bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Micafungin pharmacodynamics predict clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with candidemia caused by certain Candida species
Authors: Zaki Ahmed , Gonzales‐Luna Anne J. , Beyda Nicholas D. , Lasco Todd , Garey Kevin W.
Published: April 2023

Study Objective

Echinocandins are guideline‐preferred therapies for invasive candidiasis (IC). Fixed dosing of echinocandins is commonly used despite variations in body mass index and echinocandin susceptibility. The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes of micafungin based on population‐predicted pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) factors and susceptibility.

Design and Setting

Candida isolate results were screened from bloodstream or intraabdominal cultures of hospitalized patients admitted to a quaternary‐care teaching hospital. Patients with a first episode of IC who received micafungin for at least 48 h were included. Patients with mixed cultures or Candida species with no minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) differences were excluded. Breakpoints for micafungin MIC and area under the curve (AUC)/MIC ratio were calculated using classification and regression tree (CART) analysis and related to clinical outcomes. Primary efficacy outcome was candida‐contributable mortality, defined as mortality within 28 days of positive culture with concomitant micafungin treatment failure; secondary outcome was micafungin treatment failure within 28 days,

Main Results

Seventy‐two patients were included of whom 15 (21%) had Candida‐contributable mortality and 34 (47%) experienced micafungin treatment failure. C. albicans and C. tropicalis did not have differing MICs and these patients were excluded from the study. Mortality using a CART‐derived MIC breakpoint of ≥1.0 mg/L was 38% compared to 9% in patients infected with lower MIC strains (p = 0.003). Patients with a CART‐derived AUC/MIC value >138.5 had a mortality rate of 9% compared to 41% for patients with AUC/MIC values below the breakpoint (p = 0.0013). Results were similar for treatment failure rates, and both were confirmed using multivariable models.

Conclusions

CART‐derived micafungin MIC and AUC/MIC breakpoints predicted patient mortality and treatment failure for certain Candida species. These results support the need for further PK/PD studies to optimize echinocandin dosing and improve patient outcomes.
Registration of ‘Giant’ forage cowpea
Authors: Smith G. R. , Rouquette F. M. , DeLaune P. , Kochan K. , Wheeler T. , Wolff N. C.
Published: April 2023

‘Giant’ (Reg. no. CV‐348, PI 701902) is a southern root‐knot nematode (Meloidgyne incognita race 3 and race 4)–resistant forage cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] developed by Texas A&M AgriLife Research at Overton, TX. Giant is intended for use as a warm‐season cover crop, a forage and hay crop, and supplemental browse for white‐tailed deer. Giant is an indeterminate, forage type cowpea that produces biomass from May through September in northeast Texas but also flowers 25 days earlier than ‘Iron & Clay’ cowpea, allowing seed production in northeast Texas before the first average frost date. Single nucleotide polymorphism analysis confirmed the variety mix Iron & Clay as the parental source population for Giant. Forage production of Giant at Overton, TX, in 2019 and 2020 was 5.3 and 6.0 Mg dry matter (DM) ha−1, respectively. Forage production of Giant in 2019 at Prairie and Starkville, MS, was 2.8 and 2.9 Mg DM ha−1, respectively. Protein content of Giant in 2019 at Prairie and Starkville was 21.1 and 21.2%, respectively. Forage production of Giant in 2019 at Chillicothe, TX and Lockett, TX, was 2.6 and 3.6 Mg DM ha−1, respectively. Top growth nitrogen (N) yield of Giant in 2019 at Chillicothe, TX, and Lockett, TX, was 67 and 65 kg N ha−1, respectively. Based on very low nematode reproduction, Giant is rated resistant and partially resistant to southern root‐knot nematode race 3 and race 4, respectively.
Toward High‐Throughput Single‐Spin Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy with Spatially Programmable Laser Illumination
Authors: Cai Mingcheng , Guo Zhongzhi , Li Chunxing , Li Simin , Shi Fazhan , Wang Mengqi , Li Hui , Wang Pengfei , Du Jiangfeng
Published: April 2023

The single nitrogen‐vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are shown as a quantum sensor with broad applications in nanoscale sensing of magnetic field, electric field, temperature, and strain. However, the basic technique, namely, optically detected magnetic resonance to manipulate and measure single NV centers needs to be highly sped up for broad and practical applications. Here, this work shows a parallel optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) platform of single NV centers including the programmable excitation laser spots generated by a digital micromirror device, a four‐channel uniform microwave delivery, and the fluorescence detector based on scientific complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor camera. In the viewing field of 26 µm, hundreds of distinguishable fluorescent spots are addressed and 413 NV center spots are recognized. The magnetic resonance spectrum, Rabi oscillation, and spin echo of each NV center spot are measured in parallel. As a result, a preliminary speedup of ≈20‐fold is achieved compared to the confocal‐based ODMR and can be further extended to thousands of folds after updating the digital micromirror device and camera.
Inducing Shifted Edge Modes by the Spin‐Dependent Time‐Periodical Driving and the Corresponding Topological Phase Transitions
Authors: Wang Huan‐Yu , Wu Huai‐Zhi , Zhao Erhai , Wang Ru‐Quan , Wang Xun‐Gao , Liu Wu‐Ming
Published: April 2023

Time periodic driving can serve as synthetic gauge fields and plays a key role in simulating dynamical topological materials. The periodically driven systems, where different spins (or sublattices) are engaged in the different dynamical driving processes are investigated. It is demonstrated that spin‐dependent time‐periodical periodic driving can result in shifted topological edge modes with non‐zero (nor ) quasi‐energies. Such shifted topological edge modes are not only related to the spin imbalance at each instantaneous time, but also the details of the dynamical driving. Here, it is also illustrated that the spin‐dependent time‐periodical driving can be conceived as the time‐spin coupling, and similar to the static spatial spin‐orbit coupling, tuning time‐spin coupling parameters can lead to topological phase transitions. Experimental simulations on the spin‐dependent time‐periodic driving are proposed by shaking optical super‐lattices and Raman assisted tunneling.
Robustness of Excitonic Coupling in Ta2NiSe5 Against Electronic Inhomogeneity Introduced by S Substitution for Se
Authors: Hattori Masaki , Tomassucci Giovanni , Hayashi Genki , Okawa Mario , Kopciuszynski Marek , Barinov Alexey , Lu Yangfan , Takagi Hidenori , Saini Naurang L. , Mizokawa Takashi
Published: April 2023

Electronic properties of various insulators can be controlled by chemical substitution. For example, exotic superconducting phases are often obtained by chemical substitution in Mott insulators. Compared to Mott insulators, impact of chemical substitution on excitonic insulators is not well explored yet. In the present work, space‐resolved angle‐resolved photoemission spectroscopy of the model Ta2Ni(Se1‐xSx)5 is reported in which S substitution for Se is used to control the excitonic behavior. The substitution introduces electronic inhomogeneity with the Se 4p/S 3p valence band exhibiting strong position dependence. In contrast, the flat top valence band, which is a signature of the excitonic insulating phase, does not show any appreciable position dependence except the effect of surface corrugation. This indicates that the excitonic coupling in Ta2NiSe5 is robust against the electronic inhomogeneity induced by the S substitution.
Nontargeted screening based on EI‐MS spectra using statistical methods: An investigative study of synthetic indole/indazole cannabinoids
Authors: Xu Qing , Zhou Liying , Lv Min , Chen Zhuonan , Hu Chi , Xiang Ping , Chen Hang
Published: April 2023

Rationale

Mass spectrometry has evolved into a highly powerful tool for qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses. However, the identification of trace amounts of previously unknown structures in complex chemical matrix environments remains challenging. The rapid emergence of new synthetic cannabinoid substances is a typical example of this. Existing laboratory techniques are mostly based on methods used for lists of known illegal compounds. This situation poses a challenge to traditional data analysis and the risk of missing the compounds. Therefore, we propose to develop and validate a statistical model to classify newly emerging synthetic cannabinoid substances into a structural class or subclass.

Methods

We obtained 70 electrospray ionization spectra of indole/indazole synthetic cannabinoids from both the actual standard analysis and the SWGDRUG mass spectral library (version 3.10). Each sample consisted of 330 m/z variables and corresponding relative intensities. We first cleared the variables with a variance below 0.1. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the variance‐filtered data, and the two principal components were retained to generate new data for hierarchical clustering. After hierarchical clustering, we used the receiver operating characteristic method in this cluster.

Results

Seventy synthetic indole/indazole cannabinoids were classified into four clusters. The side chain of cluster 1 is mainly fluorobenzyl, cluster 2 is pentyl, cluster 3 includes compounds from several structures, and cluster 4 is mainly fluoropentyl. The most relevant characteristic ions are m/z 109, m/z 252, and m/z 253 for cluster 1; m/z 144 and m/z 214 for cluster 2; and m/z 232 and m/z 233 for cluster 4.

Conclusions

This study provides a more objective and less time‐consuming solution for characterizing synthetic cannabinoids. And this work validates the ability of PCA to extract characteristic fragment ions.
On powers of tight Hamilton cycles in randomly perturbed hypergraphs
Authors: Chang Yulin , Han Jie , Thoma Lubos
Published: April 2023

For integers and , we show that for every , there exists such that the union of ‐uniform hypergraph on vertices with minimum codegree at least and a binomial random ‐uniform hypergraph with on the same vertex set contains the power of a tight Hamilton cycle with high probability. Moreover, a construction shows that one cannot take , where is a constant. Thus the bound on is optimal up to the value of and this answers a question of Bedenknecht, Han, Kohayakawa, and Mota.
Differences and similarities of albumins from japonica rice bran, japonica, indica, and javanica rice endosperm in the suppressive effect of postprandial blood glucose elevation
Authors: Ogawa Rio , Sugimoto Chiaki , Hamada Aya , Ninomiya Kazumi , Ina Shigenobu , Yamaguchi Yusuke , Kumagai Hitoshi , Kumagai Hitomi
Published: April 2023

Suppression of rapid increase in blood glucose level using food components can prevent diabetes. To use functional food components from natural resources, information regarding the plant varieties and plant parts where the component exists is important for the effective extraction and the effective use of biological resources. We have previously found that proteins from the albumin fraction of rice endosperm are indigestible and adsorb glucose to suppress postprandial blood glucose elevation in vivo. However, the variety and location of this functional protein remain unknown. We investigated whether water‐soluble fraction from the endosperm of indica and javanica rice and red and middle bran of japonica rice contains functional albumin observed in the endosperm of japonica. Middle bran was found to possess an indigestible albumin with the same molecular weight as that in the endosperm of japonica and adsorb a large amount of glucose. Middle‐bran albumin suppressed postprandial blood glucose elevation after oral glucose loading in animal experiments, as well as the rice‐endosperm albumin. As middle bran is the outer layer of the endosperm, many functional components are distributed. Our study can aid the effective use of middle bran, which is predominantly discarded in the process of making rice wine, as a functional food material for the prevention of diabetes mellitus.
DNA‐Guided Extracellular‐Vesicle Metallization with High Catalytic Activity for Accurate Diagnosis of Pulmonary Nodules
Authors: Chen Yirong , Zhang Songzhi , Lu Jun , Li Dandan , Wu Haiping , Zhang Lu , Li Xinyu , Gao Xin , Xu Yuan , Zeng Zijie , Zeng Li , Ding Xiaojuan , Li Xinmin , Ding Shijia
Published: April 2023

Sensitive and specific analysis of extracellular vesicles (EVs) offers a promising minimally invasive way to identify malignant pulmonary nodules from benign lesions. However, accurate analysis of EVs is subject to free target proteins in blood samples, which compromises the clinical diagnosis value of EVs. Here a DNA‐guided extracellular‐vesicle metallization (DEVM) strategy is described for ultrasensitive and specific analysis of EV protein biomarkers and classification of pulmonary nodules. The facile DEVM process mainly includes the incorporation of DNA labeled with cholesterol and thiol groups into EV membranes and subsequent deposition of Au3+ and Pt4+ to allow the DNA‐functionalized EVs to be encapsulated with AuPt nanoshells. It is found that the synthesized AuPt‐metallized EVs possess extrinsic peroxidase‐like activity. Utilizing the feature of the catalytic metal nanoshells just growth on the EV membranes, the DEVM method enables multiparametric recognition of target proteins and EV membranes and can produce an amplified colorimetric signal, avoiding the interference of free proteins. By profiling four surface proteins of EVs from 48 patients with pulmonary nodules, the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.9983) is obtained. Therefore, this work provides a feasible EVs analysis tool for accurate pulmonary nodules management.
HBCU renaissance: Schools gain enrollment, funding, and donations
Authors: D'Orio Wayne
Published: April 2023

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — HBCUs have been on a roll recently. Federal funding has risen significantly, enrollments for many of the schools are up, and donations have surged.
Disclosures
Authors: Rainsberger Richard
Published: April 2023

Many of my FERPA Doc® columns are about disclosures of education records. And since I want to assist registrars to make FERPA‐compliant decisions with situations that confront them, I spend a lot of time providing a basis for a colleague to consider when making a disclosure decision. I've also attempted to point out that disclosures are situational. One registrar may decide to disclose, or not disclose, an education record whereas another registrar at another college may make a decision that is completely opposite from the former…and both of those decisions can be FERPA‐compliant.
Wie entsteht Inflation?
Authors: Gischer Horst , Herz Bernhard , Menkhoff Lukas
Published: April 2023

Geldentwertung ist ein weitgehend unerwünschter makroökonomischer Zustand. Um ihn effektiv zu verhindern hilft es, die Entstehung von Inflation zu untersuchen. Die Analyse setzt an den fundamentalen Eigenschaften moderner Volkswirtschaften an.
Robotik im Krankenhaus
Authors: Graf Birgit , Klein Barbara
Published: April 2023

Bedingt durch den eklatanten Personalmangel und den Druck, kosteneffizient arbeiten zu müssen, stehen Krankenhäuser vor großen Herausforderungen. Deshalb gerät Unterstützung durch mehr Automatisierung, wie sie in anderen Branchen bereits gang und gäbe ist, auch im Gesundheitssektor verstärkt in den Fokus. Während Serviceroboter im Operationssaal bereits etabliert sind, wurden in den letzten Jahren zahlreiche Roboter für weitere Einsatzfelder im Krankenhaus entwickelt. Das Kapitel stellt diese Einsatzfelder vor: patientenferne Routinetätigkeiten wie Transportdienste und Reinigung, Rehabilitation sowie schließlich Unterstützung in der Pflege. In kompakter Form werden ein kurzer Stand der Technik sowie ausgewählte Forschungstätigkeiten benannt. Es zeigt sich, dass die meisten am Markt verfügbaren Produkte auf eine ausgewählte Tätigkeit beschränkt sind und weitgehend fern der eigentlichen Pflegetätigkeit genutzt werden. Um weitere Produkte in die Praxis zu bringen, bedarf es neben den Forschungs- und Entwicklungstätigkeiten auch umfassender Tests der Roboter, damit sie sowohl ihren Nutzen, die Nutzerfreundlichkeit und Akzeptanz als auch das Potenzial für einen wirtschaftlichen Einsatz nachweisen können.
Verbesserung der Personalallokation durch Strukturwandel
Authors: Schreyögg Jonas
Published: April 2023

Zur Bewältigung des Fachkräfteengpasses in Krankenhäusern werden in Politik und Öffentlichkeit zahlreiche Lösungsstrategien diskutiert. Strategien zur Reallokation der knappen Personalressourcen, bei der neben Maßnahmen zur Personalrekrutierung vor allem auf eine humanressourcenschonende, bedarfsgerechte und Redundanzen vermeidende Versorgung gesetzt werden, kommen dabei jedoch zu kurz. In diesem Beitrag werden zentrale Vorhaben des aktuellen Koalitionsvertrags mit ihrer potenziellen Wirkung auf die Reallokation von Personalressourcen beleuchtet. Im Kern geht es um die Reform der Notfallversorgung verbunden mit einer Reduktion und Zentralisierung von Notfallstandorten, eine sektorenübergreifende bedarfs-, leistungs- und qualitätsorientierte Bedarfsplanung, die Einführung einer pauschalen, sektorengleichen Vergütung für bestimmte Leistungen sowie die Etablierung regionaler Versorgungszentren als niederschwellige Alternative zu Krankenhäusern im herkömmlichen Sinne. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass ein Strukturwandel der Versorgungslandschaft eine erhebliche Verbesserung der Personalallokation im deutschen Gesundheitswesen bewirken kann. Es ist nicht unwahrscheinlich, dass ein Strukturwandel sogar unter Berücksichtigung der bereits initiierten Maßnahmen Fachkräfteengpässe im Gesundheitswesen auflösen kann.
Hypertensive response to exercise, hypertension and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)—a continuum of disease?
Authors: Wiech Patrick , Würzburger Laura , Rossi Valentina A. , Caselli Stefano , Schmied Christian M. , Niederseer David
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has been shown to be a long-term consequence of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (aHT). Other than that, hypertensive response to exercise (HRE) precedes aHT. We aim to evaluate the available evidence for a continuum of HRE, aHT and HFpEF.

Methods

A literature search on PubMed was conducted to assembly the most recent data on the topic. After collecting the data, a qualitative analysis was instrumented.

Results

10 studies including 16,165 subjects were analyzed with respect to the association between HRE and the future risk of developing aHT. With the exception of one study, all reported on a positive association between HRE and the future development of aHT despite methodological issues related to different definitions for HRE. Furthermore, HRE was associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease. Moreover, we analysed 6 studies including overall 1366 subjects investigating the association between HRE and HFpEF. In these studies, increased left atrial volume index (LAVI), elevated E/e’ (as surrogate parameters of increased LV end-diastolic filling pressure and of diastolic dysfunction) and higher LV mass index have been proposed as independent predictor of HRE in patients with no known HFpEF diagnosis.

Discussion and conclusion

The literature search revealed suggestive data on a connection of HRE, aHT and HFpEF. HRE seems to be an independent risk factor for aHT and aHT in turn is one of the main risk factors for HFpEF. However, further research is needed to improve our knowledge of a possible continuum of disease.
Comparison of clinical effects of percutaneous vertebroplasty with two different puncture approaches on the treatment of thoracolumbar osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures with narrow pedicles: a retrospective controlled study
Authors: Liu Xiaolei , Tian Jiwei , Yu Xiao , Sun Zhongyi , Wang Haibin
Published: April 2023

Purpose

To evaluate the effects of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) with conventional transpedicle approach (CTA) or basal transverse process-pedicle approach (BTPA) on the treatment of thoracolumbar osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (TL-OVCFs) with narrow pedicles.

Methods

A retrospective study of TL-OVCFs with narrow pedicles was performed, including 78 cases of CTA and 84 cases of BTPA. The surgical outcomes, radiographic parameters [the width and height of the pedicle (PW, PH), the inclination angle of puncture (PIA)] and clinical indicators [visual analog scale (VAS) score, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)] of two groups were compared.

Results

In terms of surgical outcomes of them, there was no difference in operation time (P > 0.05), while the volume of bone cement, the incidence of bone cement leakage and rate of good bone cement distribution were significantly worse in the CTA group (4.4 ± 0.6 ml vs. 5.5 ± 0.5 ml, 37.2% vs. 20.2%, 52.6% vs. 79.8%, P < 0.05). As for radiographic parameters and clinical indicators of them, the differences were not observed in the PH, PW, preoperative VAS score and ODI (P > 0.05), whereas the PIA, VAS score and ODI at 1 day postoperatively were significantly better in the BTPA group (17.3 ± 2.1° vs. 29.6 ± 2.8°, 2.7 ± 0.7 vs. 2.1 ± 0.8, 32.8 ± 4.6 vs. 26.7 ± 4.0, P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The study provided solid evidence that PVP with BTPA had more advantages in the treatment of TL-OVCFs with narrow pedicles, which can better relieve postoperative pain.
Low rates of apomixis and polyploidy in progeny of Thuringian Sorbus subgenus Tormaria
Authors: Feulner Martin , Aas Gregor , Urbon Tessa , Caré Oliver , Kuchma Oleksandra , Hosius Bernhard , Kahlert Karina , Leinemann Ludger
Published: April 2023

Triassic limestone areas of Thuringia are well-known for their richness of hybrids between S. aria and S. torminalis (subgenus Tormaria). Those have been originally described as endemic taxa (i.e. Sorbus heilingensis, S. isenacensis). However, the former endemics have been recently synonymized with S. × decipiens (Karpatiosorbus × hybrida (Bechst.) Sennikov & Kurtto) due to diploidy and putative sexuality. Generally, crosses between diploid and sexual parents should segregate and intermediates as well as morphotypes close to the parents should be the outcome. To test for clonality versus segregation, we investigated progeny of 10 Tormaria mother trees, derived from open pollination. Three to ten seedlings of each mother tree were cultivated, and six leaf characters were measured being indicative for subgenus Aria, Tormaria and Torminalis. For genetic characterization, we used three ISSR microsatellite markers and one chloroplast marker. The progeny of nine mother trees segregated; the S. aria genome prevailed in pollen clouds. One polyploid mother tree, however, produced partly clonal progeny and proved to be polyploid and facultative apomictic. This means that in Thuringian Tormaria polyploidization occurs at low rates starting from diploid hybrids. Exact comparisons between geno- and phenotypes of the progeny proved a frequent uncoupling between genetic markers and genes responsible for leaf morphology, pointing to excessive genomic rearrangement within Tormaria mother trees. Only 1/3 of Tormaria-genotypes possessed the Tormaria-phenotype. Most of them belong to S. aria and to S. aria forma incisa, a S. aria type with slightly incise leaves. This means that plasticity of parental species may be explained by excessive introgression between S. aria and S. torminalis.
Comparative genomic analysis of Halomonas campaniensis wild-type and ultraviolet radiation-mutated strains reveal genomic differences associated with increased ectoine production
Authors: Wang Zhibo , Li Yongzhen , Gao Xiang , Xing Jiangwa , Wang Rong , Zhu Derui , Shen Guoping
Published: April 2023

Ectoine is a natural amino acid derivative and one of the most widely used compatible solutes produced by Halomonas species that affects both cellular growth and osmotic equilibrium. The positive effects of UV mutagenesis on both biomass and ectoine content production in ectoine-producing strains have yet to be reported. In this study, the wild-type H. campaniensis strain XH26 (CCTCCM2019776) was subjected to UV mutagenesis to increase ectoine production. Eight rounds of mutagenesis were used to generate mutated XH26 strains with different UV-irradiation exposure times. Ectoine extract concentrations were then evaluated among all strains using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, alongside whole genome sequencing with the PacBio RS II platform and comparison of the wild-type strain XH26 and the mutant strain G8-52 genomes. The mutant strain G8-52 (CCTCCM2019777) exhibited the highest cell growth rate and ectoine yields among mutated strains in comparison with strain XH26. Further, ectoine levels in the aforementioned strain significantly increased to 1.51 ± 0.01 g L−1 (0.65 g g−1 of cell dry weight), representing a twofold increase compared to wild-type cells (0.51 ± 0.01 g L−1) when grown in culture medium for ectoine accumulation. Concomitantly, electron microscopy revealed that mutated strain G8-52 cells were obviously shorter than wild-type strain XH26 cells. Moreover, strain G8-52 produced a relatively stable ectoine yield (1.50 g L−1) after 40 days of continuous subculture. Comparative genomics analysis suggested that strain XH26 harbored 24 mutations, including 10 nucleotide insertions, 10 nucleotide deletions, and unique single nucleotide polymorphisms. Notably, the genes orf00723 and orf02403 (lipA) of the wild-type strain mutated to davT and gabD in strain G8-52 that encoded for 4-aminobutyrate-2-oxoglutarate transaminase and NAD-dependent succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase, respectively. Consequently, these genes may be involved in increased ectoine yields. These results suggest that continuous multiple rounds of UV mutation represent a successful strategy for increasing ectoine production, and that the mutant strain G8-52 is suitable for large-scale fermentation applications.
An Advanced Quaternary Composite for Efficient Water Splitting
Authors: Sha Mizaj Shabil , N.Musthafa Farzana , Alejli Assem , Alahmad Johaina Khalid , Bhattacharyya Bagmita , Kumar Bijandra , Abdullah Aboubakr M. , Sadasivuni Kishor Kumar
Published: April 2023

Electrochemical water splitting is a promising pathway for effective hydrogen (H2) evolution in energy conversion and storage, with electrocatalysis playing a key role. Developing efficient, cost-effective and stable catalysts or electrocatalysts is critical for hydrogen evolution from water splitting. Herein, we evaluated a graphene-modified nanoparticle catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The electrocatalytic H2 production rate of reduced graphene oxide-titanium oxide-nickel oxide-zinc oxide (rGO–TiO2–NiO–ZnO) is high and exceeds that obtained on components alone. This improvement is due to the presence of rGO as an electron collector and transporter. Moreover, a current density of 10 mA/cm2 was recorded at a reduced working potential of 365 mV for the nanocomposite. The electronic coupling effect between the nanoparticle components at the interface causes the nanoparticle's hydrogen evolution reaction catalytic activity.

Graphical Abstract
Vapor Equilibrium Data for the Binary Mixtures of Dimethyl Carbonate and Ethyl Methyl Carbonate in Compressed Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Jethwa Shiva J. , Román-Ramírez Luis A. , Anderson Paul A. , Leeke Gary A.
Published: April 2023

Phase equilibrium data ($$p$$
p
, $$T$$
T
, $$y$$
y
) for the binary systems of carbon dioxide + dimethyl carbonate and carbon dioxide + ethyl methyl carbonate were obtained. All systems were measured for isotherms ranging from 298.2 K to 328.2 K with pressure ranging between 0.13 MPa and 10.6 MPa. A static equilibrium technique was established with samples quantified using an offline method. The results were modeled using the Peng–Robinson equation of state with van der Waals one-fluid mixing rules.

Graphical Abstract
Model-Based Parametric Study of Surface-Breaking Defect Characterization Using Half-Skip Total Focusing Method
Authors: Lei Xiangyu , Wirdelius Håkan , Carlson Johan E.
Published: April 2023

As the demand of structural integrity in manufacturing industries is increasing, the ultrasonic array technique has drawn more attention thanks to its inspection flexibility and versatility. By taking advantage of the possibility of individual triggering of each array element, full matrix capture (FMC) data acquisition strategy has been developed that contains the entire information of an inspection scenario. Total focusing method (TFM) as one of the ultrasonic imaging algorithms, is preferably applied to FMC dataset since it uses all information in FMC to synthetically focus the sound energy at every image pixel in the region of interest. Half-skip TFM (HSTFM) is proposed in multi-mode TFM imaging that involves a backwall reflection wave path, so that the defect profile could be reconstructed for accurate defect characterization. In this paper, a method involving Snell’s law-based wave mode conversion is proposed to account for more reasonable wave propagation time when wave mode conversion happens at backwall reflection in HSTFM. A series of model based simulations (in software simSUNDT) are performed for parametric studies, with the intention of investigating the capability of defect characterization using HSTFM with varying tilt angle and relative position of surface-breaking notch to array probe. The results show that certain TFM modes could help with defect characterization, but the effectiveness is limited with varying defect features. It is inappropriate to address a certain mode for all characterization perspectives but rather a combination, i.e., multi-mode TFM, should be adopted for possible interpretation and characterization of defect features.
The Role of A Priori Belief in the Design and Analysis of Fault-Tolerant Distributed Systems
Authors: Cignarale Giorgio , Schmid Ulrich , Tahko Tuomas , Kuznets Roman
Published: April 2023

The debate around the notions of a priori knowledge and a posteriori knowledge has proven crucial for the development of many fields in philosophy, such as metaphysics, epistemology, metametaphysics etc. We advocate that the recent debate on the two notions is also fruitful for man-made distributed computing systems and for the epistemic analysis thereof. Following a recently proposed modal and fallibilistic account of a priori knowledge, we elaborate the corresponding concept of a priori belief: We propose a rich taxonomy of types of a priori beliefs and their role for the different agents that participate in the system engineering process, which match the existing view exceedingly well and are particularly promising for explaining and dealing with unexpected behaviors in fault-tolerant distributed systems. Developing such a philosophical foundation will provide a sound basis for eventually implementing our ideas in a suitable epistemic reasoning and analysis framework and, hence, constitutes a mandatory first step for developing methods and tools to cope with the various challenges that emerge in such systems.
Impact of COVID-19 on elderly population well-being: evidence from European countries
Authors: Polinesi Gloria , Ciommi Mariateresa , Gigliarano Chiara
Published: April 2023

The aim of this paper is to analyse the effect of COVID-19 on multidimensional well-being in the European population aged 50 and over by measuring changes in individual well-being before and after the pandemic outbreak. To capture the multidimensional nature of well-being, we consider different dimensions: economic well-being, health status, social connections and work status. We introduce new indices of change in individual well-being that measure non-directional, downward and upward movements. Individual indices are then aggregated by country and subgroup for comparison. The properties satisfied by the indices are also discussed. The empirical application is based on micro-data from waves 8 and 9 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), carried out for 24 European countries before the pandemic outbreak (regular survey) and in the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic (June–August 2020 and June–August 2021). The findings suggest that employed and richer individuals suffered greater losses in well-being, while differences based on gender and education diverge from country to country. It also emerges that while the main driver of well-being changes in the first year of the pandemic was economics, the health dimension also strongly contributed to upward and downward well-being changes in the second year.
Maximum likelihood estimation of the Weibull distribution with reduced bias
Authors: Makalic Enes , Schmidt Daniel F.
Published: April 2023

In this short note, we derive a new bias adjusted maximum likelihood estimate for the shape parameter of the Weibull distribution with complete data and type I censored data. The proposed estimate of the shape parameter is significantly less biased and more efficient than the corresponding maximum likelihood estimate, while being simple to compute using existing maximum likelihood software procedures.
Size-biased compositional impacts of small mammal herbivores in an old-field plant community
Authors: Gridzak Riley , Wylie Rebecca , Bennett Will , Schamp Brandon S.
Published: April 2023

Plant species height (mature height), which strongly correlates with other measures of size, is widely considered an important functional trait. Taller species contribute greatly to ecosystem function and are frequently identified as strong competitors. Additionally, important ecological processes like self-thinning scale with plant species size. In spite of the clear functional importance of species size, evidence for size-based plant community assembly rules has been scant. While herbivory can be species specific and there are reasons why herbivores may target larger plant species, it is unknown whether herbivory has size-biased impacts on species composition. In an old-field plant community, we compared plant species composition in herbivore exclusion (caged) and control plots over five years to test whether herbivore activity favors species at one end of the size spectrum. Across 5 years, smaller species were modestly, but consistently, underrepresented in caged plots compared to control plots. This underrepresentation of relatively smaller plant species in caged plots, where seedling herbivory was greatly diminished, was driven by lower small plant species richness and abundance in those plots; the abundance and richness of tall species did not differ across treatments. Our findings demonstrate that reducing herbivore activity in our study community modestly but consistently altered plant species composition, slightly favoring larger species. There was no evidence that larger species are preferentially targeted by herbivores. Some research suggests, although it will require further investigation, that seedling herbivory, regardless of the species eaten, produces vegetation gaps that small plant species are more successful in colonizing.
Optimal design for compliance modeling of industrial robots with bayesian inference of stiffnesses
Authors: Tepper Cornelia , Matei Alexander , Zarges Jonas , Ulbrich Stefan , Weigold Matthias
Published: April 2023

In this paper a cost and time efficient approach to setup a compliance model for industrial robots is presented. The compliance model is distinctly determined by the gear’s stiffness parameters which are tuned by an optimal design of experiments approach. The experimental setup consists of different poses of the robot’s axes together with the applied force at the tool center point (TCP). These robot poses represent together with defined forces the experimental setup where the deviation of the robot under defined force is measured. Based on measurements of the displacement of the TCP the stiffness parameters for the compliance model are estimated and afterwards validated in new experiments. The efficiency of this approach lies in the reduced amount of experiments that are needed to identify the stiffness parameters that are parameters inherent to the compliance and the less complex experimental setup.
How product complexity affects consumer adoption of new products: The role of feature heterogeneity and interrelatedness
Authors: Fürst Andreas , Pecornik Nina , Hoyer Wayne D.
Published: April 2023

Recent technological advancements allow companies to incorporate increasingly heterogeneous and interrelated features into their products, which heightens the products’ complexity. In four experimental studies conducted with two product categories, this article reveals similarities and differences in terms of how the heterogeneity and interrelatedness of product features influence consumer attitudes (i.e., expected product usability and capability) and, in turn, purchase intentions. Moreover, it shows that both neglected dimensions of product complexity affect the corresponding influence of the number of product features but do so in considerably different ways. The findings suggest that companies can foster consumer adoption by deemphasizing a product’s feature heterogeneity, thereby avoiding low expected product usability, and by emphasizing its feature interrelatedness, thereby promoting high expected product capability. This article provides insights into how companies can manage the complexity of products during both product design (i.e., before market launch) and product advertising and selling (i.e., after market launch).
Accumulation of complex oligosaccharides and CAZymes activity under acid conditions constitute the Thatcher+Lr9 defence responses to Puccinia triticina
Authors: Mafa Mpho S. , Lebusa Ninikoe , Gumani Tshililo F. , Kemp Gabre , Visser Botma , Boshoff Willem H.P. , Castelyn Howard D.
Published: April 2023

Puccinia triticina (Pt) is an important pathogen of wheat. While breeding programmes develop resistant wheat cultivars to mitigate the effects of such rust-causing pathogens, the emergence of new rust races with wider virulence mandates the implementation of other control strategies. Our study investigated whether acidic pH conditions affected selected Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes (CAZymes) in Pt-inoculated Thatcher + Lr9 (IR) wheat compared to those found in the Thatcher (IS) wheat. The β-glucosidase and amyloglucosidase activity levels significantly increased in IR compared to the control from 1 to 14 days post-inoculation (dpi). In contrast, activity levels of invertase did not change in the IR wheat relative to the control at 1 and 7 dpi, but were significantly reduced in the IR plants at 14 dpi. The IS had higher activity of all three hexose-producing enzymes under acidic conditions. These enzyme activities could be increased in the IS to produce hexose sugars required by Pt to develop and advance infection. The phenotypic analysis supported this view because leaf rust disease symptoms were only visible in the IS plants. For cell wall loosening-related enzymes, the IR displayed higher activity of exoglucanase, xylanase and peroxidase enzymes compared to IS. The liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis showed IR had higher concentrations of complex oligosaccharides compared to the IS. Thus, we concluded that the higher exoglucanase, xylanase and peroxidase activity could be involved in cell wall loosening under acidic conditions, while oligosaccharides could be building-blocks for synthesizing cell wall barriers that apprehend Pt growth in inoculated Thatcher + Lr9.
Achieving thin wall and high surface quality of magnesium alloy tubes in combined process of hollow sinking after die-less mandrel drawing
Authors: Kishimoto Takuma , Furushima Tsuyoshi
Published: April 2023

Dimensions and surface roughness of magnesium alloy tubes were evaluated to elucidate the flattening behavior of asperity on the outer surface and the optimal condition for achieving thin wall and high surface quality in the combined process of the hollow sinking after die-less mandrel drawing. ZM21 tubes were drawn using a die after die-less mandrel drawing. Dimensions and surface roughness were measured, and the stress state of the asperity during hollow sinking was evaluated using finite element and slab methods. The results indicated that in hollow sinking after die-less mandrel drawing when the speed ratio was large, both a thin wall and high inner and outer surface qualities can be achieved under low die reduction, where the outer surface roughness was the least, owing to relatively large die pressure and drawing stress. Additionally, enhancing the flattening of the asperity due to bulk plastic deformation in tension was difficult even if drawing stress increased when the speed ratio in die-less mandrel drawing was large. Therefore, when the speed ratio of the die-less mandrel drawing was large before hollow sinking, the largest outer surface flattening was achieved under low die reduction, wherein die pressure was large.
Cultural Adaptation of the teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) Program from Australia to the USA
Authors: Rosenbaum Lacey L. , Bhakta Sanjana , Wilcox Holly C. , Pas Elise T. , Girgis Karen , DeVinney Aubrey , Hart Laura M. , Murray Sarah M.
Published: April 2023

teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) is an evidence-based program developed in Australia that teaches young people in grades 10–12 how to identify and respond to signs of mental health challenges and crises among peers. Recognizing the growing adolescent mental health crisis in the USA, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, in partnership with a Johns Hopkins University research team, used a multimethod research approach to adapt the program culturally and contextually from Australia to the USA. The goals of the study were to engage adolescents, MHFA instructors, and content area experts (N = 171) in a process to determine: how to retain the elements of the course that were evidence-based and effective while adapting the program for US students, what topics to add so US students have the essential information and skills teens needed to help a friend experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis, what changes to make to curriculum materials to ensure the style and delivery resonate with US students, and what tools to include so the program is implemented safely and with fidelity in diverse US schools. This paper outlines the adaptation process, including engaging participants, identifying key recommendations for modification, and making changes to the tMHFA program. The findings demonstrate the types of adaptations that may be needed to facilitate implementation and maintenance of program effectiveness when introducing tMHFA to new populations of students in the USA. In addition, the process outlined can be replicated toward this purpose as the program continues to expand both in the USA and in other countries.
Ionic Liquids and Deep-Eutectic Solvents in Extractive Metallurgy: Mismatch Between Academic Research and Industrial Applicability
Authors: Binnemans Koen , Jones Peter Tom
Published: April 2023

The past 10–20 years have seen numerous academic papers describing the benefits of ionic liquids (ILs) and deep-eutectic solvents (DESs) for leaching, solvent extraction and electrowinning. The scientific community—including the authors of this opinion article—have frequently proclaimed these neoteric solvents as game-changers in extractive metallurgy. Despite this, there have been no commercial breakthroughs. In this paper we reflect on the reasons why ILs and DESs seem to have failed to impact on the metallurgical industry. These include: (1) issues with high viscosity; (2) limited chemical stability under the conditions of metallurgical processes; (3) difficulties with recycling and reuse; (4) a lack of demonstrated unit processes and flowsheets on the pilot scale; (5) insufficient material-property data available for engineering purposes; (6) the administrative burden of obtaining licenses and safety permits; (7) very high costs for large-scale operations; and (8) minimal added value compared to state-of-the-art hydrometallurgical processes. Our belief is that innovations in hydrometallurgy based on ILs or DESs are unlikely. Instead, we should be aiming for a deeper understanding of hydrometallurgical processes at the molecular level. This is because advances are more likely to derive from the refocused efforts of experienced IL/DES researchers investigating the speciation and chemical thermodynamics of hydrometallurgical solutions, which will then hasten the transition from linear to low-energy-input, circular hydrometallurgy.

Graphical Abstract
Utilization of sawdust composites in construction—a review
Authors: Olaiya Bamidele Charles , Lawan Mustapha Muhammad , Olonade Kolawole Adisa
Published: April 2023

This study presents the use of sawdust ash as a substitute in the production of sustainable building materials. Inappropriate dispose of wood-waste causes serious environmental problems as it results in atmospheric degradation, emissions of greenhouse gases and the destruction of aquatic and organic products. This review article combines research results from past studies into the usage of sawdust as an alternative for essential elements in construction composites. The result of this study shows that structural concrete can be manufactured with compressive strengths more than 20 MPa by replacing moderately 5–17% of the sand with sawdust or 5–15% of the cement with sawdust ash. By partially substituting sawdust that ranges between 10 and 30% of sand used in the production of blocks and bricks, sawdust blocks and bricks having compressive strengths greater than 3 MPa can be created. According to the findings of this study, sawdust has the potential to make construction composites that are strong, absorb water, and have an elastic modulus that meet international standards. The study concludes that sawdust composites are intriguing due to having hushed heat conductivity, a prominent sound absorption, as well as efficient sound wadding. From the findings, it is demonstrated that an increase in the utilization of sawdust for construction purposes will reduce the possibility of sawdust as a pollution to the environment, and will also ease the costs of disposal.