bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of NHE1 transport activity and gene transcription in DRG neurons in oxaliplatin-induced painful peripheral neurotoxicity
Authors: Dionisi Marianna , Riva Beatrice , Delconti Marta , Meregalli Cristina , Chiorazzi Alessia , Canta Annalisa , Alberti Paola , Carozzi Valentina , Pozzi Eleonora , Lim Dmtry , Genazzani Armando A. , Distasi Carla , Cavaletti Guido
Published: March 2023

Oxaliplatin (OHP)-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (OIPN), one of the major dose-limiting side effects of colorectal cancer treatment, is characterized by both acute and chronic syndromes. Acute exposure to low dose OHP on dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons is able to induce an increase in intracellular calcium and proton concentration, thus influencing ion channels activity and neuronal excitability. The Na+/H+ exchanger isoform-1 (NHE1) is a plasma membrane protein that plays a pivotal role in intracellular pH (pHi) homeostasis in many cell types, including nociceptors. Here we show that OHP has early effects on NHE1 activity in cultured mouse DRG neurons: the mean rate of pHi recovery was strongly reduced compared to vehicle-treated controls, reaching levels similar to those obtained in the presence of cariporide (Car), a specific NHE1 antagonist. The effect of OHP on NHE1 activity was sensitive to FK506, a specific calcineurin (CaN) inhibitor. Lastly, molecular analyses revealed transcriptional downregulation of NHE1 both in vitro, in mouse primary DRG neurons, and in vivo, in an OIPN rat model. Altogether, these data suggest that OHP-induced intracellular acidification of DRG neurons largely depends on CaN-mediated NHE1 inhibition, revealing new mechanisms that OHP could exert to alter neuronal excitability, and providing novel druggable targets.
CRISPR-Cas9 genetic screen leads to the discovery of L-Moses, a KAT2B inhibitor that attenuates Tunicamycin-mediated neuronal cell death
Authors: Pavlou Sofia , Foskolou Stefanie , Patikas Nikolaos , Field Sarah F. , Papachristou Evangelia K. , Santos Clive D’ , Edwards Abigail R. , Kishore Kamal , Ansari Rizwan , Rajan Sandeep S. , Fernandes Hugo J. R. , Metzakopian Emmanouil
Published: March 2023

Accumulation of aggregated and misfolded proteins, leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress and activation of the unfolded protein response, is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Genetic screens are powerful tools that are proving invaluable in identifying novel modulators of disease associated processes. Here, we performed a loss-of-function genetic screen using a human druggable genome library, followed by an arrayed-screen validation, in human iPSC-derived cortical neurons. We identified and genetically validated 13 genes, whose knockout was neuroprotective against Tunicamycin, a glycoprotein synthesis inhibitor widely used to induce endoplasmic reticulum stress. We also demonstrated that pharmacological inhibition of KAT2B, a lysine acetyltransferase identified by our genetic screens, by L-Moses, attenuates Tunicamycin-mediated neuronal cell death and activation of CHOP, a key pro-apoptotic member of the unfolded protein response in both cortical and dopaminergic neurons. Follow-up transcriptional analysis suggested that L-Moses provided neuroprotection by partly reversing the transcriptional changes caused by Tunicamycin. Finally, L-Moses treatment attenuated total protein levels affected by Tunicamycin, without affecting their acetylation profile. In summary, using an unbiased approach, we identified KAT2B and its inhibitor, L-Moses, as potential therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases.
T cell-loaded injectable chitosan scaffold shows short-term efficacy in localised cancer immunotherapy in mice
Authors: Cunningham Nicholas , Malaret Tommy , Thébault Paméla , St-Jean Guillaume , Azzi Feryel , Trudel Dominique , Lapointe Réjean , Lerouge Sophie
Published: March 2023

T cells encapsulated in an in situ gelling biodegradable hydrogel reduce tumor growth in a mouse tumor model.
High fuel production rate and excellent durability for photothermocatalytic CO2 reduction achieved via the surface plasma effect of NiCu alloy nanoparticles
Authors: Ji Guanrui , Wu Shaowen , Tian Jian
Published: March 2023

Upon UV-VIS-IR illumination, the strong LSPR effect of NiCu alloy nanoparticles can generate a high concentration of hot electrons, which can not only enhance the fuel yield but also reduce the carbon deposition rate.
Cobalt complexes with α-amino acid ligands catalyze the incorporation of CO2into cyclic carbonates
Authors: Castro-Ruiz Andrés , Grefe Lea , Mejía Esteban , Suman Sigridur G.
Published: March 2023

A bioinspired Co(iii) catalyst efficiently transforms epoxides and CO2into cyclic carbonates. The mechanism was found to combine the cooperative effects of the metal center and amino acid residues in the outer coordination sphere.
Light-induced O2-dependent aliphatic carbon–carbon (C–C) bond cleavage in bipyridine-ligated Co(ii) chlorodiketonate complexes
Authors: Anderson Stephen N. , Elsberg Josiah G. D. , Berreau Lisa M.
Published: March 2023

Illumination of aerobic acetonitrile solutions of bipyridine-ligated Co(ii) chlorodiketonate complexes results in O2-dependent aliphatic C–C bond cleavage with high 18O incorporation.
Characterization of simplified nonapeptides with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities as potential food preservatives, and their antibacterial mechanism
Authors: Yang Zhanyi , Wei Yingxin , Wu Wanpeng , Zhang Licong , Wang Jiajun , Shan Anshan
Published: March 2023

The nonapeptides 3IW (RIRIRIRWL-NH2) and W2IW (RWRIRIRWL-NH2) based on a β-pleated sheet template have potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial effects via membrane disruption and ROS accumulation, and show favorable preservative effects in chicken meat.
Ultra-sensitive graphene membranes for microphone applications
Authors: Baglioni Gabriele , Pezone Roberto , Vollebregt Sten , Cvetanović Zobenica Katarina , Spasenović Marko , Todorović Dejan , Liu Hanqing , Verbiest Gerard J. , van der Zant Herre S. J. , Steeneken Peter G.
Published: March 2023

We investigate the sound response of graphene membranes via laser Doppler vibrometry. We show that graphene's mechanical compliance is superior to that of MEMS devices and thus can enable the fabrication of smaller and more performant microphones.
Mercury chalcogenide colloidal quantum dots for infrared photodetection: from synthesis to device applications
Authors: Tian Yuanyuan , Luo Hongqiang , Chen Mengyu , Li Cheng , Kershaw Stephen V. , Zhang Rong , Rogach Andrey L.
Published: March 2023

A comprehensive review on Hg chalcogenide colloidal quantum dot infrared photodetectors, with the essential progress of synthesis methods, property control, device engineering, focus plane array integration and innovative applications.
Bridging the inter-grain charge transportviaorganic semiconductors for high-performance thickness-insensitive perovskite solar cells
Authors: Cao Yuying , Wu Fei , Xu Chang , Wu Haotian , Li Shuixing , Wang Xinru , Chen Tianyi , Peng Boyu , Li Hanying , Chen Hongzheng , Zuo Lijian
Published: March 2023

The solution-processability of perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) reduces the production cost, but renders a multi-crystalline film with a large number of grain boundaries, which hinders the charge transport and induces defects.
Towards electrochemical iridium recycling in acidic media: effect of the presence of organic molecules and chloride ions
Authors: Moriau L. , Stojanovski K. , Jovanovič P. , Escalera-López D. , Cherevko S. , Hodnik N.
Published: March 2023

Green recycling of iridium made possible with the aid of organic compounds.
Visible light-induced oxidative α-hydroxylation of β-dicarbonyl compounds catalyzed by ethylenediamine–copper(ii)
Authors: He Yujie , Yin Hao , Wang Yifeng , Chu Mingming , Li Yiming
Published: March 2023

An efficient visible light-induced oxidative α-hydroxylation of β-dicarbonyl compounds has been developed using structurally simple ethylenediamine–copper(ii) as a catalyst.
Textile-based piezocatalytic platform for organics degradation under low-frequency water flow
Authors: Shi Jidong , Yang Su , Zheng Zetao , Li Jiyu , Wang Liu , Zeng Wei , Yang Liusi , Xiong Ying , Jin Zhengyuan , Tao Xiaoming
Published: March 2023

This work presents the unique advantage of textiles in constructing piezocatalytic platforms. The mesoporous and intertwined textile could amplify the striking force of water flow, by which piezocatalysis under low-frequency water flow is achieved.
Construction of a TiO2/BiOCl heterojunction for enhanced solar photocatalytic oxidation of nitric oxide
Authors: Zhao Wei , Wang Huixian , Wang Haiwen , Zhang Dingwen , Wang Qian , Zhong Qin , Shang Danhong
Published: March 2023

An optimized TiO2/BiOCl heterojunction with a Ti : Bi molar ratio of 4 : 1 exhibits the best photocatalytic performance. The removal rate of nitrogen oxides of the composite photocatalyst can reach 75%, which outperforms other control samples.
A study of [2 + 2] cycloaddition–retroelectrocyclization in water: observation of substrate-driven transient-nanoreactor-induced new reactivity
Authors: Neethu K. M. , Nag Kritika , Dar Arif Hassan , Bajaj Ashima , Gopal S. Arya , Gowri Vijayendran , Nagpure Mithilesh , Sartaliya Shaifali , Sharma Raina , Solanki Arun Kumar , Ehesan Ali Md. , Muthukrishnan Azhagumuthu , Jayamurugan Govindasamy
Published: March 2023

In H2O, an ideal CA–RE process was achieved using a transient nanoreactor that stimulates the selective formation of tetracyanobuta-1,3-dienes as well as new heterocycles resembling cardiotonic drug analogues.
Synthesis of Co9S8nanoflakes by a one-step solvent-free solid-state method for multiple electrocatalytic reactions
Authors: Yu Peifeng , Zeng Lingyong , Li Kuan , Zhang Chao , Wang Kangwang , Li Longfu , Liang Ying , Yan Kai , Luo Huixia
Published: March 2023

The one-step solvent-free solid-state method is adopted to synthesize Co8S9with a nanoflake structure and improved electronic conductivity. It yields superior electrochemical performance in acid HER, alkaline OER, and supercapacitors.
Degradable Fe3O4-based nanocomposite for cascade reaction-enhanced anti-tumor therapy
Authors: Wang Yang , Li Xun , Fang Yuan , Wang Jianhua , Yan Danhong , Chang Baisong
Published: March 2023

Cascade catalytic therapy, a promising cancer treatment strategy, is due in part to the induced tumor apoptosis when converting intratumoral hydrogen peroxide into highly toxic hydroxyl radicals based on the Fenton or Fenton-like reactions.
AC transmission expansion planning based on self‐organized criticality to mitigate the risk of cascading blackouts
Authors: Tavakoli Mohamad Reza , Ebrahimi Akbar , Latify Mohammad Amin
Published: March 2023

The secular increase of load causes the evolving power system to operate near the critical margins. In such attitudes, the probability of cascading line outages, as the major reason for recent blackouts, is much more than expected. As a result, an innovative approach for optimal AC transmission expansion planning (TEP) to minimize the risk of cascading blackouts is presented in this paper. The proposed multi‐objective AC‐TEP problem minimizes the expected energy not supplied due to the total load shedding imposed on the system to mitigate the risk of cascading line outages along with the total investment and operational costs of the new transmission lines planned to be optimally added to the system. This probabilistic procedure is based on self‐organized criticality and considers the actual aspects of the power system such as reactive power and voltage concerns in the planning stage. The obtained Pareto front set provides the opportunity for the planners to choose the most preferred solution. The proposed method is implemented and verified in the IEEE 118‐bus test system and compared with two types of TEP approaches. The first one is a previously reported version of this work which was a simplified DC model of the problem and the second one is the conventional AC‐TEP model. The obtained results show the benefits of the proposed AC model on the mitigation of cascading line outages in a more realistic framework, considering the impact of reactive power and voltage stability concerns.
Providing an optimal demand response program through placement of automatic switches and energy storage systems to improve the reliability of power distribution networks
Authors: Asadi Morteza , Abedi Seyyed Mostafa , Siahkali Hassan
Published: March 2023

Creating highly reliable distribution networks is becoming increasingly vital in today's society. In a similar vein, utilities have issues in properly planning and developing distribution networks, both to reduce their imposed costs and to meet the demands of their consumers. In the presence of Demand Response Program (DRP), this research provides a coordinated architecture that considers automated switches and Energy Storage Units (ESUs) placement with the uncertainty of repair time to enhance the reliability of power distribution network. The suggested objective for optimal placement of automatic switches, ESUs and DRPs is to minimize a combination of reliability index (SAIDI) and Total Cost of system (TC). Customer interruption cost, energy not supplied cost, automated switch investment, ESU investment, ESU participation cost, and DRP cost are all considered as parts of the total cost. The proposed method is used in four different cases on a common reliability test system, followed by numerous sensitivity studies, in order to illustrate applicability and efficiency of suggested method.
Preparation, characterisation, and in vitro cancer‐suppression function of RNA nanoparticles carrying miR‐301b‐3p Inhibitor
Authors: Zhao Junjie , Niu Niu , Yang Fan , Liu Haitao , Qi Weibo
Published: March 2023

Background

Multidrug resistance is the biggest barrier on the way to chemotherapy for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). For some LUAD patients with cisplatin (DDP) resistance and poor prognoses, the authors put forward RNA nanoparticles (NPs) carrying miR‐301b‐3p Inhibitor.

Methods

The NPs were composed of miR‐301b‐3p, A549 aptamer (A549apt), and Cyanine 5 in a bottom‐up manner with a 3‐way‐junction (3WJ) structure. Diameter, assembly process, and morphology of NPs were observed by Dynamic Light Scattering, Native‐Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis, and Atomic Force Microscopy. Cell internalisation, toxicity, proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were assayed by confocal laser scanning microscope, CCK8, colony formation assay, Transwell, western blot, and flow cytometry.

Results

3WJ‐apt‐miR was evenly distributed, with diameter of 19.61 ± 0.49 nm and triangular branching structures. The accurate delivery of this NP in vivo was ensured by A549 aptamer featuring specific targeting, with smaller side effects than traditional chemotherapy. Such nanomaterials were effectively internalized by cancer cells, with normal cell activity intact. Cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration were suppressed, and DDP sensitivity was enhanced, causing DNA damage and facilitating apoptosis of DDP‐resistant cells.

Conclusion

Based on RNA self‐assembling, the authors researched the effect of miRNA on DDP sensitivity in LUAD regarding gene regulation. 3WJ‐apt‐miR paves the way for clinical tumour therapy.
Update Breast Cancer 2022 Part 6 – Advanced-Stage Breast Cancer
Authors: Lüftner Diana , Lux Michael P. , Fehm Tanja N. , Welslau Manfred , Müller Volkmar , Schütz Florian , Fasching Peter A. , Janni Wolfgang , Thomssen Christoph , Witzel Isabell , Beierlein Milena , Belleville Erik , Untch Michael , Thill Marc , Ditsch Nina , Aktas Bahriye , Banys-Paluchowski Maggie , Kolberg-Liedtke Cornelia , Wöckel Achim , Kolberg Hans-Christian , Harbeck Nadia , Stickeler Elmar , Tesch Hans , Hartkopf Andreas D.
Published: March 2023

Large-scale study programs on CDK4/6 inhibitors, targeted therapies, and antibody–drug conjugates launched in recent years have yielded results from current studies which are now being published in journals and presented at international conferences. In this context, new results are available from the major CDK4/6 inhibitor studies. Also, an increasing amount of data is being published from large-scale genomic studies on efficacy and resistance mechanisms in patients treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors. These results now form the basis for further research plans to investigate combination therapies and treatment sequencing. Based on the latest published results, sacituzumab govitecan is now available as a second antibody–drug conjugate; this brings an advantage in terms of overall survival for patients with hormone receptor-positive (HRpos)/HER2-negative (HER2neg) breast cancer. In this review article, we summarize the latest developments and place them in context according to the current status of research.
A Systematic Review of Quantitative Methods for Evaluating Electronic Medication Administration Record and Bar-Coded Medication Administration Usability
Authors: Pruitt Zoe M. , Kazi Sadaf , Weir Charlene , Taft Teresa , Busog Deanna-Nicole , Ratwani Raj , Hettinger Aaron Z.
Published: March 2023

Background Although electronic medication administration records (eMARs) and bar-coded medication administration (BCMA) have improved medication safety, poor usability of these technologies can increase patient safety risks.

Objectives The objective of our systematic review was to identify the impact of eMAR and BCMA design on usability, operationalized as efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction.

Methods We retrieved peer-reviewed journal articles on BCMA and eMAR quantitative usability measures from PsycInfo and MEDLINE (1946–August 20, 2019), and EMBASE (1976–October 23, 2019). Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we screened articles, extracted and categorized data into the usability categories of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction, and evaluated article quality.

Results We identified 1,922 articles and extracted data from 41 articles. Twenty-four articles (58.5%) investigated BCMA only, 10 (24.4%) eMAR only, and seven (17.1%) both BCMA and eMAR. Twenty-four articles (58.5%) measured effectiveness, 8 (19.5%) efficiency, and 17 (41.5%) satisfaction. Study designs included randomized controlled trial (n = 1; 2.4%), interrupted time series (n = 1; 2.4%), pretest/posttest (n = 21; 51.2%), posttest only (n = 14; 34.1%), and pretest/posttest and posttest only for different dependent variables (n = 4; 9.8%). Data collection occurred through observations (n = 19, 46.3%), surveys (n = 17, 41.5%), patient safety event reports (n = 9, 22.0%), surveillance (n = 6, 14.6%), and audits (n = 3, 7.3%).

Conclusion Of the 100 measures across the 41 articles, implementing BCMA and/or eMAR broadly resulted in an increase in measures of effectiveness (n = 23, 52.3%) and satisfaction (n = 28, 62.2%) compared to measures of efficiency (n = 3, 27.3%). Future research should focus on eMAR efficiency measures, utilize rigorous study designs, and generate specific design requirements.
Monte Carlo study of nanoparticles effectiveness on the dose enhancement when irradiated by protons
Authors: Ahmadi Ganjeh Zahra , Salehi Zaker
Published: March 2023

Recently, the nanomedicine field has experienced considerable growth in research. The use of nanoparticles to enhance dose in radiation treatment was proposed and their potential effects can be indicated using Monte Carlo calculations. The main goal of this study focused on nanoparticles’ (NPs) effects on dose enhancement due to the low-energy protons because the majority of studies on NPs have been conducted for photon radiations. To investigate the effect of NPs on the Dose Enhancement Factor (DEF), a cell dimension phantom was modeled and spheres of NPs were localized inside that. Different NPs, such as Au, Pt, Ag, I, and Ta2O3, were located in the phantom, and the DEF was calculated by changing the source energy from 3 to 15 MeV. The purpose of investigating the low-energy proton beam is to clarify the effects around the Bragg peak in the presence of nanoparticles. For protons with an energy range of 3–15 MeV, it was discovered that Pt nanoparticles have a greater dose increase coefficient of about 1.8 times compared to the other nanoparticles. The findings indicated that the DEF values substantially depended on the NPs concentration, but that the DEF was not significantly affected by changes in concentration or nanoparticle size. Comparative calculations between water and soft tissue phantoms that were filled with NPs presented a difference of less than 2%. The obtained findings emphasized the importance of NPs and considered details, such as concentration, to demonstrate the potential of nanoparticles in improving treatment using protons.
Potential use of LIAD time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the detection of biomolecules: An example of detecting nucleobases in DNA
Authors: Wang Qiaolin , Xu Lihe , Qin Zhengbo , Yang Xinyan , Zheng Xianfeng
Published: March 2023

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) carries the genetic information necessary for the synthesis of RNA and proteins; it is a biological macromolecule essential for the development and proper functioning of living organisms and is composed of nucleobases, deoxyribose, and phosphate. The four nucleobases in DNA are adenine (AD), guanine (GU), thymine (TY), and cytosine (CY). Abnormal concentrations of these four nucleobases in an organism have a significant impact on disease diagnosis. Therefore, the qualitative and quantitative detection of these DNA nucleobases in organisms is helpful to diagnose certain diseases. In this work, we report the simultaneous determination of purine (AD, GU) and pyrimidine (TY, CY) nucleobases in DNA using laser-induced acoustic desorption (LIAD) with electron ionization (EI)/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS). The purine (MW 120 Da) samples were used as model compounds to assess the sensitivity and quantitative performance of the instrument. Its limits of detection assessed using the LIAD/EI/MS method were ∼0.5–1.2 pg under optimal conditions, and their calibration curves exhibited good linearity (R2 = 0.98). The LIAD/TOFMS was successfully applied in the simultaneous detection of AD, GU, TY, and CY in real DNA samples. The advantage of this technique is simple, fast, and without complex pre-treatment processes. In addition, a quartz-enhanced LIAD (QE-LIAD) source was used to improve the signal strength. The desorption for complex biomolecules shows that the QE-LIAD is still a “gentle” desorption source.
Corrigendum to: Under-utilisation of cardioprotective glucose-lowering medication in diabetics living with HIV
Authors: Butale Bakani , Woolley Ian , Cisera Kathryn , Korman Tony , Soldatos Georgia
Published: March 2023

Diabetes is an increasingly common co-morbidity in people living with HIV (PLWH). Given new evidence demonstrating cardiovascular benefits of sodium glucose transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA) in diabetic patients, we reviewed medical charts of 262 PLWH at Monash Health through a 1-year retrospective cohort study to determine the rates of their use. Prevalence of diabetes was 13.4% (35) and 60% (21) had microvascular and macrovascular complications. Only 4% (95% CI 0.1%–19.6%) of diabetic patients were receiving SGLT2i and 19% (95% CI 6%–39.4%) were receiving GLP1RA. Prescribers should carefully consider their choice of glucose-lowering medication when treating PLWH.
On the syntax of assigning you constructions in Mandarin Chinese
Authors: Huang Rui-heng Ray
Published: March 2023

Assigning you constructions in Mandarin Chinese are special in that they often read like
passives. With this in mind, the goal of this paper is twofold. First, I aim to compare assigning you
constructions with typical passive constructions of bei in Mandarin Chinese. Second, I attempt to seek an
approach that may derive assigning you constructions desirably. The research results are as follows. I have found
that assigning you constructions and bei passives differ both semantically and syntactically. I
argue, contrary to Xiong (2010), that you is not a passive morpheme
since, unlike Mandarin bei passives or English be passives, assigning you
constructions do not always exhibit the initial NP as a Patient or Theme. I also argue against the traditional treatment of
you as a preposition and instead propose that you is a three-place predicate taking an IP
complement. I show that the bi-clausal structure deriving from the verb analysis receives empirical support from binding
phenomena.
Creating a multifaceted corpus of Swedish Sign Language
Authors: Mesch Johanna
Published: March 2023

This chapter discusses the preparatory work of creating a collection of corpora, together functioning as a multifaceted corpus of the same sign language, across three data subsets of signing in different modalities and on different learning levels, namely visual signing (deaf/hard-of-hearing/CODA), tactile signing (deafblind), and L2 signing (hearing second-language learners). This work, led by native signers and based on personal experiences in the research field, involved planning and adapting data collection and annotation of the Swedish Sign Language corpora over time to ensure a corpus infrastructure that is uniform across data sets, compatible with a parallel lexical database, and available as a searchable resource for the public.
W(h)ither the ASL corpus?
Authors: Hochgesang Julie A. , Lepic Ryan , Shaw Emily
Published: March 2023

In this chapter, we discuss logistic and ideological practices used by signed language corpus projects around the world to develop their corpora, starting with Johnston’s early call to develop signed language corpora in 2004. We then outline a brief history of existing American Sign Language (ASL) corpora or corpus-like collections, most of which are specialized and/or inaccessible. We unpack the lessons we have learned as we, North American linguists interested in signed language research and corpora, have sought to create a national-level corpus following the standards set by earlier projects. We conclude that our contexts are somewhat different, and describe projects that we think would be better suited for our ASL communities. In other words, though our dreams of having a single national-level ASL corpus have ‘withered’, we remain optimistic that corpus methods can be used to catalog and analyze the wealth of ASL signing data currently available.
Developing an inventory of handshapes, locations, and movements in Hong Kong Sign Language
Authors: Tang Gladys , Mak Joe , Cheng Ka Yiu , Sze Felix Y.B.
Published: March 2023

In this chapter, we describe how we incorporate the Prosodic Model (Brentari 1998), especially the concept of a hierarchy of nodes with features, into a template for feature coding of sign entries in a lexical database, and how we make use of the features to organize learner’s dictionaries of the respective signed languages. Besides coding prosodic features, other information recorded includes sign category (monomorphemic or polymorphemic), sign type (whether the sign is one-handed or two-handed), the country of origin, gloss and grammatical category. Beginning with Hong Kong Sign Language, Asia SignBank has archived signs from Indonesian Sign Languages, Sri Lanka Sign Languages, Japanese Sign Languages, Ho Chi Ming Sign Languages, and Myanmar Sign Languages. Data input and feature coding were done by Deaf signers trained in sign language analysis and dictionary compilation. Archiving phonological features of individual sign entries also facilitates identification and comparison of phonological and morphological features of signs.
Utterance unit annotation for the Japanese Sign Language Dialogue Corpus
Authors: Bono Mayumi , Okada Tomohiro , Kikuchi Kouhei , Sakaida Rui , Skobov Victor , Miyao Yusuke , Osugi Yutaka
Published: March 2023

This chapter defines ‘utterance units’ and describes their annotation in the Japanese Sign Language (JSL) dialogue corpus, first focusing on how human annotators – native signers of JSL – identify and annotate utterance units, before reporting on part of speech (POS) tagging for JSL and semi-automatic annotation of utterance units. The utterance unit is an original concept for segmenting and annotating movement features in sign language dialogue, based on signers’ native sense. We postulate a fundamental interaction-specific unit for understanding interactional mechanisms (such as turn-taking) in sign language social interactions from the perspectives of conversation analysis and multimodal interaction studies. We explain differences between sentence and utterance units, the corpus construction and composition, and the annotation scheme, before analyzing how JSL native annotators annotated the units. Finally, we show the application potential of this research by presenting two case studies, the first exploring POS annotations, and the second a first attempt at automatic annotation using OpenPose software.
A class of nonlinear wave patterns for (2+1) dimensional coupled integrable Maccari’s system
Authors: Sivatharani B , Subramanian K , Mani Rajan M S , Alagesan T
Published: March 2023

In this paper, with the aid of Truncated Painlevé Approach, (2+1) dimensional Coupled Integrable Maccaris System is investigated. The obtained result contains some arbitrary functions which can be properly selected to study the significance of the mathematical problem. Various kinds of localized solutions such as dromion triplet pairs, dromions, and rogue waves are derived from the obtained solution by means of appropriate arbitrary functions. Using suitable initial parameters, arbitrary functions are chosen to investigate the collisional behavior of the dromion triplet pairs in the two-dimensional plane. We graphically illustrated the nonlinear wave structures with the aid of 3D plots. It is worth noting that these localized nonlinear waves are unstable under various situations.
Information theoretic measures on the two-photon transitions of hydrogen atom embedded in weakly coupled plasma environment
Authors: Mondal S , Saha J K , Mukherjee P K , Fricke B
Published: March 2023

The quantum information theoretic measures in terms of Shannon entropy and Fisher entropy (both in position and momentum spaces) on the ground, excited as well as virtual states arising out of the two-photon transitions (1s → nl; n = 2 − 4, l = 0, 2) of H atom embedded in classical weakly coupled plasma environment are done for the first time. Fourth order time dependent perturbation theory is adopted within a variational framework for calculating the two photon excitation energies and their respective wavefunctions from an analysis of the pole positions of the non linear response of the system. The representation of virtual state follows from an analysis of the linear response at such poles using a novel method developed by us. Ground and perturbed state wave functions of appropriate symmetries are represented by linear combination of Slater-type orbitals. The analytic form of the momentum space wave functions of ground, excited and virtual states are determined by taking Fourier transformation of the respective position space wave functions. The quantum information measures give interesting insights on the delocalization patterns of the all the real and virtual states under question w.r.t. the increase in plasma strength. The estimated data values are found to be in excellent agreement with the few existing in literature for the ground as well as excited states participating in the two-photon transitions. Such data for the virtual states are completely new and can be set as benchmark for future works in related disciplines.
Homogenization of residual stress in the raceway of cold rolled M50 bearing ring via electromagnetic shocking treatment
Authors: Qian Dongsheng , Liu Wei , Wang Feng , Liu Xiaoyu , Sun Qian
Published: March 2023

The uneven residual stress caused by cold rolling on the raceway seriously affect the distortion and performance of bearing rings. Here, a novel strategy of electromagnetic shocking treatment (EST) was proposed to regulate the distribution of residual stress in the raceway of cold rolled M50 bearing ring. The results indicate that the distribution of residual stress and local micro-strain along the raceway of the cold rolled ring become more homogenized after EST, leading to the homogenization of hardness along the whole cross section. In addition, attributed to the ‘targeted’ regulation effect of EST without joule heat effect, the distribution of small angle grain boundaries and the texture also become uniform along the raceway.
Land market responses to weather shocks: evidence from rural Uganda and Kenya
Authors: Tabetando Rayner , Raoul Fani Djomo Choumbou , Ragasa Catherine , Michuda Aleksandr
Published: March 2023

This study explores the responses of rural land markets to rainfall shocks in Uganda and Kenya. This study matches the panel data on farm households with rainfall shocks constructed using high-resolution precipitation and temperature data. In both countries, access to credit plays a key role in defining households’ land market responses to rainfall shocks. Households with access to credit respond to rainfall shocks by acquiring more farmland through increased participation in land rental and sales markets. Pathway analyses suggest that exposure to rainfall shock has an impact on land rental prices. There is some evidence that similar to grain reserves and livestock, land markets can provide an avenue for households to respond to rainfall shocks.
Chromosome-scale Genome Assembly of the Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus)
Authors: Zhao Xiaoqing , Yi Liuxi , Ren Yongfeng , Li Juan , Ren Wei , Hou Zhihui , Su Shaofeng , Wang Jianguo , Zhang Yuanyu , Dong Qi , Yang Xiangdong , Cheng Yuchen , Lu Zhanyuan
Published: March 2023

The yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L. 1753) is an unconventional oil plant with oil-rich tubers, and a potential alternative for traditional oil crops. Here, we reported the first high-quality and chromosome-level genome assembly of the yellow nutsedge generated by combining PacBio HiFi long reads, Novaseq short reads, and Hi-C data. The final genome size is 225.6 Mb with an N50 of 4.3 Mb. More than 222.9 Mb scaffolds were anchored to 54 pseudochromosomes with a BUSCO score of 96.0%. We identified 76.5 Mb (33.9%) repetitive sequences across the genome. A total of 23,613 protein-coding genes were predicted in this genome, of which 22,847 (96.8%) were functionally annotated. A whole-genome duplication event was found after the divergence of Carex littledalei and Rhynchospora breviuscula, indicating the rich genetic resources of this species for adaptive evolution. Several significantly enriched GO terms were related to invasiveness of the yellow nutsedge, which may explain its plastic adaptability. In addition, several enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways and expanded gene families were closely related with substances in tubers, partially explaining the genomic basis of characteristics of this oil-rich tuber.
Cartel of Silence: How the European Union Undermines the Work of its Human Rights Defenders in the OSCE
Authors: Knoll-Tudor Bernhard , Pardavi Márta , Achler Marta
Published: March 2023

In the face of a rapid decline of rule of law standards in a number of EU Member States, this article examines whether the Helsinki process of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which was instrumental in strengthening the political commitments to human rights and their defenders during the Cold War and thereafter, can still deliver for defenders in the EU today. It discusses issues related to the concern of the OSCE’s fading relevance in its human dimension and the role EU Member States (EUMS) play in its decline. In reviewing the EU’s diplomatic practice within the OSCE, this article suggests that in its quest for unity, the EU has grown into a cartel of silence, effectively weakening the OSCE’s foundational logic of peer review as it is unwilling to deal with problems in a forum that was created for this very purpose. The article then recommends a number of ways in which OSCE’s institutions and political bodies could develop their working methods to take advantage of particularly EU civil society expertise while also being open to their calls for OSCE action.
Flaring activity from magnetic reconnection in BL Lacertae
Authors: Agarwal S , Banerjee B , Shukla A , Roy J , Acharya S , Vaidya B , Chitnis V R , Wagner S M , Mannheim K , Branchesi M
Published: March 2023

The evolution of the spectral energy distribution during flares constrains models of particle acceleration in blazar jets. The archetypical blazar BL Lacertae provided a unique opportunity to study spectral variations during an extended strong flaring episode from 2020 to 2021. During its brightest γ-ray state, the observed flux (0.1–300 GeV) reached up to $2.15\, \times \, 10^{-5}\, \rm {ph\, cm^{-2}\, s^{-1}}$, with sub-hour-scale variability. The synchrotron hump extended into the X-ray regime showing a minute-scale flare with an associated peak shift of inverse-Compton hump in γ-rays. In shock acceleration models, a high Doppler factor value >100 is required to explain the observed rapid variability, change of state, and γ-ray peak shift. Assuming particle acceleration in minijets produced by magnetic reconnection during flares, on the other hand, alleviates the constraint on required bulk Doppler factor. In such jet-in-jet models, observed spectral shift to higher energies (towards TeV regime) and simultaneous rapid variability arises from the accidental alignment of a magnetic plasmoid with the direction of the line of sight. We infer a magnetic field of ∼0.6 G in a reconnection region located at the edge of broad-line region (∼0.02 pc). The scenario is further supported by lognormal flux distribution arising from merging of plasmoids in reconnection region.
Blood and Site of Disease Inflammatory Profiles Differ in Patients With Pericardial Tuberculosis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1
Authors: Mutavhatsindi Hygon , Du Bruyn Elsa , Ruzive Sheena , Howlett Patrick , Cerrone Maddalena , Sher Alan , Mayer-Barber Katrin D , Barber Daniel L , Ntsekhe Mpiko , Wilkinson Robert J , Riou Catherine
Published: March 2023

Background

To better understand the pathogenesis of pericardial tuberculosis (PCTB), we sought to characterize the systemic inflammatory profile in people with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) with latent TB infection (LTBI), pulmonary TB (PTB), or PCTB.

Methods

Using Luminex, we measured the concentration of 39 analytes in pericardial fluid (PCF) and paired plasma from 18 PCTB participants, and plasma from 16 LTBI and 20 PTB participants. Follow-up plasma samples were also obtained from PTB and PCTB participants. HLA-DR expression on Mycobacterium tuberculosis–specific CD4 T cells was measured in baseline samples using flow cytometry.

Results

Assessment of the overall systemic inflammatory profile by principal component analysis showed that the inflammatory profile of active TB participants was distinct from the LTBI group, while PTB patients could not be distinguished from those with PCTB. When comparing the inflammatory profile between PCF and paired blood, we found that the concentrations of most analytes (25/39) were elevated at site of disease. However, the inflammatory profile in PCF partially mirrored inflammatory events in the blood. After TB treatment completion, the overall plasma inflammatory profile reverted to that observed in the LTBI group. Lastly, HLA-DR expression showed the best performance for TB diagnosis compared to previously described biosignatures built from soluble markers.

Conclusions

Our results show that the inflammatory profile in blood was comparable between PTB and PCTB. However, at the site of infection (PCF), inflammation was significantly elevated compared to blood. Additionally, our data emphasize the potential role of HLA-DR expression as a biomarker for TB diagnosis.
Dose indices of kilovoltage cone beam computed tomography for various image guided radiotherapy protocols
Authors: Gazdag-Hegyesi Szilvia , Gáldi Ádám , Major Tibor , Pesznyák Csilla
Published: March 2023

Varian Halcyon (HA) linear accelerators (LINAC) require kilovoltage cone-beam computed tomography (CT) acquisition for all patients before all treatment fractions. The aim of this study is to compare dose indices of various available protocols with different calculation and measurement methods. CT dose index (CTDI) in mGy is a measure of the radiation dose output of a CT scanner. A pencil ionisation chamber was used to measure dose index free air and in a standard CTDI phantom for different imaging protocols of HA and TrueBeam LINACs. For the point measurements, we found large deviations between displayed and calculated low CTDI values: 26.6 and 27.1% at Head low dose and Breast protocol, respectively. The calculated values were always larger than the displayed ones for all protocols and measurement setups. For the point measurements similar results were found as in the international literature, where the displayed values the measured CTDIs.
GbCYP72A1 Improves Resistance to Verticillium Wilt via Multiple Signaling Pathways
Authors: Xu Jianwen , Zhao Jun , Liu Jianguang , Dong Chengguang , Zhao Liang , Ai Nijiang , Xu Peng , Feng Guoli , Xu Zhenzhen , Guo Qi , Cheng Junling , Wang Yueping , Wang Xin , Wang Ningshan , Xiao Songhua
Published: March 2023

Verticillium dahliae is a fungal pathogen that causes Verticillium wilt (VW), which seriously reduces the yield of cotton owing to biological stress. The mechanism underlying the resistance of cotton to VW is highly complex, and the resistance breeding of cotton is consequently limited by the lack of in-depth research. Using quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, we previously identified a novel cytochrome P450 (CYP) gene on chromosome D4 of Gossypium barbadense that is associated with resistance to the nondefoliated strain of V. dahliae. In this study, the CYP gene on chromosome D4 was cloned together with its homologous gene on chromosome A4 and were denoted as GbCYP72A1d and GbCYP72A1a, respectively, according to their genomic location and protein subfamily classification. The two GbCYP72A1 genes were induced by V. dahliae and phytohormone treatment, and the findings revealed that the VW resistance of the lines with silenced GbCYP72A1 genes decreased significantly. Transcriptome sequencing and pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the GbCYP72A1 genes primarily affected disease resistance via the plant hormone signal transduction, plant-pathogen interaction, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. Interestingly, the findings revealed that although GbCYP72A1d and GbCYP72A1a had high sequence similarity and both genes enhanced the disease resistance of transgenic Arabidopsis, there was a difference between their disease resistance abilities. Protein structure analysis revealed that this difference was potentially attributed to the presence of a synaptic structure in the GbCYP72A1d protein. Altogether, the findings suggested that the GbCYP72A1 genes play an important role in plant response and resistance to VW.
A Systematic Review and Quantitative Synthesis of the Efficacy of Quaternary Ammonium Compounds in Disinfesting Nonfungal Plant Pathogens
Authors: Copes Warren E. , Ojiambo Peter S.
Published: March 2023

This quantitative review and systematic analysis of the effectiveness of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) in disinfesting nonfungal plant pathogens in agricultural and horticultural cropping systems is a complementary follow-up to a previous study that evaluated the efficacy of QACs against fungal plant pathogens. In the present study, a meta-analysis involving 67 studies was conducted to assess the overall efficacy of QACs against plant pathogenic bacteria, oomycetes, and viruses and to identify factors associated with observed differences in product efficacy. Across all studies, QACs resulted in a significant (P < 0.0001) reduction in either disease intensity or propagule viability with a mean Hedges’ g ([Formula: see text]) of 1.75, indicating that overall QAC treatments were moderately effective against nonfungal pathogens. Significant differences in product efficacy were observed between organism types (P = 0.0001), with QAC interventions resulting in higher efficacy (P = 0.0002) against oomycetes ([Formula: see text] = 4.20) than against viruses ([Formula: see text] = 1.42) and bacteria ([Formula: see text] = 1.07), which were not different (P = 0.2689) from each other. As a result, bacterium and virus types were combined into a composite set (BacVir). QAC intervention against BacVir resulted in significant differences in efficacy within categorical moderator subgroups for genus (P = 0.0133), target material (P = 0.0001), and QAC product generation (P = 0.0281). QAC intervention against oomycetes resulted in significant differences in efficacy only for genus (P < 0.0001). For the BacVir composite, five random effect (RE) meta-regression models were significant (P = 0.05), where models with dose and time, dose and genus, time and genus, dose and target, and time and target accounted for 62, 61, 52, 83, and 88%, respectively, of the variance in true effect sizes (R2) associated with [Formula: see text]. For oomycetes, three RE meta-regression models were significant (P = 0.05), where models with dose and time, dose and genus, and time and genus accounted for 64, 86, and 90%, respectively, of R2 associated with [Formula: see text]. These results show that while QACs are moderately effective against nonfungal plant pathogens, the observed variability in their efficacy due to dose of active ingredient and contact time of these products can be influenced by organism type, genus within organism type, the target being treated, and the generation of QAC products.
Relative contributions of anaemia and hypotension to myocardial infarction and renal injury
Authors: Turan Alparslan , Rivas Eva , Devereaux P.J. , Pu Xuan , Rodriguez-Patarroyo Fabio A. , Yalcin Esra Kutlu , Nault Rod , Maheshwari Kamal , Ruetzler Kurt , Sessler Daniel I.
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUND

Hypotension and postoperative anaemia are associated with myocardial and renal injury after noncardiac surgery, but the interaction between them remains unknown.

OBJECTIVES

To test the hypothesis that a double-hit of postoperative anaemia and hypotension synergistically worsens a 30-day composite of myocardial infarction (MI) and mortality and acute kidney injury (AKI). Characterising the interaction when hypotension and anaemia occur at same time on myocardial infarction and acute kidney injury.

DESIGN

Post hoc analysis of the POISE-2 trial.

SETTING

Patients were enrolled between July 2010 and December 2013 at 135 hospitals in 23 countries.

PATIENTS

Adults at least 45 years old with known or suspected cardiovascular disease. We excluded patients without available postoperative haemoglobin measurements or hypotension duration records. Exposures were the lowest haemoglobin concentration and the average daily duration of SBP less than 90 mmHg within the first four postoperative days.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was a collapsed composite of nonfatal MI and all-cause mortality during the initial 30 postoperative days; our secondary outcome was AKI.

RESULTS

We included 7940 patients. The mean ± SD lowest postoperative haemoglobin was 10 ± 2 g dl−1, and 24% of the patients had SBP less than 90 mmHg with daily duration ranging from 0 to 15 h. Four hundred and nine (5.2%) patients had an infarction or died within 30 postoperative days, and 417 (6.4%) patients developed AKI. Lowest haemoglobin concentrations less than 11 g dl−1, and duration of SBP less than 90 mmHg was associated with greater hazard of composite outcome of nonfatal MI and all-cause mortality, as well as with AKI. However, we did not find significant multiplicative interactions between haemoglobin splines and hypotension duration on the primary composite or on AKI.

CONCLUSION

Postoperative anaemia and hypotension were meaningfully associated with both our primary composite and AKI. However, lack of significant interaction suggests that the effects of hypotension and anaemia are additive rather than multiplicative.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01082874.