bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diversity and scale: Genetic architecture of 2068 traits in the VA Million Veteran Program
Authors: Verma Anurag , Huffman Jennifer E. , Rodriguez Alex , Conery Mitchell , Liu Molei , Ho Yuk-Lam , Kim Youngdae , Heise David A. , Guare Lindsay , Panickan Vidul Ayakulangara , Garcon Helene , Linares Franciel , Costa Lauren , Goethert Ian , Tipton Ryan , Honerlaw Jacqueline , Davies Laura , Whitbourne Stacey , Cohen Jeremy , Posner Daniel C. , Sangar Rahul , Murray Michael , Wang Xuan , Dochtermann Daniel R. , Devineni Poornima , Shi Yunling , Nandi Tarak Nath , Assimes Themistocles L. , Brunette Charles A. , Carroll Robert J. , Clifford Royce , Duvall Scott , Gelernter Joel , Hung Adriana , Iyengar Sudha K. , Joseph Jacob , Kember Rachel , Kranzler Henry , Kripke Colleen M. , Levey Daniel , Luoh Shiuh-Wen , Merritt Victoria C. , Overstreet Cassie , Deak Joseph D. , Grant Struan F. A. , Polimanti Renato , Roussos Panos , Shakt Gabrielle , Sun Yan V. , Tsao Noah , Venkatesh Sanan , Voloudakis Georgios , Justice Amy , Begoli Edmon , Ramoni Rachel , Tourassi Georgia , Pyarajan Saiju , Tsao Philip , O'Donnell Christopher J. , Muralidhar Sumitra , Moser Jennifer , Casas Juan P. , Bick Alexander G. , Zhou Wei , Cai Tianxi , Voight Benjamin F. , Cho Kelly , Gaziano J. Michael , Madduri Ravi K. , Damrauer Scott , Liao Katherine P.
Published: July 2024

One of the justifiable criticisms of human genetic studies is the underrepresentation of participants from diverse populations. Lack of inclusion must be addressed at-scale to identify causal disease factors and understand the genetic causes of health disparities. We present genome-wide associations for 2068 traits from 635,969 participants in the Department of Veterans Affairs Million Veteran Program, a longitudinal study of diverse United States Veterans. Systematic analysis revealed 13,672 genomic risk loci; 1608 were only significant after including non-European populations. Fine-mapping identified causal variants at 6318 signals across 613 traits. One-third (
n
= 2069) were identified in participants from non-European populations. This reveals a broadly similar genetic architecture across populations, highlights genetic insights gained from underrepresented groups, and presents an extensive atlas of genetic associations.
Multiscale photocatalytic proximity labeling reveals cell surface neighbors on and between cells
Authors: Lin Zhi , Schaefer Kaitlin , Lui Irene , Yao Zi , Fossati Andrea , Swaney Danielle L. , Palar Ajikarunia , Sali Andrej , Wells James A.
Published: July 2024

Proximity labeling proteomics (PLP) strategies are powerful approaches to yield snapshots of protein neighborhoods. Here, we describe a multiscale PLP method with adjustable resolution that uses a commercially available photocatalyst, Eosin Y, which upon visible light illumination activates different photo-probes with a range of labeling radii. We applied this platform to profile neighborhoods of the oncogenic epidermal growth factor receptor and orthogonally validated more than 20 neighbors using immunoassays and AlphaFold-Multimer prediction. We further profiled the protein neighborhoods of cell-cell synapses induced by bispecific T cell engagers and chimeric antigen receptor T cells. This integrated multiscale PLP platform maps local and distal protein networks on and between cell surfaces, which will aid in the systematic construction of the cell surface interactome, revealing horizontal signaling partners and reveal new immunotherapeutic opportunities.
Cruise set to restore critical Indian Ocean mooring array
Authors: Chandrashekar Vaishnavi
Published: July 2024

Mostly inoperable since 2020, sensors are key to monsoon forecasts and understanding global climate patterns
Trend analysis and prediction of injury incidence in China from 1990 to 2019 based on Bayesian age–period–cohort model
Authors: Meng Yuanjie , Wang Chaocai , Liu Yan
Published: July 2024

Background

Injury is a major challenge to global public health. Analysing the trend of injury incidence in China from 1990 to 2019 and predicting future trends in incidence can provide a theoretical basis for injury prevention and control in China.

Methods

We collected age-standardised incidence rates of injuries in China from 1990 to 2019 from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study. We analysed trends using joinpoint regression and age–period–cohort models. A prediction study was conducted using the Bayesian age-period-cohort model.

Results

From 1990 to 2019, there was an increasing trend in transport injuries, a decreasing trend in unintentional injuries and a decreasing trend in self-harm and interpersonal violence. The high-risk age for transport injuries, unintentional injuries and self-harm and interpersonal violence were 20–69 years (relative risk (RR)>1), ≤14 and ≥80 years (RR>1) and 20–24 years (RR=2.311, 95% CI 2.296 to 2.326), respectively. Projections indicate that by 2030, the incidence of transport and unintentional injuries will increase, whereas the incidence of self-harm and interpersonal violence will decrease.

Conclusion

The age group with the highest risk of transport injuries, unintentional injuries and self-harm and interpersonal violence were the 20–69 years, ≤ 14 and ≥80 years and 20–24 years age groups, respectively. Transport injuries and unintentional injuries will increase in 2020–2030, while self-harm and interpersonal violence will decrease. These can serve as a basis for developing measures to prevent and manage the impact of injuries.
The ethics of natural immunity exemptions to vaccine mandates: the Supreme Court petition
Authors: Pugh Jonathan , Savulescu Julian , Brown Rebecca C H , Wilkinson Dominic
Published: July 2024

The Supreme Court of the United States has recently been petitioned to revisit legal issues pertaining to the lawfulness of imposing a vaccine mandate on individuals with proof of natural immunity during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the petition accepts that the protection of public health during COVID-19 was an important governmental interest, the petitioners maintain that the imposition of a vaccine mandate on individuals with natural immunity was not ‘substantially related’ to accomplishing that purpose. In this short report, we outline how some of the petition’s general arguments interact with points we raised in a 2022 article in this journal defending natural immunity exemptions, in light of new evidence. In particular, we reflect on new evidence pertaining to differences between vaccine-induced immunity, natural immunity, and so-called ‘hybrid’ immunity. We suggest that the nuanced nature of this evidence highlights the importance of making fine-grained judgements about proportionality and necessity when considering vaccine mandates. We conclude by claiming that if future pandemics necessitate the imposition of vaccine mandates, then those seeking to justify them should clearly articulate the relevance (and the evidence) for the comparative protection of vaccine-induced, natural, and hybrid immunity.
Implications of task shifting on power relations in healthcare: the case of clinical officers at public hospitals in Malawi
Authors: Chinguwo Paliani
Published: July 2024

In Malawi, there exists a group of medical professionals known as clinical officers (COs) who assume responsibilities typically carried out by doctors due to the current scarcity of the latter. This paper seeks to explain how the introduction of COs as part of implementing task shifting in healthcare, unintentionally became a terrain for the contestation of power between COs and physicians. The research from which this paper originates used a qualitative research approach. It was carried out in state-owned facilities, encompassing four district hospitals and one central hospital in Malawi. This paper develops a conceptual framework on power and then uses it to demonstrate that task shifting through the introduction of COs as substitutes for physicians, became a source of interprofessional conflicts. The paper argues that unequal power relations between COs and physicians in healthcare contribute to interprofessional conflicts. The paper further demonstrates that unequal power relations between COs and physicians are manifested through differences in educational backgrounds and work experiences as well as unequal responsibility and authority. The paper concludes that the interprofessional conflicts between COs and physicians arising from unequal power relations ultimately aggravate poor psychosocial well-being among COs.
The QCD phase diagram and Beam Energy Scan physics: A theory overview
Authors: Du Lipei , Sorensen Agnieszka , Stephanov Mikhail
Published: July 2024

We review recent theoretical developments relevant to heavy-ion experiments carried out within the Beam Energy Scan program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Our main focus is on the description of the dynamics of systems created in heavy-ion collisions and establishing the necessary connection between the experimental observables and the QCD phase diagram.
DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A RELATIVE BLOOD FLOW CHANGE MEASUREMENT ALGORITHM USING NEAR-INFRARED LIGHT
Authors: PARK JIEUN , KIM JUNGHUN , CHOI SANG-IL , LEE JONGMIN
Published: July 2024

The purpose of this study is to develop a near-infrared blood flow measurement algorithm and verify its performance. The gradient value of the measurement point was determined by using LED lights with wavelengths of 760[Formula: see text]nm and 850[Formula: see text]nm. This process involved measuring the gradient value for a significant number of regularly spaced cubic pixels centered around the chosen point. The measured gradient values for each pixel were then averaged to derive the final gradient value. Based on the measurement of the gradation value, when the concentration ratio of blood was altered by 20% between 0% and 100%, the gradation values at 760[Formula: see text]nm and 850[Formula: see text]nm changed significantly (more than [Formula: see text]) in all cases. This study validated the efficacy of a self-developed near-infrared light system for detecting changes in blood flow. The ability to measure alterations in blood flow can be instrumental in predicting peripheral vascular disease (PVD) due to compromised circulatory conditions.
M4EEG: MATCHING NETWORK-BASED MENTAL HEALTH STATUS ASSESSMENT MODEL USING EEG SIGNALS
Authors: GAO YUN , CHENG ZIXUAN
Published: July 2024

Mental health is critical to an individual’s life and social functioning and affects emotions, cognition and behavior. Mental health status assessments can help individuals understand their own psychological status, identify potential problems in real-time and implement effective interventions to promote favorable mental health. In this study, a deep learning approach was used to construct a simple-minded and flexible model for electroencephalogram (EEG)-based mental health status assessment to construct the corresponding M4EEG model. This model is suitable not only for supervised learning tasks containing a large amount of labeled data but also for few-shot classification tasks in special cases. During execution, certain components of a pretrained transformer model are utilized as the model’s foundation. After deriving feature values from different inputs, these features are decoupled by cross-connecting them into the relation module. Finally, the correlation between the outputs and the classification results are determined by a relation score. In experiments, the Database for Emotion Analysis using Physiological Signals (DEAP) and Affective Mood and Interpersonal Goals in the School Environment (AMIGOS) datasets were partitioned into K-Shot files as the input information, and the classification results were derived from the M4EEG model. These results showed that the M4EEG model is capable of assessing mental health status through EEG, and the model can obtain results that cannot be achieved by existing models that do not apply comparable data labeling.
EVALUATION OF NECK FATIGUE CAUSED BY WEARING HELMET IN MOTION: AN ELECTROMYOGRAPHY STUDY
Authors: FAN XIAOLI , WU FENG , ZHAO ANDONG , GE HUA , LIU HEQING , ZHAO YANPENG
Published: July 2024

The increased weight of multifunction and intelligent helmet systems can cause an exacerbation of the neck workload. Further, increased weight of the helmet can reduce the wearing comfort, and prolonged use may cause neck fatigue and even neck injury. This study evaluates the fatigue of neck muscles caused by wearing a helmet in motion using electromyography (EMG) measurement. Additionally, a comprehensive evaluation model for neck fatigue was established effectively. Twenty healthy subjects were selected to run for 10[Formula: see text]min continuously in each task by wearing two different helmets, respectively, during which the EMG signals of different neck muscles and subjective scores were recorded and analyzed. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation analysis were used to obtain indicators of neck fatigue, based on which the support vector machine (SVM) was used to construct a classification model of neck fatigue. By using integral EMG (IEMG) and root mean square (RMS) for assessing the neck injury in sternocleidomastoideus and trapezius muscles, it was observed that the mean power frequency (MPF) and median frequency (MF) in trapezius and splenius capitis could be used as effective evaluation indicators of neck fatigue. The EMG activity in trapezius was the highly sensitivity to fatigue when wearing helmets in motion. The classifier for distinguishing three different neck fatigue levels was 91.67% accurate. This study demonstrates the feasibility of an EMG-based method to evaluate the neck fatigue caused by wearing a helmet in motion, and also provides an evaluation method for the optimal design of helmets in the future.
A MENTAL ILLNESS DETECTION MODEL FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS BASED ON BODY BEHAVIOR AND FACIAL EXPRESSION FEATURES
Authors: LI KEKE , YAO JIAN , LEUNG CHUN KAI , CHEN AIGUO
Published: July 2024

Mental illnesses such as depression are typically neurologically related psychological disorders that affect people’s mood, thinking and behavior. As the number of students who are concerned about their mental health continues to rise, depression has emerged as a mental health concern that has a significant impact on both students’ academic performance and overall lives. To identify depression in students at an earlier stage, the purpose of this study was to provide a potentially unique approach. An approach to the detection of mental illnesses that is based on deep learning networks is proposed in this paper. First, facial expression and physical activity data are utilized for detecting depression. Second, the transformer model is utilized to extract the characteristics of the individual’s physical behavior, and the multiregional attention network (MRAN) is utilized to extract the characteristics of the individual’s emotions. The information that is obtained from the two modalities is complementary. Finally, at the fusion stage, this work applies the classification prediction of depression and nondepression (normal) at the decision level. This is done to ensure that the respective modal properties that were learned by the two channels are preserved in their entirety. We have demonstrated that our strategy is highly effective by performing experimental validation using a dataset that we developed ourselves. It is possible to identify depression in children at an earlier stage with the help of this effective remedy. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will provide an efficient screening tool for depression to educational institutions and organizations that focus on mental health, hence assisting students in receiving essential assistance and intervention at an earlier stage.
SFE-TRANSUNET: A TRANSFORMER-BASED U-NET WITH SKIPPED FEATURES ENHANCER FOR MEDICAL IMAGE SEGMENTATION
Authors: HUANG JIANUO , LAN QUAN , DENG WEN , HUANG CHENXI , ZHANG SUZHEN
Published: July 2024

In the field of medical image segmentation, deep convolutional neural networks have achieved satisfying performance in the past decade or so. However, there are some shortcomings. First, the convolutional neural network model cannot provide good insight into the remote dependencies in the image. Second, medical imaging datasets are typically small, which leads to a much higher risk of overfitting in model training. To address these limitations, we innovatively designed the skipped features enhancer (SFE) to enhance the impact of preserved details. To gain insight into remote dependencies in images, this model (SFE-TransUNet) is based on transformer. Additionally, a different scale convolutional layer (additional information capturer) before and after the Transformer Encoder to fuse the features to retain more information of the original data. In addition, a gate mechanism was introduced in the multi-head self-attention (MHSA), and. Finally, an attention block with residuals. SFE-TransUNet was evaluated on two public medical image segmentation datasets. Experimental results show that it achieves better performance than other related Transformer-based architectures. Code available at https://github.com/xackz/SFE-TransUNet .
MOXIBUSTION AND FIRE NEEDLE ACUPUNCTURE FOR GOUTY ARTHRITIS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS
Authors: XIE YUFENG , XIAO LU , ZHANG JIANMEI , TANG HONG , ZHOU HONG , HE QIDA , ZHOU ZUNMING , CHEN YUN , GUO ZIYI , WANG QIAO , LIN QINGCHAN , WU QIBIAO , CHEN MIN
Published: July 2024

Background: To assess the effectiveness of moxibustion and fire needle acupuncture for the treatment of gouty arthritis (GA) by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: Seven electronic databases were searched from inception to August 2022 for all RCTs of moxibustion or fire needle acupuncture for GA treatment. Two investigators evaluated the quality of the included studies and extracted data independently. All statistical analyses were performed by RevMan 5.3. Results: Ten RCTs with 653 patients were included after the final screening. The meta-analysis showed that compared with Western medicine, both moxibustion and fire needle acupuncture significantly improved the total effective rate ([Formula: see text], 95% CI 1.10–1.23, [Formula: see text]) and the Comprehensive Joint Swelling and Pain (CSJSP) ([Formula: see text], 95% CI 2.99–4.25, [Formula: see text]) and significantly decreased the uric acid level ([Formula: see text], 95% CI 2.07–36.62, [Formula: see text]). Subgroup analyses based on the intervention type showed that either moxibustion or fire needle acupuncture significantly improved the total effective rate and the CSJSP and reduced uric acid levels; however, moxibustion ([Formula: see text], 95% CI 19.85–35.54, [Formula: see text]) was significantly better than fire-acupuncture ([Formula: see text], 95% CI −14.39–12.29, [Formula: see text]) in lowering uric acid levels. Conclusion: This study showed that both moxibustion and fire needle acupuncture are effective for GA patients. Considering the limitations of the included studies such as language bias and small sample size, rigorously designed and high-quality RCTs should be conducted to further evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion and fire needle acupuncture in treating GA.
‘COMPLEXITY-AWARE’ MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS — ANCHORING THEM IN COMPLEXITY SCIENCE
Authors: WIESNER KAROLINE , PURI JYOTSNA , REUMANN ANDREAS
Published: July 2024

As governments and multilateral institutions launch projects and programs to support climate change mitigation and adaptation, the challenge lies in determining their effectiveness. The high complexity of climate-change programs often makes it difficult to determine their effectiveness through standard monitoring and evaluation procedures. ‘complexity-aware monitoring’ is a qualitative approach to monitoring, recently introduced by international development programs. This increasing awareness of complexity in the evaluation sector opens up a window of opportunity for complexity science to support climate change mitigation and adaptation programs. This paper’s contribution is a hands-on methodology for live monitoring and evaluation of development programs. The methodology is rooted in existing literature on social–ecological systems, as pioneered by Ostrom, and in quantitative methods from complexity science. To illustrate the methodology, an existing climate mitigation project in Madagascar, funded, monitored and evaluated by the Green Climate Fund, is discussed.
ANALYSIS OF THE MULTIPLIER EFFECTS OF BASIC PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE ON LOCAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN CAMEROON
Authors: MIAMO CLOVIS WENDJI , SAHA JEAN CLAUDE , KAKEU BERTIN PILAG , KAMDJO CÉLESTIN , ACHUO ELVIS DZE
Published: July 2024

This study aims to empirically analyze the contribution of public basic infrastructure to local entrepreneurship in Cameroon. Applying iterative least squares to a multilevel random coefficients Logit model, we find that public investment in basic infrastructure generates positive multiplier effects on entrepreneurship at the local level. Specifically, investment in basic economic infrastructure leads to multiplier effects on business creation at the local level. Based on these results, local public authorities are encouraged to improve the supply of infrastructure, especially regarding the quality, accessibility and availability of basic economic infrastructure. Our findings further suggest that municipalities that offer a business environment that encourages public investment in infrastructure are more attractive to entrepreneurs and can provide existing or new firms with access to the resources and skills they need to take their business to the next level.
Cutting Planes Width and the Complexity of Graph Isomorphism Refutations
Authors: Torán Jacobo , Wörz Florian
Published: July 2024

The width complexity measure plays a central role in resolution and other propositional proof systems like Polynomial Calculus (under the name of degree). The study of width lower bounds is the most used method for proving size lower bounds, and it is known that for the mentioned proof systems, proofs with small width also imply the existence of proofs with small size. Not much has been studied, however, about the width parameter in the cutting planes (CP) proof system, a measure that was introduced by Dantchev and Martin in 2009 under the name of CP cutwidth.

In this article, we study the width complexity of CP refutations of graph isomorphism formulas. For a pair of non-isomorphic graphs

\(G\)

and

\(H\)

, we show a direct connection between the Weisfeiler–Leman differentiation number

\(\mathsf{WL}(G,H)\)

of the graphs and the width of a CP refutation for the corresponding isomorphism formula

\(\mathrm{Iso}(G,H)\)

. In particular, we show that if

\(\mathsf{WL}(G,H)\leq k\)

, then there is a CP refutation of

\(\mathrm{Iso}(G,H)\)

with width

\(k\)

, and if

\(\mathsf{WL}(G,H) \gt k\)

, then there are no CP refutations of

\(\mathrm{Iso}(G,H)\)

with width

\(k-2\)

. Similar results are known for other proof systems, like Resolution, Sherali–Adams, or Polynomial Calculus. We also obtain polynomial-length CP refutations from our width bound for isomorphism formulas for graphs with constant Weisfeiler–Leman dimension. Furthermore, we notice that a length lower bound for refuting graph isomorphism formulas in the subsystem of tree-like cutting planes with polynomially bounded coefficients follows from known results.
Playful by Design: Embedding Children's Rights into the Digital World
Authors: Colvert Angela , Pothong Kruakae , Livingstone Sonia
Published: July 2024

To explore ‘what good looks like’ for children’s play in a digital world,the Digital Futures Commission consulted children, companies, policy makers, regulators and academics. Responding to public scepticism that play online could match the benefits of traditional free play, our research compared insights from play in non-digital and digital contexts and integrated them within a holistic account of how play possibilities emerge from the intersection of people, products and places, conceived at micro, meso and macro levels. This very complexity helps to transcend reductive judgments about digital play and suggests multiple levers for design innovation, synthesised as ‘Playful by Design’ principles. We operationalised these by co-designing an interactive tool for developers and designers of children’s digital play. Finally, by mapping the principles to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, we position play as a use case for the broader agenda of Child Rights by Design.
Surveying a Landscape of Ethics-Focused Design Methods
Authors: Chivukula Shruthi Sai , Gray Colin , Li Ziqing , Pivonka Anne C. , Chen Jingning
Published: July 2024

Over the past decade, HCI researchers and practitioners have increasingly addressed ethics-focused issues through a range of theoretical, methodological, and pragmatic contributions to the field. While many forms of design knowledge have been proposed and described, we focus explicitly on knowledge that has been codified as “methods,” which we define as structured supports for everyday work practices of designers. In this article, we identify, analyze, and map a collection of 63 existing methods intentionally designed for ethical impact. Building on results of a content analysis of these methods, we contribute a descriptive record of how these methods operationalize ethics, their intended audience or context of use, their “core” or “script,” and the means by which these methods are formulated and codified. Building on these results, we provide an initial definition of ethics-focused methods, identifying potential opportunities for the development of future methods to support ethical design practice.
Electrophoretic Deposition and Characterization of Curcumin/Chitosan Coatings
Authors: Karpiński Robert , Błoniarz Aleksandra , Moskalewicz Tomasz
Published: July 2024

The purpose of the study was to investigate the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) route, microstructure and surface properties of composite curcumin/chitosan coatings on commercially pure titanium substrates for biomedical applications. Multiple routes of preparation of the dispersed systems for the EPD process and their electrokinetic properties have been investigated to obtain homogeneous coatings. The zeta potential of solutions with various curcumin content in ethanol or isopropanol proved their relatively low electrophoretic mobility. Thus, curcumin was co-deposited with chitosan molecules on the cathode. The surface morphology of the coatings consisted of submicrometric curcumin particles embedded in the chitosan matrix. The increase in the curcumin content in the ethanol caused large agglomerates and undissolved curcumin particles to appear on the coating surface. The coatings were characterized by high adhesion to the substrate and a water contact angle in the range of 85° to 95°. The coatings changed the zeta potential of the titanium surface from significantly negative (−46.7 ± 2.3 mV) to less negative values (−20.6 ± 2.6 mV). The developed coatings are promising for mitigating biofilm formation on the surface of titanium bone implants.
Electrochemical Oxidation Mechanism of Pyrite in a Copper(II)-Citrate-Sodium Thiosulfate Composite System
Authors: Tang Jiahua , Zhang Yan , Hu Xianzhi , Zi Futing , Yang Zhiting
Published: July 2024

Pyrite is an important gold carrier during gold leaching, but it is readily oxidized, which causes environmental problems such as acidic mine drainage. Thus, it is necessary to study the oxidation mechanism of pyrite in a gold-leaching electrolyte. The surface oxidation reaction of pyrite is a multi-electron transfer electrochemical oxidation process. Based on this, electrochemical technology was used to explore the electrochemical oxidation mechanism of pyrite in a Cu2+-Cit3−-S2O3
2− system. The surface oxidation products of the pyrite were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The experiments showed that the thiosulfate concentration did not change the oxidation mechanism of pyrite at 0.30 V under the conditions of this experiment. Increasing the concentration and potential of thiosulfate accelerated the oxidation rate of pyrite. The electrochemical oxidation of pyrite in the Cu2+-Cit3−-S2O3
2− system occurred in two stages. At low potentials in a passivated state, the process was diffusion-controlled, and the surface oxidation rate was slow. When the potential exceeded 0.50 V, the passivation film on the surface was penetrated, allowing the oxidation reaction on the surface of pyrite to continue. The results of this experiment are useful for deepening the understanding of the oxidation mechanism of pyrite in electrolytes.
Poly-Eriochrome Black T Decorated with Nickel Hydroxide Nanoparticles Modified Electrode for the Electrochemical Detection of Streptomycin and Probing its Interaction with Double-stranded DNA
Authors: Elshafey Reda , Ashour Waganat Fakherel-Dien , Radi Abd-Elgawad
Published: July 2024

We present a simple platform of poly-eriochrome Black T decorated with nickel hydroxide nanoparticles (Ni(OH)2NPs/PEBT) for the electrocatalytic oxidation of streptomycin (STRP) and probing its interaction with double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA). The electropolymerized eriochrome Black T modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was used to stabilize and synthesize Ni(OH)2NPs. The oxidation of STRP on Ni(OH)2NPs/PEBT/GCE mainly proceeded as a surface mechanism with the contribution of a diffusion-controlled process. A significant catalytic oxidation current of STRP was measured from an alkaline medium. It showed a dependence on the STRP concentrations in the range of 0.1 to 1.0 mM with a detection limit of 0.04 mM. The sensor has shown good recovery (85.3% to 90.2%, with RSD range of 1.27 to 8.83%) for the detection of STRP in diluted human serum. The interaction of STRP with ds-DNA was investigated from phosphate buffer pH 7.4 (0.2 M) using different electrode modifications (PEBT/GCE, and Ni(OH)2NPs/PEBT) in addition to bare GCE using voltammetric and impedance techniques. The binding constant of the STRP-DNA complex was calculated. Under the studied conditions, the interaction of ds-DNA with STRP in solution or on the surface of PEBT/GCE demonstrates their binding in intercalative and electrostatic modes.
Enhanced Detection and Segmentation of Brain Tumors Using a Dense BW‐CNN Approach
Authors: Kakarwal Sangeeta , Mapari Rahul , Jain Anuj Kumar , Sharma Vipin , Mane Pranoti Prashant , Raja Kumar Jambi Ratna , Pradhan Ranjan K.
Published: July 2024

This study introduces a novel Black Widow‐Optimized Dense CNN (BW‐DCNN) framework for the automated detection and segmentation of brain tumors in MRI scans, aiming to enhance early diagnosis and treatment planning. With the increasing frequency of brain tumors, early and accurate detection becomes crucial for effective treatment. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a diagnostic technique owing to its excellent sensitivity. However, manual MRI data analysis is time‐consuming and prone to errors. Leveraging advancements in Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and optimization algorithms, the proposed BW‐DCNN framework utilizes a unique integration of preprocessing, segmentation enhancement, and classification techniques optimized through Black Widow Optimization to improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. Evaluating the BW‐DCNN framework against existing methodologies, including DCNN, DNN, and DBN, demonstrates superior performance across a comprehensive suite of metrics. These results highlight the potential of the BW‐DCNN approach to significantly advance the capabilities of computer‐aided diagnostic systems in medical imaging, offering a promising direction for future research and application in clinical settings.
Mitigating Risk: Predicting H5N1 Avian Influenza Spread with an Empirical Model of Bird Movement
Authors: McDuie Fiona , T. Overton Cory , A. Lorenz Austen , L. Matchett Elliott , L. Mott Andrea , A. Mackell Desmond , T. Ackerman Joshua , De La Cruz Susan E. W. , Patil Vijay P. , Prosser Diann J. , Takekawa John Y. , Orthmeyer Dennis L. , Pitesky Maurice E. , Díaz-Muñoz Samuel L. , Riggs Brock M. , Gendreau Joseph , Reed Eric T. , Petrie Mark J. , Williams Chris K. , Buler Jeffrey J. , Hardy Matthew J. , Ladman Brian S. , Legagneux Pierre , Bêty Joël , Thomas Philippe J. , Rodrigue Jean , Lefebvre Josée , Casazza Michael L.
Published: July 2024

Understanding timing and distribution of virus spread is critical to global commercial and wildlife biosecurity management. A highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIv) global panzootic, affecting ~600 bird and mammal species globally and over 83 million birds across North America (December 2023), poses a serious global threat to animals and public health. We combined a large, long‐term waterfowl GPS tracking dataset (16 species) with on‐ground disease surveillance data (county‐level HPAIv detections) to create a novel empirical model that evaluated spatiotemporal exposure and predicted future spread and potential arrival of HPAIv via GPS tracked migratory waterfowl through 2022. Our model was effective for wild waterfowl, but predictions lagged HPAIv detections in poultry facilities and among some highly impacted nonmigratory species. Our results offer critical advance warning for applied biosecurity management and planning and demonstrate the importance and utility of extensive multispecies tracking to highlight potential high‐risk disease spread locations and more effectively manage outbreaks.
Impaired Proliferation of CD8+ T Cells Stimulated with Monocyte‐Derived Dendritic Cells Previously Matured with Thapsigargin‐Stimulated LAD2 Human Mast Cells
Authors: Kalkusova Katerina , Taborska Pavla , Stakheev Dmitry , Rataj Michal , Smite Sindija , Darras Elea , Albo Julia , Bartunkova Jirina , Vannucci Luca , Smrz Daniel
Published: July 2024

CD8+ T cells are essential for adaptive immunity against infection and tumors. Their ability to proliferate after stimulation is crucial to their functionality. Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen‐presenting cells that induce their proliferation. Here, we show that thapsigargin‐induced LAD2 mast cell (MC) line‐released products can impair the ability of monocyte‐derived DCs to induce CD8+ T‐cell proliferation and the generation of Th1 cytokine‐producing T cells. We found that culture medium conditioned with LAD2 MCs previously stimulated with thapsigargin (thapsLAD2) induces maturation of DCs as determined by the maturation markers CD80, CD83, CD86, and HLA‐DR. However, thapsLAD2‐matured DCs produced no detectable TNFα or IL‐12 during the maturation. In addition, although their surface expression of PD‐L1 was comparable with the immature or TLR7/8‐agonist (R848)‐matured DCs, their TIM‐3 expression was significantly higher than in immature DCs and even much higher than in R848‐matured DCs. In addition, contrary to R848‐matured DCs, the thapsLAD2‐matured DCs only tended to induce enhanced proliferation of CD4+ T cells than immature DCs. For CD8+ T cells, this tendency was not even detected because thapsLAD2‐matured and immature DCs comparably induced their proliferation, which contrasted with the significantly enhanced proliferation induced by R848‐matured DCs. Furthermore, these differences were comparably recapitulated in the ability of the tested DCs to induce IFNγ‐ and IFNγ/TNFα‐producing T cells. These findings show a novel mechanism of MC‐mediated regulation of adaptive immune responses.
Screening of Bovine Coronavirus Multiepitope Vaccine Candidates: An Immunoinformatics Approach
Authors: Jiang Qian , Ma Zhigang , Min Fang , Ding Xiaojun , Liang Yumeng , Wang Jinquan , Liu Lu , Li Na , Sun Yawei , Zhong Qi , Yao Gang , Ma Xuelian
Published: July 2024

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is a causative agent of enteric and respiratory disease in cattle. BCoV has been reported to cause a variety of animal diseases and is closely related to human coronaviruses; moreover, it has attracted extensive attention from both cattle farmers and researchers. With the rise of BCoV, a vaccine that is prophylactic and immunotherapeutic has to be utilized for a preemptive and adroit therapeutic approach. The aim of this study was to develop a novel multiepitope‐based BCoV vaccine that can induce an immune response using a silicon reverse vaccinology approach. In this study, an immunoinformatics approach was employed to identify potential vaccine targets against BCoV, and four candidate antigen proteins were selected to predict B‐cell and T‐cell epitopes. To identify dominant epitopes, we employed a variety of bioinformatics techniques, including antigenicity prediction, immunogenicity assessment, allergenicity analysis, conservative analysis, and toxicity assessment. Finally, six multiepitope vaccines were developed using dominant epitopes, suitable adjuvants, Pan HLADR—binding epitope (PADRE), and linkers. Then based on the antigenicity score, solubility analysis, allergenicity evaluation, physicochemical property assessment, and tertiary structure verification score, construct 6 was selected as the best candidate vaccine; it was named CY. Molecular modeling and structural validation ensured the high‐quality 3D structure of construct CY. The immunogenicity and complex stability of the vaccine were evaluated by molecular docking and kinetic simulation. In silicon clones, the BCoV vaccine had high levels of gene expression in the insect expression system. These results may contribute to the development of experimental BCoV vaccines with higher potency and safety.
Exploring Disparities in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Outcomes among Asian and Pacific Islander Subgroups
Authors: Wu Christopher , McLeod M. Chandler , Song Zhixing , Chen Herbert , Rose John Bart , Bhatia Smita , Gillis Andrea
Published: July 2024

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a challenging malignancy with known disparities in outcomes across ethnicities. Studies specifically investigating PDAC in Asian populations are sparse, overlooking the rich diversity within this group. This research seeks to fill that gap by examining survival differences across the broad spectrum of Asian ethnicities, acknowledging the complexity and varied experiences within these communities. Utilizing the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2019, we categorized patients into East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander groups. Non-Asians or Pacific Islanders were excluded. Overall survival was analyzed using a Cox hazards model. The study consisted of 13,254 patients. Most patients were East Asian (59.4%, n = 7,866). Southeast Asians exhibited the poorest survival in unadjusted analysis (HR, 1.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.23–1.42; P < 0.001) compared with South Asians who exhibited the best survival. Multivariable analysis revealed significantly worse survival for East Asians and Pacific Islanders relative to South Asians, whereas Southeast Asians’ results were not significantly different. Asian subgroup differences notably affect PDAC outcomes. Research on genetic and cultural aspects, especially in Southeast Asians, and tackling health disparities are crucial for enhancing survival in this diverse disease.

Significance:

This study highlights the significant survival disparities among Asian subgroups with pancreatic cancer, utilizing a large national database. By differentiating among East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander groups, it underscores the need for tailored research and healthcare approaches. Addressing these differences is essential for developing culturally sensitive interventions and potentially improving outcomes in a disease that uniquely affects these diverse populations.
Analysis Customer Perceptions on the Acceptances of Mobile Banking-Based Services in Banking Sectors Using an Approach of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
Authors: Tanjung Maula Nabila Zuhri , Herwindhani Karina Amalia
Published: July 2024

Technological developments require all business industries to be able to quickly adapt to technology, especially in the banking sector. This study aims to measure customer perceptions of using Mobile Banking application services in the banking sector using TAM. TAM is a model used to predict the acceptance of newly implemented technology. The case study in this study is customers at state-owned banking companies at PT X and PT Y in Malang City. This research uses quantitative descriptive research methods. The results of this study are expected to provide information on customer needs so that companies can maintain and improve their service quality.
Estimating the Impact of Hospital-Level Variation on the Use of Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities Versus Skilled Nursing Facilities on Individual Patients With Stroke
Authors: Simmonds Kent P. , Burke James , Kozlowski Alan , Andary Michael , Luo Zhehui , Reeves Mathew J.
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND:

There is substantial hospital-level variation in the use of Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs) versus Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) among patients with stroke, which is poorly understood. Our objective was to quantify the net effect of the admitting hospital on the probability of receiving IRF or SNF care for individual patients with stroke.

METHODS:

Using Medicare claims data (2011–2013), a cohort of patients with acute stroke discharged to an IRF or SNF was identified. We generated 2 multivariable logistic regression models. Model 1 predicted IRF admission (versus SNF) using only patient-level factors, whereas model 2 added a hospital random effect term to quantify the hospital effect. The statistical significance and direction of the random effect terms were used to categorize hospitals as being either IRF-favoring, SNF-favoring, or neutral with respect to their discharge patterns. The hospital’s impact on individual patient’s probability of IRF discharge was estimated by taking the change in individual predicted probabilities (change in individual predicted probability) between the 2 models. Hospital-level effects were categorized as small (<10%), moderate (10%–19%), or large (≥20%) depending on change in individual predicted probability.

RESULTS:

The cohort included 135 415 patients (average age, 81.5 [SD=8.0] years, 61% female, 91% ischemic stroke) who were discharged from 1816 acute care hospitals to IRFs (n=66 548) or SNFs (n=68 867). Half of hospitals were classified as being either IRF-favoring (n=461, 25.4%) or SNF-favoring (n=485, 26.7%) with the remainder (n=870, 47.9%) considered neutral. Overall, just over half (n=73 428) of patients were treated at hospitals that had moderate or large independent effects on discharge settings. Hospital effects for neutral hospitals were small (ie, change in individual predicted probability <10%) for most patients (72.5%). However, hospital effects were moderate or large for 78.8% and 84.6% of patients treated at IRF- or SNF-favoring hospitals, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

For most patients with stroke, the admitting hospital meaningfully changed the type of rehabilitation care that they received.
Sex Differences in Profile and In‐Hospital Death for Acute Stroke in Chile: Data From a Nationwide Hospital Registry
Authors: Nuñez Marilaura , Allende Ma.Ignacia , González Francisca , Cavada Gabriel , Anderson Craig S. , Muñoz Venturelli Paula
Published: July 2024

Background

Knowledge of local contextual sex differences in the profile and outcome for stroke can improve service delivery. We aimed to determine sex differences in the profile of patients with acute stroke and their associations with in‐hospital death in the national hospital database of Chile.

Methods and Results

We present a retrospective cohort based on the analysis of the 2019 Chilean database of Diagnosis‐Related Groups, which represents 70% of the operational expenditure of the public health system. Random‐effects multiple logistic regression models were used to determine independent associations of acute stroke (defined by main diagnosis
International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision
[
ICD‐10
] codes) and in‐hospital death, and reported with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. Of 1 048 575 hospital discharges, 15 535 were for patients with acute stroke (7074 [45.5%] in women), and 2438 (15.6%) of them died during hospitalization. Differences by sex in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were identified for stroke and main subtypes. After fully adjusted model, women with ischemic stroke had lower in‐hospital death (OR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.69–0.91]) compared with men; other independent predictors included age per year increase (OR, 1.03 [95% CI, 1.03–1.04]), chronic kidney disease (OR, 1.47 [95% CI, 1.20–1.80]), atrial fibrillation (OR, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.26–1.80]), and other risk factors. Conversely, for intracerebral hemorrhage, women had a higher in‐hospital mortality rate than men (OR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.02–1.40]); other independent predictors included age per year increase (OR, 1.009 [95% CI, 1.003–1.01]), chronic kidney disease (OR, 1.55 [95% CI, 1.23–1.97]), oral anticoagulant use (OR, 1.88 [95% CI, 1.37–2.58]), and other risk factors.

Conclusions

Sex differences in characteristics and in‐hospital death of hospitalized patients exist for acute stroke in Chile. In‐hospital death is higher for acute ischemic stroke in men and higher for intracerebral hemorrhage in women. Future research is needed to better identify contributing factors.
Frataxin Loss Promotes Angiotensin II–Induced Endothelial‐to‐Mesenchymal Transition
Authors: Guo Yuetong , Cheng Xingyi , Huang Chenglin , Gao Jing , Shen Weili
Published: July 2024

Background

The metabolic flexibility of endothelial cells is linked to their phenotypic plasticity. Frataxin is critical in determining the iron metabolism and fate of endothelial cells. This study aimed to investigate frataxin‐mediated metabolic remodeling during the endothelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EndoMT).

Methods and Results

Endothelial cell‐specific frataxin knockout and frataxin mutation mice were subjected to angiotensin II to induce hypertension. EndoMT and cardiac fibrosis were assessed using histological and protein expression analyses. Fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in microvascular endothelial cells was measured using a Seahorse XF96 analyzer. We showed that inhibition of FAO accompanies angiotensin II‐induced EndoMT. Frataxin knockout mice promote EndoMT, associated with increased cardiac fibrosis following angiotensin II infusion. Angiotensin II reduces frataxin expression, which leads to mitochondrial iron overload and subsequent carbonylation of sirtuin 3. In turn, carbonylated sirtuin 3 contributes to the acetylated frataxin at lysine 189, making it more prone to degradation. The frataxin/sirtuin 3 feedback loop reduces hydroxyl‐CoA dehydrogenase α subunit–mediated FAO. Additionally, silymarin is a scavenger of free radicals, restoring angiotensin II–induced reduction of FAO activity and sirtuin 3 and frataxin expression, improving EndoMT both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, frataxin mutation mice showed suppressed EndoMT and improved cardiac fibrosis.

Conclusions

The frataxin/sirtuin 3 feedback loop has the potential to attenuate angiotensin II–induced EndoMT by improving FAO.