bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Une tentative subversive par le « coeur d’enfant » – Traduire l’humanité de Quatrevingt-treize en Chine par Zeng Pu (1872-1935)
Authors: Xiangyun Zhang Florence
Published: May 2023

Le roman Quatrevingt-treize de Victor Hugo est traduit en chinois en 1912 par Zeng Pu (1872-1935), au lendemain de la révolution républicaine chinoise. Le traducteur, romancier de renom, est un lettré chinois qui a appris le français en autodidacte. Dans sa préface pour la réédition du roman hugolien en 1913, Zeng Pu, qualifiant le roman de poésie, met en avant l’humanité de Hugo et souligne le « coeur d’enfant » comme idée principale du roman. Sa traduction, en chinois semi-classique, réduit la part de la narration philosophique de Hugo, mais se concentre sur des scènes allégoriques et amplifie les descriptions des sentiments des personnages. Or, cette démarche romanesque et morale du traducteur n’est pas dépourvue de choix paradoxaux qui méritent une étude approfondie. Le présent article examine les singularités de cette traduction afin de mettre en lumière une certaine tentative subversive de la traduction à une période spécifique de la Chine moderne.
Se remémorer la guerre : la place de la violence sexuelle dans les souvenirs des vétérans britanniques de la Seconde Guerre mondiale
Authors: Poitras-Raymond Chloé
Published: May 2023

À la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, les femmes allemandes ont subi des crimes de violence sexuelle perpétrés par les troupes alliées. Les vétérans britanniques ayant participé aux opérations militaires et à l’occupation de l’Allemagne gardent des souvenirs marquants de ces crimes et des victimes allemandes. L’analyse de leurs témoignages écrits et oraux, diffusés entre 1980 et 2010, démontre que les vétérans britanniques construisent le récit mémoriel de leur expérience de guerre d’une façon qui leur permet non seulement de préserver leur propre réputation, mais également celle de l’armée. Ils mobilisent ainsi plusieurs processus narratifs pour assurer une image positive du groupe auquel ils appartiennent. Cela se traduit notamment par une tentative de se présenter en héros sauveurs des victimes allemandes agressées par les autres Alliés et par une volonté de démontrer au public que les soldats britanniques ne se livraient pas à ce type de crime. En se distanciant des actes commis par les autres Alliés, les vétérans britanniques cherchent ainsi à présenter leur armée comme une institution disciplinée.
Structural and Functional Studies of Proteins Involved in the Regulation of Fatty Acid Metabolism
Authors:   , Zelencova-Gopejenko Diāna
Published: May 2023

The Doctoral Thesis is devoted to structure-activity relationship studies of γ-butyrobetaine dioxygenase, ε-trimethyl-l-lysine dioxygenase (TMLD), and heart-type fatty acid binding protein (FABP3) ligands. Protein-ligand binding was determined and characterized by means of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), nuclear magnetic resonance, and molecular modelling. Two new ITC approaches were established and implemented for the determination of ligand binding thermodynamics to TMLD and FABP3. A new class of FABP3 substrates with a different binding mechanism in comparison to fatty acids was found.
Geometry of the Ovoids: Reptilian Eggs and Similar Symmetric Forms
Authors: Mladenova Clementina D. , Mladenov Ivaïlo M.
Published: May 2023

Despite the longstanding interest in the shapes of the eggs since the ancient time till nowadays, the available parametric descriptions in the modern literature are given only via purely empirical formulas without any clear relationships with their measurable physical parameters. Here we present a geometrical model of the eggs based on Perseus spirics which were known as well since the ancient time but their analytical parameterizations were absent in the meantime. Such parameterizations have been found recently and the present work is based on the idea to use the spirics as a geometrical model of the egg's shapes. Explicit formulas for the volume, surface area and the curvatures of the eggs are derived from the first principles and these have been compared with the available empirical formulas and experimental data.
Measurable Foliations Associated to the Coadjoint Representation of a Class of Seven-Dimensional Solvable Lie Groups
Authors: Le Vu , Nguyen Tuyen , Nguyen Tuan
Published: May 2023

We consider connected and simply connected seven-dimensional Lie groups whose Lie algebras have nilradical $\g_{5,2}$ of Dixmier. First, we give geometric descriptions of the maximal-dimensional orbits in the coadjoint representation of all considered Lie groups. Next, we prove that, for each considered group, the family of the generic coadjoint orbits forms a measurable foliation in the sense of Connes. Finally, the topological classification of all these foliations is also provided.
Reconstructing 3D human pose and shape from a single image and sparse IMUs
Authors: Liao Xianhua , Zhuang Jiayan , Liu Ze , Dong Jiayan , Song Kangkang , Xiao Jiangjian
Published: May 2023

Background

Model-based 3D pose estimation has been widely used in many 3D human motion analysis applications, in which vision-based and inertial-based are two distinct lines. Multi-view images in a vision-based markerless capture system provide essential data for motion analysis, but erroneous estimates still occur due to ambiguities, occlusion, or noise in images. Besides, the multi-view setting is hard for the application in the wild. Although inertial measurement units (IMUs) can obtain accurate direction without occlusion, they are usually susceptible to magnetic field interference and drifts. Hybrid motion capture has drawn the attention of researchers in recent years. Existing 3D pose estimation methods jointly optimize the parameters of the 3D pose by minimizing the discrepancy between the image and IMU data. However, these hybrid methods still suffer from the issues such as complex peripheral devices, sensitivity to initialization, and slow convergence.

Methods

This article presents an approach to improve 3D human pose estimation by fusing a single image with sparse inertial measurement units (IMUs). Based on a dual-stream feature extract network, we design a model-attention network with a residual module to closely couple the dual-modal feature from a static image and sparse inertial measurement units. The final 3D pose and shape parameters are directly obtained by a regression strategy.

Results

Extensive experiments are conducted on two benchmark datasets for 3D human pose estimation. Compared to state-of-the-art methods, the per vertex error (PVE) of human mesh reduces by 9.4 mm on Total Capture dataset and the mean per joint position error (MPJPE) reduces by 7.8 mm on the Human3.6M dataset. The quantitative comparison demonstrates that the proposed method could effectively fuse sparse IMU data and images and improve pose accuracy.
Supplementation of PUFA extracted from microalgae for the development of chicken patties
Authors: Dr Sidra , Zaman Muhammad Muneeb , Farooq Zunaira , Hafeez Amina , Sajid Muhammad Wasim , Tariq Muhammad Rizwan , Ali Shinawar Waseem , Ali Sajid , Shafiq Muhammad , Iftikhar Madiha , Safdar Waseem , Ali Umair , Kanwal Maria , Umer Zujaja , Basharat Zunaira
Published: May 2023

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in development of a diverse range of foods that are enriched with omega-3 fatty acids. It is widely recognized that through dietary interventions, the lipid fraction of food can be modified to enhance its nutritional content. This study is aimed to develop chicken patties enriched with poly unstaurated fatty acids (PUFAs) extracted from microalgae aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA) concentration of 0% (T0), 1% (T1), 2% (T2), and 3% (T3). All treatments were stored at −18 °C for one month and analysed at an interval of 0, 10, 20, and 30 days to assess the effect of PUFAs supplementation on physicochemical, oxidative, microbiological and organoleptic properties of chicken patties. The results revealed that moisture content was significantly increased during the storage; the maximum moisture was observed in T0 (67.25% ± 0.03) on day 0, while the minimun was found in T3 (64.69% ± 0.04) on day 30. Supplemenatation of PUFAs in chicken patties significantly enhanced the fat content of the product the highest fat content was observed for T3 (9.7% ± 0.06. An increase in PUFAs concentration led to a significant increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). TBARS were increased from 1.22 ± 0.43 at 0 days to 1.48 ± 0.39 at 30 days of storage. The PUFAs incorporation negatively effected sensory acceptance of the product ranging from (8.41 ± 0.17 to 7.28 ± 0.12). However, the sensory scores were in acceptable range for supplemented patties as compared to control sample. Treatment T3 depicted the highest nutritional content. The sensory and physiochemical analysis of supplemented patties suggested that PUFAs extracted from microalgae can be used as a functional ingredient in the preparation various meat products particularly chicken meta patties. However, antioxidants should be added to to prevent lipid oxidation in the product.
Study on Consumer Behaviour toward Organic Products in the Nainital District of Uttarakhand, India
Authors: Joshi Dinkar , Barker Nitin , Zechariah Jayant
Published: May 2023

The study conducted in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand state investigated the consumers’ buying behaviour towards organic food products based on the data collected from 110 respondents. The study used Henry Garrett's ranking test for analysis. The study focused on finding out the factors affecting consumer behaviour while purchasing organic products. The study has revealed that factors availability, price, quality, reference from others, environmental concern, brand, advertisement, awareness and personal experience hold 1 to 9 rankings respectively. This indicates availability is a major concern that should be considered first.
Effect of Organic Manures and Zinc on Growth, Yield and Economics of Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica L.)
Authors: Swaroop Buriga Teja , Debbarma Victor
Published: May 2023

The field experiment was conducted during Kharif season 2022-23 at Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology And Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. The soil of experimental plot was sandy loam in texture, nearly neutral in soil reaction (pH 7.8), low in organic carbon (0.62%), available nitrogen (225 kg/ha), available phosphorus (38.2 kg/ha) and available potassium (240.7 kg/ha). The treatments consist of organic manures (FYM 10t/ha, Goat manure 1.6t/ha, Poultry manure 1.6t/ha) and foliar spray of zinc (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%) at 30, 45 Days after sowing. The experiment was layout in Randomized Block Design with nine treatments each replicated thrice. Significant and higher plant height (92.69 cm), maximum number of tillers/ hill (8.40), higher plant dry weight (15.93 g), higher panicle length (15.36 cm), number of grains/ panicle (1262.33), grain yield (2.76 t/ha), straw yield (4.65 t/ha), maximum gross return (INR 78300.00), net return (INR 52670.40) and B:C ratio (2.05) were recorded in treatment 9 with the application of Poultry Manure1.6t/ha along with 0.6% Zinc.
Ecchymotic Plaques on the Scalp of a Man in His 80s
Authors: Diong Sophie , O’Gorman Susan , Mellerick Lisa
Published: May 2023

A man in his 80s had a 4-week history of progressive weakness and fatigue, with associated development of purple bruiselike lesions on his head. What is your diagnosis?
Relationships between seismic design conditions and superior design solutions of steel buildings
Authors: Takagi Jiro , Hayashi Akari , Saito Kazuki , Ohsaki Makoto
Published: May 2023

Superior design solutions (SDSs) of seven‐story steel buildings are obtained for the space frame system (SFS) and the perimeter frame system (PFS) in various types of structures such as moment frames (MF) and those with buckling restrained braces (BRBF). The SDSs satisfy the design constraints of allowable stress design (ASD) and calculations of resistance and limit state (CRLS) with minimized steel volume. The influences of design conditions are comparatively evaluated. It is found that the maximum inter‐story drift ratio for the safety limit in the CRLS for MF can be rationally defined as 2% and ASD can be more dominant for BRBF.
Hip Abductor Weakness and Its Association With New or Worsened Knee Pain: Data From the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study
Authors: Lewis Cara L. , Segal Neil A. , Rabasa Gabriela V. , LaValley Michael P. , Williams Glenn N. , Nevitt Michael C. , Lewis Cora E. , Felson David T. , Stefanik Joshua J.
Published: May 2023

Objective

Hip abductors, important for controlling pelvic and femoral orientation during gait, may affect knee pain. Our objective was to evaluate the relation of hip abductor strength to worsened or new‐onset frequent knee pain. Given previously noted associations of knee extensor strength with osteoarthritis in women, we performed sex‐specific analyses.

Methods

We used data from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis study. Hip abductor and knee extensor strength was measured. Knee pain was assessed using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) questionnaire and a question about frequent knee pain at baseline (144‐month visit), and 8, 16, and 24 months thereafter. Knee pain outcomes were worsened knee pain (2‐point increase in WOMAC pain) and incident frequent knee pain (answering yes to the frequent knee pain question among those without frequent knee pain at baseline). Leg‐specific analyses tested hip abductor strength as a risk factor for worsened and new frequent knee pain, adjusting for potential covariates. Additionally, we stratified by knee extensor strength (high versus low).

Results

Among women, compared to the highest quartile of hip abductor strength, the lowest quartile had 1.7 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.1–2.6) times the odds of worsened knee pain; significant associations were limited to women with high knee extensor strength (odds ratio 2.0 [95% CI 1.1–3.5]). We found no relation of abductor strength to worsening knee pain in men or with incident frequent knee pain in men or women.

Conclusion

Hip abductor weakness was associated with worsening knee pain in women with strong knee extensors, but not with incident frequent knee pain in men or women. Knee extensor strength may be necessary, but not sufficient, to prevent pain worsening.
Improving Charge Injection for Organic Field‐Effect Transistor Array via Chemical Functionalized Van der Waals Top‐Contacts
Authors: Zhang Feng , Geng Bowen , Ding Xiaohai , Huang Congcong , Fan Aiqing , Duan Shuming , Li Rongjin , Ren Xiaochen , Hu Wenping
Published: May 2023

Efficient charge injection at metal/semiconductor interface is of great importance for high‐performance organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs). In OFETs, top‐contact configuration generally exhibits better injection efficiency but may induces thermal damage to organic layer and is intrinsically difficult to modified with chemisorbs at metal/semiconductor interface. Herein, a versatile, large‐scale and damage‐free metal integration strategy is reported to achieve efficient charge injection in OFETs by applying self‐assembly monolayers (SAMs) functionalized van der Waals (vdW) top‐contact electrodes. Centimeter scale metal electrodes are transferred onto organic single crystal to form OFETs array without residual left. vdW contact provides a clear and atomic sharp interface, and thus the inherent electronic structure and physical properties of the pristine heterostructure interface can be retained. Modifying fluorinated SAMs at metal/semiconductor interface alters the work function of Au by 350 meV, and thus reduces the energy barrier for charge injection. As a result, OFETs array exhibits excellent performance characteristics with an average mobility of 3.6 cm2 V−1 s−1, negligible hysteresis and a high on/off ratio above 106 on high‐k AlOx dielectric. Organic unipolar inverters based on all vdW contact are also demonstrated. This strategy paves the way for both fundamental study and practical applications of organic electronics.
Direct Quantitation of SARS‐CoV‐2 Virus in Urban Ambient Air via a Continuous‐Flow Electrochemical Bioassay
Authors: Jiang Fuze , Liu Bei , Yue Yang , Tao Yile , Xiao Zhen , Li Meng , Ji Zheng , Tang Jiukai , Qiu Guangyu , Spillmann Martin , Cao Junji , Zhang Lianjun , Wang Jing
Published: May 2023

Airborne SARS‐CoV‐2 virus surveillance faces challenges in complicated biomarker enrichment, interferences from various non‐specific matters and extremely low viral load in the urban ambient air, leading to difficulties in detecting SARS‐CoV‐2 bioaerosols. This work reports a highly specific bioanalysis platform, with an exceptionally low limit‐of‐detection (≤1 copy m−3) and good analytical accordance with RT‐qPCR, relying on surface‐mediated electrochemical signaling and enzyme‐assisted signal amplification, enabling gene and signal amplification for accurate identification and quantitation of low doses human coronavirus 229E (HCoV‐229E) and SARS‐CoV‐2 viruses in urban ambient air. This work provides a laboratory test using cultivated coronavirus to simulate the airborne spread of SARS‐CoV‐2, and validate that the platform could reliably detect airborne coronavirus and reveal the transmission characteristics. This bioassay conducts the quantitation of real‐world HCoV‐229E and SARS‐CoV‐2 in airborne particulate matters collected from road‐side and residential areas in Bern and Zurich (Switzerland) and Wuhan (China), with resultant concentrations verified by RT‐qPCR.
In Situ Removable Additive Assisted Organic Solar Cells Achieving Efficiency over 19% and Fill Factor Exceeding 81%
Authors: Kong Lingchen , Zhang Zesheng , Zhao Ningjiu , Cai Zekai , Zhang Jianqi , Luo Mei , Wang Xinkang , Chen Mingqing , Zhang Wei , Zhang Lianjie , Wei Zhixiang , Chen Junwu
Published: May 2023

Additive engineering can precisely regulate the bulk‐heterojunction active layer morphology with ideal domain size and purity, playing a critical role in development of organic solar cells (OSCs). Herein, two solid additives, 1,4‐dichlorobenzene (DCB) and 1‐chloro‐4‐iodobenzene (CIB), with low melting point (mp.) of ≈52 °C, are investigated comprehensively with comparison to 1,4‐diiodobenzene (DIB, mp. 131 °C). After spin‐coating, DIB residue is found in the as‐cast PM6:BTP‐eC9 based blend film, whereas the DCB and CIB are completely removed during the spin‐coating, showing in situ removable properties that enable convenient processing. In OSCs, the DCB‐ and CIB‐processed active layers afford power‐conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 18.2% and 18.4%, respectively, all higher than that of 17.8% for DIB. Among the three solid additives, the CIB is most effective in enhancements of absorption coefficients of the donor and acceptor, affording fast and more balanced carrier transports, and suppressing recombination. Of particular note, the CIB can provide some universality as an in situ removable solid additive, based on its elevations of PCEs for several binary and PM6:D18‐Cl:L8‐BO ternary active layers. Impressively, a prominent PCE of 19.1% with a remarkable fill factor of 81.1% is achieved for the CIB‐processed ternary active layer. This work demonstrates the potential of in situ removable solid additive engineering in high‐efficiency OSCs.
Fully depleted charge‐coupled device design and technology development
Authors: Holland Stephen E.
Published: May 2023

We describe the advancement of fully depleted charge‐coupled device (CCD) technology for scientific applications. Recent efforts on 650–725 m‐thick CCDs for direct dark‐matter and radiation detection with single‐electron sensitivity are described, as well as the technology transfer of the fully depleted CCD technology to 200 mm‐wafer fabrication facilities.
An interesting case of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) with T315I mutation raising suspicion of de novo AML, a diagnostic conundrum
Authors: Iqbal Phool , Shahzad Aamir , Shahid Zubair , Ghori Firdous , Elomri Halima , Soliman Dina
Published: May 2023

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder due to translocation between chromosomes (9, 22), known as the “Philadelphia chromosome.” In 2016, the World health organization (WHO) introduced a new clinical entity of de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Both diseases share some commonalities, therefore, create a challenge to diagnose.
Use of waste husk from millet grain cultivation in the production of fired clay bricks
Authors: Adazabra Aaron N. , Viruthagiri G.
Published: May 2023

The consumption of colossal quantities of materials in the building industry has advanced the swift depletion of clean clay reserves. The use of organic additives in brick production is conserving clay resources. In addition, in some cases, it can lead to improvements in some material properties, such as decreasing thermal conductivity and increasing the capacity of the ceramic material in terms of thermal insulation. In the present investigation, waste millet husk (WMH) was incorporated in different proportions to clays to ascertain its influence on the fired brick properties. The raw materials were characterized for their physical, chemical, and thermal properties and found suitable for use in fired brick production. Additionally, the prepared modeled brick samples were tested for their physico‐mechanical properties. The results indicated that linear shrinkage and weight loss increased, whereas bulk density decreased from 2.06 to 1.58 g/cm3 depending on WMH incorporation amount in the clays and firing temperature. Similarly, compressive strength reduced by up to 68%. Thermal conductivity beneficially reduced by 42% with the addition of 16 wt.% of WMH. The best results in terms of mechanical properties were obtained with 4 wt.% of the WMH. In terms of thermal insulation, the best results were exhibited in the samples admixed with 16 wt.% of WMH. The results showed that porosity and bulk density were critical determining factors that directly influence the bricks physico‐mechanical properties.
Betaglycan promoter activity is differentially regulated during myogenesis in zebrafish embryo somites
Authors: Ramírez‐Vidal Lizbeth , Molina‐Villa Tonatiuh , Mendoza Valentín , Peralta‐Álvarez Carlos Alberto , Poot‐Hernández Augusto Cesar , Dotov Dobromir , López‐Casillas Fernando
Published: May 2023

Background

Betaglycan, also known as the TGFβ type III receptor (Tgfbr3), is a co‐receptor that modulates TGFβ family signaling. Tgfbr3 is upregulated during C2C12 myoblast differentiation and expressed in mouse embryos myocytes.

Results

To investigate tgfbr3 transcriptional regulation during zebrafish embryonic myogenesis, we cloned a 3.2 kb promoter fragment that drives reporter transcription during C2C12 myoblasts differentiation and in the Tg(tgfbr3:mCherry) transgenic zebrafish. We detect tgfbr3 protein and mCherry expression in the adaxial cells concomitantly with the onset of their radial migration to become slow‐twitch muscle fibers in the Tg(tgfbr3:mCherry). Remarkably, this expression displays a measurable antero‐posterior somitic gradient expression.

Conclusions

tgfbr3 is transcriptionally regulated during somitic muscle development in zebrafish with an antero‐posterior gradient expression that preferentially marks the adaxial cells and their descendants.
Vegetative substrate configuration technology for tower foundation slope of transmission line in arid area considering species suitability
Authors: Zhang Zhi , Yang Huaiwei , Yu Weiqing , Li Xi , Liu Qing , Zhang Can
Published: May 2023

In order to realize the ecological restoration of transmission line tower foundation slope and enrich the research methods of slope ecological restoration, this paper studies a nutrient matrix configuration technology for transmission line tower foundation slope in arid areas. The Xilingol arid grassland area in Inner Mongolia is selected as the research object, and plants such as Leymus chinensis, Festuca arundinacea and Agropyron pratense are selected as the grass species of the vegetative substrate configuration technology. Different proportions of water retaining agent, compound fertilizer, microbial agents and other substances are added to the soil, which are combined into 10 test groups. The effect of slope ecological restoration is verified by species suitability, physical and chemical properties of matrix and plant growth. The resβults showed that Caragana korshinskii, Artemisia annua, Astragalus adsurgens, Sonchus oleraceus and other plants are the dominant grass species in the plant substrate plants; The physical and chemical indexes of soil's bulk density, organic matter, total nitrogen and so on in group B2 are better than those in other groups. Adopting the vegetative substrate configuration technology with the proportion of group B2 can obtain a good ecological restoration effect of tower foundation slope of transmission line in arid areas. The vegetative substrate configuration technology can solve the long‐standing ecological and environmental protection problems of the tower foundation slope of transmission line in arid areas, and should be actively promoted and applied. Daur lymphatic is also widely used in ecological restoration of transmission line base slope in arid region. The average coverage rate was 14.85%. The average height was 100.5 cm. It could grow at an altitude of more than 1000 m. After the nutrient matrix of the transmission line base slope was configured, the grass planting belt was established under normal maintenance, and the seeds began to germinate 3 days later. After 10 days, the germination rate was 78% and the coverage rate was 65%.
Assembling the climate story: use of storyline approaches in climate‐related science
Authors: Baulenas Eulàlia , Versteeg Gerrit , Terrado Marta , Mindlin Julia , Bojovic Dragana
Published: May 2023

Storylines are introduced in climate science to provide unity of discourse, integrate the physical and socioeconomic components of phenomena, and make climate evolution more tangible. The use of this concept by multiple scholar communities and the novelty of some of its applications renders the concept ambiguous nonetheless, because the term hides behind a wide range of purposes, understandings, and methodologies. This semi‐systematic literature review identifies three approaches that use storylines as a keystone concept: scenarios—familiar for their use in IPCC reports—discourse‐analytical approaches, and physical climate storylines. After screening peer‐reviewed articles that mention climate and storylines, 270 articles are selected, with 158, 55, and 57 in each category. The results indicate that each scholarly community works with a finite and different set of methods and diverging understandings. Moreover, these approaches have received criticism in their assembly of storylines: either for lacking explicitness or for the homogeneity of expertise involved. This article proposes that cross‐pollination among the approaches can improve the usefulness and usability of climate‐related storylines. Among good practices are the involvement of a broader range of scientific disciplines and expertise, use of mixed‐methods, assessment of storylines against a wider set of quality criteria, and targeted stakeholder participation in key stages of the process.
Kidney function in cachexia and sarcopenia: Facts and numbers
Authors: Okamura Masatsugu , Konishi Masaaki , Butler Javed , Kalantar‐Zadeh Kamyar , von Haehling Stephan , Anker Stefan D.
Published: May 2023

Cachexia, in the form of unintentional weight loss >5% in 12 months or less, and secondary sarcopenia in the form of muscle wasting are serious conditions that affect clinical outcomes. A chronic disease state such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) often contributes to these wasting disorders. The purpose of this review is to summarize the prevalence of cachexia and sarcopenia, their relationship with kidney function, and indicators for evaluating kidney function in patients with CKD. It is estimated that approximately half of all persons with CKD will develop cachexia with an estimated annual mortality rate of 20%, but few studies have been conducted on cachexia in CKD. Hence, the true prevalence of cachexia in CKD and its effects on kidney function and patient outcomes remain unclear. Some studies have highlighted the concept of protein‐energy wasting (PEW) which usually include sarcopenia and cachexia. Several studies have examined kidney function and CKD progression in patients with sarcopenia. Most studies use serum creatinine levels to estimate kidney function. However, creatinine may be influenced by muscle mass, and creatinine‐based glomerular filtration rate may overestimate kidney function in patients with reduced muscle mass or muscle wasting. Cystatin C, which is least affected by muscle mass, has been used in some studies, and creatinine‐to‐cystatin‐C ratio has emerged as an important prognostic marker. A previous study incorporating 428 320 participants reported that participants with CKD and sarcopenia had a 33% higher hazard of mortality compared with those without (7% to 66%, P = 0.011), and that those with sarcopenia were twice as likely to develop end‐stage kidney disease (hazard ratio: 1.98; 1.45 to 2.70, P < 0.001). Future studies on cachexia and sarcopenia in patients with CKD are needed to report rigorously defined cachexia concerning kidney function. Moreover, in studies on sarcopenia with CKD, it is desirable to accumulate studies using cystatin C to accurately estimate kidney function.
Normalisation of haemoglobin and control of breakthrough haemolysis with increased frequency pegcetacoplan dosing in treated paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria
Authors: Davis Amanda K. , Bingham Nicholas , Szer Jeff
Published: May 2023

Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinura is an acquired life‐threatening haemolytic condition, which is generally well controlled with terminal complement blockade with eculizumab. Whilst almost all patients treated with terminal complement inhibitors develop extravascular haemolysis, only a small proportion of these results in symptomatic anaemia limiting their activities and requiring red cell transfusion. This case highlights the potential role for the C3 inhibitor, pegcetacoplan, in controlling both intravascular and extravascular haemolysis, and is the first case to report on the use of additional doses of pegcetacoplan to control breakthrough haemolysis.
OFET Informatics: Observing the impact of organic transistor's design parameters on the device output performance using a machine learning algorithm
Authors: Mosalam Hana , Hussien Salma , Abdellatif Sameh O.
Published: May 2023

Organic field effect transistors (OFETs), used in the fabrication of nano‐sensors, are one of the most promising devices in organic electronics because of their lightweight, flexible, and low fabrication cost. However, the numerical modeling of such OFETs is still in an early stage due to the minimal analytical as well as numerical models presented in the literature. This research aims to demonstrate an experimentally verified machine‐learning model by investigating an OFET with polyaniline as a p‐type organic semiconductor. OFET's threshold voltage, on/off current ratio, subthreshold swing, and device mobilities are studied as the primary output chiasmatic parameters. The random‐forest machine learning model has shown the criticality of the doping effect on turning the OFET to depletion mode, with positive threshold voltage, under doping higher than cm−3. Additionally, the study highlights the effectiveness of the gate oxide thickness in controlling the OFET threshold voltage. A 50 nm oxide thickness showed sufficiency to have a non‐depleted OFET operation.
Determination of kinetic characteristics of molecule thermodesorption on the surface of oxidated molybdenum
Authors: Rakhmanov Ganiboy Todjievicch , Usmanov Dilshadbek Tursunbaevich
Published: May 2023

Adsorption and surface ionization (SI) of morphine molecules С17Н19NО3 with (m/z 285) on the surface of oxidized molybdenum was studied by voltage modulation method (VMM) with a high‐vacuum mass spectrometric setup using a “black chamber” with all walls cooled with liquid nitrogen. The SI mass spectra and temperature dependences of ion current of C9H7N+CH3 radical with m/z 144 were obtained by ionization of morphine molecules on the surface of oxidized molybdenum by using stationary SI method. They correspond to the previous results obtained by ionization of the same molecules on the surface of oxidized tungsten. The new peaks in the mass spectra can be explained by the catalytic properties of molybdenum. The sublimation heat and SI coefficient of C9H7NCH3 radicals with m/z 144 was determined. The rate constants K+ and activation energy E+ for radical ions C9H7N+CH3 with m/z 144 were determined in the adsorption of morphine molecules. For the first time the rate constants K0 and activation energies of thermal desorption Е° for radicals C9H7N+CH3 with m/z 144 during adsorption of morphine molecules were determined on the surface of oxidized molybdenum with a break of (C − C1)β bonds with the formation of ionized radicals by SI. The dependences LnΔ(ti) =  f(t) obtained by the VMM for all temperatures of experiments were well approximated by straight lines and made it possible, from the slope of the graphs, to calculate the average lifetimes  due to the processes of dissociative SI of morphine molecules on the surface. The ionization potential of this radical was estimated. It was found that the heats of desorption weakly depend on the nature of the surface itself, therefore, in theoretical energy calculations, the Lenard‐Johnson model can be used.
Anonymous editorials in biomedical research journals: Few in number but potentially problematic
Authors: Nuzzo James L.
Published: May 2023

Key points

Editorials are typically brief comments by a journal's chief editor or associate editors on journal news, study findings, or trends in science or practice.

Anonymous editorials, which account for 1%–3% of editorials indexed in PubMed, are those in which the author's name is absent or replaced by the journal's name.

Chief editors cannot be assumed to be the authors of anonymous editorials, which causes multiple issues.

Anonymous editorials prevent readers from assessing the author's potential conflicts of interest and their credibility for discussing the editorial's topic.

Anonymous editorials also make credit and accountability for ideas in editorials difficult to establish and increase likelihood of authorship misattribution.

This article proposes that editorials be published with the names, affiliations, and potential conflicts of interests of the individuals who author them.
Cancer in myotonic dystrophy: A new discovery in an old disease
Authors: Gadalla Shahinaz M. , Greene Mark H.
Published: May 2023

See article on pages 142–148 in this issue.
Exploring the complex realities of nursing work in Kenya and how this shapes role enactment and practice—A qualitative study
Authors: Mbuthia Daniel , Brownie Sharon , Jackson Debra , McGivern Gerald , English Mike , Gathara David , Nzinga Jacinta
Published: May 2023

Aim

We explore how nurses navigate competing work demands in resource‐constrained settings and how this shapes the enactment of nursing roles.

Design

An exploratory‐descriptive qualitative study.

Methods

Using individual in‐depth interviews and small group interviews, we interviewed 47 purposively selected nurses and nurse managers. We also conducted 57 hours of non‐participant structured observations of nursing work in three public hospitals.

Results

Three major themes arose: (i) Rationalization of prioritization decisions, where nurses described prioritizing technical nursing tasks over routine bedside care, coming up with their own ‘working standards’ of care and nurses informally delegating tasks to cope with work demands. (ii) Bundling of tasks describes how nurses were sometimes engaged in tasks seen to be out of their scope of work or sometimes being used to fill for other professional shortages. (iii) Pursuit of professional ideals describes how the reality of how nursing was practised was seen to be in contrast with nurses' quest for professionalism.
A new reliability analysis method for software‐intensive systems with degradation accumulation effect based on goal oriented methodology
Authors: Yi Xiao‐Jian , Xu Chen‐Hao , Fang Xiao‐Tong , Liu Shu‐Lin
Published: May 2023

System reliability directly affects the realization of software‐intensive system functions, which rely on both hardware and software. The operating status of hardware and software affect each other, and the continuous accumulation of their degraded performances will accelerate the occurrence of failures. However, the interaction relationship between hardware and software is often overlooked in most current research. In this paper, a new reliability analysis method is proposed for multi‐state software‐intensive systems with degradation accumulation effect and information transmission attenuation based on goal oriented (GO) methodology. First, a new function GO operator is created, and its operation formula is derived with the aid of Markov process theory. To quantify the impact of degradation accumulation on availability, non‐negative constant and random variable critical thresholds are set for the degradation state. Then, an effective optical power loss model is established to analyze the reliability of information transmission in the presence of attenuation. Next, the reliability analysis framework for multi‐state software‐intensive system is established based on the GO method. Finally, the proposed reliability analysis method is applied to the example of meter and decameter wavelength radio heliograph to demonstrate the applicability and feasibility of our work. The proposed model provides a more accurate reflection of the system reliability under actual operating conditions.
Theoretical study on the reaction mechanism of a new XLPE insulation material without cross‐linking byproducts: An alternative to peroxide cross‐linking
Authors: Zhang Hui , Han Wei , Du Xia , Shang Yan , Du Yang , Dong Shuqi , Yang Hongda , Wang Xuan , Chen Qingguo , Li Zesheng
Published: May 2023

Objective

Design a new cross‐linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation material without cross‐linking by‐products (an alternative to peroxide cross‐linking). Investigate the process of covalent bonds forming and reaction mechanism of four reaction systems.

Method

Theoretical calculation of the reaction potential energy information of the eleven reaction channels is used density functional theory at B3LYP/6‐311+G(d,p) level.

Results

The calculation results show that the epoxy and reactive functional groups between two poly‐ethylene copolymers can react in situ, form covalent bonds, and realize a network XLPE. This reaction process is cross‐linking byproduct‐free. The reactivity of carboxylic acid functional group is stronger among four reaction systems considered.

Discussion

The reaction Gibbs energy barriers of synergistic reaction are lower than that of step by step reaction. The reaction channel of attacking tertiary carbon site CH on epoxy is more kinetically favorable than that of attacking secondary carbon site CH2 on epoxy.

Conclusion

The cross‐linking of epoxy and reactive functional groups between two polyethylene copolymers in situ would be beneficial to avoid forming cross‐linking byproducts of peroxide cross‐linking process, which is a promising method for design thermoplastic insulation materials for power cables.
Update to the light nonaqueous phase liquid infiltration conceptual model
Authors: Hamper Martin , Seyedabbasi Mir
Published: May 2023

The 1970s oil spill model described the infiltration of oil (light nonaqueous phase liquid or LNAPL) into the subsurface, resulting in an oil pancake depressing the water table within the capillary fringe. An update to the 1970s model is needed because, according to the discussion by Lenhard et al. on the work of Lenhard and Parker and Farr et al., “A key concept of their efforts was that LNAPL‐saturated ‘pancakes’ do not exist.” Lenhard and Parker and Farr et al. showed that the distribution of water, LNAPL, and air in the subsurface was a function of the LNAPL, water, and air pressures; fluid properties; and the pore‐size distribution of the porous medium, and that the fluid saturations can be calculated from fluid levels in a monitoring well. The 1970s oil spill infiltration model described that spilled LNAPL migrates downward through the vadose zone under the force of gravity with some lateral spreading. The vadose zone, where all of the liquid pressures are less than atmospheric pressure, becomes a three‐fluid zone consisting of variable saturations of air, water, and LNAPL, which together fully saturate the pore spaces. One important update to the 1970s model is that instead of the infiltrating LNAPL stopping at and depressing the water table, LNAPL penetrates the water table to a depth consistent with the gravitational and capillary forces experienced during LNAPL infiltration and creates a two‐fluid zone below the water table where LNAPL and water pressures are greater than atmospheric pressure. After the LNAPL release stops, LNAPL infiltration and migration will cease after reaching equilibrium. The updated LNAPL infiltration conceptual model, like the 1970s model, describes the situation where the LNAPL release has stopped and LNAPL infiltration and migration have ceased after reaching equilibrium. The volume of LNAPL released is also assumed to be sufficient to pass through the vadose zone and enter the saturated zone.
Global monitoring of soil multifunctionality in drylands using satellite imagery and field data
Authors: Hernández‐Clemente R. , Hornero A. , Gonzalez‐Dugo V. , Berdugo M. , Quero J. L. , Jiménez J. C. , Maestre F. T.
Published: May 2023

Models derived from satellite image data are needed to monitor the status of terrestrial ecosystems across large spatial scales. However, a remote sensing‐based approach to quantify soil multifunctionality at the global scale is missing despite significant research efforts on this topic. A major constraint for doing so is the availability of suitable global‐scale field data to calibrate remote sensing indicators (RSI) and, to a lesser extent, the sensitivity of spectral data of available satellite sensors to soil background and atmospheric conditions. Here, we aimed to develop a soil multifunctionality model to monitor global drylands coupling ground data on 14 soil functions of 222 dryland areas from six continents to 18 RSI derived from a time series (2006–2013) Landsat dataset. Among the RSI evaluated, the chlorophyll absorption ratio index was the best predictor of soil multifunctionality in single‐variable‐based models (r = 0.66, P < 0.01, NMRSE = 0.17). However, a multi‐variable RSI model combining the chlorophyll absorption ratio index, the global environment monitoring index and the canopy‐air temperature difference improved the accuracy of quantifying soil multifunctionality (r = 0.73, P < 0.01, NMRSE = 0.15). Furthermore, the correlation between RSI and soil variables shows a wide range of accuracy with upper and lower values obtained for AMI (r = 0.889, NMRSE = 0.05) and BGL (r = 0.685, NMRSE = 0.18) respectively. Our results provide new insights on assessing soil multifunctionality using RSI that may help to monitor temporal changes in the functioning of global drylands effectively.
Trace Lattice S Inserted RuO2 Flexible Nanosheets for Efficient and Long‐Term Acidic Oxygen Evolution Catalysis
Authors: Liu Liangbin , Ji Yujin , You Wentao , Liu Shangheng , Shao Qi , Kong Qingyu , Hu Zhiwei , Tao Huabing , Bu Lingzheng , Huang Xiaoqing
Published: May 2023

Pursuing highly active and long‐term stable ruthenium (Ru) based oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst for water electrolysis under acidic conditions is of great significance yet a tremendous challenge to date. To solve the problem of serious Ru corrosion in an acid medium, the trace lattice sulfur (S) inserted RuO2 catalyst is prepared. The optimized catalyst (Ru/S NSs‐400) has shown a record stability of 600 h for the solely containing Ru (iridium‐free) nanomaterials. In the practical proton exchange membrane device, the Ru/S NSs‐400 can even sustain more than 300 h without obvious decay at the high current density of 250 mA cm−2. The detailed investigations reveal that S doping not only changes the electronic structure of Ru via forming RuS coordination for high adsorption of reaction intermediates but also stabilizes Ru from over‐oxidation. This strategy is also effective for improving the stability of commercial Ru/C and homemade Ru‐based nanoparticles. This work offers a highly effective strategy to design high‐performance OER catalysts for water splitting and beyond.
Playing with [{Mo6Bri6Sei2}(CN)a6]4− Cluster Building Blocks and Mn(salen)+ Nodes for the Crystal Engineering of Inorganic Coordination Polymers
Authors: Daigre Gilles , Tarasenko Maria S. , Ledneva Alexandra Yu. , Naumov Nikolai G. , Audebrand Nathalie , Cordier Stéphane
Published: May 2023

We present here the syntheses and structural characterizations of inorganic polymeric cluster compounds, Cs[Mn(salen)]3[{Mo6Br6Se2}(CN)6] (1) and (H3O)(TBA)[Mn(salen)]2[{Mo6Br6Se2}(CN)6] (2) (TBA=tetrabutylammonium ((n‐C4H9)4N+)), built‐up from [{Mo6Br6Se2}(CN)6]4− molecular building blocks and Mn(salen)+ complexes (salen = salen = N,N′‐bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine). The nature of additional counter cations (i. e. Cs+ or TBA+) enables to control the interactions between the [{Mo6Br6Se2}(CN)6]4− building blocks and the Mn(salen)+ groups. Thus, 1 was obtained by slow diffusion of a methanol solution of K2Cs2[{Mo6Br6Se2}(CN)6] cluster compound into a methanol solution of Mn(salen)ClO4. 2 was obtained in a similar way but after the addition of tetrabutylammonium bromide into the solution of Mn(salen)ClO4. 1 is a bimetallic 3D coordination compound (
) and 2 is a bimetallic 2D compound (
). Structural correlations between 1 and 2 are discussed and compared with relevant examples found in the literature.