bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of ingesting large prey on the kinematics of rectilinear locomotion in Boa constrictor
Authors: Petersen Jarrod C. , Jayne Bruce C. , Wilde Alexander D. , Capano John G. , Roberts Thomas J.
Published: April 2024

Large and stout snakes commonly consume large prey and use rectilinear crawling; yet, whether body wall distention after feeding impairs rectilinear locomotion is poorly understood. After eating large prey (30–37% body mass), all Boa constrictor tested could perform rectilinear locomotion in the region with the food bolus despite a greatly increased distance between the ribs and the ventral skin that likely lengthens muscles relevant to propulsion. Unexpectedly, out of 11 kinematic variables, only two changed significantly (P<0.05) after feeding: cyclic changes in snake height increased by more than 1.5 times and the longitudinal movements of the ventral skin relative to the skeleton decreased by more than 25%. Additionally, cyclic changes in snake width suggest that the ribs are active and mobile during rectilinear locomotion, particularly in fed snakes, but also in unfed snakes. These kinematic changes suggest that rectilinear actuators reorient more vertically and undergo smaller longitudinal excursions following large prey ingestion, both of which likely act to reduce elongation of these muscles that may otherwise experience substantial strain.
NMR characterization and ligand binding site of the stem loop 2 motif (s2m) from the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Matzel Tobias , Wirtz Martin Maria , Herr Alexander , Wacker Anna , Richter Christian , Sreeramulu Sridhar , Schwalbe Harald
Published: April 2024

The stem loop 2 motif (s2m) in SARS-CoV-2 (SCoV-2) is located in the 3’-UTR. Although s2m has been reported to display characteristics of a mobile genomic element that might lead to an evolutionary advantage, its function has remained unknown. The secondary structure of the original SCoV-2 RNA sequence (Wuhan-Hu-1) was determined by NMR in late 2020, delineating the base pairing pattern and revealing substantial differences in secondary structure compared to SARS-CoV-1 (SCoV-1). The existence of a single G29742-A29756 mismatch in the upper stem of s2m leads to its destabilization and impedes a complete NMR analysis. With Delta, a variant of concern has evolved with one mutation compared to the original sequence that replaces G29742 by U29742. We show here that this mutation results in a more defined structure at ambient temperature accompanied by a rise in melting temperature. Consequently, we were able to identify over 90 % of the relevant NMR resonances using a combination of selective RNA labeling and filtered 2D NOESY as well as 4D NMR experiments. We present a comprehensive NMR analysis of the secondary structure, (sub-) nanosecond dynamics and ribose conformation of s2m Delta based on heteronuclear 13C NOE and T1 measurements and ribose carbon chemical shift-derived canonical coordinates. We further show that the G29742U mutation in Delta has no influence on the druggability of s2m compared to the Wuhan-Hu-1 sequence. With the assignment at hand, we identify the flexible regions of s2m as primary site for small molecule binding.
Magazyny dla dzieci polskich mieszkających za granicą „Kumpel dla Polonii” oraz „Pstryk Myk”. Analiza porównawcza modelu komunikacyjnego i zawartości treściowej
Authors: Hojka Bożena
Published: April 2024

Celem społeczności polskiej na całym świecie jest podtrzymywanie tożsamości narodowej, kultywowanie języka i przekazywanie polskich tradycji nowym pokoleniom. Ważną rolę w tym procesie odgrywają czasopisma tworzone przez Polaków mieszkających za granicą i/lub adresowane do nich. Ze względu na swój charakter dydaktyczno-wychowawczy szczególnie ważną rolę odgrywają czasopisma dla dzieci i młodzieży. W artykule dokonano analizy porównawczej dwóch współczesnych czasopism adresowanych do polskich dzieci w wieku 6–10 lat mieszkających za granicą – „Kumpel dla Polonii” i „Pstryk Myk”. Okazało się, że czasopisma mają podobne cele główne, różnią się jednak sposobem ich realizacji, odmienną treścią i odmiennym podejściem do dialogu z młodym czytelnikiem. Ich analiza ukazuje także różnorodne obrazy Polski i polskości, emigracji i życia poza ojczyzną, jakie prezentowane są najmłodszym Polakom dorastającym za granicą.
Obraz kobiet, ich role i zadania w "Matkach i żonach" Józefa Garlińskiego
Authors: Kalka Violetta
Published: April 2024

W artykule poddano analizie postaci kobiet występujących w zbiorze opowiadań Józefa Garlińskiego Matki i żony (Londyn 1962). Wskazując na wzorce wychowawcze XX-lecia międzywojennego i doświadczenie autora w szkicu wskazuje się dominujące u niego stereotypowe postrzeganie dwóch tytułowych ról kobiecych, a także dodatkowej – kobiet włączających się czynnie w walkę (żołnierek).
Lechoń’s ephemeral poems: people – issues – events in the New York period
Authors: Dorosz Beata
Published: April 2024

English version. Original issue: “Archiwum Emigracji” 2023, no. 2 (32)

https://apcz.umk.pl/AE/article/view/49699
"Na Antenie" and "Wiadomości": the Circumstances of the Beginnings and Termination of Cooperation
Authors: Moczkodan Rafał
Published: April 2024

English version. Original issue: “Archiwum Emigracji” 2015, no. 1–2 (22–23)https://apcz.umk.pl/AE/article/view/AE.2015.005
Jerzy Pietrkiewicz’s two English novels: "Loot and Loyalty" and "Green Flows the Bile"
Authors: Cieplińska Katarzyna
Published: April 2024

English version. Original issue: “Archiwum Emigracji” 2018/2019, no. 1–2 (26–27)https://apcz.umk.pl/AE/article/view/AE.2018-2019.001
The Literary Culture of Russian-Speaking Israel. Disputes Around The “Nationality” of Literature
Authors: Lenart Agnieszka
Published: April 2024

English version. Original issue: “Archiwum Emigracji” 2015, no. 1–2 (22–23)https://apcz.umk.pl/AE/article/view/AE.2015.005
“Polish Artist – Artist From Poland?” The Question of National Identity in the Study of Artists from Poland in France at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries: the Example of Simon Mondzain
Authors: Bobrowska Ewa
Published: April 2024

English version. Original issue: “Archiwum Emigracji” 2013, no. 2 (19)https://apcz.umk.pl/AE/article/view/AE.2013.020
The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the fiscal positions in the euro area countries
Authors: Giżyński Juliusz
Published: April 2024

Motivation: The selection of the topic stems from the threat of a debt crisis in the euro area, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The main research hypothesis has been formulated as follows: the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant deterioration of the fiscal situation in all euro area countries, which has led to a debt crisis within the zone.Aim: The main purpose of the article is to analyze and assess the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the fiscal positions of the euro area countries, primarily from the perspective of the fiscal rules included in the Maastricht Treaty and the Stability and Growth Pact.Results: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a sharp economic collapse in the eurozone in 2020. Consequently, fiscal rules were suspended, allowing the member countries to undertake significant fiscal interventions to mitigate the effects of the crisis. The pandemic thus forced the authorities in these countries to employ Keynesian methods to sustain the economy. As a result of the severe recession and the temporary emergency measures taken, public finances in the member states suffered significantly. The huge increase in the public debt ratios of some of these countries did not trigger a new debt crisis, however. The new system of economic governance, which enabled the establishment and use of innovative stabilization instruments at supranational level, proved to be of great support here. The main research hypothesis has not been therefore entirely confirmed. The mutually reinforcing effects of the eurozone’s fiscal policy and monetary policy were crucial for mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 crisis in its countries and supporting the economic recovery thereof in 2021–2022. The rapid development of the crisis has revealed the difficulties in the application of fiscal policy assessment indicators. Changes in the surveillance should lead to improved regulatory clarity and reduced regulatory complexity.
Project management of the implementation of a cost accounting standard in Polish hospitals
Authors: Głód Grzegorz , Głód Wojciech
Published: April 2024

Motivation: The main source of the health system’s problems is primarily the limited financial resources available within the system, but its efficiency is also affected by the not fully effective management of these resources. A solution to support management processes in terms of financial management is the introduced Regulation of the Minister of Health of 26 October 2020 on recommendations on the standard of cost accounting at healthcare providers. Proper implementation of this recommendation is a challenge for healthcare entities in Poland.Aim: The aim of the article is to identify key success factors related to the management of the project to implement a cost accounting standard in hospitals in Poland. A properly implemented standard is to enable support of management processes and proper financial management in the health care system at the macro level, as well as at the level of the medical entity. The first period of functioning of these regulations is an opportunity to carry out a summary in this respect. The main determinants in this area include the level of staff education, the quality of the IT system, the use of expert knowledge, training support, and the relationship between medical staff and administrative staff.Results: The research was conducted by using a survey questionnaire. On the basis of the questionnaire survey in 52 hospitals in Poland, statistical analysis was performed using basic descriptive statistics and regression analysis, which enabled the identification of key success factors for the management of the project to implement the cost accounting standard. On the basis of the analyses carried out, recommendations were made on the principles of implementing the cost accounting standard in hospitals and the directions for its effective use in management processes in the future.
Zasięg kontaktów społecznych na polskiej wsi w XVIII wieku. Przykład parafii Rzezawa
Authors: Kuc Patryk
Published: April 2024

Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie szacunków dotyczących zasięgu przestrzennego kontaktów mieszkańców wsi polskiej w XVIII w. Zjawisko to zaprezentowano na przykładzie parafii Rzezawa, która w badanym okresie obejmowała kilka wsi położonych na północny wschód od Bochni. Podczas przygotowywania analiz wykorzystano akta metrykalne oraz księgę zapisów i transakcji gruntowych. Wyniki analiz sugerują, że horyzont geograficzny społeczności lokalnych był niewielki. Większość interakcji odbywała się w granicach parafii czy kompleksu własnościowego. Wszelkie kontakty na znacznie większe odległości były wyjątkami, być może związanymi z aktywnością społeczno-gospodarczą lokalnych elit.
Osadnictwo niemieckie i wołoskie na obszarze dawnych powiatów krośnieńskiego i jasielskiego w świetle twórczości ks. Władysława Sarny: przyczynek do badań nad wiedzą historyczną na przełomie XIX i XX wieku
Authors: Zarzycka Martyna A.
Published: April 2024

W artykule przybliżono postać Władysława Sarny (1858–1929) oraz jego dwie prace poświęcone dawnym powiatom Galicji: Opis powiatu krośnieńskiego pod względem geograficzno-historycznym (Przemyśl 1898) i Opis powiatu jasielskiego pod względem geograficzno-historycznym (Jasło 1908). Analizie poddano zawarte w obu pracach treści dotyczące uwarunkowań prawnych i etnicznych osadnictwa oraz lokacji na prawach niemieckim i wołoskim. Na podstawie informacji zawartych w Opisach oraz współczesnej literatury opracowano bazę danych dla każdej z opisanych miejscowości z podaniem czasu pojawienia się w źródłach historycznych oraz prawa, na jakim funkcjonowała.
Projekt mapowania ekonomii królewskich w Wielkim Księstwie Litewskim w drugiej połowie XVIII wieku – cele, metody, efekty
Authors: Zawadzki Stanisław
Published: April 2024

Artykuł omawia program prac mierniczych w dobrach stołowych w Wielkim Księstwie Litewskim za panowania Stanisława Augusta. Zainicjowany przez Antoniego Tyzenhauza, administratora ekonomii królewskich na Litwie, program był kontynuowany przez jego następców, Franciszka Rzewuskiego i Stanisława Poniatowskiego. Miał on na celu wyznaczenie granic dóbr stołowych, sklasyfikowanie rodzajów gleby i określenie stosunków własnościowych, co miało służyć m.in. przywróceniu pańszczyzny i sprawiedliwemu rozłożeniu obciążeń ludności. Przedstawiono metodykę prac mierniczych oraz ich wyniki w postaci tabeli i map ekonomii. Opisano różne tempo prac w ekonomiach. Wielkiego projektu kartografowania ekonomii nie udało się dokończyć przed upadkiem państwa w 1795 r.
Resilience as a Basis for the Birth of the First Past Pupils’ Movement of Catholic Schools
Authors: Rodríguez López-Ros Sergio
Published: April 2024

Despite being the largest group in the Salesian Family, with 100,000 affiliated members worldwide, the Past Pupils of Don Bosco Movement has to date lacked a biography of their charismatic founder, the Turin-born Carlo Gastini (1833–1902), the 120th anniversary of whose death was commemorated in 2022. A family man, bookbinder and teacher, as well as occasional poet and actor, he was the first boarder at the Oratory of Saint Francis de Sales. Little was known about him, beyond three specific anecdotes. However, from 1847 to 1902, he was linked to Valdocco as a pupil (first as a day pupil and then as a boarder), seminarian, parishioner, worker and entertainer. His life was parallel to that of Don Bosco himself, who was a second father to him, and to the development of his own congregation, the Salesian Family and even Italy as a nation. The culmination of his gratitude since 1849 was the charismatic foundation, in 1870, of the Past Pupils of Don Bosco Movement, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2020. Its basis was simple: create an instrument of mutual help among his former colleagues, just as Don Bosco had taught them to do when they were students at the Oratory. Creating a cohesive group centred on values ​​is a proposal for facing difficulties together. In Spain, the Movement found one of its deepest-rooted abodes.
Problems and solutions in adopting information and communication technology in micro and small enterprises
Authors: Vargas Daniel , Fontoura Lisandra
Published: April 2024

Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are predominant worldwide and responsible for the greater employability of citizens, income generation, and production. However, they face resource constraints and rely on information and communication technology to remain competitive, which often causes many problems during or after the adoption process. Knowing the problems that affect micro and small enterprises and the solutions adopted may help other companies face the same issues. In this work, based on a systematic literature review (SLR), we identified and analyzed the problems that occurred during or after the implementation of information and communication technologies in micro and small enterprises and what actions were taken to solve them. We sought to understand the behavior of problems and solutions in the last 21 years and the factors that influenced them. We performed an SLR using the snowballing technique, retrieving 12,936 articles in eight iterations, and selecting and analyzing 105 papers. As a result, we identified 129 problems, divided into 12 categories, and 48 solutions. Such an analysis is advantageous for academia, governments, and business managers, as it allows one to understand problems in advance and formulate more efficient policies, plans, and projects for these enterprises.
Stepping Sideways to Step up: Lateral Mobility and Career Advancement Inside Organizations
Authors: Bidwell Matthew , Keller J. R.
Published: April 2024

Although internal labor market theory emphasizes promotions as the main form of mobility within organizations, many internal job moves take people sideways into jobs that are at the same hierarchical level as the one that was left. Despite the prevalence of these lateral moves, however, we have little evidence on what role they play in workers’ careers. We argue that lateral mobility can facilitate subsequent career advancement by allowing for the development and demonstration of new skills and can, therefore, help those who would struggle to be promoted from their current job to develop their careers further. We establish empirical evidence on the implications of lateral mobility using eight years of personnel data from a large U.S. healthcare company. Our analyses show that those employees who move laterally are more likely to be subsequently promoted and achieve substantially higher pay growth than a matched sample of employees. We also find that lateral moves are more likely to be undertaken by those who have spent longer in the job but have lower performance than those who are promoted. This pattern of results suggests that lateral mobility provides an important avenue for career growth as people who step sideways in organizations are more likely to subsequently step up.

This paper was accepted by Lamar Pierce, organizations.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.03746 .
Investor Logins and the Disposition Effect
Authors: Quispe-Torreblanca Edika , Gathergood John , Loewenstein George , Stewart Neil
Published: April 2024

Using data from an online brokerage, we examine the role of investor logins in trading behavior. We find that a new reference point is created when an investor logs in and views the investor’s portfolio. We observe this as a disposition effect on returns since last login in addition to the traditional disposition effect on returns since purchase. Further, these reference points produce a strong interaction such that even a small loss since last login nullifies the positive effect of a gain since purchase. This interaction follows if investors select the higher, more aspirational price as a reference point.

This paper was accepted by Yuval Rottenstreich, behavioral economics and decision analysis.

Funding: This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council [Grants ES/K002201/1, ES/N018192/1, ES/P008976/1, and ES/V004867/1] and the Leverhulme Trust [Grant RP2012-V-022].

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.00359 .
Model-Based Reinforcement Learning for Offline Zero-Sum Markov Games
Authors: Yan Yuling , Li Gen , Chen Yuxin , Fan Jianqing
Published: April 2024

This paper makes progress toward learning Nash equilibria in two-player, zero-sum Markov games from offline data. Despite a large number of prior works tackling this problem, the state-of-the-art results suffer from the curse of multiple agents in the sense that their sample complexity bounds scale linearly with the total number of joint actions. The current paper proposes a new model-based algorithm, which provably finds an approximate Nash equilibrium with a sample complexity that scales linearly with the total number of individual actions. This work also develops a matching minimax lower bound, demonstrating the minimax optimality of the proposed algorithm for a broad regime of interest. An appealing feature of the result lies in algorithmic simplicity, which reveals the unnecessity of sophisticated variance reduction and sample splitting in achieving sample optimality.
The development and implementation of the district nursing Welsh Levels of Care Tool
Authors: Griffiths Ceri
Published: April 2024

District nurses provide a vital service to individuals and their families and carers in the community. With increasing complexity of care and changes in the needs of the UK population, developing evidence-based workforce and workload tools which are fit for purpose is essential. This article describes the development, piloting and implementation of the District Nursing Welsh Levels of Care (DN WLoC), acuity and dependency tool which has been designed to be used alongside nurses professional judgment, to evidence the acuity and dependency of patients, and to help inform decisions of nurse staffing requirements in district nursing services. The initial pilot successfully achieved its objective and demonstrated that the draft DN WLoC tool is applicable in practice by district nurses across Wales, with limited but positive findings in the reliability and validity of the WLoC tool when applied in clinical practice.
Clinical efficacy of femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification in diabetic cataract patients
Authors: Tang Yi-Fei , Duan Zhi-Hui
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND

Diabetic patients with cataracts encounter specific difficulties during cataract surgery due to alterations in microcirculation, blood supply, metabolism, and the microenvironment. Traditional phacoemulsification may not fully tackle these issues, especially in instances with substantial preoperative astigmatism. The utilization of femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification, in conjunction with Toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, offers a potentially more efficient strategy. This research seeks to evaluate the efficacy and possible complications of this approach in diabetic cataract patients.

AIM

To investigate the clinical efficacy and complications of femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification combined with Toric IOL implantation in diabetic cataract patients, comparing it with traditional phacoemulsification methods.

METHODS

This retrospective study enrolled 120 patients with diabetes cataract from May 2019 to May 2021. The patients were divided into two groups: the control group underwent traditional phacoemulsification and Toric IOL implantation, while the treatment group received Len Sx femtosecond laser-assisted treatment. Outcome measures included naked eye vision, astigmatism, high-level ocular phase difference detection, clinical efficacy, and complication.

RESULTS

There were no significant preoperative differences in astigmatism or naked eyesight between the two groups. However, postoperative improvements were observed in both groups, with the treatment group showing greater enhancements in naked eye vision and astigmatism six months after the procedure. High-level corneal phase difference tests also indicated significant differences in favor of the treatment group.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification combined with Toric IOL implantation appears to be more effective in enhancing postoperative vision in diabetic cataract patients compared to traditional methods offering valuable insights for clinical practice.
Gallbladder carcinosarcoma with a poor prognosis: A case report
Authors: Dai Yi , Meng Min , Luo Qi-Zhi , Liu Yuan-Jun , Xiao Fan , Wang Chun-Hua
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND

Carcinosarcoma of the gallbladder is a rare malignant tumor with a very poor prognosis. To date, only approximately 100 patients have been reported in the English literature. The prognosis of this tumor type is poor, the preoperative diagnosis is difficult, and there is a possibility of a misdiagnosis. We present an unsuccessful case of carcinosarcoma of the gallbladder with a preoperative misdiagnosis and rapid early postoperative recurrence. Therefore, we have a deeper understanding of the poor prognosis of gallbladder carcinosarcoma (GBC) patients.

CASE SUMMARY

The patient is a 65-year-old male. He was admitted to the hospital because of right upper abdomen distending pain and discomfort for half a month. Abdominal magnetic resonance imaging revealed a polycystic mass in the right lobe of the liver and the fossa of the gallbladder. After admission, the patient was diagnosed with a liver abscess, which was treated by abscess puncture drainage. Obviously, this treatment was unsuccessful. Hepatectomy and cholecystectomy were performed one month after the puncture. Postoperative pathologic examination revealed carcinosarcoma of the gallbladder, and the resected specimen contained two tumor components. One month after surgery, the patient's tumor recurred in situ and started to compress the duodenum, resulting in duodenal obstruction and bleeding. The treatment was not effective. The patient died of gastrointestinal hemorrhage and hypovolemic shock.

CONCLUSION

Carcinosarcoma of the gallbladder is a rare malignant tumor that is easily misdiagnosed preoperatively and has a poor prognosis.
Moyamoya syndrome may result from psoriasis: Four case reports
Authors: Chen Zhi-Ying , Yu Xiao-Qin , Xiang Yuan-Yuan , Liu Ling-Hua , Yin Xiao-Ping
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND

Moyamoya syndrome (MMS) is a group of diseases that involves more than one underlying disease and is accompanied by moyamoya vascular phenomena. Psoriasis is a chronic immune skin disease closely linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. However, psoriasis-related MMS has not been reported.

CASE SUMMARY

We collected data on patients with stroke due to MMS between January 2017 and December 2019 and identified four cases of psoriasis. Case histories, imaging, and hematological data were collected. The average age of the initial stroke onset was 58.25 ± 11.52 years; three cases of hemorrhagic and one case of ischemic stroke were included. The average duration from psoriasis confirmation to the initial MMS-mediated stroke onset was 17 ± 3.56 years. All MMS-related stenoses involved the bilateral cerebral arteries: Suzuki grade III in one case, grade IV in two cases, and grade V in one case. Abnormally elevated plasma interleukin-6 levels were observed in four patients. Two patients had abnormally elevated immunoglobulin E levels, and two had thrombocytosis. All four patients received medication instead of surgery. With an average follow-up time of 2 years, two causing transient ischemic attacks occurred in two patients, and no hemorrhagic events occurred.

CONCLUSION

Psoriasis may be a potential risk factor for MMS. Patients with psoriasis should be screened for MMS when they present with neurological symptoms.
Can we triumph over locally advanced cervical cancer with colossal para-aortic lymph nodes? A case report
Authors: Alzibdeh Abdulla , Mohamad Issa , Wahbeh Lina , Abuhijlih Ramiz , Abuhijla Fawzi
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND

Para-aortic lymph nodes (PALNs) are common sites for the regional spread of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

CASE SUMMARY

We report the case of a 36-year-old woman who presented with cervical SCC with multiple bulky PALNs, largest measured 4.5 cm × 5 cm × 10 cm. The patient was treated with radical intent with definitive chemoradiation using sequential dose-escalated adaptive radiotherapy, followed by maintenance chemotherapy. The patient achieved a complete response; she has been doing well since the completion of treatment with no evidence of the disease for 2 years.

CONCLUSION

Regardless of the size of PALN metastases of cervical carcinoma origin, it is still treatable (with radical intent) via concurrent chemoradiation. Adaptive radiotherapy allows dose escalation with minimal toxicity.
A Bioflocculant Made from Chitosan and Modified Shrimp Waste Might Collect Fresh and Saltwater Microalgae
Authors: Duraisamy Nallusamy , Muthu Sakthivel , Thangavel Kumaran , Krishnan Kathiravan , Sathasivam Sivamalar
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT: The present study aimed to investigate the flocculation efficiency in the harvesting of microalgae cultures, specifically Scenedesmus sp, Chlorella sp, Chlorococcum sp, and Teraselimus sp, cultivated in both freshwater and marine water. This investigation involved the addition of varying dosages (ranging from 0.1 to 100 mg/L) of the bioflocculant chitosan. The specific experimental conditions included a 30-minute treatment with 10 mg/L chitosan for Scenedesmus sp, a 60-minute treatment with 10 mg/L chitosan for Chlorella sp and Chlorococcum sp, and a 60-minute treatment with 100 mg/L chitosan for Teraselimus sp. The achievement of sedimentation efficiency was observed for 60 minutes while using a dose of 8.0 mg/L chitosan at a pH level of 8.0, as a consequence of the flocculation of all four algal biomass. The utilization of chitosan as a bioflocculant under alkaline circumstances resulted in the most significant documented recovery of microalgae. Moreover, the bioimaging assay conducted to assess cell viability provides evidence that the utilization of chitosan does not result in any detrimental effects on the four microalgae cultures, even when administered at elevated concentrations. Therefore, this method is regarded as an energy-efficient and cost-effective approach to biomass harvesting, offering an alternative to traditional approaches that include the use of chemical flocculants.
Effect of Rutin on the Behavioural, Biochemical and Liver Morphological Changes in Danio Rerio Exposed to Reduced Graphene Oxide (Rgo) Nanoparticles
Authors: Premnath Briska Jifrina , Srinivasan Manoj Kumar , Nalini Namasivayam
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT: Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is a carbon nanomaterial with unique characteristics that permit application in numerous fields. Rutin is a flavonoid with a variety of biological functions and pharmaceutical applications. In topical years, a handful of research has stated on the environmental impacts of carbon nanoparticles (NPs) and the consequences of reduced graphene oxide on the species that live in water bodies. However, the capacity to recuperate after exposure is still mostly unfamiliar. This study analyzed the protective effect of rutin against rGO NPs in zebrafish and the optimal dose required to inverse the impairment caused by rGO NPs exposure in zebrafish. In this study, fish were treated for 14 days and 8 study groups were examined: control, rGO exposure alone (10 mg/L), rutin exposure alone (50, 100 and 200 mg/L) and rGO combined with 3 distinct rutin doses (10 mg/L of rGO + rutin 50, 100, and 200 mg/L). In the zebrafish gill tissues, rGO impairs cells by increasing LPO levels and inducing oxidative stress by suppressing antioxidants (SOD, CAT, GPx, GSH, GR, GST, and vitamin C). Multiple alterations, including sinusoidal and venous congestion, vacuole formation or cytoplasmic vacuolation of hepatocytes, an enlarged hepatic plate gap, and necrosis, were revealed on the structural examination of liver tissues. Based on our results, we conclude that sub-lethal doses of rGO (10 mg/L) could be harmful to zebrafish. Rutin supplementation between 100 and 200 mg/L can protect against the toxic effects of rGO, even though rGO is detrimental to the exposed fish population.
Morpho-Cultural and Quantıtatıve Analysis of Mıcrobıal Straıns Isolated from Spontaneous Yeast Based Yogurts Used in Aghdam Regıon
Authors: Jafarov Mirmusa M. , Alkishiyeva Kamala S.
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT: The presented article is devoted to study the morpho – cultural and quantitative analysis of lactic acid bacteria and yeast fungi isolated from the spontaneously prepared yogurts of Uchoglan, Tazakend, Guzanli and Imamgulubayli villages of Agdam region. 5 isolates of lactic acid bacteria and 4 isolates of yeast fungi strains were obtained from yoghurt samplaes. The highest amount of isolated lactic acid bacteria and yeast fungi was determined in Tazakend village yogurt. The amount of yeast cells in 1 ml of Guzanli village yogurt was 3.2 times more than the yeast cells in Uchoglan village yogurt, 5.5 times less than the yeast cells in Tazakend village yogurt, and 2.1 times less than the yeast cells in Imamgulubeyli village yogurt. The amount of lactic acid bacteria in 1 ml of Tazakend village yogurt was 2.5 times more than Uchoglan village yogurt; 1.3 times moe than Guzanli village yogurt and it was 1.8 times more than Imamgulubayli village yogurt. The amount of yeast cells contained in Uchoglan, Guzanli and Imamgulubayli village yogurts was less than lactic acid bacteria which were contained in those yogurts. The amount of lactic acid bacteria was 4,7 times more than the yeast cells in Uçoğlan village yogurt, 2.9 times more than in Guzanli village yogurt and it was 1.1 times more in Imamgulubayli village yogurt. Only the number of yeast cells isolated from Tazakend village yogurt was 1.5 times more than the number of bacteria. The number of yeast cells was 1.5 times more than the number of bacteria only in Tazakend village yogurt. According to the morpho-cultural characteristic features of the investigated lactic acid bacteria strains, the size of the colonies was small, medium and they were in white, whitish, yellowish-white colours, their shape was round or coke-shaped, rod-shaped, their surface was slightly smooth, sometimes slightly convex forms. It was determined that, isolated lactic acid bacteria strains belonged to 2 genera Streptococcus spp. (BSU – UN1, BSU – QI4) and Lactobacillus spp. (BSU – UN2, BSU – TD6, BSU – II8). The size of the colonies which we obtained from isolated yeast strains was medium, relatively large, their shape was mostly round with paste – like consistency, their edges were wavy, flat with wrinkled and convex surface. The shape of the cells was mainly elongated – lemon – shaped or egg – shaped. It was determined that, all 4 isolated yeast strains (BSU – UN3, BSU – Qİ5, BSU – TD7, BSU – II9) belonged to the genus of Saccharomyces.
On Rising Intonation in Balkan Slavic
Authors: Rudin Catherine , Rudin Deniz
Published: April 2024

abstract: Crosslinguistic work on the meanings of intonational tunes across clause types remains rare. Rudin (2018a) notes an apparent correlation between the behavior of declarative and imperative sentences with rising terminal contours. Languages in which 'rising declaratives' comprise non-canonical biased questions allow for 'rising imperatives', interpreted as suggestions, while languages in which rising declaratives comprise canonical neutral questions disallow rising imperatives. Bulgarian and Macedonian, closely related languages which differ in the status of their rising declaratives, provide an ideal test case for investigating this correlation. Initial investigation of these two Balkan Slavic languages lends support to the prediction that rising imperatives occur only in languages whose rising declaratives are biased questions.
Propagation of auto-focusing hypergeometric Gaussian beams along a slant path in oceanic turbulence
Authors: Wang Wenhai , Yu Zhou , Liu Chengzhao , Zhou Xu , Hu Zheng-Da , Zhu Yun
Published: April 2024

Compared to horizontal transmission, the oceanic dissipation rate and temperature-salinity distribution ratio are no longer constant but vary with depth, imposing greater complexity on oceanic turbulence when beams propagate through a slant path and resulting in more limitations on the performance of underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) links. This study focuses on investigating the performance, especially the auto-focusing characteristic, of auto-focusing hypergeometric Gaussian (AHGG) beams propagating along slant paths in oceanic turbulence. We theoretically derive the spatial coherence radius and the relative probability of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) mode for AHGG beams passing through such links. Numerical simulations reveal that AHGG beams exhibit superior propagation performance compared to hypergeometric Gaussian beams. Lower beam orders and OAM numbers contribute to improved performance, while careful selection of auto-focusing length can tangibly enhance detection performance as well. Additionally, tidal velocities and wind speeds have nonnegligible effects on OAM signal probability. Our results further demonstrate that surface buoyancy flux, temperature gradients, and waterside friction velocity significantly affect beam transmission under varying wind conditions. These findings, particularly controlling the auto-focusing length of AHGG beams to match the transmission distance, provide valuable insights for enhancing the quality of UWOC links.
Low phase noise cavity transmission self-injection locked diode laser system for atomic physics experiments
Authors: Krinner L. , Dietze K. , Pelzer L. , Spethmann N. , Schmidt P. O.
Published: April 2024

Lasers with high spectral purity are indispensable for optical clocks and for the coherent manipulation of atomic and molecular qubits in applications such as quantum computing and quantum simulation. While the stabilization of such lasers to a reference can provide a narrow linewidth, the widely used diode lasers exhibit fast phase noise that prevents high-fidelity qubit manipulation. In this paper, we demonstrate a self-injection locked diode laser system that utilizes a high-finesse cavity. This cavity not only provides a stable resonance frequency, it also acts as a low-pass filter for phase noise beyond the cavity linewidth of around 100 kHz, resulting in low phase noise from dc to the injection lock limit. We model the expected laser performance and benchmark it using a single trapped 40Ca+-ion as a spectrum analyzer. We show that the fast phase noise of the laser at relevant Fourier frequencies of 100 kHz to >2 MHz is suppressed to a noise floor of between −110 dBc/Hz and −120 dBc/Hz, an improvement of 20 to 30 dB over state-of-the-art Pound-Drever-Hall-stabilized extended-cavity diode lasers. This strong suppression avoids incoherent (spurious) spin flips during manipulation of optical qubits and improves laser-driven gates when using diode lasers in applications involving quantum logic spectroscopy, quantum simulation, and quantum computation.
Effect of turbulence-induced sediment resuspension and sedimentation on underwater wireless optical communication
Authors: Yuan Hexiang , Kong Meiwei , Wang Mengqi , Cui Wenxin , Pan Yanyan , Zhou Hui , Yang Qunhui
Published: April 2024

In real-life marine environments, the composition and grain size of suspended sediments and the resuspension and sedimentation of sediments caused by turbulence may have a significant impact on underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC). However, to date, researchers have not conducted quantitative research on this issue. To this end, we innovatively study the effects of different compositions and grain sizes of suspended sediments on UWOC and the effects of turbulence-induced sediment resuspension and sedimentation on UWOC in this paper. Quartz and kaolin with different grain sizes are used to simulate sediments in seawater. An oscillating grid that can vary frequency and stroke is used to generate turbulence of different intensities. By comparing the turbidity and optical power density of different simulated sediments with different grain sizes, we find that the smaller the grain size of the simulated sediments, the higher the bit error rate (BER) under the same turbidity. But different simulated sediments with different grain sizes have similar effects on BER performance under the same optical power density. Therefore, turbidity can be used to characterize the changes of underwater channels, and optical power density can be used to evaluate the attenuation of light at the receiving end after transmission through the underwater channel. By continuously changing the frequency of the grid to cause the sediments to resuspend and sink, we prove that the process of turbulence-induced sediment resuspension and sedimentation can seriously affect the BER performance. The larger the frequency of the grid, the greater the turbulence intensity and the worse the BER performance. This study lays a foundation for the practical application of UWOC in mobile ocean observation networks.
Multiple topological states within a common bandgap of two non-trivial photonic crystals
Authors: Liu Dongyang , Peng Peng , Lu Xiaoya , Shi Aoqian , Peng Yuchen , Wei Yizhou , Liu Jianjun
Published: April 2024

Topological photonic crystals (PCs) provide an effective method for controlling how light propagates and concentrates through their topological states. However, it remains unclear whether topological states can be obtained by combining two different two-dimensional (2D) PCs with topological non-trivial states. In this Letter, two types of 2D Penrose-square (P-S) PCs are proposed. These PCs can generate topological edge states (TESs) and topological corner states (TCSs) within the low-frequency part of the bandgap. Moreover, by combining these two non-trivial PCs, a total of two groups of TESs and four groups of TCSs can be generated in both the high-frequency and low-frequency parts of the common bandgap. To the best of our knowledge, the two proposed P-S PCs offer a new platform for investigating topological photonics and related devices, providing novel approaches and perspectives for generating topological states in 2D PCs.
Symmetric non-monochromatic light source can also serve as reference source in Fourier transform spectrometers
Authors: wen muqian
Published: April 2024

Fourier transform spectrometers typically would use a presumed monochromatic reference
source to track and correct errors in optical path difference changes. This paper will show that
nonmonochromatic light sources with symmetric spectral profile can also be used as reference
sources without introducing any errors. An experiment was carried out using a symmetric
broadband SLED as reference light to measure the spectrum of some other SLED light sources
to experimentally demonstrate this proposal.
Positive affect during adolescence and health and well-being in adulthood: An outcome-wide longitudinal approach
Authors: Kim Eric S. , Wilkinson Renae , Okuzono Sakurako S. , Chen Ying , Shiba Koichiro , Cowden Richard G. , VanderWeele Tyler J.
Published: April 2024

Background

Several intergovernmental organizations, including the World Health Organization and United Nations, are urging countries to use well-being indicators for policymaking. This trend, coupled with increasing recognition that positive affect is beneficial for health/well-being, opens new avenues for intervening on positive affect to improve outcomes. However, it remains unclear if positive affect in adolescence shapes health/well-being in adulthood. We examined if increases in positive affect during adolescence were associated with better health/well-being in adulthood across 41 outcomes.

Methods and findings

We conducted a longitudinal cohort study using data from Add Health—a prospective and nationally representative cohort of community-dwelling U.S. adolescents. Using regression models, we evaluated if increases in positive affect over 1 year (between Wave I; 1994 to 1995 and Wave II; 1995 to 1996) were associated with better health/well-being 11.37 years later (in Wave IV; 2008; N = 11,040) or 20.64 years later (in Wave V; 2016 to 2018; N = 9,003). Participants were aged 15.28 years at study onset, and aged 28.17 or 37.20 years—during the final assessment. Participants with the highest (versus lowest) positive affect had better outcomes on 3 (of 13) physical health outcomes (e.g., higher cognition (β = 0·12, 95% CI = 0·05, 0·19, p = 0.002)), 3 (of 9) health behavior outcomes (e.g., lower physical inactivity (RR = 0·80, CI = 0·66, 0·98, p = 0.029)), 6 (of 7) mental health outcomes (e.g., lower anxiety (RR = 0·81, CI = 0·71, 0·93, p = 0.003)), 2 (of 3) psychological well-being (e.g., higher optimism (β = 0·20, 95% CI = 0·12, 0·28, p < 0.001)), 4 (of 7) social outcomes (e.g., lower loneliness (β = −0·09, 95% CI = −0·16, −0·02, p = 0.015)), and 1 (of 2) civic/prosocial outcomes (e.g., more voting (RR = 1·25, 95% CI = 1·16, 1·36, p < 0.001)). Study limitations include potential unmeasured confounding and reverse causality.

Conclusions

Enhanced positive affect during adolescence is linked with a range of improved health/well-being outcomes in adulthood. These findings suggest the promise of testing scalable positive affect interventions and policies to more definitively assess their impact on outcomes.
Exploring simple ways to avoid collecting highly 137Cs-contaminated Aralia elata buds for the revival of local wild vegetable cultures
Authors: Sakai Masaru , Watanabe Mirai , Kanao Koshikawa Masami , Tanaka Asuka , Takahashi Akiko , Takechi Seiichi , Takagi Mai , Tsuji Takashi , Tsuji Hideki , Takeda Toshimasa , Jo Jaeick , Tamaoki Masanori , Hayashi Seiji
Published: April 2024

Collection and cooking of wild vegetables have provided seasonal enjoyments for Japanese local people as provisioning and cultural ecosystem services. However, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011 caused extensive radiocesium contamination of wild vegetables. Restrictions on commercial shipments of wild vegetables have been in place for the last 10 years. Some species, including buds of Aralia elata, are currently showing radiocesium concentrations both above and below the Japanese reference level for food (100 Bq/kg), implying that there are factors decreasing and increasing the 137Cs concentration. Here, we evaluated easy-to-measure environmental variables (dose rate at the soil surface, organic soil layer thickness, slope steepness, and presence/absence of decontamination practices) and the 137Cs concentrations of 40 A. elata buds at 38 locations in Fukushima Prefecture to provide helpful information on avoiding collecting highly contaminated buds. The 137Cs concentrations in A. elata buds ranged from 1 to 6,280 Bq/kg fresh weight and increased significantly with increases in the dose rate at the soil surface (0.10–6.50 μSv/h). Meanwhile, the 137Cs concentration in A. elata buds were not reduced by decontamination practices. These findings suggest that measuring the latest dose rate at the soil surface at the base of A. elata plants is a helpful way to avoid collecting buds with higher 137Cs concentrations and aid in the management of species in polluted regions.
Effectiveness of stabilization methods for the immediate and short-term preservation of bovine fecal and upper respiratory tract genomic DNA
Authors: Pinnell Lee J. , Wolfe Cory A. , Castle Jake , Crosby William B. , Doster Enrique , Morley Paul S.
Published: April 2024

Previous research on stabilization methods for microbiome investigations has largely focused on human fecal samples. There are a few studies using feces from other species, but no published studies investigating preservation of samples collected from cattle. Given that microbial taxa are differentially impacted during storage it is warranted to study impacts of preservation methods on microbial communities found in samples outside of human fecal samples. Here we tested methods of preserving bovine fecal respiratory specimens for up to 2 weeks at four temperatures (room temperature, 4°C, -20°C, and -80°C) by comparing microbial diversity and community composition to samples extracted immediately after collection. Importantly, fecal specimens preserved and analyzed were technical replicates, providing a look at the effects of preservation method in the absence of biological variation. We found that preservation with the OMNIgene®•GUT kit resulted in community structure most like that of fresh samples extracted immediately, even when stored at room temperature (~20°C). Samples that were flash-frozen without added preservation solution were the next most representative of original communities, while samples preserved with ethanol were the least representative. These results contradict previous reports that ethanol is effective in preserving fecal communities and suggest for studies investigating cattle either flash-freezing of samples without preservative or preservation with OMNIgene®•GUT will yield more representative microbial communities.