bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Machine Learning-Based Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging Radiomics Model for Preoperative Predicting the Deep Stromal Invasion in Patients with Early Cervical Cancer
Authors: Yan Haowen , Huang Gaoting , Yang Zhihe , Chen Yirong , Xiang Zhiming
Published: January 2024

Deep stromal invasion is an important pathological factor associated with the treatments and prognosis of cervical cancer patients. Accurate determination of deep stromal invasion before radical hysterectomy (RH) is of great value for early clinical treatment decision-making and improving the prognosis of these patients. Machine learning is gradually applied in the construction of clinical models to improve the accuracy of clinical diagnosis or prediction, but whether machine learning can improve the preoperative diagnosis accuracy of deep stromal invasion in patients with cervical cancer was still unclear. This cross-sectional study was to construct three preoperative diagnostic models for deep stromal invasion in patients with early cervical cancer based on clinical, radiomics, and clinical combined radiomics data using the machine learning method. We enrolled 229 patients with early cervical cancer receiving RH combined with pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and the fivefold cross-validation were applied to screen out radiomics features. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to identify clinical predictors. All subjects were divided into the training set (n = 160) and testing set (n = 69) at a ratio of 7:3. Three light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) models were constructed in the training set and verified in the testing set. The radiomics features were statistically different between deep stromal invasion < 1/3 group and deep stromal invasion ≥ 1/3 group. In the training set, the area under the curve (AUC) of the prediction model based on radiomics features was 0.951 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.922–0.980), the AUC of the prediction model based on clinical predictors was 0.769 (95% CI 0.703–0.835), and the AUC of the prediction model based on radiomics features and clinical predictors was 0.969 (95% CI 0.947–0.990). The AUC of the prediction model based on radiomics features and clinical predictors was 0.914 (95% CI 0.848–0.980) in the testing set. The prediction model for deep stromal invasion in patients with early cervical cancer based on clinical and radiomics data exhibited good predictive performance with an AUC of 0.969, which might help the clinicians early identify patients with high risk of deep stromal invasion and provide timely interventions.
Application of Machine Learning to Ultrasonography in Identifying Anatomical Landmarks for Cricothyroidotomy Among Female Adults: A Multi-center Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Wang Chih-Hung , Li Jia-Da , Wu Cheng-Yi , Wu Yu-Chen , Tay Joyce , Wu Meng-Che , Hsu Ching-Hang , Liu Yi-Kuan , Chen Chu-Song , Huang Chien-Hua
Published: January 2024

We aimed to develop machine learning (ML)-based algorithms to assist physicians in ultrasound-guided localization of cricoid cartilage (CC) and thyroid cartilage (TC) in cricothyroidotomy. Adult female volunteers were prospectively recruited from two hospitals between September and December, 2020. Ultrasonographic images were collected via a modified longitudinal technique. You Only Look Once (YOLOv5s), Faster Regions with Convolutional Neural Network features (Faster R-CNN), and Single Shot Detector (SSD) were selected as the model architectures. A total of 488 women (mean age: 36.0 years) participated in the study, contributing to a total of 292,053 frames of ultrasonographic images. The derived ML-based algorithms demonstrated excellent discriminative performance for the presence of CC (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC]: YOLOv5s, 0.989, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.982–0.994; Faster R-CNN, 0.986, 95% CI: 0.980–0.991; SSD, 0.968, 95% CI: 0.956–0.977) and TC (AUC: YOLOv5s, 0.989, 95% CI: 0.977–0.997; Faster R-CNN, 0.981, 95% CI: 0.965–0.991; SSD, 0.982, 95% CI: 0.973–0.990). Furthermore, in the frames where the model could correctly indicate the presence of CC or TC, it also accurately localized CC (intersection-over-union: YOLOv5s, 0.753, 95% CI: 0.739–0.765; Faster R-CNN, 0.720, 95% CI: 0.709–0.732; SSD, 0.739, 95% CI: 0.726–0.751) or TC (intersection-over-union: YOLOv5s, 0.739, 95% CI: 0.722–0.755; Faster R-CNN, 0.709, 95% CI: 0.687–0.730; SSD, 0.713, 95% CI: 0.695–0.730). The ML-based algorithms could identify anatomical landmarks for cricothyroidotomy in adult females with favorable discriminative and localization performance. Further studies are warranted to transfer this algorithm to hand-held portable ultrasound devices for clinical use.
KNSTRN Is a Prognostic Biomarker That Is Correlated with Immune Infiltration in Breast Cancer and Promotes Cell Cycle and Proliferation
Authors: Zhang Wenwu , Xiao Yuhan , Zhou Quan , Zhu Xin , Zhang Yanxia , Xiang Qin , Wu Shunhong , Song Xiaoyu , Zhao Junxiu , Yuan Ruanfei , Xiao Bin , Li Linhai
Published: January 2024

Kinetochore-localized astrin/SPAG5-binding protein (KNSTRN) promotes the progression of bladder cancer and lung adenocarcinoma. However, its expression and biological function in breast cancer remain largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze KNSTRN expression, prognoses, correlation with immune infiltration, expression-associated genes, and regulated signaling pathways to characterize its role in regulating the cell cycle using both bioinformatics and in vitro functional experiments. Analyses of The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus, TIMER, and The Human Protein Atlas databases revealed a significant upregulation of KNSTRN transcript and protein levels in breast cancer. Kaplan–Meier survival analyses demonstrated a significant association between high expression of KNSTRN and poor overall survival, relapse-free survival, post-progression survival, and distant metastases-free survival in patients with breast cancer. Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analyses confirmed that KNSTRN is an independent prognostic factor for breast cancer. Immune infiltration analysis indicated a positive correlation between KNSTRN expression and T regulatory cell infiltration while showing a negative correlation with Tgd and natural killer cell infiltration. Gene set enrichment analysis along with single-cell transcriptome data analysis suggested that KNSTRN promoted cell cycle progression by regulating the expression of key cell cycle proteins. The overexpression and silencing of KNSTRN in vitro, respectively, promoted and inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells. The overexpression of KNSTRN enhanced the expression of key cell cycle regulators, including CDK4, CDK6, and cyclin D3, thereby accelerating the G1/S phase transition and leading to aberrant proliferation of breast cancer cells. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that KNSTRN functions as an oncogene in breast cancer by regulating immune response, promoting G1/S transition, and facilitating breast cancer cell proliferation. Moreover, KNSTRN has potential as a molecular biomarker for diagnostic and prognostic prediction in breast cancer.
Strong associations of serum selenoprotein P with all-cause mortality and mortality due to cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases in older German adults
Authors: Schöttker Ben , Holleczek Bernd , Hybsier Sandra , Köhrle Josef , Schomburg Lutz , Brenner Hermann
Published: January 2024

Background

Selenium is an essential trace mineral. The main function of selenoprotein P (SELENOP) is to transport selenium but it has also been ascribed anti-oxidative effects.

Methods

To assess the association of repeated measurements of serum SELENOP concentration with all-cause and cause-specific mortality serum SELENOP was measured at baseline and 5-year follow-up in 7,186 and 4,164 participants of the ESTHER study, a German population-based cohort aged 50–74 years at baseline.

Results

During 17.3 years of follow-up, 2,126 study participants (30%) died. The relationship of serum SELENOP concentration with all-cause mortality was L-shaped, with mortality being significantly higher at SELENOP concentrations < 4.1 mg/L, which is near the bottom tertile’s cut-off (4.2 mg/L). All-cause mortality of participants in the bottom SELENOP tertile was significantly increased compared to subjects in the top tertile (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.35 [1.21–1.50]). SELENOP in the bottom tertile was further associated with increased cardiovascular mortality (1.24 [1.04–1.49]), cancer mortality (1.31 [1.09–1.58]), respiratory disease mortality (2.06 [1.28–3.32]) and gastrointestinal disease mortality (2.04 [1.25–3.32]). The excess risk of all-cause mortality for those in the bottom SELENOP tertile was more than twice as strong in men as in women (interaction of SELENOP and sex; p = 0.008).

Conclusions

In this large cohort study, serum SELENOP concentration was inversely associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Consistent inverse associations with multiple mortality outcomes might be explained by an impaired selenium transport and selenium deficiency in multiple organs. Trials testing the efficacy of selenium supplements in subjects with low baseline SELENOP concentration are needed.

Trial registration

Retrospectively registered in the German Clinical Trials Register on Feb 14, 2018 (ID: DRKS00014028).
Functional, structural, and molecular remodelling of the goldfish (Carassius auratus) heart under moderate hypoxia
Authors: Filice Mariacristina , Gattuso Alfonsina , Imbrogno Sandra , Mazza Rosa , Amelio Daniela , Caferro Alessia , Agnisola Claudio , Icardo José Manuel , Cerra Maria Carmela
Published: January 2024

The goldfish (Carassiusauratus) is known for its physiologic ability to survive even long periods of oxygen limitation (hypoxia), adapting the cardiac performance to the requirements of peripheral tissue perfusion. We here investigated the effects of short-term moderate hypoxia on the heart, focusing on ventricular adaptation, in terms of hemodynamics and structural traits. Functional evaluations revealed that animals exposed to 4 days of environmental hypoxia increased the hemodynamic performance evaluated on ex vivo cardiac preparations. This was associated with a thicker and more vascularized ventricular compact layer and a reduced luminal lacunary space. Compared to normoxic animals, ventricular cardiomyocytes of goldfish exposed to hypoxia showed an extended mitochondrial compartment and a modulation of proteins involved in mitochondria dynamics. The enhanced expression of the pro-fission markers DRP1 and OMA1, and the modulation of the short and long forms of OPA1, suggested a hypoxia-related mitochondria fission. Our data propose that under hypoxia, the goldfish heart undergoes a structural remodelling associated with a potentiated cardiac activity. The energy demand for the highly performant myocardium is supported by an increased number of mitochondria, likely occurring through fission events.
On the Various Ways of Quantum Implementation of the Modular Exponentiation Function for Shor’s Factorization
Authors: Tomčala Jiří
Published: January 2024

The content of this paper is a detailed analysis of possible ways how to quantum implement a key part of Shor’s factorization algorithm, the modular exponentiation function. This implementation is a bottleneck for performing quantum factorization with polynomial complexity, which would make it possible to factorize really large numbers in a reasonable amount of time. In this paper, not only the general theory is presented, but also the results of successful factorizations of the numbers 247 and 143 using Shor’s algorithm from a quantum computer simulator. An interesting fact is that no ancillary qubits were needed in these factorizations. Based on the content of the paper, the conclusion also suggests possible future work on the development of this modular exponentiation function implementation.
Quantum Scalar Field Theory Based on an Extended Least Action Principle
Authors: Yang Jianhao M.
Published: January 2024

Recently it is shown that the non-relativistic quantum formulations can be derived from an extended least action principle Yang (2023). In this paper, we apply the principle to massive scalar fields, and derive the Schrödinger equation of the wave functional for the scalar fields. The principle extends the least action principle in classical field theory by factoring in two assumptions. First, the Planck constant defines the minimal amount of action a field needs to exhibit in order to be observable. Second, there are constant random field fluctuations. A novel method is introduced to define the information metrics to measure additional observable information due to the field fluctuations, which is then converted to the additional action through the first assumption. Applying the variation principle to minimize the total actions allows us to elegantly derive the transition probability of field fluctuations, the uncertainty relation, and the Schrödinger equation of the wave functional. Furthermore, by defining the information metrics for field fluctuations using general definitions of relative entropy, we obtain a generalized Schrödinger equation of the wave functional that depends on the order of relative entropy. Our results demonstrate that the extended least action principle can be applied to derive both non-relativistic quantum mechanics and relativistic quantum scalar field theory. We expect it can be further used to obtain quantum theory for non-scalar fields.
Housing Welfare, Personal Responsibility, and Morale in Hong Kong
Authors: Cheung Chau-kiu
Published: January 2024

Controversies ring about the impacts of housing welfare on people’s responsibility and morale to help themselves and others. On the one hand, exchange theory predicts that receiving public welfare triggers responsibility to raise morale for returning favors to the public. On the other hand, the reception may weaken responsibility and morale through stigmatization. To address the controversies, this study analyzes survey data on 1088 adults in Hong Kong, China. Results reveal the contributions of receiving the housing loan, rental public housing, and purchased public housing to personal responsibility and morale. The contributions persist in various conditions, such that the contributions did not significantly vary across age, gender, and others. These findings thus warrant exchange theory concerning the reciprocation of housing benefits. This warrant implies the worth of strengthening housing welfare to benefit people and society.
Scalable Generation of Hybrid Graphene Nanoscrolls for High-Performance Solid Lubricants
Authors: Kasbe Pratik S. , Bosch Juan , Bu Jinyu , DellaCorte Christopher , Xu Weinan
Published: January 2024

Graphene and other 2D materials have been extensively studied as solid lubricants in recent years. Low friction can sometimes be observed in those 2D lubricants, and one possible mechanism is that scroll-shaped nanostructures are formed during friction, which decreases the contact area and energy barrier, thus substantially reducing friction. The integration of graphene with metal or metal oxide nanostructures can further enhance its lubrication properties by increasing film formation ability and easy shearing of the nanosheets. However, it is not possible to reliably promote the formation of such nanoscroll-shaped low friction wear products, which limits the reproducibility and application of such nanostructures as solid lubricants. In this study, we address this issue by creating a scalable method for the synthesis of hybrid graphene-titanium oxide (G–TiO2) nanoscrolls and demonstrating their potential as solid lubricants with macroscopic coefficient of friction as low as 0.02 in ambient conditions. Our approach to generate the nanoscrolls is based on the in situ sol–gel synthesis of TiO2 on graphene followed by spray-freeze-drying–induced shape transformation. The solid lubrication performance of such G–TiO2 nanoscrolls can be further enhanced by applying a thin graphene oxide primer layer, which provides high affinity to both the substrate and the active materials. These hybrid nanoscrolls hold promising potential for applications in aerospace, automotive, and precision manufacturing fields as effective solid lubricants.

Graphical Abstract
Seasonal and age-dependent differences in mercury concentrations in Apodemus sp. in the north-western region of Slovakia
Authors: Zábojníková Lenka
Published: January 2024

Pollution of ecosystems by heavy metals such as mercury is currently a great concern. Mercury (Hg) can be released into the environment anthropogenically, but it is also naturally present in small quantities in all environmental compartments. Many different factors contribute to different rates of Hg deposition in animal bodies. The aim of this work is to describe how Hg concentrations in the bodies of small rodents change throughout the season at a site where massive anthropogenic pollution is not expected. Mice of the genus Apodemus were sampled during the whole year. Samples of blood, hair, liver, kidney, and brain were analyzed. Total Hg concentrations were measured by DMA-80. The mean Hg concentrations in examined organs were in the order hairs > kidney > liver > blood > brain, and their values decreased from 0.0500 to 0.0046 mg kg−1 dry weight. Males and females did not differ in contamination levels, but age-dependent differences in Hg concentrations were found. It was also identified how Hg concentrations in different organs correlate with each other. Different levels of seasonal variability were detected in Hg concentrations in blood, hair, and kidney.
Measurement and removal of asbestos in residential dwellings to be demolished—urban transformation experience in Izmir, Turkey
Authors: Tetik Yılmaz Öğünç , Zümrüt İrem Bayram , Çamurcu Ayşe Gizem , Kale Özge Akboğa , Baradan Selim
Published: January 2024

Asbestos has been used extensively in the construction industry for its superior insulation properties before its health hazards were discovered and its use eventually banned. It is likely that many residential buildings built before the 2000s in Turkey contain asbestos. Therefore, it is important to raise awareness of the potential danger of asbestos exposure during demolition work and to identify asbestos-containing materials and ensure their safe removal and disposal. This study is executed to determine the residential dwellings containing asbestos in Izmir, Turkey. The research included field studies to determine asbestos presence in the buildings that were damaged during the 2020 earthquake. Air measurements and bulk samples were taken from 50 buildings that would go through the demolition process. Eleven buildings were found to contain asbestos which corresponds to 22%. The detected asbestos type was 60% chrysotile (white asbestos). Results could be helpful for future demolition work, which are conducted in the same region that includes buildings with similar properties. Also, it is expected that the database created for this study could be useful in other studies in Turkey, where accurate statistical data related with asbestos measurements is essentially non-existent.
Bat Motion can be Described by Leap Frogging
Authors: Henley Lucy , Jones Owen , Mathews Fiona , Woolley Thomas E.
Published: January 2024

We present models of bat motion derived from radio-tracking data collected over 14 nights. The data presents an initial dispersal period and a return to roost period. Although a simple diffusion model fits the initial dispersal motion we show that simple convection cannot provide a description of the bats returning to their roost. By extending our model to include non-autonomous parameters, or a leap frogging form of motion, where bats on the exterior move back first, we find we are able to accurately capture the bat’s motion. We discuss ways of distinguishing between the two movement descriptions and, finally, consider how the different motion descriptions would impact a bat’s hunting strategy.
Evaluation of Healthcare Utilisation and Expenditures in Persons with Type 2 Diabetes Undergoing Bariatric-Metabolic Surgery
Authors: Monpellier Valerie M. , Geurten Rose J. , Janssen Ignace M.C. , Ruwaard Dirk , Struijs Jeroen N. , van Dijk Peter R. , Bilo Henk J.G. , Elissen Arianne M.J.
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Changes in healthcare utilisation and expenditures after bariatric-metabolic surgery (BMS) for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are unclear. We used the Dutch national all-payer claims database (APCD) to evaluate utilisation and expenditures in people with T2DM who underwent BMS.

Methods

In this cohort study, patients with T2DM who had BMS in 2016 were identified in the APCD. This group was matched 1:2 to a control group with T2DM who did not undergo BMS based on age, gender and healthcare expenditures. Data on healthcare expenditures and utilisation were collected for 2013–2019.

Results

In total, 1751 patients were included in the surgery group and 3502 in the control group. After BMS, total median expenditures in the surgery group stabilised (€ 3156 to € 3120) and increased in the control group (€ 3174 to € 3434). Total pharmaceutical expenditures decreased 28% in the surgery group (€957 to €494) and increased 55% in the control group (€605 to €936). In the surgery group, 67.1% did not use medication for T2DM in 2019 compared to 13.3% in the control group. Healthcare use for microvascular complications increased in the control group, but not in the surgery group.

Conclusion

BMS in people with T2DM stabilises healthcare expenditures and decreases medication use and care use for microvascular complications. In contrast, healthcare use and expenditures in T2DM patients who do not undergo surgery gradually increase over time. Due to the progressive nature of T2DM, it is expected that these differences will become larger in the long-term.

Graphical Abstract
Cadaveric study of ergonomics and performance using a robotic exoscope with a head-mounted display in spine surgery
Authors: Demetz Matthias , Abramovic Anto , Krigers Aleksandrs , Bauer Marlies , Lener Sara , Pinggera Daniel , Kerschbaumer Johannes , Hartmann Sebastian , Fritsch Helga , Thomé Claudius , Freyschlag Christian F.
Published: January 2024

The conventional microscope has the disadvantage of a potentially unergonomic posture for the surgeon, which can affect performance. Monitor-based exoscopes could provide a more ergonomic posture, as already shown in pre-clinical studies. The aim of this study was to test the usability and comfort of a novel head-mounted display (HMD)-based exoscope on spinal surgical approaches in a simulated OR setting. A total of 21 neurosurgeons naïve to the device were participated in this prospective trial. After a standardized training session with the device, participants were asked to perform a single-level thoracolumbar decompression surgery on human cadavers using the exoscope. Subsequently, all participants completed a comfort and safety questionnaire. For the objective evaluation of the performance, all interventions were videotaped and analyzed. Twelve men and nine women with a mean age of 34 (range: 24–57) were participating in the study. Average time for decompression was 15 min (IqR 9.6; 24.2); three participants (14%) terminated the procedure prematurely. In these dropouts, a significantly higher incidence of back/neck pain (p = 0.002 for back, p = 0.046 for neck pain) as well as an increased frequency of HMD readjustments (p = 0.045) and decreased depth perception (p = 0.03) were documented. Overall, the surgeons’ satisfaction with the exoscope was 84% (IqR 75; 100). Using a standardized, pre-interventional training, it is possible for exoscope-naïve surgeons to perform sufficient spinal decompression using the HMD-based exoscope with a high satisfaction. However, inaccurate HMD setup prior to the start of the procedure may lead to discomfort and unsatisfactory results.
Insulin pump treatment vs. multiple daily insulin injections in patients with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes mellitus: a comparison of cardiovascular effects
Authors: Tremamunno Saverio , Tartaglione Linda , Telesca Alessandro , Rizzi Alessandro , Felici Tamara , Mazzotta Francesco , De Vita Antonio , Rizzo Emanuele , Cambise Nello , Belmusto Antonietta , Pitocco Dario , Lanza Gaetano Antonio
Published: January 2024

Aims

Both hyperglycaemia and large glycaemic variability are associated with worse outcomes in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), possibly causing sympatho-vagal imbalance and endothelial dysfunction. Continuous subcutaneous insulin injection (CSII) improves glycemic control compared to multiple daily insulin injections (MDI). We aimed to assess whether CSII may improve cardiac autonomic and vascular dilation function compared to MDI.

Methods

We enrolled T2DM patients without cardiovascular disease with poor glycaemic control, despite optimized MDI therapy. Patients were randomized to continue MDI (with multiple daily peripheral glucose measurements) or CSII; insulin dose was adjusted to achieve optimal target ranges of blood glucose levels. Patients were studied at baseline and after 6 months by: 1) flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and nitrate-mediated dilation (NMD) of the brachial artery; 2) heart rate variability (HRV) by 24-hour ECG Holter monitoring (HM). 7-day continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) was performed in 9 and 8 patients of Group 1 and 2, respectively.

Results

Overall, 21 patients were enrolled, 12 randomized to CSII (Group 1) and 9 to MDI (Group 2). The daily dose of insulin and Hb1AC did not differ significantly between the 2 groups, both at baseline and at follow-up. Glucose variability showed some significant improvement at follow-up in the whole population, but no differences were observed between the 2 groups. Both FMD and NMD, as well as HRV parameters, showed no significant differences between the 2 groups at 6-month follow-up.

Conclusions

In this randomized small study we show that, in T2DM patients, CSII achieves a similar medium-term glycemic control compared to MDI, without any adverse effect on the cardiovascular system.
The Absence of Gastrointestinal Redox Dyshomeostasis in the Brain-First Rat Model of Parkinson’s Disease Induced by Bilateral Intrastriatal 6-Hydroxydopamine
Authors: Homolak Jan , Joja Mihovil , Grabaric Gracia , Schiatti Emiliano , Virag Davor , Babic Perhoc Ana , Knezovic Ana , Osmanovic Barilar Jelena , Salkovic-Petrisic Melita
Published: January 2024

The gut-brain axis plays an important role in Parkinson’s disease (PD) by acting as a route for vagal propagation of aggregated α-synuclein in the gut-first endophenotype and as a mediator of gastrointestinal dyshomeostasis via the nigro-vagal pathway in the brain-first endophenotype of the disease. One important mechanism by which the gut-brain axis may promote PD is by regulating gastrointestinal redox homeostasis as overwhelming evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a key role in the etiopathogenesis and progression of PD and the gastrointestinal tract maintains redox homeostasis of the organism by acting as a critical barrier to environmental and microbiological electrophilic challenges. The present aim was to utilize the bilateral intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) brain-first PD model to study the effects of isolated central pathology on redox homeostasis of the gastrointestinal tract. Three-month-old male Wistar rats were either not treated (intact controls; CTR) or treated bilaterally intrastriatally with vehicle (CIS) or 6-OHDA (6-OHDA). Motor deficits were assessed with the rotarod performance test, and the duodenum, ileum, and colon were dissected for biochemical analyses 12 weeks after the treatment. Lipid peroxidation, total antioxidant capacity, low-molecular-weight thiols, and protein sulfhydryls, the activity of total and Mn/Fe superoxide dismutases, and total and azide-insensitive catalase/peroxidase were measured. Both univariate and multivariate models analyzing redox biomarkers indicate that significant disturbances in gastrointestinal redox balance are not present. The findings demonstrate that motor impairment observed in the brain-first 6-OHDA model of PD can occur without concurrent redox imbalances in the gastrointestinal system.
Horizontal licensing in vertically related markets
Authors: Bakaouka Elpiniki
Published: January 2024

We study the incentives of a downstream firm that sources its core input from a vertically integrated supplier to license its patented technology to an external firm. Licensing transforms the licensee into both a direct downstream competitor and a customer of the supplier. The vertically integrated supplier trades with his competitors/customers through a two-part tariff contract. We find that the incumbent opts for licensing when the supplier provides the input to both the licensor and the licensee. Although licensing intensifies downstream competition, the licensor benefits from the lower input cost and the supplier from the expansion of the market. Licensing incentives in a vertical market are weaker compared to a one-tier market. Moreover, licensing has a positive impact on both consumer and total welfare. Finally, licensing incentives and welfare enhancement continue to occur under a wider set of conditions such as different types of licensing contracts, input trading contracts and market structures.
AI or Your Lying Eyes: Some Shortcomings of Artificially Intelligent Deepfake Detectors
Authors: Harris Keith Raymond
Published: January 2024

Deepfakes pose a multi-faceted threat to the acquisition of knowledge. It is widely hoped that technological solutions—in the form of artificially intelligent systems for detecting deepfakes—will help to address this threat. I argue that the prospects for purely technological solutions to the problem of deepfakes are dim. Especially given the evolving nature of the threat, technological solutions cannot be expected to prevent deception at the hands of deepfakes, or to preserve the authority of video footage. Moreover, the success of such technologies depends on institutional trust that is in short supply. Finally, outsourcing the discrimination between the real and the fake to automated, largely opaque systems runs the risk of undermining epistemic autonomy.
Eco-friendly approaches to phytochemical production: elicitation and beyond
Authors: Jalota Kritika , Sharma Vikas , Agarwal Chiti , Jindal Suruchi
Published: January 2024

Highly ameliorated phytochemicals from plants are recognized to have numerous beneficial effects on human health. However, obtaining secondary metabolites directly from wild plants is posing a great threat to endangered plant species due to their over exploitation. Moreover, due to complicated structure and stereospecificity chemical synthesis of these compounds is a troublesome procedure. As a result, sustainable and ecofriendly in vitro strategy has been adopted for phytochemicals production. But, lack of fully differentiated cells lowers down cultured cells productivity. Consequently, for enhancing yield of metabolites produced by cultured plant cells a variety of methodologies has been followed one such approach includes elicitation of culture medium that provoke stress responses in plants enhancing synthesis and storage of bioactive compounds. Nevertheless, for conclusive breakthrough in synthesizing bioactive compounds at commercial level in-depth knowledge regarding metabolic responses to elicitation in plant cell cultures is needed. However, technological advancement has led to development of molecular based approaches like metabolic engineering and synthetic biology which can serve as promising path for phytochemicals synthesis. This review article deals with classification, stimulating effect of elicitors on cultured cells, parameters of elicitors and action mechanism in plants, modern approaches like metabolic engineering for future advances.

Graphical Abstract
An Inertial Iterative Algorithm for Approximating Common Solutions to Split Equalities of Some Nonlinear Optimization Problems
Authors: Mewomo O. T. , Ogwo G. N. , Alakoya T. O.
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we introduce a new inertial Tseng’s extragradient method with self-adaptive step sizes for approximating a common solution of split equalities of equilibrium problem (EP), non-Lipschitz pseudomonotone variational inequality problem (VIP) and fixed point problem (FPP) of nonexpansive semigroups in real Hilbert spaces. We prove that the sequence generated by our proposed method converges strongly to a common solution of the EP, pseudomonotone VIP and FPP of nonexpansive semigroups without any linesearch procedure nor the sequential weak continuity condition often assumed by authors when solving non-Lipschitz VIPs. Finally, we provide some numerical experiments for the proposed method in comparison with related methods in the literature. Our result improves, extends and generalizes several of the existing results in this direction.
Construction and transformation method of 3D models based on the chain-type modular structure
Authors: Zhang Yuxiao , Wang Jin , Zhang Dongliang , Lu Guodong , Chen Long
Published: January 2024

This study proposes a method of constructing and transforming three-dimensional (3D) models that can convert a 3D model into a chain-type modular configuration and realize the mutual transformation between different configurations with a straight chain as the intermediate state through standard folding steps. A method for detailed representation of voxels is proposed. Based on detailed voxels, an accelerated generation algorithm for the connection forest, which can describe the possible chain configurations, is developed. The foldability verification of the configurations and the generation of the folding operations are realized according to the folding rules. A collision detection algorithm based on encoding and projection is also introduced to detect collisions in the process of folding sequence generation. In this work, an interactive platform is established for users to calculate the input model transformation through simple operations and obtain a simulation animation of the folding operations. The experimental cases prove the effectiveness of the method in constructing and transforming the chain-type modular configurations of the input 3D models.
Financial assessment of groundwater and rainwater treatments for school clean water supply
Authors: Pandyaswargo Andante Hadi , Azmi Novri , Darwinsyah  , Onoda Hiroshi
Published: January 2024

The global primary school population has experienced a significant increase, in line with the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal number 4 which strives to ensure inclusive, equitable, and high-quality education, fostering lifelong learning opportunities for all. However, not all schools, especially in developing countries, have access to a sufficient supply of clean water. For example, a 2021 World Bank study found that almost half (47%) of schools in Indonesia have no access to soap and flowing water, which is critical to disease prevention. In this study, we featured a case study of a school in Indonesia that mainly obtains its clean water supply from pumped underground water and treats it with reverse osmosis technology. This study analyzed the potential financial savings from adding combinations of a rainwater harvesting system, an adsorption–filtration system, an ultraviolet radiation disinfection system, and solar photovoltaics to the existing underground water pumping system in a case study school. We utilize local data encompassing factors such as rainfall intensity, facility investment, operation, and maintenance costs in the evaluation of financial performance for each scenario, employing methods such as net present value (NPV), benefit–cost ratio (BCR), and payback period. The findings indicate that the adoption of constructed scenario 1, incorporating an adsorption filtration system and UV disinfection, yields superior financial outcomes in this study. Scenario 1 results in 167,890 IDR NPV over its 12-year lifespan, 1.10 BCR, and a payback period as short as 2 months. The results from this study provide knowledge about the potential financial gains and technological alternatives for other schools in developing countries without access to a centralized clean water or energy supply.
Coupling direct powder deposition with spark plasma sintering: a new approach towards rapid prototyping
Authors: Airoldi L. , Brucculeri R. , Baldini P. , Morganti S. , Grande M. Actis , Gobber F. S. , Auricchio F. , Anselmi-Tamburini U.
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we propose a modified material jetting technology based on a piezoelectric-driven powder deposition, hence direct powder deposition (DPD), combined with pressure-assisted rapid sintering. This is a new approach toward the rapid production of metal and ceramic materials with complex geometries. The combined deposition of two loose powders within the same container, layer by layer, allows realizing complex shapes without the use of any binder or dispersing medium. The resulting green sample is then sintered by field assisted sintering (FAST) or spark plasma sintering (SPS) operating in a pseudo-isostatic mode. This combination of DPD and FAST/SPS allows great versatility, as it can be extended to a wide range of materials and composites without any significant modification of the setup. Moreover, the use of FAST/SPS densification allows the realization of fully sintered samples in less than one hour.
Enhanced denitrification driven by a novel iron-carbon coupled primary cell: chemical and mixotrophic denitrification
Authors: Wu Ruofan , Jeyakumar Paramsothy , Bolan Nanthi , Zhai Xu , Wang Hailong , Pan Minghui , Lian Jiapan , Cheng Liping , Li Jiangzhou , Hou Minghei , Cui Yonghe , Yang Xiaoe , Dai Kuai
Published: January 2024

Iron-carbon micro-electrolysis system is a promising method for promoting electron transfer in nitrate removal. However, many traditional approaches involving simple physical mixing inevitably suffered from the confined iron-carbon contact area and short validity period, leading to the overuse of iron. Here, a ceramsite-loaded microscale zero-valent iron (mZVI) and acidified carbon (AC) coupled-galvanic cell (CMC) was designed to support chemical, autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification. Long-term experiments were conducted to monitor the nitrogen removal performance of denitrification reactors filled with CMC and thus optimized the denitrification performance by improving fabrication parameters and various operating conditions. The denitrification contributions test showed that the chemical denitrification pathway contributed most to nitrate removal (57.3%), followed by autotrophic (24.6%) and heterotrophic denitrification pathways (18.1%). The microbial analysis confirmed the significant aggregation of related denitrifying bacteria in the reactors, while AC promoted the expression of relevant nitrogen metabolism genes because of accelerated uptake and utilization of iron complexes. Meanwhile, the electrochemical analysis revealed a significantly improved electron transfer capacity of AC compared to pristine carbon. Overall, our study demonstrated the application of a novel mZVI-AC coupled material for effective nitrate removal and revealed the potential impact of CMC in the multipathway denitrification process.

Graphical Abstract
JPPF: Multi-task Fusion for Consistent Panoptic-Part Segmentation
Authors: Muralidhara Shishir , Jagadeesh Sravan Kumar , Schuster René , Stricker Didier
Published: January 2024

Part-aware panoptic segmentation is a problem of computer vision that aims to provide a semantic understanding of the scene at multiple levels of granularity. More precisely, semantic areas, object instances, and semantic parts are predicted simultaneously. In this paper, we present our joint panoptic part fusion (JPPF) that combines the three individual segmentations effectively to obtain a panoptic-part segmentation. Two aspects are of utmost importance for this: first, a unified model for the three problems is desired that allows for mutually improved and consistent representation learning. Second, balancing the combination so that it gives equal importance to all individual results during fusion. Our proposed JPPF is parameter-free and dynamically balances its input. The method is evaluated and compared on the Cityscapes panoptic parts (CPP) and Pascal panoptic parts (PPP) datasets in terms of PartPQ and Part-Whole Quality (PWQ). In extensive experiments, we verify the importance of our fair fusion, highlight its most significant impact for areas that can be further segmented into parts, and demonstrate the generalization capabilities of our design without fine-tuning on 5 additional datasets.
Cross-temporal high spatial resolution urban scene classification and change detection based on a class-weighted deep adaptation network
Authors: Shi Sunan , Zhong Yanfei , Liu Yinhe , Zhang Liangpei , Li Deren
Published: January 2024

Multi-temporal urban scene classification and change analysis based on high resolution (HR) remote sensing imagery can provide reliable time-series information for the semantic interpretation of urban land use and the transitional relationships, which is important information for urban planning and sustainable development. However, there are still some difficulties encountered when applying the existing multi-temporal scene classification methods to analyze urban development in China due to the complex urban structure and scene shape. The main reasons for this can be summarized as follows: 1) the multi-temporal data labeling workload caused by the differences of the data distributions among multi-temporal images; and 2) the lack of practical socio-geographical urban unit boundaries resulting from the uniform grid based segmentation. In this paper, a multi-temporal scene classification framework based on a class-weighted deep adaptation network (CWDAN) is proposed. In the CWDAN framework, multi-temporal OpenStreetMap (OSM) road networks are introduced for the scene segmentation at the land parcel level, to build clear and meaningful geographic boundaries for the scene units. The problem of large scale difference of parcels is solved by area-weighted voting (AWV). In order to solve the problems of the high workload of multi-temporal data labeling in the cross-temporal scene classification task, a gradient reversal layer (GRL) is used in the proposed CWDAN to obtain deep features with invariance relative to the shift between the domains. A class-weighted fully connected layer is used to solve the problem of unbalanced proportion of different urban scene classes. Post-classification is finally performed to obtain the scene change information. Experiments with tri-temporal datasets in Chinese areas demonstrated that the proposed framework can obtain a significantly improved performance in the cross-temporal scene classification and change analysis task.
Microstructure evolution and tribo-oxidation induced by friction and wear of cast iron brake discs
Authors: Luo Quanshun , Shen Jing , Wang Xudong , Farmilo Nick , Guo Xiuhua
Published: January 2024

Braking discs play an important role for the safety of vehicles whereas severe frictional contacts in repeated braking operations result in thermal and tribological failures. This paper reports comprehensive surface and subsurface analyses of a used grey cast iron braking disc to investigate its failure mechanisms as well as related microstructure evolution. Thermal cracking, spalling wear and tribo-oxidation have been found to contribute to the wear failure. The flake-type graphite of the grey cast iron triggered propagation and internal oxidation of the metallic matrix. In a depth of 3 mm beneath the rubbing surface, extensive microstructure evolution occurred by severe plastic deformation of the ferritic matrix, nodularisation and partial dissolution of the lamellar carbides, and internal oxidation. The microstructure evolution resulted in decreased surface hardness to HV0.3 247 as compared to HV0.3 284 of the bulk cast iron.
Why Antislavery Poetry Matters Now
Authors: Yothers Brian
Published: January 2024

A history of the nineteenth-century poetry of slavery and freedom framed as an argument about the nature of poetry itself: why we write it, why we read it, how it interacts with history.
Music, Nature and Divine Knowledge in England, 1650-1750
Authors: Dixon Tom
Published: January 2024

During a period of tumultuous change in English political, religious and cultural life, music signified the unspeakable presence of the divine in the world for many.
“CROPPING THE MARGINS”: NEW EVIDENCE FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE AT MID-3RDMILLENNIUM B.C.E. TELL BRAK, SYRIA
Authors: Diffey Charlotte , Emberling Geoff , Bogaard Amy , Charles Michael
Published: January 2024

The excavation of a large administrative building at the city of Tell Brak in northern Syria saw the recovery of a considerable quantity of charred cereals dated to the mid-third millennium B.C.E. This remarkable discovery provides a rare snapshot into the nature of agriculture in Upper Mesopotamia during the Early Bronze Age. The material has been studied using a combination of primary archaeobotanical analysis, crop stable isotope determinations, and functional weed ecology to deliver new insights into cultivation strategies at Tell Brak as well as to contribute to the wider debate regarding trade and crop importation in this region. Specific crop regime choices also reveal how the farmers of Tell Brak were able to reduce the overall risk of crop failure by careful water management, a vitally important factor in this semi-arid region, with potential implications for the analysis of other large-scale urban agro-economies in the Middle East and beyond.
Non-isochoric stable granular models taking into account fluidisation by pore gas pressure
Authors: Chupin Laurent , Dubois Thierry
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we study non-isochoric models for mixtures of solid particles, at high volume concentration, and a gas. One of the motivations for this work concerns geophysics and more particularly the pyroclastic density currents, whose dense basal parts are precisely mixtures of pyroclasts and lithic fragments and air. They are extremely destructive phenomena, capable of devastating urbanised areas, and are known to propagate over long distances, even over almost flat topography. Fluidisation of these dense granular flows by pore gas pressure is one response that could explain this behaviour and must therefore be taken into account in the models. Starting from a solid–gas mixing model and invoking the compressibility of the gas through a law of state, we rewrite the conservation of mass equation of the gas phase into an equation of the pore gas pressure whose net effect is to reduce the friction between the particles. The momentum equation of the solid phase is completed by generic constitutive laws, specified as in Schaeffer et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 874, 2019, pp. 926–951) by a yield function and a dilatancy function. Therefore, the divergence of the velocity field, which reflects the ability of the granular flow to expand or compress, depends on the volume fraction, pressure, strain rate and inertial number. In addition, we require the dilatancy function to describe the rate of volume change of the granular material near an isochoric equilibrium state, i.e. at constant volume. This property ensures that the volume fraction, which is the solution to the conservation of mass equation, is positive and finite at all times. We also require that the non-isochoric fluidised model be linearly stable and dissipate energy (over time). In this theoretical framework, we derive the dilatancy models corresponding to classical rheologies such as Drucker–Prager and

$\mu (I)$

(with or without expansion effects). The main result of this work is to show that it is possible to obtain non-isochoric and fluidised granular models satisfying all the properties necessary to correctly account for the physics of granular flows and which are well posed, at least linearly stable.