bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design features of drilling equipment elements using materials with shape memory effect
Authors: Balaev Etibar , Shostak Nikita , Samarin Mikhail , Klepikov Dmitry
Published: February 2024

Alloys exhibiting thermoelastic phase transformations are getting more and more used in different industries. This is due to the shape memory effect and pseudo-elasticity (sometimes termed “superelasticity”) they exhibit, which can considerably improve the performance characteristics of various technical systems. One of the highest reliability and durability criterias are applied to equipment for drilling oil and gas wells, and according to this the above-described smart materials and the phenomena they exhibit have been gradually implemented in the oil and gas industry. This article analyzes the developed design of roller cone bits elements and proposes its assembly method, and presents its comparison with currently existing designs. Computational research and computer analysis of a drilling equipment assembly containing parts made of shape memory materials were performed, these studies showed significant advantages of the proposed method.
Improving reliability and service life of industrial products via composite electrochemical coatings
Authors: Yu Kireev S , Sinenkova S R , Kireeva S N , Naumov L V
Published: February 2024

The paper considers a method for obtaining hard, wear-resistant composite electrochemical tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC-Co) coatings with high adhesive strength. Such coatings are used to enhance surface hardness and wear resistance of parts and tooling. It is challenging to obtain hard, wear-resistant coatings on the surface of industrial parts and tooling. It is proposed to use an eco-friendly cobalt electrolyte with tungsten carbide additive for the electrodeposition of composite electrochemical coatings. The electrodeposition technique provides high output and quality of the applied coating with the ability to control its thickness.
Effect of magnetic field on impedance characteristics in manganese sulfide Mn0.9S
Authors: Kharkov A M , Mashkov P P , Bandurina O N , Runov R V , Gelgorn A V
Published: February 2024

Manganese sulfide with a lack of manganese cations in the lattice is being studied. Samples that are single-phase and have a cubic structure have been certified. The impedance components were measured over a wide range of frequencies and temperatures without a magnetic field and in a magnetic field. The real and imaginary parts of the impedance as a function of temperature are described in the Debye model. The relaxation time of current carriers is found from the impedance hodograph. The change in impedance components in a magnetic field is described in a model of an inhomogeneous electrical medium.
Comparative structural analysis of samples of transpedicular screws from titanium alloys
Authors: Pyatykh A , Tikhonov A , Ulakhanov N
Published: February 2024

The article presents studies of transpedicular screws made of titanium alloy BT6. A metallographic and microstructural analysis of screw blanks, prototypes of transpedicular screws made of BT6 alloy and commercially produced screws made of Ti-6Al-4V was performed. Specimens of transpedicular screws were manufactured using the vortex thread cutting method on a CITIZEN Cincom K16E-VII automatic lathe. The microgeometry of the screw surface was created by sandblasting using quartz sand as an abrasive material. Studies have shown that experimental and foreign samples of transpedicular screws have a similar microstructure, consisting of globular crystals of the β-phase located in a light matrix of the α-phase. The microhardness of the rod part of the screw made of Ti-6Al-4V alloy was 312...338 HV, the microhardness of the material of the prototypes was from 264 to 394 HV. Conclusions have been drawn that determine the feasibility of choosing rods made of titanium alloy BT6 as a blank for the manufacture of transpedicular screws.
The concept of «Complexity» in the problems of condensed matter physics: fundamental and applied aspects
Authors: Kh Ashurov M , Oksengendler B L , Kh Suleymanov S , Zatsepin A F , Maksimov S E , Karimov Z I , Nikiforova N N , Iskandarova F A
Published: February 2024

Problems of radiation effects of living and inanimate objects are considered within the framework of the concept of complexity. Basic models for the manifestation of the effects of spin chemistry and quantum entanglement in the processes of subthreshold radiation physics have been constructed
Determination of reflection coefficient contrast in medium over hydrocarbon accumulation
Authors: Yanushkevich V , Dauhiala D , Pitolin U , Babamuratov K , Urozov M
Published: February 2024

The article analyses the method of searching for hydrocarbon accumulation on the basis of determining the reflection coefficient contrast. Experimental research on hydrocarbon accumulation of the Republic of Belarus is carried out. Was used a method for estimating the reflectivity of the medium over hydrocarbon accumulation under the influence of electromagnetic waves with linear polarization based on the contrast of reflection coefficients between the measurement points of the investigated profile and the calibration measurement point located outside accumulation. The anomalous behaviour of the reflection coefficient contrast was found to correspond to the hydrocarbon boundary. The results of experimental research confirmed the increase in the accuracy of determining the boundaries of hydrocarbon accumulation based on the method of determining the reflection coefficient contrast. The obtained research results can be used in exploration geophysics.
Constructions of statistical estimates of digital measurement error in the case of small samples
Authors: Ershov D S , Malahov A V , Levina T A , Khayrullin R Z
Published: February 2024

The paper presents a computational-experimental method for the construction of statistical estimates of the error of digital measurements carried out on complex technical objects with metrological support. The algorithm of construction of the estimation of the distribution density function of random error of measurements on the basis of complex application of methods of the theory of characteristic functions, the theory of Lie operator series and methods of statistical modeling in the processing of a limited amount of statistical information in the conditions of small samples is described. The solution of the practical problem on the construction of the estimation of the measurement error distribution density and the problem on the zero mark of the measuring instrument in the probabilistic formulation is given. The presented computational and experimental method can be used to construct statistical estimates for the probability distribution density of the general type, including those given by implicit functions, characteristic functions and operator series.
Investigation of the combustion process in a dual-fuel engine
Authors: Lopatin O P
Published: February 2024

Modeling of in-cylinder processes occurring in a dual-fuel engine is necessary to obtain the ignition delay period as a function of the angle of rotation of the crankshaft and the subsequent calculation of its effective and environmental indicators. There is a need to identify the theoretical dependence of the fuel combustion process on the parameters that determine the operating modes of a dual-fuel engine, which leads to the need to create a mathematical model that allows the most accurate description of the combustion process, taking into account the maximum possible number of factors. The paper considers the optimization of the parameters of the workflow and the prediction of the performance of the projected and existing dual-fuel engines.
Experimental study on heat power of wet and pipe sections of wet/dry cooling tower with extended surface pipe exchanger
Authors: Madyshev I N , Kharkov V V , Mayasova A O , Zinurov V E , Khabibullin R R
Published: February 2024

A hybrid system for recirculated water cooling of industrial enterprises is proposed. The major feature of the cooling system is a wet/dry cooling tower with an inner pipe exchanger. To enhance the heat transfer process, the outer surface of the heat exchanger pipe has fins. Design and function of the experimental setup are described. The goal of this work is to evaluate experimentally the heat power of the wet and pipe sections of the cooling tower. Results were presented as dependencies of the heat power in the wet/dry cooling tower on the mean gas velocity (from 0.89 to 3.20 m/s) and the ratio of the weight flow rates of the gas/liquid phases at various irrigation rates (13.7-35.6 m3/(m2.h)).
Preliminary purification of the gas-liquid stream from hydrocarbon condensate, water and mechanical impurities
Authors: Ivanov A Y , Babin V V , Kardash A A , Romanenko M Y , Rybin V V
Published: February 2024

The paper discusses the process plan of the piston compressor package as well as the design of the gas separator. A technical proposal has been developed to improve the preliminary purification of the gas-liquid stream from hydrocarbon condensate, water and mechanical impurities. With the help of modern computer technologies, the design of the inlet device in the separator has been developed. The operation of the gas separator was simulated after the application developed by the devices. With the help of the program, the results of the study of the gas separator operation are presented.
Assessing the relative importance of dry-season incoming solar radiation and water storage dynamics during the 2005, 2010 and 2015 southern Amazon droughts: not all droughts are created equal
Authors: Liu Shuang , McVicar Tim R , Wu Xue , Cao Xin , Liu Yi
Published: February 2024

Three severe droughts impacted the Amazon in 2005, 2010, and 2015, leading to widespread above-average land surface temperature (LST) (i.e. positive thermal anomalies) over the southern Amazon in the dry season (Aug–Sep) of these years. Below-average dry-season incoming solar radiation (SW↓) and terrestrial water storage anomaly (TWSA) were simultaneously observed in 2005 and 2010, whereas the opposite was observed in 2015. We found that anomalies in precipitation (P), SW↓, and TWSA combined can well explain dry-season thermal anomalies during these droughts (average R2–0.51). We investigated the causes for opposing anomalies in dry-season SW↓ and TWSA, and found different hydro-climatological conditions preceding the drought-year dry seasons. In 2005 and 2010, P was considerably below average during the wet-to-dry transition season (May–July), causing below-average TWSA in the dry season that was favorable for fires. Increased atmospheric aerosols resulting from fires reduced solar radiation reaching the ground. In 2015, although below-average dry-season P was observed, it was above the average during the wet-to-dry transition season, leading to reduced fires and aerosols, and increased dry-season SW↓. To further examine the impact of opposite hydro-climatological processes on the drought severity, we compared dry-season LST during droughts with the maximum LST during non-drought years (i.e. LSTmax) for all grid cells, and a similar analysis was conducted for TWSA with the minimum TWSA (i.e. TWSAmin). Accordingly, the regions that suffered from concurrent thermal and water stress (i.e. LST > LSTmax and TWSA < TWSAmin) were identified. These regions are mainly observed over the southeast in 2005 and southern Amazon in 2010. In 2015, large-scale dry-season thermal stress was found over central and southeast Amazon with little water stress. This study underlines the complex interactions of different hydro-climatological components and the importance of understanding the evolution of droughts to better predict their possible impacts on the Amazon rainforest.
Improvement of mid-temperature ZT in a Bi-Se-Te via a two two-step sintering process
Authors: Yen Hung-Sheng , Lin Jen-Fin , Shi Shih-Chen , Lin Hao-Tung , Chiu Jung-Chang
Published: February 2024

A wide range of thermoelectric materials are available for selection. The standard classification is based on the temperature range of the application. This study fabricated mid-temperature Bi-Se-Te using spark plasma sintering (SPS). This analysis focused on the impact of sintering conditions on thermoelectric properties. The structural analysis indicated that initial and secondary sintering processes effectively produced the low-temperature thermoelectric material Bi2Se0.45Te2.55. The sintering duration and temperature changes mainly influenced the grain boundary density, with elevated temperatures inducing defects that impacted the performance. Secondary sintering resulted in layered structures with elongated grains, which enhanced the phonon scattering effect. This configuration markedly decreased the thermal conductivity, increasing the ZT value by 60%.
Impact of large kernel size on yield prediction: a case study of corn yield prediction with SEDLA in the U.S. Corn Belt
Authors: Terliksiz Anil Suat , Altilar Deniz Turgay
Published: February 2024

Predicting agricultural yields is imperative for effective planning to sustain the growing global population. Traditionally, regression-based, simulation-based, and hybrid methods were employed for yield prediction. In recent times, there has been a notable shift towards the adoption of Machine Learning (ML) methods, with Deep Learning (DL), particularly Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) networks, emerging as popular choices for their enhanced predictive accuracy. This research introduces a cost-effective DL architecture tailored for corn yield prediction, considering computational efficiency in processing time, data size, and NN architecture complexity. The proposed architecture, named SEDLA (Simple and Efficient Deep Learning Architecture), leverages the spatial and temporal learning capabilities of CNNs and LSTMs, respectively, with a unique emphasis on exploring the impact of kernel size in CNNs. Simultaneously, the study aims to exclusively employ satellite and yield data, strategically minimizing input variables to enhance the model’s simplicity and efficiency. Notably, the study demonstrates that employing larger kernel sizes in CNNs, especially when processing histogram-based Surface Reflectance (SR) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), allows for a reduction in the number of hidden layers. The efficacy of the architecture was evaluated through extensive testing on corn yield prediction across 13 states in the United States (U.S.) Corn Belt at county-level. The experimental results showcase the superiority of the proposed architecture, achieving a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 6.71 and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 14.34, utilizing a single-layer CNN with a 15 × 15 kernel in conjunction with LSTM. These outcomes surpass existing benchmarks in the literature, affirming the efficacy and potential of the suggested DL framework for accurate and efficient crop yield predictions.
Introduction
Authors: Karinkurayil Mohamed Shafeeq
Published: February 2024

This chapter details the historical and structural conditions in Kerala and in the Arab Gulf that have resulted in the Gulf migrant experience of Keralans being presented as a secret in Kerala that calls out for constant revelations through novels, memoirs, and films. The chapter reads both Kerala and the Gulf as borderlands where multiple demarcations crisscross the migrant body. The chapter situates Kerala as the location in which the Keralan Gulf texts are read. The chapter presents translations between the Gulf and Kerala and the affiliation this enables as the main objective of the study. The chapter then discusses methodological issues and concludes with an overview of the book.
The Dead Ends and Alleyways
Authors: Karinkurayil Mohamed Shafeeq
Published: February 2024

How does one form a collectivity when the public speech cannot convey one’s experience—this is the question that centrally occupies this chapter. If novels are one of the discursive means through which a collectivity can be imagined in its simultaneity, it is in the reader that this simultaneity is realized. This chapter reads two works—Goat Days by Benyamin and Temporary People by Deepak Unnikrishnan—to demonstrate the strategies through which these texts imagine a collectivity in the selective communicability of speech. The chapter illustrates how these texts operate as borders, passing some readers through while blocking others. It is in this recirculation of readers that the text finds pleasurable enclaves of intimate belonging within the seemingly transparent public speech of deliberation.
SST-editing: in silico spatial transcriptomic editing at single-cell resolution
Authors: Wu Jiqing , Koelzer Viktor H
Published: February 2024

Motivation

Generative Adversarial Nets (GAN) achieve impressive performance for text-guided editing of natural images. However, a comparable utility of GAN remains understudied for spatial transcriptomics (ST) technologies with matched gene expression and biomedical image data.

Results

We propose In Silico Spatial Transcriptomic editing that enables gene expression-guided editing of immunofluorescence images. Using cell-level spatial transcriptomics data extracted from normal and tumor tissue slides, we train the approach under the framework of GAN (Inversion). To simulate cellular state transitions, we then feed edited gene expression levels to trained models. Compared to normal cellular images (ground truth), we successfully model the transition from tumor to normal tissue samples, as measured with quantifiable and interpretable cellular features.

Availability and implementation

https://github.com/CTPLab/SST-editing.
Estimation of optimal treatment regimes with electronic medical record data using the residual life value estimator
Authors: Rhodes Grace , Davidian Marie , Lu Wenbin
Published: February 2024

Clinicians and patients must make treatment decisions at a series of key decision points throughout disease progression. A dynamic treatment regime is a set of sequential decision rules that return treatment decisions based on accumulating patient information, like that commonly found in electronic medical record (EMR) data. When applied to a patient population, an optimal treatment regime leads to the most favorable outcome on average. Identifying optimal treatment regimes that maximize residual life is especially desirable for patients with life-threatening diseases such as sepsis, a complex medical condition that involves severe infections with organ dysfunction. We introduce the residual life value estimator (ReLiVE), an estimator for the expected value of cumulative restricted residual life under a fixed treatment regime. Building on ReLiVE, we present a method for estimating an optimal treatment regime that maximizes expected cumulative restricted residual life. Our proposed method, ReLiVE-Q, conducts estimation via the backward induction algorithm Q-learning. We illustrate the utility of ReLiVE-Q in simulation studies, and we apply ReLiVE-Q to estimate an optimal treatment regime for septic patients in the intensive care unit using EMR data from the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring Intensive Care database. Ultimately, we demonstrate that ReLiVE-Q leverages accumulating patient information to estimate personalized treatment regimes that optimize a clinically meaningful function of residual life.
Global, regional and national epidemiology of alopecia areata: a systematic review and modelling study
Authors: Jeon Jae Joon , Jung Seung-Won , Kim You Hyun , Parisi Rosa , Lee Ju Yeong , Kim Myung Ha , Lee Won-Soo , Lee Solam
Published: February 2024

Background

Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that leads to a high psychiatric, economic and systemic disease burden. A comprehensive understanding of AA epidemiology is essential for evaluating healthcare source utilization; however, a systematic approach to summarizing epidemiological data on AA is lacking.

Objectives

To investigate systematically the global, regional and national incidence and prevalence of AA.

Methods

A structured search was conducted using the databases MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, SciELO and Korean Journal Database from their date of inception to 4 October 2023. Studies that reported the prevalence or incidence of AA were included. We used a Bayesian hierarchical linear mixed model to analyse prevalence estimates. The primary outcomes of our study were the global, regional and national prevalence of physician-diagnosed AA for the overall population, for adults and for children. The incidence data were summarized descriptively.

Results

In total, 88 studies from 28 countries were included in the analysis. The reported incidence of AA tended to be higher in adults aged 19–50 years, and this trend was consistent with its estimated prevalence. The reported prevalence in overall populations tended to be higher in men vs. women. The estimated lifetime prevalence rate of AA was 0.10% [95% credible interval (CrI) 0.03–0.39] in the general population worldwide, 0.12% (95% CrI 0.02–0.52) in adults and 0.03% (95% CrI 0.01–0.12) in children. The estimated prevalence of AA was highest in the Asian region and lowest in the African region.

Conclusions

In this study, 48% of the Global Burden of Disease regions had insufficient data on the prevalence or incidence of AA. Further studies are needed to provide epidemiological information on middle- and low-income countries. Our study may serve as a crucial reference in terms of healthcare policy decisions.
Imagine there is no paperwork… it’s easy if you try
Authors: Martín-Noguerol Teodoro , López-Úbeda Pilar , Luna Antonio
Published: February 2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI) applied to radiology is so vast that it provides applications ranging from becoming a complete replacement for radiologists (a potential threat) to an efficient paperwork-saving time assistant (an evident strength). Nowadays, there are AI applications developed to facilitate the diagnostic process of radiologists without directly influencing (or replacing) the proper diagnostic decision step. These tools may help to reduce administrative workload, in different scenarios ranging from assisting in scheduling, study prioritization, or report communication, to helping with patient follow-up, including recommending additional exams. These are just a few of the highly time-consuming tasks that radiologists have to deal with every day in their routine workflow. These tasks hinder the time that radiologists should spend evaluating images and caring for patients, which will have a direct and negative impact on the quality of reports and patient attention, increasing the delay and waiting list of studies pending to be performed and reported. These types of AI applications should help to partially face this worldwide shortage of radiologists.
A neuroanatomical and cognitive model of impaired social behaviour in frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Rouse Matthew A , Binney Richard J , Patterson Karalyn , Rowe James B , Lambon Ralph Matthew A
Published: February 2024

Impaired social cognition is a core deficit in frontotemporal dementia (FTD). It is most commonly associated with the behavioural-variant of FTD, with atrophy of the orbitofrontal and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Social cognitive changes are also common in semantic dementia, with atrophy centred on the anterior temporal lobes. The impairment of social behaviour in FTD has typically been attributed to damage to the orbitofrontal cortex and/or temporal poles and/or the uncinate fasciculus that connects them. However, the relative contributions of each region are unresolved.

In this review, we present a unified neurocognitive model of controlled social behaviour that not only explains the observed impairment of social behaviours in FTD, but also assimilates both consistent and potentially contradictory findings from other patient groups, comparative neurology and normative cognitive neuroscience. We propose that impaired social behaviour results from damage to two cognitively- and anatomically-distinct components. The first component is social-semantic knowledge, a part of the general semantic-conceptual system supported by the anterior temporal lobes bilaterally. The second component is social control, supported by the orbitofrontal cortex, medial frontal cortex and ventrolateral frontal cortex, which interacts with social-semantic knowledge to guide and shape social behaviour.
Alteration of functional connectivity network in population of objectively-defined subtle cognitive decline
Authors: Zhang Xinyi , Zeng Qingze , Wang Yanbo , Jin Yu , Qiu Tiantian , Li Kaicheng , Luo Xiao , Wang Shuyue , Xu Xiaopei , Liu Xiaocao , Zhao Shuai , Li Zheyu , Hong Luwei , Li Jixuan , Zhong Siyan , Zhang Tianyi , Huang Peiyu , Zhang Baorong , Zhang Minming , Chen Yanxing
Published: February 2024

The objectively-defined subtle cognitive decline individuals had higher progression rates of cognitive decline and pathological deposition than healthy elderly, indicating a higher risk of progressing to Alzheimer’s disease. However, little is known about the brain functional alterations during this stage. Thus, we aimed to investigate the functional network patterns in objectively-defined subtle cognitive decline cohort. Forty-two cognitive normal, 29 objectively-defined subtle cognitive decline and 55 mild cognitive impairment subjects were included based on neuropsychological measures from the Alzheimer’s disease Neuroimaging Initiative dataset. Thirty cognitive normal, 22 objectively-defined subtle cognitive declines and 48 mild cognitive impairment had longitudinal MRI data. The degree centrality and eigenvector centrality for each participant were calculated by using resting-state functional MRI. For cross-sectional data, analysis of covariance was performed to detect between-group differences in degree centrality and eigenvector centrality after controlling age, sex and education. For longitudinal data, repeated measurement analysis of covariance was used for comparing the alterations during follow-up period among three groups. In order to classify the clinical significance, we correlated degree centrality and eigenvector centrality values to Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and cognitive function. The results of analysis of covariance showed significant between-group differences in eigenvector centrality and degree centrality in left superior temporal gyrus and left precuneus, respectively. Across groups, the eigenvector centrality value of left superior temporal gyrus was positively related to recognition scores in auditory verbal learning test, whereas the degree centrality value of left precuneus was positively associated with mini-mental state examination total score. For longitudinal data, the results of repeated measurement analysis of covariance indicated objectively-defined subtle cognitive decline group had the highest declined rate of both eigenvector centrality and degree centrality values than other groups. Our study showed an increased brain functional connectivity in objectively-defined subtle cognitive decline individuals at both local and global level, which were associated with Alzheimer’s disease pathology and neuropsychological assessment. Moreover, we also observed a faster declined rate of functional network matrix in objectively-defined subtle cognitive decline individuals during the follow-ups.
Magnetic resonance imaging of radiofrequency thalamotomy for tremor: what is it about?
Authors: Slavin Konstantin V
Published: February 2024

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Radiofrequency thalamotomy for tremor produces focused and predictable lesions shown on magnetic resonance images’, by Ishihara et al. (https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcad329).
Exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus increases subclinical inflammation mediated in part by obesity
Authors: Musumeci Andrea , McElwain Colm John , Manna Samprikta , McCarthy Fergus , McCarthy Cathal
Published: February 2024

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a frequent and serious complication of pregnancy, often associated with obesity. Metabolic dysfunction and metainflammation are evident in both obesity and GDM. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed at defining the direct contribution of the immune system in GDM, across the main metabolic tissues, specifically focussing on elucidating the roles of obesity and GDM to the clinical outcome. Using immunoassays and multicolour flow cytometry, cytokine profiles and immune cell frequencies were measured in maternal circulation and central metabolic tissues [placenta and visceral adipose tissue (VAT)] in GDM-diagnosed (n = 28) and normal glucose tolerant (n = 32) women undergoing caesarean section. Participants were sub-grouped as non-obese [body mass index (BMI) < 30 kg/m2] or obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). Unsupervised data analysis was performed on the flow cytometry data set to identify functional alterations. GDM obese participants had significantly elevated circulating IL-6 and IL-17A levels. GDM non-obese participants had elevated circulating IL-12p70, elevated placental IL-17A, and VAT IFN-γ production. Unsupervised clustering of immune populations across the three biological sites simultaneously, identified different NK- and T-cell phenotypes that were altered in NGT obese and GDM non-obese participants, while a classical tissue monocyte cluster was increased in GDM obese participants. In this study, there was significant evidence of subclinical inflammation, and significant alterations in clusters of NK cells, T cells, and tissue monocyte populations in GDM. While increased adiposity assimilates with increased inflammation in the non-pregnant state, this overt relationship may not be as evident during pregnancy and warrants further examination in future longitudinal studies.
Effective intercalation of [Ru(bpy)3]2+ into titania nanosheet films using bipyridinium analogs as intermediate guests
Authors: Oishi Ko , Sato Tatsuya , Saito Yusei , Koike Shuto , Shibuya Tamami , Umezawa Hibiki , Yui Tatsuto
Published: February 2024

The intercalation of a large photofunctional molecule, tris(bipyridine)ruthenium (II) ([Ru(bpy)3]2+), into titania nanosheet (TNS) films via a guest-exchange method was investigated using 6 bipyridinium analogs as intermediate guest (IG) molecules. The interlayer distance of the IG intercalated TNS films affects the subsequent ion-exchange reaction and the adsorption rate of [Ru(bpy)3]2+. The IG 3,3′-diethylbipyridinium (3-Etbpy2+) was as the most effective interlayer expansion molecule among the studied analogs.
Overwintering site selection and associated microclimates for the redbanded stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), a non-native pest of soybean
Authors: Paul Thomas G , Catchot Angus L , Musser Fred R , Chakrabarti Priyadarshini , Ward Samuel F
Published: February 2024

Cold winter temperatures govern the distribution and abundance of many insect species, but refugia that provide microclimates can moderate temperature-driven mortality. Winter temperatures have been implicated in limiting the survival and range of Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae; redbanded stink bug), an economically damaging invasive pest in the southeastern United States, but the role of refugia in overwintering survival of this pest is poorly understood. We conducted 2 studies in successive years to evaluate how leaf litter from hardwoods, pines, and soybeans modulate overwintering site selection and survival of P. guildinii. In the second-year study, we also quantified the buffering effect of the 3 leaf litter types compared to ambient conditions and assessed diapause. In the first-year study, we found that stink bugs preferentially dispersed into leaf litter compared with remaining unsheltered on bare soil; no clear preference among leaf litter types was found. In the second year, however, no clear differences were found among leaf litter types and bare soil. Means of daily minimum temperatures under leaf litter were at least 3.0 ± 0.9 °C (SE) warmer and generally less variable than ambient conditions. While high mortality in both studies illustrates that more work must be done to fully understand overwintering survival, limited survival through potentially lethal conditions in the first-year study nonetheless emphasizes the possibility of populations persisting and rebounding in the following spring. Furthermore, our study highlights the potential for stink bugs to persist in areas with lethal ambient temperatures by dispersing into widely available substrates.
A model to reduce tyrosine crystallization in Chinese fermented soybean curd by adjusting NaCl, ethanol and temperature during fermentation
Authors: Deng Jia , Yin Lijun , Yang Xi , Jia Xin
Published: February 2024

Objectives

White spots, mainly consisting of tyrosine, refer to small white particles that exist on the surface of mature Chinese fermented soybean curd or in the fermentation broth and have affected the appearance of Chinese fermented soybean curd.

Materials and Methods

The study determined the composition of the white spots throughout mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography and investigated the relationship between tyrosine content, amino acid nitrogen content, depth of the proteolysis index and protease activity to interpret the mechanism of white spot formation during fermentation.

Results

In this study, the results confirm that tyrosine accounts for 78.22% of the white spots. Excessive tyrosine content can promote the formation of white spots during fermentation. Free tyrosine content, amino acid nitrogen content, depth of the proteolysis index and protease activity during the fermentation process increased during fermentation. Correlation analysis results show that free tyrosine content was positively correlated with amino acid nitrogen content, depth of the proteolysis index and protease activity, which showed that the production of tyrosine is related to the degree of proteolysis. Solubility studies show that high concentrations of NaCl and ethanol affect the production of tyrosine and reduce its solubility, while the increase in temperature increases the solubility of tyrosine. Taking NaCl, ethanol and temperature as influencing factors, a mathematical model of tyrosine solubility was established.

Conclusion

This study lays the groundwork for understanding the mechanism of white spot formation during Chinese fermented soybean curd fermentation and provides solutions for controlling white spot formation.
Preserving What Matters: Longitudinal Changes in Control Over Interpersonal Stress and Noninterpersonal Stress in Daily Life
Authors: Cerino Eric S , Charles Susan T , Piazza Jennifer R , Rush Jonathan , Looper Ashley M , Witzel Dakota D , Mogle Jacqueline , Almeida David M
Published: February 2024

Objectives

Theoretical perspectives on aging suggest that when people experience declines in later life, they often selectively focus on maintaining aspects of their lives that are most meaningful and important to them. The social domain is one of these selected areas. The current study examines people’s reports of control over their daily stressors over 10 years, predicting that the declines in control that are often observed in later life will not be observed for stressors involving interpersonal conflict and tensions with social partners.

Methods

Adults ranging from 35 to 86 years old at baseline (N = 1,940), from the National Study of Daily Experiences, reported control over interpersonal and noninterpersonal daily stressors across 8 consecutive days at 2 time points, about 10 years apart.

Results

Findings from multilevel models indicate that for noninterpersonal stressors, perceived control decreased over time. In contrast, perceived control over interpersonal conflicts and tensions remained robust over time. No cross-sectional baseline age differences were found for levels of interpersonal and noninterpersonal stressor control.

Discussion

Results are consistent with socioemotional selectivity and underscore the importance of interpersonal relationships in later adulthood. Understanding how people select and preserve certain aspects of control in their daily life can help guide efforts toward maximizing gains and minimizing losses in domains that matter most to people as they grow older.
Near-source effects on DAS recording: implications for tap tests
Authors: Kennett B L N , Lai V H , Miller M S , Bowden D , Fichtner A
Published: February 2024

In the immediate vicinity of a source, there are strong gradients in the seismic wavefield that are tamed and modified in distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) recording due to combined effects of gauge-length averaging and local stacking on the local strain field. Close to a source broadside propagation effects are significant, and produce a characteristic impact on the local DAS channels. In the presence of topography, of surface or cable, additional effects are introduced that modify the expected signal. All these influences mean that the results of tap tests used to calibrate the channel positions along a DAS cable may give a distorted view of the actual geometry. Such effects can be important for detailed mapping of faulting processes and comparable features.
CarbDisMut: database on neutral and disease-causing mutations in human carbohydrate-binding proteins
Authors: Shanmugam N R Siva , Kulandaisamy A , Veluraja K , Gromiha M Michael
Published: February 2024

Protein-carbohydrate interactions are involved in several cellular and biological functions. Integrating structure and function of carbohydrate-binding proteins with disease-causing mutations help to understand the molecular basis of diseases. Although databases are available for protein-carbohydrate complexes based on structure, binding affinity and function, no specific database for mutations in human carbohydrate-binding proteins is reported in the literature. We have developed a novel database, CarbDisMut, a comprehensive integrated resource for disease-causing mutations with sequence and structural features. It has 1.17 million disease-associated mutations and 38,636 neutral mutations from 7,187 human carbohydrate-binding proteins. The database is freely available at https://web.iitm.ac.in/bioinfo2/carbdismut. The web-site is implemented using HTML, PHP and JavaScript and supports recent versions of all major browsers, such as Firefox, Chrome and Opera.
Discovering What Is Already Known: The Afro-Colombian Ancestral Justice System before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace
Authors: Bries Silva Nina
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT∞

For decades, Afro-Colombians have been ignored by Colombian society and its legal system. While the Colombian Constitution recognized the indigenous special jurisdiction, Afro-Colombian ancestral and traditional systems of justice were never acknowledged. The latter were further weakened by the armed internal conflict the country endured for more than half a century. In 2016, the Final Peace Agreement was signed and Colombia undertook its transitional justice process. This led for the first time to the recognition of the Afro-Colombian justice system as part of a transitional justice process. In conversation with an Afro-Colombian community leader of the Association of Community Councils of Norte Del Cauca, this article discusses the innovative interjurisdictional and intercultural mechanisms that have been designed by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace to interact with Afro-Colombians. It explores the implications of these legal developments for transitional justice in Colombia and beyond.
Health system performance assessment: embedding resilience through performance intelligence
Authors: Kringos Dionne , Ivanković Damir , Barbazza Erica , Klazinga Niek , Brito Fernandes Óscar
Published: February 2024

Health systems around the world are facing challenges in achieving their goals. In the wake of the coronavirus disease pandemic, the need for resilient health systems has become even more apparent. This article argues that embedding resilience into health system performance assessment (HSPA) frameworks can be a valuable approach for improving health system performance. This perspective examines key challenges threatening health systems and makes a case for the continued relevance of HSPA by embedding resilience-related performance intelligence.
Diagnosis-linked antibiotic prescribing quality indicators: demonstrating feasibility using practice-based routine primary care data, reliability, validity and their potential in antimicrobial stewardship
Authors: van den Eijnde Sharon E J D , van der Linden Paul D , van der Velden Alike W
Published: February 2024

Background

Quality indicators (QIs) can be used to obtain valuable insights into prescribing quality. Five quantitative and nine diagnosis-linked QIs, aiming to provide general practitioners (GP) with feedback on their antibiotic prescribing quantity and quality, were previously developed and evaluated in a controlled study.

Objective

To confirm, in a larger non-controlled study, the feasibility of using routinely collected and extracted electronic patient records to calculate the diagnosis-linked QI outcomes for antibiotic prescribing, and their reliability and validity.

Methods

Retrospective study involving 299 Dutch general practices using routine care data (2018–2020). QIs describe total antibiotic and subgroup prescribing, prescribing percentages and first-choice prescribing for several clinical diagnoses. Practice variation in QI outcomes, inter-QI outcome correlations and sensitivity of QI outcomes to pandemic-induced change were determined.

Results

QI outcomes were successfully obtained for 278/299 practices. With respect to reliability, outcomes for 2018 and 2019 were comparable, between-practice variation in outcomes was similar to the controlled pilot, and inter-QI outcome correlations were as expected, for example: high prescribing of second choice antibiotics with low first-choice prescribing for clinical diagnoses. Validity was confirmed by their sensitivity to pandemic-induced change: total antibiotic prescribing decreased from 282 prescriptions/1000 registered patients in 2018 to 216 in 2020, with a decrease in prescribing percentages for upper and lower respiratory infections, from 26% to 18.5%, and from 28% to 16%.

Conclusions

This study confirmed the fit-for-purpose (feasibility, reliability and validity) of the antibiotic prescribing QIs (including clinical diagnosis-linked ones) using routinely registered primary health care data as a source. This feedback can therefore be used in antibiotic stewardship programmes to improve GPs’ prescribing routines.
Evaluation of temocillin efficacy against KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in a hollow-fibre infection model
Authors: Rodríguez-Ochoa José Luis , Pérez-Palacios Patricia , Merino-Bohórquez Vicente , Ortiz-Padilla Miriam , Velázquez-Escudero Ana , Rodríguez-Baño Jesús , Rodríguez-Martínez José Manuel , Pascual Álvaro , Docobo-Pérez Fernando
Published: February 2024

Background

Temocillin is an old antimicrobial that is resistant to hydrolysis by ESBLs but has variable activity against carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. The current EUCAST susceptibility breakpoints for Enterobacterales are set at ≤16 mg/L (susceptible with increased exposure) based on a dose of 2 g q8h, but there is limited information on the efficacy of this dose against temocillin-susceptible carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates.

Objectives

To evaluate the efficacy of this dose using a hollow-fibre infection model (HFIM) against six KPC-2-producing clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae.

Methods

The isolates were characterized by WGS and temocillin susceptibility was determined using standard and high inoculum temocillin. Mutant frequencies were estimated and temocillin activity was tested in time–kill assays and in the HFIM. At standard conditions, three of the isolates were classified as susceptible (MIC ≤ 16 mg/L) and three as resistant (MIC > 16 mg/L). The HFIM was performed over 3 days to mimic human-like pharmacokinetics of 2 g q8h. Bacterial counts were performed by plating on Mueller–Hinton agar (MHA) and MHA containing 64 mg/L temocillin to detect resistant subpopulations.

Results

All isolates showed a reduction in bacterial population of at least 3 log cfu/mL within the first 8 h of simulated treatment in the hollow-fibre assay. Regrowth was observed for the three resistant isolates and one of the susceptible ones. The MIC value for these isolates was higher by at least two dilutions compared with their initial values.

Conclusions

These data suggest that an optimized pharmacokinetic regimen may be of clinical interest for the treatment of KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae susceptible to temocillin. These data showed activity of temocillin against KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae susceptible to temocillin; however, a dose of 2g q8h administered over 30 min may be inadequate to prevent the emergence of resistant variants.
Differential in vitro susceptibility to ampicillin/ceftriaxone combination therapy among Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis clinical isolates
Authors: Westbrook Kevin J , Chilambi Gayatri Shankar , Stellfox Madison E , Nordstrom Hayley R , Li Yanhong , Iovleva Alina , Shah Niyati H , Jones Chelsea E , Kline Ellen G , Squires Kevin M , Miller William R , Tran Truc T , Arias Cesar A , Doi Yohei , Shields Ryan K , Van Tyne Daria
Published: February 2024

Objectives

To investigate the genomic diversity and β-lactam susceptibilities of Enterococcus faecalis collected from patients with infective endocarditis (IE).

Methods

We collected 60 contemporary E. faecalis isolates from definite or probable IE cases identified between 2018 and 2021 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. We used whole-genome sequencing to study bacterial genomic diversity and employed antibiotic checkerboard assays and a one-compartment pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model to investigate bacterial susceptibility to ampicillin and ceftriaxone both alone and in combination.

Results

Genetically diverse E. faecalis were collected, however, isolates belonging to two STs, ST6 and ST179, were collected from 21/60 (35%) IE patients. All ST6 isolates encoded a previously described mutation upstream of penicillin-binding protein 4 (pbp4) that is associated with pbp4 overexpression. ST6 isolates had higher ceftriaxone MICs and higher fractional inhibitory concentration index values for ampicillin and ceftriaxone (AC) compared to other isolates, suggesting diminished in vitro AC synergy against this lineage. Introduction of the pbp4 upstream mutation found among ST6 isolates caused increased ceftriaxone resistance in a laboratory E. faecalis isolate. PK/PD testing showed that a representative ST6 isolate exhibited attenuated efficacy of AC combination therapy at humanized antibiotic exposures.

Conclusions

We find evidence for diminished in vitro AC activity among a subset of E. faecalis IE isolates with increased pbp4 expression. These findings suggest that alternate antibiotic combinations against diverse contemporary E. faecalis IE isolates should be evaluated.