bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimizing Diagnostic Methods and Stem Cell Transplantation Outcomes in Pediatric Bone Marrow Failure: A 50-Year Single Center Experience
Authors: Vissers Lotte , Burg Mirjam van der , Lankester Arjan , Smiers Frans , Mohseny Alexander
Published: April 2023

Purpose: Peripheral cytopenia, a frequent presenting symptom in pediatric patients, can be caused by bone marrow failure (BMF). In most cases, reversible causes such as iron deficiency or viral infections underly transient BMF. However, timely identification of patients with non-reversible BMF is of crucial importance to reduce the risks of invasive infections and bleeding complications. In these patients, BMF can be caused by a wide spectrum of underlying diseases including (pre)malignant disease, inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS) and (idiopathic) aplastic anemia (AA). Most pediatric patients with severe persistent cytopenia, independent of the underlying cause, are offered allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) as curative therapy. Here we report on our management guidelines and HSCT outcomes of pediatric BMF patients.
Methods: We formulated recommendations based on this 50 years’ experience, which were implemented at our center in 2017. By analysis of the HSCT cohort of 2017-2023, the 5-year outcome data is presented and compared to historical outcome data to pinpoint improvements and future challenges. In addition, outcomes of patients transplanted for an identified IBMFS is compared to AA outcomes to underline the often multiorgan disease in IBMFS with implications for long-term survival.
Results: Overall and event-free survival of pediatric patients with irreversible BMF has improved tremendously independent of the underlying cause for BMF. This improvement is mainly related to better survival in the first months after HSCT. The long-term survival after HSCT is lower in IBMFS patients as compared to AA patients.
Conclusions: Unbiased protocolized in-depth diagnostic strategies are crucial to increase the frequency of identifiable causes within the heterogeneous group of pediatric BMF. A comprehensive approach to identify the cause of BMF can prevent treatment delay and be useful to tailor treatment and follow-up protocols.
Experimental study on template-based electrophoretically assisted microultrasonic machining of micro-channel
Authors: lian haishan , Deng Cuiyuan , Zhang Linpeng , Mo Yuandong , He Junfeng , Guo Zhongning
Published: April 2023

Such as silicon and glass and other hard brittle materials have strong inertness and chemical stability, are the ideal substrate for the preparation of micro-channel. In order to realize high precision and high-efficiency machining of hard and brittle materials micro-channel, the author innovatively proposed a new technology called template-based electrophoretically assisted micro-ultrasonic machining (TBEPAMUSM). The micro-channel shape punch-pin was transferred to the workpiece by micro-ultrasonic machining (MUSM). Due to the electrophoretic characteristics of ultrafine abrasive particles, applying DC field can guarantee the existence of the ultrafine abrasive in machining area. Four process parameters (Average particle size, Particle concentration, Ultrasonic power and Electrophoretic DC voltage) single - factor experiment and orthogonal experiment were carried out for TBEPAMUSM. The single - factor experimental study found that: 1) The increase of average particle size and ultrasonic power can effectively improve the material removal rate (MRR), but the surface roughness (SR) also decreases. 2)The increase of abrasive concentration will reduce the SR, but suitable concentration can maximize the MRR. 3) When suitable DC voltage were introduced, the MRR and SR can be effectively improved. The orthogonal experiment results show that average particle size has the greatest effect on both SR and MRR. Considering the balance between machining quality and machining efficiency, the optimal parameters were as follows: ultrasonic power 70%, average abrasive particle size 18 µm, abrasive concentration 18%, DC voltage 40 V.
Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals the Genetic Variation and Candidate Gene for Grain Calcium Concentration in Bread Wheat
Authors: Ma Jianhui , Ren Jingjie , Yuan Xuqing , Yuan Meng , Zhang Daijing , Li Chunxi , Zeng Qingdong , Wu Jianhui , Han Dejun , Jiang Lina
Published: April 2023

Calcium (Ca) plays important roles in the human body. Wheat grain provides the main diet for billions of people worldwide but is low in Ca concentrations. Here, grain Ca concentration (GCaC) of 471 wheat accessions was determined in four field environments. The wheat accessions for the Huang-Huai-Hai plain, the major wheat production region in China, contained lowest mean values for GCaC. Phenotypic data was further used for a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using a wheat 660 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. Twelve quantitative trait locus (QTLs) for GCaC were identified on chromosomes 1A, 1D, 2A, 3B, 6A, 6D, 7A, and 7D, which was significant in at least two environments. Haplotype analysis revealed that the phenotypic difference between the haplotypes of TraesCS6D01G399100 was significant (P ≤ 0.05) across four environments, suggesting it as an important candidate gene for GCaC.
A Mixed-Methods Study on the Responsiveness of the COmprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST) among people with Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Fiala Mark A. , Leblanc Matthew R. , Coccia Kathryn W. , Bandaru Shraddha , Silberstein Alice E. , Coles Theresa , Vij Ravi
Published: April 2023

Purpose Financial toxicity is a contributor to the psychosocial burden of cancer care. There is no consensus measure of financial toxicity, however, recent studies have adopted the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST). Despite its growing popularity, data on the responsiveness to change of the COST are lacking. To address this gap in the literature, we performed a sequential mixed-methods study of people with multiple myeloma.Methods In the quantitative phase of the study, we collected COST scores at two time points approximately 8 weeks apart from 72 patients. In the qualitative phase, we conducted semi-structured interviews with a subset of 12 patients who reported the largest changes in COST scores. The qualitative data were analyzed using a deductive coding scheme developed using the Framework Method in the context of a commonly cited conceptual model of financial toxicity.Results The median absolute change in COST scores was 4 points (IQR 2–6). Only 13% of the sample had the same COST scores at both assessments; 38% had an improved score and 50% had a worsened score. Only, seven of the twelve patients (58%) interviewed reported changes to one or more of the constructs in the conceptual model of financial toxicity. Most commonly, changes to out-of-pocket costs were reported (5/12). Changes to non-medical expenses (n = 2) and subjective financial distress without changes to objective financial burden (n = 2) were also reported.Conclusion Additional research is needed to explicate changes in COST scores over time.
Effects of cropping patterns on the distribution, carbon contents, and nitrogen contents of aeolian sand–soil aggregates in Northwest China
Authors: Niu Ziru , An Fangjiao , Su Yongzhong , Li Juan , Liu Tingna
Published: April 2023

The long-term physicochemical responses of aeolian sandy soil aggregates to different crop rotation patterns are poorly understood. Here, we collected soil samples from the 0–20 cm tillage layer of continuous maize crop and alfalfa–corn rotation plots situated on the edge of the Zhangye Oasis, Northwest China. These samples were analyzed to quantify the influence that both cropping patterns have on the structure, carbon content, and nitrogen content of native aeolian sandy soils. When compared with long-term continuous maize cropping, planting using a maize–alfalfa rotation system significantly increased the mass fraction of macro-aggregates with sizes of >2 mm and 0.25–2 mm from 8.74 % to 12.08 % and 19.1 % to 21.21 %, respectively, but decreased the mass fraction of micro-aggregates (0.053–0.25 mm) from 11.57 % to 8.09 %. Further, there was no significant difference in the content of silt and clay particles between each system. The maize–alfalfa rotation increased the stability of aggregates from 0.32 to 0.37, representing an increase of 15.61 %. Soil organic carbon, inorganic carbon, and total nitrogen were mainly enriched in macro-aggregates with sizes of >2 mm, and silt and clay fractions for both cropping patterns. Implementation of a rotation pattern increased organic carbon contents by 27.21 %, 25.62 %, 26.67 %, and 27.58 %, inorganic carbon contents by 14.40 %, 4.53 %, 53.33 %, and 20.95 %, and total nitrogen contents by 14.40 %, 4.53 %, 53.33 %, and 20.95 % in aggregate particle sizes of >2 mm, 0.25–2 mm, 0.053–0.25 mm, and <0.053 mm, respectively, when compared to continuous corn cropping. Total nitrogen content increased by 29.72 %, 7.02 %, 4.17 %, and 50.00 %, respectively, for these particle size ranges. Maize–alfalfa crop rotation can therefore effectively improve soil aggregate composition and aggregate stability, alongside organic carbon content, inorganic carbon content, total nitrogen content, and their storage capacity. This system thus represents a soil cultivation technique that can increase the soil carbon sequestration capacity in the oasis zone of Northwest China.
Identification of hub genes and biological process analysis of otosclerosis patients based on WGCNA analysis
Authors: Wang Wei , Zhang Dongdong , Lei Min , Wang Yue , Zeng Peiji , Zou Cong , Hong Yongjun , Cai Chengfu
Published: April 2023

Background： Otosclerosis is a primary bone disease caused by the bone labyrinth, resorption, and abnormal bone deposition. According to current research, it is a complex disease related to genetic and environmental factors. However, the molecular mechanism associated with otosclerosis has not been clearly revealed.
Methods： The purpose of this study was to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in otosclerosis patients and corresponding normal controls by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) and then deal with DEGS by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Gene ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis are used to analyze genes in modules of clinical significance.
Results： We obtained 11 modules of WGCNA and identified turquoise modules with 184 genes, which were highly related to the phenotype (otosclerosis) of WGCNA. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by using Cytoscape. GO analysis showed that the turquoise module was related to the transcriptional regulation of RNA polymerase II promoter, nucleus, and protein binding, while KEGG and PEA analysis showed that the turquoise module was mainly enriched in nucleocytoplasmic transport. We obtained 10 hub genes, which were verified by HPA (The Human Protein Atlas) database. Among them, AZU1, CAMP, and MPO were highly expressed in normal bone marrow tissues, while the expression in otosclerosis patients was significantly down-regulated compared with the control group.
Conclusion： This suggests that these molecules can be used as candidate markers to distinguish between otosclerosis patients and healthy people. Overall, our research shows that the three hub genes may play a key role in the occurrence and development of otosclerosis.
Group action on the set of non-units in rings
Authors: Almotairi Eman S. , Bhat M. Imran , Alghamdi Ahmad M.
Published: April 2023

Let R be a ring, G be the group of all units of R and X = R − G ∪ {0}. In this paper, we investigate |{av(x)|x ∈ X}| = |{o(x)|x ∈ X}| for a ring R, where av(x) is the set of all vertices of the zero-divisor graph of R adjacent to x. We also investigate the question on zero-divisor graphs posed by J. Han in 2010 [10]; when the equality e(≠ 0, 1), o(1 − e) = av(e) holds for any idempotent element e(≠ 0, 1) in a commutative regular ring R with identity.
AMS subject classification: 2020: 13A50, 05C25, 16W22
Mapping the planet's critical areas for biodiversity and people
Authors: Neugarten Rachel , Chaplin-Kramer Rebecca , Sharp Richard , Schuster Richard , Strimas-Mackey Matthew , Roehrdanz Patrick , Mulligan Mark , Soesbergen Arnout van , Hole David , Kennedy Christina , Oakleaf James , Johnson Justin , Kiesecker Joseph , Polasky Stephen , Hanson Jeffrey , Rodewald Amanda
Published: April 2023

Meeting global commitments to conservation, climate, and sustainable development goals requires consideration of synergies and tradeoffs among targets. We evaluate the spatial congruence of ecosystems providing globally high levels of nature’s contributions to people, biodiversity, and areas with high development potential across several sectors. We find that conserving 44% of global land area through protection or sustainable management could provide 90% of current levels of ten of nature’s contributions to people and meet minimum representation targets for 26,709 terrestrial vertebrate species. This finding supports recent commitments by national governments under the Global Framework for Biodiversity to conserve at least 30% of global lands and waters. More than one-third of areas required for conserving nature’s contributions to people and species are also highly suitable for agriculture, renewable energy, oil and gas, mining, or urban expansion. This indicates potential conflicts among conservation, climate and development goals.
A Test for Evaluating Performance in Human-AI Systems
Authors: Malone Thomas , Vaccaro Michelle , Campero Andres , Song Jaeyoon , Wen Haoran , Almaatouq Abdullah
Published: April 2023

Many important uses of AI involve augmenting humans, not replacing them. But there is not yet a widely used and broadly comparable test for evaluating the performance of these human-AI systems relative to humans alone, AI alone, or other baselines. Here we describe such a test and demonstrate its use in three ways. First, in an analysis of 79 recently published results, we find that, surprisingly, the median performance improvement ratio corresponds to no improvement at all, and the maximum improvement is only 36%. Second, we experimentally find a 27% performance improvement when 100 human programmers develop software using GPT-3, a modern, generative AI system. Finally, we find that 50 human non-programmers using GPT-3 perform the task about as well as –- and less expensively than –- the human programmers. Since neither the non-programmers nor the computer could perform the task alone, this illustrates a strong form of human-AI synergy.
TREM-1 Aggravates Diabetic Associated Cognitive Impairment by Inducing Iron Deposition in Microglia via ERS
Authors: Zhao Yujing , Guo Hongyan , Li Qiao , Wang Nan , Yan Chaoying , Li Qing , Wang Qiang
Published: April 2023

BackgroundCognitive impairment is one of the serious complications in diabetic patients. Iron accumulation is thought to be related to degenerative diseases and diabetes. Microglia have been shown to have features of iron accumulation in Alzheimer 's disease (AD). Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1(TREM-1)acts as an activating receptor for myeloid cells and is elevated in several neurodegenerative diseases. It is unclear whether microglial iron overload is involved in diabetic associated cognitive impairment (DACI), and whether there is an association between TREM-1 and iron metabolism.MethodsWe established a model cultured in high glucose (HG) for 72 hours in BV2/HMC3 and another one high fat diet (HFD) combined with STZ in C57 mice. Intracellular mitochondrial changes were observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy, intracellular Fe2 +, GSH/GSSG, MDA and ROS were detected using kits to assess lipid peroxidation in microglia. Prussian blue staining was used to observe iron deposition in the hippocampus. Cognitive performance of mice was assessed by Y-maze and novel object experiments (NOR). Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to observe the expression of iron and antioxidant-related protein (FPN1, FTL, TFR1,GPX4), apoptosis-related protein (BCL-2, BAX and Caspase3), TREM-1, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-related protein (BIP, P-IRE, IRE, ATF6, P-PERK, PERK, P-eIF2α, eIF2α, ATF4, CHOP).ResultsWe found that hippocampus and microglia undergo iron overload and antioxidant inactivation in HFD/STZ mice. Iron overload, with increase of TREM-1 and antioxidant inactivation, occurred in BV2/HMC3 cultured by HG. Fer-1 could alleviate it by inhibiting HG-induced change of FPN1, GPX4, TFR1, as well as Fe2 +, GSH/GSSG ratio, MDA and ROS. Inhibiting TREM-1 by LP17 could block it, too. Furthermore, PERK/ eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP was obviously down-regulated by LP17 in HG cultured BV2. When LP17 was administered intraperitoneally, cognitive impairment was improved in HFD/STZ mice, iron deposition and antioxidant inactivation in microglia of hippocampus were relieved.ConclusionsIn this study, we found that iron deposition and antioxidant inactivation occurred in microglia of hippocampus in HFD/STZ mice, accompanied by increase of TREM-1, while inhibition of TREM-1 expression alleviated it and improved cognitive dysfunction, which was partially regulated by PERK/ eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP.
Accelerating Atmospheric Gravity Wave Simulations using Machine Learning: Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability and Mountain Wave Sources Driving Gravity Wave Breaking and Secondary Gravity Wave Generation
Authors: DONG Wenjun , Fritts David , Lund Thomas , Liu Alan , Liu Hanli , Snively Jonathan
Published: April 2023

Gravity waves (GWs) and their associated multi-scale dynamics are known to play fundamental roles in energy and momentum transport and deposition processes throughout the atmosphere. We describe an initial, two-dimensional (2-D), machine learning model – the Compressible Atmosphere Model Network (CAMNet) - intended as a first step toward a more general, three-dimensional, highly-efficient, model for applications to nonlinear GW dynamics description. CAMNet employs a physics-informed neural operator to dramatically accelerate GW and secondary GW (SGW) simulations applied to two GW sources to date. CAMNet is trained on high-resolution simulations by the state-of-the-art model Complex Geometry Compressible Atmosphere Model (CGCAM). Two initial applications to a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability source and mountain wave generation, propagation, breaking, and SGW generation in two wind environments are described here. Results show that CAMNet can capture the key 2-D dynamics modeled by CGCAM with high precision. Spectral characteristics of primary and SGWs estimated by CAMNet agree well with those from CGCAM. Our results show that CAMNet can achieve a several order-of-magnitude acceleration relative to CGCAM without sacrificing accuracy and suggests a potential for machine learning to enable efficient and accurate descriptions of primary and secondary GWs in global atmospheric models.
Single-step genome-wide association studies and post-GWAS analyses for the number of oocytes and embryos in Gir cattle
Authors: Rocha Renata de Fátima Bretanha , Garcia Arielly Oliveira , Otto Pamela Itajara , Santos Mateus Guimarães dos , Silva Marcos Vinícius Gualberto Barbosa da , Martins Marta Fonseca , Machado Marco Antônio , Panetto João Claudio do Carmo , Guimarães Simone Eliza Facioni
Published: April 2023

Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) are used for identification of quantitate trait loci (QTL) and genes associated with several traits. We aimed to identify QTLs, genes, and biological processes associated with number of total and viable oocytes, and number of embryos in Gir dairy cattle. A dataset with 17,526 follicular aspirations, including the following traits: number of viable oocytes (VO), number of total oocytes (TO) and number of embryos (EMBR) from 1,641 Gir donors was provided by five different stock farms. A genotype file with 2,093 animals and 395,524 SNP markers was used to perform a single-step GWAS analysis for each trait. The top 10 windows with the highest percentage of additive genetic variance explained by 100 adjacent SNPs were selected. QTLs were identified on chromosomes 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24 and 29. These QTLs were classified as External, Health, Meat and carcass, Production or Reproduction traits, and about 38% were related to Reproduction. In total, 117 genes were identified, of which 111 were protein-coding genes. Exclusively associations were observed for 42 genes with EMBR, and 1 with TO. Also, 42 genes were in common between VO and TO, 28 between VO and EMBR and four genes were in common among all traits. In conclusion, great part of the identified genes plays a functional role in initial embryo development or general cell functions. ARNT, EGR1, HIF1A, AHR and PAX2 are good markers for the production of oocytes and embryos in Gir cattle.
Rapid quantitation of trace perfluoroalkyl acids in soil by chelating resin-aided extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis
Authors: Li Chenghua , Wang Yan , Liu Jinsong , Huang Guoliang , Zhang Baoshan , Jiang Kezhi
Published: April 2023

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are widely distributed persistent organic pollutants and their monitoring in environmental media is of wide public concern. Soil matrices are extremely complex, and the efficient and simple extraction of PFAAs from soil remains a challenge for analysts. In this work, we developed a simple and rapid method for the determination of 21 PFAAs in soil using chelating resin assisted extraction combined with LC-MS analysis. The addition of chelating resins was found to be used to remove free heavy metal ions from soil, thereby releasing PFAAs.Treatment with chelating resin greatly improved the extraction efficiency of PFAAs from soil, with the whole extraction process taking only 30 minutes. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the limits of quantification of the 21 PFAAs were in the range of 0.10–1.63 ng/g. Single PFAAs were detected in soil samples at concentrations between 0.10–2.60 ng/g and recovery experiments showed recoveries in the range of 70–126%.
Co-production within integrated care: a study protocol for multi-case study using Participatory Action Research within an Integrated Care System in England
Authors: Conquer Susan
Published: April 2023

Background
Globally, integrated health and care services are encouraged to work in collaboration with people who draw on their lived experience of health and care; co-producing change. Integrated Care Systems in England are recent structures, mandated in 2022, required to involve their service users, carers and citizens in strategic planning, service development, implementation and improvement. This multi-case study will use participatory action research to explore the impact of co-production on the design and transformation of services within integrated care.
Methods
Case studies of different examples of ongoing co-production within one Integrated Care System will be conducted simultaneously. Participatory action research will allow the researcher to partner with the participants as co-researchers, frame the research questions, and tailor the mixed methods. Co-researcher groups within each case study will consist of service leads, co-production project leads, service users, unpaid family carers, members of staff, and the researcher. Group meeting transcripts, co-researcher reflections, and other case study data collected will be continuously analysed and compared, developing a multi-case analysis.
Discussion
The knowledge built in each case will allow for interpretations of the data. The findings will contribute to the development of co-produced guidance for Integrated Care Systems. The co-researchers may be enabled to use the knowledge built during the case study as learning for their practice of co-production. The multi-case study findings will be submitted to a peer-reviewed international journal, and for conference presentation.
Discovery of inorganic glass electrolytes with polymer-like viscoelasticity
Authors: Hu Yong-Sheng , Dai Tao , Wu Siyuan , Lu Yaxiang , Yang Yang , Liu Yuan , Chang Chao , Rong Xiaohui , Xiao Rui-Juan , Zhao Junmei , Liu Yanhui , WANG Wei-Hua , Chen Liquan
Published: April 2023

Solid-state batteries offering both high energy density and safety have aroused widespread interest as promising power sources for electric vehicles. However, the interfacial mechanical stability of inorganic electrolyte is inferior to that of organic electrolytes and the high stack pressure (several to hundreds of megapascals) is required to maintain the intimate contact with electrodes. Here we report a class of inorganic glass solid electrolytes with polymer-like viscoelasticity, which possess both advantages of inorganic and polymer electrolytes and can enable pressure-less Li- and Na-based solid-state batteries (< 0.1 MPa). These electrolytes are synthesized by simply replacing chlorine of tetrachloroaluminates with oxygen, demonstrating high ionic conductivity of ~1 mS cm-1 at 30℃ for both Li+ and Na+. They can also exhibit superior chemo-mechanical compatibility with 4.3 V cathodes without additional stack pressure. Moreover, the inorganic glass solid electrolytes are feasible for scale-up, not only enabling to be made into thin films through a rolling process owing to its polymer-like flexibility but also facilitating the complete infiltration of the electrode materials like a liquid battery due to the low melting temperature below 160℃. We believe that these viscoelastic inorganic solid electrolytes will inspire us to design new solid electrolytes and accelerate practical application of pressure-less solid-state batteries.
A limit equilibrium method for the limiting landslide pressure acting on a retaining structure
Authors: Liu Shiyi , Li Ming
Published: April 2023

A novel limit equilibrium method is proposed for calculating the limiting landslide force acting on a planar sliding layer and on a retaining structure. The limiting landslide force can be determined by the horizontal force balance equation of the rigid block in the limit state adjacent to the retaining structure. Comparisons of the results obtained with the proposed method with the results obtained with the finite element method and limit analysis show that although the landslide pressure on one side of the rigid block is determined by the approximate method of curve fitting, the proposed method can be used in the design of landslide prevention. The proposed method can also analyse the influence of the soil-wall friction and the strength of the weak layer on the limiting landslide force. In addition, a simple, approximate, logarithmic spiral passive earth pressure theory-based formula is proposed to estimate the limiting landslide pressure for practical application.
Strain improvement for enhanced erythritol production by Moniliella pollinis Mutant-58 using jaggery as a cost-effective substrate
Authors: Khatape Anil B. , Rangaswamy Vidhya , Dastager Syed G.
Published: April 2023

Erythritol has been produced by various microorganisms including Yarrowia, Moniliella, Aureobasidium, and Candida strains. Due to its relatively high price erythritol sweetener used lesser than other polyols despite having many advantages. Therefore, in this study, Moniliella pollinis strain was improved for erythritol production by chemical mutagenesis and subsequently screening for cost-effective carbon sources for the enhanced erythritol yield. M. pollinis was subjected to N-methyl N-nitro N-nitroso guanidine (NTG), Ethyl methyl sulphonate (EMS), and UV mutagenesis for improved erythritol production. The mutant strains were evaluated for enhanced erythritol production medium optimization by using different carbon substrates at the shake flask level. To enhance the production of erythritol and statistical media optimization was carried out using a central composite design (CCD). Among 198 isolated mutants, Mutant-58 strain generated by EMS mutagenesis was selected for further assessment. The Mutant-58 strain showed significant morphological changes as compared to the parent strain. Furthermore, statistically optimized media composition resulted in the higher production of erythritol (91.2±3.4 g/L) with a yield of 40.7±3.4 % in shake flask experiments. The optimized medium composition for erythritol production constitutes (g/L) 225 jaggery, 4.4 yeast extract (YE), 4.4 KH2PO4, 0.31 MgSO4, and pH 5.5. The present study demonstrated strain improvement, media, and process optimization resulting in a 30% increase in the erythritol production in the Mutant-58 as compared to the parent strain. This is also the first instance where jaggery has been used as a cost-effective carbon source alternative to glucose for industrial-scale erythritol production.
INDIRECT: Invertible and Discrete Noisy Image Rescaling with Enhancement from Case-dependent Textures
Authors: Chen Yan-An , Hsiao Ching-Chun , Peng Wen-Hsiao , Huang Ching-Chun
Published: April 2023

Rescaling digital photos to display them on heterogeneous devices while removing the noise has gradually gained attention. However, little research focused on a unified framework to perform these tasks jointly and efficiently. We propose a novel method, INDIRECT (INvertible and Discrete noisy Image Rescaling with Enhancement from Case-dependent Textures), to simultaneously address image denoising and rescaling. With a jointly optimized framework, INDIRECT can produce clean and visually pleasing images with a lightweight model. Specifically, INDIRECT first introduces a discrete invertible network, DDR-Net, to perform rescaling and denoising through its reversible operations. Its discrete nature efficiently alleviates the quantization error occurring during downscaling. Then, a case-dependent texture module (CTM) is proposed to estimate the missing high-frequency information and recover a clean and high-resolution image. Experimental results show our method achieves competitive performance on three tasks–the noisy image rescaling, the image rescaling, and the denoising tasks–with a comparatively small model.
Magnetic Field and Plasma Diagnostics for Solar Coronal Mass Ejections: A Case Study Using the Forward Modeling Approach
Authors: Liu Xianyu , Tian Hui , Torok Tibor , Gibson Sarah , Yang Zihao , Li Wenxian , Samanta Tanmoy
Published: April 2023

The proposed COronal Solar Magnetism Observatory (COSMO) Large Coronagraph (LC) will provide unique observations to study coronal mass ejections (CMEs) with its ability to diagnose the magnetic field and plasma properties in the solar corona. Here we take a realistic magnetohydrodynamic CME model, and synthesize the signals of several coronal emission lines (CELs) to perform forward modeling of COSMO LC observation of a CME. We use the Stokes parameters of the Fe xiii 10747 ̊A line to diagnose the magnetic field and plasma properties of the CME flux rope. The results show that COSMO LC can provide magnetic field measurements of CME progenitors with a high spatial resolution (pixel size = 2′′). During the CME eruption, the COSMO LC observation may be used to qualitatively study the evolution of magnetic field by using a lower spatial resolution (pixel size = 6′′). We then use the synthetic signals of several other CELs to diagnose the physical conditions in the CME leading front, including the shock. The COSMO LC observations of the Fe xiii 10798/10747 ̊A and Ar xiii 8300/10143 ̊A line pair could provide density diagnostics of the front. By observing several CELs with different formation temperatures, the COSMO LC could be used to diagnose the temperature and ionization states in the front. We suggest that the Fe xiii 10747 ̊A line should be given the highest priority when observing CMEs, while observations of the Fe xiii 10798 ̊A, Fe xiv 5303 ̊A, Fe xv 7062 ̊A, and Ar xiii 10143 ̊A lines can also provide valuable information on CMEs.
Stereotactic radiosurgery for distant punctate recurrent IDH-wild type glioblastoma: a single institution experience
Authors: Park David J. , Yoo Kelly H. , Marianayagam Neelan J. , Yener Ulas , Chuang Cynthia , Pollom Erqi L. , Soltys Scott G. , Chang Steven D. , Meola Antonio
Published: April 2023

Background
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a malignant brain tumor that is common and fatal among adults. The standard treatment for GBM involves chemoradiation per Stupp's protocol and additional chemotherapy regimens. However, Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) is frequently used as a single-fraction treatment for punctate recurrent GBM to the contrast-enhancing target on T1 MRI scan without prior assessment of its efficacy.
Objective
This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SRS for patients with distant punctate recurrent IDH-wild type (wt) GBM.
Method
This retrospective study analyzed the clinical and radiological outcomes of patients with distant punctate recurrent IDH-wt GBM who underwent CyberKnife SRS at the institute between 2013 and 2022.
Results
A total of five patients (median age of 53 years) with nine lesions were treated with a median margin dose of 20 Gy. The results indicated that SRS, delivered as a single fraction, did not provide good local tumor control. The 3-, 6-, and 12-month local tumor control rates were 77.8%, 66.7%, and 26.7%, respectively. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7 months, and median overall survival (OS) was 35 months. Interestingly, the only lesion that did not show radiological progression was not associated with the T2-FLAIR hyperintense area surrounding the original tumor in the MRI. None of the patients presented adverse radiation effects.
Conclusion
SRS as a treatment for distant punctate recurrent IDH-wt GBM may lead to limited benefit in terms of local tumor control. Expanding the radiosurgical field to consider the T2-FLAIR hyperintense area may be necessary to improve local tumor control and survival outcomes. Further research is needed to improve SRS outcomes by developing new contouring and dosing strategies.
TSLP reduced neuroinflammation by blocking the activation of microglia in the JAK2/STAT5 pathway
Authors: Zhou Qiao , Cui Nanxue , Zhang Shihai , Zhou Miaomiao , Xu Younian
Published: April 2023

The thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in the central nervous system is highly expressed in response to inflammation but the function of TSLP is still unclear. Using the LPS-stimulated microglia model, we measured oxidative stress, microglial activation markers, and inflammatory indexes to examine the direct impact of TSLP on LPS-stimulated microglia activation as well as the underlying mechanism. The results demonstrated that TSLP treatment decreased LPS-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and the expression of M1-type markers in microglia by increasing TSLP receptor expression. The results also showed that TSLP treatment could control the differentiation of microglia toward M2 type by preventing the activation of microglia in the JAK2/STAT5 pathway with the presence of LPS, even though TSLP may directly promote the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines without the presence of LPS. These findings support the hypothesis that TSLP reduces neuroinflammation and blocks the JAK2/STAT5 pathway induced by LPS, revealing the regulatory role of TSLP in the central nervous system and presenting a novel strategy for the control of the inflammatory response in the central nervous system.
Multifactor fuzzy time series forecasting modeling: an application in atmosphere pollutant concentration prediction
Authors: Zhang Xue-yang , Wang Ya-nan , Xiao Yu-jie , Wang Xiao-kang , Xiao Fei
Published: April 2023

Effective prediction of atmosphere pollutant concentration is an essential and vital activity, for the benefit of conducting preventive measures to protect public health in advance. This significant activity has attracted extensive researches, of which the majority focus on addressing the prediction of specific value in the time series. Considering the imprecision of point prediction caused by the violent fluctuation in pollutant concentration, and the fact that the precise value is not as good as the degree of pollution adaptable for human perception and decision-making, a novel multifactor fuzzy time series (FTS) forecasting model for air quality level forecast is proposed in this paper. In this model, the fuzzy derivation mechanism of conventional FTS model is implemented by support vector machine (SVM), which enhances the systematization of the FTS model and overcomes its disability in simultaneously considering other influencing factors. Besides, to further improve the accuracy of our model, random forest (RF) and fuzzy information granulation (FIG) are employed to construct the optimal combination of influential variables. Finally, to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model, a case study and three kinds of contrastive models are performed, so as to further highlight the superior performance of the proposed model.
Study of structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of NdFeSi compound.
Authors: Kumar Aman , Kumar Anuj
Published: April 2023

The electronic and magnetic characteristics of the intermetallic substance NdFeSi have been examined in this paper. These characteristics were investigated, A theoretical method is the full potential linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbital (FP-LAPW + lo) method based on density functional theory (DFT). We have calculated that the structural properties in terms of the lattice constant are in nearly same as with the experimental values. Similarly, we have calculated electronic properties of our compound such as band diagrams and as well as total density of state (TDOS) and partial density of state (PDOS). these properties show that our compound has a metallic nature, and this nature is due to the Nd-f state. Magnetic properties in terms of magnetic moments demonstrate that the Nd-f state is responsible for the ferromagnetic nature. All computed parameters were found to closely match experimental as well as theoretical values.
Gut microbiota response to sucralose or rebaudioside A in rats under two dietary conditions
Authors: Ramos-García Meztli , Genis-Mendoza Alma Delia , García-Vázquez Carlos , Martínez-Magaña José Jaime , Olvera-Hernández Viridiana , Martínez-López Mirian Carolina , Díaz-Zagoya Juan Cuauhtémoc , Alvarez-Villagomez Carina Shianya , Juárez-Rojop Isela Esther , Nicolini Humberto , Ble-Castillo Jorge Luis
Published: April 2023

Research reported that sucralose induces metabolic derangements via gut microbiota modulation. However, rebaudioside A (reb A) exposure on gut microbiota has barely been evaluated. The aim of this study was to examine the gut microbiota response to sucralose or reb A in rats under two dietary conditions. Male Wistar rats (150–200 g) on normal diet (ND) or high-fat diet (HFD) were randomized to receive sucralose (SCL), reb A (REB), glucose (GLU, control), or sucrose (SUC). After eight weeks, fecal samples were analyzed by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. The diversity and the structure of the gut microbiota were not modified by NNS. In ND rats, SCL decreased phylum Firmicutes and increased Bacteroidetes and its genus Bacteroidia. At class level, in HFD rats, REB reduced Bacilli proportions. The genus Romboutsia was reduced with SCL and REB along ND. Lactobacillus increased with SCL and reduced with REB in HFD. After comparative analyses between the two types of diets, we observed that only HFD in combination with SCL increased Bacilli and diminished Bacteroidiaabundances relative to ND. Exposure to NNS, at equivalent doses to the ADI, slightly induce modifications on gut microbiota in ND and HFD feeding rats, and the effects were more pronounced with sucralose ingestion combined with the HFD regimen. Further studies are needed to examine the potential mechanisms involved.
Defining transformation events for gene drive in species complexes
Authors: Connolly John B.
Published: April 2023

Engineered gene drives (EGDs) that allow the super-Mendelian inheritance of genetic traits could one day be used to reduce the vectorial capacity ofAnophelesspecies that transmit human malaria in Africa. ManyAnophelesspecies belong to complexes of closely related sibling species that can produce fertile interspecific hybrid females. In cases where the genomic target locus of the EGD is conserved amongst sibling species from the same complex as the released target species, it would therefore be plausible that the EGD could be vertically transmitted from the target species to sibling species by interspecific mating. To differentiate genetically modified organisms, the term ‘transformation event’ is used, based on the specific genomic location of the transgenic construct, as a result of random genomic integration. In contrast, an EGD is generated via its precise and reproducible insertion in its specific genomic target locus. These considerations pose two key questions for the use of EGD in species complexes: (i) what does the definition of “transformation event” mean in the context of vertical gene drive transfer of the EGD to sibling species in species complexes and (ii) doesde novotransformation of an EGD into a sibling species constitute the same transformation event as introgression by backcrossing into a sibling species of an EGD that had been originally transformed in the target species? While definitions of the term transformation event that have been provided by national and intergovernmental organisations are somewhat ambiguous, they do provide scope for broad interpretation of vertical gene drive transfer of a specific EGD to different sibling species of the target species as the same transformation event. There also appears to be some consensus that definitions of transformation event support the notion thatde novotransformations of an EGD in sibling species constitute the same transformation events as introgression by backcrossing into sibling species of an EGD that had been originally inserted in the target species.
Evaluation of total solar radiation with daily breakdown based on regression models
Authors: Malenkova I. N. , Shakirov V. A.
Published: April 2023

The study aims to propose new regression models using available weather data by analyzing the data published on the development of regression models for evaluating the flux of total solar radiation. Following an analysis of literature sources, primary stages in developing regression models and approaches to their implementation are described. Models are developed and compared for accuracy based on weather data (maximum and minimal temperature, air humidity, overall and lower cloudiness) in Irkutsk over 2007–2019. For calibration and validation of the models, open databases of ground measurements of weather stations were used. Ten known and seven new regression models were calibrated and validated, including three models based on the support vector method. The new models based on air temperature and humidity, atmospheric pressure, as well as overall and lower cloudiness, showed the highest accuracy in evaluating the total solar radiation with daily breakdown. The maximum mean absolute error in evaluating daily total solar radiation over 2016–2019 comprised 627.52 W·h/m2·day for the analyzed known models, 504.7 W·h/m2·day for the newly proposed regression models, and 463.2 W·h/m2·day for the regression models based on the support vector method. The conducted analysis of the mean bias error revealed models having the highest accuracy in evaluating monthly and annual sums of total solar radiation were determined. These include a known regression model using air humidity data and a regression model based on the support vector method.
Investigating the effects of ambient temperature on photoelectric unit operation
Authors: Mestnikov N. P. , Vasilyev P. F. , Davydov G. I. , Khoyutanov A. M. , Alzakkar A. M.-N. , Lobashev A. A.
Published: April 2023

In this paper, effects of low and high ambient temperatures on the operation of a photoelectric unit are investigated. The research methodology consisted in determination of the energy efficiency of a photoelectric unit across a wide range of ambient temperatures, providing graphical interpretations and describing the procedure of field observations. Regularities in determining the average statistical indicators of energy efficiency rise and drop in a photoelectric unit were applied for a particular range of ambient temperatures. These studies were undertaken during the winter of 2021 in the Materials Science Laboratory of V.P. Larionov Institute of Physical-Technical Problems of the North, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, using a fixed climate chamber. Reference parameters were obtained for changes in the photoelectric unit generating capacity (within -60ºC to +60ºC), which can be applied in modeling operational processes and engineering calculations of operating conditions of solar power plants. It was found that, at the same illumination and ambient temperature values, a photoelectric panel generates the maximum energy at -60ºC and minimal energy at +60 ºC, with the specific power drop for this temperature range being 19%. A significant drop in the specific power of the photoelectric unit was achieved at +30 ºC and higher due to the increased internal resistance of the unit. For temperatures below -40ºC, the specific power of the analyzed unit increased insignificantly due to the decreased internal resistance of the unit. The obtained values of the generating capacity of a photoelectric unit within a wide range of ambient temperatures can be used in developing a procedure for evaluating the effects of ambient temperature and its various ranges on the operation of photoelectric units, as well as for a more accurate determination of the solar generation energy potential under certain climate conditions. In future studies, field observations are planned to identify the nature of the effect of two and more climatic factors on the operation of a photoelectric unit.
Substantiation of thermophysical action over electrode paste to achieve an even structure of electrodes of needle coke for thermal furnaces
Authors: Bazhin V. Yu. , Krylov K. A. , Sharikov F. Yu.
Published: April 2023

The aim was to develop a procedure for obtaining an electrode paste of needle coke in case of thermophysical action in the extruder circuit to produce graphitized carbon electrodes with the required structure and properties for thermal furnaces. To study the properties and composition of electrode pastes and electrodes, X-ray powder diffraction, electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and calorimetry analysis were used. To evaluate the electrode behavior upon its heating in a melt, mathematical and statistical analysis was used. The data were processed using standard MS Office programs. Experiments with graphitized carbon materials were conducted in a calorimetric laboratory at the Scientific Center for Problems of Processing Mineral and Man-Made Resources, Department of Metallurgy, Saint Petersburg Mining University (Russia), using a developed proprietary prototype of the extruder. The conditions and technological parameters for processing electrode pastes were defined and substantiated (rate of extrusion and electrode paste flow, pressure, and heating rate within the defined temperature range to achieve stable structural indicators of electrodes). According to XRD data, the proposed method of thermophysical processing of an electrode paste via a special extruder within 550–620°C and a die pressure of 60–80 MPa provides an evenly directed structure of needle coke with an average needle thickness of 12–20 nm and a length of needle phases of 5–10 mm. The behavior of electrode samples was examined in the furnace melt within 1500–1700°C. The obtained stable levels of the thermal-expansion coefficient (0.3·10-6 °C-1) and specific electrical resistance (4.5–6.0 μmOhm·m) were manifested in reduced electrode sublimation, low losses of overall weight at the electrode end, decreased oxidation, and reduced damage on its side. The proposed electrode structure ensures stable heat and electrical conductivity, as well as high heat capacity, which levels are equivalent to those of imported electrodes and electrode pastes.