bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Species variation in the cartilaginous endplate of the lumbar intervertebral disc
Authors: Li Yun‐He , Wu Hai‐Long , Li Zhen , Li Bin‐Bin , Zhu Man , Chen Di , Ye Fei‐Hong , Yu Bin‐Sheng , Huang Yong‐Can 
Published: August 2022

AbstractBackgroundsCartilaginous endplate (CEP) plays an essential role in intervertebral disc (IVD) health and disease. The aim was to compare the CEP structure of lumbar IVD and to reveal the detailed pattern of integration between the CEP and bony endplate (BEP) from different species.MethodsA total of 34 IVDs (5 human, 5 goat, 8 pig, 8 rabbit, and 8 rat IVDs) were collected, fixed and midsagittally cut; in each IVD, one‐half was used for histological staining to observe the CEP morphology, and the other half was used for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis to measure the diameters and distributions of collagen fibers in the central and peripheral CEP areas and to observe the pattern of CEP‐BEP integration from different species.ResultsThe human, pig, goat, and rabbit IVDs had the typical BEP‐CEP structure, but the rat CEP was directly connected with the growth plate. Human CEP was the thickest (896.95 ± 87.71 μm) among these species, followed by pig, goat, rat, and rabbit CEPs. Additionally, the mean cellular density of the rabbit CEP was the highest, which was 930 ± 202 per mm2, followed by the rat, goat, pig, and human CEPs. In all the species, the collagen fiber diameter in the peripheral area was much bigger than that in the central area. The collagen fiber diameters of CEP from the human, pig, goat, and rat were distributed between 35 nm and 65 nm. The BEP and CEP were connected by the collagen from the CEP, aggregating into bundles or cross links with each other to form a network, and anchored to BEP.ConclusionsSignificant differences in the thickness, cellular density, and collagen characterization of CEPs from different species were demonstrated; the integration of BEP‐CEP in humans, pigs, goats, and rabbits was mainly achieved by the collagen bundles anchoring system, while the typical BEP‐CEP interface did not exist in rats.
Longitudinal Speech Recognition Changes After Cochlear Implant: Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Ma Cheng , Fried Jacob , Nguyen Shaun A. , Schvartz‐Leyzac Kara C. , Camposeo Elizabeth L. , Meyer Ted A. , Dubno Judy R. , McRackan Theodore R. 
Published: August 2022

ObjectivesTo examine patterns of change and plateau in speech recognition scores in postlingually hearing impaired adult cochlear implant recipients. The study also examines variations in change patterns for different speech materials and testing conditions.Study DesignUsed systematic review with meta‐analysis.MethodsArticles in English reporting speech recognition scores of adults with postlingual hearing loss at pre‐implantation and at least two post‐implantation time points were included. Statistically significant changes were determined by meta‐analysis and the 95% confidence interval.ResultsA total of 22 articles representing 1954 patients were included. Meta‐analysis of mean difference demonstrated significant improvements in speech recognition score for words in quiet (37.4%; 95% confidence interval [34.7%, 40.7%]), sentences in quiet (49.4%; 95% confidence interval [44.9%, 53.9%]), and sentences in noise (30.8%; 95% confidence interval [25.2%, 36.4%]) from pre‐op to 3 months. Scores continued to increase from 3 to 12 months but did not reach significance. Similarly, significant improvements from pre‐op to 3 months were observed for consonant nucleus consonant (CNC) words in quiet (37.1%; 95% confidence interval [33.8%, 40.4%]), hearing in noise test (HINT) sentences in quiet (46.5%; 95% confidence interval [37.0%, 56.0%]), AzBio sentences in quiet (45.9%; 95% confidence interval [44.2%, 47.5%]), and AzBio sentences in noise (26.4%; 95% confidence interval [18.6%, 34.2%]). HINT sentences in noise demonstrated improvement from pre‐op to 3 months (35.1%; 95% confidence interval [30.0%, 40.3%]) and from 3 to 12 months (15.5%; 95% confidence interval [7.2%, 23.8%]).ConclusionsMean speech recognition scores demonstrate significant improvement within the first 3 months, with no further statistically significant improvement after 3 months. However, large individual variation should be expected and future research is needed to explain the sources of these individual differences. Laryngoscope, 133:1014–1024, 2023
The Effects of Dehydration Temperature and Monomer Chirality on Primitive Polyester Synthesis and Microdroplet Assembly
Authors: Afrin Rehana , Chen Chen , Sarpa Davide , Sithamparam Mahendran , Yi Ruiqin , Giri Chaitanya , Mamajanov Irena , Cleaves H. James , Chandru Kuhan , Jia Tony Z. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractSynthesis of polyester gels via dehydration of α‐hydroxy acids (αHAs) is a plausible route to form primitive functional polymers. αHApolyester gels assemble into membraneless droplets upon rehydration in aqueous media that can segregate and compartmentalize early biomolecules. However, conditions for polyester synthesis and microdroplet assembly have yet to be broadly explored. Thus, the effects of heat and monomer chirality on dehydration synthesis and assembly of homopolyester microdroplets are investigated using microscopy and mass spectrometry. Lower dehydration temperatures (≤80 °C) are observed to result in shorter polyesters than higher temperatures (up to 150 °C). After rehydration of polyester products, droplet assembly propensity correlates with longer polymer length. Low temperature (40 °C) dehydration yields only short polyesters and nearly no droplet formation. Finally, polyesters derived from dehydration/rehydration synthesis of homochiral lactic acid and phenyllactic acid monomers are of equal length and with a similar propensity for droplet assembly as those derived from racemic starting materials. These results suggest that polyesters and microdroplets derived from them can form under a wide variety of temperatures and from different monomer chiralities, enabling many possibilities for such systems to have played a role in systemic self‐organization during the origins of life.
Preparation of Shell/Core Atypical Spiral Conductive Microfibers and Composite Membrane with Good Conductivity and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Ding Shuiting , Guo Yongshi , Yu Hui 
Published: August 2022

AbstractPoly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) core–shell conductive atypical spiral microfibers are prepared based on microfluidic spinning technology (MST). The formation mechanism of the special‐shaped spiral structure is analyzed. The microfibers and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are composited into membranes, and the microfibers and composite membranes are characterized. The research results show that the conductivity of shell conductive bulbine‐torta (BT) microfibers and the composite membrane are 0.125 1 and 0.880 2 s cm−1, respectively. The maximum strain of a single PEDOT: PSS core–shell conductive BT microfibers is 36.92% under a stress of 213.10 kPa, and the maximum strain of the composite membrane is 107.46% under a stress of 470.56 kPa, indicating that the composite membrane can effectively improve the properties and practicability of the conductive fiber. The change of resistivity of the composite membrane in the stretched state is observed, and it is found that the resistivity first steadily increases and then increases exponentially, indicating that composite membrane has potential application prospects in the fields of thin membrane sensors, electronic skins, smart wearable textiles, etc.
Attitudes toward protecting endangered species: The impact of perceived physical attractiveness of animals and political ideology
Authors: Harnish Richard J. , Nataraajan Rajan , Tarka Piotr , Slack Frederick J. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThe current research examined how the perceived physical attractiveness (by humans) of an endangered species, the Dead Leaf Butterfly (Kallima inachus), political orientation, and political ideology impacted participants' attitudes toward supporting and protecting a species. Three experiments were conducted where the physical attractiveness of the Dead Leaf Butterfly was manipulated. Two of the experiments used a representative American sample, while one of the experiments used a Polish sample. In all three studies: (1) Participants rated the Dead Leaf Butterfly as more physically attractive when its wings were open and displayed a black apex, an orange discal band, and a deep blue base than when its wings were closed and resembled a dried leaf with dark veins; and (2) those who scored high in humanitarianism‐egalitarianism provided more support for protection from harm for the Dead Leaf Butterfly compared to those who scored low in humanitarianism‐egalitarianism. Only in the studies where Americans participated did we find (1) those who were politically liberal indicated more support for the Dead Leaf Butterfly regardless of physical attractiveness as compared to those who were politically conservative, and (2) those who scored low in right‐wing authoritarianism provided more support for protection from harm for the Dead Leaf Butterfly compared to those who scored high in right‐wing authoritarianism. The differences observed between the American and Polish samples suggest that environmental attitudes are more polarized in the United States compared to Poland. These studies advance our knowledge of how attitudes toward animals are affected by the polarization of political attitudes toward the environment and provide insight for marketers when creating marketing strategies and designing appropriate messaging.
Advances in Computational Polypharmacology
Authors: Feldmann Christian , Bajorath Jürgen 
Published: August 2022

AbstractIn drug discovery, polypharmacology encompasses the use of small molecules with defined multi‐target activity and in vivo effects resulting from multi‐target engagement. Multi‐target compounds are often efficacious in the treatment of complex diseases involving target and pathway networks, but might also elicit unwanted side effects. Computational approaches such as target prediction or multi‐target ligand design have been used to support polypharmacological drug discovery. In addition to efforts directed at the identification or design of new multi‐target compounds, other computational investigations have aimed to differentiate such compounds from potential false‐positives or explore the molecular basis of multi‐target activities. Herein, a concise overview of the field is provided and recent advances in computational polypharmacology through machine learning are discussed.
Maternal and neonatal viromes indicate the risk of offspring's gastrointestinal tract exposure to pathogenic viruses of vaginal origin during delivery
Authors: Wang Jinfeng , Xiao Liwen , Xiao Baichuan , Zhang Bing , Zuo Zhenqiang , Ji Peifeng , Zheng Jiayong , Li Xiaoqing , Zhao Fangqing 
Published: August 2022

AbstractA cumulative effect of enterovirus and gluten intake on the risk of celiac disease autoimmunity in infants highlights the significance of viral exposure in early life on the health of children. However, pathogenic viruses may be transmitted to the offspring in an earlier period, raising the possibility that women whose vaginas are inhabited by such viruses may have had their babies infected as early as the time of delivery. A high‐resolution intergenerational virome atlas was obtained by metagenomic sequencing and virome analysis on 486 samples from six body sites of 99 mother–neonate pairs. We found that neonates had less diverse oral and enteric viruses than mothers. Vaginally delivered newborns seconds after birth had a more similar oral virome and more viruses of vaginal origin than cesarean‐section (C‐section) newborns (56.9% vs. 5.8%). Such viruses include both Lactobacillus phage and potentially pathogenic viruses, such as herpesvirus, vaccinia virus, and hepacivirus, illustrating a relatively high variety of the pioneer viral taxa at the time of delivery and a delivery‐dependent mother‐to‐neonate transmission along the vaginal–oral–intestinal route. Neonates are exposed to vaginal viruses as they pass through the reproductive tract, and viruses of vaginal origin may threaten their health. These findings challenge the conventional notion that vaginal delivery is definitely better than cesarean delivery from the perspective of microbial transmission. Screening for vaginal virome before delivery is a worthwhile step to advocate in normal labor to eliminate the risk of intergenerational transmission of pathogenic viruses to offspring.
Hierarchical subspace evolution method for super large parallel computing: A linear solver and an eigensolver as examples
Authors: Xu Hui , Liu Bin 
Published: August 2022

AbstractSolving linear equations and finding eigenvalues are essential tasks in many simulations for engineering applications, but these tasks often cause performance bottlenecks. In this work, the hierarchical subspace evolution method (HiSEM), a hierarchical iteration framework for solving scientific computing problems with solution locality, is proposed. In HiSEM, the original problem is converted to a corresponding minimization function. The problem is decomposed into a series of subsystems. Subspaces and their weights are established for the subsystems and evolve in each iteration. The subspaces are calculated based on local equations and knowledge of physical problems. A small‐scale minimization problem determines the weights of the subspaces. The solution system can be hierarchically established based on the subspaces. As the iterations continue, the degrees of freedom gradually converge to an accurate solution. Two parallel algorithms are derived from HiSEM. One algorithm is designed for symmetric positive definite linear equations, and the other is designed for generalized eigenvalue problems. The linear solver and eigensolver performance is evaluated using a series of benchmarks and a tower model with a complex topology. Algorithms derived from HiSEM can solve a super large‐scale problem with high performance and good scalability.
Overcoming volumetric locking in stable node‐based smoothed particle finite element method with cubic bubble function and selective integration
Authors: Wang Ze‐Yu , Jin Yin‐Fu , Yin Zhen‐Yu , Wang Yu‐Ze 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThe stable node‐based smoothed particle finite element method (SNS‐PFEM) reduces spatial numerical oscillation from direct nodal integration in NS‐PFEM but leads to a severe volumetric locking effect when modeling nearly incompressible materials‐related boundary value problems. This study proposes an improved locking‐free SNS‐PFEM to investigate the performance of the bubble function and selective integration scheme in circumventing volumetric locking. Three locking‐free variants of SNS‐PFEM: (1) SNS‐PFEM with a cubic bubble function (bSNS‐PFEM), (2) SNS‐PFEM with a selective integration scheme (selective SNS‐PFEM), and (3) SNS‐PFEM with a cubic bubble function and selective integration scheme (selective bSNS‐PFEM)—were gradually developed for comparison. The performance of these three approaches was first successively examined using two examples with elastic materials, that is, an infinite plate with a circular hole and Cook's membrane. The comparisons show that the cubic bubble function and selective integration scheme are both necessary as a locking‐free approach for modeling nearly incompressible materials, and the proposed selective bSNS‐PFEM performs best among the three variants in terms of accuracy and convergence. Two examples of slope stability analysis and footing penetration on elastoplastic materials were then conducted by SNS‐PFEM and the proposed selective bSNS‐PFEM. The results indicate that the proposed selective bSNS‐PFEM is stable and accurate, even when accompanied by significant deformation. All obtained results indicate that the locking‐free selective bSNS‐PFEM is a powerful approach for modeling nearly incompressible materials with both material and geometric nonlinearity.
Where does SARS‐CoV‐2 go to in man?†
Authors: Lucas Sebastian 
Published: August 2022

AbstractSARS‐CoV‐2 virus, the cause of COVID‐19 disease, establishes infection in the human body via interaction with the angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor on cell membranes. The lung is the major organ affected, and all respiratory epithelium from nose to alveolus is infectable. A recent study published in The Journal of Pathology looked at a wide range of other human tissues, mostly autopsy‐derived, to identify susceptible cells. The virus (associated with ACE2) is found in all endothelial cells (an important finding), renal and biliary epithelium, in megakaryocytes, and occasionally in hepatocytes. It was not found in heart myofibres or brain neurones but is present in gut myenteric plexus cells. This work confirms previous work on SARS‐CoV‐2‐infectable cells, and so supports investigations into the pathogenesis of COVID‐19 disease as it affects (or does not directly affect) the different organs. © 2022 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Assessment of a 3D ablation material response model for lightweight quartz fiber reinforced phenolic composite
Authors: Yan Xiaojie , Huang He , Fan Zhaolin , Hong Changqing , Hu Ping 
Published: August 2022

AbstractTo understand the ablation mechanism of materials is crucial for the design of thermal protection system (TPS) for manned reentry vehicles. To investigate the thermal behavior of lightweight quartz fiber reinforced phenolic (LQP) composite subjected to an aerodynamic hyper‐thermal environment, a 3D ablation material response model for the LQP composite is developed with surface and volume ablation in consideration. It is used to predict surface and back temperature, linear ablation velocity, and quality loss rate of the material. The 3D temperature field, pyrolysis degree, gas flow, and pressure field are analyzed as well. To evaluate the accuracy of the model, an ablation test of oxyacetylene flame is adopted on the LQP composite. In the ablation process, the pyrolysis gases propagate primarily through the surface primarily and through the sidewall afterwards. The gas pressure peaks at the early stage rather than increasing constantly. The analysis of thermal insulation mechanism of the LQP composite indicates that the radiation and heat blockage effect are the primary factors to improve the ablation resistance, accounting for 50.0% and 37.3% of the improvement, respectively. The low thermal conductivity determines the admirable thermal insulation performance. The surface temperature of material can be reduced by introducing high emissivity powder into the material, preparing coating on the surface, and adjusting the content of phenolic and silica fiber.
Improvement of the acoustic and mechanical properties of sponge ethylene propylene diene rubber/carbon nanotube composites crosslinked by subsequent sulfur and electron beam irradiation
Authors: Eyssa Hanan M , Afifi Mohamed , Moustafa Hesham 
Published: August 2022

AbstractIn this research, sponge ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) nanocomposites based on functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (f‐MWCNTs) and foaming agent azodicarbonamide (AZD) were successfully fabricated as potential acoustic‐absorbing foams. Two crosslinking systems were utilized for stabilizing the foam structure and improving its properties by subsequent sulfur and electron beam irradiation at 50 kGy as a fixed dose. The impacts of the concentration of AZD, f‐MWCNTs and crosslinking systems on acoustic and physico‐mechanical properties were investigated. The results manifested that the optimum foaming content was 3 phr. The acoustic data exhibited satisfactory enhancement in the sound absorption coefficient (α) for irradiated foam nanocomposites compared to unirradiated nanocomposites. This was attributed to the barrier effect of f‐MWCNTs in reducing the pore size of the foam, leading to an increase in the tortuous path in the foam matrix that stifled the sound waves from transferring into the bulk. Likewise, the compression properties were also improved. However, tensile stress and strain at break values for irradiated foams relatively decreased. The data obtained revealed an excellent possibility of using these EPDM foam nanocomposites for potential applications such as acoustic panels and airborne sound insulation. © 2022 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
Surveying nonvisual arrestins reveals allosteric interactions between functional sites
Authors: Seckler James M. , Robinson Emily N. , Lewis Stephen J. , Grossfield Alan 
Published: August 2022

AbstractArrestins are important scaffolding proteins that are expressed in all vertebrate animals. They regulate cell‐signaling events upon binding to active G‐protein coupled receptors (GPCR) and trigger endocytosis of active GPCRs. While many of the functional sites on arrestins have been characterized, the question of how these sites interact is unanswered. We used anisotropic network modeling (ANM) together with our covariance compliment techniques to survey all the available structures of the nonvisual arrestins to map how structural changes and protein‐binding affect their structural dynamics. We found that activation and clathrin binding have a marked effect on arrestin dynamics, and that these dynamics changes are localized to a small number of distant functional sites. These sites include α‐helix 1, the lariat loop, nuclear localization domain, and the C‐domain β‐sheets on the C‐loop side. Our techniques suggest that clathrin binding and/or GPCR activation of arrestin perturb the dynamics of these sites independent of structural changes.
Investigating the functional role of a buried interchain aromatic cluster in Escherichia coli GrpE dimer
Authors: Upadhyay Tulsi , Karekar Vaibhav V. , Potteth Upasana S. , Saraogi Ishu 
Published: August 2022

AbstractAromatic clusters in the core of proteins are often involved in imparting structural stability to proteins. However, their functional importance is not always clear. In this study, we investigate the thermosensing role of a phenylalanine cluster present in the GrpE homodimer. GrpE, which acts as a nucleotide exchange factor for the molecular chaperone DnaK, is well known for its thermosensing activity resulting from temperature‐dependent structural changes that allow control of chaperone function. Using mutational analysis, we show that an interchain phenylalanine cluster in a four‐helix bundle of the GrpE homodimer assists in the thermosensing ability of the co‐chaperone. Substitution of aromatic residues with hydrophobic ones in the core of the four‐helix bundle reduces the thermal stability of the bundle and that of a connected coiled‐coil domain, which impacts thermosensing. Cell growth assays and SEM images of the mutants show filamentous growth of Escherichia coli cells at 42°C, which corroborates with the defect in thermosensing. Our work suggests that the interchain edge‐to‐face aromatic cluster is important for the propagation of the structural signal from the coiled‐coil domain to the four‐helical bundle of GrpE, thus facilitating GrpE‐mediated thermosensing in bacteria.