bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamic driving forces in contact electrification between polymeric materials
Authors: Zhang Hang , Sundaresan Sankaran , Webb Michael A.
Published: March 2024

Contact electrification, or contact charging, refers to the process of static charge accumulation after rubbing, or even simple touching, of two materials. Despite its relevance in static electricity, various natural phenomena, and numerous technologies, contact charging remains poorly understood. For insulating materials, even the species of charge carrier may be unknown, and the direction of charge-transfer lacks firm molecular-level explanation. Here, we use all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to investigate whether thermodynamics can explain contact charging between insulating polymers. Based on prior work suggesting that water-ions, such as hydronium and hydroxide ions, are potential charge carriers, we predict preferred directions of charge-transfer between polymer surfaces according to the free energy of water-ions within water droplets on such surfaces. Broad agreement between our predictions and experimental triboelectric series indicate that thermodynamically driven ion-transfer likely influences contact charging of polymers. Furthermore, simulation analyses reveal how specific interactions of water and water-ions proximate to the polymer-water interface explain observed trends. This study establishes relevance of thermodynamic driving forces in contact charging of insulators with new evidence informed by molecular-level interactions. These insights have direct implications for future mechanistic studies and applications of contact charging involving polymeric materials.
Outcome differences by sex in oncology clinical trials
Authors: Kammula Ashwin V. , Schäffer Alejandro A. , Rajagopal Padma Sheila , Kurzrock Razelle , Ruppin Eytan
Published: March 2024

Identifying sex differences in outcomes and toxicity between males and females in oncology clinical trials is important and has also been mandated by National Institutes of Health policies. Here we analyze the Trialtrove database, finding that, strikingly, only 472/89,221 oncology clinical trials (0.5%) had curated post-treatment sex comparisons. Among 288 trials with comparisons of survival, outcome, or response, 16% report males having statistically significant better survival outcome or response, while 42% reported significantly better survival outcome or response for females. The strongest differences are in trials of EGFR inhibitors in lung cancer and rituximab in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (both favoring females). Among 44 trials with side effect comparisons, more trials report significantly lesser side effects in males (N = 22) than in females (N = 13). Thus, while statistical comparisons between sexes in oncology trials are rarely reported, important differences in outcome and toxicity exist. These considerable outcome and toxicity differences highlight the need for reporting sex differences more thoroughly going forward.
Ultra-fast green hydrogen production from municipal wastewater by an integrated forward osmosis-alkaline water electrolysis system
Authors: Cassol Gabriela Scheibel , Shang Chii , An Alicia Kyoungjin , Khanzada Noman Khalid , Ciucci Francesco , Manzotti Alessandro , Westerhoff Paul , Song Yinghao , Ling Li
Published: March 2024

Recent advancements in membrane-assisted seawater electrolysis powered by renewable energy offer a sustainable path to green hydrogen production. However, its large-scale implementation faces challenges due to slow power-to-hydrogen (P2H) conversion rates. Here we report a modular forward osmosis-water splitting (FOWS) system that integrates a thin-film composite FO membrane for water extraction with alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), denoted as FOWSAWE. This system generates high-purity hydrogen directly from wastewater at a rate of 448 Nm3 day−1 m−2 of membrane area, over 14 times faster than the state-of-the-art practice, with specific energy consumption as low as 3.96 kWh Nm−3. The rapid hydrogen production rate results from the utilisation of 1 M potassium hydroxide as a draw solution to extract water from wastewater, and as the electrolyte of AWE to split water and produce hydrogen. The current system enables this through the use of a potassium hydroxide-tolerant and hydrophilic FO membrane. The established water-hydrogen balance model can be applied to design modular FO and AWE units to meet demands at various scales, from households to cities, and from different water sources. The FOWSAWE system is a sustainable and an economical approach for producing hydrogen at a record-high rate directly from wastewater, marking a significant leap in P2H practice.
Activation of the insulin receptor by insulin-like growth factor 2
Authors: An Weidong , Hall Catherine , Li Jie , Hung Albert , Wu Jiayi , Park Junhee , Wang Liwei , Bai Xiao-chen , Choi Eunhee
Published: March 2024

Insulin receptor (IR) controls growth and metabolism. Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) has different binding properties on two IR isoforms, mimicking insulin’s function. However, the molecular mechanism underlying IGF2-induced IR activation remains unclear. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of full-length human long isoform IR (IR-B) in both the inactive and IGF2-bound active states, and short isoform IR (IR-A) in the IGF2-bound active state. Under saturated IGF2 concentrations, both the IR-A and IR-B adopt predominantly asymmetric conformations with two or three IGF2s bound at site-1 and site-2, which differs from that insulin saturated IR forms an exclusively T-shaped symmetric conformation. IGF2 exhibits a relatively weak binding to IR site-2 compared to insulin, making it less potent in promoting full IR activation. Cell-based experiments validated the functional importance of IGF2 binding to two distinct binding sites in optimal IR signaling and trafficking. In the inactive state, the C-terminus of α-CT of IR-B contacts FnIII-2 domain of the same protomer, hindering its threading into the C-loop of IGF2, thus reducing the association rate of IGF2 with IR-B. Collectively, our studies demonstrate the activation mechanism of IR by IGF2 and reveal the molecular basis underlying the different affinity of IGF2 to IR-A and IR-B.
Long non-coding RNA-NONMMMUT004552.2 regulates the unloading-induced bone loss through the miRNA-15b-5p/Syne1 in mice
Authors: Zhang Zheng , Jing Yu , Zhang Ang , Liu JiShan , Yang Heming , Lou Xiaotong , Xu Liyan , Liu Min , Zhang Yikun , Gu Jianwen
Published: March 2024

Exercise-induced mechanical loading can increase bone strength whilst mechanical unloading enhances bone-loss. Here, we investigated the role of lncRNA NONMMUT004552.2 in unloading-induced bone-loss. Knockout of lncRNA NONMMUT004552.2 in hindlimb-unloaded mice caused an increase in the bone formation and osteoblast activity. The silencing of lncRNA NONMMUT004552.2 also decreased the osteoblast apoptosis and expression of Bax and cleaved caspase-3, increased Bcl-2 protein expression in MC3T3-E1 cells. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that NONMMUT004552.2 functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to facilitate the protein expression of spectrin repeat containing, nuclear envelope 1 (Syne1) by competitively binding miR-15b-5p and subsequently inhibits the osteoblast differentiation and bone formation in the microgravity unloading environment. These data highlight the importance of the lncRNA NONMMUT004552.2/miR-15b-5p/Syne1 axis for the treatment of osteoporosis.
Potential use of sludge from El Ferrol Bay (Chimbote, Peru) for the production of lipids in the culture of Scenedesmus acutus (Meyen, 1829)
Authors: Merino Fernando , Mendoza Sorayda , Carhuapoma-Garay Juan , Campoverde-Vigo Luis , Huamancondor-Paz Yolanda P. , Choque-Quispe Yudith , Buleje Campos Dianeth , Choque-Quispe David , Rodriguez-Cardenas Liliana , Saldaña-Rojas Guillermo B. , Loayza-Aguilar Rómulo E. , Olivos-Ramirez Gustavo E.
Published: March 2024

Despite the extensive development of microalgae biotechnology, it still requires new methodologies to lower production costs, especially in the field of biofuel production. Therefore, innovative methods that facilitate operations and enable cost-effective production are important in driving this industry. In this study, we propose a new low-cost and easy-to-use procedure, addressed to the generation of a culture medium for Scenedesmus acutus. The medium was obtained by thermal reduction of a sludge sample from El Ferrol Bay (Chimbote, Peru), whereby we obtained an aqueous medium. Our results indicated that the aqueous medium incorporates all necessary nutrients for microalgae production; allowing a maximum biomass of 0.75 ± 0.07 g/L with 60% of the medium; while high lipids production (59.42 ± 6.16%) was achieved with 20%. Besides, we quantified, in the experimental medium and at the end of the cultures, the levels of inorganic nutrients such as ammonium, nitrites, nitrates, and phosphates; in addition to COD and TOC, which were significantly reduced ($$p<$$

p
<

0.05) after 7 days of culture, mainly in the treatment with 20%. These results suggest tremendous potential for sludge reuse, which also entails a cost reduction in microalgae biomass production, with additional positive impacts on large-scale application over highly polluted environments.
Community detection in hypergraphs via mutual information maximization
Authors: Kritschgau Jürgen , Kaiser Daniel , Alvarado Rodriguez Oliver , Amburg Ilya , Bolkema Jessalyn , Grubb Thomas , Lan Fangfei , Maleki Sepideh , Chodrow Phil , Kay Bill
Published: March 2024

The hypergraph community detection problem seeks to identify groups of related vertices in hypergraph data. We propose an information-theoretic hypergraph community detection algorithm which compresses the observed data in terms of community labels and community-edge intersections. This algorithm can also be viewed as maximum-likelihood inference in a degree-corrected microcanonical stochastic blockmodel. We perform the compression/inference step via simulated annealing. Unlike several recent algorithms based on canonical models, our microcanonical algorithm does not require inference of statistical parameters such as vertex degrees or pairwise group connection rates. Through synthetic experiments, we find that our algorithm succeeds down to recently-conjectured thresholds for sparse random hypergraphs. We also find competitive performance in cluster recovery tasks on several hypergraph data sets.
Numerical simulation of a fractional stochastic delay differential equations using spectral scheme: a comprehensive stability analysis
Authors: Li Shuo , Khan Sami Ullah , Riaz Muhammad Bilal , AlQahtani Salman A. , Alamri Atif M.
Published: March 2024

The fractional stochastic delay differential equation (FSDDE) is a powerful mathematical tool for modeling complex systems that exhibit both fractional order dynamics and stochasticity with time delays. The purpose of this study is to explore the stability analysis of a system of FSDDEs. Our study emphasizes the interaction between fractional calculus, stochasticity, and time delays in understanding the stability of such systems. Analyzing the moments of the system’s solutions, we investigate stochasticity’s influence on FSDDS. The article provides practical insight into solving FSDDS efficiently using various numerical techniques. Additionally, this research focuses both on asymptotic as well as Lyapunov stability of FSDDS. The local stability conditions are clearly presented and also the effects of a fractional orders with delay on the stability properties are examine. Through a comprehensive test of a stability criteria, practical examples and numerical simulations we demonstrate the complexity and challenges concern with the analyzing FSDDEs.
Diatom-inspired silicification process for development of green flexible silica composite aerogels
Authors: Tan Valerie , Berg Florian , Maleki Hajar
Published: March 2024

In this study, we have developed novel biomimetic silica composite aerogels and cryogels for the first time, drawing inspiration from the natural diatom’s silicification process. Our biomimetic approach involved the modification of tyrosinase-mediated oxidized silk fibroin (SFO) surfaces with polyethyleneimine (PEI). This modification introduced ample amine groups onto the SF polymer, which catalyzed the silicification of the SFO-PEI gel surface with silicic acid. This process emulates the catalytic function of long-chain polyamines and silaffin proteins found in diatoms, resulting in a silica network structure on the primary SFO-PEI network gel’s surface. The SFO-PEI gel matrix played a dual role in this process: (1) It provided numerous amine functional groups that directly catalyzed the silicification of silicic acid on the porous structure’s exterior surface, without encapsulating the created silica network in the gel. (2) It served as a flexible mechanical support facilitating the creation of the silica network. As a result, the final ceramic composite exhibits a mechanically flexible nature (e.g., cyclic compressibility up to 80% strain), distinguishing it from conventional composite aerogels. By mimicking the diatom’s silicification process, we were able to simplify the development of silica-polymer composite aerogels. It eliminates the need for surfactants, multi-step procedures involving solvent exchange, and gel washing. Instead, the reaction occurs under mild conditions, streamlining the composite aerogels fabrication process.
Levenberg–Marquardt deep neural watermarking for 3D mesh using nearest centroid salient point learning
Authors: Narendra Modigari , Valarmathi M. L. , Anbarasi L. Jani , Gandomi Amir H.
Published: March 2024

Watermarking is one of the crucial techniques in the domain of information security, preventing the exploitation of 3D Mesh models in the era of Internet. In 3D Mesh watermark embedding, moderately perturbing the vertices is commonly required to retain them in certain pre-arranged relationship with their neighboring vertices. This paper proposes a novel watermarking authentication method, called Nearest Centroid Discrete Gaussian and Levenberg–Marquardt (NCDG–LV), for distortion detection and recovery using salient point detection. In this method, the salient points are selected using the Nearest Centroid and Discrete Gaussian Geometric (NC–DGG) salient point detection model. Map segmentation is applied to the 3D Mesh model to segment into distinct sub regions according to the selected salient points. Finally, the watermark is embedded by employing the Multi-function Barycenter into each spatially selected and segmented region. In the extraction process, the embedded 3D Mesh image is extracted from each re-segmented region by means of Levenberg–Marquardt Deep Neural Network Watermark Extraction. In the authentication stage, watermark bits are extracted by analyzing the geometry via Levenberg–Marquardt back-propagation. Based on a performance evaluation, the proposed method exhibits high imperceptibility and tolerance against attacks, such as smoothing, cropping, translation, and rotation. The experimental results further demonstrate that the proposed method is superior in terms of salient point detection time, distortion rate, true positive rate, peak signal to noise ratio, bit error rate, and root mean square error compared to the state-of-the-art methods.
The clinical evaluation of a widefield lens to expand the field of view in optical coherence tomography (OCT-A)
Authors: Soecknick Fritz , Breher Katharina , Nafar Zahra , Kubach Sophie , Straub Jochen , Wahl Siegfried , Ziemssen Focke
Published: March 2024

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical benefits of incorporating a widefield lens (WFL) in optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) in patients with retinal vascular diseases in comparison to standard single-shot OCT-A scans. Sixty patients with retinal vascular diseases including diabetic retinopathy (DR) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) were recruited. OCT-A imaging (PlexElite 9000) with and without WFL was performed in randomized order. The assessment included patient comfort, time, field of view (FoV), image quality and pathology detection. Statistical analysis included paired t-tests, Mann–Whitney U-tests and Bonferroni correction for multiple tests, with inter-grader agreement using the kappa coefficient. Using a WFL did not lead to statistically significant differences in DR and RVO group test times. Patient comfort remained high, with similar responses for WFL and non-WFL measurements. The WFL notably expanded the scan field (1.6× FoV increase), enhancing peripheral retinal visibility. However, image quality varied due to pathology and eye dominance, affecting the detection of peripheral issues in RVO and DR cases. The use of a WFL widens the scan field, aiding vascular retinal disease imaging with minor effects on comfort, time, and image quality. Further enhancements are needed for broader view angles, enabling improved quantification of non-perfused areas and more reliable peripheral proliferation detection.
Multidrug-resistant conjugative plasmid carrying mphA confers increased antimicrobial resistance in Shigella
Authors: Asad Asaduzzaman , Jahan Israt , Munni Moriam Akter , Begum Ruma , Mukta Morium Akter , Saif Kazi , Faruque Shah Nayeem , Hayat Shoma , Islam Zhahirul
Published: March 2024

Shigellosis remains a common gastrointestinal disease mostly in children < 5 years of age in developing countries. Azithromycin (AZM), a macrolide, is currently the first-line treatment for shigellosis in Bangladesh; ciprofloxacin (CIP) and ceftriaxone (CRO) are also used frequently. We aimed to evaluate the current epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and mechanism(s) of increasing macrolide resistance in Shigella in Bangladesh. A total of 2407 clinical isolates of Shigella from 2009 to 2016 were studied. Over the study period, Shigella sonnei was gradually increasing and become predominant (55%) over Shigella flexneri (36%) by 2016. We used CLSI-guided epidemiological cut-off value (ECV) for AZM in Shigella to set resistance breakpoints (zone-diameter ≤ 15 mm for S. flexneri and ≤ 11 mm for S. sonnei). Between 2009 and 2016, AZM resistance increased from 22% to approximately 60%, CIP resistance increased by 40%, and CRO resistance increased from zero to 15%. The mphA gene was the key macrolide resistance factor in Shigella; a 63MDa conjugative middle-range plasmid was harboring AZM and CRO resistance factors. Our findings show that, especially after 2014, there has been a rapid increase in resistance to the three most effective antibiotics. The rapid spread of macrolide (AZM) resistance genes among Shigella are driven by horizontal gene transfer rather than direct lineage.
Birnbaum Saunders distribution for imprecise data: statistical properties, estimation methods, and real life applications
Authors: Hassan Marwa K. , Aslam Muhammad
Published: March 2024

A neutrosophic statistic is a random variable and it has a neutrosophic probability distribution. So, in this paper, we introduce the new neutrosophic Birnbaum–Saunders distribution. Some statistical properties are derived, using Mathematica 13.1.1 and R-Studio Software. Two different estimation methods for parameters estimation are introduced for new distribution: maximum likelihood estimation method and Bayesian estimation method. A Monte-Carlo simulation study is used to investigate the behavior of parameters estimates of new distribution, compare the performance of different estimates, and compare between our distribution and the classical version of Birnbaum–Saunders. Finally, study the validity of our new distribution in real life.
Lower glomerular filtration rate after mild stroke induces cognitive impairment by causing endothelial dysfunction
Authors: Yan Xu , Chen Huan , Shang Xiuli
Published: March 2024

The incidence of post stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is high in patients with mild stroke (MIS), and the risk factors and mechanism are uncertain. Increased cystatin C (CysC) levels after stroke may reflect lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal impairment. Previous studies have suggested endothelial dysfunction (ED) is closely related to renal impairment and cognitive impairment, respectively. We aimed to observe whether lower GFR estimated by CysC after MIS leaded to a high incidence of PSCI, and the role of ED in this process. 256 patients were enrolled in this prospective observational study. Renal function was assessed using GFR estimated by serum CysC. Endothelial function was evaluated by reactive hyperemia index (RHI) which calculated automatically by peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT). The cognitive function at baseline and 3 months was evaluated by MoCA score, and MoCA score ≤ 26 indicates the presence of PSCI. Spearman correlation analysis and linear regression were conducted to explore the factors affecting ED. Univariate and multivariate analysis was used to identify the independent risk factors of PSCI. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to explore the optimal cutoff value of the independent risk factors levels for predicting PSCI. A total of 141 patients (55.1%) suffered from ED. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that there was a strong linear correlation between eGFRcys and RHI (p < 0.001). At the three-month follow-up, a total of 150 (58.6%) patients had been diagnosed with PSCI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that RHI was an independent factor affecting the occurrence of PSCI (p < 0.05). ROC curve showed that the area under the curve was 0.724, and the optimal cut-off value of RHI was 1.655, with the sensitivity and specificity for PSCI were 72.7% and 73.6%, respectively. The lower eGFRcys level after MIS was significantly associated with ED, and ED may mediate the higher incidence of PSCI at 3 months after MIS.
An application of AHP and fuzzy entropy-TOPSIS methods to optimize upstream petroleum investment in representative African basins
Authors: Cui Zhihua , Taiwo Olusoji Lawrence , Aaron Peace Mawo
Published: March 2024

The growing demand of China for petroleum heightens the complexities and prospects in worldwide investments, necessitating refined and strategic investment approaches. Evaluating the potential of different hydrocarbon-potential areas needs more comprehensive scientific evaluation models. This study aims to establish a Comprehensive Investment Potential of Petroleum (CIPP) framework for targeted sedimentary basins by using an integrated approach that combines the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Entropy-Weighted Fuzzy TOPSIS models. We focus particularly on representative African basins to inform strategic decision-making for the Chinese overseas petroleum enterprises. We firstly interpret the geological condition of these petroleum basins by researching multiple databases and proprietary research data. Then, we use a combined approach of ranking-classification-correlation analysis to evaluate 17 representative basins, taking into account both overall and individual key performance indicators. Our findings suggest the Illizi Basin and the Offshore Côte d'Ivoire Basin could be the most favorable for investment and development. Those like Southwest African Basin warrant cautious consideration. The new evaluation model and computational workflow offer an effective workflow for assessing multiple petroleum basins. This work provides not just practical investment strategies for companies aiming for African petroleum basins, but also a transferable methodology for optimizing investment decisions.
Developmental expression of catecholamine system in the human placenta and rat fetoplacental unit
Authors: Karahoda Rona , Vachalova Veronika , Portillo Ramon , Mahrla Filip , Viñas-Noguera Mireia , Abad Cilia , Staud Frantisek
Published: March 2024

Catecholamines norepinephrine and dopamine have been implicated in numerous physiological processes within the central nervous system. Emerging evidence has highlighted the importance of tightly regulated monoamine levels for placental functions and fetal development. However, the complexities of synthesis, release, and regulation of catecholamines in the fetoplacental unit have not been fully unraveled. In this study, we investigated the expression of enzymes and transporters involved in synthesis, degradation, and transport of norepinephrine and dopamine in the human placenta and rat fetoplacental unit. Quantitative PCR and Western blot analyses were performed in early-to-late gestation in humans (first trimester vs. term placenta) and mid-to-late gestation in rats (placenta and fetal brain, intestines, liver, lungs, and heart). In addition, we analyzed the gene expression patterns in isolated primary trophoblast cells from the human placenta and placenta-derived cell lines (HRP-1, BeWo, JEG-3). In both human and rat placentas, the study identifies the presence of only PNMT, COMT, and NET at the mRNA and protein levels, with the expression of PNMT and NET showing gestational age dependency. On the other hand, rat fetal tissues consistently express the catecholamine pathway genes, revealing distinct developmental expression patterns. Lastly, we report significant transcriptional profile variations in different placental cell models, emphasizing the importance of careful model selection for catecholamine metabolism/transport studies. Collectively, integrating findings from humans and rats enhances our understanding of the dynamic regulatory mechanisms that underlie catecholamine dynamics during pregnancy. We identified similar patterns in both species across gestation, suggesting conserved molecular mechanisms and potentially shedding light on shared biological processes influencing placental development.
Geographic differences in body size distributions underlie food web connectance of tropical forest mammals
Authors: Beaudrot Lydia , Acevedo Miguel A. , Gorczynski Daniel , Harris Nyeema C.
Published: March 2024

Understanding variation in food web structure over large spatial scales is an emerging research agenda in food web ecology. The density of predator–prey links in a food web (i.e., connectance) is a key measure of network complexity that describes the mean proportional dietary breadth of species within a food web. Connectance is a critical component of food web robustness to species loss: food webs with lower connectance have been shown to be more susceptible to secondary extinctions. Identifying geographic variation in food web connectance and its drivers may provide insight into community robustness to species loss. We investigated the food web connectance of ground-dwelling tropical forest mammal communities in multiple biogeographic regions to test for differences among regions in food web connectance and to test three potential drivers: primary productivity, contemporary anthropogenic pressure, and variation in mammal body mass distributions reflective of historical extinctions. Mammal communities from fifteen protected forests throughout the Neo-, Afro-, and Asian tropics were identified from systematic camera trap arrays. Predator–prey interaction data were collected from published literature, and we calculated connectance for each community as the number of observed predator–prey links relative to the number of possible predator–prey links. We used generalized linear models to test for differences among regions and to identify the site level characteristics that best predicted connectance. We found that mammal food web connectance varied significantly among continents and that body size range was the only significant predictor. More possible predator–prey links were observed in communities with smaller ranges in body size and therefore sites with smaller body size ranges had higher mean proportional dietary breadth. Specifically, mammal communities in the Neotropics and in Madagascar had significantly higher connectance than mammal communities in Africa. This geographic variation in contemporary mammalian food web structure may be the product of historical extinctions in the Late Quaternary, which led to greater losses of large-bodied species in the Neotropics and Madagascar thus contributing to higher average proportional dietary breadth among the remaining smaller bodied species in these regions.
Mangrove mapping and monitoring using remote sensing techniques towards climate change resilience
Authors: Sunkur Reshma , Kantamaneni Komali , Bokhoree Chandradeo , Rathnayake Upaka , Fernando Michael
Published: March 2024

Mangroves are amongst the richest ecosystems in the world providing valuable goods and services to millions of people while enhancing the resilience of coastal communities against climate change induced hazards, especially island nations. However, these mangroves are severely affected by many anthropogenic activities. Therefore, understanding the spatial variability of mangroves in island nations is highly essential in the events of ongoing climatic change. Thus, this study assessed the use of remote sensing techniques and GIS to map and monitor mangrove cover change at selected sites, namely Le Morne and Ferney, on the tropical island of Mauritius. Freely available 2013 SPOT-5 and 2023 Sentinel 2A images were retrieved and processed using ArcGIS Pro tools and SNAP; mangroves were mapped based on Google Earth Pro historical imagery and ground truthing at the respective sites. Following the application of selected vegetation indices, GLCM and PCA analysis, mosaicked images were classified using the Random Trees algorithm. Kappa values of all the classified images were in the 90 s; Le Morne showed a significant increase in mangrove cover over the decadal scale with main class change from mudflat to mangroves. This study demonstrates how geo-spatial tools are crucial for monitoring mangroves as they provide spatially explicit and time sensitive information. Decision makers, researchers, and relevant stakeholders can utilize this data to bolster tailored mitigation and adaptation strategies at specific sites, thereby enhancing resilience to climate change.
A defined diet for pre-adult Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Martelli Felipe , Quig Annelise , Mele Sarah , Lin Jiayi , Fulton Tahlia L. , Wansbrough Mia , Barlow Christopher K. , Schittenhelm Ralf B. , Johnson Travis K. , Piper Matthew D. W.
Published: March 2024

Drosophila melanogaster is unique among animal models because it has a fully defined synthetic diet available to study nutrient-gene interactions. However, use of this diet is limited to adult studies due to impaired larval development and survival. Here, we provide an adjusted formula that reduces the developmental period, restores fat levels, enhances body mass, and fully rescues survivorship without compromise to adult lifespan. To demonstrate an application of this formula, we explored pre-adult diet compositions of therapeutic potential in a model of an inherited metabolic disorder affecting the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids. We reveal rapid, specific, and predictable nutrient effects on the disease state consistent with observations from mouse and patient studies. Together, our diet provides a powerful means with which to examine the interplay between diet and metabolism across all life stages in an animal model.
Exogenous application of mycotoxin fusaric acid improve the morphological, cytogenetic, biochemical and anatomical parameters in salt (NaCl) stressed Allium cepa L.
Authors: Çavuşoğlu Kürşat , Çavuşoğlu Dilek
Published: March 2024

Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stress factors that negatively affect plant growth and development. In contrast, fusaric acid (FA), a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium and Giberella fungal genera, has biological and metabolic effects in various plants. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the protective effect of externally applied FA (0.1 nM) against the damage caused by salt (0.15 M NaCl) stress in onion (Allium cepa L.) plant. Salt stress resulted in an increase in the chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and micronucleus (MN) frequency, a decrease in the mitotic index (MI), fresh weight, root number, germination percentage, and root length. It promoted CAs such as irregular mitosis, bilobulated nuclei, chromosome loss, bridge, unequal seperation of chromosome, vagrant chromosome and polar slip in root meristem cells. In addition, salt stress caused a enhancement in free proline (PR), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in the roots of onion plant. Moreover, it revealed damage and changes that include the accumulation of some chemical substances such as proline and sugars in epidermis and cortex layer cells, epidermal cell injury, flattening of the cell nucleus, wall thickening in cortex cells, necrotic areas and indistinct transmission tissue in the anatomical structure of onion roots. On the other hand, FA application promoted bulb germination and mitotic activity, strengthened the antioxidant defense system, and reduced chromosome and anatomical structure damages. In conclusion; it has been revealed that exogenous FA application may have a positive effect on increasing the resistance of onion plants to salt stress.
Molecular mechanism of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3 interaction with Gq
Authors: Ham Donghee , Inoue Asuka , Xu Jun , Du Yang , Chung Ka Young
Published: March 2024

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3 (M3) and its downstream effector Gq/11 are critical drug development targets due to their involvement in physiopathological processes. Although the structure of the M3-miniGq complex was recently published, the lack of information on the intracellular loop 3 (ICL3) of M3 and extensive modification of Gαq impedes the elucidation of the molecular mechanism of M3-Gq coupling under more physiological condition. Here, we describe the molecular mechanism underlying the dynamic interactions between full-length wild-type M3 and Gq using hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and NanoLuc Binary Technology-based cell systems. We propose a detailed analysis of M3-Gq coupling through examination of previously well-defined binding interfaces and neglected regions. Our findings suggest potential binding interfaces between M3 and Gq in pre-assembled and functionally active complexes. Furthermore, M3 ICL3 negatively affected M3-Gq coupling, and the Gαq AHD underwent unique conformational changes during M3-Gq coupling.
Palladium-catalyzed (Z)-selective allylation of phosphine oxides with vinylethylene carbonates to construct phosphorus allyl alcohols
Authors: Huang Hua , Wu Yi-Qi , Han Lu-Yao , Jiang Lu , Zhang Zhuo-Zhuo , Zhang Xiang , Han Bo , Huang Wei , Li Jun-Long
Published: March 2024

A general and efficient method for the highly stereoselective synthesis of (Z)-phosphorus allylalcohols has been developed using the Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling of phosphine oxides with vinylethylene carbonates.
A Second Preimage Attack on the XOR Hash Combiner
Authors: Chen Shiwei , Cui Ting , Jin Chenhui , Wang Congjun
Published: March 2024

The exclusive‐or (XOR) hash combiner is a classical hash function combiner, which is well known as a good PRF and MAC combiner, and is used in practice in TLS versions 1.0 and 1.1. In this work, we analyze the second preimage resistance of the XOR combiner underlying two different narrow‐pipe hash functions with weak ideal compression functions. To control simultaneously the behavior of the two different hash functions, we develop a new structure called multicollision‐and‐double‐diamond. Multicollision‐and‐double‐diamond structure is constructed using the idea of meet‐in‐the‐middle technique, combined with Joux’s multicollision and Chen’s inverse‐diamond structure. Then based on the multicollision‐and‐double‐diamond structure, we present a second preimage attack on the XOR hash combiner with the time complexity of about O((2n + 1)2n/2 + (n − l)2n−l + (n − k)2n−k + 2l+1 + 2k+1) (n is the size of the XOR hash combiner and l and k are respectively the depths of the two inverse‐diamond structures), less than the ideal time complexity O(2n), and memory of about O(2k + 2l).
Learning Deep Embedding with Acoustic and Phoneme Features for Speaker Recognition in FM Broadcasting
Authors: Li Xiao , Chen Xiao , Fu Rui , Hu Xiao , Chen Mintong , Niu Kun
Published: March 2024

Text‐independent speaker verification (TI‐SV) is a crucial task in speaker recognition, as it involves verifying an individual’s claimed identity from speech of arbitrary content without any human intervention. The target for TI‐SV is to design a discriminative network to learn deep speaker embedding for speaker idiosyncrasy. In this paper, we propose a deep speaker embedding learning approach of a hybrid deep neural network (DNN) for TI‐SV in FM broadcasting. Not only acoustic features are utilized, but also phoneme features are introduced as prior knowledge to collectively learn deep speaker embedding. The hybrid DNN consists of a convolutional neural network architecture for generating acoustic features and a multilayer perceptron architecture for extracting phoneme features sequentially, which represent significant pronunciation attributes. The extracted acoustic and phoneme features are concatenated to form deep embedding descriptors for speaker identity. The hybrid DNN demonstrates not only the complementarity between acoustic and phoneme features but also the temporality of phoneme features in a sequence. Our experiments show that the hybrid DNN outperforms existing methods and delivers a remarkable performance in FM broadcasting TI‐SV.
Conditional selection with CNN augmented transformer for multimodal affective analysis
Authors: Wang Jianwen , Wang Shiping , Xiao Shunxin , Lin Renjie , Dong Mianxiong , Guo Wenzhong
Published: March 2024

Attention mechanism has been a successful method for multimodal affective analysis in recent years. Despite the advances, several significant challenges remain in fusing language and its nonverbal context information. One is to generate sparse attention coefficients associated with acoustic and visual modalities, which helps locate critical emotional semantics. The other is fusing complementary cross‐modal representation to construct optimal salient feature combinations of multiple modalities. A Conditional Transformer Fusion Network is proposed to handle these problems. Firstly, the authors equip the transformer module with CNN layers to enhance the detection of subtle signal patterns in nonverbal sequences. Secondly, sentiment words are utilised as context conditions to guide the computation of cross‐modal attention. As a result, the located nonverbal features are not only salient but also complementary to sentiment words directly. Experimental results show that the authors’ method achieves state‐of‐the‐art performance on several multimodal affective analysis datasets.
Theoretical assessment of discharge effects on the decomposition tendency of C6F12O over metallic surfaces
Authors: Cui Zhaolun , Hao Yanpeng , Tian Shuangshuang , Zhang Xiaoxing , Zheng Yashuang
Published: March 2024

C6F12O is proposed to be one potential eco‐friendly insulation gas to replace SF6. However, the assessment of its decomposition properties and the compatibility with metal electrodes in discharge faults is still challenging, which greatly hinders the development of its insulation and arc‐extinction applications. Herein, a theoretical method is proposed to reasonably address the discharge effects on C6F12O decomposition over typical Cu and Al electrodes at atomic scale. The results show that both the external electric field and the excess electrons could affect the activation of C6F12O by changing the electron acceptance of C6F12O and the orbital hybridisation during the surface bonding. On metal surfaces, the C‐F single bond in adsorbed C6F12O is the weakest position to decompose, and its cleavage could be promoted by the discharge effects. After the C‐F breaking, the C‐C cleavage remains unfavourable on Cu (111), but it is significantly promoted on Al (111), indicating a higher corrosion risk on the Al surface via continuous C6F12O decompositions. The proposed method as a valid supplement to the experiment reveals the discharge effects and the decomposition tendency of C6F12O on metal electrodes in discharge faults, which broadens the means for insulation gas evaluation.
Time transfer via single‐record TDoA measurements of GNSS satellites using direct cross‐correlation and relative pilot code phases
Authors: Busley Erik , Žuntar Timotej , Borgmann Jörg , Krist Michael
Published: March 2024

Radar systems are evolving towards distributed receiver networks. As individual stations might be separated too far to install a cable link, novel methods are required to synchronise individual data records in the time domain. State‐of‐the‐art GNSS receivers disciplining a highly stable oscillator are able to output a timing signal with several nanosecond accuracy solely using non‐proprietary signals. However, they typically require a stable environment and become a major cost factor for receiver networks with a high number of nodes. A method is presented to passively synchronise data records via GNSS raw signals in a single record requiring only a GNSS antenna, an analogue‐to‐digital converter and computation hardware. The clock bias is estimated via the common view method with either full raw signal correlation or software‐based code correlation of individual signals from the GPS, Galileo and BeiDou constellation with sub‐nanosecond precision.
Patient access – Zugang zu Innovationen in der Onkologie
Authors: Berger-Thürmel Karin , Westphalen C. Benedikt , von Bergwelt-Baildon Michael
Published: March 2024

WAS IST NEU?

Innovative onkologische Diagnostik und Therapien Im Vergleich zu anderen europäischen Ländern steht in Deutschland eine Vielzahl an innovativen Therapieoptionen für die Behandlung von Patienten mit Krebs zur Verfügung. Aktuell besteht die Herausforderung in der Versorgung vor allem darin, allen Patienten, die einen Nutzen von innovativen Therapien erfahren könnten, unabhängig vom Wohnort und Behandlungsumfeld diese Optionen zum richtigen Zeitpunkt anzubieten zu können.

Zugang über klinische Studien, molekulare Tumorboards Klinische Studien sind häufig die erste Möglichkeit für einen kontrollierten Zugang zu onkologischer Innovation. Der Abbau von bürokratischen Prozessen sowie die Steigerung der Transparenz über aktuell rekrutierende Studien ist zwingend notwendig, um mehr Patienten den frühen Zugang über Sektorengrenzen hinweg zu ermöglichen. Auch das Konzept dezentraler klinischer Studien und (virtueller) molekularer Tumorboards ist geeignet, um mehr Patienten einen potenziellen Studieneinschluss zu ermöglichen.

Kosten innovativer onkologischer Therapie Der bestmögliche Einsatz einer wachsenden Zahl innovativer und kostenintensiver Diagnostik- und Therapiemöglichkeiten für unterschiedlichste, patientenindividuelle Situationen erfordert den niederschwelligen transsektoralen Austausch, d. h. Kommunikation zwischen (zertifizierten) onkologischen Kompetenzzentren und Ärzten in der Breite der medizinischen Versorgung, die im Versorgungsalltag gleichzeitig die Großzahl der deutschen Krebspatienten behandeln und die gesamte Bandbreite der immer komplexeren onkologischen Therapielandschaft abdecken sollen.

Innovative Therapien: unterschiedlicher Zugang in den Regionen Die überfällige Implementierung von digitalen Möglichkeiten für die sektorenübergreifende Zusammenarbeit ist unbedingte Voraussetzung, um Patienten mit räumlich größerer Entfernung zu einem Kompetenz- bzw. Studienzentrum Zugang zu Innovation zu ermöglichen, die am Wohn- bzw. Behandlungsort nicht vorgehalten wird.

Neue Versorgungsformen: optimierter Zugang zu innovativer Versorgung Zur Entwicklung und Erprobung neuer Versorgungsformen ist die Beteiligung aller am Versorgungsprozess beteiligten Verantwortlichen notwendig, um strukturelle Voraussetzungen gemeinschaftlich zu verbessern, nachhaltige Anreize zu schaffen und entsprechend notwendige Kapazitäten vorzuhalten. Grundlage hierfür ist eine fortlaufende, konzertierte Bereitstellung von Evidenz zur Versorgungssituation, z. B. im Kontext der gesetzlichen Krebsregistrierung und klinischer Register an onkologischen Zentren.
DGHO-Jahrestagung: Postoperative Immuntherapie wenig wirksam
Authors: Schöllmann Claudia
Published: March 2024

Die Studie EORTC 1707 VESTIGE untersucht, ob eine postoperativ verabreichte duale Immuntherapie die bislang empfohlene postoperative Chemotherapie (CTx) bei Patient*innen mit einem ösophago-gastralem Adenokarzinom und hohem Rezidivrisiko ersetzen kann. Aktuelle Interims-Studiendaten, vorgestellt von Prof. Florian Lordick, Leipzig, bei der DGHO-Jahrestagung 2023 geben eine klare Antwort.
Menschen mit intellektuellen Entwicklungsstörungen zu Hause behandeln
Authors: Kuntz Anja , Moscelli Cathrina , Wolff Fenia
Published: March 2024

Menschen mit intellektuellen Entwicklungsstörungen erkranken häufig an einer psychischen Störung oder weisen Verhaltensstörungen auf. Wie sie effektiv in ihrem eigenen Umfeld versorgt werden können, zeigt ein Modellvorhaben am Pfalzklinikum.
Use of Vonicog Alpha and Acquired von Willebrand Syndrome, a New Approach: A Case Report
Authors: Blandinières Adeline , Combe Sophie , Chanson Noémie , Lambotte Olivier , Lavenu-Bombled Cécile
Published: March 2024

Therapeutic management of acquired von Willebrand syndrome (AVWS) can be challenging, particularly in cases of AVWS associated with monoclonal IgM such as Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) where several therapeutic options may be ineffective. Here, we describe the case of an 88-year-old patient who developed AVWS during follow-up for WM. The presence of a severe bleeding symptomatology not controlled by several therapies (plasma-derived von Willebrand factor, plasmapheresis) led us to introduce a supplementation with recombinant von Willebrand factor, vonicog α (Veyvondi, Takeda, Japan), starting at a dose of 50 IU/kg/d. This supplementation allowed clinical (no further bleeding) and biological (hemoglobin level, von Willebrand factor parameters) improvements. Because of the persistence of bleeding risk factors, the treatment was maintained at a prophylactic dose (20 UI/kg three times a week), without recurrence of bleeding events for a period of 9 months.
Digitale Konzepte für die Versorgung von Neugeborenen mit
kraniofazialen Anomalien
Authors: Hülsbeck Albert , Northoff Lisa-Marie , Kahl-Nieke Bärbel
Published: March 2024

Die Behandlung von Neugeborenen mit kraniofazialen Fehlbildungen wie
Lippen-Kiefer- und/oder Gaumenspalten stellt Behandler:innen vor besondere
Herausforderungen. Oft ist die interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit eines Teams aus
Pädiater:innen, Kieferorthopäd:innen und Mund-Kiefer-Gesichtschirurg:innen
erforderlich. Eine Therapie mit Trink- und/oder Stimulationsplatten kann die
Nahrungsaufnahme verbessern und den orofazialen Muskeltonus stärken. Die
Behandlung von Patient:innen mit Lippen-Kiefer-Gaumenspalten mithilfe
konventionell hergestellter Trinkplatten sowie die Behandlung von Patient:innen
mit verringertem orofazialen Muskeltonus im Rahmen einer Therapie mit
Stimulationsplatten sind etablierte und vielerorts angewandte Verfahren. Jedoch
können bei der konventionellen Herstellung dieser Plattenapparaturen
schwerwiegende Komplikationen wie das Verschlucken von Abformmaterial sowie die
Verlegung der Atemwege durch Aspiration auftreten. Durch einen innovativen,
vollständig digitalen Workflow mittels Computer-Aided-Design und -Manufacturing
der Apparaturen im 3D-Drucker werden Risiken minimiert und Zeit sowie Kosten
gespart. In diesem Artikel soll anhand zweier Kasuistiken der digitale Workflow
der Behandlung von Neugeborenen mit 3D-CAD/CAM Trink- und Stimulationsplatten
erläutert werden.
Visible-Light-Catalyzed Regioselective Arylcarboxylation of Allenes with CO2
Authors: Zhang Zhenqiang , Zhan Zhuangping , Zhang Xianming
Published: March 2024

A visible-light-catalyzed arylcarboxylation of allenes with CO2 was developed using [Ir(ppy)2(dtbbpy)]PF6 (ppy = 2-phenylpyridine; dtbbpy = 4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridine) as a photocatalyst to synthesis β-aryl β,γ-unsaturated carboxylic acids. This multicomponent protocol proceeds in an atom-economical way with exclusive regioselectivity. Preliminary mechanistic experiments suggested that allylic carbanion species are the key intermediates.