bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A numerical solution for a stochastic beam equation exhibiting purely viscous behavior
Authors: Jafari H. , Uma D. , Raja Balachandar S. , Venkatesh S. G.
Published: December 2022

The deflection of Euler–Bernoulli beams under stochastic dynamic loading, exhibiting purely viscous behavior, is characterized by partial differential equations of the fourth order. This paper proposes a computational method to determine the approximate solution to such equations. The functions are approximated using two‐dimensional shifted Legendre polynomials. An operational matrix of integration and an operational matrix of stochastic integration are derived. The operational matrices assist in breaking down the problem under consideration into a set of algebraic equations that may be solved using any known numerical technique that leads to the solution of the stochastic beam equation. The well‐posedness of the problem is studied. The proposed methodology is demonstrated to be practical for addressing the novel stochastic dynamic loading problem by confirming the outcome using a few numerical examples. Thus the effectiveness and applicability of the technique are ensured. The solution quality is explored through diagrams. The accuracy of the method is substantiated by comparing it with the Runge–Kutta method of order 1.5 (R–K 1.5). The absolute error caused by the proposed technique is comparably much less than R–K 1.5. A simulation analysis is carried out with MATLAB, and an algorithm is developed.
Classifying the globally rigid edge‐transitive graphs and distance‐regular graphs in the plane
Authors: Dewar Sean
Published: December 2022

A graph is said to be globally rigid if almost all embeddings of the graph's vertices in the Euclidean plane will define a system of edge‐length equations with a unique (up to isometry) solution. In 2007, Jackson, Servatius and Servatius characterised exactly which vertex‐transitive graphs are globally rigid solely by their degree and maximal clique number, two easily computable parameters for vertex‐transitive graphs. In this short note we will extend this characterisation to all graphs that are determined by their automorphism group. We do this by characterising exactly which edge‐transitive graphs and distance‐regular graphs are globally rigid by their minimal and maximal degrees.
Wide mismatches in the sequences of primers and probes for monkeypox virus diagnostic assays
Authors: Wu Fuqing , Oghuan Jeremiah , Gitter Anna , Mena Kristina D. , Brown Eric L.
Published: December 2022

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of infections is fundamental to containment of disease. Several monkeypox virus (MPV) real‐time diagnostic assays have been recommended by the CDC; however, the specificity of the primers and probes in these assays for the ongoing MPV outbreak has not been investigated. We analyzed the primer and probe sequences present in the CDC recommended MPV generic real‐time PCR assay by aligning those sequences against 1730 MPV complete genomes reported in 2022 worldwide. Sequence mismatches were found in 99.08% and 97.46% of genomes for the MPV generic forward and reverse primers, respectively. Mismatch‐corrected primers were synthetized and compared to the generic assay for MPV detection. Results showed that the two primer‐template mismatches resulted in a ~11‐fold underestimation of initial template DNA in the reaction and 4‐fold increase in the 95% LOD. We further evaluated the specificity of seven other real‐time PCR assays used for MPV and orthopoxvirus (OPV) detection and identified two assays with the highest matching score (>99.6%) to the global MPV genome database in 2022. Genetic variations in the primer‐probe regions across MPV genomes could indicate the temporal and spatial emergence pattern of monkeypox disease. Our results show that the current MPV real‐time generic assay may not be optimal to accurately detect MPV, and the mismatch‐corrected assay with full complementarity between primers and current MPV genomes could provide a more sensitive and accurate detection of MPV.
A performance comparison of two (electro) chemiluminescence immunoassays for detection and quantitation of serum anti‐spike antibodies according to SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination and infections status
Authors: Camacho Jorge , Albert Eliseo , Zulaica Joao , Álvarez‐Rodríguez Beatriz , Rusu Luciana , Olea Beatriz , Alcaraz María Jesús , Geller Ron , Giménez Estela , Navarro David
Published: December 2022

The information provided by SARS‐CoV‐2 spike (S)‐targeting immunoassays can be instrumental in clinical‐decision making. We compared the performance of the Elecsys® Anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 S assay (Roche Diagnostics) and the LIAISON® SARS‐CoV‐2 TrimericS IgG assay (DiaSorin) using a total of 1176 sera from 797 individuals, of which 286 were from vaccinated‐SARS‐CoV‐2/experienced (Vac‐Ex), 581 from vaccinated/naïve (Vac‐N), 147 from unvaccinated/experienced (Unvac‐Ex), and 162 from unvaccinated/naïve (Unvac‐N) individuals. The Roche assay returned a higher number of positive results (907 vs. 790; p = 0.45; overall sensitivity: 89.3% vs. 77.6%). The concordance between results provided by the two immunoassays was higher for sera from Vac‐N (ϰ: 0.58; interquartile ranges [IQR]: 0.50−0.65) than for sera from Vac‐Ex (ϰ: 0.19; IQR: −0.14 to 0.52) or Unvac‐Ex (ϰ: 0.18; IQR: 0.06−0.30). Discordant results occurred more frequently among sera from Unvac‐Ex (34.7%) followed by Vac‐N (14.6%) and Vac‐Ex (2.7%). Antibody levels quantified by both immunoassays were not significantly different when <250 (p = 0.87) or <1000 BAU/ml (p = 0.13); in contrast, for sera ≥1000 BAU/ml, the Roche assay returned significantly higher values than the DiaSorin assay (p < 0.008). Neutralizing antibody titers (NtAb) were measured in 127 sera from Vac‐Ex or Vac‐N using a S‐pseudotyped virus neutralization assay of Wuhan‐Hu‐1, Omicron BA.1, and Omicron BA.2. The correlation between antibody levels and NtAb titers was higher for sera from Vac‐N than those from Vac‐Ex, irrespective of the (sub)variant considered. In conclusion, neither qualitative nor quantitative results returned by both immunoassays are interchangeable. The performance of both assays was found to be greatly influenced by the vaccination and SARS‐CoV‐2 infection status of individuals.
Integrating phytoplankton pigment andDNAmeta‐barcoding observations to determine phytoplankton composition in the coastal ocean
Authors: Catlett Dylan , Siegel David A. , Matson Paul G. , Wear Emma K. , Carlson Craig A. , Lankiewicz Thomas S. , Iglesias‐Rodriguez M. Debora
Published: December 2022

Quantifying phytoplankton composition is critical to predicting marine ecosystem structure and function. DNA meta‐barcoding and high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) pigment analysis are two widely used methods for assessing phytoplankton composition; however, comparing their performance has been done only rarely. Here, we integrate DNA meta‐barcoding and HPLC pigment observations to determine eukaryotic phytoplankton composition in the Santa Barbara Channel, California. We find that both methods identify the same four dominant eukaryotic phytoplankton taxa (diatoms, dinoflagellates, chlorophytes, and prymnesiophytes), but inter‐ and intra‐lineage variability in biomarker pigmentation (associated with both a lack of taxonomic specificity of biomarker pigments and intrinsic differences in accessory pigmentation) drives substantial disagreement between the methods. Covariation network analysis circumvents this disagreement and reveals that diverse assemblages of phytoplankton and other protists covary with distinct suites of biomarker pigments. Our results highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each method in characterizing phytoplankton composition and reveal novel insights into phytoplankton physiology that could only be gained by integrating the two methods. Finally, we suggest a path to monitor eukaryotic plankton communities on unprecedented spatiotemporal scales based on the covariation of unique phytoplankton and protistan assemblages with remotely sensible phytoplankton pigment concentrations.
SARS‐CoV‐2 modulation of RIG‐I‐MAVS signaling: Potential mechanisms of impairment on host antiviral immunity and therapeutic approaches
Authors: Wang Mingming , Zhao Yue , Liu Juan , Li Ting
Published: December 2022

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is a global infectious disease aroused by RNA virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). Patients may suffer from severe respiratory failure or even die, posing a huge challenge to global public health. Retinoic acid‐inducible gene I (RIG‐I) is one of the major pattern recognition receptors, function to recognize RNA viruses and mediate the innate immune response. RIG‐1 and melanoma differentiation‐associated gene 5 contain an N‐terminal caspase recruitment domain that is activated upon detection of viral RNA in the cytoplasm of virus‐infected cells. Activated RIG‐I and mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS) protein trigger a series of corresponding immune responses such as the production of type I interferon against viral infection. In this review, we are summarizing the role of the structural, nonstructural, and accessory proteins from SARS‐CoV‐2 on the RIG‐I‐MAVS pathway, and exploring the potential mechanism how SARS‐CoV‐2 could evade the host antiviral response. We then proposed that modulation of the RIG‐I‐MAVS signaling pathway might be a novel and effective therapeutic strategy to against COVID‐19 as well as the constantly mutating coronavirus.
Etiological identification of recurrent male fatality due to a novel NSDHL gene mutation using trio whole‐exome sequencing: A rare case report and literature review
Authors: Zhuang Jianlong , Luo Qi , Xie Meihua , Chen Yu’e , Jiang Yuying , Zeng Shuhong , Wang Yuanbai , Xie Yingjun , Chen Chunnuan
Published: December 2022

Background

Congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform nevus and limb defects (CHILD) syndrome is a rare X‐linked dominant, lethal male disorder caused by mutations to the NSDHL (NAD(P)H steroid dehydrogenase‐like protein) gene. It primarily exhibits strictly unilateral congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma and ipsilateral limb defects in female individuals.

Methods

A Chinese couple suffering from recurrent spontaneous abortion in male fetuses was enrolled in this study. Chromosomal microarray analysis and whole‐exome sequencing were performed for genetic etiological diagnosis.

Results

A 33‐year‐old pregnant woman with recurrent spontaneous abortion was experiencing her third pregnancy with a male embryo. In this pregnancy, a miscarriage occurred at a gestational age of 10+6 weeks with no copy number variants. However, a novel mutation c.790‐6C>T in the NSDHL gene was observed in the fetus through whole‐exome sequencing (WES). Parental verification indicated that the NSDHL gene variant was inherited from the mother. Additionally, the variant in the NSDHL gene was absent in her subsequent pregnancy with a female fetus.

Conclusion

In this study, we detected c.790‐6C>T, a novel variant in the NSDHL gene that results in recurrent miscarriage in males. Our study may broaden the scope of research on the NSDHL gene in CHILD syndrome and strengthens the application value of WES for the genetic etiological identification of recurrent miscarriage.
Ultrasonic‐assisted reinforcement and annealing treatment of additive manufacturing polyether‐ether‐ketone
Authors: Qu Han , Wu Zhenxu , Hou Liyao , Zhang Zhongtan , Wu Wenzheng
Published: December 2022

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) printing had the advantages of simple structure, low cost, and simple process. As the requirement for high‐performance special engineering plastics was increasing progressively, FFF 3D printing technology with Polyether‐ether‐ketone (PEEK) as the typical material was also developing rapidly. It was worth noting that there were unavoidable defects caused by comprehensive factors of FFF 3D printing forming conditions and printing equipment. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate the most reasonable composite post‐treatment process route between ultrasonic‐assisted reinforcement and annealing technology, with the overarching goal of improving the crystallinity, eliminating, and reducing the inevitable internal voids in the printing process, and enhancing the comprehensive mechanical properties. Our experiments showed that ultrasonic‐assisted reinforcement, annealing treatment, and the composite processes can improve the tensile properties of FFF printed PEEK samples. The composite process of ultrasonic‐assisted reinforcement followed by annealing treatment was the most suitable process route because it increased the maximum tensile yield strength by 7.5% to 86.5 ± 0.43 MPa and the crystallinity by 2.4%. Moreover, the porosity was reduced by 65.6% to 1.08 ± 0.12% compared to the original FFF printed samples. Therefore, our investigations on the composite post‐treatment technology of ultrasonic‐assisted reinforcement and annealing treatment had laid a theoretical foundation for its industrial application, which would have a great research significance and application value.
Periodic breathing in clinically stable very preterm infants
Authors: Yee Alicia K. , Siriwardhana Leon S. , Nixon Gillian M. , Walter Lisa M. , Wong Flora Y. , Horne Rosemary S. C.
Published: December 2022

Objective

We aimed to investigate the frequency and severity of periodic breathing (PB) in clinically stable very preterm infants and identify infant and maternal factors associated with increased time spent and severity of PB in these infants.

Method

Thirty‐eight infants (28–32 weeks gestational age) who were ≥3 days off noninvasive respiratory support, were studied for 2–3 h with a daytime sleep study at 31–36 weeks postmenstrual age. Percent total sleep time spent in PB (%TSTPB) and time spent with SpO2 <90%, <80%, and cerebral oxygenation <55% during PB were calculated. Infant and maternal characteristics were correlated with %TSTPB and hypoxia during PB.

Results

The majority of infants (92%) had at least one episode of PB and infants spent a median 9.1 [interquartile range: 1.2, 15.5] %TSTPB. 80%, 37%, and 37% of infants experienced SpO2 <90%, <80% and cerebral oxygenation <55%, respectively, during PB. Shorter duration of respiratory support, multigravida, multiparity, and maternal vitamin D deficiency were associated with higher %TSTPB. Multigravida, shorter duration on respiratory support, apnea of prematurity, and resuscitation at birth were associated with hypoxia during PB.

Conclusions

The majority of very preterm infants exhibited PB when they were off respiratory support and considered clinically stable. The time spent in PB was very variable between infants and was associated with significant hypoxia in some infants. Fewer days spent on respiratory support was associated with both increased frequency and severity of PB. However, the potential contribution of PB to neurocognitive outcomes remains uncertain and warrants further investigations.
Agricultural weeds: the contribution of domesticated species to the origin and evolution of feral weeds
Authors: Vercellino Román B , Hernández Fernando , Pandolfo Claudio , Ureta Soledad , Presotto Alejandro
Published: December 2022

Agricultural weeds descended from domesticated ancestors, directly from crops (endoferality) and/or from crop–wild hybridization (exoferality), may have evolutionary advantages by rapidly acquiring traits pre‐adapted to agricultural habitats. Understanding the role of crops on the origin and evolution of agricultural weeds is essential to develop more effective weed management programs, minimize crop losses due to weeds, and accurately assess the risks of cultivated genes escaping. In this review, we first describe relevant traits of weediness: shattering, seed dormancy, branching, early flowering and rapid growth, and their role in the feralization process. Furthermore, we discuss how the design of “super‐crops” can affect weed evolution. We then searched for literature documenting cases of agricultural weeds descended from well‐domesticated crops, and describe six case studies of feral weeds evolved from major crops: maize, radish, rapeseed, rice, sorghum, and sunflower. Further studies on the origin and evolution of feral weeds can improve our understanding of the physiological and genetic mechanisms underpinning the adaptation to agricultural habitats and may help to develop more effective weed‐control practices and breeding better crops. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Molecular Docking Approach For Design and Synthesis of Thioxanthone Derivatives as Anticancer Agents
Authors: Hermawan Faris , Jumina  , Pranowo Harno Dwi , Sholikhah Eti Nurwening , Iresha Muthia Rahayu
Published: December 2022

Thioxanthone derivatives were docked, synthesized, and tested for their anticancer activity. The molecular docking results showed that 1‐hydroxythioxanthone, 2‐chloro‐1‐hydroxythioxanthone, and 4‐chloro‐1‐hydroxythioxanthone gave lower binding energy than erlotinib demonstrating that those thioxanthones have stronger interaction in the active site of EGFR protein. The addition of one hydroxyl and chloro groups on 1‐hydroxythioxanthone greatly enhanced its inhibition in EGFR protein. All thioxanthone derivatives had hydrogen bonding interaction with MET769 residue. Thein vitroanticancer assay against all cancer cells (T47D, HeLa, WiDr, A549) revealed that 2‐chloro‐1‐hydroxythioxanthone and 4‐chloro‐1‐hydroxythioxanthone gave lower IC50than 1‐hydroxythioxanthone due to the addition of one chloro substituent. Meanwhile, 1,3‐dihydroxythioxanthone exhibited the strongest anticancer activity, as well as the highest selectivity index (3.22–19.55) among the other thioxanthones. Based on these findings, 1,3‐dihydroxythioxanthone is a potential anticancer drug candidate for further development in the future.
A New Support Film for Cryo Electron Microscopy Protein Structure Analysis Based on Covalently Functionalized Graphene
Authors: Nickl Philip , Hilal Tarek , Olal Daniel , Donskyi Ievgen Sergeevitch , Radnik Jörg , Ludwig Kai , Haag Rainer
Published: December 2022

Protein adsorption at the air–water interface is a serious problem in cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM) as it restricts particle orientations in the vitrified ice‐film and promotes protein denaturation. To address this issue, the preparation of a graphene‐based modified support film for coverage of conventional holey carbon transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids is presented. The chemical modification of graphene sheets enables the universal covalent anchoring of unmodified proteins via inherent surface‐exposed lysine or cysteine residues in a one‐step reaction. Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) trough approach is applied for deposition of functionalized graphene sheets onto commercially available holey carbon TEM grids. The application of the modified TEM grids in single particle analysis (SPA) shows high protein binding to the surface of the graphene‐based support film. Suitability for high resolution structure determination is confirmed by SPA of apoferritin. Prevention of protein denaturation at the air–water interface and improvement of particle orientations is shown using human 20S proteasome, demonstrating the potential of the support film for structural biology.
Mapping Nanomechanical Properties of Basal Surfaces in Metastatic Intestinal 3D Living Organoids with High‐Speed Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy
Authors: Wang Dong , Nguyen Han Gia , Nakayama Mizuho , Oshima Hiroko , Sun Linhao , Oshima Masanobu , Watanabe Shinji
Published: December 2022

Studying mechanobiology is increasing of scientific interests in life science and nanotechnology since its impact on cell activities (e.g., adhesion, migration), physiology, and pathology. The role of apical surface (AS) and basal surface (BS) of cells played in mechanobiology is significant. The mechanical mapping and analysis of cells mainly focus on AS while little is known about BS. Here, high‐speed scanning ion conductance microscope as a powerful tool is utilized to simultaneously reveal morphologies and local elastic modulus (E) of BS of genotype‐defined metastatic intestinal organoids. A simple method is developed to prepare organoid samples allowing for long‐term BS imaging. The multiple nano/microstructures, i.e., ridge‐like, stress‐fiber, and E distributions on BS are dynamically revealed. The statistic E analysis shows softness of BS derived from eight types of organoids following a ranking: malignant tumor cells > benign tumor cells > normal cells. Moreover, the correlation factor between morphology and E is demonstrated depending on cell types. This work as first example reveals the subcellular morphologies and E distributions of BS of cells. The results would provide a clue for correlating genotype of 3D cells to malignant phenotype reflected by E and offering a promising strategy for early‐stage diagnosis of cancer.
Atomic Layer Deposition Derived Zirconia Coatings on Ni‐Rich Cathodes in Solid‐State Batteries: Correlation Between Surface Constitution and Cycling Performance
Authors: Kitsche David , Tang Yushu , Hemmelmann Hendrik , Walther Felix , Bianchini Matteo , Kondrakov Aleksandr , Janek Jürgen , Brezesinski Torsten
Published: December 2022

Protective coatings are required to address interfacial incompatibility issues in composite cathodes made from Ni‐rich layered oxides and lithium thiophosphate solid electrolytes (SEs), one of the most promising combinations of materials for high energy and power density solid‐state battery (SSB) applications. Herein, the preparation of conformal ZrO2 nanocoatings on a LiNi0.85Co0.10Mn0.05O2 (NCM85) cathode‐active material (CAM) by atomic layer deposition (ALD) is reported and the structural and chemical evolution of the modified NCM85 upon heat treatment—a post‐processing step often required to boost battery performance—is investigated. The coating properties are shown to have a strong effect on the cyclability of high‐loading SSB cells. After mild annealing (≈400 °C), the CAM delivers high specific capacities (≈200 mAh g−1 at C/10) and exhibits improved rate capability (≈125 mAh g−1 at 1C) and stability (≈78% capacity retention after 200 cycles at 0.5C), enabled by effective surface passivation. In contrast, annealing temperatures above 500 °C lead to the formation of an insulating interphase that negatively affects the cycling performance. The results of this study demonstrate that the preparation conditions for a given SE/CAM combination need to be tailored carefully and ALD is a powerful surface‐engineering technique toward this goal.
Bias Starts Early. Let's Start Now: Developing an Anti‐Racist, Anti‐Bias Book Collection for Infants and Toddlers
Authors: Gardner‐Neblett Nicole , Addie Atiya , Eddie Anissa L. , Chapman Sandra K. , Duke Nell K. , Vallotton Claire D.
Published: December 2022

During the first year of life, children begin to develop preferences for their own racial group over others. To interrupt the development of these and other biases during infancy and toddlerhood, educators can use books to promote anti‐racist and anti‐bias thinking and behaviors in children, while also supporting children's emergent literacy. This article presents criteria for educators to consider as they curate a collection of developmentally appropriate books for infant/toddler classroom libraries. In doing so, educators can expose children to positive representations of others and cultivate respect for children and their communities. We offer practical information about how educators can use these books to promote anti‐racist and anti‐bias education during the first years of life.
Point‐of‐care multiplexed single‐cell protein secretion analysis based on tyramide signal amplification
Authors: Zhu Fengjiao , Liu Songnan , Bai Xue , Liu Xianming , Lin Bingcheng , Lu Yao
Published: December 2022

Secreted proteins are critical mediators in various biological systems, including the immune system, nervous system, and tumor microenvironment. Understanding profound cellular functional heterogeneity in secretion requires multiplexed secreted protein analysis at the single‐cell level. However, most single‐cell protein secretion analysis technologies rely on bulky, expensive instruments, preventing widespread use. Herein, we proposed using a portable and low‐cost desktop scanner to detect multiplexed proteins secreted from single cells. Gold nanoparticle‐enhanced silver staining and tyramide signal amplification are combined to construct a two‐step amplification for single‐cell secretion assay detection. We used this approach to investigate the heterogeneous immune response of macrophages at the single‐cell level, which revealed that only a minority of cells could secrete 10‐fold more MCP‐1 and TNF‐α than the averaged secretion. The reported platform eliminates bulky equipment for single‐cell secretion analysis, making it affordable for basic and clinical research.
Introduction
Authors: Naef Tobias
Published: December 2022

Data protection is an area where fundamental rights collide with trade policy. Personal data has become an essential asset for the digital economy. Consequently, the free flow of personal data across borders has been described as a “new battleground” for states trying to protect their vital economic and non-economic interests—especially now that trade negotiations are shifting to digital trade. There is a deep disagreement about when data protection should be considered data protectionism. This research explores EU-style data protection and shows where the line between data protection and data protectionism in international trade law currently is, and how it can, or should be redrawn.
Multi-material design optimization of optical properties of particulate products by discrete dipole approximation and sequential global programming
Authors: Nees Nico , Pflug Lukas , Mann Benjamin , Stingl Michael
Published: December 2022

The optimal design of nanoparticles with respect to their optical properties is one of the main foci within nanoparticle technology. In this contribution, we suggest a new design optimization method in the framework of which the discrete dipole approximation (DDA) is used to approximate the solution of Maxwell’s equation in time-harmonic form. In the core of the optimization method, each dipole is repeatedly assigned a material property from a given material catalog until a local minimum for the chosen design objective is obtained. The design updates are computed using a separable model of the optimization objective, which can be solved to global optimality, giving rise to a sequential global optimization (SGP) algorithm. We suggest different types of separable models, among them exact separable models as well as tight approximations of the latter which are numerically tractable. The application of the DDA method in the framework of structural design methods widens the spectrum of numerically tractable layout problems in optical applications as, compared to finite element based approaches, significantly more complex design spaces can be investigated.
A long-term charge/discharge cycle at Mt. Etna volcano revealed through absolute gravity and GPS measurements
Authors: Greco Filippo , Bonforte Alessandro , Carbone Daniele
Published: December 2022

We present results of repeated absolute gravity and GPS measurements, carried out at Mt. Etna volcano between 2009 and 2018. Absolute gravity measurements are rarely performed along arrays of stations on active volcanoes and, through our unprecedented dataset, we highlight the possibilities of this method to track underground mass changes over long time-scales. Analysis of the residual absolute gravity data and ground deformation reveals a cycle of gravity increase and uplift during 2009 to 2011, followed by gravity decrease and subsidence during 2011 to 2014. Data inversion points to a common mass and pressure source, lying beneath the summit area of the volcano, at depth of ~ 5 km b.s.l. The bulk volume change inferred by the inversion of the deformation data can account for only a small portion of the mass change needed to explain the correspondent gravity variations. We propose that the observed relationship between gravity and vertical deformation was mostly due to the compressibility of the magma in the inferred reservoir, which, in turn, was enhanced by the presence of exsolved gas. Overall, the gravity and deformation data we present reveal a cycle of magma recharge (2009–2011) and discharge (2011–2014) to/from the inferred storage zone. During the recharge phase only degassing occurred from the summit craters of Mt. Etna. During the following phase of discharge, the magma lost from the reservoir at ~ 5 km b.s.l. fed the exceptional phase of volcanic activity during 2011–2014, when tens of lava fountaining episodes took place.
Gradient regularity in mixed local and nonlocal problems
Authors: De Filippis Cristiana , Mingione Giuseppe
Published: December 2022

Minimizers of functionals of the type$$\begin{aligned} w\mapsto \int _{\Omega }[|Dw|^{p}-fw]\,\textrm{d}x+\int _{{\mathbb {R}}^{n}}\int _{{\mathbb {R}}^{n}}\frac{|w(x)-w(y)|^{\gamma }}{|x-y|^{n+s\gamma }}\,\textrm{d}x\,\textrm{d}y\end{aligned}$$w↦∫Ω[|Dw|p-fw]dx+∫Rn∫Rn|w(x)-w(y)|γ|x-y|n+sγdxdywith$$p, \gamma>1>s >0$$p,γ>1>s>0and$$p> s\gamma $$p>sγ, are locally$$C^{1, \alpha }$$C1,α-regular in$$\Omega $$Ωand globally Hölder continuous.
Phantom-based evaluation of yttrium-90 datasets using biograph vision quadra
Authors: Zeimpekis Konstantinos G. , Mercolli Lorenzo , Conti Maurizio , Sari Hasan , Prenosil George , Shi Kuangyu , Rominger Axel
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The image quality characteristics of two NEMA phantoms with yttrium-90 (90Y) were evaluated on a long axial field-of-view (AFOV) PET/CT. The purpose was to identify the optimized reconstruction setup for the imaging of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after 90Y radioembolization.

Methods

Two NEMA phantoms were used, where one had a 1:10 sphere to background activity concentration ratio and the second had cold background. Reconstruction parameters used are as follows: iterations 2 to 8, Gaussian filter 2- to 6-mm full-width-at-half-maximum, reconstruction matrices 440 × 440 and 220 × 220, high sensitivity (HS), and ultra-high sensitivity (UHS) modes. 50-, 40-, 30-, 20-, 10-, and 5-min acquisitions were reconstructed. The measurements included recovery coefficients (RC), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), background variability, and lung error which measures the residual error in the corrections. Patient data were reconstructed with 20-, 10-, 5-, and 1-min time frames and evaluated in terms of SNR.

Results

The RC for the hot phantom was 0.36, 0.45, 0.53, 0.63, 0.68, and 0.84 for the spheres with diameters of 10, 13, 17, 22, 28, and 37 mm, respectively, for UHS 2 iterations, a 220 × 220 matrix, and 50-min acquisition. The RC values did not differ with acquisition times down to 20 min. The SNR was the highest for 2 iterations, measured 11.7, 16.6, 17.6, 19.4, 21.9, and 27.7 while the background variability was the lowest (27.59, 27.08, 27.36, 26.44, 30.11, and 33.51%). The lung error was 18%. For the patient dataset, the SNR was 19%, 20%, 24%, and 31% higher for 2 iterations compared to 4 iterations for 20-, 10-, 5-, and 1-min time frames, respectively.

Conclusions

This study evaluates the NEMA image quality of a long AFOV PET/CT scanner with 90Y. It provides high RC for the smallest sphere compared to other standard AFOV scanners at shorter scan times. The maximum patient SNR was for 2 iterations, 20 min, while 5 min delivers images with acceptable SNR.
Fair Allocation of Indivisible Items with Conflict Graphs
Authors: Chiarelli Nina , Krnc Matjaž , Milanič Martin , Pferschy Ulrich , Pivač Nevena , Schauer Joachim
Published: December 2022

We consider the fair allocation of indivisible items to several agents and add a graph theoretical perspective to this classical problem. Namely, we introduce an incompatibility relation between pairs of items described in terms of a conflict graph. Every subset of items assigned to one agent has to form an independent set in this graph. Thus, the allocation of items to the agents corresponds to a partial coloring of the conflict graph. Every agent has its own profit valuation for every item. Aiming at a fair allocation, our goal is the maximization of the lowest total profit of items allocated to any one of the agents. The resulting optimization problem contains, as special cases, both Partition and Independent Set. In our contribution we derive complexity and algorithmic results depending on the properties of the given graph. We show that the problem is strongly NP-hard for bipartite graphs and their line graphs, and solvable in pseudo-polynomial time for the classes of chordal graphs, cocomparability graphs, biconvex bipartite graphs, and graphs of bounded treewidth. Each of the pseudo-polynomial algorithms can also be turned into a fully polynomial approximation scheme (FPTAS).
Translation and Validation of the Dysphagia Handicap Index in Polish-Speaking Patients
Authors: Sielska-Badurek Ewelina M. , Sobol Maria , Chmilewska-Walczak Joanna , Jamróz Barbara , Niemczyk Kazimierz
Published: December 2022

Dysphagia Handicap Index (DHI) is a self-assessment questionnaire which consists of 25 statements to examine three aspects of dysphagia patients’ quality of life (QoL): functional, physical, and emotional. The patient can get a maximum score of 100 points. The study goal was to validate and translate the Polish version of the DHI (PL-DHI). One hundred and seventy-eight (178) individuals with oropharyngeal dysphagia with different etiology and 35 (thirty-five) asymptomatic adults with no history of swallowing disorders filled out the PL-DHI. Internal consistency was determined using Cronbach alpha coefficient, which was high for the total PL-DHI score (0.962). The reproducibility was high (r-Spearman correlation coefficient was 0.97 for total PL-DHI score). The PL-DHI’s total score and its subscales were significantly higher in the dysphagia patients study group (SG) than in the healthy controls group (CG) (SG median: 36; CG median: 4). A strong correlation was observed between the PL-DHI score and the self-reported dysphagia severity measure (Spearman’s correlation coefficient was 0.859, p < 0.001). The Polish DHI is a reliable and valid questionnaire for assessing dysphagia patients’ QoL.
Pulse, Shunt and Storage: Hydrological Contraction Shapes Processing and Export of Particulate Organic Matter in River Networks
Authors: Catalàn Núria , Campo Rubén del , Talluto Lauren , Mendoza-Lera Clara , Grandi Giulia , Bernal Susana , Schiller Daniel von , Singer Gabriel , Bertuzzo Enrico
Published: December 2022

Streams and rivers act as landscape-scale bioreactors processing large quantities of terrestrial particulate organic matter (POM). This function is linked to their flow regime, which governs residence times, shapes organic matter reactivity and controls the amount of carbon (C) exported to the atmosphere and coastal oceans. Climate change impacts flow regimes by increasing both flash floods and droughts. Here, we used a modelling approach to explore the consequences of lateral hydrological contraction, that is, the reduction of the wet portion of the streambed, for POM decomposition and transport at the river network scale. Our model integrates seasonal leaf litter input as generator of POM, transient storage of POM on wet and dry streambed portions with associated decomposition and ensuing changes in reactivity, and transport dynamics through a dendritic river network. Simulations showed that the amount of POM exported from the river network and its average reactivity increased with lateral hydrological contraction, due to the combination of (1) low processing of POM while stored on dry streambeds, and (2) large shunting during flashy events. The sensitivity analysis further supported that high lateral hydrological contraction leads to higher export of higher reactivity POM, regardless of transport coefficient values, average reactivity of fresh leaf litter and differences between POM reactivity under wet and dry conditions. Our study incorporates storage in dry streambed areas into the pulse-shunt concept (Raymond and others in Ecology 97(1):5–16, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1890/14-1684.1), providing a mechanistic framework and testable predictions about leaf litter storage, transport and decomposition in fluvial networks.
Foamed glass ceramics—an upcycled scaffold for microbial biofilm development
Authors: Kugler Alex , Trivelpiece Cory , Brigmon Robin L.
Published: December 2022

Glass, a near infinitely recyclable material, can be upcycled to create new products such as foamed glass ceramics, which are essentially a synthetic pumice-like material. This material has been demonstrated to sustain preserved biofilms which have application in various fields based on the deployability of the product and the preserved microbes. Foamed glass ceramics have increased surface area compared to typical soda-lime glass cullet. This material has been explored for variety of applications including the growth, storage and transport of biofilms and microbial colonies which can be preserved and deployed later. Here, we demonstrate the ability for microbial cultures including BioTiger™, Escherichia coli K-12, Bacillus thuringiensis, and two environmental eukaryotic cells to colonize the upcycled glass products, undergo preservation, and regrow after 84 days of storage. The growth of preserved samples is correlated to the time spent incubating prior to preservation. These results demonstrate the applicability of this novel glass-biofilm combination in which various preserved microorganisms are able to be rapidly grown after storage on an upcycled glass product.
Maternal Early Life Adversity and Infant Stress Regulation: Intergenerational Associations and Mediation by Maternal Prenatal Mental Health
Authors: Barclay Margot E , Rinne Gabrielle R , Somers Jennifer A , Lee Steve S , Coussons-Read Mary , Dunkel Schetter Christine
Published: December 2022

Early life adversity is a potent risk factor for poor mental health outcomes across the lifespan, including offspring vulnerability to psychopathology. Developmentally, the prenatal period is a sensitive window in which maternal early life experiences may influence offspring outcomes and demarcates a time when expectant mothers and offspring are more susceptible to stressful and salutary influences. This prenatal plasticity constituted the focus of the current study where we tested the association of maternal early life adversity with infant stress regulation through maternal prenatal internalizing symptoms and moderation by prenatal social support. Mother-infant dyads (n = 162) were followed prospectively and mothers completed assessments of social support and depressive and anxiety symptoms across pregnancy. Infants completed standardized stress paradigms at one month and six months. There were several key findings. First, maternal prenatal depressive symptoms significantly mediated predictions of infant cortisol reactivity to the heel stick at one month from maternal early life adversity: specifically, maternal early life adversity positively predicted depressive symptoms in pregnancy, which in turn predicted dampened infant cortisol reactivity. Second, prenatal social support did not significantly moderate predictions of depressive or anxiety symptoms in pregnancy from maternal early life adversity nor did it alter the associations of maternal depressive or anxiety symptoms with infant stress regulation. These results suggest that maternal prenatal mental health is a key mechanism by which maternal early life adverse experiences affect offspring risk for psychopathology. We discuss potential clinical and health implications of dysregulated infant cortisol reactivity with respect to lifespan development.
A Formalization and Proof Checker for Isabelle’s Metalogic
Authors: Roßkopf Simon , Nipkow Tobias
Published: December 2022

Isabelle is a generic theorem prover with a fragment of higher-order logic as a metalogic for defining object logics. Isabelle also provides proof terms. We formalize this metalogic and the language of proof terms in Isabelle/HOL, define an executable (but inefficient) proof term checker and prove its correctness w.r.t. the metalogic. We integrate the proof checker with Isabelle and run it on a range of logics and theories to check the correctness of all the proofs in those theories.
A new approach for clinical translation of infrared spectroscopy: exploitation of the signature of glioblastoma for general brain tumor recognition
Authors: Steiner Gerald , Galli Roberta , Preusse Grit , Michen Susanne , Meinhardt Matthias , Temme Achim , Sobottka Stephan B. , Juratli Tareq A. , Koch Edmund , Schackert Gabriele , Kirsch Matthias , Uckermann Ortrud
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy has the potential for tumor delineation in neurosurgery. Previous research showed that IR spectra of brain tumors are generally characterized by reduced lipid-related and increased protein-related bands. Therefore, we propose the exploitation of these common spectral changes for brain tumor recognition.

Methods

Attenuated total reflection IR spectroscopy was performed on fresh specimens of 790 patients within minutes after resection. Using principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis, a classification model was developed on a subset of glioblastoma (n = 135) and non-neoplastic brain (n = 27) specimens, and then applied to classify the IR spectra of several types of brain tumors.

Results

The model correctly classified 82% (517/628) of specimens as “tumor” or “non-tumor”, respectively. While the sensitivity was limited for infiltrative glioma, this approach recognized GBM (86%), other types of primary brain tumors (92%) and brain metastases (92%) with high accuracy and all non-tumor samples were correctly identified.

Conclusion

The concept of differentiation of brain tumors from non-tumor brain based on a common spectroscopic tumor signature will accelerate clinical translation of infrared spectroscopy and related technologies. The surgeon could use a single instrument to detect a variety of brain tumor types intraoperatively in future clinical settings. Our data suggests that this would be associated with some risk of missing infiltrative regions or tumors, but not with the risk of removing non-tumor brain.
Deep learning based channel estimation optimization in VLC systems
Authors: Salama Wessam M. , Aly Moustafa H. , Amer Eman S.
Published: December 2022

This paper aims to improve the channel estimation (CE) in the indoor visible light communication system. The proposal of this paper deals with a system that depends on a comparison between Deep Neural Network (DNN), Yolo v3, and Kalman filter (KF) algorithm, for two optical modulation techniques; asymmetrically clipped optical-orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (ACO-OFDM) and direct current optical-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DCO-OFDM). The CE can be evaluated by the error rates in the received bits, where increased error means a performance decrease of the system and vice versa. Receiving less errors at the receiver indicates improved CE and system performance. Hence, the main aim of our work is to decrease the error rate by using different estimators. Furthermore, we apply automatic hyper-parameter approach and Bayesian optimization, to Yolo v3 model to improve the system performance and reduce the positioning error. The metric parameter of bit error rate (BER) aims to determine the improvement ratio in different systems. The model in this paper is based on training with OFDM samples of signal with labels which are received and are corresponding to the signals of OFDM. At a BER = 10−3 with DCO-OFDM, the DNN outperforms KF with 1.7 dB (8.09%) at the bit energy per noise $$(E_{b} {/}N_{o} )$$

(

E
b

/

N
o

)

axis. Also, for ACO-OFDM at BER = 10−3, the DNN achieves better results than KF by about 1.9 dB (11.8%) at the $$(E_{b} {/}N_{o} ){ }$$

(

E
b

/

N
o

)

axis. For different values of M in QAM, the DNN outperforms KF for ACO-OFDM by average improvement of ~ 1.2 dB (~ 13%).
HMGCL-induced β-hydroxybutyrate production attenuates hepatocellular carcinoma via DPP4-mediated ferroptosis susceptibility
Authors: Cui Xiaohan , Yun Xiao , Sun Meiling , Li Renzhi , Lyu Xiajie , Lao Yuanxiang , Qin Xihu , Yu Wenbin
Published: December 2022

Background

Metabolic disorder is an essential characteristic of tumor development. Ketogenesis is a heterogeneous factor in multiple cancers, but the effect of ketogenesis on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is elusive.

Methods

We aimed to explain the role of ketogenesis-related hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl-CoA lyase (HMGCL) on HCC suppression. Expression pattern of HMGCL in HCC specimens was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC). HMGCL was depleted or overexpressed in HCC cells to investigate the functions of HMGCL in vitro and in vivo. The anti-tumor function of HMGCL was studied in subcutaneous xenograft and Trp53Δhep/Δhep; c-Myc-driven HCC mouse models. The mechanism of HMGCL-mediated tumor suppression was studied by IHC, western blot (WB) and Cut & Tag.

Results

HMGCL depletion promoted HCC proliferation and metastasis, whereas its overexpression reversed this trend. As HMGCL catalyzes β-hydroxy-butyric acid (β-OHB) production, we discovered that HMGCL increased acetylation at histone H3K9, which further promoted the transcription of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4), a key protein maintains intracellular lipid peroxidation and iron accumulation, leading to HCC cells vulnerability to erastin- and sorafenib-induced ferroptosis.

Conclusion

Our study identified a critical role of HMGCL on HCC suppression, of which HMGCL regulated H3K9 acetylation through β-OHB and modulating the expression of DPP4 in a dose-dependent manner, which led to ferroptosis in HCC cells.
Modeling of Diffusion of Metal Ions in Carbon Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Cells
Authors: Pigłowska Marita , Kurc Beata , Rymaniak Łukasz
Published: December 2022

The main purpose of these studies is to compare the diffusion coefficient and ionic conductivity of carbon-based anode materials (graphene and corn starch carbon, graphene nanoplatelets) at different temperatures. The tests were carried out using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in a temperature chamber, which allows the assessment of important parameters during the cell’s operation and optimization, as well as the thermodynamic and kinetic response of the system to various conditions, which are important parameters taking into account the cell’s safety. An interesting method was proposed to determine thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for the development of two models of lithium ion diffusion during half-cell charging. It has been shown that the lithiation process is thermodynamically endothermic and forced. Various carbon materials were used, including corn starch-based carbon as an anode material that equates to the slogans of biodegradability, lower cost and ecology.

Graphical Abstract