bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Assessment of Cardiac Fibroblast Activation at Physiologic Stiffness
Authors: Goldsmith Robert S. , Tsan Yao‐Chang , Scissors Rachel E. , Helms Adam S. , Brody Matthew J.
Published: April 2024

Cardiac fibroblasts (CF) are an essential cell type in cardiac physiology, playing diverse roles in maintaining structural integrity, extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis, and tissue repair. Under normal conditions, these cells reside in the interstitium in a quiescent state poised to sense and respond to injury by synthesizing and secreting collagen, vimentin, hyaluronan, and other ECM components. In response to mechanical and chemical stimuli, these “resident” fibroblasts can undergo a transformation through a continuum of activation states into what is commonly known as a “myofibroblast,” in a process critical for injury response. Despite progress in understanding the contribution of fibroblasts to cardiac health and disease, much remains unknown about the signaling mediating this activation, in part owing to technical challenges in evaluating CF function and activation status in vitro. Given their role in monitoring the ECM, CFs are acutely sensitive to stiffness and pressure. High basal activation of isolated CFs is common due to the super‐physiologic stiffness of traditional cell culture substrates, making assays dependent on quiescent cells challenging. To overcome this problem, cell culture parameters must be tightly controlled, and the use of dishes coated with biocompatible reduced‐stiffness substrates, such as 8‐kPa polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), has shown promise in reducing basal activation of fibroblasts. Here, we describe cell culture protocol for maintaining CF quiescence in vitro to enable a dynamic range for the assessment of activation status in response to fibrogenic stimuli using PDMS‐coated coverslips. Our protocol provides a cost‐effective tool to study fibroblast signaling and activity, allowing researchers to better understand the underlying mechanisms involved in cardiac fibrosis. © 2024 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Generation of 8‐kPa polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/gelatin‐coated coverslips for cardiac fibroblast cell culture

Basic Protocol 2: Isolation of adult cardiac fibroblasts and plating onto PDMS coverslips

Basic Protocol 3: Assessment of cardiac fibroblast activation by α smooth muscle actin (αSMA) immunocytochemistry
Strategic mapping of the environmental social governance landscape in finance – A bibliometric exploration through concepts and themes
Authors: Thomas Ann Susan , Jayachandran Ambili , Biju Ajithakumari Vijayappan Nair
Published: April 2024

A substantial surge in ESG research has triggered a wide dissemination of research across various domains, underscoring the need for an extensive appraisal of the complex ESG landscape. This paper is grounded on a sample of 441 documents retrieved from the Web of Science database, spanning from 2007 to 2023. A strategic mapping was performed to decipher the cumulative scientific knowledge by delving into the interrelations among various facets and identifying the field's basic, motor, niche, and emerging themes. We also explore the thematic evolution of ESG across distinct time frames, indicating ESG's inception, evolution, and diversification over the years. Our findings contribute to the ESG literature by categorizing it into seven clusters across the four quadrants. Results of the strategic mapping accentuate the obsolete, over‐researched and promising areas of ESG research. We find research on CSR, socially responsible investments and ESG‐firm performance themes as over‐researched areas calling for diversification. Promising research areas include the emerging association of ESG with portfolio construction, green innovations and investments, ESG controversies, information asymmetry, divergence, greenwashing, AI‐enabled universal rating mechanism, up‐grading and down‐grading of ESG scores and ESG‐linked compensations. Thematic evolution of ESG research underpins the culmination of its interplay with sustainability, emerging markets, board diversity, and green financing. Finally, the factorial analysis strengthens the reliability of the main findings, making it robust. This paper stands as the initial venture providing a comprehensive exploration of conceptual linkages, shifts, and advancements within the ESG literature through thematic mapping, offering an original contribution to the field.
A switched‐capacitor‐based active‐interleaved‐network with high voltage gain
Authors: Han Chongyang , Wu Yimin , Dai Zhien , Wu Weibin , Zhang Fangren , Lai Rongguang , Tang Luxin , Hou Junwei
Published: April 2024

A high voltage gain characteristic is required in fuel cell vehicles to achieve voltage matching between low voltage fuel cell and high voltage DC‐link bus. In this paper, a non‐isolated high step‐up dc‐dc converter based on switched‐capacitor (SC) and active‐interleaved‐network (AIN) is proposed. The main advantages of the converter are the high voltage gain without an extremely high duty cycle, automatic current sharing of inductors, reduced input current ripple, and lower device voltage stress when compared to the topologies with the same output voltage. Detailed descriptions of the converter including operation principle and dynamic response analysis are presented in this manuscript. To verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis and feasibility of the proposed converter, a 500 W prototype with 20 V input and 200 V output is built.
Host genetics and larval host plant modulate microbiome structure and evolution underlying the intimate insect–microbe–plant interactions in Parnassius species on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau
Authors: Su Chengyong , Xie Tingting , Jiang Lijun , Wang Yunliang , Wang Ying , Nie Ruie , Zhao Youjie , He Bo , Ma Junye , Yang Qun , Hao Jiasheng
Published: April 2024

Insects harbor a remarkable diversity of gut microbiomes critical for host survival, health, and fitness, but the mechanism of this structured symbiotic community remains poorly known, especially for the insect group consisting of many closely related species that inhabit the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. Here, we firstly analyzed population‐level 16S rRNA microbial dataset, comprising 11 Parnassius species covering 5 subgenera, from 14 populations mostly sampled in mountainous regions across northwestern‐to‐southeastern China, and meanwhile clarified the relative importance of multiple factors on gut microbial community structure and evolution. Our findings indicated that both host genetics and larval host plant modulated gut microbial diversity and community structure. Moreover, the effect analysis of host genetics and larval diet on gut microbiomes showed that host genetics played a critical role in governing the gut microbial beta diversity and the symbiotic community structure, while larval host plant remarkably influenced the functional evolution of gut microbiomes. These findings of the intimate insect–microbe–plant interactions jointly provide some new insights into the correlation among the host genetic background, larval host plant, the structure and evolution of gut microbiome, as well as the mechanisms of high‐altitude adaptation in closely related species of this alpine butterfly group.
Beauty in the beast – Placozoan biodiversity explored through molluscan predator genomics
Authors: Eitel Michael , Osigus Hans‐Jürgen , Brenzinger Bastian , Wörheide Gert
Published: April 2024

The marine animal phylum Placozoa is characterized by a poorly explored cryptic biodiversity combined with very limited knowledge of their ecology. While placozoans are typically found as part of the epibenthos of coastal waters, known placozoan predators, namely small, shell‐less sea slugs belonging to the family Rhodopidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Heterobranchia), inhabit the interstitium of seafloor sediment. In order to gain further insights into this predator–prey relationship and to expand our understanding of placozoan ecological niches, we screened publicly available whole‐body metagenomic data from two rhodopid specimens collected from coastal sediments. Our analysis not only revealed the signatures of three previously unknown placozoan lineages in these sea slug samples but also enabled the assembly of three complete and two partial mitochondrial chromosomes belonging to four previously described placozoan genera, substantially extending the picture of placozoan biodiversity. Our findings further refine the molecular phylogeny of the Placozoa, corroborate the recently established taxonomic ranks in this phylum, and provide molecular support that known placozoan clades should be referred to as genera. We finally discuss the main finding of our study – the presence of placozoans in the sea floor sediment interstitium – in the context of their ecological, biological, and natural history implications.
Hypocapnia is associated with increased in‐hospital mortality and 1 year mortality in acute heart failure patients
Authors: Zhang Lei , Sun Yiwu , Sui Xin , Zhang Jian , Zhao Jingshun , Zhou Runfeng , Xu Wenjia , Yin Chengke , He Zhaoyi , Sun Yufei , Liu Chang , Song Ailing , Han Fei
Published: April 2024

Aims

Both hypercapnia and hypocapnia are common in patients with acute heart failure (AHF), but the association between partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) and AHF prognosis remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the connection between PaCO2 within 24 h after admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and mortality during hospitalization and at 1 year in AHF patients.

Methods and results

AHF patients were enrolled from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database. The patients were divided into three groups by PaCO2 values of <35, 35–45, and >45 mmHg. The primary outcome was to investigate the connection between PaCO2 and in‐hospital mortality and 1 year mortality in AHF patients. The secondary outcome was to assess the prediction value of PaCO2 in predicting in‐hospital mortality and 1 year mortality in AHF patients. A total of 2374 patients were included in this study, including 457 patients in the PaCO2 < 35 mmHg group, 1072 patients in the PaCO2 = 35–45 mmHg group, and 845 patients in the PaCO2 > 45 mmHg group. The in‐hospital mortality was 19.5%, and the 1 year mortality was 23.9% in the PaCO2 < 35 mmHg group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the PaCO2 < 35 mmHg group was associated with an increased risk of in‐hospital mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 1.398, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.039–1.882, P = 0.027] and 1 year mortality (HR 1.327, 95% CI 1.020–1.728, P = 0.035) than the PaCO2 = 35–45 mmHg group. The PaCO2 > 45 mmHg group was associated with an increased risk of in‐hospital mortality (HR 1.387, 95% CI 1.050–1.832, P = 0.021); the 1 year mortality showed no significant difference (HR 1.286, 95% CI 0.995–1.662, P = 0.055) compared with the PaCO2 = 35–45 mmHg group. The Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed that the PaCO2 < 35 mmHg group had a significantly lower 1 year survival rate. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for predicting in‐hospital mortality was 0.591 (95% CI 0.526–0.656), and the 1 year mortality was 0.566 (95% CI 0.505–0.627) in the PaCO2 < 35 mmHg group.

Conclusions

In AHF patients, hypocapnia within 24 h after admission to the ICU was associated with increased in‐hospital mortality and 1 year mortality. However, the increase in 1 year mortality may be influenced by hospitalization mortality. Hypercapnia was associated with increased in‐hospital mortality.
The American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) spawns regularly in salt marshes
Authors: Sasson Daniel A , Chabot Christopher C , Mattei Jennifer H , Brunson Jeff F , Hall Fletcher K , Huber Jeanette H , Kasinak Jo‐Marie E , McShane Cole , Puckette Paul T , Sundin Gary , Kingsley‐Smith Peter R , Kendrick Michael R
Published: April 2024

While considered ecological generalists in most aspects of their life history, horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) have traditionally been regarded as reproductive habitat specialists, given that spawning is thought to occur primarily on beaches where conditions for embryonic development are considered optimal. Observations of horseshoe crabs spawning in other habitats were deemed isolated and the behavior non‐adaptive. Here, we used spawning and egg surveys to compare the use of beach and salt marsh habitats for spawning by the horseshoe crab in three US states along the Atlantic coast. We found similar spawning and egg densities in both habitats but were more likely to find eggs in marsh habitats, indicating that spawning in marsh habitats is common and geographically widespread. These results suggest that the conservation of salt marshes may be critical for the protection of this species and that management strategies should be revised to incorporate this generalist behavior.
Are national or regional surveys useful for nowcasting regional jobseekers? The case of the French region of Pays‐de‐la‐Loire
Authors: Cariou Clément , Charles Amélie , Darné Olivier
Published: April 2024

Abstact

In this paper we develop nowcasting models for the Pays‐de‐la‐Loire's jobseekers, a dynamic French regional economy. We ask whether these regional nowcasts are more accurate by only using the regional data or by combining the national and regional data. For this purpose, we use penalized regressions, random forest, and dynamic factor models as well as dimension reduction approaches. The best nowcasting performance is provided by the DFM estimated on the regional and regional‐national databases as well as the Elastic‐Net model with a prior screening step for which the national data are the most frequently selected data. For the latter, it appears that the Change in foreign orders in the industry sector, the OECD Composite leading indicator, and the BdF Business sentiment indicator are among the major predictors.
Forecasting healthcare service volumes with machine learning algorithms
Authors: Yang Dong‐Hui , Zhu Ke‐Hui , Wang Ruo‐Nan
Published: April 2024

As an efficacious solution to remedying the imbalance of medical resources, the online medical platform has burgeoned expeditiously. Apt allotment of medical resources on the medical platform can facilitate patients in reasonably selecting physicians and time slots, coordinating doctors' clinical arrangements, and generating precise projections of medical platform service volume to enhance patient satisfaction and alleviate physicians' workload. To this end, grounded in the data‐driven method, this paper assembles an exhaustive feature set encompassing hospital features, physician features, and patient features. Through feature selection, appropriate features are screened, and machine learning algorithms are leveraged to accurately forecast doctors' online consultation volume. Subsequently, to glean the influence relationship between online medical services and offline medical services, this paper introduces features of offline medical services such as hospital registration volume and regional gross domestic product (GDP) to solve the prediction of offline medical service volume using online medical information. The findings signify that online data feature prediction can pinpoint superior machine learning models for online medical platform service volume (with the optimal accuracy up to 96.89%). Online features exert a positive effect on predicting offline medical service volume, but the accuracy declines to some degree (the optimal accuracy is 73%). Physicians with favorable reputations on the online platform are more susceptible to attain higher offline appointment volumes when online consultation volume is a vital feature impacting offline appointment volume.
The novel hierarchical clustering approach using self‐organizing map with optimum dimension selection
Authors: Tripathi Kshitij
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Data clustering is an important field of machine learning that has applicability in wide areas, like, business analysis, manufacturing, energy, healthcare, traveling, and logistics. A variety of clustering applications have already been developed. Data clustering approaches based on self‐organizing map (SOM) generally use the map dimensions (of the grid) ranging from 2 × 2 to 8 × 8 (4–64 neurons [microclusters]) without any explicit reason for using the particular dimension, and therefore optimized results are not obtained. These algorithms use some secondary approaches to map these microclusters into the lower dimension (actual number of clusters), like, 2, 3, or 4, as the case may be, based on the optimum number of clusters in the specific data set. The secondary approach, observed in most of the works, is not SOM and is an algorithm, like, cut tree or the other.

Methods

In this work, the proposed approach will give an idea of how to select the most optimal higher dimension of SOM for the given data set, and this dimension is again clustered into the lower actual dimension. Primary and secondary, both utilize the SOM to cluster the data and discover that the weight matrix of the SOM is very meaningful. The optimized two‐dimensional configuration of SOM is not the same for every data set, and this work also tries to discover this configuration.

Results

The adjusted randomized index obtained on the Iris, Wine, Wisconsin diagnostic breast cancer, New Thyroid, Seeds, A1, Imbalance, Dermatology, Ecoli, and Ionosphere is, respectively, 0.7173, 0.9134, 0.7543, 0.8041, 0.7781, 0.8907, 0.8755, 0.7543, 0.5013, and 0.1728, which outperforms all other results available on the web and when no reduction of attributes is done in this work.

Conclusions

It is found that SOM is superior to or on par with other clustering approaches, like, k‐means or the other, and could be used successfully to cluster all types of data sets. Ten benchmark data sets from diverse domains like medical, biological, and chemical are tested in this work, including the synthetic data sets.
Enhancing cooling performance and economic analysis of a vertical earth air heat exchanger (VEAHE) through geometric shape optimization
Authors: Rostami Mohammadreza Hasandust
Published: April 2024

The cooling and heating sector is responsible for the highest energy consumption in the building sector, comprising approximately 30% of the total. Extensive research has been conducted to address this issue and minimize energy consumption through the implementation of innovative technologies. Among these technologies, the passive earth‐air heat exchanger (EAHE) has proven highly effective in reducing energy usage in the cooling and heating sector. This research focused on optimizing U‐shaped EAHE systems and examined their functional and thermal‐fluidic parameters through numerical analysis. The simulation employed COMSOL Multiphysics software, and the results obtained were in excellent agreement with experimental data. The study investigated a base case, as well as five optimized cases with varying inlet velocities, to evaluate performance. The findings revealed that increasing the working fluid's inlet velocity led to a decrease in the system's thermal efficiency. However, at higher velocities, the economic parameters for energy production showed improvements. Specifically, the system generated a maximum energy output of 9132 W in the fifth case, operating at a velocity of 2 m/s. Additionally, the system achieved an impressive performance coefficient of approximately 5.13 in the same case, with an inlet velocity of 0.46 m/s. Notably, the lowest recorded output temperature of the system was 22°C at the specified inlet velocity.
Enhanced physics‐informed neural networks for efficient modelling of hydrodynamics in river networks
Authors: Luo Xiao , Yuan Saiyu , Tang Hongwu , Xu Dong , Ran Qihua , Cen Yuhao , Liang Dongfang
Published: April 2024

This article enhances the physics‐informed neural networks (PINNs) method to effectively model the hydrodynamics of real‐world river networks with irregular cross‐sections. First, we pre‐process hydraulic parameters to optimize training speed without compromising accuracy, achieving a 91.67% acceleration compared with traditional methods. To address the vanishing gradient problem, layer normalization is also incorporated into the architecture. We also introduce novel physical constraints—water level range and junction node equations—to ensure effective training convergence and enrich the model with additional physical insights. Two practical case studies using HEC‐RAS benchmarks demonstrate that our improved PINN method can predict river network hydrodynamics with less data and is less sensitive to time step size, allowing for longer computational time steps. Incorporating physical knowledge, our enhanced PINN methodology emerges as an efficient and promising avenue for modelling the complexities of hydrodynamic processes in natural river networks.
LncRNA MIR100HG affects the proliferation and metastasis of lung cancer cells through mediating the microRNA‐5590‐3p/DCBLD2 axis
Authors: Min Shengping , Zhang Linxiang , Zhang Li , Liu Fangfang , Liu Miao
Published: April 2024

Objective

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) MIR100HG on the proliferation and metastasis of lung cancer cells by mediating the microRNA (miR)−5590‐3p/DCBLD2 axis.

Methods

RNA levels of MIR100HG, miR‐5590‐3p, and DCBLD2 in lung cancer tissues and cells were detected by quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction, and protein level was assessed by Western blot. Effects of MIR100HG or miR‐5590‐3p on proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung cancer cells were detected by Cell Counting Kit‐8, colony formation, and Transwell assays. Luciferase reporter assay and RNA‐immunoprecipitation assay confirmed the target relationship between miR‐5590‐3p and MIR100HG or DCBLD2.

Results

MIR100HG and DCBLD2 were highly expressed, while miR‐5590‐3p was lowly expressed in lung cancer tissues and cells. Silencing MIR100HG or upregulating miR‐5590‐3p impeded lung cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. MIR100HG could up‐regulate DCBLD2 by sponging miR‐5590‐3p. Downregulation of miR‐5590‐3p partly overturned the suppressive effect of silencing MIR100HG on lung cancer cell proliferation and metastasis, and overexpression of DCBLD2 also reversed the effect of overexpression of miR‐5590‐3p on lung cancer cell proliferation and metastasis.

Conclusion

LncRNA MIR100HG promotes lung cancer progression by targeting and negatively regulating DCBLD2 through binding with miR‐5590‐3p.
Circulating microRNAs in association with pancreatic cancer risk within 5 years
Authors: Wang Cong , Cai Hui , Cai Qiuyin , Wu Jie , Stolzenberg‐Solomon Rachael , Guo Xingyi , Zhu Claire , Gao Yu‐Tang , Berlin Jordan , Ye Fei , Zheng Wei , Setiawan Veronica Wendy , Shu Xiao‐Ou
Published: April 2024

Early detection is critical for improving pancreatic cancer prognosis. Our study aims to identify circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with pancreatic cancer risk. The two‐stage study used plasma samples collected ≤5 years prior to cancer diagnosis, from case–control studies nested in five prospective cohort studies. The discovery stage included 185 case–control pairs from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Replication stage samples comprised 277 pairs from Shanghai Women's Health Study/Shanghai Men's Health Study, Southern Community Cohort Study, and Multiethnic Cohort Study. Seven hundred and ninety‐eight miRNAs were measured using the NanoString nCounter Analysis System. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for per 10% change in miRNAs in association with pancreatic cancer risk were derived from conditional logistic regression analysis in discovery and replication studies, separately, and then meta‐analyzed. Stratified analysis was conducted by age at diagnosis (<65/≥65 years) and time interval between sample collection and diagnosis (≤2/>2 years). In the discovery stage, 120 risk associated miRNAs were identified at p < .05. Three were validated in the replication stage: hsa‐miR‐199a‐3p/hsa‐miR‐199b‐3p, hsa‐miR‐767‐5p, and hsa‐miR‐191‐5p, with respective ORs (95% CI) being 0.89 (0.84–0.95), 1.08 (1.02–1.13), and 0.90 (0.85–0.95). Five additional miRNAs, hsa‐miR‐640, hsa‐miR‐874‐5p, hsa‐miR‐1299, hsa‐miR‐22‐3p, and hsa‐miR‐449b‐5p, were validated among patients diagnosed at ≥65 years, with OR (95% CI) of 1.23 (1.09–1.39), 1.33 (1.16–1.52), 1.25 (1.09–1.43), 1.28 (1.12–1.46), 0.76 (0.65–0.89), and 1.22 (1.07–1.39), respectively. The miRNA targets were enriched in pancreatic carcinogenesis/progression‐related pathways. Our study suggests that circulating miRNAs may identify individuals at high risk for pancreatic cancer ≤5 years prior to diagnosis, indicating its potential utility in cancer screening and surveillance.
Acquisition deal characteristics and earnings management: New evidence fromGulf Cooperation Council countries
Authors: Alghemary Mahmoud , Al‐Najjar Basil , Polovina Nereida
Published: April 2024

In this study, we empirically investigate the association between acquisition deal characteristics and two forms of earnings management: accruals earnings management and real earnings management. Our focus is on acquiring firms listed in six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Employing a panel data approach to explore these interrelationships, our findings suggest that acquiring companies involved in cross‐border deals tend to resort to accruals earnings management before the acquisition rather than real earnings management. Conversely, acquiring firms engaged in unrelated industrial deals are inclined to employ real earnings management over accruals earnings management. Moreover, our analysis indicates that the extent of acquired ownership acts as an effective tool in mitigating both forms of earnings management. Similarly, cash payment acquisitions emerge as an efficient means of curtailing both accruals and real earnings management. These results underscore that the engagement of GCC acquiring firms in earnings management is influenced by the specific characteristics inherent in the acquisition deals.
Question 65 What on‐farm techniques can increase water productivity? General report
Authors: Randev Ashwani Kumar
Published: April 2024

Technological interventions in tackling water scarcity in agriculture delve into the water productivity issue through available alternative water resources and on‐farm techniques including both structural measures and agronomic practices accompanied by a sound water management approach. On‐farm water management has been addressed under Congress Question 65 through deliberations on irrigation efficiency, soil moisture forecasts and hydrological predictions, efficient and timely distribution of water, controlling non‐beneficial evaporation and reducing non‐returnable losses of irrigation water at existing and state‐of‐the‐art levels using technologies such as SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and sensor technology. A wide range of land, water and crop‐related important parameters such as soil degradation, soil moisture, zero tillage, conservation agriculture, water demand and supply, future irrigation demand, biologically degradable mulching materials, cost‐effective design of drip irrigation, water quality and cultivation practices through simulation for evaluating environmental impact and adaptation capacity of farmers were addressed. The major outcomes inferred increasing water productivity through optimizing agricultural water use that led to higher crop yields. IoT (Internet of Things) technologies can provide accurate and dynamic information of water consumption and rainfall in real time and have the potential of adapting to climate change scenarios.
How does monetary policy affect income and wealth inequality? Evidence from quantitative easing in the euro area
Authors: Lenza Michele , Slacalek Jiri
Published: April 2024

This paper evaluates the impact of quantitative easing on income and wealth of individual euro area households. We first estimate the aggregate effects of a quantitative easing (QE) shock, identified by means of external instruments, in a multi‐country vector autoregression (VAR) model with unemployment, wages, gross operating surplus, interest rates, house prices, and stock prices. We then distribute the aggregate effects across households using a reduced‐form simulation on micro‐data, which captures the portfolio composition, the income composition, and the earnings heterogeneity channels of transmission. The earnings heterogeneity channel is important: QE compresses the income distribution because many households with lower incomes become employed. In contrast, monetary policy has only negligible effects on the Gini coefficient for wealth: While high‐wealth households benefit from higher stock prices, middle‐wealth households benefit from higher house prices.
Numerical study of osteophyte effects on preoperative knee functionality in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Tzanetis Periklis , de Souza Kevin , Robertson Seonaid , Fluit René , Koopman Bart , Verdonschot Nico
Published: April 2024

Osteophytes are routinely removed during total knee arthroplasty, yet the preoperative planning currently relies on preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans of the patient's osteoarthritic knee, typically including osteophytic features. This complicates the surgeon's ability to anticipate the exact biomechanical effects of osteophytes and the consequences of their removal before the operation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of osteophytes on ligament strains and kinematics, and ascertain whether the osteophyte volume and location determine the extent of this effect. We segmented preoperative CT scans of 21 patients, featuring different osteophyte severity, using image‐based active appearance models trained to identify the osteophytic and preosteophytic bone geometries and estimate the cartilage thickness in the segmented surfaces. The patients' morphologies were used to scale a template musculoskeletal knee model. Osteophytes induced clinically relevant changes to the knee's functional behavior, but these were variable and patient‐specific. Generally, severe osteophytic knees significantly strained the oblique popliteal ligament (OPL) and posterior capsule (PC) relative to the preosteophytic state. Furthermore, there was a marked effect on the lateral collateral ligament and anterolateral ligament (ALL) strains compared to mild and moderate osteophytic knees, and concurrent alterations in the tibial lateral‐medial translation and external–internal rotation. We found a strong correlation between the OPL, PC, and ALL strains and posterolateral condylar and tibial osteophytes, respectively. Our findings may have implications for the preoperative planning in total knee arthroplasty, toward reproducing the physiological knee biomechanics as close as feasibly possible.
Machine Learning for Predictive Analysis of Otolaryngology Residency Letters of Recommendation
Authors: Vasan Vikram , Cheng Christopher P. , Lerner David K. , Pascual Karen , Mercado Amanda , Iloreta Alfred Marc , Teng Marita S.
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Letters of recommendation (LORs) are a highly influential yet subjective and often enigmatic aspect of the residency application process. This study hypothesizes that LORs do contain valuable insights into applicants and can be used to predict outcomes. This pilot study utilizes natural language processing and machine learning (ML) models using LOR text to predict interview invitations for otolaryngology residency applicants.

Methods

A total of 1642 LORs from the 2022–2023 application cycle were retrospectively retrieved from a single institution. LORs were preprocessed and vectorized using three different techniques to represent the text in a way that an ML model can understand written prose: CountVectorizer (CV), Term Frequency‐Inverse Document Frequency (TF‐IDF), and Word2Vec (WV). Then, the LORs were trained and tested on five ML models: Logistic Regression (LR), Naive Bayes (NB), Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM).

Results

Of the 337 applicants, 67 were interviewed and 270 were not interviewed. In total, 1642 LORs (26.7% interviewed) were analyzed. The two best‐performing ML models in predicting interview invitations were the TF‐IDF vectorized DT and CV vectorized DT models.

Conclusion

This preliminary study revealed that ML models and vectorization combinations can provide better‐than‐chance predictions for interview invitations for otolaryngology residency applicants. The high‐performing ML models were able to classify meaningful information from the LORs to predict applicant interview invitation. The potential of an automated process to help predict an applicant's likelihood of obtaining an interview invitation could be a valuable tool for training programs in the future.

Level of Evidence

N/A Laryngoscope, 134:4016–4022, 2024
Temporal and depth‐dependent variations in soil aggregate‐associated organic carbon in reclaimed coastal poplar plantations
Authors: Liu Jiangwei , Cheng Xiangrong , Xu Haidong , Zhang Shuoxin
Published: April 2024

Coastal reclamation alters the ecological environment of wetlands and influences global carbon cycles. However, variations in soil organic carbon fractions and stability in the soil profile during reclamation, particularly in the subsoil, remain unclear. In this study, soil aggregate‐associated organic carbon and its stability were investigated in soil profiles (0–100 cm) at different reclamation times (0, 24, 44, and 64 years) in coastal poplar plantations in East China. Total soil organic carbon concentrations in the topsoil (0–40 cm) increased with increasing reclamation time but varied little in the subsoil (40–100 cm). In the topsoil, the soil organic carbon concentrations in different aggregate fractions tended to increase with increasing reclamation time, which was enhanced mainly by particulate organic carbon within macro‐aggregates. In the subsoil, soil organic carbon concentrations increased in the micro‐aggregate fraction and decreased in the silt and clay fraction with increasing reclamation time, whereas the opposite changes led to smaller variations in total soil organic carbon. This relative balance was regulated by micro‐aggregate formation via new organic matter input (e.g., root litter) and old mineral‐associated organic carbon depletion. Regardless of the soil horizon, soil aggregate stability increased with reclamation time, whereas the total particulate organic carbon/mineral‐associated organic carbon ratio increased with increasing reclamation time, implying that the soil organic carbon stability decreased, which may be attributed to an increase in the vulnerability of soil organic matter to mineralization as the reclamation progresses. These findings indicate that long‐term plantation development influences aggregate‐associated organic carbon accrual throughout the soil profile in reclaimed coastal land. Thus, effective management is required to improve soil organic carbon accrual in coastal woodland subsoil, which is crucial for increasing soil carbon sequestration.
From seasonal field study to surrogate modeling: Investigating the biomechanical dynamics of Elymus sp. in salt marshes
Authors: Keimer Kara , Kind Felix , Prüter Inga , Kosmalla Viktoria , Lojek Oliver , Schürenkamp David , Prinz Markus , Niewerth Stephan , Aberle Jochen , Goseberg Nils
Published: April 2024

Salt marshes have been studied in the context of ecosystem services they can provide for coastal protection. In this study, monthly field campaigns focusing on Elymus spp. and its biomechanical properties were conducted from December 2021 to December 2022 on the German Barrier Island Spiekeroog. A total of 1390 specimens were investigated to determine their growth length, out of which 418 specimens were investigated mechanically with three‐point bending tests to determine their biomechanical properties. To evaluate the interaction of hydraulic loads and vegetation, the challenge of modeling biomechanical plant properties to scale is addressed by using resin 3D printing with flexible material, while focusing on the materials mechanical properties. Based on the field data acquired and additional literature (adding up to 1959 measurements), a cylindrical plant model with an outer diameter of (scale 1 : 1) was developed. It was manufactured mixing two resin components with varying volume ratios resulting in surrogates with different flexural stiffnesses. The surrogates were characterized using three‐point bending tests and image analysis of their bending behavior when subjected to currents between 0.4 and 1.2 m/s. With the average Young's modulus ranging from 8.45 to 1708.42 MPa, the bending angle varies from 0° to 77.4° displaying the influence of material stiffness and flow velocity. Applying the Cauchy scaling law, this study shows that resin 3D printing can be used to model Elymus sp. with respect to its biomechanical properties allowing for seasonally independent physical laboratory experiments with plant models.
Polymer Physics behind the Gel‐Spinning of UHMWPE Fibers
Authors: Wang Zefan , Sangroniz Leire , Xu Jian , Zhu Caizhen , Müller Alejandro
Published: April 2024

Gel‐spinning of ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers has attracted great interest in academia and industry since its birth and commercialization in the 1980s, due to unique properties such as high modulus, low density, and excellent chemical resistance. However, the high viscosity and long relaxation time greatly complicate processing. In industry, solvents, like decalin and paraffin oil, usually disentangle the physical networks and promote final drawability. From extruding the polymer solution to post‐solid‐stretching, many polymer physics problems that accompany high‐modulus fiber gel‐spinning should be understood and addressed. In this review, by detailed discussions about the effect of entanglements and intracrystalline chain dynamics on the mechanical properties of UHMWPE, theoretical descriptions of the structure formation of disentangled UHMWPE crystals, and the origin of high modulus and strength of final fibers are provided. Several physical intrinsic key factors are also discussed, revealing why UHMWPE is an ideal material for producing high‐performance fibers.
A review of the microstructure and tensile behavior of additively manufactured metastable β Ti alloys
Authors: Pereloma Elena
Published: April 2024

This review summarizes and critically discusses the current knowledge on the microstructures and tensile properties of metastable β Ti alloys fabricated by selective laser melting and laser metal deposition techniques. The effects of post‐heat treatments are also addressed. The spatial variations in the microstructure and properties are linked with the processing parameters. The review also compares the additively manufactured and post heat‐treated metastable β Ti alloys with their wrought counterparts. It highlights the research questions for further investigations.
Investigation of Antiproliferative Effects of Combinations of White and Black Garlic Extracts with 5‐Fluorouracil (5‐FU) on Caco‐2 Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Cells
Authors: Ozalp Unal Derya , Sel Tevhide
Published: April 2024

Garlic is rich in bioactive compounds that are effective against colon cancer cells. This study tests the antioxidant and antiproliferative effects of cold‐extracted white and black garlic extracts. Black garlic extracted in water (SSU) exhibits the highest antioxidant activity, phenolic content, and flavonoid content, while black garlic extracted in ethanol (SET) shows the lowest values. Caspase‐3 activity is notably higher in the white garlic extracted in methanol (BME), white garlic extracted in methanol combines with 5‐FU, black garlic extracted in ethanol (SET), black garlic extracted in ethanol combines with 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU), and 5‐FU treatments compare to the control group (p > 0.05). BME+5‐FU displays the highest caspase‐8 activity (p < 0.05). A decrease in NF‐κB levels is observed in the SET+5‐FU group (p>0.05), while COX‐2 activities decrease in the BME, SET+5‐FU, SET, and 5‐FU groups (p>0.05). Wound healing increases in the BME, BME+5‐FU, SET+5‐FU, and 5‐FU groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, aqueous black garlic extract may exhibit pro‐oxidant activity despite its high antioxidant capacity. It is worth noting that exposure to heat‐treated food and increased sugar content may lead to heightened inflammation and adverse health effects. This study is the first to combine garlic with chemo‐preventive drugs like 5‐FU in Caco‐2 cells.
Curry‐Odorants and Their Metabolites Transfer into Human Milk and Urine
Authors: Debong Marcel W. , Homm Ines , Gigl Michael , Lang Roman , Hofmann Thomas , Buettner Andrea , Dawid Corinna , Loos Helene M.
Published: April 2024

Scope

The excretion of dietary odorants into urine and milk is evaluated and the impact of possible influencing factors determined. Furthermore, the metabolic relevance of conjugates for the excretion into milk is investigated.

Methods and Results

Lactating mothers (n = 20) are given a standardized curry dish and donated one milk and urine sample each before and 1, 2, 3, 4.5, 6, and 8 h after the intervention. The concentrations of nine target odorants in these samples are determined. A significant transition is observed for linalool into milk, as well as for linalool, cuminaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde, and eugenol into urine. Maximum concentrations are reached within 1 h after the intervention in the case of milk and within 2–3 h in the case of urine. In addition, the impact of glucuronidase treatment on odorant concentrations is evaluated in a sample subset of twelve mothers. Linalool, eugenol, and vanillin concentrations increased 3–77‐fold in milk samples after treatment with β‐glucuronidase.

Conclusion

The transfer profiles of odorants into milk and urine differ qualitatively, quantitatively, and in temporal aspects. More substances are transferred into urine and the transfer needs a longer period compared with milk. Phase II metabolites are transferred into urine and milk.
Assessing and Comparing Potential Allergenicity of Two Partially Hydrolyzed Whey‐Based Formulas for Infants: A Population‐Based Study in China
Authors: Sun Lijuan , Han Shiwen , Duan Sufang , Mao Like , Li Fang , Tu Zhenhua , Che Huilian
Published: April 2024

Scope

In cases where breast milk is unavailable or inadequate, hydrolyzed infant formula is recommended as the primary alternative. The aim of this study is to assess and compare the allergenicity of two partially hydrolyzed whey‐based formulas (PHF‐Ws) using serum samples from patients with cow's milk allergy (CMA).

Methods and results

LC‐MS/MS technology is used to investigate the peptide distribution in both samples. The immunoreactivity of two PHF‐Ws in 27 serum samples from 50 Chinese infants (02 years) with CMA is analyzed. The results demonstrate that even with a similar a degree of hydrolysis (DH), primary protein sources, peptides with molecular weights <5 kDa, and differences in the number of residual allergenic epitopes in the hydrolyzed peptide segments can lead to varying immune responses.

Conclusion

The two PHF‐Ws have notably high intolerance rates, exceeding 10% among infants with CMA. Therefore, suggesting that PHF‐Ws may not be suitable for infants and children with CMA in China.
Pressure‐dependent adhesion between solid‐supported PC‐lipid bilayers and vesicles under electric fields
Authors: Zhang Yu , Jin Di , Klein Jacob
Published: April 2024

Fusion of lipid bilayers in membranes is important in processes from vesicle‐cell interactions (as in drug delivery) to exosome‐cell signaling, while transient transmembrane electric fields are known to occur spontaneously. Two contacting phosphatidylcholine (PC) lipid membranes are known to fuse into one under external electric fields, suggesting that the interaction between them is modified by the field as they approach, prior to the fusion event. Here we measure directly the adhesion energy between dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and between distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) surface layers attached to solid substrates both without and with a transmembrane electric field. We find a marked pressure‐dependent adhesion behavior in the electric field, which we attribute to fusion intermediates that are formed, shedding new light on membrane electro‐fusion.
Predictive Ppk calculations for biologics and vaccines using a Bayesian approach – a tutorial
Authors: Weusten Jos , Hu Jianfang
Published: April 2024

In pharmaceutical manufacturing, especially biologics and vaccines manufacturing, emphasis on speedy process development can lead to inadequate process development, which often results in less robust commercial manufacturing process after launch. Process performance index (Ppk) is a statistical measurement of the ability of a process to produce output within specification limits over a period of time. In biopharmaceutical manufacturing, progression in process development is based on Critical Quality Attributes meeting their specification limits, lacking insight into the process robustness. Ppk is typically estimated after 15–30 commercial batches at which point it may be too late/too complex to make process adjustments to enhance robustness. The use of Bayesian statistics, prior knowledge, and input from Subject matter experts (SMEs) offers an opportunity to make predictions on process capability during the development cycle. Developing a standard methodology to assess long term process capability at various stages of development provides several benefits: provides opportunity for early insight into process vulnerabilities thereby enabling resolution pre‐licensure; identifies area of the process to prioritize and focus on during process development/process characterization (PC) using a data‐driven approach; and ultimately results in higher process robustness/process knowledge at launch. We propose a Bayesian‐based method to predict the performance of a manufacturing process at full manufacturing scale during the development and commercialization phase, before commercial data exists. Under Bayesian framework, limited development data for the process of interest at hand, data from similar products, general SME knowledge, and literature can be carefully formulated into informative priors. The implementation of the proposed approach is presented through two examples. To allow for continuous improvement during process development, we recommend to embed this approach of using predictive Ppk at pre‐defined commercialization stage‐gates, for example, at completion of process development, prior to and completion of PC, prior to technology transfer runs (Engineering/Process Performance Qualification, PPQ), and prior to commercial specification setting.
Phytomedicine for neurodegenerative diseases: The road ahead
Authors: Madhubala Dev , Patra Aparup , Khan Mojibur R. , Mukherjee Ashis K.
Published: April 2024

Neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) are among the most common causes of death across the globe. NDs are characterized by progressive damage to CNS neurons, leading to defects in specific brain functions such as memory, cognition, and movement. The most common NDs are Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Despite extensive research, no therapeutics or medications against NDs have been proven to be effective. The current treatment of NDs involving symptom‐based targeting of the disease pathogenesis has certain limitations, such as drug resistance, adverse side effects, poor blood–brain barrier permeability, and poor bioavailability of drugs. Some studies have shown that plant‐derived natural compounds hold tremendous promise for treating and preventing NDs. Therefore, the primary objective of this review article is to critically analyze the properties and potency of some of the most studied phytomedicines, such as quercetin, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), apigenin, and cannabinoids, and highlight their advantages and limitations for developing next‐generation alternative treatments against NDs. Further extensive research on pre‐clinical and clinical studies for developing plant‐based drugs against NDs from bench to bedside is warranted.