bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical study reports published by the European Medicines Agency 2016–2018: a cross-sectional analysis
Authors: Byrne David , Prendergast Ciaran , Fahey Tom , Moriarty Frank
Published: May 2023

Objectives

To describe the characteristics of clinical study report (CSR) documents published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and for included pivotal trials, to quantify the timeliness of access to trial results from CSRs compared with conventional published sources.

Design

Cross-sectional analysis of CSR documents published by the EMA from 2016 to 2018.

Methods

CSR files and medication summary information were downloaded from the EMA. Individual trials in each submission were identified using document filenames. Number and length of documents and trials were determined. For pivotal trials, trial phase, dates of EMA document publication and matched journal and registry publications were obtained.

Results

The EMA published documents on 142 medications that were submitted for regulatory drug approval. Submissions were for initial marketing authorisations in 64.1%. There was a median of 15 (IQR 5–46) documents, 5 (IQR 2–14) trials and 9629 (IQR 2711–26,673) pages per submission, and a median of 1 (IQR 1–4) document and 336 (IQR 21–1192) pages per trial. Of all identified pivotal trials, 60.9% were phase 3 and 18.5% were phase 1. Of 119 unique submissions to the EMA, 46.2% were supported by a single pivotal trial, with 13.4% based on a single pivotal phase 1 trial. No trial registry results were identified for 26.1% trials, no journal publications for 16.7% and 13.5% of trials had neither. EMA publication was the earliest information source for 5.8% of pivotal trials, available a median 523 days (IQR 363–882 days) before the earliest publication.

Conclusions

The EMA Clinical Data website contains lengthy clinical trial documents. Almost half of submissions to the EMA were based on single pivotal trials, many of which were phase 1 trials. CSRs were the only source and a timelier source of information for many trials. Access to unpublished trial information should be open and timely to support decision-making for patients.
Dual receptor T cells mediate effective antitumor immune responses via increased recognition of tumor antigens
Authors: Jang Hyun J , Caron Christine , Lee Calvin K , Wang Lu , Jama Burhan , Bui Jack D , Morris Gerald P
Published: May 2023

Background

Discovery that ~16% of T cells naturally co-express two T-cell receptor (TCR) clonotypes prompts examining the role of dual TCR cells in immune functions.

Methods

Using TCRα-reporter transgenic mice, enabling unambiguous identification of single-TCR and dual-TCR cells, we tested the role of dual TCR cells in antitumor immune responses against immune-responsive syngeneic 6727 sarcoma and immune-resistant B16F10 melanoma.

Results

Dual TCR cells were specifically increased among tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in both models, indicating selective advantage in antitumor responses. Phenotype and single-cell gene expression analyses identified dual TCR are predominant during the effective antitumor response, demonstrating selectively increased activation in the TIL compartment and skewing toward an effector memory phenotype. Absence of dual TCR cells impaired immune response to B16F10 but not 6727, suggesting that dual TCR cells may be more influential in responses against poorly immunogenic tumors. Dual TCR cells demonstrated an advantage in recognition of B16F10-derived neoantigens in vitro, providing a mechanistic basis for their antitumor reactivity.

Conclusions

These results discover an unrecognized role for dual TCR cells in protective immune function and identify these cells and their TCRs as a potential resource for antitumor immunotherapy.
In patients who had a stroke or TIA, enlarged perivascular spaces in basal ganglia may cause future haemorrhagic strokes
Authors: Tian Yu , Wang Mengxing , Pan Yuesong , Meng Xia , Zhao Xingquan , Liu Liping , Wang Yongjun , Wang Yilong
Published: May 2023

Introduction

It remains unclear whether enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS) predict poor clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischaemic attack (TIA).

Method

Data were obtained from the Third China National Stroke Registry study. We estimated EPVS in basal ganglia (BG) and centrum semiovale (CSO) using a semiquantified scale (Grade from 0 to 4). Using Cox and logistic regression analyses, the associations of EPVS with 3-month and 1-year adverse outcomes (including recurrent stroke, ischaemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke, combined vascular event, disability and mortality) were explored. Sensitivity analyses of any association of cerebral small vessel disease at baseline and development of a small arterial occlusion (SAO) were conducted.

Result

Among 12 603 patients with AIS/TIA, median age was 61.7±11.6 years, and 68.2% were men. After adjusting for all potential confounders, frequent-to-severe BG-EPVS was associated with a decreased risk of recurrent ischaemic stroke (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.92, p=0.01) but an increased risk of haemorrhagic stroke (HR 1.99, 95% CI 1.11 to 3.58, p=0.02) at 1 year after AIS/TIA, compared with none-to-mild BG-EPVS. Patients with frequent-to-severe CSO-EPVS had a decreased risk of disability (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.92, p=0.004) and all-cause death (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.98, p=0.04) within 3-month but not 1-year follow-ups, compared with those with none-to-mild BG-EPVS. Sensitivity analyses showed that both BG-EPVS (HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.87, p=0.02) and CSO-EPVS (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.95, p=0.03) were associated with a decreased risk of subsequent ischaemic stroke in patients with SAO during 1-year follow-up.

Conclusion

BG-EPVS increased the risk of haemorrhagic stroke in patients already with AIS/TIA within 1 year. Therefore, caution is recommended when selecting antithrombotic agents for secondary stroke prevention in patients with AIS/TIA and more severe BG-EPVS.
A thermal elastic visco-plastic model for soft clayey soils
Authors: Chen Ze-Jian , Feng Wei-Qiang , Chen Wen-Bo , Yin Jian-Hua
Published: May 2023

It is frequently observed that the stress–strain behaviour of soft clayey soils is affected by temperature changes. Development and verification of a reliable constitutive model with consideration of variable temperature conditions are necessary. Due to the significant rheological and other nonlinear properties of clayey soils, the coupled effects of temperature, time dependency, structuration, nonlinear creep, and anisotropy should be considered in the constitutive model. In this study, a new three-dimensional (3D) thermal elastic visco-plastic model is established and verified for the time-dependent stress–strain behaviour of clayey soils considering temperature changes. The model is developed based on the existing elastic visco-plastic models with the equivalent time concept, the overstress theory, and the critical state model. The thermal elastic line and virgin heating line are introduced and generalized to construct constitutive equations for both thermal elastic and thermal visco-plastic behaviour of clayey soils in general stress conditions. After establishing the 3D basic model, further refinement is introduced to consider the nonlinear creep behaviour and structuration for natural and reconstituted clayey soils. Finally, the model is successfully validated by a series of laboratory test data on different clayey soils under variable temperature paths with reasonably good accuracy.
Multi-stage creep behavior of frozen granular soils: experimental evidence and constitutive modeling
Authors: Schindler Ulrich , Cudmani Roberto , Chrisopoulos Stylianos , Schünemann Andreas
Published: May 2023

The significance of ground freezing is becoming ever more germane as the design of new urban tunneling systems requires more complex geometries and higher bearing capacities, which are limited with conventional construction methods. Ground freezing is an advanced construction technique to make the water-saturated subsoil impermeable and temporarily increase its strength and stiffness. This study reports experimental investigations consisting of single-stage and multi-stage creep tests under uniaxial loading. The comparison of the different loading types reveals the influence of the stress–strain history on the rate- and temperature-dependent behavior of frozen granular soils. We extend the constitutive model for frozen soils proposed by Cudmani et al. (2022, Géotechnique, doi:10.1680/jgeot.21.00012) to consider stepwise loading and creep by coupling creep time with stress–strain history. Moreover, we simulate element tests and compare the simulations with our own experimental data as well as data from the literature to achieve the first step in validating the extended model. The good agreement of the numerical and experimental results confirms the constitutive model’s ability to capture the main features of the complex mechanical behavior of frozen granular soils for single-stage as well as multi-stage loading under constant temperatures.
Desiccation cracking behaviour of a vegetated soil incorporating planting density
Authors: Cheng Qing , Gu Ying-Dong , Tang Chao-Sheng , Zhang Xi-Ying , Shi Bin
Published: May 2023

Vegetation has been widely used in geotechnical engineering. However, desiccation cracking in vegetated soils is very common and often neglected. This study aims to investigate desiccation cracking behaviour of a vegetated soil considering different planting densities. The evolution of water content and surface crack pattern during drying is monitored. Experimental results show that during the early stage of drying, the evapotranspiration rate of the vegetated sample with a smaller planting density is slightly less than the evaporation rate of the bare soil sample, and the evapotranspiration rate increases with increasing planting density. In the vegetated samples, cracks initiate almost simultaneously. The larger the planting density, the more the crack initiation points and the smaller the cracking water content. In terms of the final crack pattern, both the surface crack ratio and the average crack width of vegetated samples are smaller than those of the bare sample. As the planting density increases, there are more fine and thin cracks. However, increasing planting density does not lead to a continuous decrease in cracking degree. It is necessary to select an appropriate planting density (about 24 g/m2 in this study) to maximize the inhibitory effect of vegetation on soil desiccation cracking.
Effects of soil water and nitrogen on drought resilience, growth, yield, and grain quality of a spring wheat
Authors: Biswas Dilip , Gjetvaj Branimir , St. Luce Mervin , Liu Kui , Asgedom Haben
Published: May 2023

Drought imposes a significant challenge for crop production. However, little is known about the impact of drought priming and nitrogen (N) application and their interactive effects on drought resilience, yield, and grain quality in wheat. Spring wheat (cv. Stettler) was grown in plastic pots (25 cm diameter) with high, moderate, and low soil water levels and received N (added N) or without N (no N added), and subjected to acute drought for 10 days, then rewatering at the tillering stage. Canopy temperature, maximum efficiency of photosystem II, and normalized difference vegetation index were measured at 3-day intervals during drought-recovery periods to quantify drought resistance and resilience. Above-ground dry matter, straw dry matter, seed dry matter, harvest index, and grain N, phosphorus (P), and zinc (Zn) concentrations were determined. Both moderate- and low-water-grown plants had higher drought resistance than high-water-grown plants. The addition of N alleviated acute drought stress in high- and moderate-water-grown plants but exacerbated drought stress in low-water-grown plants. Both high and moderate water resulted in higher grain yields, but had a lower harvest index than low water. The highest and lowest grain N were observed in the low- and high-water-grown plants, respectively. The addition of N increased N and N:P in grains but decreased grain Zn:N. This study showed that moderate drought priming along with N application can improve drought resistance, yield, and grain quality. The results also indicated that canopy thermal imaging is a useful tool for high-throughput quantification of the drought resistance of wheat.
Unsteady thin film flow with ohmic heating and chemical reactions
Authors: Fatima Nahid , Lashin Maha M. A. , Anwar Muhammad Shoaib , Khan Mumtaz , Puneeth V.
Published: May 2023

In this study, we have analyzed magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) consequences on the heat and mass transmission within unsteady dissipated liquid film flow. Flow is generated due to stretchable surface accompanied with effects of ohmic heating, chemical reaction and heat absorption. Moreover, the flow governing partial differential equations (PDEs) are further modified into equivalent ordinary differential equations (ODEs) by applying regular perturbation method to get its analytical solution after that we have applied sixth-order Runge–Kutta technique to get its numerical solution. These two solutions are validating each other in the simulations. Figures are plotted to study the changes in physical quantities like skin friction coefficient, concentration, velocity, temperature, Sherwood and Nusselt number with the variations of Prandtl numbers Pr, parameters of chemical reaction [Formula: see text], Eckert numbers Ec, magnetic parameter Ha (also known as Hartman number) Schmidt number and coefficient of heat absorption [Formula: see text].
First-principles study on adsorption of oxygen on H-terminated armchair silicene nanoribbon
Authors: Guo Gang , Xu Yajuan , Tan Siyi , Du Fuming , Xu Guobao
Published: May 2023

This work systematically studies the electronic and optical properties of H-terminated armchair silicene nanoribbon (HASiNR) for oxygen (O2) adsorption using first-principles calculations. The results show that the most stable site for O2 adsorption is the edge of the ribbon, which possesses relatively low adsorption energy of −2.46[Formula: see text]eV, indicating good stability. Particularly, the adsorption energy decreases gradually with the increase of the oxygen concentration. It was also found that the direct bandgap of HASiNR can be effectively tuned by changing the adsorption concentration of O2 gas. Additionally, the analysis of the density of states shows that the adsorption of O2 on HASiNR is chemisorption due to the apparent charge transfer from the ribbon to O2 gas. Besides, the work function, absorption coefficient and refractive index of the HASiNR are sensitive to O2 gas adsorption. Therefore, our studies prove that oxygen gas adsorption allows the HASiNR to modulate its electronic and optical properties.
Comparative Study of Spin Pumping in Epitaxial- and Polycrystalline-NiO/Ni80Fe20
Authors: Khan Kacho Imtiyaz Ali , Gupta Pankhuri , Agarwal Rekha , Chowdhury Niru , Muduli Pranaba Kishor
Published: May 2023

We perform a comparative study of spin pumping in NiO/Ni[Formula: see text]Fe[Formula: see text] (Py) by altering the crystallinity of NiO. We simultaneously grow high-quality NiO/Py heterostructures on Si/SiO2 and Al2O3(0001) substrates. Although the growth on Si/SiO2 substrate produced polycrystalline NiO (Poly-NiO), the growth on Al2O3(0001) substrate produced epitaxial NiO (Epi-NiO). Our ferromagnetic resonance measurements reveal the presence of two-magnon scattering (TMS) in the measured linewidth for the Epi-NiO/Py system. By carefully considering the contribution of TMS, we found the effective spin mixing conductance, g[Formula: see text] to be comparable in both Poly-NiO/Py and Epi-NiO/Py, despite the different crystallinity of NiO. Our findings show that g[Formula: see text] of an optimized polycrystalline-NiO/Py system can reach the value for an epitaxial-NiO/Py system.
Intelligent AI-based Healthcare Cyber Security System using Multi-Source Transfer Learning Method
Authors: Chakraborty Chinmay , Nagarajan Senthil Murugan , Devarajan Ganesh Gopal , Ramana T V , Mohanty Rajanikanta
Published: May 2023

Cyber-security intelligence have made a great impact over healthcare industry where several researchers are developing new techniques to improve security for healthcare systems. Besides, Artificial Intelligence (AI) become the tremendous technology in recent decades to improve the existing methods to be more intelligent. In this paper, we proposed cyber attack detection system for healthcare sector with centralized and federated transfer learning mode. Edge of Things (EoT) framework is developed in connection with cloud and healthcare sectors to transmit the data efficiently and the proposed Centralized with Multi-Source Transfer Learning (CMTL) algorithm which is used for detection and classification of various threats such as information gathering, DoS/DDoS attacks, Malware attacks, Injection attacks, and Man in the Middle attacks. Performance of the proposed framework is evaluated using various datasets such as EMNIST, X-IIoTID, and Federated TON_IoT. Our framework outperforms with the analysis of execution time and obtains high level accuracy when compared with different algorithms.
Improving the Performance of PEM Fuel Cells: Form a Patterned Hydrophobic Catalyst Layer
Authors: Zhang Yan , Gao Ziliang , Wei Liting , Su Jinzhan
Published: May 2023

In this study, we report a high-performance patterned hydrophobic catalyst layer suitable for efficient PEM fuel cells, thanks to alternating hydrophobic channels. Using the shadow mask spraying process, we produced a layer of dot-array and linear hydrophobic patterns on the ordinary cathode catalyst layer. The alternating hydrophobic channels enhance the transport of liquid water/air on the catalyst layer surface and improve the performance of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The performance of cells with dot-array hydrophobic catalyst layer (DHCL), linear hydrophobic catalyst layer (LHCL), and surface hydrophobic catalyst layer (SHCL) was compared with that of the ordinary catalyst layer (OCL). Their performance was characterized by in situ electrochemical methods such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and polarization curve. The results show that the output power of LHCL is 0.14 W higher than that of OCL, which is approximately 49% improvement. A stable water/gas channel is formed on the cathode catalyst layer surface, so that the mass transfer can be continuously and stably carried out. This work provides a new idea for the water management in fuel cells.
The Identification of Degradation Parameters in SOC Under Load and OCV Aging Approaches
Authors: Padinjarethil Aiswarya , Hagen Anke
Published: May 2023

Recent SOC activities focus on upscaling systems to MW scale with target operation of several 10,000 h. These long lifetimes require new approaches for durability testing. In the present study, the influence of different operating parameters on degradation were studied by long-term cell testing in fuel cell and electrolysis mode (In-situ aging). Based on the results, accelerating parameters for degradation were identified and cells were treated/aged under these conditions without applying an external potential (OCV aging). This approach is cheaper and time saving as compared to conventional cell/stack long-term durability testing. Two commercial SOC cell designs, Fuel Electrode supported cells (FSC) and Electrolyte supported cells (ESC) were studied in this work. They were aged according to the two approaches (under operating conditions and with and without current load) and the obtained degradation effects compared to each other. Based on the cell composition and configuration the degradation parameters were observed to affect the cell performance to varying extents.
An Evaluation Method of Ship-Tracking Algorithms for High-Frequency Surface Wave Radar considering High Maneuvers Generated by the MMG Model
Authors: Iswandi  , Hidayat Risanuri , Wibowo Sigit B.
Published: May 2023

Thelong-distance coverage of high-frequency surface wave radar (HFSWR) has promoted it as an enormous means for ship monitoring on the country’s maritime territory. Since it is a primaryradar, noncooperative targets can also be detected. However, this radar also has a shortcoming of low spatial and temporal resolutions due to the narrow available bandwidth in the HF band. This limitation can reduce the performance of ship detection and tracking, especially for highly maneuvering ships. This paper proposes a new method to assess the tracking algorithm for a high-maneuvering ship. The absence of a high-maneuvering plot in the AIS data and existing analytical models are replaced by the MMG model run on MANSIM software. The linear, turning, and zigzag motions are generated and used to evaluate the tracking algorithms. The Monte Carlo simulation was conducted regarding the degradation of spatial resolution in the higher radial range. The tracking performance was analyzed by calculating the RMSE of four parameters, i.e., absolute position, radial range, bearing angle, and speed. For a trial case, four tracking algorithms were evaluated, i.e., Kalman filter (KF), extended Kalman filter (EKF), unscented Kalman filter (UKF), and particle filter (PF). The evaluation results showed that the EKF tracker had a minor error for the linear track with RMSE of absolute position, radial range, bearing angle, and speed being 1.368 km, 0.526 km, 1.550°, and 0.005 m/s, respectively. Otherwise, the UKF performed slightly better than EKF for the high maneuver targets. The RMSE of absolute position, radial range, bearing angle, and speed were 1.649 km, 0.639 km, 1.919°, and 0.165 m/s, respectively. The results also ensure the applicability of the MMG model to evaluate the tracking algorithm’s performance in HFSWR.
Efficacy of Aromatase Inhibitors for Azoospermia Caused by AZFc Microdeletion: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Research Study in Chinese Population
Authors: Ou Ningjing , Sun Yifan , Zhang Jianxiong , Liu Shiwei , Zhang Yuxiang , Zhao Jingpeng , Bai Haowei , Li Peng , Zhi Erlei , Huang Yuhua , Tian Ruhui , Yao Chencheng , Li Zheng
Published: May 2023

Background. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) can significantly improve semen parameters in infertile men. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of AIs for azoospermia in a Chinese population with AZFc microdeletion. Aims. Patients with AZFc microdeletion who were treated with AIs were analyzed retrospectively by collecting clinical data, including their hormone profile and treatment outcome. Patients were divided into those with sperm in their semen after AI treatment (group A) and those without sperm in their semen after AI treatment (group B). Results. The rate of Y chromosome AZF microdeletions was 9.30% (313/3364) from March 2015 to March 2021, among which patients with complete AZFc microdeletion accounted for 63.2% (198/313), and of the 198 patients with AZFc microdeletion, 69.7% (138/198) showed azoospermia. Forty-six (33.3%) of the azoospermic patients had sperm in their semen after AI administration. Testosterone (T) and testosterone-to-estradiol ratio (T/E2) levels were higher in group A than those in group B after treatment, and the differences were significant (T,

P
=
0.038

; T/E2,

P
=
0.004

). Paired

t

-test demonstrated that the change of T levels before and after treatment was statistically significant (

P
=
0.003

). The increased E2 and T/E2 ratio levels before and after treatment were not statistically significant (

P
=
0.057

and 0.080), but they were close to the threshold value (

P
=
0.05

). Conclusions. Patients with AZFc microdeletion accounted for the largest proportion of male infertility caused by Y chromosome microdeletions. AIs can promote spermatogenesis in azoospermic patients with AZFc microdeletion, and sperm could be found in the semen of some patients after AI administration. T and T/E2 levels after AI treatment could be used as biomarkers to distinguish azoospermic patients with AZFc microdeletion who responded better to AIs from those who did not respond well.
Determinants of Electricity Transmission and Distribution Losses in South Africa
Authors: Powanga Luka , Kwakwa Paul Adjei
Published: May 2023

The increased electricity demand amidst inadequate electricity generation in South Africa has plunged the country into frequent power outages and load shedding. However, the country still has the lowest electricity transmission and distribution losses in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite low losses, there is still an opportunity to reduce losses further and reduce power outages and load shedding. This study examines the determinants of electricity transmission and distribution losses in South Africa. The results will inform policymakers on avoiding higher electricity transmission losses to alleviate the current electricity shortfall. Using the time-series data from 1971–2020 and the autoregressive distributed-lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to cointegration, the study confirmed a long-run relationship between electricity transmission, distribution losses, and income, price, investment, political regime, and economic integration. Regression analysis from the ARDL methods revealed that investments, political administration, and economic integration positively influence electricity transmission and distribution losses. At the same time, income reduces electricity transmission and distribution losses in the long run. However, income, price, and economic integration minimize electricity transmission losses in the short run while the remaining variables maintained their positive effects. The implication is that without proper checks in place, an expansion in South Africa’s economic integration, investment, and democracy may negatively affect the electricity sector of the country through an increase in electric power losses, while higher income will help the industry via lower electric power losses. The paper, among other things, recommends building a robust economy to ensure lower levels of electricity transmission and distribution losses.
Statistical Optimization of Bioleaching for Simultaneous Recovery of Cu, Sn, Pb, and Zn from Computer-Printed Circuit Boards
Authors: Manikkampatti Palanisamy Murugesan , Myneni Venkata Ratnam , Palaniappan Akilamudhan , Veerappan Padmapriya , Lebbai Minar Mohamed , Kavitha G.
Published: May 2023

Electronic garbage is one of the fastest-growing waste streams. Its disposal and appropriate management are a worldwide concern. Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are critical components in contemporary electronic gadgets that contain toxic elements. Bioprocessing of PCBs for metal recovery employing microbial methods has evolved as a green solution in metallurgical operations. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans were used in this study to leach metals from powdered waste PCBs. The RSM is used for optimizing the leaching conditions. The optimal conditions obtained were a bacterial activation period of 28 days, a pulp density of 23 g/L, and a temperature of 31°C. A confirmatory experiment under these optimal circumstances yielded recovery rates of Cu2+, Sn2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+ of 95.62%, 96.27%, 95.6%, and 98.25%, respectively.
Influences of Nanosilica Particles on Density, Mechanical, and Tribological Properties of Sisal/Hemp Hybrid Nanocomposite
Authors: Dhanasekar K. , Krishnan A. Mohana , Kaliyaperumal Gopal , De Poures Melvin Victor , Chandramohan P. , Parthipan N. , Priya C. B. , Venkatesh R. , Negash Kassu
Published: May 2023

Focusing on natural fibers are the prominent substitution for synthetic fiber and reinforced into polymer matrices found unique properties such as lightweight, cost-effectiveness, and good mechanical and wear properties. Incompatibility and low adhesive behavior are the primary drawbacks found during the fabrication of natural fiber-bonded polymer matrix composites. The constant weight percentage (10 wt%) of sisal and hemp fiber is treated with a 5% NaOH solution for improving adhesive behavior and bonded with epoxy. The prepared sisal/hemp/epoxy combination is blended with 0 wt%, 3 wt%, 6 wt%, and 9 wt% silica nanoparticles, which results in reduced voids (1.32%) and increased flexural strength (56.98 MPa). Based on the compositions of fiber and reinforcement, the density of the composite varied. Samples 3-6 wt% of silica nanoparticle-blend sisal/hemp/epoxy composite offered maximum tensile and impact strength of 52.16 MPa and 2.1 J. An optical microscope analyzed the tensile fracture surface, and the failure nature was reported. The dry sliding wear performance of composite samples is tested by pin-on-disc setup with a 10 N-40 N load of 10 N interval at 0.75 m/sec. Sample 3 found good wear resistance compared to others.
Antibiotic Resistance Profiling of Pathogenic Staphylococcus Species from Urinary Tract Infection Patients in Benin
Authors: Assouma Funkè F. , Sina Haziz , Dossou Ange D. , Socohou Akim , Hounsou Milka C. , Avogbe Patrice H. , Boya Bawa , Mousse Wassiyath , Adjanohoun Adolphe , Baba-Moussa Lamine
Published: May 2023

Staphylococci can cause urinary tract infections (UTIs). These UTIs are among the significant causes of antibiotic resistance and the spread of antibiotic‐resistant diseases. The current study is aimed at establishing a resistance profile and determining the pathogenicity of Staphylococcus strains isolated from UTI samples collected in Benin. For this purpose, urine samples (one hundred and seventy) that were collected from clinics and hospitals showed UTI in patients admitted/visited in Benin. The biochemical assay method was used to identify Staphylococcus spp., and the disk diffusion method tested the antimicrobial susceptibility. The biofilm formation ability of the isolates of Staphylococcus spp. was investigated by the colorimetric method. The presence of mecA, edinB, edinC, cna, bbp, and ebp genes was examined by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results showed that Staphylococcus species were identified in 15.29% of all infected individuals and that 58% of these strains formed biofilms. Most Staphylococcus strains (80.76%) were isolated in female samples, and the age group below 30 years appeared to be the most affected, with a rate of 50%. All Staphylococcus strains isolated were 100% resistant to penicillin and oxacillin. The lowest resistance rates were seen with ciprofloxacin (30.8%), gentamicin, and amikacin (26.90%). Amikacin was the best antibiotic against Staphylococcus strains isolated from UTIs. The isolates carried mecA (42.31%), bbp (19.23%), and ebp (26.92%) genes in varying proportions. This study provides new information on the risks posed to the population by the overuse of antibiotics. In addition, it will play an essential role in restoring people’s public health and controlling the spread of antibiotic resistance in urinary tract infections in Benin.
A Case for Doxycycline as an Effective Treatment for Confluent and Reticulated Papillomatosis (CARP)
Authors: Sharma Aishwarya , Moon Deborah , Kim Dong Joo
Published: May 2023

Confluent and reticulated papillomatosis (CARP) is a rare keratinization disorder that presents with asymptomatic, reticulated papules coalescing into plaques, which adversely affect, most often, young black persons. Minocycline is considered the drug of choice, but it is not without its host of potential side effects, including drug hypersensitivity, drug-induced lupus/vasculitis/hepatitis, blue-gray skin hyperpigmentation, acute eosinophilic pneumonia, pseudotumor cerebri, and vestibular instability, among others. Alternatively, doxycycline might be considered as another first-line agent for CARP as it can effectively clear lesions while offering a more favorable side effect profile in select patients. Herein, we present a case of CARP successfully resolved with doxycycline after a protracted treatment history of topical and oral antifungal medications for suspected tinea versicolor (TV).
Effects of Smoking on COVID-19 Management and Mortality: An Umbrella Review
Authors: SeyedAlinaghi SeyedAhmad , Afsahi Amir Masoud , Shahidi Ramin , Kianzad Shaghayegh , Pashaei Zahra , Mirahmad Maryam , Asili Pooria , Mojdeganlou Hengameh , Razi Armin , Mojdeganlou Paniz , Fard Iman Amiri , Mahdiabadi Sara , Afzalian Arian , Dashti Mohsen , Ghasemzadeh Afsaneh , Parmoon Zohal , Badri Hajar , Mehraeen Esmaeil , Hackett Daniel , Mohamed Haniki
Published: May 2023

Introduction. Smoking status appears to lead to a poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients. However, findings from the studies conducted on this topic have not been consistent, and further exploration is required. Methods. The objective of this umbrella review was to examine the effects of smoking on COVID-19 management and mortality. Online databases that included PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched using relevant keywords up to July 27, 2022. Articles were restricted to the English language, and the PRISMA protocol was followed. Results. A total of 27 systematic reviews, published from 2020 to 2022, were included. Individual studies included in the systematic reviews ranged from 8 to 186, with various population sizes. The consensus from the majority of systematic reviews was that COVID-19 smoker patients experience greater disease severity, disease progression, hospitalization rate, hospital admission duration, mechanical ventilation, ICU admission, and mortality rate. Conclusions. COVID-19 patients with a history of smoking (current and former) are vulnerable to adverse hospital outcomes and worse COVID-19 progression. Effective preventive and supportive approaches are required to decrease the risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in patients with a history of smoking.
Microscopic Pore Structures and Their Controlling Factors of the Lower Carboniferous Luzhai Shale in Guizhong Depression, China
Authors: Zhang Ren , Jiang Shu , Zhang Luchuan , Wang Hu , Zhang Tianyu , Yu Ruyang , Zhang Linhao , Chima Finnian Ukaomah
Published: May 2023

Microscopic pore structures are of great significance in evaluating shale gas reservoirs and understanding the occurrence state of shale gas. Integrating geochemical analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), low-temperature N2 adsorption (LTNA), mercury injection pressure (MIP), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), this work systematically characterized microscopic pore structures and then discussed their controlling factors, for the Lower Carboniferous Luzhai (C1lz) shale in Guizhong Depression. The results show that pores in the Luzhai shale are generally shaped by ink bottles, parallel plates, and slits, which are characterized by a larger pore throat ratio, lower efficiency of mercury withdrawal, and poor connectivity. Micropores (<2 nm) and mesopores (2 nm-50 nm) provide the primary specific surface area (SSA) of shale reservoirs, dominantly controlled by the contents of TOC and clay minerals, whereas pore volume is mainly contributed from mesopores, which is positively correlated to quartz content. The fractal dimension (2.94) of macropores is higher than that (2.65) of mesopores, corresponding more complicated and heterogeneous pore structure. With increasing pore size, the correlation between TOC and fractal dimension of macropores weakens. The unconnected pores in mesoscopic range are more complex than connected pores, primarily resulting from morphology and deformation of clay minerals.
A Model Predicting CRM Resource Effect on Business Performance through CRM Capabilities
Authors: Wang Yifan
Published: May 2023

This study employs the CRM measurement model to the context of customer relationship management (CRM). It is aimed at indirectly examining the relationships between various resources of CRM and business performance. Additionally, this study is aimed at contributing to marketing research by placing an emphasis on CRM technology and their impact on performance. Through collecting secondary data, the direct and indirect effects of CRM resources and capabilities on business performance are examined within a sample of 6 case companies in the UK grocery market during 2015~2017. Additional measure of CRM capability is aggregated into the firm level to examine its relationship with their corporate performance. Furthermore, capability is categorized through defining the intention of initiating CRM programme. The results find a positive relationship between both CRM resources and their capabilities and performance. Besides, interactive capability is most essential for companies to enhance their CRM. Lastly, the interaction between technology and other resource is significantly associated with business performance. Managers may improve their CRM programs and eliminate side effects more effectively by concentrating on one type of resource to strengthen their most common CRM capability. This paper bridges significant gaps in the current literature through combining RBV and DC perspective, meanwhile, taking a capability view of CRM. Under a contemporary CRM measurement model, it examines how the possession of important CRM resource influences business performance in UK supermarket.
Data from FPR2 Shapes an Immune-Excluded Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment and Drives T-cell Exhaustion in a Sex-Dependent Manner
Authors: He Fei , Tay Apple H.M. , Calandigary Ahmed , Malki Enana , Suzuki Sayaka , Liu Tianjie , Wang Qi , Fernández-Moro Carlos , Kaisso Marina , Olofsson-Sahl Peter , Melssen Marit , Sze Siu Kwan , Björnstedt Mikael , Löhr Matthias J. , Karlsson Mikael C.I. , Heuchel Rainer , Sarhan Dhifaf
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Sex-driven immune differences can affect tumor progression and the landscape of the tumor microenvironment. Deeper understanding of these differences in males and females can inform patient selection to improve sex-optimized immunotherapy treatments. In this study, single-cell RNA sequencing and protein analyses uncovered a subpopulation of myeloid cells in pancreatic lesions associated with an immune‐excluded tumor phenotype and effector T-cell exhaustion exclusively in females. This myeloid subpopulation was positively correlated with poor survival and genetic signatures of M2-like macrophages and T-cell exhaustion in females. The G-protein coupled receptor formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2) mediated these immunosuppressive effects. In vitro, treatment of myeloid cells with a specific FPR2 antagonist prevented exhaustion and enhanced cytotoxicity of effector cells. Proteomic analysis revealed high expression of immunosuppressive secretory proteins PGE2 and galectin-9, enriched integrin pathway, and reduced proinflammatory signals like TNFα and IFNγ in female M2-like macrophages upon FPR2 agonist treatment. In addition, myeloid cells treated with FPR2 agonists induced TIM3 and PD-1 expression only in female T cells. Treatment with anti-TIM3 antibodies reversed T-cell exhaustion and stimulated their ability to infiltrate and kill pancreatic spheroids. In vivo, progression of syngeneic pancreatic tumors was significantly suppressed in FPR2 knockout (KO) female mice compared with wild-type (WT) female mice and to WT and FPR2 KO male mice. In female mice, inoculation of tumors with FPR2 KO macrophages significantly reduced tumor growth compared with WT macrophages. Overall, this study identified an immunosuppressive function of FPR2 in females, highlighting a potential sex‐specific precision immunotherapy strategy.
Significance:
FPR2 is a sex-dependent mediator of macrophage function in pancreatic cancer and can be targeted to reprogram macrophages and stimulate antitumor immunity in females.
Data from Cancer-Associated Fibroblast–Derived miR-146a-5p Generates a Niche That Promotes Bladder Cancer Stemness and Chemoresistance
Authors: Zhuang Junlong , Shen Lan , Li Meiqian , Sun Jingya , Hao Jiange , Li Jiaxuan , Zhu Zhen , Ge Shuning , Zhang Dianzheng , Guo Hongqian , Huang Ruimin , Yan Jun
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Cancer stem-like cells (CSC) play pivotal roles in both chemoresistance and recurrence of many cancer types, including urothelial bladder cancer (UBC). In addition to intrinsic signaling pathways, extracellular cues from the tumor microenvironment (TME) are indispensable for the maintenance of CSCs. To better understand the mechanisms involved in TME-mediated generation and support of UBC CSCs, we focused on the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) in this study. Overexpression of miR-146a-5p in CAFs promoted CAF-to-UBC cell interactions, cancer stemness, and chemoresistance to treatment with gemcitabine and cisplatin. Mechanistically, miR-146–5p upregulated SVEP1 in CAFs by enhancing the recruitment of transcriptional factor YY1. Meanwhile, by targeting the 3′UTR of mRNAs of ARID1A and PRKAA2 (also known as AMPKα2) in UBC cells, CAF-secreted miR-146a-5p promoted cancer stemness and chemoresistance. Downregulation of ARID1A resulted in the inhibition of SOCS1 and subsequent STAT3 activation, and downregulated PRKAA2 led to the activation of mTOR signaling. Elevated levels of exosomal miR-146a-5p in the serum of patients with UBC were correlated with both tumor stage and relapse risk. These findings altogether indicate that CAF-derived miR-146a-5p can promote stemness and enhance chemoresistance in UBC. Exosomal miR-146a-5p may be a biomarker of UBC recurrence and a potential therapeutic target.
Significance:
The tumor–stromal cross-talk mediated by cancer-associated fibroblast–derived miR-146a-5p fosters cancer stem cell niche formation and cancer stemness to drive chemoresistance in urothelial bladder cancer.
Identifikasi Data Outlier (Pencilan) dan Kenormalan Data Pada Data Univariat serta Alternatif Penyelesaiannya
Authors: Sihombing Pardomuan Robinson , Suryadiningrat Suryadiningrat , Sunarjo Deden Achmad , Yuda Yoshep Paulus Apri Caraka
Published: May 2023

Penelitian ini bertujuan mengindentifikasi outlier (pencilan) dan kenormalan data pada univariat data. Adapun data yang digunakan berupa data persentase kemiskinan di Indonesia tahun 2022 yang berasal dari Badan Pusat Statistik.  Metode pengujian outlier dilakukan dengan menggunakan grafik box plot, histrogram dan uji Grubbs. Sedangkan pengujian kenormalan data menggunkan uji SK Test dan Shapiro Wilk.  Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terdapat data outlier yaitu pada observasi Provinsi Papua, dan data tidak berdistribusi normal. Selanjutnya dilakukan berbagai alternatif dalam menangani data outlier. Hasil menunjukkan menggunakan teknik tranformasi box cox, winsorizing dan trimming data, dapat menyelesaikan masalah outlier data. Metode box cox dan trimming sekaligus mampu mengatasi masalah kenormalan data, sedangkan metode winsorizing belum dapat mengatasi masalah kenormalan data.
Positive Airway Pressure Adherence and Health Care Resource Utilization in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction
Authors: Malhotra Atul , Cole Kate V. , Malik Anita S. , Pépin Jean‐Louis , Sert Kuniyoshi Fatima H. , Cistulli Peter A. , Benjafield Adam V. , Somers Virend K. , Cistulli Peter , Malhotra Atul , Pépin Jean‐Louis , Benjafield Adam V. , Sterling Kimberly L. , Nunez Carlos M. , Barrett Meredith , Armitstead Jeff
Published: May 2023

Background

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common comorbidity in patients with heart failure, although current evidence is equivocal regarding the potential benefits of treating OSA with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy in patients with heart failure. This study assessed the impact of adherence to PAP therapy on health care resource utilization in patients with OSA and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Methods and Results

Administrative insurance claims data linked with objective PAP therapy use data from patients with OSA and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction were used to determine associations between PAP adherence and a composite outcome of hospitalizations and emergency room visits. One‐year PAP adherence was based on an adapted US Medicare definition. Propensity score methods were used to create groups with similar characteristics across PAP adherence levels. The study cohort included 3182 patients (69.9% male, mean age 59.7 years); 39% were considered adherent to PAP therapy (29% intermediate adherent, 31% nonadherent). One year after PAP initiation, adherent patients had fewer composite visits than matched nonadherent patients, driven by a 24% reduction in emergency room visits for adherent patients. Composite visit costs were lower in adherent versus nonadherent patients ($3500 versus $5879,
P
=0.031), although total health care costs were not statistically different ($13 028 versus $14 729,
P
=0.889).

Conclusions

PAP therapy adherence in patients with OSA with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction was associated with a reduction in health care resource utilization. This suggests that greater emphasis should be placed on diagnosing and effectively treating OSA with PAP in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.
Optimization and Learning With Randomly Compressed Gradient Updates
Authors: Huang Zhanliang , Lei Yunwen , Kabán Ata
Published: May 2023

Gradient descent methods are simple and efficient optimization algorithms with widespread applications. To handle high-dimensional problems, we study compressed stochastic gradient descent (SGD) with low-dimensional gradient updates. We provide a detailed analysis in terms of both optimization rates and generalization rates. To this end, we develop uniform stability bounds for CompSGD for both smooth and nonsmooth problems, based on which we develop almost optimal population risk bounds. Then we extend our analysis to two variants of SGD: batch and mini-batch gradient descent. Furthermore, we show that these variants achieve almost optimal rates compared to their high-dimensional gradient setting. Thus, our results provide a way to reduce the dimension of gradient updates without affecting the convergence rate in the generalization analysis. Moreover, we show that the same result also holds in the differentially private setting, which allows us to reduce the dimension of added noise with “almost free” cost.
The Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM): Community-Focused Collaborative Model Development Accelerating Research to Operations
Authors: Johnson Benjamin T. , Dang Cheng , Stegmann Patrick , Liu Quanhua , Moradi Isaac , Auligne Thomas
Published: May 2023

The Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA) Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM) is a fast, 1D radiative transfer model used in numerical weather prediction, calibration/validation, etc., across multiple federal agencies and universities. The key benefit of the CRTM is that it is a satellite simulator. It provides a highly accurate representation of satellite radiances by using the specific sensor response functions convolved with a Line-by-Line Radiative Transfer Model (LBLRTM). CRTM covers the spectral ranges consistent with all present operational and most research satellites, from visible to microwave. The capability to simulate ultraviolet radiances and support space-based radar sensors is being added over the next 2 years in CRTM version 3.0. In addition to simulated radiances, the CRTM also provides Jacobian outputs needed to interpret satellite observations for numerical weather prediction. The Jacobian estimates how changes in geophysical parameters affect simulated measurements from satellite sensors. Using the Jacobian in modeling and weather prediction improves the accuracy and efficiency of data analysis, leading to better weather predictions. The CRTM model’s success and growth depend on community contributions and evaluation. To facilitate this, we have made the CRTM highly accessible through modular programming, clear documentation and tutorials, public domain licensing, unfettered public access via GitHub, and a clear path to operational implementation for innovative research. We encourage and welcome contributions from the community to help us continue to improve the CRTM.