bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stability of Multivalent Ruthenium on CoWO4 Nanosheets for Improved Electrochemical Water Splitting with Alkaline Electrolyte
Authors: Wang Kai , Bai Bowen , Luo Kun , Liu Jifei , Ran Feitian , Li Zhuoqun , Wang Jing , Li Zengpeng , Gao Fengyang , Sun Wanjun
Published: February 2024

Engineering low‐cost electrocatalysts with desired features is vital to decrease the energy consumption but challenging for superior water splitting. Herein, we development a facile strategy by the addition of multivalence ruthenium (Ru) into the CoWO4/CC system. During the synthesis process, the most of Ru3+ ions were insinuated into the lattice of CoWO4, while the residual Ru3+ ions were reduced to metallic Ru and further attached to the interface between carbon cloth and CoWO4 sheets. The optimal Ru2(M)−CoWO4/CC exhibited superior performance for the HER with an overpotential of 85 mV@10 mA cm−2, which was much better than most of reported electrocatalysts, regarding OER, a low overpotential of 240 mV@10 mA cm−2 was sufficient. In comparison to Ru2(0)−CoWO4/CC with the same Ru mass loading, multivalence Ru2(M)−CoWO4/CC required a lower overpotential for OER and HER, respectively. The Ru2(M)−CoWO4/CC couple showed excellent overall water splitting performance at a cell voltage of 1.48 V@10 mA cm−2 for used as both anodic and cathodic electrocatalysts. Results of the study showed that the electrocatalytic activity of Ru2(M)−CoWO4/CC was attributed to the in‐situ transformation of Ru/Co sites, the multivalent Ru ions and the synergistic effect of different metal species stimulated the intrinsic activity of CoWO4/CC.
2DOF‐FOPID‐IF control with improved sparrow modulation for cascaded H‐bridge multilevel inverter in PV applications
Authors: Ahmad Waseem , Qinglei Zhang
Published: February 2024

Photovoltaic (PV) systems benefit from the cascaded H‐bridge multilevel inverter (CHMLI) topology due to its high flexibility and efficiency. However, PV mismatches in three‐phase grid‐connected systems result in an unbalanced power supply, which leads to an unbalanced grid current. Proportional integral derivative (PID) controllers can be used to control H‐bridge inverters because of their simplicity of tuning as well as their basic structure. However, due to the nonlinearity and high sensitivity of the PID controller, its performance declines as a result of high overshoot, high settling time, and high rise time during significant external disturbances. Moreover, the switching angle of the inverter must be adjusted to provide the required fundamental voltage while reducing harmonic content. In order to address this problem, a control technique with modulation compensation is proposed. The present work offers a two‐degree‐of‐freedom fractional‐order PID controller with an integrated filter (2DOF–FOPID–IF). Moreover, the optimum switching angles are determined for the CHMLI by employing an improved sparrow optimization (ISO) algorithm. To prove the practicality of the suggested technique, simulation, and experimental data are compared with the existing techniques. The proposed technique shows better performance in terms of settling time, overshoot, rise time, and low harmonics.
A new submodule‐based generalized multilevel inverter topology with reduced switches and DC sources
Authors: Seifi Ali , Hosseini Seyed Hossein , Tarafdar Hagh Mehrdad , Hosseinpour Majid
Published: February 2024

Multilevel inverters are known as essential converters in renewable sources. First, in this paper, a new submodule is presented, and based on it, a new sub‐multilevel inverter is presented. The proposed sub‐multilevel inverter consists of several unidirectional and bidirectional switches and DC voltage sources. Then, the generalized topology, developed in two modular and cascaded modes, is presented to increase production levels. The proposed submodules are connected in series in the modular topology, increasing production levels. The proposed topology to produce the maximum output levels has the minimum number of IGBTs, drivers, DC voltage sources, etc. Mathematical analyses for conduction and switching losses are provided, and mathematical analyses for the number of devices and voltage across the switches are also presented. In addition to the mathematical analysis of losses, the simulation results are also presented. A general comparison of proposed topology components is presented to demonstrate their advantages. This comparison shows that the proposed topology has the minimum number of power electronic devices. In this paper, nearest level modulation is used to control the proposed topology. The simulation and experimental results of the proposed sub‐multilevel verify the performance of the proposed topology.
Evolution of sensitivity to warning cues from kin in plants with a structured population
Authors: Yamauchi Atsushi , Takabayashi Junji , Shiojiri Kaori , Karban Richard
Published: February 2024

Plants exchange a variety of information intra‐ and interspecifically by using various mediating cues. For example, plant individuals that are injured by herbivores release volatile chemicals, which induce receiver plants to express anti‐herbivore resistance. Remarkably, some plant species were known to represent kin specificity in the response, where cues from a damaged individual induce a higher level of resistance in a kin receiver than in a non‐kin receiver. Such higher sensitivity to warning cues from kin could be advantageous via two mechanisms. If each herbivore tends to attack plants with a certain genotype, plants should be more sensitive to warning cues from kin that share genetic properties. In addition, if herbivores successively attack the neighboring plant with a high probability, and if related plants tend to grow in close proximity, plants may be more sensitive to warning cues from neighboring kin under the presence of a trade‐off between sensitivity to kin and non‐kin. In the present study, we constructed a mathematical model including those mechanisms to investigate the evolutionary process of the higher sensitivity to warning cues from kin than sensitivities to cues from non‐kin. According to the analysis of evolutionary dynamics, we revealed that both mechanisms could contribute, although higher sensitivity to cues from kin is more likely to evolve when the spatial range of competition is greater than the range of effective alarm cues. This result highlights the importance of the competition regime in the evolution of signaling among kin.
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in heart transplant recipients with biopsy‐negative graft dysfunction
Authors: Anand Senthil , Alnsasra Hilmi , LeMond Lisa M. , Shrivastava Sanskriti , Asleh Rabea , Rosenbaum Andrew , Kobrossi Semaan , Mohananey Akanksha , Murphy Katie , Smith Byron H. , Kushwaha Sudhir , Steidley David E. , Clavell Alfredo , Young Phillip , Pereira Naveen L.
Published: February 2024

Aims

Graft dysfunction (GD) after heart transplantation (HTx) can develop without evidence of cell‐ or antibody‐mediated rejection. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has an evolving role in detecting rejection; however, its role in biopsy‐negative GD has not been described. This study examines CMR findings, evaluates outcomes based on CMR results, and seeks to identify the possibility of rejection missed through endomyocardial biopsy by using CMR in HTx recipients with biopsy‐negative GD.

Methods and results

HTx recipients with GD [defined as a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by >5% and LVEF < 50%] in the absence of rejection by biopsy or allograft vasculopathy and who underwent CMR were included in the study. The primary outcome was a composite of all‐cause mortality, re‐transplantation, or persistent LVEF < 50%. Overall, 34 HTx recipients developed biopsy‐negative GD and underwent CMR. Left ventricular late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on CMR was observed in 16 patients with two distinct patterns: diffuse epicardial (n = 13) and patchy (n = 3) patterns. Patients with LGE developed GD later after HTx [4 (1.4–6.8) vs. 0.8 (0.3–1.2) years, P < 0.001], were more often symptomatic (88% vs. 56%, P = 0.06), and had greater haemodynamic derangement (pulmonary capillary wedge pressure: 19 ± 7 vs. 13 ± 3 mmHg, P = 0.002) as compared with those without LGE. No significant difference was observed in the primary composite outcome between patients with LGE and those without LGE (50% vs. 38% of patients with events, P = 0.515). During a median follow‐up of 3.8 years, mean LVEF improved similarly in the LGE‐negative (37–55%) and LGE‐positive groups (32–55%) (P = 0.16).

Conclusions

Biopsy‐negative GD occurs with and without LGE when assessed by CMR, indicative of possible rejection/inflammation occurring only in a subset of patients. Irrespective of LGE, LVEF improvement occurs in most GD patients, suggesting that other neurohormonal or immunomodulatory mechanisms may also contribute to GD development.
Chair vs. Boat: Conformational Impacts on DNA Binding Capacity in Cu(II) Complexes Featuring cis‐1,4‐Cyclohexanedicarboxylate
Authors: Rahaman Sk Khalid , Mohammad Mukti , Brandão Paula , Siddiqui Masoom Raza , Wabaidur Saikh M. , Islam Md Maidul , Alam Seikh Mafiz , Mir Mohammad Hedayetullah
Published: February 2024

Two new coordination complexes were synthesized, which are formulated as [Cu2(cis‐1,4‐chdc)(4,4′‐Me2bpy)4] ⋅ 2(ClO4−) ⋅ H2O (1) and [Cu2(cis‐1,4‐chdc)(5,5′‐Me2bpy)4] ⋅ 2(ClO4−) ⋅ H2O (2), using cis‐1,4‐cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid (cis‐1,4‐H2chdc), 4,4′‐dimethyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine (4,4′‐Me2bpy), 5,5′‐dimethyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine (5,5′‐Me2bpy). Interestingly, cis‐1,4‐chdc adopts chair form in 1 and boat conformation in 2. This conformational change impacts the DNA binding capacities of the complexes as revealed by spectrophotometry, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and docking studies. The complex 1 having the chair conformation shows higher affinity towards the DNA base pairs due to anti‐alignment of the planar aromatic pyridyl rings of 4,4′‐Me2bpy, which strongly intercalates with the adenosine base pairs of DNA by formation of three π–π stacking and two extra π‐positive stacking interactions between adenosine bases and positively charged nitrogen. Conversely, 5,5′‐Me2bpy with planar aromatic pyridyl rings of complex 2 shows bis‐intercalation with weak affinities toward base pairs by formation of two π–π stacking and one π‐positive stacking interactions.
Predicting soil erosion and sediment delivery in large, data‐sparse, mountainous basins
Authors: Tan Yuning , Liu Huaixiang , Lu Yongjun
Published: February 2024

Intense hydroelectric exploitation requires information on sediment flux to prevent the potential siltation of cascade reservoirs. As the main sediment source for the Yangtze River, the lower Jinsha River Basin (LJRB) lacks data on its sediment budget, which urges a thorough investigation to provide reliable estimates. This paper proposed a modelling framework to study soil erosion, sediment delivery, and sediment yield in this critical area with an emphasis on analyzing the underlying controls. Over the past 50 years, basin average erosion rates decreased from 26.5 to 23.7 t ha−1 a−1, with erosion hotspots (>50 t ha−1 a−1) comprising only 21.1% of the basin area but contributing 69.5% of the gross erosion. Local steepness and sparse landcover conditions were found to be directly responsible for high erosions, rather than precipitation or soils. With a dimensionality reduction strategy to remove redundant factors, the optimal variables for modelling sediment delivery ratio (SDR) were identified as Specific Catchment Area, Maximum Elevation, and Drainage Area. These three variables all had a positive correlation with SDR, and the established model can explain 86% of the SDR variation. Further modelling revealed regionalised SDRs ranging from 0.07 to 0.38 for 39 subbasins, about 30% of which were no less than 0.35. Regionalised specific sediment yield (SSY) ranged from 1.3 to 16.9 t ha−1 a−1 with 38% of the high SSYs (above 8 t ha−1 a−1) concentrating in the reservoir area from Wudongde to Xiluodu that poses siltation risks. This study addressed the scarcity of sediment budget knowledge in the LJRB, and the coupled model of erosion and sediment delivery has been validated with satisfactory predictions. Therefore, the modelling framework proposed may be adopted to diverse river basins for its low parameter requirements and solid modelling performance.
Depression during the COVID‐19 pandemic among older adults with stroke history: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
Authors: MacNeil Andie , Li Grace , Gulati Ishnaa , Taunque Aneisha , Jiang Ying , de Groh Margaret , Fuller‐Thomson Esme
Published: February 2024

Objectives

The COVID‐19 pandemic and accompanying public health measures exacerbated many known risk factors for depression, while also increasing numerous health‐related stressors for people with stroke history. Using a large longitudinal sample of older adults, the current study examined the prevalence of incident and recurrent depression among participants with stroke history, and also identified factors that were associated with depression during the pandemic among this population.

Methods

Data came from four waves of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging's (CLSA) comprehensive cohort (n = 577 with stroke history; 46.1% female; 20.8% immigrants; mean age = 74.56 SD = 9.19). The outcome of interest was a positive screen for depression, based on the CES‐D‐10, collected during the 2020 CLSA COVID autumn questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors that were associated with depression.

Results

Approximately 1 in 2 (49.5%) participants with stroke history and a history of depression experienced a recurrence of depression early in the pandemic. Among those without a history of depression, approximately 1 in 7 (15.0%) developed depression for the first time during this period. The risk of depression was higher among immigrants, those who were lonely, those with functional limitations, and those who experienced COVID‐19 related stressors, such as increased family issues, difficulty accessing healthcare, and becoming ill or having a loved one become ill or die during the pandemic.

Conclusions

Interventions that target those with stroke history, both with and without a history of depression, are needed to buffer against the stressors of the COVID‐19 pandemic and support the mental health of this population.
Testing the sensitivity of diagnosis‐derived patterns in functional brain networks to symptom burden in a Norwegian youth sample
Authors: Voldsbekk Irene , Kjelkenes Rikka , Frogner Erik R. , Westlye Lars T. , Alnæs Dag
Published: February 2024

Aberrant brain network development represents a putative aetiological component in mental disorders, which typically emerge during childhood and adolescence. Previous studies have identified resting‐state functional connectivity (RSFC) patterns reflecting psychopathology, but the generalisability to other samples and politico‐cultural contexts has not been established. We investigated whether a previously identified cross‐diagnostic case–control and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)‐specific pattern of RSFC (discovery sample; aged 5–21 from New York City, USA; n = 1666) could be validated in a Norwegian convenience‐based youth sample (validation sample; aged 9–25 from Oslo, Norway; n = 531). As a test of generalisability, we investigated if these diagnosis‐derived RSFC patterns were sensitive to levels of symptom burden in both samples, based on an independent measure of symptom burden. Both the cross‐diagnostic and ASD‐specific RSFC pattern were validated across samples. Connectivity patterns were significantly associated with thematically appropriate symptom dimensions in the discovery sample. In the validation sample, the ASD‐specific RSFC pattern showed a weak, inverse relationship with symptoms of conduct problems, hyperactivity and prosociality, while the cross‐diagnostic pattern was not significantly linked to symptoms. Diagnosis‐derived connectivity patterns in a developmental clinical US sample were validated in a convenience sample of Norwegian youth, however, they were not associated with mental health symptoms.
Financial protection in health revisited: Is catastrophic health spending underestimated for service‐ or disease‐specific analysis?
Authors: Ataguba John E. , Ichoku Hyacinth E. , Ingabire Marie‐Gloriose , Akazili James
Published: February 2024

Economists originally developed methods to assess financial catastrophe using total or aggregate out‐of‐pocket health spending. Aggregate out‐of‐pocket health spending is financially catastrophic when it exceeds a fixed proportion (i.e., threshold) of a household's total income or expenditure in a given period. However, these methods are now applied to assess financial catastrophe in disease‐ or service‐specific rather than aggregate out‐of‐pocket health spending without using disease‐ or service‐specific thresholds. This paper argues that not using disease‐ or service‐specific thresholds for such assessments is misleading and underestimates the burden of financial catastrophe, especially among households from poorer backgrounds. It then proposed disease‐ or service‐specific catastrophic payment thresholds, applied them to Nigeria and found that financial catastrophe was underestimated for the five service groups considered. The paper stresses the importance of using disease‐ or service‐specific thresholds and avoiding unadjusted thresholds, which may leave poorer households behind as financially protected.
Karyotyping of human chromosomes in metaphase images using faster R‐CNN and inception models
Authors: Chavan Satishkumar , Nair Leeaa , Nimbalkar Nishant , Solkar Sarah
Published: February 2024

Karyotyping is the process of pairing and ordering human chromosomes from metaphase chromosomal images depending on their size, centromere position, and banding patterns. It is used to analyze human chromosomes for various genetic disorders especially during prenatal screenings. Since manual karyotyping is a labor‐intensive and a time‐consuming task, developing an automatic or semi‐automatic computer‐assisted karyotyping system is the need of the hour. The proposed karyotyping system aims to detect human chromosomes (22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosome) from the microscopic metaphase images which is followed by separation of overlapped chromosomes. Extracted chromosomes are first classified into seven Denver groups (A to G) followed by classifying individual chromosomes within their Denver group. Then the classified chromosome pairs are used to create a karyotype with the assistance of cytologists or by using estimated chromosome length as cytogenetic parameter. A total of 234 chromosomal images from two different public datasets are used for experimentation. Human chromosomes in the microscopic metaphase images are detected using faster regions with convolutional neural networks (Faster R‐CNN) combined with Inception v2. Then convexity defect algorithm is preferred for separation of overlapped chromosomes. The detected chromosomes are classified using the proposed two‐step approach in which Inception v3 model is used. Then the classified chromosome pairs are used to create a karyotype with the assistance of cytologists or by using estimated chromosome length as cytogenetic parameter. Faster R‐CNN model gives a detection accuracy of 98.53%. Denver group classification with the two‐step approach provides a better accuracy of 84.59% when network is trained for 64 902 epochs. Faster R‐CNN outperforms in detection and works faster as it searches chromosomes within the regional proposals. The two‐step classification approach gives better classification accuracy. The proposed approach also works very well for overlapping chromosomes due to use of convexity defects algorithm. The classified chromosome pairs are useful tools for the cytologists to create a karyotype with minimal efforts.
Ultrastructural features of tumor‐associated mast cells in parasympathetic paragangliomas (chemodectomas) of the neck
Authors: Chekmaryova Irina , Kalinin Dmitry , Kostin Andrey , Buchwalow Igor , Tiemann Markus , Elieh‐Ali‐Komi Daniel , Atiakshin Dmitrii
Published: February 2024

The mechanisms of the pathogenesis of neck paraganglioma (PGL) and the possible role of mast cells (MCs) in its development and metastasis are still poorly understood. We analyzed MCs' morphologic characterization, activation, and the properties of their cytoplasmic/released granules in PGLs, using light and transmission electron microscopy. Paragangliomas showed a large tumor‐associated MC population both in the connective tissue layers of the tumor and between the tumor cells. Notably, MCs were presented by a high expression of specific proteases, size variation, polymorphism, and variable ultrastructural phenotype of granules. A massive number of granules were released surrounding the degranulated MCs while the integrity of MC membrane was maintained. Granules were electron‐dense with or without a membrane, ranging from 0.2 to 0.8 μm in diameter. MC plasmalemma was not found at the site of MC‐collagen fibrils contact, whereas the secretome and fibrils were directly contacted. We observed direct and mediator‐based interactions between MCs and paraganglioma cells. The latter preserved their membrane integrity when MC granules were not in proximity. The effects of the MC secretome on the paraganglioma microenvironment demonstrated its pathogenetic role in tumor progression and allow its application to new diagnostic criteria and the development of protocols for personalized therapy.

Research Highlights

Ultrastructural analysis reveals novel regulatory effects of mast cells via diverse secretory pathways on the pathogenesis of parasympathetic paraganglioma, including fibrous extracellular matrix remodeling and mediator‐based interactions between MCs and cells of the tumor microenvironment.
Synthesis of benzo[b]pyran, 3,4 dihydropyrano[c]chromene and their new furan derivatives using Cu(II) complex of tetradentate Schiff‐base supported on silica as a nanocatalyst
Authors: Sharghi Hashem , Mashhadi Elahe , Razavi Seyyede Faeze , Aberi Mahdi
Published: February 2024

Cu(II) Complex of tetradentate Schiff‐base supported on silica [Cu(II) Schiff‐base@‐SiO2] catalyzed reactions of aryl aldehydes with carbonyl compounds (dimedon/4‐hydroxy coumarin/1,3‐cyclohexadion) and malononitrile in aqueous media (H2O:EtOH) to preparation of benzo[b]pyrans and 3,4‐dihydropyrano[c]chromanes. Also, using this nanocatalyst, 2‐(5‐substituted phenyl)furan‐2‐carboxaldehyde derivatives with carbonyl compounds (dimedon/4‐hydroxy coumarin/1,3‐cyclohexadion) and malononitrile gave novel tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyran and 3,4‐dihydropyrano[c]chromane derivatives in high yields in H2O:EtOH under reflux conditions. The key advantages of this catalytic systems are the formation of novel products, high yields (78%–93%), short reaction time, broad substrate scope, environmentally friendly reaction conditions and also, without need to column chromatography for purification. Furthermore, the nanocatalyst can be reused six times without losing catalytic activity.
A role of BPTF in viral oncogenicity delineated through studies of heritable Kaposi sarcoma
Authors: Yogev Yuval , Schaffer Moshe , Shlapobersky Mark , Jean Matan M. , Wormser Ohad , Drabkin Max , Halperin Daniel , Kassem Riad , Livoff Alejandro , Tsitrina Alexandra A. , Asna Noam , Birk Ohad S.
Published: February 2024

Kaposi sarcoma (KS), caused by Herpesvirus‐8 (HHV‐8; KSHV), shows sporadic, endemic, and epidemic forms. While familial clustering of KS was previously recorded, the molecular basis of hereditary predilection to KS remains largely unknown. We demonstrate through genetic studies that a dominantly inherited missense mutation in BPTF segregates with a phenotype of classical KS in multiple immunocompetent individuals in two families. Using an rKSHV.219‐infected CRISPR/cas9‐model, we show that BPTFI2012T mutant cells exhibit higher latent‐to‐lytic ratio, decreased virion production, increased LANA staining, and latent phenotype in viral transcriptomics. RNA‐sequencing demonstrated that KSHV infection dysregulated oncogenic‐like response and P53 pathways, MAPK cascade, and blood vessel development pathways, consistent with KS. BPTFI2012T also enriched pathways of viral genome regulation and replication, immune response, and chemotaxis, including downregulation of IFI16, SHFL HLAs, TGFB1, and HSPA5, all previously associated with KSHV infection and tumorigenesis. Many of the differentially expressed genes are regulated by Rel‐NF‐κB, which regulates immune processes, cell survival, and proliferation and is pivotal to oncogenesis. We thus demonstrate BPTF mutation‐mediated monogenic hereditary predilection of KSHV virus‐induced oncogenesis, and suggest BPTF as a drug target.
Phylodynamic evolution of HIV‐1 A6 sub‐subtype epidemics in Poland
Authors: Serwin Karol , Scheibe Kaja , Urbańska Anna , Aksak‐Wąs Bogusz , Karasińska‐Cieślak Malwina , Ząbek Piotr , Siwak Ewa , Cielniak Iwona , Jabłonowska Elżbieta , Wójcik‐Cichy Kamila , Jakubowski Paweł , Bociąga‐Jasik Monika , Witor Adam , Szymczak Aleksandra , Szetela Bartosz , Parczewski Miłosz
Published: February 2024

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) A6 sub‐subtype is highly prevalent in Eastern Europe. Over the past decade, the dissemination of the A6 lineage has been expanding in Poland. The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine may further escalate the spread of this sub‐subtype. While evolutionary studies using viral sequences have been instrumental in identifying the HIV epidemic patterns, the origins, and dynamics of the A6 sub‐subtype in Poland remain to be explored. We analyzed 1185 HIV‐1 A6 pol sequences from Poland, along with 8318 publicly available sequences from other countries. For analyses, phylogenetic tree construction, population dynamics inference, Bayesian analysis, and discrete phylogeographic modeling were employed. Of the introduction events to Poland, 69.94% originated from Ukraine, followed by 29.17% from Russia. Most A6 sequences in Poland (53.16%) formed four large clades, with their introductions spanning 1993−2008. Central and Southern Polish regions significantly influenced migration events. Transmissions among men who have sex with men (MSM) emerged as the dominant risk group for virus circulation, representing 72.92% of migration events. Sequences from migrants were found primarily outside the large clades. Past migration from Ukraine has fueled the spread of the A6 sub‐subtype and the current influx of war‐displaced people maintains the growing national epidemic.
Effect of fibers on starch structural changes during hydrothermal treatment: multiscale analyses, and evaluation of dilution effects on starch digestibility
Authors: Güven Özge , Şensoy İlkay
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND

Dietary fibers (DFs) may influence the structural, nutritional and techno‐functional properties of starch within food systems. Moreover, DFs have favorable effects on the digestive system and potentially a lower glycemic index. These potential benefits may change depending on DF type. Starch processed in the presence of soluble and insoluble fibers can undergo different structural and functional changes, and the present study investigated the effects of short‐chain and long‐chain inulin and cellulose on the structural and digestive properties of wheat starch.

RESULTS

The combined use of differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) provided insights into the structural changes in starch and inulin at different levels. Short‐chain and long‐chain inulin had higher water retention capacity and a potential to limit starch gelatinization. The FTIR results revealed an interaction between starch and inulin. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed morphological changes in starch and inulin after the hydrothermal treatment. Cellulose fiber was not affected by the hydrothermal treatment and had no influence on starch behavior. The structural differences observed through XRD, FTIR and scanning electron microscopy analyses between starch with and without inulin fibers did not significantly impact starch digestibility, except for the dilution effect caused by adding DFs.

CONCLUSION

The present study highlights the importance of utilizing different analytical tools to assess changes in food samples at different scales. Although short‐chain and long‐chain inulin could potentially limit starch gelatinization, the duration of the heat treatment (90 °C for 10 min) was sufficient to ensure complete starch gelatinization. The dilution effect caused by adding fibers was the primary reason for the effect on starch digestibility. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Research on the lubrication performance of circular tilting pad thrust bearings for large wind turbines
Authors: Wang Jianlei , Cao Yang , Sun Wenye , Chen Runlin , Jia Qian , Cui Yahui
Published: February 2024

In view of the large temperature rise and impact load of thrust bearings in the main shaft system of large wind turbines, this article takes the circular tilting pad thrust bearings in large wind turbines as the research object, and analyses the basic theory of bearing lubrication. The lubrication performance calculation model established for this bearing includes the Reynolds equation, energy equation, film thickness equation, and elastic deformation equation. Theoretically analysing and calculating the lubrication performance of the circular tilting pad thrust bearing, the key performance parameters have identified such as minimum film thickness (hmin), temperature rise (ΔT), power consumption (W), and flow rate (Q). The calculation results show that the eccentricity ratio has a significant impact on the lubrication performance of the circular tilting pad thrust bearing. When both radial and circumferential eccentricity ratios are around 0.5, the bearing exhibits a high temperature rise, leading to a potential risk of bearing burnout. The results also show that at a radial eccentricity ratio of approximately 0.54, the minimum film thickness reaches its maximum value of 10.34 μm. Similarly, at a circumferential eccentricity ratio of about 0.60, the minimum film thickness reaches its peak value of 21.89 μm. This indicates that the eccentricity ratio plays a crucial role in the lubrication performance. In addition, the lubrication performance of the bearing under varying loads has been calculated at a speed of 9.5 r/min. The results demonstrated that the applied load significantly impacts the thrust bearing's performance. The findings elucidate the critical role of considering the eccentricity ratio and operational external load during the bearing design process. This study validates the potential of replacing rolling bearings with sliding bearings in wind turbine main shafts. It also provides a theoretical reference for the future design of sliding bearings.
Probabilistic skill of statistically downscaled ECMWF S2S forecasts of maximum and minimum temperatures for weeks 1–4 over South Africa
Authors: Phakula Steven , Landman Willem A. , Engelbrecht Christien J.
Published: February 2024

The probabilistic forecast skill level of statistically downscaled European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) subseasonal‐to‐seasonal (S2S) forecasts is determined in predicting maximum and minimum temperatures for weeks 1–4 lead times during 20‐year December–January–February (DJF) seasons from 2001 to 2020 over South Africa. Skilful S2S forecasts are vital in assisting decision‐makers in the development of contingency planning for any eventualities that may arise because of weather and climate phenomena. Extreme high‐ and low‐temperature events over a prolonged period can lead to hyperthermia and hypothermia, respectively, and can lead to loss of life. The results from the relative operating characteristic (ROC) and reliability diagrams indicate that the ECMWF S2S model has skill in predicting maximum temperature up to week 3 ahead, particularly over the central and eastern parts of South Africa. The ROC scores indicate that the model has skill in predicting minimum temperature up to week 4 ahead for the above‐normal category, particularly over the central and eastern parts of South Africa. Reliability diagrams indicate that the model has a tendency of overestimating the below‐normal category when predicting both maximum and minimum temperatures for weeks 1–4 lead times over South Africa. Furthermore, canonical correlation analysis (CCA) pattern analysis suggests that when there are anomalously positive and negative predicted 850‐hPa geopotential heights located over South Africa, there are anomalously hot and cold conditions during the DJF seasons over most parts of South Africa, respectively. These results suggests that statistical downscaling of model forecasts can improve forecast skill. Moreover, the results suggest that there is potential for S2S predictions in South Africa, and as such, S2S prediction system for maximum and minimum temperatures can be developed.
Prediction of ultimate tensile strength of Al‐Si alloys based on multimodal fusion learning
Authors: Zhu Longfei , Luo Qun , Chen Qiaochuan , Zhang Yu , Zhang Lijun , Hu Bin , Han Yuexing , Li Qian
Published: February 2024

Exploring the “composition‐microstructure‐property” relationship is a long‐standing theme in materials science. However, complex interactions make this area of research challenging. Based on the image processing and machine learning techniques, this paper proposes a multimodal fusion learning framework that comprehensively considers both composition and microstructure in prediction of the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of Al‐Si alloys. Firstly, the composition and image information are collected from the literature and supplementary experiments, followed by the image segmentation and quantitative analysis of eutectic Si images. Subsequently, the quantitative analysis results are combined with other features for three‐step feature screening, and 12 key features are obtained. Finally, four machine‐learning models (i.e., decision tree, random forest, adaptive boosting, and extreme gradient boosting [XGBoost]) are used to predict the UTS of Al‐Si alloys. The results show that the quantitative analysis method proposed in this paper is superior to Image‐Pro Plus (IPP) software in some aspects. The XGBoost model has the best prediction performance with R2 = 0.94. Furthermore, five mixed features and their critical values that significantly affect UTS are identified. Our study provides enlightenment for the prediction of UTS of Al‐Si alloys from composition and microstructure, and would be applicable to other alloys.
Longitudinal examination of borderline personality disorder symptoms and drug use: The influence of negative and positive emotion dysregulation
Authors: Waite Elinor E. , Raudales Alexa M. , Newberger Noam G. , Ferguson Jewelia J. , Denning Dominic M. , Huffman Sarah , Weiss Nicole H. , Dixon‐Gordon Katherine L.
Published: February 2024

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with greater substance use. Emotion dysregulation has been implicated in both BPD and substance use, yet there is limited research examining the role of emotion dysregulation in the BPD–substance use relation. We examined the independent and interactive associations of BPD symptoms and emotion dysregulation in reported drug use over 1 year. Participants (N = 143) were over‐recruited for BPD, assessed via interview, and completed measures of negative and positive emotion dysregulation. Drug use frequency was assessed with monthly surveys over a 1‐year period. Results demonstrated interrelations among BPD symptoms and both negative and positive emotion dysregulation. However, when modeling BPD and emotion dysregulation together, only higher BPD symptoms were associated with more frequent drug use. Findings support the relation of BPD symptoms and emotion dysregulation but suggest that emotion dysregulation may not account for drug use frequency above and beyond BPD in community‐recruited populations.
A sequence‐based model for identifying proteins undergoing liquid–liquid phase separation/forming fibril aggregates via machine learning
Authors: Liao Shaofeng , Zhang Yujun , Han Xinchen , Wang Tinglan , Wang Xi , Yan Qinglin , Li Qian , Qi Yifei , Zhang Zhuqing
Published: February 2024

Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) and the solid aggregate (also referred to as amyloid aggregates) formation of proteins, have gained significant attention in recent years due to their associations with various physiological and pathological processes in living organisms. The systematic investigation of the differences and connections between proteins undergoing LLPS and those forming amyloid fibrils at the sequence level has not yet been explored. In this research, we aim to address this gap by comparing the two types of proteins across 36 features using collected data available currently. The statistical comparison results indicate that, 24 of the selected 36 features exhibit significant difference between the two protein groups. A LLPS‐Fibrils binary classification model built on these 24 features using random forest reveals that the fraction of intrinsically disordered residues (FIDR) is identified as the most crucial feature. While, in the further three‐class LLPS‐Fibrils‐Background classification model built on the same screened features, the composition of cysteine and that of leucine show more significant contributions than others. Through feature ablation analysis, we finally constructed a model FLFB (Feature‐based LLPS‐Fibrils‐Background protein predictor) using six refined features, with an average area under the receiver operating characteristics of 0.83. This work indicates using sequence features and a machine learning model, proteins undergoing LLPS or forming amyloid fibrils can be identified.
Challenges of liver transplantation programs in low‐ and middle‐income countries: An experience from Sri Lanka
Authors: Jayarathna M. J. S. , Dassanayake B. K. , Dorji Thinley , Lucero‐Prisno Don Eliseo , Samarasinghe S. , Pinto Vasanthi , Lamawansa M. D.
Published: February 2024

Liver diseases lead to 1.3 million deaths per year around the world, the majority of which are secondary to cirrhosis. In the management of liver diseases in chronic and acute conditions, liver transplant (LT) plays a major role in improving the survival and quality of life of patients. LT programmes require the technical capabilities in performing the pre‐transplant evaluation, transplant surgery and post‐transplant care supported by adequate infrastructure and a set of trained teams. Globally, there were 28,000 deceased donor LTs, and 14,000 living donor LTs were performed in 2021. In the South Asia region, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka conducted 2998 LTs in 2021. Many countries report sociocultural, religious and legislative barriers to acquiring adequate donor livers. We describe the challenges in LT programmes in low‐ and middle‐income countries and experiences from Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka carried out its first LT in 2010, and the service is provided free of charge in the state health sector. In Sri Lanka, the common indications for LT in adults are non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and alcoholic liver disease. In children, the indications are biliary atresia, hepatocellular carcinoma and Wilson disease. The common challenges include a lack of an adequate number of doctors and post‐transplant team members, a low number of organ donors and a long waiting list, all of which can be disadvantageous for transplant programmes. To continue providing LT services, there is a need to adopt multimodal strategies in the areas of providing additional skills training to the operating team and promoting organ donation culture in the background of supportive organ donation legislation. With the adoption of the national strategic plan for organ, tissue and cell transplantation, the country hopes to strengthen its capacity of providing transplant services to its people.
The vortex structure and near‐surface winds of Typhoon Faxai (2019) during landfall. Part II: Evaluation of WRF simulations
Authors: Takahashi Takuya , Nolan David S. , McNoldy Brian D.
Published: February 2024

This two‐part study presents a comprehensive analysis of (1) the vortex structure, (2) the inner core planetary boundary layer (PBL) wind profile, and (3) the overland surface winds of Typhoon Faxai(2019) during landfall observationally (Part I) and in high‐resolution Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) simulations (Part II). Part II presents a framework for evaluating the wind field in the WRF simulations of Typhoon Faxai (2019) by comparing them with the observations presented in Part I. First, WRF simulations with two different surface roughness tables are presented. The simulation with the default table in WRF is shown to largely overestimate the surface wind speed. The overestimation is largely mitigated by using larger based on the climatology for urban and forest areas in Japan. Next, using the modified table, WRF simulations with three different PBL parametrizations, namely, Mellor–Yamada–Janjić, Yonsei University, and Mellor–Yamada–Nakanishi–Niino schemes are presented, and their impacts on the simulated vortex structure, inner core PBL wind profile, and overland surface winds are evaluated. In particular, the simulated surface winds are in good agreement with the observations outside the inner core of Typhoon Faxai. However, during the passage of the eyewall, the maximum surface winds are underestimated in the simulations. We show that the underestimation of the inertial stability, associated with the excessively large inner core of Typhoon Faxai in the simulations, led to the overestimation of the eyewall PBL jet height. This, in turn, caused the underestimation of the peak surface winds, as based on the empirical model of the wind reduction factor proposed in Part I.
Developing a new method for improving the human resource reliability using the hybrid approach of SPAR‐H and DSM in the urban railway
Authors: Fakharzadeh Parastoo , Fakoor Saghih Amir Mohammad , Bohlouri Vahid , Motahari Farimani Nasser
Published: February 2024

As one of the most important reasons of irreparable losses at work, human error is still a significant problem in spite of the rapid technological advancement and reduced role of humans in the systems set up and control. Therefore, with the aim of reducing human error, this study presents a new method to improve human reliability using the hybrid approach of SPAR‐H and DSM. For this purpose, the number of 53 tasks was specified for the terminal conductor using Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA). Then, the error related to each task was calculated utilizing the Standardized Plant Analysis‐Risk Human (SPAR‐H) method, and based on the expert team's opinion. Next, the terminal conductor's tasks were entered into the DSM along with the error numbers and dependencies between tasks, and the most optimal arrangement of tasks was obtained by coding in MATLAB software. Finally, by using the SPAR‐H method, the error of the terminal conductor was calculated based on the new tasks arrangement and compared with the primary state. Based on the obtained results, the 30% increase in reliability shows the significant contribution of the optimal arrangement of tasks in reducing human error. The proposed method of this study helps managers to reviewing the task structure in high‐risk processes as an effective strategy to reduce human error.
Interstitial lung changes and persistent COVID‐19 in a patient with follicular lymphoma: A case report
Authors: Yomota Makiko , Tanaka Masaru , Kobayashi Takayuki , Kitano Masatake , Ikeda Saori , Kanemasa Yusuke , Yanagawa Noriyo , Hosomi Yukio
Published: February 2024

We herein report a case of interstitial lung changes in a patient with prolonged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) with follicular lymphoma receiving rituximab and bendamustine who recovered after treatment with a combination therapy consisting of corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents. There is currently no treatment strategy for prolonged pneumonitis following COVID‐19, which can be life‐threatening for immunocompromised patients. Thus, further investigation is warranted.
Bayesian inference for nonprobability samples with nonignorable missingness
Authors: Liu Zhan , Chen Xuesong , Li Ruohan , Hou Lanbao
Published: February 2024

Nonprobability samples, especially web survey data, have been available in many different fields. However, nonprobability samples suffer from selection bias, which will yield biased estimates. Moreover, missingness, especially nonignorable missingness, may also be encountered in nonprobability samples. Thus, it is a challenging task to make inference from nonprobability samples with nonignorable missingness. In this article, we propose a Bayesian approach to infer the population based on nonprobability samples with nonignorable missingness. In our method, different Logistic regression models are employed to estimate the selection probabilities and the response probabilities; the superpopulation model is used to explain the relationship between the study variable and covariates. Further, Bayesian and approximate Bayesian methods are proposed to estimate the response model parameters and the superpopulation model parameters, respectively. Specifically, the estimating functions for the response model parameters and superpopulation model parameters are utilized to derive the approximate posterior distribution in superpopulation model estimation. Simulation studies are conducted to investigate the finite sample performance of the proposed method. The data from the Pew Research Center and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System are used to show better performance of our proposed method over the other approaches.
Seeing parents as valuable partners can promote student success
Authors: Couture Rene
Published: February 2024

Parents don’t have to be scary. I’ll admit, when I knew that I had both a student and parent(s) waiting in the lobby for an advising appointment, a touch of anxiety kicked in and my advising approach became much more formal. I dreaded working with parents. I thought to myself, “Why are they coddling their kids so much? These students are adults, after all.” But then I became a parent, and everything changed. I began to imagine my small children as college students in the future and how I would want advisors and others to treat them.
Did court dismiss student's Title IX claim?
Authors: Lyerly Eric
Published: February 2024

John Doe was a varsity baseball player at Franklin and Marshall College. In March 2022, Doe was arrested for the alleged sexual assault of a non‐student (Jane Roe) that occurred while Doe was traveling with the baseball team. Shortly thereafter, the college's athletics director suspended Doe from the baseball team. The college scheduled a hearing on the matter in May.