bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A bilateral context and filtering strategy-based approach to Chinese entity synonym set expansion
Authors: Huang Subin , Xiu Yu , Li Jun , Liu Sanmin , Kong Chao
Published: April 2023

Entity synonyms play a significant role in entity-based tasks. Previous approaches use linguistic syntax, distributional, and semantic features to expand entity synonym sets from text corpora. Due to the flexibility and complexity of the Chinese language expression, the aforementioned approaches are still difficult to expand entity synonym sets robustly from Chinese text, because these approaches fail to track holistic semantics among entities and suffer from error propagation. This paper introduces an approach for expanding Chinese entity synonym sets based on bilateral context and filtering strategy. Specifically, the approach consists of two novel components. First, a bilateral-context-based Siamese network classifier is proposed to determine whether a new entity should be inserted into the existing entity synonym set. The classifier tracks the holistic semantics of bilateral contexts and is capable of imposing soft holistic semantic constraints to improve synonym prediction. Second, a filtering-strategy-based set expansion algorithm is presented to generate Chinese entity synonym sets. The filtering strategy enhances semantic and domain consistencies to filter out wrong synonym entities, thereby mitigating error propagation. Experimental results on two Chinese real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed approach is effective and outperforms the selected existing state-of-the-art approaches to the Chinese entity synonym set expansion task.
Caffeine Modifies the Immune and Anti-inflammatory Responses to Short Incremental Cycling Exercise Until Exhaustion in Humans: A Pilot Study
Authors: Rahimi Mohammad Rahman , Beaven C. Martyn
Published: April 2023

Exercise has well-documented effects on immune function with both positive and negative sequelae dependent on intensity, volume, and duration. The immunosuppressive effects of exercise are mediated, in part, by the complex interaction of cytokines, catecholamines, and nutrition. Caffeine has been reported to modulate immune function; however, the interaction with brief exhaustive exercise is not well characterized. It was hypothesized that caffeine would upregulate the cytokine response to intense exercise. Seven male students volunteered to participate in a randomized, double-blinded crossover study where they ingested either caffeine (6 mg/kg) or a maltodextrin placebo (6 mg/kg) 1 h prior to a cycling exercise. The exercise protocol started at 100 W and the intensity was increased by 50 W every two minutes until exhaustion. Serum samples were collected pre-, post-, and 1-h post-exercise and analyzed for IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-β1. Caffeine ingestion increased time to exhaustion (P = 0.005; Effect Size [ES] = 1.33), IL-4 (P = 0.004; ES = 2.34), IL-10 (P = 0.047; ES = 0.41 ± 0.57), and TGF-β1 (P = 0.013; ES = 0.76). The accentuated response of the cytokines may have important ramifications due to their potent anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties. Specifically, the 6 mg/kg caffeine dose not only improved exercise performance but the cytokine data is indicative of an upregulated inflammatory response and an enhancement of the anti-inflammatory benefits of exercise.
Statebuilding beyond the West: Exploring Islamic State’s strategic narrative of governance and statebuilding
Authors: da Silva Raquel , Bamber-Zryd Matthew , Lemay-Hébert Nicolas
Published: April 2023

Strategic narratives are employed by political actors as tools to pursue their goals, constructing a shared meaning of the past, present, and future in order to shape behaviour. Building on discourse analysis of the magazine Dabiq and from in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted between 2018 and 2019 with IS civilian employees and civilians living in IS-controlled territory, we analyse how IS organised its strategic narrative of governance and statebuilding around three main themes considered as central in the statebuilding literature – the provision of security, the provision of basic services, and social cohesion – and how such a strategic narrative was received by citizens living in IS-controlled territory. We argue that the study of strategic narratives of governance and statebuilding casts light on the factors leading to the success or demise of emergent statebuilding efforts, equally demonstrating how IS’s project is quite conventional when compared to other mainstream statebuilding narratives.
Just and Unjust Nuclear Deterrence
Authors: Sagan Scott D.
Published: April 2023

In this essay, I propose five principles to make U.S. nuclear deterrence policy more just and effective in the future: sever the link between the mass killing of innocent civilians and nuclear deterrence by focusing targeting on adversaries’ military power and senior political leadership, not their population; never use or plan to use a nuclear weapon against any target that could be destroyed or neutralized by conventional weapons; reject “belligerent reprisal” threats against civilians even in response to enemy attacks on one's own or allied civilians; replace nuclear “calculated ambiguity” threats against biological or cyberattacks with “deterrence by denial” strategies; and work in good faith toward eventual nuclear disarmament.
Nuclear Ethics Revisited
Authors: Nye Joseph S.
Published: April 2023

Scott Sagan asked me to revisit Nuclear Ethics, a book I published in 1986, in light of current developments in world affairs. In doing so, I found that much had changed but the basic usability paradox of nuclear deterrence remains the same. As do the ethical dilemmas. To deter, there must be some prospect of use, but easy usability could produce highly immoral consequences. Some risk is unavoidable and the moral task is how best to lower it. Nuclear weapons pose moral problems but nuclear use is the greater evil. Abolition may be a worthy long-term goal, but it is unlikely in the short-term relations among the nine states now possessing nuclear weapons. Drawing on just war theory, I examine the three dimensions of intentions, means, and consequences to outline a ten-point agenda for just deterrence that seeks to lower risks of nuclear war. The world has changed since the book was published but the basic moral dilemmas remain the same.
What should a generic object be?
Authors: Sterling Jonathan
Published: April 2023

Jacobs has proposed definitions for (weak, strong, split) generic objects for a fibered category; building on his definition of (split) generic objects, Jacobs develops a menagerie of important fibrational structures with applications to categorical logic and computer science, including higher order fibrations, polymorphic fibrations,
$\lambda2$
-fibrations, triposes, and others. We observe that a split generic object need not in particular be a generic object under the given definitions, and that the definitions of polymorphic fibrations, triposes, etc. are strict enough to rule out some fundamental examples: for instance, the fibered preorder induced by a partial combinatory algebra in realizability is not a tripos in this sense. We propose a new alignment of terminology that emphasizes the forms of generic object appearing most commonly in nature, i.e. in the study of internal categories, triposes, and the denotational semantics of polymorphism. In addition, we propose a new class of acyclic generic objects inspired by recent developments in higher category theory and the semantics of homotopy type theory, generalizing the realignment property of universes to the setting of an arbitrary fibration.
Emergency pacing via the umbilical vein of a neonate with congenital complete atrioventricular block: a report of two cases
Authors: Tanaka Noboru , Matsui Kotoko , Harada Mana , Fukunaga Hideo , Takahashi Ken , Kishiro Masahiko , Shimizu Toshiaki
Published: April 2023

We report two cases of successful emergency pacing via the umbilical vein in neonates with congenital complete atrioventricular block. The first patient, a neonate with normal cardiac anatomy, underwent emergency temporary pacing via the umbilical vein under echocardiographic guidance. The patient underwent permanent pacemaker implantation on postnatal day 4. The second patient, a neonate with heterotaxy syndrome, underwent emergency temporary pacing through the umbilical vein under fluoroscopic guidance. The patient underwent permanent pacemaker implantation on postnatal day 17.
Reduced left hippocampal perfusion is associated with insomnia in patients with cerebral small vessel disease
Authors: Yan Wei , Hou Duanlu , Li Zhixin , Tang Weijun , Han Xiang , Tang Yuping
Published: April 2023

Objectives

Insomnia was associated with cerebral structural changes and Alzheimer’s disease. However, associations among cerebral perfusion, insomnia with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), and cognitive performance were little investigated.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 89 patients with CSVDs and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs). They were dichotomized into the normal sleep and poor sleep group, according to Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). Baseline characteristics, cognitive performance, and cerebral blood flow (CBF) were measured and compared between the two groups. The association or correlation between cerebral perfusion, cognition, and insomnia was analyzed using binary logistic regression.

Results

Our study found that declined MoCA score (P = .0317) was more prevalent in those with poor sleep. There was a statistical difference in the recall (P = .0342) of MMSE, the delayed recall (P = .0289) of MoCA between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis showed educational background (P < .001) and insomnia severity index (ISI) score (P = .039) were independently correlated with MoCA scores. Arterial spin labeling demonstrated that left hippocampal gray matter perfusion was significantly reduced (P = .0384) in the group with poor sleep. And, negative correlation was found between left hippocampal perfusion and PSQI scores.

Conclusions

In the patients with CSVDs, insomnia severity was associated with cognitive decline. Left hippocampal gray matter perfusion was correlated with PSQI scores in CSVDs.
THE QUANTUM ISOMERIC SUPERCATEGORY
Authors: Savage Alistair
Published: April 2023

We introduce the quantum isomeric supercategory and the quantum affine isomeric supercategory. These diagrammatically defined supercategories, which can be viewed as isomeric analogues of the HOMFLYPT skein category and its affinisation, provide powerful categorical tools for studying the representation theory of the quantum isomeric superalgebras (commonly known as quantum queer superalgebras).
WHAT MODEL COMPANIONSHIP CAN SAY ABOUT THE CONTINUUM PROBLEM
Authors: VENTURI GIORGIO , VIALE MATTEO
Published: April 2023

We present recent results on the model companions of set theory, placing them in the context of a current debate in the philosophy of mathematics. We start by describing the dependence of the notion of model companionship on the signature, and then we analyze this dependence in the specific case of set theory. We argue that the most natural model companions of set theory describe (as the signature in which we axiomatize set theory varies) theories of
$H_{\kappa ^+}$
, as
$\kappa $
ranges among the infinite cardinals. We also single out
$2^{\aleph _0}=\aleph _2$
as the unique solution of the continuum problem which can (and does) belong to some model companion of set theory (enriched with large cardinal axioms). While doing so we bring to light that set theory enriched by large cardinal axioms in the range of supercompactness has as its model companion (with respect to its first order axiomatization in certain natural signatures) the theory of
$H_{\aleph _2}$
as given by a strong form of Woodin’s axiom
$(*)$
(which holds assuming
$\mathsf {MM}^{++}$
). Finally this model-theoretic approach to set-theoretic validities is explained and justified in terms of a form of maximality inspired by Hilbert’s axiom of completeness.
Residential Water Conservation and the Rebound Effect: A Temporal Decomposition and Investigation
Authors: Nemati Mehdi , Tran Dat , Schwabe Kurt
Published: April 2023

Water conservation in California has been a major subject of concern for agencies in their efforts to satisfy their residential demand while coping with frequent shortfalls, especially in periods of drought. During the 2012–2016 severe drought in California, the state enacted a conservation mandate that imposed specific conservation targets of 4% up to 36% for water utilities. While the utilities met those targets in 2015, water use, on average, has slowly crept up or rebounded subsequently, although not to pre‐drought levels. Understanding the manner and degree to which water use rebounds can be critically important for water utilities in their planning and investment decisions. Using a unique panel dataset on single‐family residential water use by nearly 20,000 customers of a Northern California water agency from 2013 to 2019, this paper explores the magnitude and character of the rebound effect that occurred after the cessation of a statewide conservation mandate that was imposed on water use in response a severe drought enveloping California from 2014 through 2016. Our results suggest the presence of a significant rebound in water use—of approximately 9% on average—after the conservation mandate ended. Yet, and novel to our research, we find significant heterogeneity in the rebound effects across seasons and water users, with a greater rebound in the warm season months relative to other months and among lower water use households relative to higher water use households. Our results also suggest a significant shift in water use to earlier periods of the day once the mandate was lifted. Understanding the magnitude and variation in rebound effects both temporally and across different types of water users can be useful to water agencies in their efforts to make informed decisions surrounding investments, management, and messaging in response to drought, conservation, and water scarcity.
Modelled mortality benefits of multi-cancer early detection screening in England
Authors: Sasieni Peter , Smittenaar Rebecca , Hubbell Earl , Broggio John , Neal Richard D. , Swanton Charles
Published: April 2023

Background

Screening programmes utilising blood-based multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests, which can detect a shared cancer signal from any site in the body with a single, low false-positive rate, could reduce cancer burden through early diagnosis.

Methods

A natural history (‘interception’) model of cancer was previously used to characterise potential benefits of MCED screening (based on published performance of an MCED test). We built upon this using a two-population survival model to account for an increased risk of death from cfDNA-detectable cancers relative to cfDNA-non-detectable cancers. We developed another model allowing some cancers to metastasise directly from stage I, bypassing intermediate tumour stages. We used incidence and survival-by-stage data from the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service in England to estimate longer-term benefits to a cohort screened between ages 50–79 years.

Results

Estimated late-stage and mortality reductions were robust to a range of assumptions. With the least favourable dwell (sojourn) time and cfDNA status hazard ratio assumptions, we estimated, among 100,000 screened individuals, 74 (17%) fewer cancer deaths per year corresponding to 1787 fewer deaths in those screened between ages 50–79 years.

Conclusion

Realising the potential benefits of MCED tests could substantially reduce late-stage cancer diagnoses and mortality.
Prophylactic administration of ivermectin attenuates SARS-CoV-2 induced disease in a Syrian Hamster Model
Authors: Uematsu Takayuki , Takano Tomomi , Matsui Hidehito , Kobayashi Noritada , Ōmura Satoshi , Hanaki Hideaki
Published: April 2023

COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, is currently among the most important public health concerns worldwide. Although several effective vaccines have been developed, there is an urgent clinical need for effective pharmaceutical treatments for treatment of COVID-19. Ivermectin, a chemical derivative of avermectin produced by Streptomyces avermitilis, is a macrocyclic lactone with antiparasitic activity. Recent studies have shown that ivermectin inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro. In the present study, we investigated the in vivo effects of ivermectin in a hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The results of the present study demonstrate oral administration of ivermectin prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection in hamsters was associated with decreased weight loss and pulmonary inflammation. In addition, the administration of ivermectin reduced pulmonary viral titers and mRNA expression level of pro-inflammatory cytokines associated with severe COVID-19 disease. The administration of ivermectin rapidly induced the production of virus-specific neutralizing antibodies in the late stage of viral infection. Zinc concentrations leading to immune quiescence were also significantly higher in the lungs of ivermectin-treated hamsters compared to controls. These results indicate that ivermectin may have efficacy in reducing the development and severity of COVID-19 by affecting host immunity in a hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Stratifying the risk of re-detachment: variables associated with outcome of vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in a large UK cohort study
Authors: Yorston David , Donachie Paul H. J. , Laidlaw D. A. , Steel David H. , Aylward G. W. , Williamson Tom H. ,   the BEAVRS database study group, Steel David , Morris Andrew , Goldsmith Craig , Winder Stephen , Sheard Richard , Smith Jonathan , Casswell Tony , Sanchez-Chicharro Diego , Babar Atiq , Cochrane Tim , Tanner Vaughan , Papastavrou Vasileios , Vayalambrone Deepak , Ivanova Tsveta , Park Jonathan , Jalil Assad , Cornish Kurt Spiteri , Ellabban Abdallah , Tarafdar Sonali , Khan Imran , Hughes Edward , Balaggan Kam , Wakely Laura , Charles Steve , Jenkins Huw , Mitrut Izabela
Published: April 2023

Introduction

To identify variables associated with primary anatomical outcome following vitrectomy and internal tamponade for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD).

Methods

A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data, using a database of RD treated with vitrectomy and internal tamponade. Collected data complied with the RCOphth Retinal Detachment Dataset. The main outcome measure was anatomical failure within six months of surgery.

Results

There were 6377 vitrectomies. 869 eyes were excluded, either because no outcome was recorded, or inadequate follow up, leaving 5508 operations for analysis. 63.9% of patients were male, and the median age was 62. Primary anatomical failure occurred in 13.9%. On multivariate analysis, the following were associated with increased risk of failure: age <45, or >79, inferior retinal breaks, total detachment, one quadrant or greater inferior detachment, low density silicone oil, and presence of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. C2F6 tamponade, cryotherapy, and 25 G vitrectomy, were associated with reduced risk of failure. The area under the receiver operator curve was 71.7%. According to this model, 54.3% of RD are at low risk (<10%), 35.6% are at moderate risk (10–25%), and 10.1% are at high risk (>25%) of failure.

Conclusions

Previous attempts to identify high risk RD have been limited by small numbers, the inclusion of both scleral buckling and vitrectomy, or by excluding some types of RD. This study examined outcomes in unselected RD, treated by vitrectomy. Identification of the variables associated with anatomical outcome after RD surgery enables accurate risk stratification, which is valuable for patient counselling and selection, and for future clinical trials.
Spatial ecology to strengthen invasive snake management on islands
Authors: Maestresalas Borja , Piquet Julien C. , López-Darias Marta
Published: April 2023

Knowledge on the spatial ecology of invasive predators positively contributes to optimizing their management, especially when involving cryptic and secretive species, such as snakes. However, this information is lacking for most invasive snakes, particularly on islands, where they are known to cause severe ecological and socio-economic impacts. This research is focused on assessing the spatial ecology of the California kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae) on Gran Canaria to strengthen management actions. We monitored 15 radio-tagged individuals once per day on 9–11 days per month from July 2020 to June 2021 to calculate the species' home range and describe annual activity patterns in the invaded range. To account for the species' diel activity during the emergence period, we additionally monitored snakes from January to May 2021 during three consecutive days per month in four different time intervals each day. We detected movement (consecutive detections at least 6 m apart) in 31.68% of the 1146 detections during the whole monitoring period. Movements most frequently detected were shorter than 100 m (82.24%), and among them the range 0–20 m was the most recurrent (27.03%). The mean distance of movement was 62.57 ± 62.62 m in 1–2 days. Average home range was 4.27 ± 5.35 ha—calculated with the Autocorrelated Kernel Density Estimator (AKDE) at 95%—and did not significantly vary with SVL nor sex. We detected an extremely low value of motion variance (0.76 ± 2.62 σ2m) compared to other studies, with a general inactivity period from November to February, January being the less active month of the year. Diel activity was higher during central and evening hours than during early morning and night. Our results should be useful to improve control programs for this invasive snake (e.g., trap placement and visual survey guidance) on Gran Canaria. Our research highlights the importance of gathering spatial information on invasive snakes to enhance control actions, which can contribute to the management of secretive invasive snakes worldwide.
Mechanism of rotenone binding to respiratory complex I depends on ligand flexibility
Authors: Pereira Caroline S. , Teixeira Murilo H. , Russell David A. , Hirst Judy , Arantes Guilherme M.
Published: April 2023

Respiratory complex I is a major cellular energy transducer located in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Its inhibition by rotenone, a natural isoflavonoid, has been used for centuries by indigenous peoples to aid in fishing and, more recently, as a broad-spectrum pesticide or even a possible anticancer therapeutic. Unraveling the molecular mechanism of rotenone action will help to design tuned derivatives and to understand the still mysterious catalytic mechanism of complex I. Although composed of five fused rings, rotenone is a flexible molecule and populates two conformers, bent and straight. Here, a rotenone derivative locked in the straight form was synthesized and found to inhibit complex I with 600-fold less potency than natural rotenone. Large-scale molecular dynamics and free energy simulations of the pathway for ligand binding to complex I show that rotenone is more stable in the bent conformer, either free in the membrane or bound to the redox active site in the substrate-binding Q-channel. However, the straight conformer is necessary for passage from the membrane through the narrow entrance of the channel. The less potent inhibition of the synthesized derivative is therefore due to its lack of internal flexibility, and interconversion between bent and straight forms is required to enable efficient kinetics and high stability for rotenone binding. The ligand also induces reconfiguration of protein loops and side-chains inside the Q-channel similar to structural changes that occur in the open to closed conformational transition of complex I. Detailed understanding of ligand flexibility and interactions that determine rotenone binding may now be exploited to tune the properties of synthetic derivatives for specific applications.
Coral persistence despite marginal conditions in the Port of Miami
Authors: Enochs Ian C. , Studivan Michael S. , Kolodziej Graham , Foord Colin , Basden Isabelle , Boyd Albert , Formel Nathan , Kirkland Amanda , Rubin Ewelina , Jankulak Mike , Smith Ian , Kelble Christopher R. , Manzello Derek P.
Published: April 2023

Coral cover has declined worldwide due to anthropogenic stressors that manifest on both global and local scales. Coral communities that exist in extreme conditions can provide information on how these stressors influence ecosystem structure, with implications for their persistence under future conditions. The Port of Miami is located within an urbanized environment, with active coastal development, as well as commercial shipping and recreational boating activity. Monitoring of sites throughout the Port since 2018 has revealed periodic extremes in temperature, seawater pH, and salinity, far in excess of what have been measured in most coral reef environments. Despite conditions that would kill many reef species, we have documented diverse coral communities growing on artificial substrates at these sites—reflecting remarkable tolerance to environmental stressors. Furthermore, many of the more prevalent species within these communities are now conspicuously absent or in low abundance on nearby reefs, owing to their susceptibility and exposure to stony coral tissue loss disease. Natural reef frameworks, however, are largely absent at the urban sites and while diverse fish communities are documented, it is unlikely that these communities provide the same goods and services as natural reef habitats. Regardless, the existence of these communities indicates unlikely persistence and highlights the potential for coexistence of threatened species in anthropogenic environments, provided that suitable stewardship strategies are in place.
Interspecies and temporal dynamics of bacterial and fungal microbiomes of pistil stigmas in flowers in holoparasitic plants of the Orobanche series Alsaticae (Orobanchaceae)
Authors: Ruraż Karolina , Przemieniecki Sebastian Wojciech , Piwowarczyk Renata
Published: April 2023

Little is known about the microbiomes of flower parts, and even less information is available regarding these microorganisms’ colonization of specific niches in parasitic plants. We investigate the temporal interspecies dynamics of the parasitic plants microbiome of flower stigmas in two stages of development: immature stigmas in flower buds and mature stigmas in opened flowers. We compared two related holoparasitic Orobanche species from localities approximately 90 km apart and characterize their bacterial and fungal communities using 16S rRNA gene and ITS sequences, respectively. We identified from 127 to over 228 OTUs per sample for fungi, sequences belonging to genera: Aureobasidium, Cladosporium, Malassezia, Mycosphaerella, and Pleosporales, constituting approximately 53% of the community in total. In the bacterial profile, we recorded 40 to over 68 OTUs per sample consisting of Enterobacteriaceae, and genera Cellulosimicrobium, Pantoea, and Pseudomonas spp., with an approximately 75% frequency. In microbial communities, higher numbers of OTUs colonizing mature stigmas were recorded than in immature. This implies that the dynamics and concurrence of microbial communities were different between O. alsatica and O. bartlingii and underwent significant changes during flower development. To the best of our knowledge, is the first study of the interspecies and temporal dynamics of the bacterial and fungal microbiomes of pistil stigmas in flowers.
An interpretable hybrid predictive model of COVID-19 cases using autoregressive model and LSTM
Authors: Zhang Yangyi , Tang Sui , Yu Guo
Published: April 2023

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a profound impact on global health and economy, making it crucial to build accurate and interpretable data-driven predictive models for COVID-19 cases to improve public policy making. The extremely large scale of the pandemic and the intrinsically changing transmission characteristics pose a great challenge for effectively predicting COVID-19 cases. To address this challenge, we propose a novel hybrid model in which the interpretability of the Autoregressive model (AR) and the predictive power of the long short-term memory neural networks (LSTM) join forces. The proposed hybrid model is formalized as a neural network with an architecture that connects two composing model blocks, of which the relative contribution is decided data-adaptively in the training procedure. We demonstrate the favorable performance of the hybrid model over its two single composing models as well as other popular predictive models through comprehensive numerical studies on two data sources under multiple evaluation metrics. Specifically, in county-level data of 8 California counties, our hybrid model achieves 4.173% MAPE, outperforming the composing AR (5.629%) and LSTM (4.934%) alone on average. In country-level datasets, our hybrid model outperforms the widely-used predictive models such as AR, LSTM, Support Vector Machines, Gradient Boosting, and Random Forest, in predicting the COVID-19 cases in Japan, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Singapore, Italy, and the United Kingdom. In addition to the predictive performance, we illustrate the interpretability of our proposed hybrid model using the estimated AR component, which is a key feature that is not shared by most black-box predictive models for COVID-19 cases. Our study provides a new and promising direction for building effective and interpretable data-driven models for COVID-19 cases, which could have significant implications for public health policy making and control of the current COVID-19 and potential future pandemics.
Compound climate-pollution extremes in Santiago de Chile
Authors: Feron Sarah , Cordero Raúl R. , Damiani Alessandro , Oyola Pedro , Ansari Tabish , Pedemonte Juan C. , Wang Chenghao , Ouyang Zutao , Gallo Valentina
Published: April 2023

Cities in the global south face dire climate impacts. It is in socioeconomically marginalized urban communities of the global south that the effects of climate change are felt most deeply. Santiago de Chile, a major mid-latitude Andean city of 7.7 million inhabitants, is already undergoing the so-called “climate penalty” as rising temperatures worsen the effects of endemic ground-level ozone pollution. As many cities in the global south, Santiago is highly segregated along socioeconomic lines, which offers an opportunity for studying the effects of concurrent heatwaves and ozone episodes on distinct zones of affluence and deprivation. Here, we combine existing datasets of social indicators and climate-sensitive health risks with weather and air quality observations to study the response to compound heat-ozone extremes of different socioeconomic strata. Attributable to spatial variations in the ground-level ozone burden (heavier for wealthy communities), we found that the mortality response to extreme heat (and the associated further ozone pollution) is stronger in affluent dwellers, regardless of comorbidities and lack of access to health care affecting disadvantaged population. These unexpected findings underline the need of a site-specific hazard assessment and a community-based risk management.
Genes whose expressions in the primary lung squamous cell carcinoma are able to accurately predict the progression of metastasis through lymphatic system, inferred from a bioinformatics analyses
Authors: Khashei Varnamkhasti Khalil , Moghanibashi Mehdi , Naeimi Sirous
Published: April 2023

Lymph node metastasis is the most important prognostic factor in patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma. The current findings show that lymph node metastatic tumor cells can arise by programming metastasis in primary tumor cells. Thereby, the genetic alterations responsible for the metastasis could be detected in the primary tumors. This bioinformatic study aimed to determine novel potential prognostic biomarkers shared between primary lung squamous cell tumors (without lymph node metastasis) and lymphatic metastasis, using the Cancer Genome Atlas database. Differentially expressed genes were screened by limma statistical package in R environment. Gene ontology and biological pathways analyses were performed using Enrichr for up-regulated and down-regulated genes. Also, we selected lymph node metastasis related genes among DEGs using correlation analysis between DEGs and suitable references genes for metastasis. Receiver operating characteristic curves was applied using pROC and R package ggplot2 to evaluate diagnostic value of differentially expressed genes. In addition, survival and drug resistance analyses were performed for differentially expressed genes. The miRNA-mRNA interaction networks were predicted by miRwalk and TargetScan databases and expression levels analysis of the miRNAs which were mainly targeting mRNAs was performed using UALCAN database. Protein–protein interaction network analysis and hub genes identification were performed using FunRich and Cytoscape plugin cytoHubba. In this study, a total of 397 genes were differentially expressed not only with a significant difference between N + vs. normal and N0 vs. normal but also with significant difference between N + vs. N0. Identified GO terms and biological pathways were consistent with DEGs role in the lung squamous cell carcinoma and lymph node metastasis. A significant correlation between 56 genes out of 397 differentially expressed genes with reference genes prompted them being considered for identifying lymph node metastasis of lung squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, SLC46A2, ZNF367, AC107214.1 and NCBP1 genes were identified as survival-related genes of patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma. Moreover, NEDD9, MRPL21, SNRPF, and SCLT1 genes were identified to be involved in lung squamous cell carcinoma drug sensitivity/resistance. We have identified several numbers of miRNAs and their related target genes which could emerge as potential diagnostic biomarkers. Finally, CDK1, PLK1, PCNA, ZWINT and NDC80 identified as hub genes for underlying molecular mechanisms of lung squamous cell carcinoma and lymphatic metastasis. Our study highlights new target genes according to their relation to lymph node metastasis, whose expressions in the primary lung squamous cell carcinoma are able to accurately assess the presence of lymphatic metastasis.
Human CD4 cytotoxic T lymphocytes mediate potent tumor control in humanized immune system mice
Authors: Lin Wen , Singh Varan , Springer Raynel , Choonoo Gabrielle , Gupta Namita , Patel Aditi , Frleta Davor , Zhong Jun , Owczarek Tomasz , Decker Corinne , Macdonald Lynn , Murphy Andrew , Thurston Gavin , Mohrs Markus , Ioffe Ella , Lu Yi-Fen
Published: April 2023

Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancers can be limited by CD8 T cell dysfunction or HLA-I down-regulation. Tumor control mechanisms independent of CD8/HLA-I axis would overcome these limitations. Here, we report potent CD4 T cell-mediated tumor regression and memory responses in humanized immune system (HIS) mice implanted with HT-29 colorectal tumors. The regressing tumors showed increased CD4 cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) infiltration and enhanced tumor HLA-II expression compared to progressing tumors. The intratumoral CD4 T cell subset associated with tumor regression expressed multiple cytotoxic markers and exhibited clonal expansion. Notably, tumor control was abrogated by depletion of CD4 but not CD8 T cells. CD4 T cells derived from tumor-regressing mice exhibited HLA-II-dependent and tumor-specific killing ex vivo. Taken together, our study demonstrates a critical role of human CD4 CTLs in mediating tumor clearance independent of CD8 T cells and provides a platform to study human anti-tumor immunity in vivo.
Quantization condition of strongly correlated electrons in oxide nanostructures
Authors: Kanda Tatsuhiko , Shiga Daisuke , Wada Asato , Hayasaka Ryotaro , Masutake Yuuki , Hasegawa Naoto , Kitamura Miho , Yoshimatsu Kohei , Kumigashira Hiroshi
Published: April 2023

Some oxide nanostructures have recently been shown to host quantum well (QW) states that are promising for quantum device applications by designing the wave function of their strongly correlated electrons. However, it is unclear why QW states only appear in certain oxides, limiting the possibilities of wave-function engineering. Here, we demonstrate that the electron mean free path λ is one of the essential conditions to form standing waves of strongly correlated electrons in oxide nanostructures. We have investigated the QW states formed in SrTi1–xVxO3 (STVO) ultrathin films using in situ angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The controllability of λ in STVO while maintaining an atomically flat surface and chemically abrupt interface enables us to examine the evolution of QW states with varying λ. A detailed analysis reveals that the intensity of the QW states is almost linearly correlated to λ and may disappear at the Ioffe–Regel criterion, corresponding to the nearest neighbor inter-vanadium distance in STVO. Our findings provide design guidelines for creating and controlling novel quantum phenomena in oxide nanostructures.
Optimal design of a biofuel supply chain using an augmented multi-objective and TOPSIS method
Authors: Zarei Mohammadamin , Cherif Ali , Yoon Ha-Jun , Liu J. Jay , Lee Chul-Jin
Published: April 2023

A mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model for designing a multi-objective biofuel supply chain is developed to minimize total annual cost and emissions by use of an augmented ε-constraint method.
A troubleshooting guide for laser pulling platinum nanoelectrodes
Authors: Lim Koun , Goines Sondrica , Deng Mingchu , McCormick Hadley , Kauffmann Philip J. , Dick Jeffrey E.
Published: April 2023

Step-by-step guide for laser-assisted Pt nanoelectrode fabrication using low-cost equipment. Examples are provided on how to interpret each failure and vary each parameter to troubleshoot through each individual laboratory's fabrication procedure.
Carboxylated mesoporous carbon hollow spheres for the efficient solid-phase microextraction of aromatic amines
Authors: Chen Shixiang , Yu Zejun , Zhang Wenmin , Chen Hui , Ding Qingqing , Xu Jinhua , Yu Qidong , Zhang Lan
Published: April 2023

An efficient and stable fiber coating is of great importance for solid-phase microextraction (SPME).
Homologous RuO2–Ru heterostructures for tandem catalytic upgrading of ethanol
Authors: Jing Pei , Zhao Haiyang , Zhang Wenxiang , Liu Gang
Published: April 2023

A homologous RuO2–Ru heterostructure, constructed by anin situcarbothermal reduction method, is demonstrated as an efficient catalyst for ethanol upgrading.
Synthetic DNA binders for fluorescent sensing of thymine glycol-containing DNA duplexes and inhibition of endonuclease activity
Authors: Sato Yusuke , Takaku Yoshihide , Nakano Toshiaki , Akamatsu Ken , Inamura Dai , Nishizawa Seiichi
Published: April 2023

Dimethyllumazine (DML)-thiazole orange (TO) conjugates were developed for fluorescence sensing of thymine glycol (Tg)-containing DNAs based on the selective recognition of the A nucleobase opposite the Tg residue.
Newly synthesized imidazolium precursors for CO2utilization and sequestration: aproticversusprotic salts
Authors: Qaroush Abdussalam K. , Eftaiha Ala'a F. , Al-Qaisi Feda'a M. , Assaf Khaleel I. , Hammad Suhad B. , Al-Anati Malak H. , Radwan Enas S. , Awwadi Firas F.
Published: April 2023

This work describes the one-pot synthesis for 1,3-bis(3-(1,3-dioxoisoindolin-2-yl)propyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium bromide, and other protic and aprotic derivatives.
Electron-rich pyrimidine rings enabling crystalline carbon nitride for high-efficiency photocatalytic hydrogen evolution coupled with benzyl alcohol selective oxidation
Authors: Lin Zhi , Wang Yiqing , Thi Thuy Nga Ta , Zhang Jie , Wang Ruizhe , Zhang Zhengqi , Xu Yufei , Zhao Daming , Dong Chung-Li , Shen Shaohua
Published: April 2023

With electron-rich pyrimidine rings introduced, the obtained crystalline PCN is favored with rationally modulated band and electronic structures, resulting in efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and benzyl alcohol selective oxidation.
A multifunctional carrier for composite ZnFe2O4: a catalyst for improved one-step diethyl carbonate synthesis from CO2 and ethanol
Authors: Zhang Meng
Published: April 2023

ZnFe2O4 was prepared for the synthesis of diethyl carbonate (DEC). The mechanism underlying the improved yield is proposed, which involves acid-base active sites, to fundamentally solve the current situation.
Functionalized graphene oxide-based lamellar membranes for organic solvent nanofiltration applications
Authors: Jatoi Ashique Hussain , Kim Kyung Hwan , Khan Muhammad Ali , Memon Fida Hussain , Iqbal Muzaffar , Janwery Dahar , Phulpoto Shah Nawaz , Samantasinghar Anupama , Choi Kyung Hyun , Thebo Khalid Hussain
Published: April 2023

In this study, two-dimensional graphene oxide-based novel membranes were fabricated by modifying the surface of graphene oxide nanosheets with six-armed poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) at room conditions and used for organic solvent nanofiltration applications.
Antimony and naphthalene can be simultaneously leached from a combined contaminated soil using carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin as a biodegradable eluant
Authors: Yang Changming , Hao Yanzhang , Wang Hanyu
Published: April 2023

In this study, we have investigated the removal efficiency of antimony (Sb) and naphthalene (Nap) from a combined contaminated soil by carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CMCD) leaching and reveal its remediation mechanisms by FTIR and 1H NMR analyses.
New pyrazolopyridine and pyrazolothiazole-based compounds as anti-proliferative agents targeting c-Met kinase inhibition: design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and computational studies
Authors: Alamshany Zahra M. , Algamdi Eman M. , Othman Ismail M. M. , Anwar Manal M. , Nossier Eman S.
Published: April 2023

c-Met tyrosine kinase plays a key role in the oncogenic process.
Gemini surfactant-like peptide-based nanocages with β-sheet-enhanced stability and encapsulation efficiency of hydrophobic anticancer drugs
Authors: Gao Feng , Zhao Xinmin , Si Qiankang , Niu Xingkun , Hou Shaojie , Liu Shihao , Guo Jun , Wang Liping , Zhang Feng
Published: April 2023

Surfactant-like peptides using a specific β-sheet-forming sequence instead of a nonspecific hydrophobic sequence self-assemble into robust β-nanocages for encapsulating anticancer drugs.
Correction: An ab initio investigation of the structural, mechanical, electronic, optical, and thermoelectric characteristics of novel double perovskite halides Cs2CaSnX6 (X = Cl, Br, I) for optically influenced RRAM devices
Authors: Kiran Saira , Mumtaz Umair , Mustafa Aymen , Imran Muhammad , Hussain Fayyaz , Rasheed Umbreen , Khalil R. M. A. , Khera Ejaz Ahmad , Nazir Alia
Published: April 2023

Correction for ‘An ab initio investigation of the structural, mechanical, electronic, optical, and thermoelectric characteristics of novel double perovskite halides Cs2CaSnX6 (X = Cl, Br, I) for optically influenced RRAM devices’ by Saira Kiran et al., RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 11192–11200, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3RA00078H.
Regulating zinc deposition behaviors by using a functional PANI modification layer on a separator for high performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries
Authors: Wu Fangfang , Du Fukai , Ruan Pengchao , Cai Gangfeng , Chen Ye , Yin Xinyu , Ma Lu , Yin Ruilian , Shi Wenhui , Liu Wenxian , Zhou Jiang , Cao Xiehong
Published: April 2023

GF/PANI separators were prepared byin situpolymerization of aniline monomers on GF. A PANI layer homogenizes the electric field distribution and induces the uniform deposition of zinc, thereby improving the electrochemical performance of batteries.
Violet phosphorus quantum dots as an emerging visible light-responsive photocatalyst for an efficient hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Wang Xin , Xu Chang , Wang Ziyou , Wang Yan , Zhao Xuewen , Zhang Jinying , Ma Ming , Guo Quansheng , Zhang Fuxiang
Published: April 2023

Violet phosphorus quantum dots (VPQDs) with controllable size and thickness are prepared. For the first time, VPQDs as a novel 600 nm-class photocatalyst exhibit a record-high H2evolution activity among all the mono-elemental-based photocatalysts.
A tunable fluorescent probe for superoxide anion detection during inflammation caused byTreponema pallidum
Authors: Lin Weiqiang , Huang Jialin , Guo Shuang , Zhao Meijiao , Chen Xu , Shang Qiuping , Zhang Ruoyuan , Liao Guangfu , Zheng Judun , Liao Yuhui
Published: April 2023

A tunable fluorescent probe for superoxide anion detection during inflammation caused byTreponema pallidum.
Effective electro-oxidation of hydroxymethylfurfural using the electrografted immobilized aminoxyl radical
Authors: Guo Jiaxun , Abdinejad Maryam , Farzi Amirhossein , Salehi Mahdi , Seifitokaldani Ali
Published: April 2023

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is an eco-friendly substitute of fossil fuel-derived polymers that can be produced from biowaste.
The compleX balancing act of controlling X-chromosome dosage and how it impacts mammalian germline development
Authors: Mattimoe Tom , Payer Bernhard
Published: April 2023

In female mammals, the two X chromosomes are subject to epigenetic gene regulation in order to balance X-linked gene dosage with autosomes and in relation to males, which have one X and one Y chromosome. This is achieved by an intricate interplay of several processes; X-chromosome inactivation and reactivation elicit global epigenetic regulation of expression from one X chromosome in a stage-specific manner, whilst the process of X-chromosome upregulation responds to this by fine-tuning transcription levels of the second X. The germline is unique in its function of transmitting both the genetic and epigenetic information from one generation to the next, and remodelling of the X chromosome is one of the key steps in setting the stage for successful development. Here, we provide an overview of the complex dynamics of X-chromosome dosage control during embryonic and germ cell development, and aim to decipher its potential role for normal germline competency.
The Value of Health Literacy in Communication Sciences and Disorders Programs
Authors: Brantley Shanon Y. , McClellan Rhonda L. , Gregg Brent A. , Rainey Jacquie L. , Morris Duston D.
Published: April 2023

Purpose:

Achieving self-directed health care with good health outcomes begins with clients having adequate health literacy (HL) skills. Higher education programs, like communication sciences and disorders (CSD), have a role in cultivating HL. This study examines the speech-language pathology leaders' (administrators and faculty) sense-making of HL for their preparation programs and how/why CSD leaders implement/embed health literacy education (HLE).

Method:

This qualitative, phenomenological study used a screening survey of U.S. CSD leaders to assess their use of HL strategies, based on the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit–Second Edition. Ten participants who reported at least medium-frequency HL use were identified and interviewed based on the screening survey responses showing at least medium-frequency HL use.

Results:

CSD leaders' description and value of HL and explanations of how they implement HLE are described under three themes: HL as communicating so clients understand, HL as personal agency toward well-being, and CSD leaders waiting on others to lead HL conversations. The results indicate that most CSD leaders inaccurately perceive HL as providing health resources with clear and simple communication. Participants value HL as a step toward client empowerment. Despite CSD leaders' acknowledgment that HL holds the promise of self-directed health care, without formal conversations making sense of this significance, HLE occurs intuitively and without much depth.

Conclusions:

CSD leaders must understand that HL is essential for client empowerment and well-being. This unique study demonstrates that CSD leaders need to increase their knowledge of HL to ultimately help their clients achieve empowerment for optimal health outcomes.