bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surnames in Adoption: (Re)creating Identities of Belonging
Authors: Pilcher Jane , Flaherty Jan , Deakin-Smith Hannah , Coffey Amanda , Makis Eve
Published: November 2023

Names are increasingly recognised in sociology as important routes for understanding family relationships, as well as familial and individual identities. In this article, we use qualitative ‘name story’ data to examine the meanings of surnames for adults who were adopted as a child and for adults who have adopted a child. Our findings suggest that adult adoptees and adopters can feel differently about surnames and how these connect them—or otherwise—to familial identities of belonging and to their own individual identities. Especially for adopters, shared surnames are understood as important for ‘family-making’ through the way they cement and display familial belonging. Adult adoptees’ feelings about belonging, birth surnames and adoptive surnames appeared more complicated and often changed over time. For some, adoption enabled a flexibility in the choice and use of different surnames. Cultures of patronymic and patrilineal surnaming meant that women adoptees and women adopters also faced an additional layer of complexity that shaped decisions made about surnames and family belonging. Through examining experiences of and feelings about family names in adoption, our article highlights the complexities of surname praxis in identity construction, adoptive family life and lineages.
Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals CBF-Dependent and CBF-Independent Pathways under Low-Temperature Stress in Teak (Tectona grandis)
Authors: Liu Miaomiao , Yang Guang , Zhou Wenlong , Wang Xianbang , Han Qiang , Wang Jiange , Huang Guihua
Published: November 2023

Teak is a rare tropical tree with high economic value, and it is one of the world’s main afforestation trees. Low temperature is the main problem for introducing and planting this species in subtropical or temperate zones. Low-temperature acclimation can enhance the resistance of teak to low-temperature stress, but the mechanism for this is still unclear. We studied the gene expression of two-year-old teak seedlings under a rapid temperature drop from 20 °C to 4 °C using RNA-seq and WGCNA analyses. The leaves in the upper part of the plants developed chlorosis 3 h after the quick transition, and the grades of chlorosis were increased after 9 h, with the addition of water stains and necrotic spots. Meanwhile, the SOD and proline contents in teak leaves increased with the prolonged cold stress time. We also identified 36,901 differentially expressed genes, among which 1055 were novel. Notably, CBF2 and CBF4 were significantly induced by low temperatures, while CBF1 and CBF3 were not. Furthermore, WGCNA successfully identified a total of fourteen modules, which consist of three modules associated with cold stress response genes, two modules linked to CBF2 and CBF4, and one module correlated with the CBF-independent pathway gene HY5. The transformation experiments showed that TgCBF2 and TgCBF4 improved cold resistance in Arabidopsis plants.
Factors Impacting Retention of Aged Care Workers: A Systematic Review
Authors: Thwaites Claire , McKercher Jonathan P. , Fetherstonhaugh Deirdre , Blackberry Irene , Gilmartin-Thomas Julia F-M. , Taylor Nicholas F. , Bourke Sharon L. , Fowler-Davis Sally , Hammond Susan , Morris Meg E.
Published: November 2023

Retention of care support workers in residential aged care facilities and home-based, domiciliary aged care is a global challenge, with rapid turnover, low job satisfaction, and poorly defined career pathways. A mixed-methods systematic review of the workforce literature was conducted to understand the factors that attract and retain care staff across the aged care workforce. The search yielded 49 studies. Three studies tested education and training interventions with the aim of boosting workforce retention and the remaining 46 studies explored opinions and experiences of care workers in 20 quantitative, four mixed-methods and 22 qualitative studies. A range of factors impacted retention of aged care staff. Two broad themes emerged from the analysis: individual and organisational factors facilitating retention. Individual factors related to personal satisfaction with the role, positive relationships with other staff, families, and residents, and a cooperative workplace culture. Organisational factors included opportunities for on-the-job training and career development, appropriate wages, policies to prevent workplace injuries, and job stability. Understaffing was often cited as a factor associated with turnover, together with heavy workloads, stress, and low job satisfaction. With global concerns about the safety and quality of aged care services, this study presents the data associated with best practice for retaining aged care workers.
Perceptions of Barriers and Facilitators to a Pilot Implementation of an Algorithm-Supported Care Navigation Model of Care: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Pang Rebecca K. , Andrew Nadine E. , Srikanth Velandai , Weller Carolina D. , Snowdon David A.
Published: November 2023

We aimed to explore managerial and project staff perceptions of the pilot implementation of an algorithm-supported care navigation model, targeting people at risk of hospital readmission. The pilot was implemented from May to November 2017 at a Victorian health service (Australia) and provided to sixty-five patients discharged from the hospital to the community. All managers and the single clinician involved participated in a semi-structured interview. Participants (n = 6) were asked about their perceptions of the service design and the enablers and barriers to implementation. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed according to a framework approach, using inductive and deductive techniques. Constructed themes included the following: an algorithm alone is not enough, the health service culture, leadership, resources and the perceived patient experience. Participants felt that having an algorithm to target those considered most likely to benefit was helpful but not enough on its own without addressing other contextual factors, such as the health service’s capacity to support a large-scale implementation. Deductively mapping themes to the integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (i-PARIHS) framework highlighted that a formal facilitation would be essential for future sustainable implementations. The systematic identification of barriers and enablers elicited critical information for broader implementations of algorithm-supported models of care.
Pluvial Flood Risk Assessment in Urban Areas: A Case Study for the Archaeological Site of the Roman Agora, Athens
Authors: Iliopoulou Theano , Dimitriadis Panayiotis , Koutsoyiannis Demetris
Published: November 2023

Ancient monuments located in urbanized areas are subject to numerous short- and long-term environmental hazards with flooding being among the most critical ones. Flood hazards in the complex urban environment are subject to large spatial and temporal variability and, thus, require location-specific risk assessment and mitigation. We devise a methodological scheme for assessing flood hazard in urban areas, at the monument’s scale, by directly routing rainfall events over a fine-resolution digital terrain model at the region of interest. This is achieved using an open-source 2D hydraulic modelling software under unsteady flow conditions, employing a scheme known as ‘direct rainfall modelling’ or ‘rain-on-grid’. The method allows for the realistic representation of buildings and, thus, is appropriate for detailed storm-induced (pluvial) flood modelling in urbanized regions, within which a major stream is usually not present and conventional hydrological methodologies do not apply. As a case study, we perform a pilot assessment of the flood hazard in the Roman Agora, a major archaeological site of Greece located in the center of Athens. The scheme is incorporated within an intelligent decision-support system for the protection of monumental structures (ARCHYTAS), allowing for a fast and informative assessment of the flood risk within the monument’s region for different scenarios that account for rainfall’s return period and duration as well as uncertainty in antecedent wetness conditions.
FINNCH: Cooperative Pursuit Navigation for a Pursuer Team to Capture a Single Evader in Urban Environments
Authors: Lou Xiayin , Sun Min , Yang Hanjun , Yang Shihao
Published: November 2023

The development of a cooperative pursuit strategy for capturing escaping criminals or dangerous animals in urban public safety emergencies is becoming increasingly in demand. An ideal strategy should consider both the encirclement needed to prevent criminals from evading and the distance that pursuers need to move. This article proposes a fine-grained navigation network-based cooperative hunting (FINNCH) method. A fine-grained navigation network is created to provide detailed information about the traversability in urban areas. Three interaction rules inspired by biological behaviors in nature are introduced to achieve dynamic cooperation between pursuers. An heuristic search strategy is used to guide the pursuers toward potentially good directions, which consequently reduces the search effort. Two spatial constraints, namely, the direction centrality constraint (DCC) and encirclement distance constraint (EDC), are then constructed to evenly distribute the pursuers around the evader. Several experiments are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method. The results show that FINNCH can provide navigation for multiple pursuers in complex urban environments comprised of roads, meadows, trees, water, and buildings. These findings point to the promising future of FINNCH for practical applications.
The Role of Atypical Chemokine Receptors in Neuroinflammation and Neurodegenerative Disorders
Authors: Lindsay Hunter G. , Hendrix Colby J. , Gonzalez Murcia Josue D. , Haynie Christopher , Weber K. Scott
Published: November 2023

Neuroinflammation is associated with several neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and multiple sclerosis (MS). Neuroinflammation provides protection in acute situations but results in significant damage to the nervous system if chronic. Overexpression of chemokines within the brain results in the recruitment and activation of glial and peripheral immune cells which can propagate a cascading inflammatory response, resulting in neurodegeneration and the onset of neurodegenerative disorders. Recent work has identified the role of atypical chemokine receptors (ACKRs) in neurodegenerative conditions. ACKRs are seven-transmembrane domain receptors that do not follow canonical G protein signaling, but regulate inflammatory responses by modulating chemokine abundance, location, and availability. This review summarizes what is known about the four ACKRs and three putative ACKRs within the brain, highlighting their known expression and discussing the current understanding of each ACKR in the context of neurodegeneration. The ability of ACKRs to alter levels of chemokines makes them an appealing therapeutic target for neurodegenerative conditions. However, further work is necessary to understand the expression of several ACKRs within the neuroimmune system and the effectiveness of targeted drug therapies in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative conditions.
Pulmonary Lobectomy for Early-Stage Lung Cancer with Uniportal versus Three-Portal Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery: Results from a Single-Centre Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Tosi Davide , Mazzucco Alessandra , Musso Valeria , Bonitta Gianluca , Rosso Lorenzo , Mendogni Paolo , Righi Ilaria , Carrinola Rosaria , Damarco Francesco , Palleschi Alessandro
Published: November 2023

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is a consolidated approach; however, there is no consensus on the number of ports leading to less postoperative pain. We compared early postoperative pain after uniportal and three-portal VATS lobectomy for early-stage NSCLC. In this randomized clinical trial, patients undergoing VATS lobectomy were randomly assigned to receive uniportal (U-VATS Group) or three-portal (T-VATS Group) VATS. The inclusion criteria were age ≤ 80 years and ASA < 4. The exclusion criteria were clinical T3, previous thoracic surgery, induction therapy, chest radiotherapy, connective tissue or vascular diseases, major organ failure, and analgesics or corticosteroids use. The postoperative analgesia protocol was based on NRS. Pain was measured as analgesic consumption; the secondary endpoints were intra- and postoperative complications, conversion rate, surgical time, dissected lymph nodes, hospital stay, and respiratory function. Out of 302 eligible patients, 120 were included; demographics were distributed homogeneously. The mean cumulative morphine consumption (CMC) in the U-VATS Group after 7 days was lower than in the T-VATS Group (77.4 mg vs. 90.1 mg, p = 0.003). Intraoperative variables and postoperative complications were comparable. The 30-day intercostal neuralgia rate was lower in the U-VATS Group, without reaching statistical significance. Patients undergoing U-VATS showed a lower analgesic consumption compared with the T-VATS Group; analgesic consumption was moderate in both groups.
Stress Dynamics in Families with Children with Neuropsychiatric Disorders during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Three-Year Longitudinal Assessment
Authors: Gruescu Ada Claudia Silvana , Popoiu Calin , Levai Mihaela Codrina , Burtic Sonia Roxana , Sanda Isabella Ionela , Neda-Stepan Oana , Rosca Ovidiu , Fericean Roxana Manuela , Dumitru Catalin , Stelea Lavinia
Published: November 2023

Background and Objectives: This study explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families with children diagnosed with neuropsychiatric disorders, focusing on stress dynamics and quality of life. Materials and Methods: A longitudinal survey was conducted over three years (2020–2022) involving 168 families. The survey included data on demographics, diagnosed conditions, access to therapies, mental well-being, and perceived challenges. Results: The study involved 62, 51, and 55 families in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. ADHD emerged as the most prevalent condition, diagnosed in approximately 32% of the children. The pandemic significantly affected therapy access, with parents reporting a decrease from an average score of 8.1 in 2020 to 6.5 in 2022 (p = 0.029). Parents also reported increased feelings of being overwhelmed, peaking at 8.0 in 2021 before declining to 6.3 in 2022 (p = 0.017). Despite these challenges, there was a positive trend in family mental well-being, with scores increasing from 5.1 in 2020 to 6.7 in 2022 (p = 0.031). The Parental Stress Index (PSI) indicated decreasing trends in Emotional Stress and Parent–Child Communication Difficulties (p < 0.001), and Behavioral Challenges in children showed a significant reduction across the years (p < 0.001). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) reflected a moderate reduction in anxiety levels from 7.6 in 2020 to 6.0 in 2022 (p = 0.038), although depression scores did not show a significant change. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic introduced notable challenges for families with neuropsychiatrically diagnosed children, particularly in therapy access and increased parental stress. However, the study also reveals a general improvement in family dynamics, mental well-being, and a decrease in behavioral challenges over time. The necessity of this study stems from the critical need to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families with neuropsychiatrically diagnosed children, focusing on their resilience and adaptation in navigating therapy access, parental stress, and overall mental well-being.
The Current Knowledge of Cerebral Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Monochorionic Twins: A Systematic Review of the Last 20 Years
Authors: Rondagh Mathies , Lopriore Enrico , de Vries Linda S. , Slaghekke Femke , Tollenaar Lisanne S. A. , van Klink Jeanine M. M. , Groene Sophie G. , Steggerda Sylke J.
Published: November 2023

The distinct placental angioarchitecture in monochorionic (MC) pregnancies increases the risk of complications such as twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), twin anemia polycythemia sequence (TAPS), and selective fetal growth restriction (sFGR). The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the incidence, type, and severity of cerebral injury and structural brain development on fetal and/or neonatal cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in MC twins with or without complications. Twenty-three studies were included, covering a wide range of complications observed during MC pregnancies, with studies involving sIUFD (n = 12), TTTS (n = 7), mixed complications (n = 2), TAPS (n = 1), and uncomplicated MC pregnancy (n = 1). TAPS and sFGR were largely underrepresented in the current literature. The included studies reported that MC pregnancies with single intrauterine fetal demise (sIUFD) are most at risk for cerebral injury during the fetal period. The overall median incidence of cerebral injury after sIUFD was 28.3% (0–55%). Severe antenatal cerebral injury after sIUFD was detected antenatally in 6.5% (0–36%) of the cases. Three of the included studies described the incidence, type, and severity of cerebral injury on neonatal MRI in MC twins. Structural brain development based on cerebral biometry was only assessed in two studies, revealing significantly smaller biometric measurements of the cerebrum in cases of single sIUFD or smaller twins compared to singleton pregnancies. To enhance our understanding of the potential risks and pathophysiological mechanisms associated with cerebral injury and structural brain development in MC twins, there is a need for future studies and standardized protocols using serial fetal and neonatal MRI imaging in addition to routine ultrasound imaging.
Narrative Medicine: A Digital Diary in the Management of Patients with Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcoma—A Multidisciplinary Pilot Study
Authors: Cercato Maria Cecilia , Onesti Concetta Elisa , Vari Sabrina , Maggi Gabriella , Faltyn Wioletta , Ceddia Serena , Terrenato Irene , Scarinci Virginia , Servoli Francesca , Cenci Cristina , Biagini Roberto , Ferraresi Virginia
Published: November 2023

Although patient narratives have been increasingly introduced in various fields of medicine, a standard method in clinical practice is still lacking. The objectives of this pilot study were to evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of a digital narrative diary integrated into the care pathway of patients with bone sarcoma and limb soft tissue sarcoma both from the patients’ and the healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) perspectives. A digital platform, DNMLAB, was designed to obtain guided narratives from patients during their pathway of care in compliance with confidentiality and data protection laws. The diary was used for patients, often young, facing a rare and impactful disease that is difficult to manage and with few opportunities to share experiences. The multidisciplinary team shared the narratives and integrated them into the patient’s treatment pathway. Narrative prompts were adequate for the care pathway. Patients correctly considered the diary as a shared area to think about their condition, and HCPs considered it “a shared area growing at each meeting with the patient”. The main advantages reported by patients were increased awareness, the opportunity to express their opinion on cures and important personal needs and the perception of better taking charge (score ≥ 4.6). The main advantages of HCP were improved communication, therapeutic alliance, and deeper knowledge of patients. This study confirmed the authors’ previous experiences, showing that a digital narrative process is feasible and useful for oncology clinical practice according to patients and HCPs.
The Influence of Pristine and Aminoacetic Acid-Treated Aluminum Nitride on the Structure, Curing Processes, and Properties of Epoxy Nanocomposites
Authors: Bekeshev Amirbek , Mostovoy Anton , Shcherbakov Andrey , Tastanova Lyazzat , Akhmetova Marzhan , Apendina Ainagul , Orynbassar Raigul , Lopukhova Marina
Published: November 2023

This article describes the preparation of aluminum nitride (AlN) functionalized with amino groups by chemically modifying the surface of AlN with aminoacetic acid and their dispersion in the epoxy composition. As a result of the studies, it was found that the functionalization of AlN particles with aminoacetic acid ensured their better chemical compatibility with the epoxy composition, which facilitated the dispersibility of AlN particles; it was also found that the functionalization of the nanofiller has a significant effect on the structure, curing kinetics, physicochemical and mechanical properties of epoxy nanocomposites. The optimal concentration of the functionalizing agent (aminoacetic acid) has been determined, which is necessary for the chemical binding of the functional groups of aminoacetic acid, the epoxy oligomer and AlN, which best affects the dispersion and the size distribution of AlN particles, and also ensures maximum strength characteristics of epoxy composites containing AlN treated with aminoacetic acid: bending stress and bending modulus increase by 35% and 80%, respectively, while tensile strength and tensile elastic modulus increase by 74% and 36%, respectively. Furthermore, the impact strength shows a remarkable boost of 133% compared to plasticized epoxy composite without AlN.
Expanding the Scope of an Amphoteric Condensed Tannin, Tanfloc, for Antibacterial Coatings
Authors: Baghersad Somayeh , Madruga Liszt Y. C. , Martins Alessandro F. , Popat Ketul C. , Kipper Matt J.
Published: November 2023

Bacterial infections are a common mode of failure for medical implants. This study aims to develop antibacterial polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) coatings that contain a plant-derived condensed tannin polymer (Tanfloc, TAN) with inherent antimicrobial activity. Tanfloc is amphoteric, and herein we show that it can be used as either a polyanion or a polycation in PEMs, thereby expanding the possibility of its use in PEM coatings. PEMs are ordinarily formed using a polycation and a polyanion, in which the functional (ionic) groups of the two polymers are complexed to each other. However, using the amphoteric polymer Tanfloc with weakly basic amine and weakly acidic catechol and pyrogallol groups enables PEM formation using only one or the other of its functional groups, leaving the other functional group available to impart antibacterial activity. This work demonstrates Tanfloc-containing PEMs using multiple counter-polyelectrolytes including three polyanionic glycosaminoglycans of varying charge density, and the polycations N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan and polyethyleneimine. The layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of PEMs was monitored using in situ Fourier-transform surface plasmon resonance (FT-SPR), confirming a stable LbL assembly. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to evaluate surface chemistry, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to determine the surface roughness. The LDH release levels from cells cultured on the Tanfloc-containing PEMs were not statistically different from those on the negative control (p > 0.05), confirming their non-cytotoxicity, while exhibiting remarkable antiadhesive and bactericidal properties against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), respectively. The antibacterial effects were attributed to electrostatic interactions and Tanfloc’s polyphenolic nature. This work underscores the potential of Tanfloc as a versatile biomaterial for combating infections on surfaces.
A Synergic Strategy: Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Spheroids Seeded on 3D-Printed PLA/CHA Scaffolds Implanted in a Bone Critical-Size Defect Model
Authors: Kronemberger Gabriela S. , Palhares Thiago Nunes , Rossi Alexandre Malta , Verçosa Brunno R. F. , Sartoretto Suelen C. , Resende Rodrigo , Uzeda Marcelo J. , Alves Adriana T. N. N. , Alves Gutemberg G. , Calasans-Maia Mônica D. , Granjeiro José Mauro , Baptista Leandra Santos
Published: November 2023

Bone critical-size defects and non-union fractures have no intrinsic capacity for self-healing. In this context, the emergence of bone engineering has allowed the development of functional alternatives. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of ASC spheroids in bone regeneration using a synergic strategy with 3D-printed scaffolds made from poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and nanostructured hydroxyapatite doped with carbonate ions (CHA) in a rat model of cranial critical-size defect. In summary, a set of results suggests that ASC spheroidal constructs promoted bone regeneration. In vitro results showed that ASC spheroids were able to spread and interact with the 3D-printed scaffold, synthesizing crucial growth factors and cytokines for bone regeneration, such as VEGF. Histological results after 3 and 6 months of implantation showed the formation of new bone tissue in the PLA/CHA scaffolds that were seeded with ASC spheroids. In conclusion, the presence of ASC spheroids in the PLA/CHA 3D-printed scaffolds seems to successfully promote bone formation, which can be crucial for a significant clinical improvement in critical bone defect regeneration.
Speed Up of Volumetric Non-Local Transform-Domain Filter Utilising HPC Architecture
Authors: Strakos Petr , Jaros Milan , Riha Lubomir , Kozubek Tomas
Published: November 2023

This paper presents a parallel implementation of a non-local transform-domain filter (BM4D). The effectiveness of the parallel implementation is demonstrated by denoising image series from computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The basic idea of the filter is based on grouping and filtering similar data within the image. Due to the high level of similarity and data redundancy, the filter can provide even better denoising quality than current extensively used approaches based on deep learning (DL). In BM4D, cubes of voxels named patches are the essential image elements for filtering. Using voxels instead of pixels means that the area for searching similar patches is large. Because of this and the application of multi-dimensional transformations, the computation time of the filter is exceptionally long. The original implementation of BM4D is only single-threaded. We provide a parallel version of the filter that supports multi-core and many-core processors and scales on such versatile hardware resources, typical for high-performance computing clusters, even if they are concurrently used for the task. Our algorithm uses hybrid parallelisation that combines open multi-processing (OpenMP) and message passing interface (MPI) technologies and provides up to 283× speedup, which is a 99.65% reduction in processing time compared to the sequential version of the algorithm. In denoising quality, the method performs considerably better than recent DL methods on the data type that these methods have yet to be trained on.
Understanding Error Patterns: An Analysis of Alignment Errors in Rigid 3D Body Scans
Authors: Meißner Julian , Kisiel Michael , Thoppey Nagarajan M. , Morlock Michael M. , Bannwarth Sebastian
Published: November 2023

Three-dimensional body scanners are attracting increasing interest in various application areas. To evaluate their accuracy, their 3D point clouds must be compared to a reference system by using a reference object. Since different scanning systems use different coordinate systems, an alignment is required for their evaluation. However, this process can result in translational and rotational misalignment. To understand the effects of alignment errors on the accuracy of measured circumferences of the human lower body, such misalignment is simulated in this paper and the resulting characteristic error patterns are analyzed. The results show that the total error consists of two components, namely translational and tilt. Linear correlations were found between the translational error (R2 = 0.90, … 0.97) and the change in circumferences as well as between the tilt error (R2 = 0.55, … 0.78) and the change in the body’s mean outline. Finally, by systematic analysis of the error patterns, recommendations were derived and applied to 3D body scans of human subjects resulting in a reduction of error by 67% and 84%.
Broadening the Knowledge of Mexican Boletes: Addition of a New Genus, Seven New Species, and Three New Combinations
Authors: Ayala-Vásquez Olivia , Pérez-Moreno Jesús , Pinzón Juan Pablo , Garibay-Orijel Roberto , García-Jiménez Jesús , de la Fuente Javier Isaac , Venegas-Barrera Crystian Sadiel , Martínez-Reyes Magdalena , Montoya Leticia , Bandala Víctor , Aguirre-Acosta Celia Elvira , Martínez-González César Ramiro , Hernández-Del Valle Juan Francisco
Published: November 2023

Boletes are one of the most common groups of fungi in temperate, subtropical, and tropical ecosystems. In Mexico, the northern region has mainly been explored in terms of bolete diversity. This study describes a new genus and seven new species based on macromorphological, micromorphological, molecular, phylogenetic, and ecological data. Garcileccinum gen. nov. is typified with G. salmonicolor based on multigene phylogenetic analysis of nrLSU, RPB2, and TEF1, and it is closely related to Leccinum and Leccinellum. Garcileccinum viscosum and G. violaceotinctum are new combinations. Boletellus minimatenebris (ITS, nrLSU, and RPB2), Cacaoporus mexicanus (RPB2 and ATP6), Leccinum oaxacanum, Leccinum juarenzense (nrLSU, RPB2, and TEF1), Tylopilus pseudoleucomycelinus (nrLSU and RPB2), and Xerocomus hygrophanus (ITS, nrLSU, and RPB2) are described as new species. Boletus neoregius is reclassified as Pulchroboletus neoregius comb. nov. based on morphological and multigene phylogenetic analysis (ITS and nrLSU), and its geographic distribution is extended to Central Mexico, since the species was only known from Costa Rica. Furthermore, T. leucomycelinus is a new record from Mexico. This study contributes to increasing our knowledge of boletes and expands the diversity found in Mexican forests.
Mapping the Heartbeat of America with ChatGPT-4: Unpacking the Interplay of Social Vulnerability, Digital Literacy, and Cardiovascular Mortality in County Residency Choices
Authors: Ali Mohammed M. , Gandhi Subi , Sulaiman Samian , Jafri Syed H. , Ali Abbas S.
Published: November 2023

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States (US). Although high-quality data are accessible in the US for cardiovascular research, digital literacy (DL) has not been explored as a potential factor influencing cardiovascular mortality, although the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) has been used previously as a variable in predictive modeling. Utilizing a large language model, ChatGPT4, we investigated the variability in CVD-specific mortality that could be explained by DL and SVI using regression modeling. We fitted two models to calculate the crude and adjusted CVD mortality rates. Mortality data using ICD-10 codes were retrieved from CDC WONDER, and the geographic level data was retrieved from the US Department of Agriculture. Both datasets were merged using the Federal Information Processing Standards code. The initial exploration involved data from 1999 through 2020 (n = 65,791; 99.98% complete for all US Counties) for crude cardiovascular mortality (CCM). Age-adjusted cardiovascular mortality (ACM) had data for 2020 (n = 3118 rows; 99% complete for all US Counties), with the inclusion of SVI and DL in the model (a composite of literacy and internet access). By leveraging on the advanced capabilities of ChatGPT4 and linear regression, we successfully highlighted the importance of incorporating the SVI and DL in predicting adjusted cardiovascular mortality. Our findings imply that just incorporating internet availability in the regression model may not be sufficient without incorporating significant variables, such as DL and SVI, to predict ACM. Further, our approach could enable future researchers to consider DL and SVI as key variables to study other health outcomes of public-health importance, which could inform future clinical practices and policies.
Postoperative Activity and Knee Function of Patients after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Sensor-Based Monitoring Study
Authors: Kersten Sebastian , Prill Robert , Hakam Hassan Tarek , Hofmann Hannes , Kayaalp Mahmut Enes , Reichmann Jan , Becker Roland
Published: November 2023

Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are increasingly being used to assess knee function. The aim of the study was to record patients’ activity levels and to detect new parameters for knee function in the early postoperative phase after TKA. Twenty patients (n = 20) were prospectively enrolled. Two sensors were attached to the affected leg. The data were recorded from the first day after TKA until discharge. Algorithms were developed for detecting steps, range of motion, horizontal, sitting and standing postures, as well as physical therapy. The mean number of steps increased from day 1 to discharge from 117.4 (SD ± 110.5) to 858.7 (SD ± 320.1), respectively. Patients’ percentage of immobilization during daytime (6 a.m. to 8 p.m.) was 91.2% on day one and still 69.9% on the last day. Patients received daily continuous passive motion therapy (CPM) for a mean of 36.4 min (SD ± 8.2). The mean angular velocity at day 1 was 12.2 degrees per second (SD ± 4.4) and increased to 28.7 (SD ± 16.4) at discharge. This study shows that IMUs monitor patients’ activity postoperatively well, and a wide range of interindividual motion patterns was observed. These sensors may allow the adjustment of physical exercise programs according to the patient’s individual needs.
Risk Assessment of World Corn Salinization Hazard Factors Based on EPIC Model and Information Diffusion
Authors: Lin Degen , Hu Chuanqi , Lian Fang , Wang Jing’ai , Gu Xingli , Yu Yingxian
Published: November 2023

Salinization is a serious land degradation phenomenon. This study identified the salinity stress threshold as a causal factor for salinization, focusing on global maize fields as the study area. By excluding environmental stressors and setting salinization scenarios, the EPIC model was used to simulate the daily salinity stress threshold during the corn growth process. The global intensity and risk of salinization-induced disaster for maize were evaluated. Based on the principle of information diffusion, the intensity of salinization-induced disaster was calculated for different return periods. The main conclusions were as follows: (1) By excluding environmental stress factors and setting salinization scenarios, algorithms for the salinization index during the growing season and the intensity of salinization-induced disaster were proposed. (2) The salinity hazard factor is highly risky and concentrated in arid and semi-arid regions, while it is relatively low in humid regions. (3) As the recurrence period increases, the risk of salinization-induced hazard becomes higher, the affected area expands, and the risk level increases. (4) The salinization intensity results of this study are consistent with the research results of HWSD (R2 = 0.9546) and GLASOD (R2 = 0.9162).
The Comprehensive Management Zoning of Mountains, Rivers, Forests, and Farmlands Based on Element Recognition
Authors: Yu Huiting , Ni Jiupai
Published: November 2023

Land subsidence, soil erosion, and landscape fragmentation frequently occur in regions of backward production capacity. Therefore, it is imperative to carry out efforts for ecological restoration in these mine-closed regions. The proposal of holistic conservation of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts provides important guidance for ecological restoration. To support the governance of regional ecology, this paper aims to discuss the layout of element governance zoning in four southern towns of Qijiang District, Chongqing. SBAS-InSAR technology, vulnerability assessment, linear trend analysis, and suitability evaluation were used to divide the mountain, water, forest, and farmland management areas. Regional comprehensive management work was implemented according to the severity of each element’s existing ecological questions. Eventually, a comprehensive management pattern of mountains, rivers, forests, and farmlands can be obtained. The results show that the mountain management area is 8.03 km2 (3.24% of the total management area), the hydrological management area is 212.07 km2 (85.80% of the total management area), the forest management area is 7.04 km2 (2.84% of the total management area), and the farmland management area is 20.07 km2 (8.12% of the total management area). In light of the current circumstances, this study advocates for the implementation of three integrated governance approaches, with a focus on managing hydrological factors. These approaches include ridge-based mountain, water, and forest governance, valley-based mountain, water, and farmland governance, and undergrowth economy-based water, forest, and farmland governance. This study explores the spatial layout and priority of the governance areas from the perspective of elements, which provides a new development direction for the current research on the life community based on policy analysis.
Identification of Traditional Village Aggregation Areas from the Perspective of Historic Layering: Evidence from Hilly Regions in Zhejiang Province, China
Authors: Zhang Mingyu , Shen Chenying , Gu Weicheng , Chen Qiuxiao
Published: November 2023

The conservation of traditional village clusters, especially those within traditional village aggregation areas, is an important part of historical cultural landscape preservation. With the hilly regions of Zhejiang province as the study area, this study innovatively proposed a traditional village aggregation area identification method from the perspective of historical layering. Because the influence of social economics on the spatial development of villages would gradually lead to spatially geographical features in the village evolution process, this study evaluated eight spatial characteristic indicators from natural geography, socioeconomics, and historical culture to identify ordinary traditional villages based on the threshold value extracted from protective traditional villages. In order to avoid the spatial identification deviation caused by only taking protective traditional villages as samples, we chose them together with ordinary traditional villages to identify 14 traditional village aggregation areas, which were categorized into four types based on regional protection conditions and development potential. This study expands the perspective for understanding the formation of the traditional villages’ spatial characteristics and provides development guidance for traditional village aggregation areas in hilly regions of Zhejiang province.
Physicochemical, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Properties of Three Medicinal Plants from the Western Part of the Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria
Authors: Parzhanova Albena , Yanakieva Velichka , Vasileva Ivelina , Momchilova Maria , Dimitrov Dimitar , Ivanova Petya , Tumbarski Yulian
Published: November 2023

The present study examined the physicochemical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of three medicinal plants: thyme (Thymus callieri Borbás ex Velen), cotton thistle (Onopordum acanthium L.), and hawthorn fruit (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.) from the Western Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria. The first stage determined the physicochemical characteristics (moisture, ash, carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamin C) of the three herbs. The second stage investigated four types of extracts (aqueous, oil, methanolic, and ethanolic) of each herb and evaluated their total phenolic content, the presence of phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids), their antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial properties. Thyme was characterised by the highest ash, protein, and vitamin C content (6.62%, 11.30%, and 571 mg/100 g, respectively). Hawthorn fruit showed the highest moisture and carbohydrate content (8.50% and 4.20%, respectively). The 70% ethanolic extracts of the three herbs exhibited the highest levels of phenolic compounds and, consequently, pronounced antioxidant activity, compared to the other three types of extracts. The aqueous, oil, methanolic, and ethanolic thyme extracts demonstrated the highest total phenolic content—TPC (27.20 mg GAE/g, 8.20 mg GAE/g, 31.70 mg GAE/g, and 310.00 mg GAE/g, respectively), compared to the extracts of the other two plants. These results were consistent with the highest antioxidant activity of the thyme extracts determined using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay, and the hydroxyl radical averting capacity (HORAC) assay (except for the oil extract examined using the DPPH method). The results from the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed that the flavonoid quercetin-3-ß-glucoside had the highest concentration in thyme (374.5 mg/100 g), while myricetin dominated in the cotton thistle (152.3 mg/100 g). The phenolic acid content analysis showed prevalence of rosmaric acid in the thyme (995 mg/100 g), whereas chlorogenic acid was detected in the highest concentration in the cotton thistle and hawthorn fruit (324 mg/100 g and 27.7 mg/100 g, respectively). The aqueous, methanolic, and ethanolic extracts showed moderate to high antibacterial potential but limited antifungal activity. None of the oil extracts inhibited the test microorganisms used in the study.
Gut Microbiota, Inflammation, and Probiotic Supplementation in Fetal Growth Restriction—A Comprehensive Review of Human and Animal Studies
Authors: Alsharairi Naser A. , Li Li
Published: November 2023

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a pathological state that represents a fetus’s inability to achieve adequate growth during pregnancy. Several maternal, placental, and fetal factors are likely associated with FGR etiology. FGR is linked to severe fetal and neonatal complications, as well as adverse health consequences in adulthood. Numerous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated improved growth in FGR fetuses with promising treatment strategies such as maternal micronutrient, amino acid, and nitric oxide supplementation. Elevated inflammation in pregnant women diagnosed with FGR has been associated with an imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Gut microbiota dysbiosis may result in increased FGR-related inflammation. Probiotic treatment may relieve FGR-induced inflammation and improve fetal growth. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the gut microbiota and inflammatory profiles associated with FGR and explore the potential of probiotics in treating FGR.
Study on the Effect of Rare Earth Oxide Addition on the Microstructure and Properties of Ni60/WC-Ni Coatings Prepared by Laser Cladding
Authors: Chen Yanchun , Huang Xu , Jiang Jibin , Lian Guofu , Chen Changrong
Published: November 2023

Rare earth oxides have been proven for their ability to refine grains and have high melting points. In this paper, different contents of rare earth oxide La2O3 were added into the Ni60/WC-Ni composite coating, in order to study its effect on the coating properties. SEM observation confirmed that the grain was refined significantly after the addition of La2O3. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) was applied to investigate the composition and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) was used to measure the residual stress in the coating samples. In addition, the microhardness and wear resistance of the samples were tested. The results showed that the dilution ratio of coatings with different additions of La2O3 was in the range of 2.4 to 9.8%, and the sample with 1.0% addition of La2O3 exhibited the highest hardness of 66.1 HRC and best wear resistance with a wear volume of 9.87 × 106 μm3, and the residual stress increased from 159.4 MPa to 291.0 MPa. This implies that the performance of the coating has been obviously improved after the addition of La2O3.
Numerical Modeling of Residual Stresses and Fracture Strengths of Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ in Reactive Air Brazed Joints
Authors: Rudenskiy Donat , Herzog Simone , Horbach Lutz , Gebhardt Nils Christian , Weber Felix , Kaletsch Anke , Broeckmann Christoph
Published: November 2023

Reactive Air Brazing (RAB) enables the joining of vacuum-sensitive oxide ceramics, such as Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ (BSCF), to metals in a one-step process. However, damage may form in ceramic or joint during RAB. In this work, experimental microstructure characterization, measurement, and prediction of local material properties using finite element analysis were combined to enlighten these damage mechanisms, which are currently not well understood. Micromechanical simulations were performed using representative volume elements. Cooling simulations indicate that small-sized CuO precipitations are most likely to cause crack initiation in BSCF during cooling. The ball-on-three-balls experiment with porous BSCF samples was analyzed numerically to determine the values of temperature-dependent BSCF fracture stresses. The inversely calibrated fracture stresses in the bulk BSCF phase are underestimated, and true values should be quite high, according to an extreme value analysis of pore diameters.
Spatio–Spectral Limiting on Replacements of Tori by Cubes
Authors: Hogan Jeffrey A. , Lakey Joseph D.
Published: November 2023

A class of graphs is defined in which each vertex of a discrete torus is replaced by a Boolean hypercube in such a way that vertices in a fixed subset of each replacement cube are adjacent to corresponding vertices of a neighboring replacement cube. Bases of eigenvectors of the Laplacians of the resulting graphs are described in a manner suitable for quantifying the concentration of a low-spectrum vertex function on a single vertex replacement. Functions that optimize this concentration on these graphs can be regarded as analogues of Slepian prolate functions that optimize concentration of a bandlimited signal on an interval in the classical setting of the real line. Comparison to the case of a simple discrete cycle shows that replacement allows for higher concentration.