bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cell type-specific inhibitory modulation of sound processing in the auditory thalamus
Authors: Rolón-Martínez S. , Mendoza A.J. , Angeloni C.F. , Vogler N.W. , Chen R. , Vu K. , Haas J.S. , Geffen M.N.
Published: June 2024

Inhibition plays an important role in controlling the flow and processing of auditory information throughout the central auditory pathway, yet how inhibition shapes auditory processing in the medial geniculate body (MGB), the key region in the auditory thalamus, is poorly understood. MGB gates the flow of auditory information to the auditory cortex, and it is inhibited largely by the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). The TRN comprises two major classes of inhibitory neurons: parvalbumin (PVTRN)-positive and somatostatin (SSTTRN)-positive neurons. PV and SST neurons have been shown to play differential roles in controlling sound responses in other brain regions. In the somatosensory and visual subregions of the TRN, PVTRNand SSTTRNneurons exhibit anatomical and functional differences. However, it remains unknown whether and how PVTRNand SSTTRNneurons differ in their anatomical projections from the TRN, and whether and how they differentially modulate activity in the vMGB. We find that PVTRNand SSTTRNneurons exhibit differential projection patterns within the thalamus: PVTRNneurons predominantly project to vMGB, whereas SSTTRNneurons project to the dorso-medial regions of MGB. Furthermore, PVTRNand SSTTRNneurons bi-directionally modulate sound responses in MGB. Selective optogenetic inactivation of PVTRNneurons increased sound-evoked activity in over a third of MGB neurons, while another large fraction of neurons showed suppressed activity. In contrast, inactivating SSTTRNneurons largely reduced tone-evoked activity in vMGB neurons. Cell type-specific computational models identified candidate circuit mechanisms for generating the bi-directional effects of TRN inactivation on MGB sound responses. These distinct inhibitory pathways within the auditory thalamus reveal a cell type-specific role for thalamic inhibition in auditory computation.
Neuronal networks quantified as vector fields
Authors: Szeier Szilvia , Jörntell Henrik
Published: July 2024

The function of the brain function is defined by the interactions between its neurons. But these neurons exist in tremendous numbers, are continuously active and densely interconnected. Thereby they form one of the most complex dynamical systems known and there is a lack of approaches to characterize the functional properties of such biological neuronal networks. Here we introduce an approach to describe these functional properties by using its activity-defining constituents, the weights of the synaptic connections and the current activity of its neurons. We show how a high-dimensional vector field, which describes how the activity distribution across the neuron population is impacted at each instant of time, naturally emerges from these constituents. We show why a mixture of excitatory and inhibitory neurons and a diversity of synaptic weights are critical to obtain a network vector field with a structural richness. We argue that this structural richness is the foundation of activity diversity in the brain and thereby an underpinning of the behavioral flexibility and adaptability that characterizes biological creatures.
regulaTER: An R Library to Study the Regulatory Roles of Transposable Elements
Authors: Eskier Doğa , Yetkin Seray , Arslan Nazmiye , Karakülah Gökhan , Alotaibi Hani
Published: July 2024

Gene expression is regulated at the transcriptional and translational levels and a plethora of epigenetic mechanisms. Regulation of gene expression by transposable elements is well documented. However, a comprehensive analysis of their regulatory roles is challenging due to the lack of dedicated approaches to define their contribution. Here, we present regulaTER, a new R library dedicated to deciphering the regulatory potential of transposable elements in given phenotype. regulaTER utilizes a variety of genomics data of any origin and combines gene expression level information to predict the regulatory roles of transposable elements. We further validated its capabilities using data generated from an epithelial-mesenchymal and mesenchymal-epithelial transition cellular model. regulaTER stands out as an essential asset for uncovering the impact of transposable elements on the regulation of gene expression, with high flexibility to perform a range of transposable element-focused analyses. Our results also provided insights on the contribution of the MIR and B element subfamilies in regulating EMT and MET through the FoxA transcription factor family. regulaTER is publicly available and can be downloaded fromhttps://github.com/karakulahg/regulaTER.
Neural Heterogeneity Enhances Reliable Neural information Processing: Local Sensitivity and Globally Input-slaved Transient Dynamics
Authors: Wu Shengdun , Huang Haiping , Wang Shengjun , Chen Guozhang , Zhou Changsong , Yang Dongping
Published: June 2024

Cortical neuronal activity varies over time and across repeated stimulation trials, yet consistently represents stimulus features. The dynamical mechanism underlying this reliable representation and computation remains elusive. This study uncovers a mechanism that achieves reliable neural information processing, leveraging a biologically plausible network model with neural heterogeneity. We first investigate neuronal timescale diversity in reliable computation, revealing it disrupts intrinsic coherent spatiotemporal patterns, enhances local sensitivity, and aligns neural network activity closely with inputs. This leads to local sensitivity and globally input-slaved transient dynamics, essential for reliable neural processing. Other neural heterogeneities, such as non-uniform input connections and spike threshold heterogeneity, plays similar roles, highlighting neural heterogeneity’s role in shaping consistent stimulus representation. This mechanism offers a potentially general framework for understanding neural heterogeneity in reliable computation and informs the design of new reservoir computing models endowed with liquid wave reservoirs for neuromorphic computing.

Teaser

Neural diversity disrupts spatiotemporal patterns, aligning network activity with inputs for reliable information processing.
Imp and Sypin vivotemporal RNA interactomes uncover networks of temporal regulators ofDrosophilabrain development
Authors: Lee Jeffrey Y , Huang Niles , Samuels Tamsin J , Davis Ilan
Published: June 2024

Temporal patterning of neural progenitors is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism generating neural diversity. InDrosophila, post-embryonic neurogenesis requires the RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) Imp/IGF2BP and Syp/SYNCRIP. However, how they co-achieve their function is not well understood. Here, we elucidate thein vivotemporal RNA interactome landscapes of Imp and Syp during larval brain development. Imp and Syp bind a highly overlapping set of conserved mRNAs encoding proteins involved in neurodevelopment. We identify transcripts differentially occupied by Imp/Syp over time, featuring a network of known and novel candidate temporal regulators that are post-transcriptionally regulated by Imp/Syp. Furthermore, the physical and co-evolutionary relationships between Imp and Syp binding sites reveal a combinatorial, rather than competitive, mode of molecular interplay. Our study establishes a newin vivoframework for dissecting the temporal co-regulation of RBP networks as well as providing a resource for understanding neural fate specification.
Sb-loaded MnOx/TiO2/CNTs catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of NOx: insight to the SO2 and H2O tolerance
Authors: Natarajan S. , S. Raja , K. Pitchandi , Loganathan Sivachandiran
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to synthesize and test Mn-Sb/TiO2-CNT catalysts with different Sb/Mn molar ratios to be used in NH3-SCR reaction.

Design/methodology/approach

A series of Sb-loaded carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-based Mn/TiO2 catalysts were prepared by the incipient wetness co-impregnation method and tested for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3.

Findings

The Sb-loaded Mn/TiO2-CNTs catalyst outperformed other catalysts and presented the highest activity in the temperature regime of 100–400°C. The catalyst loaded with Sb also showed good SO2 and H2O resistance and exhibited better thermal stability. A stepwise study of SO2 addition evidenced that Mn-Sb/TiO2-CNTs catalyst exhibited better SO2 resistance than the base catalyst Mn/TiO2, where the Sb doping greatly inhibited the sulphating of active phase of the catalyst.

Originality/value

In Sb-loaded catalysts, the formed SOx species fused with SbOx instead of MnOx. This favoured interaction of SO2 with SbOx successfully prevents the MnOx from being sulphated by SO2 which substantially improves the SO2 tolerance of Sb-loaded catalysts.
Can supervisors dwindle turnover in virtual teams?
Authors: Mosquera Pilar , Branco Mariana
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Virtual teams allow companies to recruit the best talents, regardless of their geographic location, which is particularly relevant in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector given the high shortage of qualified human capital. However, the space and time flexibility of these professionals also present other challenges to Human Resource Management, such as work engagement and employee retention. This study aims to assess the extent to which supervisor support can influence work engagement and turnover intention in virtual teams.

Design/methodology/approach

We use a sample of 420 ICT Portuguese professionals who work in virtual teams to test a conceptual model with partial least squares (PLS).

Findings

The study results show that supervisor support decreases employee's intention to leave their job. We also found that work engagement mediates the relationship between supervisor support and work engagement. Results show that older employees present higher levels of work engagement and employees with longer tenure perceive less supervisor support.

Originality/value

This study contributes to elucidate the role played by supervisors in influencing employee engagement and retention in virtual work environments.
Forecasting Australia’s international arrivals with climate indices
Authors: Craig Christopher A.
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of climate on marine and urban tourism using climate indices in four of Australia’s busiest cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Climate is operationalized using the previously validated Holiday Climate Index (HCI)-beach for marine tourism HCI-urban for city tourism; international airport arrivals are the tourism behavior of interest.

Design/methodology/approach

HCI-beach and-urban indices were calculated using climate data: thermal comfort, cloud cover, windspeed and precipitation. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models were calculated for airport arrivals only and airport arrivals with exogenous factors (i.e. HCI-beach and-urban).

Findings

Indices proved significant for each city where HCI-urban scores were more favorable on the aggregate than HCI-beach scores. HCI-beach improved model accuracy in Melbourne (3.11%), Sydney (15.77%) and Perth (37.38%); HCI-urban improved accuracy at Brisbane by 37.73%.

Research limitations/implications

The primary limitation is that airport arrival data was only available monthly. Using aggregated arrivals also precludes explicitly determining recreational intentions among travelers.

Practical implications

Results demonstrate climate indices can improve forecast accuracy for actual tourism behaviors, including destination arrivals.

Social implications

For tourists, results demonstrate the meteorological season and city where climate conditions are more or less favorable.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first known study to investigate the influence of climate indices on improving predictability of international arrival forecasts.
Effects of adverse geopolitical risk on price bubbles contagion from European natural gas prices to international energy prices
Authors: Iliyasu Jamilu , Mamman Suleiman O. , Abubakar Attahir B. , Sanusi Aliyu Rafindadi
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The recent Russia–Ukraine conflict highlights the geopolitical importance of natural gas, especially in Europe. In this light, this study examines the impact of the Russia–Ukraine conflict on the spread of price bubbles from European natural gas to international energy prices.

Design/methodology/approach

The Generalized Supremum Augmented Dickey-Fuller (GSADF) test is employed to detect the occurrence of price bubble episodes while the Dynamic Logit Model is used to examine price bubble contagion between the two markets. Further, a tri-variate VAR model is used to examine the determinants of the price bubble.

Findings

The findings reveal multiple bubble episodes in both European natural gas and international energy prices. Further, evidence of bilateral contagion between European natural gas and the international energy market is found. In addition, the Russia–Ukraine conflict triggers price bubble episodes in both markets. Finally, a counterfactual analysis suggests that the conflict increases the bubble contagion from the European natural gas market to the international energy market by about 40%. These findings imply that the Russia–Ukraine conflict is a significant driver of high upside risks to bubble occurrence and subsequent contagion to both European natural gas and international energy prices.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, this study contributes new empirical evidence that the Russian–Ukrainian conflict significantly impacts the spread of price bubbles from the European natural gas market to international energy markets.
Connectivity among the returns of sectoral indices of the Brazilian capital market
Authors: Tessmann Mathias Schneid , Passos Marcelo De Oliveira , Khodr Omar Barroso , Lima Alexandre Vasconcelos , Braga Vinícius
Published: June 2024

Purpose

As specific objectives, we intend to: (1) measure the connectivity between the spillovers of returns from the financial and nonfinancial sectors of the Brazilian stock market; (2) estimate the spillovers of individual returns for each sector to identify periods of higher and lower profits over a period of around eight years; (3) investigate the existence of relationships between these repercussions between pairs of sectoral indices, evaluating how much each specific sector transfers to each other and the market as a whole and (4) examine whether the connectivity of the Brazilian stock market itself and future interest rates in the USA and Brazil as well as the risk of the Brazilian economy, were explanatory variables of the dynamics of interdependence in the returns of these indices.

Design/methodology/approach

With a daily series of closing prices of sectoral indices from March 3, 2015, until June 21, 2023, we researched eight of the most relevant sectoral indices on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3). With this data, we estimate the Diebold–Yilmaz spillover index and frequency decompositions of Barunik–Krehlik.

Findings

The conclusions indicate that there is an overall connection of 66% in the financial and nonfinancial sectoral indices, with a peak of 83%. The consumer, energy and public services sectors stand out as significant sources of primary spillovers. When we classified secondary effects into periods, we saw that the shocks dissipated as time passed and the returns of the commodity index remained resilient across all periods.

Originality/value

Our conclusions highlight the influence of three main factors in sectors with a high degree of connectivity: periods of increased uncertainty; negative externalities in post-crisis periods and the impact of financial news on market sentiment. We think this study provides information that can be useful for policymakers, investors, investment portfolio managers, economists (financial, monetary and industrial), investment consultants and researchers who are interested in the complex interconnection among emerging market stock indices.
Executive individualism and the tone of firms' annual reports
Authors: Jiang Wei , Shi Chuyue , Li Yu , Xie Sujuan
Published: July 2024

Based on the literature on cross‐cultural psychology, this study examines the effect of executive individualism on the tone of the management discussion and analysis (MD&A) sections of firms' annual reports within one country. By employing an executive's place of origin in northern (southern) China to measure executive individualism (collectivism), we find that executive individualism increases the positive tone of the MD&A sections of firms' annual reports. Further analyses show that the positive relationship between executive individualism and MD&A tone is more pronounced when the executive has a longer tenure or is a local (vs. a non‐local). Finally, we find that executive individualism reduces the informativeness of MD&A in predicting firms' future accounting performance. In sum, the findings of this study suggest that executives' personal traits have important implications for the tone and informativeness of corporate non‐financial reporting.
Insights into microstructure and expression of markers of proliferation, apoptosis and T cells in the spleen of cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Authors: Abdellatif Ahmed M. , Basha Walaa Abdelwahab Abdelghani
Published: June 2024

The spleen is the largest secondary lymphoid organ with significant roles in pathogen clearance. It is involved in several avian diseases. The cattle egret is a wild insectivorous bird of agricultural and socioeconomic importance. Data related to microstructural features of cattle egret spleen are lacking. The present study investigated the gross anatomical, histological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the cattle egret spleen. Proliferation (PCNA and PHH3), apoptosis (cleaved caspase 3, C.CASP3) and T‐cell (CD3 and CD8) markers were assessed. Grossly, the spleen appeared brownish red, oval‐shaped and located at the oesophago‐proventricular junction. Histologically, the spleen was surrounded by a thin capsule sending a number of trabeculae which contained branches of the splenic vessels. The white pulp consisted of the periarteriolar lymphoid sheath and periellipsoidal lymphatic sheath (PELS). The red pulp was formed of sinusoids and cords. The penicillar capillaries, which represent the terminal segments of the splenic arterial tree were highly branched, wrapped by prominent ellipsoids and directly connected to the splenic sinusoids, suggesting a closed type of circulation. Immunohistochemically, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)‐expressing cells were distributed with high counts throughout the splenic parenchyma, being highest within the splenic cords and PELS. Both PHH3‐ and C.CASP3‐expressing cells revealed a similar pattern to that of PCNA, although with fewer counts. Large numbers of T cells were observed throughout the splenic parenchyma, mainly within the cords, as revealed by CD3 and CD8 immunoreaction. The present study provides a clear insight into the precise structure of the spleen in cattle egrets and thus improves our understanding about birds' immunity.
The gross reproductive morphology of the male Temminck's pangolin Smutsia temminckii (Smuts, 1832)
Authors: Tink Lauren Nicole , Jansen Raymond , Steyn Christine
Published: June 2024

The Temminck's pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) is one of eight pangolin species worldwide and the only pangolin present in southern Africa. Historically, pangolins have not been able to reproduce successfully in captivity and this may be in part due to the lack of knowledge and understanding with regards to the pangolin reproductive system (anatomy, physiology, biology) in all eight species. This original study describes the gross anatomy of the male Temminck's pangolin from three adult individuals investigated. The male Temminck's pangolin presented a short, conical penis with ascrotal (internal) testes, similar to many other myrmecophagous mammals such as the aardvark (Orycteropus sp.) and anteaters (suborder: Vermilingua). However, the orientation of the penis of the Temminck's pangolin differed in that it was oriented cranioventrally, in contrast to the caudal orientation of the giant anteater. The testes were found to be bilaterally flattened with an elongate oval shape, similar to the aardvark. The specific characteristics of the reproductive tract of the male Temminck's pangolins are thought to be adaptations to their peculiar lifestyle as the male portrays characteristics that indicate adaptation to a lower basal metabolic rate and body temperature as well as to their defensive mechanism of rolling up into a ball. Our study suggests the male Temminck's pangolin reproductive anatomy is most similar and comparable to the Xenarthrans and the aardvark that display the same fossorial activities as pangolins, and the male morphology is not comparable to the phylogenetically closely‐related Carnivora.
Effect of impeller rotational phase on the FDA blood pump velocity fields
Authors: Ucak Kagan , Karatas Faruk , Pekkan Kerem
Published: July 2024

Background

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blood pump is an open‐source benchmark cardiovascular device introduced for validating computational and experimental performance analysis tools. The time‐resolved velocity field for the whole impeller has not been established, as is undertaken in this particle image velocimetry (PIV) study. The level of instantaneous velocity fluctuations is important, to assess the flow‐induced rotor vibrations which may contribute to the total blood damage.

Methods

To document these factors, time‐resolved two‐dimensional PIV experiments were performed that were precisely phase‐locked with the impeller rotation angle. The velocity fields in the impeller and in the volute conformed with the previous single blade passage experiments of literature.

Results

Depending on the impeller orientation, present experiments showed that volute outlet nozzle flow can fluctuate up to 34% during impeller rotation, with a maximum standard experimental uncertainty of 2.2%. Likewise, the flow fields in each impeller passage also altered in average 33.5%. Considerably different vortex patterns were observed for different blade passages, with the largest vortical structures reaching an average core radii of 7 mm. The constant volute area employed in the FDA pump design contributes to the observed velocity imbalance, as illustrated in our velocity measurements.

Conclusions

By introducing the impeller orientation parameter for the nozzle flow, this study considers the possible uncertainties influencing pump flow. Expanding the available literature data, analysis of inter‐blade relative velocity fields is provided here for the first‐time to the best of our knowledge. Consequently, our research fills a critical knowledge gap in the understanding of the flow dynamics of an important benchmark cardiovascular device. This study prompts the need for improved hydrodynamic designs and optimized devices to be used as benchmark test devices, to build more confidence and safety in future ventricular assist device performance assessment studies.
Climate change, production and trade in apples
Authors: Larue Bruno , Ker Alan P.
Published: June 2024

In this paper, we investigate the impacts of climate extremes on the production and trade of apples. Apple production being notoriously sensitive to climate shocks, we show that March and April temperatures and precipitations beyond estimated thresholds cause large yield reductions in Quebec and Ontario. In years when climate shocks are large and highly correlated across space, large variations in national production cause major variations in trade flows. Hence, we exploit the theoretical foundations of a sectoral structural gravity model to implement counterfactual trade experiments about harvest shocks in Canada and the United States. We report changes in tariffs, imports, exports, farmgate prices, and in consumer welfare. The shocks greatly impact trade between North American countries but have little impact on other countries except for Chile and New Zealand which see their exports grow.
Kinetic and structural characterization of NUDT15 and NUDT18 as catalysts of isoprene pyrophosphate hydrolysis
Authors: Scaletti Emma R. , Unterlass Judith E. , Almlöf Ingrid , Koolmeister Tobias , Vallin Karl S. , Kapsitidou Despina , Tsuber Viktoriia , Helleday Thomas , Stenmark Pål , Jemth Ann‐Sofie
Published: June 2024

Isoprene pyrophosphates play a crucial role in the synthesis of a diverse array of essential nonsterol and sterol biomolecules and serve as substrates for posttranslational isoprenylation of proteins, enabling specific anchoring to cellular membranes. Hydrolysis of isoprene pyrophosphates would be a means to modulate their levels, downstream products, and protein isoprenylation. While NUDIX hydrolases from plants have been described to catalyze the hydrolysis of isoprene pyrophosphates, homologous enzymes with this function in animals have not yet been reported. In this study, we screened an extensive panel of human NUDIX hydrolases for activity in hydrolyzing isoprene pyrophosphates. We found that human nucleotide triphosphate diphosphatase NUDT15 and 8‐oxo‐dGDP phosphatase NUDT18 efficiently catalyze the hydrolysis of several physiologically relevant isoprene pyrophosphates. Notably, we demonstrate that geranyl pyrophosphate is an excellent substrate for NUDT18, with a catalytic efficiency of 2.1 × 105 m−1·s−1, thus making it the best substrate identified for NUDT18 to date. Similarly, geranyl pyrophosphate proved to be the best isoprene pyrophosphate substrate for NUDT15, with a catalytic efficiency of 4.0 × 104 M−1·s−1. LC–MS analysis of NUDT15 and NUDT18 catalyzed isoprene pyrophosphate hydrolysis revealed the generation of the corresponding monophosphates and inorganic phosphate. Furthermore, we solved the crystal structure of NUDT15 in complex with the hydrolysis product geranyl phosphate at a resolution of 1.70 Å. This structure revealed that the active site nicely accommodates the hydrophobic isoprenoid moiety and helped identify key binding residues. Our findings imply that isoprene pyrophosphates are endogenous substrates of NUDT15 and NUDT18, suggesting they are involved in animal isoprene pyrophosphate metabolism.
MitoNEET preserves muscle insulin sensitivity during iron overload by regulating mitochondrial iron, reactive oxygen species and fission
Authors: Tam Eddie , Nguyen Khang , Sung Hye Kyoung , Sweeney Gary
Published: June 2024

Iron overload (IO) is known to contribute to metabolic dysfunctions such as type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Using L6 skeletal muscle cells overexpressing the CDGSH iron–sulfur domain‐containing protein 1 (CISD1, also known as mitoNEET) (mitoN) protein, we examined the potential role of MitoN in preventing IO‐induced insulin resistance. In L6 control cells, IO resulted in insulin resistance which could be prevented by MitoN as demonstrated by western blot of p‐Akt and Akt biosensor cells. Mechanistically, IO increased; mitochondrial iron accumulation, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), Fis1‐dependent mitochondrial fission, mitophagy, FUN14 domain‐containing protein 1 (FUNDC1) expression, and decreased Parkin. MitoN overexpression was able to reduce increases in mitochondrial iron accumulation, mitochondrial ROS, mitochondrial fission, mitophagy and FUNDC1 upregulation due to IO. MitoN did not have any effect on the IO‐induced downregulation of Parkin. MitoN alone also upregulated peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1α) protein levels, a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. The use of mitochondrial antioxidant, Skq1, or fission inhibitor, Mdivi‐1, prevented IO‐induced insulin resistance implying both mitochondrial ROS and fission play a causal role in the development of insulin resistance. Taken together, MitoN is able to confer protection against IO‐induced insulin resistance in L6 skeletal muscle cells through regulation of mitochondrial iron content, mitochondrial ROS, and mitochondrial fission.
Projecting investment potential of an emerging forest bioeconomy market: An EU—Australian benchmarking study
Authors: Garvie Leanda C. , Brown Mark , Lee David J. , Kulišić Biljana
Published: July 2024

In emerging markets, investment costs tend to be associated with uncertainty, especially if the investment is policy driven. Globally, nations have agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to keep the temperature increase below 1.5°C by 2100. Australia faces challenges in achieving its Paris Agreement Nationally Determined Contributions and Agenda 2030 commitments, mostly given the extraction profile of its economy. Introducing renewable carbon from forest residues in the niche markets could increase the competitiveness of the forest industry not only in terms of reduced energy costs but also in terms of ‘greening’ the primary product. Growing interest in the bioenergy market, linked with large volumes of available biomass feedstocks including forest residues, presents opportunities in Australia. Yet, ambiguity about costs and concerns about biomass supply throttle the investment potential. This paper aims to estimate a range of forest residue costs along the supply chain for the Australian market by projecting the biomass supply costs from a mature bioenergy market onto it using a benchmarking process reinforced by expert opinion. A three‐round Delphi method in which experts indicated direction and range of costs along the forest biomass supply chain revealed that roadside costs of forest residues (other than stumps), and biomass transportation costs, are lower than or equal to and equal to or higher than, the EU costs respectively. Experts ranked investment and supply‐side support as priority areas for the development of forest bioenergy in Australia. The expert estimations of forest residue cost ranges along the supply chain offer the first layer for framing a national policy for forest bioenergy within the broader bioeconomy.
Nutritional and functional aspects of fermented algae
Authors: Sarıtaş Sümeyye , Duman Hatice , Karav Sercan
Published: June 2024

In recent years, there has been an increasing emphasis on natural and healthy nutrition, leading to increased interest in fermented foods and their associated health benefits. In line with this trend, fermentation is employed to enhance the exceptional properties of algae, including their nutritional value and digestibility, rendering them suitable for consumption as food. Fermentation of algae involves the conversion of carbohydrates into alcohol or organic acids by microorganisms, including bacteria or yeast. First of all, the fermentation process results in enhanced antioxidant activity, antimicrobial effects, anti‐inflammatory properties, immunomodulatory effects, anti‐glycation activity, antihypertensive effects and neuroprotective activity by increasing the bioavailability of bioactive compounds in algae. In addition, this method encourages the incorporation of algae into food products. In this process, both the flavour and texture are enhanced, while simultaneously preserving and enriching the beneficial nutrients and compounds present in algae. Despite the availability of various fermented algae products in the market, their widespread adoption has yet to be realised. The incorporation of fermented algae into food products not only enhances their nutritional content but also fosters the emergence of a new segment within the fermented food market. Herein, the concept of fermented algae, the fermentation process, its nutritional value and its health benefits are explored.
Characterisation of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) starch isolated by conventional and ultrasound‐assisted starch isolation methods
Authors: Yadav Shweta , Mishra Sunita , Vivek Kambhampati , Mishra Sabyasachi
Published: June 2024

Starch is a versatile biomaterial with a wide range of applications across various industrial sectors. Therefore, starch isolation methods play a crucial role in fulfilling the demand for high‐quality starch required for different applications. Waxy maize starch is the most used starch for different food applications. It is isolated using an alkaline extraction method and available in the market at a high price. The traditional process of starch isolation involves labour‐intensive and costly downstream processing that leads to exploring cost‐effective isolation methods for various food applications. Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is an underutilised cereal crop composed of 65–70% of starch. In the present study, the starch from finger millet is isolated using conventional and ultrasound‐assisted isolation methods to fulfil the current requirement. The isolated finger millet starch was characterised by morphological structure obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffractogram (XRD), infrared spectrum obtained by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT‐IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, and rheological analysis. The SEM images confirmed the reduced particle size and uniform grain size distribution in the starch isolated using ultrasound‐assisted isolation. The relative crystallinity of starch isolated using ultrasound‐assisted isolation method (69.05 ± 0.57%) was higher compared to other conventional isolation methods (57.18 ± 0.70%, 67.66 ± 1.00%, and 68.34 ± 0.33% for distilled water soaking, alkali soaking, and sodium bisulphite soaking, respectively). The FTIR analysis confirmed no significant changes in the functional group of starch with respect to different isolation methods. Thermal and rheological analysis of isolated starch using ultrasound‐assisted isolation indicated the lowest gelatinisation enthalpy (45.38 ± 1.67 J/g) and showed the lowest loss factor indicating the most elastic behaviour, respectively.
Functional chocolate: exploring advances in production and health benefits
Authors: Sarıtaş Sümeyye , Duman Hatice , Pekdemir Burcu , Rocha João Miguel , Oz Fatih , Karav Sercan
Published: June 2024

Chocolate has been a part of human consumption for millennia, serving as a confection, medicine and aphrodisiac. Chocolate consumption is increasing worldwide, and independent of the age or social background. The substantial content of chocolate may provide consumers with antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiallergenic, and anticarcinogenic benefits. Beyond such properties, diverse bioactive ingredients are utilised in the creation of functional chocolate products aiming at promoting health and meeting the modern consumers' demands and market orientations. These products are primarily focused on enhancing nutraceutical effects, such as antioxidant activity, protein content and prebiotic effects. Additionally, the use of A2 milk powder in chocolate production holds promising expectations towards enhancing the digestibility of the products. Due to the superior affinity of proteolytic enzymes, A2 milk can be digested more easily than A1 milk. In this way, with the addition of A2 milk to chocolate, it may become more easily digestible. The objectives of this review are a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of chocolate consumption, its health benefits, and the contemporary innovations in chocolate production. Additionally, the potential for developing easily digestible, functional chocolates made from A2 milk, which could rejuvenate functional chocolate production, is discussed in this article.
Dispersal patterns and potential distribution prediction of three rice planthopper species in China based on the ensemble model
Authors: Xiu Xianzhi , Zhao Yuechao , Yu Mingli , Gao Ying , Yang Guangyi , Wang Jinyang , Shi Xueping , Wang Xingya
Published: June 2024

Three rice planthopper species, Nilaparvata lugens, Sogatella furcifera and Laodelphax striatellus, are destructive rice pests that cause serious economic losses in major rice‐producing regions of China. Understanding their dispersal patterns and potential distribution areas is crucial for effective management and control. Based on historical climate data and simulated future climate data combined with species occurrence data, the dispersal patterns of three planthopper species were analysed and their potential distributions were predicted. The results showed that from 1993 to 2022, the suitable areas for the three rice planthoppers gradually expanded. By 2022, the total suitable area for S. furcifera reached 478.35 × 104 km2, followed by 376.02 × 104 km2 for L. striatellus and 264.97 × 104 km2 for N. lugens. The optimum area for S. furcifera exhibited the most significant increase, expanding by 136.07 × 104 km2. The species has extended its range from southern China to the northeastern and northwestern regions within the past three decades. The suitable areas for L. striatellus and N. lugens did not show a significant spread trend. In addition, compared to that in 2022, the total suitable area for the three rice planthopper species increased slightly from 2041 to 2060. The study revealed that the wettest monthly rainfall and the lowest temperature were the most influential factors affecting the distributions of these planthopper species. This study provides valuable insights into the dispersal patterns and potential distribution of rice planthoppers in China and provides a theoretical basis for effective prevention and control strategies for destructive rice pests.
Predictors of frailty after cardiovascular surgery and the relationship between frailty and postoperative recovery: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Kankaya Eda Ayten , Özer Özlü Nazife Gamze , Bilik Özlem
Published: June 2024

Aim

To investigate the factors affecting postoperative frailty and the relationship between frailty and postoperative recovery in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery.

Design

The study was descriptive, cross‐sectional, and predictive.

Methods

Data were collected by researchers in a university research and application hospital cardiovascular surgery inpatient clinic between March 2022 and March 2023. Sociodemographic‐Clinical Characteristics Form, Comorbidity Index, Edmonton Frail Scale, Postoperative Recovery, and Nutritional Risk Screening were used to collect the data.

Results

Of the 145 patients included in the study, 65.51% (n = 95) were male and the mean age was 62.02 ± 10.16 years. While frailty was not found to be significant by age group, it was found that women had more comorbidities and were more frail than men. It was found that 17.2% (n = 25) of patients had a history of falls before surgery, 26.2% (n = 38) had a fear of falling after surgery and 17.24% (n = 25) had rehospitalisations. While postoperative recovery index predicted fraility by 34% in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery; general symptoms and psychological symptoms, which are the sub‐dimensions of the postoperative recovery index and comorbidity and, fear of falling after surgery predicted frailty by 61%. The order of importance of variables on fraility: general symptoms (β = 0.297), fear of falling (β = 0.222), psychological symptoms (β = 0.218), Charlson Comorbidity Index (β = 0.183).

Patient or Public Contribution

This study clarifies the role of frailty as an important factor influencing the recovery process in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. The findings show that frailty has a determining effect on postoperative recovery in these patients. Among the factors affecting frailty status, comorbidities, fear of postoperative falls, and postoperative general and psychological symptoms were found to contribute. These findings emphasise that these factors should be taken into account when assessing and managing the postoperative recovery process. Understanding these factors that influence postoperative frailty is crucial for patient care. Recognising the multifaceted nature of frailty, personalised interventions are needed to improve patient care and postoperative outcomes. Personalised interventions are particularly important for older women with multiple comorbidities, as they are more likely to be frail.
Characterization of the organellar genomes of Mazzaella laminarioides and Mazzaella membranacea (Gigartinaceae, Rhodophyta)
Authors: Sepúlveda‐Espinoza Francisco , Cofré‐Serrano Angela , Veloso‐Valeria Tomás , Quesada‐Calderon Suany , Guillemin Marie‐Laure
Published: June 2024

Mazzaella, a genus with no genomic resources available, has extensive distribution in the cold waters of the Pacific, where they represent ecologically and economically important species. In this study, we aimed to sequence, assemble, and annotate the complete mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes from two Mazzaella spp. and characterize the intraspecific variation among them. We report for the first time seven whole organellar genomes (mitochondria: OR915856, OR947465, OR947466, OR947467, OR947468, OR947469, OR947470; chloroplast: OR881974, OR909680, OR909681, OR909682, OR909683, OR909684, OR909685) obtained through high‐throughput sequencing for six M. laminarioides sampled from three Chilean regions and one M. membranacea. Sequenced Mazzaella mitogenomes have identical gene number, gene order, and genome structure. The same results were observed for assembled plastomes. A total of 52 genes were identified in mitogenomes, and a total of 235 genes were identified in plastomes. Although the M. membranacea plastome included a full‐length pbsA gene, in all M. laminarioides samples, the pbsA gene was split in three open reading frames (ORFs). Within M. laminarioides, we observed important plastome lineage‐specific variations, such as the pseudogenization of the two hypothetical protein‐coding genes, ycf23 and ycf45. Nonsense mutations in the ycf23 and ycf45 genes were only detected in the northern lineage. These results are consistent with phylogenetic reconstructions and divergence time estimation using concatenated coding sequences that not only support the monophyly of M. laminarioides but also underscore that the three M. laminarioides lineages are in an advanced stage of divergence. These new results open the question of the existence of still undisclosed species in M. laminarioides.
Comparison of grapiprant and meloxicam for management of postoperative joint pain in dogs: A randomized, double‐blinded, prospective clinical trial
Authors: Cassemiche Anaelle , Schoffit Sarah , Manassero Mathieu , Kohlhauer Matthias
Published: June 2024

Background

Grapiprant is a novel anti‐inflammatory drug approved for the treatment of pain associated with osteoarthritis in dogs.

Objective

Compare the efficacy of grapiprant vs meloxicam for the management of postoperative joint pain in dogs.

Animals

Forty‐eight dogs presented with cranial cruciate ligament disease and treated by tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) between May 2020 and May 2022.

Methods

In this randomized, double blinded, prospective clinical trial, client‐owned dogs with naturally occurring unilateral cruciate ligament rupture were enrolled on the day of surgery. The day after surgery, all animals received a subcutaneous injection of 0.2 mg/kg of meloxicam and were randomly assigned to receive either oral grapiprant (2 mg/kg) or meloxicam (0.1 mg/kg), once a day for 14 days, in a blinded manner. The primary endpoint of the study was the pain severity (PSS) and interference (PIS) scores, assessed by the Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI) at day 3, 7, 10 and 15 after the surgery.

Results

Three days after surgery, grapiprant treated dogs had lower PSS compared to meloxicam treated dogs with a mean ± SD of 2.76 ± 0.18 vs 3.25 ± 0.23, respectively (difference of −0.49 [95% CI −0.94 to −0.04],P = .032). Pain Interference Score was also lower in grapiprant group at day 3 (4.11 ± 0.18 vs 4.69 ± 0.16 in meloxicam group [difference of −0.58 {95% CI −1.03 to −0.13},P = .013]) and at day 10 (2.23 ± 0.13 vs 2.72 ± 0.28 [difference of −0.49 {95% CI −0.92 to −0.01},P = .049]).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Our study supports the use of grapiprant as an alternative analgesic to meloxicam for management of postoperative joint pain in dogs.
Assessing the risk of takeover catastrophe from large language models
Authors: Baum Seth D.
Published: June 2024

This article presents a risk analysis of large language models (LLMs), a type of “generative” artificial intelligence (AI) system that produces text, commonly in response to textual inputs from human users. The article is specifically focused on the risk of LLMs causing an extreme catastrophe in which they do something akin to taking over the world and killing everyone. The possibility of LLM takeover catastrophe has been a major point of public discussion since the recent release of remarkably capable LLMs such as ChatGPT and GPT‐4. This arguably marks the first time when actual AI systems (and not hypothetical future systems) have sparked concern about takeover catastrophe. The article's analysis compares (A) characteristics of AI systems that may be needed for takeover, as identified in prior theoretical literature on AI takeover risk, with (B) characteristics observed in current LLMs. This comparison reveals that the capabilities of current LLMs appear to fall well short of what may be needed for takeover catastrophe. Future LLMs may be similarly incapable due to fundamental limitations of deep learning algorithms. However, divided expert opinion on deep learning and surprise capabilities found in current LLMs suggests some risk of takeover catastrophe from future LLMs. LLM governance should monitor for changes in takeover characteristics and be prepared to proceed more aggressively if warning signs emerge. Unless and until such signs emerge, more aggressive governance measures may be unwarranted.
The low‐carbon risk society: Dilemmas of risk–risk tradeoffs in energy innovations, transitions, and climate policy
Authors: Sovacool Benjamin K.
Published: June 2024

As countries and communities grapple with climate change, they seek to rapidly decarbonize their economies and cultures. A low‐carbon future will likely depend on more distributed solar energy, the electrification of mobility, and more efficient homes and buildings. But what emergent risks are evident within this low‐carbon society? This exploratory study first reviews the existing literature to identify 75 risk–risk tradeoffs by their category, medium of distribution, and type. It builds on these 75 examples to apply a typology of Risk Offsets, Risk Substitution, Risk Transfer, and Risk Transformation. Based on extensive document analysis, it applies that typology to three low‐carbon innovations: solar energy, battery electric vehicles, and building energy efficiency retrofits, identifying 36 distinct risk–risk tradeoffs in total. As such, the paper moves to discuss complexities and challenges in risk management. In doing so, it calls for a more refined risk assessment that better accounts for decision‐making considerations such as the magnitude or probability of risk, size of population exposed, certainty in risk estimation, severity of adverse outcome, distributional considerations, and the timing of risk impacts. It also summarizes emergent research gaps. Risk management in the context of climate action becomes a three‐dimensional chess game of weighing risk transmission, risk mediums, and risk categories.