bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploring genetic diversity in inbred papaya lines for fruit quality in advanced stage of improvement
Authors: Santana Josefa Grasiela Silva , Ramos Helaine Christine Cancela , Santa-Catarina Renato , Vettorazzi Julio Cesar Fiorio , Miranda Daniel Pereira , Pirovani Adriana Azevedo Vimercati , Poltronieri Tathianne Pastana de Sousa , Duarte Rafaela Pereira , Pereira Messias Gonzaga 
Published: August 2023

AbstractDespite the relevance of the global scenario regarding the papaya (Carica papaya L.) trade, there is still a limited number of papaya cultivars with different fruit patterns. Therefore, it is essential to explore the genetic variability at all levels of the germplasm used in the development of new papaya cultivars to meet its marketing goal. Thus, this study measured and explored the potential of genetic variability based on related to fruit quality traits, of a population of papaya lines in the F5 generation through several statistical analyzes. For this, 97 inbred lines obtained using the Single Seed Descent method, resulting from a cross between the JS-12 and Sekati genotypes, both with Formosa fruit pattern, were evaluated. Results indicated there was genetic variability in the fruit quality. The traits that most contributed to the variability were related to the fruit shape. The diverse population of 97 inbred papaya lines in the F5 generation showed promise for producing commercial-sized fruits in Formosa, Intermediate, and Solo patterns. Additionally, the selection of inbred papaya lines based on fruit shape using morpho-anatomical traits does not compromise physical and chemical parameters related to fruit quality.
Association between Mediterranean dietary pattern with sleep duration, sleep quality and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in Iranian adults
Authors: Mohammadi Sobhan , Lotfi Keyhan , Mokhtari Elahe , Hajhashemy Zahra , Heidari Zahra , Saneei Parvane 
Published: August 2023

AbstractData on the association between Mediterranean diet, sleep and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were limited in Middle Eastern populations. We examined the association between Mediterranean dietary pattern with sleep quality/quantity, and serum BDNF in Iranian adults. This cross-sectional study was performed among 535 middle-aged adults (54% men), selected by multistage cluster random sampling method. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index and a validated food frequency questionnaire were used to assess sleep quality, sleep quantity, and Mediterranean diet score (MDS). Twelve-hour fasting blood samples were taken to evaluate serum BDNF values. Participants in the highest tertile of MDS, in comparison to those in the lowest tertile, had lower odds of having short sleep (OR = 0.44, 95%CI: 0.21–0.91) and poor sleep quality (OR = 0.48, 95%CI: 0.22–0.96), after adjustment for potential confounders. Among specific domains of sleep quality, lower odds of subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, and daytime dysfunction were associated with increased MDS. Higher adherence to MDS among individuals with overweight or obesity reduced the odds of having short sleep; this relation was not seen among individuals with normal weight. In contrast, the association between sleep quality and the MDS was significant in individuals with normal weight, but not those with overweight or obesity. Participants with higher adherence to MDS had lower odds for low BDNF values; however, this relation was not statistically significant. Overall, Iranian adults with a higher adherence to MDS had considerably lower odds of having short sleep and poor sleep quality. BDNF would not be an intermediate molecule for this connection.
Laser diode based THz-TDS system with 133 dB peak signal-to-noise ratio at 100 GHz
Authors: Cherniak Vladyslav , Kubiczek Tobias , Kolpatzeck Kevin , Balzer Jan C. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractTerahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) has emerged as a powerful and versatile tool in various scientific fields. These include—among others—imaging, material characterization, and layer thickness measurements. While THz-TDS has achieved significant success in research environments, the high cost and bulky nature of most systems have hindered widespread commercialization of this technology. Two primary factors contributing to the size and cost of these systems are the laser and the optical delay unit (ODU). Consequently, our group has focused on developing THz-TDS systems based on compact monolithic mode-locked laser diodes (MLLDs). The ultra-high repetition rate (UHRR) of the MLLD has the added benefit that it allows us to utilize shorter ODUs, thereby reducing the overall cost and size of our systems. However, achieving the necessary precision in the ODU to acquire accurate terahertz time-domain signals remains a crucial aspect. To address this issue, we have developed and enhanced an interferometric extension for UHRR-THz-TDS systems. This extension is inexpensive, compact, and easy to incorporate. In this article, we present the system setup, the extension itself, and the algorithmic procedure for reconstructing the delay axis based on the interferometric reference signal. We evaluate a dataset comprising 10,000 signal traces and report a standard deviation of the measured terahertz phase at 1.6 THz as low as 3 mrad. Additionally, we demonstrate a remaining peak-to-peak jitter of only 20 fs and a record-high peak signal-to-noise ratio of 133 dB at 100 GHz after averaging. The method presented in this paper allows for simplified THz-TDS system builds, reducing bulk and cost. As a result, it further facilitates the transition of terahertz technologies from laboratory to field applications.
Sustainability analysis framework for on-demand public transit systems
Authors: Alsaleh Nael , Farooq Bilal 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThere is an increased interest from transit agencies to replace fixed-route transit services with on-demand public transits (ODT). However, it is still unclear when and where such a service is efficient and sustainable. To this end, we provide a comprehensive framework for assessing the sustainability of ODT systems from the perspective of overall efficiency, environmental footprint, and social equity and inclusion. The proposed framework is illustrated by applying it to the Town of Innisfil, Ontario, where an ODT system has been implemented since 2017. It can be concluded that when there is adequate supply and no surge pricing, crowdsourced ODTs are the most cost-effective transit system when the demand is below 3.37 riders/km2/day. With surge pricing applied to crowdsourced ODTs, hybrid systems become the most cost-effective transit solution when demand ranges between 1.18 and 3.37 riders/km2/day. The use of private vehicles is more environmentally sustainable than providing public transit service at all demand levels below 3.37 riders/km2/day. However, the electrification of the public transit fleet along with optimized charging strategies can reduce total yearly GHG emissions by more than 98%. Furthermore, transit systems have similar equity distributions for waiting and in-vehicle travel times.
Determination of Seebeck coefficient originating from phonon-drag effect using Si single crystals at different carrier densities
Authors: Hase Masataka , Tanisawa Daiki , Kohashi Kaito , Kamemura Raichi , Miyake Shugo , Takashiri Masayuki 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe phonon-drag effect is useful for improving the thermoelectric performance, especially the Seebeck coefficient. Therefore, the phonon and electron transport properties of Si single crystals at different carrier densities were investigated, and the relationship between these properties and the phonon-drag effect was clarified. Phonon transport properties were determined using nanoindentation and spot-periodic heating radiation thermometry. The electron transport properties were determined based on the electrical conductivity of Si. The diffusive Seebeck coefficient derived from the electron transport properties was in good agreement with previous reports. However, the value of the phonon-drag Seebeck coefficient derived from the phonon transport properties is very low. This phenomenon suggests that phonons with a normal mean free path (MFP) do not contribute to the increase in the Seebeck coefficient; however, phonons with a long MFP and low frequency increase the Seebeck coefficient via the phonon-drag effect. Moreover, the phonon-drag effect was sufficiently pronounced even at 300 K and in the heavily doped region. These features are key in designing thermoelectric materials with enhanced performance derived from the phonon-drag effect.
A matched case-control study on the effectiveness of extracorporeal cytokine adsorption in critically ill patients
Authors: Jerman Alexander , Gubenšek Jakob , Berden Jernej , Peršič Vanja 
Published: August 2023

AbstractExtracorporeal cytokine adsorption aims to reduce cytokine levels in critically ill patients. However, little convincing data exist to support its widespread use. This retrospective study compared interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in patients treated with or without cytokine adsorber (CytoSorb®). Intensive care patients between Jan 2017 and Dec 2021 who had at least two IL-6 measurements were included. They were divided into an adsorber group and a standard of care group. We screened 3865 patients and included 52 patients in the adsorber group and 94 patients in the standard of care group. Matching was performed and the groups were compared regarding IL-6, lactate, CRP, procalcitonin, vasopressor requirement, and mortality rate. After matching, there were 21 patients in each group. Patients had similar age, ECMO and renal replacement therapy use, baseline noradrenaline requirement, serum lactate, pH, CRP, and IL-6 levels. There were no significant differences in the time course of IL-6, lactate, CRP, procalcitonin and noradrenaline requirement between groups. Two-day and ICU mortality and Kaplan-Meier estimated survival were also comparable. In this matched case-control study no difference in IL-6, inflammatory parameters, noradrenaline requirement or mortality was observed between patients treated with adsorber or standard of care.
In silico prediction of immune-escaping hot spots for future COVID-19 vaccine design
Authors: Huang Sing-Han , Chen Yi-Ting , Lin Xiang-Yu , Ly Yi-Yi , Lien Ssu-Ting , Chen Pei-Hsin , Wang Cheng-Tang , Wu Suh-Chin , Chen Chwen-Cheng , Lin Ching-Yung 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a widespread impact on a global scale, and the evolution of considerable dominants has already taken place. Some variants contained certain key mutations located on the receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike protein, such as E484K and N501Y. It is increasingly worrying that these variants could impair the efficacy of current vaccines or therapies. Therefore, analyzing and predicting the high-risk mutations of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein is crucial to design future vaccines against the different variants. In this work, we proposed an in silico approach, immune-escaping score (IES), to predict high-risk immune-escaping hot spots on the receptor-binding domain (RBD), implemented through integrated delta binding free energy measured by computational mutagenesis of spike-antibody complexes and mutation frequency calculated from viral genome sequencing data. We identified 23 potentially immune-escaping mutations on the RBD by using IES, nine of which occurred in omicron variants (R346K, K417N, N440K, L452Q, L452R, S477N, T478K, F490S, and N501Y), despite our dataset being curated before the omicron first appeared. The highest immune-escaping score (IES = 1) was found for E484K, which agrees with recent studies stating that the mutation significantly reduced the efficacy of neutralization antibodies. Furthermore, our predicted delta binding free energy and IES show a high correlation with high-throughput deep mutational scanning data (Pearson’s r = 0.70) and experimentally measured neutralization titers data (mean Pearson’s r = −0.80). In summary, our work presents a new method to identify the potentially immune-escaping mutations on the RBD and provides valuable insights into future COVID-19 vaccine design.
Association between thyroid function and diabetes peripheral neuropathy in euthyroid type 2 diabetes mellitus patients
Authors: He Qingyuan , Zeng Zekun , Zhao Man , Ruan Banjun , Chen Pu 
Published: August 2023

AbstractPrevious studies disclosed that a high thyroid stimulating hormone level is an independent risk factor for diabetes peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, whether thyroid metabolism has an effect on DPN in euthyroid T2DM patients remains unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the association between thyroid function and DPN in euthyroid T2DM patients. A set of 580 euthyroid T2DM patients was enrolled in the current study and stratified into DPN and Non-DPN groups. Mann–Whitney U test was performed to analyze the continuous variables of biochemical and thyroid metabolism indicators, and the Chi-square test was used to compare the categorical variables. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between clinical indicators and free thyroxine (FT4). By using the logistic regression analysis, the prevalence of DPN in different thyroid function indicators were evaluated. T2DM patients with DPN had obviously lower levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alpha-hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase (α-HBDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), calcium (Ca), creatinine (Cr), uric acid (UA), retinol binding protein (RBP), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and FT4 than the T2DM patients without DPN (P < 0.05). FT4 was associated with TP, prealbumin (PA), ALB, SOD, anion gap (AG), Ca, chlorine (Cl), UA, RBP, apoprotein A (Apo A), apoprotein B (Apo B), apoprotein E (Apo E), and total cholesterol (TC). According to the FT4 quartile, participants were sequentially divided into four groups to compare the prevalence of DPN between each group. The data suggested that the prevalence of DPN in these four groups was 53.79%, 53.28%, 54.97%, 38.10%, respectively. Moreover, compared with quartile 4, patients in quartile 1, 2, 3 all had a significantly higher risk of DPN (P = 0.007, P = 0.011, P = 0.004). The level of FT4 was negatively correlated with the prevalence of DPN in euthyroid T2DM patients.
Segregation patterns in rotating cylinders determined by the size difference, density ratio, and cylinder diameter
Authors: Kondo Kurumi , Ebata Hiroyuki , Inagaki Shio 
Published: August 2023

AbstractGranular materials often segregate under mechanical agitation, which differs from the expectation of mixing. It is well known that a bidisperse mixture of granular materials in a partially filled rotating cylinder exhibits alternating bands depending on the combination of the two species. The dynamic angle of repose, which is the angle that a steady avalanche makes with the horizontal, has been considered the dominant parameter that determines the segregated state. However, the previously known angle of repose condition was not always satisfied in different experimental cases. To clarify the experimental conditions, we conducted an exhaustive parameter search with three dimensionless parameters: the particle size difference normalized by the average particle size, the specific density ratio, and the ratio of the cylinder diameter to the average particle size. Additional experiments were conducted to explore the effect of the rotational speed of the cylinder. This systematic approach enabled us to predict the segregated state. Moreover, we discovered that the band width can be effectively scaled by combining these three parameters.
Implantation site design for large area diamond quantum device fabrication
Authors: Vićentijević Milan , Jakšić Milko , Suligoj Tomislav 
Published: August 2023

AbstractWith the number of qubits increasing with each new quantum processor design, it is to be expected that the area of the future quantum devices will become larger. As diamond is one of the promising materials for solid state quantum devices fabricated by ion implantation, we developed a single board diamond detector/preamplifier implantation system to serve as a testbed for implantation sites of different areas and geometry. We determined that for simple circular openings in a detector electrode, the uniformity of detection of the impinging ions increases as the area of the sites decreases. By altering the implantation site design and introducing lateral electric field, we were able to increase the area of the implantation site by an order of magnitude, without decreasing the detection uniformity. Successful detection of 140 keV copper ions that penetrate on average under 100 nm was demonstrated, over the 800 µm2 area implantation site (large enough to accommodate over 2 × 105 possible qubits), with 100% detection efficiency. The readout electronics of the implantation system were calibrated by a referent 241Am gamma source, achieving an equivalent noise charge value of 48 electrons, at room temperature, less than 1% of the energy of impinging ions.
Where the winds clash: what is really triggering El Niño initiation?
Authors: Eusebi Borzelli Gian Luca , Carniel Sandro 
Published: August 2023

AbstractEl Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the Earth’s strongest source of year-to-year climate variability, whose center of action, although being in the tropical Pacific, influences the global climate, impacting also security aspects. ENSO is commonly described as an irregular oscillation of the coupled ocean-atmosphere system, which produces an oscillation in the sea surface temperature between a warm (El Niño) and a cold (La Niña) phase induced by internal waves propagating along the equatorial wave-guide and generated by the convergence between high-frequency westerlies and the quasi-stationary easterlies. Here we show that internal, downwelling Rossby and Kelvin waves are regularly formed beneath the Easterly/Westerly Wind Convergence Zone (EWCZ). When the longitude of EWCZ is located east of 175oE, the Kelvin waves formed beneath the EWCZ reach the eastern Pacific boundary and determine an El Niño event and, the more the EWCZ elongates eastwards into the central Pacific, the more the observed El Niño event is classified as severe, suggesting that the position of the EWCZ is an important factor to trigger El Niño. Therefore, we study zonal shifts of EWCZ and show that the EWCZ and the deep atmospheric convection displace zonally in phase with each other and with the Southern Oscillation Index, indicating that the longitude of the clash between Easterlies and Westerlies determines the climate state of the Pacific and triggers the El Niño initiation.
Beryllene, the lightest Xene
Authors: Chahal Sumit , Bandyopadhyay Arkamita , Yang Chan-Shan , Kumar Prashant 
Published: August 2023

AbstractAfter the discovery of sp2-hybridized graphene and even lighter borophene, the scientific quest for the thinnest metallic sheets prompts the discovery of beryllene. As beryllium lacks p-electrons, the hybridization and structural evolution of beryllene in determining electronic/excitonic behaviors are scientifically interesting. Herein, we report the experimental realization of freestanding flat beryllene sheets with a lateral dimension of ~0.2–4 μm via sonochemical exfoliation. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy establishes the existence of hexagonal, square and stripe crystallographic phases. While characteristic Raman fingerprints ~451 and ~614 cm−1, and experimentally observed electrically metallic nature of beryllene (vindicated by density-functional-theory band structure calculations) establish beryllene synthesis. Room temperature magnetism in Be-G and Be-CNT hybrids (established by Raman mapping and magnetic force microscopic imaging) is an interesting finding. Beryllene was explored as a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) anchor in molecular sensing, oxidation-resistant, and fire-resistant laminates. It is believed that the discovery of beryllene will lead to novel functionalities and emerging applications.
A DNA assembly toolkit to unlock the CRISPR/Cas9 potential for metabolic engineering
Authors: Yuzbashev Tigran V. , Yuzbasheva Evgeniya Y. , Melkina Olga E. , Patel Davina ,  Bubnov Dmitrii , Dietz Heiko , Ledesma-Amaro Rodrigo 
Published: August 2023

AbstractCRISPR/Cas9-based technologies are revolutionising the way we engineer microbial cells. One of the key advantages of CRISPR in strain design is that it enables chromosomal integration of marker-free DNA, eliminating laborious and often inefficient marker recovery procedures. Despite the benefits, assembling CRISPR/Cas9 editing systems is still not a straightforward process, which may prevent its use and applications. In this work, we have identified some of the main limitations of current Cas9 toolkits and designed improvements with the goal of making CRISPR technologies easier to access and implement. These include 1) A system to quickly switch between marker-free and marker-based integration constructs using both a Cre-expressing and standard Escherichia coli strains, 2) the ability to redirect multigene integration cassettes into alternative genomic loci via Golden Gate-based exchange of homology arms, 3) a rapid, simple in-vivo method to assembly guide RNA sequences via recombineering between Cas9-helper plasmids and single oligonucleotides. We combine these methodologies with well-established technologies into a comprehensive toolkit for efficient metabolic engineering using CRISPR/Cas9. As a proof of concept, we developed the YaliCraft toolkit for Yarrowia lipolytica, which is composed of a basic set of 147 plasmids and 7 modules with different purposes. We used the toolkit to generate and characterize a library of 137 promoters and to build a de novo strain synthetizing 373.8 mg/L homogentisic acid.
Dog brains are sensitive to infant- and dog-directed prosody
Authors: Gergely Anna , Gábor Anna , Gácsi Márta , Kis Anna , Czeibert Kálmán , Topál József , Andics Attila 
Published: August 2023

AbstractWhen addressing preverbal infants and family dogs, people tend to use specific speech styles. While recent studies suggest acoustic parallels between infant- and dog-directed speech, it is unclear whether dogs, like infants, show enhanced neural sensitivity to prosodic aspects of speech directed to them. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging on awake unrestrained dogs we identify two non-primary auditory regions, one that involve the ventralmost part of the left caudal Sylvian gyrus and the temporal pole and the other at the transition of the left caudal and rostral Sylvian gyrus, which respond more to naturalistic dog- and/or infant-directed speech than to adult-directed speech, especially when speak by female speakers. This activity increase is driven by sensitivity to fundamental frequency mean and variance resulting in positive modulatory effects of these acoustic parameters in both aforementioned non-primary auditory regions. These findings show that the dog auditory cortex, similarly to that of human infants, is sensitive to the acoustic properties of speech directed to non-speaking partners. This increased neuronal responsiveness to exaggerated prosody may be one reason why dogs outperform other animals when processing speech.