bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Quantitative Analysis of Microplastics in the Gastrointestinal Tracts of Odontocetes in the Southeast Region of the United States
Authors: Courville Julia M. , Borkowski Rose , Sonnenberg Lucy , Bielmyer-Fraser Gretchen K.
Published: March 2024

Microplastics (<5 mm in diameter) are ubiquitous in the oceanic environment, yet microplastic accumulation in marine mammals is vastly understudied. In recent years, efforts have been made to document microplastic profiles in odontocetes. The objective of the present study was to describe and quantify microplastics in the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of deceased odontocetes that stranded in the southeastern United States. Our study included 24 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), two pygmy sperm whales (Kogia breviceps), one pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata), one short-snouted spinner dolphin (Stenella clymene), one Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus), and one dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima) obtained from stranding networks in Texas, Alabama, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Contents found in the GI tracts, namely, the stomach and portions of the intestinal tract, were subjected to a laboratory procedure to isolate microplastics. The physical characteristics of microparticles were analyzed with a stereomicroscope, and microplastics were classified by polymer type via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. There was an average of 47.6 ± 41.4 microparticles, ranging from 1 to 193 items per stomach. More specifically, there was an average of 5.6 ± 4.7 microplastics per stomach. The predominant morphologies, colors, and polymer types were fibers, white-colored items, and polyester, respectively. This research contributes to the current knowledge of microplastic exposure in top marine mammal predators and sets the stage for further exploration into the associated risks of microplastics in odontocetes within the United States and worldwide. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:1260–1273. © 2024 SETAC
Predicting Hydrocarbon Primary Biodegradation in Soil and Sediment Systems Using System Parameterization and Machine Learning
Authors: Davis Craig W. , Brown David M. , Swansborough Chesney , Hughes Christopher B. , Camenzuli Louise , Saunders Leslie J. , Lyon Delina Y.
Published: March 2024

Technical complexity associated with biodegradation testing, particularly for substances of unknown or variable composition, complex reaction products, or biological materials (UVCB), necessitates the advancement of non-testing methods such as quantitative structure–property relationships (QSPRs). Models for describing the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons (HCs) have been previously developed. A critical limitation of available models is their inability to capture the variability in biodegradation rates associated with variable test systems and environmental conditions. Recently, the Hydrocarbon Biodegradation System Integrated Model (HC-BioSIM) was developed to characterize the biodegradation of HCs in aquatic systems with the inclusion of key test system variables. The present study further expands the HC-BioSIM methodology to soil and sediment systems using a database of 2195 half-life (i.e., degradation time [DT]50) entries for HCs in soil and sediment. Relevance and reliability criteria were defined based on similarity to standard testing guidelines for biodegradation testing and applied to all entries in the database. The HC-BioSIM soil and sediment models significantly outperformed the existing biodegradation HC half-life (BioHCWin) and virtual evaluation of chemical properties and toxicities (VEGA) quantitative Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research (IRFMN) models in soil and sediment. Average errors in predicted DT50s were reduced by up to 6.3- and 8.7-fold for soil and sediment, respectively. No significant bias as a function of HC class, carbon number, or test system parameters was observed. Model diagnostics demonstrated low variability in performance and high consistency of parameter usage/importance and rule structure, supporting the generalizability and stability of the models for application to external data sets. The HC-BioSIM provides improved accuracy of Persistence categorization, with correct classification rates of 83.9%, and 90.6% for soil and sediment, respectively, demonstrating a significant improvement over the existing BioHCWin (70.7% and 58.6%) and VEGA (59.5% and 18.5%) models. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:1352–1363. © 2024 Concawe. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
Tumor cell membrane‐based vaccines: A potential boost for cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Yang Muyang , Zhou Jie , Lu Liseng , Deng Deqiang , Huang Jing , Tang Zijian , Shi Xiujuan , Lo Pui‐Chi , Lovell Jonathan F. , Zheng Yongfa , Jin Honglin
Published: March 2024

Because therapeutic cancer vaccines can, in theory, eliminate tumor cells specifically with relatively low toxicity, they have long been considered for application in repressing cancer progression. Traditional cancer vaccines containing a single or a few discrete tumor epitopes have failed in the clinic, possibly due to challenges in epitope selection, target downregulation, cancer cell heterogeneity, tumor microenvironment immunosuppression, or a lack of vaccine immunogenicity. Whole cancer cell or cancer membrane vaccines, which provide a rich source of antigens, are emerging as viable alternatives. Autologous and allogenic cellular cancer vaccines have been evaluated as clinical treatments. Tumor cell membranes (TCMs) are an intriguing antigen source, as they provide membrane‐accessible targets and, at the same time, serve as integrated carriers of vaccine adjuvants and other therapeutic agents. This review provides a summary of the properties and technologies for TCM cancer vaccines. Characteristics, categories, mechanisms, and preparation methods are discussed, as are the demonstrable additional benefits derived from combining TCM vaccines with chemotherapy, sonodynamic therapy, phototherapy, and oncolytic viruses. Further research in chemistry, biomedicine, cancer immunology, and bioinformatics to address current drawbacks could facilitate the clinical adoption of TCM vaccines.
Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among children in Southeast Asia from 2002 to 2022: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Shrestha Manju , Basukala Sunil , Thapa Niranjan , Shrestha Oshan , Basnet Mahima , Shrestha Kala , Regmi Shiva , Chhetri Suchit Thapa , Kunwor Bishal
Published: March 2024

Background and Aims

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that impacts the brain, characterized by challenges in social communication and interaction, often accompanied by repetitive behaviors or focused interests. This study sheds light on the prevalence of ASD within the Southeast Asian region.

Methods

The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (Registration No: CRD42023413915). Appropriate search terms and Boolean operators were employed to explore electronic databases for relevant articles. Data thus extracted were prepared in Excel and analyzed in Comprehensive Meta‐Analysis Software. The effect measure utilized in the study was represented by the proportion, and the choice between a fixed or random‐effect model depended on the observed heterogeneity. Visual feedback was provided through the use of forest plots and funnel plots.

Results

A total of 14 studies were included in the qualitative and quantitative synthesis after screening the imported studies. The prevalence of ASD was six per 1000 population (proportion: 0.006; CI: 0.002–0.017; I2: 99.263%). Among the ASD cases, 64.4% (proportion: 0.644; CI: 0.590–0.693; I2: 9.937%) were males and 35.6% (proportion: 0.356; CI: 0.307–0.410; I2: 9.937%) were females.

Conclusion

The prevalence of ASD in Southeast Asia was estimated to be six cases per 1000 individuals, with a higher prevalence among males. This study contributes to our understanding of ASD prevalence in the region, although it is essential to note certain limitations in estimating prevalence.
Unveiling financial inclusion dynamics: Fintech's resonance in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Authors: Ha Dao , Nguyen Mai , Nguyen Kim , Şensoy Ahmet
Published: March 2024

This article examines the determinants of financial inclusion in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEANs), with a particular focus on the role of financial technology (fintech). We constructed an extensive and up‐to‐date Global Financial Inclusion database (2011, 2014, 2017, and 2021) to generate 26,185 observations for seven ASEAN countries over a decade, and conducted a separate case study for Singapore, the region's most financially developed member. The results reveal that financial inclusion and financial technology have experienced robust growth in ASEAN but to varying degrees amongst the member countries. Fintech has a significant impact on financial inclusion over the specified period. The relationship between age and financial inclusion follows an inverted U‐shaped pattern, with the turning point occurring between the ages of 29 and 45. Surprisingly, gender does not appear to be a determining factor. These results align with the aspirations of ASEAN policymakers to promote financial inclusion in line with the sustainable development goals.
Physical working environments: how they affect our wellbeing and performance
Authors: Page Gillian , Tolmie Jacqui
Published: March 2024

The surroundings in which employees spend their working lives are an important source of job satisfaction, and have an impact on work motivation and patterns of interaction with others. On the other hand, they can be as much of a source of pressure as a heavy workload, poor work‐life balance or significant organisational change. This article provides an overview of the impact of elements of the physical working environment on staff wellbeing, including the building design, workspace, materials, furniture, lighting, temperature, noise and how much control the team have over their work environment. These factors need to be considered to ensure that the physical characteristics of the veterinary environment do not have a negative effect on engagement, productivity and wellbeing, but instead promote job satisfaction, improved performance and team cohesiveness.
A semantic big data analysis method based on enhanced neural networks in IoT
Authors: Wang Chongke
Published: March 2024

Due to the growth of neural networks, the semantic big data analysis method can classify images at the pixel level, which is very suitable for the needs of IoT. In semantic big data analysis methods, the DeepLab algorithm is an improved and highly accurate algorithm based on enhanced neural networks. However, the DeepLab algorithm does not fully utilize global information, resulting in poor performance for complex scenes. Therefore, this article makes improvements by introducing a global context information module and providing prior information of complex scenes in images. It extracts global information and merges with original features. It improves the expression ability of features. This global context can enhance the accuracy of semantic big data analysis method, and an attention mechanism is designed. The experimental results display that the improved DeepLab semantic big data analysis method based on self‐attention and global context module has good average pixel accuracy and average intersection to union ratio performance on the Pascal VOC 2012 dataset. And the improvement effect is significant.
Development of injectable upconversion nanoparticle‐conjugated doxorubicin theranostics electrospun nanostructure for targeted photochemotherapy in breast cancer
Authors: Khan Amreen , Tripathi Abhishek , Gandhi Mayuri , Bellare Jayesh , Srivastava Rohit
Published: March 2024

Nanotheranostic‐based photochemotherapies with targeted drug delivery have considerably surfaced in cancer therapy. In the presented work, polyethyleneimine‐coated upconversion nanoparticles were engineered to conjugate covalently with doxorubicin. Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP)‐Doxorubicin (DOX)/synthesized epidermal growth factor receptor‐targeting peptide blended with polymer composite was electrospun and formulated as the injectable dosage form. The size of the UCNP and the nanofiber diameter were assessed as 26.75 ± 1.54 and 162 ± 2.82 nm, respectively. The optimized ratio of dopants resulted in UCNP photoluminescence with maximum emission intensity at around 800 nm upon 980 nm excitation wavelength. The paramagnetic nature of UCNPs and amide conjugation with the drug was confirmed analytically. The loading capacity of UCNP for doxorubicin was determined to be 54.56%, while nanofibers exhibited 98.74% capacity to encapsulate UCNP‐DOX. The release profile of UCNP‐DOX from nanofiber formulation ranged from sustained to controlled, with relative enhancement in acidic conditions. The nanofiber demonstrated good mechanical strength, robust swelling, and degradation rate. Biocompatibility tests showed more than 90% cell viability on L929 and NIH/3T3 cell lines with UCNP‐DOX@NF/pep nanoformulation. The IC50 values of 2.15 ± 0.54, 2.87 ± 0.67, and 3.42 ± 0.45 μg/mL on MDA‐MB‐231, 4T1, and MCF‐7 cancer cell line, respectively, with a significant cellular uptake, has been reported. The UCNP protruded a ≈62.7°C temperature rise within 5 min of 980 nm laser irradiation and a power density of 0.5 W cm−2. The nanoformulation induced reactive oxygen species of 65.67% ± 3.21% and apoptosis by arresting the cell cycle sub‐G1 phase. The evaluation conveys the effectiveness of the developed injectable theranostic delivery system in cancer therapy.
Artificial intelligence‐assisted full‐mouth radiograph mounting in dental education
Authors: Chang Jennifer , Bliss Logan , Angelov Nikola , Glick Aaron
Published: March 2024

Objectives

With the increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) and the significant research gap in the application of AI within dentistry, this study aimed to (1) evaluate the efficiency and accuracy of dental students in full‐mouth radiograph series (FMS) mounting with and without AI assistance, and (2) assess dental students' perceptions of AI in clinical education to address the impact of AI in dental education.

Methods

An AI‐based interface for mounting radiographs on FMS templates was designed and implemented in the study. Forty third‐year dental students were randomly assigned to control and test groups. The control group manually mounted FMS radiographs, while the test group reviewed AI‐pre‐mounted radiographs for adjustments. Students' performance in efficiency and accuracy was evaluated. Pre‐ and post‐study surveys were conducted to gauge students' confidence levels and opinions regarding the usefulness of the AI‐assisted program.

Results

The test group (using AI) demonstrated significantly faster radiograph mounting times than the control group (manual) (p < 0.05). Accuracy was lower in the test groups, when comparing AI‐assisted and manual mounting of FMS (p < 0.01). Self‐confidence and confidence in AI were consistent between the control and test groups, both before and after the study.

Conclusion

Students with AI presented with a decreased accuracy in FMS radiograph mounting. Therefore, AI automation could potentially have negative impacts in a learning environment with inexperienced clinicians.
Pulsed electric field‐assisted extraction of hesperidin from tangerine peel and its technological optimization through response surface methodology
Authors: Xu Lijuan , Zhu Siming , Wan Wenjing , Yu Ming , Zeng Xin'an , Deng Zhanhua
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND

Tangerine peel is rich in flavonoids, particularly hesperidin, which has anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer biological activities. However, it is often wasted during citrus processing. The current common extraction method for hesperidin is solvent extraction, which has the characteristics of low extraction rate and high contamination. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pulsed electric field‐assisted alkali dissolution extraction, followed by an acidification precipitation method, on the extraction rate and structure of hesperidin from tangerine peel.

RESULTS

The results showed that the selected factors (material/liquid ratio, electric field intensity and pulse number) had a significant effect on the extraction yield. An optimum condition of 66.00 mL g−1, 4.00 kV cm−1 and 35.00 pulses gave the maximum amount (669.38 μg mL−1), which was consistent with the theoretically predicted value by software (672.10 μg mL−1), indicating that the extraction process was feasible. In addition, the purified extract was further identified as hesperidin from UV and NMR spectra.

CONCLUSION

An appropriate strength of pulsed electric field‐assisted alkali dissolution extraction followed by an acidification precipitation method can effectively improve the extraction rate of orange peel, and the purity of the extracted orange peel is higher. Compared with the traditional extraction, the pulsed electric field‐assisted extraction method may be a potential technology for hesperidin extraction, which is beneficial for the high‐value utilization of citrus resources. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
A modified Patte classification system for rotator cuff tendon retraction to predict reparability and tendon healing in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair
Authors: Takeda Yoshitsugu , Fujii Koji , Suzue Naoto , Kawasaki Yoshiteru , Sumitomo Junichiro , Nishidono Keisuke , Fujii Yugen , Kano Masashi
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to propose a modified Patte classification system for tendon retraction, including the cut‐off points for predicting reparability and rotator cuff healing after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) and assess its prediction accuracy and measurement reliability.

Methods

This retrospective study included 463 consecutive patients scheduled to undergo ARCR for full‐thickness supraspinatus tears. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the cut‐off points for predicting reparability and tendon healing. The modified Patte classification system, in which these cut‐off points were combined with the original Patte classification, classified the tendon retraction as stages I–V. The prediction accuracy of reparability and tendon healing was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC). Measurement reliability was determined using Cohen's κ statistics.

Results

Of the 402 included patients, 32 rotator cuff tears were irreparable and 71 of the remaining 370 were diagnosed with healing failure. ROC analysis determined the cut‐off point of reparability at the medial one‐fifth and that of tendon healing at the medial one‐third of the humeral head. The AUC of the modified Patte classification for predicting reparability and tendon healing was 0.897 (excellent) and 0.768 (acceptable), respectively. Intra‐rater reliability was almost perfect (mean κ value: 0.875), and inter‐rater reliability was substantial (0.797).

Conclusion

Diagnostic performance of the modified Patte classification system was excellent for reparability and acceptable for rotator cuff healing, with high measurement reliability. The modified Patte classification system can be easily implemented in clinical practice for planning surgical procedures and counselling patients in the day‐by‐day clinical work.

Level of Evidence

Level III.
Speech and Swallowing Outcomes of Surgically Managed Cervical Chordoma: A Case Series
Authors: Yu Alice C. , Ko Myungjun , Han Albert Y. , St. John Maie , Chhetri Dinesh K.
Published: March 2024

Objectives

Cervical chordoma is a rare, low‐grade primary bone tumor occurring in the axial skeleton. Due to challenges in surgical exposure caused by anatomic location, patients may experience dysfunction in speech and swallowing. The objective of this study was to characterize speech and swallowing outcomes for patients undergoing surgical resection of cervical chordoma. Moreover, we detail in‐depth two cases with similar initial presentations to compare prognostic factors and management strategies.

Methods

Eleven patients with histologically confirmed cervical chordoma treated between 1993 and 2020 were included in this retrospective case series. Outcomes measured included overall survival, disease‐free survival, need for enteral feeds, as well as results of modified barium swallow study (MBSS) and fiberoptic laryngoscopy.

Results

The mean age at diagnosis was 55.9 years. The patient population was 81.8% male. Mean survival after diagnosis was 96 months. Four (36.4%) patients required post‐operative MBSS and demonstrated aspiration. All four of these patients presented with tumors in the superior cervical spine and received surgeries utilizing anterior approaches. Of the four, 2 required enteral feeds long‐term. Four (36.4%) patients endorsed dysphonia. One patient developed post‐operative right vocal fold paresis. The remaining three patients experienced stable dysphonia pre‐ and post‐operatively. Additionally, three (27%) patients required tracheostomy placement, two of which remained in place long‐term.

Conclusions

Dysphagia is a common side effect of cervical chordoma resection. It is associated with the use of an anterior approach during resection and with tumors located in the superior cervical spine. Patients with postoperative dysphagia should receive early multidisciplinary swallow rehabilitation.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 134:3706–3712, 2024
Magnetochromic Elastomer With Instant Color Changes: A Study of the Influence of Material Composition
Authors: Li Chonghui , Madsen Frederikke Bahrt , Liu Lifei , Yu Liyun , Zhao Weizhen , Skov Anne Ladegaard
Published: March 2024

Magnetochromic materials change color upon variation in an external magnetic field. A magnetochromic elastomer resulting from the dispersion of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in a liquid and subsequent emulsification in a crosslinkable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is presented. The MNPs form rod‐like structures under an external magnetic field, aligning with the field and allowing light to pass through the elastomer. The elastomer thus changes from dark grey to transparent/light grey. Polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG200) is selected as carrier liquid due to the faster movement of MNPs herein than in glycerol, leading to more rapid color changes in the films. The influence of magnetic particle types (commercial, superparamagnetic, and surfactant‐coated) on the magnetochromic effects is investigated. All films exhibit optical density changes upon exposure to a magnetic field. Moreover, the films retain their color‐changing ability after cycles of 40 times exposure to a magnetic field. Compared to the synthesized superparamagnetic particles, the films with commercial particles display superior optical density change abilities, suggesting commercial MNPs are more suitable for magnetochromic films. The obtained films have promising applications as magnetical field sensors due to their simple storage requirements, rapid response, and excellent repeatability.
Kirchhoff‐type critical fractional Laplacian system with convolution and magnetic field
Authors: Liang Sihua , Zhang Binlin
Published: March 2024

In this paper, we consider a class of upper critical Kirchhoff‐type fractional Laplacian system with Choquard nonlinearities and magnetic fields. With the help of the limit index theory and the concentration–compactness principles for fractional Sobolev spaces, we establish the existence of infinitely many nontrivial radial solutions for the above system. A distinguished feature of this paper is that the above Kirchhoff‐type system is degenerate, that is, the Kirchhoff term is zero at zero.
A case of primary pleural epithelioid hemangioendothelioma achieving stable disease with paclitaxel treatment: A case report and literature review
Authors: Chou Chun‐Ying , Hu Hsiang‐Wei , Chen Tom Wei‐Wu , Lin Shu‐Yung
Published: March 2024

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare vascular neoplasm with a clinical behaviour that falls between a benign hemangioma and a high‐grade angiosarcoma. Pleural EHE is exceptionally rare, and its prognosis is grim, with most patients experiencing survival of less than 1 year. Here, we present a case of pleural EHE in a 45‐year‐old woman with a month‐long history of right‐sided pleuritic chest pain. Chest computed tomography revealed consolidation, atelectasis of the right lung, right pleural thickening, and pleural effusion. She underwent video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery for decortication and was diagnosed with conclusively pleural EHE, showing a CAMTA1 rearrangement. Paclitaxel treatment, administered once weekly on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28‐day cycle, resulted in a stable disease after 12 cycles. Managing patients with pleural EHE is challenging because there are still no established standard treatments. Our case achieved 11‐month progression‐free survival following paclitaxel treatment.
Resilient filter design of fuzzy cyber‐physical system subject to important‐data‐based DoS attacks
Authors: You Wenwen , Xie Xiangpeng , Xia Jianwei
Published: March 2024

A serious threat to filter design is the difficulty in resisting important‐data‐based (IDB) Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. In this article, a new approach to filter design that is more relaxed and flexible in resisting IDB DoS policies is proposed. The proposed approach introduces the technique of homogeneous polynomials to develop a more general relaxed fuzzy filter design that can reduce conservatism. Moreover, it is guaranteed that the new method will obtain sets of more relaxed filter gains, which are more capable of responding to the IDB DoS policy. This enables the filter to perform more accurate signal estimation and ensures the filtering error system's performance. Finally, the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed filter method are demonstrated by two comparative examples.
Automated mission planning for aerial large‐scale power plant thermal inspection
Authors: Romanov Alexey M. , Gyrichidi Ntmitrii , Volkova Maria A. , Eroshenko Stanislav A. , Matrenin Pavel V. , Khalyasmaa Alexandra I.
Published: March 2024

Close‐range aerial inspection of large‐scale industrial facilities such as power plants is complex. It is characterized by a few areas suitable for safe landing, many obstacles, complicated radio communication, and so forth. The paper presented a new offline approach for automated mission planning in such conditions. It is based on novel concepts of ‐shaped flight profile and safe altitude map. These concepts reduce the mission planning task to a multiple traveling salesmen problem on a two‐dimensional map, which is solved using rapidly exploring random tree and genetic algorithms. A computational fluid dynamics‐based local turbulence map concept was proposed to avoid turbulence zones during inspection flights. As an advantage, this map can be generated at least 6.8× faster than the known approaches. Our new multicopter flight time prediction model provides an error of less than 10% in most cases and significantly outperforms those implemented in commercial mission planning software. All the proposed solutions were verified during a 2400‐MW power plant inspection. Our algorithms managed to plan to visit all the inspection points in six routes, approximately 15 min long each. This mission set has a comparable overall duration but better safety and even battery usage compared with the routes planned by a qualified operator. Moreover, the designed aerial inspection system provides higher quality images than manually from the ground using a thermal camera with two times higher sensitivity and equipped with more advanced optics. To our knowledge, this research is the first to report the successful implementation of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle‐based power equipment diagnostics on a large‐scale thermal power plant.
Design and development of multirobot system for remote repair of nuclear pipe equipment
Authors: Li Haichao , Ma Yixuan , Pan Yunlong , Xu Yong , Zhao Fusheng
Published: March 2024

The extreme radiation environment in nuclear power plant leads to leakage of nuclear pipe equipment. It is important to repair the pipe equipment timely for nuclear safety. Manual repair on field incurs a health risk to worker. The use of robot for remote repair shows an excellent prospect. Therefore, the multirobot system (MRS) was developed and designed for field remote repair of nuclear reprocessing pipe equipment. The sensor modules and composite control strategy were developed for remote repair in the radiation environment. The remote repair of nuclear pipe equipment including both overall and partial repair has been achieved. The remote repair of the MRS is successfully performed on a full‐size stainless steel pipe model. The experimental results show that the MRS performed 63 processes with an overall time of 12,798 s, while the manual repair requires multiple people to spend many days to complete the repair. Moreover, the MRS achieves great repair quality and appearance. The MRS achieves excellent performance in remote repair of nuclear pipe equipment under extreme radiation conditions, demonstrating its capability for effective and safe operation.
Executive function, perceived stress and eating behaviours among Chinese young adults
Authors: Chen Meijun , Lam Wendy Wing Tak , Yuan Jiehu , Dong Meihong , Yang Lin , Chan Derwin King Chung , Liao Qiuyan
Published: March 2024

Young adults in a transitional period may experience more stress and, hence, suffer from an increased risk of unhealthy eating. Executive function (EF) involves not only inhibitory control and mental flexibility (the ‘cool’ facet) to facilitate resistance to immediate temptations, but also affective decision making (the ‘hot’ facet) that helps to regulate emotional eating. The effects of different facets of EF and their interactions with perceived stress on eating behaviours remained underexplored. In this study, 594 young adults in their graduation year of post‐secondary education were included. We used latent profile analysis to identify major patterns of eating behaviours and analysed their associations with perceived stress, and both the ‘cool’ and ‘hot’ facets of EF using multinominal logistic regression models. Latent profile analysis identified three clusters of eating patterns: non‐approaching moderate eaters (N = 312, 52.5%), approaching eaters (N = 229, 38.6%), and approaching‐and‐avoidant eaters (N = 53, 8.9%). Logistic regression models found that the approaching‐and‐avoidant eating pattern was associated with higher perceived stress (OR = 3.16, p value = 0.007) and poorer affective decision‐making (OR = 0.97, p value = 0.006). Stratified analysis further revealed that higher perceived stress was significantly associated with approaching‐and‐avoidant eating only among individuals with poorer affective decision‐making. These findings suggest that individuals with poorer emotional regulation may face greater difficulties in regulating eating behaviours when experiencing higher stress. Interventions for people with a mixed pattern of approaching‐and‐avoidance eating should focus on providing support to regulate emotion‐related eating.
High‐Valence W6+ Ions Boost Cr2+ Activity in CrWO4 for Ideal Water Oxidation
Authors: Kim Chanseok , Jeon Dasom , Kim Nayeong , Ryu Jungki , Lee Jun Hee
Published: March 2024

Electrocatalytic activity of multi‐valence metal oxides for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) arises from various interactions among the constituent metal elements. Although the high‐valence metal ions attract recent attentions due to the interactions with their neighboring 3d transition metal catalytic center, atomic‐scale explanations for the catalytic efficiencies are still lacking. Here, by employing density functional theory predictions and experimental verifications, unprecedented electronic isolation of the catalytic 3d center (M2+) induced by the surrounding high‐valence ions such as W6+ is discovered in multivalent oxides MWO4 (M = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn). Due to W6+’s extremely high oxidation state with the minimum electron occupations (d0), the surrounding W6+ blocks electron transfer toward the catalytic M2+ ions and completely isolates the ions electronically. Now, the isolated M2+ ions solely perform OER without any assistant electron flow from the adjacent metal ions, and thus the original strong binding energies of Cr with OER intermediates are effectively moderated. Through exploiting “electron isolators” such as W6+ surrounding the catalytic ion, exploring can be done beyond the conventional materials such as Ni‐ or Co‐oxides into new candidate groups such as Cr and Mn on the left side of the periodic table for ideal OER.
Solar‐Driven Hydrogen Evolution with Superior Efficiency by a Low‐Cost, Large‐Scale Synergetic Hybrid of 1D‐Si Nanowires/0D‐Au Nanoparticles/2D‐MoS2 Nanofilms
Authors: Chen Chun‐Yen , Mao Ching‐Han , Hsiao Kai‐Yuan , Huang Yu‐Sheng , Chen Lih‐Juann , Lu Ming‐Yen , Tanaka Takuo , Yen Ta‐Jen
Published: March 2024

The technology of semiconductor photocatalystshas become an important research area. 2D molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is recognized as a promising catalyst for photoelectrocatalytic and photocatalytic (PC) hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, owing to its 2D nature of low optical cross‐section, the effective light absorption needs to be further boosted. Herein, we dramatically amplify the light‐matter interaction by hybridizing these photocatalysts with plasmonic materials that present strong electromagnetic field confinement and with nanowires that offer efficient light management. Such a system is designed in the heterostructure of silicon nanowires (SiNW)/ gold nanoparticles (AuNP)/ MoS2 nanofilms (SiNW/AuNP/MoS2), which demonstrates excellent PC HER. The absorption frequency of 2D‐MoS2, the resonance frequency of the 0D‐AuNP, and the antireflection frequency of 1D‐SiNW match with the visible range, enabling this heterostructure to effectively utilize solar energy. Additionally, an optimal MoS2 nanofilm that is a mixture of 1 T and 2 H phases was prepared with high reproducibility using facile pyrolysis. Moreover, the SiNW substrate validates high antireflection properties, achieving 95% visible light absorption. In addition, SiNW forms a p–n junction with the MoS2 to facilitate charge separation. The synergetic hybrid of 1D‐SiNW/0D‐AuNP/2D‐MoS2 nanofilms exhibits the highest hydrogen generation rate of 246 mmol g−1 h−1.
Preparation of Multi‐Grain Flour with High Content of Resistant Starch and the Mechanism Underlying the Improved Digestion Resistance
Authors: Ma Qianying , Wang Xiaolong , Zou Xiaoyang , Zhang Xinyu , Zou Liang , Hu Xinzhong
Published: March 2024

To acquire the optimum treatment strategy that leads to the highest yield of resistant starch (RS) in multigrain flour (MF), wheat flour, whole oat flour, and whole buckwheat flour are used to prepare antidigestive MF by using pullulanase debranching combining heat–moisture treatment (P‐HMT). Based on the single factor tests and response surface analysis, the optimum conditions for the treatment of MF are determined as follows: pullulanase 62.6 U g−1, autoclaving 21.3 min, HMT at 100 °C, and 30.4% water content for 6.0 h. Under these conditions, the yield of RS in the flour reaches 77.42%. P‐HMT causes protein denaturation, starch gelatinization, and flour clumps in MF, facilitating starch recrystallization and interactions among short‐chain starch, monomeric proteins, and lipids. All these findings are further confirmed by the conversion of starch crystal from A‐type to B+V‐type, the improvement of starch short‐range molecular order, and the presence of more binary/ternary complexes in treated flour. In brief, the starch digestion resistance improvement in the treated flour is attributed to the recrystallization of short‐chain starch and interactions between starch and protein/lipid.
Epigenetic activation of METTL14 promotes docetaxel resistance in prostate cancer by promoting pri‐microRNA‐129 maturation
Authors: Wu Cheng , Miao Chunqing , Zhou Songlin , Chang Ping‐an , He Bin , Zhou Xunrong , Tang Qingsheng
Published: March 2024

The development of resistance to Docetaxel (DTX) compromises its therapeutic efficacy and worsens the prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa), while the underlying regulatory mechanism remains poorly understood. In this study, METTL14 was found to be upregulated in DTX‐resistant PCa cells and PCa tissues exhibiting progressive disease during DTX therapy. Furthermore, overexpression of METTL14 promoted the development of resistance to DTX in both in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, it was observed that the hypermethylation of the E2F1 targeting site within DTX‐resistant PCa cells hindered the binding ability of E2F1 to the promoter region of METTL14, thereby augmenting its transcriptional activity. Consequently, this elevated expression level of METTL14 facilitated m6A‐dependent processing of pri‐miR‐129 and subsequently led to an increase in miR‐129‐5p expression. Our study highlights the crucial role of the E2F1‐METTL14‐miR‐129‐5p axis in modulating DTX resistance in PCa, underscoring METTL14 as a promising therapeutic target for DTX‐resistant PCa patients.
Management of canine wounds using platelet‐rich fibrin (PRF) biomaterial. A case series report
Authors: Soares Carla S. , Dias Isabel R. , Barros Luís C. , Pires Maria dos Anjos , Carvalho Pedro P.
Published: March 2024

Background

The increasing interest in platelet‐based therapies has underwritten the development of novel veterinary regenerative treatments. The haemoderivative platelet‐rich fibrin (PRF) comprises abundant concentrations of platelets and leucocytes, above the physiologic baseline, which are considered essential elements for wound regeneration, stimulating local angiogenesis, cellular migration, proliferation and differentiation, considered essential for skin repair.

Objectives

This study aimed to describe the treatment of eight dogs with naturally occurring cutaneous wounds, where autologous PRF therapy was applied, using a protocol developed by our group.

Methods

Eight dogs, aged between 7‐month and 9‐year old, from different breeds and sexes, were enrolled in this study. Four of these wounds were clinically infected. In three cases, two PRF treatments were performed during the first week of treatment, followed by single weekly treatments from the second week onwards, until exophytic granulation tissues were present. In each case, the treatment was finalized only when complete wound closure was achieved. Wounds did not receive topical antiseptics, antibiotics or topical drugs to promote wound healing during the treatment.

Results

PRF‐grafting treatments were well tolerated in all treated wounds, inducing significant granulation tissue formation. PRF clots acted as a natural tissue filler, promoting epithelization and wound closure, without the requirement of topical antimicrobial/antiseptics application, or additional surgical debridement. Evident skin contraction was recorded in larger injuries and all the treatments resulted in vestigial aesthetic scars where hair growth was also observed.

Conclusions

PRF‐therapy obtained promising results, as an alternative wound treatment, revealing a biological regenerative action, prompting the natural skin healing process.
Exploring sonography and histopathology of Geotrichum candidum‐associated early fetal loss in cattle
Authors: Negi Vijender , Sharma Akshay , Sharma Pururava , Kumar Pravesh , Ahuja Ankit K. , Sood Pankaj , Kumar Rakesh
Published: March 2024

When firm implantation has occurred, pregnancy losses during the late embryonic or early fetal period are less common and typically occur before 60 days of gestation. A rare case of early fetal death due to Geotrichum candidum infection in a pluriparous Jersey crossbred cow was sporadically recorded during routine screening at the university cattle farm. The early fetal death was diagnosed using sequential sonographic examinations, and the aetiology was confirmed through microbiological examination and histopathological evaluation of an endometrial biopsy sample. It is concluded that, although mycotic abortions and fetal deaths are uncommon and sporadic, routine screening of cows for late embryonic and early fetal death remains essential.
Averaging or adding domain conductivities to calculate the unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity
Authors: de Rooij Gerrit H.
Published: March 2024

Recent models of the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curve (UHCC) are the sum of separate UHCCs for domains of capillary water, film water, and water vapor. This requires parallel, noninteracting domains. A theoretical framework for aggregating domain conductivities to a bulk soil UHCC is presented to identify and possibly relax implicit assumptions about domain configuration. The paper develops arithmetic, harmonic, and geometric averages of the liquid‐water conductivities that can be arithmetically averaged with the vapor conductivity. However, current models for capillary and film conductivities are intrinsic, that is, valid within their respective domain. The vapor conductivity is a bulk conductivity, that is, it gives the conductivity of the gaseous domain as it manifests itself in the soil. Conversion relationships use the domain volume fractions as approximations of the as‐yet unknown weighting factors to convert between intrinsic and bulk conductivities. This facilitates consistent averaging of domain conductivities. Even with consistent averaging, a truly physically accurate model of the UHCC based on domain conductivities is fundamentally elusive. Nevertheless, models based on the three averages and the unweighted sum of the domain conductivities produce good fits to data for two soils but diverge in the dry range. The fitted curves for the capillary and film water depend on the averaging (or adding) method. Hence, they are not strictly characteristic of their respective domains. The true intrinsic domain conductivity functions may be impossible to determine.
Digital Inclusion and Learning at Home: Challenges for Low-Income Australian Families
Authors: Osman Kim , Marshall Amber , Dezuanni Michael
Published: March 2024

The sudden switch to learning exclusively at home during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the extent of low levels of digital inclusion for many low-income and socially disadvantaged families and children in Australia. Many students and families struggled with access to, and the affordability of, devices and data, along with having the required digital skills and mentoring to learn at home. The Australian Government recognises that “socially vulnerable children are over-represented among the group of students who are educationally vulnerable” and the Australian Digital Inclusion Index shows there is a “substantial digital divide between richer and poorer Australians” (Thomas J, Barraket J, Wilson C, Cook K, Louie Y, Holcombe-James I, Ewing S, MacDonald T, Measuring Australia’s digital divide: the Australian digital inclusion index 2018. RMIT University, for Telstra, Melbourne, 2018). This combination of digital and social disadvantage has far-reaching consequences for the educational outcomes of children from low-income families in Australia. Additionally, as social, government, education and commercial services move rapidly towards ‘digital by default,’ digital inclusion and in particular, digital ability, are critical for social and economic participation in society (Dezuanni M, Allan C, Pittsworth stories: Developing a social living lab for digital participation in a rural Australian community. In: Dezuanni M, Foth M, Mallan K, Hughes H (eds) Digital participation through social living labs –valuing local knowledge, enhancing engagement. Chandos Publishing, Cambridge, pp 141–171, 2018; Al-Muwil A, Weerakkody V, El-haddadeh R, Dwivedi Y, Inform Syst Front 21(3): 635–659, 2019). This chapter outlines policy, government, industry and community responses to enabling children from low-income families in Australia to learn at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses how such responses can be part of sustainable solutions to the digital inclusion challenges of families that enables all family members to fully participate in society now, and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
Non-local Transport of Electrons in Plasmas
Authors: Takabe Hideaki
Published: March 2024

Since plasma is high temperature and the charge particles are running with high temperature, for example, at 1 keV, about the velocity of 109 (electron) and 2 × 107 (ion) [cm/s]. Since Coulomb mean-free-path is proportional to (velocity)4, higher velocity component transfers its energy over a long distance without Coulomb collision. This is usually called as “non-local transport” and the traditional diffusion model in neutral gas cannot be applicable. In laser plasma, the locally heated electron thermal energy is transported into cold over-dense region non-locally. The best way to solve such problem is to solve Fokker-Planck equation, while it is time consuming and some theoretical models have been proposed and studied over the last four decades. The physics of such models are explained here and most recent model SNB is shown and compared to experiments. The difficulty of transport of charges particles such as electrons is how to include the effect of electrostatic field and magnetic field self-consistently.
The Perceptions of Science Teachers in Improving and Developing Science Learning of Students with Learning Difficulties in the Middle Stage of Private Schools in Dubai
Authors: AlSadoon Muna , Forawi Sufian
Published: March 2024

Purpose-This research investigates science teachers’ perceptions and practices in enhancing the science learning of students with learning disabilities (LD), guided by social cognitive theory and Fox’s Personal Learning Theories.

Methodology-The study utilized a questionnaire responded to by 156 science teachers from various private schools in Dubai.

Findings-Findings indicate a positive perception among teachers towards developing science learning for students with LD, employing well-established strategies.

Implications-the study emphasizes the need for guidance and coordination among stakeholders to maximize the impact of these positive perceptions.

Originality/value-providing essential information for enhancing science teacher performance and creating an optimal classroom environment.
Sustainability in Healthcare Practice
Authors: Sajwani Rehab Anwar
Published: March 2024

Purpose - This study examines sustainable healthcare approaches by reviewing the literature on sustainable healthcare practices. Understanding the dimensions of sustainable healthcare and the influencing variables will assist in strategic recommendations and future insights. It will further clarify various countries’ approaches, the UAE and EU in particular.

Methodology - This study examines sustainable practice in healthcare, with the aim of compiling all relevant research and comprehending the study dimension and strategies through conducting a systematic mapping investigation.

Findings - The paper emphasizes the significance of a comprehensive approach to comprehend the measurements and challenges of UAE and EU, and further develop strategies to consistently improve sustainability implementation in healthcare.

Implications - Despite using scientific databases for the search that include high-quality journals, the scope of this paper is limited to the time during submission of this paper and keywords specified in this paper.

Originality/value - This paper will improve academics’ understanding of the research and motivate them to broaden their studies of healthcare sustainability and adopt a more comprehensive approach.