bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dietary sodium alters aldosterone's effect on renal sodium transporter expression and distal convoluted tubule remodelling
Authors: Mutchler Stephanie M. , Hasan Mahpara , Murphy Carolyn P. , Baty Catherine J. , Boyd‐Shiwarski Cary , Kirabo Annet , Kleyman Thomas R.
Published: January 2024

Aldosterone is responsible for maintaining volume and potassium homeostasis. Although high salt consumption should suppress aldosterone production, individuals with hyperaldosteronism lose this regulation, leading to a state of high aldosterone despite dietary sodium consumption. The present study examines the effects of elevated aldosterone, with or without high salt consumption, on the expression of key Na+ transporters and remodelling in the distal nephron. Epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) α‐subunit expression was increased with aldosterone regardless of Na+ intake. However, ENaC β‐ and γ‐subunits unexpectedly increased at both a transcript and protein level with aldosterone when high salt was present. Expression of total and phosphorylated Na+Cl− cotransporter (NCC) significantly increased with aldosterone, in association with decreased blood [K+], but the addition of high salt markedly attenuated the aldosterone‐dependent NCC increase, despite equally severe hypokalaemia. We hypothesized this was a result of differences in distal convoluted tubule length when salt was given with aldosterone. Imaging and measurement of the entire pNCC‐positive tubule revealed that aldosterone alone caused a shortening of this segment, although the tubule had a larger cross‐sectional diameter. This was not true when salt was given with aldosterone because the combination was associated with a lengthening of the tubule in addition to increased diameter, suggesting that differences in the pNCC‐positive area are not responsible for differences in NCC expression. Together, our results suggest the actions of aldosterone, and the subsequent changes related to hypokalaemia, are altered in the presence of high dietary Na+.

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Key points

Aldosterone regulates volume and potassium homeostasis through effects on transporters in the kidney; its production can be dysregulated, preventing its suppression by high dietary sodium intake.

Here, we examined how chronic high sodium consumption affects aldosterone's regulation of sodium transporters in the distal nephron.

Our results suggest that high sodium consumption with aldosterone is associated with increased expression of all three epithelial sodium channel subunits, rather than just the alpha subunit.

Aldosterone and its associated decrease in blood [K+] lead to an increased expression of Na‐Cl cotransporter (NCC); the addition of high sodium consumption with aldosterone partially attenuates this NCC expression, despite similarly low blood [K+].

Upstream kinase regulators and tubule remodelling do not explain these results.
Sacrificial Powder Pressure Control for Infiltration of Microscale Binder Jet Printed Metal Parts
Authors: Davis Henry D. , Harkness James G. , Kohls Isa M. , Jensen Brian D. , Vanfleet Richard , Crane Nathan B. , Davis Robert C.
Published: January 2024

High-temperature microfluidic devices (such as gas chromatography microcolumns) have traditionally been fabricated using photolithography, etching, and wafer bonding which allow for precise microscale features but lack the ability to form complex 3D designs. Metal additive manufacturing could enable higher complexity microfluidic designs if reliable methods for fabrication are developed, but forming small negative features is challenging—especially in powder-based processes. In this paper, the formation of sealed metal microchannels was demonstrated using stainless-steel binder jetting with bronze infiltration. To create small negative features, bronze infiltrant must fill the porous part produced by binder jetting without filling the negative features. This was achieved through sacrificial powder infiltration (SPI), wherein sacrificial powder reservoirs (pore size ∼60 µm) are used to control infiltrant pressure. With this pressure control, the infiltrant selectively filled the small pores between particles in the printed part (pore size ∼3 µm) while leaving printed microchannels (700 µm and 930 µm) empty. To develop the SPI method, a pore filling study was performed in this stainless-steel/bronze system with 370 µm, 650 µm, and 930 µm microchannel segments. This study enabled SPI process design on these length scales by determining variations in pore filling across a sample and preferential filling between different sized pores.
Data-Driven Global Sensitivity Analysis of Variable Groups for Understanding Complex Physical Interactions in Engineering Design
Authors: Dolar Tuba , Lee Doksoo , Chen Wei
Published: January 2024

In engineering design, global sensitivity analysis (GSA) is used for analyzing the effects of inputs on the system response and is commonly studied with analytical or surrogate models. However, such models fail to capture nonlinear behaviors in complex systems and involve several modeling assumptions. Besides model-focused methods, a data-driven GSA approach, rooted in interpretable machine learning, would also identify the relationships between system components. Moreover, a special need in engineering design extends beyond performing GSA for input variables individually, but instead evaluating the contributions of variable groups on the system response. In this article, we introduce a flexible, interpretable artificial neural network model to uncover individual as well as grouped global sensitivity indices for understanding complex physical interactions in engineering design problems. The proposed model allows the investigation of the main effects and second-order effects in GSA according to functional analysis of variance (FANOVA) decomposition. To draw a higher-level understanding, we further use the subset decomposition method to analyze the significance of the groups of input variables. Using the design of a programmable material system (PMS) as an example, we demonstrate the use of our approach for examining the impact of material, architecture, and stimulus variables as well as their interactions. This information lays the foundation for managing design space complexity, summarizing the relationships between system components, and deriving design guidelines for PMS development.
Development of a Novel Tendon-Sheath-Driven Upper Limb Exoskeleton With Elastic Joints for Assisting Surgeon-Performing Microlaryngoscopic Surgery
Authors: Wang Zhengyu , Song Wenjun , Bian Wenjie , Li Ziqian , Jia Zirui , Yu Xiang
Published: January 2024

When performing microlaryngoscopic surgery, surgeons must maintain their arm positions for a long time, which can cause arm soreness and affect the success rate of surgery. In this study, a novel tendon-sheath-driven upper limb exoskeleton with elastic joints (TULEE) is proposed and developed to support the arms of doctors wearing the TULEE. The functional requirements of the TULEE were proposed according to the needs of microlaryngoscopic surgery, and the overall structure of the TULEE was designed. Then, the positive kinematics of the TULEE were derived based on the D–H transformation matrices, and the accuracy of the positive kinematic control was verified experimentally. The reachable workspace of the wrist joint of the TULEE was analyzed, and the dexterous workspace of the wrist was analyzed by using the condition number of the Jacobian matrix. The control strategy of the TULEE was proposed based on the principle of admittance control. Finally, an experimental prototype of the TULEE was built, and the feasibility of the control strategy was verified by a servo control experiment testing a single joint and a combined control experiment testing multiple joints. Through simulated surgical experiments, it was verified that TULEE can follow the wearer's arm movement, provide assistance for the wearer's arm movement in the following control mode, and lock the joint rotation angle in the steady-state control mode to reduce external disturbances and reduce the risk of unsuccessful surgery.
Associations Between Intersecting Sociodemographic Characteristics and Device-Measured Physical Activity Among Children and Adolescents Living in the United States
Authors: Brown Denver M.Y. , Summerville Bryce , Fairclough Stuart J. , Mielke Gregore I. , Tyler Richard
Published: January 2024

Background: Despite robust evidence demonstrating sociodemographic characteristics may underly some of the disparities in physical activity observed among children and adolescents, the often-overlooked nexus of potential interactions between these characteristics warrants further exploration. This study explored the intersectionality of gender, race/ethnicity, parental education, and household income in relation to device-measured physical activity volume and intensity in a nationally representative sample of US children and adolescents. Methods: Cross-sectional data from 3 cycles of the US National Health and Nutrition Survey (2011–2012; 2012 National Youth Fitness Survey; and 2013–2014) were used. A total of 6116 participants (49% female) between 3 and 17 years of age wore an accelerometer on their nondominant wrist for 7 days. Monitor-independent movement summary units were used to represent physical activity volume and intensity. A Social Jeopardy Index was created to represent increasing levels of intersecting social disadvantages based on combinations of gender, race/ethnicity, parental education, and household income-to-poverty ratio tertiles. Generalized linear regression models were computed. Results: The results showed social disadvantages become increasingly evident among children and adolescents during the most intense 60 minutes of daily physical activity (B = −48.69 [9.94] SE, P < .001), but disparities in total volume were not observed (B = 34.01 [44.96] SE, P = .45). Conclusions: Findings suggest that patterns of physical activity behavior may differ based on intersecting sociodemographic characteristics—more socially disadvantaged children and adolescents appear to accumulate activity at lighter intensities. Collecting contextual information about device-measured physical activity represents an important next step for gaining insight into these sociodemographic differences.
Encouraging a Unified Framework for Understanding Socialization Into Higher Education
Authors: Richards Kevin Andrew , Kinder Christopher J.
Published: January 2024

Over the past few decades, scholars have directed increasing attention toward the socialization of physical education faculty members’ recruitment, preparation, and ongoing socialization. Parallel research trajectories have, however, resulted in varied approaches to conceptualizing and labeling the phases or types of socialization experienced by this occupational group. With the view of academic journals as spaces for discourse surrounding divergent approaches to conceptualizing and conducting research, the purpose of this research note was to overview two contrasting conceptualizations of physical education teacher education faculty socialization and propose a unified approach for moving forward in future research. Differing perspectives are reviewed, and an updated conceptual framework for understanding socialization into and through academic roles is proposed. We argue that this model better captures the diversity in and provides flexibility for the backgrounds that draw individuals into careers in higher education and their experiences once serving among the faculty in academia.
Time-resolved chemical monitoring of whole plant roots with printed electrochemical sensors and machine learning
Authors: Coatsworth Philip , Cotur Yasin , Naik Atharv , Asfour Tarek , Collins Alex Silva-Pinto , Olenik Selin , Zhou Zihao , Gonzalez-Macia Laura , Chao Dai-Yin , Bozkurt Tolga , Güder Firat
Published: January 2024

Traditional single-point measurements fail to capture dynamic chemical responses of plants, which are complex, nonequilibrium biological systems. We report TETRIS (
t
ime-resolved
e
lectrochemical
t
echnology for plant
r
oot environment
i
n
s
itu chemical sensing), a real-time chemical phenotyping system for continuously monitoring chemical signals in the often-neglected plant root environment. TETRIS consisted of low-cost, highly scalable screen-printed electrochemical sensors for monitoring concentrations of salt, pH, and H
2
O
2
in the root environment of whole plants, where multiplexing allowed for parallel sensing operation. TETRIS was used to measure ion uptake in tomato, kale, and rice and detected differences between nutrient and heavy metal ion uptake. Modulation of ion uptake with ion channel blocker LaCl
3
was monitored by TETRIS and machine learning used to predict ion uptake. TETRIS has the potential to overcome the urgent “bottleneck” in high-throughput screening in producing high-yielding plant varieties with improved resistance against stress.
Differential interferon responses to influenza A and B viruses in primary ferret respiratory epithelial cells
Authors: Rowe Thomas , Davis William , Wentworth David E. , Ross Ted
Published: January 2024

Influenza B viruses (IBV) cocirculate with influenza A viruses (IAV) and cause periodic epidemics of disease, yet antibody and cellular responses following IBV infection are less well understood. Using the ferret model for antisera generation for influenza surveillance purposes, IAV resulted in robust antibody responses following infection, whereas IBV required an additional booster dose, over 85% of the time, to generate equivalent antibody titers. In this study, we utilized primary differentiated ferret nasal epithelial cells (FNECs) which were inoculated with IAV and IBV to study differences in innate immune responses which may result in differences in adaptive immune responses in the host. FNECs were inoculated with IAV (H1N1pdm09 and H3N2 subtypes) or IBV (B/Victoria and B/Yamagata lineages) and assessed for 72 h. Cells were analyzed for gene expression by quantitative real-time PCR, and apical and basolateral supernatants were assessed for virus kinetics and interferon (IFN), respectively. Similar virus kinetics were observed with IAV and IBV in FNECs. A comparison of gene expression and protein secretion profiles demonstrated that IBV-inoculated FNEC expressed delayed type-I/II IFN responses and reduced type-III IFN secretion compared to IAV-inoculated cells. Concurrently, gene expression of Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (
TSLP
), a type-III IFN-induced gene that enhances adaptive immune responses, was significantly downregulated in IBV-inoculated FNECs. Significant differences in other proinflammatory and adaptive genes were suppressed and delayed following IBV inoculation. Following IBV infection,
ex vivo
cell cultures derived from the ferret upper respiratory tract exhibited reduced and delayed innate responses which may contribute to reduced antibody responses
in vivo
.

IMPORTANCE

Influenza B viruses (IBV) represent nearly one-quarter of all human influenza cases and are responsible for significant clinical and socioeconomic impacts but do not pose the same pandemic risks as influenza A viruses (IAV) and have thus received much less attention. IBV accounts for greater severity and deaths in children, and vaccine efficacy remains low. The ferret can be readily infected with human clinical isolates and demonstrates a similar course of disease and immune responses. IBV, however, generates lower antibodies in ferrets than IAV following the challenge. To determine whether differences in initial innate responses following infection may affect the development of robust adaptive immune responses, ferret respiratory tract cells were isolated, infected with IAV/IBV, and compared. Understanding the differences in the initial innate immune responses to IAV and IBV may be important in the development of more effective vaccines and interventions to generate more robust protective immune responses.
A prospective study of nanopore-targeted sequencing in the diagnosis of central nervous system infections
Authors: Fu Yu , Gu Jihong , Chen Liang-Jun , Xiong Mengyuan , Zhao Jin , Xiao Xiao , Zhou Junying , Li Zhiqiang , Li Yirong
Published: January 2024

Central nervous system (CNS) infections are a leading cause of death in patients. Nanopore-targeted sequencing (NTS) has begun to be used for pathogenic microbial detection. This study aims to evaluate the ability of NTS in the detection of pathogens in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through a prospective study. Fifty CSF specimens collected from 50 patients with suspected CNS infections went through three methods including NTS, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), and microbial culture in parallel. When there was an inconsistency between NTS results and the results of the mNGS, the 16S rDNA gene was amplified followed by Sanger sequencing to further verify pathogens detected by NTS. Among 50 CSF specimens, 76% were NTS-positive, which is lower than mNGS (94.0%), yet higher than microbial culture (16.0%). The overall validation rate, diagnostic accordance rate (DAR), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of NTS were 86.7%, 50.0%, 71.0%, 15.8%, 57.9%, and 25.0%, respectively. In the CSF total nucleated cell (TNC) number ≤10 cells/µL, DAR, specificity, and PPV were 20%, 11.1%, and 11.1%, whereas in that with CSF TNC number >10 cells/µL, DAR, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 57.5%, 70.0%, 20.0%, 72.4%, and 18.2%, respectively. Although NTS has a higher microbial detection rate than microbial culture, it should combine CSF TNC result to evaluate the value of NTS for the diagnosis of CNS infections.

IMPORTANCE

This study aims to prospectively evaluate the ability of nanopore-targeted sequencing (NTS) in the detection of pathogens in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). It was the first time combining mNGS and microbial culture to verify the NTS-positive results also using 16S rDNA amplification with Sanger sequencing. Although microbial culture was thought to be the gold standard for pathogens detection and diagnosis of infectious diseases, this study suggested that microbial culture of CSF is not the most appropriate way for diagnosing central nervous system (CNS) infection. NTS should be recommended to be used in CSF for diagnosing CNS infection. When evaluating the value of NTS for diagnosis of CNS infections, the results of CSF TNC should be combined, and NTS-positive result is observed to be more reliable in patients with CSF TNC level >10 cells/μL.
Survival outcomes for congenital heart disease from Southern Malaysia: results from a congenital heart disease registry
Authors: Mat Bah Mohd Nizam , Kasim Aina Salwa , Sapian Mohd Hanafi , Alias Emieliyuza Yusnita
Published: January 2024

Objective

Limited population-based studies are available on the survival of congenital heart disease (CHD) from lower- and middle-income countries. Therefore, we evaluated the survival from birth until 15 years and associated factors for mortality.

Methods

This population-based cohort study included all children with CHD registered in the Pediatric Cardiology Clinical Information System born between 2006 and 2020 in Johor, Malaysia. The mortality rate was calculated, and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with mortality. The Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate the survival rates at 1, 5, 10 and 15 years.

Results

There were 5728 patients with CHD studied, with 1543 (27%) lesions resolved spontaneously, 322 (5.6%) were treated with comfort care, 1189 (21%) required no intervention, and 2674 (47%) needed surgery or intervention. The overall mortality rate was 15%, with a median age of death of 3.7 months (IQR 0.9–9.8 months). Preoperative/intervention death was observed in 300 (11%), and 68 (3.2%) children died within 30 days of surgery or intervention. The overall estimated survival at 1, 5, 10 and 15 years was 88%, 85%, 84% and 83%, respectively. The independent factors associated with mortality were male gender, associated syndrome or extra-cardiac defect, pulmonary hypertension, antenatal diagnosis and severe lesions.

Conclusions

Eight out of 10 patients with CHDs survived up to 15 years of age. However, 10% of CHDs who require intervention die before the procedure. Thus, improving congenital cardiac surgery and enhancing the overall healthcare system are crucial to improve survival.
Atypical Wernicke’s encephalopathy without mental status changes following bariatric surgery in an adolescent patient
Authors: Akbar Asra , Lowther Jason , Creeden Sean , Frese William
Published: January 2024

Morbid obesity is a systemic disease which can result in chronic complications, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, depression, osteoarthritis and low self-esteem in the adolescent population.

Bariatric surgery can be indicated to treat more severe forms of obesity, but these procedures are not without long-term risks. Therefore, adequate preoperative and postoperative care, which includes preoperative psychosocial evaluation for compliance, ongoing nutrition counselling and vitamin and micronutrient supplementation, is required for all patients, especially adolescent patients, who generally may not comply with medical therapies and/or be able to developmentally fully appreciate or comprehend the health consequences of their behaviours, prior to as well as after bariatric surgery to prevent complications.

Thiamine pyrophosphate, an active form of thiamine (also known as vitamin B1, a water-soluble vitamin), which functions as a coenzyme in glucose and energy metabolism, is one such vitamin that requires supplementation postoperatively. It is mandatory for glucose to be administered concomitantly with thiamine, as glucose alone can precipitate Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) in thiamine-deficient individuals. WE is a medical emergency, with a mortality rate of up to 20%. WE is best understood as a classic triad of mental confusion, gait ataxia and eye movement abnormalities, and atypical WE or Wernicke’s syndrome (WS) is seen when the classic triad is not present. Cases that meet some, but do not necessarily meet all three criteria, are referred to as atypical WE or WS which can lead to delayed diagnosis. Atypical WE has an incidence of 19% which can lead to misdiagnosis of a preventable medical emergency with fatal complications.

The following case reviews the consequences of post-bariatric thiamine supplementation therapy non-adherence and resulting in a deficiency in an adolescent patient.
Fahr’s disease in a patient with recurrent pneumonias, parkinsonism and dementia
Authors: Pinto Christopher Jude , Agrawal Harshita , Schmidt Holly , Tumah Layth
Published: January 2024

Fahr’s disease is a rare condition characterised by the presence of idiopathic familial bilateral basal ganglia calcifications, transmitted in an autosomal-dominant fashion. Diagnosis is based on clinical features of neuropsychiatric and somatic symptoms in conjunction with radiological findings. Our patient, a man in his early 50s, presented with pneumonia. History was significant for five admissions in the last 2 years for pneumonia and falls, with gradual cognitive and motor decline since his late 30s. Hypophonia, bradykinesia and dementia were noted on examination. CT of the brain revealed bilateral thalamic calcinosis, consistent with Fahr’s syndrome. Further investigations and retrospective history taking, and similar radiological findings within first-degree and second-degree relatives with early deaths, transitioned the diagnosis from Fahr’s syndrome to Fahr’s disease. We present this case of Fahr’s disease to emphasise the value of collaboration among multidisciplinary professionals to improve quality of care for such patients.
BTB domain mutations perturbing KCTD15 oligomerisation cause a distinctive frontonasal dysplasia syndrome
Authors: Miller Kerry A , Cruz Walma David A , Pinkas Daniel M , Tooze Rebecca S , Bufton Joshua C , Richardson William , Manning Charlotte E , Hunt Alice E , Cros Julien , Hartill Verity , Parker Michael J , McGowan Simon J , Twigg Stephen R F , Chalk Rod , Staunton David , Johnson David , Wilkie Andrew O M , Bullock Alex N
Published: January 2024

Introduction

KCTD15encodes an oligomeric BTB domain protein reported to inhibit neural crest formation through repression of Wnt/beta-catenin signalling, as well as transactivation by TFAP2. Heterozygous missense variants in the closely related paralogue KCTD1 cause scalp-ear-nipple syndrome.

Methods

Exome sequencing was performed on a two-generation family affected by a distinctive phenotype comprising a lipomatous frontonasal malformation, anosmia, cutis aplasia of the scalp and/or sparse hair, and congenital heart disease. Identification of a de novo missense substitution withinKCTD15led to targeted sequencing of DNA from a similarly affected sporadic patient, revealing a different missense mutation. Structural and biophysical analyses were performed to assess the effects of both amino acid substitutions on the KCTD15 protein.

Results

A heterozygous c.310G>C variant encoding p.(Asp104His) within the BTB domain ofKCTD15was identified in an affected father and daughter and segregated with the phenotype. In the sporadically affected patient, a de novo heterozygous c.263G>A variant encoding p.(Gly88Asp) was present in KCTD15. Both substitutions were found to perturb the pentameric assembly of the BTB domain. A crystal structure of the BTB domain variant p.(Gly88Asp) revealed a closed hexameric assembly, whereas biophysical analyses showed that the p.(Asp104His) substitution resulted in a monomeric BTB domain likely to be partially unfolded at physiological temperatures.

Conclusion

BTB domain substitutions in KCTD1 and KCTD15 cause clinically overlapping phenotypes involving craniofacial abnormalities and cutis aplasia. The structural analyses demonstrate that missense substitutions act through a dominant negative mechanism by disrupting the higher order structure of the KCTD15 protein complex.
Risk stratification of delayed causative aneurysm detection and long-term outcome in angiographically negative spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage
Authors: Wang Jie , Meng Jian-Feng , Wang Shuo , Zhao Ji-Zong , Cao Yong
Published: January 2024

Background

The risk factors of aetiology and poor outcome in angiographically negative subarachnoid haemorrhage (anSAH) were unclearly.

Methods

The authors performed a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database for anSAH patients between 2014 and 2018. AnSAH was defined as SAH presents in CT with no underlying vascular abnormality on initial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) within 72 hours of admission. Baseline and follow-up information, including medical history, bleeding pattern (perimesencephalic angiogram-negative SAH (PAN-SAH) and non-PAN-negative SAH (NPAN-SAH)), modified Fisher Scale (mFS), Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), Hunt-Hess grade, repeated imaging and causative vascular lesions and follow-up modified Rankin Scale (mRS) were reviewed. Poor outcome was defined as mRS scored 3–6 at last clinical follow-up.

Results

Among 303 enrolled patients, 272 patients underwent at least once repeated imaging examination (median follow-up time, 3.0 months). Twenty-one (7.7%) aneurysms were detected. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that NPAN-SAH and mFS 3–4 were associated with a high rate of aneurysm detection in anSAH patients. Based on risk stratification, the aneurysm detection rate in the high-risk group (both NPAN-SAH and mFS 3–4) was as high as 20.370 per 100 person-years. Furthermore, of 251 non-aneurysm anSAH patients, after a total follow-up time of 1265.83 patient-years, poor outcome occurred in 18 (7.2%) patients. Multivariate Cox analysis found that NPAN-SAH and GCS 3–12 were associated with a high rate of poor outcome of anSAH. The cumulative 5-year incidence rate for poor outcome in the non-aneurysm anSAH patients in the high-risk group (both NPAN-SAH and GCS 3–12) was as high as 75.302 per 100 person-years.

Conclusions

Even in anSAH confirmed by initial DSA, patients with NPAN-SAH and mFS 3–4 should be monitored for delayed causative aneurysm detection, meanwhile in non-aneurysm anSAH patients, NPAN-SAH and initial functional impairment are associated with poor prognosis.
Anisotropic power-law inflation for models of non-canonical scalar fields non-minimally coupled to a two-form field
Authors: Pham Tuyen M. , Nguyen Duy H. , Do Tuan Q. , Kao W. F.
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we investigate the validity of the so-called cosmic no-hair conjecture in the framework of anisotropic inflation models of non-canonical scalar fields non-minimally coupled to a two-form field. In particular, we focus on two typical k-inflation and Dirac–Born–Infeld inflation models, in which we find a set of exact anisotropic power-law inflationary solutions. Interestingly, these solutions are shown to be stable and attractive during an inflationary phase using the dynamical system analysis. The obtained results indicate that the non-minimal coupling between the scalar and two-form fields acts as a non-trivial source of generating stable spatial anisotropies during the inflationary phase and therefore violates the prediction of the cosmic no-hair conjecture, even when the scalar field is of non-canonical forms. In connection with the Planck 2018 data, tensor-to-scalar ratios of these anisotropic solutions are investigated. As a result, it appears that the tensor-to-scalar ratio of the anisotropic power-law inflationary solution of k-inflation model turns out to be more highly consistent with the Planck 2018 data than that of Dirac-Born-Infeld model.
Cucurbitacin B Inhibits the Malignancy of Esophageal Carcinoma through the KIF20A/JAK/STAT3 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Liu Chao , Ji Jian , Li Chenglin
Published: January 2024

This study intends to explore the effects of Cucurbitacin B (CuB) and KIF20A on esophageal carcinoma (ESCA). Data were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The expression properties of KIF20A have been confirmed by GEPIA and ualcan from TCGA. The expression of KIF20A was determined using western blotting in ECA109 and KYSE150 cells after transfection with KIF20A, KIF20A siRNA, or numerical control siRNA (si-NC). Then, different concentrations of CuB were used to treat ECA109 and KYSE150 cells. CCK-8 and colony formation assays were used to measure cell viability, and a Transwell assay was utilized to assess cell migration and invasion ability. N-cadherin, E-cadherin, snail, p-Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), JAK2, p-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and STAT3 expression levels were evaluated using western blot. KIF20A was higher expressed in ESCA than in normal cells, and its overexpression was associated with squamous cell carcinoma, TNM stage, and lymph nodal metastasis of ESCA patients. In ECA109 and KYSE150 cells, increased KIF20A facilitated cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas the knockdown of KIF20A can reverse these effects with N-cadherin. Snail expression diminished and E-cadherin increased. Similarly, CuB treatment could inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion concentration dependently. Furthermore, KIF20A accelerated the expression of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3, while the application of CuB inhibited KIF20A expression and attenuated the activation of the JAK/STAT3 pathway. These findings revealed that CuB could inhibit the growth, migration, and invasion of ESCA through downregulating the KIF20A/JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway, and CuB could serve as an essential medicine for therapeutic intervention.
Non-Isolated High Gain Interleaved DC–DC Converter with Voltage Multiplier and Switched Capacitor for Renewable Energy Systems
Authors: Subbulakshmy R. , Palanisamy R.
Published: January 2024

A novel non-isolated high-gain DC–DC converter for green energy employment is presented and analyzed. The proposed converter comprises a switched capacitor cell, passive clamp circuit, coupled inductors, and voltage multiplier unit. An interleaved boost converter (IBC) is placed on the input side of the proposed design. The voltage multiplier unit (VMU) with the secondary windings of the coupled inductors is located on the load side. It is used to accomplish interleaved power storage. The leakage energy of coupled inductor is recirculated to the load side, and the reverse recovery problem of diodes is effectively suppressed. As a result, a low-on-state resistance power switch with a low voltage rating is employed and minimizing conduction losses. The presented topology is suitable for sustainable energy applications due to its low operating duty cycle, high voltage conversion ratio, and higher efficiency. The output voltage causes substantially low voltage stress on semiconductor switches and passive elements. This proposed paper deals with simulation, parameter selection, experimental design, results and discussion. The simulation is verified using MATLAB/Simulink with a DC voltage of 30–517[Formula: see text]V. To validate the design analysis, a 1.5-kW experimental prototype is designed with a switching frequency of 10[Formula: see text]kHz and attained an efficiency of 96.07%.
Macroscopic modeling of social crowds
Authors: Gibelli Livio , Knopoff Damián A. , Liao Jie , Yan Wenbin
Published: January 2024

Social behavior in crowds, such as herding or increased interpersonal spacing, is driven by the psychological states of pedestrians. Current macroscopic crowd models assume that these are static, limiting the ability of models to capture the complex interplay between evolving psychology and collective crowd dynamics that defines a “social crowd”. This paper introduces a novel approach by explicitly incorporating an “activity” variable into the modeling framework, which represents the evolving psychological states of pedestrians and is linked to crowd dynamics. To demonstrate the role of activity, we model pedestrian egress when this variable captures stress and awareness of contagion. In addition, to highlight the importance of dynamic changes in activity, we examine a scenario in which an unexpected incident necessitates alternative exits. These case studies demonstrate that activity plays a pivotal role in shaping crowd behavior. The proposed modeling approach thus opens avenues for more realistic macroscopic crowd descriptions with practical implications for crowd management.
Impact of palaeokarsts on the pinnacle reef reservoirs in the Sirt Basin, Libya
Authors: Asheibi Abdeladim M. , Shams Asghar
Published: January 2024

More than 20 pinnacle reefs have been discovered in the SE of the Ajdabiya Trough within Paleocene carbonate sediments, most of which are oil-bearing. However, detailed reservoir characterization and conditions governing oil fill-up in this reef have remained unresolved. The major faults provide paths for significant vertical movement of fluids at the edges of the Intisar reef reservoirs. At the same time, the ongoing karst solution collapse also creates vertical zones for fluid encroachment both outside of and within the productive area of the Intisar reef reservoirs. The seismic data show numerous karst-collapse features up to 300 m in diameter that developed shortly after the final drowning of the Intisar ‘B’ and ‘C’ reefs. These karst-collapse features may be the main contributing factor in the escape of hydrocarbons within these reefs, which could explain the high water cuts in the Intisar ‘B’ and ‘C’ reefs. However, the porosity of the southeastern part of the Intisar ‘A’ reef has been significantly improved by fracturing and dissolution, as faults associated with fractures are very common in this part of this reef.
Parallel Simulation of Quantum Networks with Distributed Quantum State Management
Authors: Wu Xiaoliang , Kolar Alexander , Chung Joaquin , Jin Dong , Suchara Martin , Kettimuthu Rajkumar
Published: January 2024

Quantum network simulators offer the opportunity to cost-efficiently investigate potential avenues for building networks that scale with the number of users, communication distance, and application demands by simulating alternative hardware designs and control protocols. Several quantum network simulators have been recently developed with these goals in mind. As the size of the simulated networks increases, however, sequential execution becomes time-consuming. Parallel execution presents a suitable method for scalable simulations of large-scale quantum networks, but the unique attributes of quantum information create unexpected challenges. In this work, we identify requirements for parallel simulation of quantum networks and develop the first parallel discrete-event quantum network simulator by modifying the existing serial simulator SeQUeNCe. Our contributions include the design and development of a quantum state manager (QSM) that maintains shared quantum information distributed across multiple processes. We also optimize our parallel code by minimizing the overhead of the QSM and decreasing the amount of synchronization needed among processes. Using these techniques, we observe a speedup of 2 to 25 times when simulating a 1,024-node linear network topology using 2 to 128 processes. We also observe an efficiency greater than 0.5 for up to 32 processes in a linear network topology of the same size and with the same workload. We repeat this evaluation with a randomized workload on a caveman network. We also introduce several methods for partitioning networks by mapping them to different parallel simulation processes. We have released the parallel SeQUeNCe simulator as an open source tool alongside the existing sequential version.
An Analysis on Matching Mechanisms and Token Pruning for Late-interaction Models
Authors: Liu Qi , Guo Gang , Mao Jiaxin , Dou Zhicheng , Wen Ji-Rong , Jiang Hao , Zhang Xinyu , Cao Zhao
Published: January 2024

With the development of pre-trained language models, the dense retrieval models have become promising alternatives to the traditional retrieval models that rely on exact match and sparse bag-of-words representations. Different from most dense retrieval models using a bi-encoder to encode each query or document into a dense vector, the recently proposed late-interaction multi-vector models (i.e., ColBERT and COIL) achieve state-of-the-art retrieval effectiveness by using all token embeddings to represent documents and queries and modeling their relevance with a sum-of-max operation. However, these fine-grained representations may cause unacceptable storage overhead for practical search systems. In this study, we systematically analyze the matching mechanism of these late-interaction models and show that the sum-of-max operation heavily relies on the co-occurrence signals and some important words in the document. Based on these findings, we then propose several simple document pruning methods to reduce the storage overhead and compare the effectiveness of different pruning methods on different late-interaction models. We also leverage query pruning methods to further reduce the retrieval latency. We conduct extensive experiments on both in-domain and out-domain datasets and show that some of the used pruning methods can significantly improve the efficiency of these late-interaction models without substantially hurting their retrieval effectiveness.
D
3
PBO:

D

ynamic

D

omain

D

ecomposition-based

P

arallel

B

ayesian

O

ptimization for Large-scale Analog Circuit Sizing
Authors: Zhao Aidong , Gu Tianchen , Bi Zhaori , Yang Fan , Yan Changhao , Zeng Xuan , Lin Zixiao , Hu Wenchuang , Zhou Dian
Published: January 2024

Bayesian optimization (BO) is an efficient global optimization method for expensive black-box functions, but the expansion for high-dimensional problems and large sample budgets still remains a severe challenge. In order to extend BO for large-scale analog circuit synthesis, a novel computationally efficient parallel BO method, D
3
PBO, is proposed for high-dimensional problems in this work. We introduce the dynamic domain decomposition method based on maximum variance between clusters. The search space is decomposed into subdomains progressively to limit the maximal number of observations in each domain. The promising domain is explored by multi-trust region-based batch BO with the local Gaussian process (GP) model. As the domain decomposition progresses, the basin-shaped domain is identified using a GP-assisted quadratic regression method and exploited by the local search method BOBYQA to achieve a faster convergence rate. The time complexity of D
3
PBO is constant for each iteration. Experiments demonstrate that D
3
PBO obtains better results with significantly less runtime consumption compared to state-of-the-art methods. For the circuit optimization experiments, D
3
PBO achieves up to 10× runtime speedup compared to TuRBO with better solutions.
Immersive Multimedia Service Caching in Edge Cloud with Renewable Energy
Authors: Hossain M. Shamim , Hao Yixue , Hu Long , Liu Jia , Wei Gang , Min Chen
Published: January 2024

Immersive service caching, based on the intelligent edge cloud, can meet delay-sensitive service requirements. Although numerous service caching solutions for edge clouds have been designed, they have not been well explored. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, there is no work to consider the immersive service caching scheme under the supply of renewable energy. In this article, we investigate the service caching problem under the renewable energy supply to minimize service latency while making full use of renewable energy. Specifically, we formulate the service caching and renewable energy harvesting problem, which considers the dynamic renewable energy, unknown service requests, and limited capacity of the edge cloud. To solve this problem, we propose an effective algorithm, called OSCRE. Our algorithm first uses Lyapunov optimization to convert the time-average problem into time-independence optimization and thus realizes optimal renewable energy harvesting. Then, it realizes the service caching scheme using data-driven combinatorial multi-armed bandit learning. The simulation results show that the OSCRE scheme can save service latency while making sufficient use of renewable energy.
Degradation Behavior Analysis of Iron-Based Commercial Lithium-Ion Cells Using High-Precision Charge/Discharge Capacity Measurements: Effect of the C-Rate on the Capacity Trend
Authors: Yamazaki Atsuko , Miyashiro Hajime
Published: January 2024

Methods to evaluate the lifetime and performance characteristics of lithium-ion batteries in a short period are becoming increasingly important. In particular, previous studies have revealed that battery capacity measurements based on high-precision measurements of charge/discharge current can be useful analysis tools for estimating not only the lifetime of long-life batteries, but also the battery behavior and state at a certain point. Precise coulomb measurements were performed on a commercially available Fe-based lithium-ion cell (rated capacity of 3 Ah), which is expected to have a long life and suitable for evaluation by this measurement, by changing the C-rate and rest time. The coulombic efficiency, coulombic loss, and discharge capacity loss were calculated and quantitatively compared. The reversible loss was also estimated in this battery system. A highly accurate proportional relationship was found between the coulombic loss and the discharge capacity loss, that is, the amount of capacity degradation. This means that the discharge capacity loss could be estimated from the coulombic loss regardless of the test conditions. It was also observed that degradation and the reversible loss, which are different phenomena, always exist in equal proportions even if the test conditions change. Furthermore, tests normalized by the cycling test time were also carried out. The results of a detailed study of the discharge capacity loss indicate that the degradation during cycle operation could be separated into cycle-dependent and cycle-independent degradation by the analysis method we constructed.
A Real-Time Measurement Model of Attention-Allocation Level and Its Application in Simulated SPO Task
Authors: Wang Lei , Zhang Zhiyang , Tan Wei , Yang Zhongchang
Published: January 2024

Most human-caused flight accidents can be attributed to a pilot’s attention deficit and monitoring errors. Accordingly, pilots’ attention allocation is strongly related to their task performance. This study is aimed at analyzing pilots’ fixation characteristics and attention-allocation levels. First, we proposed a model for measuring attention-allocation level based on the salience, effort, expectancy, and value (SEEV) model. Second, a low-fidelity single-pilot operation (SPO) cockpit environment was constructed, and 20 pilots were recruited for an experiment to compare their fixation characteristics between SPO and double-pilot operation (DPO) scenarios. The results showed slight differences in the attention levels allocated by SPO and DPO pilots under a scenario of one-engine failure. It concluded that Human-centered flight deck design can enhance a pilot’s attention allocation level. These findings can be used to optimize future flight deck designing and flight training for improving pilot’s task performance.
A Review of Gingival Recession and the Surgical Managements According to Their Classification and Etiologic Backgrounds: A Clinical Case Study
Authors: Khursheed Dler Ali , Zardawi Faraedon Mostafa , Arf Awder Nuree
Published: January 2024

Mucogingival deformities are a group of defects that occur around the cervical area of the teeth. Gingival recession is the most common type of these deformities. It might happen separately or with other related deformities like thin gingival biotypes, shallow vestibule, high frenal attachment, and cervical dental steps. Recent classification of mucogingival deformity matrix has collectively grouped gingival recession types with other mucogingival deformities and dental steps to establish the proper diagnosis and evaluate surgical/restorative management and prognosis of the treatment outcomes. The following case presentations have presented with a technical review, clinical evaluation, and surgical and/or restorative treatment according to the recent matrix.
First Report and Genetic Characterization of Border Disease Virus in Sheep from Hulunbuir, Northeastern China
Authors: Yuan Yongxu , Li Liang , Liu Ziyan , Yang Xing , Wang Wei , Xu Wenbo , Liu Ning , Sui Liyan , Zhao Yinghua , Liu Quan , Wang Zedong
Published: January 2024

Border disease virus (BDV), a member of the Pestivirus genus within the Flaviviridae family, is known to inflict significant economic losses on livestock farms due to its association with reproductive disorders and persistent infections in sheep and goats. However, comprehensive epidemiological investigations of BDV in China are scarce. This study examined BDV infection in sheep from Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, northeastern China, utilizing metagenomic sequencing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Among the 96 serum samples analyzed, only one tested positive for BDV nucleotide sequence, yielding a prevalence rate of 1.0%. A total of 11,985 nt long genome sequences was amplified, which showed nucleotide identities ranging from 76.6% to 87.2% and amino acid identities ranging from 85.2% to 93.2% with other BDV strains worldwide. Phylogenetic analysis unequivocally placed the viral strain within genotype BDV‐3, showing a close genetic affinity with strain JSLS12‐01 identified in Jiangsu province, China. Furthermore, selection pressure analyses suggested that purifying selection predominantly influenced the evolutionary dynamics of BDV genomes. This study marks the inaugural detection of BDV in sheep within Inner Mongolia, northeastern China, thereby enhancing our understanding of the extensive genetic diversity and geographical distribution of BDV strains across the country. These findings hold relevance for the livestock industry and disease surveillance efforts, offering valuable insights into the prevalence and genetic characteristics of BDV in this region.