bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations between urban birth or childhood trauma and first-episode schizophrenia mediated by low IQ
Authors: Xie Min , Zhao Zhengyang , Dai Minhan , Wu Yulu , Huang Yunqi , Liu Yunjia , Tang Yiguo , Xiao Liling , Wei Wei , Zhang Guangya , Du Xiangdong , Li Chuanwei , Guo Wanjun , Ma Xiaohong , Deng Wei , Wang Qiang , Li Tao
Published: October 2022

Exposure to urban birth, childhood trauma, and lower Intelligence Quotient (IQ) were the most well-established risk factors for schizophrenia in developed countries. In developing countries, whether urban birth is a risk factor for schizophrenia and how these factors are related to one another remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether IQ mediates the relationship between urban birth or childhood trauma and first-episode schizophrenia (FES) in China. Birthplace, childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ), and IQ were collected from 144 patients with FES and 256 healthy controls (HCs). Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the associations between birthplace, childhood trauma, IQ, and FES. Furthermore, mediation analysis was used to explore the mediation of IQ in the relationship between birthplace or childhood trauma and FES. After adjusting for age, sex and educational attainment, the final model identified urban birth (odds ratio (OR) = 3.15, 95% CI = 1.54, 6.44) and childhood trauma (OR = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.92, 4.06) were associated an elevated risk for FES. The 52.94% total effect of birthplace on the risk of FES could be offset by IQ (indirect effect/direct effect). The association between childhood trauma and FES could be partly explained by IQ (22.5%). In total, the mediation model explained 70.5% of the total variance in FES. Our study provides evidence that urban birth and childhood trauma are associated with an increased risk of FES. Furthermore, IQ mediates the relationship between urban birth or childhood trauma and FES.
Prognostic associations of cortical gyrification in minimally medicated schizophrenia in an early intervention setting
Authors: Yunzhi Pan , Chen Xudong , Chen Eric , Lee Edwin , Zhening Liu , Ouyang Xuan , Palaniyappan Lena
Published: October 2022

The aberration in cortical gyrification seen in schizophrenia likely originates in the earliest phase of life, as gyrification begins in utero and reaches its peak in infancy. However, emerging observations have indicated a later reduction in gyrification, especially in early adulthood, may also occur in schizophrenia. At present, it is unclear whether the baseline and later gyrification reduction has any prognostic importance in schizophrenia. We address this question in a longitudinal design in patients minimally medicated at inception. About 108 minimally medicated (duration of medication = <14 days of antipsychotics) patients and 106 healthy controls underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging, with 34 patients being selectively re-scanned when clinically stable following antipsychotic treatment. The cortical surface from each structural image was reconstructed, and the local gyrification index and cortical thickness were computed for each vertex on the surface. We found minimally medicated schizophrenia patients during the first episode had a relatively higher gyrification in bilateral supramarginal, left superior temporal, and right posterior cingulate and paracentral regions. However, poor prognostic features were more likely in patients with lower baseline gyrification. Longitudinal reductions in left superior parietal and right precentral gyrification were associated with lower improvements in both positive and negative symptoms over time. The spatial pattern of longitudinal changes in gyrification was distinct from the changes in cortical thickness. These results indicated that schizophrenia is characterized by a relative hypergyrification in parieto-temporal and medial cortical areas at a group level at first presentation, but poor outcomes relate to lower-gyrification elsewhere both at the onset and during the early course. The early post-onset reduction of gyrification is rather limited in space and magnitude, but occurs unrelated to the progressive thinning, representing a distinct, prognostically important structural trajectory.
Impaired dynamic functional brain properties and their relationship to symptoms in never treated first-episode patients with schizophrenia
Authors: You Wanfang , Luo Lekai , Yao Li , Zhao Youjin , Li Qian , Wang Yuxia , Wang Yaxuan , Zhang Qian , Long Fenghua , Sweeney John A. , Gong Qiyong , Li Fei
Published: October 2022

Studies of dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) and topology can provide novel insights into the neurophysiology of brain dysfunction in schizophrenia and its relation to core symptoms of psychosis. Limited investigations of these disturbances have been conducted with never-treated first-episode patients to avoid the confounds of treatment or chronic illness. Therefore, we recruited 95 acutely ill, first-episode, never-treated patients with schizophrenia and examined brain dFC patterns relative to healthy controls using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and a sliding-window approach. We compared the dynamic attributes at the group level and found patients spent more time in a hypoconnected state and correspondingly less time in a hyperconnected state. Patients demonstrated decreased dynamics of nodal efficiency and eigenvector centrality (EC) in the right medial prefrontal cortex, which was associated with psychosis severity reflected in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale ratings. We also observed increased dynamics of EC in temporal and sensorimotor regions. These findings were supported by validation analysis. To supplement the group comparison analyses, a support vector classifier was used to identify the dynamic attributes that best distinguished patients from controls at the individual level. Selected features for case-control classification were highly coincident with the properties having significant between-group differences. Our findings provide novel neuroimaging evidence about dynamic characteristics of brain physiology in acute schizophrenia. The clinically relevant atypical pattern of dynamic shifting between brain states in schizophrenia may represent a critical aspect of illness pathophysiology underpinning its defining cognitive, behavioral, and affective features.
The trophic niche of subterranean populations of Speleomantes italicus
Authors: Lunghi Enrico , Cianferoni Fabio , Corti Claudia , Zhao Yahui , Manenti Raoul , Ficetola Gentile Francesco , Mancinelli Giorgio
Published: October 2022

The determination of a species trophic niche can clarify its functional role within a food web and how prey resources are used in relation with the spatial and temporal variability of environmental conditions. This information may result particularly useful for the implementation of conservation plans of endangered species having a cryptic behaviour or living in places difficult to be surveyed. Here we present the first long-term study on the trophic niche of the Italian cave salamanderSpeleomantes italicus, a strictly protected facultative cave species that seasonally exploits surface environments (e.g., forested areas) as well as both natural and artificial subterranean environments. We analysed the diet variation of six populations ofS. italicusinhabiting natural caves, surveyed 24 times in a full year. During the surveys, all sampled individuals were subjected to stomach flushing and the ingested prey were identified and enumerated; furthermore, salamanders’ body condition was also evaluated. The results of the analyses provided the first comprehensive, year-round assessment of the diet for aSpeleomantesspecies. Remarkable divergences in terms of trophic niche and body condition were observed between the studied populations. We found a discrepancy in the foraging activity of the populations located in different areas; specifically, the individuals that experienced sub-optimal microclimatic conditions poorly performed in foraging. Furthermore, we found temporal and spatial variability in the body condition of individuals. Our study highlighted a remarkably high spatial and temporal divergence in the trophic habits of conspecific populations, a feature that may represent one of the major factors promoting the variability of multiple population traits.
Prognostic significance of systemic inflammatory response markers in patients with superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinomas
Authors: Chen Chi-Jen , Lee Ching-Tai , Tsai Ying-Nan , Tseng Chao-Ming , Chen Tzu-Haw , Hsu Ming-Hung , Wang Chih-Chun , Wang Wen-Lun
Published: October 2022

Endoscopic resection or esophagectomy has becoming the standard treatment for superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (SESCC), but some patients may develop disease progression or second primary cancers after the therapies. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) reflect the balance between pro-cancer inflammatory and anti-cancer immune responses, however their roles in SESCC are still unknown. We consecutively enrolled patients with newly diagnosed SESCC (clinical stage Tis or T1N0M0) who were treated at our institute. Pre-treatment NLR, LMR and PLR were assessed and then correlated with clinical factors and long-term survival. A total of 156 patients were enrolled (152 males, 4 females; median age: 52.2 years), of whom 104 received endoscopic resection and 52 were treated with esophagectomy or chemoradiation.. During a mean follow-up period of 60.1 months, seventeen patients died of ESCCs, and 45 died of second primary cancers. The 5-year ESCC-specific survival and 5-year overall survival rate were 86% and 57%, respectively. LMR (P < 0.05) and NLR (P < 0.05), but not PLR were significantly correlated with overall survival. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed optimal LMR and NLR cut-off values of 4 and 2.5, respectively, to predict a poor prognosis. Patients with a high NLR or low LMR tended to have longer tumor length, larger circumferential extension, and presence of second primary cancers. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that presence of second primary cancers (HR: 5.05, 95%CI: 2.75–9.28), low LMR (HR: 2.56, 95%CI: 1.09–6.03) were independent risk factors for poor survival. A low pre-treatment LMR may be a non-invasive pretreatment predictor of poor prognosis to guide the surveillance program, suggesting that anti-cancer immunity may play a role in the early events of esophageal squamous cancer.
Photocatalytic aerobic oxidative functionalization (PAOF) reaction of benzyl alcohols by GO-MIL-100(Fe) composite in glycerol/K2CO3 deep eutectic solvent
Authors: Abbasi Sepideh , Naimi-Jamal Mohammad Reza , Javanshir Shahrzad , Heydari Akbar
Published: October 2022

An MIL-100 (Fe)/graphene oxide (GO) hybrid, a fairly-known composite, was made through a simple one-step procedure and played a highlighted role in the photo-induced oxidative functionalization of the benzylic C–H bond. To identify the given binary composite, various techniques were applied: FT-IR, P-XRD, SEM, nitrogen absorption–desorption analysis, TGA, TEM, and UV–Visible DRS spectra. Proportions of GO used within the structure of the prepared composite differently ranged from low to high amount, and the most optimized ratio met at 38.5% of GO as the most efficient catalyst. Additionally, the reaction ran in Glycerol/K2CO3 (2:1) as the optimal solvent. The elemental roles of O2·− and OH− were supposed to be the major ones for running a tandem oxidation-Knoevenagel reaction. The heterogeneity and reusability of the catalyst were also examined and confirmed after five successive runs.
Analog and RF performance optimization for gate all around tunnel FET using broken-gap material
Authors: Kumar Pankaj , Koley Kalyan , Mech Bhubon C. , Maurya Ashish , Kumar Subindu
Published: October 2022

Many times, the fabricated cylindrical gate-all-around tunnel FET (GAA TFET) has an uneven radius due to several etching and deposition processes involved while fabricating the device, which show notable variations in the performance of the device. In this report, III–V uneven GAA TFET is studied by considering the uneven radius as elliptical in shape for all possible variations, which shows a significant impact on analog and RF figure of merits (FOMs). The performance of the optimized devices is compared with their circular structure and with their maximum deviation in elliptical geometry for all possible variations in device channel and gate oxide. The variations in its device channel and gate oxide have shown a significant impact on the performance of the device. The analog and RF FOMs are studied, including the transconductance generation factor (gm/IDS), intrinsic gain (gmRO), capacitances (CGS, CGD), cut-off frequency (fT), and gate delay (τm).
Coupling phenotypic changes to extinction and survival in an endemic prey community threatened by an invasive snake
Authors: Piquet Julien C. , Maestresalas Borja , López-Darias Marta
Published: October 2022

When facing novel invasive predators, native prey can either go extinct or survive through exaptation or phenotypic shifts (either plastic or adaptive). Native prey can also reflect stress-mediated responses against invasive predators, affecting their body condition. Although multiple native prey are likely to present both types of responses against a single invader, community-level studies are infrequent. The invasive California kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae) a good example to explore invasive predators’ effects on morphology and body condition at a community level, as this invader is known to locally extinct the Gran Canaria giant lizard (Gallotia stehlini) and to notably reduce the numbers of the Gran Canaria skink (Chalcides sexlineatus) and the Boettger’s gecko (Tarentola boettgeri). By comparing a set of morphological traits and body condition (i.e. body index and ectoparasite load) between invaded and uninvaded areas for the three squamates, we found clear evidence of a link between a lack of phenotypic change and extinction, asG. stehliniwas the single native prey that did not show morphological shifts. On the other side, survivingC. sexlineatusandT. boettgeriexhibited phenotypic differences in several morphological traits that could reflect plastic responses that contribute to their capacity to cope with the snake. Body condition responses varied among species, indicating the potential existence of simultaneous consumptive and non-consumptive effects at a community level. Our study further highlights the importance addressing the impact of invasive predators from a community perspective in order to gain a deeper understanding of their effect in native ecosystems.
Quasi-experimental analysis of new mining developments as a driver of deforestation in Zambia
Authors: Morley Jonathan , Buchanan Graeme , Mitchard Edward T. A. , Keane Aidan
Published: October 2022

Mining is a vital part of the global, and many national, economies. Mining also has the potential to drive extensive land cover change, including deforestation, with impacts reaching far from the mine itself. Understanding the amount of deforestation associated with mining is important for conservationists, governments, mining companies, and consumers, yet accurate quantification is rare. We applied statistical matching, a quasi-experimental methodology, along with Bayesian hierarchical generalized linear models to assess the impact on deforestation of new mining developments in Zambia from 2000 to present. Zambia is a globally significant producer of minerals and mining contributes ~ 10% of its gross domestic product and ~ 77% of its exports. Despite extensive deforestation in mining impacted land, we found no evidence that any of the 22 mines we analysed increased deforestation compared with matched control sites. The extent forest lost was therefore no different than would likely have happened without the mines being present due to other drivers of deforestation in Zambia. This suggests previous assessments based on correlative methodologies may overestimate the deforestation impact of mining. However, mining can have a range of impacts on society, biodiversity, and the local environment that are not captured by our analysis.
Two-year outcomes of the APOLLON observational study of intravitreal aflibercept monotherapy in France in patients with diabetic macular edema
Authors: Korobelnik Jean-François , Daien Vincent , Faure Céline , Tadayoni Ramin , Giocanti-Aurégan Audrey , Dot Corinne , Kodjikian Laurent , Massin Pascale ,   the APOLLON study investigators, Faure Céline , Tadayoni Ramin , Giocanti-Aurégan Audrey , Dot Corinne , Kodjikian Laurent , Massin Pascale , Abada Samir , Akesbi Jad , Akninb Isabelle , Alfonsi Nicolas , Allieu Sandrine , Arndt Carl , Atmani Karim , Baillif Stephanie , Benouaich Xavier , Benzerroug Mounir , Béral Laurence , Bodaghi Barham , Bonicel Pierre , Bourhis Alexandre , Cartry Guilhem , Chiambaretta Frédéric , Chiquet Christophe , Creuzot-Garcher Catherine , Darugar Adil , De Bats Flore , Delyfer Marie-Noelle , Di Nolfo Michel , Dominguez Marcel , Dugas Brice , Genevois Olivier , Guyomarch Jérôme , Halfon Jérémie , Hera Ruxandra , Jankowski Olivier , Klinger Valérie , Koch Edouard , Laib Soumia , Le Lez Marie-Laure , Lebreton Olivier , Lecleire-Collet Amélie , Marc Caroline , Margescu Victor , Mauget-Faÿsse Martine , Milazzo Solange , Montcriol Anne-Lise , Nefzaoui Chaker , Oubraham Hassiba , Plavosin Paul , Rebollo Olivier , Ribstein Gilles , Righini Maud , Rothschild Pierre-Raphaël , Rumen Franck , Rysanek Boris , Saleh Maher , Sampo Magali , Schauer Philippe , Scheer Sarah , Theron Jean-Philippe , Zerbib Jennyfer
Published: October 2022

APOLLON (NCT02924311) was a prospective observational study to evaluate the effectiveness of intravitreal aflibercept (IVT-AFL) treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) over 24 months in routine clinical practice in France. The primary endpoint was mean change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA; Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters) by 12 months, and safety was monitored throughout the study. Of 402 patients enrolled across 61 participating clinics and hospitals in France, 168 patients were followed for at least 24 months and included in the effectiveness analyses (79 treatment-naïve and 89 previously treated). After 24 months of IVT-AFL treatment, the mean (± standard deviation [SD]) change in BCVA from baseline was + 6.5 (± 10.7) letters in treatment-naïve patients (p < 0.001) and + 1.6 (± 17.0) letters in previously treated patients (p = 0.415) from a baseline of 63.8 (± 13.6) and 60.5 (± 16.5) letters. The mean number of IVT-AFL treatments over 24 months was 11.3 (± 4.9) and 11.9 (± 4.7) for treatment-naïve and previously treated patients. This final analysis of the APOLLON study indicated that following 24 months of IVT-AFL treatment in routine clinical practice in France, treatment-naïve patients with DME achieved significant gains in visual acuity and previously treated patients maintained prior visual acuity gains.

Trial registration number: NCT02924311.
Natural attenuation processes control groundwater contamination in the Chernobyl exclusion zone: evidence from 35 years of radiological monitoring
Authors: Bugai Dmitri , Kireev Sergey , Hoque Mohammad A. , Kubko Yuri , Smith Jim
Published: October 2022

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) contains the vast majority of radionuclides released by the accident in nuclear fuel particle form. We present and analyze groundwater measurements collected from the monitoring network in CEZ covering key aquifers over 35 years since the accident. These new data, together with a comprehensive analysis of historical data shows that 90Sr remains mobile in the subsurface environment, while groundwater concentrations of 137Cs, Pu isotopes and 241Am are relatively low, and are not of radiological concern. During the last two decades, 90Sr and 137Cs levels have declined or remained stable over time in the majority of monitoring locations. This is due to natural attenuation driven by gradual exhaustion of the fuel particle source, geochemical evolution of groundwater downstream from waste dumps and radionuclide retention in surface soil due to absorption and bio-cycling. Decommissioning of the cooling pond and construction of the ‘New safe confinement’ over Unit 4 (damaged reactor) also favored better protection of groundwater close to the Chernobyl plant site. Data from confined and unconfined aquifers, as well as rivers, evidence low radiological risks from groundwater contamination both outside the CEZ and to onsite “self-settlers”. Though several groundwater contamination “hot spots” remain in the vicinity of Unit 4, “Red Forest” waste trenches and surface water bodies with contaminated bottom sediments, the findings of this study support a monitored natural attenuation approach to groundwater management in the CEZ.
Interpretable predictive model for shield attitude control performance based on XGboost and SHAP
Authors: Hu Min , Zhang Haolan , Wu Bingjian , Li Gang , Zhou Li
Published: October 2022

The sudden decline in the attitude control performance is a common abnormal situation during shield tunneling. When the problem happens, the shield driver will have difficulty controlling the shield's attitude, which will cause the shield to deviate from its design axis and affect the quality of the tunnel. The causes behind poor control performance are usually complicated, so how to choose appropriate countermeasures is a challenging problem. Based on the above issues, this paper proposes the Interpretable Predictive Model for Shield attitude Control Performance (IPM_SCP). The model first predicts the current shield control performance through the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) sub-model and then uses the Shapley additive explanation sub-model to interpret the model output. The model was tested on the left-line tunnel of the Hangzhou–Shaoxing railway project in the Ke-Feng section. The results reveal that the model could effectively predict the control performance of the shield and give the most influential parameter and the direction in adjusting the parameter to improve the shield's attitude control performance when the control performance decreases. Therefore, IPM_SCP gives the correct parameter adjustment instructions when the shield’s attitude control performance declines, and eventually improves tunnel construction quality and efficiency.
Compressible unsteady steam flow and heat transport analysis: a numerical investigation
Authors: Hussain Azad , Arsaln Muhammad , Rehman Aysha , Alharbi Fahad M. , Akkurt Nevzat , Eldin Sayed M. , Althobaiti Saad
Published: October 2022

The unsteady compressible steam laminar flow associated with heat transfer in fluids in a squared cylinder is examined in this work. The current challenge was created utilizing the CFD approach. The laminar flow is chosen with a low Mach number. With the geometric wall, the flow has a no-slip condition. The pressure on the flow is kept at 0 pas, and the temperature in the flow regime is 305.13. A 0.5 m/s velocity is used to start the flow. With the use of graphics, the effects of time on velocity and pressure distributions are discussed. Different outcomes are also mentioned, such as drag coefficients, lift coefficients, and heat distributions. The velocity drops from 2.5 to 1.6 m/s at t = 7 s in the absence of anybody's force and temperature 305.13 K. Pressure increases from 0.00098 to 0.001 Pas in the flow interval of 10 s. Surface temperature increases from 360 to 375 K in time intervals of 10 s keeping pressure constant. And contour temperature increases from 371.56 to 374.2 K in time intervals of 10 s keeping the pressure constant. This information provides us with caution about the emission of steam from the chimneys of furnaces. It implies that when steam flows from a cylindrical geometry like chimneys of furnaces it heats the upper inner and outer parts which may destroy the material. So for safety, that emission should be taken for a short interval of time otherwise it will result in a havoc process. The lift coefficient remains constant and the drag coefficient increases from 0.0005 to 0.065. Under that condition, fluid has to face more resistance. To overcome that difficulty fluid should be provided with high velocity to continue it for a long time. The technique used to solve modeled problems is the Backward Difference Formula.
Breeding and migration performance metrics highlight challenges for White-naped Cranes
Authors: Galtbalt Batbayar , Natsagdorj Tseveenmyadag , Sukhbaatar Tuvshintugs , Mirande Claire , Archibald George , Batbayar Nyambayar , Klaassen Marcel
Published: October 2022

Globally, habitat loss has been deemed a major threat to wetland bird populations. However, the underlying mechanism of population declines and variations in the birds’ vulnerability throughout their annual cycle is challenging to determine, yet critical for development of targeted conservation strategies. Over seven years, landscape water availability explained occupancy of breeding territories best when breeding performance, migratory performance, and annual survival of the White-naped Crane (Grus vipio) population in eastern Mongolia were studied. Also, the hatching success of eggs was positively correlated with water availability in addition to plant productivity. High ambient temperatures and large numbers of herder families (and hence more livestock) negatively affected hatching success. High water availability at Luan, a major stopover site increased migration speed during the cranes’ northbound migration to their breeding grounds. In contrast, when water conditions were favorable, the birds stayed longer at the stopover site during southbound migration. Increased human density reduced the use of the stopover site during northbound migration. Finally, cranes arrived early at the breeding grounds when ambient temperature was high in northeast Mongolia. Combining these findings with historical trends in key environmental factors on their breeding grounds explains the general decline observed in this population of cranes in recent decades. Extrapolating our findings with future climate predictions, the outlook seems poor unless urgent action is taken. Knowledge of the mechanisms underlying White-naped Crane population decline in eastern Mongolia identified in this paper should improve the effectiveness of these actions.
A taxonomy of Chinese hospitals and application to medical dispute resolutions
Authors: Wang Mengxiao , Zhao Hanqing , Tang Chengxiang , Sun Yu , Liu Gordon G.
Published: October 2022

Medical disputes can be viewed as a negative indicator of health care quality and patient satisfaction. However, dispute prevention from the perspective of systematic supervision is unexplored. This study examines hospital clustering based on diagnosis-related group (DRG) indicators and explores the association between hospital clusters and medical disputes. Health administrative data from Sichuan Province in 2017 were used. A twostep cluster analysis was performed to cluster hospitals based on DRG indicators. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between clusters and the incidence/number of medical disputes. The 1660 hospitals were grouped into three DRG clusters: basic (62.5%, n = 1038), diverse (31.0%, n = 515), and lengthy (6.4%, n = 107). After adjusting for covariates, the diverse hospitals were associated with an increased probability of having medical disputes (OR 5.24, 95% CI 2.97–9.26), while the diverse and lengthy hospitals were associated with a greater number of medical disputes (IRR 10.67, 95% CI 6.58–17.32; IRR 4.06, 95% CI 1.22–13.54). Our findings highlighted that the cluster-level performance of hospitals can be monitored. Future studies could examine this relationship using a longitudinal design and explore ways to reduce medical disputes in hospitals.
Gender motivational gap and contribution of different teaching approaches to female students’ motivation to learn physics
Authors: Radulović Branka , Županec Vera , Stojanović Maja , Budić Spomenka
Published: October 2022

This research focuses on potential gender differences in motivation to learn Physics with the aim to determine the weakest female motivational components to learn Physics and the contribution of different teaching approaches (using real and virtual experiments) on those components and motivation for learning Physics in general. These two approaches were chosen as the most commonly used approaches in physics but without clear compared indication on females’ motivation. The standardized questionnaire SMTSL (Student’s Motivation towards Science Learning) is used for the measurements. The results show that for female students the weakest motivational components to learn Physics are the importance of Physics as a science and self-efficacy. Virtual experiments contribute more to females’ motivation to learn Physics than applying real experiments. The female students who used real experiments show fear of being laughed at by their male peers and express doubt in their self-knowledge. Although the applied approaches cause some improvements in female students’ self-efficacy, they are not statistically significant. Research results suggest that teachers need to apply such teaching approaches that engage girls and encourage their learning and development in order to improve their self-efficacy and other motivational components.
The use of Andrographis paniculata and its effects on liver biochemistry of patients with gastrointestinal problems in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross sectional study
Authors: Kaewdech Apichat , Nawalerspanya Siwanon , Assawasuwannakit Suraphon , Chamroonkul Naichaya , Jandee Sawangpong , Sripongpun Pimsiri
Published: October 2022

In the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare facility supply and access are limited. There was an announcement promoting Andrographis paniculata (ADG) use for treatment of mild COVID-19 patients in Thailand, but misconception of taking for prevention might occur. Moreover, the effect of ADG on liver function test (LFT) has not been established. To study the ADG use and effect on LFT in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) problems, conducted a cross-sectional study including GI patients who voluntarily filled the ADG questionnaire in Aug–Sep 2021. LFT data at that visit and at the prior visit (if available) were obtained. The changes in LFT within the same person were analyzed and compared between patients with and without ADG consumption. During the study period, a total of 810 patients completed the survey, 168 patients (20.7%) took ADG within the past month. LFT data were available in 485 (59.9%) patients, the median alanine aminotransferase (ALT)  change compared with the prior visit was higher in the ADG vs control group (+ 2 vs 0, p = 0.029), and 44.5% had increased ALT (> 3 U/L) vs 32.2% in the ADG and control group, respectively (p = 0.018). Factors independently associated with an increased ALT, from a multivariable logistic regression, were ADG exposure (adjusted OR 1.62, p = 0.042), and patients with NAFLD who gained weight (adjusted OR 2.37, p = 0.046). In conclusion, one-fifth of GI patients recently took ADG, even it is not recommended for COVID-19 prevention. Those who took ADG are more likely to experience an increased ALT than who did not. The potential risk of ADG consumption on liver function should be further assessed.
Gene family expansions in Antarctic winged midge as a strategy for adaptation to cold environments
Authors: Kim Heesoo , Kim Han-Woo , Lee Jun Hyuck , Park Joonho , Lee Hyoungseok , Kim Sanghee , Shin Seung Chul
Published: October 2022

Parochlus steinenii is the only flying insect native to Antarctica. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying its adaptation to cold environments, we conducted comparative genomic analyses of P. steinenii and closely related lineages. In an analysis of gene family evolution, 68 rapidly evolving gene families, involved in the innate immune system, unfolded protein response, DNA packaging, protein folding, and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis were detected. Some gene families were P. steinenii-specific and showed phylogenetic instability. Acyl-CoA delta desaturase and heat shock cognate protein 70 (Hsc70) were representative gene families, showing signatures of positive selection with multiple gene duplication events. Acyl-CoA delta desaturases may play pivotal roles in membrane fluidity, and expanded Hsc70 genes may function as chaperones or thermal sensors in cold environments. These findings suggest that multiple gene family expansions contributed to the adaptation of P. steinenii to cold environments.
Oligodendroglia are emerging players in several forms of learning and memory
Authors: Munyeshyaka Maxime , Fields R. Douglas
Published: October 2022

Synaptic plasticity is the fundamental cellular mechanism of learning and memory, but recent research reveals that myelin-forming glia, oligodendrocytes (OL), are also involved. They contribute in ways that synaptic plasticity cannot, and the findings have not been integrated into the established conceptual framework used in the field of learning and memory. OLs and their progenitors are involved in long-term memory, memory consolidation, working memory, and recall in associative learning. They also contribute to short-term memory and non-associative learning by affecting synaptic transmission, intrinsic excitability of axons, and neural oscillations. Oligodendroglial involvement expands the field beyond synaptic plasticity to system-wide network function, where precise spike time arrival and neural oscillations are critical in information processing, storage, and retrieval.
Loss of E-cadherin is causal to pathologic changes in chronic lung disease
Authors: Ghosh Baishakhi , Loube Jeffrey , Thapa Shreeti , Ryan Hurley , Capodanno Erin , Chen Daniel , Swaby Carter , Chen Si , Mahmud Saborny , Girgis Mirit , Nishida Kristine , Ying Linyan , Chengala Pratulya Pragadaraju , Tieng Ethan , Burnim Michael , Wally Ara , Bhowmik Debarshi , Zaykaner Michael , Yeung-Luk Bonnie , Mitzner Wayne , Biswal Shyam , Sidhaye Venkataramana K.
Published: October 2022

Epithelial cells line the lung mucosal surface and are the first line of defense against toxic exposures to environmental insults, and their integrity is critical to lung health. An early finding in the lung epithelium of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the loss of a key component of the adherens junction protein called E-cadherin. The cause of this decrease is not known and could be due to luminal insults or structural changes in the small airways. Irrespective, it is unknown whether the loss of E-cadherin is a marker or a driver of disease. Here we report that loss of E-cadherin is causal to the development of chronic lung disease. Using cell-type-specific promoters, we find that knockout of E-cadherin in alveolar epithelial type II but not type 1 cells in adult mouse models results in airspace enlargement. Furthermore, the knockout of E-cadherin in airway ciliated cells, but not club cells, increase airway hyperreactivity. We demonstrate that strategies to upregulate E-cadherin rescue monolayer integrity and serve as a potential therapeutic target.
Manipulations of phenylnorbornyl palladium species for multicomponent construction of a bridged polycyclic privileged scaffold
Authors: Yin Lina , Guan Ting , Cheng Jie , Pan Dongchao , Lu Jinyang , Huang Jiahui , Wu Jiaqi , Chen Xiaoli , You Taiyun , Huo Xuting , He Yuting , Pang Jiayun , Hu Qingzhong
Published: October 2022

Hexahydromethanocarbazole is a privileged scaffold in the discovery of new drugs and photoactive organic materials due to its good balance between structural complexity and minimized entropy penalty upon receptor binding. To address the difficulty of synthesizing this highly desirable bridged polycyclic scaffold, we designed a convenient multicomponent reaction cascade as intercepted Heck addition/C-H activation/C-palladacycle formation/electrophilic attack of ANP/N-palladacycle formation/Buchwald amination. A distinguishing feature of this sophisticated strategy is the successive generation of two key phenylnorbornyl palladium species to control the reaction flow towards desired products. DFT calculations further reveal the crucial roles of Cs2CO3 and 5,6-diester substitutions on the norbornene reactant in preventing multiple side-reactions. This innovative method exhibits a broad scope with good yields, and therefore will enable the construction of natural-product-like compound libraries based on hexahydromethanocarbazole.
Mafic magma feeds degassing unrest at Vulcano Island, Italy
Authors: Aiuppa Alessandro , Bitetto Marcello , Calabrese Sergio , Delle Donne Dario , Lages Joao , La Monica Francesco Paolo , Chiodini Giovanni , Tamburello Giancarlo , Cotterill Adam , Fulignati Paolo , Gioncada Anna , Liu Emma J. , Moretti Roberto , Pistolesi Marco
Published: October 2022

The benign fuming activity of dormant volcanoes is punctuated by phases of escalating degassing activity that, on some occasions, ultimately prelude to eruption. However, understanding the drivers of such unrest is complicated by complex interplay between magmatic and hydrothermal processes. Some of the most comprehensively characterised degassing unrest have recently been observed at La Fossa cone on Vulcano Island, but whether or not these episodes involve new, volatile-rich ascending magma remains debated. Here, we use volcanic gas measurements, in combination with melt inclusion information, to propose that heightened sulphur dioxide flux during the intense fall 2021 La Fossa unrest is sourced by degassing of volatile-rich mafic magma. Calculations using a numerical model indicate observations are consistent with the unrest being triggered by the emplacement of ∼3·106m3of mafic magma at ∼4–5 km depth. Degassing of mafic magma is argued as a recurrent driver of unrest at dormant volcanoes worldwide.
Characterization and modeling of partial-thickness cutaneous injury from debris-simulating kinetic projectiles
Authors: Berkey Christopher A. , Elsafty Omar , Riggs Montanna M. , Dauskardt Reinhold H.
Published: October 2022

Partial-thickness cutaneous injuries distributed over exposed body locations, such as the face and extremities, pose a significant risk of infection, function loss, and extensive scarring. These injuries commonly result from impact of kinetic debris from industrial accidents or blast weaponry such as improvised explosive devices. However, the quantitative connections between partial-thickness injuries and debris attributes (kinetic energy, shape, orientation, etc.) remain unknown, with little means to predict damage processes or design protection. Here we quantitatively characterize damage in near-live human skin after impact by debris-simulating kinetic projectiles at differing impact angles and energies. Impact events are monitored using high-speed and quantitative imaging to visualize skin injuries. These findings are utilized to develop a highly predictive, dynamic computational skin-injury model. Results provide quantitative insights revealing how the dermal-epidermal junction controls more severe wound processes. Findings can illuminate expected wound severity and morbidity risks to inform clinical treatment, and assess effectiveness of emerging personal protective equipment.
In-depth evaluation of automated non-contact reflectance-based hematocrit prediction of dried blood spots
Authors: Boffel Laura , Heughebaert Liesl , Lambrecht Stijn , Luginbühl Marc , Stove Christophe P.
Published: October 2022

Using the automated CAMAG®DBS-MS 500 HCT system, a UV-Vis-based hematocrit prediction calibration model was succesfully set up and applied on both an independent instrument and an independent set of venous DBS samples.
Design, synthesis and evaluation of 1-(1,5-bis(4-substituted phenyl)-2-methyl-1H-pyrrol-3-yl)-N-methylmethanamines as SERT inhibitors with potential antidepressant action
Authors: Wunnava Anjani Uma Rani , Kurati Sony Priya , Eswar Kumar Kilari , Muthyala Murali Krishna Kumar
Published: October 2022

Identification of SERT inhibition and antidepressant activity in diarylpyrrolemethylamines.
Preparation and properties of multifunctional phenoxyacetate-based ionic liquids and their application in citrus bacteriostatic preservation
Authors: Zhou Yifei , Wang Qiuxiao , Wang Tao , Gao Haixiang
Published: October 2022

The synthesized phenoxyacetate-based ionic liquids exhibit excellent antimicrobial and citrus preservable activity depending on the structure of the cation.
Nickel-catalyzed cascade hydrosilylation/cyclization of 1,7-enynes leading to silyl-containing quinolinones
Authors: Jin Zhou , Cai Yun , Wang Zhengwen , Jin Hongwei , Liu Yunkui , Zhou Bingwei
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we disclose a nickel-catalyzed cascade hydrosilylation/cyclization reaction of 1,7-enynes with bulky silanes. The reaction features excellent chemoselectivity, broad functional group tolerance, and mild reaction conditions.
Retracted: Development of intrusion detection system using machine learning for the analytics of Internet of Things enabled enterprises
Authors: S. Raghavendra , Dhabliya Dharmesh , Mondal Dipannita , Omarov Batyrkhan , Sankaran Krishnan Sakthidasan , Dhablia Anishkumar , Chaudhury Sushovan , Shabaz Mohammad
Published: October 2022

The above article from IET Communications, published online on 28 October 2022 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the Interim Editor‐in‐Chief, Jian Ren, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (the IET) and John Wiley and Sons Ltd. This article was published as part of a Guest Edited special issue. Following an investigation, the IET and the journal have determined that the article was not reviewed in line with the journal's peer review standards and there is evidence that the peer review process of the special issue underwent systematic manipulation. Accordingly, we cannot vouch for the integrity or reliability of the content. As such we have taken the decision to retract the article. The authors have been informed of the decision to retract.
Minimum leader selection for controllability of undirected graphs with leader–follower framework
Authors: Dai Li
Published: October 2022

Researchers are paying increased attention to the controllability of undirected networks owing to their broad scope of application. This paper addresses the optimization problem of the minimum set of leaders for the controllability of undirected graphs. Existing results show that this is a challenging problem. It is difficult to find not only its optimal solution but also its approximate algorithm. A new concept is proposed, namely minimal perfect critical set (MPCS), to obtain an optimal solution with high probability from a purely graph‐theoretic perspective. Some properties are presented and based on these theorems, the problem of the minimum set of leaders of two typical self‐similar bipartite networks, namely deterministic scale‐free networks (DSFN) and Cayley trees, is solved completely.
An unsupervised multi‐focus image fusion method based on Transformer and U‐Net
Authors: Jin Xin , Xi Xiuliang , Zhou Ding , Ren Xiaoxuan , Yang Jie , Jiang Qian
Published: October 2022

This work presents a multi‐focus image fusion method based on Transformer and U‐Net with an unsupervised training fashion. In this work, the authors introduce Transformer into image fusion because it has great ability to capture the global dependencies and low‐frequency features. In image processing, convolutional neural network (CNN) has good performance of detailed feature extraction but a weakness for global feature extraction, and Transformer has limited power in local or detailed information extraction but a strong capacity for global feature extraction. Thus, this work combines the advantages of CNN and Transformer to propose an unsupervised decision map making model for image fusion joint U‐Net. The authors construct a model including feature extraction and feature reconstruction modules which correspond to the encoder and decoder network of U‐Net, respectively. In addition, perceptual loss is introduced on the basis of structural similarity loss because the combination of these two loss functions can achieve better performance with lower training cost. Experiments show that the proposed image fusion method performs better fusion performance compared with the existing methods.
Incremental equilibrium assignment and applications to traffic network model
Authors: Sun Chao , Jing Haodong , Chen Taolüe , Li Menghui , Zhang Peng
Published: October 2022

To find a traffic assignment algorithm that is less complex than the current algorithms in terms of both methodology and implementation, the route‐based incremental equilibrium assignment (IEA) method is proposed. The IEA method iteratively performs incremental assignment and new origin‐destination (O‐D) demand extraction, where the new O‐D demand is obtained by aggregating the traffic flows from the routes whose travel times are greater than the shortest travel time. By extending the IEA method, the incremental stochastic user equilibrium and reliability‐based user equilibrium assignments are proposed to solve the stochastic user equilibrium (SUE) and reliability‐based user equilibrium (RUE) models, respectively. The traffic flow assignment and new O‐D demand extraction are carried out in terms of the route choice probability and the ratio of route flow to O‐D demand in the incremental stochastic user equilibrium assignment method; the redundant traffic flows from the non‐equilibrium routes are extracted. Unlike the IEA method, incremental reliability‐based user equilibrium assignment needs to derive both the mean and variance of the route travel time. The results from numerical experiments demonstrate the essential ideas and convergence performance of the proposed IEA algorithm and illustrate that IEA can be effectively extended to solve the SUE and RUE models.
A photopaper‐based low‐cost, wideband wearable antenna for wireless body area network applications
Authors: Jabbar Abdul , Zubair Muhammad , Naveed Muhammad Ashar , Mehmood Muhammad Qasim , Massoud Yehia
Published: October 2022

This study presents a low‐cost, compact, flexible, and wideband wearable antenna for different wireless body area network (WBAN) band applications, covering medical body area network band of 2.4 GHz, industrial, scientific, and medical band of 2.45 GHz, WiMAX band of 3.5 GHz, and wireless local area network band of 5.2 GHz. The final antenna topology is obtained by hexagonal microstrip radiator patch fabricated on commercially available low‐cost photo paper substrate and defected ground plane below the feed line acting as a partial ground to achieve a conformable structure wideband operation. The overall size of the fabricated antenna is 30 × 40 mm2 and yields a wide‐bandwidth of 3 GHz (2.30–5.30 GHz), radiation efficiency of 84.35%, and the highest gain of 3.48 dBi at the centre frequency of 5.2 GHz, and minimum gain of 1.91 dBi at 2.45 GHz. Furthermore, our detailed numerical and experimental investigations involving specific absorption rate performance assessment and bending analysis revealed the proposed design's excellent robustness to both human body loading and structural deformation scenarios. Therefore, simulated and measured results strongly advocate that the proposed design has profound implications for flexible and body‐worn devices in WBAN applications.