bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The utility of airborne hyperspectral and satellite multispectral images in identifying Natura 2000 non-forest habitats for conservation purposes
Authors: Jarocińska Anna , Kopeć Dominik , Niedzielko Jan , Wylazłowska Justyna , Halladin-Dąbrowska Anna , Charyton Jakub , Piernik Agnieszka , Kamiński Dariusz
Published: March 2023

Aerial hyperspectral and multispectral satellite data are the two most commonly used datasets to identify natural and semi-natural vegetation. However, there is no documented analysis based on data from several areas concerning the difference in the classification accuracy of non-forest Natura 2000 habitat with the use of aerial hyperspectral and satellite multispectral data. Also, there is no recommendation, on which habitat can be classified with sufficient accuracy using free multispectral images. This study aimed to analyse the difference in classification accuracy of Natura 2000 habitats representing: meadows, grasslands, heaths and mires between data with different spectral resolutions and the results utility for nature conservation compared to conventional maps. The analysis was conducted in five study areas in Poland. The classification was performed on multispectral Sentinel-2 (S2) and hyperspectral HySpex (HS) images using the Random Forest algorithm. Based on the results, it can be stated that the use of HS data resulted in higher classification accuracy, on average 0.14, than using S2 images, regardless of the area of the habitat. However, the difference in accuracy was not constant, varying by area and habitat characterisation. Greater differences in accuracy were observed for areas where habitats were characterised by high α-diversity or β-diversity. The HS and S2 data make it possible to create maps that provide a great deal of new knowledge about the distribution of Natura 2000 habitats, which is necessary for the management of protected areas. The obtained results indicate that by using S2 images it is possible to identify, at a satisfactory level, alluvial meadows and grassland. For heaths and mires, using HS data improved the results, but it is also possible to acquire general distribution of these classes, whereas HS images are obligatory for mapping salt, Molinia and lowland hay meadows.
Cardiovascular disease preventive effects of aspirin combined with different statins in the United States general population
Authors: Liu Tao , Zuo Ronghua , Wang Jia , Huangtao Zixuan , Wang Bing , Sun Lifang , Wang Shasha , Li Baoyin , Zhu Zhijian , Pan Yesheng
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of aspirin in conjunction with various statins for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention in the general population of the United States (U.S.). A total of 3778 people from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 2011 to 2018 were included in our analysis. After adjusting for sociodemographic and common cardiovascular risk factors, we used multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine aspirin should be combined with which type of statin for better CVD preventive effects. Subgroup analyses were carried out subsequently. In comparison to the aspirin use alone, the odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for CVD were 0.43 (0.33, 0.57), 0.69 (0.42, 1.13), 0.44 (0.31, 0.62), 0.34 (0.23, 0.50) and 0.64 (0.49, 0.84) for the combination use of aspirin and atorvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin as well as simvastatin, respectively, in the fully-adjusted model. Aspirin combined with rosuvastatin was more effective in the prevention of individual CVD, including congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris and heart attack, than aspirin combined with other statins. In conclusion, statins combined with aspirin have a clear advantage over aspirin alone in preventing CVD. In addition, when various sex, age, and fitness levels were considered, as well as with and without diabetes mellitus, the combination usage of aspirin and rosuvastatin had the greatest CVD preventive effects than aspirin coupled with other statins.
Microbial composition of tumorous and adjacent gastric tissue is associated with prognosis of gastric cancer
Authors: Lehr Konrad , Nikitina Darja , Vilchez-Vargas Ramiro , Steponaitiene Ruta , Thon Cosima , Skieceviciene Jurgita , Schanze Denny , Zenker Martin , Malfertheiner Peter , Kupcinskas Juozas , Link Alexander
Published: March 2023

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has been considered as the main causal factor in gastric carcinogenesis, but other bacterial species may also play an important role in pathophysiology of gastric cancer. The aim of the study was to explore the link between gastric cancer prognosis and the mucosal microbial community in tumorous and adjacent gastric tissue. The bacterial profile was analysed using 16S sequencing (V1–V2 region). Microbial differences were mostly characterized by lower relative abundances of H. pylori in tumorous gastric tissues. Bacterial community and outcome data analysis revealed the genus Fusobacterium and Prevotella significantly associated with worse overall survival in gastric cancer patients. In particular, Fusobacterium was associated with significant increase in hazard ratio in both univariable and multivariable analysis and independently validated using TCMA data. Phylogenetic biodiversity of Fusobacterium species in the stomach revealed F. periodonticum as the most prevalent in healthy subjects, while F. nucleatum was most abundant in patients with gastric cancer. Bacterial community network analysis in gastric cancer suggests substantial complexity and a strong interplay between F. nucleatum and Prevotella. In summary, mucosal microbial community in the stomach was associated with worse overall survival in gastric cancer patients. Strongest negative impact on prognosis was linked to the abundance of F. nucleatum in tumorous specimens, suggesting its translational relevance in management of gastric cancer patients.
Investigation of Hippo pathway-related prognostic lncRNAs and molecular subtypes in liver hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Su Qiongfei , Hua Fengyang , Xiao Wanying , Liu Baoqiu , Wang Dongxia , Qin Xintian
Published: March 2023

This study aimed to investigate Hippo pathway-related prognostic long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and their prognostic value in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). Expression and clinical data regarding LIHC were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas and European Bioinformatics Institute array databases. Hippo pathway-related lncRNAs and their prognostic value were revealed, followed by molecular subtype investigations. Differences in survival, clinical characteristics, immune cell infiltration, and checkpoint expression between the subtypes were explored. LASSO regression was used to determine the most valuable prognostic lncRNAs, followed by the establishment of a prognostic model. Survival and differential expression analyses were conducted between two groups (high- and low-risk). A total of 313 Hippo pathway-related lncRNAs were identified from LIHC, of which 88 were associated with prognosis, and two molecular subtypes were identified based on their expression patterns. These two subtypes showed significant differences in overall survival, pathological stage and grade, vascular invasion, infiltration abundance of seven immune cells, and expression of several checkpoints, such as CTLA-4 and PD-1/L1 (P < 0.05). LASSO regression identified the six most valuable independent prognostic lncRNAs for establishing a prognosis risk model. Risk scores calculated by the risk model assigned patients into two risk groups with an AUC of 0.913 and 0.731, respectively, indicating that the high-risk group had poor survival. The risk score had an independent prognostic value with an HR of 2.198. In total, 3007 genes were dysregulated between the two risk groups, and the expression of most genes was elevated in the high-risk group, involving the cell cycle and pathways in cancers. Hippo pathway-related lncRNAs could stratify patients for personalized treatment and predict the prognosis of patients with LIHC.
Study on the defect reduction of metal folding on the formed tooth top with finishing roller in gear rolling process
Authors: Fu Xiaobin , Chen Peng , Wang Jiankang , Liu Guangqing , Ma Xiaobao
Published: March 2023

Cross rolling process is a new method to manufacture large-diameter gears, which has great advantages. While during the gear manufacturing process with cross rolling, due to the difference of deformation mechanism between the right and left formed tooth profiles, a tip is pulled at the tooth top of the workpiece, which severely affects the forming quality. To eliminate the occurred defect, the finishing roller is proposed and designed, the motion equation of the finishing roller is established and solved, the principle of the height increase of the formed tooth is obtained. And also a simplified finite element (FE) model with finishing roller and non-finishing roller are established in the DEFORM-3D software. The comparison of the simulation results between two situations is analyzed and can be concluded that with the finishing roller, the protrusions at both sides of the tooth top of the workpiece at each stage are flattened by the finishing roller, and the accumulation of the tooth top protrusions is not going to occur, which means no extrusion and finishing of the tooth top of the workpiece are required. In addition, the experiment with the finishing roller is carried out and the effectiveness of the finishing roller can be verified.
Relative age effect and performance in elite youth male basketball
Authors: Tascioglu Ramazan , Atalag Ozan , Yuksel Yılmaz , Kocaeksi Serdar , Güven Gülsün , Akyildiz Zeki , Nobari Hadi
Published: March 2023

The aims of the study were to (i) assess the Relative Age Effect (RAE) on elite young male basketball players, (ii) to analyze whether there is a difference between birth quarters (BQ) according to their minutes played and efficiency ratings as individual performance parameters and, (iii) to analyze the relationship between team efficiency, team success, and RAE with a new approach. The research was conducted on 678 players (Age:15.84 ± 0.42) from 53 teams in six different tournaments (from 2014 to 2019). Although, chi-square test showed that more players were born in first BQ than in all other BQs (p < 0.05), no significant difference between BQs and performance measures was found (p > 0.05). However, a relationship between team RAE score, tournament ranking, and team efficiency score was found (p < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a relationship between tournament rankings and team RAE rankings (p < 0.05). While players born in the first months of the year were more likely to be selected for the national youth teams, performance parameters did not show any significant difference when compared to other players who were born later in the same year. However, results showed that teams that have a higher number of athletes who were born in the earlier months of a year showed higher achievement in the tournaments.
Experimental study on the seismic performance of a cold-formed thin-walled steel–concrete composite column-H steel beam frame
Authors: Hou HongJie , Chen ZhiHua , Wang XiuLi
Published: March 2023

For lightweight steel frame structures consisting of steel H-beams and cold-formed steel columns filled with concrete, seismic performance comparison tests and numerical simulation analyses were performed for bare and infilled frames. The effects of the lightweight wall panels, the axial compression ratio and the wall thickness of the steel sections of the columns on the seismic properties of the structure were investigated. The failure of the bare frame was concentrated in the weld fractures at the beam-column joints. When the wall panels were embedded in the frame, the damage was concentrated at the corners and edges of the wall panels and the connectors. The wall panels significantly improved the initial stiffness of the frame, early energy dissipation and resistance, and the wall panel energy dissipation rate was initially as great as 91%. As the axial compression ratio increased, the resistance of the structure significantly decreased. Under monotonic loading, the resistance on the structure with an axial compression ratio of 0.4 was reduced by nearly 44% compared to the structure without axial compression. Increasing the wall thickness of the steel sections of the columns increased the load-bearing capacity of the structure, but the increase diminished with increasing wall thickness.
Frozen fresh blood plasma preserves the functionality of native human α2-macroglobulin
Authors: Mendes Soraia R. , Gomis-Rüth F. Xavier , Goulas Theodoros
Published: March 2023

Human α2-macroglobulin (hα2M) is a large homotetrameric protein involved in the broad inhibition of endopeptidases. Following cleavage within a bait region, hα2M undergoes stepwise transitions from its native, expanded, highly flexible, active conformation to an induced, compact, triggered conformation. As a consequence, the peptidase is entrapped by an irreversible Venus flytrap mechanism. Given the importance of hα2M, biochemical studies galore over more than seven decades have attempted to ascertain its role, typically using authentic hα2M purified from frozen and non-frozen fresh blood plasma, and even outdated plasma. However, hα2M is sensitive once isolated and purified, and becomes heterogeneous during storage and/or freezing, raising concerns about the functional competence of frozen plasma-derived hα2M. We therefore used a combination of native and sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, affinity and ion-exchange chromatography, multi-angle laser light scattering after size-exclusion chromatography, free cysteine quantification, and peptidase inhibition assays with endopeptidases of two catalytic classes and three protein substrates, to characterize the biochemical and biophysical properties of hα2M purified ad hoc either from fresh plasma or frozen fresh plasma after thawing. We found no differences in the molecular or functional properties of the preparations, indicating that protective components in plasma maintain native hα2M in a functionally competent state despite freezing.
Study on mechanical characteristics of anchor drilling rig group for rapid excavating
Authors: Xie Miao , Zhang Hong-yu , Li Yu-qi , Ren Ze , Nie Ren-dong
Published: March 2023

Aiming at the imbalance problem of excavating and anchoring efficiency ratio in the underground coal mine, a new type of parallel operation unit of excavation-supporting-anchoring is proposed to improve the excavating efficiency. Considering the uneven factors of the roof and floor of the coal mine roadway, the influence of different drilling angles and leg support angles on the leg support force is studied under the condition of simultaneous drilling of multiple drilling rigs. The results show that the maximum support force is 4.002 KN when the leg angle is different and the drilling angle is different. By constructing the coupling vibration model of the multi-drill drilling process and using the Lagrange method to solve the vibration law of key components of the anchorage system, the vibration law of drill pipe under different influencing factors such as cantilever extension, multi-drill simultaneous drilling, and drilling incident angle is studied. The results showed: (1) The vibration of the drill pipe in the cantilever extension state is more severe than that in the retracted state, and the maximum vibration peak reaches 7.61 mm. (2) The vibration response of the drill pipe is the most intense under the condition of four top anchor drilling rigs drilling at the same time. Under the working condition of only two drilling rigs, the vibration response of the drill pipe is the smallest. (3) As the drilling angle of the drilling rig increases, the vibration response of the drill pipe is more severe and the vibration amplitude is larger. A test prototype is built to simulate the actual anchoring drilling process, and the vibration law of the support platform and the drilling rig is obtained through the vibration detection system. The test results show that the vibration law of the key components is approximately the same as the theoretical simulation results. The relevant theoretical results can provide a technical basis for the drilling stability of the anchoring system.
Synchronized oscillations of carbon nanotubes dispersed in solution
Authors: Fukumoto Makoto , Akai Ryunosuke , Yoshida Yume , Sakuma Shin-nosuke , Ono Hayato , Mori Rintaro , Sano Masahito
Published: March 2023

Although synchronized oscillations are found in a variety of systems and living organisms in nature, there has been no report on technologically important materials. We have observed by a fluorescence microscope that a large number of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) dispersed in an aqueous mixture of the surfactant and dye execute synchronized oscillations spontaneously. The movement was quantified to give a power spectrum, revealing a single, sharp synchronization peak at 20 Hz. It was found not to be affected nor created by external vibrations. The surfactant concentration dependence demonstrates that the Kuramoto model is applicable to describe the CNT synchronization. It is always associated with the power-law noise, indicating the presence of complex heterogeneous networks. These results suggest a highly cooperative form of the sparse CNT network connected with variable linkages.
Isolation of dissolved organic matter from aqueous solution by precipitation with FeCl3: mechanisms and significance in environmental perspectives
Authors: Zhang Jie , Mostofa Khan M. G. , Yang Xuemei , Mohinuzzaman Mohammad , Liu Cong-Qiang , Senesi Nicola , Senesi Giorgio S. , Sparks Donald L. , Teng H. Henry , Li Longlong , Yuan Jie , Li Si-Liang
Published: March 2023

Ferric ions can bind strongly with dissolved organic matter (DOM), including humic acids (HA), fulvic acids (FA), and protein-like substances, whereas isolation of Fe-DOM precipitates (Fe-DOMP) and their biochemical characteristics remain unclear. In this work FeCl3 was used to isolate DOM components from various sources, including river, lake, soil, cow dung, and standard tryptophan and tyrosine, through precipitation at pH 7.5–8.5. The Fe-DOMP contribute to total DOM by approximately 38.6–93.8% of FA, 76.2% of HA and 25.0–30.4% of tryptophan and tyrosine, whilst fluorescence spectra allowed to monitor/discriminate the various DOM fractions in the samples. The relative intensity of the main infrared peaks such as 3406‒3383 cm−1 (aromatic OH), 1689‒1635 cm−1 (‒COOH), 1523–1504 cm−1 (amide) and 1176–1033 cm−1 (‒S=O) show either to decline or disappear in Fe‒DOMP. These results suggest the occurrence of Fe bonds with various functional groups of DOM, indicating the formation of π–d electron bonding systems of different strengths in Fe‒DOMP. The novel method used for isolation of Fe-DOMP shows promising in opening a new frontier both at laboratory and industrial purposes. Furthermore, results obtained may provide a better understanding of metal–organic complexes involved in the regulation of the long-term stabilization/sequestration of DOM in soils and waters.
Modeling of surface phenomena of liquid Al–Ni alloys using molecular dynamics
Authors: Juárez Hadassa , Yousefi Ensieh , Kunwar Anil , Sun Youqing , Guo Muxing , Moelans Nele , Seveno David
Published: March 2023

This work presents a study on the surface tension of liquid Aluminum–Nickel (Al–Ni) alloys. Obtaining adequate values of surface tension for this system is not a simple task as these alloys present the formation of atomic clusters with short-range order at certain compositions, which dramatically influences surface tension. The Compound Forming Model predicts the influence of these clusters on surface tension, but experimental limitations have obstructed its validation due to deficient thermodynamic data. This work attempts to overcome some of these limitations by using Molecular Dynamics (MD). By comparing the obtained results from MD simulations with those of an equivalent system without clusters, it was possible to infer the role of the atomic clusters on Al–Ni surface tension. It was found that these clusters increase surface tension by decreasing the Al content at the surface. They achieve this reduction in Al content at the surface by trapping Al atoms and hindering their travel to the surface.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Biological interactions
between micro swimmers and cross fluid with inclined MHD effects in a complex wavy
canal
Authors: Ayub Assad , Shah Syed Zahir Hussain , Asjad Muahmmad Imran , Almusawa Musawa Yahya , Eldin Sayed M. , El-Rahman Magda Abd
Published: March 2023

The significance of studying biological interactions of micro swimmers in a
complex wavy canal with MHD effects lies in its potential to provide insight into the
behavior and dynamics of microorganisms in natural environments that contain complex
fluid flow and magnetic fields. Current investigation explores the biological
interactions between micro swimmers and Cross fluid with inclined MHD effects in a
complex wavy canal. There are several factors of medium for micro swimmers like nature,
magnetic field, liquid rheology and position. These interactions are hereby witnessed by
utilizing the Cross fluid along with Taylor swimming sheet model under the influence of
porous and inclined magnetic effect. Furthermore, two-dimensional complex wavy cervical
canal is being utilized at inclined angle. By help of lubrication assumption, reduction
of momentum equation is made and hence fourth-order differential equation associated
with boundary conditions is obtained. Bvp4c command in Matlab is utilized for this
boundary value problem. Obtained bvp4c solution is verified with finite difference
method and found smooth agreement. Magnetic force enhances the swimming speed and
reduction is seen for the power dissipation and effective role is seen for swimming
motion with cross fluid rheology. The channel walls (peristaltic nature) and porous
medium can be utilized as alternative factors to control the speed of the
propeller.
The ethyl acetate extract of Wenxia Changfu Formula inhibits the carcinogenesis of lung adenocarcinoma by regulating PI3K-AKT signaling pathway
Authors: Wang Lei , Han Xiangyu , Li Hui , Lv Chuanfeng , Wang Meng
Published: March 2023

Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer. With a rise in new cases worldwide each year, early diagnosis and treatment are very important. Network pharmacology provides the effective way to evaluate poly-pharmacological effects and anticancer molecular mechanisms of drugs. The aim of the present study was to explore the anti-tumor mechanism of ethyl acetate extract of Wenxia Changfu Formula (WFEA) in lung adenocarcinoma by using analytical chemistry, network pharmacology and molecular biology. A total of 193 compounds were identified from WFEA, mainly including esters, phenols, ketones and alkaloids. Totally, 374 targets were regarded as potential targets of WFEA against lung adenocarcinoma. Interestingly, PI3K-AKT was found to be one of the significantly enriched signaling pathways of targets of WFEA against lung adenocarcinoma. AKT1, MMP3, CASP3 and BCL2 had strong binding effect with compound molecules of WFEA. Some combinations with the best docking binding were identified, including quercetin/oleanolic_acid/emodin/aloe_emodin/catechin-AKT1 and quercetin-MMP3. In lung adenocarcinoma cells, the WFEA inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted the apoptosis. Moreover, the WFEA inhibited the mRNA expression of MMP3 and Bcl-2 and promoted the mRNA expression of Caspase3. In addition, WFEA inhibited the protein phosphorylation of AKT and PI3K. The WFEA had a significant inhibitory effect on lung adenocarcinoma cells, which could inhibit cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis, and induce cell apoptosis. The mechanism of action of WFEA may be involved in the regulation of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway in the lung adenocarcinoma.
Differentiated extracts from freshwater and terrestrial mollusks inhibit virulence factor production in Cryptococcus neoformans
Authors: Gutierrez-Gongora Davier , Raouf-Alkadhimi Fouad , Prosser Ryan S. , Geddes-McAlister Jennifer
Published: March 2023

The human fungal pathogen,Cryptococcus neoformans, is responsible for deadly infections among immunocompromised individuals with the evolution of antifungal resistance driving the solution to discover new compounds that inhibit fungal virulence factors rather than kill the pathogen. Recently, exploration into natural sources (e.g., plants, invertebrates, microbes) of antifungal agents has garnered attention by integrating a One Health approach for new compound discovery. Here, we explore extracts from three mollusk species (freshwater and terrestrial) and evaluate effects against the growth and virulence factor production (i.e., thermotolerance, melanin, capsule, and biofilm) inC. neoformans. We demonstrate that clarified extracts ofPlanorbella pilsbryihave a fungicidal effect on cryptococcal cells comparable to fluconazole. Similarly, all extracts ofCipangopaludina chinensisaffect cryptococcal thermotolerance and impair biofilm and capsule production, with clarified extracts ofCepaea nemoralisalso conveying the latter effect. Next, inhibitory activity of extracts against peptidases related to specific virulence factors, combined with stress assays and quantitative proteomics, defined distinct proteome signatures and proposed proteins driving the observed anti-virulence properties. Overall, this work highlights the potential of compounds derived from natural sources to inhibit virulence factor production in a clinically important fungal pathogen.
Artificial intelligence reveals dysregulation of osteosarcoma and cuproptosis-related biomarkers, PDHA1, CDKN2A and neutrophils
Authors: Jiang Jie , Zhan Xinli , Wei Jianxun , Fan Qie , Li Haowen , Li Hao , Li Shuzhen , Zhao Yong , Yin Guodong , Tang Lin , Wu Yongxiang , Lan Mindong , Qin Yijue , Guo Quan , Xu Weicheng , Lu Ling , Yang Yanwei , Zhang Yitian , Qu Haishun
Published: March 2023

At present, the impact of cuproptosis-related genes in the study of osteosarcoma is largely unknown. Genome-wide data of osteosarcoma and controls were downloaded from 3 different databases, and specific diagnostic models associated with cuproptosis in osteosarcoma were constructed by support vector machines with artificial intelligence, random forest trees and LASSO regression. Differential analysis of immune cell infiltration was examined using routine blood data from 25,665 cases. Differential expression was examined using immunohistochemistry and PCR. PDHA1 and CDKN2A were obtained as specific cuproptosis-related biomarkers for osteosarcoma after artificial intelligence analysis. PDHA1, CDKN2A and neutrophils were differentially expressed in OS and control groups. PDHA1 and CDKN2A are significantly dysregulated in OS and are able to serve as biomarkers of OS.
Predictability of Indian Ocean precipitation and its North Atlantic teleconnections during early winter
Authors: Abid Muhammad Adnan , Kucharski Fred , Molteni Franco , Almazroui Mansour
Published: March 2023

The Tropical Western-Central Indian Ocean (WCIO) precipitation anomalies play an important role in modulating the anomalous climate conditions in the North Atlantic and European (NAE) region during the early boreal winter (November–December; ND) season. In this study, we analyzed the forcing mechanism and predictability for the early winter tropical WCIO precipitation anomalies and its teleconnections to the North Atlantic region. The two main forcing mechanisms emerging are the autumn Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and a direct atmospheric teleconnection from El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Since the autumn IOD is partially forced by ENSO, their independent contributions are also investigated. We found the IOD dominates over the ENSO contribution. The ECMWF-SEAS5 seasonal re-forecast reproduces these forcing mechanisms well and shows a substantial prediction skill for early winter WCIO precipitation. Moreover, the North Atlantic response to the positive WCIO phase projects spatially onto the positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) phase through atmospheric teleconnections and leads to warming in central and western Europe. This teleconnection is reproduced by ECMWF-SEAS5, but with weaker amplitude. Moreover, a significant prediction skill for the NAO as well as for the central and western European temperature anomalies is noted, which is mostly induced by the Indian Ocean precipitation anomalies during early winter.
The importance of the image forces and dielectric environment in modeling contacts to two-dimensional materials
Authors: Brahma Madhuchhanda , Van de Put Maarten L. , Chen Edward , Fischetti Massimo V. , Vandenberghe William G.
Published: March 2023

The performance of transistors based on two-dimensional (2D) materials is affected largely by the contact resistance due to high Schottky barriers at the metal-2D-material interface. In this work, we incorporate the effect of surrounding dielectrics and image-force barrier-lowering in calculating the resistance of Schottky edge-contacts between a metal and a transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) thin layer. The electrostatic potential is computed by solving the Poisson equation numerically. The transmission probability is computed using the Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) approximation using the full-band density of states obtained from density functional theory (DFT). The effect of the image force is obtained analytically using the Coulomb kernel of a point charge with boundary conditions appropriate to the geometry we have considered. We find that the image-force barrier-lowering (IFBL) in edge-contacts is determined mainly by the dielectric permittivity of the surrounding oxide. We find that low-κ surrounding dielectrics are crucial for obtaining low resistance monolayer-TMD edge-contacts. Our results show metal-to-n(p)-type MoS2 (WSe2) edge-contacts with SiO2 as top and bottom insulators, a doping concentration > 1 × 1013cm−2 and a metal work-function < 5.1 eV ( > 4.6 eV) result in a contact resistance as low as 50 Ω ⋅ μm.
Understanding the effect of MXene in a TMO/MXene hybrid catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Tyndall Daire , Gannon Lee , Hughes Lucia , Carolan Julian , Pinilla Sergio , Jaśkaniec Sonia , Spurling Dahnan , Ronan Oskar , McGuinness Cormac , McEvoy Niall , Nicolosi Valeria , Browne Michelle Philippa
Published: March 2023

Very recently, it has been reported that mixed transition metal oxide (TMO)/MXene catalysts show improved performance over TMO only catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the reasoning behind this observation is unknown. In this work mixed Co(OH)2/Ti3C2Txwere prepared and characterized for the OER using ex situ and operando spectroscopy techniques in order to initiate the understanding of why mixed TMO/MXene materials show better performances compared to TMO only catalysts. This work shows that the improved electrocatalysis for the composite material compared to the TMO only catalyst is due to the presence of higher Co oxide oxidation states at lower OER overpotentials for the mixed TMO/MXene catalysts. Furthermore, the presence of the MXene allows for a more mechanically robust film during OER, making the film more stable. Finally, our results show that small amounts of MXene are more advantageous for the OER during long-term stability measurements, which is linked to the formation of TiO2. The sensitivity of MXene oxidation ultimately limits TMO/MXene composites under alkaline OER conditions, meaning mass fractions must be carefully considered when designing such a catalyst to minimize the residual TiO2formed during its lifetime.
A scoping review of portable sensing for out-of-lab anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention and rehabilitation
Authors: Tan Tian , Gatti Anthony A. , Fan Bingfei , Shea Kevin G. , Sherman Seth L. , Uhlrich Scott D. , Hicks Jennifer L. , Delp Scott L. , Shull Peter B. , Chaudhari Akshay S.
Published: March 2023

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and ACL reconstruction (ACLR) surgery are common. Laboratory-based biomechanical assessment can evaluate ACL injury risk and rehabilitation progress after ACLR; however, lab-based measurements are expensive and inaccessible to most people. Portable sensors such as wearables and cameras can be deployed during sporting activities, in clinics, and in patient homes. Although many portable sensing approaches have demonstrated promising results during various assessments related to ACL injury, they have not yet been widely adopted as tools for out-of-lab assessment. The purpose of this review is to summarize research on out-of-lab portable sensing applied to ACL and ACLR and offer our perspectives on new opportunities for future research and development. We identified 49 original research articles on out-of-lab ACL-related assessment; the most common sensing modalities were inertial measurement units, depth cameras, and RGB cameras. The studies combined portable sensors with direct feature extraction, physics-based modeling, or machine learning to estimate a range of biomechanical parameters (e.g., knee kinematics and kinetics) during jump-landing tasks, cutting, squats, and gait. Many of the reviewed studies depict proof-of-concept methods for potential future clinical applications including ACL injury risk screening, injury prevention training, and rehabilitation assessment. By synthesizing these results, we describe important opportunities that exist for clinical validation of existing approaches, using sophisticated modeling techniques, standardization of data collection, and creation of large benchmark datasets. If successful, these advances will enable widespread use of portable-sensing approaches to identify ACL injury risk factors, mitigate high-risk movements prior to injury, and optimize rehabilitation paradigms.
Improving bowel preparation for colonoscopy with a smartphone application driven by artificial intelligence
Authors: Zhu Yan , Zhang Dan-Feng , Wu Hui-Li , Fu Pei-Yao , Feng Li , Zhuang Kun , Geng Zi-Han , Li Kun-Kun , Zhang Xiao-Hong , Zhu Bo-Qun , Qin Wen-Zheng , Lin Sheng-Li , Zhang Zhen , Chen Tian-Yin , Huang Yuan , Xu Xiao-Yue , Liu Jing-Zheng , Wang Shuo , Zhang Wei , Li Quan-Lin , Zhou Ping-Hong
Published: March 2023

Optimal bowel preparation is a prerequisite for a successful colonoscopy; however, the rate of inadequate bowel preparation remains relatively high. In this study, we establish a smartphone app that assesses patient bowel preparation using an artificial intelligence (AI)-based prediction system trained on labeled photographs of feces in the toilet and evaluate its impact on bowel preparation quality in colonoscopy outpatients. We conduct a prospective, single-masked, multicenter randomized clinical trial, enrolling outpatients who own a smartphone and are scheduled for a colonoscopy. We screen 578 eligible patients and randomize 524 in a 1:1 ratio to the control or AI-driven app group for bowel preparation. The study endpoints are the percentage of patients with adequate bowel preparation and the total BBPS score, compliance with dietary restrictions and purgative instructions, polyp detection rate, and adenoma detection rate (secondary). The prediction system has an accuracy of 95.15%, a specificity of 97.25%, and an area under the curve of 0.98 in the test dataset. In the full analysis set (n = 500), adequate preparation is significantly higher in the AI-driven app group (88.54 vs. 65.59%; P < 0.001). The mean BBPS score is 6.74 ± 1.25 in the AI-driven app group and 5.97 ± 1.81 in the control group (P < 0.001). The rates of compliance with dietary restrictions (93.68 vs. 83.81%, P = 0.001) and purgative instructions (96.05 vs. 84.62%, P < 0.001) are significantly higher in the AI-driven app group, as is the rate of additional purgative intake (26.88 vs. 17.41%, P = 0.011). Thus, our AI-driven smartphone app significantly improves the quality of bowel preparation and patient compliance.
SARAspeech—Feasibility of automated assessment of ataxic speech disturbance
Authors: Grobe-Einsler M. , Faber J. , Taheri A. , Kybelka J. , Raue J. , Volkening J. , Helmhold F. , Synofzik M. , Klockgether T.
Published: March 2023

Ataxias are a group of movement disorders that are characterized by progressive loss of balance, impaired coordination and speech disturbance, which together lead to markedly reduced quality of life. Speech disturbance is clinically diagnosed, but methods for objective assessment of severity are lacking. Using 71 sets of speech recordings from ataxia patients, we developed an automated classification system. With a tolerance of ±1 point, this classification system correctly predicted experts’ ratings of speech disturbance according to item 4 of the Scale for Assessment and rating of ataxia (SARA) in 80% of cases. We thereby demonstrate feasibility of computer-assisted voice analysis for automated assessment of severity of speech disturbance.
Generalizable and robust deep learning algorithm for atrial fibrillation diagnosis across geography, ages and sexes
Authors: Biton Shany , Aldhafeeri Mohsin , Marcusohn Erez , Tsutsui Kenta , Szwagier Tom , Elias Adi , Oster Julien , Sellal Jean Marc , Suleiman Mahmoud , Behar Joachim A.
Published: March 2023

To drive health innovation that meets the needs of all and democratize healthcare, there is a need to assess the generalization performance of deep learning (DL) algorithms across various distribution shifts to ensure that these algorithms are robust. This retrospective study is, to the best of our knowledge, an original attempt to develop and assess the generalization performance of a DL model for AF events detection from long term beat-to-beat intervals across geography, ages and sexes. The new recurrent DL model, denoted ArNet2, is developed on a large retrospective dataset of 2,147 patients totaling 51,386 h obtained from continuous electrocardiogram (ECG). The model’s generalization is evaluated on manually annotated test sets from four centers (USA, Israel, Japan and China) totaling 402 patients. The model is further validated on a retrospective dataset of 1,825 consecutives Holter recordings from Israel. The model outperforms benchmark state-of-the-art models and generalized well across geography, ages and sexes. For the task of event detection ArNet2 performance was higher for female than male, higher for young adults (less than 61 years old) than other age groups and across geography. Finally, ArNet2 shows better performance for the test sets from the USA and China. The main finding explaining these variations is an impairment in performance in groups with a higher prevalence of atrial flutter (AFL). Our findings on the relative performance of ArNet2 across groups may have clinical implications on the choice of the preferred AF examination method to use relative to the group of interest.
Sustained overexpression of spliced X-box-binding protein-1 in neurons leads to spontaneous seizures and sudden death in mice
Authors: Wang Zhuoran , Li Qiang , Kolls Brad J. , Mace Brian , Yu Shu , Li Xuan , Liu Wei , Chaparro Eduardo , Shen Yuntian , Dang Lihong , del Águila Ángela , Bernstock Joshua D. , Johnson Kory R. , Yao Junjie , Wetsel William C. , Moore Scott D. , Turner Dennis A. , Yang Wei
Published: March 2023

The underlying etiologies of seizures are highly heterogeneous and remain incompletely understood. While studying the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathways in the brain, we unexpectedly discovered that transgenic mice (XBP1s-TG) expressing spliced X-box–binding protein-1 (Xbp1s), a key effector of UPR signaling, in forebrain excitatory neurons, rapidly develop neurologic deficits, most notably recurrent spontaneous seizures. This seizure phenotype begins around 8 days after Xbp1s transgene expression is induced in XBP1s-TG mice, and by approximately 14 days post induction, the seizures evolve into status epilepticus with nearly continuous seizure activity followed by sudden death. Animal death is likely due to severe seizures because the anticonvulsant valproic acid could significantly prolong the lives of XBP1s-TG mice. Mechanistically, our gene profiling analysis indicates that compared to control mice, XBP1s-TG mice exhibit 591 differentially regulated genes (mostly upregulated) in the brain, including several GABAA receptor genes that are notably downregulated. Finally, whole-cell patch clamp analysis reveals a significant reduction in both spontaneous and tonic GABAergic inhibitory responses in Xbp1s-expressing neurons. Taken together, our findings unravel a link between XBP1s signaling and seizure occurrence.
Protein fibril length in cerebrospinal fluid is increased in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Nirmalraj Peter Niraj , Schneider Thomas , Lüder Lars , Felbecker Ansgar
Published: March 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) associated proteins exist in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This paper evidences that protein aggregate morphology distinctly differs in CSF of patients with AD dementia (ADD), mild cognitive impairment due to AD (MCI AD), with subjective cognitive decline without amyloid pathology (SCD) and with non-AD MCI using liquid-based atomic force microscopy (AFM). Spherical-shaped particles and nodular-shaped protofibrils were present in the CSF of SCD patients, whereas CSF of ADD patients abundantly contained elongated mature fibrils. Quantitative analysis of AFM topographs confirms fibril length is higher in CSF of ADD than in MCI AD and lowest in SCD and non-AD dementia patients. CSF fibril length is inversely correlated with CSF amyloid beta (Aβ) 42/40 ratio and CSF p-tau protein levels (obtained from biochemical assays) to predict amyloid and tau pathology with an accuracy of 94% and 82%, respectively, thus identifying ultralong protein fibrils in CSF as a possible signature of AD pathology.
Antimicrobial protein REG3A regulates glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance in obese diabetic mice
Authors: Gonzalez Patrick , Dos Santos Alexandre , Darnaud Marion , Moniaux Nicolas , Rapoud Delphine , Lacoste Claire , Nguyen Tung-Son , Moullé Valentine S. , Deshayes Alice , Amouyal Gilles , Amouyal Paul , Bréchot Christian , Cruciani-Guglielmacci Céline , Andréelli Fabrizio , Magnan Christophe , Faivre Jamila
Published: March 2023

Innate immune mediators of pathogen clearance, including the secreted C-type lectins REG3 of the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) family, are known to be involved in the regulation of tissue repair and homeostasis. Their role in metabolic homeostasis remains unknown. Here we show that an increase in human REG3A improves glucose and lipid homeostasis in nutritional and genetic mouse models of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Mice overexpressing REG3A in the liver show improved glucose homeostasis, which is reflected in better insulin sensitivity in normal weight and obese states. Delivery of recombinant REG3A protein to leptin-deficient ob/ob mice or wild-type mice on a high-fat diet also improves glucose homeostasis. This is accompanied by reduced oxidative protein damage, increased AMPK phosphorylation and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle tissue. Oxidative damage in differentiated C2C12 myotubes is greatly attenuated by REG3A, as is the increase in gp130-mediated AMPK activation. In contrast, Akt-mediated insulin action, which is impaired by oxidative stress, is not restored by REG3A. These data highlight the importance of REG3A in controlling oxidative protein damage involved in energy and metabolic pathways during obesity and diabetes, and provide additional insight into the dual function of host-immune defense and metabolic regulation for AMP.
Chronological age-related metabolome responses in the dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi, can predict future bloom demise
Authors: Hano Takeshi , Tomaru Yuji
Published: March 2023

Karenia mikimotoi is a common harmful algal bloom (HAB)-forming dinoflagellate and has caused severe financial loss in aquaculture. There are limited metabolomic studies on dinoflagellate biology. Here, we examined alterations in metabolic profiles over the growth curve of K. mikimotoi under nitrogen or phosphorus deficiency and further explored a key criterion for the diagnosis of late stationary phase to identify when the dinoflagellate cells will enter bloom demise. The results demonstrate the differential expression of metabolites for coping with chronological aging or nutrient deprivation. Furthermore, an increase in the glucose to glycine ratio in the late stationary phase was indicative of dinoflagellate cells entering bloom demise; this was also detected in the cultured diatom, Chaetoceros tenuissimus, indicating that this may be the general criterion for phytoplankton species. Our findings provide insights regarding chronological aging and the criterion for the prediction of phytoplankton bloom demise.
Dissociation between phase and power correlation networks in the human brain is driven by co-occurrent bursts
Authors: Hindriks Rikkert , Tewarie Prejaas K. B.
Published: March 2023

Well-known haemodynamic resting-state networks are better mirrored in power correlation networks than phase coupling networks in electrophysiological data. However, what do these power correlation networks reflect? We address this long-outstanding question in neuroscience using rigorous mathematical analysis, biophysical simulations with ground truth and application of these mathematical concepts to empirical magnetoencephalography (MEG) data. Our mathematical derivations show that for two non-Gaussian electrophysiological signals, their power correlation depends on their coherence, cokurtosis and conjugate-coherence. Only coherence and cokurtosis contribute to power correlation networks in MEG data, but cokurtosis is less affected by artefactual signal leakage and better mirrors haemodynamic resting-state networks. Simulations and MEG data show that cokurtosis may reflect co-occurrent bursting events. Our findings shed light on the origin of the complementary nature of power correlation networks to phase coupling networks and suggests that the origin of resting-state networks is partly reflected in co-occurent bursts in neuronal activity.
CD115− monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells are precursors of OLFM4high polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells
Authors: Zou Yunyun , Kamada Nobuhiko , Seong Seung-Yong , Seo Sang-Uk
Published: March 2023

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) consist of monocytic (M-) MDSCs and polymorphonuclear (PMN-) MDSCs that contribute to an immunosuppressive environment in tumor-bearing hosts. However, research on the phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of MDSCs in tumor-bearing hosts and across different disease stage is limited. Here we subdivide M-MDSCs based on CD115 expression and report that CD115− M-MDSCs are functionally distinct from CD115+ M-MDSCs. CD115− M-MDSCs increased in bone marrow and blood as tumors progressed. Transcriptome analysis revealed that CD115− M-MDSCs expressed higher levels of neutrophil-related genes. Moreover, isolated CD115− M-MDSCs had higher potential to be differentiated into PMN-MDSCs compared with CD115+ M-MDSCs. Of note, CD115− M-MDSCs were able to differentiate into both olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4)hi and OLFM4lo PMN-MDSCs, whereas CD115+ M-MDSCs differentiated into a smaller proportion of OLFM4lo PMN-MDSCs. In vivo, M-MDSC to PMN-MDSC differentiation occurred most frequently in bone marrow while M-MDSCs preferentially differentiated into tumor-associated macrophages in the tumor mass. Our study reveals the presence of previously unrecognized subtypes of CD115− M-MDSCs in tumor-bearing hosts and demonstrates their cellular plasticity during tumorigenesis.