bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of 3D graphene/MoS2 spherical heterostructure as anode material in Li-ion battery
Authors: Wenelska K. , Adam V. , Thauer E. , Singer L. , Klingeler R. , Chen X. , Mijowska E. 
Published: August 2022

Three-dimensional (3D) graphene-based nanocomposites have received considerable attention in both fundamental research and industrial applications, as they combine the functionalities of well-controlled nano-architectures and the integrity of bulk materials. Actually, among these materials, spherical structures are attracting more and more attention worldwide due to their excellent performance in various fields such as drug delivery, heterogeneous catalysis, encapsulation of support, and electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Herein, a facile route to fabricate a three-dimensional hierarchical graphene/MoS2 nanocomposite is presented. The molecular heterostructure is derived from graphene oxide flakes and precursors of molybdenum ((NH4)2Mo7O4·4H2O) and sulfur (L-cysteine). Spherical morphology (GO/MoS2) is obtained via self-assembly of the precursor. This 3D nanocomposite exhibits MoS2-nanosheets strongly linked to graphene oxide flakes, which renders it particularly suited to exploit the conversion reaction of MoS2 for electrochemical energy storage. When assembled into an electrode in lithium-ion batteries, as-prepared GO/MoS2 electrodes indeed deliver a high initial charge capacity of 783 mA h g−1 at a current density of 100 mA/g and Coulombic efficiency of more than 96% from the second cycle on exceeding the theoretical capacity of the pristine 2D MoS2 and graphene. Overall, the study sheds some light on the design of 3D heterostructure as a promising anode material in Li-ion batteries.
Synergistic enhancement of coalbed methane hydration process by magnetic field and NiMnGa micro-nano fluid
Authors: Wu Qiong , Lin Nengyu , Li Li , Chen Feng , Xv Xianfu , Zhang Baoyong , Wu Qiang , Liu Chuanhai 
Published: August 2022

Coalbed methane is an important renewable energy source. Gas hydration technology is a new method for enhancing the utilization of coalbed methane and reducing environmental pollution. Long induction periods, sluggish formation rates, low hydrate yields, and difficulty removing heat during hydrate formation are all issues with gas hydration technology. In this paper, 3 wt% NiMnGa (NMG) phase-change micro/nanoparticles and 0.05% sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) were compounded, and gas hydration experiments were conducted under various initial pressures and gas sample conditions to investigate. The findings revealed that NMG has efficient mass transfer properties as well as phase-change heat absorption properties, which significantly improved the kinetic process of the gas hydrate by mass and heat transfer, shortened the induction time, increased gas consumption, and increased the gas consumption rate during the rapid hydrate growth period. When the initial pressure was 6.2 MPa, the induction time was reduced by 89.26%, 92.48%, and 95.64%, and the maximum gas consumption rate was increased by 238.18%, 175.55%, and 113.60%, respectively, when using different concentrations of methane in the NMG-SDS system compared to the pure SDS system. The NMG used in this paper showed potential for future use in mixed gas hydration technology.
The impact of environmental taxes on economic benefits and technology innovation input of heavily polluting industries in China
Authors: Wang Zhengyan , Zhu Naiping , Wang Jianuo , Hu Yingyun , Nkana Mwansa 
Published: August 2022

This paper defined heavily polluting enterprises as the treatment group based on relevant data on the listed companies in the 5 years from 2016 to 2020. Companies other than the heavily polluting enterprises were defined as the control group. An empirical analysis applying the double-difference technique was performed to assess the impact of China’s environmental tax on the economic performance and technological innovation input of industries that pollute heavily. The findings demonstrated an increased positive effects of environmental taxes on the economic performance and technology innovation input of heavily polluting industries since the inception of the environmental tax in China. As some enterprises in heavily polluting industries are under increased financial pressure owing to green upgrades and the low environmental tax rate in some regions, recommendations are presented to improve the environmental regulation system, adapt environmental taxes to local conditions, and strengthen the implementation and supervision of environmental taxes through big data technology.
Decoupling between PM2.5 concentrations and aerosol optical depth at ground stations in China
Authors: Fu Weijie , Yue Xu , Li Zhengqiang , Tian Chenguang , Zhou Hao , Li Kaitao , Chen Yuwen , Zhao Xu , Zhao Yuan , Hu Yihan 
Published: August 2022

Surface PM2.5 concentrations and aerosol optical depth (AOD) are two air pollution metrics tightly connected. Many studies have used AOD to derive PM2.5 concentrations without investigating their inconsistencies. Here, we explored the associations between surface PM2.5 and AOD using ground-level data from 19 stations in China during 2017–2019. Unexpectedly, we found low correlation coefficients of 0.03–0.60 between daily PM2.5 and AOD for most sites. Such decoupling between PM2.5 and AOD is further compared to simultaneous meteorological factors such as air temperature, specific humidity, sea level pressure, and wind speed. We found that specific humidity dominates the correlations with normalized PM2.5-AOD differences at 14 out of 19 sites. On average, specific humidity increases from 2.83 g kg−1 for the cases with low AOD but high PM2.5–11.89 g kg−1 for those with high AOD but low PM2.5, indicating that hygroscopic growth of aerosols may play an important role in decoupling the associations between PM2.5 and AOD. Random forest (RF) models using AOD as the only input yield a low R of 0.49 between the predicted and observed PM2.5 concentrations. The inclusion of specific humidity in the RF model increases the R to 0.74, close to the R of 0.81 with three additional meteorological factors. Our study revealed a strong decoupling between PM2.5 and AOD and suggested including specific humidity as a key parameter in the retrieval of long-term PM2.5 using AOD data in China.
Identification of hub genes related to CD4+ memory T cell infiltration with gene co-expression network predicts prognosis and immunotherapy effect in colon adenocarcinoma
Authors: Tang Lingxue , Yu Sheng , Zhang Qianqian , Cai Yinlian , Li Wen , Yao Senbang , Cheng Huaidong 
Published: August 2022

Background: CD4+ memory T cells (CD4+ MTCs), as an important part of the microenvironment affecting tumorigenesis and progression, have rarely been systematically analyzed. Our purpose was to comprehensively analyze the effect of CD4+ MTC infiltration on the prognosis of colon adenocarcinoma (COAD).Methods: Based on RNA-Seq data, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to screen the CD4+ MTC infiltration genes most associated with colon cancer and then identify hub genes and construct a prognostic model using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm (LASSO). Finally, survival analysis, immune efficacy analysis, and drug sensitivity analysis were performed to evaluate the role of the prognostic model in COAD.Results: We identified 929 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with CD4+ MTCs and constructed a prognosis model based on five hub genes (F2RL2, TGFB2, DTNA, S1PR5, and MPP2) to predict overall survival (OS) in COAD. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed poor prognosis in the high-risk group, and the analysis of the hub gene showed that overexpression of TGFB2, DTNA, S1PR5, or MPP2 was associated with poor prognosis. Clinical prediction nomograms combining CD4+ MTC-related DEGs and clinical features were constructed to accurately predict OS and had high clinical application value. Immune efficacy and drug sensitivity analysis provide new insights for individualized treatment.Conclusion: We constructed a prognostic risk model to predict OS in COAD and analyzed the effects of risk score on immunotherapy efficacy or drug sensitivity. These studies have important clinical significance for individualized targeted therapy and prognosis.
TRIB3 promoter 33 bp VNTR is associated with the risk of cerebrovascular disease in type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: Lai Jiaqi , Ouyang Jiaying , Lin Weijie , Liu Mouze , Yang Yang , Wang Ruiqi , Yang Haikui , Meng Qian , Dong Jiamei , Zhang Jianping , Li Ling , He Fazhong 
Published: August 2022

Previous studies have demonstrated that TRIB3 is closely related to insulin resistance, metabolic disorders and vascular diseases. Recently, it was reported that a 33 bp variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) located in the TRIB3 promoter could considerably alter its transcriptional activity. Nonetheless, whether the shift of TRIB3 transcriptional activity has the effect of inducing diabetic vascular complications is still unclear. Therefore, in our study, we aimed to explore the relationship between the TRIB3 33bp VNTR and diabetic vascular complications. The TRIB3 33bp VNTR polymorphisms were determined by PCR and Sanger sequencing, a total of 798 eligible Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) were included in our study and then evaluated with clinical data. After adjusting for age, gender, BMI, smoking history, drinking history and duration of diabetes, we found that the high number of 33 bp tandem repeats (repeats&gt;8) was significantly associated with an increase in the risk of cerebrovascular diseases compared with the low number of 33 bp tandem repeats (repeats≤6) in patients with T2DM(OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.29–5.47, p = 0.008). The intermediate number of 33bp tandem repeats (6 &lt; repeat≤8) was markedly associated with a decreased risk of diabetic retinopathy compared with the low number of tandem repeats (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.46–0.91, p = 0.012). Adjusting for gender, age and BMI, there was a significant difference in DBP levels among patients with the number of different 33 bp tandem repeats (Low vs. Intermediate vs. High, 81.6 ± 12.8 vs. 79.8 ± 12.4 vs. 78.7 ± 12.6 mmHg; p = 0.045). Subgroup analysis found that TRIB3 VNTR was significantly correlated with the difference in systolic blood pressure (SBP) in T2DM patients taking ACEI/ARB drugs (Low vs. Intermediate vs. High, 146.27 ± 18.23 vs. 140.01 ± 19.91 vs. 140.77 ± 18.64 mmHg; p = 0.018). Our results indicated that TRIB3 promoter 33bp VNTR is related to vascular diseases in T2DM patients, and may serve as a new biomarker for individualized prevention and therapy of T2DM.
GNB3 c.825c>T polymorphism influences T-cell but not antibody response following vaccination with the mRNA-1273 vaccine
Authors: Čiučiulkaitė Ieva , Möhlendick Birte , Thümmler Laura , Fisenkci Neslinur , Elsner Carina , Dittmer Ulf , Siffert Winfried , Lindemann Monika 
Published: August 2022

Background: Immune responses following vaccination against COVID-19 with different vaccines and the waning of immunity vary within the population. Genetic host factors are likely to contribute to this variability. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study on G protein polymorphisms and vaccination responses against COVID-19 has been published so far.Methods: Antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and T-cell responses against a peptide pool of SARS-CoV-2 S1 proteins were measured 1 and 6 months after the second vaccination with mRNA-1273 in the main study group of 204 participants. Additionally, antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were measured in a group of 597 participants 1 month after the second vaccination with mRNA-1273. Genotypes of GNB3 c.825C&gt;T were determined in all participants.Results: The median antibody titer against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and median values of spots increment in the SARS-CoV-2 IFN-γ ELISpot assay against the S1-peptide pool were significantly decreased from months 1 to 6 (p &lt; 0.0001). Genotypes of GNB3 c.825C&gt;T had no influence on the humoral immune response. At month 1, CC genotype carriers had significantly increased T-cell responses compared to CT (p = 0.005) or TT (p = 0.02) genotypes. CC genotype carriers had an almost 6-fold increased probability compared to TT genotype carriers and an almost 3-fold increased probability compared to T-allele carriers to mount a SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell response above the median value.Conclusion: CC genotype carriers of the GNB3 c.825C&gt;T polymorphism have an increased T-cell immune response to SARS-CoV-2, which may indicate better T-cell-mediated protection against COVID-19 after vaccination with mRNA-1273.
Economic empowerment of the pilot reintegration program for female genital fistula survivors in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: McCammon Mary Ann , Otondo Norah Amisi , Kay Nancy 
Published: August 2022

ObjectiveTo determine whether a pilot reintegration program for female genital fistula survivors that included a combination of financial support, psychosocial support, and mentoring would result in their long-term economic empowerment during the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsNine fistula survivors participated in a 29-month pilot reintegration program offered by Kenya Quilts for Empowerment (KQFE), a registered Community Based Organization in Kenya. Originally, the program was intended to last for 18 months, but as a result of the pandemic, this was extended to achieve the long-term economic empowerment of women. The program was based on best practices for poverty alleviation that included multiple sources of income, psychosocial support, and mentoring, sustained over the entire 29-month period. All the women were severely impoverished at the baseline assessment, with one having some savings, and a few having productive assets, which were primarily chickens. Financial training and an initial non-refundable cash transfer provided start-up funds for small businesses; these initially flourished before floundering during the pandemic and eventually recovering. Funds were also used to buy livestock. A key component of the program was the provision of national health insurance for each woman and her family, which helped them stay healthy without having to sell any income-generating livestock. Other key components were the psychosocial support and mentoring provided within their support group. After 29 months, every woman had achieved long-term economic empowerment and “graduated” to become a KQFE ambassador, tasked with identifying fistula survivors within their communities, and referring them for surgery and participation in a reintegration support group.
Effect of codend mesh sizes on the size selectivity and exploitation pattern of cocktail shrimp (Trachypenaeus curvirostris) in shrimp trawl fishery of the South China Sea
Authors: Yang Bingzhong , Herrmann Bent 
Published: August 2022

This study aims at improving fishery management by testing and comparing the size selectivity and exploitation pattern of diamond-mesh codends, with mesh sizes ranging from 25 to 54 mm, for cocktail shrimp (Trachypenaeus curvirostris) in the South China Sea (SCS). Beginning from 25 mm, the minimum mesh size regulated by the shrimp trawl fishery industry, we investigated how the mesh sizes of the codends would affect the size selectivity and exploitation pattern in reference to the minimum conservation reference size (MCRS, 7.0 cm total length) of cocktail shrimp in the SCS. According to our results, the selective properties of the codend mesh sized at 25 mm in line with the regulation failed to protect the undersized individuals of cocktail shrimp because of its 50% retention length of 5.85 cm (confidence interval, CI: 5.16–6.18 cm), far less than the MCRS of cocktail shrimp. As the retention probability of a shrimp with a MCRS length was as high as 97.45 % (CI: 86.86–100.00%), more than 40% of the undersized shrimp was retained. It was proved that increasing the codend mesh size did not significantly improve the size selectivity and exploitation pattern which might be improved by other gear modifications.
Typical response of CD14++CD16– monocyte to knee synovial derived mediators as a key target to overcome the onset and progression of osteoarthritis
Authors: Saffery Nik Syazana Izyan , Genasan Krishnamurithy , Chan Chee Ken , Ayob Khairul Anwar , Teo Seow Hui , Al-Fayyadh Mohamed Zubair Mohamed , Othman Iekhsan , Abidin Syafiq Asnawi Zainal , Raman Murali Malliga , Raghavendran Hanumantha Rao Balaji , Kamarul Tunku 
Published: August 2022

ObjectiveSynovitis with increased infiltration of immune cells is observed in osteoarthritis (OA). Given the inflammatory condition of synovitis, we explored the protein profile of OA synovium (OAS) and its effect on circulating monocytes activation, migration, and functional commitments.MethodsKnee-synovium was acquired from end-stage OA (N= 8) and trauma patients (Trauma baseline control: TBC;N= 8) for characterization using H&amp;E histology, IHC (iNOS), LCMS-QTOF, and MALDI-imaging. Response of peripheral blood monocytes to OAS conditioned-media (OACM) was observed using transwell (n= 6). The migrated cells were captured in SEM, quantified using phase-contrast microphotographs, and their activation receptors (CCR2, CXCR2, CX3CR1, and CD11b), pro-inflammatory genes, and phagocytic potential were studied using flow cytometry, gene expression array/qPCR, and latex beads (LB) phagocytosis assay, respectively.ResultsThe Venn diagram displayed 119 typical proteins in OAS, while 55 proteins in TBCS. The STRING protein network analysis indicated distinctive links between proteins and gene ontology (GO) and revealed proteins associated with leukocyte-mediated immunity in OAS as compared to TBC. The MALDI-imaging showed typical localized proteins at 2234.97, 2522.61, 2627.21, 3329.50, and 3539.69m/zand IHC confirmed pro-inflammatory iNOS expression in OA synovium. CD14++CD16–classical monocytes significantly migrated in OACM and expressed CCR2, CXCR2, and CD11b receptors, TNFRSF11A, MAPK1, S100A8, HSPB1, ITGAL, NFATC1, IL13RA1, CD93, IL-1β, TNF-α, and MYD88 genes and increased LB uptake as compared to SFM.ConclusionOur findings suggest that the differential protein profile of OA synovium and the classical monocytes migrated, activated, and functionally committed in response to these mediators could be of therapeutic advantage.
Development and validation of models for predicting the overall survival and cancer-specific survival of patients with primary vaginal cancer: A population-based retrospective cohort study
Authors: Zhou Wei-Li , Yue Yang-Yang 
Published: August 2022

BackgroundNo models have been developed to predict the survival probability for women with primary vaginal cancer (VC) due to VC’s extreme rareness. We aimed to develop and validate models to predict the overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of VC patients.MethodsA population-based multicenter retrospective cohort study was carried out using the 2004–2018 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program database in the United States. The final multivariate Cox model was identified using the Brier score and Harrell’s C concordance statistic (C-statistic). The decision curve, calibration plot, and area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were used to evaluate model prediction performance. Multiple imputation followed by bootstrap was performed. Bootstrap validation covered the entire statistic procedure from model selection to baseline survival and coefficient calculation. Nomograms predicting OS and CSS were generated.ResultsOf the 2,417 eligible patients, 1,692 and 725 were randomly allocated to the training and validation cohorts. The median age (Interquartile range) was 66 (56–78) and 65 (55–76) for the two cohorts, respectively. Our models had larger net benefits in predicting the survival of VC patients than the American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, presenting great discrimination ability and excellent agreement between the expected and observed events. The performance metrics of our models were calculated in three cohorts: the training cohort, complete cases of the validation cohort, and the imputed validation cohort. For the OS model in the three cohorts, the C-statistics were 0.761, 0.752, and 0.743. The slopes of the calibration plots were 1.017, 1.005, and 0.959. The 3- and 5-year AUCs were 0.795 and 0.810, 0.768 and 0.771, and 0.770 and 0.767, respectively. For the CSS model in the three cohorts, the C-statistics were 0.775, 0.758, and 0.755. The slopes were 1.021, 0.939, and 0.977. And the 3- and 5-year AUCs were 0.797 and 0.793, 0.786 and 0.788, and 0.757 and 0.757, respectively.ConclusionWe were the first to develop and validate exemplary survival prediction models for VC patients and generate corresponding nomograms that allow for individualized survival prediction and could assist clinicians in performing risk-adapted follow-up and treatment.
Molecular transmission network of pretreatment drug resistance among human immunodeficiency virus-positive individuals and the impact of virological failure on those who received antiretroviral therapy in China
Authors: Chen Hongli , Hu Jing , Song Chang , Li Miaomiao , Zhou Yesheng , Dong Aobo , Kang Ruihua , Hao Jingjing , Zhang Jiaxin , Liu Xiu , Li Dan , Feng Yi , Liao Lingjie , Ruan Yuhua , Xing Hui , Shao Yiming 
Published: August 2022

ObjectivesWe investigated the prevalence of pretreatment drug resistance (PDR), the molecular transmission network among HIV-positive individuals, and the impact of virological failure on those who received antiretroviral therapy (ART) in China.MethodsBased on the World Health Organization (WHO) surveillance guidelines for PDR, a baseline survey and follow-up were conducted in 2018 and 2021, respectively. Demographic information and plasma samples were obtained from all participants. HIV pol gene region sequences were used to analyze the PDR and molecular transmission networks using the Stanford HIV database algorithm and HIV-TRACE, respectively. This study assessed the odds ratios (OR) of PDR to virological failure (viral load ≥ 50 copies/mL) after 3 years of ART using multivariable logistic regression.ResultsOf the 4,084 individuals, 370 (9.1%) had PDR. The prevalence of PDR to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (5.2%) was notably higher than that to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (0.7%, p &lt; 0.001), protease inhibitors (3.0%, p &lt; 0.001), and multidrug resistance (0.3%, p &lt; 0.001). A total of 1,339 (32.8%) individuals from 361 clusters were enrolled in the molecular transmission network. Of the 361 clusters, 22 included two or more individuals with PDR. The prevalence of virological failure among HIV-positive individuals after 3 years of ART without PDR, those with PDR to Chinese listed drugs, and those with PDR to other drugs was 7.9, 14.3, and 12.6%, respectively. Compared with that in HIV-positive individuals without PDR, virological failure after 3 years of ART was significantly higher (OR: 2.02, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25–3.27) and not significantly different (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 0.87–3.43) in individuals with PDR to Chinese listed drugs and those with PDR to other drugs, respectively. Missed doses in the past month were significantly associated with virological failure (OR, 2.82; 95% CI: 4.08–5.89).ConclusionThe overall prevalence of PDR was close to a high level and had an impact on virological failure after 3 years of ART. Moreover, HIV drug-resistant strains were transmitted in the molecular transmission network. These results illustrate the importance of monitoring PDR and ensuring virological suppression through drug adherence.