bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of health-promoting self-care behaviors in hypertensive patients with concomitant chronic kidney disease in primary care
Authors: Korzh Oleksii , Titkova Anna , Fylenko Yana , Lavrova Yelizaveta
Published: August 2022

Aim:

This study was to investigate the relationships among health behaviors and quality of life (QOL) and to test a proposed model among people with hypertension and concomitant chronic kidney disease (CKD) in primary care. In addition, the mediation effect of modifiable risk factors between self-care health behaviors and QOL was examined.

Methods:

This study was prospective, conducted in the centers of primary medical care in the period from January 2018 to January 2020. In total, 170 patients diagnosed with hypertension and CKD at least 12 months previously were included in this study. The following parameters were measured: self-efficacy, self-care health behaviors with the subscales of health responsibility, exercise, consumption of a healthy diet, stress management, and smoking cessation; modifiable risk score; and QOL (assessed using the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey instrument).

Results:

Self-efficacy had a significantly positive direct effect on self-care health behaviors, with a standardized regression coefficient of 0.87 (P = 0.007), a negative indirect effect on risk factors, with a standardized regression coefficient of 0.11 (P = 0.006), and a positive indirect effect on QOL, with a standardized regression coefficient of 0.62 (P = 0.008). Self-care health behaviors had a significantly positive direct effect on QOL, with a standardized regression coefficient of 0.72 (P = 0.012); there was also an indirect effect of 0.053 (P = 0.004). The direct effect of risk factors on QOL was significant, with a standardized regression coefficient of 0.44 (P = 0.018). The direct effect of self-care health behaviors on QOL was 0.77 (P = 0.008), which has been reduced to 0.72 (P = 0.012). The reduced effect of 0.05 was significant (P = 0.004), confirming the mediating role of modified risk factors.

Conclusions:

This study indicates health-promoting behaviors in hypertensive patients with CKD have a potential impact on their QOL in primary care. Primary care physicians should focus on motivation strategies to encourage individuals to perform self-care health-promoting behaviors associated with the improved QOL, in order to achieve better outcomes in risk factor management.
Data Scraping YouTube for the Study of Lieder Reception
Authors: Scott Rachel E.
Published: August 2022

A growing body of literature has shifted aesthetic attention from composition to performance, or the performing activity, and asserts that the act of performance creates meaning.1 Scholars have emphasized differences between the passive consumption and active making of – or even listening to – music.2 As I sought to understand the impact of performance on Alma Mahler's legacy, I identified the need to gather as much data as possible on who, what, where, when, why, and how her songs were performed. This need led me to evaluate the metadata associated with recordings of Alma Mahler's songs in the WorldCat union catalogue and the video sharing platform YouTube. Recent studies have shown the utility of leveraging big data for musicology, although few scholars have done so to investigate reception history. This essay outlines one approach to data scraping YouTube with emphasis on the value to those researching recent Lieder reception, and in doing so highlights some of the promise and limitations associated with web scraping.
Constraints on Marine Isotope Stage 3 and 5 Sea Level From the Flooding History of the Karimata Strait in Indonesia
Authors: Weiss Thomas L. , Linsley Braddock K. , Gordon Arnold L. , Rosenthal Yair , Dannenmann‐Di Palma Stefanie
Published: August 2022

Global mean sea level (GMSL) during intermediate interglacial Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3) (60–26 ka) has proven difficult to constrain. Paleo‐sea level estimates based on ice margin, modeling, and paleo‐shoreline reconstructions indicate that MIS 3 GMSL was substantially higher than reconstructed from deep‐ocean benthic foraminifera oxygen isotope (δ18O) and coral records, implying much smaller ice sheets during MIS 3. Here, we use the δ18O and Mg/Ca chemistry of surface and thermocline dwelling foraminifera in the Sulu Sea in the western Pacific margin to estimate relative changes of the influx of South China Sea surface flow through the Sulu Sea over the last 140 ka. We show that this South China Sea throughflow is controlled in part by changes in GMSL modulating the depth of the 36 m deep Karimata Strait at the southern end of the South China Sea. We constrain maximum allowable GMSL at the beginning and end of MIS 3 to −22 ± 6 and −29 ± 5 m, respectively, and minimum allowable GMSL during interglacial stages MIS 5c and 5a (117–72 ka) to range from −3 ± 8 to −8 ± 8 m and −11 ± 7 to −12 ± 7 m, respectively. Our results constrain MIS 3 GMSL, but do not rule out higher MIS 3 ice margin, modeling, and paleo‐shoreline‐based MIS 3 GMSL estimates or lower coral and seawater δ18O‐based estimates. Our results favor the highest MIS 5a and 5c GMSL estimates and confirm that the Sunda Shelf served as a land‐bridge for human and megafauna migration during MIS 3 when humans first arrived in Borneo.
A Lagrangian View of Seasonal Stratosphere‐Troposphere Exchange
Authors: Schoeberl M. R. , Ueyama R. , Pfister L.
Published: August 2022

We use our forward domain filling trajectory model coupled with a new convective parcel injection system to explore stratosphere‐troposphere exchange (STE). We use Modern‐Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 reanalysis and study the December‐February (DJF) and June‐August (JJA) seasons averaged for the years 2006–2015. Maps of age‐of‐air and STE regions show coincidence with stationary forced tropical Rossby waves that straddle the equator. The anticyclonic circulation generated by these waves isolates air over the Asian monsoon, the Tropical West Pacific, and North and South America. We map the preferred locations of troposphere to stratosphere (T2S) and stratosphere to troposphere (S2T) exchange. During DJF, the highest concentration of T2S locations is spread over the tropical west Pacific and in a broad region over Central/South America and Africa. During JJA, the highest concentration T2S locations is in the vicinity of the Asian monsoon. The highest concentration T2S crossing points is nearly always positioned on the eastern side of the Rossby waves where the tropopause is higher. Along the jets that bracket the tropics, the STE locations are consistent with earlier studies of Rossby wave breaking and two‐way exchange. S2T exchange above 12 km occurs at the edges of the tropics along the jet boundaries for both seasons.
Modeling the Role of Compaction in the Three‐Dimensional Evolution of Depositional Environments
Authors: Xotta R. , Zoccarato C. , Minderhoud P. S. J. , Teatini P.
Published: August 2022

Natural environments such as coastal wetlands, lowland river floodplains, and deltas are formed by sediment, transported by watercourses and the sea, and deposited over century to millennium timescales. These dynamic environments host vulnerable ecosystems with an essential role for biodiversity conservation, coastal protection and human activities. The body of these landforms consists of unconsolidated sediments with high porosity and compressibility. Consequently, they often experience significant compaction due to their own weight, that is, autocompaction, which creates an important feedback within the geomorphological evolution of the landform. However, this process is generally oversimplified in morphological simulators. We present a novel finite element (FE) simulator that quantifies the impact of natural compaction on landform evolution in a three‐dimensional setting. The model couples a groundwater flow and a compaction module that interact in a time‐evolving domain following landform aggradation. The model input consists of sedimentation varying in time, space and sediment type. A Lagrangian approach underlies the model by means of an adaptive mesh. The number of FEs gradually increases to accommodate newly deposited sediments and each FE changes its shape, that is, becomes compressed, following sediment compaction. We showcase the model capabilities by simulating three long‐term depositional processes at different spatial scales: (a) vertical growth of a tidal marsh, (b) infilling of an oxbow lake, and (c) progradation of a delta lobe. Our simulations show that compaction is the primary process governing the elevation and geomorphological evolution of these landforms. This highlights that autocompaction is an important process that determines the resilience of these low‐lying landforms to climate change.
The infralimbic mineralocorticoid blockage prevents the stress-induced impairment of aversive memory extinction in rats
Authors: Albernaz-Mariano Kairo Alan , Demarchi Munhoz Carolina
Published: August 2022

Individuals deal with adversity and return to a normal lifestyle when adversity ends. Nevertheless, in specific cases, traumas may be preceded by memory distortions in stress-related malaises, and memory extinction impairment is strictly associated with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Glucocorticoids (GCs), the central stress mediator, target mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors and coordinate stress responses. Despite MRs being present in brain regions essential to cognition, emotions, and initial stress processing, such as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), most studies attempt to elucidate the stress-induced deleterious actions of GCs via GR. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the relationship between stress, infralimbic mPFC (IL), and memory and how MR-mediated intracellular signaling influences this relationship and modulates memory extinction. We observed that acutely restraint-stressed male Wistar rats showed high corticosterone (CORT) levels, and previous intra-IL-spironolactone administration (a selective MR antagonist) decreased it 60 min after the stress started. Intra-IL-CORT118335, a novel mixed MR/GR selective modulator, increased CORT throughout stress exposure. Ten days after stress, all rats increased freezing in the memory retrieval test and acquired the aversive contextual memory. During the extinction test, intra-IL injection of spironolactone, but not CORT118335, prevented the stress-impaired memory extinction, suggesting that the IL-MR activity controls CORT concentration, and it is crucial to the establishment of late extinction impairment. Also, the concomitant GR full activation overrode MR blockage. It increased CORT levels leading to the stress-induced extinction memory impairment, reinforcing that the MR/GR balance is crucial to predicting stress-induced behavioral outcomes.
Mercury isotope evidence for Arctic summertime re-emission of mercury from the cryosphere
Authors: Araujo Beatriz Ferreira , Osterwalder Stefan , Szponar Natalie , Lee Domenica , Petrova Mariia V. , Pernov Jakob Boyd , Ahmed Shaddy , Heimbürger-Boavida Lars-Eric , Laffont Laure , Teisserenc Roman , Tananaev Nikita , Nordstrom Claus , Magand Olivier , Stupple Geoff , Skov Henrik , Steffen Alexandra , Bergquist Bridget , Pfaffhuber Katrine Aspmo , Thomas Jennie L. , Scheper Simon , Petäjä Tuukka , Dommergue Aurélien , Sonke Jeroen E.
Published: August 2022

During Arctic springtime, halogen radicals oxidize atmospheric elemental mercury (Hg0), which deposits to the cryosphere. This is followed by a summertime atmospheric Hg0 peak that is thought to result mostly from terrestrial Hg inputs to the Arctic Ocean, followed by photoreduction and emission to air. The large terrestrial Hg contribution to the Arctic Ocean and global atmosphere has raised concern over the potential release of permafrost Hg, via rivers and coastal erosion, with Arctic warming. Here we investigate Hg isotope variability of Arctic atmospheric, marine, and terrestrial Hg. We observe highly characteristic Hg isotope signatures during the summertime peak that reflect re-emission of Hg deposited to the cryosphere during spring. Air mass back trajectories support a cryospheric Hg emission source but no major terrestrial source. This implies that terrestrial Hg inputs to the Arctic Ocean remain in the marine ecosystem, without substantial loss to the global atmosphere, but with possible effects on food webs.
Increased energy use for adaptation significantly impacts mitigation pathways
Authors: Colelli Francesco Pietro , Emmerling Johannes , Marangoni Giacomo , Mistry Malcolm N. , De Cian Enrica
Published: August 2022

Climate adaptation actions can be energy-intensive, but how adaptation feeds back into the energy system and the environment is absent in nearly all up-to-date energy scenarios. Here we quantify the impacts of adaptation actions entailing direct changes in final energy use on energy investments and costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution. We find that energy needs for adaptation increase considerably over time and with warming. The resulting addition in capacity for power generation leads to higher greenhouse gas emissions, local air pollutants, and energy system costs. In the short to medium term, much of the added capacity for power generation is fossil-fuel based. We show that mitigation pathways accounting for the adaptation-energy feedback would require a higher global carbon price, between 5% and 30% higher. Because of the benefits in terms of reduced adaptation needs, energy system costs in ambitious mitigation scenarios would be lower than previous estimates, and they would turn negative in well-below-2-degree scenarios, pointing at net gains in terms of power system costs.
A Ziegler-type spherical cap model reveals early stage ethylene polymerization growth versus catalyst fragmentation relationships
Authors: Bossers Koen W. , Mandemaker Laurens D. B. , Nikolopoulos Nikolaos , Liu Yuanshuai , Rohnke Marcus , de Peinder Peter , Terlingen Bas J. P. , Walther Felix , Dorresteijn Joren M. , Hartman Thomas , Weckhuysen Bert M.
Published: August 2022

Polyolefin catalysts are characterized by their hierarchically complex nature, which complicates studies on the interplay between the catalyst and formed polymer phases. Here, the missing link in the morphology gap between planar model systems and industrially relevant spherical catalyst particles is introduced through the use of a spherical cap Ziegler-type catalyst model system for the polymerization of ethylene. More specifically, a moisture-stable LaOCl framework with enhanced imaging contrast has been designed to support the TiCl4 pre-active site, which could mimic the behaviour of the highly hygroscopic and industrially used MgCl2 framework. As a function of polymerization time, the fragmentation behaviour of the LaOCl framework changed from a mixture of the shrinking core (i.e., peeling off small polyethylene fragments at the surface) and continuous bisection (i.e., internal cleavage of the framework) into dominantly a continuous bisection model, which is linked to the evolution of the estimated polyethylene volume and the fraction of crystalline polyethylene formed. The combination of the spherical cap model system and the used advanced micro-spectroscopy toolbox, opens the route for high-throughput screening of catalyst functions with industrially relevant morphologies on the nano-scale.
High density integration of stretchable inorganic thin film transistors with excellent performance and reliability
Authors: Oh Himchan , Oh Ji-Young , Park Chan Woo , Pi Jae-Eun , Yang Jong-Heon , Hwang Chi-Sun
Published: August 2022

Transistors with inorganic semiconductors have superior performance and reliability compared to organic transistors. However, they are unfavorable for building stretchable electronic products due to their brittle nature. Because of this drawback, they have mostly been placed on non-stretchable parts to avoid mechanical strain, burdening the deformable interconnects, which link these rigid parts, with the strain of the entire system. Integration density must therefore be sacrificed when stretchability is the first priority because the portion of stretchable wirings should be raised. In this study, we show high density integration of oxide thin film transistors having excellent performance and reliability by directly embedding the devices into stretchable serpentine strings to defeat such trade-off. The embedded transistors do not hide from deformation and endure strain up to 100% by themselves; thus, integration density can be enhanced without sacrificing the stretchability. We expect that our approach can create more compact stretchable electronics with high-end functionality than before.
Striatal dopamine dissociates methylphenidate effects on value-based versus surprise-based reversal learning
Authors: van den Bosch Ruben , Lambregts Britt , Määttä Jessica , Hofmans Lieke , Papadopetraki Danae , Westbrook Andrew , Verkes Robbert-Jan , Booij Jan , Cools Roshan
Published: August 2022

Psychostimulants such as methylphenidate are widely used for their cognitive enhancing effects, but there is large variability in the direction and extent of these effects. We tested the hypothesis that methylphenidate enhances or impairs reward/punishment-based reversal learning depending on baseline striatal dopamine levels and corticostriatal gating of reward/punishment-related representations in stimulus-specific sensory cortex. Young healthy adults (N = 100) were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging during a reward/punishment reversal learning task, after intake of methylphenidate or the selective D2/3-receptor antagonist sulpiride. Striatal dopamine synthesis capacity was indexed with [18F]DOPA positron emission tomography. Methylphenidate improved and sulpiride decreased overall accuracy and response speed. Both drugs boosted reward versus punishment learning signals to a greater degree in participants with higher dopamine synthesis capacity. By contrast, striatal and stimulus-specific sensory surprise signals were boosted in participants with lower dopamine synthesis. These results unravel the mechanisms by which methylphenidate gates both attention and reward learning.
Recent climate change has driven divergent hydrological shifts in high-latitude peatlands
Authors: Zhang Hui , Väliranta Minna , Swindles Graeme T. , Aquino-López Marco A. , Mullan Donal , Tan Ning , Amesbury Matthew , Babeshko Kirill V. , Bao Kunshan , Bobrov Anatoly , Chernyshov Viktor , Davies Marissa A. , Diaconu Andrei-Cosmin , Feurdean Angelica , Finkelstein Sarah A. , Garneau Michelle , Guo Zhengtang , Jones Miriam C. , Kay Martin , Klein Eric S. , Lamentowicz Mariusz , Magnan Gabriel , Marcisz Katarzyna , Mazei Natalia , Mazei Yuri , Payne Richard , Pelletier Nicolas , Piilo Sanna R. , Pratte Steve , Roland Thomas , Saldaev Damir , Shotyk William , Sim Thomas G. , Sloan Thomas J. , Słowiński Michał , Talbot Julie , Taylor Liam , Tsyganov Andrey N. , Wetterich Sebastian , Xing Wei , Zhao Yan
Published: August 2022

High-latitude peatlands are changing rapidly in response to climate change, including permafrost thaw. Here, we reconstruct hydrological conditions since the seventeenth century using testate amoeba data from 103 high-latitude peat archives. We show that 54% of the peatlands have been drying and 32% have been wetting over this period, illustrating the complex ecohydrological dynamics of high latitude peatlands and their highly uncertain responses to a warming climate.
Differential proteomic analysis of plasma-derived exosomes as diagnostic biomarkers for chronic HBV-related liver disease
Authors: Ye Bo , Shen Yifei , Chen Hui , Lin Sha , Mao Weilin , Dong Yuejiao , Li Xuefen
Published: August 2022

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is still a major public health problem worldwide. We aimed to identify new, non-invasive biomarkers for the early diagnosis of chronic HBV-related diseases, reveal alterations in the progression of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis (LC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, exosomes were isolated and characterized through size exclusion chromatography and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Profiles of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were analyzed through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS), Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses. Results showed that the DEPs, including CO9, LBP, SVEP1, and VWF levels in extracellular vesicles (EVs) were significantly higher in CHB than in healthy controls (HCs). VWF expression levels in EVs were significantly lower in CHB than in those with LC. KV311 expression levels in EVs were significantly higher, whereas LBP levels were significantly lower in patients with CHB than in those with HCC. All biomarkers seemed to exhibit a high diagnostic capacity for HBV-related liver disease. Patients with HBV-induced chronic liver disease exhibit characteristic protein profiles in their EVs. Thus, serum exosomes may be used as novel, liquid biopsy biomarkers to provide useful clinical information for the diagnosis of HBV-related liver diseases at different stages.
Early decompression promotes motor recovery after cervical spinal cord injury in rats with chronic cervical spinal cord compression
Authors: Okimatsu Sho , Furuya Takeo , Miura Masataka , Shiratani Yuki , Yunde Atsushi , Inoue Takaki , Maki Satoshi , Ohtori Seiji
Published: August 2022

The number of elderly patients with spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormalities (SCIWORA) has been increasing in recent years and common of most cervical spinal cord injuries. Basic research has shown the effectiveness of early decompression after spinal cord injury on the spinal cord without stenosis; no studies have reported the efficacy of decompression in models with spinal cord compressive lesions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of decompression surgery after acute spinal cord injury in rats with chronic spinal cord compressive lesions, mimicking SCIWORA. A water-absorbent polymer sheet (Aquaprene DX, Sanyo Chemical Industries) was inserted dorsally into the 4–5th cervical sublaminar space in 8-week-old Sprague Dawley rats to create a rat model with a chronic spinal compressive lesion. At the age of 16 weeks, 30 mildly myelopathic or asymptomatic rats with a Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan score (BBB score) of 19 or higher were subjected to spinal cord compression injuries. The rats were divided into three groups: an immediate decompression group (decompress immediately after injury), a sub-acute decompression group (decompress 1 week after injury), and a non-decompression group. Behavioral and histological evaluations were performed 4 weeks after the injury. At 20 weeks of age, the BBB score and FLS (Forelimb Locomotor Scale) of both the immediate and the sub-acute decompression groups were significantly higher than those of the non-decompression group. There was no significant difference between the immediate decompression group and the sub-acute decompression group. TUNEL (transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling) staining showed significantly fewer positive cells in both decompression groups compared to the non-decompression group. LFB (Luxol fast blue) staining showed significantly more demyelination, and GAP-43 (growth associated protein-43) staining tended to show fewer positive cells in the non-decompression group. Decompression surgery in the acute or sub-acute phase of injury is effective after mild spinal cord injury in rats with chronic compressive lesions. There was no significant difference between the immediate decompression and sub-acute decompression groups.
Modeling resilient modulus of subgrade soils using LSSVM optimized with swarm intelligence algorithms
Authors: Azam Abdelhalim , Bardhan Abidhan , Kaloop Mosbeh R. , Samui Pijush , Alanazi Fayez , Alzara Majed , Yosri Ahmed M.
Published: August 2022

Resilient modulus (Mr) of subgrade soils is one of the crucial inputs in pavement structural design methods. However, the spatial variability of soil properties and the nature of test protocols, the laboratory determination of Mr has become inexpedient. This paper aims to design an accurate soft computing technique for the prediction of Mr of subgrade soils using the hybrid least square support vector machine (LSSVM) approaches. Six swarm intelligence algorithms, namely particle swarm optimization (PSO), grey wolf optimizer (GWO), symbiotic organisms search (SOS), salp swarm algorithm (SSA), slime mould algorithm (SMA), and Harris hawks optimization (HHO) have been applied and compared to optimize the LSSVM parameters. For this purpose, a literature dataset (891 datasets) of different types of soils has been used to design and evaluate the proposed models. The input variables in all of the proposed models included confining stress, deviator stress, unconfined compressive strength, degree of soil saturation, soil moisture content, optimum moisture content, plasticity index, liquid limit, and percent of soil particles (P #200). The accuracy of the proposed models was assessed by comparing the predicted with the observed of Mr values with respect to different statistical analyses, i.e., root means square error (RMSE) and determination coefficient (R2). For modeling the Mr of subgrade soils, percent passing No. 200 sieve, optimum moisture content, and unconfined compressive strength were found to be the most significant variables. It is observed that the performance of LSSVM-GWO, LSSVM-SOS, and LSSVM-SSA outperforms other models in predicting accurate values of Mr. The (RMSE and R2) of the LSSVM-GWO, LSSVM-SSA, and LSSVM-SOS are (6.79 MPa and 0.940), (6.78 MPa and 0.940), and (6.72 MPa and 0.942), respectively, and hence, LSSVM-SOS can be used for high estimating accuracy of Mr of subgrade soils.
Clusters of risk factors in metabolic syndrome and their influence on central blood pressure in a global study
Authors: Laucyte-Cibulskiene Agne , Chen Chen-Huan , Cockroft John , Cunha Pedro G. , Kavousi Maryam , Laucevicius Aleksandras , Muiesan Maria Lorenza , Rietzschel Ernst R. , Ryliskyte Ligita , Strazhesko Irina D. , Vlachopoulos Charalambos , Cotter Jorge , Dudinskaya Ekatherina N. , Gale Nichola , Ahmadizar Fariba , Mattace-Raso Francesco U. S. , Munnery Maggie , Oliveira Pedro , Paini Anna , Salvetti Massimo , Tkacheva Olga N. , Lakatta Edward G. , Nilsson Peter M. , Scuteri Angelo
Published: August 2022

The effect of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and clusters of its components on central blood pressure (CBP) has not been well characterized. We aimed to describe the effect of MetS and clusters of its components on CBP in a large population and to identify whether this effect differs in men and women. We studied 15,609 volunteers (43% women) from 10 cohorts worldwide who participated in the Metabolic syndrome and Artery REsearch Consortium. MetS was defined according to the NCEP-ATP III criteria (GHTBW, glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, blood pressure, waist circumference). CBP was measured noninvasively and acquired from pulse wave analysis by applanation tonometry. MetS was associated with a 50% greater odds of having higher CSBP. After controlling for age, male sex, non HDL cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, and mean arterial pressure, only specific clusters of MetS components were associated with a higher CSBP; and some of them were significant in women but not in men. We identified “risky clusters” of MetS variables associated with high CSBP. Future studies are needed to confirm they identify subjects at high risk of accelerated arterial aging and, thus, need more intensive clinical management.
Safety evaluation of β-nicotinamide mononucleotide oral administration in healthy adult men and women
Authors: Fukamizu Yuichiro , Uchida Yoshiaki , Shigekawa Akari , Sato Toshiya , Kosaka Hisayuki , Sakurai Takanobu
Published: August 2022

A decrease in the intracellular level of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), an essential coenzyme for metabolic activity, causes various age-related diseases and metabolic abnormalities. Both in-vivo and in-vitro studies have shown that increasing certain NAD+ levels in cell or tissue by supplementing nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), a precursor of NAD+, alleviates age-related diseases and metabolic disorders. In recent years, several clinical trials have been performed to elucidate NMN efficacy in humans. However, previous clinical studies with NMN have not reported on the safety of repeated daily oral administration of ≥ 1000 mg/shot in healthy adult men and women, and human clinical trials on NMN safety are limited. Therefore, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study to evaluate the safety of 1250 mg of β-NMN administered orally once daily for up to 4 weeks in 31 healthy adult men and women aged 20–65 years. Oral administration of β-NMN did not result in changes exceeding physiological variations in multiple clinical trials, including anthropometry, hematological, biochemical, urine, and body composition analyses. Moreover, no severe adverse events were observed during the study period. Our results indicate that β-NMN is safe and well-tolerated in healthy adult men and women an oral dose of 1250 mg once daily for up to 4 weeks.

Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: UMIN000043084. Registered 21/01/2021. https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000049188.
Multi-temperature experiments to ease analysis of heterogeneous binder solutions by surface plasmon resonance biosensing
Authors: Gaudreault Jimmy , Durocher Yves , Henry Olivier , De Crescenzo Gregory
Published: August 2022

Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) biosensing is a well-established tool for the investigation of binding kinetics between a soluble species and an immobilized (bio)molecule. While robust and accurate data analysis techniques are readily available for single species, methods to exploit data collected with a solution containing multiple interactants are scarce. In a previous study, our group proposed two data analysis algorithms for (1) the precise and reliable identification of the kinetic parameters of N interactants present at different ratios in N mixtures and (2) the estimation of the composition of a given mixture, assuming that the kinetic parameters and the total concentration of all interactants are known. Here, we extend the first algorithm by reducing the number of necessary mixtures. This is achieved by conducting experiments at different temperatures. Through the Van’t Hoff and Eyring equations, identifying the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of N binders becomes possible with M mixtures with M comprised between 2 and N and at least N/M temperatures. The second algorithm is improved by adding the total analyte concentration as a supplementary variable to be identified in an optimization routine. We validated our analysis framework experimentally with a system consisting of mixtures of low molecular weight drugs, each competing to bind to an immobilized protein. We believe that the analysis of mixtures and composition estimation could pave the way for SPR biosensing to become a bioprocess monitoring tool, on top of expanding its already substantial role in drug discovery and development.
Emotional profiling and cognitive networks unravel how mainstream and alternative press framed AstraZeneca, Pfizer and COVID-19 vaccination campaigns
Authors: Semeraro Alfonso , Vilella Salvatore , Ruffo Giancarlo , Stella Massimo
Published: August 2022

COVID-19 vaccines have been largely debated by the press. To understand how mainstream and alternative media debated vaccines, we introduce a paradigm reconstructing time-evolving narrative frames via cognitive networks and natural language processing. We study Italian news articles massively re-shared on Facebook/Twitter (up to 5 million times), covering 5745 vaccine-related news from 17 news outlets over 8 months. We find consistently high trust/anticipation and low disgust in the way mainstream sources framed “vaccine/vaccino”. These emotions were crucially missing in alternative outlets. News titles from alternative sources framed “AstraZeneca” with sadness, absent in mainstream titles. Initially, mainstream news linked mostly “Pfizer” with side effects (e.g. “allergy”, “reaction”, “fever”). With the temporary suspension of “AstraZeneca”, negative associations shifted: Mainstream titles prominently linked “AstraZeneca” with side effects, while “Pfizer” underwent a positive valence shift, linked to its higher efficacy. Simultaneously, thrombosis and fearful conceptual associations entered the frame of vaccines, while death changed context, i.e. rather than hopefully preventing deaths, vaccines could be reported as potential causes of death, increasing fear. Our findings expose crucial aspects of the emotional narratives around COVID-19 vaccines adopted by the press, highlighting the need to understand how alternative and mainstream media report vaccination news.
A study of degradation mechanisms in PVDF-based photovoltaic backsheets
Authors: Uličná Soňa , Owen-Bellini Michael , Moffitt Stephanie L. , Sinha Archana , Tracy Jared , Roy-Choudhury Kaushik , Miller David C. , Hacke Peter , Schelhas Laura T.
Published: August 2022

Commercial backsheets based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) can experience premature field failures in the form of outer layer cracking. This work seeks to provide a better understanding of the changes in material properties that lead to crack formation and find appropriate accelerated tests to replicate them. The PVDF-based backsheet outer layer can have a different structure and composition, and is often blended with a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer. We observed depletion of PMMA upon aging with sequential (MAST) and combined (C-AST) accelerated stress testing. In field-aged samples from Arizona and India, where PVDF crystallizes in its predominant α-phase, the degree of crystallinity greatly increased. MAST and C-AST protocols were, to some extent, able to replicate the increase in crystallinity seen in PVDF after ~ 7 years in the field, but no single-stress test condition (UV, damp heat, thermal cycling) resulted in significant changes in the material properties. The MAST regimen used here was too extreme to produce realistic degradation, but the test was useful in discovering weaknesses of the particular PVDF-based outer layer structure studied. No excessive β-phase formation was observed after aging with any test condition; however, the presence of β-phase was identified locally by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). We conclude that both MAST and C-AST are relevant tests for screening outdoor failure mechanisms in PVDF backsheets, as they were successful in producing material degradation that led to cracking.
Basin-scale multi-decadal analysis of hydraulic fracturing and seismicity in western Canada shows non-recurrence of induced runaway fault rupture
Authors: Rodríguez-Pradilla Germán , Eaton David W. , Verdon James P.
Published: August 2022

Hydraulic fracturing (HF) is a reservoir stimulation technique that has been widely deployed in recent years to increase the productivity of light oil and/or natural gas from organic-rich, low-permeability formations. Although the process of fracturing a rock typically results in microseismic events of magnitude < 0, many cases of felt seismic events (typically magnitude 3.0 or larger) have also been reported. In the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB), where more than 40,000 wells have been drilled and hydraulically fractured in the past two decades, the occurrence of HF-induced events has surged in some areas. Yet, many other areas of the WCSB have not experienced a significant increase in induced seismicity, despite a sharp increase in both the number of HF wells and the volumes of injected fluid. The relationship between injected volume and induced magnitudes can be quantified using the seismic efficiency ratio (SEFF), which describes the ratio between the net seismic moment release and the injected fluid volume. Runaway rupture, in which the fault rupture is dominated by the release of accumulated tectonic stresses, is inferred to be marked by an abrupt increase in SEFFto a value > 0.5. Most previous studies of induced earthquakes have been limited to a single operation and/or seismicity sequence. To better understand the observed variability of the seismic response to HF stimulations at a basin scale, we compiled HF data for all unconventional wells hydraulic fractured in the WCSB between 2000 and 2020, together with the seismicity reported during the same period. We grouped these observations into bins measuring 0.2° in longitude and 0.1° in latitude, or approximately 13 by 11 km. We identified 14 areas where large magnitude events resulted in high SEFFvalues, implying runaway rupture had taken place. However, we find that in these areas, sustained fluid injection did not lead to persistent high SEFFvalues. Instead, as injection continued, SEFFvalues returned to values less than 0.5. This suggests that there is a limited budget of tectonic strain energy available to generate runaway rupture events: once this is released, event magnitudes decrease even if high volume injection persists.
Influence of capillary tube length on the performance of domestic refrigerator with eco-friendly refrigerant R152a
Authors: Baskaran A. , Manikandan N. , Jule LetaTesfaye , Nagaprasad N. , Saka Abel , Badassa Bayissa , Ramaswamy Krishnaraj , Seenivasan Venkatesh
Published: August 2022

The household heating and cooling system often use the capillary device. The use of the helical capillary eliminates the need for lightweight refrigeration devices in the system. Capillary pressure is noticeably affected by the capillary geometric parameters, such as length, mean diameter, and pitch. This paper is concerned with the effects of the capillary length on the performance of the system. Three separate length capillary tubes were used in the experiment. The data on R152a were studied under various conditions to assess the impact of varying the length. Maximum COP is obtained at an evaporator temperature of − 12 °C and capillary length of 3.65 m. The result is drawn that the system performance enhances when the capillary length is improved to 3.65 m when compared to 3.35 m and 3.96 m. As a result, as the capillary length increases up to a specific amount, the system's performance improves. The findings from the experiment were compared with those from the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis.
Heat and mass flux through a Reiner–Rivlin nanofluid flow past a spinning stretching disc: Cattaneo–Christov model
Authors: Moatimid Galal M. , Mohamed Mona A. A. , Elagamy Khaled
Published: August 2022

The current work scrutinizes a non-Newtonian nanofluid free convective flow induced by a rotating stretchable disc. The examination surveys the Stefan blowing and Cattaneo–Christov mass and heat fluxes, as a precise illustrative model. The innovative aspects of the ongoing project include the analysis of the border sheet nanofluid flow near a revolving disc through thermophoresis, Reiner–Rivlin prototype features, and random nanoparticle motion. The Reiner–Rivlin non-Newtonian model is considered together with the effect of an unvarying axial magnetic strength. The constitutive formulae of a Reiner–Rivlin liquid have been reproduced in the cylindrical coordinates. Through implementing the applicable relationship transformations, the controlling partial differential equations are transferred to ordinary differential equations (ODE). This procedure yields a group of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations in relation to speed, heat, and nanoparticle concentration profiles that are impacted by several physical characteristics. These equations are analyzed by using the homotopy perturbation method (HPM). Due to the analytical solution given by HPM, the current work enables us to take the infinity of the layer as a parameter of the problem and discuss its variation in the obtained distributions. Consequently, a physical significant graphical visualization of the data is emphasized. The rates of mass and temperature transmission are examined to understand if any of the relevant parameters may improve these rates. Additionally, the Stefan blowing causes extra particles diffusion, which enhances heat transfer and raises the nanoparticles concentration and could be useful in some medical therapies. Furthermore, the stretching of the rotating disc is concluded, which improves the fluid heat transfer.
Identification and construction of a multi-epitopes vaccine design against Klebsiella aerogenes: molecular modeling study
Authors: Alzarea Sami I.
Published: August 2022

A rapid rise in antibiotic resistance by bacterial pathogens is due to these pathogens adaptation to the changing environmental conditions. Antibiotic resistance infections can be reduced by a number of ways such as development of safe and effective vaccine. Klebsiella aerogene is a gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium resistant to a variety of antibiotics and no commercial vaccine is available against the pathogen. Identifying antigens that can be easily evaluated experimentally would be crucial to successfully vaccine development. Reverse vaccinology (RV) was used to identify vaccine candidates based on complete pathogen proteomic information. The fully sequenced proteomes include 44,115 total proteins of which 43,316 are redundant and 799 are non-redundant. Subcellular localization showed that only 1 protein in extracellular matrix, 7 were found in outer-membrane proteins, and 27 in the periplasm space. A total of 3 proteins were found virulent. Next in the B-cell-derived T-cell epitopes mapping phase, the 3 proteins (Fe2+− enterobactin, ABC transporter substrate-binding protein, and fimbriae biogenesis outer membrane usher protein) were tested positive for antigenicity, toxicity, and solubility. GPGPG linkers were used to prepare a vaccine construct composed of 7 epitopes and an adjuvant of toxin B subunit (CTBS). Molecular docking of vaccine construct with major histocompatibility-I (MHC-I), major histocompatibility-II (MHC-II), and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) revealed vaccine robust interactions and stable binding pose to the receptors. By using molecular dynamics simulations, the vaccine-receptors complexes unveiled stable dynamics and uniform root mean square deviation (rmsd). Further, binding energies of complex were computed that again depicted strong intermolecular bindings and formation of stable conformation.
Influence of stress distribution in coal seams of non-uniform extremely thick key stratum and disaster-causing mechanisms
Authors: Ning Shan , Zhu Weibing , Xie Jianlin , Song Shikang , Wang Xiaozhen , Yu Dan , Lou Jinfu , Xu Jialin
Published: August 2022

This paper analyzes the influence of the overlying extremely thick primary key stratum on the strong mine pressure hazard at the large mining face in Gaojiapu coal mine. The analysis of the distribution characteristics of the primary key stratum in the Gaojiapu coal mine reveals the bow-shaped structural characteristics of the overlying thick primary key stratum. An elastodynamic model was developed using the variational method to calculate and analyze the influence of the movement of the primary key stratum on the stress and energy of the underlying weak rock. The results show that the arch structure of the overlying extremely thick primary key stratum can significantly affect the distribution pattern of stress and strain energy in the coal body, and the stress and strain energy in the coal body are transferred to the middle of the coal column, and the middle region of the coal column enters a high stress state. These results suggest that the change in thickness of the overlying primary key stratum at Gaojiapu in the coal column area is a major factor in the frequent occurrence of impact ground pressure events at the mine. This study explains the causes of frequent impact ground pressure in the lower coal rock mass of the extremely thick primary key stratum, and provides a reference for the prevention and control of impact hazards in the extremely thick primary key stratum.
Development of a portable toolkit to diagnose coral thermal stress
Authors: Meng Zhuolun , Williams Amanda , Liau Pinky , Stephens Timothy G. , Drury Crawford , Chiles Eric N. , Su Xiaoyang , Javanmard Mehdi , Bhattacharya Debashish
Published: August 2022

Coral bleaching, precipitated by the expulsion of the algal symbionts that provide colonies with fixed carbon is a global threat to reef survival. To protect corals from anthropogenic stress, portable tools are needed to detect and diagnose stress syndromes and assess population health prior to extensive bleaching. Here, medical grade Urinalysis strips, used to detect an array of disease markers in humans, were tested on the lab stressed Hawaiian coral species, Montipora capitata (stress resistant) and Pocillopora acuta (stress sensitive), as well as samples from nature that also included Porites compressa. Of the 10 diagnostic reagent tests on these strips, two appear most applicable to corals: ketone and leukocytes. The test strip results from M. capitata were explored using existing transcriptomic data from the same samples and provided evidence of the stress syndromes detected by the strips. We designed a 3D printed smartphone holder and image processing software for field analysis of test strips (TestStripDX) and devised a simple strategy to generate color scores for corals (reflecting extent of bleaching) using a smartphone camera (CoralDX). Our approaches provide field deployable methods, that can be improved in the future (e.g., coral-specific stress test strips) to assess reef health using inexpensive tools and freely available software.
Investigation of novel passive methods of generation of swirl flow in supersonic separators by the computational fluid dynamics modeling
Authors: Shoghl Sina Nabati , Naderifar Abbas , Farhadi Fatola , Pazuki Gholamreza
Published: August 2022

In this paper, three passive methods for the generation of swirl flow in the supersonic separator (3S) were investigated, and their structures were optimized by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. The influence of the structural and operational parameters on the dew point depression, phase envelope diagram, rate of natural gas liquid (NGL) recovery, and separation efficiency have also been evaluated. The collection efficiency was significantly improved for the nozzle equipped with the passive swirler compared with the simple nozzle. The selection of passive swirler type played a crucial role in the natural gas liquefaction and separation. The side injected swirler, and serpentine swirler showed the most significant improvement in separation efficiency than the U-turn swirler. For the side injected swirler at the optimum injection angle, the maximum collection efficiency was about 89% at the pressure loss ratio (PLR) of 0.2. Besides, the simulation results demonstrated that for the serpentine 3S, with the increase in serpentine twist number, the highest improvement on the collection efficiency of the investigated nozzle was obtained. In addition, it was observed that, when the convergent section profile was designed according to the Witoszynski line-type, a larger refrigeration zone was obtained than other considered profiles.