevant improvement in 36% vs. 10%). No significant effects were found on other fatigue aspects or secondary outcomes.

Conclusions

An 8-week MBCT group program effectively reduced the subjective experience of fatigue in patients with IBD in remission. Results do not support effects for other aspects of fatigue or secondary outcomes.

Preregistration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03162575.
Map of thrombogenesis in viral infections and viral-driven tumours
Authors: Neto Beatriz Vieira , Tavares Valéria , Santos Joana M. O. , Cerqueira Fátima , Pereira Deolinda , Medeiros Rui
Published: January 2023

Viruses are pathogenic agents responsible for approximately 10% of all human cancers and significantly contribute to the global cancer burden. Until now, eight viruses have been associated with the development of a broad range of malignancies, including solid and haematological tumours. Besides triggering and promoting oncogenesis, viral infections often go hand-in-hand with haemostatic changes, representing a potential risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Conversely, VTE is a cardiovascular condition that is particularly common among oncological patients, with a detrimental impact on patient prognosis. Despite an association between viral infections and coagulopathies, it is unclear whether viral-driven tumours have a different incidence and prognosis pattern of thromboembolism compared to non-viral-induced tumours. Thus, this review aims to analyse the existing evidence concerning the association of viruses and viral tumours with the occurrence of VTE. Except for hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, which are associated with a high risk of VTE, little evidence exists concerning the thrombogenic potential associated with oncoviruses. As for tumours that can be induced by oncoviruses, four levels of VTE risk are observed, with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and gastric carcinoma (GC) associated with the highest risk and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) associated with the lowest risk. Unfortunately, the incidence of cancer-related VTE according to tumour aetiology is unknown. Given the negative impact of VTE in oncological patients, research is required to better understand the mechanisms underlying blood hypercoagulability in viral-driven tumours to improve VTE management and prognosis assessment in patients diagnosed with these tumours.
Delineating the main structural outlines and the petrophysical properties of the Albian-upper Cretaceous Reservoirs using seismic and well log data, Shushan Basin, north Western Desert, Egypt
Authors: Dally Nancy H. El , Youssef Mahmoud S. , Abdel Aal Mohamed H. , Metwalli Farouk I. , Nabawy Bassem S.
Published: January 2023

This study concerns with delineating and analyzing the subsurface structural setting of Khalda Oil Field at Shushan Basin as a key factor for evaluating the petrophysical properties and the deliverability of the Bahariya Formation. Shushan Basin is considered one of the most prospective basins in the Western Desert. The oil is trapped within a gentle seismically defined anticline that contains a series of coastal sandstone reservoirs interbedded with a neritic and tidal flat mudstone and a few carbonate interbeds of the Albian-Cenomanian Bahariya Formation forming multiple oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs. A set of borehole logging and seismic data were available, tied, processed, and mapped to delineate the predominant structures in the study area. Results show the implication of the NW–SE, NE–SW, and E–W gravity faulting on the Bahariya and the overlying Abu Roash formations. This set of gravity faults is attributed to the Mesozoic tensional stresses. The depth structure contour maps on the upper surfaces of the Lower and Upper Bahariya members reveal the presence of some NE–SW gravity faults that dissected the Khalda Field into some slightly tilted blocks, shallowing in depth to the south as deepening to the north. Besides, the study area has been affected later in the Jurassic by E–W gravity faults during the Atlantic Ocean opening. This faulting trend was changed later into the NE–SW direction as a result of the movement of North Africa against Laurasia. The petrophysical analysis indicated that the Lower Bahariya sandstone reservoir has a good reservoir quality (16 ≤ ∅ ≤ 25%, 53 ≤ Sw ≤ 59%, 6.0 ≤ Vsh ≤ 32.2%, and good net-pay thickness 18.0–38.0 ft). It is revealed that the drilled wells penetrating the crest of the anticline are prospective while that located in the anticline flanks are water-bearing recommending exploration away from the anticline flanks. By applying this workflow, it is possible to explore for the similar subsurface hydrocarbons-bearing sequences in the Western Desert and North Africa in future exploitation plans.
The aggregate effects of government income transfers shocks: EU evidence
Authors: Párraga Rodríguez Susana
Published: January 2023

This paper estimates the aggregate effects of government income transfers shocks for a sample of EU countries. I construct a new measure of transfers shocks based on a dataset by public finance experts of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). The identification strategy consists of a narrative analysis of policy actions in old age pensions reported in the ESCB dataset. I find that increases in old age pensions have a positive impact on aggregate expenditure components and employment consistent with a multiplier effect between 0 and 1.
Weighted estimates for the multilinear maximal operator
Authors: Osękowski Adam
Published: January 2023

The paper contains the study of the weighted $$L^{p_1}\times L^{p_2}\times \ldots \times L^{p_m}\rightarrow L^p$$

L

p
1

×

L

p
2

×
…
×

L

p
m

→

L
p

estimates for the multilinear maximal operator, in the context of abstract probability spaces equipped with a tree-like structure. Using the Bellman function method, we identify the associated optimal constants in the symmetric case $$p_1=p_2=\ldots =p_m$$

p
1

=

p
2

=
…
=

p
m

, and a tight constant for remaining choices of exponents.
Applying Magnetic Curvature to MMS Data to Identify Thin Current Sheets Relative to Tail Reconnection
Authors: Rogers A. J. , Farrugia C. J. , Torbert R. B. , Rogers T. J.
Published: January 2023

Thin current sheets (TCSs) have been postulated to be a necessary precondition for reconnection onset. Magnetic reconnection X‐lines in the magnetotail have been observed to be more common duskward of midnight. We take advantage of the MMS tetrahedral formation during the 2017–2020 MMS tail seasons to calculate the thickness of the cross‐tail neutral sheet relative to ion gyroradius. While a similar technique was applied to Cluster data, current sheet thickness over a broader range of radial distances has not been robustly explored before this study. We compare our analysis to recent theories regarding mechanisms of tail current sheet thinning and to recent simulations. We find MMS spent more than twice as long in ion‐scale TCSs in the pre‐midnight sector than post‐midnight, despite nearly even plasma sheet dwell time. The dawn‐dusk asymmetry in the distribution of Ion Diffusion Regions, as previously reported in relation to regions of TCSs, is also analyzed.
Interplay of Altitude, Ground Track Coverage, Noise, and Regularization in the Spatial Resolution of GRACE Gravity Field Models
Authors: McGirr R. , Tregoning P. , Allgeyer S. , McQueen H. , Purcell A. P.
Published: January 2023

Models of the temporal gravity field derived from space gravity missions are typically produced with monthly temporal resolution and ∼300‐km spatial resolution. However, variations in instrument performance and altitude of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission impact the spatial resolution that can be achieved month‐to‐month. As the altitude of the orbits of the twin spacecraft vary throughout the mission, so does the ability of the observations to recover certain components of the temporal gravity field. The spatial resolution of GRACE observations should increase as the altitude decreases throughout the mission because the reduced altitude intensifies the gravity signals acting on the satellites. Simulations using actual GRACE altitude and ground track coverage and realistic noise levels confirm this predicted influence of the altitude of the satellites on the accuracy of the estimated solutions. Solutions with larger mass concentration elements (mascons) are more numerically stable as the satellite altitude decreases but they suffer from greater error caused by the inability to properly represent spatial variations of signals within mascons, referred to as intramascon variability. Mascons as small as ∼150 × 150 km (i.e., ∼1.5 arc‐degree) reduce the intramascon variability and, with appropriate regularization, yield the most accurate solutions, especially during the low‐altitude periods of the GRACE mission. Importantly, unlike spherical harmonic solutions, regularized mascon solutions are not degraded during resonant orbit months, and are of comparable quality to months with full ground track coverage.
Sudden Reduction of Antarctic Sea Ice Despite Cooling After Nuclear War
Authors: Coupe Joshua , Harrison Cheryl , Robock Alan , DuVivier Alice , Maroon Elizabeth , Lovenduski Nicole S. , Bachman Scott , Landrum Laura , Bardeen Charles
Published: January 2023

A large‐scale nuclear war could inject massive amounts of soot into the stratosphere, triggering rapid global climate change. In climate model simulations of nuclear war, global cooling contributes to an expansion of sea ice in the Northern Hemisphere. However, in the Southern Hemisphere (SH), an initial expansion of sea ice shifts suddenly to a 30% loss of sea ice volume over the course of a single melting season in the largest nuclear war simulation. In smaller nuclear war simulations an expansion in sea ice is instead observed which lasts for approximately 15 years. In contrast, in the largest nuclear war simulation, Antarctic sea ice remains below the long term control mean for 15 years, indicating a threshold that must be crossed to cause the response. Declining sea ice in the SH following a global cooling event has been previously attributed to shifts in the zonal winds around Antarctica, which can reduce the strength of the Weddell Gyre. In climate model simulations of nuclear war, the primary mechanisms responsible for Antarctic sea ice loss are: (a) enhanced atmospheric poleward heat transport through teleconnections with a strong nuclear war‐driven El Niño, (b) increased upwelling of warm subsurface waters in the Weddell Sea due to changes in wind stress curl, and (c) decreased equatorward Ekman transport due to weakened Southern Ocean westerlies. The prospect of sudden Antarctic sea ice loss after an episode of global cooling may have implications for solar geoengineering and further motivates this study of the underlying mechanisms of change.
Mesoproterozoic Molar Tooth Structure Related to Increased Marine Oxygenation
Authors: Tang Dongjie , Fang Hao , Shi Xiaoying , Liang Liyuan , Zhou Limin , Xie Baozeng , Huang Kangjun , Zhou Xiqiang , Wu Mengting , Riding Robert
Published: January 2023

Marine carbonate fabrics are intrinsically related to ocean chemistry, physical processes and biological activity. Molar tooth structure (MTS), a globally distributed structure in Proterozoic carbonate sediments, has been widely studied for more than a century; yet its connections with physical and biological processes remain unclear. Using multiple techniques, we studied ∼1.57 Ga MTS and identified a connection between its occurrence and increased marine oxygenation. In our samples, the matrix surrounding MTS is typically dominated by carbonate mud with early diagenetic dolomite crystals. High I/(Ca + Mg) ratios (up to 4.1 μmol/mol) and negative Ce anomalies (∼0.8) detected in the matrix are consistent with the oxidative removal of inhibitors such as Fe2+ and Mn2+ in the water‐column that permitted carbonate “whiting” mud precipitation stimulated by cyanobacterial photosynthesis. This cohesive but not rigid seafloor carbonate mud was a prerequisite for synsedimentary MTS crack formation. Systematically higher carbon isotope (δ13C) values in MTS microspars, relative to host sediment, support origination of the cracks by methane degassing in the organic‐rich carbonate mud. Low, but non‐zero, I/(Ca + Mg) values of the MTS microspar suggest that the precipitation of the microspar that filled the MTS cracks was triggered by oxidative removal of residual Fe2+ and Mn2+ in porewater through mixing with overlying oxygenated seawater. We therefore propose that MTS formed under moderately oxygenated conditions and that its sporadic occurrence prior to ∼1.2 Ga reflects episodes of pulsed marine oxygenation in an overall anoxic setting.
A Method for Estimating the Spatial Coherence of Mid‐Latitude Skywave Propagation Based on Transionospheric Scintillations at 35 MHz
Authors: Helmboldt J. F.
Published: January 2023

The results of a study aimed at assessing the utility of transionospheric 35 MHz scintillation measurements toward cosmic radio sources for estimating the level of spatial coherence in high frequency (HF) skywave systems are presented. An array of four antennas in southern Maryland called the Deployable Low‐band Ionosphere and Transient Experiment was used. Two of the antennas within a ∼350‐m north/south baseline were used to monitor 35‐MHz intensity variations of two bright cosmic sources, Cygnus A and Cassiopeia A. The other two antennas, which were within a ∼420‐m east/west baseline, recorded the 7.85 MHz skywave from the CHU radio station near Ottawa, Ontario. These HF measurements were used to quantify the level of spatial coherence by measuring the amplitudes of the cross correlation of the two antennas' recorded voltages relative to the received power, which were typically ∼0.5 to 0.9, but occasionally near zero. An approximate scaling method was developed to estimate the expected cross‐correlation amplitude based on the 35‐MHz scintillations. This method assumes a single layer of irregularities at the reflection height that affects relatively small changes in electron density, the latter of which is generally appropriate for mid‐latitudes. It also assumes that the irregularity distribution follows that of the background electron density. These calculations typically captured the day‐to‐day variations in spatial coherence well (correlation coefficient r ≃ 0.6) while only marginally reproducing hour‐to‐hour variations (r ≃ 0.2). Thus, this method holds promise as an economical and passive means to assess the spatial coherence expected for skywave propagation within a given mid‐latitude region.
Integrated clinical and genomic analysis identifies driver events and molecular evolution of colitis-associated cancers
Authors: Chatila Walid K. , Walch Henry , Hechtman Jaclyn F. , Moyer Sydney M. , Sgambati Valeria , Faleck David M. , Srivastava Amitabh , Tang Laura , Benhamida Jamal , Ismailgeci Dorina , Campos Carl , Wu Fan , Chang Qing , Vakiani Efsevia , de Stanchina Elisa , Weiser Martin R. , Widmar Maria , Yantiss Rhonda K. , Shah Manish A. , Bass Adam J. , Stadler Zsofia K. , Katz Lior H. , Mellinghoff Ingo K. , Sethi Nilay S. , Schultz Nikolaus , Ganesh Karuna , Kelsen David , Yaeger Rona
Published: January 2023

Inflammation has long been recognized to contribute to cancer development, particularly across the gastrointestinal tract. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease have an increased risk for bowel cancers, and it has been posited that a field of genetic changes may underlie this risk. Here, we define the clinical features, genomic landscape, and germline alterations in 174 patients with colitis-associated cancers and sequenced 29 synchronous or isolated dysplasia. TP53 alterations, an early and highly recurrent event in colitis-associated cancers, occur in half of dysplasia, largely as convergent evolution of independent events. Wnt pathway alterations are infrequent, and our data suggest transcriptional rewiring away from Wnt. Sequencing of multiple dysplasia/cancer lesions from mouse models and patients demonstrates rare shared alterations between lesions. These findings suggest neoplastic bowel lesions developing in a background of inflammation experience lineage plasticity away from Wnt activation early during tumorigenesis and largely occur as genetically independent events.
Association between prenatal androgens and cord blood androgens, a path analysis
Authors: Xu Hui , Wang Qian , Li Ting , Wang Yuanyuan , Cao Ruiyao , Peng Xingwang , Yao Rongying , Han Hui , Zhou Rui , Fu Lianguo
Published: January 2023

To determine association paths between prenatal androgens and cord blood androgens. The concentrations of T, FT, DHT, DHEA and SHBG in prenatal venous blood and cord blood were measured in 342 pregnant women and their neonates. The association paths between these hormones in prenatal and cord blood were revealed using Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression and path analysis. CB-T, CB-FT and CB-DHT in male neonates were higher than those in female neonates. In male and female neonates, P-FT was lower than CB-FT; however, P-DHT and P-SHBG were higher than CB-DHT and CB-SHBG, respectively. P-DHEA was lower than CB-DHEA in female newborns. In male neonates, there were association paths of P-T → CB-T → CB-FT → CB-DHT, P-T → CB-FT → CB-DHT, P-T → P-FT → CB-FT → CB-DHT, P-T → P-DHT, CB-DHEA → CB-DHT, CB-DHEA → P-DHT, and CB-DHEA → P-DHEA. In female neonates, there were association paths of P-T → CB-T → CB-FT → CB-DHT, P-T → P-FT → CB-FT → CB-DHT, P-T → P-FT → P-DHT, P-T → P-DHT, P-DHEA → P-DHT, CB-DHEA → P-DHEA, and CB-DHEA → CB-FT. There were differences in the T, FT and DHT concentrations in cord blood between male and female neonates and in the FT, DHT, DHEA, and SHBG concentrations between prenatal and cord blood. P-T and P-FT concentrations were positively associated with CB-T and CB-FT concentrations, while CB-DHEA concentration was positively associated with P-DHEA concentration.
Emotional face expression recognition in problematic Internet use and excessive smartphone use: task-based fMRI study
Authors: Arató Ákos , Nagy Szilvia Anett , Perlaki Gábor , Orsi Gergely , Szente Anna Tímea , Kis-Jakab Gréta , Áfra Eszter , Alhour Husamalddin Ali , Kovács Norbert , Janszky József , Darnai Gergely
Published: January 2023

Growing literature indicates that problematic Internet use (PIU) and excessive smartphone use (ESU) are associated with breakdown of functional brain networks. The effects of PIU&ESU on emotional face expression (EFE) recognition are not well understood, however behavioural investigations and fMRI studies of different addiction forms indicated the impairment of this function. The Facial Emotion Recognition Paradigm was used to probe cortico-limbic responses during EFE recognition. Combined fMRI and psychophysiological analysis were implemented to measure EFE-related functional brain changes in PIU&ESU. Self-reported questionnaires were used to assess PIU&ESU. Positive associations were found between the extent of PIU&ESU and functional connections related to emotional cognitive control and social brain networks. Our findings highlight the involvement of social functioning, especially EFE recognition in PIU&ESU. Therefore, we emphasize that besides the brain’s executive and reward systems, the social brain network might be the next candidate to be involved in the pathogenesis of PIU&ESU.
Global lysine methylome profiling using systematically characterized affinity reagents
Authors: Berryhill Christine A. , Hanquier Jocelyne N. , Doud Emma H. , Cordeiro-Spinetti Eric , Dickson Bradley M. , Rothbart Scott B. , Mosley Amber L. , Cornett Evan M.
Published: January 2023

Lysine methylation modulates the function of histone and non-histone proteins, and the enzymes that add or remove lysine methylation—lysine methyltransferases (KMTs) and lysine demethylases (KDMs), respectively—are frequently mutated and dysregulated in human diseases. Identification of lysine methylation sites proteome-wide has been a critical barrier to identifying the non-histone substrates of KMTs and KDMs and for studying functions of non-histone lysine methylation. Detection of lysine methylation by mass spectrometry (MS) typically relies on the enrichment of methylated peptides by pan-methyllysine antibodies. In this study, we use peptide microarrays to show that pan-methyllysine antibodies have sequence bias, and we evaluate how the differential selectivity of these reagents impacts the detection of methylated peptides in MS-based workflows. We discovered that most commercially available pan-Kme antibodies have an in vitro sequence bias, and multiple enrichment approaches provide the most comprehensive coverage of the lysine methylome. Overall, global lysine methylation proteomics with multiple characterized pan-methyllysine antibodies resulted in the detection of 5089 lysine methylation sites on 2751 proteins from two human cell lines, nearly doubling the number of reported lysine methylation sites in the human proteome.
Assessing impact of agroecological interventions in Niger through remotely sensed changes in vegetation
Authors: Mishra Vikalp , Limaye Ashutosh S. , Doehnert Federico , Policastro Raffaella , Hassan Djibril , Ndiaye Marie Therese Yaba , Abel Nicole Van , Johnson Kiersten , Grange Joseph , Coffey Kevin , Rashid Arif
Published: January 2023

Water scarcity is a major challenge in the Sahel region of West Africa. Water scarcity in combination with prevalent soil degradation has severely reduced the land productivity in the region. The decrease in resiliency of food security systems of marginalized population has huge societal implications which often leads to mass migrations and conflicts. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and development organizations have made major investments in the Sahel to improve resilience through land rehabilitation activities in recent years. To help restore degraded lands at the farm level, the World Food Programme (WFP) with assistance from USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance supported the construction of water and soil retention structures called half-moons. The vegetation growing in the half-moons is vitally important to increase agricultural productivity and feed animals, a critical element of sustainable food security in the region. This paper investigates the effectiveness of interventions at 18 WFP sites in southern Niger using vegetative greenness observations from the Landsat 7 satellite. The pre - and post-intervention analysis shows that vegetation greenness after the half-moon intervention was nearly 50% higher than in the pre-intervention years. The vegetation in the intervened area was more than 25% greener than the nearby control area. Together, the results indicate that the half-moons are effective adaptations to the traditional land management systems to increase agricultural production in arid ecosystems, which is evident through improved vegetation conditions in southern Niger. The analysis shows that the improvement brought by the interventions continue to provide the benefits. Continued application of these adaptation techniques on a larger scale will increase agricultural production and build resilience to drought for subsistence farmers in West Africa. Quantifiable increase in efficacy of local-scale land and water management techniques, and the resulting jump in large-scale investments to scale similar efforts will help farmers enhance their resiliency in a sustainable manner will lead to a reduction in food security shortages.
Graph theoretical measures of fast ripple networks improve the accuracy of post-operative seizure outcome prediction
Authors: Weiss Shennan A. , Fried Itzhak , Wu Chengyuan , Sharan Ashwini , Rubinstein Daniel , Engel Jerome , Sperling Michael R. , Staba Richard J.
Published: January 2023

Fast ripples (FR) are a biomarker of epileptogenic brain, but when larger portions of FR generating regions are resected seizure freedom is not always achieved. To evaluate and improve the diagnostic accuracy of FR resection for predicting seizure freedom we compared the FR resection ratio (RR) with FR network graph theoretical measures. In 23 patients FR were semi-automatically detected and quantified in stereo EEG recordings during sleep. MRI normalization and co-registration localized contacts and relation to resection margins. The number of FR, and graph theoretical measures, which were spatial (i.e., FR rate-distance radius) or temporal correlational (i.e., FR mutual information), were compared with the resection margins and with seizure outcome We found that the FR RR did not correlate with seizure-outcome (p > 0.05). In contrast, the FR rate-distance radius resected difference and the FR MI mean characteristic path length RR did correlate with seizure-outcome (p < 0.05). Retesting of positive FR RR patients using either FR rate-distance radius resected difference or the FR MI mean characteristic path length RR reduced seizure-free misclassifications from 44 to 22% and 17%, respectively. These results indicate that graph theoretical measures of FR networks can improve the diagnostic accuracy of the resection of FR events for predicting seizure freedom.
Comparison of cubesat and microsat catastrophic failures in function of radiation and debris impact risk
Authors: Lopez-Calle Isabel , Franco Alexander I.
Published: January 2023

Occurrence level comparison of catastrophic failures due to radiation effects on electronic components or collision with space debris are studied in two types of satellites: cubesats and microsats. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) case studies are proposed, and the level of catastrophic failure occurrence is quantified for the same mission duration. The variation in the occurrence of failures is studied and there is a determination of which is more likely. Emphasis is placed on examining how an increase in space debris would affect the reliability of future space missions.
Sequence similarity between SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid and multiple sclerosis-associated proteins provides insight into viral neuropathogenesis following infection
Authors: Lake Camille M. , Breen Joseph J.
Published: January 2023

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 continues to cause death and disease throughout the world, underscoring the necessity of understanding the virus and host immune response. From the start of the pandemic, a prominent pattern of central nervous system (CNS) pathologies, including demyelination, has emerged, suggesting an underlying mechanism of viral mimicry to CNS proteins. We hypothesized that immunodominant epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 share homology with proteins associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Using PEPMatch, a newly developed bioinformatics package which predicts peptide similarity within specific amino acid mismatching parameters consistent with published MHC binding capacity, we discovered that nucleocapsid protein shares significant overlap with 22 MS-associated proteins, including myelin proteolipid protein (PLP). Further computational evaluation demonstrated that this overlap may have critical implications for T cell responses in MS patients and is likely unique to SARS-CoV-2 among the major human coronaviruses. Our findings substantiate the hypothesis of viral molecular mimicry in the pathogenesis of MS and warrant further experimental exploration.
Endogenous incretin levels and risk of first incident cancer: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Jujić Amra , Godina Christopher , Belting Mattias , Melander Olle , Juul Holst Jens , Ahlqvist Emma , Gomez Maria F. , Nilsson Peter M. , Jernström Helena , Magnusson Martin
Published: January 2023

Concerns have been raised regarding a potentially increased risk of cancer associated with treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. Here, we explored whether fasting and oral glucose tolerance test post-challenge glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) and GLP-1 levels were associated with incident first cancer. Within the cardiovascular re-examination arm of the population-based Malmö Diet Cancer study (n = 3734), 685 participants with a previous cancer diagnosis were excluded, resulting in 3049 participants (mean age 72.2 ± 5.6 years, 59.5% women), of whom 485 were diagnosed with incident first cancer (median follow-up time 9.9 years). Multivariable Cox-regression and competing risk regression (death as competing risk) were used to explore associations between incretin levels and incident first cancer. Higher levels of fasting GLP-1 (462 incident first cancer cases/2417 controls) showed lower risk of incident first cancer in competing risk regression (sub-hazard ratio 0.90; 95% confidence interval 0.82–0.99; p = 0.022). No association was seen for fasting GIP, post-challenge GIP, or post-challenge GLP-1 and incident first cancer. In this prospective study, none of the fasting and post-challenge levels of GIP and GLP-1 were associated with higher risk of incident first cancer; by contrast, higher levels of fasting GLP-1 were associated with lower risk of incident first cancer.
Antifungal activity of potential probiotic Limosilactobacillus fermentum strains and their role against toxigenic aflatoxin-producing aspergilli
Authors: Mahjoory Yalda , Mohammadi Reza , Hejazi Mohammad Amin , Nami Yousef
Published: January 2023

Two major aflatoxin-producing strains are Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger. Probiotic bacteria have been identified as a potential means to fight aspergilli and reduce the availability of aflatoxin (AFs) as well as other food contaminants. In this study, the potential of ABRIIFBI-6 and ABRIIFBI-7 strains to inhibit the growth of aspergilli was investigated. Both strains survived in the simulated gastrointestinal conditions and inhibited the growth of Aspergillus significantly. Auto-aggregation ranged from 67.4 ± 1.9 for ABRIIFBI-6 to 75.8 ± 2.3% for ABRIIFBI-7, and hydrophobicity ranged from 57.3 ± 1.6 to 61.2 ± 1.4% for ABRIIFBI-6 and ranged from 51.2 ± 1.4 to 55.4 ± 1.8% for ABRIIFBI-7. The ranges of coaggregation with Staphylococcus aureus were 51.3 ± 1.7 and 52.4 ± 1.8% for ABRIIFBI-6 and ABRIIFBI-7, respectively, while coaggregation with Bacillus cereus was 57.9 ± 2.1 and 49.3 ± 1.9% for ABRIIFBI-6 and ABRIIFBI-7, respectively. Both strains indicated remarkable sensitivity to clinical antibiotics. According to the analysis of the identified potential probiotics, the findings of this study could significantly contribute to the understanding of the probiotic potential of LAB in dairy products in order to access their probiotic characterization for use as biocontrol of aflatoxin-producing species.
Preparative separation of eight phenolic acids from Echinacea purpurea L. Moench using pH-zone-refining counter-current chromatography and evaluation of their immunomodulatory effects and synergistic potential
Authors: Ma Tianyu , Dong Hongjing , Geng Yanling , Guo Lanping , Wang Xiao
Published: January 2023

Eight phenolic acids were isolated from Echinacea purpurea L. Moench using pH-ZRCCC. And the synergistic effect of caffeoyl tartaric acid, feruloyl tartaric acid, and cichoric acid on the inflammation was 94.91%.
A novel information gap decision theory‐based demand response scheduling for a smart residential community considering deep uncertainties
Authors: Masihabadi Danial , Kalantar Mohsen , Majd Zahra , Saravi Seyed Vahid Sabzpoosh
Published: January 2023

Demand response programs (DRPs) have paved a meaningful role in the power supply–demand balance in a smart grid. Also, a residential community with the presence of renewable energy sources (RESs) and electric vehicles (EVs) provides a new way to tackle growing concerns about energy efficiency and environmental pollution. The inherent uncertainty of RESs generation and EVs behaviour leads to difficulty in the economic scheduling of the demand side. Different types of uncertainty modelling have been investigated, such as Monte Carlo (MC) simulation, fuzzy method, and robust optimization. They are faced with many scenarios and computational complexity. This paper uses the information gap decision theory (IGDT) method to study variations of uncertainty radius on residential community electricity costs. Therefore, to achieve an optimal strategy for scheduling the appliances considering the deep uncertainties of RESs and EVs, a novel IGDT‐based demand response scheduling for a residential community is proposed. Impacts of different levels of uncertainties are studied. The simulation results depict the privileges of the proposed method when confronting deep uncertainties. By increasing the radius of the uncertainty of RES and the initial charge of EVs, energy consumption costs grew 20% and 2%, respectively, which indicates the system operator can manage the costs effectively.
Edoxaban, a Factor Xa-Specific Direct Oral Anticoagulant, Significantly Suppresses Tumor Growth in Colorectal Cancer Colon26-Inoculated BALB/c Mice
Authors: Hiramoto Keiichi , Akita Nobuyuki , Nishioka Junji , Suzuki Koji
Published: January 2023

Introduction Certain low-molecular-weight heparins have been reported to reduce tumor growth and metastasis in tumor cell-inoculated mouse models and cancer patients. Recently, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been widely used in patients with thromboembolism. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of DOACs, which target thrombin or factor Xa, on tumor growth in a syngeneic mouse model comprising BALB/c mice inoculated with colon cancer Colon26 cells.

Materials and Methods DOACs targeting thrombin (dabigatran etexilate [DABE]) or factor Xa (rivaroxaban [RVX] and edoxaban [EDX]) were orally administered daily to male BALB/c mice inoculated with Colon26 cells, followed by analyses of tumor growth and plasma levels of coagulation- and tumor-related factors such as tissue factor (TF), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2).

Results Colon26 cells expressed significant amounts of functionally active TF. Tumor growth in Colon26-inoculated mice was significantly suppressed in DABE- or RVX-treated mice (p <0.05) and was suppressed more significantly in EDX-treated mice (p <0.01). Therefore, the antitumor mechanism of action of EDX was investigated next. Plasma levels of TF, PAI-1, IL-6, and MMP-2 were elevated in Colon26-inoculated mice but were significantly reduced in EDX-treated mice (p <0.01). The expression of protease-activated receptor (PAR)1, PAR2, signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3), cyclin D1, and Ki67 was increased in tumor tissue of Colon26-inoculated mice but (except for PAR1) was significantly decreased in tumor tissues of EDX-treated mice (p <0.01). In addition, apoptotic cells and p53 protein levels were significantly increased in tumor tissues of EDX-treated mice.

Conclusion The data suggest that among the tested DOACs, EDX significantly suppresses tumor cell proliferation via the factor Xa-PAR2 pathway, which is activated by coagulation and inflammation in Colon26-inoculated mice and induces tumor cell apoptosis.
Short-term wind power prediction based on the combination of numerical weather forecast and time series
Authors: Zeng Liang , Lan Xin , Wang Shanshan
Published: January 2023

The accurate prediction of wind power has a huge impact on the grid connection and dispatching of the power system. In order to make the prediction accuracy of wind power higher, this paper proposes a combined forecasting model based on the combination of numerical weather prediction (NWP) and wind power time series, called gray wolf algorithm-wavelet neural network-variational mode decomposition-long short-term memory-Q-learning (GWO-WNN-VMD-LSTM-Q-learning). First, the wind power prediction (WPP) is implemented based on the NWP, and prediction result 1 is obtained. In this stage, the wavelet neural network (WNN), which is optimized by the gray wolf algorithm (GWO), is used for prediction. Then, the historical time series of wind power is subjected to variational mode decomposition (VMD), and the decomposed sub-sequences are predicted by long short-term memory (LSTM) networks, respectively, and the prediction results of each sub-sequence are summed to obtain the prediction result 2. Finally, the Q-learning algorithm is used to superimpose prediction result 1 and result 2 on the basis of optimal weight and get the final WPP results. The simulation results demonstrate that this model's prediction accuracy is high and that it has a substantially greater predictive impact than other traditional models that merely take time series or numerical weather forecasts into account.
Numerical investigation of air cushioning in the impact of micro-droplet under electrostatic fields
Authors: Tian Yu , Di Linsen , Lai Wuxing , Guan Yin , Deng Weiwei , Huang YongAn
Published: January 2023

Air cushioning widely occurs when a droplet impacts onto a solid or fluid surface at low velocity, which is mediated by the lubrication pressure of a thin air layer. Such air cushioning phenomena for micro-sized droplets bear important implications for precision coating and inkjet printing. In this study, we investigate numerically the air cushioning in the micro-sized droplets of various sizes impacting on a solid surface based on the volume of fluid method as implemented in the OpenFOAM framework. We find that the critical impact speed for bouncing on the air cushion increases as the droplet radius decreases, while the Weber number remains in a narrow range from 1 to 4. The scaling law of the critical impact speed for bouncing is derived by balancing the lubrication pressure of the air cushion with the capillary pressure and droplet inertia. The impact mode transforms from bouncing to wetting with an electric field. A group of phase diagrams of the electric Bond number vs the Weber number is presented for various droplet sizes. The diagrams are consistent with the scaling law of the critical electric field for the wetting-without-bubble mode. The findings provide insights for applications based on micro-droplet deposition, such as inkjet/electrohydrodynamic printing and spray coating, to avoid the adverse effect of air cushioning or air entrapment.
Wall repulsion during electrophoresis: Testing the theory of concentration-polarization electro-osmosis
Authors: Fernández-Mateo Raúl , Morgan Hywel , Ramos Antonio , García-Sánchez Pablo
Published: January 2023

We experimentally study the repulsion of charged microscopic particles with the channel walls during electrophoresis in microfluidic devices. For low frequencies of the electric fields (<10 kHz), this repulsion is mainly due to the hydrodynamic interaction caused by the flow vortices that arise from the slip velocity induced by the electric field on the particle surface, as shown in a recent publication [Fernandez-Mateo et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 074501 (2022)]. The maximum slip velocity on the particle surface is inferred from measurements of wall-particle separation. Importantly, this procedure allows us to infer very small slip velocities that, otherwise, are too weak to be measured directly. Data at small electric field amplitudes (E0) agree with theoretical predictions using the model of Concentration Polarization Electro-osmosis (CPEO), which has recently been proposed as the mechanism behind the flow vortices on the surface of the particles. Data for higher electric fields show that the predictions of the CPEO theory for weak electric fields are not valid beyond E0∼60 kV/m. Additionally, we also show that, for sufficiently strong electric fields, the quadrupolar flow structures become disrupted, leading to a weaker wall repulsion.
Effect of the free-stream turbulence on the bi-modal wake dynamics of square-back bluff body
Authors: Chen Guang , Li Xiao-Bai , He Kan , Cheng Zhi , Zhou Dan , Liang Xi-Feng
Published: January 2023

The effect of a free-stream turbulence intensity level on the wake dynamics of a square-back Ahmed body is modeled using the improved delayed detached eddy simulation at Re=9.6×104. The center of pressure, pressure gradient on the base surface, and the barycenter of the momentum deficit on the wake plane are analyzed to characterize the wake bi-modality dynamics. Given that different flow dynamics have different dominant frequencies, the spectral proper orthogonal decomposition is utilized to separate the wake bi-stability, pumping motion of the whole recirculation region, the Von Kármán vortex shedding and the shear layer instability. The results show that entrainment of the oncoming flow into the wake is enhanced, the vorticity thickness is thickened and the length of the wake recirculation region is decreased with the increasing free-stream turbulence, resulting in a lower base suction pressure and a higher level of shear stress. The frequency of the pumping motion is increased with the increase in the oncoming turbulence intensity, while the frequency of Von Kármán vortex shedding is irrespective of the level of the background turbulence. Though the correlation between the switching rate and the oncoming turbulence intensity cannot be put forward due to the relatively short numerical simulation time compared with the wind tunnel experiment, it is still known that the turbulence intensity has a positive effect on the wake bi-stability switching.
Investigation of pressure pulsation induced by quasi-steady cavitation in a centrifugal pump
Authors: Lu Jiaxing , Liu Jiahong , Qian Linyong , Liu Xiaobing , Yuan Shouqi , Zhu Baoshan , Dai Yuansong
Published: January 2023

To study the pressure pulsations induced by quasi-steady cavitation in a centrifugal pump, the pressure pulsations at the pump inlet and outlet were experimentally investigated with the development of cavitation. Moreover, the internal flow characteristics in the pump during the process were numerically determined. The numerical simulation results agreed well with the results obtained from the experimental test, verifying the accuracy of the numerical simulation. Furthermore, the cavitation-induced pump inlet and outlet pressure pulsations of the centrifugal pump were analyzed by wavelet analysis and fast Fourier transform, and the cavitation incipient point and occurrence of the unstable cavitation point were obtained. The results of both wavelet analysis and fast Fourier transform show that in the quasi-steady cavitation stage of the centrifugal pump at the design flow rate, the pump inlet and outlet pressure pulsations are significantly increased at twice the axial frequency, while the other axial frequency components are weak and the internal flow is stable. With the development of cavitation in the pump, the pump inlet and outlet pressure pulsations at the axial frequency and its multiples afford some obvious broadband pulsations. To investigate the mechanism of quasi-steady cavitation-induced pressure pulsation in the centrifugal pump, the dynamic mode decomposition was used for internal flow field analysis. The results show that different inflow states lead to obvious differences in the internal flow and unsteady flow structures. There are complex pressure pulsation characteristics dominated by different frequencies in the centrifugal pump. Blade passing frequency plays an important role in the entire flow field, and its mechanism has been analyzed. This research will provide experimental and theoretical support for quasi-steady cavitation recognition and help researchers improve the operation stability of the centrifugal pump.
Double multiple-relaxation-time model of lattice-Boltzmann magnetohydrodynamics at low magnetic Reynolds numbers
Authors: Magacho B. , Tavares H. S. , Moriconi L. , Loureiro J. B. R.
Published: January 2023

We develop an improved lattice-Boltzmann numerical scheme to solve magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations in the regime of low magnetic Reynolds numbers, grounded on the central-moment (CM) and multi-relaxation-time (MRT) collision models. The simulation of the magnetic induction equation within the lattice-Boltzmann approach to MHD has been usually devised along the lines of the simplest phenomenological description—the single relaxation time (SRT) model to solve the complete induction equation. In order to deal with well-known stability difficulties of the SRT framework for larger magnetic relaxation time scales, we introduce, alternatively, a MRT technique for the solution of the magnetic induction equation, which proves to be efficient in extending the domain of applicability of the lattice-Boltzmann method to MHD problems. We also put forward a novel and practical boundary condition method to cope with the subtleties of magnetic Boltzmann-like distributions on curved boundaries. As supporting applications, we discuss the performance of the CM–MRT algorithm to describe the complex dynamics of the 3D Orszag–Tang vortex problem and open issues related to transient flow regimes in MHD pipe flows, subject to uniform and non-uniform magnetic fields.