bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ponderomotive snowplow electron acceleration with high energy tilted ultrafast laser pulses
Authors: Hunt Patrick , Wilhelm Alex , Adams Daniel , Wang Shoujun , Hollinger Reed , Shpilman Ze'ev , Anaraki Sina , Westlake Nathaniel , Schmidt David , Rocca Jorge , Durfee Charles 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
The application high intensity ultrafast lasers to compact plasma-based electron accelerators has recently been an extremely active area of research. Here, for the first time, we show experimentally and theoretically that carefully sculpting an intense ultrafast pulse in the spatio-temporal domain allows ponderomotive pressure to be used for direct acceleration of electron bunches from rest to relativistic energies. With subluminal group velocity and above-threshold intensity, a laser pulse can capture and accelerate electrons, pushing on them like a snowplow. Acceleration of electrons from rest requires a substantial reduction of group velocity. In this demonstration experiment, we achieve a group velocity of ∼0.6c in a tilted pulse by focusing the output of a novel asymmetric pulse compressor we developed for the petawatt-class ALEPH system at Colorado State University. This direct laser-electron approach opens a route towards exploiting optical spatio-temporal control techniques to sculpt electron beams with desired properties such as narrow energy and angular distributions. The tilted-pulse snowplow technique can be scaled from small-scale to facility-scale amplifiers to produce short electron bunches in the 10 keV−10 MeV range for applications including ultrafast electron diffraction and efficient injection into laser wakefield accelerators for acceleration beyond the GeV level.
Impact of corruption and unemployment shocks on income inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa: A quantile-on-quantile approach
Authors: Gimba Obadiah Jonathan , Seraj Mehdi , Ozdeser Huseyin , Mar'I Muhammad 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of corruption and unemployment on income inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We employ the quantile-on-quantile technique which allows examining the impact of quantiles of the independent variable on quantiles of the dependent variable of the distribution. The outcome shows that countries at the upper range of the GDP per capita such as Botswana, Seychelles, and Mauritius had fewer negative supply shocks from corruption and unemployment which is associated with higher income equality. For countries in the middle range such as Nigeria, Kenya and Angola, corruption supplies extreme negative shocks to inequality in Nigeria and Angola. However, Kenya experienced a mixed shock but the negative is more evident. Unemployment provided a negative shock to unequal income distribution for almost all quantiles in the middle range income countries. Considering countries at the lower range such as Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR) and Niger. Corruption supplies a mixed shock on income inequality for almost all the quantiles in Niger and Burundi but supplies a positive shock on inequality in CAR. The shocks supply from unemployment to inequality is positive in Burundi and Niger except for CAR which exhibits a mixed shock.
Effects of repetitive mechanical tactile stimulation interventions with stationary and moving patterns on paired-pulse depression
Authors: Watanabe Hiraku , Kojima Sho , Otsuru Naofumi , Onishi Hideaki 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Background
We investigated the effects of repetitive somatosensory stimulation (RSS) with stationary and moving pattern tactile stimulation on paired-pulse depression (PPD), which is a measure of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic inhibitory neural circuitry in primary somatosensory cortex (S1).
Results
In the stationary pattern condition, the PPD ratio tended to increase (uncorrected p = 0.044; corrected p = 0.088), whereas no significant difference was observed in the moving pattern condition. A significant negative correlation between the PPD ratio before intervention and the change rate of the PPD ratio was observed in the stationary pattern condition (r = − 0.837, p < 0.001).
Conclusion
The effect of RSS on the PPD depends on the tactile stimulation pattern.
Factors Influencing the Uptake of Modern Contraceptives among Women in Tanzania: A survey of Public Health Facilities in Dodoma City Council
Authors: Miyeye Machumu Stephen , KAGISHA Vedaste , Karimi Peter , Swalehe Omary , Lune Ngenzi Joseph 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Background:
Tanzania has a relatively high unmet need and low use of family planning methods. Thirty- eight per cent of reproductive-aged women currently use modern contraceptive methods, and 22% have an unmet need for family planning.
Objectives:
To determine the factors influencing the uptake of modern contraceptives among women attending public health facilities in Dodoma City Council.
Methods
An analytical cross-sectional study using a quantitative approach was conducted among 362 women of reproductive age who attended public health facilities in Dodoma City and 32 healthcare workers. The participants were selected using simple random sampling. Data was collected from 6 September to 15 October 2021. A structured questionnaire was used. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics at the 0.05 level of significance. The strength of association was determined using a logistic regression model.
Results
Of the 362 participants, 46.6% were between 24 and 34 years old. Most (60.2%) were married, and 48.9% had completed secondary education. About a third (32.6%) had a monthly income of 300,000 to 399,999 TZS. A statistically significant association at 0.05 was observed between uptake of contraceptives and education (p = 0.043), marital status (p = 0.024), partner’s support (p = 0.001), awareness, preference, and satisfaction (p = 0.000).
Conclusion
The study revealed that education, marital status, awareness, preference, and satisfaction of the respondents have a positive significant effect on the uptake of modern contraceptives.
The burden and natural history of cardiac pathology at TB diagnosis in a high-HIV prevalence district in Zambia: protocol for the TB-Heart study
Authors: Scopazzini Marcello S , Chansa Pamela , Shanaube Kwame , Majonga Edith D , Bual Nina , Zenner Dominik , Ayles Helen , Shah Anoop SV , Musukuma Remmy , Mweemba Veronica , Cheeba Maina , Schaap Albertus , Mwila Chipili C , Banda Isabel , Ngulube Joseph , Mateyo Kondwelani , Sigande Lucheka 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major cause of death across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In parallel, non-communicable disease and especially cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden has increased substantially in the region. Cardiac manifestations of TB are well-recognised but the extent to which they co-exist with pulmonary TB (PTB) has not been systematically evaluated. The aim of this study is to improve understanding of the burden of cardiac pathology in PTB in those living with and without HIV in a high-burden setting.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional and natural history study to evaluate the burden and natural history of cardiac pathology in participants with PTB in Lusaka, Zambia, a high burden setting for TB and HIV. Participants with PTB, with and without HIV will be consecutively recruited alongside age- and sex-matched TB-uninfected comparators on a 2:1 basis. Participants will undergo baseline assessments to collect clinical, socio-demographic, functional, laboratory and TB disease impact data followed by point-of-care and standard echocardiography. Participants with PTB will undergo further repeat clinical and functional examination at two- and six months follow-up. Those with cardiac pathology at baseline will undergo repeat echocardiography at six months.
Discussion: The outcomes of the study are to a) determine the burden of cardiac pathology at TB diagnosis, b) describe its association with patient-defining risk factors and biochemical markers of cardiac injury and stretch and c) describe the natural history of cardiac pathology during the course of TB treatment.
Nitrogen−stimulated rhizosheath organic acid release enhances phytolith concentrations in leaves of dominant trees in a subtropical forest
Authors: Yu Heng , Qin Zhangfen , de Tombeur Félix , Lambers Hans , Lu Xiaofei , Lai Yuan , kuang Yuanwen 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background and aims
Plants take up and use silicon (Si) as a beneficial nutrient for growth and/or survival, which can affect terrestrial Si biogeochemistry and its links with the carbon cycle. Soil nutrients, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and their ratios can affect rhizosphere processes, with potential impacts on soil-plant Si dynamics. How atmospheric N deposition affects plant Si acquisition and Si cycling in subtropical forests remains, however, unknown.
Methods
We performed a field experiment in a P-limited subtropical forest to explore the effects of 9-year canopy and understory N addition at two rates on Si biogeochemical cycle and its underlying mechanism.
Results
We found that N addition increased concentrations of rhizosphere organic acids, leaf N:P ratios, and concentrations of phytoliths in leaves of the dominant tree species. Nitrogen addition also increased the concentrations of plant-available Si at 0–5 cm depth, but not deeper. Concentrations of plant-available Si were negatively correlated with soil amorphous Si (exacted with NaOH), but positively correlated with Si associated with organic materials (extracted with H2O2) at 0–5 cm depth.
Conclusions
The increase in plant-available Si and resulting leaf phytolith concentrations following N addition was possibly explained by the increase in rhizosphere organic acids under strongly P-limited conditions, with cascading effects on silicates weathering and release of soluble Si from poorly-available forms. Overall, our results suggest that atmospheric N deposition increases the biological Si cycle in subtropical P-limited forest ecosystems.
US-Russia geopolitical risk and corporate cybersecurity risk: Evidence from 10-K reports
Authors: Nguyen Bao , To Bao 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
As crimes, terrorism, and modern conflicts are no longer confined to the physical world, cyberspace is becoming a new frontier in warfare and political conflicts. In this paper, we investigate how Russia-related geopolitical risk drives corporate cybersecurity in US firms during 2006–2018. We show that the variations in US-related geopolitical risk alone explain more than 29% of the variation in US firms’ cybersecurity risk, suggesting that US-Russia geopolitical tensions stimulate cyber security risk in the US. The finding is robust to a battery of robustness and endogeneity tests. Further analyses show that the effect is quite persistent, stronger for US firms that have offshoring activities with Russian partners or assets, and weaker for firms with more innovative cultures. The effect also applies when the US imposes sanctions on Russia following the Crimea event in 2014.
Esthesioneuroblastoma with Invasion of the Intracranial Space：A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Classification Compared with Surgical Findings
Authors: Opoku Mary , Sun Xicai , Liu Quan , Xue Kai , Pan Yucheng , Song Xiaole , Yang Jingyi , Wang Dehui , Yu Hongmeng , Gu Ye 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Background: Although many grading systems have been established in esthe-sioneuroblastoma (ENB), the criteria for judging whether intracranial space isinvaded have not been reported.
Methods: The preoperative radiological images were reviewed. The degree ofthe offending intracranial cavity is divided into four grades based on the extentto which the tumor invades bilateral olfactory cisterns and brain tissues. Theintraoperative videos and records were reviewed to verify the grading system.
Results: From June 2014 to August 2021, 114 consecutive patients in one singlecenter were included in this research. Grades 0, 1, 2, and 3 were found respectivelyin 48, 18, 14, and 34 cases. All the imaging grading results were consistent withthe intraoperative findings.
Conclusion: The olfactory cistern is a good basis to judge whether ENB hasinvaded intracranial space. This new grading system also helps to clarify theT-stage of ENB
atRA mitigates high salt-driven EAE by stabilizing Treg cell mediated the inhibition of IL- 23R and the repairment of compromised endogenous RA signaling
Authors: Tian Jiale , Wang Yong , Li Haolin , Li Yating , Wei Xiaofeng , Gu Youquan , Wang Haidong , Luo Yang 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

High salt diet (HSD) is implicated in numerous disorders. HSD boosts Th17 development, compromises the immunosuppressive function of thymic Treg cells leading to the exacerbation of EAE. However, little is known regarding the harness of excessive proinflammatory responses evoked by HSD. Here we show that atRA, a key vitamin A metabolite with multifaceted immunoregulatory properties has the potential to harness the HSD-provoked EAE pathogenesis. Treatment with atRA in vivo elicited the Treg generation in cervical and axillary lymph nodes (CALs) and in CNS, thus attenuated the HSD-aggravated EAE disease. In-vitro mechanistic studies were also performed by several FACS- and MACS-sorting experiments, followed by cell coculture assays, and the related western blotting or qPCR verification. The final protective mechanism of IL-23R inhibition was studied by administration with anti-IL-23R mAb. atRA reverses the compromised function of high-salt modified tTreg cells contributing to the mitigation of HSD-provoked EAE. atRA protects Treg cell against high-salt modification via the repression of IL-23R but not SGK1 signaling. atRA also repairs the perturbed endogenous retinoic acid metabolic signaling under HSD, whereas systematic inhibition of IL-23R had a moderate therapeutic potential in inhibiting inflammatory effects of high salt. In conclusion, administration of atRA might be a way to combat the proinflammatory effects of HSD. Meanwhile, the identification of IL-23R as a ‘natural inhibitor’ of high salt-compromised Treg cells in mice could serve as a basis for the identification of novel therapeutic strategies against HSD-driven autoimmune disorders.
WITHDRAWN: Investigation of efficiency level during the clinical work of the Electronic Health Record users in the General Health System of Cyprus
Authors: Rompolas Periklis , Masouras Panicos , Avgousti Sotiris , Charalambous Andreas 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Since 2019, Cyprus has universally implemented the EHR as part of its General Health System (GHS). Between October and December 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the opinions and attitudes of EHR users using an electronic self-report questionnaire. 429 personal and outpatient doctors from all Cypriot Provinces participated in the survey. In the context of the research, all ethical and ethical principles were observed. The average score of the scale "Efficiency in Practicing the Tasks of the Clinical Project when Using the EHR" is 57.4/100, a value that indicates a moderate degree of efficiency of the EHR in the practice of the clinical work. The younger the age, the more positive the user efficiency rating. The shorter the work experience, the more positive the user efficiency rating. The greater the familiarity with the use of PCs and ICT, the more positive the degree of efficiency of the users. The greater the education/training, the more positive the user efficiency rating. The greater the familiarity with the use of the EHR, the more positive the degree of efficiency of the users. The greater the familiarity with the support from the Health Insurance Organization of Cyprus, the more positive the user efficiency rating. In order to fulfill the strategic goals of Cyprus for eHealth, within the European framework health policymakers should proceed with improvement interventions in the context of the implementation of EHR in the GHS. User training and support and equal access for all other health professionals are essential components.
Physiological Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPRs), and Trichoderma harzianum on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Infected with Branched Broomrape [Phelipanche ramosa (L.) Pomel]
Authors: FİDAN ENES , TEPE Işık 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), one of the world's most produced and consumed vegetables, belongs to the Solanaceae family. Branched broomrape [Phelipanche ramosa (L.) Pomel; Syn: Orobanche ramosa L.] parasitizes many cultivated plants, especially tomatoes. The parasitic weeds, for which there is no effective control method, cause serious yield and quality losses in their host crops. In this study, two different mycorrhiza (AMF) species, Funneliformis mosseae, and a commercial product, Endo Roots Soluble (ERS), along with Trichoderma harzianum T22, two different plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) isolates (Pseudomonas caspiana V30G2 and Bacillus velezensis V40K2), were applied to tomatoes. Additionally, a commercial product, Plant Success Great White Premium Mycorrhiza, and their combinations were used to determine the changes occurring in both the plants and the broomrape. This study investigated the number of tubercles, the levels of several oxidative stress enzymes (CAT, catalase, SOD, superoxide dismutase, and APX, ascorbate peroxidase), the level of lipid peroxidation (MDA, malondialdehyde), and the total phenolic and antioxidant contents of tomato plants infected and not infected with broomrape. Compared to the control group, the treatments were found to prevent tubercule formation at rates ranging from 60 to 72.7%. Broomrape infection caused oxidative stress in the tomatoes; the CAT and MDA contents in the broomrape-contaminated plants were greater than those in the noncontaminated plants. The results revealed that some microorganisms and biological preparations applied to tomatoes responded differently to broomrape stress through enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant activities.
Clustering for ranking multivariate data by Linear Ordered Partitions
Authors: Schenone Mariaelena Bottazzi , ID Maurizio 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

This paper illustrates how clustering can be used to rank a multivariate set of observations. The link between ranking and clustering is provided by the Linear Ordered Partitions (LOP) and corresponds to detecting the optimal clustering of the multivariate units in ordered equivalence classes. The ranking of clusters provides additional information with respect to the simple units’ ordering since it identifies classes in which observed units are considered “incomparable”. The goal, in this ranking framework, is to perform partitioning of units by considering the largest number of clusters such that their centroids, representing within cluster incomparable units, are statistically different from each other, with clusters optimally ranked. Thus, the final result is a ranking (total order) of clusters, where units within clusters are believed “ties”, i.e., incomparable. In this paper, we propose a model that identifies the best Least-Squares (LS) units’ Linear Ordering Partition, together with a univariate linear transformation of the observed variables needed to detect that LOP. Therefore, the model simultaneously identifies the optimal LS LOP of units associated to the LS orthogonal projection of the observed multivariate units on a straight line. This projection statistically represents a composite indicator that synthesizes the observed variables. The theoretical properties of the proposed model are fully discussed, and an extended simulation study with 5400 generated data sets is given to show its performances under different scenarios. An application is presented to deeply understand the potentiality of this approach to data analysis. A final discussion on future developments and some conclusions are made available.
Biomedical application of TiO2NPs can cause arterial thrombotic risks through triggering procoagulant activity, activation and aggregation of platelets
Authors: Bian Yiying , Jin Qiushuo , He Jinrui , Ngo Thien , Bae OK-Nam , Pi Jingbo , Chung Han Young , Xu Yuanyuan 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background
Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) are widely used in medical application. However, the relevant health risk has not been completely assessed, the potential of inducing arterial thrombosis (AT) in particular.
Methods
Alterations in platelet function and susceptibility to arterial thrombosis induced by TiO2NPs were examined using peripheral blood samples from healthy adult males and an in vivo mouse model, respectively.
Results
Here, using human platelets (hPLTs) freshly isolated from health volunteers, we demonstrated TiO2NP treatment triggered the procoagulant activity of hPLTs through phosphatidylserine exposure and microvesicles generation. In addition, TiO2NP treatment increased the levels of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa and P-selectin leading to aggregation and activation of hPLTs, which were aggravated by providing physiology-mimicking conditions, including introduction of thrombin, collagen, and high shear stress. Interestingly, intracellular calcium levels in hPLTs were increased upon TiO2NP treatment, which were crucial in TiO2NP-induced hPLT procoagulant activity, activation and aggregation. Moreover, using mice in vivo models, we further confirmed that TiO2NP treatment a reduction in mouse platelet (mPLT) counts, disrupted blood flow, and exacerbated carotid arterial thrombosis with enhanced deposition of mPLT.
Conclusions
Together, our study provides evidence for an ignored health risk caused by TiO2NPs, specifically TiO2NP treatment augments procoagulant activity, activation and aggregation of PLTs via calcium-dependent mechanism and thus increases the risk of AT.
CUT&amp;Tag Applied to Zebrafish Adult Tail Fins Reveals a Return of Embryonic H3K4me3 Patterns During Regeneration
Authors: Duong Phu , Rodriguez-Parks Anjelica , Kang Junsu , Murphy Patrick J 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Regenerative potential is governed by a complex process of transcriptional reprogramming, involving chromatin reorganization and dynamics in transcription factor binding patterns throughout the genome. The degree to which chromatin and epigenetic changes contribute to this process remains partially understood. Here we provide a modified CUT&Tag protocol suitable for improved characterization and interrogation of epigenetic changes during adult fin regeneration in zebrafish. Our protocol generates data that recapitulates results from previously published ChIP-Seq methods, requires far fewer cells as input, and significantly improves signal to noise ratios. We deliver high-resolution enrichment maps for H3K4me3 of uninjured and regenerating fin tissues. During regeneration, we find that H3K4me3 levels increase over gene promoters which become transcriptionally active and genes which lose H3K4me3 become silenced. Interestingly, these epigenetic reprogramming events recapitulate the H3K4me3 patterns observed in developing fin folds of 24-hour old zebrafish embryos. Our results indicate that changes in genomic H3K4me3 patterns during fin regeneration occur in a manner consistent with reactivation of developmental programs, demonstrating CUT&Tag to be an effective tool for profiling chromatin landscapes in regenerating tissues.