bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Safety risk assessment of edible fungi
Authors: Li Jiajun , Zhuang Qianqian , Shi Kaiyuan , Rong Rong
Published: August 2024

Edible fungi are a typical type of food microorganism, hold significant nutritive value and are considered valuable resources. However, ensuring the safety of these fungi is a crucial concern that must not be underestimated, encompassing both food safety and human health. Tackling this issue is paramount to safeguarding consumer wellbeing and upholding the integrity of the edible fungi industry. The safety risk assessment of edible fungi encompasses numerous facets, and a variety of technical approaches are applied to these areas. For instance, Convolutional Neural Networks and Spectroscopy technology have been utilized to identify the species of edible fungi to ascertain their suitability for human consumption. Bioinformatics methods, such as transcriptome data mining and gene sequencing, have been employed to identify toxic substances and pathogenic microorganisms present in edible fungi, thereby mitigating the risk of food poisoning. Atomic absorption spectroscopy has been employed to assess the heavy metal content in edible fungi, effectively preventing excessive intake of heavy metals by the human body. This paper offers a comprehensive review of the research advancements in safety risk assessment of edible fungi, covering various facets such as edible fungi species identification, toxicity assessment, microbiological safety evaluation, and heavy metal detection. It offers valuable insights for evaluating safety issues related to edible fungi and furnishes theoretical underpinning for mitigating risks of edible fungi poisoning and other safety concerns.
SIRT1 inhibitor EX-527 inhibits ventricular arrhythmias by selectively reducing late Na+ current in mice ventricular myocytes
Authors: Ma Guolan , Liu Zhijie , Zhang Min , Luo Antao
Published: August 2024

A significant aspect in causing arrhythmia in some pathological situations (e.g., myocardial ischemia, heart failure, etc.) is an increase in late sodium current (INaL) in ventricular myocytes; reduction of INaL is a novel target for heart failure therapy. Deacetylase SIRT1 has a variety of cardioprotective effects, but whether it exerts antiarrhythmic effects by inhibiting INaL remains to be studied. In previous experiments, it was found that SRT2104, a specific agonist of SIRT1, could inhibit INaL and ventricular arrhythmias induced by anemone toxin (ATX II). Furthermore, EX-527, a specific inhibitor of SIRT1, was used for the verification experiment, and it was found that EX-527 could also inhibit INaL, but there was no study of INaL by EX-527. In this study, whole-cell patch clamp technique and in vivo electrocardiogram recording were used to investigate the effect and mechanism of EX-527 (10 μM) on INaL in pathologically enlarged mouse ventricular myocytes such as ATX II (2 nM) or heart failure. The following are the study’s main findings: (1) EX-527 inhibited the ATX II-enhanced INaL (Fig. 1 A, B); (2) The inhibition of ATX II-enhanced INaL by EX-527 is stronger than that by SRT2104 (Fig. 1 C, E); (3) A combined inhibition of CaMKII and PKC nearly completely eliminated the effect of EX-527 to inhibit ATX II-enhanced INaL (Fig. 2); (4) EX-527 inhibited the TACenhanced INaL (Fig. 3); (5) EX-527 ended the protracted APD and got rid of all EADs brought on by ATX II (Fig. 4); (6) EX-527 dramatically decreased the frequency and length of ATX II-induced VT and VF (Fig. 5).
Prognostic Value and Immunoregulatory Mechanism of BNIP3L/Nix in Breast Cancer
Authors: Yang Nicole Xinyu
Published: August 2024

BNIP3L/Nix, a crucial receptor for mitochondrial autophagy, is instrumental in the clearance of impaired mitochondria and the regulation of human immune-related disorders, with a notable impact on oncological diseases. Despite its importance, the precise function and underlying mechanisms of BNIP3L/Nix in breast cancer have not been fully elucidated. The objective of this research is to assess the prognostic significance of BNIP3L/Nix in breast cancer and to examine its relationship with the immune system's involvement. Materials and Methods: By leveraging datasets from several public databases, including Kaplan- Meier Plotter, ONCOMINE, GEPIA, and PrognoSan, we dissected the expression patterns and prognostic implications of BNIP3L/Nix in breast cancer. Furthermore, we scrutinized the link between BNIP3L/Nix expression and the presence of immune cells in breast cancer using the TIMER2.0 and GEPIA databases. Results: Our data analysis indicated that breast cancer tissues exhibited a notably higher expression of BNIP3L/Nix than their normal counterparts. Additional findings suggested that patients with elevated BNIP3L/Nix expression had improved survival outcomes and more favorable prognoses. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was identified between the expression of BNIP3L/Nix and the infiltration of diverse immune cell types within breast cancer, encompassing B cells, CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells. These correlations were substantiated by the verification of immune cell-specific molecular markers. Conclusion: The research underscores the prognostic potential of BNIP3L/Nix in breast cancer, with its expression level being intimately connected to the immune cell infiltration. This discovery offers novel perspectives and potential targets for breast cancer immunotherapy.
Effect of asbestos cement contamination in irrigation water on physiological and germination parameters of Trifolium pratense and Solanum lycopersicum seeds
Authors: Macher Gergely Zoltán , Beke Dóra
Published: August 2024

This study aims to examine the plant stress responses induced by the water transport of matrix materials from the eroded and degraded asbestos cement materials. The paper includes a general assessment of the exposure and risk factors of the plant-water-soil system to asbestos cement products. Furthermore, the results of the experimental analysis provide empirical support for the plant stress response results according to the physiological and germination parameters of the tested plants. The background to the topic is that the contamination of irrigation water by asbestos cement raises serious environmental concerns, with toxicity to plants and soil contamination potentially having negative consequences for vegetation health and soil quality. In the presence of asbestos in water, plants are exposed to toxic stress, which can inhibit photosynthesis and nutrient uptake, but can also affect germination processes. The growth, reproduction and flourishing of plants also be at risk, as asbestos has adverse effects on cell division and metabolism. In addition, environmental stress can make plants more susceptible to disease and insect attack. This paper analysed the effects of pre-set dose concentrations of irrigation water containing asbestos cement matrix on the germination and physiological parameters of Trifolium pratense and Solanum lycopersicum in a germination experiment. The research area of the paper was influenced by the lack of minimum international practice, standards, and methodology. Therefore, the used methodology provides an opportunity for methodological development. The results can be used as a situation analysis for environmental plant protection and analytical professionals.
Assessment of soil erosion through spatial analyzing of soil properties using statistical-based functions
Authors: Kariminejad Narges , Shafaie Vahid , Movahedi Rad Majid
Published: August 2024

The significant geomorphological hazard of collapsed cavities (CC) causes notable environmental transformations. To address this issue, the pipe collapse pattern was examined using two statistical methods, the Density Correlation Function (DCF) and the Mark Coloration Function (MCF). Key predictor variables like organic carbon (OC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) were utilized to comprehend their impact on spatial distribution over time. The study was found that lower OC levels increase susceptibility to CC, while higher SAR and ESP amounts enhance the potential for collapsed cavities. The methodology and discoveries of this research can offer valuable insights for land managers, stakeholders, and researchers.
Exploring disparities in the generation of food waste from a spatial and sustainability perspective
Authors: Zseni Anikó , Horváth András , Macher Gergely Zoltán , Pécsinger Judit , Sipos Dóra
Published: August 2024

In the near future, food production will encounter numerous challenges. The world’s population, per capita intake of calories, protein, and cereals is growing, and expected to continue increasing in the future. According to the World Resources Institute, feeding 9-10 billion people by 2050 will require a 70% increase in food calorie compared to 2006 levels. The expansion of crop and livestock production, the increasing use of fertilisers and pesticides at global level, and the growing adoption of precision farming methods may not be appropriate in the light of problems such as soil degradation, the impact of climate change on yields, the depletion of fish stocks and the reduction of arable land per capita in certain areas. Mitigation of food waste can be a possible way to sustainable food supply but it alone cannot solve the problem. The paper focuses on examining disparities in the generation of food waste from a spatial and sustainability perspective within EU-countries. Data related to food waste and various environmental, social and economic indicators are collected for EU countries. Correlation between these parameters is investigated to find possible connections. Cluster analysis is applied to food waste data to find the groups of countries with similar characteristics. The distribution of environmental, economical, and social parameters is calculated for these groups, and statistical methods are applied to investigate their differences.
Citrus flavonoids (naringin and hesperidin) as functional ingredients in dairy products
Authors: Chandimala UR , Ajtony Zsolt , Sik Beatrix
Published: August 2024

Recently, the development of functional foods enriched with plant phenolic compounds attracted the attention of researchers due to their favorable health properties. Naringin (NAR) and hesperidin (HES) are two main bioflavonoids available in high concentrations in citrus (CTS) fruits, including juice processing by-products like peel, membranes, and seeds. In general, NAR and HES offer potential health benefits in various diseases including diabetes mellitus, certain types of cancer, and obesity. However, to take advantage of the benefits of flavonoids in CTS, researchers must consider various factors since the development of enriched food is valueless if the bioactive compounds are not stable in the food matrix or are not absorbed appropriately throughout the digestive system. This study presents the sensory, physicochemical, and organoleptic properties of CTS-enriched dairy products produced by different technologies. This paper also includes the extraction methods, encapsulation technologies, and beneficial effects of NAR and HES. Overall, results supported that incorporating HES and NAR improves the antioxidant properties and, in some cases, the consumer acceptance of dairy products. In the future, the application of encapsulation technologies will probably come to the fore in the functional food industry, since encapsulation is used to mask unpleasant feelings during eating, such as the bitter taste of CTS flavonoids.
Effect of dietary butyrate supplementation on the production performance and parasitology of growing rabbits
Authors: Demeter Csongor , Demeter-Jeremiás Anett , Német Zoltán , Sándor Máté , Mayer András , Gerencsér Zsolt , Juráskó Róbert , Húth Balázs , Matics Zsolt
Published: August 2024

The effect of a dietary butyrate supplementation on the production of fattening rabbits was examined. The control group (n=70 rabbits) was fed with granulated diet whereas the diet of butyrate group (n=70 rabbit) was supplemented with 0.2% of butyrate. The mortality rate was examined on a larger population (n=1050 rabbits/group). Butyrate group had lower weight gain at the ages of 46-52 and 60-66 days (-20 and 17 %, respectively; P>0.001) but higher weight gain at 53-59 days of age (+13%; P<0.05). Butyrate group consumed less feed than the control group between 38-45, 46-52 and 60-66 days (-2.4%, P<0.001; -5.7%, P<0.01; -4.9%, P<0.05, respectively). The feed conversion ratio of the butyrate group was worse between 46-52 days of age (+19%; P<0.01) but favourable at the ages of 53-59 and 67-73 days (-15% and -9%, respectively; P<0.05). Concerning the whole fattening period the weight gain, the feed intake and the feed conversion ratio of the groups did not differ. In the larger examined population, 4.0% and 6.3 % mortality was observed in the control and butyrate groups, respectively. The parasitological tests resulted only negative samples independently of groups. It can be concluded that dietary butyrate supplementation has not improved the performance of the growing rabbits.
Examinations on the cultivated bacteria from the drinking water system of a healthcare building
Authors: Miseta Roland , Gregosits Dalma , Kiss Csaba , Zseni Anikó
Published: August 2024

The aim of our research was the identification of nosocomial pathogens found in the internal drinking water network of healthcare facilities which can cause infections in hospitals. In this study, the composition of bacterial communities from the internal water network of a health institution in Győr (Hungary) was examined using standard culturebased methods. Identification of the bacterial isolates was performed using Analytical Profile Index (API). Members of 13 bacterial taxa were recovered from a multi-storey healthcare institution. 10 species were identified via API20E and API20NE testing, out of which isolates of generaAeromonas, Pseudomonas andSphingomonaswere found in the highest proportion on different media. These bacteria can cause nosocomial infections in clinical environments, leading to serious illnesses mainly in patients, as they may have multiresistance genes. In addition,Legionellaspecies were also identified in the water samples, which are also known to be nosocomial pathogens, since they can be spread with aerosols in hospital environments and can cause severe respiratory diseases in immunocompromised individuals.
Experimental study on scour at unpaved road shoulder
Authors: Widiyanto Wahyu , Dey Litan , Purnomo Sanidhya Nika , Santoso Purwanto Bekti , Sugiharto Srigunawan
Published: August 2024

Scour is often found along the shoulder of the road, especially the shoulder without pavement in suburban and rural areas. This can reduce the function of the road shoulder and increase the risk of traffic accidents. The mechanism and form of scour have not been widely discussed and need to be studied to improve road safety aspects. This study aims to investigate scour occurrence along the unpaved road shoulders. An experiment was conducted in the laboratory by creating a physical model to simulate the scouring process at unpaved road shoulder. The laboratory test used varying rainfall intensities, slopes, and sediment diameters. Results show that the scour depths are influenced significantly by those three factors. Scour depths resulting in 25% longitudinal slope is around twice deeper than these in 0% longitudinal slope. The scour depth in border between the paved road lane and the unpaved road shoulder is deeper than other part of the shoulder. It shows that the location is a susceptible-part to scouring.
Real-World Experience of First-Line Osimertinib in EGFR Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers from a Tertiary Cancer Center, India
Authors: Tiwari Atul , Singh Ajay Kumar , Noronha Vanita , Patil Vijay M. , Menon Nandini , Shah Minit J. , Shah Darshit , Jobanputra Kunal , Trikha Mehak , Ubharay Ahmad , Yadav Shashikant , Majumdar Anuradha , Chandrani Pratik , Kumar Rajiv K. , Pai Trupti , Janu Amit , Purandare Nilendu , Prabhash Kumar
Published: August 2024

Osimertinib is approved in the first line in patients with mutations in the sensitive gene epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation. There is lack of real-world evidence to illustrate the effectiveness and safety of osimertinib that can reflect the current medical practice especially in resource-constrained setting. A total of 129 patients with histology-proven metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR mutation registered at Tata Memorial Hospital between from March 2018 and May 2023 were analyzed. The parameters studied included demographics, outcomes, safety analysis, and secondary mutations. Most common EGFR mutation was exon 19 deletion 58.9% followed by EGFR exon 21 L858R 39.5% and others 1.5%. The overall median progression-free survival was 21.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 16.0–58.1) and median overall survival was 31 months (95% CI: 17.8–45). The median duration of response was 21.3 months (95% CI: 17.1–25.5). Of 129 patients, 77.5% had partial response (PR), 10.1% had stable disease (SD), and 6.2% patients had progressive disease (PD) as the first best response with overall disease control rate was 87.2%. In patients with baseline central nervous system disease, 8.9% had complete response, 75.5% had PR and 8.9% had SD, and 2.2% had PD as best response. The overall intracranial response rate was 84.4% and disease control was 93.3%. Skin toxicities (27.1%) and gastrointestinal toxicities (17%) were most frequently observed toxicities. Overall, 63 patients had progression of disease on osimertinib. Subsequently, 58.7% (n = 37) patients received second line of therapy and 27% (n = 17) patients received third line of therapy. Platinum-based combination chemotherapy was the most common subsequent treatment after progression on osimertinib. Repeat biopsy was done in 33 patients (52.3%) and next-generation sequencing was done in 30 patients (47.6%). The most common resistance alteration detected was TP53 in 30% cases followed by mesenchymal epithelial transition (MET) amplification which was seen in 20% cases. Our study confirms similar efficacy and safety of osimertinib as first-line treatment of mutated non-small cell lung cancer in real-world setting irrespective of the type of common EGFR mutation and similar intracranial activity as well.
EndoFLIP Use in De Novo and Revisional Foregut Surgery
Authors: Colvin Jennifer S. , Imbus Joseph , Wadhwa Neha
Published: August 2024

EndoFLIP technology, utilizing impedance planimetry, has revolutionized the assessment of gastrointestinal sphincters by providing real-time measurements of cross-sectional area and pressure to calculate distensibility. This review explores its application in de novo and revisional foregut surgeries. Preoperatively, EndoFLIP has demonstrated efficacy in evaluating gastroesophageal reflux disease, hiatal hernia, and esophageal motility disorders, including achalasia, by distinguishing motility patterns and identifying sphincter incompetence. In gastroparesis, EndoFLIP's measurement of pyloric distensibility correlates with gastric emptying and symptom severity, guiding therapeutic decisions for pyloric interventions. Intraoperatively, EndoFLIP optimizes surgical outcomes in antireflux procedures, such as fundoplication and hiatal hernia repairs, by balancing effective reflux control with minimizing postoperative complications like dysphagia and gas bloat. For esophageal myotomy, including Heller myotomy and per oral endoscopic myotomy, EndoFLIP ensures adequate sphincter relaxation, reducing reflux risks. Additionally, during endoscopic pyloromyotomy for gastroparesis, EndoFLIP predicts clinical success by assessing postprocedural distensibility. While promising, further research is essential to establish standardized intraoperative protocols and ideal measurement targets, enhancing the reproducibility and accuracy of EndoFLIP applications. Overall, EndoFLIP offers a significant advancement in foregut surgery, improving diagnostic precision and therapeutic outcomes.
Low-Compared with High-Dose Regimen of Induction Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Kurniawan Andree , Cahyanur Rahmat , Giselvania Angela , Tancherla Angeline , Wijovi Felix , Halim Devina Adella , Sari Chandra , Amelia Devi Astri Rivera , Djatnika Deden , Nasution Muhammad Arman , Siregar Nia Novianti , Dewi Ni Putu Merlynda Pusvita , Noor Muhammad Nanda , Purlikasari Nugraheny Prasasti , Sinurat Julfreser , Sugianto Galuh Chandra Kirana , Sitompul Yohana , Kurniawan Robby , Wisman Beta Agustia , Syarifuddin Faisal , Ardian Ardi
Published: August 2024

Introduction International recommendation supports induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) as a new standard of care for locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer (LA-NPC) which give a survival benefit. TPF is one of the IC regimens which consists of docetaxel (75 mg/m2, 1 hour infusion), cisplatin (75 mg/m2, 0.5–3 hours), and 5-fluorouracil (600 mg/m2, 4 days). Previous retrospective study in Chinese population reported low-dose TPF (L-TPF), consists of docetaxel (60 mg/m2), cisplatin (65 mg/m2), and then 5-fluorouracil (550 mg/m2/d; 5 days), showed better tolerance and compliance rates, with similar efficacy to high-dose TPF (H-TPF). Thus, we aim to evaluate the current evidence of the effect of L-TPF compared with H-TPF on survival and tolerance as IC in LA-NPC.

Methods Data were collected from PubMed, PubMed Central, and Science Direct, using combinations of keywords related to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) or IC, TPF dose regimen, and LA-NPC. The included studies investigated the efficacy and toxicity of IC with a TPF regimen. The quality of each included study was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa scale for cohort studies and the JADAD scale for randomized controlled trial (RCT). Only moderate- and good-quality studies were further evaluated in the meta-analysis.

Results A total of six studies consisting of 509 NAC patients were included. All the studies evaluated overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Quantitative analysis showed that L-TPF + CCRT significantly showed good OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.33–0.76; p = 0.001) but not PFS (HR = 0.45; 95% CI, 0.16–1.25; p = 0.13). Common chemotoxicities that were found in both groups were neutropenia and anemia.

Conclusion L-TPF IC had a significant positive effect on the survival of LA-NPC patients. Further, larger multicenter RCT studies are needed to focus on evaluating the optimal TPF regimen dose in LA-NPC.
Assessing input efficiencies of specialised milk farms in the EU by using a non-radial DEA approach
Authors: Miran Bülent
Published: August 2024

Context The reduced utilisation of inputs in milk production holds significant importance from both sustainability and profitability perspectives. Aim This study examines the efficiencies of each input separately utilised in specialised milk farms across the European Union (EU) countries and explores the factors that influence input efficiencies by using non-radial data envelopment analysis (DEA) model with Russell measure method. Methods Data from the dairy report of the EU milk-specialised farms compiled by the European Commission (EC) and the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) covering the period from 2013 to 2020 were analysed. The study employed a DEA model to assess efficiency, with a focus on energy, labour, dairy cows, homegrown feed, purchased feed, and operating costs. Key results Ireland, Italy, Malta, and the Netherlands demonstrated full efficiency across various aspects of milk production, highlighting their exemplary performance in resource utilisation within the EU. Furthermore, the study identified significant potential for efficiency improvements across the EU countries, with potential reductions ranging from 48.8% to 65.616% in various input usage categories. Conclusions The analysis underscored the importance of improving input efficiency to enhance competitiveness in the dairy sector. Implications As milk prices and economic performance improve, specialised milk farms tend to become more efficient in managing operating expenses. However, expanding the land area for forage may lead to diminishing returns in resource efficiency, indicating complex interactions and trade-offs affecting input efficiency.
Thermal quantum correlations and disorder in a fermionic system described by the extended Fermi–Hubbard-like model
Authors: Essakhi Mohamed , Mansour Mostafa
Published: August 2024

This research investigates thermal quantum correlations in a fermionic system modeled using an extended Fermi–Hubbard-like model. We examine the impacts of noisy temperature, local chemical potential, and nearest-neighbor interaction. The Fermi–Hubbard model provides a framework for understanding fermion interactions in a lattice and shows potential for simulating fermionic systems with superconducting circuits in quantum simulation. Using the Jordan–Wigner transformation, we convert the fermionic system into a qubit system, bridging quantum information and particle physics. Thermal entanglement is assessed using concurrence measurement, while thermal quantum correlations are measured through trace distance discord and local quantum uncertainty. Our findings indicate that increasing temperature causes disorder, negatively affecting quantum entanglement and correlations. However, by adjusting the nearest-neighbor interaction strength and local potential, we can mitigate thermal noise effects, enhancing correlations and entanglement. Selecting appropriate parameters can ensure the system’s potential for quantum technology development.
Crystal growth, structure and crystal field splitting and fitting of Yb:GdScO3
Authors: Li 李 Jia-Hong 加红 , Zhang 张 Qing-Li 庆礼 , Sun 孙 Gui-Hua 贵花 , Gao 高 Jin-Yun 进云 , Dou 窦 Ren-Qin 仁勤 , Wang 王 Xiao-Fei 小飞 , Ding 丁 Shou-Jun 守军
Published: August 2024

A good quality (5 at.% Yb:GdScO3) single crystal of Φ30 mm × 37 mm was grown successfully by the Czochralski method. Its structure is studied by the x-ray diffraction (XRD), and its atomic coordinates are obtained by Rietveld refinement. The crystal field energy level splitting of Yb3+ in GdScO3 is determined by employing the absorption and photoluminescence spectra at 8 K. Only 2F7/2(4) is far from the ground state 2F7/2(1) by 710 cm−1 among the crystal field energy levels split from 2F7/2, so it is more easier to realize the laser operation of 2F5/2(1)→2F7/2(4) with wavelength 1060 nm. The spin–orbit coupling parameters and intrinsic crystal field parameters (CFPs). The intrinsic crystal field parameters

B
¯

k

(k = 2, 4, 6) of the crystal were fitted by the superposition model. The CFPs evaluated with

B
¯

k

and coordination factor are taken as the initial parameters to fit the crystal field energy levels of the crystal, and the crystal field parameters

B
q
k

are obtained finally with the root-mean-square deviation 9 cm−1. It is suggested that the ligand point charge, covalency and overlap interaction are slightly weaker than charge interpenetration and coulomb exchange interaction for Yb3+ in GdScO3. The obtained Hamiltonian parameters can be used to calculate crystal field energy levels and wave functions of Yb:GdScO3 to analyze the mechanism of the luminescence or laser.
Distraction impact of concurrent conversation on event-related potential based brain-computer interfaces
Authors: Kim Minju , Kim Sung-Phil
Published: August 2024

Objective. This study investigates the impact of conversation on the performance of visual event-related potential (ERP)-based brain–computer interfaces (BCIs), considering distractions in real life environment. The research aims to understand how cognitive distractions from speaking and listening activities affect ERP-BCI performance. Approach. The experiment employs a dual-task paradigm where participants control a smart light using visual ERP-BCIs while simultaneously conducting speaking or listening tasks. Main results. The findings reveal that speaking notably degrades BCI accuracy and the amplitude of ERP components, while increases the latency variability of ERP components and occipital alpha power. In contrast, listening and simple syllable repetition tasks have a lesser impact on these variables. The results suggest that speaking activity significantly distracts visual attentional processes critical for BCI operation Significance. This study highlights the need to take distractions by daily conversation into account of the design and implementation of ERP-BCIs.
Research on the synchronization technology of external clock based on gps timing
Authors: Gan Zhifeng
Published: August 2024

In practical applications, communication devices usually use communication message packets to synchronize time through electromagnetic wave transmission. However, due to complex external electromagnetic interference, communication equipment often encounter problems such as time synchronization errors, poor synchronization accuracy, and long synchronization periods through the above synchronization methods. Based on the wide application of GPS in daily life and production, this paper proposes a GPS-based external synchronization technology for communication equipment, which synchronizes the time within the entire network by synchronizing the communication equipment with GPS. The external clock synchronization hardware architecture is introduced, and the external synchronization process is explained in detail. Combined with the characteristics of clock drift, the Kalman filtering algorithm is introduced to track the clock drift. The external synchronization technology based on GPS timing has the advantages of high synchronization accuracy and fast synchronization speed.
Study on the adsorption properties of lysozyme by cellulose microspheres modified with reactive red 120
Authors: Song Yifei , Liang Xiaoyi
Published: August 2024

Microspheres of cellulose acetate, characterized by a multi-layered, uniform, and continuous porous structure, were synthesized through the process of emulsion evaporation. Subsequent deacetylation facilitated the modification of the cellulose microspheres’ surface, which was functionalized with Reactive Red 120, serving as an affinity dye ligand. This modification yielded a cationic adsorbent. The adsorptive behavior of lysozyme from aqueous solutions, with lysozyme designated as the target protein, was examined in relation to the effects of pH and ionic strength. The adsorptive capacity of the cellulose microspheres, modified with Reactive Red 120, for lysozyme was determined to be 106.57 mg g−1, exhibiting rapid equilibration within 40 min. The adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics were accurately described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir model, respectively, with correlation coefficients (R2) of 0.98 and 0.97. Furthermore, dynamic adsorption experiments revealed an enhanced adsorption capacity of 36.5 mg g−1, significantly surpassing that of the unmodified microspheres. The cellulose microspheres, derived from cellulose acetate and modified accordingly, are environmentally benign and sustainable, thereby holding significant promise for various biological applications.
Evaluation of wear resistance of CrN, CrAlN, and TiAlN coatings deposited by multi-arc ion plating on spinning die of Cr12MoV
Authors: Lin Rongchuan , Sun Shilong , You Bin , Dong Tianlei , Sui Yusheng , Wei Shasha
Published: August 2024

This study successfully deposited CrN, CrAlN, and TiAlN coatings on the surface of Cr12MoV substrate using multi-arc ion plating (MAIP). The influence of phase composition and surface morphology on the hardness, adhesion strength, friction performance, and wear mechanisms of these coatings was investigated, with a comparative analysis of their wear resistance. Nanoindentation results revealed that the hardness (H) of CrN, CrAlN, and TiAlN coatings increased by 70.37%, 74.97%, and 75.64%, respectively, compared to the substrate. The hardness (H) and elastic modulus (E) were found to be positively correlated. CrAlN demonstrated superior resistance to deformation, reflected in its higher H/E and H
3
/E
2 radios compared to the CrN and TiAlN. Adhesion tests showed that CrAlN had the strongest adhesion strength to the substrate, with an adhesion force of 81.55 N, representing a 14.78% and 8.46% improvement over CrN and TiAlN, respectively. Friction and wear tests identified CrAlN as having the lowest friction coefficient (0.389), attributed to its high hardness and strong adhesion. The wear mechanisms of CrAlN observed were primarily mild abrasive wear, oxidative wear, and adhesive wear. In comparison, CrN and TiAlN coatings exhibited higher friction coefficients of 0.424 and 0.391, respectively, due to their lower hardness and adhesion, which led to more severe oxidative and abrasive wear. Additionally, the TiAlN coating showed signs of brittle failure in wear scars, likely due to the formation of Al2O3 oxides during wear.
Validating locational marginal emissions models with wind generation
Authors: Steinsultz Nat , Christian Pierre , Cofield Joel , McCormick Gavin , Sofia Sarah
Published: August 2024

Increasingly large amounts of electric supply and load are being deliberately operated or sited on the basis of marginal emissions factor (MEF) models. Validating and calibrating such models is therefore of growing policy importance. This paper uses a natural experiment involving variation in relative changes in wind generation potential at wind farms in the ERCOT power grid to create a benchmark MEF and examine the relative accuracy of several common classes of short term MEF models. This work focuses on MEFs at the level of a few individual generating nodes, a much smaller geographic scale than the Balancing Authority (BA) or load zone. Additionally, the use of wind generation potential as a regressor allows us to factor in wind curtailment, in contrast to previous work. We evaluate multiple prevalent existing MEF models and find that both dispatch and statistical MEF models have a high degree of agreement with the benchmark MEF, while heat rate and average emissions do not. We also find that the emissions reduction benefits of optimizing electricity with MEFs using a geographically granular model instead of a BA-wide model are 1.4, 1.3 and 1.5 times larger for dispatch, statistical and heat rate models, respectively.
Catullus within the Ancient Lyric Tradition
Authors: Oade Stephanie
Published: August 2024

Chapter 2 offers an overview of the ancient lyric ‘genre’, from archaic lyric songs through lyric song in Attic drama to subversive Hellenistic experimentations, in order to position Catullus within an ancient lyric consciousness. The discussions focus on certain familiar attributes and concepts that often feature in studies of the lyric genre and that are relevant to a study of Catullus’s voice, in particular ideas of performance, performativity, and the role of the audience in interpreting and appropriating the words, as well as ideas of voice (whether that is the seemingly personal first-person ego of the archaic monodic singers or the communal voice of choral song). The chapter also explores lyric’s potential for exploiting shifts in temporality, persona, and perspective and the effect this has on the audience.
Music and Lyric
Authors: Oade Stephanie
Published: August 2024

Chapter 4 turns to the music associated with Catullus’s poetry. After a brief discussion of the nature of lyric poetry’s relationship with music, there is an overview of the reception of classical texts and classical mythology in musical compositions, particularly musical compositions of the twentieth century, focusing on music of the twentieth century that features the poetry of Catullus. An overview of this volume’s four case studies by Ned Rorem, Alan Rawsthorne, Carl Orff, and Strauss–Hofmannsthal is offered and each work is contextualized in relation to the wider field of musical reception. These new works change our relationship with Catullus because they change the audience and, therefore, also the sociologically dependent interpretations. The transitions from poetry to music, ancient to modern, therefore, become vitally important for our understanding of Catullus as he stands in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
The Context: Catullus in Rorem and Rawsthorne
Authors: Oade Stephanie
Published: August 2024

Part II opens with a context section offering some background information on the volume’s first two works of Catullan reception: the first a song for piano and solo tenor voice by Ned Rorem, Catullus: On the Burial of his Brother (based on Catullus 101); the second a work for choir, solo tenor, and harp by Alan Rawsthorne: Lament for a Sparrow (based on Catullus 3). The chapters of Part II consider the various ways in which the lyric mode may be maintained, changed, enhanced, or undermined through musical setting and live performance. This section includes evidence (or lack of evidence) for the composers’ engagement with the classics, from their education to their wider artistic output, as well as the contexts for the compositions.
The Context: Orff’s Catullus
Authors: Oade Stephanie
Published: August 2024

The two chapters of Part III show how individual lyric poems may be extracted from the Catullan corpus and set together to form a cycle, allowing them to interact with each other in such a way that demands the inference of narrative interpretation from the reader/composer/musical audience. This part of the volume is therefore concerned with generic crossing in reception and the potential for lyric to move towards the narrative mode; however, it also draws out the difficulty of trying to generate a linear narrative from lyric poems, thus exposing the overlaps and incompatibilities between and within the lyric and narrative genres. Part III opens with some contextual information around Carl Orff and his oratorio-type choral work Catulli Carmina: Ludi Scaenici, including details of Orff’s engagement with classical texts and the Latin language, and with Catullus in particular. This section lays out Orff’s selection of poems from Catullus’s corpus and the seemingly autobiographical narrative ‘plot’ this cycle of poems generated in Catulli Carmina. Orff’s musical credo, his monumentalizing style of composition, and his efforts to create a dramatic outline are variously addressed.
Estimating the mean in the space of ranked phylogenetic trees
Authors: Berling Lars , Collienne Lena , Gavryushkin Alex
Published: August 2024

Motivation

Reconstructing evolutionary histories of biological entities, such as genes, cells, organisms, populations, and species, from phenotypic and molecular sequencing data is central to many biological, palaeontological, and biomedical disciplines. Typically, due to uncertainties and incompleteness in data, the true evolutionary history (phylogeny) is challenging to estimate. Statistical modelling approaches address this problem by introducing and studying probability distributions over all possible evolutionary histories, but can also introduce uncertainties due to misspecification. In practice, computational methods are deployed to learn those distributions typically by sampling them. This approach, however, is fundamentally challenging as it requires designing and implementing various statistical methods over a space of phylogenetic trees (or treespace). Although the problem of developing statistics over a treespace has received substantial attention in the literature and numerous breakthroughs have been made, it remains largely unsolved. The challenge of solving this problem is 2-fold: a treespace has nontrivial often counter-intuitive geometry implying that much of classical Euclidean statistics does not immediately apply; many parametrizations of treespace with promising statistical properties are computationally hard, so they cannot be used in data analyses. As a result, there is no single conventional method for estimating even the most fundamental statistics over any treespace, such as mean and variance, and various heuristics are used in practice. Despite the existence of numerous tree summary methods to approximate means of probability distributions over a treespace based on its geometry, and the theoretical promise of this idea, none of the attempts resulted in a practical method for summarizing tree samples.

Results

In this paper, we present a tree summary method along with useful properties of our chosen treespace while focusing on its impact on phylogenetic analyses of real datasets. We perform an extensive benchmark study and demonstrate that our method outperforms currently most popular methods with respect to a number of important ‘quality’ statistics. Further, we apply our method to three empirical datasets ranging from cancer evolution to linguistics and find novel insights into corresponding evolutionary problems in all of them. We hence conclude that this treespace is a promising candidate to serve as a foundation for developing statistics over phylogenetic trees analytically, as well as new computational tools for evolutionary data analyses.

Availability and implementation

An implementation is available at https://github.com/bioDS/Centroid-Code.
Establishing and Maintaining Social Relationships During Significant Life Events: The Role of Age
Authors: Radjenovic Sonja , Rupprecht Fiona S , Nikitin Jana
Published: August 2024

Objectives

We investigate how adults of different ages experience changes in their social relationships during significant life events. Based on different goal priorities, younger adults may benefit more from establishing new social contacts during a significant life event, whereas older adults may benefit more from maintaining existing relationships.

Methods

To test these hypotheses, we conducted multilevel modeling with a sample of N = 6,688 participants aged 18–90 years who reported at least 1 significant life event in the past 2 years.

Results

Both establishing new social relationships and maintaining existing relationships during significant life events were associated with higher levels of well-being. As predicted, these associations were moderated by age. Establishing new social relationships was more strongly associated with mental health and life satisfaction in younger adults, whereas maintaining existing relationships was more strongly associated with subjective well-being, physical health, and loneliness in older adults.

Discussion

These findings provide valuable insights into the role of age in the change and stability of social relationships during significant life events.
P01 Assessment of risk factors associated with MDR organism infections among patients admitted in a tertiary hospital—a retrospective study
Authors: Alsehemi Alaa , Alharbi Emad , Alammash Buthainah , Alrais Alaa , Alahmadi Yaser M
Published: August 2024

Background

The misuse of antibiotics has contributed to the worldwide rise in bacterial resistance seen in the medical community. The prevalence of MDR organisms (MDROs) has been growing rapidly in recent years in Saudi Arabia, prompting us to conduct this investigation.

Objectives

This retrospective, observational, case-control study aimed to determine and identify the common risk factors of MDROs among admitted patients to develop a predictive model of infection by MDROs that may help in selecting the appropriate initial antibiotic treatment.

Methods

In total 270 patients were included; they were all adults ≥18 year old with positive bacterial culture. A total of 136 out of 270 individuals tested positive for MDROs, and CRE (24.3%) and XDR (20.6%) strains were determined to be the most prevalent types. Patients who were male and ≤65 years old made up the majority of the population. Among comorbidities, stroke and hemiplegia were more prevalent with MDROs and prior IV antibiotic use at 3 months was greater. Furthermore, medical devices were significantly more associated with MDRO cases. In addition, the usage of acid suppression medications, corticosteroids and a history of prior surgery was more prevalent in MDRO cases. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common pathogen (30.9%), followed by Acinetobacter baumannii (20.6%) and Staphylococcus aureus (19.1%) in the case group.

Conclusions

These findings show that stroke, hemiplegia, use of medical devices, previous use of corticosteroids, acid suppressive medications and previous IV antibiotics were associated with high risk of MDRO infections. Knowing the risk factors for MDROs and giving the right antibiotic treatment immediately may help reduce the number of cases and deaths from these infections.
P21 A one-two punch? Investigating the potential of phage–antibiotic combination (PAC) therapy using pleurotin and phage K in Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Tadesse Michaël D , Sagona Antonia , Alberti Fabrizio
Published: August 2024

Background

MDR organisms pose a major healthcare challenge. The current limitations on antibiotic discovery have necessitated the search for novel discovery methods and sources as well as non-antibiotic alternatives. The basidiomycete-derived, secondary metabolite pleurotin and its congeners could be a proponent of the former, as these have been shown to be effective against Gram-positive bacteria, while bacteriophages (phages) could be the ultimate non-antibiotic alternative. A very promising application of bacteriophage therapy is phage–antibiotic combination (PAC) therapy, where (cocktails of) phage and conventional antibiotic are employed against problematic bacterial strains. In this project, the combination of pleurotin and bacteriophages targeting Staphylococcus aureus was examined.

Methods

Pleurotin was isolated from the basidiomycete Hohenbuehelia atrocaerulea grown in YM broth. Purification and structure characterization was performed using flash chromatography, LC-MS, HPLC and NMR spectroscopy. Purified pleurotin was compared with pleuromutilin and vancomycin, in combination with phage K against S. aureus (NCTC 9318) in single agent and PAC time–kill assays. The cytotoxicity of pleurotin was assessed using LDH and live/dead viability assays in human diabetic skin fibroblasts in comparison to pleuromutilin, vancomycin and phage K.

Results

Pleurotin, pleuromutilin and vancomycin both showed expected inhibitory activity against NCTC 9318. Reduced growth was seen in most concentrations. Phage K in combination with both pleurotin and vancomycin showed a decrease in growth rates compared with treatment with phage or antibiotic alone whereas adding phage to pleuromutilin yielded an antagonistic effect. Cytotoxicity of pleurotin in human cells was not significantly different to vancomycin and pleuromutilin.

Conclusions

Results suggest that phage K can lower the working MIC for pleurotin and vancomycin. Subsequent work revealing efficiency against clinically relevant strains and biofilms will be necessary.