bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A text mining analysis of human flourishing on Twitter
Authors: Cebral-Loureda Manuel , Hernández-Baqueiro Alberto , Tamés-Muñoz Enrique
Published: March 2023

The power of social media in spreading the idea of wellbeing has already been addressed by several psychologists and scholars through the analysis of the vocabulary; however, the use of the human flourishing (HF) concept in such platforms has not yet been analyzed. This study addresses such a topic by analyzing more than 600 thousand Twitter messages posted by a community of users who associate themselves with HF and comparing them to more than 400 thousand messages in other Twitter lists. The study aims to identify the HF users’ interests, the richness in their vocabulary, the feelings and emotions that they share, and the grammar used in their constructions. Such an analysis was conducted through text mining computational methods, including sentiment analysis, natural language processing (NLP), and topic modeling. The results revealed that although HF users employ average vocabulary diversity, they share more positive emotions, and a greater variety of emojis. They also tended to discuss different topics, from more spiritual and health-related subjects to more practical matters related to work and success. Finally, they generally wrote from an empathetic state of mind, caring about people’s day-to-day feelings and about the world.
Subpial hemorrhages in neonates: imaging features, clinical factors and outcomes
Authors: Zhuang Xiamei , Jin Ke , Li Junwei , Yin Yan , He Siping
Published: March 2023

Neonatal subpial hemorrhage is a poorly understood type of intracranial hemorrhage. Herein, we reported on 34 neonates with subpial hemorrhages, focusing on the imaging features, clinical factors, and outcomes of this type of intracranial hemorrhage. This retrospective case series enrolled 34 neonates with subpial hemorrhages. We analyzed their magnetic resonance (MR) images, clinical manifestations, and prognoses. We categorized, for the first time, the MR images of patients with subpial hemorrhages into three imaging patterns; moreover, on the basis of a yin-yang sign, we added a sandwich sign, attaining an MR image feature that was easier to understand. MR Patterns A and B both have good prognoses, and most patients had normal clinical outcomes. Subpial hemorrhage in neonates may be diagnosed via imaging patterns. Recognizing this pattern of hemorrhage may help gain a better understanding of the associated risk factors.
Disentangling the mixed effects of soil management on microbial diversity and soil functions: A case study in vineyards
Authors: Pingel Martin , Reineke Annette , Leyer Ilona
Published: March 2023

Promoting soil functioning by maintaining soil microbial diversity and activity is central for sustainable agriculture. In viticulture, soil management often includes tillage, which poses a multifaceted disturbance to the soil environment and has direct and indirect effects on soil microbial diversity and soil functioning. However, the challenge of disentangling the effects of different soil management practices on soil microbial diversity and functioning has rarely been addressed. In this study, we investigated the effects of soil management on soil bacterial and fungal diversity as well as soil functions (soil respiration and decomposition) using a balanced experimental design with four soil management types in nine vineyards in Germany. Application of structural equation modelling enabled us to investigate the causal relationships of soil disturbance, vegetation cover, and plant richness on soil properties, microbial diversity, and soil functions. We could show that soil disturbance by tillage increased bacterial diversity but decreased fungal diversity. We identified a positive effect of plant diversity on bacterial diversity. Soil respiration showed a positive response to soil disturbance, while decomposition was negatively affected in highly disturbed soils via mediated effects of vegetation removal. Our results contribute to the understanding of direct and indirect effects of vineyard soil management on soil life and aids designing targeted recommendations for agricultural soil management.
Frailty detection among primary care older patients through the Primary Care Frailty Index (PC-FI)
Authors: Vetrano Davide Liborio , Zucchelli Alberto , Onder Graziano , Fratiglioni Laura , Calderón-Larrañaga Amaia , Marengoni Alessandra , Marconi Ettore , Cricelli Iacopo , Lora Aprile Pierangelo , Bernabei Roberto , Cricelli Claudio , Lapi Francesco
Published: March 2023

The prompt identification of frailty in primary care is the first step to offer personalized care to older individuals. We aimed to detect and quantify frailty among primary care older patients, by developing and validating a primary care frailty index (PC-FI) based on routinely collected health records and providing sex-specific frailty charts. The PC-FI was developed using data from 308,280 primary care patients ≥ 60 years old part of the Health Search Database (HSD) in Italy (baseline 2013–2019) and validated in the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K; baseline 2001–2004), a well-characterized population-based cohort including 3363 individuals ≥ 60 years old. Potential health deficits part of the PC-FI were identified through ICD-9, ATC, and exemption codes and selected through an optimization algorithm (i.e., genetic algorithm), using all-cause mortality as the main outcome for the PC-FI development. The PC-FI association at 1, 3 and 5 years, and discriminative ability for mortality and hospitalization were tested in Cox models. The convergent validity with frailty-related measures was verified in SNAC-K. The following cut-offs were used to define absent, mild, moderate and severe frailty: < 0.07, 0.07–0.14, 0.14–0.21, and ≥ 0.21. Mean age of HSD and SNAC-K participants was 71.0 years (55.4% females). The PC-FI included 25 health deficits and showed an independent association with mortality (hazard ratio range 2.03–2.27; p < 0.05) and hospitalization (hazard ratio range 1.25–1.64; p < 0.05) and a fair-to-good discriminative ability (c-statistics range 0.74–0.84 for mortality and 0.59–0.69 for hospitalization). In HSD 34.2%, 10.9% and 3.8% were deemed mildly, moderately, and severely frail, respectively. In the SNAC-K cohort, the associations between PC-FI and mortality and hospitalization were stronger than in the HSD and PC-FI scores were associated with physical frailty (odds ratio 4.25 for each 0.1 increase; p < 0.05; area under the curve 0.84), poor physical performance, disability, injurious falls, and dementia. Almost 15% of primary care patients ≥ 60 years old are affected by moderate or severe frailty in Italy. We propose a reliable, automated, and easily implementable frailty index that can be used to screen the primary care population for frailty.
An extended Hilbert transform method for reconstructing the phase from an oscillatory signal
Authors: Matsuki Akari , Kori Hiroshi , Kobayashi Ryota
Published: March 2023

Rhythmic activity is ubiquitous in biological systems from the cellular to organism level. Reconstructing the instantaneous phase is the first step in analyzing the essential mechanism leading to a synchronization state from the observed signals. A popular method of phase reconstruction is based on the Hilbert transform, which can only reconstruct the interpretable phase from a limited class of signals, e.g., narrow band signals. To address this issue, we propose an extended Hilbert transform method that accurately reconstructs the phase from various oscillatory signals. The proposed method is developed by analyzing the reconstruction error of the Hilbert transform method with the aid of Bedrosian’s theorem. We validate the proposed method using synthetic data and show its systematically improved performance compared with the conventional Hilbert transform method with respect to accurately reconstructing the phase. Finally, we demonstrate that the proposed method is potentially useful for detecting the phase shift in an observed signal. The proposed method is expected to facilitate the study of synchronization phenomena from experimental data.
Exploring the diagnostic value of eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratio to differentiate Kawasaki disease from other febrile diseases based on clinical prediction model
Authors: Guo Xin , Liao Jinwen , Fan Xue , Xu Mingguo
Published: March 2023

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a febrile disease that affects children under 5 years of age and leads to serious cardiovascular complications such as coronary artery disease. The development of markers that can predict early is important to reduce the under- and misdiagnosis of KD. The aim of this research was to develop a diagnostic predictive model to differentiate Kawasaki disease (KD) from other febrile diseases using eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (ELR) and other biomarkers. We recruited a total of 190 children with KD and 1604 children with other febrile diseases. We retrospectively collected clinical information from the children, which included laboratory data on the day of admission, such as white blood cells (WBC), hemoglobin (HGB), calcitoninogen (PCT), hypersensitive c-reactive protein (CRP), snake prognostic nutritional index (PNI), peripheral blood neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and ELR. We performed analyses using univariate analysis, multivariate logistic regression, and column line plots, and evaluated the diagnostic parameters of the predictive models. ELR was significantly increased in patients with KD. After multivariate logistic regression, WBC, HGB, CRP, NLR, ELR and PNI were finally included as indicators for constructing the prediction model. The ROC curve analysis suggested that the C-index of the diagnostic prediction model was 0.921. The calibration curve showed good diagnostic performance of the columnar graph model. The cut-off value of ELR alone for KD was 0.04, the area under the ROC curve was 0.809. Kids with KD show highly expressive level of ELR compared to children with febrile disease, which can be used to diagnose KD, and column line graphs constructed together with other indicators can help pediatricians to identify KD more effectively from febrile children.
Diffusion tensor imaging metrics associated with future disability in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Lopez-Soley E. , Martinez-Heras E. , Solana E. , Solanes A. , Radua J. , Vivo F. , Prados F. , Sepulveda M. , Cabrera-Maqueda J. M. , Fonseca E. , Blanco Y. , Alba-Arbalat S. , Martinez-Lapiscina E. H. , Villoslada P. , Saiz A. , Llufriu S.
Published: March 2023

The relationship between brain diffusion microstructural changes and disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) remains poorly understood. We aimed to explore the predictive value of microstructural properties in white (WM) and grey matter (GM), and identify areas associated with mid-term disability in MS patients. We studied 185 patients (71% female; 86% RRMS) with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), timed 25-foot walk (T25FW), nine-hole peg test (9HPT), and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) at two time-points. We used Lasso regression to analyse the predictive value of baseline WM fractional anisotropy and GM mean diffusivity, and to identify areas related to each outcome at 4.1 years follow-up. Motor performance was associated with WM (T25FW: RMSE = 0.524, R2 = 0.304; 9HPT dominant hand: RMSE = 0.662, R2 = 0.062; 9HPT non-dominant hand: RMSE = 0.649, R2 = 0.139), and SDMT with GM diffusion metrics (RMSE = 0.772, R2 = 0.186). Cingulum, longitudinal fasciculus, optic radiation, forceps minor and frontal aslant were the WM tracts most closely linked to motor dysfunction, and temporal and frontal cortex were relevant for cognition. Regional specificity related to clinical outcomes provide valuable information that can be used to develop more accurate predictive models that could improve therapeutic strategies.
Bacillus subtilis isolates from camel milk as probiotic candidates
Authors: Daneshazari Roya , Rabbani Khorasgani Mohammad , Hosseini-Abari Afrouzossadat , Kim June-Hyung
Published: March 2023

Recently Bacillus spp. has gained much attention as potential probiotics due to the production of resistant cells. So, this research is purposeful for evaluation of probiotic characteristics of Bacillus isolates from camel milk as a suitable source for growth and isolation of microorganisms that can be candidate to be used as probiotic. First, forty-eight colonies were screened by using morphological and biochemical analysis. Among the isolates, two of them were recognized as Bacillussubtilis CM1 and CM2 by partial 16SrRNA sequencing that, probiotic potentials of them were evaluated. Both of them, in the preliminary safety screening, were found negative for hemolysis and lecithinase activity. Also, in vitro characteristics such as acid, bile salts and artificial gastric juice resistant, cell surface hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, antioxidant characteristics, and adherent capability to HT-29 cells were determined for them approximately in the range of other probiotic strains. Two strains were susceptible to various antibiotics and enterotoxigenic activities were not detected by PCR which means isolated Bacillus strains could be classified as safe. Altogether, results demonstrate that Bacillus CM1 and CM2 strains could have the potential of consideration as probiotics, however more extensive in vitro/vivo studies are needed.
Ocular and inflammatory markers associated with Gulf War illness symptoms
Authors: Kalahasty Karthik , Lee Yonghoon , Locatelli Elyana , Djulbegovic Mak , Cabrera Kimberly , Pakravan Parastou , Goodman Courtney , Jensen Andrew , Aenlle Kristina , Klimas Nancy , Goldhardt Raquel , Galor Anat
Published: March 2023

To examine the utility of ocular coherence tomography (OCT) metrics, in conjunction with systemic markers of inflammation, in identifying individuals with Gulf War Illness (GWI) symptoms. Prospective case–control study of 108 Gulf War Era veterans, split into 2 groups based on the presence of GWI symptoms, defined by the Kansas criteria. Information on demographics, deployment history, and co-morbidities were captured. 101 individuals underwent OCT imaging and 105 individuals provided a blood sample which was analyzed for inflammatory cytokines using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based chemiluminescent assay. The main outcome measure was predictors of GWI symptoms, examined with multivariable forward stepwise logistic regression analysis followed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The mean age of the population was 55 ± 4, 90.7% self-identified as male, 53.3% as White, and 54.3% as Hispanic. A multivariable model that considered demographics and co-morbidities found that a lower inferior temporal ganglion cell layer-inner plexiform layer (GCL‒IPL) thickness, higher temporal nerve fiber layer (NFL) thickness, lower interleukin (IL)-1β levels, higher IL-1α levels, and lower tumor necrosis factor-receptor I levels correlated with GWI symptoms. ROC analysis demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.78 with the best cut-off value for the prediction model having a sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 58%. RNFL and GCL‒IPL measures, namely increased temporal thickness and decreased inferior temporal thickness, respectively, in conjunction with a number of inflammatory cytokines, had a reasonable sensitivity for the diagnosis of GWI symptoms in our population.
A comparative study of smart nanoformulations of diethyldithiocarbamate with Cu4O3 nanoparticles or zinc oxide nanoparticles for efficient eradication of metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Abu-Serie Marwa M. , Abdelfattah Eisayeda Zeinab A.
Published: March 2023

Metastatic tumor is initiated by metastatic seeds (cancer stem cells “CSCs”) in a controlled redox microenvironment. Hence, an effective therapy that disrupts redox balance with eliminating CSCs is critical. Diethyldithiocarbamate (DE) is potent inhibitor of radical detoxifying enzyme (aldehyde dehydrogenase “ALDH”1A) causing effective eradication of CSCs. This DE effect was augmented and more selective by its nanoformulating with green synthesized copper oxide (Cu4O3) nanoparticles (NPs) and zinc oxide NPs, forming novel nanocomplexes of CD NPs and ZD NPs, respectively. These nanocomplexes exhibited the highest apoptotic, anti-migration, and ALDH1A inhibition potentials in M.D. Anderson-metastatic breast (MDA-MB) 231 cells. Importantly, these nanocomplexes revealed more selective oxidant activity than fluorouracil by elevating reactive oxygen species with depleting glutathione in only tumor tissues (mammary and liver) using mammary tumor liver metastasis animal model. Due to higher tumoral uptake and stronger oxidant activity of CD NPs than ZD NPs, CD NPs had more potential to induce apoptosis, suppress hypoxia-inducing factor gene, and eliminate CD44+CSCs with downregulating their stemness, chemoresistance, and metastatic genes and diminishing hepatic tumor marker (α-fetoprotein). These potentials interpreted the highest tumor size reduction with complete eradicating tumor metastasis to liver in CD NPs. Consequently, CD nanocomplex revealed the highest therapeutic potential representing a safe and promising nanomedicine against the metastatic stage of breast cancer.
Maleic acid as an important monomer in synthesis of stimuli-responsive poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide-co-maleic acid) superabsorbent polymer
Authors: Jamali Fatemeh , Etminani-Esfahani Negar , Rahmati Abbas
Published: March 2023

Poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide-co-maleic acid) (p(AA-co-AM-co-MA)) superabsorbent polymer was synthesized from acrylic acid (AA), acrylamide (AM), and maleic acid (MA) via free radical copolymerization. Results showed the presence of maleic acid in structure of superabsorbent has the key and superior role in creating a smart superabsorbent. The structure, morphology, and strength of the superabsorbent were characterized using FT-IR, TGA, SEM, and rheology analysis. The effect of different factors was investigated to determine the ability of water absorbency of the superabsorbent. According to optimized conditions, the water absorbency capacity of the superabsorbent in distilled water (DW) was 1348 g/g and in a solution containing 1.0 wt.% NaCl (SCS) was 106 g/g. The water retention ability of the superabsorbent was also investigated. The kinetic swelling of superabsorbent was identified by Fickian diffusion and Schott's pseudo-second-order model. Furthermore, the reusability of superabsorbent was studied in distilled water and saline solution. The ability of superabsorbent was investigated in simulated urea and glucose solutions, and very good results were obtained. The response ability of the superabsorbent was confirmed by swelling and shrinking behavior against changes of temperature, pH, and ionic strength.
Synthesis and characterization of novel acrylamide derivatives and their use as corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel in hydrochloric acid solution
Authors: Fouda A. S. , Khalil E. M. , EL-Mahdy G. A. , Shaban M. M. , Mohammed A. S. , Abdelsatar N. A.
Published: March 2023

Two new acrylamide derivatives were prepared namely: “N-(bis(2-hydroxyethyl) carbamothioyl) acrylamide (BHCA) and N-((2-hydroxyethyl) carbamothioyl) acrylamide( HCA) and their chemical structures were analyzed and confirmed using IR and 1H NMR”. These chemicals were investigated as corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel (CS) in 1 M HCl medium using chemical method (mass  loss, ML), and electrochemical techniques including potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed that the acrylamide derivatives work well as corrosion inhibitors, with inhibition efficacy (%IE) reaching 94.91–95.28% at 60 ppm for BHCA and HCA, respectively. Their inhibition depends mainly on their concentration and temperature of the solution. According to the PDP files, these derivatives function as mixed-type inhibitors that physically adsorb on the CS surface in accordance with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, creating a thin coating that shields the CS surface from corrosive fluids. The charge transfer resistance (Rct) increased and the double layer capacitance (Cdl) decreased as a result of the adsorption of the used derivatives. Calculated and described were the thermodynamic parameters for activation and adsorption. Quantum chemistry computations and Monte Carlo simulations were examined and discussed for these derivatives under investigation. Surface analysis was checked using atomic force microscope (AFM). Validity of the obtained data was demonstrated by the confirmation of these several independent procedures.
Transcriptomic profile comparison reveals conservation of ionocytes across multiple organs
Authors: Pou Casellas Carla , Pleguezuelos-Manzano Cayetano , Rookmaaker Maarten B. , Verhaar Marianne C. , Clevers Hans
Published: March 2023

Single-cell RNA sequencing has recently led to the identification of a flurry of rare, new cell types, such as the CFTR-high ionocytes in the airway epithelium. Ionocytes appear to be specifically responsible for fluid osmolarity and pH regulation. Similar cells exist in multiple other organs and have received various names, including intercalated cell in the kidney, mitochondria-rich cell in the inner ear, clear cell in the epididymis, and ionocyte in the salivary gland. Here, we compare the previously published transcriptomic profile of cells expressing FOXI1, the signature transcription factor expressed in airway ionocytes. Such FOXI1+ cells were found in datasets representing human and/or murine kidney, airway, epididymis, thymus, skin, inner ear, salivary gland, and prostate. This allowed us to assess the similarities between these cells and identify the core transcriptomic signature of this ionocyte ‘family’. Our results demonstrate that, across all these organs, ionocytes maintain the expression of a characteristic set of genes, including FOXI1, KRT7, and ATP6V1B1. We conclude that the ionocyte signature defines a class of closely related cell types across multiple mammalian organs.
Characteristics and FEA verification of the attraction between like magnetic poles
Authors: Chen Christina H. , Zou Min , Ran Sijie , Meng Hui , Mizzell George , Shen Abby , Qian Michelle
Published: March 2023

The attraction between unequally sized like magnetic poles is characterized herein. Finite element analysis (FEA) simulation has verified that attraction can occur between like poles. Between two unequally sized like poles with various dimensions and alignments, a turning point (TP) appears on the curves of force vs. distance between them, which is caused by the localized demagnetization (LD). The LD plays a role far before the distance between the poles reduces to the TP. The LD area may have a changed polarity, making the attraction possible and not in violation of basic laws of magnetism. Here, the LD levels have been determined using FEA simulation, and the factors affecting the LD have been explored, including the geometry, the linearity of the BH curve, and the alignment of the magnet pairs. Novel devices can be designed with attraction between the centers of such like poles and repulsion when off-center.
Decoding behavior from global cerebrovascular activity using neural networks
Authors: Berthon Béatrice , Bergel Antoine , Matei Marta , Tanter Mickaël
Published: March 2023

Functional Ultrasound (fUS) provides spatial and temporal frames of the vascular activity in the brain with high resolution and sensitivity in behaving animals. The large amount of resulting data is underused at present due to the lack of appropriate tools to visualize and interpret such signals. Here we show that neural networks can be trained to leverage the richness of information available in fUS datasets to reliably determine behavior, even from a single fUS 2D image after appropriate training. We illustrate the potential of this method with two examples: determining if a rat is moving or static and decoding the animal’s sleep/wake state in a neutral environment. We further demonstrate that our method can be transferred to new recordings, possibly in other animals, without additional training, thereby paving the way for real-time decoding of brain activity based on fUS data. Finally, the learned weights of the network in the latent space were analyzed to extract the relative importance of input data to classify behavior, making this a powerful tool for neuroscientific research.
Size distribution and relationship of airborne SARS-CoV-2 RNA to indoor aerosol in hospital ward environments
Authors: Groma V. , Kugler Sz. , Farkas Á. , Füri P. , Madas B. , Nagy A. , Erdélyi T. , Horváth A. , Müller V. , Szántó-Egész R. , Micsinai A. , Gálffy G. , Osán J.
Published: March 2023

Aerosol particles proved to play a key role in airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Therefore, their size-fractionated collection and analysis is invaluable. However, aerosol sampling in COVID departments is not straightforward, especially in the sub-500-nm size range. In this study, particle number concentrations were measured with high temporal resolution using an optical particle counter, and several 8 h daytime sample sets were collected simultaneously on gelatin filters with cascade impactors in two different hospital wards during both alpha and delta variants of concern periods. Due to the large number (152) of size-fractionated samples, SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies could be statistically analyzed over a wide range of aerosol particle diameters (70–10 µm). Our results revealed that SARS-CoV-2 RNA is most likely to exist in particles with 0.5–4 µm aerodynamic diameter, but also in ultrafine particles. Correlation analysis of particulate matter (PM) and RNA copies highlighted the importance of indoor medical activity. It was found that the daily maximum increment of PM mass concentration correlated the most with the number concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the corresponding size fractions. Our results suggest that particle resuspension from surrounding surfaces is an important source of SARS-CoV-2 RNA present in the air of hospital rooms.
Nordic microalgae produce biostimulant for the germination of tomato and barley seeds
Authors: Alling Teodor , Funk Christiane , Gentili Francesco G.
Published: March 2023

Microalgal biomass may have biostimulating effects on plants and seeds due to its phytohormonal content, and harnessing this biostimulating effect could contribute to sustainable agriculture. Two Nordic strains of freshwater microalgae speciesChlorella vulgarisandScenedesmus obliquuswere each cultivated in a photobioreactor receiving untreated municipal wastewater. The algal biomass and the supernatant after algal cultivation were tested on tomato and barley seeds for biostimulating effects. Intact algal cells, broken cells, or harvest supernatant were applied to the seeds, and germination time, percentage and germination index were evaluated. Seeds treated withC. vulgaris, in particular intact cells or supernatant, had up to 25 percentage units higher germination percentage after 2 days and an overall significantly faster germination time (germinated on average between 0.5 and 1 day sooner) than seeds treated withS. obliquusor the control (water). The germination index was higher inC. vulgaristreatments than in the control for both tomato and barley, and this was observed for both broken and intact cells as well as supernatant. The Nordic strain ofC. vulgariscultivated in municipal wastewater thus shows potential for use as biostimulant in agriculture, adding novel economic and sustainability benefits.
Dynamic analysis of towed cable with variable length during turning maneuvers
Authors: Zhang Dapeng , Zhao Bowen , Zhu Keqiang , Jiang Haoyu
Published: March 2023

The configuration of marine towing cable changes significantly during the turning process, with the rotating procedure with fixed cable length being the most frequent. To overcome these challenges, the configuration and dynamic properties of the marine towing cable must be addressed. However, under some particular operating situations, the tugboat must release the marine towed cable during rotation, resulting in a constant change in the length of the marine cable. In view of this, the towed cable is discretized into a lumped mass model based on the lumped mass method, and the dynamic analysis model of the rotation process of towed cable with variable length under different release speeds and different depths is established. This is done with reference to the specific parameters of a towed system, combined with the specific sea conditions of a particular sea area. Time-domain coupling analysis is used to determine the dynamic changes in configuration and stress of marine towing cable at various release speeds and depths. The results of the calculations have some guiding relevance for a certain engineering practice.
Mechanical weeding enhances ecosystem multifunctionality and profit in industrial oil palm
Authors: Iddris Najeeb Al-Amin , Formaglio Greta , Paul Carola , von Groß Volker , Chen Guantao , Angulo-Rubiano Andres , Berkelmann Dirk , Brambach Fabian , Darras Kevin F. A. , Krashevska Valentyna , Potapov Anton , Wenzel Arne , Irawan Bambang , Damris Muhammad , Daniel Rolf , Grass Ingo , Kreft Holger , Scheu Stefan , Tscharntke Teja , Tjoa Aiyen , Veldkamp Edzo , Corre Marife D.
Published: March 2023

Oil palm is the most productive oil crop, but its high productivity is associated with conventional management (that is, high fertilization rates and herbicide application), causing deleterious environmental impacts. Using a 22 factorial experiment, we assessed the effects of conventional vs reduced (equal to nutrients removed by fruit harvest) fertilization rates and herbicide vs mechanical weeding on ecosystem functions, biodiversity and profitability. Analysing across multiple ecosystem functions, mechanical weeding exhibited higher multifunctionality than herbicide treatment, although this effect was concealed when evaluating only for individual functions. Biodiversity was also enhanced, driven by 33% more plant species under mechanical weeding. Compared with conventional management, reduced fertilization and mechanical weeding increased profit by 12% and relative gross margin by 11% due to reductions in material costs, while attaining similar yields. Mechanical weeding with reduced, compensatory fertilization in mature oil palm plantations is a tenable management option for enhancing ecosystem multifunctionality and biodiversity and increasing profit, providing win–win situations.
Vivid COVID-19 LAMP is an ultrasensitive, quadruplexed test using LNA-modified primers and a zinc ion and 5-Br-PAPS colorimetric detection system
Authors: Szobi Adrián , Buranovská Katarína , Vojtaššáková Nina , Lovíšek Daniel , Özbaşak Halil Önder , Szeibeczederová Sandra , Kapustian Liudmyla , Hudáčová Zuzana , Kováčová Viera , Drobná Diana , Putaj Piotr , Bírová Stanislava , Čirková Ivana , Čarnecký Martin , Kilián Peter , Jurkáček Peter , Čabanová Viktória , Boršová Kristína , Sláviková Monika , Vaňová Veronika , Klempa Boris , Čekan Pavol , Paul Evan D.
Published: March 2023

Sensitive and rapid point-of-care assays have been crucial in the global response to SARS-CoV-2. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has emerged as an important diagnostic tool given its simplicity and minimal equipment requirements, although limitations exist regarding sensitivity and the methods used to detect reaction products. We describe the development of Vivid COVID-19 LAMP, which leverages a metallochromic detection system utilizing zinc ions and a zinc sensor, 5-Br-PAPS, to circumvent the limitations of classic detection systems dependent on pH indicators or magnesium chelators. We make important strides in improving RT-LAMP sensitivity by establishing principles for using LNA-modified LAMP primers, multiplexing, and conducting extensive optimizations of reaction parameters. To enable point-of-care testing, we introduce a rapid sample inactivation procedure without RNA extraction that is compatible with self-collected, non-invasive gargle samples. Our quadruplexed assay (targeting E, N, ORF1a, and RdRP) reliably detects 1 RNA copy/µl of sample (=8 copies/reaction) from extracted RNA and 2 RNA copies/µl of sample (=16 copies/reaction) directly from gargle samples, making it one of the most sensitive RT-LAMP tests and even comparable to RT-qPCR. Additionally, we demonstrate a self-contained, mobile version of our assay in a variety of high-throughput field testing scenarios on nearly 9,000 crude gargle samples. Vivid COVID-19 LAMP can be an important asset for the endemic phase of COVID-19 as well as preparing for future pandemics.
Labelling instructions matter in biomedical image analysis
Authors: Rädsch Tim , Reinke Annika , Weru Vivienn , Tizabi Minu D. , Schreck Nicholas , Kavur A. Emre , Pekdemir Bünyamin , Roß Tobias , Kopp-Schneider Annette , Maier-Hein Lena
Published: March 2023

Biomedical image analysis algorithm validation depends on high-quality annotation of reference datasets, for which labelling instructions are key. Despite their importance, their optimization remains largely unexplored. Here we present a systematic study of labelling instructions and their impact on annotation quality in the field. Through comprehensive examination of professional practice and international competitions registered at the Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention Society, the largest international society in the biomedical imaging field, we uncovered a discrepancy between annotators’ needs for labelling instructions and their current quality and availability. On the basis of an analysis of 14,040 images annotated by 156 annotators from four professional annotation companies and 708 Amazon Mechanical Turk crowdworkers using instructions with different information density levels, we further found that including exemplary images substantially boosts annotation performance compared with text-only descriptions, while solely extending text descriptions does not. Finally, professional annotators constantly outperform Amazon Mechanical Turk crowdworkers. Our study raises awareness for the need of quality standards in biomedical image analysis labelling instructions.
Improving the climate resilience of European cities via socially acceptable nature-based solutions
Authors: Sari Ramazan , Soytas Ugur , Kanoglu-Ozkan Dilge Guldehen , Sivrikaya Aysen
Published: March 2023

Introducing nature based solutions (NBS) into urban areas is a challenging task for climate change mitigation and adaptation. However, the impact and effectiveness of NBS contingent upon the social acceptability of implemented measures. This study uses a dynamic and adaptive social acceptance framework that shows how data-driven science can inform the integration of NBS into cities while also ensuring that the public embraces these solutions. We apply the framework to four different cases: METU Forest in Ankara, Tisza River Bank in Szeged, Forest Garden in Alcalá de Henares, and Quarries in Milan. The results indicate that the key factor affecting social acceptance are procedural and distributive fairness, perceived risks, costs and benefits, knowledge, experience, and personal norms. Perceived benefit is the single common driver that directly affects social acceptance across the four case studies. Understanding the risk and benefits of an NBS and developing personal norms related to the environment will contribute to the improvement of resilience.
The food-water-energy nexus and green roofs in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, and Johannesburg, South Africa
Authors: Meng Fanxin , Yuan Qiuling , Bellezoni Rodrigo A. , Puppim de Oliveira Jose A. , Hu Yuanchao , Jing Rui , Liu Gengyuan , Yang Zhifeng , Seto Karen C.
Published: March 2023

Green roofs affect the urban food-water-energy nexus and have the potential to contribute to sustainability. Here we developed a generalizable methodology and framework for data-sparse cities to analyze the food-water-energy nexus of green roofs. Our framework integrates the environmental costs and benefits of green roofs with food-water-energy systems and makes it possible to trace energy-water-carbon footprints across city boundaries. Testing the framework in São José dos Campos (SJC), Brazil and Johannesburg, South Africa, we found that green roofs are essentially carbon neutral and net energy consumers from a life cycle perspective. SJC is a net water beneficiary while Johannesburg is a net water consumer. Rainwater utilization could save irrigated water, but requires 1.2 times more energy consumption. Our results show that SJC and Johannesburg could direct their green roof development from local food production and energy saving, respectively and highlight opportunities for green roof practices in cities.
Transiting consolidated ice strongly influenced polynya area during a shrink event in Terra Nova Bay in 2013
Authors: Lin Yichen , Yang Qinghua , Mazloff Matthew , Wu Xingren , Tian-Kunze Xiangshan , Kaleschke Lars , Yu Lejiang , Chen Dake
Published: March 2023

Coastal polynyas in Antarctica are a window of air-sea energy exchange and an important source of Antarctic Bottom Water production. However, the relationship between the polynya area variation and the surrounding marine environment is yet to be fully understood. Here we quantify the influence of the volume of transiting consolidated ice on the Terra Nova Bay Polynya area with ice thickness data. Changes in transiting consolidated ice volume are shown to dominate the evolution and variation of the polynya during a typical polynya shrinking event that occurred between 19 June to 03 July, 2013, rather than katabatic winds or air temperature, which are commonly assumed to be the main drivers. Over the cold seasons from 2013 to 2020, the Terra Nova Bay Polynya area is highly correlated to the transiting consolidated ice volume. We demonstrate that thick transiting ice limits the polynya area by blocking the newly-formed sea ice from leaving.
Yeast cell templated porous hollow silica spheres for rapid hemostasis accompanied by antibacterial action
Authors: Shi Yuting , Fang Yu , Liang Xiaoqin , Huang Congshu , Liang Yu , Yang Zheng , Yu Jianping , Wang Jianrong , Zhao Guanghui
Published: March 2023

This work aims to prepare a dual-function composite material Ag@HMSN with integrating hemostasis and antibacterial effects in situ by simulating the chemical composition of diatomite using yeast.
End-ligation can dramatically stabilize i-motifs at neutral pH
Authors: El-Khoury Roberto , Damha Masad J.
Published: March 2023

We report the significant stabilization of i-motifs at neutral pH due to end-ligation. The effect is even more pronounced when 2′-fluoroarabinocytidine substitutions are utilized in conjunction with end-ligation.
Activation energy of kink incorporation of particles into colloidal crystals with attractive interactions
Authors: Kanno Masahiro , Tsuboi Yutaka , Matsuo Shigeki , Suzuki Yoshihisa
Published: March 2023

The kink incorporation and diffusion of particles on the growth interface of colloidal crystals with attractive interactions between particles are important elementary processes.
Ab initio study revealing remarkable oscillatory effects and negative differential resistance in the molecular device of silicon carbide chains
Authors: Mu Yi , Yu Jie , Hu Rui , Wang Cui-Hong , Cheng Cai , Hou Bang-Pin
Published: March 2023

Inspired by the requirements of miniaturization and multifunction of molecular devices, we investigate the quantum transport properties of three unique molecular devices with silicon carbide chains bridging gold electrodes by an ab initio approach.
Molecular manipulation of the microenvironment of Au active sites on mesoporous silica for the enhanced catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol
Authors: Ding Meng , Peng Bo , Zhou Jia-Feng , Chen Hui , Zhu Yi-Song , Yuan En-Hui , Albela Belén , Bonneviot Laurent , Wu Peng , Zhang Kun
Published: March 2023

Structural water molecules adsorbed on Au nanoparticles in the form of {OH−·H2O@Au NPs} were identified as catalytical-active sites of 4-nitrophenol reduction, which is extremely sensitive to the subtle changes in the surrounding microenvironment.
Remarkable enhancement of photocatalytic performance in LaCrO3 through a controlled chemical reduction process
Authors: He Lijun , Yang Jia , Guo Wenbin , Li Yan , Fernández-Carrión Alberto J. , Kuang Xiaojun
Published: March 2023

Controlled chemical reduction process in LaCrO3 leads to oxygen vacancy formation that remarkably enhances its photocatalytic activity.
Facile, fast and green synthesis of a highly porous calcium-syringate bioMOF with intriguing triple bioactivity
Authors: Rosado Albert , Vallcorba Oriol , Vázquez-Lasa Blanca , García-Fernández Luís , Ramírez-Jiménez Rosa Ana , Aguilar María Rosa , López-Periago Ana M. , Domingo Concepción , Ayllón José A.
Published: March 2023

Green synthesis of a highly porous CaSyr-1 bioMOF ideal for drug encapsulation in scCO2, thus producing a triply bioactive system.
Metal-mediated nanobody assemblies as potent alleviators of human islet amyloid polypeptide aggregation
Authors: Zhao Liyuan , Luo Liang , Meng Fanling
Published: March 2023

A facile fabrication strategy to amplify the inhibitory effects of a nanobody on human islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) aggregation by coordinating a metal cation Zn2+with a histidine-tagged nanobody to form a multivalent nanobody assembly was developed.
Training precise stress patterns
Authors: Hexner Daniel
Published: March 2023

We introduce a training rule that enables a network composed of springs and dashpots to learn precise stress patterns.
Unraveling the regulation of a polyhydroxy electrolyte additive for a reversible, dendrite-free zinc anode
Authors: Wang Cong , Hou Junming , Gan Yaping , Xie Lei , He Yi , Hu Qiang , Liu Shude , Chan Jun Seong
Published: March 2023

Dual regulation of the electrode interface and solvation structure is reported. We employ polyhydroxy Suc as additive for AZIBs, which effectively reduces the number of coordination water molecules and realizes the uniform deposition of Zn2+.
Click-based injectable bioactive PEG-hydrogels guide rapid craniomaxillofacial bone regeneration by the spatiotemporal delivery of rhBMP-2
Authors: Lao Weiwei , Fan Lijie , Zhang Qiao , Lou Chaoqian , Li Hang , Li Yanyan , Wu Shuang , Li Xiaojun , Luo Qiaojie , Zhu Weipu , Li Xiaodong
Published: March 2023

A novel click-based bioactive injectable hydrogel based on two PEG derivatives realizes the efficient loading of rBMSCs and spatiotemporal delivery of rhBMP-2, basically accomplishing repair and regeneration of a critical-size defect within 4 weeks.
Oxygen-generating biocatalytic nanomaterials for tumor hypoxia relief in cancer radiotherapy
Authors: Zu Yan , Wang Ziyu , Yao Huiqin , Yan Liang
Published: March 2023

This review presents the recent progress on the oxygen-generating biocatalytic nanomaterials for relieving tumor hypoxia in cancer radiotherapy.
Maximal emission beyond 1200 nm dicyanovinyl-functionalized squaraine for in vivo vascular imaging
Authors: Wang Yigang , Wang Mingda , Xia Guomin , Yang Yang , Si Leilei , Wang Hua , Wang Hongming
Published: March 2023

An acceptor-substituted squaraine, NSQ1270, with an emission peak of 1270 nm, was developed and co-assembled with BSA to form dye–protein nanocomplexes with significantly enhanced fluorescence intensity for NIR-II vascular imaging.
Antiproliferative activity and toxicity evaluation of 1,2,3-triazole and 4-methyl coumarin hybrids in the MCF7 breast cancer cell line
Authors: Augsten Lucas Volnei , Göethel Gabriela , Gauer Bruna , Feiffer Charão Mariele , von Poser Gilsane , Canto Romulo F. S. , Arbo Marcelo Dutra , Eifler-Lima Vera Lucia , Garcia Solange Cristina
Published: March 2023

Coumarin–triazole hybrids went through antitumor activity screening, finding anti-breast cancer cell line MCF7 activity, besides antioxidant activity, mitochondrial membrane disruption and no DNA damage.
The chemistry of 2-hydroxy-β-nitrostyrenes: versatile intermediates in synthetic organic chemistry
Authors: Ziyaei Halimehjani Azim , Ghaffari Zahra
Published: March 2023

The applications of 2-hydroxy-β-nitrostyrenes as efficient bifunctional intermediates for the asymmetric synthesis of chromans, chromenes, coumarins, benzofurans, natural products, and other cyclic and acyclic compounds were reviewed in this paper.
Computational insight into gold(i)-catalyzed intramolecular regioselectivity of tryptamine-ynamide cycloisomerizations
Authors: Sun Shitao , Hao Jinle , Cheng Maosheng , Liu Yongxiang , Lin Bin
Published: March 2023

The regioselectivity for gold(i)-catalyzed cycloisomerizations of tryptamine-ynamides was studied by DFT calculations. The electrostatic and dispersion effects were determined as key factors for the α- and β-position selectivity, respectively.
Simultaneous voltammetric sensing of Zn2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+using an electrodeposited Bi–Sb nanocomposite modified carbon paste electrode
Authors: Shalaby E. A. , Beltagi A. M. , Hathoot A. A. , Azzem M. Abdel
Published: March 2023

A highly sensitive sensor. A sensor for detecting Zn2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ions simultaneously based on the square wave anodic stripping response at a bismuth antimony (Bi–Sb) nanocomposite electrode was developed.
Recycling inactive lithium in lithium–sulfur batteries using organic polysulfide redox
Authors: Yao Li-Yang , Hou Li-Peng , Song Yun-Wei , Zhao Meng , Xie Jin , Li Bo-Quan , Zhang Qiang , Huang Jia-Qi , Zhang Xue-Qiang
Published: March 2023

Organic polysulfide redox is proposed to recycle inactive Li, significantly improving the lifespan of Li–S batteries under practical conditions.
Functional metal–organic frameworks as adsorbents used for water decontamination: design strategies and applications
Authors: Wu Gege , Ma Jiping , Li Shuang , Li Jinhua , Wang Xiaoyan , Zhang Zhiyang , Chen Lingxin
Published: March 2023

We summarized the strategy for constructing functional metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and their applications in the adsorption of water contaminants.
Photo-/piezo-activated ultrathin molybdenum disulfide nanomedicine for synergistic tumor therapy
Authors: Xia Lili , Chen Junjie , Xie Yujie , Zhang Shan , Xia Weiwei , Feng Wei , Chen Yu
Published: March 2023

In this study, based on energy-converting nanomedicine, we report multifunctional two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets with an inherent plasmonic property and piezocatalytic activity for imaging-guided synergistic tumor therapy.