bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Experiments of Few-Nucleon Scattering to Explore Three-Nucleon Forces
Authors: Sekiguchi Kimiko 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Few--nucleon scattering offers a good opportunities to study dynamical aspects of three-nucleon forces, that are momentum, spin and iso-spin dependent.In the paper, the experimental results of deuteron-proton elastic scattering at $¥sim ~¥rm 100$ MeV/nucleon obtained in the course of the study are presented.The experimental study of few-nucleon scattering has been recently extended to the proton-$^3 ¥mathrm{He}$ scatteringwith the aim of approaching the isospin $T=3/2$ channel in three-nucleon forces.The data are in comparison with the rigorous numerical calculationsbased on state-of-the-art nuclear potentials with three-nucleon forces.
Application of Digital Thread Impacts on Sustainable Manufacturing and Smart Production Systems
Authors: Damtew Alie Wube 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The big technological transformation included smart objects, simulation software, and digital frameworks to enhance intelligence, automation capabilities, the production process, and intelligent decision-making. The big technology including digital twin, digital thread, and internet of things are providing unprecedented opportunities to enhance efficiency and reduce the cost of the existing system of manufacturing industries. This article aims to study the great impacts of digital thread applications on sustainable manufacturing and smart production systems. A statistical descriptive, regression, and correlation analysis approach was adopted using a questionnaire based on the study model and previous related literature. Around 125 respondents were incorporated into the data collection process. The findings suggest that adoption and application of integrated and enabled digital thread strategies have the highest and most positive impacts on the performance of sustainable manufacturing and smart production systems in productivity, energy efficiency, agility and sustainability. The benefits of implementing big technology like digital thread have great impacts on manufacturing industries to enhanced smart design, a smart production process, utilizing resources, and improving the performance of the entire production and sustainable manufacturing processes. Also, the digital threads have great positive impacts on smart production, the reduction of climate change, and net-zero CO2 emissions (CC). This study confirms that, integrated and big technological practices, including Industry 4.0 and digital threads, mediated roles between sustainable production and sustainable performances. Based on these investigations, the digital thread model was developed to improve the performance and sustainability of manufacturing industries. The results of these investigations could deliver valuable insights to scholars, officials, and business leaders in order to boost smart and sustainable productions throughout the manufacturing process.
Differential Attainment in Assessment of Postgraduate Surgical Trainees: A Scoping Review
Authors: Jones Rebecca L , Prusmetikul Suwimol , Whitehorn Sarah 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Introduction
Solving disparities in assessments is crucial to a successful surgical training programme. The first step in levelling these inequalities is recognising in what contexts they occur, and what protected characteristics are potentially implicated.
Methods
This scoping review was based on Arksey & O’Malley’s guiding principles. OVID and Embase were used to identify articles, which were then screened by three reviewers.
Results
From an initial 386 articles, 44 reported on the presence of differential attainment in postgraduate surgical assessments. The majority of these were quantitative studies (75%), primarily retrospective designs, and 11.4% were qualitative. Differential attainment affects a varied range of protected characteristics. The characteristics most likely to be investigated were gender (59%), ethnicity (23%) and socioeconomic background (6.6%). Evidence of inequalities are present in many types of assessment, including: academic achievements, assessments of progression in training, workplace-based assessments, logs of surgical experience and tests of technical skills.
Conclusion
Attainment gaps have been demonstrated in many types of assessment, including supposedly “objective” written assessments and at revalidation. Further research is necessary to delineate the most effective methods to eliminate bias in higher surgical training. Surgical curriculum providers should be informed by the available literature on inequalities in surgical training, as well as other neighbouring specialties such as medicine or general practice, when designing assessments and considering how to mitigate for potential causes of differential attainment.
Genetic variants and structure-function predictions of protein models related to familial hypercholesterolemia in Vietnam
Authors: Kim Ngoc-Thanh , Do Doan-Loi , Nguyen Mai-Ngoc Thi , Le Hong-An , Le Thanh-Tung , Truong Thanh-Huong 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Genetic studies have contributed to our understanding of the complex mechanisms involved in cholesterol homeostasis in familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Recently, computational modeling in silico have provided a useful tool for structure-function predictions of mutant protein. However, there is still much to unravel in FH, and further investigations are needed. In this study, we aimed to further characterize these mutations in the Vietnamese population and to provide structure-function predictions for protein modeling. In total, 28 FH variants were identified—21LDLR, 6APOB, and 1PCSK9variants—with a detection rate of 43.6% in the patient cohort. Three novelLDLRmutations (Gly396_Glu714del, Pro476Arg, and Asp843Glufs*86) and one novelAPOBmutation (His3583Leu) were identified.LDLRmutations, such as Asp227Glu and His583Tyr, affected protein stability and interactions and consequently impacted cholesterol metabolism. Similarly, other mutations in less conserved regions, like Gln660Ter and Cys318Arg, disrupted stability and interactions.APOBmutations, including Arg1386Trp and Phe2469Cys, modified protein stability and interactions, potentially affecting APOB–LDLR binding. These findings provide valuable insights into the genetic diversity and dynamic nature of FH, furthering our understanding of the molecular basis of FH and aiding the development of potential therapeutic interventions.
Scale-free Networks Enhance the Spread of Better Strategy
Authors: Konno Tomohiko 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
In this study, we mathematically demonstrate that heterogeneous networks accelerate the social learning process, using a mean-field approximation of networks.
Network heterogeneity, characterized by the variance in the number of links per vertex, is effectively measured by the mean degree of nearest neighbors, denoted as ⟨knn⟩. This mean degree of nearest neighbors plays a crucial role in network dynamics, often being more significant than the average number of links (mean degree). Social learning, conceptualized as the imitation of superior strategies from neighbors within a social network, is influenced by this network feature. We find that a larger mean degree of nearest neighbors ⟨knn⟩ correlates with a faster spread of advantageous strategies. Scale-free networks, which exhibit the highest ⟨knn⟩, are most effective in enhancing social learning, in contrast to regular networks, which are the least effective due to their lower ⟨knn⟩.
Furthermore, we establish the conditions under which a general strategy A proliferates over time in a network. Applying these findings to coordination games, we identify the conditions for the spread of Pareto optimal strategies. Specifically, we determine that the initial probability of players adopting a Pareto optimal strategy must exceed a certain threshold for it to spread across the network. Our analysis reveals that a higher mean degree ⟨k⟩ leads to a lower threshold initial probability.
We provide an intuitive explanation for why networks with a large mean degree of nearest neighbors, such as scale-free networks, facilitate widespread strategy adoption. These findings are derived mathematically using mean-field approximations of networks and are further supported by numerical experiments.
JEL: C73, D85, D83, R10
Diagnosis of ectopic thyroid glands in pancreas: a case report and imaging insights
Authors: Diao Zongping , Tao Le , Zhang sai , Li Cheng , Zhao Jiaqi 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background
Ectopic thyroid (ET) is a rare developmental disorder, the detection of abdominal ET is often an accidental event. As there are few reports of ET in the pancreas, detailed imaging findings of ET in pancreas have not been described. Thus, we described a case of ET in the pancreas and reviewed all the reported cases of ET in the abdomen. We also summarized the imaging features, prevalence of ET in the pancreas, which may be helpful for the diagnosis and treatment.
Case summary
We present a case of ET in the pancreas, including orthotopic thyroid goiter. A 68-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain for half a year. Computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound gastroscopy revealed a cystic and solid mass measuring 41 mm×33 mm×32 mm in the head of the pancreas, with clear margins and patchy calcifications, providing initial evidence of a pancreatic neuroendocrine or solid pseudopapillary tumour. The mass was surgically removed and histological examination confirmed an ectopic multinodular goiter. To date, the patient has had no complaints or symptoms but normal thyroid hormone levels at 12 months follow-up.
Conclusion
Because ET in the pancreas is rare, preoperative diagnosis is difficult. This is the first report to summarise the imaging features of pancreatic ET. It is important to use a multimodal diagnostic system when necessary to increase diagnostic accuracy, and cystic degeneration and internal calcifications may be helpful in the diagnosis.
Investigation of corneal sub-basal nerve plexus and dendritic cell density by in vivo confocal microscopy in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy patients
Authors: Guleser Umit Yasar , Yildiz Ayse , Sezer Havva , Ozisik Secil , Kesim Cem , Hasanreisoglu Murat , Deyneli Oguzhan , Yazici Dilek , Sahin Afsun 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Purpose
To investigate corneal sub-basal nerve plexus (SBP) and dendritic cell (DC) density by in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) and the association between corneal involvement and clinical features in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy patients.
Methods
Thirty-three patients diagnosed with TAO and thirty-six age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. Central corneal sub-basal nerve fibers and DC were evaluated with in vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy and analyzed using NeuronJ, a semi-automated ImageJ software and ImageJ's Cell Counter.
Results
Corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL), corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD), and corneal nerve branch density (CNBD) were significantly reduced in TAO patients compared to healthy controls. The DC density was significantly increased in TAO patients compared to healthy controls (Table 3) (Figs. 1 and 2). No correlation was found between IVCM parameters and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), Graves’ disease duration, The Clinical Activity Score (CAS), and thyroid receptor antibody (Trab) level. There are significant negative correlations between DC density and corneal SBP IVCM parameters, including CNFL, CNFD, and CNBD.
Conclusion
Decreased sub-basal corneal nerve fibers correlated with increased corneal DC density, indicating corneal nerve loss associated with corneal inflammation in TAO patients. However, elucidation of the exact underlying mechanisms warrants further study.
Exhaled breath metabolites reveal postmenopausal gut-bone cross-talk and non-invasive markers for osteoporosis
Authors: Sukul Pritam , Fischer Dagmar-Christiane , Broderius Celine , Grzegorzewski Simon , Rahn Anja , Mittlmeier Thomas , Kreikemeyer Bernd , Reuter Daniel A , Schubert Jochen K. , Miekisch Wolfram 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Menopause driven decline in estrogen exposes women to risk of osteoporosis. Detection of early onset and silent progression are keys to prevent fractures and associated burdens. In a discovery cohort of 120 postmenopausal women (aged: 49 – 90 years), we combined repeated quantitative pulse-echo ultrasonography of bone, assessment of grip strength and serum bone markers with mass-spectrometric analysis of exhaled metabolites to find breath volatile markers and quantitative cutoff levels for osteoporosis. Obtained markers and cutoffs were validated in an independent cohort of 49 age-matched women with 6 months apart seasonal follow-ups. Within the discovery cohort median concentrations (ppbV) of exhaled end-tidal dimethyl sulfide (DMS), allyl-methyl sulfide, butanethiol and butyric acid increased significantly (p≤0.005) by 45.24%, 42.83%, 38.29% and 33.66% in subjects (n=27) with bone density at high-risk of osteoporosis and fracture, when compared to subjects (n=62) with normal bone mineral density (BMD). Increased age and decreased grip strength were concomitant. All these changes were reproduced within the independent validation cohort including seasonal follow-ups. Exhaled metabolite expressions remained age independent in either cohort. Serum bone markers showed random expressions without any reproducibility. DMS exhalations even differed between patients with recent (<1 year), old and without fractures. Metabolite exhalations and BMDs were down-regulated during winter mirroring the regional climate change. ROC analysis in the discovery cohort yielded high classification accuracy (AUC=0.86) of DMS with a cutoff at 15.88 ppbV for osteoporosis, which predicted subjects at high-risk within the independent validation cohort with high (>91%) sensitivity and specificity during both follow-ups. Non-invasive analysis of exhaled DMS allowed more reliable classification of osteoporosis risk than conventional serum bone markers. We identified associations of exhaled organosulfur and short-chain fatty acid markers to bone metabolism in postmenopausal osteoporosis via a gut-bone axis.
Longitudinal cohort protocol study of children with cerebral palsy in China: functional developmental trends, genetic etiology and imaging features of brain
Authors: Peng Tingting , Peng Tingting , Li Jinling , He Zhaoyao , Luo Jie , Zhang Yuan , Hou Qingfen , Fan Danxia , Zhong Mengru , Zhang Yage , Liao Rongji , Zhang Jingbo , Zhou Hongyu , Liu Liru , Zheng Yun , Gao Ting , He Lu , Tang Hongmei , Zhang Jing , Wu Fan , Pi Lei , Lu Jinhua , Liu Hongsheng , Zhou Wenhao , Xu Kaishou 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Introduction:Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common physical disability in children, which brings heavy economic and mental burden to families and society. Nowadays, the clinical management of CP faces with huge challenge due to the unsatisfactory therapeutic effects and the enormous heterogeneity in etiology and clinical manifestations. This study aims to investigate the functional changes and the influential factors of Chinese children with CP, and elucidate the characteristic of brain structure and genetic etiology, thus to provide solutions for the prevention and treatment of children with CP and the decision-making of health management in this group.
Methods and analysis: This prospective cohort study aims to recruit 1547 children with CP in China. Participants will receive basic information investigation (such as birth history, family history and comorbidities), functional assessments (gross and fine motor function, cognitive and linguistic function, quality of life, social life ability, eating and drinking ability, behavior problems, sleep, pain and nutritional status) and regular follow-ups, whole-genome analysis, brain and musculoskeletal imaging examination. In addition, quality of life and emotional problems will be analysed for caregivers. Correlation analysis, logistic regression binary or multivariate logistic regression, linear/non-linear mixed-effects regression models and structural-equation models will be conducted in this study.
Discussion: This study will observe the functional changes and their risk factors in children with CP their caregivers. Plus, the pathogenic genes and imaging features will be explored in this study. These will help understand the the progression of disease changes in children with CP and the impact of the targeted disease on caregivers. Also, more new and valuable evidence about etiology of CP will be unveiled.
Trial registration: The study protocol (2023-12-22) has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (NO. ChiCTR2300079017).
Development of QSARs for Cysteine-containing di- and tripeptides with antioxidant activity. Influence of the cysteine position
Authors: Garro Lucas A. , Andrada Matias F. , Vega-Hissi Esteban G. , Barberis Sonia , Martinez Juan Ceferino Garro 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Antioxidants agents play an essential role in the food industry improving the oxidative stability of food products. In the last years, the search for new natural antioxidants has increased due to the potential high toxicity of chemical additives. Therefore, the synthesis and evaluation of the antioxidant activity in peptides is a field of current research. In this study, we performed a Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship analysis (QSAR) of cysteine-containing 19 dipeptides and 19 tripeptides. The main objective is to bring information on the relationship between the structure of peptides and their antioxidant activity. For this purpose, 1D and 2D molecular descriptors were calculated using the PaDEL software, which provide information about the structure, shape, size, charge, polarity, solubility and other aspects of the compounds. Different QSAR model for di- and tripeptides were developed. The statistic parameter for di-peptides model (R2train = 0.947 and R2test = 0.804) and for tripeptide models (R2train = 0.863 and R2test = 0.789) indicate that the generated models have high predictive capacity. Then, the influence of the cysteine position was analyzed predicting the antioxidant activity for new di- and tripeptides, and comparing with glutathione.
Dietary silymarin improves performance by altering hepatic lipid metabolism and intestinal microbiota function and its metabolites in late laying hens
Authors: GUO Yanghao , Xu Yudong , Wang Derun , Yang Shihao , Song Zehe , HE XI 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background
Liver lipid dysregulation in late laying hens is one of the most major factors resulting in performance production decline. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of silymarin (SIL) on performance, liver lipid metabolism, cecal microbiota and its metabolites in late laying hens.
Results
A total of 480 sixty-eight weeks Roman Pink layers were randomly assigned to 5 groups: control group fed with basal diet (CON), experimental groups fed the basal diet with 250, 500, 750 or 1,000 mg/kg silymarin (SIL250, SIL500, SIL750, and SIL1000, respectively). Results showed that there was a quadratic increase in laying rate (P < 0.05) with increasing addition of SIL during 1 to 4 weeks. And the laying rate of CON group during 9 to 12 weeks were significantly declined compared with 1 to 4 weeks (P < 0.05), while SIL supplemented groups showed no significant during the whole experiment period (P > 0.05). The average egg weight of SIL500 and SIL750 group were higher than CON group during 5 to 8 weeks (P < 0.05). Compared with CON group, average daily feed intake of hens during the whole period in SIL750 group was significantly higher and feed-egg ratio in SIL500 group from 5 to 8 weeks was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Additionally, shell strength at week 4 and thickness at week 8 increased quadratically (P < 0.05) in response to the increasing addition of SIL at week 4(P < 0.05.) SIL500 group significantly decreased the serum ALT and AST activity compared with CON group (P < 0.05). Serum triglycerides, total cholesterol levels decreased quadratically (P < 0.05) in response to the increasing addition of SIL at week 12. Moreover, the SIL groups significantly regulated the expression of FASN, ACC, Apo-VLDLⅡ, FXR, CYP7A1 in liver (P < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary SIL supplementation altered the cecal microbiological structure and three species of phocaeicola were dominated microbial functions which were enriched in secondary bile acid synthesis. Targeted metabolomics analyses revealed 9 metabolites that were significantly different that enriched in Thiamin metabolism and the ATP-binding cassette transporters (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
Dietary silymarin improves performance by altering hepatic lipid metabolism and intestinal microbiota function and metabolites in late laying hens.
Evidence of Significant Intratumoral Transcriptomic Heterogeneity in Non-functioning Pituitary Adenomas Based on Location and Texture
Authors: Behzadi Faraz , Woldt Parker L. , Tsiang John T. , Zisgray Brandon , Luy Diego D. , Singh Meharvan , Larsen Peter , Germanwala Anand V. 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Pituitary adenomas are one of the most common primary tumors of the central nervous system, and surgical resection remains a standard treatment. These tumors have significant intratumoral variability of growth rates and texture hardness. This preliminary study aims to identify variations in gene expression of different locations and textures within the same tumor in the hopes of better explaining tumor pathophysiology and potentially providing a basis for further investigation.
Methods
Non-functioning pituitary adenoma tissue samples were collected from four non-consecutive surgical adult patients undergoing endoscopic endonasal resection and were sent for next generation transcriptomics. Significantly differentially expressed (SDE) genes were analyzed within different locations of tumor and tumor firmness and across patients. Ontology analysis was carried out on the SDE genes.
Results
One hundred and sixty-four SDE genes were identified: 264 across tumor texture (firm vs soft), and 68 across location marginality (core vs edge). A total of 132 gene ontology annotations were matched to all SDE genes. More than 80% of these annotations involved a combination of cell metabolism, cell-cell interactions, and cell division.
Conclusions
There was significant evidence of variations and uniqueness in intratumor genetic heterogeneity within areas of different location, tumor texture, and across patients. The tumor edge had a higher expression of cell-cell interaction genes such as cadherin binding proteins. Soft tumors experienced an upregulation of anaerobic metabolism and cell division genes. The uniqueness of gene expressions can be tested for biological function, prospectively, with the potential targets for gene-therapy.