bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation of waste Camellia oleifera shell and high‐density polyethylene composites: Effect of pretreatment on fiber and materials properties
Authors: Liang Xianyue , Huang Zhixiang , Zhou Yonghui , Hu Chuanshuang , Tu Dengyun , Guan Litao
Published: July 2024

The preparation of wood‐plastic composites (WPCs) with high filling fibers and excellent physical properties remained a great challenge. This study used Camellia oleifera shell (COS, agroforestry product waste) as raw material, and prepared 60 wt% COS/high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) WPCs using profile extrusion method through pretreating fibers including hot water, hot steam, alkali, acid, extraction, and fine fiber screening. After pretreatments, the relative contents of cellulose and lignin increased, the relative contents of hemicellulose and extract decreased significantly, and the length‐diameter ratio was improved. The flexural strength, tensile strength and impact strength of hot water and steam heat treated composites reached 31.4, 17.1 MPa and 6.9 kJ/m2, 31.8, 16.8 MPa and 6.7 kJ/m2, respectively. Compared with untreated 28.8, 14.7 MPa and 5.5 kJ/m2, the advantages were more obvious. Alkali treatment and acid treatment improved the thermal stability and residue rate of the material. Extraction treatment and alkali treatment significantly reduced the processing torque force, which was conducive to processing, while acid treatment was the opposite. The highest water absorption and thickness expansion rate were 13.75% and 3.60% respectively at 7 days after alkali treatment, which were considerably higher than 5.60% and 0.78% without treatment, while other pretreatments improved the dimensional stability of the material.

Highlights

High filling Camellia oleifera shell waste/HDPE composites were prepared.

Physical and chemical pretreatments improved interfacial adhesion of the composites.

Heat treatments significantly improved mechanical performance of the composites.
Comparative study of cadmium telluride solar cell performance on different TCO‐coated substrates under concentrated light intensities
Authors: Davis Rosemary , Oklobia Ochai , Irvine Stuart J. C. , Lamb Dan
Published: July 2024

Concentrating photovoltaics is an attractive route for achieving high power output with thin film solar cells, using low‐cost optics. In this work, the performance of CdTe:As thin film solar cells on two different transparent conducting oxide (TCO)‐coated substrates is investigated and compared under varying concentrated light intensities (1–6.3 Suns). Samples tested had CdZnS/CdTe:As devices deposited atop of either a soda‐lime glass with a fluorine‐doped tin oxide TCO or an ultra‐thin glass (UTG) with an aluminium zinc oxide TCO and ZnO high‐resistive transparent (HRT) layer. Device current density was found to increase linearly with increased light intensities, for both sample configurations. Power conversion efficiencies of both device samples decreased with increased light intensity, due to a decrease in fill factor. The fill factor, for both sample configurations, was affected by reducing shunt resistance with increasing illumination intensity. The two device types performed differently at the high illumination intensities due to their series resistance. Light‐soaking devices under 6.3 Suns illumination intensity for 90 min showed no significant performance degradation, indicative of relatively stable devices under the highest illumination intensity tested. Efficiency limiting factors are assessed, evaluated and discussed.
Integration of metagenomics and metaproteomics in the intestinal lavage fluids benefits construction of discriminative model and discovery of biomarkers for HBV liver diseases
Authors: Xu Hongkai , Zhang Jiangguo , Wang Fang , Chen Yiyang , Chen Hao , Feng Yang , Hou Guixue , Zi Jin , Zhang Meiping , Zhou Jinfeng , Deng Le , Lin Liang , Zhang Xiaoyin , Liu Siqi
Published: July 2024

Intestinal lavage fluid (IVF) containing the mucosa‐associated microbiota instead of fecal samples was used to study the gut microbiota using different omics approaches. Focusing on the 63 IVF samples collected from healthy and hepatitis B virus‐liver disease (HBV‐LD), a question is prompted whether omics features could be extracted to distinguish these samples. The IVF‐related microbiota derived from the omics data was classified into two enterotype sets, whereas the genomics‐based enterotypes were poorly overlapped with the proteomics‐based one in either distribution of microbiota or of IVFs. There is lack of molecular features in these enterotypes to specifically recognize healthy or HBV‐LD. Running machine learning against the omics data sought the appropriate models to discriminate the healthy and HBV‐LD IVFs based on selected genes or proteins. Although a single omics dataset is basically workable in such discrimination, integration of the two datasets enhances discrimination efficiency. The protein features with higher frequencies in the models are further compared between healthy and HBV‐LD based on their abundance, bringing about three potential protein biomarkers. This study highlights that integration of metaomics data is beneficial for a molecular discriminator of healthy and HBV‐LD, and reveals the IVF samples are valuable for microbiome in a small cohort.
Nanostructures for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of COVID‐19: A Review
Authors: Tavakoli Zahra , Ranjbar Faezeh , Tackallou Saeed Hesami , Ranjbar Bijan
Published: July 2024

Viral infections are a significant cause of death globally, resulting in substantial ethical, social, and economic costs. In recent years, the world has experienced the worst epidemic of the current millennium, caused by the Coronavirus 2019, a severe acute respiratory syndrome. This infection can cause severe complications in various organs, such as the stomach, heart, liver, kidney, and brain. Antimicrobial drugs or vaccines can be a practical approach to combating these pathogens. However, there are drug‐resistant or emerging infections that do not have effective drugs or vaccines. Therefore, it is necessary to explore new approaches for early diagnosis, prevention, and effective therapies. So, nanomaterials are widely considered due to their unique properties. This review employs a practical approach to elucidate the role of nanostructures against COVID‐19. Also, the effects and benefits of various types of nanostructures are discussed that have been used to diagnose, prevent, and treat COVID‐19 in recent years. Furthermore, by evaluating different nanostructures, the utilization of biocompatible nanoparticles consisting of selenium and chitosan derivatives is suggested as a promising candidate for industrial use in the fight against COVID‐19. Ultimately, this study can offer insight into the potential applications of nanomaterials in combating emerging microbial infections.
Comparison of Escherichia coli Responses to Different Silver Nanoparticles with Different Particle Sizes and Surface Coatings
Authors: Liu Qiuran , Sun Yuqiong , Zhang Mengmeng , Hou Jing
Published: July 2024

AgNPs are widely used for their excellent antimicrobial properties, whereas the cytotoxicity they possess makes them an unignorable environmental problem. Considering the impact of particle size and surface coating on the antibacterial properties, four types of AgNPs are selected: citrate‐coated 20 nm (C20), polyvinylpyrrolidone‐coated 20 nm (P20), citrate‐coated 100 nm (C100), and polyvinylpyrrolidone‐coated 100 nm (P100) AgNPs. All four AgNPs significantly affect the ribosome pathway, with stronger binding of large and small subunits. 20 nm and 100 nm AgNPs both affected the biosynthesis and metabolism of several amino acids (including arginine, glycine, serine, threonine, glyoxylic acid, and dicarboxylic acid). P20 and C100 exposure affected bacterial chemotaxis and flagellar motility. This study preliminarily explained the response mechanism of E. coli to AgNPs with different properties, which provided a theoretical basis for predicting the response mechanism of E. coli to metal nanoparticles with similar properties.
Bioequivalence study of low dose drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol 3 mg/0.03 mg film tablets under fasting conditions in Turkish healthy female subjects
Authors: Inal Ahmet , Sezer Zafer , Uluözlü Berna , Oflas Melih , Reinsch Martin , Martin Wolfgang , Mazicioglu Mümtaz M. , Koru Selma Alime
Published: July 2024

This bioequivalence research aims to evaluate the relative bioavailability and pharmacokinetic characteristics of ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone in the test preparation in comparison to the reference preparation during fasting conditions. A liquid chromatography method with tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine the concentrations of drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol in plasma. The pharmacokinetic parameters that were analyzed were the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), time to achieve Cmax (tmax), elimination half life, and area under the concentration time curve of plasma (AUC0‐t, AUC0‐∞ for ethinyl estradiol, and AUC0‐72h for drospirenone). Both the AUC and Cmax parameters were determined to be between 80.00% and 125.00% (90% confidence intervals), which is the acceptable range. Based on the study findings, it was concluded that the test formulation, which includes 3 mg of drospirenone and 0.03 mg of ethinyl estradiol, demonstrated bioequivalence when compared to the reference formulation.
Determination of the Complex Refractive Index of GaSb1−xBixby Variable‐Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry
Authors: McElearney John , Grossklaus Kevin , Menasuta T. Pan , Vandervelde Thomas
Published: July 2024

Variable‐angle spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to determine the room temperature complex refractive index of molecular beam epitaxy grown GaSb1−xBixfilms withx ≤ 4.25% over a spectral range of 0.47–6.2 eV. By correlating to critical points in the extinction coefficientk, the energies of several interband transitions are extracted as functions of Bi content. The observed change in the fundamental bandgap energy (E0, −36.5 meV per %Bi) agrees well with previously published values; however, the samples examined here show a much more rapid increase in the spin‐orbit splitting energy (Δ0, +30.1 meV per Bi) than previous calculations have predicted. As in the related GaAsBi, the energy of transitions involving the top of the valence band are observed to have a much stronger dependence on Bi content than those that do not, suggesting the valence band maximum is most sensitive to Bi alloying. Finally, the effects of surface droplets on both the complex refractive index and the critical point energies are examined.
Foundation models for bioinformatics
Authors: Chen Ziyu , Wei Lin , Gao Ge
Published: July 2024

Transformer‐based foundation models such as ChatGPTs have revolutionized our daily life and affected many fields including bioinformatics. In this perspective, we first discuss about the direct application of textual foundation models on bioinformatics tasks, focusing on how to make the most out of canonical large language models and mitigate their inherent flaws. Meanwhile, we go through the transformer‐based, bioinformatics‐tailored foundation models for both sequence and non‐sequence data. In particular, we envision the further development directions as well as challenges for bioinformatics foundation models.
Does collaborative governance mediate rural tourism to achieve sustainable territory development? Evidence of stakeholders' perceptions in Colombia
Authors: Valderrama Eliana‐Leonor , Polanco Jorge‐Andrés , Hernandez‐Diaz Paula M.
Published: July 2024

Rural tourism as a diversification strategy might contribute to the sustainability of rural territories in developing countries. However, studies of the forms of how stakeholders relates are required to understand the configuration characteristics of the formal and informal dynamics present at a regional level. This paper explains the mediating role of collaborative governance between rural tourism and sustainable territory development in rural areas through quantitative research using structural equation modeling. The scales were validated by surveying members of civil society, the state, and the productive sector in Colombia. The results confirmed the reliability and validity of the measurement models. Additionally, they validated the dimensions proposed to determine the mediating role of collaborative governance between rural tourism and sustainable territory development. Finally, this document could contributes to a regional consensus on the role of collaborative governance in developing rural tourism actions that significantly promotes the sustainable development of rural territories.
The smart future for sustainable development: Artificial intelligence solutions for sustainable urbanization
Authors: Al‐Raeei Marwan
Published: July 2024

Future tools for supporting collaborations between technology and sustainable development include artificial intelligence (AI) applications in sustainable Urbanization roles. This article highlights the various applications of AI in advancing sustainable urbanization. From urban planning to disaster management, AI technology is revolutionizing the way cities are designed and managed. By leveraging data analytics, machine learning, and predictive modeling, AI is helping city officials make informed decisions, optimize resource usage, and improve quality of life for urban residents. Despite the immense potential of AI in sustainable urban development, there are still challenges and limitations to overcome. We show some of the most significant problems related to these issues. These include issues related to data privacy, algorithm bias, and ethical considerations. Continued research and innovation are needed to address these challenges and ensure that AI technology is used responsibly and effectively in shaping sustainable cities. As a result, AI has the power to transform urban environments and create more sustainable, resilient communities. By harnessing the capabilities of AI, cities can become more efficient, environmentally‐friendly, and prepared for the challenges of the future. It is essential for policymakers, urban planners, and technology developers to work together to harness the full potential of AI in sustainable urbanization and create a better future for all. Proactively addressing these challenges can unlock the full potential of AI in combating sustainable cities and building a sustainable future for all.
One‐Pot Three‐Component Synthesis of Quinoxalinone Containing Spiropyrrolidine‐oxindole via 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition with Enhanced Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis Induction in HCT‐116 Cells
Authors: Tsering Dolma , Yodun Tenzen , Slathia Nancy , Singh Shashank , Kapoor Kamal K.
Published: July 2024

A catalyst‐free, one‐pot 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reaction between azomethine ylides (generated in situ) and (E)‐3‐styrylquinoxalin‐2(1H)‐ones led to the formation of a series of quinoxalinone containing spiropyrrolidine‐oxindoles. Subsequently, the in vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized derivatives against the panel of Human NCI‐60 cancer cell lines alongside normal cell lines was evaluated using SRB assay. Among all the derivatives, 4 h was found to be the most potent, selective, restrict cell migration and induce apoptosis with elevated ROS levels in HCT‐116. This study emphasizes the potency of the derivatives as promising leads for the further development of potent anti‐cancer agents.
Ex Situ Covalent Functionalization of Germanene via 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition: A Promising Approach for the Bandgap Engineering of Group‐14 Xenes
Authors: Giousis Theodosis , Zygouri Panagiota , Karouta Niki , Spyrou Konstantinos , Subrati Mohammed , Moschovas Dimitrios , Stuart Marc C. A. , Hemmatpour Hamoon , Gournis Dimitrios P. , Rudolf Petra
Published: July 2024

Group‐14 Xenes beyond graphene such as silicene, germanene, and stanene have recently gained a lot of attention for their peculiar electronic properties, which can be tuned by covalent functionalization. Up until now, reported methods for the top‐down synthesis of covalently functionalized silicene and germanene typically yield multilayered flakes with a minimum thickness of 100 nm. Herein, the ex situ covalent functionalization of germanene (fGe) is reported via 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of the azomethine ylide generated by the decarboxylative condensation of 3,4‐dihydroxybenzaldehyde and sarcosine. Amorphous few‐layered sheets (average thickness of ≈6 nm) of dipolarophile germanene (GeX) are produced by thermal dehydrogenation of its fully saturated parent precursor, germanane (GeH). Spectroscopic evidence confirmed the emergence of the dipolarophilic sp2 domains due to the dehydrogenation of germanane, and their sp3 hybridization due to the covalent functionalization of germanene. Elemental mapping of the functionalized germanene revealed flakes with a very high abundance of carbon uniformly covering the germanium backbone. The 500 meV increase of the optical bandgap of germanene observed upon functionalization paves the way toward bandgap engineering of other group‐14 Xenes, which could potentially be a major turning point in the fields of electronics, electrocatalysis, and photocatalysis.
2D MXene/MBene Superlattice with Narrow Bandgap as Superior Electrocatalyst for High‐Performance Lithium–Oxygen Battery
Authors: Liu Pengfei , Xu Haoyang , Wang Xinxiang , Tian Guilei , Yu Xudong , Wang Chuan , Zeng Chenrui , Wang Shuhan , Fan Fengxia , Liu Sheng , Shu Chaozhu
Published: July 2024

Lithium–oxygen (Li–O2) battery with large theoretical energy density (≈3500 Wh kg−1) is one of the most promising energy storage and conversion systems. However, the slow kinetics of oxygen electrode reactions inhibit the practical application of Li–O2 battery. Thus, designing efficient electrocatalysts is crucial to improve battery performance. Here, Ti3C2 MXene/Mo4/3B2‐x MBene superlattice is fabricated its electrocatalytic activity toward oxygen redox reactions in Li–O2 battery is studied. It is found that the built‐in electric field formed by a large work function difference between Ti3C2 and Mo4/3B2‐x will power the charge transfer at the interface from titanium (Ti) site in Ti3C2 to molybdenum (Mo) site in Mo4/3B2‐x. This charge transfer increases the electron density in 4d orbital of Mo site and decreases the d‐band center of Mo site, thus optimizing the adsorption of intermediate product LiO2 at Mo site and accelerating the kinetics of oxygen electrode reactions. Meanwhile, the formed film‐like discharge products (Li2O2) improve the contact with electrode and facilitate the decomposition of Li2O2. Based on the above advantages, the Ti3C2 MXene/Mo4/3B2‐x MBene superlattice‐based Li–O2 battery exhibits large discharge specific capacity (17 167 mAh g−1), low overpotential (1.16 V), and superior cycling performance (475 cycles).
Ultrasensitive Raman Detection of Biomolecular Conformation at the Attomole Scale using Chiral Nanophotonics
Authors: Chaubey Shailendra K. , Kumar Rahul , Lalaguna Paula L. , Kartau Martin , Bianco Simona , Tabouillot Victor , Thomson Andrew R , Sutherland Andrew , Lyutakov Oleksiy , Gadegaard Nikolaj , Karimullah Affar S. , Kadodwala Malcolm
Published: July 2024

Understanding the function of a biomolecule hinges on its 3D conformation or secondary structure. Chirally sensitive, optically active techniques based on the differential absorption of UV–vis circularly polarized light excel at rapid characterisation of secondary structures. However, Raman spectroscopy, a powerful method for determining the structure of simple molecules, has limited capacity for structural analysis of biomolecules because of intrinsically weak optical activity, necessitating millimolar (mM) sample quantities. A breakthrough is presented for utilising Raman spectroscopy in ultrasensitive biomolecular conformation detection, surpassing conventional Raman optical activity by 15 orders of magnitude. This strategy combines chiral plasmonic metasurfaces with achiral molecular Raman reporters and enables the detection of different conformations (α‐helix and random coil) of a model peptide (poly‐L/D‐lysine) at the ≤attomole level (monolayer). This exceptional sensitivity stems from the ability to detect local, molecular‐scale changes in the electromagnetic (EM) environment of a chiral nanocavity induced by the presence of biomolecules using molecular Raman reporters. Further signal enhancement is achieved by incorporating achiral Au nanoparticles. The introduction of the nanoparticles creates highly localized regions of extreme optical chirality. This approach, which exploits Raman, a generic phenomenon, paves the way for next‐generation technologies for the ultrasensitive detection of diverse biomolecular structures.
Restoration of load capacity and stiffness of continuous steel–concrete composite beams having web openings using externally applied FRP strips
Authors: Hakeem Ibrahim Y. , Osama Bothaina , Li Weiwen , Wang Peng , Lu Yao , Sobuz Md. Habibur Rahman , Al Hudeesh Mohammed Ghalib , Mansour Walid
Published: July 2024

The aim of this study is to explore the applicability of externally bonded fiber‐reinforced polymer (FRP) composites to enhance the structural performance of steel–concrete composite beams with web openings in terms of load capacity and stiffness. In order to achieve this aim, the ABAQUS software was used to create a three‐dimensional (3D) non‐linear finite element model (FEM) to simulate the behavior of FRP‐strengthened continuous composite beams with web openings exposed to monotonic loadings. After ascertaining the accuracy of the proposed model's results in successfully predicting failure patterns and load capacities of the experimentally tested specimens available in the literature, the suggested model was used to create a parametric study. The parametric study focused on the impacts of the opening location, opening shapes, and opening area on the failure pattern, load carrying capacity, and stiffness of continuous steel–concrete composite beams. Additionally, strengthening the web openings using different configurations and lengths of FRP strips with and without bolts was investigated. Results showed that the presence of web openings in location 2 exhibited the lowest load capacity of all investigated beams (20.80%–42.50% lower than the control composite beam). Moreover, the continuous composite beams with a circular opening were the best case and gave a higher failure load as compared to the rectangular opening at all locations. Additionally, all the simulated FRP‐strengthened composite beams in the third group demonstrated significant values of load capacities and stiffness among all the analyzed specimens.
Experimental and theoretical research of the punching shear performance of steel‐normal concrete‐UHPC composite slabs
Authors: Guo Songsong , Liu Chao
Published: July 2024

The use of UHPC enables reducing the height of composite slabs, which may decrease the punching shear capacity. This paper investigates the punching shear behavior of steel‐normal concrete‐UHPC composite slabs with experiments and theoretical analyses. Results indicated that a 50 mm UHPC layer makes the nominal punching shear strength increase by 24.91%. Utilizing UHPC and increasing loading area can effectively enhance the punching shear capacity. Besides, theoretical punching shear model proposed based on rigid‐plastic theory can reliably predict the punching shear capacity of composite slabs. The punching shear angle derived from strength theory closely matches the experimental values.
Evaluation of Water Quality Indexes and Heavy Metal Pollution Indexes of Different Industrial Effluents and Karnaphuli River Water in Chattogram, Bangladesh
Authors: Chowdhury Md. Didarul Alam , Billah Tabassum , Rahman Md. Rezaur , Bakri Muhammad Khusairy Bin , Barua Sagor , Morshed A. J. M. , Uddin Ektiar , Uddin Muhammad Misbah
Published: July 2024

The study evaluated the water quality index (WQI) and heavy metal pollution index (HPI) of different industrial effluent and surface water from various sites of the Karnaphuli River, based on the weighted arithmetic index method. The samples were collected from 20 different industries, including textile dyeing, textile washing, oil processing, chemicals, and tannery, and 17 stations of the Karnaphuli River, from the Kalurghat Bridge to the estuary where the river meets with the Bay of Bengal. This study was carried out in the dry season of the 2021–2022 fiscal year. Six physicochemical parameters, namely pH, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, and hardness, were taken for the determination of the WQI, and concentration of heavy metals (Pb, Fe, Cd, Cu, Cr, Mn, and Ni) were considered for the calculation of the HPI. Both indexes were calculated against the Bangladesh Standard (denoted by subscript a) and WHO standards (denoted by subscript b). The water quality indexes WQIa and WQIb for industrial effluent ranged from 11.66 to 176.77 and 44.45 to 9703.99, respectively. Samples namely TD‐5, TD‐7, TD‐8, TD‐9, TD‐10, OS‐1, and C‐1 showed excessively high WQI value. On the other hand, the HPIa and HPIb of industrial effluent varied from 43.6 to 167,785.3 and 0.34 to 18,412.3, respectively. Furthermore, oil processing and chemical effluents showed noticeably higher HPI values than other industrial samples. Both WQI and HPI values indicated a serious pollution load in most experimental samples. No river water sample showed a WQI value below 100, denoting it was unfit for consumption. The water quality indexes WQIa and WQIb for river water samples ranged from 1275.40 to 29,405.77 and 131.20 to 5860.99, respectively. According to the Bangladesh Standard, the river water samples were moderately to highly polluted by metal. The highest HPI value for the river water sample was 7965, denoting extreme metal pollution. The investigation revealed that most industrial effluents and Karnaphuli River water samples contained significant pollution load. Therefore, effective measures must be adopted immediately for future sustainability to cope with this contamination. The results emphasize the immediate requirement for strict regulations and advanced water treatment technologies to reduce contamination risks in the Karnaphuli River. Prompt action by authorities is essential to safeguard the river, prevent ongoing ecological damage, and address metal accumulation in fish affecting the food chain. Public awareness and legislative measures are vital for ecosystem preservation.
Monitoring Unmanned Aircraft: Specification, Integration, and Lessons-Learned
Authors: Baumeister Jan , Finkbeiner Bernd , Kohn Florian , Löhr Florian , Manfredi Guido , Schirmer Sebastian , Torens Christoph
Published: July 2024

This paper reports on the integration of runtime monitoring into fully-electric aircraft designed by Volocopter, a German aircraft manufacturer of electric multi-rotor helicopters. The runtime monitor recognizes hazardous situations and system faults. Since the correct operation of the monitor is critical for the safety of the aircraft, the development of the monitor must follow strict aeronautical standards. This includes the integration of the monitor into different development environments, such as log-file analysis, hardware/software-in-the-loop testing, and test flights. We have used the stream-based monitoring framework RTLola to generate monitors for a range of requirements. In this paper, we present representative monitoring specifications and our lessons learned from integrating the generated monitors. Our main finding is that the specification and the integration need to be decoupled, because the specification remains stable throughout the development process, whereas the different development stages require a separate integration of the monitor into each environment. We achieve this decoupling with a novel abstraction layer in the monitoring framework that adapts the monitor to each environment without affecting the core component generated from the specification. The decoupling of the integration has also allowed us to react quickly to the frequent changes in the hardware and software environment of the monitor due to the fast-paced development of the aircraft in a startup company.
Parsimonious Optimal Dynamic Partial Order Reduction
Authors: Abdulla Parosh Aziz , Atig Mohamed Faouzi , Das Sarbojit , Jonsson Bengt , Sagonas Konstantinos
Published: July 2024

Stateless model checking is a fully automatic verification technique for concurrent programs that checks for safety violations by exploring all possible thread schedulings. It becomes effective when coupled with Dynamic Partial Order Reduction (DPOR), which introduces an equivalence on schedulings and reduces the amount of needed exploration. DPOR algorithms that are optimal are particularly effective in that they guarantee to explore exactly one execution from each equivalence class. Unfortunately, existing sequence-based optimal algorithms may in the worst case consume memory that is exponential in the size of the analyzed program. In this paper, we present Parsimonious-OPtimal DPOR (POP), an optimal DPOR algorithm for analyzing multi-threaded programs under sequential consistency, whose space consumption is polynomial in the worst case. POP combines several novel algorithmic techniques, including (i) a parsimonious race reversal strategy, which avoids multiple reversals of the same race, (ii) an eager race reversal strategy to avoid storing initial fragments of to-be-explored executions, and (iii) a space-efficient scheme for preventing redundant exploration, which replaces the use of sleep sets. Our implementation in Nidhugg shows that these techniques can significantly speed up the analysis of concurrent programs, and do so with low memory consumption. Comparison to TruSt, a related optimal DPOR algorithm that represents executions as graphs, shows that POP ’s implementation achieves similar performance for smaller benchmarks, and scales much better than TruSt ’s on programs with long executions.
mypyvy: A Research Platform for Verification of Transition Systems in First-Order Logic
Authors: Wilcox James R. , Feldman Yotam M. Y. , Padon Oded , Shoham Sharon
Published: July 2024

is an open-source tool for specifying transition systems in first-order logic and reasoning about them. is particularly suitable for analyzing and verifying distributed algorithms. implements key functionalities needed for safety verification and provides flexible interfaces that make it useful not only as a verification tool but also as a research platform for developing verification techniques, and in particular invariant inference algorithms. Moreover, the input language is both simple and general, and the repository includes several dozen benchmarks—transition systems that model a wide range of distributed and concurrent algorithms. has supported several recent research efforts that benefited from its development framework and benchmark set.
How do climate policy uncertainty and renewable energy and clean technology stock prices co-move? evidence from Canada
Authors: Athari Seyed Alireza , Kirikkaleli Dervis
Published: July 2024

This work probes the dynamic co-movement between the Climate Policy Uncertainty Index (CPU) and the Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Index (RECT) employing the novel wavelet power spectrum (WPS) and wavelet coherence (WC) approaches for monthly data between 2013 and 2022. Using the wavelet approach enables us to observe the causality direction from both time and frequency dimensions and also to help detect the causal linkage in the short-medium and long-term horizons. This is the first study aiming to perform this relationship from both time and frequency dimensions. Remarkably, findings reveal that: i) CPU seems only volatile in 2019 and 2021 in the short run; (ii) there was significant volatility in the RECT in the short and long terms (SLT) between 2018 and 2022; (iii) RECT significantly caused the CPU between 2014 and 2018; iv) after 2019, CPU started to cause RECT in the short and medium terms (SMT).
A candidate reference measurement procedure for quantification of glycocholic acid in human serum based on isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Zhang Pingping , Wang Huimin , Liang Man , Wang Zhifang , Liu Chunlong , Han Yanlin
Published: July 2024

Accurate measurement of serum glycocholic acid (GCA) is crucial for evaluating the activity of chronic hepatitis. Moreover, GCA is a novel identified biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma. Although some laboratories have used the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method to measure GCA in recent years, the problem of potential interference of GCA analogues has not been solved well yet. Neither reference measurement procedures nor reference materials for GCA have been listed in the Joint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine (JCTLM) database. For standardization of GCA, it is urgent to establish a candidate measurement procedure for GCA. In this study, a candidate reference measurement procedure for the quantification of GCA in human serum based on isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC–MS/MS) by a two-step sample pretreatment of protein precipitation and MAX solid-phase extraction was developed and validated. GCA can be completely separated from its structural analogues with gradient elution in 9 min compared with short time gradients published in previous literature by Huang’s group. Method validation indicated perfect quantitation precision with intra-day and inter-day values that were ≤1.30% and ≤1.80%, respectively. The method showed excellent linearity with high regression coefficients (R2 > 0.999) over a range of 0.92 ng/g–38.38 μg/g and perfect recoveries at three spiked levels (99.87–100.43%). No interference, matrix effect, and carryover were observed. Moreover, the cRMP was successfully applied to measure GCA in serum samples and compared with two immunoassays in a clinical laboratory. As a candidate reference method, this method can promote a GCA standardization program.

Graphical Abstract
Machine learning based tomographic image reconstruction technique to detect hollows in wood
Authors: Yıldızcan Ecem Nur , Arı Mehmet Erdi , Tunga Burcu , Gelir Ali , Kurul Fatih , As Nusret , Dündar Türker
Published: July 2024

A new technique based on machine learning algorithms was introduced to detect internal wood defects. This technique relies on analyzing segmented propagation rays of stress waves and successfully generates the tomographic images of the defects by using the stress wave velocity. Utilizing a dual-stage methodology, the initial phase involves ray segmentation for the precise delineation of stress wave propagation, while the subsequent stage integrates advanced classification and clustering algorithms to facilitate the generation of tomographic images. This approach effectively tackles the inherent challenges associated with accurate segmentation and classification of stress wave velocity rays. The effectiveness of the proposed method was evaluated using both synthetic and experimental data. The results showed that the proposed method, when compared with some state-of-the-art methods, has a superior ability to accurately detect defective regions in the wood. The success of the proposed method is evaluated with four different evaluation metrics. It determined that over 90% success is achieved for all metrics. In comparison with related studies, it determined that the results are improved by 7–22% compared to the literature.
Beyond the Bloom: Unraveling the Diversity, Overlap, and Stability of Free-Living and Particle-Attached Bacterial Communities in a Cyanobacteria-Dominated Hypereutrophic Lake
Authors: Xie Guijuan , Sun Chuanbo , Gong Yi , Luo Wenlei , Tang Xiangming
Published: July 2024

In aquatic ecosystems with low nutrient levels, organic aggregates (OAs) act as nutrient hotspots, hosting a diverse range of microbial species compared to those in the water column. Lake eutrophication, marked by intensified and prolonged cyanobacterial blooms, significantly impacts material and energy cycling processes, potentially altering the ecological traits of both free-living (FL) and particle-attached (PA) bacteria. However, the extent to which observed patterns of FL and PA bacterial diversity, community assembly, and stability extend to hypereutrophic lakes remains understudied. To address this gap, we investigated bacterial diversity, composition, assembly processes, and stability within hypereutrophic Lake Xingyun. Our results revealed that FL bacterial communities exhibited higher α-diversity than PA counterparts, coupled with discernible taxonomic compositions. Both bacterial communities showed distinct seasonality, influenced by cyanobacterial bloom intensity. Environmental factors accounted for 71.1% and 54.2% of the variation among FL and PA bacteria, respectively. The assembly of the PA bacterial community was predominantly stochastic, while FL assembly was more deterministic. The FL network demonstrated greater stability, complexity, and negative interactions, indicative of competitive relationships, while the PA network showed a prevalence of positive correlations, suggesting mutualistic interactions. Importantly, these findings differ from observations in oligotrophic, mesotrophic, and eutrophic lakes. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the interplay among bacterial fractions, enhancing our understanding of nutrient status and cyanobacterial blooms in shaping bacterial communities.
Host Species and Environment Shape the Skin Microbiota of Mexican Axolotls
Authors: Soto-Cortés Enrique , Marroquín-Rodríguez Montserrat , Basanta Maria Delia , Maldonado-López Yurixhi , Parra-Olea Gabriela , Rebollar Eria A.
Published: July 2024

Skin microbiomes in amphibians are complex systems that can be influenced by biotic and abiotic factors. In this study, we examined the effect of host species and environmental conditions on the skin bacterial and fungal microbiota of four obligate paedomorphic salamander species, commonly known as axolotls (Ambystoma andersoni, A. dumerilii, A. mexicanum, and A. taylori), all of them endemic to the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. We found that despite their permanent aquatic lifestyle, these species present a host-specific skin microbiota that is distinct from aquatic communities. We identified skin-associated taxa that were unique to each host species and that differentiated axolotl species based on alpha and beta diversity metrics. Moreover, we identified a set of microbial taxa that were shared across hosts with high relative abundances across skin samples. Specifically, bacterial communities were dominated by Burkholderiales and Pseudomonadales bacterial orders and Capnodiales and Pleosporales fungal orders. Host species and environmental variables collectively explained more microbial composition variation in bacteria (R2 = 0.46) in comparison to fungi (R2 = 0.2). Our results contribute to a better understanding of the factors shaping the diversity and composition of skin microbial communities in Ambystoma. Additional studies are needed to disentangle the effects of specific host associated and environmental factors that could influence the skin microbiome of these endangered species.
The clinical efficacy of a daratumumab-based regimen in relapsed/refractory acute leukemia: a single-center experience
Authors: Dai Yi , Luo Lin , Wei Zhenbin , Cheng Peng , Luo Jun , Li Jing
Published: July 2024

Relapsed/refractory acute leukemia (R/R-AL) is associated with a low remission rate, short survival rate, and poor prognosis. Treating R/R-AL remains challenging as there is no standardized effective regimen; hence, there is a need for efficient therapies. CD38 expression has been observed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Daratumumab is a humanized anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody used to treat multiple myeloma and has been reported to treat R/R-AL safely and effectively. The clinical data of 10 adult patients with R/R-AL who were treated with a daratumumab-based salvage regimen between July 2018 and May 2023 at our center were analyzed retrospectively. Seven AML and three ALL cases were included in the analysis. Seven (70%) patients showed responses to the treatments (complete response [CR], 60%; partial response [PR], 10%). Of the seven responders, three underwent allogenic stem cell transplantation (ASCT), including one who underwent a second ASCT. Among the five patients with R/R AML who had prior exposure to venetoclax, three achieved a therapeutic response (two CR and one PR) when re-treated with venetoclax in combination with daratumumab. The median follow-up time was 6.15 months (0.9–21 months). Overall survival and event-free survival rates at 12 months were 68.6% and 40.0%, respectively. The main adverse events included grade 3 febrile neutropenia (20%) and grade 3 hematological toxicities (60%). The daratumumab-based salvage regimen offers patients with R/R-AL the opportunity of remission with acceptable tolerability, creating the possibility of bridging ASCT.
Coefficient of variation and texture analysis of 18F-FDG PET/CT images for the prediction of outcome in patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: Pellegrino Sara , Origlia Davide , Di Donna Erica , Lamagna Martina , Della Pepa Roberta , Pane Fabrizio , Del Vecchio Silvana , Fonti Rosa
Published: July 2024

In multiple myeloma (MM) bone marrow infiltration by monoclonal plasma cells can occur in both focal and diffuse manner, making staging and prognosis rather difficult. The aim of our study was to test whether texture analysis of 18 F-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) images can predict survival in MM patients. Forty-six patients underwent 18 F-FDG-PET/CT before treatment. We used an automated contouring program for segmenting the hottest focal lesion (FL) and a lumbar vertebra for assessing diffuse bone marrow involvement (DI). Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) and texture features such as Coefficient of variation (CoV), were obtained from 46 FL and 46 DI. After a mean follow-up of 51 months, 24 patients died of myeloma and were compared to the 22 survivors. At univariate analysis, FL SUVmax (p = 0.0453), FL SUVmean (p = 0.0463), FL CoV (p = 0.0211) and DI SUVmax (p = 0.0538) predicted overall survival (OS). At multivariate analysis only FL CoV and DI SUVmax were retained in the model (p = 0.0154). By Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank testing, patients with FL CoV below the cut-off had significantly better OS than those with FL CoV above the cut-off (p = 0.0003), as well as patients with DI SUVmax below the threshold versus those with DI SUVmax above the threshold (p = 0.0006). Combining FL CoV and DI SUVmax by using their respective cut-off values, a statistically significant difference was found between the resulting four survival curves (p = 0.0001). Indeed, patients with both FL CoV and DI SUVmax below their respective cut-off values showed the best prognosis. Conventional and texture parameters derived from 18F-FDG PET/CT analysis can predict survival in MM patients by assessing the heterogeneity and aggressiveness of both focal and diffuse infiltration.
Interdecadal variability of winter and spring Eurasian snow depth and its impact on Eastern China precipitation
Authors: An Yingying , Meng Xianhong , Zhao Lin , Li Zhaoguo , Wang Chan , Chen Hao , Shang Lunyu , Wang Shaoying , Liu Yumeng , Zhu Hanhui
Published: July 2024

Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) and correlation analyses were employed to investigate the winter and spring snow depth in Eurasia and its relationship with Eastern China precipitation based on the observed and reanalyzed data from 1980 to 2016. The results show that the winter and spring snow cover in Eurasia not only highlights a decreasing trend due to global warming (the first EOF mode, its variance accounted for 24.4% and 22.6% of the total variance) but also exhibits notable interdecadal variation (the second EOF mode, its variance accounted for 10.2% and 11.5% of the total variance). The second EOF mode of winter snow depth in Eurasia is characterized by a west-east dipole pattern. It was observed that the spatial correlation pattern between the EOF2 of Eurasian snow depth and summer precipitation in China closely resembles the meridional quadrupole structure of the third EOF mode of summer precipitation in China. This pattern is characterized by excessive rainfall in Northeast China and the lower-middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and less rainfall over the Yellow River basin and southern China. The EOF mode of spring snow depth not only reflects the declining trend but also regulates precipitation in Eastern China. The possible mechanisms by which snow depth causes changes in soil moisture and subsequently affects atmospheric circulation are then explored from the perspective of the hydrological effects of snow cover. Decreased (Increased) snow depth in Eurasia during the winter and spring directly leads to diminished (increased) soil moisture while increasing (decreasing) net radiation and sensible heat flux at the surface. The meridional distribution of surface temperature also exhibits a dipole pattern, leading to enhanced subtropical westerly jet in the upper troposphere. The Eurasian snow cover anomalies pattern triggered an anomalous mid-latitude Eurasian wave train, which strengthened significantly in the Western Siberian Plain. It then splits into two branches, one continuing to propagate eastward at high latitudes and the other shifting towards East Asia, thereby impacting precipitation in Eastern China. This work indicates that the second EOF mode of Eurasian snow cover can impact the precipitation variability in Eastern China during the same period and in summer on an interdecadal scale.
The influence of Black Cohosh on hippocampal and hypothalamic gene expression profiles in ovariectomized rats and its potential to treat menopausal decrease in smell discrimination
Authors: Pavicic Elena , Rüst Katrin , Ehrentraut Stefan , von Wolff Michael , Stute Petra
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Menopause is associated with a decrease in smell discrimination ability. This study assessed the impact of black cohosh on hippocampal (HC) and hypothalamic (HT) gene expression profiles in rats, to understand, if herbal treatment has an impact on neurologic changes due to menopause and whether this could address a decrease in smell discrimination.

Methods

HC and HT tissues from female Sprague Dawley rats (total n = 19) were analyzed at three different life stages: intact tissues of the HC (n = 4) and the HT (n = 4), oophorectomized tissues 3 months after oophorectomy (OVX) of the HC (n = 4) and the HT (n = 3), and tissues after treatment with an isopropanolic extract (iCR) from the rhizomes of black cohosh (60 mg/kg) for 3 months after OVX of the HC (n = 2) and the HT (n = 2).

Main outcome measures

To reveal underlying biological processes a gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed.

Results

The GSEA revealed gene ontology terms that were significantly enriched, including several genes associated with the olfactory system, indicating biological processes regulated by treatment with iCR. Six olfactory receptor genes were further analyzed by another GSEA, demonstrating the possibility of iCR treatment to compensate for oophorectomy-induced changes.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that herbal treatment, such as iCR, has an esteeming impact on HC and HT genes that are changed through menopause. Further studies are needed to suggest black cohosh as a treatment option for decreased smell discrimination.