bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biomimetic lubricant-grafted surfaces on laser-textured microwell arrays with multifunctionality
Authors: Song Xiaorui , Hou Zhiqiang , Gan Zhehao , Hu Yuyao , Zheng Hongyu , Wu Yongling , Liu Mingming
Published: June 2024

Recently, various slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) have been fabricated for the protection of various materials. However, these SLIPSs are limited by their underlying storage structure and superficial lubricant layer, showing poor durability. Herein, inspired by the high-strength structure of Shell nacre’s “brick-mud” layer, we fabricated an all-inorganic composite coating by using wet chemically etched MXene as a brick and an aluminum phosphate binder (AP) as mud. Then, a series of microwell-array structures were designed and prepared on the coating via nanosecond ultrafast laser writing ablation technology. Subsequently, the textured surface was modified by a silane coupling agent. Vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was tightly grafted onto the porous surface through a thiol-ene click reaction to obtain lubricant grafted texture surface (LGTS). The prepared LGTS showed good lubrication properties for multiple phases, including various liquids, ice crystals, and solids. It exhibits excellent chemical stability and mechanical durability under deionized water impact, centrifugal test, strong acid solutions, anti/de-icing cycles, and high-intensity friction. Thus, the proposed strategy for constructing robust LGTS will greatly promote theoretical research on super wetting interfacial materials and their applications in the fields of antifouling, anti/de-icing, and lubricating protection.
A Large Language Model Approach to Educational Survey Feedback Analysis
Authors: Parker Michael J. , Anderson Caitlin , Stone Claire , Oh YeaRim
Published: June 2024

This paper assesses the potential for the large language models (LLMs) GPT-4 and GPT-3.5 to aid in deriving insight from education feedback surveys. Exploration of LLM use cases in education has focused on teaching and learning, with less exploration of capabilities in education feedback analysis. Survey analysis in education involves goals such as finding gaps in curricula or evaluating teachers, often requiring time-consuming manual processing of textual responses. LLMs have the potential to provide a flexible means of achieving these goals without specialized machine learning models or fine-tuning. We demonstrate a versatile approach to such goals by treating them as sequences of natural language processing (NLP) tasks including classification (multi-label, multi-class, and binary), extraction, thematic analysis, and sentiment analysis, each performed by LLM. We apply these workflows to a real-world dataset of 2500 end-of-course survey comments from biomedical science courses, and evaluate a zero-shot approach (i.e., requiring no examples or labeled training data) across all tasks, reflecting education settings, where labeled data is often scarce. By applying effective prompting practices, we achieve human-level performance on multiple tasks with GPT-4, enabling workflows necessary to achieve typical goals. We also show the potential of inspecting LLMs’ chain-of-thought (CoT) reasoning for providing insight that may foster confidence in practice. Moreover, this study features development of a versatile set of classification categories, suitable for various course types (online, hybrid, or in-person) and amenable to customization. Our results suggest that LLMs can be used to derive a range of insights from survey text.
Interest rate uncertainty and the shape of the yield curve of U.S. treasury bonds
Authors: Bayaa Yasmeen , Qadan Mahmoud
Published: June 2024

We decompose the yield curve of U.S. Treasury bonds into three components—the level, slope, and curvature. We then explore the interaction between these factors and uncertainty in the U.S. bond market. We assess this uncertainty using a VIX-style estimate originating in options on the CBOE’s Treasury Note futures. Using monthly data for 2003–2020, we find that interest rate uncertainty drives the evolution in the shape of the yield curve, but not vice versa. Specifically, the bond market’s VIX-style metric not only correlates with but also influences the yield curve’s level and slope. Moreover, increased uncertainty about interest rates is negatively associated with, and can significantly influence, the yield curve’s curvature. The results of this study are crucial for both policymakers and money managers.
Digital Life Story Work: Linking Identity and Security for Young People in Out-of-Home Care
Authors: Deitz Milissa , Morley Rachel , Sutherland Katie , Blythe Stacy
Published: June 2024

While every young person in Out-Of-Home Care (OOHC) has their own unique story, what they do have in common is the experience of a disrupted life. As they move through placements and assigned case workers change roles, young people frequently lack access to important records and memorabilia. A disjointed personal narrative can undermine a young person’s sense of identity and, given this cohort is already at great risk of poor general outcomes when transitioning to adulthood, can put their physical and mental wellbeing at risk. This paper examines the role digital technology can play in supporting identity for young people in OOHC. It does so through consideration of a new Australian digital app called CaringLife and argues for the benefits of future Life Story Work (LSW) in a digital format in conjunction with more conventional formats. We argue that a digital format for life storying has strong potential to address the higher than usual critical issues this group face: unemployment, homelessness, and mental illness.
A derivative of 3-(1,3-diarylallylidene)oxindoles inhibits dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice
Authors: Jeong Young-Jin , Lee Hae-Ri , Park Sun-Ae , Lee Joong-Woon , Kim Lee Kyung , Kim Hee Jung , Seo Jae Hong , Heo Tae-Hwe
Published: June 2024

Background

IA-0130 is a derivative of 3-(1,3-diarylallylidene)oxindoles, which is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). A previous study demonstrated that SERM exhibits anti-inflammatory effects on colitis by promoting the anti-inflammatory phenotype of monocytes in murine colitis. However, the therapeutic effects of oxindole on colitis remain unknown. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of IA-0130 on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse colitis.

Methods

The DSS-induced colitis mouse model was established by administration of 2.5% DSS for 5 days. Mice were orally administered with IA-0130 (0.01 mg/kg or 0.1 mg/kg) or cyclosporin A (CsA; 30 mg/kg). Body weight, disease activity index score and colon length of mice were calculated and histological features of mouse colonic tissues were analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. The expression of inflammatory cytokines and tight junction (TJ) proteins were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) signaling molecules in colonic tissues were investigated using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Results

IA-0130 (0.1 mg/kg) and CsA (30 mg/kg) prevented colitis symptom, including weight loss, bleeding, colon shortening, and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in colon tissues. IA-0130 treatment regulated the mouse intestinal barrier permeability and inhibited abnormal TJ protein expression. IA-0130 down-regulated IL-6 expression and prevented the phosphorylation of signaling molecules in colonic tissues.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that IA-0130 suppressed colitis progression by inhibiting the gp130 signaling pathway and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and maintaining TJ integrity.
Effects of eco-green and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer rates on growth and green pod yield of hot pepper (Capsicum annum L.) in Bahir Dar Zuria District of Amhara Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Ateka Belay , Alemayehu Melkamu , Adgo Enyew , Assefa Fenta , Mengist Yigrem
Published: June 2024

Hot pepper (Capsicum annum L.) is one of the most important vegetable crops produced in Ethiopia. However, production and productivity of the crop is far below the world average, which is mostly associated with soil fertility depletions as a result of inappropriate application of fertilizer. Therefore, this field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of organic eco-green and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer on the growth and green pod yield of hot pepper during the growing season of 2019/2020. The experiment was designed in factorial combinations of four levels of N (0, 59, 82 and 105 kg ha−1) and four levels of eco-green (0, 75, 125 and 175 L ha−1) which were laid down in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Results revealed that application of N and eco-green (EG) fertilizers very highly significantly (P < 0.001) influenced plant height, numbers of different levels of branches, days to 50% flowering, days to 50% pod setting, days to first harvest, marketable, unmarketable and total green pod yields. Generally, the combination of high levels of nitrogen and EG increased the growth parameters of hot pepper including plant height and number of branches. The highest marketable (17.98 t ha−1) and total green pod yield (18.19 t ha−1) of hot pepper were recorded from the treatment combinations of 59 kg N ha−1 and 125 litter EG ha−1. The same treatment combination had also recorded the highest net benefit (318,516.91 ETB ha−1) with acceptable marginal rate of return (1706%) which can be recommended for economical production of green hot pepper in the study area and areas with similar agro-ecology.
Investigations on the biosorption of nickel using tea leaves and tea fibre (Camellia Sinensis) as adsorbents: thermodynamics, isotherms and kinetics
Authors: Etim Emmanuel E. , Yakubu Shedrach , Terhembe Aniho , Moses Liberty Joshua
Published: June 2024

The adsorption behavior of tea leaves and tea fiber (Camellia sinensis) as low-cost adsorbent with respect to nickel was investigated to justify its usage in wastewater treatment. A good number of adsorption constraints were investigated which provides information about the effect of pH value, temperature, adsorbent dosage, time of contact as well as the starting concentration of the simulated system on the sorption process itself. From the result effects of these parameters could be seen in the biosorption of Nickel by both the tea leaves and fibers. The optimal pH for Ni biosorption in tea leaves and fiber is between 3 and 5, with the highest removal at pH 5 and a dosage of 3 g. The leaf adsorbent is more effective at 50 mg/L metal ion concentration showing 99.8% Nickel removal. The kinetics was best described by the pseudo-second order which gave the most convincing fit. The Langmuir isotherm gives R2values of 0.990 and 0.985 for tea leaves and tea fiber and Freundlich isotherm gives 0.985 and 0.980 values for tea leaves and tea fiber correspondingly with the Langmuir isotherm having higher R2values considered the most suitable. In the long run, this process was endothermic, spontaneous, and of course thermodynamically feasible hence, the adsorbent was considered fit for wastewater treatment.
Exact Solution for Water Evaporation During CO2 Injection
Authors: Russell T. , Bedrikovetsky P.
Published: June 2024

The objective of this study is to develop an analytical model for 1D gas‐water flow with evaporation of water into the mobile gas phase. The evaporation rate is proportional to the fluid‐fluid interfacial area, which is a function of the water saturation. Introduction of saturation‐dependent potential allows reducing the 2 × 2 non‐linear system of PDEs to one hyperbolic equation. The saturation distribution is obtained by non‐linear method of characteristics. The first integral allows for explicit expression of the vapor concentration versus saturation. It was shown that typical properties of rock‐CO2‐water system, the evaporation time has order of magnitude of millions of pore volumes injected. Close match was observed between a series of three corefloods and the analytical model, and the tuned model coefficients belong to their common intervals. This validates the developed model for 1D gas‐water flow with water evaporation into the injected gas.
Mobility of Magmas Within the Earth: Insights From the Elasticity and Transport Properties of Hydrous Albitic Melts
Authors: Ashley Aaron Wolfgang , Bajgain Suraj , Mookherjee Mainak
Published: June 2024

The continental crust is produced by the solidification of aluminosilicate‐rich magmas which are sourced from deep below the surface. Migration of the magma depends on the density (ρ) contrast to source rocks and the melt viscosity (η). At the surface, these silica‐rich melts are typically sluggish due to high η > 1,000 Pa s. Yet at their source regions, the melt properties are complexly influenced by pressure (P), temperature (T), and water contents (). In this study, we examined the combined P‐T‐ effects on the behavior of melts with an albite stoichiometry (NaAlSi3O8). We used first‐principles molecular dynamics simulations to examine anhydrous (0 wt % H2O) and hydrous (5 wt % H2O) melts. To constrain the P and T effects, we explored P ≤ 25 GPa across several isotherms between 2500 and 4000 K. The melts show anomalous P‐ρ relationships at low P ∼ 0 GPa and high T ≥ 2500 K, consistent with vaporization. At lithospheric conditions, melt ρ increases with compression and is well described by a finite‐strain formalism. Water lowers the melt density (ρhydrous < ρanhydrous) but increases the compressibility, that is, 1/Khydrous >1/Kanhydrous or Khydrous < Kanhydrous. We also find that the melt η decreases with pressure and then increases with further compression. Water decreases the viscosity (ηhydrous < ηanhydrous) by depolymerizing the melt structure. The ionic self‐diffusivities are increased by the presence of water. The decreased ρ and η by H2O increase the mobility of magma at crustal conditions, which could explain the rapid eruption and migration timescales for rhyolitic magmas as observed in the Chaitén volcano in Chile.
Potential Bias in Volcanic Paleomagnetic Records Due To Superimposed Chemical Remanent Magnetization
Authors: Shcherbakov V. P. , Lhuillier F. , Gribov S. K. , Tselmovich V. A. , Aphinogenova N. A.
Published: June 2024

Volcanic rocks, preserving paleorecords of Earth's magnetic field, are essential to constrain the working of the geodynamo, provided their primary signal was not biased. Using a thermomagnetometer, we simulate a situation where a sample's primary record, carried by a thermoremanence (TRM, acquired by cooling in air from 600°C to room temperature), is partly overprinted by a chemical remanence (CRM, acquired by 200 hr of isothermal exposure at 400°C). This situation leads to two directional and intensity components (in the form of linear segments) in the Zijderveld and Arai‐Nagata diagrams. In the case of unstable titanomagnetite grains prior to CRM acquisition, we show that both components can be strongly biased by up to ∼50° for paleodirections and ∼50% for paleointensities. In such a worst‐case scenario, the secondary CRM strongly overprints the primary TRM, rendering the common interpretation of Zijderveld and Arai‐Nagata diagrams in terms of characteristic components invalid.
Altered blood parameters in “major depression” patients receiving repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy: a randomized case-control study
Authors: Ozkan Beyza Nur , Bozali Kubra , Boylu Muhammed Emin , Velioglu Halil Aziz , Aktas Selman , Kirpinar Ismet , Guler Eray Metin
Published: June 2024

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating illness that includes depressive mood. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a therapy method used in the treatment of MDD. The purpose of this study was to assess neurotrophic factors, and oxidative stress levels in MDD patients and evaluate the changes in these parameters as a result of rTMS therapy. Twenty-five patients with MDD and twenty-six healthy volunteers with the same demographic characteristics were included in the study. Brain-derived neurotrophic factors were measured photometrically with commercial kits. Oxidative stress parameters were measured by the photometric method. Oxidative stress index (OSI) and disulfide (DIS) levels were calculated with mathematical formulas. In this study, total antioxidant status (TAS), total thiol (TT), and native thiol (NT) antioxidant parameters and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and allopregnanolone (ALLO) levels were reduced in pre-rTMS with regard to the healthy control group; TOS, OSI, DIS, and S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B) levels were increased statistically significantly (p < 0.01). Moreover, owing to TMS treatment; TAS, TT, NT, BDNF, GDNF, and ALLO levels were increased compared to pre-rTMS, while DIS, TOS, OSI, and S100B levels were decreased significantly (p < 0.01). The rTMS treatment reduces oxidative stress and restores thiol-disulfide balance in MDD patients. Additionally, rTMS modulates neurotrophic factors and neuroactive steroids, suggesting its potential as an antidepressant therapy. The changes in the biomarkers evaluated may help determine a more specific approach to treating MDD with rTMS therapy.
Localized, highly efficient secretion of signaling proteins by migrasomes
Authors: Jiao Haifeng , Li Xiaopeng , Li Ying , Guo Yuting , Hu Xiaoyu , Sho Takami , Luo Yiqun , Wang Jinyu , Cao Huizhen , Du Wanqing , Li Dong , Yu Li
Published: June 2024

Migrasomes, enriched with signaling molecules such as chemokines, cytokines and angiogenic factors, play a pivotal role in the spatially defined delivery of these molecules, influencing critical physiological processes including organ morphogenesis and angiogenesis. The mechanism governing the accumulation of signaling molecules in migrasomes has been elusive. In this study, we show that secretory proteins, including signaling proteins, are transported into migrasomes by secretory carriers via both the constitutive and regulated secretion pathways. During cell migration, a substantial portion of these carriers is redirected to the rear of the cell and actively transported into migrasomes, driven by the actin-dependent motor protein Myosin-5a. Once at the migrasomes, these carriers fuse with the migrasome membrane through SNARE-mediated mechanisms. Inhibiting migrasome formation significantly reduces secretion, suggesting migrasomes as a principal secretion route in migrating cells. Our findings reveal a specialized, highly localized secretion paradigm in migrating cells, conceptually paralleling the targeted neurotransmitter release observed in neuronal systems.
Automated detection of type 1 ROP, type 2 ROP and A-ROP based on deep learning
Authors: Kıran Yenice Eşay , Kara Caner , Erdaş Çağatay Berke
Published: June 2024

Purpose

To provide automatic detection of Type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), Type 2 ROP, and A-ROP by deep learning-based analysis of fundus images obtained by clinical examination using convolutional neural networks.

Material and methods

A total of 634 fundus images of 317 premature infants born at 23–34 weeks of gestation were evaluated. After image pre-processing, we obtained a rectangular region (ROI). RegNetY002 was used for algorithm training, and stratified 10-fold cross-validation was applied during training to evaluate and standardize our model. The model’s performance was reported as accuracy and specificity and described by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC).

Results

The model achieved 0.98 accuracy and 0.98 specificity in detecting Type 2 ROP versus Type 1 ROP and A-ROP. On the other hand, as a result of the analysis of ROI regions, the model achieved 0.90 accuracy and 0.95 specificity in detecting Stage 2 ROP versus Stage 3 ROP and 0.91 accuracy and 0.92 specificity in detecting A-ROP versus Type 1 ROP. The AUC scores were 0.98 for Type 2 ROP versus Type 1 ROP and A-ROP, 0.85 for Stage 2 ROP versus Stage 3 ROP, and 0.91 for A-ROP versus Type 1 ROP.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that ROP classification by DL-based analysis of fundus images can be distinguished with high accuracy and specificity. Integrating DL-based artificial intelligence algorithms into clinical practice may reduce the workload of ophthalmologists in the future and provide support in decision-making in the management of ROP.
What drives the heterogeneous interdiffusion in the Li-Si interfacial region of Si anodes: the Li flux or the Si flux?
Authors: Fu Fangjia , Wang Xiaoxu , Hu Taiping , Zhou Guobing , Dai Fu-Zhi , Xu Shenzhen
Published: June 2024

The electrochemical reaction in silicon (Si) electrode, accompanying with tremendous volume expansion, causes rapid capacity fade of Li-ion batteries. The Li-ion concentration gradient and structural distribution uniformity influence the inhomogeneous expansion, and the kinetic mechanism of lithiation and interfacial morphology evolvement remains debated. The present study focuses on the dynamics of Li-Si interdiffusion at Si/Li interfaces with various Si-facet orientations and phases using a machine-learning potential. We find that the Si flux from bulk Si to Li-Si interface regions controls the length of Li-Si interdiffusion region. The lithiation length in different Si/Li interface systems exhibits the order of amorphous-Si > crystalline-Si(110) > crystalline-Si(100) > crystalline-Si(111), which agrees with the experimental trend. Our atomic simulations further reveal that the key factor determining the Li-Si interdiffusion is the difference of on-site Si atomic energies between the bulk Si and the Li-Si interface regions. We propose that the large interdiffusion extent is due to a low thermodynamics barrier. Our findings provide insights for the development of high-performance Si anode materials.
Impact of must clarification treatments on chemical and sensory profiles of kiwifruit wine
Authors: Huang Di , Fan Wenjing , Dai Ruisen , Lu Yao , Liu Yanlin , Song Yuyang , Qin Yi , Su Ying
Published: June 2024

This study examined the effect of various clarification treatments on the physicochemical properties, volatile compounds, and sensory attributes of kiwi wines produced from five different kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) varieties. The degree of clarification had a minimal impact on physicochemical parameters, including the content of residual sugar, ethanol, volatile acid, titratable acidity (except for the kiwifruit variety ‘Qinmei’), and the pH value. However, wines made from unclarified juices (muddy juice and pulp) displayed a higher glycerol content than those made from clarified juices. The cluster heat map and principal component analyses (PCA) demonstrated that kiwi wines produced from clarified kiwi juices possessed a higher ester content, whereas muddy juice and pulp wines contained elevated levels of higher alcohols. Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) indicated that clarified juice wines outperformed muddy juice and pulp wines in terms of purity, typicality, harmony, intensity, and freshness, with negligible differences in terms of palate acidity. Moreover, the clarified juice wines featured more characteristic kiwi wine aromas (kiwifruit, passionfruit, and pineapple) compared with that of the muddy juice and pulp wines, which exhibited an increased grassy flavour. Although the 100-NTU kiwifruit juice-fermented wine did not show an advantage in the cluster heat map and PCA, it presented better freshness, typicality, and intensity in the QDA, as well as a more passionfruit aroma. Based on the orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis, A. deliciosa ‘Xuxiang’ was deemed to be the most suitable variety for vinification. This study provides crucial insights for enhancing the production of high-quality kiwi wine.
Ferroptosis-like cell death promotes and prolongs inflammation in Drosophila
Authors: Davidson Andrew J. , Heron Rosalind , Das Jyotirekha , Overholtzer Michael , Wood Will
Published: June 2024

Ferroptosis is a distinct form of necrotic cell death caused by overwhelming lipid peroxidation, and emerging evidence indicates a major contribution to organ damage in multiple pathologies. However, ferroptosis has not yet been visualized in vivo due to a lack of specific probes, which has severely limited the study of how the immune system interacts with ferroptotic cells and how this process contributes to inflammation. Consequently, whether ferroptosis has a physiological role has remained a key outstanding question. Here we identify a distinct, ferroptotic-like, necrotic cell death occurring in vivo during wounding of the Drosophila embryo using live imaging. We further demonstrate that macrophages rapidly engage these necrotic cells within the embryo but struggle to engulf them, leading to prolonged, frustrated phagocytosis and frequent corpse disintegration. Conversely, suppression of the ferroptotic programme during wounding delays macrophage recruitment to the injury site, pointing to conflicting roles for ferroptosis during inflammation in vivo.
A humanized mouse that mounts mature class-switched, hypermutated and neutralizing antibody responses
Authors: Chupp Daniel P. , Rivera Carlos E. , Zhou Yulai , Xu Yijiang , Ramsey Patrick S. , Xu Zhenming , Zan Hong , Casali Paolo
Published: June 2024

Humanized mice are limited in terms of modeling human immunity, particularly with regards to antibody responses. Here we constructed a humanized (THX) mouse by grafting non-γ-irradiated, genetically myeloablated KitW-41J mutant immunodeficient pups with human cord blood CD34+ cells, followed by 17β-estradiol conditioning to promote immune cell differentiation. THX mice reconstitute a human lymphoid and myeloid immune system, including marginal zone B cells, germinal center B cells, follicular helper T cells and neutrophils, and develop well-formed lymph nodes and intestinal lymphoid tissue, including Peyer’s patches, and human thymic epithelial cells. These mice have diverse human B cell and T cell antigen receptor repertoires and can mount mature T cell-dependent and T cell-independent antibody responses, entailing somatic hypermutation, class-switch recombination, and plasma cell and memory B cell differentiation. Upon flagellin or a Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccination, THX mice mount neutralizing antibody responses to Salmonella or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Spike S1 receptor-binding domain, with blood incretion of human cytokines, including APRIL, BAFF, TGF-β, IL-4 and IFN-γ, all at physiological levels. These mice can also develop lupus autoimmunity after pristane injection. By leveraging estrogen activity to support human immune cell differentiation and maturation of antibody responses, THX mice provide a platform to study the human immune system and to develop human vaccines and therapeutics.
A portable thermal ablation device for cervical cancer prevention in a screen-and-treat setting: a randomized, noninferiority trial
Authors: Basu Partha , Mwanahamuntu Mulindi , Pinder Leeya F. , Muwonge Richard , Lucas Eric , Nyambe Namakau , Chisele Samson , Shibemba Aaron Lunda , Sauvaget Catherine , Sankaranarayanan Rengaswamy , Prendiville Walter , Parham Groesbeck P.
Published: June 2024

Implementing standard-of-care cryotherapy or electrosurgical excision to treat cervical precancers is challenging in resource-limited settings. An affordable technological alternative that is as effective as standard-of-care techniques would greatly improve access to treatment. This randomized controlled trial aims to demonstrate the noninferiority efficacy of a portable, battery-driven thermal ablation (TA) device compared to cryotherapy and electrosurgical excision (large loop excision of transformation zone (LLETZ)) to treat cervical precancer in a screen-and-treat program in Zambia. A total of 3,124 women positive on visual inspection with acetic acid and eligible for ablative therapy were randomized to one of the treatment arms. Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing was performed at baseline and at the follow-up. The primary outcome was treatment success, defined as either type-specific HPV clearance at the follow-up in participants positive for HPV at baseline, or a negative visual inspection with acetic acid test for those who had a negative HPV test at baseline. After a median follow-up of 12 months, treatment success rates were 74.0%, 71.1% and 71.4% for the TA, cryotherapy and LLETZ arms, respectively, thus demonstrating noninferiority (P = 0.83). TA was a safe and well-accepted procedure. Only 3.6% of those randomized to TA reported moderate-to-severe pain, compared to 6.5% and 1.9% for the cryotherapy and LLETZ arms, respectively. Thus, our randomized controlled trial demonstrates the safety and efficacy of TA, which is not inferior to cryotherapy or surgical excision.

ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT02956239.
Structural basis of tRNA recognition by the m3C RNA methyltransferase METTL6 in complex with SerRS seryl-tRNA synthetase
Authors: Throll Philipp , G. Dolce Luciano , Rico-Lastres Palma , Arnold Katharina , Tengo Laura , Basu Shibom , Kaiser Stefanie , Schneider Robert , Kowalinski Eva
Published: June 2024

Methylation of cytosine 32 in the anticodon loop of tRNAs to 3-methylcytosine (m3C) is crucial for cellular translation fidelity. Misregulation of the RNA methyltransferases setting this modification can cause aggressive cancers and metabolic disturbances. Here, we report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the human m3C tRNA methyltransferase METTL6 in complex with seryl-tRNA synthetase (SerRS) and their common substrate tRNASer. Through the complex structure, we identify the tRNA-binding domain of METTL6. We show that SerRS acts as the tRNASer substrate selection factor for METTL6. We demonstrate that SerRS augments the methylation activity of METTL6 and that direct contacts between METTL6 and SerRS are necessary for efficient tRNASer methylation. Finally, on the basis of the structure of METTL6 in complex with SerRS and tRNASer, we postulate a universal tRNA-binding mode for m3C RNA methyltransferases, including METTL2 and METTL8, suggesting that these mammalian paralogs use similar ways to engage their respective tRNA substrates and cofactors.
Unifying aspect-based sentiment analysis BERT and multi-layered graph convolutional networks for comprehensive sentiment dissection
Authors: Aziz Kamran , Ji Donghong , Chakrabarti Prasun , Chakrabarti Tulika , Iqbal Muhammad Shahid , Abbasi Rashid
Published: June 2024

Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis (ABSA) represents a fine-grained approach to sentiment analysis, aiming to pinpoint and evaluate sentiments associated with specific aspects within a text. ABSA encompasses a set of sub-tasks that together facilitate a detailed understanding of the multifaceted sentiment expressions. These tasks include aspect and opinion terms extraction (ATE and OTE), classification of sentiment at the aspect level (ALSC), the coupling of aspect and opinion terms extraction (AOE and AOPE), and the challenging integration of these elements into sentiment triplets (ASTE). Our research introduces a comprehensive framework capable of addressing the entire gamut of ABSA sub-tasks. This framework leverages the contextual strengths of BERT for nuanced language comprehension and employs a biaffine attention mechanism for the precise delineation of word relationships. To address the relational complexity inherent in ABSA, we incorporate a Multi-Layered Enhanced Graph Convolutional Network (MLEGCN) that utilizes advanced linguistic features to refine the model’s interpretive capabilities. We also introduce a systematic refinement approach within MLEGCN to enhance word-pair representations, which leverages the implicit outcomes of aspect and opinion extractions to ascertain the compatibility of word pairs. We conduct extensive experiments on benchmark datasets, where our model significantly outperforms existing approaches. Our contributions establish a new paradigm for sentiment analysis, offering a robust tool for the nuanced extraction of sentiment information across diverse text corpora. This work is anticipated to have significant implications for the advancement of sentiment analysis technology, providing deeper insights into consumer preferences and opinions for a wide range of applications.
Evolution of natural disaster terminologies, with a case study of the covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Caldera H. Jithamala , Wirasinghe S. C.
Published: June 2024

Disaster, catastrophe, and cataclysm are some English terminologies that describe the severity of adverse events. Civilians, reporters, and professionals often use these terminologies to communicate and report any event’s severity. This linguistic method is the most practical way to rapidly reach all levels of local/regional/national, and international stakeholders during disasters. Therefore, disaster terminologies play a significant role in disaster management. However, attaining the actual magnitude of a disaster’s severity cannot be comprehended simply by using these terminologies because they are used interchangeably. Unfortunately, there is no consistent method to differentiate disaster terminologies from one another. Additionally, no globally accepted standard technique exists to communicate the severity level when disasters strike; one observer’s ‘disaster’ can be another’s ‘catastrophe’. Hence, a nation’s ability to manage extreme events is difficult when there are no agreed terminologies among emergency management systems. A standard severity classification system is required to understand, communicate, report, and educate stakeholders. This paper presents perceptions of people about disaster terminologies in different geographical regions, rankings and differences in disaster lexical and lexicon. It explores how people perceive major events (e.g., the Covid-19 pandemic), and proposes a ranking of disaster terminologies to create a severity classification system suitable for global use.
Effect of temperature and humidity on mechanical properties and constitutive modeling of pressure-sensitive adhesives
Authors: Luo Weiquan , Chen Wenzhen , Liu Dashun , Huang Xiaofeng , Ma Baoguang
Published: June 2024

Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are crucial for the structural and functional integrity of flexible displays. Investigating the intricate mechanical properties of PSAs can help enhance product quality and performance. This study conducts systematic mechanical tests, including uniaxial tensile, compression, planar shear, and stress relaxation, on PSAs at temperatures ranging from – 25 to 85 ℃ and relative humidity levels from 0 to 90%. Our findings reveal that the Anssari-Benam model accurately describes the hyperelastic behavior of PSA materials under large deformation, outperforming the Ogden model by requiring fewer parameters and better preserving convexity. Moreover the results show that temperature markedly affects PSA properties, particularly near the glass transition temperature (Tg), with lower temperatures leading to decreased elasticity and higher temperatures aiding in stress relaxation. Similarly, humidity impacts PSA behavior, increasing elasticity and decreasing stiffness, especially noticeable in stress relaxation tests. These findings highlight the substantial influence of environmental conditions on the material properties of PSAs and underscore the necessity of understanding both hyperelastic and viscoelastic responses for their application in flexible technologies. This research provides critical insights for the optimal utilization of PSAs in the rapidly evolving field of flexible electronics, including OLED displays.
Assessment of malignant potential for HPV types 16, 52, and 58 in the uterine cervix within a Korean cohort
Authors: Lee Juhun , Kim Dong Ja , Lee Hyun Jung
Published: June 2024

High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) is the primary carcinogen in uterine cervical carcinoma. While genotype-specific carcinogenic risks have been extensively studied in Western populations, data from Korean are sparse. This study evaluates the malignant potential of the three most prevalent HR-HPVs in Korea: HPV16, HPV52, and HPV58. We analyzed 230 patients who underwent cervical conization and had been tested for HPV within a year prior to the procedure, excluding those with multiple infections. This analysis was confined to patients with single HPV infections and assessed outcomes of CIN3+, which includes carcinoma in situ (CIN3) and invasive carcinoma. The incidence of invasive cervical cancer was 6.7% for HPV16, 1.7% for HPV52, and 2.0% for HPV58; however, these differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.187). The rate of CIN3+ for HPV16, HPV52, and HPV58 were 70.6%, 51.7%, and 58.8%, respectively. Despite the small sample size, which may limit the robustness of statistical analysis, the data suggest a higher observed risk with HPV16. These findings highlight the need for vigilant clinical management tailored to specific HPV genotypes and support the implementation of a nine-valent vaccine in Korea. Physicians should be aware of these genotype-specific risks when treating patients.
Temporal discounting predicts procrastination in the real world
Authors: Zhang Pei Yuan , Ma Wei Ji
Published: June 2024

People procrastinate, but why? One long-standing hypothesis is that temporal discounting drives procrastination: in a task with a distant future reward, the discounted future reward fails to provide sufficient motivation to initiate work early. However, empirical evidence for this hypothesis has been lacking. Here, we used a long-term real-world task and a novel measure of procrastination to examine the association between temporal discounting and real-world procrastination. To measure procrastination, we critically measured the entire time course of the work progress instead of a single endpoint, such as task completion day. This approach allowed us to compute a fine-grained metric of procrastination. We found a positive correlation between individuals’ degree of future reward discounting and their level of procrastination, suggesting that temporal discounting is a cognitive mechanism underlying procrastination. We found no evidence of a correlation when we, instead, measured procrastination by task completion day or by survey. This association between temporal discounting and procrastination offers empirical support for targeted interventions that could mitigate procrastination, such as modifying incentive systems to reduce the delay to a reward and lowering discount rates.
Experiment-guided tuning of muscle–tendon parameters to estimate muscle fiber lengths and passive forces
Authors: Luis Israel , Afschrift Maarten , Gutierrez-Farewik Elena M.
Published: June 2024

The workflow to simulate motion with recorded data usually starts with selecting a generic musculoskeletal model and scaling it to represent subject-specific characteristics. Simulating muscle dynamics with muscle–tendon parameters computed from existing scaling methods in literature, however, yields some inconsistencies compared to measurable outcomes. For instance, simulating fiber lengths and muscle excitations during walking with linearly scaled parameters does not resemble established patterns in the literature. This study presents a tool that leverages reported in vivo experimental observations to tune muscle–tendon parameters and evaluates their influence in estimating muscle excitations and metabolic costs during walking. From a scaled generic musculoskeletal model, we tuned optimal fiber length, tendon slack length, and tendon stiffness to match reported fiber lengths from ultrasound imaging and muscle passive force–length relationships to match reported in vivo joint moment–angle relationships. With tuned parameters, muscle contracted more isometrically, and soleus’s operating range was better estimated than with linearly scaled parameters. Also, with tuned parameters, on/off timing of nearly all muscles’ excitations in the model agreed with reported electromyographic signals, and metabolic rate trajectories varied significantly throughout the gait cycle compared to linearly scaled parameters. Our tool, freely available online, can customize muscle–tendon parameters easily and be adapted to incorporate more experimental data.
Comparative effectiveness of lazertinib in patients with EGFR T790M-positive non-small-cell lung cancer using a real-world external control
Authors: Jeon Ha-Lim , Kwak Meesong , Kim Sohee , Yu Hye-Yeon , Shin Ju-Young , Jung Hyun Ae
Published: June 2024

Lazertinib is a recently developed third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors used for patients with advanced EGFR T790M-positive non-small-cell lung cancer. We evaluated the effectiveness of lazertinib compared with osimertinib using an external control. We obtained individual patient data for the lazertinib arm from the LASER201 trial and the osimertinib arm from registry data at the Samsung Medical Center. In total, 75 and 110 patients were included in the lazertinib and osimertinib groups, respectively. After propensity score matching, each group had 60 patients and all baseline characteristics were balanced. The median follow-up duration was 22.0 and 29.6 months in the lazertinib and osimertinib group, respectively. The objective response rate (ORR) were 76.7% and 86.7% for lazertinib and osimertinib, respectively (p = 0.08). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 12.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.5–19.1) and 14.4 months (95% CI 11.8–18.1) for the lazertinib and osimertinib group, respectively (hazard ratio [HR] 0.97; 95% CI 0.64–1.45, p = 0.86). The median overall survival with lazertinib was not reached and that with osimertinib was 29.8 months (HR 0.44; 95% CI 0.25–0.77, p = 0.005). Our study suggests that lazertinib has an ORR and PFS comparable to those of osimertinib and has the potential for superior survival benefits.
New hemisynthetic derivatives of sphaeropsidin phytotoxins triggering severe endoplasmic reticulum swelling in cancer cells
Authors: Ingels Aude , Scott Robert , Hooper Annie R. , van der Westhuyzen Aletta E. , Wagh Sachin B. , de Meester Joséphine , Maddau Lucia , Marko Doris , Aichinger Georg , Berger Walter , Vermeersch Marjorie , Pérez-Morga David , Maslivetc Vladimir A. , Evidente Antonio , van Otterlo Willem A. L. , Kornienko Alexander , Mathieu Véronique
Published: June 2024

Sphaeropsidins are iso-pimarane diterpenes produced by phytopathogenic fungi that display promising anticancer activities. Sphaeropsidin A, in particular, has been shown to counteract regulatory volume increase, a process used by cancer cells to avoid apoptosis. This study reports the hemi-synthesis of new lipophilic derivatives obtained by modifications of the C15,C16-alkene moiety. Several of these compounds triggered severe ER swelling associated with strong proteasomal inhibition and consequently cell death, a feature that was not observed with respect to mode of action of the natural product. Significantly, an analysis from the National Cancer Institute sixty cell line testing did not reveal any correlations between the most potent derivative and any other compound in the database, except at high concentrations (LC50). This study led to the discovery of a new set of sphaeropsidin derivatives that may be exploited as potential anti-cancer agents, notably due to their maintained activity towards multidrug resistant models.
A case study of lean digital transformation through robotic process automation in healthcare
Authors: Huang Wei-Lun , Liao Shu-Lang , Huang Hsueh-Ling , Su You-Xuan , Jerng Jih-Shuin , Lu Chien-Yu , Ho Wei-Sho , Xu Jing-Ran
Published: June 2024

Under Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) system, it's crucial for all healthcare providers to accurately submit medical expense claims to the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) to avoid incorrect deductions. With changes in healthcare policies and adjustments in hospital management strategies, the complexity of claiming rules has resulted in hospitals expending significant manpower and time on the medical expense claims process. Therefore, this study utilizes the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) management approach to identify wasteful and non-value-added steps in the process. Simultaneously, it introduces Robotic Process Automation (RPA) tools to replace manual operations. After implementation, the study effectively reduces the process time by 380 min and enhances Process Cycle Efficiency (PCE) from 69.07 to 95.54%. This research validates a real-world case of Lean digital transformation in healthcare institutions. It enables human resources to be allocated to more valuable and creative tasks while assisting hospitals in providing more comprehensive and patient-centric services.
The association between the change in severity score from baseline and the outcomes of critically ill patients was enhanced by integration of bioimpedance analysis parameters
Authors: Hu Zhen , Li Chuan , Zhu Shuhua , Ge Yongchun , Gong Dehua
Published: June 2024

The study of the outcomes of critically ill patients has been a hard stuff in the field of intensive care. To explore the relationship between changes of severity scores, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and outcomes of critically ill patients, we enrolled patients (n = 206) admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) in Jinling Hospital from 2018 to 2021 with records of BIA on the days 1- and 3- ICU. Collected BIA and clinical data including simplified acute physiology score II (SAPS II) and sequential organ failure assessment. According to the baseline and change of severity scores or phase angle (PA) values, the patients were divided into: G–G, baseline good status, 3rd day unchanged; G–B, baseline good status, 3rd day deteriorated; B–G, baseline bad status, 3rd day improved; and B–B, baseline bad status, 3rd day unchanged. According to PA, the mortality of group G–G was 8.6%, and it was greater than 50% in group B–B for severity scores. The new score combining PA and severity scores established. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that PA–SAPS II score was the only independent factor for 90-day mortality (P < 0.05). A linear correlation was found between mortality and PA–SAPS II score (prediction equation: $$Y(\%)=16.97\times X-9.67$$

Y
(
%
)
=
16.97
×
X
-
9.67

, R2 = 0.96, P < 0.05).
Large contribution of in-cloud production of secondary organic aerosol from biomass burning emissions
Authors: Wang Tiantian , Li Kun , Bell David M. , Zhang Jun , Cui Tianqu , Surdu Mihnea , Baltensperger Urs , Slowik Jay G. , Lamkaddam Houssni , El Haddad Imad , Prevot Andre S. H.
Published: June 2024

Organic compounds released from wildfires and residential biomass burning play a crucial role in shaping the composition of the atmosphere. The solubility and subsequent reactions of these compounds in the aqueous phase of clouds and fog remain poorly understood. Nevertheless, these compounds have the potential to become an important source of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). In this study, we simulated the aqueous SOA (aqSOA) from residential wood burning emissions under atmospherically relevant conditions of gas-liquid phase partitioning, using a wetted-wall flow reactor (WFR). We analyzed and quantified the specific compounds present in these emissions at a molecular level and determined their solubility in clouds. Our findings reveal that while 1% of organic compounds are fully water-soluble, 19% exhibit moderate solubility and can partition into the aqueous phase in a thick cloud. Furthermore, it is found that the aqSOA generated in our laboratory experiments has a substantial fraction being attributed to the formation of oligomers in the aqueous phase. We also determined an aqSOA yield of 20% from residential wood combustion, which surpasses current estimates based on gas-phase oxidation. These results indicate that in-cloud chemistry of organic gases emitted from wood burning can serve as an efficient pathway to produce organic aerosols, thus potentially influencing climate and air quality.