bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influences of Tellurite Glass Frits on the Electrical Properties of Silicon Solar Cells
Authors: Xiang Feng 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
In this work, a series of tellurite glass frits has been prepared and used as the silver paste in the Ag electrode of the solar cells. The softening temperature of the glass frits have been characterized by the differential scanning calorimeter. The glass frits G3 has the lowest softening temperature, and the corresponding composition of G3 is 42wt.%TeO2-53wt.% PbO-1wt.%B2O3-4wt.%Bi2O3. The surface and cross-sectional microstructures of Ag electrode and the solar cells have been characterized by the scanning electron microscope. The glass frits with lower softening temperature showed the positive influence due to the dense electrode formation and high strength adhesion force. The electrical properties of the solar cells have been also investigated. The solar cells screen printed the silver paste GP3 had the optimum electrical properties, which can be ascribed to the optimized surface and cross-sectional microstructures of Ag electrode. Therefore, the appropriate tellurite glass frits can well improve the electrical performance of solar cells.
Quadratic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic: merging hotspots and reinfections
Authors: Brandenburg Axel 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
The existence of an exponential growth phase during early stages of a pandemic is often taken for granted. However, for the 2019 novel coronavirus epidemic, the early exponential phase lasted only for about six days, while the quadratic growth prevailed for forty days until it spread to other countries and continued, again quadratically, but with a shorter time constant. Here we show that this rapid phase is followed by a subsequent slow-down where the coefficient is reduced to almost the original value at the outbreak. This can be explained by the merging of previously disconnected sites that occurred after the disease jumped (nonlocally) to a relatively small number of separated sites. Subsequent variations in the slope with continued growth can qualitatively be explained as a result of reinfections and variations in their rate. We demonstrate that the observed behavior can be described by a standard epidemiological model with spatial extent and reinfections included. Time-dependent changes in the spatial diffusion coefficient can also model corresponding variations in the slope.
Optical lattices engineered by vector polarization and multisector amplitude modulation
Authors: Liu Yong , Ding Chenliang , Hu Yifan , Zheng Longchao , Kuang Cuifang 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Optical lattices have several applications including super-resolution imaging, lithography, and light-tweezers. Compared with the conventional multibeam interference method, optical lattices in a tightly focused light fields are presented by cylindrical vector polarization illumination and multisector amplitude modulation. The polarization and phase difference of the illumination beam, including the size and relative position of the sectors, were analyzed using the vector diffraction theory. The obtained results indicate that the primitive cell shape of optical lattices can be controlled by the polarization direction of the illumination beam when the relative positions of sectors in the amplitude modulation mask are set. In addition, the period and primitive cell shape of optical lattices with hyper or complex constructions can be controlled by the relative positions of sectors, while the optical lattice zone primarily depends on the sector size. By combining polarization and amplitude modulation in a high numerical aperture optical system, these engineered optical lattices are potentially beneficial in expanding their applications.
Identification of species-specific RNA N6-methyladinosine modification sites from RNA sequences
Authors: Wang Rulan , Chung Chia-Ru , Huang Hsien-Da , Lee Tzong-Yi 
Published: January 2023

AbstractN6-methyladinosine (m6A) modification is the most abundant co-transcriptional modification in eukaryotic RNA and plays important roles in cellular regulation. Traditional high-throughput sequencing experiments used to explore functional mechanisms are time-consuming and labor-intensive, and most of the proposed methods focused on limited species types. To further understand the relevant biological mechanisms among different species with the same RNA modification, it is necessary to develop a computational scheme that can be applied to different species. To achieve this, we proposed an attention-based deep learning method, adaptive-m6A, which consists of convolutional neural network, bi-directional long short-term memory and an attention mechanism, to identify m6A sites in multiple species. In addition, three conventional machine learning (ML) methods, including support vector machine, random forest and logistic regression classifiers, were considered in this work. In addition to the performance of ML methods for multi-species prediction, the optimal performance of adaptive-m6A yielded an accuracy of 0.9832 and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.98. Moreover, the motif analysis and cross-validation among different species were conducted to test the robustness of one model towards multiple species, which helped improve our understanding about the sequence characteristics and biological functions of RNA modifications in different species.
Phylogeographical analysis and phylogenetic inference based on the cytochromebgene in the genusCaiman(Crocodylia: Alligatoridae) in Central and South America
Authors: Amavet Patricia S , Pacheco-Sierra Gualberto , Uhart Marcela M , Prado Walter S , Siroski Pablo A 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe genus Caiman is one of the most taxonomically conflicted among crocodilians. Caiman crocodilus has four subspecies: Caiman crocodilus crocodilus, Caiman crocodilus fuscus, Caiman crocodilus chiapasius and Caiman crocodilus apaporiensis, but some studies recognize Caiman yacare as a subspecies of C. crocodilus or as a C. crocodilus–C. yacare complex. In Argentina, Caiman latirostris and C. yacare are present and included in sustainable use programmes, although they have hardly been studied at the genetic level. The present study had two main objectives: (1) to study the genetic diversity, structure and phylogeny of C. yacare and C. latirostris in Argentina; and (2) to perform a phylogenetic analysis of the genus Caiman throughout its entire distribution. The results show high haplotype diversity for both species but low nucleotide diversity for C. latirostris. Phylogenetic analysis shows a clear separation between both species but, surprisingly, a well-differentiated clade belonging to the Chaco region was observed. The phylogenetic analysis exhibited clades made up of the sequences of each Caiman species, with some inconsistencies: in the clade of C. crocodilus, one sequence of C. yacare is included, and one clade is observed including sequences from C. c. fuscus and C. c. chiapasius. These data indicate the need to undertake interdisciplinary studies to clarify the taxonomic status of these crocodilian species.
Community assembly of tropical Fagaceae-dominated forests in Thailand dates back at least to the Late Palaeogene
Authors: Malaikanok Paranchai , Grímsson Friđgeir , Denk Thomas , Phuphumirat Wongkot 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe Late Oligocene to Early Miocene flora of the Ban Pa Kha Subbasin (Li Basin, northern Thailand) provides a record of montane dry tropical oak-pine forests. The rich ensemble of Fagaceae typical of these forests might have existed in the wider region of Southeast Asia since Eocene times and various fossil plant assemblages represented both lowland (Fagaceae, Dipterocarpaceae) and upland (Fagaceae, Pinaceae) tropical forests. These findings are in conflict with previous interpretations of vegetation development in northern Thailand, which stressed that stratigraphically older (possibly Late Oligocene) spore and pollen assemblages in northern Thailand were markedly different from the modern tropical flora and had a distinct northern temperate character. A major change in climate would have caused a dramatic shift to tropical conditions since the Mid-Miocene. Considering palaeobotanical data from adjacent regions in Southeast Asia, we suggest that differences in spore and pollen assemblages in intermontane basins in northern Thailand are more likely to represent different facies and lowland/upland settings. Assembly of these forest ecosystems, typically comprising Quercus sections Cyclobalanopsis, Ilex and Quercus, pollen of Castaneoideae with affinities to Castanopsis and Lithocarpus, and extinct fagaceous genera such as Eotrigonobalanus, most probably dates back to the Eocene. The absence of oaks of Quercus section Cerris in the spore and pollen assemblage of the Ban Pa Kha Subbasin, despite this group being part of the modern vegetation, might reflect the late arrival (secondary radiation) of this chiefly temperate group in tropical Southeast Asia.
SMPD4 regulates mitotic nuclear envelope dynamics and its loss causes microcephaly and diabetes
Authors: Smits Daphne J , Schot Rachel , Krusy Nathalie , Wiegmann Katja , Utermöhlen Olaf , Mulder Monique T , den Hoedt Sandra , Yoon Grace , Deshwar Ashish R , Kresge Christina , Pletcher Beth , van Mook Maura , Ferreira Marta Serio , Poot Raymond A , Slotman Johan A , Kremers Gert-Jan , Ahmad Abeer , Albash Buthaina , Bastaki Laila , Marafi Dana , Dekker Jordy , van Ham Tjakko J , Nguyen Laurent , Mancini Grazia M S 
Published: January 2023

AbstractBiallelic loss-of-function variants in SMPD4 cause a rare and severe neurodevelopmental disorder with progressive congenital microcephaly and early death. SMPD4 encodes a sphingomyelinase that hydrolyses sphingomyelin into ceramide at neutral pH and can thereby affect membrane lipid homeostasis. SMPD4 localizes to the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope and interacts with nuclear pore complexes (NPC).We refine the clinical phenotype of loss-of-function SMPD4 variants by describing five individuals from three unrelated families with longitudinal data due to prolonged survival. All individuals surviving beyond infancy developed insulin-dependent diabetes, besides presenting with a severe neurodevelopmental disorder and microcephaly, making diabetes one of the most frequent age-dependent non-cerebral abnormalities. We studied the function of SMPD4 at the cellular and organ levels. Knock-down of SMPD4 in human neural stem cells causes reduced proliferation rates and prolonged mitosis. Moreover, SMPD4 depletion results in abnormal nuclear envelope breakdown and reassembly during mitosis and decreased post-mitotic NPC insertion. Fibroblasts from affected individuals show deficient SMPD4-specific neutral sphingomyelinase activity, without changing (sub)cellular lipidome fractions, which suggests a local function of SMPD4 on the nuclear envelope. In embryonic mouse brain, knockdown of Smpd4 impairs cortical progenitor proliferation and induces premature differentiation by altering the balance between neurogenic and proliferative progenitor cell divisions.We hypothesize that, in individuals with SMPD4-related disease, nuclear envelope bending, which is needed to insert NPCs in the nuclear envelope, is impaired in the absence of SMPD4 and interferes with cerebral corticogenesis and survival of pancreatic beta cells.
The Influence of Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Testing on Clinician Decision-Making for Patients With Acute Respiratory Infection in Urgent Care
Authors: Stamm Brian D , Tamerius John , Reddy Sush , Barlow Shari , Hamer Caroline , Kempken Ashley , Goss Maureen , He Cecilia , Bell Cristalyne , Arnold Mitchell , Checovich Mary , Temte Emily , Norton Derek , Chen Guanhua , Baltus Jeffrey , Gurley Emily S , Temte Jonathan L 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Background
The potential benefits of using rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs) in urgent care facilities for clinical care and prescribing practices are understudied. We compared antiviral and antibiotic prescribing, imaging, and laboratory ordering in clinical encounters with and without RIDT results.

Methods
We compared patients with acute respiratory infection (ARI) symptoms who received an RIDT and patients who did not at 2 urgent care facilities. Primary analysis using 1-to-1 exact matching resulted in 1145 matched pairs to which McNemar 2 × 2 tests were used to assess the association between the likelihood of prescribing, imaging/laboratory ordering, and RIDT use. Secondary analysis compared the same outcomes using logistic regression among the RIDT-tested population between participants who tested negative (RIDT(−)) and positive (RIDT(+)).

Results
Primary analysis revealed that compared to the non-RIDT-tested population, RIDT(+) patients were more likely to be prescribed antivirals (OR, 10.23; 95% CI, 5.78–19.72) and less likely to be prescribed antibiotics (OR, 0.15; 95% CI, .08–.27). Comparing RIDT-tested to non-RIDT-tested participants, RIDT use increased antiviral prescribing odds (OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 2.25–4.26) and reduced antibiotic prescribing odds (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, .43–.63). Secondary analysis identified increased odds of prescribing antivirals (OR, 28.21; 95% CI, 18.15–43.86) and decreased odds of prescribing antibiotics (OR, 0.20; 95% CI, .13–.30) for RIDT(+) participants compared with RIDT(−).

Conclusions
Use of RIDTs in patients presenting with ARI symptoms influences clinician diagnostic and treatment decision-making, which could lead to improved patient outcomes, population-level reductions in influenza burden, and a decreased threat of antibiotic resistance.
gyrA Mutations in Mycoplasma genitalium and Their Contribution to Moxifloxacin Failure: Time for the Next Generation of Resistance-Guided Therapy
Authors: Murray Gerald L , Plummer Erica L , Bodiyabadu Kaveesha , Vodstrcil Lenka A , Huaman Jose L , Danielewski Jennifer A , Chua Teck Phui , Machalek Dorothy A , Garland Suzanne , Doyle Michelle , Sweeney Emma L , Whiley David M , Bradshaw Catriona S 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Background
Although single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Mycoplasma genitalium parC contribute to fluoroquinolone treatment failure, data are limited for the homologous gene, gyrA. This study investigated the prevalence of gyrA SNPs and their contribution to fluoroquinolone failure.

Methods
Samples from 411 patients (male and female) undergoing treatment for M. genitalium infection (Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, March 2019–February 2020) were analyzed by Sanger sequencing (gyrA and parC). For patients treated with moxifloxacin (n = 194), the association between SNPs and microbiologic treatment outcome was analyzed.

Results
The most common parC SNP was G248T/S83I (21.1% of samples), followed by D87N (2.3%). The most common gyrA SNP was G285A/M95I (7.1%). Dual parC/gyrA SNPs were found in 8.6% of cases. One third of infections harboring parC G248T/S83I SNP had a concurrent SNP in gyrA conferring M95I. SNPs in gyrA cooccurred with parC S83I variations. Treatment failure was higher in patients with parC S83I/gyrA dual SNPs when compared with infections with single S83I SNP alone from analysis of (1) 194 cases in this study (81.2% vs 45.8%, P = .047), and (2) pooled analysis of a larger population of 535 cases (80.6% vs 43.2%; P = .0027), indicating a strong additive effect.

Conclusions
Compared with parC S83I SNP alone, M. genitalium infections with dual mutations affecting parC/gyrA had twice the likelihood of failing moxifloxacin. Although antimicrobial resistance varies by region globally, these data indicate that gyrA should be considered as a target for future resistance assays in Australasia. We propose a strategy for the next generation of resistance-guided therapy incorporating parC and gyrA testing.
Immunotherapy in oncology and the kidneys: a clinical review of the evaluation and management of kidney immune-related adverse events
Authors: Rao Ullur Avinash , Côté Gabrielle , Pelletier Karyne , Kitchlu Abhijat 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACT
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are now widely used in the treatment of many cancers, and currently represent the standard of care for multiple malignancies. These agents enhance the T cell immune response to target cancer tissues, and have demonstrated considerable benefits for cancer outcomes. However, despite these improved outcomes, there are important kidney immune-related adverse events (iRAEs) associated with ICI. Acute tubulo-interstitial nephritis remains the most frequent kidney iRAE, however glomerular lesions and electrolytes disturbances are increasingly being recognized and reported. In this review, we summarize clinical features and identify risk factors for kidney iRAEs, and discuss the current understanding of pathophysiologic mechanisms. We highlight the evidence basis for guideline-recommended management of ICI-related kidney injury as well as gaps in current knowledge. We advocate for judicious use of kidney biopsy to identify ICI-associated kidney injury, and early use of corticosteroid treatment where appropriate. Selected patients may also be candidates for re-challenge with ICI therapy after a kidney iRAE, in view of current data on recurrent rates of kidney injury. Risk of benefits of re-challenge must be considered on an individual considering patient preferences and prognosis. Lastly, we review current knowledge of ICI use in the setting of patients with end-stage kidney disease, including kidney transplant recipients and those receiving dialysis, which suggest that these patients should not be summarily excluded from the potential benefits of these cancer therapies.
Resident wild koalas show resilience to large-scale translocation of bushfire-rescued koalas
Authors: Beaman Julian E , Mulligan Connor , Moore Claire , Mitchell Dana , Narayan Edward , Burke da Silva Karen 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Wildlife translocation is increasingly utilized as a conservation management action, to mitigate the immediate negative effects of habitat loss and fragmentation (e.g. from land clearing or bushfires). Previous research has shown that stress responses can help or hinder survival in translocated wildlife and determine the efficacy of translocation as a conservation action. Yet these translocated animals are only one side of the equation, with translocation also potentially impacting the animals in the recipient population. We measured physiological markers of stress (faecal cortisol metabolite concentrations and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratios) and assessed health condition in a wild koala population one year after a major translocation of bushfire-rescued koalas on Kangaroo Island. We expected to find a high population density at the site (&gt;0.75 koalas per hectare) and that resident koalas would show signs of chronic stress and ill health as a result of territorial conflict over food trees and reproductive opportunities. In contrast, we found that only one-fifth of the population remaining at the site were translocated koalas. The overall population density was also much lower (0.21 koalas per hectare) than anticipated. With no evidence of mass mortality at the site, we suggest that the majority of translocated koalas dispersed away from the site. Our stress marker measurements did not differ between the wild koalas and a sample of captive (non-display) koalas at the nearby Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park and were generally low compared to other studies. Veterinary examinations found that most koalas were in good body condition with very few diagnostic indicators of systemic ill health. Overall, our results suggest that, if there is adequate landscape-scale habitat connectivity and opportunity for dispersal, translocated koalas are likely to disperse from the site of release, with limited impacts on recipient koala populations at translocation release sites.
Haematology, biochemistry and morphological features of peripheral blood cells in captive Boa constrictor
Authors: Dervas E , Michalopoulou E , Liesegang A , Novacco M , Schwarzenberger F , Hetzel U , Kipar A 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
The common boa (Boa constrictor) belongs to the family Boidae and represents one of the most popular traded and kept snake species in captivity. The early diagnosis, prevention and prophylaxis of diseases in this species, and in reptiles in general, still pose major challenges, also due to the lack of reliable reference values. This prompted us to conduct a study on clinically healthy captive B. constrictor to assess their basic health parameters in the blood (haematological and biochemical values, stress markers). Several parameters differed significantly between younger (&lt;3 years) and older (≥3 years) boas; in the latter, the percentages of eosinophils, the haemoglobin and haematocrit levels, as well as the albumin and total protein levels, were higher. In male snakes, cholesterol levels were significantly higher than in females. Light and electron microscopy as well as immunohistochemistry served to identify and determine the morphological features of peripheral blood cells, that is, heterophils, basophils, eosinophils, azurophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, thrombocytes and erythrocytes. Leukocyte subpopulations, that is, T and B cells and monocytes, were also identified based on specific marker expression. The study provides data on haematological, biochemical and stress hormone levels, suitable as reference values, and on the blood cell morphology of B. constrictor which can serve as a guideline for further research on this species.