bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Physiological and stoichiometric characterization of ethanol-based chain elongation in the absence of short-chain carboxylic acids
Authors: Allaart Maximilienne Toetie , Fox Bartholomeus B. , Nettersheim Ingo H. M. S. , Pabst Martin , Sousa Diana Z. , Kleerebezem Robbert 
Published: October 2023

AbstractHexanoate is a valuable chemical that can be produced by microorganisms that convert short-chain- to medium-chain carboxylic acids through a process called chain elongation. These microorganisms usually produce mixtures of butyrate and hexanoate from ethanol and acetate, but direct conversion of ethanol to hexanoate is theoretically possible. Steering microbial communities to ethanol-only elongation to hexanoate circumvents the need for acetate addition and simplifies product separation. The biological feasibility of ethanol elongation to hexanoate was validated in batch bioreactor experiments with a Clostridium kluyveri-dominated enrichment culture incubated with ethanol, acetate and butyrate in different ratios. Frequent liquid sampling combined with high-resolution off-gas measurements allowed to monitor metabolic behavior. In experiments with an initial ethanol-to-acetate ratio of 6:1, acetate depletion occurred after ± 35 h of fermentation, which triggered a metabolic shift to direct conversion of ethanol to hexanoate despite the availability of butyrate (± 40 mCmol L−1). When only ethanol and no external electron acceptor was supplied, stable ethanol to hexanoate conversion could be maintained until 60–90 mCmol L−1 of hexanoate was produced. After this, transient production of either acetate and butyrate or butyrate and hexanoate was observed, requiring a putative reversal of the Rnf complex. This was not observed before acetate depletion or in presence of low concentrations (40–60 mCmol L−1) of butyrate, suggesting a stabilizing or regulatory role of butyrate or butyrate-related catabolic intermediates. This study sheds light on previously unknown versatility of chain elongating microbes and provides new avenues for optimizing (waste) bioconversion for hexanoate production.
Spatiotemporal-based automated inundation mapping of Ramsar wetlands using Google Earth Engine
Authors: Goyal Manish Kumar , Rakkasagi Shivukumar , Shaga Soumya , Zhang Tian C. , Surampalli Rao Y. , Dubey Saket 
Published: October 2023

AbstractWetlands are one of the most critical components of an ecosystem, supporting many ecological niches and a rich diversity of flora and fauna. The ecological significance of these sites makes it imperative to study the changes in their inundation extent and propose necessary measures for their conservation. This study analyzes all 64 Ramsar sites in China based on their inundation patterns using Landsat imagery from 1991 to 2020. Annual composites were generated using the short-wave infrared thresholding technique from June to September to create inundation maps. The analysis was carried out on each Ramsar site individually to account for its typical behavior due to regional geographical and climatic conditions. The results of the inundation analysis for each site were subjected to the Mann–Kendall test to determine their trends. The analysis showed that 8 sites exhibited a significantly decreasing trend, while 14 sites displayed a significantly increasing trend. The accuracy of the analysis ranged from a minimum of 72.0% for Hubei Wang Lake to a maximum of 98.0% for Zhangye Heihe Wetland National Nature Reserve. The average overall accuracy of the sites was found to be 90.0%. The findings emphasize the necessity for conservation strategies and policies for Ramsar sites.
A Monte Carlo model of the Dingo thermal neutron imaging beamline
Authors: Jakubowski Klaudiusz , Chacon Andrew , Tran Linh T. , Stopic Attila , Garbe Ulf , Bevitt Joseph , Olsen Scott , Franklin Daniel R. , Rosenfeld Anatoly , Guatelli Susanna , Safavi-Naeini Mitra 
Published: October 2023

AbstractIn this study, we present a validated Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation model of the Dingo thermal neutron imaging beamline at the Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering. The model, constructed using CAD drawings of the entire beam transport path and shielding structures, is designed to precisely predict the in-beam neutron field at the position at the sample irradiation stage. The model’s performance was assessed by comparing simulation results to various experimental measurements, including planar thermal neutron distribution obtained in-beam using gold foil activation and $$^{10}$$

10

B$$_{4}$$

4

C-coated microdosimeters and the out-of-beam neutron spectra measured with Bonner spheres. The simulation results demonstrated that the predicted neutron fluence at the field’s centre is within 8.1% and 2.1% of the gold foil and $$^{10}$$

10

B$$_{4}$$

4

C-coated microdosimeter measurements, respectively. The logarithms of the ratios of average simulated to experimental fluences in the thermal (E$$_{th}<$$

th

<

0.414 eV), epithermal (0.414 eV < E$$_{epi}<$$

epi

<

11.7 keV) and fast (E$$_{fast}>$$

fast

>

11.7 keV) spectral regions were approximately − 0.03 to + 0.1, − 0.2 to + 0.15, and − 0.4 to + 0.2, respectively. Furthermore, the predicted thermal, epithermal and fast neutron components in-beam at the sample stage position constituted approximately 18%, 64% and 18% of the total neutron fluence.
DDX52 gene expression in LUAD tissues indicates potential as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target
Authors: Xu Mingming , Yang Mingjun 
Published: October 2023

AbstractLung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality globally. While DDX52, an ATP-dependent RNA helicase, plays a role in several biological processes, its specific involvement in LUAD is yet to be elucidated. We utilized ROC curves to determine DDX52’s predictive potential for LUAD. Kaplan–Meier survival curves, along with univariate and multivariate Cox analyses, assessed the prognostic implications of DDX52 in LUAD. We constructed nomogram models to further delineate DDX52’s influence on prognosis, employed GSEA for functional analysis, and used qRT-PCR to examine DDX52 expression in LUAD tissues. DDX52 expression was notably higher in LUAD tissues, suggesting its potential as a negative prognostic marker. We observed a direct relationship between DDX52 expression and advanced T and N stages, as well as higher grading and staging in LUAD patients. Cox analyses further underscored DDX52’s role as an independent prognostic determinant for LUAD. GSEA insights indicated DDX52’s influence on LUAD progression via multiple signaling pathways. Our nomogram, founded on DDX52 expression, effectively projected LUAD patient survival, as validated by calibration curves. Elevated DDX52 expression in LUAD tissues signals its potential as a poor prognostic marker. Our findings emphasize DDX52’s role not only as an independent prognostic factor for LUAD but also as a significant influencer in its progression through diverse signaling pathways. The constructed nomogram also underscores the feasibility of predicting LUAD patient survival based on DDX52 expression.
Relating quanta conservation and compartmental epidemiological models of airborne disease outbreaks in buildings
Authors: Wood Samuel G. A. , Craske John , Burridge Henry C. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractWe investigate the underlying assumptions and limits of applicability of several documented models for outbreaks of airborne disease inside buildings by showing how they may each be regarded as special cases of a system of equations which combines quanta conservation and compartmental epidemiological modelling. We investigate the behaviour of this system analytically, gaining insight to its behaviour at large time. We then investigate the characteristic timescales of an indoor outbreak, showing how the dilution rate of the space, and the quanta generation rate, incubation rate and removal rate associated with the illness may be used to predict the evolution of an outbreak over time, and may also be used to predict the relative performances of other indoor airborne outbreak models. The model is compared to a more commonly used model, in which it is assumed the environmental concentration of infectious aerosols adheres to a quasi-steady-state, so that the the dimensionless quanta concentration is equal to the the infectious fraction. The model presented here is shown to approach this limit exponentially to within an interval defined by the incubation and removal rates. This may be used to predict the maximum extent to which a case will deviate from the quasi steady state condition.
Baseline treatments and metabolic control of 288,913 type 2 diabetes patients in a 10-year retrospective cohort in Malaysia
Authors: Wan Kim Sui , Mustapha Feisul , Chandran Arunah , Ganapathy Shubash Shander , Zakariah Nurhaliza , Ramasamy Sivarajan , Subbarao Gunenthira Rao , Mohd Yusoff Muhammad Fadhli 
Published: October 2023

AbstractDiabetes is one of the quickest-growing global health emergencies of the twenty-first century, and data-driven care can improve the quality of diabetes management. We aimed to describe the formation of a 10-year retrospective open cohort of type 2 diabetes patients in Malaysia. We also described the baseline treatment profiles and HbA1c, blood pressure, and lipid control to assess the quality of diabetes care. We used 10 years of cross-sectional audit datasets from the National Diabetes Registry and merged 288,913 patients with the same identifying information into a 10-year open cohort dataset. Treatment targets for HbA1c, blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides were based on Malaysian clinical practice guidelines. IBM SPSS Statistics version 23.0 was used, and frequencies and percentages with 95% confidence intervals were reported. In total, 288,913 patients were included, with 62.3% women and 54.1% younger adults. The commonest diabetes treatment modality was oral hypoglycaemic agents (75.9%). Meanwhile, 19.3% of patients had ≥ 3 antihypertensive agents, and 71.2% were on lipid-lowering drugs. Metformin (86.1%), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (49.6%), and statins (69.2%) were the most prescribed antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and lipid-lowering medications, respectively. The mean HbA1c was 7.96 ± 2.11, and 31.2% had HbA1c > 8.5%. Only 35.8% and 35.2% attained blood pressure < 140/80 mmHg and LDL-cholesterol < 2.6 mmol/L, respectively. About 57.5% and 52.9% achieved their respective triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol goals. In conclusion, data integration is a feasible method in this diabetes registry. HbA1c, blood pressure, and lipids are not optimally controlled, and these findings can be capitalized as a guideline by clinicians, programme managers, and health policymakers to improve the quality of diabetes care and prevent long-term complications in Malaysia.
Pyrazinyl and pyridinyl bis-azomethines formation: an experimental and computational study
Authors: Coufal Radek , Vohlídal Jiří 
Published: October 2023

AbstractFormation of bis-azomethines from hydrazine and heterocyclic aromatic carbaldehydes, namely pyridine-2-carbaldehyde and pyrazine-2-carbaldehyde, is studied using density functional theory. The theoretical investigation is correlated with experimental results obtained by means of NMR spectroscopy. The presence of bis-hemiaminal intermediates is evidenced by NMR spectra while surprisingly stable hemiaminal intermediate was isolated experimentally. Water, methanol and acetic acid were outlined to play a crucial role as active catalysts of elementary steps of the reaction mechanisms. The possible reaction sequences, i.e. addition-dehydration-addition-dehydration or addition-addition-dehydration-dehydration are investigated and discussed. Also, alternative mechanistic path via ionic mechanism was proposed for the formation of hemiaminals.
Seamlessly integrated textile electrodes and conductive routing in a garment for electrostimulation: design, manufacturing and evaluation
Authors: Gunnarsson Emanuel , Rödby Kristian , Seoane Fernando 
Published: October 2023

AbstractElectro-stimulation to alleviate spasticity, pain and to increase mobility has been used successfully for years. Usually, gelled electrodes are used for this. In a garment intended for repeated use such electrodes must be replaced. The Mollii-suit by the company Inerventions utilises dry conductive rubber electrodes. The electrodes work satisfactory, but the garment is cumbersome to fit on the body. In this paper we show that knitted dry electrodes can be used instead. The knitted electrodes present a lower friction against the skin and a garment is easily fitted to the body. The fabric is stretchable and provides a tight fit to the body ensuring electrical contact. We present three candidate textrodes and show how we choose the one with most favourable features for producing the garment. We validate the performance of the garment by measuring three electrical parameters: rise time (10–90%) of the applied voltage, net injected charge and the low frequency value of the skin–electrode impedance. It is concluded that the use of flat knitting intarsia technique can produce a garment with seamlessly integrated conductive leads and electrodes and that this garment delivers energy to the body as targeted and is beneficial from manufacturing and comfort perspectives.
Analysis of tightly-coupled dipole phased array antennas with metasurface superstrate
Authors: Hosseini Seyed Mahdi , Atlasbaf Zahra 
Published: October 2023

AbstractTightly coupled dipole arrays, including connected arrays, and capacitively coupled arrays, are one of the best solutions for wideband phased array antenna designs. However, to increase bandwidth and maximum scan angle, we can use a metasurface superstrate. We propose an analytical model to compute the scan impedance of a tightly coupled dipole array loaded with a metasurface. This analytical model helps us to simplify the calculation of the scan impedance of the array and speeds up the design process of these array antennas. It is shown that the metasurface superstrate improves the bandwidth and beam scanning angles of the array. Using the proposed general transmission line model, the computation of the scan impedance of tightly coupled dipole arrays is done very fast with minimum error. The semi-analytical model is about 7 times faster than a full-wave simulation.
An adaptive categorical effect size method based on intuitionistic meta fuzzy functions
Authors: Yabacı Tak Ayşegül 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThere are several categorical effect size methods in the literature. It is not clear which method performs better for a given dataset and it is a challenging task to select the correct method for a given dataset. In this sense, to overcome the questions like “Which method should we choose?” and “Which categorical effect size method is more reliable for a given dataset?”, an adaptive categorical effect size method based on intuitionistic meta fuzzy functions is introduced in the paper. Thus, the main motivation of the proposed method is to obtain more accurate outcomes by combining the results of better performing methods instead of relying on only one method. In the study, the intuitionistic fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm is adapted to meta fuzzy functions by incorporating not only membership degrees but also non-membership degrees to improve the clustering accuracy of meta fuzzy functions. Meta fuzzy functions are the linear combination of seven categorical effect size methods and the weights, which are calculated from membership grades from intuitionistic fuzzy c-means algorithm. Among the functions, the one with the lowest mean absolute percentage error is selected as the best. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, 2 × 3, 2 × 4, and 3 × 4 contingency tables were simulated. Additionally, the performance of the proposed method is also assessed by applying it to a real-time dataset. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms compared to the evaluated seven categorical effect size methods in terms of mean absolute percentage error. Also, the calculated effect sizes are within the range of ±10% in terms of bias. Thus, the results verified that proposed method achieves greater reliability.
Ambient temperatures associated with reduced cognitive function in older adults in China
Authors: Hou Kun , Xu Xia 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe cognitive function status of older adults determines the social function and living quality of older adults, which is related to the healthy development and stability of the society. However, the impact of high or low ambient temperature on cognitive function in older adults remains unclear. Based on data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), we comprehensively assessed the impact of ambient temperature on the cognitive function of older adults in this study. The findings exhibited that for each 1 °C ascent in monthly temperature of high temperature, the examination score of global cognitive function of older adults decreased by 0.48 (95% CI 0.21–0.74), which was greater than that of 0.14 (95% CI 0.06–0.25) for each 1 °C reduction in low temperature. Overall, the detrimental effect of high temperature on cognitive function in older adults was more significant than that of low temperature, including on the five sub-cognitive functions involved. Our research provides vital technical guidance and reference for the health protection and prevention of cognitive function of older adults in specific external environmental conditions under the current climatic variation and temperature rise.
Deep learning system improved detection efficacy of fetal intracranial malformations in a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Lin Meifang , Zhou Qian , Lei Ting , Shang Ning , zheng Qiao , He Xiaoqin , Wang Nan , Xie Hongning 
Published: October 2023

AbstractCongenital malformations of the central nervous system are among the most common major congenital malformations. Deep learning systems have come to the fore in prenatal diagnosis of congenital malformation, but the impact of deep learning-assisted detection of congenital intracranial malformations from fetal neurosonographic images has not been evaluated. Here we report a three-way crossover, randomized control trial (Trial Registration: ChiCTR2100048233) that assesses the efficacy of a deep learning system, the Prenatal Ultrasound Diagnosis Artificial Intelligence Conduct System (PAICS), in assisting fetal intracranial malformation detection. A total of 709 fetal neurosonographic images/videos are read interactively by 36 sonologists of different expertise levels in three reading modes: unassisted mode (without PAICS assistance), concurrent mode (using PAICS at the beginning of the assessment) and second mode (using PAICS after a fully unaided interpretation). Aided by PAICS, the average accuracy of the unassisted mode (73%) is increased by the concurrent mode (80%; P < 0.001) and the second mode (82%; P < 0.001). Correspondingly, the AUC is increased from 0.85 to 0.89 and to 0.90, respectively (P < 0.001 for all). The median read time per data is slightly increased in concurrent mode but substantially prolonged in the second mode, from 6 s to 7 s and to 11 s (P < 0.001 for all). In conclusion, PAICS in both concurrent and second modes has the potential to improve sonologists’ performance in detecting fetal intracranial malformations from neurosonographic data. PAICS is more efficient when used concurrently for all readers.
Human-specific evolutionary markers linked to foetal neurodevelopment modulate brain surface area in schizophrenia
Authors: Guardiola-Ripoll Maria , Almodóvar-Payá Carmen , Arias-Magnasco Angelo , Latorre-Guardia Mariona , Papiol Sergi , Canales-Rodríguez Erick J. , García-León María Ángeles , Fuentes-Claramonte Paola , Salavert Josep , Tristany Josep , Torres Llanos , Rodríguez-Cano Elena , Salvador Raymond , Pomarol-Clotet Edith , Fatjó-Vilas Mar 
Published: October 2023

AbstractSchizophrenia may represent a trade-off in the evolution of human-specific ontogenetic mechanisms that guide neurodevelopment. Human Accelerated Regions (HARs) are evolutionary markers functioning as neurodevelopmental transcription enhancers that have been associated with brain configuration, neural information processing, and schizophrenia risk. Here, we have investigated the influence of HARs’ polygenic load on neuroanatomical measures through a case-control approach (128 patients with schizophrenia and 115 controls). To this end, we have calculated the global schizophrenia Polygenic Risk Score (Global PRSSZ) and that specific to HARs (HARs PRSSZ). We have also estimated the polygenic burden restricted to the HARs linked to transcriptional regulatory elements active in the foetal brain (FB-HARs PRSSZ) and the adult brain (AB-HARs PRSSZ). We have explored the main effects of the PRSs and the PRSs x diagnosis interactions on brain regional cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA). The results indicate that a higher FB-HARs PRSSZ is associated with patients’ lower SA in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, the superior temporal cortex, the pars triangularis and the paracentral lobule. While noHARs-derived PRSs show an effect on the risk, our neuroanatomical findings suggest that the human-specific transcriptional regulation during the prenatal period underlies SA variability, highlighting the role of these evolutionary markers in the schizophrenia genomic architecture.
Mouse Slfn8 and Slfn9 genes complement human cells lacking SLFN11 during the replication stress response
Authors: Alvi Erin , Mochizuki Ayako L. , Katsuki Yoko , Ogawa Minori , Qi Fei , Okamoto Yusuke , Takata Minoru , Mu Anfeng 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe Schlafen (SLFN)11 gene has been implicated in various biological processes such as suppression of HIV replication, replication stress response, and sensitization of cancer cells to chemotherapy. Due to the rapid diversification of the SLFN family members, it remains uncertain whether a direct ortholog of human SLFN11 exists in mice. Here we show that mSLFN8/9 and hSLFN11 were rapidly recruited to microlaser-irradiated DNA damage tracks. Furthermore, Slfn8/9 expression could complement SLFN11 loss in human SLFN11−/− cells, and as a result, reduced the growth rate to wild-type levels and partially restored sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. In addition, both Slfn8/9 and SLFN11 expression accelerated stalled fork degradation and decreased RPA and RAD51 foci numbers after DNA damage. Based on these results, we propose that mouse Slfn8 and Slfn9 genes may share an orthologous function with human SLFN11. This notion may facilitate understanding of SLFN11’s biological role through in vivo studies via mouse modeling.
Characterization of the AcrIIC1 anti‒CRISPR protein for Cas9‒based genome engineering in E. coli
Authors: Trasanidou Despoina , Potocnik Ana , Barendse Patrick , Mohanraju Prarthana , Bouzetos Evgenios , Karpouzis Efthymios , Desmet Amber , van Kranenburg Richard , van der Oost John , Staals Raymond H. J. , Mougiakos Ioannis 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAnti-CRISPR proteins (Acrs) block the activity of CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins, either by inhibiting DNA interference or by preventing crRNA loading and complex formation. Although the main use of Acrs in genome engineering applications is to lower the cleavage activity of Cas proteins, they can also be instrumental for various other CRISPR-based applications. Here, we explore the genome editing potential of the thermoactive type II-C Cas9 variants from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans T12 (ThermoCas9) and Geobacillus stearothermophilus (GeoCas9) in Escherichia coli. We then demonstrate that the AcrIIC1 protein from Neisseria meningitidis robustly inhibits their DNA cleavage activity, but not their DNA binding capacity. Finally, we exploit these AcrIIC1:Cas9 complexes for gene silencing and base-editing, developing Acr base-editing tools. With these tools we pave the way for future engineering applications in mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria combining the activities of Acr and CRISPR-Cas proteins.