bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of femoral anteversion angle and neck-shaft angle on muscle forces and joint loading during walking
Authors: Kainz Hans , Mindler Gabriel T. , Kranzl Andreas
Published: October 2023

Femoral deformities, e.g. increased or decreased femoral anteversion (AVA) and neck-shaft angle (NSA), can lead to pathological gait patterns, altered joint loads, and degenerative joint diseases. The mechanism how femoral geometry influences muscle forces and joint load during walking is still not fully understood. The objective of our study was to investigate the influence of femoral AVA and NSA on muscle forces and joint loads during walking. We conducted a comprehensive musculoskeletal modelling study based on three-dimensional motion capture data of a healthy person with a typical gait pattern. We created 25 musculoskeletal models with a variety of NSA (93°-153°) and AVA (-12°-48°). For each model we calculated moment arms, muscle forces, muscle moments, co-contraction indices and joint loads using OpenSim. Multiple regression analyses were used to predict muscle activations, muscle moments, co-contraction indices, and joint contact forces based on the femoral geometry. We found a significant increase in co-contraction of hip and knee joint spanning muscles in models with increasing AVA and NSA, which led to a substantial increase in hip and knee joint contact forces. Decreased AVA and NSA had a minor impact on muscle and joint contact forces. Large AVA lead to increases in both knee and hip contact forces. Large NSA (153°) combined with large AVA (48°) led to increases in hip joint contact forces by five times body weight. Low NSA (108° and 93°) combined with large AVA (48°) led to two-fold increases in the second peak of the knee contact forces. Increased joint contact forces in models with increased AVA and NSA were linked to changes in hip muscle moment arms and compensatory increases in hip and knee muscle forces. Knowing the influence of femoral geometry on muscle forces and joint loads can help clinicians to improve treatment strategies in patients with femoral deformities.
Evaluation of coupling coordination development between digital economy and green finance: Evidence from 30 provinces in China
Authors: Liu Zebin , Zhang Xiaoheng , Wang Jingjing , Shen Lei , Tang Enlin
Published: October 2023

The convergence of China’s digital economy and green finance holds great significance for fostering a sustainable and high-quality developmental path. However, existing studies have not explored the coupling coordination development between these two crucial subsystems. To bridge this gap, this paper employs a modified coupling coordination degree (CCD) model to assess and affirm the coupling coordination degree between the digital economy and green finance across 30 provinces in China from 2015–2021. Based on degree results, provinces are classified into three clusters by using K-means and hierarchical clustering algorithm. Our findings unveil that the current level of coupling coordination development in China is at a primary coordination stage. Although regional disparities significantly exist, the overall level of coordination remains steadily increasing, with the eastern region outperforming the western region. Additionally, we determine that the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption on the coupling coordination development of these systems has been limited. This research sheds light on the evolution of coupling systems and offers practical recommendations for strengthening the coordinated development of the digital economy and green finance.
Prevalence, attitudes, and practices of dietary supplements among middle-aged and older adults in Asir region, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Alhazmi Amani , Kuriakose Beena Briget , Mushfiq Sakeena , Muzammil Khursheed , Hawash Manal Mohammed
Published: October 2023

The objectives of this study were to 1) identify the prevalence of dietary supplements (DS) among middle-aged and older adults; 2) determine attitudes toward DS and patterns of DS usage among middle-aged and older adults; and 3) assess the association of sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors with DS attitudes and DS usage. A cross-sectional online survey was undertaken among middle-aged and older adults. Data were collected by an online self-administered pretested questionnaire used as a study tool and distributed to respondents via social media applications. The DS usage prevalence among 501 respondents was 50.7%, and 53.5% of participants reported a positive attitude toward DS. The positive attitudes and higher usage of dietary supplements were statistically significant in higher proportions among older adults compared to middle-aged individuals. Significantly lower proportion of middle aged (54.9%) reported taking DS daily compared to 59.9% of older adults. A significant difference in the type of DS among the two groups was found for Omega-3 (p<0.001), minerals (p = 0.004), proteins (p = 0.002), fibers (p = 0.002), phytonutrients (p = 0.007), and probiotics (p = 0.015), with a higher proportion of middle-aged respondents reporting their use compared to older adults. Dietary supplement usage is a prevalent phenomenon among older adults and the middle-aged population. However, some undesirable practices regarding their use still exist in the community. Thus, there is a need of focussed health education to enhance attitudes and improve practices regarding the use of DS.
Gcn4 impacts metabolic fluxes to promote yeast chronological lifespan
Authors: Gulias Juan Facundo , Niesi Florencia , Arán Martín , Correa-García Susana , Bermúdez-Moretti Mariana
Published: October 2023

Aging is characterized by a gradual decline in physiological integrity, which impairs functionality and increases susceptibility to mortality. Dietary restriction, mimicking nutrient scarcity without causing malnutrition, is an intervention known to decelerate the aging process. While various hypotheses have been proposed to elucidate how dietary restriction influences aging, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This project aimed to investigate the role of the primary regulator of the general amino acid control (GAAC) pathway, the transcription factor Gcn4, in the aging process of S. cerevisiae cells. Under conditions of amino acid deprivation, which activate Gcn4, the deletion of GCN4 led to a diverse array of physiological changes in the cells. Notably, the absence of Gcn4 resulted in heightened mitochondrial activity, likely contributing to the observed increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Furthermore, these mutant gcn4Δ cells exhibited reduced ethanol production despite maintaining similar glucose consumption rates, suggesting a pivotal role for Gcn4 in regulating the Crabtree effect. Additionally, there was a marked reduction in trehalose, the storage carbohydrate, within the mutant cells compared to the wild-type strain. The intracellular content of free amino acids also exhibited disparities between the wild-type and GCN4-deficient strains. Taken together, our findings indicate that the absence of GCN4 disrupts cellular homeostasis, triggering significant alterations in interconnected intracellular metabolic pathways. These disruptions have far-reaching metabolic consequences that ultimately culminate in a shortened lifespan.
Improvement Direction for Efficient Operation of Firefighting Education and Training
Authors:   Crisis and Emergency Management: Theory and Praxis, Choi Won Woo , Yang Su Yeon , Eom Young Ho , Ryu Sang Il
Published: October 2023

This study intends to create a detailed plan for establishing a fire safety education and training center in Busan Metropolitan City. It seeks to analyze the current disaster environment in Busan and propose directions for enhancing fire education. Recent updates in the disaster and accident risk assessment for Busan indicate a rising fire risk, necessitating targeted strategies to address this issue. The existing Korean firefighting schools lack alignment with local disaster characteristics. While comprehensive safety experience centers are operational, they face challenges due to unplanned construction and operation. In response, an urgent need exists to develop a fire safety education and training center tailored to Busan's disaster environment. A comparison of domestic fire schools, safety experience centers, and international fire education underscores that a uniform approach to fire education in Korea isn't suitable for Busan's evolving disaster landscape. Thus, the objective is to establish a Busan-specific fire safety education platform to better address the area's disaster realities and enhance fire safety education in line with citizen needs.
Public health and national security proxies: Case of European countries
Authors: Vysochyna Alina , Zawadzki Wiesław , Lyeonov Serhiy , Kovács Attila
Published: October 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred transformations aimed at ensuring the effectiveness of the public health system and highlighted the need for a deeper study of the causal relationships between the parameters of healthcare system effectiveness and the national security. The aim of this study is to identify causal and temporal patterns in the impact of various types of healthcare expenditures on the components of national security. The study was conducted on a sample of 34 European countries for 2000-2021. In order to achieve the research objectives, integral indicators of economic, social, and environmental security were developed based on a complex combination of principal component analysis, Fishburn formula and additive convolution. Panel data regression modelling was employed to identify causal relationships between health care expenditures and those integral indicators. Finally, distributional-lag modelling (testing for the presence of a lag of up to 3 years) identified temporal patterns of the relationship between the indicators. Causal and temporal patterns of the relationship between health care expenditures and components of national security of the state were determined according to the modelling results.
A Venn Diagram of Secondary-Postsecondary Teaching and Learning: The Transformative Power of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships
Authors: Denecker Christine
Published: October 2023

For decades, researchers have explored the reasons why students show up for college unprepared. In an effort to explain this phenomenon, scholars have gravitated toward a “gap” metaphor to explain the liminal space between what high school students are capable of and what colleges expect of them. The pandemic has exacerbated this situation leaving many students further behind in the academic and personal growth needed to succeed in college. Conventional wisdom says that college is “harder” than high school and students simply must adapt. And while college may, indeed, be “harder,” another perspective is that college is different from high school: in design, in intent, in pedagogical strategies, and more. Still, systems that perpetuate these educational differences place much of the responsibility of transitioning from one educational level to the other solely on the students. Enter Concurrent Enrollment (CE). In the CE space, secondary and post-secondary cultures are superimposed resulting in a Venn Diagram of teaching and learning that has the potentially for bringing into focus the best elements of each. With respect, intention, and support, high school and college instructors can utilize CE spaces to learn from and with one another to better support the continuum of student learning—regardless of where that learning takes place.
Rural parks in neoliberal America: can rural parks adopt urban funding strategies?
Authors: Klein-Hewett Hans , Neuhaus Fabian , Robertson Natalie
Published: October 2023

Many high-profile urban parks in the US are experiencing a resurgence not seen since the late nineteenth century due to an influx of funding from private philanthropic organisations. Conversely, despite being essential spaces for rural quality of life, rural parks have struggled to attract private funding. This article compares two urban and two rural case studies to reveal this funding discrepancy. The comparison is used to identify the many roles urban parks play, which make them ideal opportunities for philanthropic funding, and, subsequently, the limitations that rural parks face when attracting similar investment. Ultimately, this article finds that rural parks struggle to attract private investors because rural areas’ inherently boundless and jurisdictionally ambiguous reality fails to provide most corporate philanthropic organisations and municipal leaders with a clear and mutually beneficial suite of financial and political benefits.
The Influence of Positive Affect Towards Korean Reunification on Pro-Unification Action with Social-Cognitive Perspective Among Korean Adults
Authors: Lee Heejae , Shin Yun-Jeong , Kim Jesun , Yoon Hyo-Jung
Published: October 2023

This study aims to investigate social and cognitive mechanisms to predict group unification-oriented behavioral attitudes in Korean adults. To this end, Miller and colleagues’(2009) social-cognitive perspective based on social justice interest and commitment was used in this study. 460 adults between the ages of 20 and 60 provided self-reported data, which was then evaluated using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results are as follows. First, the positive affect of Korean reunification has a direct impact on pro-unification collective action. Second, the relationship between positive affect and collective action is sequentially mediated by social justice self-efficacy and interest. Third, the relationship between positive affect and collective action is sequentially mediated by social justice self-efficacy, outcome expectation, and interest. Next,the following are study’s implications. First, it’s crucial to focus on creating a positive attitude toward Korean reunification in order to encourage group pro-unification action. Second, it is necessary to provide various experiences and opportunities to engage in socially relevant activities and understand the effects of their actions, in order to foster social justice self-efficacy. Third, the belief and hope that one’s activities can result in positive social change need to be elicited in order to raise outcome expectations. This will raise interest in social justice and encourage group efforts in favor of unification.
A Consensual Qualitative Research on Supervisees’ Multicultural and Social Justice Supervision Experiences and Their Contexts
Authors: Kang Soojung , Yu Kumlan
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this study was to explore supervisees’ multicultural and social justice counseling (MSJC) supervision experiences and their contexts focusing on supervisees’ critical incidents. A total of 9 supervisees participated in a semi-structured interview including questions such as positive or negative experiences of MSJC supervision, responses and subsequent impacts of supervision from supervisees’ perspectives. The data were analyzed by a consensual qualitative research method. The results were as follows: a total of 5 domains, 15 categories, and 51 sub-categories were derived. The five domains consisted of ‘personal contexts’, ‘environmental contexts’, ‘positive experiences’, ‘negative experiences’, and ‘further implications and expectations’, regarding MSJC supervision. Within personal and environmental contexts, supervisees went through positive and negative experiences based on a supervisor’s MSJC competencies and attitude towards power. Those experiences then have influenced supervisees’ implications and expectations of MSJC and MSJC supervision. This study highlights the increasing demand for MSJC and MSJC supervision as voiced by supervisees in Korea. It is clear that both supervisors and supervisees require systematic education and training in MSJC.
Surgical Management of Giant Unruptured Left Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm With Severe Aortic Regurgitation
Authors: Ozawa Keisuke , Kuwaki Kenji , Furuya Hidekazu , Yamaguchi Masaomi , Yamamoto Akiyoshi
Published: October 2023

Left sinus of Valsalva aneurysms are extremely rare. Concomitant aortic valve regurgitation is a comorbidity in this pathology. This case report summarizes successful surgical treatment with aortic root replacement with a modified Bentall procedure in a 49-year-old female patient who had an unruptured huge left sinus of Valsalva aneurysm with severe aortic valve regurgitation. The intraoperative assessment showed severe adhesion between the left main trunk of the coronary artery and the left sinus of Valsalva aneurysm, and meticulous adhesion detachment was required.
Potentials of Climate Emergency Declarations for degrowth transformations. The ambivalent stance of German municipalities in conflicts over a post-fossil future
Authors: Brokow-Loga Anton , Krüger Timmo
Published: October 2023

This paper addresses the scope for action by municipalities in a climate emergency and places it in the framework of ecomodern (urban) policy. We analyse the way in which two German ‘climate emergency municipalities’ translate conflicts of post-fossil transformation into concrete political and planning strategies. Although more than 2,200 authorities around the world have already declared a climate emergency, research on the impact of these resolutions on the political orientation of municipalities is very limited. Our research focus is on the (potentially agonistic) treatment of conflicts in planning. We argue that in times of a socio-ecological crisis, success in conflict resolution cannot refer to appeasement and depoliticisation. Instead, we propose a framework of five criteria, based on critical theory on ecomodern strategies, planning processes and degrowth. Thus, this practice-related and explorative paper connects empirical insights from the German cities of Constance and Berlin with an innovative normative framework. The findings tell a complex story of an, at least partial, admission of the failure of previous climate mitigation strategies, a lack of social institutions of limits, an instrumental relation to nature and a disregard for social injustices. The paper discusses how municipalities, in the context of ongoing tensions over the post-fossil transformation in Germany, on the one hand hold on to business-as-usual approaches, but on the other hand also set political impulses for change.
The Dynamics and Factors Influencing The Land Use/Land Cover Change in Ciparay District, Bandung Regency
Authors: Chandra Ryan Prima , Warlina Lia
Published: October 2023

Population growth in Ciparay District, as in several areas in West Java Province, has been increasing, especially in the last ten years, leading to an increase in housing needs and converting rice fields to residential land. This study aims to identify the spatial conversion dynamic of rice fields and analyze the factors that influence the conversion of rice fields in Ciparay District, Bandung Regency. The method used in this research is a quantitative descriptive method with map overlay analysis techniques and multiple linear regression analysis. This study found that the characteristics of land conversion in Ciparay District are divided into four land use/ land cover changes: rice field to residential land, rice field to dryland farming, rice field to vacant land, and dryland agricultural to settlement. The most significant change in land use/ land cover is in the change of rice fields to residential areas, which is 336.09 hectares. The factor that had the most influence on the land conversion of rice fields was the accessibility ratio.
Problém redukce učiva ze zorného úhlu didaktiky českého jazyka a její historické zkušenosti
Authors: Šmejkalová Martina , Slavík Jan , Doležalová Eliška
Published: October 2023

Článek je motivován aktuální potřebou teoreticky vykládat jeden z klíčových požadavků současnosti, a sice požadavek na výrazné snížení celkového objemu učiva a požadavek na definici jádrového a rozvíjejícího učiva. Prostřednictvím historické analýzy výuky českého jazyka se snaží přispět k objasňování obecných kontextů a příčin těchto chronicky opakovaných nároků. Dokládá, že redukce samy o sobě měly na kvalitu vzdělání v oblasti jazykové komunikace minimální dopad, a vybízí k uvážlivému a expertnímu postupu při současné kurikulární reformě.
Morphological transformations of the Old Town in Wrocław
Authors: Szmytkie Robert , Pajączek Kinga
Published: October 2023

The main goal of the article is to present the morphological changes that occurred in the Old Town of Wrocław in the post-war period. Morphological transformation is a natural process that shapes the external and the internal structure of a city. The damage inflicted during World War II interrupted the natural development of the burgage cycle and deeply altered the landscape of the city. Through the analysis of building coverage within street blocks, a classification of street blocks was obtained. On this basis, eight areas that underwent analogous phases of the burgage cycle in particular blocks were distinguished; this made it possible to identify the processes that can affect changes in morphology. The main analysis of the study was conducted using cartographic materials from 1934 to 2019 (through Conzenian methods), which visualised the distribution of buildings within street blocks.
Birgitta Theander, Hänförande hus: Hemmet i 1900-talets flicklitteratur
Authors: Leden Laura
Published: October 2023

Review/Recension
On the Roots of Romantic Irony and the Pleasure of Being (Mis)understood
Authors: Hay Katia
Published: October 2023

The aim of this paper is twofold. In the first instance it is an attempt to offer a new perspective from which to reflect on the meaning and philosophical presuppositions of Friedrich Schlegel’s defence and use of (romantic) irony, as well other related notions: humour, wit, and other comic devices. I propose to situate this perspective within a revaluation of pleasure and joy. To do this in a new way (although not in opposition to authors such as Manfred Frank, Elizabeth Millan-Zaibert, or Gary Handwerk), I refer to one of Schlegel’s earliest texts devoted to The Aesthetic Value of Greek Comedy from 1794. In addition, this paper questions the extent to which Schlegel’s position is tenable in the aftermath of the ‘death of God’. For this, I reflect briefly on the ways in which Nietzsche’s writings and notion of life-affirmation respond to Schlegel’s vindication of romantic irony.
The Battles of the Umayyads. Remembering War from West to East
Authors: Albarrán Javier
Published: October 2023

The memory of war – and the use of this – is a constant in the Middle Ages and beyond. Within all this war memory, the remembrance of great battles is, perhaps, the most recurrent phenomenon. The pitched battle had an extraordinary impact on the people of the time, which made its remembrance remain alive and dynamic in the collective memory, as moments when the balance of power was seen to have tipped, or when aspects of collective identity were shaped. The battles became places of memory. This paper studies the memory circulating in Umayyad al-Andalus about the battles of their ancestors, the eastern Umayyads. Focusing on Ḥunayn and Marj Rāhiṭ, the two “eastern” battles most remembered in Umayyad al-Andalus and both with important implications for their dynastic history, this paper analyzes how this memory is presented, how these battles are “memorialized” and “commemorated” through texts and rituals, in what contexts of memory production they appear, and for what purposes.
How the Umayyads Lost the Islamic West: Contrasting Depictions of the Uprising of 122/740 by Arab Historians
Authors: Bosanquet Antonia
Published: October 2023

In 122/740 an uprising in the Far Maghrib triggered a series of rebellions that eventually ended Arab rule over the Islamic West. The event is not of key importance for the historians of the Islamic Empire, and when it is discussed, the focus tends to lie on the uprising’s significance for Arab rule in al-Andalus rather than the Maghrib.

This study compares the most detailed accounts of the Uprising of 122 by early imperial historians such as al-Ṭabarī and Ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥakam with those of later historians writing in the heartland of the Islamic Empire, such as Ibn al-Athīr and al-Dhahabī, and of historians situated further west, in al-Andalus and the Maghrib. It finds that the presentation of the Uprising of 122 varies depending on the historical context of and the source tradition used by the author in question. It also finds that while the Umayyad and Khārijite actors tend to be presented with a degree of differentiation and from a variety of perspectives, the portrayal of the rebels is more uniform. The rebels, referred to as Berbers in all accounts, are depicted as a monolithic entity displaying a stereotypical set of characteristics that sets them apart from notions of order and propriety that the authors associate with the Islamic Empire. Although its consequences for Arab rule in the West are not explicitly acknowledged by the historians, this comparison of how they depict its actors reveals the Uprising’s impact on the historical consciousness, particularly in regard to the inhabitants of the seceded region.
Muʿāwiya, ʿAbd al-Malik, and the Falcon of Quraysh
Authors: Toral Isabel
Published: October 2023

This study explores the potential of using one of the less-studied textual sources for the caliphal period in al-Andalus, namely, the ʿIqd al-farīd by Ibn ʿAbd Rabbih (d. 940), for an investigation of the Western Umayyad discourse of legitimacy. It focuses therein the narrative portrayals of the Eastern caliphs Muʿāwiya and ʿAbd al-Malik, generally seen as models of strong and successful Umayyad leadership, and analyzes which qualities are highlighted and downsized, of them and their opponents. A close reading of selected passages shows that the result is of high complexity and ambivalence. In literalized anecdotes peppered with sayings, poems, and foreboding dreams, the narratives feature dramatic, violent scenes and tragic plots, which emphasize the human tragedy of the protagonists in their fight for power and authority in the Islamic community. The study proposes to interpret them in the framework of a particular Andalusī anxiety (“sentiment of precarity”), which saw the Umayyad dynasty and its caliphal credentials as central warrants of unity and Muslim permanence on the peninsula.
A Glimpse into Egyptian/Syrian Elite Book Culture During the Seventh/Thirteenth Century: Booklist T-S Misc. 24.28 from the Cairo Geniza Corpus
Authors: Aljoumani Said , Hirschler Konrad
Published: October 2023

This article discusses the fragment of an Arabic-script book list with a Cairo Geniza provenance that includes 33 identifiable titles. On the basis of the list’s provenance, its organization, and its content, we argue that it was part of a larger Cairene library catalogue dating to the seventh/thirteenth century. All titles in this catalogue refer to Arabic poetry ranging from pre-Islamic jāhilīʾ poets to poets living in the first half of the seventh/thirteenth century. A comparison with the poetry section of the Damascene Ashrafīya Library from the same period shows a distinct overlap in terms of titles and textual format. We thus suggest that this Cairene catalogue should not primarily be seen as witness of a “Jewish” library but rather as part of Egyptian/Syrian Arabic elite book culture that cut across religious communities. While it is likely that this shared book culture went beyond Egypt and Syria and encompassed wider regions in North Africa and West Asia, further comparative material is needed to substantiate this assumption.
Design of single-ended CPW to rectangular waveguide transition on InP at 300 GHz for 5G applications
Authors: Fayyaz Umar , Niazi Shahab Ahmad , Aziz Abdul , Munir Abid , Ahmad Zulfiqar
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we present the development of coplanar waveguide to rectangular waveguide (CPW-WG) transition for broadband millimetre wave applications. The traditional approach for interfacing of components in pure electronics is not possible to implement in micorwave photonics at high frequency range due to some limitations like rigidity and increased loss. In order to overcome this problem, transition structures are usually designed within the waveguide model through split block mechanism. The models developed so far are complex with minimum space of interconnects and less stable due to vertical placement of waveguide. The waveguide structure proposed in this paper is placed along horizontal direction due to which stability of structure is increased and has more space for interconnects. The transition model is designed using indium phosphide (InP) to increase the efficiency and reduce the propagation loss at high frequency range. The simulated design can operate over a bandwidth of 14 GHz with a return loss of 10 dB.
Optimum design of a seat bracket using artificial neural networks and dandelion optimization algorithm
Authors: Erdaş Mehmet Umut , Kopar Mehmet , Yildiz Betül Sultan , Yildiz Ali Riza
Published: October 2023

Nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithms are gaining popularity with their easy applicability and ability to avoid local optimum points, and they are spreading to wide application areas. Meta-heuristic optimization algorithms are used to achieve an optimum design in engineering problems aiming to obtain lightweight designs. In this article, structural optimization methods are used in the process of achieving the optimum design of a seat bracket. As a result of topology optimization, a new concept design of the bracket was created and used in shape optimization. In the shape optimization, the mass and stress values obtained depending on the variables, constraint, and objective functions were created by using artificial neural networks. The optimization problem based on mass minimization is solved by applying the dandelion optimization algorithm and verified by finite element analysis.
Simultaneous broadband and high circular dichroism with two-dimensional all-dielectric chiral metasurface
Authors: Wang Rui , Wang Chenqian , Sun Ti , Hu Xin , Wang Chinhua
Published: October 2023

Chiral metasurfaces have great potential in various applications such as polarimetric imaging and biomedical recognition. However, simultaneous broadband and high circular dichroism (CD) with high polarization extinction ratio (PER) remains a challenge. Here, we present a novel approach to realize simultaneous broadband and high CD with high PER in the optical communication band using a two-dimensional all-dielectric chiral metasurface. The structure is formed by a two-level chiral structure of split cross (first-order) and trapezoid-shaped (second-order) of Si nano ribs, respectively, in which constructively coupled first- and second-order of chirality occurs, resulting in the broad chiral response in the far field of multipoles excited by incident light of different chiralities. Theoretical results show that a CD in transmission reaching 0.9 (up to 0.993) and a PER exceeding 20 dB (up to 35 dB) over the entire wavelength range from 1.39 to 1.61 μm can be achieved simultaneously, consistent with the experimental results of CD ∼0.9 and PER of 10 dB (up to 19.7 dB). Our design paves the way for chiral metasurfaces toward practical applications in terms of working bandwidth, high CD and PER as well as integrality of the devices in many fields.
High-performance lithium–selenium batteries enabled by nitrogen-doped porous carbon from peanut meal
Authors: Xu Xiangyu , Li Linyue , Yu Sheng , Zhu Siao , Johnson Hannah M. , Zhou Yunlei , Gao Fei , Wang Linfang , Wang Zhoulu , Wu Yutong , Liu Xiang , Zhang Yi , Jiang Shan
Published: October 2023

Biomass-derived porous carbon displays a great potential for lithium–selenium (Li–Se) batteries owing to its green resource and inherent structural advantages, which can effectively restrict the shuttle effect of Se cathode. Peanut meal, by-product of the extraction of peanut oil, is a promising precursor for N-doped porous carbon. However, peanut meal is difficult to be activated in solution due to its high hydrophobicity. Thus, non-reports have been available for peanut meal-derived porous carbon used as Li–Se battery cathode host. In this work, we have innovatively proposed a very simple method of activating peanut meal by directly physically grinding the activator with the peanut meal and then annealing it to convert it into nitrogen-doped three-dimensional porous carbon (N-PC) with rich nanoscale pore size structures, which is then used as the Se host for Li–Se batteries. The N-PC shows a high specific surface area of 938.872 m2 g−1. The Se/N-PC composite cathode delivers a specific capacity of 461.4 mA h g−1 for 250 cycles at 0.2 C, corresponding to a high-capacity retention of 97.2%. Moreover, the Se/N-PC composite maintains a high capacity over 340.1 mA h g−1 after 1,000 cycles at a high current density of 2 C. Our work effectively resolves the hydrophobic biomass activation problem and manufactures abundant and low-cost Se host for Li–Se batteries.
New xanthine oxidase inhibitor from white mulberry (Morus alba L.) – anti-gout prospective study
Authors: Antony Suresh , Mehta Rushika J. , Packiam Soosaimanickam Maria , Balthazar Joseph Devadass , Daniel Melvin A. , Srimathi Priya Lakshminarayanan , Ayyar Manikandan
Published: October 2023

In recent years, Morus sp. (mulberry) has acquired a special importance due to its phytochemical composition and its beneficial effects on human health, including antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic and immuno-modulatory effects. The various parts of Morus sp., such as its fruits, leaves, twigs, and roots, are recognized as abundant sources of secondary metabolites, with the leaves containing significant amounts of glycosylated flavonols like quercetin and kaempferol, along with chlorogenic acid as the primary phenolic compound. Overall, it can be considered a multi utility plant and can be exploited as an alternative therapy in various ailments. Xanthine oxidase (XO) is the key enzyme for high serum urate levels which is the main cause of developing gout. Under the urate lowering therapy, allopurinol and febuxostat are the main XO inhibitors used to treat gout. However, mild to severe side effects of these synthetic XO inhibitors lead to finding an effective natural alternative without having any side effects. The present study was designed to find out phytochemical analysis and antigout properties of leaves of white mulberry plant. The phytochemical analysis was performed on quantitative and qualitative basis. The qualitative basis indicated the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, steroids, tannins, saponins and Anthraquinone. Biochemical regulation of extracts on anti-gout property using XO inhibition study. Microbial XO was isolated from the Bacillus pumilus to study the anti-gout effects of plant extracts qualitatively on xanthine – NBT plate. Additionally, image analysis studies revealed more clear aspects toward the inhibition studies by plant extracts. The XO activity observed varied from 2.89 to 13.80 μM of uric acid formed/min/ml of enzyme used. Ethanolic extract of mulberry leaves (EEML) showed higher XO inhibition than allopurinol. This is associated with its total polyphenol content, which ranged from 81.25 to 103.12 mg GAE/g of dried extract used, as reported in the case of EEML. The present study is the very first report of relating polyphenol content of EEML with the anti-gout property. EEML is a potential candidate for anti-gout property due to the presence of higher amounts of total polyphenol content and B. pumilus is the best source to extract microbial XO.
Macrophage‐derived insulin antagonist ImpL2 induces lipoprotein mobilization upon bacterial infection
Authors: Krejčová Gabriela , Morgantini Cecilia , Zemanová Helena , Lauschke Volker M , Kovářová Julie , Kubásek Jiří , Nedbalová Pavla , Kamps‐Hughes Nick , Moos Martin , Aouadi Myriam , Doležal Tomáš , Bajgar Adam
Published: October 2023

The immune response is an energy‐demanding process that must be coordinated with systemic metabolic changes redirecting nutrients from stores to the immune system. Although this interplay is fundamental for the function of the immune system, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Our data show that the pro‐inflammatory polarization of Drosophila macrophages is coupled to the production of the insulin antagonist ImpL2 through the activity of the transcription factor HIF1α. ImpL2 production, reflecting nutritional demands of activated macrophages, subsequently impairs insulin signaling in the fat body, thereby triggering FOXO‐driven mobilization of lipoproteins. This metabolic adaptation is fundamental for the function of the immune system and an individual's resistance to infection. We demonstrated that analogically to Drosophila, mammalian immune‐activated macrophages produce ImpL2 homolog IGFBP7 in a HIF1α‐dependent manner and that enhanced IGFBP7 production by these cells induces mobilization of lipoproteins from hepatocytes. Hence, the production of ImpL2/IGFBP7 by macrophages represents an evolutionarily conserved mechanism by which macrophages alleviate insulin signaling in the central metabolic organ to secure nutrients necessary for their function upon bacterial infection.
The functional significance of mitochondrial respiratory chain supercomplexes
Authors: Kohler Andreas , Barrientos Antoni , Fontanesi Flavia , Ott Martin
Published: October 2023

The mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) is a key energy transducer in eukaryotic cells. Four respiratory chain complexes cooperate in the transfer of electrons derived from various metabolic pathways to molecular oxygen, thereby establishing an electrochemical gradient over the inner mitochondrial membrane that powers ATP synthesis. This electron transport relies on mobile electron carries that functionally connect the complexes. While the individual complexes can operate independently, they are in situ organized into large assemblies termed respiratory supercomplexes. Recent structural and functional studies have provided some answers to the question of whether the supercomplex organization confers an advantage for cellular energy conversion. However, the jury is still out, regarding the universality of these claims. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge on the functional significance of MRC supercomplexes, highlight experimental limitations, and suggest potential new strategies to overcome these obstacles.
CellNeighborEX: deciphering neighbor‐dependent gene expression from spatial transcriptomics data
Authors: Kim Hyobin , Kumar Amit , Lövkvist Cecilia , Palma António M , Martin Patrick , Kim Junil , Bhoopathi Praveen , Trevino Jose , Fisher Paul , Madan Esha , Gogna Rajan , Won Kyoung Jae
Published: October 2023

Cells have evolved their communication methods to sense their microenvironments and send biological signals. In addition to communication using ligands and receptors, cells use diverse channels including gap junctions to communicate with their immediate neighbors. Current approaches, however, cannot effectively capture the influence of various microenvironments. Here, we propose a novel approach to investigate cell neighbor‐dependent gene expression (CellNeighborEX) in spatial transcriptomics (ST) data. To categorize cells based on their microenvironment, CellNeighborEX uses direct cell location or the mixture of transcriptome from multiple cells depending on ST technologies. For each cell type, CellNeighborEX identifies diverse gene sets associated with partnering cell types, providing further insight. We found that cells express different genes depending on their neighboring cell types in various tissues including mouse embryos, brain, and liver cancer. Those genes are associated with critical biological processes such as development or metastases. We further validated that gene expression is induced by neighboring partners via spatial visualization. The neighbor‐dependent gene expression suggests new potential genes involved in cell–cell interactions beyond what ligand‐receptor co‐expression can discover.
Effect of Soil Contamination on Human Health and Environment with Preventive Measures: A Review
Authors: Che Lat Diana , Mat Yusof Doris Asmani , Yasin Mohd Hanafie , Mohd Noor Siti Nur Aishah , A. Rahman Noor Shazreen , Razali Roslizayati
Published: October 2023

This study reviews the identification and effect of soil contamination to human health and environment. Soil contamination give direct and indirect impact to human health and environment. Various methods have been introduced and briefly elaborated in this review study in order to identify and monitor soil quality. The contamination status of soil is determined by several approaches and analysis of heavy metal in soil. The land uses of industry and landfill were found to have higher hazard for human and environment, when compared to the mining, plantation, and residential areas. As a preventive measure to the soil contamination, most country worldwide has developed and enforced Soil Quality Standard and Guidelines. With the enforcement of the standard and guidelines, the soil and land can be well managed and controlled from contamination by irresponsible person. This study is important for the environmental management of potentially toxic metals especially in the land uses of industry and landfill.
A Systematic Review of Emergency Braking Assistant System to Avoid Accidents Using Pulse Width Modulation and Fuzzy Logic Control Integrated with Antilock Braking
Authors: SHITAL  GUNJATE  , PROF.DR.SANJAY A KHOT
Published: October 2023

The increasing number of fatalities in nations across the world because of a deficiency of protective technology in automobiles has created a chaotic scene in recent years. However, the car driver’s Perception-Reaction Time (PRT) plays an important variable during such accidents and emergencies. The Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) seems a viable technology, which today is used to prevent tires from sliding during quick brakes, whereas EBS is designed for braking assistance during tuning or emergency braking. Physical weight, rotational rigidity, diameter, and tire material strength of the vehicle are all used to simulate them. Advance Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), which include Anti-lock brakes (ABS) and Emergency Braking Systems (EBS), are the foremost viable technique for minimizing the environmental impact and uncertainties of driving road transportation. The presented systematic review aims to deliver a ground-level analysis that can be used to enhance the safety of motor vehicle driving, reduce wheel slip to achieve the best possible stopping distance in commercial and specialized vehicles, and influence future transportation. In this study, the most widely utilized technologies for ADAS have been reviewed and discussed. Various sensors used to improve braking and vehicle performance have been systematically studied in the context of low power-consuming techniques like pulse width modulation. An analysis of emergency braking procedures performed by riders with varying degrees of braking expertise was conducted using previously collected experimental data, and the results were used to conclude potential loss of control situations.
Particle-Based Optimization Algorithms for Longitudinal Control of Autonomous Vehicle: A Comparative Study
Authors: Maani Fadillah Adam , Mahdi Alif Rizqullah , Arfian Karina Ardellia , Nazaruddin Yul Yunazwin
Published: October 2023

In order to improve the stability and performance of an autonomous vehicle, optimization needs to be explicitly performed in the controllers, which has an essential part in the tracking system. This work proposes a novel longitudinal control optimization scheme and a novel longitudinal controller consisting of a feed-forward and feedback term. The feed-forward term is inspired by the vehicle’s steady-state response, whereas the feedback term is a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller. Also, a model representing the longitudinal vehicle dynamics is designed based on physical phenomena affecting the vehicle. Besides, some nature-inspired optimization algorithms are used to determine the optimal model parameters and optimize the controller parameters, i.e., Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Accelerated PSO (APSO), Flower Pollination Algorithm (FPA), and Modified FPA (MFPA). The algorithms are compared in optimizing the longitudinal vehicle model and controller using the CARLA simulator, and stability tests are also done for each algorithm. In addition, the characteristics of several cost functions in controller optimization are inspected. The results show that the MFPA is the most stable algorithm, the proposed model represents the system satisfactorily, and optimizing the controller using a regularized cost function leads to better overall performance. Our code is available in https://github.com/fadamsyah/Particle-Based-Optimization-for-Longitudinal-Control.
Comparison Analysis Between PI and Adaptive Controllers for DC-DC Converter of Hybrid Energy Storage Systems in Electric Vehicles
Authors: Islam Maidul , Abdullah Muhammad , Abdul Ghaffar Alia Farhana , Ahmad Salmiah
Published: October 2023

A power converter is one of the important components in a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), where it has a strong nonlinear dynamic due to the variation of load demand from different driving modes, namely acceleration, braking and cruising. To adapt with the nonlinearities, this work proposes the use of direct model reference adaptive control (DMRAC) to regulate its operation in tracking the load and current demand of the HEV. To validate the response, the control performance is benchmarked with the commonly used traditional PI controller. The system model includes a battery with a supercapacitor, and its controller was constructed using the MATLAB Simulink platform. Simulation results show that DMRAC provides better performance as compared to the PI controller in two cases, which are tracking the current and load demands according to the root mean square error (RMSE) analysis. Nevertheless, in the presence of disturbance, it is noted that DMRAC is only effective in tracking the current demand while requiring some time to adapt and surpass the PI controller in tracking the load demand. Based on these findings, it can be justified that the DMRAC has the potential to become a good alternative approach to control the HEV power converters, specifically in the presence of disturbance.