bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Research on energy storage allocation strategy considering smoothing the fluctuation of renewable energy
Authors: Lv You , Qin Ruijun , Sun Hao , Guo Ziming , Fang Fang , Niu Yuguang 
Published: March 2023

Energy storage technology can effectively solve the problems caused by large-scale grid connection of renewable energy with volatility and uncertainty. Due to the high cost of the energy storage system, the research on capacity allocation of energy storage system has important theoretical and application value. In this paper, an optimization method for determining the capacity of energy storage system for smoothing the power output of renewable energy is proposed. First, based on the actual data of Ulanqab, the output characteristics of wind power and photovoltaic power generation are studied, and the K-means algorithm is used to select typical days. Then, the energy storage configuration model is built according to the objective function and constraints. Finally, genetic algorithm is used to solve the optimization model, obtain the corresponding parameters, and complete the configuration of energy storage capacity. Based on the results of renewable energy spectrum analysis, the minimum capacity of the energy storage system that meets the constraint of target power output volatility after compensation by the energy storage system can be optimized. The simulation results show that at 1 and 10 min, the flattened volatility is about 2% and 5%, while the actual penetration volatility is about 20% and 30%. The volatility of the optimized model is greatly reduced, which proves the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
Contribution of a groundwater-influenced hinterland drainage system to the restoration of salmonid spawning grounds at the upper river Danube
Authors: Pander Joachim , Casas-Mulet Roser , Geist Juergen 
Published: March 2023

Groundwater-influenced ditches, so called hinterland drainage systems (HDS), accompany many heavily modified water bodies (HMWBs). Herein, we evaluate the usefulness of including HDS as functional habitats in river restoration approaches by assessing their role as salmonid recruitment areas in HMWBs. We tested the functionality of spawning grounds in a groundwater-influenced HDS compared to the quality of those not influenced by groundwater (OHB 1 and OHB 2), based on bioindication using brown trout eggs. Eggs were placed in each compartment of a two-layered container of 20 cm diameter and 30 cm total depth (known as the HydroEcoSedimentary Tool or HEST) pre-filled with sediment, mimicking hyporheic conditions. A total of 81 HESTs were evenly distributed across the three sites to assess egg and larvae mortality whilst exposed at two substrate depths (5–10 cm and 17–22 cm). In addition, key physico-chemical variables such as dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, turbidity, electric conductance and substratum composition were analyzed. Mean egg mortality in the HDS was 33% lower than in both non-groundwater-influenced spawning grounds, whereas mean larval mortality was highest in the HDS (95%) compared to 74% at OHB 1 and 66% at OHB 2. The exposure depth of eggs had a significant influence on mortality, with more dead eggs and larvae in the deeper substrate layers, most likely attributed to an increase of fine sediment and a decrease of oxygen availability over time. Particularly the HDS revealed high mortality rates of larvae since it had a 17% lower mean oxygen level compared to the other spawning grounds. These findings suggest that if additional measures such as substratum restoration were undertaken to increase oxygen availability within HDS, these groundwater-dominated ditches could be incorporated as part of an efficient river restoration strategy.
Diabetic retinopathy as a potential risk factor for ptosis: A 13-year nationwide population-based cohort study in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Chun-Ju , Hsu Alan Y. , Tien Peng-Tai , Chang Cheng-Hsien , Lai Chun-Ting , Hsia Ning-Yi , Yang Yu-Cih , Bair Henry , Chen Huan-Sheng , Chen Wen-Lu , Tsai Yi-Yu 
Published: March 2023

PurposeTo determine the risk of ptosis among diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients.MethodsThis is a population-based, retrospective, matched-cohort study where DR patients were recruited from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) to investigate the risk of developing ptosis. Preexisting co-factors of interest included smoking status and medical comorbidities of hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Statistical analysis was performed using T-test, Cox-proportional hazard ratios adjusted for comorbidities (aHR), Wilcoxon rank sum test, Kaplan–Meier estimators, and log rank tests.ResultsFollow-up data of 9,494 patients with DR and 37,976 matched control cohort (non-DR) from 2000 to 2012 were analyzed. DR patients were found to have significantly increased risk of developing ptosis (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) [95% CI]: 2.76 [1.74–4.38], p &lt; 0.001) when compared to the control cohort. From analysis in different strata, adult age and non-smokers were shown to have higher risk for ptosis development among DR patients. Furthermore, DR patients was also found to have increased risk of developing ptosis when compared to matched controls, regardless of whether they had medical comorbidities of lipid metabolism disorders or hypertension.ConclusionsIn this large-scale study using real-world data, our results showed that DR patients were found to have increased risk of developing ptosis. Female gender, adult age, and non-smokers were also shown to increase the risk of ptosis among DR patients. This has implications towards the care of diabetic patients, complications such as ptosis should be properly screened for when encountering such patients. Before ptosis surgery, the possibility of underlying diabetes or DR should be also scrutinized and treated properly to avoid undesirable postoperative dissension.
C1QC is a prognostic biomarker with immune-related value in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma
Authors: Yao Wentao , Liu Hanyuan , Xu Feng , Cai Zhenyu , Hang Lijing , Lu Mingya , Zhao Yuan , Yang Chendi , Zong Yang 
Published: March 2023

Background: Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is a representative histologic subtype of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). RCC exhibits a strong immunogenicity with a prominent dysfunctional immune infiltration. Complement C1q C chain (C1QC) is a polypeptide in serum complement system and is involved in tumorigenesis and the modulation of tumor microenvironment (TME). However, researches have not explored the effect of C1QC expression on prognosis and tumor immunity of KIRC.Methods: The difference in a wide variety of tumor tissues and normal tissues in terms of the C1QC expression was detected using TIMER and TCGA portal databases, and further validation of protein expression of C1QC was conducted via Human Protein Atlas. Then, the associations of C1QC expression with clinicopathological data and other genes were studied with the use of UALCAN database. Subsequently, the association of C1QC expression with prognosis was predicted by searching the Kaplan-Meier plotter database. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network with the Metascape database was built using STRING software, such that the mechanism underlying the C1QC function can be studied in depth. The TISCH database assisted in the evaluation of C1QC expression in different cell types in KIRC at the single-cell level. Moreover, the association of C1QC and the infiltration level of tumor immune cell was assessed using TIMER platform. The TISIDB website was selected to deeply investigate the Spearman correlation between C1QC and immune-modulator expression. Lastly, how C1QC affected the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro was assessed using knockdown strategies.Results: KIRC tissues had notably upregulated C1QC level in comparison with adjacent normal tissues, with showed a positive relevance to clinicopathological features including tumor stage, grade, and nodal metastasis, and a negative relevance to clinical prognosis in KIRC. C1QC knockdown inhibited KIRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, as indicated by the results of the in vitro experiment. Furthermore, functional and pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated that C1QC was involved in immune system-related biological processes. According to single-cell RNA analysis, C1QC exhibited a specific upregulation in macrophages cluster. Additionally, there was an obvious association of C1QC and a wide variety of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in KIRC. Also, high C1QC expression presented inconsistent prognosis in different enriched immune cells subgroups in KIRC. Immune factors might contribute to C1QC function in KIRC.Conclusion: C1QC is qualified to predict KIRC prognosis and immune infiltration biologically. Targeting C1QC may bring new hope for the treatment of KIRC.
Women's beliefs about methods and contraceptive discontinuation: Results from a prospective study from Nairobi and Homa Bay counties in Kenya
Authors: Wado Yohannes Dibaba , Mutua Martin K. , Odwe George , Obare Francis , Machiyama Kazuyo , Casterline John B. , Cleland John 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundRates of contraceptive discontinuation are high in many low and middle countries contributing to unmet need for contraception and other adverse reproductive health outcomes. Few studies have investigated how women's beliefs about methods and strength of fertility preferences affect discontinuation rates. This study examines this question using primary data collected in Nairobi and Homa Bay counties in Kenya.MethodsWe used data from two rounds of a longitudinal study of married women ages 15–39 years (2,812 and 2,424 women from Nairobi and Homa Bay respectively at round 1). Information on fertility preferences, past and current contraceptive behavior, and method-related beliefs about six modern contraceptive methods were collected, along with a monthly calendar of contraceptive use between the two interviews. The analysis focused on discontinuation of the two most commonly used methods in both sites, injectables and implants. We carry out competing risk survival analysis to identify which method related beliefs predict discontinuation among women using at the first round.ResultsThe percentages of episodes discontinued in the 12 months between the two rounds was 36%, with a higher rate of discontinuation in Homa Bay (43%) than in the Nairobi slums (32%) and higher for injectables than implants. Method related concerns and side effects were the major self-reported reasons for discontinuation in both sites. The competing risk survival analysis showed that the probability of method related discontinuation of implants and injectables was significantly lower among respondents who believed that the methods do not cause serious health problems (SHR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.62–0.98), do not interfere with regular menses (SHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.61–0.95) and do not cause unpleasant side effects (SHR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.56–0.89). By contrast, there were no net effects of three method related beliefs that are commonly cited as obstacles to contraceptive use in African societies: safety for long-term use, ability to have children after stopping the method, and the approval of the husband.ConclusionThis study is unique in its examination of the effect of method-specific beliefs on subsequent discontinuation for a method-related reason, using a longitudinal design. The single most important result is that concerns about serious health problems, which are largely unjustified and only moderately associated with beliefs about side effects, are a significant influence on discontinuation. The negative results for other beliefs show that the determinants of discontinuation differ from the determinants of method adoption and method choice.
A deep look into the storm: Israeli multi-center experience of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases before and after vaccinations
Authors: Kharouf Fadi , Eviatar Tali , Braun Maya , Pokroy-Shapira Elisheva , Brodavka Michal , Zloof Yair , Agmon-Levin Nancy , Toledano Kochava , Oren Shirly , Lidar Merav , Zisman Devy , Tavor Yonit , Amit-Vazina Mirit , Sabbah Firas , Breuer Gabriel S. , Dagan Amir , Beshara-Garzuzi Rima , Markovits Doron , Elias Muna , Feld Joy , Tayer-Shifman Oshrat , Gazitt Tal , Reitblatt Tatiana , Rubin Limor , Haddad Amir , Giryes Sami , Paran Daphna , Peleg Hagit , Molad Yair , Elkayam Ori , Mevorach Dror , Balbir-Gurman Alexandra , Braun-Moscovici Yolanda 
Published: March 2023

ObjectiveWe aimed to characterize the course of COVID-19 in autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease (AIIRD) patients in Israel, taking into consideration several remarkable aspects, including the outcomes of the different outbreaks, the effect of vaccination campaigns, and AIIRD activity post-recovery.MethodsWe established a national registry of AIIRD patients diagnosed with COVID-19, including demographic data, AIIRD diagnosis, duration and systemic involvement, comorbidities, date of COVID-19 diagnosis, clinical course, and dates of vaccinations. COVID-19 was diagnosed by a positive SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction.ResultsIsrael experienced 4 outbreaks of COVID-19 until 30.11.2021. The first three outbreaks (1.3.2020 – 30.4.2021) comprised 298 AIIRD patients. 64.9% had a mild disease and 24.2% had a severe course; 161 (53.3%) patients were hospitalized, 27 (8.9%) died. The 4th outbreak (delta variant), starting 6 months after the beginning of the vaccination campaign comprised 110 patients. Despite similar demographic and clinical characteristics, a smaller proportion of AIIRD patients had negative outcomes as compared to the first 3 outbreaks, with regards to severity (16 patients,14.5%), hospitalization (29 patients, 26.4%) and death (7 patients, 6.4%). COVID-19 did not seem to influence the AIIRD activity 1-3 months post-recovery.ConclusionsCOVID-19 is more severe and has an increased mortality in active AIIRD patients with systemic involvement, older age and comorbidities. Vaccination with 3 doses of the mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 protected from severe COVID-19, hospitalization and death during the 4th outbreak. The pattern of spread of COVID-19 in AIIRD patients was similar to the general population.
Safety and efficacy of radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wu Jing , Ni Tingting , Deng Rong , Li Yan , Zhong Qin , Tang Fei , Zhang Qi , Fang Chunju , Xue Yingbo , Zha Yan , Zhang Yu 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundIt is now widely accepted that radiotherapy (RT) can provoke a systemic immune response, which gives a strong rationale for the combination of RT and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, RT is a double-edged sword that not only enhances systemic antitumor immune response, but also promotes immunosuppression to some extent. Nevertheless, many aspects regarding the efficacy and safety of this combination therapy remain unknown. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed in order to assess the safety and efficacy of RT/chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and ICI combination therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.MethodsPubMed and several other databases were searched (according to specific criteria) to find relevant studies published prior to the 28th of February 2022.Results3,652 articles were identified for screening and 25 trials containing 1,645 NSCLC patients were identified. For stage II-III NSCLC, the one- and two-year overall survival (OS) was 83.25% (95% confidence interval (CI): 79.42%-86.75%) and 66.16% (95% CI: 62.3%-69.92%), respectively. For stage IV NSCLC, the one- and two-year OS was 50% and 25%. In our study, the pooled rate of grade 3-5 adverse events (AEs) and grade 5 AEs was 30.18% (95% CI: 10.04%-50.33%, I2: 96.7%) and 2.03% (95% CI: 0.03%-4.04%, I2: 36.8%), respectively. Fatigue (50.97%), dyspnea (46.06%), dysphagia (10%-82.5%), leucopenia (47.6%), anaemia (5%-47.6%), cough (40.09%), esophagitis (38.51%), fever (32.5%-38.1%), neutropenia (12.5%-38.1%), alopecia (35%), nausea (30.51%) and pneumonitis (28.53%) were the most common adverse events for the combined treatment. The incidence of cardiotoxicity (0%-5.00%) was low, but it was associated with a high mortality rate (0%-2.56%). Furthermore, the incidence of pneumonitis was 28.53% (95% CI: 19.22%-38.88%, I2: 92.00%), grade ≥ 3 pneumonitis was 5.82% (95% CI: 3.75%-8.32%, I2: 57.90%) and grade 5 was 0%-4.76%.ConclusionThis study suggests that the addition of ICIs to RT/CRT for NSCLC patients may be both safe and feasible. We also summarize details of different RT combinations with ICIs to treat NSCLC. These findings may help guide the design of future trials, the testing of concurrent or sequential combinations for ICIs and RT/CRT could be particularly useful to guide the treatment of NSCLC patients.
KW2449 ameliorates collagen-induced arthritis by inhibiting RIPK1-dependent necroptosis
Authors: Wang Qiong , Ye Qinbin , Xi Xiaoyu , Cao Xiaoxue , Wang Xing , Zhang Mengxiao , Xu Yuan , Deng Tingting , Deng Xiaobing , Zhang Guoqiang , Xiao Cheng 
Published: March 2023

ObjectiveNecroptosis has recently been found to be associated with the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study was undertaken to explore the role of RIPK1-dependent necroptosis in the pathogenesis of RA and the potential new treatment options.MethodsThe plasma levels of receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) and mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL) in 23 controls and 42 RA patients were detected by ELISA. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats were treated with KW2449 by gavage for 28 days. Arthritis index score, H&amp;E staining, and Micro-CT analysis were used to evaluate joint inflammation. The levels of RIPK1-dependent necroptosis related proteins and inflammatory cytokines were detected by qRT-PCR, ELISA and Western blot, and the cell death morphology was detected by flow cytometry analysis and high-content imaging analysis.ResultsThe plasma levels of RIPK1 and MLKL in RA patients were higher than those in healthy people, and were positively correlated with the severity of RA. KW2449 could reduce joint swelling, joint bone destruction, tissue damage, and the plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines in CIA rats. Lipopolysaccharide combined with zVAD (LZ) could induce necroptosis in RAW 264.7 cells, which could be reduced by KW2449. RIPK1-dependent necroptosis related proteins and inflammatory factors increased after LZ induction and decreased after KW2449 treatment or knockdown of RIPK1.ConclusionThese findings suggest that the overexpression of RIPK1 is positively correlated with the severity of RA. KW2449, as a small molecule inhibitor targeting RIPK1, has the potential to be a therapeutic strategy for RA treatment by inhibiting RIPK1-dependent necroptosis.
Impact of homologous and heterologous boosters in neutralizing antibodies titers against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron in solid-organ transplant recipients
Authors: Gaete-Argel Aracelly , Saavedra-Alarcón Vicente , Sauré Denis , Alonso-Palomares Luis , Acevedo Mónica L. , Alarcón Marion , Bueno Susan M. , Kalergis Alexis M. , Soto-Rifo Ricardo , Valiente-Echeverría Fernando , Cortes Claudia P. 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionBooster doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines improve seroconversion rates in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) but the impact of homologous and heterologous booster doses in neutralizing antibody (NAb) titers and their ability to interfere with the variant of concern Omicron are not well studied.MethodsWe designed a prospective, open-label, observational clinical cohort study. 45 participants received two doses of BNT162b2 or CoronaVac (21-day or 28-day intervals, respectively) followed by a first and second booster with BNT162b2 (5-month apart each) and we analyzed the neutralizing antibody titers against SARSCoV-2 D614G (B.1 lineage) and Omicron (BA.1 lineage).ResultsOur results show that SOTRs receiving an initial two-dose scheme of CoronaVac or BNT162b2 generate lower NAbs titers against the ancestral variant of SARS-CoV-2 when compared with healthy controls. Although these NAb titers were further decreased against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron, a single BNT162b2 booster in both groups was sufficient to increase NAb titers against the variant of concern. More importantly, this effect was only observed in those participants responding to the first two shots but not in those not responding to the initial vaccination scheme.DiscussionThe data provided here demonstrate the importance of monitoring antibody responses in immunocompromised subjects when planning booster vaccination programs in this risk group.
Brain endothelial cells exposure to malaria parasites links type I interferon signalling to antigen presentation, immunoproteasome activation, endothelium disruption, and cellular metabolism
Authors: Shafi Abdul Muktadir , Végvári Ákos , Howland Shanshan Wu , Zubarev Roman A. , Rénia Laurent , Penha-Gonçalves Carlos 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionCerebral malaria (CM) lethality is attributable to induction of brain edema induction but the cellular mechanisms involving brain microvascular endothelium in CM pathogenesis are unexplored.ResultsActivation of the STING-INFb-CXCL10 axis in brain endothelial cells (BECs) is a prominent component of the innate immune response in CM development in mouse models. Using a T cell-reporter system, we show that Type 1 IFN signaling in BECs exposed to Plasmodium berghei-infected erythrocytes (PbA-IE), functionally enhances MHC Class-I antigen presentation through gamma-interferon independent immunoproteasome activation and impacted the proteome functionally related to vesicle trafficking, protein processing/folding and antigen presentation. In vitro assays showed that Type 1 IFN signaling and immunoproteasome activation are also involved in the dysfunction of the endothelial barrier through disturbing gene expression in the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. We demonstrate that IE exposure induces a substantial increase in BECs glucose uptake while glycolysis blockade abrogates INFb secretion impairing immunoproteasome activation, antigen presentation and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.DiscussionMetabolome analysis show that energy demand and production are markedly increased in BECs exposed to IE as revealed by enriched content in glucose and amino acid catabolites. In accordance, glycolysis blockade in vivo delayed the clinical onset of CM in mice. Together the results show that increase in glucose uptake upon IE exposure licenses Type 1 IFN signaling and subsequent immunoproteasome activation contributing to enhanced antigen presentation and impairment of endothelial barrier function. This work raises the hypothesis that Type 1 IFN signaling-immunoproteasome induction in BECs contributes to CM pathology and fatality (1) by increasing antigen presentation to cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and (2) by promoting endothelial barrier dysfunction, that likely favor brain vasogenic edema.