bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemical, electrochemical, and quantum investigation into the use of an organophosphorus derivative to inhibit copper corrosion in acidic environments
Authors: Deyab M. A. , AlGhamdi Jwaher M. , Abdeen Marwa M. , Elfattah Marwa Abd , Galhoum Ahmed , El-Shamy Omnia A. A. , El-Sayed Ibrahim E.
Published: May 2024

In order to protect the copper against corrosion, a novel corrosion inhibitor known as diphenyl ((2-aminoethyl) amino) (4-methoxyphenyl) methyl) phosphonate (DAMP) was developed. Acid solutions of HCl and H2SO4 were the aggressive solutions employed in this study. Analysis using the FT-IR, 1H-NMR, 31P-NMR, 13C-NMR and BET confirmed that the DAMP was successfully synthesized. The anti-corrosion capabilities of DAMP are evaluated using a combination of chemical, electrochemical and quantum studies. The DAMP has been found to be crucial in preventing the corrosion of copper in both HCl and H2SO4 acid. This was obviously implied by the observation that the corrosion rate of copper in acid solutions decreased when DAMP was added. It is significant to note that 180 ppm produced the highest levels of inhibiting efficiency (96.6% for HCl and 95.2% for H2SO4). The tendency of DAMP to adsorb on the surface of copper through its hetero-atoms (O, N, and P) is the main factor for the anti-corrosion capabilities of DAMP. Results from SEM/EDX tests supported this. The actual adsorption takes place via various active centers, physical and chemical mechanisms that are coordinated with the estimated quantum parameters. Additionally, the adsorption of DAMP adheres to the Langmuir isotherm.
ESG guidance and artificial intelligence support for power systems analytics in the energy industry
Authors: Li Qingjiang , Zou Guilin , Zeng Wenlong , Gao Jie , He Feipeng , Zhang Yujun
Published: May 2024

In order to increase the precision and effectiveness of power system analysis and fault diagnosis, this study aims to assess the power systems in the energy sector while utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and environmental social governance (ESG). First, the ESG framework is presented in this study to fully account for the effects of the power system on the environment, society, and governance. Second, to coordinate the operation of various components and guarantee the balance and security of the power system, the CNN-BiLSTM power load demand forecasting model is built by merging convolutional neural network (CNN) and bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM). Lastly, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used to introduce and optimize the deep belief network (DBN), and a power grid fault diagnostic model is implemented using the PSO technique and DBN. The model’s performance is assessed through experimentation. The outcomes demonstrate how the CNN-BiLSTM algorithm significantly increases forecasting accuracy while overcoming the drawback of just having one dimension of power load data. The values of 0.054, 0.076, and 0.102, respectively, are the root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Effective processing of large-scale nonlinear data is achieved in the area of power grid fault diagnosis, resulting in prediction accuracy of 96.22% and prediction time of only 129.94 s. This is clearly better than other algorithms and increases fault prediction efficiency and accuracy. Consequently, the model presented in this study not only produces impressive results in fault diagnosis and load demand forecasting, but also advances the field of power system analysis in the energy industry and offers a significant amount of support for the sustainable and intelligent growth of the energy industry.
Network-targeted transcranial direct current stimulation of the hypothalamus appetite-control network: a feasibility study
Authors: Ester-Nacke Theresa , Berti Katharina , Veit Ralf , Dannecker Corinna , Salvador Ricardo , Ruffini Giulio , Heni Martin , Birkenfeld Andreas L. , Plewnia Christian , Preissl Hubert , Kullmann Stephanie
Published: May 2024

The hypothalamus is the key regulator for energy homeostasis and is functionally connected to striatal and cortical regions vital for the inhibitory control of appetite. Hence, the ability to non-invasively modulate the hypothalamus network could open new ways for the treatment of metabolic diseases. Here, we tested a novel method for network-targeted transcranial direct current stimulation (net-tDCS) to influence the excitability of brain regions involved in the control of appetite. Based on the resting-state functional connectivity map of the hypothalamus, a 12-channel net-tDCS protocol was generated (Neuroelectrics Starstim system), which included anodal, cathodal and sham stimulation. Ten participants with overweight or obesity were enrolled in a sham-controlled, crossover study. During stimulation or sham control, participants completed a stop-signal task to measure inhibitory control. Overall, stimulation was well tolerated. Anodal net-tDCS resulted in faster stop signal reaction time (SSRT) compared to sham (p = 0.039) and cathodal net-tDCS (p = 0.042). Baseline functional connectivity of the target network correlated with SSRT after anodal compared to sham stimulation (p = 0.016). These preliminary data indicate that modulating hypothalamus functional network connectivity via net-tDCS may result in improved inhibitory control. Further studies need to evaluate the effects on eating behavior and metabolism.
Chemogenetic inhibition of the lateral hypothalamus effectively reduces food intake in rats in a translational proof-of-concept study
Authors: Kovács Péter , Kitka Tamás , Bali Zsolt Kristóf , Nagy Lili Veronika , Bodó Angelika , Kovács-Öller Tamás , Péterfi Zalán , Hernádi István
Published: May 2024

Despite the therapeutic potential of chemogenetics, the method lacks comprehensive preclinical validation, hindering its progression to human clinical trials. We aimed to validate a robust but simple in vivo efficacy assay in rats which could support chemogenetic drug discovery by providing a quick, simple and reliable animal model. Key methodological parameters such as adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype, actuator drug, dose, and application routes were investigated by measuring the food-intake-reducing effect of chemogenetic inhibition of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) by hM4D(Gi) designer receptor stimulation. Subcutaneous deschloroclozapine in rats transfected with AAV9 resulted in a substantial reduction of food-intake, comparable to the efficacy of exenatide. We estimated that the effect of deschloroclozapine lasts 1–3 h post-administration. AAV5, oral administration of deschloroclozapine, and clozapine-N-oxide were also effective but with slightly less potency. The strongest effect on food-intake occurred within the first 30 min after re-feeding, suggesting this as the optimal experimental endpoint. This study demonstrates that general chemogenetic silencing of the LH can be utilized as an optimal, fast and reliable in vivo experimental model for conducting preclinical proof-of-concept studies in order to validate the in vivo effectiveness of novel chemogenetic treatments. We also hypothesize based on our results that universal LH silencing with existing and human translatable genetic neuroengineering techniques might be a viable strategy to affect food intake and influence obesity.
Monitoring warning criterion of acoustic emission active waveguide system based on loess deformation and failure
Authors: Zhang Ke , Wang Liang , Meng Guoqiang
Published: May 2024

The construction of acoustic emission criterion system is crucial for monitoring and providing early warning of geological hazards. In the current soil acoustic emission monitoring methods, the signal generated by soil deformation and failure is weak and experiences high attenuation, resulting in a low level of the monitored signal. One approach to enhance the quality of monitoring data is by utilizing the active waveguide model. However, the current research on the active waveguide model system is not extensive. To address these issues, a set of active waveguide system was designed to improve the data quality of acoustic emission monitoring and early warning. The deformation and failure process of loess monitored by acoustic emission was divided into stages, and the precursor information of acoustic emission for geological disasters in loess areas was comprehensively deconstructed. The data quality advantage of the active waveguide model was verified through comparative experiments of with the passive waveguide model. This study investigates the AE signal characteristics of the active waveguide model. It explores various aspects such as the AE waveform parameter characteristics, the discrimination method for failure mode based on RA–AF value, the AE r-value characteristics, the AE b-value characteristics, and the frequency-amplitude characteristics. The study reveals the evolution law of AE signals in the active waveguide model, including early warning signs and failure morphological characteristics. Furthermore, it constructs a warning criterion for the active waveguide system. The development of this criterion system is of great importance in guiding the monitoring and early warning of geological disasters in loess areas.
Design, synthesis, molecular docking study, and α-glucosidase inhibitory evaluation of novel hydrazide–hydrazone derivatives of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid
Authors: Khan Hammad , Jan Faheem , Shakoor Abdul , Khan Ajmal , AlAsmari Abdullah F. , Alasmari Fawaz , Ullah Saeed , Al-Harrasi Ahmed , Khan Momin , Ali Shaukat
Published: May 2024

A series of novel Schiff base derivatives (1–28) of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid were synthesized in a multi-step reaction. All the synthesized Schiff bases were obtained in high yields and their structures were determined by 1HNMR, 13CNMR, and HR-ESI–MS spectroscopy. Except for compounds 22, 26, 27, and 28, all derivatives show excellent to moderate α-glucosidase inhibition. Compounds 5 (IC50 = 12.84 ± 0.52 µM), 4 (IC50 = 13.64 ± 0.58 µM), 12 (IC50 = 15.73 ± 0.71 µM), 13 (IC50 = 16.62 ± 0.47 µM), 15 (IC50 = 17.40 ± 0.74 µM), 3 (IC50 = 18.45 ± 1.21 µM), 7 (IC50 = 19.68 ± 0.82 µM), and 2 (IC50 = 20.35 ± 1.27 µM) shows outstanding inhibition as compared to standard acarbose (IC50 = 873.34 ± 1.67 µM). Furthermore, a docking study was performed to find out the interaction between the enzyme and the most active compounds. With this research work, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid Schiff base derivatives have been introduced as a potential class of α-glucosidase inhibitors that have remained elusive till now.
A qualitative exploration of professionals’ perspectives on the implementation of reablement intervention programs in community care
Authors: Mouchaers Ines , Buma Lise E. , Verbeek Hilde , Zwakhalen Sandra , van Haastregt Jolanda C. M. , Vlaeyen Ellen , Goderis Geert , Metzelthin Silke F.
Published: May 2024

Reablement is considered a complex intervention due to its multicomponent, person-centered, holistic approach promoting older adults’ active participation in daily activities. It is important to consider the unique context in which complex interventions are implemented, as contextual factors may interact and influence implementation outcomes. As part of the European TRANS-SENIOR project, this qualitative study aimed to gain insight into professionals’ experiences with reablement implementation in Dutch community care. Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, four focus groups were conducted comprising 32 professionals. Two groups were formed: one at operational level, including therapists, nursing staff, social workers, and domestic support; and one at organizational/strategic level, including project leaders, managers, directors, municipality representatives and health insurers. Participating care organizations had at least 6 months of experience with deploying and implementing reablement. Findings reflected three themes: (1) strength of interdisciplinary collaboration; highlighting significance of sharing goals and beliefs, (2) integrating the reablement philosophy into the organization; underscoring managements role in fostering support across all organizational layers, and (3) achieving a culture change in the healthcare system; emphasizing current funding models impeding value-based care tailored to the individual’s goals and needs. The results offer valuable insights for implementation of complex interventions, like reablement.
Disparities in quality of life among patients with breast cancer based on surgical methods: a cross-sectional prospective study
Authors: Wang Yi , He Yibo , Wu Shiyan , Xie Shangnao
Published: May 2024

To determine the impact of breast conservation on quality of life and identify treatment-related and other demographic factors associated with post-breast cancer treatment quality of life. A prospective study was conducted on 392 women who underwent breast cancer surgery at Hangzhou Cancer Hospital from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2022. Operable breast cancer patients who had completed all treatments except endocrine therapy were included. Patients with tumor recurrence/metastasis, bilateral or male breast cancer, and other primary malignancies were excluded. After enrollment, patients were asked to complete the BREAST-Q scale, and their pathological and medical records were reviewed. Analysis of variance was used to compare the quality of life scores among the groups. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to identify independent factors associated with quality of life scores in different domains. Participants completed the BREAST-Q scale at a median of 4.6 years after surgery. Quality of life scores varied based on the therapeutic strategy. Breast conservation has significant advantages over mastectomy in terms of breast satisfaction, psychosocial, and sexual well-being. Compared to oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery, mastectomy was independently associated with decreased breast satisfaction, psychosocial, and sexual well-being, while conventional breast-conserving surgery showed comparable outcomes to oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery in terms of these factors. Breast conservation leads to an improvement in quality of life compared to mastectomy. Oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery does not lead to a decrease in quality of life compared to conventional breast-conserving surgery and offers better outcomes compared to mastectomy.
Balancing the books of nature by accounting for ecosystem condition following ecological restoration
Authors: Parkhurst Tina , Standish Rachel J. , Prober Suzanne M. , Kobryn Halina , Vardon Michael
Published: May 2024

Demand for ecological restoration of Earth’s degraded ecosystems has increased significantly since the adoption of The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in December 2022, with target 2 aiming to ensure that at least 30% of degraded ecosystems are under effective restoration by 2030. More recently, in December 2023, the Australian Parliament introduced the Nature Repair Act, which establishes a framework for the world’s first legislated, national, voluntary biodiversity market. How can the effectiveness of these ambitious targets be measured? Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) provides a framework to measure changes in ecosystem condition that is applicable across ecosystems and potentially catalogue effects of restoration interventions to drive investment, improvement to practice, and ultimately, to better protect the Earth's ecosystems. However, the framework has not been tested in this context. In this progressive approach, we populated the leading global NCA framework with ecological data to quantify changes in ecosystem condition after restoration. In principle, NCA is fit for purpose, however, methodological refinements and ecological expertise are needed to unlock its full potential. These tweaks will facilitate adoption and standardisation of reporting as efforts ramp up to meet ambitious global restoration targets.
Design of adaptive hybrid MPPT controllers with universal input voltage DC–DC converter for RES’s
Authors: Rafikiran Shaik. , Alsaif Faisal
Published: May 2024

At present, conventional energy production is absent because of the more hazardous gases released into the environment, the high effect on human health, more cost required for maintenance, plus less usefulness for highly populated areas. So, the Renewable Energy Sources are more focused for the present automotive industry application. In this work, the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Stack is considered for analyzing the proposed DC–DC converter circuit. The advantages of this fuel stack are high energy density, fast functioning nature, more robustness, and more usefulness for the various water membrane conditions of the fuel stack. However, the disadvantages of the fuel stack are excessive current generation, plus more current conduction losses. So, the wide voltage supply single switch power converter is introduced in this work for optimizing the current production of the fuel stack network. The merits of this converter circuit are high stability, good reliability, low voltage appearing across the switches, plus a uniform power supply. Here, the converter switching pulses are obtained by proposing the Modified Continuous Step Change Adaptive Fuzzy Logic with Grey Wolf Optimization hybrid controller. This controller provides high maximum power extraction efficiency from the fuel stack which is equal to 99.421%. Also, this controller's Maximum Power Point Tracking time is 0.0285 s.
Efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized control trials
Authors: Li Zhao , Kang Hyunsik
Published: May 2024

This network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to compare the efficacy of five non-pharmacological interventions, including exercise intervention (EI), nutritional intervention (NI), respiratory intervention (RI), psychological intervention (PSI), and integrated physical intervention (IPI), on functional status, quality of life, muscle strength, pulmonary function, and safety in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We searched nine databases, PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CNKI, CBM, WFPD, and CSTJ, for randomized controlled trials of ALS patients. The primary outcome was the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) score. Secondary outcomes were the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (McGill-QoL), Medical Research Council (MRC)-sum score, Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) score. This NMA was conducted using random-effect models to calculate the standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). All types of supplemental interventions had some benefit for patients with ALS. EI had a beneficial effect on the ALSFRS-R score (SMD: 1.01; 95% CI 0.50–1.51), FVC (SMD: 0.78; 95% CI 0.02–1.55), McGill-QoL (SMD: 0.71 95% CI 0.33–1.08), and MRC (SMD: 1.11; 95% CI 0.08–2.14). RI had a beneficial effect on the ALSFRS-R score (SMD: 0.83 95% CI 0.12–1.55). IPI had a beneficial effect on the ALSFRS-R score (SMD: 0.65 95% CI 0.06–1.24). NI had a beneficial effect on the McGill-QoL (SMD: 0.63 95% CI 0.02–1.23). The current study findings support a multimodal intervention strategy with an emphasis on EI for slowing disease progression in patients with ALS.
Antiepileptic drug-loaded and multifunctional iron oxide@silica@gelatin nanoparticles for acid-triggered drug delivery
Authors: Ghane Nazanin , Khalili Shahla , Khorasani Saied Nouri , Das Oisik , Ramakrishna Seeram , Neisiany Rasoul Esmaeely
Published: May 2024

The current study developed an innovative design for the production of smart multifunctional core-double shell superparamagnetic nanoparticles (NPs) with a focus on the development of a pH-responsive drug delivery system tailored for the controlled release of Phenytoin, accompanied by real-time monitoring capabilities. In this regard, the ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide@silica NPs (IO@Si MNPs) were synthesized and then coated with a layer of gelatin containing Phenytoin as an antiepileptic drug. The precise saturation magnetization value for the resultant NPs was established at 26 emu g-1. The polymeric shell showed a pH-sensitive behavior with the capacity to regulate the release of encapsulated drug under neutral pH conditions, simultaneously, releasing more amount of the drug in a simulated tumorous-epileptic acidic condition. The NPs showed an average size of 41.04 nm, which is in the desired size range facilitating entry through the blood–brain barrier. The values of drug loading and encapsulation efficiency were determined to be 2.01 and 10.05%, respectively. Moreover, kinetic studies revealed a Fickian diffusion process of Phenytoin release, and diffusional exponent values based on the Korsmeyer-Peppas equation were achieved at pH 7.4 and pH 6.3. The synthesized NPs did not show any cytotoxicity. Consequently, this new design offers a faster release of PHT at the site of a tumor in response to a change in pH, which is essential to prevent epileptic attacks.
miR-709 exerts an angiogenic effect through a FGF2 upregulation induced by a GSK3B downregulation
Authors: Ueno Koji , Kurazumi Hiroshi , Suzuki Ryo , Yanagihara Masashi , Mizoguchi Takahiro , Harada Takasuke , Morikage Noriyasu , Hamano Kimikazu
Published: May 2024

The aim of this study was to identify angiogenic microRNAs (miRNAs) that could be used in the treatment of hindlimb ischemic tissues. miRNAs contained in extracellular vesicles (EVs) deriving from the plasma were analyzed in C57BL/6 mice, which have ischemia tolerance, and in BALB/c mice without ischemia tolerance as part of a hindlimb ischemia model; as a result 43 angiogenic miRNA candidates were identified. An aortic ring assay was employed by using femoral arteries isolated from BALC/c mice and EVs containing miRNA; as a result, the angiogenic miRNA candidates were limited to 14. The blood flow recovery was assessed after injecting EVs containing miRNA into BALB/c mice with hindlimb ischemia, and miR-709 was identified as a promising angiogenic miRNA. miR-709-encapsulating EVs were found to increase the expression levels of the fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) mRNA in the thigh tissues of hindlimb ischemia model BALB/c mice. miR-709 was also found to bind to the 3′UTR of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3B) in three places. GSK3B-knockdown human artery-derived endothelial cells were found to express high levels of FGF2, and were characterized by increased cell proliferation. These findings indicate that miR-709 induces an upregulation of FGF2 through the downregulation of GSK3B.
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound for differentiating benign from malignant focal solid renal lesions in pediatric patients
Authors: Fu Yusi , Zhong Jia , Tan Yan , Zheng Taiqing , Liu Minghui , Wang Guotao
Published: May 2024

The contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has been mainly applied to adults to differentiate benign and malignant renal lesions, however, the characteristics of CEUS in pediatric has not been as well studied as in adults. In the present work, the eligible pediatric patients who underwent renal CEUS between March 2016 and February 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. It included 20 lesions (median diameter, 8.4 cm; range, 1.8–18.0 cm) from 20 patients (median age, 28.0 months; range, 3.0–212.0 months; 9 boys) in malignant group and 5 lesions (median diameter, 3.8 cm; range, 1.3–7.5 cm) from 5 patients (median age, 25.0 months; range, 0.7–216.0 months; 2 boys) in benign group. The diagnostic performance was assessed. Nonparametric and Chi-square tests were performed. With hyperenhancement plus wash-out, CEUS showed a sensitivity of 95.0% [95% confidence interval (CI): 75.1%, 99.9%], a specificity of 80.0% (CI: 28.4%, 99.5%), a positive predictive value of 95.0% (CI: 75.1%, 99.9%) and a negative predictive value of 80.0% (CI: 28.4%, 99.5%). It suggested that CEUS is a valuable technique for identifying between malignant and benign renal lesions in children.
Enhancing drug and cell line representations via contrastive learning for improved anti-cancer drug prioritization
Authors: Lawrence Patrick J. , Burns Benjamin , Ning Xia
Published: May 2024

Due to cancer’s complex nature and variable response to therapy, precision oncology informed by omics sequence analysis has become the current standard of care. However, the amount of data produced for each patient makes it difficult to quickly identify the best treatment regimen. Moreover, limited data availability has hindered computational methods’ abilities to learn patterns associated with effective drug-cell line pairs. In this work, we propose the use of contrastive learning to improve learned drug and cell line representations by preserving relationship structures associated with drug mechanisms of action and cell line cancer types. In addition to achieving enhanced performance relative to a state-of-the-art method, we find that classifiers using our learned representations exhibit a more balanced reliance on drug- and cell line-derived features when making predictions. This facilitates more personalized drug prioritizations that are informed by signals related to drug resistance.
Daily singing of adult songbirds functions to maintain song performance independently of auditory feedback and age
Authors: Mizuguchi Daisuke , Sánchez-Valpuesta Miguel , Kim Yunbok , dos Santos Ednei B. , Kang HiJee , Mori Chihiro , Wada Kazuhiro , Kojima Satoshi
Published: May 2024

Many songbirds learn to produce songs through vocal practice in early life and continue to sing daily throughout their lifetime. While it is well-known that adult songbirds sing as part of their mating rituals, the functions of singing behavior outside of reproductive contexts remain unclear. Here, we investigated this issue in adult male zebra finches by suppressing their daily singing for two weeks and examining the effects on song performance. We found that singing suppression decreased the pitch, amplitude, and duration of songs, and that those song features substantially recovered through subsequent free singing. These reversible song changes were not dependent on auditory feedback or the age of the birds, contrasting with the adult song plasticity that has been reported previously. These results demonstrate that adult song structure is not stable without daily singing, and suggest that adult songbirds maintain song performance by preventing song changes through physical act of daily singing throughout their life. Such daily singing likely functions as vocal training to maintain the song production system in optimal conditions for song performance in reproductive contexts, similar to how human singers and athletes practice daily to maintain their performance.
Tracing the origins of Plasmodium vivax resurgence after malaria elimination on Aneityum Island in Vanuatu
Authors: Sekine Sho , Chan Chim W. , Kalkoa Morris , Yamar Sam , Iata Harry , Taleo George , KC Achyut , Kagaya Wataru , Kido Yasutoshi , Kaneko Akira
Published: May 2024

Background

Five years after successful malaria elimination, Aneityum Island in Vanuatu experienced an outbreak of Plasmodium vivax of unknown origin in 2002. Epidemiological investigations revealed several potential sources of P. vivax. We aimed to identify the genetic origin of P. vivax responsible for the resurgence.

Methods

Five P. vivax microsatellite markers were genotyped using DNA extracted from archived blood samples. A total of 69 samples from four P. vivax populations was included: 29 from the outbreak in 2002, seven from Aneityum in 1999 and 2000, 18 from visitors to Aneityum in 2000, and 15 from nearby Tanna Island in 2002. A neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree was constructed to elucidate the relationships among P. vivax isolates. STRUCTURE and principal component analysis were used to assess patterns of genetic structure.

Results

Here we show distinct genetic origins of P. vivax during the outbreak on Aneityum. While the origin of most P. vivax lineages found during the outbreak remains unidentified, limited genetic diversity among these lineages is consistent with a rapid expansion from a recent common ancestor. Contemporaneous P. vivax from neighboring Tanna and potential relapse of P. vivax acquired from other islands in 1999 and 2000 are also identified as minor contributors to the outbreak.

Conclusions

Multiple reintroductions of P. vivax after elimination highlight the high receptivity and vulnerability to malaria resurgence in island settings of Vanuatu, despite robust surveillance and high community compliance to control measures.
Bioremediation – the recent drift towards a sustainable environment
Authors: M. Sanjana , R. Prajna , S. Katti Urvi , R. V. Kavitha
Published: May 2024

This review includes insights on the impacts of azo dyes; the principles of bioremediation and its strategies, advantages, and limitations; and future prospects involving nanobioremediation.
Determination of cesium using nickel hexacyanoferrate by stripping voltammetry
Authors: Yu Zexiang , Fu Hu , Xu Wenhua , He Lihua , Zhao Zhongwei
Published: May 2024

Schematic diagram of the measurement process.
A thermo-responsive hydrogel for body temperature-induced spontaneous information decryption and self-encryption
Authors: Zhang Tingying , Wang Wei , Ju Xiaojie , Liu Zhuang , Pan Dawei , Xie Rui , Chu Liangyin
Published: May 2024

A poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel spontaneously decrypts after being mildly triggered by body temperature, and autonomously encrypts in air at room temperature.
A high-performance organic lithium salt-doped OFET with the optical radical effect for photoelectric pulse synaptic simulation and neuromorphic memory learning
Authors: Li Yujiao , He Gang , Wang Wenhao , Fu Can , Jiang Shanshan , Fortunato Elvira , Martins Rodrigo
Published: May 2024

Spin-coating-derived OFETs for photoelectric pulse synaptic simulation have been actualized. The application of EDL and the introduction of Cl-HABI play a crucial role in the construction and implementation of the neural morphology system.
Revealing the mechanism of reductive, mechanochemical Li recycling from LiFePO4
Authors: Geiß David , Dolotko Oleksandr , Indris Sylvio , Neemann Christian , Bologa Andrei , Bergfeldt Thomas , Knapp Michael , Ehrenberg Helmut
Published: May 2024

LiFePO4 recycling: The reaction mechanism involved in reductive ball-milling of a straightforward and acid-free mechanochemical recycling approach is elucidated.
Recent advances in stereoselective construction of fluorinated quaternary carbon centers from fluorinated compounds
Authors: Li Zongwei , Fan Lin , Liu Guodu
Published: May 2024

Synthesis of fluorinated quaternary carbon centers by a series of asymmetric alkylation, arylation, Mannich, Michael addition, aldol, and allylation reactions.
Characteristics of perfluoromethyl vinyl ether: A new eco‐friendly alternative gas for SF6
Authors: Xiao Song , Chen Yijiang , Tang Mingjun , Tian Shuangshuang , Xia Haoran , Wang Yifan , Tang Ju , Li Yi , Zhang Xiaoxing
Published: May 2024

The exploration of eco‐friendly insulating gas to substitute the most potent greenhouse gas sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) has consistently garnered significant attention. Herein, the authors evaluated the feasibility of utilising perfluoromethyl vinyl ether (PMVE, C3F6O) as a new branch of eco‐friendly insulating gas for the first time. The primary dielectric and stability characteristics of PMVE regarding AC breakdown, partial discharge, dielectric recovery, and decomposition properties were revealed under various gas pressure and electrical field conditions. It was found that PMVE demonstrated superior dielectric strength, with the AC breakdown and PD inception voltage (PDIV) 1.10 and 1.14 times that of pure SF6. Furthermore, the dielectric strength of PMVE exhibits stability even after undergoing 100 cycles of AC breakdowns, and there is no observable formation of solid precipitation on the electrode surface. The discharge decomposition of PMVE mainly generates fluorocarbon (CF4, C2F6, C3F6, C3F8, etc.) and CO. Overall, the exceptional insulation stability and no absence of solid precipitation features endow PMVE to be utilised as a new eco‐friendly gas for SF6‐free gas‐insulated equipment.
Transfer learning method for specific emitter identification based on pseudo‐labelling and meta‐learning
Authors: Ling Qing , Yan Wenjun , Zhang Yuchen , Yu Keyuan , Wang Chengyu
Published: May 2024

Specific emitter identification (SEI) represents a prominent research direction within the electronic countermeasures domain aimed at discerning carrier identity attributes by analysing subtle radar characteristics. At present, most established SEI techniques assume that both the source and target domain (TD) data adhere to the same distribution. However, this assumption is invalidated by semantic drift which frequently occurs between TD and source domain (SD) samples owing to variations in the collection environment, equipment, and other factors. Considering the aforementioned challenges, this article introduces a transfer learning approach for SEI to leverage pseudo‐label integration within the framework of meta‐learning. This approach employs the bispectral perimeter integral for extracting emitter signal features to construct a feature extractor and basic learner based on CNN13. To label and filter the TD samples, the proposed approach utilises the multiple pseudo‐label serial filtering mechanism, which comprises positive and negative pseudo‐labelling strategies, label uncertainty prediction methods, and hard sample filtering strategies. Ultimately, to address algorithmic real‐time requirements, the labelled TD samples are integrated into the feature extractor and learner of the SD through meta‐learning to facilitate the transfer of TD features to the SD training model. Experimental validation conducted on a real radar dataset demonstrated that the proposed algorithm significantly enhances identification accuracy, exhibiting an improvement from approximately 50% to approximately 90%. Furthermore, the algorithm exhibits a short runtime and robust adaptability, effectively catering to the demands of practical scenarios.
A deep learning based communication traffic prediction approach for smart monitoring of distributed energy resources in virtual power plants
Authors: Hou Meng , Liu Shidong , Zheng Qingrong , Liu Chuan , Zhang Xi , Kang Chongqing
Published: May 2024

Virtual power plants (VPPs) have been widely recognized as a key enabler for energy system neutrality. The communication traffic of a VPP fundamentally indicates its activeness in interacting with the power system, thus providing a new dimension in depicting the behaviour characteristics of distributed energy resources in VPPs. Therefore, the prediction of communication traffic is significant in improving the control efficiency of VPPs. However, due to the involvement of numerous interactive agents characterised by both individual randomness and coordinative characteristics, traditional prediction models are no longer capable of fitting VPP communication traffic effectively. Therefore, a  novel prediction model is introduced that enhances the prediction accuracy by integrating long short‐term memory (LSTM) and variational mode decomposition (VMD). This model employs VMD as the initial step for extracting the intrinsic modes from the traffic sequence, thereby mitigating the impact of incidental noise. Then, LSTM is applied to fit each intrinsic mode individually. Additionally, considering the outer influencing factors, the attention mechanism is incorporated. Finally, all sub‐prediction algorithms are neatly integrated as a whole prediction model. The proposed model is evaluated through simulation prediction using realistic VPP communication traffic data, and the results demonstrate its effectiveness.
Ein After Action Review auf kommunaler Ebene: Lessons learned in der
Corona-Einheit des Gesundheitsamtes Düsseldorf infolge der Covid-19-Pandemie,
März 2023
Authors: Höglund-Braun Hannah , Quartey Anne Lisa , Ganter Maya , Ehlkes Lutz , Geis Steffen , Skorning Max , Rehmet Sybille , Kuehne Anna
Published: May 2024

Hintergrund After-Action Reviews (AARs) stellen strukturierte, qualitative
Evaluationen von Krisenmaßnahmen dar. Wir beschreiben hier die Durchführung
eines AARs zur Evaluation der Corona-Einheit des Gesundheitsamtes
Düsseldorf.

Methoden Wir nutzten für das AAR das Format der Arbeitsgruppe, das durch
semi-strukturierte Interviews mit Schlüsselpersonen ergänzt wurde. Dabei
orientierten wir uns an den Leitlinien für AARs der Weltgesundheitsorganisation
(WHO) und des Europäischen Zentrums für die Prävention und die Kontrolle von
Krankheiten (ECDC).

Ergebnisse Die Teilnehmenden identifizierten neun relevante
Herausforderungen mit Verbesserungspotential, die drei Kategorien zugeordnet
werden konnten: (I) Herausforderungen in der Bereitstellung angeforderten
Personals, (II) übergeordnete Koordinationsfragen und (III) häufige Umzüge. Die
Teilnehmenden entwickelten folgende Lösungsvorschläge für diese
Herausforderungen: (I) 1. regelmäßiger ämterübergreifende Abfrage von freiwillig
einsatzbereitem Personal, 2. Berücksichtigung von abrufbaren Ressourcen
städtischer Tochterunternehmen und Einbindung von Personal mit Leitungserfahrung
anderer Ämter, 3. Koordination von Bereitstellung und Onboarding, 4. Vorschlag
zu früher Kommunikation in Bezug auf unterschiedliche Vergütungsregelungen, (II)
5. Etablierung einer übergeordneten Koordinationsinstanz für die Kriseneinheit,
6. klarere Zuständigkeitsabgrenzung innerhalb der Kriseneinheit mit eindeutigen
Aufgabenprofilen, 7. Etablierung einer gemeinsamen Arbeitsoberfläche sowie die
8. Etablierung eines zentralen Dashboards zur Generierung aller Lageberichte und
(III) 9. Identifizierung eines Gebäudes zur Unterbringung einer Kriseneinheit im
Krisenfall.

Schlussfolgerung Diese Studie stellt eine der ersten Anwendungen eines
AARs zur Evaluation von Krisenstrukturen im Öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienst (ÖGD)
auf kommunaler Ebene im Kontext der COVID-19-Pandemie dar. Während einige der
identifizierten Herausforderungen Düsseldorf-spezifisch sind, waren viele
Kommunen während der COVID-19-Pandemie mit Herausforderungen in den Bereichen
der Personalgenerierung und Koordination konfrontiert; die entwickelten
Lösungsansätze können entsprechend auch jenseits von Düsseldorf von Relevanz
sein. Kommunale Krisenpläne können in Bezug auf die identifizierten
Herausforderungen geprüft und entsprechend angepasst werden. Der Austausch von
Evaluations-ergebnissen unter den ÖGD-Akteuren kann dazu beitragen, die
Krisenstrukturen langfristig zu stärken.
Introduction
Authors: Feitoza Pedro
Published: May 2024

Propagandists of the Book examines the early history of evangelical Christianity in Brazil in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries through a study of Protestant print culture. The monograph looks closely at evangelical tracts, periodicals, books, and Bibles and considers their intellectual history, the ways they were circulated in Brazil, and the way such texts shed light on the social and cultural worlds of the first generations of converts, ministers, and foreign missionaries. This introduction situates the book in the academic literature on Christianity in Latin America, religious transnationalism, Christian and missionary literacy, global intellectual history, and the public sphere, highlighting its unique contributions to these fields. It also explains the overarching narrative of the book and provides an outline of chapters.
Protestant Origins
Authors: Feitoza Pedro
Published: May 2024

This chapter traces the first wave of Protestant expansion in Brazil between 1860 and 1900. It begins by examining the relationship between missionaries and the communities of foreign Protestant immigrants and merchants. The chapter situates evangelical diffusion into the social and political transformations of the age, interrogating what social categories embraced and propagated the new religion. It also recovers the experiences of Brazilian ministers and laypeople and the roles they played in the making of Protestant congregations and schools. The chapter concludes with an analysis of the evangelical publishing enterprise in this context of religious expansion and institution building, showing how converts seized the missionary bureaucratic machinery.
The Dynamics of Religious Change
Authors: Feitoza Pedro
Published: May 2024

This chapter is concerned with the topic of religious change and conversion. Through a close examination of conversion narratives, biographies of early converts, and missionary correspondence, it reconstructs the exchanges, objects, practices, and ideas that brought about evangelical conversion. It focuses on the area where evangelical Christianity first made inroads in the Brazilian center south, and it gives special attention to the encounter of the rural caipira populations of São Paulo and Minas Gerais with Protestantism. The chapter analyzes the responses of the two first generations of evangelical believers in Brazil and captures their different responses to the beliefs, practices, and institutions of evangelical Christianity. It provides an innovative assessment of the dynamics of individual conversion, considering the balance between the dissolution and reconstruction of social bonds.
The Idea of Christian Cooperation
Authors: Feitoza Pedro
Published: May 2024

The World Missionary Conference of Edinburgh (1910) was a landmark in the history of missions. In devising coordinated strategies to evangelize the non-Christian world, the conference’s organizers excluded the Catholic societies of southern Europe and Latin America from its purview. This chapter de-centers Edinburgh (1910) and examines how foreign missionaries and Latin American ministers appropriated and modified the idea of Christian cooperation formulated in Edinburgh in a series of missionary conferences in New York, Panama City, and Rio de Janeiro. Special attention is given to the Congress on Christian Work in Latin America, or Panama Congress of 1916. The chapter concentrates on the books written by two influential Brazilian pastors, the Revs. Eduardo Carlos Pereira and Erasmo Braga, interpreting the significance of Christian cooperation to the social, political, and diplomatic life of the Americas.
The Rise of an Evangelical Intelligentsia
Authors: Feitoza Pedro
Published: May 2024

In the first decades of the twentieth century a seminary-educated evangelical elite emerged in Brazil, participating in literary academies and taking up professorships at the emerging universities. This chapter reconstructs the life-worlds and thought of some of these individuals, beginning with an analysis of the role of Protestant seminaries in this history. The chapter then examines the ways in which Protestant intellectuals interacted with Anglophone Protestant theology, the field of biblical criticism, and the Social Gospel, while simultaneously taking part in the social, literary, and religious debates of the country. As grammarians, linguists, and pastors, these agents straddled religious and academic domains and closely engaged with the rural traditions and language of the mixed-race caipira populations of central Brazil. The chapter also considers how they sought to locate evangelical religion deep into the history and culture of the country.
How the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcome (ECHO) cohort can spur discoveries in environmental epidemiology
Authors: Park Christina H , Blaisdell Carol J , Arteaga S Sonia , Mash Clay , Laessig Susan , Hanspal Manjit , Luetkemeier Erin , Thompson Leslie C , Gillman Matthew W
Published: May 2024

The Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcome (ECHO) program at the National Institutes of Health is an innovative, large, collaborative research initiative whose mission is to enhance the health of children for generations to come. The goal of the ECHO program is to examine effects of a broad array of early environmental exposures on child health and development. The information includes longitudinal data and biospecimens from more than 100 000 children and family members from diverse settings across the United States ECHO investigators have published collaborative analyses showing associations of environmental exposures—primarily in the developmentally sensitive pre-, peri-, and postnatal periods—with preterm birth and childhood asthma, obesity, neurodevelopment, and positive health. Investigators have addressed health disparities, joint effects of environmental and social determinants, and effects of mixtures of chemicals. The ECHO cohort is now entering its second 7-year cycle (2023-2030), which will add the preconception period to its current focus on prenatal through adolescence. Through a controlled access public-use database, ECHO makes its deidentified data available to the general scientific community. ECHO cohort data provide opportunities to fill major knowledge gaps in environmental epidemiology and to inform policies, practices, and programs to enhance child health.

This article is part of a Special Collection on Environmental Epidemiology.
High-Salt Diet Inhibits the Expression of Bmal1 and Promotes Atrial Fibrosis and Vulnerability to Atrial Fibrillation in Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rats
Authors: Wang Xiu-Heng , Zhang Zhi-Zhu , Ou Yun , Ning Zhi-Hong , Yang Jia-Yang , Huang Hong , Tang Hui-Fang , Jiang Zhi-Sheng , Hu Heng-Jing
Published: May 2024

BACKGROUND

Hypertension is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF), and brain and muscle arnt-like protein 1 (Bmal1) regulate circadian blood pressure and is implicated in several fibrotic disorders. Our hypothesis that Bmal1 inhibits atrial fibrosis and susceptibility to AF in salt-sensitive hypertension (SSHT) and our study provides a new target for the pathogenesis of AF induced by hypertension.

METHODS

The study involved 7-week-old male Dahl salt-sensitive that were fed either a high-salt diet (8% NaCl; DSH group) or a normal diet (0.3% NaCl; DSN group). An experimental model was used to measure systolic blood pressure (SBP), left atrial ejection fraction (LAEF), left atrial end-volume index (LAEVI), left atrial index (LAFI), AF inducibility, AF duration, and atrial fibrosis pathological examination and the expression of Baml1 and fibrosis-related proteins (TNF-α and α-SMA) in left atrial tissue.

RESULTS

DSH increased TNF-α and α-SMA expression in atrial tissue, level of SBP and LAESVI, atrial fibrosis, AF induction rate, and AF duration, and decreased Bmal1 expression in atrial tissue, the circadian rhythm of hypertension, and level of LAEF and LAFI. Our results also showed that the degree of atrial fibrosis was negatively correlated with Bmal1 expression, but positively correlated with the expression of TNF-α and α-SMA.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated that a high-salt diet leads to circadian changes in hypertension due to a reduction of Bmal1 expression, which plays a crucial role in atrial fibrosis and increased susceptibility to AF in SSHT rats.