bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of it governance on audit outcomes and footnote readability for public companies in Indonesia
Authors: Utama Indah Wulan , Anridho Nadia
Published: August 2024

This study explores the relationship between IT governance and audit outcomes, including audit costs, quality, report lag, opinions, and the readability of financial statement footnotes in Indonesian public companies. Utilizing regression analysis, the research finds that while IT governance does not significantly affect audit costs, report lag, or opinions, it positively influences audit quality. Contrary to expectations, higher IT capabilities do not lead to increased audit costs but reduce them by lowering audit efforts. Furthermore, IT governance does not notably impact footnote readability, potentially due to information overload in annual reports. These findings shed light on the importance of IT governance in shaping audit quality and provide valuable insights for stakeholders in Indonesian public companies. Further research is encouraged to explore these relationships in different contexts and industries.
The impact of board characteristics on executive compensation: evidence from Jakarta Islamic Index Company
Authors: Ishak Khodijah , Zarefar Arumega
Published: August 2024

Purpose – This study aims to examine the effect of board characteristics on CEO compensation. The board characteristics examined in this study include board independence and gender diversity consisting of woman on board and independent woman board on CEO compensation.Design/methodology/approach – The population in this study is a company belonging to the Jakara Islamic Index (JII) at the Indonesian Stock Exchange for the period 2012 - 2016. The sample in this research was determined by purposive sampling method with a total sample of 75 annual reports.Findings – The results show that independent board gender diversity consisting of female boards and independent female boards has no effect on CEO compensation.Research limitations/implications – The sample of this study is a company with shares included in the Jakarta Islamic Index on the Indonesian Stock Exchange (IDX) with an observation period of 2012-2016. Hypothesis testing in this study using multiple linear regression analysis.Practical implications – Boards to oversee and control the actions of opportunists manager, and define the most important decisions of companies, one of which compensation for the CEO, so that corporate objectives can be achieved. With the larger board size will increase oversight function of the board to act opportunistically manager so control oversight of CEO compensation more stringent design and can be defined more precisely.Originality/value – Research on the role of women in board composition is gaining attention, but not much has been explored in a country with a strong patriarchal culture like Indonesia.
Spontaneous Resolution of Kyphoscoliosis Secondary to Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Authors: Malka Matan S. , Givens Ritt R. , Zervos Thomas M. , Berube Emma , Lu Kevin , Bainton Nikki , Vitale Michael G. , Roye Benjamin D.
Published: August 2024

Case:

Spinal deformity associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is not commonly reported. We present a 6-year-old girl who developed kyphoscoliosis after being diagnosed GBS. She had extensive motor deficits requiring 2 hospitalizations and treatment with IV immunoglobulin therapy. Five months after diagnosis, she presented to our clinic with a 15° coronal scoliosis and a 65° thoracic kyphosis. At 6-month follow-up, kyphosis progressed to 77° with no significant change in the coronal curve. At 1 year, sagittal alignment was within normal limits and the coronal curve had completely resolved.

Conclusion:

Spinal deformity in GBS can resolve spontaneously.
Surgical Treatment of Heterotopic Ossification of the Bilateral Shoulder and Elbow Joints Caused by Burn Injury
Authors: Terabayashi Nobuo , Kawashima Kenji , Asano Hiromi , Hirakawa Akihiro , Komura Shingo , Akiyama Haruhiko
Published: August 2024

Case:

A 27-year-old man sustained chemical burns affecting 54% of his body caused by steam and acetic acid at a dyeing factory. He developed restricted bilateral elbow and shoulder motion because of heterotopic ossification (HO) beginning 3 months after the incident. The skin healed within 1 year, but ankylosis developed because of progressing ossification. We performed HO surgical excision in 4 stages. Two years after the final surgery, the function of both upper extremities had recovered.

Conclusion:

For HO caused by severe burns, improvement in upper extremity function can be achieved even if surgery is performed after skin healing.
Injectable core-shell microcapsules deliver prime-boost immunisation against malaria in a single shot
Authors: Guyon Romain , Bau Luca , Reinke Sören , Hill Adrian , Stride Eleanor , Sims Lee , Truby Adam , Milicic Anita
Published: August 2024

Inadequate booster uptake threatens the success of immunisation campaigns as seen with the recently rolled-out malaria vaccine. Ability to administer prime-boost immunisation with a single injection would save lives and alleviate healthcare burdens. We present the first platform for delayed delivery of the booster dose, that is scalable with existing technology, easily injectable and highly protective against malaria. Using chip microfluidics, we encapsulated the R21 malaria vaccine into polymer microcapsules that release their content weeks to months post-injection. Co-injection with a priming dose elicited strong antibody responses in a mouse model and provided 85% of the protection of a standard prime-boost schedule. These results pave the way, for the first time, to the rapid deployment of single-shot prime-boost vaccination, an urgently needed global health intervention.
Differences in phenological term changes in field crops and wild plants – do they have the same response to climate change in Central Europe?
Authors: Bartošová Lenka , Hájková Lenka , Pohanková Eva , Možný Martin , Balek Jan , Zahradníček Pavel , Štěpánek Petr , Dížková Petra , Trnka Miroslav , Žalud Zdeněk
Published: August 2024

Phenological shifts in wild-growing plants and wild animal phenophases are well documented at many European sites. Less is known about phenological shifts in agricultural plants and how wild ecosystem phenology interacts with crop phenology. Here, we present long-term phenological observations (1961-2021) from the Czech Republic for wild plants and agricultural crops and how the timing of phenophases differs from each other. The phenology of wild-growing plants was observed at various experimental sites with no agriculture or forestry management within the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute observations. The phenological data of the crops were collected from small experimental plots at the Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture. The data clearly show a tendency to shift to earlier times during the whole observation period. The data also show some asynchrony in phenological shifts. Compared with wild plants, agricultural crops showed more expressive shifts to the start of the season. Phenological trends for crop plants (Triticum aestivum) showed accelerated shifts of 4.1 and 5.1 days per decade at low and middle altitudes, respectively; on the other hand, the average phenological shift for wild plants showed smaller shifts of 2.7 and 2.9 days per decade at low and middle altitudes, respectively. Phenological data also showed variability in correlations with climate parameters (only one phenophase of T. aestivum, heading, showed a statistically significant correlation not only with temperature but also with precipitation). To better understand theimpacts of climate on phenological changes, it is optimal to evaluate natural and unaffected plant responses in wild species.
Global covariation of forest age transitions with the net carbon balance
Authors: Besnard Simon , Heinrich Viola , Carvalhais Nuno , Ciais Philippe , Herold Martin , Luijkx Ingrid , Peters Wouter , Suarez Daniela Requena , Santoro Maurizio , Yang Hui
Published: August 2024

Understanding the impact of forest age transitions on the global net carbon balance is critical for advancing forest management and climate change mitigation strategies. We analysed changes in the global forest age (2010-2020) using the Global Age Mapping Integration (GAMI) v2.0 dataset alongside satellite-derived aboveground carbon (AGC) and atmospheric inversion-derived net CO2 flux data. We observe decreasing forest age in the Amazon, Congo Basin, and Southeast Asia, primarily in old-growth forests due to stand-replacing disturbances like clear-cutting followed by regrowth. Large patches of older Siberian forests, ranging from 80 to 200 years, transitioned to younger ages due to increased fire5 and harvest6. Despite stand-replacements, forests in China, Europe, and North America experienced a net ageing of nearly ten years on average. A substantial portion of the gradually ageing forests is located in South America Tropical (0.19 of total gradually ageing forest fraction, 0.64 billion hectares), Eurasia boreal (a fraction of 0.17, 0.56 billion hectares), Europe (a fraction of 0.10, 0.35 billion hectares), and North America temperate (a fraction of 0.094, 0.31 billion hectares). We find a significant correlation between stand-replaced forest fraction and the inversely derived 2010-2020 trend in carbon sink strength at global scales (R2 = 0.33, slope = +109.19 gC m-2 year-2, p-val < 0.001, N=60). This is partly due to the transition from carbon-rich old-growth forests (approximately 98.0 MgC ha⁻¹) to young stand-replaced forests (approximately 43.5 MgC ha⁻¹), resulting in a net AGC loss of +0.15 (+ denotes loss of AGC) PgC year⁻¹. When accounting for all stand-replaced forests, this loss increases to +0.43 PgC year⁻¹, representing approximately 1.6% of the total forest biomass (around 270 PgC in 2020) over ten years. Our findings highlight that shifts in forest age are crucial to understanding global carbon losses and gains. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing forest management strategies that optimise harvesting methods and sequester more anthropogenic CO2.
Effects of graphene to nano-Ti polymer coating on morphology and anti- corrosion properties
Authors: Wang Bo , Wan Tao , Wei Shicheng C. , Wang Yujiang , Huang Wei , Liang Yi , Li Junqi
Published: August 2024

Corrosion is ubiquitous in life. In order to further improve anti-corrosion of nano-Ti polymer coatings of our previous research, graphene slurry is filled to modify nano-Ti epoxy resin coatings. Structure, anti-permeability, anti-corrosion and anti-wear properties of Nano-Ti polymer functional coatings with different graphene slurry have been investigated systemically by field emission scanning microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), immersion test, electrochemical measurements and wear test. FE-SEM results showed graphene can disperse well in nano-Ti polymer coating when the content of graphene is 0.5 wt%. Moreover, the results showed that added graphene can enhance the anti-permeability, anti-corrosion, and anti-wear properties of nano-Ti polymer coatings. Nano-Ti polymer/graphene functional coatings showed optimal comprehensive performance and anti-corrosion performance as the graphene content was 0.5 wt%. The diffusion coefficient is 0.44×10− 14 m2·s− 1, the friction coefficient d is only 0.22. In conclusion, the appropriate amount of graphene slurry can effectively improve the anti-corrosion performance of the nano-Ti polymer coating.
Ferroptosis triggers mitochondrial fragmentation via Drp1 activation
Authors: Von Karstedt Silvia , Pedrera Lohans , Clemente Laura Prieto , Dahlhaus Alina , Nasudivar Sara Lotfipour , González Daniel Olmo , Stroh Jenny , Singh Randhwaj Pratap , Grotehans Nils , Langer Thomas , Garcia-Saez Ana
Published: August 2024

Constitutive mitochondrial dynamics ensure quality control and metabolic fitness of cells, and their dysregulation has been implicated in various human diseases. The large GTPase Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is intimately involved in mediating constitutive mitochondrial fission and has been implicated in mitochondrial cell death pathways. During ferroptosis, a recently identified type of regulated necrosis driven by excessive lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial fragmentation has been observed. Yet, how this is regulated and whether it is involved in ferroptotic cell death has remained unexplored. Here, we provide evidence that Drp1 is activated upon experimental induction of ferroptosis and promotes cell death execution and mitochondrial fragmentation. Using time-lapse microscopy, we found that ferroptosis induced mitochondrial fragmentation and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, but not mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization. Importantly, Drp1, the major GTPase involved in steady-state mitochondrial fission, accelerated ferroptotic cell death kinetics. Notably, this function was mediated by regulation of mitochondrial dynamics as overexpression of Mitofusin 2 phenocopied the effect of Drp1 deficiency in delaying ferroptosis cell death kinetics. Mechanistically, we found that Drp1 is phosphorylated and activated after induction of ferroptosis and translocated to mitochondria. Importantly, recruitment to and its further activation at mitochondria through the phosphatase PGAM5 promoted ferroptotic cell death. These data provide the first evidence for a functional role of Drp1 activation in the acceleration of ferroptotic cell death and mitochondrial fragmentation, with important implications for the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics in diseases associated with ferroptosis.
On a Stochastic PDE Model for Epigenetic Dynamics
Authors: Padilla-Longoria Pablo , Sierra Jesus
Published: August 2024

We propose and analyze a stochastic model to investigate epigenetic mutations, i.e., modifications of the genetic information that control gene expression patterns in a cell but do not alter the DNA sequence. Epigenetic mutations are related to environmental fluctuations, which leads us to consider (additive) noise as the driving element for such mutations. We focus on two applications: firstly, cancer immunotherapy involving macrophages' epigenetic modifications that we call tumor microenvironment noise-induced polarizations, and secondly, cell fate determination and mutation of the flower Arabidopsis thaliana. Due to the technicalities involving cancer biology for the first case, we present only a general review of this topic and show the details in a separate manuscript since our principal concerns here are the mathematical results that are important to validate our system as an appropriate epigenetic model; for such results, we rely on the theory of Stochastic PDE, theory of large deviations, and ergodic theory. Moreover, since epigenetic mutations are reversible, a fact currently exploited to develop so-called epi-drugs to treat diseases like cancer, we also investigate an optimal control problem for our system to study the reversal of epigenetic mutations.
Mathematics Subject Classification: 92D10 , 35R60 , 60H15 , 37N25 , 49N90
Mast cell tryptase-PAR2 axis promotes ovarian fibrosis through RNF152-mediated stabilization of Bcl-xL
Authors: Wang Chaojun , Zhang Xiang , Zhang Jun
Published: August 2024

Ovarian fibrosis is a basic histologic feature of premature ovarian insufficiency(POI), which poses a great threat to women of reproductive age. Collagen abundance in ovarian theca-stroma cells contributes to ovarian fibrogenesis. However, the role and mechanism of mast cells in the development of POI have not yet been determined. Our study for the first time found that tryptase secreted by activated mast cells induced COL1A1 and COL1A2 production, two subunits of collagen I in mouse theca–stroma cells by protease-activated receptor-2 signaling. Inhibition of PAR2 or Bcl-xL attenuated the increases of COL1A1 and COL1A2 caused by tryptase. In addition, knockdown of RNF152 reversed the downregulation of collagen production caused by si-Bcl-xL. Clinically, tryptase levels in serum and follicular fluid were higher in both bPOI and POI patients than in controls. Tryptase concentrations in serum and follicular fluid were positively associated with follicle stimulating hormone(FSH) and negatively associated with anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). Cromolyn sodium, a mast cell stabilizer, reduces collagen I production, but has no effect on hormone synthesis and follicle number in a cisplatin-induced POI mouse model. Our findings shed new insights into the biological function of tryptase in ovarian fibrosis and POI.
Enhancing E-Learning through AI: Advanced Techniques for Optimizing Student Performance
Authors: Mahafdah Rund Fareed , Bouallegue Seifeddine , Bouallegue Ridha
Published: August 2024

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into e-learning has transformed conventional educational approaches, improving the learning process and maximizing student achievement. This study offers a thorough examination of how artificial intelligence (AI) can be utilized to enhance e-learning results by employing advanced predictive methods and performance optimization strategies. The main goals consist of creating an AI-based framework to monitor and analyze student interactions, evaluating the influence of online learning platforms on student understanding using advanced algorithms, and determining the most efficient methods for blended learning systems. AI algorithms, known for their cognitive ability and capacity to learn, adapt, and make decisions, are employed to analyze and forecast student performance, thereby improving educational quality and outcomes. The practical results obtained by implementing machine learning and deep learning models, such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), show substantial enhancements in forecasting different performance metrics. This research highlights the ability of AI to develop adaptable, effective, and successful e-learning environments, promoting enhanced academic achievement and customized learning experiences. The findings demonstrate that CNN outperformed other deep learning and machine learning algorithms in terms of accuracy during the prediction phase, showcasing the advanced capabilities of AI in educational contexts.
RETRACTED: Upregulation of NONO gene expression by VEGF is mediated by a multiple crosstalk of signalling pathways under normoxic and hypoxic conditions in endothelial cells
Authors: PASPAL Kübra , KOCKAR Feray
Published: August 2024

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Xuebijing Injection Alleviate Sepsis-induced Myocardial Damage by Inhibiting Apoptosis via PI3K/AKT/Foxo3a and MAPK Signaling Pathways
Authors: Liu An-Bu , Tian Na , Feng Ke , Chen Zhong-Wei , Wang Sheng , Liu Jia , Zhang Jun-Fei
Published: August 2024

Background
Xuebijing injections (XBJ) originate from the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription XuefuZhuyu Decoction. It is composed of five Chinese herbal extracts; Carthami flos, Paeoniae radix rubra, Chuanxiong rhizoma, Salviae miltiorrhizae, and Angelicae Sinensis radix. The China Food and Drug Administration approved XBJ as a TCM preparation for the adjuvant treatment of sepsis. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of XBJ on sepsis-induced myocardial damage (SIMD) have yet to be fully elucidated. This study explores the potential therapeutic mechanism of XBJ on SIMD.
Methods
In this study, rats were randomly assigned to three groups: Sham group, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) group, and XBJ group. Echocardiography, myocardial enzymes and hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) were used to detect cardiac function. IL-1β, IL-6 IL-10, TNF-α, SOD and MDA in serum were measured using ELISA kits. The AutoDockTools Vina was utilized for molecular docking to analyze the mechanism of binding of XBJ with PI3K, AKT, Foxo3a, ERK1/2, P38 and JNK protein. Western blotting was conducted to analyze the levels of p-PI3K, PI3K, p-AKT, AKT, p-Foxo3a, Foxo3a, p-ERK1/2, ERK1/2, p-P38, P38, p-JNK, JNK, Bax, Bcl-2, Cleaved-Caspase 3, and Survivin proteins in myocardial tissue. Immunofluorescence staining was utilized to examine the activity levels of PI3K, AKT, Foxo3a, ERK1/2, P38 and JNK in cardiac tissue. Immunohistochemical detection of Bax, Bcl-2 and Cleaved-Caspase 3 expression.
Results
The results of echocardiography, myocardial enzyme and H&E test showed that XBJ could effectively improve the myocardial injury caused by CLP with the increase of treatment time. XBJ decreased IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and MDA levels, but increased SOD and IL-10 level in CLP-induced SIMD in ELISA. Molecular docking analysis indicated that there was a strong and stable affinity of XBJ for PI3K/AKT/Foxo3a and MAPK signaling pathways. XBJ treatment led to the downregulation of p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-Foxo3a, Bax, Cleaved-Caspase 3, p-ERK1/2, p-P38 and p-JNK levels, while upregulating Bcl-2, and Survivin protein levels (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
XBJ may alleviate SIMD by suppressing cell apoptosis and inflammation possibly via the PI3K/AKT/Foxo3a and MAPK signaling pathways.
Exploring Morphological and Thermal Characteristics of Chitosan/Starch Blend Films Derived from Natural Sources: Incorporating Thiourea and Urea Coupling Agents with Stearic Acid Plasticizer
Authors: Badr Magd M. , Elsawy Moataz A. , Naguib Hamdy M. , El-Komy Doaa A. , Bekhit Mahmoud , Elmawgoud H. A.
Published: August 2024

In this study, biobased films composed of chitosan and starch polysaccharides were prepared and thoroughly characterized. The coupling of these two polymer components was facilitated using thiourea and urea as crosslinking agents. Chemical interactions were monitored through FTIR and EDX analyses, while the morphological properties were examined using XRD and SEM. The thermal behavior of the films was comprehensively analyzed using DSC, TGA, and DTA measurements. The results indicated that effective film formation between chitosan and starch required the incorporation of a plasticizer, specifically stearic acid, along with thiourea and urea as crosslinking agents. This combination not only enhanced the appearance of the films but also improved their thermodynamic stability. The synthesized biobased polymers demonstrated thermal stability suitable for various applications in agriculture, health, and medicine. The apparent activation energy of starches was determined using several models. Additionally, Fourier transforms infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and TGA-FTIR was employed to investigate the mechanism of the thermal decomposition process. The thermal data were further analyzed using the Coats-Redfern, Friedman, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), and Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) methods to calculate kinetic parameters.
Stress intensity factors and fracture criteria for an inclined straight-fronted edge crack in round bar with mixed-mode under axial tension
Authors: Xia Weihai , Wang Yuxuan , Peng Guangjian , Huan Yong , Sun Pingping , Zhang Taihua
Published: August 2024

The processing of barbs in sutures introduces cracks, reducing the fracture resistance of the barbed sutures. In this study, an equivalent model was established by analyzing the key features of the barbed suture. A mesh partition method was utilized to define the inclined straight-fronted edge crack region. Then, a three-dimensional finite element model for the barbed suture was constructed. The contour integral method was employed to explore the correlation between cutting parameters and the breaking strength of barbed sutures, elucidating the stress intensity factors under mixed-mode conditions at the crack front. To comprehensively evaluate the effects of the three crack modes on the barbed suture, the equivalent stress intensity factors were calculated according to two fracture criteria. The most susceptible locations, that is, the midpoint of the crack front, for crack propagation were identified. Establishing the relationship between the dimensions, material properties, and equivalent stress intensity factors can provide robust data to achieve the optimal design of cutting angles and cutting depth of barbed sutures. This also gives deep insights into fracture issues in round structures with straight-fronted edge cracks.
Transgenerational plasticity of Elymus nutans was regulated by multiple factors and not directly related to within-generational plasticity
Authors: Jia Cunzhi , Chen Dali , Zhao Xiaohua , Fu Xiuzhen , Hu Xiaowen
Published: August 2024

Background and Aims
Transgenerational plasticity (TGP) have been proven as significant driver of organisms to cope with environmental rapid changes. However, our understanding of key aspects of TGP is limited, especially its influencing factors and relationship to within-generation plasticity (WGP).
Methods
Firstly, we constructed different maternal and offspring environmental backgrounds for five populations of E. nutans through two years of common garden experiments and three years of reciprocal sowing experiments. Subsequently, we examined the influencing factors of TGP of leaf traits and its relationship to WGP.
Results
Maternal environment exerted influences on leaf traits of E. nutans for a minimum of three growing seasons. Progeny plant from low altitude maternal environment had larger and thicker leaves than those from high elevation maternal environment. Morphological traits exhibited higher TGP in high elevation progeny environment, while nutritional traits were higher in low elevation progeny environment. TGP diminished in the third growing season. Remarkably, no clear correlation was identified between TGP and WGP.
Conclusions
Our results revealed the dependence of TGP on trait type, progeny environment, population, and growing season and provided the first evidence that TGP are not correlated with WGP, reflecting the complexity of environmental conditions interactions experienced by the maternal and progeny generations. These findings underscore the importance of accounting for the maternal environment when assessing and utilizing E. nutans. It is advisable to opt for seed sources from environments with similar elevations for the cross regional using of seed sources in ecological restoration.
The fed-batch production of mannosylerythritol lipids by Ustilago maydis DSM 4500 from hydrophilic carbon sources
Authors: Valkenburg André David , Teke George M. , Pott Robert W. M. , Rensburg Eugéne van
Published: August 2024

Glycolipids are a class of widely studied biosurfactants with excellent applicability in cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations. This class of biosurfactants includes mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs), which have gained particular interest due to their moisturizing and healing activity for dry and damaged human skin, arising from conditions such as eczema. Traditionally, MELs have been produced by growing certain basidiomycetous yeasts of the genus Pseudozyma on vegetable oils. However, oils are a comparatively expensive substrate, which negatively affects the economic performance of MEL production. In addition to this, vegetable oils significantly complicate the downstream processing required to produce a product with the required purity for most applications. To address these challenges, this study investigated MEL-A production exclusively from hydrophilic carbon sources by Ustilago maydis DSM 4500. By implementing a fed-batch production strategy, maximum MEL-A concentration of 0.87 g/L was achieved from glucose exclusively. Also, adding micronutrients (such as MnSO4) to MEL-A production showed a 24.1% increase in the product titer, implying other metabolites are formed, favoring MEL production.
The chlorite adduct of aquacobalamin: contrast with chlorite dismutase
Authors: Lehene Maria , Zagrean-Tuza Cezara , Iancu Stefania D. , Cosma Sergiu-Raul , Branzanic Adrian , Silaghi-Dumitrescu Radu
Published: August 2024

In the reaction of aquacobalamin (aquaCbl) with chlorite, a stable species is detected and assigned as a Co(III)-chlorite complex, Co(III)-OClO−. Its UV-vis spectrum is almost identical to that of aquaCbl, except for some minor differences at ~ 430 nm; cyanide can eliminate and prevent these changes. The 1H-NMR spectra reveal strong influences of chlorite on the B2 and B4 protons of the cobalt-bound dimethyl benzimidazole ligand. Together, the UV-vis and NMR titrations suggest a Kd of 10 mM or higher for chlorite on Cbl. Resonance Raman spectra reveal minor changes in the spectrum of aquaCbl to chlorite – as well as a disappearance of the free chlorite signals, consistent with Cbl-chlorite complex formation. Corroboration for these interpretations is also offered from mass spectrometry and DFT calculations. This Co(III)-OClO− complex would be a stable analogue of the first reaction intermediate in the catalytic cycle of chlorite dismutase, or in the reaction of chlorite with a number of other heme proteins. The differences in reactivity between Co(III) cobalamin and Fe(III) heme towards chlorite are analyzed and rationalized, leading to a reconciliation of experimental and computational data for the latter.
Engine air intake design and evaluation - examples from the Bluecopter™ demonstrator
Authors: Garavello Andrea , Kneish Thomas , Müller Markus , D’Alascio Alessandro
Published: August 2024

The Bluecopter™ demonstrator was developed to prove the feasibility of future eco-friendly rotorcraft by demonstrating significant reduction of CO2 emission, fuel consumption and noise. In this context, several different engine air intake configurations were designed and tested, with the aim of improving engine efficiency and reducing fuel consumption, with minimal to no impact on airframe drag. The present paper summarizes the engine intake design, optimization and testing activities carried out in the frame of the Bluecopter project.
DVTXAI: A Novel Deep Vision Transformer with an Explainable AI-based Framework and its Application in Agriculture
Authors: Kamal Sadia , Sharma Parth , Gupta P.K. , Siddiqui Mohammad Khubeb , Dutt Abhijit , Singh Ankush
Published: August 2024

Agriculture is one of the fundamental components of human civilization, contributing not only to food production but also to economic growth. Early identification of diseases in plants presents a significant challenge, as timely detection is crucial to increasing agricultural production. Incorporating the latest technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, in fields can reduce major losses for farmers and also improve productivity. In this paper, we have proposed a Deep Vision transformer and an Explainable AI-based technique to overcome the various diseases in plants. Here, we have used the dataset "Plant Village," as a case study that focuses on two majorly grown crops like: potatoes and tomatoes. Further, we have analyzed nine diseases that affect these crops around the globe, with tomatoes showing six different conditions and potatoes affected by three bacterial diseases. The proposed DVTXAI framework incorporates the Deep vision transforms to detect plant diseases at an early stage. In the experiments, the proposed model achieves an accuracy of 93. 56% for tomatoes and 99.95% for potatoes. Additionally, the model is Explainable AI (XAI), which reveals the transparency mechanism that helps the farmer to make the right decision at an early stage of the crop.
A text mining-based approach for comprehensive understanding of Chinese railway operational equipment failure reports
Authors: Yang Xiaorui , Li Honghui , Xu Yi , Shen Nahao , He Ruiyi
Published: August 2024

Railway operational equipment is crucial for ensuring the safe, smooth, and efficient operation of trains. Comprehensive analysis and mining of historical railway operational equipment failure (ROEF) reports are of significant importance for improving railway safety. Currently, significant challenges in comprehensively analyzing ROEF reports arise due to limitations in text mining technologies. To address this concern, this study leverages advanced text mining techniques to thoroughly analyze these reports. Firstly, real historical failure report data provided by a Chinese railway bureau is used as the data source. The data is preprocessed and an ROEF corpus is constructed according to the related standard. Secondly, based on this corpus, text mining techniques are introduced to build an innovative named entity recognition (NER) model. This model combines bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT), bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) networks, and conditional random fields (CRF), with an additional entity attention layer to deeply extract entity features. This network architecture is used to classify specific entities in the unstructured data of failure reports. Finally, a knowledge graph (KG) is constructed using the Neo4j database to store and visualize the extracted ROEF-related entities and relationships. The results indicate that by constructing the topological relationships of the ROEF network, this study enables the analysis and visualization of potential relationships of historical failure factors, laying a foundation for failure prediction and ensuring railway safety, while also filling the current gap in the mining and analysis of ROEF reports.
Mineralogy, petrogenesis, and SIMS SHRIMP U-Pb age PGE-Cu-Ni deposit of the “Ore Horizon 330” of the Sopcha intrusion from the Paleoproterozoic layered Monchegorsk pluton, Kola Region, Russia
Authors: Chashchin Victor
Published: August 2024

The results of a comprehensive research of the Ore Horizon 330 (OH330) deposit, which is located within the orthopyroxenite of the Sopcha intrusion of the layered Monchegorsk pluton (Monchepluton) in the Kola Region (Russia), are presented. The OH330 is a sill-like body 3300 m long, 1200 m wide, and 4–6 m thick. On its western flank, a regular alternation (from bottom to top) of interlayers of dunite, harzburgite and orthopyroxenite is observed. In term chemical compositions, olivine (Fo87–84) and orthopyroxene (En84–83) in the OH330 rocks have a similar compared to the Monchepluton rocks, differing only in lower Ni contents. The geochemical features of the OH330 rocks were defined by fractional crystallization and crustal contamination of the parental magma. The light rare earth elements (LREE) fractioning is typical of all OH330 rocks, with the (Ce/Sm)N values of 1.21 ppm in dunite, 1.69 ppm in harzburgite, and 1.81 ppm in orthopyroxenite. The trace element distribution in dunite and harzburgite is characterized by U, Ta, and Sr positive anomalies, whereas orthopyroxenite exhibits Nb and Ta negative anomalies. The following PT crystallization parameters were determined: liquidus temperature 1600–1470 °C, sodidus temperature 1290–1120 °C, and pressure 3.5 kbar. The SIMS SHRIMP U-Pb magmatic zircon age of the OH330 orthopyroxenite is 2492.5 ± 4.1 Ma, indicating that the OH330 is younger than the marginal zone rocks of the Monchepluton ultramafic subchamber. A concordant U-Pb age of 2818.0 ± 3.1 Ma was obtained for the xenocryst zircon population, which corresponds to the age of the Archean granitoid basement rocks.
The effect of cutting technique on the mortality and resprouting vigour of hybrid poplar stumps
Authors: Eberhard Benno , Magagnotti Natascia , Kovac Barnabas , Konstantinaviciene Julija , Spinelli Raffaele
Published: August 2024

Short rotation coppice is a modern industrial crop and its profitability depends on the mechanization of all management operations. Once the crop is mature, trees can be felled with a variety of machines, but shears represent the most effective solution. However, shears can inflict a certain degree of stump damage, which has raised concerns about stump mortality and re-sprouting vigour - both crucial to coppice regeneration. This study compared the mortality and resprouting vigour of stumps cut with shears and with chainsaws – the latter representing the control treatment. Measurements were taken on 6 compartments on 5 sites. On each compartment, between 9 and 10 sample plots were established, each consisting of two parallel row segments containing 10 live stumps each (e.g. 20 stumps per sample plot). One row segment was cut with a shear-type felling head, the other with a chainsaw-type felling head. One year after cutting, researchers determined for each stump the following parameters: diameter of the stump, number of live shoots, diameter and height of the 5 tallest shoots. Data were pooled into a structured database and statistically analysed using R open software. Site fertility had a very strong effect on the resprouting vigour. Cutting technique had no effect on stump survival and a very small effect on resprouting vigour, which was represented by a consistently larger number of shoots on stumps cut with shears. Even if not significant at the selected alpha level, the data also suggested that the five dominant shoots sprouted after shear cutting might not grow as fast as those sprouted after chainsaw cutting A likely explanation could be found in the harder competition resulting from the larger number of shoots; that would reduce the growth potential of dominant individuals on less fertile sites.
Analysis of Patient Experiences Regarding JAK Inhibitors for Atopic Dermatitis, Psoriasis, Alopecia Areata, and Vitiligo
Authors: Sharma Divya , Gart Sophie , Kitrell Bo , Lonowski Sarah , Arthur Megan , Wei Erin X.
Published: August 2024

The use of medications which target the JAK-STAT signaling pathway, also known as janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, has rapidly increased in recent years. Patient perceptions, opinions, and concerns regarding the use of JAK inhibitors are largely uninvestigated. Our objective is to better understand patient concerns, reported side effects, and sentiments regarding the use of JAK inhibitors for dermatologic disease. The authors performed a cross-sectional analysis of the most frequented subreddits for dermatologic disease in which JAK inhibitors have obtained FDA approval (r/atopic dermatitis, r/psoriasis, r/alopecia areata, r/vitiligo, and r/eczeJAKS). The sentiment, central theme, and engagement level of each post was evaluated using previously utilized methods. Nine hundred twenty-three posts were analyzed, with the majority focusing on efficacy (433, 47%) and medication-related side effects (150, 16%). Other themes of interest to patients were Payment/Insurance (84, 9%), Study Results/News (69, 7%), Administration/Dosage (33, 4%), and Medication Interactions (31, 3%). The most frequently reported side effects were acne/folliculitis (24, 22%), nausea/gastrointestinal disturbance (11,10%), and fatigue/muscle aches (10, 9%). At the same time, the medication interactions garnering the most concern were sunscreens/facial moisturizers (5, 16%), topical calcineurin inhibitors (4, 13%), and Marijuana/THC (3, 9.%). This analysis highlights that patients are most concerned about the efficacy and side effects of JAK inhibitors in addition to issues regarding access to JAK inhibitors. Providers can use the insights gained from this study to address hesitancy better and guide comprehensive, patient-centered discussions with patients regarding JAK inhibitor use.
eCAR: edge-assisted Collaborative Augmented Reality Framework
Authors: Jeon Jinwoo , Woo Woontack
Published: August 2024

In collaborative augmented reality (CAR), data communication that synchronizes virtual objects results in large network traffic and high network latency. CAR applications without continuous data communication for coordinate system alignment exhibit virtual object inconsistencies. However, as the number of collaborative devices increases, In addition, synchronization messages for online virtual object updates experience high latency. To solve this problem, we propose a novel edge-assisted multiuser CAR framework, eCAR, for a large indoor environment. The framework utilizes edge computing to match the coordinate system of a device with less network traffic continuously. Further, we extend the co-visibility graph of the edge server for maintaining the spatial–temporal consistency of virtual objects in neighboring devices by synchronizing a local graph. We evaluated the proposed system quantitatively and qualitatively using a public dataset and physical indoor environment. The eCAR communicates data for coordinate system alignment between the edge server and devices with less network traffic and latency. The proposed system continuously aligns coordinate systems with multiple devices in a large indoor environment and shares augmented reality content. Our system enables users to interact with virtual objects and share augmented reality experiences with neighboring users.
Optimizing the performance of high-speed optical fiber communication systems employing multiple-quantum well lasers through dispersion- compensating fibers
Authors: Ahmed Moustafa , Rizk Tamer , Mahmoud Alaa
Published: August 2024

We present a numerical modeling and simulation study on the performance of optical fiber communication systems employing a multiple-quantum-well (MQW) semiconductor laser operating at a wavelength of 1.55 μm with high bit rates ranging between 10 and 40 Gb/s. The performance of the fiber system is assessed through various measures, including the eye diagram of the received signal, the characteristic relationship between the bit error rate (BER) and received power, as well as the limitations on the maximum fiber length imposed by attenuation and dispersion at each specific bit rate. The possibility of enhancing system performance is examined by utilizing dispersion-compensating fiber (DCF) along with standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) to increase the limited length of SSMF. The results reveal that when the bit rate increases from 10 to 40 Gb/s, the dispersion-limited fiber length decreases from 35.1 to 2.6, respectively. The addition of DCF results in a significant increase in the transmission fiber length. This enhancement in the fiber length is remarkable at the highest bit rate of 40 Gb/s, where this length reaches 39 km.
Novel flaB gene variants of Leptospira interrogans detected in leptospirosis patient samples from Western Province of Sri Lanka
Authors: Handunnetti Shiroma , de Silva Yomendra , Weerasena Jagathpriya , Fernando Narmada , Sathkumara Harindra , Chandrapadma Nadeema , Premawansa Sunil , Rajapakse Senaka
Published: August 2024

Background
Leptospirosis caused by pathogenic spirochaetes of Leptospira spp remains the most widespread zoonotic disease in the world. Clinical status in leptospirosis patients vary from asymptomatic, mild and severe/fatal outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine the species/genotypes of Leptospira that cause mild and severe infections from patient blood samples obtained from the Western Province in Sri Lanka.
Methods
DNA extracted from 60 blood samples of previously confirmed leptospirosis patients by Lipl32 based Real Time PCR, and clinically characterized as mild and severe (n = 30 each) were used to perform nested PCR with primers designed from flaB gene sequence.
Results
Of the 45 samples that gave a 725 bp fragment in flaB nested PCR, 24 and 21 were from severe and mild leptospirosis patients respectively. Of these flaB PCR positive samples, 16 which exhibited strong bands (9 severe cases and 7 mild) were selected for Sanger’s dideoxy sequencing. The sequences obtained from 16 samples were deposited in GenBank. Those partial flaB gene sequences showed highest similarity with L. interrogans sequences available in GenBank database. Phylogenetic analysis was performed with 82 other Leptospira flaB gene sequences (from the GenBank) by Neighbor-Joining method using MEGA 11 tool. According to dendrogram, 16 partial flaB gene sequences obtained in this study clustered together with L. interrogans. Three sequences, one from a severe leptospirosis patient and two from mild leptospirosis patients exhibited novel mutations. Protein structural changes determined due to these three mutant nucleotide sequences were subjected to computational analysis with template FlaB protein. The predicted amino acid substitutions in these three mutant sequences are highly likely to destabilize the FlaB protein in the flagellum. Such predictions highlight the need for further studies to assess how these mutations/replacements may change protein structure and thereby have possible impact on pathogenicity/virulence of different isolates of L. interrogans which will provide data to determine the prevalent species/genotypes in patients with different disease severity and also target species/serovars for the development vaccine(s) and diagnostics.
Grr1-mediated Ubp3 degradation is crucial for HAC1 mRNA translation and unfolded stress response in yeast
Authors: 稲田 利文 , Sato Nichika , Tomomatsu Shota , Li Sihan , Matsuo Yoshitaka , Nakano Yu , Matsuki Yasuko
Published: August 2024

In the process of the unfolded protein response (UPR), the Hac1p protein is induced through a complex regulation of the HAC1 mRNA. This includes the mRNA localization on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane and stress-triggered splicing. In yeast, a specific ribosome ubiquitination process, the monoubiquitination of eS7A by the E3 ligase Not4, facilitates the translation of HAC1i, which is a spliced form of the HAC1 mRNA. Upon UPR, the mono-ubiquitination of eS7A increases due to the downregulation of Ubp3, a deubiquitinating enzyme of eS7A. However, the exact mechanisms behind these regulations have remained unknown. In this study, a novel E3 ligase, Grr1, an F-box protein component of the SCF ubiquitin ligase complex, which is responsible for Ubp3 degradation, has been identified. Grr1 is crucial to maintain the level of eS7A monoubiquitination upon UPR and HAC1i mRNA translation. In addition to the crucial role of untranslated regions in HAC1i mRNA translation, eS7A monoubiquitination facilitates Hac1 expression depending on the ORF of HAC1i. In summary, the proposed model is that the Grr1-mediated degradation of Ubp3 upregulates eS7A monoubiquitination, leading to HAC1i translation. This study highlights the crucial role of ribosome ubiquitination in translational control during UPR.
Embracing a New Pedagogical Paradigm: Exploring the Effective Integration of ICT Approaches in English Language Teaching for Technical Students
Authors: Binu
Published: August 2024

This research delves into the effective integration of Information Communication Technology (ICT) methods within English Language Teaching (ELT) for technical students. It investigates strategies to optimize ICT tools for enhancing language learning in technical education contexts. The study aims to explore practical approaches that leverage ICT resources to improve language proficiency among technical students, considering their unique learning needs and environments. Through this investigation, it seeks to uncover best practices for seamlessly integrating ICT into English language instruction tailored to technical education settings. The paper introduces Information and Communications Technology with machine learning algorithms (ICT-MLA), a framework designed for enhancing the online English teaching audit process. This framework aims to simulate teaching methodologies that align with the specific needs of online English teaching. Addressing the significance of ICT integration in ELT, the article focuses on identifying potential obstacles in the integration process. It emphasizes leveraging analytical data and reporting through a Hybrid Learning Management System (HLMS) to pinpoint training and learning gaps. The study proposes the use of Information Gain (IG) as a feature selection method to reduce noise and enhance classifier influence by identifying relevant features for language learning outcome prediction or analysis. Additionally, the paper introduces a novel Hedge Backpropagation (HBP) method aimed at effectively updating neural network parameters in an online setting. The efficacy of this method is validated across diverse large-scale datasets, encompassing both stationary and concept-drifting scenarios. The overall accuracy value using the Python tool is 98.6% which is better than existing methods.
Wilhelm Hoegner, 1887–1980
Authors: Kelletat Andreas F.
Published: August 2024

Hoegner hat ausschließlich während seiner Exil-Zeit in der Schweiz übersetzt, um seine vierköpfige Familie zu ernähren. In seinen 1959 veröffentlichten Erinnerungen "Der schwierige Außenseiter" berichtet er über seine Arbeit als Übersetzer für die Büchergilde Gutenberg.