bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of adjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors pembrolizumab or nivolumab in melanoma patients ≥ 75 years: results of a real-world cohort including 456 patients
Authors: Gawaz A. , Wolff I. , Nanz L. , Flatz L. , Forschner A.
Published: July 2024

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) applied in patients with melanoma in an adjuvant setting have proven safety and efficacy in several studies, but data on elderly patients aged 75 years or more is scarce. Aim of this study was to investigate efficacy and safety of adjuvant ICI in patients aged ≥ 75 years compared to patients < 75 years in a real-world setting.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed clinical data, including occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAE) and outcome of 456 patients that had been treated with adjuvant ICI between January 1st, 2018 and December 20th, 2022. We then compared patients aged ≥ 75 years (n = 117) to patients < 75 years (n = 339) in terms of safety and disease-free survival (DFS).

Results and conclusion

ICI were well tolerated in both groups, with no significant difference observed in the overall occurrence of irAE. However, within the elderly subgroup, there was a significantly higher proportion of skin or nephrological toxicity and colitis/diarrhea compared to the other group. In terms of efficacy, a significantly shorter DFS in patients aged ≥ 75 years was observed. Adjuvant ICI in patients ≥ 75 years was less effective and furthermore associated with an increased risk for skin, renal or bowel toxicity. Therefore, in elderly patients, adjuvant ICI should be used with precaution.
Blockade of the TIGIT-CD155/CD112 axis enhances functionality of NK-92 but not cytokine-induced memory-like NK cells toward CD155-expressing acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Seel Katharina , Schirrmann Ronja Larissa , Stowitschek Daniel , Ioseliani Tamar , Roiter Lea , Knierim Alina , André Maya C.
Published: July 2024

TIGIT is an alternative checkpoint receptor (CR) whose inhibition promotes Graft-versus-Leukemia effects of NK cells. Given the significant immune-permissiveness of NK cells circulating in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, we asked whether adoptive transfer of activated NK cells would benefit from additional TIGIT-blockade. Hence, we characterized cytokine-induced memory-like (CIML)-NK cells and NK cell lines for the expression of inhibitory CRs. In addition, we analyzed the transcription of CR ligands in AML patients (CCLE and Beat AML 2.0 cohort) in silico and evaluated the efficacy of CR blockade using in vitro cytotoxicity assays, CD69, CD107a and IFN-γ expression. Alternative but not classical CRs were abundantly expressed on healthy donor NK cells and even further upregulated on CIML-NK cells. In line with our finding that CD155, one important TIGIT-ligand, is reliably expressed on AMLs, we show improved killing of CD155+-AML blasts by NK-92 but interestingly not CIML-NK cells in the presence of TIGIT-blockade. Additionally, our in silico data (n = 671) show that poor prognosis AML patients rather displayed a CD86low CD112/CD155high phenotype, whereas patients with a better outcome rather exhibited a CD86high CD112/CD155low phenotype. Collectively, our data evidence that the complex CR ligand expression profile on AML blasts may be one explanation for the intrinsic NK cell exhaustion observed in AML patients which might be overcome with adoptive NK-92 transfer in combination with TIGIT-blockade.
Weighing hierarchical power and active contribution in cooperative games with authorization structure
Authors: Alarcón Antonio C. , Gallardo José M. , Jiménez-Losada Andrés
Published: July 2024

Cooperative games model situations in which a group of players work together to make a profit. Frequently, in cooperative situations there are dependency or hierarchical relationships between the players, which must be taken into account when allocating the common profit obtained by the grand coalition. Multiple structures have been used in the literature to model those relationships, and several values have been proposed, but there is something in common in all of them: if a player can veto the participation of another in any coalition, then both players will receive the same share of the profit derived from the active cooperation of the vetoed player. In other words, actively cooperating and giving permission to cooperate are equally valued. In many situations this is neither fair nor realistic. In this paper we introduce a family of allocation rules for cooperative games with authorization structure, which reward positional power less than active cooperation.
Multiple ultradian rhythms of metabolism, body temperature and activity in Djungarian hamsters
Authors: Heldmaier Gerhard , Braulke Luzie , Flick Johanna , Ruf Thomas
Published: July 2024

Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) living at constant 15 °C Ta in short photoperiod (8:16 h L:D) showed pronounced ultradian rhythms (URs) of metabolic rate (MR), body temperature (Tb) and locomotor activity. The ultradian patterns differed between individuals and varied over time. The period length of URs for MR, Tb and activity was similar although not identical. Wavelet analysis showed that three different URs are existing in parallel, URs of small amplitude and short duration (URsmall), URs of medium amplitude and medium duration (URmedium) and URs of large amplitude (URlarge), superimposed on each other. URlarge were accompanied by an increase in locomotor activity, whereas URsmall and URmedium were of metabolic origin with lacking or delayed responses of activity. An energetic challenge to cold which raised total energy requirements by about 50% did not accelerate the period length of URs, but extended the amplitude of URsmall and URmedium. URlarge corresponds with the URs of activity, feeding and drinking, sleep and arousal as described in previous studies, which are related to midbrain dopaminergic signalling and hypothalamic ultradian signalling. The cause and control of URmedium and URsmall is unknown. Their periods are similar to periods of central and peripheral endocrine ultradian signalling, suggesting a link with URs of metabolism.
Low thiamine status in adults following low-carbohydrate / ketogenic diets: a cross-sectional comparative study of micronutrient intake and status
Authors: Churuangsuk Chaitong , Catchpole Anthony , Talwar Dinesh , Welsh Paul , Sattar Naveed , Lean Michael E.J. , Combet Emilie
Published: July 2024

Background

Low-carbohydrate diets (LCD) are popular for weight loss but lack evidence about micronutrient sufficiency in real-life use. This study assessed the intake and biochemical status of selected micronutrients in people voluntarily following LCDs.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted (2018-20) among 98 adults recruited as self-reporting either LCD (n = 49) or diets not restricting carbohydrates (controls; n = 49). Diets were assessed using the 130-item EPIC-Norfolk food-frequency questionnaire. Red-blood-cell thiamine diphosphate (TDP) was measured for thiamine status using HPLC. Plasma magnesium, zinc, copper, and selenium were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Between-group biomarker comparisons were conducted using ANCOVA and adjusted for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and diabetes status.

Results

LCD-followers (26% male, median age 36 years, median BMI 24.2 kg/m2) reported adhering to LCDs for a median duration of 9 months (IQR 4–36). The most followed LCD type was ‘their own variations of LCD’ (30%), followed by ketogenic (23%), ‘palaeolithic’ (15%), and Atkins diets (8%). Among controls, 41% were male (median age 27 years, median BMI 23 kg/m2). Median macronutrient intakes for LCD vs control groups were carbohydrate 16%Energy (E) vs. 50%E; protein 25%E vs. 19%E; and fat 55%E vs 34%E (saturated fat 18%E vs. 11%E). Two-thirds of LCD followers (32/49) and half of the controls (24/49) reported some use of dietary supplements (p = 0.19). Among LCD-followers, assessing from food data only, 21 (43%) failed to meet the reference nutrient intake (RNI) for thiamine (vs.14% controls, p = 0.002). When thiamine from supplementation (single- or multivitamin) was included, there appeared to be no difference in thiamine intake between groups. Still, red-blood-cell TDP was lower in LCD-followers than controls (407 ± 91 vs. 633 ± 234 ng/gHb, p < 0.001). Three LCD-followers were thiamine-deficient (RBC thiamine < 275 ng/gHb) vs. one control. There were no significant differences in dietary intakes or plasma concentrations of magnesium, zinc, copper, and selenium between groups.

Conclusions

Following LCDs is associated with lower thiamine intake and TDP status than diets without carbohydrate restriction, incompletely corrected by supplement use. These data, coupled with a lack of RCT evidence on body weight control, do not support recommending LCDs for weight management without appropriate guidance and diet supplementation.
Skin color reporting in basal cell carcinoma-related randomized controlled trials in top dermatology journals: a systematic review
Authors: Salmen Natasha L. , Curtis Deven P. , Baumann Anthony N. , Willets Jared , Brodell Robert T.
Published: July 2024

Objectives: To determine the rate skin color is reported in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving basal cell carcinoma (BCC) identification and treatment in the top ten dermatology journals. Methods: A systematic review was conducted of RCTs involving BCC among the top ten dermatology journals, determined by impact factor, from inception to July 11th, 2023. Studies were included if they reviewed the prevention, detection, and treatment of BCC, directly involved patients, and were classified as RCTs. Studies were classified as positive for reporting skin of color (SOC) if the demographic data in the methods or results included any of the following terms: Fitzpatrick scale, race, ethnicity, skin of color, or sunburn tendency. Results: Of the 51 studies identified, only 23 articles reported data pertaining to skin color within the results section (45.1%); whereas 28 articles mentioned skin color somewhere within the text (54.9%). Subgroup analysis was performed, and no statistical significance was found for study location or year of publication. Conclusion: Dark skin color can make it more difficult to diagnose skin tumors and it is unknown if race affects response to treatment. Less than 50% of RCTs related to basal cell carcinoma in top international dermatology journals included skin color within the demographic portion of their results section pertaining to study participants. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that studies performed within the United States reported skin color less than half the time (40%). Additionally, there has been no statistically significant difference in reporting over the past 4 decades. Further research is necessary to determine whether low reporting rates of race/skin color in BCC-related RCTS could impact diagnostic or treatment recommendations for patient care in this group.
On the approximation capability of GNNs in node classification/regression tasks
Authors: D’Inverno Giuseppe Alessio , Bianchini Monica , Sampoli Maria Lucia , Scarselli Franco
Published: July 2024

Graph neural networks (GNNs) are a broad class of connectionist models for graph processing. Recent studies have shown that GNNs can approximate any function on graphs, modulo the equivalence relation on graphs defined by the Weisfeiler–Lehman (WL) test. However, these results suffer from some limitations, both because they were derived using the Stone–Weierstrass theorem—which is existential in nature—and because they assume that the target function to be approximated must be continuous. Furthermore, all current results are dedicated to graph classification/regression tasks, where the GNN must produce a single output for the whole graph, while also node classification/regression problems, in which an output is returned for each node, are very common. In this paper, we propose an alternative way to demonstrate the approximation capability of GNNs that overcomes these limitations. Indeed, we show that GNNs are universal approximators in probability for node classification/regression tasks, as they can approximate any measurable function that satisfies the 1-WL-equivalence on nodes. The proposed theoretical framework allows the approximation of generic discontinuous target functions and also suggests the GNN architecture that can reach a desired approximation. In addition, we provide a bound on the number of the GNN layers required to achieve the desired degree of approximation, namely $$2r-1$$

2
r
-
1

, where r is the maximum number of nodes for the graphs in the domain.
A perspective on epigenomic aging processes in the human brain and their plasticity in patients with mental disorders – a systematic review
Authors: Postberg Jan , Schubert Michèle Tina , Nin Vincent , Wagner Lukas , Piefke Martina
Published: July 2024

The debate surrounding nature versus nurture remains a central question in neuroscience, psychology, and in psychiatry, holding implications for both aging processes and the etiology of mental illness. Epigenetics can serve as a bridge between genetic predisposition and environmental influences, thus offering a potential avenue for addressing these questions. Epigenetic clocks, in particular, offer a theoretical framework for measuring biological age based on DNA methylation signatures, enabling the identification of disparities between biological and chronological age. This structured review seeks to consolidate current knowledge regarding the relationship between mental disorders and epigenetic age within the brain. Through a comprehensive literature search encompassing databases such as EBSCO, PubMed, and ClinicalTrials.gov, relevant studies were identified and analyzed. Studies that met inclusion criteria were scrutinized, focusing on those with large sample sizes, analyses of both brain tissue and blood samples, investigation of frontal cortex markers, and a specific emphasis on schizophrenia and depressive disorders. Our review revealed a paucity of significant findings, yet notable insights emerged from studies meeting specific criteria. Studies characterized by extensive sample sizes, analysis of brain tissue and blood samples, assessment of frontal cortex markers, and a focus on schizophrenia and depressive disorders yielded particularly noteworthy results. Despite the limited number of significant findings, these studies shed light on the complex interplay between epigenetic aging and mental illness. While the current body of literature on epigenetic aging in mental disorders presents limited significant findings, it underscores the importance of further research in this area. Future studies should prioritize large sample sizes, comprehensive analyses of brain tissue and blood samples, exploration of specific brain regions such as the frontal cortex, and a focus on key mental disorders. Such endeavors will contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between epigenetic aging and mental illness, potentially informing novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
Matrix discrepancy and the log-rank conjecture
Authors: Sudakov Benny , Tomon István
Published: July 2024

Given an$$m\times n$$m×nbinary matrixMwith$$|M|=p\cdot mn$$|M|=p·mn(where |M| denotes the number of 1 entries), define thediscrepancyofMas$${{\,\textrm{disc}\,}}(M)=\displaystyle \max \nolimits _{X\subset [m], Y\subset [n]}\big ||M[X\times Y]|-p|X|\cdot |Y|\big |$$disc(M)=maxX⊂[m],Y⊂[n]||M[X×Y]|-p|X|·|Y||. Using semidefinite programming and spectral techniques, we prove that if$${{\,\textrm{rank}\,}}(M)\le r$$rank(M)≤rand$$p\le 1/2$$p≤1/2, then$$\begin{aligned}{{\,\textrm{disc}\,}}(M)\ge \Omega (mn)\cdot \min \left\{ p,\frac{p^{1/2}}{\sqrt{r}}\right\} .\end{aligned}$$disc(M)≥Ω(mn)·minp,p1/2r.We use this result to obtain a modest improvement of Lovett’s best known upper bound on the log-rank conjecture. We prove that any$$m\times n$$m×nbinary matrixMof rank at mostrcontains an$$(m\cdot 2^{-O(\sqrt{r})})\times (n\cdot 2^{-O(\sqrt{r})})$$(m·2-O(r))×(n·2-O(r))sized all-1 or all-0 submatrix, which implies that the deterministic communication complexity of any Boolean function of rankris at most$$O(\sqrt{r})$$O(r).
The effect of erythropoiesis‑stimulating agents on lung cancer patients: a meta‑analysis
Authors: Tong Zhenhua , Xu Zhumeng , Duan Yaqi , Sun Xue , Qi Bin
Published: July 2024

Previous studies have demonstrated that erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) can reduce anemia and improve quality of life in cancer patients, but ESAs may increase mortality. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing the effect and risk of ESAs about the prevention or treatment of anemia in cancer patients. Four databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of science and Cochrane Library were searched for published RCTS on ESAs in the treatment of anemia in lung cancer patients from 2000 to 2023. Endpoints including mortality, incidence of thrombotic vascular events, blood transfusion requirement, and incidence of adverse events. Our meta-analysis included 8 studies, with a sample size of 4240 patients, including 2548 patients in the ESAs group and 1692 patients in the control group. The risk of mortality was lower in patients using ESAs than control group (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.92–0.99, P = 0.02). But there was no significant difference in the risk of mortality between the patients using ESAs and controls (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.92–1.06, P = 0.69) after removing Pere 2020. Subgroup analysis found that patients diagnosed with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.92–1.08, P = 0.16) or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.87–1.17, P = 0.13) were no significant difference in mortality rate. The thrombotic vascular events increase in patients using ESAs than control group (RR 1.40, 95% CI 1.13–1.72, P = 0.002). The blood transfusion requirement of ESAs group was lower than control group (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.44–0.72, P < 0.00001). And the subgroups of Darbepoetin alfa (RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.41–0.79, P = 0.003) and Epoetin alfa (RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.47–0.99, P = 0.01) had lower transfusion requirements than the control group. In the SCLC subgroup (RR 0.51, 95% CI 0.40–0.65, P = 0.34), blood transfusion requirements were lower in the ESAs group, but there was no significant difference between the subgroup of patients with NSCLC (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.36–1.04, P = 0.009). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the incidence of adverse reactions (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.95–1.00, P = 0.10). In conclusion, ESAs does not increase the mortality of lung cancer patients or may reduce the risk of death, and can reduce the need for blood transfusion, although ESA can increase the incidence of thrombotic vascular adverse events.

Registration PROSPERO CRD42023463582.
The Lived Experience of Youth in Congregate Care: Youth Perceptions of Safety, Relationships, and Support Through Qualitative Inquiry with 10 Young Adults
Authors: Parmenter Sarah , Shockley McCarthy Karla , Benavides Juan Lorenzo , Bayar Öznur , Maguire Jack Kathryn , Yoon Susan
Published: July 2024

This study explores the reported experiences of youth in congregate care facilities, focusing on their perceptions of support, relationships, and safety during their time in care. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 young adults, previously placed in group homes or residential facilities in Ohio, to identify themes related to their experiences. Three main themes resulted from the analysis: (1) lack of agency, (2) importance of relationships, and (3) coping and transitioning in congregate care. The findings revealed that participants felt a total lack of control over the decisions made on their behalf, and they felt powerless to advocate for their needs. Furthermore, participants reported a lack of support from facility staff, and they faced barriers in maintaining connections with their families. Despite these challenges, many participants demonstrated resilience and gained positive insights from their experiences in congregate care. This study highlights the need for improved support systems, increased focus on youth self-advocacy, and a better understanding of the complex experiences faced by youth in congregate care settings.
Extracellular Matrix Structure and Interaction with Immune Cells in Adult Astrocytic Tumors
Authors: Di Vito Anna , Donato Annalidia , Bria Jessica , Conforti Francesco , La Torre Domenico , Malara Natalia , Donato Giuseppe
Published: July 2024

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a dynamic set of molecules produced by the cellular component of normal and pathological tissues of the embryo and adult. ECM acts as critical regulator in various biological processes such as differentiation, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and immune control. The most frequent primary brain tumors are gliomas and by far the majority are adult astrocytic tumors (AATs). The prognosis for patients with these neoplasms is poor and the treatments modestly improves survival. In the literature, there is a fair number of studies concerning the composition of the ECM in AATs, while the number of studies relating the composition of the ECM with the immune regulation is smaller. Circulating ECM proteins have emerged as a promising biomarker that reflect the general immune landscape of tumor microenvironment and may represent a useful tool in assessing disease activity. Given the importance it can have for therapeutic and prognostic purposes, the aim of our study is to summarize the biological properties of ECM components and their effects on the tumor microenvironment and to provide an overview of the interactions between major ECM proteins and immune cells in AATs. As the field of immunotherapy in glioma is quickly expanding, we retain that current data together with future studies on ECM organization and functions in glioma will provide important insights into the tuning of immunotherapeutic approaches.

Graphical Abstract
Low resource Twi-English parallel corpus for machine translation in multiple domains (Twi-2-ENG)
Authors: Agyei Emmanuel , Zhang Xiaoling , Bannerman Stephen , Quaye Ama Bonuah , Yussi Sophyani Banaamwini , Agbesi Victor Kwaku
Published: July 2024

Although Ghana does not have one unique language for its citizens, the Twi dialect stands a chance of fulfilling this purpose. Twi is among the low-resourced language categories, yet it is widely spoken beyond Ghana and in countries such as the Ivory Coast, Benin, Nigeria, and other places. However, it continues to be seen as the perfect resource for Twi Machine Translation (MT) of IS0 639-3. The issue with the Twi-English parallel corpus is eminent at the multiple domain dataset level, partly due to the complex design structure and scarcity of the digital Twi lexicon. This study introduced Twi-2-ENG, a large-scale multiple domain Twi to English parallel corpus, Twi digital Dictionary, and lexicon version of Twi. Also, it employed the Ghanaian Parliamentary Hansards, crowdsourcing, and digital Ghana News Portals to crawl all the English sentences. Our curled news portals accumulated 5,765 parallel corpus sentences, the Twi New Testament Bible, and social media platforms. The data-gathering method used means of translation, compilation, tokenization, and the final alignments with the Twi-English parallel sentences, including the technology employed in compiling and hosting the corpus, were duly discussed. The results reveal that the role of manually qualified linguistic professionals and Twi translation specialists across the media spectrum, academia, and well-wishers adds a considerable volume to the Twi-2-ENG parallel corpus. Finally, all the sentences were curated with the help of a corpus manager, sketch engine, linguistics, and professional translators to align and tokenize all texts, allowing the Twi professional linguists to evaluate the corpus.
Examining long-term fuel and land use patterns at Ziyaret Tepe, Türkiye using an integrated analysis of seeds, wood charcoal, and dung spherulites
Authors: Proctor Lucas , Smith Alexia , Matney Timothy
Published: July 2024

This study presents the results of a combined dendrological, macrobotanical, and dung spherulite analysis of flotation samples collected from Bronze Age, Late Assyrian, and post-Assyrian contexts at the site of Ziyaret Tepe, located on the southern bank of the Tigris River in southeastern Anatolia. The results of this study show shifting fuel resource exploitation between pre-urbanized phases of the site (ca. 3000–1600 BCE), the urbanized Late Assyrian occupation (882–611 BCE), and the ruralized post-Assyrian (ca. 611 BCE–1500 CE) re-occupations of the site. During the Late Assyrian period, Ziyaret Tepe is thought to have been the location of the city of Tušhan, an important provincial capital of the Neo-Assyrian empire. Evidence for local deforestation near the Tigris River and expanding reliance on dung fuel use during this period indicate overexploitation of fuel resources as larger populations and extractive imperial economic policies placed heavier pressure on local land use. Qualitative dendrological data provides evidence for the intensification of fuelwood harvesting during this period, while textual evidence documented an expansive program of timbering to the north of the site intended to fuel imperial construction projects in the Assyrian heartland. Following the abandonment of Tušhan and the collapse of the Neo-Assyrian empire, local fuel resource exploitation during subsequent occupations of the site shifted towards the direct management of wood fuel resources and increasing reliance on rural pastoralism.
Comparison of Warm and Cold Forging with Friction Welding for Inner Constant Velocity Joints (CVJs)
Authors: Afseoren Mesut , Ersoz Tugrul Talha , Yildirim Mehmet
Published: July 2024

Driveshafts are used in all vehicles, and their service life is expected to be at least three years or 100.000 km. Many driveshaft manufacturers prefer friction welding due to its relatively cheaper cost and ease of the process. However, they should meet some property-related criteria to achieve the expected lifetime. The forging technique becomes essential to succeed in these mechanical requirements. A comparative study evaluates the performance of constant velocity joints (CVJs) produced by multi-step warm–cold forging and friction welding processes. Medium carbon steels were used in both of the techniques. The microstructures, mechanical properties (i.e. hardness, strength, impact energy and shear strength), low-cycle fatigue (LCF) properties, wear resistance and cost-efficiency (number of operations, material saving, number of produced components and cost) are compared in detail for an industrial production point of view. The experimental results reveal that warm–cold forged specimens exhibit superior mechanical properties such as increased strength, hardness, relatively higher impact energy, improved shear strength, relatively longer LCF life and enhanced wear resistance (lower wear volume loss). In addition, it is also assessed that warm–cold forging is a more cost-effective manufacturing process (reduced weight, decreased number of operations and increased yield) in the production of CVJs compared to the friction welding process.
The pathogenesis mechanism and potential clinical value of lncRNA in gliomas
Authors: Liu Yuan , Yuan Hui , Fan JingJia , Wang Han , Xie HuiYu , Wan JunFeng , Hu XueYing , Zhou Jie , Liu Liang
Published: July 2024

Glioma is the most common malignant tumor in the central nervous system, and its unique pathogenesis often leads to poor treatment outcomes and prognosis. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) divided gliomas into five categories based on their histological characteristics and molecular changes. Non-coding RNA is a type of RNA that does not encode proteins but can exert biological functions at the RNA level, and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a type of non-coding RNA with a length exceeding 200 nt. It is controlled by various transcription factors and plays an indispensable role in the regulatory processes in various cells. Numerous studies have confirmed that the dysregulation of lncRNA is critical in the pathogenesis, progression, and malignancy of gliomas. Therefore, this article reviews the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration, angiogenesis, immune regulation, glycolysis, stemness, and drug resistance changes caused by the dysregulation of lncRNA in gliomas, and summarizes their potential clinical significance in gliomas.
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seeds as a natural coagulant for water turbidity treatment: assessment of efficacy and dosage
Authors: Mahamba Caston , Palamuleni Lobina Gertrude
Published: July 2024

The quality of river and borehole water fluctuates because of both agricultural and industrial pollutants. Surface runoff during the rainy seasons is high which promote increased turbidity levels in water sources, and this exerts pressure on the quality and usability of the water for domestic use. Unfortunately, most municipalities in developing countries are poor to afford conventional water treatment methods. This study assessed the use of natural coagulants extracted from sunflower seeds for turbidity treatment. Water samples were collected during summer, winter, and autumn from 10 randomly selected groundwater sources and three segments of the Mwerahari River in Buhera District, Zimbabwe. Results captured seasonal turbidity variations across the river segments and the boreholes. Summer season recorded the maximum average levels of turbidity (76 NTU) while autumn and winter recorded 38.7 NTU 36.7 NTU, respectively. Water turbidity levels were above the acceptable 5 NTU Standard Association of Zimbabwe and WHO. The maximum removal efficiency of turbidity was achieved at 80 min at the dose of 4 g/l. These results revealed that the removal efficiency of 95% with 4.6 NTU turbidity is a function of dose; removal efficiency increases as dose of coagulant increases. These results demonstrated that sunflower seed is an effective low-cost natural coagulant for turbidity water treatment.
Optimal saturated information load analysis for enhancing robustness in unmanned swarms system
Authors: Wu Jian , Jiang Yichuan , Tang Junjun , Ding Linfei
Published: July 2024

Saturated information load is defined as the information received by a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) node in a swarm network reaches the overload limit of its processing capability. When a UAV swarm performs a mission in an uncertain and adversarial complex environment, overloading of UAVs will lead to information diversion, which may cause other UAVs to experience overloading and diversion as well, affecting the transmission efficiency and robustness of the entire swarm network, which in turn affects the information sensing ability, execution ability, and coordination ability of the swarm in performing the mission. Therefore, this paper proposes a saturated information load-based UAV swarm network topology modelling method, which sets the saturated information load of the nodes in the network model in order to reasonably allocate network resources and optimise the network topology. In addition, through robustness experiments of complex networks and comparative analysis of different saturated information loads and three typical modelling methods, the saturated information load-based network structure modelling method has outstanding advantages and performance in terms of network connectivity, network communication efficiency, and destruction resistance.
Vacare: from Lectio Divina to Contemplative Reading. Making space for the personal formation of secondary school students
Authors: van Deursen-Vreeburg Juliëtte
Published: July 2024

The personal formation of students is an important goal in Religious Education in secondary schools in the Netherlands. This article, which is based on the design research of my PhD dissertation, examines how a contemplative approach to reading stories can, according to Religious Education teachers, contribute to the personal formation of students. Thus, a teacher’s manual, based on the monastic tradition of Lectio Divina, was designed and tested for the Contemplative Reading of Biblical parables. What possibilities does this teacher’s manual for Contemplative Reading offer for creating space for the personal formation of students in daily teaching practice? How do the results of this intervention contribute to the theory of personal formation and the theory of contemplative practices in education? Cultivating a space for freedom—vacare—appears to be essential. Contemplative Reading can open this space of attention and listening in the classroom.
Differential characteristics of lithological assemblages and gas-bearing of the Permian Longtan Formation mudstone in well L3, southeastern Sichuan Basin
Authors: Cao Qian , Xu Hao , Jiang Ke , Liu Ruiyin , Qi Minghui , Wang Linqi , Li Feiyu , Ma Binyang , Pu Feilong
Published: July 2024

As the main reservoir of coalbed gas in southeastern Sichuan, the mudstone of the Permian Longtan Formation has been drilled to obtain industrial gas, but the level of exploration and development is low. The researches on the types of lithological assemblages, reservoir characteristics, and gas-bearing properties are poor, which limits the evaluation and selection of the sweet point area for the marine-continental transitional shale gas. In this paper, by comparing the differential of different lithological distribution in the well L3, multiple discriminant functions and logging interpretation models for different lithology are established to determine the classification criteria of lithological assemblage types of shale formations. Based on the experimental results of high-temperature and high-pressure isothermal adsorption, the reservoir space distribution and gas-bearing characteristics of mudstone in different lithological assemblages are compared and analyzed. It is indicated that the four lithological assemblage types are found in the Permian Longtan Formation, including thick mudstone with the interlayer of coalbed (Type I), rich mudstone with the interlayer of sandstone and thin coalbed (Type II), sandstone interbedded with mudstone with the interlayer of coalbed (Type III), and limestone interbedded with sandstone with the interlayer of mudstone (Type IV), which are superimposed with each other. The different pore structure characteristics of mudstone in different lithological assemblages is the main influencing factor of differential gas-bearing property. The dominant lithological assemblages are Type I and Type II. Coalbed and carbonaceous mudstone are the source rock and primary storage space of adsorbed gas. Moreover, with low porosity and permeability, high breakthrough pressure and the strong sealing capacity of regional mudstone, it is easy to form the “microtrap” to store the natural gas. The sealing capacity of mudstone provides a favorable condition for gas preserve. Under the dynamic condition of hydrocarbon generation, the pressure storage box is formed, accompanied with the fine reservoir spaces and gas-bearing contents.
The Relationships between Metacognitive Beliefs and Personality Dysfunction: A Test Controlling for Personality Traits, Emotional Distress Symptoms and General Functioning
Authors: Strand Eivind R. , Hjemdal Odin , Nordahl Hans M. , Nordahl Henrik
Published: July 2024

Personality dysfunction operationalized as impairment in self- and interpersonal functioning is a characteristic of personality disorders. The metacognitive model suggests that dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs are a common cause of psychological disorders, but the relevance and importance of metacognitions for personality dysfunction is less explored and was the objective for the current study. In a sample of 1278 individuals, we conducted a multiple hierarchical regression analysis to test the predictive role of metacognitive beliefs for personality dysfunction. We found a unique and independent contribution from negative beliefs about the uncontrollability and danger of worry and lower cognitive confidence to personality dysfunction whilst controlling age, gender, maladaptive personality traits, big-5 personality traits, emotional distress symptoms, and general psychosocial functioning. The results bring further support for the metacognitive model of psychological disorders which may be relevant for formulation and treatment of personality dysfunction and disorder.
Objective method of predicting monsoon onset over Kerala in medium and extended range time scale using Numerical Weather Prediction models
Authors: Pattanaik D. R. , Bushair M. T.
Published: July 2024

The southwest monsoon onset over Kerala (MOK) is very crucial for an Agricultural country like India hence its prediction in the extended range time scale (about 3 weeks in advance) is very useful for the Kharif season in India. As the declaration of MOK involves subjective interpretation of the forecasters, an objective method of prediction of MOK based on dynamical models could successfully avoid bogus onsets. Two objective prediction methods for MOK are developed based on the real-time extended range forecast (ERF) of rainfall measured over Kerala coast 080-120N, 740-780E and the strength and depth of the westerly wind over the Arabian Sea (050-120N, 550-750E) for the period from 2003 to 2022 are used in the first method. In addition to these 3 indices, meridional pressure gradient along the west coast of India is used in the second method with 4 indices. The MOK date is defined objectively based on these variables exceeding the thresholds in both the methods. The results indicate that the MOK forecast with four indices performed well compared to that with three indices during the whole period from 2003 to 2022 with the mean deviation days of MOK found to be 0.75 and 3.05 days respectively. Overall, the dynamically defined onset date over Kerala based on the real-time ERF indicated useful skill at least about 2–3 weeks in advance. It is also demonstrated that the district-level Multi-Model Ensemble forecast in the medium range (5 days in advance) based on 5 global models can add value to the categorical ERF of MOK for the exact forecast date of MOK.
Development of Novel Hybrid Intelligent Predictive Models for Dilution Prediction in Underground Sub-level Mining
Authors: Chimunhu Prosper , Faradonbeh Roohollah Shirani , Topal Erkan , Asad Mohammad Waqar Ali , Ajak Ajak Duany
Published: July 2024

Tenuous dilution estimates in underground mine production scheduling continue to cause significant variations between schedule forecasts and actual production. This arises partly from the inference of dilution from predecessor stopes’ performance, disregarding that these stopes would have undergone multiple intermediate design changes between scheduling and actual mining. The resultant drill and blast-influenced dilution factors gradually lose its robustness over longer planning horizons or when applied to greenfield or brownfield expansions that do not have prior performance data. To overcome this problem, a new methodology is proposed to predict dilution in underground sub-level open stoping (SLOS) using basic geological, geotechnical and stope design attributes available in the early stage of mine planning. The method utilises principal component analysis (PCA), classification and regression tree (CART) algorithm and stepwise selection and elimination (SSE) analysis. First, SSE analysis was conducted to identify the most important independent variables to be used with the CART algorithm (i.e., the SSE-CART model) to provide a predictive model. PCA analysis was then performed, and the new principal components were used to propose a new comparative model (i.e., the PCA-CART model). Low R2 values were observed for both models, necessitating the consolidation of dilution categories to increase the models’ prediction bandwidth. The hybrid PCA-CART model outperformed the SSE-CART model with overall F1 score prediction accuracy of 72% and target dilution category prediction accuracy of over 93% against SSE-CART’s 70% and 72%, respectively. Importantly, this study revealed a 13% minimum underestimation of dilution relative to the original design stopes.
Artificial intelligence in infrastructure construction: A critical review
Authors: Chen Ke , Zhou Xiaojie , Bao Zhikang , Skibniewski Mirosław Jan , Fang Weili
Published: July 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising technological solution for addressing critical infrastructure construction challenges, such as elevated accident rates, suboptimal productivity, and persistent labor shortages. This review aims to thoroughly analyze the contemporary landscape of AI applications in the infrastructure construction sector. We conducted both quantitative and qualitative analyses based on 594 and 91 selected papers, respectively. The results reveal that the primary focus of current AI research in this field centers on safety monitoring and control, as well as process management. Key technologies such as machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing are prominent, with significant attention given to the development of smart construction sites. Our review also highlights several areas for future research, including broadening the scope of AI applications, exploring the potential of diverse AI technologies, and improving AI applications through standardized data sets and generative AI models. These directions are promising for further advancements in infrastructure construction, offering potential solutions to its significant challenges.
Visualizing blockchain in construction projects: Status quo, challenges, and a guideline for implementation
Authors: Wu Liupengfei , Lu Weisheng , Chu Louis , Chen Chen
Published: July 2024

The use of blockchain technology in construction engineering and management (CEM) is increasing, yet current presentations of blockchain-based data management processes (DMP) are considered too primitive to encourage the technology’s broader diffusion in CEM. This research aims to provide a set of guidelines for visualizing blockchain-based DMP in CEM. First, a conceptual model is proposed to guide the research design. Next, 49 cases published in scholarly papers are reviewed, revealing an increasing use of dashboards to visualize blockchain-based DMP. Then, four challenges for visualizing blockchain are identified, namely, data diversity, visualization tools, visualization mediums, and visualization domain. Finally, we present guidelines for visualizing blockchain in construction projects, which involve: (1) targeting the visualization domain, (2) planning the blockchain visualization, (3) choosing a visualization tool, (4) selecting a visualization medium, and (5) fine-tuning the visualization solution. This research encourages researchers to further develop visualization solutions to harness blockchain benefits in CEM.
Reviewing feminist macroeconomics for the twenty-first century
Authors: Zuazu Izaskun
Published: July 2024

Feminist macroeconomics draws on the notion that the gender system is both cause and consequence of macroeconomic structures, outcomes, and policies. In contrast, mainstream and heterodox macroeconomics have done little to integrate gender as an analytical tool in macro-modelling. This paper defines the subfield of feminist macroeconomics, explores its origins, and provides a systematic review of its literature. Drawing on Seguino (2013), the paper divides the subfield in three main strands: (i) feminist growth theory and gender dimensions of macro-level policies, (ii) macro-modelling and theoretical foundations of the care economy, and (iii) social infrastructure and intra-household allocation. The paper discusses potential ways to expand the foci of feminist macroeconomic research and considers challenges to the subfield such as methodological issues regarding male-biased metrics and limited data availability and the tensions with mainstream approaches to gender and the macroeconomy.
Evaluation of secondary metabolites, nutraceutical potential and amino acid profile of fresh dates (Phoenix dactylifera) alcoholic beverage
Authors: Choudhary Aditya , Kumar Aditya , Kandpal Rohan , Gupta Arun Kumar , Jha Avinash Kumar , Naik Bindu , Kumar Vijay , Rustagi Sarvesh , Chutia Hemanta , Khan Javed Masood
Published: July 2024

The present study comprehensively investigated the fermentation process of fresh dates pulp to alcoholic beverage, analyzing various aspects including physicochemical properties, nutraceutical potential, amino acid composition, color properties, sensory evaluation, and microbial load. Over the fermentation period, the alcohol content of the beverage reached 8.79%, suggesting it is an off-dry wine. Total Soluble Solids (TSS) decreased from an initial 24.17°Brix to 5°Brix. The pH level dropped from 7 to 3.9, and the titratable acidity increased from 0.15 to 0.22%. The nutraceutical potential of the alcoholic beverage displayed dynamic transformations, with total phenolic content (TPC) decreasing from 23 to 9 mg GAE mL−1, while total flavonoid content (TFC) increased significantly (p < 0.05). Amino acid analysis revealed distinct concentrations, with alcoholic beverage exhibiting higher levels of essential amino acids due to fermentation. Color analysis showed a shift towards reddish hues, and a progression towards a more yellowish color during fermentation. Sensory evaluation indicated a non-significant difference (p > 0.05) between the alcoholic beverage and juice in terms of color, but the alcoholic beverage scored higher in appearance, flavor, texture, taste, mouthfeel, and overall acceptability.Microbial load increased from an initial 5–6 log CFU mL−1 to 8–9 log CFU mL−1 after 5 days, indicating the occurrence of alcoholic fermentation. Kinetics study was also performed for different quality parameters. This is the first study provides a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted changes occurring during the fermentation process, offering valuable insights for winemakers and researchers.

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Possible detection of atmospheric bioaerosol via LiDAR: a wavelength-based simulation study
Authors: Shin Juseon , Noh Youngmin
Published: July 2024

This study explores potential of LiDAR technology to rapidly detect aerosolized biological terror agents in the atmosphere. It assesses the application by simulating extinction coefficients and the Ångström exponent at various wavelengths (266, 1064, 1571, and 2000 nm), focusing on differentiating bioaerosols from typical atmospheric particles. The simulation analysis evaluates changes in aerosol distributions and related extinction coefficient and Ångström exponent shifts under clean, normal, and bad atmospheric conditions. The findings indicate that the 1064 nm wavelength effectively detects bioaerosol presence, with a combination of 1064 nm and 1571 nm providing optimal Ångström exponent use for particle size differentiation. This dual-wavelength approach is highlighted as a practical method for bioaerosol detection, showcasing a significant sensitivity to variations in particle quantity and size, which are critical in biological threat scenarios. In conclusion, the study offers guidance for selecting LiDAR wavelengths for biological agent detection systems. While providing a theoretical framework for practical applications, it also underlines the need for further experimental work to confirm findings and fine-tune technology for real-world monitoring and threat management. This research contributes to the development of effective monitoring strategies against the backdrop of biological terror threats.

Graphical Abstract