bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Healthcare costs after kidney transplantation compared to dialysis based on propensity score methods and real world longitudinal register data from Sweden
Authors: Zhang Ye , Gerdtham Ulf-G. , Rydell Helena , Lundgren Torbjörn , Jarl Johan
Published: July 2023

This study aimed to estimate the healthcare costs of kidney transplantation compared with dialysis using a propensity score approach to handle potential treatment selection bias. We included 693 adult wait-listed patients who started renal replacement therapy between 1998 and 2012 in Region Skåne and Stockholm County Council in Sweden. Healthcare costs were measured as annual and monthly healthcare expenditures. In order to match the data structure of the kidney transplantation group, a hypothetical kidney transplant date of persons with dialysis were generated for each dialysis patient using the one-to-one nearest-neighbour propensity score matching method. Applying propensity score matching and inverse probability-weighted regression adjustment models, the potential outcome means and average treatment effect were estimated. The estimated healthcare costs in the first year after kidney transplantation were €57,278 (95% confidence interval (CI) €54,467–60,088) and €47,775 (95% CI €44,313–51,238) for kidney transplantation and dialysis, respectively. Thus, kidney transplantation leads to higher healthcare costs in the first year by €9,502 (p = 0.066) compared to dialysis. In the following two years, kidney transplantation is cost saving [€36,342 (p < 0.001) and €44,882 (p < 0.001)]. For patients with end-stage renal disease, kidney transplantation reduces healthcare costs compared with dialysis over three years after kidney transplantation, even though the healthcare costs are somewhat higher in the first year. Relating the results of existing estimates of costs and health benefits of kidney transplantation shows that kidney transplantation is clearly cost-effective compared to dialysis in Sweden.
Effect of global warming on the potential distribution of a holoparasitic plant (Phelypaea tournefortii): both climate and host distribution matter
Authors: Piwowarczyk Renata , Kolanowska Marta
Published: July 2023

Phelypaea tournefortii (Orobanchaceae) primarily occurs in the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and N Iran) and Turkey. This perennial, holoparasitic herb is achlorophyllous and possesses one of the most intense red flowers among all plants worldwide. It occurs as a parasite on the roots of several Tanacetum (Asteraceae) species and prefers steppe and semi-arid habitats. Climate change may affect holoparasites both directly through effects on their physiology and indirectly as a consequence of its effects on their host plants and habitats. In this study, we used the ecological niche modeling approach to estimate the possible effects of climate change on P. tournefortii and to evaluate the effect of its parasitic relationships with two preferred host species on the chances of survival of this species under global warming. We used four climate change scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, SSP5-8.5) and three different simulations (CNRM, GISS-E2, INM). We modeled the species’ current and future distribution using the maximum entropy method implemented in MaxEnt using seven bioclimatic variables and species occurrence records (Phelypaea tournefortii – 63 records, Tanacetum argyrophyllum – 40, Tanacetum chiliophyllum – 21). According to our analyses, P. tournefortii will likely contract its geographical range remarkably. In response to global warming, the coverage of the species’ suitable niches will decrease by at least 34%, especially in central and southern Armenia, Nakhchivan in Azerbaijan, northern Iran, and NE Turkey. In the worst-case scenario, the species will go completely extinct. Additionally, the studied plant's hosts will lose at least 36% of currently suitable niches boosting the range contraction of P. tournefortii. The GISS-E2 scenario will be least damaging, while the CNRM will be most damaging to climate change for studied species. Our study shows the importance of including ecological data in niche models to obtain more reliable predictions of the future distribution of parasitic plants.
A risk stratification model to predict chemotherapy benefit in medullary carcinoma of the breast: a population-based SEER database
Authors: Chen Heyan , Pu Shengyu , Wang Lizhao , Zhang Huimin , Yan Yu , He Jianjun , Zhang Jian
Published: July 2023

Whether patients with medullary breast carcinoma (MBC) receive chemotherapy is controversial. Therefore, the aim of our study was to screen out patients with MBC who benefit from chemotherapy. We enrolled 618 consecutive patients with MBC from The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2010–2018). Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent prognostic factors. Next, a nomogram was constructed and evaluated using calibration plots and the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Kaplan‒Meier curves were used to evaluate the overall survival (OS) benefit of chemotherapy in different risk groups. A total of 618 MBC patients were involved in our study, and an 8:2 ratio was used to randomly split them into a training cohort (n = 545) and a validation cohort (n = 136). Next, a nomogram predicting 3- and 5-year OS rates was constructed based on the five independent factors (age at diagnosis, T stage, N status, subtype and radiation). The nomogram AUCs for 3- and 5-year OS (training set: 0.793 and 0.797; validation set: 0.781 and 0.823) and calibration plots exhibited good discriminative and predictive ability. Additionally, a novel risk classification system for MBC patients demonstrated that we do not have enough evidence to support the benefit effect of chemotherapy for the high-risk group as the result is not statistically significant (total population: p = 0.180; training set: p = 0.340) but could improve OS in the low-risk group (total population: p = 0.001; training set: p = 0.001). Our results suggested that chemotherapy should be selected more carefully for high-risk groups based on a combination of factors and that the possibility of exemption from chemotherapy should be confirmed by more clinical trials in the future.
Silver nanoparticles decorated ZnO–CuO core–shell nanowire arrays with low water adhesion and high antibacterial activity
Authors: Costas Andreea , Preda Nicoleta , Zgura Irina , Kuncser Andrei , Apostol Nicoleta , Curutiu Carmen , Enculescu Ionut
Published: July 2023

Nanostructured surfaces based on silver nanoparticles decorated ZnO–CuO core–shell nanowire arrays, which can assure protection against various environmental factors such as water and bacteria were developed by combining dry preparation techniques namely thermal oxidation in air, radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering and thermal vacuum evaporation. Thus, high-aspect-ratio ZnO nanowire arrays were grown directly on zinc foils by thermal oxidation in air. Further ZnO nanowires were coated with a CuO layer by RF magnetron sputtering, the obtained ZnO–CuO core–shell nanowires being decorated with Ag nanoparticles by thermal vacuum evaporation. The prepared samples were comprehensively assessed from morphological, compositional, structural, optical, surface chemistry, wetting and antibacterial activity point of view. The wettability studies show that native Zn foil and ZnO nanowire arrays grown on it are featured by a high water droplet adhesion while ZnO–CuO core–shell nanowire arrays (before and after decoration with Ag nanoparticles) reveal a low water droplet adhesion. The antibacterial tests carried on Escherichia coli (a Gram-negative bacterium) and Staphylococcus aureus (a Gram-positive bacterium) emphasize that the nanostructured surfaces based on nanowire arrays present excellent antibacterial activity against both type of bacteria. This study proves that functional surfaces obtained by relatively simple and highly reproducible preparation techniques that can be easily scaled to large area are very attractive in the field of water repellent coatings with enhanced antibacterial function.
Clinical outcomes of esophageal granular cell tumors with different endoscopic resection methods
Authors: Ryu Dae Gon , Choi Cheol Woong , Kim Su Jin , Hwang Chung Su , Kang Dae Hwan , Kim Hyung Wook , Park Su Bum , Son Bong Soo
Published: July 2023

Esophageal granular cell tumors (GCTs), the second most common subepithelial tumors (SETs) of the esophagus, are potentially malignant with no definite management guidelines available. We retrospectively enrolled 35 patients with endoscopically resected esophageal GCTs between December 2008 and October 2021 and evaluated the clinical outcomes from the various methods performed. Several modified endoscopic mucosal resections (EMRs) were performed for treating esophageal GCTs. Clinical and endoscopic outcomes were evaluated. Mean age of patients was 55.8 ± 8.2, with majority being men (57.1%). Mean tumor size was 7.2 ± 2.6 mm, most (80.0%) were asymptomatic and present in the distal third of the esophagus (77.1%). Endoscopic characteristics predominantly included broad-based (85.7%) and whitish-to-yellowish color changes (97.1%). Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) of 82.9% of the tumors revealed homogeneous hypoechoic SETs originating from the submucosa. The five endoscopic treatment methods used were: ligation-assisted (77.1%), conventional (8.7%), cap-assisted (5.7%), and underwater (5.7%) EMRs and ESD (2.9%). Mean procedure time was 6.6 ± 2.1 min, and no procedure-associated complications were noted. The en-bloc and complete histologic resection rates were 100% and 94.3%, respectively. No recurrences were noted during follow-up, and no significant differences in the clinical outcomes of the different methods of endoscopic resection were found. Based on tumor characteristics and therapeutic outcomes, modified EMR methods can be effective and safe. However, there were no significant differences in the clinical outcomes of the different methods of endoscopic resection.
Characteristic analysis of epileptic brain network based on attention mechanism
Authors: Yu Hong-Shi , Meng Xiang-Fu
Published: July 2023

Constructing an efficient and accurate epilepsy detection system is an urgent research task. In this paper, we developed an EEG-based multi-frequency multilayer brain network (MMBN) and an attentional mechanism based convolutional neural network (AM-CNN) model to study epilepsy detection. Specifically, based on the multi-frequency characteristics of the brain, we first use wavelet packet decomposition and reconstruction methods to divide the original EEG signals into eight frequency bands, and then construct MMBN through correlation analysis between brain regions, where each layer corresponds to a specific frequency band. The time, frequency and channel related information of EEG signals are mapped into the multilayer network topology. On this basis, a multi-branch AM-CNN model is designed, which completely matches the multilayer structure of the proposed brain network. The experimental results on public CHB-MIT datasets show that eight frequency bands divided in this work are all helpful for epilepsy detection, and the fusion of multi-frequency information can effectively decode the epileptic brain state, achieving accurate detection of epilepsy with an average accuracy of 99.75%, sensitivity of 99.43%, and specificity of 99.83%. All of these provide reliable technical solutions for EEG-based neurological disease detection, especially for epilepsy detection.
Isolation and genotypic characterization of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Aeromonas hydrophila from selected freshwater sources in Southwest Nigeria
Authors: Bisi-Johnson Mary A. , Adedeji Atilade A. , Sulaiman Adebayo A. , Adefisoye Martins A. , Okoh Anthony I.
Published: July 2023

The proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antimicrobial resistance is a pressing public health challenge because of their possible transfer to humans via contact with polluted water sources. In this study, three freshwater resources were assessed for important physicochemical characteristics as well as heterotrophic and coliform bacteria and as potential reservoirs for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) strains. The physicochemical characteristics ranged from 7.0 to 8.3; 25 to 30 °C, 0.4 to 93 mg/L, 0.53 to 8.80 mg/L and 53 to 240 mg/L for pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD5) and total dissolved solids, respectively. The physicochemical characteristics mostly align with guidelines except for the DO and BOD5 in some instances. Seventy-six (76) Aeromonas hydrophila and 65 Escherichia coli O157: H7 isolates were identified by preliminary biochemical analysis and PCR from the three sites. Among these, A. hydrophila displayed higher frequencies of antimicrobial resistance, with all 76 (100%) isolates completely resistant to cefuroxime and cefotaxime and with MARI ≥ 0.61. The test isolates showed more than 80% resistance against five of the ten test antimicrobials, with resistance against cefixime, a cephalosporin antibiotic being the highest at 95% (134/141). The frequency of the detection of the resistance genes in the A. hydrophila isolates generally ranged between 0% (blaSHV) and 26.3% (blaCTX-M), while the frequency of detection among the E. coli O157:H7 isolates ranged between 4.6% (blaCTX-M) and 58.4% (blaTEM). Our findings indicate that the distribution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria with diverse ESBL-producing capabilities and virulence genes in freshwater sources potentially threatens public health and the environment.
Mitochondrial DNA is a target of HBV integration
Authors: Giosa Domenico , Lombardo Daniele , Musolino Cristina , Chines Valeria , Raffa Giuseppina , Casuscelli di Tocco Francesca , D’Aliberti Deborah , Caminiti Giuseppe , Saitta Carlo , Alibrandi Angela , Aiese Cigliano Riccardo , Romeo Orazio , Navarra Giuseppe , Raimondo Giovanni , Pollicino Teresa
Published: July 2023

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) may integrate into the genome of infected cells and contribute to hepatocarcinogenesis. However, the role of HBV integration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development remains unclear. In this study, we apply a high-throughput HBV integration sequencing approach that allows sensitive identification of HBV integration sites and enumeration of integration clones. We identify 3339 HBV integration sites in paired tumour and non-tumour tissue samples from 7 patients with HCC. We detect 2107 clonally expanded integrations (1817 in tumour and 290 in non-tumour tissues), and a significant enrichment of clonal HBV integrations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) preferentially occurring in the oxidative phosphorylation genes (OXPHOS) and D-loop region. We also find that HBV RNA sequences are imported into the mitochondria of hepatoma cells with the involvement of polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPASE), and that HBV RNA might have a role in the process of HBV integration into mtDNA. Our results suggest a potential mechanism by which HBV integration may contribute to HCC development.
Human subsistence and signatures of selection on chemosensory genes
Authors: Veilleux Carrie C. , Garrett Eva C. , Pajic Petar , Saitou Marie , Ochieng Joseph , Dagsaan Lilia D. , Dominy Nathaniel J. , Perry George H. , Gokcumen Omer , Melin Amanda D.
Published: July 2023

Chemosensation (olfaction, taste) is essential for detecting and assessing foods, such that dietary shifts elicit evolutionary changes in vertebrate chemosensory genes. The transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture dramatically altered how humans acquire food. Recent genetic and linguistic studies suggest agriculture may have precipitated olfactory degeneration. Here, we explore the effects of subsistence behaviors on olfactory (OR) and taste (TASR) receptor genes among rainforest foragers and neighboring agriculturalists in Africa and Southeast Asia. We analyze 378 functional OR and 26 functional TASR genes in 133 individuals across populations in Uganda (Twa, Sua, BaKiga) and the Philippines (Agta, Mamanwa, Manobo) with differing subsistence histories. We find no evidence of relaxed selection on chemosensory genes in agricultural populations. However, we identify subsistence-related signatures of local adaptation on chemosensory genes within each geographic region. Our results highlight the importance of culture, subsistence economy, and drift in human chemosensory perception.
Rarity of molt evidence in early pennaraptoran dinosaurs suggests annual molt evolved later among Neornithes
Authors: Kiat Yosef , O’Connor Jingmai Kathleen
Published: July 2023

Feathers are a primitive trait among pennaraptoran dinosaurs, which today are represented by crown birds (Neornithes), the only clade of dinosaurs to survive the end Cretaceous mass extinction. Feathers are central to many important functions and therefore, maintaining plumage function is of great importance for survival. Thus, molt – by which new feathers are formed to replace old ones, is an essential process. Our limited knowledge regarding molt in early pennaraptoran evolution is based largely on a single Microraptor specimen. A survey of 92 feathered non-avian dinosaur and stem bird fossils did not find additional molting evidence. Due to its longer duration, in ornithological collections evidence of molt is found more frequently in extant bird species with sequential molts compared to those with more rapid simultaneous molts. The low frequency of molt occurrence among fossil specimens resembles collections of bird species with simultaneous molts. The dearth of molt evidence in the forelimbs of pennaraptoran specimens may have interesting implications regarding molt strategy during early avian evolution, and suggests that the yearly molting cycle may have evolved later, among crown birds.
Dyke swarms record the plume stage evolution of the Atla Regio superplume on Venus
Authors: El Bilali Hafida , Ernst Richard E. , Buchan Kenneth L. , Head James W.
Published: July 2023

Atla Regio, Venus, is interpreted as a young major mantle plume centre, and we address whether it is at plume head or plume tail stage. Our approach uses graben-fissure lineaments, interpreted as the surface expression of dykes. Mapping > 40,000 such lineaments reveals giant radiating dyke swarms associated with major volcanic centres of Maat (>1500 km dyke swarm radius), Ozza (>2000 km), Ongwuti (>1100 km) and Unnamed montes (>1100 km), indicating that each is due to plume head magmatism rather than plume tail magmatism (maximum swarm length ~ 100 km). The size of an underlying flattened plume head is estimated by the radius where the swarm transitions from a radiating to linear pattern. All four centres and their plume heads group within the 1200 km radius of the Ozza Mons plume head, consistent with a single event. Atla Regio is at the plume head stage with coeval triple-junction rifting, which on Earth would typically precede attempted continental breakup.
Ruthenium-catalyzed dehydrogenative cyclization to synthesize polysubstituted 4-quinolones under solvent-free conditions
Authors: Sardar Bitan , Pal Debjyoti , Sarmah Rajashri , Srimani Dipankar
Published: July 2023

Herein, we describe acridine-based SNS-Ru pincer-catalysed unprecedented dehydrogenative annulation of alcohols with 2′-aminoacetophenone to synthesize 2,3-disubstituted-4-quinolones.
Sn-based electrocatalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction
Authors: Yao Yongchao , Zhuang Weihua , Li Ruizhi , Dong Kai , Luo Yonglan , He Xun , Sun Shengjun , Alfaifi Sulaiman , Sun Xuping , Hu Wenchuang (Walter)
Published: July 2023

This review provides valuable insights into the advancements in Sn-based catalysts for the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction and presents a personal perspective on the current challenges and future prospects in this exciting field of research.
Non-directed Pd-catalysed C–H arylation of [2.2]paracyclophane
Authors: Pu Jun , Chen Lei , Wu Rui-Rui , Ye Peng , Li Huan-Le , Wang Shuang , Xu Zhen-Yuan , Lou Shao-Jie , Xu Dan-Qian
Published: July 2023

A non-directed palladium-catalyzed mono-selective C–H arylation of [2.2]paracyclophane (PCP) with diverse aryl iodides was reported.
Cycle-dependent morphology and surface potential of germanium nanowire anode electrodes
Authors: Kolagatla Srikanth , Collins Gearoid A. , Kilpatrick Jason I. , Kargin Emrullah , Ryan Kevin M. , Rodriguez Brian J.
Published: July 2023

Surface potential mapping of Ge nanowire anodes showing the change in surface morphology and surface potential with solid electrolyte interphase layer formation during cycling.
H2O2-driven enzymatic oxyfunctionalization of tertiary C–H bonds
Authors: Huang Yawen , Li Huanhuan , Zhang Pengpeng , Zhang Yalan , Duan Peigao , Zhang Wuyuan
Published: July 2023

Peroxygenase has been investigated as a highly selective catalyst for hydroxylating tertiary C–H bonds. A variety of products with substituted patterns, including drug molecules, were obtained at mild and simple reaction conditions.
A novel Co(ii)-based MOF with selective fluorescence as a turn-on sensor for biomarker methylmalonic acid
Authors: Luo Rong , Xu Cun-Gang , Yu Hai-Jun , Wu Rui-Xue , Lu Peng , Fan Yu-Hua , Shao Feng
Published: July 2023

A Co(ii)-based MOF exhibits a highly sensitive and selective detection to biomarker methylmalonic acid with a low detection limit and a favorable recycling performance.
Rebaudioside A from Stevia rebaudiana stimulates GLP-1 release by enteroendocrine cells via bitter taste signalling pathways
Authors: Noya-Leal Francisca , van der Wielen Nikkie , Behrens Maik , Rouschop Sven , van Arkel Jeroen , Jongsma Maarten , Witkamp Renger , Mes Jurriaan J. , Bastiaan-Net Shanna , Meijerink Jocelijn
Published: July 2023

Induced GLP-1 secretion by the low-calorie sweetener Rebaudioside A in gut enteroendocrine cells involves the bitter taste signalling pathway, in particular TAS2R4 and TRPM5, and not the sweet taste receptor.
Sulforaphane protects microvascular endothelial cells in lower limb ischemia/reperfusion injury mice
Authors: Chen Fanfeng , Zhan Jiayu , Al Mamun Abdullah , Tao Yibing , Huang Shanshan , Zhao Jiaxin , Zhang Yu , Xu Yitie , Du Shenghu , Lu Wei , Li Xiaokun , Chen Zimiao , Xiao Jian
Published: July 2023

Mechanism by which SFN improving microvascular damage in limbs insulted by I/R injury. SFN activates TFEB via MCOLN1-calcineurin signaling. SFN-induced TFEB activation augments autophagy restoration, anti-oxidant response and anti-apoptosis effect.
Elucidating the nonproductive adsorption mechanism of cellulase with lignin fractions from hydrothermally pretreated poplar using multi-dimensional spectroscopic technologies
Authors: Zhao Xiaoxue , Bian Bin , Huang Caoxing , Lai Chenhuan , Song Junlong , Jin Yongcan , Meng Xianzhi , Ragauskas Arthur , Yong Qiang
Published: July 2023

A multi-dimensional nondestructive spectroscopic technique is proposed to analyze the influence of pretreatment lignin distribution on subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis and build a “lignin structure-cellulase interaction” relationship.
A microphysiological system for studying human bone biology under simultaneous control of oxygen tension and mechanical loading
Authors: Scheinpflug Julia , Höfer Chris Tina , Schmerbeck Sarah S. , Steinfath Matthias , Doka Jennifer , Tesfahunegn Yonatan Afework , Violet Norman , Renko Kostja , Gulich Konrad , John Thilo , Schneider Marlon R. , Wistorf Elisa , Schönfelder Gilbert , Schulze Frank
Published: July 2023

We present a microphysiological system with the unique ability to combine perfusion, regulation of oxygen tension, and mechanical loading to culture bone tissue constructs under physiological conditions.
Integrated multi-omics analyses of microbial communities: a review of the current state and future directions
Authors: Arıkan Muzaffer , Muth Thilo
Published: July 2023

Integrated multi-omics analyses provide an unprecedented opportunity to better understand the structural and functional properties of microbial communities.
Chelate-functionalized magnetic micelles for sequestration of cisplatin
Authors: Du Kang , Liao Pan , Yang Shengsong , von Trentini Dora , Sharma Kushal , Shi Xiaorui , Murray Christopher B. , Li Daqing , Dmochowski Ivan J.
Published: July 2023

Magnetic micelles with surface decorated by S-rich chelates sequester ototoxic cisplatin in aqueous solutions, and the isolation of cisplatin-saturated micelles is steered by external magnets.
Shape-responsive adsorption of an oval macrocycle co-deposited with guest molecules
Authors: Wang Yi , Han Qingqing , Zhang Songyao , Zhang Deling , Miao Xinrui , Cheng Xiaohong , Deng Wenli
Published: July 2023

Shape persistent macrocycles (SPMs) M1 consist of an oval π-conjugated backbone and flexible side chains. The shape of the M1 changed from an oval shape to a roundish shape when triphenylene molecules were immobilized in the cavities.
Modulating the coordination microenvironment of uranyl compounds to enhance photocatalytic CO2 reduction
Authors: Huang Zhi-Wei , An Shu-Wen , Hu Kong-Qiu , Li Xiao-Bo , Bin Zhi-Ni , Zhou Zhi-Heng , Mei Lei , Guo Zhi-Jun , Wu Wang-Suo , Chai Zhi-Fang , Shi Wei-Qun
Published: July 2023

Variation of the coordination microenvironment of actinide metal uranyl affects the photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance of materials.
PVP-coated ultrasmall Nd-doped Gd2O2S nanoparticles for multimodal imaging
Authors: Zou Qilin , Passini Luan , Gibot Laure , Lagarde Delphine , Hu Jie , Zhu Haomiao , Desmoulin Franck , Sicard Pierre , Paiyabhroma Nitchawat , Verelst Marc , Mauricot Robert , Roux Clément
Published: July 2023

Versatile synthesis for all rare earth oxysulfides (RE2O2S) and evaluation of the potential of ultrasmall Gd0.8Nd1.2O2S as a multimodal contrast agent.
pH-dependent structural characteristics of lonidamine: 1H and 13C NMR study
Authors: Gupta Pradeep Kumar , Orlovskiy Stepan , Roman Jeffrey , Pickup Stephen , Nelson David S. , Glickson Jerry D. , Nath Kavindra
Published: July 2023

Lonidamine (LND) is an anti-cancer drug with great potential as a metabolic modulator of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hyperthermia, and photodynamic therapy in cancer treatment.
Recent advances in bio-based polybenzoxazines as an interesting adhesive coating
Authors: Klfout Hafsah A. , Asiri Abdullah M. , Alamry Khalid A. , Hussein Mahmoud A.
Published: July 2023

Polybenzoxazine (PBz) is a fantastic highly intriguing resin for various sophisticated uses. The current advances, properties, and progress in synthesizing bio-based polybenzoxazines and their use in coating applications are highlighted in this study.
In vitro characterization of nonribosomal peptide synthetase-dependent O-(2-hydrazineylideneacetyl)serine synthesis indicates a stepwise oxidation strategy to generate the α-diazo ester moiety of azaserine
Authors: Shikai Yusuke , Kawai Seiji , Katsuyama Yohei , Ohnishi Yasuo
Published: July 2023

Identification of azaserine biosynthetic gene cluster and in vitro reconstitution of O-(2-hydrazineylideneacetyl)serine synthesis showed that the diazo group of azaserine is synthesized by the stepwise oxidation of a hydrazinoacetic acid moiety.
Effect of doping mediated oxygen vacancies on the charge transfer ability of zinc oxide nanosheets for electrochemical glucose sensing
Authors: Baruah Saptaka , Maibam Bidyarani , Jaiswal Jyoti , Kumar Ankit , Kumar Sanjeev
Published: July 2023

We reported on hydrothermally synthesized zinc oxide (ZnO) nanosheets modified by doping with silver (Ag: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5%) to improve their electrochemical properties for glucose sensing with and without an enzyme.
Facile fabrication of stable wettability gradients on elastomeric surfaces for applications in water collection and controlled cell adhesion
Authors: Raj Soorya S. , Mathew Romina Marie , Davis Deljo , Varanakkottu Subramanyan Namboodiri , Srinivasan Asha , T. P. Vinod
Published: July 2023

A simple, robust, and reproducible strategy for the preparation of linear and radial wettability gradients on elastomeric PDMS surface is reported. This strategy makes use of differential thermal curing of the elastomeric surface.
The interplay of membrane fluidity, acyl chain order and area per lipid on the partitioning of two antidepressants paroxetine and sertraline
Authors: Ngo Dat T. N. , Ho Tho H. , Huynh Lam K. , Nguyen Trang T.
Published: July 2023

The interplay between the lipid phase, area per lipid, and acyl chain order dictates differential membrane partitioning of SSRIs.
Car‐following strategy of intelligent connected vehicle using extended disturbance observer adjusted by reinforcement learning
Authors: Yan Ruidong , Li Penghui , Gao Hongbo , Huang Jin , Wang Chengbo
Published: July 2023

Disturbance observer‐based control method has achieved good results in the car‐following scenario of intelligent and connected vehicle (ICV). However, the gain of conventional extended disturbance observer (EDO)‐based control method is usually set manually rather than adjusted adaptively according to real time traffic conditions, thus declining the car‐following performance. To solve this problem, a car‐following strategy of ICV using EDO adjusted by reinforcement learning is proposed. Different from the conventional method, the gain of proposed strategy can be adjusted by reinforcement learning to improve its estimation accuracy. Since the “equivalent disturbance” can be compensated by EDO to a great extent, the disturbance rejection ability of the car‐following method will be improved significantly. Both Lyapunov approach and numerical simulations are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Adaptive state of charge estimation for lithium‐ion batteries using feedback‐based extended Kalman filter
Authors: Monirul Islam Md , Qiu Li , Ruby Rukhsana , Yu Junjie
Published: July 2023

The battery management system (BMS) is a crucial component of electric vehicles (EVs) owing to its sustainable operation. To ensure optimal performance of the BMS, state of charge (SOC) of the equipped battery is required to be effectively and accurately estimated. In this paper, the authors consider high‐order equivalent circuit model (ECM) to capture the dynamic characteristics of lithium‐ion batteries, which are connected in series with internal resistance by 2‐RC networks. The parameters of the RC network are determined by mathematically solving the working conditions of the two states. Moreover, the parameters of the battery can be derived by hybrid pulse power characterization (HPPC) tests. Then, based on the open‐circuit voltage, the proposed feedback‐based extended Kalman filtering (FEKF) algorithm is established. The parameters from the simulation have shown that the highest error is 0.0306 V, the optimal knowledge of which can improve the SOC estimation approach remarkably and can provide a reference value. Afterwards, the non‐linear predicting and corrective techniques are applied to the experiment in the extended calculation process. The original error is reduced by the FEKF algorithm, where the maximum and average errors are 0.0298 and 0.0240 V, respectively. Consequently, the established high‐order ECM utilizing the FEKF algorithm may provide SOC estimation with an error of 1.5% or less, resulting in superb performance from the lithium‐ion battery pack.
CAGAN: Classifier‐augmented generative adversarial networks for weakly‐supervised COVID‐19 lung lesion localisation
Authors: Li Xiaojie , Fei Xin , Yan Zhe , Ren Hongping , Shi Canghong , Zhang Xian , Mumtaz Imran , Luo Yong , Wu Xi
Published: July 2023

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) epidemic has constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Chest computed tomography (CT) can help early reveal abnormalities indicative of lung disease. Thus, accurate and automatic localisation of lung lesions is particularly important to assist physicians in rapid diagnosis of COVID‐19 patients. The authors propose a classifier‐augmented generative adversarial network framework for weakly supervised COVID‐19 lung lesion localisation. It consists of an abnormality map generator, discriminator and classifier. The generator aims to produce the abnormality feature map M to locate lesion regions and then constructs images of the pseudo‐healthy subjects by adding M to the input patient images. Besides constraining the generated images of healthy subjects with real distribution by the discriminator, a pre‐trained classifier is introduced to enhance the generated images of healthy subjects to possess similar feature representations with real healthy people in terms of high‐level semantic features. Moreover, an attention gate is employed in the generator to reduce the noise effect in the irrelevant regions of M. Experimental results on the COVID‐19 CT dataset show that the method is effective in capturing more lesion areas and generating less noise in unrelated areas, and it has significant advantages in terms of quantitative and qualitative results over existing methods.
Modelling and analysis of electromagnetic vibration in long sheet secondary tubular linear induction motors
Authors: Zhang Yichao , Xu Jin , Li Mingke , Yu Anbin , Wu Dingying
Published: July 2023

This paper aims to clarify the behaviour and mechanism of electromagnetic vibration in long sheet secondary tubular linear induction motors (LSS‐TLIMs). Firstly, the spatial and temporal characteristics of electromagnetic force acting in the stator are analysed. Secondly, based on the wave propagation method, an analytical model is established to calculate the vibration response of the stator, which is simplified as a finite cylindrical shell. The accuracy of the proposed model, as well as the rationality of the simplification, are verified by 3D FEM simulation. It is indicated that the electromagnetic vibration response of LSS‐TLIMs mainly depends on the “axial breathing mode” (ABM) and corresponding “modal participation factor”. Moreover, the influences of the spatial distribution of electromagnetic force and the structural dimensions on the vibration are investigated. Finally, the “static vibration test” is performed to validate the above analysis. It is concluded that, compared with a rotary motor, the low‐frequency vibration of LSS‐TLIMs can be easily controlled since the natural frequency of ABMs tends to be much higher than that of the circumferential mode.
Three‐stream RGB‐D salient object detection network based on cross‐level and cross‐modal dual‐attention fusion
Authors: Meng Lingbing , Yuan Mengya , Shi Xuehan , Liu Qingqing , Cheng Fei , Li Lingli
Published: July 2023

The effective integration of RGB and depth map features to improve the performance of RGB‐D salient object detection (SOD) has garnered significant research interest. The existing dual‐stream models can be used for high‐level feature fusion or unidirectionally transferring depth features to RGB features; however, they are unable to fully exploit the differences in modality. Furthermore, owing to the influence of image background information, the generated salient object is affected by background swallow. Herein, a three‐stream RGB‐D SOD method based on cross‐layer and cross‐modal dual‐attention (CMDA) fusion is proposed. In the encoding stage, the CMDA fusion module is used to fuse RGB and depth features layer by layer. Through this module, merged interactive features may be used to extract the richer features of salient objects, realize the commonality and complementarity of fusion features, and achieve effective cross‐modal fusion. In addition, for the decoding stage, a cross‐level feature fusion module that introduces global context features into the up‐sampling process, reduces the impact of salient objects being swallowed by the background, and helps to accurately detect salient areas is proposed. Three different branch features are used for simultaneous end‐to‐end training. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms other methods in terms of multiple evaluation metrics on four datasets. Furthermore, the authors visualize the precision–recall curve, F‐measure curve, and saliency map, which indicate that the detection effect of the proposed method is superior to those of other methods. During the testing stage, our model ran at 14 frames per second (FPS).
Techno‐economic and sensitivity analysis of a hybrid concentrated photovoltaic/thermal system and an organic Rankine cycle to supply energy to sports stadiums
Authors: Zhang Jing , Su Zhanguo , Meng Junyan , Yao Yuzhong , Alayi Reza
Published: July 2023

One of the main disadvantages of optical concentrators is that the temperature of the panel increases too much due to the radiation being concentrated on it. To reduce the temperature of solar panels, cooling technology is used utilizing an operating fluid (usually water). After cooling the system, the temperature of the operating fluid rises and its heat can be used in the cold seasons for heating purposes and in the hot seasons by the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology to generate electricity, and in this way, the overall efficiency of the system can be significantly increased. In the proposed system, first, a part of the concentrated solar radiation in the photovoltaic (PV) panel is converted into electrical energy, and the rest of the energy is in the form of heat, a part of which is emitted to the environment by convection and radiation heat transfer from the system itself, and the rest of the heat is emitted by the operating fluid turns the turbine and generates electricity. The simulation results of this system show that for the investment cost of the Rankine cycle in the amount of 1500–3100$/kW, the investment return time is 3.05–5.34 years.
A novel sparse recovery‐based space‐time adaptive processing algorithm based on gridless sparse Bayesian learning for non‐sidelooking airborne radar
Authors: Cui Weichen , Wang Tong , Wang Degen , Zhang Xinying
Published: July 2023

Non‐sidelooking airborne radar encounters significant non‐stationary and heterogeneous clutter environments, resulting in a severe shortage of samples. Sparse recovery‐based space‐time adaptive processing (SR‐STAP) methods can achieve good clutter suppression performance with limited samples. Nonetheless, grid‐based SR‐STAP algorithms encounter off‐grid effects in non‐sidelooking arrays, which can severely degrade the clutter suppression performance. In this study, the authors propose a novel gridless SR‐STAP method in the continuous spatial‐temporal domain to address the issue of off‐grid effects. Inspired by the fact that sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) framework implicitly performs a structured covariance matrix estimation, the authors reparameterise its cost function to directly estimate the block‐Toeplitz structured matrix from the measurements in a gridless manner. Since the proposed cost function is non‐convex, we utilise a majorisation‐minimisation‐based iterative procedure to estimate the clutter covariance matrix. Finally, using the standard concept of semidefinite programming, the authors derive a convex gridless implementation of the SBL cost function for uniformly sampled radar systems. Extensive simulation experiments demonstrate the exceptional clutter suppression and target detection performance of the proposed algorithm.
The edge-on protoplanetary disk HH 48 NE
Authors: Sturm J. A. , McClure M. K. , Bergner J. B. , Harsono D. , Dartois E. , Drozdovskaya M. N. , Ioppolo S. , Öberg K. I. , Law C. J. , Palumbo M. E. , Pendleton Y. J. , Rocha W. R. M. , Terada H. , Urso R. G.
Published: July 2023

Context. The abundance and distribution of ice in protoplanetary disks is critical for an understanding of the link between the composition of circumstellar matter and the composition of exoplanets. Edge-on protoplanetary disks are a useful tool for constraining this ice composition and its location in the disk because the spectral signatures of the ice can be observed in absorption against the continuum emission that arises from the warmer regions in the central disk.

Aims. The aim of this work is to model ice absorption features in protoplanetary disks and to determine how well the abundance of the main ice species throughout the disk can be determined within the uncertainty of the physical parameter space. The edge-on proto-planetary disk around HH 48 NE, a target of the James Webb Space Telescope Early Release program Ice Age, is used as a reference system.

Methods. We used the full anisotropic scattering capabilities of the radiative transfer code RADMC-3D to ray-trace the mid-infrared continuum. Using a constant parameterized ice abundance, we added ice opacities to the dust opacity in regions in which the disk was cold enough for the main carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen carriers to freeze out.

Results. The global abundance relative to the dust content of the main ice carriers in HH 48 NE can be determined within a factor of 3 when the uncertainty of the physical parameters is taken into account. Ice features in protoplanetary disks can be saturated at an optical depth of ≲1 due to local saturation. Ices are observed at various heights in the disk model, but in this model, spatial information is lost for features at wavelengths >7 µm when observing with James Webb Space Telescope because the angular resolution decreases towards longer wavelengths. Spatially observed ice optical depths cannot be directly related to column densities, as would be the case for direct absorption against a bright continuum source, because of radiative transfer effects. Vertical snowlines will not be a clear transition because the height of the snow surface increases radially, but their location may be constrained from observations using radiative transfer modeling. Radial snowlines are not really accessible. Not only the ice abundance, but also the inclination, the settling, the grain size distribution, and the disk mass have a strong impact on the observed ice absorption features in disks. Relative changes in the ice abundance can only be inferred from observations if the source structure is well constrained.
Neutron star mass–radius constraints using the high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations of GRB 200415A
Authors: Sotani H. , Kokkotas K. D. , Stergioulas N.
Published: July 2023

Context. Quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) observed in a giant flare of a strongly magnetized neutron star (magnetar) carry crucial information for extracting the properties od neutron stars.

Aims. The aim of this study is to constrain the mass and radius of the neutron star model for GRB 200415A by identifying the observed QPOs with crustal torsional oscillations and comparing these with experimental constraints on the nuclear matter properties.

The frequencies of the crustal torsional oscillations are determined by solving the eigenvalue problem with the Cowling approximation, assuming a magnetic field of about 1015 G.

Methods. We find that the observed QPOs can be identified with several overtones of crustal oscillations for carefully selected combinations of the nuclear saturation parameters. Thus, we can inversely constrain the neutron star mass and radius for GRB 200415A by comparing them to the values of nuclear saturation parameters obtained from terrestrial experiments.

Results. We impose further constraints on the neutron star mass and radius while the candidate neutron star models examined here are consistent with the constraints obtained from other available astronomical and experimental observations.
The volatile composition of C/2021 A1 (Leonard): Comparison between infrared and UV-optical measurements
Authors: Lippi M. , Vander Donckt M. , Faggi S. , Moulane Y. , Mumma M. J. , Villanueva G. L. , Jehin E.
Published: July 2023

Aims. We report on the composition of comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) as measured by CRIRES+, the upgraded high resolution infrared echelle spectrometer of VLT/ESO. We compare our results with those obtained in the near-UV-visible using TRAPPIST-South.

Methods. C/2021 A1 (Leonard) was observed with CRIRES+ on December 29, 2021 and January 1–3, 2022, and monitored almost daily using TRAPPIST-South from about mid-December 2021 to the end of January 2022. During the TRAPPIST observations the comet showed (almost) periodic outbursts, with an estimated interval of about 4.4 days. One of these outbursts occurred close in time with our CRIRES+ observations on January 1, allowing us to investigate fresh material released from the nucleus. Both data sets were reduced using established algorithms tailored for each telescope and instrument. The obtained results in the two spectral ranges were searched for correlations and similarities to compare the primary and secondary species in the coma.

Results. The abundance ratios (with respect to water) of CH3OH, C2H6, and CH4 in C/2021 A1, as measured in the infrared with CRIRES+, are lower than the average values measured in other comets, suggesting a depletion in organics for this comet. On the contrary, measurements in the near UV-Visible spectral region obtained close in time with TRAPPIST-South show a C2/CN ratio that falls in the typical range. The different conclusions that can be reached observing the same comet in different spectral ranges (organic depleted vs. organic typical) open a series of questions on the processes occurring in the coma. Their comprehensive interpretation requires deeper investigations in future studies.
The Influence of Land Use Knowledge on Community Understanding of River Basin Ecosystems
Authors: Nefilinda  , Rozana Eka Putri , Muhammad Aliman , Meli Agustin , Yulius Rahmanto
Published: July 2023

The purpose of the study is to produce research on the Effect of Land Use on Community Understanding of the Ecosystem of the watershed. This type of research is quantitative. This research will be equipped with related questionnaires to extract land use data and community understanding related to the watershed in Nagari. Analysis using SPSS Version 24. The respondents were 108 households, namely people living around the watershed. The results of the study were: The effect of land use the knowledge on the understanding of communities related to watershed ecosystems seen from the constant (a) = 16.499 and beta = 0.736, with significance value = 0.000. Then the calculation value is Y =16.499 + 0.736X. For the value of t count = 11.187 compared with t table approximately = 1.975, then Ho is rejected and Ha is accepted meaning significant. Land use knowledge significantly effect on people’s understanding of watershed ecosystems. Significant value = 0.000, compared with 0.05, then sig value 0.000 < 0.05, then Ho is rejected and Ha is accepted means significant. It is proven that land use knowledge has a significant effect on people’s understanding of watershed ecosystems.
Performances of Erosion Control Blanket Made From Palm Fiber On Reducing Erosion In The Slopes Of Lake Limboto Basin
Authors: Jahja Mohamad , Arifin Yayu Indriati , Abdul Gafur Nurfitri , Masulili Febriyanto , Metaraga kusuma Andi Patiware , Sakakibara Masayuki
Published: July 2023

Lake Limboto is one of the key lakes with severe siltation, caused by sediment delivered by river currents. This study aims to reduce the impact of sedimentation by controlling erosion with a palm fiber net with mesh dimensions of 5 cm x 5 cm and a thickness of 5 mm. The Palm fibre installation is installed on slopes with erosion potential; each location has a different slope: location 1 has a slope of 40o, location 2 has a slope of 45°, and location 3 has a slope of 50°. With the findings obtained, palm fiber nets erosion control was shown to be effective in repelling erosion. The first site has an 8:3 ratio, the second location has a 5:2 ratio, and the third place has a 1:0.5 ratio, net performance at each location of 42% location 1, 39% location 2, 41% location 3 and 0% at location 4. Differences in soil structure and slope of the slope generate variations in the data acquired from each location.