bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Afromontane forests and human impact after the African Humid Period: wood charcoal from the Sodicho rock shelter, SW Ethiopian highlands
Authors: Bodin Stéphanie C. , Neumann Katharina , Hensel Elena A. , Vogelsang Ralf , Demissew Sebsebe , Casas-Gallego Manuel , Hahn Karen
Published: January 2024

The SW highlands of Ethiopia are a key component in the evolution of modern humans. Yet, palaeoecological studies, essential to understand past human-vegetation relationships, are almost inexistent in this region. In this paper, we present an anthracological study of the Sodicho rock shelter, located at 1,930 m a.s.l. in the SW Ethiopian Afromontane forest zone, reconstructing the past woody vegetation since the end of the African Humid Period (ca. 5,000 cal bp). Our results show that the vegetation around the rock shelter from ca. 4,750 to 1,750 cal bp was an ecotone between Afromontane forest and wooded grasslands of the lowlands, maintained open by the use of fire, although the climatic conditions were favourable for closed forest. The charcoal assemblage also demonstrates strong wood selection, with Syzygium guineense, Acacia and Proteaceae as the preferred taxa, even during a volcanic event when human occupation had been assumed to be absent. We therefore suggest that the rock shelter might have been visited more continuously than previously thought. Finally, under less intense occupation activities from ca. 1,700 to 300 cal bp, forest taxa became comparatively more dominant than before, as documented in the charcoal record. This demonstrates that the forest can recover under reduced human impact. The fact that the Afromontane forest is resilient is of utmost importance, indicating that reforestation is still possible despite the strong agricultural and demographic pressures the Ethiopian highlands are currently facing.
Inventions, innovations and the origins of spelt wheat
Authors: Lechterbeck Jutta , Kerig Tim
Published: January 2024

What turns an invention into an innovation? How, if at all, might we observe this process archaeologically? Loosely put, new varieties of plants or animals might be considered as inventions (whether from deliberate breeding or by chance), but ones that are only taken up by humans more systematically as innovations when certain social, demographic, economic and environmental factors encourage such take-up. The archaebotanically-observed history of spelt wheat (Triticum spelta) is an interesting case in this respect. Prior to 3000 bce, spelt is occasionally found in very small amounts at sites in eastern Europe and south-west Asia, but is usually considered to be a crop weed in such contexts, rather than a cultivar. However, rather suddenly across Central Europe ~ 3000−2500 bce spelt appears more consistently at multiple Chalcolithic and especially Bell Beaker sites, in quantities which suggest a shift to its use as a deliberate crop. By the full-scale Bronze Age in this region, spelt becomes one of the major crops. This paper discusses this Central European process in greater detail via macro-botanical evidence. It argues that demographic factors during the Neolithic may have inhibited the spread of Asian spelt into central Europe, and that while small amounts of local European spelt were probably present earlier on, it was only at the very end of the Neolithic, in tandem with human population increases and major technological changes such as the introduction of the plough that spelt was taken up as a cultivar. In particular, a shift by some communities in the region ~ 3000−2500 bce to more extensive (and sometimes plough-enabled) agricultural strategies may have favoured deliberate cultivation of spelt on less productive soils, given this variety’s relative robustness to harsher conditions. In other words, a combination of conditions was necessary for this innovation to really take hold.
The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone associated with nasal and paranasal malignant tumors
Authors: Dang Shoutao , Zhang Shurong , Zhao Jingyang , Li Xinyu , Li Wei
Published: January 2024

Purpose

To investigate the clinical characteristics of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) associated with nasal and paranasal malignant tumors.

Methods

Patients with locally advanced or recurrence/metastatic malignant tumors of the nasal and paranasal sinuses were included. The SIADH was diagnosed according to the diagnostic criteria. The clinical characteristics of SIADH patients were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

Six patients (6/188, 3.2%) met the diagnostic criteria of SIADH, including four olfactory neuroblastoma (4/26, 15.4%), one neuroendocrine carcinoma (1/9, 11.1%), and one squamous cell carcinoma (1/63, 1.6%). Five patients (83.3%) had severe hyponatremia; however, the hyponatremia could be improved by fluid restriction or tolvaptan. Three patients' SIADH were recovered during the chemotherapy and the other three were recovered after the surgery.

Conclusion

The incidence of SIADH associated with nasal and paranasal malignant tumors is relatively more common in olfactory neuroblastoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma. The hyponatremia caused by SIADH may be corrected by fluid restriction or tolvaptan, and the SIADH may be recovered through anti-tumor therapy.
The clinical profile, genetic basis and survival of childhood cardiomyopathy: a single-center retrospective study
Authors: Yuan Wenjing , Jia Zhongli , Li Jiajin , Liu Lingjuan , Tian Jie , Huang Xupei , Quan Junjun
Published: January 2024

Cardiomyopathy (CM) is a heterogeneous group of myocardial diseases in children. This study aimed to identify demographic features, clinical presentation and prognosis of children with CM. Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors associated with mortality were evaluated by Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Genetic testing was also conducted on a portion of patients. Among the 317 patients, 40.1%, 25.2%, 24.6% and 10.1% were diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC) and restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), respectively. The most common symptom observed was dyspnea (84.2%). Except for HCM, the majority of patients were classified as NYHA/Ross class III or IV. The five-year survival rates were 75.5%, 67.3%, 74.1% and 51.1% in DCM, HCM, LVNC and RCM, respectively. The ten-year survival rates were 60.1%, 56.1%, 57.2% and 41.3% in DCM, HCM, LVNC and RCM, respectively. Survival was inversely related to NYHA/Ross class III or IV in patients with DCM, HCM and RCM. Out of 42 patients, 32 were reported to carry gene mutations.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that CM, especially RCM, is related to a high incidence of death. NYHA/Ross class III or IV is a predictor of mortality in the patients and gene mutations may be a common cause.

Trial registration: MR-50-23-011798.

What is Known:• Cardiomyopathy (CM) is a heterogeneous group of myocardial diseases and one of the leading causes of heart failure in children due to the lack of effective treatments.• There remains scarce data on Asian pediatric populations though emerging studies have assessed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of CM.

What is New:• A retrospective study was conducted and the follow-up records were established to investigate the clinical characteristics, the profile of gene mutations and prognostic outcomes of children with CM in Western China.• CM, especially RCM, is related to a high incidence of death. NYHA/Ross class III or IV is a predictor of mortality in the patients and gene mutations may be a common cause.
Parameterisation and Prediction of Intra-canal Cochlear Structures
Authors: Thiselton Joshua , Hanekom Tania
Published: January 2024

Accurate 3D models of the cochlea are useful tools for research in the relationship between the electrode array and nerve fibres. The internal geometry of the cochlear canal plays an important role in understanding and quantifying that relationship. Predicting the location and shapes of the geometry is done by measuring histologic sections and fitting equations that can be used to predict parameters that fully define the geometry. A parameter sensitivity analysis is employed to prove that the size and location of the spiral lamina are the characteristics that most influence current distribution along target nerve fibres. The proposed landmark prediction method more accurately predicts the location of the points defining the spiral lamina in the apical region of the cochlea than methods used in previous modelling attempts. Thus, this technique can be used to generate 2D geometries that can be expanded to 3D models when high-resolution imaging is not available.
Sentinel lymph nodes in melanoma: necessary as ever for optimal treatment
Authors: Faries Mark B.
Published: January 2024

Lymphatic metastasis is the dominant route of initial spread for most solid tumors. For many such malignancies, including melanomas, surgical treatment previously included removal of all potentially draining regional lymph nodes (elective node dissection). The advent of lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy allowed accurate pathologic assessment of the metastatic status of regional nodes and spared patients full dissection if their SLN was clear. In melanoma, recent clinical research has demonstrated that complete lymph node dissection is not clinically beneficial, even for patients with sentinel node metastases and that patients with high-risk primary melanomas benefit from adjuvant systemic immunotherapy, even without nodal disease. These two changes in the standard of care have led to some interest in abandoning surgical nodal staging via the sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure. However, this appears to be premature and potentially detrimental to optimal patient management. The ongoing value of sentinel node biopsy stems from its ability to provide critically important prognostic information as well as durable regional nodal disease control for most patients with nodal metastases, even in the absence of complete dissection of the basin. It also provides an opportunity to identify novel prognostic and predictive immunologic and molecular biomarkers. While it is certainly possible that additional changes in melanoma therapy will make sentinel lymph node biopsy obsolete in the future, at present it remains a minimally invasive, low morbidity means of improving both staging and outcomes.
Silenced-C5ar1 improved multiple organ injury in sepsis rats via inhibiting neutrophil extracellular trap
Authors: Shen Bin , Shen Qikai , Zeng Qingqiu , Zhang Lingyan , Li Xiaofeng
Published: January 2024

Sepsis has a systemic inflammatory response syndrome caused by infection. While neutrophils play contradictory roles in different stages of sepsis. Neutrophils have been proven to play an antibacterial role by producing neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Although the NET is beneficial to bacteria resistance, abnormal NET increases tissue damage. The complement C5a receptor 1 (C5ar1) is a gene related to strong inflammatory reactions and is found to be associated with inflammatory factors. This study found that there were 45 down-regulated genes and 704 up-regulated genes in sepsis rats by transcriptome sequencing. And those genes were significantly related to inflammation and immunity by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis involving the chemokine signaling pathway, the Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway, and the Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis. Additionally, the C5ar1 gene was significantly upregulated with interesting potential in sepsis and used for further study. This study used cecum ligation and puncture (CLP) rats that were respectively injected intravenously with PBS or the lentivirus vector to explore the effect of C5ar1 on CLP rats. It demonstrated that silenced- C5ar1 inhibited the ALT, AST, BUN, and CREA levels, improved the lung and spleen injury, and reduced the TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-10, cf-DNA, and cfDNA/MPO levels. Additionally, silenced C5ar1 inhibited the TLR2, TLR4, and peptidylarginine deiminase 4 expression levels, which suggested the improvement of silenced C5ar1 on sepsis via inhibiting NETs and the TLR signaling pathway. This study provides a basis and new direction for the study of treatment on sepsis.
Knockout of KDM3A in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells inhibits tumor malignancy and promotes apoptosis
Authors: Han Yuanxing , Maimaiti Nueryemu , Sun Yue , Yao Juan
Published: January 2024

The histone lysine demethylase 3 A (KDM3A) is vital for the regulation of cancer physiology and pathophysiology. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of KDM3A expression with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) invasion and metastasis. In our results, knockout of KDM3A in TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells promoted apoptosis and inhibited the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, we found that in vivo experiments indicated that the growth, invasion and metastasis of metastatic neoplasms were significantly inhibited by knockout of KDM3A in a TNBC metastasis model. These findings suggest that KDM3A may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment and prevention of TNBC, providing a critical theoretical basis for the effective prevention or treatment of breast cancer disease.
Forming Behavior of Additively Manufactured Al/Ti Material Compounds Produced by Cold Spraying
Authors: Drehmann Rico , Colditz Pascal , Graf Marcel , List Alexander , Gärtner Frank , Awiszus Birgit , Lampke Thomas
Published: January 2024

Cold spraying has great potential for additive manufacturing, especially of oxidation-sensitive metals, because the material is not melted and significantly higher deposition rates can be achieved than with conventional additive manufacturing processes such as selective laser melting or direct metal deposition. Titanium is regarded as a high-performance engineering material due to its unique combination of properties, including good corrosion resistance, biocompatibility and high strength at comparatively low density. However, due to its high price, it appears reasonable for many applications to use material compounds in which titanium is only used on the surface of the workpiece, while less expensive materials such as aluminum are used for the remaining volume. In the present work, cold sprayed pure titanium coatings were deposited on Al substrates and then formed to defined 3-dimensional final contours by die forging and rotary swaging. Different porosities were selectively set in order to evaluate their influence on the coating adhesion and cohesion in the forming process. Pre-consolidation of the coatings and the use of Al/Ti interlayers proved to be promising strategies.
How Do Foreign Labor Regulations Affect Firms’ Operating Strategies?
Authors: Moon S. Katie , Sertsios Giorgo
Published: January 2024

We examine how changes in foreign labor regulations affect U.S. multinationals’ operating strategies. We show that firms with integrated operations in countries where labor regulations become tighter tend to establish arm’s-length relations with local business partners in that nation. The substitution between integrated and arm’s-length operations is stronger toward joint ventures than suppliers and weaker in the presence of financial constraints. Our findings are consistent with the idea that when firms find it harder to terminate their workers in integrated operations, they change to an operating model where it is easier to replace or discontinue business partners instead of employees.
Parsability revisited and reassessed
Authors: Monakhov Sergei
Published: January 2024

This paper provides evidence that the inveterate way of assessing linguistic items’ degrees of analysability by calculating their derivation to base frequency ratios may obfuscate the difference between two meaning processing models: one based on the principle of compositionality and another on the principle of parsability. I propose to capture the difference between these models by estimating the ratio of two transitional probabilities for complex words: P (affix | base) and P (base | affix). When transitional probabilities are comparably low, each of the elements entering into combination is equally free to vary. The combination itself is judged by speakers to be semantically transparent, and its derivational element tends to be more linguistically productive. In contrast, multi-morphemic words that are characterised by greater discrepancies between transitional probabilities are similar to collocations in the sense that they also consist of a node (conditionally independent element) and a collocate (conditionally dependent element). Such linguistic expressions are also considered to be semantically complex but appear less transparent because the collocate’s meaning does not coincide with the meaning of the respective free element (even if it exists) and has to be parsed out from what is available.
CONCEPTUAL MUSIC: NEW MEDIA AND FRONTIERS IN MARYANNE AMACHER’S CITY-LINKS SERIES
Authors: Dougherty Liam T.
Published: January 2024

Between 1967 and 1988 Maryanne Amacher's City-Links series comprised radio broadcasts, sound installations and interdisciplinary performances featuring her practice of mixing sonic material from multiple remote locations joined via telecommunications infrastructure. These works reflect Amacher's compositional elevation of the process of sonic perception alongside musical material, an approach that would evolve to inform her later work in which she dealt with the musical potential of psychoacoustic phenomena known as auditory distortion products. This article aims to provide an overview of the City-Links series as a unique product of the experimentation in post-war avant-garde music and visual and conceptual art. After a synopsis of Amacher's early compositional development, I offer a comparison between Amacher's City-Links and John Cage's radio works, exploring different contemporary approaches to transmission and broadcast as a compositional medium. I then situate the site-specificity of the City-Links works within the extramusical frame offered by Amacher's contemporary Robert Smithson's site/non-site dialectic. The article finally suggests the necessity for a more holistic examination of Amacher's legacy that accounts for both the musicological and art-historical implications of her work.
Automatic weld joint type recognition in intelligent welding using image features and machine learning algorithms
Authors: Sonwane Satish , Chiddarwar Shital
Published: January 2024

Welding is the most basic and widely used manufacturing process. Intelligent robotic welding is an area that has received much consideration owing to the widespread use of robots in welding operations. With the dawn of Industry 4.0, machine learning is substantially developing to alleviate issues around applying robotic welding intelligently. Identifying the correct weld joint type is essential for intelligent robotic welding. It affects the quality of the weldment and impacts the per-unit cost. The robot controller must change different welding parameters per joint type to attain the desired weld quality. This article presents an approach that uses image features like edges, corners, and blobs to identify different weld joint types using machine learning algorithms. Feature extractors perform the task of feature extraction. The feature extractor choice is crucial for accurate weld joint identification. The present study compares the performance of five feature extractors, namely (1) Histogram of gradients, (2) Local binary pattern, (3) ReLU3 layer, (4) ReLU4 layer, and (5) Pooling layer of ResNet18 Neural network applied to classifiers like Support Vector machines, K-Nearest Neighbor and Decision trees. We trained and tested the proposed model using the Kaggle Weld joint dataset (for Butt and Fillet Joints) and our in-house dataset (for Vee, lap, and corner joints). The experimental findings show that out of the 15 models, the pre-trained ResNet18 feature extractor with an Support Vector Machines classifier has excellent performance with a threefold recognition accuracy of 98.74% for the mentioned dataset with a computation time of 31 ms per image.
Deepening or Endangering Democracy: Demonstrations and Institutions under Representative Government
Authors: Fishman Robert M.
Published: January 2024

Do demonstrations tend to deepen or endanger democracy? I examine this theme of major debate between scholars and among political actors, analyzing how the United States and other democracies have dealt with—and been shaped by—popular pressure on representative institutions. Cases that are discussed include Martin Luther King’s 1963 March on Washington and the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol, as well as examples drawn from Spain, Portugal, and Italy. I offer clear principles to differentiate between types of protest that deepen democracy, advance the goal of inclusion, and others that endanger democratic principles. Among the issues I take up is whether the location of protest—for example, adjacent to or even inside legislative chambers—is decisive. Rejecting that approach, my argument instead emphasizes the difference between protests intended to influence policy-making or the political agenda and those that use intimidation or violence to replace the primacy of elections in selecting office holders. The discussion argues that conceptualizing demonstrations as complementary to the work of representative institutions can help to promote the difficult to obtain objective of political equality between citizens. The article also asks whether consensus on this matter can be attained and if so how.
Gender and Age Invariance of the Global Belief in a Just World	Scale
Authors: Liu Lei , Sun Jianmin
Published: January 2024

Abstract: Belief in a Just World (BJW) underscores the psychological inclination of individuals to view the world as just, where outcomes typically correspond with one’s actions and behaviors. Despite the widespread application of the Global Belief in a Just World Scale (GBJWS) in the social sciences as a measure for the BJW construct, there remains an insufficient exploration of its measurement invariance across age and gender, especially among Chinese working adults. This study aims to fill this gap by using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) for gender invariance and local structural equation modeling for age invariance assessment. Statistics analyses with 2,128 participants confirmed configural, metric, and scalar invariance for gender, with latent mean comparisons revealing no significant gender differences in BJW. However, age invariance did not reach scalar invariance, suggesting caution in utilizing the one-factor structure of the GBJWS for age-related research. This investigation offers a deeper understanding of the GBJWS’s validity and responds to the pressing call for research on the scale’s applicability across diverse demographic contexts.
Impact of Marine Heatwaves on Air‐Sea CO2 Flux Along the US East Coast
Authors: Edwing Kelsea , Wu Zelun , Lu Wenfang , Li Xinyu , Cai Wei‐Jun , Yan Xiao‐Hai
Published: January 2024

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are extremely warm ocean temperature events that significantly affect marine environments, but their effects on the coastal carbonate system are still uncertain. In this study, we systematically quantify MHWs' impacts on air‐sea carbon dioxide (CO2) flux anomalies (FCO2′) in the Mid‐Atlantic Bight (MAB) and South Atlantic Bight (SAB) from 1992 to 2020. During the longest MHW in both regions, oceanic CO2 uptake capabilities substantially decreased, primarily due to significant increases in the seawater partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2sea). For all cases, MHWs played a more significant role in driving pCO2sea changes in the MAB than the SAB, where non‐thermal drivers dominated pCO2sea variability. In the MAB, weakened wind speeds related to wintertime atmospheric perturbations increase ocean temperatures and pCO2sea, further reducing CO2 uptake during winter MHWs. This work is the first to connect extreme temperatures to coastal air‐sea CO2 fluxes. The reduction in CO2 absorption noted during MHWs in this study has important implications for coastal regions to act as continued sinks for excess CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.
Crustal Structures From Receiver Functions and Gravity Modeling in Central Mongolia
Authors: Guy Alexandra , Tiberi Christel , Mijiddorj Saandar
Published: January 2024

3D forward gravity modeling combined with receiver function (RF) analysis characterizes the crustal structures of the southern part of the Mongolian collage. The seismic signals of the 48 stations of the MOBAL2003 and the IRIS‐PASSCAL experiments were analyzed to get the RFs. This analysis revealed a significant difference between the crustal structures of the Hangay dome and the tectonic zones in the south. In addition, seismic stations south of the Hangay dome display significant signals related to the occurrence of a low‐velocity zone at lower crustal level confirmed by the gravity anomalies. Finally, these seismic analysis inputs, the boundaries, the lithologies, and the density values from rock samples of the different tectonic zones constitute the starting points from the 3D forward gravity modeling. The resulting crustal density model indicates: (a) the likely absence of a Precambrian basement block beneath the Hangay dome, (b) an alternation of two low‐velocity/low‐density zones (LVLDZs) with high‐density zones in the Baydrag microcontinent interpreted as fragments of early Tonian plutons, (c) the occurrence of an LVLDZ at the lower crustal level beneath the Lake zone, the Mongol‐Altai Accretionary Wedge, and the Trans‐Altai Zone. Therefore, the combination of the seismic RF with gravity analysis and modeling reveals new crustal structures of the Mongolian collage and enhances the occurrence and the extent of an LVLDZ at lower crustal level. These LVLDZ may demonstrate the existence of the relamination of a hydrous material in southern Mongolian collage.
A Greenhouse Gas Budget for Mexico During 2000–2019
Authors: Murray‐Tortarolo Guillermo , Perea Kevin , Mendoza‐Ponce Alma , Martínez‐Arroyo Amparo , Murguía‐Flores Fabiola , Jaramillo Víctor J. , Serrano‐Medrano Montserrat , García‐García Miguel , Vargas Rodrigo , Chatterjee Abhishek , Michalak Anna , Zhang Zhen , Wang Jonathan A. , Poulter Benjamin
Published: January 2024

Application of the best available science to improve quantification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at regional and national scales is key to climate action. Here, we present a two‐decade (2000–2019) GHG (CO2, CH4, and N2O) budget for Mexico derived from multiple products. Data from the National GHG Inventory, global observations, and the scientific literature were compared to identify knowledge gaps on GHG flux dynamics and discrepancies among estimates. Total mean annual GHG emissions were estimated at 695–910 TgCO2‐eq year−1 over these two decades, with 70% of the emissions attributable to CO2, 23% to CH4, and 5% to N2O (2% to other gases). When divided by sectors, we found agreement across emission estimates from various sources for fossil fuels, cattle, agriculture, and waste for all GHGs. However, considerable discrepancies were identified in the fluxes from terrestrial ecosystems. The disagreement was particularly large for the land CO2 sink, where net biome production estimations from the national inventory were double those from any other observational product. Extensive knowledge gaps exist, mainly related to aquatic systems (e.g., outgassing in rivers) and the lateral fluxes (e.g., wood trade). In addition, limited information is available on CH4 emissions from wetlands and soil CH4 consumption. We expect these results to guide future research to reduce estimation uncertainties and fill the information gaps across Mexico.
Machine Learning‐Based Emulator for the Physics‐Based Simulation of Auroral Current System
Authors: Kataoka Ryuho , Nakamizo Aoi , Nakano Shinya , Fujita Shigeru
Published: January 2024

Using a machine learning technique called echo state network (ESN), we have developed an emulator to model the physics‐based global magnetohydrodynamic simulation results of REPPU (REProduce Plasma Universe) code. The inputs are the solar wind time series with date and time, and the outputs are the time series of the ionospheric auroral current system in the form of two‐dimensional (2D) patterns of field‐aligned current, potential, and conductivity. We mediated a principal component analysis for a dimensionality reduction of the 2D map time series. In this study, we report the latest upgraded Surrogate Model for REPPU Auroral Ionosphere version 2 (SMRAI2) with significantly improved resolutions in time and space (5 min in time, ∼1° in latitude, and 4.5° in longitude), where the dipole tilt angle is also newly added as one of the input parameters to reproduce the seasonal dependence. The fundamental dependencies of the steady‐state potential and field‐aligned current patterns on the interplanetary magnetic field directions are consistent with those obtained from empirical models. Further, we show that the ESN‐based emulator can output the AE index so that we can evaluate the performance of the dynamically changing results, comparing with the observed AE index. Since the ESN‐based emulator runs a million times faster than the REPPU simulation, it is promising that we can utilize the emulator for the real‐time space weather forecast of the auroral current system as well as to obtain large‐number ensembles to achieve future data assimilation‐based forecast.
Aortic calcification correlates with pseudoaneurysm or penetrating aortic ulcer of different etiologies
Authors: Li Siting , Kan Haoxuan , Liu Zhili , Zeng Rong , Shao Jiang , Chen Yuexin , Ye Wei , Zheng Yuehong
Published: January 2024

Chronic risk factors for pseudoaneurysm (PSA) or penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU) have not been fully clarified. This study aims to evaluate the association of aortic calcification with PSA or PAU of different etiologies. Totally 77 pseudoaneurysms, 80 PAU, and 160 healthy controls (HCs) were retrospectively included, of which 30 were infected, 34 were immunological, and 93 were atherosclerotic etiologies. The aortic calcification status, position of aortic tears/ulcers, and risk factors for disease or acute aortic syndrome (AAS) were identified. Atherosclerotic patients aged more than 65 and infective patients aged more than 60 had significantly higher calcification scores. The immunological group had a lower level of calcification in the infrarenal aorta. For patients of infective or atherosclerotic etiology, 60% (18/30) and 60.22% (56/93) of the tears/ulcers occurred at the aortic parts with the highest level of calcification. Patients with longitudinal calcification exceeding 1/3 of the aortic arch had an increased risk of acquiring diseases (OR = 13.231). The presence of longitudinal calcification of the descending aorta or cross-sectional calcification of the infrarenal aorta increased the risks of acquiring diseases (OR = 8.484 and 8.804). After adjusting for age, longitudinal calcification of the descending aorta exceeding 1/3 length was found to be associated with AAS (OR = 4.662). Tears/ulcers of pseudoaneurysm and PAU were both generally found at the part of the aorta with most calcification. Distinct aorta calcification characteristics were observed for lesions of different etiologies. Longitudinal thoracic and cross-sectional infrarenal abdominal aortic calcification increased the risk of acquiring diseases, and descending aortic calcification was associated with symptomatic patients.
Orange peel magnetic activated carbon for removal of acid orange 7 dye from water
Authors: Khalil Asmaa , Mangwandi Chirangano , Salem Mohamed A. , Ragab Safaa , El Nemr Ahmed
Published: January 2024

Magnetic activated carbon resources with a remarkably high specific surface area have been successfully synthesized using orange peels as the precursor and ZnCl2 as the activating agent. The impregnation ratio was set at 0.5, while the pyrolysis temperature spanned from 700 to 900 °C. This comprehensive study delved into the influence of activation temperatures on the resultant pore morphology and specific surface area. Optimal conditions were discerned, leading to a magnetic activated carbon material exhibiting an impressive specific surface area at 700 °C. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area reached 155.09 m2/g, accompanied by a total pore volume of 0.1768 cm3/g, and a mean pore diameter of 4.5604 nm. The material displayed noteworthy properties, with saturation magnetization (Ms) reaching 17.28 emu/g, remanence (Mr) at 0.29 emu/g, and coercivity (Hc) of 13.71 G. Additionally, the composite demonstrated super-paramagnetic behaviour at room temperature, facilitating its rapid collection within 5 s through an external magnetic field. Factors such as absorbent dose, initial concentration of the adsorbate, contact time, and pH were systematically examined. The adsorption behaviour for acid orange 7 (AO7) was found to adhere to the Temkin isotherm models (R2 = 0.997). The Langmuir isotherm model suggested a monolayer adsorption, and the calculated maximum monolayer capacity (Qm) was 357.14 mg/g, derived from the linear solvation of the Langmuir model using 0.75 g/L as an adsorbent dose and 150–500 mg/L as AO7 dye concentrations. The pseudo-second order model proved to be the best fit for the experimental data of AO7 dye adsorption, with a high coefficient of determination (R2) ranging from 0.999 to 1.000, outperforming other kinetic models.
Spatio-temporal epidemiology and associated indicators of COVID-19 (wave-I and II) in India
Authors: Balasubramani Karuppusamy , Ravichandran Venkatesh , Prasad Kumar Arun , Ramkumar Mu. , Shekhar Sulochana , James Meenu Mariya , Kodali Naveen Kumar , Behera Sujit Kumar , Gopalan Natarajan , Sharma Rakesh Kumar , Sarma Devojit Kumar , Santosh M. , Dash Aditya Prasad , Balabaskaran Nina Praveen
Published: January 2024

The spatio-temporal distribution of COVID-19 across India’s states and union territories is not uniform, and the reasons for the heterogeneous spread are unclear. Identifying the space–time trends and underlying indicators influencing COVID-19 epidemiology at micro-administrative units (districts) will help guide public health strategies. The district-wise daily COVID-19 data of cases and deaths from February 2020 to August 2021 (COVID-19 waves-I and II) for the entire country were downloaded and curated from public databases. The COVID-19 data normalized with the projected population (2020) and used for space–time trend analysis shows the states/districts in southern India are the worst hit. Coastal districts and districts adjoining large urban regions of Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Goa, and New Delhi experienced > 50,001 cases per million population. Negative binomial regression analysis with 21 independent variables (identified through multicollinearity analysis, with VIF < 10) covering demography, socio-economic status, environment, and health was carried out for wave-I, wave-II, and total (wave-I and wave-II) cases and deaths. It shows wealth index, derived from household amenities datasets, has a high positive risk ratio (RR) with COVID-19 cases (RR: 3.577; 95% CI: 2.062–6.205) and deaths (RR: 2.477; 95% CI: 1.361–4.506) across the districts. Furthermore, socio-economic factors such as literacy rate, health services, other workers’ rate, alcohol use in men, tobacco use in women, overweight/obese women, and rainfall have a positive RR and are significantly associated with COVID-19 cases/deaths at the district level. These positively associated variables are highly interconnected in COVID-19 hotspot districts. Among these, the wealth index, literacy rate, and health services, the key indices of socio-economic development within a state, are some of the significant indicators associated with COVID-19 epidemiology in India. The identification of district-level space–time trends and indicators associated with COVID-19 would help policymakers devise strategies and guidelines during public health emergencies.
Relationship between neck kinematics and neck dissability index. An approach based on functional regression
Authors: Aragón-Basanta Elisa , Venegas William , Ayala Guillermo , Page Alvaro , Serra-Añó Pilar
Published: January 2024

Numerous studies use numerical variables of neck movement to predict the level of severity of a pathology. However, the correlation between these numerical variables and disability levels is low, less than 0.4 in the best cases, even less in subjects with nonspecific neck pain. This work aims to use Functional Data Analysis (FDA), in particular scalar-on-function regression, to predict the Neck Disability Index (NDI) of subjects with nonspecific neck pain using the complete movement as predictors. Several functional regression models have been implemented, doubling the multiple correlation coefficient obtained when only scalar predictors are used. The best predictive model considers the angular velocity curves as a predictor, obtaining a multiple correlation coefficient of 0.64. In addition, functional models facilitate the interpretation of the relationship between the kinematic curves and the NDI since they allow identifying which parts of the curves most influence the differences in the predicted variable. In this case, the movement’s braking phases contribute to a greater or lesser NDI. So, it is concluded that functional regression models have greater predictive capacity than usual ones by considering practically all the information in the curve while allowing a physical interpretation of the results.
The effect of surgical repair of the chest on postural stability among patients with pectus excavatum
Authors: Jarosz Maria , Pawlak Krystian , Jarosz Wojciech , Wiernicka Marzena , Barinow-Wojewódzki Aleksander , Stemplewski Rafał
Published: January 2024

Pectus excavatum is the most encountered of chest wall deformities. It may produce respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms, hence surgical repair of this defect is performed. The procedure involving the insertion of metal bars under the sternum (the Nuss procedure) usually brings significant improvement to patients. However, the effect of the repair on the postural stability of patients has not been studied so far. To investigate the problem of patients' stability in the postoperative period male patients with pectus excavatum (n = 21) and healthy controls (n = 22) were included in the study. Using posturography methods, we showed a negative impact of the pectus excavatum repair surgery on patients' postural stability in the first postoperative phase. The centre of pressure displacement parameters used to measure postural stability were lower after the repair for both, the frontal and sagittal plane as well as for the velocity of displacements in the sagittal plane in the double stance with eyes open. Poorer postural stability was also found in patients with pectus excavatum when compared to healthy controls. Our findings may be useful for functional monitoring in the evaluation and surgical management of pectus excavatum patients and also when designing the rehabilitation of patients undergoing the Nuss procedure.
Allele-specific effect of various dietary fatty acids and ETS1 transcription factor on SCD1 expression
Authors: Tibori Kinga , Zámbó Veronika , Orosz Gabriella , Szelényi Péter , Sarnyai Farkas , Tamási Viola , Rónai Zsolt , Csala Miklós , Kereszturi Éva
Published: January 2024

Overnutrition and genetic predisposition are major risk factors for various metabolic disorders. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) plays a key role in these conditions by synthesizing unsaturated fatty acids (FAs), thereby promoting fat storage and alleviating lipotoxicity. Expression of SCD1 is influenced by various saturated and cis-unsaturated FAs, but the possible role of dietary trans FAs (TFAs) and SCD1 promoter polymorphisms in its regulations has not been addressed. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of the two main TFAs, vaccenate and elaidate, and four common promoter polymorphisms (rs1054411, rs670213, rs2275657, rs2275656) on SCD1 expression in HEK293T and HepG2 cell cultures using luciferase reporter assay, qPCR and immunoblotting. We found that SCD1 protein and mRNA levels as well as SCD1 promoter activity are markedly elevated by elaidate, but not altered by vaccenate. The promoter polymorphisms did not affect the basal transcriptional activity of SCD1. However, the minor allele of rs1054411 increased SCD1 expression in the presence of various FAs. Moreover, this variant was predicted in silico and verified in vitro to reduce the binding of ETS1 transcription factor to SCD1 promoter. Although we could not confirm an association with type 2 diabetes mellitus, the FA-dependent and ETS1-mediated effect of rs1054411 polymorphism deserves further investigation as it may modulate the development of lipid metabolism-related conditions.
Development of a novel prediction model for differential diagnosis between spinal myxopapillary ependymoma and schwannoma
Authors: Song Chorog , Kim Hyun Su , Lee Ji Hyun , Yoon Young Cheol , Lee Sungjoon , Lee Sun-Ho , Kim Eun-Sang
Published: January 2024

Spinal myxopapillary ependymoma (MPE) and schwannoma represent clinically distinct intradural extramedullary tumors, albeit with shared and overlapping magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics. We aimed to identify significant MRI features that can differentiate between MPE and schwannoma and develop a novel prediction model using these features. In this study, 77 patients with MPE (n = 24) or schwannoma (n = 53) who underwent preoperative MRI and surgical removal between January 2012 and December 2022 were included. MRI features, including intratumoral T2 dark signals, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), leptomeningeal seeding, and enhancement patterns, were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to distinguish between MPE and schwannomas based on MRI parameters, and a prediction model was developed using significant MRI parameters. The model was validated internally using a stratified tenfold cross-validation. The area under the curve (AUC) was calculated based on the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. MPEs had a significantly larger mean size (p = 0.0035), higher frequency of intratumoral T2 dark signals (p = 0.0021), associated SAH (p = 0.0377), and leptomeningeal seeding (p = 0.0377). Focal and diffuse heterogeneous enhancement patterns were significantly more common in MPEs (p = 0.0049 and 0.0038, respectively). Multivariable analyses showed that intratumoral T2 dark signal (p = 0.0439) and focal (p = 0.0029) and diffuse enhancement patterns (p = 0.0398) were independent factors. The prediction model showed an AUC of 0.9204 (95% CI 0.8532–0.9876) and the average AUC for internal validation was 0.9210 (95% CI 0.9160–0.9270). MRI provides useful data for differentiating spinal MPEs from schwannomas. The prediction model developed based on the MRI features demonstrated excellent discriminatory performance.
Cadaveric biomechanical assessment of different configurations for a novel pin and plate fixation method in distal humerus fractures
Authors: Same Kaveh , Hakiminejad Alireza , Nourani Amir , Nabian Mohammad Hossein , Foruozesh Mehdi , Kamrani Reza Shahriar
Published: January 2024

Use of dual pre-contoured plates has been accepted as the treatment of choice in distal humerus fractures despite challenges especially in very distal or highly fragmented fractures. Aiming to improve results in such instances, our newly proposed method uses several K-wires fixated by a small reconstruction plate. Drawing on the results of previous finite element studies, the current study aims to compare the stiffness of three clinically common variations of this method using biomechanical testing in cadaveric humeri. 24 samples were divided into three groups and fractures were simulated. Groups I and II used 1.5 mm K-wires in differing configurations while 2 mm wires were used in group III. All samples underwent compression, anterior and posterior bending, and torsional testing as well as failure testing. Our results indicated that Group III had significantly higher stiffness in flexion, extension, and torsion (p < 0.05). In failure, group III had the highest mean stiffness in anterior bending and torsion (861.2 N, 30.9 Nm). Based on previous and current results, this new Persian fixation method, especially when implemented using 2 mm K-wires, shows promise in achieving suitable stability and may be useful as an alternative approach in complex distal humerus fractures.
Interactive residual coordinate attention and contrastive learning for infrared and visible image fusion in triple frequency bands
Authors: Xie Zhihua , Zong Sha , Li Qiang , Cai Peiqi , Zhan Yaxiong , Liu Guodong
Published: January 2024

The auto-encoder (AE) based image fusion models have achieved encouraging performance on infrared and visible image fusion. However, the meaningful information loss in the encoding stage and simple unlearnable fusion strategy are two significant challenges for such models. To address these issues, this paper proposes an infrared and visible image fusion model based on interactive residual attention fusion strategy and contrastive learning in the frequency domain. Firstly, the source image is transformed into three sub-bands of the high-frequency, low-frequency, and mid-frequency for powerful multiscale representation from the prospective of the frequency spectrum analysis. To further cope with the limitations of the straightforward fusion strategy, a learnable coordinate attention module in the fusion layer is incorporated to adaptively fuse representative information based on the characteristics of the corresponding feature maps. Moreover, the contrastive learning is leveraged to train the multiscale decomposition network for enhancing the complementarity of information at different frequency spectra. Finally, the detail-preserving loss, feature enhancing loss and contrastive loss are incorporated to jointly train the entire fusion model for good detail maintainability. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons demonstrate the feasibility and validity of our model, which can consistently generate fusion images containing both highlight targets and legible details, outperforming the state-of-the-art fusion methods.
Pan-cancer ion transport signature reveals functional regulators of glioblastoma aggression
Authors: Bahcheli Alexander T , Min Hyun-Kee , Bayati Masroor , Zhao Hongyu , Fortuna Alexander , Dong Weifan , Dzneladze Irakli , Chan Jade , Chen Xin , Guevara-Hoyer Kissy , Dirks Peter B , Huang Xi , Reimand Jüri
Published: January 2024

Ion channels, transporters, and other ion-flux controlling proteins, collectively comprising the “ion permeome”, are common drug targets, however, their roles in cancer remain understudied. Our integrative pan-cancer transcriptome analysis shows that genes encoding the ion permeome are significantly more often highly expressed in specific subsets of cancer samples, compared to pan-transcriptome expectations. To enable target selection, we identified 410 survival-associated IP genes in 33 cancer types using a machine-learning approach. Notably,GJB2andSCN9Ashow prominent expression in neoplastic cells and are associated with poor prognosis in glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive brain cancer.GJB2orSCN9Aknockdown in patient-derived glioblastoma cells induces transcriptome-wide changes involving neuron projection and proliferation pathways, impairs cell viability and tumor sphere formation in vitro, perturbs tunneling nanotube dynamics, and extends the survival of glioblastoma-bearing mice. Thus, aberrant activation of genes encoding ion transport proteins appears as a pan-cancer feature defining tumor heterogeneity, which can be exploited for mechanistic insights and therapy development.