bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The transposable element-derived transcript of LIN28B has a placental origin and is not specific to tumours
Authors: Lynch-Sutherland Chiemi F. , McDougall Lorissa I. , Stockwell Peter A. , Almomani Suzan N. , Weeks Robert J. , Ludgate Jackie L. , Gamage Teena K. J. B. , Chatterjee Aniruddha , James Joanna L. , Eccles Michael R. , Macaulay Erin C.
Published: June 2023

Transposable elements (TEs) are genetic elements that have evolved as crucial regulators of human development and cancer, functioning as both genes and regulatory elements. When TEs become dysregulated in cancer cells, they can serve as alternate promoters to activate oncogenes, a process known as onco-exaptation. This study aimed to explore the expression and epigenetic regulation of onco-exaptation events in early human developmental tissues. We discovered co-expression of some TEs and oncogenes in human embryonic stem cells and first trimester and term placental tissues. Previous studies identified onco-exaptation events in various cancer types, including an AluJb SINE element–LIN28B interaction in lung cancer cells, and showed that the TE-derived LIN28B transcript is associated with poor patient prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. This study further characterized the AluJb–LIN28B transcript and confirmed that its expression is restricted to the placenta. Targeted DNA methylation analysis revealed differential methylation of the two LIN28B promoters between placenta and healthy somatic tissues, indicating that some TE–oncogene interactions are not cancer-specific but arise from the epigenetic reactivation of developmental TE-derived regulatory events. In conclusion, our findings provide evidence that some TE–oncogene interactions are not limited to cancer and may originate from the epigenetic reactivation of TE-derived regulatory events that are involved in early development. These insights broaden our understanding of the role of TEs in gene regulation and suggest the potential importance of targeting TEs in cancer therapy beyond their conventional use as cancer-specific markers.
Year-round activity levels reveal diurnal foraging constraints in the annual cycle of migratory and non-migratory barnacle geese
Authors: Boom Michiel P. , Lameris Thomas K. , Schreven Kees H. T. , Buitendijk Nelleke H. , Moonen Sander , de Vries Peter P. , Zaynagutdinova Elmira , Nolet Bart A. , van der Jeugd Henk P. , Eichhorn Götz
Published: June 2023

Performing migratory journeys comes with energetic costs, which have to be compensated within the annual cycle. An assessment of how and when such compensation occurs is ideally done by comparing full annual cycles of migratory and non-migratory individuals of the same species, which is rarely achieved. We studied free-living migratory and resident barnacle geese belonging to the same flyway (metapopulation), and investigated when differences in foraging activity occur, and when foraging extends beyond available daylight, indicating a diurnal foraging constraint in these usually diurnal animals. We compared foraging activity of migratory (N = 94) and resident (N = 30) geese throughout the annual cycle using GPS-transmitters and 3D-accelerometers, and corroborated this with data on seasonal variation in body condition. Migratory geese were more active than residents during most of the year, amounting to a difference of over 370 h over an entire annual cycle. Activity differences were largest during the periods that comprised preparation for spring and autumn migration. Lengthening days during spring facilitated increased activity, which coincided with an increase in body condition. Both migratory and resident geese were active at night during winter, but migratory geese were also active at night before autumn migration, resulting in a period of night-time activity that was 6 weeks longer than in resident geese. Our results indicate that, at least in geese, seasonal migration requires longer daily activity not only during migration but throughout most of the annual cycle, with migrants being more frequently forced to extend foraging activity into the night.
BMO $$\varepsilon $$-regularity results for solutions to Legendre–Hadamard elliptic systems
Authors: Irving Christopher
Published: June 2023

We will establish an $$\varepsilon $$
ε
-regularity result for weak solutions to Legendre–Hadamard elliptic systems, under the a-priori assumption that the gradient $$\nabla u$$

∇
u

is small in $$\textrm{BMO}.$$

BMO
.

Focusing on the case of Euler–Lagrange systems to simplify the exposition, regularity results will be obtained up to the boundary, and global consequences will be explored. Extensions to general quasilinear elliptic systems and higher-order integrands is also discussed.
Multi-modal humor segment prediction in video
Authors: Yang Zekun , Nakashima Yuta , Takemura Haruo
Published: June 2023

Humor can be induced by various signals in the visual, linguistic, and vocal modalities emitted by humans. Finding humor in videos is an interesting but challenging task for an intelligent system. Previous methods predict humor in the sentence level given some text (e.g., speech transcript), sometimes together with other modalities, such as videos and speech. Such methods ignore humor caused by the visual modality in their design, since their prediction is made for a sentence. In this work, we first give new annotations to humor based on a sitcom by setting up temporal segments of ground truth humor derived from the laughter track. Then, we propose a method to find these temporal segments of humor. We adopt an approach based on sliding window, where the visual modality is described by pose and facial features along with the linguistic modality given as subtitles in each sliding window. We use long short-term memory networks to encode the temporal dependency in poses and facial features and pre-trained BERT to handle subtitles. Experimental results show that our method improves the performance of humor prediction.
Quantifying uncertainties related to observational datasets used as reference for regional climate model evaluation over complex topography — a case study for the wettest year 2010 in the Carpathian region
Authors: Kalmár Tímea , Kristóf Erzsébet , Hollós Roland , Pieczka Ildikó , Pongrácz Rita
Published: June 2023

Gridded observational datasets are often used for the evaluation of regional climate model (RCM) simulations. However, the uncertainty of observations affects the evaluation. This work introduces a novel method to quantify the uncertainties in the observational datasets and how these uncertainties affect the evaluation of RCM simulations. Besides precipitation and temperature, our method uses geographic variables (e.g. elevation, variability of elevation, effect of station), which are considered as uncertainty sources. To assess these uncertainties, a complex analysis based on various statistical tools, e.g. correlation analysis and permutation test, was carried out. Furthermore, we used a special metric, the reduction of error (RE) to identify where the RCM shows improvement compared to the lateral boundary conditions (LBCs). We focused on the Carpathian region, because of its unique orographic and climatic conditions. The method is applied to two observational datasets (CarpatClim and E-OBS) and to RegCM simulations for 2010, the wettest year in this region since 1901.

The results show that CarpatClim is wetter than E-OBS, while temperature is similar over the lowland; however, E-OBS is significantly warmer than CarpatClim over the mountains. By the RE metric, RegCM has improvement against the LBCs over mountains for temperature and areas with dense station network for precipitation. Nevertheless, there are significant differences in the results depending on which observational dataset was used concerning precipitation. The evaluation method can be applied to other datasets, different time periods and areas. It is also suitable to find dataset errors, which is also exemplified in this paper.
Cryotherapy and pain intensity during endodontic treatment of mandibular first permanent molars with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Elheeny Ahmad Abdel Hamid , Sermani Dania Ibrahem , Saliab Esteer Azer , Turky Mohammed
Published: June 2023

Objectives

The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of cryotherapy application after inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) administration of the mandibular first permanent molars with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis (SIP) in adolescence. The secondary outcome was to compare the need for supplemental intraligamentary injection (ILI).

Materials and methods

The study was designed as a randomized clinical trial including 152 participants aged from 10 to 17 years who were randomly assigned to two equal groups; cryotherapy plus IANB (intervention group) and the control group (conventional INAB). Both groups received 3.6 mL of 4% articaine. For the intervention group, ice packs were applied in the buccal vestibule of the mandibular first permanent molar for 5 min. Endodontic procedures started after 20 min for efficiently anesthetized teeth. The intraoperative pain intensity was measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS). The Mann–Whitney (U) and chi-square tests were applied to analyze data. The significance level was set to 0.05.

Results

There was a significant reduction in the overall intraoperative VAS mean in the cryotherapy group compared to that in the control group (p = 0.004). The success rate was significantly higher in the cryotherapy group (59.2%) compared to the control group (40.8%). The frequency of extra ILI was 50% and 67.1% in the cryotherapy and control groups, respectively (p = 0.032).

Conclusions

The cryotherapy application boosted the efficacy of pulpal anesthesia of the mandibular first permanent molars with SIP in patients below the age of 18 years. Additional anesthesia was still necessary for optimal control over pain.

Clinical relevance

Pain control during endodontic treatment of primary molars with irreversible pulpitis (IP) is a significant factor in a child’s behavior in the dental office. Although the inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) is the most commonly used technique to anaesthetize mandibular dentition, we found its success rate to be relatively low during endodontic treatment of primary molars with IP. Cryotherapy is a new approach that significantly improves the efficacy of IANB.

Clinical trial registration

The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (reference no. NCT05267847).
Sylow Branching Coefficients and Hook Partitions
Authors: Giannelli Eugenio , Volpato Giada
Published: June 2023

We give a description of the irreducible constituents of the restriction to Sylow 2-subgroups of irreducible characters of symmetric groups labelled by hook partitions.
Transition Regret and Detransition: Meanings and Uncertainties
Authors: Jorgensen Sarah C. J.
Published: June 2023

Gender transition is undertaken to improve the well-being of people suffering from gender dysphoria. However, some have argued that the evidence supporting medical interventions for gender transition (e.g., hormonal therapies and surgery) is weak and inconclusive, and an increasing number of people have come forward recently to share their experiences of transition regret and detransition. In this essay, I discuss emerging clinical and research issues related to transition regret and detransition with the aim of arming clinicians with the latest information so they can support patients navigating the challenges of regret and detransition. I begin by describing recent changes in the epidemiology of gender dysphoria, conceptualization of transgender identification, and models of care. I then discuss the potential impact of these changes on regret and detransition; the prevalence of desistance, regret, and detransition; reasons for detransition; and medical and mental healthcare needs of detransitioners. Although recent data have shed light on a complex range of experiences that lead people to detransition, research remains very much in its infancy. Little is known about the medical and mental healthcare needs of these patients, and there is currently no guidance on best practices for clinicians involved in their care. Moreover, the term detransition can hold a wide array of possible meanings for transgender-identifying people, detransitioners, and researchers, leading to inconsistences in its usage. Moving forward, minimizing harm will require conducting robust research, challenging fundamental assumptions, scrutinizing of practice patterns, and embracing debate.
Agreement between 4D transesophageal echocardiography and multi-detector computed tomography in measuring aortic root dimensions and coronary ostia heights
Authors: Hassan Mohamed , Abdrabou Mostafa M. , Wahba Wasseem Amin , Samaan Amir Anwar , Baghdady Yasser , Elamragy Ahmed A.
Published: June 2023

Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) is the gold standard non-invasive tool for evaluating aortic root dimensions. We assessed the agreement between 4D TEE and MDCT-derived aortic valve annular dimensions, coronary ostia height, and minor dimensions of sinuses of Valsalva (SoV) and sinotubular junction (STJ). In this prospective analytical study, we measured the annular area, annular perimeter, area-derived diameter, area-derived perimeter, left and right coronary ostial heights, and minor diameters of the SoV and the STJ using ECG-gated MDCT and 4D TEE. TEE measurements were calculated semi-automatically by the eSie valve software. We enrolled 43 adult patients (27 males, median age: 46 years). We found strong correlations and good agreement between the two modalities in annular dimensions (area, perimeter, area-derived diameter, and perimeter-derived diameter), left coronary ostial height, minimum STJ diameter, and minimum SoV diameters. Moderate correlations, and agreement, with relatively large differences between the 95% LOA, were demonstrated for the right coronary artery ostial height. 4D TEE correlates well with MDCT in measuring aortic annular dimensions, coronary ostial height, SoV minor diameter, and sinotubular junction minor diameter. Whether this can affect clinical outcomes is unknown. It could replace MDCT if the latter is unavailable or contraindicated.
Computing relaxations for the three-dimensional stable matching problem with cyclic preferences
Authors: Cseh Ágnes , Escamocher Guillaume , Quesada Luis
Published: June 2023

Constraint programming has proven to be a successful framework for determining whether a given instance of the three-dimensional stable matching problem with cyclic preferences (3dsm-cyc) admits a solution. If such an instance is satisfiable, constraint models can even compute its optimal solution for several different objective functions. On the other hand, the only existing output for unsatisfiable 3dsm-cyc instances is a simple declaration of impossibility. In this paper, we explore four ways to adapt constraint models designed for 3dsm-cyc to the maximum relaxation version of the problem, that is, the computation of the smallest part of an instance whose modification leads to satisfiability. We also extend our models to support the presence of costs on elements in the instance, and to return the relaxation with lowest total cost for each of the four types of relaxation. Empirical results reveal that our relaxation models are efficient, as in most cases, they show little overhead compared to the satisfaction version.
How does public policy impact trafficking victimization?: An exact matching study in the EU
Authors: Nordquist Sienna
Published: June 2023

Trafficking in human beings (THB) is a widespread, transnational issue in the European Union (EU). Member states act as source, transit, and destination countries for intra-EU trafficking, in addition to being a major destination region for external THB victims. This study presents a new dataset of THB victims observed in each EU member state per year and by type of exploitation going back as far as 2001 and employs exact matching methods to test the link between different prostitution policies and Roma secondary education attainment rates on observed THB victimization. The paper also builds off previous literature to compare how different legal prostitution models and THB supply factors are expected to influence various types of THB. The results indicate that legalized prostitution and lower educational attainment among the Roma community increase observed THB victimization, especially THB for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The paper does not find that the Swedish model significantly increases or decreases observed THB victimization. In demonstrating how matching methods can be utilized to uncover policy patterns in THB outcomes, this study provides a blueprint for how other hidden phenomena, such as corruption or migration, can be robustly and empirically tested.
From Counterfactual Conditionals to Temporal Conditionals
Authors: Hosokawa Yuichiro
Published: June 2023

Although it receives less attention, (Lewis in Noûs 13:455–476, 1979. https://doi.org/10.2307/2215339) admitted that the branching-time(-like) model fits a wide range of counterfactuals, including (Nix) ‘If Nixon had pressed the button, there would have been a nuclear war’, which was raised by (Fine in Mind 84:451–458, 1975). However, Lewis then claimed that similarity analysis is more general than temporality analysis. In this paper, we do not scrutinise his claim. Instead, we re-analyse (Nix) not only model-theoretically but also proof-theoretically from the ‘meaning-as-use’ and ‘inferentialist’ points of view. Then, we re-formalise (Nix) in a natural extension of hybrid tense logic, which we refer to as hybrid tense logic for temporal conditionals (HTL$$_{TC}$$

TC

). Consequently, we find that not only among counterfactuals, but also among indicatives, there is a wide range of conditionals whose formalisation in HTL$$_{TC}$$

TC

is appropriate. We refer to these conditionals as temporal conditionals. This suggests a new logical generality that temporality analysis has but similarity analysis does not, from which emerges a new logical perspective on conditionals in general: temporal ones and others.
Fibronectin-derived protein forms a protein corona on gold nanoparticles: synthesis, Raman and optical properties of a new plasmonic nanocarrier
Authors: Candreva Angela , Crea Roberto , Nucera Antonello , Barberi Riccardo C. , Castriota Marco , La Deda Massimo
Published: June 2023

Synthetic fibronectin III-derived protein scaffolds represent a new generation of proteins that can overcome some clinical limitations of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. However, one major disadvantage of smaller protein scaffolds is their rapid renal clearance and correspondingly short circulating serum half-lives. A complex formation of these protein scaffolds with nanoparticles can be a valuable route to overcome the short half-life in human serum. Here we present the synthesis and characterization of a first example of fibronectin III, 14th domain-derived scaffold, called Pronectin™, with gold nanoparticle of around 30-nm diameter to form a protein corona. The obtained functionalized nanoparticles were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy. Their plasmonic properties, due to the gold core, and the luminescence, attributed to the protein, were measured in two cases (nanoparticles with albumin or Pronectin™), and confirmed that the formation of a protein corona induces some form of denaturation of the proteins themselves.

Graphical abstract
Am I Winning or Losing? Probing the Appraisal of Partial Wins via Response Vigor
Authors: Chen Zhang , Eben Charlotte , Reimer Christina B. , Verbruggen Frederick
Published: June 2023

Attempts to obtain rewards are not always successful. Despite investing much time, effort, or money, sometimes individuals may not obtain any reward. Other times they may obtain some reward, but the obtained reward may be smaller than their initial investment, such as partial wins in gambling. It remains unclear how such ambiguous outcomes are appraised. To address this question, we systematically varied the payoffs for different outcomes in a computerized scratch card task across three experiments. To test outcome appraisal, we used response vigor as a novel proxy. In the scratch card task, participants turned three cards one by one. Depending on the turned cards, they either received an amount that was higher than the wager (win), an amount lower than the wager (partial win), or nothing (loss). Overall, participants responded to partial wins more slowly than losses, but more quickly than wins. Partial wins were therefore appraised to be better than losses, but worse than wins. Importantly, further analyses showed that outcome appraisal was not based on the net win or loss amount. Instead, participants primarily used the configuration of turned cards as a cue for the relative rank of an outcome within a specific game. Outcome appraisals thus utilize simple heuristic rules, rely on salient information (such as outcome-related cues in gambling), and are specific to a local context. Together, these factors may contribute to the misperception of partial wins as real wins in gambling. Future work may examine how outcome appraisal may be modulated by the salience of certain information, and investigate the appraisal process in contexts beyond gambling.
Changes in Acute ED Visits by Race/Ethnicity During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Morales Celina , Bruckner Tim A. , Du Senxi , Young Andrew , Ro Annie
Published: June 2023

Emergency department (ED) visits for conditions unrelated to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic decreased during the early pandemic, raising concerns about critically ill patients forgoing care and increasing their risk of adverse outcomes. It is unclear if Hispanic and Black adults, who have a high prevalence of chronic conditions, sought medical assistance for acute emergencies during this time. This study used 2018–2020 ED visit data from the largest safety net hospital in Los Angeles County to estimate ED visit differences for cardiac emergencies, diabetic complications, and strokes, during the first societal lockdown among Black and Hispanic patients using time series analyses. Emergency department visits were lower than the expected levels during the first societal lockdown. However, after the lockdown ended, Black patients experienced a rebound in ED visits while visits for Hispanics remained depressed. Future research could identify barriers Hispanics experienced that contributed to prolonged ED avoidance.
Exploring quantum correlations of two-qubit Heisenberg chain model influenced by magnetic dipole–dipole, magnetic field, and a symmetric cross interaction
Authors: Youssef M. , Ali S. I. , Abd-Rabbou M. Y. , Obada A. -S. F.
Published: June 2023

The concepts of concurrence, 3-steerability, and Clauser–Horne–Shimony–Holt (CHSH) inequality are employed to investigate the environmental impacts on the quantum correlations of the two-spin-1/2 Heisenberg XYZ chain model. In particular, the effects of a homogeneous magnetic field, symmetric cross interaction, and dipole–dipole interaction on the entanglement, degree of steerability, and non-locality are discussed. Results show that the entanglement and steering phenomena are bounded by the non-locality for both positive and negative values of dipole–dipole coupling. It has also been observed that higher symmetric cross-interaction strengthens the quantum correlations, whereas the homogeneous magnetic field weakens the quantumness of the system. The findings indicate that a magnetic field normal to the magnetic dipole yields better quantum correlations than when they are parallel.
Analysis of Uranium Sorption in a Laboratory Column Experiment Using a Reactive Transport and Surface Complexation Model
Authors: Baqer Yousef , Thornton Steven , Stewart Douglas I. , Norris Simon , Chen XiaoHui
Published: June 2023

The transport and retardation of radioactive elements in hyper-alkaline conditions of radioactive waste repositories is a challenging field that is still poorly understood. In this study, the transport and attenuation of uranium in a column experiment was modelled by considering kinetic reactions, advection–dispersion and chemical/physical retardation processes. The modelling was first performed for three alluvium samples from Yucca Mountain in circumneutral pH to moderately alkaline conditions. Sorption of uranyl ($${\mathrm{UO}}_{2}^{2+} ({U}_{\mathrm{VI}})$$

UO

2

2
+

(

U
VI

)

) was found to strongly depend on the surface complexation model assumed, with no significant removal of $${U}_{\mathrm{VI}}$$

U
VI

by precipitation or ion exchange process. The surface/edge site reaction of Al-hydroxyl group in kaolinite was shown to have a high affinity for uranyl adsorption, while the hydrous ferric oxide edge on hematite adsorbed most of the uranyl ions. The model was then used to interpret uranium transport in a laboratory column filled with Hollington sandstone under hyper-alkaline (pH 13) conditions. The simulation results show that uranium adsorption on the Al-hydroxyl edge of kaolinite exceeds adsorption by the calcium silicate hydrate phase. This result may reflect the lack of surface complexation parameters for calcium silicate hydrate minerals. Hence, further studies are required in the field of surface complexation reactions for calcium silicate hydrate phases.

Graphical Abstract
A systematic evidence map of intervention evaluations to reduce gang-related violence
Authors: Richardson M. , Newman M. , Berry G. , Stansfield C. , Coombe A. , Hodgkinson J.
Published: June 2023

Objective

To identify and map evaluations of interventions on gang violence using innovative systematic review methods to inform future research needs.

Methods

A previous iteration of this map (Hodgkinson et al., (2009). “Reducing gang-related crime: A systematic review of ‘comprehensive’ interventions.”) was updated in 2021/22 with inclusion of evaluations since the original searches in 2006. Innovative automatic searching and screening was used concurrently with a ‘conventional’ strategy that utilised 58 databases and other online resources. Data were presented in an online interactive evidence gap map.

Results

Two hundred and forty-eight evaluations were described, including 114 controlled studies, characterised as comprehensive interventions, encompassing more than one distinct type of intervention.

Conclusion

This suggests a substantial body of previously unidentified robust evidence on interventions that could be synthesised to inform policy and practice decision-making. Further research is needed to investigate the extent to which using automated methodologies can improve the efficiency and quality of systematic reviews.
The Transient Evolution of Flow Due to the Excitation Pulse in Oscillating Drop Experiments in Microgravity Electromagnetic Levitation
Authors: Bracker Gwendolyn P. , Hyers Robert W.
Published: June 2023

In oscillating drop experiments, surface oscillations in a molten sample are captured and analyzed to determine the surface tension and viscosity of a melt without the need to contact the liquid sample. In electromagnetic levitation, surface oscillations are initiated using an excitation pulse in the electromagnetic field. The variation in the electromagnetic force field drives rapid acceleration in the melt while also changing the flow pattern. During the quasi-static flow conditions prior to the excitation pulse, the flow displays a “positioner-dominated” flow pattern with 4 recirculation loops in the sample hemisphere. However, the accelerating flow of the excitation pulse transitions into a “heater-dominated flow” pattern in which there are only 2 recirculation loops in the sample hemisphere. Following the excitation pulse, the flow rapidly slows and quickly returns to the conditions present before the excitation pulse. For many combinations of parameters, the transition in the flow pattern results in a very complicated variation in velocity with time; that variation is the topic of this paper.
Evolution of bone densitometry parameters and risk of fracture in coeliac disease: a 10-year perspective
Authors: Tovoli Francesco , Pallotta Dante Pio , Giamperoli Alice , Zavatta Guido , Skoracka Kinga , Raiteri Alberto , Faggiano Chiara , Krela-Kaźmierczak Iwona , Granito Alessandro
Published: June 2023

Background

Metabolic bone disease is frequently found in patients with coeliac disease (CD). Despite its high prevalence, international guidelines are partially discordant about its management due to the lack of long-term data.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated a large dataset of prospectively collected data of CD patients assessing the variation of DXA parameters and estimated fracture risk according to the FRAX® score in a 10-year follow-up. Incident fractures are reported, and the predictive ability of the FRAX® score is verified.

Results

We identified 107 patients with low bone density (BMD) at the diagnosis of CD and a 10-year follow-up. After improving at the first follow-up, T-scores slowly reduced over time but with no clinically relevant differences between the first and last examination (lumbar spine: from − 2.07 to − 2.07, p = 1.000; femoral neck: from − 1.37 to − 1.55, p = 0.006). Patients with osteoporosis at the index measurement had more marked fluctuations than those with osteopenia; the latter group also showed minimal modifications of the FRAX® score over time. Six incident major fragility fractures occurred, with a good predictive ability of the FRAX® (AUC 0.826).

Conclusion

Adult CD patients with osteopenia and no risk factors had substantially stable DXA parameters and fracture risk during a 10-year follow-up. A dilated interval between follow-up DXA for these patients could be considered to reduce diagnosis-related time and costs, maintaining a 2-year interval for patients with osteoporosis or risk factors.
Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis scores as COVID-19 outcome predictors: a machine-learning application
Authors: Zoncapè Mirko , Carlin Michele , Bicego Manuele , Simonetti Andrea , Ceruti Vittoria , Mantovani Anna , Inglese Francesco , Zamboni Giulia , Sartorio Andrea , Minuz Pietro , Romano Simone , Crisafulli Ernesto , Sacerdoti David , Fava Cristiano , Dalbeni Andrea
Published: June 2023

Patients with COVID-19 and metabolic-dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) appear to be at higher risk for severe manifestations, especially in the youngest decades. Our aim was to examine whether patients with MAFLD and/or with increased liver fibrosis scores (FIB-4) are at risk for severe COVID-19 illness, using a machine learning (ML) model. Six hundred and seventy two patients were enrolled for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia between February 2020 and May 2021. Steatosis was detected by ultrasound or computed tomography (CT). ML model valuated the risks of both in-hospital death and prolonged hospitalizations (> 28 days), considering MAFLD, blood hepatic profile (HP), and FIB-4 score. 49.6% had MAFLD. The accuracy in predicting in-hospital death was 0.709 for the HP alone and 0.721 for HP + FIB-4; in the 55–75 age subgroup, 0.842/0.855; in the MAFLD subgroup, 0.739/ 0.772; in the MAFLD 55–75 years, 0.825/0.833. Similar results were obtained when considering the accuracy in predicting prolonged hospitalization. In our cohort of COVID-19 patients, the presence of a worse HP and a higher FIB-4 correlated with a higher risk of death and prolonged hospitalization, regardless of the presence of MAFLD. These findings could improve the clinical risk stratification of patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.
Complement C3 Enhances LPS-Elicited Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Via the Mac1/NOX2 Pathway
Authors: Zhou Ran , Chen Shih-Heng , Zhao Zhan , Tu Dezhen , Song Sheng , Wang Yubao , Wang Qingshan , Feng Jing , Hong Jau-Shyong
Published: June 2023

Recent studies showed increased expression of complements in various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. However, the mechanism regulating the expression of complements and their roles in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration are unclear. We hypothesized that acute neuroinflammation increases the expression and activation of brain complements, which, in turn, participate in chronic neuroinflammation and progressive neurodegeneration. We initially focused on the complement component C3, because C3 can activate microglia by binding to C3 receptors and attaching to damaged neurons destined to be phagocytosed by microglia. We found that complement C3 is upregulated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated neuron/glial cultures. Mechanistic studies revealed that microglia-released proinflammatory factors initiated the enhanced expression of C3 in astroglia during acute neuroinflammation. On the other hand, the sustained C3 expression during chronic neuroinflammation requires releasing damage-associated molecule patterns (DAMPs) from damaged/degenerating brain cells. Our results suggested that DAMPs might act on microglial integrin receptor Mac1 to trigger the activation of NADPH oxidase (NOX2). Activated microglial NOX2 increases the production of extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), elevating the levels of intracellular ROS of astroglia and sustaining the astroglial C3 expression. This was supported by the findings showing reduced C3 expression and attenuated neurodegeneration in LPS-treated neuron/glial cultures prepared from mice deficient in Mac1 or NOX2. LPS-induced neurodegeneration and oxidative stress are significantly reduced in C3 KO neuron/glial cultures and mouse brains. Together, this study provides the first evidence demonstrating the role of C3 in regulating chronic neuroinflammation and in driving progressive neurodegeneration.
Prevalence and Impact of Revenge Pornography on a Sample of Portuguese Women
Authors: Murça Ana , Cunha Olga , Almeida Telma Catarina
Published: June 2023

Victims of revenge pornography (RP) suffer long-term psychological, personal, and social consequences, given that the spread of explicit content may continue to disturb them throughout their lives. However, there is a scarcity of studies on this phenomenon in Portugal. The present study aims to identify the prevalence of RP and analyze its impact on self-esteem, humiliation, depression, and anxiety, and compare victims and non-victims of RP on these same variables. The sample comprises 274 Portuguese women aged between 18 and 82. The data was collected through an online protocol consisting of a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Humiliation Inventory, and the Brief Symptoms Inventory. From the total sample, 45 (16.4%) participants reported at least one experience of RP. RP victims reported higher levels of humiliation, anxiety, and depression and lower levels of self-esteem than non-victims. However, only humiliation distinguished RP victims and non-victims. RP is a growing phenomenon enhanced by the intensified use of technology. Along with this phenomenon comes the impact on victims, which has long-term consequences. This study contributes to the scientific community since the scientific study of RP and its impact on victims is still incipient.
Barriers to Bystander Action in Sexual Violence in Guatemala: The Role of Rape Myth Acceptance
Authors: Lyons Minna , Brewer Gayle , Chopen Nikte , Davila Numa , Elías Dina , Gómez Lidia Danilova Rabanales , Velásquez Jennifer , García Glenda García
Published: June 2023

Understanding bystander barriers in sexual violence is an important step towards increasing knowledge on how to teach people to intervene safely. Although bystander behaviour has been widely studied especially in the US context, there is a dearth of research outside the Global North. In this study, we report results of an investigation in Guatemala, a Central American country with high levels of gender-based violence. In an online study, 1009 University students and staff completed adapted questionnaires on rape myth acceptance and bystander barriers. Correlational and regression analyses demonstrated that the rape myths ‘She asked for it’ and ‘It wasn’t rape’ were important predictors of multiple barriers (i.e., Failure to notice, Failure to identify situation as high risk, Failure to take intervention responsibility, Failure to intervene due to a skills deficit and Failure to intervene due to audience inhibition). We discuss the results in the context of Guatemalan culture and society.
The Intermediary Role of Women Workers for the Inclusion of Women Migrants SOGIESC: Between Recognition and Reflexivity
Authors: Mangone Emiliana , Masullo Giuseppe
Published: June 2023

The intermediary role of women workers in NGOs is very important when lesbian, bisexual and queer migrant women apply for international protection in immigration countries. They are more exposed to multiple forms of discrimination when experiencing the intersection of multiple elements of vulnerability (gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, social class, etc.). Applying the technique of narrative interviewing to women NGO workers in Italy, on the one hand, we will try to understand the role of intermediaries that these women assume in taking care of migrant women who are distinguished by Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) and, on the other, to understand whether these women’s activities constitute an opportunity to construct new gendered and sexual imaginaries to the extent that they themselves live a web of experiences that are in some ways similar to those of migrant women. Intermediation enables women workers to acquire a critical capacity with respect to their personal investment in the cause of SOGIESC persons and with respect to the procedure itself for obtaining international protection. Achieving this awareness allows women workers to suggest actions that, inspired by an intersectional perspective, are more appropriate in responding to the multiple vulnerabilities experienced by SOGIESC migrant women in the immigration society.
A generalization of unaimed fire Lanchester’s model in multi-battle warfare
Authors: Cangiotti N. , Capolli M. , Sensi M.
Published: June 2023

The classical Lanchester’s model is shortly reviewed and analysed, with particular attention to the critical issues that intrinsically arise from the mathematical formalization of the problem. We then generalize a particular version of such a model describing the dynamics of warfare when three or more armies are involved in the conflict. Several numerical simulations are provided.
Semiparametric Trend Analysis for Stratified Recurrent Gap Times Under Weak Comparability Constraint
Authors: Liu Peng , Huang Yijian , Chan Kwun Chuen Gary , Chen Ying Qing
Published: June 2023

Recurrent event data are frequently encountered in many longitudinal studies where each individual may experience more than one event. Wang and Chen (Biometrics 56(3):789–794, 2000) proposed a comparability constraint to estimate the time trend for the gap times, where the gap time pairs that satisfy the constraint have the same conditional distribution. However, the comparable paired gap times are also independent. Therefore, the comparable gap time pairs will be subject to a stronger constraint than needed for the estimation. Thus their procedure is subject to information loss. Under the accelerated failure time model, we propose a new comparability constraint that can overcome the drawback mentioned above. The gap time pairs being selected by the proposed comparability constraint will still have the same distribution, but they do not need to be independent of each other. We showed that the proposed comparability constraint will utilize more gap time data pairs than the strong comparability. And we showed via various simulation studies that the variance will be smaller than Wang and Chen’s (2000) estimator. We apply the proposed method to the HIV Prevention Trial Network 052 study.
Synthesis of Antibacterial Bioactive Compounds Using Linoleic Acid Extracted from Melon Seeds Oil and Evaluation of Its Waste Meal Ash for Fried Oil Regeneration
Authors: Soliman Hanaa M. , Abdel-Wahhab Mosaad A.
Published: June 2023

This work aimed to use linoleic acid extracted from melon seed oil for the development of biological compounds, and to use the ash of melon seed cake for fried oil treatment. Eight active compounds were developed using linoleic acid and the elucidation of their structure was established according to elemental analysis and spectral data. The developed compounds were tested for their antibacterial activity. The melon seed cake was carbonized for the treatment of fried oils. The melon seed oil was rich in linoleic acid (61.4%) and it contains several fatty acids including lauric, myristic, palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linolenic, arachidic, and paulinic in concentrations of 0.2%, 0.73%, 11.7%, 0.11%, 10.3%, 14.1%, 0.49%, 0.19%, and 0.1%, respectively. The extracted linoleic acid showed a high refractive index (1.471), iodine value (122.3 g I2/100 g), saponification (184.42 mg KOH/g), low peroxide value (3.9 meq/kg oil), polymer content (1.00%), polar contents (1.95%), and moisture content (42 g/kg). The melon seed ash was rich in several metals including magnesium (743.5 mg/kg), calcium (137 mg/kg), sodium (12.95 mg/kg), potassium (1040 mg/kg), chromium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, cadmium, and mercury in concentrations of 0.072, 40.88, 19.29, 3.334, 8.21, 0.005, 0.005 mg/kg, respectively, as well as arsenic (0.09 mg/kg), lead (0.044 mg/kg), phosphorus (1222 mg/kg) and selenium (0.13 mg/kg) which they improved the physic-chemical properties of fried oils. Linoleic acid was used for the development of 9 compounds with antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, the melon seed ash improved the chemical characteristic of used cotton and sunflower oils. Therefore, the linoleic acid extracted from melon seed oil is a promising source for the development of antibacterial agents and the leftover cake is promising for the production of adsorbent material suitable for fried oils treatment.

Graphical Abstract
Machine learning regression implementation for high-frequency seismic wave attenuation estimation in the Aswan Reservoir area, Egypt
Authors: Moustafa Sayed S. R. , Mohamed Gad-Elkareem A. , Elhadidy Mahmoud S. , Abdalzaher Mohamed S.
Published: June 2023

Attenuation characteristics have been estimated to understand the effect of the heterogeneity in the tectonically active Aswan Reservoir, the southern part of Egypt using data collected by a ten-station local seismological network operating across the reservoir. The quality factor was estimated from 350 waveform spectra of P- and S-waves from 50 earthquakes. By applying a spectral ratio technique to bandpass-filtered seismograms, obtained results show variations in both P-waves attenuation ($$Q_\alpha$$

Q
α

) and corresponding S-waves ($$Q_\beta$$

Q
β

) as a function of frequency, according to the power law $$Q=Q_0 \times f^n$$

Q
=

Q
0

×

f
n

, with n ranging between 0.85 and 1.19 for P-waves and between 0.92 and 1.18 for S-waves. A supervised machine learning algorithm known as Orthogonal distance regression was utilized to fit the attenuation power law functions. Estimates of $$Q_\alpha$$

Q
α

and $$Q_\beta$$

Q
β

show a clear dependence on frequency. The frequency-dependent attenuation is found to be $$Q_\alpha = (11.22 \pm 2.2) \times f^{(1.09 \pm 0.07)}$$

Q
α

=

(
11.22
±
2.2
)

×

f

(
1.09
±
0.07
)

and $$Q_\beta = (9.89 \pm 1.89) \times f^{(1.14 \pm 0.07)}$$

Q
β

=

(
9.89
±
1.89
)

×

f

(
1.14
±
0.07
)

for P- and S-waves, respectively. The average ratio $$Q_\alpha /Q_\beta$$

Q
α

/

Q
β

is higher than unity, which is commonly observed in tectonically active regions characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity of the crustal structure of the area. Final results indicate that seismic wave attenuation in the AHDR region is highly frequency-dependent. Moreover, estimated low values of $$Q_0$$

Q
0

clearly highlight the heterogeneity of the AHDR with considerably high seismic activity. These findings will be useful in any future assessment of seismic hazards and the damage pattern of earthquakes.
Training of Greek Public Administrators in Legal Knowledge Management by Using the Legislation Editing Open Software (LEOS)
Authors: Fitsilis Fotios , Papastylianou Anastasia
Published: June 2023

The article describes the evolution of an innovative legal interoperability laboratory within the National School of Public Administration and Local Government in Athens, Greece. While critically analysing its general scope, objectives and structure, the knowledge management perspective of an interoperable legal informatics solution for handling big open legal data is brought into focus. In the context of the laboratory, the use of Legislation Editing Open Software (LEOS), a legal informatics tool that has been developed as a European Union ISA2 solution, is highlighted. Different aspects of and lessons learned from the training of public administrators are discussed while assessing this operations support system for potential use as a web-based authoring tool by the Hellenic public service. The evaluation of both the laboratory and the tool was conducted based on expert surveys, and possible upgrades are discussed to make the training of public administration more efficient.
Effects of climate change on groundwater level variations affected by uncertainty (case study: Razan aquifer)
Authors: Fallahi Mohammad Moein , Shabanlou Saeid , Rajabi Ahmad , Yosefvand Fariborz , IzadBakhsh Mohammad Ali
Published: June 2023

In this research, the impact of the human factors and climate change on groundwater level fluctuations affected by uncertainty within 27-year upcoming period (2018–2045) in the Razan Plain is examined. To simulate the aquifer performance, the GMS model is calibrated and verified for two 18-month periods, respectively. To forecast climate variables changes in the future time-frame, six CMIP5 models with three scenarios Rcp 2.6, Rcp 4.5 and Rcp 8.5 are utilized. To study the prediction uncertainty of the climate change models, the method of probabilistic levels of precipitation and temperature changes were used. In this technique, by combining 6 climate change models and 3 mentioned scenarios for each month, 18 prediction values for ∆T and ∆P in upcoming years were approximated. After that, by implementing appropriate distribution for each month, next values of ∆T and ∆P in the probabilistic levels of 50% and 90% are estimated. Finally, in two probabilistic levels of 50% and 90% considering the uncertainty of general circulation models, the climate variables of precipitation and temperature were forecasted. Eventually, based on the probabilistic level technique and using the GMS model, the influence of the human factors and climate change on the groundwater level variations under these scenarios are determined. Results showed that climatic factors have a lesser contribution in reducing the groundwater level in the plain, and the largest contribution is related to human factors and excessive withdrawal from the aquifer. The contribution of climate change in the reduction of the groundwater level in probability scenarios of 0.9 and 0.5 and emission scenarios Rcp8.5, Rcp4.5 and Rcp2.6 is about 40.8, 24.3, 32.3, 27.6 and 22.2 percent respectively. Based on these results, the first priority for aquifer planning and management should be focused on human activities and controlling the amount of withdrawal from the aquifer. These results clearly show that the main cause of creating sinkholes and the sharp reduction of the groundwater level in the region is the excessive extraction of groundwater resources as a result of human activities, including agriculture and industrial demands, and not climate change.