bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strengthening Global Health Security: Equipping U.S. Public Health Service Officers for Disaster Response and Public Health Crises
Authors: Cooper Kami
Published: October 2024

Over 134 years, the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps has served as America’s adaptable, rapid-response asset for public health emergencies. This presentation outlines USPHS capabilities across key threats - from climate and infectious disease crises to border healthcare needs and national security events. It highlights response impact and priorities around training, partnerships, best practice sharing, and officer development that ready USPHS for 21st century demands. Attendees will gain insight into how specialized USPHS emergency preparedness makes it indispensable for advancing health security alongside allies globally.
Designing emerging technologies taking into account upscaling
Authors: Riondet Lucas , Rio Maud , Perrot Bernardet Véronique , Zwolinski Peggy
Published: October 2024

Under the umbrella concepts of upscaling and emerging technology, a wide variety of phenomena related to technology development and deployment in society are examined to meet societal imperatives (e.g., environment, safety, social justice). The design literature does not provide an explicit common theoretical and practical framework to clarify the assessment method to handle “an” upscaling. In this nebulous context, designers are struggling to identify the characteristics to anticipate the consequences of emerging technology upscaling. This article therefore first proposes a structuring framework to analyze the literature in a wide range of industrial sectors (energy, chemistry, building, etc.). This characterization brought to light five prevalent archetypes clarifying the concepts of upscaling and emerging technology. Then, a synthesis of invariants and methodological requirements for designers is proposed to deal with upscaling assessment according to each archetype, based on a literature review of existing design methods. This literature review process showed a disparity in treatment for some archetypes, regarding the industrial sector. A discussion is consequently proposed in the conclusion to guide design practices.
Entrepreneurial Imaginaries: Finding the Fortune in Futures
Authors: Wadhwani R. Daniel
Published: October 2024

This address calls on historians and other social scientists to delve deeper into the nature of human imagination and its role in business. Interpreting a business plan written by my father prior to his death, I draw attention to the opportunity to use such sources to study the formation and consequences of “entrepreneurial imaginaries.” By this term, I mean the situated and embodied process by which human beings imagine desirable future ventures. Drawing on insights from neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology, I explore how recognizing the embodied nature of human imagination can deepen our understandings of how our subjects (a) imagine their ventures, (b) imagine themselves, and (c) imagine the moral worth of their venture in society. I conclude by highlighting why some of the sources and methods used by business historians may be particularly well suited for studying imagination and its relationship to entrepreneurship and change.
Turbulent boundary layer response to uniform changes of the pressure force contribution
Authors: Gungor Taygun R. , Gungor Ayse G. , Maciel Yvan
Published: October 2024

We investigate a turbulent boundary layer (TBL) under uniform pressure force variations, focusing on understanding its response to local pressure force, local pressure force variation (local disequilibrating effect) and upstream history. The flow starts as a zero-pressure-gradient (ZPG) TBL, followed by a uniform increase in the ratio of pressure force to turbulent force in the outer region and concludes with a uniform decrease of the same magnitude. This last zone includes a subzone with a diminishing adverse pressure gradient (APG), followed by an increasing favourable pressure gradient (FPG). In both subzones, the impact remains the same: mean momentum gain and turbulence reduction. In the outer region, the mean flow responds to force balance changes with a considerable delay. The accumulated flow history leads to a FPG TBL at the domain's end with a momentum defect comparable to APG TBLs. Below

$y^+=10$

, the mean flow responds almost instantaneously to pressure force changes. In the overlap layer, velocity profiles deviate from the conventional logarithmic law of ZPG TBL. Outer-layer turbulence decays more slowly than it increases initially, the latter turbulence increase persisting even after the pressure force begins to decrease. As a result of the slow turbulence decay, the FPG TBL at the domain's end exhibits unusually high outer turbulence levels. Near the wall, turbulence responds with a delay to pressure force changes, partly due to the influence of large-scale turbulence. All these significant cumulative effects of continuous pressure force variation indicate that parameters based solely on local variables cannot fully describe the physics of non-equilibrium TBLs.
Analyses of Reynolds and Mach number effects on Tollmien–Schlichting wave–bump interaction in subsonic flows
Authors: Himeno Fernando H.T. , Carvalho A.E.B. , Medeiros M.A.F.
Published: October 2024

We investigated the effects of two-dimensional sharp-edged rectangular bumps on Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) wave evolution using direct numerical simulation. The bump height,

$h$

, ranged from 5 % to 40 % of the local displacement thickness,

$\delta ^*$

. Behind the bump, a recirculating flow region could be formed whose length increased nonlinearly with

$h$

. The bump height effect on the TS wave, which was the dominant, scaled super-exponentially with

$h$

. We also showed a substantial effect of the

$\delta ^*$

-based Reynolds number,

${\textit {Re}} _{\delta ^*}$

. Firstly, the bump wake extended with

${\textit {Re}} _{\delta ^*}$

, promoting larger TS wave growth rates. The second effect is related to proximity to the upper branch of the instability loop, accounting for the influence of the TS frequency, as well. It dictates the bump impact increases as it gets closer to transition, either by the bump moving downstream or the transition moving upstream. For a 40 % high bump, for example, changing the

${\textit {Re}} _{\delta ^*}$

at the bump location from 1500 to 2000 increased

$\Delta N$

by a factor of 2 (

$\Delta N$

represents a measure of a surface irregularity effect on the smooth plate N-factor). We also found that

$(\Delta N)_{max}$

increases linearly with

${\textit {Re}} _{hh}$

. Results in the subsonic regime showed that the bump impact attenuates with Mach number up to 0.7 but above it, stabilisation is surpassed by the destabilising effect caused by the recirculation lengthening. This is mostly associated with the bump wake that extends with the pressure gradient which increases substantially towards the sonic speed. This is enhanced if the surface is adiabatic rather than isothermal.
High-fidelity simulations of microramp-controlled shock wave/boundary layer interaction
Authors: Della Posta G. , Martelli E. , Salvadore F. , Bernardini M.
Published: October 2024

Microvortex generators (MVGs) are a promising solution to control shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interactions (SBLIs), especially in supersonic inlets. In this study, we examine the effects of a microramp vortex generator on an SBLI generated by an oblique shock wave and a turbulent boundary layer using direct numerical simulations (DNSs). Two cases, with and without the presence of a microramp, are compared in terms of their mean and unsteady flow features at free-stream Mach number equal to 2 and friction Reynolds number at the inviscid shock impingement equal to 600. The long integration period allows us to assess how microramps affect the typical low-frequency unsteadiness observed in SBLIs, and the data generated may serve as a reference for simulations of lower fidelity or reduced order models. The analysis shows that the three-dimensional microramp wake alters the interaction region dramatically, inducing a significant spanwise modulation and topology change of the separation. For example, tornado-like structures redistribute the flow in both the spanwise and wall-normal directions inside the recirculation region. The increase in momentum close to the wall by the ramp vortices effectively delays the onset of the separation and, thus, the separation length, but at the same time leads to a significant increase in the intensity of the wall-pressure fluctuations. We then characterise the mutual interaction between the arch-like vortices around the ramp wake and the SBLI. The specific spanwise vorticity shows that these vortices follow the edge of the separation and their intensity, apart from mean compressibility effects, is not affected by the shocks. The shocks, instead, are deformed in shape by the periodic impingement of the vortices, although the spectral analysis did not reveal any significant trace of their shedding frequency in the separation region. These Kelvin–Helmholtz vortices, however, may be relevant in the closure of the separation bubble. Fourier analysis also shows a constant increase, in both value and magnitude, in the low-frequency peak all along the span, suggesting that the motion of the separation shock remains coherent while being disturbed by the arch-like vortices and oscillating at a higher frequency in absolute terms.
Flow regimes in a melting system composed of binary fluid: transition from penetrative convection to diffusion
Authors: Xue Zhong-Han , Zhang Jie , Ni Ming-Jiu
Published: October 2024

In a horizontally heated melting system, where a solid substance is subject to melting by a warmer liquid beneath, the presence of solute in the liquid introduces a complex interplay between temperature and concentration dynamics. Employing a recently developed sharp interface method (Xue et al., J. Comput. Phys., vol. 491, 2023), we conduct direct numerical simulations to investigate the transient behaviour of the system across a broad range of Rayleigh numbers and solute concentrations. Our observations reveal distinct flow regimes: at low concentrations, the system resembles a temperature-driven melting problem, characterized by vortex rolls beneath the melting interface. As the solute concentration increases, a stably stratified layer emerges beneath the interface, leading to the transition from thermal convection to penetrative convection, which resembles those flow characteristics observed in the double-diffusive convection. This shift results from the competition between the stabilizing effect induced by solute concentration gradient and the destabilizing effect caused by temperature gradient. Otherwise in the diffusion regime, characterized by very high solute concentrations, the flow becomes static due to the complete suppression of convection by the stably stratified layer. This regime further exhibits two distinct patterns: ‘melting’ and ‘dissolution’. Beyond characterizing diverse flow patterns, our study conducts a quantitative analysis, examining heat/mass transfer, melting rates, and the evolution of temperature and concentration at the interface. These insights contribute to a better understanding of the intricate interplay between temperature and solute concentration during phase change, with implications for accurately estimating melting rates in binary fluid systems.
Exploration on flutter mechanism of a damaged transonic rotor blade using high-fidelity fluid–solid coupling method
Authors: Ji Chunxiu , Yi Zijun , Xie Dan , Dowell Earl H.
Published: October 2024

Structural damage in turbomachinery is a primary origin of aeronautic accidents, which is receiving increased attention. This study is thus focused on the aeroelastic analysis of damaged blades, including the onset of flutter and underlying mechanisms. First, a high-fidelity fluid–solid coupling system is established with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and computational structural dynamics (CSD) technologies, via which the dynamic aeroelastic analysis is conducted based on static aeroelastic deformation. Second, a damaged rotor blade is parametrically modelled with variable damage levels, extents, and positions. Finally, the modal identification method of spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD) is applied to observe flow details and provide physical insight into the flutter mechanism for damaged blades. Numerical analysis finds that there is a critical damage level below which the aeroelastic stability is positively improved with increasing damage level; otherwise, a significant loss of stability is induced. The damage location and extent further affect this critical damage level and the change rate crossing the threshold. The simulation with CFD/CSD finds that the high pressure near the trailing edge induced from boundary layer separation suppresses vibrations in stable conditions, but motivates vibrations during flutter, which is because of the high-pressure spread to nearing blades. SPOD modes reveal that high-frequency disturbances with large scale are primary factors inducing flutter, which is further stimulated by the high-order disturbances with small scale. This study provides a crucial foundation for the fatigue prediction for rotor blades in service and the optimisation design for high-performance turbomachinery in the near future.
“We Were Put Out of Good Jobs”: Women Night Workers in New York and the Origins of the Women’s Equal Opportunity League
Authors: Tiven R.B.
Published: October 2024

In the 1910s, U.S. social reformers advocated for labor laws to protect women who worked in factories. The laws included bans on women working at night. In New York, a small contingent of night-working women who had lost their jobs objected. Arguing that the laws were paternalistic and harmful, they formed the Women’s Equal Opportunity League. The group opposed all single-sex laws and ultimately won repeal of New York’s night work ban for printers, elevator operators, and transit workers. Night work was the stage on which reformers’ ideas about the greater good conflicted with arguments for women’s autonomy. Whether and what kind of work women should do at night was a conflict about class, motherhood, and self-determination. This article profiles three leaders of the Women’s Equal Opportunity League—printer Ella M. Sherwin, transit guard Margaret Hinchey, and streetcar ticket agent Mary A. Murray. All three were devoted union members whose opposition to women-only laws made them dissidents within their unions. They remained shift workers their entire lives while lobbying state legislatures and Congress to demand formal legal equality for women. Histories of the early Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) have emphasized the support of upper- and middle-class women. These working-class women, who had long opposed protective legislation, later demanded the ERA—not in spite of the prospect that it would nullify single-sex labor laws, but because they hoped it would. Theirs was a minority position, and paying attention to it reveals the complexity of class conflict at the root of a feminist dispute which persisted long into the twentieth century.
Control of sperm penetration using stereumamide A derived from Trichaptum fuscoviolaceum in the in vitro fertilization of pig oocytes
Authors: Yi Young-Joo , Lee Yoon-Ju , Adikari Adikari Arachchige Dilki Indrachapa , Yun Bong-Sik
Published: October 2024

Fungal metabolites are known to have potent and diverse properties such as antiviral, antidiabetic, antitumour, antioxidant, free radical scavenging, and antibacterial effects which can be utilized to treat diseases. In this study, we investigated the functional activity of stereumamide A (StA) derived from a culture broth of Trichaptum fuscoviolaceum during the in vitro fertilization (IVF) of pig oocytes, to determine its effects on sperm penetration. Oocytes matured in vitro were fertilized in the absence or presence of varying concentrations of StA (0-50 μg/ml StA). When StA was directly added into the IVF medium, significantly lower fertilization rates were seen with the 20 or 50 μg/ml StA (2.0–17.5%) treatments compared with those of 10 μg/ml StA or the controls (60.9–62.3%), whereas StA had no influence on the survival of oocytes and spermatozoa throughout the IVF process. For evaluating the control of sperm entry, mature oocytes were pre-incubated in a medium containing 20 μg/ml StA for 1 h, and then IVF was subsequently performed. The incidence of polyspermy was significantly reduced when oocytes were pre-incubated with StA (15.0% vs. 50.4–57.5% in controls). In conclusion, sperm penetration was inhibited in the medium in the presence of StA during IVF, while StA did not affect sperm motility and fertility competence. Fertilization was controlled when mature oocytes were incubated with StA prior to IVF, suggesting the possible use of the fungal metabolite in assisted reproductive technology for humans and animals.
Salt-related knowledge, attitudes and practices and their relationship with 24-h urinary sodium and potassium excretions among a group of healthy residents in the UAE: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Jarrar Amjad H , Thondre Pariyarath S , Cheikh Ismail Leila , Lightowler Helen , Bataineh Mo’ath F , Al Baloushi Alia K , Al Braiki Amira Y , Al Halabi Shaima , Hajouz Joudi , Souka Usama , Al Meqbaali Fatima , Stojanovska Lily , Ali Habiba I , Idriss Johaina T , Al Daour Rameez , Saleh Sheima T , Mohamad Maysm N , Al Dhaheri Ayesha S
Published: October 2024

Objective:

This study aimed to measure urinary sodium and potassium as a measure of sodium and potassium intake concerning the knowledge, attitude and practice towards sodium intake among a group of healthy residents in the UAE.

Design:

A cross-sectional study on a sample of healthy adults in the UAE. In addition to the knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire, sodium and potassium excretions and food records were taken.

Setting:

The UAE.

Participants:

A sample of 190 healthy individuals aged between 20 and 60 years.

Results:

The mean (± sd) age of the sample was 38·6 (± 12·5) years, and 50·5 % were females. The mean urinary sodium and potassium intake were 2816·2 ± 675·7 mg/d and 2533·3 ± 615 mg/d, respectively. The means were significantly different compared with the WHO recommendation of sodium and potassium (P < 0·001). About 65 % of the participants exceeded the WHO recommendations for salt intake, and participants’ knowledge classification for health-related issues was fair, while food-related knowledge was poor (P = 0·001). A two-stage stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that knowledge, attitude and practice scores were negatively associated with urinary sodium excretion (r = –0·174; P = 0·017) and those older participants and females had lower urinary sodium excretion (P < 0·001).

Conclusions:

These findings may suggest an increase in the risk of hypertension in the UAE population. Moreover, these findings emphasise the need to establish education and public awareness programmes focusing on identifying the sodium contents of foods and establishing national regulations regarding food reformulation, particularly for staple foods such as bread.
Personality Correlates of Certain Clinical Characteristics of Patients With Psychotic Disorders
Authors: Ristić Ivan , Knežević Goran , Ristić Dragana Ignjatović , Miljević Čedo , Jerotić Stefan , Marić Nađa P.
Published: October 2024

Abstract: Our study aimed to link personality traits (Big Five plus proneness to psychotic-like experiences and behaviors, conceptualized as Disintegration) with clinical characteristics (gender, age, density of episodes, average antipsychotic doses, functionality, and symptom scores). We analyzed 137 patients with psychotic disorders (ICD-10: F20–F29) who had at least one psychotic episode, with illness duration ≤10 years, in remission. Canonical correlation analysis revealed that (1) Psychotic fragility (defined by high density of illness episodes, older age, and more severe symptoms) is associated with high Disintegration and Neuroticism; (2) Disorder severity (high antipsychotic doses, dysfunctionality, severe symptoms, younger age) is linked to low Agreeableness and Openness; and (3) Well-functioning patients (better functionality, milder symptoms) are predicted by a resilient personality profile. These findings deepen our understanding of personality–psychopathology relationships.
Internal Consistency of the DELTA Scale Assessing Psychotic-Like Experiences
Authors: Thölking Theresa , Knežević Goran , Lazarević Ljiljana B. , Bošnjak Michael
Published: October 2024

Abstract: This study’s objective was to conduct a reliability generalization meta-analysis of the DELTA scale capturing Disintegration, i.e., proneness to psychotic-like experiences and behaviors. Eligible studies applied various versions of the DELTA scale; 573 α coefficients nested in 76 reports were identified. The pooled effect of all included α coefficients was calculated by applying a 4-level meta-analytic random-effects model. Test length, sample type, demographic sample characteristics (mean age, share of females), language, the proportion of reverse-keyed items, publication status, documentation quality of reliability estimates (reported vs. post hoc computed reliabilities), and DELTA score M and SDs were tested as moderators. The model yielded an average Cronbach’s α for DELTA and its facets of .86 (95% CI [.84, .88]), with medium and long DELTA versions reaching .96 (95% CI [.94, .96]) and .97 (95% CI [.95, .98]), respectively. Moderators explaining the heterogeneity among α coefficients were as follows: test length (expectedly, higher reliability estimates for longer tests), mean scores and SD of the DELTA scores (lower α estimates for larger means and lower SDs), and language (highest α estimates for the German language). Overall, the DELTA scales used in past research showed high-reliability estimates.
How to Find Accurate Terrain and Canopy Height GEDI Footprints in Temperate Forests and Grasslands?
Authors: Moudrý Vítězslav , Prošek Jiří , Marselis Suzanne , Marešová Jana , Šárovcová Eliška , Gdulová Kateřina , Kozhoridze Giorgi , Torresani Michele , Rocchini Duccio , Eltner Anette , Liu Xiao , Potůčková Markéta , Šedová Adéla , Crespo‐Peremarch Pablo , Torralba Jesús , Ruiz Luis A. , Perrone Michela , Špatenková Olga , Wild Jan
Published: October 2024

Filtering approaches on Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) data differ considerably across existing studies and it is yet unclear which method is the most effective. We conducted an in‐depth analysis of GEDI's vertical accuracy in mapping terrain and canopy heights across three study sites in temperate forests and grasslands in Spain, California, and New Zealand. We started with unfiltered data (2,081,108 footprints) and describe a workflow for data filtering using Level 2A parameters and for geolocation error mitigation. We found that retaining observations with at least one detected mode eliminates noise more effectively than sensitivity. The accuracy of terrain and canopy height observations depended considerably on the number of modes, beam sensitivity, landcover, and terrain slope. In dense forests, a minimum sensitivity of 0.9 was required, while in areas with sparse vegetation, sensitivity of 0.5 sufficed. Sensitivity greater than 0.9 resulted in an overestimation of canopy height in grasslands, especially on steep slopes, where high sensitivity led to the detection of multiple modes. We suggest excluding observations with more than five modes in grasslands. We found that the most effective strategy for filtering low‐quality observations was to combine the quality flag and difference from TanDEM‐X, striking an optimal balance between eliminating poor‐quality data and preserving a maximum number of high‐quality observations. Positional shifts improved the accuracy of GEDI terrain estimates but not of vegetation height estimates. Our findings guide users to an easy way of processing of GEDI footprints, enabling the use of the most accurate data and leading to more reliable applications.
Recognising and supporting authentic learning in a changing world: the opportunities and threats of AI
Authors: Mullan Francesca , Mather Helen , Bateman Heidi , Cairns Alison , Nasseripour Melanie , Binnie Viv , Dawson Luke , McCracken Giles , Ellis Janice
Published: October 2024

Since the term AI (artificial intelligence) was first coined, it has become embedded in modern life, with debate focusing on its challenges. In dentistry, AI is being used in clinical and education practice; however, many educators have limited knowledge or skills in its use. The British Alliance of Researchers in Dental Education and Scholarship hosted an AI-themed conference in November 2023. The conference organisers set out to initiate discussion on the use of AI in UK dental education, including a focused workshop to develop a consensus opinion. Before the conference, potential opportunities and threats associated with AI were determined, and through a pre-conference questionnaire, these were prioritised for in-depth discussion. During the workshop, personalised learning, support for learning, educator resources and equality were all identified as opportunities presented by AI, while digital literacy, misuse and safety were seen as potential threats. Two key overarching concepts emerged at the end of the conference: recognition that AI is here to stay and that dental schools must engage with it now to realise its potential; and recognition that educators do not know enough about how students are using AI and need to collaborate with our students in future development and research.
Polishing systems for modern aesthetic dental materials: a narrative review
Authors: Khan Adil , Hodson Nicholas , Altaie Asmaa
Published: October 2024

Objectives To review the current literature surrounding chairside polishing systems for resin composites, zirconia and lithium disilicate restorations.

Methods A literature search was undertaken and databases were hand-searched for the most relevant articles.

Discussion The current marketplace contains a wide variety of polishing systems, each with different abrasive compounds and number of steps. Current efforts are aimed at reducing the number of steps required for polishing to improve clinical effectiveness. Reduced step systems showed some comparable results to the more traditional multi-step protocols, but the most effective results were achieved with the use of polishing paste as an additional step.

Conclusions Based on the current available literature, the use of material-specific polishing systems is effective for chairside polishing of direct and indirect restorative materials. However, it is important to emphasise that, for optimum outcomes, it is essential to follow manufacturers' recommendations for each step, with particular considerations of the handpiece speed, time spent per step and use of adjunct water coolant.
Design & development of adulteration detection system by fumigation method & machine learning techniques
Authors: Agrawal Urvashi , Bawane Narendra , Alsubaie Najah , Alqahtani Mohammed S. , Abbas Mohamed , Soufiene Ben Othman
Published: October 2024

A novel method for discovery of adulteration in edible oil is proposed based on concept of refractive index and electronic sensors. The research work focusses on two distinct methodologies like employing datasets and implementing a fumigation technique that integrates real-time hardware for testing Edible oil Impurities. In the first method, the dataset taken into consideration contains spectral data collected using Advanced ATR-MIR Spectroscopy for pure oil and various levels of adulteration with Vegetable oil. Each and every edible oil has a certain value of refractive index. When such oils are contemned in a change adding adulterants, the value of its refractive indices also changes. This value of refractive index serves as a feature for testing the oil and helps us in detecting the adulteration. If Oil is adulterated with vegetable oils, the refractive index will be lower and with animal fats, the refractive index will be higher than that of pure Oil. While in Fumigation Method a hardware module is develop in which adulterated & pure oil samples are heated at 40–50 °C for 4.66 min and the volatiles that are generated by varying gas concentrations are forcefully passed through to the MEMS Gas Sensor-MISC-2714 and Multichannel Gas sensor. The conductance of the sensors changes according to the gases sensed by the sensors contributes to features extraction. The conductance value serves as a feature for the classifier to determine whether the sample is highly, moderately, or lowly contaminated. Thus, in proposed methods we use different algorithms based on machine learning like KNN, Random Forest, CATBOOST and XGBOOST to accurately reveal the adulteration. Amongst all the applied algorithm Random Forest (RF) Classifier & XGBOOST algorithm outperform well and gives 100% accuracy. The proposed work is used for identifying food adulteration in edible food products which helps us to feed Society with high-quality food.
Goats are more susceptible to Haemonchus contortus infection than sheep under similar experimental settings
Authors: Risa Desta , Mamo Gezahegne , Waktole Hika , Haile Geremew , Terefe Getachew
Published: October 2024

Due to differences in their feeding behavior, sheep and goats are often assumed to respond differently to helminth infections. The present study compared Haemonchus contortus infection profile between sheep and goats under the same experimental setting. Experimental infection was conducted using a randomized block design in four groups of intact sheep (InfSH and ConSH) and goats (InfG, and ConG). Groups InfSH and InfG (N = 7 each) received 10,000L3 of H. contortus whereas the control groups ConSH and ConG (N = 7 each) remained uninfected. Faecal egg counts and PCV were measured from Day 0 to day 56 post infection (PI). On day 56 PI, animals were humanely slaughtered and abomasal contents were recovered to measure worm burden, worm length and in utero egg count. The findings show that: (1) Haemonchus infected animals showed an increase in FEC starting from day 21 PI, (2) progressive reduction in PCV was registered from day 7 PI and continued to the end of the experiment while this remained at pre-infection levels in control groups, (3) FEC was much higher (P < 0.001) and PCV was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in infected goats than in infected sheep, (4) at necropsy, total worm burden with worm establishment rates of 63% and 28.87% were registered respectively for infected goats and sheep with significant difference (P < 0.05), (5) Female worms were significantly longer (P < 0.05) in InfG (22.8(± 1.2) compared to InfSH (20.5 ± 0.67 mm) while (6) Mean worm fecundity was 974.8 ± 239.4 and 1162.5 ± 89.4 respectively for groups InfSH and InfG with no significant difference (P = 0.07), and (7) Parasite traits such as worm burden, FEC and female worm length were well correlated in sheep whereas few such patterns were observed in goats. In conclusion, under the same experimental infection, Arsi-Bale goats are more susceptible to H. contortus infection than Arsi-Bale sheep and hence deserve special attention when they are forced to live on grazing rather than browsing.
Impact of met-haemoglobin and oxidative stress on endothelial function in patients with transfusion dependent β-thalassemia
Authors: Rabie Maha Abubakr Feissal , El Benhawy Sanaa A. , Masoud Inas M. , Arab Amal R. R. , Saleh Sally A. M.
Published: October 2024

Transfusion dependent β-thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder characterized by chronic anaemia. Blood transfusion is lifesaving but comes at a cost. Iron overload emerges as a prime culprit as a free radicals damage endothelial cells. Chronic anaemia further disrupts oxygen delivery, exacerbating the oxidative stress. Increased levels of met-haemoglobin and malondialdehyde compromise endothelial function. This research sheds light on the impact of met-haemoglobin and oxidative stress on endothelial function in 50 patients with transfusion dependent β-thalassemia major compared to 50 healthy individuals as control. Blood samples were collected & subjected to CBC, biochemical analysis including creatinine, ferritin, CRP, LDH, and HCV antibodies. Oxidative stress was assessed using met-haemoglobin & malondialdehyde. Endothelial dysfunction was evaluated by endothelial activation and stress index (EASIX). EASIX, met-haemoglobin and malondialdehyde were significantly increased in patients (1.44 ± 0.75, 2.07 ± 0.2, 4.8 ± 0.63; respectively) compared to the control (0.52 ± 0.24,0.88 ± 0.34,0.8 ± 0.34; respectively). Significant strong positive correlation was found between EASIX and met-haemoglobin, malondialdehyde, serum ferritin and CRP (P = 0.00, r = 0.904, P = 0.00, r = 0.948, P = 0.00, r = 0.772, P = 0.00, r = 0.971; respectively. Met-haemoglobin as well as EASIX should be routinely estimated to assess endothelial function especially before the decision of splenectomy. Antioxidant drugs should be supplemented.
Rapid Campimetry in glaucoma – correspondence with standard perimetry and OCT
Authors: Djouoma Nidele , Müller Fabian , Stolle Francie H. , Hoffmann Friedrich , Thieme Hagen , Hoffmann Michael B. , Al-Nosairy Khaldoon O.
Published: October 2024

The Rapid Campimetry (RC), a kinetic visual field test proved to reliably detect visual field defects within the central 10° degrees, the most crucial part for visual acuity and quality of life, affected even at very early stages of glaucoma, within a short measurement epoch, ~ 1 min. This study aims to further investigate RC correspondence with standard tests in glaucoma, namely standard automated perimetry (SAP) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) within 10° of visual field (VF). For this purpose, we included 41 participants, [21 glaucoma (GLA, mean age: 65.9 ± 12.4; 12 preperimetric eyes and 11 with VF defects) and 20 healthy controls (HC; mean age: 65.0 ± 10.3); 20 eyes]. At first, we compared the rate of detection/exclusion of VF defects in RC vs. SAP. Then, for those with VF defects (11 eyes), we investigated the 68-pointwise correspondence of 10 − 2 layout of RC and SAP. For functional and structural (SF) correspondence, pointwise correspondence of RC, SAP vs. OCTmacula [ macular ganglion cell thickness (GCL)] was also performed. Further, we compared sector-based correspondence of RC, SAP vs. OCTmacula accounting for GCL displacement at the fovea as well as sector-based correspondence with OCTdisc [peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (pRNFL)]. Agreement estimates were reported along with Cohen Kappa ($$\:\kappa\:$$) statistic. For overall performance, RC and SAP showed 100% agreement ($$\:\kappa\:=1$$) for the exclusion of VF defects (HC and preperimetric GLA) and for detection of VF defects [11 eyes of 9 GLA, ($$\:\kappa\:=1)$$]. Further, RC outperformed SAP in detection of arcuate scotomas, 7 vs. 5, respectively. Pointwise correspondence of VF defects (11 eyes), RC-SAP agreement reached 90% accuracy ($$\:\kappa\:=0.77,\:substantial\:agreement$$). For SF correspondence, RC [SAP] showed 62% [69%] pointwise agreement with OCTmacula, ($$\:\kappa\:=0.10\:\left[0.33\right]$$). For macular sector-based correspondence, SF correspondence improved and reached 83% [83%] agreement, ($$\:\kappa\:=0.57\:\left[0.57\right]$$). For OCTdisc sector-based analysis, SF correspondence was highest, 100% [100%] agreement, ($$\:\kappa\:=1\:\left[1\right]$$). Rapid Campimetry gave reproducible results in comparison to SAP and OCT with high potential as a screening VF method given its short testing duration, ~ 1 min in screening mode, and compatibility with telemedicine technologies upon future optimization and automation.
In situ decorated pd NPs on Triazin-encapsulated Fe3O4/SiO2-NH2 as magnetic catalyst for the synthesis of diaryl ethers and oxidation of sulfides
Authors: Singh Durgesh , Singh Kamini , Sharma Pawan , Jadeja Yashwantsinh , MGM Johar , Singh Priyanka , Kaur Kiranjeet , Atif M. , El-Meligy Mohammed A. , Husseen Beneen
Published: October 2024

This article is devoted to the synthesis of a new magnetic palladium catalyst that has been immobilized on A-TT-Pd coated-magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Such surface functionalization of magnetic particles is a promising method to bridge the gap between heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis approaches. The structure, morphology, and physicochemical properties of the particles were characterized through different analytical techniques, including TEM, FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDS, TGA-DTG, ICP, and VSM techniques. The obtained Fe3O4@SiO2@A-TT-Pd performance can show excellent catalytic activity for the synthesis of diaryl ethers and oxidation of sulfides, and the corresponding products were obtained with high yields. The advantages of this catalyst include a simple test method, green reaction conditions, no use of dangerous solvents, short reaction time, low catalyst loading, and reusability. Also, the nanocatalyst was easily separated from the reaction mixture with the help of a bar magnet and recovered and reused several times without loss of stability and activity.
Selected somatic parameters and body composition as predictors of cardiorespiratory fitness among Polish adolescents aged 11–14
Authors: Marks Karolina , Kopeć Dorota , Lenik Justyna , Lenik Paweł , Dziadek Bartosz
Published: October 2024

The aim of the study was to verify whether selected somatic parameters and components of body composition were significant predictors of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) among a potentially healthy Polish population of adolescents aged 11–14 years. The cross-sectional study was conducted on a group of 375 subjects (164 girls, and 211 boys). A 20 m shuttle run test (20 m SRT) was used to assess CRF. The total number of rounds was taken into account. Basic somatic parameters were measured: body mass (BM), body height (BH), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and body composition components: body fat percentage (FM%), fat mass (FM kg), total body water (TBW), fat-free mass (FFM). Statistical analyses included basic statistical measures (mean and standard deviation) and Spearman rank correlation coefficient. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to detect significant predictors of CRF. In each proposed model, the dependent variable was the number of rounds, and the independent variables were selected somatic parameters and components of body composition. More than half (65%) of the subjects had an average or lower level of CRF, and 35% of the population presented a good or above good level of CRF. The study showed a statistically significant negative correlation between BM, FM%, FM kg, HC, WC, BMI, WHR, WHtR and the number of laps in the total sample. The strongest correlation in the group of girls was noted for age (r = 0.34) and in the group of boys for FM% (r = $$-0.52$$

-
0.52

). Each regression model presented proved to be statistically significant, and the significant predictors of CRF in the group of girls were age ($$R^2$$

R
2

= 16%) and FM% ($$R^2$$

R
2

= 6%). In the group of boys, the significant predictors of CRF were WHtR ($$R^2$$

R
2

= 8%) and age ($$R^2$$

R
2

= 2%). Estimating body fat distribution is useful in assessing cardiorespiratory fitness, and this in turn indicates its usefulness in preventive screening of school-aged adolescents.
On the efficiency of paired ranked set sampling for estimating the population mean in the presence of non-response
Authors: Rehman Syed Abdul , Al-Essa Laila A. , Shabbir Javid , Khan Zaheen
Published: October 2024

Non-response is a common problem faced by surveyors while conducting surveys; this introduces a potential bias in the estimates of population parameters. One method of dealing with non-response is subsampling of the non-respondents, which increases precision in estimates by increasing the sample size. This study proposes an unbiased mean estimator in the presence of non-response using the Paired Ranked Set Sampling (PRSS) technique. The proposed estimator is based on a suggested strategy for adapting the subsampled units into the initial sample. Variance of the proposed estimator is derived, and conditions are provided for which the proposed estimator performs better than existing estimators. We conduct a simulation study to evaluate the precision of the proposed estimator in comparison with other existing estimators for estimating the population mean. In simulation, we assume populations based on normal distribution, exponential distribution, and real-life data on abalone. Simulation results show that the proposed mean estimator exhibits a higher probability of precisely estimating the finite population mean.
Early ablation leads to better outcome in patients < 55 years with persistent atrial fibrillation
Authors: Erhard Nico , Bahlke Fabian , Neuner Bruno , Popa Miruna , Krafft Hannah , Tunsch-Martinez Alexander , Syväri Jan , Tydecks Madeleine , Abdiu Edison , Telishevska Marta , Lengauer Sarah , Hessling Gabriele , Deisenhofer Isabel , Englert Florian
Published: October 2024

The question of optimal timing for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) to achieve best outcomes remains a crucial clinical issue. As AF occurs less frequently in younger patients, data regarding Diagnosis-to-Ablation Time (DAT) is especially limited in patients under the age of 55 years with persistent AF. We therefore analyzed the temporal relationship between initial AF presentation and timing of catheter ablation in this cohort. We conducted a retrospective single-centre study of patients ≤ 55 years with persistent AF who underwent first-time catheter ablation at our center. The cohort was divided into patients that underwent catheter ablation after diagnosis of persistent AF within a DAT of ≤ 12 months and patients with a DAT of > 12 months. A total of 101 patients (median age 51 years; female n = 19 (18.8%)) with persistent AF were included. Ablation was performed within 12 months (“early DAT”) in 51 patients and > 12 months (“late DAT”) in 50 patients. Pulmonary vein isolation was performed using high-power short-duration (HPSD) radiofrequency ablation. Median DAT was 5 months (1–12 months) in the early ablation group and 36 months (13–240 months) in the late ablation group. The median follow-up was 11.3 months (0.03–37.1 months). The rate of any atrial arrhythmia recurrence after a 30-day blanking period was significantly lower in the early DAT group (13/51 patients; 25.5%) as compared to the late DAT group (26/50 patients; 52.0%) (log rank test; p = 0.003). Catheter ablation performed > 12 months after the initial AF diagnosis was an independent predictor for the occurrence of any atrial arrythmia (OR: 2.58; (95%-CI: 1.32–5.07). Early first-time catheter ablation (DAT ≤ 12 months) in patients ≤ 55 years with persistent AF is associated with a significantly lower rate of arrhythmia recurrence.
A single nucleotide substitution introducing premature stop codon within CsTFL1 explains the determinate-2 phenotype in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)
Authors: Biernacik Bartosz , Słomnicka Renata , Kaźmińska Karolina , Mużacz Szymon , Bartoszewski Grzegorz
Published: October 2024

The determinate growth habit of plants reduces the number of internodes and shortens the main stem by terminating the shoot apical meristem through a transition to inflorescence. Understanding the genetic basis of this habit can help optimize crop yield and cultivation technology for vegetable breeding. This study aimed to identify the determinate-2 (de-2) gene responsible for the determinate growth habit in the W-sk cucumber line. Termination of the main stem in the W-sk line occurred between 14 and 23 internodes, depending on cultivation conditions. Resequencing of the W-sk genome identified a novel SNP in the cucumber TERMINAL FLOWER1 (CsTFL1) gene, explaining the de-2 phenotype. This was verified with a CAPS-T marker cosegregation with determinate growth in the F2:3 population, and this polymorphism is unique among genotyped indeterminate cucumber cultivars or breeding lines. Crossing the W-sk line with the G421 line with the determinate (de) gene confirmed the allelism of both genes. An SNP in CsTFL1 in the W-sk line introduced a premature stop codon, resulting in the putative deletion of 13 amino acids, possibly causing determinate growth habit. Overall, this study provides insights into the genetic basis of cucumber plant growth architecture and advances in cucumber breeding.
Accelerated ensemble optimization using momentum methods
Authors: Nilsen Mathias M. , Stordal Andreas S. , Lorentzen Rolf J. , Raanes Patrick N. , Eikrem Kjersti S.
Published: October 2024

We investigate the use of various momentum methods in combination with an ensemble approximation of gradients, for accelerated optimization. Although momentum gradient descent methods are popular in machine learning, it is unclear how they perform when applied to time-consuming dynamic problems such as production optimization for petroleum reservoir management. Four different momentum methods are extensively tested on a reservoir test case in one deterministic and one robust setting. The numerical experiments show that momentum strategies yield, on average, a higher net present value with fewer simulations needed.
Transport mechanism of DgoT, a bacterial homolog of SLC17 organic anion transporters
Authors: Dmitrieva Natalia , Gholami Samira , Alleva Claudia , Carloni Paolo , Alfonso-Prieto Mercedes , Fahlke Christoph
Published: October 2024

The solute carrier 17 (SLC17) family contains anion transporters that accumulate neurotransmitters in secretory vesicles, remove carboxylated monosaccharides from lysosomes, or extrude organic anions from the kidneys and liver. We combined classical molecular dynamics simulations, Markov state modeling and hybrid first principles quantum mechanical/classical mechanical (QM/MM) simulations with experimental approaches to describe the transport mechanisms of a model bacterial protein, the d-galactonate transporter DgoT, at atomic resolution. We found that protonation of D46 and E133 precedes galactonate binding and that substrate binding induces closure of the extracellular gate, with the conserved R47 coupling substrate binding to transmembrane helix movement. After isomerization to an inward-facing conformation, deprotonation of E133 and subsequent proton transfer from D46 to E133 opens the intracellular gate and permits galactonate dissociation either in its unprotonated form or after proton transfer from E133. After release of the second proton, apo DgoT returns to the outward-facing conformation. Our results provide a framework to understand how various SLC17 transport functions with distinct transport stoichiometries can be attained through subtle variations in proton and substrate binding/unbinding.
Unravelling the potential of low-valent tunable vanadium complexes in the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR)
Authors: Ghosh Bijoy , Ahmed Sahtaz , Phukan Ashwini K.
Published: October 2024

Comprehensive computational investigations predict the potential of several hitherto unknown tripodal vanadium complexes in the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) without the probability of generation of hydrazine as a side product.
Hydrothermal nickel selenides as efficient electrodes in alkaline media: application to supercapacitors and the methanol oxidation reaction
Authors: Ren Jiaojiao , Zhang Yong , Li Junshan , Liu Junfeng , Hu Jiwei , Li Chaochao , Ke Yun , Zhao Jun , Cabot Andreu , Tang Bin
Published: October 2024

The advancement of active electrochemical materials is pivotal for enhancing energy conversion and storage technologies, which is essential for a sustainable future.
Transamidation of primary thioamides with primary and secondary amines via C(S)–N bond cleavage and formation by hydroxylamine hydrochloride catalysis
Authors: Gao Yu , Chai Fang , Liu Chengwei
Published: October 2024

Hydroxylamine hydrochloride-catalyzed transamidation of primary thioamides with primary and secondary amines via C(S)–N bond cleavage and formation has been reported.