bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of HNF1B, KLK3, ELAC2, TMPRSS2‐ERG, and CTNNB1 polymorphisms associated with prostate cancer in samples of patients from HUPE‐UERJ
Authors: Menezes Raphaela dos Santos , Dornas Maria Cristina , Campos Carlos Frederico Ferreira , Rodeiro Daniela Bouzas , Carrerette Fabricio Borges , Oliveira Romulo Vianna , de Souza Brenda Amaral , Alves de Souza Carvalho Gabriele , Brito Ingrid Alexandre de Abreu , Silva Dayse Aparecida , Damião Ronaldo , Porto Luís Cristóvão 
Published: October 2023

AbstractPurposeProstate cancer (PCa) is the leading cause of death among men in 48 countries. Genetic alterations play a significant role in PCa carcinogenesis. For the hypothesis of this research, five unique polymorphisms (SNP) were investigated in different genes that showed to be associated in different ways with PCa: rs4430796, rs2735839, rs4792311, rs12329760, and rs28931588, respectively for the genes HNF1B, KLK3, ELAC2, TMPRSS2‐ERG, and CTNNB1.Patients and MethodsBlood samples from 426 subjects were evaluated: 290 controls (161 females and 129 males) and 136 PCa patients. SNP were determined by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. TaqMan SNP genotyping assay. In the control samples, the SNPs were defined in association with the self‐reported ethnicity, and in 218 control samples with markers with ancestry indicators. The genes were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. One hundred and seventy control samples were matched by ethnicity for comparison with the PCa samples.ResultsThe G allele at rs28931588 was monomorphic in both patients and controls studied. Significant differences were observed in allelic and genotypic frequencies between the control and Pca samples in rs2735839 (KLK3; p = 0.002 and χ2 = 8.73 and p = 0.01, respectively), by the global frequency and in the dominant model rs2735839_GG (odds ratio [OR] = 0.51, p = 0.02). AA and GA genotypes at rs4792311 (ELAC2) were more frequent in patients with Gleason 7(4 + 3), 8, and 9 (n = 37%–59.7%) compared to patients with Gleason 6 and 7(3 + 4) (n = 26%–40.0%) conferring a protective effect on the GG genotype (OR = 0.45, p = 0.02). The same genotype showed an OR = 2.71 (p = 0.01) for patients with low severity. The HNF1B–KLK3–ELAC2–TMPRSS2‐ERG haplotypes: GAAT, AAAT, GAGT, and AAGT were more frequent in patients with Pca with OR ranging from 4.65 to 2.48.ConclusionsHigher frequencies of risk alleles were confirmed in the SNPs, KLK3 rs2735839_A, ELAC2 rs4792311_A, and TMPRSS2 rs12329760_T in patients with Pca. Rs2735839_A was associated with risk of Pca and rs4792311_A with severity and Gleason score of 7(4 + 3) or greater. There is a need for careful observation of rs2735839 and rs4792311 in association with the prostatic biopsy due to the increased risk of Pca.
Extremophilic microbial metabolism and radioactive waste disposal
Authors: Butterworth Sarah Jane , Barton Franky , Lloyd Jonathan Richard 
Published: October 2023

AbstractDecades of nuclear activities have left a legacy of hazardous radioactive waste, which must be isolated from the biosphere for over 100,000 years. The preferred option for safe waste disposal is a deep subsurface geological disposal facility (GDF). Due to the very long geological timescales required, and the complexity of materials to be disposed of (including a wide range of nutrients and electron donors/acceptors) microbial activity will likely play a pivotal role in the safe operation of these mega-facilities. A GDF environment provides many metabolic challenges to microbes that may inhabit the facility, including high temperature, pressure, radiation, alkalinity, and salinity, depending on the specific disposal concept employed. However, as our understanding of the boundaries of life is continuously challenged and expanded by the discovery of novel extremophiles in Earth’s most inhospitable environments, it is becoming clear that microorganisms must be considered in GDF safety cases to ensure accurate predictions of long-term performance. This review explores extremophilic adaptations and how this knowledge can be applied to challenge our current assumptions on microbial activity in GDF environments. We conclude that regardless of concept, a GDF will consist of multiple extremes and it is of high importance to understand the limits of polyextremophiles under realistic environmental conditions.
A methodology to characterize energy consumption in small and medium-sized enterprises at national level in European countries
Authors: Herce Carlos , Biele Enrico , Martini Chiara , Salvio Marcello , Toro Claudia , Brandl Gabriele , Lackner Petra , Reuter Stefan 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe 25 million of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent 99% of businesses and account for the two thirds of total employment and a half of Gross Domestic Product. Thus, SMEs are considered as the backbone of European’ economy. The crucial importance of energy efficiency and its potential in SMEs is worldwide recognized. However, the energy use and consumption information of SMEs are very limited, and the disaggregated data between SMEs and large enterprises are often not available at national or European level. The aim of this work is to present a methodology for the energy consumption characterization of European SMEs at national level. The proposed methodology, based on the combination of official national energy statistics and energy consumption data according to the European Energy Efficiency Directive Article 8, has been developed and applied to Italy and Austria. Preliminary results show significant differences in the relative weight of SMEs’ energy consumption between the two countries mainly due to their specific productive structures. The application of this methodology to the available data on further five European countries provides useful insights on the impact of different national approaches to comply with Art.8. This methodology shows that harmonizing the different strategies to monitor energy audits obligation would significantly help to characterize the energy consumption of SMEs in Europe. Additionally, the knowledge of the distribution of energy consumption between large enterprises and SMEs would help in assessing the impact of mandatory and voluntary energy audits on potential savings in industrial and tertiary sectors.
Graphical abstract
Polymer-based porous carbon doped with iron nanoparticles for enhanced organic compounds removal
Authors: Lorenc-Grabowska Ewa , Stasiak Olga , Kordek-Khalil Karolina 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThis work shows that magnetic adsorbents with different porosity characteristics can be produced by carbonization and steam activation of a mixture of a furfuryl alcohol and iron-containing compound, such as ferrocene (PFA/ferrocene), FeCl3 (PFA/FeCl3) and FeSO4 (PFA/FeSO4). The materials obtained in this work possess magnetic properties that are revealed in the neodymium magnet balance test as an increase in weight loss with an increase in iron content in the material. In order to verify whether the magnetic properties facilitate the removal of the used adsorbent, the sedimentation test was carried out. The porous texture characteristics obtained from the N2 adsorption isotherms at 77 K show a huge differences in porosities depending on the type of iron compound used. The presence of ferrocene promotes the formation of mesoporosity, whereas the presence of iron(II) sulphate induces microporosity. XRD measurements reveal the presence of magnetite and hematite in all magnetic adsorbents. The intensity of the XRD peak designated to magnetite increases with an increase in the saturation magnetization. Adsorption of Congo red (CR), phenol (P), atrazine (A) and isoproturon (I) from aqueous solutions was carried out at a temperature of 24 °C in a static system. The magnetic properties accelerated the sedimentation processes and materials demonstrated a high adsorption ability toward organic contamination. The adsorption capacity on PFA-based MAC is strongly related to adsorbent porosity.
RoLoMa: robust loco-manipulation for quadruped robots with arms
Authors: Ferrolho Henrique , Ivan Vladimir , Merkt Wolfgang , Havoutis Ioannis , Vijayakumar Sethu 
Published: October 2023

AbstractDeployment of robotic systems in the real world requires a certain level of robustness in order to deal with uncertainty factors, such as mismatches in the dynamics model, noise in sensor readings, and communication delays. Some approaches tackle these issues reactively at the control stage. However, regardless of the controller, online motion execution can only be as robust as the system capabilities allow at any given state. This is why it is important to have good motion plans to begin with, where robustness is considered proactively. To this end, we propose a metric (derived from first principles) for representing robustness against external disturbances. We then use this metric within our trajectory optimization framework for solving complex loco-manipulation tasks. Through our experiments, we show that trajectories generated using our approach can resist a greater range of forces originating from any possible direction. By using our method, we can compute trajectories that solve tasks as effectively as before, with the added benefit of being able to counteract stronger disturbances in worst-case scenarios.
Global observation gaps of peatland greenhouse gas balances: needs and obstacles
Authors: Zhao Junbin , Weldon Simon , Barthelmes Alexandra , Swails Erin , Hergoualc’h Kristell , Mander Ülo , Qiu Chunjing , Connolly John , Silver Whendee L. , Campbell David I. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractGreenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions from peatlands contribute significantly to ongoing climate change because of human land use. To develop reliable and comprehensive estimates and predictions of GHG emissions from peatlands, it is necessary to have GHG observations, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), that cover different peatland types globally. We synthesize published peatland studies with field GHG flux measurements to identify gaps in observations and suggest directions for future research. Although GHG flux measurements have been conducted at numerous sites globally, substantial gaps remain in current observations, encompassing various peatland types, regions and GHGs. Generally, there is a pressing need for additional GHG observations in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean regions. Despite widespread measurements of CO2 and CH4, studies quantifying N2O emissions from peatlands are scarce, particularly in natural ecosystems. To expand the global coverage of peatland data, it is crucial to conduct more eddy covariance observations for long-term monitoring. Automated chambers are preferable for plot-scale observations to produce high temporal resolution data; however, traditional field campaigns with manual chamber measurements remain necessary, particularly in remote areas. To ensure that the data can be further used for modeling purposes, we suggest that chamber campaigns should be conducted at least monthly for a minimum duration of one year with no fewer than three replicates and measure key environmental variables. In addition, further studies are needed in restored peatlands, focusing on identifying the most effective restoration approaches for different ecosystem types, conditions, climates, and land use histories.
Charged dust in Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet models
Authors: Naicker Shavani , Maharaj Sunil D. , Brassel Byron P. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractWe investigate the influence of the higher order curvature terms on the static configuration of a charged dust distribution in EGB gravity. The EGB field equations for such a fluid are generated in higher dimensions. The governing equation can be written as an Abel differential equation of the second kind, or a second order linear differential equation. Exact solutions are found to these equations in terms of special functions, series and polynomials. The Abel differential equation of the second kind is reducible to a canonical differential equation; three new families of solutions are found by constraining the coefficients of the canonical equation. The charged dust model is shown to be physically well behaved in a region at the centre, and dust spheres can be generated. The higher order curvature terms influence the dynamics of charged dust and the gravitational behaviour which is distinct from general relativity.
Thermographic Estimation of the Area and Depth of Buried Heat Sources for Nondestructive Characterization of Horizontal Defects
Authors: Mendioroz Arantza , Salazar Agustín , Lasserre Paul , Oswald-Tranta Beate , Tuschl Christoph 
Published: October 2023

AbstractWe present a methodology to estimate quantitatively the area and depth of horizontal defects that generate heat in non-destructive tests such as burst vibrothermography or inductive thermography, without previous knowledge of the shape of the heat source. The method is based on extracting the temporal evolution of the temperature at the centre of the heated region, together with the thermogram obtained at the end of the excitation. The temperature displayed in this thermogram is averaged in circumferences concentric with the centre of the heated region to obtain an averaged radial profile which is fitted, together with the temporal evolution of the temperature, to a circular heat source model. By fitting synthetic data corresponding to rectangular heat sources with added noise, we analyse the accuracy of the method to retrieve the area and depth of the heat source for different depths and aspect ratios. Experimental results show that the method is able to estimate the area and depth of heat sources with aspect ratios below 1/1.5 with accuracy of about 10%.
Digital dashboards for direct oral anticoagulant surveillance, intervention and operational efficiency: uptake, obstacles, and opportunities
Authors: Triller Darren M. , Wilson Aaron S. , Allen Arthur L. , Burnett Allison E. , Gouveia-Pisano Julie Ann , Brenner Allison , Pritchard Barbara K. , Medico Charles , Barnes Geoffrey D. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractDirect oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are the most widely prescribed oral anticoagulants in the United States. Despite advantages over warfarin, system-level improvements are needed to optimize outcomes. While Veterans Health Administration and others have described successful DOAC management dashboard implementation, the extent of use nationally is unknown. A survey of Anticoagulation Forum’s members was conducted to assess access to digital tools available within a dashboard and to describe implementation models. An Expert Forum was subsequently convened to identify barriers to dashboard development and adoption. Responses were received from 340 targeted recipients (8.5% of invitees). Only a minority of inpatient (25/52, 48.1%) and outpatient (47/133, 35.3%) respondents outside of Veterans Health Administration were able to generate rosters of DOAC users on-demand, and fewer had the ability to digitally display key clinical data elements, identify drug-related problems, document interventions, or generate reports. The lack of regulatory requirements regarding Anticoagulation Stewardship was identified by the Expert Forum as the major barrier to widespread development of digital tools for improved anticoagulation management. While some health systems have demonstrated the feasibility of DOAC dashboards and described their impact on quality and efficiency, these tools do not appear to be widely available in the United States apart from Veterans Health Administration. The lack of regulatory requirements for Anticoagulation Stewardship may be the primary barrier to the development of digital resources to better manage anticoagulants. Efforts to secure regulatory requirements for Anticoagulation Stewardship are needed, and evidence of improvements in clinical and financial outcomes through DOAC dashboard use will likely bolster such efforts.
Possible effect of the early administration of tranexamic acid on myocardial injury in patients with severe trauma
Authors: Stroda Alexandra , Thelen Simon , M’Pembele René , Tenge Theresa , Jaekel Carina , Schiffner Erik , Bieler Dan , Bernhard Michael , Huhn Ragnar , Lurati Buse Giovanna , Roth Sebastian 
Published: October 2023

AbstractHemodynamic stabilization plays a crucial role in the treatment of patients suffering from severe trauma. Current guidelines recommend the early administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) for bleeding control. While less blood loss can result in less end-organ damage, including myocardial injury, TXA also exhibits prothrombotic effects with potentially adverse myocardial effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the administration of TXA and myocardial injury in patients with severe trauma. We conducted a monocentric cohort study including severely injured patients ≥ 18 years [defined by Injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 16], who were admitted to a tertiary care hospital between 2016 and 2019. Primary outcome measure was myocardial injury according to the fourth Universal Definition (= high sensitive troponin T ≥ 14 ng/l). Secondary endpoints were in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality. Main exposure was defined as administration of TXA during prehospital period. We conducted multivariate logistic regression models including predefined covariables. A total of 368 patients were screened. Among the 297 included patients (72% male, age. 55?21 years), 119 (40%) presented myocardial injury at hospital arrival. TXA was administered to 20/297 (7%) patients in the prehospital setting, and in 96/297 (32%) patients during pre-or in-hospital period. MACE incidence was 9% (26/297) and in-hospital mortality was 26% (76/297). The adjusted odds ratios (OR) for prehospital TXA and myocardial injury, MACE and mortality were 0.75 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.25–2.23], 0.51 [95%CI: 0.06–4.30] and 0.84 [0.21–3.33], respectively. In the present cohort of patients suffering from severe trauma, prehospital TXA did not affect the incidence of myocardial injury.
Norm inflation for a non-linear heat equation with gaussian initial conditions
Authors: Chevyrev Ilya 
Published: October 2023

AbstractWe consider a non-linear heat equation $$\partial _t u = \Delta u + B(u,Du)+P(u)$$

∂
t

u
=
Δ
u
+
B

(
u
,
D
u
)

+
P

(
u
)

posed on the d-dimensional torus, where P is a polynomial of degree at most 3 and B is a bilinear map that is not a total derivative. We show that, if the initial condition $$u_0$$

u
0

is taken from a sequence of smooth Gaussian fields with a specified covariance, then u exhibits norm inflation with high probability. A consequence of this result is that there exists no Banach space of distributions which carries the Gaussian free field on the 3D torus and to which the DeTurck–Yang–Mills heat flow extends continuously, which complements recent well-posedness results of Cao–Chatterjee and the author with Chandra–Hairer–Shen. Another consequence is that the (deterministic) non-linear heat equation exhibits norm inflation, and is thus locally ill-posed, at every point in the Besov space $$B^{-1/2}_{\infty ,\infty }$$

B

∞
,
∞

-
1
/
2

; the space $$B^{-1/2}_{\infty ,\infty }$$

B

∞
,
∞

-
1
/
2

is an endpoint since the equation is locally well-posed for $$B^{\eta }_{\infty ,\infty }$$

B

∞
,
∞

η

for every $$\eta >-\frac{1}{2}$$

η
>
-

1
2

.
Palaeobiodiversity of Sauropoda in the Blesa Formation (Lower Cretaceous) at northeast Spain
Authors: Medrano-Aguado E. , Parrilla-Bel J. , Canudo J. I. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe Blesa Formation is one of the richest formations of the Barremian of the Iberian Peninsula in terms of vertebrate biodiversity. In the La Cantalera-1 site more than 32 vertebrate taxa have been identified, but the only sauropod remains are three isolated teeth related to Euhelopodidae. In this paper, all the sauropod material studied so far in this formation is reviewed and new remains are described. The material comes from different sites in all three depositional sequences of the Blesa Formation. A new tooth, a fragmented cervical vertebra and a caudal vertebra are described in the La Cantalera-1 site and assigned tentatively to Euhelopodidae. One left tibia, one left ischium and one caudal vertebra have been recovered in different fossils sites in the Lower, Middle and Upper Blesa sequences respectively. These new sauropod remains are assigned to Titanosauriformes, the most common group of dinosaurs in the Barremian of the Iberian Peninsula. The isolated character of the fossils precludes more precise taxonomic attributions.
Antenna Placement Optimization for Distributed MIMO Radar Based on a Reinforcement Learning Algorithm
Authors: Zhu Jin , Liu Wenxu , Zhang Xiangrong , Lyu Feifei , Guo Zhengqiang 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThis paper studies an optimization problem of antenna placement for multiple heading angles of the target in a distributed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar system. An improved method to calculate the system’s coverage area in light of the changing target heading is presented. The antenna placement optimization problem is mathematically modelled as a sequential decision problem for compatibility with reinforcement learning solutions. A reinforcement learning agent is established, which uses the long short-term memory (LSTM)-based proximal policy optimization (PPO) method as the core algorithm to solve the antenna placement problem. Finally, the experimental findings demonstrate that the method can enhance the coverage area of antenna placement and thus has reference value for providing new ideas for the antenna placement optimization of distributed MIMO radar.
The effect of quaternary ammonium polyethylenimine nanoparticles on bacterial adherence, cytotoxicity, and physical and mechanical properties of experimental dental composites
Authors: Chladek Grzegorz , Barszczewska-Rybarek Izabela , Chrószcz-Porębska Marta , Mertas Anna 
Published: October 2023

AbstractA significant problem related to the functioning of resin-based composites for dental fillings is secondary or recurrent caries, which is the reason for the need for repeated treatment. The cross-linked quaternary ammonium polyethylenimine nanoparticles (QA-PEI-NPs) have been shown to be a promising antibacterial agent against different bacteria, including cariogenic ones. However, little is known about the properties of dental dimethacrylate polymer-based composites enriched with QA-PEI-NPs. This research was carried out on experimental composites based on bis-GMA/UDMA/TEGDMA matrix enriched with 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 3 (wt%) QA-PEI-NPs and reinforced with two glass fillers. The cured composites were tested for their adherence ofStreptococcus Mutansbacteria, cell viability (MTT assay) with 48 h and 10-days extracts , degree of conversion (DC), water sorption (WSO), and solubility (WSL), water contact angle (CA), flexural modulus (E), flexural strength (FS), compressive strength (CS), and Vickers microhardness (HV). The investigated materials have shown a complete reduction in bacteria adherence and satisfactory biocompatibility. The QA-PEI-NPs additive has no effect on the DC, VH, and E values. QA-PEI-NPs increased the CA (a favorable change), the WSO and WSL (unfavorable changes) and decreased flexural strength, and compressive strength (unfavorable changes). The changes mentioned were insignificant and acceptable for most composites, excluding the highest antibacterial filler content. Probably the reason for the deterioration of some properties was low compatibility between filler particles and the matrix; therefore, it is worth extending the research by surface modification of QA-PEI-NPs to achieve the optimum performance characteristics.