bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients With Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Saba Elias S. , Swisher Austin R. , Ansari Ghedak N. , Rivero Alexander 
Published: March 2023

AbstractObjectiveThe interruption of vascular supply to the inner ear is one of several proposed etiologies of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). The increased presence of cardiovascular risk factors may predispose patients to SSNHL through this pathway. This systematic review and meta‐analysis studies the presence of cardiovascular risk factors in patients diagnosed with SSNHL.Data SourcesDatabases included PubMed/Medline, OVID, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science.Review MethodsInclusion criteria included studies featuring SSNHL patients presenting with 1+ cardiovascular risk factors. Exclusion criteria included case reports and studies without outcome measures. Two investigators independently reviewed all manuscripts and performed quality assessments using validated tools.ResultsOf 532 identified abstracts, 27 studies met inclusion criteria (19 case‐control, 4 cohorts, 4 case series). Of these, 24 underwent meta‐analysis encompassing a total of 77,566 patients (22,620 SSNHL patients, 54,946 matched controls). The mean age was 50.43 years. SSNHL patients were more likely to have concomitant diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 1.61 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.31, 1.99; p < .00001]) and hypertension (OR 1.5 [95% CI: 1.16, 1.94; p = .002]). An increased standard mean difference of total cholesterol of 11.09 mg/dL (95% CI; 3.51, 18.67; p = .004) was noted in the SSNHL group compared with the controls. No significant differences in smoking, high‐density lipoprotein, triglycerides, or body mass index were detected.ConclusionPatients presenting with SSNHL have a significantly higher risk of concomitant diabetes, hypertension, and higher total cholesterol in comparison to matched controls. This may indicate a higher cardiovascular risk profile in this population. More prospective and matched cohort studies are needed to understand the role of cardiovascular risk factors in SSNHL.
Wealth and risk heterogeneity effects in community‐based wildlife management: Experimental evidence
Authors: Carpenter Stefan , Kreitmair Ursula 
Published: March 2023

AbstractCommunity‐based conservation is a widely adopted wildlife governance approach, but questions remain about the conditions under which this form of wildlife governance achieves success. Particularly, participating communities are often marked by considerable wealth and risk heterogeneities that are driven by differences in livestock or agricultural holdings and varying exposure to wildlife depredation of those holdings.The effect of these types of heterogeneity on successful conservation collective action is understudied, particularly in the case of risk heterogeneity. This lacuna limits policymakers' ability to effectively match the design of community‐based programs to their particular settings.Using established behavioural experimental techniques, we model the incentive structures underlying community‐based wildlife conservation where actors differ in wealth and exposure to human–wildlife conflict. We conduct a modified binary linear voluntary contribution mechanism game, in which we vary subject endowments and risk of incurring a loss when participating in collective action and we find that the type of heterogeneity matters to collective action success.On their own, the presence of either economic or risk heterogeneities (but not both) dampen cooperation compared with homogeneous groups, as do ‘balanced’ distributions of both heterogeneities (where individuals facing high risk levels receive high endowments and vice versa). However, groups with ‘unbalanced’ heterogeneities (where those facing high risk levels receive low endowments and vice versa) demonstrate cooperation at similar levels to that of homogeneous groups.At the individual level, risk drives cooperative behaviour, although its impact is influenced by relative wealth levels when both forms of heterogeneity are present.These findings suggest the need for a more in‐depth look at the role and interaction of risk and wealth heterogeneities in conservation management.Read the freePlain Language Summaryfor this article on the Journal blog.
Processing and characterization of carbon nanofibers obtained from PAN/lignin blends processed by electrospinning
Authors: Cintra Isabela L. R. , Baldan Mauricio R. , Anjos Erick G. R. , Silva Thais F. , Guerrini Lilia M. , Rezende Mirabel C. , Botelho Edson C. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBlankets based on blends with different PAN/lignin ratios (10 and 50% wt. of lignin) were processed via electrospinning. Then, the blankets obtained were thermally treated in order to produce samples of carbon nanofibers. The thermo‐oxidative stabilization parameters were defined based on a 23‐factorial design. The samples, after stabilization, were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) techniques. Based on the results, the best parameters for the stabilization of electrospun, blankets were selected, and subsequently, the most adequate carbonization parameters were established to obtain the carbon blankets. The carbonized blankets were characterized for electrical conductivity by impedance spectroscopy, chemical structure (Raman and FT‐IR spectroscopies), crystallographic ordering by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and morphology (SEM). The results showed the feasibility of producing carbon blankets based on PAN/lignin blends. However, carbonized blankets showed low carbon yield (10–56%) and a decrease of up to 70% in fiber diameter. XRD and Raman spectroscopy showed that the structural ordering of carbon blankets presents different values according to the heat treatment parameters used (45–57%) and a poorly ordered structure, indicated by the ID/IG ratio.
The influence of cellulose content on the morphology, thermal, and mechanical properties of poly(lactic acid)/Eucomis autumnaliscellulose biocomposites
Authors: Sikhosana S. T. , Gumede T. P. , Malebo N. J. , Ogundeji A. O. , Motloung B. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractAmong the commonly studied organic fillers for PLA, cellulose is the most promising. It is available in various particle sizes and sources, providing numerous options for finding a suitable match for PLA matrices. In this study, cellulose was extracted from the leaves ofE. autumnalisto create a novel PLA/cellulose composite. Based on a distinguished cellulose spectrum, EA cellulose was incorporated into a PLA matrix. According to SEM results, adding 3.0 wt% EA cellulose to PLA resulted in no fiber pull‐outs. Below this content, fiber pull‐outs were observed. FTIR and TGA results indicated no significant changes in chemical structure and thermal stability of the composites. XRD, DSC, and Tensile testing results revealed an increase in the crystallinity and modulus for the 3.0 wt% composites, below this content, the crystallinity and modulus of the samples were low. Therefore, in order to obtain the composition of the composite with the desired functional properties, the ratio of the PLA to EA cellulose plays a vital role, and these have to be controlled for more effective functional properties. This study has shown that blending PLA with EA cellulose can give improved properties at 3.0 wt% EA cellulose although not optimized.
L‐serine biosynthesis in the human central nervous system: Structure and function of phosphoserine aminotransferase
Authors: Marchesani Francesco , Zangelmi Erika , Murtas Giulia , Costanzi Elisa , Ullah Raheem , Peracchi Alessio , Bruno Stefano , Pollegioni Loredano , Mozzarelli Andrea , Storici Paola , Campanini Barbara 
Published: March 2023

AbstractOrganisms from all kingdoms of life synthesize L‐serine (L‐Ser) from 3‐phosphoglycerate through the phosphorylated pathway, a three‐step diversion of glycolysis. Phosphoserine aminotransferase (PSAT) catalyzes the intermediate step, the pyridoxal 5′‐phosphate‐dependent transamination of 3‐phosphohydroxypyruvate and L‐glutamate to O‐phosphoserine (OPS) and α‐ketoglutarate. PSAT is particularly relevant in the central nervous system of mammals because L‐Ser is the metabolic precursor of D‐serine, cysteine, phospholipids, and nucleotides. Several mutations in the human psat gene have been linked to serine deficiency disorders, characterized by severe neurological symptoms. Furthermore, PSAT is overexpressed in many tumors and this overexpression has been associated with poor clinical outcomes. Here, we report the detailed functional and structural characterization of the recombinant human PSAT. The reaction catalyzed by PSAT is reversible, with an equilibrium constant of about 10, and the enzyme is very efficient, with a kcat/Km of 5.9 × 106 M−1 s−1, thus contributing in driving the pathway towards the products despite the extremely unfavorable first step catalyzed by 3‐phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase. The 3D X‐ray crystal structure of PSAT was solved in the substrate‐free as well as in the OPS‐bound forms. Both structures contain eight protein molecules in the asymmetric unit, arranged in four dimers, with a bound cofactor in each subunit. In the substrate‐free form, the active site of PSAT contains a sulfate ion that, in the substrate‐bound form, is replaced by the phosphate group of OPS. Interestingly, fast crystal soaking used to produce the substrate‐bound form allowed the trapping of different intermediates along the catalytic cycle.
Additive energetic contributions of multiple peptide positions determine the relative promiscuity of viral and human sequences for PDZ domain targets
Authors: Tahti Elise F. , Blount Jadon M. , Jackson Sophie N. , Gao Melody , Gill Nicholas P. , Smith Sarah N. , Pederson Nick J. , Rumph Simone N. , Struyvenberg Sarah A. , Mackley Iain G. P. , Madden Dean R. , Amacher Jeanine F. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractProtein–protein interactions that involve recognition of short peptides are critical in cellular processes. Protein–peptide interaction surface areas are relatively small and shallow, and there are often overlapping specificities in families of peptide‐binding domains. Therefore, dissecting selectivity determinants can be challenging. PDZ domains are a family of peptide‐binding domains located in several intracellular signaling and trafficking pathways. These domains are also directly targeted by pathogens, and a hallmark of many oncogenic viral proteins is a PDZ‐binding motif. However, amidst sequences that target PDZ domains, there is a wide spectrum in relative promiscuity. For example, the viral HPV16 E6 oncoprotein recognizes over double the number of PDZ domain‐containing proteins as the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in the cell, despite similar PDZ targeting‐sequences and identical motif residues. Here, we determine binding affinities for PDZ domains known to bind either HPV16 E6 alone or both CFTR and HPV16 E6, using peptides matching WT and hybrid sequences. We also use energy minimization to model PDZ–peptide complexes and use sequence analyses to investigate this difference. We find that while the majority of single mutations had marginal effects on overall affinity, the additive effect on the free energy of binding accurately describes the selectivity observed. Taken together, our results describe how complex and differing PDZ interactomes can be programmed in the cell.
Comparison of transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation versus percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation in category IIIB chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: A randomized prospective trial
Authors: Sevim Mehmet , Alkiş Okan , Kartal İbrahim Güven , Kazan Huseyin Ozgur , İvelik Halil İbrahim , Aras Bekir , Kabay Şahin 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundChronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a heterogenous condition that impacts the Quality of life severely, and it has multimodal complex treatment options. We aimed to compare the efficacy of two well‐described neuromodulation therapies, transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS) versus percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) in the treatment of category IIIB CP/CPPS.MethodsThis study was designed as a randomized prospective clinical trial. We randomized category IIIB CP/CPPS patients into two treatment groups as TTNS and PTNS groups. Category IIIB CP/CPPS was diagnosed by two or four‐glass Meares‐Stamey test. All patients included in our study were antibiotic/anti‐inflammatory resistant. Transcutaneous and percutaneous treatments were applied 30 min sessions for 12 weeks. Patients were evaluated by Turkish‐validated National Health Institute Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH‐CPSI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) initially and after treatment. Treatment success was evaluated within each group and also compared with each other.ResultsA total of 38 patients in the TTNS group and 42 patients in the PTNS group were included in the final analysis. The mean VAS scores of the TTNS group were lower than the PTNS group initially (7.11 and 7.43, respectively), (p = 0.03). The pretreatment NIH‐CPSI scores were similar between groups (p = 0.07). VAS scores, total NIH‐CPSI, NIH‐CPSI micturation, NIH‐CPSI pain, and NIH‐CPSI QoL scores decreased significantly at the end of the treatment in both groups. We found a significantly higher VAS and NIH‐CPSI scores decrease in the PTNS group compared to the TTNS group (p < 0.01).ConclusionBoth PTNS and TTNS are effective treatment methods in category IIIB CP/CPPS. Comparing the two methods, PTNS provided a higher level of improvement in terms of pain and quality of life.
Tanshinone IIA relieves arthritis by inhibiting autophagy of fibroblast‐like synoviocytes via matrix metalloproteinase9/receptor for advanced glycation end product/toll‐like receptor 9 signal axis in mice with collagen‐induced arthritis
Authors: Liu Wei , Wu Chenggao , Wang Qian , Kuang Linju , Le Aiping 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIn this study, we probed into the related mechanism underlying the role of Tanshinone IIA (TIIA) in RA fibroblast‐like synoviocytes (RA‐FLSs). We constructed a mouse model of RA using the collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA) method. Gain‐ or loss‐of‐function approaches were used to manipulate matrix metalloproteinase9 (MMP9), receptor for advanced glycation end product (RAGE), and toll‐like receptor 9 (TLR9) in both CIA mice and RA‐FLSs following treatment with TIIA to study the in vivo and in vitro effect of TIIA through analysis of cell viability, and measurement of autophagy and inflammatory proteins as well as severity of RA. In vitro and in vivo animal experiments results showed that TIIA could inhibit the proliferation of RA‐FLSs and affect autophagy, thereby improving the symptoms of RA in mice. Mechanically, TIIA could inhibit the expression of MMP9 in RA‐FLSs, thereby inhibiting the shedding of RAGE and thus inhibiting the activation of TLR9. Finally, animal experiments confirmed that TIIA affected autophagy by regulating the MMP9/RAGE/TLR9 axis, and finally improve the symptoms of RA in mice. Conclusively, TIIA may inhibit expression of MMP9 to suppress the combination of RAGE and TLR9, thereby inhibiting RA‐FLS proliferation and affecting autophagy, eventually improve the RA.
Reliability analysis based on the Wiener process integrated with historical degradation data
Authors: Kang Wenda , Tian Yubin , Xu Houbao , Wang Dianpeng , Zheng Huiling , Zhang Ming , Mu Hao 
Published: March 2023

AbstractFor high‐reliability and long‐life electronic devices, reliability analyses based on degradation data with small sample sizes are an outstanding question. Recently, increasing attention has been paid to the abundant historical degradation data. Exploiting the information in these historical data efficiently and integrating them to benefit the current reliability analysis is an important issue. This study proposes a new integrating method for the historical and current degradation data based on the Wiener process by considering the consistency of failure mechanisms between the different batches of degradation data. Simulation studies show that the new method has superior reliability estimation, and is robust to the assumption of consistent failure mechanisms. Finally, the proposed method is used to analyze a real data set consisting of the metal‐oxide‐semiconductor field‐effect transistor (MOSFET) degradation data.
Reaction acceleration in microdroplet mass spectrometry: Inlet capillary and solvent composition effects
Authors: Ju Yun , He Yuwei , Kan Guangfeng , Yu Kai , Jiang Jie , Wang Xiaofei , Zhang Hong 
Published: March 2023

RationaleMicrodroplet chemistry has attracted tremendous interest in recent years. We have previously reported that microdroplet mass spectrometry (MS) achieves reaction acceleration. Here we systematically investigated the effect of capillary heating of MS inlet and solvent polarity of microdroplets on the conversion ratios of dehydration and phosphorylation reactions.MethodsThe micron‐sized droplets generated by high‐speed gas encapsulated the compounds. The conversion ratios of dehydration and phosphorylation reactions were investigated at different capillary temperatures of MS inlet between 30°C and 300°C. Subsequently, the effects of solvent polarity of different microdroplets (acetonitrile, acetonitrile/water [v/v: 9:1], and water) on microdroplet reactions were investigated.ResultsThe microdroplets could be used as reaction vessels for rapid dehydration and phosphorylation reactions. Microdroplet MS is characterized by the completion of the reaction in microseconds. The increase in capillary temperature increased the conversion ratio of dehydration reactions but had little effect on phosphorylation reactions. The stability of compounds supports this phenomenon. In addition, the increase in solvent polarity in microdroplets promoted the dehydration reaction but inhibited the nucleophilic substitution reaction (phosphorylation reaction).ConclusionsMicrodroplet MS achieved an acceleration of the reaction, which was attributed to capillary temperature, microdroplet solvents, and the stability of reaction products. This finding suggested that the inlet capillary and solvent system should be considered in the study and interpretation of microdroplet MS.
Equilibrium isotope fractionation factors of H exchange between steam and soil clay fractions
Authors: Merseburger Stefan , Kessler Arnim , Oelmann Yvonne , Wilcke Wolfgang 
Published: March 2023

RationaleSteam equilibration overcomes the problem of the traditional measurements of H isotope compositions, which leave an arbitrary amount of adsorbed water in the sample, by controlling for the entire exchangeable H pool, including adsorbed water and hydroxyl‐H. However, the use of steam equilibration to determine nonexchangeable stable H isotope compositions in environmental media (expressed as δ2Hn values) by mathematically eliminating the influence of exchangeable H after sample equilibration with waters of known H‐isotopic composition requires the knowledge of the equilibrium isotope fractionation factor between steam‐H and exchangeable H of the sample (αex‐w), which is frequently unknown.MethodsWe developed a new method to determine the αex‐w values for clay minerals, topsoil clay fractions, and mica by manipulating the contributions of exchangeable H to the total H pool via different degrees of post‐equilibration sample drying. We measured the δ2H values of steam‐equilibrated mineral and soil samples using elemental analyzer‐pyrolysis‐isotope ratio mass spectrometry.ResultsThe αex‐w values of seven clay minerals ranged from 1.071 to 1.140, and those of 19 topsoil clay fractions ranged from 0.885 to 1.216. The αex‐w value of USGS57 biotite, USGS58 muscovite, and of cellulose was 0.965, 0.871, and 1.175, respectively. The method did not work for kaolinite, because its small exchangeable H pool did not respond to the selected drying conditions. Structurally different mineral groups such as two‐ and three‐layer clay minerals or mica showed systematically different αex‐w values. The αex‐w value of the topsoil clay fractions correlated with the soil clay content (r = 0.63, P = 0.004), the local mean annual temperature (r = 0.68, P = 0.001), and the δ2H values of local precipitation (r = 0.72, P < 0.001), likely to reflect the different clay mineralogy under different weathering regimes.ConclusionsOur new αex‐w determination method yielded realistic results in line with the few previously published values for cellulose. The determined αex‐w values were similar to the widely assumed values of 1.00–1.08 in the literature, suggesting that the adoption of one of these values in steam equilibration approaches is appropriate.
Sliding mode output feedback control for continuous systems without rank constraint
Authors: Zhang Jinhui 
Published: March 2023

SummaryThis paper addresses the sliding mode control problem for continuous systems in the output feedback framework. To remove the conventional rank constraint imposed on the input and output matrices, a novel compensator‐based sliding surface is proposed firstly. Then, by designing an unmeasured state and disturbance (USD) observer to estimate the lumped unmeasurable state and external disturbance, both the discontinuous and continuous sliding mode output feedback controllers are synthesized. Finally, the validity of the proposed methods is illustrated by two simulation examples.
Field‐based robotic leaf angle detection and characterization of maize plants using stereo vision and deep convolutional neural networks
Authors: Xiang Lirong , Gai Jingyao , Bao Yin , Yu Jianming , Schnable Patrick S. , Tang Lie 
Published: March 2023

AbstractMaize (Zea mays L.) is one of the three major cereal crops in the world. Leaf angle is an important architectural trait of crops due to its substantial role in light interception by the canopy and hence photosynthetic efficiency. Traditionally, leaf angle has been measured using a protractor, a process that is both slow and laborious. Efficiently measuring leaf angle under field conditions via imaging is challenging due to leaf density in the canopy and the resulting occlusions. However, advances in imaging technologies and machine learning have provided new tools for image acquisition and analysis that could be used to characterize leaf angle using three‐dimensional (3D) models of field‐grown plants. In this study, PhenoBot 3.0, a robotic vehicle designed to traverse between pairs of agronomically spaced rows of crops, was equipped with multiple tiers of PhenoStereo cameras to capture side‐view images of maize plants in the field. PhenoStereo is a customized stereo camera module with integrated strobe lighting for high‐speed stereoscopic image acquisition under variable outdoor lighting conditions. An automated image processing pipeline (AngleNet) was developed to measure leaf angles of nonoccluded leaves. In this pipeline, a novel representation form of leaf angle as a triplet of keypoints was proposed. The pipeline employs convolutional neural networks to detect each leaf angle in two‐dimensional images and 3D modeling approaches to extract quantitative data from reconstructed models. Satisfactory accuracies in terms of correlation coefficient (r) and mean absolute error (MAE) were achieved for leaf angle () and internode heights (). Our study demonstrates the feasibility of using stereo vision to investigate the distribution of leaf angles in maize under field conditions. The proposed system is an efficient alternative to traditional leaf angle phenotyping and thus could accelerate breeding for improved plant architecture.