bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fine needle aspiration is not a risk factor for cervical lymph node metastasis or prognostic factor in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma: A propensity score-matched analysis
Authors: Ding Min , Zhao Zhi-Feng , Xu Dan , Xiao Guo-Hui , Lin Ting-Yu , Tsang Yiu-Sing , Shen Dong-Jie , Xie Rong-Li , Fei Jian 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Background
Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (UGFNA) has been widely used in clinical practice. Many patients may still worry about UGFNA-related metastasis. The aim of this article was to analyze the potential association between UGFNA and cervical lymph node metastasis (CLNM) of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) and whether UGFNA influences the long-term prognosis of PTMC.
Methods
A total of 367 adult patients with PTMC who underwent thyroidectomy in our hospital between January 2014 and December 2015 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to explore the potential risk factors for CLNM. Propensity score (PS)-based 1:1 nearest neighbor matching was performed to select patients with homogeneous baseline characteristics. Then, the rate of CLNM was compared between matched samples with chi-square (χ2) tests. Survival analysis was performed with the Kaplan–Meier method in the PS-matched cohort. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate was compared between groups with the log-rank test.
Results
Multivariate analysis showed that male sex (OR = 3.997, 95% CI 2.148 ~ 7.439, P < 0.01) and larger tumor size (OR = 2.319, 95% CI 1.285 ~ 4.186, P < 0.01) were independent risk factors for CLNM. Younger age (< 55 years, OR = 1.809, 95% CI 0.937 ~ 3.492, P > 0.05), capsular invasion (OR = 1.218, 95% CI 0.415 ~ 3.572, P > 0.05), multifocality (OR = 1.949, 95% CI 0.905 ~ 4.196, P > 0.05) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) (OR = 0.824, 95% CI 0.401 ~ 1.696, P > 0.05) were not independent risk factors for CLNM. In the PS-matched cohort, the CLNM rate showed no significant difference between the UGFNA and non-UGFNA groups (29.5% vs. 23.7%, P > 0.05). With a median follow-up of 63.8 months (range 3.1–84.9 months), the 5-year cumulative RFS rate was 99.3% in the UGFNA group and 97.7% in the non-UGFNA group. After PS matching, the Kaplan–Meier curves showed no significant differences between groups (P > 0.05).
Conclusions
UGFNA is a very safe diagnostic tool that does not influence the CLNM rate or long-term prognosis of patients with PTMC. The fear of UGFNA-related metastasis should not deter UGFNA of the thyroid.
Evaluation climate change impacts on water resources over the upper reach of the Yellow River Basin
Authors: Zhuang xiaowen , Fan Yurui , Li Yongping 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
In this study, a climate-streamflow modeling framework (CSF) is advanced to generate future climate projections and assess climate change impacts on water. The proposed CSF incorporates global climate models (GCMs), meteorological factors downscaled by the providing regional climate impacts for studies (PRECIS), and stepwise-clustered hydrological model within a general framework. It has advantages in (1) transferring large scale climate variables from global climate models to high-resolution meteorological datasets by the PRECIS, and (2) quantifying the climate change impacts on streamflow simulation by employing the stepwise cluster analysis method to reflect nonlinear relationships between predictand and predictor. Correspondingly, a real case of streamflow simulation at the upper Yellow River basin is applied to demonstrating the efficiency of the CSF. Results disclose that: (i) an increasing trend of average temperature exists in future with the highest temperature increments happening in November; (ii) there would also be more precipitation in future with the increments can reach more than 200 mm in July in 2030s; (iii) More streamflow rates may be expected in most months except November mainly due to precipitation increments. The future monthly streamflow can reach around 2000 m2/s in July and August in future, which nearly doubled the flow rates in the historical periods.
LncRNA-TBP mediates TATA-binding protein recruitment to regulate myogenesis and induce slow-twitch myofibers
Authors: Ma Manting , Cai Bolin , Zhou Zhen , Kong Shaofen , Zhang Jing , Xu Haiping , Zhang Xiquan , Nie Qinghua 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Background
Skeletal muscle is comprised of heterogeneous myofibers that differ in their physiological and metabolic parameters. Of these, slow-twitch (type I; oxidative) myofibers have more myoglobin, more mitochondria, and higher activity of oxidative metabolic enzymes compared to fast-twitch (type II; glycolytic) myofibers.
Methods
In our previous study, we found a novel LncRNA-TBP (for “LncRNA directly binds TBP transcription factor”) is specifically enriched in the soleus (which has a higher proportion of slow myofibers). The primary myoblast cells and animal model were used to assess the biological function of the LncRNA-TBP in vitro or in vivo. Meanwhile, we performed a RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and pull-down analysis to validate this interaction between LncRNA-TBP and TBP.
Results
Functional studies demonstrated that LncRNA-TBP inhibits myoblast proliferation but promotes myogenic differentiation in vitro. In vivo, LncRNA-TBP reduces fat deposition, activating slow-twitch muscle phenotype and inducing muscle hypertrophy. Mechanistically, LncRNA-TBP acts as a regulatory RNA that directly interacts with TBP protein to regulate the transcriptional activity of TBP-target genes (such as KLF4, GPI, TNNI2, and CDKN1A).
Conclusion
Our findings present a novel model about the regulation of LncRNA-TBP, which can regulate the transcriptional activity of TBP-target genes by recruiting TBP protein, thus modulating myogenesis progression and inducing slow-twitch fibers.
Lymphotoxin-α orchestrate hypoxic and immune factors to induces Experimental Cerebral Malaria-Inhibition mitigates pathogenesis, neurodegeneration and increases survival
Authors: Eeka Prabhakar , Phanithi Prakash Babu 
Published: September 2022

AbstractKnockdown studies have shown lymphotoxin-α (Lt-α) as a critical molecule for Experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) pathogenesis. We investigated the role of lymphotoxin-α in regulating active caspase-3 and calpain1. T cell infiltration into the brains, and subsequent neuronal cell death are the essential features ofPlasmodium berghei ANKA(PbA)induced ECM in C57BL/6 mice. Our results showed increased Lt-α levels during ECM. Treatment of naïve mice with serum from ECM mice and exogenous Lt-α was lethal. We inhibited Lt-α in vivo duringPbAinfection by injecting the mice with anti-Lt-α antibody. Inhibition of Lt-α mitigated neuronal cell death and increased mice's survival until 30 days post-infection (p.i) compared to only 15 days survival ofPbAcontrol mice.
Publication Trends in Political Economy Scholarship 2011-2020
Authors: Mulligan Robert 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Political economy occupies a unique place at the intersection of economics and political science, being an essential part of both disciplines, as well as an area that offers special insight into issues of continuing importance in public finance and policy. This article uses journal publications to rank institutions by research productivity in political economy. An incidental byproduct is a ranking of individual scholars. Ranking methodology is developed based on the established literature. Implications for the future evolution of political economy as an interdisciplinary field are suggested and discussed.
Vegetation dynamics and its response to drought in the Kaidu River Basin during 2000-2018
Authors: Zheng Lingqiao , Xing Kun , Li Jiang , Liu Sihai 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Understanding the effects of drought on vegetation growth is important for regional ecosystem and water resources management. In this study, the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were used to analyze the relationship between drought activity and vegetation dynamics at different time scales in the Kaidu River basin from 2000 to 2018. The results showed that (1) during this period, annual, summer and autumn SPEI showed an increasing trend, while spring SPEI showed a decreasing trend. Annual, spring, summer and autumn NDVI showed an increasing trend. (2) In the Kaidu River basin, the percentage of areas with an increasing trend of SPEI in annual, spring, summer and autumn were 85.98%, 41.93%, 65.86% and 98.73%, respectively. However, none of them reached the 0.05 significant level. The trend of NDVI is more obvious than that of SPEI. The proportion of regions with significant increasing trend of NDVI in annual, spring, summer and autumn were 24.10%, 23.63%, 23.06% and 19.15%, respectively. (3) Vegetation growth was positively correlated with drought in most areas of the Kaidu River basin. The percentage of regions with positive correlation between SPEI and NDVI in annual, spring, summer and autumn were 24.10%, 23.63%, 23.06% and 19.15%, respectively. However, the correlation coefficients between SPEI and NDVI were significantly different for different seasons and different vegetation types. (4) The residual analysis revealed that 33.20% of the vegetation in the Kaidu River basin was degraded by human activities and 66.80% was improved by human activities. Similarly, the climatic conditions of the region promote the growth of most vegetation. This study provides a useful reference for vegetation construction and water resources management in inland river basins in arid regions.
Impact of Board Diversity on Firm Performance
Authors: Hasan Fakhrul , Islam Mohammad Raijul 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe objective of this study is to analyse and understand the connection between firm performance and the demographic diversity of the board. For this study, we combined panel data with the FTSE 100 Index. The Blau index and the coefficient of variations are used to define the board's value for demographic diversity. For our baseline mode, we utilised ROE (Return on Equity) as the dependent variable, and for our robustness test, we used ROA (Return on Assets). According to the study's findings, company performance and demographic diversity are favourably correlated. This study can show that gender diversity has a strongly inverse relationship with ROE and a significantly inverse association with ROA. Additionally, a highly substantial negative association between CEO age and ROA and a highly significant positive correlation between board tenure and ROE are discovered.
Integration of Geothermal-Driven Organic Rankine Cycle with a PEM Electrolyzer for the production of green hydrogen and electricity
Authors: Assareh Ehsanolah , Delpisheh Mostafa , Baldinelli Arianna , Cinti Giovanni , alirahmi mojtaba , emami houman , Lee Moonyong 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Engineers and scientists are increasingly interested in clean energy options to replace fossil fuels in response to rising environmental concerns and dwindling fossil fuel resources. There has been an increase in the installation of renewable energy resources, and at the same time, conventional energy conversion systems have improved in efficiency. in this paper, several multi-generation systems based on geothermal energy are modeled, assessed, and optimized with an organic Rankine cycle and proton-exchange membrane electrolyzer subsystem in five different arrangements. Based on the results, the evaporator mass flow rate and inlet temperature, turbine efficiency, and inlet temperature are the most influential parameters on system outputs, namely, net output work, hydrogen production, energy efficiency, and cost rate. In this case study, the city of Zanjan (Iran) is selected for a case study, and the results of system energy efficiency for changes in ambient temperature are examined during the four seasons of the year. To determine the optimal values of the objective functions, energy efficiency, and cost rate, NSGA-II multi-objective genetic algorithm is employed, and a Pareto chart is derived as a result. A system's irreversibility and performance are gauged by energy and exergy analyses. At the optimum state, the best configuration yields an energy efficiency and cost rate of 0.65% and 17.40 $/h, respectively.
Mechanistic Insights into Formation of CO and C2 Products in Electrochemical CO2 Reduction – the Role of the ECE Mechanism
Authors: DiDomenico Rileigh Casebolt , Levine Kelsey , Reimanis Laila , Abruna Hector , Hanrath Tobias 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
The electrochemical reduction of CO2 presents an attractive opportunity to not only valorize CO2 as a feedstock for chemical products, but also to provide a means to effectively store renewable electricity in the form of chemical bonds. The recent surge of experimental and computational studies of electrochemical CO2 reduction (ECR) has brought about significant scientific and technological advances. Yet, considerable gaps in our understanding of and control over the reaction mechanism persist, in particular for the formation of products. Moreover, while theoretical and computational studies have proposed many candidate reaction pathways, comprehensively reconciling these models with experimental observations remains challenging and elusive. The conventional electrocatalytic analysis of catalyst activity and selectivity generally relies on steady-state measurements. In a departure from this convention, we show in this study that time-resolved measurements (i.e., chronoamperometry) provide a powerful diagnostic tool to gain valuable insights into the complex interplay of electrochemical reactions, chemical reactions, and mass transport. Specifically, we show that the initial ECR reaction sequence involves a chemical reaction interposed between two charge transfer reactions (“ECE”). We hope that the methods and insights presented in this work will inspire future studies to exploit chronoamperometric analysis to resolve outstanding questions in ECR and other multi-step electrochemical reaction pathways.
Liquid metal-embedded hydrogel sensors for unsupervised learning enabled sign-to-verbal translation
Authors: Wu Lidong , Ma Hude , Qin Haiyang , Xiao Xiao , Liu Na , Wang Shaolei , Li Junye , Shen Sophia , Dai Shuqi , Sun Mengmeng , Li Peiyi , Pan Xiaofang , Huang Mingjun , Lu Baoyang , Chen Jun 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Highly stretchable and robust strain sensors are rapidly emerging as promising candidates for a diverse array of wearable electronics and sensing devices. Conductive hydrogels represent a unique class of materials for bioelectronic applications due to their electrical and mechanical adaptability to human body. A common material engineering strategy is thus combining rigid electronic and/or ionic conductors with hydrogels to form conductive and stretchable composites. However, there exist trade-offs between high conductivity and excellent mechanical properties. To address this limitation, we designed a highly conductive yet highly stretchable hybrid hydrogel by simply encapsulating the liquid metal into polyacrylamide-alginate double networks. The resultant hydrogel simultaneously exhibits high conductivity (up to 22 S m-1), low elastic modulus (23 kPa), and ultrahigh stretchability (1500%) with excellent robustness (consistent performance against 12, 000 mechanical cycling), overcoming the traditional trade-off between electrical and mechanical properties. To demonstrate the potential impact of our technology on wearable electronics, a motion monitoring system with Self-Organizing Map was developed to achieve hand gesture monitoring and sign-to-speech translation. The use of our liquid metal-embedded hydrogels could be integral to the development of wearable electronics and human-machine interfaces.
A comparative study of stabilizing collapsible soil using different types of biopolymers
Authors: Sawwaf Mostafa A. El , Shahien Marawan M. , Nasr Ahmed M. , Habib Mahmoud S. 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
This article presents a comparative study of using three different kinds of biopolymers (xanthan gum, sodium alginate, and gelatin), environmentally friendly materials, in stabilizing collapsible soil. Modified Proctor, single oedometer, unconsolidated undrained triaxial, and California bearing ratio (CBR) tests were conducted to estimate the engineering characteristics of the soil after being mixed with various biopolymer contents. Biopolymer effect on the collapse index was investigated using different mixing conditions (dry mixing and wet mixing). Additionally, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests were utilized to demonstrate the changes in the microstructure of the treated samples. The results showed that after mixing the soil with 4% xanthan gum content in the dry case, the collapse index decreased significantly from 13.48–1.27% and the cohesion stress increased from 47 to 144 kPa, resulting in the shear strength improvement. The results proved that the superiority of xanthan gum over sodium alginate and gelatin in shear strength improvement is approximately 38% more than sodium alginate and 72% more than gelatin at the same conditions, as well as reducing the collapse index by approximately 5% more than sodium alginate and 12% more than gelatin at the same conditions. The findings also indicated that biopolymers increase the unsoaked CBR value by about 147%, 128%, and 117% when the soil was mixed with a 3% concentration of xanthan gum, sodium alginate, and gelatin, respectively. The results of SEM and XRD studies also demonstrated the interaction between the fine-grained particles and the strings of the biopolymers.
Design of Model Based Control Strategies for a Novel MISO PEM Fuel Cell Control Structure
Authors: Sharma Shubhanshu , Mullapudi Siva , Araga Ramya , Patle Dipesh S , Gara Uday Bhaskar Babu 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Nowadays, the application of the proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is advancing as a popular renewable energy source. PEMFCs must operate at low temperatures, have high power density, and be easily implemented. These features contorted them into the most compelling type of fuel cell. However, PEMFCs need a strategy for maintaining the voltage at a desired operating point, specifically during the current variation. The present study proposes a novel Multiple-Input-Single-Output (MISO) control structure for a PEMFC system to improve its performance. This study focuses on airflow optimization and hydrogen consumption optimization, as the literature focuses more on airflow optimization for compressor or pump performance. To give an outlook, a two-input-two-output PEMFC system, with air and hydrogen flow rates as inputs and cell voltage and load current as outputs, is considered a two-input-single-output system by fixing the output resistance. The fractional order model is realized from the existing integer order MISO PEMFC system using a genetic algorithm as the optimization technique. The proposed control structure aims to control the output cell voltage by regulating the air and hydrogen inlet rates by designing various model-based controllers like PI, PID, MPC, and Predictive PID. The control performance is evaluated for set point tracking, disturbance rejection, inverse response rejection, and time delay compensation for the best combination of controllers based on ISE, IAE, and TV values. From the simulation results, the fractional-order system is observed to give better results than the integer-order system, with MPC showing the best results for controlling the stack voltage.
Distribution of Pb, Sr, U isotopic signature and multielement composition of sediment in Lake Balaton (Hungary) at a sediment trap deep dredged 40 years ago near Balatongyörök – Search for routes of recent pollution
Authors: Beyer Daniel E , Varga Mária , Fazekas Péter , Pánczél János K. 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
We studied the Pb, Sr, U isotopic composition and the concentration of toxic elements in sediment core samples collected in Lake Balaton at a sediment trap that was deep dredged in 1979, to analyze their changes in the last 40 years. Pb isotopic composition profiles of cores taken from the sediment trap showed a shift in 206Pb/207Pb from 1.206 ± 0.002 to 1.185 ± 0.002 going from bottom towards the top of the sediment, at 80–100 cm depth. Concomitantly Pb concentration together with Zn, Sb, Cu, Cd and Fe showed elevated, 2–4 times higher values in the top phase of the sediment. Calculated Pb isotopic composition of pollutant Pb fraction was 1.177 ± 0.005 in the case of the 206Pb/207Pb and 2.456 ± 0.004 for 208Pb/207Pb, which shows good agreement with literature data for lead ores in Poland and Germany, but it is distinct from literature data for leaded fuel concerning Middle and Eastern Europe. The marked change of the Pb signatures enabled the construction of a sediment deposition rate map. U and Mo showed a characteristic concentration peak in positioned exactly at the depth of Pb signature transition. Isotopic signature of U based on 234U and 235U also showed similar pattern. We suggest that the deposition of U and Mo can be related to cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Balaton in late1970s and early1980s.
Reduced live birth rate after frozen compared to fresh single poor cleavage-stage embryo transfer cycles: a retrospective study
Authors: He Yuxia , Li Jingxiong , Liu Haiying , Liu Jianqiao , Zheng Haiyan , Chen Shiping 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Purpose
The ongoing debate focuses on whether the freeze-all strategy is suitable for the general population or may be offered to specific subgroups of patients. This study aimed to compare the pregnancy and neonatal outcomes between FET and fresh ET and evaluate the effectiveness of the embryo freezing strategy for a specific group of patients undergoing single poor cleavage-stage embryo transfer.
Methods
A total of 1,819 ET cycles that underwent single poor cleavage-stage embryo transfer between January 2014 and December 2020 were enrolled in this study and categorized into two groups according to the embryo processing methods: fresh ET group (n = 1124) and frozen ET group (n = 695).
Results
We found that the clinical pregnancy and live birth rates were significantly higher in the fresh cycles than in the frozen cycles (32.38% vs. 22.30%, p = 0.000; 25.62% vs. 16.12%, p = 0.000, respectively). The multivariate logistic regression model showed that the cycle type (fresh or frozen) still had a significant impact on the live birth rate (OR 1.62, 95% CI: 1.19–2.21, p = 0.002) after adjusting for potential confounders.
Discussion
FET was associated with a significantly lower risk of clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. For patients who are more likely to develop poor-quality cleavage embryos, such as women with previous low response or reduced ovarian reserve, it is suggested that fresh ET should be given priority to achieve better pregnancy and neonatal outcomes than FET if there are no special circumstances.