bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence of silicon morphology on direct current plasma electrolytic oxidation process in AlSi10Mg alloy produced with laser powder bed fusion
Authors: Pezzato L. , Gennari C. , Franceschi M. , Brunelli K. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractIn this work, plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process was applied on AlSi10Mg samples, produced with laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF), in the as printed condition and after different heat treatments, and, for comparison, on as-cast samples of AlSi10Mg. PEO process was performed in direct-current mode using high current densities and short time in a basic silicate electrolyte. For the first time, the effects of silicon morphology in L-PBF AlSi10Mg samples, in as printed condition and after different heat treatments, on the obtained PEO coating were investigated in terms of microstructure and corrosion properties. The microstructure of the substrate was characterized with optical and electron microscopy observations (optical microscopy OM, scanning electron microscopy SEM, and transmission electron microscopy TEM) and with X-ray diffraction (XRD). The analysis showed that heat treatments of annealing and solution treating modified the morphology and distribution of silicon in the samples obtained through L-PBF. The PEO coated samples were characterized with SEM, both on the surface and in the cross-section, and compositional analysis were performed with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis and elemental mapping. The coatings were also analyzed with XRD and the corrosion properties evaluated through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests. Also microhardness tests were performed on the substrates and on the coatings. The microstructure of the coatings was strongly influenced by the silicon distribution. In particular, a non-uniform distribution of silicon and the presence of iron-rich intermetallic (obtained in the as-cast and solution treated samples) induced the formation of more porous and thinner coatings in comparison with the ones obtained in the as printed and annealed samples. The not-uniform silicon distribution produced a not-homogenous distribution of silicon into the coatings. The particular cellular structure of the as printed sample induced the formation of a coating with a higher amorphous fraction, in comparison with the ones produced on the other samples. The higher thickness and lower porosity of the coatings obtained on the annealed and as printed samples resulted in an increase of the corrosion resistance.
A randomized trial testing the effectiveness of virtual reality as a tool for pro-environmental dietary change
Authors: Plechatá Adéla , Morton Thomas , Perez-Cueto Federico J. A. , Makransky Guido 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThis study investigates the impact of an efficacy-focused virtual reality (VR) intervention designed according to instructional design principles on eating behavior. In the preregistered intervention study, psychology students were randomly assigned to nine seminar blocks. Employing parallel design, they were allocated to either a VR intervention to experience the environmental impact of food behavior (1) and alter the future by revising food choices (2) or to a passive control condition. The data from 123 participants (78% female, mean age 25.03, SD = 6.4) were analyzed to investigate the effect of the VR intervention on dietary footprint measured from 1 week before to 1 week after the intervention. The VR intervention decreased individual dietary footprints (d = 0.4) significantly more than the control condition. Similarly, the VR condition increased response efficacy and knowledge to a larger extent compared to the control. For knowledge, the effect persisted for 1 week. The VR intervention had no impact on intentions, self-efficacy, or psychological distance. Additional manipulation of normative feedback enhanced self-efficacy; however, manipulation of geographical framing did not influence psychological distance. This research received no financial support from any funding agency and was registered on 15/09/2021 at Open Science Foundation with the number https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/2AXF3.
AT2 activation does not influence brain damage in the early phase after experimental traumatic brain injury in male mice
Authors: Timaru-Kast Ralph , Garcia Bardon Andreas , Luh Clara , Coronel-Castello Shila P. , Songarj Phuriphong , Griemert Eva-Verena , Krämer Tobias J. , Sebastiani Anne , Steckelings Ulrike Muscha , Thal Serge C. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractAntagonism of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1) improves neurological function and reduces brain damage after experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI), which may be partly a result of enhanced indirect angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2) stimulation. AT2 stimulation was demonstrated to be neuroprotective via anti-inflammatory, vasodilatory, and neuroregenerative mechanisms in experimental cerebral pathology models. We recently demonstrated an upregulation of AT2 after TBI suggesting a protective mechanism. The present study investigated the effect of post-traumatic (5 days after TBI) AT2 activation via high and low doses of a selective AT2 agonist, compound 21 (C21), compared to vehicle-treated controls. No differences in the extent of the TBI-induced lesions were found between both doses of C21 and the controls. We then tested AT2-knockdown animals for secondary brain damage after experimental TBI. Lesion volume and neurological outcomes in AT2-deficient mice were similar to those in wild-type control mice at both 24 h and 5 days post-trauma. Thus, in contrast to AT1 antagonism, AT2 modulation does not influence the initial pathophysiological mechanisms of TBI in the first 5 days after the insult, indicating that AT2 plays only a minor role in the early phase following trauma-induced brain damage.
Re-introduction of an extinct population of Pulsatilla patens using different propagation techniques
Authors: Żabicka Justyna , Żabicki Piotr , Słomka Aneta , Sliwinska Elwira , Jędrzejczyk-Korycińska Monika , Nowak Teresa , Migdałek Grzegorz , Kwiatkowska Monika , Kuta Elżbieta 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThe study focuses on the propagation of a rare and endangered plant species (Pulsatilla patens) to re-introduce an extinct population from calamine area in Southern Poland. The plants were propagated from seeds, rhizome cuttings, or regenerated in vitro from shoot tips, hypocotyls with roots or cotyledons of seedlings on Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.25 or 0.50 mg L−1 BAP (Benzylaminopurine) via direct and indirect organogenesis or somatic embryogenesis (SE). The most efficient micropropagation method was with shoot tips as an explant on MS + 0.25 mg L−1 BAP where 97% of the explants produced multiple shoots, mass SE was observed after transfer on ½ MS with 2% saccharose; 267 (35%) shoots rooted on ½ MS + 2% saccharose were acclimatized to ex vitro conditions. Flow cytometry revealed genome size stability of propagated plantlets. Low genetic differentiation between micropropagated plantlets and initial material was indicated by ISSR (Inter Simple Sequence Repeat) markers. Totally, 132 vigorous plantlets obtained on various pathways were introduced to the field plots in 2020; 30.33% survived the winter, and several reached the generative stage and flowered in the spring 2021. In next season (March/April 2022) the number of introduced plants decreased to 25% while the number of flowering and fruiting shoots in different clumps increased in some plots. This is the first report of successful re-introduction of the endangered P. patens based on micropropagation, rhizome cuttings, and seed germination.
Capacity and kinetics of light-induced cytochrome oxidation in intact cells of photosynthetic bacteria
Authors: Kis Mariann , Smart James L. , Maróti Péter 
Published: August 2022

AbstractLight-induced oxidation of the reaction center dimer and periplasmic cytochromes was detected by fast kinetic difference absorption changes in intact cells of wild type and cytochrome mutants (cycA, cytC4 and pufC) of Rubrivivaxgelatinosus and Rhodobactersphaeroides. Constant illumination from a laser diode or trains of saturating flashes enabled the kinetic separation of acceptor and donor redox processes, and the electron contribution from the cyt bc1 complex via periplasmic cytochromes. Under continuous excitation, concentrations of oxidized cytochromes increased in three phases where light intensity, electron transfer rate and the number of reduced cytochromes were the rate liming steps, respectively. By choosing suitable flash timing, gradual steps of cytochrome oxidation in whole cells were observed; each successive flash resulted in a smaller, damped oxidation. We attribute this damping to lowered availability of reduced cytochromes resulting from both exchange (unbinding/binding) of the cytochromes and electron transfer at the reaction center interface since a similar effect is observed upon deletion of genes encoding periplasmic cytochromes. In addition, we present a simple model to calculate the damping effect; application of this method may contribute to understanding the function of the diverse range of c-type cytochromes in the electron transport chains of anaerobic phototrophic bacteria.
Single irrigation at the four-leaf stage in the spring optimizes winter wheat water consumption characteristics and water use efficiency
Authors: Bao Xiaoyuan , Liu Xuejing , Hou Xiaoyang , Yin Baozhong , Duan Weiwei , Wang Yandong , Ren Jianhong , Gu Limin , Zhen Wenchao 
Published: August 2022

AbstractWater scarcity is a key constraint to crop production in North China Plain (NCP), which produces the majority of the country’s winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).
The objective of this three-year field study was to see whether and when irrigation one-time in spring improved grain productivity and water use efficiency. Four sets of irrigation were established at the 3-leaf visible stage (L3) and the L4, L5, and L6 stages. When irrigation time was postponed, the spike number, 1000-grain weight, and water consumption increased progressively, whereas grain yield, grain number, dry matter, harvest, and WUE grew, then dropped, and peaked at L4. The increased grain number can be attributed to the L4's higher daily water consumption and water consumption percentage throughout the jointing-anthesis stages compared to the L3, L5, and L6. The cumulative (37 days), whereas it was longer in L3, L5, and L6(40, 42, and 43 days, respectively). Furthermore, flag leaf senescence was postponed in L4 with a higher post-anthesis leaf area index, photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll content, higher superoxide dismutase activity, and lower malondialdehyde concentration. As a result, single irrigation at the 4-leaf visible stage optimized water deficit and consumption before and after anthesis, resulting in higher yield and WUE in the NCP.
Seasonal dynamics in picocyanobacterial abundance and clade composition at coastal and offshore stations in the Baltic Sea
Authors: Zufia Javier Alegria , Legrand Catherine , Farnelid Hanna 
Published: August 2022

AbstractPicocyanobacteria (< 2 µm in diameter) are significant contributors to total phytoplankton biomass. Due to the high diversity within this group, their seasonal dynamics and relationship with environmental parameters, especially in brackish waters, are largely unknown. In this study, the abundance and community composition of phycoerythrin rich picocyanobacteria (PE-SYN) and phycocyanin rich picocyanobacteria (PC-SYN) were monitored at a coastal (K-station) and at an offshore station (LMO; ~ 10 km from land) in the Baltic Sea over three years (2018–2020). Cell abundances of picocyanobacteria correlated positively to temperature and negatively to nitrate (NO3) concentration. While PE-SYN abundance correlated to the presence of nitrogen fixers, PC-SYN abundance was linked to stratification/shallow waters. The picocyanobacterial targeted amplicon sequencing revealed an unprecedented diversity of 2169 picocyanobacterial amplicons sequence variants (ASVs). A unique assemblage of distinct picocyanobacterial clades across seasons was identified. Clade A/B dominated the picocyanobacterial community, except during summer when low NO3,high phosphate (PO4) concentrations and warm temperatures promoted S5.2 dominance. This study, providing multiyear data, links picocyanobacterial populations to environmental parameters. The difference in the response of the two functional groups and clades underscore the need for further high-resolution studies to understand their role in the ecosystem.
Optimized design and key performance factors of a gas circulation filtration system in a metal 3D printer
Authors: Guoqing Zhang , Junxin Li , Xiaoyu Zhou , Yongsheng Zhou , Anmin Wang 
Published: August 2022

AbstractTo further improve the quality of parts in metal 3D printers, it is necessary to optimize the structure and study the performance of their gas circulation filtration systems. First, we used the parametric modeling method to complete the formed cavity modeling. We then optimized the design of the air inlet structure of the formed cavity using the moldflow simulation method, and finally, we evaluated the optimized design results through assembly experiments and measurements of the molded parts’ components. The combination of parametric modeling and moldflow simulation methods produced a high modeling efficiency and had a good effect on the optimized design of the gas circulation filtration systems. After optimizing the design, the turbulence intensities and distribution areas of the formed cavities were reduced. During the 3D printing of the curved guide plate, the plane of the guide plate holder was inclined 55° relative to the machining datum plane, which improved the form quality. The 3D printed curved guide plate closely matched the inlet end of the printer’s air duct, and the upper guide plate was fixed at a suitable position using screws. The niobium contents of the parts formed by the guide plate in Design 2 were low, which lays a foundation for the 3D printing of high-performance metal parts.
Personality and socio-demographic variables in teacher burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic: a latent profile analysis
Authors: Răducu Camelia-Mădălina , Stănculescu Elena 
Published: August 2022

AbstractAlthough it is well-known that teaching is one of the most stressful jobs, teacher burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been thoroughly investigated. The main aims of this study were to identify distinct teacher burnout profiles and examine their association with HEXACO personality factors and sociodemographic variables. Data were collected from 522 teachers (77% women; Mage = 37.45 years,SD = 9.28) in November 2021. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified five latent profiles:“No burnout risk”(41.3%),“Low burnout risk”(21.9%),“Cynics”(7.7%),“Exhausted and cynics”(16.1%), and“High burnout risk”(13%). Our results showed a significant correlation between all six HEXACO personality traits and teacher burnout based on the variable-centered method, but the LPA highlighted that only the emotionality trait was antecedent of profile membership. In terms of sociodemographic variables, gender and rural/urban teaching environment did not have significant impact on teacher burnout profiles, but professional experience did. This study is the first to explore teacher burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to dispositional traits based on the HEXACO model using a person-centered approach. Our results can inform specialists about the role of emotionality in the occurrence of teacher burnout and the greater vulnerability of experienced teachers in the context of remote learning. Tailored programs of intervention are necessary.
Uterine factors modify the association between embryo transfer depth and clinical pregnancy
Authors: Sun Xiaohua , Cai Jiali , Liu Lanlan , Chen Haixiao , Jiang Xiaoming , Ren Jianzhi 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThe embryo transfer depth may affect the chance of pregnancy. However, embryo dislodging caused by uterine contraction may occur after the transfer. The aim of the retrospective study was to investigate whether the factors associated with uterine contractilities, such as endometrial thickness and progesterone elevation, affect the association between transfer depth and implantation. A total of 7849 fresh transfer cycles on conventional stimulation in a single in vitro fertilization (IVF) center during the period 2013–2015 was reviewed. Patients were categorized according to quartiles of embryo transfer depth (≤ 9 mm, n = 1735, 9.1–11 mm, n = 2557, 11.1–14 mm, n = 1933, ≥ 1.4 mm, n = 1624, respectively). Adjusted for confounding factors, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) (95% confidence interval, CI) for clinical pregnancy was 0.90 (0.79–1.02), 0.86 (0.74–0.99), and 0.70 (0.60–0.82) respectively in quartiles 2 through 4, comparing with quartile 1. However, the aORs were significantly increased when the endometrial thickness was < 8 mm. In comparison with that in the cycles with a normal endometrial thickness (8–11 mm), the aORs comparing quartiles 2 through 4 with quartile 1 in the cycles with an endometrial thickness < 8 mm increased from 0.78 (95% CI 0.65–0.93), 0.79 (95% CI 0.65–0.97), and 0.64 (95% CI 0.51–0.81) to 1.73 (95% CI 1.21–2.47), 1.04 (95% CI 0.69–1.56), and 1.45 (95% CI 0.91–2.31), respectively. In the cycles with elevated progesterone and blastocyst stage transfer, the aORs comparing quartiles 4 with quartile 1 decreased from 0.73 (95% CI 0.62–0.87) and 0.74 (95% CI 0.63–0.87) to 0.58 (95% CI 0.40–0.84) and 0.42 (95% CI 0.25–0.73) than those in the cycles without. However, only blastocyst transfer showed a significant interaction with transfer depth (p = 0.043). Our data suggested that endometrial thickness and blastocyst transfer significantly affect the association between embryo transfer depth and clinical pregnancy.
Insights into mechanisms of graft-versus-host disease through humanised mouse models
Authors: Elhage Amal , Sligar Chloe , Cuthbertson Peter , Watson Debbie , Sluyter Ronald 
Published: August 2022

AbstractGraft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a major complication that occurs following allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for the treatment of haematological cancers and other blood-related disorders. GVHD is an inflammatory disorder, where the transplanted donor immune cells can mediate an immune response against the recipient and attack host tissues. Despite over 60 years of research, broad-range immune suppression is still used to prevent or treat GVHD, leading to an increased risk of cancer relapse and infection. Therefore, further insights into the disease mechanisms and development of predictive and prognostic biomarkers are key to improving outcomes and reducing GVHD development following allogeneic HSCT. An important preclinical tool to examine the pathophysiology of GVHD and to understand the key mechanisms that lead to GVHD development are preclinical humanised mouse models. Such models of GVHD are now well-established and can provide valuable insights into disease development. This review will focus on models where human peripheral blood mononuclear cells are injected into immune-deficient non-obese diabetic (NOD)-scid-interleukin-2(IL-2)Rγ mutant (NOD-scid-IL2Rγnull) mice. Humanised mouse models of GVHD can mimic the clinical setting for GVHD development, with disease progression and tissues impacted like that observed in humans. This review will highlight key findings from preclinical humanised mouse models regarding the role of donor human immune cells, the function of cytokines and cell signalling molecules and their impact on specific target tissues and GVHD development. Further, specific therapeutic strategies tested in these preclinical models reveal key molecular pathways important in reducing the burden of GVHD following allogeneic HSCT.
Identification of key predictors of hospital mortality in critically ill patients with embolic stroke using machine learning
Authors: Liu Wei , Ma Wei , Bai Na , Li Chunyan , Liu Kuangpin , Yang Jinwei , Zhang Sijia , Zhu Kewei , Zhou Qiang , Liu Hua , Guo Jianhui , Li Liyan 
Published: August 2022

Abstract
Embolic stroke (ES) is characterized by high morbidity and mortality. Its mortality predictors remain unclear. The present study aimed to use machine learning (ML) to identify the key predictors of mortality for ES patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Data were extracted from two large ICU databases: Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV for training and internal validation, and eICU Collaborative Research Database (eICU-CRD) for external validation. We developed predictive models of ES mortality based on 15 ML algorithms. We relied on the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) to address class imbalance. Our main performance metric was area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC). We adopted recursive feature elimination (RFE) for feature selection. We assessed model performance using three disease-severity scoring systems as benchmarks. Of the 1566 and 207 ES patients enrolled in the two databases, there were 173 (15.70%), 73 (15.57%), and 36 (17.39%) hospital mortality in the training, internal validation, and external validation cohort, respectively. The random forest (RF) model had the largest AUROC (0.806) in the internal validation phase and was chosen as the best model. The AUROC of the RF compact (RF-COM) model containing the top six features identified by RFE was 0.795. In the external validation phase, the AUROC of the RF model was 0.838, and the RF-COM model was 0.830, outperforming other models. Our findings suggest that the RF model was the best model and the top six predictors of ES hospital mortality were Glasgow Coma Scale, white blood cell, blood urea nitrogen, bicarbonate, age, and mechanical ventilation.
Automated Speech Audiometry for Integrated Voice Over Internet Protocol Communication Services
Authors: Bruns Tobias , Ooster Jasper , Stennes Matthias , Rennies Jan 
Published: August 2022

Purpose:
Problems in speech recognition are often apparent in telecommunication situations. For ecologically valid assessments of such conditions, it is important to quantify the impact of real environments including acoustic conditions at a far-end communication device and all paths of transmission degradation. This study presents an automated matrix sentence test procedure based on automatic speech recognition (ASR) integrated in a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) infrastructure and compares the individual effects of transmission degradations with results from laboratory measurements.

Method:
Speech recognition thresholds (SRTs) were measured in 16 normal-hearing subjects in four test conditions: (a) a laboratory condition guided by a human experimenter, (b) a laboratory condition with reduced bandwidth and (c) additionally reduced headset quality to simulate typical communication systems, and (d) an automated, ASR-controlled adaptive test procedure over a real VoIP infrastructure. Errors of the ASR system were analyzed to show possible effects on measurement outcome

Results:

Measured SRTs showed a highly significant correlation (
r
= .93) between the fully automatic and “laboratory” conditions, with a constant bias of about 1 dB indicating a linear shift of the data without affecting the distribution around the mean. The individual impact of the different system degradations on SRTs could be quantified

Conclusions:
This study provides a proof of concept for automated ASR-based SRT measurements over VoIP systems for speech audiometric testing in real communication systems, as it produced results comparable to traditional laboratory settings for this group of 16 normal-hearing subjects. This makes VoIP services a promising candidate for speech audiometric testing in real communication systems.