bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of properties of gluten‐based edible film formulated with beeswax and DATEM for hamburger bread coating
Authors: Mohammadi Mehrdad , Zoghi Alaleh , Azizi Mohammad Hossein
Published: January 2023

Using edible films and coatings is one of the effective methods of improving the quality of bread. The aim of the present work was the development of gluten‐based films containing lipids to be applied as bread coating, intending to improve quality and delay staleness. In this study, two types of lipids including beeswax and DATEM (diacetyl tartaric ester monoglycerides) were incorporated into gluten film at different levels. The findings showed that inserting both lipids together into gluten for film preparation, weakened the developed films in terms of mechanical and moisture barrier properties. Adding DATEM to the gluten film formulae decreased the elongation at the break and the tensile strength of the film. Using gluten‐beeswax coatings for hamburger bread, compared to gluten‐DATEM coatings, indicated a significant decrease in the hardness and staling feature. Moreover, applying sorbate as a preservative along with the solvents used in the film preparation prevented the growth of mold during the bread shelf life. In conclusion, the findings in this study indicated that the type and levels of lipids added to the edible gluten‐based films and coatings affected the film properties and coated hamburger bread quality, significantly.
Experimental investigation on near‐field edge wave run‐ups generated by landslides in narrow reservoirs
Authors: Liu Jizhixian , Wang Yang , Xiao Ting , Yin Kunlong , Huo Zhitao , Wang Xing , Tang Yang
Published: January 2023

Edge waves generated by subaerial landslide‐tsunamis (SLTs) often have potentially huge amplitudes that can endanger human lives, offshore structures, coastal cities and port facilities around reservoirs. Maximum edge wave run‐up (RuM) is the most important parameter for SLT hazard mitigation in an engineering context. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the hill slope angle α on RuM, the first edge wave run‐up Ru1 and the first edge wave decay in the near field Ru1(r/h) through 84 laboratory experiments, which were conducted in a three‐dimensional river channel with α values varying from 15° to 40°. For smaller α values, we found that RuM increased with the increase in α while for large α values exceeding 30°, RuM decreased with the increase in α. An empirical equation considering the effect of α was proposed for the prediction of RuM in the near field, which was well verified by a real case. Additionally, the first edge wave run‐up decay along the shore is also discussed in this paper. This work could have some favourable implications for the preliminary hazard assessment of SLTs.
Assessment of biomass energy barriers towards sustainable development: Application of Pythagorean fuzzy AHP
Authors: Shahzad Khurram , Lu Baozhou , Abdul Daud , Safi Adnan , Umar Muhammad , Afridi Numan Khan
Published: January 2023

Biomass has the dual benefit of promoting economic expansion and protecting the environment. Sugarcane bagasse, animal manure, and kitchen waste are some of the sources of biomass waste that are abundant in Pakistan. However, achieving renewable energy goals while relying on Pakistani road plans is riddled with difficulties. In contrast, there is a significant research gap in examining the barriers to biomass energy development using the multiple‐criteria decision‐making technique. This study aims to fill a knowledge gap by applying the Pythagorean fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to the problem of how to overcome the barriers to expanding Pakistan's biomass power generation. The results reveal that the political and policies/institutions are the most noteworthy obstacle with a weight of 0.2281 and follow the economics and financial, meteorological, technology and infrastructure, and cultural and behavioural hurdles stand second to fifth places, respectively. In addition, the analyses demonstrate that political instability is the most important sub‐obstacle, possessing a global weight of 0.0471. According to the study's outcome, it is suggested that decision‐makers, stakeholders, and regulatory agencies coordinate their efforts to ensure the availability of appropriate incentives, boost feedstock supply, and offer locals training to speed up the Pakistan biomass industry's presently sluggish growth.
Health‐care utilization among dementia patients with or without comorbid depression in Taiwan: A nationwide population‐based longitudinal study
Authors: Liu Chih‐Ching , Liu Chien‐Hui , Wang Jiun‐Yi , Chang Kun‐Chia
Published: January 2023

Background

Few studies have examined the association of comorbid depression with health‐care utilization among dementia patients. This study compared health‐care utilization between dementia patients with and without comorbid depression.

Methods

Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 10,710 patients with newly diagnosed dementia between 2005 and 2014: 1785 had comorbid depression (group 1) and 8925 did not (group 2). Patients were tracked for 1 year to evaluate outpatient, emergency, and inpatient service utilization and length of hospital stay (LOS). Multivariable regression was applied to examine the association between comorbid depression and health‐care utilization and analyze factors associated with inpatient visits and LOS.

Results

Group 1 had significantly fewer outpatient visits (β = −0.115; p < 0.001), more inpatient visits (β = 0.157; p = 0.005), and a longer LOS (β = 0.191; p < 0.001) than did group 2. The groups did not differ significantly in emergency visits (β = 0.030; p = 0.537). In group 1, age, gender, and specific comorbidities were predictors of inpatient visits; those factors and salary‐based insurance premiums were predictors of LOS.

Conclusion

Group 1 utilized less outpatient care but more inpatient care, suggesting health‐care service for these patients may be needed to improvement.
The effect of bariatric surgery on metabolic syndrome: A retrospective cohort study in Colombia
Authors: Domínguez Alvarado Gonzalo A. , Otero Rosales María C. , Cala Duran Julián C. , Serrano‐Gómez Sergio , Carrero Barragan Tania Y. , Domínguez Alvarado Paula N. , Ramírez Martha L. , Serrano‐Mesa Kamila , Lozada‐Martinez Ivan D. , Narvaez‐Rojas Alexis R. , López Gómez Luis E.
Published: January 2023

Introduction and Objective

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) represents a group of metabolic abnormalities. It is currently a pandemic, and its prevalence is on the rise. MetS has a direct relationship with obesity, for this reason, bariatric and metabolic surgery has been proposed as a method to simultaneously control obesity and MetS. However, in Colombia the results of this intervention are unknown. This study aims to compare metabolic syndrome before and after bariatric surgery in a Colombian population.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study conducted in a highly complex institution in Colombia, where comparing the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients who underwent bariatric surgery during a 1‐year follow‐up period, between January 2015 and December 2019. Of these patients, 48 underwent Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass, and 32 underwent sleeve gastrectomy by laparoscopic technique.

Results

A total of 80 patients were included, of which 67.5% were women and the mean age was 42.8 ± 12.9 years. The most frequent preprocedure comorbidities were arterial hypertension (36.2%), dyslipidemia (32.4%), and sleep apnea (20%). After bariatric surgery, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome decreased from 66.2% to 3.7% (p < 0.05). In addition, a reduction in the Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance score from 77.5% to 22.5% was observed during the follow‐up period. HbA1c, creatinine, and thyroid‐stimulating hormone, were the only parameters without significant changes.

Conclusions

Metabolic and bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for weight reduction, with a high impact in reducing the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in the short and medium term in the Colombian population.
Burden and risk factors of chronic respiratory diseases in Nepal, 1990–2019: An analysis of the global burden of diseases study
Authors: Adhikari Tara Ballav , Paudel Kiran , Paudel Rajan , Bhusal Sandesh , Rijal Anupa , Högman Marieann , Neupane Dinesh , Sigsgaard Torben , Kallestrup Per
Published: January 2023

Background and Aims

Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) substantially contribute to morbidity and mortality globally and in Nepal. However, there is a paucity of evidence on the trend and the burden of CRDs in Nepal. This study reports the trend of the burden and contribution of major risk factors to CRDs in Nepal from 1990 to 2019.

Methods

This study is an observational study using publicly available data from Global Burden of Disease 2019 estimations for Nepal. The age‐standardized and age‐specific prevalence, incidence, mortality, disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs), and risk factors for CRDs in Nepal were extracted to measure the burden and its trend. The data are presented as percentages or as rates per 100,000 population.

Results

The age‐standardized incidence rate of CRDs in Nepal in 2019 was 913.6 per 100,000 (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 828.7–1000.1), which was an increase of 7.7% from 848.6 per 100,000 (95% UI: 780.2–918.2) in 1990. However, the age‐standardized prevalence rate [4453/100,000 (4234.2–4671.8) in 1990; 4457.1/100,000 (4255.2–4666.8) in 2019] was almost stagnant. Most CRDs attributed to deaths and DALYs were due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Conclusions

Air pollution and smoking are the main risk factors for DALYs due to CRDs in Nepal. This surging burden of the incidence rate of CRDs in Nepal calls for more effective actions to curb the risk factors and diseases.
Breaks in term structures: Evidence from the oil futures markets
Authors: Horváth Lajos , Liu Zhenya , Miller Curtis , Tang Weiqing
Published: January 2023

We propose a new functional change point detection procedure, motivated by recent models for commodity futures term structure. We investigate our procedure's properties under the null hypothesis of no change and the alternative. Monte Carlo simulations reveal a reasonable power property in finite sample sizes although size distortion persists. An empirical analysis of oil futures markets identifies two change points near the 2008 financial crisis and 2020 crude oil negative territory. Regression models show that the price behaviour, in general, is exposed to the spot market index and exchange rate from 2007 to 2009. The main drivers of the price term structure are attributed to the trading activities of speculators and financial index innovations between 2017 and 2022.
MBPD: A multiple bacterial pathogen detection pipeline for One Health practices
Authors: Yang Xinrun , Jiang Gaofei , Zhang Yaozhong , Wang Ningqi , Zhang Yuling , Wang Xiaofang , Zhao Fang‐Jie , Xu Yangchun , Shen Qirong , Wei Zhong
Published: January 2023

Bacterial pathogens are one of the major threats to biosafety and environmental health, and advanced assessment is a prerequisite to combating bacterial pathogens. Currently, 16S rRNA gene sequencing is efficient in the open‐view detection of bacterial pathogens. However, the taxonomic resolution and applicability of this method are limited by the domain‐specific pathogen database, taxonomic profiling method, and sequencing target of 16S variable regions. Here, we present a pipeline of multiple bacterial pathogen detection (MBPD) to identify the animal, plant, and zoonotic pathogens. MBPD is based on a large, curated database of the full‐length 16S genes of 1986 reported bacterial pathogen species covering 72,685 sequences. In silico comparison allowed MBPD to provide the appropriate similarity threshold for both full‐length and variable‐region sequencing platforms, while the subregion of V3−V4 (mean: 88.37%, accuracy rate compared to V1−V9) outperformed other variable regions in pathogen identification compared to full‐length sequencing. Benchmarking on real data sets suggested the superiority of MBPD in a broader range of pathogen detections compared with other methods, including 16SPIP and MIP. Beyond detecting the known causal agent of animal, human, and plant diseases, MBPD is capable of identifying cocontaminating pathogens from biological and environmental samples. Overall, we provide a MBPD pipeline for agricultural, veterinary, medical, and environmental monitoring to achieve One Health.
Rethinking the donor's role in strengthening health systems through sexual and reproductive health and rights partnerships: A qualitative analysis of Ugandan case studies
Authors: van Kelle Echica , Spronk Sarah I. , Kibira Denis , Aantjes Carolien J.
Published: January 2023

International donors continue to prefer vertical programming over systems strengthening despite the universal health agenda. This study explored Dutch policy and practice towards health systems within sexual and reproductive health and rights‐focused partnerships between the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and civil society, through a document analysis, 13 in‐depth interviews and a stakeholder workshop. The findings revealed that partnerships supported the Ugandan health system in unstructured ways and had difficulties finding synergies. To ensure sustained outcomes and respond to the renewed urgency of strong health systems in the face of crises, donors should incorporate systems strengthening as an explicit goal.
Optical Waveform Synthesis and Its Applications
Authors: Cirmi Giovanni , Mainz Roland E. , Silva‐Toledo Miguel A. , Scheiba Fabian , Çankaya Hüseyin , Kubullek Maximilian , Rossi Giulio Maria , Kärtner Franz X.
Published: January 2023

The quest for ever‐shorter optical pulses has been ongoing for over half a century. Although few‐cycle pulses have been generated for nearly 40 years, pulse lengths below the single‐cycle limit have remained an elusive goal for a long time. For this purpose, optical waveform synthesizers, generating high‐energy, high‐average‐power pulses via coherent combination of multiple pulses covering different spectral regions, have been recently developed. They allow unprecedented control over the generated optical waveforms, spanning an extremely broad spectral range from ultraviolet to infrared. Such control allows for steering strong‐field interactions with increased degrees of freedom. When driving high‐harmonic generation, tailored waveforms can produce bright attosecond pulse trains and even isolated attosecond pulses with tunable spectra up to the soft X‐ray range. In this paper recent progress on parametric and hollow‐core fiber waveform synthesizers is discussed. Newly developed seeding schemes; absolute, relative, and spectral phase measurement; and control techniques suitable for synthesizers are described. The progress on serial and parallel waveform synthesis based on Ti:sapphire and Ytterbium laser systems and their latest applications in high‐harmonic generation in gaseous and solid media, attosecond science, and laser wakefield acceleration is discussed.
Multimode Waveguide Bends in Lithium Niobate on Insulator
Authors: Ma Mingyang , Yuan Mingrui , Zhou Xudong , Xiao Huifu , Cao Pengfei , Cheng Lin , Nguyen Thach Giang , Boes Andreas , Ren Guanghui , Su Yikai , Mitchell Arnan , Tian Yonghui
Published: January 2023

Lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) is a promising platform for realizing high‐performance photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for communication applications due to LN's excellent electro‐optic properties. Multimode photonic devices are attractive as they can improve the communication capacity of PICs by multiplexing orthogonal modes. For connecting multimode photonic components on the same chip, multimode waveguide bends are indispensable. In this contribution, multimode waveguide bends are proposed, simulated, and experimentally demonstrated with double air grooves to ensure low crosstalk for three different transverse electric (TE) modes by improving the mode overlap at the interface between the straight and bent waveguide when the waveguide is bent. This enables demonstration of S‐shaped waveguide bends (two 90o bent waveguides) with insertion losses below 1.42, 1.12, and 2.5 dB in the wavelength range of 1525–1575 nm for the transmitted TE0, TE1, and TE2 modes, respectively. The mode crosstalk is lower than −12.2 dB for all three modes. The demonstrated device provides a compact solution for multimode waveguide bends in the LNOI platform, paving the way for high‐speed, high‐data‐capacity PICs for on‐chip communication systems.
The effect of the MCrAlY composition and aluminizing cycle upon the microstructure and hot corrosion resistance of the over‐aluminized MCrAlY coating on IN738LC alloy substrate
Authors: Ajdari Saeed , Shahriari Nogorani Farhad , Zamani Moghadam Pejman
Published: January 2023

The aluminizing behavior of high‐velocity oxy‐fuel sprayed CoNiCrAlY, or NiCoCrAlY‐coated IN738LC alloy has been investigated via asingle or two‐step pack cementation aluminizing processes. The microstructural study showed that a more desirable low aluminum‐containing MCrAlY coating is obtained through single‐step aluminizing. The resultant over‐aluminized coating microstructure consisted of the Co‐containing beta‐NiAl in the aluminide top layer and the Ni−Co−Cr‐based austenitic gamma solid solution matrix decorated with the Co‐containing beta‐NiAl islands in the MCrAlY zone.
Anchoring Guanidine Polymer onto Sesbania Gum to Endow Excellent Antibacterial Function
Authors: Lan Shi , Li Jie , Chu Mengnan , Ju Du , Jin Ruifa , Sheng Xianliang , Dong Alideertu
Published: January 2023

Infectious diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria invasion have become a serious threat to human life and health. In this study, polyhexamethylguanidine (PHMG) is anchored onto sesbania gum (SG) by an oxidation reaction coupled with the Schiff base reaction to endow antibacterial function. By the assistance of the oxidation reaction using sodium periodate (NaIO4) as an oxidizing agent, the oxidized SG (OSG) forms and contributes to the generation of a platform with active sites for further antibacterial modification with PHMG. Then PHMG as antibacterial ingredient covalently bind on OSG, which helps to achieve SG‐PHMG. After the colony counting method and inhibition zone test, SG‐PHMG shows excellent antibacterial ability against 108 CFU mL−1 of Escherichia coli (E. coli). More interestingly, the grafting of PHMG makes SG more hydrophilic, and allows SG‐PHMG fully contact with bacteria, as a result showing excellent antibacterial activity. It is believed that this strategy has great potential for the antibacterial‐associated applications.
Polyphosphazenes—A Promising Candidate for Drug Delivery, Bioimaging, and Tissue Engineering: A Review
Authors: Ilayaperumal Pradeep , Chelladurai Praveena , Vairan Karthik , Anilkumar Pooja , Balagurusamy Balajothi
Published: January 2023

Synthetic polymer materials have been surged to the forefront of research in the fields of tissue engineering, drug delivery, and biomonitoring in recent years. Biodegradable synthetic polymers are increasingly needed as transient substrates for tissue regeneration and medicine delivery. In contrast to commonly used polymers including polyesters, polylactones, polyanhydrides, poly(propylene fumarates), polyorthoesters, and polyurethanes, biodegradable polyphosphazenes (PPZs) hold great potential for the purposes indicated above. PPZ's versatility in the synthetic process has enabled the production of a variety of polymers with various physico‐chemical, and biological properties have been produced, making them appropriate for biomedical applications. Biocompatible PPZs are often used as scaffolds in the regeneration of skeleton, bones, and other tissues. PPZs have also received special attention as potential drug vehicles of high‐value biopharmaceuticals such as anticancer drugs. Additionally, by incorporating fluorophores into the PPZ backbone to produce photoluminescent biodegradable PPZs, the utility of polyphosphazenes is further expanded as they are used in tracking the regeneration of the target tissue as well as the fate of PPZ based scaffolds or drug delivery vehicles. This review provides a summary of the evolution of PPZ applications in the fields of tissue engineering, drug delivery, and bioimaging in recent 5 years.
Does the expansion of local government debt affect the export quality?
Authors: Leng Xuan , Li Pengcheng , Zheng Yuming
Published: January 2023

Improving the quality of its exports is an important way for China to develop high‐quality foreign trade. It is of greatest academic value and policy significance to study the factors that restrict the export quality of enterprises. This paper empirically discusses the impact of local government debt expansion on export quality as well as its transmission mechanism, using microdata from Chinese enterprises. According to research findings, the acquisition of debt negatively affects enterprises in several ways. First, the expansion of local government debt has a negative impact on the export quality of enterprises. Second, local government debt affects export quality through financial constraints and the Dutch disease effect. Third, local government debt impact on export quality reflects significant heterogeneity in terms of debt types and characteristics of regional economics.
In Vivo Investigation of Glucose Metabolism in Idiopathic and PRKN‐Related Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Borsche Max , Märtens Andre , Hörmann Philipp , Brückmann Theresa , Lohmann Katja , Tunc Sinem , Klein Christine , Hiller Karsten , Balck Alexander
Published: January 2023

Background

Alterations in mitochondrial dysfunction have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Mitochondrial energy production is linked to glucose metabolism, and diabetes is associated with PD. However, studies investigating glucose metabolism in vivo in genetically stratified PD patients and controls have yet to be performed.

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to explore glucose production, gluconeogenesis, and the contribution of gluconeogenesis to glucose production in idiopathic and PRKN PD compared with healthy controls with state‐of‐the‐art biochemical methods.

Methods

We applied a dried‐blood sampling/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry approach to monitor fluxes in the Cori cycle in vivo.

Results

The contribution of gluconeogenesis to total glucose production is increased in idiopathic PD patients (n = 33), but not in biallelic PRKN mutation carriers (n = 5) compared with healthy controls (n = 13).

Conclusions

We provide first‐time in vivo evidence for alterations in glucose metabolism in idiopathic PD, in keeping with the epidemiological evidence for an association between PD and diabetes. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Lehrerbildung: Experimentieren können
Authors: Friedrich Jens , Geuther Annette , Habelitz‐Tkotz Waltraud , Klemeyer Horst , Nickel Heike , Proske Wolfgang , Pfrangert Becker Uschi , Rossow Marco
Published: January 2023

Angehende Chemielehrer müssen im Studium praktische Fähigkeiten erwerben. Diese vermittelt ihnen nicht nur die Fachdidaktik, sondern hier sind alle Bereiche der Chemie gefragt.
Innovation Challenge: Silikon‐, Fisch‐ und Papierabfall
Authors: Bulmahn Maren
Published: January 2023

Start‐ups gewinnen, indem sie Proteine extrahieren, Etiketten recyceln oder Farben mit Mikroorganismen produzieren.
Chemie im Alltag:Leuchtender Gin Tonic und schäumendes Bier
Authors: Spitzer Philipp , Tassoti Sebastian
Published: January 2023

Lehramtsstudierende der Chemie erklären chemische Phänomene im Wirtshaus, und zwar so, dass ihre Erläuterungen auf einen Bierdeckel passen. Ihr Ziel: Die Kneipen‐ und Biergartenbesucher unterhalten und zum Experimentieren anregen. Die angehenden Chemielehrer:innen lernen dabei, wie wichtig es ist, ihre Zielgruppe zu kennen.
Bioprozessanalytik: Sondieren, wie der Prozess läuft
Authors: Gutschmann Björn , Münzberg Marvin , Riedel Sebastian L.
Published: January 2023

Wie biobasierte und bioabbaubare Kunststoffe im Bioreaktor entstehen, lässt sich mit Photonendichtewellenspektroskopie beobachten. Ein Beispiel ist die Produktion von Polyhydroxyalkanoaten; die mikrobielle Synthese dieser Polymere lässt sich so inline untersuchen.
Ecodesign: Von Sitzmöbeln und Folien
Authors: Bulmahn Maren
Published: January 2023

Produkte aus recyceltem Kunststoff, Mauerwerk oder organischen Photozellen erhielten einen der 14 Ecodesign‐Preise 2022.
GDCh‐VAA‐Einkommensumfrage
Authors: Pereira Jaé Angela
Published: January 2023

Wie hoch fiel die Gehaltserhöhung beim Rekordinflationsniveau aus? Gab es real überhaupt eine? Nehmen Sie an der Einkommensumfrage teil und finden Sie es heraus.
Neuer Name: Marianne‐Baudler‐Preis für Anorganische Chemie
Authors: Schmitz Karin J.
Published: January 2023

In seiner Sitzung am 8. Dezember 2022 hat der GDCh‐Vorstand einstimmig beschlossen, den GDCh‐Preis für Anorganische Chemie künftig nach Marianne Baudler zu benennen. Der Preis wird seit 1950 vergeben und trug bis 2021 den Namen „Alfred Stock‐Gedächtnispreis“.
Regionales Fonds‐Stipendiatentreffen in Aachen
Authors: Flesch Stefan , Müller Marcel , Kleine Büning Julius
Published: January 2023

Ende Oktober 2022 fand an der RWTH Aachen das Regionaltreffen der Stipendiaten des Fonds der Chemischen Industrie (FCI) im Rheinland statt. Organisiert hatten die Veranstaltung René M. Koenigs, Professor für organische Chemie an der RWTH Aachen, und sein Arbeitskreis. Während des eintägigen Programms stellten zwölf Nachwuchswissenschaftler, die der FCI mit einem Liebig‐ oder Kekulé‐Stipendium fördert, ihre Forschungsarbeiten vor.
Implementation of advanced triage in the Emergency Department of high complexity public hospital: Research protocol
Authors: Font‐Cabrera Cristina , Juvé‐Udina Maria Eulàlia , Galimany‐Masclans Jordi , Fabrellas Núria , Roselló‐Novella Alba , Sancho‐Agredano Raül , Adamuz Jordi , Guix‐Comellas Eva Maria
Published: January 2023

Aim

To evaluate the efficacy of advanced nurse triage based on the quality of care outcomes of patients attending the Emergency Department of a high‐complexity hospital. To analyse the concept of advanced triage and the essential elements of the construct.

Design

Mixed longitudinal study, divided into 4 steps; which will include an initial qualitative step, two observational studies and finally, a quasi‐experimental study. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT05230108.

Methods

Step 1 will consist of a concept analysis. Step 2 will include a mapping of advanced practice protocol terminologies. Step 3 will analyse the opinion of health professionals on advanced triage. In step 4: in the retrospective phase (n = 1095), sociodemographic and clinical variables and quality indicators such as waiting time will be analysed. After that, in the prospective phase (n = 547), advanced triage will be implemented and the two cohorts will be compared. The whole study will be carried out from January 2022 to January 2024.

Discussion

Patients classified as low complexity at triage are more vulnerable to emergency department overcrowding. The implementation of advanced triage would make it possible to respond to patient needs by offering equitable and quality healthcare, facilitating accessibility, safety and humanization of the emergency department.
Recreational land use contributes to the loss of marine biodiversity
Authors: Virtanen Elina A. , Kallio Niko , Nurmi Marco , Jernberg Susanna , Saikkonen Liisa , Forsblom Louise
Published: January 2023

Coastal areas are at the centre of human–nature relationship, shaped by recreation, tourism and aesthetic values. However, socioeconomic drivers of biodiversity change in coastal areas have received less attention.

Soft sediment seafloors support diverse species communities and contribute to ecosystem functionality. One of the main threats is dredging, which sweeps resident organisms. Dredgings are commonly done to deepen waterways, but also for the purposes of private housing. The ecological impacts of these small‐sized dredgings are not well known over broad environmental and geographical gradients.

We developed a simple approach for spatial integration of ecological and socioeconomic system, to describe how recreational land use change contributes to the loss of marine biodiversity. It shows how human behaviour, such as preference for a location of second home, can be derived from spatial data and coupled with ecological change.

We characterize typical locations of second homes based on accessibility, aesthetics and environment, and with the information identified suitable areas for new second homes. We also quantified typical areas of dredging, based on the depth and substrate of the sea floor, and the extent of the reed beds, influencing the access to properties. We then simulate an annual increase of new second homes and expected land‐use change, namely dredging of shores. Finally, we quantified the realized and projected loss of marine biodiversity from dredged sites, based on species distribution models, relying on extensive ecological data collected from over 170,000 underwater sites.

We found that small‐sized dredging can be detrimental to coastal biodiversity, as dredging targets shallow, photic bays and lagoons, with diverse algal and aquatic plant communities, with limited recovery potential. Dredgings also had broad impacts on benthic faunal habitats, which maintain ecosystem processes and functions. Our results reveal a significant ecological change driven by recreational land use.

Reversing the trend of biodiversity loss requires a holistic understanding of socioecological systems. Our results highlight the need for integrating land–sea interactions into conservation policies and reforming current land‐use regulation for the benefit of marine biodiversity.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Electrospinning of ultrafine non‐hydrolyzed silk sericin/PEO fibers on PLA: A bilayer scaffold fabrication
Authors: Mathieu Paul , Bascou Rémi , Navarro Oliva Francisco Sebastian , Nesterenko Alla , Ngo Anh‐Tu , Lisiecki Isabelle , Guénin Erwann , Bedoui Fahmi
Published: January 2023

We report the feasibility of electrospinning of protein‐polymer multilayered scaffolds with selected materials such as non‐hydrolyzed silk sericin (SS), polyethylene oxide (PEO), and polylactic acid (PLA), with tuned fiber size and properties for each layer. We present a new innovative way for the electrospinning (ES) of non‐hydrolyzed SS mixed with PEO yielding fibers with an average diameter ranging between 120 and 150 nm. Different SS:PEO ratios have been electrospun to study the effect of the concentration of SS protein on the fibers size and shape, as well and their electrospinnability. Electrospun SS:PEO fibers display weak to no mechanical resistance (non‐measurable) and their deposition onto a sturdier scaffold is necessary to allow their use in biomedical and/or pharmaceutical fields. Therefore, bilayer scaffolds have been fabricated consisting of a PLA support and SS:PEO fibers obtained from the optimized SS:PEO ratio (1.2:4). They are composed of a sturdy hydrophobic layer of PLA fibers and a layer of sticky hydrophilic SS:PEO fibers. The scaffolds have been characterized extensively by Fourier transforms infra‐red (FTIR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and their resistance to mechanical stress. Finally, hydrophobicity of both layers has been determined by measuring the contact angle of water droplets on the scaffolds, further proving the bilayer nature of the scaffolds.
Investigating consumer preferences for known wild provenance of plants within the horticultural trade
Authors: Blackhall‐Miles Robert J. , Fraser Iain M. , Roberts David L.
Published: January 2023

Societal Impact Statement

Although significant advances have been made in implementing international mechanisms to support the benefit sharing of natural resources in low and middle income countries, there are limited practical examples. Our research examines how the ornamental horticulture sector might be able to meet its benefit sharing requirements. Employing a consumer survey, we reveal the potential for monetary benefit sharing to emerge for plants with Known Wild Provenance. Our results indicate that although consumers value plants that have their Known Wild Provenance clearly labelled, the magnitude of this estimate is insufficient to generate meaningful monetary benefits.

The global trade in ornamental plants is significant and growing. Historically, the relationship between the acquisition of novel plants from the wild for use in ornamental horticulture has been referred to as plant hunting. However, questions are now being raised about the ethical utilisation of biological resources and if those countries providing access to material from the wild are receiving adequate benefits. It is in this context that we examine if plants of Known Wild Provenance (KWP) are valued by UK consumers, and if a potential premium could be the basis of a benefit‐sharing agreement.

Employing a choice experiment, we assess consumers' preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for KWP.

Our analysis reveals that KWP did not prove to be a strong driver for plant buyers.

Although a positive WTP is generated it is relatively small. Thus, the ability of commercial horticulture to provide monetary benefits to support benefit sharing is likely limited. This result raises questions as to how benefit sharing might then be implemented if buyers of plants are not prepared to pay a price premium.
Impact of asthma on heart rate variability in children and adolescents: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Schiwe Daniele , Vendrusculo Fernanda Maria , Becker Nicolas Acosta , Donadio Márcio Vinícius Fagundes
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Asthma is associated with abnormal autonomic function, and heart rate variability is considered a simple, accurate, and noninvasive tool for monitoring the autonomic system. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of asthma on heart rate variability in children and adolescents.

Methods

This systematic review of observational studies and clinical trials evaluated heart rate variability in children and adolescents with asthma compared to healthy controls. The data were extracted independently by two reviewers. The quality of the selected articles was assessed using Agency for Health Care Research and Quality indicators. Random effects meta‐analysis was performed for each outcome, with the effect size reported as standardized mean difference.

Results

Fifteen studies were included, of which five were classified as having high methodological quality. In the meta‐analysis, long‐term recording of the standard deviation of all normal‐to‐normal sinus R‐R intervals differed significantly between groups (standardized mean difference [SMD] = −0.46 [95% confidence interval {CI}: −0.79 to −0.14], p < 0.005, I2 = 0%). Moreover, R‐R intervals (long‐term) were significantly shorter in asthmatic children than controls (SMD = −0.47 [95% CI: −0.68 to −0.25], p < 0.0001, I2 = 0). There were no significant differences between adjacent normal R‐R intervals that exceed 50 ms (long‐term) and the root mean square of successive differences between normal sinus R‐R intervals (short‐term). Regarding frequency‐domain variables, long‐term low frequency measurements differed significantly between groups (SMD = −0.34 [95% CI: −0.58 to −0.10], p < 0.005, I2 = 15%). There were no differences in high frequency measurements or in the ratio between low/high frequency powers (short‐ or long‐term) between groups.

Conclusion

The results confirm the impact of asthma on heart rate variability in children and adolescents, indicating lower heart rate variability and sympathetic modulation.
Using evolutionary data to make sense of macromolecules with a “face‐lifted” ConSurf
Authors: Yariv Barak , Yariv Elon , Kessel Amit , Masrati Gal , Chorin Adi Ben , Martz Eric , Mayrose Itay , Pupko Tal , Ben‐Tal Nir
Published: January 2023

The ConSurf web‐sever for the analysis of proteins, RNA, and DNA provides a quick and accurate estimate of the per‐site evolutionary rate among homologues. The analysis reveals functionally important regions, such as catalytic and ligand‐binding sites, which often evolve slowly. Since the last report in 2016, ConSurf has been improved in multiple ways. It now has a user‐friendly interface that makes it easier to perform the analysis and to visualize the results. Evolutionary rates are calculated based on a set of homologous sequences, collected using hidden Markov model‐based search tools, recently embedded in the pipeline. Using these, and following the removal of redundancy, ConSurf assembles a representative set of effective homologues for protein and nucleic acid queries to enable informative analysis of the evolutionary patterns. The analysis is particularly insightful when the evolutionary rates are mapped on the macromolecule structure. In this respect, the availability of AlphaFold model structures of essentially all UniProt proteins makes ConSurf particularly relevant to the research community. The UniProt ID of a query protein with an available AlphaFold model can now be used to start a calculation. Another important improvement is the Python re‐implementation of the entire computational pipeline, making it easier to maintain. This Python pipeline is now available for download as a standalone version. We demonstrate some of ConSurf's key capabilities by the analysis of caveolin‐1, the main protein of membrane invaginations called caveolae.
Identification of chemical constituents in pomegranate seeds based on ultra‐high‐performance supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Li Guoping , Chen Jing , Yang Qing , Yang Xuexin , Wang Penglong , Lei Haimin , Mi Ma , Ma Qiang
Published: January 2023

Pomegranate seeds are a potential source of bioactive compounds. Nonetheless, most pomegranate seeds are discarded in the food processing industry, likely due to the lack of convincing data on their component analysis.

Methods

To reveal the main chemical constituents of pomegranate seeds, a reliable and sensitive method based on ultra‐high‐performance supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization and quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MS) was developed. A time‐dependent MSE data acquisition mode was applied to acquire the mass spectrometric data. The chemical constituents were identified by an automatic retrieval of a traditional Chinese medicine library and relevant literature.

Results

A total number of 59 compounds, including fatty acids, sterols, vitamins, cerebrosides, phospholipids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, and others, were tentatively identified. Their possible fragmentation pathways and characteristic ions were proposed and elucidated.

Conclusions

The findings of this study, along with the developed methodology, could provide a reference for basic research on the pharmacodynamic substances of pomegranate seeds and shed light on their potential nutritional and therapeutic applications in the future.
An improved strategy for identification and annotation of easily in‐sourced dissociation diterpene lactones from plant natural products: Taking Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) as an example
Authors: Wu Xingdong , Ding Hongwei , Zhang Zijia , Zheng Man , Ni Hui , Huang Zhiyun , Wu Wenyong , Long Huali , Zhou Yang , Li Feifei , Lei Min , Hou Jinjun , Wu Wanying , Guo Dean
Published: January 2023

Rationale

Diterpene lactones (DL) in Andrographis paniculata (AP) are known as “natural antibiotics” for their excellent antibacterial activity. During mass spectrometry (MS) analysis, the hydroxyl groups in the AP DL skeleton are prone to neutral loss of H2O, producing high in‐source fragment peaks and affecting the characterization of these components.

Methods

Mass tags were applied during the MS data acquisition step, and special adduct ion form was used to guide the data processing and characterization steps. Besides, the total number of characterized AP DLs significantly increased when combining the number of neutrally lost H2O from AP DLs, incorporating information on the diagnostic ions, and adopting molecular networks generated with the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking database.

Results

Ninety‐nine DLs, comprising 6 monohydroxyl groups, 20 dihydroxyl groups, 27 trihydroxy groups, and 46 DLs with more than 3 hydroxyl groups, were characterized from AP. In addition, based on the characteristic fragments in the product ions (C3H4, Δm/z = 40.03 Da), it could be assumed that 90 DLs had the C19‐OH structure among the identified DLs. The current study provides a new approach for collecting, processing, and characterizing MS analysis of natural DLs prone to in‐source fragmentation.

Conclusions

MS characterization of AP DLs was significantly improved, and many potential new compounds were identified in AP. This characterization provides new methods for the purification and identification of AP DLs.
SPINS: A structure priors aided inertial navigation system
Authors: Lyu Yang , Nguyen Thien‐Minh , Liu Liu , Cao Muqing , Yuan Shenghai , Nguyen Thien Hoang , Xie Lihua
Published: January 2023

We propose a navigation system combining sensor‐aided inertial navigation and prior‐map‐based localization to improve the stability and accuracy of robot localization in structure‐rich environments. Specifically, we adopt point, line, and plane features in the navigation system to enhance the feature richness in low‐texture environments and improve the localization reliability. We additionally integrate structure prior information of the environments to constrain the localization drifts and improve the accuracy. The prior information is called structure priors and parameterized as low‐dimensional relative distances/angles between different geometric primitives. The localization is formulated as a graph‐based optimization problem that contains sliding‐window‐based variables and factors, including Inertial Measurement Unit, heterogeneous features, and structure priors. A limited number of structure priors are selected based on the information gain to alleviate the computation burden. Finally, the proposed framework is extensively tested on synthetic data, public data sets, and, more importantly, on the real Unmanned Aerial Vehicle flight data obtained from both indoor and outdoor inspection tasks. The results show that the proposed scheme can effectively improve the accuracy and robustness of localization for autonomous robots in civilian applications.
The effect of a local mesh refinement on hydraulic modelling of river meanders
Authors: Bilgili Eray , Bomers Anouk , van Lente G. Jan‐Willem , Huthoff Fredrik , Hulscher Suzanne J. M. H.
Published: January 2023

Large‐scale river models are generally discretized by relatively large mesh cells resulting in bathymetry discretization errors and numerical effects. These hydraulic models are generally calibrated by altering the bed roughness to compensate for these errors and effects. Consequently, the calibrated roughness values are mesh‐dependent while generally local mesh refinements are executed after model calibration to study the effects of river interventions. This study shows both the errors caused by bathymetry discretization and numerical effects for locally refined meshes. First, schematised river meanders with a flat bed in the transverse flow direction are analysed to isolate the induced numerical effects by the mesh. Afterwards, a case study is considered to verify if similar mesh influences are found in natural river meanders. Curvilinear, triangular and hybrid (combination of curvilinear and triangular cells) meshes are used with different resolutions. The analysis shows that in the schematised river meanders lower depth‐averaged flow velocities and larger water depths are simulated with coarser meshes. In the case study, substantial differences in hydrodynamics between the meshes are obtained suggesting that the bathymetry discretization is more influential than the numerical effects. Finally, it was found that triangular meshes, and rivers with narrow meander bends, are most sensitive to mesh resolution. Especially in these cases, it is desirable to refine the mesh at the desired locations before model calibration.
Photocatalytic degradation of metronidazole (MNZ) antibiotic by CuO nanoparticles for environmental protection from pharmaceutical pollution
Authors: Banu Tahmina , Rashid Md. Harunur , Tofail Syed A. M. , Haq Ehtsham Ul , Gulshan Fahmida
Published: January 2023

Metronidazole (MNZ) is one of the extensively consumed generic antibiotics, which, due to its high resistance to biological degradation, is considered a potent environmental contaminant. In this study, we use CuO nanoparticles (NPs) for photocatalytic degradation of MNZ. Photocatalytic NPs with a crystallinity of over 80% were synthesized using a facile co‐precipitation method followed by calcination at a temperature of 500°C for a duration of 1 h. NPs were characterized thoroughly to investigate their opto‐structural properties. We investigated the efficiency of photocatalytic degradation with the variation of MNZ concentration, NP loading and the pH of the MNZ solution. Experimental results revealed that the pH of the MNZ solution strongly controlled the photocatalytic degradation efficiency. As pH was increased from 7 to 11, the degradation rate was enhanced remarkably. Degradation efficiency was also found to be strongly dependent on the concentration of both MNZ solution and CuO NPs.
Corrosion behaviour of additively manufactured 316L and CoCrNi
Authors: Malladi Sri Bala Aditya , Tam Pui Lam , Cao Yu , Guo Sheng , Nyborg Lars
Published: January 2023

Alloys such as 316L and the medium‐entropy alloy CoCrNi are known for their excellent strength and corrosion properties. In the present study, bulk samples of 316L and CoCrNi (without and with 0.11 wt.% N) alloys fabricated using powder bed fusion laser beam (PBF‐LB) were tested in the as‐printed state for their corrosion behaviour in 0.5 M H2SO4 without and with added 3 wt.% NaCl. The tests were done using potentiodynamic measurements and the results were compared with those of the conventionally manufactured 316L. By means of angle‐resolved X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS), the passive film characteristics were studied in terms of composition and film thickness. The 316L fabricated using PBF‐LB showed favourable passivation and corrosion behaviour as compared with its conventionally manufactured counterpart. It was observed that all the alloys fabricated using the PBF‐LB showed similar corrosion behaviour, but with CoCrNi and CoCrNi‐N showing better passivation behaviour than 316L alloys in the presence of NaCl. The ARXPS showed the presence of both hydroxide and oxides in all the alloys, with outer hydroxide layer and inner oxide layer. The ARXPS of both 316L alloys showed the expected presence of Cr–Fe oxide on the surface of as‐passivated samples, whereas the presence of sulphide was also depicted for the conventionally manufactured 316L, supposed to be detrimental to its corrosion behaviour. The CoCrNi‐based alloys showed the presence of only Cr2O3 layer in their passivated state, with Co and Ni acting as noble elements in the formation of the passive film. Upon micro‐alloying with the strong solid solution strengthener N, CoCrNi did not show any negative effect on either the corrosion behaviour or the passivation behaviour of the alloy.