bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Q-learning model of insight problem solving and the effects of learning properties on creativity
Authors: Harada Tsutomu
Published: March 2023

This study examines the effect of individual differences on insight problem-solving performance. This study identified individual differences in learning properties estimated through a Q-learning model in a reinforcement learning framework and evaluated their effects on insight problem-solving in two tasks, that is, 8-coin and 9-dot problems, both of which are classified as a broad category of spatial insight problems. Although the learning properties of the two problems were different, the results revealed that learning transferred between them. That is, the performance in the insight task improved with the prior experience of another task. Moreover, it was found that loss-taking, as opposed to loss aversion, significantly impacted performance in both problems with prior experience. Loss-taking behavior is hypothesized to facilitate analogical transfer across both tasks and improve performance. Furthermore, this is one of the few studies to attempt to apply a computational approach to insight problem solving. This approach enables the identification of underlying learning parameters for insight problem solving.
Establishment of an Evaluation System for Cervical Cancer Health Literacy Among Chinese Women
Authors: He Chanchan , Pei Chenyang , Ma Jing
Published: March 2023

Background
Increasing women's health literacy is the key to preventing cervical cancer, and various tools have been developed to assess women's cancer health literacy. However, many of these tools come from other countries and have not been adapted to Chinese requirements. Furthermore, a system for evaluating cervical cancer health literacy among Chinese women has not been developed. Therefore, we sought to establish an evaluation index system for cervical cancer health literacy among Chinese women and to provide an effective evaluation tool for tertiary prevention of cervical cancer in China.
Methods
We invited 20 recognized experts to participate in two rounds of Delphi expert consultation, and the modified Delphi process with percentage weighting and multiplication was used. A literature review identified 39 potential indicators. On this basis, two rounds of Delphi expert consultation were conducted to rate and screen the indexes. Percentage weighting and multiplication were used to determine index weights.
Results: Twenty experts participated in the first-round Delphi consultations (95.23% recovery rate). In the second-round Delphi consultations, 20 questionnaires were returned (100%), and the expert authority coefficient was 0.93 ± 0.02. After both rounds of Delphi consultation, four first-level indicators, nine second-level indicators, and 32 third-level indicators were identified for cervical cancer literacy among Chinese women. On a five-point scale, importance ratings ranged from 3.76 to 4.95 points, with variation coefficients ranging from 0.06 to 0.24, while sensitivity ratings ranged from 3.71 to 4.83 points, with variation coefficients ranging from 0.07 to 0.24. Across both rounds, Kendall’s W coefficients ranged from 0.146 to 0.248. The weights of first-level indicators of basic knowledge and attitudes about cervical cancer, primary prevention of cervical cancer literacy, secondary prevention of cervical cancer literacy, and tertiary prevention of cervical cancer literacy were 0.257, 0.249, 0.251, and 0.243, respectively.
Conclusions: We have developed the first tertiary prevention-based, comprehensive evaluation index system for cervical cancer literacy among Chinese women, which will provide theoretical support for cervical cancer prevention and health education programs.
Western Ontario Osteoarthritis of the Shoulder Index (WOOS) - A validation for use in proximal humerus fractures treated with arthroplasty
Authors: Demir Yilmaz* , Sjöberg Hanna , Stark Andre , Salomonsson Björn
Published: March 2023

Background:

The Swedish shoulder and Arthroplasty Registry (SSAR) use the Western Ontario Osteoarthritis of the Shoulder Index (WOOS) as their shoulder-specific score in the follow-up. WOOS is not yet validated for use as the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement (PROM) for proximal humerus fractures (PHF) treated with shoulder hemiarthroplasty (SHA) in the Swedish registry. The aim of this study is to validate WOOS for PHF treated with SHA using standardized methods for the validation of psychometric tests.

Methods:

Data was collected from the SSAR from the 1st of January 2008 to the 31st of June 2011. A total of 72 subjects were identified with at least 1 year of follow-up. Of these 43 completed all the shoulder-specific PROM together with a clinical examination, including a WOOS retest and general health scores. A group of 29 did not undergo any clinical examination, but they completed all the questionnaires not requiring a clinical examination. The validity was assessed with WOOS compared to satisfaction level, and the Spearman rank coefficient was used for the correlation between WOOS and the shoulder-specific scores (Constant-Murley Score, Oxford Shoulder Score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form and EQ-5D. For reliability, Intra Class Correlation (ICC) was used for the test-retest assessment and Cronbach´s alpha for the construct reliability.

Results

The validity for WOOS had an excellent correlation (>0.75) with all the shoulder-specific scores and a good correlation (>0.6) with EQ-5D.
The reliability with the test-retest of the total WOOS score and the subgroups had an excellent correlation. Cronbach´s alpha also supports the construct of WOOS. There were no floor or ceiling effects.

Conclusions

We found that WOOS is a reliable tool for evaluating patients with SHA after PHF. Our study supports further use of WOOS in SSAR.
Recurrent Massive hemorrhage from Cesarean Scar defect: a case report and literature review
Authors: Zhao Xiumin , Dai Yifei , Wang Fang , Li Xiangjuan
Published: March 2023

Cesarean section (CD) is one of the most common operations in the world. Cesarean scar defect (CSD), one of the recently discovered complications of cesarean section, has been found to be related to abnormal uterine bleeding. Massive hemorrhage caused by CSD has rarely been reported. The cause is still unknown, and the treatments vary.We report a case of a 37-year-old woman who experienced prolonged menstruation for 6 years after her second cesarean section. She had recurrent sudden massive hemorrhage and nothing abnormal was observed by ultrasound or MRI examination except for CSD. The patient underwent hysteroscopic surgery. The abnormal uterine bleeding was successfully stopped, and the menstrual cycle returned to normal after surgical treatment. Diverticulum with abnormal bleeding symptoms may induce massive hemorrhage. Patients with the same syndrome should be informed of the risk. Hysteroscopy surgery could be a choice.
Associations of bovine beta-casein and kappa-casein genotypes with the genomic merit in Holstein-Friesian cattle
Authors: Ardicli Sena , Aldevir Ozgur , Aksu Emrah , Kucuk Kerem , Gumen Ahmet
Published: March 2023

The relationship between index values used in evaluating the genomic value and essential markers such as casein genes provides important information at the herd level. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association between casein gene genotypes and the indices of genetic merit in Holstein-Friesians. A total of 805 cows were genotyped using the Affymetrix® Axiom® array system. We used the data composed of TPI and NM values as well as PTA indices, including milk, fat, %fat, protein, %protein, CFP, PL, SCS, DPR, LV, and UDC of each animal. The statistical analysis consisted of the one-way ANOVA test followed by Tukey's test. The A2A2 and the AB genotypes were predominant in the CSN2 and CSN3 genes, respectively. The A2A2 animals have higher TPI and NM values. Moreover, they exhibited higher PTA values for protein, CFP, and PL. On the other hand, the A1A1 genotype was significantly associated with the highest UDC. Concerning the CSN3 haplotypes, the BB animals had higher PTA-%protein and -PL than alternative haplotypes. The AA and AB haplotypes were significantly associated with the highest SCS and DPR values, respectively. In addition, the BE haplotype had the highest NM. Selection procedures focusing on casein genes in dairy cattle are becoming increasingly common worldwide, especially for A2 milk. However, herd-based dynamics are also fundamental to providing a desired genetic merit for the animals. This study may be valuable for further analyses regarding the selection decisions through the breeding values of the candidates in commercial dairy herds.
Clinical Manifestations of Perinatal Pregnant Women with Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Tong Shanshan , Feng Qiang , Cui Min , Wu Xueling , Qin Xuewei
Published: March 2023

Purpose： To analyze the clinical manifestations of perinatal pregnant women with pulmonary embolism(PE) and improve the understanding of maternal PE disease.
Methods：We retrospectively reviewed maternities diagnosed with PE in a maternity and infant hospital between July 2018 and June 2020. Patients were divided into different groups according to risk stratification. Clinical data were collected and statistically analyzed by SPSS.
Results: A total of 49 patients, with an average age of (32.31±4.17) years at delivery were clarified into low-risk group (28 patients, 57.1%) and medium-risk group (21 patients, 42.9%). The medium-risk group had a significant higher serum level of TnI (0.0052±0.0073 ng/ml) compared with low-risk group (0.0009±0.0013 ng/ml). Although d-dimer level (5.1±3.6 mg/l) of selected patients were higher than normal range at the time of admitting, a significant increasing trend was still observed when diagnosed with PE (p=0.012 in low-risk group, p=0.005 in medium-risk group). The location of thrombosis distributed mainly in right lung (28(57.1%)) and lower field of lung (32(65.3%)) according to CTA image, while 5 cases of right ventricular enlargement were limited in medium-risk group. While 87.8% of patients were asymptomatic. The frequencies of PE in Febraury 2020 and March 2020 were higher compared to any other month, which was in accordance with the first episode period of COVID-19 in China.
Conclusion: Perinatal PE is frequently found in elderly pregnant women, with a more benign clinical presentation compared with reported data. Dynamic monitoring of d-dimer may have more clinical value for early identification of perinatal PE.
Uncertainties in critical slowing down indicators of observation-based fingerprints of the Atlantic Overturning Circulation
Authors: Ben-Yami Maya , Skiba Vanessa , Bathiany Sebastian , Boers Niklas
Published: March 2023

Observations are increasingly used to detect critical slowing down (CSD) to measure stability changes in key Earth system components. However, most datasets have non-stationary missing-data distributions, biases and uncertainties. Here we show that, together with the pre-processing steps used to deal with them, these can bias the CSD analysis. We present an uncertainty quantification method to address such issues. We show how to propagate uncertainties provided with the datasets to the CSD analysis and develop conservative, surrogate-based significance tests on the CSD indicators. We apply our method to three observational sea-surface temperature and salinity datasets and to fingerprints of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation derived from them. We find that the properties of these datasets and especially the specific gap filling procedures can in some cases indeed cause false indication of CSD. However, CSD indicators in the North Atlantic are still present and significant when accounting for dataset uncertainties and non-stationary observational coverage.
Experimental study on the influence of block rock fracture on P-wave propagation of block rock mass
Authors: Wang Kaixing , Zhou Yi , Chen Feng , Xu Lian-man
Published: March 2023

The fracture of a rock mass is an important stage in the development of catastrophes in a block system. In this paper, the characteristics of P-wave propagation in block rock mass containing fault block are investigated experimentally. Velocity of P-wave, acceleration, acceleration response duration, kinetic energy, displacement and time-frequency characteristics of block rock mass dynamic response are analyzed. The results show that P-wave velocity decreased, duration of acceleration increased, acceleration and kinetic energy maxima decreased on block rock mass fractured. The differences between block rock transverse and longitudinal fractures are as follows: acceleration and kinetic energy of the rock masses near the fracture area decreases more significantly and the principal frequency decreases during transverse fractures. However, the effects of longitudinal fractures are more pronounced far from the fracture area. Displacement is related to the position of the block from the fracture. When close to the fault zone, displacement amplitude decreases, dominant frequency of displacement increases, and dominant frequency reaches earlier. When far away from the fault zone, displacement amplitude increases, main frequency of displacement decreases, and main frequency arrives late.
I-PREGNO – Prevention of unhealthy weight gain and psychosocial stress in families during pregnancy and postpartum using an mHealth enhanced intervention: A Study Protocol of two cluster randomized controlled trials
Authors: Vogel Lea , Färber Tanja , Hölzl Ingrid , Deliens Tom , Henning Carmen , Liel Christoph , Löchner Johanna , Lux Ulrike , Opitz Ansgar , Seiferth Caroline , Versele Vicka , Wolstein Jörg , Poppel Mireille N.M.
Published: March 2023

Background.
The transition to parenthood represents a critical life period with psychosocial, and behavioral changes and challenges for parents. This often increases stress and leads to unhealthy weight gain in families, especially in psychosocially burdened families. Although universal and selective prevention programs are offered to families, specific support often fails to reach psychosocially burdened families. Digital technologies are a chance to overcome this problem by enabling a low-threshold access for parents in need. However, there is currently a lack of smartphone-based interventions that are tailored to the needs of psychosocially burdened families.
Aims.
The research project I-PREGNO aims to develop and evaluate a self-guided, smartphone-based intervention in combination with face-to-face counseling delivered by healthcare professionals for the prevention of unhealthy weight gain and psychosocial problems. The intervention is specifically tailored to the needs of psychosocially burdened families during the pregnancy and postpartum period.
Methods.
In two cluster randomized controlled trials in Germany and Austria (N = 400) psychosocially burdened families will be recruited and randomized to i) treatment as usual (TAU), or ii) I-PREGNO intervention (self-guided I-PREGNO app with counseling sessions) and TAU. We expect higher acceptance and better outcomes on parental weight gain and psychosocial stress in the intervention group.
Discussion.
The intervention offers a low cost and low-threshold intervention and considers the life situation of psychosocially burdened families who are a neglected group in traditional prevention programs. After positive evaluation, the intervention may easily be implemented in existing perinatal care structures in European countries such as Germany and Austria.
Trial registration.
Both trials were registered prospectively at the German Clinical Trials Register (Germany: DRKS00029673; Austria: DRKS00029934) in July and August 2022.
Heparan sulfate promotes ACE2 super-cluster assembly to enhance SARS-CoV-2-associated syncytium formation
Authors: Zhang Qi , Tang Wei-Chun , Stancanelli Eduardo , Jung Eunkyung , Syed Zulfeqhar , Pagadala Vijayakanth , Saidi Layla , Chen Catherine Z. , Gao Peng , Xu Miao , Pavlinov Ivan , Li Bing , Huang Wenwei , Chen Liqiang , Liu Jian , Xie Hang , Zheng Wei , Ye Yihong
Published: March 2023

The mechanism of syncytium formation, caused by spike-induced cell-cell fusion in severe COVID-19, is largely unclear. Here we combine chemical genetics with 4D confocal imaging to establish the cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) as a critical host factor exploited by SARS-CoV-2 to enhance spike’s fusogenic activity. HS binds spike to facilitate ACE2 clustering, generating synapse-like cell-cell contacts to promote fusion pore formation. ACE2 clustering, and thus, syncytium formation is significantly mitigated by chemical or genetic elimination of cell surface HS, while in a cell-free system consisting of purified HS, spike, and lipid-anchored ACE2, HS directly induces ACE2 clustering. Importantly, the interaction of HS with spike allosterically enables a conserved ACE2 linker in receptor clustering, which concentrates spike at the fusion site to overcome fusion-associated activity loss. This fusion-boosting mechanism can be effectively targeted by an investigational HS-binding drug, which reduces syncytium formation in vitro and viral infection in mice.
Three-dimensional ultrafast charge-density-wave dynamics in CuTe
Authors: Quyen Nguyen Nhat , Tzeng Wen-Yen , Hsu Chin-En , Lin I-An , Chen Wan-Hsin , Jia Hao-Hsiang , Wang Sheng-Chiao , Liu Cheng-En , Chen Wei-Liang , Chou Ta-Lei , Wang I-Ta , Kuo Chia-Nung , Lin Chun-Liang , Wu Chien-Te , Lin Ping-Hui , Kuo Chang-Yang , Tu Chien-Ming , CHU Ming-Wen , Chang Yu-Ming , Hsueh Hung-Chung , Lue Chin Shan , Luo Chih-Wei
Published: March 2023

Charge density waves (CDWs) involved with both electronic and phononic subsystems simultaneously are a common quantum state in solid-state physics, especially in low-dimensional materials. However, there is no complete CDW phase diagram in various dimensions and the phase transition mechanism is currently moot. Using the distinct temperature evolution of orientation-dependent ultrafast electron and phonon dynamics, variously dimensional CDW phases are verified in CuTe and the electronic subsystem in CuTe is also demonstrated to drive the formation of one-dimensional (1D) CDW chain phase at Tc of 335 K. At T=280 K, electron-phonon coupling creates collective modes along the a-axis, which synchronize via an interchain interaction to establish a two-dimensional (2D) CDW phase on the ab-plane while T<250 K. The 2D CDW phase planes are finally locked with each other in anti-phase to form a three-dimensional (3D) CDW phase at temperatures of less than 220 K. This study shows that the hidden CDW phases with various dimensions and their transition mechanisms are critical for CDW materials.
Majority rule can help groups solve difficult tasks even when confident members opt out to serve individual interests
Authors: Kuroda Kiri , Takahashi Mayu , Kameda Tatsuya
Published: March 2023

When sharing a common goal, confident and competent members are often motivated to contribute to the group, boosting its decision performance. However, it is unclear whether this process remains effective when members can opt in or out of group decisions and prioritize individual interests. Our laboratory experiment and cognitive modeling showed that confidence, competence, and a preference for risk motivated participants’ opt-out decisions. Whereas the majority decisions by voters who remained in the group were inferior to individual decisions by loners who opted out in an easy task, this was reversed in a difficult task. Bootstrap-simulation analyses decomposed these outcomes into the effects of group size and bias in the distribution of the voters’ accuracy accruing from the opt-in/out mechanism, demonstrating how these effects interacted with task difficulty. Our results suggest that the majority rule still works to tackle challenging problems even when individual interests are emphasized over collective performance.
A semi-empirical approach to calibrate simulation models for semiconductor devices
Authors: Jaiswal Rahul , Ramon-Martinez Manel , Busani Tito
Published: March 2023

Semiconductor device optimization using computer-based prototyping techniques like simulation or machine learning digital twins can be time and resource efficient compared to the conventional strategy of iterating over device design variations by fabricating the actual device. However, simulation models require perfect calibration of material parameters for the model to represent a particular semiconductor device. This cali- bration process itself can require characterization information of the device and its precursors and extensive expert knowledge of non char- acterizable parameters and their tuning. We propose a hybrid method to calibrate multiple simulation models for a device using minimal characterization data and machine learning-based prediction models. A photovoltaic device is chosen as the example for this technique where optical and electrical simulation models of an industrially manufactured silicon solar cell are calibrated and the simulated device performance is compared with the measurement data from the physical device.
A greener method to estimate the risk of acrylamide and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural by bread consumption
Authors: Lemos Andressa Cunha , Borba Verônica Simões , Cerqueira Maristela Barnes Rodrigues , Pereira Aline Massia , Scaglioni Priscila Tessmer , Badiale-Furlong Eliana
Published: March 2023

The study aimed to standardize a greener and more reliable method to determine acrylamide (AA) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) in different types of bread and estimate the exposure risk associated with consuming them. Methanol was used for the extraction, Carrez I and II for cleaning the extract. The sorbents and drying step were not necessary in the standardized method, in which the LOQ was 250 µg/kg for AA and 5-HMF; recoveries 71.8% for AA and 80.6% for 5-HMF and uncertainty <10%. Scores of the GREEnness metric tool showed that the adapted method was greener than the original method (0.57 > 0.46, respectively). The method was applied to 30 commercial bread samples. AA levels ranging from 3084.8 ± 225.6 µg/kg to 15918 ±384.8 µg/kg and 5-HMF levels ranged from 275.8 ± 6.75 µg/kg to 1872 ± 45.9 µg/kg. The wholemeal breads were the most contaminated by AA, and the crustless breads were the least, which indicated that removing the crust is a good strategy to reduce exposure to both contaminants. The estimated daily exposure for every bread sample was 10 to 30-fold higher than the international recommendations. In this sense, the role of asparagine, glutamine, glucose, and fructose in the formation of AA and 5-HMF needs to be understood, as well as processing conditions to avoid high levels of these contaminants in bread. After that it will be possible to stablish more rigorous polices for processing contaminants in bread.
Study of electrical neural stimulation effects using extraneural and intraneural electrodes
Authors: Stefano Mattia , Cordella Francesca , Cozza Giulia , Ciancio Anna Lisa , Zollo Loredana
Published: March 2023

Background: Sensory feedback restoration in upper limb neuroprosthetics can importantly contribute to improve life conditions of amputees. Neural interfaces allow eliciting sensory information through current stimuli. Stimulation studies can be useful to evaluate the electric potential distribution into the nerve in response to a current stimulus and therefore fibers activation. In this paper, hybrid FEM-Neuron computational models are used to study nerve fibers activation in different nerve models resembling the human median nerve.
Results: To have a comprehensive study, the variability in fascicles topography and different configurations of active sites of two types of electrodes (intraneural and extraneural) have been considered. Furthermore, the simulation results (in terms of fibers percentage of activation in nerve fascicles, their location into the nerve section models and the order of their activation when the stimulus increases) are evaluated according to the sensation intensity perceived by a human amputee in experimental trial.
Conclusions: The obtained results let us to infer: i) the impact of the use of intraneural and extraneural electrodes on the number, and position of activated fascicles when the minimum values of electric charge considered in the experimental trial are used; ii) the dependence of the order of fibers activation into the fascicles from the current stimulus.
Child welfare clinic attendance during the COVID-19 restriction era and the nutritional status of children
Authors: Biri-Baidoo Sarah , Agyapong Nana Ama Frimpomaa , Mohammed Awal Seidu , Ayensu Jessica , Osman Safianu Aleboko
Published: March 2023

Background

The covid-19 pandemic undoubtedly affected child welfare clinic services. However, there is limited data on how attendance to child welfare clinics during the pandemic associates with the nutritional status of children. This cross-sectional study, therefore, sought to assess child welfare clinic attendance within the covid-19 restriction era and how it associates with the nutritional status of children.

Methods

The study was conducted in four health facilities– one hospital, one health centre and two outreach centres. A total of 300 mother-child pairs participated in the study. Socio-demographic, dietary (multiple 24hr recalls), anthropometric (weight, height and mid-upper arm circumference) and biochemical (haemoglobin) characteristics were assessed for all children. Also, information on child welfare clinic attendance, vaccinations and supplementations were obtained from the maternal and child health record book.
Results
The median age of the children was 15(14) months. The mean weight-for-age and height-for-age z scores were -0.630(1.66) and -0.770(1.99). Among study participants, the mean number of attendances to child welfare clinics from the index case through the restriction period and after the easing of restrictions were 6.0(3.0) vrs 7.0(4.0), p<0.001. Missing of child welfare clinic was associated with lower intakes for most nutrients below recommended levels – total calories (did not miss 1024.0(458.2) kcal vrs missed 869.4(471.3) kcal, p= 0.004) and lower anthropometric measurements but these were not significantly different­– height-for-age (did not miss -0.85(2.0) vrs missed -1.2(2.3). Anaemia prevalence was high among children (66.3%). Child welfare clinic attendance and caloric intake were the most important predictors of stunting.

Conclusions

Findings from this study revealed that the covid-19 restriction period was associated with a decline in child welfare clinic attendance, vitamin A supplementation and vaccination. The study showed that children who missed CWC during the covid-19 restriction era were more likely to have nutrient consumption below recommended levels. High prevalence of stunting and anaemia exist among children. Frequent nutrition education, nutrition surveillances and provision of micronutrient powders can help mitigate malnutrition among children.
Exploring the Microbial Diversity and Characterization of Cellulase and Hemicellulase Genes in Goat Rumen: A Metagenomic Approach
Authors: Thapa Santosh , Zhou Suping , OHair Joshua , Nasr Kamal Al , Ropelewski Alexander , Li Hui
Published: March 2023

Background: Goat rumen microbial communities are perceived as one of the most potential biochemical reservoirs of multi-functional enzymes, which are applicable to enhance wide array of bioprocesses such as the hydrolysis of cellulose and hemi-cellulose into fermentable sugar for biofuel and other value-added biochemical production. Even though, the limited understanding of rumen microbial genetic diversity and the absence of effective screening culture methods have impeded the full utilization of these potential enzymes. In this study, we applied culture independent metagenomics sequencing approach to isolate, and identify microbial communities in goat rumen, meanwhile, clone and functionally characterize novel cellulase and xylanase genes in goat rumen bacterial communities.
Results: Bacterial DNA samples were extracted from goat rumen fluid. Three genomic libraries were sequenced using Illumina HiSeq 2000 for paired-end 100-bp (PE100) and Illumina HiSeq 2500 for paired-end 125-bp (PE125). A total of 435gb raw reads were generated. Taxonomic analysis using Graphlan revealed that Fibrobacter, Prevotella, and Ruminococcus are the most abundant genera of bacteria in goat rumen. SPAdes assembly and prodigal annotation were performed. The contigs were also annotated using the DOE-JGI pipeline. CAZymes including endoglucases, exoglucanases, beta-glucosidases and xylosidases, and xylanases were identified. Two genes with predicted cellulolytic/xylanolytic activities were cloned and expressed in E. coliBL21(DE3). The endoglucanases and xylanase enzymatic activities of the recombinant proteins were confirmed using substrate plate assay and dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) analysis. The 3D structure of endoglucanase A and endo-1,4-beta xylanase was predicted using the Swiss Model. Based on the 3D structure analysis, the two enzymes isolated from goat’s rumen metagenome are unique with only 56-59% similarities to those homologous proteins in protein data bank (PDB) meanwhile, the structures of the enzymes also displayed greater stability, and higher catalytic activity.
Conclusions: In summary, this study provided the database resources of bacterial metagenomes from goat’s rumen fluid, including gene sequences with annotated functions and methods for gene isolation and over-expression of cellulosic enzymes; and a wealth of genes in the metabolic pathways affecting food and nutrition of ruminant animals.
Favorable cellular response to titanium alloy by surface micro-area potential difference
Authors: Wang Chunxia , Hou Yueru , Fu Shan , Zhang Erlin , Zhang Zhongti , Bai Bing
Published: March 2023

Objectives
Surface micro-area potential difference (MAPD) can increase ROS (reactive oxygen species) levels of bacteria and achieve good antibacterial performance independent of metal ion dissolution. To study the influence of MAPD on the antibacterial properties and cellular response, Ti-Ag alloys with different surface potentials were designed and prepared by changing the preparation and heat treatment process.
Materials and Methods
Plate counting and live/dead staining were used to represent antibacterial property, moreover, the function of mitochondria, ATP activity and cell apoptosis of MC3T3-E1 cell were assessed to evaluate cellular response.
Results
Due to the formation of Ti-Ag intermetallic phase in Ti-Ag alloys, Ti-Ag(T4) without Ti-Ag phase had the lowest MAPD, Ti-Ag(T6) with fine Ti2Ag phase had moderate MAPD and Ti-Ag(S) with Ti-Ag intermetallic phase had the highest MAPD. The primary result demonstrated that Ti-Ag samples with difference MAPD exhibited significantly different antibacterial effect, different ROS expression and different apoptosis proteins expressions of cells. The alloy with high MAPD exhibited strong antibacterial ability. Moderate MAPD stimulated cellular antioxidant regulation (GSH/GSSG) and down-regulated the expression of intracellular ROS. MAPD could also promote the transformation of mitochondrial function from inactivation to biological activity by increasing ΔΨm, and reduce apoptosis.
Conclusions
These results indicated that moderate MAPD not only had antibacterial effect, but also promoted mitochondrial function and inhibited cell apoptosis, which provides a new strategy to improve the surface bioactivity of titanium alloys and a new idea for titanium alloy design.
LKC-Net: Large kernel convolution object detection network
Authors: Wang Weina , Li Shuangyong , Shao Jiapeng , Jumahong Huxidan
Published: March 2023

Deep learning-based object detection methods have achieved great performance improvement. However, since small kernel convolution has been widely used, the semantic feature is difficult to obtain due to the small receptive fields, and the key information cannot be highlighted, resulting in a series of problems such as wrong detection, missing detection, and repeated detection. To overcome these problems, we propose a large kernel convolution object detection network based on feature capture enhancement and vast receptive field attention, called LKC-Net. Firstly, a feature capture enhancement block based on large kernel convolution is proposed to improve the semantic feature capturing ability, and depth convolution is used to reduce the number of parameters. Then, the vast receptive filed attention mechanism is constructed to enhance channel direction information extraction ability, and it is more compatible with the proposed backbone than other existing attention mechanisms. Finally, the loss function is improved by introducing the SIoU, which can overcome the angle mismatch problem between the ground truth and prediction box. Experiments are conducted on Pascal VOC and MS COCO datasets for demonstrating the performance of LKC-Net.
Brain Computer Interface training for patients with severe upper limb paresis after stroke - A randomized controlled pilot trial
Authors: Brunner Iris , Lundquist Camilla Biering , Pedersen Asger Roer , Spaich Erika , Dosen Strahinja , Savic Andrej
Published: March 2023

Background
Restorative Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) combined with visual feedback and functional electrical stimulation may provide sorely needed treatment alternatives for patients with severely impaired upper limb (UL) function after stroke.
Objectives
This study aimed to examine if BCI-based training is more effective in improving UL motor function than conventional therapy in the subacute phase after stroke and if patients with preserved cortical-spinal tract (CST) integrity benefit more from BCI training.
Methods
Forty patients with severe UL paresis (< 13 on Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) were randomized to either a 12-session BCI training as part of their rehabilitation or conventional UL rehabilitation. BCI sessions were conducted 3–4 times weekly for 3–4 weeks. At baseline, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) was performed to examine CST integrity. Main endpoint was the ARAT at 3 months post-stroke. A binominal logistic regression was conducted to examine the effect of treatment group and CST integrity on achieving meaningful improvement. In the BCI group, EEG data were analyzed to investigate if there were changes in Event-related desynchronization (ERD) and lateralization.
Results
Data from 35 patients (15 in the BCI group and 20 in the control group) were analyzed at 3-month follow-up. Few patients (10/35) improved above the minimally clinically important difference of 6 points on ARAT, 5/15 in the BCI group, 5/20 in control. An independent-samples Mann-Whitney U test revealed no differences between the two groups, p = 0.382. In the logistic regression only CST integrity was a significant predictor for improving UL motor function, p = 0.007.
Conclusion
Though more patients in the BCI group improved relative to the group size, the difference between the groups was not significant. In the present study, preserved CTS integrity was much more vital for UL improvement than which type of intervention the patients received. Larger studies including only patients with some preserved CST integrity should be attempted.
Obesity-and lipid-related indices as a predictor of hypertension in Mid-aged and Elderly Chinese: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Gui Jiaofeng , Li Yuqing , Liu Haiyang , Guo Lei-lei , Li Jinlong , Lei Yunxiao , Li Xiaoping , Sun Lu , Yang Liu , Yuan Ting , Wang Congzhi , Zhang Dongmei , Li Jing , Liu Mingming , Hua Ying , Zhang Lin
Published: March 2023

Objective
Middle-aged and elderly people in China probably suffer from hypertension. There is a close relationship between obesity-and lipid-related index and hypertension, which is recognized by recent studies. However, these studies have not systematically compared the relationship between the two. We aim to find the most effective obesity-and lipid-related index for predicting hypertension.
Method
A total of 9488 middle-aged and elderly people in China participated in this study. In this study, the subjects were divided into male and female groups by the definition of the 2018 Chinese Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension. Searching for the best predictors among 13 obesity-and lipid-related indicators through binary logistic regression analyses and receiver operator curve (ROC). These 13 indicators are body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-height ratio (WHtR), conicity index (CI), visceral adiposity index (VAI), Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), triglyceride glucose index (TyG-index) and its correlation index (TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR)
Results
After adjusting bias, all 13 indexes are risk factors for hypertension. In ROC curve analysis, thirteen obesity-and lipid-related factors can predict the occurrence of hypertension. Among them, CVAI has the best prediction effect (male: AUC = 0.660, female: AUC = 0.699). AUC for WHtR was equal to that for BRI and TyG -WHtR in identifying hypertension in male. Similarly, AUC of TyG-BMI and BMI were the same. In females, AUC for WHtR and BRI were the same when predicting hypertension. AUC of ABSI was much lower than other test indexes.
Conclusion
In predicting hypertension, thirteen obesity-and lipid-related factors are effective. In addition, in males and females, CVAI is the best indicator to indicate hypertension. TyG-WHtR, WHtR, and BRI performed well in predicting metabolic syndrome in both males and females. ABSI has a poor ability to predict hypertension.
A Perspective on The Synergistic Potential of Artificial Intelligence and Product-Based Learning Strategies in Biobased Materials Education
Authors: Marquez Ronald , Barrios Nelson , Vera Ramon , Mendez Maria E. , Tolosa Laura , Zambrano Franklin , Li Yali
Published: March 2023

The integration of product-based learning strategies in Materials in Chemical Engineering education is crucial for students to gain the skills and competencies required to thrive in the emerging circular bioeconomy. Traditional materials engineering education has often relied on a transmission teaching approach, in which students are expected to passively receive information from instructors. However, this approach has shown to be inadequate under the current circumstances, in which information is readily available and innovative tools such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality environments are becoming widespread (e.g., metaverse). Instead, we consider that a critical goal of education should be to develop aptitudes and abilities that enable students to generate solutions and products that address societal demands. In this work, we propose innovative strategies, such as product-based learning methods and GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) artificial intelligence text generation models, to modify the focus of a Materials in Chemical Engineering course from unsustainable materials to sustainable ones, aiming to address the critical challenges of our society. This approach aims to achieve two objectives: first to enable students to actively engage with raw materials and solve real-world challenges, and second, to foster creativity and entrepreneurship skills by providing them with the necessary tools to conduct brainstorming sessions and develop procedures following scientific methods. The incorporation of circular bioeconomy concepts, such as renewable resources, waste reduction, and resource efficiency into the curriculum provides a framework for students to understand the environmental, social, and economic implications in chemical engineering. It also allows them to make informed decisions within the circular bioeconomy framework, benefiting society by promoting the development and adoption of sustainable technologies and practices.
Solving inverse problems with sparse noisy data, operator splitting and physics-constraints machine learning
Authors: Li Chun , Deng Lijun
Published: March 2023

Using measurable data as a starting point, inverse problems can be used to estimate model parameters. In science and engineering, several problems can be viewed as inverse problems. Partial differential equations (PDEs) or variational problems are also used to characterize similar issues. Typically, an energy function is used to address a variational problem. Because curvature-driven regularities have been shown to require a lot of prior understanding of physics concepts, they have received a lot of attention. Unfortunately, curvature-driven regularities correlate with the higher-order Euler-Lagrangian equations and frequently have nonsmooth and nonconvex features, making numerical solutions a difficult challenge in a variety of applications. Thus, we introduce a method based on physics-constrained deep learning based on automatic differentiation (AD) to manage inverse problems from noisy data. Additionally, to address this challenge, we combine standard variational approaches with deep learning-based algorithms. The operator split technique can successfully break nonconvex variational models into multiple simple subproblems to solve. Each subproblem corresponds to an Euler-Lagrangian PDE, which is effectively solved using deep neural networks via the AD process.
Neutron biological effectiveness in inducing DNA damage: a full mapping as a function of incident neutron energy and depth in a human-sized phantom
Authors: Mentana Alice , Quaresima Virgilio , Kundrát Pavel , Guardamagna Isabella , Lonati Leonardo , Iaria Ombretta , Fino Luca Di , Romoli Giulia , Amantini Giorgia Santi , Narici Livio , Baiocco Giorgio
Published: March 2023

We present new developments for an ab-initio model of the neutron relative biological effectiveness (RBE) in inducing specific classes of DNA damage. RBE is evaluated as a function of the incident neutron energy and of the depth inside a human-sized phantom. The adopted mechanistic approach traces neutron RBE back to its origin, i.e. neutron physical interactions with biological tissues. To this aim, we combined the simulation of radiation transport through biological matter, performed with the Monte Carlo code PHITS, and the prediction of DNA damage using analytical formulas, which ground on a large database of biophysical radiation track structure simulations performed with the code PARTRAC. In particular, two classes of DNA damage were considered: sites and clusters of double strand breaks (DSBs), which are known to be correlated with cell fate following radiation exposure. Within a coherent modelling framework, this approach tackles the variation of neutron RBE in a wide energy range, from thermal neutrons to neutrons of hundreds of GeV, and reproduce effects related to depth in a human-size receptor, as well as to the receptor size. RBE predictions were successfully compared to the currently adopted radiation protection standards for neutron weighting factors. Our results also suggest that great care is needed when applying weighting factors as a function of incident neutron energy, not explicitly considering RBE variation in the target. Look-up RBE tables and an analytical representation of the maximal RBE vs. neutron energy are finally proposed, to facilitate the use of our results in radiation biology studies and radiation protection applications with neutron exposures.
On the evaluation of grinding wheel surface condition under different process parameters via in-machine monitoring
Authors: Muñoz Arkaitz , Barrenetxea David , Álvarez Jorge , Garcia Maria , Godino Leire
Published: March 2023

The role of the grinding wheel is significant in all grinding operations. Two main indicators related to the process behaviour are the ground workpiece surface roughness and the consumed amount of energy. Both of these factors are affected by grinding wheel topography condition. Thus, an in-deep analysis of the wheel surface condition will extend the understanding of both process behaviour and wheel performance. This condition can be described by the micro-wear mechanisms such as flattening of abrasive grits (wear flat) and adhesion of chips between grits and pores (wear by deposition or loading) in conjunction with the arrangement of abrasive grains. In this sense, in this work a tool for in-machine analysis of wheel surface features such as attritious wear, loading and the number of grains involved in the cutting action is developed. The device is then used in experimental tests in order to validate its ability to analyse the wheel-process behaviour. Researchers have deeply studied the influence of the wheel wear condition on the grinding process, but there is still a lack of knowledge on the effect that both grinding and dressing processes have on the wheel wear condition evolution. The developed tool is also employed for that purpose. Results obtained with the device are consistent with previous works and literature. Therefore, it can be used for a comprehensive understanding of process behaviour during grinding with different wheel-workpiece material combinations and different process conditions, as well as for the analysis and optimization of new abrasives and bonds performances.
The intelligence way of economical synthesis strategies of an N-alkylcarbazole
Authors: Jabha Mohamed , Mesky Mohammed El , Zgueni Hicham , Amri Nabil , Azdouz M’barek , Oubair Ahmad , Chebabe Driss , Azrour Mohamed , Mabrouk El Houssine
Published: March 2023

The alkaloid carbazole is one of the relevant structural motifs in drug discovery. Indeed, carbazoles have been largely investigated for their various biological properties. In this article, in order to ensure the possibility of carrying out this reaction at the level of the synthesis laboratory and to have access to a new active biomolecule, we present the theoretical study of the synthesis strategies of an N-alkylcarbazole using the DFT method at B3LYP, with the basis set 6-31G (d, p). In fact, this research has enabled us to establish a simple, economical and efficient synthesis strategy for this nitrogenous heterocyclic with an excellent yield, by N-alkylation between carbazole and propargyl bromide under different experimental conditions. We have developed an environmentally friendly compound, mild condition protocol and convenient procedure for the preparation of this polycyclic aromatic compound. The structure of the synthesized compound was determined by spectroscopic methods: 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and MS data. The theoretical results corroborate with experiences. The study of the substitution effect on the optical properties of reagents and products shows that N-alkylation has an influence on the optical properties.
Heterogeneity governs 3D-cultures of clinically relevant microbial communities
Authors: Pacheco Daniela , Bertoglio Federico , Butnarasu Cosmin , Vargas Natalia Suarez , Guagliano Giuseppe , Ziccarelli Anna , Briatico‐Vangosa Francesco , Ruzzi Vincenzo , Buzzaccaro Stefano , Piazza Roberto , Uden Sebastião van , Crotti Elena , Visentin Sonja , Visai Livia , Petrini Paola
Published: March 2023

A distinctive feature of the biological substrates hosting bacterial niches is their intrinsic heterogeneity, which should be retained in in vitro cultures to closely represent the complex microbial ecology. Here, we design and characterise 3D substrates providing bacteria with environments that possess structural heterogeneity and spontaneous microscopic dynamics. As a case study, we generate by diffusion-induced gelation a mucin-based hydrogel (CF-Mu3Gel) bioinspired on cystic fibrosis (CF) mucus, a microbial niche challenging current therapeutic strategies. We demonstrate that gradients in the properties of the CF-Mu3Gel impact the organisation and the antimicrobial tolerance in mono- and co-cultures of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. This leads to typical microbial aggregates and generates anoxic regions mimicking CF clinical features that standard cultures are unable to emulate. Our findings shed new light on the understanding of how the substrate influences microbial behaviour, providing a new platform to develop novel effective and possibly personalised therapies.