bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disruptions and adaptations of an urban nutrition intervention delivering essential services for women and children during a major health system crisis in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Authors: Escobar‐DeMarco Jessica , Nguyen Phuong , Kundu Gourob , Kabir Rowshan , Ali Mohsin , Ireen Santhia , Ash Deborah , Mahmud Zeba , Sununtnasuk Celeste , Menon Purnima , Frongillo Edward A.
Published: November 2024

Systematic crises may disrupt well‐designed nutrition interventions. Continuing services requires understanding the intervention paths that have been disrupted and adapting as crises permit. Alive & Thrive developed an intervention to integrate nutrition services into urban antenatal care services in Dhaka, which started at the onset of COVID‐19 and encountered extraordinary disruption of services. We investigated the disruptions and adaptations that occurred to continue the delivery of services for women and children and elucidated how the intervention team made those adaptations. We examined the intervention components planned and those implemented annotating the disruptions and adaptations. Subsequently, we detailed the intervention paths (capacity building, supportive supervision, demand generation, counselling services, and reporting, data management and performance review). We sorted out processes at the system, organizational, service delivery and individual levels on how the intervention team made the adaptations. Disruptions included decreased client load and demand for services, attrition of providers and intervention staff, key intervention activities becoming unfeasible and clients and providers facing challenges affecting utilization and provision of services. Adaptations included incorporating new guidance for the continuity of services, managing workforce turnover and incorporating remote modalities for all intervention components. The intervention adapted to continue by incorporating hybrid modalities including both original activities that were feasible and adapted activities. Amidst health system crises, the adapted intervention was successfully delivered. This knowledge of how to identify disruptions and adapt interventions during major crises is critical as Bangladesh and other countries face new threats (conflict, climate, economic downturns, inequities and epidemics).
Field Reduction of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Has Cascading Effects on Soil Microbial Communities and Reduces the Abundance of Ectomycorrhizal Symbiotic Bacteria
Authors: Berrios Louis , Peay Kabir G.
Published: November 2024

Specific interactions between bacteria and ectomycorrhizal fungi (EcMF) can benefit plant health, and saprotrophic soil fungi represent a potentially antagonistic guild to these mutualisms. Yet there is little field‐derived experimental evidence showing how the relationship among these three organismal groups manifests across time. To bridge this knowledge gap, we experimentally reduced EcMF in forest soils and monitored both bacterial and fungal soil communities over the course of a year. Our analyses demonstrate that soil trenching shifts the community composition of fungal communities towards a greater abundance of taxa with saprotrophic traits, and this shift is linked to a decrease in both EcMF and a common ectomycorrhizal helper bacterial genus, Burkholderia, in a time‐dependent manner. These results not only reveal the temporal nature of a widespread tripartite symbiosis between bacteria, EcMF and a shared host tree, but they also refine our understanding of the commonly referenced ‘Gadgil effect’ by illustrating the cascading effects of EcMF suppression and implicating soil saprotrophic fungi as potential antagonists on bacterial‐EcMF interactions.
Why Is It Too Cold? Towards a Mechanistic Understanding of Cold‐Water Pollution Effects on Recruitment of an Imperiled Warmwater Fish
Authors: Gilbert Eliza I. , Diver Tracy A. , Mussmann Steven M. , Saltzgiver Melody J. , Knight William K. , Durst Scott L. , Farrington Michael A. , Clark Barkalow Stephani L. , Tobler Michael , Franssen Nathan R.
Published: November 2024

Environmental temperature shapes the ontogeny of ectotherms by influencing rates of growth and development which can be key determinants of survival. Whereas the escalating impacts of water management on freshwater ecosystems is well documented, the effects of cold‐water releases from dams—which can alter downstream temperatures—remains relatively underexplored but may present novel challenges to endemic ectotherms. Specifically, little is known about how thermal depressions reshape phenotypic and genetic patterns during larval metamorphosis for fishes that evolved in warmwater systems. We assessed the effects of thermal shifts on larval ontogeny of the endangered razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus), which evolved in the warm waters of the Colorado River Basin, USA. We hypothesised that development is more sensitive to cold‐water influences than growth and that temperature would influence patterns in gene expression related to development. Our results supported these hypotheses and showed that both wild and laboratory‐reared larvae in slightly cooler temperatures exhibited delayed development, but similar growth compared to larvae reared in warmer conditions. These findings suggest growth and development in early ectotherm life stages can be decoupled, which follows patterns more like the temperature‐size rule than allometric scaling of development by size. We also observed transcriptional differences related to genes associated with stress responses and development in our laboratory‐reared fish; here, gene expression of fish from the coldest conditions at the end of the experiment was more similar to fish reared in warmer temperatures at the midpoint. Our findings suggest that modest temperature reductions can delay ontogeny and alter the transcriptional landscape while not necessarily limiting growth. This finding highlights the need for conservation practitioners to consider cascading impacts that even small temperature reductions can cause in riverine ecosystems.
The MYC Gene RrbHLH105 Contributes to Salt Stress–Induced Geraniol in Rose by Regulating Trehalose‐6‐Phosphate Signalling
Authors: Bao Mingyue , Xu Yong , Wei Guo , Bai Mengjuan , Wang Jianwen , Feng Liguo
Published: November 2024

Rose (Rosa rugosa) is an important perfume plant, but its cultivation is significantly constrained by salt stress. Terpenes represent the most abundant volatile aromatic compounds in roses, yet little is known about how terpene metabolism responds to salt stress. In this study, salt‐treated rose petals presented significant accumulation of monoterpenes, including geraniol, due to the disruption of jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis and signalling. Overexpression and silencing analyses revealed a MYC transcription factor involved in JA signalling (RrbHLH105) as a repressor of geraniol biosynthesis. RrbHLH105 was shown to activate the trehalose‐6‐phosphate synthase genes RrTPS5 and RrTPS8 by binding to the E‐box (5′‐CANNTG‐3′). The increased trehalose‐6‐phosphate content and decreased geraniol content in rose petals overexpressing TPS5 or RrTPS8, along with the high accumulation of geraniol in petals where both RrbHLH105 and TPSs were cosilenced, indicate that trehalose signalling plays a role in the negative regulation of geraniol accumulation via the RrbHLH105‐TPS module. In summary, the suppression of RrbHLH105 by salt stress leads to excessive geraniol accumulation through the inhibition of both RrbHLH105‐mediated JA signalling and RrTPS‐mediated trehalose signalling in rose petals. Additionally, this study highlights the emerging role of RrbHLH105 as a critical integrator of JA and trehalose signalling crosstalk.
Outcomes of Pediatric Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Single‐Center Experience With Resection Versus Transplantation
Authors: Medio Paula , Matesanz Sofía , Margareto María , Ostos Paula , Palomo Claudia , Hernández Oliveros Francisco , Moreno Ane Andrés
Published: November 2024

Background

Pediatric hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents significant challenges due to its aggressive nature, with survival depending on complete resection. We aimed to assess outcomes between liver resection (LR) and liver transplantation (LT).

Methods

A total of 25 patients were retrieved, four of whom were classified as palliative at diagnosis. A subanalysis comparing cirrhotic liver (n = 14) versus de novo (n = 11) HCC was performed to identify confounding variables. Further evaluation focused on the 21 children with histologically confirmed HCC who underwent LR (n = 7) versus LT (n = 14). Kaplan–Meier survival curves were constructed.

Results

The mean age was 7.8 ± 6.1 years for patients with cirrhotic liver and 12.1 ± 3.5 years for de novo HCC. Our group observed overall total survival rates of 100%, 85%, and 77% at 12, 36, and 60 months, respectively. De novo tumors had a higher recurrence rate and a poorer prognosis (p = 0.039 and p = 0.045). The disease‐free survival at 60 months in our cohort was significantly lower among the LR group compared to the LT group (14% vs. 82%; p = 0.0081). Recurrence after initial management (n = 8) showed location differences between LR and LT. Preoperative alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) was elevated in 71% of children, but did not correlate with recurrence or compromised survival. Elevated AFP 3 months post‐operation affected the course negatively (p = 0.044). Tumor number and diameter exhibited a trend towards poorer outcomes.

Conclusions

These findings emphasize the need for comprehensive pediatric surgical guidelines for HCC. We recommend LT over LR in pediatric cases. Extrahepatic disease post‐neoadjuvant chemotherapy remains the only absolute contraindication.
Living‐Donor Liver Transplantation in a Carbamoyl Phosphate Synthetase I Deficiency Recipient With Scoliosis: A Case Report
Authors: Ninomiya Aoi , Uchida Hajime , Sakamoto Seisuke , Kodama Tasuku , Komine Ryuji , Shimizu Seiichi , Yanagi Yusuke , Fukuda Akinari , Miyazaki Osamu , Nosaka Shunsuke , Kasahara Mureo
Published: November 2024

Background

Neuromuscular scoliosis is associated with cerebral palsy caused by metabolic diseases. Patients with scoliosis require meticulous consideration in abdominal surgery, as scoliosis can reduce the abdominal cavity volume, compress abdominal organs, and cause abdominal complications. Special attention should be paid to the graft position, especially in the setting of liver transplantation (LT). We herein describe a pediatric case of LT for carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I (CPS1) deficiency with severe scoliosis.

Case Presentation

A 13‐year‐old girl with CPS1 deficiency was transferred to our department as a candidate for liver transplantation. She underwent living donor liver transplantation with a left lobe from her mother. Following LT, portal vein (PV) complications occurred due to the kinking anastomosis, requiring several rounds of graft repositioning, PV reconstruction, thrombectomy, and finally stent placement due to severe scoliosis. Technical efforts were made to ensure PV blood flow with stent placement via the umbilical vein. Three months after LT, she was discharged from our hospital with sufficient PV flow.

Conclusions

This report suggests the need for a careful surgical approach in patients with skeletal abnormalities, such as the management of complications arising from anatomical abnormalities and selection of the appropriate graft size. Preoperative assessment and surgical planning of both donors and recipients according to patient characteristics should be carefully conducted.
Sexual reproduction of actively restored gorgonians
Authors: Edery Gal·la , Viladrich Núria , Garí Andrea , Montseny Maria , Montero‐Serra Ignasi , Gori Andrea , Linares Cristina
Published: November 2024

Corals and gorgonians play an important role as ecosystem engineers in many sublittoral communities worldwide. However, coral populations are being increasingly impacted by human activities. Active ecological restoration is a popular conservation tool nowadays, widely used to revert degradation in natural populations. Several studies have reported survival and growth success in actively restored corals, but few have studied the long‐term effect of transplantation on coral reproduction. We investigated survival and sexual reproduction of transplanted colonies of the Mediterranean gorgonian Eunicella singularis up to 3 years after being recovered from fishery bycatch and transplanted back to their habitat. Three different colony sizes were tested to explore possible effects of fragmentation on survival and reproduction. Results showed that transplanted colonies suffered a significant mortality during the first 4–5 months (30–35%), independently of fragment size. However, larger fragments showed high survival despite other disturbances, as a bloom of ephemerons filamentous algae occurred during the study. Results also showed that reproductive capacity is negatively affected by transplantation in female colonies. Conversely, male colonies were not directly affected by transplantation but showed an unexpectedly reduced number of spermary sacs both in transplanted and natural control colonies. The trade‐off between investment in reproduction and mortality of transplants highlights that large colony size could be the most appropriate for the active restoration of E. singularis. This study emphasizes the need to explore the long‐term viability and the reproduction investment in transplanted corals as indicators of restoration success, whose populations are sustained by sexual reproduction.
Bifurcation Near a Transcritical Singularity in Planar Singularly Perturbed Systems
Authors: Shen Jianhe , Zhang Xiang , Zhu Kun
Published: November 2024

We classify all bifurcation phenomena of the flow near a transcritical singularity in planar singularly perturbed differential systems that do not have a breaking parameter via qualitative analysis and blow‐up technique. Here, the directional blown up vector fields can have several singularities and no first integral that are different from those in the literatures. The obtained local bifurcations are also illustrated by numerical simulations through a modified Leslie–Gower model, whose global dynamics is thereby obtained.
Dentistry and Sturge–Weber syndrome: Case report and narrative review
Authors: Abed Hassan , Alqarni Ali , Abuljadayel Jameel , Alosaimi Abdulaziz , Muhaymidan Nawaf , Althobaiti Abdullah , Aladwani Fahad , Alshammari Abdullah
Published: November 2024

Sturge–Weber syndrome (SWS) or encephalotrigeminal angiomatosis is a rare congenital disorder that affects the skin, brain, and eye. It is characterized by facial port‐wine stains, leptomeningeal angiomas, and glaucoma. SWS can also cause neurological complications, such as seizures, headaches, cognitive impairment, and stroke. Antiepileptic drugs that are used to treat seizures associated with SWS lead to the development of gingival hyperplasia which requires non‐surgical and/or surgical dental treatment. The purpose of this case report and narrative review is to provide an overview of the etiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of SWS. This paper will also discuss the oral manifestations and dental considerations of SWS.
Trump, China, and the Republicans
Authors: Li Ben G. , Lu Yi , Sgro Pasquale , Xu Xing
Published: November 2024

The Republican Party has been the party most supportive of free trade in US politics for half a century. Donald Trump, the 45th US president, held a different stance from his party on free trade. We assess how Trump's China tariffs in mid‐2018 affected the performance of his party in its midterm House elections later that year. We construct a measure of each county's exposure to Trump's China tariffs and merge that with the Republican share of votes in the county. We find that the counties heavily exposed to the tariffs were more supportive of their Republican House candidates.
Data‐driven estimation for multithreshold accelerated failure time model
Authors: Wan Chuang , Zeng Hao , Zhang Wenyang , Zhong Wei , Zou Changliang
Published: November 2024

This article develops a novel estimation framework for the multithreshold accelerated failure time model, which has distinct linear forms within different subdomains. One major challenge is to determine the number of threshold effects. We first show the selection consistency of a modified Bayesian information criterion under mild conditions. It is useful sometimes but heavily depends on the penalization magnitude, which usually varies from the model configuration and data distribution. To address this issue, we leverage a cross‐validation criterion alongside an order‐preserved sample‐splitting scheme to yield a consistent estimation. The new criterion is completely data driven without additional parameters and thus robust to model setting and data distributions. The asymptotic properties for the parameter estimates are also carefully established. Additionally, we propose an efficient score‐type test to examine the existence of threshold effects. The new statistic is free of estimating any potential threshold effects and is thus suitable for multithreshold scenarios. Numerical experiments validate the reliable finite‐sample performance of our methodologies, which corroborates the theoretical results.
Social disorganization theory and the college campus periphery
Authors: Tapia Mike , Ochoa Erika , Cundiff Kelsey
Published: November 2024

Objective

This study tests the idea that neighborhoods on the periphery of large U.S. university campuses are socially disorganized and thus higher in crime relative to those that do not border university campuses. Social disorganization theory predicts that crime in these neighborhoods is elevated due to their high rate of residential mobility, relatively low socioeconomic status, and high levels of ethnic heterogeneity.

Methods

To test this hypothesis, data from the National Neighborhood Crime Study 2000 were analyzed. The data set contains a representative sample of U.S. neighborhoods with variables measured at the tract level. A series of t‐tests note the difference in crime rate means for campus and non‐campus areas, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses further test the hypothesis.

Results

We find support for the main prediction using basic social disorganization models containing composite measures plus tract and city‐level controls.

Conclusion

The theoretical and practical implications of this research are discussed along with the study's limitations and the potential for future research.
Reflection and self‐efficacy for clinical skills
Authors: Yong Jade Lene , Roberts Gwyndaf
Published: November 2024

Introduction

Clinical skills are fundamental to medical school curriculums and typically introduced within the preclinical years. In their experiential learning, students' self‐efficacy, or the belief in their ability to succeed, is an important factor in influencing clinical skill mastery. Reflection is thought to affect self‐efficacy; however, its exact impacts remain largely unexplored within published literature. This mixed methods study investigated whether preclinical students' engagement with reflection affected self‐efficacy for clinical skills.

Methods

Two hundred seventy‐three of the 289 preclinical medical students who were invited to participate responded to this 2022 study. We used validated questionnaires to measure engagement with reflection and perceived self‐efficacy for clinical skills, conducting hierarchical multiple linear regression for analysis. Thirteen students participated in semi‐structured interviews and focus groups, which were analysed via thematic analysis.

Results

While statistical analysis showed no significant effects of engaging with reflection on clinical skill self‐efficacy, thematic analysis suggested that students perceived the opposite. The themes through which reflection affected self‐efficacy were by ‘evaluation of performances’ against expected outcomes, ‘familiarisation and understanding of skills’, by ‘transforming personal mindsets’ and allowing students to ‘connect to their emotions’.

Conclusion

This study suggests that engaging with reflection can positively or negatively affect self‐efficacy for clinical skills, depending on students' attitudes towards reflective practice. Solely engaging with reflection is insufficient to alter self‐efficacy beliefs and should be considered alongside personal factors including the individual's mindset and perceived need for reflection. The medical educator's role in facilitating reflection is important, enabling students to reap the benefits of this practice.
Efficient sorghum and maize transformation using a ternary vector system combined with morphogenic regulators
Authors: Fontanet‐Manzaneque Juan B. , Haeghebaert Jari , Aesaert Stijn , Coussens Griet , Pauwels Laurens , Caño‐Delgado Ana I.
Published: November 2024

Sorghum bicolor (sorghum) is a vital C4 monocotyledon crop cultivated in arid regions worldwide, valued for its significance in both human and animal nutrition. Despite its agricultural prominence, sorghum research has been hindered by low transformation frequency. In this study, we examined sorghum transformation using the pVS1‐VIR2 ternary vector system for Agrobacterium, combined with the morphogenic genes BABY BOOM and WUSCHEL2 and selection using G418. We optimized Agrobacterium‐mediated infection, targeting key parameters such as bacterial optical density, co‐cultivation time, and temperature. Additionally, an excision‐based transformation system enabled us to generate transgenic plants free of morphogenic regulators. The method yielded remarkable transformation frequencies, reaching up to 164.8% based on total isolated plantlets. The same combination of ternary vector, morphogenic genes and geneticin‐based selection also resulted in a marked increase in transformation efficiency of the Zea mays (maize) inbred line B104. The potential for genomic editing using this approach positions it as a valuable tool for the development of sorghum and maize varieties that comply with evolving European regulations. Our work marks a significant stride in sorghum biotechnology and holds promise for addressing global food security challenges in a changing climate.
Perception and processing of stress signals by plant mitochondria
Authors: Selinski Jennifer , Frings Stephanie , Schmidt‐Schippers Romy
Published: November 2024

In the course of their life, plants continuously experience a wide range of unfavourable environmental conditions in the form of biotic and abiotic stress factors. The perception of stress via various organelles and rapid, tailored cellular responses are essential for the establishment of plant stress resilience. Mitochondria as the biosynthetic sites of energy equivalents in the form of ATP—provided in order to enable a multitude of biological processes in the cell—are often directly impacted by external stress factors. At the same time, mitochondrial function may fluctuate to a tolerable extent without the need to activate downstream retrograde signalling cascades for stress adaptation. In this Focus Review, we summarise the current state of knowledge on the perception and processing of stress signals by mitochondria and show which layers of retrograde signalling, that is, those involving transcription factors, metabolites, but also enzymes with moonlighting functions, enable communication with the nucleus. Also, light is shed on signal integration between mitochondria and chloroplasts as part of retrograde signalling. With this Focus Review, we aim to show ways in which organelle‐specific communication can be further researched and the collected data used in the long‐term to strengthen plant resilience in the context of climate change.
Attitudes toward diverse English accents among Japanese elementary school students
Authors: Hiasa Ayako
Published: November 2024

This paper explores Japanese elementary school students’ attitudinal responses toward diverse English accents presented in their multimodal course material. In the study, 86 sixth‐grade students (m = 48, f = 38) watched four self‐introduction videos representing Inner Circle and Expanding Circle accent varieties and rated the comprehensibility of each accent using 7‐point Likert‐type scales. In addition, they answered questions about proximity to their own accent and desirability as a learning model. Significant results suggest two major contradictions from previous studies; (1) that the White male American‐English speaker was rated least comprehensible among the four; (2) that the participants did not base their appraisal on closeness to a “native‐speaker” model in evaluating the idealness of an accent as a learning model. Based on the findings, I discuss the possible relationship between extended exposure and enhanced comprehensibility, the absence of “native‐speaker” benchmark among novice learners, and novice learners’ agency as an English user.
Metrics of positive Ricci curvature on simply‐connected manifolds of dimension 6k$6k$
Authors: Reiser Philipp
Published: November 2024

A consequence of the surgery theorem of Gromov and Lawson is that every closed, simply‐connected 6‐manifold admits a Riemannian metric of positive scalar curvature. For metrics of positive Ricci curvature, it is widely open whether a similar result holds; there are no obstructions known for those manifolds to admit a metric of positive Ricci curvature, while the number of examples known is limited. In this article, we introduce a new description of certain ‐dimensional manifolds via labeled bipartite graphs and use an earlier result of the author to construct metrics of positive Ricci curvature on these manifolds. In this way, we obtain many new examples, both spin and nonspin, of ‐dimensional manifolds with a metric of positive Ricci curvature.
Numerical Simulation and Experimental Investigation on Friction and Lubrication Behaviors of Chevron Micro-Textured Valve Plate/Cylinder Block Interface With Various Area Densities
Authors: Chen Luanxia , Liu Zhanqiang , Huang Haihong , Zhu Yingying
Published: November 2024

As the critical friction pairs of swashplate-type axial piston pumps, the cylinder block/valve plate lubricating interface is the primary source of friction, wear, and leakage in axial piston pumps. Surface micro-texturing has been widely employed in cylinder block/valve plate conjunctions to ameliorate tribological performance. However, little research has been conducted to investigate the influence of chevron micro-texture area density on the tribological behaviors and lubricating properties of cylinder block/valve plate interface both experimentally and numerically. In this article, the chevron micro-textures with various area densities were manufactured on H62 brass by micro-milling and subsequently characterized with a laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM). The friction and wear performance of H62 brass/38CrMoAl conjunctions were obtained via disc-on-disc tribological tests to simulate the cylinder block/valve plate lubricating interface. Moreover, the load-carrying capacity of untextured and chevron micro-textured samples was numerically investigated under hydrodynamic lubrication. It was found that the chevron micro-textured surface with an area density of 30.1% displayed the lowest friction coefficient and the shallowest wear depth. Although the load-carrying capacity of chevron micro-textured samples with a high dimple area density was larger, the severe stress concentration induced by the reduced micro-texture spacing caused the increment and large fluctuations of friction coefficient.
Thermohydraulic Performance and Flow Structures of Diamond Pyramid Arrays
Authors: Corbett Thomas M. , Thole Karen A.
Published: November 2024

Surface features are a common heat transfer enhancement method used in a myriad of applications including gas turbines and heat exchangers. One such style of surface feature is diamond pyramids, which offer significant heat transfer augmentation for moderate increases in overall pressure losses. This study investigated a suite of additively manufactured pyramids in a variety of sizes and arrangements at relevant scale contained in test coupons. Designs were printed with low surface roughness relative to typical additive components (Ra < 5 μm), and pyramids were printed within 100 μm of the design intent. Experimental and computational results indicate that the pressure penalty and heat transfer increased as the pyramids increased in size with aligned pyramids on both channel walls having higher values than staggered pyramids. It was found that implementing the pyramids onto a rough surface had a lesser impact on the friction factor than implementing it on a smooth surface, but that the relative increase in heat transfer was the same regardless of the roughness of the endwall. The greatest enhancement to local heat transfer and pressure loss was offset from the location of the minimum flow area due to local acceleration around the wake regions. The vortices formed in the wake of the pyramid structures enhanced the endwall heat transfer and shear stress. The performance of the pyramids investigated in this study follows a similar trend to prior studies investigating smooth rib geometries, though certain rib designs had higher heat transfer at lower pressure losses.
A Physics-Informed Neural Network for Solving the Inverse Heat Transfer Problem in Gas Turbine Rotating Cavities
Authors: Puttock-Brown Mark R. , Bindhu Goutham K. M. , Ashby Colin E.
Published: November 2024

Recently, physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) have displayed great potential in delivering swift and accurate solutions for inverse problems. Here, a PINN was used to solve the inverse heat conduction problem in the rotating cavities of an aeroengine high-pressure compressor internal air system. The neural network was designed to receive experimentally captured radially distributed temperature profiles as inputs and predict the associated surface heat fluxes. The correctness of these predicted heat fluxes was assessed by numerically solving the direct heat conduction equation using a 2D finite-element model, thereby recovering the original temperature profiles. A comparative analysis is conducted between the predicted temperature profiles and the initial inputs. The physics-informed neural network is trained using noise-free synthetic data, created from a range of radial temperature curve-fit coefficients, and subsequently tested on noisy experimental data at engine representative conditions. The predicted temperature values exhibit some good agreement with their respective actual counterparts. Furthermore, the sensitivity of model hyperparameters is explored to show the capability of the proposed approach. The results show that physics-informed neural networks exhibit reduced susceptibility to experimental uncertainties when addressing inverse problems, in contrast to inverse solution methods, and offer a possible new approach for the analysis of experimental data if trained on a sufficiently large dataset.
XPS investigation of CuxO-functionalized amorphous carbon nitride
Authors: Marchiori Giacomo , Benedet Mattia , Fasan Angelica , Barreca Davide , Maccato Chiara , Rizzi Gian Andrea , Gasparotto Alberto
Published: November 2024

In this work, we report the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization of a novel nanocomposite (photo)electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction, based on amorphous carbon nitride (aCN) functionalized with CuxO nanoparticles (NPs). The specimen has been fabricated employing two sequential plasma-assisted processes, involving the initial aCN deposition onto conductive glass via magnetron sputtering, followed by carbon nitride functionalization with CuxO (x = 1, 2) NPs by radio frequency-sputtering. The results reported herein include the survey spectrum and the high-resolution C 1s, N 1s, O 1s, Cu 2p, and Cu LMM signals. The most significant spectral features are analyzed and critically discussed.
Evaluating audio quality ratings and scene analysis performance of hearing-impaired listeners for multi-track music
Authors: Benjamin Aravindan Joseph , Siedenburg Kai
Published: November 2024

This study assessed musical scene analysis (MSA) performance and subjective quality ratings of multi-track mixes as a function of spectral manipulations using the EQ-transform (% EQT). This transform exaggerates or reduces the spectral shape changes in a given track with respect to a relatively flat, smooth reference spectrum. Data from 30 younger normal hearing (yNH) and 23 older hearing-impaired (oHI) participants showed that MSA performance was robust to changes in % EQT. However, audio quality ratings elicited from yNH participants were more sensitive to % EQT than those of oHI participants. A significant positive correlation between MSA performance and quality ratings among oHI showed that oHI participants with better MSA performances gave higher-quality ratings, whereas there was no significant correlation for yNH listeners. Overall, these data indicate the complementary virtue of measures of MSA and audio quality ratings for assessing the suitability of music mixes for hearing-impaired listeners.
Using the Shoulder Return to Sport After Injury Scale to Measure Psychological Readiness Before Return to Play in Athletes With Traumatic Shoulder Dislocations: A Critically Appraised Topic
Authors: Arnett Hannah , Moore Kenya , Winkelmann Zachary , Miller Hannah , Fraley Amy L.
Published: November 2024

The clinical question examined the use of the Shoulder Return to Sport after Injury (SI-RSI) scale to measure athletes’ mental readiness after a shoulder injury to improve the return-to-play (RTP) decision-making process. In September 2023, a computerized search of PubMed for evidence was completed. Four articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Outcomes included quantitative evidence of SI-RSI scores and if the athletes RTP. All four studies were evaluated using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology Critical Appraisal Checklist. Points were removed for no explanation of statistical analysis, bias, funding, and loss of participants. Two of the included studies concluded that patients who RTP passed the SI-RSI benchmark 73.1% and 81.4% of the time. One study found that 74% of athletes that passed their determined benchmark returned to the same level of play after the injury. One study revealed that participants who RTP scored higher on the reinjury fear and risk subscale compared with those who did not (42.2 ± 23 vs. 27.3 ± 16, p = .02). The Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy checklist concluded a Level C recommendation because of the consistent Levels 2 and 3 evidence across all four studies. This recommendation accounts for the disease-oriented outcomes measured across all studies. This evidence suggests that the SI-RSI helps evaluate psychological readiness before RTP after a shoulder dislocation. Clinically, this may limit the recurrence of shoulder dislocations by requiring athletes to pass the SI-RSI benchmark.
Isolated and Combined Effects of Moderate Normobaric Hypoxia and Sleep Restriction on Energy Intake and Food Reward
Authors: Clavé Paco , Fabries Pierre , Beauchamps Vincent , Pontiggia Anaïs , David Louis , Van Beers Pascal , Guillard Mathias , Tavard Blandine , Malgoyre Alexandra , Koulmann Nathalie , Gomez-Merino Danielle , Sauvet Fabien , Chennaoui Mounir , Charlot Keyne , _ _
Published: November 2024

Hypoxia (HY) and sleep deprivation have opposite effects on appetite. As HY may alter sleep, it may be informative to assess the accumulative effects of these two stressors on hunger, energy intake (EI), and food reward. Seventeen young, active, healthy males completed four 5-hr sessions in normoxia (NO) or normobaric HY (FIO2 = 13.6%, ∼3,500 m) after a night of habitual sleep (HS; total sleep time >6 hr) or sleep restriction (SR; total sleep time <3 hr). Subjective appetite was assessed regularly using visual analogic scales and EI during an ad libitum lunch after 3.5 hr of exposure. Food reward was assessed using the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire just before the lunch. As expected, EI was lower for the HY-HS (4.32 ± 0.71 MJ; p = .048) and HY-SR (4.16 ± 0.68 MJ, p = .013) sessions than the NO-HS (4.90 ± 0.84 MJ) session without acute mountain sickness-related gastrointestinal symptoms. No significant effect of SR alone was observed (NO-SR: 4.40 ± 0.68 MJ). Subjective appetite was not affected. Explicit liking for high-fat foods was higher with SR than HS (main effect: p = .002) and implicit wanting for high-fat foods was higher for the NO-SR, HY-HS, and HY-SR sessions than the NO-HS session (p < .006). Thus, acute SR did not modify subjective appetite or EI despite the increasing food reward for high-fat foods and did not alter the HY-induced changes of appetite or food reward.
Postexercise Dietary Leucine Retention for Whole-Body Anabolism Is Greater With Whey Protein Isolate and Fish-Derived Protein Hydrolysate Than Nonessential Amino Acids in Trained Young Men
Authors: Evans Mark , Lees Matthew J. , Aguilera Jonathan A. , West Daniel W.D. , da Fonseca Guilherme W.P. , Amigo-Benavent Miryam , Carson Brian P. , Moore Daniel R. , Egan Brendan
Published: November 2024

Marine-derived proteins, such as blue whiting-derived protein hydrolysates (BWPH), represent high-quality sources of dietary protein, but their ability to support postexercise anabolism is not established. The impact of BWPH on whole-body anabolism was compared with an isonitrogenous whey protein isolate (WPI) and nonessential amino acid (NEAA) control in 10 trained young males (31 ± 4 years) who, on three separate visits, performed a session of whole-body resistance exercise and then consumed, in randomized crossover fashion, BWPH, WPI, or NEAA (0.33 g/kg; 19, 33, and 0 mg/kg leucine, respectively) with L-[1-13C]leucine. Breath, blood, and urine samples were collected for 6-hr postprandial to assess dietary leucine oxidation, amino acid (AA) concentrations, and 3-methylhistidine: creatinine ratio. Peak and area under the curve concentrations for leucine, branched-chain amino acids, and essential amino acids were greater in WPI compared with BWPH (all p < .05) but with no differences in time to peak concentration. Total oxidation reflected leucine intake (WPI > BWPH > NEAA; p < .01), whereas relative oxidation was greater (p < .01) in WPI (28.6 ± 3.6%) compared with NEAA (21.3 ± 4.2%), but not BWPH (28.6 ± 8.8%). Leucine retention, a proxy for whole-body protein synthesis, was greater in WPI (185.6 ± 9.5 μmol/kg) compared with BWPH (109.3 ± 14.1 μmol/kg) and NEAA (5.74 ± 0.30 μmol/kg; both p < .01), with BWPH being greater than NEAA (p < .01). Urinary 3-methylhistidine: creatinine ratio did not differ between conditions. Both WPI and BWPH produced essential aminoacidemia and supported whole-body anabolism after resistance exercise, but a higher intake of BWPH to better approximate the leucine and EAA content of WPI may be needed to produce an equivalent anabolic response.
Accelerometer-Measured Volumes of Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity and Functional Fitness in Older Adults
Authors: Cruz Daniel , Freire Yuri A. , Rosa-Souza Francisco J. , Cabral Ludmila L.P. , Silva Raissa M. , Camara Marcyo , Waters Debra L. , Browne Rodrigo A.V. , Costa Eduardo C.
Published: November 2024

The objective of this study is to investigate the association between different volumes of accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and functional fitness in older adults in a cross-sectional study (n = 242; 66 ± 5 years; 80% women). MVPA was assessed by accelerometer for 1 week. Based on the MVPA recommendations, the participants were classified as: (a) inactive (<50 min/week), (b) somewhat active (50–99 min/week), (c) moderately active (100–149 min/week), and (d) active (≥150 min/week). These groups reflect <33%, 33%–66%, 67%–99%, and ≥100% of the MVPA recommendations, respectively. Functional fitness was assessed by the Senior Fitness Test battery: 6-min walk test (6MWT), timed up and go (TUG), 30-s chair stand test, 30-s arm curl test, chair sit-and-reach test, and back scratch test. In addition to the analysis for each functional fitness test, a total functional fitness score was calculated by the sum of the z scores of all tests. Generalized linear models were used for data analyses (reference: inactive). Compared with the inactive group (n = 59), the somewhat active group (n = 47) had better performance on the 6MWT and TUG (p < .05). The moderately active group (n = 47) had better performance on the 6MWT, TUG, 30-s chair stand test, and the total functional fitness score (p < .05). The active group (n = 89) had better performance on the 6MWT, TUG, 30-s chair stand test, chair sit-and-reach test, and the total functional fitness score (p < .05). Older adults who engaged in higher volumes of MVPA had better performance in more functional fitness components. However, lower than recommended volumes of MVPA (meeting ≥50 min/week) were also associated with greater lower limb functional fitness performance.
Students’ Perspectives on the Organization of Health in Physical Education
Authors: Beaumont Lee C. , Warburton Victoria E.
Published: November 2024

Purpose: This study explored students’ perspectives of the approaches to organizing health in secondary school physical education lessons. Method: Utilizing a qualitative methodology, 47 students (aged 11–16 years) from four secondary schools were interviewed. Data were analyzed thematically, with Harris’ “approaches to organizing health in physical education” conceptual framework used to support the analytical process. Results: For the focused approach, many students reported that a positive aspect was its functional nature. They valued a dedicated lesson specifically for health-related learning and appreciated not having to concentrate on two aspects at once. For the permeation approach, views were mixed, whereas the combined approach was hardly mentioned from either a positive or a negative perspective. Conclusion: We provided the first insight into students’ perspectives of the organization of health in physical education and highlighted the importance of consulting students in the development of effective health education programs.
Auto-Phenomenographical Understandings of Transness: Lessons in the Self
Authors: Keesler Jordan
Published: November 2024

This auto-phenomenological account of my experiences in competitive softball versus my current experiences in Division I women’s rugby addresses the question: What does an alternative understanding of embodiment look like when sports becomes the means to develop a different “felt sense”? I use my experiences to argue that phenomenology offers an alternative to conventional understandings of trans embodiment that argues comfort is primarily found through medical transition. Instead, being comfortable in one’s body as a trans person can occur in sporting spaces. I complicate this claim by attending to how I and my sporting spaces’ backgrounds (both literal and historical), as well as the essence of my sports (constituted by what we do to or with it), demonstrate that not all sporting experiences are the same and must be deeply contextualized.
Azotobacter vinelandii
N
2
fixation increases in co-culture with the PGPR
Bacillus subtilis
in a nitrogen concentration-dependent manner
Authors: Leroux Julie , Beauregard Pascale B. , Bellenger Jean-Philippe
Published: November 2024

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is an essential source of new nitrogen (N) for terrestrial ecosystems. The abiotic factors regulating BNF have been extensively studied in various ecosystems and laboratory settings. Despite this, our understanding of the impact of neighboring bacteria on N
2
fixer activity remains limited. Here, we explored this question using a co-culture of the two model species: the free-living diazotroph
Azotobacter vinelandii
and the non-fixing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria
Bacillus subtilis
. We observed that the interaction between the two bacteria was modulated by N availability. Under N-replete conditions,
B. subtilis
outcompeted
A. vinelandii
in the co-culture. Under N-limiting conditions, BNF activity by
A. vinelandii
was enhanced in the presence of
B. subtilis
. Reciprocally, the presence of
A. vinelandii
repressed sporulation by
B. subtilis
and supported its growth likely through N transfer. N inputs by
A. vinelandii
were doubled in the presence of
B. subtilis
compared to the monoculture, primarily due to the retention of a robust N
2
fixation activity in the stationary phase. A proteomic analysis revealed that
A. vinelandii
N metabolism, particularly the molybdenum nitrogenase isoform protein levels (NifK and NifD), was upregulated during the stationary growth phase in the presence of
B. subtilis
. This study revealed that N stress drives bacterial interactions and activity in a two-species community, especially in the stationary phase.

IMPORTANCE

Reducing inputs of chemical N fertilizers is essential to develop a more sustainable agriculture. The stimulation of biological nitrogen fixation by N2 fixers in multispecies cultures, here the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria
Azotobacter vinelandii
and
Bacillus subtilis
, opens opportunities for the formulation of biofertilizers consortia. While most research on N2 fixation historically focussed on the exponential growth phase of microorganisms, we observed that
Bacillus subtilis
stimulated
Azotobacter vinelandii
N2 fixation mostly during the stationary phase. This result highlights that more research on the factors controlling N2 fixation repression during the stationary growth phase, especially bacteria-bacteria interactions, is eagerly needed.
A novel LAMP-based assay for the identification of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
and
Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae
in clinical isolates
Authors: Basheer Mariam , Sasic Katarina , Carlsson Alice , Vestberg Nora , Henriques-Normark Birgitta , Blomqvist Karin , Garriss Geneviève
Published: November 2024

The Gram-positive bacteria
Streptococcus pneumoniae
is part of the
Streptococcus mitis
group (SMG) and causes life-threatening infections, such as pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. The closely related
Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae
has recently been shown to cause respiratory tract infections, as well as invasive infections, especially in patients with comorbidities. Due to the genetic and phenotypic similarities of species belonging to the SMG, the identification of
S. pneumoniae
and
S. pseudopneumoniae
is difficult and unreliable using phenotypic tests, as well as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) and 16S rRNA sequencing. In this study, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)-based assay was developed using molecular markers specific for
S. pneumoniae
(SPN0001) and
S. pseudopneumoniae
(SPPN_RS10375). The LAMP assay was evaluated using a collection of SMG clinical isolates, concluding that the method provides a correct, reliable, and fast identification of both
S. pneumoniae
and
S. pseudopneumoniae
clinical isolates.