bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La delimitación de los loca sacra en el área urbana de Pompeya
Authors: Raposo Gutiérrez Noemí
Published: October 2022

Este estudio se centra en el análisis de la delimitación de los espacios sagrados (loca sacra) de Pompeya, en concreto de los distintos templos que se encuentran en el área urbana de la ciudad. Para analizar la demarcación de estos loca sacra se ha analizado la legislación romana con relación a los lugares sagrados y se ha observado si esta normativa se cumplía o no en estos espacios de la ciudad de Pompeya. Al mismo tiempo, se ha llegado a la conclusión de que los templos de Pompeya cuentan con un sistema de delimitación diferente unos de otros y no todos se delimitaban por termini como refiere la legislación romana.
Jefes, soldados y civiles. Ejército y crisis en la historiografía romana.
Authors: Coello Joaquín Muñiz
Published: October 2022

La hostilidad y enfrentamientos entre jefes, soldados y civiles del mismo bando fue una constante en la historia de la Ciudad. Los testimonios literarios dependieron de circunstancias sobre la mayor o menor distancia del autor a los hechos, la censura del gobierno de cada momento, y aún las circunstancias personales de los autores que los vivieron. Livio y el joven Claudio, futuro emperador, fueron casos paradigmáticos, pero no los únicos. Los autores pusieron al lector ante la disyuntiva del buen ejército, con sus soldados y mandos ejemplares, y el mal ejército, con la ruptura de los valores tradicionales que habían hecho grande a Roma. Viejos tópicos que no pudieran soslayar la realidad de una crisis institucional que el Imperio sólo vio acentuarse.
Nuevas aportaciones para el conocimiento de las termas de Arucci (Aroche, Huelva)
Authors: Aguilar Corona Isabel , Bermejo Meléndez Javier
Published: October 2022

El edificio termal de la ciudad romana de Arucci se constituye como un interesante conjunto arquitectónico dentro de esta categoría de edificios públicos en el contexto hispano. Ubicado en una de las cotas más altas de la ciudad, este espacio dedicado al baño ha podido ser delimitado parcialmente a lo largo de diversas campañas de excavación y prospecciones geofísicas enmarcadas en distintos proyectos de investigación. Los resultados de las últimas actividades vienen a sumarse a los ya conocidos, lo que ha permitido individualizar numerosas dependencias, piscinae, latrinae, apodyterium, cisternae, etc., que nos aproximan a conocer, de manera más precisa, la funcionalidad y el funcionamiento de las termas en su época de actividad. Desde el punto de vista cronológico, el edificio está estructurado en dos ambientes, construyéndose el primero en un momento previo a la segunda mitad del siglo I d.C.; y el segundo, muy probablemente enmarcado en el impulso monumentalizador que sufre la ciudad en época Flavia, manteniendo su uso hasta su abandono en el primer cuarto del siglo III d.C.
Redes interorganizacionales e interpersonales: el flujo de información estratégica entre empresas competidoras
Authors: Bitencourt-Fortes Marcos-Vinícius , Wegner Douglas , Peña-Ramírez Camilo
Published: October 2022

Las conexiones entre empresas denominadas board interlock permiten obtener recursos y crear relaciones. Esta práctica, sea intencionada o no, genera conexiones que involucran el núcleo estratégico de la empresa. Así, existe un canal para el flujo de información estratégica, incluso entre competidores. Estudios previos han identificado la creación de estas conexiones, pero sin explorar a nivel de los individuos. Mediante un análisis de redes sociales (n=2184), se presentan resultados que contribuyen a identificar diferentes contextos nacionales (Estados Unidos y Alemania), donde las redes interpersonales tienen estructuras similares, aunque las redes interorganizacionales son estructuralmente diferentes. Este hallazgo es fundamental para mapear el control acerca del flujo de información estratégica. Finalmente, se identifica un nuevo papel de intermediaciones en tríadas a partir del análisis contextual de la figura del bróker en una relación de board interlock.
Factors impacting volunteers’ organizational commitment in a Puerto Rican non-profit organization: a psychological contract perspective
Authors: Quiñones-González Luz-Esther
Published: October 2022

There is an interest from scholars and practitioners in understanding how nonprofit organizations (NPOs) can design and implement practices to enhance desirable volunteer attitudes and behaviors (Alfes et al., 2017). One important attitude is volunteers’ organizational commitment (OC). This research aims to identify factors that diminish volunteers’ OC and suggest effective ways to deal with them, which lead to NPOs performance improvement. This is achieved through a single case study in a Puerto Rican non-profit organization, which consists of in-depth interviews and self-administered questionnaires on psychological contract violation Five categories of factors that negatively affect volunteers’ OC were identified and analyzed: organizational structure, communication, recognition, strategic planning, and conflict management. General actions were provided to help NPOs deal with similar issues.
A atuação das autoridades econômicas brasileiras na crise da Covid-19 e uma análise empírica das políticas fiscal e monetária no período 1996-2020
Authors: Araujo Elisangela Luzia , Araújo Eliane , Ferrari Filho Fernando
Published: October 2022

O artigo analisa as políticas macroeconômicas contracíclicas, em particular fiscal e monetária, implementadas pelas Autoridades Econômicas Brasileiras (AEBs) em resposta à pandemia da COVID-19, 2020, bem como apresenta uma análise empírica das referidas políticas na dinâmica da economia brasileira no período 1996-2020. o referencial teórico da análise. O objetivo principal é avaliar a eficácia das políticas fiscal e monetária em cenários econômicos tanto de crescimento, quanto de crise, visando, com isso, mostrar que políticas econômicas keynesianas contracíclicas importam. A parte empírica do artigo analisa os efeitos das políticas fiscal (gastos do governo) e monetária (taxa de juros) na economia brasileira, no período de 1996 a 2020. Para tanto, estima-se um modelo MS-VAR para contextos econômicos de crescimento e crise. Os principais resultados obtidos sugerem que os efeitos das políticas fiscal e monetária são mais pronunciados em contextos econômicos de crises do que em situações de crescimentos, sustentando a ideia de que políticas fiscal e monetária e fiscal contracíclicas afetam os ciclos econômicos, principalmente em cenários de crise, como enfatizado por Keynes.
Digital volume correlation for the characterization of musculoskeletal tissues: Current challenges and future developments
Authors: Dall’Ara Enrico , Tozzi Gianluca
Published: October 2022

Biological tissues are complex hierarchical materials, difficult to characterise due to the challenges associated to the separation of scale and heterogeneity of the mechanical properties at different dimensional levels.

The Digital Volume Correlation approach is the only image-based experimental approach that can accurately measure internal strain field within biological tissues under complex loading scenarios. In this minireview examples of DVC applications to study the deformation of musculoskeletal tissues at different dimensional scales are reported, highlighting the potential and challenges of this relatively new technique.

The manuscript aims at reporting the wide breath of DVC applications in the past 2 decades and discuss future perspective for this unique technique, including fast analysis, applications on soft tissues, high precision approaches, and clinical applications.
Optimization and demonstration of two types of spring-roll dielectric elastomer actuators for minimally invasive surgery
Authors: Wang HaoChen , Cui Saihui , Niu Fuzhou
Published: October 2022

Resulting from the restricted size of incisions and confined surgical space, the existing rigid and slender minimally invasive surgery (MIS) instruments are inefficient in providing an optimum articulation to handle certain minimally invasive surgery tasks. Thus, developments of novel articulating actuators are of urgent requirement. In this paper, with the aim to enhance the flexibility and maneuverability of surgical instruments in diverse minimally invasive surgery scenarios, two types of spring-roll dielectric elastomer (DE) actuators, namely linear-type and bending-type, are proposed. The actuators’ parameters were optimized and calibrated using a novel step-by-step procedure, based on the characterization and modeling of dielectric elastomer material (VHB 4905). Critical design factors including dimensions of the core spring, the pre-stretch ratio of the dielectric elastomer, and the excitation level of the actuator were identified, while the boundary conditions for the modeling of the actuator were derived from the requirements of minimally invasive surgery applications. The dielectric elastomer actuators’ deformation behavior and force response were analyzed both theoretically and experimentally, and the results from the two approaches were in good agreement. The linear-type actuator could achieve a maximum strain of 29% and a blocking force up to 5.05 N, while the bending-type actuator could achieve angulation over 70° and a blocking force of up to 0.22 N. The proposed actuators are lightweight, compact, and cost-effective, which could provide novel design inspiration for minimally invasive surgery instruments.
Study on the biological effects of ZnO nanosheets on EBL cells
Authors: Li Mei , Ma Yonghua , Lian Xiaodi , Lu Yan , Li Yuanyuan , Xi Yao , Sun Xiaolin
Published: October 2022

In this study, the biological effects of ZnO nanosheets were initially investigated using embryonic bovine lung (EBL) cells cultured in vitro as a model. ZnO nanosheets were prepared by a hydrothermal method, and their structure and morphology were characterized, and their effects on EBL cell viability, oxidative stress, cell proliferation, and apoptosis were investigated. The results showed that 12.5 μg ml−1 ZnO nanosheets can cause morphological changes in EBL cells. The toxic effects of ZnO nanosheets on EBL cells were time-dependent. Caspase-3 activity in EBL cells changed under certain conditions with the introduction of 25 μg ml−1 ZnO nanomaterials, and EBL cell apoptosis was promoted. Under different concentration and time effects, ZnO nanosheets induced an increase in ROS levels in EBL cells, indicating that they have an oxidative damage effect on cells. The toxic effects of ZnO nanosheets on EBL cells were discussed, including concentration effect, time effect, and cytotoxic effect, which eventually led to cell oxidative damage.
Role of fibroblasts in wound healing and tissue remodeling on Earth and in space
Authors: Cialdai Francesca , Risaliti Chiara , Monici Monica
Published: October 2022

Wound healing (WH) and the role fibroblasts play in the process, as well as healing impairment and fibroblast dysfunction, have been thoroughly reviewed by other authors. We treat these topics briefly, with the only aim of contextualizing the true focus of this review, namely, the microgravity-induced changes in fibroblast functions involved in WH. Microgravity is a condition typical of spaceflight. Studying its possible effects on fibroblasts and WH is useful not only for the safety of astronauts who will face future interplanetary space missions, but also to help improve the management of WH impairment on Earth. The interesting similarity between microgravity-induced alterations of fibroblast behavior and fibroblast dysfunction in WH impairment on Earth is highlighted. The possibility of using microgravity-exposed fibroblasts and WH in space as models of healing impairment on Earth is suggested. The gaps in knowledge on fibroblast functions in WH are analyzed. The contribution that studies on fibroblast behavior in weightlessness can make to fill these gaps and, consequently, improve therapeutic strategies is considered.
Bond behavior of NSM strips in corroded/cracked reinforced concrete
Authors: Al-Akhras Nabil , Othman Osama
Published: October 2022

There is limited research on the bond behavior of NSM strips embedded in corroded/cracked reinforced concrete (RC). Therefore, this study was initiated to evaluate the bond behavior between corroded/cracked RC and NSM strips. The test specimens consist of two concrete prisms (reinforced and plain) mounted from two opposite sides with NSM strips. After 28 days of moisture curing, twenty-four specimens were immersed in saline solution and were exposed to three accelerated corrosion levels with steel mass loss of 2.2, 4.1 and 8.1%. The bond behavior was evaluated using double shear pullout test. The study showed that the corrosion cracks increased with the increase of corrosion level. The maximum crack width reached 0.91 mm at corrosion level 3. The mass loss of the corroded reinforcing steel increased from 2.1% for corrosion level 1–8.3% for corrosion level 3. The bond strength between NSM strips and corrosion cracked concrete was significantly decreased with maximum reduction of 48% at corrosion level 3. The other bond characteristics including maximum slip, bond toughness and bond stiffness were also decreased with corrosion with percent reduction of (31, 67 and 35%), respectively. The failure mode of the bond between NSM strips and corrosion cracked concrete was splitting of concrete. Theoretical models were proposed for predicting the bond strength between NSM strips and corrosion cracked concrete based on corrosion level and crack width. The proposed models showed excellent agreement with the experimental results from the current study and the literature.
Paper-based LRET sensor for the detection of total heavy rare-earth ions
Authors: Chen Qiang , Tang Keren , Luo Dengwang , Han Luodan , Yu ChunXiao , Shen Yiping , Lin Qi , Chen Yiting , Li Chunyan , Chen Jinghua , Lan Jianming
Published: October 2022

Based on the mechanism of luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) and using a special single strand DNA as the recognition element, a portable paper-based sensor for the accurate detection of total heavy rare-earth ions (mainly Gd3+, Tb3+ and Dy3+) concentration was proposed. The RNA cleaving-DNAzyme should recognize rare-earth ions to cleave RNA on DNA duplexes linking UCNPs and AuNPs, causing UCNPs and AuNPs to approach each other, inducing LRET, which attenuated the green upconversion luminescence (UCL) triggered by the 980 nm laser. UCL was captured by a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor and processed with the red-green-blue (RGB) image to quantitatively analyze heavy rare-earth ions in the samples. In the range of 5–50 μmol·L-1, the sensor has good sensitivity, with the limit of detection of 1.26 μmol L−1.
Upconversion nanoparticles and its based photodynamic therapy for antibacterial applications: A state-of-the-art review
Authors: Lv Hanlin , Liu Jie , Wang Ying , Xia Xiaomin , Li Ying , Hou Wenxue , Li Feng , Guo Lantian , Li Xue
Published: October 2022

Major medical advances in antibiotics for infectious diseases have dramatically improved the quality of life and greatly increased life expectancy. Nevertheless, the widespread and inappropriate exploitation of antibacterial agents has resulted in the emergence of multi-drug-resistant bacteria (MDR). Consequently, the study of new drugs for the treatment of diseases associated with multi-drug-resistant bacteria and the development of new treatments are urgently needed. Inspiringly, due to the advantages of a wide antimicrobial spectrum, fast sterilization, low resistance, and little damage to host tissues and normal flora, antibacterial photodynamic therapy (APDT), which is based on the interaction between light and a nontoxic photosensitizer (PS) concentrated at the lesion site to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), has become one of the most promising antibacterial strategies. Recently, a burgeoning APDT based on a variety of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) such as PS and near-infrared (NIR) light has been fully integrated in antibacterial applications and achieved excellent performances. Meanwhile, conjugated nanoparticles have been frequently reported in UCNP design, including surface-modified PS conjugates, antibiotic-PS conjugates, and dual or multiple antibacterial modal PS conjugates. This article provides an overview of the state-of-the-art design and bactericidal effects of UCNPs and their based APDTs. The first part discusses the design and mechanisms for UCNPs currently implemented in biomedicine. The second part focuses on the applications and antimicrobial effects of diverse APDT based on UCNPs in antibacterial-related infectious diseases.
Analysis of the blood bacterial composition of patients with acute coronary syndrome and chronic coronary syndrome
Authors: Khan Ikram , Khan Imran , Usman Muhammad , Jianye Zhou , Wei Zhang Xiao , Ping Xie , Zhiqiang Li , Lizhe An
Published: October 2022

Emerging evidence revealed that the blood microbiota plays a role in several non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease. However, the role of circulating microbes in atherosclerosis remains understudied. To test this hypothesis, we performed this study to investigate the microbial profile in the blood of Chines atherosclerosis volunteers. A total of seventy Acute Coronary Syndrome patients, seventy Chronic Coronary Syndrome patients, and seventy healthy individuals were examined using high-throughput Illumina Novaseq targeting the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene. The relationship between atherosclerosis and blood microbiome, clinical variables, and their functional pathways were also investigated. Our study observed significantly higher alpha diversity indices (Chao1, p = 0.001, and Shannon, p = 0.004) in the acute coronary syndrome group compared with chronic coronary syndrome and healthy group, although a significantly lower alpha diversity was observed in the chronic coronary syndrome compared to acute coronary syndrome and healthy group. Beta diversity based on principal coordinate analysis demonstrated a major separation among the three groups. In addition, using linear discriminant analysis, a significant distinct taxon such as Actinobacteria _ phylum, and Staphylococcus_ genus in the healthy group; Firmicutes_ phylum, and Lactobacillus_ genus in the chronic coronary syndrome group, and Proteobacteria and Acidobacteriota _ phyla in acute coronary syndrome group were observed among three groups. Clusters of Orthologous Genes grouped and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways suggested a significant variation among all groups (p < 0.05). The blood microbiota analysis provides potential biomarkers for the detection of coronary syndromes in this population.
Hurdles to developing quantitative decision support for Endangered Species Act resource allocation
Authors: Iacona Gwenllian D. , Avery-Gomm Stephanie , Maloney Richard F. , Brazill-Boast James , Crouse Deborah T. , Drew C. Ashton , Epanchin-Niell Rebecca S. , Hall Sarah B. , Maguire Lynn A. , Male Tim , Newman Jeff , Possingham Hugh P. , Rumpff Libby , Runge Michael C. , Weiss Katherine C. B. , Wilson Robyn S. , Zablan Marilet A. , Gerber Leah R.
Published: October 2022

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oversees the recovery of many species protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Recent research suggests that a structured approach to allocating conservation resources could increase recovery outcomes for ESA listed species. Quantitative approaches to decision support can efficiently allocate limited financial resources and maximize desired outcomes. Yet, developing quantitative decision support under real-world constraints is challenging. Approaches that pair research teams and end-users are generally the most effective. However, co-development requires overcoming “hurdles” that can arise because of differences in the mental models of the co-development team. These include perceptions that: (1) scarce funds should be spent on action, not decision support; (2) quantitative approaches are only useful for simple decisions; (3) quantitative tools are inflexible and prescriptive black boxes; (4) available data are not good enough to support decisions; and (5) prioritization means admitting defeat. Here, we describe how we addressed these misperceptions during the development of a prototype resource allocation decision support tool for understanding trade-offs in U.S. endangered species recovery. We describe how acknowledging these hurdles and identifying solutions enabled us to progress with development. We believe that our experience can assist other applications of developing quantitative decision support for resource allocation.
Left ventricular strain patterns and their relationships with cardiac biomarkers in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction
Authors: Zhang Lisha , Wan Yixuan , He Bo , Wang Lei , Zhu Dongyong , Gao Fabao
Published: October 2022

Aims

This study aims to assess left ventricular (LV) function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by LV strain patterns based on cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT) and to explore the relationships between LV strain patterns and cardiac biomarkers in these patients, such as cardiac troponin (cTnT) and N-terminal prohormone of the brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP).

Methods

A total of 64 HCM patients with preserved LVEF and 33 healthy people were included in this study. All subjects underwent contrast-enhanced CMR, and all patients took blood tests for cTnT and NT-proBNP during hospitalization.

Results

Despite the absence of a significant difference in LVEF between HCM patients and healthy controls, almost all global and segmental strains in radial, circumferential, and longitudinal directions in the HCM group deteriorated significantly as compared to controls (p < 0.05). Moreover, some global and segmental strains correlated significantly with NT-proBNP and cTnT in HCM patients, and the best correlations were global radial strain (GRS) (r = −0.553, p < 0.001) and mid-ventricular radial strain (MRS) (r = −0.582, p < 0.001), respectively, with a moderate correlation. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) results showed that among the LV deformation parameters, GRS [area under the curve (AUC), 0.76; sensitivity, 0.49; specificity, 1.00], MRS (AUC, 0.81; sensitivity, 0.77; specificity, 0.79) demonstrated greater diagnostic accuracy to predict elevated NT-proBNP, and abnormal cTnT, respectively. Their cut-off values were 21.17 and 20.94%, respectively. Finally, all global strains demonstrated moderate, good, and excellent intra- and inter-observer reproducibility.

Conclusion

LV strain patterns can be used to assess the subclinical cardiac function of HCM patients on the merit of being more sensitive than LVEF. In addition, LV strain patterns can detect serious HCM patients and may be helpful to non-invasively predict elevated NT-proBNP and cTnT.
FaciesViT: Vision transformer for an improved core lithofacies prediction
Authors: Koeshidayatullah Ardiansyah , Al-Azani Sadam , Baraboshkin Evgeny E. , Alfarraj Motaz
Published: October 2022

Lithofacies classification is a fundamental step to perform depositional and reservoir characterizations in the subsurface. However, such a classification is often hindered by limited data availability and biased and time-consuming analysis. Recent work has demonstrated the potential of image-based supervised deep learning analysis, specifically convolutional neural networks (CNN), to optimize lithofacies classification and interpretation using core images. While most works have used transfer learning to overcome limited datasets and simultaneously yield a high-accuracy prediction. This method raises some serious concerns regarding how the CNN model learns and makes a prediction as the model was originally trained with entirely different datasets. Here, we proposed an alternative approach by adopting a vision transformer model, known asFaciesViT, to mitigate this issue and provide improved lithofacies prediction. We also experimented with various CNN architectures as the baseline models and two different datasets to compare and evaluate the performance of our proposed model. The experimental results show that the proposed models significantly outperform the established CNN architecture models for both datasets and in all cases, achieving an f1 score and weighted average in all tested metrics of 95%. For the first time, this study highlights the application of the Vision Transformer model to a geological dataset. Our findings show that the FaciesViT model has several advantages over conventional CNN models, including (i) no hyperparameter fine-tuning and exhaustive data augmentation required to match the accuracy of CNN models; (ii) it can work with limited datasets; and (iii) it can better generalize the classification to a new, unseen dataset. Our study shows that the application of the Vision transformer could further optimize image recognition and classification in the geosciences and mitigate some of the issues related to the generalizability and the explainability of deep learning models. Furthermore, the implementation of our proposedFaciesViTmodel has been shown to improve the overall performance and reproducibility of image-based core lithofacies classification which is significant for subsurface reservoir characterization in different basins worldwide.
Study on sneak path effect in self-rectifying crossbar arrays based on emerging memristive devices
Authors: Chen Ziang , Zhang Guofu , Cai Hao , Bengel Christopher , Liu Feng , Zhao Xianyue , Kvatinsky Shahar , Schmidt Heidemarie , Waser Rainer , Menzel Stephan , Du Nan
Published: October 2022

The high demand for performance and energy efficiency poses significant challenges for computing systems in recent years. The memristor-based crossbar array architecture is enthusiastically regarded as a potential competitor to traditional solutions due to its low power consumption and fast switching speed. Especially by leveraging self-rectifying memristive devices, passive crossbar arrays potentially enable high memory densities. Nonetheless, due to the lack of a switching control per cell, these passive, self-rectifying memristive crossbar arrays (srMCA) suffer from sneak path current issues that limit the range of accurate operation of the crossbar array. In this work, the sneak path current issues in the passive srMCAs based on self-rectifying bipolar and complementary switching memristive devices are comparatively analyzed. Under consideration of the worst-case scenario, three reading schemes are investigated: one wordline pull-up (OneWLPU), all wordline pull-up (AllWLPU), and floating (FL) reading schemes. As a conclusion, despite different switching dynamics, both types of self-rectifying memristive devices can efficiently suppress sneak path current in the srMCAs. In the FL reading scheme, the sneak path current flowing through the unselected reversely biased memristive cells in the srMCA can be considered as an accurate estimation for the practical sneak path current in the srMCA. By analyzing the sneak path current in the srMCAs with a size up to 64 × 64, it is demonstrated that the leakage current plays a crucial role for suppressing the sneak path current, and the sneak path current via an individual cell exhibits a continuous decrease while the accumulated total sneak path current in the unselected reverse biased region is increasing with expanding the crossbar size. The comparative study on the bipolar and complementary memristive devices based srMCAs under diverse reading schemes reveals the influence of the switching dynamics on the sneak path current effect in the srMCAs, and provides a beneficial reference and feasible solutions for the future optimization of the crossbar topology with the intention of mitigating sneak path effects.
Irisin at the crossroads of inter-organ communications: Challenge and implications
Authors: Zhao Renqing
Published: October 2022

The physiological functions of organs are intercommunicated occurring through secreted molecules. That exercise can improve the physiological function of organs or tissues is believed by secreting myokines from muscle to target remote organs. However, the underlying mechanism how exercise regulates the inter-organ communications remains incompletely understood yet. A recently identified myokine–irisin, primarily found in muscle and adipose and subsequently extending to bone, heart, liver and brain, provides a new molecular evidence for the inter-organ communications. It is secreted under the regulation of exercise and mediates the intercommunications between exercise and organs. To best our understanding of the regulatory mechanism, this review discusses the recent evidence involving the potential molecular pathways of the inter-organ communications, and the interactions between signalings and irisin in regulating the impact of exercise on organ functions are also discussed.
Mathematical analysis of casson fluid flow with energy and mass transfer under the influence of activation energy from a non-coaxially spinning disc
Authors: Alqarni M. M. , Bilal Muhammad , Allogmany Reem , Tag-Eldin Elsayed , Ghoneim Mohamed E. , Yassen Mansour F.
Published: October 2022

A Casson fluid is the most suitable rheological model for blood and other non-Newtonian fluids. Casson fluids hold yield-stress and have great significance in biomechanics and polymer industries. In this analysis, a numerical simulation of non-coaxial rotation of a Casson fluid over a circular disc was estimated. The influence of thermal radiation, second-order chemical reactions, buoyancy, and heat source on a Casson fluid above a rotating frame was studied. The time evolution of secondary and primary velocities, solute particles, and energy contours were also examined. A magnetic flux of varying intensity was applied to the fluid flow. A nonlinear sequence of partial differential equations was used to describe the phenomenon. The modeled equations were reduced to a non-dimensional set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) using similarity replacement. The obtained sets of ODEs were further simulated using the parametric continuation method (PCM). The impact of physical constraints on energy, concentration, and velocity profiles are presented through figures and tables. It should be noted that the effect of the Casson fluid coefficient, the Grashof number, and the magnetic field reduces the fluid’s primary velocity contour. The mass transfer field decreases with the action of constructive chemical reactions, but is augmented by the effects of destructive chemical reactions. The accelerating trend in Schmidt number lowers the mass profile, while it is enhanced by increasing values of activation energy and Soret number.
Compositional effects on the hydrogen storage properties in a series of refractory high entropy alloys
Authors: Zlotea Claudia , Bouzidi Anis , Montero Jorge , Ek Gustav , Sahlberg Martin
Published: October 2022

The possible combinations in the multidimensional space of high entropy alloys are extremely broad, which makes the incremental experimental research limited. As a result, establishing trends with well-known empirical parameters (lattice distortion, valence electron concentration etc.) and predicting effects of the chemical composition change are vital to guide future research in the field of materials science. In this context, we propose a strategy to rationalize the effect of chemical composition change on the hydrogen sorption properties in a series of high entropy alloys: Ti0.30V0.25Zr0.10Nb0.25M0.10 with M = Mg, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ta and ∅ (corresponding quaternary alloy). All materials are bcc alloys and absorb hydrogen at room temperature forming fcc or pseudo-fcc dihydride phases. The maximum hydrogen storage capacity at room temperature strongly depends on the valence electron concentration (VEC) of the alloys: the capacity is high (1.5–2.0 H/M) for low values of VEC (<4.9) whereas, a drastic fading is observed for VEC ≥4.9 which is the case for alloys with M being a late 3d transition metal. The structural analysis suggests that steric effects might not be responsible for this trend and electronic reasons may be invoked. Increasing the VEC by alloying with late 3d transition metals will fill the unoccupied valence states and the electrons from interstitial hydrogens can no longer be accommodated, which is unfavorable for hydrogen storage. Moreover, the onset temperature of desorption increases almost linearly with VEC for this composition series. These findings suggest that alloys with low VEC are more likely to become promising candidates for hydrogen storage.
Mapping the restoration of degraded peatland as a research area: A scientometric review
Authors: Apori Samuel Obeng , Mcmillan Douglas , Giltrap Michelle , Tian Furong
Published: October 2022

Degraded peatland has reduced many ecosystem services, such as water quality and quantity, biodiversity, carbon storage, climate regulations, and other cultural benefits. Therefore, several initiatives for the restoration of degraded peatland (RDP) have attempted to restore the ecosystem processes, productivity, and services of the degraded peatland to its original natural condition. Notwithstanding the popularity of RDP research among researchers and industry practitioners, a quantitative technique to map a comprehensive survey of the intellectual core and the general body landscape of knowledge on RDP research does not exist. In this study, a scientometric analysis was employed to analyze 522 documents using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. The Web of Science database was used to retrieve bibliographic records using the advanced search “TS (topic) = (‘drained peatland restoration’ OR ‘drained bog restoration’ OR ‘drained mire restoration’ OR degraded peatland restoration’ OR ‘degraded bog restoration’ OR ‘drained peatland reclamation’ OR ‘drained bog restoration’ OR‘ degraded peatland reclamation’ OR ‘degraded bog reclamation’ OR‘ drained mire restoration’ OR ‘degraded mire reclamation’ OR ‘degraded fen restoration’ OR ‘drained fen reclamation’). “The outcome sought to provide relevant information in RDP research, such as (i) publication trends, (ii) research outlets, (iii) most influential keywords, (iv) most influential institutions and authors, and (v) top influential countries active in RDP research. In addition, four clusters were identified to ascertain the central theme of RDP research, in which cluster one is linked to the central research theme-“ impact of drainage on peatland ecosystem services; cluster two focused on the impact of peatland restoration on greenhouse gas emissions; cluster three is associated with peatland restoration and biogeochemical properties; and cluster four is related to peatland restoration and species richness. A new research hotspot, such as soil respiration, was identified via the keywords with the strongest citation bursts. This study will provide various stakeholders (e.g., industry, journal editors, policymakers, and researchers) with an instinctive understanding of the research status and the development frontier of RDP research.
Root system-rhizosphere soil-bulk soil interactions in different Chinese fir clones based on fungi community diversity change
Authors: Cao Yue , Li Nana , Lin Jingquan , Zhang Yun , Ma Xiangqing , Wu Pengfei
Published: October 2022

The diversity of the rhizosphere arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community is a crucial factor affecting root-soil interaction. They can absorb carbohydrates from the host body and return the nutrient elements from the soil to the host. Using 15 Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata Lamb. Hook.) clones, the AMF richness, abundance and community structure in “Root system-Rhizosphere soil-Bulk soil” were obtained by Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Illumina Miseq sequencing techniques. The results showed that under the same Chinese fir clone, the total amount of AMF was in the order of rhizosphere soil > root system > bulk soil. The species diversity and uniqueness of AMF were in the order of root system > rhizosphere soil > bulk soil. There was a significant correlation between soil-available phosphorus and AMF diversity and its dominant genera and species. Regarding AMF abundance, Chinese fir clone S18 is the highest, followed by clones Y061 and P17. There was a significant difference in AMF richness among different clones, and Glomus was the dominant genus of AMF. The AMF species diversity of P17 and S2 in roots and rhizosphere soil was high, indicating a good symbiosis between roots and the AMF community. However, the AMF diversity of clones P11 and P41 was low, and the variation of AMF community composition in the group was small. The root-soil interaction caused the AMF community to gather in the rhizosphere but had less symbiosis present with roots. Still, the AMF diversity of the rhizosphere soil of both clones was high. There was a significant correlation between the soil-available phosphorus content and the species diversity of AMF and its dominant genera and species. In conclusion, Clone P17 has high AMF richness and abundance and forms a good symbiosis with AMF, which could be a nutrient-efficient clone of Chinese fir.
CircRNA-regulated immune responses of asian honey bee workers to microsporidian infection
Authors: Zhu Zhiwei , Wang Jie , Fan Xiaoxue , Long Qi , Chen Huazhi , Ye Yaping , Zhang Kaiyao , Ren Zhongmin , Zhang Yang , Niu Qingsheng , Chen Dafu , Guo Rui
Published: October 2022

Nosema ceranae is a widespread fungal parasite for honey bees, causing bee nosemosis. Based on deep sequencing and bioinformatics, identification of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in Apis cerana workers’ midguts and circRNA-regulated immune response of host to N. ceranae invasion were conducted in this current work, followed by molecular verification of back-splicing sites and expression trends of circRNAs. Here, 10185 and 7405 circRNAs were identified in the midguts of workers at 7 days (AcT1) and 10 days (AcT2) post inoculation days post-inoculation with N. ceranae. PCR amplification result verified the back-splicing sites within three specific circRNAs (novel_circ_005123, novel_circ_007177, and novel_circ_015140) expressed in N. ceranae-inoculated midgut. In combination with transcriptome data from corresponding un-inoculated midguts (AcCK1 and AcCK2), 2266 circRNAs were found to be shared by the aforementioned four groups, whereas the numbers of specific ones were 2618, 1917, 5691, and 3723 respectively. Further, 83 52) differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) were identified in AcCK1 vs. AcT1 (AcCK2 vs. AcT2) comparison group. Source genes of DEcircRNAs in workers’ midgut at seven dpi were involved in two cellular immune-related pathways such as endocytosis and ubiquitin mediated proteolysis. Additionally, competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network analysis showed that 23 13) DEcircRNAs in AcCK1 vs. AcT1 (AcCK2 vs. AcT2) comparison group could target 18 14) miRNAs and further link to 1111 (1093) mRNAs. These target mRNAs were annotated to six cellular immunity pathways including endocytosis, lysosome, phagosome, ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, and insect hormone biosynthesis. Moreover, 284 164) internal ribosome entry site and 54 26) ORFs were identified from DEcircRNAs in AcCK1 vs. AcT1 (AcCK2 vs. AcT2) comparison group; additionally, ORFs in DEcircRNAs in midgut at seven dpi with N. ceranae were associated with several cellular immune pathways including endocytosis and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. Ultimately, RT-qPCR results showed that the expression trends of six DEcircRNAs were consistent with those in transcriptome data. These results demonstrated that N. ceranae altered the expression pattern of circRNAs in A. c. cerana workers’ midguts, and DEcircRNAs were likely to regulate host cellular and humoral immune response to microsporidian infection. Our findings lay a foundation for clarifying the mechanism underlying host immune response to N. ceranae infection and provide a new insight into interaction between Asian honey bee and microsporidian.
Ferroptosis regulator FANCD2 is associated with immune infiltration and predicts worse prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Ye Chenyang , Lu Yier , Yuan Zhijun , Mi Mi , Qi Lina , Yuan Ying , Weng Shanshan
Published: October 2022

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related death. Although immunotherapy has been shown to improve survival in LUAD patients, only a select group of LUAD patients could benefit from it. The correlation between ferroptosis and the tumor immune environment requires further investigation in the setting of LUAD. An analysis using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-LUAD cohort systematically evaluated the expression levels of ferroptosis regulators between LUAD and normal tissues and demonstrated the correlation of ferroptosis regulators with the immune checkpoint B7-H3 expression. Based on consensus clustering analysis, we divided LUAD patients into two subtypes according to the expression pattern of ferroptosis regulators. Cluster 2 patients showed more favorable overall survival (OS) (p < 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (p < 0.001) than Cluster 1 patients. CIBERSORT analysis indicated that Cluster 1 patients harbored higher infiltrated levels of uncharacterized cells, CD4+ T cells (nonregulatory), and myeloid dendritic cells, while Cluster 2 patients were more correlated with B cells, M1 macrophages, natural killer cells (NK cells) and regulatory T cells (Tregs). More importantly, we identified FANCD2 as a potentially unfavorable prognostic factor that was overexpressed in LUAD and positively associated with the checkpoint molecule B7-H3 expression. In addition, higher FANCD2 expression was related to a higher tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) score, indicating lower responder rates to cancer immunotherapeutics. In summary, our study suggested a relationship between immune infiltration and ferroptosis and that FANCD2 is a potential biomarker for clinical outcomes and a therapeutic target for LUAD therapy concerning ferroptotic regulation. Our findings may help to advance personalized treatment and improve the prognosis of LUAD.
Association of insomnia and daytime sleepiness with low back pain: A bidirectional mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Shu Peng , Ji Lixian , Ping Zichuan , Sun Zhibo , Liu Wei
Published: October 2022

Purpose: Observational research has indicated the presence of a causal relationship between sleep disturbances and low back pain (LBP). However, the link may have been biased by confounding factors. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential causal association of insomnia and daytime sleepiness with LBP by using mendelian randomization (MR).

Methods: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics of insomnia were obtained from a large-scale GWAS meta-analysis (n = 1,331,010; individuals from UK Biobank and 23andMe) or UK Biobank alone (n = 453,379). The summary statistics of daytime sleepiness were from UK Biobank (n = 452,071) and LBP were provided by the FinnGen Release 6 (210,645 individuals with 16,356 LBP cases and 194,289 controls) or UK Biobank (5,423 cases versus 355,771 controls). Linkage disequilibrium score (LDSC) regression and bidirectional MR analysis was employed to estimate genetic correlation and causal relationship. In the MR analysis, the inverse variance weighted method (IVW) was utilized as the main analysis procedure, while MR-Egger, Weighted median and Robust adjusted profile score (RAPS) were utilized for supplementary analyses.

Results: LDSC analysis showed that LBP were significantly genetically correlated with insomnia (rg = 0.57, p = 2.26e-25) and daytime sleepiness (rg = 0.18, p = 0.001). The MR analysis revealed that genetically predicted insomnia was significantly associated with an increased risk of LBP (OR = 1.250, 95% CI: 1.186–1.318; p = 1.69e-16). However, the reverse causality was not confirmed. No evidence was identified supporting causality of daytime sleepiness and LBP.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates a putative causal link of insomnia on LBP and a null causal effect of LBP on insomnia. Furthermore, a causal link between daytime sleepiness and LBP were not reported. This finding may stimulate new strategies for patient management in clinical practice, benefiting public health.
Genome-wide SNP analysis of Plasmodium falciparum shows differentiation at drug-resistance-associated loci among malaria transmission settings in southern Mali
Authors: Coulibaly Aoua , Diop Mouhamadou Fadel , Kone Aminatou , Dara Antoine , Ouattara Amed , Mulder Nicola , Miotto Olivo , Diakite Mahamadou , Djimde Abdoulaye , Amambua-Ngwa Alfred
Published: October 2022

Plasmodium falciparum malaria cases in Africa represent over 90% of the global burden with Mali being amongst the 11 highest burden countries that account for 70% of this annual incidence. The persistence of P. falciparum despite massive global interventions is because of its genetic diversity that drives its ability to adapt to environmental changes, develop resistance to drugs, and evade the host immune system. Knowledge on P. falciparum genetic diversity across populations and intervention landscape is thus critical for the implementation of new strategies to eliminate malaria. This study assessed genetic variation with 12,177 high-quality SNPs from 830 Malian P. falciparum isolates collected between 2007 and 2017 from seven locations. The complexity of infections remained high, varied between sites, and showed a trend toward overall decreasing complexity over the decade. Though there was no significant substructure, allele frequencies varied geographically, partly driven by temporal variance in sampling, particularly for drug resistance and antigen loci. Thirty-two mutations in known drug resistance markers (pfcrt, pfdhps, pfdhfr, pfmdr1, pfmdr2, and pfk13) attained a frequency of at least 2% in the populations. SNPs within and around the major markers of resistance to quinolines (pfmdr1 and pfcrt) and antifolates (pfdhfr and pfdhps) varied temporally and geographically, with strong linkage disequilibrium and signatures of directional selection in the genome. These geo-temporal populations also differentiated at alleles in immune-related loci, including, protein E140, pfsurfin8, pfclag8, and pfceltos, as well as pftrap, which showed signatures of haplotype differentiation between populations. Several regions across the genomes, including five known drug resistance loci, showed signatures of differential positive selection. These results suggest that drugs and immune pressure are dominant selective forces against P. falciparum in Mali, but their effect on the parasite genome varies temporally and spatially. Interventions interacting with these genomic variants need to be routinely evaluated as malaria elimination strategies are implemented.