bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Research on thermal infrared anomaly characteristics of moderate strong earthquakes in northeast China
Authors: Li Mengying , Zhang Zhihong , Yang Shichao , Kong Xiangrui , Jiao Mingruo 
Published: August 2023

In this article, the daily brightness temperature data from January 2006 to May 2020 of China’s geostationary meteorological satellite FY-2E/G were used to identify the brightness temperature differences before deep and shallow earthquakes in the study area using wavelet transform and the relative wavelet power spectrum (RWPS) methods. The objective was to explore the characteristics of thermal infrared (TIR) radiation anomaly changes before deep and shallow earthquakes in Northeast China by carrying out anomaly extraction and data analysis. The research has shown that five significant earthquakes experienced TIR radiation anomalies in the vicinity of the epicenter approximately 1–2 months before the event. The amplitude of the anomaly ranged from seven to twenty times higher than average, and the anomaly lasted about 3 months. The infrared radiation anomaly characteristics before the earthquake were especially significant in the case of two earthquakes in the Songyuan area. From the research, it was concluded that the TIR radiation anomaly could act as a short-term precursor for earthquake prediction. The method employed in this study would provide great support for predicting deep and shallow earthquakes in Northeast China using satellite thermal infrared technology.
Potential of biomethane-based energy production from livestock waste biomass resources in Ethiopia
Authors: Tolessa Amsalu 
Published: August 2023

Understanding the potential of biomass sources and their types, quality, and regional distribution is crucial for modern energy production. This study evaluates the biomethane energy potential of livestock waste from six different categories of livestock across all Ethiopian regions using livestock statistics (2020–21), standard procedures, publicly accessible data, and literature. To evaluate the bioenergy potentials, the amount of dry matter per head, collection efficiency, biogas yields of respective livestock waste, and the calorific value of biogas and biomethane were used. The total biomethane and corresponding bioenergy potential of livestock residues in Ethiopia are estimated to be 3,321 hm3 y-1 and 118,906 TJ y-1, respectively. The biomethane combustion in a combined heat and power system is expected to produce roughly 11.4 TWh y-1 of electricity and 13.9 TWh y-1 of thermal energy. The estimated electrical energy could supply 11%, 31%, and 81% of Ethiopia’s total primary energy consumption, production, and total electricity generated in Ethiopia in 2019, respectively. The finding demonstrates that biomethane-based energy production via anaerobic digestion based on livestock waste has the potential to meet a significant portion of Ethiopia’s current energy needs.
An empirical analysis of the impact of ESG on financial performance: the moderating role of digital transformation
Authors: Fu Tao , Li Jiangjun 
Published: August 2023

Introduction: Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations have become increasingly important in the financial market and serve as concrete manifestations of sustainable development within a sector. Most corporate leaders have adopted ESG concerns as an important strategy to enhance their financial performance. Therefore, this study investigated whether ESG affects corporate financial performance, and if this relationship is moderated by digital transformation.Method: We used A-share listed companies in China from 2015 to 2021 as samples to test this mechanism.Results: Regression analysis showed that ESG positively and significantly affects corporate financial performance, and digital transformation drives this promoting effect. Furthermore, we found that the positive effect of current ESG on financial performance in the lag period will gradually weaken. Specifically, the heterogeneity test results show that the enhancement effect of ESG on financial performance is significant for non-state-owned companies but insignificant for state-owned companies; the same is true for companies located in the eastern region compared with those in the midwestern region. Finally, the enhancement effect of ESG on the financial performance of polluting firms is stronger than that on non-polluting firms.Conclusion: These findings will be useful for firms and government departments in formulating relevant policies.
Segmentation of tooth enamel microstructure images using classical image processing and U-Net approaches
Authors: Fogalli Giovani Bressan , Line Sérgio Roberto Peres , Baum Daniel 
Published: August 2023

IntroductionTooth enamel is the hardest tissue in human organism, formed by prism layers in regularly alternating directions. These prisms form the Hunter–Schreger Band (HSB) pattern when under side illumination, which is composed of light and dark stripes resembling fingerprints. We have shown in previous works that HSB pattern is highly variable, seems to be unique for each tooth and can be used as a biometric method for human identification. Since this pattern cannot be acquired with sensors, the HSB region in the digital photograph must be identified and correctly segmented from the rest of the tooth and background. Although these areas can be manually removed, this process is not reliable as excluded areas can vary according to the individual‘s subjective impression. Therefore, the aim of this work was to develop an algorithm that automatically selects the region of interest (ROI), thus, making the entire biometric process straightforward.MethodsWe used two different approaches: a classical image processing method which we called anisotropy-based segmentation (ABS) and a machine learning method known as U-Net, a fully convolutional neural network. Both approaches were applied to a set of extracted tooth images.ResultsU-Net with some post processing outperformed ABS in the segmentation task with an Intersection Over Union (IOU) of 0.837 against 0.766.DiscussionEven with a small dataset, U-Net proved to be a potential candidate for fully automated in-mouth application. However, the ABS technique has several parameters which allow a more flexible segmentation with interactive adjustments specific to image properties.
Oncogenic Ras and ΔNp63α cooperate to recruit immunosuppressive polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells in a mouse model of squamous cancer pathogenesis
Authors: Sakakibara Nozomi , Clavijo Paúl E. , Sievers Cem , Gray Veronica C. , King Kathryn E. , George Andrea L. , Ponnamperuma Roshini M. , Walter Beatriz A. , Chen Zhong , Van Waes Carter , Allen Clint T. , Weinberg Wendy C. 
Published: August 2023

IntroductionAmplification of human chromosome 3q26-29, which encodes oncoprotein ΔNp63 among other isoforms of the p63 family, is a feature common to squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of multiple tissue origins. Along with overexpression of ΔNp63, activation of the protooncogene, RAS, whether by overexpression or oncogenic mutation, is frequently observed in many cancers. In this study, analysis of transcriptome data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) demonstrated that expression of TP63 mRNA, particularly ΔNp63 isoforms, and HRAS are significantly elevated in advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCCs), suggesting pathological significance. However, how co-overexpressed ΔNp63 and HRAS affect the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) is incompletely understood.MethodsHere, we established and characterized an immune competent mouse model using primary keratinocytes with retroviral-mediated overexpression of ΔNp63α and constitutively activated HRAS (v-rasHa G12R) to evaluate the role of these oncogenes in the immune TME.ResultsIn this model, orthotopic grafting of wildtype syngeneic keratinocytes expressing both v-rasHa and elevated levels of ΔNp63α consistently yield carcinomas in syngeneic hosts, while cells expressing v-rasHa alone yield predominantly papillomas. We found that polymorphonuclear (PMN) myeloid cells, experimentally validated to be immunosuppressive and thus representing myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs), were significantly recruited into the TME of carcinomas arising early following orthotopic grafting of ΔNp63α/v-rasHa-expressing keratinocytes. ΔNp63α/v-rasHa-driven carcinomas expressed higher levels of chemokines implicated in recruitment of MDSCs compared to v-rasHa-initiated tumors, providing a heretofore undescribed link between ΔNp63α/HRAS-driven carcinomas and the development of an immunosuppressive TME.ConclusionThese results support the utilization of a genetic carcinogenesis model harboring specific genomic drivers of malignancy to study mechanisms underlying the development of local immunosuppression.
Exploratory study of macrophage polarization and spatial distribution in colorectal cancer liver metastasis: a pilot study
Authors: Khanduri Isha , Maru Dipen M. , Parra Edwin R. 
Published: August 2023

BackgroundThe liver is the most typical site of metastatic disease for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), and up to half the patients with CRC will develop colorectal liver metastasis (CLM). Studying the tumor microenvironment, particularly macrophages and their spatial distribution, can give us critical insight into treatment.MethodsTen CLMs (five treatment-naïve and five post–neoadjuvant chemotherapy) were stained with multiplex immunofluorescence panels against cytokeratins, CD68, Arg1, CD206, CD86, CD163, PD-L1, and MRP8-14. Densities of cell phenotypes and their spatial distribution in the tumor center and the normal liver–tumor interface were correlated with clinicopathological variables.ResultsM2 macrophages were the predominant subtype in both the tumor center and the periphery, with a relatively higher density at the periphery. The larger tumors, more than 3.9 cm, were associated with higher densities of total CD68+ macrophages and CD68+CD163+ CD206neg and CD68+CD206+ CD163neg M2 macrophage subtypes. Total macrophages in the tumor periphery demonstrated significantly greater proximity to malignant cells than did those in the tumor center (p=0.0371). The presence of higher than median CD68+MRP8-14+CD86neg M1 macrophages in the tumor center was associated with poor overall survival (median 2.34 years) compared to cases with lower than median M1 macrophages at the tumor center (median 6.41 years) in univariate analysis.ConclusionThe dominant polarization of the M2 macrophage subtype could drive new therapeutic approaches in CLM patients.
The influence of angiopoietin-like protein 3 on macrophages polarization and its effect on the podocyte EMT in diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Ma Yanli , Chen Yu , Xu Hong , Du Ni 
Published: August 2023

BackgroundPodocyte injury, which involves the podocyte epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, is a crucial factor contributing to the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and proteinuria. Our study aimed to examine the protective properties of Angiopoietin-like protein 3 (Angptl3) knockout on podocyte damage and macrophage polarization in DN mice and podocytes treated with HG. Furthermore, we also sought to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism responsible for these effects.MethodsDN was induced in B6;129S5 mice through intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg/kg of streptozotocin (STZ). Subsequently, the changes in renal function, podocyte apoptosis, inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], interleukin-6 [IL-6], and interleukin-1β [IL-1β]), IL-10, TGF-β1, IL-1Ra, IL-10Ra, and nephrin were evaluated. Moreover, we investigated the mechanism underlying the role of Angptl3 in macrophages polarization, podocyte injury, podocyte EMT.ResultsOur findings revealed that Angptl3 knockout significantly attenuated STZ or HG-induced renal dysfunction and podocyte EMT. In both in vivo and in vitro studies, Angptl3 knockout led to (1) promote the transformation of M1 type macrophages into M2 type macrophages; (2) amelioration of the reduced expression of nephrin, synaptopodin, and podocin; (3) inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and release of IL-1β; and (4) regulation of α-SMA expression via the macrophage polarization. (5) After HG treatment, there was an increase in pro-inflammatory factors and foot cell damage. These changes were reversed upon Angptle knockdown.ConclusionOur study suggests that the knockout of Angptl3 alleviates podocyte EMT and podocyte injury by regulating macrophage polarization.
Direct endothelial ENaC activation mitigates vasculopathy induced by SARS-CoV2 spike protein
Authors: Romero Maritza J. , Yue Qian , Singla Bhupesh , Hamacher Jürg , Sridhar Supriya , Moseley Auriel S. , Song Chang , Mraheil Mobarak A. , Fischer Bernhard , Zeitlinger Markus , Chakraborty Trinad , Fulton David , Gan Lin , Annex Brian H. , Csanyi Gabor , Eaton Douglas C. , Lucas Rudolf 
Published: August 2023

IntroductionAlthough both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 ARDS can be accompanied by significantly increased levels of circulating cytokines, the former significantly differs from the latter by its higher vasculopathy, characterized by increased oxidative stress and coagulopathy in lung capillaries. This points towards the existence of SARS-CoV2-specific factors and mechanisms that can sensitize the endothelium towards becoming dysfunctional. Although the virus is rarely detected within endothelial cells or in the circulation, the S1 subunit of its spike protein, which contains the receptor binding domain (RBD) for human ACE2 (hACE2), can be detected in plasma from COVID-19 patients and its levels correlate with disease severity. It remains obscure how the SARS-CoV2 RBD exerts its deleterious actions in lung endothelium and whether there are mechanisms to mitigate this.MethodsIn this study, we use a combination of in vitro studies in RBD-treated human lung microvascular endothelial cells (HL-MVEC), including electrophysiology, barrier function, oxidative stress and human ACE2 (hACE2) surface protein expression measurements with in vivo studies in transgenic mice globally expressing human ACE2 and injected with RBD.ResultsWe show that SARS-CoV2 RBD impairs endothelial ENaC activity, reduces surface hACE2 expression and increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) and tissue factor (TF) generation in monolayers of HL-MVEC, as such promoting barrier dysfunction and coagulopathy. The TNF-derived TIP peptide (a.k.a. solnatide, AP301) -which directly activates ENaC upon binding to its a subunit- can override RBD-induced impairment of ENaC function and hACE2 expression, mitigates ROS and TF generation and restores barrier function in HL-MVEC monolayers. In correlation with the increased mortality observed in COVID-19 patients co-infected with S. pneumoniae, compared to subjects solely infected with SARS-CoV2, we observe that prior intraperitoneal RBD treatment in transgenic mice globally expressing hACE2 significantly increases fibrin deposition and capillary leak upon intratracheal instillation of S. pneumoniae and that this is mitigated by TIP peptide treatment.
Vision-related quality of life among patients with keratoconus: a cross sectional study
Authors: Al Zabadi Hamzeh , Shehadeh Mohammad , Amro Lubna , Ghattass Nadeen , Taha Ibrahim 
Published: August 2023

PurposeThe present study aimed to evaluate the quality of life of keratoconus patients residing in Nablus city, Palestine. Furthermore, we investigated the possible correlation between Pentacam topographic indices and the quality of life of patients with keratoconus.MethodsThis cross-sectional study evaluated keratoconus patients at An-Najah University Hospital in 2019, diagnosed through clinical examination and corneal tomography. A control group was randomly selected from non-keratoconus patients with normal tomography. The NEI-VFQ-25 questionnaire was administered during face-to-face interviews to compare both groups. NEI-VFQ-25 assesses vision-related quality of life and is a validated tool.ResultsKeratoconus patients’ quality of life is significantly impacted, mainly in near and distant vision, general vision, mental health, and social health, but not in general health, ocular pain, color vision, role difficulties, or dependency. Visual acuity is significantly affected in both eyes of keratoconus patients.ConclusionPatients with keratoconus exhibit a decreased quality of life related to vision, with physical, emotional, and social impairments demonstrated by the NEI-VFQ-25 when compared to controls. Since keratoconus patients are typically young adults in their productive years, understanding their concerns about their future is an important public health aspect that can aid in modifying their treatments. By addressing the specific needs of this patient population, healthcare providers can better support their long-term well-being and quality of life.
Automating venous thromboembolism risk assessment: a dual-branch deep learning method using electronic medical records
Authors: Yang Jianhua , He Jianfeng , Zhang Hongjiang 
Published: August 2023

BackgroundVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is a prevalent cardiovascular disease. Although risk assessment and preventive measures are effective, manual assessment is inefficient and covers a small population in clinical practice. Hence, it is necessary to explore intelligent methods for VTE risk assessment.MethodsThe Padua scale has been widely used in VTE risk assessment, and we divided its assessment into disease category judgment and comprehensive clinical information judgment according to the characteristics of the Padua scale. We proposed a dual-branch deep learning (DB-DL) assessment method. First, in the disease category branch, we propose a deep learning-based Padua disease classification model (PDCM) for determining patients' Padua disease categories by considering patients' diagnosis, symptoms, and symptom weights. In the branch of comprehensive clinical information, we use the Chinese lexical analysis (LAC) word separation technique, combined with professional corpus and rules, to extract and judge the comprehensive clinical factors in the electronic medical record (EMR).ResultsWe validated the accuracy of the method with the Padua assessment results of 7,690 Chinese clinical EMRs. First, our proposed method allows for a fully automated assessment, and the average time to assess one patient is only 0.37 s. Compared to the gold standard, our method has an Area Under Curve (AUC) value of 0.883, a specificity value of 0.957, and a sensitivity value of 0.816 for assessing the Padua risk patient class.ConclusionOur DB-DL assessment method automates VTE risk assessment, thereby addressing the challenges of time-consuming evaluation and limited population coverage. Thus, this method is highly clinically valuable.
Insights into the mechanisms of microbiome and metabolome changes mediated by understory interplanting mode in Polygonatum sibiricum
Authors: Wang Yue , Zhang Jin , Sun Jiabo , Li Guoqing , Wang Qian , Zhao Yanxia , Ma Changjian , Han Jinlong 
Published: August 2023

BackgroundPolygonatum sibiricum is an understory economic plant, and its dried rhizome is a traditional Chinese medicine. The purpose of this study was to connect the quality improvement of the understory plant P. sibiricum with specific microorganisms.MethodsAmplicon and metabolome sequencing were conducted for P. sibiricum interplanted under three types of trees and in the field, and the relationship between the microbiome and secondary metabolism was explored.ResultsPrincipal component analysis (PCA) divided field cultivated and understory interplanted groups into two classes. A total of 95 different metabolites were found, with four expression patterns. The alpha diversity of rhizosphere bacteria and endosphere fungi in the understory interplanted group was significantly higher than that in the farmland cultivated group. There were 276 different rhizosphere microorganism genera among the four groups; however, only 33 different endosphere genera were observed, indicating that endophytic microbial diversity was relatively stable within the P. sibiricum rhizome, especially for endosphere bacteria. Cointertia analysis (CoIA) suggested that the metabolite changes in P. sibiricum induced by interplanting under different trees were more strongly affected by rhizosphere microorganisms than by endosphere microorganisms. In addition, the interactions between rhizosphere microorganisms and metabolites in the farmland group were weakened compared with those in the underplanted groups. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that Aspergillus and Ellin6067 had the greatest influence on the metabolites. Myrmecridium, as a shared microbe in the rhizosphere and endosphere, had interaction effects with the largest number of microbes.ConclusionThis study revealed the interactions between the microbes and metabolites in P. sibiricum and systematically explored the mechanism underlying their correlation, which was mediated by the understory interplanting mode. This study provides feasible strategies for improving the medicinal value of P. sibiricum by regulating microorganisms.
Increased roll tilt thresholds are associated with subclinical postural instability in asymptomatic adults aged 21 to 84 years
Authors: Wagner Andrew R. , Kobel Megan J. , Merfeld Daniel M. 
Published: August 2023

BackgroundBalance assessments that intentionally alter the reliability of visual and proprioceptive feedback (e.g., standing on foam with eyes closed) have become a standard approach for identifying vestibular mediated balance dysfunction in older adults. However, such assessments cannot discern which specific element of the vestibular system (e.g., semicircular canal, otolith, or combined canal-otolith) underlies the observed age-related changes in balance performance. The present study was designed to determine the associations between specific sources of vestibular noise and quantitative measures of quiet stance postural control measured during standard “vestibular” balance conditions.MethodsA group of 52 asymptomatic adults (53.21 ± 19.7, 21 to 84 years) without a history of vestibular or neurologic disorders volunteered for this study. We measured a battery of five vestibular perceptual thresholds that assay vestibular noise with predominant contributions from the vertical canals, lateral canals, utricles, saccules, and the centrally integrated canal-otolith signal. In addition, participants completed two standard balance assessments that were each designed to prioritize the use of vestibular cues for quiet stance postural control—eyes closed on foam (Condition 4 of the Modified Romberg Balance Test) and eyes closed, on a sway referenced support surface (Condition 5 of the Sensory Organization Test).ResultsIn age adjusted models, we found strong positive associations between roll tilt vestibular thresholds, a measure of noise in the centrally integrated canal-otolith signal, and the root mean square distance (RMSD) of the anteroposterior and mediolateral center of pressure (CoP) captured during eyes closed stance on a sway referenced support surface. The strength of the association between roll tilt thresholds and the RMSD of the CoP was between 3-times and 30-times larger than the association between postural sway and each of the other vestibular thresholds measured.ConclusionWe posit that noise in the centrally estimated canal-otolith “tilt” signal may be the primary driver of the subclinical postural instability experienced by older adults during the “vestibular” conditions of balance assessments. Additional testing in adults with clinical balance impairment are needed to identify if roll tilt thresholds may also serve as a surrogate metric by which to detect vestibular mediated balance dysfunction and/or fall risk.