bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Noncommunicable disease STEPs survey of Ethiopia: challenges and adaptive strategies
Authors: Gonfa Geremew , Gelibo Terefe , Getachew Theodros , Teklie Habtamu , Defar Atkure , Amenu Kassahun , Bekele Alemayehu , Taye Girum , Tadele Tefera , Getinet Misrak , Chala Feyissa , Mudie Kissi , Guta Mulugeta , Feleke Yeweyenharg , Shiferaw Fassil , Tadesse Yewondwossen , Yadeta Dejuma , G/Michael Mussie , Girma Yabetse , Kebede Tedla , Bekele Abebe 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Background
Progress in public health requires focused policy attention informed by reliable evidence; hence survey is essential to guide improvements in health systems and develop new initiatives. However, there is little published evidence that guides health surveyors who have difficulties while conducting surveys in geographically and culturally diversified populations. This paper aims to describe the implementation of Ethiopia's 2015 Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) steps survey and highlight the overall operation of the survey to elucidate best practices and guide surveyors who conduct related studies in other settings.

Methods
Field experiences and notes from debriefing sessions with senior surveyers leading the survey were systematically reviewed and interpreted. The discussion was approached by asking about the survey ‘How operated?’, ‘What went well?’, ‘What did not go well?’, ‘What alternative strategies were devised to solve the challenges?’ and ‘How might this be done differently in the future?’ Considering these questions, we have explored the best field experiences from experienced surveyers, recognizing that it is never too late to learn to replicate best field practices.

Results
The study was the first nationally representative community-based survey for non-communicable diseases. As planned, assessment results were published in national reports and summarized factsheets informing the magnitude of specific risk factors to establish baseline evidence for the planning and monitoring of policies and programs on NCD. The implementation of the survey faced methodological matters, geographic and logistical constraints, field operation challenges, and other technical concerns. No matter the extent of the challenges that arise during fieldwork, creating adaptive strategies on a timely basis will enable us to overcome them.

Conclusions
Though executing the NCD steps survey was hampered by several factors, the assessment was successful in achieving the intended objectives by addressing more than 96% of the expected households in general. Though field challenges are common in surveys, responding timely to fieldwork challenges with locally relevant solutions is essential.
The Ceresa class and tropical curves of hyperelliptic type
Authors: Corey Daniel , Li Wanlin 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
We define a new algebraic invariant of a graph G called the Ceresa–Zharkov class and show that it is trivial if and only if G is of hyperelliptic type, equivalently, G does not have as a minor the complete graph on four vertices or the loop of three loops. After choosing edge lengths, this class specializes to an algebraic invariant of a tropical curve with underlying graph G that is closely related to the Ceresa cycle for an algebraic curve defined over

$\mathbb {C}(\!(t)\!)$

.
RF circuit techniques for transition to 5G advanced
Authors: Balteanu Florinel 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Worldwide adoption of 5G mobile devices has been one of the main driving engines behind semiconductor industry. Since the initial release in 2020, 5G-enabled devices have surpassed the market penetration of 3G/4G smartphones. 5G brings higher data capacity, low latency, and new applications. These are possible due to lower feature nodes such as FinFET 3 nm/5 nm but also due to improvements of the 5G radio frequency (RF)front-end circuitry. This paper presents 5G RF front-end architectures with novel circuits and measurement details which will be part of future 5G advanced and 6G mobile devices and are easier to be controlled using digital circuitry. The paper presents an envelope-controlled power amplifier (PA) principle, along with a novel simplified calibration architecture designed for 5G/5G+ operating under 6 GHz, as well as for frequency range 2 millimeter-wave PAs. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2023 53rd European Microwave Conference and was published in the Proceedings [Balteanu F, Thoomu K, Pingale A, Venimadhavan S, Sarkar S, Choi Y, Modi H, Drogi S, Lee J and Agarwal B (2023) Enabling RF circuit techniques for 5G and beyond In 53rd European Microwave Conference (EuMC), Berlin, Germany, 22–25].
Link Between Geometrical and Physical Property Changes Along Nankai Trough With Slow Earthquake Activity Revealed by Dense Reflection Survey
Authors: Flores Paul Caesar M. , Kodaira Shuichi , Kimura Gaku , Shiraishi Kazuya , Nakamura Yasuyuki , Fujie Gou , No Tetsuo , Kaiho Yuka 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWe examined the possible factors affecting the spatial distribution of very low frequency earthquakes and tremors in the shallow megathrust of Nankai Trough (<30 km) using a dense network of prestack depth migrated profiles at the frontal wedge. Geometrical parameters examined were decollement roughness, taper angle, and underthrust thickness. Physical properties such as effective basal friction (μb) and pore pressure ratio (λ*) were calculated from the taper angle and p‐wave velocity. Regions of low λ* (0.39 ± 0.08) and smooth decollement showed no slow earthquake activity. In contrast, high activity of slow earthquakes was observed in areas with a rough decollement due to the presence of subducted seamounts or bathymetric highs. The low taper angle (3.8°) off Muroto where slow earthquakes also occur translates to a wide zone of low μb (0.21 ± 0.06) and high λ* (0.66 ± 0.06). However, our results also show that slow earthquakes don't always occur in areas with high λ*.
The Multi‐Scale Response of the Eddy Kinetic Energy and Transport to Strengthened Westerlies in an Idealized Antarctic Circumpolar Current
Authors: Liu Ran , Wang Guihua , Balwada Dhruv 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe Southern Ocean's eddy response to changing climate remains unclear, with observations suggesting non‐monotonic changes in eddy kinetic energy (EKE) across scales. Here simulations reappear that smaller‐mesoscale EKE is suppressed while larger‐mesoscale EKE increases with strengthened winds. This change was linked to scale‐wise changes in the kinetic energy cycle, where a sensitive balance between the dominant mesoscale energy sinks—inverse KE cascade, and source—baroclinic energization. Such balance induced a strong (weak) mesoscale suppression in the flat (ridge) channel. Mechanistically, this mesoscale suppression is attributed to stronger zonal jets weakening smaller mesoscale eddies and promoting larger‐scale waves. These EKE multiscale changes lead to multiscale changes in meridional and vertical eddy transport, which can be parameterized using a scale‐dependent diffusivity linked to the EKE spectrum. This multiscale eddy response may have significant implications for understanding and modeling the Southern Ocean eddy activity and transport under a changing climate.
Atlantic Warming Enhances the Influence of Atlantic Niño on ENSO
Authors: Wang Ran , He Jiaying , Luo Jing‐Jia , Chen Lin 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe influence of Atlantic Niño on the following El Niño–Southern Oscillation becomes significant since mid‐1970s. However, exact mechanisms for this inter‐decadal change are still unclear. Here, we perform a set of model pacemaker experiments to probe the relative contributions of the changes in the Atlantic Niño itself and the mean‐state under global warming. The results suggest that the warmer background of the tropical Atlantic plays an essential role in enhancing local mean precipitation, inducing stronger divergence and low‐level easterlies in the Pacific. Under a favorable condition in the Pacific, even a weak Atlantic Niño‐related warming could promote the development of La Niña through cross‐basin Walker circulation and the Indian Ocean‐relayed Kelvin wave response. In contrast, the Atlantic Niño pattern change itself induces feeble convection anomalies in the western Atlantic, which cannot induce significant atmospheric response in the Pacific. These results imply an important modulation of global warming on the inter‐basin connection.
Robust Estimates of Spatiotemporal Variations in the Auroral Boundaries Derived From Global UV Imaging
Authors: Ohma A. , Laundal K. M. , Madelaire M. , Hatch S. M. , Gasparini S. , Reistad J. P. , Walker S. J. , Decotte M. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe aurora often appears as an approximately oval shape surrounding the magnetic poles, and is a visible manifestation of the intricate coupling between the Earth's upper atmosphere and the near‐Earth space environment. While the average size of the auroral oval increases with geomagnetic activity, the instantaneous shape and size of the aurora is highly dynamic. The identification of auroral boundaries holds significant value in space physics, as it serves to define and differentiate regions within the magnetosphere connected to the aurora by magnetic field lines. In this work, we demonstrate a new method to estimate the spatiotemporal variations of the poleward and equatorward boundaries in global UV images. We apply our method, which is robust against outliers and occasional bad data, to 2.5 years of UV imagery from the Imager for Magnetopause‐to‐Aurora Global Exploration satellite. The resulting data set is compared to recently published boundaries based on the same images (Chisham et al., 2022,https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JA030622), and shown to give consistent results on average. Our data set reveals a root mean square boundary normal velocity of 149 m/s for the poleward boundary and 96 m/s for the equatorward boundary and the velocities are shown to be stronger on the nightside than on the dayside. Interestingly, our findings demonstrate an absence of correlation between the amount of open magnetic flux and the amount of flux enclosed within the auroral oval.
The Role of the Curved Southern Asian Margin Between the Tarim and Tajik Cratons During the Evolution of the Pamir, Insights From Sandbox Modeling
Authors: Yang Shuang , Jia Dong , Chen Hanlin , Sun Chuang , Yin Hongwei , Fan Xiaogen , Zhang Yong , Lin Xiubin , Chen Zhuxin , Shen Li , Cui Jian , Liu Jun , Ge Jiacheng 
Published: April 2024

AbstractEnhanced knowledge of the Pamir salient formation can contribute to comprehending the tectonic evolution of Himalaya‐Tibetan orogen. However, whether the Pamir salient formed along a linear or a curved southern Asian margin between the Tarim and Tajik cratons remains controversial. Likewise, the role of the two craton blocks during the evolution of the Pamir salient is unclear. Here we present three sandbox experiments exploring the effect of the geometry of the southern Asian margin, as well as the presence of Tarim and Tajik cratons. The results show that the highly curved shape of the Pamir salient, transpressional faults in its wings and strike‐slip faults within its interior only form along a curved southern Asian margin. A westward‐deflecting arcuate thrust wedge formed along the asymmetric curved southern Asian margin. Together with the Tarim craton and the Tajik craton, this wedge facilitated the westward transfer of materials in the Pamir, and resulted in the westward deflection of the velocity field in Pamir and the formation of the Tajik fold‐thrust belt. The oblique slip of arcuate thrust wedge along the western edge of the Tarim craton generated the Kongur extensional system. Moreover, the Tarim and Tajik cratons concentrated deformation mainly along the non‐cratonic continental margin and promoted the formation of transpressional faults surrounding the Pamir and the strike‐slip faults within the Pamir.
A novel engineered IL-21 receptor arms T-cell receptor-engineered T cells (TCR-T cells) against hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zhu Wei , Zhang Zhiming , Chen Jinzhang , Chen Xiaolan , Huang Lei , Zhang Xiaoyong , Huang Xuan , Ma Na , Xu Weikang , Yi Xuan , Lu Xinyu , Fu Xin , Li Siwei , Mo Guoheng , Wang Yiyue , Yuan Guosheng , Zang Mengya , Li Qi , Jiang Xiaotao , He Yajing , Wu Sha , He Yukai , Li Yongyin , Hou Jinlin 
Published: April 2024

AbstractStrategies to improve T cell therapy efficacy in solid tumors such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are urgently needed. The common cytokine receptor γ chain (γc) family cytokines such as IL-2, IL-7, IL-15 and IL-21 play fundamental roles in T cell development, differentiation and effector phases. This study aims to determine the combination effects of IL-21 in T cell therapy against HCC and investigate optimized strategies to utilize the effect of IL-21 signal in T cell therapy. The antitumor function of AFP-specific T cell receptor-engineered T cells (TCR-T) was augmented by exogenous IL-21 in vitro and in vivo. IL-21 enhanced proliferation capacity, promoted memory differentiation, downregulated PD-1 expression and alleviated apoptosis in TCR-T after activation. A novel engineered IL-21 receptor was established, and TCR-T armed with the novel engineered IL-21 receptors (IL-21R-TCR-T) showed upregulated phosphorylated STAT3 expression without exogenous IL-21 ligand. IL-21R-TCR-T showed better proliferation upon activation and superior antitumor function in vitro and in vivo. IL-21R-TCR-T exhibited a less differentiated, exhausted and apoptotic phenotype than conventional TCR-T upon repetitive tumor antigen stimulation. The novel IL-21 receptor in our study programs powerful TCR-T and can avoid side effects induced by IL-21 systemic utilization. The novel IL-21 receptor creates new opportunities for next-generation TCR-T against HCC.
Navigating therapeutic strategies: HPV classification in head and neck cancer
Authors: Tabatabaeian Hossein , Bai Yuchen , Huang Ruihong , Chaurasia Akhilanand , Darido Charbel 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe World Health Organisation recognised human papillomavirus (HPV) as the cause of multiple cancers, including head and neck cancers. HPV is a double-stranded DNA virus, and its viral gene expression can be controlled after infection by cellular and viral promoters. In cancer cells, the HPV genome is detected as either integrated into the host genome, episomal (extrachromosomal), or a mixture of integrated and episomal. Viral integration requires the breakage of both viral and host DNA, and the integration rate correlates with the level of DNA damage. Interestingly, patients with HPV-positive head and neck cancers generally have a good prognosis except for a group of patients with fully integrated HPV who show worst clinical outcomes. Those patients present with lowered expression of viral genes and limited infiltration of cytotoxic T cells. An impediment to effective therapy applications in the clinic is the sole testing for HPV positivity without considering the HPV integration status. This review will discuss HPV integration as a potential determinant of response to therapies in head and neck cancers and highlight to the field a novel therapeutic avenue that would reduce the cancer burden and improve patient survival.
Zebrafish polg2 knock-out recapitulates human POLG-disorders; implications for drug treatment
Authors: Brañas Casas Raquel , Zuppardo Alessandro , Risato Giovanni , Dinarello Alberto , Celeghin Rudy , Fontana Camilla , Grelloni Eleonora , Gilea Alexandru Ionut , Viscomi Carlo , Rasola Andrea , Dalla Valle Luisa , Lodi Tiziana , Baruffini Enrico , Facchinello Nicola , Argenton Francesco , Tiso Natascia 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe human mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma is a holoenzyme, involved in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication and maintenance, composed of a catalytic subunit (POLG) and a dimeric accessory subunit (POLG2) conferring processivity. Mutations in POLG or POLG2 cause POLG-related diseases in humans, leading to a subset of Mendelian-inherited mitochondrial disorders characterized by mtDNA depletion (MDD) or accumulation of multiple deletions, presenting multi-organ defects and often leading to premature death at a young age. Considering the paucity of POLG2 models, we have generated a stable zebrafish polg2 mutant line (polg2ia304) by CRISPR/Cas9 technology, carrying a 10-nucleotide deletion with frameshift mutation and premature stop codon. Zebrafish polg2 homozygous mutants present slower development and decreased viability compared to wild type siblings, dying before the juvenile stage. Mutants display a set of POLG-related phenotypes comparable to the symptoms of human patients affected by POLG-related diseases, including remarkable MDD, altered mitochondrial network and dynamics, and reduced mitochondrial respiration. Histological analyses detected morphological alterations in high-energy demanding tissues, along with a significant disorganization of skeletal muscle fibres. Consistent with the last finding, locomotor assays highlighted a decreased larval motility. Of note, treatment with the Clofilium tosylate drug, previously shown to be effective in POLG models, could partially rescue MDD in Polg2 mutant animals. Altogether, our results point at zebrafish as an effective model to study the etiopathology of human POLG-related disorders linked to POLG2, and a suitable platform to screen the efficacy of POLG-directed drugs in POLG2-associated forms.
Electronic inhomogeneity and phase fluctuation in one-unit-cell FeSe films
Authors: Zhao Dapeng , Cui Wenqiang , Liu Yaowu , Gong Guanming , Zhang Liguo , Jia Guihao , Zang Yunyi , Hu Xiaopeng , Zhang Ding , Wang Yilin , Li Wei , Ji Shuaihua , Wang Lili , He Ke , Ma Xucun , Xue Qi-Kun 
Published: April 2024

AbstractOne-unit-cell FeSe films on SrTiO3 substrates are of great interest owing to significantly enlarged pairing gaps characterized by two coherence peaks at ±10 meV and ±20 meV. In-situ transport measurement is desired to reveal novel properties. Here, we performed in-situ microscale electrical transport and combined scanning tunneling microscopy measurements on continuous one-unit-cell FeSe films with twin boundaries. We observed two spatially coexisting superconducting phases in domains and on boundaries, characterized by distinct superconducting gaps ($${\Delta }_{1}$$

Δ

1

~15 meV vs. $${\Delta }_{2}$$

Δ

2

~10 meV) and pairing temperatures (Tp1~52.0 K vs. Tp2~37.3 K), and correspondingly two-step nonlinear $$V \sim {I}^{\alpha }$$
V
~

I

α

behavior but a concurrent Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless (BKT)-like transition occurring at $${T}_{{{{{{\rm{BKT}}}}}}}$$

T

BKT

~28.7 K. Moreover, the onset transition temperature $${T}_{{{{{{\rm{c}}}}}}}^{{{{{{\rm{onset}}}}}}}$$

T

c

onset

~54 K and zero-resistivity temperature $${T}_{{{{{{\rm{c}}}}}}}^{{{{{{\rm{zero}}}}}}}$$

T

c

zero

~31 K are consistent with Tp1 and $${T}_{{{{{{\rm{BKT}}}}}}}$$

T

BKT

, respectively. Our results indicate the broadened superconducting transition in FeSe/SrTiO3 is related to intrinsic electronic inhomogeneity due to distinct two-gap features and phase fluctuations of two-dimensional superconductivity.
Investigation of damping coefficients for elastic collision particles utilizing the acoustic frequency sampling method
Authors: Shi Xinlin , Zhong Wenzhen , Zhao Qingxin , Li Runzi , Sun Dengchao 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe damping coefficient serves to quantify the energy dissipation in particle collisions and constitutes a crucial parameter in discrete element simulations. Nevertheless, the factors influencing the damping coefficient remain unclear, and the damping coefficients of the majority of materials have not been precisely determined. In this investigation, the damping coefficients of eight representative particles were studied using the acoustic frequency sampling method, and the correlations between these coefficients and collision velocity, material density, and elastic modulus were analyzed. The findings indicate that damping coefficients exhibit insensitivity to velocity in strongly elastic and moderately elastic material particles. Conversely, for weakly elastic material particles, damping coefficients demonstrate an increase with rising velocity. The damping coefficient of metallic particles exhibits a linear relationship with material density and elastic modulus.
TMAO enhances TNF-α mediated fibrosis and release of inflammatory mediators from renal fibroblasts
Authors: Stefania Kapetanaki , Ashok Kumawat Kumar , Geena Paramel Varghese , Katarina Persson , Isak Demirel 
Published: April 2024

AbstractTrimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is a gut microbiota-derived metabolite and TNF-α is proinflammatory cytokine, both known to be associated with renal inflammation, fibrosis and chronic kidney disease. However, today there are no data showing the combined effect of TMAO and TNF-α on renal fibrosis-and inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether TMAO can enhance the inflammatory and fibrotic effects of TNF-α on renal fibroblasts. We found that the combination of TNF-α and TMAO synergistically increased fibronectin release and total collagen production from renal fibroblasts. The combination of TMAO and TNF-α also promoted increased cell proliferation. Both renal proliferation and collagen production were mediated through Akt/mTOR/ERK signaling. We also found that TMAO enhanced TNF-α mediated renal inflammation by inducing the release of several cytokines (IL-6, LAP TGF-beta-1), chemokines (CXCL-6, MCP-3), inflammatory-and growth mediators (VEGFA, CD40, HGF) from renal fibroblasts. In conclusion, we showed that TMAO can enhance TNF-α mediated renal fibrosis and release of inflammatory mediators from renal fibroblasts in vitro. Our results can promote further research evaluating the combined effect of TMAO and inflammatory mediators on the development of kidney disease.
Furosemide drug as a corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel in 1.0 M hydrochloric acid
Authors: Abd El Maksoud Samir , Fouda Abd El Aziz , Badawy Haby 
Published: April 2024

AbstractFurosemide (4-chloro-2-furan-2-ylmethylamino-5-sulfamoylbenzoic acid) was examined as an inhibitor for the corrosion of carbon steel (CS) in 1.0 M HCl. The investigation included mass loss (ML) and electrochemical techniques: potentiodynamic polarization (PP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and electrochemical frequency modulation (EFM). The efficiency of inhibition rises with increasing Furosemide concentration and temperature. This compound follows the Temkin isotherm with good fit. The presence of varying quantities influences both anodic metal dissolution and cathodic hydrogen evolution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to detect the effect of the compound on the CS surface. The molecular inhibitory effect of Furosemide was demonstrated using quantum chemical calculations, and the molecular simulation results demonstrated the adsorption on the carbon steel surface.