bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conventional and laser-assisted machining of laser-borided Monel 400 alloy
Authors: Przestacki Damian , Kukliński Mateusz , Bartkowska Aneta , Kieruj Piotr , Radek Norbert
Published: December 2022

This study concentrates on comparing effects of conventional and laser-assisted machining (LAM) of laser borided Monel 400 alloy. For this purpose, the shaft made from Monel 400 was covered with 200 µm thick boron layer and surface melted using diode laser. For determining the influence of laser beam scanning velocity on final microstructure, microhardness and depth of melting, four laser beam scanning velocities were set: 5, 6, 8 and 10 m/min. Obtained microstructures are typical for laser melted metal and are composed of fine crystals. Microhardness increased significantly due to enriching Monel 400 with boron and the level of this increase depends on laser beam scanning velocity carried out for the process. During both conventional and laser-assisted turning cutting forces were measured for comparison. Other compared parameters after carrying out these processes were: obtained surface roughness and tool’s life. It was found that it is possible to form laser borided surface of Monel 400 alloy by machining and using additional laser-assist has a positive impact on the efficiency of the process. The paper is the first description of effects obtained by laser assisted machining of laser borided surface.
Extrinsic Arterial Compression and Lower Extremity Ischemia After Iliac Vein Stent Placement: Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Elsayed Mohammad , Sarkar Debkumar , Zhao Ken , Bryce Yolanda , Friedman Adie
Published: December 2022

Background
Lower extremity ischemia due to extrinsic arterial compression by venous stent placement is a rare but increasingly recognized occurrence. Given the rise of complex venous interventions, awareness of this entity is becoming increasingly important to avoid serious complications.
Case Presentation
A 26-year-old with progressively enlarging pelvic sarcoma despite chemoradiation developed recurrent symptomatic right lower extremity deep venous thrombosis due to worsening mass effect on a previously placed right common iliac vein stent. This was treated with thrombectomy and stent revision, with extension of the right common iliac vein stent to the external iliac vein. During the immediate post-procedure period the patient developed symptoms of acute right lower extremity arterial ischemia including diminished pulses, pain, and motorsensory loss. Imaging confirmed extrinsic compression of the external iliac artery by the newly placed adjacent venous stent. The patient underwent stenting of the compressed artery with complete resolution of ischemic symptoms.
Conclusions
Awareness and early recognition of arterial ischemia following venous stent placement is important to prevent serious complication. Potential risk factors include patients with active pelvis malignancy, prior radiation, or scarring from surgery or other inflammatory processes. In cases of threatened limb, prompt treatment with arterial stenting is recommended. Further study is warranted to optimize detection and management of this complication.
Ibrutinib in combination with rituximab is highly effective in treatment of steroid refractory autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Authors: Nikitin Eugene , Kislova Maria , Morozov Dmitry , Belyakova Vera , Suvorova Anna , Sveshnikova Julia , Vyscub Galina , Matveeva Irina , Shirokova Maria , Shipaeva Anna , Klitochenko Tatyana , Dmitrieva Elena , Biderman Bella , Sudarikov Andrey , Obukhova Tatyana , Samoilova Olga , Kaplanov Kamil , Konstantinova Tatyana , Mayorova Olga , Poddubnaya Irina , Ptushkin Vadim
Published: December 2022

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) are common complications of CLL. The optimal treatment of steroid refractory AIHA/PRCA is not well established. We conducted a multicenter study of ibrutinib and rituximab in patients with relapsed/refractory to steroids AIHA/PRCA and underlying CLL. Protocol included induction (ibrutinib 420 mg/day and rituximab, 9 weekly and 3 monthly infusions) and maintenance phase with ibrutinib until progression or unacceptable toxicity. Fifty patients were recruited (44 – warm type AIHA, 2 – cold type AIHA, 4 – PRCA). After the induction phase 34 patients (74%) have achieved complete response, and 10 (21,7%) partial response. Median time to hemoglobin normalization was 85 days. With regards to CLL response 9 (19%) patients have achieved CR, 2 (4%) patients – stabilization and 39 (78%) – PR. The median follow-up was 37.56 months. In AIHA group 2 patients had a relapse. Among 4 patients with PRCA 1 patient did not respond, and 1 patient had a relapse after CR, 2 remained in CR. The most common adverse events were neutropenia (62%), infections (72%) and gastrointestinal complications (54%). In conclusion ibrutinib in combination with rituximab is an active second-line treatment option for patients with relapsed or refractory AIHA/PRCA and underlying CLL.
Factors affecting utilization of intimate partner violence services among women with disabilities
Authors: Namatovu Fredinah , Lövgren Veronica , Wickman Kim
Published: December 2022

Background:In the past few years several reports have indicated a high prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among women with disabilities (WWDs), but there is limited research on access and utilization of IPV services among this population.Methods:Using qualitative in-depth data obtained from WWDs, our current study soughtto identify factors that hinder WWDs from accessing and utilizing IPV services.Results:Findings from this study showed barriers at different levels. At the individual level, the identity category of disability, not knowing about certain forms of violence, and being better off silent were the main explanations for not using IPV services. The role of personal connections was the main factor that influenced the utilization of IPV services, at the interpersonal level while at theorganizational level, a lack of effective communication, power imbalances, inadequate resources, and failures to follow response standards were identified as the major barriers to using IPV services. Societal incompetence, as exemplified by treating violence as a taboo and the lack of regulations criminalizing psychological violence, was the main barrier at the societal level.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that improving access to IPV services requires interventions that address barriers at different societal levels. This should include early interventions that target WWDs, as well as others, to promote violence recognition among service providers, improve the quality of services, and establish policies and programs that are not only directed to women with disabilities but also to interpersonal, organizational, and societal levels.
Endoscopic band ligation is safe despite low platelet count and high INR
Authors: Pfisterer Nikolaus , Schwarz Michael , Jachs Mathias , Hartl Lukas , Putre Florian , Ritt Lukas , Mandorfer Mattias , Madl Christian , Trauner Michael , Reiberger Thomas
Published: December 2022

Background Prophylactic endoscopic band ligation (EBL) is used to prevent variceal bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis. The association of thrombocytopenia, high INR (international normalized ratio) and liver dysfunction with the risk of procedure-related bleeding (PRB) remains debated and recommendations are controversial.
Methods We analyzed real-life data of cirrhotic patients undergoing elective EBL at two Viennese centers between Q1/2000-Q1/2018. PRB was defined as bleeding occurring within 30 days after EBL.
Results We included 626 patients undergoing a total of 1519 prophylactic EBL procedures (median 2 per patient). Sixteen (2.6%) of 626 patients experienced PRB after a median of 12.5 (IQR 17.3) days with no difference in characteristics and laboratory values between the two groups. The proportion of patients with platelets (PLT) <50 G/L or INR≥1.5 was similar in patients with vs. without PRB. A higher MELD showed a nonsignificant association with EBL-related bleeding risk (odds ratio, OR: 1.07; 95% confidence interval 95%CI 1.00-3.11, p=0.058). While bilirubin level was a significant predictor for PRB (OR: 1.10; 95%CI: 1.03-1.18), the presence of large varices (OR: 0.90 vs. small varices; 95%CI: 0.20-4.05), INR (OR: 0.50; 95%CI: 0.10-3.11), PLT (OR: 1.00; 95%CI: 1.00-1.01) and the use of nonselective betablockers (OR: 1.19; CI95%: 0.38-3.75) were not associated with PRB.
Conclusion EBL is safe and procedure-related bleedings are rare (2.6%) including in patients with thrombocytopenia <50 G/L or high INR≥1.5. Only high MELD, and especially high bilirubin seems to be linked to increased EBL-related bleeding.
Reactivating Positive Personality Traits During Sleep Impacts Self-Evaluative Memories
Authors: Yao Ziqing , Xia Tao , Zhang Zhiguo , Lin Xuanyi , Qin Pengmin , Ma Yina , Hu Xiaoqing
Published: December 2022

People tend to view themselves through rose-tinted glasses, as evidenced by preferential recall of positive personality traits. We asked whether reactivating positive personality traits during sleep could enhance peoples’ positive self-evaluative memories. After a baseline self-referential encoding task in which participants endorsed positive and negative traits as self-descriptive, participants were trained to give timely responses to positive traits in a cue-approach training (CAT) task. Once participants had entered slow-wave sleep during a subsequent nap, half of the trained positive traits were unobtrusively re-played to them to promote consolidation (targeted memory reactivation, TMR). Participants completed free-recall tasks about self-descriptive traits to measure their self-evaluative memories. Our findings revealed that TMR prioritized the recall of positive traits that were strongly memorized before sleep, while impairing the recall of intermediate traits. The results suggest pre-TMR self-evaluative memory strength modulated the TMR benefits. Sleep EEG analyses revealed that compared with weak/intermediate/control traits, re-playing strongly memorized traits during sleep elicited greater sigma power changes, which likely reflect preferential memory reactivation. Our results demonstrate the potential implication of wakeful cue-approach training and sleep-based memory reactivation in strengthening positive self-evaluative memories.
Monte Carlo simulations of synchrotron X-ray dose effects on root growth during in-vivo tomographic imaging
Authors: Moraes Isabela C. , Hesterberg Dean , Neto Fernando A. Bacchim , Archilha Nathaly L. , Pérez Carlos A. , Araújo Maria Victória A. , Ferreira Talita R.
Published: December 2022

Synchrotron X-ray computed tomography (XCT) has been increasingly applied to study the in-vivo dynamics of root growth and rhizosphere processes. However, minimizing radiation-induced damage to root growth warrants further investigation. Our objective was to develop a robust approach for modeling and evaluating ways to reduce synchrotron X-ray dose effects on root growth during in-vivo imaging. Wheat roots growing in soil were exposed to X-rays during XCT experiments resolved in space (3-D) plus time (4-D). The dose rate and cumulative absorbed dose in roots were modelled with the Monte Carlo code FLUKA considering different experimental conditions using polychromatic and quasi-monochromatic X-ray beam configurations. The most impactful factors affecting damage to roots were incident X-ray energy spectrum, stored current in the accelerator machine, position of the root in the soil, and possibly the number of exposures during the 4-D XCT experiments. Our results imply that radiation dose during in-vivo imaging of plant roots can be diminished by using monochromatic radiation at the highest energy suitable for a given sample thickness and field of view, and by controlling the rotation axis of off-centered roots to increase radiation protection by soil.
Estimation of Process Performance Index for Two-Parameter Exponential Distribution with Measurement Error
Authors: Li Yi , Chiang Jyun-You , Bai Yajie , Chaia Kuang-Cheng
Published: December 2022

Since measurement errors are inevitable in practice, and they are not considered in the existing process performance index, we propose an estimation method of process performance index for two-parameter exponential distribution with measurement errors. In this paper, the relationship between the unobservable actual value and measurement value is considered as an additive measurement error model. The maximum likelihood estimation method is considered to obtain the unknown parameters. In addition, we also use the Bootstrap method to construct confidence intervals of process performance index. The performance of the proposed estimation is investigated in terms of bias, mean square error (MSE) and average interval length. Simulation results show that the proposed estimator outperforms the estimates that do not account for measurement error. Finally, an example of the mileage data of the military personnel carrier is given to illustrate the implementation of the proposed estimation method.
Visceral Adiposity：A Potential Marker for Mortality Risk in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction?
Authors: Zhao Jin , Zhang Xiaofang , Xiao Jin , Yi Hanwen , Deng Xiangliang , Sun Min , Bai Hongmei , Tan Xiaowei , Liu Zhiqiang , Wen Xuesong , Wang Xi , Ge Ping , Zhang Dongying , Gao Lei
Published: December 2022

Background

Recent research reports that regional adiposity, notably epicardial and visceral fat, may serve a pivotal pathophysiologic role in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We aimed to describe the role of regional adiposity in predicting all-cause death in patients with HFpEF.

Methods

This was a prospective cohort study in patients with HFpEF, and the primary outcome of this study was all-cause mortality. Visceral fat area (VFA) was measured through the multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analyzer (BIA). The thickness of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) was measured by echocardiography. Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the predicted effect of the potential risk factors. Test for interaction was used to estimate whether the prognostic value of VFA was affected by subgroups of potential risk confounders.

Results

A total of 172 patients with an average age of 72 years were analyzed, of which 59.9% (n = 103) were females. 66% were hypertensive and 40% had atrial fibrillation (AF). The best cutoff value of VFA for all-cause death was 148.3cm2. The all-cause mortality rate in the VFA ≥ 148.3 cm2 group was significantly higher than in the VFA < 148.3 cm2 group. Patients with higher VFA were older, with higher body mass index (BMI), and more frequently with pre-existing hypertension and atrial fibrillation. Age, smoking, BMI, H2PEFF score, and VFA were significantly associated with higher mortality in HFpEF by univariable Cox analysis. However, PAT thickness, EAT thickness, waist/hip ratio, body fat mass, and abdominal obesity were not effective predictors of HFpEF outcomes. After adjusting for cofounders of other underlining risk factors, VFA could independently predict all-cause mortality in HFpEF. In addition, results were broadly consistent in participants with different baseline characteristics.

Conclusions

VFA may be a useful prognostic risk factor for all-cause mortality in patients with HFpEF.

Trial registration

NCT05496439 (08/10/2022), retrospectively registered.
Low TFPI2 expression is associated with poor prognosis and defective immune cell infiltration in breast cancer disease
Authors: Zhu Cheng , Dai Ying , Zhang Yanyan , Wang Hua , Hu Xiaolei
Published: December 2022

Background
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in female cancer population worldwide. The mainstay treatment for breast cancer includes chemotherapy, targeted therapy, endocrine therapy and immunotherapy. Tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 (TFPI2) plays an important role in balancing the activity of various enzymes in the human environment. However, the correlation of TFPI2 to the prognosis and the immune infiltration in breast cancer has not been reported.
Methods
We firstly analyzed the expression level of TFPI2 via high-throughput sequencing, clinical sample detection and cancer genome profiling (TCGA).
Results
TFPI2 expression was significantly downregulated in different subtypes of breast cancer samples. Downregulation of TFPI2 expression was associated with multiple clinical features and poor prognosis. In the tumor microenvironment (TME), TFPI2 is positively correlated with immune cells and immune modulators (chemokines, receptors, immunostimulants, immunosuppressants and MHC). With TFPI2 upregulation, immune and stromal components significantly increased.
Conclusion
This is the first comprehensive study to reveal that TFPI2 may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker associated with tumor immune infiltration and provide a potential therapeutic target in breast cancer.
User Acceptance of Healthcare Robots Through Extended UTAUT2: A Mixed Method Approach
Authors: Lorella Cannavacciuolo , Rippa Pierluigi , Caputo Sergio
Published: December 2022

Background
Technological change is reshaping the economic, social and cultural scenarios in which we live. In the health care sector, the response to this change is observed with the advent of eHealth, that employ technologies to support both the healthcare professionals and managers and the patient in his or her care journey. The utilization in practice of these technologies moves the attention to the users. Focusing on the patient side, this study proposes a model aimed at understanding the intention to use the eHealth technology.
Methods
A model based on UTAUT2 has been tested using a mixed approach combining Partial Leas Squares (PLS) and crisp-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (csQCA) with the aim of identifying recipes fostering eHealth adoption. Data was collected through an online survey on a sample of 208 respondents. PLS and csQCA helped identify causal combinations of variables that lead the PLS and csQCA are complementary analytical approaches providing novel and more reliable information.
Results
The PLS analysis show that the model strongly predicted the intention to use healthcare robot (R-square=0.759). According to the model's path coefficients, Trust in Technology and Performance Expectation are the most powerful significant predictors of intentions to use the robot (TRU: 0.259, ρ<0.001; PE: 0.236, ρ<0.01). Hedonic Motivation (0.180, ρ <0.01) and Social Influence (0.126, ρ <0.05) predicted intention to use positively, while Technology Anxiety (-0.177, ρ <0.001) predicted intention to use negatively. The csQCA reveals four configurations, including the PLS identified factors. The results indicate that several conditions that were not significant in PLS are sufficient when combined with other conditions.
Conclusions
This study emphasizes the importance of adopting an integrated approach centered on performance expectancy, trust in technology, social influence, and hedonic motivation while paying attention to anxiety when using technologies. Our findings could support the practitioners in activating actions oriented to enhance the intention to use of a specific eHealth technology, keeping in account not only the technological aspects but all the variables that affect its utilization.
Increasing importance of crustose coralline algae to coral reef carbonate production under ongoing climate change
Authors: Cornwall Christopher , Carlot Jérémy , Branson Oscar , Courtney Travis , Harvey Ben , Perry Chris T. , Andersson Andreas , Diaz-Pulido Guillermo , Johnson Maggie , Kennedy Emma , Mallela Jennie , McCoy Sophie , Nugues Maggy , Quinter Evan , Krieger Erik , Ross Claire , Ryan Emma , Saderne Vincent , Comeau Steeve
Published: December 2022

Understanding the drivers of net coral reef calcium carbonate production is increasingly important as ocean warming, acidification, and other anthropogenic stressors threaten the maintenance of coral reef structures and the services these ecosystems provide. Despite intense research effort on coral reef calcium carbonate production, the inclusion of a key reef forming/accreting calcifying group, the crustose coralline algae (CCA), remains challenging both from a theoretical and practical standpoint. While corals are typically the primary reef builders of today, ongoing declines in coral cover due to a range of environmental perturbations will likely increase the relative importance of CCA and other non-scleractinian calcifying taxa to coral reef carbonate production. Here, we demonstrate that CCA are important carbonate producers that, under certain conditions, can match or even exceed the contribution of corals to coral reef carbonate production. Despite their importance, CCA are often inaccurately recorded in benthic surveys or even entirely missing from coral reef carbonate budgets. We outline several recommendations to improve the inclusion of CCA into such carbonate budgets under the ongoing climate crisis.
Defensive eversible organ in swallowtail larvae: morphology, structure, chemistry and defensive efficacy
Authors: Palma-Onetto Valeria , Bergmann Jan , González-Teuber Marcia
Published: December 2022

Chemical secretions are one of the main defensive mechanisms in insects. The osmeterium is a unique organ in larvae of Papilionidae (Lepidoptera), which is everted upon disturbance, secreting odoriferous volatiles. Here, using larvae of the specialized butterfly Battus polydamas archidamas (Papilionidae: Troidini), we aimed to understand the mode of action of the osmeterium, the chemical composition of the secretion, the origin of the secreted volatiles, as well as its defensive efficacy against a natural predator. We described the morphology, ultramorphology, structure, ultrastructure, and chemistry of this defensive organ. Additionally, behavioral assays of the osmeterial secretion against a predator were developed. We showed that the osmeterium is composed of tubular arms (made up by epidermal cells) and of two ellipsoid glands, which possess a secretory function. The eversion and retraction of the osmeterium are dependent on the internal pressure generated by the hemolymph, and by longitudinal muscles that connect the abdomen with the apex of the osmeterium. Germacrene A was the main compound present in the secretion. Minor amounts of monoterpenes (sabinene and ß-pinene) and sesquiterpenes ((E)-β-caryophyllene, selina-3,7(11)-diene, and other not identified compounds) were also identified. Only sesquiterpenes (with the exception of ((E)-β-caryophyllene) are likely to be synthesized in the osmeterium-associated glands. Furthermore, the osmeterial secretion showed an effective repellent effect on predators. Our results suggest that the osmeterium, besides serving as an aposematic warning for enemies, is an efficient chemical defense, with its own synthesis of irritant volatiles.
Anti-vibriosis bioactive molecules from Arctic Penicillium sp. Z2230
Authors: Guo Jiacheng , Yang Jin , Wang Pei , Guo Bo , Li Huifang , Zhang Di , An Faliang , Gao Song
Published: December 2022

Vibrio species (Vibrio sp.) is a class of gram-negative aquatic bacteria that causes vibriosis in aquaculture and leads to big economic losses. Antibiotics have been used to control vibriosis, but concerns on antibiotic resistance keep raising. Natural products are important sources of drug lead compounds that provide potential antibiotic alternatives. In this study, seven compounds were isolated from the Arctic endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. Z2230 and determined for the structures. Among these seven compounds, compounds 3, 4, and 5 showed anti-Vibrio activity, and the antibacterial mechanisms were explored by molecular docking. The results suggested that the anti-Vibrio activities could come from the inhibition of bacterial peptide deformylase (PDF). The data indicate that these Penicillium-derived compounds are potential lead molecules for developing novel anti-Vibrio agents, and PDF is a promising antibacterial target. This study expands the bioactive diversity of polar endophytic fungi by showing a good example in which the secondary metabolites of a polar microbe are a good source of natural medicine.
A modified technique to repair severe Ebstein’s anomaly: a monocusp with autologous pericardium
Authors: Qiu Zhi-Huang , Wu Qing-Song , chen Liang-Wan
Published: December 2022

We describe a modified technique for repairing severe Ebstein’s anomalies. The anterior and posterior leaflets were detached from the right ventricle (RV), followed by longitudinal plication of the lateral posterior wall to reduce both the enlarged true tricuspid annulus and the atrialized RV. The separated anterior and posterior leaflets, as well as autologous pericardium of a corresponding size, were sutured on the true tricuspid annulus.The pericardial patch was fixed to the papillary muscle with an artificial tendon. Finally, we closed the atrial septal defect or the patent foramen ovale. Our initial application showed that this technique could effectively repair the tricuspid valve and achieve satisfactory right ventricular function.
Identification of a putative novel cholivirus in the transcriptome of Gymnema sylvestre R. Br
Authors: Sidharthan V. Kavi , Vanamala Gayatri , Rajeswari V , Baranwal V. K.
Published: December 2022

Gymnema sylvestre is a tropical climber species that is widely used in traditional medicine since ages. In the present study, the transcriptome datasets of G. sylvestre available in public domain were screened for the presence of novel plant viral sequences and a putative novel virus tentatively named as Gymnema sylvestre virus 1 (GysV1) was identified. Coding-complete genome segments of GysV1 that are 6.35 kb (RNA1) and 3.98 kb (RNA2) long possessed a single large open reading frame coding for a polyprotein. BLASTp, sequence identity and phylogenetic analyses revealed the relatedness of GysV1 to the members of the subgenus Cholivirus (genus Sadwavirus; family Secoviridae; order Picornavirales). Based on the species demarcation criteria of the family Secoviridae, GysV1 can be regarded as a new cholivirus member.
Large-Scale Climate Drivers of Interannual to Multidecadal Variability in Rainfall Occurrence during Indian Summer Monsoon
Authors: Pal Lalit , Ojha Chandra Shekhar Prasad
Published: December 2022

Rainfall occurrence (or rainy days) during the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) exhibits a significant decline over the last century, that is considerably more widespread than the decline observed in rainfall magnitude. Here, we investigate the teleconnections of monsoon rainfall occurrence in India with prominent large-scale climate systems to examine their role in the observed widespread decline. Study results reveal strong interannual (5–12 years) periodicities in rainfall occurrence over central and western parts of north India, whereas multidecadal (30–40 years) periodicities are found dominant over northwest Himalayas, northeast India and parts of south India. El Niño-Southern Oscillations (ENSO) dominates the interannual variability and exhibits strong negative linkage with rainfall occurrence over the entire country except for northeast and parts of south India. The influence of Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and Pacific Decadal Oscillations (PDO) is mainly observed as modulations to ENSO’s linkage with rainfall occurrence at interannual and decadal timescales, respectively. Co-occurrence of strong (negative or positive) IOD results in supressed influence of ENSO, whereas warm (cold) PDO is associated with suppressed (enhanced) ENSO impact on rainfall occurrence. After 1950s, PDO’s linkage with rainfall occurrence has strengthened over northeast, western Himalayas, and peninsular south India, that is responsible for the observed dominance of multidecadal periodicities. IOD’s linkage with rainfall occurrence has also strengthened after 1970s over northwest, west central and parts of peninsular India leading to strong positive relationship in recent years. Further investigation suggests that the observed decline in rainfall occurrence is attributable to the shorter and less frequent La Niña events and stronger positive IOD events in the warming climate. The study findings would essentially benefit in accurate predictions and long-term projections of monsoon rainfall occurrence to facilitate planning and policy making.
The Homology and Homotopy Groups of Hermitian Symmetric Spaces
Authors: DAVIS SIMON
Published: December 2022

A method for computing homotopy groups of SU(3) and G2 from the cross sectioning of exact sequences for the fibrations SU(2) → SU(3) → S5 and SU(3) → G2 → S6, and the localizations at odd primes, is developed. The homol-ogy and homotopy groups of hermitian symmetric spaces are derived through exact sequences. It is found that the homotopy groups of the classical and exceptional coset manifolds with simple stability groups may be deduced generally from the known homotopy groups of unitary groups and spheres, When the stability group consists of a product of simple groups, the homology groups will receive an extra component by the Künneth formula. It follows that the second homology group and the first Chern characteristic class of the two exceptional Hermitian symmetric spaces will be nonvanishing. Bott periodicity of the stable homotopy groups of the classical Hermitian symmetric spaces is proven through the exact sequences for the cosets of orthogonal, unitary and symplectic groups. Homotopy groups of EIII = E6 / (Spin(10)×U (1))/Z4 , EVII = E7 / (E6×U (1))/Z3, EIX = E8 / (E7×SU(2))/Z2 and the boundaries of noncompact Hermtian symmetic spaces in plance convex domains are computed. A geometrical representation for universal Teichmüller space as the limit of a sequence of Hermitian symmetric spaces is given, and the Diff(S1)/S1 theory, formulated through vector bundles on this manifold is an integrable system.
MSC: 55E05, 55E40, 57F10, 57F15
Potential Impacts of Land Use Changes and Climate Variations on Flows in a Basin in Northeastern Brazil
Authors: Sousa Lucas Farias , Ferraz Lorena Lima , Santos Carlos Amilton Silva , Rocha Felizardo Adenilson , Jesus Raildo Mota
Published: December 2022

The present study sought to evaluate the sensitivity of several ecologically relevant flow parameters to land use changes and climate change. The study was carried out in the Cachoeira River Basin located in the Atlantic Forest biome with predominately agricultural activities in its drainage area, in the state of Bahia, Brazil. To achieve the proposed objective, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to calibrate and validate the historical flow series from 1985 to 2015, create the simulation scenarios, and subsequently evaluate the hydrological changes in the different scenarios proposed through the 19 indices in the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) software. The results reveal that the maximum flows of 30 and 90 days, as well as the number of reversals, will be the most affected by future climate conditions. These significant changes indicate that the flows are mainly linked to changes in precipitation patterns in the basin. Thus, the negative medium and long-term trend of these flows can alter the availability of water in the basin and affect not only aquatic life but also the socio-economic development of the basin, with consequences for the water supply to cities and riverside populations that use its tributaries as a source of food, income, and leisure.
TSPAN18 facilitates bone metastasis of prostate cancer by protecting STIM1 from TRIM32-mediated ubiquitination
Authors: Li Kaiwen , Zhou Qianghua , Chen Xu , Yao Kai , Zhang Yangjie , He Haixia , Huang Hao , Chen hao , Peng shengmeng , Huang Ming , Cheng Liang , Zhang Qiang , Xie Ruihui , Lin Tianxin , Huang Hai
Published: December 2022

Bone metastasis is a principal cause of mortality in patients with prostate cancer (PCa). Increasing evidence indicate that high expression of stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1)-mediated store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) significantly activates the calcium (Ca2+) signaling pathway and is involved in multiple steps of bone metastasis in PCa. However, the regulatory mechanism and target therapy of STIM1 is poorly defined. Here, we identified that STIM1 directly interacted with Tetraspanin 18 (TSPAN18), and TSPAN18 competitively inhibited E3 ligase tripartite motif containing 32 (TRIM32)-mediated STIM1 ubiquitination and degradation, leading to increasing STIM1 protein stability. Furthermore, TSPAN18 significantly stimulated Ca2+influx in an STIM1-dependent manner, and then markedly accelerated PCa cells migration and invasionin vitroand bone metastasisin vivo. Clinically, overexpression of TSPAN18 was positively associated with STIM1 protein expression, bone metastasis and poor prognosis in PCa. Taken together, this work discovers a novel STIM1 regulative mechanism that TSPAN18 protects STIM1 from TRIM32-mediated ubiquitination, and enhances bone metastasis of PCa by activating the STIM1-Ca2+signaling axis, suggesting that TSPAN18 may be an attractive therapeutic target for blocking bone metastasis in PCa.
Blockchain enabled security enhancement in WiFi+WAPI network for Smart Grids
Authors: Lin Chuqiao , Sun Haoran , Wang Shengda , Ann Chunyan , Qi Han , Yang Miao
Published: December 2022

The increasing devices and their demand for network force the IoT network for smart grids to face the great challenges in privacy, security, trust, etc. In this paper, we apply blockchain to IoT communication network supported by WiFi. We first analyze the benefit that can be obtained by utilizing blockchain. And Secondly, we propose a blockchain enabled IoT network architure, within which, WAPI is applied as the authentication standard while blockchain is used as the trust guarantee mechanism. Thridly, we analyze how to guarantee the security, privacy, resource management within the proposed architecture. Finally, we conclude our work.
Molecular genomic landscape of pediatric solid tumors in Chinese patients: Implications for clinical significance
Authors: Li Gang , Gong Jie , Dong Liujian , Wang Chuanwei , Luo Ningning , Han Tiantian , Zhu Xiaofeng , Li Mengmeng , Sun Tingting , Ding Ran , Qi Chuang , Han Bo
Published: December 2022

Background: Pediatric solid tumors are significantly different from adult tumors in terms of epidemiology, pathogenesis, prognosis and molecular characteristics. Studies have revealed genomic aberrations in pediatric solid tumors, but these analyses were based on Western populations. Currently, it is not known to what extent the existing genomic findings represent differences in ethnic backgrounds. What’s more, treatment options for childhood tumors are limited. Understanding the genetic landscape unique to childhood tumors may help expand the therapeutic options of childhood cancers.
Results: We retrospectively analyzed the basic clinical characteristics of the patients, including age, cancer type, and sex distribution, and further analyzed the somatic and germline mutations of cancer-related genes in a Chinese cohort including 318 pediatric patients with CNS or non-CNS solid tumors. Somatic mutation analysis showed that there were significant differences in mutation types between CNS tumors and non-CNS tumors. P/LP germline variants were identified in 8.49% of patients. In total, 42.8% patients prompted diagnostic, 37.7% patients prompted prognostic, 58.2% patients prompted therapeutic, and 8.5% patients prompted tumor-predisposing and preventive. We investigated the clinical significance of genomic mutations on therapeutic, prognostic, diagnostic, and preventive actions, and analyzed the proportion of various clinically significant mutations.
Conclusions: Our study is the first large scale study to analyze the landscape of genetic mutations in pediatric patients with solid tumors in China. Genomic findings in CNS and non-CNS solid pediatric tumors provide evidence for the clinical classification and individualized treatment of pediatric tumors, and they will facilitate improvement of clinical management. Data presented in this study should serve as a reference to guide the future design of clinical trials.
A Compact Sinusoidally Tapered slot Vivaldi Linear Antenna Array for X and Ku band Applications
Authors: lakshmi munagoti bhagya , Vakula D
Published: December 2022

A compact sinusoidal tapered slot Vivaldi antenna is designed for X and Ku band applications. The bandwidth of the antenna is improved with two circular stubs before the tapering. A rectangular slot is included before the two stubs to reduce the aperture width of the antenna. The feed line is then terminated with sectorial stub to have better coupling to the slot. The profile of the tapering of slot is designed as sinusoidal variation to have good end fire radiation for the entire frequency range. The simulated single antenna has return loss less than -10 dB in between the frequencies 8.2-20 GHz. A five-element linear array is designed, simulated and prototype model is fabricated. The simulated and experimental results show return loss is less than -7.5 dB for the frequency range of 8.1-20 GHz. The maximum gain of single element and array is 4.6 dBi & 7 dBi respectively. The Co and cross polarization radiation patterns are measured. The designed Vivaldi antenna array is used in electronic warfare and phased array applications.
Magnetic Properties and Thermal Behavior of the Monolayer Rubrene-Like Nano-island: Monte Carlo Simulations
Authors: Saber N. , Fadil Z. , Mhirech A. , Kabouchi B. , Bahmad L.
Published: December 2022

Using the Monte Carlo simulations (MCs), under the Metropolis algorithm in the frame of the Blume Capel model, the magnetic properties of the mixed Rubrene-like nano-island have been extensively investigated. For zero temperature, the ground state phase diagrams have been established to display the more stable spin configurations. For no null temperature values, the diverse parameters effects of the studied system on magnetizations and susceptibilities have been investigated. Interesting results have been found, especially, the apparition of the compensation temperature and triple loops behavior which is useful in many applications in multi-state memory systems.
Halogenated Boroxine K2 (B3O3F4 Oh) Modulates Metabolic Phenotype and Autophagy in Human Bladder Carcinoma 5637 Cell Line
Authors: Elez-Burnjaković Nikolina , Pojskić Lejla , Haverić Anja , Lojo-Kadrić Naida , Omanović Maida Hadžić , Smajlović Ajla , Kalaydjiev Svetoslav , Haverić Sanin
Published: December 2022

Halogenated boroxine K2(B3O3F4OH), (HB) has effectively inhibited growth of several carcinoma cell lines. Because of the growing interest in autophagy induction as therapeutic approach in bladder carcinoma (BC), we aimed to assess the effects of HB on metabolic phenotype and autophagy levels in 5637 human bladder carcinoma cells (BC). Cytotoxicity was evaluated using alamar blue assay, and degree of autophagy was determined microscopically. Mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis were measured simultaneously. The relative expression of autophagy related genes BECN1, P62, BCL-2, and DRAM1 were determined by real time PCR. HB inhibited cell growth in concentration dependent manner. Starvation significantly increased level of autophagy in positive control compared to the basal level of autophagy in negative control. In HB treated cultures, the degree of autophagy was higher compared to the basal level and metabolic phenotype altered: both glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) were decreased by HB at 0.2 and 0.4 mg/ml. Genes expression was deregulated towards autophagy induction and expansion. These findings suggest that HB disrupts the bioenergetic metabolism, and reduces intracellular survival potential of BC cells. Further molecular studies are needed to confirm and potentially apply these findings.
Context-based Statement-level Vulnerability Localization
Authors: Nguyen Thu-Trang , Vo Hieu Dinh
Published: December 2022

The number of attacks exploring software vulnerabilities has dramatically increased, which has caused various severe damages. Thus, early and accurately detecting vulnerabilities becomes essential to guarantee software quality and prevent the systems from malicious attacks. Multiple automated vulnerability detection approaches have been proposed and obtained promising results. However, most studies detect vulnerabilities at a coarse-grained, i.e., file or method level. Thus, developers still have to spend significant investigation efforts on localizing vulnerable statements. In this paper, we introduce COSTA, a novel context-based approach to localize vulnerable statements. In particular, given a vulnerable function, COSTA identifies vulnerable statements based on their suspiciousness scores. Specifically, the suspiciousness of each statement is measured according to its semantics captured by four contexts, including operation context, dependence context, surrounding context, and vulnerability type. Our experimental results on a large vulnerability dataset show that COSTA outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches up to 96% in F1-score and 167% in Accuracy. COSTA also surpasses these approaches up to two times in Top-1 Accuracy. Especially, COSTA obtains about 80% at Top-3 Recall. In other words, developers can find about 80% of the vulnerable statements by investigating only three first-ranked statements in each function.
Breast cancer risk factors and demographic density among 12518 average-risk women in rural China
Authors: Yan huijiao , Ren Wenhui , Jia Mengmeng , Xue Peng , Li Zhifang , Zhang Shaokai , He Lichun , Qiao Youlin
Published: December 2022

Background Mammographic density (MD) is a strong risk factor for breast cancer. We aimed to evaluate the association between MD and breast cancer related risk factors among average-risk women in rural China. Methods This is a population-based screening study. 12518 women aged 45–64 years with complete MD data from three maternal and childcare hospitals in China were included in the final analysis. ORs and 95%CIs were estimated using generalized logit model by comparing each higher MD (BI-RADS b, c, d) to the lowest group (BI-RADS a). The cumulative logistic regression model was used to estimate theORtrend(95%CI) andPtrendby treating MD as an ordinal variable. Results Older age (ORtrend=0.81, 95%CI: 0.79–0.81, per 2-year increase), higher BMI (ORtrend=0.73, 95%CI: 0.71–0.75, per 2 kg/m2), more births (ORtrend=0.47, 95%CI: 0.41–0.54, 3 + vs. 0–1), postmenopausal status (ORtrend=0.42, 95%CI: 0.38–0.46) were associated with lower MD. For parous women, longer duration of breastfeeding was fund to be associated with higher MD when adjusting for study site, age, BMI, and age of first full-term birth (ORtrend=1.53, 95%CI: 1.27–1.85, 25 + months vs. no breastfeeding; ORtrend=1.45, 95%CI: 1.20–1.75, 19–24 months vs. no breastfeeding), however, the association became non-significant when adjusting all covariates. Associations between examined risk factors and MD were similar in premenopausal and postmenopausal women except for level of education and oral hormone drug usage. Higher education was only fund to be associated with an increased proportion of dense breasts in postmenopausal women (ORtrend=1.08, 95%CI: 1.02–1.15). Premenopausal women who ever used oral hormone drug were less likely to have dense breasts, though the difference was marginally significant (OR = 0.54,P = 0.045). In postmenopausal women, we also found the proportion of dense breasts increased with age at menopause (ORtrend=1.31, 95%CI: 1.21–1.43). Conclusions In Chinese women with average risk for breast cancer, we found MD was associated with age, BMI, menopausal status, lactation, and age at menopausal. This finding may help to understand the etiology of breast cancer and have implications for breast cancer prevention in China.
Risk Factors of Urinary Tract Infection in Children with Anorectal Malformations
Authors: Wu Shuangshuang , Wang Yi , Hou Jinping , Die Xiaohong , Zhang Min , Feng Wei
Published: December 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study was to predict risk factors for urinary tract infection (UTI) in children with anorectal malformations (ARMs).
Methods:We retrospectively reviewed infants with ARMs who received the three-stage operation at our center from 2019 to January, 2022. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association of clinical factors with UTI.
Results: 151 children were included with an average age of 8.75 months. 106(70.2%) were male. 71(47.0%) were diagnosed with urinary tract infection before anorectalplasty. 69(45.7%) patients had concomitant genitourinary tract anomalies. 59(39.1%) patients were diagnosed with spinal cord anomalies. Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that gender was the only independent factor associated with the occurrence of UTI (males vs female, OR=7.306, p=0.001, 95%CI=2.315-23.055). 19(12.6%) were diagnosed of recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTI) during follow-up. On multivariate logistic regression, VUR (OR=13.236, p=0.004, 95%CI=2.232-78.500), tethered cord (OR=6.720, p=0.015, 95%CI=1.455-31.026) and fatty filum terminale (OR=6.281, p<0.001, 95%CI=2.263-17.430) were risk factors for RUTI.
Conclusions:In ARMs patients, male is the only risk factor to the occurrence of UTI in children before anorectoplasty. And children with VUR, tethered cord and fatty filum terminal are more likely to have recurrent urinary tract infections.
Leaf vein topology confers water transport efficiency
Authors: ARITSARA Amy Ny Aina , NI Ming-Yuan , RAMANANANTOANDRO Tahiana , ZHU Shi-Dan , LI You-Zhi , GLEASON Sean , SACK Lawren , CAO Kun-Fang
Published: December 2022

The evolution of xylem vessels and dense leaf vein networks in flowering plants enabled unprecedented increases in plant water transport and rates of CO2 assimilation. We tested the hypothesis that independent of vein density, higher leaf vein topological efficiency (VTE), achieved with denser free vein endings, would reduce the extraxylary pathlength, further benefitting whole-leaf conductance, while reducing carbon investment, and releasing space for light capture. Our analysis across 52 phylogenetically diverse angiosperm species demonstrated that for a given vein density, high VTE conferred by dense free endings can shorten the extraxylary pathlength by up to 11%. Across species, high VTE was associated with high stomatal conductance, non-vein area fraction for light capture, and low leaf mass per area. Our findings identify leaf vein topological efficiency as an important measure of the use of leaf space and biomass, and a key factor influencing plant adaptation to historical and future environmental conditions.
QuantAnts machines discover biomarkers for RAS signaling activation and design sgRNAs for CRISPR to target complex CD9, CD34, and CD74.
Authors: Nguyen Nam
Published: December 2022

In this work, we introduce a quantum algorithm for biomarker identification in oncology, named QuantAnts machines, pronounced "quantant machine." Our proposed machine intelligence allows sampling biomarker-verse for the targeted RAS signaling activation, revealing combinations of biomarkers with therapeutic applications. Notable, the QuantAnts for Clinical Oncology model, ASCO(ant-4) discovers the complex CD9, CD34, and CD74 as targeting for RAS pathway for some cancer phenotypes such as gastric, colorectal (with/without metastasis), ovarian, breast and brain cancer. To the end, we show the generalization of QuantAnts machines by altering the model for genetic code designs (named QuantAnts-CRISPR), which enabling optimized sgRNA for CRISPR-Cas9 to target the complex CD9, CD34, and CD74 all-together. The found sgRNA designs are optimized by reversing mutation processes over the targeted complex, i.e., balancing the mutated contents over the input biomarker-verse.