bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preparation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against porcine gasdermin D protein
Authors: Yang Minhui , Ge Xinna , Zhou Lei , Guo Xin , Han Jun , Zhang Yongning , Yang Hanchun 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Pyroptosis is a newly discovered type of pro-inflammatory programmed cell death that plays a vital role in various processes such as inflammations, immune responses, and pathogen infections. As one of the main executioners of pyroptosis, gasdermin D (GSDMD) is a membrane pore-forming protein that typically exists in a self-inhibitory state. Once activated, GSDMD will be cleaved into an N-terminal fragment with pore-forming activity, becoming the key indicator of pyroptosis activation, and a C-terminal fragment. Although commercial antibodies against human and murine GSDMD proteins are currently available, their reactivity with porcine GSDMD (pGSDMD) is poor, which limits research on the biological functions of pGSDMD and pyroptosis in pigs in vivo and in vitro. Here, five monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were prepared by immunizing BALB/c mice with procaryotically expressed full-length pGSDMD, all of which did not cross react with human and murine GSDMD proteins. Epitope mapping demonstrated that 15H6 recognizes amino acids (aa) at positions 28–34 of pGSDMD (LQTSDRF), 19H3 recognizes 257–260aa (PPQF), 23H10 and 27A10 recognize 78–82aa (GPFYF), and 25E2 recognizes 429–435aa (PPTLLGS). The affinity constant and isotype of 15H6, 19H3, 23H10, 27A10, and 25E2 mAbs were determined to be 1.32 × 10−9, 3.66 × 10−9, 9.04 × 10−9, 1.83 × 10−9, and 8.00 × 10−8 mol/L and IgG1/κ, IgG2a/κ, IgG2a/κ, IgG1/κ, and IgG1/κ, respectively. Heavy- and light-chain variable regions sequencing showed that the heavy-chain complementarity-determining region (CDR) sequences of all five mAbs are completely different, while the light-chain CDR sequences of the four mAbs that recognize the N-terminus of pGSDMD are identical. Our prepared mAbs provide valuable materials for studying pGSDMD function and pyroptosis.

Key points
• A total of five mouse anti-pGSDMD mAbs were prepared, of which four recognize the N-terminus of pGSDMD and one recognize its C-terminus.
• The main performance parameters of the five mAbs, including epitope, antibody titer, affinity constant, isotype, and heavy- and light-chain CDR, were characterized.
• All five mAbs specifically recognize pGSDMD protein and do not cross react with human and murine GSDMD proteins.
Long-Term Follow-up and Mortality Rate of Patients of the Randomized Freeway Stent Study
Authors: Hausegger Klaus , Kurre Wiebke , Schröder Henrik , Dambach Johannes , Stahnke Stefanie , Loewe Christian , Schürmann Karl , Fischbach Roman , Textor Jochen , Schäfer Stephan , Müller-Hülsbeck Stephan 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Purpose
This follow-up study was designed as a reopen of the completed Freeway Stent Study and collected mortality and clinical outcome data for at least 5 years after enrollment to evaluate long-term patient safety and treatment efficacy. The primary study enrolled 204 patients with stenosis or occlusion in the superficial femoral artery and proximal popliteal artery. Patients were randomized to primary nitinol stenting followed by standard PTA or primary nitinol stenting followed by FREEWAY™ paclitaxel-eluting balloon PTA.

Methods
Previous patients were recontacted by phone or during a routine hospital visit, and medical records were reviewed. Vital and clinical status information was collected.

Results
No increased late mortality was observed at 5 years, with an all-cause mortality rate of 12.0% in the FREEWAY drug-eluting balloon group versus 15.0% in the non-paclitaxel PTA group. No accumulation of any cause of death was observed in either group, nor was there any correlation with the dose of paclitaxel used. Freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization at 5 years was significantly higher in the FREEWAY drug eluting balloon group (85.3%) compared to standard PTA group (72.7%) Log-rank p = 0.032.

Conclusion
The safety results presented support the recent conclusions that the use of paclitaxel technology does not lead to an increase in mortality. At the same time, the efficacy results clearly demonstrate that the potential benefits of drug-eluting balloon treatment are maintained over a 5-year period.

Graphical Abstract
Multi-period descriptive sampling for scenario generation applied to the stochastic capacitated lot-sizing problem
Authors: Stadtler Hartmut , Heinrichs Nikolai 
Published: January 2024

AbstractUsing scenarios to model a stochastic system’s behavior poses a dilemma. While a large(r) set of scenarios usually improves the model’s accuracy, it also causes drastic increases in the model’s size and the computational effort required. Multi-period descriptive sampling (MPDS) is a new way to generate a small(er) set of scenarios that yield a good fit both to the periods’ probability distributions and to the convoluted probability distributions of stochastic variables (e.g., period demands) over time. MPDS uses descriptive sampling to draw a sample of S representative random numbers from a period’s known (demand) distribution. Now, to create a set of S representative scenarios, MPDS heuristically combines these random numbers (period demands) period by period so that a good fit is achieved to the convoluted (demand) distributions up to any period in the planning interval. A further contribution of this paper is an (accuracy) improvement heuristic, called fine-tuning, executed once the fix-and-optimize (FO) heuristic to solve a scenario-based mixed integer programming model has been completed. Fine-tuning uses linear programming (LP) with fixed binary variables (e.g., setup decisions) generated by FO and iteratively adapts production quantities so that compliance with given expected service level constraints is reached. The LP is solved with relatively little computational effort, even for large(r) sets of scenarios. We show the advancements possible with MPDS and fine-tuning by solving numerous test instances of the stochastic capacitated lot-sizing problem under a static uncertainty approach.
Interaktionen mit soziotechnischen Systemen lernen
Authors: Schramek Renate , Engler Stefanie 
Published: January 2024

ZusammenfassungHintergrundDer Ansatz soziotechnischer Systeme (STS) für ein gelingendes Leben im Alter richtet den Fokus auf die Verbindung technischer und soziokultureller Faktoren in einem. Technologische Systeme sind längst nicht mehr auf einfache Funktionen beschränkt; vielmehr ermöglichen sie individualisierbare Einsätze sowie interaktive Nutzung, verbunden mit komplexen Kommunikations- und Handlungssträngen. Die verbundenen Interaktionen mit dem technischen System legen die Perspektive auf Wechselwirkungen und die Beziehung nahe.Ziel des BeitragsForschungsergebnisse zeigen, dass individualisierbare Funktionen sozialtechnischer Systeme, bezogen auf Akzeptanz und Nutzung, von Älteren positiv bewertet werden. Aus geragogischer Perspektive stellen sich Fragen zur Aneignung der Älteren und zur Gestaltung der Lernprozesse (soziotechnischer Lernarrangements).Material und MethodenEntwickelt wird eine relationale Sicht auf Lern- und Bildungsprozesse rund um Aneignung und Handlungskompetenzerwerb zur Gestaltung mit und zur Nutzung von STS in realweltlichen Situationen, basierend auf einem formativ angelegten qualitativen Forschungsdesign des Projekts „RUBYDemenz“. Speziell werden Daten/Ergebnisse aus Interviews mit freiwillig tätigen Lernbegleitenden, professionell tätigen Praxisbegleitenden, Fokusgruppen und Forschungswerkstätten herangezogen.Ergebnisse und DiskussionVon der Empirie lassen sich Ansatzpunkte für Bildungs- und Lernprozesse zur Kompetenzerweiterung im Kontext von Techniknutzung entwickeln. Ansätze zu Aus‑, Fort- und Weiterbildung schließen an, ebenso wie die Frage, ob der Forschungs‑/Entwicklungsprozess selbst als Lernprozess angelegt sein muss, in den alle Beteiligten als Lernende involviert sind, mit dem Ziel, eine bestmögliche Passung der technischen Lösungen mit den avisierten Einsatzbereichen in realweltlichen Situationen zu erreichen.
Can a new national system policy for science and technology promote industrial restructuring in China’s national innovation center cities?
Authors: Song Zhendong , Xu Geni , Jiao Bing 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWe establish two types of difference-in-difference (DID) models to study the effects of the policy shocks of the new national system of science and technology on the rationalization and advancedization of industrial structure of national innovation center (NIC) cities. Meanwhile, considering the differences in resource endowment between NIC cities and general cities, we use propensity matching analysis (PSM) to establish matching data on the basis of benchmark data to empirically demonstrate the effect of this policy shock on the industrial structure of NIC cities. The study shows that the policy shock has a promoting effect on the level of industrial structure rationalization in the NIC cities, but not significant effect on the industrial structure advancedization, the improvement of the financing environment can promote the development of industrial structure advancement, the growth of personal wealth has a promoting effect on the industrial structure rationalization, and the increase of the government investment is not conducive to the advancement of industrial structure, although it can promote the rationalization of the industrial structure in China’s NIC cities. Compared with the eastern NIC cities, this policy shock has a greater effect on the rationalization of industrial structure in the Central-western NIC cities of China. In addition, the financing environment and per capita income of NIC cities have a moderating effect on the rationalization of industrial structure under the policy shock. Therefore, NIC cities should actively promote the promotion effect of this policy on the rationalization of industrial structure.
Lower Jurassic (Pliensbachian–Toarcian) marine paleoenvironment in Western Europe: sedimentology, geochemistry and organic petrology of the wells Mainzholzen and Wickensen, Hils Syncline, Lower Saxony Basin
Authors: Burnaz Linda , Littke Ralf , Grohmann Sebastian , Erbacher Jochen , Strauss Harald , Amann Florian 
Published: January 2024

AbstractOver the past few decades, Toarcian (Early Jurassic) black shale deposits of NW Europe have been extensively studied, and the possible global and regional mechanisms for their regional variation have been discussed. In this context, the black shales of the Northwest German Basin are still sparsely studied with regard to their palaeo-depositional history. This study aims to understand the connection between regional and global influences on the widespread Early Toarcian oceanic anoxic event by examining two wells covering the Upper Pliensbachian to Upper Toarcian sediments in the Northwestern German Basin. The core intervals were analysed using a multidisciplinary approach, including geochemistry, biostratigraphy and organic petrography. Marine palaeoenvironmental changes were reconstructed, and sediment sequences were stratigraphically classified to allow a supra-regional stratigraphic correlation. The results reveal complex interactions between sea level changes, climate warming, basin confinement, and Tethys–Arctic connectivity resulting in the Toarcian black shale deposition. Upper Pliensbachian sediments were deposited under terrigenous influence, shallow water depths, and predominantly oxic bottom water conditions. The deposition of black shale is characterized by algal organic material input and anoxic bottom water conditions. Strong correlations between water stratification, anoxia, and bioproductivity suggest that global warming and intensification of monsoonal rainfall, continental weathering, and increasing freshwater and nutrient inputs were the main factors controlling the formation of black shales. Prolonged deposition of OM-rich sediments in the NWGB may be related to intensified monsoonal precipitation in northern Europe and enhanced Tethys–Arctic connectivity at the serpentinum–bifrons transition.
Graphical Abstract
Quality of life in patients after vestibular schwannoma surgery
Authors: Lazak Jan , Betka Jan , Zverina Eduard , Vlasak Ales , Bonaventurova Marketa , Balatkova Zuzana , Kana Martin , Fik Zdenek 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Aim
To evaluate the most important factors of quality of life in patients after vestibular schwannoma surgery.

Materials and methods
Patients with unilateral sporadic occurrence of vestibular schwannoma who underwent surgery via suboccipital-retrosigmoid approach were included in the prospective study (2018–2021). Patients after previous Leksell gamma knife irradiation (or other methods of stereotactic radiosurgery) were excluded. Quality of life was assessed using 10 validated questionnaires that were distributed preoperatively, 3 months and 1 year after the surgery.

Results
A total of 76 patients were included in the study, complete data were analysed in 43 of them (response rate 57%). Grade III and IV represented up to 70% of all tumors. Patients with larger tumors had a significantly higher risk of postoperative facial nerve paresis, liquorrhea and lower probability of hearing preservation. Patients with smaller tumors and those, who suffered from headaches before surgery had more frequent and severe headaches after surgery. Postoperative headaches were associated with higher incidence of anxiety and tinnitus. More frequent anxiety was also identified in patients with preoperative serviceable hearing who became deaf after surgery. Nevertheless, tinnitus and hearing impairment appeared to have less impact on overall quality of life compared to headaches and facial nerve function.

Conclusion
According to our results, tumor size, postoperative function of the facial nerve and occurrence of postoperative headaches had the greatest influence on the overall postoperative quality of life in patients after vestibular schwannoma surgery.
Only anti-GM4 antibody positivity in a Chinese girl with overlapping MFS/GBS: a case report
Authors: Chen Jing , Tian Maoqiang , Shu XiaoMei 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), as the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis worldwide, is considered a part of a clinical spectrum in which discrete, complete, or incomplete forms of GBS and overlapping syndromes lie on the basis of their clinical features. The term overlapping Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS)/GBS is used when patients with MFS also suffer from progressive motor weakness of the limbs. Anti-ganglioside GQ1b has been specifically associated with MFS and ophthalmoplegia.

Case description
Here, we report a Chinese girl who was diagnosed with overlapping MFS/GBS showing acute flaccid paralysis of all four limbs, sensory symptoms, cranial nerve dysfunction, autonomic involvement, ophthalmoplegia, and ataxia. She had high serum and cerebrospinal fluid titres of monospecific anti-GM4 IgG antibody instead of anti-GQ1b antibody in the acute phase.

Conclusion
Anti-GM4 antibodies usually coexist with other antiganglioside antibodies, leading to missed diagnoses. The findings of the present study show that antibodies to ganglioside GM4 may in overlapping MFS/GBS as the lone immunological factors.
White stork Ciconia ciconia nests as an attractant to birds and bats
Authors: Tryjanowski Piotr , Jankowiak Łukasz , Myczko Łukasz , Mikula Peter , Łuczak Andrzej 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWhite storks (Ciconia ciconia), an emblematic bird of high conservation interest, build massive nests which are also important breeding sites for other birds. However, their role as a potential source of food for foraging birds and bats is unexplored. In this study, we counted insectivorous aerially foraging birds (swallows, martins, and swifts), sparrows, and bats foraging around 51 pairs of white storks’ nest and control sites in Poland. The number of birds was significantly higher near active white stork nests than control sites, but this effect was invisible for bats. White storks provide important benefits to the conservation of co-occurring species.
International monopoly union coordination under the presence of externalities and costs
Authors: Perez-Sanz Ruben 
Published: January 2024

AbstractDespite the advantages of holding monopoly power, unions rarely coordinate their wage demands across countries. In this paper, I argue that the costs of coordination and externalities can explain such behaviour. In the model, monopolistic unions set the wage in each country, and the firm keeps the right-to-manage. If the domestic union raised its wage, the firm would substitute production of the domestic good for the foreign one, reducing employment. The union would be worse off and it would have no incentives to deviate. Upon coordination, unions can raise the wage, share the loss of employment, and be better off. Two extensions are provided: right-to-manage model and differentiated costs of coordination.
Energy in the backseat? Investigating decarbonization dialogue in supply chain tweets during and after COVID-19
Authors: Shahzad Umer , Sengupta Tuhin , Rao Amar , Sharma Gagan Deep 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWhile we move into the seventh year of the signing of Paris agreement, research scholars and supply chain firms have paid a lot of emphasis on environmental sustainability with the aim of achieving net zero targets by 2050. However, the global pandemic has somewhat disturbed the focus from environment to resilience due to severe economic implications of COVID-19. In this paper, we contribute to the very scant discussion on Twitter Analytics by analysing supply chain tweets with COVID-19 at the backdrop. Our approach involves analysing how decarbonization related discussions have evolved by capturing the tweets across three timelines: pre pandemic, pandemic and post pandemic. By integrating descriptive analytics, content analytics and machine learning algorithm in topic modelling, we extract textual intelligence related to emissions and pollution from leading firms involving supply chain management. We find that although decarbonization related discussions are at bare minimum in terms of the proportion of discussions within the supply chain context, the overall emotion of tweets indicate fear across all three timelines. Moreover, it was surprising to note that although pollution levels came down due to low economic activity during pandemic, we found more discussions during COVID in comparison to pre-COVID times. Pollution and waste caused by plastics, fuel consumption, reduction in greenhouse gas emission are some of the key topics that emerged during pandemic times. Our paper makes a modest contribution on the role of social media analytics within supply chain context around COVID-19.
A blending ensemble learning model for crude oil price forecasting
Authors: Hasan Mahmudul , Abedin Mohammad Zoynul , Hajek Petr , Coussement Kristof , Sultan Md. Nahid , Lucey Brian 
Published: January 2024

AbstractTo efficiently capture diverse fluctuation profiles in forecasting crude oil prices, we here propose to combine heterogenous predictors for forecasting the prices of crude oil. Specifically, a forecasting model is developed using blended ensemble learning that combines various machine learning methods, including k-nearest neighbor regression, regression trees, linear regression, ridge regression, and support vector regression. Data for Brent and WTI crude oil prices at various time series frequencies are used to validate the proposed blending ensemble learning approach. To show the validity of the proposed model, its performance is further benchmarked against existing individual and ensemble learning methods used for predicting crude oil price, such as lasso regression, bagging lasso regression, boosting, random forest, and support vector regression. We demonstrate that our proposed blending-based model dominates the existing forecasting models in terms of forecasting errors for both short- and medium-term horizons.
Information and communication technology and labour productivity growth: a production‐frontier approach
Authors: Fulgenzi Rossana , Gitto Simone , Mancuso Paolo 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThis work provides evidence of the positive impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on the labour productivity growth of 24 countries, members of the OECD, from 1995 to 2019. Using a non-parametric production‐frontier approach, we decompose labour productivity growth into components attributable to technological change (shifts in the world production frontier), efficiency change (movements toward or away from the frontier), physical (non-ICT) capital change and ICT capital change (movements along the frontier). We find that, on average, the most significant improvement in worldwide labour productivity is attributable to technological change, non-ICT, and ICT capital change over 1995–2019. In addition, we confirm the role of ICT as a general-purpose technology that needs to implement complementary changes in business organisations to exploit its growth opportunities fully. Finally, we conclude that ICT capital contributes to convergence.
The indirect effect of nectar-inhabiting yeasts on olfactory responses and longevity of two stink bug egg parasitoids
Authors: Ermio Jay Darryl L. , Peri Ezio , Bella Patrizia , Rostás Michael , Sobhy Islam S. , Wenseleers Tom , Colazza Stefano , Lievens Bart , Cusumano Antonino 
Published: January 2024

AbstractAdult parasitoids are well known to feed on sugar-rich resources such as floral nectar. Recently, an increasing body of evidence has shown that nectar is ubiquitously colonized by microorganisms and, as a consequence, microbial metabolic activity can affect several traits of floral nectar. Yet, how the fermentation of nectar by yeasts impacts the olfactory responses and performance of parasitoids is largely understudied, especially in the case of egg parasitoids. In this study, we investigated whether fermentation by the nectar yeasts Metschnikowia gruessii and M. reukaufii affects the olfactory responses of Trissolcus basalis and Ooencyrtus telenomicida, two egg parasitoid species associated with the southern green stink bug Nezara viridula. We also investigated how yeast fermentation affects the longevity and survival of the egg parasitoids. Results of static four-chamber olfactometer tests showed that nectar fermented by M. gruessii (but not by M. reukaufii) was attractive to both egg parasitoid species, whereas no significant yeast-mediated effects were found in terms of wasp longevity. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) showed a clear separation of the volatile profiles among M. gruessii, M. reukaufii and non-fermented control nectar supporting the results of the insect bioassays. The results of our study highlight the need to consider the role of microbes when studying interactions between flower nectar and egg parasitoids and could have implications from a conservation biological control perspective.