bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lifetime trauma, mental health, alcohol and help-seeking; the phenomenological experience of veterans residing in Northern Ireland
Authors: Hitch Catherine , Toner Paul , Champion Hannah , Armour Cherie 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background
Veteran residents in Northern Ireland (NI) are an under-researched population. Little is known of their experiences of trauma and mental health management. The overall mental health of veterans living in NI may be poorer than other veteran populations, due to the challenges presented by the unique landscape. Understanding their experiences is crucial for providing appropriate, targeted support.
Method
Six male veterans, who had received a mental health diagnosis, living in NI and all aged > 40 years agreed to partake. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to explore their experiences. Semi-structured interviews, using open-ended questions, were conducted over the telephone.
Results
Two experiential themes were identified each containing three experiential statements. Statements for ‘an extreme lack of’ included: lack of mental health literacy/awareness; lack of expectations of official support; lack of a sense of perceived appreciation. Statements for ‘an extreme abundance of’ included: exacerbated exposure to a range of extreme environments; high levels of ruled-based living; high levels of engaging with informal/local level support.
Conclusions
Several experiential statements aligned with existing literature, including having poor mental health literacy and problem recognition, and heavily utilising social support versus formal help-seeking. Some novel findings were elicited, including bouncing between extreme positive and negative environments (e.g., rapidly between conflict trauma and extreme sports or partying). This could be as detrimental to mental health as experiencing conflict trauma. Heavy alcohol use was just another rule soldiers followed, with veterans reflecting alcohol autonomy only presented itself post-military. Positive help-seeking experiences failed to improve poor opinions of support organisations. Finally, poor self-perceptions connected to military status are pertinent in NI, which fuels self-marginalisation and distrust. Veterans living in NI likely have elevated levels of lifetime trauma exposure, due to their affiliation with the Troubles, other military-related traumas and general lifetime traumas. Moreover, NI veterans often demonstrate a reluctance to help-seek due to security concerns, resulting in potentially poorer mental health outcomes. Understanding how NI veterans interpret their experiences is key to providing adequate healthcare. Novel findings would benefit from further exploration.
A questionnaire-based survey of COVID-19 transmission in dental practice during the pandemic:comparison between the 1st-5th and the 6th-8th surges in Japan
Authors: Sakai Hironori , Kondo Eiji , Tanaka Hirokazu , Shibata Akinobu , Nakatani Shizuka , Kurita Hiroshi 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background: Previously, we conducted a questionnaire survey on infection control measures and infection status among practicing dentists in Nagano prefecture, Japan, between February 2020 and September 2021 (1-5th surge of COVID-19 cases in Japan) and found that the risk of COVID-19 infection spreading through dental care was very low. However, it was noted that the low number of infected patients during the survey period may have been a contributing factor. Subsequently, an explosive increase in the number of infected patients was observed, raising the possibility of nosocomial infections in dental treatment settings. Therefore, in this study, we reexamined the infection situation in dental care settings at the time of infection spread and compared the results with those of previous reports.
Materials and methods
An online questionnaire-based survey on clinical activities, infection control measures, and confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases among patients and clinical staff were conducted between February 2022 to March 2023 (6-8th surge).
Results
The number of COVID-19 positive patients increased approximately 50-fold between the study periods. There was a 3.5-fold increase in the rate of treatment for infected patients. Even with the increased likelihood of contact with COVID-19 patients, no cases of infection during dental treatment were observed.
Conclusions
The results of this study indicate that even with the possibility of contact with COVID-19 during dental treatment, the likelihood of COVID-19 clusters occurring in dental practices is low if appropriate infection prevention measures are in place.
A Crystallographic Study Unveils a Novel Magnesium Transporting Rhodopsin
Authors: Yang Chii-Shen , Ko Ling-Ning , Lim Guo Zhen , Ko Ta , Li Guan-Yi , Chen Jui-Chien 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

The functionally unknown Middle rhodopsin (HwMR) is microbial rhodopsin (mRho) identified in Haloquadratum walsbyi, a microbe that thrives in 2 M MgCl2 environment harmed to most microorganisms. HwMR shares conserved and functionally critical residues with both bacteriorhodopsin (BR), a proton pump, and sensory rhodopsin (SR) that function in phototaxis, even though HwMR exerts neither function. We previously reported that it uniquely associates with Mg2+. Here, we showed that HwMR was an inward magnesium regulator, evidenced by solving the atomic structures of wild-type and D84N mutant and a cell-based light-driven conductivity assay. HwMR can sense environmental Mg2+ concentration via the D84 residue according to maximum absorbance (Abs-max) and photocycle kinetics results. Furthermore, two main Mg2+ binding sites were identified in HwMR wild-type structure but not in D84N mutant. Structural analysis demonstrated that D84N induced changes in the BC-loop on the extracellular side, causing a lower hydrophobicity and disturbing resistance against external solvents. D84N also altered the local environment in solvent-excluded areas and Coulombic electrostatic potentials around the Mg2+ binding sites. On the cytoplasmic side, T216 was found to stabilize Mg2+ directly, a phenomenon also supported by optical properties experiments. Finally, a sequential model was proposed to illustrate Mg2+ transportation in HwMR.
Predictive Value of IL-8 for Mortality Risk in elderly sepsis Patients of Emergency Department
Authors: Zhang Xiangqun , Wei Bing , Zhang Ying , Li Yixuan , Long Yang , Wang Junyu , Guo Shubin 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Objectives
The present study aimed to explore the mortality risk of interleukin-8 (IL-8) among elderly patients diagnosed with sepsis upon admission to the emergency department.
Methods
A total of 273 elderly patients with sepsis were admitted to the emergency department of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital from January 2022 to April 2023. In total, 220 patients were included in the present study. Serum samples were obtained within 1 hour of admission to assess serum IL-8, white blood cell (WBC), procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and lactic acid (LAC) levels, along with other relevant parameters. The Sequential Organ Failure Score (SOFA) and Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Assessment II (APACHE II) were recorded. Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify independent predictors of mortality within 28 days for elderly patients diagnosed with sepsis. Further, the capacity of these factors to predict 28-day mortality within this patient cohort was evaluated using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.
Results
The levels of lactic acid (LAC), interleukin-8 (IL-8), procalcitonin (PCT), as well as the severity scores of APACHE II and SOFA, and the albumin (ALB) score, demonstrated notable and statistically significant distinctions between the non-survivor and survivor cohorts (P < 0.05). Through logistic regression analysis, it was determined that the SOFA score, APACHE II score, LAC, and IL-8 were all significant independent predictors for 28-day mortality in elderly sepsis patients (P < 0.05). The AUC of the ROC curve for IL-8 was calculated to be 0.701, indicating a moderately predictive performance. Sensitivity and specificity were reported as 74.5% and 63.4%, respectively, with a cut-off value of 14.497. In comparison, the AUC for LAC was marginally higher at 0.708, accompanied by a sensitivity of 76.5% and a specificity of 56.3%, with a corresponding cut-off value of 1.15. Further, the AUC for APACHE II was 0.761, indicating good predictive performance. The sensitivity and specificity for APACHE II were found to be 55.0% and 91.5%, with a cut-off value of 21.5. Nevertheless, the results of the statistical analysis reveal no significant difference in the predictive value between IL-8 and LAC (Z = 0.134, P = 0.894). However, IL-8 demonstrated a slightly higher specificity (63.4%) compared to LAC (56.3%). Moreover, the present findings indicate that the combined assessment of IL-8 and SOFA score (AUC 0.862, sensitivity 71.1%, specificity 93.0%; Z = 3.454, P = 0.005) demonstrated superior predictive value for mortality compared to using IL-8 alone.
Conclusions
IL-8 LAC, APACHE II, and SOFA can be considered independent predictors factors for mortality of elderly sepsis patients. Utilizing the combination of IL-8 and SOFA demonstrates a heightened predictive capability compared to using any single index alone.
Research on coal and gas outburst prediction and sensitivity analysis of influencing factors based on PCA-ICA-BP
Authors: Jia Jinzhang , Xing Yinghuan 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

There is a complex nonlinear mapping relationship between the phenomenon of coal and gas outburst and various influencing factors. In order to achieve accurate prediction of the danger of coal and gas outburst, traditional biomimetic algorithms have the disadvantage of easily falling into local optima and the problem of multiple correlations between the influencing factors of coal and gas outburst, This article constructs and uses Matlab to write an Imperial Competition Optimization BP Neural Network (PCA-ICA-BP) algorithm based on principal component analysis to predict the risk of coal and gas outburst. The results showed that after principal component analysis, five principal components were obtained, with a cumulative contribution rate of 89.397%; The average relative errors of PCA-ICA-BP, PCA-BP, ICA-BP, BP, PSO-BP, and GA-BP prediction models are 1.37%, 2.98%, 3.27%, 15%, 7.58%, and 8.65%, respectively. The convergence speed of PCA-ICA-BP model is 4.38 times that of BP model, and the convergence accuracy has been improved by 90.8%. The Sobol index method was used to explore the sensitivity of relevant influencing factors to coal and gas outburst. The sensitivity indicators of coal and gas outburst were sorted based on the main effect and total effect indices. The influencing factors related to gas geology have high sensitivity, and the mine is a gas dominated outburst mine. Sensitivity analysis can provide reference for the deployment of coal and gas outburst sensors in coal mines.
Determination of ammonium and nitrate in soils by digital colorimetry
Authors: Garmay A. V. , Oskolok K. V. , Monogarova O. V. , Demidov M. I. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

A method of digital colorimetric determination of ammonium and nitrate in soils is proposed. The method is based on corresponding photometric techniques of ammonium and nitrate determination after potassium chloride extraction from soils samples. Ammonium is determined as an indophenol dye, and nitrate is determined as an azo dye. The original techniques were modified to overcome the lower sensitivity of the digital colorimetric method. For ammonium determination, the time required for the reaction to proceed completely was studied. Along with the use of a 96-well microplate protected from ambient light by a special frame, mathematical correction of scattered radiation using black ink and taking the images by a scanner in transmission mode without any post-processing, the resulting colorimetric techniques proved to provide accuracy and sensitivity close to those of the spectrophotometric techniques, and the overall analysis speed for tens of samples was even higher. The techniques’ validity was proven by the analysis of standard samples and by the analysis of soil samples collected in several districts of the Moscow region.
The Features Analysis of Hemoglobin Expression on Visual Information Transmission Pathway in Early Stage of Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Li Xuehui , Tang Pan , Pang Xinping , Song Xianghu , Xiong Jing , Yu Lei , Liu Hui , Pang Chaoyang 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized primarily by cognitive impairment. The motivation of this paper is to explore the features of the visual information transmission pathway (V-H pathway) when AD occurs. The following features were observed: 1. Hemoglobin expression on the brain regions of the V-H pathway becomes dysregulated as AD occurs. 2. V-H pathway becomes more dysfunctional. According to the features, the following conclusion was proposed: As neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) increase, more and more abnormal tau proteins penetrate the bloodstream and arrive at the brain regions of the V-H pathway. The hemoglobin molecules have a higher risk of attacking by abnormal tau proteins or other toxic substances. Under the attack of toxic substances, hemoglobin expression becomes more dysregulated, and the V-H pathway becomes dysfunctional. This dysfunction has an impact on early symptoms of AD, such as spatial recognition disorder and face recognition disorder.
A design strategy for high-performance p-type two-dimensional field effect transistors
Authors: Das Saptarshi , Das Mayukh , Sen Dipanjan , Sakib Najam U , Ravichandran Harikrishnan , Sun Yongwen , Zhang Zhiyu , Ghosh Subir , Venkatram Pranavram , Radhakrishnan Shiva Subbulakshmi , Sredensc Alexander , Yu Zhuohang , Sarkar Kalyan , Sadaf Muhtasim Ul Karim , Meganathan Kalaiarasan , Pannone Andrew , Han Ying , Somvanshi Divya , Sofer Zdenek , Terrones Mauricio , Yang Yang 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Doping plays a critical role in tailoring the characteristics of semiconducting materials and electronic devices. Specifically, in the context of field-effect transistors (FETs), degenerate doping in the silicon channel beneath the source and drain regions has become essential for achieving high-performance n- and p-type devices, as well as significantly reducing contact resistance (R_C). In contrast, two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors have mainly relied on metal work-function engineering to lower R_C. While this approach has proven successful for n-type 2D FETs due to the natural tendency of the metal Fermi level to align near the conduction band edge, it has been challenging to achieve the same for p-type 2D FETs. To address this, first, we demonstrate that degenerate p-type doping can be accomplished in thick (>3 monolayers) MoSe2 and WSe2 FETs through substitutional doping of transition metal with V, Nb, and Ta. However, the degenerate doping leads to weakened electrostatic gate control, resulting in a poor on/off current ratio. Interestingly, the doping effectiveness is significantly reduced in thinner flakes (< 3 monolayers) due to strong quantum confinement effects, thereby restoring the electrostatic gate control. Based on this observation, we designed a FET structure where the channel is constructed using thinner 2D material, while the contact regions consist of degenerately doped thicker layers, allowing us to achieve both low R_C and high on/off current ratio. The doping and device design approach we propose should be just as relevant for synthetic 2D materials and n-type 2D FETs. Our insights may steer the direction of large-scale synthesis methods, prioritizing the creation of doped multilayers over monolayers to further progress in 2D FET technology.
Microenvironment Regulation Breaks the Trade-Off between the Faradaic Efficiency and the Current Density for Electrocatalytic Deuteration Using D2O
Authors: Zhang Bin , He Meng , Li Rui , Cheng Chuanqi , Liu Cuibo 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

The high Faradaic efficiency (FE) of the deuteration of organics with D2O at large current densities is significant for developing a feasible and promising room-temperature deuteration strategy. However, the FE and current density are the two ends of a seesaw because of the severe D2 evolution side reaction at nearly industrial current densities (− 100 mA cm− 2). Herein, we report a combined scenario of a nanotip-enhanced electric field and surfactant-modified interface microenvironment to enable electrocatalytic deuteration of arylacetonitrile in D2O with an 80% FE at − 100 mA cm− 2, which are both the best records for electrocatalytic deuteration. The increased reactant concentration with low activation energy due to the large electric field along the tips and the accelerated reactant transfer and suppressed D2 evolution by the surfactant-created deuterophobic microenvironment contribute to breaking the trade-off between high FE and current density. Furthermore, the application of our strategy in other deuteration reactions with improved FE at − 100 mA cm− 2 rationalizes the design concept.
Molecular mechanism of parental H3/H4 recycling at a replication fork
Authors: Terakawa Tsuyoshi , Nagae Fritz , Murayama Yasuto 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

In eukaryotic chromatin replication, faithful recycling of histones from parental DNA to replicated leading and lagging strands is essential for maintaining epigenetic information across generations. A recent experimental study has revealed that disrupting interactions between the N-terminal disordered tail of Mcm2, a subunit in DNA replication machinery, and a histone H3/H4 tetramer, a carrier of epigenetic modifications, perturbs their faithful recycling. However, the molecular pathways via which the H3/H4 tetramer attached to Mcm2 is recycled to the replicated strands have yet to be deciphered. Furthermore, the factors that regulate the ratio recycled to each strand and the destination location still need to be discovered. The elucidation requires visualization of a structural trajectory from H3/H4 bound to Mcm2 until recycled to the replicated strands. In this study, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of yeast DNA replication machinery (Mcm2-7, Cdc45, GINS, Pol ε, and RPA), an H3/H4 tetramer, and replicated DNA strands. The simulations demonstrated that histones are recycled via Cdc45-mediated and unmediated pathways even without histone chaperones, as our in vitro biochemical assays supported. Also, RPA binding to the ssDNA portion of the lagging strand regulated the ratio recycled to each strand, whereas DNA bending by Pol ε modulated the destination location. Together, the simulations in this study provided testable hypotheses, which are vital for clarifying intracellular histone recycling controlled by the cooperation of many histone chaperones.
Antitumor activity and selectivity of a unique nanostructured polyoxoniobate
Authors: Oliveira Luiz C. A. , Chagas Poliane , Heitmann Ana Pacheli , Gabriel José B. , Belchior Jadson C. , Souza Leonardo A. , Ferreira Tiago H. , Miranda Sued E. M. , Barros André L. B. , Pereira Cynthia L. M. , Bezzon Vinícius D. N. , Ferreira Fábio F. , Oliveira Cinthia C. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

In vitro and in vivo experiments were carried out to evaluate the activity and antitumor selectivity of new niobium oligomers. A polyoxoniobate (PONb) and its chemical structure linked to the methylene blue dye (PONb-MB) showed promising results for some types of tumor cells. Molecular structures were determined for PONb and PONb-MB based on spectroscopic analyses with density functional theory calculations. Both caused a significant cell viability reduction in tumor cells (HeLa) with high effectiveness of 10.0% at 10 mg L-1, because of the reactivity oxygen species (ROS) generated on its chemical structure. Experimental quantitative analyzes demonstrated high selectivity for tumor cells (apoptosis 3x higher compared to MRC-5 healthy cells). Lower toxicities for healthy cells (e.g., MRC-5 and L929) confirm the selectivity of the synthesized compounds. It is noteworthy that PONb-MB and PONb-MB are physiologically soluble compounds and can be suitable for intravenous treatments. Ex vivo biodistribution studies in mice revealed a very low accumulation in organs such as the spleen, heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys. Additionally, almost no toxicity was observed in the mice post-injection, which was confirmed by biochemical analyzes.
Effect of Concentration of Electrolyte on Thermoelectric Properties of Electrodeposited Bi2Te3 Thin Films
Authors: Khairnar Vinod , Kulkarni Anil , Lonikar Vishal , Jadhav Nilesh , Patil Dipak , Gite Anil , Kumar Mirtunjay 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

The current thread of work focuses on tuning the properties of nano-structured Bi2Te3 films for thermoelectric applications, by optimizing electrodeposition conditions such as deposition potential, pH of electrolyte, temperature and concentration of the precursors in the solvent. In this paper, small coagulated masses of Bi2Te3 dendritic nanostructures were electrodeposited on a stainless-steel substrate under previously optimized deposition potential and pH conditions while changing the concentration of Bi3+ ions in the electrolyte (varied from 2.5 mM to 15 mM). Cyclic Voltammetry studies revealed that the material was deposited irreversibly at all concentrations. The effect of varying the concentration is indicated by a shift in the current peaks for oxidation and reduction peaks. A series of scanning electron micrographs revealed the evolution of beautiful small coagulated masses of dendritic structures as a function of the concentration of electrolyte. Thermoelectric properties such as the Seebeck coefficient up to -45.81 µV/K and power factor up to 311 µW/cmK2 have been achieved for the deposited films. The results reveal significant variation in thermoelectric properties as a function of the concentration of Bi3+ in the electrolyte through changes in the surface morphology and stoichiometry of the films. The analysis also revealed ideal concentrations of precursor ions to obtain Bi2Te3 as the dominant phase.
Non-Invasive Label-free Analysis Pipeline for In Situ Characterization of Differentiation in 3D Brain Organoid Models
Authors: Serafini Caroline Elizabeth , Charles Seleipiri , Costa Paloma Casteleiro , Niu Weibo , Cheng Brian F. , Wen Zhexing , Lu Hang , Robles Francisco E. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Brain organoids provide a unique opportunity to model organ development in a system similar to human organogenesis in vivo. Brain organoids thus hold great promise for drug screening and disease modeling. Conventional approaches to organoid characterization predominantly rely on molecular analysis methods, which are expensive, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and involve the destruction of the valuable 3D architecture of the organoids. This reliance on end-point assays makes it challenging to assess cellular and subcellular events occurring during organoid development in their 3D context. As a result, the long developmental processes are not monitored nor assessed. The ability to perform non-invasive assays is critical for longitudinally assessing features of organoid development during culture. In this paper, we demonstrate a label-free high-content imaging approach for observing changes in organoid morphology and structural changes occurring at the cellular and subcellular level. Enabled by microfluidic-based culture of 3D cell systems and a novel 3D quantitative phase imaging method, we demonstrate the ability to perform non-destructive high-resolution imaging of the organoid. The highlighted results demonstrated in this paper provide a new approach to performing live, non-destructive monitoring of organoid systems during culture.