bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On-line gradient monitoring during plug-flow hydrolysis: a tool to support flexible operation?
Authors: Menzel Theresa , Neubauer Peter , Junne Stefan 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Hydrolysis at changing hydraulic retention time (HRT), recirculation, bedding straw content in the feed, bioaugmentation and the impact of those changes on gradient formation in the liquid phase in plug-flow reactors (PFRs) was examined. The pH, conductivity and oxidation-reduction-potential (ORP) were monitored at three spots along the PFRs to study potential correlations of gradient formation to process performance during a total process time of 123 weeks. Local on-line monitoring showed good correlations to acidogenesis: namely the pH and ORP to the acidification, to butyric (and lactic) acid concentration and to the acid yield. The ORP (inlet) showed the most stable correlation to acidogenesis under dynamic operation, while the conductivity (outlet) correlated to the acid concentration in dependance on the feedstock. Multiple measurement spots as used in this study allow to gain more information about acidogenic fermentation than a single measurement spot, simplifying process control and automation attempts with recalcitrant feedstock.
Diagnostic value of multimodal ultrasound in cytologicaldiagnosis of indeterminate thyroid nodules
Authors: Huang Ruijuan , Cong Shuzhen , Liang Yanyan , Lin Zhenyi 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background: To explore the differential diagnostic value of multimodal ultrasound (US) in thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytological (IC) findings.
Methods: A total of 61 thyroid nodules (Bethesda Ⅲ/Ⅳ/Ⅴ) that underwent both fine needle aspiration biopsy and surgical treatment were analyzed, including 37 malignant and 24 benign nodules. Differences in sonographic characteristics between the benign and malignant nodules were assessed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to construct the prediction models of conventional US, superb microvascular imaging (SMI), ultrasound elastography (UE), and multimodal US. Evaluation sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of malignant thyroid nodules with IC using conventional US, SMI, UE, and multimodal US were performed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted and the area under the curve (AUC) values were calculated and compared.
Results: The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 62.05%, 64.86%, and 63.93% for conventional US, 70.83%, 72.97%, and 72.13% for SMI, 83.33%, 83.78%, and 83.61% for UE, and 91.67%, 91.89%, and 91.80% for multimodal US, respectively. The AUC values for conventional US, SMI, UE, and multimodal US in evaluating benign and malignant thyroid nodules with IC were 63.7%, 71.9%, 83.6%, and 86.70%, respectively. Multimodal US results showed the best diagnostic efficacy in malignant nodule diagnosis.
Conclusions: Initial clinical results suggest that conventional US, SMI, and UE are valuable in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules with IC. Multimodal US imaging improves the diagnostic efficacy in diagnosis of malignant nodules and has provides additional information for differentiating malignant and benign nodules.
SmTIR1 positively regulates the growth and root development of Salvia miltiorrhiza
Authors: Qiu Lin , Zheng Yuwei , Wang Wei , Zhang Lei , Zhao Ziyang , Gao Yuanyuan , Yang Dongfeng , Zhang Shuncang 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
The roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza are widely used as medicinal materials in China and other East Asian countries. Root morphology and development are important factors that affect the quality and yield of this herb, but the molecular mechanism underlying root morphogenesis in S. miltiorrhiza remains elusive. Auxin is one of the main phytohormones that regulate root development in plants, and auxin receptor transport inhibitor response 1 (TIR1) plays pivotal roles in this biological process. In this study, SmTIR1 gene was cloned and transgenic S. miltiorrhiza plantlets were obtained to investigate the function of SmTIR1 in root development of S. miltiorrhiza. As the results shown, SmTIR1 positively regulated the growth and root development in S. miltiorrhiza. The SmTIR1 overexpression lines showed increased leaf number, root biomass, lateral root number, and lateral root diameter. The SmTIR1 RNAi lines showed the opposite morphological indices compared with the SmTIR1 overexpression lines. Besides, the contents of phenolic acids in leaves of SmTIR1 overexpression lines were remarkedly increased, but accumulation of bioactive compounds in roots of SmTIR1 transgenic S. miltiorrhiza was did not altered compared with the control. The RNA-seq analysis was performed and a total of 26 differential expressed genes in the auxin signaling pathway were identified in SmTIR1 RNAi lines, these genes may be relevant to the SmTIR1 regulated growth and root development in this species. Our results shed new light on the molecular mechanism of root morphogenesis of S. miltiorrhiza and is helpful to improve the quality of this herb with biological method in the production practice.
Characteristics and Outcomes of Pediatric Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas: A Systematic Review
Authors: Maleknia Pedram D. , Hale Andrew T. , Savage Cody , Blount Jeffrey P. , Rocque Brandon G. , Rozzelle Curtis J. , Johnston James M. , Jones Jesse GA 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Background Dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVF) are arteriovenous shunts in communication with the dural vasculature in the brain or spine. Apart from single-center series, risk factors and treatment outcomes for pediatric dAVFs are largely undescribed. Methods We performed a systematic literature review of pediatric (< 18 years at diagnosis) intracranial and spinal dAVF according to PRISMA guidelines. We queried PubMed, CINAHL, SCOPUS, and Embase databases without time/date restriction. Search strings included a variety of MeSH keywords relating to dural AV fistulas in combination with MeSH keywords related to pediatric cases (see Appendix). Manuscripts describing patients diagnosed with dural sinus malformations or pial AVF were excluded. Results We identified 61 studies describing 69 individual patients. Overall, dAVF were more common in males (55.1%) with a mean age of diagnosis (5.17 ± 4.42 years). Approximately 20.2% of patients presented with cardiovascular disease (CVD), and 31.9% were discovered incidentally on neuroimaging studies. Transverse-sigmoid junction was the most common location (17.3%). Ninety-three percent (64 patients) were treated, most commonly using endovascular embolization (68.1%) followed by surgery (8.7%) and radiosurgery (2.9%). Almost half (43.8%) of dAVFs were completely obliterated. Of the 64 procedures, there were 19 neurological complications (29.7%) of varying severity where 12.5% were considered transient (i.e., pseudomeningocele) and 17.2% permanent (i.e., mortality secondary to acute sinus thrombosis, etc.). Conclusion There is a paucity of information on pediatric dAVFs. This systematic review summarizes the published cases of dAVFs in the pediatric population. While the rate of missing data is high, there is publication bias, and precise details regarding complications are difficult to ascertain, this review serves as a descriptive summary of pediatric dAVFs.
Non-Emergency Department (ED) Interventions to Reduce ED Utilization: a Scoping Review
Authors: Nummedal Målfrid Asheim , Bjørnsen Lars Petter , King Sarah , Pedersen Sindre Andre , Uleberg Oddvar 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Background: Emergency department (ED) crowding is a global burden. Interventions to reduce ED utilization have been widely discussed in the literature, but previous reviews have mainly focused on specific interventions or patient groups within the EDs. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify, summarize, and categorize the various types of non-ED-based interventions designed to reduce unnecessary visits to EDs. Methods: This scoping review followed the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis and the PRISMA-SCR checklist. A comprehensive structured literature search was performed in the databases MEDLINE and Embase from 2008 to January 2023. The inclusion criteria covered studies reporting on interventions outside the ED aimed at reducing ED visits. Two reviewers independently screened the records and categorized the included articles by intervention type, location, and targeted population. Results: Among the 9,799 screened records, we included 139 studies, comprising 114 intervention studies and 25 systematic reviews. In the primary studies, care coordination/case management or other care programs were most commonly examined across 13 categories of interventions. The majority of interventions took place in clinics or medical centers, in patients' homes, or in primary care settings - and targeted patients with a specific medical conditions. Conclusion: A large number of studies have been published investigating interventions to mitigate the influx of patients to the EDs. Many of these targeted patients with specific medical conditions, frequent users and high-risk patients. Further research is also needed to address other high prevalent groups in the ED - including older adults and mental health patients (who are ill but may not need the ED). There is also room for further research on new interventions to reduce ED utilization in low-acuity patients and in the general patient population.
Original Artical Predictive value of bone turnover markers and thyroid indicators for bone metabolism in GD patients after treatment
Authors: Su Mengxue , Chai Jinyan , Zheng Wei , Jia Qiang , Tan Jian , He Yajing , Zhang Ruiguo , Men Jianlong , Liu Wei , Shi Tao , Ren Jing , Dong Liyan , Liu Luyi , Meng Zhaowei 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Purpose To investigate the relationship between bone turnover markers (BTMs) and thyroid indicators in Graves' disease (GD) and to further assess predictive value of changes in early stage retrospectively.Methods We studied 435 patients with GD and 113 healthy physical examiners retrospectively and followed up these two groups of patients after 6 months. We investigated the correlations between BTMs and other 15 observed factors, and analyzed the predictive value of FT3 and FT4 before and after treatment (FT3-P/ FT3-A, FT4-P/ FT4-A) on whether BTMs recoveried.Results The levels of thyroid hormones and BTMs in GD group were significantly higher than those in control group (P < 0.05) and decreased after 6 months of treatment. FT3, W, Ca and ALP were independent factors in predicting the elevation of OST. Duration of disease, FT3, TSH and ALP were independent factors in predicting the elevation of P1NP. Age, duration of disease, TRAb and ALP were independent factors in predicting the elevation of CTX-1. The AUC of FT3-P/ FT3-A and FT4-P/ FT4-A for predicting OST recovery were 0.748 and 0.705 (P < 0.05), respectively, and the cut-off values were 0.51 and 0.595. There was no predictive value for P1NP and CTX-1 recovery (P > 0.05).Conclusions BTMs were abnormally elevated in GD and were significantly correlated with serum levels of FT3, FT4, TRAb, Ca, and ALP. FT3 decreased more than 51% and FT4 dropped more than 59.5% after 6 months of treatment were independent predictors for the recovery of BTMs in GD.
Total component transformation of corn stalk to ethyl levulinate assisted by ionic liquid pretreatment
Authors: Wang Yixiang , Zheng Xiao , Lin Xiaoqi , Liu Xuebin , Han Dezhi , Zhang Qinqin 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
The conversion from widely available and inexpensive crop stalk to high-value platform chemicals through highly selective catalytic liquefaction under mild conditions is one of the effective ways for biomass utilization. In this work, a two-step "lignin-first" process was used to remove lignin from corn stalk (CS) with protonic ionic liquid [B2-HEA][OAc] as the pretreatment agent, followed by targeted conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethyl levulinate (EL) using alcoholic liquefaction technology. The optimal pretreatment conditions of CS and liquefaction conditions for the conversion of pretreated CS to EL were investigated. The highest recoveries of cellulose and hemicellulose were 83.78% and 67.20% as well the delignification rate of lignin was 70%, respectively, at the maximum biomass loading (liquid-solid ratio of 10:1), pretreatment temperature of 130°C and pretreatment time of 5 h. And the maximum EL yield of was up to 39.93% at the liquefaction temperature of 190°C with the liquefaction time of 90 mins. Meanwhile, the crystallinity, thermal stability, functional group and morphology of CS, pretreated CS and liquefied residue were carried out using x-ray diffractometer, thermal gravimetric analyzer, fourier transform infrared spectrometer and scanning electron microscope. It was suggested the lignin was effectively removed from corn stalk by ionic liquid pretreatment. Compared to original CS, the cellulose crystallinity index (CrI) of pretreated CS was reduced from 37.17–35.39%, and the surface of the pretreated CS became rough because of regular structure in cellulose broken by the ionic liquid.
Methodological Criteria for the Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
Authors: Rocchi Paolo 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Over a dozen constructions have been proposed to untangle the foundations of quantum mechanics (QM). The authors have spent a lot of energy in establishing formal solutions but, to the best of my knowledge, have not carefully examined the methodological problems that arise before beginning a theoretical construct in QM. This paper argues on the following methodological obstacles:
1. The definitional and computational formulas.
2. The different theories of probability.
We have also tried to solve problems 1 and 2, but the complete illustration of this attempt exceeds an article’s length, so this paper is limited to presenting 1 and 2, and discussing the intellectual and formal assumptions that should be necessary to unify the theories of probability.
A compartmental models for smoking dynamics in Italy: A pipeline for inference, validation, and forecasting under hypothetical scenarios
Authors: Lachi Alessio , Viscardi Cecilia , Cereda Giulia , Carreras Giulia , Baccini Michela 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

We propose a compartmental model for investigating smoking dynamics in an Italian region. Calibrating the model on local data from 1993 to 2019, we estimate the probabilities of starting and quitting smoking and the probability of smoking relapse. Then, we forecast the evolution of smoking prevalence until 2043 and assess the impact on mortality in terms of attributable deaths. We introduce elements of novelty with respect to previous studies in this field, including a formal definition of the equations governing the model dynamics and a flexible modelling of smoking probabilities based on cubic regression splines. We estimate model parameters by defining a two-step procedure and quantify the sampling variability via a parametric bootstrap. We propose the implementation of cross-validation on a rolling basis and variance-based Global Sensitivity Analysis to check the robustness of the results and support our findings. Our results suggest a decrease in smoking prevalence among males and stability among females, over the next two decades. We estimate that, in 2023, 18% of deaths among males and 8% among females are due to smoking. We test the use of the model in assessing the impact on smoking prevalence and mortality of different tobacco control policies, including the tobacco-free generation ban recently introduced in New Zealand.
Evaluation of the pKa's of Quinazoline Derivatives : Usage of Quantum Mechanical Based Descriptors
Authors: Kiran Melisa , Haslak Zeynep Pinar , Ates Halit , Aviyente Viktorya , Akin Fatma Ahu 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
In this study, several quantum mechanical-based computational approaches have been used in order to propose accurate protocols for predicting the pKa’s of quinazoline derivatives, which constitute a very important class of natural and synthetic compounds in organic, pharmaceutical, agricultural and medicinal chemistry areas. Linear relationships between the experimental pKa’s and nine different DFT descriptors (atomic charge on nitrogen atoms (Q(N), ionization energy (I), electron affinity (A), chemical potential (µ), hardness (η), electrophilicity index (ω), fukui functions (f+, f−), condensed dual descriptor (Δf) and local hypersoftness (\({s}_{k}^{\left(2\right)}\)) were considered. Several DFT methods (a combination of five DFT functionals and two basis sets) in conjunction with two different implicit solvent models were tested, and among them, M06L/6-311 + + G(d,p) level of theory employing the CPCM solvation model was found to give the strongest correlations between the DFT descriptors and the experimental pKa’s of the quinazoline derivatives. The calculated atomic charge on N1 atom (Q(N1)) was shown to be the best descriptor to reproduce the experimental pKa’s (R2 = 0.927), whereas strong correlations were also derived for A, ω, µ, \({s}_{k}^{\left(2\right)}\) and Δf. The QM-based protocols presented in this study will enable fast and accurate high-throughput pKa predictions of quinazoline derivatives and the relationships derived can be effectively used in data generation for successful machine learning models for pKa predictions.
Restoration techniques for degraded steppe courses: diachronic study in the Laghouat region (southern Algeria)
Authors: Saliha MAIDI , Fateh AMGHAR 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Desertification of Steppe courses has become a major issue for Algeria because of huge loss of areas that have reached an irreversible stage of degradation. Therefore, soil and plant characteristics has been changed over the years causing the loss of ecosystem functions. In this context, the managers of Algerian state have acted to remedy the consequences of these ecological troubles, due to inappropriate human practices and accentuated by the harshness of the climate. In this diachronic study in the Laghouat region, 540 floristic samples and 180 soil samples were carried out to test some techniques for restoring degraded courses. It is about a combination of the grazing exclosure and some practical developments of soil (tillage) that are subdivided into mechanical methods (decompacting) and biological ones (adding: manure and mulch; watering; sowing of steppe species). The results have shown that these practices have several effects on floristic and soil parameters in short period (2 years). In fact, by these practices, a stimulation of plant species development has been observed. This has been detected by the increase in diversity index, plant cover and litter as well as the soil organic matter rate for all plots. On the other hand, the decrease in the bare ground surface. This increase is much greater in plots where decompacting with manure in first order and decompacting with sowing techniques have been applied. The technique of decompacting with mulching had a particular effect in the amount of litter with the technique of decompacting with sowing. The decompacting with watering has influenced phosphorus by promoting its availability. Decompacting all alone, which was the least effective, has increased the rate of coarse elements. According to these results, the soil-vegetation balance has been reinstalled by improving soil fertility and structure.
Post-Transcriptional Gene Silencing of Glucanase Inhibitor Protein in Phytophthora Cinnamomi
Authors: Ferreira Patrick , Chahed¹ Abdessalem , Seixas Natália , Costa Rodrigo , Choupina Altino Branco 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Ink Disease is considered one of the most significant causes contributing to the decline of chestnut orchards. The reduced yield of Castanea sativa Mill can be attributed to two main species: Phytophthora cinnamomi and Phytophthora cambivora, being the first the main pathogen responsible for ink disease in Portugal. P. cinnamomi is a highly aggressive and widely distributed plant pathogen, capable of infecting nearly 1,000 host species. This oomycete causes substantial economic losses and is accountable for the decline of numerous plant species in Europe and worldwide. To date, no effective treatments are available to combat these pathogens. Given chestnut’s economic and ecological significance, particularly in Portugal, it is crucial to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between Phytophthoraspecies and host plants. This can be achieved through the study of the glucanase inhibitor protein (GIP) produced by P. cinnamomi during infection. The technique of RNA interference (RNAi) was employed to suppress the gip gene of P. cinnamomi. The resulting transformants, carrying the silenced gene, were used to infect C. sativa, allowing for the assessment of the effects of gene silencing on the plant's phenotype. Additionally, bioinformatics tools predicted the secretion of GIP protein. The obtained results validate RNAi as a potential alternative tool for studying molecular factors and for controlling and managing P. cinnamomi.
Are Negative Weights in Combining Forecasts So Bad?
Authors: Surkov A. A. 
Published: September 2023

Purpose of the study. In this paper, we consider the problem of negativity of weight coefficients when combining forecasts. Combining forecasts as a method has long ago proved itself in practice as a good way to improve forecast accuracy. However, in the literature little attention is paid to the issue of negative weights during aggregation, although the cases of obtaining such weights in practice are quite common. The reasons why this may happen are not considered or analyzed. Often, when obtaining weights less than zero, such weights are reset to zero, thus excluding the information contained in the particular forecasting method from the combination, which may reduce the accuracy of the combined forecast. In this regard, it is important to understand why when combining forecasts, negative weight can be obtained and determine options for how to avoid such situations in combining without losing accuracy.Materials and methods. It is proposed to consider various approaches to eliminate excluded weights when combining forecasts, including truncation of weight coefficients or imposing restrictions on them, including the option of sequential combining of forecasts. Results. The result is a list of reasons why negative weights can be obtained when combining forecasts, what risks they have and how to avoid them.Conclusion. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the negative weights themselves when combining forecasts can be triggers for identifying problems when combining. However, it is dangerous to retain them, as they can lead to uncertain prediction results and degrade the accuracy of the resulting combined forecast. The proposed methods of work allow you to bypass the negativity of the weights without a strong deterioration in forecasting.