bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Muscle diffusion MRI reveals autophagic buildup in a mouse model for Pompe disease
Authors: Rohm Marlena , Russo Gabriele , Helluy Xavier , Froeling Martijn , Umathum Vincent , Südkamp Nicolina , Manahan-Vaughan Denise , Rehmann Robert , Forsting Johannes , Jacobsen Frank , Roos Andreas , Shin Yoon , Schänzer Anne , Vorgerd Matthias , Schlaffke Lara 
Published: December 2023

AbstractQuantitative muscle MRI is increasingly important in the non-invasive evaluation of neuromuscular disorders and their progression. Underlying histopathotological alterations, leading to changes in qMRI parameters are incompletely unraveled. Early microstructural differences of unknown origin reflected by Diffusion MRI in non-fat infiltrated muscles were detected in Pompe patients. This study employed a longitudinal approach with a Pompe disease mouse model to investigate the histopathological basis of these changes. Monthly scans of Pompe (Gaa6neo/6neo) and wildtype mice (age 1–8 months) were conducted using diffusion MRI, T2-mapping, and Dixon-based water-fat imaging on a 7 T scanner. Immunofluorescence studies on quadriceps muscles were analyzed for lysosomal accumulations and autophagic buildup and correlated with MRI outcome measures. Fat fraction and water-T2 did not differ between groups and remained stable over time. In Pompe mice, fractional anisotropy increased, while mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) decreased in all observed muscles. Autophagic marker and muscle fibre diameter revealed significant negative correlations with reduced RD and MD, while lysosomal marker did not show any change or correlation. Using qMRI, we showed diffusion changes in muscles of presymptomatic Pompe mice without fat-infiltrated muscles and correlated them to autophagic markers and fibre diameter, indicating diffusion MRI reveals autophagic buildup.
Tg1.4HBV-s-rec mice, a crossbred hepatitis B virus-transgenic model, develop mild hepatitis
Authors: Schefczyk Stefan , Luo Xufeng , Liang Yaojie , Hasenberg Mike , Walkenfort Bernd , Trippler Martin , Schuhenn Jonas , Sutter Kathrin , Lu Mengji , Wedemeyer Heiner , Schmidt Hartmut H. , Broering Ruth 
Published: December 2023

AbstractHepatitis B virus (HBV)-transgenic mice exhibit competent innate immunity and are therefore an ideal model for considering intrinsic or cell-based mechanisms in HBV pathophysiology. A highly replicative model that has been little used, let alone characterized, is the Tg1.4HBV-s-rec strain derived from cross breeding of HBV-transgenic mouse models that either accumulate (Alb/HBs, Tg[Alb1-HBV]Bri44) or lack (Tg1.4HBV-s-mut) the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Tg1.4HBV-s-rec hepatocytes secreted HBsAg, Hepatitis B extracellular antigen (HBeAg) and produced HBV virions. Transmission electron microscopy visualised viral particles (Tg1.4HBV-s-rec), nuclear capsid formations (Tg1.4HBV-s-mut and Tg1.4HBV-s-rec) and endoplasmic reticulum malformations (Alb/HBs). Viral replication in Tg1.4HBV-s-rec and Tg1.4HBV-s-mut differed in HBsAg expression and interestingly in the distribution of HBV core antigen (HBcAg) and HBV × protein. While in Tg1.4HBV-s-mut hepatocytes, the HBcAg was located in the cytoplasm, in Tg1.4HBV-s-rec hepatocytes, the HBcAg appeared in the nuclei, suggesting a more productive replication. Finally, Tg1.4HBV-s-rec mice showed symptoms of mild hepatitis, with reduced liver function and elevated serum transaminases, which appeared to be related to natural killer T cell activation. In conclusion, the study of Alb/HBs, Tg1.4HBV-s-mut and their F1 progeny provides a powerful tool to elucidate HBV pathophysiology, especially in the early HBeAg-positive phases of chronic infection and chronic hepatitis.
Multifunctional coil technique for alignment-agnostic and Rx coil size-insensitive efficiency enhancement for wireless power transfer applications
Authors: Yoon Seoyeon , Lim Taejun , Lee Yongshik 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis paper presents a multifunctional coil technique to enhance the transfer efficiency of an inductively-coupled wireless power transfer (WPT) system, regardless of the alignment condition and size ratio between the transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx) coils. The technique incorporates an auxiliary coil on the Tx side, where current is induced through coupling from the primary coil. Since the Tx coil consists of two coils, transmission to the Rx occurs through the coil with the higher coupling coefficient, determined by the misalignment state. Additionally, by controlling this current using a varactor placed on the auxiliary coil, an optimal magnetic flux is generated based on the alignment condition and/or the size of the Rx coil. In perfect alignment, the auxiliary coil focuses the flux from the Tx to the Rx coil, maximizing transfer efficiency. In misalignment scenarios, the current on the auxiliary coil is adjusted to shift the effective center of the Tx coil, achieving the strongest alignment of the magnetic flux traversing the Rx coil. This adjustment, which can be controlled adaptively based not only on the degree of misalignment but also on the size of the Rx coil, enables virtually null-free operation across varying misalignment conditions and for different Rx sizes. Furthermore, as this multifunctionality of the proposed system is achieved with a minimal number of additional components-just a single auxiliary coil and a single varactor-the impact on the overall quality factor (Q) of the system is minimized, contributing to the higher efficiency. In a size-symmetric system, where the Tx and Rx coils have the same size, the efficiency reaches 98.1% in perfect alignment and remains above 60% with up to 135% misalignment relative to the largest coil dimension. In a size-asymmetric system, with the Rx coil reduced to a quarter of the Tx coil, the efficiency is 96.1% in perfect alignment and remains above 60% up to 95% misalignment. Despite its enhanced practicality through a simple structure featuring only one auxiliary coil and an asymmetric configuration integrated solely on the Tx side, the proposed technique surpasses previous methods by delivering significantly superior performance. Moreover, it demonstrates unprecedented tolerance to both misalignment and smaller Rx coil sizes, which is frequently encountered in practical applications.
Manually compressed soil blocks stabilised by fly ash based geopolymer: a promising approach for sustainable buildings
Authors: Bui Quoc-Bao , Nguyen Tan-Phat , Schwede Dirk 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe construction industry is one of the sectors which have significant impacts on the environment. The research on sustainable materials is a demand of society. This paper presents an investigation on the use of fly ash (FA) geopolymer binder for the production of unburnt bricks. First, an optimisation process for the ratio of alkaline activator solution (AAS) and FA was performed. The blocks were obtained by compressing the materials in a mould by hand, similar to the traditional technique of the adobes. Different ratios of AAS in the blocks were investigated: 6%, 8%, 12% and 20% by mass, respectively. Two curing temperatures were tested: ambient temperature and at 60 °C. Then, different properties of the blocks were determined: flexural tensile strength, compressive strengths (in the quasi-dry state and in the saturated state), water absorption. The techniques of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were also used for the analyses of the results obtained. The results showed that the blocks with 20% AAS had highest compressive strengths with an average of 24 MPa at 28 days, while the recommended AAS amount for both technical and economical points of view was 8%, with a mean compressive strength of 13 MPa at 28 days. The ratio between the saturated compressive strength on the quasi-dry compressive strength was higher than 0.5, which satisfied the current exigencies from the standards. These exploratory results are important for practice applications of this type of blocks.
Factors related to the performance of laypersons diagnosing pigmented skin cancer: an explorative study
Authors: Beeler Nadja , Ziegler Esther , Navarini Alexander A. , Kapur Manu 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIt is important but challenging for prospective health professionals to learn the visual distinction between potentially harmful and harmless skin lesions, such as malignant melanomas and benign nevi. Knowledge about factors related to diagnostic performance is sparse but a prerequisite for designing and evaluating evidence-based educational interventions. Hence, this study explored how the characteristics of 240 skin lesions, the number of classified lesions and the response times of 137 laypeople were related to performance in diagnosing pigmented skin cancer. Our results showed large differences between the lesions, as some were classified correctly by more than 90% and others by less than 10% of the participants. A t-test showed that for melanomas, the correct diagnosis was provided significantly more often than for nevi. Furthermore, we found a significant Pearson correlation between the number of solved tasks and performance in the first 50 diagnostic tasks. Finally, t-tests for investigating the response times revealed that compared to true decisions, participants spent longer on false-negative but not on false-positive decisions. These results provide novel knowledge about performance-related factors that can be useful when designing diagnostic tests and learning interventions for melanoma detection.
Techno-economic analysis of natural gas distribution using a small-scale liquefied natural gas carrier
Authors: Budiyanto Muhammad Arif , Putra Gerry Liston , Riadi Achmad , Gunawan  , Febri Apri Melianes , Theotokatos Gerasimos 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe design of the gas distribution for small-demand power plants located on remote islands is logistically challenging. The use of small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels can be an option for these logistic problems. This paper aims to conduct a techno-economic analysis of using small-scale LNG vessels for gas distribution to the power plants that are spread across different islands. Route optimisation has been conducted using the capacitated vehicle routing problem method. The ship’s principal dimensions were determined using the aspect ratio from a linear regression of existing small-scale LNG vessels. As a case study, the gas demands for a gas power plant in eastern Indonesia were analysed into four distribution clusters. The results of the techno-economic analysis showed that the four distribution clusters have different characteristics regarding the LNG requirements, location characteristics and ship specifications. The capacity of small-scale LNG vessels feasible in terms of technical aspects varies from 2500, 5000, to > 10,000 m3 with variations in the ship speed depending on the location of the power plants. The amount of cargo requested and the shipping distance was affected to the cost of LNG transportation. The economic assessment proposes that the feasible investment by considering small-scale LNG cargo distribution, from the case study shows that with a ship capacity of 5000 m3 feasible margin rate is ≥ 3 USD/metric million British thermal units with an internal rate of return of 10% and estimated payback period is less than 15 years.
For plantar taping, direction of elasticity matters
Authors: Bruening Dustin A. , Messick Cody L. , Waid Davis C. , Krupp Tanner D. , Stringer Jessica R. , Parry Dylan J. , Berry Levi J. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractPlantar taping has been used in clinical settings as a short-term conservative treatment for plantar heel pain and related pathologies. The rise of at-home taping methods may offer patients more independence, but effectiveness has not been established. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of plantar taping on foot mechanics during gait. We hypothesized that material compliance would drive mechanical effectiveness, with longitudinally inelastic tape reducing medial longitudinal arch (MLA) motion and anterior/posterior (A/P) plantar tissue spreading forces, and laterally inelastic tape reducing medial/lateral (M/L) tissue spreading. We also hypothesized that these effects would be influenced by foot structure. Fifteen healthy participants were tested in a randomized cross-over study design. Barefoot (BF) plus four taping methods were evaluated, including two inelastic tapes (Low-Dye, LD, and FasciaDerm, FD) along with longitudinally elastic kinesiology tape (KT) and a novel laterally elastic kinesiology tape (FAST, FS). Participants’ arch height and flexibility were measured followed by instrumented gait analysis with a multi-segment foot model. Ankle eversion and MLA drop/rise were calculated from rearfoot and forefoot reference frames, while plantar tissue spreading was calculated from shear stresses. ANOVAs with Holm pairwise tests evaluated tape effects while correlations connected arch structure and taping effectiveness (α = 0.05). The three longitudinally inelastic tapes (LD, FD, FS) reduced MLA drop by 11–15% compared with KT and BF. In late stance, these tapes also inhibited MLA rise (LD by 29%, FD and FS by 10–15%). FS and FD reduced A/P spreading forces, while FD reduced M/L spreading forces compared with all other conditions. Arch height had a moderately strong correlation (r = -0.67) with the difference in MLA drop between BF and FS. At-home plantar taping can affect the mechanical function of the foot, but tape elasticity direction matters. Longitudinally elastic kinesiology tape has little effect on mechanics, while inelastic tapes control MLA drop but also restrict MLA rise in late stance. Lateral elasticity does not limit tissue spreading and may increase comfort without sacrificing MLA control. At-home taping has the potential to broaden conservative treatment of plantar heel pain, flat foot deformity, and related pathologies, but additional studies are needed to connect mechanics with symptom relief.
Reconstitution of C9orf72 GGGGCC repeat-associated non-AUG translation with purified human translation factors
Authors: Ito Hayato , Machida Kodai , Hasumi Mayuka , Ueyama Morio , Nagai Yoshitaka , Imataka Hiroaki , Taguchi Hideki 
Published: December 2023

AbstractNucleotide repeat expansion of GGGGCC (G4C2) in the non-coding region of C9orf72 is the most common genetic cause underlying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Transcripts harboring this repeat expansion undergo the translation of dipeptide repeats via a non-canonical process known as repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. In order to ascertain the essential components required for RAN translation, we successfully recapitulated G4C2-RAN translation using an in vitro reconstituted translation system comprising human factors, namely the human PURE system. Our findings conclusively demonstrate that the presence of fundamental translation factors is sufficient to mediate the elongation from the G4C2 repeat. Furthermore, the initiation mechanism proceeded in a 5′ cap-dependent manner, independent of eIF2A or eIF2D. In contrast to cell lysate-mediated RAN translation, where longer G4C2 repeats enhanced translation, we discovered that the expansion of the G4C2 repeats inhibited translation elongation using the human PURE system. These results suggest that the repeat RNA itself functions as a repressor of RAN translation. Taken together, our utilization of a reconstituted RAN translation system employing minimal factors represents a distinctive and potent approach for elucidating the intricacies underlying RAN translation mechanism.
Sparse-firing regularization methods for spiking neural networks with time-to-first-spike coding
Authors: Sakemi Yusuke , Yamamoto Kakei , Hosomi Takeo , Aihara Kazuyuki 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe training of multilayer spiking neural networks (SNNs) using the error backpropagation algorithm has made significant progress in recent years. Among the various training schemes, the error backpropagation method that directly uses the firing time of neurons has attracted considerable attention because it can realize ideal temporal coding. This method uses time-to-first-spike (TTFS) coding, in which each neuron fires at most once, and this restriction on the number of firings enables information to be processed at a very low firing frequency. This low firing frequency increases the energy efficiency of information processing in SNNs. However, only an upper limit has been provided for TTFS-coded SNNs, and the information-processing capability of SNNs at lower firing frequencies has not been fully investigated. In this paper, we propose two spike-timing-based sparse-firing (SSR) regularization methods to further reduce the firing frequency of TTFS-coded SNNs. Both methods are characterized by the fact that they only require information about the firing timing and associated weights. The effects of these regularization methods were investigated on the MNIST, Fashion-MNIST, and CIFAR-10 datasets using multilayer perceptron networks and convolutional neural network structures.
Development of a ferroptosis-based molecular markers for predicting RFS in prostate cancer patients
Authors: Chen Jinquan , Zhang Longbin , Luo Yiling , Tan Chao , Hu Huang , Jiang Yuling , Xi Na , Zeng Qinghai , Peng H. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe goal of this study was to develop a ferroptosis-based molecular signature that can predict recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa). In this study, we obtained ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) in FerrDb database and clinical transcriptome data in TCGA database and GEO database. Consensus cluster analysis was used to identify three molecular markers of ferroptosis in PCa with differential expression of 40 FRGs, including PD-L1 expression levels. We conducted a new ferroptosis-related signature for PCa RFS using four FRGs identified through univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The signature was validated in the training, testing, and validation cohorts, and it demonstrated remarkable results in the area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.757, 0.715, and 0.732, respectively. Additionally, we observed that younger patients, those with stage T III and stage T IV, stage N0, cluster 1, and cluster 2 PCa were more accurately predicted by the signature as independent predictors of RFS. DU-145 and RWPE-1 cells were successfully analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western blot for ASNS, GPT2, RRM2, and NFE2L2. In summary, we developed a novel ferroptosis-based signature for RFS in PC, utilizing four FRGs identified through univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. This signature was rigorously validated across training, testing, and validation cohorts, demonstrating exceptional performance as evidenced by its ROC curves. Notably, our findings indicate that this signature is particularly effective as an independent predictor of RFS in younger patients or those with stage T III and T IV, stage N0, and in clusters 1 and 2. Finally, we confirmed the expression of these four FRGs in DU-145 and RWPE-1 cell lines.
Super-resolution imaging for the detection of low-energy ion tracks in fine-grained nuclear emulsions
Authors: Alexandrov Andrey , Asada Takashi , Borbone Fabio , Tioukov Valeri , De Lellis Giovanni 
Published: December 2023

AbstractWe propose a new wide-field imaging method that exploits the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance phenomenon to produce super-resolution images with an optical microscope equipped with a custom design polarization analyzer module. In this paper we describe the method and apply it to the analysis of low-energy carbon ion tracks implanted in a nuclear emulsion film. The result is then compared with the measurements of the same tracks carried out at an electronic microscope. The images set side by side show their close similarity. The resolution achieved with the current microscope setup is estimated to be about 50 nm.
Ensemble deep-learning networks for automated osteoarthritis grading in knee X-ray images
Authors: Pi Sun-Woo , Lee Byoung-Dai , Lee Mu Sook , Lee Hae Jeong 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe Kellgren–Lawrence (KL) grading system is a scoring system for classifying the severity of knee osteoarthritis using X-ray images, and it is the standard X-ray-based grading system for diagnosing knee osteoarthritis. However, KL grading depends on the clinician’s subjective assessment. Moreover, the accuracy varies significantly depending on the clinician’s experience and can be particularly low. Therefore, in this study, we developed an ensemble network that can predict a consistent and accurate KL grade for knee osteoarthritis severity using a deep learning approach. We trained individual models on knee X-ray datasets using the most suitable image size for each model in an ensemble network rather than using datasets with a single image size. We then built the ensemble network using these models to overcome the instability of single models and further improve accuracy. We conducted various experiments using a dataset of 8260 images from the Osteoarthritis Initiative open dataset. The proposed ensemble network exhibited the best performance, achieving an accuracy of 76.93% and an F1-score of 0.7665. The Grad-CAM visualization technique was used to further evaluate the focus of the model. The results demonstrated that the proposed ensemble network outperforms existing techniques that have performed well in KL grade classification. Moreover, the proposed model focuses on the joint space around the knee to extract the imaging features required for KL grade classification, revealing its high potential for diagnosing knee osteoarthritis.
Investigating the bearing performance of the foundation under the combined effects of flood scouring and soaking
Authors: Han Zheng , Ding Haohui , Yan Hongdi , Zeng Chuicheng , Li Changli , Xie Wendu , Fu Bangjie , Li Yange 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBearing capacity degradation of foundations under the impact of the flood is one of the major reasons responsible for the collapse and damage to the rural buildings, posing a serious threat to the local village societies. Based on a case study of a rural building foundation had been destroyed by flooding. This paper investigated the deterioration process of rural building foundations under the combined effect of dynamic scouring and static soaking caused by flooding. Using the two-dimensional shallow water equation, erosion depth was calculated for different flood velocities. Then, the bearing capacity degradation under the combined scouring-soaking effect was analyzed using the finite element method. Finally, investigating the influence of inflow direction and building group masking on the foundation's bearing capacity. The results indicate that under the combined effect, the bearing capacity of village building foundations decreases by 47.88%, with scouring slightly more impactful than soaking. Inflow angle has minimal effect on bearing performance, while the masking effect of the building group provides better protection for the foundation of rear buildings.