bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shadow rates as a measure of the monetary policy stance: Some international evidence
Authors: Anderl Christina , Caporale Guglielmo Maria
Published: December 2022

This paper examines the usefulness of shadow rates to measure the monetary policy stance by comparing them to the official policy rates and those implied by three types of Taylor rules in both inflation‐targeting countries (the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) and others that have only targeted inflation at times (the United States, Japan, the Euro Area and Switzerland) over the period from the early 1990s to December 2021. Shadow rates estimated from a dynamic factor model are shown to suggest a much looser policy stance than either the official policy rates or those implied by the Taylor rules, and generally to provide a more accurate picture of the monetary policy stance during both ZLB and non‐ZLB periods, since they reflect the full range of unconventional policy measures used by central banks. Furthermore, generalised impulse response analysis based on three alternative vector autoregression (VAR) models indicates that monetary shocks based on the shadow rates are more informative than those related to the official policy rates or to two‐ and three‐factor shadow rates, especially during the Global Financial Crisis and the recent COVID‐19 pandemic, when unconventional measures have been adopted. Finally, unconventional policy shocks seem to have less persistent effects on the economy in countries, which have adopted an inflation‐targeting regime.
Preference and paradox: Local residents’ perspectives on the reuse of post‐agricultural brownfield sites
Authors: Navrátil Josef , Martinát Stanislav , Frazier Ryan J. , Klusáček Petr , van der Horst Dan , Škrabal Jaroslav , Krejčí Tomáš , Osman Robert , Pícha Kamil , Dvořák Petr
Published: December 2022

Structural change in the agricultural economy may result in the abandonment of agricultural buildings, creating rural brownfield sites. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, post‐agricultural brownfields have become very common in Central and Eastern Europe. Our aim is to uncover and understand the reuse preferences for 16 reuse options, among 1275 survey respondents (local residents) from 272 rural communities with post‐agricultural brownfields in the Czech Republic. The influence of respondent status, the socioeconomic characteristics of those communities and environmental characteristics of communities were tested using redundancy analysis and variation partitioning. Three types of reuse were identified as most preferred among respondents: agricultural reuse, industrial reuse and reuse for housing, services and leisure time activities. We found strong and significant ties between the pattern of preferences for potential reuse options and demographic, community socioeconomic and environmental context variables. It can therefore be concluded that preferences for rural renewal tend to be constructed comprehensively and encompass social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. In order to implement a vision that promotes sustainable rural development, we need to recognise that the preferences of rural residents are fundamentally shaped by the local environment and are therefore highly dependent on the place‐based circumstances.
Animalizing women and feminizing (vegan) men: The psychological intersections of sexism, speciesism, meat, and masculinity
Authors: Salmen Alina , Dhont Kristof
Published: December 2022

Images of sexualized women depicted as animals or alongside meat are routinely used in advertising in Western culture. Philosophers and feminist scholars have long theorized that such imagery reflects the lower status of both women and animals (vs. men) in society and argued that prejudiced attitudes towards women (i.e., sexism) and animals (i.e., speciesism) are interconnected, with meat‐eating as a core symbol of masculinity. Addressing these key ideas from ecofeminist theory, we review the psychological evidence on the associations between sexism, speciesism, meat, and masculinity. Research on the animalistic dehumanization of women provides evidence that sexism and speciesism are psychologically entangled and rooted in desires for group‐based dominance and inequality. Furthermore, research on the symbolic value of meat corroborates its masculine value expressing dominance and power, and suggests that men who abstain from meat consumption (e.g., vegans) are feminized and devalued, particularly by those higher in sexism. We conclude that a greater recognition of the interconnected nature of patriarchal gender relations and practices of animal exploitation, including meat‐eating, can help in efforts to improve the status of both women and animals.
Generalised pustular onychopathy of unknown aetiology in a domestic cat
Authors: Luciani Luca , Legnani Sara , Brachelente Chiara
Published: December 2022

Claw diseases are rare in cats and often associated with cutaneous lesions in other regions of the body. This case report describes an atypical manifestation of a generalised onychopathy of unknown origin in a domestic short hair cat.
EMI (English‐medium instruction) in South Korean elite universities
Authors: Bolton Kingsley , Ahn Hyejeong , Botha Werner , Bacon‐Shone John
Published: December 2022

This article provides an extensive review of previous research on English‐medium instruction (EMI) in South Korean higher education. It then goes on to discuss the findings of a 2017 survey at four elite universities in South Korea, which were Seoul National University, Korea University, Yonsei University, and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). While some of the results could be regarded as predictable, there were a number of findings which extended previous research. Despite the extensive complaint tradition about English in South Korea, many of the students in our sample rated their proficiency rather highly. Notwithstanding the extensive critiques of EMI in much of the previous literature, students typically displayed pragmatic and sometimes positive attitudes to dealing with EMI in their institutions.
Iliac vein recanalisation and stenting accelerate healing of venous leg ulcers associated with severe venous outflow obstruction
Authors: Ruiz Colby S. , Hamrick Melissa F. , McGinigle Katharine L. , Marston William A.
Published: December 2022

Obstruction involving the iliac veins and/or inferior vena cava is highly comorbid in patients with chronic venous leg ulcers and is a barrier to healing. Intervention with venous stenting is recommended to promote wound healing; however, there is limited data to quantify the effects of venous outflow restoration on wound healing. We retrospectively identified patients with venous ulcers and comorbid venous outflow obstruction. Data regarding demographics, wound size, degree of obstruction, interventions, wound healing and recurrence were collected. Intervention was performed when possible and patients were grouped based on whether or not the venous outflow was reopened successfully and maintained for at least 1 year. Outcomes, including time to wound healing, wound recurrence, stent patency and ulcer‐free time, were measured. Patients who maintained a patent venous outflow tract experienced higher rates of wound healing (79.3%) compared to those with persistent outflow obstruction (22.6%) at 12 months (p < 0.001). Ulcer‐free time for the first year was also greater with patent venous outflow (7.6 ± 4.4 months versus 1.8 ± 3.0 months, p < 0.0025). Patients with severe obstruction of the venous outflow tract experience poor healing of VLUs despite appropriate wound care. Healing time is improved and ulcer‐free time increased after venous intervention with stenting to eliminate obstruction.
Mapping School-Based Coach Education Requirements in the United States
Authors: Atkinson Obidiah , Bates Samantha , Anderson-Butcher Dawn , Mack Sydney , Goodway Jacqueline
Published: December 2022

To date, there is a critical gap in our understanding of coach licensure and training requirements for school-based coaches across the United States. The current study categorizes the policy landscape for school-based coaches by examining public documents that outline state-specific (N = 51) coach training requirements. In addition, authors engaged in an in-depth curriculum and cost analysis of required coach trainings in the state of Ohio to better understand training topics, costs, time commitments, and state-specific compliance criteria guiding coach education. Findings indicated most states (n = 49, 96%) require training for coaches; however, governing bodies, training topics, and coach-specific training (i.e., assistant, volunteer, and middle school) varied significantly by state. Moreover, our curriculum and cost analysis revealed that licensure processes are costly and time-intensive, and training content predominantly focused on physical health and safety with less emphasis on social–emotional health and youth development. Findings have important education, practice, and policy implications for informing a national coach training agenda.
Stabilized COre gene and Pathway Election uncovers pan-cancer shared pathways and a cancer-specific driver
Authors: Kossinna Pathum , Cai Weijia , Lu Xuewen , Shemanko Carrie S. , Zhang Qingrun
Published: December 2022

Approaches systematically characterizing interactions via transcriptomic data usually follow two systems: (i) coexpression network analyses focusing on correlations between genes and (ii) linear regressions (usually regularized) to select multiple genes jointly. Both suffer from the problem of stability: A slight change of parameterization or dataset could lead to marked alterations of outcomes. Here, we propose Stabilized COre gene and Pathway Election (SCOPE), a tool integrating bootstrapped least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and coexpression analysis, leading to robust outcomes insensitive to variations in data. By applying SCOPE to six cancer expression datasets (BRCA, COAD, KIRC, LUAD, PRAD, and THCA) in The Cancer Genome Atlas, we identified core genes capturing interaction effects in crucial pan-cancer pathways related to genome instability and DNA damage response. Moreover, we highlighted the pivotal role of
CD63
as an oncogenic driver and a potential therapeutic target in kidney cancer. SCOPE enables stabilized investigations toward complex interactions using transcriptome data.
Crowder-directed interactions and conformational dynamics in multistimuli-responsive intrinsically disordered protein
Authors: Balu Rajkamal , Wanasingha Nisal , Mata Jitendra P. , Rekas Agata , Barrett Susan , Dumsday Geoff , Thornton Aaron W. , Hill Anita J. , Roy Choudhury Namita , Dutta Naba K.
Published: December 2022

The consequences of crowding on the dynamic conformational ensembles of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) remain unresolved because of their ultrafast motion. Here, we report crowder-induced interactions and conformational dynamics of a prototypical multistimuli-responsive IDP, Rec1-resilin. The effects of a range of crowders of varying sizes, forms, topologies, and concentrations were examined using spectroscopic, spectrofluorimetric, and contrast-matching small- and ultrasmall-angle neutron scattering investigation. To achieve sufficient neutron contrast against the crowders, deuterium-labeled Rec1-resilin was biosynthesized successfully. Moreover, the ab initio “shape reconstruction” approach was used to obtain three-dimensional models of the conformational assemblies. The IDP revealed crowder-specific systematic extension and compaction with the level of macromolecular crowding. Last, a robust extension-contraction model has been postulated to capture the fundamental phenomena governing the observed behavior of IDPs. The study provides insights and fresh perspectives for understanding the interactions and structural dynamics of IDPs in crowded states.
Topological supermodes in photonic crystal fiber
Authors: Roberts Nathan , Baardink Guido , Nunn Josh , Mosley Peter J. , Souslov Anton
Published: December 2022

Topological states enable robust transport within disorder-rich media through integer invariants inextricably tied to the transmission of light, sound, or electrons. However, the challenge remains to exploit topological protection in a length-scalable platform such as optical fiber. We demonstrate, through both modeling and experiment, optical fiber that hosts topological supermodes across multiple light-guiding cores. We directly measure the photonic winding number invariant characterizing the bulk and observe topological guidance of visible light over meter length scales. Furthermore, the mechanical flexibility of fiber allows us to reversibly reconfigure the topological state. As the fiber is bent, we find that the edge states first lose their localization and then become relocalized because of disorder. We envision fiber as a scalable platform to explore and exploit topological effects in photonic networks.
Nirmatrelvir-resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants with high fitness in an infectious cell culture system
Authors: Zhou Yuyong , Gammeltoft Karen Anbro , Ryberg Line Abildgaard , Pham Long V. , Tjørnelund Helena Damtoft , Binderup Alekxander , Duarte Hernandez Carlos Rene , Fernandez-Antunez Carlota , Offersgaard Anna , Fahnøe Ulrik , Peters Günther Herbert Johannes , Ramirez Santseharay , Bukh Jens , Gottwein Judith Margarete
Published: December 2022

The oral protease inhibitor nirmatrelvir is of key importance for prevention of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To facilitate resistance monitoring, we studied severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) escape from nirmatrelvir in cell culture. Resistant variants harbored combinations of substitutions in the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). Reverse genetics revealed that E166V and L50F + E166V conferred high resistance in infectious culture, replicon, and Mpro systems. While L50F, E166V, and L50F + E166V decreased replication and Mpro activity, L50F and L50F + E166V variants had high fitness in the infectious system. Naturally occurring L50F compensated for fitness cost of E166V and promoted viral escape. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that E166V and L50F + E166V weakened nirmatrelvir-Mpro binding. Polymerase inhibitor remdesivir and monoclonal antibody bebtelovimab retained activity against nirmatrelvir-resistant variants, and combination with nirmatrelvir enhanced treatment efficacy compared to individual compounds. These findings have implications for monitoring and ensuring treatments with efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging sarbecoviruses.
RETRACTED: Interference of flagellar rotation up-regulates the expression of small RNA contributing to
Bordetella pertussis
infection
Authors: Hiramatsu Yukihiro , Nishida Takashi , Nugraha Dendi Krisna , Osada-Oka Mayuko , Nakane Daisuke , Imada Katsumi , Horiguchi Yasuhiko
Published: December 2022

Bacterial small RNAs (sRNAs) posttranscriptionally regulate gene expressions involved in various biological processes, including pathogenicity. Our previous study identified sRNAs, the expression of which was up-regulated in
Bordetella pertussis
, the causative agent of whooping cough, upon tracheal colonization of the bacteria; however, their roles in bacterial infection remain unknown. Here, we found that one sRNA, Bpr4, contributes to
B. pertussis
infection by posttranscriptionally up-regulating filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), a major adhesin of the bacteria. Bpr4 bound to the 5′ untranslated region of
fhaB
mRNA encoding FHA and inhibited its degradation mediated by RNaseE. Our results demonstrated that Bpr4 up-regulation was triggered by the interference of flagellar rotation, which caused the disengagement of MotA, a flagellar stator. Subsequently, MotA activated a diguanylate cyclase to generate cyclic di-GMP, which plays a role in Bpr4 up-regulation through the RisK/RisA two-component system. Our findings indicate that a flagellum-triggered sensory system contributes to
B. pertussis
infection.
Variants in
ALDH1A2
reveal an anti-inflammatory role for retinoic acid and a new class of disease-modifying drugs in osteoarthritis
Authors: Zhu Linyi , Kamalathevan Pragash , Koneva Lada A. , Zarebska Jadwiga Miotla , Chanalaris Anastasios , Ismail Heba , Wiberg Akira , Ng Michael , Muhammad Hayat , Walsby-Tickle John , McCullagh James S.O. , Watt Fiona E. ,   The Oxford Hand Surgical Team, Sansom Stephen N. , Furniss Dominic , Gardiner Matthew D. , Vincent Tonia L.
Published: December 2022

More than 40% of individuals will develop osteoarthritis (OA) during their lifetime, yet there are currently no licensed disease-modifying treatments for this disabling condition. Common polymorphic variants in
ALDH1A2
, which encodes the key enzyme for synthesis of all-trans retinoic acid (atRA), are associated with severe hand OA. Here, we sought to elucidate the biological significance of this association. We first confirmed that
ALDH1A2
risk variants were associated with hand OA in the U.K. Biobank. Articular cartilage was acquired from 33 individuals with hand OA at the time of routine hand OA surgery. After stratification by genotype, RNA sequencing was performed. A reciprocal relationship between
ALDH1A2
mRNA and inflammatory genes was observed. Articular cartilage injury up-regulated similar inflammatory genes by a process that we have previously termed mechanoflammation, which we believe is a primary driver of OA. Cartilage injury was also associated with a concomitant drop in atRA-inducible genes, which were used as a surrogate measure of cellular atRA concentration. Both responses to injury were reversed using talarozole, a retinoic acid metabolism blocking agent (RAMBA). Suppression of mechanoflammation by talarozole was mediated by a peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor gamma (PPARγ)–dependent mechanism. Talarozole was able to suppress mechano-inflammatory genes in articular cartilage in vivo 6 hours after mouse knee joint destabilization and reduced cartilage degradation and osteophyte formation after 26 days. These data show that boosting atRA suppresses mechanoflammation in the articular cartilage in vitro and in vivo and identifies RAMBAs as potential disease-modifying drugs for OA.
Effects of Dietary Nonfibrous Carbohydrate/Neutral Detergent Fiber Ratio on Methanogenic Archaea and Cellulose-Degrading Bacteria in the Rumen of Karakul Sheep: a 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing Study
Authors: Bai Tiantian , Pu Xuanxuan , Guo Xuefeng , Liu Junfeng , Zhao Linbo , Zhang Xiuping , Zhang Sujiang , Cheng Long
Published: December 2022

CH
4
produced by ruminants aggravates the greenhouse effect and cause wastage of feed energy, and CH
4
emissions are related to methanogens. According to the current literature, there is a symbiotic relationship between methanogens and cellulolytic bacteria, so reducing methane will inevitably affect the degradation of fiber materials.
Medium-Chain-Length Fatty Acid Catabolism in Cupriavidus necator H16: Transcriptome Sequencing Reveals Differences from Long-Chain-Length Fatty Acid β-Oxidation and Involvement of Several Homologous Genes
Authors: Strittmatter Carl Simon , Poehlein Anja , Himmelbach Axel , Daniel Rolf , Steinbüchel Alexander
Published: December 2022

Although
Cupriavidus necator
H16 has been used in several studies to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates from various lipids, the fatty acid metabolism is poorly understood. The β-oxidation of long-chain-length FAs has been investigated, but the tremendous number of homologous genes encoding β-oxidation enzymes hides the potential for variances in the expressed genes for catabolism of shorter FAs.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Sulfur-Oxidizing Bacterium, Aquamicrobium lusatiense NLF2-7, Isolated from Livestock Wastewater
Authors: Jeong Sang Eun , Han Kook-Il , Jung Ji Young , Lee Mi-Hwa , Kim Jong-Guk , Jin Hyun Mi
Published: December 2022

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of
Aquamicrobium lusatiense
NLF2-7, a Gram-negative, aerobic, non-flagellum-forming, rod-shaped bacterium that was isolated from livestock wastewater in South Korea. The assembled genome sequence is 5,201,486 bp, with 4,972 protein-coding sequences in 12 contigs, and possess the genes for the sulfur oxidation pathway.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Entomomonas
sp. Strain E2T0, Isolated from the Darkling Beetle Zophobas morio Larvae
Authors: Moser Aline I. , Eddoubaji Yasmine , Campos-Madueno Edgar I. , Endimiani Andrea
Published: December 2022

Here, we present the complete genome sequence of
Entomomonas
sp. E2T0, a strain isolated from larvae of the darkling beetle
Zophobas morio
. The isolate was fully resistant to aztreonam and possessed a novel class D β-lactamase gene. The 3,325,929-bp genome consists of a chromosome and a 9,996-bp plasmid.
An Unusual cause of Endocarditis
Authors: Watkins Rhys , Marincowitz Carl , Locke Thomas , Hunter Steven
Published: December 2022

A man in his 20s attended the emergency department with three days of fever, headache, reduced appetite and a sore throat. COVID-19 point-of-care test was negative. Blood cultures grew a gram-negative coccobacillus,Neisseria elongata. Following an episode of confusion, MRI head revealed septic emboli. Prolapse of the mitral valve with regurgitation was noted on echocardiography. Infection was found to have originated from multiple dental caries and treatment required a combination of dental extraction, prolonged antibiotic therapy and surgery for mitral valve repair.

N. elongatais part of the normal oropharyngeal flora but is also a rare cause of endocarditis. There are no established treatment guidelines for endocarditis of this aetiology.N. elongataendocarditis may present atypically, with a murmur only developing several days later. ‘Classical’ stigmata should not be relied on to make a diagnosis.N. elongatapredominantly affects the left side of the heart and predisposes to embolic events.
Turn that frown upside down: implementation of a visual cue improves communication during emergency department to inpatient hand-offs
Authors: Burns Beech , Heilman James , Kusin Shana , Chess Laura , Tanski Mary Elizabeth
Published: December 2022

When a patient is admitted to the hospital from the emergency department (ED), the ED clinician passes on relevant clinical information to the admitting team to transition care, a process known as patient hand-off and commonly referred to as ‘calling report’. This information exchange between clinical teams is not only important for care continuity but also signifies a transition of care.

However, there are unique challenges in this hand-off process given the unpredictability of the busy ED environment, ED boarding and discontinuity in physician, nursing and transportation workflows. These challenges create the potential for gaps in communication and can create patient safety concerns, particularly if a patient is transported to an inpatient bed before hand-off takes place.

We set out to determine whether introducing a visual cue on the electronic health record (EHR) ED trackboard to communicate that report had been given would improve hand-off compliance. We sought to improve the utility of the visual cue and compliance of calling report prior to patient transport through a series of several Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycles.

Baseline compliance using the ‘Report Called’ button prior to implementation of our visual intervention was 9.8%. With staff education alone, compliance rose to 41.3%. However, with an easily recognisable visual cue highlighted on the trackboard and an improved workflow compliance immediately rose to >97% and has been sustained for 84 months. Additionally, we have had zero reported incidents of patients being transported to a hospital bed before physician report was called since implementation.

Our study demonstrates that simple visual cues and incorporation of a user-friendly process in the workflow can improve compliance with ensuring report is called prior to patient transfer from the ED. This may have a positive impact on physician communication and patient safety during the admission process.
Craniosynostosis, inner ear, and renal anomalies in a child with complete loss ofSPRY1(sprouty homolog 1) function
Authors: Tooze Rebecca S , Calpena Eduardo , Twigg Stephen R F , D’Arco Felice ,   The Genomics England Research Consortium, Wakeling Emma L , Wilkie Andrew O M
Published: December 2022

Introduction

SPRY1encodes protein sprouty homolog 1 (Spry-1), a negative regulator of receptor tyrosine kinase signalling. Null mutant mice display kidney/urinary tract abnormalities and altered size of the skull; complete loss-of-function of Spry-1 in humans has not been reported.

Methods

Analysis of whole-genome sequencing data from individuals with craniosynostosis enrolled in the 100,000 Genomes Project identified a likely pathogenic variant withinSPRY1. Reverse-transcriptase PCR and western blot analysis were used to investigate the effect of the variant onSPRY1mRNA and protein, in lymphoblastoid cell lines from the patient and both parents.

Results

A nonsense variant inSPRY1,encoding p.(Leu27*), was confirmed to be heterozygous in the unaffected parents and homozygous in the child. The child’s phenotype, which included sagittal craniosynostosis, subcutaneous cystic lesions overlying the lambdoid sutures, hearing loss associated with bilateral cochlear and vestibular dysplasia and a unilateral renal cyst, overlapped the features reported inSpry1−/−null mice. Functional studies supported escape from nonsense-mediated decay, but western blot analysis demonstrated complete absence of full-length protein in the affected child and a marked reduction in both parents.

Conclusion

This is the first report of complete loss of Spry-1 function in humans, associated with abnormalities of the cranial sutures, inner ear, and kidneys.
Growth of the aortic root in children and young adults with Marfan syndrome
Authors: van Elsäcker Elroy , Vink Arja S , Menke Leonie A , Pals Gerard , Bokenkamp Regina , Backx Ad C P M , Hilhorst-Hofstee Yvonne , Blom Nicolaas A , van der Hulst Annelies E
Published: December 2022

Objectives

The primary aim was to gain insight into the growth of the aortic root in children and young adults with Marfan syndrome (MFS). Furthermore, we aimed to identify a clinical profile of patients with MFS who require an aortic root replacement at a young age with specific interest in age, sex, height and fibrillin-1 (FBN1) genotype.

Methods

Aortic root dimensions of 97 patients with MFS between 0 year and 20 years and 30 controls were serially assessed with echocardiography. Trends were analysed using a linear mixed-effect model. Additionally, including only patients with MFS, we allowed trends to differ by sex, aortic root replacement and type ofFBN1mutation.

Results

Average aortic root dilatation in patients with MFS became more pronounced after the age of 8 years. In the MFS cohort, male patients had a significantly greater aortic root diameter than female patients, which was in close relationship with patient height. There was no difference in aortic root growth between children with dominant negative (DN) or haploinsufficientFBN1mutations. However, DN-FBN1variants resulting in loss of cysteine content were associated with a more severe phenotype. Eleven children needed an aortic root replacement. Compared with patients with MFS without aortic root surgery, these children had a significantly larger aortic root diameter from an early age.

Conclusions

This study provides clinically useful longitudinal growth charts on aortic root growth in children and young adults with MFS. Children requiring prophylactic aortic root replacement during childhood can be identified at a young age. Our growth charts can help clinicians in decision making with regard to follow-up and prophylactic therapy. Loss of cysteine content in theFBN1protein was associated with larger aortic root dimensions.
Effects of dietary supplementation of diacylglycerol on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal noxious gas emission, and hematology parameters in weaned piglets
Authors: Dang De Xin , Kim In Ho
Published: December 2022

A total of 120 21-day-old weaned piglets ((Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc) were used to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of diacylglycerol (DAG) on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal noxious gas emission, and hematology parameters in a 42-day experiment. All pigs were randomly assigned to three groups based on the initial body weight (6.47 ± 0.45 kg). There were eight replicate pens per treatment and five pigs (three barrows and two gilts) per pen. The DAG in the levels of 0%, 0.05%, or 0.10% was used as supplement to the corn–soybean meal-based basal diet. Piglets fed the diet supplemented with graded levels of DAG linearly increased the average daily gain (ADG) during days 22–42 ( P = 0.027) and 1–42 ( P = 0.048). In addition, a tendency in the linear reduction of fecal ammonia ( P = 0.095), hydrogen sulfide ( P = 0.078), and methyl mercaptan ( P = 0.085) emission was observed by increasing the DAG levels in the diet. However, feeding pigs with DAG-containing diet had no significant effects on the nutrient digestibility and hematology parameters. Therefore, the suitable dose of DAG used in the diet of weaned piglets was at 0.10% to improve ADG and reduce fecal gas emission.
AAC Prairie barley
Authors: Badea Ana , Legge W.G. , Tucker James R. , Fetch T.G. , Menzies J.G. , Turkington Thomas Kelly , Khanal Raja , Blackwell Barbara A.
Published: December 2022

AAC Prairie is a hulled two-row spring malting barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar widely adapted to western Canada. It was developed from the cross CDC Kindersley/TR08204 made in 2008 and it was evaluated in the Western Cooperative Two-row Barley Registration Test (2017–2018) as well as the Collaborative Malting Barley Trials (2018–2019) conducted by the malting and brewing industry before being registered in 2021. AAC Prairie’s good combination of agronomic and disease resistance traits as well as a desired malting quality profile should make it a useful cultivar for the barley industry.
Self-Supervised Learning for Videos: A Survey
Authors: Schiappa Madeline C. , Rawat Yogesh S. , Shah Mubarak
Published: December 2022

The remarkable success of deep learning in various domains relies on the availability of large-scale annotated datasets. However, obtaining annotations is expensive and requires great effort, which is especially challenging for videos. Moreover, the use of human-generated annotations leads to models with biased learning and poor domain generalization and robustness. As an alternative, self-supervised learning provides a way for representation learning that does not require annotations and has shown promise in both image and video domains. In contrast to the image domain, learning video representations are more challenging due to the temporal dimension, bringing in motion and other environmental dynamics. This also provides opportunities for video-exclusive ideas that advance self-supervised learning in the video and multimodal domains. In this survey, we provide a review of existing approaches on self-supervised learning focusing on the video domain. We summarize these methods into four different categories based on their learning objectives: (1)
pretext tasks
, (2)
generative learning
, (3)
contrastive learning
, and (4)
cross-modal agreement
. We further introduce the commonly used datasets, downstream evaluation tasks, insights into the limitations of existing works, and the potential future directions in this area.
Geometric Design Optimisations Towards Improved Power Production Within Alkaline Carbohydrate Fuel Cells
Authors: Wotton Alexander , Yeung Tracey , Huang Fiona , Patterson Robert
Published: December 2022

Though direct carbohydrate fuel cells offer a highly efficient pathway from abundant, non-toxic sugars to electricity, currently their potential remains untapped due to a lack of knowledge of the impact of different cell geometries on their output power. In this work, simple modifications to the configuration of carbohydrate fuel cells are shown to significantly impact the performance of alkaline carbohydrate fuel cells. Increasing the density of a metal foam anode from 250 to 1000 mg cm−3 was found to increase power output by up to ∼30%. These anode density changes also affected optimal fuel concentrations, which dropped from 1 M to 0.75 M. Decreasing the distance between electrodes from 20 mm to 6 mm resulted in improved maximum power outputs of ∼35%. Identifying these new loss mechanisms in this device type provides a basis to optimise alkaline carbohydrate fuel cell performance and provide insights that help reconcile some of the disparities observed throughout the research space.
Glutamatergic neurons in lateral hypothalamus play a vital role in acupuncture preconditioning to alleviate MIRI
Authors: Shu Qi , Wang Shuai-Ya , Chen Pian-Pian , Zhang Fan , Wang Qian-Yi , Wei Xia , Zhou Jie , Zhou Xiang , Yu Qing , Cai Rong-Lin
Published: December 2022

This study demonstrates that EA preconditioning can attenuate myocardial injury for MIRI, which is similar to inhibition of glutamatergic neurons in LH. However, chemical activation of glutamatergic neurons in LH attenuates the protective effect of EA pretreatment. These findings help better understand the mechanisms of EA to regulate cardiac function.
International Gold Price Forecast Based on CEEMDAN and Support Vector Regression with Grey Wolf Algorithm
Authors: Lu Wanbo , Qiu Tingting , Shi Wenhui , Sun Xiaojun
Published: December 2022

Considering the complexity pattern of the gold price, this paper adopts the decomposition‐reconstruction‐forecast‐mergence scheme to perform the international gold price forecast. The original gold price data are decomposed into 12 intrinsic mode functions and a residual by the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) method, and then the 13 sequences are reconstructed into a high‐frequency subsequence (IMFH), a low‐frequency subsequence (IMFL), and the residual (Res). According to the different characteristics of the subsequences, the IMFL and Res are forecasted by the support vector regression (SVR) model. Besides, in order to further improve the prediction accuracy of IMFH, we have developed a novel hybrid method based on the support vector regression (SVR) model and the grey wolf optimizer (GWO) algorithm with SVR for predicting the IMFH of gold prices, i.e., the CEEMDAN‐GWO‐SVR model. This hybrid model combines the methodology of complex systems with machine learning techniques, making it more appropriate for analyzing relationships such as high‐frequency dependences and solving complex nonlinear problems. Finally, the final result is obtained by combining the forecasting results of the three subsequences. The empirical results show that the proposed model demonstrates the highest prediction ability among all of the investigated models in a comparison of prediction errors with other individual models.
Sociodemographic Determinants of Knowledge towards Tuberculosis Transmission among Women of 15–49 Years of Age in India
Authors: Yadav Baikunth Kumar , Singh Pranveer , Padhi Bijaya Kumar
Published: December 2022

Background. India is one of the countries in the world most heavily impacted by tuberculosis (TB). In 2015, TB was a leading cause of death, killing 1.4 million people worldwide. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and associated factors regarding the transmission of TB among women in India. Method. We used publicly available datasets collected as part of the NFHS during 2015–16 in India. Data related to sociodemographic factors and knowledge about the transmission of TB among women (N = 699,686) were extracted using STATA. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine factors associated with the knowledge of TB transmission among women. Results. Among 699,686 women, 88.36% knew about TB, 59.81% recognized that tuberculosis spreads by air through coughing or sneezing, and 78.55% understood that tuberculosis is a curable disease indicating correct knowledge about TB. 70.74% of the women were from rural areas with 59.29% having a secondary or higher level of education and 40.41% living in poverty. Multivariable analysis indicated that the probability of having good knowledge of TB was consistently significant among women with higher education [aOR: 2.502; 95% CI: 2.454–2.551]; women living in rich households (highest wealth quintile) [aOR: 1.590; 95% CI: 1.556–1.625]; and women residing in urban areas [aOR: 1.191; 95% CI: 1.166–1.215] than their rural counterparts. Conclusion. The findings of this study showed that women in India have moderately good knowledge and a correct attitude towards tuberculosis. However, the level of information varies with the various sociodemographic factors such as age group, place of residence, education, wealth index, religion, and caste/tribe bearing a positive causal relationship between the knowledge and TB transmission and hence the resulting attitude.
Antioxidant Stability of Moringa Leaves Extract Powders Obtained by Cocrystallization, Vacuum Drying, and Plating
Authors: Nurhadi Bambang , Angiputri Fatsyarien Citra , Andoyo Robi , Ermawar Riksfardini Annisa , Saputra Rudy Adi
Published: December 2022

Cocrystallization, vacuum drying, and plating are three potential applications to preserve the antioxidant activity of moringa leaves. Moringa leaves extract was incorporated with sucrose at the same concentration (7 : 100, solid : solid) for all applications and stored for 30 days. This study aims to examine the effects of each application on the antioxidant stability of moringa leaves extract powders. Morphological properties by SEM showed that cocrystallized powders exhibited porous, agglomerated crystals, vacuum dried powders exhibited agglomerated crystals, and plated powders exhibited layered crystals. Based on XRD and hygroscopicity results, cocrystallization produced powders with the highest crystallinity, i.e., 69.11%, and the lowest hygroscopicity, i.e., 0.26 × 10−4 ± 0.02 × 10−4 g H2O/g solid/minute due to the slow water intake of the crystalline structure. Powders with the strongest initial antioxidant activity were obtained from cocrystallization, i.e., 3647.96 ± 20.29 ppm and followed by vacuum drying, i.e., 4378.51 ± 26.29 ppm. The least antioxidant activity was obtained from plating, i.e., 4733.46 ± 31.91 ppm. During 30 days of storage, powders obtained by cocrystallization maintained the most stable antioxidant activity (91.81–91.12%). The results indicated that the high temperature used in the process was likely to impact crystalline structure through the pore formation, which entrapped bioactive compounds and resulted in strong antioxidant activity. While, vacuum drying resulted in powders with a lower but increased antioxidant activity (84.06%–86.43%). In contrast to the other two applications, plating resulted in a decreased antioxidant activity (83.77–82.25%). This study suggests that application of cocrystallization produced moringa leaves extract powders with the strongest and most stable antioxidant activity during storage. Preserving the antioxidant stability of plant extract has been one of the major drives in the development of food encapsulation technology. Cocrystallization and vacuum drying are two relatively novel, less common techniques offering a simpler and more cost-effective method, but their effect on the antioxidant stability of moringa leaves extract has not yet been studied. This study discloses the effects of cocrystallization, vacuum drying, and plating (alternative extract incorporation method) on the antioxidant stability of moringa leaves extract powders. The results indicated that the three methods produced powders with high crystallinity and stable antioxidant stability during storage. Among the three methods, cocrystallization was the method that resulted in powders with the strongest and most stable antioxidant activity.
Exploration of the Relationships between the Spraying Condition and Wetting Behavior on Coal Surface of Dust Suppression Droplet: Improving the Utilization Rate
Authors: Han Fangwei , Li Jian , Peng Yingying , Zhao Yue
Published: December 2022

Dust suppression through water-based media is an important technical means, which is of great significance to industrial process safety and environmental protection. In order to improve the utilization rate of droplets, the dynamic spreading process of droplets impacting the coal surface was studied by the coupled level-set and volume-of-fluid methods (CLSVOF) method. The spread area was calculated by the binary method to characterize the wetting effect. Dimensionless spread area per unit volume (DSAPUV) was proposed to represent the utilization of droplets. The results show that the droplet spreading fracture process can be divided into three stages: initial deformation period, spreading fracture period, and stable period. When the particle size was not being changed, the area of dimensionless spread does not increase consistently with velocities, but there exists an optimal critical velocity of impingement, which is 17 m/s for the maximum dimensionless spread area reached by droplets with a diameter of 30 μm and 19 m/s for the maximum dimensionless spread area reached by droplets with a diameter of 50 μm. Droplet size is directly proportional to the dimensionless spread area. The maximum dimensionless spread areas of the droplets were all reached during spreading, and the time required increased gradually with increasing particle sizes. It was found that the effect of droplet size on the utilization of droplets was obvious when their size ranged from 10 μm to 50 μm, and their velocity ranged from 15 m/s to 20 m/s.
Design and Implementation of a New Fast and Efficient MPPT Controller under Different Solar Irradiance Conditions
Authors: Padmanaban K. , Shunmugalatha A. , Kamalesh M. S.
Published: December 2022

The power-voltage (P-V) characteristic curve of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems operating in partial shading conditions (PSC) is nonlinear and has multiple local maximum peak power (LMPP) points, rendering many of the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms ineffective at locating global maximum peak power (GMPP) points. This work proposes a novel slime mould algorithm- (SMA-) based MPPT controller to utilise maximum peak power (MPP) from solar PV systems during uniform irradiance conditions (UC) and nonuniform irradiance conditions (NUC). On the basis of the MPP they tracked, tracking time, and power efficiency, MPPT controller performance is assessed through MATLAB simulations and implemented experimentally with dSPACE MicroLabBox under various irradiance conditions. The effective performance of the proposed controller is validated and demonstrated in comparison to existing popular MPPT controllers.
Study on H2S Occurrence in Low Sulfur Coal Seams
Authors: Gao Fei , Jia Zhe , Xia Ji , Wang Dapeng , Yang Yulong , Shan Yafei , Shen Jiaqi
Published: December 2022

Coal samples from the Shanxi Shaping coal mine were selected to investigate the occurrence of H2S in low sulfur coal seams. The adsorption mechanism of coal to H2S was explored, and an occurrence equation for H2S in coal seams was fitted through adsorption experiment results. The results showed that under ambient temperature and pressure conditions, the H2S adsorbed by coal reached equilibrium within 24 h. The increase in H2S concentrations and the moisture content of coal samples resulted in an increase in the adsorption capacity of H2S. Chemical adsorption of H2S by the coal also occurred. The total sulfur content in the coal increased, and water promoted the conversion from H2S to sulfur in coal. After adsorption, most of the H2S remains in the coal structure in the form of inorganic sulfur, such as sulfur hydride, iron sulfide sulfur, and monomeric sulfur, and a small proportion of H2S is bonded in the structure of the coal in the form of organic sulfur such as thiophene, C-S-C, and C-SH. Therefore, the higher the total sulfur content in coal, the greater the occurrence of H2S. The total amount of H2S increased exponentially with the concentration of free H2S and the moisture content of coal at equilibrium. This meant that the total amount of H2S in the coal seam could be estimated by fitting an equation according to the concentration of free H2S and the moisture content of coal seams. The concentration of free H2S decreased linearly with the increase in moisture content of the coal, therefore, the concentration of H2S in space could be reduced by injecting water into coal seams.
Comparable Effects of Sleeve Gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass on Basal Fuel Metabolism and Insulin Sensitivity in Individuals with Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Brodersen Katrine , Nielsen Michael F. , Richelsen Bjørn , Lauritzen Esben S. , Pahle Einar , Abrahamsen Jan , Hartmann Bolette , Holst Jens J. , Møller Niels
Published: December 2022

Aim. Bariatric surgery improves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), but there is a lack of data comparing the underlying metabolic mechanisms after the 2 most common surgical procedures Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG). This study was designed to assess and compare the effects of RYGB and SG on fuel metabolism in the basal state and insulin sensitivity during a two-step euglycemic glucose clamp. Materials and Methods. 16 obese individuals with T2D undergoing either RYGB (

n
=
9

) or SG (

n
=
7

) were investigated before and 2 months after surgery, and 8 healthy individuals without obesity and T2D served as controls. All underwent a 2 h basal study followed by a 5 h 2-step hyperinsulinemic euglycemic glucose clamp at insulin infusion rates of 0.5 and 1.0 mU/kg LBM/min. Results. RYGB and SG induced comparable 15% weight losses, normalized HbA1c, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and decreased energy expenditure. In parallel, we recorded similar increments (about 100%) in overall insulin sensitivity (

M

-value) and glucose disposal and similar decrements (about 50%) in endogenous glucose production and FFA levels during the clamp; likewise, basal glucose and insulin concentrations decreased proportionally. Conclusion. Our data suggest that RYGB and SG improve basal fuel metabolism and two-step insulin sensitivity in the liver, muscle, and fat and seem equally favourable when investigated 2 months after surgery. This trial is registered with NCT02713555.
Some Beneficial Effects of Inert Gases on Blood Oxidative Metabolism: In Vivo Study
Authors: Martusevich Andrew , Surovegina Alexandra , Popovicheva Alexandra , Didenko Natalia , Artamonov Mikhail , Nazarov Vladimir
Published: December 2022

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of external use of inert gases (helium and argon) on the state of free radical processes in vivo. The experiment was performed on 30 male Wistar stock rats (age‐3 months, weight–200‐220 g.), randomly distributed into 3 equal groups. The first group of animals was intact (n = 10). The animals of the second and third groups were treated with argon and helium streams, respectively. Our research has allowed us to establish that the studied inert gases have a modulating effect on the state of oxidative metabolism of rat blood, and the nature of this effect is directly determined by the type of gas. The results of this study allowed us to establish the potential antioxidant effect of the helium stream, mainly realized due to the activation of the catalytic properties of the enzymatic link of the antioxidant system of rat blood plasma. At the same time, the revealed features of shifts in oxidative metabolism during treatment with argon flow include not only stimulation of the antioxidant system but also the pronounced induction of free radical oxidation. Thus, the conducted studies made it possible to verify the specificity of the response of the oxidative metabolism of blood plasma to the use of inert gases, depending on their type.