bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Family health beliefs and cascade genetic testing in Asian families with hereditary cancer risk: “Okay, now what?”
Authors: Tran Leena , Young Jennifer L. , Barton Claire M. , Hodan Rachel , Hanson‐Kahn Andrea , Chun Nicolette
Published: March 2024

The limited literature on Asian family communication of hereditary cancer risk and cascade genetic testing for pathogenic variants (PVs) in BRCA1 and BRCA2 has reported that Asian patients have selective communication of test results and lower cascade testing rates. To better understand the factors that impact communication and cascade testing in Asian families, we conducted an in‐depth qualitative study guided by the Health Belief Model. Participants with heterozygous PVs in ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, CHEK2, or PALB2, who identified their family's origins to an Asian country, were recruited from the Stanford Cancer Genetics Research Database in October–November 2021. Utilizing a constructivist approach, we conducted sixteen semi‐structured interviews around family communication and cascade genetic testing. The research team analyzed the transcript data using a reflexive thematic approach. Extensive discussions between the research team resulted in three primary themes presented in this paper: (1) the role of family health beliefs in cascade genetic testing, (2) changes in communication as a result of genetic testing, and (3) genetics providers' role in supporting family discussions on cascade genetic testing. Certain health beliefs, such as perceived susceptibility to cancer and self‐efficacy to take action, were co‐created by family members and these shared beliefs influenced decisions about genetic testing, family communication, and family support during the cascade genetic testing process. Participants shared strategies for how genetics providers can prepare Asian patients for more effective conversations with relatives and better address potential testing barriers by tailoring information and providing anticipatory guidance. This study represents an important contribution to the literature about cascade testing among an underrepresented group. Shared family health beliefs about genetic testing may be particularly relevant for this community and these findings can inform strategies to increase cascade genetic testing in Asian families.
Graft‐versus‐host disease after autologous stem cell transplantation in a recipient who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation 20 years earlier
Authors: Imataki Osamu , Yoshida Shunsuke , Ishida Tomoya , Fujita Haruyuki , Uemura Makiko
Published: March 2024

A literature review does not provide information about the safety of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in a recipient who has previously received allogeneic HSCT. We treated a 69‐year‐old woman with diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The patient received autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in the second complete remission of malignant lymphoma. The patient had undergone allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (allo‐HSCT) for chronic myeloid leukemia 20 years ago. Chronic myeloid leukemia had been in complete remission for the previous 20 years. Thus, the patient received autologous and allogenic HSCT 20 years apart. ASCT involves the patient receiving “self” hematopoietic cells from an allogeneic donor. In other words, this is immunologically the second allo‐HSCT. The allo‐HSCT 20 years ago was undergone by a related healthy brother, a human leukocyte antigen (HLA) 8/8 full matched donor. The conditioning regimen was reduced‐intensity consisting of fludarabine and busulfan. The patient did not experience acute or chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) after allo‐HSCT. The second transplantation, ASCT was performed to the MEAM conditioning regimen. Engraftment was uneventful, and complete donor chimerism had been achieved even after ASCT. She suffered from an acute gastric mucosal lesion 52 days after ASCT. Pathological finding of gastric mucosa was nonspecific acute gastritis with significant neutrophil infiltration. Sex chromosome analysis of gastric mucosa demonstrated that mucosal cells had XX signals, whereas infiltrating neutrophils had XY signals. We speculated the patient onset of an acute gastric GVHD in this recipient after the second transplantation. This case remarked infiltration of neutrophils triggered GVHD reaction by resetting allogeneic immune reaction after the second transplantation. We describe a rare occurrence of GVHD reaction in a recipient of ASCT following allo‐HSCT.
State of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the wildlife management profession
Authors: Werdel Ty J. , Matarrita‐Cascante David , Lucero Jacob E.
Published: March 2024

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), described as the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the ecosystem, has always been part of Indigenous communities and their daily lives; however, TEK has progressively been incorporated into the academic and professional field of North American wildlife management and ecology despite its historical domination by Western scientific attitudes, knowledge, and methods. The objective of this note is to provide an overview of such progression from the standpoint of the first author, an Indigenous professional trained in a Western scientific paradigm. More specifically, the paper categorizes the history and the current state of TEK in the wildlife management profession while providing insights for the future of the field.
Spin‐Selective Trifunctional Metasurfaces for Deforming Versatile Nondiffractive Beams along the Optical Trajectory
Authors: Li Tianyue , Chen Yun , Fu Boyan , Liu Mengjiao , Wang Jinwen , Gao Hong , Wang Shuming , Zhu Shining
Published: March 2024

Exploring and taming the diffraction phenomena and divergence of light are foundational to enhancing comprehension of nature and developing photonic technologies. Despite the numerous types of nondiffraction beam generation technologies, the 3D deformation and intricate wavefront shaping of structures during propagation have yet to be studied through the lens of nanophotonic devices. Herein, the dynamic conversion of a circular Airy beam (CAB) to a Bessel beam with a single‐layer spin‐selective metasurface is demonstrated. This spatial transformation arises from the interplay of 1D local and 2D global phases, facilitating the 3D control of non‐diffractive light fields. An additional overall phase gradient and orbital angular momentum are introduced, which effectively altering the propagation direction and transverse fields of complex amplitude beams along the optical path. The manifested samples exhibit superior defect resistance, laying a crucial application in micro/nanolithography technologies. This approach expands the in‐plane spin‐selective mechanism and leverages the out‐of‐plane propagation dimension, allowing for integrated high‐resolution imaging, on‐chip optical micromanipulation, and micro/nanofabrication within a versatile nanophotonic platform.
Dietary therapies for adult and pediatric inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Deas Jessica , Shah Neha D. , Konijeti Gauree G. , Lundin Abigail , Lanser Olivia , Magavi Pooja , Ali Sabina
Published: March 2024

Diet is an environmental exposure implicated in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Dietary therapy is also a tool for management of these conditions. Nutrition therapy for IBD has been shown to reduce intestinal inflammation, promote healing, and alleviate symptoms, as well as improve patients' nutrition status. Although the mechanisms of action of most nutrition therapies for IBD are not well understood, the diets are theorized to eliminate triggers for gut dysbiosis and mucosal immune dysfunction associated with the typical Western diet. Exclusive enteral nutrition and the Crohn's disease exclusion diet are increasingly being used as the primary treatment modality for the induction of remission and/or maintenance therapy in children, and in some adults, with CD. Several other diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, anti‐inflammatory diet for IBD, and diets excluding gluten, FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols), lactose, or other compounds, may be helpful in symptom management in both CD and UC, though evidence for biochemical efficacy is limited. In this review, we discuss the role of diet components in IBD pathogenesis and examine diets currently used in the management of children and adults with IBD. We also address practical, psychosocial, and cultural considerations for dietary therapy across diverse populations.
Ultrasonication‐assisted alkali treatment of hemp fibers to improve the fiber/matrix interface of hemp/epoxy composites: The influence of sodium dodecyl sulfate surfactant
Authors: Karaduman Yekta , Secinti‐Klopf Hatice , Sahbaz Karaduman Nesrin
Published: March 2024

Alkali pretreatment of fibers is an efficient technique to enhance fiber/matrix bonding in natural fiber composites. This study investigates if the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant increases the efficacy of alkali treatment of hemp fibers. SDS concentrations ranging between 2 and 10% wt/wt were used with a constant (10% wt/wt) NaOH concentration. Fiber surfaces were observed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fiber surfaces were cleaner when SDS was used compared with alkali treatment with no SDS added indicating the elimination of substances such as lignin, waxes, hemicelluloses, and pectin. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy and TGA studies also confirmed the removal of these substituents. Mechanical performance of the composites was evaluated via static and dynamic tests. The tensile strength and modulus improved 24.9% and 13.6% respectively with the addition of 10 wt% SDS. The flexural strength and modulus also showed an improvement of 22.4% and 26.3% respectively when 10 wt% SDS was added to alkali solution. Dynamic mechanical tests showed that the storage and loss modulus of the composites increase with SDS/alkali treatment. Results indicated that the use of SDS in alkali treatment notably improves the composite performance which is attributable to more efficient elimination of noncellulosic constituents from fiber structure.

Highlights

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) improves the efficacy of NaOH treatment of hemp.

Removal of noncellulosic substances from fibers was facilitated by SDS.

Ultrasound/SDS assisted alkalization of fibers improved composite properties.
Modulation of TNF‐α, interleukin‐6, and interleukin‐10 by nebivolol–valsartan and nebivolol–lisinopril polytherapy in SHR rats
Authors: Diego Lezama‐Martinez , Jazmin Flores‐Monroy , Diana Ramirez‐Hernandez , German‐Isauro Garrido‐Farina , Salvador Fonseca‐Coronado , Maria‐Elena Hernandez‐Campos
Published: March 2024

Antihypertensive drug therapies have demonstrated their capacity to modulate the inflammatory processes associated with hypertension, leading to improvements in disease progression. Given the prevalent use of polytherapy in treating most hypertensive patients, comprehending the time‐dependent effects of combination treatments on inflammation becomes imperative. In this study, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were divided into seven groups (n = 6): (i) SHR + vehicle, (ii) SHR + nebivolol, (iii) SHR + valsartan, (iv) SHR + lisinopril, (v) SHR + nebivolol–valsartan, (vi) SHR + nebivolol–lisinopril, and (vii) WKY + vehicle. Blood pressure was measured using the tail‐cuff method. Temporal alterations in inflammatory cytokines TNF‐α, IL‐6, and IL‐10 were assessed in serum through ELISA and mRNA expression in aortic tissue via qPCR after 1, 2, and 4 weeks of treatment with nebivolol, lisinopril, valsartan, and their respective combinations. Histological alterations in the aorta were assessed. The findings indicated that combined treatments reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in SHR. The nebivolol and lisinopril combination demonstrated a significant decrease in IL‐6 serum and mRNA expression at both 1 week and 4 weeks into the treatment. Additionally, TNF‐α mRNA expression also showed a reduction with this combination at the same time points. Particularly, nebivolol–valsartan significantly decreased TNF‐α serum and mRNA expression after one and four weeks of treatment. Furthermore, an elevation in serum IL‐10 levels was observed with both combination treatments starting from the second week onwards. This study provides compelling evidence that concurrent administration of nebivolol with lisinopril or valsartan exerts time‐dependent effects, reducing proinflammatory cytokines TNF‐α and IL‐6 while modifying IL‐10 levels in an experimental hypertensive model.
Relish involved in immunity and larval survival in the willow leaf beetle Plagiodera versicolora
Authors: Liu Xiao‐Long , Zhang Qi , Wang Xin , Liu Yi‐Peng , Ze Long‐Ji , Zhang Hai‐Nan , Lu Min
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND

Insects mainly rely on innate immunity against pathogen infection. Plagiodera versicolora (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a worldwide leaf‐eating forest pest in salicaceous trees. However, the mechanisms behind the immunodeficiency pathway (IMD) remain poorly understood.

RESULTS

In this study, we obtained a Relish gene from transcriptome analysis. Tissue and instar expression profiles were subsequently obtained using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis. The results showed that Relish has high expression levels in eggs, larvae and adults, and especially in fat bodies. Transcripts of the tested antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), defensin1, defensin2 and attacin2 were downregulated by dsRelish. Knockdown of Relish led to greater mortality in larvae after Staphylococcus aureus infection. In addition, we performed bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA‐based high‐throughput sequencing. The results showed that the relative abundance of some gut bacteria was significantly altered after dsRelish ingestion.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a greater understanding of the IMD signaling pathway, facilitating functional studies of Relish in P. versicolora. Moreover, a genetic pest management technique might be developed using Relish as a lethal gene to control the pest P. versicolora. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
An effective segmentation and attention‐based reptile residual capsule auto encoder for pest classification
Authors: Biradar Nagaveni , Hosalli Girisha
Published: March 2024

PURPOSE

Insect pests are a major global factor affecting agricultural crop productivity and quality. Rapid and precise insect pest detection is crucial for improving handling and prediction techniques. There are several methods for pest detection and classification tasks; still, the inaccurate detection, computation complexity and several other challenges affect the performance of the model.

DESIGN

Thus, this research presents a Deep Learning (DL) approach that has led to significant advancements and is currently being applied successfully in many domains, such as autonomous insect pest detection. Initially, the input images are gathered from the test dataset. The next step in pre‐processing the input images is to improve the model capacity by removing unwanted data using the Enhanced Kuan filter method. Then, the pre‐processed images are segmented using the Attention‐based U‐Net method.

ORIGINALITY

Finally, a novel Attention Based Reptile Residual Capsule Auto Encoder (ARRCAE) technique is proposed to classify and recognize crop pests. Furthermore, the Improved Reptile Search Optimisation (IRSO) algorithm is employed to fine‐tune the classification parameters optimally. As a result, the proposed study enhances performance by classifying crop pest detection systems. The suggested method makes use of a Python tool for simulation, and pest datasets are utilized for result analysis.

FINDINGS

The suggested model beats other current models with an accuracy of 98%, precision of 97%, recall of 96%, and specificity of 99% for the pest dataset, per the simulation results that were obtained. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
A Novel Thermal Interface Material Composed of Vertically Aligned Boron Nitride and Graphite Films for Ultrahigh Through‐Plane Thermal Conductivity
Authors: Bashir Akbar , Niu Hongyu , Maqbool Muhammad , Usman Ali , Lv Ruicong , Ashraf Zubair , Cheng Ming , Bai Shulin
Published: March 2024

The relentless drive toward miniaturization in microelectronic devices has sparked an urgent need for materials that offer both high thermal conductivity (TC) and excellent electrical insulation. Thermal interface materials (TIMs) possessing these dual attributes are highly sought after for modern electronics, but achieving such a combination has proven to be a formidable challenge. In this study, a cutting‐edge solution is presented by developing boron nitride (BN) and graphite films layered silicone rubber composites with exceptional TC and electrical insulation properties. Through a carefully devised stacking‐cutting method, the high orientation degree of both BN and graphite films is successfully preserved, resulting in an unprecedented through‐plane TC of 23.7 Wm−1 K−1 and a remarkably low compressive modulus of 4.85 MPa. Furthermore, the exceptional properties of composites, including low thermal resistance and high resilience rate, make them a reliable and durable option for various applications. Practical tests demonstrate their outstanding heat dissipation performance, significantly reducing CPU temperatures in a computer cooling system. This research work unveils the possible upper limit of TC in BN‐based TIMs and paves the way for their large‐scale practical implementation, particularly in the thermal management of next‐generation electronic devices.
Continuous–discontinuous element method for simulating three‐dimensional reinforced concrete structures
Authors: Huang Junguang , Feng Chun , Wang Xueya , Zhang Yiming
Published: March 2024

Reinforced concrete structures experience crack propagation, bond‐slip, and accompanied stress redistributions when subjected to high loading levels, as a typical continuous–discontinuous process. This work proposes a numerical system composed of discrete blocks, springs, and one‐dimensional bolt elements within the continuous–discontinuous element method (CDEM) framework. This hybrid finite‐discrete element method is enhanced by explicit integration. By simulating the pull‐out tests, the mechanical interactions between bars and concrete are determined. Numerical studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in capturing the process of multiple crack propagation and bond‐slip in three‐dimensional reinforced concrete structures, such as columns and beams.
Experimental study of moment redistribution in continuous concrete beams prestressed with unbonded tendons
Authors: Nakari Tarja , Tulonen Joonas , Asp Olli , Kytölä Ulla , Laaksonen Anssi
Published: March 2024

The moment redistribution in a continuous prestressed concrete beam occurs as a result of a change in the rigidity of a beam and formation of plastic hinges when approaching the failure. Rotation capacity is required to allow for moment redistribution. Four continuous two‐span concrete beams prestressed with unbonded tendons were built and loaded up to failure at the laboratory of Civil Engineering in Tampere University. The test beams had different reinforcement ratios in the support area when the degree of prestressing and amount of tension reinforcement in the midspans were kept constant. All test beams were loaded by bending, but one test beam had torsion load in addition to bending. The degree of bending moment redistribution was defined by using nonlinear analysis and equations from the European standard and ACI318, as well as the test results. Moment redistribution clearly occurred on all test beams, and the beams had a high level of deformability.
Evaluation of drone surveys for ungulates in southwestern rangelands
Authors: Blum Jesse , Foley Aaron M. , DeYoung Randy W. , Hewitt David G. , Baumgardt Jeremy , Hellickson Mickey W. , Perotto‐Baldivieso Humberto L.
Published: March 2024

Drone platforms are increasingly used for aerial wildlife surveys, but the validity of population counts has not been fully evaluated in all environments. Aerial surveys generally undercount the true population size and one must estimate detection probability (p) to correct for missed individuals. Detection probability for visual observers is influenced by vegetation and terrain characteristics, but the use of thermal cameras as the observer may also introduce additional factors influencing detection probability. We conducted diurnal, thermal‐based drone surveys for ungulates during February–April 2020 in South Texas, USA, on sites with varying degrees of woody cover and terrain. We examined histograms of georeferenced perpendicular distances to determine the effect of habitat on detection probabilities. We also examined precision in population estimates and variation in repeated surveys. Finally, we compared drone population estimates to independent estimates derived from helicopter, spotlight, and trail‐camera surveys. Distributions of perpendicular distances from the transect were affected by habitat characteristics. A flat grassland site had relatively few detections near the transect because thermal (solar) reflectance in the center of the footage obscured detections. A hilly brushy site had a uniform p (1.00) but resulted in a severe undercount due to the inability of the drone to follow contours of hills. The flat brushy site had a lower p (0.63), indicating visibility bias. Two additional flat, brushy sites were surveyed repeatedly (n = 5 and 9 surveys, respectively). All combinations of up to 3 repeated surveys were pooled to meet the recommended minimum number of detections for distance sampling analyses (≥60 detections). Population estimates had acceptable precision (CV ≤ 20%) 80.7% of the time and variation among repeated surveys was acceptable (CV = 9% and 23%, respectively). Drone‐based population estimates were comparable with estimates generated from corrected helicopter, spotlight, and trail‐camera surveys. Overall, diurnal drone surveys can generate population estimates for large ungulates on southwestern rangelands after accounting for visibility bias, but may be limited by terrain and thermal conditions.
Post Newtonian emission of gravitational waves from binary systems: a gauge theory perspective
Authors: Fucito Francesco , Morales Jose Francisco
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Using the AGT correspondence and localization, we derive a combinatorial formula for the Post-Newtonian expansion of the wave form describing the gravitational emission from binary systems made of objects of extremely different masses. The results are written as a double instanton series describing the expansion of the gravitational wave at large distances and small velocities, and are tested against previous formulae in the literature for Schwarschild and Kerr black holes at the 5th and 3rd Post Newtonian order respectively beyond the quadrupole approximation. Tidal effects show up in the wave form at the 5th PN order, providing a quantitative measure of sizes and reflectivity properties of the gravity solution.
Spatial and Socioeconomic Inequalities in Cesarean Section Deliveries in Urban Settings in Dakar, Senegal
Authors: Sy Ibrahima , Sandie Arsène Brunelle , Sylla Elhadji Malick , Cissé Birane , Fall Ndèye Awa , Sow Mamadou Oumar , Silla Ndèye Bouri , Faye Cheikh Mbacké , Diène Aminata Niang
Published: March 2024

As part of an initiative aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality, Senegal implemented a policy of free Cesarean section (C-section) since 2005. Despite the implementation, C-section rates have remained low and significant large disparities in access, particularly in major cities such as Dakar. This paper aims to assess C-section rates and examines socioeconomic inequalities in C-section use in the Dakar region between 2005 and 2019. This study incorporates data from various sources, including the health routine data within District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) platform, government statistics on slum areas, and data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). A geospatial analysis was conducted to identify locations of Comprehensive emergency obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) services using the Direction des Travaux Géographiques et Cartographiques (DTGC) databases and satellite imagery from the Google Earth platform. The analytical approach encompassed univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. The C-section rate fluctuated over the years, increasing from 11.1% in 2005 to 16.4% in 2011, declined to 9.8% in 2014, and then raised to 13.3% in 2019. The wealth tertile demonstrated a positive correlation with C-sections in urban areas of the Dakar region. Geospatial analyses revealed that women residing in slum areas were less likely to undergo C-section deliveries. These findings underscore the importance of public health policies extending beyond merely providing free C-section delivery services. Strategies that improve equitable access to C-section delivery services for women across all socioeconomic strata are needed, particularly targeting the poor women and those in urban slums.
Describing the digital competencies of mathematics teachers: theoretical and empirical considerations on the importance of experience and reflection
Authors: Dilling Frederik , Schneider Rebecca , Weigand Hans-Georg , Witzke Ingo
Published: March 2024

This article presents an extension of the well-known TPACK model to describe the professional digital competencies of mathematics teachers. The extension leads to what we want to call MPC-model (Media–Pedagogy–Content) in the following. It additionally includes (1) the consideration of competencies instead of knowledge for a holistic description, (2) the integration of professional digital competencies in a broader context of professional media competencies (including explicitly analog and digital teaching media), (3) the description of concrete individual experiences with digital technology in context-bound subjective domains of experience, and (4) the cross-linking of concrete individual experiences about (digital) technology in specific (subjective) domains of experience. In this article, we first present a motivating literature overview leading to the research question: How can the TPACK model be extended to enable a qualitative description of professional digital competencies of mathematics teachers against the background of situated experiences? This extended framework is developed and presented in a detailed theoretical background. In the empirical part of the article, an exemplary application of the MPC-model is carried out in an explicative case study dealing with the reflections of a mathematics teacher on a planned lesson using virtual reality technology in a guided interview. The qualitative data is interpreted according to the systematic-extensional analysis method. The case study illustrates the importance of taking into account concrete situated experiences opening up a new reflective level analyzing the development of professional mathematics-specific digital competencies.
Airborne microplastic contamination across diverse university indoor environments: A comprehensive ambient analysis
Authors: Bhat Mansoor Ahmad
Published: March 2024

Microplastics (MPs) have become a growing concern in the context of environmental pollution, with an increasing focus on their presence in indoor environments, including university facilities. This study investigates the presence and characteristics of MPs in different university indoor environments. Initial examination of indoor ambient MPs involved physical characterization through optical microscopy, focusing on classifying MPs by shape and color. Various types of MPs, including fibers, fragments, pellets, foams, films, and lines, were identified, with the most common colors being black, red, blue, and brown. Fragments were the predominant type of MPs found, although accurately quantifying their numbers proved challenging due to the dense sample content. These MPs displayed rough and irregular margins suggestive of abrasion. Subsequent chemical and elemental characterization was conducted using micro-Raman and SEM-EDX, revealing the presence of 25 different types of MPs, including PA 66, PTFE, PP, HDPE, and PE. The study indicates that university inhabitants are exposed to airborne MPs (≥ 2.5–336.89 μm) at inhalation rates of 13.88–18.51 MPs/m3 and 180–240 MPs daily. These MPs exhibited significant variations in size, and their distribution varied among the different indoor environments studied. SEM-EDX analysis revealed common elements in the identified MPs, with C, O, F, Na, Cl, Al, Si, and others consistently detected. This research is the first to comprehensively analyze MPs in nine different indoor university environments using active sampling. Identifying and reducing MP contamination in these facilities might stimulate more awareness, promote extensive scientific investigation, and facilitate the development of informed policies.
Extraction of Sesquiterpene Lactones from Inula helenium Roots by High-Pressure Homogenization and Effects on Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Antiglycation Activities
Authors: Özcan Fahriye Şeyma , Özcan Nihat , Dikmen Meral Hilal , Çetin Özlem , Çelik Mustafa , Trendafilova Antoaneta
Published: March 2024

The sesquiterpene lactones (SL) of Inula helenium (I. helenium) roots were extracted using high-pressure homogenization (HPH) and compared against those derived from maceration. The effect of process conditions on the extraction efficiency of bioactive compounds (alantolactone, isoalantolactone, total phenols, and flavonoids); the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical-scavenging activity, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and antimicrobial activity of the extract; and the inhibition of advanced glycated end product (AGE) formation were assessed. The HPH of 90 MPa for 4 passes demonstrated the highest alantolactone (38.1 ± 0.7 mg/g) and isoalantolactone yields (34.4 ± 0.2 mg/g), respectively, which were significantly higher than the rates obtained using maceration (20.0 ± 0.2 mg/g and 18.9 ± 0.7 mg/g). Under optimal extraction conditions of 90 MPa for 4 passes, inhibition of AGE formation in the extract reached a rate of 97.16 ± 1.86%, with the highest DPPH and FRAP of 231.63 ± 2.96 µg/mL and 949.43 ± 1.86 µmol TE/100 mL, respectively. HPH exhibited lethal activity against all tested bacteria and fungi strains (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, and Penicillum expansum) at a concentration of 15 µL. SEM results proved that HPH severely damaged the cell structures of roots, increased solvent permeability, and improved the extraction rate of bioactive compounds. Additionally, this study also demonstrated that HPH yields high recovery with a specific energy consumption of 0.22 kWh/kg, which is close to the recommended minimum energy demand for an extraction procedure within industrial production processes. Therefore, these findings showed that HPH can be used as an efficient extraction technique for the production of SL in related industries.
The potential of decentral heat pumps as flexibility option for decarbonised energy systems
Authors: Schöniger Franziska , Mascherbauer Philipp , Resch Gustav , Kranzl Lukas , Haas Reinhard
Published: March 2024

Decarbonising the energy system requires high shares of variable renewable generation and sector coupling like power to heat. In addition to heat supply, heat pumps can be used in future energy systems to provide flexibility to the electricity system by using the thermal storage potential of the building stock and buffer tanks to shift electricity demand to hours of high renewable electricity production. Bridging the gap between two methodological approaches, we coupled a detailed building technology operation model and the open-source energy system model Balmorel to evaluate the flexibility potential that decentral heat pumps can provide to the electricity system. Austria in the year 2030 serves as an example of a 100% renewable-based electricity system (at an annual national balance). Results show that system benefits from heat pump flexibility are relatively limited in extent and concentrated on short-term flexibility. Flexible heat pumps reduce system cost, CO2 emissions, and photovoltaics and wind curtailment in all scenarios. The amount of electricity shifted in the assessed standard flexibility scenario is 194 GWhel and accounts for about 20% of the available flexible heat pump electricity demand. A comparison of different modelling approaches and a deterministic sensitivity analysis of key input parameters complement the modelling. The most important input parameters impacting heat pump flexibility are the flexible capacity (determined by installed capacity and share of control), shifting time limitations, and cost assumptions for the flexibility provided. Heat pump flexibility contributes more to increasing low residual loads (up to 22% in the assessed scenarios) than decreasing residual load peaks. Wind power integration benefits more from heat pump flexibility than photovoltaics because of the temporal correlation between heat demand and wind generation.
The Agential View of Misfortune
Authors: Planer Ronald J. , Sterelny Kim
Published: March 2024

In many traditional, small-scale societies, death and other misfortunes are commonly explained as a result of others’ malign occult agency. Here, we call this family of epistemic tendencies “the agential view of misfortune.” After reviewing several ethnographic case studies that illustrate this view, we argue that its origins and stability are puzzling from an evolutionary perspective. Not only is the agential view of misfortune false; it imposes costs on individuals and social groups that seem to far outweigh whatever benefits the view might provide. We thus doubt that the agential view of misfortune is explainable in terms of adaptive effects. However, neither does it seem readily explainable as a consequence of belief formation strategies that are on the whole adaptive (as is plausibly the case for certain other of our false beliefs, including some that are costly). Accordingly, we contend that the commonness of the agential view of misfortune demands a special evolutionary explanation of some kind. We provide a partial explanation of this phenomenon by highlighting the adaptive benefits that often flow to occult specialists in environments where the agential view of misfortune is entrenched. What this does not explain, however, is the general lack of resistance we observe in response to occultists’ exploitative behaviours over (cultural) evolutionary timescales. We conclude by canvassing a few possible explanations for this puzzling lack of resistance, and while we commit ourselves to none, we do find one option more promising than the others.
The mediating role of job burnout in the effect of conflict management on work stress in nurses
Authors: Kızılkaya Selman
Published: March 2024

In the health sector, which is one of the sectors where human interaction is intense, nurses experience work stress for various reasons. Conflict management skills of nurses have an important role in overcoming the obstacles caused by work stress (such as job burnout). The effect of conflict management on work stress varies according to job burnout. The purpose of this study was to determine the mediating role of job burnout in the effect of conflict management on work stress in nurses. A total of 392 nurses working in Şanlıurfa province in Turkey participated in the study. The survey method was used for the study in which the participants were included between 24.04.2023 and 02.05.2023, both face-to-face and online. The questionnaire includes questions about the personal characteristics of nurses, as well as the General Work Stress Scale, Job Burnout Scale, and Conflict Management Scale as measurement tools. There is a negative and significant relationship between conflict management and work stress (r=) and job burnout. There is a positive and significant relationship between work stress (r=-.574, p < .01) and job burnout (r=-.573, p < .01). It has been determined that job burnout has a mediating role in the effect of conflict management on work stress. It is recommended to develop nurses’ conflict management skills.
Not Relational Enough? Towards an Eco-Relational Approach in Robot Ethics
Authors: Puzio Anna
Published: March 2024

With robots increasingly integrated into various areas of life, the question of relationships with them is gaining prominence. Are friendship and partnership with robots possible? While there is already extensive research on relationships with robots, this article critically examines whether the relationship with non-human entities is sufficiently explored on a deeper level, especially in terms of ethical concepts such as autonomy, agency, and responsibility. In robot ethics, ethical concepts and considerations often presuppose properties such as consciousness, sentience, and intelligence, which are exclusively aligned with humans. I will challenge the understanding of these properties by anchoring them in contexts, bodies, and actions. This approach allows to consider the specific ways of being of various human and non-human entities and to identify these properties in non-human entities as well. My “eco-relational” approach posits that it is crucial to consider the relationality with non-human entities such as animals and technology in central ethical concepts from the beginning. This approach reflects the “eco”, the entire house in which we live including animals and robots. To support this, I examine two dominant approaches in robot ethics within the contemporary Western tradition: the “properties approach” and modestly relational approaches. I will develop an eco-relational approach as an alternative. Employing a phenomenological method, I will demonstrate through various examples that our properties and actions are inherently connected with non-human entities. I will show that robots play a central role in our properties and actions, leading to concepts such as hybrid actions and non-human agency. It becomes clear that technology and our relationships with it disrupt traditional ethical concepts.
Sustainability analysis of biorefineries applying biotechnological routes to convert bagasse from non-centrifugal sugar production for rural economic development in Colombia
Authors: Ortiz-Sanchez Mariana , Piedrahita-Rodríguez Sara , Solarte-Toro Juan Camilo , Moustakas Konstantinos , Cardona Alzate Carlos Ariel
Published: March 2024

Panela is the second most important rural agro-industry after coffee in Colombia. This agro-industry produces a large amount of bagasse from non-centrifugal sugar (B-NCSP) without valorization. B-NCSP is used in combustion boilers in panela production, causing greenhouse gas emissions and health problems. This research aims to compare the sustainability of two B-NCSP biorefineries considering the current residue use. The sustainability of the biorefinery scenarios was analyzed to promote rural economic development in Colombia. In both biorefinery scenarios, biogas was evaluated as an energy vector to meet the energy demand of panela production. Two biorefinery scenarios were considered: (i) saccharification, bioethanol, and biogas production and (ii) acid pretreatment, saccharification, xylitol, bioethanol, and biogas production. Experimental data of the pretreatment, saccharification, and anaerobic digestion stages were used as input information in simulations. Technical, economic, environmental, and social metrics were used to estimate a sustainability index. The experimental glucose yield in scenario 2 was 0.42 ± 0.03 (31.52 ± 2.36 g/L) g/g B-NCSP, 1.8 times greater than scenario 1. The biogas yield in scenario 2 was 504.23 ± 21.68 (71.16% CH4) L/kg B-NCSP, 3.3 times greater than scenario 1. Scenario 1 was unfeasible at different scales. Xylitol production helps to improve the economic feasibility in scenario 2 since the payback period was 15 years. This scenario can create 36 job positions with a wage 18% higher than the minimum wage in Colombia (highest sustainability index of 72.44%). Finally, biogas produced in scenario 2 supplies 62.76% of the energy demand needed in the panela production process, reducing the environmental impact.
Resistance Exercise Minimal Dose Strategies for Increasing Muscle Strength in the General Population: an Overview
Authors: Nuzzo James L. , Pinto Matheus D. , Kirk Benjamin J. C. , Nosaka Kazunori
Published: March 2024

Many individuals do not participate in resistance exercise, with perceived lack of time being a key barrier. Minimal dose strategies, which generally reduce weekly exercise volumes to less than recommended guidelines, might improve muscle strength with minimal time investment. However, minimal dose strategies and their effects on muscle strength are still unclear. Here our aims are to define and characterize minimal dose resistance exercise strategies and summarize their effects on muscle strength in individuals who are not currently engaged in resistance exercise. The minimal dose strategies overviewed were: “Weekend Warrior,” single-set resistance exercise, resistance exercise “snacking,” practicing the strength test, and eccentric minimal doses. “Weekend Warrior,” which minimizes training frequency, is resistance exercise performed in one weekly session. Single-set resistance exercise, which minimizes set number and session duration, is one set of multiple exercises performed multiple times per week. “Snacks,” which minimize exercise number and session duration, are brief bouts (few minutes) of resistance exercise performed once or more daily. Practicing the strength test, which minimizes repetition number and session duration, is one maximal repetition performed in one or more sets, multiple days per week. Eccentric minimal doses, which eliminate or minimize concentric phase muscle actions, are low weekly volumes of submaximal or maximal eccentric-only repetitions. All approaches increase muscle strength, and some approaches improve other outcomes of health and fitness. “Weekend Warrior” and single-set resistance exercise are the approaches most strongly supported by current research, while snacking and eccentric minimal doses are emerging concepts with promising results. Public health programs can promote small volumes of resistance exercise as being better for muscle strength than no resistance exercise at all.
GITPose: going shallow and deeper using vision transformers for human pose estimation
Authors: Aidoo Evans , Wang Xun , Liu Zhenguang , Abbam Abraham Opanfo , Tenagyei Edwin Kwadwo , Ejianya Victor Nonso , Kodjiku Seth Larweh , Aggrey Esther Stacy E. B.
Published: March 2024

In comparison to convolutional neural networks (CNN), the newly created vision transformer (ViT) has demonstrated impressive outcomes in human pose estimation (HPE). However, (1) there is a quadratic rise in complexity with respect to image size, which causes the traditional ViT to be unsuitable for scaling, and (2) the attention process at the transformer encoder as well as decoder also adds substantial computational costs to the detector’s overall processing time. Motivated by this, we propose a novelGoing shallow and deeper with vIsionTransformers for humanPose estimation (GITPose) without CNN backbones for feature extraction. In particular, we introduce a hierarchical transformer in which we utilize multilayer perceptrons to encode the richest local feature tokens in the initial phases (i.e., shallow), whereas self-attention modules are employed to encode long-term relationships in the deeper layers (i.e., deeper), and a decoder for keypoint detection. In addition, we offer a learnable deformable token association module (DTA) to non-uniformly and dynamically combine informative keypoint tokens. Comprehensive evaluation and testing on the COCO and MPII benchmark datasets reveal that GITPose achieves a competitive average precision (AP) on pose estimation compared to its state-of-the-art approaches.
Performance characteristics of the airlift pump under vertical solid–water–gas flow conditions for conveying centimetric-sized coal particles
Authors: Enany Parviz , Drebenshtedt Carsten
Published: March 2024

In this study, the installation of an airlift pump with inner diameter of 102 mm and length of 5.64 m was utilized to consider the conveying process of non-spherical coal particles with density of 1340 kg/m3 and graining 25–44.5 mm. The test results revealed that the magnitude of increase in the solid transport rate due to the changes in the three tested parameters between compressed air velocity, submergence ratio, and feeding coal possibility was not the same, which are stand in range of 20%, 75%, and 40%, respectively. Hence, creating the optimal airlift pump performance is highly dependent on submergence ratio. More importantly, we measured the solid volume fraction using the method of one-way valves in order to minimize the disadvantages of conventional devices, such as fast speed camera and conductivity ring sensor. The results confirmed that the volume fraction of the solid phase in the transfer process was always less than 12%. To validate present experimental data, the existing empirical correlations together with the theoretical equations related to the multiphase flow was used. The overall agreement between the theory and experimental solid delivery results was particularly good instead of the first stage of conveying process. This drawback can be corrected by omitting the role of friction and shear stress at low air income velocity. It was also found that the model developed by Kalenik failed to predict the performance of our airlift operation in terms of the mass flow rate of the coal particles.
Determining rock crack stress thresholds using ultrasonic through-transmission measurements
Authors: He Jiangwan , Serati Mehdi , Veidt Martin , De Alwis Arthur
Published: March 2024

The crack initiation stress threshold is widely used in excavation industries as rock spalling strength when designing deep underground structures to avoid unwanted brittle failures. While various strain-based methods have been developed for the estimation of this critical design parameter, such methods are destructive and often requires subjective interpretations of the stress–strain curves, particularly in rocks with pre-existing microcracks or high porosity. This study explore the applicability of non-destructive ultrasonic through-transmission methods for determining rock damage levels by assessing the changes in transmitted signal characteristics during loading. The change in velocity, amplitude, dominant frequency, and root-mean-square voltage are investigated with four different rock types including marble, sandstone, granite, and basalt under various stress levels. Results suggest the rate of signal variations can be reliably used to estimate crack closure and crack initiation stress levels across the tested rocks before failure. Comparison of the results between the conventional techniques and the new proposed methods based on ultrasonic monitoring are further discussed.