bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Troubleshooting the influence of trace chemical impurities on nanoparticle growth kinetics via electrochemical measurements
Authors: Halford Gabriel C. , McDarby Sean P. , Hertle Sebastian , Kiely Anne F. , Luu Jessica T. , Wang Claire J. , Personick Michelle L.
Published: April 2024

Real-time electrochemical measurements of the solution potential of colloidal nanoparticle syntheses provide a tool for identifying the influence of trace contaminants in nanoparticle growth and shape development.
NIR-II light powered hydrogel nanomotor for intravesical instillation with enhanced bladder cancer therapy
Authors: Chen Wei , Wang Yingfei , Hu Hao , Zhu Yu , Zhao Hongxia , Wu Jie , Ju Huangxian , Zhang Qing , Guo Hongqian , Liu Ying
Published: April 2024

A NIR-II light driven hydrogel nanomotor is reported for enhanced intravesical instillation of bladder cancer, by active motion of nanomotors facilitated their distribution in bladder and deep penetration into the mucosa layer of the bladder wall.
Latent catalysts in vitrimers
Authors: Nikita  , Kumar Ashwani , Connal Luke A.
Published: April 2024

A wide variety of latent catalysts are elucidated in vitrimer chemistry.
Vegard's law in multivariate libraries of porous interpenetrated zirconia organic frameworks
Authors: Furst Jacob I. , Bryant Jacob T. , Langlois Kyle R. , Myers Shea D. , Rahmani Azina , Fairchild David C. , Mehta Rishabh , Jurca Titel , Benedict Jason B. , Uribe-Romo Fernando J.
Published: April 2024

In this contribution we demonstrate that metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with suitable underlying topological structure are amenable for the preparation of MOF-based substitutional solid-solutions (SSS) that follow Vegard's law.
Electrochemical stereoselective synthesis of polysubstituted 1,4-dicarbonyl Z-alkenes via three-component coupling of sulfoxonium ylides and alkynes with water
Authors: Li Hao-Ran , Ran Yi-An , Zhu Yu-Yi , Guo Weisi , Ni Shao-Fei , Wen Li-Rong , Li Ming , Zhang Lin-Bao
Published: April 2024

The first straightforward strategy for the synthesis of 1,4-dicarbonyl Z-alkenes has been developed via an electrochemical cross-coupling reaction of sulfoxonium ylides and alkynes with water.
Co-electrolysis SOEC and internal reforming SOFC for achieving a carbon-neutral society
Authors: Sumi Hirofumi
Published: April 2024

Co-electrolysis SOECs can convert steam + CO2 to fuels and raw materials via syngas (H2 + CO) using renewable energy. Internal reforming SOFCs can generate power using carbon-neutral methanol and dimethyl ether, which are synthesized from the syngas.
miRNA-142-3p aggravates hydrogen peroxide-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell premature senescence by targeting SIRT1
Authors: Tong Pengfei , Zhang Jingke , Liu Shuang , An Jiyang , Jing Gehan , Ma Laifeng , Wang Ruihua , Wang Zhengfeng
Published: April 2024

Vascular endothelial cell premature senescence plays an important part in stroke. Many microRNAs (miRNAs) are known to be involved in the pathological process of vascular endothelial cell premature senescence. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced premature senescence in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and effect of miR-142-3p on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced premature senescence. HUVECs were exposed to H2O2 to establish a model premature senescence in endothelial cells. CCK-8 assay was performed to detect cell viability. Senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining assay and senescence-related proteins p16 and p21 were used to detect changes in the degree of cell senescence. RT-qPCR and Western blot were conducted to measure mRNA and protein levels, respectively. The scratch wound-healing assay, transwell assay, and EdU assay were performed to evaluate the ability of migration and proliferation, respectively. miRNA-142-3p and silencing information regulator 2 related enzyme 1 (SIRT1) binding was verified using Targetscan software and a dual-luciferase assay. We found that miRNA-142-3p is abnormally up-regulated in HUVECs treated with H2O2. Functionally, miRNA-142-3p inhibition may mitigate the degree of HUVEC senescence and improve HUVEC migration and proliferation. Mechanistically, SIRT1 was validated to be targeted by miRNA-142-3p in HUVECs. Moreover, SIRT1 inhibition reversed the effects of miRNA-142-3p inhibition on senescent HUVECs exposed to H2O2. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that miRNA-142-3p ameliorates H2O2-induced HUVECs premature senescence by targeting SIRT1 and may shed light on the role of the miR-142-3p/SIRT1 axis in stroke treatment.
Protein disulfide isomerase uses thrombin–antithrombin complex as a template to bind its target protein and alter the blood coagulation rates
Authors: Khan Abdul Burhan , Siddiqui Urfi , Fatima Sana , Rehman Ahmed Abdur , Jairajpuri Mohamad Aman
Published: April 2024

During inflammation and situations of cellular stress protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is released in the blood plasma from the platelet and endothelial cells to influence thrombosis. The addition of exogenous PDI makes the environment pro-thrombotic by inducing disulfide bond formation in specific plasma protein targets like vitronectin, factor V, and factor XI. However, the mechanistic details of PDI interaction with its target remain largely unknown. A decrease in the coagulation time was detected in activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and thrombin time (TT) on addition of the purified recombinant PDI (175 nM). The coagulation time can be controlled using an activator (quercetin penta sulfate, QPS) or an inhibitor (quercetin 3-rutinoside, Q3R) of PDI activity. Likewise, the PDI variants that increase the PDI activity (H399R) decrease, and the variant with low activity (C53A) increases the blood coagulation time. An SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis showed that the PDI does not form a stable complex with either thrombin or antithrombin (ATIII) but it uses the ATIII–thrombin complex as a template to bind and maintain its activity. A complete inhibition of thrombin activity on the formation of ATIII–thrombin–PDI complex, and the complex-bound PDI-catalyzed disulfide bond formation of the target proteins may control the pro- and anti-thrombotic role of PDI.
A special issue of Essays in Biochemistry on computational biology
Authors: Rohwer Johann M.
Published: April 2024

Computational biology is a diverse research field that has gained increasing importance over the last two decades. Broadly, it aims to apply computational approaches to advance our understanding of biological systems. This can take place on multiple levels, for example, by creating computational models of specific biological systems, by developing algorithms that assist in the analysis of experimental data, or by investigating fundamental biological design principles through modelling. The articles in this special issue highlight and review four such distinct applications of computational biology.
Research on SAR image denoising method based on feature extraction
Authors: Wei Shaoming , Ma Xin , Qu Fangrui , Wang Jun , Liang Tian , Chen Dehong
Published: April 2024

Due to the excellent characteristics of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), it has become an important technical means for land and sea target detection applications worldwide. However, the SAR image imaging process is often accompanied by speckle noise, which affects the accuracy of target detection. For this problem, this paper proposes an SAR image reconstruction model based on image denoising and feature extraction. Given a noisy SAR image, at each pixel of the image, the value of the singularity index of a metric defined by the signal gradient norm density is calculated. Then through a hierarchical decomposition of these singular indices, a set of pixels containing the most informative feature set of the image is extracted, and a denoised image is reconstructed using the extracted features. In comparison to traditional filtering and denoising techniques such as non‐local filtering, this algorithm achieves remarkable local filtering and denoising effects while preserving the image's texture information. The denoising performance of the proposed method is evaluated through a series of quantitative indicators and visual comparisons. The results demonstrate that this method effectively reduces background clutter, resulting in a higher contrast between the target and the background.
Bandwidth‐enhanced horizontally polarized omnidirectional slot antenna based on single‐ridge trapezoidal waveguide
Authors: Ye Kai , You Yang , Shen Shuhao , Lu Yunlong , Huang Jifu
Published: April 2024

This letter presents a Ku‐band horizontally polarized (HP) omnidirectional antenna based on single‐ridge trapezoidal waveguide (STW). Four groups of longitudinal slots are etched on a pair of back‐to‐back arranged STWs to achieve the HP omnidirectional radiation performance. The number and distribution of each radiation slot group are optimized to reduce the gain variation. An out‐of‐phase stripline power divider cascaded with two probe‐based vertical power dividers is used to excite all radiating slots in a series‐parallel hybrid structure, which helps to enhance the boresight radiation bandwidth. For demonstration, a prototype covering 14.5 to 15.5 GHz is designed, fabricated, and measured. Experimental results show that the good impedance matching (|S11|←14 dB) and the measured out‐of‐roundness for the omnidirectional radiation pattern are less than 4.4 dB within the desired frequency band. High gain and wideband omnidirectional radiation characteristics can provide a wide range of coverage and good signal transmission performance for outdoor wireless communication systems.
Self‐powered HP‐LED intelligent energy management system with adaptive brightness adjustment
Authors: Hu Qi , Chen Qing , Jia Hongzhi , Xu Shuxi , Liu Yuan , Li Yuannian
Published: April 2024

The energy harvesting system achieved from one environmental energy channel is facing more and more challenges in meeting the power supply of electronic energy‐consuming devices. In this study, a combined photovoltaic (PV) and Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) energy management system is proposed with intelligent self‐powered technique for high‐power light‐emitting diodes (HP‐LED) lighting. Both the solar energy and waste heat induced by PV and HP‐LED are synchronously converted into electrical energy. Self‐powered by this gathered power, an adaptive light intensity control of HP‐LED is also realized using the established feedback path between ambient light and HP‐LED light. Experimental results show that the supply voltage of the TEG required for startup of the whole system can be decreased as 20.8 mV. Only 10 s is needed to complete the startup process under sufficient light, while 25 s in case of insufficient conditions. This energy management can provide a new technology for future smart home and greenhouse planting.
YOLO‐UOD: An underwater small object detector via improved efficient layer aggregation network
Authors: Chen Weiwen , Zhuang Tingting , Zhang Yuanfang , Mei Teng , Tang Xiaoyu
Published: April 2024

Accurate detection of underwater objects is a key indicator technology to effectively enhance the field of marine development and application, and is of great importance to various fields including marine military defense and seafood aquaculture. Efficient and rapid detection of underwater targets is a crucial technological challenge in this field. To meet the challenges posed by these issues, this study applies the convolutional omni‐efficient layer aggregation network (CO‐ELAN) module to the detector backbone to improve the ability of the network structure to acquire underwater objects from image information. The module improves the feature representation of gradient branching through a multi‐dimensional dynamic convolution and attention mechanism. In terms of loss calculation, the optimized normalized Wasserstein distance approach is used to predict the box distribution probabilistic modelling method to determine comparable distances to the ground box and obtain better samples of small target labels. Here, an underwater image enhancement algorithm based on white balance and underwater blur fusion is used to obtain clear images that enable improved detector performance. After the verification experiment on the URPC2018 dataset, it is found that the detector has better underwater detection ability compared with other detectors in the complex underwater environment. The proposed method achieves a 2.4% improvement over the YOLOv7 baseline model, while reducing computation costs by 5%.
Berichtete Konsequenzen des Verbots von Sexpuppen mit kindlichem
Erscheinungsbild
Authors: Desbuleux Jeanne C. , Fuss Johannes
Published: April 2024

Einleitung Eine Verschärfung des Strafgesetzbuches im Juli 2021 hat den Handel mit und Besitz von
Sexpuppen mit kindlichem Erscheinungsbild in Deutschland unter Strafe gestellt. Neben moralischen Gründen
steht die Befürchtung im Raum, dass sexuelle Handlungen mit Kindern durch das Angebot jener Puppen
normalisiert oder sogar eingeübt werden könnten, was zu vermehrter sexualisierter Gewalt an Kindern
führen könnte. Empirische Daten für diese Annahme fehlen.

Forschungsziele Die vorliegende Arbeit hat einerseits zum Ziel, die Debatte um Sexpuppen mit
kindlichem Erscheinungsbild darzustellen und andererseits die berichteten Konsequenzen des Verbots von
Sexpuppen mit kindlichem Erscheinungsbild für die Betroffenen zu dokumentieren.

Methoden Die schriftlichen Aussagen von N = 40 betroffenen Personen des Verbots von
Sexpuppen mit kindlichem Erscheinungsbild, die durch eine offene Frage eines Online-Surveys erhoben
wurde, wurden hinsichtlich der berichteten Konsequenzen analysiert.

Ergebnisse Am häufigsten nannten die Nutzer*innen (negative) Auswirkungen auf ihre (psychische)
Gesundheit. Darüber hinaus wurden eine erhöhte Unsicherheit sowie eine empfundene Diskriminierung durch
die Gesellschaft bzw. Politik berichtet. Die Teilnehmer*innen berichteten von einer Zunahme
problematischer Verhaltensweisen, wie z. B. dem erneuten Anschauen von Missbrauchsabbildungen, und davon,
dass für sie eine Möglichkeit weggefallen sei, Sexualität legal auszuleben.

Schlussfolgerung Aus Sicht der Betroffenen wirkt sich das Verbot von Kindersexpuppen negativ auf
ihr Leben und das Risiko für sexualisierte Gewalt gegen Kinder aus. Die vorliegenden Daten liefern keine
Hinweise darauf, dass die Gesetzesverschärfung dem Schutz von Kindern dient, auch wenn das Studiendesign
diesbezüglich Grenzen aufweist.
L1 Syndrome-Associated Phenotypes and a Novel L1CAM Variant: A Clinical Report
Authors: Paskal Seyma Aktas , Yavuz Fatih , Per Hüseyin , Kucuk Ahmet , Dundar Munis
Published: April 2024

L1 syndrome is a group of X-linked diseases caused by pathogenic variants in the human L1 cell adhesion molecule gene (L1CAM; OMIM 308840). The L1CAM gene is expressed primarily in the nervous system, where it plays important roles in neuronal development, including the guidance of neurite outgrowth, neuronal cell migration, axon bundling, synaptogenesis, myelination, neuronal cell survival, and long-term potentiation. L1 syndrome comprises a group of overlapping phenotypes including partial agenesis of corpus callosum, congenital X-linked hydrocephalus, and mental retardation, aphasia, shuffling gait, and adducted thumbs syndrome. Molecular analysis was performed in four patients with congenital hydrocephalus (CH) and adducted thumbs. Three pathogenic variants were identified in the L1CAM gene, novel c.539dupA (p.Gln181Alafs*46) common to the two siblings, c.791G > A (p.Cys264Tyr) and c.1453C > T (p.Arg485*) variants. A correlation between genotype and phenotype has been reported in L1-related disorders. Two families with intrafamilial variability are presented and a novel pathogenic variant in the L1CAM gene has been reported. L1 syndrome should be considered primarily in patients with CH and adducted thumbs.
Considerations for the Treatment of Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals in Colon and Rectal Surgery
Authors: Roblee Cole V. , Jacobson Clare , Lane Megan , Morrison Shane D.
Published: April 2024

Sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) experience critical barriers to health care access and have unique health care needs that are often overlooked. Given the rise in individuals identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer, colorectal surgeons are likely to care for increasing numbers of such individuals. Here, we discuss key barriers to health care access and research among SGM populations and outline approaches to address these barriers in clinical practice. We also highlight two specific topics relevant to SGM populations that colorectal surgeons should be familiar with: current approaches to anal cancer screening among men who have sex with men, and transgender individuals, as well as the management of recto-neovaginal fistula in transfeminine individuals.
Overcoming Geographic Barriers: Surgical Care in Rural Populations
Authors: Schaefer Sara L. , Ibrahim Andrew M.
Published: April 2024

This chapter examines the challenges rural Americans face in accessing surgical care, which is characterized by geographical barriers, a decreasing surgical workforce, and unique patient factors. The widening health care disparity between rural and urban residents highlights the need for comprehensive strategies to improve surgical care delivery to rural areas. Focusing on colorectal care delivery, encompassing the spectrum of common and complex care, exemplifies opportunities to optimize care delivery for rural populations. Here, we discuss the complex and unique interplay of challenges within rural hospital infrastructure, workforce shortages, and patient factors emphasizing financial strain, closure of rural hospitals, and limited access to specialty providers and resources. Current evidence focuses on volume–outcome relationships, the safety of common surgical care at rural hospitals, and the impact of rural hospitals joining larger health systems. Strategies to optimize care delivery include site-of-care optimization, improved care coordination, dissemination of specialty expertise, and policy programs to support the rural workforce. Recent federal policies, including the rural emergency hospital program, underscore the delicate balance between sustaining essential local health care services and the financial realities of rural health care delivery. We then conclude with evidence-based strategies to bridge the urban-rural health care gap, ensuring equitable access to high-quality surgical care regardless of geographic location.
Branding a small state as an innovation business partner
Authors: Mogensen Kirsten
Published: April 2024

Approximately 50 small countries depend on international cooperation for their survival as sovereign nations. This case study contributes to the discussion of cosmopolitanism versus internationalism in public diplomacy and place branding. It argues that limited bilateral partnerships with universities and businesses based on government-to-government agreements and shared interest are a safer strategy for small countries seeking reputational security than outspoken support for cosmopolitan values. This strategy is a very useful form of place branding, especially in times of crisis and uncertainty. The case examined is Innovation Centre Denmark, with offices in innovation hotspots in various countries. It organizes its activities as bilateral triple helixes, inspired by the work of Henry Etzkowitz and his colleagues. The center developed as part of a nation branding strategy launched by Denmark, a small Nordic country, following the so-called Muhammad crisis in 2005–2006. Then Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen described the controversy as Denmark’s worst international relations incident since WW2, as it damaged the country’s brand in some parts of the world. The article is multidisciplinary in nature, as it combines theories from international relations, business studies, and communication. The public diplomacy approach adopted is primarily represented by Nicholas Cull and his colleagues.
On the specific behavior of the work function and surface potential of an asymmetric metal-dielectric nanosandwich
Authors: Pogosov V. V.
Published: April 2024

We examine thin film on a dielectric substrate (vacuum/Al/SiO2) in the stabilized jellium model and the Kohn–Sham method. We investigate surface and size effects on the effective potential and the electron work function, and analyze the spatial distributions of electrons and potentials. It is found that a dielectric environment generally leads to a decrease in the work function. The effect of dielectric confinement for the electron work function of the asymmetric metal-dielectric nanosandwiches is reduced only by the surface area weighted average value of the dielectric constants. This conclusion follows from the application of the Gauss theorem for a conducting sphere with an inhomogeneous dielectric coating. The flow of electrons from the dielectric face to the vacuum one due to the contact potential difference manifests itself in the appearance of an additional dipole between the left and right face within the spatial distributions of ions. This leads to the fact that in a vacuum the electrostatic and effective potentials change sign twice, as a result of which a potential barrier appears above the vacuum level. We introduced the position of an electron conduction band in the dielectric as the input parameter in the self-consistency procedure for one of the sandwich approximations. As it turned out, the barrier height depends only on the used local or non-local approximation of the exchange-correlation energy. The nontrivial origin and behavior of the calculated effective potential on the vacuum side of the film, as well as the reasons for it, are discussed.
Electrical breakdown characteristics of nanogaps
Authors: Lange Katherine De
Published: April 2024

Understanding electrical breakdown in nanogaps is essential for the performance of electronic devices and plasma applications
Nonlinear susceptibilities for weakly turbulent magnetized plasma: Electromagnetic formalism
Authors: Yoon Peter H.
Published: April 2024

This is a companion paper to the previous work [P. H. Yoon, Phys. Plasmas 31, 032309 (2024)] in which the nonlinear susceptibilities of weakly turbulent magnetized plasma are derived under a simplifying assumption of electrostatic interaction. The present paper extends the analysis to a general situation of electromagnetic interaction. The main novelty of the previous and present papers is that by employing the Bessel function addition theorem, the mathematical definitions for the susceptibilities are substantially simplified, a procedure that has not been discussed in the existing literature. In the present paper, a full set of Maxwell’s equations are considered in conjunction with the nonlinear Vlasov equation, which is solved by a perturbative method. The result is a fully general nonlinear susceptibility, given in tensorial form, which is applicable for weakly turbulent magnetized plasmas.
Jinghpaw loanword typology
Authors: Kurabe Keita
Published: April 2024

Jinghpaw is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in northern Burma and adjacent areas of China and India. The language is known for both its conservative nature (e.g., comparative Tibeto-Burman linguistics) and the innovative nature of its speakers (e.g., social anthropology of highland Burma). In view of this duality, this paper explores the Jinghpaw lexicon asking whether it is conservative enough to shed great light on the reconstruction of the proto-language or whether it is innovative, having undergone a grand-scale lexical replacement under intensive contact. This paper addresses this question by measuring the lexical borrowing rate in the language based on the methodology laid out by the Loanword Typology (LWT) project. The results put Jinghpaw among average borrower languages in terms of the borrowability scale of the world’s languages. This study concludes that the Jinghpaw lexicon, especially its basic vocabulary, is relatively conservative, and the semantic fields affected by borrowing are mostly restricted to those that show high cross-linguistic susceptibility to intercultural influences. The results and discussion in this paper enable further understanding of comparative Tibeto-Burman linguistics and contact linguistics of northern Burma and beyond.
The role of cognitive schemas in linguistic convergence
Authors: Coupe Alexander R.
Published: April 2024

This article reports on some outcomes of language contact and linguistic convergence involving Tibeto-Burman and Indo-Aryan languages in the Northeast Indian state of Nagaland. The primary focus falls on Nagamese, a lingua franca of the region that is undergoing a change in its morphosyntactic alignment typology. Evidence is presented to demonstrate that cognitive schemas are most likely responsible for the spread of replicated case marking patterns from local Tibeto-Burman languages to Nagamese, and that this has triggered a change in the alignment pattern of Nagamese over the past fifty years. The data presented in the paper are significant for demonstrating how language contact and the replication of cognitive schemas can be plausible drivers of grammatical change, even for something as fundamental to the syntax of a language as its morphosyntactic alignment.
The ghostliness of translation
Authors: Hamamra Bilal , Maqboul Rafa
Published: April 2024

Drawing on Venuti’s foreignization and domestication and
Derrida’s concepts of iteration, supplementarity, différance and ghostliness,
this article suggests that Khalil Mutran’s and Jabra Jabra’s translations are
not duplications of Shakespeare’s Hamlet but they appear as
apparitions of an apparition. This study adopts a descriptive analytical
approach that presents the collected data from Shakespeare’s
Hamlet (1992),
Jabra’s translation (1979) and
Mutran’s (2012), respectively.
Through the analysis of the chosen examples, we contend that intertextuality,
translation and ghosts are deconstructive of temporality, ontology and meaning
as they entail ‘repetition’ and ‘différance’.
Lost in translation
Authors: Patrick Reagan
Published: April 2024

In 1959, Toufic Fahd – a professor of Arabic language, literature, and civilization – made a fortuitous discovery.
During a visit to the University of Istanbul, while perusing the University’s library, Fahd stumbled upon an Arabic translation of
a Greek work, namely the famous dream interpretation book of Artemidorus, known as the Oneirocritica. The
original Greek text is fascinating as it stands as the sole surviving classical work on dream interpretation. The discovery of its
later Arabic translation, however, is captivating in its own right. The context of this translation alone is of particular
interest to any Islamic historian, having been initially commissioned during the height of the ʿAbbāsid Translation Movement and
undertaken by the renowned translator, Ḥunayn Ibn ʾIsḥāq. The intention of the present paper is to compare these texts,
highlighting intentional changes made to the content of the Greek work, specifically in instances related to mythology, sexuality,
and cultural practices. These changes are noteworthy as they have rendered the Arabic translation as more of a work of
interpretation itself, modifying the 2nd century AD Greek text to reflect the realities of its new religious and geographic
setting in 9th century Baghdad.
Exploring user perspectives
Authors: Shin Ji-Sun , Mah Seunghye
Published: April 2024

Since the advent of Google NMT in 2016, human translators have been overwhelmed by the concern about being
replaced by machine translation. Although professional translators argue that the machine translation output is not refined enough
to surpass human translators, their claims are sometimes emotional and based on incorrect perceptions, without verification and
substantiation from user evaluation and specific quality evaluation data. Therefore, this study examines the evolution of NMT
output from English to Korean diachronically and provides specific user evaluation data that can verify and substantiate the
claims. Despite the steady improvement in NMT performance observed in recent years, it has been recognized that there is still a
significant gap that must be bridged for NMT to achieve parity with human translation. Nevertheless, as the collaboration between
NMT and human translators is expected to increase, it is essential to reinforce relevant systems, such as technological and legal
support systems.
Specificity contrasts in Lalo Yi
Authors: Hu Yaqing , Simpson Andrew
Published: April 2024

Lalo Yi (Tibeto-Burman; China) makes systematic distinctions in the encoding of specificity with
numerically-quantified nominals. Whereas specific indefinite NPs involve the presence of an article nikhe in an
NP-internal position [Noun nikhe Numeral Classifier], non-specific existentially-asserted indefinites require the
use of a syntactically discontinuous floating quantifier pattern [NP…Numeral-Classifier…]. A third, distinctive patterning is
found with weak, non-specific indefinites (indefinites that are not existentially asserted). This paper describes these previously
undocumented contrastive forms in Lalo Yi and how the language has developed a strikingly transparent linking between
morpho-syntax and semantics/pragmatics in the domain of nominal phrases.
Design of a high sensitivity and wide range angular rate sensor based on exceptional surface
Authors: Ding 丁 Xinsheng 鑫圣 , Liu 刘 Wenyao 文耀 , Wang 王 Shixian 师贤 , Tao 陶 Yu 煜 , Zhou 周 Yanru 彦汝 , Bai 白 Yu 禹 , Liu 刘 Lai 来 , Xing 邢 Enbo 恩博 , Tang 唐 Jun 军 , Liu 刘 Jun 俊
Published: April 2024

It is found that when the parity–time symmetry phenomenon is introduced into the resonant optical gyro system and it works near the exceptional point, the sensitivity can in theory be significantly amplified at low angular rate. However, in fact, the exceptional point is easily disturbed by external environmental variables, which means that it depends on harsh experimental environment and strong control ability, so it is difficult to move towards practical application. Here, we propose a new angular rate sensor structure based on exceptional surface, which has the advantages of high sensitivity and high robustness. The system consists of two fiber-optic ring resonators and two optical loop mirrors, and one of the resonators contains a variable ratio coupler and a variable optical attenuator. We theoretically analyze the system response, and the effects of phase and coupling ratio on the system response. Finally, compared with the conventional resonant gyro, the sensitivity of this exceptional surface angular rate sensor can be improved by about 300 times at low speed. In addition, by changing the loss coefficient in the ring resonator, we can achieve a wide range of 600 rad/s. This scheme provides a new approach for the development of ultra-high sensitivity and wide range angular rate sensors in the future.
A novel methodology to assess optical profilometer stability to discriminate surface roughness
Authors: Moreau Clement , Bigerelle Maxence , Marteau Julie , Lemesle Julie , Paez David , Guibert Robin , Blateyron François , Brown Christopher A
Published: April 2024

A new method is proposed to investigate the measurement variation of instruments and their ability to discriminate two TA6V surfaces obtained by grinding with SiC grit papers (80 and 120). Three optical measurement technologies included into a single apparatus, namely Confocal Microscopy (CM), Focus Variation (FV) and Coherence Scanning Interferometry (CSI), were used to measure both ground surfaces according to a specific experimental protocol (MorphoMeca Monitoring) based on measurement iterations and repetitions. From the measurements, four indices were built from the Sa roughness parameter to assess the Quality (ratio of the topographical variability over the measurement noise), the Drift (related to surface fluctuations) and the Stability (estimation of the temporal drift using a second order autoregressive model) of the three measurement technologies (modes), as well as their Relevance (computed from an analysis of variance) to discriminate ground surfaces with close roughness. For these investigated surfaces, it was especially highlighted that the Quality Index is four times higher for the CSI mode than for the FV and CM modes. All the used measurement modes experienced small drifting (Drift Index) during the measurements. The CSI mode was slightly more sensitive to drift than the FV and CM modes. The Stability Index indicated that there was no memory effect between two acquisitions for each measurement mode, i.e., the temporal drift did not depend on the measurement mode. Moreover, the three measurement modes are able to discriminate the two ground surfaces with the same accuracy through the Sa parameter. However, the Sa values may vary depending on the measurement modes, and it was finally shown that the Sa parameter is minimized by 0.03 μm for the FV mode compared with the CSI mode, due to its smoothing effect.
Increasing electricity access for health facilities in Ghana through solar powered mini-grids—a GIS-based energy system modelling approach
Authors: Lammers Katrin , Linke Avia , Andrade Andrés , Cader Catherina
Published: April 2024

The research aims to identify which healthcare facilities (HCFs) in Ghana are suitable for electrification using photovoltaic mini-grids to increase their energy self-sufficiency and reliability of services provided. Additionally, the study categorises the HCFs in two groups: those with and without or with poor access to electricity supply, identify settlements within their catchment area, and determine the electricity demand for identified HCF sites and their surrounding communities. The research assesses the most suitable mini-grid system setup to electrify identified HCF sites and the impact of including the demand of surrounding communities into the energy system modelling. Finally, the study aims to determine the accumulated solar mini-grid potential to electrify all identified HCF sites. The study findings highlight the importance of integrated planning between the health and energy sectors to ensure high-quality health services. Solar mini-grids are identified as a promising solution for electrifying HCFs and improving energy self-sufficiency. However, it is recommended to avoid transferring findings between different types of health facilities due to their unique characteristics. The study also emphasizes the importance of balancing the energy flow and stabilizing the energy system through the combination of HCFs and surrounding communities’ demand. It is crucial to assess the electricity demand carefully based on context-specific characteristics, such as the type of HCF and the number of households considered. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the potential of solar mini-grids to increase energy self-sufficiency in HCFs and the importance of careful planning and context-specific assessments.
Performance of Home-Based and Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Obese Children and Their Correlation With End Organ Damage
Authors: Puthukara Athira , Kumar Amber , Bhatt Girish Chandra , Maheshwari Mahesh , Pakhare Abhijit P , Malik Shikha , Raina Rupesh
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND

The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity has led to a corresponding increase in hypertension among children, necessitating early identification of subclinical target organ damage for accurate cardiovascular risk assessment. However, in the pediatric population, there is a paucity of literature comparing ambulatory and home blood pressure monitoring, and this knowledge gap is exacerbated by limited access to ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) facilities, particularly in developing countries, where pediatricians often resort to home blood BP monitoring as the preferred option.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study with 60 obese children (aged 5–18 years) at tertiary health care in central India, we aimed to comprehensively characterize blood pressure profiles, including office, ambulatory, and home, and investigated their correlations with indicators of end-organ damage.

RESULTS

Among 60 children, 26 (43.3%) participants were found to be hypertensive based on 24-hour-ABPM evaluation. Masked hypertension (MH) and white coat hypertension (WCH) were observed in 21.6% and 13.3%, respectively. Surprisingly, 20% of participants were identified as hypertensive through 7-day home BP monitoring (HBPM). A notable discordance of 36.6% was between HBPM and ABPM results. Moreover, 26.7% of the children had end-organ damage, with higher odds associated with night-time systolic ambulatory hypertension in the adjusted regression model (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.03–1.10, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The study highlights 24-hour ABPM’s vital role in classifying hypertensive status, especially in high-risk children. The diagnostic performance of HBPM shows poor sensitivity in detecting MH and lower specificity in identifying WCH compared to ABPM. This limitation translates to missed opportunities for early preventive interventions.
CORDAX web server: an online platform for the prediction and 3D visualization of aggregation motifs in protein sequences
Authors: Louros Nikolaos , Rousseau Frederic , Schymkowitz Joost
Published: April 2024

Motivation

Proteins, the molecular workhorses of biological systems, execute a multitude of critical functions dictated by their precise three-dimensional structures. In a complex and dynamic cellular environment, proteins can undergo misfolding, leading to the formation of aggregates that take up various forms, including amorphous and ordered aggregation in the shape of amyloid fibrils. This phenomenon is closely linked to a spectrum of widespread debilitating pathologies, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, type-II diabetes, and several other proteinopathies, but also hampers the engineering of soluble agents, as in the case of antibody development. As such, the accurate prediction of aggregation propensity within protein sequences has become pivotal due to profound implications in understanding disease mechanisms, as well as in improving biotechnological and therapeutic applications.

Results

We previously developed Cordax, a structure-based predictor that utilizes logistic regression to detect aggregation motifs in protein sequences based on their structural complementarity to the amyloid cross-beta architecture. Here, we present a dedicated web server interface for Cordax. This online platform combines several features including detailed scoring of sequence aggregation propensity, as well as 3D visualization with several customization options for topology models of the structural cores formed by predicted aggregation motifs. In addition, information is provided on experimentally determined aggregation-prone regions that exhibit sequence similarity to predicted motifs, scores, and links to other predictor outputs, as well as simultaneous predictions of relevant sequence propensities, such as solubility, hydrophobicity, and secondary structure propensity.

Availability and implementation

The Cordax webserver is freely accessible at https://cordax.switchlab.org/.
LMCrot: an enhanced protein crotonylation site predictor by leveraging an interpretable window-level embedding from a transformer-based protein language model
Authors: Pratyush Pawel , Bahmani Soufia , Pokharel Suresh , Ismail Hamid D , KC Dukka B
Published: April 2024

Motivation

Recent advancements in natural language processing have highlighted the effectiveness of global contextualized representations from protein language models (pLMs) in numerous downstream tasks. Nonetheless, strategies to encode the site-of-interest leveraging pLMs for per-residue prediction tasks, such as crotonylation (Kcr) prediction, remain largely uncharted.

Results

Herein, we adopt a range of approaches for utilizing pLMs by experimenting with different input sequence types (full-length protein sequence versus window sequence), assessing the implications of utilizing per-residue embedding of the site-of-interest as well as embeddings of window residues centered around it. Building upon these insights, we developed a novel residual ConvBiLSTM network designed to process window-level embeddings of the site-of-interest generated by the ProtT5-XL-UniRef50 pLM using full-length sequences as input. This model, termed T5ResConvBiLSTM, surpasses existing state-of-the-art Kcr predictors in performance across three diverse datasets. To validate our approach of utilizing full sequence-based window-level embeddings, we also delved into the interpretability of ProtT5-derived embedding tensors in two ways: firstly, by scrutinizing the attention weights obtained from the transformer’s encoder block; and secondly, by computing SHAP values for these tensors, providing a model-agnostic interpretation of the prediction results. Additionally, we enhance the latent representation of ProtT5 by incorporating two additional local representations, one derived from amino acid properties and the other from supervised embedding layer, through an intermediate fusion stacked generalization approach, using an n-mer window sequence (or, peptide/fragment). The resultant stacked model, dubbed LMCrot, exhibits a more pronounced improvement in predictive performance across the tested datasets.

Availability and implementation

LMCrot is publicly available at https://github.com/KCLabMTU/LMCrot.
Efficacy of tofacitinib as an induction agent in severe alopecia areata compared with oral betamethasone weekly pulse
Authors: Ahuja Rhea , Patel Varniraj , Jain Ayush , Taneja Neha , Gupta Somesh
Published: April 2024

A few studies have looked at the efficacy of tofacitinib in severe alopecia areata (AA), characterized by ≥ 50% scalp hair loss. Here, we aimed to assess retrospective data for the role of tofacitinib as an induction agent in severe AA, compared with the standard oral mini-pulse (OMP). Tofacitinib holds promise as an induction agent for patients with severe AA, comparable with OMP. However, when patients respond inadequately to tofacitinib, a trial of pulse steroids may be considered.
District-Level Forecast of Achieving Trachoma Elimination as a Public Health Problem By 2030: An Ensemble Modelling Approach
Authors: Srivathsan Ariktha , Abdou Amza , Al-Khatib Tawfik , Apadinuwe Sue-Chen , Badiane Mouctar D , Bucumi Victor , Chisenga Tina , Kabona George , Kabore Martin , Kanyi Sarjo Kebba , Bella Lucienne , M’po Nekoua , Masika Michael , Minnih Abdellahi , Sitoe Henis Mior , Mishra Sailesh , Olobio Nicholas , Omar Fatma Juma , Phiri Isaac , Sanha Salimato , Seife Fikre , Sharma Shekhar , Tekeraoi Rabebe , Traore Lamine , Watitu Titus , Bol Yak Yak , Borlase Anna , Deiner Michael S , Renneker Kristen K , Hooper P J , Emerson Paul M , Vasconcelos Andreia , Arnold Benjamin F , Porco Travis C , Hollingsworth T Déirdre , Lietman Thomas M , Blumberg Seth
Published: April 2024

Assessing the feasibility of 2030 as a target date for global elimination of trachoma, and identification of districts that may require enhanced treatment to meet World Health Organization (WHO) elimination criteria by this date are key challenges in operational planning for trachoma programmes. Here we address these challenges by prospectively evaluating forecasting models of trachomatous inflammation–follicular (TF) prevalence, leveraging ensemble-based approaches. Seven candidate probabilistic models were developed to forecast district-wise TF prevalence in 11 760 districts, trained using district-level data on the population prevalence of TF in children aged 1–9 years from 2004 to 2022. Geographical location, history of mass drug administration treatment, and previously measured prevalence data were included in these models as key predictors. The best-performing models were included in an ensemble, using weights derived from their relative likelihood scores. To incorporate the inherent stochasticity of disease transmission and challenges of population-level surveillance, we forecasted probability distributions for the TF prevalence in each geographic district, rather than predicting a single value. Based on our probabilistic forecasts, 1.46% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.43–1.48%) of all districts in trachoma-endemic countries, equivalent to 172 districts, will exceed the 5% TF control threshold in 2030 with the current interventions. Global elimination of trachoma as a public health problem by 2030 may require enhanced intervention and/or surveillance of high-risk districts.
Proteomics couples electrical remodelling to inflammation in a murine model of heart failure with sinus node dysfunction
Authors: Kahnert Konstantin , Soattin Luca , Mills Robert W , Wilson Claire , Maurya Svetlana , Sorrentino Andrea , Al-Othman Sami , Tikhomirov Roman , van de Vegte Yordi J , Hansen Finn B , Achter Jonathan , Hu Wei , Zi Min , Smith Matthew , van der Harst Pim , Olesen Morten S , Boisen Olsen Kristine , Banner Jytte , Jensen Thomas H L , Zhang Henggui , Boyett Mark R , D’Souza Alicia , Lundby Alicia
Published: April 2024

Aims

In patients with heart failure (HF), concomitant sinus node dysfunction (SND) is an important predictor of mortality, yet its molecular underpinnings are poorly understood. Using proteomics, this study aimed to dissect the protein and phosphorylation remodelling within the sinus node in an animal model of HF with concurrent SND.

Methods and results

We acquired deep sinus node proteomes and phosphoproteomes in mice with heart failure and SND and report extensive remodelling. Intersecting the measured (phospho)proteome changes with human genomics pharmacovigilance data, highlighted downregulated proteins involved in electrical activity such as the pacemaker ion channel, Hcn4. We confirmed the importance of ion channel downregulation for sinus node physiology using computer modelling. Guided by the proteomics data, we hypothesized that an inflammatory response may drive the electrophysiological remodeling underlying SND in heart failure. In support of this, experimentally induced inflammation downregulated Hcn4 and slowed pacemaking in the isolated sinus node. From the proteomics data we identified proinflammatory cytokine-like protein galectin-3 as a potential target to mitigate the effect. Indeed, in vivo suppression of galectin-3 in the animal model of heart failure prevented SND.

Conclusion

Collectively, we outline the protein and phosphorylation remodeling of SND in heart failure, we highlight a role for inflammation in electrophysiological remodelling of the sinus node, and we present galectin-3 signalling as a target to ameliorate SND in heart failure.
The role of rhizosphere phages in soil health
Authors: Wang Xiaofang , Tang Yike , Yue Xiufeng , Wang Shuo , Yang Keming , Xu Yangchun , Shen Qirong , Friman Ville-Petri , Wei Zhong
Published: April 2024

While the One Health framework has emphasized the importance of soil microbiomes for plant and human health, one of the most diverse and abundant groups—bacterial viruses, i.e. phages—has been mostly neglected. This perspective reviews the significance of phages for plant health in rhizosphere and explores their ecological and evolutionary impacts on soil ecosystems. We first summarize our current understanding of the diversity and ecological roles of phages in soil microbiomes in terms of nutrient cycling, top-down density regulation, and pathogen suppression. We then consider how phages drive bacterial evolution in soils by promoting horizontal gene transfer, encoding auxiliary metabolic genes that increase host bacterial fitness, and selecting for phage-resistant mutants with altered ecology due to trade-offs with pathogen competitiveness and virulence. Finally, we consider challenges and avenues for phage research in soil ecosystems and how to elucidate the significance of phages for microbial ecology and evolution and soil ecosystem functioning in the future. We conclude that similar to bacteria, phages likely play important roles in connecting different One Health compartments, affecting microbiome diversity and functions in soils. From the applied perspective, phages could offer novel approaches to modulate and optimize microbial and microbe–plant interactions to enhance soil health.