bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polymer and composite based thermoelectrics: Basics, scopes and issues
Authors: Mondal Sourav , Dhak Debasis , Saha Bidyut
Published: March 2024

Low thermal conductivity of polymeric materials along with their ability for nonconventional process ability, light weight, and flexibility makes them possible candidates for low‐power thermo electrical applications. However, it requires the development of both Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity simultaneously. This viewpoint addresses some of the concepts in the literature to reach this by taking into consideration the intricacies and interconnectivities of diverse thermoelectric parameters. Particularly, the applicability of the Wiedemann–Franz rule as well as DOS engineering by combination two semiconductors, suitable in inorganic, is reviewed for polymeric systems. One of the major advantages of polymeric semiconductors is that their thermal conductivity is mostly phononic (lattice thermal conductivity) and remains low with increasing charge carrier concentrations, as needed for TE applications. The momentum in polymer artificial strategies has to be joined with the studies on doping effectiveness and doping mechanisms to overcome the bottlenecks in polymeric thermoelectric.
Synthesis of TiO2‐doped carbon aerogel from sugarcane bagasse for high efficiency of photodegradation of methylene blue in the water
Authors: Lin Tong Hoang , Thang Tran Quoc , An Hoang , Hai Nguyen Duy , Duy Pham Hoang Anh , Duyen Dang Thi My , Oanh Doan Thi Yen , Van Tuyen Ngo , Nam Hoang Minh , Phong Mai Thanh , Hieu Nguyen Huu
Published: March 2024

In this work, TiO2‐doped carbon aerogel (TiO2/CA) was synthesized from sugarcane bagasse hydrothermal, freeze‐drying, and carbonization methods. The effects of the calcination temperatures of 400, 500, 600, 700, and 800 °C were also evaluated. The obtained TiO2/CA exhibits an ultralow density (0.021‐0.032 g/cm3) and porosity of more than 97 %. The as‐prepared TiO2/CA was applied in photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) with the effects of dose sample and pH were also investigated. The results show that TiO2/CA at 800 °C (TiO2/CA‐800) exhibits the highest MB photodegradation efficiency of 93.86 % at pH 9. The aforementioned results affirm the potential application of sugarcane bagasse for the fabrication of environmentally friendly and low‐cost adsorbents for the photodegradation of MB.
Kinetic and equilibrium studies on bioadsorption of copper and lead by water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) plant powder
Authors: Hazarika Linton , Shah Kishor Kr. , Baruah Gitali , Bharali Ranjan Kr.
Published: March 2024

Common water hyacinth plant (Eichhornia crassipes) found in various water bodies in Assam, India, was used as bioadsorbent for removal of toxic metals (Cu and Pb) from synthetic medium. The functional groups present in the bioadsorbent, water hyacinth plant powder (WPP) were determined by using Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FTIR) and surface topography by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique. The specific surface area of WPP was also determined. The optimum adsorption properties of WPP was determined by considering pH, agitation time, metal concentration, temperature and the amount of adsorbent. The adsorbent showed good adsorption of toxic metal, Cu and Pb from synthetic medium. Water hyacinth plant was used to treat ten synthetic mediums containing 40, 50, 60 70 and 80 mgL‐1 of the two heavy metals, Cu and Pb. From the batch study, it was observed that the adsorption mechanism for the studied metals follow the 2nd order kinetics and the isotherm study showed that Langmuir model is suitable for explaining the adsorption equilibrium data for bioadsorption of Cu2+ and Pb2+ ions on WPP. For Cu(II) adsorption on WPP, the maximum adsorption was observed at pH 7 while for Pb(II), the maximum adsorption was observed at pH 5.
Highly Selective and Sensitive Dual Channel New Schiff base Chemosensor based on 5‐bromo‐2‐hydroxybenzaldehyde and its Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) Complexes ‐ Synthesis, Spectral and Theoretical characterization and Pharmacological applications
Authors: Santhi Sambamoorthy , Renganathan Rajalingam , Amala Subbiah , Suganya Gobalakrishnan , Abinaya Karikalan
Published: March 2024

A new Schiff base N,N’‐Bis(5‐Bromosalicylidine)‐1,8‐diaminonaphthalene (BBSDN) and its Co(II),Ni(II),Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes were synthesized. All the compounds were characterized by various spectral studies (IR, UV, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and EI‐Mass) and DFT calculations. Conductance measurements, magnetic study and metal estimation studies were performed for the complexes to establish the structure. Thermal studies were done to account for the coordination of water molecules. Redox property of the synthesized complexes was established by Cyclic Voltammetry studies. Synthesized compounds were screened against fungal and bacterial pathogens and in most of the cases the complexes were found to be more active than the Schiff base. MIC value for copper and zinc complexes against the fungal pathogen Candida albicans are determined as 25 ppm and 10 ppm respectively. Metal ion pertinency of the Schiff base was investigated by absorption and fluorescence methods and was found to be highly selective and sensitive for the detection of Cu(II) ion. Mode of interaction has been proved through 1H NMR titrations and the interaction is explained as due to CHEQ mechanism. Stability constant of the complex formed during the detection process was determined by Benesi‐Hildebrand plot. Detection limit was computed as 1.464×10‐6M. The chemosensor property of the Schiff base is applied in bioimaging studies on HeLa cell lines.
Flavonoids and other constituents of plants from the genus Knema (Myristicaceae) and their pharmacological studies: An updated review
Authors: Salihu Abubakar Siddiq , Salleh Wan Mohd Nuzul Hakimi Wan
Published: March 2024

Flavonoids are a diverse group of natural compounds extensively studied in various research articles. They are widely distributed in the plant kingdom and exhibit various biological activities, including antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, anticancer, antiviral, and antimicrobial effects. The genus Knema Lour., which contains many species in Southeast Asia, has been traditionally used to treat various ailments. The current review aims to provide a comprehensive update on the isolation of flavonoids and other secondary metabolites from the genus Knema Lour. between 1978 and 2022. It also discusses the pharmacological studies on these phytochemicals, including their effects on nematodes, bacteria, cytotoxicity, inflammation, and acetylcholinesterase. Through these years, 50 flavonoids have been reported from various species of Knema demonstrating promising pharmacological activities. The information presented in this review can provide a scientific foundation for future research on the possible therapeutic applications of Knema species. It also links the plants’ observed biological effects and traditional uses to their chemical characterization. The data was retrieved from various digital databases, including ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Scopus, Wiley, Taylor and Francis, PubMed, Springer, and Google Scholar.
Review: Natural rubber – Improvement of properties
Authors: Dieu Tran Vinh , Chuong Bui , Hung Dang Viet , Tung Nguyen Huy , Linh Nguyen Pham Duy , Oanh Doan Thi Yen
Published: March 2024

Natural rubber (NR) is valuable material of natural origination with growing demand worldwide. Thus, the methods for NR property improvement are continuously developed. The article will be focused on methods of chemical modification of NR and the use of improved traditional fillers such as carbon black (CB) and silica. Modification reactions include epoxidation, hydrogenation, and grafting vinyl monomers onto NR molecules. Some methods of surface modification of NR film were also reviewed. Thanks to modification the NR degree of unsaturatiton is decrease that leads to its enhanced aging resistance. Besides, grafted functional groups may impart new, never met before properties to NR. Application of modified traditional fillers obviously increase their reinforcement possibility, particularly mechanical. Also, cellulose as a potential reinforcing filler is considered due to its ability to meet requirement of environment protection while keep the mechanical properties of NR products at acceptable high level.
A review on characterization of carbon quantum dots
Authors: Rooj Bipin , Mandal Ujjwal
Published: March 2024

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are a new blooming carbon containing nanoparticles having size of less than 10 nm. They have wide range of application in the field of sensing of inorganic analytes, bio sensing, cell imaging, studying biological processes in living cells and also for drug delivery. These nanoparticles of carbon are playing important roles due to their interesting qualities like small particle size, biocompatibility, fluorescing, etc. Sometimes it shows excitation wavelength dependent, which may be more than 100 nm, and sometimes excitation wavelength independent fluorescent property. CQDs are highly photo stable (stable for hours), compared to the conventional fluorescent semiconductor quantum dots. To apply such carbon quantum dots, it is necessary to characterize the CQDs first. Most of the time they are characterized by photophysical and structural property using UV‐VIS spectroscopy, fluorescence spectrophotometry, FT‐IR, XRD, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, TCSPC, HRTEM, etc. In this review article we demonstrate how these tools are used to characterize newly synthesized CQDs, monitor the synthesis process along with finding its application in numerous fields.
Effect of ionic polarization on the static permittivity of electrolyte aqueous solutions
Authors: Thi Nhan Tran , Le Tuan
Published: March 2024

We developed a theoretical model with two separate components for the description of the static permittivity of aqueous electrolytes versus concentration and temperature. The first component is due to the water molecular polarization, whereas the second component is governed by the ionic polarization. We found that the permittivity part due to the ionic polarization effect is comparable to that come from the water molecule polarization for aqueous electrolytes at ambient temperatures. The microdynamic mechanism of the phenomenon, which the static permittivity of sodium chloride aqueous solution with concentration of 2.8 mol/L holds constant with the change of temperature, is clarified. The equilibrium compensation between the decrement of the permittivity part due to the water molecular polarization and the increase of that originated from the ionic polarization as increasing temperature is responsible for this phenomenon. The dipole moment reduction of water molecules as rising temperature is also confirmed by the model.
Effects of fabrics reinforced on mechanical properties of epoxy epikote 828
Authors: Trung Dang Huu , Dieu Tran Vinh , Oanh Doan Thi Yen , Huu Nguyen The , Viet Nguyen Minh , Hai Trinh Thi
Published: March 2024

The curing agent content plays an important role in the synthesis of polymer composites, as it determines the quality and durability of these materials. Cyanethyl‐diethylenetriamine (CEDETA) was used as the curing agent for epoxy epikote 828. The effect of CEDETA content on the gel content and fracture toughness (KIC) of epoxy resin, as well as the effect of reinforcing fabric on the mechanical properties of composite materials was studied. The results showed that a CEDETA curing agent content of 26 parts per hundred resin (phr) gave the highest values of 88.2% gel content and 2.95 MPa.m1/2 fracture toughness. The tensile and flexural strengths of carbon/epoxy fabric composites (CF/EP) were significantly higher than those of glass/epoxy fabric composites (GF/EP). However, the izod impact strength and the mode‐I interlaminar fracture toughness of CF/EP composites were lower than those of GF/EP composites. The damaged surfaces of the composites were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
The effect of adding chitin on the physical‐mechanical properties of polyurethane foam
Authors: Doan Trang Tran Y , Zenitova L.A. , Huong Ta Thi , Hanh Do Thi , Dung Ha Thi , Vinh Mac The
Published: March 2024

This study uses chitin as a filler for a polyurethane composite foam. The obtained polymer composite materials (PCM) are examined the technological parameters of the foaming (start time, rise time, and apparent density), the physical‐mechanical properties (the compressive stress, compression set, resilience), and the cross‐link density. The results present that the chitin‐containing PCM with a filler ratio of 10% has no significant difference in the technological parameters of the foaming and the physical‐mechanical properties. However, the physical‐mechanical properties of elastic polyurethane foam (PUF)‐chitin materials tend to change less than the semi‐rigid PCMs. Furthermore, the cross‐link density of obtained PCMs is increased compared with the blank PUFs due to an increase in the number of bonds between components in the polymer chain. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that the PCM with the filling has a larger pore size and a number of closed cells, and the pore's surface is rougher than the blank PUF. Waste‐containing PCMs are developed to reduce the amount of solid waste in the environment. As a result, these PCMs became denser and stronger while reducing their elasticity and becoming heavier. Thus, the process of synthesis of chitin‐containing PCM, using and recycling waste PCM, is circular.
Insight into the role of dissolution mechanism in the sonochemistry of acoustic cavitation bubble
Authors: Dehane Aissa , Merouani Slimane
Published: March 2024

Using a detailed numerical model, in the present work, the dissolution process of the different species generated by the acoustic cavitation bubble was investigated through the analysis of bubble chemistry over a range of wave frequencies from 140 to 515 kHz. It has been observed that during the first bubble collapse, at 140 and 213 kHz, significant amounts of ●OH, O, H●, H2, and O2 molecules (from ~ 2.1×10‐20 to 4.86×10‐18 mol) are dissolved into the bulk liquid (2.84‐0.067%). However, with the rise of ultrasound frequency (>213 kHz), the number and the quantity of the dissolved substances are decreased (<1.16×10‐20 mol) until to be completely suppressed at 515 kHz. Over the first compression period, at 140 and 213 kHz, the dissolution tendency is in the order: H2 (4.86×10‐18‐9.44×10‐19 mol) > H● (4.41×10‐18‐7.76×10‐19 mol) > O (1.8×10‐18‐2.75×10‐19 mol) > ●OH (4.68×10‐19‐1.91×10‐19 mol) > O2 (8.43×10‐20‐2.1×10‐20 mol). Nevertheless, at 355 kHz, the dissolution of the main substances is in the order: H● (1.16×10‐20 mol)>●OH (5.13×10‐21 mol)>H2 (3.59×10‐21 mol). Despite the low dissolution percentages of the different species (compared to the total yield) during the first bubble collapse (<3%), it has been observed that the corresponding molar amounts (depending on the applied frequency) are of great importance (≤ 4.86×10‐18 mol). On the other hand, independently of the number of acoustic cycles (1, 2 or 3), the dissolution tendency of the different species, at 140 and 213 kHz, is in the order: H2 > H● > O > O2 > ●OH > O3 > HO2● > H2O2. Nevertheless, above 213 kHz, this ranking starts to be disturbed with the dominance of the main species, i.e. H2, H●, O, ●OH, and O2 molecules. According to the obtained findings in the present paper, the importance of the dissolution mechanism (into the bubble chemistry) is clearly evidenced; therefore, for an accurate simulation of the chemistry of an acoustic cavitation bubble, the consideration of the dissolution process should be taken into account throughout the bubble's oscillation.
Phytochemical study ofEuphorbia cyathophoracollected in Dan Phuong, Hanoi and its antidengue activity againstDENV1‐4 virus serotypes
Authors: Dung Nguyen Thi , Ninh Pham Thi , Luu Nguyen Thi , Anh Nguyen The , Hau Vu Thi Bich , Thuy Nguyen Thi Thu , Anh Ho Ngoc , Hang Phan Dieu , Thao Tran Thi Phuong
Published: March 2024

The ethanol extract from the leaves and twigs ofEuphorbia cyathophorashowed antiviral activity against four dengue virus serotypes (DENV1‐4), with PRNT50values of 15.625‐62.5 μg/mL. Eight compounds including germanicol acetate (1), cymbopogone (2), 1‐heptacosanol (3), ethyl α‐L‐arabinofuranoside (4), quercetin (5), 3‐acetoxy‐5,7,3’,4’‐tetrahydroxyflavone (6), 3‐acetoxy‐5,7,4’‐trihydroxyflavone (7), 4’‐acetoxy‐3,5,7‐trihydroxyflavone (8) were isolated from this extract. Compounds2‐8were isolated for the first time fromEuphorbia cyathophora. Antiviral activity evaluation of compounds1‐3,5‐7on DENV1‐4 serotypes revealed that7was the most active compound with PRNT50values of 23.8‐95.2 μM.
The prefigurative politics of leadership education: Connecting our practice to broader movements
Authors: Fink Alexander
Published: March 2024

Why develop leaders? What politics are implicit in our practice? This paper uses the history and practice of Popular Education as a comparative framework to survey the politics of intentional emergence leadership pedagogy, surfacing potential alliances for building social change movements. Using a case analysis, the article elucidates the ways the classroom embodies an opportunity to explore and enact a prefigurative politics of significant social change that upends traditional relationships to authority, hierarchy, and decision‐making. Exploring the opportunities and dangers of connecting the classroom to broader social movements, the article concludes by advocating that such connections could offer a firmer and more explicit stance to the question: why develop leaders?
On the Equilibrium of Mono‐ and Dinuclear Cu(II) Dimethylglyoxime Complexes and its Exploitation for the Simple Preparation of Cu(I) Salts [Cu(CH3CN)4]X (X=ClO4−, BF4−, OTf−)
Authors: Petrikat Raphael I. , Frick Thomas , Becker Sabine
Published: March 2024

The reaction of Cu(OAc)2 with dimethylglyoxime (H2dmg) yields the mononuclear complex [Cu(Hdmg)2] (1), whereas the reaction of Cu(ClO4)2 ⋅ 6H2O with H2dmg yields a dinuclear complex [Cu2(H2dmg)(Hdmg)(dmg)]ClO4 (2 a). Systematic studies of the stoichiometric ratios of the reactants, the nature of the anion as well as pH value show that the pH value of the reaction solution/anion governs the nuclearity. I.e., basic anions and/or addition of a base yield 1. Once the product has formed in solution, it remains stable despite further changes of the pH value or addition of excess H2dmg. A conversion of one species into the other can only be achieved by simultaneous change of pH and addition of H2dmg. Accordingly, among sole addition of a base, 2 a isomerizes but does not change its nuclearity. In contrast, if NaOtBu and H2dmg are added, 2 a converts into 1. The same happens if the slightly basic salt Na2dmg is added to a solution of 2 a. Furthermore, the formation of 2 a can be exploited for the preparation of [Cu(CH3CN)4]X (X=ClO4−, BF4−, OTf−) due to a recently reported cooperativity‐driven decomposition of 2 a.
Potential of Lunar Laser Ranging for the Determination of Earth Orientation Parameters
Authors: Biskupek Liliane , Singh Vishwa Vijay , Müller Jürgen , Zhang Mingyue
Published: March 2024

The distance between the observatories on the Earth and the retro-reflectors on the Moon has been regularly measured with Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) since 1970. In recent years, LLR observations have been carried out at infrared wavelength (OCA, WLRS), resulting in a better distribution of LLR normal points over the lunar orbit and retro-reflectors with a higher accuracy, also leading to a higher number of LLR observations in total. By analysing LLR data, Earth Orientation Parameters (EOPs) can be determined along with other parameters of the Earth-Moon system. Focusing on
$$\Delta $$

Δ
UT1 and terrestrial pole coordinates the accuracies have improved significantly compared to the previous results. In the past, the reported uncertainties of the estimated parameters were published as three times the formal error from the least-squares adjustment to account for small random and systematic errors in the LLR analysis. To investigate if such a scaling factor is still needed, a sensitivity analysis was performed. The current best accuracies are 12.36
$$\upmu $$

μ
s for
$$\Delta $$

Δ
UT1, 0.47 mas for
$$x_p$$

x

p

and 0.59 mas for
$$y_p$$

y

p

. Also the determined corrections to the long-periodic nutation coefficients of the MHB2000 model are now significantly smaller with higher accuracies, i.e., accuracies better than 0.18 mas are obtained.
Cultures of Innovation at Pinewood
Authors: Street Sarah
Published: March 2024

This chapter is based on documentation from the British Film Institute’s Special Collections which offers new, primary information on visits made in 1945 by British technicians to film studios in Hollywood. The visits aimed to gather information on and insights about contemporary Hollywood practices which then informed Pinewood’s post-war policies around equipment and studio infrastructures. The documentation sheds light on strategic areas such as special effects, set design, the evolution of Independent Frame technologies as well as attempts to change working practices at Pinewood during a time of economic recession. The chapter provides an opportunity to reflect on how British studio practices differed from Hollywood’s, with commentaries from technicians and leading figures in the film industry including Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, and cinematographer Ronald Neame.
Cultural Life at Pinewood: The Pinewood Merry-Go-Round Studio Magazine
Authors: Street Sarah
Published: March 2024

This chapter draws on The Pinewood Merry-Go-Round, a newly discovered primary source, which is a rare surviving example of a film studio magazine, produced at Pinewood by employees in 1946–1947. This chapter details how the magazine articulated Pinewood’s culture as a social enterprise as well as providing insights into its various working spaces. It brings to life the reality of being a studio employee, the day-to-day activities that are rarely described in film histories. The Pinewood Merry-Go-Round provides a rare glimpse into how studio employees bonded through sports and social clubs, musical and film groups, organising a Christmas pantomime, putting on art exhibitions, writing short stories, sharing studio gossip, and reporting issues of concern such as transport to work and long working hours.
Role of the GLP2–Wnt1 axis in silicon-rich alkaline mineral water maintaining intestinal epithelium regeneration in piglets under early-life stress
Authors: Chen Jian , Dai Xue-Yan , Zhao Bi-Chen , Xu Xiang-Wen , Kang Jian-Xun , Xu Ya-Ru , Li Jin-Long
Published: March 2024

Stress-induced intestinal epithelial injury (IEI) and a delay in repair in infancy are predisposing factors for refractory gut diseases in adulthood, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Hence, it is necessary to develop appropriate mitigation methods for mammals when experiencing early-life stress (ELS). Weaning, as we all know, is a vital procedure that all mammalian newborns, including humans, must go through. Maternal separation (MS) stress in infancy (regarded as weaning stress in animal science) is a commonly used ELS paradigm. Drinking silicon-rich alkaline mineral water (AMW) has a therapeutic effect on enteric disease, but the specific mechanisms involved have not been reported. Herein, we discover the molecular mechanism by which silicon-rich AMW repairs ELS-induced IEI by maintaining intestinal stem cell (ISC) proliferation and differentiation through the glucagon-like peptide (GLP)2–Wnt1 axis. Mechanistic study showed that silicon-rich AMW activates GLP2-dependent Wnt1/β-catenin pathway, and drives ISC proliferation and differentiation by stimulating Lgr5+ ISC cell cycle passage through the G1–S-phase checkpoint, thereby maintaining intestinal epithelial regeneration and IEI repair. Using GLP2 antagonists (GLP23−33) and small interfering RNA (SiWnt1) in vitro, we found that the GLP2–Wnt1 axis is the target of silicon-rich AMW to promote intestinal epithelium regeneration. Therefore, silicon-rich AMW maintains intestinal epithelium regeneration through the GLP2–Wnt1 axis in piglets under ELS. Our research contributes to understanding the mechanism of silicon-rich AMW promoting gut epithelial regeneration and provides a new strategy for the alleviation of ELS-induced IEI.
Inhibition of EHMT1/2 rescues synaptic damage and motor impairment in a PD mouse model
Authors: Zhang Zhixiong , Wang Rui , Zhou Hui , Wu Dan , Cao Yifan , Zhang Chuang , Sun Hongyang , Mu Chenchen , Hao Zongbing , Ren Haigang , Wang Nana , Yu Shuang , Zhang Jingzhong , Tao Mengdan , Wang Can , Liu Yan , Liu Liu , Liu Yanli , Zang Jianye , Wang Guanghui
Published: March 2024

Epigenetic dysregulation that leads to alterations in gene expression and is suggested to be one of the key pathophysiological factors of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Here, we found that α-synuclein preformed fibrils (PFFs) induced histone H3 dimethylation at lysine 9 (H3K9me2) and increased the euchromatic histone methyltransferases EHMT1 and EHMT2, which were accompanied by neuronal synaptic damage, including loss of synapses and diminished expression levels of synaptic-related proteins. Furthermore, the levels of H3K9me2 at promoters in genes that encode the synaptic-related proteins SNAP25, PSD95, Synapsin 1 and vGLUT1 were increased in primary neurons after PFF treatment, which suggests a linkage between H3K9 dimethylation and synaptic dysfunction. Inhibition of EHMT1/2 with the specific inhibitor A-366 or shRNA suppressed histone methylation and alleviated synaptic damage in primary neurons that were treated with PFFs. In addition, the synaptic damage and motor impairment in mice that were injected with PFFs were repressed by treatment with the EHMT1/2 inhibitor A-366. Thus, our findings reveal the role of histone H3 modification by EHMT1/2 in synaptic damage and motor impairment in a PFF animal model, suggesting the involvement of epigenetic dysregulation in PD pathogenesis.
Internal phosphorus loading alters nutrient limitation and contributes to cyanobacterial blooms in a polymictic lake
Authors: Swann Micah M. , Cortes Alicia , Forrest Alexander L. , Framsted Nick , Sadro Steven , Schladow S. Geoffrey , De Palma-Dow Angela
Published: March 2024

Clear Lake, a medium-sized hypereutrophic, polymictic lake in northern California, has had recurring harmful cyanobacteria blooms (HCBs) for over a century despite reductions in external phosphorus (P) loadings. Internal P loading can alter nutrient availability and limitation supporting HCBs but is rarely quantified or compared with external loads. We have quantified external P loads from 2019 to 2021 for the three main tributaries (accounting for 46% of the flow) and internal loadings using two methods: a P mass balance and modeled release rates of soluble reactive phosphorus from oxic and anoxic sediments. In addition, we combined high-frequency in situ measurements of water temperature and dissolved oxygen, discrete grab sampling for nutrient chemistry, and remote sensing to explore the potential drivers of the observed variability and provide a comprehensive view of the spatiotemporal dynamics of HCBs. By understanding the relative contribution of external and internal nutrient loadings and the relationship between environmental parameters and HCBs, interannual bloom variability can be better predicted. Comparative estimates of external and internal phosphorus loading indicate that internal sources accounted for 70–95% of the total P input into the system during the study period. Contrary to other lakes, the intensity of the summer bloom season was correlated to the timing and duration of anoxia rather than the magnitude of spring runoff. Internally released P shifted the system from phosphorus to nitrogen limitation during the summer, potentially favoring the proliferation of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria.
Ingeborg Beling and the time memory in honeybees: almost one hundred years of research
Authors: Beer Katharina , Zupanc Günther K. H. , Helfrich-Förster Charlotte
Published: March 2024

Bees are known for their ability to forage with high efficiency. One of their strategies to avoid unproductive foraging is to be at the food source at the right time of the day. Approximately one hundred years ago, researchers discovered that honeybees have a remarkable time memory, which they use for optimizing foraging. Ingeborg Beling was the first to examine this time memory experimentally. In her doctoral thesis, completed under the mentorship of Karl von Frisch in 1929, she systematically examined the capability of honeybees to remember specific times of the day at which they had been trained to appear at a feeding station. Beling was a pioneer in chronobiology, as she described the basic characteristics of the circadian clock on which the honeybee's time memory is based. Unfortunately, after a few years of extremely productive research, she ended her scientific career, probably due to family reasons or political pressure to reduce the number of women in the workforce. Here, we present a biographical sketch of Ingeborg Beling and review her research on the time memory of honeybees. Furthermore, we discuss the significance of her work, considering what is known about time memory today — nearly 100 years after she conducted her experiments.
The long-term outcomes of local tumor destruction versus partial nephrectomy for cT1a non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma and development of prognostic nomograms
Authors: Qiu Jianhui , Deng Ruiyi , Zhao Zihou , Tian Peidong , Zhou Jingcheng
Published: March 2024

Purpose

There is a lack of authoritative opinions on local tumor destruction (LTD) for clinical T1a (cT1a) non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC). We aim to compare the outcomes of cT1a nccRCC after partial nephrectomy (PN) or LTD and explore prognostic factors.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with cT1a nccRCC receiving LTD or PN between 2000 and 2020 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed for patients receiving LTD and PN. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, Cox regression analysis, competing risk regression models, and subgroup analysis were used to compare outcomes and identify prognostic factors. Prognostic nomograms were established and evaluated based on the multivariate models.

Results

A total of 3664 cT1a nccRCC patients were included. The LTD group had poorer overall survival (OS) and similar cancer-specific survival (CSS) compared with the PN group before and after PSM (p < 0.05), while the other-cause mortality rate of the LTD group was higher than that of the PN group. Age, marital status, household income, prior tumor history, interval between diagnosis and treatment, treatments, and tumor size were identified as independent predictive factors for OS. Age, tumor size, prior tumor history, and histological type were identified as independent predictive factors for CSS. Then the nomograms predicting OS and CSS were constructed based on these prognostic factors, which showed excellent performance in risk stratification and accuracy.

Conclusion

LTD could achieve comparable cancer-control effects as PN among cT1a nccRCC patients. The OS and CSS nomograms worked effectively for prognosis assessment.
Group XIV C-type lectins: emerging targets in tumor angiogenesis
Authors: Yee Elliott J. , Vigil Isaac , Sun Yi , Torphy Robert J. , Schulick Richard D. , Zhu Yuwen
Published: March 2024

C-type lectins, distinguished by a C-type lectin binding domain (CTLD), are an evolutionarily conserved superfamily of glycoproteins that are implicated in a broad range of physiologic processes. The group XIV subfamily of CTLDs are comprised of CD93, CD248/endosialin, CLEC14a, and thrombomodulin/CD141, and have important roles in creating and maintaining blood vessels, organizing extracellular matrix, and balancing pro- and anti-coagulative processes. As such, dysregulation in the expression and downstream signaling pathways of these proteins often lead to clinically relevant pathology. Recently, group XIV CTLDs have been shown to play significant roles in cancer progression, namely tumor angiogenesis and metastatic dissemination. Interest in therapeutically targeting tumor vasculature is increasing and the search for novel angiogenic targets is ongoing. Group XIV CTLDs have emerged as key moderators of tumor angiogenesis and metastasis, thus offering substantial therapeutic promise for the clinic. Herein, we review our current knowledge of group XIV CTLDs, discuss each’s role in malignancy and associated potential therapeutic avenues, briefly discuss group XIV CTLDs in the context of two other relevant lectin families, and offer future direction in further elucidating mechanisms by which these proteins function and facilitate tumor growth.
Efficient computation of $$(2^n,2^n)$$-isogenies
Authors: Kunzweiler S.
Published: March 2024

Elliptic curves are abelian varieties of dimension one; the two-dimensional analogues are abelian surfaces. In this work we present an algorithm to compute $$(2^n,2^n)$$

(

2
n

,

2
n

)

-isogenies between abelian surfaces defined over finite fields. These isogenies are the natural generalization of $$2^n$$

2
n

-isogenies of elliptic curves. The efficient computation of such isogeny chains gained a lot of attention as the runtime of the attacks on SIDH (Castryck–Decru, Maino–Martindale, Robert) depends on this computation. Different results deduced in the development of our algorithm are also interesting beyond these applications. For instance, we derive a formula for the evaluation of (2, 2)-isogenies. Given an element in Mumford coordinates, this formula outputs the (unreduced) Mumford coordinates of its image under the (2, 2)-isogeny. Furthermore, we study 4-torsion points on Jacobians of hyperelliptic curves and explain how to extract square roots of coefficients of 2-torsion points from these points.
Meaning-Adequacy and Social Critique: Toward a Phenomenological Critical Theory
Authors: Gros Alexis
Published: March 2024

In the present paper, I analyze the complex relationship of tension between Critical Theory and phenomenology from a sociological-theoretical perspective. I start from two theses. The first one is that one of the primary reasons for the antagonism between these two paradigms lies in their ideal-typically opposed assessments of the role of ‘meaning-adequacy’ in social research. The second one is that in recent years, there has been a strong rapprochement of Critical Theory with (social) phenomenology. This shift, fundamentally embodied in Hartmut Rosa’s work, can be understood as the culminating point of a progressive turn towards meaning-adequacy within the Frankfurt School. In order to unfold these two theses, I will proceed in three steps. First (1), I will present the main outlines of the relationship of tension between the two traditions from both a historico-intellectual and a systematic perspective. Second (2), I will focus on the contemporary readings of the Schutzian notion of ‘meaning-adequacy’ and discuss their value for better understanding the historical opposition between the two paradigms, as well as their recent rapprochement. Third (3), I will sketch the key features of Rosa’s sociology of world-relations, understood as a phenomenological Critical Theory that shows a strong commitment to a radicalized version of the meaning-adequacy postulate.
The Social Validity of Behavioral Interventions: Seeking Input from Autistic Adults
Authors: Baiden Kaitlynn M.P. , Williams Zachary J. , Schuck Rachel K. , Dwyer Patrick , Wang Mian
Published: March 2024

Many in the autistic community have expressed concerns regarding the use of behavioral interventions with autistic children, suggesting that these interventions may not be socially valid. Though behavioral interventions have evolved to be more naturalistic and child-centered, little structured research has been done to explicitly seek autistic perspectives on the acceptability of specific components of behavioral interventions. Autistic adults (N = 235) were recruited online to take the Autism Intervention Attitudes Scale (AIAS), a questionnaire designed to gather feedback on common intervention goals and practices. Results indicate that participants find goals and practices that highlight quality of life, safety, and autistic interactions acceptable, while those that focus on normalization based on neurotypical standards are not. An exploratory graph analysis revealed three communities of goals (“uncontroversial goals”, “controversial goals”, and “social goals”). Comparison between naturalistic and structured intervention components additionally showed that autistic participants favored naturalistic strategies. These findings are in line with known criticisms of behavioral intervention from autistic adults, but also provide more information on the specific ways in which behavioral interventions can be reformed. This information can guide professionals in the development of appropriate goals and decisions around intervention planning.
Ovulation induction and subfertile untreated conception groups offer improved options for interpreting risks associated with ART
Authors: Hansen Michele , Hart Roger J. , Milne Elizabeth , Bower Carol , Walls Melanie L. , Yovich John L. , Burton Peter , Liu Yanhe , Barblett Hamish , Kemp-Casey Anna
Published: March 2024

Purpose

To identify and characterise appropriate comparison groups for population studies of health outcomes in ART-conceived births: ovulation induction (OI), subfertile untreated and fertile natural conceptions. Our secondary objective was to examine whether known risks of pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes in ART births are elevated in comparison with subfertile (untreated and OI) conception groups.

Methods

We linked State and Commonwealth datasets to identify all live and stillbirths (≥ 20 weeks) in Western Australia from 2003 to 2014 by method of conception. Demographic characteristics, maternal pre-existing conditions, adverse obstetric history and pregnancy complications were compared across conception groups. Generalised estimating equations were used to estimate adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for pregnancy complications and birth outcomes in singletons.

Results

We identified 9456 ART, 3870 OI, 11,484 subfertile untreated and 303,921 fertile naturally conceived deliveries. OI and subfertile untreated groups more closely resembled the ART group than the fertile group; however, some differences remained across parity, maternal age, pre-existing conditions and obstetric history. In multivariate analyses, ART singletons had greater risks of placental problems (e.g. placenta praevia aRR 2.42 (95% CI 1.82–3.20)) and adverse birth outcomes (e.g. preterm birth aRR 1.38 (95% CI 1.25–1.52)) than the subfertile untreated group, while OI singletons were more similar to the subfertile group with higher risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

Conclusion

OI and subfertile untreated conception groups offer improved options for interpreting health outcomes in ART births. Pregnancy complications (particularly placental disorders) and adverse outcomes at delivery are more common following ART.
Molecular dynamics simulations as a guide for modulating small molecule aggregation
Authors: Nesabi Azam , Kalayan Jas , Al-Rawashdeh Sara , Ghattas Mohammad A. , Bryce Richard A.
Published: March 2024

Small colloidally aggregating molecules (SCAMs) can be problematic for biological assays in drug discovery campaigns. However, the self-associating properties of SCAMs have potential applications in drug delivery and analytical biochemistry. Consequently, the ability to predict the aggregation propensity of a small organic molecule is of considerable interest. Chemoinformatics-based filters such as ChemAGG and Aggregator Advisor offer rapid assessment but are limited by the assay quality and structural diversity of their training set data. Complementary to these tools, we explore here the ability of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations as a physics-based method capable of predicting the aggregation propensity of diverse chemical structures. For a set of 32 molecules, using simulations of 100 ns in explicit solvent, we find a success rate of 97% (one molecule misclassified) as opposed to 75% by Aggregator Advisor and 72% by ChemAGG. These short timescale MD simulations are representative of longer microsecond trajectories and yield an informative spectrum of aggregation propensities across the set of solutes, capturing the dynamic behaviour of weakly aggregating compounds. Implicit solvent simulations using the generalized Born model were less successful in predicting aggregation propensity. MD simulations were also performed to explore structure-aggregation relationships for selected molecules, identifying chemical modifications that reversed the predicted behaviour of a given aggregator/non-aggregator compound. While lower throughput than rapid cheminformatics-based SCAM filters, MD-based prediction of aggregation has potential to be deployed on the scale of focused subsets of moderate size, and, depending on the target application, provide guidance on removing or optimizing a compound’s aggregation propensity.

Graphical Abstract
Reading Comprehension in the Arabic Diglossia: The SVR Between the Spoken and Literary Varieties
Authors: Asadi Ibrahim A. , Kasperski Ronen
Published: March 2024

This study aimed to examine the validity of the “simple view of reading” (SVR) model in the diglossic Arabic language. Using a longitudinal design, we tested whether decoding and listening comprehension (LC) in kindergarten can later predict reading comprehension (RC) in the first grade and whether the contribution of LC to RC differs between the spoken and literary varieties of Arabic. The participants were 261 kindergartners who were followed to the first grade. Our results from separate SEM analysis for the spoken and literary varieties revealed some similarity between the explained variance in the spoken (52%) and literary (48%) variety models. However, while the contribution of LC to RC was higher than the contribution of decoding in the spoken variety model, an opposite pattern was observed in the literary variety model. The results are discussed in light of the diglossia phenomenon and its impact on comprehension skills in Arabic, with theoretical and pedagogical implications.
Machine learning techniques in breast cancer preventive diagnosis: a review
Authors: Anastasi Giada , Franchini Michela , Pieroni Stefania , Buzzi Marina , Buzzi Maria Claudia , Leporini Barbara , Molinaro Sabrina
Published: March 2024

Breast cancer (BC) is known as the most prevalent form of cancer among women. Recent research has demonstrated the potential of Machine Learning (ML) techniques in predicting the five-year BC risk using personal health data. Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest, K-NN (K-Nearest Neighbour), Naive Bayes, Neural Network, Decision Tree (DT), Logistic Regression (LR), Discriminant Analysis, and their variants are commonly employed in ML for BC analysis. This study investigates the factors influencing the performance of ML techniques in the domain of BC prevention, with a focus on dataset size and feature selection. The study's goal is to examine the effect of dataset cardinality, feature selection, and model selection on analytical performance in terms of Accuracy and Area Under the Curve (AUC). To this aim, 3917 papers were automatically selected from Scopus and PubMed, considering all publications from the previous 5 years, and, after inclusion and exclusion criteria, 54 articles were selected for the analysis. Our findings highlight how a good cardinality of the dataset and effective feature selection have a higher impact on the model's performance than the selected model, as corroborated by one of the studies, which gets extremely good results with all of the models employed.
Non-separation Method-Based Global Stability Criteria for Takagi–Sugeno Fuzzy Quaternion-Valued BAM Delayed Neural Networks Using Quaternion-valued Auxiliary Function-Based Integral Inequality
Authors: Ramalingam Sriraman , Kwon Oh-Min
Published: March 2024

This paper focuses on the global asymptotic stability (GAS) problem for Takagi–Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy quaternion-valued bidirectional associative memory neural networks (QVBAMNNs) with discrete, distributed and leakage delays by using non-separation method. By applying T-S fuzzy model, we first consider a general form of T-S fuzzy QVBAMNNs with time delays. Then, by constructing appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals and employing quaternion-valued integral inequalities and homeomorphism theory, several delay-dependent sufficient conditions are obtained to guarantee the existence and GAS of the considered neural networks (NNs). In addition, these theoretical results are presented in the form of quaternion-valued linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), which can be verified numerically using the effective YALMIP toolbox in MATLAB. Finally, two numerical illustrations are presented along with their simulations to demonstrate the validity of the theoretical analysis.
Systematic hierarchical analysis of requirements for critical systems
Authors: Fathabadi Asieh Salehi , Snook Colin , Dghaym Dana , Hoang Thai Son , Alotaibi Fahad , Butler Michael
Published: March 2024

Safety and security are key considerations in the design of critical systems. Requirements analysis methods rely on the expertise and experience of human intervention to make critical judgements. While human judgement is essential to an analysis method, it is also important to ensure a degree of formality so that we reason about safety and security at early stages of analysis and design, rather than detect problems later. In this paper, we present a hierarchical and incremental analysis process that aims to justify the design and flow-down of derived critical requirements arising from safety hazards and security vulnerabilities identified at the system level. The safety and security analysis at each level uses STPA-style action analysis to identify hazards and vulnerabilities. At each level, we verify that the design achieves the safety or security requirements by backing the analysis with formal modelling and proof using Event-B refinement. The formal model helps to identify hazards/vulnerabilities arising from the design and how they relate to the safety accidents/security losses being considered at this level. We then re-apply the same process to each component of the design in a hierarchical manner. Thus, we use hazard and vulnerability analysis, together with refinement-based formal modelling and verification, to drive the design, replacing the system level requirements with component requirements. In doing so, we decompose critical system-level requirements down to component-level requirements, transforming them from abstract system level requirements, towards concrete solutions that we can implement correctly so that the hazards/vulnerabilities are mitigated.