bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distribution and Incorporation of Extracellular Vesicles into Chondrocytes and Synoviocytes
Authors: Ohtsuki Takashi , Sato Ikumi , Takashita Ren , Kodama Shintaro , Ikemura Kentaro , Opoku Gabriel , Watanabe Shogo , Furumatsu Takayuki , Yamada Hiroshi , Ando Mitsuru , Akiyoshi Kazunari , Nishida Keiichiro , Hirohata Satoshi
Published: November 2024

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease affecting over 500 million people worldwide. As the population ages and obesity rates rise, the societal burden of OA is increasing. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly interleukin-1β, are implicated in the pathogenesis of OA. Recent studies suggest that crosstalk between cartilage and synovium contributes to OA development, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were purified from cell culture-conditioned medium via ultracentrifugation and confirmed using transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and western blotting. We demonstrated that EVs were taken up by human synoviocytes and chondrocytes in vitro, while in vivo experiments revealed that fluorescent-labelled EVs injected into mouse joints were incorporated into chondrocytes and synoviocytes. EV uptake was significantly inhibited by dynamin-mediated endocytosis inhibitors, indicating that endocytosis plays a major role in this process. Additionally, co-culture experiments with HEK-293 cells expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP)-tagged CD9 and the chondrocytic cell line OUMS-27 confirmed the transfer of RFP-positive EVs across a 600-nm but not a 30-nm filter. These findings suggest that EVs from chondrocytes are released into joint fluid and taken up by cells within the cartilage, potentially facilitating communication between cartilage and synovium. The results underscore the importance of EVs in OA pathophysiology.
Direct Effects of the Janus Kinase Inhibitor Baricitinib on Sensory Neurons
Authors: Vazquez Enrique , Richter Frank , Natura Gabriel , König Christian , Eitner Annett , Schaible Hans-Georg
Published: November 2024

Therapeutically, the Janus kinase (Jak) 1/Jak2 inhibitor baricitinib reduces the pathology of rheumatoid arthritis and may also reduce pain. Here, we investigated whether baricitinib directly affects joint nociceptors. We recorded action potentials from nociceptive C- and A∂-fibers of the normal and inflamed knee joint in anesthetized rats to monitor their responses to innocuous and noxious joint rotation. In isolated and cultured dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, we examined Stat3 activation using Western blots and monitored excitability using patch-clamp recordings. Intra-articular injection of baricitinib did not alter C- and A∂-fiber responses to innocuous and noxious rotations of the normal knee but reduced C-fiber responses to these stimuli in inflamed joints. Baricitinib prevented the increase in C-fiber responses to joint rotation evoked by interleukin (IL)-6 plus soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R) but not the increase evoked by TNF. In DRG neurons, baricitinib blocked Stat3 activation by hyper-IL-6, and baricitinib or the Stat3 inhibitor Sta21 prevented induction of hyperexcitability by IL-6 plus sIL-6R. Thus, neuronal Jaks are involved in the generation of C-fiber hyperexcitability induced by inflammation and IL-6. Pain reduction by baricitinib may result, at least in part, from direct effects on joint nociceptors.
Extracellular Vesicles as Biomarkers of Pregnancy Complications
Authors: Popova Anastasiia K. , Vashukova Elena S. , Illarionov Roman A. , Maltseva Anastasia R. , Pachuliia Olga V. , Postnikova Tatiana B. , Glotov Andrey S.
Published: November 2024

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are double-membrane vesicles that facilitate intercellular communication and play a pivotal role in both physiological and pathological processes. A substantial body of evidence suggests that EVs play a role in the pathogenesis of various pregnancy complications. Because EVs can be detected in the peripheral blood, they are potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of pregnancy complications and foetal developmental disorders. The majority of studies have demonstrated a correlation between alterations in the concentration of EVs and changes in their contents and the occurrence of pregnancy complications. Despite the current limitations in establishing a clear link between these findings and the pathogenesis of the disease, as well as the lack of sufficient evidence to support their use in clinical practice, it is noteworthy to highlight the potential role of specific miRNAs carried by EVs in the development of pregnancy complications. These include miR-210 and miR-136-5p for pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus, miR-155, miR-26b-5p, miR-181a-5p, miR-495 and miR-374c for pre-eclampsia and preterm birth. The following miRNAs have been identified as potential biomarkers for preterm birth and gestational diabetes mellitus: miR-197-3p and miR-520h, miR-1323, miR-342-3p, miR-132-3p, miR-182-3p, miR-517-3p, miR-222-3p, miR-16-5p and miR-126-3p. Additionally, miR-127-3p has been linked to foetal growth restriction and preterm birth. Nevertheless, it would be premature to propose that EVs can be employed as biomarkers for pregnancy complications. Further research and the accumulation of results obtained using the methods proposed in the MISEV2023 guidelines will enable a definitive conclusion to be reached.
Endophytic Colonization of Beauveria bassiana Enhances Drought Stress Tolerance in Tomato via “Water Spender” Pathway
Authors: Guo Wenbo , Lu Yang , Du Song , Li Qiyun , Zou Xiaowei , Zhang Zhengkun , Sui Li
Published: November 2024

Drought stress is one of the most important climate-related factors affecting crop production. Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) are economically important crops which are highly sensitive to drought. The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, a widely used biological insecticide, can form symbiotic relationships with plants via endophytic colonization, increasing plant biomass and the ability to resist biotic stress. Under simulated drought stress conditions, the biomass of tomato seedlings such as plant height, root length, stem diameter, fresh weight, and relative water content, as well as the density and size of stomata in tomato leaves were significantly increased after B. bassiana colonization via root irrigation (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the physicochemical properties associated with drought resistance such as peroxidase activity and proline content increased significantly (p < 0.05), while malondialdehyde reduced significantly (p < 0.05), and the expression levels of key genes related to stomatal development and drought tolerance pathways increased significantly (p < 0.05). These results indicate that the colonization of B. bassiana enhances the water absorption capacity of tomato seedlings and the rate of transpiration significantly and increases drought tolerance in tomato via the “water spender” pathway, which provides a new strategy for improving crop resistance to drought stress.
Special Issue “Polyamines in Aging and Disease”
Authors: Uemura Takeshi , Terui Yusuke
Published: November 2024

Polyamines are bioactive amines found in almost all living organisms and are essential for normal cellular functions [...]
Exploring the Structural and Dynamic Properties of a Chimeric Glycoside Hydrolase Protein in the Presence of Calcium Ions
Authors: dos Santos Alberto M. , da Costa Clauber H. S. , Martins Manoela , Goldbeck Rosana , Skaf Munir S.
Published: November 2024

GH10 xylanases and GH62 Arabinofuranosidases play key roles in the breakdown of arabinoxylans and are important tools in various industrial and biotechnological processes, such as renewable biofuel production, the paper industry, and the production of short-chain xylooligosaccharides (XOS) from plant biomass. However, the use of these enzymes in industrial settings is often limited due to their relatively low thermostability and reduced catalytic efficiency. To overcome these limitations, strategies based on enzymatic chimera construction and the use of metal ions and other cofactors have been proposed to produce new recombinant enzymes with improved catalytic activity and thermostability. Here, we examine the conformational dynamics of a GH10-GH62 chimera at different calcium ion concentrations through molecular dynamics simulations. While experimental data have demonstrated improved activity and thermostability in GH10-GH62 chimera, the mechanistic basis for these enhancements remains unclear. We explored the structural details of the binding subsites of Ca2+ in the parental enzymes GH62 from Aspergillus fumigatus (Afafu62) and a recombinant GH10 from Cryptococcus flavescens (Xyn10cf), as well as their chimeric combination, and how negatively charged electron pairing located at the protein surface affects Ca2+ capture. The results indicate that Ca2+ binding significantly contributes to structural stability and catalytic cavity modulation in the chimera, particularly evident at a concentration of 0.01 M. This effect, not observed in the parental GH10 and GH62 enzymes, highlights how Ca2+ enhances stability in the overall chimeric enzyme, while supporting a larger cavity volume in the chimera GH62 subunit. The increased catalytic site volume and reduced structural flexibility in response to Ca2+ suggest that calcium binding minimizes non-productive conformational states, which could potentially improve catalytic turnover. The findings presented here may aid in the development of more thermostable and efficient catalytic systems.
Genome-Wide Identification of the DnaJ Gene Family in Citrus and Functional Characterization of ClDJC24 in Response to Citrus Huanglongbing
Authors: Tian Yuzhen , Wang Xizi , Huang Huoqing , Deng Xin , Zhang Baihong , Meng Yixuan , Wu Libo , Chen Hang , Zhong Yun , Chen Wenli
Published: November 2024

Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most destructive citrus disease worldwide. The etiological agent responsible for this disease is “Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus” (CLas), a phloem-restricted bacterium transmitted by psyllid vectors. To date, effective practical strategies for curing Citrus HLB remain elusive. Additionally, no susceptibility genes associated with HLB have been identified in Citrus species, thereby complicating the application of gene-editing techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 to enhance resistance to HLB. The co-chaperone DnaJ plays a crucial role in protein folding and the regulation of various physiological activities, and it is also associated with multiple pathological processes. DnaJ has been extensively studied in many species, including Arabidopsis, rice, and wheat. However, there is limited information available regarding the DnaJ gene family in citrus. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the DnaJ family genes in various Citrus species. The Citrus genome was identified to contain 86 DnaJ genes, which were unevenly distributed across nine chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these genes could be classified into six distinct groups. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis revealed that nine DnaJ genes exhibited significantly higher induction in HLB-infected samples relative to non-HLB-infected Citrus. Cis-acting elements within the promoters of DnaJ genes were also examined, revealing the presence of hormone and defense/stress responsiveness elements (TC-rich) distributed on the ClDJC24 gene. The results were validated using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Additionally, the silencing of ClDJC24 suggested that this gene negatively regulates disease resistance in Citrus. Our study provided useful clues for further functional characterization and constructed a theoretical foundation for disease-resistant breeding in Citrus.
Identification of Crucial Cancer Stem Cell Genes Linked to Immune Cell Infiltration and Survival in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Huang Lien-Hung , Wu Shao-Chun , Liu Yueh-Wei , Liu Hang-Tsung , Chien Peng-Chen , Lin Hui-Ping , Wu Chia-Jung , Hsieh Ting-Min , Hsieh Ching-Hua
Published: November 2024

Hepatocellular carcinoma is characterized by high recurrence rates and poor prognosis. Cancer stem cells contribute to tumor heterogeneity, treatment resistance, and recurrence. This study aims to identify key genes associated with stemness and immune cell infiltration in HCC. We analyzed RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas to calculate mRNA expression-based stemness index in HCC. A weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed to identify stemness-related gene modules. A single-sample gene set enrichment analysis was used to evaluate immune cell infiltration. Key genes were validated using RT-qPCR. The mRNAsi was significantly higher in HCC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues and correlated with poor overall survival. WGCNA and subsequent analyses identified 10 key genes, including minichromosome maintenance complex component 2, cell division cycle 6, forkhead box M1, NIMA-related kinase 2, Holliday junction recognition protein, DNA topoisomerase II alpha, denticleless E3 ubiquitin protein ligase homolog, maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase, protein regulator of cytokinesis 1, and kinesin family member C1, associated with stemness and low immune cell infiltration. These genes were significantly upregulated in HCC tissues. A functional enrichment analysis revealed their involvement in cell cycle regulation. This study identified 10 key genes related to stemness and immune cell infiltration in HCC. These genes, primarily involved in cell cycle regulation, may serve as potential targets for developing more effective treatments to reduce HCC recurrence and improve patient outcomes.
Metabolite Analysis of Camellia oleifera Fruit Pericarp Using UPLC-MS/MS: A Comparative Study of Three Oil Tea Varieties
Authors: Chen Shengqun , Xu Jiajuan , Qu Shuang , Jiang Xia , Wang Gang
Published: November 2024

Camellia oleifera, a widely cultivated woody oil crop, holds economic significance because of its ability to grow without encroaching on cultivated land. The pericarp of C. oleifera is abundant in flavonoids and phenolic acids, which offer significant nutritional benefits. This study used metabolomic technology (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) to discern metabolite variances in the pericarp of three C. oleifera types (COT, BFOT, and SFOT) during the maturity stage and subsequently analyzed and compared them. A total of 1117 metabolites were detected in the study, including 277 flavonoids, 221 phenolic acids, 108 lipids, 93 amino acids and their derivatives, 83 organic acids, 59 nucleotides and their derivatives, 57 alkaloids, 52 lignans, 44 tannins, 23 terpenoids, and 100 miscellaneous metabolites (such as sugars, alcohols, vitamins, and other unclassified substances). Clustering and PCA analyses revealed distinct separation of COT, BFOT, and SFOT, indicating variances in metabolites within the pericarp peels of these three C. oleifera types. KEGG enrichment analysis demonstrated that 143 shared differential metabolites were primarily associated with amino acid biosynthesis. These findings are expected to significantly enhance the current knowledge of the C. oleifera pericarp and pave the way for future development and use efforts.
Hemocompatibility of Albumin-Modified Magnetic Nanoparticles
Authors: Sharma Indu , Sharaf Mehdi Gaffari , Pawar Aishwarya , Milley Agatha , Unsworth Larry D.
Published: November 2024

Kidney failure leads to the accumulation of metabolites in the blood compartment. This build-up of metabolites has been associated with increased mortality and morbidity in these patients; thus, these metabolites are commonly called uremic toxins. The retention of some uremic toxins in the blood results from a strong interaction with serum albumin, preventing their clearance using standard hemodialysis techniques. Adsorbents are considered the next-generation technology for clearing uremic toxins from the blood, and iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles are a promising material due to a high surface area that is easily modified and the ability to remove them from blood with an external magnetic field. Plasma protein adsorption and clot formation kinetics were determined for unmodified and albumin-modified iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles. Albumin was selected because it can bind uremic toxins, and it is commonly used to passivate surfaces. Coatings were formed and characterized using transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and zeta-potential analysis. Clotting kinetics, total protein assays, and immunoblots were used to analyze the effect surface modification has on protein adsorption events. Unmodified nanoparticles showed rapid clotting and more adsorbed protein compared to albumin-coated iron oxide nanoparticles. Immunoblots show that modified particles showed changes in albumin, protein C, Immunoglobulin G, transferrin, fibrinogen, α1-antitrypsin, vitronectin, plasminogen, prothrombin, and antithrombin levels compared to unmodified controls. The hemocompatibility of adsorbent materials is essential to their clinical application in clearing the blood of uremic toxins.
Polyphenol Analysis and Antibacterial Potentials of Twig Extracts of Salix aurita, S. pyrolifolia, and S. caprea Growing Naturally in Finland
Authors: Mgbeahuruike Eunice Ego , Salih Enass , Prévost-Monteiro Stella , Sipari Nina , Väre Henry , Julkunen-Tiitto Riitta , Fyhrqvist Pia
Published: November 2024

Salix species have been used in traditional medicine to treat fever and inflammation. However, there is no reported information on the antibacterial activities of S. aurita and S. pyrolifolia, and little is known about the phytochemistry of S. aurita. In this study, winter-dormant twig extracts of S. aurita, S. caprea, and S. pyrolifolia were screened for their antibacterial activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Escherichia coli. The antibacterial effects were evaluated using agar diffusion and turbidimetric microplate methods. Time-kill effects were measured using the microplate optical density (OD620) method. UPLC-PDA-QTOF/MS analysis was conducted to identify the polyphenols present in a methanol extract of S. aurita. The antibacterial results show that methanol and hot and cold water twig extracts of S. aurita, S. caprea, and S. pyrolifolia have significant antibacterial effects against P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and B. cereus with the diameters of the inhibition zones (IZDs) ranging from 16.17 to 30.0 mm and the MICs between 1250 and 2500 µg/mL. Only the cold water extract of S. caprea was moderately active against E. coli. Proanthocyanidins, procyanidin B1 (m/z 577), and procyanidin C1 (m/z 865) were identified as the major polyphenols present in the methanol extract of S. aurita twigs for the first time. Additionally, salicin-7-sulfate was present in S. aurita twigs. Procyanidin B-1, taxifolin, trans-p-hydroxycinnamic acid, and catechin showed growth inhibitory activity against B. cereus with a MIC value of 250 µg/mL.
Variational Color Shift and Auto-Encoder Based on Large Separable Kernel Attention for Enhanced Text CAPTCHA Vulnerability Assessment
Authors: Wan Xing , Johari Juliana , Ruslan Fazlina Ahmat
Published: November 2024

Text CAPTCHAs are crucial security measures deployed on global websites to deter unauthorized intrusions. The presence of anti-attack features incorporated into text CAPTCHAs limits the effectiveness of evaluating them, despite CAPTCHA recognition being an effective method for assessing their security. This study introduces a novel color augmentation technique called Variational Color Shift (VCS) to boost the recognition accuracy of different networks. VCS generates a color shift of every input image and then resamples the image within that range to generate a new image, thus expanding the number of samples of the original dataset to improve training effectiveness. In contrast to Random Color Shift (RCS), which treats the color offsets as hyperparameters, VCS estimates color shifts by reparametrizing the points sampled from the uniform distribution using predicted offsets according to every image, which makes the color shifts learnable. To better balance the computation and performance, we also propose two variants of VCS: Sim-VCS and Dilated-VCS. In addition, to solve the overfitting problem caused by disturbances in text CAPTCHAs, we propose an Auto-Encoder (AE) based on Large Separable Kernel Attention (AE-LSKA) to replace the convolutional module with large kernels in the text CAPTCHA recognizer. This new module employs an AE to compress the interference while expanding the receptive field using Large Separable Kernel Attention (LSKA), reducing the impact of local interference on the model training and improving the overall perception of characters. The experimental results show that the recognition accuracy of the model after integrating the AE-LSKA module is improved by at least 15 percentage points on both M-CAPTCHA and P-CAPTCHA datasets. In addition, experimental results demonstrate that color augmentation using VCS is more effective in enhancing recognition, which has higher accuracy compared to RCS and PCA Color Shift (PCA-CS).
Cardiac Surgery and Transcatheter Intervention for Valvular Heart Disease in Carcinoid Syndrome: Risk Factors, Outcomes, and Evolving Therapeutic Strategies
Authors: Piscione Mariagrazia , Cammalleri Valeria , Antonelli Giorgio , De Luca Valeria Maria , Carpenito Myriam , Gaudio Dario , Cocco Nino , Nenna Antonio , Dominici Carmelo , Bianchi Antonio , Grigioni Francesco , Ussia Gian Paolo
Published: November 2024

Carcinoid heart disease (CHD) affects right-sided valves and causes significant mortality and morbidity. Even though the pathophysiology of the disease is not entirely understood, it is known that chronic exposure to high levels of circulating serotonin is the main factor responsible for developing valvular heart disease. Cardiac imaging plays a critical role in the management of CHD, so the final diagnosis can be performed through multimodal imaging techniques and the measurement of biomarkers. Moreover, in observational studies, surgical treatment of carcinoid-induced valve disease has been found to improve outcomes. Despite advancements in pre-operative preparation in recent years, mortality rates remain high in elderly patients and those with multiple comorbidities due to the risk of intra-operative carcinoid crisis and high post-operative bleeding. In this comprehensive review, we will analyze the causes of carcinoid syndrome and how it can result in severe right heart failure. The role of different imaging modalities in detecting heart valve disease will be discussed together with the therapeutic options at our disposal, such as medical treatment, surgery, and the novel role of transcatheter intervention.
Sex-Specific Changes in Cardiac Function and Electrophysiology During Progression of Adenine-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease in Mice
Authors: Dargam Valentina , Sanchez Anet , Kolengaden Aashiya , Perez Yency , Arias Rebekah , Valentin Cabrera Ana M. , Chaparro Daniel , Tarafa Christopher , Coba Alexandra , Yapaolo Nathan , da Silva Nogueira Perony , Todd Emily A. , Williams Monique M. , Shehadeh Lina A. , Hutcheson Joshua D.
Published: November 2024

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) often co-exist, with notable sex-dependent differences in manifestation and progression despite both sexes sharing similar risk factors. Identifying sex-specific diagnostic markers in CKD-induced CVD could elucidate why the development and progression of these diseases differ by sex. Adult, C57BL/6J male and female mice were fed a high-adenine diet for 12 weeks to induce CKD, while control mice were given a normal diet. Adenine-treated males showed more severe CKD than females. Cardiac physiology was evaluated using electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram markers. Only adenine-treated male mice showed markers of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. Adenine males showed markers of LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction throughout regimen duration, worsening as the disease progressed. Adenine males had prolonged QTc interval compared to adenine females and control males. We identified a new ECG marker, Speak-J duration, which increased with disease progression and appeared earlier in adenine-treated males than in females. We identified sex-dependent differences in cardiac structure, function, and electrophysiology in a CKD-induced CVD mouse model, with adenine-treated males displaying markers of LV hypertrophy, dysfunction, and electrophysiological changes. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using this model to investigate sex-dependent cardiac differences resulting from CKD.
Tungsten Disulfide-Based Materials and Their Conjugates for Cancer Photothermal Therapy
Authors: Lopes Ana Rita , Magalhães Fernão D. , Loureiro Joana A. , Pinto Artur M.
Published: November 2024

Cancer remains one of the most critical global health issues. Conventional treatments, such as radiotherapy, surgery, or chemotherapy, have limitations, especially concerning side effects, resistance, and recurrence. Consequently, new innovative treatments to overcome these problems are needed. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising alternative that uses photothermal agents that convert near-infrared light (NIR) into heat to kill cancer cells. Nanoparticles can be used as photothermal agents and also as drug delivery platforms, improving the drugs’ stability, allowing for targeted delivery, and reducing toxicity. Due to its broad absorption band, high surface area, and versatility for surface functionalization, tungsten disulfide (WS2) has high potential in this context. This paper presents the state-of-the-art on the use of WS2-based materials to achieve effective and biocompatible new anticancer treatment strategies.
Bright Luminal Sign on High b-Value Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Enterography Imaging as a New Biomarker to Predict Fibrotic Strictures in Crohn’s Disease Patients: A Retrospective Preliminary Study
Authors: Stoppino Luca Pio , Piscone Stefano , Quarta Colosso Ottavia , Saccone Sara , Milillo Paola , Della Valle Nicola , Sacco Rodolfo , Reginelli Alfonso , Macarini Luca , Vinci Roberta
Published: November 2024

A retrospective analysis was conducted to investigate how a bright luminal sign on high b-value diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) could be considered as a new biomarker for identifying fibrotic strictures in Crohn’s disease (CD). Fibrotic strictures, due to excessive deposition of extracellular matrix following chronic inflammatory processes, can be difficult to distinguish from inflammatory strictures using endoscopy. This study was performed on 65 patients with CD who underwent MRE, and among them 32 patients showed the bright luminal sign on high b-value DWI. DWI findings were compared to pre- and post-contrast MRE data. Luminal bright sign performance results were calculated using a confusion matrix, the relationship between categorical variables was assessed by the χ2 test of independence, and the Kruskal–Wallis test (ANOVA) was used for the assessment of statistical significance of differences between groups. The results indicated a high sensitivity (90%) and specificity (85%) of the bright luminal sign for fibro-stenotic CD and a significant correlation between DWI luminal brightness and markers such as the homogeneous enhancement pattern (p < 0.001), increase in enhancement percentage from 70 s to 7 min after gadolinium injection (p < 0.001), and submucosal fat penetration (p = 0.05). These findings indicate that DWI hyperintensity can be considered as a good non-invasive indicator for the detection of severe intestinal fibrosis and may provide an efficient and accurate method for assessing fibrotic strictures. This new non-invasive biomarker could allow an early diagnosis of fibrotic stricture, delaying the onset of complications and subsequent surgery. Moreover, further evaluations through larger prospective trials with histopathological correlation are needed to confirm these results and completely determine the clinical benefits of DWI in treating CD.
Effects of Different Protein and Lipid Levels in Practical Diets for Yellowtail Snapper, Ocyurus chrysurus (Bloch, 1971)
Authors: Velasquez Stephanie F. , Ibarra-Castro Leonardo , Weldon Alexis , Davis Donald Allen
Published: November 2024

Yellowtail snapper Ocyurus chrysurus has great potential as a production fish in aquaculture, yet there is very limited information on its nutritional requirements. To establish baseline data, two trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary protein and lipid levels in practical diets on growth and protein retention. The first trial, conducted over 14 weeks, used a series of diets with varying levels of protein (36%, 40%, and 44%) and lipids (6%, 10%, and 14%). The second trial, conducted for 10 weeks, used a series of diets with 36% protein and scaled lipid levels (7%, 10%, 13%, and 16%). Additionally, a commercial reference diet with 44% protein and 12% lipids was included. Growth performance and feed utilization parameters for Trial 1 indicated that the yellowtail snapper were able to effectively utilize practical diets containing 36% protein and 10% lipids, which produced the highest apparent net protein retention (ANPR; %) and survival. No significant differences were found in growth performance metrics, though there were numerical differences in final weight, weight gain, and survival. Similarly, in Trial 2, most growth metrics did not show significant differences. There were variations in weight gain, feed offered, and ANPR, with the highest performance observed in the fish given feed with 13% lipids. Based on the growth performance and ANPR values across these trials, we recommend 36% protein and dietary lipid levels of 7–13%, which are lower than the currently used commercial diets for marine finfish. The data gathered from the current study may be helpful for nutritionists in formulating feed to include more sustainable and cheaper feedstuffs and promote sustainable yellowtail snapper aquaculture production.
The Diversity and Taxonomy of Thelephoraceae (Basidiomycota) with Descriptions of Four Species from Southwestern China
Authors: Zhang Xiaojie , Shi Fulei , Zhang Sicheng , Hosen Md. Iqbal , Zhao Changlin
Published: November 2024

Taxonomy plays a central role in understanding the diversity of life, translating the products of biological exploration and discovery specimens and observations into systems of names that settle a “classification home” to taxa. The ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes family Thelephoraceae has been understudied in subtropical ecosystems. Many species of Thelephoraceae are important edible and medicinal fungi, with substantial economic value. Four new species, Thelephora resupinata, T. subtropica, T. yunnanensis, and Tomentella tenuifarinacea, are proposed based on a combination of the morphological features and molecular evidence. Thelephora resupinata is characterized by the resupinate basidiomata having a tuberculate pileal surface hymenial, and the presence of the subglobose to globose basidiospores (9–12 × 7–9 µm). T. subtropica is solitary coriaceous infundibuliform gray-brown basidiomata with a presence of the subclavate basidia and subglobose to globose basidiospores (6–8 × 5–7 µm). T. yunnanensis is typical of the laterally stipitate basidiomata having a smooth, umber to coffee hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, and the presence of the subglobose basidiospores (7–10 × 6–8 µm). Tomentella tenuifarinacea is typical of the arachnoid basidiomata having a smooth, gray, or dark gray hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, and the presence of the subglobose to globose basidiospores (7–9 × 6–8 µm). Sequences of ITS+nLSU+mtSSU genes were used for the phylogentic analyses using maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The three genes’ (ITS+nLSU+mtSSU) phylogenetic analysis showed that the genera Thelephora and Tomentella grouped together within the family Thelephoraceae and three new species were nested into the genus Thelephora, and one new species was nested into the genus Tomentella.
European Institutional Discourse Concerning the Russian Invasion of Ukraine on the Social Network X
Authors: Ruiz-Incertis Raquel , Tuñón-Navarro Jorge
Published: November 2024

The outbreak at the end of February 2022 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine—and the Russian–Ukrainian hostilities that began in 2014 with the Euromaidan—has led to numerous dramatic episodes from both a humanitarian and an informative perspective. In this context, social media have been filled with rhetoric and narrative mechanisms, both from civil society organisations and from European media and institutions, in their eagerness to define their position within the dialectical battle. This research aims to address organisational communication in the European Union during the first year after the invasion, taking as its object of study the publications of four institutional bodies: European Commission, European Parliament, European Council, and European External Action Service. For this purpose, a content analysis of tweets was carried out, as well as in-depth interviews with specialised actors in institutional communication and disinformation at the EU level. Overall, the results show that the parallel narrative of the Commission, the Parliament, the Council, and the EEAS has been quite similar and lacks significant divergences, reflecting coherence and coordination in the communication strategies around the Ukrainian war, although there are interesting findings on the interaction of the institutions with the media and other civil society actors in communicating this international crisis via social media.
A Double Optimum New Solution Method Based on EVA and Knapsack
Authors: Petropoulos Theofanis , Patsis Paris , Liapis Konstantinos , Chytis Evangelos
Published: November 2024

Optimizing resource allocation often requires a trade-off between multiple objectives. Since projects must be fully implemented or not at all, this issue is modeled as an integer programming problem, precisely a knapsack-type problem, where decision variables are binary (1 or 0). Projects may be complementary/supplementary and competitive/conflicting, meaning some are prerequisites for others, while some prevent others from being implemented. In this paper, a two-objective optimization model in the energy sector is developed, and the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm III (NSGA III) is adopted to solve it because the NSGA-III method is capable of handling problems with non-linear characteristics as well as having multiple objectives. The objective is to maximize the overall portfolio’s EVA (Economic Value Added). EVA is different from traditional performance measures and is more appropriate because it incorporates the objectives of all stakeholders in a business. Furthermore, because each project generates different kilowatts, maximizing the total production of the portfolio is appropriate. Data from the Greek energy market show optimal solutions on the Pareto efficiency front ranging from (14.7%, 38,000) to (11.91%, 40,750). This paper offers a transparent resource allocation process for similar issues in other sectors.
Languages: Elevating Excellence and Diversifying Perspectives
Authors: Kong Anthony Pak-Hin , Treffers-Daller Jeanine
Published: November 2024

After two years in the job of Editor-in-Chief, it is my pleasure to welcome Professor Anthony Pak-Hin Kong from The University of Hong Kong (HKU) as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Languages [...]
Segmenting Speech: The Role of Resyllabification in Spanish Phonology
Authors: Andreu Rascón Iván
Published: November 2024

Humans segment speech naturally based on the transitional probabilities between linguistic elements. For bilingual speakers navigating between a first (L1) and a second language (L2), L1 knowledge can influence their perception, leading to transfer effects based on phonological similarities or differences. Specifically, in Spanish, resyllabification occurs when consonants at the end of a syllable or word boundary are repositioned as the onset of the subsequent syllable. While the process can lead to ambiguities in perception, current academic discussions debate the duration of canonical and resyllabified productions. However, the role of bilingualism in the visual perception of syllable and word segmentation remains unknown to date. The present study explores the use of bilingual skills in the perception of articulatory movements and visual cues in speech perception, addressing the gap in the literature regarding the visibility of syllable pauses in lipreading. The participants in this study, 80 native Spanish speakers and 195 L2 learners, were subjected to audio, visual-only, and audiovisual conditions to assess their segmentation accuracy. The results indicated that both groups could segment speech effectively, with audiovisual cues providing the most significant benefit. Native speakers performed more consistently, while proficiency influenced L2 learners’ accuracy. The results show that aural syllabic segmentation is acquired at early stages of proficiency, while visual syllabic segmentation is acquired at higher levels of proficiency.
Mechanical Properties of Rock-like Materials Under Disturbance Loads at Different Lateral Pressures
Authors: Liu Yonghong , Zhao Fujun , Wu Qiuhong , Ye Zhouyuan
Published: November 2024

Underground surrounding rock engineering displays unique mechanical properties after being subjected to disturbance loads. In this study, the self-developed CX-8568 impact-disturbance surrounding rock test system was utilized to conduct dynamic tests on gypsum specimens subjected to different lateral pressures. The results show that the presence of lateral pressure enhances the specimen’s ability to withstand disturbance loads, which shows higher lateral pressure results in a greater number of disturbance cycles required for specimen failure. Lateral pressure inhibits both the transverse and axial deformation of the specimen, leading to an increase in the elastic modulus and average cyclic disturbance times as lateral pressure rises. When the lateral pressure is held constant, the residual plastic strain of the specimen increases continuously with the number of cyclic disturbance cycles, while the elastic modulus of the specimen decreases steadily as the cyclic disturbance cycles increase. The application of disturbance loads causes significant spalling and damage to the free surface of the specimen under varying lateral pressures. At low lateral pressures, the specimen primarily experiences tensile splitting, whereas at high lateral pressures, shear failure occurs at the ends of the specimen, while tensile failure is observed in the middle. Through this study, we can more clearly understand the mechanical properties and failure characteristics of rock under disturbed load and provide theoretical guidance for the stability of rock engineering.
Thermoelectric Properties of Cu2S Doped with P, As, Sb and Bi—Theoretical and Experimental Studies
Authors: Nieroda Paweł , Leszczyński Juliusz , Kapera Krzysztof , Rutkowski Paweł , Ziewiec Krzysztof , Szymańska Aleksandra , Kruszewski Mirosław J. , Rudnik Małgorzata , Koleżyński Andrzej
Published: November 2024

The aim of this work was to investigate the possibility of doping copper sulfide Cu2S with selected fifth-group elements, potentially having a positive effect on the thermoelectric properties of the resulting materials. For the selected model structures, theoretical calculations and an analysis of the electronic structure and changes in the enthalpy of formation due to doping were performed using the WIEN2k package employing the Full-Potential Linearized Augmented Plane Wave (FP-LAPW) method within density functional theory (DFT) formalism. Polycrystalline materials with the nominal composition of Cu32S15X1 (X = P, As, Sb, Bi) were synthesized in quartz ampoules, then sintered using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique and “SPS melting” method. The chemical and phase compositions of the obtained sinters were studied by X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Additionally, investigations of thermoelectric properties, i.e., electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity in the temperature range 300–920 K, were performed. The results of this study indicate that only phosphorus is successfully incorporated into the Cu₂S structure.
Thermodynamic and Kinetic Analysis of TiN Precipitation in Nickel-Based Superalloys During Solidification
Authors: Zhang Jie , Zeng Chengwei , Zheng Haibin , Gu Changlong
Published: November 2024

Large TiN inclusions in nickel-based superalloys promote micropore formation, compromising the mechanical properties of the alloys. However, current research lacks a comprehensive coupled model that considers both solute element microsegregation and TiN precipitation specifically in nickel-based superalloys. This study investigated TiN precipitation during the solidification of IN718 alloys through a combined thermodynamic and kinetic approach. A modified Clyne–Kurz model was applied to account for multi-element microsegregation, enabling an integrated analysis of both microsegregation and precipitation processes. The results indicated that solute elements in the molten alloy segregated to varying degrees during solidification. At an initial nitrogen concentration of 25 ppm, TiN inclusions precipitated when the solid fraction reached 0.256, eventually resulting in a total TiN precipitation of 64 ppm by the end of solidification, while residual nitrogen in the liquid phase decreased to 1.3 ppm. Increasing the initial nitrogen concentration from 10 ppm to 40 ppm advanced the onset of TiN precipitation and raised the total amount from 16 ppm to 126 ppm. Further analysis indicated that cooling rates of 0.03 °C/s, 0.06 °C/s, and 0.18 °C/s did not significantly affect the final TiN accumulation.
Fault Diagnosis for Rolling Bearings Under Complex Working Conditions Based on Domain-Conditioned Adaptation
Authors: Zhang Xu , Gu Gaoquan
Published: November 2024

To address the issue of low diagnostic accuracy caused by noise interference and varying rotational speeds in rolling bearings, a fault diagnosis method based on domain-conditioned feature correction is proposed for rolling bearings under complex working conditions. The approach first constructs a multi-scale self-calibrating convolutional neural network to aggregate input signals across different scales, adaptively establishing long-range spatial and inter-channel dependencies at each spatial location, thereby enhancing feature modeling under noisy conditions. Subsequently, a domain-conditioned adaptation strategy is introduced to dynamically adjust the activation of self-calibrating convolution channels in response to the differences between source and target domain inputs, generating correction terms for target domain features to facilitate effective domain-specific knowledge extraction. The method then aligns source and target domain features by minimizing inter-domain feature distribution discrepancies, explicitly mitigating the distribution variations induced by changes in working conditions. Finally, within a structural risk minimization framework, model parameters are iteratively optimized to achieve minimal distribution discrepancy, resulting in an optimal coefficient matrix for fault diagnosis. Experimental results using variable working condition datasets demonstrate that the proposed method consistently achieves diagnostic accuracies exceeding 95%, substantiating its feasibility and effectiveness.
Characterization of Surface Integrity of 3D-Printed Stainless Steel by Successive Grinding and Varied Burnishing Parameters
Authors: Kebede Frezgi Tesfom , Zaghal Jawad , Felho Csaba
Published: November 2024

Additive manufacturing (AM)’s ability to produce customized products with reduced material wastage and other advantages helped the technology to gain popularity in many industries. However, its poor surface integrity is its weak side, and to overcome this, additional post-processes are essential. Slide diamond burnishing, known for its enhancement of surface roughness, residual stress, microhardness, and other properties, was combined with grinding in this research after 3D printing of MetcoAdd 17-4PH-A to mitigate the mentioned shortcomings. This study aimed to analyze the effects of each process on surface roughness, residual stress (both on the surface and in-depth), and microhardness. Workpieces were ground with the same parameters and burnished with four levels of force, feed, and number of passes. The L16 Taguchi experimental design was used to optimize the process parameters and to study their effects. For surface roughness, the optimum parameters were found to be 60 N force, 0.02 m/min feed rate, and three passes. The longitudinal surface residual stress has optimal values at 80 N force, 0.02 m/min feed rate, and four passes. In the case of transverse surface residual stress, the optimal values were 60 N force, 0.17 m/min feed rate, and three passes. Microhardness was maximized with 60 N force, 0.02 m/min feed rate, and one pass. Additionally, the in-depth residual stress for selected surfaces was investigated, and 100 N force showed a deep burnishing effect. Further multi-objective optimization using desirability function analysis found that the optimal parameters for all responses were achieved at the fourth burnishing force level (100 N), the first tool feed level (0.02 m/min), and the fourth number of passes level (four passes). Ultimately, both grinding and burnishing processes exhibited significant enhancements in the measured parameters.
New High-Speed Arithmetic Circuits Based on Spiking Neural P Systems with Communication on Request Implemented in a Low-Area FPGA
Authors: Rangel José , Anides Esteban , Vázquez Eduardo , Sanchez Giovanny , Avalos Juan-Gerardo , Duchen Gonzalo , Toscano Linda K.
Published: November 2024

During the last years, the demand for internet-of-things (IoT) resource-constrained devices has grown exponentially. To address this need, several digital methods have been proposed to improve these devices in terms of area and power consumption. Despite achieving significant results, improvement in these factors is still a challenging task. Recently, an emerging computational area has been seen as a potential solution to improving the performance of conventional binary circuits. In particular, this area uses a method based on spiking neural P systems (SN P) to create arithmetic circuits, such as adders, subtractors, multipliers, and divisors, since these components are vital in many IoT applications. To date, several efforts have been dedicated to decreasing the number of neurons and synapses to create compact circuits. However, processing speed is a persistent issue. In this work, we propose four compact arithmetic circuits with high processing speeds. To evaluate their performance, we designed a neuromorphic processor that is capable of performing four operations using dynamic connectivity. As a consequence, the proposed neuromorphic processor achieves higher processing speeds by maintaining low area consumption in comparison with the existing approaches.