bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tlr9 deficiency in B cells leads to obesity by promoting inflammation and gut dysbiosis
Authors: Wang Pai , Yang Xin , Zhang Luyao , Sha Sha , Huang Juan , Peng Jian , Gu Jianlei , Pearson James Alexander , Hu Youjia , Zhao Hongyu , Wong F. Susan , Wang Quan , Wen Li 
Published: May 2024

AbstractToll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) recognizes bacterial, viral and self DNA and play an important role in immunity and inflammation. However, the role of TLR9 in obesity is less well-studied. Here, we generate B-cell-specific Tlr9-deficient (Tlr9fl/fl/Cd19Cre+/-, KO) B6 mice and model obesity using a high-fat diet. Compared with control mice, B-cell-specific-Tlr9-deficient mice exhibited increased fat tissue inflammation, weight gain, and impaired glucose and insulin tolerance. Furthermore, the frequencies of IL-10-producing-B cells and marginal zone B cells were reduced, and those of follicular and germinal center B cells were increased. This was associated with increased frequencies of IFNγ-producing-T cells and increased follicular helper cells. In addition, gut microbiota from the KO mice induced a pro-inflammatory state leading to immunological and metabolic dysregulation when transferred to germ-free mice. Using 16 S rRNA gene sequencing, we identify altered gut microbial communities including reduced Lachnospiraceae, which may play a role in altered metabolism in KO mice. We identify an important network involving Tlr9, Irf4 and Il-10 interconnecting metabolic homeostasis, with the function of B and T cells, and gut microbiota in obesity.
AI-enhanced integration of genetic and medical imaging data for risk assessment of Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Huang Yi-Jia , Chen Chun-houh , Yang Hsin-Chou 
Published: May 2024

AbstractType 2 diabetes (T2D) presents a formidable global health challenge, highlighted by its escalating prevalence, underscoring the critical need for precision health strategies and early detection initiatives. Leveraging artificial intelligence, particularly eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), we devise robust risk assessment models for T2D. Drawing upon comprehensive genetic and medical imaging datasets from 68,911 individuals in the Taiwan Biobank, our models integrate Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS), Multi-image Risk Scores (MRS), and demographic variables, such as age, sex, and T2D family history. Here, we show that our model achieves an Area Under the Receiver Operating Curve (AUC) of 0.94, effectively identifying high-risk T2D subgroups. A streamlined model featuring eight key variables also maintains a high AUC of 0.939. This high accuracy for T2D risk assessment promises to catalyze early detection and preventive strategies. Moreover, we introduce an accessible online risk assessment tool for T2D, facilitating broader applicability and dissemination of our findings.
Evidence for multiferroicity in single-layer CuCrSe2
Authors: Sun Zhenyu , Su Yueqi , Zhi Aomiao , Gao Zhicheng , Han Xu , Wu Kang , Bao Lihong , Huang Yuan , Shi Youguo , Bai Xuedong , Cheng Peng , Chen Lan , Wu Kehui , Tian Xuezeng , Wu Changzheng , Feng Baojie 
Published: May 2024

AbstractMultiferroic materials, which simultaneously exhibit ferroelectricity and magnetism, have attracted substantial attention due to their fascinating physical properties and potential technological applications. With the trends towards device miniaturization, there is an increasing demand for the persistence of multiferroicity in single-layer materials at elevated temperatures. Here, we report high-temperature multiferroicity in single-layer CuCrSe2, which hosts room-temperature ferroelectricity and 120 K ferromagnetism. Notably, the ferromagnetic coupling in single-layer CuCrSe2 is enhanced by the ferroelectricity-induced orbital shift of Cr atoms, which is distinct from both types I and II multiferroicity. These findings are supported by a combination of second-harmonic generation, piezo-response force microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, magnetic, and Hall measurements. Our research provides not only an exemplary platform for delving into intrinsic magnetoelectric interactions at the single-layer limit but also sheds light on potential development of electronic and spintronic devices utilizing two-dimensional multiferroics.
High-performance flexible p-type Ce-filled Fe3CoSb12 skutterudite thin film for medium-to-high-temperature applications
Authors: Li Dou , Shi Xiao-Lei , Zhu Jiaxi , Cao Tianyi , Ma Xiao , Li Meng , Han Zhuokun , Feng Zhenyu , Chen Yixing , Wang Jianyuan , Liu Wei-Di , Zhong Hong , Li Shuangming , Chen Zhi-Gang 
Published: May 2024

AbstractP-type Fe3CoSb12-based skutterudite thin films are successfully fabricated, exhibiting high thermoelectric performance, stability, and flexibility at medium-to-high temperatures, based on preparing custom target materials and employing advanced pulsed laser deposition techniques to address the bonding challenge between the thin films and high-temperature flexible polyimide substrates. Through the optimization of fabrication processing and nominal doping concentration of Ce, the thin films show a power factor of >100 μW m−1 K−2 and a ZT close to 0.6 at 653 K. After >2000 bending cycle tests at a radius of 4 mm, only a 6 % change in resistivity can be observed. Additionally, the assembled p-type Fe3CoSb12-based flexible device exhibits a power density of 135.7 µW cm−2 under a temperature difference of 100 K with the hot side at 623 K. This work fills a gap in the realization of flexible thermoelectric devices in the medium-to-high-temperature range and holds significant practical application value.
Spatial disparities in the mortality burden of the covid-19 pandemic across 569 European regions (2020-2021)
Authors: Bonnet Florian , Grigoriev Pavel , Sauerberg Markus , Alliger Ina , Mühlichen Michael , Camarda Carlo-Giovanni 
Published: May 2024

AbstractSince its emergence in December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant increase in deaths worldwide. This article presents a detailed analysis of the mortality burden of the COVID-19 pandemic across 569 regions in 25 European countries. We produce age and sex-specific excess mortality and present our results using Age-Standardised Years of Life Lost in 2020 and 2021, as well as the cumulative impact over the two pandemic years. Employing a forecasting approach based on CP-splines that considers regional diversity and provides confidence intervals, we find notable losses in 362 regions in 2020 (440 regions in 2021). Conversely, only seven regions experienced gains in 2020 (four regions in 2021). We also estimate that eight regions suffered losses exceeding 20 years of life per 1000 population in 2020, whereas this number increased to 75 regions in 2021. The contiguity of the regions investigated in our study also reveals the changing geographical patterns of the pandemic. While the highest excess mortality values were concentrated in the early COVID-19 outbreak areas during the initial pandemic year, a clear East-West gradient appeared in 2021, with regions of Slovakia, Hungary, and Latvia experiencing the highest losses. This research underscores the importance of regional analyses for a nuanced comprehension of the pandemic’s impact.
Tunable exciton valley-pseudospin orders in moiré superlattices
Authors: Xiong Richen , Brantly Samuel L. , Su Kaixiang , Nie Jacob H. , Zhang Zihan , Banerjee Rounak , Ruddick Hayley , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Tongay Seth Ariel , Xu Cenke , Jin Chenhao 
Published: May 2024

AbstractExcitons in two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors have offered an attractive platform for optoelectronic and valleytronic devices. Further realizations of correlated phases of excitons promise device concepts not possible in the single particle picture. Here we report tunable exciton “spin” orders in WSe2/WS2 moiré superlattices. We find evidence of an in-plane (xy) order of exciton “spin”—here, valley pseudospin—around exciton filling vex = 1, which strongly suppresses the out-of-plane “spin” polarization. Upon increasing vex or applying a small magnetic field of ~10 mT, it transitions into an out-of-plane ferromagnetic (FM-z) spin order that spontaneously enhances the “spin” polarization, i.e., the circular helicity of emission light is higher than the excitation. The phase diagram is qualitatively captured by a spin-1/2 Bose–Hubbard model and is distinct from the fermion case. Our study paves the way for engineering exotic phases of matter from correlated spinor bosons, opening the door to a host of unconventional quantum devices.
The contribution of prosody to machine classification of schizophrenia
Authors: Ben Moshe Tomer , Ziv Ido , Dershowitz Nachum , Bar Kfir 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWe show how acoustic prosodic features, such as pitch and gaps, can be used computationally for detecting symptoms of schizophrenia from a single spoken response. We compare the individual contributions of acoustic and previously-employed text modalities to the algorithmic determination whether the speaker has schizophrenia. Our classification results clearly show that we can extract relevant acoustic features better than those textual ones. We find that, when combined with those acoustic features, textual features improve classification only slightly.
Direct comparison of SARS-CoV-2 variant specific neutralizing antibodies in human and hamster sera
Authors: Rössler Annika , Netzl Antonia , Knabl Ludwig , Wilks Samuel H. , Mühlemann Barbara , Türeli Sina , Mykytyn Anna , von Laer Dorothee , Haagmans Bart L. , Smith Derek J. , Kimpel Janine 
Published: May 2024

AbstractAntigenic characterization of newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants is important to assess their immune escape and judge the need for future vaccine updates. To bridge data obtained from animal sera with human sera, we analyzed neutralizing antibody titers in human and hamster single infection sera in a highly controlled setting using the same authentic virus neutralization assay performed in one laboratory. Using a Bayesian framework, we found that titer fold changes in hamster sera corresponded well to human sera and that hamster sera generally exhibited higher reactivity.
Ecological risk and spatial distribution, sources of heavy metals in typical purple soils, southwest China
Authors: Gong Cang , Quan Licheng , Chen Wenbin , Tian Guanglong , Zhang Wei , Xiao Fei , Zhang Zhixiang 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe identification and quantification of the ecological risks, sources and distribution of heavy metals in purple soils are essential for regional pollution control and management. In this study, geo-accumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF), pollution index (PI), potential ecological risk index (RI), principal component analysis (PCA) model and geographical detector (GD) were combined to evaluate the status, ecological risk, and sources of heavy metals (HMs) in soils from a typical purple soil areas of Sichuan province. The results showed that the average contents of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn in purple soil were 7.77, 0.19, 69.5, 27.9, 0.077, 30.9, 26.5 mg/kg and 76.8 mg/kg, and the Igeo, EF and RI of topsoil Hg and Cd in designated area was the highest, and the average contents of Hg and Cd in topsoil were obviously greater than respective soil background value in Sichuan province and purple soil. The hot spots for the spatial distribution of 8 HMs were mainly focused in the southwest and northeast of the designated area, and there were also significant differences for 8 HMs distribution characteristics in the profile soil. Cu comes from both anthropogenic and natural sources, Zn, Ni and Cr mainly come from natural sources, but As, Pb, Hg and Cd mainly derived from human activities. GD results showed that soil texture (X18), altitude (X4), total nitrogen (TN), clay content (X3), sand content (X2) and silt content (X1) had the greatest explanatory power to 8 HMs spatial differentiation.This study provides a reference for understanding the status and influencing factors of HM pollution in typical purple soil, and lays a theoretical foundation for the environmental treatment of purple soil in China.
Chemical, electrochemical, and quantum investigation into the use of an organophosphorus derivative to inhibit copper corrosion in acidic environments
Authors: Deyab M. A. , AlGhamdi Jwaher M. , Abdeen Marwa M. , Elfattah Marwa Abd , Galhoum Ahmed , El-Shamy Omnia A. A. , El-Sayed Ibrahim E. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIn order to protect the copper against corrosion, a novel corrosion inhibitor known as diphenyl ((2-aminoethyl) amino) (4-methoxyphenyl) methyl) phosphonate (DAMP) was developed. Acid solutions of HCl and H2SO4 were the aggressive solutions employed in this study. Analysis using the FT-IR, 1H-NMR, 31P-NMR, 13C-NMR and BET confirmed that the DAMP was successfully synthesized. The anti-corrosion capabilities of DAMP are evaluated using a combination of chemical, electrochemical and quantum studies. The DAMP has been found to be crucial in preventing the corrosion of copper in both HCl and H2SO4 acid. This was obviously implied by the observation that the corrosion rate of copper in acid solutions decreased when DAMP was added. It is significant to note that 180 ppm produced the highest levels of inhibiting efficiency (96.6% for HCl and 95.2% for H2SO4). The tendency of DAMP to adsorb on the surface of copper through its hetero-atoms (O, N, and P) is the main factor for the anti-corrosion capabilities of DAMP. Results from SEM/EDX tests supported this. The actual adsorption takes place via various active centers, physical and chemical mechanisms that are coordinated with the estimated quantum parameters. Additionally, the adsorption of DAMP adheres to the Langmuir isotherm.
ESG guidance and artificial intelligence support for power systems analytics in the energy industry
Authors: Li Qingjiang , Zou Guilin , Zeng Wenlong , Gao Jie , He Feipeng , Zhang Yujun 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIn order to increase the precision and effectiveness of power system analysis and fault diagnosis, this study aims to assess the power systems in the energy sector while utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and environmental social governance (ESG). First, the ESG framework is presented in this study to fully account for the effects of the power system on the environment, society, and governance. Second, to coordinate the operation of various components and guarantee the balance and security of the power system, the CNN-BiLSTM power load demand forecasting model is built by merging convolutional neural network (CNN) and bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM). Lastly, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used to introduce and optimize the deep belief network (DBN), and a power grid fault diagnostic model is implemented using the PSO technique and DBN. The model’s performance is assessed through experimentation. The outcomes demonstrate how the CNN-BiLSTM algorithm significantly increases forecasting accuracy while overcoming the drawback of just having one dimension of power load data. The values of 0.054, 0.076, and 0.102, respectively, are the root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Effective processing of large-scale nonlinear data is achieved in the area of power grid fault diagnosis, resulting in prediction accuracy of 96.22% and prediction time of only 129.94 s. This is clearly better than other algorithms and increases fault prediction efficiency and accuracy. Consequently, the model presented in this study not only produces impressive results in fault diagnosis and load demand forecasting, but also advances the field of power system analysis in the energy industry and offers a significant amount of support for the sustainable and intelligent growth of the energy industry.
Network-targeted transcranial direct current stimulation of the hypothalamus appetite-control network: a feasibility study
Authors: Ester-Nacke Theresa , Berti Katharina , Veit Ralf , Dannecker Corinna , Salvador Ricardo , Ruffini Giulio , Heni Martin , Birkenfeld Andreas L. , Plewnia Christian , Preissl Hubert , Kullmann Stephanie 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe hypothalamus is the key regulator for energy homeostasis and is functionally connected to striatal and cortical regions vital for the inhibitory control of appetite. Hence, the ability to non-invasively modulate the hypothalamus network could open new ways for the treatment of metabolic diseases. Here, we tested a novel method for network-targeted transcranial direct current stimulation (net-tDCS) to influence the excitability of brain regions involved in the control of appetite. Based on the resting-state functional connectivity map of the hypothalamus, a 12-channel net-tDCS protocol was generated (Neuroelectrics Starstim system), which included anodal, cathodal and sham stimulation. Ten participants with overweight or obesity were enrolled in a sham-controlled, crossover study. During stimulation or sham control, participants completed a stop-signal task to measure inhibitory control. Overall, stimulation was well tolerated. Anodal net-tDCS resulted in faster stop signal reaction time (SSRT) compared to sham (p = 0.039) and cathodal net-tDCS (p = 0.042). Baseline functional connectivity of the target network correlated with SSRT after anodal compared to sham stimulation (p = 0.016). These preliminary data indicate that modulating hypothalamus functional network connectivity via net-tDCS may result in improved inhibitory control. Further studies need to evaluate the effects on eating behavior and metabolism.
Chemogenetic inhibition of the lateral hypothalamus effectively reduces food intake in rats in a translational proof-of-concept study
Authors: Kovács Péter , Kitka Tamás , Bali Zsolt Kristóf , Nagy Lili Veronika , Bodó Angelika , Kovács-Öller Tamás , Péterfi Zalán , Hernádi István 
Published: May 2024

AbstractDespite the therapeutic potential of chemogenetics, the method lacks comprehensive preclinical validation, hindering its progression to human clinical trials. We aimed to validate a robust but simple in vivo efficacy assay in rats which could support chemogenetic drug discovery by providing a quick, simple and reliable animal model. Key methodological parameters such as adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype, actuator drug, dose, and application routes were investigated by measuring the food-intake-reducing effect of chemogenetic inhibition of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) by hM4D(Gi) designer receptor stimulation. Subcutaneous deschloroclozapine in rats transfected with AAV9 resulted in a substantial reduction of food-intake, comparable to the efficacy of exenatide. We estimated that the effect of deschloroclozapine lasts 1–3 h post-administration. AAV5, oral administration of deschloroclozapine, and clozapine-N-oxide were also effective but with slightly less potency. The strongest effect on food-intake occurred within the first 30 min after re-feeding, suggesting this as the optimal experimental endpoint. This study demonstrates that general chemogenetic silencing of the LH can be utilized as an optimal, fast and reliable in vivo experimental model for conducting preclinical proof-of-concept studies in order to validate the in vivo effectiveness of novel chemogenetic treatments. We also hypothesize based on our results that universal LH silencing with existing and human translatable genetic neuroengineering techniques might be a viable strategy to affect food intake and influence obesity.
Monitoring warning criterion of acoustic emission active waveguide system based on loess deformation and failure
Authors: Zhang Ke , Wang Liang , Meng Guoqiang 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe construction of acoustic emission criterion system is crucial for monitoring and providing early warning of geological hazards. In the current soil acoustic emission monitoring methods, the signal generated by soil deformation and failure is weak and experiences high attenuation, resulting in a low level of the monitored signal. One approach to enhance the quality of monitoring data is by utilizing the active waveguide model. However, the current research on the active waveguide model system is not extensive. To address these issues, a set of active waveguide system was designed to improve the data quality of acoustic emission monitoring and early warning. The deformation and failure process of loess monitored by acoustic emission was divided into stages, and the precursor information of acoustic emission for geological disasters in loess areas was comprehensively deconstructed. The data quality advantage of the active waveguide model was verified through comparative experiments of with the passive waveguide model. This study investigates the AE signal characteristics of the active waveguide model. It explores various aspects such as the AE waveform parameter characteristics, the discrimination method for failure mode based on RA–AF value, the AE r-value characteristics, the AE b-value characteristics, and the frequency-amplitude characteristics. The study reveals the evolution law of AE signals in the active waveguide model, including early warning signs and failure morphological characteristics. Furthermore, it constructs a warning criterion for the active waveguide system. The development of this criterion system is of great importance in guiding the monitoring and early warning of geological disasters in loess areas.
Design, synthesis, molecular docking study, and α-glucosidase inhibitory evaluation of novel hydrazide–hydrazone derivatives of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid
Authors: Khan Hammad , Jan Faheem , Shakoor Abdul , Khan Ajmal , AlAsmari Abdullah F. , Alasmari Fawaz , Ullah Saeed , Al-Harrasi Ahmed , Khan Momin , Ali Shaukat 
Published: May 2024

AbstractA series of novel Schiff base derivatives (1–28) of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid were synthesized in a multi-step reaction. All the synthesized Schiff bases were obtained in high yields and their structures were determined by 1HNMR, 13CNMR, and HR-ESI–MS spectroscopy. Except for compounds 22, 26, 27, and 28, all derivatives show excellent to moderate α-glucosidase inhibition. Compounds 5 (IC50 = 12.84 ± 0.52 µM), 4 (IC50 = 13.64 ± 0.58 µM), 12 (IC50 = 15.73 ± 0.71 µM), 13 (IC50 = 16.62 ± 0.47 µM), 15 (IC50 = 17.40 ± 0.74 µM), 3 (IC50 = 18.45 ± 1.21 µM), 7 (IC50 = 19.68 ± 0.82 µM), and 2 (IC50 = 20.35 ± 1.27 µM) shows outstanding inhibition as compared to standard acarbose (IC50 = 873.34 ± 1.67 µM). Furthermore, a docking study was performed to find out the interaction between the enzyme and the most active compounds. With this research work, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid Schiff base derivatives have been introduced as a potential class of α-glucosidase inhibitors that have remained elusive till now.