bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discover how a shared vision can become a guiding star
Authors: Freebairn‐Smith Laura , Kitayama Jason
Published: November 2023

Visionary leaders and leaders for the 21st century and for the millennium, need to change their own organizations, activating the energy of their internal cultures to achieve big promises for the 4 Ps (planet, people, profit, and purpose).
Three‐phase generalized raking and multiple imputation estimators to address error‐prone data
Authors: Amorim Gustavo , Tao Ran , Lotspeich Sarah , Shaw Pamela A. , Lumley Thomas , Patel Rena C. , Shepherd Bryan E.
Published: November 2023

Validation studies are often used to obtain more reliable information in settings with error‐prone data. Validated data on a subsample of subjects can be used together with error‐prone data on all subjects to improve estimation. In practice, more than one round of data validation may be required, and direct application of standard approaches for combining validation data into analyses may lead to inefficient estimators since the information available from intermediate validation steps is only partially considered or even completely ignored. In this paper, we present two novel extensions of multiple imputation and generalized raking estimators that make full use of all available data. We show through simulations that incorporating information from intermediate steps can lead to substantial gains in efficiency. This work is motivated by and illustrated in a study of contraceptive effectiveness among 83 671 women living with HIV, whose data were originally extracted from electronic medical records, of whom 4732 had their charts reviewed, and a subsequent 1210 also had a telephone interview to validate key study variables.
Precise Tuning of Hollow and Pore Size of Bimetallic MOFs Derivate to Construct High‐Performance Nanoscale Materials for Supercapacitors and Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Song Jinlu , Chai Lulu , Kumar Anuj , Zhao Man , Sun Yanzhi , Liu Xiaoguang , Pan Junqing
Published: November 2023

Precise control of pore volume and size of carbon nanoscale materials is crucial for achieving high capacity and rate performances of charge/discharge. In this paper, starting from the unique mechanism of the role of In, Zn combination, and carboxyl functional groups in the formation of the lumen and pore size, the composition of InZn‐MIL‐68 is regulated to precisely tune the diameter and wall pore size of the hollow carbon tubes. The hollow carbon nanotubes (CNT) with high‐capacity storage and fast exchange of Na+ ions and charges are prepared. The CNT possess ultra‐high specific capacitance and ultra‐long cycle life and also offer several times higher Na+ ion storage capacity and rate performance than the existing CNTs. Density functional theory calculations and tests reveal that these superior characteristics are attributed to the spacious hollow structure, which provides sufficient space for Na+ storage and the tube wall's distinctive porosity of tube wall as well as open ends for facilitating Na+ rapid desorption. It is believed that precise control of sub‐nanopore volume and pore size by tuning the composition of the carbon materials derived from bimetallic metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) will establish the basis for the future development of high‐energy density and high‐power density supercapacitors and batteries.
Designing Efficient Non‐Precious Metal Electrocatalysts for High‐Performance Hydrogen Production: A Comprehensive Evaluation Strategy
Authors: Wang Meng , Ma Wansen , Tan Chaowen , Qiu Zeming , Hu Liwen , Lv Xuewei , Li Qian , Dang Jie
Published: November 2023

Developing abundant Earth‐element and high‐efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen production is crucial in effectively reducing the cost of green hydrogen production. Herein, a strategy by comprehensively considering the computational chemical indicators for H* adsorption/desorption and dehydrogenation kinetics to evaluate the hydrogen evolution performance of electrocatalysts is proposed. Guided by the proposed strategy, a series of catalysts are constructed through a dual transition metal doping strategy. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations and experimental chemistry demonstrate that cobalt‐vanadium co‐doped Ni3N is an exceptionally ideal catalyst for hydrogen production from electrolyzed alkaline water. Specifically, Co,V‐Ni3N requires only 10 and 41 mV in alkaline electrolytes and alkaline seawater, respectively, to achieve a hydrogen evolution current density of 10 mA cm−2. Moreover, it can operate steadily at a large industrial current density of 500 mA cm−2 for extended periods. Importantly, this evaluation strategy is extended to single‐metal‐doped Ni3N and found that it still exhibits significant universality. This study not only presents an efficient non‐precious metal‐based electrocatalyst for water/seawater electrolysis but also provides a significant strategy for the design of high‐performance catalysts of electrolyzed water.
Bamboo‐Modulated Helical Carbon Nanotubes for Rechargeable Zn‐Air Battery
Authors: Chen Zhonghao , Zou Yihui , Chen Hongjiao , Zhang Kewei , Hui Bin
Published: November 2023

The high‐performance and sustainable electrocatalysts toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are essential for rechargeable Zn‐air batteries (ZABs). In this paper, a natural all‐components bamboo is provided as the carbon source, and melamine and cobalt chloride are provided as the nitrogen and cobalt sources, respectively. As a result, the unique helical carbon nanotubes (HCNTs) encapsulated cobalt nanoparticles are prepared, which are acted as ORR/OER electrocatalysts to improve ZABs performance. The resultant HCNTs contribute to high ORR/OER activities via exposing more Co─N sites, providing excellent electron conductivity, and facilitating mass transfer of the reactant. The HCNTs assembled rechargeable liquid ZABs showed a maximum output power density of 226 mW cm−2 and a low voltage gap of 0.85 V for 330 h cycles. The flexible all‐solid‐state ZABs achieved the maximum power density with 59.4 mW cm−2 and charge–discharge cycles over 25 h. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the increase of Co─N at HCNTs effectively regulates the electronic structure of Co, optimizing the binding affinity of oxygen intermediates and resulting in the low ORR/OER overpotentials. This work paves the way for transforming renewable bamboo biomass into versatile electrocatalysts, which boosts the development of next‐generation energy storage and conversion devices.
A Promising Solid‐State Synthesis of LiMn1‐yFeyPO4 Cathode for Lithium‐ion Batteries
Authors: Liu Jinli , Wu Yingqiang , Zhang Bo , Xiao Xiang , Hu Qiao , Han Qiaofeng , Wang Li , Bei Fengli , He Xiangming
Published: November 2023

LiMn1‐yFeyPO4 (LMFP) is a significant and cost‐effective cathode material for Li‐ion batteries, with a higher working voltage than LiFePO4 (LFP) and improved safety features compared to layered oxide cathodes. However, its commercial application faces challenges due to a need for a synthesis process to overcome the low Li‐ion diffusion kinetics and complex phase transitions. Herein, a solid‐state synthesis process using LFP and nano LiMn0.7Fe0.3PO4 (MF73) is proposed. The larger LFP acts as a structural framework fused with nano‐MF73, preserving the morphology and high performance of LFP. These results demonstrate that the solid‐state reaction occurs quickly, even at a low sintering temperature of 500 °C, and completes at 700 °C. However, contrary to the expectations, the larger LFP particles disappeared and fused into the nano‐MF73 particles, revealing that Fe ions diffuse more easily than Mn ions in the olivine framework. This discovery provides valuable insights into understanding ion diffusion in LMFP. Notably, the obtained LMFP can still deliver an initial capacity of 142.3 mAh g−1, and the phase separation during the electrochemical process is significantly suppressed, resulting in good cycling stability (91.1% capacity retention after 300 cycles). These findings offer a promising approach for synthesizing LMFP with improved performance and stability.
Temperature‐Dependent Phase Transition in WS2 for Reinforcing Band‐to‐Band Tunneling and Photoreactive Random Access Memory Application
Authors: Woo Gunhoo , Cho Jinill , Yeom Heejung , Yoon Min Young , Eom Geon Woong , Kim Muyoung , Mun Jihun , Lee Hyo Chang , Kim Hyeong-U , Yoo Hocheon , Kim Taesung
Published: November 2023

In the era of big data, negative differential resistance (NDR) devices have attracted significant attention as a means of handling massive amounts of information. While 2D materials have been used to achieve NDR behavior, their intrinsic material characteristics have produced limited performance improvements. In this article, a facile phase modification method is presented via a plasma‐assisted sulfidation process to synthesize multiphased WS2 thin films, including distorted 1 T (D‐1 T) phase and 2 H phases for photoreactive NDR devices with p‐Si. The D‐1 T phase offers a feasible route to achieve high‐performance NDR devices with excellent stability and semimetallic properties. A comprehensive investigation of experimental and computational analyses elucidates the phase transition mechanism with various temperatures and electrical properties of D‐1 T WS2. In addition, optimizing electron tunneling in the multiple‐phased tungsten disulfide (MP‐WS2)/p‐Si heterojunction at MP‐WS2 with 77.4% D‐1 T phase results in superior NDR performance with a peak‐to‐valley current ratio of 13.8 and reliable photoreactive random‐access memory. This unique phase engineering process via plasma‐assisted sulfidation provides a pioneering perspective in functionalization and reliability for next‐generation nanoelectronics.
Highly Robust Atomic Layer Deposition‐Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide Thin‐Film Transistors with Hybrid Gate Insulator Fabricated via Two‐Step Atomic Layer Process for High‐Density Integrated All‐Oxide Vertical Complementary Metal‐Oxide‐Semiconductor Applications
Authors: Kim Dong-Gyu , Choi Su-Hwan , Lee Won-Bum , Jeong Gyeong Min , Koh Jihyun , Lee Seunghee , Kuh Bongjin , Park Jin-Seong
Published: November 2023

Highly reliable atomic layer deposition (ALD)‐derived In‐Ga‐Zn‐O thin‐film transistors with high field‐effect mobility (μFE) and hydrogen (H) resistivity are crucial for the semiconductor industry. Herein, a hybrid Al2O3 gate insulator (GI) is proposed that is designed by controlling the plasma‐enhanced ALD and thermal ALD processes in situ to demonstrate robust characteristics. A hybrid GI is applied to the top‐gate geometry of an In0.71Ga0.08Zn0.21O active layer. The optimal device exhibits exceptional electrical characteristics, including a threshold voltage of 0.37 V, μFE of 150.7 cm2 V s−1, subthreshold swing of 64.0 mV decade−1, and hysteresis of 0.02 V. It demonstrates high resistance to H annealing and reliable positive bias temperature stress, as well as changes in VTH shifts of −0.43 and 0.00 V, respectively. The excellent electrical characteristics and high robustness of the device can be attributed to the precise control of H, oxygen, and carbon species within the upper region of the hybrid GI. The achievement of robust device characteristics enables the design of a novel vertical complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor inverter that exhibits a voltage gain of 44.7 V V−1 and a noise margin of 87.5% at a 10 V supply voltage.
An adolescent female African elephant (Loxodonta africana) gave birth to an abnormal calf
Authors: Duan Yujing , Wang Zhencun , Li Jiangtao , Zhang Meng , Bi Zhenchao
Published: November 2023

Maternal nutrition and the uterine environment can influence placental development in mammals, leading to the birth of abnormal infants who often experience difficulties in independent standing. This article documents an adolescent female African elephant (Loxodonta africana) giving birth to an African elephant calf with a shoulder height below the mean, and its inability to stand for the first 10 h after birth, a time span that significantly exceeds the average duration for independent standing. Through the implementation of assisted feeding and assisted standing measures, the calf eventually achieved independent standing and nursing from its mother after 27 h and subsequent catch‐up growth at 5 months of age. This study presents the first case report on the growth parameters during pregnancy of an adolescent African elephant, the birth and care (feeding, assisted standing) of a small African elephant calf with the inability to stand alone and nurse independently for several hours, highlighting pregnancy may influence the growth of cows during their ongoing growth and development phase, the calf's survival and subsequent catch‐up growth at 5 months of age. These findings offer valuable insights into the care of abnormal African elephant calves.
Data Analytics for the Social Good
Authors: Hirsch Dennis , Bartley Timothy , Chandrasekaran Aravind , Norris Davon , Parthasarathy Srinivasan , Turner Piers Norris
Published: November 2023

This chapter describes instances in which companies intentionally use advanced analytics and AI to serve the social good without any direct benefit to their own bottom lines. Broadly speaking, we found two types of “social good” projects. Some employed approaches to learn about, and inform individuals of, risks or opportunities to improve their lives. Others provided information to public bodies that enabled them to improve their planning efforts or efficiency, such as utilizing location data to improve evacuation planning during natural disasters or to track infectious diseases. The research suggested that companies are cognizant of the need to attend both to moral values and to the interests of a broad set of stakeholders, and of the fact that doing so can build trust and contribute to the company’s own well-being. In our study, many companies expressed a willingness to enter into beyond compliance ethical thinking in recognition of the convergence of their own business interests with the demands of trustworthy and responsible decision-making. These efforts raise interesting questions about companies’ moral obligation to pursue the public good and how companies will behave when the public and corporate good diverge.
Technical Solutions
Authors: Hirsch Dennis , Bartley Timothy , Chandrasekaran Aravind , Norris Davon , Parthasarathy Srinivasan , Turner Piers Norris
Published: November 2023

This chapter reviews the technological solutions that organizations leverage to ensure the ethical management and downstream use of collected data for building analytic and AI models. Survey respondents discussed solutions that ranged from privacy preserving data management strategies such as differential privacy, to the use of virtualization and data lake control systems for secure access. Survey respondents also keyed in on the clear and pressing need for data and algorithmic auditing technology and systems to support ethical data governance. With respect to how such data is used ethically, respondents identified the importance of algorithmic fairness as well as model transparency as essential to help identify and also mitigate risks associated with real world modeling failures.
Activated Carbon Injection for In-Situ Remediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons
Authors: Noland Scott , Winner Edward
Published: November 2023

In-situ remediation of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) using activated carbon (AC) is an emerging technology intended to enhance sorption and biodegradation mechanisms in soil and groundwater systems. The combination of pore types, source material, activation process, and grind of a particular AC influences its efficacy in subsurface remediation. When high-energy injection techniques are employed, installation of carbon-based injectate (CBI) slurries can be conducted in practically any geological setting, from sandy aquifers to low-permeability zones and weathered or fractured rock. Following an adequate CBI installation throughout the target treatment zone or as a permeable reactive barrier, dissolved PHC concentrations are typically observed to rapidly decrease. After a new equilibrium is formed, PHC concentrations typically decrease over time due to the biodegradation. PHC biodegradation, in association with the CBIs, is indicated by the presence of appropriate microbial communities found to grow on AC and is supported by multiple lines of evidence. Further research is encouraged to optimize the biodegradation and regeneration processes of CBI products for in-situ remediation of PHCs.
High-Resolution Characterization of the Shallow Unconsolidated Subsurface Using Direct Push, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, and Groundwater Tracing Technologies
Authors: Liu Gaisheng , Devlin John F. , Dietrich Peter , Butler James J.
Published: November 2023

Groundwater protection and contaminated site remediation efforts continue to be hampered by the difficulty in characterizing physical properties in the subsurface at a resolution that is sufficiently high for practical investigations. For example, conventional well-based field methods, such as pumping tests, have proven to be of limited effectiveness for obtaining information, such as the transmissive and storage characteristics of a formation and the rate at which groundwater flows, across different layers in a heterogeneous aquifer system. In this chapter, we describe a series of developments that are intended to improve our discipline’s capability for high-resolution characterization of subsurface conditions in shallow, unconsolidated settings. These developments include high-resolution methods for hydraulic conductivity (K) characterization based on direct push (DP) technology (e.g., DP electrical conductivity probe, DP permeameter, DP injection logger, Hydraulic Profiling Tool (HPT), and High-Resolution K tool), K and porosity characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and groundwater flux characterization by monitoring the movement of thermal or chemical tracers through distributed temperature sensing (DTS) equipment or the point velocity probe (PVP). Each of these approaches is illustrated using field or laboratory examples, and a brief discussion is provided on their advantages, limitations, as well as suggestions for future developments.
High-Resolution Delineation of Petroleum NAPLs
Authors: St. Germain Randy
Published: November 2023

Previous chapters of this book demonstrate that a cohesive and well-supported conceptual site model (CSM) of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) petroleum is commonly the cornerstone of successful risk analysis and/or remediation design. It is difficult to overstate however, the extent to which the heterogeneity of source term NAPL distribution confounds one’s efforts to develop an accurate NAPL CSM. In most cases, only near-continuous measurements of NAPL in the soil are capable of adequately conceptualizing a site’s complex NAPL distribution. Continuous NAPL logging, conducted at a significant number of locations across a petroleum release site, is necessary to better comprehend the chaotic nature of the NAPL’s distribution. Applying high-resolution screening techniques sitewide is known as high-resolution site characterization (HRSC) and this chapter describes how the most commonly applied HRSC techniques can make the difficult task of logging continuously for petroleum NAPL, and its associated groundwater impacts, not only possible but fairly routine.
Diboson production in the SMEFT from gluon fusion
Authors: Rossia Alejo N. , Thomas Marion O. A. , Vryonidou Eleni
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Precision measurements of diboson production at the LHC is an important probe of the limits of the Standard Model. The gluon-fusion channel of this process offers a connection between the Higgs and top sectors. We study in a systematic way gluon-induced diboson production in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory. We compute the amplitudes of double Higgs, double Z/W and associated ZH production at one loop and with up to one insertion of a dimension-6 operator. We study their high-energy limit and identify to which operators each channel could be most sensitive. To illustrate the relevance of these processes, we perform a phenomenological study of associated ZH production. We show that for some top operators the gluon-induced channel can offer competitive sensitivity to constraints obtained from top quark production processes.
On fluxes in the 19 Landau-Ginzburg model
Authors: Becker Katrin , Brady Nathan , Sengupta Anindya
Published: November 2023

Abstract

In this paper we present a large class of flux backgrounds and solve the shortest vector problem in type IIB string theory on an orientifold of the 19 Landau-Ginzburg model.
Substantial influence of psychological factors on return to sports after anterior shoulder instability surgery: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Velasquez Garcia Ausberto , Iida Naoya , Kuroiwa Tomoyuki , Hsu Kai‐Lan , de Marinis Rodrigo , Abdo Glen , Ekdahl Max
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to (1) determine the proportion of patients who underwent anterior shoulder instability surgery and did not return to sports for psychological reasons and (2) estimate differences in psychological readiness scores between patients who did and did not return to sports.

Methods

The EBSCOhost/SPORTDiscus, PubMed/Medline, Scopus, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant studies. The data synthesis included the proportion of patients who did not return to sports for psychological reasons and the mean differences in the psychological readiness of athletes who returned and those who did not return to sports. Non‐binomial data were analysed using the inverse‐variance approach and expressed as the mean difference with 95% confidence intervals.

Results

The search yielded 700 records, of which 13 (1093 patients) were included. Fourteen psychological factors were identified as potential causes for not returning to sports. The rates of return to sports at any level or to the preinjury level were 79.3% and 61.9%, respectively. A total of 55.9% of the patients cited psychological factors as the primary reason for not returning to sports. The pooled estimate showed that patients who returned to sports had a significantly higher Shoulder Instability‐Return to Sport After Injury score (P < 0.00001) than those who did not, with a mean difference of 30.24 (95% CI 24.95–35.53; I2 = 0%; n.s.).

Conclusions

Psychological factors have a substantial impact on the rate of return to sports after anterior shoulder instability surgery. Patients who returned to sports had significantly higher psychological readiness than those who did not return to sports. Based on these results, healthcare professionals should include psychological and functional measurements when assessing athletes’ readiness to return to sports.

Level of evidence

Level IV.
Mechanical and structural behavior of high-strength low-alloy steel pad welded by underwater wet welding conditions
Authors: Younes Rassim , Tomków Jacek , Idir Abdelhak , Boudjit Sarra , Bradai Mohand Amokrane
Published: November 2023

The aim of the paper was to determine the metallurgical and mechanical behaviors of a high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel pad-welded specimen used in the structures of industrial and naval parts. Then to predict the metallurgical consequences (nature of the phases present) and the mechanical properties (hardness and impact strength) of the pad-welded steel obtained by underwater wet welding with different heat input values. The XRD patterns clearly reveal a ferritic alpha steel S460N for both parameters. The ferritic quantification is above 70 wt% for low-alloy steel. The welded specimens are characterized by the presence of different phases. In a specimen performed with higher heat input, the complex oxide Mn2TiO4 was found to be around 7 wt%. Moreover, the solid solution formed with iron and manganese was observed. The hardness results obtained by indentation showed that the higher heat input resulted in higher hardness values (54 HRC) than for specimen performed with lower parameters (45 HRC). The impact test showed that the toughness of both pad-welded layers is greater than the toughness of the base material (40 kV for S2 and 34 kV for S1 about 27 kV for low-alloy steel). Moreover, it was observed that higher heat input results in increasing the impact strength of pad welds.
The acute effects of running on pelvic floor morphology and function in runners with and without running-induced stress urinary incontinence
Authors: Bérubé Marie-Ève , McLean Linda
Published: November 2023

Introduction and hypothesis

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of a single running session on pelvic floor morphology and function in female runners, and to compare those with and without running-induced stress urinary incontinence (RI-SUI).

Methods

This cross-sectional, observational study involved two groups: female runners who regularly experienced RI-SUI (n = 19) and runners who did not (n = 20). Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) properties were assessed using intravaginal dynamometry during maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) and during passive tissue elongation. The morphology of the pelvic floor was assessed at rest, during MVC and during maximal Valsalva maneuver (MVM) using 2D and 3D transperineal ultrasound imaging before and after a running protocol. Mixed-effects ANOVA models were used to compare all outcomes between groups and within-groups, including the interaction between group and time. Effect sizes were calculated.

Results

No changes in PFM function assessed using intravaginal dynamometry were observed in either group after the run. Significant and large within-group differences were observed on ultrasound imaging. Specifically, the area and antero-posterior diameter of the levator hiatus were larger after the run, the bladder neck height was lower after the run, and the levator plate length was longer after the run (p ≤ 0.05). At the peak MVM and MVC, the bladder neck height was lower after the run than before the run (p ≤ 0.05). No between-group differences were observed for any outcomes.

Conclusions

Running appears to cause transient strain of the passive tissues of the female pelvic floor in runners both with and without RI-SUI, whereas no concurrent changes are observed in PFM contractile function.
Carleson measure estimates, corona decompositions, and perturbation of elliptic operators without connectivity
Authors: Cao Mingming , Hidalgo-Palencia Pablo , Martell José María
Published: November 2023

Let $$\Omega \subset \mathbb {R}^{n+1}$$

Ω
⊂

R

n
+
1

, $$n\ge 2$$

n
≥
2

, be an open set with Ahlfors–David regular boundary satisfying the corkscrew condition. When $$\Omega $$
Ω
is quantitatively connected (i.e., it satisfies the Harnack chain condition) it is known that for any real elliptic operator with bounded coefficients, the quantitative absolute continuity of elliptic measures (i.e., its membership to the class $$A_\infty $$

A
∞

) is equivalent to the fact that all bounded null solutions satisfy Carleson measure estimates. In turn, in the same setting, it is also known that these properties are stable under Fefferman–Kenig–Pipher’s perturbations. Nonetheless, it has been an open problem to show whether, without connectivity, the previous two conditions remain equivalent or whether there is a Fefferman–Kenig–Pipher perturbation theory. In this paper we settle the question of whether, for general real elliptic operators in sets without any connectivity assumption, quantitative absolute continuity of the elliptic measure (expressed via a corona decomposition for the elliptic measure) and Carleson measure type estimates for bounded null solutions are equivalent. We show that any of these conditions is also equivalent to the fact that the Green function is comparable, in the corona sense, to the distance to the boundary. Our characterization has profound consequences. First, we extend Fefferman–Kenig–Pipher’s perturbation result to sets which are not necessarily connected, and this is the first result in this general setting. Second, in the case of the Laplacian, and more generally for $$L^1$$

L
1

-Kenig–Pipher non-symmetric operators with variable coefficients, our conditions characterize the uniform rectifiability of the boundary. Last, our results generalize previous work in settings where quantitative connectivity is assumed.
Tanshinone IIA is superior to paricalcitol in ameliorating tubulointerstitial fibrosis through regulation of VDR/Wnt/β-catenin pathway in rats with diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Zeng Jing-Yi , Wang Yu , Hong Fu-Yuan , Miao Miao , Jiang Yu-Ying , Qiao Zi-Xuan , Wang Yun-Tao , Bao Xiao-Rong
Published: November 2023

Glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) are closely involved in the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Moreover, the development of TIF is closely related to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Tanshinone IIA (Tan) has various pharmacological effects, especially the anti-fibrotic effect. And it is mainly used in the clinical treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Currently, the protective effect of Tan on DN and its possible mechanism have not been clearly elucidated. Our previous studies illustrated that Tan could improve the EMT of HK-2 cells induced by high glucose by regulating the vitamin D receptor (VDR)/Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Here, we collected demographic information and laboratory results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database in order to investigate the relationship between VD and DN. Then, we established a DN model and treated DN rats with Tan and paricalcitol (Par) for 6 weeks. We subsequently compared the changes in general condition, renal function, pathological changes, and TIF-related protein expression levels of control rats, DN rats induced by STZ, DN rats with Tan at 5.4 mg/kg, DN rats with Tan at 10.8 mg/kg, and DN rats with Par at 0.054 µg/kg, to explore the effect and mechanism of Tan and Par on DN rats. The results showed that VD had a protective effect against DN in diabetic patients. And we found that Tan had a protective effect on renal fibrosis in DN rats, which was superior to Par in improving the symptoms of “three more and one less,” reducing fasting blood glucose level, improving renal index, BUN/SCr, and UACR, reducing histopathological damage of kidney, and improving the expression of fibrosis-related proteins in kidney tissue by regulating VDR/Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Tan was superior to Par in ameliorating tubulointerstitial fibrosis by regulating VDR/Wnt/β-catenin pathway in rats with diabetic nephropathy.
Effect of fining agents on the chemical composition and sensory properties of apple cider
Authors: Seriš Daniel , Balík Josef , Híc Pavel , Horák Miroslav , Omastová Petra , Dočekalová Hana
Published: November 2023

This study focuses on analyzing the impact of various fining agents on apple cider and evaluating their effects on its physical–chemical and sensory properties. Despite its common cloudy state, some consumers prefer clear apple cider. Within this study, two variations of apple cider were analyzed: original cider and cider with added barrique extract. Eight different fining agents were applied to these samples, specifically bentonite, gelatin, polyvinylpolypyrrolidone, egg white protein, activated carbon, pea protein, isinglass, and silica gel. The results revealed that the use of fining agents significantly impacted the antioxidant content in apple cider. The most substantial reduction in antioxidants was observed in samples with added activated carbon, resulting in a 75% decrease to values of 0.11–0.26 mmol TE/L. This decrease in antioxidants correlated with a decline in total polyphenols. Sensory analysis demonstrated statistically significant differences among the various apple cider samples. Bentonite and egg white protein had minimal adverse effects on sensory properties, while activated carbon had the most pronounced negative impact on the aroma and taste of the cider. This study provides valuable insights into the use of fining agents in winemaking technology and their effects on the quality of apple cider, considering consumer preferences.
Chemical characterization of virgin and recycled polyethylene terephthalate films used for food contact applications
Authors: Bhattarai Bina , Kusano Yukihiro , Cederberg Tommy Licht , Jensen Lisbeth Krüger , Granby Kit , Pedersen Gitte Alsing
Published: November 2023

Plastic is commonly used for food packaging, of which plastic polymer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is widely used in the food and beverage industry. Furthermore, PET is the most suitable and recyclable plastic polymer used in food contact applications due to its functional properties: inertness and low diffusion of gases and migrants. However, using recycled PET (rPET) for food contact applications requires that the rPET is chemically safe. In this study, we use mass spectrometry and spectroscopy-based methods to characterize the chemical composition of virgin PET (vPET) and rPET. The mass spectrometric analysis demonstrated more peaks in rPET and the spectroscopic analysis revealed degradation of the rPET after the recycling process. The tentatively identified peaks in both vPET and rPET were mainly PET oligomers. The present work suggests the importance of testing PET obtained from one or more recycling processes to evaluate the effect on the polymer properties, chemical migration, and chemical safety of rPET for food contact.
Treatment Effect of Zoledronic Acid in Chronic Non-bacterial Osteomyelitis of the Jaw: A Case Series
Authors: Jansen Rasmus Bo , Nilsson Johanna , Buch-Larsen Kristian , Kofod Thomas , Schwarz Peter
Published: November 2023

Chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) is an autoinflammatory, osteolytic bone disorder sometimes localized to a unifocal site in the jaw, causing long-term pain and reduced function. The aim of this study was to describe the patients with CNO of the jaw, focusing on treatment with zoledronic acid for pain relief. An analysis of medical records of 24 patients with CNO of the jaw, including treatment with zoledronic acid and effects on pain relief. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests were used to describe the population and compare treatment effects, respectively. The average treatment period was 33.4 months (median 23; Q1 11.5; Q3 42.0) with an average of 4.1 infusions (median 3; Q1 2; Q3 5) of zoledronic acid. The average pain VAS score (visual analogue scale) was significantly reduced from 7.7 (median 8; Q1 6.5; Q3 8.5) to 2.5 points (median 2; Q1 0.5; Q3 4.5) (p < 0.001). At final visit, 46% of patients reported no pain and 38% reported a reduction of pain. At least 67% of patients had at least one episode of pain recurrence, and most patients experienced the first recurrence within a year of initial treatment. Four patients (16%) had no pain relief from the treatment. In this group of patients with CNO of the jaw, there was a positive response to treatment with zoledronic acid on pain relief, averaging 5.2 points on a pain VAS score, with 84% of patients treated experiencing either a partial or a total reduction in pain after about 2.5 years.
Chronic kidney disease may evoke anxiety by altering CRH expression in the amygdala and tryptophan metabolism in rats
Authors: Ibos Katalin Eszter , Bodnár Éva , Dinh Hoa , Kis Merse , Márványkövi Fanni , Kovács Zsuzsanna Z. A. , Siska Andrea , Földesi Imre , Galla Zsolt , Monostori Péter , Szatmári István , Simon Péter , Sárközy Márta , Csabafi Krisztina
Published: November 2023

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with anxiety; however, its exact mechanism is not well understood. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the effect of moderate CKD on anxiety in rats. 5/6 nephrectomy was performed in male Wistar rats. 7 weeks after, anxiety-like behavior was assessed by elevated plus maze (EPM), open field (OF), and marble burying (MB) tests. At weeks 8 and 9, urinalysis was performed, and blood and amygdala samples were collected, respectively. In the amygdala, the gene expression ofAvpand the gene and protein expression ofCrh,Crhr1, andCrhr2were analyzed. Furthermore, the plasma concentration of corticosterone, uremic toxins, and tryptophan metabolites was measured by UHPLC-MS/MS. Laboratory tests confirmed the development of CKD. In the CKD group, the closed arm time increased; the central time and the total number of entries decreased in the EPM. There was a reduction in rearing, central distance and time in the OF, and fewer interactions with marbles were detected during MB. CKD evoked an upregulation of gene expression ofCrh,Crhr1, andCrhr2, but notAvp, in the amygdala. However, there was no alteration in protein expression. In the CKD group, plasma concentrations of p-cresyl-sulfate, indoxyl-sulfate, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine, anthranilic acid, xanthurenic acid, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, picolinic acid, and quinolinic acid increased. However, the levels of tryptophan, tryptamine, 5-hydroxytryptophan, serotonin, and tyrosine decreased. In conclusion, moderate CKD evoked anxiety-like behavior that might be mediated by the accumulation of uremic toxins and metabolites of the kynurenine pathway, but the contribution of the amygdalar CRH system to the development of anxiety seems to be negligible at this stage.
The role of the multidisciplinary tumor board after endoscopic resection of malignant tumors: is it worth it?
Authors: Kouladouros Konstantinos , Centner Maximilian , Reissfelder Christoph , Belle Sebastian , Kähler Georg
Published: November 2023

Objectives

The value of multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs) in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer patients is well known. Most of the current evidence focuses on advanced cancer cases, whereas little is known about the effect of MTBs on early tumors, especially after endoscopic resection. The aim of our study is to evaluate the value of the MTB after endoscopic resection of malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed all endoscopically resected malignant tumors in our department between 2011 and 2019, focusing on the existence of an MDT recommendation after endoscopic resection, the MDT adherence to the current guidelines, and the implementation of the recommendation by the patients.

Results

We identified 198 patients fulfilling our inclusion criteria, of whom 168 (85%) were discussed in the MDT after endoscopic resection. In total, 155 of the recommendations (92%) were in accordance with the current guidelines, and 147 (88%) of them were implemented by the patients. The MDT discussion itself did not influence the overall survival, whereas the implementation of the MTB recommendation was associated with a significantly better prognosis. Deviations of the MDT recommendation from the guidelines had no effect on the overall survival.

Conclusions

The discussion of endoscopically resected malignant tumors in the MTB is crucial for the treatment of patients with this type of cancer, since the implementation of the MTB recommendation, even if it deviates from the current guidelines, improves the prognosis.
Surrogate-assisted hyper-parameter search for portfolio optimisation: multi-period considerations
Authors: van Zyl Terence L. , Woolway Matthew , Paskaramoorthy Andrew
Published: November 2023

Portfolio management is a multi-period multi-objective optimisation problem subject to various constraints. However, portfolio management is treated as a single-period problem partly due to the computationally burdensome hyper-parameter search procedure needed to construct a multi-period Pareto frontier. This study presents the Pareto driven surrogate (ParDen-Sur) modelling framework to efficiently perform the required hyper-parameter search. ParDen-Sur extends previous surrogate frameworks by including a reservoir sampling-based look-ahead mechanism for offspring generation in evolutionary algorithms (EAs) alongside the traditional acceptance sampling scheme. We evaluate this framework against, and in conjunction with, several seminal multi-objective (MO) EAs on two datasets for both the single- and multi-period use cases. When considering hypervolume ParDen-Sur improves marginally (0.8%) over the state-of-the-art (SOTA)-NSGA-II. However, for generational distance plus and inverted generational distance plus, these improvements over the SOTA are 19.4% and 66.5%, respectively. When considering the average number of evaluations and generations to reach a 99% success rate, ParDen-Sur is shown to be 1.84× and 2.02× more effective than the SOTA. This improvement is statistically significant for the Pareto frontiers, across multiple EAs, for both datasets and use cases.
Sunshine and solar power in the UK
Authors: Spellman Greg , Bird Danielle
Published: November 2023

Solar power is an increasingly important source of clean energy even for a relatively cloudy mid-latitude nation such as the UK. Using areal sunshine series published by the UK Met Office, this study describes the continuing brightening trend that has also been observed since the mid-1980s around the world. The use of the automated Lamb weather type system is explored, particularly the surface synoptic indices developed by Jenkinson and Collison. There is a strong association between sunshine duration (via cloudiness) and circulation features such as anticyclonicity; however, there is no surface-level circulation trend observed that can explain the brightening.
Change in emotional distress, anxiety, depression and PTSD from pre- to post-flood exposure in women residing in low-income settings in South Africa
Authors: Nöthling J. , Gibbs A. , Washington L. , Gigaba S. G. , Willan S. , Abrahams N. , Jewkes R.
Published: November 2023

Floods are increasing in frequency and may increase the risk for experiencing emotional distress, anxiety, depression and PTSD. The aim of this study was to determine the extent of damage, loss, injury and death resulting from floods that occurred in and around the city of Durban, South Africa, in April 2022, and associated changes in mental health pre- to post-floods in a low-income setting. Seventy-three women between the ages of 18 and 45, residing in flood affected, low-income settings, were interviewed prior to the floods occurring. Mental health measures were repeated with 69 of the 73 women during the post-flood interview along with a questionnaire measuring flood-related exposures. Loss of infrastructure (lacked access to drinking water, electricity, fresh food, could not travel to work, had to stay in a shelter and could not get hold of friends or family) was a predictor of post-flood change in levels of emotional distress and anxiety. Higher levels of prior trauma exposure were associated with higher post-flood levels of emotional distress. Higher pre-flood food insecurity was also associated with higher post-flood anxiety. Women affected by poverty, food insecurity and a history of trauma are vulnerable to the additive adverse mental health effects of floods. Proactive approaches to diminishing the impact of floods on the livelihood of women is needed and post-flood relieve efforts may be more affective if they are enhanced by providing mental health support.
A survey on the evolution of stream processing systems
Authors: Fragkoulis Marios , Carbone Paris , Kalavri Vasiliki , Katsifodimos Asterios
Published: November 2023

Stream processing has been an active research field for more than 20 years, but it is now witnessing its prime time due to recent successful efforts by the research community and numerous worldwide open-source communities. This survey provides a comprehensive overview of fundamental aspects of stream processing systems and their evolution in the functional areas of out-of-order data management, state management, fault tolerance, high availability, load management, elasticity, and reconfiguration. We review noteworthy past research findings, outline the similarities and differences between the first  (’00–’10) and second  (’11–’23) generation of stream processing systems, and discuss future trends and open problems.
Utility of exome sequencing for the diagnosis of pediatric-onset neuromuscular diseases beyond diagnostic yield: a narrative review
Authors: Piñeros-Fernández Martha Cecilia , Morte Beatriz , García-Giménez José Luis
Published: November 2023

Diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases (NMD) can be challenging because of the heterogeneity of this group of diseases. This review aimed to describe the diagnostic yield of whole exome sequencing (WES) for pediatric-onset neuromuscular disease diagnosis, as well as other benefits of this approach in patient management since WES can contribute to appropriate treatment selection in NMD patients. WES increases the possibility of reaching a conclusive genetic diagnosis when other technologies have failed and even exploring new genes not previously associated with a specific NMD. Moreover, this strategy can be useful when a dual diagnosis is suspected in complex congenital anomalies and undiagnosed cases.
Searching for long faint astronomical high energy transients: a data driven approach
Authors: Crupi Riccardo , Dilillo Giuseppe , Bissaldi Elisabetta , Ward Kester , Fiore Fabrizio , Vacchi Andrea
Published: November 2023

HERMES Pathfinder is an in-orbit demonstration consisting of a constellation of six 3U nano-satellites hosting simple but innovative detectors for the monitoring of cosmic high-energy transients. The main objective of HERMES Pathfinder is to prove that accurate position of high-energy cosmic transients can be obtained using miniaturized hardware. The transient position is obtained by studying the delay time of arrival of the signal to different detectors hosted by nano-satellites on low-Earth orbits. In this context, we need to develop novel tools to fully exploit the future scientific data output of HERMES Pathfinder. In this paper, we introduce a new framework to assess the background count rate of a spaceborne, high energy detector; a key step towards the identification of faint astrophysical transients. We employ a neural network to estimate the background lightcurves on different timescales. Subsequently, we employ a fast change-point and anomaly detection technique called Poisson-FOCuS to identify observation segments where statistically significant excesses in the observed count rate relative to the background estimate exist. We test the new software on archival data from the NASA Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM), which has a collecting area and background level of the same order of magnitude to those of HERMES Pathfinder. The neural network performances are discussed and analyzed over period of both high and low solar activity. We were able to confirm events in the Fermi-GBM catalog, both solar flares and gamma-ray bursts, and found events, not present in Fermi-GBM database, that could be attributed to solar flares, terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, gamma-ray bursts and galactic X-ray flashes. Seven of these are selected and further analyzed, providing an estimate of localisation and a tentative classification.
Commentary on “Jaws 30”, by W. B. Langdon
Authors: Bartoli Alberto , Manzoni Luca , Medvet Eric
Published: November 2023

While genetic programming has had a huge impact on the research community, it is fair to say that its impact on industry and practitioners has been much smaller. In this commentary we elaborate on this claim and suggest some broad research goals aimed at greatly increasing such impact.