bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of Synovial Innate Immune Exhaustion With Worse Pain in Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Philpott Holly T. , Birmingham Trevor B. , Blackler Garth , Klapak J. Daniel , Knights Alexander J. , Farrell Easton C. , Fiset Benoit , Walsh Logan A. , Giffin J. Robert , Vasarhelyi Edward M. , MacDonald Steven J. , Lanting Brent A. , Maerz Tristan , Appleton C. Thomas ,   the WOREO Knee Study Group
Published: December 2024

Objective

Uncontrolled pain remains a major clinical challenge in the management of knee osteoarthritis (OA), the most common disabling joint disease. Worse pain is associated with synovial innate immune cell infiltration (synovitis), but the role of innate immune‐regulatory cells in pain is unknown. Our objective was to identify synovial innate immune cell subsets and pathophysiologic mechanisms associated with worse pain in patients with knee OA.

Methods

Synovial tissue biopsies from 122 patients with mild‐to‐severe knee OA pain (Knee Injury and OA Outcome Score [KOOS]) were analyzed to identify associations between synovial histopathology and worse pain. We then used spatial transcriptomics and proteomics of synovial tissue microenvironments (n = 32), followed by single‐cell RNA sequencing (n = 8), to identify synovial cell composition and cell‐cell communication networks in patients with more severe OA pain.

Results

Histopathological signs of synovial microvascular dysfunction and perivascular edema were associated with worse KOOS pain (−10.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] −18.90 to −2.61). Patients with worse pain had fewer immune‐regulatory macrophages, expanded fibroblast subsets, and enrichment in neurovascular remodeling pathways. Synovial macrophages from patients with worse pain expressed markers of immune exhaustion and decreased phagocytic function (−19.42%; 95% CI −35.96 to −2.89) and their conditioned media increased neuronal cell stress in dorsal root ganglia.

Conclusion

Although synovitis increases during OA, our findings suggest that exhaustion, dysfunction, and loss of immune‐regulatory macrophages is associated with worse pain and may be an important therapeutic target.

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Factor Analysis of the Missed Diagnosis of Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection in Prenatal Echocardiography
Authors: Zhou Qichang , Liu Dongmei , Zhou Jiawei , Guo Qiao , Yuan Hongxia , Luo Yinchun , Wang Ling , Yin Chan , Wu Zhongshi , Peng Qinghai , Ming Zhang , Shi Zeng , Ganqiong Xu , Zhou Dan , Yang Yang
Published: December 2024

Aim

This study investigated the major factors contributing to the missed diagnosis of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) in fetal echocardiography.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the prenatal ultrasonic images of 32 fetuses with missed diagnoses of TAPVC, compared them with autopsy and postnatal surgical records, and summarized the most likely reasons leading to the missed diagnoses.

Results

We studied a total of 157 fetuses with TAPVC, 32 (20.3%) of whom were missed in prenatal echocardiography. The main factors for the missed diagnoses of TAPVC in the 32 fetuses were anatomic variants leading to the formation of a false pulmonary venous horn‐like structure, the combination of TAPVC with other intracardiac anomalies, difficulty or inability to show the course and abouchement of TAPVC on conventional color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), and excessive color flow gain, with a rate of approximately 53.1% (17/32). A decreased left atrial size and augmentation of the PLAS index may be indicators of false pulmonary venous horn‐like structure.

Conclusion

False pulmonary venous horn‐like structures due to anatomic variants are a major factor in the missed diagnosis of fetal TAPVC. The presence of pulmonary venous horn‐like structure in a four‐chamber view does not completely exclude TAPVC.
Optical and Band Gap Study of Violet‐Blue Broadband Emitting Dy3+ Codoped Y2SiO5:Ce3+ Phosphor for nUV White Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: Ukare R. S.  , Kurzekar R. R.  , Zade G. D.  , Yerpude A. N.  , Dhoble S. J. 
Published: December 2024

Y2SiO5:Ce3+, Y2SiO5:Dy3+, and Y2SiO5:Ce3+ and Dy3+ phosphors were successfully synthesized using the oxalate wet chemical method. Phase purity, emission and excitation spectra, FTIR, and the chromaticity coordinate were adopted to represent the performance of the samples. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum Y2SiO5:Ce3+ and Dy3+ phosphor shows a broadband in violet‐blue region with a bandwidth of nearly 75 nm due to combine effect of Ce3+–Dy3+ ions with another emission peaks of Dy3+ ions peaking at 574 nm. It has been discussed how the Ce3+–Dy3+ ion pair enhances the PL intensity of violet‐blue light through efficient energy transfer (ET). The chromaticity coordinate of Y2SiO5:Ce3+ (1 mol%), Dy3+ (0.3 mol%) phosphors is 𝑥 = 0.167 and 𝑦 = 0.034. The CCT value is used to find color temperatures. The energy band gap and refractive index of Y2SiO5:Dy3+ are determined using the bonding parameter and Tauc's plot. Prepared phosphors might be an excellent choice for lighting applications based on all of the findings.
FTO Facilitates Cervical Cancer Malignancy Through Inducing m6A‐Demethylation of PIK3R3 mRNA
Authors: Chen Bingxin , Wang Liming , Li Xiaomin , Ren Ci , Gao Chun , Ding Wencheng , Wang Hui
Published: December 2024

Background

The incidence rate and mortality of cervical cancer rank the fourth in the global female cancer. N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) always plays an important role in tumor progression, and fat mass and obesity‐associated gene (FTO) works as the m6A demethylase.

Aims

Our study aimed to narrate the biological function and potential mechanisms for FTO in cervical cancer malignancy.

Materials & Methods

We analyzed potential clinical value of FTO in cervical cancer patients. The relative protein levels of FTO in cervical cancerous tissue and paracancerous tissue were verified by IHC. After changing the FTO expression level by lentivirus transfection, the proliferation and metastasis ability of cervical cancer cells were detected both in vitro and in vivo. Further, Merip‐seq and Merip‐qPCR are used to profile m6A transcriptome‐wide. Finally, western blot were performed to identify the regulatory mechanism.

Results

Based on TCGA‐CESC cohort and GEO dataset, FTO expression levels in HPV‐positive cancer patients were significantly higher than those in HPV‐negative cancer patients and could predict advanced FIGO stage. The protein level of FTO in cervical cancerous tissue was higher than that in paracancerous tissue. Functional assays indicated that FTO promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. The Merip‐seq and Merip‐qPCR evoked that relative PIK3R3 m6A level was significantly increased after FTO knockdown, which effected the activation of FoxO pathway. After knocking down FTO, upregulation of PIK3R3 can restore the malignancy of cervical cancer.

Conclusion

All in all, these data suggest a vital role for FTO in occurrence and development of cervical cancer.
Reliable modelling of the sulphur properties to calculate the process parameters of the Claus sulphur recovery plant
Authors: Ghiasi Mohammad M. , Zendehboudi Sohrab , Mohammadi Amir H. , Nikkhahi Mahdi , Lohi Ali , Chatzis Ioannis
Published: December 2024

In order to handle the overwhelming effects of the removed hydrogen sulphide (H2S) from natural gas and industrial waste gases on the environment, H2S can be converted to elemental sulphur. Among the available processes for sulphur recovery, the most widely employed process is a modified Claus process. In this work, first, least square version of support vector machine (LS‐SVM) approach is utilized for determining the properties of sulphur including heat of vaporization, heat of condensation (S6, S8), heat of dissociation (S6, S8), and heat capacity of equilibrium sulphur vapours as a function of temperature. An illustrative example is given to show the usefulness of the presented computer‐based models with two parameters for designing and operation of the Claus sulphur recovery unit (SRU). According to the error analysis results, predicted values by the proposed intelligent models are in excellent agreement with the reported data in the literature for the aforementioned sulphur properties where the coefficient of determination (R2) is higher than 0.99 for all developed models. The average absolute relative deviation percent (%AARD) is less than 1.3 while predicting the heat capacity of equilibrium sulphur vapours. Other proposed models' predictions show less than 0.2% AARD from the target values. In addition, a mathematical algorithm on the basis of the Leverage approach is proposed to define the domain of applicability of the developed LS‐SVM models. It was found that the presented models are statistically valid and the employed data points for developing the models are within the range of their applicability.
Optimizing Spectrum Efficiency With MIMO NOMA PD Approach in a 5G Cooperative Spectrum Sharing Environment
Authors: Gnana Priya G. , Balasubadra K.
Published: December 2024

The fifth generation (5G) of cellular communication networks has introduced various advanced technologies to address the increasing demand for higher data rates and improved spectrum utilization. One of these technologies, non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), has gained significant attention due to its ability to enhance spectral efficiency by allowing multiple users to share the same time‐frequency resource block. NOMA affords a number of advantageous features including increased spectrum efficiency (SE). It comes in various forms, such as power‐domain (PD) NOMA and code‐domain (CD) NOMA. This paper attentions mainly on enhancing the SE of downlink (DL) PD‐NOMA in a 5G cooperative spectrum sharing environment using single input single output (SISO), massive MIMO (M‐MIMO), and multiple input multiple output (MIMO). Two methods are approached here. In the first one, the NOMA handlers access the free/unconstrained channels using competing channel (C‐Ch) approach, whereas the next one uses dedicated channel (D‐Ch) approach. Five users are considered at distances of 1000, 800, 600, 400, and 200 m from the base station (BS) with different power allocation coefficients at transmitting power of 40 dBm and bandwidth of 70 MHz. Quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) is used with successive interference cancellation (SIC) at the receiver side and superposition coding (SC) at the transmitter side under frequency selective Rayleigh fading environment. The PD DL NOMA system's results demonstrated that combining 32 × 32 MIMO, 64 × 64 MIMO, and 128 × 128 M‐MIMO in a single cell and the same network with cooperative cognitive radio network (CoCRN) significantly improved the SE reliability. The user Ur5 produces an optimal SE performance of 3.753 bps/Hz/cell for PD DL NOMA with SISO, 5.77 bps/Hz/cell for CoCRN PD DL NOMA with SISO using C‐Ch, and 7.45 bps/Hz/cell for CoCRN DL PDNOMA with SISO using D‐Ch with a 40 dBm transmitting power. Furthermore, the SE for Ur5 (nearest user) was increased to 64%, 67%, and 69%, respectively, using PD‐NOMA with 32 × 32 MIMO, PD‐NOMA with 32 × 32 MIMO using C‐Ch, and DL NOMA PD with 32 × 32 MIMO using D‐Ch. DL PD‐NOMA with MIMO(64 × 64) using D‐Ch improved the SE rate by 77% having transmission power of 40 dBm in comparison with the SE outcome for DL PDNOMA with SISO; however, DL PD‐NOMA with MIMO (64 × 64) most dramatically upgraded the SE rate for Ur5 by 73%. Using C‐Ch and CoCRN DL PD‐NOMA with MIMO (64 × 64), the SE performance was boosted by 76%. The best user, Ur5, had an 82% improvement in SE performance when DL PD‐NOMA with M‐MIMO (128 × 128) was compared to DL NOMA with SISO. With a 40 dBm transmission power, CoCRN DL NOMA with 128 × 128 M‐MIMO using C‐Ch showed an 88% improvement, whereas CoCRN DL PD‐NOMA with M‐MIMO (128 × 128) using D‐Ch experienced an 89% improvement.
Integrated CNN‐LSTM for Photovoltaic Power Prediction based on Spatio‐Temporal Feature Fusion
Authors: Ma Junwei , Huo Meiru , Han Jinfeng , Liu Yunfeng , Lu Shunfa , Yu Xiaokun
Published: December 2024

The accurate prediction of the output power of each power plant is crucial for effective resource deployment. This paper proposes a convolutional neural network‐long short‐term memory (CNN‐LSTM) network integration model based on spatio‐temporal feature fusion. Firstly, the temporal correlation of the PV features of the target power plant and the spatial correlation between the PV power of the target power plant and the PV power of the neighboring power plants are computed. The features are then fused according to the strength of the correlation, which allows the features to be combined with spatial and temporal attributes, which promotes faster and more effective training of the model. Subsequently, an integrated network architecture comprising three individual models, CNN, LSTM, and CNN‐LSTM, is designed. The SENet attention mechanism is utilized to add non‐linear integration weights to the outputs of the individual models. Due to the variability of different neural networks, the prediction results of the integrated model are often higher than the best‐performing individual model. Additionally, we designed different case studies to compare model performance under sunny, rainy, and cloudy conditions. Extensive simulation experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed integrated approach. When the prediction interval is set to 5 min, the RMSE loss of the integrated model on the test set is reduced by 13.5%, 6.9%, and 5.1% compared to the CNN, LSTM, and CNN‐LSTM models included in the ensemble, respectively.
Pyrolysis kinetics study of nucleic acid detection supplies
Authors: Ma Hongting , Zhou Zhipeng , Deng Na
Published: December 2024

To investigate the pyrolytic behavior of materials used in nucleic acid detection and unravel their chemical reaction mechanisms at a molecular scale, thermogravimetric experiments were conducted on a range of components: polypropylene (PP) sampling tubes, polyamide/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PA/ABS) pharyngeal swab sampling heads, ABS pharyngeal swab rods, and mixtures of pharyngeal swab sampling heads and sampling tubes at heating rates of 10, 20, 30, and 40°C/min employing conversion from 0.1 to 0.9 in 0.1 increments. Employing three model‐free methods—Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose, (KAS) Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, and Friedman—the pyrolysis kinetics of individual components and mixtures were analyzed. The average activation energy were obtained to be 144.0–152.7, 211.4–213.5, 163.3–168.7, and 156.6–167.3 kJ/mol, respectively. Two model‐fitting methods—Coats‐Redfern and Criado—were used to elucidate the chemical reaction mechanisms across various heating rates and conversions. The pre‐exponential factor was calculated. The pyrolytic behavior of pharyngeal swabs was simulated, and the results showed that the most accurate kinetic parameters were obtained by the KAS method.
‘I can't relate to it’: Exploring autistic and non‐autistic adults' perceptions of the Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines
Authors: Thompson C. , Gorey T. , Lawler T. , Watson G. , Wells B. , McVeigh J. A.
Published: December 2024

Background

Despite sufficient physical activity (PA) being strongly associated with better health outcomes, half of the Australian population does not meet the Australian PA and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines. This shortfall is more pronounced among autistic adults, who exhibit poorer health outcomes and lower PA levels than non‐autistic adults. Despite these disparities, there is a limited understanding of how autistic and non‐autistic individuals perceive and interpret the PA guidelines.

Methods

This study investigated how autistic and non‐autistic adults perceive and comprehend the Australian PA guidelines. This study used interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Results

A total of 15 autistic and 20 non‐autistic adults were interviewed, and 4 themes that were largely similar between both groups were identified: (1) Lack of Awareness and Engagement with the PA Guidelines, (2) Misinterpretation of Key Terms and Concepts, (3) Perceived lack of Relevance and Relatability of the PA Guidelines and (4) Lack of Inclusivity.

Conclusion

The findings underscore the importance of crafting health communication and promotion materials that are more visible, clear, inclusive and engaging for non‐autistic and autistic individuals in Australia.

So What?

This study highlights the potential for improving the number of people correctly understanding the PA guidelines by addressing dissemination methods, knowledge and interpretation of the guidelines as some components of the multifaceted process required to achieve behaviour change.
Associations Between Food Security, Housing and Health in South Australia
Authors: Phan Tuong‐Vi , D'Onise Katina , Nori Annapurna , Venugopal Kamalesh , Joshi Suresh
Published: December 2024

Issue Addressed

Food security is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve for many households. Research has shown that food insecurity is associated with socioeconomic disadvantage, including housing pressures, and may contribute to poor health outcomes. There is lack of data on these associations in the South Australian setting, where food security is not consistently monitored.

Methods

A population health survey was administered to South Australian participants in April 2023. Descriptive analysis was conducted on data regarding food insecurity, housing circumstances, chronic and mental health conditions. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess associations between food security and health outcomes.

Results

From a sample of 3002 participants, 16.4% reported low and very low food security. These participants tended to be renting, facing housing cost pressures, and lacking infrastructure to store and prepare food. When controlling for confounders, food insecurity was found to be associated with increased likelihood of having at least one chronic condition, mental health condition, and decreased overall wellbeing.

Conclusion

Food security is itself a determinant of health. Regular monitoring of the prevalence of household food insecurity and addressing the structural factors influencing food affordability and availability are required. Further research on its links to health outcomes is warranted.

So What?

Evidence‐based action to address food insecurity will become more pressing as the crises of cost‐of‐living, housing, health system pressures and environmental disasters converge.
Impact of Cybersecurity Disclosure Frequency on Stock Price Crash Risk
Authors: Wu Huaping , Ma Ming , Zhang Jidong
Published: December 2024

By exploring the relationship between stock price crash risk and the frequency of cybersecurity disclosures in financial reports, we present evidence that cybersecurity disclosure does matter because its frequency increases stock price crash risk. We analyze the association between cybersecurity disclosure and stock price crash risk from the perspective of two different theoretical lenses: information asymmetry and investor sentiment. We perform textual analysis on the Chinese A‐shares public companies’ cybersecurity disclosure in financial reports during 2017–2022. We find that the more cybersecurity disclosures in financial reports, the higher the stock price crash risk. Further findings reveal that the effect of the frequency of cybersecurity disclosure on stock price crash risk is more significant in non‐Big‐4 audit companies and companies with lower analyst coverage. These findings imply that the market presents the clear idea that cybersecurity disclosure's negative impact to stock price crashes would be greater than the positive impact under the current settings of the volunteer disclosure policies.
DFT investigation on thermoelectric, electronic, optoelectronic, elastic, and structural properties of sodium‐based halide double perovskites Rb2NaSbZ6 (Z = Cl, Br, and I)
Authors: Shah Syed Hatim , Song Peng , Huang Taihong , Shakeel Shakeel , Lu Jiansheng , Awadh Bahajjaj Aboud Ahmed , Murtaza G.
Published: December 2024

Sodium‐based halide double perovskites (HDPs) present a promising alternative to Pb‐based perovskites for safe solar and thermal energy conversion devices due to their high durability and non‐toxic elements. This study examines the electronic, thermoelectric, elastic, optoelectronic, and structural properties of Rb2NaSbZ6 (Z = I, Br, Cl) double perovskite compounds using density functional theory (DFT). These compounds, characterized by a cubic structure, show increasing structural parameters as halogens are substituted from chlorine to iodine. Structural stability is confirmed by evaluating the enthalpy of formation, Gibbs free energy, Born and Huang criteria, and tolerance factor. Pugh's ratio indicates the ductile nature of the compounds. All investigated halide compounds exhibit an indirect band gap ranging from 3.9 to 2.34 eV, with valence and conduction band extrema located at different symmetry points, and a higher effective mass of holes is noted. This study also analyzes the refractive index, optical loss, light absorption, and polarization across the energy range of 0–10 eV. The spectral characteristics indicate that these HDPs are suitable for optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices due to their absorption in the visible and near‐ultraviolet spectra. High figures of merit (0.45–0.6) derived from power factor and thermal conductivity calculations suggest the potential of these compositions as thermoelectric devices. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of these materials, facilitating their further deployment.
Challenges of MS‐based small extracellular vesicles proteomics
Authors: Fochtman Daniel , Marczak Lukasz , Pietrowska Monika , Wojakowska Anna
Published: December 2024

Proteomic profiling of small extracellular vesicles (sEV) is a powerful tool for discovering biomarkers of various diseases. This process most often assisted by mass spectrometry (MS) usually lacks standardization and recognition of challenges which may lead to unreliable results. General recommendations for sEV MS analyses have been briefly given in the MISEV2023 guidelines. The present work goes into detail for every step of sEV protein profiling with an overview of factors influencing such analyses. This includes reporting and defining the sEV source and vesicle isolation, protein solubilization and digestion, ‘offline’ and ‘online’ sample complexity reduction, the analysis type itself, and subsequent data analysis. Every stage in this process affects the others, which could result in different outcomes. Although characterization and comparisons of different sEV isolation methods are known and accessible and MS‐based profiling details are provided for cell or tissue samples, no consensus work has been ever published to describe the whole process of sEV proteomic analysis. Reliable results can be obtained from sEV profiling provided that the analysis is well planned, prepared for, and backed by pilot studies or appropriate research.
Men who have sex with men perceiving that sex with women carries the greatest risk of HIV acquisition: results from a mixed‐methods systematic review in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Fiorentino Marion , Dos Santos Marie , Eubanks August , Yanwou Nathan , Laurent Christian , Roux Perrine , Spire Bruno
Published: December 2024

Introduction

In sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), men who have sex with men (MSM) often have female sexual partners. Their overall risk of acquiring HIV is higher with male partners. Risk perception is associated with HIV knowledge, sexual risk and preventive behaviours. This synthesis aimed to summarize existing data about HIV knowledge and perceived HIV acquisition risk regarding sex with men and with women in MSM in SSA.

Methods

We conducted a systematic literature review of MSM's relationships with women in SSA (PROSPERO‐CRD42021237836). Quantitative and qualitative data related to MSM's perceived risk from sex with men and with women and HIV knowledge (published up to 2021) were selected and synthesized.

Results

Twenty studies were selected. More MSM perceived that the greatest risk of HIV acquisition came from heterosexual/vaginal sex than from homosexual/anal sex (53% vs. 15%; 51% vs. 39%; 42% vs. 8%; 27% vs. 25%; 43% vs. 11%; 23% vs. 13%; 35% vs. 16%, cumulative sample n = 4396, six countries). A higher proportion of MSM received preventive information on heterosexual HIV transmission than on homosexual transmission (79% vs. 22%; 94% vs. 67%; 54% vs. 19%; cumulative sample n = 1199, four countries). The qualitative synthesis (eight studies) highlighted biology‐ and behaviour‐based misconceptions leading MSM to perceive lower or negligible HIV risk from sex with men, compared to sex with women. These misconceptions were partly fuelled by the predominant focus on heterosexual and vaginal HIV transmission in HIV prevention information.

Discussion

Common misconceptions regarding sexual risk between men remain unaddressed by the heteronormative messaging of HIV prevention. Underestimation by MSM of their HIV acquisition risk with male partners can pose significant barriers to effective HIV preventive behaviours and strengthen the transmission risk from MSM to their female partners.

Conclusions

Improving access of MSM to tailored HIV prevention information and tools that address their practices with male and female partners is crucial. Integrating messages about anal sex into broader public health initiatives, including sexual health programmes targeting the general population, is essential. Further research in diverse settings in SSA is necessary to gain a greater understanding of the drivers and implications of HIV risk perception in MSM.
Towards a Meaningful Understanding of Organizational Leaders' Localized and Contextualized Implementation of UNSDGs in Bahrain's Changing Energy Sector Businesses
Authors: Mendy John , Al Ghanem Nawaf Husain
Published: December 2024

Despite Network Leadership scholarship's emphasis on localizing and contextualizing leadership practices during organizational change, there is a dearth in the current theoretical framings on “how” to address the implementation failure of localization and contextualization towards broader SDGs/organizational sustainability. This paper fills this gap by offering deeper insightful theoretical and practical understanding of how organizational leaders can address socio‐economic and ecological sustainability concerns, and how a more meaningful reconceptualization and implementation of leadership practices can help Business and Management academics and practitioners address the organizational growth, human, and ecological well‐being dilemma in the energy sector. By drawing on Network Leadership, SDG, organizational change literature and 26 senior leaders' semi‐structured interviews, this study uses (Braun and Clarke's 2006) Thematic Analysis Procedure to resolve the theoretical and practical implementation lag in Business and Management scholarship. We contribute 4 novel implementation practices: (1) Operational; (2) strategic; (3) cultural and (4) interorganizational knowledge exchange alignment and a model on wider socio‐economic‐ecological well‐being. Showing ‘what’ leadership characteristics are needed and “how” to meaningfully reconceptualize the dominant localization and contextualization model of organizational change towards broader sustainability goals has been practically and scholarly overdue.
Solid‐state fermentation of corn wet distiller grains and wheat bran with Trichoderma reesei and Candida utilis for improving feed value
Authors: Fan Weiwei , Liu Kehan , Xu Yongping , Chi Zhanyou
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND

Solid‐state fermentation is one of the most effective methods for the high‐value utilization of agro‐industrial by‐products. Co‐fermentation of wet distiller grains and agricultural waste is an effective way to mitigate the feed shortage caused by corn consumption for bioethanol. It is still challenging to convert wet distiller grains and wheat bran to easily accessible carbon sources and adjust the balanced proportion of amino acids together by fermentation.

RESULTS

Fermentation time, strain ratio, and the addition of ammonium sulfate have been verified to be the important factors influencing the symbiosis of Trichoderma reesei (T. reesei) and Candida utilis (C. utilis) in a mixed system of wet distiller grains and wheat bran. The optimum conditions were fermentation for 8 days, 2:1 (T. reesei: C. utilis) strain ratio, and addition of 4% ammonium sulfate. After fermentation, the cellulose degradation proportion reached 39.1%, and the hemicellulose degradation proportion was 13.1%. The protein content improved by 29.6%. The lysine content increased by 126%, reaching 11.3 g·kg−1. The threonine content increased from 6.10 to 10.3 g·kg−1. The phytate content was decreased to 3.97 g·kg−1. The in vitro digestibility of dry matter and protein increased to 62.8% and 76.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicated the feasibility of improving the feeding value of wet distiller grains and wheat bran by the symbiosis of T. reesei and C. utilis. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Random Holography: Generating EPR‐Like Correlation with Thermal Photons
Authors: Ye Zhiyuan , Hou Wanting , Ding Chen‐Xin , Men Xue‐Jiao , He Run‐Jie , Zhao Jilun , Wang Hai‐Bo , Xiong Jun , Wang Kaige
Published: December 2024

Entanglement and correlation of photons play a central role in quantum information and communication. There are two types of photon correlations: one usually exists in a two‐particle entangled state first conceived by Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen (EPR) in 1935, while the other occurs in a thermal light source found by Hanbury Brown and Twiss (HBT) in 1956. Many studies are concerned with the physical nature and differences behind the two types of photon correlations. Here, a holography‐inspired linear optical system that generates a pair of conjugate chaotic beams is proposed, which include both HBT‐type and EPR‐like correlations. From principle to experimental generation, the study presents a classical paradigm of a simple bi‐correlation light source for diverse quantum‐mimic applications such as two‐photon imaging.
Novel Implicit Integration Algorithms With Identical Second‐Order Accuracy and Flexible Dissipation Control for First‐Order Transient Problems
Authors: Li Jinze , Cui Naigang , Zhu Yijun , Yu Kaiping
Published: December 2024

For the solutions of first‐order transient problems with optimal efficiency, conventional single‐step implicit methodologies, unaided by additional post‐processing techniques, encounter limitations in concurrently attaining identical second‐order accuracy and controllable numerical dissipation. Addressing this challenge, the present study contributes not only a comprehensive analytical framework for formulating implicit integration algorithms but also leverages the auxiliary variable and the composite sub‐step technique to propose two distinct types of implicit integration algorithms. Each type is characterized by self‐initiation, unconditional stability, identical second‐order accuracy, controllable numerical dissipation, and zero‐order overshoots. Recognizing that single‐step implicit methods can be conceptualized as composite single‐sub‐step ones, both algorithm types achieve identical effective stiffness matrices, thereby reducing the computational effort for solving linear problems. The utilization of auxiliary variables endows the proposed single‐step method with numerical attributes akin to established counterparts, while achieving identical second‐order accuracy. Conversely, the adoption of the composite sub‐step technique in the proposed two‐sub‐step methods surpasses the published algorithms by significantly reducing the error constants. This superiority persists when enforcing the same sub‐step sizes and sub‐step dissipation levels. Numerical simulations affirm that the proposed methods consistently outperform existing alternatives without incurring additional computational expenses.
The value of field studies in earth and environmental sciences: A review
Authors: Chitty Enya G. , Hesp Patrick A.
Published: December 2024

Field studies are defined here as any study of the natural world that occurs beyond classrooms. There is rising concern for the future of field studies in Earth and Environmental Sciences in Higher Education, despite being core to environmental inquiry, as cost‐cutting across the sector was intensified by the COVID‐19 pandemic. This paper reviews the value of fieldwork and provides an overview of its benefits. We show that field studies improve student academic performance, cognition, critical thinking, practical skills, inquiry, and writing skills. Fieldwork accelerates personal development, leads to greater student engagement, and develops confidence and resilience. Students prefer institutions that have more fieldwork opportunities, and this is reflected in higher enrollment and retention rates. Field trips at the undergraduate level transform students into scholars, and the practical skills and experience acquired on field trips are vocational competencies sought out by industry, thereby increasing graduate employability. Courses that incorporate field studies deliver a range of measurable outcomes that elevate student abilities proportionally to the level of immersion in the field. We demonstrate that courses that incorporate field studies are prized by industry, students, and educators alike, and should be recognized as an essential part of higher education courses.
Spatial predictors of landowners' engagement in the restoration of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Authors: Pienkowski Thomas , Freni Sterrantino Anna , Tedesco Anazelia M. , Clark Matt , Brancalion Pedro H. S. , Jagadish Arundhati , Mendes Alex , Pugliese de Siqueira Ludmila , Mills Morena
Published: December 2024

Forest restoration can potentially contribute to multiple global sustainable development goals. Yet, little is known about the factors associated with local actors' choice to engage in restoration, limiting the development of effective scaling strategies.

Our study examines the spatial socio‐ecological factors associated with landowners' engagement in forest restoration, documented by the Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact in Brazil. We draw on Diffusion of Innovations theory to model associations between forest restoration and explanatory variables among 222,000 private properties in the Atlantic Forest.

Properties with the highest cattle densities were 163.9% more likely to be restored (95% CI: 131.1%–201.3%) than those with the lowest. Large properties had a 120.0% higher restoration probability (95% CI: 90.9%–153.5%) than medium ones. Compared to reference levels, associations between forest cover (in 2010) and restoration probability were ambiguous, but properties with greater forest loss (1990–2010) were 9.0% less likely to be restored (95% CI: −12.5% to −5.3%). Properties with water bodies were 22.2% more likely to be restored (95% CI: 8.9%–37.1%), while upland properties were 46.6% less likely (95% CI: 32.3%–57.8%), and those with the highest ruggedness 22.2% less likely (95% CI: 12.4%–30.9%). Longer travel times to urban areas reduced restoration likelihood by 48.3% (95% CI: 39.7%–55.8%). Properties in the highest road distance quantile were 11.1% more likely to be restored (95% CI: 0.1%–23.2%). High forest management levels reduced restoration likelihood by 52.6% (95% CI: 15.5%–73.6%), while densely populated areas increased it by 53.8% (95% CI: 35.6%–74.4%). Properties in wealthier municipalities were more likely to be restored (54.7%, 95% CI 10.8%–116.4%).

Landowners' decision‐making appears responsive to legislative requirements (on minimum forest cover and afforestation around waterbodies), underscoring their value for promoting restoration. Commercial landowners might have greater incentives to restore or be selectively targeted by restoration organisations, risking the marginalisation of smallholders in poorer areas from restoration agendas. Engagement with forest restoration is highest where there are more people and lower travel times to cities, suggesting restoration can potentially deliver ecological benefits in some of Brazil's most degraded landscapes.

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Kidney Function and Body Composition in Adult Survivors of Unilateral, Non‐Syndromic Wilms Tumor: A Report From the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study
Authors: Green Daniel M. , Li Kendrick , Kaste Sue C. , Ness Kirsten K. , Krasin Matthew J. , Xie Lu , Wilson Carmen L. , Srivastava DeoKumar , Jay Dennis W. , Davidoff Andrew M. , Zahr Rima S. , Taneja Siddhant , Shelton Kyla C. , Lanctot Jennifer Q. , Dixon Stephanie B. , Ehrhardt Matthew J. , Mulrooney Daniel A. , Armstrong Gregory T. , Robison Leslie L. , Hudson Melissa M.
Published: December 2024

Background

The relationships among treatment exposures, body composition, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in adult survivors of Wilms tumor have not been well studied.

Methods

We evaluated body composition with dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) and eGFR with the updated Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equations (creatinine only—eGFRCr, cystatin C only—eGFRCysC, creatinine and cystatin C—eGFRCr+CysC) without race in 134 adults previously treated for unilateral, non‐syndromic Wilms tumor at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital between 1964 and 2004 with chemotherapy and with (hemiabdomen [HA] or whole abdomen [WA]) or without radiation therapy (RT). Z‐scores for DXA variables were calculated using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Results

WART was associated with a lower relative total (p = 0.004) and trunk (p < 0.001) lean mass, eGFRCr (p = 0.008), eGFRCysC, (p < 0.001), and eGFRCr+CysC (p < 0.001), and higher values of cystatin C (p < 0.001). Linear regression demonstrated that relative total lean mass (p = 0.009) and relative trunk lean mass (p < 0.001) Z‐scores, and eGFRCr (p = 0.013) were lower among those who received WART compared to No RT patients.

Conclusions

WART is associated with lower relative total and trunk lean mass Z‐scores and eGFR, regardless of the equation used, and is lower in survivors treated with WART compared to unirradiated survivors of unilateral, non‐syndromic WT. Assessments using other GFR measures may provide greater insight into the mechanism and magnitude of kidney function loss among WART‐treated WT survivors.
Interfacial and mechanical properties of silane coupling agent interface‐modified basalt fiber reinforced thermoplastic polypropylene resin composites
Authors: Zhang Zhiqiang , Sun Wenhao , Huang Weipeng , Zhu Yanchao , Li Juntao , Liang Ce , Gao Shuang
Published: December 2024

Basalt fiber (BF)‐reinforced thermoplastic composites are not only made with little environmental pollution and recyclable, with obvious environmental value, but also have excellent mechanical properties, excellent resistance to high temperature and corrosion. In the present study, modifications to the interface of BF were performed using monoaminosilane and diaminosilane agents, specifically 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (SATMS) and N‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (DATMS), along with a urea‐modified silane, 3‐urethylpropyltrimethoxysilane (SUTMS). These modifications were evaluated against one another. Utilizing a film lamination technique, composites of BF and thermoplastic polypropylene resin (BF‐PP) were fabricated. Analytical assessments included examining the modified fibers' surface morphology, chemical structure, and roughness. Mechanical assessments of the modified BF‐PP composites were conducted, revealing that composites treated with the urea‐inclusive silane agent (BF/SUTMS‐PP) exhibited superior performance, enhancing flexural strength by 26%, tensile strength by 22.4%, and notched Izod impact strength by 21%. However, because of the lower thermal stability of SUTMS, when the processing temperature exceeds 240°C, there is a decomposition of the heated Y‐base end, thus affecting the mechanical properties of BF/SUTMS‐PP.

Highlights

The basalt fibers were modified by SATMS, DATMS, and SUTMS.

The urea‐containing silane coupling agent has the strongest enhancement effect.

Composite reinforced with SUTMS‐BF displayed the best mechanical properties.
Mechanism of the performance difference and effect of blow‐up ratio parameters on biodegradable poly (butyleneadipate‐co‐terephthalate)/polylactide composite mulch films
Authors: Wu Xuan , Zhang Kun , Zhang Bing , Shang Xiwang , Liu Jiahuan , Liu Yulin , Zhang Xinyue , Wang Qiuhong , Xie Jiazhuo , Xu Jing
Published: December 2024

The development and application of biodegradable mulching film is an efficient way to solve the “white pollution” of farmland. In the actual production, we found that the mulch film produced by different processing technology with the same formula showed quite different application properties. Here, the poly (butyleneadipate‐co‐terephthalate)/polylactide (PBAT/PLA) composite films with two die/screw diameters and eight blow‐up ratio were prepared by extrusion blowing. Results showed increasing blow‐up ratio can significantly improve the tensile strength at the transverse direction. In addition, the optical and water vapor barrier performances of the PBAT/PLA composite films were slightly effected. With the increasing of blow‐up ratio, the transverse molecular chain orientation of the polymer increases, resulting in changes in mechanical performance. This work can contribute to better understand the relationship between the performance and the manufacturing parameters of the biodegradable mulching films and foster the end‐user confidence in the eco‐friendly biodegradable mulch films.

Highlights

Eight PBAT/PLA mulch films with different blow‐up ratios were obtained.

The properties of PBAT/PLA mulch films were mainly affected by blow‐up ratio.

The relation between performance and manufacturing parameters was clarified.

Die and screw diameter have no significant effect on film properties.
Design of a yeast SUMO tag to eliminate internal translation initiation
Authors: Law Jamison D. , Gao Yuan , Wysocki Vicki H. , Gopalan Venkat
Published: December 2024

After overexpression in a suitable host, recombinant protein purification often relies on affinity (e.g., poly‐histidine) and solubility‐enhancing (e.g., small ubiquitin‐like‐modifier [SUMO]) tags. Following purification, these tags are removed to avoid their interference with target protein structure and function. The wide use of N‐terminal His6‐SUMO fusions is partly due to efficient cleavage of the SUMO tag's C‐terminal Gly‐Gly motif by the Ulp1 SUMO protease and generation of the native N‐terminus of the target protein. While adopting this system to purify the Salmonella homodimeric FraB deglycase, we discovered that Shine–Dalgarno (SD) sequences in the eukaryotic SUMO tag resulted in truncated proteins. This finding has precedents for synthesis of partial proteins in Escherichia coli from cryptic ribosome‐binding sites within eukaryotic coding sequences. The SUMO open reading frame has two “GGNGGN” motifs that resemble SD sequences, one of which encodes the Gly‐Gly motif required for Ulp1 cleavage. By mutating these SD sequences, we generated SUMONIT (no internal translation), a variant that eliminated production of the truncated proteins without affecting the levels of full‐length His6‐SUMO‐FraB or Ulp1 cleavage. SUMONIT should be part of the toolkit for enhancing SUMO fusion protein yield, purity, and homogeneity (especially for homo‐oligomers). Moreover, we showcase the value of native mass spectrometry in revealing the complications that arise from generation of truncated proteins, as well as oxidation events and protease inhibitor adducts, which are indiscernible by commonly employed lower resolution methods.
Dynamic Event‐Triggered Output‐Feedback Control for Large‐Scale Feedforward Nonlinear Discrete‐Time Impulsive Systems
Authors: Fan Debao , Zhang Xianfu , Qi Yanan , Li Hanfeng
Published: December 2024

This article addresses the dynamic event‐triggered output‐feedback control problem for a class of large‐scale feedforward nonlinear discrete‐time impulsive systems. The investigated systems are allowed to contain impulse effects, discrete‐time dynamics, and large‐scale coupled characteristics, which brings substantial difficulties to the event‐triggered control. It is worth noting that this scenario has not been considered in the existing works. For that, a novel dynamic event‐triggered output‐feedback control strategy is proposed in this article. Specifically, we apply a gain scaling approach to cope with system uncertainties and employ an average impulsive interval technique to suppress the undesirable impulse effects. Then, a novel low‐gain discrete‐time impulsive observer is constructed to estimate the unmeasurable system states. After that, a dynamic event‐triggered output‐feedback controller, which has a concise linear‐like form, is delicately designed to ensure that all the signals of the resulting closed‐loop system are globally bounded, and the system states converge to the origin. Moreover, by enhancing the gain scaling mechanism, we further develop an improved output‐feedback control strategy to counteract stronger nonlinearities. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy is demonstrated by a practical simulation example.
A Resilient Event‐Triggered Control Scheme for Nonlinear Multi‐Agent Systems Under Communication Delays and Denial‐Of‐Service Attacks
Authors: Fu Minrui , Yang Haichuan , Yu Ziquan , Zhang Youmin
Published: December 2024

This paper investigates the resilient event‐triggered control (ETC) for nonlinear multi‐agent systems in the presence of communication delays and denial‐of‐service (DoS) attacks. The communication delays and asynchronous DoS attack are considered for each communication link. Based on sampling‐receiving events and DoS attack events, flow and jump sets are formulated to describe the system's transmission time status. An independent event‐triggering mechanism (ETM) is designed for each communication link. Furthermore, a resilient control scheme is constructed in which sufficient conditions for achieving system input‐output stability are provided, including the constraints of frequency and DoS attack duration, the conditions of Lyapunov functions, and the maximally allowable transmission interval. Finally, the attitude cooperative control problem of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (multi‐UAVs) is adopted as a simulation example. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Almost Dynamic Output Regulation for Switched T‐S Fuzzy Systems
Authors: Yu Shuanghe , Xu Jingjie , Zhao Ying
Published: December 2024

This article studies the almost output regulation (OR) issue for switched Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy systems (T‐SFS) with the OR and the disturbance suppression properties simultaneously considered. A switched fuzzy dynamic output feedback controller (OFC) is firstly constructed for switched T‐SFS with modeled and unmodeled disturbances. By considering the average dwell‐time (ADT) constraint and introducing different coordinate transformations of subsystems, a solvability condition on the almost OR issue of switched T‐SFS is then established with the multiple Lyapunov functions method. Furthermore, the controller gains are designed to drive the switched T‐SFS to satisfy the OR and ‐gain properties. Finally, a simulation case is provided to validate the feasibility of the offered control technique.