bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of konjac glucomannan as a freeze‐denaturation inhibitor or binder on the physiochemical properties of heat‐induced gel of freeze‐dried duck blood
Authors: Kim Yea‐Ji , Kim Jake , Kim Tae‐Kyung , Cha Ji Yoon , Shin Dong‐Min , Jung Samooel , Choi Yun‐Sang
Published: December 2023

During freeze‐drying, the degradation or eutectic melting of duck blood proteins can reduce the quality of duck blood gels. However, the interaction between proteins and polysaccharides during drying can improve protein‐based gel quality. Therefore, here, we investigated the physicochemical properties of heat‐induced gels of freeze‐dried duck blood (FDB) and FDB with different proportions of the polysaccharide konjac glucomannan (KG), which serves as a freeze‐denaturation inhibitor agent (FDA) or binder (BG). The pH and water‐holding capacity (WHC) of FDB + KG gels were higher than those of FDB gel without KG (control). Especially, the WHC increased from 11.00% for control to 55.65% for FDB gel with 1% KG as a BG. Consequently, cooking loss and texture parameters of FDB + KG gels decreased. The hardness of control was 2.14 kg, which significantly reduced to 0.12–0.87 kg with KG addition. The highest carbonyl content was observed in control gel, and the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance content was reduced by the addition of 1% KG as an FDA (T1) or 0.8% KG as an FDA with 0.2% KG as a BG (T2) (p < 0.05). These changes might be induced by the alteration of tertiary structure and thermodynamic stability of gels. In conclusion, 1% KG can be used as an FDA to improve the quality and physicochemical properties of heat‐induced gels of FDB. Optimized FDB gels with KG can be used as an innovative food ingredient to fortify nutrition and develop special dietary purposes.
Physicochemical and thermal properties of pepsin‐ and acid‐soluble collagen isolated from the body wall of sea cucumbers (Stichopus hermanni)
Authors: Shaik Mannur Ismail , Kadir Asmaa Nuha Abdul , Sarbon Norizah Mhd
Published: December 2023

The main objective of this work was to characterize the acid‐soluble collagen (ASC) and pepsin‐soluble collagen (PSC) from the body wall of the sea cucumber scientifically called, Stichopus hermanni. For the extraction of ASC and PSC, the pre‐treated sea cucumber body walls were subjected to 0.5 M acetic acid and 5 g L−1 pepsin, respectively. The yield of ASC (7.30% ± 0.30%) was found to be lower than the PSC (23.66% ± 0.15%), despite both ASC and PSC having similar chemical compositions except for the quantity of protein. The collagens produced from ASC and PSC show maximum peaks on ultraviolet–visible spectroscopic profiles at wavelengths of 230 and 235 nm, respectively, with no significant difference in the maximum temperature (Tmax) of the extracted ASC and PSC. The ASC's coloration was whiter than that of the PSC. As a result, the collagen obtained from the body wall of the sea cucumber showed promise for usage as a substitute for collagen derived from marine sources.

Practical Application

The two most popular methods of collagen extraction were acid hydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis. To determine whether the extracted collagen is a suitable substitute for animal collagen in different industries, it is required to characterize its physicochemical qualities. This study discovered a new application for marine collagen in the food industry: The sea cucumber has collagen with a greater yield in pepsin extraction with good physicochemical qualities.
Scientific history, biogeography, and biological traits predict presence of cryptic or overlooked species
Authors: Cahill Abigail E. , Meglécz Emese , Chenuil Anne
Published: December 2023

Genetic data show that many nominal species are composed of more than one biological species, and thus contain cryptic species in the broad sense (including overlooked species). When ignored, cryptic species generate confusion which, beyond biodiversity or vulnerability underestimation, blurs our understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes and may impact the soundness of decisions in conservation or medicine. However, very few hypotheses have been tested about factors that predispose a taxon to contain cryptic or overlooked species. To fill this gap, we surveyed the literature on free‐living marine metazoans and built two data sets, one of 187,603 nominal species and another of 83 classes or phyla, to test several hypotheses, correcting for sequence data availability, taxon size and phylogenetic relatedness. We found a strong effect of scientific history: the probability of a taxon containing cryptic species was highest for the earliest described species and varied among time periods potentially consistently with an influence of prevailing scientific theories. The probability of cryptic species being present was also increased for species with large distribution ranges. They were more frequent in the north polar and south polar zones, contradicting previous predictions of more cryptic species in the tropics, and supporting the hypothesis that many cryptic species diverged recently. The number of cryptic species varied among classes, with an excess in hydrozoans and polychaetes, and a deficit in actinopterygians, for example, but precise class ranking was relatively sensitive to the statistical model used. For all models, biological traits, rather than phylum, appeared responsible for the variation among classes: there were fewer cryptic species than expected in classes with hard skeletons (perhaps because they provide good characters for taxonomy) and image‐forming vision (in which selection against heterospecific mating may enhance morphological divergence), and more in classes with internal fertilisation. We estimate that among marine free‐living metazoans, several thousand additional cryptic species complexes could be identified as more sequence data become available. The factors identified as important for marine animal cryptic species are likely important for other biomes and taxa and should aid many areas in biology that rely on accurate species identification.
Regulation of the innate immune response and gut microbiome by p53
Authors: Khor Amy Hui Ping , Koguchi Tomoyuki , Liu Hao , Kakuta Masanori , Matsubara Daisuke , Wen Ruimeng , Sagiya Yoji , Imoto Seiya , Nakagawa Hidewaki , Matsuda Koichi , Tanikawa Chizu
Published: December 2023

p53 is a key tumor suppressor mutated in half of human cancers. In recent years, p53 was shown to regulate a wide variety of functions. From the transcriptome analysis of 24 tissues of irradiated mice, we identified 553 genes markedly induced by p53. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis found that the most associated biological process was innate immunity. 16S rRNA‐seq analysis revealed that Akkermansia, which has anti‐inflammatory properties and is involved in the regulation of intestinal barrier integrity, was decreased in p53‐knockout (p53−/−) mice after radiation. p53−/− mice were susceptible to radiation‐induced GI toxicity and had a significantly shorter survival time than p53‐wild‐type (p53+/+) mice following radiation. However, administration of antibiotics resulted in a significant improvement in survival and protection against GI toxicity. Mbl2 and Lcn2, which have antimicrobial activity, were identified to be directly transactivated by p53 and secreted by liver into the circulatory system. We also found the expression of MBL2 and LCN2 was decreased in liver cancer tissues with p53 mutations compared with those without p53 mutations. These results indicate that p53 is involved in shaping the gut microbiome through its downstream targets related to the innate immune system, thus protecting the intestinal barrier.
Unilateral intraindividual comparison and bilateral performance of a monofocal spherical and diffractive extended depth of field intraocular lens mix‐and‐match approach
Authors: Wendelstein Jascha A. , Casazza Marina , Reifeltshammer Sophia , Riaz Kamran , Pantanelli Seth , Mariacher Siegfried , Seiler Theo G. , Kohnen Thomas , Bolz Matthias
Published: December 2023

Background

To evaluate the intraindividual visual performance of a spherical and extended depth of field (EDOF) IOL used in a mix‐and‐match approach.

Methods

Single centre (tertiary care centre), retrospective consecutive case series. Included patients had uneventful cataract surgery with implantation of a spherical monofocal IOL (CT Spheris 204) in the dominant eye and a diffractive EDOF IOL (AT LARA 829) in the non‐dominant eye. Monocular and binocular defocus curves and visual acuity at various distances were assessed. In addition, binocular reading speed, contrast sensitivity, and patient satisfaction using QOV, Catquest 9SF, and glare/halo questionnaires are reported.

Results

A total of 29 patients (58 eyes) were included. We observed significant intra‐individual differences for monocular DCIVA, DCNVA, UIVA, and UNVA. There were no differences in monocular BCDVA or UDVA. The monocular defocus curves for the two IOLs significantly differed at defocus steps between −1.0 and −3.5 D. 93.10% of patients reported they would opt for the same combination of IOLs.

Conclusion

Excellent uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity was demonstrated in both groups. The mix‐and‐match approach described in this study yielded good intermediate vision and improved near vision with high‐patient satisfaction.
Severe communication delays are independent of seizure burden and persist despite contemporary treatments in SCN1A+ Dravet syndrome: Insights from the ENVISION natural history study
Authors: Perry M. Scott , Scheffer Ingrid E. , Sullivan Joseph , Brunklaus Andreas , Boronat Susana , Wheless James W. , Laux Linda , Patel Anup D. , Roberts Colin M. , Dlugos Dennis , Holder Deborah , Knupp Kelly G. , Lallas Matt , Phillips Steven , Segal Eric , Smeyers Patricia , Lal Dennis , Wirrell Elaine , Zuberi Sameer , Brünger Tobias , Wojnaroski Mary , Maru Benit , O'Donnell Penrose , Morton Magda , James Emma , Vila Maria Candida , Huang Norman , Gofshteyn Jacqueline S. , Rico Salvador
Published: December 2023

Objective

Dravet syndrome (DS) is a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy characterized by high seizure burden, treatment‐resistant epilepsy, and developmental stagnation. Family members rate communication deficits among the most impactful disease manifestations. We evaluated seizure burden and language/communication development in children with DS.

Methods

ENVISION was a prospective, observational study evaluating children with DS associated with SCN1A pathogenic variants (SCN1A+ DS) enrolled at age ≤5 years. Seizure burden and antiseizure medications were assessed every 3 months and communication and language every 6 months with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development 3rd edition and the parent‐reported Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales 3rd edition. We report data from the first year of observation, including analyses stratified by age at Baseline: 0:6–2:0 years:months (Y:M; youngest), 2:1–3:6 Y:M (middle), and 3:7–5:0 Y:M (oldest).

Results

Between December 2020 and March 2023, 58 children with DS enrolled at 16 sites internationally. Median follow‐up was 17.5 months (range = .0–24.0), with 54 of 58 (93.1%) followed for at least 6 months and 51 of 58 (87.9%) for 12 months. Monthly countable seizure frequency (MCSF) increased with age (median [minimum–maximum] = 1.0 in the youngest [1.0–70.0] and middle [1.0–242.0] age groups and 4.5 [.0–2647.0] in the oldest age group), and remained high, despite use of currently approved antiseizure medications. Language/communication delays were observed early, and developmental stagnation occurred after age 2 years with both instruments. In predictive modeling, chronologic age was the only significant covariate of seizure frequency (effect size = .52, p = .024). MCSF, number of antiseizure medications, age at first seizure, and convulsive status epilepticus were not predictors of language/communication raw scores.

Significance

In infants and young children with SCN1A+ DS, language/communication delay and stagnation were independent of seizure burden. Our findings emphasize that the optimal therapeutic window to prevent language/communication delay is before 3 years of age.
Estimating recreational trap‐fishing effort for crayfish from zig‐zag line transects, drone surveys and enforcement surveys
Authors: Sundblad Göran , de Groote Annica , Lundquist Peter , Larsson Mattias , Linderfalk Rasmus , Larson Fredrik
Published: December 2023

Estimates of recreational fishing effort and catch are needed to inform fisheries management, but such estimates can be challenging to obtain. We combined a zig‐zag line transect survey of buoys, a fisheries enforcement survey and a drone survey to estimate recreational effort in the open‐access trap fishery for signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) in the sixth largest lake in Europe, Lake Vättern, Sweden. Using supporting variables such as size of nearby ports and bathymetry, our model‐assisted estimate of total effort was 6400 (±4300 CI) buoys during the three‐weekend season. Using the frequency of buoys to traps as a constant, the total number of crayfish traps was estimated to be 25,500 (±17,000 CI). The sampling design and methods presented are useful for ecologists and resource managers to design future multi‐source surveys of recreational trap fishing effort.
RETRACTED: Effect of wound infiltration of dexmedetomidine in lumbar spine surgery on postoperative wound pain: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Wang Xiaoping , Peng Yao , Si Yao , Hu Xi
Published: December 2023

In a meta‐study, we evaluated the effectiveness and security of the combination of topical anaesthetic and dexmedetomidine in the treatment of postoperative pain in patients with lumbar disease. Four databases were systematically searched for possible related articles. Only English‐language research was taken into account on the Internet. Furthermore, we only took into account the studies that were published prior to 2023. Only those that fulfilled the eligibility criteria were considered: (1) in adults who were about to undergo spine operation, (2) dexmedetomidine combined with local anaesthesia, (3) Visual Analog Scale scores at 4 and 24 h after the event and (4) this was a randomized or nonrandomized, controlled study. The meta‐analysis was carried out with Revman 5.3 software. A ROBINS‐I‐based instrument was used to evaluate controlled studies. All trials were synthesized by computing the end results with either a fixed or a random effect model, which was dependent on statistical diversity. Five trials showed a marked reduction in wound pain at 4 h after the operation in patients who were treated with dexmedetomidine for lumbar spinal surgery (MD, −0.81; 95% CI, −1.24, −0.35; p = 0.0005). In the case of lumbar spinal operations, the addition of dexmedetomidine to the postoperative treatment resulted in a marked reduction in the pain at 24 h post‐operation (MD, −0.64; 95% CI, −0.79, −0.48; p < 0.0001). The quality of the data we evaluated was ‘moderate’ to ‘good’; thus, we have limited confidence in the impact estimation, and the actual impact might be significantly different from what we had expected. Additional studies should concentrate on practices that are well known to cause severe postoperative pain, especially for cases where the improvement of pain management may lead to substantial clinical benefits in terms of reduction of morbidity or cost‐effectiveness in terms of quicker healing and release.
The richer, the better? Effects of combining seductive and interpretational visuals in computer‐based learning
Authors: Wang Zhe , Abercrombie Sara , Wong Rachel , Ren Yuxin , Dai Shiting
Published: December 2023

Background

There are two major types of pictures that have been the focus of multimedia learning research, namely, seductive and interpretational pictures. Despite an increasing body of literature documenting the effects of either seductive or interpretational pictures added to text‐based materials, there is a paucity of research explicitly comparing them in a multimedia learning environment.

Objectives

To address this gap, this study manipulated the picture condition by designing seductive pictures (SPs), interpretational pictures (IPs), and seductive plus interpretational pictures (SIPs) and investigated the multimedia effects of SPs, IPs, and SIPs on several cognitive and affective‐motivational variables.

Methods

Two computer‐based experiments were conducted where a scientific text about the blood circulatory system was presented with SPs, IPs, or SIPs. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions, and completed a subsequent learning test (comprehension and transfer questions) as well as a survey measuring their learning experience.

Results and Conclusions

The results of the two experiments were consistent in showing that our experimental manipulation was unsuccessful in influencing the learning outcome variables. Nevertheless, learning with seductive plus interpretational pictures appeared to yield better judgement accuracy, as compared to learning with seductive or interpretational pictures only. Most educational practitioners still include decorative elements based on their impression of aesthetics of motivation; this study encourages them to use these elements within their learning materials.
Fall risk and cardiovascular outcomes of first‐line antihypertensive medications in nursing home residents
Authors: Berry Sarah D. , Hayes Kaleen , Lee Yoojin , Zhang Yuan , Kim Dae H. , Ko Darae , Kiel Douglas P. , Daielo Lori , Zhang Tingting , Zullo Andrew R.
Published: December 2023

Background

Little evidence exists about the comparative effects of first‐line antihypertensive medications (i.e., renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone converting enzyme inhibitors (RAASi), amlodipine, or thiazide diuretics) in older adults with limited life expectancy. We compared the rates of injurious falls and short‐term cardiovascular events between different first‐line antihypertensive medication classes in adults receiving care in nursing homes (NH).

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort of Medicare fee‐for‐service beneficiaries receiving care in NHs. Patients newly dispensed first‐line antihypertensive medications were identified using Part D claims (2015–2018) and linked with clinical assessments (i.e., Minimum Data Set). Fall‐related injuries (FRI), hip fractures, and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) outcomes were identified using hospitalization claims. Patients were followed from the date of antihypertensive dispensing until the occurrence of outcomes, death, disenrollment, or 6‐month follow‐up. Inverse‐probability‐of‐treatment‐weighted (IPTW) cause‐specific hazards regression models were used to compare outcomes between patients who were new users of RAASi, amlodipine, or thiazides.

Results

Our cohort included 16,504 antihypertensive users (RAASi, n = 9574; amlodipine, n = 5049; thiazide, n = 1881). Mean age was 83.5 years (± 8.2), 70.6% were female, and 17.2% were non‐white race. During a mean follow‐up of 5.3 months, 326 patients (2.0%) experienced an injurious fall, 1590 (9.6%) experienced MACE, and 2123 patients (12.9%) died. The intention‐to‐treat IPTW hazard ratio (HR) for injurious falls for amlodipine (vs RAASi) use was 0.85 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66–1.08) and for thiazides (vs RAASi) was 1.22 (95% CI 0.88–1.66). The rates of MACE were similar between those taking anti‐hypertensive medications. Thiazides were discontinued more often than other classes; however, inferences were largely unchanged in as‐treated analyses. Subgroup analyses were generally consistent.

Conclusions

Older adults with limited life expectancy experience similar rates of injurious falls and short‐term cardiovascular events after initiating any of the first‐line antihypertensive medications.
The mediating and moderating role of recovery experience between occupational stress and turnover intention in nurses caring for patients with COVID‐19
Authors: Lee Junghoon , Kim Junekyu , Lim Hong‐A , Song Yeoungsuk
Published: December 2023

Aim

This study aimed to investigate the relationships among occupational stress, recovery experience and turnover intention among nurses caring for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19).

Background

The high turnover intention among nurses affect patient safety quality of patient care.

Design

The cross‐sectional study design was used. This study was guided by STROBE.

Methods

Convenience sampling identified 202 registered nurses working in the COVID‐19 wards of three tertiary general hospitals in two cities in South Korea. The collected data were analysed using SPSS version 26.0, and the PROCESS macro in SPSS was employed to estimate path coefficients and assess the adequacy of the model. The moderating effects of recovery experience on the pathway in which occupational stress of the participants affects turnover intention were verified using model 1 of the SPSS PROCESS macro proposed by Hayes.

Results

The recovery experience did not significantly mediate the relationship between occupational stress and turnover intention. However, it had significant moderating effect on the relationship between occupational stress and turnover intention (β = .005, 95% CI [.001, .010]). The effect of occupational stress on turnover intention was dependent on recovery experience.

Conclusion

The results revealed that occupational stress among nurses caring for patients with COVID‐19 affect the turnover intention and the level of recovery experience moderates this relationship. Thus, not only during the COVID‐19 pandemic but also during challenging times of various infectious disease outbreaks, hospitals can enhance the health and well‐being of nurses and promote the retention of nursing staff.

Implications for the profession

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, nurses have been exposed to understaffing and overwhelming workloads. However, policies for nurses' welfare and benefits are still insufficient, even as the pandemic comes to an end. The results of this study indicate that sufficient rest and appropriate nursing personnel are of utmost importance to nurses.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.
The link between economic growth and emigration from developing countries: Does migrants' skill composition matter?
Authors: Lanati Mauro , Thiele Rainer
Published: December 2023

Tackling the root causes of migration from developing countries through development cooperation has been suggested as an essential part of the policy mix in OECD migrant destinations. This is even though the evidence on whether economic development leads to more or less people emigrating is so far inconclusive. We investigate the relationship between income per capita and emigration to OECD countries separately for three different skill groups—low‐skilled, medium‐skilled and high‐skilled emigrants—being the first to employ panel regression approaches that account for cross‐country heterogeneity and cover a policy‐relevant time frame of about 5 years. Our findings reveal a universal negative association between income per capita and emigration for all three skill groups and for different income thresholds. This implies that policy makers should not be too concerned about potential trade‐offs between (successful) development cooperation and immigration management, at least in the short to medium run that our analysis covers. At the same time, the scope for using development cooperation as a migration policy instrument can be considered to be limited given the modest size of the estimated income effect: Taking our point estimates at face value, a 10% rise in GDP per capita would on average lead to about 3600 fewer immigrants per destination.
Barriers to appropriate complementary feeding and the use of ultra‐processed foods: A formative qualitative study from rural Oromia, Ethiopia
Authors: Tadesse Elazar , Abdirahman Ibrahim , Letta Shiferaw , Kirby Miles , Mamo Tigist , Metaferia Henok , Oranga Beryl , Leight Jessica
Published: December 2023

Children's consumption of ultra‐processed foods (UPF) is increasing in Ethiopia, but relatively little is known about the specific feeding practices that underlie this pattern. The objective of this study was to explore patterns of consumption of UPF by infants and young children within a broader context of inappropriate complementary feeding practices in extremely poor households in rural Oromia, Eastern Ethiopia. A formative qualitative study was conducted using semistructured interview questionnaires developed drawing on a socioecological model. A total of 16 focus group discussions with mothers (45 respondents), fathers (21 respondents) and grandmothers (23 respondents) of children aged 6–23 months in households that were beneficiaries of the Productive Safety Net Program were conducted, along with four key informant interviews with health workers. Qualitative transcripts were complemented with field notes before qualitative content analysis was applied. The key findings suggest that UPF were widely provided to infants and young children as part of a pattern of suboptimal complementary feeding, including both early and late initiation of complementary foods. In particular, UPF (including juice, biscuits and lipid‐based nutrient supplements) were diluted with or dissolved in water and fed to infants via bottle, often before the recommended age of initiation of 6 months. Mothers and caregivers reported that they perceived the products to be affordably priced and packaged, ready to use and convenient given their time constraints. The level of consumption of UPF and its effects on infant and young child feeding feeding practices and children's nutritional status in rural Ethiopia should be further explored.
Damage scenario analysis of bridges using crowdsourced smartphone data from passing vehicles
Authors: Sitton Jase D. , Rajan Dinesh , Story Brett A.
Published: December 2023

Bridge wear and deterioration occur over time under typical operations. Inspections can be resource intensive, infrequent, and sometimes require bridge closure. Instrumented passing vehicles may be used to record vibration responses and extract damage‐sensitive bridge frequency response characteristics. This paper presents a methodology for extracting bridge frequencies from crowdsourced dynamic response data recorded within passing vehicles. Detected bridge frequency changes and a novel point cloud methodology are used to identify critical damage scenarios and estimate remaining life. The use of a novel crowdsourced Welch methodology allows for spectra averaging that reduces the influence of noise and transient events. Numerical and experimental studies illustrate that bridge frequencies can be accurately estimated and that changes in bridge frequency caused by different damage scenarios can be characterized. Numerical examples for the damage scenario analysis, including estimation of remaining life, are provided for two bridge types and three specific damage scenarios.
Jurinea stenocarpa (Asteraceae, Cardueae), a new species from the north‐west of Iran
Authors: Mirtadzadini Mansour , Bordbar Firouzeh , Bidarlord Mahmoud
Published: December 2023

Jurinea stenocarpa, is described as a new species based on morphological characters. This species is a mountainous Irano‐Turanian element distributed in the north‐west of Iran, –the Azarbaijan region. Specimens of this species were collected from Aqdagh (type location) and Talesh Mountains in Ardabil Province, Pir‐Saqqa Mountain in Eastern Azarbaijan Province. The taxonomic position of the new species is assessed using sequence data from the nuclear ribosomal ITS region, and the findings are discussed based on a morphological background as well. The new species is morphologically close to its sympatric species, J. heterophylla by having linear‐lanceolate simple and more or less entire leaves, but differs mostly in the form of inflorescence and shape and status of phyllaries. The new species also has similarities to its allopatric species J. monocephala, mainly by having semi‐globose involucre and scapose stems, but differs in plant indumentum, the shape of phyllaries and features of achenes and size of pappus rays. Description, photos and a distribution map for the new species and closely related species are presented.
The optimal combination of pastoral activities and wildlife conservation in the Serengeti ecosystem
Authors: Kibira Gerald , Muchapondwa Edwin , Ntuli Herbert
Published: December 2023

There is competition for land between Maasai pastoralists and the park agency in the Serengeti ecosystem. The park agency wants to use the land for wildlife conservation while the pastoralist community wants to use it for livestock grazing. Predatory wildlife kills livestock while herbivorous wildlife competes with livestock for water and grazing. In retaliation, the Maasai hunt predators and grazers to protect their livestock and also to supply the black market for wildlife products. With both the Maasai and animal populations growing, increased conflicts are inevitable. This paper develops a bioeconomic model with three animal species to analyse the optimal combination of pastoral activities and wildlife conservation in the Serengeti ecosystem. Using Pontryagin's maximum principle, the market problem for each agent is optimized and compared to the social planner's outcome. Results show that the market solutions are suboptimal because of negative externalities affecting both agents and inadequate regard to biodiversity conservation values. Mathematical simulations of the bioeconomic model are used to generate a solution in which the Maasai pastoralists and park agency can optimally share the land for their mutual benefit. The policy implication is that the government should establish an independent regulatory institution with a primary mandate of balancing the contested socioeconomic and ecological needs of stakeholders in prime ecosystems such as the Serengeti.
Evolution of dispersal and the maintenance of fragmented metapopulations
Authors: Finand Basile , Monnin Thibaud , Loeuille Nicolas
Published: December 2023

Because it affects dispersal risk and modifies competition levels, habitat fragmentation directly constrains dispersal evolution. When dispersal is traded off against competitive ability, increased fragmentation is often expected to select higher dispersal. Such evolutionary effects could favor the maintenance of the metapopulation by fostering spatial rescue effects. Using an evolutionary model, we first investigate how dispersal evolves in a metapopulation when fragmentation and aggregation of this fragmentation are fixed. Our results suggest that high fragmentation indeed selects for dispersal increase, but this effect is largely reduced in aggregated landscapes, to the point of being nonexistent at the highest aggregation levels. Contrasted dispersal strategies coexist at high fragmentation levels and with no or low aggregation. We then simulate time‐varying fragmentation scenarios to investigate the conditions under which evolutionary rescue of the metapopulation happens. Faster evolution of dispersal favors the persistence of the metapopulation, but this effect is very reduced in aggregated landscapes. Overall, our results highlight how the speed of evolution of dispersal and the structuration of the fragmentation will largely constrain metapopulation survival in changing environments.
Uncovering a phylogenetic signal in plant biopolymer chemistry: a comparison of sporopollenin isolation approaches for use in palynological research
Authors: Jardine Phillip E. , Kent Matthew S. , Fraser Wesley T. , Knorr Klaus‐Holger , Lomax Barry H.
Published: December 2023

Sporomorphs (pollen and spores) are a mainstay of research into past vegetation, and increasingly sporomorph chemistry is being used as a palaeoecological tool. To make extant sporomorphs directly comparable to fossil specimens, fresh material is processed to remove labile compounds and isolate the sporopollenin wall. A range of processing approaches are currently in use, but the chemistries produced by these different techniques have not yet been compared across a range of taxa. It is therefore not clear how they compare in terms of efficiently isolating sporopollenin without changing its chemical structure, and what impact they have on relative chemical similarities and differences among taxa (i.e. whether more closely related species will always appear chemically more similar, regardless of how they have been processed). Here, we test this by applying five different processing approaches to sporomorphs from 15 taxa from across the vascular plant phylogeny. We show that each approach has its own idiosyncrasies in terms of impacts on sporomorph chemistry. For the most part a common pattern of among‐taxon chemical variability is uncovered, and a phylogenetic signal within sporopollenin chemistry is supported. Working with spectral derivatives generally increases agreement among the different processing approaches, but decreases the strength of the phylogenetic signal. No one processing approach is ideal, and the choice of which to use is likely to depend on the goal of the study, the type and quantity of material being processed, and the laboratory facilities available for processing.
Restoration conundrum: between nostalgia and futuralgia, moving beyond the reference state
Authors: Reyes‐Aldana Hugo E.
Published: December 2023

Returning to the pristine reference state is a primary goal of ecosystem restoration. However, the concept has faced criticism due to its unrealistic nature and limited ability to address contemporary challenges. This article explores some flaws of the pristine reference state concept and proposes overcoming nostalgia for former ecosystem conditions. Adhering to the pristine reference state can provoke a feeling of futuralgia, sorrow for a lost future, and missed opportunities for ecological integrity. Balancing nostalgia and futuralgia requires fostering inclusive decision‐making processes and promoting the long‐term success of ecosystem restoration initiatives.
The impact of multifactorial stress combination on reproductive tissues and grain yield of a crop plant
Authors: Peláez‐Vico María Ángeles , Sinha Ranjita , Induri Sai Preethi , Lyu Zhen , Venigalla Sai Darahas , Vasireddy Dinesh , Singh Pallav , Immadi Manish Sridhar , Pascual Lidia S. , Shostak Benjamin , Mendoza‐Cózatl David , Joshi Trupti , Fritschi Felix B. , Zandalinas Sara I. , Mittler Ron
Published: December 2023

Global warming, climate change, and industrial pollution are altering our environment subjecting plants, microbiomes, and ecosystems to an increasing number and complexity of abiotic stress conditions, concurrently or sequentially. These conditions, termed, “multifactorial stress combination” (MFSC), can cause a significant decline in plant growth and survival. However, the impacts of MFSC on reproductive tissues and yield of major crop plants are largely unknown. We subjected soybean (Glycine max) plants to a MFSC of up to five different stresses (water deficit, salinity, low phosphate, acidity, and cadmium), in an increasing level of complexity, and conducted integrative transcriptomic‐phenotypic analysis of their reproductive and vegetative tissues. We reveal that MFSC has a negative cumulative effect on soybean yield, that each set of MFSC condition elicits a unique transcriptomic response (that is different between flowers and leaves), and that selected genes expressed in leaves or flowers of soybean are linked to the effects of MFSC on different vegetative, physiological, and/or reproductive parameters. Our study identified networks and pathways associated with reactive oxygen species, ascorbic acid and aldarate, and iron/copper signaling/metabolism as promising targets for future biotechnological efforts to augment the resilience of reproductive tissues of major crop plants to MFSC. In addition, we provide unique phenotypic and transcriptomic datasets for dissecting the mechanistic effects of MFSC on the vegetative, physiological, and reproductive processes of a crop plant.
Virtual platelet cross‐matching as transfusion management for patients with immune platelet refractoriness
Authors: Bonet‐Bub Carolina , Blanco Bruna Paccola , de Oliveira Thais Carvalho , Sampaio Tamiris Baptista , Gomes Itala , de Freitas Dutra Valeria , Costa Thiago Henrique , Kutner José Mauro
Published: December 2023

Background and Objectives

This study describes the use of the Epvix platform for virtual cross‐matching (VC) of human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐compatible platelets for patients with immune platelet refractoriness, and demonstrates effectiveness of the selected platelets.

Materials and Methods

A prospective cohort of haematological patients was evaluated from 2018 to 2022. HLA‐typed donor bank profile was previously uploaded to the Epvix platform. Each patient's antibody reactivity panel (PRA) was included in the platform. Then, search, selection and VC were performed, and 24‐h‐corrected count increment (CCI) platelet transfusion was calculated (reference ≥2500).

Results

Six patients were included (four female, two male), with mean age of 61 years. HLA antibodies were detected as the cause of immunity for all patients, whereas four patients also had non‐immune causes. High percentage of alloimmunization was detected in all studied patients (mean PRA: 85.7%). Thirty different donors were able to schedule and perform platelet donations. The mean 24‐h CCI count was 9882. All platelet transfusions achieved a satisfactory CCI count except for two transfusion events. Presence of non‐immune causes identified in these two cases could account for the unsatisfactory CCI.

Conclusion

Epvix is a free application hosted on the Web and uses the HLAMatchmaker algorithm to generate histocompatibility reports. This study demonstrates the efficiency of VC performed by Epvix. However, physical cross‐matching will still be necessary in some instances, as the platform does not support human platelet antigen polymorphism.
Transcurrir de adolescentes durante la pandemia: vivencias y resiliencia
Authors: Castillo Garavito Alejandro , Ojeda Pineda Danna Alejandra , Dimas Lozano David Santiago , Barbosa Martínez Isabela , Rodríguez Sánchez Sarah Juliana , Gómez Padilla Tomás Daniel
Published: December 2023

Seis adolescentes líderes nos acercan a la experiencia, en términos de salud mental, de más de setenta jóvenes colombianos durante la pandemia por COVID-19. Sus anhelos, dificultades, transformaciones y perspectivas son relatadas y retratadas en las páginas de este libro. Las diferentes estrategias con las que enfrentaron el estrés emocional, provocado por la actual crisis sanitaria, evidencian la resiliencia de la juventud colombiana. Cada relato y fotografía nos invita a ampliar nuestra perspectiva y a generar empatía con las diferentes experiencias de vida.
Analysis of the Multiphase Flow With Condensation in the Two-Phase Ejector Condenser Using Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling
Authors: Kuś Tomasz , Madejski Paweł
Published: December 2023

The liquid-driven two-phase ejector condenser is the object of the numerical investigation. The spray-ejector condenser is one of the critical components of the developed gas power plant with negative CO2 emission. The task of the ejector is to entrain exhaust gas and condense steam contained in it. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling allows analyzing complex phenomena and predicting the influence of a wide range of operating parameters on the local structure of the multiphase flow with condensation. The geometrical model of the ejector was designed to provide efficient steam condensation and generate sub-pressure region at the gas inlet. The 2D, axisymmetric CFD model was created using simcenter star ccm+ software. The multiphase mixture model was used to take into account two-phase flow. Turbulent flow was computed using k–ω SST model. Direct contact condensation of steam was calculated using two different approaches: the Spalding/evaporation model and the thermally-driven boiling/condensation model. The influence of various gas inlet velocities and the presence of CO2 on the operation of the ejector condenser were investigated based on scalar fields and charts representing changes in the most important variables along the flow path. The condensation is the most intense in the suction chamber. The boiling/condensation model predicts lower suction pressure and higher condensation effectivity than Spalding/evaporation model. The CO2 considerably affects the pressure and temperature distributions and reduces the condensation rate.
Effect of Flocks of Anseriform Birds on Seston and Phytoplankton in Lakes of the Taimyr Peninsula
Authors: Gladyshev M. I. , Rosenfeld S. B. , Anufrieva T. N. , Kirtaev G. V. , Kravchuk E. S. , Ryabitsev A. V. , Kolmakova A. A. , Ivanova E. A. , Anishchenko O. V.
Published: December 2023

The effect of molting anseriform birds on the structure and elemental composition of phytoplankton (seston) has been assessed in 20 Arctic lakes of the Taimyr Peninsula. In lakes (part of the lake) inhabited by ~50–700 birds of six species, the average stoichiometric ratio N : P (mol : mol) was statistically significantly lower than in lakes without anseriforms: 15.8 ± 1.4 and 22.4 ± 2.7, respectively. There was also a tendency of higher average specific electrical conductivity in the lakes with the birds, 113 ± 32 µS/cm, when compared with those without anseriforms, 60 ± 18 µS/cm. The differences could be explained with high probability by the effect of guanotrophication, namely, by a flow in water of metabolites of molting anseriforms. The total biomass of phytoplankton and proportions of algal taxa and cyanobacteria in the total biomass did not differ statistically significantly in lakes with and without molting anseriforms. Therefore, under guanotrophication, the main threat of eutrophication was absent: an increase of biomass of cyanobacteria, causing the nuisance “bloom” of water. Moreover, an opposite tendency occured: in lakes with molting anseriforms, the proportion of cyanobacteria in total biomass of phytoplankton was on average lower than that in lakes without the birds, 16.2 ± 5.3% and 30.8 ± 9.3%, respectively. Thus, a hypothesis was confirmed that artificial guanotrophication should be regarded as a suitable ecotechnology for the increase of productivity of oligotrophic Arctic lakes.
An empirical equation predicting the saturated hydraulic conductivity of tailings
Authors: Fan Jiying , Rowe R. Kerry
Published: December 2023

Three hundred and twenty-four data points on the saturated hydraulic conductivity ( k) of various hard rock mine tailings are collected from previous publications. The applicability of existing empirical equations for hard rock mine tailings is assessed based on this database collected. Results show that with a greater exponent of d10, the correlation between the measured and predicted k is greatly improved. An empirically modified version of the Kozeny–Carman equation is then proposed for predicting the saturated k of tailings and compared with the database. The proposed equation gives the best fit with a varying exponent greater than 2 for d10. Finally, the impact of particle shape on k is discussed.
Assessing the influence of simulated ice storm-induced crown damage on nonstructural carbohydrates, wound closure, and radial growth of maple trees
Authors: Schaberg Paul G. , Hansen Christopher F. , Murakami Paula F. , Hawley Gary J. , Campbell John L. , Rustad Lindsey E.
Published: December 2023

We evaluated shoot nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations, stem wound closure, and radial growth of sugar maple ( Acer saccharum Marsh.) and red maple ( Acer rubrum L.) trees in a novel ice storm experiment in which five storm treatments (0, 6.4, 12.7, and 19.1 mm of radial ice accretion in 1 year and 12.7 mm of ice in two consecutive years) were applied within a mature northern hardwood forest. We tested for changes in physiology at two levels: (1) associated with plot-level ice treatments and (2) with crown damage classes of individual trees. Few differences in NSC or wound closure associated with treatment were found. Growth decreased for red maple in the medium and high treatments and sugar maple in the high treatment but no other treatments. Changes in physiology were more evident when assessed using crown damage classes. Two NSC components were elevated in sugar and red maples with high (≥50%) crown damage. Wound closure was less for red maples with high damage, and separation among damage classes was even greater for sugar maple. Red maples with moderate (<50%) and high crown damage showed gradually declining growth, whereas sugar maples with high damage showed ∼80% reduction in growth the first year after injury.
EMS: 3D Eyebrow Modeling from Single-View Images
Authors: Li Chenghong , Jin Leyang , Zheng Yujian , Yu Yizhou , Han Xiaoguang
Published: December 2023

Eyebrows play a critical role in facial expression and appearance. Although the 3D digitization of faces is well explored, less attention has been drawn to 3D eyebrow modeling. In this work, we propose EMS, the first learning-based framework for single-view 3D eyebrow reconstruction. Following the methods of scalp hair reconstruction, we also represent the eyebrow as a set of fiber curves and convert the reconstruction to fibers growing problem. Three modules are then carefully designed:
RootFinder
firstly localizes the fiber root positions which indicate where to grow;
OriPredictor
predicts an orientation field in the 3D space to guide the growing of fibers;
FiberEnder
is designed to determine when to stop the growth of each fiber. Our
OriPredictor
directly borrows the method used in hair reconstruction. Considering the differences between hair and eyebrows, both
RootFinder
and
FiberEnder
are newly proposed. Specifically, to cope with the challenge that the root location is severely occluded, we formulate root localization as a density map estimation task. Given the predicted density map, a density-based clustering method is further used for finding the roots. For each fiber, the growth starts from the root point and moves step by step until the ending, where each step is defined as an oriented line segment with a constant length according to the predicted orientation field. To determine when to end, a pixel-aligned RNN architecture is designed to form a binary classifier, which outputs stop or not for each growing step. To support the training of all proposed networks, we build the first 3D synthetic eyebrow dataset that contains 400 high-quality eyebrow models manually created by artists. Extensive experiments have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed
EMS
pipeline on a variety of different eyebrow styles and lengths, ranging from short and sparse to long bushy eyebrows.
Neural Metamaterial Networks for Nonlinear Material Design
Authors: Li Yue , Coros Stelian , Thomaszewski Bernhard
Published: December 2023

Nonlinear metamaterials with tailored mechanical properties have applications in engineering, medicine, robotics, and beyond. While modeling their macromechanical behavior is challenging in itself, finding structure parameters that lead to ideal approximation of high-level performance goals is a challenging task. In this work, we propose Neural Metamaterial Networks (NMN)---smooth neural representations that encode the nonlinear mechanics of entire metamaterial families. Given structure parameters as input, NMN return continuously differentiable strain energy density functions, thus guaranteeing conservative forces by construction. Though trained on simulation data, NMN do not inherit the discontinuities resulting from topo-logical changes in finite element meshes. They instead provide a smooth map from parameter to performance space that is fully differentiable and thus well-suited for gradient-based optimization. On this basis, we formulate inverse material design as a nonlinear programming problem that leverages neural networks for both objective functions and constraints. We use this approach to automatically design materials with desired strain-stress curves, prescribed directional stiffness and Poisson ratio profiles. We furthermore conduct ablation studies on network nonlinearities and show the advantages of our approach compared to native-scale optimization.