bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Active Quasi-Circulator based on Wilkinson Power Divider For Miniaturized Wireless Communication System
Authors: Song Kaijun , Zhao Meng , Fan yong 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
An active quasi-circulator based on Wilkinson power divider has been proposed and analyzed in this paper. A power divider, two common-source connected transmits and receive transistor amplifiers are used to consist of the circuit. The single conductivity of the transistor and the isolation of the power divider's isolation resistor are used to eliminate the interference between the received and transmitted signals, thus achieving the role of the quasi-circulator. The advantage of this circuit is that the received and transmitted electromagnetic signals can be amplified by two transistor amplifiers to a certain extent, which can save the design of additional signal power amplification circuits and improve the efficiency of circuit design. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed structure, an active quasi-circulator with a frequency band of 5GHz-6GHz is designed and the simulated structure is machined and fabricated. According to the measured results, in the frequency band of 5GHz-6GHz, the input return loss of antenna port is lower than − 10dB, the output return loss of transmit and receive ports are lower than − 15dB, and the degree of isolation between receive and transmit branches of the quasi-circulator is lower than − 18.6dB, which shows that the quasi-circulator has good working characteristics.
Impact of Climate Change on water diversion risk of Inter‑basin Water Diversion Project
Authors: Mu Linhui , Bai Tao , Liu Dong , Li Lei 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Aiming at impact of climate Change on water diversion risk of Inter‑basin Water Diversion Project, this paper constructs a risk operation system based on runoff forecast and risk theory. Firstly, this study uses the EEMD-LSTM model to predict future runoff processes. Secondly, the runoff forecast data is incorporated into the data source. The risk degree formula is deduced by the risk theory. Finally, taking risk degree as decision variable established a risk operation model and develop a risk operating scheme. Results indicate that: (1) The risk dispatching scheme transfers the water diversion risk from the dry period to the wet period, to reduce the probability of extreme risk. (2) The time distribution and variation law of water diversion risk are consistent between the water source area and the water receiving area. The spatial law of water diversion risk is decreasing transmission from the water source area to the water receiving area. (3) Risk source and risk bearing body of the water receiving area are directly related to the water shortage and its probability distribution. Rate of socio-economic loss decreases with the increase of water shortage probability. The research results have important application value for risk control of inter-basin water diversion projects and regional security of water supply.
Influence of hormonal changes in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia
Authors: Droege Freya , Thangavelu Kruthika , Koeninger Angela , Huessler Eva Maria , Lang Stephan , Stuck Boris A. , Geisthoff Urban W. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background:Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare and systemic vascular disorder which is characterized by recurrent epistaxis and mucocutaneous telangiectasia. The role of hormones in reducing epistaxis in these patients is assumed but so far clear evidence is missing.
An electronic questionnaire in English and German was distributed which included sections about the general medical history of HHT and the influence of hormonal changes on the disease symptoms.
Results:Of the 477 respondents with HHT 326 were female, i.e. 68%. The mean age of female patients was 54 years (standard deviation: ± 11.5 years, range [28, 83]). With aging, females suffered from more epistaxis compared to male patients. Out of the 228 female patients who stated that they had ever taken hormones, 73% have been taking hormones for contraception, 57% for hyper-/dysmenorrhea and 26% for menopausal discomfort. Under hormone intake 41% of the women with HHT stated an improvement of their nosebleeds, and 24% that their telangiectasia decreased. Patients who took estrogen and progestin combinations reported less epistaxis. Most female patients reported that their epistaxis increased during puberty (41%) and during pregnancy (39%), mainly in the second trimester.
Conclusions:In HHT, variation in levels of hormone concentrations seemed to contribute to symptom severity. A tentative off-label use of hormonal products might be discussed with women.
Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02690246
Unnatural amino acid substitutions to improve in vivo stability and tumor uptake of 68Ga-labeled GRPR-targeted TacBOMB2 derivatives for cancer imaging with positron emission tomography
Authors: Wang Lei , Kuo Hsiou-Ting , Zhang Zhengxing , Zhang Chengcheng , Chen Chao-Cheng , Chapple Devon , Wilson Ryan , Colpo Nadine , Bénard François , Lin Kuo-Shyan 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Overexpressed in various solid tumors, gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) is a promising cancer imaging marker and therapeutic target. Although antagonists are preferable for the development of GRPR-targeted radiopharmaceuticals due to potentially fewer side effects, internalization of agonists may lead to longer tumor retention and better treatment efficacy. In this study, we systematically investigated unnatural amino acid substitutions to improve in vivo stability and tumor uptake of a previously reported GRPR-targeted agonist tracer, [68Ga]Ga-TacBOMB2 (68Ga-DOTA-Pip-D-Phe6-Gln7-Trp8-Ala9-Val10-Gly11-His12-Leu13-Thz14-NH2).
Results
Unnatural amino acid substitutions were conducted for Gln7, Trp8, Ala9, Val10, Gly11 and His12, either alone or in combination. Out of 25 unnatural amino acid substitutions, tert-Leu10 (Tle10) and NMe-His12 substitutions were identified to be preferable modifications especially in combination. Compared with the previously reported [68Ga]Ga-TacBOMB2, the Tle10 and NMe-His12 derived [68Ga]Ga-LW01110 showed retained agonist characteristics and improved GRPR binding affinity (Ki = 7.62 vs 1.39 nM), in vivo stability (12.7 vs 89.0% intact tracer in mouse plasma at 15 min post-injection) and tumor uptake (5.95 vs 16.6%ID/g at 1 h post-injection).
Conclusions
Unnatural amino acid substitution is an effective strategy to improve in vivo stability and tumor uptake of peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals. With excellent tumor uptake and tumor-to-background contrast, [68Ga]Ga-LW01110 is promising for detecting GRPR-expressing cancer lesions with PET. Since agonists can lead to internalization upon binding to receptors and foreseeable long tumor retention, our optimized GRPR-targeted sequence, [Tle10,NMe-His12,Thz14]Bombesin(7–14), is a promising template for use for the design of GRPR-targeted radiotherapeutic agents.
Causal Effects of Gut Microbiota on Female Reproductive Tract Inflammation and Infertility: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Feng Zhoushan , Chen Jieyun , Zhang Yuliang , Jia Chunhong , Du Lili , Chen Dunjin 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Studies indicate a potential connection between gut microbiota and reproductive health issues in women, such as inflammation and infertility. However, the exact relationship remains uncertain, highlighting the need for further research.
Results
A two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between gut microbiota and pelvic inflammatory diseases and infertility. The study identified that specific gut microbiota, such as Lachnospiraceae UCG001 and Ruminococcus 2, increased the risk of inflammatory disorders in female pelvic organs (OR [95%CI]: 1.13 [1.01–1.26] and 1.16 [1.03–13.1], respectively). In contrast, Butyricicoccus and Prevotella 7 were associated with a reduced risk. Further validation with another dataset confirmed Butyricicoccus's role in decreasing pelvic inflammatory disease risk. The study also found a causal relationship between gut microbiota and inflammation in specific pelvic organs, including salpingitis and oophoritis, uterine inflammation, cervical inflammation, and vulvar or vaginal inflammation. Regarding female infertility, Faecalibacterium was linked to an increased risk (1.31 [1.08–1.60]), while genera like Erysipelotrichaceae UCG003 and Ruminococcus (torques group) were associated with lower risks. Further analyses showed a causal connection between gut microbiota and various types of infertility, including anovulation, tubal factors, and others. These results were further confirmed by sensitivity analysis, and no reverse causation was found.
Conclusions
This study provides compelling evidence for the causal relationship between gut microbiota and female reproductive health. Identification of specific bacterial genera associated with increased or decreased risk offers new possibilities for early diagnosis and targeted treatment.
Automatic feature extraction by supervised and contrastive self-supervised learning based on wavelet and hard negatives to detect HIFU lesion area
Authors: Zavar Matineh , Ghaffary Hamid Reza , Tabatabaee Hamid 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The adoption of Deep Neural Networks has surged due to their ability to automatically extract features and employ diverse approaches in data analysis. This research proposes a novel feature extraction method that doesn't rely on labeled training data, particularly considering the utilization of hard negatives. Given the remarkable success of DNN-based models in analyzing various medical images, including disease diagnosis and detection, this paper delves into diagnosing the lesion area against the normal area, particularly in the context of the non-invasive treatment of HIFU. Monitoring and analyzing inputs related to the lesion area are crucial to prevent damage to normal tissue during the heating process. However, several challenges exist in ultrasound medical imaging, including small sample sizes, data lacking labels, and the time-intensive nature of deep supervised training. These challenges have motivated the introduction of a new self-supervised deep learning method. While supervised learning excels in accuracy, unlabeled data holds valuable information discarded in supervised approaches. Conversely, ultrasonic data's nature lies in the RF signal, offering a detailed acoustic structure of tissue. Acknowledging the limitations and advantages of each method, an effective approach leveraging both signal and image simultaneously is presented. This integrated method enhances diagnostic capabilities and contributes to improve monitoring of HIFU procedures. The proposed methodology for classifying HIFU lesion areas attained high performance metrics: 95% accuracy, 94% precision, 96% recall, and a 95% F1-score. These outcomes underscore the efficacy of the proposed method in accurately classifying HIFU lesion areas.
Genetic diversity and population structure of the corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in the subtropical region of America
Authors: Brentassi María Eugenia , Virla Eduardo Gabriel , Aulicino Mónica , Franco Mario Emilio Ernesto , Paradell Susana Liria , Balatti Pedro , Lenicov Ana María Marino de Remes 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

The corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis, is the vector of the disease complex known as "Corn Stunt," a serious threat to corn production in subtropical regions of South America. The aim of this study was to estimate the structure and genetic differentiation of D. maidis populations from three distinct geographical regions collected during two maize growing seasons in northwestern Argentina using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers. Populations in the Monte High-altitude Valley and Dry Plain sites, despite being geographically separated by mountains of high elevations, were genetically similar, while the nearest populations located in Humid Piedmont and Dry Plain were the most genetically different. The results suggested that the populations of D. maidis in subtropical maize-growing areas are structured according to the climatic conditions, mainly humidity and precipitation. Additionally, this structure might be influenced by annual migrants from northern tropical areas, as well as by individuals that occasionally survive from one season to the next as occurs in the Humid Piedmont region.
Robotic Mitral Valve Repair: impact of experience on costs, results, and complex mitral disease treatment
Authors: Lio Antonio , Sangiorgi Beatrice , Nicolò Francesca , Russo Marco , Chirichilli Ilaria , Irace Francesco , Ranocchi Federico , Musumeci Francesco 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background. Robotically assisted mitral valve (MV) surgery is the least invasive surgical approach to the MV. The aim of the present study is to report 10-year experience with robotically assisted MV repair trying to define how experience could impact on costs and postoperative results.Methods. Retrospective study on 144 patients who underwent robotic MV repair from November 2011 to March 2023. Patients were divided in two groups: Group 1, including 39 patients (November 2011- January 2013) operated using the Da Vinci Si system and Group 2, including 105 patients operated (February 2020 - March 2023) using the new Da Vinci Xi system.Results. Mean age was 58 ± 10 years. Increased use of external aortic clamp was observed in Group 2. A significant reduction of surgical times was observed: cardiopulmonary bypass time was 155 ± 44 minutes in Group 1 and 121 ± 36 minutes in Group 2 (P = 0.002), whereas cross-clamp time was 112 ± 25 minutes in Group 1 and 68 ± 39 minutes in Group 2 (P < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was 0.7%. 10-year survival was 96 ± 2%. Freedom from reoperation was 100%. A higher percentage of complex and most complex MV repairs were performed in Group 2 (36% in Group 1 vs 52% in Group 2, P = 0.001).Conclusion. Robotic assisted MV repair is associated with excellent results. Experience is a key element to overcome the limitations of this technology, including costs. Finally, the robotic platform could improve results in difficult MV repair.
Combined use of TLR4 and TLR7/8 agonists to improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in “hot” tumor treatment and the establishment of long-term immune protection
Authors: Wang Mengjiao , Wan Quan , Wang Chenglv , Jing Qianyu , Nie Yujie , Zhang Xiangyan , Chen Xin , Yang De , Pan Runsang , Li Linzhao , Zhu Lan , Gui Huan , Chen Shuanghui , Deng Yuezhen , Chen Tao , Nie Yingjie 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Immunocheckpoint inhibitors, as an efficient cancer treatment, can only benefit some patients, so it is still necessary to find a better treatment strategy. As the strongest antigen presenting cell in human body, dendritic cells (DCs) play an important role in innate and adaptive immune response. Previous research has shown that the combination of toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) and toll-like receptor 7/8(TLR7/8) agonists can mutually stimulate DCs, thus they are being used in a mouse tumor model together with the recently discovered TNFR2 immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) to promote Th1 response and restrain immune tolerance in the tumor microenvironment. The findings indicate that triple therapy exhibits the capability to eliminate “hot” tumors, enhance the secretion of T cytokines, and enhance the migration and maturation of DCs, consequently leading to anti-tumor effects, as well as creating long-term tumor-specific protection. The ineffectiveness on “cold” tumors may be attributable to their low immunogenicity. This research simultaneously creates a fresh theoretical foundation for preclinical treatments of cancer.
BTK inhibitors upregulate NKG2D ligand expression by modulating IL-10/STAT3 in activated non-GCB diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells
Authors: Jia zhuxia , Xiao Bitao , Li Jin , Cai Xiaohui , Han Wenmin , Qin Wei , Lu Xuzhang 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the role of the IL-10/STAT3 pathway in BTK inhibitor-induced NKG2D ligand (MICA and ULBP2) expression in non-GCB DLBCL cells. The expression of NKG2D ligands and IL-10/STAT3 in SUDHL4, U2932 and OCI-LY3 cells was detected by western blotting. After stimulation of the BCR signalling pathway with IgM antibodies, NKG2D ligand expression levels were significantly reduced, as were IL-10 and p-STAT3 levels. Ibrutinib treatment produced the opposite effects of IgM antibody treatment. Treatment of U2932 and OCI-LY3 cells with a STAT3 inhibitor (STAT3-IN-1) upregulated NKG2D ligand expression and downregulated IL-10 expression. When IL-10 neutralizing antibodies were added, p-STAT3 expression levels decreased, while NKG2D ligand expression levels increased. Similar results to those of ibrutinib were obtained when the BTK inhibitors ACP-196 and BGB-3111 were added. Our findings indicate that the IL-10/STAT3 pathway is involved in the upregulation of NKG2D ligands induced by BTK inhibitors in U2932 and OCI-LY3 cells.
Online Catalog of Activity Events of Solar Cycle 24 Related to Active Regions
Authors: Tsvetkov Tsvetan , Nakeva Yoana , Petrov Nikola 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

We present a statistical study on the relationship of solar dynamic events (solar flares and coronal mass ejections) with active regions during solar cycle 24 (December 2008 -- December 2019). Combining data from NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center and observations of Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft we found that more than a half of the coronal mass ejections were generated inside active regions. Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) soft X-ray flare listing data completed our study showing that almost 83% of solar cycle 24 flares are connected with active regions. Finally, we summarize the details for the related phenomena into an online catalog based on a list of all 1533 active regions that produced at least one flare and/or coronal mass ejection during solar cycle 24 and explore their properties like flare class, coronal mass ejection speed and angular width paying special attention to the most powerful and threatful to Earth solar events.
Repeatability and agreement of a Scheimpflug–Placido tomography and a Partial Coherence Interferometer in keratoconus and normal eyes
Authors: Özkan Yaprak , Gökçınar Nesrin Büyüktortop 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
PURPOSE
To assess the repeatability and agreement of anterior segment measurements obtained using a partial coherence interferometry − based optical biometry device (AL − Scan) and a combined Scheimpflug − Placido disc system corneal topography device (Sirius) in keratoconic and normal eyes.
METHODS
Central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior chamber depth (ACD), white-to-white distance (WTW), and keratometry values were measured in keratoconic and normal eyes using AL − Scan and Sirius. The agreement, repeatability, and reliability of the measurements were assessed.
RESULTS
The study included a total of 82 keratoconus patients (82 eyes) and 100 healthy subjects (100 eyes). The mean CCT and the mean ACD values of Sirius were significantly higher than those of AL − Scan in both groups (p < 0.001). WTW was not significantly different between the devices (p > 0.05). In keratometric comparisons between devices, there was mostly no significant difference in normal eyes, whereas almost all of them were significantly different in keratoconic eyes. Reliability was excellent in all parameters for both devices (intra-class-correlation [ICC] > 0.9). Repeatability was excellent in all parameters for all devices (coefficient-of-variation [CoV] < 1%) except for the CCT in keratoconic eyes (CoV) < 3%).
CONCLUSIONS
Both the AL − Scan and the Sirius are devices providing highly repeatable and reliable measurements, not only in healthy eyes but also in keratoconus. However, the agreement between these devices in eyes with keratoconus is very poor for parameters other than WTW.
TET1 regulates responses to house dust mite by altering chromatin accessibility, DNA methylation, and gene expression in airway epithelial cells
Authors: Brown Anthony P. , Parameswaran Sreeja , Cai Lucy , Elston Sweeney , Pham Chi , Barski Artem , Weirauch Matthew T. , Ji Hong 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background Previous studies have identified TET1 as a potential key regulator of genes linked to asthma. TET1 has been shown to transcriptionally respond to house dust mite extract, an allergen known to directly cause allergic asthma development, and regulate the expression of genes involved in asthma. How TET1 regulates expression of these genes, however, is unknown. TET1 is a DNA demethylase; therefore, most prior research on TET1-based gene regulation has focused on how TET1 affects methylation. However, TET1 can also interact directly with transcription factors and histone modifiers to regulate gene expression. Understanding how TET1 regulates expression to contribute to allergic responses and asthma development thus requires a comprehensive approach. To this end, we measured mRNA expression, DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility and histone modifications in control and TET1 knockdown human bronchial epithelial cells treated or untreated with house dust mite extract. Results Throughout our analyses, we detected strong similarities between the effects ofTET1knockdown alone and the effects of HDM treatment alone. One especially striking pattern was that bothTET1knockdown and HDM treatment generally led to decreased chromatin accessibility at largely the same genomic loci. Transcription factor enrichment analyses indicated that altered chromatin accessibility following the loss of TET1 may affect, or be affected by, CTCF and CEBP binding. TET1 loss also led to changes in DNA methylation, but these changes were generally in regions where accessibility was not changing. Conclusions TET1 regulates gene expression through different mechanisms (DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility) in different parts of the genome in the airway epithelial cells, which mediates inflammatory responses to allergen. Collectively, our data suggest novel molecular mechanisms through which TET1 regulates critical pathways following allergen challenges and contributes to the development of asthma.