bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of artificial intelligence on the diagnostic performance of endoscopists in the assessment of Barrett’s esophagus: a tandem randomized and video trial
Authors: Meinikheim Michael , Mendel Robert , Palm Christoph , Probst Andreas , Muzalyova Anna , Scheppach Markus W. , Nagl Sandra , Schnoy Elisabeth , Römmele Christoph , Schulz Dominik A. H. , Schlottmann Jakob , Prinz Friederike , Rauber David , Rückert Tobias , Matsumura Tomoaki , Fernández-Esparrach Glòria , Parsa Nasim , Byrne Michael F. , Messmann Helmut , Ebigbo Alanna
Published: March 2024

Background This study evaluated the effect of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based clinical decision support system on the performance and diagnostic confidence of endoscopists in their assessment of Barrett’s esophagus (BE).

Methods 96 standardized endoscopy videos were assessed by 22 endoscopists with varying degrees of BE experience from 12 centers. Assessment was randomized into two video sets: group A (review first without AI and second with AI) and group B (review first with AI and second without AI). Endoscopists were required to evaluate each video for the presence of Barrett’s esophagus-related neoplasia (BERN) and then decide on a spot for a targeted biopsy. After the second assessment, they were allowed to change their clinical decision and confidence level.

Results AI had a stand-alone sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 92.2%, 68.9%, and 81.3%, respectively. Without AI, BE experts had an overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 83.3%, 58.1%, and 71.5%, respectively. With AI, BE nonexperts showed a significant improvement in sensitivity and specificity when videos were assessed a second time with AI (sensitivity 69.8% [95%CI 65.2%–74.2%] to 78.0% [95%CI 74.0%–82.0%]; specificity 67.3% [95%CI 62.5%–72.2%] to 72.7% [95%CI 68.2%–77.3%]). In addition, the diagnostic confidence of BE nonexperts improved significantly with AI.

Conclusion BE nonexperts benefitted significantly from additional AI. BE experts and nonexperts remained significantly below the stand-alone performance of AI, suggesting that there may be other factors influencing endoscopists’ decisions to follow or discard AI advice.
Synthesis and rheological properties of water-based Fe3O4 magnetic fluid
Authors: Li Qianping , Li Decai , Zhang Shiting , Hu Yang , Niu Xiaodong , Yamaguchi Hiroshi , Wei Yijian , Yu Wenjuan , Wang Zhibin , Qiao Yajing
Published: March 2024

This paper first prepared a water-based magnetic fluid using a chemical co-precipitation method and conducted a detailed characterization and calculation of its important magnetization properties. Key parameters for analyzing the influence mechanism on the rheological properties of the water-based magnetic fluid were obtained. Subsequently, the impact of different magnetic field and shear rates on the magnetoviscous effect, shear-thinning behavior, and yield stress of the water-based magnetic fluid was studied through steady rotation measurements. The results showed a positive correlation between viscosity, shear stress, and yield stress with the magnetic field. Additionally, we also provide theoretical prediction formulas for the magnetoviscous effect based on the influence of microstructures formed by solid-phase magnetic particles in the magnetic field. The dimensionless Mason number was used to establish the scaling law relationship between viscosity measurements and theoretical values, with results showing good agreement between measured and theoretical values. The Herschel–Bulkley model and the Casson model were employed to obtain the dynamic yield stress values of the sample, and a quadratic linear increase relationship between yield stress and magnetic field was derived. These research findings provide important references for a deeper understanding of the physical and chemical properties of water-based magnetic fluid and for optimizing its application.
Performance analysis and scheduling study of hybrid CAES system operating jointly with wind and solar
Authors: Jin Peng , Zhang Yufei , Song Yaoguang , Cai Xuchao , Wang Haiyang , Wang Huanran , Li Ruixiong
Published: March 2024

Hybrid compressed air energy storage (H-CAES) system can effectively reduce the heat loss in the compression process, which is one of the important methods to solve the problem of renewable energy volatility. Based on the H-CAES system that combines adiabatic compression and isothermal compression, this paper proposes a liquid piston compressor arrangement to adapt to the input power fluctuation and proposes a power allocation calculation method to solve the adiabatic compression and isothermal compression in the H-CAES system, with an emphasis on analyzing the impact of the participation of renewable energy sources on the system performance. In addition, the H-CAES system is placed under wind-solar-storage conditions, and scheduling strategies judged by time-sharing electricity price are proposed for different scenarios to explore the actual operating effects of the H-CAES system. The results show that the arrangement of liquid piston compressors from large tanks with fewer groups to small tanks with more groups can better adapt to the power change while maintaining a better isothermal compression effect. On the basis of using the power allocation calculation method proposed in this paper, it is found that higher compressor outlet pressure and lower storage pressure can improve the system efficiency and economic benefits. The system is able to achieve 59.71% efficiency and 0.2261 annual return on investment at the compressor outlet pressure of 4 MPa. Finally, it is demonstrated that the combined operation of H-CAES and wind energy can serve to increase the operating income of the power plant, and a maximum of 8909.236 yuan in daily electricity generation revenue can be achieved.
Causal connectivity measures for pulse-output network reconstruction: Analysis and applications
Authors: Tian Zhong-qi K. , Chen Kai , Li Songting , McLaughlin David W. , Zhou Douglas
Published: March 2024

The causal connectivity of a network is often inferred to understand network function. It is arguably acknowledged that the inferred causal connectivity relies on the causality measure one applies, and it may differ from the network’s underlying structural connectivity. However, the interpretation of causal connectivity remains to be fully clarified, in particular, how causal connectivity depends on causality measures and how causal connectivity relates to structural connectivity. Here, we focus on nonlinear networks with pulse signals as measured output, e.g., neural networks with spike output, and address the above issues based on four commonly utilized causality measures, i.e., time-delayed correlation coefficient, time-delayed mutual information, Granger causality, and transfer entropy. We theoretically show how these causality measures are related to one another when applied to pulse signals. Taking a simulated Hodgkin–Huxley network and a real mouse brain network as two illustrative examples, we further verify the quantitative relations among the four causality measures and demonstrate that the causal connectivity inferred by any of the four well coincides with the underlying network structural connectivity, therefore illustrating a direct link between the causal and structural connectivity. We stress that the structural connectivity of pulse-output networks can be reconstructed pairwise without conditioning on the global information of all other nodes in a network, thus circumventing the curse of dimensionality. Our framework provides a practical and effective approach for pulse-output network reconstruction.
AI can help people feel heard, but an AI label diminishes this impact
Authors: Yin Yidan , Jia Nan , Wakslak Cheryl J.
Published: March 2024

People want to “feel heard” to perceive that they are understood, validated, and valued. Can AI serve the deeply human function of making others feel heard? Our research addresses two fundamental issues: Can AI generate responses that make human recipients feel heard, and how do human recipients react when they believe the response comes from AI? We conducted an experiment and a follow-up study to disentangle the effects of actual source of a message and the presumed source. We found that AI-generated messages made recipients feel more heard than human-generated messages and that AI was better at detecting emotions. However, recipients felt less heard when they realized that a message came from AI (vs. human). Finally, in a follow-up study where the responses were rated by third-party raters, we found that compared with humans, AI demonstrated superior discipline in offering emotional support, a crucial element in making individuals feel heard, while avoiding excessive practical suggestions, which may be less effective in achieving this goal. Our research underscores the potential and limitations of AI in meeting human psychological needs. These findings suggest that while AI demonstrates enhanced capabilities to provide emotional support, the devaluation of AI responses poses a key challenge for effectively leveraging AI’s capabilities.
Logistics of defense: The contribution of endomembranes to plant innate immunity
Authors: Bhandari Deepak D. , Brandizzi Federica
Published: March 2024

Phytopathogens cause plant diseases that threaten food security. Unlike mammals, plants lack an adaptive immune system and rely on their innate immune system to recognize and respond to pathogens. Plant response to a pathogen attack requires precise coordination of intracellular traffic and signaling. Spatial and/or temporal defects in coordinating signals and cargo can lead to detrimental effects on cell development. The role of intracellular traffic comes into a critical focus when the cell sustains biotic stress. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the post-immune activation logistics of plant defense. Specifically, we focus on packaging and shipping of defense-related cargo, rerouting of intracellular traffic, the players enabling defense-related traffic, and pathogen-mediated subversion of these pathways. We highlight the roles of the cytoskeleton, cytoskeleton–organelle bridging proteins, and secretory vesicles in maintaining pathways of exocytic defense, acting as sentinels during pathogen attack, and the necessary elements for building the cell wall as a barrier to pathogens. We also identify points of convergence between mammalian and plant trafficking pathways during defense and highlight plant unique responses to illustrate evolutionary adaptations that plants have undergone to resist biotic stress.
Subpopulation commensalism promotes Rac1-dependent invasion of single cells via laminin-332
Authors: Yoon Sung Bo , Chen Luxiao , Robinson Isaac E. , Khatib Tala O. , Arthur Robert A. , Claussen Henry , Zohbi Najdat M. , Wu Hao , Mouw Janna K. , Marcus Adam I.
Published: March 2024

Phenotypic heterogeneity poses a significant hurdle for cancer treatment but is under-characterized in the context of tumor invasion. Amidst the range of phenotypic heterogeneity across solid tumor types, collectively invading cells and single cells have been extensively characterized as independent modes of invasion, but their intercellular interactions have rarely been explored. Here, we isolated collectively invading cells and single cells from the heterogeneous 4T1 cell line and observed extensive transcriptional and epigenetic diversity across these subpopulations. By integrating these datasets, we identified laminin-332 as a protein complex exclusively secreted by collectively invading cells. Live-cell imaging revealed that laminin-332 derived from collectively invading cells increased the velocity and directionality of single cells. Despite collectively invading and single cells having similar expression of the integrin α6β4 dimer, single cells demonstrated higher Rac1 activation upon laminin-332 binding to integrin α6β4. This mechanism suggests a novel commensal relationship between collectively invading and single cells, wherein collectively invading cells promote the invasive potential of single cells through a laminin-332/Rac1 axis.
Delegated quantum neural networks for encrypted data
Authors: Sun Wenli , Chang Yan , Wang Danchen , Zhang Shibin , Yan Lili
Published: March 2024

Quantum machine learning is expected to utilize the potential advantages of quantum computing to advance the efficiency of machine learning. However, with the help of quantum cloud servers, ordinary users may confront the threat of privacy leakage of input data and models when performing the training or inference of quantum neural networks (QNNs). To address this problem, we present a new framework that allows the training and inference of delegated QNNs to be performed on encrypted data to protect the privacy of users’ data and models. This framework contains two models that are alternately trained: an encryptor and a predictor. The classical client first trains the encryptor defined by a classical neural network to map plaintext input data to vastly different ciphertext data. The ciphertext data is sent to the quantum cloud server to train the predictor defined by a QNN, which can indirectly predict the labels of plaintext data. With the trained encryptor and predictor, the client can send the encrypted data to the server for prediction and obtain almost equivalent prediction results. The proposed framework is applied to three types of QNN models, each dealing with low-dimensional tabular data, image data, and one-dimensional time series data, respectively. Experimental results show that the privacy protection method based on our framework can protect data and model privacy without degrading the performance of QNNs. The framework does not require users to have quantum capabilities and is suitable for protecting data and model privacy for various QNN models.
Representations of groups on Banach spaces
Authors: Ferri Stefano , Gómez Camilo , Neufang Matthias
Published: March 2024

We establish a general framework for representability of a metric group on a (well-behaved) class of Banach spaces. More precisely, let

G

\mathcal {G}

be a topological group, and

A

\mathcal {A}

a unital symmetric

C
∗

C^*

-subalgebra of

U
C

(

G

)

\mathrm {UC}(\mathcal {G})

, the algebra of bounded uniformly continuous functions on

G

\mathcal {G}

. Generalizing the notion of a stable metric, we study

A

\mathcal {A}

-metrics

δ
\delta

, i.e., the function

δ
(
e
,
⋅
)

\delta (e, \cdot )

belongs to

A

\mathcal {A}

; the case

A

=
W

A

P
(

G

)

\mathcal {A}=W\hskip -0.7mm A\hskip -0.2mm P(\mathcal {G})

, the algebra of weakly almost periodic functions on

G

\mathcal {G}

, recovers stability. If the topology of

G
G

is induced by a left invariant metric

d
d

, we prove that

A

\mathcal {A}

determines the topology of

G

\mathcal {G}

if and only if

d
d

is uniformly equivalent to a left invariant

A

\mathcal {A}

-metric. As an application, we show that the additive group of

C
[
0
,
1
]

C[0,1]

is not reflexively representable; this is a new proof of Megrelishvili [Topological transformation groups: selected topics, Elsevier, 2007, Question 6.7] (the problem was already solved by Ferri and Galindo [Studia Math. 193 (2009), pp. 99–108] with different methods and later the results were generalized by Yaacov, Berenstein, and Ferri [Math. Z. 267 (2011), pp.129–138]). Let now

G

\mathcal {G}

be a metric group, and assume

A

⊆

L
U
C

(

G

)

\mathcal {A}\subseteq \mathrm {LUC}(\mathcal {G})

, the algebra of bounded left uniformly continuous functions on

G

\mathcal {G}

, is a unital

C
∗

C^*

-algebra which is the uniform closure of coefficients of representations of

G

\mathcal {G}

on members of

F

\mathscr {F}

, where

F

\mathscr {F}

is a class of Banach spaces closed under

ℓ
2

\ell _2

-direct sums. We prove that

A

\mathcal {A}

determines the topology of

G

\mathcal {G}

if and only if

G

\mathcal {G}

embeds into the isometry group of a member of

F

\mathscr {F}

, equipped with the weak operator topology. As applications, we obtain characterizations of unitary and reflexive representability.
Group coactions on two-dimensional Artin-Schelter regular algebras
Authors: Crawford Simon
Published: March 2024

We describe all possible coactions of finite groups (equivalently, all group gradings) on two-dimensional Artin-Schelter regular algebras. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for the associated Auslander map to be an isomorphism, and determine precisely when the invariant ring for the coaction is Artin-Schelter regular. The proofs of our results are combinatorial and exploit the structure of the McKay quiver associated to the coaction.
Expansive partially hyperbolic diffeomorphisms with one-dimensional center
Authors: Sambarino Martin , Vieitez José
Published: March 2024

We give sufficient conditions for an expansive partially hyperbolic diffeomorphism with one-dimensional center to be (topologically) Anosov.
Φ-moment inequalities for noncommutative differentially subordinate martingales
Authors: Jiao Yong , Moslehian Mohammad , Wu Lian , Zuo Yahui
Published: March 2024

We establish some

Φ
\Phi

-moment inequalities for noncommutative differentially subordinate martingales. Let

Φ
\Phi

be a

p
p

-convex and

q
q

-concave Orlicz function with

1
>
p
≤
q
>
2

1>p\leq q>2

. Suppose that

x
x

and

y
y

are two self-adjoint martingales such that

y
y

is weakly differentially subordinate to

x
x

. We show that, for

N
≥
0

N\geq 0

,
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="tau left-bracket normal upper Phi left-parenthesis StartAbsoluteValue y Subscript upper N Baseline EndAbsoluteValue right-parenthesis right-bracket less-than-or-equal-to c Subscript p comma q Baseline tau left-bracket normal upper Phi left-parenthesis StartAbsoluteValue x Subscript upper N Baseline EndAbsoluteValue right-parenthesis right-bracket comma">

τ

[

Φ
(

|

y
N

|

)

]

≤

c

p
,
q

τ

[

Φ
(

|

x
N

|

)

]

,

\begin{equation*} \tau \big [\Phi (|y_N|)\big ]\leq c_{p,q}\tau \big [\Phi (|x_N|)\big ], \end{equation*}

where the constant

c

p
,
q

c_{p,q}

is of the best order when

p
=
q

p=q

. The

Φ
\Phi

-moment estimates for square functions of noncommutative differentially subordinate martingales are also obtained in this article. Our approach provides constructive proofs of noncommutative

Φ
\Phi

-moment Burkholder–Gundy inequalities and Burkholder inequalities.
A note on the long neck principle and spectral width inequality of geodesic collar neighborhoods
Authors: Liu Daoqiang
Published: March 2024

The main purpose of this short note is to derive some generalizations of the long neck principle and give a spectral width inequality of geodesic collar neighborhoods. Our results are obtained via the spinorial Callias operator approach. An important step is to introduce the relative Gromov-Lawson pair on a compact manifold with boundary, relative to a background manifold.
A positive proportion Livshits theorem
Authors: Dilsavor Caleb , Marshall Reber James
Published: March 2024

Given a transitive Anosov diffeomorphism or flow on a closed connected Riemannian manifold

M
M

, the Livshits theorem states that a Hölder function

φ
:
M
→

R

\varphi : M \to \mathbb {R}

is a coboundary if all of its periods vanish. We explain how a finer statistical understanding of the distribution of these periods can be used to obtain a stronger version of the classical Livshits theorem where one only has to check that the periods of

φ
\varphi

vanish on a set of positive asymptotic upper density. We also include a strengthening of the nonpositive Livshits theorem.
Local conditions for global convergence of gradient flows and proximal point sequences in metric spaces
Authors: Dello Schiavo Lorenzo , Maas Jan , Pedrotti Francesco
Published: March 2024

This paper deals with local criteria for the convergence to a global minimiser for gradient flow trajectories and their discretisations. To obtain quantitative estimates on the speed of convergence, we consider variations on the classical Kurdyka–Łojasiewicz inequality for a large class of parameter functions. Our assumptions are given in terms of the initial data, without any reference to an equilibrium point. The main results are convergence statements for gradient flow curves and proximal point sequences to a global minimiser, together with sharp quantitative estimates on the speed of convergence. These convergence results apply in the general setting of lower semicontinuous functionals on complete metric spaces, generalising recent results for smooth functionals on

R

n

\mathbb {R}^n

. While the non-smooth setting covers very general spaces, it is also useful for (non)-smooth functionals on

R

n

\mathbb {R}^n

.
Global dynamics above the ground state energy for the energy-critical Klein-Gordon equation
Authors: Roy Tristan
Published: March 2024

Consider the focusing energy-critical Klein-Gordon equation in dimension

d
∈
{
3
,
4
,
5
}

d \in \{ 3,4,5 \}

<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="StartLayout Enlarged left-brace 1st Row 1st Column partial-differential Subscript t t Baseline u minus normal upper Delta u plus u 2nd Column a m p semicolon equals StartAbsoluteValue u EndAbsoluteValue Superscript StartFraction 4 Over d minus 2 EndFraction Baseline u comma 2nd Row 1st Column u left-parenthesis 0 comma x right-parenthesis 2nd Column a m p semicolon colon-equal f 0 left-parenthesis x right-parenthesis comma 3rd Row 1st Column partial-differential Subscript t Baseline u left-parenthesis 0 comma x right-parenthesis 2nd Column a m p semicolon colon-equal f 1 left-parenthesis x right-parenthesis EndLayout">

{

∂

t
t

u
−
Δ
u
+
u

a
m
p
;
=

|

u

|

4

d
−
2

u
,

u
(
0
,
x
)

a
m
p
;
≔

f

0

(
x
)
,

∂

t

u
(
0
,
x
)

a
m
p
;
≔

f

1

(
x
)

\begin{equation*} \begin {cases} \partial _{tt} u - \Delta u + u & = |u|^{\frac {4}{d-2}} u, \\ u(0,x) & ≔f_{0}(x), \\ \partial _{t} u(0,x) & ≔f_{1}(x) \end{cases} \end{equation*}

with data

(

f

0

,

f

1

)
∈

H

≔

H

1

×

L

2

(f_{0},f_{1}) \in \mathcal {H} ≔H^{1} \times L^{2}

. We describe the global dynamics of real-valued solutions of which the energy is slightly larger than that of the ground states’. We classify the flows of the solutions that are ejected from a small neighborhood of the ground states or that are away from them. The classification relies upon a modification of the arguments of Payne and Sattinger [Israel J. Math. 22 (1975), pp. 273–303] to prove blow-up in finite time, and a modification of the arguments of Ibrahim, Masmoudi, and Nakanishi [Anal. PDE 4 (2011), pp. 405–460], Kenig and Merle [Invent. Math. 166 (2006), pp. 645–675; Acta Math. 201 (2008), pp. 147–212], and Krieger, Nakanishi, and Schlag [Discrete Contin. Dyn. Syst. 33 (2013), pp. 2423–2450] to prove scattering as

t
→
±
∞

t \rightarrow \pm \infty

. There are three main differences between this paper and that of Krieger, Nakanishi, and Schlag [Discrete Contin. Dyn. Syst. 33 (2013), pp. 2423–2450]. The first one is the lack of scaling symmetry. The second one appears in the proof of the ejection lemma: one has to control the mass in the ejection process. The third one appears in the proof of the one-pass lemma: in the worst scenario, one cannot use the equipartition of energy and therefore one has to prove a decay estimate which allows to use an argument of Bourgain [J. Amer. Math. Soc. 12 (1999), pp. 145–171].
Living jewels: iterative evolution of iridescent blue leaves from helicoidal cell walls
Authors: Lundquist Clive R , Rudall Paula J , Sukri Rahayu S , Conejero María , Smith Alyssa , Lopez-Garcia Martin , Vignolini Silvia , Metali Faizah , Whitney Heather M
Published: March 2024

Background and Aims

Structural colour is responsible for the remarkable metallic blue colour seen in the leaves of several plants. Species belonging to only ten genera have been investigated to date, revealing four photonic structures responsible for structurally coloured leaves. One of these is the helicoidal cell wall, known to create structural colour in the leaf cells of five taxa. Here we investigate a broad selection of land plants to understand the phylogenetic distribution of this photonic structure in leaves.

Methods

We identified helicoidal structures in the leaf epidermal cells of 19 species using transmission electron microscopy. Pitch measurements of the helicoids were compared with the reflectance spectra of circularly polarized light from the cells to confirm the structure–colour relationship.

Results

By incorporating species examined with a polarizing filter, our results increase the number of taxa with photonic helicoidal cell walls to species belonging to at least 35 genera. These include 19 monocot genera, from the orders Asparagales (Orchidaceae) and Poales (Cyperaceae, Eriocaulaceae, Rapateaceae) and 16 fern genera, from the orders Marattiales (Marattiaceae), Schizaeales (Anemiaceae) and Polypodiales (Blechnaceae, Dryopteridaceae, Lomariopsidaceae, Polypodiaceae, Pteridaceae, Tectariaceae).

Conclusions

Our investigation adds considerably to the recorded diversity of plants with structurally coloured leaves. The iterative evolution of photonic helicoidal walls has resulted in a broad phylogenetic distribution, centred on ferns and monocots. We speculate that the primary function of the helicoidal wall is to provide strength and support, so structural colour could have evolved as a potentially beneficial chance function of this structure.
Using high-throughput phenotype platform MVS-Pheno to reconstruct the 3D morphological structure of wheat
Authors: Li Wenrui , Wu Sheng , Wen Weiliang , Lu Xianju , Liu Haishen , Zhang Minggang , Xiao Pengliang , Guo Xinyu , Zhao Chunjiang
Published: March 2024

It is of great significance to study the plant morphological structure for improving crop yield and achieving efficient use of resources. Three dimensional (3D) information can more accurately describe the morphological and structural characteristics of crop plants. Automatic acquisition of 3D information is one of the key steps in plant morphological structure research. Taking wheat as the research object, we propose a point cloud data-driven 3D reconstruction method that achieves 3D structure reconstruction and plant morphology parameterization at the phytomer scale. Specifically, we use the MVS-Pheno platform to reconstruct the point cloud of wheat plants and segment organs through the deep learning algorithm. On this basis, we automatically reconstructed the 3D structure of leaves and tillers and extracted the morphological parameters of wheat. The results show that the semantic segmentation accuracy of organs is 95.2%, and the instance segmentation accuracy AP50 is 0.665. The R2 values for extracted leaf length, leaf width, leaf attachment height, stem leaf angle, tiller length, and spike length were 0.97, 0.80, 1.00, 0.95, 0.99, and 0.95, respectively. This method can significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of 3D morphological analysis of wheat plants, providing strong technical support for research in fields such as agricultural production optimization and genetic breeding.
Pyrimethamine reduced tumour growth in pre-clinical cancer models: a systematic review to identify potential pre-clinical studies for subsequent human clinical trials
Authors: Manoharan Sivananthan , Ying Ying Lee
Published: March 2024

Pyrimethamine (PYR), a STAT3 inhibitor, has been shown to reduce tumour burden in mouse cancer models. It is unclear how much of a reduction occurred or whether the PYR dosages and route of administration used in mice were consistent with the FDA's recommendations for drug repurposing. Search engines such as ScienceDirect, PubMed/MEDLINE, and other databases, including Google Scholar, were thoroughly searched, as was the reference list. The systematic review includes fourteen (14) articles. The risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using SYRCLE's guidelines. Due to the heterogeneity of the data, no meta-analysis was performed. According to the RoB assessment, 13/14 studies fall into the moderate RoB category, with one study classified as high RoB. None adhered to the ARRIVE guideline for transparent research reporting. Oral (FDA-recommended) and non-oral routes of PYR administration were used in mice, with several studies reporting very high PYR dosages that could lead to myelosuppression, while oral PYR dosages of 30 mg/kg or less are considered safe. Direct human equivalent dose translation is probably not the best strategy for comparing whether the used PYR dosages in mice are in line with FDA-approved strength because pharmacokinetic profiles, particularly PYR's half-life (t1/2), between humans (t1/2 = 96 h) and mice (t1/2 = 6 h), must also be considered. Based on the presence of appropriate control and treatment groups, as well as the presence of appropriate clinically proven chemotherapy drug(s) for comparison purposes, only one study (1/14) involving liver cancer can be directed into a clinical trial. Furthermore, oesophageal cancer too can be directed into clinical trials, where the indirect effect of PYR on the NRF2 gene may suppress oesophageal cancer in patients, but this must be done with caution because PYR is an investigational drug for oesophageal cancer, and combining it with proven chemotherapy drug(s) is recommended.
Clinical prediction of microvascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma using an MRI-based graph convolutional network model integrated with nomogram
Authors: Liu Yang , Zhang Ziqian , Zhang Hongxia , Wang Xinxin , Wang Kun , Yang Rui , Han Peng , Luan Kuan , Zhou Yang
Published: March 2024

Objectives

Based on enhanced MRI, a prediction model of microvascular invasion (MVI) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was developed using graph convolutional network (GCN) combined nomogram.

Methods

We retrospectively collected 182 HCC patients confirmed histopathologically, all of them performed enhanced MRI before surgery. The patients were randomly divided into training and validation groups. Radiomics features were extracted from the arterial phase (AP), portal venous phase (PVP), and delayed phase (DP), respectively. After removing redundant features, the graph structure by constructing the distance matrix with the feature matrix was built. Screening the superior phases and acquired GCN Score (GS). Finally, combining clinical, radiological and GS established the predicting nomogram.

Results

27.5% (50/182) patients were with MVI positive. In radiological analysis, intratumoural artery (P = 0.007) was an independent predictor of MVI. GCN model with grey-level cooccurrence matrix-grey-level run length matrix features exhibited area under the curves of the training group was 0.532, 0.690, and 0.885 and the validation group was 0.583, 0.580, and 0.854 for AP, PVP, and DP, respectively. DP was selected to develop final model and got GS. Combining GS with diameter, corona enhancement, mosaic architecture, and intratumoural artery constructed a nomogram which showed a C-index of 0.884 (95% CI: 0.829-0.927).

Conclusions

The GCN model based on DP has a high predictive ability. A nomogram combining GS, clinical and radiological characteristics can be a simple and effective guiding tool for selecting HCC treatment options.

Advances in knowledge

GCN based on MRI could predict MVI on HCC.
Multiparametric MRI-based whole-liver radiomics for predicting early-stage liver fibrosis in rabbits
Authors: Mai Xiao-Fei , Zhang Hao , Wang Yang , Zhong Wen-Xin , Zou Li-Qiu
Published: March 2024

Objectives

To develop and validate a whole-liver radiomic model using multiparametric MRI for predicting early-stage liver fibrosis (LF) in rabbits.

Methods

A total of 134 rabbits (early-stage LF, n = 91; advanced-stage LF, n = 43) who underwent liver magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), hepatobiliary phase, dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE), intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), diffusion kurtosis imaging, and T2* scanning were enrolled and randomly allocated to either the training or validation cohort. Whole-liver radiomic features were extracted and selected to develop a radiomic model and generate quantitative Rad-scores. Then, multivariable logistic regression was utilized to determine the Rad-scores associated with early-stage LF, and effective features were integrated to establish a combined model. The predictive performance was assessed by the area under the curve (AUC).

Results

The MRE model achieved superior AUCs of 0.95 in the training cohort and 0.86 in the validation cohort, followed by the DCE-MRI model (0.93 and 0.82), while the IVIM model had lower AUC values of 0.91 and 0.82, respectively. The Rad-scores of MRE, DCE-MRI and IVIM were identified as independent predictors associated with early-stage LF. The combined model demonstrated AUC values of 0.96 and 0.88 for predicting early-stage LF in the training and validation cohorts, respectively.

Conclusions

Our study highlights the remarkable performance of a multiparametric MRI-based radiomic model for the individualized diagnosis of early-stage LF.

Advances in knowledge

This is the first study to develop a combined model by integrating multiparametric radiomic features to improve the accuracy of LF staging.
Biliopancreatic diversion for severe obesity: long-term weight maintenance and occurrence of nutritional complications are two facets of the same coin
Authors: Papadia Francesco S , Adami Gianfranco , Razzetta Alessandra , Florenzano Anna , Longo Gaia , Rubartelli Alice , Carlini Flavia , De Cian Ottavio , Camerini Giovanni
Published: March 2024

Background

Despite the widespread clinical use of hypoabsorptive metabolic bariatric surgery, very long-term outcomes are still lacking. The aim of the study was to assess the long-term safety and efficacy of biliopancreatic diversion at 30 years in patients with class 3 obesity (BMI over 40 kg/m2).

Methods

This retrospective single-centre study used data from a prospectively collected database on a sample of consecutive patients submitted to biliopancreatic diversion with a minimum follow-up of 30 years. Outcomes assessed included overall survival, long-term weight loss and weight maintenance, remission of obesity-related co-morbidities, and short- and long-term surgical and/or nutritional or metabolic complications.

Results

Among 199 consecutive patients (136 female, 63 male) who had surgery between November 1992 and April 1994, the mean age at operation was 38 (range 14–69) years and mean preoperative BMI was 48.7 (32.0–74.3) kg/m2. At baseline, 91 of 199 patients (45.7%) had type 2 diabetes. At 20 and 30 years, 122 (61%) and 38 (19%) of the 199 patients respectively were available for follow-up. At 30 years, the overall mortality rate was 12% (23 of 199). Surgical complications were concentrated in the short-term follow-up, whereas nutritional or metabolic complications increased progressively over time. A nutritional complication was diagnosed in 73 of 122 patients (60%) at 20 years and 28 of 38 (74%) at 30 years. Weight loss and glycaemic control were maintained throughout the follow-up; mean % total weight loss was 32.8 (range 14.1–50.0) at 1 year and 37.7 (range 16.7–64.8) at 30 years. One patient presented with recurrence of type 2 diabetes at 20 and 30 years; there were no patients with new-onset type 2 diabetes.

Conclusion

Biliopancreatic diversion leads to good and sustained weight maintenance up to 30 years with low perioperative risk, but at the cost of a high long-term prevalence of nutritional complications.
Carbon-doped Bi2MoO6 nanosheet self-assembled microspheres for photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes
Authors: Chen Nali , Hu Mengyu , Gou Lulu , Tan Lin , Zhao Dan , Feng Huixia
Published: March 2024

In this paper, carbon-doped Bi2MoO6 (C-Bi2MoO6) nanosheet self-assembled microspheres were prepared by using the solvothermal-calcination route to improve the photocatalytic activity of Bi2MoO6. The characterization results of x-ray diffractometry, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, Raman scattering, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, BET specific surface area test, and x-ray photoelectron spectrometry indicated that C replaced the O2− anion in the Bi2MoO6 lattice, thinning the nanosheets, decreasing the size of the microspheres, and increasing the specific surface area of the Bi2MoO6. Ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, transient photocurrent, and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) spectroscopy demonstrated that the carbon doping reduced the band gap energy, raised the conduction band, and enhanced the photogenerated electron–hole pairs separation efficiency of Bi2MoO6. Benefiting from these favorable changes, the C-Bi2MoO6 microspheres prepared at a molar ratio of C to Bi of 4 (4C-Bi2MoO6) exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, and the photocatalytic degradation rate constant of rhodamine B by 4C-Bi2MoO6 microspheres was almost 2.26 times that by pristine Bi2MoO6 under simulated solar light. 4C-Bi2MoO6 microspheres (0.2 g/L) presented excellent photocatalytic performance toward RhB (20 mg/L) at pH value 1 and could remove 98.31% of the RhB within 120 min. In addition, 4C-Bi2MoO6 microspheres also possessed a high photocatalytic activity toward methylene blue and tetracycline. 4C-Bi2MoO6 microspheres assembled from thin nanosheets can be used as effective photocatalysts to degrade toxic organic molecules from wastewater.
Preparation of cobalt catalyst supported on perovskite-type oxide and application in liquid-phase selective oxidation reaction
Authors: Wang Junhao , Hara Takayoshi , Ichikuni Nobuyuki
Published: March 2024

Cobalt catalyst supported on the perovskite-type oxide sodium tantalate, NaTaO3 (NTO) was prepared by using the hydrothermal method and used in liquid-phase p-xylene oxidation, which led to p-methyl benzyl alcohol, p-tolualdehyde, and p-toluic acid. Investigation showed that the formation of alcohol and aldehyde was a competitive reaction. Further oxidation of the alcohol did not occur. On the other hand, the oxidation of p-tolualdehyde led to the formation of acid. Co-NTO catalyst showed higher selectivity toward the route of p-tolualdehyde than the p-methylbenzyl alcohol compared with the bulk Co3O4.
Analysis of nondegradable cyclins reveals distinct roles of the mitotic cyclins in Drosophila meiosis
Authors: Bourouh Mohammed , Dhaliwal Rajdeep , Rai Rajni , Qureshi Hafsah , Swan Andrew
Published: March 2024

Meiosis is a complex variant of the mitotic cell cycle, and as such relies on many of the same proteins involved in mitosis, but utilizes these in novel ways. As in mitosis, Cdk1 and its cyclin partners, Cyclin A, B, and B3 are required at multiple steps in meiosis. Here, we study the effect of stabilized forms of the three mitotic cyclins to study the consequences of failure to degrade the cyclins in meiosis. We find that stabilized Cyclin B3 promotes ectopic microtubule polymerization throughout the egg, dependent on APC/C activity and apparently due to the consequent destruction of Cyclin A and Cyclin B. We present data that suggests CycB, and possibly CycA, can also promote APC/C activity at specific stages of meiosis. We also present evidence that in meiosis APC/CCort and APC/CFzy are able to target Cyclin B via a novel degron. Overall, our findings highlight the distinct functions of the three mitotic Cdk–cyclin complexes in meiosis.
Sex peptide receptor is not required for refractoriness to remating or induction of egg laying in Aedes aegypti
Authors: Amaro I Alexandra , Wohl Margot P , Pitcher Sylvie , Alfonso-Parra Catalina , Avila Frank W , Paige Andrew S , Helinski Michelle E H , Duvall Laura B , Harrington Laura C , Wolfner Mariana F , McMeniman Conor J
Published: March 2024

Across diverse insect taxa, the behavior and physiology of females dramatically changes after mating—processes largely triggered by the transfer of seminal proteins from their mates. In the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster, the seminal protein sex peptide (SP) decreases the likelihood of female flies remating and causes additional behavioral and physiological changes that promote fertility including increasing egg production. Although SP is only found in the Drosophila genus, its receptor, sex peptide receptor (SPR), is the widely conserved myoinhibitory peptide (MIP) receptor. To test the functional role of SPR in mediating postmating responses in a non-Drosophila dipteran, we generated 2 independent Spr-knockout alleles in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Although SPR is needed for postmating responses in Drosophila and the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera, Spr mutant Ae. aegypti show completely normal postmating decreases in remating propensity and increases in egg laying. In addition, injection of synthetic SP or accessory gland homogenate from D. melanogaster into virgin female mosquitoes did not elicit these postmating responses. Our results demonstrate that Spr is not required for these canonical postmating responses in Ae. aegypti, indicating that other, as yet unknown, signaling pathways are likely responsible for these behavioral switches in this disease vector.
The Effects of the Built Environment on the Mental Health of Older Adults: A Case Study in Hangzhou, China
Authors: Kong Xinyu , Han Haoying , Zhan Mengyao , Chi Fangting
Published: March 2024

Background and Objectives

This study examines the association between the built environment and mental health among older adults by exploring the potential pathways through the perceived built environment, social interaction, and environmental pollution.

Research Design and Methods

Research data were collected from 1 405 older adults aged 60 years and older in 30 residential neighborhoods of Hangzhou, China, in 2022. The participants’ evaluation of the perceived built environment, social interaction, and environmental pollution were assessed. Mental health was measured by the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey. The built environment was measured through an evaluation of density, diversity, design, destination accessibility, distance to transit, and the age-friendly environment. Structural equation models were established based on 300-m, 500-m, and 800-m buffers from the entrance of residential neighborhoods. The propensity score method was employed for sensitivity analysis.

Results

With regard to older adult’s mental health, there were significant direct effects of the accessibility of health services, shopping services, and bus stops. A robust mediating effect of perceived built environment was displayed on the relationship between land use mix and mental health of older adults. Social interaction exhibited robust mediating effects between the age-friendly environment, the number of bus stops, and mental health of older adults.

Discussion and Implications

This study provides empirical experience for related research on the built environment and mental health as well as policy implications for urban planners focusing on community planning.
The Norepinephrine-QseC Axis Aggravates F. nucleatum-associated Colitis Through Interkingdom Signaling
Authors: Zhang Ling , Chen Guimei , Zeng Xianghao , Yue Huawen , Zheng Qiao , Hu Qing , Tian Qian , Liang Lanfan , Zhao Xinyu , Yang Ziyi , Bai Hang , Liu Yanqin , Zhao Ming , Fu Xiangsheng
Published: March 2024

Aims

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with F. nucleatum, and chronic stress can increase the risk of aggravation. However, whether norepinephrine (NE) can enhance the pathogenicity of F. nucleatum to aggravate dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS)-induced colitis is unclear.

Methods

Transcriptome sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes in bacteria treated with NE. Affinity testing and molecular docking were applied to calculate and predict the binding of NE and Quorum sensing regulators C (QseC). The pathogenicity of Fusobacterium nucleatum treated with NE and QseC inhibitors was examined in vitro and further verified using the IBD mouse model induced by DSS.

Results

Norepinephrine could bind to QseC directly to upregulate the quorum sensing pathway of F. nucleatum and enhance its virulence gene expression (FadA, FomA, Fap2) and invasiveness in vitro. Meanwhile, it promoted the invasion of F. nucleatum into the intestine and increased the expression of host inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β) to aggravate colonic inflammation in IBD mice. The QseC inhibitor LED209 inhibited the effect of NE on F. nucleatum and partially restored short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)–producing bacteria (Prevotellaceae, Lactobacillaceae) to attenuate colonic inflammation in IBD mice.

Conclusions

Generally, the NE-QseC axis enhanced the pathogenicity of F. nucleatum through interkingdom signaling to aggravate colonic inflammation in IBD mice. We see that QseC may be a potential target for microbiota management of IBD under chronic pressure.
Multi-objective two-stage optimization scheduling algorithm for virtual power plants considering low carbon
Authors: Wang Xuejin , Chen Chen , Shi Yao , Chen Qiang
Published: March 2024

With the continuous growth of energy demand, the importance of developing and utilizing low-carbon energy is becoming increasingly prominent. In this context, virtual power plant technology has been proposed. It is a technology for integrating, coordinating and optimizing distributed energy resources, which has significant effects in improving energy utilization efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. This article proposed a virtual power plant scheduling method based on multi-objective two-stage optimization scheduling algorithm considering low carbon. This method first determines the production and consumption of various energy resources in the virtual power plant, including wind power, thermal power and hydropower. Then, with the goal of minimizing costs and reducing carbon emissions, multi-objective optimization algorithms are used to allocate and schedule energy resources in the virtual power plant. On this basis, a two-stage optimization strategy was introduced, combining long-term optimization and short-term scheduling to adapt to energy allocation and scheduling needs at different time scales. The experimental results indicate that this method can effectively improve the energy utilization efficiency and economy of virtual power plants, and reduce carbon emissions.
Drug resistance and influencing factors in HIV-1-infected individuals under antiretroviral therapy in Guangxi, China
Authors: Pang Xianwu , He Qin , Tang Kailing , Huang Jinghua , Fang Ningye , Xie Haoming , Ma Jie , Zhu Qiuying , Lan Guanghua , Liang Shujia
Published: March 2024

Objectives

To assess the profiles and determinants of drug resistance in HIV-1-infected individuals undergoing ART in Guangxi.

Methods

Samples and data were collected from HIV-1-infected individuals experiencing virological failure post-ART from 14 cities in Guangxi. Sequencing of the HIV-1 pol gene was conducted, followed by analysis for drug resistance mutations using the Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database. Logistic regression was employed to identify potential risk factors associated with both HIV drug resistance and mortality.

Results

A total of 8963 individuals with pol sequences were included in this study. The overall prevalence of HIV-1 drug resistance (HIVDR) was 42.43% (3808/8963), showing a decrease from 59.62% to 41.40% from 2016 to 2023. Factors such as being aged ≥50 years, male, Han nationality, lower education levels, occupations including workers, peasants and children, AIDS, pre-treatment CD4 T cell counts <200 cells/mm3, infection with CRF01_AE and CRF55_01B subtypes, and ART regimen lamivudine/zidovudine/nevirapine were associated with higher susceptibility to HIVDR. The common mutations were M184V (17.38%) and K103N (22.14%). Additionally, the prevalence of M184V, S68G, M41L and G190A were different between the Han and Zhuang populations. Factors including age, gender, ethnicity, education level, occupation, infectious route, clinical stage, viral load, subtype, ART regimen and HIVDR showed significant associations with mortality.

Conclusions

The factors contributing to drug resistance in the HIV-1 ART individuals in Guangxi appear to be notably intricate. Continuous reinforcement of drug resistance surveillance is imperative, accompanied by the optimization of ART regimens to mitigate virological failures effectively.