bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of milling on the nutrients and anti‐nutrients in browntop millet (Urochloa ramosa) and its milled fractions: evaluation of their flour functionality
Authors: Sunagar Raghavakumari R. , Sreerama Yadahally N.
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND

Browntop millet has gained popularity in recent years owing to its nutritional superiority and health benefits. However, the usage of browntop millet flours as ingredients in composite flours and functional foods is constrained due to a lack of information regarding the grain composition and its flour functionality. Therefore, the distribution of nutrients, anti‐nutrients in browntop millet milled fractions and their flour functionality was evaluated in comparison to whole grain flour.

RESULTS

Bran fraction comprised the highest protein (13.7%) and fat contents (27%) among other fractions. Pearling of dehulled grains considerably reduced phytic acid, saponins and flatulence‐causing oligosaccharides in pearled grain flours. Besides, this led to the enrichment of soluble fibre, minerals, phenolics and trypsin inhibitors in bran fraction. Milling also impacted flour functionality. Despite its lower water holding ability, dehulled grain flour exhibited significantly higher oil absorption capacity than whole grain flour due to the removal of fibre‐rich hull fraction. Although emulsion (45.2%) and foaming capacities (12.5%) were superior in bran flour, foam stability was greater in pearled grain flours.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest the potential utilisation of browntop millet milled flours as ingredients in the development of distinct food formulations and as partial substitutes to wheat flour in confectionary and bakery products. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Lessons learned from ORCID DE—A project‐driven initiative to promote author identification in Germany
Authors: Pampel Heinz , Schrader Antonia C. , Vierkant Paul , Dreyer Britta , Glagla‐Dietz Stephanie , Schirrwagen Jochen , Summann Friedrich
Published: February 2024

Key points

The ORCID DE project, from 2016 to 2022, promoted ORCID in Germany through a project‐driven approach.

The project promoted the dissemination of ORCID in Germany. The number of IDs registered for Germany increased from approximately 44,000 in 2016 to 300,070 in 2023.

The linkage of ORCID with the bibliographic Gemeinsame Normdatei (GND; translated: Integrated Authority File) standard in German‐speaking countries has contributed to the success of ORCID in Germany.

The promotion of ORCID in Germany was based on six central areas: information, consortium, standardization, implementation, monitoring, and networking.

The ORCID DE Monitor captures and analyses the development of ORCID on a national and international level.

The ACTION principles highlight crucial measures in promoting a standard, such as ORCID. ACTION stands for Awareness, ConnectiviTy, IntegratiOn, and Networking.
Stimuli‐Responsive Lanthanide Activated Piezoelectric LiNbO3 Microcrystals for Multimode Luminescence and Optical Sensing Applications
Authors: Lin Nan , Wang Jiawen , Xiao Zhen , Tan Ruiming , Zhang Yang , Xu Shiqing , Bai Gongxun
Published: February 2024

Multimode luminescence is usually stimulated by various external stimuli in response to photon emission and is applied in various anti‐counterfeiting and encryption fields. However, integrating multimode luminescence into a single stable material, and how to quantitatively evaluate the relationship between temperature light and force light remains a challenge. In this work, LiNbO3:Er3+/Pr3+ microcrystals that can respond to X‐ray, UV light, temperature, and stress stimuli are developed. The temperature‐dependent upconversion emission spectra show a maximum relative sensitivity of 0.889% K−1 based on the intensity ratio. Meanwhile, the mechanoluminescence around 618 nm with a linear relationship is observed with the increase of force. These materials illustrate strong static and dynamic luminescence that can be manipulated in space and time dimensions, which provides new ideas in the field of anti‐counterfeiting and information encryption.
Dynamically tuning and reconfiguring microwave bandpass filters using optical control of switching elements
Authors: Li Peizhao , Zahedi Ehsan , Shi Yu , Deng Yijing , Liu Lei
Published: February 2024

We report a novel approach for dynamically tuning and reconfiguring microwave bandpass filters (BPFs) based on optically controlled switching elements using photoconductivity modulation in semiconductors. For a prototype demonstration, a BPF circuit featuring a second‐order design using two closely coupled split‐ring resonators embedded with multiple silicon chips (as switching elements) was designed, fabricated, and characterized. The silicon chips were optically linked to fiber‐coupled laser diodes (808 nm light) for switching/modulation, enabling dynamic tuning and reconfiguring of the BPF without any complex biasing circuits. By turning on and off the two laser diodes simultaneously, the BPF response can be dynamically reconfigured between bandpass and broadband suppression. Moreover, the attenuation level of the passband can be continuously adjusted (from 0.7 to 22 dB at the center frequency of 3.03 GHz) by varying the light intensity from 0 to 40 W/cm2. The tuning/reconfiguring 3‐dB bandwidth is estimated to be ~200 kHz. In addition, the potential and limitations of the proposed approach using photoconductivity modulation are discussed. With the strong tuning/reconfiguring capability demonstrated and the great potential for high‐frequency operation, this approach holds promise for the development of more advanced tunable filters and other adaptive circuits for next‐generation sensing, imaging, and communication systems.
Discrete variable topology optimization for maximizing single/multiple natural frequencies and frequency gaps considering the topological constraint
Authors: Deng Zeyu , Liang Yuan , Cheng Gengdong
Published: February 2024

Finding optimized structural topology design for maximizing natural frequencies and frequency gaps of continuum structures is crucial for engineering applications. However, two significant numerical issues must be addressed: non‐smoothness caused by multiple frequencies and Artificial Localized Rigid Motion (ALRM) modes due to the violation of the topological constraint related to isolated islands and point‐connections. The above two issues are solved by employing the discrete variable topology optimization method based on Sequential Approximate Integer Programming (SAIP). First, the directional differentiability and multiple frequencies preservation constraints are formulated as the linear integer constraints. And then, the integer programming with these linear integer constraints is established and solved by the discrete variable linear or quadratic programming solver with multi‐constraint Canonical Relaxation Algorithm (CRA). We also prove that the popular Average Modal Frequencies (AMF) strategy, like the Kreisselmeier‐Steinhauser (KS) function, cannot rigorously tackle this non‐smoothness caused by multiple frequencies. Furthermore, to eliminate the ALRM modes and concentrate on the real structural global modes, the burning method is employed to impose the topological constraint of the first Betti number that represents the number of isolated islands and point‐connections. Numerical examples, including 2D and 3D, two‐fold and three‐fold multiple frequencies, natural frequencies and frequency gaps, are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A posteriori error analysis of a semi‐augmented finite element method for double‐diffusive natural convection in porous media
Authors: Álvarez Mario , Colmenares Eligio , Sequeira Filánder A.
Published: February 2024

This paper presents our contribution to the a posteriori error analysis in 2D and 3D of a semi‐augmented mixed‐primal finite element method previously developed by us to numerically solve double‐diffusive natural convection problem in porous media. The model combines Brinkman‐Navier‐Stokes equations for velocity and pressure coupled to a vector advection‐diffusion equation, representing heat and concentration of a certain substance in a viscous fluid within a porous medium. Strain and pseudo‐stress tensors were introduced to establish scheme solvability and provide a priori error estimates using Raviart‐Thomas elements, piecewise polynomials and Lagrange finite elements. In this work, we derive two reliable residual‐based a posteriori error estimators. The first estimator leverages ellipticity properties, Helmholtz decomposition as well as Clément interpolant and Raviart‐Thomas operator properties for showing reliability; efficiency is guaranteed by inverse inequalities and localization strategies. An alternative estimator is also derived and analyzed for reliability without Helmholtz decomposition. Numerical tests are presented to confirm estimator properties and demonstrate adaptive scheme performance.
Comprehensive evaluation of energy absorption characteristics of Al‐CFRP hybrid tube under radial impacts
Authors: Ma Qihua , Nie Na , Zhang Shuhui , Gan Xuehui
Published: February 2024

This paper aimed to investigate the energy absorption characteristics and damage mechanism of carbon fiber reinforced plastics/aluminum (Al‐CFRP) under radial impact. In this study, the damage mode of the hybrid tube is analyzed by falling hammer impact experiments, and the correctness of the finite element model is verified by comparing the experimental and numerical simulation results. Then, the damage mechanism of the hybrid tube under impact loading and the effects of the increase of the fiber angle, the wall thickness of Aluminum, and the number of outer CFRP layers on the impact resistance were analyzed according to the model. The comprehensive performance model of the hybrid tube was established by using the complex scale comprehensive evaluation method, and the genetic algorithm was used to optimize the hybrid tube and determine its optimal performance under radial impact load. The results show that the Al‐CFRP hybrid tube's overall stiffness and deformation resistance under radial impact is improved with the increase of the fiber angle, the wall thickness of the Al tube, and the number of outer CFRP layers. Combined with the parametric analysis of the numerical simulation results, a comprehensive performance evaluation model based on the complex proportionality assessment method (COPRAS) was developed and a genetic algorithm (GA) under back propagation (BP) neural network prediction was used. The optimal hybrid tube form with the best overall performance under radial impact was obtained using GA with BP neural network prediction.

Highlights

The energy absorption characteristics of hybrid tubes under radial impact are investigated

A comprehensive performance evaluation model of hybrid pipe based on the complex proportional assessment method (COPRAS) is developed

The failure process and energy absorption mechanism of the hybrid pipe under radial impact are analyzed

A genetic algorithm (GA) with backpropagation (BP) neural network prediction was used to obtain the hybrid pipe form with the best overall performance under radial impact
The effect of graphene oxide on thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties of carbon/epoxy composites: Towards multifunctional composite material
Authors: Pramodkumar B. , Budhe Sandip
Published: February 2024

The focus of this research work is to investigate the influence of graphene oxide (GO) on the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of carbon fiber‐reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. The solvent mixing method with the new addition of a mixing stage is introduced for uniform distribution of graphene oxide in polymer. Different weight percentages of graphene oxide (1%, 1.5%, and 2%) were incorporated into the epoxy matrix, and the resulting composites were subjected to electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) testing. The findings revealed a positive influence on material properties with the percentage of GO. Especially, the electrical conductivity and ILSS values reached up to 7.05 S/m and 11.03 MPa, respectively, when 1.5% GO by weight of the resin was added. The improvement in ILSS reported by 40% compared to the neat CFRP, and this increment was attributed to enhanced bonding between the epoxy matrix and carbon fabric. Maximum thermal conductivity of 1.04 W/m°K obtained at 1% GO filler, which is 15% higher than neat epoxy composite. Overall, these results illustrate the potential of GO as a promising filler to improve the electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties of CFRP composites. Proper optimization of graphene content in a polymer is needed to achieve the best multifunctional composite materials.

Highlights

The new solvent mixing method is introduced for uniform distribution of graphene oxide in polymer.

Maximum thermal and electrical conductivity obtained at different percentages of graphene content in composite.

Positive improvement is observed in mechanical, thermal, and electrical at a specific percentage of graphene in the composite.

Proper optimization of nanofiller content in composite is needed to assess for maximum performance.
Impact resistance performance and structural optimization of lightweight composite target plate
Authors: Zhou Yuesong , Zheng Changsheng
Published: February 2024

The finite element model of a 7.62 mm armor‐piercing incendiary bomb penetrating lightweight composite target is established. The structure of the target plate is composed of boron carbide ceramic/carbon fiber laminate/aramid fiber laminate/damping material. The reasonable distribution position of damping material is explored by designing the material structure and geometric parameters. Genetic algorithm is used to optimize the structure of the lightweight composite target plate, and the feasibility of the optimization results is verified through experiments. The results show that under the same surface density, the energy absorption value of the target plate with a certain thickness of back layer damping is 1.36% higher than that of the target plate without damping. And the damping material on the back layer can act as a buffer layer to reduce blunt trauma caused by bullets to the human body. The surface density of the optimized lightweight composite target plate is reduced by 21.6% under the same protection capability. This work provides a theoretical foundation for the impact resistance design and optimization of lightweight composite target plates.

Highlights

Impact resistance performance of lightweight composite target plate is investigated.

The impacting analytical model of the structure is established.

The validity of the optimized impacting analytical model is verified by numerical simulation.
Activated carbon fibers from recycled acrylic and cotton for carbon dioxide capture
Authors: Kocak Sinem , Akduman Cigdem , Yanik Jale , Kumbasar E. Perrin Akcakoca , Cay Ahmet
Published: February 2024

In this study, activated carbon fibers (ACFs) were produced from mechanically recycled acrylic (PAN) and cotton (CO) fibers and their blend (PAN/CO) in felt form as an adsorbent for carbon dioxide capture. For this purpose, stabilization, carbonization, and chemical activation processes were applied consecutively. The effects of recycled fiber type, carbonization temperature, and activation agent impregnation ratio were investigated. The resultant ACFs were characterized by elemental analysis, SEM, FTIR, XPS, and BET analyses, and carbon dioxide adsorption capacity was tested. It was observed that the fibrous structure of all samples was preserved at all stages, although the fiber diameters were reduced. The maximum quantity of adsorbed CO2 was found to be 3.79, 3.47, and 3.28 mmol CO2/g for recycled PAN, CO, and PAN/CO based samples, respectively, at 298 K at a relative pressure of 0.989. It was conducted that the carbon dioxide adsorption performance was affected by both the ACF surface area and the nitrogen content in the structure. It was concluded that recycled fiber‐based ACFs as CO2 adsorbents could be successfully produced with reasonable adsorption performance as a sustainable alternative.

Highlights

Activated carbon fibers were produced from recycled acrylic and cotton fibers

Fibrous structure was preserved, but fiber diameters decreased

Reasonable carbon dioxide adsorption capacity was attained

Recycled fiber‐based ACFs could be a sustainable alternative to CO2 adsorbents
Methyl N,N‐dimethylanthranilate and ethyl propionate: repellents effective against spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii
Authors: Conroy Christina , Fountain Michelle T. , Whitfield E. Charles , Hall David R. , Farman Dudley , Bray Daniel P.
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND

Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), is an economically important pest of soft and stone fruit crops. The aim of this study was to identify repellents, formulated in dispensers, which could protect crops from D. suzukii. Fourteen potential repellents were screened against summer‐ and winter‐morph D. suzukii through electroantennography and behavioural bioassays. Repellents effective in the laboratory were tested in polytunnels to determine their efficacy in reducing catches in fruit‐baited traps. Further trials of three potential repellents were conducted to determine the distances over which repellent dispensers could reduce D. suzukii emergence in a strawberry crop.

RESULTS

All 14 chemicals screened were detected by the antennae of both D. suzukii morphs. Hexyl acetate and geosmin both elicited a significantly greater corrected EAG response in summer morphs than winter morphs. Summer‐morph D. suzukii were repelled by butyl acetate, ethyl propionate, methyl N,N‐dimethyl anthranilate, geosmin, methyl salicylate, DEET and benzaldehyde at one or more doses test in laboratory bioassays. Winter morphs were repelled by ethyl propionate, methyl anthranilate, methyl N,N‐dimethyl anthranilate, DEET, benzaldehyde and butyl anthranilate at one or more of the doses tested in the laboratory. Ethyl propionate, methyl N,N‐dimethylanthranilate and benzaldehyde repelled both morphs from fruit‐baited traps in polytunnel trapping trials. Ethyl propionate and methyl N,N‐dimethylanthranilate reduced emergence of D. suzukii in a strawberry crop over 3–5 m.

CONCLUSIONS

Ethyl propionate and methyl N,N‐dimethylanthranilate may protect strawberry crops against D. suzukii. Future work should test these repellents in combination with attractants in a ‘push‐pull’ strategy. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Exploring the role of the ovary‐serine protease gene in the female fertility of the diamondback moth using CRISPR/Cas9
Authors: Asad Muhammad , Liao Jianying , Chen Jing , Munir Faisal , Pang Senbo , Abbas Anam Noreen , Yang Guang
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND

Oogenesis is a complex pathway necessary for proper female reproduction in insects. Ovary‐serine protease (Osp) is a homologous gene of serine protease Nudel (SpNudel) and plays an essential role in the oogenesis and ovary development of Drosophila melanogaster. However, the function of Osp is not determined in Plutella xylostella, a highly destructive pest of cruciferous crops.

RESULTS

The PxOsp gene comprises a 5883‐bp open‐reading frame that encodes a protein consisting of 1994 amino acids, which contain four conserved domains. PxOsp exhibited a high relative expression in adult females with a specific expression in the ovary. Through the utilization of CRISPR/Cas9 technology, homozygous mutants of PxOsp were generated. These homozygous mutant females produced fewer eggs (average of 56 eggs/female) than wild‐type (WT) females (average of 97 eggs/female) when crossed with WT males, and these eggs failed to hatch. Conversely, mutant males produced normal progeny when crossed with WT females. The ovarioles in homozygous mutant females were significantly shorter (5.02 mm in length) and contained fewer eggs (average of 3 eggs/ovariole) than WT ovarioles (8.09 mm in length with an average of 8 eggs/ovariole). Moreover, eggs laid by homozygous mutant females were fragile, with irregular shapes, and were unable to maintain structural integrity due to eggshell ruptures. However, no significant differences were observed between WT and mutant individuals regarding developmental duration, pupal weight, and mating behavior.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggesteds that PxOsp plays a vital role in female reproduction, particularly in ovary and egg development. Disrupting PxOsp results in recessive female sterility while leaving the male reproductive capability unaffected. This report represents the first study of a haplosufficient gene responsible for female fertility in lepidopteran insects. Additionally, these findings emphasize PxOsp as a potential target for genetically‐based pest management of P. xylostella. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Fully distributed adaptive asymptotical consensus tracking control of uncertain high‐order nonlinear multi‐agent systems with event‐triggered communication
Authors: Wu Xiangkai , Liu Yuxiao , Long Jiang , Wang Wei
Published: February 2024

In this article, the distributed adaptive asymptotical consensus tracking control is considered for a class of high‐order nonlinear multi‐agent systems with matched unknown parameters under the event‐triggered communication mechanism. The controllers, adaptive laws and triggering conditions are presented under directed topology with a spanning tree, relieving communication burden among the connected agents since continuous monitoring of in‐neighbors is no longer needed. To handle the cross‐coupling term associated with asymmetric Laplacian matrix and unknown parameters of all agents when the candidate Lyapunov function is defined in terms of local consensus errors, adaptive immersion and invariance control technique is adopted. Adaptive estimators are also designed to estimate the constants related to global information, with which the proposed control scheme is fully distributed. It is shown that all closed‐loop system signals are globally uniformly bounded and all agents can track the reference signal asymptotically while ruling out Zeno behavior though a subset of the agents cannot have direct access to the reference signal information. A numerical example is illustrated to show the effectiveness of the proposed control protocol.
Multiple degrees‐of‐freedom programmable soft‐matter‐photonics: Configuration, manipulation, and advanced applications
Authors: Zhang Yuxian , Zheng Zhi‐Gang , Li Quan
Published: February 2024

For centuries, humans have never stopped exploring the nature of light and manipulating it, since light carries multiple information through its intrinsic wave‐particle dualism, including wavelength, amplitude, phase, polarization, spin/orbital angular momentum, etc., which determines the physical language and basic manners we perceive the objective world. Conventional optical devices, such as lenses, prisms, and lasers, are composed of solid elements that are bulky, making it difficult to manipulate light dynamically with multiple degrees‐of‐freedom. Comparatively, some responsive soft matters, especially represented by liquid crystals (LCs), possess distinctive orientational order and spontaneous self‐assembled superstructures, enabling the digital programming of microstructures and multiple degrees‐of‐freedom manipulation of their optical characteristics. The optical manipulation based on these soft superstructures, that is, the “soft‐matter‐photonics”, is playing an impressive role in integrated functional devices, especially in the present age of information explosion. Herein, we review the latest advances, respectively, in the microstructure configurations, multiple degrees‐of‐freedom manipulations, and the relevant prospective applications. Additionally, scientific issues and technical challenges that hinder the programing operation and optical manipulations are discussed. Toward a four‐dimensional optical manipulation of soft condensed matter, this review may have wide implications on a variety of applications, including the integrated fabrication of compact elements, multi‐channel information processing and high‐capacity optical communications.
What Do So‐Called Critical Race Theory Bans Mean for Elementary Literacy Instruction?
Authors: Kelly Laura Beth , Taylor Laura
Published: February 2024

In recent years, a number of states in the United States have enacted educational policies, often referred to as “critical race theory” bans, that aim to restrict teaching about race and racism in schools. This study examines how current and future elementary literacy educators interpreted and intended to respond to one such law in Tennessee. Drawing theoretically on policy sociology and critical race theory policy analysis, we qualitatively analyzed data generated in focus groups with 18 prospective and practicing teachers. Our findings illustrate the restrictive effects of the policy on elementary literacy instruction, caused partially by teachers interpreting the policy as substantially impeding their ability to engage students in critically reading, writing, and talking about race and racism. Further, findings demonstrate how this new policy intersected with and exacerbated existing curricular constraints in elementary literacy classrooms, including developmental discourses and neoliberal standardization, reinforcing normative whiteness by producing further impediments to elementary literacy instruction as a space to develop critical consciousness about race. This study contributes to emerging literature on the effects of divisive concepts legislation, as well as situating this current legislative wave within existing policy contexts of restriction.
Clinical Applications of Exosomes in Cosmetic Dermatology
Authors: Bai Ge , Truong Thu Minh , Pathak Gaurav N. , Benoit Lora , Rao Babar
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that transport bioactive substances during normal and abnormal cellular physiological processes. The unique properties of exosomes can be exploited for use as biomarkers and targeted drug delivery vehicles, and are, for this reason, gaining increasing attention in the field of dermatology. This review aims to synthesise the existing evidence supporting exosomes in regenerative and cosmetic dermatology.

Method

A comprehensive PubMed search for the period of 2010–2023 was performed using the MeSH terms "exosome" and "skin.” The initial search yielded 246 studies, which were then refined to 178 studies following title and abstract screening. Studies were confined to human or animal studies published in English that evaluated the use of exosomes in medical/cosmetic dermatology. A subsequent full-text review based on these criteria yielded 34 studies, which were then reviewed.

Results

Exosomes can be derived from a variety of biological sources and show potential application in wound healing, scar prophylaxis, photodamage prevention, skin regeneration, improved grafting success, hair loss mitigation, and as biomarkers and drug carriers.

Conclusion

Exosomes are gaining traction in regenerative and cosmetic dermatology. However, their widespread clinical application is hindered by cost, a complex isolation process, lack of uniform protocols, limited assessment of infective potential, and a paucity of clinical evidence. Further research in this area is needed, especially by way of clinical studies evaluating the efficacy of exosome-based treatments on human skin.
Potential Inhibitors from Natural Compounds against SARS‐CoV‐2 Main Protease: A Systematic Molecular Modelling Approach
Authors: Raman Kannan , Kalirajan Rajagopal , Islam Fahadul , Zehravi Mehrukh , Pratap Singh Laliteshwar , Rana Ritesh , Murugesan Sankaranarayanan , Jupudi Srikanth , Akash Shopnil , Byran Gowramma , Nainu Firzan , Bin Emran Talha , Dawoud Turki M. , Bourhia Mohammed , Barua Rashu
Published: February 2024

The COVID‐19 outbreak poses a significant threat to the world‘s human population in 2020. Finding new drugs rapidly during this pandemic is quite challenging. Thus, in silico drug screening experiments may provide effective therapeutic alternatives for better assessing natural remedies in preventing and treating COVID‐19. The main protease (Mpro) is an important drug target that is essential and ubiquitous for the survival of SARS‐CoV‐2. In this study, we performed in silico high‐throughput virtual screening to identify potential hits employing a database of 3 million natural compounds (supernatural‐II database). The initially obtained top 100 virtual hits were subjected to a standard SP and XP docking protocol, achieving the top 30 hits. Compounds SN00340755 (glide score: −16.0 kcal/mol and ΔGbind: −134.29 kcal/mol) and SN00213037 (glide score: −13.30 kcal/mol and ΔGbind: −81.18 kcal/mol) exhibited significant binding energy against Mpro (PDB ID: 6XQS). The ligands SN00340755 and SN00213037 formed multiple hydrogen bonds with the catalytic residues, especially with the functionally important residue GLU166, which plays a significant role in protomer dimerization. Further post‐docking minimization studies (MM‐GBSA) were performed to estimate the ligand‐protein affinity. From MM‐GBSA studies, it was observed that Coulombic (−140.70 to −37.66 kcal/mol) and van der Waals (−79.32 to −20.59 kcal/mol) energies, favoring the binding of ligands to the Mpro target protein. The ADMET properties were predicted using Qikprop, Chem Axon, and Data Warrior tools, demonstrating the beneficial pharmacokinetic parameters of these natural compounds. The 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation study revealed minor protein fluctuations, indicating the stability of the protein‐ligand complex.
Imaging Diffusion and Stability of Single‐Chain Polymeric Nanoparticles in a Multi‐Gel Tumor‐on‐a‐Chip Microfluidic Device
Authors: Deng Linlin , Olea Alis R. , Ortiz‐Perez Ana , Sun Bingbing , Wang Jianhong , Pujals Silvia , Palmans Anja R. A. , Albertazzi Lorenzo
Published: February 2024

The performance of single‐chain polymeric nanoparticles (SCPNs) in biomedical applications highly depends on their conformational stability in cellular environments. Until now, such stability studies are limited to 2D cell culture models, which do not recapitulate the 3D tumor microenvironment well. Here, a microfluidic tumor‐on‐a‐chip model is introduced that recreates the tumor milieu and allows in‐depth insights into the diffusion, cellular uptake, and stability of SCPNs. The chip contains Matrigel/collagen‐hyaluronic acid as extracellular matrix (ECM) models and is seeded with cancer cell MCF7 spheroids. With this 3D platform, it is assessed how the polymer's microstructure affects the SCPN's behavior when crossing the ECM, and evaluates SCPN internalization in 3D cancer cells. A library of SCPNs varying in microstructure is prepared. All SCPNs show efficient ECM penetration but their cellular uptake/stability behavior depends on the microstructure. Glucose‐based nanoparticles display the highest spheroid uptake, followed by charged nanoparticles. Charged nanoparticles possess an open conformation while nanoparticles stabilized by internal hydrogen bonding retain a folded structure inside the tumor spheroids. The 3D microfluidic tumor‐on‐a‐chip platform is an efficient tool to elucidate the interplay between polymer microstructure and SCPN's stability, a key factor for the rational design of nanoparticles for targeted biological applications.
Programmable Biosynthesis of Plant‐Derived 4′‐Deoxyflavone Glycosides by an Unconventional Yeast Consortium
Authors: Kang Yijia , Qian Zhilan , Yu Haishuang , Lu Jian , Zhao Qing , Qiao Xue , Ye Min , Zhou Xiangshan , Cai Menghao
Published: February 2024

Previous data established 4′‐deoxyflavone glycosides (4′‐DFGs) as important pharmaceutical components in the roots of rare medical plants like Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. Extracting these compounds from plants involves land occupation and is environmentally unfriendly. Therefore, a modular (“plug‐and‐play”) yeast‐consortium platform is developed to synthesize diverse 4′‐DFGs de novo. By codon‐optimizing glycosyltransferase genes from different organisms for Pichia pastoris, six site‐specific glycosylation chassis are generated to be capable of biosynthesizing 18 different 4′‐DFGs. Cellular factories showed increased 4′‐DFG production (up to 18.6‐fold) due to strengthened synthesis of UDP‐sugar precursors and blocked hydrolysis of endogenous glycosides. Co‐culturing upstream flavone‐synthesis‐module cells with downstream glycoside‐transformation‐module cells alleviated the toxicity of 4′‐deoxyflavones and enabled high‐level de novo synthesis of 4′‐DFGs. Baicalin is produced at the highest level (1290.0 mg L−1) in a bioreactor by controlling the consortium through carbon‐source shifting. These results provide a valuable reference for biosynthesizing plant‐derived 4′‐DFGs and other glycosides with potential therapeutic applications.
Study on load distributing function of square slab surface under the action of underwater close‐in blast loading
Authors: Zhao Haonan , Zhao Xiaohua , Fang Hongyuan
Published: February 2024

The mode and magnitude of the blast load are the main cause of damage to the structure. Most current studies have simplified the blast load into a bilinear form that differs greatly from the actual time history curve and is applied directly to the structure, avoiding the fluid–solid coupling interaction between the water fluid and the structure. The simplified blast load for near‐explosion or internal explosion will bring a big error to the calculation results. To quickly determine the load on the structure surface under the action of underwater near the explosion, this study studies the interaction between water hammer wave and structure through the verified full coupling model, and puts forward the explosion load distribution function on the square plate surface under the action of underwater explosion, and establishes a simplified prediction formula for the explosion load parameters (peak pressure and positive reflection impulse) at the center of the plate surface, using these formulas, a general method for constructing the explosion load at any point on the structural surface is proposed, which lays a foundation for subsequent structural damage and failure analysis.
Curative surgical treatment of common bile duct stones: Retrospective cohort study
Authors: Pouplin Julien , Maulat Charlotte , Yubero Gabriel , Shourick Jason , Cuellar Emmanuel , Culetto Adrian , Barange Karl , Buscail Louis , Carrere Nicolas , Peron Jean‐Marie , Suc Bertrand , Bournet Barbara , Boulard Paul , Muscari Fabrice
Published: February 2024

Background

In the event of symptomatic common bile duct (CBD) stones with dilated CBD, one possible curative treatment option is stone extraction through choledocotomy associated with cholecystectomy. Endoscopic treatment is only reserved for residual stones at 6 weeks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results from laparoscopic curative surgical treatment of CBD stones with dilated CBD.

Methods

This is a retrospective single‐centered cohort study. All consecutive patients admitted for laparoscopic cholecystectomy with evidence of CBD stones with dilated CBD from January 2010 to December 2020 at our center were included. Success was defined by CBD clearance at 6 weeks. Need for additional procedures, such as endoscopic sphincterotomy, immediate, and end‐of‐procedure morbi‐mortality as well as factors associated with procedure failure, were also studied.

Results

A total of 246 patients who received curative treatment were included in the study. The success rate for the curative treatment was 93.1% (229 patients). Immediate postoperative morbidity was 24.4% with a 5.3% reintervention rate. Immediate and 6‐week postoperative mortality rates were zero and 0.4%, respectively. The mean length of stay was 11.3 days. Factors associated with procedure failure appeared to be the occurrence of an early postoperative complication and the need for readmission during the period between surgery and drain removal.

Conclusion

This study indicates that laparoscopic curative surgical treatment for symptomatic CBD stones may be performed with acceptable results without routine need for additional procedures.
Variations of Curves
Authors: Pinkall Ulrich , Gross Oliver
Published: February 2024

Many important special curves $$\gamma $$
γ
arise by minimizing a certain variational energy $$E(\gamma )$$
E
(
γ
)
.
The Global-DEP: A Research Programme to Promote Sustainability of Dryland Social-Ecological Systems
Authors: Fu Bojie , Stafford-Smith Mark , Fu Chao , Liu Yanxu , Wang Yanfen , Wu Bingfang , Yu Xiubo , Lu Nan , Ojima Dennis S.
Published: February 2024

In light of the escalating pace and heightened intensity of contemporary climate change and human interventions, a more systematic and comprehensive approach to research has become imperative for the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within dryland regions. In 2017, a collaborative research consortium comprising experts from diverse nations proposed the Global Dryland Ecosystem Programme (Global-DEP). This initiative was designed to address the intricate challenges inherent in the diverse and fragile social-ecological systems (SESs) of drylands. Drawing from a synthesis of preceding studies on dryland SESs and insights garnered from extensive regional consultations, the consortium crafted the conceptual framework of Global-DEP, with SESs as its fundamental underpinning. Key elements of the frame-work encompass driving forces, impacts, feedback loops, and scale. The team identified four pivotal themes: (1) dryland SES dynamics and driving forces, (2) dryland SES structure and functions, (3) dryland ecosystem services and human well-being, and (4) ecosystem management and sustainable livelihoods in drylands. The intricate interconnections among these themes were meticulously examined to delineate 12 critical research priorities. Anchored upon this conceptual framework and the identified research imperatives, the Global-DEP science plan was formulated. This plan is poised to expedite actionable interdisciplinary research within dryland SESs, tailored to the regional and cultural nuances of these areas. The final aim is to bolster dryland research endeavors, catering to the requirements of land practitioners and policymakers, while effectively contributing to the attainment of SDGs in drylands.
Socioeconomic and Environmental Changes in Global Drylands
Authors: Piao Shilong , Zhang Yangjian , Zhu Zaichun , Lian Xu , Huang Ke , He Mingzhu , Zhao Chuang , Liu Dan
Published: February 2024

Drylands are a pivotal component of Earth’s biosphere and provide essential ecosystem services to mankind. Over the past several decades, with rapid population growth, global drylands have been experiencing quick socioeconomic transitioning. Such socioeconomic changes, together with fast climate change, have dramatically altered dryland ecosystem functioning and the quality and quantity of ecosystem services they provide. In fact, complex interactions among climate, vegetation, and humans, involving multiple biophysical, biogeochemical, societal, and economic factors, have all played important roles in shaping the changes in global dryland environment. A comprehensive review of socioeconomic and environmental changes of global drylands and their underlying mechanisms would provide crucial knowledge informing ecosystem management and socio-ecological capacity buildup for a more sustainable future of global drylands. In this chapter, we would begin with summarizing the characteristics of socioeconomic changes in drylands. We then presented and discussed past and future projected changes in dryland ecosystem structure and functioning (e.g., vegetation growth, land cover changes, carbon sink, water-use efficiency, resistance/resilience to disturbances) and hydrological cycles (e.g., soil moisture, runoff, and groundwater storage). We also discussed new understandings of mechanisms underlying dryland eco-hydrological changes.
Dryland Social-Ecological Systems in Central Asia
Authors: Chen Xi , Cui Xiaoyong , Sun Linxiao , Yu Yang , Zhang Haiyan , Liu Tie , Luo Geping , Hu Zengyun , Huang Yue , Malik Ireneusz , Yu Ruide
Published: February 2024

The countries of Central Asia are collectively known as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. Central Asian countries have experienced significant warming in the last century as a result of global changes and human activities. Specifically, the five Central Asian countries’ populations and economies have increased, with Turkmenistan showing the fastest growth rates in GDP and per capita GDP. Farmland change, forestry activities, and grazing are examples of land use/land cover change and land management in Central Asia. Land degradation was primarily caused by rangeland degradation, desertification, deforestation, and farmland abandonment. The raised temperature, accelerated melting of glaciers, and deteriorated water resource stability resulted in an increase in the frequency and severity of floods, droughts, and other disasters. The increase of precipitation cannot compensate for the aggravation of water shortage caused by temperature rise in Central Asia. The ecosystem net primary productivity was decreasing over the past years, and the organic carbon pool in the drylands of Central Asia was seriously threatened by climate change. Grassland contributed the most to the increase of ecosystem service values in recent years. Most ecosystem functions decreased between 1995 and 2015, while they are expected to increase in the future (except for water regulation and cultural service/tourism). Global climate change does pose a clear threat to the ecological diversity of Central Asia.
Dryland Social-Ecological Systems in Africa
Authors: Li Fadong , Diop Salif , Hirwa Hubert , Maesho Simon , Ning Xu , Tian Chao , Qiao Yunfeng , Faye Cheikh , Cissé Birane , Guisse Aliou , Leng Peifang , Peng Yu , Chen Gang
Published: February 2024

In Africa, dryland ecosystem is the largest biome complex, covering 60% of the continent and home to ~525 million people. Coupled with adverse climatic conditions and anthropogenic pressures make dryland highly vulnerable to environmental degradation. In this chapter, we elucidate an overview of dryland socio-ecological systems (DSES) in Africa. We examine dryland biodiversity as a basis for ecosystem services in Africa. Therefore, we investigate the research and technology gaps in African drylands. Finally, we conclude and highlight the future perspectives for sustainable DSES management. Sustainable development requires an understanding of and adherence to the proper functioning of DSES. We recommend to promote sustainable agricultural best practices and innovations as a tool to enhance community resilience and cope with climate change impacts on food security, use modern observational data and develop idealistic models to better understand the climate-drylands-food security nexus approaches, and strengthen dryland research and management effectiveness through emerging and affordable technologies.
Gravitational waves from phase transitions in scale invariant models
Authors: Ahriche Amine , Kanemura Shinya , Tanaka Masanori
Published: February 2024

Abstract

We investigate the properties of the gravitational waves (GW) generated during a strongly first order electroweak phase transition (EWPT) in models with the classical scale invariance (CSI). Here, we distinguish two parameter space regions that correspond to the cases of (1) light dilaton and (2) purely radiative Higgs mass (PRHM). In the CSI models, the dilaton mass, or the Higgs mass in the PRHM case, in addition to some triple scalar couplings are fully triggered by the radiative corrections (RCs). In order to probe the RC effects on the EWPT strength and on the GW spectrum, we extend the standard model by a real singlet to assist the electroweak symmetry breaking and an additional scalar field Q with multiplicity NQ and mass mQ. After imposing all theoretical and experimental constraints, we show that a strongly first order EWPT with detectable GW spectra can be realized for the two cases of light dilaton and PRHM. We also show the corresponding values of the relative enhancement of the cross section for the di-Higgs production process, which is related to the triple Higgs boson coupling. We obtain the region in which the GW spectrum can be observed by different future experiments such as LISA and DECIGO. We also show that the scenarios (1) and (2) can be discriminated by future GW observations and measurements of the di-Higgs productions at future colliders.
KCNH6 channel promotes insulin exocytosis via interaction with Munc18-1 independent of electrophysiological processes
Authors: Wang Hao , Li Qi , Yuan Ying-Chao , Han Xue-Chun , Cao Yong-Ting , Yang Jin-Kui
Published: February 2024

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in pancreatic islet β-cells primarily relies on electrophysiological processes. Previous research highlighted the regulatory role of KCNH6, a member of the Kv channel family, in governing GSIS through its influence on β-cell electrophysiology. In this study, we unveil a novel facet of KCNH6's function concerning insulin granule exocytosis, independent of its conventional electrical role. Young mice with β-cell-specific KCNH6 knockout (βKO) exhibited impaired glucose tolerance and reduced insulin secretion, a phenomenon not explained by electrophysiological processes alone. Consistently, islets from KCNH6-βKO mice exhibited reduced insulin secretion, conversely, the overexpression of KCNH6 in murine pancreatic islets significantly enhanced insulin release. Moreover, insulin granules lacking KCNH6 demonstrated compromised docking capabilities and a reduced fusion response upon glucose stimulation. Crucially, our investigation unveiled a significant interaction between KCNH6 and the SNARE protein regulator, Munc18-1, a key mediator of insulin granule exocytosis. These findings underscore the critical role of KCNH6 in the regulation of insulin secretion through its interaction with Munc18-1, providing a promising and novel avenue for enhancing our understanding of the Kv channel in diabetes mechanisms.
Pointwise density estimation on metric spaces and applications in seismology
Authors: Cleanthous G. , Georgiadis Athanasios G. , White P. A.
Published: February 2024

We are studying the problem of estimating density in a wide range of metric spaces, including the Euclidean space, the sphere, the ball, and various Riemannian manifolds. Our framework involves a metric space with a doubling measure and a self-adjoint operator, whose heat kernel exhibits Gaussian behaviour. We begin by reviewing the construction of kernel density estimators and the related background information. As a novel result, we present a pointwise kernel density estimation for probability density functions that belong to general Hölder spaces. The study is accompanied by an application in Seismology. Precisely, we analyze a globally-indexed dataset of earthquake occurrence and compare the out-of-sample performance of several approximated kernel density estimators indexed on the sphere.