bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are Archaeologists Talking About Looting? Reviewing Archaeological and Anthropological Conference Proceedings from 1899–2019
Authors: Oosterman Naomi , Tremain Cara Grace
Published: May 2024

The impetus for this study was a review of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) 86th Annual Meeting program in 2021. Finding that no single poster or presentation referenced looting or antiquities trafficking despite these issues being ethical considerations that all SAA members are expected to recognize, we sought to investigate whether this was an irregularity – perhaps due to the virtual format of the meeting – or whether it was more common than not. For a broader understanding of if, how, and where these topics are discussed by archaeologists outside of the SAA, we expanded the investigation and studied the archives of 14 other archaeological and anthropological conferences. The results of the study show that despite there being an overall increase in mentioning looting and antiquities trafficking at conferences, it remains a niche and infrequently discussed topic.1
‘Healthier options tend to get lost in the noise of online’ – Australian shoppers’ experiences with online grocery platforms
Authors: Bennett Rebecca , Driessen Christine , Zorbas Christina , Sacks Gary , Gupta Adyya , Cameron Adrian , Gomez-Donoso Clara , Peeters Anna , Backholer Kathryn
Published: May 2024

Objective:

We aimed to understand what influences parents’ purchasing behaviours when shopping for groceries online and potential ways to improve the healthiness of online grocery platforms.

Design:

We conducted semi-structured interviews, guided by the Marketing Mix framework. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse data.

Setting:

Online interviews were conducted with primary grocery shoppers.

Participants:

Parents (n 14) or caregivers (n 2) using online grocery platforms at least every 2 weeks.

Results:

Most participants perceived purchasing healthy food when shopping for groceries online to be more challenging compared to in physical stores. They expressed concerns about the prominence of online marketing for unhealthy food. Participants from lower socio-economic backgrounds often depended on online supermarket catalogues to find price promotions, but healthy options at discounted prices were limited. Across socio-economic groups, fresh items like meat and fruit were preferred to be purchased instore due to concerns about online food quality.

Participants believed online grocery platforms should make healthy foods more affordable and supported regulations on supermarket retailers to promote healthy options and limit unhealthy food promotion online.

Conclusions:

Participants had varied experiences with online grocery shopping, with both positive and negative aspects. Efforts to improve population diets need to include mechanisms to create health-enabling online grocery retail platforms. Government interventions to restrict marketing of unhealthy foods and promote marketing of healthy options on these platforms warrant investigation.
WHEN NO PRICE IS RIGHT
Authors: SCHERVISH MARK J. , SEIDENFELD TEDDY , KADANE JOSEPH B. , GONG RUOBIN , STERN RAFAEL B.
Published: May 2024

In this paper, we show how to represent a non-Archimedean preference over a set of random quantities by a nonstandard utility function. Non-Archimedean preferences arise when some random quantities have no fair price. Two common situations give rise to non-Archimedean preferences: random quantities whose values must be greater than every real number, and strict preferences between random quantities that are deemed closer in value than every positive real number. We also show how to extend a non-Archimedean preference to a larger set of random quantities. The random quantities that we consider include real-valued random variables, horse lotteries, and acts in the theory of Savage. In addition, we weaken the state-independent utility assumptions made by the existing theories and give conditions under which the utility that represents preference is the expected value of a state-dependent utility with respect to a probability over states.
Measurement Invariance of the Fear of Happiness Scale in Adults	Samples From Six Countries
Authors: Joshanloo Mohsen , Yıldırım Murat , Janus Edyta , Frosch Cynthia A. , Silva Isabel , Jólluskin Gloria
Published: May 2024

Abstract: Previous cross-cultural research on the measurement invariance of the fear of happiness scale has largely been limited to small student samples, making it difficult to generalize findings to more diverse populations. This study examined the measurement invariance of the fear of happiness scale in adult samples from South Korea, Canada, Turkey, Poland, Portugal, and the United States. Sample sizes ranged from 256 to 1,177 participants per country (total N = 3,930). The single-factor model of fear of happiness fitted the data well, and the reliabilities were acceptable in all countries. After adjustment for age, partial scalar invariance was supported, with Items 3 and 5 being non-invariant. Latent mean analysis revealed significant country differences, with Turkey having the highest fear of happiness score and Portugal having the lowest. These findings suggest that the scale can be used to measure fear of happiness in diverse adult samples. However, Items 3 and 5 may not be interpreted consistently across cultures. Therefore, caution should be used when comparing observed means across countries. For meaningful cross-cultural comparisons, researchers should compare latent means after considering and addressing any potential non-invariance issues.
Wind Shear Driven Double Layer Structures of E‐Region Irregularities at Low Latitudes
Authors: Liu Jianfei , Sun Wenjie , Li Guozhu , Chen Yunlin , Xie Haiyong , Hu Lianhuan , Li Yi , Zhao Xiukuan , Dai Guofeng , Ning Baiqi , Liu Libo
Published: May 2024

Previous theoretical simulations showed the generation of double‐layer structures of E‐region field‐aligned irregularities (FAIs). In this study, we report the double‐layer structures of E‐region FAIs observed by an all‐sky radar at low latitude Ledong (18.4°N, 109°E), China. These FAIs appeared at the altitudes ∼90 and 110 km respectively. Both layers displayed quasi‐periodic patterns with synchronized spatial features, that is, being manifested as spatially separated patches or wavelike structures over similar longitudes at the two layers simultaneously. The neutral wind observations revealed the existence of wind shears at two separated altitudes where the double FAI layers occurred. The two wind shears created two vertically separated sporadic E layers and possibly drove the generation of the double‐layer FAIs via gradient drift instability. The synchronized spatial features of the FAIs at the two layers could be modulated by gravity waves.
Quantitative Analysis of Grain Orientation as a Proxy for Historical Flow Dynamics
Authors: Qin Jie , Li Qiran , Wu Teng , Ding Huimin
Published: May 2024

The spatial arrangement of grains in gravel‐bed rivers significantly influences sediment transport, flow resistance, and ecological conditions. Inferring historical flow information from spatial grain arrangements has garnered considerable interest among researchers. This study presents a robust and feasible method for such inference, focusing on quantitative approaches to estimate grain arrangement through inclination analysis. Two parameters based on inclination analysis are proposed for estimating grain arrangement. Quantitative relationships between these parameters and grain arrangements are established using artificially generated grain surfaces with predefined grain features. Additionally, the degree of imbrication, represented by the standard deviation of inclination curves, is examined using these generated surfaces. At the macroscopic level, the irregular inclination curve of a riverbed arises from the spatial variability of local hydrodynamic processes, leading to different local grain arrangements. Leveraging this feature at the microscopic level, the spatial distribution of grain orientation, or the grain azimuth field, is obtained using the proposed quantitative relationship. To explore the relationship between this grain azimuth field and flow velocity directions, a three‐dimensional turbulent model based on Detached Eddy Simulation is deployed to simulate the detailed flow field near a gravel bed surface. Comparisons between the grain azimuth field and the flow velocity field highlight similarities, affirming that historical flow direction can be inferred from grain arrangement information. This study contributes to advancing the understanding of the intricate connections between grain arrangements and historical flow dynamics in gravel‐bed rivers.
Extracting Spatial Spectra Using Coarse‐Graining Based On Implicit Filters
Authors: Danilov S. , Juricke S. , Nowak K. , Sidorenko D. , Wang Q.
Published: May 2024

Scale analysis based on coarse‐graining has been proposed recently as an alternative to Fourier analysis. It requires interpolation to a regular mesh for data from unstructured‐mesh models. We propose an alternative coarse‐graining method which relies on implicit filters using powers of discrete Laplacians. This method can work on arbitrary (structured or unstructured) meshes and is applicable to the direct output of unstructured‐mesh models. Illustrations and detailed discussions are provided for discrete fields placed at vertices of triangular meshes. The case with placement on triangles is also briefly discussed.
Comparing Different Tropopause Estimates From High‐Resolution Ozonesondes
Authors: Connolly Michael , Dingley Orla , Connolly Ronan , Soon Willie
Published: May 2024

Since the tropopause was first identified, the quality and resolution of weather balloons has dramatically improved. NOAA Earth System Research Laboratories (ESRL) have provided high resolution and very high quality ozonesondes from eight locations: Fiji; American Samoa; Greenland; Antarctica; and several locations in USA (Hawai'i, Colorado, California and Alabama). These locations collectively cover polar regions, mid‐latitudes and tropics. Using this publicly archived data set, we studied the variability of the tropopause for all eight locations for one complete year (2016). Along with the standard estimates of the tropopause provided by NOAA ESRL, we developed four alternative tropopause definitions each based on changes in one of the following: (a) molar density; (b) temperature lapse rates; (c) water vapor content; (d) ozone content. These old and new tropopause definitions appear to hold over all eight locations—for all seasons and from the tropics to the poles. The cohesiveness between all five of these independent tropopause definitions is remarkable, although the NOAA ESRL estimates sometimes identify higher tropopause onsets than the other estimates. Therefore, each tropopause definition could potentially be used as proxies for other tropopause definitions. However, it also confirms that the troposphere/tropopause transition is a multi‐faceted physical and chemical phenomenon associated with more than just temperature changes. Finally, these high‐resolution results suggest that the original term “tropopause” might be a misnomer since they suggest increases in temperature lapse rate variability, rather than the “pausing” implied by lower resolution data or by lapse rates that are averaged over large distances.
An integrative framework for mapping the psychological landscape of risk perception
Authors: Jenkins Sarah C. , Lachlan Robert F. , Osman Magda
Published: May 2024

We vary greatly in our perception of risk, not just because of differences between risks themselves, but also because of individual, contextual and cultural differences too. To better understand and predict responses to risk, we need to (a) integrate these components, combining approaches from different psychological disciplines and (b) also consider risk tolerance – how individuals trade-off between risks and benefits. We therefore developed an ICONS (individual, contextual, cognitive, social) framework; using it across two empirical studies (n = 4228) to examine how individuals perceive and respond to the quotidian risks associated with consumer products. Three dimensions underlined risk perceptions: benefits, dread and individual responsibility. Risk tolerance was typically predicted by interactions between individual (demographic, cultural worldview, personality) and contextual (product type/category, harm information) factors. In turn, perceived dread, benefits and individual differences shaped how likely participants were to communicate risk information. Our results demonstrate for the first time how the interaction between individual, cognitive (risk tolerance, intensity), contextual, and social (risk communication) factors is key to understanding and predicting risk perceptions. Together, our findings help explain why societal responses to risks are often difficult to predict and have implications for the spread, and amplification, of risk information.
Employing machine learning for enhanced abdominal fat prediction in cavitation post-treatment
Authors: Abdel Hady Doaa A. , Mabrouk Omar M. , Abd El-Hafeez Tarek
Published: May 2024

This study investigates the application of cavitation in non-invasive abdominal fat reduction and body contouring, a topic of considerable interest in the medical and aesthetic fields. We explore the potential of cavitation to alter abdominal fat composition and delve into the optimization of fat prediction models using advanced hyperparameter optimization techniques, Hyperopt and Optuna. Our objective is to enhance the predictive accuracy of abdominal fat dynamics post-cavitation treatment. Employing a robust dataset with abdominal fat measurements and cavitation treatment parameters, we evaluate the efficacy of our approach through regression analysis. The performance of Hyperopt and Optuna regression models is assessed using metrics such as mean squared error, mean absolute error, and R-squared score. Our results reveal that both models exhibit strong predictive capabilities, with R-squared scores reaching 94.12% and 94.11% for post-treatment visceral fat, and 71.15% and 70.48% for post-treatment subcutaneous fat predictions, respectively. Additionally, we investigate feature selection techniques to pinpoint critical predictors within the fat prediction models. Techniques including F-value selection, mutual information, recursive feature elimination with logistic regression and random forests, variance thresholding, and feature importance evaluation are utilized. The analysis identifies key features such as BMI, waist circumference, and pretreatment fat levels as significant predictors of post-treatment fat outcomes. Our findings underscore the effectiveness of hyperparameter optimization in refining fat prediction models and offer valuable insights for the advancement of non-invasive fat reduction methods. This research holds important implications for both the scientific community and clinical practitioners, paving the way for improved treatment strategies in the realm of body contouring.
The effect of preoperative use of anticoagulants on the hemostatic effect of intravenous application of tranexamic acid in PLIF: a case control study
Authors: Hao Shenshen , Li Binbin , Luo Shiying , Dong Shengli , Liu Shuai , Li Hongke , Cao Xinhao
Published: May 2024

Intravenous application of tranexamic acid (TXA) in posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) can effectively reduce blood loss without affecting coagulation function. However, it has not been reported whether preoperative use of anticoagulants may affect the efficacy of TXA in PLIF. The purpose of this study is to observe the effect of preoperative use of anticoagulants on coagulation indicators and blood loss after PLIF receiving intravenous unit dose TXA. A retrospective analysis was conducted on data from 53 patients with PLIF between 2020.11 and 2022.9, who received intravenous application of a unit dose of TXA (1 g/100 mL) 15 min before the skin incision after general anesthesia. Those who used anticoagulants within one week before surgery were recorded as the observation group, while those who did not use anticoagulants were recorded as the control group. The main observation indicators include surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, blood transfusion, and red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (HB), and hematocrit (HCT) measured on the 1st, 4th, 7th, and last-test postoperative days. Secondary observation indicators included postoperative incision healing, deep vein thrombosis of lower limbs, postoperative hospital stay, and activated partial thrombin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen (FIB), and platelets (PLT) on the 1st and 4th days after surgery. The operation was successfully completed in both groups, the incision healed well after operation, and no lower limb deep vein thrombosis occurred. There was no significant difference in surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, and blood transfusion between the two groups (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the RBC, HB, and HCT measured on the 1st, 4th, 7th, and last-test postoperative days between the two groups (p > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in APTT, PT, TT, FIB and PLT between the two groups on the 1st and 4th postoperative days (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in postoperative hospital stay between the two groups (p > 0.05). The use of anticoagulants within one week before surgery does not affect the hemostatic effect of intravenous unit dose TXA in PLIF.
Enhanced radiation use efficiency and grain filling rate as the main drivers of grain yield genetic gains in the CIMMYT elite spring wheat yield trial
Authors: Gerard Guillermo , Mondal Suchismita , Piñera-Chávez Francisco , Rivera-Amado Carolina , Molero Gemma , Crossa Jose , Huerta-Espino Julio , Velu Govindan , Braun Hans , Singh Ravi , Crespo-Herrera Leonardo
Published: May 2024

Common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major staple food crop, providing a fifth of food calories and proteins to the world’s human population. Despite the impressive growth in global wheat production in recent decades, further increases in grain yield are required to meet future demands. Here we estimated genetic gain and genotype stability for grain yield (GY) and determined the trait associations that contributed uniquely or in combination to increased GY, through a retrospective analysis of top-performing genotypes selected from the elite spring wheat yield trial (ESWYT) evaluated internationally during a 14-year period (2003 to 2016). Fifty-six ESWYT genotypes and four checks were sown under optimally irrigated conditions in three phenotyping trials during three consecutive growing seasons (2018–2019 to 2020–2021) at Norman E. Borlaug Research Station, Ciudad Obregon, Mexico. The mean GY rose from 6.75 (24th ESWYT) to 7.87 t ha−1 (37th ESWYT), representing a cumulative increase of 1.12 t ha−1. The annual genetic gain for GY was estimated at 0.96% (65 kg ha−1 year−1) accompanied by a positive trend in genotype stability over time. The GY progress was mainly associated with increases in biomass (BM), grain filling rate (GFR), total radiation use efficiency (RUE_total), grain weight per spike (GWS), and reduction in days to heading (DTH), which together explained 95.5% of the GY variation. Regression lines over the years showed significant increases of 0.015 kg m−2 year−1 (p < 0.01), 0.074 g m−2 year−1 (p < 0.05), and 0.017 g MJ−1 year−1 (p < 0.001) for BM, GFR, and RUE_total, respectively. Grain weight per spike exhibited a positive but no significant trend (0.014 g year−1, p = 0.07), whereas a negative tendency for DTH was observed (− 0.43 days year−1, p < 0.001). Analysis of the top ten highest-yielding genotypes revealed differential GY-associated trait contributions, demonstrating that improved GY can be attained through different mechanisms and indicating that no single trait criterion is adopted by CIMMYT breeders for developing new superior lines. We conclude that CIMMYT’s Bread Wheat Breeding Program has continued to deliver adapted and more productive wheat genotypes to National partners worldwide, mainly driven by enhancing RUE_total and GFR and that future yield increases could be achieved by intercrossing genetically diverse top performer genotypes.
Synthesis, molecular modelling, and antibacterial evaluation of new sulfonamide-dyes based pyrrole compounds
Authors: Gaffer Hatem E. , Mahmoud S. A. , El-Sedik M. S. , Aysha Tarek , Abdel-Rhman Mohamed H. , Abdel-latif Ehab
Published: May 2024

In this study, we synthesized new series of 5-oxo-2-phenyl-4-(arylsulfamoyl)sulphenyl) hydrazono)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylate hybrids 4a-f with the goal of overcoming sulfonamide resistance and identifying novel therapeutic candidates by chemical changes. The chemical structures of the synthesized hybrids were established over the spectroscopic tools. The frontier molecular orbitals configuration and energetic possessions of the synthesized compounds were discovered utilizing DFT/B3LYP/6-311++ G** procedure. The 3D plots of both HOMO and LUMO showed comparable configuration of both HOMO and LUMO led to close values of their energies. Amongst the prepared analogues, the sulfonamide hybrids 4a-f, hybrid 4a presented potent inhibitory towards S. typhimurium with (IZD = 15 mm, MIC = 19.24 µg/mL) and significant inhibition with (IZD = 19 mm, MIC = 11.31 µg/mL) against E.coli in contrast to sulfonamide (Sulfamethoxazole) reference Whereas, hybrid 4d demonstrated potent inhibition with (IZD = 16 mm, MIC = 19.24 µg/mL) against S. typhimurium with enhanced inhibition against E. Coli, Additionally, the generated sulfonamide analogues’' molecular docking was estimated over (PDB: 3TZF and 6CLV) proteins. Analogue 4e had the highest documented binding score as soon as linked to the other analogues. The docking consequences were fitting and addressed with the antibacterial valuation.
Spectrum feature extraction method combining Allan variance, VMD, and PSD
Authors: Liu Xu , Wang Jian , Liu Fei , Hancock Craig
Published: May 2024

Spectrum feature extraction plays a crucial role in identifying seismic events and calculating structural response parameters. However, the criteria for identifying effective modal components in Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) are not well-defined, resulting in inaccurate spectrum feature extraction. To address this issue, we propose a novel spectrum feature extraction method that combines Allan variance, VMD, and power spectral density (PSD). Firstly, VMD is applied to filter noise components from triaxial accelerometer observations and add effective signals. Secondly, PSD is utilized to extract three groups of seismic frequencies (tri-axial accelerometers). Finally, the Allan method is introduced to identify the group of accelerometer observations with the highest reliability as the vibration frequency caused by the seismic excitation. We validate the effectiveness of our method by analyzing a Mw 2.6 micro-seismic event that occurred in Huairou, Beijing in 2022. The result shows that our proposed method accurately extracts spectrum features of the Great Wall. Specifically, the seismic excitation vibration frequencies at four monitoring stations were found to be 26.95 Hz, 12.89 Hz, 12.89 Hz, and 12.5 Hz. These findings underscore our method's utility in evaluating the Great Wall's structural response to seismic loading, which has significant implications for the conservation and protection of heritage structures.
Detection of circulating tumor cells by means of machine learning using Smart-Seq2 sequencing
Authors: Pastuszak Krzysztof , Sieczczyński Michał , Dzięgielewska Marta , Wolniak Rafał , Drewnowska Agata , Korpal Marcel , Zembrzuska Laura , Supernat Anna , Żaczek Anna J.
Published: May 2024

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are tumor cells that separate from the solid tumor and enter the bloodstream, which can cause metastasis. Detection and enumeration of CTCs show promising potential as a predictor for prognosis in cancer patients. Furthermore, single-cells sequencing is a technique that provides genetic information from individual cells and allows to classify them precisely and reliably. Sequencing data typically comprises thousands of gene expression reads per cell, which artificial intelligence algorithms can accurately analyze. This work presents machine-learning-based classifiers that differentiate CTCs from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) based on single cell RNA sequencing data. We developed four tree-based models and we trained and tested them on a dataset consisting of Smart-Seq2 sequenced data from primary tumor sections of breast cancer patients and PBMCs and on a public dataset with manually annotated CTC expression profiles from 34 metastatic breast patients, including triple-negative breast cancer. Our best models achieved about 95% balanced accuracy on the CTC test set on per cell basis, correctly detecting 133 out of 138 CTCs and CTC-PBMC clusters. Considering the non-invasive character of the liquid biopsy examination and our accurate results, we can conclude that our work has potential application value.
Multifunctional in vitro, in silico and DFT analyses on antimicrobial BagremycinA biosynthesized by Micromonospora chokoriensis CR3 from Hieracium canadense
Authors: Tanvir Rabia , Ijaz Saadia , Sajid Imran , Hasnain Shahida
Published: May 2024

Among the actinomycetes in the rare genera, Micromonospora is of great interest since it has been shown to produce novel therapeutic compounds. Particular emphasis is now on its isolation from plants since its population from soil has been extensively explored. The strain CR3 was isolated as an endophyte from the roots of Hieracium canadense, and it was identified as Micromonospora chokoriensis through 16S gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The in-vitro analysis of its extract revealed it to be active against the clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Candida tropicalis (15 mm). No bioactivity was observed against Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, and Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 706003. The Micromonospora chokoriensis CR3 extract was also analyzed through the HPLC-DAD-UV–VIS resident database, and it gave a maximum match factor of 997.334 with the specialized metabolite BagremycinA (BagA). The in-silico analysis indicated that BagA strongly interacted with the active site residues of the sterol 14-α demethylase and thymidylate kinase enzymes, with the lowest binding energies of − 9.7 and − 8.3 kcal/mol, respectively. Furthermore, the normal mode analysis indicated that the interaction between these proteins and BagA was stable. The DFT quantum chemical properties depicted BagA to be reasonably reactive with a HOMO-LUMO gap of (ΔE) of 4.390 eV. BagA also passed the drug-likeness test with a synthetic accessibility score of 2.06, whereas Protox-II classified it as a class V toxicity compound with high LD50 of 2644 mg/kg. The current study reports an endophytic actinomycete, M. chokoriensis, associated with H. canadense producing the bioactive metabolite BagA with promising antimicrobial activity, which can be further modified and developed into a safe antimicrobial drug.
A simple and highly sensitive LC–MS workflow for characterization and quantification of ADC cleavable payloads
Authors: Mak Shi Ya , Chen Shuwen , Fong Wey Jia , Choo Andre , Ho Ying Swan
Published: May 2024

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADC) payloads are cleavable drugs that act as the warhead to exert an ADC’s cytotoxic effects on cancer cells intracellularly. A simple and highly sensitive workflow is developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of six ADC payloads, namely SN-38, MTX, DXd, MMAE, MMAF and Calicheamicin (CM). The workflow consists of a short and simple sample extraction using a methanol-ethanol mixture, followed by a fast liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis. The results showed that well-validated linear response ranges of 0.4–100 nM for SN38, MTX and DXd, 0.04–100 nM for MMAE and MMAF, 0.4–1000 nM for CM were achieved in mouse serum. Recoveries for all six payloads at three different concentrations (low, medium and high) were more than 85%. An ultra-low sample volume of only 5 µL of serum is required due to the high sensitivity of the method. This validated method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study to quantify MMAE in mouse serum samples.
Weight loss treatment for COVID-19 in patients with NCDs: a pilot prospective clinical trial
Authors: Oshakbayev Kuat , Durmanova Aigul , Zhankalova Zulfiya , Idrisov Alisher , Bedelbayeva Gulnara , Gazaliyeva Meruyert , Nabiyev Altay , Tordai Attila , Dukenbayeva Bibazhar
Published: May 2024

COVID-19 comorbid with noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) complicates the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, and increases the mortality rate. The aim is to evaluate the effects of a restricted diet on clinical/laboratory inflammation and metabolic profile, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and body composition in patients with COVID-19 comorbid with NCDs. We conducted a 6-week open, pilot prospective controlled clinical trial. The study included 70 adult patients with COVID-19 comorbid with type 2 diabetes (T2D), hypertension, or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Interventions: a restricted diet including calorie restriction, hot water drinking, walking, and sexual self-restraint. Primary endpoints: COVID-19 diagnosis by detecting SARS-CoV-2 genome by RT-PCR; weight loss in Main group; body temperature; C-reactive protein. Secondary endpoints: the number of white blood cells; erythrocyte sedimentation rate; adverse effects during treatment; fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), systolic/diastolic blood pressure (BP); blood lipids; ALT/AST, chest CT-scan. In Main group, patients with overweight lost weight from baseline (− 12.4%; P < 0.0001); 2.9% in Main group and 7.2% in Controls were positive for COVID-19 (RR: 0.41, CI: 0.04–4.31; P = 0.22) on the 14th day of treatment. Body temperature and C-reactive protein decreased significantly in Main group compared to Controls on day 14th of treatment (P < 0.025). Systolic/diastolic BP normalized (P < 0.025), glucose/lipids metabolism (P < 0.025); ALT/AST normalized (P < 0.025), platelets increased from baseline (P < 0.025), chest CT (P < 0.025) in Main group at 14 day of treatment. The previous antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and other symptomatic medications were adequately decreased to completely stop during the weight loss treatment. Thus, the fast weight loss treatment may be beneficial for the COVID-19 patients with comorbid T2D, hypertension, and NASH over traditional medical treatment because, it improved clinical and laboratory/instrumental data on inflammation; glucose/lipid metabolism, systolic/diastolic BPs, and NASH biochemical outcomes, reactive oxygen species; and allowed patients to stop taking medications.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05635539 (02/12/2022): https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05635539?term=NCT05635539&draw=2&rank=1.
Synthesis and anti-inflammatory activities of two new N-acetyl glucosamine derivatives
Authors: Zhang Zhichang , Wang Weicheng , Xu Peng , Cui Quanjun , Yang Xinlin , Hassan Ameer E.
Published: May 2024

N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG) is a natural amino sugar found in various human tissues with previously described anti-inflammatory effects. Various chemical modifications of NAG have been made to promote its biomedical applications. In this study, we synthesized two bi-deoxygenated NAG, BNAG1 and BNAG2 and investigated their anti-inflammatory properties, using an in vivo and in vitro inflammation mouse model induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Among the parent molecule NAG, BNAG1 and BNAG2, BNAG1 showed the highest inhibition against serum levels of IL-6 and TNF α and the leukocyte migration to lungs and peritoneal cavity in LPS challenged mice, as well as IL-6 and TNF α production in LPS-stimulated primary peritoneal macrophages. BNAG2 displayed an anti-inflammatory effect which was comparable to NAG. These findings implied potential application of these novel NAG derivatives, especially BNAG1, in treatment of certain inflammation-related diseases.
Influence of biochar on the removal of Microcystin-LR and Saxitoxin from aqueous solutions
Authors: Chambers Cadianne , Grimes Savannah , Fire Spencer , Reza M. Toufiq
Published: May 2024

The present study assessed the effective use of biochar for the adsorption of two potent HAB toxins namely, Microcystin-LR (MCLR) and Saxitoxin (STX) through a combination of dosage, kinetic, equilibrium, initial pH, and competitive adsorption experiments. The adsorption results suggest that biochar has excellent capabilities for removing MCLR and STX, with STX reporting higher adsorption capacities (622.53–3507.46 µg/g). STX removal required a minimal dosage of 0.02 g/L, while MCLR removal needed 0.4 g/L for > 90%. Similarly, a shorter contact time was required for STX removal compared to MCLR for > 90% of toxin removed from water. Initial pH study revealed that for MCLR acidic conditions favored higher uptake while STX favored basic conditions. Kinetic studies revealed that the Elovich model to be most suitable for both toxins, while STX also showed suitable fittings for Pseudo-First Order and Pseudo-Second Order in individual toxin systems. Similarly, for the Elovich model the most suited kinetic model for both toxins in presence of each other. Isotherm studies confirmed the Langmuir–Freundlich model as the best fit for both toxins. These results suggest adsorption mechanisms including pore filling, hydrogen bonding, π–π interactions, hydrophobic interactions, electrostatic attraction, and dispersive interactions.
Experimental study on the punching failure model of soft red rock subgrade by BPT-BVM methods and it’s assessment of the load bearing capacity
Authors: Chen Jibin , Pan Qiang , Wei Yao , Luo Yibin , Zhao Zhuangfu , Zhao Li , Bai Yu
Published: May 2024

The recommended bearing capacity of medium weathering mudstone foundation is less than the capacity of the rock structure to withstand loads in Southwest China. A comprehensive failure characterization of medium weathering mudstone in Chengdu has been performed including bearing plate test (BPT), binocular vision measurement (BVM) test, uniaxial compressive strength test, trial trench test of shallow rock surface and 3D imaging in this paper. Failure behavior of rock has been modeled with 3D imaging algorithm that utilizes Zhang’s calibration method in BVM system combination with trial trench test of shallow rock surface. The bearing capacity of medium weathering mudstone foundation were extracted from uniaxial experiments and BPT-BVM test by fitting relevant material properties to the data. The results revealed that: Bearing capacity of medium weathering mudstone of layered isotropic in Chengdu is undervalued. Specifically, the characteristic load carrying value is in the range 1500–2500 kP, that is 50% higher than in the local standard system. Failure process is different from Hoek–Brown Failure Criterion, presenting a wave peak transfer phenomenon of the increment displacement into the distance. Thus, it can be reduced to that of punching failures for thin bedded structures of Moudstone foundations. Compressive strength of soft rock proves to be main factor limiting the bearing capacity, a clear correlation between the uniaxial compressive strength reduction coefficient and the bearing capacity has been used to establish, leading to the proposal of a load bearing capacity prediction model.
Identifying potential (re)hemorrhage among sporadic cerebral cavernous malformations using machine learning
Authors: Li Xiaopeng , Jones Peng , Zhao Mei
Published: May 2024

The (re)hemorrhage in patients with sporadic cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM) was the primary aim for CCM management. However, accurately identifying the potential (re)hemorrhage among sporadic CCM patients in advance remains a challenge. This study aims to develop machine learning models to detect potential (re)hemorrhage in sporadic CCM patients. This study was based on a dataset of 731 sporadic CCM patients in open data platform Dryad. Sporadic CCM patients were followed up 5 years from January 2003 to December 2018. Support vector machine (SVM), stacked generalization, and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) were used to construct models. The performance of models was evaluated by area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC), area under the precision-recall curve (PR-AUC) and other metrics. A total of 517 patients with sporadic CCM were included (330 female [63.8%], mean [SD] age at diagnosis, 42.1 [15.5] years). 76 (re)hemorrhage (14.7%) occurred during follow-up. Among 3 machine learning models, XGBoost model yielded the highest mean (SD) AUROC (0.87 [0.06]) in cross-validation. The top 4 features of XGBoost model were ranked with SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations). All-Elements XGBoost model achieved an AUROCs of 0.84 and PR-AUC of 0.49 in testing set, with a sensitivity of 0.86 and a specificity of 0.76. Importantly, 4-Elements XGBoost model developed using top 4 features got a AUROCs of 0.83 and PR-AUC of 0.40, a sensitivity of 0.79, and a specificity of 0.72 in testing set. Two machine learning-based models achieved accurate performance in identifying potential (re)hemorrhages within 5 years in sporadic CCM patients. These models may provide insights for clinical decision-making.
Validating reference-based algorithms to determine cell-type heterogeneity in ovarian cancer DNA methylation studies
Authors: Biskup Edyta , Lopacinska-Jørgensen Joanna , Vestergaard Lau Kræsing , Høgdall Estrid
Published: May 2024

Information about cell composition in tissue samples is crucial for biomarker discovery and prognosis. Specifically, cancer tissue samples present challenges in deconvolution studies due to mutations and genetic rearrangements. Here, we optimized a robust, DNA methylation-based protocol, to be used for deconvolution of ovarian cancer samples. We compared several state-of-the-art methods (HEpiDISH, MethylCIBERSORT and ARIC) and validated the proposed protocol in an in-silico mixture and in an external dataset containing samples from ovarian cancer patients and controls. The deconvolution protocol we eventually implemented is based on MethylCIBERSORT. Comparing deconvolution methods, we paid close attention to the role of a reference panel. We postulate that a possibly high number of samples (in our case: 247) should be used when building a reference panel to ensure robustness and to compensate for biological and technical variation between samples. Subsequently, we tested the performance of the validated protocol in our own study cohort, consisting of 72 patients with malignant and benign ovarian disease as well as in five external cohorts. In conclusion, we refined and validated a reference-based algorithm to determine cell type composition of ovarian cancer tissue samples to be used in cancer biology studies in larger cohorts.
Composition and fatty acid profile of milk from cows fed diets supplemented with raw and n-3 PUFA-enriched fish oil
Authors: Bodkowski Robert , Wierzbicki Heliodor , Mucha Anna , Cholewińska Paulina , Wojnarowski Konrad , Patkowska-Sokoła Bożena
Published: May 2024

Dietary supplementation of ruminants with fish oil is a strategy for favorably modifying the fatty acid composition of milk fat. This study investigated the effect of supplementing cows’ diet with fish oil after low-temperature crystallisation (LTC-FO) compared to its raw form (FO) on milk yield, milk components (fat, protein, and lactose), and milk fatty acid profile. Twenty-four mid-lactating multiparous Polish Holstein–Friesian cows fed a total-mix ration were randomly assigned to two homogeneous groups (n = 12 cows each) and supplemented with LTC-FO or FO at 1% of dry matter. Milk samples were collected on days 14 and 30 of the 30-day experiment. No significant differences between the groups in terms of milk yield, milk protein, and lactose content were found, however, the fat yield and content decreased in the LTC-FO group. Milk fat from cows in the LTC-FO group contained significantly higher levels of C18:1 trans-11, C18:2 cis-9, trans-11, C18:3n − 3, C20:5, and C22:6, and lower levels of saturated fatty acids compared to the FO group (p < 0.05). Therefore, LTC-FO may be a more efficient feed additive than FO and may serve as a practical way to modify the fatty acid composition of milk fat.
Enhancing stress measurements accuracy control in the construction of long-span bridges
Authors: Gaute-Alonso Alvaro , Garcia-Sanchez David , Ramos-Gutierrez Óscar Ramón , Ntertimanis Vasileios
Published: May 2024

This paper introduces new contributions for construction procedures designed to enhance the robustness and precision of stress control in active anchorage and short presetressing units for long-span bridges, particularly addressing potential technical risks. The primary focus is on optimizing stress management for bridge stays, suspension cables, and short prestressing units by emphasizing a unified parameter: stress. The contributions of this research encompass (1) the introduction of advanced load cells for stress control in active anchorages and (2) the implementation of a novel synchronized multi-strain gage load cell network for short prestressing units, crucial in situations where prestressing losses can attain significant magnitudes. To validate these advancements, the authors present (3) a practical experience and results obtained from applying these methodologies in monitoring the structural response during the construction of the Tajo Bridge using the cable-stayed cantilever technique.
Anti-inflammatory properties and characterization of water extracts obtained from Callicarpa kwangtungensis Chun using in vitro and in vivo rat models
Authors: Li Jun-Jian , Li Li , Su Shan-Shan , Liao Mei-Lan , Gong Qiu-Zi , Liu Mei , Jiang Shan , Zhang Zai-Qi , Zhou Hua , Liu Jian-Xin
Published: May 2024

Callicarpa kwangtungensis Chun (CK) is a common remedy exhibits anti-inflammatory properties and has been used in Chinese herbal formulations, such as KangGongYan tablets. It is the main component of KangGongYan tablets, which has been used to treat chronic cervicitis caused by damp heat, red and white bands, cervical erosion, and bleeding. However, the anti-inflammatory effects of CK water extract remains unknown. This study assessed the anti-inflammatory effects of CK in vivo and in vitro, characterized its main components in the serum of rats and verified the anti-inflammatory effects of serum containing CK. Nitric oxide (NO), tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) release by RAW264.7 cells was examined by ELISA and Griess reagents. Inflammation-related protein expression in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells was measured by western blotting. Furthermore, rat model of foot swelling induced by λ-carrageenan and a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat model were used to explore the anti-inflammatory effects of CK. The components of CK were characterized by LC–MS, and the effects of CK-containing serum on proinflammatory factors levels and the expression of inflammation-related proteins were examined by ELISA, Griess reagents and Western blotting. CK suppressed IL-6, TNF-α, and NO production, and iNOS protein expression in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Mechanistic studies showed that CK inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK, P38 and JNK in the MAPK signaling pathway, promoted the expression of IκBα in the NF-κB signaling pathway, and subsequently inhibited the expression of iNOS, thereby exerting anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, CK reduced the swelling rates with λ-carrageenan induced foot swelling, and reduced the arthritis score and incidence in the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat model. A total of 68 compounds in CK water extract and 31 components in rat serum after intragastric administration of CK were characterized. Serum pharmacological analysis showed that CK-containing serum suppressed iNOS protein expression and NO, TNF-α, and IL-6 release. CK may be an anti-inflammatory agent with therapeutic potential for acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, especially inflammatory diseases associated with MAPK activation.
Prognostic relevance of radiological findings on early postoperative MRI for 187 consecutive glioblastoma patients receiving standard therapy
Authors: Rykkje Alexander Malcolm , Carlsen Jonathan Frederik , Larsen Vibeke Andrée , Skjøth-Rasmussen Jane , Christensen Ib Jarle , Nielsen Michael Bachmann , Poulsen Hans Skovgaard , Urup Thomas Haargaard , Hansen Adam Espe
Published: May 2024

Several prognostic factors are known to influence survival for patients treated with IDH-wildtype glioblastoma, but unknown factors may remain. We aimed to investigate the prognostic implications of early postoperative MRI findings. A total of 187 glioblastoma patients treated with standard therapy were consecutively included. Patients either underwent a biopsy or surgery followed by an early postoperative MRI. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analysed for known prognostic factors and MRI-derived candidate factors: resection status as defined by the response assessment in neuro-oncology (RANO)-working group (no contrast-enhancing residual tumour, non-measurable contrast-enhancing residual tumour, or measurable contrast-enhancing residual tumour) with biopsy as reference, contrast enhancement patterns (no enhancement, thin linear, thick linear, diffuse, nodular), and the presence of distant tumours. In the multivariate analysis, patients with no contrast-enhancing residual tumour or non-measurable contrast-enhancing residual tumour on the early postoperative MRI displayed a significantly improved progression-free survival compared with patients receiving only a biopsy. Only patients with non-measurable contrast-enhancing residual tumour showed improved overall survival in the multivariate analysis. Contrast enhancement patterns were not associated with survival. The presence of distant tumours was significantly associated with both poor progression-free survival and overall survival and should be considered incorporated into prognostic models.
Introduction
Authors: Maynard R. A. , Marrs T. C.
Published: May 2024

Neurotransmission systems exist in all multicellular animals and enable inter-neuronal transmission at synapses and from nerve cells to effector organs such as skeletal muscles and glands. They are complex, comprising afferent nerves, containing the neurotransmitter, where it is synthesized and stored in vesicles, from which the transmitter is released in response to a nerve impulse. At the synapse, neuromuscular junction and autonomic effector organs, there are specialized receptors where binding of the neurotransmitter induces a response. There are many different neurotransmitters, including acetylcholine derivatives of adenine: adenosine 5′-triphosphate (5ʹATP) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate; aliphatic amino acids: glycine, glutamic acid (glutamate), aspartic acid (aspartate) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), possibly β-alanine; and derivatives of aromatic amino acids: adrenalin, noradrenalin, dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT or serotonin) and histamine. Neurotransmission occurs in all multicellular animals and enables the transmission of information from neuron to neuron and from neurons to other tissues, including muscles and glands. The mechanisms underlying neurotransmission are complicated and include pre-junctional synthesis, storage and release of transmitter substances, as well as the release of transmitters in response to nerve impulses and their binding to receptors. Termination of transmission involves both the hydrolysis of transmitters and reuptake into pre-junctional nerve terminals.