bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tabersonine attenuates obesity‐induced renal injury via inhibiting NF‐κB‐mediated inflammation
Authors: Qian Chenchen , Wang Jiong , Lin Wante , Chen Yanghao , Yang Jie , Liu Min , Sun Xiaoyu , Wu Hongbo , Zhang Mengpei , Wang Yi , Cao Shan
Published: February 2023

Obesity‐induced metabolic disorders can cause chronic inflammation in the whole body, activating the nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) pathway and inducing apoptosis. Therefore, anti‐inflammatory strategies may be effective in preventing obesity‐related renal injury. Tabersonine (Tab) has been used pharmacologically to alleviate inflammation‐related symptoms. This study evaluated the therapeutic effect of Tab on obesity‐related renal injury and explored the pharmacological mechanism. Tab (20 mg/kg) relieved HFD‐induced renal structural disorder and alleviated renal functional decline in mice, including improvement of renal tissue fibrosis, reducing renal cell apoptosis and inflammation in renal tissues. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that Tab inhibited the activation of NF‐κB signaling pathway both in vivo and in vitro, thereby improving the renal tissue lesions in the mice with obesity‐related renal injury. In both the obese mouse model and the mouse glomerular mesangial cell model, the natural compound Tab ameliorated HFD‐ and saturated fatty acid‐induced renal cell injury by inhibiting the activation of NF‐κB signaling pathway. Our data suggest that Tab may become a potential candidate for the prevention and treatment of obesity‐related renal injury.
Baicalin ameliorates high fat diet‐induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice via adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase‐mediated regulation of SREBP1/Nrf2/NF‐κB signaling pathways
Authors: Gao Yanxia , Liu Jingbo , Hao Zhili , Sun Na , Guo Jianhua , Zheng Xiaozhong , Sun Panpan , Yin Wei , Fan Kuohai , Li Hongquan
Published: February 2023

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent chronic liver disease around the world, imposing severe threats on human health. Unfortunately, no clinically approved drugs are available for use as yet. Baicalin (BA) is reported to have hepatoprotective effects, and it is not clear whether BA can treat NAFLD and how. Here, a high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced NAFLD mouse model was established to explore the protective roles and mechanisms of BA against HFD‐induced NAFLD. Physiochemical results showed that BA exhibited significantly protective effects against HFD‐induced NAFLD in mice. Liver transcriptomic analysis revealed that BA attenuated HFD‐induced NAFLD via activating AMPK pathway, which was confirmed by the AMPK inhibitor Compound C. Additionally, the expression changes of AMPK downstream genes demonstrated that BA exerted ameliorative effects against NAFLD through AMPK‐mediated inhibition of SREBP1 and NF‐κB pathways, and activation of Nrf2 pathway. Taken together, our study reveals the protective roles of BA against HFD‐caused NAFLD through AMPK‐mediated modulation of SREBP1/Nrf2/NF‐κB pathways, suggesting that BA has potential drug development implications. Most importantly, our study creates a paradigm through the combination of molecular biology and bioinformatics for further studies of action mechanisms of biomolecules combating diseases.
Elucidation of mosaic patterns in gravel riverbeds using classifying flow velocity regimes obtained from a planar two‐dimensional analysis
Authors: Niwa Hideyuki , Taki Kentaro , Izumino Tamaho
Published: February 2023

Gravel riverbeds in the middle reaches of Japanese rivers are essential habitats for various plants and animals. Disturbance from flooding is necessary for the formation of gravel riverbeds, but human control of rivers, such as dams and channelization, has altered flow and sediment regimes, thereby reducing disturbance. The flooding generates a mosaic pattern characterized by varying frequencies and intensities of disturbance in gravel riverbeds. Understanding the disturbance regimes that form mosaic patterns is important for the conservation of biodiversity in rivers. In this study, we proposed a method to extract mosaic patterns from flow velocity regimes obtained by planar two‐dimensional analysis by classifying them with time‐series clustering. Based on the distribution of Anaphalis margaritacea var. yedoensis on gravel riverbanks, we compared several past flooding events to identify mosaic patterns that are important for A. margaritacea var. yedoensis. The study site is the Echi River, which flows through Shiga Prefecture in Japan and into Lake Biwa. Using a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), orthomosaic images with an average ground resolution of 3.3 mm/pixel were created, and colony polygons of A. margaritacea var. yedoensis were created using image detection and visual correction. Hydraulic analysis was performed using iRIC ver2.3 (Nays2DH ver1.0). Time‐series clustering was used to classify the flow velocity regimes for each computed mesh into 30 clusters. The relationship between the clusters of each flooding event and the distribution of A. margaritacea var. yedoensis was evaluated. Mosaic patterns were created by classifying the flow velocity regimes of each computational mesh calculated by planar 2D analysis into clusters using time‐series clustering. After analyzing the relationship between each cluster and the area of distribution of A. margaritacea var. yedoensis, the first flooding event was determined to be the mosaic pattern that best explained the distribution of A. margaritacea var. yedoensis. Cluster 1, the “low peak, short duration type,” was considered the growth center of A. margaritacea var. yedoensis. The method used in this study is an innovative approach for obtaining mosaic patterns that quantifies these five elements of the disturbance regime.
Effects of climate change on health and wellbeing: A systematic review
Authors: Liu Fengxuan , Chang‐Richards Alice , Wang Kevin I‐Kai , Dirks Kim Natasha
Published: February 2023

The health and wellbeing effects of climate change events have gained much attention from decision makers and academia over the past decade. Using a systematic review approach, this paper aims to present an improved understanding of how different climate change events have impacted on people's health and/or wellbeing. A thorough review of 93 articles following a PRISMA and SALSA protocol revealed nine climate change events, of which heat waves and extreme ambient temperature were found to be closely associated with the most cited illnesses, including physical problems and failure of one's circulatory and respiratory systems. Age and gender are the critical factors among others that differentiate the effects of climate change on health. Although the formulation of heatwave response plans has been adopted in many countries, the findings of this study suggest that design for climate‐adaptive built environments is of paramount importance. This paper provides insights into climate change adaption strategies from a health perspective. The findings can be used by disaster risk reduction (DRR) policymakers and practitioners to identify the areas to target in their climate change agenda in order to enhance the adaptive ability of communities.
Robust, self‐adhesive, and low‐contact impedance polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylamide dual‐network hydrogel semidry electrode for biopotential signal acquisition
Authors: Li Guangli , Liu Ying , Chen Yuwei , Xia Yonghui , Qi Xiaoman , Wan Xuan , Jin Yuan , Liu Jun , He Quanguo , Li Kanghua , Tang Jianxin
Published: February 2023

Herein, we fabricated a flexible semidry electrode with excellent mechanical performance, satisfactory self‐adhesiveness, and low‐contact impedance using physical/chemical crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylamide dual‐network hydrogels (PVA/PAM DNHs) as an efficient saline reservoir. The resultant PVA/PAM DNHs showed admirable adhesive and compliance to the hairy scalp, facilitating the establishment of a robust electrode/skin interface for biopotential signal transmission. Moreover, the PVA/PAM DNHs steadily released trace saline onto the scalp to achieve the minimized potential drift (1.47 ± 0.39 mV/min) and low electrode–scalp impedance (18.2 ± 8.9 kΩ @ 10 Hz). More importantly, the application feasibility of real‐world brain−computer interfaces (BCIs) was preliminarily validated by 10 participants using two classic BCI paradigms. The mean temporal cross‐correlation coefficients between the semidry and wet electrodes in the eyes open/closed and the N200 speller paradigms are 0.919 ± 0.054 and 0.912 ± 0.050, respectively. Both electrodes demonstrate anticipated neuroelectrophysiological responses with similar patterns. This semidry electrode could also effectively capture robust P‐QRS‐T peaks during electrocardiogram recording. Considering their outstanding advantages of fast setup, user‐friendliness, and robust signals, the proposed PVA/PAM DNH‐based electrode is a promising alternative to wet electrodes in biopotential signal acquisition.
“Matryoshka Doll” Heterostructures Induce Electromagnetic Parameters Fluctuation to Tailor Electromagnetic Wave Absorption
Authors: Liu Jiaolong , Liang Hongsheng , Wei Bing , Yun Jijun , Zhang Limin , Wu Hongjing
Published: February 2023

Components manipulation and structure engineering have shown powerful approaches for tailoring electromagnetic (EM) parameters. However, the integration of controllable architectural and compositional complexity into one multiple‐layer heterostructure seems significantly effective but remains a considerable challenge, and correlative quantized modulation of EM parameters is scarce. Herein, three types of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) hybrids and derived sulfides are ingeniously fabricated by MOF architecture engineering and solvothermal sulfuration. Compared to the random assembly of MOFs in the “Chaotic” structure (Structure 1), the regular arrangement of MOF‐on‐MOF heterostructures in the “Matryoshka doll” structure (Structure 2) guarantees improved lattice strain and defect arising from abundant heterointerfaces in core–shell heterostructure. Impressively, such aforementioned advantages together with sufficiently exposed defect sites and conductivity display an interesting “quantized state” between “0 state” and “1 state” in the subsequent ion exchange process for “Matryoshka doll” structured Zn–Co sulfides, benefiting EM parameters “quantization” and boost electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption. Further, introducing metal ions in a cation‐doped “Matryoshka doll” structure (Structure 3) subtly optimizes composition and defect, leading to enhanced impedance matching and effective absorption bandwidth of 7.8 GHz at 2.6 mm. This study highlights the significant eﬀect of multiple‐layer heterostructures on EM parameters fluctuation, which is in synergy with lattice defect, sulfur vacancy, and conductivity to tailor desirable EMW absorption capacity.
Ultrasound assisted synthesis of Fe‐TiO2 and Ce‐TiO2 catalysts and subsequent application for photocatalytic, sonocatalytic, and sonophotocatalytic decolorization of basic Victoria blue dye
Authors: Dey Ananya , Gogate Parag R.
Published: February 2023

Synthesis of Fe‐TiO2 and Ce‐TiO2 catalysts using conventional, and ultrasound assisted (US) homogeneous coprecipitation method has been investigated. Effects of ultrasonic irradiation time and ultrasonic power on catalyst synthesis were studied and it was elucidated that best conditions were 140 W and 60 min, respectively. Characterization using FE‐SEM revealed spherical particles with the size range from 36.4 to 49.4 nm whereas XRD analysis affirmed a mixture of anatase, rutile, and brookite TiO2 phase with crystallite size ranging from 4.18 to 12.99 nm. BET analysis revealed highest specific surface area (211.59 m2/g) for the sonochemically synthesized Ce‐TiO2. The process intensification benefits demonstrated in catalyst synthesis were better crystallinity, lower particle size, and higher surface area. The application of catalyst efficacy was tested for photocatalytic, sonocatalytic, and sonophotocatalytic oxidation where maximum decolorization as 71.97% was obtained for sonochemically synthesized Ce‐TiO2 applied in the sonophotocatalytic approach. Studies related to regeneration, stability, and leaching of Ce and Ti ion from the sonochemically synthesized Ce‐TiO2 catalyst were also performed. It was observed that the catalyst can be regenerated easily and there were no structural changes in the catalyst after regeneration with negligible leaching of the ions from the catalyst into the solution. Overall, an improved process for catalyst synthesis with intensified decolorization application was demonstrated based on the use of ultrasound.
Computation‐with‐confidence for static elasticity: Data‐driven approach with order statistics
Authors: Kanno Yoshihiro
Published: February 2023

This paper presents a data‐driven method to identify a bound for the structural response of interest when a data set of elastic material responses is available. The obtained bound is probable in the sense that, at least with a certain confidence level, the probability that the structural response is within the bound is no smaller than a certain target value of reliability. The confidence level is ensured by considering the order statistics of the given data points. In this manner, this paper introduces the concept of reliability to the framework of data‐driven computational elasticity to address uncertainty in the data set. The method does not require any statistical information of the data points. Two numerical examples demonstrate the use of the proposed method to analyze static responses of structures by using only given material data sets.
Mechanical modelling the slider‐substrate system with account of sliding
Authors: Li Yiran , Wang Tingting , Ke Liaoliang , Huang Ganyun
Published: February 2023

Sliding onset is critical to interface failure or earthquake prediction, yet the physical mechanism is still unclear. In the present work, a model for the slender slider‐substrate system has been proposed. To account for sliding, nucleation of an interfacial dislocation and its subsequent mobility have been analyzed which may help clarify the sliding onset. The solution of this model can be simplified to that of Cauchy singular integral equations. Before the interfacial dislocation nucleation, numerical results thus obtained for interfacial tractions have been demonstrated to be in good consistency with experiments. By introducing a critical criterion for static dislocation nucleation, it has been found that the calculated critical force agrees well with that for sliding precursors and the mobility of the dislocation capture some essential features for the experimentally observed behaviours for sliding precursors. These results may cast new light to the occurrence and understanding of sliding onset.
Ginzburg-Landau description and emergent supersymmetry of the (3, 8) minimal model
Authors: Klebanov Igor R. , Narovlansky Vladimir , Sun Zimo , Tarnopolsky Grigory
Published: February 2023

Abstract

A pair of the 2D non-unitary minimal models M(2, 5) is known to be equivalent to a variant of the M(3, 10) minimal model. We discuss the RG flow from this model to another non-unitary minimal model, M(3, 8). This provides new evidence for its previously proposed Ginzburg-Landau description, which is a ℤ2 symmetric theory of two scalar fields with cubic interactions. We also point out that M(3, 8) is equivalent to the (2, 8) superconformal minimal model with the diagonal modular invariant. Using the 5-loop results for theories of scalar fields with cubic interactions, we exhibit the 6 − ϵ expansions of the dimensions of various operators. Their extrapolations are in quite good agreement with the exact results in 2D. We also use them to approximate the scaling dimensions in d = 3, 4, 5 for the theories in the M(3, 8) universality class.
Lepton-flavor-violating ALPs at the Electron-Ion Collider: a golden opportunity
Authors: Davoudiasl Hooman , Marcarelli Roman , Neil Ethan T.
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Axion-like particles (ALPs) arise in a variety of theoretical contexts and can, in general, mediate flavor violating interactions and parity non-conservation. We consider lepton flavor violating ALPs with GeV scale or larger masses which may, for example, arise in composite dark sector models. We show that a future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) can uncover or constrain such ALPs via processes of the type e AZ→ τ AZa, where AZ is a nucleus of charge Z and a is an ALP in the range mτ≤ ma ≲ 20 GeV. The production of the ALP can have a large Z2 enhancement from low Q2 electromagnetic scattering of the electron from a heavy ion. Using the gold nucleus (Z = 79) as an example, we show that the EIC can explore e − τ flavor violation, mediated by GeV-scale ALPs, well beyond current limits. Importantly, the EIC reach for this interaction is not sensitive to the lepton-flavor conserving ALP couplings, whose possible smallness can render searches using τ decays ineffective. We also discuss how the EIC electron beam polarization can provide a powerful tool for investigating parity violating ALPs.
Why is black hole entropy affected by rotation?
Authors: McInnes Brett
Published: February 2023

Abstract

It is well known that an asymptotically flat four-dimensional Kerr black hole has a smaller (specific) entropy than a Schwarzschild black hole of the same mass. We show here that the same is true if the temperature, rather than the mass, is held fixed; and we also show that an asymptotically AdS5-Kerr black hole has a smaller specific entropy than an AdS5-Schwarzschild black hole of the same temperature, except in a negligibly small class of special examples. The AdS5-Kerr case is particularly interesting, because here the gauge-gravity duality applies; if we further accept that there is a useful analogy between the strongly coupled field theories dual to AdS black holes and the best-understood example of a strongly coupled fluid (the Quark-Gluon Plasma), then we can apply QGP theory to predict the behaviour of black hole entropy in this case. The prediction agrees with our study of AdS5-Kerr entropy. The hope is that such results might lead ultimately to an identification of black hole microstates.
Alten- und Pflegeheime – die COVID-19-Pandemie als Mahnung: Infektionshygienische Maßnahmen und Einflussfaktoren auf die Gesundheit der Bewohnenden
Authors: Said Dunja , Sin Muna Abu , Zanuzdana Arina , Schweickert Birgitta , Eckmanns Tim
Published: February 2023

Die COVID-19-Pandemie hat die Vulnerabilität der Alten- und Pflegeheimbewohnenden aufgrund ihres erhöhten Risikos für einen schwerwiegenden oder tödlichen COVID-19-Verlauf verdeutlicht. Um die Bewohnenden in den Einrichtungen in Anbetracht hoher Inzidenzen von severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in der Gesamtbevölkerung zu schützen, wurde eine Reihe von Infektionsschutzmaßnahmen empfohlen, die im Verlauf der Pandemie zu einem Rückgang der COVID-19-Fälle und -Todesfälle in den Einrichtungen geführt haben. Gleichzeitig hat sich jedoch gezeigt, dass in Alten- und Pflegeheimen häufig einige Faktoren existieren, welche die Umsetzung von Infektionsschutzmaßnahmen erschweren und einen erheblichen Einfluss auf die Gesundheit der Bewohnenden ausüben.

Herausforderungen ergeben sich vor allem durch die Arbeitsbedingungen (Mangel an Personal grundsätzlich und mit entsprechenden Qualifikationen, arbeitsbedingte Belastungen), durch die Versorgung der Bewohnenden (medizinisch und psychosozial) sowie durch strukturelle und einrichtungsspezifische Faktoren (u. a. Größe von Heimen).

Lösungskonzepte für diese Probleme zeigen, dass die Umsetzung von Infektionsschutzmaßnahmen nicht für sich alleine steht, sondern als Teil eines Konzeptes zur Neugestaltung der Arbeits‑, Wohn- und Lebensbereiche der Beschäftigten und der Bewohnenden der Einrichtungen betrachtet werden sollte. Dabei gilt es, den Infektionsschutz in Alten- und Pflegeheimen nicht ausschließlich in Hinblick auf zukünftige Pandemien zu planen, sondern dessen Relevanz auch für bereits jetzt bestehende Gesundheitsgefahren, wie nosokomiale Infektionen, Antibiotikaresistenzen oder Influenza, zu beachten.
Embracing Complexity: Yeast Evolution Experiments Featuring Standing Genetic Variation
Authors: Burke Molly K.
Published: February 2023

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a long and esteemed history as a model system for laboratory selection experiments. The majority of yeast evolution experiments begin with an isogenic ancestor, impose selection as cells divide asexually, and track mutations that arise and accumulate over time. Within the last decade, the popularity of S. cerevisiae as a model system for exploring the evolution of standing genetic variation has grown considerably. As a facultatively sexual microbe, it is possible to initiate experiments with populations that harbor diversity and also to maintain that diversity by promoting sexual recombination as the experiment progresses. These experimental choices expand the scope of evolutionary hypotheses that can be tested with yeast. And, in this review, I argue that yeast is one of the best model systems for testing such hypotheses relevant to eukaryotic species. Here, I compile a list of yeast evolution experiments that involve standing genetic variation, initially and/or by implementing protocols that induce sexual recombination in evolving populations. I also provide an overview of experimental methods required to set up such an experiment and discuss the unique challenges that arise in this type of research. Throughout the article, I emphasize the best practices emerging from this small but growing niche of the literature.
Input reduction for nonlinear thermal surface loads
Authors: Rother Stephan , Beitelschmidt Michael
Published: February 2023

A multiplicity of simulations is required to optimize systems with thermal transient processes in the presence of uncertain parameters. That is why model order reduction is applied to minimize the numerical effort. The consideration of heat radiation and convection with parameter-dependent heat transfer coefficients results in a nonlinear system with many inputs as these loads are distributed over the whole surface limiting the attainable reduced dimension. Therefore, a new input reduction method is presented approximating the input matrix based on load vector snapshots using singular value decomposition. Afterward, standard reduction methods like the Krylov subspace method or balanced truncation can be applied. Compared to proper orthogonal decomposition, the number of training simulations decreases significantly and the reduced-order model provides a high accuracy within a broad parameter range. In a second step, the discrete empirical interpolation method is used to limit the evaluation of the nonlinearity to a few degrees of freedom and proper orthogonal decomposition allows the fast adaptation of the emissivity. As a result, the reduced system becomes independent of the original dimensions and the computation time is reduced drastically. This approach enables an optimal method combination depending on the number of simulations performed with the reduced model.
KRAS codon 12 mutations characterize a subset of de novo proliferating “metaplastic” Warthin tumors
Authors: Agaimy Abbas , Mantsopoulos Konstantinos , Iro Heinrich , Stoehr Robert
Published: February 2023

Warthin tumor (WT; synonym: cystadenolymphoma) represents one of the most frequent salivary gland tumors with a frequency equaling or even outnumbering that of pleomorphic adenomas in some series. Histologically, the tumor displays tall columnar oncocytic cells, arranged into two cell-thick layers lining variably cystic glands within an organoid lymphoid stroma. Tumors with exuberant squamous metaplasia in response to FNA-induced or other types of tissue injury/infarction have been referred to as “metaplastic WTs.” However, the same terminology was used for tumors with variable mucinous cell and solid or stratified epidermoid proliferations (occasionally mimicking mucoepidermoid carcinoma), although the “metaplasia concept” has never been proven for the latter. We herein investigated 22 WTs showing prominent mucoepidermoid-like or solid oncocytoma-like proliferations without prior FNA or histological evidence of infarction/ trauma using the TruSight Tumor 15 gene panel and KRAS pyrosequencing. As a control, we tested 11 conventional WTs. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two subcohorts regarding patient’s age and tumor size. Six of 22 (27%) proliferating/ metaplastic WTs revealed oncogenic KRAS mutations clustering at codon 12 (exon 2), while all conventional tumors lacked these mutations. Our findings are in line with a neoplastic nature of the epidermoid/ mucoepidermoid proliferations in non-injured “metaplastic” Warthin tumors. We propose the descriptive term “de novo proliferating Warthin tumor” for this variant to distinguish it from infarcted/inflamed genuine metaplastic Warthin tumor.
Schmerztherapie in der deutschen spezialisierten ambulanten Palliativversorgung
Authors: Volberg Christian , Corzilius Julien , Maul Julian , Morin Astrid , Gschnell Martin
Published: February 2023

Hintergrund

Mithilfe der spezialisierten ambulanten Palliativversorgung (SAPV) können in Deutschland schwersterkrankte und sterbende Patienten im häuslichen Umfeld bis zum Lebensende adäquat versorgt werden. Es gibt für die Schmerztherapie jedoch keine einheitlichen Standards oder Vorgaben, wie diese am besten durchgeführt werden sollte.

Ziel der Arbeit

Diese Arbeit dient der Grundlagenforschung im Bereich der Versorgungsforschung. Es soll dargestellt werden, welche Möglichkeiten (Einsatz verschiedener Berufsgruppen, Medikamente, alternativmedizinische Behandlungen etc.) die einzelnen SAPV-Teams für die Schmerztherapie nutzen, um daraus ableiten zu können, welche Strukturen als besonders effektiv angesehen werden können.

Material und Methodik

Diese Querschnittsstudie wurde im Mai 2021 durchgeführt. Alle auf der Homepage der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Palliativmedizin (DGP) gelisteten SAPV-Teams (n = 307) wurden postalisch angeschrieben und um Teilnahme gebeten. Insgesamt antworteten 175 (57 %) Teams auf die Anfrage und konnten in die Auswertung eingeschlossen werden. Es wurde eine rein deskriptive Datenauswertung durchgeführt.

Ergebnisse

Die Schmerztherapie in der deutschen ambulanten Versorgung palliativer Patienten basiert auf unterschiedlichen Bausteinen. Alle gängigen Schmerzmedikamente werden eingesetzt, vor allem aber Metamizol (99,4 %) als Nichtopioidanalgetikum, Morphin (98,3 %) aus der Reihe der Opiate und Pregabalin (96,6 %) als Koanalgetikum. Bei nichtbeherrschbaren Schmerzen führen 22,5 % der SAPV-Teams regelhaft eine palliative Sedierung zur Symptomlinderung durch.

Diskussion

Diese Erhebung gibt als erste dieser Art einen generellen Überblick über die eingesetzten Verfahren zur Schmerztherapie in der ambulanten palliativmedizinischen Versorgung. Im Vergleich mit internationalen Studien stellt sich die Frage, ob eventuell einheitliche Therapieschemata und eine Reduktion der zur Verfügung stehenden Medikamente in den einzelnen SAPV-Teams zu einer Verbesserung der Patientenversorgung führen könnten.
Comparable efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines for patients receiving tegafur–uracil as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Nishikubo Megumi , Tanaka Yugo , Mitsui Suguru , Doi Takefumi , Hokka Daisuke , Hojo Wataru , Sakai Hironori , Funakoshi Yohei , Yakushijin Kimikazu , Ohji Goh , Minami Hironobu , Maniwa Yoshimasa
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Many effective vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been developed, but a weaker response in individuals undergoing anticancer treatment has been reported. This study evaluates the immunogenic status and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), receiving tegafur–uracil (UFT) as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods

The subjects of this prospective study were 40 patients who underwent surgery for NSCLC and received SARS-CoV-2 vaccines postoperatively. We compared the antibody titers of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and the adverse events between patients who received adjuvant UFT and patients who did not.

Results

The mean anti-S1 IgG titers were not significantly different between the UFT and without-UFT groups (mean optimal density, 0.194 vs. 0.205; P = 0.76). Multivariate analysis identified the period after the second vaccination as an independent predictor of anti-S1 IgG titer (P = 0.049), but not the UFT status (with or without-UFT treatment; P = 0.47). The prevalence of adverse events did not differ significantly between the groups, and no severe adverse events occurred.

Conclusions

The efficacy and safety of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for NSCLC patients who received postoperative adjuvant UFT chemotherapy were comparable to those for NSCLC patients who did not receive postoperative adjuvant UFT chemotherapy.

Clinical trial registration

This study was registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) in Japan (UMIN000047380).
Trustworthy agent-based simulation: the case for domain-specific modelling languages
Authors: Zschaler Steffen , Polack Fiona A. C.
Published: February 2023

Simulation is a key tool for researching complex system behaviour. Agent-based simulation has been applied across domains, such as biology, health, economics and urban sciences. However, engineering robust, efficient, maintainable, and reliable agent-based simulations is challenging. We present a vision for engineering agent simulations comprising a family of domain-specific modelling languages (DSMLs) that integrates core software engineering, validation and simulation experimentation. We relate the vision to examples of principled simulation, to show how the DSMLs would improve robustness, efficiency, and maintainability of simulations. Focusing on how to demonstrate the fitness for purpose of a simulator, the envisaged approach supports bi-directional transparency and traceability between the original domain understanding to the implementation, interpretation of results and evaluation of hypotheses.
Cross-language font style transfer
Authors: Li Chenhao , Taniguchi Yuta , Lu Min , Konomi Shin’ichi , Nagahara Hajime
Published: February 2023

In this paper, we propose a cross-language font style transfer system that can synthesize a new font by observing only a few samples from another language. Automatic font synthesis is a challenging task and has attracted much research interest. Most previous works addressed this problem by transferring the style of the given subset to the content of unseen ones. Nevertheless, they only focused on the font style transfer in the same language. In many cases, we need to learn font style from one language and then apply it to other languages. Existing methods make this difficult to accomplish because of the abstraction of style and language differences. To address this problem, we specifically designed the network into a multi-level attention form to capture both local and global features of the font style. To validate the generative ability of our model, we constructed an experimental font dataset of 847 fonts, each containing English and Chinese characters with the same style. Results show that our model generates 80.3% of users’ preferred images compared with state-of-the-art models.
Conservation at the edge: connectivity and opportunities from non-protected coral reefs close to a National Park in the Colombian Caribbean
Authors: Rodríguez Laura , Acosta Alberto , González-Zapata Fanny L. , Gómez-Corrales Matías , Marrugo Milena , Alvarado-Ch. Elvira M. , Dueñas Luisa F. , Andrade Julio , Gutierrez-Cala Lina , Sánchez Juan A.
Published: February 2023

Confronting a sustained coral reef conservation crisis, we need new opportunities to rethink how to protect areas successfully and efficiently in the face of a changing world. We studied the benthic community, including foraminifera, fish community, and genetic connectivity (SSRs and SNPs) of main reef-building corals, Orbicella faveolata and Agaricia undata, along a Non-Protected Area (NPA) reef tract in Barú peninsula, including some isolated banks, near Cartagena and the National Natural Park Corales del Rosario y San Bernando (NNP CRySB), Colombia. The fringing reef track is homogeneous in benthic components, including algae, sponges, and foraminifera between all the studied sites, while corals exhibited differences between sites and depth ranges. Many reef sites sustain between 42.8 and 53% coral cover, which are among the highest recorded in this region, even higher than the nearby NNP. A total of 82 fish species were found, and the Foram Index-FI varies between 2 and 2.5, showing environmental conditions marginal for reef growth. The Barú NPA reef system can be considered spatial refugia under climate change and Anthropocene conditions, including resilient reefs at the mouth of Cartagena Bay (Magdalena River), a place of increased stressing factors. The admixture between NPA and NNP populations, the high coral cover in the NPA, the fish density and composition, the uniqueness of the diapiric banks, and the disturbance resistance are major arguments to protect this reef tract. We suggest designing a co-management scheme to ensure species connectivity, avoid further degradation, and involve different stakeholders.
Isolation and evaluation of Bacillus subtilis RSS-1 as a potential biocontrol agent against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on oilseed rape
Authors: Cao Shun , Jiang Bingxin , Yang Guogen , Pan Guangxue , Pan Yuemin , Chen Fangxin , Gao Zhimou , Dai Yuli
Published: February 2023

Sclerotinia stem rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is one of the most important diseases of oilseed rape in the world. Because of the absence of resistant varieties and the disadvantages of chemical control, application of antifungal microbes has become an eco-friendly and effective measure to control this disease. In this study, Bacillus subtilis strain RSS-1, isolated from soil samples, was identified based on morphological, physiological and biochemical tests, and DNA gyrase subunit A (gyrA), gyrB, DNA-directed RNA polymerase subunit beta (rpoB) and rpoC gene sequence analysis. It significantly inhibited mycelial growth and sclerotial production of S. sclerotiorum in vitro. In greenhouse experiments, all three tested concentrations (106, 107, 108 cfu mL−1) of cell fermentation broth and culture filtrate significantly reduced the severity of sclerotinia stem rot on oilseed rape (P < 0.05). RSS-1 was more effective at reducing disease severity when applied 24 h before inoculation with S. sclerotiorum than at 24 h post inoculation, suggesting that RSS-1 should be applied as a prophylactic rather than a curative biological agent. Colonization tests indicated that the population density of RSS-1 on rapeseed leaves significantly decreased (P < 0.05) over 6 days. However, RSS-1 could stably colonize in rhizospheric soil of rapeseed over 30 days. Challenge inoculation tests showed that RSS-1 significantly inhibited the activities of polygalacturonase and cellulase and accumulation of oxalic acid during the S. sclerotiorum infection. These results suggest that RSS-1 was a potential biological agent for controlling sclerotinia stem rot caused by S. sclerotiorum on oilseed rape.
Diverging or converging to a green world? Impact of green growth measures on countries’ economic performance
Authors: Ferreira João J. , Lopes João M. , Gomes Sofia , Dias Claudia
Published: February 2023

Green growth has emerged in recent years to respond to environmental problems caused by climate change and the scarcity of resources. However, today’s green growth involves environmental, social and financial dimensions. In this context, many countries are currently seeking green growth for their economic development through the efficient use of their resources. This study aims to assess the impact of green growth performance on the economic development of countries. A quantitative approach was applied to a sample of 172 countries worldwide, and the formulated hypotheses were tested through multiple linear regressions estimated by the ordinary least squares method. The economic development of countries was measured by the Human Development Index (HDI) and measures the sustainability performance of countries by the Green Growth Index (GGI). The results of this study demonstrate that (i) the measures of green growth performance have a positive impact on the economic development of high-income, upper-middle-income, and lower-middle-income economies, (ii) in poorer economies, less is the contribution of green growth to economic development, mainly because they neglecting the social dimension despite the numerous existing projects in these economies for greater inclusion and (iii) green economic opportunities (green investment, green trade, green employment and green innovation) do not influence green economic development in all analysed economies. Consequently, suggestions were made for policymakers from different groups of countries to increase and accelerate their sustainable green growth. Literature on economic development and green growth is still scarce, especially at the empirical level, and few studies use the 2020 GGI data. In addition, this study also uses recent rankings of world economies to categorize the economic development of countries.
An Exploratory Study to Understand Nonprofit Organizations’ Crisis Leadership Competencies: A Portuguese Analysis on COVID-19
Authors: Esteves Salete , Santos Lara , Lopes Luisa
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that affect the Nonprofit Organization’s (NPO) competencies and leadership in a crisis situation, specifically in the Portuguese NPOs during COVID-19. Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, this article integrates crisis management literature with leadership literature. Highlighting the leadership perspective of both intermediate employees (technical director) and top management (executive director), this research aims to advance knowledge on the main organizational leadership competencies that NPOs need to have to better cope with crises. One hundred and seventy-four (174) NPOs representatives voluntarily participated in the study which involved a survey questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale for 23 items included in the questionnaire. Principal component analysis using varimax rotation was applied to reduce the number of variables. Reliability tests were performed to assess the items included in the questionnaire. Tests included test-retest reliability, Cronbach alpha, and split-half reliability coefficients. Results show that the most important factors that improve the capability of a NPO to cope with a crisis are: respond to all stakeholders through accountability, plan based on identification of vulnerabilities, and build a foundation of trust through communication. Additionally, it is possible to suggest that staff and top management perceive crisis and leadership competencies differently. It is possible to conclude, that these factors can be used as important lines of action to structure the sustainable development and planning of NPOs’ strategies of other similar crisis to come in the future. Findings, the implications of this work, and avenues for future NPOs crisis management and leadership research are addressed.
Facing Reciprocity: How Photos and Avatars Promote Interaction in Micro-communities
Authors: Teubner Timm , Camacho Sonia
Published: February 2023

Online platforms facilitate the formation of micro-communities on the Internet by enabling exchange between locally dispersed individuals. Since all interactions are mediated through the online platform, user representation plays a critical role for such communities. Grounded in Social Exchange Theory, we report results of a behavioral experiment on the role of user profile photos and avatars for the emergence of network structures over time. While overall network value increases slightly, the underlying structures of exchange shift systematically from many weak ties to fewer but significantly stronger reciprocal exchange relations. Interestingly, despite representing users in a highly abstracted way, avatars yield outcomes comparable to those when using actual photographs. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of how online platforms can leverage social cues such as profile photos and avatars to manage and support micro-communities.
Unpacking resilience in higher education: investigating twenty-first-century shifts in universities’ academic cores
Authors: Young Mitchell , Pinheiro Rómulo , Avramovic Aleksandar
Published: February 2023

The political, social, and institutional environments in which contemporary universities operate have changed rather dramatically over the past two decades in ways that threaten the resilience of the academic core, both in its ability to map knowledge comprehensively and also to maintain a balance between the branches of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. This paper traces historical changes (2003–2019) in the academic core of two “flagship” research-intensive universities located in Northern Europe. The results show that some branches of the academic core are undergoing dynamic processes of program churn that make them resilient. Furthermore, the data show that this resilience is enabled in large part by bridging different branches of knowledge by establishing what we term interbranch programs. In addition to the abovementioned findings, the paper links ongoing discussions regarding change in HE systems and institutions to the literature on organizational resilience, and it advances insights for a possible future theory of how adaptation plays out in the academic core over time.
Do Children Matter to the Household Debt Burden?
Authors: Kowalski Ryszard , Strzelecka Agnieszka , Wałęga Agnieszka , Wałęga Grzegorz
Published: February 2023

In this paper, we assess the scale of indebtedness of households with children and investigate the impact of having children on the likelihood of falling into excessive debt. Using the unique dataset on indebted households in Poland, we employ two indicators to identify over-indebtedness: debt service-to-income ratio (DSTI) and subjective debt burden (SB). Applying two different debt measures allows encompassing both the economic and psychological dimensions of debt burden. In addition, we divide households into two groups: young (with a reference person aged under 35) and middle-aged and older adults (aged 35+). We find that the number of children increases the monthly debt repayments and reduces the likelihood of over-indebtedness, both according to DSTI and SB, for middle-aged and older adult households. There is no evidence for the influence of children on the over-indebtedness of young families. Our results suggest that for this age group of households, the other variables related to their economic situation and debt structures may explain the likelihood of over-indebtedness better than the presence of children.
Awareness of Infectious Disease Screening During Early Pregnancy and Knowledge About its Vertical Transmission in Japan: A Report from the Pregnant Women Health Initiative
Authors: Odagami Mizuha , Iwata Akiko , Kubota Kazumi , Kurasawa Kentaro , Okuda Mika , Aoki Shigeru , Hirabuki Tomoo , Tujie Tomoko , Saji Haruya , Hasegawa Tetsuya , Kobayashi Natsuko , Ueda Yutaka , Ishioka Shinichi , Enomoto Takayuki , Tsuji Makoto , Shigeta Hiroyuki , Koike Kumi , Tanaka Hiroaki , Tsukinaga Rie , Hasegawa Yoshimi , Numazaki Reiko , Ota Hajime , Kase Hiroaki , Ishikawa Hiroshi , Saito Yoshihiro , Yamawaki Takaharu , Miyagi Etsuko
Published: February 2023

Objectives

We aimed to clarify the accuracy of pregnant women’s knowledge and understanding regarding infectious disease screening in early pregnancy and clarify the roles that should be played by health care providers in promoting the health of pregnant women and their children.

Methods

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in 25 hospitals across Japan from May 2018 to September 2019. We compared the agreement rates regarding screening results for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), syphilis, human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1), and cervical cytology in the medical records and understanding of their results by pregnant women. We then investigated whether participants had knowledge regarding the risk of mother-to child transmission in these diseases and factors associated with their knowledge.

Results

We enrolled 2,838 respondents in this study. The rates of agreement for HBV and cervical cancer screening related to human papillomavirus infection were “substantial,” those for syphilis was “moderate,” and those for HCV and HTLV-1 were “fair,” according to the Kappa coefficient. The rate of knowledge regarding mother-to-child transmission of syphilis was highest (37.0%); this rate for the other items was approximately 30%. Increased knowledge was associated with higher educational level and higher annual income.

Conclusions for Practice

Pregnant women in Japan had generally good levels of understanding regarding their results in early-pregnancy infectious disease screening. However, they had insufficient knowledge regarding mother-to-child transmission of these diseases. Health care providers should raise awareness in infectious disease prevention among pregnant women and the general public, providing appropriate measures and implementing effective perinatal checkups and follow-ups for infectious diseases.
Soil moisture modulates biological nitrification inhibitors release in sorghum plants
Authors: Bozal-Leorri Adrián , Arregui Luis Miguel , Torralbo Fernando , González-Moro Mª Begoña , González-Murua Carmen , Aparicio-Tejo Pedro
Published: February 2023

Background and aims

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is able to exude allelochemicals with biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) capacity. Therefore, sorghum might be an option as cover crop since its BNI ability may reduce N pollution in the following crop due to a decreased nitrification. However, BNI exudation is related to the physiological state and development of the plant, so abiotic stresses such as drought might modify the rate of BNI exudation. Hence, the objective was to determine the effect of drought stress on sorghum plants’ BNI release.

Methods

The residual effects of sorghum crops over ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) were monitored in a 3-year field experiment. In a controlled-conditions experiment, sorghum plants were grown under Watered (60% WFPS) or Moderate drought (30% WFPS) conditions, and fertilized with ammonium sulphate (A), ammonium sulphate + DMPP (A+D), or potassium nitrate (KNO3−). Soil mineral N was determined, and AOB populations were quantified. Additionally, plant biomass, isotopic discrimination of N and C, and photosynthetic parameters were measured in sorghum plants.

Results

In the driest year, sorghum was able to reduce the AOB relative abundance by 50% at field conditions. In the plant-soil microcosm, drought stress reduced leaf photosynthetic parameters, which had an impact on plant biomass. Under these conditions, sorghum plants exposed to Moderate drought reduced the AOB abundance of A treatment by 25% compared to Watered treatment.

Conclusion

The release of BNI by sorghum under limited water conditions might ensure high soil NH4+-N pool for crop uptake due to a reduction of nitrifying microorganisms.