bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optimized purification methods for metallic contaminant removal from directly recycled Li-ion battery cathodes
Authors: Fink Kae , Gasper Paul , Major Joshua , Brow Ryan , Schulze Maxwell C. , Colclasure Andrew M. , Keyser Matthew A. 
Published: February 2023

Metallic contaminants pose a significant challenge to the viability of directly recycling Li-ion batteries. To date, few strategies exist to selectively remove metallic impurities from mixtures of shredded end-of-life material (black mass; BM) without concurrently damaging the structure and electrochemical performance of the target active material. We herein present tailored methods to selectively ionize two major contaminants—Al and Cu—while retaining a representative cathode (LiNi0.33Mn0.33Co0.33O2; NMC-111) intact. This BM purification process is conducted at moderate temperatures in a KOH-based solution matrix. We rationally evaluate approaches to increase both the kinetic corrosion rate and the thermodynamic solubility of Al0 and Cu0, and evaluate the impact of these treatment conditions on the structure, chemistry, and electrochemical performance of NMC. Specifically, we explore the impacts of chloride-based salts, a strong chelating agent, elevated temperature, and sonication on the rate and extent of contaminant corrosion, while concurrently evaluating the effects on NMC. The reported BM purification process is then demonstrated on samples of “simulated BM” containing a practically relevant 1 wt% concentration of Al or Cu. Increasing the kinetic energy of the purifying solution matrix through elevated temperature and sonication accelerates the corrosion of metallic Al and Cu, such that ∼100% corrosion of 75 μm Al and Cu particles is achieved within 2.5 hr. Further, we determine that effective mass transport of ionized species critically impacts the efficacy of Cu corrosion, and that saturated Cl– hinders rather than accelerates Cu corrosion by increasing solution viscosity and introducing competitive pathways for Cu surface passivation. The purification conditions do not induce bulk structural damage to NMC, and electrochemical capacity is maintained in half-cell format. Testing in full cells suggests that a limited quantity of residual surface species are present after treatment, which initially disrupt electrochemical behavior at the graphite anode but are subsequently consumed. Process demonstration on simulated BM suggests that contaminated samples—which prior to treatment show catastrophic electrochemical performance—can be recovered to pristine electrochemical capacity. The reported BM purification method offers a compelling and commercially viable solution to address contamination, particularly in the “fine” fraction of BM where contaminant sizes are on the same order of magnitude as NMC and where traditional separation approaches are unfeasible. Thus, this optimized BM purification technique offers a pathway towards viable direct recycling of BM feedstocks that would otherwise be unusable.
Porcine fungal mock community analyses: Implications for mycobiome investigations
Authors: Arfken Ann M. , Frey Juli Foster , Carrillo Nora Isabel , Dike Nneka Ijeoma , Onyeachonamm Ogechukwu , Rivera Daniela Nieves , Davies Cary Pirone , Summers Katie Lynn 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionThe gut microbiome is an integral partner in host health and plays a role in immune development, altered nutrition, and pathogen prevention. The mycobiome (fungal microbiome) is considered part of the rare biosphere but is still a critical component in health. Next generation sequencing has improved our understanding of fungi in the gut, but methodological challenges remain. Biases are introduced during DNA isolation, primer design and choice, polymerase selection, sequencing platform selection, and data analyses, as fungal reference databases are often incomplete or contain erroneous sequences.MethodsHere, we compared the accuracy of taxonomic identifications and abundances from mycobiome analyses which vary among three commonly selected target gene regions (18S, ITS1, or ITS2) and the reference database (UNITE - ITS1, ITS2 and SILVA - 18S). We analyze multiple communities including individual fungal isolates, a mixed mock community created from five common fungal isolates found in weanling piglet feces, a purchased commercial fungal mock community, and piglet fecal samples. In addition, we calculated gene copy numbers for the 18S, ITS1, and ITS2 regions of each of the five isolates from the piglet fecal mock community to determine whether copy number affects abundance estimates. Finally, we determined the abundance of taxa from several iterations of our in-house fecal community to assess the effects of community composition on taxon abundance.ResultsOverall, no marker-database combination consistently outperformed the others. Internal transcribed space markers were slightly superior to 18S in the identification of species in tested communities, but Lichtheimia corymbifera, a common member of piglet gut communities, was not amplified by ITS1 and ITS2 primers. Thus, ITS based abundance estimates of taxa in piglet mock communities were skewed while 18S marker profiles were more accurate. Kazachstania slooffiae displayed the most stable copy numbers (83-85) while L. corymbifera displayed significant variability (90-144) across gene regions.DiscussionThis study underscores the importance of preliminary studies to assess primer combinations and database choice for the mycobiome sample of interest and raises questions regarding the validity of fungal abundance estimates.
A pilot study on the availability and reception of audio description in the Chinese mainland
Authors: Yang Hui , Shen Weiju , Liu Bo , Wang Yi 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionAudio description (AD) is in its infancy in the Chinese mainland, both in terms of the provision of the service and as an academic object of study. In order to learn about the availability of AD and target audiences' reception of existing AD services in the Chinese mainland, we designed and carried out this study.MethodsThis paper first provides a brief overview of the availability of AD in the Chinese mainland and analyses difficulties encountered in its development. Then, it conducts a face-to-face questionnaire-based study on the reception of AD through a survey of 26 visually impaired persons.Results and discussionAD service in the Chinese mainland is only limited to movies and there is a big gap between supply and demand. AD practice is facing many difficulties such as copyright constraints, low quality of AD services, lack of professionals and insufficient theoretical research. Our empirical research shows that the participants are quite satisfied with the quality of existing AD services, although they do not have a high level of comprehension of movies. Over interpretation, revealing the plot, subjective speculations are common practices in AD services in the Chinese mainland but are applauded by the participants for which helps them to understand the film.
The U-shaped association of non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in general adult population
Authors: Huang Yu , Yan Meng Qi , Zhou Dan , Chen Chao Lei , Feng Ying Qing 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundNon-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) has been associated with atherosclerosis. However, the association between non-HDL-C and mortality in adult population remains unclear. We intended to investigate the association of non-HDL-C with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality using national representative data.MethodsThe study included 32,405 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2014). Mortality outcomes were ascertained by linkage to National Death Index records through December 31, 2015. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models were used to evaluate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of non-HDL-C concentrations in quintiles. Two-piecewise linear regression and restricted cubic spline analyzes were performed to test dose–response associations.ResultsAfter a median follow-up of 98.40  months, 2,859 (8.82%) all-cause and 551 (1.70%) cardiovascular deaths occurred. Compared with the highest group, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of the first quintile for all-cause mortality was 1.53 (95%CI, 1.35–1.74). Higher non-HDL-C above a cutoff value of 4.9 mmol/L was related with cardiovascular mortality (HR = 1.33, 95%CI, 1.13–1.57). A U-shaped relationship between non-HDL-C and all-cause mortality was found in spline analysis with a cutoff value around 4 mmol/L. Similar results in subgroups analyzes were found among male, non-white population, participants who were not taking lipid-lowering drugs, and with body mass index (BMI) &lt;25 kg/m2.ConclusionOur findings suggest a U-shaped association between non-HDL-C and mortality among adult population.
Patient-specific, echocardiography compatible flow loop model of aortic valve regurgitation in the setting of a mechanical assist device
Authors: Kassi Mahwash , Filippini Stefano , Avenatti Eleonora , Xu Susan , El-Tallawi Kinan Carlos , Angulo Clara I. , Vukicevic Marija , Little Stephen H. 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundAortic regurgitation (AR) occurs commonly in patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVAD). No gold standard is available to assess AR severity in this setting. Aim of this study was to create a patient-specific model of AR-LVAD with tailored AR flow assessed by Doppler echocardiography.MethodsAn echo-compatible flow loop incorporating a 3D printed left heart of a Heart Mate II (HMII) recipient with known significant AR was created. Forward flow and LVAD flow at different LVAD speed were directly measured and AR regurgitant volume (RegVol) obtained by subtraction. Doppler parameters of AR were simultaneously measured at each LVAD speed.ResultsWe reproduced hemodynamics in a LVAD recipient with AR. AR in the model replicated accurately the AR in the index patient by comparable Color Doppler assessment. Forward flow increased from 4.09 to 5.61 L/min with LVAD speed increasing from 8,800 to 11,000 RPM while RegVol increased by 0.5 L/min (2.01 to 2.5 L/min).ConclusionsOur circulatory flow loop was able to accurately replicate AR severity and flow hemodynamics in an LVAD recipient. This model can be reliably used to study echo parameters and aid clinical management of patients with LVAD.
Fabrication, property and performance evaluation of Stainless Steel 430L as porous supports for metal supported solid oxide fuel cells
Authors: Fu Shengjie , Zhang Jinqiu , Xu Kai , Yang Jun , Zhu Liangzhu 
Published: February 2023

Metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells (MS-SOFCs) have attracted increasing attention due to their superior mechanical strength, relatively low material cost, and capability of fast thermal cycling, as compared to the conventional all-ceramic solid oxide fuel cell. However, fabrication of MS-SOFCs still remains challenging. This study reports a cost-effective powder metallurgical manufacturing route for producing MS-SOFCs. Stainless steel 430L (SS430L) powder is selected for producing the metal support due to its relatively low cost and good thermal expansion compatibility. MS-SOFC button cells with the SS430L/YSZ|Ni/YSZ|YSZ|LSCF structure were successfully prepared by co-sintering and ultrasonic pyrolytic spraying. We found that the trace oxygen level in the dilute H2/Ar gas mixture could play a drastic role in laboratory sintering of the SS430L support; local oxygen control is essential, particularly to avoid Cr oxidation. The addition of no more than 10% YSZ as a second phase to SS430L substantially minimized over-sintering of the SS430L support, leading to a more porous metallic-type substrate, while the electrical conductivity and thermal expansion were not much affected. The fabricated MS-SOFC button cells with the SS430L/YSZ|Ni/YSZ|YSZ|LSCF structure delivered a maximum power density of 180 mW cm-2 at 800°C with an open-circuit voltage of 1.13 V, using dry hydrogen as the fuel and ambient air as an oxidant. A cell tested at 750°C showed relatively good stability for a period of 140 h. While the performance still needs further optimization, the high OCV and good stability indicated that the reported powder metallurgy route is a promising method, and the relevant experimental details, particularly on producing metallic and oxidation-free porous supports, are critical for the preparation of MS-SOFCs.
RF_phage virion: Classification of phage virion proteins with a random forest model
Authors: Zhang Yanqin , Li Zhiyuan 
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Phages play essential roles in biological procession, and the virion proteins encoded by the phage genome constitute critical elements of the assembled phage particle.Methods: This study uses machine learning methods to classify phage virion proteins. We proposed a novel approach, RF_phage virion, for the effective classification of the virion and non-virion proteins. The model uses four protein sequence coding methods as features, and the random forest algorithm was employed to solve the classification problem.Results: The performance of the RF_phage virion model was analyzed by comparing the performance of this algorithm with that of classical machine learning methods. The proposed method achieved a specificity (Sp) of 93.37%%, sensitivity (Sn) of 90.30%, accuracy (Acc) of 91.84%, Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of .8371, and an F1 score of .9196.
Engineered NF-κB siRNA-encapsulating exosomes as a modality for therapy of skin lesions
Authors: Lu Wei , Zhang Jinzhong , Wu Yungang , Sun Wenxue , Jiang Zipei , Luo Xu 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionDespite the protection and management of skin has been paid more and more attention, effective countermeasures are still lacking for patients suffering from UV or chemotherapy with damaged skin. Recently, gene therapy by small interfering RNA (siRNA) has emerged as a new therapeutic strategy for skin lesions. However, siRNA therapy has not been applied to skin therapy due to lack of effective delivery vector.MethodsHere, we develop a synthetic biology strategy that integrates the exosomes with artificial genetic circuits to reprogram the adipose mesenchymal stem cell to express and assemble siRNAs into exosomes and facilitate in vivo delivery siRNAs for therapy of mouse models of skin lesions.ResultsParticularly, siRNA enriched exosomes (si-ADMSC-EXOs) could be directly taken up by the skin cells to inhibit the expression of skin injury related genes. When mice with skin lesions were smeared with si-ADMSC-EXOs, the repair of lesioned skin became faster and the expression of inflammatory cytokines were decreased.DiscussionOverall, this study establishes a feasible therapeutic strategy for skin injury, which may offer an alternative to conventional biological therapies requiring two or more independent compounds.
Immunity of turbot Induced by inactivated vaccine of Aeromonas salmonicida from the perspective of DNA methylation
Authors: Li Yingrui , Su Lin , Liu Xiaofei , Guo Huimin , Zhou Shun , Xiu Yunji 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionDNA methylation was one of the most important modification in epigenetics and played an important role in immune response. Since the introduction of Scophthalmus maximus, the scale of breeding has continued to expand, during which diseases caused by various bacteria, viruses and parasites have become increasingly serious. Therefore, the inactivated vaccines have been widely researched and used in the field of aquatic products with its unique advantages. However, the immune mechanism that occurred in turbot after immunization with inactivated vaccine of Aeromonas salmonicida was not clear.MethodsIn this study, differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were screened by Whole Genome Bisulfite Sequencing (WGBS) and significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened by Transcriptome sequencing. Double luciferase report assay and DNA pull-down assay were further verified the DNA methylation state of the gene promoter region affected genes transcriptional activity after immunization with inactivated vaccine of Aeromonas salmonicida.ResultsA total of 8149 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were screened, in which there were many immune-related genes with altered DNA methylation status. Meanwhile, 386 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, many of which were significantly enriched in Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway and C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway. Combined analysis of WGBS results and RNA-seq results, a total of 9 DMRs of negatively regulated genes are located in the promoter region, including 2 hypermethylated genes with lower expression and 7 hypomethylated genes with higher expression. Then, two immune-related genes C5a anaphylatoxin chemotactic receptor 1-like (C5ar1-Like) and Eosinophil peroxidase-like (EPX-Like), were screened to explore the regulation mechanism of DNA methylation modification on their expression level. Moreover, the DNA methylation state of the gene promoter region affected genes transcriptional activity by inhibiting the binding of transcription factors, which lead to changes in the expression level of the gene.DiscussionWe jointly analyzed WGBS and RNA-seq results and revealed the immune mechanism that occurred in turbot after immunized with inactivated vaccine of A. salmonicida from the perspective of DNA methylation.
Analysis of risk factors for severe acute kidney injury in patients with acute myocardial infarction: A retrospective study
Authors: Nong Yuxin , Wei Xuebiao , Qiu Hongrui , Yang Honghao , Yang Jiale , Lu Junquan , Cao Jianfeng , Fu Yanbin , Yu Danqing 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundPatients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI) tend to have a poor prognosis. However, the exact mechanism of the co‐occurrence of the two diseases is unknown. Therefore, this study aims to determine the risk factors for severe AKI in patients with AMI.MethodsA total of 2022 patients were included in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care. Variables were identified via univariate logistic regression, and the variables were corrected via multivariate logistic regression. Restricted cubic splines were used to examine the risks associated with the variables. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to compare the risk of severe AKI among the patients.ResultsPatients with severe AKI had a higher in‐hospital mortality rate (28.6% vs. 9.0%, P &lt; 0.001) and a longer duration of intensive care (6.5 days vs. 2.9 days, P &lt; 0.001). In patients with AMI, the mean systolic blood pressure (SBP); international normalized ratio (INR); the levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glucose, and calcium; and a history of liver disease were found to be the independent risk factors for developing severe AKI after their admission. Increased levels of BUN and blood glucose and a high INR increased the risk of severe AKI; however, increased levels of calcium decreased the risk; SBP presented a U‐shaped curve relationship.ConclusionsPatients with severe AKI have a poor prognosis following an episode of AMI. Furthermore, in patients with AMI, SBP; INR; a history of liver disease; and the levels of BUN, glucose, and calcium are the independent risk factors for developing severe AKI after their admission.
Decreased synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A binding in a rodent model of familial Alzheimer's disease detected by [18F]SDM-16
Authors: Zheng Chao , Toyonaga Takuya , Chen Baosheng , Nicholson LaShae , Mennie William , Liu Michael , Spurrier Joshua , Deluca Kristin , Strittmatter Stephen M. , Carson Richard E. , Huang Yiyun , Cai Zhengxin 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionSynapse loss is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is associated with cognitive decline. In this study, we tested [18F]SDM-16, a novel metabolically stable SV2A PET imaging probe, in the transgenic APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) mouse model of AD and age-matched wild-type (WT) mice at 12 months of age.MethodsBased on previous preclinical PET imaging studies using [11C]UCB-J and [18F]SynVesT-1 in the same strain animals, we used the simplified reference tissue model (SRTM), with brain stem as the pseudo reference region to calculate distribution volume ratios (DVRs).ResultsTo simplify and streamline the quantitative analysis, we compared the standardized uptake value ratios (SUVRs) from different imaging windows to DVRs and found that the averaged SUVRs from 60–90 min post-injection (p.i.) are most consistent with the DVRs. Thus, we used averaged SUVRs from 60–90 min for group comparisons and found statistically significant differences in the tracer uptake in different brain regions, e.g., hippocampus (p = 0.001), striatum (p = 0.002), thalamus (p = 0.003), and cingulate cortex (p = 0.0003).ConclusionsIn conclusion, [18F]SDM-16 was used to detect decreased SV2A levels in the brain of APP/PS1 AD mouse model at one year old. Our data suggest that [18F]SDM-16 has similar statistical power in detecting the synapse loss in APP/PS1 mice as [11C]UCB-J and [18F]SynVesT-1, albeit later imaging window (60–90 min p.i.) is needed when SUVR is used as a surrogate for DVR for [18F]SDM-16 due to its slower brain kinetics.
Predicting transient ischemic attack risk in patients with mild carotid stenosis using machine learning and CT radiomics
Authors: Xia Hai , Yuan Lei , Zhao Wei , Zhang Chenglei , Zhao Lingfeng , Hou Jialin , Luan Yancheng , Bi Yuxin , Feng Yaoyu 
Published: February 2023

ObjectiveThis study aims to establish a radiomics-based machine learning model that predicts the risk of transient ischemic attack in patients with mild carotid stenosis (30–50% North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial) using extracted computed tomography radiomics features and clinical information.MethodsA total of 179 patients underwent carotid computed tomography angiography (CTA), and 219 carotid arteries with a plaque at the carotid bifurcation or proximal to the internal carotid artery were selected. The patients were divided into two groups; patients with symptoms of transient ischemic attack after CTA and patients without symptoms of transient ischemic attack after CTA. Then we performed random sampling methods stratified by the predictive outcome to obtain the training set (N = 165) and testing set (N = 66). 3D Slicer was employed to select the site of plaque on the computed tomography image as the volume of interest. An open-source package PyRadiomics in Python was used to extract radiomics features from the volume of interests. The random forest and logistic regression models were used to screen feature variables, and five classification algorithms were used, including random forest, eXtreme Gradient Boosting, logistic regression, support vector machine, and k-nearest neighbors. Data on radiomic feature information, clinical information, and the combination of these pieces of information were used to generate the model that predicts the risk of transient ischemic attack in patients with mild carotid artery stenosis (30–50% North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial).ResultsThe random forest model that was built based on the radiomics and clinical feature information had the highest accuracy (area under curve = 0.879; 95% confidence interval, 0.787–0.979). The combined model outperformed the clinical model, whereas the combined model showed no significant difference from the radiomics model.ConclusionThe random forest model constructed with both radiomics and clinical information can accurately predict and improve discriminative power of computed tomography angiography in identifying ischemic symptoms in patients with carotid atherosclerosis. This model can aid in guiding the follow-up treatment of patients at high risk.