bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the enhanced weathering potential of different silicate minerals to improve soil quality and sequester CO2
Authors: te Pas Emily E. E. M. , Hagens Mathilde , Comans Rob N. J.
Published: January 2023

Enhanced weathering is a negative emission technology that involves the spread of crushed silicate minerals and rocks on land and water. When applied to agricultural soils, the resulting increase in soil pH and release of nutrients may co-benefit plant productivity. Silicate minerals and rocks differ in their enhanced weathering potential, i.e., their potential for both carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration and soil quality improvements. However, studies comparing silicate minerals and rocks for this dual potential are lacking. Therefore, we compared the enhanced weathering potential of olivine (Mg2SiO4), basalt, wollastonite (CaSiO3), and two minerals that are novel in this context, anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8) and albite (NaAlSi3O8). A down-flow soil column experiment was designed allowing for measurements on soils and leachate, and calculations of organic and inorganic carbon budgets. Our results showed comparatively high CO2 capture by enhanced wollastonite and olivine weathering. Furthermore, CO2 capture per m2 specific surface area indicated potential for enhanced anorthite and albite weathering. Calculated carbon budgets showed that most treatments produced net CO2 emissions from soils, likely related to the short duration of this experiment. All silicates generally improved soil quality, with soil nickel contents remaining below contamination limits. However, nickel concentrations in leachates from olivine-amended soils exceeded the groundwater threshold value, stressing the importance of monitoring nickel leaching. We found a relatively high enhanced weathering potential for wollastonite, while the potential for olivine may be constrained by nickel leaching. The promising results for anorthite and albite indicate the need to further quantify their enhanced weathering potential.
Multiplayer reach-avoid differential games with simple motions: A review
Authors: Yan Rui , Deng Ruiliang , Duan Xiaoming , Shi Zongying , Zhong Yisheng
Published: January 2023

This paper reviews the recent works on multiplayer reach-avoid (M-RA) differential games between two adversarial teams in a game region which is split into a goal region and a play region. The pursuit team aims to protect the goal region from the evasion team by cooperatively capturing the evaders which start from the play region and strive to enter the goal region. We provide a selective overview of algorithms and theoretical results for multiplayer reach-avoid differential games. Specifically, we focus on point mass holonomic players that can move freely in the game region and have simple motions as Rufus Isaacs states. We describe how the challenges due to high-dimensional continuous joint action and state spaces, as well as complex cooperations and competitions among players, can be properly resolved by a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis of small-scale games and optimal task allocation. We finally point out the limitations of the current works and identify fruitful future research directions on theoretical studies of multiplayer reach-avoid differential games.
Single ring isolation of pulmonary veins combined with electrical isolation of the superior vena cava in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
Authors: Li Xi , Chen Yanhong , Chen Guanghui , Deng Chengang , Tang Chen , Zhang Jinlin
Published: January 2023

Background

Single-ring isolation (SRI) of the pulmonary veins and the left atrial post wall (LAPW) is an accepted strategy in atrial fibrillation ablation. Whether SRI combined with superior vena cava isolation (SVCI) could further increase the success rate of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) has not been reported.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate whether SRI combined with SVCI was feasible and whether it could improve the success rate of PAF ablation.

Methods and results

In our study, sixty patients with PAF from May 2019 to March 2021 were included. SRI plus SVCI was completed with ablation index (AI)-guided high-power ablation. The success rates of SRI and SVCI were 100% and 97%, respectively. One-pass SRI was achieved in 41 out of 60 patients, with 19 out of 60 patients requiring additional ablation to complete the SRI. SVC was not isolated in 2 out of the 60 cases due to concerns about the phrenic nerve (PN) injury. Among the enrolled patients, 2 patients had anomalous pulmonary veins (PVs) (common ostium of inferior PVs). SRI was applied to achieve the PV and PW isolation. After ablation, one patient had an ischemic stroke but recovered without severe morbidity. The average follow-up period was (20 ± 7) months, and single-procedure freedom from atrial arrhythmia was 91.7%. AT/AF recurred in five patients, and 2 out of 5 patients underwent redo ablation. The multi-procedure freedom from atrial arrhythmia was 95%.

Conclusion

Our novel ablation strategy, SRI combined with SVCI, in patients with PAF was feasible and safe, with a relatively high success rate.
Quantitative late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance analysis of the relationship between ablation parameter and left atrial tissue lesion following pulmonary vein isolation
Authors: Wang Qian , Huang Bingyu , Huo Shengqi , Guo Junyi , Li Haojie , Jiang Tao , Peng Dewei , Men Lintong , Tang Dazhong , Xiang Chunlin , Luo Yi , Pi Xiu , Peng Lulu , Jiang Yue , Zhu Mengying , Shi Wei , Li Sheng , Lv Jiagao , Lin Li
Published: January 2023

Background

The impact of ablation parameters on acute tissue lesion formation after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) has not been sufficiently evaluated in patients with atrial fibrillation. Radiofrequency ablation lesion can be visualized by late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR). We sought to quantitatively analyze the relationship between ablation parameter and tissue lesion following PVI at different segments of pulmonary vein (PV) using LGE-CMR.

Methods

Twenty-one patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent PVI procedure were retrospectively enrolled. All patients underwent LGE-CMR examination within 3 days after radiofrequency ablation. Ablation parameters during PVI were documented, including lesion size index (LSI), force–time integral (FTI), power, contact force, temperature, and time of duration. The ablation point was projected onto 3-dimensional (3D) left atrial shell constructed base on LGE-CMR and corresponding image intensity ratio (IIR) was calculated on the same shell. A tissue lesion point was defined when the LGE-CMR IIR was > 1.2.

Results

In total, 1,759 ablation points were analyzed. The ablation parameters and IIRs for each PV segment were significantly different (P < 0.0001). IIRs corresponding to ablation points at posterior of PV tended to be higher than those at non-posterior of PV when similar ablation parameters were applied during ablation. LSI was a better predictor of tissue lesion existence following PVI than FTI, contact force, power, temperature, and duration time at non-posterior wall of PV. The IIR showed positive correlation with LSI at non-posterior wall of PV (non-posterior of right PV, r = 0.13, P = 0.001, non-posterior of left PV, r = 0.26, P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

When similar ablation parameters were applied during PVI, the posterior wall of PV had more severe tissue lesion than non-posterior wall of PV. Therefore, it was reasonable to decrease ablation energy at posterior wall of PV. Moreover, LSI was a better index to reflect tissue lesion quality following PVI at non-posterior of PV.
Case report: Lamin A/C gene mutation in patient with drug-induced type 1 Brugada syndrome at high arrhythmic risk
Authors: Russo Vincenzo , Papaccioli Giovanni , Maddaloni Valeria , Caputo Adriano , Pepe Nicola , Rago Anna , Maiorino Michele , Golino Paolo , Nigro Gerardo
Published: January 2023

We report the case of drug-induced type 1 Brugada syndrome at high arrhythmic risk associated with Lamin A/C gene mutation.
User engagement in mobile apps for people with schizophrenia: A scoping review
Authors: Simões de Almeida Raquel , Marques António
Published: January 2023

Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the number of mobile apps designed for mental health proposes and mHealth has been perceived as a promising approach to help people with schizophrenia to manage their condition. However, adoption rates are relatively low and long-term user engagement is a major issue. The aim of this study is to identify and better understand what strategies and factors may influence user engagement and facilitate prolonged use of apps for people with schizophrenia to better manage their illness. A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Arksey and O’Malley scoping review framework and following PRISMA ScR guidelines. The sources consisted of searching four electronic databases. Rayyan software was used for this study selection process and a narrative approach was used to synthesize the extracted data. A total of 28 studies which met the inclusion criteria were identified. The engagement strategies included push notifications, message prompts, personalization, application customization, goal setting, game-like features, use of different multimedia formats, social connectedness, support (peers and professionals), reliability of content and quality of feedback received. Some demographic factors may influence adherence such as age, gender, education level and socioeconomic status. Other factors also may play a role impacting engagement: health status, data privacy and security, involvement in design process, incentives for participation, app usage fitting in the user routines, initial training, and constant technical support. Included studies present high heterogeneity in outcome measures and thresholds criteria to assess engagement. Understanding what influences engagement and how to measure it is essential to enhance the design of mobile apps and deliver scalable solutions to help people with schizophrenia better manage their illness in their real-world uptake.
To what extent horizontal resolution improves the simulation of precipitation in CMIP6 HighResMIP models over Southwest China?
Authors: Jin Zhengrui , Ge Fei , Chen Quanliang , Lin Zhiye
Published: January 2023

Southwest China (SWC) is located in the eastern part of Tibetan Plateau (TP) with large elevation differences and complex topography, which has always been a challenge to the simulation of precipitation in climate modeling community. In this study, the differences in the simulation of precipitation over the SWC are evaluated using the lower and higher resolution models (LR and HR) from the High–Resolution Model Intercomparison Project (HighResMIP) protocol in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). Our results indicate that the spatial patterns of annual precipitation over the SWC for the period 1985–2014 are well reproduced in most of the HR and LR models, with an increasing tendency from the northwest to southeast. Compared with LR models, the wet biases over the eastern TP and the dry biases over the Sichuan Basin are significantly reduced in HR models. The bias for annual precipitation of the multi–model ensemble mean (MME) has been reduced from 0.97 mm/day (LR) to 0.72 mm/day (HR). In addition, the simulation of extreme precipitation is significantly improved in the finer horizontal resolution models, showing effectively reduced simulation biases in the Sichuan Basin compared with the LR models. The frequency and intensity of extremes are represented by heavy precipitation days (R10 mm) and maximum consecutive 5 days precipitation (Rx5day), which the relative changes have been decreased from 66% (LR) to 47% (HR) in R10 mm and decreased from 23% (LR) to 19% (HR) in Rx5day. We further examine the possible reasons for the difference between LR and HR models in precipitation simulation, showing that the HR models could generate “additional” cyclonic circulation and promote more upward motion with the water vapor convergence, thus correcting the dry biases of precipitation simulation over the Sichuan Basin. This indicates that atmospheric circulation and moisture conditions could be simulated more realistically in climate model with a finer resolution, further improving precipitation simulation performance.
Experimental study on horizontal frost heave force on open-cut tunnels in seasonal frozen regions
Authors: Meng-Ya Zhang , Hong-Yi Liu , Li-Dong Yang , Xing-Zhou Li , Zi-Hao Wang , Tang-Dai Xia
Published: January 2023

Model tests were performed with different temperatures and soil stabilizers to investigate the effect of horizontal frost heave force on open tunnels in seasonal frozen regions. Experimental results show that the dissipation of the frost heave force accelerated with the increase in temperature, and the data indicate that compared with soil without stabilizers, the horizontal frost heave force decreased by 10% and 15% in soil with lignin fiber and Huaxia No. 1 soil stabilizer. It can be concluded that the inhibitory effect of Huaxia No. 1 soil stabilizer on frost heave force was more significant than that of lignin fiber. According to the test results, the relation expression between horizontal frost heave force and frost heave amount was fitted.
Characterizing the shallow structure with the multimodal dispersion curves and the body wave refraction traveltimes from deep seismic sounding data
Authors: Guo Wenbin , Li Zhengbo , Zhao Shuai , Chen Xiaofei
Published: January 2023

Deep seismic sounding (DSS) profiles are one of the most powerful tools for detecting crustal structures, and they have been deployed worldwide. Generally, the analysis of DSS data mainly focuses on body waves, while the surface waves are considered noise. We suggest that the surface waves in DSS data can be used to constrain subsurface structures. In this study, we use a DSS profile in the Piedmont and Atlantic Coastal Plain as an example to present the usage of the DSS surface wave. Multimodal dispersion curves were extracted from the DSS data with the Frequency-Bessel transform method, and were used in Monte Carlo joint inversions with body wave refraction traveltimes to constrain the shallow structures. Through the inversion, a horizontal stratum on the surface was identified in the Piedmont, and a two-layer sedimentary structure was identified in the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Comparisons with existing studies verified the accuracy of the shallow structures obtained in this study, demonstrating that the shallow velocity structure could be well constrained with the additional constraints provided by the multimodal dispersion curves. Thus, we believe that further research on the surface waves recorded in DSS surveys is warranted.
A model for rock dissipated energy estimation based on acoustic emission measurements
Authors: Zhang Penghai , Guan Kai , Deng Wenxue , Liu Xige , Qin Tao , Ma Qingshan
Published: January 2023

The temporal domain of dissipated energy during rock damage and failure is commonly quantified using loading and unloading tests or elastic mechanics-based theoretical calculation methods. However, these approaches cannot be applied to obtain the spatial distribution of rock dissipated energy. This paper presents a novel model to estimate rock dissipated energy based on acoustic emission measurements. The proposed model is used to estimate the temporal and spatial distribution of dissipated energy in a sandstone specimen under uniaxial compression conditions. The results indicate that the model well describes the energy dissipation evolution trend in the temporal domain with an error of 38.63% compared with results calculated using the traditional method. The dissipated energy concentration area estimated by the model is located near the macroscopic fractures, which indicates that the model can describe the evolution process of rock energy dissipation in the spatial domain.
Excess pore water pressure behavior of saturated soft clay under cyclic confining pressure with different frequencies
Authors: Huang Juehao , Hu Jun , Wang Hongchao , Chen Jian , Liu Shuai
Published: January 2023

The excess pore water pressure is main factor affecting the dynamic response of saturated soft clay under traffic loads. Recognize that, cyclic triaxial tests with and without cyclic confining pressure were carried out to study the development of excess pore water pressure of saturated soft clay. The impacts of factors, such as cyclic stress ratio (CSR), loading frequency, and cyclic confining pressure, were analyzed. Excess pore water pressure increases with increasing cyclic stress ratios, while decreases with increasing loading frequencies. Nevertheless, with increasing cyclic confining pressures, the maximum excess pore water pressure increases, while the minimum excess pore water pressure remains unchanged. Besides that, the greater CSR and cyclic confining pressure deliver an increment of both maximum and minimum excess pore water pressure rate. However, the excess pore water pressure rate - time curves coincide under different loading frequencies. Meanwhile, both the normalized maximum and minimum excess pore water pressure rates are linearly proportional with time under different test conditions in logarithmic coordinates. Based on that, both maximum and minimum excess pore water pressure prediction models, relating to the above factors, are proposed, and the predicted results accord well with the measured data.
Quantitative characterization and origin of differences in pore parameter distribution: A case study of the lower cambrian longwangmiao formation in the gaoshiti area of central Sichuan Basin
Authors: Qu Haizhou , Yan Zanxu , Zheng Chao , Xu Wei , He Fuwei , Sun Qimeng , Zhang Xinyu , Li Minxing
Published: January 2023

The research on the developmental characteristics and evolution process of pores in dolomite reservoirs is a hot spot in petroleum geology. In this paper, taking the dolomite reservoirs of the Longwangmiao Formation in the Gaoshiti area as an example, the differential distribution and evolution of pore parameters have been systematically studied combined with downhole cores, logging, cast thin sections, and scanning electron microscope data. We used statistical methods and image analysis techniques to quantitatively characterize the pore distribution of the Longwangmiao Formation in the study area. Moreover, the factors controlling the distribution of pores in the dolomite of the Longwangmiao Formation were identified, namely, lithology, sedimentary facies and diagenesis. Finally, the evolution mode of pores of the Longwangmiao Formation was constructed. The results show that the main types of pores developed in the Longwangmiao Formation in the study area include intergranular and intragranular dissolved pores, intercrystalline dissolved pores and mold pores. Among them, the intergranular dissolved pores are the main pore type. The pores with surface porosity higher than 0.5% in the Long 2 Member in the study area account for 46% of the total pores, while those in the Long 1 Member account for 25.5%. Therefore, the degree of development of pores in the Long 2 Member is better than the Long 1 Member. In addition, the granular dolomite in the grain shoal facies is favorable for the formation of large-scale pores, and the oolitic dolomite is the most favorable reservoir type. The most favorable factors for the development of pores are the atmospheric freshwater dissolution and dolomitization in the quasi-contemporaneous period; the former caused the formation of a large number of intergranular dissolved pores, while the dolomitized particles and their ring-edge cements in the latter promoted the retention of residual intergranular dissolved pores. The dissolution, dolomite cementation and hydrothermal action in the burial stage promoted the reformation of pores.
The impacts of roughness length on the simulation of land-atmosphere water and heat exchanges over the Yarlung Zangbo Grand canyon region
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Wen Jun , Zhang Tangtang , Yang Yiting , Wu Yueyue , Zhang Ge , Liu Wenhui , Chen Yaling , Yan Zhitao
Published: January 2023

Precipitation has a significant influence on the topsoil moisture and further impacts the land-atmospheric water and heat exchange process over the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon region (YGC) where exhibits one of the highest frequencies of convective activity in China. The simulated performance of the Community Land Model version 5.0 (CLM5.0) on turbulent fluxes under seven roughness heights for heat transfer (Z0h) schemes at Motuo and Pailong stations over the YGC was evaluated. The results indicate that the CLM5.0 significantly overestimates the surface sensible heat flux (H) while the simulation performance of surface latent heat flux (LE) is better than H. By comparing and analyzing the simulation results, the Z0h schemes suitable for the YGC are selected optimally. The Zeng et al. (J. Hydrometeorol., 2012, 13, 1359–1370) scheme (Z12) is more suitable for the simulations of H, with the simulated RMSE of H at Motuo and Pailong stations on typical sunny days being only 21.63 and 15.13 W m−2, respectively, 81.51% and 76.96% lower than the original Z0h scheme of CLM5.0. The Garratt, J., R and Francey, R., J (Boundary. Layer. Meteorol., 1978, 15, 399–421) scheme (G78) is more suitable for simulating LE in the YGC. The simulated BIAS and RMSE of LE at Motuo station were 9.80% and 21.90% lower than that under the default scheme of CLM5.0 on typical cloudy days. In addition, except for the G78 and CLM5.0 default scheme, the Z0h under the other schemes showed obvious diurnal variation characteristics, and H was positively sensitive to Z0h, while LE was the opposite. Consequently, the optimal Z0h schemes are of great application value for further comparative analysis of the water and heat exchange process between the Grand Canyon land surface and the atmosphere, to better reveal the mechanism of land-atmosphere interactions in the YGC.
Deep learning based on self-supervised pre-training: Application on sandstone content prediction
Authors: Wang Chong Ming , Wang Xing Jian , Chen Yang , Wen Xue Mei , Zhang Yong Heng , Li Qing Wu
Published: January 2023

Deep learning has been widely used in various fields and showed promise in recent years. Therefore, deep learning is the future trend to realize seismic data’s intelligent and automatic interpretation. However, traditional deep learning only uses labeled data to train the model, and thus, does not utilize a large amount of unlabeled data. Self-supervised learning, widely used in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and computer vision, is an effective method of learning information from unlabeled data. Thus, a pretext task is designed with reference to Masked Autoencoders (MAE) to realize self-supervised pre-training of unlabeled seismic data. After pre-training, we fine-tune the model to the downstream task. Experiments show that the model can effectively extract information from unlabeled data through the pretext task, and the pre-trained model has better performance in downstream tasks.
Physical property differences of source rocks in the Lucaogou Formation and adsorption ability variation under their influence
Authors: Ge Dongfeng , Lv Dawei , Yao Peng , Wen Shupeng , Li Jiahui , Lei Guoming
Published: January 2023

Shale gas exploration is very important for the China in the further. There are many findings of shale gas in Northwest China, especially in Junggar Basin Permian Lucaogou Formation of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. However the basic geological characteristics of Lucaogou Formation is not still clear. In order to solve this problems, Quanzijie shale gas collected from the southern margin of the Junggar Basin is taken as the study area, and shale gas resources are investigated and evaluated using the organic-rich shale section. On this basis, the investigation and evaluation of shale gas resources in the Lucaogou Formation is performed. The reservoir performance, preservation conditions, compressibility, and gas-bearing properties of gas-bearing shale intervals are identified. The results are as follows: The vertical and horizontal lithological and lithofacies variations of the source rocks of the Lucaogou Formation are clarified. This layer is characterized by the upward thinning of grain size and the upward darkening of color in the vertical direction. The layer can be divided into upper and middle-lower sections, with organic shale being most developed in the upper section, and sandstone and dolomite being more developed in the middle and lower area. The main hydrocarbon source rocks are developed in the upper area of the Lucaogou Formation. The total thickness of the hydrocarbon source rocks is 78.12–513.73 m. The lithology is mainly gray-black shale, silty mudstone, and oil shale. The average organic carbon content is 4.86%. The maturity of the organic matter is mainly 0.7–0.8%. The shale reservoirs have a high content of brittle minerals, but the physical properties both of the shale and sandstone reservoirs are poor. These are generally ultra-low porosity and ultra-low permeability reservoirs, in which the oil and gas reservoir space is mainly fractures.
Experimental study on whole process of river blockage and dam break under different hydrodynamic conditions
Authors: Niu Zhipan , Meng Chuke , Xu Weilin , Di Baofeng , Long Yi , Yang Hang
Published: January 2023

River blockage and dam break usually occur in mountainous areas with many valleys, and are frequent and extremely harmful natural disasters. With the construction of infrastructures in mountainous areas, the demand for disaster prevention and control has been further increased. Based on an innovative flume model for simulating whole process of river blockage and dam break, the present study carried out eight groups tests under different inflow rates. In the analysis, the whole process of river blockage and dam break was divided into four stages: ESBA (Early stage of blockage), LSBA (Late stage of blockage), ESBK (Early stage of breaking) and LSBK (Late stage of breaking). By analyzing the relationship between Qin and Qmax, it is found that Qmax shows an overall trend of increase with the increase of Qin while some contrarily decreasing Qmax cases exist when Qin slightly increases. The cases of irregularities may come from the inflow condition impact and randomness during the dam formation process. In addition, the slope of the curve Qin–Qmax/Qin parameter shows a decreasing trend with the increase in the median particle size of the soil. The present study proposes a new method for model experiments, providing new ideas for subsequent model experiments. Furthermore, these conclusions can provide reference for disaster prevention and mitigation in mountainous areas.
Differential relations among expectancy, task value, engagement, and academic performance: The role of generation status
Authors: Edwards Ordene V. , Dai Ting
Published: January 2023

Introduction

We investigated differences in domain-general expectancy, value, and engagement in school by generation status and how the relationship among these constructs and academic performance differ by generation status.

Methods

A total of 573 college students enrolled in introductory psychology courses participated in the study. We collected data on generation status, expectancy-value beliefs, school engagement, and official GPA data from participants, tested measurement invariance of expectancy-value beliefs and engagement between first-generation college students (FGCS) and continuing generation college students (CGCS), and conducted multigroup modeling to understand the differential relations of expectancy-value, engagement, and GPA between the two groups.

Results

We discovered that the latent mean of expectancy beliefs differed significantly by generation status, with FGCS reporting higher expectancy than CGCS. There were no differences in the latent mean of task value. Multigroup structural equation modeling revealed that the effect of expectancy-value motivation on behavioral engagement was similar across groups, but its effect on cognitive engagement was greater for the FGCS than for the CGCS. For both groups, expectancy impacted academic performance via behavioral engagement. Finally, neither expectancy-value motivation nor cognitive engagement directly predicted academic performance for either group.

Discussion

The findings have important theoretical implications for understanding motivation and achievement of FGCS and CGCS and critical practical implications regarding undergraduate education.
The interplay between prolactin and cardiovascular disease
Authors: Glezer Andrea , Santana Mariana Ramos , Bronstein Marcello D. , Donato Jose , Jallad Raquel Soares
Published: January 2023

Hyperprolactinemia can be caused by several conditions and its effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis are understood in more detail. Nevertheless, in recent decades, other metabolic effects have been studied and data pointed to a potential increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. A recent study showed a decrease in total and LDL- cholesterol only in men with prolactinoma treated with dopamine agonists (DA) supporting the previous results of a population study with increased CVD risk in men harboring prolactinoma. However, other population studies did not find a correlation between prolactin (PRL) levels and CVD risk or mortality. There is also data pointing to an increase in high-density lipoprotein levels, and decreases in triglycerides, carotid-intima-media thickness, C-reactive protein, and homocysteine levels in patients with prolactinoma on DA treatment. PRL was also implicated in endothelial dysfunction in pre and postmenopausal women. Withdrawal of DA resulted in negative changes in vascular parameters and an increase in plasma fibrinogen. It has been shown that PRL levels were positively correlated with blood pressure and inversely correlated with dilatation of the brachial artery and insulin sensitivity, increased homocysteine levels, and elevated D-dimer levels. Regarding possible mechanisms for the association between hyperprolactinemia and CVD risk, they include a possible direct effect of PRL, hypogonadism, and even effects of DA treatment, independently of changes in PRL levels. In conclusion, hyperprolactinemia seems to be associated with impaired endothelial function and DA treatment could improve CVD risk. More studies evaluating CVD risk in hyperprolactinemic patients are important to define a potential indication of treatment beyond hypogonadism.
The relationship between sugar-sweetened beverages, sleep disorders, and diabesity
Authors: Zhang Yi , Liu Chao , Xu Yijing , Wang Yanlei , Zhang Yulin , Jiang Tian , Zhang Qiu ,   the China National Diabetic Chronic Complications Study Group
Published: January 2023

Background

Diabetes and obesity in adults are global issues. Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are increasingly categorized under the umbrella term “diabesity.” Health risk factors (HRFs), which include altering sleep habits and reducing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) consumption, have emerged as relatively novel and crucial strategies for preventing and treating diabetes.

Objective

We aimed to explore: 1) whether SSBs could affect diabesity in China’s community; 2) whether HRFs could moderate this relationship; and 3) whether a three-way interaction exists between HRFs, SSBs, and diabesity.

Methods

On December 10, 2018, we investigated diabetes complications in four cities in Anhui Province and obtained basic and lifestyle information using a detailed questionnaire. The primary exposure was SSBs and outcomes were body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), while glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and sleep patterns (including duration and disorders) were considered moderators.

Results

Overall, 1920 participants were enrolled, and those who did not complete the questionnaire were excluded. Finally, this study included 1765 participants, with a response rate of 92.0%. The mean age was (57.10 ± 10.0) years. Patients with lower educational levels were more likely to have a lower prevalence of WC (χ2 = 2.73) and BMI (χ2 = 3.47), and some HRFs were positively correlated with WC and BMI. Additionally, SSBs were significantly associated with BMI (β = 1.29) and WC (β = 2.97), and there was also differences based on sex, some HRFs, such as HbA1c, FBG and TG, showed higher levels in male participants, whereas TC level was higher in female participants. In the moderation analysis, sleep patterns were also associated with total cholesterol, triglyceride, and BMI. Furthermore, there were three-way interaction effects among HbA1c, sleep patterns, and SSBs on total cholesterol, triglyceride, BMI, and WC. Moreover, sensitivity analysis demonstrated that our results were robust.

Conclusion

SSBs positively correlated with patterns dose-dependently. Moreover, SSBs could also be associated with sleep patterns, and blood glucose levels were correlated with diabesity. A three-way interaction effect was discovered between SSBs, sleep patterns, blood glucose levels, and patterns. Therefore, understanding the diabesity caused by SSBs and other HRFs can help prevent its occurrence.
Neck-to-height ratio is positively associated with diabetic kidney disease in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: He Zhi-Ying , Gu Xiao , Du Lin-Jia , Hu Xiang , Zhang Xing-Xing , Yang Li-Juan , Li Ying-Qian , Li Jing , Pan Lin-Yu , Yang Bo , Gu Xue-Jiang , Lin Xiu-Li
Published: January 2023

Introduction

The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of neck circumference (NC) and neck-to-height (NHR) with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Materials and methods

A total of 2,615 patients with prevalent T2DM were enrolled. NHR was calculated through NC (cm) divided by height (cm), and prevalent DKD was defined as the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥ 30 mg/g or the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 in the absence of other primary kidney diseases.

Results

The levels of NC and NHR were higher in DKD patients compared with non-DKD patients (38.22 vs. 37.71, P = 0.003; 0.232 vs. 0.227, P < 0.001, respectively). After full adjustments, individuals at the highest tertile of NHR had higher odds of DKD than those at the lowest tertile (multivariate-adjusted OR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.22, 2.18), but this association was not pronounced with NC (multivariate-adjusted OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 0.87, 1.76). Individuals at the highest tertile of NHR had lower eGFR (β = -4.64, 95% CI: -6.55, -2.74) and higher UACR levels (β = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.45) than those at the lowest tertile. The adverse association between NHR and prevalent DKD remained statistically significant among most of the subgroups analyzed and no interaction effects were observed.

Conclusion

The increase in NHR was adversely and independently associated with DKD in this Chinese T2DM population.
Residential electricity package model considering load difference penalty in China
Authors: Zhou Xiuna , Dong Junfeng , Wang Gang , Chu Yan
Published: January 2023

The increasing load difference between peak and off-peak seasons has led to the unstable operation of China’s power systems in recent years. In addition, the current electricity package structure system of China, which is gradually liberalizing its electricity market, remains imperfect. This paper establishes a model of residential electricity packages that considers load difference penalty during peak and off-peak seasons. First, consumers’ utility of different packages is established and thus the optimal is determined by maximizing the utility function. Then, a mathematical model focusing on the minimization of load difference of retail electricity packages during peak and off-peak seasons is established. We thus design a particle-swarm based algorithm to solve the problem. Through simulation results of several numerical examples, we demonstrate that the profit of retailer is increased by 37.35% and Load difference during peak and off-peak seasons is reduced by 78.01%, improving the power demand curve of users and the operation efficiency of power systems.
Peak power prediction method of heat pipe cooled reactor start-up and power-up processes based on ANN
Authors: Liu Yu , Huang Mengqi , Du Zhengyu , Peng Changhong , Wang Zhe
Published: January 2023

The start-up and power-up processes of the heat pipe cooled reactor are essential parts of the autonomous operations. The rapid power fluctuation in the processes can affect the safety of the heat pipe reactor. The fast and accurate prediction of the peak power is significant for the safe operation of the heat pipe cooled reactor. This paper generates the peak power datasets of heat pipe cooled reactor start-up and power-up processes by coupling Monte Carlo sampling, and system analysis program with heat pipe cooled reactor MegaPoweras the research object. A fast prediction model of peak power was developed based on the artificial neural network and evaluated in terms of cost, accuracy, and interpretability. The results show that the artificial neural network model has high prediction accuracy and is suitable for large datasets with complex non-linear relations. However, the training cost is high, and the interpretability is weak. The above characteristics are explained by theoretical analysis, and the ability of ensemble algorithms to improve the accuracy of the artificial neural networks is discussed.
Effect of tooth head modification on the performance of a scroll expander for ORC waste heat recovery system
Authors: Liu Zhen , Xie Dongsheng , Li Zheng , Huang Tengjun , Liu Zengpeng
Published: January 2023

In order to cope with the energy crisis and improve energy efficiency, the use of organic Rankine cycle (ORC) to convert low-quality heat energy into electricity and use it is an effective method. Based on the ORC waste heat recovery system of vehicle engine, this paper explores the flow heat transfer and deformation law of the core component scroll expander under different tooth head corrections. Deformation has a significant impact on the performance of the expander. In this study, several flow-thermal-solid coupling models based on double circular arc correction and double circular arc plus straight-line correction are established. The effects of tooth head correction on the strength and stiffness of tooth head, flow field distribution of suction chamber and deformation characteristics of tooth head are studied. Finally, the deformation law of scroll tooth head with different correction angles was discussed. The results show that the EA-SAL correction makes the wall curvature of the tooth head change greatly, and the flow field in the center of the tooth head becomes more uneven and complicated. The tooth head area under EA-SAL modification is larger, and the tooth head strength and stiffness are improved by about 6%. Within a certain angle range, the tooth head deformation after EA-SAL correction is slightly larger than that after PMP correction, but the difference between them decreases and even reverses with the increase of angle. The maximum deformation of the EA-SAL modified tooth head under internal pressure is about 20% smaller than that of PMP. With a given initial correction angle ∅, the deformation of the corrected tooth head caused by a pressure or temperature load reduces when the correction angle γ is reduced, Therefore, reducing the correction angle properly is helpful to reduce the deformation of the tooth head.
RETRACTED: Research on the path to improve the efficiency of government social governance based on data mining technology under the background of carbon neutrality
Authors: Feng Hao , Pi Zhongxu
Published: January 2023

Using data mining to improve the efficiency of government governance in the context of carbon neutrality is an important way to achieve the modernization of the national governance system. This study starts with the logic of carbon neutral issues, analyzes the factors and indicators that affect the effectiveness of social governance, and constructs the evaluation index system of government social governance efficiency based on data mining application under the background of carbon neutral, including per capita GDP, per capita domestic power consumption of residents, per capita CO2 emissions, per capita green area, industrial waste gas treatment rate, industrial wastewater discharge compliance rate and other indicators, which includes 4 first-class indicators, 19 second-class indicators and 38 third class indicators. Then, the CV-CRITICAL (coefficient of variation critical) index weight determination algorithm is used to determine the index weight. The Pearson correlation coefficient method is used to evaluate the correlation between the two vectors, and then the rationality of the government social governance efficiency evaluation index system based on data mining applications is evaluated. The evaluation results show that the level of social governance effectiveness of the Chinese government is on the rise from 2016 to 2021. This study promotes the application of improving the efficiency of government social governance in the context of carbon neutrality, and provides tools for relevant assessment through data mining technology. This research can not only deepen the theoretical connotation of government governance effectiveness, but also help promote the application of big data in government governance practice.
Establishing a benthic macrofaunal baseline for the sandy shoreline ecosystem within the Gulf Islands National Seashore in response to the DwH oil spill
Authors: Rakocinski Chet F. , LeCroy Sara E. , VanderKooy Kathy E. , Heard Richard W.
Published: January 2023

Sandy shorelines present a first line of defense against the catastrophic effects of storms and oil spills within the coastal zone of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Immediately following the DwH oil spill prior to any spill related impacts, we conducted a rapid response survey of the sandy shoreline benthic macrofauna from throughout the National Park Service - Gulf Islands National Seashore (GINS) in Mississippi and Florida. To characterize pre-spill macrofaunal assemblages, we surveyed seven barrier island or peninsular areas comprising nine exposed and 12 protected shoreline sites. A comparable benthic macrofaunal inventory had been conducted 17 years earlier using a parallel study design. The primary objective of this study was to distinguish hierarchical spatiotemporal scales of macrofaunal variation within the 1993 and 2010 GINS data. We hypothesized that the 1993 GINS macrofaunal inventory baseline was stable, despite multiple disturbances by large storms within the intervening 17-year period. Additionally, the relative importance of hierarchical spatial scales of macrofaunal dissimilarity was examined so suitable scales of macrofaunal variation could be identified for assessments of stressor effects at commensurate scales. An Implicit Nested Mixed Model PERMANOVA using Type 1 sequential Sum of Squares delineated variation components of nested scales which ranked Station > Shore Side > Site > Habitat > District > Year. The Year main factor had the smallest effect on macrofaunal variation, confirming that the 1993 GINS macrofaunal inventory can serve as the foundation for a robust baseline including both the 1993 and the 2010 macrofaunal data for the GINS. A literal Hierarchical Nested Mixed Model PERMANOVA using Type 1 sequential Sum of Squares (SS) partitioned effects among nested factors and their interactions. Definitive macrofaunal variation was expressed for all combinations of two levels for each of the three spatially nested fixed factors, District, Shore Side, and Habitat. Variation in macrofaunal dissimilarity for combined levels of fixed factors reflected corresponding differences in the macrofauna. The use of sandy shoreline macrofaunal assemblages as ecological indicators would fulfill the need to focus on cumulative effects of oil spills and should be eminently tractable when responses and impacts are considered on commensurate scales.
Novel candidate genes for cholesteatoma in chronic otitis media
Authors: Lee Nam K. , Cass Stephen P. , Gubbels Samuel P. , Gomez Helen Z. , Scholes Melissa A. , Jenkins Herman A. , Santos-Cortez Regie Lyn P.
Published: January 2023

Cholesteatoma is a rare and benign disease, but its propensity to cause erosive damage through uninhibited growth can be detrimental to hearing and health. Prior reports indicated a genetic component to pathogenesis in at least a subset of patients. In this study, we aimed to identify rare DNA variants in affected patients. The salivary DNA of six patients whose middle ear tissues were obtained during tympanoplasty/mastoidectomy surgeries were submitted for exome sequencing. Tissue samples from the same patients were previously submitted for mRNA sequencing and analyzed for differentially expressed genes (DEGs). From the generated exome sequence data, rare predicted-to-be-damaging variants were selected within previously identified DEGs, and the candidate genes within which these rare variants lie were used for network analysis. Exome sequencing of six DNA samples yielded 5,078 rare variants with minor allele frequency <.001. A total of 510 variants were predicted to be deleterious and 52 were found to lie within previously identified DEGs. After selecting variants based on quality control measures, 12 variants were identified all from one pediatric patient. Network analysis identified ten significant cellular pathways, including protein transport, viral process, regulation of catalytic activity and cell cycle, and apoptotic and rhythmic processes. We hypothesize that the candidate genes identified in this study may be part of key signaling pathways during the mucosal response to middle ear infection. The occurrence of multiple rare variants may play a role in earlier onset of cholesteatoma formation in chronic otitis media.
Damage mapping techniques and the light they have shed on canonical and atypical UV photoproducts
Authors: Bohm Kaitlynne A. , Wyrick John J.
Published: January 2023

Ultraviolet (UV) light is a pervasive threat to the DNA of terrestrial organisms. UV light induces helix-distorting DNA lesions, primarily cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) that form between neighboring pyrimidine bases. Unrepaired CPD lesions cause cytosine-to-thymine (C>T) substitutions in dipyrimidine sequences, which is the predominant mutation class in skin cancer genomes. However, many driver mutations in melanoma (e.g., in the BRAF and NRAS oncogenes) do not fit this UV mutation signature. Recent studies have brought to light the intriguing hypothesis that these driver mutations may be induced by infrequent or atypical UV photoproducts, including pyrimidine 6-4 pyrimidone photoproducts (6-4PP) and thymine-adenine (TA) photoproducts. Here, we review innovative methods for mapping both canonical and atypical UV-induced photoproducts across the genome.