bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
β-sitosterol improves the permeability of lung epithelial cells by inhibiting the NF-kB pathway
Authors: Chen Xingdong , Chen Juan , Ren Yi , Wang Mengmeng , Yang Zhizhou , Zhang Wei , Li Quan , Liu Chao , Sun Zhaorui , Nie Shinan 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Objective: To investigate the mechanism of the protective effect of beta-sitosterol (BS) on sepsis-induced lung injury.
METHODS: A mouse model of sepsis-induced lung injury was established by cecum ligation and puncture (CLP). The murine lung epithelial (MLE-12) cells injury model was established by challenging LPS. Evans blue staining, lung wet/dry mass ratio (W/D), and the total protein concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were used to assess the changes in lung tissue permeability. HE staining was performed to observe the histopathological changes in lung tissues. ELISA was examined to determine IL-6 and TNF-α inflammatory factors in each group of lung tissues and cells. The protein levels of claudin-4, claudin-5, Bcl-2, Bax, p65 and p-p65 were detected by western blotting or immunofluorescence. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran extravasation as a measure of MLE-12 cells permeability.
RESULTS: BS attenuated lung tissue pathological changes caused by sepsis, reduced the level of inflammatory factors and decreased the permeability of lung tissue and MLE-12 cells. Moreover, BS inhibited NF-kB signaling pathway to upregulate tight junction proteins claudin-4 and claudin-5 thereby improving septic lung epithelial cell permeability.
CONCLUSION: BS reduces the level of inflammatory factors by inhibiting NF-kB signaling pathway and regulates the expression of tight junction proteins claudin-4 and claudin-5 to improve the barrier function of lung epithelial cells, thus improving lung injury caused by sepsis.
Incidence and Potential Risk Factors of Human Cytomegalovirus Infection in Patients with Severe and Critical COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Imoto Waki , Imai Takumi , Kawai Ryota , Ihara Yasutaka , Nonomiya Yuta , Namikawa Hiroki , Yamada Koichi , Yoshida Hisako , Kaneko Yukihiro , Shintani Ayumi , Kakeya Hiroshi 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) reactivation occurs in immunosuppressed individuals and is known to increase mortality. Although patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are often associated with steroid use and intensive care unit (ICU) treatment and may be at risk for comorbid HCMV reactivation, there are still insufficient studies. This study aimed to examine the incidence and potential risk factors of HCMV infection in patients with severe COVID-19 and evaluate the relationship between HCMV infection and mortality.
Methods
We used administrative claims data from advanced treatment hospitals in Japan to identify and analyze patients with severe or critical COVID-19. We explored potential risk factors for HCMV infection using multivariable regression models and its contribution to mortality in patients with COVID-19.
Results
Overall, 33,151 patients who progressed to severe or critical COVID-19 illness were identified. The incidence of HCMV infection was 0.3–1.7%. Steroids, immunosuppressants, ICU admission, and blood transfusion were strongly associated with HCMV reactivation. Furthermore, HCMV reactivation was associated with patient mortality independent of the observed risk factors for death.
Conclusions
HCMV infection is a notable complication in patients with COVID-19 receiving steroids, immunosuppressants, ICU admission, and blood transfusion, and it can significantly increase mortality risk.
Cooking the books: Pervasive over-crediting from cookstoves offset methodologies
Authors: Gill-Wiehl Annelise , Kammen Daniel , Haya Barbara 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Carbon offsets from improved cookstove projects could advance Sustainable Development Goals 13 (climate), 7 (energy), 5 (gender), and 3 (health). To legitimately "offset" emissions, methodologies must accurately or conservatively quantify climate impact. We conduct the first comprehensive, quantitative over/under crediting analysis of five cookstove methodologies, comparing them against published literature and our own analysis. We find misalignment, in order of importance, with: fraction of non-renewable biomass, fuel consumption, stove adoption, usage, and stacking, emission factors, rebound, and firewood-charcoal conversion factor. Additionality and leakage require more research. We estimate that our project sample, on average, is over-credited by 6.3 times. Gold Standard’s Metered and Measured methodology, which directly monitors fuel use, is most aligned with our estimates (only 1.3 times over-credited) and is best suited for fuel switching projects which provide the most abatement potential and health benefit. We provide specific recommendations for aligning all methodologies with current science.
Novel role of GPR109A in thymic regulatory T cell development
Authors: Macia Laurence , Ni Duan , Tan Jian , Robert Remy , Taitz Jemma , Ge Anjie , Potier-Villette Camille , Reyes Julen , Spiteri Alanna , Wishart Claire , Mackay Charles , Piccio Laura , King Nicholas 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Treg) maintain immune homeostasis due to their anti-inflammatory functions. They can be generated either centrally in the thymus or in peripheral organs. Metabolites such as short chain fatty acids produced by intestinal microbiota can induce peripheral Treg differentiation, by activating G-protein-coupled-receptors like GPR109A. In this study, we identified a novel role for GPR109A on thymic Treg development. We found that Gpr109a-/- mice had increased Treg under basal conditions in multiple organs compared to wild type mice (WT). GPR109A was not expressed on T cells but on medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), as revealed by single cell RNA sequencing in both mice and humans and confirmed by flow cytometry in mice. mTECs isolated from Gpr109a-/- mice had higher expression of autoimmune regulator (AIRE), the key regulator of Treg development, while the subset of mTECs that did not express Gpr109a displayed increased Aire expression and enhanced signalling related to mTEC functionality as well. Increased thymic Treg in Gpr109a-/- mice was associated with protection from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, with ameliorated clinical signs and reduced inflammation.
This work identifies a novel role for GPR109A and by extension, the gut microbiota, on thymic Treg development via its regulation of mTECs.
Anti-corruption and cigarette consumption: Evidence from China
Authors: Liu Wei , Xiao Junji , Zheng Bingyong 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
This study proposes a theory on the impact of corruption on luxury goods consumption. We test the theory and evaluate the effectiveness of China's anti-corruption campaign in 2012 by conducting a difference-in-differences analysis of product-city-level cigarette consumption from 2007 to 2014. We find that the campaign increased sales of middle-end cigarettes but decreased sales of luxury cigarettes, in contrast with the trend for low-end cigarettes. This substitution pattern may be attributable to a decrease in public spending on luxury goods. This substitution pattern is moderated by officials' wages and anti-corruption efforts, which supports the theoretical predictions.
JEL Classification: H23, Q52, R11
Lorentz estimates for entropy solutions of higher-order nonlinear elliptic equations with L1 data
Authors: Tian Hong , Wang Xue 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
The Lorentz regularity of entropy solutions to higher-order nonlinear elliptic equations, including the p-Laplace equation, is established under minimal integrability assumptions on the data. Here, the Lorentz estimates on |Dmu| with m ≥ 1 and |u| are obtained via rearrangement estimates on their upper-level set. This work is an extension of Alvion-Ferone-Trombetti’s work [2] for the second-order elliptic equations.
MR(2010) Subject Classification: Primary: 35B65, 35J30; Secondary: 46E30, 31B15.
Metabolic relationships and niche differentiation between ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms and complete ammonia oxidizers in soil ecosystems
Authors: Gong Longda , Ma Tiantian , Yang Xiaoyu , Li Yong , Zhang Qichun 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background: Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), and complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox) play a crucial role in nitrification, which is an essential process in terrestrial nitrogen cycling. However, partitioning of their ecological niches has never previously been demonstrated. In this study, we conducted batch incubation and applied a combination of 13C-stable isotopes and multiple inhibitor methods for the first time to elucidate the metabolic pathways and interactions of AOA, AOB, and comammox in soil subjected to different durations of winter irrigation.
Results: The results showed that the proportion of organic 13C-labeled AOA and comammox increased by 14.4–75.5% after adding 13C-labeled organic matter. Meanwhile, the abundance of 13C-AOA and 13C-comammox increased by 80.3% and 64.2%, respectively, whereas AOA inhibition reduced 13C-labeled comammox abundance. The combined nitrification potential of AOA and AOB was lower than the sum of the independent nitrification potentials of AOA and AOB, and AOA and AOB co-occurrence increased the nitrification potential of comammox from 42–45% to 55–58%.
Conclusions: Our findings proved that AOA and comammox can directly or indirectly utilize organic substances and exert complex metabolic mechanisms, and indicated that AOA and comammox are synergistic and have common C metabolism pathways. These results provided the first evidence of niche partitioning among AOA, AOB, and comammox in soils. The study provides a reference for future studies attempting to elucidate the genetic and metabolic associations among these three microbial functional groups.
Dynamic changes in the respiratory tract and gut antibiotic resistome of patients with COVID-19 and its association with disease severity
Authors: Shen Yifei , Qu Wenxin , Yu Fei , Zhang Dan , Zou Qianda , Han Dongsheng , Xie Mengxiao , Chen Xiao , Yuan Lingjun , Lou Bin , Xie Guoliang , Wang Ruonan , Yang Xianzhi , Chen Weizhen , Wang Qi , Feng Baihuan , Teng Yun , Dong Yuejiao , Huang Li , Bao Jiaqi , Liu Chang , Wu Wei , Shen Enhui , Fan Longjiang , Timko Michael P. , Zheng Shufa , Chen Yu 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background
The antibiotic resistome is the collection of all the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) present in an individual. Whether an individual’s susceptibility to infection and the eventual severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is influenced by their respiratory tract antibiotic resistome is unknown. Additional, whether a relationship exists between the respiratory tract and gut antibiotic resistance genes composition has not been fully explored.
Method
We recruited 66 patients with COVID-19 at three disease stages (admission, progression and recovery) and conducted a metagenome sequencing analysis of 143 sputum and 97 fecal samples obtained from them. Respiratory tract, gut metagenomes, and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) transcriptomes are analyzed to compare the gut and respiratory tract ARGs of intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU (nICU) patients and determine relationships between ARGs and immune response.
Results
Among the respiratory tract ARGs, we found that Aminoglycoside, Multidrugand Vancomycin are increased in ICU patients compared with nICU patients. In the gut, we found that Multidrug, Vancomycin and Fosmidomycinwere increased in ICU patients. Upon further investigation a significantly positive correlation was found between the relative abundance in ARGs (i.e., subtypes of the Aminoglycoside and Tetracyclinetypes) in the respiratory tract and gut. We discovered that the relative abundances of Multidrug were significantly correlated with clinical indices, and there was a significantly positive correlation between ARGs and microbiota in respiratory tract and gut. We found that immune related pathways in PBMC were enhanced, and they were significantly correlated with the relative abundance of Multidrug, Vancomycin and Tetracycline ARGs. Based on the relative abundance of ARG types, we built a respiratory tract-gut ARG combined random-forest classifier to distinguish ICU COVID-19 patients from nICU patients with an AUC of 0.969. The level of Aminoglycoside and Vancomycinin the gut was regarded as the most prominent biomarker.
Conclusions
Cumulatively, our findings provide some of the first insights into the dynamic alterations of respiratory tract and gut antibiotic resistome in the progression of COVID-19 and disease severity. They also provide a better understanding of how this disease affects different cohorts of patients. As such, these findings should contribute to better diagnosis and treatment scenarios.
Environmentally friendly protection of European beech wood (Fagus sylvatica) against fire and fungal decay using a combination of thermal modification and mineralisation
Authors: REPIČ Rožle , PONDELAK Andreja , KRŽIŠNIK Davor , HUMAR Miha , KNEZ Nataša , KNEZ Friderik , ŠKAPIN Andrijana SEVER 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
The demand for construction timber is continuously increasing, due to its excellent mechanical properties, renewable nature and easy accessibility. As it is flammable and susceptible to biodegradation, however, the adequate protection of wood is key to its successful use. Given that thermal modification enhances the durability of wood, and mineralisation with CaCO3 considerably improves its fire properties, it is worth considering the synergistic effects of the two methods combined.
European beech (Fagus sylvatica) was selected for this study to determine the effects of a) thermal modification at 220 °C, b) mineralisation through the in-situ formation of CaCO3 inside the wood’s structure, and c) a combination of the two procedures, on resistance to decay fungi, reaction to fire and the mechanical properties of the wood. Microscopic analysis and comparisons of the samples before and after exposure to fungi were also conducted.
Mineralised samples generally have a slightly alkaline pH value and a higher equilibrium moisture content, while thermal modification lowers the equilibrium moisture content. The mineralisation of beech wood significantly improved its reaction to fire and biological durability. We proved the synergistic effect of thermal modification and mineralisation: the best response to fire as well as resistance to fungi was achieved when the two treatments were combined. Results from the Brinell hardness and three-point bending tests indicate that both modification procedures can slightly impair the mechanical properties of the wood.
Due to their favourable characteristics, such wood-inorganic composites have great potential for use in construction industry.
A Direct Method of Moving Planes for Logarithmic Schrödinger Operator
Authors: Zhang Rong , Kumar Vishvesh , Ruzhansky Michael 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Note: Please see pdf for full abstract with equations.
In this paper, we study the radial symmetry and monotonicity of nonnegative solutions to nonlinear equations involving the logarithmic Schr¨odinger operator (I − Δ)log corresponding to the logarithmic symbol log(1 + |ξ|2), which is a singular integral operator given by
(I − Δ)logu(x) = cNP.V.∫RN u(x) − u(y) / |x − y|N κ(|x − y|)dy,
where cN = π−N/2 , κ(r) = 21−N/2 r N/2 KN/2(r) and Kν is the modified Bessel function of the second kind with index ν. The proof hinges on a direct method of moving planes for the logarithmic Schrödinger operator.
Slim U-Net: Efficient Anatomical Feature Preserving U-net Architecture for Ultrasound Image Segmentation
Authors: Raina Deepak , Verma Kashish , Chandrashekhara Sheragaru Hanumanthappa , Saha Subir Kumar 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
We investigate the applicability of U-Net based models for segmenting Urinary Bladder (UB) in male pelvic view UltraSound (US) images. The segmentation of UB in the US image aids radiologists in diagnosing the UB. However, UB in US images has arbitrary shapes, indistinct boundaries and considerably large inter- and intra-subject variability, making segmentation a quite challenging task. Our study of the state-of-the-art (SOTA) segmentation network, U-Net, for the problem reveals that it often fails to capture the salient characteristics of UB due to the varying shape and scales of anatomy in the noisy US image. Also, U-net has an excessive number of trainable parameters, reporting poor computational efficiency during training. We propose a Slim U-Net to address the challenges of UB segmentation. Slim U-Net proposes to efficiently preserve the salient features of UB by reshaping the structure of U-Net using a less number of 2D convolution layers in the contracting path, in order to preserve and impose them on expanding path. To effectively distinguish the blurred boundaries, we propose a novel annotation methodology, which includes the background area of the image at the boundary of a marked region of interest (RoI), thereby steering the model's attention towards boundaries. In addition, we suggested a combination of loss functions for network training in the complex segmentation of UB. The experimental results demonstrate that Slim U-net is statistically superior to U-net for UB segmentation. The Slim U-net further decreases the number of trainable parameters and training time by 54% and 57.7%, respectively, compared to the standard U-Net, without compromising the segmentation accuracy.
The Close Relationship between Health Actions and Peacebuilding for «Bien-Vivir» of Communities Affected by Armed Conflict in Colombia
Authors: González Lina , Duarte Andrés , Muñoz Jenny , Gómez Oscar , Castellanos Camila , Cuevas Virginia , Gómez-Restrepo Carlos 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background: The aim of this study is to present the design of a proposal for the implementation of the Comprehensive Health Care Routes (RIAS, by its Spanish acronym) in the municipality of Vista Hermosa (Meta, Colombia). We are trying to get a real and broad view of the health context in the municipality; identify the health assets, problems, and needs, as well as the enablers and barriers for the implementation of the RIAS; and draft a series of recommendations for the implementation of the RIAS. The fieldwork was developed with people living in the urban area of Vista Hermosa and in the rural settlement of Santo Domingo.
Methods: This is a quasi-experimental with quantitative and qualitative methods developed in four phases. In the first, we identified the area and worked on the bases. In the second, we conducted community-based research to characterize the population; identify health beliefs, values, and needs, as well as enablers and barriers to accessing the health system; and evaluate the implementation of the RIAS for Health Promotion and Maintenance and the RIAS for Maternal-Perinatal Health in the municipality. In the third, we designed a methodology for implementing the RIAS, and developed six health interventions with their respective deliverables. In the fourth, we transferred the constructed knowledge to the local community, the Health Care Talent (HCT) and the government authorities in Vista Hermosa.
Results: We made a diagnosis of the health of the residents of Vista Hermosa and specifically, of the study participants, based on the RIAS for Health Promotion and Maintenance, and the RIAS for Maternal-Perinatal Health. We also developed a compendium of their values and beliefs about health, grouped into five categories: health and disease processes; health, body, and territory; health care; care networks; and barriers to access. Finally, we mapped the municipality's capacity to implement the RIAS. We divided it into three categories: key actors, resources, and facilitators.
Discussion: This study made important contributions in three areas: a) the communities located in the urban areas of Vista Hermosa and Santo Domingo; b) the ongoing implementation of the RIAS in Vista Hermosa; and c) the field of research on peacebuilding health interventions. Finally, we identified challenges and limitations that may affect the implementation of the RIAS, as well as some recommendations to address the latter.
Research on the performance of modified blue coke in adsorbing hexavalent chromium
Authors: Wang Hua , Wang Wencheng , Zhou Song , Gao Xuchun 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
To solve the issue of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) contamination in water bodies, blue coke powder (LC) was chemically changed using potassium hydroxide to create the modified material (GLC), which was then used to treat a Cr(VI)-containing wastewater solution. The differences between the modified and unmodified blue coke's adsorption characteristics for Cr(VI) were studied, and the impact of pH, starting solution concentration, and adsorption period on the GLC's adsorption performance was investigated. The adsorption behavior of the GLC was analyzed using isothermal adsorption models, kinetic models, and adsorption thermodynamic analysis. The mechanism of Cr(VI) adsorption by the GLC was investigated using characterization techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). With the biggest difference in removal rate at pH = 2, which was 2.42 times that of LC, bath adsorption experiments revealed that, under the same adsorption conditions, the GLC always performed better than LC. With a specific surface area that was three times that of LC and an average pore diameter that was 0.67 times that of LC, GLC had a more porous structure than LC. The alteration significantly increased the amount of hydroxyls on the surface of GLC by altering the structural makeup of LC. The ideal pH for removing Cr(VI) was 2, and the ideal GLC adsorbent dosage was 2.0 g/L. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Redlich-Peterson model can effectively describe the adsorption behavior of GLC for Cr(VI). Physical and chemical adsorption work together to remove Cr(VI) by GLC in a spontaneous, exothermic, and entropy-increasing process, with oxidation-reduction processes playing a key role. GLC is a potent adsorbent that can be used to remove Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions.
Effect of chitosan gelation time on the structure and antifouling performance of PVDF membrane
Authors: Sun Shuo , Xu Lang , Li Hongjun , Du Wei , Zhang Hongwei , Zuo Danying 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) porous membrane was prepared were prepared by a two-step method of surface gelation-immersion precipitation phase inversion. The surface of the scraping PVDF solution film was sprayed with acetic acid solution of chitosan （CS） and glutaraldehyde aqueous solution successively, and the film surface gelled with chitosan crosslinking. And then the liquid film was immersed in coagulation bath water for phase transformation to obtain the modified PVDF porous membranes. The influence of crosslinking degree of chitosan and glutaraldehyde on the structure and properties of PVDF porous membrane was discussed by controlling the gelation time. The results showed that with the extension of gel time, the surface structure of PVDF membranes changed from dense cortex to porous structure, the porosity gradually decreased, the average pore size first increased and then decreased, the contact angle gradually decreased, and the pure water flux first increased and then decreased. The dynamic circulating filtration experiment of bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution showed that the rejection rate of the modified membrane increased from 68.3% to 90.0%, and the flux recovery rate increased from 73.0% to 84.4%, the irreversible fouling ratio decreased from 27.7% to 15.6%. Therefore, the hydrophilicity and antifouling of PVDF membrane were improved after surface chitosan crosslinking.