bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genome assembly composition of the String “ACGT” array: a review of data structure accuracy and performance challenges
Authors: Magdy Mohamed Abdelaziz Barakat Sherif , Sallehuddin Roselina , Yuhaniz Siti Sophiayati , R. Khairuddin Raja Farhana , Mahmood Yasir
Published: July 2023

Background

The development of sequencing technology increases the number of genomes being sequenced. However, obtaining a quality genome sequence remains a challenge in genome assembly by assembling a massive number of short strings (reads) with the presence of repetitive sequences (repeats). Computer algorithms for genome assembly construct the entire genome from reads in two approaches. The de novo approach concatenates the reads based on the exact match between their suffix-prefix (overlapping). Reference-guided approach orders the reads based on their offsets in a well-known reference genome (reads alignment). The presence of repeats extends the technical ambiguity, making the algorithm unable to distinguish the reads resulting in misassembly and affecting the assembly approach accuracy. On the other hand, the massive number of reads causes a big assembly performance challenge.

Method

The repeat identification method was introduced for misassembly by prior identification of repetitive sequences, creating a repeat knowledge base to reduce ambiguity during the assembly process, thus enhancing the accuracy of the assembled genome. Also, hybridization between assembly approaches resulted in a lower misassembly degree with the aid of the reference genome. The assembly performance is optimized through data structure indexing and parallelization. This article’s primary aim and contribution are to support the researchers through an extensive review to ease other researchers’ search for genome assembly studies. The study also, highlighted the most recent developments and limitations in genome assembly accuracy and performance optimization.

Results

Our findings show the limitations of the repeat identification methods available, which only allow to detect of specific lengths of the repeat, and may not perform well when various types of repeats are present in a genome. We also found that most of the hybrid assembly approaches, either starting with de novo or reference-guided, have some limitations in handling repetitive sequences as it is more computationally costly and time intensive. Although the hybrid approach was found to outperform individual assembly approaches, optimizing its performance remains a challenge. Also, the usage of parallelization in overlapping and reads alignment for genome assembly is yet to be fully implemented in the hybrid assembly approach.

Conclusion

We suggest combining multiple repeat identification methods to enhance the accuracy of identifying the repeats as an initial step to the hybrid assembly approach and combining genome indexing with parallelization for better optimization of its performance.
Fenómeno migratorio en campamentos
Authors: Anderson Ray , Dastres Paula , Vergara Florencia , Silva Ignacio , Zúñiga Pérez Paz María , Palacios Pía
Published: July 2023

El número de familias viviendo en campamentos ha aumentado significativamente entre los años 2018 y 2020. A su vez, la migración se ha convertido en un tema relevante en la discusión pública, ya que muchas familias llegan anualmente a Chile en busca de nuevas oportunidades. Esta investigación de carácter interdisciplinario, que combina un análisis de políticas públicas con un modelo Probit, sostiene que el actual Programa de Asentamientos Precarios no ha intervenido de manera exitosa en los campamentos que tienen mayor probabilidad de recibir a familias migrantes. El estudio concluye que estas familias tienden a establecerse en campamentos que presentan características opuestas a aquellos asentamientos que el Programa ha logrado gestionar de forma satisfactoria.
geração de valor econômico por empresas brasileiras de médio porte e seus segmentos de atuação
Authors: Borges André Luís Mastrocola , Junior Tabajara Pimenta , Gaio Luiz Eduardo , Lima Fabiano Guasti
Published: July 2023

O objetivo deste trabalho foi buscar respostas para duas perguntas: (i) Empresas brasileiras de médio porte bem-sucedidas (com mais de dez anos de atividade) são geradoras de valor econômico? (ii) A geração de valor econômico ocorre de maneira diferente de acordo com o segmento de atuação (indústria, comércio e serviços)? Foram explorados dados de 90 empresas para calcular o valor econômico adicionado (EVA – Economic Value Added) a cada ano, para os últimos quatro exercícios que precederam a crise da Covid-19 (anos de 2016 a 2019). Sobre os 360 valores de EVA calculados foi feita uma análise das estatísticas descritivas das distribuições, bem como a aplicação do Teste ANOVA, combinado com o Teste F, para detectar diferenças entre os valores médios de EVA entre os segmentos de atuação das empresas. Os resultados mostraram indícios de que, em geral, as empresas são destruidoras de valor econômico, as empresas de serviços têm relativa maior capacidade de geração de valor, e que não há diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre as médias dos valores de EVA gerados pelas empresas dos três diferentes segmentos de atuação. O principal elemento inovador deste estudo é o foco em empresas de médio porte. São praticamente inexistentes os estudos científicos sobre geração de valor por empresas desta categoria.
Public governance and control of corruption: what empirical research depicts about governance in the tourism sector
Authors: Franklin Luiza Amália Soares , Lauriano Nayara Gonçalves , Fraga Brendow de Oliveira , Santos Nálbia de Araújo , De Lima Marília Cláudia Oliveira Paes
Published: July 2023

The present article aims to survey practices and mechanisms of public governance that can be directed toward preventing and monitoring corruption cases. However, the research is based on the tourism sector, which has been receiving increasing attention from policymakers. In particular, the study focuses on the results of empirical research conducted in the Brazilian context. To this end, a literature review was conducted in Brazilian scientific productions in the field of tourism, and it was carried out a descriptive and content analysis of the closed grid categorical type, whose categories were delimited considering the literature on public governance and control of corruption. In terms of literature, it was evidenced the recent nature of governance mechanisms in the tourism domain; the existence of few studies analyzing these mechanisms as ways to mitigate corruption in tourism; and the incipiency of empirical evidence on corruption in the public context of the tourism sector.
Integration of information and communication technologies in management education: a path for success
Authors: Rani Ridhi , Sable Anita , Srinivas Ved , Prasad KDV
Published: July 2023

We are in VUCA environment, a highly competitive environment, with distributed access to resources. The talented HR can give requisite  which could provide the requisite cutting edge services to organizations to flourish.  This calls for producing business management graduates who could efficiently handle the next  century challenges. To achieve this,  revolutionary pedagogical changes have to be made in terms of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) that would come in handy for improving the quality of imparting of management education in general and learning in particular. Many surveys conducted by industry associations like FICCI, CII and Aspiring Minds has pointed out that employability of business management graduates is the major issue. Hence any initiative, such as ICT as a pedagogical change will go a long way in solving this problem apart from enabling the youngsters to contribute to the Gross Domestic product (GDP). This paper aims at examining the role of ICT in improving the quality of management education. It further explores to find whether ICT enabled education enhances the learning experience and provides new skill sets to the students. Design /methodology – This study critically examines the role of ICT in Management education which is based on literature and document review. It has covered educational reports, empirical and theoretical research and various articles.  Originality/Value- This is mainly an analytical study by exploring the secondary sources and reviewing documents including the experience of few institutes in the field of management education to make out a case for effective use of ICT.
Role of Iron Deficiency Anaemia in First Febrile Seizures in Six Months to Six Years of Age at a Tertiary Care Hospital, Southern India
Authors: Kumari Kunche Satya , Indira P , Deepthi Isukapti Chaitanya , Ketireddi Dinendraram , Manogna G
Published: July 2023

Introduction: Febrile Seizures (FS) are the most common neurological disorders among infants and young children, occurring in 2%-5% of children younger than five years of age. Iron deficiency is reported as a commonest micronutrient deficiency, that has been associated with FS. Aim: To find out the cause of fever and the role of Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) and its outcome in first FS in six months to six years of age. Materials and Methods: This was a hospital-based prospective observationa study, conducted in the Department of Paediatrics at King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. The duration of the study was one year and seven months, from December 2019 to July 2021. A total of 130 children (six months- six years) were included in the study. A total of 65 cases had a febrile seizure and the rest 65 controls had a history of Febrile Illness (FI) without seizures. Anaemia was defined as the decrease of Haemoglobin (Hb)<11 gm%. Among the Red Blood Cells (RBC) indices Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) <70 femtoliters (fl), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH) <27 picograms (pg), plasma ferritin<12 µg/dL, and serum ferrous<60 µg/dL, Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) >450 µg/ dL, transferrin<250 mg. Discrete variables are expressed as counts (%) and compared using the Chi-square test, quantitative variables were expressed as mean and Standard Deviation (SD) and compared using t-test. and Statistical significance was set at p-value<0.05. Analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. Results: The mean age of the study participants (cases) was 2.57±1.5 years for cases and 2.56±1.35 years for controls. In the present study, male:female ratio was 1.24:1. In the present study, positive family history of seizures is an important risk factor for FS. The observations came 43 (66.2%) cases were IDA with FS 22 (33.8%) cases, were, with only FS 23 (35.4%) of controls were, with IDA and FI 42 (64.6%) of controls with the FI, which is statistically significant, p-value=0.001. Conclusion: IDA is one of the major risk factors for FS in the paediatric age group. Early identification and treatment of iron deficiency may prove helpful in preventing FS in paediatric patient.
A Study on Impact of Information and Communication Technology on Farmer's Knowledge and Adoption on Potato Production Technologies in Jaunpur District of Uttar Pradesh, India
Authors: Singh Mansi , Jahanara
Published: July 2023

The study was conducted in Jalalpur block of Jaunpur district (U.P.) selected purposively. A sample size of 120 farmers was selected through proportionate random sampling technique from five villages on the basis of land holding. The interview schedule was developed keeping in view the objective and variable sunder study and respondents were contacted personally for data collection. The mean, standard deviation, percentage, correlation were used for calculation and Drawing the inferences. The study depicted that a highest number of respondents (49.16%) was found middle age i.e. 40 to 60 year. The majority of the respondents (87.50%) were found as literate, (51.67%) of the respondents belonged to other backward class and dominance of family type was joint family system(67.50%), majority of the respondents had puccka houses (50.83%), (34.16%) of farmers were found having the size of land holding 2 to 4 ha. i.e. middle farmers. Most of the family (69.16%) reported agriculture (farming) as their main occupation and having annual income up to Rs. 2.0 lakh -3.0 lakh (40.00%). And social precipitation (45.83%) of the respondents had member of one organization. The extension contact was observed highest with Gram Pradhan under mass media information source, overall material possession of the respondents was found medium level material possession. Scientific orientation and economic motivation were found medium level with (42.50) and (48.33%) respectively. Most of the respondents had medium level of knowledge about ICTs tools (48.34%), adoption about potato production practices respondents had 40.0% fair knowledge Adoption extent of potato production practices in three categories viz .high ,medium and low. The variable like education and family annual income (lakh) were found positive and highly significant correlation with knowledge level of ICTs tools regarding potato production practices in agricultural development. The variables i.e. education and occupation were found positive and highly significant correlation with knowledge and utilization towards ICT stools. The major constraints faced by the farmers in getting knowledge about Information and Communication Technology were ‘Insufficient knowledge about ICT stools’ ‘Lack of commitment by officials for ICT stools’ ‘Lack of conviction’ ‘Perceived malpractices at different level ’and other constraints too.
Consumption Pattern and Competitors’ Analysis of Diced Cheese in Anand and Vadodara Cities of Gujarat, India
Authors: Baruri Sukanya , Vahoniya Dilip R. , Prajapati Mahesh R. , Rajwadi Alvira
Published: July 2023

Background: The dairy industry is an important sector in the global food industry, offering various essential products like milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and ice cream. These products are widely consumed for their nutritional benefits, taste, and versatility in cooking. Diced cheese has become a popular culinary ingredient due to its convenience and versatility. It is appreciated for its ease of use and the various ways it can be used in cooking. With pre-cut small pieces, diced cheese eliminates the need for slicing or grating, saving valuable time in the kitchen. Overall, diced cheese is a time-saving and convenient option for home cooks and chefs alike.

Methods: This study aimed to understand consumption patterns for diced cheese in the cities of Anand and Vadodara, Gujarat, India. The research design involved descriptive research using non-probability convenience sampling. Data were collected from 120 consumers through a semi-structured schedule and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS software.

Findings: The findings revealed that the majority of consumers were male, primarily belonging to the age group of 21-30 years. Nuclear families were the most common family type in both cities. The results also highlighted that a significant percentage of the population was unaware of diced cheese, with social media being the primary source of information. A portion of the respondents had not purchased diced cheese, suggesting a potential growth opportunity for the product in the market. Taste, price, and availability were identified as important factors influencing purchase decisions.
Treating Bipolar Disorder Is Notoriously Difficult, but Research Underway Could Lead to New Options
Authors: Suran Melissa
Published: July 2023

This Medical News article discusses the difficulties of studying, diagnosing, and treating bipolar disorder and new research initiatives to improve diagnostic tests and treatments.
Integrating Medicare and Medicaid Coverage for Dual Eligibles—Recommendations for Reform
Authors: Roberts Eric T. , Johnston Kenton J. , Figueroa Jose F.
Published: July 2023

This Viewpoint highlights costly inefficiencies in delivery of care to patients who qualify to receive both Medicare and Medicaid and proposes more effective care models.
Selective proteasome degradation of C‐terminally‐truncated human WFS1 in pancreatic beta cells
Authors: Tokuma Hiraku , Sakano Daisuke , Tanabe Katsuya , Tanizawa Yukio , Shiraki Nobuaki , Kume Shoen
Published: July 2023

Wolfram syndrome is a monogenic disease mainly caused by mutations in the WFS1 gene. Mutations in the WFS1 gene give rise to diabetes. Here, we characterized mutant WFS1 proteins by studying the stability of full‐length wild‐type (WT) WFS1, a missense mutant P724L, and two C‐terminally truncated mutants, W837X and Y652X. We compared their stability by overexpressing them in MIN6 and HEK293T cells. The C‐terminally truncated mutants W837X and Y652X are degraded more rapidly than the missense P724L mutant or wild‐type WFS1 in MIN6 cells. In contrast, Y652X is more stable than WT or other mutant WFS1 proteins in HEK293T. In conclusion, we found that C‐terminally truncated WFS1 mutants are selectively degraded in a cell type‐specific manner.
Advances in Insight of Radial Heterogeneous Microstructure and Its Relevance to Mechanical Properties of Polyacrylonitrile‐Based Carbon Fibers
Authors: Sun Mingming , Shao Ruiqi , Wang Wei , Ma Tianshuai , Li Tianyu , Huang Wensheng , Liu Yujia , Xue Yanling , Pei Xiaoyuan , Xu Zhiwei
Published: July 2023

Polyacrylonitrile‐based carbon fibers (CFs) have demonstrated unparalleled physical and mechanical properties and are considered a promising material for aerospace, transportation, medical devices, and other applications. However, the current understanding of the heterogeneous structure of carbon fiber is still vague, and the relationship between the heterogeneous structure and the mechanical properties of carbon fiber is also unclear. In this review, the literature on the radial heterogeneous structure of CFs is summarized from four points of view: morphological structure, physical properties and chemical structures, mechanical properties, and structural models by combining different characterization tools such as nanoindentation, nanoscale infrared spectroscopy, and synchrotron wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. First, the size and orientation of graphite microcrystalline, the degree of graphitization, density distribution, modulus distribution, chemical functional group distribution, and other physical and chemical properties of carbon fiber cross‐sectional structures are discussed. Afterward, the relationship between the mechanical properties of carbon fiber and the heterogeneous structure is analyzed. Finally, the currently accepted models of the heterogeneous structure of carbon fibers are summarized and made some suggestions for research on the heterogeneous structure of carbon fibers.
Deformation Behavior of Carbon Fiber/Al Composites with Corrugated Structure for Developing the Rolling Plate
Authors: Zou Qingchuan , Xu Changyuan , Dong Zonghui , Wu Da , An Xizhong
Published: July 2023

Herein, a rolling strategy for carbon fiber (CF)/Al composites is proposed, that is, by constructing a corrugated structure of Sn‐protected CFs ([CF@Sn]≈Al composites), to realize the cooperative extension of woven CFs with Al matrix deformation in the rolling process. The matching extension feasibility and structural optimization of (CF@Sn]≈Al composites are calculated based on the designed 3D numerical model of rolling system. The [CF@Sn]≈Al composites have successfully combined excellent mechanical properties while meeting the extension design of the CF reinforcement. Mechanical testing of the samples indicates that the tensile strength of the [CF@Sn]≈Al composites increases by 18.6% while the bending strength is more than 23.2% higher than that of the rolled Al matrix. The present work provides an effective method for developing the deformed CF/Al composites as rolling plate in lightweight applications.
Enhancing Apoptosome Assembly via Mito‐Biomimetic Lipid Nanocarrier for Cancer Therapy
Authors: Han Huijie , Chen Jie , Li Jiachen , Correia Alexandra , Bártolo Raquel , Shahbazi Mohammad‐Ali , Teesalu Tambet , Wang Shiqi , Cui Wenguo , Santos Hélder A.
Published: July 2023

Apoptosis is the natural programmed cell death process, which is responsible for abnormal cell clearance. However, many cancer cells develop various mechanisms to escape apoptosis through interrupting apoptosome assembly, which is a key step to initiate apoptosis. This promotes tumorigenesis and drug resistance, and thus, poses a great challenge in cancer treatment. Herein, a biomimetic lipid nanocarrier mimicking mitochondrial Cytochrome C (Cyt C) binding is developed. Cardiolipin, the major phospholipid of mitochondrial inner membrane, is introduced as the main component in biomimetic liposomal formulation. With the help of cardiolipin, Cyt C is sufficiently loaded in liposome based on electrostatic and hydrophobic interaction with cardiolipin. Lonidamine (LND) is added in hydrophobic phase of liposome to modulate the metabolic activity within cancer cells and sensitize the cells to Cyt C‐induced apoptosis. The results suggest that LND reduces ATP level and creates favorable environment for Cyt C induced apoptosome assembly, exhibiting higher apoptosis level and anti‐tumor efficacy in vitro and in vivo. The conjugation of a tumor‐homing peptide, LinTT1, on the nanovesicle, increases the efficacy due to enhanced tumor accumulation. Overall, this biomimetic lipid nanocarrier proves to be an efficient delivery system with great potential of pro‐apoptosis cancer therapy.
Tailoring Pressure Sensitive Adhesives with H6XDI‐PEG Diacrylate for Strong Adhesive Strength and Rapid Strain Recovery
Authors: Park Hyunok , Lim Daegyun , Lee Geonwoo , Baek Myung‐Jin , Lee Dong Woog
Published: July 2023

The development of flexible electronic technology has led to convenient devices, including foldable displays, wearable, e‐skin, and medical devices, increasing the need for flexible adhesives that can quickly recover their shape while connecting the components of the device. Conventional pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) can improve recoverability via crosslinking, but often have poor adhesive strength. In this study, new types of urethane‐based crosslinkers are synthesized using m‐xylylene diisocyanate (XDI) or 1,3‐bis(isocyanatomethyl)cyclohexane (H6XDI) as a hard segment, and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) group as a soft segment. The PSA with the synthesized H6XDI‐PEG diacrylate (HPD) demonstrates a significantly improved recoverability compared to XDI‐PEG diacrylate and a conventional crosslinker 1,6‐hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) while maintaining high adhesion strength (≈25.5 N 25 mm−1). The excellent recovery property of the PSA crosslinked with HPD is further confirmed by 100k folding tests and 10k multi‐directional stretching tests exhibiting high folding and stretching stability. PSA with HPD also shows high optical transmittance (> 90%) even after 20% straining, suggesting its applicability in fields that simultaneously require high flexibility, recoverability, and optical clarity such as foldable displays.
3D Elastomeric Stent Functionalized with Antioxidative and Perivascular Tissue Regenerative Activities Ameliorated PVT Deprivation‐Induced Vein Graft Failure
Authors: Wang Yinggang , Fu Mingdi , Xiao Weiwei , Zhao Yajing , Yuan Pingping , Zhang Xinchi , Wu Wei
Published: July 2023

Clinically, arterial injuries are always accompanied with perivascular tissue damage, which may contribute to high failure rate of vein grafts due to intimal hyperplasia and acute thrombosis. In this study, a “perivascular tissue (PVT) deprivation” animal model is constructed to mimic clinical scenarios and identify the contribution of arterial PVT to the success of vein grafts. Proteomics analysis suggests that depriving PVT may exacerbate reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐induced endothelial apoptosis by up‐regulating inflammation response and oxidative stress. Locally administering metformin on vein grafts through 3D‐printed external stent (PGS‐PCL) shows antioxidative and anti‐inflammatory properties to protect cells from ROS invasion, thereafter decreasing acute thrombosis. Moreover, metformin induce rapid regeneration of perivascular adipose tissue in recipient regions, which improves patency by inhibiting intimal hyperplasia. Proteomics, western blot, and in vitro blocking tests reveal that metformin resists endothelial apoptosis through AMPK/mTOR and NFκB signaling pathways. To conclude, PVT deprivation exacerbates inflammatory response and oxidative stress in vein grafts bridging arterial circulation. Metformin‐loaded stent ameliorates “PVT damage” related vein graft failure, and enhances patency of through resisting endothelial apoptosis and regenerating arterial PVAT, offering a promising avenue to improve the success of vein grafts in clinic.
Cu‐Catalyzed C(sp2)−H Bond Aminosulfonylation of Maleimides
Authors: Cen Kaili , Zeng Zhouting , Shen Wangzhen , Feng Yuting , Yan Pingzhi , Wei Jiahao , Hou Qian , Fu Junjie , Xia Xiaotong , Cai Jinhui
Published: July 2023

A copper‐catalyzed direct C(sp2)−H bond aminosulfonylation of maleimides is demonstrated. This protocol enables concurrent construction of C(sp2)−N and C(sp2)−SO2 bonds in one‐step and features high efficiency, broad substrate scopes, good functional‐group tolerance, and mild reaction conditions. Preliminary mechanistic studies indicate that the reaction probably involves a radical way. Significantly, this method is applicable to synthesize derivatives of pharmaceuticals such as Desloratadine, Fluoxetine, Atomoxetine, and Maprotiline.
C−C Bond Cleavage of α‐Pyridinium Amides: A Synthetic Approach to Hydantoin Structures
Authors: Takallou Ahmad , Sakhaee Nader , Lotfi Nosood Yazdanbakhsh , Al‐Shidhani Sulaiman , Al‐Siyabi Munir , Mobaraki Akbar , Anwar Muhammad U. , Al‐Harrasi Ahmed
Published: July 2023

This study reports a mild reaction‐condition approach for the direct C−C bond cleavage of amides to form hydantoin structures in the presence of 4‐methylpyridine and a base. This approach presents an amide C−C bond cleavage strategy enabling nucleophilic addition to the amide carbonyl involving a reactive spiro intermediate. A broad spectrum of pseudo peptide Ugi adducts as bifunctional starting materials was synthesized and used in this transformation. The mechanistic pathway of this reaction was investigated using experimental and theoretical studies.
Optical Fiber‐Based Gas Sensing for Early Warning of Thermal Runaway in Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Chen Xuanren , Gan Lin , Guo Xin
Published: July 2023

Owing to constantly increasing energy density and power density, thermal runaway is becoming the most dangerous event in lithium‐ion batteries, while gas sensing can provide the earliest and clearest signals for forewarning the advent of thermal runaway. However, gas‐sensing signals are not included in current battery management systems (BMSs). Especially for the challenging in‐cell sensing, gas sensing demonstrates significant advantages over out‐of‐cell sensing in the aspect of collecting signals precisely and in a timely manner. The integration of gas sensing with batteries is an important and valuable topic. In this review, the necessity and challenge of in‐cell sensing are expounded, the importance and promise of in‐cell gas sensing are highlighted, optical fiber‐based gas sensing technologies for in‐cell applications are summarized, and the engineering issues of integrating sensors with battery system are discussed. The topic of this article deserves more attention and efforts for the development of cell‐level BMSs and safe batteries in future.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation in Compatibility and Mechanical Properties of Chloroprene Rubber/Polyurethane Blends
Authors: Li Yintao , Chen Changwen , He Zhiyu , Wang Yutuo , Xiao Mengqing , Zhou Yuanlin
Published: July 2023

Five simulation models of chloroprene rubber (CR)/polyurethane (PU) with different composition ratios (9/1, 8/2, 7/3, 6/4, 5/5) are constructed and simulated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The effects of PU content on blend compatibility and mechanical properties are investigated using solubility parameters, the Flory–Huggins interaction parameter, binding energy, glass transition temperature, and the radial distribution function. The objectives of this study are to develop a computational model based on MD techniques to investigate the compatibility and mechanical properties of CR/PU blends. The results of the solubility parameter indicated that PU has good miscibility with CR. The analysis of interaction parameters, binding energy, glass transition temperature, and radial distribution function show that CR/PU blends with mass ratios of 9/1, 8/2, and 7/3 have good compatibility. Moreover, the analyses of binding energy, pair correlation function, and radial distribution function reveal the reasons for the variation in mechanical properties of the blend systems. Additionally, the correctness of the calculation model and the results are verified by experimental tests and analyses.
Carbon dioxide emissions in relation to water table in a restored fen
Authors: Wille E. Anu , Lenhart Christian F. , Kolka Randall K.
Published: July 2023

Many peatlands have been drained for anthropogenic purposes, and there is high interest in restoring them for their carbon storage ability and critical habitat. Peatlands hold a disproportionate amount of global soil carbon, making peatland restoration a promising approach for mitigating carbon emissions. In this study, site factors were investigated that affect peat carbon dioxide flux at Cold Spring fen in Minnesota, which is undergoing restoration. Peat carbon dioxide flux and water table depth were monitored throughout the growing season at two locations previously disturbed to different degrees by row‐crop agriculture. Flux ranged from 0.55 to 12.71 µmol m−2 s−1 and was highest during peak growing season. Lower flux corresponded to elevated water table conditions. The more disturbed location often had lower flux, indicating success in hydrological restoration. The water table is an important factor in peatland restoration, and water table management should be considered to maximize carbon sequestration.
Halving mineral nitrogen use in European agriculture: Insights from multi‐scale land‐use models
Authors: Lungarska Anna , Brunelle Thierry , Chakir Raja , Jayet Pierre‐Alain , Prudhomme Rémi , De Cara Stéphane , Bureau Jean‐Christophe
Published: July 2023

This paper explores the effects of a public policy that reduces by 50% the use of mineral nitrogen in European agriculture. Our results show that, for the European Union, halving mineral fertilizer use leads to: a decrease in agricultural production, a substantial increase in nitrogen use efficiency, lower use of organic fertilizer and a loss of agricultural competitiveness. At the global level, it leads to greater nitrogen consumption if no measure is taken on the demand side. Ultimately, our research highlights the critical importance of supply side adjustments, particularly in terms of cropland area expansion.
Solution‐Processable Zinc Oxide for Printed Photovoltaics: Progress, Challenges, and Prospect
Authors: Han Yunfei , Guo Jingbo , Luo Qun , Ma Chang-Qi
Published: July 2023

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a promising candidate as the electron‐transporting layer of roll‐to‐roll printed organic and perovskite solar cells (OSCs and PVSCs) because it is low cost, nontoxic, earth‐abundant, and has multiple solution‐processable routes comparable. It has been widely used in both OSCs and PVSCs for many years. With the long‐time development of the ZnO buffer layer, various synthesis, fabrication, and modification approaches have been developed. Meanwhile, several issues including light‐soaking issues, defects issues, and agglomeration issues have emerged and have been solved. In this review, the synthesis approaches of solution‐processed zinc oxide, the application in the OSCs and the PVSCs, and the typical challenges of the solution‐processed ZnO for use in the OSCs and PVSCs have been summarized. Finally, an outlook on the development of solution‐processed ZnO for the upscaling of OSCs and PVSCs is given.
A Broad Light‐Harvesting Conjugated Oligoelectrolyte Enables Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation in a Bacterial Biohybrid
Authors: Chen Zhongxin , Quek Glenn , Zhu Ji‐Yu , Chan Samuel J. W. , Cox‐Vázquez Sarah J. , Lopez‐Garcia Fernando , Bazan Guillermo C.
Published: July 2023

We report a rationally designed membrane‐intercalating conjugated oligoelectrolyte (COE), namely COE‐IC, which endows aerobic N2‐fixing bacteria Azotobacter vinelandii with a light‐harvesting ability that enables photosynthetic ammonia production. COE‐IC possesses an acceptor‐donor‐acceptor (A‐D‐A) type conjugated core, which promotes visible light absorption with a high molar extinction coefficient. Furthermore, COE‐IC spontaneously associates with A. vinelandii to form a biohybrid in which the COE is intercalated within the lipid bilayer membrane. In the presence of L‐ascorbate as a sacrificial electron donor, the resulting COE‐IC/A. vinelandii biohybrid showed a 2.4‐fold increase in light‐driven ammonia production, as compared to the control. Photoinduced enhancement of bacterial biomass and production of L‐amino acids is also observed. Introduction of isotopically enriched 15N2 atmosphere led to the enrichment of 15N‐containing intracellular metabolites, consistent with the products being generated from atmospheric N2.
Trimming Crystallizable Fragment (Fc) Glycans Enables the Direct Enzymatic Transfer of Biomacromolecules to Antibodies as Therapeutics**
Authors: Yang Yang , Song Zhentao , Tian Tian , Zhao Zihan , Chen Ji , Hu Jiangping , Jiang Xin , Yang Guoli , Xue Qi , Zhao Xinlu , Sha Wanxing , Yang Yi , Li Jie P.
Published: July 2023

Glycoengineering has provided powerful tools to construct site‐specific antibody conjugates. However, only small‐molecule payloads can be directly transferred to native or engineered antibodies using existing glycoengineering strategies. Herein, we demonstrate that reducing the complexity of crystallizable fragment (Fc) glycans could dramatically boost the chemoenzymatic modification of immunoglobulin G (IgG) via an engineered fucosyltransferase. In this platform, antibodies with Fc glycans engineered to a simple N‐acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) disaccharide are successfully conjugated to biomacromolecules, such as oligonucleotides and nanobodies, in a single step within hours. Accordingly, we synthesized an antibody‐conjugate‐based anti‐human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/ cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3) bispecific antibody and used it to selectively destroy patient‐derived cancer organoids by reactivating endogenous T lymphocyte cells (T cells) inside the organoid. Our results highlight that this platform is a general approach to construct antibody‐biomacromolecule conjugates with translational values.
The preparation of anti‐fouling dual‐layer composite membrane with embedding graphene oxide
Authors: Xu Xinyue , Wang Qian , Zhu Xue , Wu Qigang , Zheng Tao , Yuan Haoran , Zhou Zhengzhong
Published: July 2023

Fouling is one of the most challenging issues faced by membrane technology. One possible approach to address membrane fouling is incorporating hydrophilic materials into the membrane matrix. Graphene oxide (GO) can be a potential candidate due to its hydrophilicity, if its cost could be significantly reduced. In this study, a GO‐polysulfone (PSF) composite membrane is fabricated with a thin GO‐PSF active layer and a PSF substrate. The obtained membrane shows good anti‐fouling property in real sewage system, compared with the pristine PSF membrane, and the flux recovery ratio is enhanced by 20%–30%. In addition, the antibacterial property of GO‐PSF membrane to Escherichia coli is enhanced. The work provides a guidance to improve the performance membranes and reduce the cost.
Influence of Fe–N–C morphologies on the oxygen reduction reaction in acidic and alkaline media
Authors: Ahmad Junaidi Norhamizah Hazirah , Tan Sue Ying , Wong Wai Yin , Loh Kee Shyuan , Saidur Rahman , Choo Thye Foo , Wu Bo
Published: July 2023

The development of nonnoble metal oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts for fuel cells has been motivated by the high cost and limited supply of noble metals, as well as the desire to improve the performance and durability of this type of energy conversion device. In this study, nonnoble Fe–N–C catalyst was synthesized using a zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF‐8), poly (aniline), and 10,10′‐dibromo‐9,9′‐bianthry as precursors to produce Fe–N–C with hollow sphere (HS), amorphous bulky structure (B), and sheet‐like thin sheet (N) structure. The Fe–N–C catalyst was analysed in terms of their shape, crystal structure, pore characteristics, and elemental composition. Among all the Fe–N–C catalysts, Fe–N–C_HS had the highest total surface area, followed by Fe–N–C_B and Fe–N–C_N. To evaluate their ORR catalytic activity, a half‐cell electrochemical experiment with .1 M KOH and .1 M HClO4 as the alkaline and acidic electrolytes was conducted. This study revealed that Fe–N–C_HS exhibited the highest onset potential but the Fe–N–C_B has the highest limiting current density in alkaline medium; meanwhile, in acidic media, Fe–N–C_HS shows the best ORR performance with the highest onset potential and limiting current. This highly porous Fe–N–C_HS catalyst also demonstrated active site activation and excellent stability compared with the other samples as well as commercial Pt/C in acidic electrolyte, which suggests its potential for application in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs).
Consequences of sequential photooxidation of polycarbonate: Relating microscopic modifications to the change of oxygen permeability
Authors: Chen Zhouyun , Sarakha Mohamed , Christmann Julien
Published: July 2023

The consequences of light‐induced oxidation of polycarbonate on its permeability to oxygen were deeply investigated. Polymer films were sequentially photoaged, resulting in the sequential appearance and growth of oxidation products at the surface of the exposed side up to a limit value, owing to the progressive yellowing of the film during the photoageing process. Such effect restricts drastically the oxidation process to the film surfaces. The observed decrease in oxygen permeability consecutive to exposure of only one side of the film results principally from a decrease in oxygen solubility into the polymer, with a minor reduction of its diffusion ability. This was explained by the increase of the polymer polarity owing to the appearance of several types of polar chemical groups (namely CO and OH) as well as the occurrence of cross‐linking upon photodegradation. This decrease in oxygen permeability is then a positive feature in the case of applications for packaging and medical components. No further decrease in oxygen permeability was observed when the second side of the films was photooxidized, which can be explained by a “funnel effect” type between sorption, diffusion and desorption steps.
Intrageneric taxonomic distinction based on morphological variation in the macaque (Macaca) skeleton
Authors: Kenyon‐Flatt Brittany , von Cramon‐Taubadel Noreen
Published: July 2023

Taxonomic classification is important for understanding the natural world, yet current methods for species assessment often focus on craniodental morphology rather than the entire skeleton. Moreover, it is currently unknown how much variation could, or should, exist intragenerically. Here, we tested whether taxonomy can be accurately predicted based on patterns of morphological variation in macaques (H1) and whether postcranial bones reflect subgeneric macaque taxonomy similarly, or better, than the cranium (H2). Data included 3D scans of cranial and postcranial bones for eight macaque species (Macaca arctoides, Macaca fascicularis, Macaca fuscata, Macaca mulatta, Macaca nemestrina, Macaca nigra, Macaca radiata, and Macaca sylvanus). Fixed anatomical and semilandmarks were applied to scans of eight skeletal elements (crania = 45; mandible = 31; scapula = 66; humerus = 38; radius = 33; os coxa = 28; femur = 40; tibia = 40). For each skeletal element, regression analyses were performed to minimize the effects of sexual dimorphism. Between‐groups principal components analysis was used to visualize the major patterns of among‐species morphological variation, while the strength of correct taxon classification was measured with discriminant function analysis. Results suggested accepting the alternate hypothesis that different macaque species can be distinguished morphologically. Both cranial and many postcranial elements appeared to possess a taxonomic signal, and the limb bones—especially the upper limb—are reported to be more useful for taxonomic assessment than previously realized. Theoretically, certain behaviors and/or ecogeographical factors, as well as phylogeny, influenced skeletal morphology in macaques, likely contributing to taxonomic distinctions among different species.
Neural machine translation for in‐text citation classification
Authors: Safder Iqra , Ali Momin , Aljohani Naif Radi , Nawaz Raheel , Hassan Saeed‐Ul
Published: July 2023

The quality of scientific publications can be measured by quantitative indices such as the h‐index, Source Normalized Impact per Paper, or g‐index. However, these measures lack to explain the function or reasons for citations and the context of citations from citing publication to cited publication. We argue that citation context may be considered while calculating the impact of research work. However, mining citation context from unstructured full‐text publications is a challenging task. In this paper, we compiled a data set comprising 9,518 citations context. We developed a deep learning‐based architecture for citation context classification. Unlike feature‐based state‐of‐the‐art models, our proposed focal‐loss and class‐weight‐aware BiLSTM model with pretrained GloVe embedding vectors use citation context as input to outperform them in multiclass citation context classification tasks. Our model improves on the baseline state‐of‐the‐art by achieving an F1 score of 0.80 with an accuracy of 0.81 for citation context classification. Moreover, we delve into the effects of using different word embeddings on the performance of the classification model and draw a comparison between fastText, GloVe, and spaCy pretrained word embeddings.
Are individual‐level risk factors for gastroschisis modified by neighborhood‐level socioeconomic factors?
Authors: Neo Dayna T. , Martin Chantel L. , Carmichael Suzan L. , Gucsavas‐Calikoglu Muge , Conway Kristin M. , Evans Shannon Pruitt , Feldkamp Marcia L. , Gilboa Suzanne M. , Insaf Tabassum Z. , Musfee Fadi I. , Shaw Gary M. , Shumate Charles , Werler Martha M. , Olshan Andrew F. , Desrosiers Tania A. ,   the National Birth Defects Prevention Study
Published: July 2023

Background

Two strong risk factors for gastroschisis are young maternal age (<20 years) and low/normal pre‐pregnancy body mass index (BMI), yet the reasons remain unknown. We explored whether neighborhood‐level socioeconomic position (nSEP) during pregnancy modified these associations.

Methods

We analyzed data from 1269 gastroschisis cases and 10,217 controls in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (1997–2011). To characterize nSEP, we applied the neighborhood deprivation index and used generalized estimating equations to calculate odds ratios and relative excess risk due to interaction.

Results

Elevated odds of gastroschisis were consistently associated with young maternal age and low/normal BMI, regardless of nSEP. High‐deprivation neighborhoods modified the association with young maternal age. Infants of young mothers in high‐deprivation areas had lower odds of gastroschisis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.6, 3.8) than young mothers in low‐deprivation areas (aOR: 6.6; 95% CI: 4.6, 9.4). Mothers of low/normal BMI had approximately twice the odds of having an infant with gastroschisis compared to mothers with overweight/obese BMI, regardless of nSEP (aOR range: 1.5–2.3).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest nSEP modified the association between gastroschisis and maternal age, but not BMI. Further research could clarify whether the modification is due to unidentified biologic and/or non‐biologic factors.
A zero‐inflated endemic–epidemic model with an application to measles time series in Germany
Authors: Lu Junyi , Meyer Sebastian
Published: July 2023

Count data with an excess of zeros are often encountered when modeling infectious disease occurrence. The degree of zero inflation can vary over time due to nonepidemic periods as well as by age group or region. A well‐established approach to analyze multivariate incidence time series is the endemic–epidemic modeling framework, also known as the HHH approach. However, it assumes Poisson or negative binomial distributions and is thus not tailored to surveillance data with excess zeros. Here, we propose a multivariate zero‐inflated endemic–epidemic model with random effects that extends HHH. Parameters of both the zero‐inflation probability and the HHH part of this mixture model can be estimated jointly and efficiently via (penalized) maximum likelihood inference using analytical derivatives. We found proper convergence and good coverage of confidence intervals in simulation studies. An application to measles counts in the 16 German states, 2005–2018, showed that zero inflation is more pronounced in the Eastern states characterized by a higher vaccination coverage. Probabilistic forecasts of measles cases improved when accounting for zero inflation. We anticipate zero‐inflated HHH models to be a useful extension also for other applications and provide an implementation in an R package.
Fast and highly sensitive screening of PCR products of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 by voltage‐programmed capillary gel electrophoretic separation
Authors: An Changuk , Park Heesun , Kim Su Kang , Kang Seong Ho
Published: July 2023

Fast and highly sensitive detection has become critical to prevent the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). However, fast analysis tends to reduce the sensitivity and accuracy of such method. This study is to investigate a fast and highly sensitive screening method for detecting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products of SARS‐CoV‐2 through voltage‐programmed capillary gel electrophoretic separation. By separating and detecting the PCR products of RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and spike (S) genes, we have diagnosed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) cases within 4 min using such method with high reliability and accuracy, indicating at least a 7.5‐fold faster than previous COVID‐19 diagnostic methods. The detection limits of RdRp and S genes fragments were 1.34–3.46 pM. The developed method can be used to analyze PCR products with specific DNA sizes as well as detect SARS‐CoV‐2 mutations without losing resolution. Furthermore, it can also be used for the fast analysis of DNA molecules related with various infectious diseases.