bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mitochondria-related lncRNAs: predicting prognosis, tumor microenvironment and treatment response in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhou Qianhui , Xiong Jiali , Gao Yan , Yi Rong , Xu Yuzhu , Chen Quefei , Wang Lin , Chen Ying 
Published: October 2023

AbstractLung cancer is the most common type of malignant tumor that affects people in China and even across the globe, as it exhibits the highest rates of morbidity and mortality. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a type of lung cancer with a very high incidence. The purpose of this study was to identify potential biomarkers that could be used to forecast the prognosis and improve the existing therapy options for treating LUAD. Clinical and RNA sequencing data of LUAD patients were retrieved from the TCGA database, while the mitochondria-associated gene sets were acquired from the MITOMAP database. Thereafter, Pearson correlation analysis was carried out to screen mitochondria-associated lncRNAs. Furthermore, univariate Cox and Lasso regression analyses were used for the initial screening of the target lncRNAs for prognostic lncRNAs before they could be incorporated into a multivariate Cox Hazard ratio model. Then, the clinical data, concordance index, Kaplan–Meier (K-M) curves, and the clinically-relevant subjects that were approved by the Characteristic Curves (ROC) were employed for assessing the model's predictive value. Additionally, the differences in immune-related functions and biological pathway enrichment between high- and low-risk LUAD groups were examined. Nomograms were developed to anticipate the OS rates of the patients within 1-, 3-, and 5 years, and the differences in drug sensitivity and immunological checkpoints were compared. In this study, 2175 mitochondria-associated lncRNAs were screened. Univariate, multivariate, and Lasso Cox regression analyses were carried out to select 13 lncRNAs with an independent prognostic significance, and a prognostic model was developed. The OS analysis of the established prognostic prediction model revealed significant variations between the high- and low-risk patients. The AUC-ROC values after 1, 3, and 5 years were seen to be 0.746, 0.692, and 0.726, respectively. The results suggested that the prognostic model riskscore could be used as an independent prognostic factor that differed from the other clinical characteristics. After analyzing the findings of the study, it was noted that both the risk groups showed significant differences in their immune functioning, immunological checkpoint genes, and drug sensitivity. The prognosis of patients with LUAD could be accurately and independently predicted using a risk prediction model that included 13 mitochondria-associated lncRNAs.
Reinforcement learning for shared autonomy drone landings
Authors: Backman Kal , Kulić Dana , Chung Hoam 
Published: October 2023

AbstractNovice pilots find it difficult to operate and land unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), due to the complex UAV dynamics, challenges in depth perception, lack of expertise with the control interface and additional disturbances from the ground effect. Therefore we propose a shared autonomy approach to assist pilots in safely landing a UAV under conditions where depth perception is difficult and safe landing zones are limited. Our approach is comprised of two modules: a perception module that encodes information onto a compressed latent representation using two RGB-D cameras and a policy module that is trained with the reinforcement learning algorithm TD3 to discern the pilot’s intent and to provide control inputs that augment the user’s input to safely land the UAV. The policy module is trained in simulation using a population of simulated users. Simulated users are sampled from a parametric model with four parameters, which model a pilot’s tendency to conform to the assistant, proficiency, aggressiveness and speed. We conduct a user study ($$n=28$$

n
=
28

) where human participants were tasked with landing a physical UAV on one of several platforms under challenging viewing conditions. The assistant, trained with only simulated user data, improved task success rate from 51.4 to 98.2% despite being unaware of the human participants’ goal or the structure of the environment a priori. With the proposed assistant, regardless of prior piloting experience, participants performed with a proficiency greater than the most experienced unassisted participants.
Seismic risk-informed prioritisation of multi-span RC girder bridges considering knowledge-based uncertainty
Authors: Nettis Andrea , Raffaele Domenico , Uva Giuseppina 
Published: October 2023

AbstractIn earthquake-prone countries, transport network managers need to perform extensive seismic risk assessments coping with a considerable number of bridges characterised by an unsatisfying knowledge level and designed in the past without anti-seismic requirements. This study proposes a framework for efficient risk assessment of multi-span girder bridges considering knowledge-based uncertainties. The framework is intended to be applied to risk-informed prioritisation of bridge portfolios. It is based on subsequent modules that involve the input of knowledge data, the simulation of knowledge-based uncertainties, simplified seismic analysis, fragility and loss assessment. The seismic vulnerability of a given bridge is represented by loss ratio percentiles related to a given seismic intensity measure which can be used to quantify the expected annual losses and the corresponding variability due to the influence of knowledge-based uncertainty. A case-study section demonstrates the framework for the widespread category of simply supported girder-reinforced concrete bridges. It addresses issues such as the use of optimal intensity measures, the required number of model realisations and discrepancies with respect to accurate nonlinear time-history analysis. Finally, an illustrative example of the proposed framework for eight case-study bridges in Southern Italy demonstrates its applicability for seismic risk-informed prioritisation of critical bridges and for directing in-depth knowledge data collections where needed.
Dissolved polycyclic aromatic compounds in Canada’s Athabasca River in relation to Oil Sands from 2013 through 2019
Authors: Lévesque Lucie M. J. , Roy Julie , Glozier Nancy E. , Dirk Leah , Cooke Colin A. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe Canada-Alberta Oil Sands Monitoring (OSM) Program began long-term surface water quality monitoring on the lower Athabasca River in 2012. Sampling of low level, bio-accumulative polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) targeted a suite of parent and alkylated compounds in the Athabasca River (AR) mainstem using semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs). Samples were collected along a gradient from upstream reference near Athabasca, Alberta, through exposure to the Athabasca oil sands deposit (AOSD), various tributary inflows, and mining activities within the OSMA, to downstream recovery near Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) and reference on the Slave River. The program adapted over the years, shifting in response to program review and environmental events. The AOSD chemical fingerprint was present in samples collected within the AOSD, through the oil sands mineable area (OSMA), downstream to recovery from 2013 to 2019. PACs were dominated by alkylated phenanthrenes/anthracenes (PAs) and dibenzothiophenes (Ds), with elevated levels of alkylated fluorenes (Fs), naphthalenes (Ns), fluoranthenes/pyrenes (FlPys) and benzo[a]anthracenes/chrysenes (BaACs), increasing in concentration from C1 < C2 < C3 < C4. Concentrations of these petrogenic PACs were at their highest within the OSMA and downstream of tributaries. The AOSD fingerprint was absent from sites located outside of the influence of the AOSD and downstream of the Peace-Athabasca Delta on the Slave River. PAC concentrations in the AR increased with mainstem discharge and loadings from tributaries, were moderated by the PAD, and diluted by the Peace River. This work bolsters the baseline PAC information previously reported for the Athabasca River and waters downstream, reporting 7 years of data, from all sites within the mainstem monitoring program, and exploring potential regional and hydrological drivers of these between sites and over time.
Do male reproductive traits evolve at the intraspecific level in response to the amount of placentotrophy in a genus of viviparous fishes?
Authors: Domínguez-Castanedo Omar , Suárez-Rodríguez Monserrat , Solano-Zavaleta Israel , Zúñiga-Vega J. Jaime 
Published: October 2023

AbstractPlacentotrophy is a particular type of maternal provisioning to developing embryos, in which mothers actively provide nutrients via complex placental structures. Placentotrophy implies less pre-fertilization investment, resulting in a shift from pre- to post-copulatory sexual selection. This change can potentially result in a conflict between females and males. This phenomenon has been demonstrated at the interspecific level in viviparous fishes of the family Poeciliidae, in which males of species that lack placentotrophy have evolved traits related to pre-copulatory sexual selection such as coloration, ornaments, and courtship behavior. Placentotrophic species, on the other hand, have evolved traits associated with post-copulatory sexual selection such as long intromittent organs (gonopodium) and increased sexual coercion behavior. Here we test, for the first time at the intraspecific level, whether there is a similar relationship between a higher degree of female placentotrophy and the evolution of male reproductive traits (larger testes and longer gonopodia) in three species of the genus Poeciliopsis (P. gracilis, P. infans, and P. prolifica). We observed a tendency towards longer gonopodia in males of P. gracilis as well as the largest testes of P. prolifica males in the populations with the highest degrees of placentotrophy. However, the statistical support for these findings was relatively weak. Therefore, we failed to support the hypothesis of a selective effect of female placentotrophy on male gonads and genitalia. We discuss other evolutionary forces that may have driven the observed intraspecific variation in male reproductive traits of Poeciliopsis fishes.
Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 Relieves Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury by Suppressing JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Cai Mengsi , Ye Huihui , Zhu Xiayan , Li Xiuchun , Cai Luqiong , Jin Jiajia , Chen Qiwen , Shi Yuzhe , Yang Lehe , Wang Liangxing , Huang Xiaoying 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAcute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life‐threatening disease without an effective drug at present. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) was reported to be protective against inflammation in metabolic disease in recent studies. However, the role of FGF21 in ALI has been rarely investigated. In this study, it was found that the expression of FGF21 was markedly increased in lung tissue under lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in vivo, whereas it was decreased in lung epithelial cells under LPS stimulation in vitro. Therefore, our research aimed to elucidate the potential role of FGF21 in LPS-induced ALI and to detect possible underlying mechanisms. The results revealed that the deficiency of FGF21 aggravated pathological damage, inflammatory infiltration, and pulmonary function in LPS-induced ALI, while exogenous administration of FGF21 improved these manifestations. Moreover, through RNA sequencing and enrichment analysis, it was unveiled that FGF21 might play a protective role in LPS-induced ALI via JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. The therapeutic effect of FGF21 was weakened after additional usage of JAK2 activator in vivo. Further investigation revealed that FGF21 significantly inhibited STAT3 phosphorylation and impaired the nuclear translocation of STAT3 in vitro. In addition, the aggravation of inflammation caused by silencing FGF21 can be alleviated by JAK2 inhibitor in vitro. Collectively, these findings unveil a potent protective effect of FGF21 against LPS-induced ALI by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, implying that FGF21 might be a novel and effective therapy for ALI.
Depth-based Sampling and Steering Constraints for Memoryless Local Planners
Authors: Nguyen Binh T. , Nguyen Linh , Choudhury Tanveer A. , Keogh Kathleen , Murshed Manzur 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBy utilizing only depth information, the paper introduces a novel two-stage planning approach that enhances computational efficiency and planning performances for memoryless local planners. First, a depth-based sampling technique is proposed to identify and eliminate a specific type of in-collision trajectories among sampled candidates. Specifically, all trajectories that have obscured endpoints are found through querying the depth values and will then be excluded from the sampled set, which can significantly reduce the computational workload required in collision checking. Subsequently, we apply a tailored local planning algorithm that employs a direction cost function and a depth-based steering mechanism to prevent the robot from being trapped in local minima. Our planning algorithm is theoretically proven to be complete in convex obstacle scenarios. To validate the effectiveness of our DEpth-based both Sampling and Steering (DESS) approaches, we conducted experiments in simulated environments where a quadrotor flew through cluttered regions with multiple various-sized obstacles. The experimental results show that DESS significantly reduces computation time in local planning compared to the uniform sampling method, resulting in the planned trajectory with a lower minimized cost. More importantly, our success rates for navigation to different destinations in testing scenarios are improved considerably compared to the fixed-yawing approach.
SOME REMARKS ON SOBOLEV AND BI-SOBOLEV MAPPINGS
Authors: D’Onofrio Luigi , Molica Bisci Giovanni 
Published: October 2023

AbstractIn this note, we present the state-of-the-art theory of bi-Sobolev mappings. We recall that f is a Sobolev homeomorphism if f belongs to $$W^{1,1}_\text {loc}\cap \textrm{Hom}(\Omega ; \Omega ')$$

W
loc

1
,
1

∩
Hom

(
Ω
;

Ω
′

)

, and f is a bi-Sobolev map if and only if f and $$f^{-1}$$

f

-
1

are Sobolev homeomorphisms. This concept, introduced in Hencl et al. (J. Math. Anal. Appl. 355, 22–32 2009), plays a central role in Geometric Function Theory. For instance, we just mention here that maps of bi-Sobolev type are strictly related to the notion of mappings of finite distortion; see, among others, the papers (Hencl and Koskela 2014) Pratelli (Nonlinear Anal. 154, 258–268 2017).
Communications Infrastructure, Technological Solutionism and the International Legal Imagination
Authors: Joyce Daniel 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThis article considers the role played by communications infrastructure within the international legal imagination. It engages with contemporary debates regarding the power of corporate digital platforms and their model of information capitalism. An international legal historical perspective is adopted in order to contextualise international law’s present infrastructural turn and connect current debates over big tech with their precursors. The history of international legal engagement with the development of communications infrastructure reveals a recurring pattern of looking to technological infrastructure for solutions to global problems. This can act to empower private actors and contribute to an ongoing absence of meaningful international legal regulation of communications. The contemporary interest in infrastructure, and its implications in terms of fostering the private power of big tech over global communications, is in many ways a return. But it could also take account of alternative visions for international law which were present at key moments during the League of Nations era and the Cold War. Connecting current debates with those earlier moments in international legal history can help to highlight and counter continuing patterns of technological solutionism within the international legal imagination.
Telomere maintenance mechanism subtype reveals different immune activity in vestibular schwannoma
Authors: Sung Ji-Yong , Lee Jung Woo 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Background
The immortality of cancer cells relies on maintaining the length of telomeres, which prevents cellular senescence and enables unlimited replication. However, little is currently known about telomerase activity and the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) in vestibular schwannomas. In this study we aimed to elucidate the role that telomerase and ALTs play in vestibular schwannomas.

Methods
To address this gap, we conducted a study where we used the gene set variation analysis algorithm with bulk RNA-seq and single-cell RNA-seq to identify the characteristics of each group of patients with vestibular schwannomas, based on their telomere maintenance mechanism subtype.

Results
Our findings suggest that patients with relatively high ALT-like groups have a better prognosis than those with relatively high telomerase groups. Specifically, we found that the high telomerase group had relatively higher antigen-presenting cell (APC) activity than the high ALT like group. At the single-cell level, microglia, neutrophils, and fibroblasts showed high telomerase activity and relatively high APC activity compared to other cell types. In addition, Schwann cells in the group with low ALT levels exhibited elevated immune activity at the single-cell level.

Conclusion
These results suggest that personalized drug therapy could be developed from the perspective of precision medicine for patients with relatively high telomerase activity and a high ALT-like group.
A saturated stochastic simulator: synthetic US Gulf coast tropical cyclone precipitation fields
Authors: Nakamura Jennifer , Lall Upmanu , Kushnir Yochanan , Harr Patrick A. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe space–time fields of rainfall during a hurricane and tropical storm (TC) landfall are critical for coastal flood risk preparedness, assessment, and mitigation. We present an approach for the stochastic simulation of rainfall fields that leverages observed, high-resolution spatial fields of historical landfalling TCs rainfall that is derived from multiple instrumental and remote sensing sources, and key variables recorded for historical TCs. Spatial realizations of rainfall at each time step are simulated conditional on the variables representing the ambient conditions. We use 6 hourly precipitation fields of tropical cyclones from 1983 to 2019 that made landfall on the Gulf coast of the US, starting from 24 h before landfall until the end of the track. A conditional K-nearest neighbor method is used to generate the simulations. The TC attributes used for conditioning are the preseason large-scale climate indices, the storm maximum wind speed, minimum central pressure, the latitude and speed of movement of the storm center, and the proportion of storm area over land or ocean. Simulation of rainfall for three hurricanes that are kept out of the sample: Katrina [2005], Rita [2005], and Harvey [2017] are used to evaluate the method. The utility of coupling the approach to a hurricane track simulator applied for a full season is demonstrated by an out-of-sample simulation of the 2020 season.
Enhanced gain Raman amplifiers using different pumping schemes
Authors: Mustafa Fathy M. , Sayed Ahmed F. , Aly Moustafa H. , Elmisery F. A. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractRaman amplifiers (RAs) can be represented as one of the best solutions for transmission techniques, where they can compensate attenuation and transmit the optical signal to long-haul distances. This work proposes and investigates two cascaded models (multi-stages of RAs) for enhancing the received power and the overall gain. This study includes three fiber types: Dispersion Shifted Fiber, Truewave and Freelight fibers at 100 km distance and pumping powers of 500, 600 and 700 mW. The obtained results reveal that the best results gain is 46.46 dB and the power of output signal is 42.47 dBm achieved at 700 mW pump power with Truewave fiber. The models are compared with previously published work, where the gain and the output signal power are enhanced to more than 66.58–85.84%.
The Application of the Metacognitive Model of Desire Thinking and Craving in Problematic Social Networking Sites Use
Authors: Bocci Benucci Sara , Tonini Benedetta , Roffo Giulia , Casale Silvia , Fioravanti Giulia 
Published: October 2023

AbstractCognitive models of addictive behaviours have highlighted the central role of Desire Thinking (DT) – a conscious and voluntary cognitive process orienting to prefigure images and information about a positive target-related experience – in increasing craving and maintaining addictive behaviors. The metacognitive model of DT and craving posits that metacognition plays a central role in understanding dysregulation in DT. The current study aims to test the role of metacognitions about DT, DT, and craving in the relationship between Fear of Missing Out (FoMo), boredom proneness, negative emotional reactivity and Problematic Social Network Sites Use (PSNSU). A sample of 529 participants (Mage= 32.45 ± 13.33; F = 62.9%) completed an online survey. The hypothesised model produced an adequate fit to the data and accounted for 86% of PSNSU variance. FoMO predicted positive metacognitions about DT (PMDT), which predicted DT that, in association with craving, predicted PSNSU. Boredom proneness positively predicted PSNSU directly and indirectly through the serial mediation of PMDT, DT, and craving. A direct path between negative emotional reactivity and PSNSU was found. The current findings provide preliminary evidence for applying the metacognitive model of DT and craving in PSNSU. PMDT and DT may be central cognitive processes in craving and PSNSU for individuals who experience boredom proneness and FoMo.
Meta-analysis of blood indices and production physiology of broiler chickens on dietary fermented cassava intervention
Authors: Ogbuewu I.P. , Mabelebele M. , Mbajiorgu C.A. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe effects of dietary fermented cassava on the blood constituents and production parameters of broiler chickens have been reported with variable outcomes. Therefore, this investigation aimed to explore the impacts of dietary fermented cassava on growth traits, blood constituents, visceral organ, and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. Four databases were searched for studies that assessed responses of broiler chickens dietary fermented cassava. Eleven articles were used for the investigation, and data generated were analysed using OpenMEE software. A random effects model was used, and effect sizes were presented as standardised mean difference (SMD) at a 95 % confidence interval (CI). Sources of heterogeneity were evaluated using the following modifiers: broiler strain used, cassava form, feeding duration, type of microbes used for the fermentation, and inclusion level of cassava. Results indicate that fermented cassava-based diets increased feed intake (SMD = 0.38; 95 % CI: 0.11, 0.65; P = 0.006), feed conversion ratio (SMD = 1.26; 95 % CI: 0.91, 1.61; P < 0.001), white blood cells (SMD = 1.26; 95 % CI: 0.54, 1.98; P < 0.001), total serum protein (SMD = 1.23; 95 % CI: 0.41, 2.05; P = 0.003), serum cholesterol (SMD = 0.43; 95 % CI: 0.01, 0.85; P = 0.050), serum creatinine (SMD = 2.53; 95 % CI: 0.53, 4.53; P = 0.013), and serum uric acid (SMD = 4.33; 95 % CI: 6.25, 2.41; P < 0.001), but lowered average daily gain and carcass yield, taking heterogeneity into account. Results reveal that studied modifiers were responsible for the inconsistent results among authors. In conclusion, dietary fermented cassava negatively influenced carcass yield, growth performance, and aspects of blood indices of broiler chickens, but did not affect abdominal fat content, visceral organ weights, and cut-part weights. However, more innovative research is needed to improve the feeding quality of cassava using other biotechnological tools in order to maximise its potential as an energy source in broiler chickens.