bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of job satisfaction and moonlighting intentions with mediating and moderating effects of commitment and HR practices an empirical study
Authors: Prasad K. D. V. , Kalavakolanu Sripathi , De Tanmoy , Satyaprasad V. K.
Published: April 2024

Moonlighting as a practice, the limelight was gained during the COVID-19 pandemic due to remote work involving flexible work, which saved employees’ commuting time to the office and has become a potential source of income for individuals seeking other jobs. The authors examined the phenomenon of moonlighting by assessing the relationships between job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and moonlighting intentions. The authors also examined the mediating effects of employee organizational commitment and economic intentions and the moderating role of human resource practices on the relationship between job satisfaction and moonlighting intentions. The data were gathered for five reflective constructs of this empirical study—job satisfaction, organizational commitment, human resources practices, economic intentions, and moonlighting intentions—by surveying IT-enabled industry employees in Hyderabad. The data from 311 valid responses were subjected to structural equation modeling analysis using IBM AMOS version 28. The model-fit indices from SEM analysis indicate excellent model fit. The structural model from SEM analysis reveals that 50% of the variance in moonlighting is accounted for by job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The factor of job satisfaction is statistically significant and influences the moonlighting intentions of employees in IT-enabled industries. Job satisfaction has a positive impact on organizational commitment, and when organizational commitment increases, moonlighting intentions decrease. Organizational commitment partially mediates moonlighting intentions through job satisfaction. The study also assessed the moderating role of human resource practices on the relationship between job satisfaction and moonlighting intentions. The moderation analysis results reveal statistically significant and positive moderating effects of human resource practices on intentions to moonlight through job satisfaction. The slope analysis indicated that human resource practices strengthen the positive relationship between job satisfaction and moonlighting.
Direct numerical simulation and mode analysis of turbulent transition flow in a compressor blade channel
Authors: Liu Yang , Wang Duo , Zhu Shuaichen , Xu Hongyi
Published: April 2024

The separation and turbulent transition of the flow in a compressor blade channel are investigated through direct numerical simulations (DNS) at a Reynolds number of 1.367 × 105. Based on the original DNS data, both time-averaged statistics and instantaneous vortex structures of the flow field are extensively analyzed. The vortices are visualized and studied by the Liutex method, and the streaming dynamic mode decomposition (SDMD), a low-storage variant of conventional DMD, is applied to the large datasets obtained on both pressure and suction sides. The physical quantity analyzed with SDMD is the Liutex magnitude R. The DNS results indicate that flow separation occurs on both sides of the blade. On the pressure surface, the separation is weak and the flow remains in a natural transition dominated by viscous Tollmien–Schlichting instabilities. In contrast, owing to the presence of a large laminar separation bubble, the flow experiences a separation transition governed by inviscid Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities on the suction surface. The SDMD results suggest that a broad range of vortex frequencies exist in the transition flow, and the scale of the spatial structures is negatively correlated with the frequency of the mode. On the pressure surface, the extracted SDMD modes are primarily related to Kelvin–Helmholtz rolls, whereas on the suction side, influenced by the separated boundary layer, the modal structures exhibit greater diversity.
Aging of magnetic skyrmions in a confined geometry
Authors: Gao Youhui
Published: April 2024

Magnetic configurations in a hexagonal nanostructure have been simulated using the Monte Carlo method. It has been found that a multiple-skyrmion state is stabilized in the system by a relatively strong interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction. An aging effect takes place in the thermal evolution of the multiple-skyrmion state. The size and the shape of the skyrmions tend to become uniform with increasing temperature.
Younger people with dementia registered to public mental health services in Victoria, Australia
Authors: Loi Samantha M. , Eratne Dhamidhu , Velakoulis Dennis
Published: April 2024

Objectives Individuals living with young-onset dementia fall through the gaps of adult and geriatric services. Given that non-cognitive symptoms of dementia in younger people are often psychiatric and behavioural in nature, these people may contact mental health services. There is sparse information investigating the frequency of people with young-onset dementia who contact mental health triage in Victoria. Methods Triage data were obtained from the Victorian Agency for Health Information. The data contained demographics for people registered with Victorian mental health services. Consumers who had an International Classification for Diseases code for dementia and were aged less than 65 years were identified as people with young-onset dementia. Using information of the frequency of people with young-onset dementia who were registered with each area-based mental health service, population census statistics were used to make estimates of the frequency of young-onset dementia. Results Of the 6172 people who had a dementia diagnosis, 1020 of them were aged less than 65 years and had young-onset dementia. There were proportionally more men who had young-onset dementia compared to women. There were more people with young-onset dementia registered to rural mental health services compared to metropolitan services. Conclusion Findings provide important information for service planning in Victoria. Recommendations include upskilling and education for the assessment of dementia for those clinicians who work in mental health services, particularly in rural regions.
Research on the sustainable effect of ZnS and MoS2 decorated biochar nanocomposites for removing quinolones from antibiotic-polluted aqueous solutions
Authors: Gan Ying-Jie , Wang Yue-hui , Dang Ya-ru , Hao Wen-jie , Hu Zheng-rong , Zhang Zhi-wei , Luo Yu-min , Wu Yan-bo , Song Ai-jun , Zhao Zhong-bao
Published: April 2024

Antibiotic concentrations in wastewater generated by industries such as sewage treatment plants, medical pharmaceuticals and aquaculture has exceeded acceptable levels. It is particularly urgent to seek a method that can efficiently remove antibiotics. The removal potential of three quinolone antibiotics, pefloxacin (PF), levofloxacin (LF) and norfloxacin (NF), in simulated contaminated water was studied using a biochar-based nanomaterial prepared by a hydrothermal method. The data were fitted with adsorption kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics. The results showed that ZnS–MoS2 activated biochar (ZMMBC) acheived maximum adsorption amounts of 199.42, 125.00 and 142.58 mg g–1 for PF, LF and NF, suggesting that ZMMBC has excellent adsorption performance. The adsorption mechanisms of PF, LF and NF molecules on ZMMBC include complexation, pore filling, π–π interactions, electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bond interactions.
Postsynaptic receptors regulate presynaptic transmitter stability through transsynaptic bridges
Authors: Godavarthi Swetha K. , Hiramoto Masaki , Ignatyev Yuri , Levin Jacqueline B. , Li Hui-quan , Pratelli Marta , Borchardt Jennifer , Czajkowski Cynthia , Borodinsky Laura N. , Sweeney Lora , Cline Hollis T. , Spitzer Nicholas C.
Published: April 2024

Stable matching of neurotransmitters with their receptors is fundamental to synapse function and reliable communication in neural circuits. Presynaptic neurotransmitters regulate the stabilization of postsynaptic transmitter receptors. Whether postsynaptic receptors regulate stabilization of presynaptic transmitters has received less attention. Here, we show that blockade of endogenous postsynaptic acetylcholine receptors (AChR) at the neuromuscular junction destabilizes the cholinergic phenotype in motor neurons and stabilizes an earlier, developmentally transient glutamatergic phenotype. Further, expression of exogenous postsynaptic gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABA
A
receptors) in muscle cells stabilizes an earlier, developmentally transient GABAergic motor neuron phenotype. Both AChR and GABA
A
receptors are linked to presynaptic neurons through transsynaptic bridges. Knockdown of specific components of these transsynaptic bridges prevents stabilization of the cholinergic or GABAergic phenotypes. Bidirectional communication can enforce a match between transmitter and receptor and ensure the fidelity of synaptic transmission. Our findings suggest a potential role of dysfunctional transmitter receptors in neurological disorders that involve the loss of the presynaptic transmitter.
Soil moisture decline in China’s monsoon loess critical zone: More a result of land-use conversion than climate change
Authors: Wang Yunqiang , Hu Wei , Sun Hui , Zhao Yali , Zhang Pingping , Li Zimin , Zhou Zixuan , Tong Yongping , Liu Shaozhen , Zhou Jingxiong , Huang Mingbin , Jia Xiaoxu , Clothier Brent , Shao Ming’an , Zhou Weijian , An Zhisheng
Published: April 2024

Soil moisture (SM) is essential for sustaining services from Earth’s critical zone, a thin-living skin spanning from the canopy to groundwater. In the Anthropocene epoch, intensive afforestation has remarkably contributed to global greening and certain service improvements, often at the cost of reduced SM. However, attributing the response of SM in deep soil to such human activities is a great challenge because of the scarcity of long-term observations. Here, we present a 37 y (1985 to 2021) analysis of SM dynamics at two scales across China’s monsoon loess critical zone. Site-scale data indicate that land-use conversion from arable cropland to forest/grassland caused an 18% increase in SM deficit over 0 to 18 m depth (
P
< 0.01). Importantly, this SM deficit intensified over time, despite limited climate change influence. Across the Loess Plateau, SM storage in 0 to 10 m layer exhibited a significant decreasing trend from 1985 to 2021, with a turning point in 1999 when starting afforestation. Compared with SM storage before 1999, the relative contributions of climate change and afforestation to SM decline after 1999 were −8% and 108%, respectively. This emphasizes the pronounced impacts of intensifying land-use conversions as the principal catalyst of SM decline. Such a decline shifts 18% of total area into an at-risk status, mainly in the semiarid region, thereby threatening SM security. To mitigate this risk, future land management policies should acknowledge the crucial role of intensifying land-use conversions and their interplay with climate change. This is imperative to ensure SM security and sustain critical zone services.
Two innovative equivalent statements of the third law of thermodynamics
Authors: Chen 陈 Xiaohang 晓航 , Zhou 周 Yinghui 颖慧 , Chen 陈 Jincan 金灿
Published: April 2024

It is found from textbooks and literature that there are three different statements for the third law of thermodynamics, i.e., the Nernst theorem, the unattainability statement of absolute zero temperature, and the heat capacity statement. It is pointed out that such three statements correspond to three thermodynamic parameters, which are, respectively, the entropy, temperature, and heat capacity, and can be obtained by extrapolating the experimental results of different parameters at ultra-low temperatures to absolute zero. It is expounded that because there is no need for additional assumptions in the derivation of the Nernst equation, the Nernst theorem should be renamed as the Nernst statement. Moreover, it is proved that both the Nernst statement and the heat capacity statement are mutually deducible and equivalent, while the unattainability of absolute zero temperature is only a corollary of the Nernst statement or the heat capacity statement so that it is unsuitably referred to as one statement of the third law of thermodynamics. The conclusion is that the Nernst statement and the heat capacity statement are two equivalent statements of the third law of thermodynamics.
Electronic transport evolution across the successive structural transitions in Ni50–xFexTi50 shape memory alloys
Authors: He 何 Ping 萍 , Yang 杨 Jinying 金颖 , Ren 任 Qiusa 秋飒 , Wang 王 Binbin 彬彬 , Wu 吴 Guangheng 光恒 , Liu 刘 Enke 恩克
Published: April 2024

TiNi-based shape memory alloys have been extensively investigated due to their significant applications, but a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of electronic structure and electrical transport in a system with martensitic transformations (MT) is still lacking. In this work, we focused on the electronic transport behavior of three phases in Ni50−x
Fe
x
Ti50 across the MT. A phase diagram of Ni50−x
Fe
x
Ti50 was established based on x-ray diffraction, calorimetric, magnetic, and electrical measurements. To reveal the driving force of MT, phonon softening was revealed using first-principles calculations. Notably, the transverse and longitudinal transport behavior changed significantly across the phase transition, which can be attributed to the reconstruction of electronic structures. This work promotes the understanding of phase transitions and demonstrates the sensitivity of electron transport to phase transition.
Influences of divalent ion substitution on the magnetic and dielectric properties of W-type barium ferrite
Authors: He 何 Shiyue 诗悦 , Liu 刘 Ruoshui 若水 , Liu 刘 Xujie 煦婕 , Ye 叶 Xianping 先平 , Wang 王 Lichen 利晨 , Shen 沈 Baogen 保根
Published: April 2024

Saturation magnetization, magneto-crystalline anisotropy field, and dielectric properties are closely related to microwave devices applied at different frequencies. For regulating the magnetic and dielectric properties of W-type barium ferrites, single-phase BaMe
2Fe16O27 (Me = Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni, Co) with different Me ions were synthesized by the high-temperature solid-state method. The saturation magnetization (M
s) range from 47.77 emu/g to 95.34 emu/g and the magnetic anisotropy field (H
a) range from 10700.60 Oe (1 Oe = 79.5775 A⋅m−1) to 13739.57 Oe, depending on the type of cation substitution in the hexagonal lattice. The dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss decrease with increasing frequency of the AC electric field in the low-frequency region, while they almost remain constant in the high-frequency region. The characteristics of easy regulation and preparation make it a potential candidate for use in microwave device applications.
Performance of JT-60SA Thomson Scattering data analysis system
Authors: Akimitsu M. , Ohtani Y. , Funaba H. , Tojo H. , D'Isa F.A. , Sasao H. , Nakano T. , Yoshida M.
Published: April 2024

We have developed signal processing routines for the Thomson Scattering measurement, which is planned for use in the next campaign of the JT-60SA large-scale tokamak experiment.
This paper provides the data analysis system and its performance evaluated in terms of computation time and error.
The sequential routine of determining the scattered light intensity from a simulated signal, including noise data from a 1 Gs/s high-speed sampling digitizer, and determining the electron temperature and density was tested for the first time on an actual machine.
The data analysis system ensures that electron temperature and density can be calculated with reasonable relative errors and within a realistic time frame for operations on JT-60SA.
Effect of schooling on flow generated sounds from carangiform swimmers
Authors: Zhou Ji , Seo Jung-Hee , Mittal Rajat
Published: April 2024

Computational models are used to examine the effect of schooling on flow generated noise from fish swimming using their caudal fins. We simulate the flow as well as the far-field hydrodynamic sound generated by the time-varying pressure loading on these carangiform swimmers. The effect of the number of swimmers in the school, the relative phase of fin flapping of the swimmers, and their spatial arrangement is examined. The simulations indicate that the phase of the fin flapping is a dominant factor in the total sound radiated into the far-field by a group of swimmers. For small schools, a suitable choice of relative phase between the swimmers can significantly reduce the overall intensity of the sound radiated to the far-field. The relative positioning of the swimmers is also shown to have an impact on the total radiated noise. For a larger school, even highly uncorrelated phases of fin movement between the swimmers in the school are very effective in significantly reducing the overall intensity of sound radiated into the far-field. The implications of these findings for fish ethology as well as the design and operation of bioinspired vehicles are discussed.
Fabrication of thin silicon flakes through dealloying from laser directed energy deposition Ca-Si alloys
Authors: Liu Ruoshan , Jin Na , Liu Ying
Published: April 2024

In this study, thin silicon flakes were fabricated through dealloying from laser directed energy deposition (LDED) Ca-Si alloys, and the solidification mechanism of the lamellar eutectic microstructure was studied. With 1200 W laser power and 450 mm/min scanning speed, the LDED Ca-Si alloys have a fine lamellar eutectic microstructure and are easily separated from copper substrates. After dealloying in the diluted HCl solution for 6 h, the thin silicon flakes ranging in thickness from 100 nm to 0.5 μm were obtained. The formation of the thin flakes was attributed to fine lamellar Si phases in precursor alloys. The rapid solidification of laser processing could refine the microstructure, especially Si phases, and improve the chemical homogeneity of the material. Combining laser processing and dealloying, a cost-effective and scalable strategy was devised to fabricate fine powder from a laser processing optimized microstructure.
Analysis of wire-cut electric discharge machining behaviour of AA6061 / C / ZrO2 hybrid nano composites using Taguchi’s method
Authors: P Haja Syeddu Masooth , V Jayakumar , Bharathiraja G , Palani Kumaran
Published: April 2024

This study focuses on the optimization of wire-cut electric discharge machining (WEDM) process for hybrid metal matrix nanocomposites. AA6061 alloy reinforced with graphene (C) and zirconia (ZrO2) was fabricated through the stir casting method with ultrasonic assistance for three different weight proportions: 92% AA6061 / 3% C / 5% ZrO2, 87% AA6061 / 3% C / 10% ZrO2, and 82% AA6061 / 3% C / 15% ZrO2. Microstructural examination confirmed the uniform distribution of reinforcements in the matrix alloy. The fabricated composite was machined by WEDM using an L27 orthogonal array designed by Taguchi’s method. Four electrical control factors of pulse on-time, pulse off-time, wire feedrate and peak current were considered, along with one reinforcement factor and three output responses: kerf width, surface finish and material removal rate to analyse the machining behaviour. Analysis of Variance was performed to determine the significant parameters. The results revealed that the most significant factor is pulse on-time among the five different factors. Optimized parameters were identified and examined through confirmation experiments resulting in improved machining characteristics.
Effect of annealing temperature on microstructure and properties of the microtubes for GH4169 alloy
Authors: Kehang He , Yang Zixin , Guo Shengli , Zhu Baohong , Qiu Haochen , Wu Shuaishuai , Yan Xuehui , Jiang Wei
Published: April 2024

The effects of annealing temperature on the recrystallization and grain boundary distribution characteristic for the drawn microtube of GH4169 alloy were studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis system and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results demonstrated that at an annealing temperature of 850 °C, only a small proportion of recrystallization for the microtube underwent. As the annealing temperature increased, the proportion of recrystallization also increased. Specifically, at 900 °C, the proportion reached 95.8%, indicating complete recrystallization. Fine recrystallization grains were obtained with an average grain size of 4.73 μm. As the annealing temperature is above 900 °C, the microtube also undergo complete recrystallization, and the grains grow up gradually. At 1000 °C, the average grain size grows to 7.42 μm. The results also revealed that with the annealing temperature increasing, the proportion of Σ 3 grain boundary of the microtube was rising. The proportion of Σ 3 grain boundary increased from 30.1% to 34.2% with the annealing temperature increased from 900 °C to 1000 °C. Moreover, as the annealing temperature increased from 850 °C to 1000 °C, the room temperature tensile strength of the tube decreased from 1323 MPa to 965 MPa, the yield strength decreased from 1054 MPa to 523 MPa, and the fracture elongation increased from 10.2% to 31.2%.
Facile fabrication of layer-structured graphene/copper composite with enhanced electrical and mechanical properties
Authors: Li Wenhui , Ma Junliang , Liu Baishan , Wang Wei , Liu Zhaoping
Published: April 2024

Copper (Cu) and its related composites are widely used and hence extremely important in industrial applications. Much efforts have been made to improve the physical properties of Cu, but usually lead to degradation of electrical performance. Herein, this work develops a facile way to fabricate layer-structured graphene/copper composite using graphene powder sprayed on Cu foil as building blocks. Compared to pure Cu bulk, significant improvement of both the electrical conductivity of 105.12% IACS and also ∼17% enhanced tensile strength is achieved. This strategy provides a versatile way to produce high-performance Cu composite in large with low cost for practical applications.
Flexible resistive memory device with egg-albumen/HfO
x
hybrid bilayer: fabrication and modeling of its switching variations
Authors: Dwivedi Anurag , Saini Shalu , Lodhi Anil , Agarwal Harshit , Tiwari Shree Prakash
Published: April 2024

Egg-albumen, a natural polymer, in bilayer combination with ultrathin HfO
x
is explored as an active switching layer component in flexible resistive random access memory devices. The fabricated devices have shown excellent switching characteristics with a current on/off ratio of greater than 104, stable retention of both low resistance and high resistance states, reliable multiple cycle switching, and very low switching power (with set power as 0.5 µW and reset power as 3.1 mW). To investigate the electro-mechanical stability, devices were bent with different bending radii and it was found that negligible degradation in device performance was observed until a 5 mm bending radius. Furthermore, a simple mathematical model is used to simulate the devices’ characteristics and the values of fitting parameters were extracted with a root mean square error of less than 4.5%. Moreover, a switching variation was introduced by utilizing variations of the physical parameters, and a near practical physics based mathematical device model was demonstrated which can enable the strengthening of simulation capabilities for exploration of unique flexible resistive memory devices and related circuits.
Bearings fault diagnosis under variable speed conditions by hypothesis-based FRFT technique
Authors: Cui Lingli , Fan Wei , Zhao Xinyuan , Liu Dongdong
Published: April 2024

The vibration signals of faulty bearings under non-stationary conditions are inherently multi-component and time-varying, which presents a challenge for effective fault diagnosis. Considering the vibration characteristics of rolling bearings under non-stationary conditions and taking advantage of the Fractional Fourier Transform (FRFT), a novel diagnosis method based on the hypothesis-based FRFT has been proposed to separate the fault components. First, the fault characteristic frequencies (FCFs) are extracted from the time-frequency representation of the vibration signals, and the Vold-Kalman filtering is employed to eliminate the influence of noises and other interference components. Subsequently, the fractional feature model is constructed to obtain speed information by the hypothesis approach, whose central idea is that the rotational frequency (RF)-related frequencies under different fault types are estimated, based on the extracted FCFs and the fault characteristic orders. Finally, fault diagnosis is completed by the RF-related peaks in the final spectrum. The method eliminates the need for rotational speed measurement devices and angular resampling. Simulation and experiment estimation results show that the hypothesis-based FRFT method can accurately locate fault characteristic components of bearings under non-stationary conditions.
Dehn Fillings of Knot Manifolds Containing Essential Twice-Punctured Tori
Authors: Boyer Steve , Gordon Cameron , Zhang Xingru
Published: April 2024

We show that if a hyperbolic knot manifold

M
M

contains an essential twice-punctured torus

F
F

with boundary slope

β
\beta

and admits a filling with slope

α
\alpha

producing a Seifert fibred space, then the distance between the slopes

α
\alpha

and

β
\beta

is less than or equal to

5
5

unless

M
M

is the exterior of the figure eight knot. The result is sharp; the bound of

5
5

can be realized on infinitely many hyperbolic knot manifolds. We also determine distance bounds in the case that the fundamental group of the

α
\alpha

-filling contains no non-abelian free group. The proofs are divided into the four cases

F
F

is a semi-fibre,

F
F

is a fibre,

F
F

is non-separating but not a fibre, and

F
F

is separating but not a semi-fibre, and we obtain refined bounds in each case.
On the canonicity of the singularities of quotients of the Fulton-MacPherson compactification
Authors: Kriz Sophie
Published: April 2024

We prove that quotients of the Fulton-MacPherson compactification of configuration spaces of smooth projective varieties of dimension

>
1

>1

by permutation groups have canonical singularities.
Bounds for syzygies of monomial curves
Authors: Caviglia Giulio , Moscariello Alessio , Sammartano Alessio
Published: April 2024

Let

Γ
⊆

N

\Gamma \subseteq \mathbb {N}

be a numerical semigroup. In this paper, we prove an upper bound for the Betti numbers of the semigroup ring of

Γ
\Gamma

which depends only on the width of

Γ
\Gamma

, that is, the difference between the largest and the smallest generator of

Γ
\Gamma

. In this way, we make progress towards a conjecture of Herzog and Stamate [J. Algebra 418 (2014), pp. 8–28]. Moreover, for 4-generated numerical semigroups, the first significant open case, we prove the Herzog-Stamate bound for all but finitely many values of the width.
The strong Lefschetz property of Gorenstein algebras generated by relative invariants
Authors: Nagaoka Takahiro , Wachi Akihito
Published: April 2024

We prove the strong Lefschetz property for Artinian Gorenstein algebras generated by the relative invariants of prehomogeneous vector spaces of commutative parabolic type.
Buffer choice and pH strongly influence phase separation of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid with RNA
Authors: Kathe Nina C. , Novakovic Mihajlo , Allain Frédéric H.-T.
Published: April 2024

The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein is crucial for virus replication and genome packaging. N protein forms biomolecular condensates both in vitro and in vivo in a process known as liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS), but the exact factors regulating LLPS of N protein are not fully understood. Here, we show that pH and buffer choice have a profound impact on LLPS of N protein. The degree of phase separation is highly dependent on the pH of the solution, which is correlated with histidine protonation in N protein. Specifically, we demonstrate that protonation of H356 is essential for LLPS in phosphate buffer. Moreover, electrostatic interactions of buffer molecules with specific amino acid residues are able to alter the net charge of N protein, thus influencing its ability to undergo phase separation in the presence of RNA. Overall, these findings reveal that even subtle changes in amino acid protonation or surface charge caused by the pH and buffer system can strongly influence the LLPS behavior, and point to electrostatic interactions as the main driving forces of N protein phase separation. Further, our findings emphasize the importance of these experimental parameters when studying phase separation of biomolecules, especially in the context of viral infections where the intracellular milieu undergoes drastic changes and intracellular pH normally decreases.
Positive allosteric modulators of the GABAB receptor: a new class of ligands with therapeutic potential for alcohol use disorder
Authors: Colombo Giancarlo
Published: April 2024

Background

Positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of the GABAB receptor constitute a new class of GABAB-receptor ligands. GABAB PAMs reproduce several pharmacological effects of the orthosteric GABAB receptor agonist, baclofen, although displaying a better safety profile.

Aims

This paper reviews the reducing or, frequently, even suppressing effects of all GABAB PAMs tested to date on multiple alcohol-related behaviours in laboratory rodents exposed to validated experimental models of human alcohol use disorder.

Results

Acute or repeated treatment with CGP7930, GS39783, BHF177, rac-BHFF, ADX71441, CMPPE, COR659, ASP8062, KK-92A, and ORM-27669 reduced excessive alcohol drinking, relapse- and binge-like drinking, operant alcohol self-administration, reinstatement of alcohol seeking, and alcohol-induced conditioned place preference in rats and mice.

Conclusions

These effects closely mirrored those of baclofen; notably, they were associated to remarkably lower levels of tolerance and toxicity. The recent transition of ASP8062 to clinical testing will soon prove whether these highly consistent preclinical data translate to AUD patients.
The Drug Burden Index Is Associated With Measures of Cognitive Function Among Older Adults in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study
Authors: DiNatale Janie C , McDonough Ian M , Ellis Amy C , Douglas Joy W , Yaffe Kristine , Crowe-White Kristi M
Published: April 2024

Background

Anticholinergic and sedative medications affect cognition among older adults. The Drug Burden Index (DBI) is a validated measure of exposure to these medications, with higher DBI scores indicating higher drug burden. This ancillary analysis investigated the association between DBI and cognition assessed by the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST).

Methods

The Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study was a prospective study of community-dwelling adults aged 70–79 years at enrollment. Using data from years 1, 5, and 10, DBI was calculated using medication data per participant. Linear mixed modeling was used to assess cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of DBI on 3MS and DSST. Adjusted models included biological sex, race, education level, APOE status, and death. Sensitivity analyses included testing the strength of the associations for each year and testing attrition due to death as a possible confounding factor via Cox-Proportional Hazard models.

Results

After adjustment, DBI was inversely associated with 3MS and DSST scores. These associations became stronger in each subsequent year. Neither DBI at year 1 nor within-person change in DBI were predictive of longitudinal declines in either cognitive measure. Sensitivity analyses indicated that DBI, 3MS, and DSST were associated with a greater risk of attrition due to death.

Conclusions

Results suggest that in years when older adults had a higher DBI scores, they had significantly lower global cognition and slower processing speed. These findings further substantiate the DBI as a useful pharmacological tool for assessing the effect of medication exposure.
Alcohol metabolism: implications for nutrition and health
Authors: Patel Vinood B. , Preedy Victor R.
Published: April 2024

This chapter considers implications for nutrition and health in relation to alcohol metabolism. It shows how individuals will have a preference for consuming different types of alcoholic beverages, referencing some communities that forbid alcohol consumption on religious, cultural, or moral grounds. Acute and chronic consumption of alcohol may cause malnutrition or act as a toxin and induce pathological changes in a variety of organs and tissues. The chapter provides an overview into how alcohol damages virtually all organs in the body before detailing the principal nutritional deficiencies related to alcoholism. It looks into the causes associated with drinking in low socioeconomic status groups, and government policies to minimize alcohol consumption.
Essentials of Human Nutrition
Authors: Mann Jim , Truswell A. Stewart , Hodson Leanne
Published: April 2024

Essentials of Human Nutrition provides a comprehensive guide to human nutrition. The first part provides an introduction. Part 2 looks at energy and macronutrients, considering carbohydrates, lipids, protein, energy, and alcohol. Part 3 looks at organic and inorganic essential nutrients. The fourth part covers nutrition-related disorders such as obesity, protein-energy malnutrition, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and eating disorders. The fifth part looks at food groups and food toxicity and safety. Part 6 considers changing food habits. The seventh part is about various life stages and how they relate to nutrition, such as pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, lactation, infants, toddlers, childhood, adolescents, and aging. The next part looks at nutritional assessment. The last part talks about applications such as sport nutrition, poverty, food in hospitals, and hospital patients.
Trace Elements
Authors: Samman Samir
Published: April 2024

This chapter studies the trace elements: zinc, copper, iodine, selenium, and fluoride. Zinc has a widespread role in cellular metabolism; it also plays a role in stabilizing macromolecules and cellular membranes, and it can function as a site-specific antioxidant. Copper also has diverse functions including in erythropoiesis, connective tissue synthesis (via lysyl oxidase), oxidative phosphorylation, thermogenesis, and superoxide dismutation. The efficiency of copper absorption increases in cases of deficiency or when dietary copper intake is low. Iodine functions as an integral part of the thyroid hormones and selenium exerts its biological effects as a constituent of selenoproteins, which are involved in a wide variety of processes in the body. Finally, fluoride acts to reduce dental caries. Other trace elements include chromium, manganese, and molybdenum.
Vitamin A and Carotenoids
Authors: Thurnham David I.
Published: April 2024

This chapter looks at vitamin A and carotenoids. Vitamin A is the generic term used to include retinol and related structures with 20 carbon atoms, and the pro-vitamin A carotenoids which have 40 carbon atoms. Retinoic acid supports many of the important functions of vitamin A—cellular differentiation, embryogenesis, the synthesis of glycoproteins, immunity, and growth—but it cannot be reduced back to retinol in the body. Only retinol can fully support vision and reproduction. Vitamin A deficiency is a particular problem in groups with the highest vitamin A requirements: infants, preschool children, and pregnant and lactating women. The chapter then looks at the food sources of vitamin A and carotenoids, as well as the recommended intakes.
The B Vitamins
Authors: Truswell A. Stewart
Published: April 2024

This chapter discusses the B vitamins, including thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, biotin, pantothenic acid, folate, and vitamin B12. Thiamin as the diphosphate, thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP), is a co-enzyme for the major decarboxylation steps in carbohydrate metabolism. Riboflavin is part of two important coenzymes, flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), which are oxidizing agents. Meanwhile, niacin plays a central role in metabolism: it functions as the first hydrogen receptor in the electron chain during oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondria. Vitamin B6 also functions in practically all the reactions involved in amino acid metabolism. Most folates are in the reduced form, tetrahydrofolate (THF), which plays an essential role in 1-carbon transfers in the body.
Vitamins C and E
Authors: Truswell A. Stewart , Mann Jim
Published: April 2024

This chapter examines vitamins C and E. Also called ascorbic acid, vitamin C is the antiscorbutic vitamin that prevents scurvy. Ascorbic acid is a cofactor for eight mammalian enzymes. It is required to convert iron on the enzyme from the ferric state to ferrous. The best-established function of vitamin C is its role in the synthesis of collagen, the major material in all connective tissue, including bones. Vitamin C is heat labile and lost in cooking or warm holding, whether in the food factory, kitchen, or bain-marie. As such, fresh fruits and salads have more reliable vitamin C than cooked plant foods. Meanwhile, vitamin E is one of the principal antioxidants in the body.
Nutrition, Genetics, and Personalized Nutrition
Authors: Minihane Anne-Marie
Published: April 2024

This chapter assesses the field of nutrigenetics, which specifically relates to the impact of genetic variation (genotype) on food intake and the response to dietary change. It begins by tracing the history of DNA before explaining genetic variability. In recent years, there has been an emerging nutrigenetic interest in the ability of dietary strategies to mitigate the effect of an overall ‘at-risk’ genotype, as identified by having a high genetic risk score (GRS) for a particular condition. The ethos of personalized (individual recommendations) or stratified (population subgroup) nutrition is that dietary advice based on characteristics of the individual or subpopulation will increase adherence, result in greater health benefits, or both. Nutrigenetics is evolving from examining the impact and potential of single variants with single dietary components, to taking a whole genome approach and considering how it interacts with dietary patterns or multiple lifestyle behaviours to affect well-being.
Diabetes and the Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Mann Jim
Published: April 2024

This chapter focuses on diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Diabetes rates have increased in recent years and in many countries worldwide are considered to have reached epidemic proportions. Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) accounts for the majority of cases. While genetic factors determine susceptibility, the rapidly escalating rates are largely explained by the almost worldwide increase in obesity. Adherence to dietary advice similar to that recommended for treatment of diabetes substantially reduces the chances of those with prediabetes progressing to diabetes. Appreciable weight loss has the potential to enable the withdrawal of all drug treatment and induce remission of the condition in some with established disease. Meanwhile, the reasons for the increase in rates of type 1 diabetes (T1DM) in some countries is uncertain but nutrition therapy is necessary to ensure an appropriate balance between insulin and dietary carbohydrate and a nutrient profile expected to reduce risk of diabetes complications.
Nutritional Recommendations for the General Population
Authors: Truswell A. Stewart , Hodson Leanne , Mann Jim
Published: April 2024

This chapter assesses nutritional recommendations for the general population. Nutrition research generates results that may be translated by the media, or sometimes researchers themselves, into potentially confusing and conflicting messages. It is therefore important for governments, which develop food and nutrition policies, for those involved in health and nutrition education, and for consumers to have authoritative nutrition recommendations that represent consensus opinions of expert nutrition scientists. There are three major sets of recommendations: nutrient intake recommendations, dietary goals, and dietary guidelines. Nutrient intake recommendations were the earliest types of recommendations. They are based on authoritative quantitative estimates of human requirements for essential nutrients. The chapter then looks at nutrition labelling on foods.
Dietary Assessment
Authors: Mann Jim , Morrison Silke
Published: April 2024

This chapter evaluates dietary assessment, which is one of the specialized interests of nutritionists, used in surveillance of populations, nutritional epidemiology, clinical assessment, and experimental research. There are two basic approaches to estimating food intake: one principally concerned with determining the intake of populations, the other with assessing the diets of individuals. The chapter describes the various methods used in the different contexts in which knowledge of food and nutrient intakes are required. It looks at the reliability of the various methods, considering the conflict between the need for accuracy to establish exactly where an individual lies within the overall distribution of foods and nutrients and the logistics of doing so when very large populations required for epidemiological studies are investigated. Ultimately, true estimates of food consumption can only be obtained by observing the activities of participants, or by developing some other independent way of assessing food intake.
Assessment of Nutritional Status
Authors: Truswell A. Stewart
Published: April 2024

This chapter presents an assessment of nutritional status. Dietary intake estimation, described in the preceding chapter, cannot always prove that an individual or community is well nourished or poorly or overnourished. Food intake measurement—really, estimation—is ultimately subjective. It depends on the memory, cooperation, and honesty of individuals. Assessment of nutritional status is, by contrast, ultimately objective. A person's weight, height, and chemical concentration in blood or urine is measured by an outside observer and if a second and third observer repeats the measurement, they should obtain about the same result. The chapter then looks at the uses of nutritional assessment, before considering anthropometric assessment and the estimation of body composition.
Nutritional Consequences of Poverty and Food Insecurity in High-Income Countries
Authors: Smith Claire , Parnell Winsome R.
Published: April 2024

This chapter describes the nutritional consequences of poverty and food insecurity in high-income countries. Traditionally, the many nutritional consequences of poverty have been identified and discussed in the context of low- and middle-income countries. However, high-income countries, particularly those with changes in their economic environments, now identify an increasing prevalence of poverty-related nutritional health issues. The chapter then looks at the major areas of nutritional concern, specifically found to be related to poverty in high-income countries. These include energy intake, both undernutrition and overnutrition; insufficient intake of some micronutrients, such as iron; adverse pregnancy outcomes and fewer babies being breastfed; and lower intakes of vegetables and fruits.
Food in Hospitals
Authors: Ferrie Suzie
Published: April 2024

This chapter explores food in hospitals. Like any other institutional catering or food service, a hospital has to provide meals for a large number of people with differing needs and preferences. Allowing for customers' diverse cultural and social food habits, and making mass-produced food that is palatable and safe, while paying attention to environmental sustainability, is a challenge for any large-scale catering endeavour. However, hospitals have an additional problem to solve: they are serving customers who are ill. During illness, it is normal to experience a loss of appetite, and hospital patients may have other issues preventing them from achieving an adequate nutritional intake. The chapter then considers policy approaches to the problem; strategies to improve food intake in hospital; and special diets and nutritional supplementation.
Morphological Species Delimitation in The Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys): Can Machine Learning Methods Aid in Cryptic Species Identification?
Authors: Burroughs R W , Parham J F , Stuart B L , Smits P D , Angielczyk K D
Published: April 2024

Synopsis

As the discovery of cryptic species has increased in frequency, there has been an interest in whether geometric morphometric data can detect fine-scale patterns of variation that can be used to morphologically diagnose such species. We used a combination of geometric morphometric data and an ensemble of five supervised machine learning methods (MLMs) to investigate whether plastron shape can differentiate two putative cryptic turtle species, Actinemys marmorata and Actinemys pallida. Actinemys has been the focus of considerable research due to its biogeographic distribution and conservation status. Despite this work, reliable morphological diagnoses for its two species are still lacking. We validated our approach on two datasets, one consisting of eight morphologically disparate emydid species, the other consisting of two subspecies of Trachemys (T. scripta scripta, T. scripta elegans). The validation tests returned near-perfect classification rates, demonstrating that plastron shape is an effective means for distinguishing taxonomic groups of emydids via MLMs. In contrast, the same methods did not return high classification rates for a set of alternative phylogeographic and morphological binning schemes in Actinemys. All classification hypotheses performed poorly relative to the validation datasets and no single hypothesis was unequivocally supported for Actinemys. Two hypotheses had machine learning performance that was marginally better than our remaining hypotheses. In both cases, those hypotheses favored a two-species split between A. marmorata and A. pallida specimens, lending tentative morphological support to the hypothesis of two Actinemys species. However, the machine learning results also underscore that Actinemys as a whole has lower levels of plastral variation than other turtles within Emydidae, but the reason for this morphological conservatism is unclear.
Genomic integrity of Phyciodes butterfly species in a region of contact (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)
Authors: Wingert Brittany D , Campbell Erin O , Acorn John H , Sperling Felix A H
Published: April 2024

Crescent butterflies of the Phyciodes tharos group have a long-standing reputation for taxonomic difficulty. We assessed species boundaries in the P. tharos group using genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data, focusing on sampling in western Canada, where 4 species (P. tharos, P. cocyta, P. batesii, and P. pulchella) have classically been recognized. Phylogenetic and cluster-based analyses confirm that there are indeed 4 species based on the maintenance of genomic integrity in the presence of occasional hybridization and low levels of gene flow. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) does not consistently distinguish species, with haplotypes extensively shared between species. Limited sampling of P. batesii indicates complex boundaries and interactions with other Phyciodes, especially with P. pulchella and P. cocyta. This study demonstrates the power of a genome-wide perspective to elucidate the integrity of boundaries between recently diverged species that remain capable of occasional hybridization.