bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vibrational resonance and chaos control in the canonical Chua's circuit with a smooth nonlinear resistor
Authors: Li Hao , Liu Jiangling , Du Luchun 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Vibrational resonance and chaos control in the canonical Chua's circuit with a smooth cubic nonlinear resistoris investigated by an analog circuit experiment and a dynamical model. When other parameters are fixed, changingthe amplitude and the frequency of the high-frequency signal can make the system's response amplitude to thelow-frequency weak signal exists a wide peak. The phase diagram of the system will transition from a single-scrollattractor to a double-scroll attractor when the amplitude of the high-frequency signal reaches the critical valueto achieve vibrational resonance. In particular, the maximum of the system's response amplitude is insusceptiblewhen the frequency of the high-frequency signal varies over a broad range, which indicates the strong robustnessof the vibrational resonance in the present system. The experimental results are coincident with the numericalsimulations. This research has potential applications in chaos control and weak signal detection.
CD5L associates with IgM via the J chain
Authors: Xiao Junyu , Wang Yuxin , Su Chen , Ji Chenggong 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

CD5 antigen-like (CD5L), also known as Spα or AIM (Apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage), emerges as an integral component of serum immunoglobulin M (IgM). However, the molecular mechanism underlying the interaction between IgM and CD5L has remained elusive. In this study, we present a cryo-electron microscopy structure of the human IgM pentamer core in complex with CD5L. Our findings reveal that CD5L binds to the joining chain (J chain) in a Ca2+-dependent manner and further links to IgM via a disulfide bond. We further show that CD5L reduces IgM binding to the mucosal transport receptor pIgR, but does not impact the binding of the IgM-specific receptor FcμR. Additionally, CD5L does not interfere with IgM-mediated complement activation. These results offer new insights into our understanding of IgM and shed new light on the function of the J chain in the immune system.
Biological monitoring of Soil pollution caused by two different Zinc species using earthworms
Authors: Singh Kiran , Malla Muneer Ahmad , Kumar Ashwani , Yadav Shweta 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) are frequently employed in both commercial and agricultural sectors. Consequently, it is imperative to evaluate their impact on the soil ecosystem to ensure their safe and sustainable utilization in the long term. Earthworms are often used as a first indicator of soil pollution to monitor various pollutants. Nevertheless, there are unavoidable impediments that emerge during monitoring contamination in practical situations. To address the challenges, the study used soil bioindicator earthworm species Eudrilus eugeniae as an experimental model to evaluate the effects of two zinc species (ZnO-NPs and ZnCl2) on survival, reproduction, neuro-biomarkers, avoidance behavior, and their accumulation. The highest avoidance percentage was recorded 27.5% for ZnO-NP exposure and 37.5% for ZnCl2 exposure at 750 mg kg-1. ZnCl2 exposure decreased juvenile production by 3.00 ± 1.73 compared to 4.67 ± 1.15 for ZnO-NPs. At 750 mg kg−1, soils containing ZnCl2 (63.3%) had worse survival than those with ZnO-NPs (53.3%) administered, likely due to higher Zn ion. The bioaccumulation of nanoparticles and zinc ions adversely affect earthworm reproduction by reacting unfavourably with the neurotoxic marker AChE. Nevertheless, earthworms exposed to ZnCl2 had less Zn build-up in their gastrointestinal tracts than those exposed to NPs. The present work contradicts the finding that ZnO-NPs have hazardous effects on soil organisms. Instead, the study found that the toxicity of ZnCl2 was higher than that of ZnO-NPs. This difference in toxicity may be attributed to the ionic forms of Zn rather than its size. The study is valuable for ensuring the secure and sustainable application of ZnO-NPs.
Enhancement of adult liver regeneration in mice through the hepsin-mediated epidermal growth factor receptor signaling pathway
Authors: Hsu Yu-Chen , Tsai Yu-Fei , Fang Mo-Chu , Chen Chien-Hung , Yu I-Shing , Shun Chia-Tung , Tao Mi-Hua , Sun Cheng-Pu Sun , Sheu Jin-Chuan , Lin Shu-Wha 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Given the widespread use of partial hepatectomy for treating various liver pathologies, understanding the mechanisms of liver regeneration is vital for enhancing liver resection and transplantation therapies. Here, we demonstrate the critical role of the serine protease Hepsin in promoting hepatocyte hypertrophy and proliferation. Under steady-state conditions, liver-specific overexpression of Hepsin in adult wild-type mice triggers hepatocyte hypertrophy and subsequent proliferation, significantly increasing liver size. This effect is predominantly driven by the catalytic activity of Hepsin, engaging the EGFR-Raf-MEK-ERK signaling pathway. Significantly, administering Hepsin substantially enhances hepatocyte proliferation and facilitates liver regeneration following a 70% partial hepatectomy. Crucially, the proliferation induced by Hepsin is a transient event, without leading to long-term adverse effects such as liver fibrosis or hepatocellular carcinoma, as evidenced by extensive observation. These results offer substantial potential for future clinical applications and translational research endeavors in the field of liver regeneration post-hepatectomy.
Global Urban Demographic Change and Migration Patterns
Authors: Zimmer Andrew , Tuholske Cascade , Gaughan Andrea , Brooks Nina 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The demographic structure of urban populations shapes global economic development1,2, political stability3,4, and the impact of climate hazards 5,6. Cities of different sizes with youthful or aging populations, as well as changes in migration patterns can have different economic trajectories7 as labor markets expand or contract and can determine which demographic groups are most vulnerable to extreme heat8, flooding9 and air pollution10. Similarly, large young male populations have the potential to cause political instability4. As such, understanding the patterns and changes in these demographic structures for each city globally is paramount for determining sustainable development and growth strategies across different cities5. However, we currently lack a globally comprehensive, city-level assessment of how and where urban demographic patterns are evolving. Here we measure the spatiotemporal variability in demographic structures and migration patterns for 13,135 cities worldwide between 2000 and 2020. We find that changes in the demographic structure are highly heterogeneous across the urban continuum, with higher dependency ratios in small and medium cities compared to large cities. We highlight key cities with rapidly changing, unbalanced demographic structures that deviate from official, coarse-grained statistics. Further, we show that in-migration accounts for 52% of the 782 million new urban residents added to all cities between 2000 and 2020. The heterogeneous urban demographic patterns that we uncover are key for designing locally appropriate policies to actualize policies for sustainable urban economic development, climate change adaptations, and political stability, especially for smaller cities within low- and middle-income countries.
Development of a mentorship framework guide to promote the acquisition of interprofessional education and collaborative practice competencies during undergraduate training: a mini-Delphi cross-sectional study
Authors: Mubuuke Aloysius Gonzaga , Nawagi Faith , Nalugo-Mbalinda Scovia , Musoke David , Nekaka Rebecca 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Background
The current global burden of disease which includes emerging and re-emerging diseases calls for interprofessional partnerships and team work to work collaboratively to solve community health problems. Inter-professional collaboration needs to start with training whereby learners are mentored in inter-professional teams and collaborative care. Many guidelines do exist in teaching and learning but faculty often do not have guidelines on how to mentor learners to acquire the needed inter-professional competencies. This study aimed at developing a mentorship guide for faculty to enable them to ably mentor learners in the acquisition of interprofessional competencies.
Methods
It was a cross-sectional study involving both students and faculty mentors. Questionnaires were distributed to undergraduate students and the mentors at Makerere University College of Health Sciences and Busitema University Faculty of Health Sciences. Data from the participants was used alongside literature to develop the interprofessional education mentorship guide for faculty mentors. The guide was validated by a panel of experts.
Results
From this study, students reported limited knowledge of the IPE core competencies and the faculty mentors corroborated this finding. Mentors did not directly give any feedback specifically targeting the IPE core competencies, though some of them unknowingly talked about some of the IPE competencies. The key challenges identified from students and faculty included limited training IPE and IPE core competencies and lack of guidelines for faculty mentors which they can follow to mentors students adequately across all the expected IPE competencies.
Conclusion
There was limited mentorship in IPE competencies. Findings from this study alongside literature and expert validation, a framework guide for mentors in relation to IPE competencies has been proposed.
MOOCRec_Sys: An Empirical E-learning Paradigm on Online Open Course using Sentiment Analysis and OWA operator
Authors: Gupta Charu , Khalaf Osamah Ibrahim , Jatana Nishtha , Sarkar Achintya , Sharma Bharti , Algburi Sameer , Hamam Habib 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

COVID Pandemic has brought radical transformations in the personal lives of people, like economic, social, cultural, educational. Among these, e-learning educational transformation is a very crucial paradigm of a learner’s life. This strong inclination of paradigm shift to online education has brought novel changes to the betterment of the education system. In Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) are capable of giving promising avenues to e-teaching. Among the challenges for the learners in MOOC, one is to correctly choose the best learning option for a particular Course. In Technology Enhanced Learning, another concern is the appropriate searching of a leaning resource. This gives rise to the use and deployment of a recommender system. In this paper, we propose and evaluate a two-stage approach where first, online user reviews are considered for the course evaluation and second, User-Item Matrix is built for finding similar users. The proposed model suggests the best suitable resource to the learner based on his/her personal ability. In MOOC_RecSys, Naïve Bayes classification is used with multinomial Classifier to give a rating to reviews. The accuracy of the proposed method is encouraging and the computed RMSE for the recommendation system in 0.76.
Coordination between deformation, precipitation, and erosion during orogenic growth
Authors: Yuan Xiaoping , Li Yuqiang , Brune Sascha , Li Kai , Pons Michael , Wolf Sebastian 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Crustal thickening associated with orogenic growth increases topography, causing the orographic enhancement of precipitation, which in turn facilitates local erosion and possibly intensifies the localization of deformation. How these three processes—deformation, precipitation, and erosion—coordinate during orogenic growth remains unknown, and whether tectonics or climate controls erosion in active orogens is much debated. Here, we present a new numerical model where tectonics, surface processes, and orographic precipitation are tightly coupled. We show that rock uplift rates and precipitation rates correlate well with erosion rates for the formation of orogenic plateaus with high correlation coefficients of ~0.9 between rock uplift and erosion rates, and ~0.8 between precipitation and erosion rates. We propose that three processes take place successively as a consequence of the lateral orogenic growth, and demonstrate a cyclicity of correlation evolution among uplift, precipitation, and erosion rates through the development of new faults propagating outward. These results shed new insights into the relative tectonic or climatic control on erosion in active orogens (e.g., the Himalayas, the Central Andes, and the Southern Alps of New Zealand), and reconcile several conflicting data and interpretations in the Himalayas, which depend on the stage of maturity of the newest fault and the relative locations to old faults.
Mass cytometry reveals cellular correlates of immune response heterogeneity to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in the elderly
Authors: Mukherjee Ratnadeep , Eggesbø Linn , Wolf Asia-Sophia , Kjønstad Ingrid , Solum Guri , Ravussin Anthony , Bhandari Sabin , Robertson Anna , Magnus Per , Trogstad Lill-Iren Schou , Kristoffersen Anja , Nygaard Unni , Mjaaland Siri 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Heterogeneity in vaccine response, particularly in vulnerable populations like the elderly, represents a significant public health challenge. We conducted an in-depth examination of immune cell profiles before and after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination utilizing mass cytometry in a cohort of healthy Norwegian seniors (65–80 years). We have demonstrated that higher pre-vaccination frequencies of CD27+IgD− class-switched memory B cells and subsets of CD27−CD24+CD38+ transitional B cells were associated with a robust vaccine response. Post-vaccination, high responders exhibited increased frequencies of IFN-γ+CD4+ T cells with antigen recall and a concurrent decrease in TH17 cell subset frequencies compared to low responders. The presence of a γδ T cell subset displaying polyfunctional cytokine responses was also associated with better vaccine response in the elderly. This comprehensive analysis sheds light on inherent differences in immune cell frequencies and functions that should offer insights for targeted vaccination strategies in older populations.
Effect salicylic acid and silicon on physiological and phytochemical indices of Scrophularia striata L. under water stress
Authors: Shohani Fariba , Sarghien Siavash Hosseini , Fazeli Arash 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Water stress, a main factor, exerts influence on the physiological and phytochemical responses of plants. Therefore, to scrutinize the physiological and biochemical reactions of Scrophularia striata under drought stress, a factorial experiment was conducted employing a completely randomized design with three replications plants were subjected to varying concentrations of salicylic acid (0 and 100 PPM), silicon (0 and 1 g/L), and drought stress at two levels (50 and 100% of field capacity) within greenhouse conditions. Data analysis results revealed that drought stress leads to an increase in Ca⁺² and Na⁺ levels in Ilam ecotype under the FC50% treatment. Additionally, Mg⁺² levels in Ilam ecotype, under the control × SA treatment, exhibit an augmentation in comparison to the stress treatment. The application of silicon resulted in an elevation of potassium in Abadanan ecotype under the FC50% treatment. Simultaneous utilization of SA and Si would demonstrate an increased K⁺/Na⁺ ratio in Ilam ecotype within the control × SA × Si treatment. Nitrate levels exhibit an increase in Ilam ecotype under the FC50% × SA × Si treatment. The analysis of amino acid compounds in the tested samples showed that drought stress increased Tryptophan in Ilam ecotype in the FC50% treatment, using SA increased Tryptophan, Phenylalanine and using Si increased Argenine and Valine. 45volatile compounds were identified for the first time in the stem of S. striata by technique (GC-MS). In general, the results the simultaneous use of these two compounds can play an effective role in modulating drought stress in S. striata.
Development and Validation of a Machine learning Model for the Prediction of Short-Term Mortality among Patients with Sepsis: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Hu Xiaocong , Ming Chen , Zhu Qianni , Lu Yonghui , Zeng Lingli , Wai Abraham , Wang Yanli 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Background: Sepsis, a severe condition arising from the body's response to infection, leading to organ damage, is a major contributor to mortality in intensive care units. This study assesses and compares the predictive performance of six machine learning algorithms in forecasting in-patient mortality among sepsis patients.
Results: There were 6,455 sepsis patients (5,165 for training and 1,290 for internal validation) in Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV v2.0 and 411 sepsis patients in eICU Collaborative Research Database v2.0 who met the inclusion criteria. The median age of the patients was 64 years and 61 years respectively. 42 features were retained for model building. The most important features for predicting mortality were urine output, Glasgow Coma Scale score, urine output, average body temperature, age, and lactate. The random forest algorithm performed the best on both the imbalanced and balanced datasets, achieving an AUC of 78.6% and 78.5%, respectively, on the external test set.
Conclusions: This study showcases the applicability of machine learning for outcome prediction in sepsis patients, employing internal and multicenter external validation datasets. The application of the SHAP method enhances model interpretability by providing insights into global explanations, individual explanations, and the interactions between features.
WITHDRAWN: Mathematical Analysis of the Dynamics of Lumpy Skin Epidemics within Delay Differential Equations
Authors: Fadhal Emad , Raza Ali , Baleanu Dumitru , Naveed Muhammad , Defterli Ozlem , Rafiq Muhammad , Ahmed Nauman 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Cattle are susceptible to an infectious condition called lumpy skin disease (LSD). The disease has caused a drop in dairy products and, occasionally, the death of sick cattle, damaging the economies of the affected countries. Thus, a mathematical model is required to aid the disease's optimal eradication. To address this, we offer a novel mathematical model that helps comprehend disease transmission patterns and provides recommendations for the best ways to manage illness. We verify that the solutions are bounded and positive by looking at the suggested model for the presence of a unique solution. To identify the contagiousness of disease and evaluate the proposed model's local and global stability at equilibrium places, we calculate the reproduction number by the next-generation matrix method. Moreover, figures that confirm the theoretical findings of global stability at equilibrium sites are presented. For local stability, we investigate the well-known result as Routh-Hurwitz criteria for the lumpy skin delayed epidemic model. For global stability, we analyze the notable Lyapunov function stability for the lumpy skin delayed epidemic model. We use sensitivity analysis to identify the reproduction number's most important parameters and visually represent their effects. This study aims to examine different illness prevention strategies to determine which works best.
Decellularized porcine vena cava grafts are fully repopulated after orthotopic implantaiton
Authors: Palek Richard , Massaro Maria Stefania , Cervenkova Lenka , Moulisova Vladimira , Grajciarova Martina , Maleckova Anna , Hosek Petr , Rosendorf Jachym , Polak Robert , Jan Sevcik , Sarcevic Sima , Kepkova Lucie , Korcakova Eva , Mirka Hynek , Tonar Zbyněk , Liska Vaclav 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Tissue-engineered organs, based on native extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds, could be a game changer in regenerative medicine applications. Decellularization technology provides such scaffolds with organ-typic ECM composition and architecture. Despite limitations such as the requirement of huge cell numbers and finding the optimal route of entry, recellularized scaffolds provide alternative grafts for transplantation. In this study we assessed whether decellularized scaffolds, when implanted, are repopulated from the adjacent tissue. Since the vasculature plays an important role in tissue functionality, our main focus was to evaluate in situ repopulation of decellularized veins in a pig model. For this, porcine inferior vena cava grafts were decellularized and orthotopically implanted in recipient pigs (n=12). To evaluate possible immune responses to the scaffolds and to assess potential thrombus formation, cellular allogeneic vena cava grafts were transplanted in control pigs (n=8). Within 28 days after implantation, the decellularized veins were fully recellularized with endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. Quantitative histological analysis showed a comparable amount of smooth muscle actin in the repopulated decellularized grafts similar to the native IVC. Lymphocyte infiltrates representing signs of graft rejection were not detected in the pigs, as opposed to the control group that received the allogeneic grafts. The decellularized grafts provoked a higher incidence of thrombosis in comparison with allogeneic grafts (33.3 vs. 12.5%). With this study, we show efficient in situ repopulation of decellularized vein grafts. These findings are insightful and promising to further explore the use of decellularized tissue without the need for full pre-transplant recellularization.
Evaluation of the impact of an online video game as an educational intervention on sexual health and the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of sexually transmitted infection: A randomized controlled trial protocol
Authors: Martinez-Satorres Alba , Roca-Saumell Carme , Escale-Besa Anna , Arcarons-Marti Marta , Fernandez-Segura Francisco Javier , Wagner Carolina Allegra , Pires-Nuñez Pablo , Turmo-Tristan Nuria , Diez-Garcia Lorena , Maron-Lopez Andrea , Marti-Oltra Zulema , Nicolau Marta Vanrell , Torres Sonia Da Silva , Ruiz-Torres Alvaro , Pino-Prieto Pablo , Pillay Dhyaanenshan , Casaldaliga-Sola Angels , Lázaro-Navarro Xavier , Lasagabaster-Uriarte Maria , Martin Maria Isabel Fernandez San 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Background:
The incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is increasing, especially among young people. Tools are needed to increase knowledge about sex education and STI prevention and treatment. Gamification can be a good training tool for both young people and health professionals. The primary objective of this study is to assess the impact of a training intervention on STI prevention, detection, and treatment in primary care professionals.
Methods/design: We propose a multicentre cluster randomized controlled trial.
Groups of primary care professionals will receive an intervention (online video game on sex education and STIs [SEXIT]) and will be compared with control groups that will not receive the intervention. Group assignments will be randomized by clusters.
The study will consist of a pre-post evaluation of the intervention: a knowledge test will be administered before and after the intervention and 3 months after the intervention. This test will also be carried out on the same time sequence in the control groups. The impact of the training intervention will be evaluated for 6 months by studying different variables related to the clinical approach to STIs by examining the clinical records of diagnostic tests and antibiotic prescriptions related to the clinical approach to STIs.
The required sample size is 262 (131 per group).
Discussion: Compared with those in the control group, improvements in knowledge and clinical behavioural outcomes after the intervention are expected for participants in the intervention groups. We plan to develop an educational video game to increase the knowledge about sexuality, STIs and violence.

Protocol registered at ISRCTN with reference number 45041.