bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Collection mode choice of spent electric vehicle batteries: considering collection competition and third-party economies of scale
Authors: Li Xin
Published: April 2022

With the rapid development of the electric vehicle (EV) industry, the recycling of spent EV batteries has attracted considerable attention. The establishment and optimization of the collection mode is a key link in regulating the recycling of spent EV batteries. This paper investigates an EV battery supply chain including an EV manufacturer, an EV retailer, and a third-party collector and analyzes three dual-channel collection modes. The optimal pricing and collection decisions of the three dual-channel collection modes are obtained and compared. The collection mode choice strategy and the effects of third-party economies of scale are explored. Three interesting insights are derived: (i) Third-party economies of scale can improve the collection rate of spent EV batteries and the profit of the supply chain. (ii) The optimal collection mode choice depends on the intensity of collection competition and the third-party economies of scale. (iii) When the intensity of collection competition and the third-party economies of scale are high enough, the EV retailer and the third-party dual-channel collection mode is the optimal mode; otherwise, the EV manufacturer and the EV retailer dual-channel collection mode is optimal.
Atomistic and machine learning studies of solute segregation in metastable grain boundaries
Authors: Mahmood Yasir , Alghalayini Maher , Martinez Enrique , Paredis Christiaan J. J. , Abdeljawad Fadi
Published: April 2022

The interaction of alloying elements with grain boundaries (GBs) influences many phenomena, such as microstructural evolution and transport. While GB solute segregation has been the subject of active research in recent years, most studies focus on ground-state GB structures, i.e., lowest energy GBs. The impact of GB metastability on solute segregation remains poorly understood. Herein, we leverage atomistic simulations to generate metastable structures for a series of [001] and [110] symmetric tilt GBs in a model Al–Mg system and quantify Mg segregation to individual sites within these boundaries. Our results show large variations in the atomic Voronoi volume due to GB metastability, which are found to influence the segregation energy. The atomistic data are then used to train a Gaussian Process machine learning model, which provides a probabilistic description of the GB segregation energy in terms of the local atomic environment. In broad terms, our approach extends existing GB segregation models by accounting for variability due to GB metastability, where the segregation energy is treated as a distribution rather than a single-valued quantity.
Effects of ALT-801, a GLP-1 and glucagon receptor dual agonist, in a translational mouse model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Nestor John J. , Parkes David , Feigh Michael , Suschak John J. , Harris M. Scott
Published: April 2022

Body weight loss of ≥ 10% improves the metabolic derangements and liver disease in the majority of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients, suggesting metabolic modulators may be effective in controlling disease. The pharmacodynamics of ALT-801, a GLP-1/glucagon receptor dual agonist optimized for NASH and weight loss, were compared to semaglutide (GLP-1 receptor agonist) and elafibranor (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, PPAR-α/δ, agonist) in a biopsy-confirmed, diet-induced obese (DIO) mouse model of NASH (DIO-NASH). Male C57BL/6J mice were fed Amylin Liver NASH (AMLN) diet for 32 weeks. Animals with biopsy-confirmed steatosis and fibrosis received ALT-801, semaglutide, elafibranor, or vehicle daily for 12 weeks while maintained on the AMLN diet. Study endpoints included body and liver weight, liver and plasma total cholesterol and triglycerides, plasma aminotransferases, histological analysis of liver steatosis, inflammation (galectin-3) and fibrosis (collagen type 1 alpha 1), and evaluation of individual animal changes in composite Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Activity Score (NAS), and fibrosis stage. ALT-801 demonstrated significant reductions in body weight (approx. 25%), plasma aminotransferases, plasma total cholesterol and liver triglycerides/total cholesterol in conjunction with improved liver steatosis, with greater reductions (p < 0.05) compared to semaglutide and elafibranor. ALT-801 significantly reduced the inflammation marker galectin-3 and the fibrosis marker collagen type 1 alpha 1 vs. vehicle (p < 0.05), with ALT-801 producing greater reductions in galectin-3 vs. elafibranor (p < 0.05). Importantly, all animals treated with ALT-801 significantly improved composite NAS compared to the active controls. This study provides evidence for a potential role for ALT-801 in the therapeutic treatment of NASH.
Causal associations of circulating adiponectin with cardiometabolic diseases and osteoporotic fracture
Authors: Zhang Muzi , Chen Xiaojun , Zhu Yong , Yin Lifeng , Quan Zhengxue , Ou Yunsheng , He Bin
Published: April 2022

Circulating adiponectin shows some relationships with the occurrence of cardiometabolic diseases and osteoporotic fracture, but little is known about their causal associations. This two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study aims to explore the causal roles of circulating adiponectin in cardiometabolic diseases and osteoporotic fracture. We used 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with circulating adiponectin as the instrumental variables. Inverse variance weighted, weighted median and MR-Egger regression methods were applied to study the causal associations. The results found that high circulating adiponectin was causally associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (beta-estimate: −0.030, 95% CI: −0.048 to −0.011, SE: 0.009, P-value = 0.002) and may be the risk factor of coronary artery disease (beta-estimate: 0.012, 95% CI: 0.001 to 0.023, SE: 0.006, P-value = 0.030). No causal associations were seen between circulating adiponectin and other outcomes including heart failure, atrial fibrillation, cerebral ischemia, intracerebral hemorrhage or osteoporotic fracture. This study found the potential causal roles of high circulating adiponectin in reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and increased risk of coronary artery disease, which may help prevent and treat these two diseases.
(Co/Zn) Al2O4 nano catalyst for waste cooking oil catalytic cracking
Authors: El-Araby R. , Ibrahim M. A. , Abdelkader Elham , Ismail E. H.
Published: April 2022

The current work investigated the preparation of Nano-particles of Co/Zn Al2O4 as a catalyst via co-precipitation method. Several analyses, including BET, XRD, HRTEM, EDX, SEM, and FTIR, were used to characterize it. The analysis revealed that the prepared catalyst had an average surface area of 69.20 m2/g, a cross-sectional area of 16.2 m2/molecule, an average particle size of approximately 28 nm, and a pore size of 0.22 cm3/g. The prepared catalyst was used in a bio fuel synthesis process via thermo-catalytic cracking of waste cooking oil (WCO) in a single step batch reactor. Catalyst loading was tested with different weight percentage of 1.5%, 2%, and 2.5%. The pilot study revealed that the best conditions for optimizing bio jet fuel yield were 400 °C, a catalyst loading of 2%, and a reaction time of 30 min.The optimal cut-off from the distillation process of crude liquid bio fuel product which represents a fraction of bio-jet fuel was in the range from 150 to 240 °C.
Combining plasma extracellular vesicle Let-7b-5p, miR-184 and circulating miR-22-3p levels for NSCLC diagnosis and drug resistance prediction
Authors: Vadla G. P. , Daghat B. , Patterson N. , Ahmad V. , Perez G. , Garcia A. , Manjunath Y. , Kaifi J. T. , Li G. , Chabu C. Y.
Published: April 2022

Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) Non-Small Cell Lung (NSCLC) screening is associated with high false-positive rates, leading to unnecessary expensive and invasive follow ups. There is a need for minimally invasive approaches to improve the accuracy of NSCLC diagnosis. In addition, NSCLC patients harboring sensitizing mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor EGFR (T790M, L578R) are treated with Osimertinib, a potent tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). However, nearly all patients develop TKI resistance. The underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Plasma extracellular vesicle (EV) and circulating microRNA (miRNA) have been proposed as biomarkers for cancer screening and to inform treatment decisions. However, the identification of highly sensitive and broadly predictive core miRNA signatures remains a challenge. Also, how these systemic and diverse miRNAs impact cancer drug response is not well understood. Using an integrative approach, we examined plasma EV and circulating miRNA isolated from NSCLC patients versus screening controls with a similar risk profile. We found that combining EV (Hsa-miR-184, Let-7b-5p) and circulating (Hsa-miR-22-3p) miRNAs abundance robustly discriminates between NSCLC patients and high-risk cancer-free controls. Further, we found that Hsa-miR-22-3p, Hsa-miR-184, and Let-7b-5p functionally converge on WNT/βcatenin and mTOR/AKT signaling axes, known cancer therapy resistance signals. Targeting Hsa-miR-22-3p and Hsa-miR-184 desensitized EGFR-mutated (T790M, L578R) NSCLC cells to Osimertinib. These findings suggest that the expression levels of circulating hsa-miR-22-3p combined with EV hsa-miR-184 and Let-7b-5p levels potentially define a core biomarker signature for improving the accuracy of NSCLC diagnosis. Importantly, these biomarkers have the potential to enable prospective identification of patients who are at risk of responding poorly to Osimertinib alone but likely to benefit from Osimertinib/AKT blockade combination treatments.
Spatial links between subchondral bone architectural features and cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritic joints
Authors: Ajami Sara , Javaheri Behzad , Chang Y.-M. , Maruthainar Nimalan , Khan Tahir , Donaldson James , Pitsillides Andrew A. , Liu Chaozong
Published: April 2022

Early diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA), before the onset of irreversible changes is crucial for understanding the disease process and identifying potential disease-modifying treatments from the earliest stage. OA is a whole joint disease and affects both cartilage and the underlying subchondral bone. However, spatial relationships between cartilage lesion severity (CLS) and microstructural changes in subchondral plate and trabecular bone remain elusive. Herein, we collected femoral heads from hip arthroplasty for primary osteoarthritis (n = 7) and femoral neck fracture (n = 6; non-OA controls) cases. Samples were regionally assessed for cartilage lesions by visual inspection using Outerbridge classification and entire femoral heads were micro-CT scanned. Scans of each femoral head were divided into 4 quadrants followed by morphometric analysis of subchondral plate and trabecular bone in each quadrant. Principal component analysis (PCA), a data reduction method, was employed to assess differences between OA and non-OA samples, and spatial relationship between CLS and subchondral bone changes. Mapping of the trabecular bone microstructure in OA patients with low CLS revealed trabecular organisation resembling non-OA patients, whereas clear differences were identifiable in subchondral plate architecture. The OA-related changes in subchondral plate architecture were summarised in the first principle component (PC1) which correlated with CLS in all quadrants, whilst by comparison such associations in trabecular bone were most prominent in the higher weight-bearing regions of the femoral head. Greater articular cartilage deterioration in OA was regionally-linked with lower BV/TV, TMD and thickness, and greater BS/BV and porosity in the subchondral plate; and with thinner, less separated trabeculae with greater TMD and BS/BV in the trabecular bone. Our findings suggest that impairment of subchondral bone microstructure in early stage of OA is more readily discernible in the cortical plate and that morphological characterisation of the femoral head bone microstructure may allow for earlier OA diagnosis and monitoring of progression.
Development and validation of an immune-related gene signature for predicting the radiosensitivity of lower-grade gliomas
Authors: Yan Derui , Zhao Qi , Du Zixuan , Li Huijun , Geng Ruirui , Yang Wei , Zhang Xinyan , Cao Jianping , Yi Nengjun , Zhou Juying , Tang Zaixiang
Published: April 2022

Radiotherapy is an important treatment modality for lower-grade gliomas (LGGs) patients. This analysis was conducted to develop an immune-related radiosensitivity gene signature to predict the survival of LGGs patients who received radiotherapy. The clinical and RNA sequencing data of LGGs were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA). Lasso regression analyses were used to construct a 21-gene signature to identify the LGGs patients who could benefit from radiotherapy. Based on this radiosensitivity signature, patients were classified into a radiosensitive (RS) group and a radioresistant (RR) group. According to the Kaplan–Meier analysis results of the TCGA dataset and the two CGGA validation datasets, the RS group had a higher overall survival rate than that of the RR group. This gene signature was RT-specific and an independent prognostic indicator. The nomogram model performed well in predicting 3-, and 5-year survival of LGGs patients after radiotherapy by this gene signature and other clinical factors (age, sex, grade, IDH mutations, 1p/19q codeletion). In summary, this signature is a powerful supplement to the prognostic factors of LGGs patients with radiotherapy and may provide an opportunity to incorporate individual tumor biology into clinical decision making in radiation oncology.
Unemployed individuals contact GPs more frequently but report lower satisfaction: results of the population-based DEGS1 and the GPCare-1 patient survey
Authors: Ikar N. , Sommer S. , Schmidt M. , Löwe C. , Kasten S. , Gavrilov B. , Hunzelar C. , Bockheim F. , Paños-Willuhn J. , Offenberg L. , Oberholz M. , Weltermann B.
Published: April 2022

Unemployment is associated with a variety of adverse health-related outcomes, yet little data on primary care services for this risk group exist. Using data from two surveys, we analyzed the frequency of GP contacts and patients’ experiences with GPs comparing unemployed with employed individuals. Data of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS1), a nationwide cross-sectional study (n = 8151), were analyzed regarding associations between employment status and the number of GP visits. The General Practice Care-1 study (GPCare-1), a cross-sectional questionnaire survey (n = 813), evaluated patients’ communication with their GP. Data were collected from June to August 2020 in 12 teaching practices affiliated with our university. The statistical analysis included individuals of working age (18–64 years old) (DEGS1 n = 5659, GPCare-1 n = 587). In both studies, working age subpopulations were analyzed (DEGS1: n = 5659 of 8151, GPCare-1: n = 587 of 813). In DEGS1, the prevalence of unemployment was 6.5% (n = 372). Unemployed individuals had more GP contacts in the last 12 months (4.50 vs. 2.86, p < 0.001). In the GPCare-1 study, unemployed individuals (6.6%, n = 39) were significantly less satisfied with GP communication: enough space in consultations (42.9% vs. 60.3%, p = 0.043), feeling comfortable to address sensitive topics (44.1% vs. 65.9%, p = 0.010), problems taken very seriously by GP (48.6% vs. 70.6%, p = 0.007). Yet, they were more willing to accept GPs’ help for psychosocial burdens (67.6% vs. 47.6%, p = 0.024). GPs should be aware that patients with unemployment wish more support to cope with their burdening situation.
Impaired grouping of ambient facial images in autism
Authors: Gehdu Bayparvah Kaur , Gray Katie L. H. , Cook Richard
Published: April 2022

Ambient facial images depict individuals from a variety of viewing angles, with a range of poses and expressions, under different lighting conditions. Exposure to ambient images is thought to help observers form robust representations of the individuals depicted. Previous results suggest that autistic people may derive less benefit from exposure to this exemplar variation than non-autistic people. To date, however, it remains unclearwhy. One possibility is that autistic individuals possess atypical perceptual learning mechanisms. Alternatively, however, the learning mechanisms may be intact, but receive low-quality perceptual input from face encoding processes. To examine this second possibility, we investigated whether autistic people are less able to group ambient images of unfamiliar individuals based on their identity. Participants were asked to identify which of four ambient images depicted an oddball identity. Each trial assessed the grouping of different facial identities, thereby preventing face learning across trials. As such, the task assessed participants’ ability to group ambient images of unfamiliar people. In two experiments we found that matched non-autistic controls correctly identified the oddball identities more often than our autistic participants. These results imply that poor face learning from variation by autistic individuals may well be attributable to low-quality perceptual input, not aberrant learning mechanisms.
Human amniotic fluid stem cells can alleviate detrusor dysfunction caused by bladder outlet obstruction in rats
Authors: Liang Ching-Chung , Huang Wen-Chu , Shaw Steven W. , Huang Yung-Hsin , Lee Tsong-Hai
Published: April 2022

The present study examined whether bladder detrusor dysfunction due to partial bladder outlet obstruction (pBOO) could be improved after the treatment of human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSCs). 72 female rats were grouped into sham operation, pBOO, and pBOO with hAFSCs treatment (pBOO + hAFSCs) for in vitro and in vivo studies. Bladder weight, bladder wall thickness, the ratio of collagen to smooth muscle and the levels of positive CD11b/c and HIS48 cells was significantly increased after pBOO but improved after hAFSCs treatment. Cystometries showed impaired bladder function after pBOO. Protein and mRNA levels of hypoxia inducible factor-1α, CCL2, interleukin-1β, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), α-smooth muscle actin, collagen I and collagen III were increased at 2 and/or 6 weeks, but proteins and mRNA expressions of protein gene product 9.5 were decreased at 2 and 6 weeks after pBOO. These abnormalities were improved after hAFSCs treatment. The expressions of TGF-β1 and CTGF in cultured detrusor cells of pBOO rats were increased but were improved after hAFSCs treatment. The present results showed hAFSCs treatment could improve bladder detrusor dysfunction in pBOO rats, which may be related to the reduction of inflammatory and pro-fibrotic markers in detrusor muscle cells.
Periodic attention operates faster during more complex visual search
Authors: Merholz Garance , Grabot Laetitia , VanRullen Rufin , Dugué Laura
Published: April 2022

Attention has been found to sample visual information periodically, in a wide range of frequencies below 20 Hz. This periodicity may be supported by brain oscillations at corresponding frequencies. We propose that part of the discrepancy in periodic frequencies observed in the literature is due to differences in attentional demands, resulting from heterogeneity in tasks performed. To test this hypothesis, we used visual search and manipulated task complexity, i.e., target discriminability (high, medium, low) and number of distractors (set size), while electro-encephalography was simultaneously recorded. We replicated previous results showing that the phase of pre-stimulus low-frequency oscillations predicts search performance. Crucially, such effects were observed at increasing frequencies within the theta-alpha range (6–18 Hz) for decreasing target discriminability. In medium and low discriminability conditions, correct responses were further associated with higher post-stimulus phase-locking than incorrect ones, in increasing frequency and latency. Finally, the larger the set size, the later the post-stimulus effect peaked. Together, these results suggest that increased complexity (lower discriminability or larger set size) requires more attentional cycles to perform the task, partially explaining discrepancies between reports of attentional sampling. Low-frequency oscillations structure the temporal dynamics of neural activity and aid top-down, attentional control for efficient visual processing.
A superior loading control for the cellular thermal shift assay
Authors: Delport Alexandré , Hewer Raymond
Published: April 2022

The cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), as a method to determine protein–ligand interaction and cellular protein modification, has rapidly become routine laboratory practice. However, current options to determine that (1) sample was loaded in each lane of the analysed western blot and (2) the amount loaded was equal, are suboptimal. Here, we report that the αC-terminal fragment of the amyloid precursor protein (APP-αCTF), detected in several wild-type mammalian cell lines, is a highly stable, soluble protein equally present from 4 to 95 °C. We demonstrate that the level of traditional loading controls (vinculin, GAPDH, β-actin, heat-shock chaperone 70 and superoxide dismutase-1) are all temperature sensitive. Additionally, both APP-CTFs (α and β) behaved similarly upon temperature exposure while APP-βCTF levels were not influenced by the presence of a binding ligand either. This emphasises that these proteins can be used as a loading control in the unlikely event of off-target binding during ligand screening. A working example is also presented for mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase in the presence of two inhibitors, PD184352 and U0126, where APP-αCTF was used to normalise the data across experimental replicates. A reduction in data variance and standard deviations was observed after normalisation. Conclusively, APP-αCTF is a superior CETSA loading control that can be used as a standard for this technique.
Selection of oxygen reduction catalysts for secondary tri-electrode zinc–air batteries
Authors: Loh Adeline , Trudgeon David P. , Li Xiaohong , Liu Mao-Cheng , Kong Ling-Bin , Walsh Frank C.
Published: April 2022

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts, which are highly efficient, low-cost, yet durable, are important for secondary Zn–air cell applications. ORR activities of single and mixed metal oxide and carbon electrocatalysts were studied using rotating disc electrode (RDE) measurements, Tafel slope and Koutecky–Levich plots. It was found that MnOxcombined with XC-72R demonstrated high ORR activity and good stability—up to 100 mA cm−2. The performance of the selected ORR electrode and a previously optimised oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrode was thereafter tested in a custom-built secondary Zn–air cell in a tri-electrode configuration, and the effects of current density, electrolyte molarity, temperature, and oxygen purity on the performance of the ORR and OER electrode were investigated. Finally, the durability of the secondary Zn–air system was assessed, demonstrating energy efficiencies of 58–61% at 20 mA cm−2over 40 h in 4 M NaOH + 0.3 M ZnO at 333 K.
c-Myb-mediated inhibition of miR-601 in facilitating malignance of osteosarcoma via augmentation of PKMYT1
Authors: Luo Peng , Fang Jiarui , Chen Houqing , He Feng , Xiao Siying , Liu He , Zhu Shizhuang , Luo Jianzhou , Jiang Changqing
Published: April 2022

The crosstalk between osteosarcoma (OS) development and abnormally expressed microRNA (miR)-601 is not explored explicitly. Here, we identified the downregulated miR-601 in osteosarcoma (OS) through a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of GEO Datasets. The results indicated that miR-601 was downregulated in both OS cells and tissues. The OS patients with reduced expression of miR-601 displayed worse prognosis. The results of in vitro and in vivo assay revealed that elevated miR-601 inhibited the proliferative, migratory and invasive capacities in OS cells. Mechanically, miR-601 exerted its function via targeting oncogene protein kinase membrane associated tyrosine/threonine 1 (PKMYT1) at post-transcriptional level. Moreover, miR-601 was attenuated by c-Myb at transcriptional level. Taken together, our studies reveal that miR-601 is a suppressive gene negatively correlated with malignancy of OS.
Asteltoxin inhibits extracellular vesicle production through AMPK/mTOR-mediated activation of lysosome function
Authors: Mitani Fumie , Lin Jianyu , Sakamoto Tatsuya , Uehara Ryo , Hikita Tomoya , Yoshida Takuya , Setiawan Andi , Arai Masayoshi , Oneyama Chitose
Published: April 2022

Cancer cells secrete aberrantly large amounts of extracellular vesicles (EVs) including exosomes, which originate from multivesicular bodies (MVBs). Because EVs potentially contribute to tumor progression, EV inhibitors are of interest as novel therapeutics. We screened a fungal natural product library. Using cancer cells engineered to secrete luciferase-labeled EVs, we identified asteltoxin, which inhibits mitochondrial ATP synthase, as an EV inhibitor. Low concentrations of asteltoxin inhibited EV secretion without inducing mitochondrial damage. Asteltoxin attenuated cellular ATP levels and induced AMPK-mediated mTORC1 inactivation. Consequently, MiT/TFE transcription factors are translocated into the nucleus, promoting transcription of lysosomal genes and lysosome activation. Electron microscopy analysis revealed that the number of lysosomes increased relative to that of MVBs and the level of EVs decreased after treatment with asteltoxin or rapamycin, an mTORC1 inhibitor. These findings suggest that asteltoxin represents a new type of EV inhibitor that controls MVB fate.
Factors influencing ease of whelping and its relationship with maternal behaviour and puppy perinatal mortality in commercially bred dogs
Authors: Baqueiro-Espinosa Uri , McEvoy Victoria , Arnott Gareth
Published: April 2022

For dog breeders, parturition is a critical stage in the reproductive cycle of the dam. Evidence in other mammals suggests that a difficult labour can influence maternal behaviour and offspring viability during the first hours postpartum. However, the effect of whelping difficulty on the onset of maternal behaviour has not yet been investigated in domestic dogs. Here we developed an ease of whelping (EoW) index in dams maintained within a Commercial dog Breeding Establishment (CBE) environment and investigated the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic factors (breed group according to size/weight, litter size, parity, whelping season and origin of the dam), EoW, early maternal behaviour and puppy perinatal mortality. The behaviour of 30 dams was observed throughout the whelping process, starting 24 h before delivery of the first puppy until birth of the last puppy. Parturition duration, birth interval, and behaviours indicative of distress, restlessness, and general activity were scored and included in a Principal Component Analysis to construct the EoW index. Subsequently, mother–pup interactions and puppy perinatal mortality were recorded during the first 24 and 72 h postpartum respectively. Results showed that EoW was significantly affected by whelping season, litter size and origin of the dam (whether she was born and raised within the CBE or brought in). Furthermore, mothers that experienced more difficult parturitions (higher EoW score) spent more time lying in contact with their puppies during the first 24 h postpartum. Time in contact with puppies was also significantly affected by breed group. Nursing duration was significantly affected by breed group and origin of the dam. Additionally, medium-size breed (10–20 kg) puppies were significantly less likely to experience perinatal mortality than large breeds (> 20 kg). These findings are particularly relevant for the welfare of breeding dams maintained in large-scale CBEs where the staff-to-dog ratio might be insufficient to adequately manage multiple simultaneous parturitions.
A new estimation method for COVID-19 time-varying reproduction number using active cases
Authors: Hasan Agus , Susanto Hadi , Tjahjono Venansius , Kusdiantara Rudy , Putri Endah , Nuraini Nuning , Hadisoemarto Panji
Published: April 2022

We propose a new method to estimate the time-varying effective (or instantaneous) reproduction number of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The method is based on a discrete-time stochastic augmented compartmental model that describes the virus transmission. A two-stage estimation method, which combines the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to estimate the reported state variables (active and removed cases) and a low pass filter based on a rational transfer function to remove short term fluctuations of the reported cases, is used with case uncertainties that are assumed to follow a Gaussian distribution. Our method does not require information regarding serial intervals, which makes the estimation procedure simpler without reducing the quality of the estimate. We show that the proposed method is comparable to common approaches, e.g., age-structured and new cases based sequential Bayesian models. We also apply it to COVID-19 cases in the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, where the positive rates were below 5% recommended by WHO.
Utility of an artificial intelligence system for classification of esophageal lesions when simulating its clinical use
Authors: Tajiri Ayaka , Ishihara Ryu , Kato Yusuke , Inoue Takahiro , Matsueda Katsunori , Miyake Muneaki , Waki Kotaro , Shimamoto Yusaku , Fukuda Hiromu , Matsuura Noriko , Egawa Satoshi , Yamaguchi Shinjiro , Ogiyama Hideharu , Ogiso Kiyoshi , Nishida Tsutomu , Aoi Kenji , Tada Tomohiro
Published: April 2022

Previous reports have shown favorable performance of artificial intelligence (AI) systems for diagnosing esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) compared with endoscopists. However, these findings don’t reflect performance in clinical situations, as endoscopists classify lesions based on both magnified and non-magnified videos, while AI systems often use only a few magnified narrow band imaging (NBI) still images. We evaluated the performance of the AI system in simulated clinical situations. We used 25,048 images from 1433 superficial ESCC and 4746 images from 410 noncancerous esophagi to construct our AI system. For the validation dataset, we took NBI videos of suspected superficial ESCCs. The AI system diagnosis used one magnified still image taken from each video, while 19 endoscopists used whole videos. We used 147 videos and still images including 83 superficial ESCC and 64 non-ESCC lesions. The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity for the classification of ESCC were, respectively, 80.9% [95% CI 73.6–87.0], 85.5% [76.1–92.3], and 75.0% [62.6–85.0] for the AI system and 69.2% [66.4–72.1], 67.5% [61.4–73.6], and 71.5% [61.9–81.0] for the endoscopists. The AI system correctly classified all ESCCs invading the muscularis mucosa or submucosa and 96.8% of lesions ≥ 20 mm, whereas even the experts diagnosed some of them as non-ESCCs. Our AI system showed higher accuracy for classifying ESCC and non-ESCC than endoscopists. It may provide valuable diagnostic support to endoscopists.
Perceived neighborhood environment, social capital and life satisfaction among older adults in Shanghai, China
Authors: Lu Nan , Wu Bei
Published: April 2022

This study examined the mediator role of social capital on the association between perceived neighborhood environment and life satisfaction among older adults in urban China, and further tested the moderating effect of gender in the above paths (i.e., from neighborhood environment to life satisfaction; from neighborhood environment to social capital; from social capital to life satisfaction). We used quota sampling approach to recruit 472 respondents aged 60 years old or older in Shanghai in 2020. From the perspective of structural equation modeling, multiple group analysis was conducted to examine the proposed hypotheses. The measurement model of social capital was well established in urban Chinese community contexts. Based on the whole sample, the results of the mediation model showed that social capital played a mediation role in the association between neighborhood environment and life satisfaction. Furthermore, the results of multiple group analysis showed that the association between neighborhood environment and cognitive social capital was only significant among older women. The findings highlight the role of neighborhood environment and social capital in building age-friendly communities.
Quantitative analysis of heat release during coal oxygen-lean combustion in a O2/CO2/N2 atmosphere by TG-DTG-DSC
Authors: Shi Jingdong , Su Hetao , Li Yunzhuo , Huang Zijun , Wang Yiru , Gao Lintao
Published: April 2022

Heat release of coal combustion in an oxygen-lean and multi-gas environment is a common phenomenon, coalfield fires caused by it can lead to serious environmental destruction and loss of coal resources. Simultaneous thermal analysis experiments for Bulianta (BLT, high-volatile bituminous coal) and Yuwu coal (YW, anthracite) in 21vol.%O2/79vol.%N2 and 15vol.%O2/5vol.%CO2/80vol.%N2 were carried out to study the law of heat release. Based on the TG-DTG-DSC curves, the combustion characteristic parameters were analyzed. Decreasing O2 concentration caused a significant reduction of local reactivity and further the decreasing maximum heat release rate for low-rank coal, while increasing CO2 concentration caused a significant thermal lag effect and further the increasing maximum heat release rate for high-rank coal. The relationship between the heat release rate and the reaction rate constant was quantitatively analyzed. At the increasing stage of the heat release rate, the heat release rate of the two coals increased conforming to ExpGro1 exponential model. At the decreasing stage of the heat release rate, the heat release rate of YW coal decreased exponentially with the reaction rate constant, while the heat release rate of BLT coal decreased linearly. Regardless of the atmospheres, the conversion rates corresponding to maximum heat release rate of BLT and YW coal were about 0.80 and 0.50, respectively, indicating that the coal rank played a dominant role. The results are helpful to understand the heat release process of coal oxygen-lean combustion in O2/CO2/N2.
Matamatas Chelus spp. (Testudines, Chelidae) have a remarkable evolutionary history of sex chromosomes with a long-term stable XY microchromosome system
Authors: Viana Patrik F. , Feldberg Eliana , Takagui Fábio Hiroshi , Menezes Sabrina , Vogt Richard C. , Ezaz Tariq
Published: April 2022

The genusChelus, commonly known as Matamata is one of the most emblematic and remarkable species among the Neotropical chelids. It is an Amazonian species with an extensive distribution throughout Negro/Orinoco and Amazonas River basins. Currently, two species are formally recognized:Chelus orinocensisandChelus fimbriataand although it is still classified as "Least Concern" in the IUCN, the Matamatas are very appreciated and illegally sold in the international pet trade. Regardless, little is known regarding many aspects of its natural history. Chromosomal features forChelus, for instance, are meagre and practically restricted to the description of the diploid number (2n = 50) forChelus fimbriata, and its sex determining strategies are yet to be fully investigated. Here, we examined the karyotype ofChelus fimbriataand the newly describedChelus orinocensis, applying an extensive conventional and molecular cytogenetic approach. This allowed us to identify a genetic sex determining mechanism with a micro XY sex chromosome system in both species, a system that was likely present in their most common recent ancestorChelus colombiana. Furthermore, the XY system found inChelus orinocensisandChelus fimbriata, as seen in other chelid species, recruited several repeat motifs, possibly prior to the split of South America and Australasian lineages, indicating that such system indeed dates back to the earliest lineages of Chelid species.
Renoprotective effects of ferric citrate in a mouse model of chronic kidney disease
Authors: Hanudel Mark R. , Czaya Brian , Wong Shirley , Jung Grace , Chua Kristine , Qiao Bo , Gabayan Victoria , Ganz Tomas
Published: April 2022

In chronic kidney disease, ferric citrate has been shown to be an effective phosphate binder and source of enteral iron; however, the effects of ferric citrate on the kidney have been less well-studied. Here, in Col4α3 knockout mice—a murine model of progressive chronic kidney disease, we evaluated the effects of five weeks of 1% ferric citrate dietary supplementation. As expected, ferric citrate lowered serum phosphate concentrations and increased serum iron levels in the Col4α3 knockout mice. Consistent with decreased enteral phosphate absorption and possibly improved iron status, ferric citrate greatly reduced circulating fibroblast growth factor 23 levels. Interestingly, ferric citrate also lessened systemic inflammation, improved kidney function, reduced albuminuria, and decreased kidney inflammation and fibrosis, suggesting renoprotective effects of ferric citrate in the setting of chronic kidney disease. The factors mediating possible ferric citrate renoprotection, the mechanisms by which they may act, and whether ferric citrate affects chronic kidney disease progression in humans deserves further study.
Cellulose tris-(3,5-dimethyl phenyl carbamate) as a chiral stationary phase for enantiomeric determination of ofloxacin enantiomers and molecular docking study on the chiral separation mechanism
Authors: Cao Shirong , Ma Qianyun , Liu Ye , Zhang Jiayu , Wang Zhaokun
Published: April 2022

The higher the BE value, the harder the enantiomer was to elute, which was in agreement with the enantiomer elution order.
Stereochemical dominance in hierarchically formed helicates
Authors: Schlottmann Marcel , Krückel Tobias , Albrecht Markus
Published: April 2022

In mixtures of two different chiral ligands to form hierarchical helicates, the stereochemically more dominating chiral unit controls the chirality of the formed helix.
Third-order optical nonlinearities of zinc porphyrins accommodated in the cavity of a doughnut-like molybdenum crown cluster
Authors: Sun Ran , Wang Ting , Ren Xiaoyu , Zhang Lijuan , Zhou Yunshan , Huang Chengcheng
Published: April 2022

As compared with the pristine ZnTCPP, the hybrid 1 showed quenched fluorescence, greater nonlinear reverse saturated absorption and self-defocusing effect, smaller nonlinear optical limiting threshold, indicating its high potential in optical limiting applications.
2D GeP3 and blue P: promising thermoelectric materials for room- and high-temperature applications
Authors: Campagna Lucas Prett , Veríssimo-Alves Marcos , Rodrigues Debora C. M. , Albuquerque Filho Marcelo F. C. , Venezuela Pedro , Scopel Wanderlã L. , Amorim Rodrigo G.
Published: April 2022

Two dimensional GeP3 and blue P were investigated as a thermoelectric material using the Boltzmann model. Our study suggested that GeP3 is a good candidate as a room temperature thermoelectric material.
Hydrophobic soot nanoparticles as a non-cytotoxic motility activator of human spermatozoa
Authors: Esmeryan Karekin D. , Rangelov Ivaylo , Chaushev Todor A.
Published: April 2022

The prolonged 270 min incubation of the soot in vials filled with native human ejaculate enhances the progressive sperm motility at 50–60% of tested patients (twenty in total).
Preparation of graphene/copper composites with a thiophenol molecular junction for thermal conduction application
Authors: Li Xiaofang , Miu Jianwen , An Meng , Mei Jing , Zheng Fenghua , Jiang Juantao , Wang Hongqiang , Huang Youguo , Li Qingyu
Published: April 2022

An electron thermal conduction route is constructed between graphene and Cu using a thiophenol molecular junction.
Preparation of C/Ho co-doped TiO2 for enhancing the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of tetracycline hydrochloride
Authors: Wu Fang-Di , Chen Jyh-Cherng , Yang Zi-Tao
Published: April 2022

A new C/Ho co-doped TiO2 catalyst was synthesized with Ti3C2Tx MXene and the photocatalytic performance was found to be significantly enhanced.
Simple solution route to synthesize NiFe oxide/nanocarbon composite catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Yaguchi Mizuri , Yoshida-Hirahara Miru , Ogihara Hitoshi , Kurokawa Hideki
Published: April 2022

The simple solution route produces OER-active and cost-effective NiFeOx/C catalysts, which contribute to the production of green hydrogenviaelectrochemical water splitting.
Dinuclear complexes, a one dimensional chain and a two dimensional layer of bismuth(iii) chalcogenones for C–S cross coupling reactions
Authors: Mannarsamy Maruthupandi , Nandeshwar Muneshwar , Veerapathiran Sabari , Mandal Suman , Harijan Dinesh , Subramaniyam Kalaivanan , Muduli Gopendra , Prabusankar Ganesan
Published: April 2022

The bismuth coordination polymers derived from organochalcogenone ligands and their catalytic applications in the synthesis of annulated heterocyclic aryl thioethers have been investigated.
Nitrogen-doped 3D hollow carbon spheres for efficient selective oxidation of C–H bonds under mild conditions
Authors: Zhang Huan , Cai An , He Hongwei , Zhang Qicheng , Zhang Fengbao , Zhang Guoliang , Fan Xiaobin , Peng Wenchao , Li Yang
Published: April 2022

Nitrogen-doped hollow mesoporous carbon spheres present excellent conversion and selectivity in the selective oxidation of ethylbenzene at 50 °C.
Ni-catalysed deamidative fluorination of amides with electrophilic fluorinating reagents
Authors: Wu Feng-Wei , Mao Yang-Jie , Pu Jun , Li Huan-Le , Ye Peng , Xu Zhen-Yuan , Lou Shao-Jie , Xu Dan-Qian
Published: April 2022

A novel Ni-catalysed deamidative fluorination of twist amides with electrophilic fluorinating reagents is reported, affording diverse acyl fluorides in good yields.
Hypoestins A–D: highly modified fusicoccane diterpenoids with promising Cav3.1 calcium channel inhibitory activity from Hypoestes purpurea
Authors: Wu Xing-De , Ding Lin-Fen , Li Wen-Yan , Cheng Bin , Lei Tie , Zhou Hao-Feng , Zhao Qin-Shi
Published: April 2022

Four highly modified fusicoccane diterpenoids with two unreported carbon skeletons, hypoestins A–D (1–4), were isolated and characterized from Hypoestes purpurea.
Regioselective 1,2-carbosulfenylation of unactivated alkenesviadirected nickel catalysis
Authors: Zhu Lin , Meng Xiao , Xie Leipeng , Shen Qiuyang , Li Wenyi , Zhang Lanlan , Wang Chao
Published: April 2022

A removable bidentate picolinamide assisted regioselective 1,2-carbosulfenylation of unactivated alkenes with aryl/alkenylboronic acids and disulfide electrophiles has been developed with a cost-effective and air-stable Ni(ii) precatalyst.
Preparation of 3-aceta mido-5-acetylfuran from N-acetylglucosamine and chitin using biobased deep eutectic solvents as catalysts
Authors: Wu Chaoqiang , Wang Chengyong , Zhang Alei , Chen Kequan , Cao Fei , Ouyang Pingkai
Published: April 2022

A DES (choline chloride/citric acid) is reported for the first time to convert NAG to 3A5AF with a yield of 47.11 mol%.
A host–guest strategy for converting the photodynamic agents from a singlet oxygen generator to a superoxide radical generator
Authors: Teng Kun-Xu , Niu Li-Ya , Yang Qing-Zheng
Published: April 2022

A supramolecular strategy is reported for converting the conventional photodynamic agents from a singlet oxygen generator to a superoxide radical generator by the host–guest interaction enhanced electron transfer.
A short‐distance harmonic suppression method for position detection based on linear hall‐effect sensors
Authors: Luo Ciyong , Qu Bo , Zhao Junfeng , Wang Chaolong
Published: April 2022

Accurate position signals are essential for a vector control system. To obtain accurate position signals, high‐precision position sensors such as optical encoder and resolver are employed. However, they are usually restricted by the environmental condition and cost. Linear Hall‐effect sensors, possessing tiny size, light weight and low cost, are usually used to detect position signals. However, the position signals detected by linear Hall‐effect sensors in low cost conditions always contain a large part of high‐order harmonics, which will decrease the validity and reliability of sensor measurement. In this paper, to eliminate the influence of harmonics, a short‐distance harmonic suppression method without any low‐pass filter is proposed. The proposed method utilises three linear Hall‐effect sensors displaced a certain electrical angle to dissolve the position signal. Through simulation analysis and experimental verification, the proposed method has been proven to be effective in suppressing the third‐order and fifth‐order harmonics.
Hybrid mapping algorithm based on 1‐DCM and Lorenz
Authors: Yan Wen , Jingming Su , Yan Hong , Pingshun Gong
Published: April 2022

A hybrid chaotic mapping algorithm(HCM) based on 1‐DCM (one‐dimensional chaotic map) and Lorenz is proposed to address the security issues of low‐dimensional chaotic systems and the complexity of high‐dimensional chaotic systems. Firstly, the color images are divided into three high 4‐bit planes (BP) and low 4‐bit planes. By optimizing the parameters and structure of trigonometric function, the new arcsine‐sine (AS) function is designedto generate the 1‐DCM and permutation matrix, which is constructed to change the plane position and pixel position of the high 12BP to obtain the scrambling plane, which is encrypted by Lorenz chaotic system to produce the selfencryption matrix, with which the low 12BP is encrypted to generate the low bit encryption planes. Then, the ciphertext image is obtained by combining the high bit scrambling plane and low bit encryption plane. The SHA function is also used as the chaotic system's parameter generator, which improves the correlation between plaintext images and the key and resists selective plaintext attacks. The simulation results show that by modularizing the image's high and low bit planes, the encryption process is simplified and improved. The security and reliability of color image transmission are also improved.
Constraint estimation in three‐diode solar photovoltaic model using Gaussian and Cauchy mutation‐based hunger games search optimizer and enhanced Newton–Raphson method
Authors: Premkumar Manoharan , Jangir Pradeep , Kumar Chandrasekaran , Sundarsingh Jebaseelan Somasundaram David Thanasingh , Alhelou Hassan Haes , Madurai Elavarasan Rajvikram , Chen Huiling
Published: April 2022

The reliability of the photovoltaic models is strongly reliant on their parameters, which are primarily determined by the optimization algorithm and the objective function. As a result, obtaining the parameters under different environmental conditions is critical for increasing their performance, reliability and significantly lowering cost. Many optimization techniques are reported to address this problem based on the complexity. As a result, an enhanced version of the recently reported Hunger Games Search Optimizer (HGSO) method called Gaussian and Cauchy Mutation‐based HGSO (GCMHGSO) algorithm for defining the requirements of the Three‐Diode equivalent Model (TDeM) by utilizing multiple representations in the algorithm along with an efficient objective function. The Cauchy mutation increases the exploration ability, and Gaussian mutation increases the exploitation ability of the basic HGSO. Furthermore, an Enhanced Newton–Raphson Method (ENRM) is presented to effectively solve the behaviour of the current–voltage relation of the TDeM. The robust optimization is also considered to demonstrate the impact of the measurement error. Comparing the GCMHGSO‐ENRM to other competitors reveals that the proposed GCMHGSO‐ENRM can accurately find the best solution, and its effectiveness is verified in many statistical parameters. It is found that the GCMHGSO‐ENRM algorithm is stable and robust compared to other competitors.