bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors driving national eco‐innovation: New routes to sustainable development
Authors: Chaparro‐Banegas Nuria , Mas‐Tur Alicia , Park Han Woo , Roig‐Tierno Norat
Published: March 2023

Each country has its own set of unique elements and institutions to foster innovation within its boundaries. This combination of elements and institutions is known as an innovation system. Innovation has been used to boost countries' growth and competitiveness for decades. However, it is a much questioned strategy because it may compromise the opportunities of future generations and thus sustainable development. Hence, academics and policymakers are now turning to eco‐innovation to create sustainability‐based innovation systems that improve not only a country's economic efficiency but also people's well‐being and quality of life. However, the uncertainty and complexity around eco‐innovation hinder the creation and implementation of eco‐innovation policies because of a failure to identify its drivers. The aim of this paper is to detect the national‐level factors that are necessary or sufficient for eco‐innovation in European countries. Fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is used for this purpose. The conditions in this analysis are governance, human capital capacity, research institutions, and public and private research and development (R&D) investment. The use of fsQCA to study eco‐innovation systems is methodologically unique. The findings suggest that research institutions, human capital capacity, and public R&D investment are valuable for eco‐innovation. Therefore, the findings of this study have implications for the design of policies aimed at creating businesses, enriching society, and boosting sustainable development through eco‐innovation. Such policies should focus on education, social awareness, stakeholder engagement, support from research institutions, and public R&D investment.
Multiple hypothesis screening using mixtures of non‐local distributions with applications to genomic studies
Authors: Denti Francesco , Peluso Stefano , Guindani Michele , Mira Antonietta
Published: March 2023

The analysis of large‐scale datasets, especially in biomedical contexts, frequently involves a principled screening of multiple hypotheses. The celebrated two‐group model jointly models the distribution of the test statistics with mixtures of two competing densities, the null and the alternative distributions. We investigate the use of weighted densities and, in particular, non‐local densities as working alternative distributions, to enforce separation from the null and thus refine the screening procedure. We show how these weighted alternatives improve various operating characteristics, such as the Bayesian false discovery rate, of the resulting tests for a fixed mixture proportion with respect to a local, unweighted likelihood approach. Parametric and nonparametric model specifications are proposed, along with efficient samplers for posterior inference. By means of a simulation study, we exhibit how our model compares with both well‐established and state‐of‐the‐art alternatives in terms of various operating characteristics. Finally, to illustrate the versatility of our method, we conduct three differential expression analyses with publicly‐available datasets from genomic studies of heterogeneous nature.
Bio‐Based Hybrid Catalysts for the Synthesis of Pharmacologically Active Xanthenes
Authors: Karimi Askarani Hajar , Karimi Zarchi Mohammad Ali , Fatemeh Mirjalili Bi Bi , Bamoniri Abdolhamid
Published: March 2023

We synthesized an efficient bio‐based nano‐catalyst, – Fe3O4@nano linear dextrin/Sb+5 (Fe3O4@NLD/Sb+5) – from nano linear dextrin and antimony pentachloride via straightforward steps. The nano‐catalyst was used to synthesize solvent‐free 14‐aryl‐14H‐ dibenzo[a, j]xanthene derivatives based on 2‐aminobenzimide and different aldehydes. The synthesized nano‐catalyst bears many critical advantages: nontoxicity, biocompatibility, affordability, easy work‐up method, environmentally friendliness, and high yields, as well as being solvent‐free and operable under green conditions.
Closed Cyclic DNA Machine for Sensitive Logic Operation and APE1 Detection
Authors: Chai Qingli , Chen Jinyang , Zeng Shasha , Zhu Ting , Chen Jintao , Qi Chunjiao , Mao Guobin , Liu Yucheng
Published: March 2023

DNA self‐assembly has been developed as a kind of robust signal amplification strategy, but most of reported assembly pathways are programmed to amplify signal in one direction. Herein, based on mutual‐activated cascade cycle of hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA), a closed cycle circuit (CCC) based DNA machine is developed for sensitive logic operation and molecular recognition. Benefiting from the synergistically accelerated signal amplification, the closed cyclic DNA machine enabled the logic computing with strong and significant output signals even at weak input signals. The typical logic operations such as OR, YES, AND, INHIBIT, NOR, and NAND gate, are conveniently and clearly executed with this DNA machine through rational design of the input and computing elements. Moreover, by integrating the target recognition module with the CCC module, the proposed DNA machine is further employed in the homogeneous detection of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1). The precise recognition and exponential signal amplification facilitated the highly selective and sensitive detection of APE1 with limit of detection (LOD) of 7.8 × 10−5 U mL−1. Besides, the normal cells and tumor cells are distinguished unambiguously by this method according to the detected concentration difference of cellular APE1, which indicates the robustness and practicability of this method.
Effect of Cell Membrane‐cloaked Nanoparticle Elasticity on Nano‐Bio Interaction
Authors: Yuan Pengfei , Chen Xinjie , Li Xiaodi , Zong Xiaoqing , Yang Caiqi , Li Yuchao , Xue Wei , Dai Jian
Published: March 2023

Cell membrane‐cloaked nanoparticles are exploited as a promising drug carrier to enhance circulation, accumulation, penetration into tumor sites and cellular internalization. However, the effect of physicochemical properties (e.g., size, surface charge, shape, and elasticity) of cell membrane‐cloaked nanoparticles on nano‐bio interaction is rarely studied. In the present study, keeping the other parameters constant, erythrocyte membrane (EM)‐cloaked nanoparticles (nanoEMs) with different Young's moduli are fabricated by altering different kinds of nano‐core (i.e., aqueous phase core, gelatin nanoparticles, and platinum nanoparticles). The designed nanoEMs are used to investigate the effect of nanoparticle elasticity on nano‐bio interaction including cellular internalization, tumor penetration, biodistribution, blood circulation, and so on. The results demonstrate that the nanoEMs with intermediate elasticity (≈95 MPa) have a relatively higher increase in cellular internalization and inhibition of tumor cells migration than the soft (≈11 MPa) and stiff (≈173 MPa) ones. Furthermore, in vivo studies show that nanoEMs with intermediate elasticity preferentially accumulate and penetrate into tumor sites than the soft and stiff ones, while in circulation, softer nanoEMs show a longer blood circulation time. This work provides an insight for optimizing the design of biomimetic carriers and may further contribute to the selection of nanomaterials on biomedical application.
Enhancing sustainability performance of universities: A DMAIC approach
Authors: Hamdan Anwar , Hamdan Sadeque , Alsyouf Imad , Murad Nada , Abdelrazeq Marah , Al‐Ali Sondos , Bettayeb Maamar
Published: March 2023

This paper aims to assess and improve the sustainability performance at a higher educational institute (HEI) in UAE using DMAIC methodology, considering five sustainability aspects (knowledge, behaviour, concern, awareness and attitude). One primary and six secondary research questions were defined in the define phase. In the measure phase, a questionnaire was designed to measure the current sustainability level based on the five sustainability aspects. A questionnaire was distributed among campus populations and statistically analysed in the analysis phase. Participation in UI GreenMetric was used in the control phase to monitor the performance from 2018 to 2020. It was found that the communication college has the lowest sustainability level at 25% marginal error compared with other colleges. Also, students have the lowest sustainability level compared with faculty and staff at a 15% marginal error. The proposed framework can help HEI decision‐makers assess their sustainability levels and suggest plans to enhance sustainability performance.
Determination of Martensite Formation Rate by Magnetic In Situ Measurement in CrMnNi–N Steel
Authors: Quitzke Caroline , Schröder Christina , Hempel Christian , Mandel Marcel , Krüger Lutz , Volkova Olena , Wendler Marco
Published: March 2023

The plastic deformation and martensite evolution of austenitic CrMnNi–N stainless steel with 8.6 wt% Mn and 4 wt% Ni is investigated in a temperature range of −40 to 100 °C. Martensite evolution is determined by in situ magnetic measurements during tensile test. The triggering stress and strain for martensite formation decrease with decreasing temperature. Ex situ volumetric magnetic measurements are used to determine the strain‐induced α′‐martensite volume fractions. The characterization of the microstructure is carried out with scanning electron microscope. Using electron backscatter diffraction, strain‐induced α′‐martensite is detected within deformation bands in the austenite. The strain hardening curve at −40 °C shows a typical progression for metastable austenitic stainless steels with pronounced strain‐induced α′‐martensite formation and can be divided into four hardening stages. At this temperature, the studied steel achieves the highest strain hardening rate. The amount of martensite increases with decreasing test temperature and reaches a maximum volume fraction of 76 vol% at −40 °C. The highest ductility of 83% is achieved at 40 °C, accompanied by a tensile strength of 732 MPa. The in situ magnetic measurement confirms that the inflection point in the strain hardening curve coincides with the maximum martensite formation rate.
Numerical Simulation of Solidification Structures Influenced by Cooling Spraying and Process Parameters Based on Cellular Automaton Finite‐Element Model
Authors: Sheng Yuewei , Meng Xiangning , Liu Xiangyang , Zhou Zhongqi
Published: March 2023

A cellular automaton finite‐element coupling model is developed to investigate the influences of the solidification structure of a continuous casting slab by the state of the cooling spray and process conditions. The model is validated. The solidification structure is simulated for different cooling spray schemes, superheat degrees, and casting speeds. The grain growth and distribution of the continuous casting slab near the corner area are sensitive to the cooling spray. As the distance of the nozzle from the surface of the continuous casting slab increases, the radii of the columnar and equiaxed grains tend to increase near the corners. The distribution of a columnar‐to‐equiaxed grain transition near the corner area gradually moves toward the core of the slab as the distance of the nozzle from the continuous casting slab decreases. At a casting speed of 1.2 m min−1 and superheat degree of 20 °C, the best nozzle height from the surface of the continuous casting billet is 234.5 mm. The casting speed and superheat significantly affect the grain radius. With the increase in the casting speed and decrease in the degree of superheat, the average grain radius decreases, while the equiaxed grain area increases.
Effect of Rare Earth Cerium Replacement of Nickel on Cryogenic Toughness of 7Ni Steel
Authors: Wu Liping , Huang Junxiong , Liu Qing , Zhi Jianguo , Wang Huisheng
Published: March 2023

The effect of replacing Ni by two different contents of Ce on the cryogenic toughness of 7Ni steel is studied for revealing the significant role of Ce element in the toughening mechanism. The results show that the close impact absorb energy at −150 and −196 °C of 7Ni steel can be acquired with 0.0026 wt%Ce replacing 0.5 wt%Ni. As the Ce content increases to 0.0265 wt%, the cryogenic toughness of the experimental steel deteriorates. Except for the inclusions of steel increase at the number and size, the 265Ce–6.5Ni steel toughness deterioration also is attributed to the enrichment of Ce in the steel substrate, which together leads to stress concentration under impact loading. The appropriate amount of Ce toughening mechanism is attributed to the formation of the fine and dispersed inclusion particles belonging to the soft phase, which can increase the plastic deformation in the crack propagation process and ensure that the 7Ni steel has excellent cryogenic toughness.
Tailoring the Ductility Characteristics of Lean‐Medium Mn Quenching and Partitioning Steels with Varying C Contents
Authors: Kaar Simone , Krizan Daniel , Schneider Reinhold , Sommitsch Christof
Published: March 2023

During recent years, quenching and partitioning (Q&P) steels have gained strong interest due to their promising lightweight potential and crashworthiness. With their microstructure consisting of tempered martensite (α″) and C‐enriched retained austenite (RA), they are characterized by balanced ductility, combining the formability properties of conventional dual‐phase and complex‐phase steels at elevated strength levels. This study thoroughly examines three chemical compositions with 4.0 wt% Mn, 1.5 wt% Si, and varying C contents between 0.10 and 0.20 wt% with regard to their structure–properties relationship. In this context, various parameters are derived from tensile testing to assess the formability behavior of the investigated steels. The results clearly demonstrate a strong effect of the RA fraction and its mechanical stability on the ductility characteristics of lean‐medium Mn Q&P steels. Generally, the optimum exploitation of the transformation‐induced plasticity effect favors high global ductility, but the resulting heterogeneities in the microstructure remarkably impair the local one. By increasing the C content, larger RA fractions can be stabilized, shifting the ductility characteristics from rather local toward global. For this reason, medium C content of 0.15 wt% allows for the adjustment of the optimum microstructure leading to desired balanced ductility.
NHC‐Activations on α‐, β‐, γ‐, and Beyond
Authors: Chen Xiaoyu , He Pengyu , Xia Siqi , Cui Lixin , Zhong Guofu , Yang Limin
Published: March 2023

Over the recent decades, due to the special electronic characteristics and diverse reactivities, N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) has received significant interest in organocatalyzed reactions. The formation of Breslow intermediates by NHC can convert into acyl anion equivalent, enolates, homoenolate, acyl azolium, and vinyl enolate etc., and the cycloaddition reactions of these species has attracted lots of attention. In this review, we focus on the summry of the development of NHC‐activation of carbonyl carbon (or imine carbon) in situ, α‐, β‐, γ‐, and beyond, and the cycloaddition reaction of these species.
A study on the correlation of anthropogenic activities with climate change
Authors: Mukherjee Susmita , Keswani Keerti , Nath Pallabi , Paul Sonali
Published: March 2023

The introduction of dangerous substances known as pollutants that impair the environment is referred to as pollution. It includes major factors like pollutants of the air, water, soil, and minor factors like high decibel noise and plastics—all of which impact human health and well‐being. Pollution is caused by variety of factors, including toxic chemicals released into the water by manufacturers, dangerous gases produced by different factories into the air, and various human activities like ore mining and ore purification. These most often lead to global warming which results in shifting weather and temperature patterns. Pesticides are another significant contributor to both soil and water contamination. These pollutants have emerged as one of the main factors influencing our climate. Their manufacture leads to emission of greenhouse gases which affects the climate of a place. Because of the overuse of pesticides, both the land and the groundwater are contaminated. By impacting the soil, the overall growth, yield and life of the plants are being affected. When introduced into water bodies, pesticides have an impact on the aquatic ecology because the buildup of these dangerous pollutants, which have a higher pH value and also contain toxic metals, which could be detrimental for the aquatic ecosystem. The synergistic impact of various pollutants on environment, climate due to anthropogenic causes, as well as the possible remediation strategies is discussed in this study.
Quadriceps autograft is a viable graft choice for arthroscopic ACL reconstruction in patients over 50 years of age
Authors: Meena Amit , Farinelli Luca , Hoser Christian , Abermann Elisabeth , Raj Akshya , Hepperger Caroline , Herbort Mirco , Fink Christian
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patient-reported outcomes, graft failure, quadriceps rupture and sports preference after arthroscopic ACL reconstruction in patients older than 50 years who underwent arthroscopic ACL reconstruction with a quadriceps tendon (QT) autograft.

Methods

Between 2010 and 2020, prospectively collected data were obtained from an institutional database. Patients older than 50 years with primary arthroscopic ACL reconstruction and a minimum of 2 years of follow-up were included. Patients undergoing a revision ACL reconstruction or undergoing a primary ACL reconstruction using a graft other than a QT autograft, and patients with a contralateral knee injury or osteoarthritis (Ahlbäck stage 2 or higher) were excluded. A minimally invasive technique was used for QT autograft harvesting. Patients were evaluated for pre-injury and 2-year follow-up Lysholm knee score, Tegner activity level, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, graft failure, quadriceps tendon rupture, and return to sport.

Results

A total of 57 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the cohort was 54.9 ± 5.2 (range 50–75). Of the 57 reconstructions, 16 (28%) were isolated ACL reconstructions, while 41 (72%) were complex reconstructions (concomitant meniscus, cartilage and/or collateral ligament injuries). At the 2-year follow-up Lysholm knee score, Tegner activity level and VAS for pain improved to pre-injury level and no significant difference was noted between pre-injury and 2-year follow-up functional scores (n.s.). No case of graft failure or quadriceps tendon rupture was reported. No significant difference was noted in the pre-injury and postoperative sports preference (n.s.) and all patients return to their desired sports activity.

Conclusion

Arthroscopic ACL reconstruction by using QT autograft in highly active older patients provides satisfactory patient-reported functional outcomes and allows recovery of the pre-injury level of activity. QT autograft is a good graft option in patients older than 50 years.

Level of evidence

Level IV.
Affinity-based electrochemical sensors for biomolecular detection in whole blood
Authors: Wilkirson Elizabeth C. , Singampalli Kavya L. , Li Jiran , Dixit Desh Deepak , Jiang Xue , Gonzalez Diego H. , Lillehoj Peter B.
Published: March 2023

The detection and/or quantification of biomarkers in blood is important for the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of diseases and medical conditions. Among the different types of sensors for detecting molecular biomarkers, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and small-molecule drugs, affinity-based electrochemical sensors offer the advantages of high analytical sensitivity and specificity, fast detection times, simple operation, and portability. However, biomolecular detection in whole blood is challenging due to its highly complex matrix, necessitating sample purification (i.e., centrifugation), which involves the use of bulky, expensive equipment and tedious sample-handling procedures. To address these challenges, various strategies have been employed, such as purifying the blood sample directly on the sensor, employing micro-/nanoparticles to enhance the detection signal, and coating the electrode surface with blocking agents to reduce nonspecific binding, to improve the analytical performance of affinity-based electrochemical sensors without requiring sample pre-processing steps or laboratory equipment. In this article, we present an overview of affinity-based electrochemical sensor technologies that employ these strategies for biomolecular detection in whole blood.

Graphical abstract
The effect of elastic and viscous force fields on bimanual coordination
Authors: Kaur Jaskanwaljeet , Proksch Shannon , Balasubramaniam Ramesh
Published: March 2023

Bimanual in-phase and anti-phase coordination modes represent two basic movement patterns with distinct characteristics—homologous muscle contraction and non-homologous muscle contraction, respectively. A method to understand the contribution of each limb to the overall coordination pattern involves detuning (Δω) the natural eigenfrequency of each limb. In the present experiment, we experimentally broke the symmetry between the two upper limbs by adding elastic and viscous force fields using a Kinarm robot exoskeleton. We measured the effect of this symmetry breaking on coordination stability as participants performed bimanual in-phase and anti-phase movements using their left and right hand in 1:1 frequency locking mode. Differences between uncoupled frequencies were manipulated via the application of viscous & elastic force fields and using fast and slow oscillation frequencies with a custom task developed using the Kinarm robotic exoskeleton. The effects of manipulating the asymmetry between the limbs were measured through the mean and variability of relative phase (ϕ) from the intended modes of 0 ° or 180 °. In general, participants deviated less from intended phase irrespective of coordination mode in all matched conditions, except for when elastic loads are applied to both arms in the anti-phase coordination. Second, we found that when force fields were mismatched participants exhibited a larger deviation from the intended phase. Overall, there was increased phase deviation during anti-phase coordination. Finally, participants exhibited higher variability in relative phase in mismatched force conditions compared to matched force conditions, with overall higher variability during anti-phase coordination mode. We extend previous research by demonstrating that symmetry breaking caused by force differences between the limbs disrupts stability in each coordination mode.
Simple, fast and inexpensive quantification of glycolate in the urine of patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1
Authors: Boehm Thomas , Martin-Higueras Cristina , Friesser Eva , Zitta Clara , Wallner Silvia , Walli Adam , Kovacevic Katarina , Hubmann Holger , Klavins Kristaps , Macheroux Peter , Hoppe Bernd , Jilma Bernd
Published: March 2023

In primary hyperoxaluria type 1 excessive endogenous production of oxalate and glycolate leads to increased urinary excretion of these metabolites. Although genetic testing is the most definitive and preferred diagnostic method, quantification of these metabolites is important for the diagnosis and evaluation of potential therapeutic interventions. Current metabolite quantification methods use laborious, technically highly complex and expensive liquid, gas or ion chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, which are available only in selected laboratories worldwide. Incubation of ortho-aminobenzaldehyde (oABA) with glyoxylate generated from glycolate using recombinant mouse glycolate oxidase (GO) and glycine leads to the formation of a stable dihydroquinazoline double aromatic ring chromophore with specific peak absorption at 440 nm. The urinary limit of detection and estimated limit of quantification derived from eight standard curves were 14.3 and 28.7 µmol glycolate per mmol creatinine, respectively. High concentrations of oxalate, lactate and L-glycerate do not interfere in this assay format. The correlation coefficient between the absorption and an ion chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method is 93% with a p value < 0.00001. The Bland–Altmann plot indicates acceptable agreement between the two methods. The glycolate quantification method using conversion of glycolate via recombinant mouse GO and fusion of oABA and glycine with glyoxylate is fast, simple, robust and inexpensive. Furthermore this method might be readily implemented into routine clinical diagnostic laboratories for glycolate measurements in primary hyperoxaluria type 1.
CIRSE Standards of Practice on Oesophageal and Gastroduodenal Stenting
Authors: Diamantopoulos Athanasios , Choudhury Shuvro Roy , Irani Farah Gillian , Tinto Hugo Rio , Sabharwal Tarun
Published: March 2023

Background

Image-guided insertion of stents in the upper gastrointestinal trunk is an effective, minimally invasive treatment option to provide immediate relief of symptoms caused by upper gastrointestinal tract obstruction related to advanced-stage malignant causes or benign causes that lead to lumen narrowing.

Purpose

This document, as with all CIRSE Standards of Practice documents, is not intended to impose a standard of clinical patient care but will recommend a reasonable approach to best practices for performing stenting of the upper gastrointestinal tract, namely the oesophageal and gastroduodenal segments. Our purpose is to provide up-to-date recommendations for placement of upper gastrointestinal tract stents based on the previously published guidelines on this topic in 2005 and 2007.

Methods

The writing group was established by the CIRSE Standards of Practice Committee and consisted of a group of internationally recognised experts in performing upper gastrointestinal stenting. The writing group reviewed the existing literature using PubMed to search for relevant publications in the English language up to September 2021. The final recommendations were formulated through consensus.

Conclusion

Insertion of stents in the oesophageal and gastroduodenal tracts has an established role in the successful management of malignant or benign obstructions. This Standards of Practice document provides up-to-date recommendations for the safe performance of upper gastrointestinal stent placement.
Analysis of durum wheat photosynthetic organs during grain filling reveals the ear as a water stress-tolerant organ and the peduncle as the largest pool of primary metabolites
Authors: Martínez-Peña Raquel , Vergara-Díaz Omar , Schlereth Armin , Höhne Melanie , Morcuende Rosa , Nieto-Taladriz María Teresa , Araus José Luis , Aparicio Nieves , Vicente Rubén
Published: March 2023

Main conclusion

The pool of carbon- and nitrogen-rich metabolites is quantitatively relevant in non-foliar photosynthetic organs during grain filling, which have a better response to water limitation than flag leaves.

The response of durum wheat to contrasting water regimes has been extensively studied at leaf and agronomic level in previous studies, but the water stress effects on source–sink dynamics, particularly non-foliar photosynthetic organs, is more limited. Our study aims to investigate the response of different photosynthetic organs to water stress and to quantify the pool of carbon and nitrogen metabolites available for grain filling. Five durum wheat varieties were grown in field trials in the Spanish region of Castile and León under irrigated and rainfed conditions. Water stress led to a significant decrease in yield, biomass, and carbon and nitrogen assimilation, improved water use efficiency, and modified grain quality traits in the five varieties. The pool of carbon (glucose, glucose-6-phosphate, fructose, sucrose, starch, and malate) and nitrogen (glutamate, amino acids, proteins and chlorophylls) metabolites in leaf blades and sheaths, peduncles, awns, glumes and lemmas were also analysed. The results showed that the metabolism of the blades and peduncles was the most susceptible to water stress, while ear metabolism showed higher stability, particularly at mid-grain filling. Interestingly, the total metabolite content per organ highlighted that a large source of nutrients, which may be directly involved in grain filling, are found outside the blades, with the peduncles being quantitatively the most relevant. We conclude that yield improvements in our Mediterranean agro-ecosystem are highly linked to the success of shoots in producing ears and a higher number of grains, while grain filling is highly dependent on the capacity of non-foliar organs to fix CO2 and N. The ear organs show higher stress resilience than other organs, which deserves our attention in future breeding programmes.
Toxoplasmosis and cytomegalovirus infection and their role in Egyptian autistic children
Authors: Hassan Zeinab R. , Zekry Kareman M. , Heikal Elham Adel , Ibrahim Hanan F. , Khirala Seham K. , Abd El-Hamid Samar M. , Amin Doaa R. , Seliem Nora , El-Aal Gehad N. Abd , Alkherkhisy Mohammad M. , Elhamid Salwa A. Abd , Mahgoub Emad A. , Hefny Mahmoud E. N. , El Nady Ghada H. , Badr Mohamed S.
Published: March 2023

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a significantly increased incidence rate across the world over the past few years. Toxoplasmosis and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection are globally prevalent and have been associated with diverse neurological and psychiatric disorders. A few studies have demonstrated the role of toxoplasmosis and CMV as potential etiological factors for autism. Accordingly, this study was performed to estimate the relationship between toxoplasmosis and CMV infection in children with autism as well as to assess their impact on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) score. A total of 45 autistic children (6 girls, 39 boys) and 45 (21 girls, 24 boys) healthy control children were enrolled in our study. Their blood samples were collected and tested for the presence of Toxoplasma and CMV (IgG and IgM) antibodies and DNA by ELISA and real-time PCR (RT-PCR), respectively. Toxoplasmosis was detected in 11 (24.4%) autistic children through the ELISA [10 (22.2%) IgG + /IgM − and 1 (2.2%) IgG + /IgM +]; however, RT-PCR assay recorded only 1 positive case (2.2%), while it was detected in 10 (22.2%) control children through ELISA [9 (20%) IgG + /IgM − and 1 (2.2%) IgG + /IgM +] and 1 (2.2%) by RT-PCR. On the other hand, CMV infection was detected in all autistic children with 44 (97.8%) testing positive by ELISA [24 (53.3%) IgG + /IgM − , 18 (40%) IgG + /IgM + and 2 (4.4%) IgG − /IgM +] and 25 (55.6%) testing positive by RT-PCR assay. In addition, ELISA assay recorded 43 (95.6%) [19 (42.2%) IgG + /IgM + and 22 (48.9%) IgG + /IgM − and 2 (4.4%) IgG-/IgM +] and RT-PCR recorded 21 (46.7%) positive samples in control children with CMV. No significant difference was noted between autistic and control children for the overall prevalence of Toxoplasma or/and CMV infection. Similarly, the CARS score indicated a non-significant difference with Toxoplasma or/and CMV infection. Our data does not show an association between autism and toxoplasmosis or/and CMV infection. Nevertheless, considering that autistic children are at a high risk of contracting these infections, further studies with a larger sample size are recommended.
Antithrombotic agent usage before ictus in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: relation to hemorrhage severity, clinical course, and outcome
Authors: Kultanen Hanna , Lewén Anders , Ronne-Engström Elisabeth , Enblad Per , Svedung Wettervik Teodor
Published: March 2023

Background

The number of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) who are on antithrombotic agents before ictus is rising. However, their effect on early brain injury and disease development remains unclear. The primary aim of this study was to determine if antithrombotic agents (antiplatelets and anticoagulants) were associated with a worse initial hemorrhage severity, rebleeding rate, clinical course, and functional recovery after aSAH.

Methods

In this observational study, those 888 patients with aSAH, treated at the neurosurgical department, Uppsala University Hospital, between 2008 and 2018 were included. Demographic, clinical, radiological (Fisher and Hijdra score), and outcome (Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale one year post-ictus) variables were assessed.

Results

Out of 888 aSAH patients, 14% were treated with antithrombotic agents before ictus. Seventy-five percent of these were on single therapy of antiplatelets, 23% on single therapy of anticoagulants, and 3% on a combination of antithrombotic agents. Those with antithrombotic agents pre-ictus were significantly older and exhibited more co-morbidities and a worse coagulation status according to lab tests. Antithrombotic agents, both as one group and as subtypes (antiplatelets and anticoagulants), were not associated with hemorrhage severity (Hijdra score/Fisher) nor rebleeding rate. The clinical course did not differ in terms of delayed ischemic neurological deficits or last-tier treatment with thiopental and decompressive craniectomy. These patients experienced a higher mortality and lower rate of favorable outcome in univariate analyses, but this did not hold true in multiple logistic regression analyses after adjustment for age and co-morbidities.

Conclusions

After adjustment for age and co-morbidities, antithrombotic agents before aSAH ictus were not associated with worse hemorrhage severity, rebleeding rate, clinical course, or long-term functional recovery.
Autism Spectrum Disorder and auditory sensory alterations: a systematic review on the integrity of cognitive and neuronal functions related to auditory processing
Authors: Gonçalves Ana Margarida , Monteiro Patricia
Published: March 2023

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with a wide spectrum of symptoms, mainly characterized by social, communication, and cognitive impairments. Latest diagnostic criteria according to DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, 2013) now include sensory issues among the four restricted/repetitive behavior features defined as “hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of environment”. Here, we review auditory sensory alterations in patients with ASD. Considering the updated diagnostic criteria for ASD, we examined research evidence (2015–2022) of the integrity of the cognitive function in auditory-related tasks, the integrity of the peripheral auditory system, and the integrity of the central nervous system in patients diagnosed with ASD. Taking into account the different approaches and experimental study designs, we reappraise the knowledge on auditory sensory alterations and reflect on how these might be linked with behavior symptomatology in ASD.
CH-Bench: a user-oriented benchmark for systems for efficient distant reading (design, performance, and insights)
Authors: Willkomm Jens , Raster Markus , Schäler Martin , Böhm Klemens
Published: March 2023

Data science deals with the discovery of information from large volumes of data. The data studied by scientists in the humanities include large textual corpora. An important objective is to study the ideas and expectations of a society regarding specific concepts, like “freedom” or “democracy,” both for today’s society and even more for societies of the past. Studying the meaning of words using large corpora requires efficient systems for text analysis, so-called distant reading systems. Making such systems efficient calls for a specification of the necessary functionality and clear expectations regarding typical work loads. But this currently is unclear, and there is no benchmark to evaluate distant reading systems. In this article, we propose such a benchmark, with the following innovations: As a first step, we collect and structure various information needs of the target users. We then formalize the notion of word context to facilitate the analysis of specific concepts. Using this notion, we formulate queries in line with the information needs of users. Finally, based on this, we propose concrete benchmark queries. To demonstrate the benefit of our benchmark, we conduct an evaluation, with two objectives. First, we aim at insights regarding the content of different corpora, i.e., whether and how their size and nature (e.g., popular and broad literature or specific expert literature) affect results. Second, we benchmark different data management technologies. This has allowed us to identify performance bottlenecks.
Drought Timing Modulates Soil Moisture Thresholds for CO2 Fluxes and Vegetation Responses in an Experimental Alpine Grassland
Authors: Forte T’ai G. W. , Carbognani Michele , Chiari Giorgio , Petraglia Alessandro
Published: March 2023

Drought timing determines the degree to which dry events impact ecosystems, with the ability of key processes to withstand change differing between drought periods. Findings indicate that drought timing effects vary across ecosystems, with few studies focusing on alpine grasslands. We conducted a mesocosm experiment using small grassland monoliths collected in September from the high Alps and left to overwinter at 0 °C until the experiment began in lowland Italy under late-winter outdoor conditions. Together with watered controls, we imposed three different drought treatments (zero precipitation): (1) one-month early-drought immediately after simulated snowmelt; (2) one-month mid-drought a month after melt-out; and (3) continuous two-month drought across the entire experimental period. Ecosystem responses were assessed by measuring CO2 fluxes, while vegetation responses were investigated by measuring aboveground net primary production (ANPP) of graminoids and forbs and post-harvest resprouting after one-month rehydration. We found that ecosystem respiration and gross ecosystem production (GEP) during the day were more negatively affected by mid-season drought compared to drought starting early in the season. By the end of treatments, GEP reduction under mid-season drought was similar to that of a continuous two-month drought. ANPP reduction was similar in early- and mid-drought treatments, showing a greater decrease under an enforced two-month period without precipitation. Plant resprouting, however, was only reduced in full- and mid-season drought pots, with forbs more negatively affected than graminoids. Seasonal soil moisture variation can account for these patterns: remaining winter moisture allowed almost full canopy development during the first month of the season, despite precipitation being withheld, while soil moisture depletion in the second month, resulting from higher temperatures and greater biomass, caused a collapse of gas exchange and diminished plant resprouting. Our data illustrates the importance of the timing of zero-precipitation periods for both plant and ecosystem responses in alpine grasslands.
MicroRNA Profiling of Self-Renewing Human Neural Stem Cells Reveals Novel Sets of Differentially Expressed microRNAs During Neural Differentiation In Vitro
Authors: Fedorova Veronika , Amruz Cerna Katerina , Oppelt Jan , Pospisilova Veronika , Barta Tomas , Mraz Marek , Bohaciakova Dasa
Published: March 2023

The involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in orchestrating self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells has been revealed in a number of recent studies. And while in human pluripotent stem cells, miRNAs have been directly linked to the core pluripotency network, including the cell cycle regulation and the maintenance of the self-renewing capacity, their role in the onset of differentiation in other contexts, such as determination of neural cell fate, remains poorly described. To bridge this gap, we used three model cell types to study miRNA expression patterns: human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), hESCs-derived self-renewing neural stem cells (NSCs), and differentiating NSCs. The comprehensive miRNA profiling presented here reveals novel sets of miRNAs differentially expressed during human neural cell fate determination in vitro. Furthermore, we report a miRNA expression profile of self-renewing human NSCs, which has been lacking to this date. Our data also indicates that miRNA clusters enriched in NSCs share the target-determining seed sequence with cell cycle regulatory miRNAs expressed in pluripotent hESCs. Lastly, our mechanistic experiments confirmed that cluster miR-17–92, one of the NSCs-enriched clusters, is directly transcriptionally regulated by transcription factor c-MYC.

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Learning analytics in support of inclusiveness and disabled students: a systematic review
Authors: Khalil Mohammad , Slade Sharon , Prinsloo Paul
Published: March 2023

This article maps considerations of inclusiveness and support for students with disabilities by reviewing articles within the field of learning analytics. The study involved a PRISMA-informed systematic review of two popular digital libraries, namely Clarivate’s Web of Science, and Elsevier’s Scopus for peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings. A final corpus of 26 articles was analysed. Findings show that although the field of learning analytics emerged in 2011, none of the studies identified here covered topics of inclusiveness in education before the year of 2016. Screening also shows that learning analytics provides great potential to promote inclusiveness in terms of reducing discrimination, increasing retention among disadvantaged students, and validating particular learning designs for marginalised groups. Gaps in this potential are also identified. The article aims to provide valuable insight into what is known about learning analytics and inclusiveness and contribute knowledge to this particular nascent area for researchers and institutional stakeholders.
Optimization of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Rice Bran Oil and γ-Oryzanol Using Multi-Factorial Design of Experiment
Authors: Fraterrigo Garofalo S. , Cavallini N. , Destefano R. , Micera M. , Cavagnero C. , Botto A. , Savorani F. , Tommasi T. , Fino D.
Published: March 2023

After rice harvesting, the milling processes generate many by-products including husk, bran, germs, and broken rice representing around 40% of the total grain. Bran, one of the external cereal layers, contains proteins, dietary fibers, minerals, and lipids. One of the most common rice bran utilization is the extraction of rice bran oil (RBO). Among all vegetable oils, RBO presents a unique chemical composition rich in antioxidant compounds such as γ-oryzanol that provide several beneficial properties. RBO is generally extracted by exploiting hexane, a solvent toxic to the environment and human health. The growing demand for this oil has led researchers to look for more sustainable extraction techniques. Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) has been successfully applied to extract oil and functional compounds from several matrices. In this work, the SC-CO2 extraction of RBO was optimized using a Design of Experiment (DoE) on a pilot scale. "The DoE approach involving multilinear regression allowed modelling the yield in RBO and gamma oryzanol as a function of temperature and pressure, keeping the extraction time constant, as decided by the company. This approach made it possible to optimize the extraction yield and to identify the best temperature (40 °C), while also highlighting that pressure did not play any influential role in the process, at least concerning the analyzed experimental domain on this industrial plant. A model for computing the extraction yield as a function of temperature and pressure was obtained. This study shows that it is possible to obtain good quality RBO, rich in γ-oryzanol and essential fatty acids, using low temperatures and pressures, starting from a rice milling by-product.

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Nationwide analysis of inpatient laparoscopic ventral hernia repair in Italy from 2015 to 2020
Authors: Botteri Emanuele , Ortenzi Monica , Williams Sophie , Balla Andrea , Podda Mauro , Guerrieri Mario , Sartori Alberto
Published: March 2023

Since 2010, several guidelines and consensus papers have been proposed to support surgeons in the decision-making process (Cuccurullo et al. in Hernia 17(5):557–566, 2013; Silecchia et al. in Surg Endosc 29:2463–2484, 2015; Bittner et al. in Surg Endosc 33(11):3511–3549, 2015) with the conclusion that laparoscopic repair (LR) has gained popularity in the treatment of IH.

To date, however, it is not yet clear as to the uptake of LR for IH on national basis. Only dated studies encompassing of all types of incisional hernia repairs are available in literature (Bisgaard et al. in Br J Surg 96:1452–1457, 2009). The aim of our study is to present a snapshot of Italian data for LR of ventral hernias, over a 6 years period, including volume of LR, procedural features and major postoperative outcomes. Data were extracted from the Italian Hospital Information System (HIS) that collects clinical and administrative information regarding each hospital admission of every patient discharged from any hospital in Italy. Using Hospital Discharge records regional Databases (HDD), all laparoscopic ventral hernia procedures carried out in public and private hospitals between 2015 and 2020, in patients over 18 years and resident in Italy, were collected based on diagnosis and procedure codes. The National Agency for Regional Health Services (AgeNaS) oversees the management and analysis of data. All hospital admissions that occurred between 2015 and 2020 were analyzed.

A total of 154,546 incisional hernia repairs were performed in Italy from 2015 to 2020. Of these, 20,789 (13.45%) were minimally invasive repairs. The number of procedures performed increased significantly over time, constituting 11.96 and 15.24% of all procedures performed in 2015 and 2020 respectively. However, considering the whole period, the mean annual change was—5.58% (CI − 28.6% to 17.44%; p < 0.0001).

Urgent minimally invasive repairs were performed in 1968 cases (1.27%). The absolute rate of laparoscopically treated patients needing an urgent surgical procedure increased overtime (from 7.36% in 2015 to 13.418% in 2020). The mean annual change registered over the whole period was 7.42%. 92% (CI − 0.03 to 14.09%; p < 0.0001). However, when considering the period from 2015 to 2019, the mean annual change was 10.42% (CI 6.35 to 14.49%; p < 0.0001). To our knowledge this is the first nationwide Italian report presenting the national workload of surgical units and the main perioperative features of minimally invasive surgery for ventral hernia repairs.