bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ciencia Recreativa para la Educación Primaria
Authors: Torres Merchán Nidia Yaneth , Montenegro Casas Camilo Andrés
Published: April 2024

Este manual presenta un contenido recreativo y experimental que contribuye a los estudiantes a la construcción del conocimiento científico desde el aprendizaje de conceptos de física y química utilizando la ciencia escolar. El texto contiene experimentos motivantes para promover el desarrollo de habilidades científicas; se constituye en una guía de enseñanza y aprendizaje para docentes que no cuentan con materiales de laboratorio sofisticados y están interesados en provocar clases divertidas a sus estudiantes.Cada uno de los temas se aborda desde principios de la experimentación con la intención de facilitar la implementación del trabajo práctico experimental en la educación infantil y la educación básica primaria. Los experimentos involucran el uso de materiales sencillos, fáciles de conseguir que pueden ser manipulados por los estudiantes. La práctica experimental empieza con aspectos básicos de observación y se va complejizando para lograr el reconocimiento y aprendizaje del concepto; a su vez, se van planteando preguntas que permiten discutir lo observado, hacer analogías, utilizar modelos explicativos y predictivos de los fenómenos observables en cada práctica experimental.
Does Attitude towards Grammar Affect High-Level Reading Comprehension Skills?
Authors: Güneş Hatice
Published: April 2024

Grammar is a learning area that functionally contributes to effective language skills. The aim of grammar instruction is the acquisition of the four basic language skills based on Turkish language rules. Reading skill, a lingual comprehension skill, aims accurate structuring of the ideas of the author of a text by the reader. The present study aimed to determine the possible effects of the attitudes towards grammar on high-level reading comprehension skills (HLRCS) based on certain variables (gender, final Turkish language course grade, and parental education level). In the current quantitative study, data were collected with the Grammar Attitude Scale and the High-Level Reading Comprehension Test (HLRCT). The study group included 427 8th grade middle school students. In the study, the regression analysis conducted to determine the causality between the Grammar Attitude Scale and HLRCT scores, revealed significant findings. Grammar attitude explained 4% of the variation in the HLRCT scores. Grammar attitude improved the achievements in high-level reading comprehension.
The Analysis of Change Process of Taiwan's University Admission System and Implications
Authors:   Korean Comparative Education Society, Jun Jiwon , Ju Dong-Beom
Published: April 2024

[Purpose]The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics and direction of Taiwan's education system and to derive implications by analyzing the change process of the university admission system and changes in university admission policy after 2022.
[Methods] In order to understand the characteristics and direction of Taiwan's education system and the historical process of change in the university admission system, we analyzed related literature and data and conducted a historical review of major policy changes in university admission. We analyzed the latest policy documents and press releases on Taiwan's university admission system after 2022 to identify new directions and policy changes, and reviewed the changed educational environment. Through this, implications were derived.
[Results] The main findings of the study are, first, that Taiwan's university admissions system was initially traditional and test-based, but over time it has changed to respect student diversity. Second, since 2022, Taiwan has reorganized its university admissions system to emphasize diversity and reduce the burden of admissions, and promoted fair competition and educational innovation by diversifying admission opportunities and evaluation methods. Third, although the university admissions systems of Taiwan and South Korea differ in various evaluation methods and changes in the admissions system, in recent years, both countries have made efforts to strengthen diversity and fairness.
[Conclusion] In both Taiwan and Korea, efforts are being made to strengthen diversity and fairness in the university admissions system. Areas in which the two countries can learn from each other include the introduction of various evaluation methods and policies that focus on student participation, and ways to exchange and develop each other's strengths should be sought.
Investigation of Teachers' Professional Satisfaction Levels according to Various Variables
Authors: Yurdakal İbrahim Halil , Aktaş Mehmet Emin , Selvitopu Himmet , Yıldırım Sami , Ceylan Fatma Rabia
Published: April 2024

For an effective education process, it is essential that both students and teachers are highly motivated. In this context, it is necessary to determine teachers' professional satisfaction levels and take political steps according to these levels. In this study, the professional satisfaction levels of teachers and whether these levels differ according to gender, graduation status, and education level were examined. The research is structured on the relational survey model, one of the survey models. The sample of the study consists of 255 primary school teachers. 157 of the participants were female, and 98 were male. While 159 teachers graduated from the faculty of education, 96 teachers graduated from different faculties. 12 teachers have college degrees, 190 teachers have bachelor's degrees, 51 teachers have master's degrees, and two teachers have doctorate degrees. The scale for determining the level of teachers' professional satisfaction (TPSS) developed by Yurdakal & Aktaş (2023) was used to collect data in the study. The Cronbach's Alpha value of the scale is 0.87, and it has three dimensions. The total variance value explained for the scale is 54.53%. The scale consists of 32 items. Necessary permissions were obtained during the data collection process. Then, the items in the measurement tool were uploaded to the Google form, and the data were collected online. Since the distribution was homogeneous, independent groups T-test was used to differentiate teachers' satisfaction levels according to gender and graduated institution variables. One Way Anova analysis was used for the education level variable. As a result of the research, teachers' professional satisfaction levels were determined as "medium level." Teachers' professional satisfaction levels do not differ according to gender in the overall scale and in the sub-dimensions. According to the graduated institution, differences were found in the overall scale and in the personal characteristics sub-dimension and administrative characteristics sub-dimension.
KEMIRINGAN LERENG YANG TEPAT UNTUK MENCEGAH KELONGSORAN DI DESA BARENG KECAMATAN SAWAHAN KABUPATEN NGANJUK
Authors: Pasya Salman Alfaridh , Candra Agata Iwan , Erwanda Niko Andika , Fathurrohman Nadi Rheiza , Qalby Atsfiela Dzulkhan , Rohman Fauzy Muhammad Rosyid Abdul , Mahendra Prendy Eliya
Published: April 2024

Sawahan District is one of 25 sub-districts in Nganjuk Regency, East Java, Indonesia. Sawahan District has quite good agricultural and tourism potential. Recently, landslides have hit several areas in Nganjuk Regency, one of which is Sawahan District. The area has the potential for landslides because it is dominated by hilly areas with steep slopes and high rainfall intensity. The impact of this disaster included road access that was cut off between the village and the sub-district and the main road leading to the Sedudo Waterfall tour. This study aims to identify soil properties, soil consistency, shear angle, and slope safety factor. The method used is the Atterberg limit test, sieve analysis, soil shear strength, and slope stability calculations using the Bishop method. The test results show that the soil is classified as CL with low plasticity and shear angle, in wet soil it produces a shear angle value of 19.74° and an Fs value of 0.20 while in dry conditions it produces a shear angle value of 24.86° and an Fs value of 0.28. Based on the analysis it is suggested that the slope is 50° to achieve Fs 1.09. This research can be used as a basic reference for planning before construction is carried out and provides slope slope design recommendations for slope planning that is safe to prevent landslides.
Editorial
Authors:   Associação Portuguesa de Nutrição, Borges Nuno
Published: April 2024

Em mais uma edição da Acta Portuguesa de Nutrição, são publicados mais artigos que indubitavelmente refletem a diversidade das áreas de interesse da Nutrição e da Alimentação. Chamou a atenção o artigo de Vidinha e colaboradores, onde se descreve a implementação de um protocolo para um estudo quase-experimental a ser efetuado na Região Autónoma dos Açores (RAA), mais concretamente na ilha de S. Miguel. Este protocolo visa estudar o papel de uma intervenção ao nível das escolas de primeiro ciclo (2.º ano) centrada nos lanches. Não será uma novidade para muitos dos que trabalham na área da Nutrição e da Alimentação em Portugal que na RAA o número e qualidade de Nutricionistas que aí exercem atividade tem permitido o desenvolvimento de uma rede de cuidados de um nível que nem sempre, infelizmente, podemos observar noutras regiões do país. Mas o que parece ser de reforçar aqui é que embora o número de Nutricionistas seja efetivamente importante e que neste parâmetro também podemos observar assimetrias importantes no nosso território, será a qualidade destes que, em última análise, irá definir quanto e o quê se pode fazer a nível da prestação de cuidados nutricionais à população. E para definir essa qualidade, é fundamental que as instituições de Ensino Superior que formam Nutricionistas possam ser, elas mesmas, veículos dessa qualidade, preparando impecavelmente os seus estudantes sob o ponto de vista estritamente técnico mas também com uma adequada dimensão ética e humana. Para atingir este desígnio, a presença das atividades de investigação científica ao longo de todo o percurso académico dos estudantes afigura-se como o verdadeiro esteio dessa qualidade, prefigurando o modelo Humboldtiano de Universidade. São projetos como os descritos no artigo de Vidinha e colaboradores que permitem transmitir aos futuros Nutricionistas a importância e as particularidades do processo de criação do conhecimento e assim permitir que estes possam manter-se sempre atualizados relativamente a um conhecimento que evolui a uma velocidade por vezes vertiginosa. A Acta Portuguesa de Nutrição, como revista científica, pretende estimular todo este processo, dando assim o seu contributo para mais, mas sobretudo melhores, cuidados nutricionais prestados a uma população de que tanto deles necessita.
How COVID-19 pandemic contingency measures impacted on environmental practices in Food Service
Authors:   Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre,  n.º 825,  4150-180 Porto, Portugal, Rocha Ada ,   GreenUPorto - Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/Inov4Agro,  Rua do Campo Alegre,  n.º 825,  4150-180 Porto, Portugal, Viegas Cláudia ,   H&TRC—Health & Technology Research Center da Escola Superior  de Tecnologia da Saúde  do Instituto Politécnico de  Lisboa,  Av. D. João II, Lote  4.69.0.1 Parque das  Nações,  1990-096 Lisboa, Portugal
Published: April 2024

INTRODUCTION: Food Service units achieved importance and responsibility in feeding the population. In addition to its socioeconomic impact, the Food Service industry has a strong environmental impact and for several years, changes have been made to produce meals complying with sustainability. Concerns have addressed energy efficiency of equipment, use of reusable material, purchase of local products, less use of processed and packaged goods, proper selection and disposal of solid waste and use of strategies to avoid food waste. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the impact of the implementation of the contingency measures for the COVID-19 pandemic on the environmental practices of food services throughout the Portuguese territory. METHODOLOGY: The sample was obtained by convenience, requesting food service companies to fulfil a questionnaire with multiple choice and open questions. RESULTS: A sample of 139 participants was obtained. Results show a decrease in the number of meals served, accompanied by a great increase in the use of disposable items, such as plates, paper towels, bags, packages as well as individual packaging for cutlery, bread and fruit, and individual protective equipment and hygiene products (face masks, face shields and hand-sanitiser). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the severe setback that the contingency measures for COVID-19 represent for the food service sector. Policymakers should evaluate the adopted practices that are still in place and keep the ones that may be proven to be efficient and positive and abandon or relieve the unnecessary ones. Other measures such as the reinforcement of hygiene procedures, should be kept to ensure food and environment safety and consumer confidence in food service establishments.
Anti-inflammatory diet and rheumatoid arthritis: overview on the current evidence
Authors:   Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade Fernando Pessoa,  Rua Carlos da Maia,  n.º 296,  4200-150 Porto, Portugal, Sousa Bárbara , Mendes Joana ,   Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade Fernando Pessoa,  Rua Carlos da Maia,  n.º 296,  4200-150 Porto, Portugal,   FP-I3ID, FP-BHS, Universidade Fernando Pessoa, Praça de 9 de Abril, n.º 349, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal,   RISE-UFP, Rede de Investigação em Saúde, Universidade Fernando  Pessoa, Praça de 9 de Abril, n.º 349, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal, Sofia Sousa Ana ,   Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade Fernando Pessoa,  Rua Carlos da Maia,  n.º 296,  4200-150 Porto, Portugal,   FP-I3ID, FP-BHS, Universidade Fernando Pessoa, Praça de 9 de Abril, n.º 349, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal,   RISE-UFP, Rede de Investigação em Saúde, Universidade Fernando  Pessoa, Praça de 9 de Abril, n.º 349, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal,   Center for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechcare), Instituto Poltécnico de  Leiria,  Rua de Santo André – 66- 68, Campus 5, Politécnico  de Leiria,  2410-541 Leiria, Portugal
Published: April 2024

INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease, with symptoms that are characterized by inflammation of the joints and requires pharmacological treatment. However, pharmacological approach is not always enough to eliminate the symptoms related to rheumatoid arthritis, and nutritional intervention is necessary as a complementary treatment to obtain a significant improvement in symptoms. Several nutritional approaches have been studied to understand which diet would provide more benefits to patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and anti-inflammatory diet described as rich in nutrients with antioxidant effect, may contribute beneficially to the control of symptoms. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to review the literature existent on the effect that practice an anti-inflammatory diet may have on the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, in order to understand its applicability, benefits, as well as limitations. METHODOLOGY: The literature review was elaborated through a bibliographic search, in the PubMed database. The search term use was: “((inflammation AND diet*) OR anti-inflammatory diet) AND (arthritis rheumatoid OR rheumatoid arthritis))”. RESULTS: Current scientific evidence has shown positive effects of the anti-inflammatory diet in rheumatoid arthritis patients, such as reduction of disease activity, reduction of tender and swollen joints and joint pain and improved physical functioning. CONCLUSIONS: The anti-inflammatory diet is a promising complementary treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, with several benefits, namely the reduction of disease activity and symptoms, as well as, in the acquisition of a more balanced food pattern.
Coastal Modeling System user's manual
Authors: Li Honghai , Brown Mitchell , Lin Lihwa , Ding Yan , Beck Tanya , Sanchez, Alejandro , Wu Weiming , Reed Christopher , Zundel Alan
Published: April 2024

The Coastal Modeling System (CMS) is a suite of coupled 2D numerical models for simulating nearshore waves, currents, water levels, sediment transport, morphology change, and salinity and temperature. Developed by the Coastal Inlets Research Program of the US Army Corps of Engineers, the CMS provides coastal engineers and scientists a PC-based, easy-to-use, accurate, and efficient tool for understanding of coastal processes and for designing and managing of coastal inlets research, navigation projects, and sediment exchange between inlets and adjacent beaches. The present technical report acts as a user guide for the CMS, which contains comprehensive information on model theory, model setup, and model features. The detailed descriptions include creation of a new project, configuration of model grid, various types of boundary conditions, representation of coastal structures, numerical methods, and coupled simulations of waves, hydrodynamics, and sediment transport. Pre- and post-model data processing and CMS modeling procedures are also described through operation within a graphic user interface—the Surface- water Modeling System.
Reservoir evaluation of dolomitized Devonian strata in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: implications for carbon capture, utilization, and storage
Authors: Stacey Jack , Corlett Hilary , Hollis Cathy , Hills David
Published: April 2024

Differentially dolomitized carbonate strata in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) are increasingly targeted for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), yet few studies have evaluated the petrophysical characteristics of these conventional hydrocarbon reservoirs for this purpose. To address this, this study uses drill-core analysis (sedimentology, diagenesis, pore morphology, and distribution), together with core-plug and production data, to evaluate the properties of five depleted oil and gas fields in the Middle to Upper Devonian Swan Hills Formation, Leduc Formation and Wabamun Group.

The Swan Hills and Leduc formations are composed of reef, shoal, and lagoon deposits that are predominantly fossil-rich (e.g., stromatoporoid-dominated rudstones and boundstones). In contrast, the carbonate-ramp deposits of the Wabamun Group are fossil-poor, consisting instead of variably bioturbated carbonate mudstones, wackestones, and packstones. Replacement dolomitization is variable throughout each stratigraphic unit, but generally occurs within fossil-rich and/or heavily bioturbated intervals. Fracture densities are broadly comparable in limestone and dolostone. Porosity in the Swan Hills and Leduc formations is predominantly moldic and vuggy, occurring where fossils (e.g., stromatoporoids) are partially or fully dissolved. Pore space in the Wabamun Group is mostly restricted to intercrystalline porosity in burrows. In general, burial cements (e.g., calcite and dolomite) are volumetrically insignificant and only partially fill pores. Exceptions to this include porosity-occluding cements associated with fractures and breccias in the vicinity of faults.

Dolomitization and depositional facies are found to exert a strong control on pore morphology, distribution, and interconnectivity. Porosity is principally controlled by the relative abundance of skeletal grains and by the presence of burrows. These highly porous facies acted as fluid pathways during burial diagenesis, resulting in their preferential dolomitization, solution enhancement of pre-existing pores, and creation of volume reduction-related porosity. The high CO2 storage capacity and low unplanned plume migration risk (due to depositional and/or diagenetic baffles) of dolomitized reefal reservoirs (e.g., Swan Hills and Leduc formations) make them more attractive targets for CCUS than those with limited capacity and/or potential migration pathways (e.g., fault-related fractures and breccias in the Wabamun Group). These results demonstrate that drill-core analysis, in combination with legacy data, can provide valuable insights into the factors that control reservoir CO2 injectivity, plume migration, and storage capacity.
Incorporating Rate-Time Superposition In to Decline type Curve Analysis
Authors: Gardner David C. , Hager Charles J. , Agarwal Ram G.
Published: April 2024

Pressure transient data can be costly to obtain and may not be available for many wells, while well production data is routinely collected and is even available from industry data bases. In the absence of pressure transient data, methods that can use readily available well production data to perform pressure transient analysis have been developed. However, most of these methods assume either constant rate or constant pressure producing conditions. Those methods that do attempt to handle variable rate and/or draw-down pressure data, do so in an approximate manner, usually by defining an effective time as the cumulative production divided by the current production rate. This method appears to work well when the rate divided by the bottom hole producing pressure, declines smoothly and monotonically in time. There are however, difficulties with wells whose production history includes rates and/or pressures which vary from the established decline trend. The transients are not handled properly with the cumulative/rate effective time transformation and the transformed results are noisy and erroneous and can lead to misinterpretations.

This paper presents a rigorous technique to incorporate rate-time superposition into decline type-curve analysis. This new method incorporates readily available tabulated, constant-rate dimensionless pressure data panning a wide range of dimensionless times to handle transient, transitional and pseudo-steady-state flow conditions. This technique has been found to greatly improve the reliability of analyses for wells whose production history include significant changes in production rates such as can occur with curtailment, compression or shut-ins. The methodology is ideally suited to modern spreadsheet applications, where columns of data or tables can be easily input, subsequently searched, interpolated, used for calculations and results quickly plotted.

Through the rigorous application of the superposition method, a well's entire production history is coupled and properly weighted in the estimation of the original gas in place (OGIP), average pressure, effective permeability, and the extent of well stimulation or damage. Accuracy of this new method has been verified with numerical simulations and has been used to perform analyses using production data from gas wells ranging from ultra low to high permeability. A field example is included to demonstrate the applicability and versatility of this technology.
Epi-Clock: A sensitive platform to help understand pathogenic disease outbreaks and facilitate the response to future outbreaks of concern.
Authors: Ji Cong , Shao Junbin Jack
Published: April 2024

To predict potential epidemic outbreaks, we tested our strategy, Epi-Clock, which applies the novel ZHU algorithm on different SARS-CoV-2 datasets before outbreaks to search for real significant mutational accumulation patterns correlated with the outbreak events. Surprisingly, some inter-species genetic distances of Coronaviridae may represent the intermediate states of different species or subspecies in the evolutionary history of Coronaviridae. The insertions and deletions of whole genome sequences between different hosts were separately associated with important roles in the host transmission and shifts of Coronaviridae. Furthermore, we believe that non-nucleosomal DNA may play dominant roles in the divergence of different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 in different regions of the world because of the lack of nucleosome protection. We suggest that strong selective variation among different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 is required to produce strong codon usage bias, significantly appear in B.1.640.2 and B.1.617.2 (Delta). Interestingly, we found that an increasing number of other types of substitutions, such as those resulting from the hitchhiking effect, have accumulated, especially in the pre-breakout phase, even though some previous substitutions were replaced by other dominant genotypes. From most validations, we could accurately predict the potential pre-phase of outbreaks with a median interval of 5 days before.
RETRACTED: A fully system based on Infrared to collect water meter data consumption in Morocco country
Authors: NAIM Ayman , AAROUD Abdessadek
Published: April 2024

22 April, 2024. Research Square has removed this preprint due to author disagreement regarding preprinting and claims of copyrighted materials.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has Successfully Adapted to Grow in Suburban Environments
Authors: Abraham Thomas , Abraham Teresa , Thomas Sunil
Published: April 2024

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg) is a perennial herbaceous plant that, although not native to its current habitats, has become invasive, posing economic challenges by outcompeting indigenous flora and agricultural crops. The precise factors enabling its dominance remain unclear. This study focuses on two main drivers: 1. Phenotypic changes in the seed head stalk, and 2. Phenotypic plasticity facilitating adaptation to diverse environments. Dandelion seeds are dispersed efficiently by wind, although the specific mechanisms are not fully understood. Research reveals that during seed head formation, the seed head stalk elongates and grows vertically, potentially aiding in seed dispersion. Morphological variations across habitats, including natural environments, suburban lawns, and playgrounds, contribute to dandelion's success. In suburban lawns, dandelions exhibit adaptations such as small leaves, short flower stalks angled at 30 degrees or lower, growing parallel to the lawn grass to evade mowing, while in playgrounds, they develop shorter structures to withstand trampling pressure. These findings underscore dandelion's adaptability and resilience, attributed to phenotypic plasticity, across varied ecological settings.
Social Justice in Your Name?!
Authors: Shi Guanming , Chen Kaiping , Ni Chaoqun , Niu Sunny Xinchun , Liu Heqing
Published: April 2024

Social justice is a cornerstone of a fair society, impacting critical areas like human rights and economic growth. While disparities related to factors such as race and socioeconomic status are well-documented, a less explored issue is "alphabetical discrimination." This phenomenon involves ordering and potentially judging individuals based on the alphabetical sequence of their last names. In this study, we show that such a form of discrimination might influence significant life choices, particularly the selection of college majors. Leveraging datasets from two major universities in US and China, our results indicate that US students with earlier last name initials are significantly more likely to opt for liberal arts over STEM subjects. This tendency may be linked to variations in personality development stemming from their experiences with alphabetical order practices during their K-12 education. Notably, this trend is absent among international students from countries where alphabetical name order is not prevalent. These findings offer new insights into how one’s name can shape educational decisions and trajectories. Our findings provide implications for crafting policies that address such inadvertent biases, ensuring that all students, regardless of their last names, have equal opportunities and visibility.
The Dynamics of Plasmon-Induced Hot Carrier Creation in Colloidal Gold
Authors: Sa Jacinto , Wach Anna , Szlachetko Jakub , Maximenko Alexey , Sobol Tomasz , Partyka-Jankowska Ewa , Bacellar Camila , Cirelli Claudio , Johnson Philip , Castillo Rebeca Gomez , Silveira Vitor R. , Broqvist Peter , Kullgren Jolla , Halas Naomi , Nordlander Peter
Published: April 2024

There is an increasing interest in nonequilibrium “hot” carrier generation, created by the decay of collective electronic oscillations on metals known as surface plasmons. Despite extensive efforts, direct observation of the mechanism responsible for generating hot carriers due to plasmon decay has proven challenging. Here, the dynamics of hot carrier generation on gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) are followed with unparalleled detail through ultrafast X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL). In Au NPs, the plasmon dephases after 25 fs and the hot carrier population peaks within 105 fs, reaching thermal equilibrium within 1.5 ps. The nonequilibrium carriers display an energy dispersion governed by the density of states of the metal, with some carriers possessing energies surpassing that of a single photon, consistent with the involvement of an Auger heating mechanism distinct from the expected impact excitation that dominates the carrier multiplication step. The most energetic carriers exhibit relatively shorter lifespans, a property that may be critical for exploiting them in applications. This study substantiates hot carrier formation through nonradiative decay as the main decay channel of plasmon resonance. The proposed methodology provides a straightforward approach for real-time tracking of plasmon-induced hot carrier dynamics.
The picture theory of seven pathways associated with COVID-19 in the real world
Authors: Lee Jong hoon , Sergi Consolato , Kast Richard E. , Kanwar Badar A. , Altschuler Eric L. , Bourbeau Jean , Oh Sangsuk , Sohn Mun-Gi , Lee Kun Ho , Coleman Michael D.
Published: April 2024

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces immune-mediated diseases. Interactions between the host and virus govern induction, resulting in multiorgan impacts. In 2021, as normal life was challenging during the pandemic era, we analyzed SCI journals according to L. Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logi-co-Philosophicus. The pathophysiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) involves the following steps: 1) the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) and Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways: 2) the neuropilin (NRP) pathway, with seven papers and continuing with twenty-four: 3) the sterile alpha motif (SAM) and histidine-aspartate domain (HD)-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) tetramerization pathway, with two papers and continuing with twelve: 4) inflammasome activation pathways, with five papers and continuing with thirteen: 5) the cytosolic DNA sensor cyclic-GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)/stimulator of interferon genes (STING) (cGAS–STING) signaling pathway, with six papers and successful with eleven: 6) the spike protein pathway, with fourteen and continuing with twenty-three: 7) the immunological memory engram pathway, with thirteen papers and successive with eighteen: 8) the excess acetylcholine pathway, with three papers and successful with nine. We reconfirmed that COVID-19 involves seven (1-7) pathways and a new pathway involving excess acetylcholine. Therefore, it is necessary to therapeutically alleviate and block the pathological course harmoniously with modulating innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) if diverse SARS-CoV-2 variants are subsequently encountered in the future.
TOSQ: Transparent object segmentation through query based transformer
Authors: Li Deping , Li Ruiguang , zheng Jiawei
Published: April 2024

Sensing transparent objects has many applications in human daily life, including robot navigation and grasping. However, this task presents significant challenges due to the unpredictable nature of scenes that lay beyond transparent objects. This paper aims to solve the transparent object segmentation problem based Transformer. We design a Query Parsing Module (QPM) that formulates the transparent object segmentation task into a dictionary look-up problem and a set of learnable class prototypes as query inputs. Based QPM, we propose a high-performance transformer-based end-to-end segmentation model Transparent Object Segmentation through Query (TOSQ). TOSQ’s encoder is based on the Segformer’s backbone, and its decoder consists of a series of QPM modules. On the Trans10K-V2 dataset, TOSQ significantly outperforms almost all CNN-based and transformer-based methods, fully demonstrating the unique advantages and great potential of TOSQ to solve the semantic segmentation problem of transparent objects in daily human life. The code is publicly available at https://github.com/ldepn/tosq.
Small Molecule APOL1 Inhibitors as a Precision Medicine Approach for APOL1-mediated Kidney Disease
Authors: Zimmerman Brandon , Dakin Leslie , Fortier Anne , Nanou Evanthia , Blasio Angelo , Mann James , Miller Howard , Fletcher Marissa , Wang Tiansheng , Nanthakumar Suganthini , McCarthy Gizelle , Matar Caline , Matsye Prachi , Wang Guanyu , Snyder Phillip , Daniel Kevin , Swamy Harsha , Sullivan Kelly , Bright Franklin , Powers Audrey , Lu Fan , Paula Steven , Khare-Pandit Suvarna , Henry Larry , Hamel Martine , Denis Francois , Nicolas Olivier , Hariparsad Niresh , Kumar Shyamesh , Proctor Jennifer , Senter Timothy , Furey Brinley , Bunnage Mark
Published: April 2024

Chronic kidney disease affects ~10% of people worldwide and there are no disease modifying therapeutics that address the underlying cause of any form of kidney disease. Genome wide association studies have identified the G1 and G2 variants in the apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) gene as major contributors to a subtype of proteinuric kidney disease now referred to as APOL1‑mediated kidney disease (AMKD). We hypothesized that inhibition of APOL1 could have therapeutic potential for this genetically-defined form of kidney disease. Here we describe the development of preclinical assays and the discovery of highly potent and specific APOL1 inhibitors with drug-like properties. We provide evidence that APOL1 channel activity drives podocyte injury and that inhibition of this activity stops APOL1-mediated cell death and kidney damage in a transgenic mouse model. These preclinical data, combined with recent clinical data, support the potential of APOL1 channel inhibition for the treatment of AMKD.
Load-bearing behaviors of sandwich plates with non-uniformly distributed grid cores: Dynamic impact and blast
Authors: Wang Youlong , Yang Haixia , Chen Jie , Ma Quanjin , SONG Yiheng
Published: April 2024

Sandwich plates with grid-core structures possess extensive applications, and non-uniform grid plates (NUGPs) show enhanced potential under varied loading modes. The current study embarks on an investigation into NUGPs by adjusting the dimensions of transverse and longitudinal grid walls. This comprehensive analysis explores the dynamic responses of these plates when subjected to impact and blast loads, focusing on deformation patterns, damage, and the underlying processes. The findings are illustrated as follows. 1) NUGPs, specifically those with an optimized configuration of grid walls termed the d2 structure, display improved resistance to blast and impact loads compared to their uniformly distributed grid plate counterparts. Notably, designs featuring a less dense grid in the central area yield a more evenly distributed damage pattern under impact loads and a lesser severity of damage from blast loads. 2) The study also reveals that under impact loads, the sandwich structure showcases distinct behaviors through three stages evident in the load-displacement curves: initial localized indentation, followed by overall deformation, and ending with deformation recovery. 3) Moreover, when facing blast loads, the initial response involves rapid plastic deformation of the upper skin, succeeded by compression and buckling of the core. This sequence effectively dissipates energy, acting as a protective shield for the lower skin. 4) The optimized NUGPs design achieves a perfect balance between stiffness and ductility, reducing displacement through adequate stiffness while ensuring the effective absorption of dynamic forces through significant ductility, thus preventing catastrophic failure. This research significantly advances topology optimization for sandwich plates, providing essential insights for designing lightweight structures resilient under various modes.
The relationship between childhood maltreatment and later disordered eating behaviors among the Tunisian population: mediating role of emotion dysregulation.
Authors: Turki Mariem , ali Amal Hadj , Chaari Imen , Abid Wissal , Aribi Lobna , Halouani Najla , Ellouze Sahar , Aloulou Jihene
Published: April 2024

Background and aims:
Eating disorders (EDs) are a major public health problem, due to their serious psychological, somatic, and social consequences. Previous studies have extensively documented the role of childhood maltreatment (CM) in the development of EDs. Some authors suggest that emotion dysregulation plays a mediating role in this relationship.
This study aimed to examine the association between CM and EDs in the Tunisian population, by considering emotion dysregulation as a mediator.
Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive, analytical, and mediational study among members of Facebook groups using an online questionnaire from February 17, 2023, to May 26, 2023. The Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26) was used to assess the risk of developing EDs. Emotion dysregulation and CM were assessed via the "Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale" (DERS) and the “Childhood Trauma Questionnaire” (CTQ), respectively.
Results:
According to our bivariate analysis, EDs were associated with younger age (p<0,001), female gender (p<0,001), unmarried status (p=0,001), low socioeconomic status (p=0,002), high education level (p<0.001), psychiatric history (p<0,001), physical activity (p=0,038), greater difficulty in emotion regulation (p<0,001) and higher levels of CM (p<0,001). According to the multivariate analysis, female gender (p= 0,006), psychiatric history (p<0,001), and greater emotion dysregulation (p= 0.001) were significantly associated with a greater risk of EDs. Mediation analysis revealed that emotion dysregulation fully mediated the relationship between CM and EDs among the general Tunisian population.
Conclusion:
Our findings align with previous research findings suggesting a relationship between CM and EDs and confirming the role of emotion dysregulation as a mediator. This underlines the importance of preventing and early detecting CM, particularly in schools. Moreover, in the context of treating EDs, emotion regulation appears to be an important psychotherapeutic target.
Increased future ocean heat uptake constrained by Antarctic sea ice extent
Authors: Vogt Linus , de Lavergne Casimir , Sallée Jean-Baptiste , Kwiatkowski Lester , Frölicher Thomas , Terhaar Jens
Published: April 2024

The ocean moderates global warming by absorbing most of the excess heat resulting from anthropogenic climate change. However, this ocean heat uptake also causes sea level rise, more frequent extreme events, ocean deoxygenation, and multiple impacts on marine ecosystems. Despite their importance for informing climate mitigation and adaptation measures, ocean heat uptake projections still strongly differ between climate models. Here, we provide improved global ocean heat uptake projections by identifying a relationship between present-day Antarctic sea ice extent and future ocean heat uptake across an ensemble of 28 state-of-the-art climate models. Models with a higher present-day sea ice extent also simulate greater sea ice loss over the 21st century, a stronger global cloud feedback and atmospheric warming, and hence increased ocean heat uptake. By combining this relationship with satellite observations of Antarctic sea ice, we reduce the uncertainty of ocean heat uptake projections under realistic future emissions scenarios by 12-33%, and show that models underestimate present-day sea ice extent and consequently future ocean heat uptake by 5-7%. Our findings indicate that accounting for biases in the Southern Ocean mean state in the latest generation of climate models implies larger future climate warming.
Photochemical affinity switches to resolve ligand dissociation from a G protein-coupled receptor by time-resolved serial crystallography
Authors: Standfuss Jörg , Glover Hannah , Sassmannshausen Torben , Bertrand Quentin , Trabuco Matilde , Slavov Chavdar , Bacchin Arianna , Andres Fabio , Kondo Yasushi , Stipp Robin , Wranik Maximillian , Khusainov Georgii , Kekilli Demet , Nan Jie , Gonzalez Ana , Cheng Robert , Neidhart Werner , Weinert Tobias , Leonarski Filip , Dworkowski Florian , Kepa Michal , Wachtveitl Josef , Hennig Michael
Published: April 2024

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of cell surface receptors in humans. The binding and dissociation of ligands tunes the inherent conformational flexibility of these important drug targets towards distinct functional states. To trigger such protein-ligand interaction dynamics within the human adenosine A2A receptor, we designed seven photochemical affinity switches derived from the anti-Parkinson’s drug istradefylline. In a rational approach based on UV/Vis spectroscopy, time-resolved absorption spectroscopy, differential scanning fluorimetry and cryo-crystallography, we identified compounds suitable for time-resolved serial crystallography. Our analysis of millisecond-scale dynamics revealed how trans-cis isomerization shifts selected istradefylline derivatives within the binding pocket. Depending on the chemical nature of the ligand, this disrupts interactions between extracellular loops 2 and 3, acting as a lid on the binding pocket, followed by large-scale receptor rearrangements upon ligand dissociation. This innovative approach provides insights into GPCR dynamics at the atomic level, offering potential for developing novel pharmaceutics.
Safe use of hydrogen energy: review on hydrogen self- ignition and generated hydrogen jet fire
Authors: Zhi Shujie , Li Shuhong , Zhou Rui , Liu Luoqian , Peng Shiyao , Chai Chong
Published: April 2024

In the fight against climate change, hydrogen is seen as a promising sustainable energy alternative to fossil fuels. However, its wider adoption has raised safety issues, particularly regarding spontaneous combustion without an external spark. To ensure safe and sustainable hydrogen use, researchers have developed a thorough research approach targeting hydrogen's potential for spontaneous combustion. Progress has been made in understanding this phenomenon within transparent extension tubes, examining various factors like tube dimensions, curvature, shape, and rupture disc properties. These studies have revealed consistent trends. Simulations have helped explain how hydrogen auto-ignites, often starting at the tube wall, especially in high-pressure situations where it interacts with hot air and expands cold fuel. Researchers have also created mathematical models related to ignition dynamics. Yet, there's limited experimental data on hydrogen jet self-ignition in open spaces. Some simulations suggest that high-pressure hydrogen can ignite spontaneously even without a confinement, but the ignition event is so brief that it's difficult to capture experimentally. Moreover, scholars are creating more accurate empirical formulas based on extensive experimental statistics that connect internal tube ignition to external jet flames. The accuracy of these empirical estimates improves as more experimental data becomes available.
Limited Cell-Autonomous Anticancer Mechanisms in Long-Lived Bats
Authors: Gorbunova Vera , Athar Fathima , Zheng Zhizhong , Riquier Sebastien , Zacher Max , Galazyuk Alex , Cooper Lisa , Schountz Tony , Alcock Dominic Alcock , Wang Lin-Fa , Teeling Emma , Seluanov Andrei
Published: April 2024

Bats are remarkably long-lived for their size with many species living more than 20-40 years, suggesting that they possess efficient anti-aging and anti-cancer defenses. Here we investigated requirements for malignant transformation in primary bat fibroblasts in four bat species - little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), cave nectar bat (Eonycteris spelaea) and Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) – spanning the bat evolutionary tree and including the longest-lived genera. We show that bat fibroblasts do not undergo replicative senescence and express active telomerase. Bat cells displayed attenuated stress induced premature senescence with a dampened secretory phenotype. Unexpectedly, we discovered that bat cells could be readily transformed by only two oncogenic perturbations or “hits”: inactivation of either p53 or pRb and activation of oncogenic RASV12. This was surprising because other long-lived mammalian species require up to five hits for malignant transformation. Additionally, bat fibroblasts exhibited increased p53 and MDM2 transcript levels, and elevated p53-dependent apoptosis. The little brown bat showed a genomic duplication of the p53 gene. We hypothesize that bats evolved enhanced p53 activity through gene duplications and transcriptional upregulation as an additional anti-cancer strategy, similar to elephants. In summary, active telomerase and the small number of oncogenic hits sufficient to malignantly transform bat cells suggest that in vivo bats rely heavily on non-cell autonomous mechanisms of tumor suppression.
Evaluating the Difference in Gaze Patterns for 360° Video-Based and 3D Modeled Virtual Environments
Authors: Itani Ibrahim , Antlej Kaja , Mortimer Michael , Horan Ben
Published: April 2024

Advances in digital technology enable developers to enhance the empathic connection between the user and the displayed content. Three-dimensional (3D) digital technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) present the opportunity to communicate engaging content in different visualization styles. However, VR experiences induce cognitive load, distracting users. The effects of such VR experiences on users, particularly in VR, have not been evaluated in depth. This paper uses eye-tracking technology to assess the impact of different visualization styles and perspective-taking (PT) capabilities on user engagement in VR experiences. This research adopts the case of manufacturing, which is perceived negatively in the post-industrial city of Geelong. This study utilizes two VR visualization styles, 360° video-based and 3D modeled environments. The research then categorizes the participants into two levels of PT capabilities: low and high PT groups. Results demonstrated that 360° video-based experiences provide higher visual engagement, improving user attentiveness with lower saccade amplitude and velocity, resulting in a more efficient browsing pattern. In addition, comparing users’ PT empathic levels shows no difference between low and high PT participants in saccade and fixation events. These findings provide valuable insights into the design process of engaging and efficient VR experiences.
A multidimensional investigation of sleep and biopsychosocial profiles with associated neural signatures
Authors: Perrault Aurore , Kebets Valeria , Kuek Nicole , Cross Nathan , Tesfaye Rackeb , Pomares Florence , Li Jingwei , Chee Michael , Dang-Vu Thien Thanh , Yeo B.T. Thomas
Published: April 2024

Sleep is essential for optimal functioning and health. Interconnected to multiple biological, psychological and socio-environmental factors (i.e., biopsychosocial factors), the multidimensional nature of sleep is rarely capitalized on in research. Here, we deployed a data-driven approach to identify sleep-biopsychosocial profiles that linked self-reported sleep patterns to inter-individual variability in health, cognition, and lifestyle factors in 770 healthy young adults. We uncovered five profiles, including two profiles reflecting general psychopathology associated with either reports of general poor sleep or an absence of sleep complaints (i.e., sleep resilience) respectively. The three other profiles were driven by sedative-hypnotics-use and social satisfaction, sleep duration and cognitive performance, and sleep disturbance linked to cognition and mental health. Furthermore, identified sleep-biopsychosocial profiles displayed unique patterns of brain network organization. In particular, somatomotor network connectivity alterations were involved in the relationships between sleep and biopsychosocial factors. These profiles can potentially untangle the interplay between individuals' variability in sleep, health, cognition and lifestyle — equipping research and clinical settings to better support individual’s well-being.